Rap mogul Jay-Z’s song “99 Problems” was released in 2003, but it still remains a mainstay in our iPods and on the radio. There’s just one problem, though. Jigga is giving us some bad legal advice in the track. According to Law Professor Caleb Mason from Southwestern Law School, Jigga’s line in the song, “Well, my glove compartment is locked/ so is the trunk in the back/
And I know my rights/ so you gon’ need a warrant for that,” is inaccurate.
Check out what the professor says below:
“Based on the number of my students who arrived at law school believing that if you lock your trunk and glove compartment, the police will need a warrant to search them, I surmise that it’s even more widespread among the lay public. But it’s completely, 100% wrong.”
The law professor sets the record straight and give some great advice if you ever catch yourself in a situation where the police want to search your vehicle:
“The lesson for perps is threefold: (1) don’t consent, (2) know the reasonable suspicion boilerplate and don’t provide it, and (3) make a record of the encounter any way you can, including your behavior, appearance, and demeanor before and during the stop, the officer’s stated motive for the stop, all of your responses to questioning, whether or not you were placed under arrest, and the exact amount of time you were held on the side of the road. And finally, most importantly, for both sides–when in doubt, talk to a lawyer. My door’s always open to players on both sides of this game. Call me.”
Def Jam’s newest signee, Gunplay, has made no secret about his battle with a cocaine addiction. Now that the rapper has a new deal in place, he is trying to get back together and reveals that he has finally kicked the habit. Check out what he told XXL Mag below:
“Right now? Aw man, trust me…it’s a whole other ballgame. I’m back to reality. I’m back to life. That sh*t gives you a f*cked-up attitude. It makes you snap on people you love. It’s not you, it’s the chemical imbalance that happens in your brain from snorting up that sh*t. You don’t even realize it. You think it’s the world against you. ‘Nah n*gga, your brain’s about to melt.’ My mama’s a nurse. She tells me about that sh*t. She knew I got high and she would just pray that I stopped. My mind is clear. I’m thinking way clearer and I’m not thinking on impulse much. I talk about it and acknowledge it. To this day, that’s my favorite drug; my drug of choice. Now, I just pop a Molly, f*ck it. That sh*t gets you high three, four hours and it stops. I’m back to reality.”
Gunplay’s drug problem was far worse that anyone ever knew. Check out how he describes his former addiction below:
“It got pretty bad. It got bad. I can’t let it get to the point where I steal and sh*t. That’s just f*ckdafied. I might borrow it from you, but I never really did some sh*t like that. I would just be like, ‘Front me with an 8-ball and I’ll just pay you later.’ Some sh*t like that. I would never steal or do dumb-a** sh*t like that. But how bad did it get? Just my health, man. Looking myself in the mirror and my nose never being right. I could never breathe straight and I’m always blowing my nose. I’m already a skinny n*gga and that sh*t draws me up even skinnier by the time I wake up in the morning, I lost 10 pounds, like ‘What the f*ck just happened?’ Then, that day you gotta be at a video shoot. You got raccoon eyes and you 10 pounds lighter and you can’t even breathe and you’re blowing your nose like crazy and sweating because that sh*t makes you sweat. Come on, man, you look crazy. That was really one of my first steps in really taking this rap sh*t seriously…and that was quitting coke. That was 2008.”
I’m glad he’s clean! Hopefully he can stay that way!
(AllHipHop News) After releasing three solo projects in the form of The Rocks Report, Premier Politics, and Premier Politics1.5 in 2011,Sir Michael Rocks, one half of Hip-Hop duo The Cool Kids, has announced his new album, Lap of Lux, for release on August 2 in both physical and digital forms.
Casey Veggies, Mano, Tris J, Mac Miller, Rockie Fresh and Shorty J will be contributing guest verses on the album, while the production on Lap of Lux is set to come from the likes of Cardo, J. Hill, Chuck Inglish, Flosstradamus, Hit-Boy who produced the album’s single “You Know What”, and more.
Sir Michael Rocks spoke on the “You Know What”, and said, “I feel like I couldn’t have done this on one of my group projects, or even my earlier solo projects because it’s a new sound that I’ve never really dealt with. I’ve got a real rapid-fire flow on there. This is something new that I’ve just stepped into.”
