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EXCLUSIVE: Shawty Lo Says Arrest Record Kept Him Off “Love & Hip Hop”

By: Mikey T The Movie StarCategory: News

(AllHipHop News) Scratch Shawty Lo off the list of local rappers who may appear on VH1’s upcoming season of “Love & Hip Hop,” which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia.

Shawty Lo was reportedly going to be featured on the show with his girlfriend Ecreia, along with all ten of the rap star’s off-spring.

But the rap star’s criminal past is preventing him from being featured on “Love & Hip Hop.”

“I was supposed to be on the reality show, because of my record VH1 won’t let me be on there,” Shawty Lo told AllHipHop.com in an exclusive interview. “I got 28 arrests, I been convicted 4 times.”

While rappers like T.I. and 50 Cent have been featured on VH1 despite their arrest records, Shawty Lo claimed that his past was a bit different from the aforementioned artists.

“The difference with me and the other rappers is I got a lot of violence on my record,” Shawty Lo told AllHipHop.com. “People got shot, I didn’t just get caught with drugs, I was really doing crazy stuff in the streets. “It’s a blessing. Thanks to the number #1 judge up stairs.”

The official cast of “Love & Hip Hop” has yet to be revealed.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Is Drake Working On A Joint Album With Aaliyah?

By: ginatorres27Category: Rumors

Drake is not shy about sharing his love and affinity for late R&B singer Aaliyah. He even has a tattoo of her face etched on his back and sampled her on one of his albums. Well, we hear that Drizzy may be working on a joint album with the late star. Check out what he said about the possible collabo:

“Some special things. Great things man. Great things for music, period.

“You know it’s hard for me to ride around to a female singer because at the end of the day, you’re a man, but she always kept it so G with the writing and the melodies. It was something to ride to, especially when it was chopped and crewed. That’s when I used to love.”

Earlier this month, producer, Jeffery “J. Dub” Walker of The Hitmen tweeted that a posthumous Aaliyah album could be on the way.

“Just got great news today; the smash unreleased song called “Steady Ground” I produced on #Aaliyah is gonna be on her upcoming album:)” he wrote. There has been no confirmation from Aaliyah’s label, Background Records (distributed via Interscope) that the album is being produced.

It seems as if Drake is hell bent on doing a joint album with somebody… Rihanna, Weezy, or Aaliyah. Which one would you be checking for the most?

VIDEO: Casey Veggies, Skeme, Jon MCXRO & Alkatraz Check In From BMI’s “Next Fresh Thing” Show

By: timsanchez818Category: Features

Last week in Los Angeles, BMI sponsored and hosted the “Next Fresh Thing” show out at the infamous Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard. Rising young talent, Casey Veggies, was tapped to headline the show, which included other outstanding artists such as AllHipHop.com’s Breeding Ground Artists Skeme [BGA], the new collective known as Jon MCXRO [BGA], and rapper Alkatraz from Glasses Malone’s “Brown Division.”

The crowd was a little “too cool” to get in to the music, but that didn’t stop any of the artists from having fun and providing great music. Casey Veggies was definitely the star of the night, as he displayed a supremely polished performance which is surprising when you consider his very young age. Inglewood rapper Skeme showed his diversity and range, going from Hip-Hop to Club tracks. Skeme, being a featured AllHipHop.com Breeding Ground artist, is definitely an artist that you shouldn’t sleep on.

Jon MCXRO (pronounced John McEnroe), a group formed from The Stereotypes production crew, brought the most fun and energy on the stage. The trick for this group is going to be translating that fun and energy from the stage to their recordings, but with established hitmakers in the group, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Alkatraz is the true newcomer out of the bunch and had the always-difficult task of opening the show. The crowd was pretty much dead, even with the headliners, so you can imagine the difficulties that Alkatraz experienced. However, the young Inglewood artist, who’s now aligned with Cash Money rapper Glasses Malone, did a standup job and has the potential to develop into a more seasoned artist.

AllHipHop.com caught up with the acts outside of L.A.’s Viper Room to get a few words on camera. Watch below for our exclusive interviews:

Tech N9ne: “Klusterfuk” and The Dr. Dre-Kendrick Lamar Connection That Never Happened

By: Niki Gatewood (@THE_NikiG)Category: Features

In 1985, Aaron Dontez Yates, was born in rhyme. The Kansas City native’s Hip-Hop journey started with a single step. Merging movement with rhyme, the B-Boy added lyricism to his creative cache. Three years later, Walter “Black Walt” Jefferson and a Guns & Ammo magazine helped to christen the MC that became Tech N9ne.

