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Killer Mike Ft. Scar “Untitled”
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Tony Yayo “100 Bottles”
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REKS [BGA] “Chasin” P###. by Statik Selektah
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Alternative Pick: Melanie Fiona Ft. Nas “Running”
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Rain [BGA] “House Party Freestyle”
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Young Dro “Where My Dog’s At”
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Frank Ocean “White”
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Knight PKF Ft. J. Bonkaz “Smoovin”
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Hip-Hop Rumors: Did Chris Brown Pay Off His Cell Snatching Victim?
British actor Russell Brand (“Get Him to The Greek”, “Arthur”) was arrested in New Orleans a few days ago for snatching a papparazzi’s phone and throwing it through a window approximately two days after the incident happened.
Today marks a full month after Chris Brown did exactly the same thing (minus the window), and no arrest warrant has been issued. He hasn’t even been called into the police station for questioning.
Numerous sources are saying that CB has allegedly paid off the young woman whose iPhone he snatched. Other sources are saying that the woman is afraid of what Breezy’s fans may do to her if she goes through with it. I don’t blame her. We all know how hard Chris Brown’s fans go for him.
Either way, it’s a good thing for Chris Brown that the woman didn’t press charges, because it would have been a violation of his parole and he would have most likely have gone straight to the slammer. If it were you, would you take the money and not press charges?
Tyler Discuss Fashion In New Issue Of GQ
(AllHipHop News) Odd Future’s Tyler The Creator is featured in the April issue of GQ magazine.
In the interview, Tyler and the article’s author and GQ’s Style Guy Glenn O’Brien discusses their infatuation with urban streetwear brand Supreme.
Both Tyler and Glenn O’Brien discuss how Supreme has influenced their style, artistic work and life.
“Visual aesthetic is important to me. I take video directing and designing album art and s### tlike that very serious, and they do, too,” Tyler told GQ. “So that’s one thing I like from them, the way they design certain things—not too much, not too little.”
Although Tyler is a fan of the Supreme brand, he told GQ magazine that he himself was not that into fashion.
“I’m not into fashion, but I like design. I wear the same shoes every day,” Tyler said. “These same pants. I’ve been wearing this Supreme hat for a month.”
The April issue of GQ magazine is in stores tomorrow (March 20).
Tyler and Odd Future will be released The Odd Future Tape mixtape tomorrow as well.
Big Sean, Brandy, Terrence J & Rocsi Join Get Schooled Campaign
(AllHipHop News) Big Sean has joined The Get Schooled Foundation’s “Wake Up” campaign, to encourage students to attend school.
The Detroit rapper joins celebrities Victoria Justice, Brandy, Sean Paul and “106 & Park’s” Terrence J. and Rocsi, for this year’s campaign.
The artists will deliver pre-recorded messages to over 20,000 students, who have signed up for the daily wake up calls.
“We had more than half of our students sign up for wake up calls in one week,” said Cynthia Martin, teacher at the Osborn Upper School of Global Communications in Detroit, Michigan. “They couldn’t believe that Big Sean was actually calling them. It was so much fun to walk into the building and have the kids excited about the wake up calls. They were ALL talking about it and the students that had not signed up yet were anxious to get involved. It really seemed to make an impression and motivate them to get to school on time.
The goal of the program is to boost the graduation rate, as one in three students will eventually dropout.
Victoria Justice will host a contest for students, who can enter the “Wake Up with Victoria Justice” sweepstakes to receive a personalized wake up call.
“Success requires focus, drive and determination, whether you are striving to get ahead in academics, the music business or life itself,” Victoria Justice said. “I am excited to partner with Get Schooled to encourage more students to wake up and get to school every day with renewed focus and motivation.”
In the past, artists like Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa and Tyra Banks have participated in The Get Schooled Foundation’s “Wake Up” call program.
“We have received such a positive response from students and the statistics say it all – the wake up calls are making an impact,” said Marie Groark, Executive Director of the Get Schooled Foundation. “It is so exciting to have even more star power help us get kids to school every day.”
For more information visit GetSchooled.com.
Trayvon Martin: What is Black Life Worth in America?
There is no way to sugarcoat it.
Everyone should be upset about this.
This is not an isolated incident. Profiling Black men and boys is as American as NCAA March Madness.
However, this is the real madness: Trayvon Martin is dead simply because he was Black.