Check out the tracklisting for Lap of Lux below:
1.) “Now You Do” (produced by Flosstradamus)2.) “GED” f/ Tris J (produced by J. Hill)3.) “They Hate It” (produced by Papi Beats)4.) “Take It To The Floor” (produced by Papi Beats)5.) “Reservations” (produced by Cardo) 6.) “NWO” (produced by Flosstradamus)7.) “Great” f Casey Veggies & Mac Miller (produced by Cardo)8.) “Good Sushi” (produced by Chuck Inglish)9.) “In The Loop” (produced by Polyester)10.) “The Best” f/ Tris J & Shorty K (produced by Mano)11.) “Connect”f/ Mano (produced by Cardo)12.) “Can’t Hide It” f/ Rockie Fresh (produced by J. Hill & iamLpeezy)13.) “If It Ain’t Foreign” (produced by Tye Hill)14.) “You Know What” (produced by Hitboy)15.) “The Clique” f/ Casey Veggies & Tris J (produced by The Freshman)
In addition to the announcement of Lap Of Lux, Rocks has made one of the albums tracks, “Now You Do,” available for free download which you hear below:
Well, you know what they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. In the newest issues of Essence Magazine, Nia long reveals a conversation that she had with married rap star Jay-Z, and let’s just say that it seemed as if Jigga was trying to holla. Check out what Nia long said below:
“I saw him [Jay-Z] at a party and I complimented him on his long run in music. . .
“But he turned it around and asked me: ‘How does it feel to be every boy from the hood’s fantasy girlfriend for 20 years?’. It made me laugh, I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Hmm, was he just being nice or do you think he was trying to flirt with her? I know one thing, Beyonce isn’t going to be happy when she reads this.
As we all know, music is the universal language to the world, and there is no exception when it comes to Jazz bass-man Ethan Farmer. His resume’ reads like an eclectic discography of music, ranging from Janet Jackson and Hootie & the Blowfish to Lupe Fiasco.
Currently touring overseas with New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB), Farmer is working diligently on various projects to not only continue creating a name for himself, but to educate people on the beauty and craft of music – and the genre of Jazz.
Farmer, or “EBASSMAN,” is a 36-year-old native of (Southside) Chicago, Illinois, and an accomplished bass player, who also dabbles in other instruments such as the drums, guitar, and keyboard. With musical influences ranging from John Coltrane to Jay-Z, Farmer considers himself to be a “true musician,” and has recently re-released his album entitled Wine and Strings 2.0, which features seven new songs, and is a sequel to the original Wine and Strings EP.
When asked about the inspiration behind the title of his album(s) Wine and Strings, Farmer affirms that he is a “simple dude.” He professes, “…I was drinking wine and recording the album. It was a part of the creation.” With his epic fusion of Jazz Rock, Funk, and Soul, this album is sure to feed the listener’s musical appetite – it’s clear that Farmer’s love for music all stems from his love of Jazz.
“…All of it is a big recycle, and it’s happening in music. Funk, Soul, Rock ‘N Roll; it all comes from Jazz,” says Farmer. He keeps an array of various other musicians and genres in rotation. “I can take something from everybody because I am true musician, so I don’t keep myself in a box. But, I’ve honestly been listening to my own stuff. I’m always looking for ways to expand myself and stay creative. I go through phases (musically) so right now, it’s a lot of Gospel Quartet, and Classical music. That may all change next week,” he says jokingly.
As of all music, creating it is an ever-changing art that keeps both musicians and listeners perfecting their craft. Farmer believes, “a lot of the ‘new’ generation don’t know about John Coltrane, or Miles Davis, but they can still hear it and feel it because music is worldwide, and it’s for everybody. Nothing is new; it’s who you’re exposed to.”
One artist Farmer hopes to work with in the near future is “Q-Tip” of the Rap group, A Tribe Called Quest, for the simple fact that, “…he [Q-Tip] has reached back to the Jazz world, and we could freestyle (musically) and bring something totally LIVE!”
Traveling the world, creativity, and life itself, are just a few of Farmer’s personal inspirations that assist in him being a well-rounded and grounded individual and musician: “It all takes me out of the norm of what I’m used to. It puts me in a different mind frame and I have become more creative.”
Ethan Farmer is a “single and ready to mingle” young bachelor who may just have the “fix” to quench our musical thirst. One thing is for sure; he is definitely someone we should all keep a close eye and ear on.
Watch the trailer below for Ethan Farmer’s “Strange Arrange” competition in Nashville on July 14:
