Warner Bros. recording artist XV is set to kick off his “L7 Tour” tour tonight (April 19) in New York City. The kid from Kansas‘ show at Webster Hall marks his first headlining gig in the Big Apple, a monument that he, his team, and especially his fans, couldn’t be more proud of.
AllHipHop.com was on the set last night for XV’s “Chains, Whips and Bars” video shoot in New Jersey, where we discussed Just Blaze’s contributions to his current work, at the same time as the hit-making producer put his touch on XV-labelmate Vizzy’s debut album, Kid With the Green Backpack.
XV also spoke on the “creative space” that he and his debut, KWGB, are currently in. But before the world gets to hear KWGB, XV will be releasing the Awesome EP on May 15th, the release will include songs like “Chains, Whips and Bars,” “Swervin,” and “Awesome.”
Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Kevin Cossom has just released his latest mixtape, Hook vs. Bridge II.
This is Cossom’s follow up to his 2009 EP, and he’s not holding anything back on this one. The project features 10 tracks, along with production from his new boss, Danja. Yes, he’s signed with Danja, most notable for his work with Timbaland, who has now ventured out on his own to create N.A.R.S. Records.
He may not yet be a household name, but you definitely know his work. His biggest writing hit to date has been Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo, but you’ll also hear his talents on records featuring Chris Brown, Pusha T, Rick Ross, and Akon, to name a few.
Download Kevin Cossom’s Hook vs. Bridge II mixtape here.
DMX has worn his heart on his sleeve during this season of VH1’s “Couples Therapy”. Last night’s episode was no different, with X revealing that his mother never once told him that she loved him.
“She had not once ever told me that she loved me. You know what I think a lot of people lose sight of the fact that no matter how strong you are as a man no matter how tough you are we all need to be somebody’s baby.
He also speaks on being abused by his mother and longing to call her “mommy.” DMX breaks down crying in a very sad scene that really shows that he is still hurting by the rejection from his mother as a child.
“I used to always turn to drugs when I was feeling a certain way and now that I’m not doing that,” DMX said. Sometimes when the pressure builds up I call ‘bino’ and be like, “I just wanted to say, “Mommy.” I wanted to say that word; ‘Mommy’!, not my mother. I wanted to say mommy. I just wanted to say ‘Hi’ to her to her because I haven’t talked to her in years. I just wanted to say, “Hi Mommy, I love you.”
AllHipHop.com is proud to present Juvenile’s latest project, