Welcome to the day that people spend money they don’t have, to buy things they don’t want, to
impress people they don’t like! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to saving your money!
I know many people wait all year for this day of savings, and some do so responsibly, but this is not the norm! Somehow in this time of economic struggle, folks are allowing themselves to be lured into wasting their hard earned money. I want to remind you that a lot of people are still recovering from one of the worst economic meltdowns in our nation’s history. With bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment still high, now is the best time to make sure we are being responsible and saving for a rainy day!
Now is the time to make a decision! We can either allow our impulse and the media to dig us into a deeper hole, or we can begin to be responsible and take care of our priorities!! As you read this, you may have already done your shopping or have convinced yourself that no matter what, you will take advantage of the deals that are available, but I need you to begin to make
better choices going forward! There is nothing wrong with spending if it’s planned, budgeted, and done responsibly, but don’t allow your emotions to convince you that your want is a need! Save Your Money! Invest It Wisely! And Make It Work for you! Stop being a slave to the dollar, and create REAL financial Freedom!!
-Ash’Cash
“A penny saved is a penny earned.” -Benjamin Franklin
“The mint makes it first, it is up to you to make it last.” -Evan Esar
“Money will come when you are doing the right thing.” -Mike Phillips
“The art is not in making money, but in keeping it.” -Proverb
“Money is usually attracted, not pursued.” -Jim Rohn
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” -Ayn Rand
“A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.” -Jonathan Swift
“Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you healthy, wealthy and wise.” -Benjamin Franklin
TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.
Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.
Kurupt is a survivor. He got out of Death Row Records twice, fell out and reunited with fellow Dogg Pound member, Daz Dillinger, went through the passing of his friend Nate Dogg, and is currently feeling the recent loss of his former fiancee and mother to his son, Natina Reed. And, he is re-emerging soon with a new mixtape, Money B*tches Power.
Kurupt has been doing this rap thing for 20 years and has probably forgotten more than most will ever learn. Respect his gangsta!
AllHipHop.com chopped it up with the Left Coast lyricist (TODAY’S HIS BIRTHDAY!) as he spoke on his new life, what his upcoming mixtape means to him, and loved ones lost:
AllHipHop.com: What song on your upcoming mixtape, Money B*tches Power, would you say was the most difficult to record and why?
Kurupt: To tell you the truth, there wasn’t too many records that were difficult to record, because the producers I was working with – Nottz and Battlecat and J. Wells – we already have a rhythm. So there weren’t too many records that were difficult. It was more along the lines of reminiscing on the records we made back in the day. So we had a lot of fun.
AllHipHop.com: Anything that you’ll reminisce on with this mixtape that really stands out to you?
Kurupt: I got one record on there that I’m real excited to see what the people’s reaction is to it. It’s more of a 2000 version of that original gangsta sh*t that they love us for. I’m real excited about sharing that record and seeing how [people] take to it. As well as, I did a record with my son and I’m dying to see what people are going to think about that one.
AllHipHop.com: What would you say the biggest difference between this release and your last solo project, Streetlights, is?
Kurupt: I would say the big difference is with Streetlights, I was more or less revving up. But this mixtape right here, now in motion, and my [next] solo album, I’m gonna be on fire. I’m taking my solo album to a whole different place, a whole different plateau. It’s real exciting to see all of this just come into fruition. I got a new life now. I’m a year sober now from drinking. It’s just a whole new Kurupt. [I turn] 40 on the 23rd of November, so my mind is just totally different.
AllHipHop.com: That’s actually a perfect segue into my next question. Why release the mixtape on your birthday?
Kurupt: The 7th was the original date, but due to things that happened, I stopped production and moved it back. It just seemed logical. I want to release it on a day that means something and the 23rd is a very big day for me and my brother. It just feels right; it just feels good and that’s what I’m into now. This mixtape means something- introducing a new frame of mind and new music. [Note: Since this interview, the mixtape has been delayed again due to various circumstances. No official release date has been set yet.]