As I keep listening to the audio of the 911 calls related to the February 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, it’s disheartening. George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, decided to s#### out Trayvon’s life with a bullet to the chest because he deemed him “suspicious.”
In his 911 call, Zimmerman told the dispatcher that it was a Black male and “he looks like he’s on drugs and up to no good….It’s raining. He’s just walking around, looking about. He just staring looking at all the houses.”
The dispatcher told him not to pursue the person and Zimmerman is recorded saying “These a**holes always get away.”
Zimmerman disregarded those instructions and decided to engage Trayvon. He admitted to police that he shot Trayvon, but claimed it was in self-defense. He has been able to dodge being put behind bars simply by telling the police that he acted in self-defense? His word is that good, huh?
However, if you listen to the 911 calls made by witnesses, you can hear the cries of a young boy just before a gunshot is let off.
The cries went mute…
Florida is one of many states to have passed some form of “Stand Your Ground” law in which self-defense is asserted against a charge of criminal homicide. This Central Florida case has people questioning this “Go-Ahead-Make-My-Day-I-Have-A-License-To-Kill” legislation.
Why does it seem like the Sanford Police has been trying to protect Zimmerman? Why did it take them so long to release the 911 tapes? What made Trayvon suspicious? What made him a threat? If Trayvon was the aggressor and presented danger, why is he crying out for help on the 911 tapes?
Trayvon weighed 140 lbs. He was armed with a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea while walking back from a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store. He is said to have been wearing a hood on his head because it was drizzling. Are we missing something here?
Trayvon had dreams of being an aviation mechanic. One day he could have been working on Air Force One, or even sitting onboard in the seat of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. We will never know.
With all we have to deal with, Black men are not even safe in a gated community patrolled by a neighborhood watch leader?
Let’s flip the script: Had Trayvon been the shooter, would he have been given a pass with the self-defense claim? I highly doubt it. No way a Black man could be acting in self-defense, right?
What is Black life worth in America? Less than a dog, because I’ve seen man’s best friend get much better treatment and advocacy than us. This is not race-baiting. This is just a fact.
Ask the families of Emmett Till, Oscar Grant, Troy Davis, Sean Bell, James C. Anderson, Brandon McClelland and Amadou Diallo.
No matter how much people try to shove the concept down our throats, this is not a post-racial America. This broken system of America is a joke to the fullest and could care less about giving justice to the Black people within its borders.
The more I listen to the cries of Trayvon on those 911 tapes, the more I keep thinking about my little nephew Jacobi. He’s one of the most highly intelligent boys you would ever meet. In the photo below, he’s wearing this hood on his head at a Black Male Summit we hosted in Houston last year.
He would be a target of racial profiling if he was dressed like this walking the streets late at night or even just walking into a department store. Yet at that summit his responses to questions during workshops left degreed presenters in suits and ties in awe.
Jacobi could have been Trayvon Martin.
He is Trayvon Martin.
We’re all Trayvon Martin.
I am Trayvon Martin.
***If you would like to join the call for justice in the Trayvon Martin case, sign the online petition. Also a national rally is scheduled to take place on March 26 @ 5pm EST in front of Sanford’s City Hall at 300 N. Park Ave, Sanford, FL.***
Jesse Muhammad is a staff writer for The Final Call newspaper. Follow him on Twitter (@BrotherJesse).
Roc Nation’s Rita Ora Talks Jay-Z and BIC
From our friends at Vibe Vixen
Twenty-one-year-old Rita Ora’s name has been buzzing since her first single on Roc Nation, “Party & Bulls**t” dropped a few weeks ago. The blonde-haired UK bombshell recently sat with GQ.com (UK) to discuss her current climb to celebrity, touching on everything from her familial connection to the Roc Nation family to her key advice for men’s style.
When asked about Jay-Z as a boss, she says, “He’s a great mentor, a great boss and so is his wife. There’s not a lot of people on Roc Nation so the few that are genuinely get time spent on their project. It’s like a family, well especially now with Blue Ivy – although she just chills: eats, sleeps, wakes up, eats, sleeps.”
Rita isn’t exactly new to the Roc Nation familia. She signed to the still growing label about three years ago, but was being groomed for artistry. “Jay-Z taught me a lot about patience as an artist. I was itching. When I was 18, I thought it was all going to happen so quickly – I just thought next week I’d be on Oprah!”