Time is a relentless b*tch. His odyssey has been an arduous one. An eccentric appearance baffled mainstream media. They ostracized Nina. Possessed by pain, many of his early recordings beautifully tell the story of a tormented angel. Baptized in his personal hell, Tech N9ne bore his soul. Exorcizing inner-demons in the booth, Tech N9ne’s musical genius allowed him to convert misery into triumph. The truth resonates.

Having partnered with Travis O’Guin in 1999, Tech N9ne co-founded Strange Music. He never looked back. Humility, hard-work, and a stalwart F*ck The Industry attitude has lead Strange Music to platinum-earned success. Today, Tech N9ne has become one of the most beloved MC’s. His supporters propelled him to launch the Hostile Takeover 2012 tour. 90 shows within 99 days is a historic Hip-Hop endeavor. Immortalized in rhyme, time continues to champion his story. While on the road, AllHipHop.com was granted an exclusive invite into the Tech N9ne experience. Upon his tour bus, which has become his second home, we begin:

AllHipHop.com: Congratulations on Klusterfuk.

Tech N9ne: Thank you, baby. Six songs—[quickly slaps hands together] like phueng! That’s crazy; you know what phueng means? Phueng, that’s like over the top.

AllHipHop.com: I love sound effects.

Tech N9ne: [repeatedly slaps leather seat and laughs] You like sound effects?

AllHipHop.com: Absolutely.

Tech N9ne: No, doubt.

AllHipHop.com: As it stands, where are you emotionally, musically, and physically?

Tech N9ne: Totally oneness with God, baby.  Like, everything is aligning; you know what I’m saying? Everything is lining up. Now, if I could just pay off this IRS, I’d be perfect.

AllHipHop.com: Right, get Uncle Sam out your back pocket.

Tech N9ne: [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: How is your mom doing?

Tech N9ne: She’s better. She’s a lot better; she just got out the hospital a couple of days ago.

AllHipHop.com: Oh really?

Tech N9ne: [nods head] Yeah.

AllHipHop.com: I respect you as an MC, because you have the power to make words fit. As a corporate guy you’ve helped to make Strange Music a successful label. How do you feel about the 360 deal?

Tech N9ne: I mean, if that’s what they want to do. If they [artists] want to give them [record labels] everything; that’s on them. I don’t feel it. I think a muthafu*ka should have all their publishing. I feel like a muthafu*ka should own some percentage of their merchandise. Not all—I don’t think a label deserves to have all that.

AllHipHop.com: So, you don’t put it on your artists?

Tech N9ne: Nah.

AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up. With you living on the road, and moving the amount merchandise that you do, I was thinking it could go either way. Is he a buzzard, or does he still look out for the artist?

Tech N9ne: No, I’m not with that—especially if I ain’t help do the work. Come on, man. You sign an artist and take everything that they build?

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk sobriety. From what substances do you abstain?

Tech N9ne: Well, I stopped smoking weed in ’98. It made me paranoid. It made me feel like I’m not Superman. I gotta be Superman. That ain’t no jab at nobody who smokes weed, because some people need weed to function. It just makes me feel like everything is impossible. ‘Oh, my God; I gotta do this interview! Oh God, I gotta write this verse! Damn, everything is closing in on me!’ That’s what weed made me do. I can’t be like that. I gotta be like, “Everything is possible through Christ that strengthens me!”

I stopped doing Ecstasy like five years ago. I loved it. The love in that pill drove me crazy. I got a lot of love in my heart already. So, it was just me amplified. I was going to kill myself on it. Every once in a while, I’ll have a drink. I love to have a drink. I drink Cadillac margaritas. I drink K.C. Tea. On occasion, I drink Caribou Lou.  It’ll have you do stuff that you won’t remember. But, I can’t drink before a show.

AllHipHop.com: No?

Tech N9ne: No, I gotta be 100 up there. I gotta be a 100% all water. For what we do—it ain’t like we’re just up there holding our nuts. Like at the beginning of this show I say, ‘Are y’all ready for this workout?’ Because it’s a workout; we don’t sit down! We even be working out the most on the party songs, don’t we?

Tech N9ne: [Krizz Kaliko approaches] Don’t sit on my sandwich.

Krizz Kaliko: [sits down next to Tech] Yeah, we sure do.

Tech N9ne: We get it going up there; so, we can’t have no substances [in us]. You know what I’m sizzlin’?

Krizz Kaliko: I did drink some Crown [Royal] before the show the other night.