AllHipHop.com: What puzzle piece does this mixtape fill that, up until now, has been missing in your career?
Kurupt: Really touching base with this new sound that’s out here from the West Coast. For the first time in a long time, I’ve been able to express myself on the music with no worries about what people are gonna think. I made this mixtape for me. I’m gonna bring the original generation in with the new generation on some new G-sh*t!
AllHipHop.com: This March marks the two-year anniversary of Nate Dogg’s passing. How do you see the music industry remembering his legacy and continuing to carry along his music into the future?
Kurupt: It’s crazy. Even when you’re not here, you’re still here. I know I can speak for a lot of people – Nate Dogg is still here. He’s here through his music; he’s here through our hearts and souls. Nate’s gonna be here forever, Nate and ‘Pac. But it does hurt each year that goes by. One thing about Nate, as time goes by, we miss him even more. He was a brother; he was more than a friend.
AllHipHop.com: Do you have any thoughts or comments on the passing of Natina Reed?
Kurupt: She was somebody that you fell in love with immediately. She loved everything. She loved everybody. You just didn’t want to get her mad [laughter]. I was privileged enough to have her in my life as my fiancee. Natina brought the best out of me. We was privileged to have us a beautiful baby boy, Tren. Some people you expect to see until you pass away. Nate was one; Natina was another.
AllHipHop.com: I’m sure I speak for AllHipHop.com as well as myself [when I say] our sincerest condolences and prayers go out to you and yours.
Kurupt: Thank you very much.
AllHipHop.com: It has been a pleasure talking with you. Anything else you want to add?
Kurupt: I’d just like to say thanks for all the support throughout the years to all the fans and everybody out there. Kurupt is in the building! I hope everybody enjoys the music. I’m making music for myself now, and I just hope everybody enjoys it with me.
Kurupt’s Money B*tches Power is coming soon! Excited for it? Sound off below!
(AllHipHop News) Miami Hip-Hop star Flo Rida is giving the public a free concert today (November 23), in his hometown of Carol City in Miami.
The rapper will appear at Carol City Park to host the Big Dreams For Kids Foundation’s “Gospel Explosion,” which will feature Grammy Award-winning group Mary Mary.
“Gospel music is soul stirring, it moves people, we are excited to bring ‘The Gospel Explosion’ to Miami Gardens during the Thanksgiving weekend,” Flo Rida said. “Inspiring words whether spoken or in song can make a world of difference in the life of a dreamer. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Also appearing at the free, all ages event is singer/songwriter J Moss and Pastor Deitrick Haddon.
Flo Rida’s International Music Group is co-sponsoring the event, along with Strong Arm Management and The Big Dreams For Kids Foundation, which is the rapper’s non-profit.
City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert will also be at the free Gospel concert.
“This is just one of the many ways we want to inspire big dreams for the families in our community,” Flo Rida said.
The Gospel Explosion takes place today from 4pm – 10pm in Carol City Park, Miami Gardens.
Only on Thanksgiving, can you give thanks to the rumored thugs and extortionists that populate the Hip-Hop underground. Well, this rapper has been trying to make a comeback for years. He was down with one of the biggest crews of the 1990’s and successfully crossed over from the grimy New York underground to the pop with his big, ol’ smile. The ladies loved him and the dudes didn’t hate him either. Anyway, he retreated to the South after the beefs got to be too much and thought recently that the smoke had cleared. But, what do we have here? Despite having the support of some of the present day big names and his pals from the underground, he completely stopped a recent comeback attempt. Everybody was talking about it for a second and it was gone faster than a “hacked” tweet dissing 50 Cent. I heard some of the forces of thuggery that were there in the 90’s are still around and made it clear that there will not be any come up in the rap. I heard that the rapper had planned to release a mix tape on Black Friday only to postpone it indefinitely. He’s always got that backup job anyway.