If you’re looking to keep up with the British bombshell, make plans to attend a Coldplay concert. “They heard my tracks and then “Hot Right Now” went to number one,” she gushes. “I’ve met them a few times over the last few years so they asked me to be on the tour. I’m over the moon – they play huge arenas and I can’t wait to finally do it!”
Hip-Hop Rumors: Did Sean Kingston Attack a Woman?!
This can’t be good for Sean Kingston’s wholesome image! The “Beautiful Girls” singer and BFF of Justin Bieber was recently served with a civil summons and complaint from a woman who says he attacked her.
The woman says that Kingston and his posse “gang attacked” her after a concert in 2010 and has now filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the alleged incident. This seems fishy to me. Where is the police report? And why wait two years before you take legal action? Sounds like a shakedown. Handle your business, Sean.
AHH Stray News: Hilltop Hoods Top Adele, Trinity Hip-Hop Fest, Boot Camp Clik
(AllHipHop News) Australian Hip-Hop group Hilltop Hoods have bumped Adele from the #1 one position on the charts in Australia. Hilltop Hoods’ sixth album Drinking From the Sun is the first album to unseat Adele, whose album 21 has been at the top of the Australian charts since January. The success of Drinking From the Sun shows Hip-Hop’s dominance in the country and is Hilltop Hoods’ third album in a row to debut at #1, according to The Herald. The group’s 2006 album The Hard Road and 2009’s State of The Art also shot to #1 upon their releases.
Minneapolis, Minnesota based rapper Brother Ali will headline The Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival next week. Brother Ali will be one of a number of international Hip-Hop acts who will descend upon The Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival, which was founded by students at Trinity College. The festival will take place in Hartford, Connecticut from March 29 – March 31. The free weekend event, which is open to the public, features lectures, performances, art exhibits a film screening and other activities. In addition to Brother Ali, rappers like Los Rakas (Panama/USA), Sweatshop Union (Canada), Native Sun (Mozambique/UK), Ian Kamau (Trinidad/Canada), The Narcicyst (Iraq/Canada), Suheir Hammad (Palestine/USA) and numerous others will hit the stage. For more information visit www.trinityhiphop.com for more information.
The original legendary roster of artists on Duck Down Records will reunite on Tuesday (March 20) in New York City. Boot Camp Clik members Buckshot, Smif N Wessun, Sean Price & Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Starang Wondah, Louieville Sluggah & Top Dog of O.G.C. aka The Great 8 will perform at Le Poisson Rouge. Each group will perform their classic material, before they perform as the B.C.C. collective. Le Poisson Rouge is located at 158 Bleecker Street, NY, NY. Tickets are $15 in advance. Doors open at 8PM. The group will then head to the West Coast for a series of dates.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Jay-Z Working on $150 Million Tour Deal for Beyonce
Jay-Z is reportedly brokering a tour deal for Beyonce worth $150 Million! Sources are saying that Jigga has approached Live Nation to partner with Bey for a world tour that would be dubbed as Beyonce’s “comeback” after giving birth to her first child, Blue Ivy Carter.
“Just weeks after the birth of Blue Ivy, Jay met with Live Nation to discuss a tour for Beyoncé. He wanted a deal worth about $150 million, but they countered with a lower offer.”
Both Jay-Z and Live Nation are remaining mum on the deal. But we hear Beyonce isn’t sitting back and waiting for her hubby to get her back into her performance tights. She has allegedly stepped out and arranged her first performance in Atlantic City, NJ.
Beyonce is reportedly performing three exclusive shows at Revel, a brand new resort in Atlantic City, over Memorial Day Weekend. Are you still checking for Beyonce?
Nicki Minaj Heading To Europe For “Pink Friday” Tour
(AllHipHop News) Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj has teamed with Live Nation for a series of dates in the United Kingdom this June.
Nicki will launch the “Pink Friday” tour that will stop in London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
After her performances in the UK, Nicki will take the Pink Friday tour to other European countries, including Sweden, Norway, Italy, and France.
The European leg of the tour is meant to support Nicki Minaj’s upcoming album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
Pre-sale tickets are available beginning on Thursday (March 21), while general admission tickets go on sale Friday (March 22).
Nicki Minaj’s album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is due in stores April 3.
Check out tour dates here.