Tech N9ne: [throws back head and laughs]

AllHipHop.com: What happened?

Krizz Kaliko: I was just on a little edge. My mom was sick that night. She was in the hospital. I just needed to take the edge off. [Big] Scoob had some Crown XO and I hit it.

Tech N9ne: It’s all Jesus.

AllHipHop.com: Anghellic is one of my favorite albums. Last year, I remember listening to “Cursed.” It finally dawned on me that you were talking about Hip-Hop. With words you have a gift. What I want to know from you is, have you rediscovered a track or album that’s had a more poignant presence in your life?

Tech N9ne: Yeah, “Cursed.” I’ve been writing so much stuff, baby. It’s hard to say. Everything I write is like that. In school, when I stole those psychology books, they taught me how to think differently. You know what I’m sizzlin’; I’m always going there. Recently, I got a song on Klusterfuk called “D.K.N.Y.” It ain’t talking about Donna Karan New York—different kind of n*gga you. I was trying to tell them that I’m not the same type of n*gga that goes down. I go up; I’m a different kind of n*gga. So, I’m always thinking to the left. I hope I answered your question.

AllHipHop.com: Almost.

Tech N9ne: [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: Your Hostile Takeover 2012 tour is underway. Given that you have an extensive body of work, how do you decide which tracks will become a part of your set? Once you get on the road, how often do you modify it?

Tech N9ne: I don’t really modify it at all. We do ours [live shows] a lot differently. We go into the studio, and we put it together into a computer and it runs. We set up where it’s going to stop; we got everything planned out. [The period] after the music stops, that’s the only time that it’s spontaneous. We’ll get to talking, or joking, and stuff like that. That’s all improv; but other than that, I’m a robot. We put it all together. Krizz always wants me to put newer stuff on the show. He’s always pushing me. So, if there’s anything new on the show it’s because he said it. I like to have the crowd moving.

AllHipHop.com: How long did you have to rehearse to prepare for something this extensive?

Tech n9ne: Oh my God, we’ve been trying to prepare for like a month, right? [looks at Krizz Kaliko]

Krizz Kaliko: We’ve been trying to prepare for like two weeks.

Tech N9ne: Yeah, but we’ve been shooting videos and shooting album covers. And sh*t like that. It’s hard to keep it going. We only missed two rehearsals.

Krizz Kaliko: But, for real, we’ll lock in [the stage performance] within a day or two.

Tech N9ne: [stomps feet] We’ll put the key in the door and lock that thang down! [erupts with laughter]

Krizz Kaliko: [laughing and stomping feet] And lock that thang down!

AllHipHop.com: [laughter] Y’all funny. Where is Brotha Lynch Hung? Why is he so ducked off? When is he going to come on the road?

Tech N9ne: N*gga’s supposed to be on this tour right now.

AllHipHop.com: What happened; is he locked away in the lab?

Tech N9ne: I hit him the other day like, ‘Man, you’re way too talented to be sitting at home.’ He’s supposed to be on this  tour. I can’t remember, man. There’s so much stuff. I’ve been trying to get him out on tour; he’s reclusive though. He likes to stay in the house. It’s crazy. He’s good though.

AllHipHop.com: Is he making any new material?

Tech N9ne: Uh huh.

AllHipHop.com: Is it true that you plugged Kendrick Lamar with Dr. Dre?

Tech N9ne: No, I dunno why Nardwar said that. Put it like this, when I saw the interview, they said that Dr. Dre called after we did the show. I didn’t know nothing about where they went after we did the show in L.A. Maybe he was just connecting—you were doing a show with Tech N9ne—and maybe Dr. Dre called him that day or that night. It could be the only connection, but I ain’t never met Dr. Dre. Hell nah, I ain’t never did nothing with Dr. Dre. I’ve been wanting to work with Dr. Dre for years. I might work with him on this album; if he’d have me. Kendrick Lamar did that on his own. He’s a talented muthafu*ka! And Dre wants to be with the most talented muthafu*kas. That means that he’ll be seeing us real soon.

AllHipHop.com: It’s been announced that TDE’s Kendrick Lamar and Black Hippy have aligned with Aftermath/Interscope.

Tech N9ne: I heard that. I wasn’t sure if it’s real. Is it real?

AllHipHop.com: That’s why I’m asking you.

Tech N9ne: I don’t know.

AllHipHop.com: How does this movement affect your professional and your personal relationship with Jay Rock?