On Wednesday night, Rihanna ended her 777 tour in NYC at Webster Hall. The raunchy singer was reportedly annoyed with her “big brother” Jay-Z because he strolled in very late to her show and missed what was supposed to be a huge surprise performance for her fans. Check out the way the NY Daily News is reporting it:
“Superstar rapper Jay-Z fans almost got a special addition to her concert on Wednesday night: A performance by Jay-Z. A source reveals the rapper and mentor to the 24-year-old pop star meant to perform alongside Rihanna at her Webster Hall show, “but things didn’t work out.” Instead, Jay-Z caught the singer’s last show in her “#777” concert series from the sound area of the VIP section. While he didn’t join Rihanna backstage after the show for pizza and red wine with DJ Reflex, who opened for her, he did pop by her album release party for “Unapologetic” at 40/40 Club. But Riri still missed Jay: The notoriously tardy pop star didn’t arrive till nearly 2 a.m., for cognac and chicken wings with her family, while Jay-Z stopped in around 1 a.m. for a single drink, then called it a night.”
At least he was there for the photo opp, Ri Ri.
Wait, is that Rihanna’s grandfather in the photo with them. Crazy!
Oh, Thanksgiving. A time of joy. A time of fellowship! A time of a whole lot of eating food that will cause your waist size to increase!
Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Holly “Lil Bear” Lawson and I punch people in the face for a living. I’m a professional boxer that is ranked Top 5 in the world.
I am here to help you make it through Thanksgiving and all of the feasting that you certainly have lined up. Much of my time will be regulated to watching my loved ones eat pies, yams, stuffing, smothered turkey and so much more. Being a fighter is a lonely thing, full of hard work and sacrifice. For every knock out you see on television, hundreds of hours of training has been logged. For every six pack you see flexing as we throw a punch, that boxer has stood around watching somebody else eat something yummy.
Being a woman makes it even harder. On one hand, the athlete in me gets up to run at 5 am and loves the feeling of being at my physical prime. On the other hand, the woman in me likes it when she fills out her dress and is able to enjoy some of the things I bake for family and friends. It can be quite frustrating to have the same urges to eat as everybody else yet stick to a champion’s regiment.
In the last year I have been through 7 training camps of 4-6 weeks each. That means 42 weeks 294 days) of rationing food, only drinking alkaline water, running and training 6 days a week and most of a year spent gazing longingly at every one’s plates at holidays parties and BBQ’s. It hasn’t been easy, it hasn’t always been fun, but it has given me some insight on what it takes to stick to your diet, especially as you ease into the holidays.
It IS possible to have a good time, enjoy your friends and family and still make it through the holidays without destroying all the hard work and discipline you’ve put into your health and fitness in 2012.
Here are 5 ways to get you through Thanksgiving and the holiday season::
Set goals. This can sometimes seem too simple, it’s not. Even small goals held up as something to work towards, end up being motivation to stick to healthier food. It doesn’t have to be making weight for a title fight, it can be something small like buying a smaller dress for New Years, running a quarter mile faster by Christmas or simply not losing any of the gains you’ve made this year. I think there is something powerful in being able to see/hear/touch something, having your goals be tangible instead of just a number. A good idea for this holiday is to go out and buy a hot little dress and hang it in plain sight. Every time you get dressed for an event you’ll see that outfit you are going to be wearing and carry that image in your head for the evening. Sometimes knowing I have to wear a skintight dress will be the difference between eating one of those cookies or having a glass of water.
If you have any questions, comments or simply need someone to give you the tough love and tell you to put down the fruit cake, follow me on twitter at @lilbearlawson and Instagram lilbearlawson
(AllHipHop News) Recently AllHipHop.com sat down with Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records recording artist B.o.B. and spoke with him about his upcoming plans for the holidays and Thanksgiving.
Fresh off the release of his mixtape, F**k Em We Ball, B.o.B. shared his thoughts on the holidays.
The Atlanta rapper said he enjoyed the fact that the industry shuts down for a while, as artists and executives alike enjoy the holidays.
“See when I was growing up, holidays I spent time with the family, you know get gifts. I still do the same thing now, but now like holidays is my time to vacation and get away,” B.o.B. explained to AllHipHop.com.