Fifteen Years Later, “Love Jones” Film Still Inspires
A great storyline and an amazing soundtrack, “Love Jones” was a film that reflected the beauty of young, Black love and shed light on and built support for an entire subculture of Hip-Hop-influenced poetry. “Love Jones” encouraged a poetic era of urban culture inspiring poetry nights and cafes to emerge in major cities around the country. It also helped cement “finger-snapping,” which originated in New York during the poetry night at Brooklyn Moon, the universal symbol of appreciation during a poetry show. The film is also credited with inspiring the creation of “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam”.
Starring Nia Long as Nina Mosley, and Larenz Tate as Darius Lovehall, “Love Jones” was released March 14, 1997, to an urban marketplace that had just suffered the loss of Notorious B.I.G. earlier that same week. While the in-theater viewing was not considered a major success, over time, the film became a cult classic. “Love Jones” was also critically acclaimed, earning the “Audience Award,” at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and 3 out of 4 stars from Roger Ebert, who applauded the unconventional love story, stating, “Some audience members would probably prefer a romantic embrace in the sunset, as the music swells. But “Love Jones” is too smart for that.”
Indeed, “Love Jones” was a smart film. In a decade that produced numerous violent urban films like “Boyz in the Hood” (also featuring Long), “Menace II Society” (which also featured Tate), “Juice”, “New Jersey Drive”, and more, “Love Jones” was the exact opposite. It was an African-American love story that featured no violence or use of recreational drugs. Director Theodore Witcher told TheRoot.com, “I wanted to do something that was closer to my dating experience — there was a lot of game playing. Also, I was a part of a similar world in Chicago in the early ’90s and thought it was an interesting backdrop on which to paint this young romantic story.”
The tagline “Get Together. Fall Apart. Start Over.” perfectly described this story of two lovers who couldn’t seem to get on the same page at the same time for most of the film, and was and is still a reflection of young urban love. In fact, the beloved film would make a well-received sequel, which according to Nia Long in a recent interview with Essence.com, is a real possibility. “There’s talk about it.” She states, “Larenz and I, if we do it, we’re going to do it right, and we’re gonna do it together. It’s a classic film and it has to be handled as such. And if these two characters can grow in a realistic way and we can do the film in a way that still gives people the feeling of ‘Wow, there’s still movies about Black love.’”
Black love was the basis of the film and the soundtrack, which is also still a classic. Love Jones: The Music (Original Soundtrack) broke the Top 20 on The Billboard 200 back in 1997. Released at the beginning of the neo-soul era, the album featured original music from Maxwell, Groove Theory, and Refugee Camp All-Stars featuring Lauryn Hill, with the amazing, “The Sweetest Thing.”
Good music, a good plot, and amazing cultural influence are what make the 15th anniversary of this film so significant. “Love Jones” created a craving for Black love stories on film that has yet to be filled.
Haven’t seen “Love Jones”? Shame on you. In the meantime, watch the video below as Larenz Tate talks to AllHipHop.com about his favorite movie roles, including Darius Lovehall:
Yung Berg Hits the Studio With New Acts
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Yung Berg welcomed AllHipHop.com into the studio, as he put the finishing touches on his artist Mia Rey’s first album to be released on his Yung Fly Movement (YFM) imprint.
In between his own albums, Berg has kept busy building his emerging brand, in addition to producing for some of the top artists in the industry.
“Right now I’m cooking up my artist Mia Rey, we just put the ending to her album 
so we bout to get her a situation and its gong to go crazy,” Yung Berg told AllHipHop.com. “Her album is phenomenal we have 10 joints we are in love with. When I went in on her album, I didn’t wanna just create the typical let’s get a pretty girl and make some techno type music and sell it like that. I wanted to make real R&B.”
On the production side, Berg has kept busy by working with artists like Lil Wayne, Meek Mill and Diddy over the past two years.
Just recently, Berg attended the Grammy Awards and although he didn’t take a trophy home, the nomination alone was proof that he is on the right track.
“I been doing my thing producing a lot of tracks for a lot of different people. I did a song with Future recently, [I’ve] been going ham on the song writing tip,” Yung Berg continued. “We didn’t end up winning [a Grammy] but it’s still a good look to just even be nominated“
Watch Yung Berg as he brings AllHipHop.com inside the studio.
Follow Mikey T The Movie Star on Twitter @MTMovieStar