Tech N9ne: It’s all good. We want Jay Rock to elevate. Jay Rock’s on TDE/Strange Music. Black Hippy is another entity. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I think they’re the new N.W.A. I want them to elevate. Go n*gga, go!

AllHipHop.com: You’re still working with him within the Strange Music collective?

Tech N9ne: Totally.

AllHipHop.com: Would you ever consider going on tour with Snoop?

Tech N9ne: We’ve been trying to do it for years.

AllHipHop.com: What’s going on with that?

Tech N9ne: We were supposed to do six weeks, but our schedules won’t align. We’re supposed to a show in Kansas City, [Missouri] on July 7. But he’s already scheduled to go to Europe. That’s my homeboy; we’re going to do it.

AllHipHop.com: It’s something we can look forward to?

Tech N9ne:  Totally.

AllHipHop.com: Will you bring Lynch?

Tech N9ne: I hope so. Why, ‘cause they Crips?

AllHipHop.com: [laughter] Why are you giving me the blues?

Tech N9ne: Why, why, Lynch? Why couldn’t it be Jay Rock?

AllHipHop.com: You donkey, leave me alone! [laughter]

Tech N9ne: It’s all good. We got love for Crips.

AllHipHop.com: Until the next time, is there anything else you would like to share with the good folks at AllHipHop?

Tech N9ne: Yes, I would like to share this with AllHipHop. ¡MAYDAY!’s album just came out. On Twitter, Take Me To Your Leader has been trending like a muthafu*ka. It’s a beautiful album; I can’t stop playing it. I’m not just saying this because they’re on my label. Before, I’ve had some sh*t on my label that I wouldn’t play for sh*t.

AllHipHop.com: Then why was it on your label?

Tech N9ne: Sometimes we do favors.

AllHipHop.com: Well, if that’s the case. I—

Tech N9ne: We don’t do favors no more. [laughter] We’re done doing that punk sh*t. Sorry. Take Me To Your Leader, I stand behind it. Krizz Kaliko, I stand behind Kicking and Screaming. On May 15, it’s going to be a murderous album. Kutt Kalhoun is doing his tour right now. Book that n*gga! We’re moving, baby. And, I’m looking for beats for my album that’s supposed to come out on October 30.

EXCLUSIVE: Hip-Hop Group The Artifacts Drop First Release In 15 Years

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

(AllHipHop News) Veteran Hip-Hop group The Artifacts are back together and have released their first official single together in over 15 years.

The group has just dropped their new song “Easter,” featuring original group members El da Sensei, Tame One and DJ Kaos.

The Artifacts’ newest single “Easter” was produced by The Away Team’s Khrysis with cuts by DJ Dutchmaster.

“This is a special day (pop bottles lol) for us as Artifacts,” El da Sensei told AllHipHop.com. “I been waiting for this day and to do it now in this climate, only proves how many people still wanna hear us AND over a Khrysis beat.”

The Newark, New Jersey-based group debuted in 1994 with their album Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which contained their best known single, “Wrong Side of the Tracks.”

The Artifacts circa 1995

By 1997, The Artifacts had split amicably, shortly after the release of their second album That’s Them.

Both rappers in The Artifacts stayed busy in Hip-Hop circles during their 15-year hiatus.

Tame One joined critically acclaimed Hip-Hop group The Weatherman, while El da Sensei released a variety of solo albums and collaborations.

“I appreciate everybody and understand what the mission is and what people want from us as a group,” El da Sensei told AllHipHop.com. “[We are] not a 90’s era or throwback group, just two emcees and a DJ that brings that s**t you love to hear.”

Check out The Artifacts new single “Easter” below.

Nike Unveils New-and-Improved NFL Uniforms For 2012 Season In NYC

By: JP DelaCuesta (@JPdelacuesta)Category: Lifestyle

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was on hand in New York City yesterday as Nike unveiled 32 new team uniforms for the upcoming NFL season.

The “fashion show” of sorts was held at a Brooklyn film studio, where uniforms for all 32 NFL teams were on display and were shown off by an individual athlete from each team, such as Victor Cruz from the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, and Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens.

Nike is the NFL’s new official partner, taking over gear and uniform design from Reebok who previously handled all of the league’s past athletic gear.

Although there are no substantial changes to the uniform’s’ appearance there are a number of new features to assist players with better movement, mobility, and comfort. ESPN contributor Paul Lukas had the following to say about the new uniforms: “The biggest change I noticed was the collars. A lot of the teams have a two-tone collar which allows for the (Nike) Flywire design. But off the top of my head, the Packers look like the Packers, the Chiefs look like the Chiefs, the Bills look like the Bills, etc.”