“Offers my come in at the end of the year you know, and you know if its something to make it a merrier Christmas I’ll take it, but for the most part I try to just shut down and light up the Christmas trees and enjoy,” B.o.B. joked.
B.o.B. also expressed interest in trying his hand at cooking this year for Thanksgiving.
“I think I’m gonna try and cook this year for Thanksgiving. I think I’m going to try to make memory, you heard it here first, I’m gonna Instagram what it look like man” B.o.B. told AllHipHop.com.
It’s Thanksgiving! …A time to enjoy family, friends, and food. It’s also a great time for delicious, holiday specialty drinks.
I’m not a great chef, but I have great taste in music, tell a good joke, and I make a mean cocktail… so, I still get a lot of dinner invitations. If you are at all like me, I have a few great drink recipes to boost your dinner party invites, courtesy of our friends at Ciroc.
Some of them are a little intricate (even for a pro like me), so we’ve also added a simplified twist on the recipes.
And as always, AllHipHop.com encourages you to drink responsibly. Enjoy!
CÎROC Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
.75 oz CÎROC Peach
.75 oz Cream Liquor
.75 oz Almond Milk
Garnish with caramel syrup, brown sugar, & crushed graham cracker mixture
Simplified: Everyone has brown sugar, you can just rim the glass with that and leave out the syrup and graham cracker mixture.
CÎROC Coconut & Pear
Ingredients:
1.5 oz CÎROC Coconut
2.5 oz Pear Nectar
Splash of Fresh Lime Juice
.25oz Basil Infused Simple Syrup
Garnish with Pear Slice
Garnish with Shredded Sweet Coconut
Simplified: If you can’t find basil infused simple syrup, regular simple syrup and muddled basil would work fine (and probably be much cheaper).
Simple “simple syrup” recipe:
1 part sugar to 1 part water. You can add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
CÎROC Cider
Ingredients:
.5oz CÎROC
.5 oz Pressed Apple Cider
4 oz Hard Sparkling Apple Cider
Garnish with Apple Slice
Simplified: Just add any apple cider and any hard cider (for fizz).
CÎROC Red Berry Grateful
Ingredients:
1.5oz CÎROC Red Berry
.5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5oz Mint Leaf Infused simple Syrup
4-6 Muddled frozen Cranberries
Garnish with Cranberry & Mint leaf
Garnish with Lemon Wheel
Simplified: If you can’t find mint infused simple syrup, regular simple syrup will be fine (see above), and you can muddle fresh mint, it only takes a few seconds. You can also leave out the garnishes.
Follow CÎROC on Twitter (@Ciroc). Special thanks to CÎROC Brand Ambassador-Atlanta, Kelly Moorehead!
If you’re from the tri-state area and you’ve been to the popular nightclub, Greenhouse, you know that they get a big side eye most of the time because of their funny style actions at the door…..especially when it comes to a certain “type” of person. You get what I’m saying. Well, I guess even the rich and famous are not exempt to these rules.
YMCMB’s golden goose, Nicki Minaj, was reportedly denied access to her own Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up album release party in New York City the other night. According to Huffington Post, Nicki arrived at the club with her beau and writing partner, Safaree, and 25 of her closest friends at about 3:30AM. According to a source at the club, “The cops denied Nicki access saying the venue was capacity. She tried to celebrate with fans but was turned away at the door.”
But wait a second, The NY Daily News is reporting a whole different story. According to them, Safaree was the diva and arrived at the venue with 30 guys and no girls. According to their source, he was demanding to come in and threatening that if they didn’t oblige, he would tell Nicki not to come to the club. Safaree was reportedly let inside with only three people from his entourage and was not happy about it.
“He wouldn’t stop complaining, he wanted more people to come in…then left the club and never returned. At that point, it was evident he told [Minaj] not to come, though he told everyone else that she was on her way.”
Hmm, the second story sounds more plausible. But if Nicki was left outside of her party, I would love to get my hands on that footage. I’m sure she is royally going off on the doorman.
Side note – Don’t expect Nicki’s new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up to do crazy numbers next week. According to Nicki, the album is going to be very hard to find for her fans, as Target and Walmart both refused to carry the album. Ouch! Check out what she told the Breakfast Club below:
“It’s hard to get the album because the stores basically said that the last few re-releases they had put out did not do well and they didn’t want to take a chance. Target and Wal-Mart are not selling the album, and Target is actually my biggest retailer. Best Buy only took limited [stock] because they wanted to play it safe. It kinda sets you up to fail.”
Known as the DJ for rapper Torae and others, DJ E Holla has a lot to be grateful for. And on Thanksgiving Day, he decided to show his thanks for AllHipHop.com this year by creating an exclusive mix just for us and our readers.
The mix features a variety of MCs, including Sean Price, Torae, Soul Khan, Freeway, and more. Good stuff, E Holla! We’re thankful for you, too!
Intro American Beauty Freestyle – Clap Cognac Sinful Ways – Brown Bag AllStars (J57/Kon) Rhett Committed Murder – BBAS (Audible Doctor) Brown – BBAS (Soul Khan) They Never Come Close To – J57 F/ Theroy Hazit Truth Be Told – Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson On My Way Up – A.B. (M.B.C) Danger – Journalist 103 featuring Freeway Non Cypher – Torae Bar Barian – Sean Price
When Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz first began their relationship a few years back, a lot of people were up in arms because of the controversial start to the relationship (you know with Swizz being married with a one-year-old at home). Well, Alicia wanted to put those rumors to rest, and in a recent interview with JET magazine, she was quoted as saying that Swizz and his wife Mashonda were “apart for some time” before her and Swizz started dating.
Shortly after the interview went viral, Mashonda posted a few subliminal tweets on her Twitter basically calling Alicia out for lying in the interview.
Mashonda isn’t holding any punches back, and in a brand new interview with Global Grind, she spoke openly about the situation and says that she has proof to show that they were having a relationship when Swizz was still in a relationship with her. Check out what she said below:
“There have been many stabs and shots taken, thankfully they don’t bother me the way they used to. I’ve never lied about one thing involving the demise of my marriage. No, we were not “apart” or separated, and that’s just a fact that can be proven in many ways. Blessings have a way of disguising themselves. This situation has helped me to understand life and what really matters.”
Mashonda was especially peeved that Alicia is talking about the situation at all, since she was in the wrong.
“Not much surprises me anymore when it comes to this situation. I truly thought that everyone’s priority was the well being of the children involved. I don’t see the sense in throwing oil on a fire, it just takes us back to point A. The Jet interview just added insult to injury. I can’t figure out how this makes us better. How is it a positive, humanitarian gesture? But artists must protect their reputation and I get that.”
Maybe it would be best for Alicia Keys to just come clean about the situation, admit that it was a mistake on their part, and move on so she doesn’t have to keep talking about it. Maybe Oprah should give Alicia a call!
With Game and Shyne (and Meek Mill and Cassidy) taking shots at each other on wax lately, it’s clear that Hip-Hop is once again returning to its tried and true tradition of the diss record. When AllHipHop.com spoke with the West Coast OG Kurupt recently, he revealed the disses from Hip-Hop history that made him cringe – but in a good way.
And that’s really saying something, considering he’s spit on some noteworthy battle records of his own, such as his own “Callin’ Out Names”, where he took shots at many including DMX (“Only X I know is Xzibit or RBX”)”, and Tha Dogg Pound’s “New York, New York”.
The latter and its video were so effective that Jay-Z even commented on its impact years later on “Money, Cash, H**s” (“It’s like New York’s been soft ever since Snoop came through and crushed the buildings”).
Oh, yes. Hip-Hop shots have been fired. Here is Kurupt’s Top 5 Diss Songs That Made Him Say “Damn!”
5. There’s so many good records. “No Vaseline” was one of them that made history [by] Ice Cube.
4. and 3. You’ve got “Ether” [by] Nas. You’ve got the record Jay-Z made (“Takeover”). Both of those.