When asked about the lack of change in the new uniforms Lukas said, “NFL team owners are some of the most conservative businessmen in America. They call the shots. They don’t just sign off on what somebody else does. They ultimately make the decisions. It’s their property, their teams. The notion that Nike, or any company, could just walk in and change everything unilaterally is (wrong). I think a lot of fans misunderstand how that works. It does not work that way.”

The new Nike Elite 51 uniform features include:

  • Flywire Technology: eliminates layers, reduces weight, and provides lockdown fit
  • Zoned Mesh Ventilation: cooling zones for optimal thermoregulation
  • Zoned Strength: high tenacity, stretch material for light weight lockdown strength
  • Mobility Cut: 4-way stretch, hydrophobic materials helps increase range of motion, wet or dry
  • Stretch Twill Numbers: 4-way stretch even on numbering system
  • Deflex Padding: lightweight, flexible impact protection incorporated directly into the pant
  • Aluminum D-Ring Belt: aircraft-grade D-ring belt reduces weight
  • Nike Vapor Game Sock: advanced zonal cushioning system relieves cleat pressure
  • Hyperstrong 4-Pad Top: provides defense in high-impact areas without sacrificing mobility
  • Hyperstrong Compression 3/4 Pant: built for speed and engineered for impact protection
  • Nike Vapor Talon Elite Cleat: forefoot traction for pin-point grip, hyperfuse construction for strength and stability, molded carbon fiber insert delivers lockdown with seamless fit, dual-pod collar and carbon fiber shank plate for explosive first step

All apparel will available for purchase closer to the start of the NFL season at Nike. For more information and additional coverage of yesterday’s event, visit ESPN.com.

Rapper YG Breaks Down His Role in Mario Van Peebles’ “We The Party” Film

By: timsanchez818Category: Features

West Coast rapper YG is now adding “actor” to his resume’ as he stars in the upcoming Mario Van Peebles film, “We The Party,” as the troubled but misunderstood “C.C.” AllHipHop.com caught up with YG to get a few words from him as he was promoting the movie at a special screening in Burbank, California last night:

AllHipHop.com: I’m digging that new song of yours, “I’m A Thug,” produced by DJ Mustard. I was at the video shoot in Compton for that song where those gunshots were fired. Y’all had me running down the alley for my life! [laughter]

YG: [laughter] You was there?

AllHipHop.com: I was there! I just barely escaped the police who were detaining everybody that they could.

YG: My bad, bro. The police was trippin’.

AllHipHop.com: The music was so loud, that I didn’t even hear the gunshots. Did you?

YG: Yeah, I heard them. They sounded like fire-crackers at first. Everybody’s straight, though, and the video is now out.

AllHipHop.com: You’re in this new movie, “We The Party.” Tell us what role you are playing.

YG: I play this dude named C.C. He’s 20 years old and in high school still. He has a baby, and all that. All of the students at school are afraid of him. He doesn’t talk much, and he’s always showing up with band-aids on his face. Snoop Dogg plays my big brother in the movie. After some situations, my character starts to open up as a person and vibe with other people. It’s basically a story about not judging a book by its cover.

AllHipHop.com: This is your first role ever, right?

YG: Yeah, this is my first role. I’m going to do more movies. I’m working on trying to land some more right now. This one was a little bit of a challenge for me, because it’s my first movie. Once the filming started, and I was able to remember my lines, things got easier for me.

AllHipHop.com: Did Snoop Dogg give you any acting tips or advice?

YG: Not really. Mario Van Peebles was the one that was on me. He wasn’t really on me, but he kept telling me how surprised he was that I was able to come in and do my thing.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about your music. You just released a new mixtape.

YG: It’s called 400 Degreez, and it’s out right now. I’m working on an album right now, but we’ve got the “400 Degreez Tour” that we’re doing all of the way to June. Me and Nipsey Hussle are working on something. I’ll be dropping lots of videos in the meantime. I’m working and grindin’.

AllHipHop.com: To me, your music is like a cross between Gangsta rap and what they are now calling “Ratchet music.”

YG: I’m just doing me, bro. I’m not trying to combine anything. I’m just rapping on DJ Mustard beats – and that’s the outcome. They call it Ratchet, so I guess I’m Ratchet [laughter]. You feel me?

We also sat down with Mario Van Peebles and his son, Mandela, for an in-depth interview that we’ll be bringing you very shortly, as well as a review of the movie. “We The Party” hits theaters on April 6.