2. I’ve got to say “The Bridge is Over” [by Boogie Down Productions]. That song was so good. I didn’t even realize it was a diss record. That motherf*cker was so bangin’. Then when they broke down what it meant, I was like, “Damn!” It sounds so good…you don’t even hear the disrespect.
1.What else is there? “To Da Break of Dawn” [by] LL. That was pretty vicious. I was like, “I hope Ice-T don’t catch him.” Ice-T’s a real one. You hear these records, and some things just make you say, “Damn!” And “To Da Break of Dawn” was definitely one of those records.
What do you think of Kurupt’s list? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Last week, I didn’t have the opportunity to fit in my thoughts and condolences for every person that suffered in some way due to Hurricane Sandy. I found myself in an area where few of us had power. I was grateful, but not heartless. For some, losing their power came second to the draining battery life on their favorite devices. So I loaded up the myCharge (3000w Nexus), threw it in my Marley backpack along with snacks, and ventured out to help my family and friends.
If not for headlights, streets normally lit were shrouded in darkness. Areas of struggle transformed into wards of chaos. A handful of homes, led by a man of the house, would find him on the porch protecting his family; porches lit by flashlights and cigarettes with shotgun silhouettes. Life was extremely real in the aftermath of Sandy. And it still is for the families left with nothing, and for some, mourning a loved one.
With Thanksgiving Day upon us and a commercialized Holiday season to follow, I wanted to take this opportunity to give thanks to a somewhat “blah” year in Hip-Hop. Man, listen. I’m doing my darndest to let the greater good outweigh the dreadful bad. But Chief Keef wasn’t having it. Apparently, there are a lot of things in this life he doesn’t like. If you ask me, he’s too young to be that finicky. Like something, sir.
I’m thankful for Nas. It’s either he hasn’t missed a step or he found another lost tape from ’92 with his “Life is Good” album. He cemented his “Legend” status this year – 20 years of catching wreck on wax.
Youth Translation: 20 years of being better than Lil’ Wayne
I’m thankful for Interscope. You’ve distracted us with high-end headphones for so long that, over time, we were able to deal with not receiving “that album” from “that producer.” However, your delivery of Kendrick Lamar arrived at the right time. Twenty years after the release of The Chronic, Kendrick reintroduced the Hip-Hop world to Compton and the insatiable urge for Domino’s Pizza. I’m happy to see the West Coast moving forward. Now if we could only get the East Coast to do the same.
I’m thankful for the coming together of Hip-Hop after the loss of the mighty Chris Lighty. Mr. Lighty, founder of Violator Management, was a branding guru, brokering groundbreaking and record-breaking deals for his clients – most notably, LL Cool J’s appearance in a GAP commercial in 1997 and the Vitamin Water pact for 50 Cent which, according to rumor, may have kept the South Jamaica, Queens MC from going “Hammer”. I didn’t know Lighty personally. But as a fan of the evolution of Rap music in the ’90s, I’ve felt his impact. May you rest in peace and never be forgotten.
I’m thankful for the rappers who followed me on Twitter. And immediately unfollowed me after I properly turned down giving an hour and a half of my life away to hear their latest mixtape. I personally would prefer not hearing how much you ball, since you can’t afford retaining a publicist to talk to me on your behalf. There are spoken and unspoken rules to this game. And they both have manuals.
I’m thankful to have seen video of Run-DMC reuniting on stage recently. Don’t allow the “Hip-Hop is Dead” movement to distract you from the truth. While there are industry engines in place to stunt the growth of the genre, longevity may have notched the best year ever in 2012. Run-DMC reunited is proof of that. Ghostface Killah on the “New God Flow” remix is proof of that. We’ve witnessed multiple generations of Rap stars sharing the spotlight this year.
I’m thankful for being a part of the AllHipHop.com movement. And last, but not least, I’m thankful that rappers have stopped creating “Stay Schemin” unauthorized remakes.
What are you thankful for in Hip-Hop this past year?
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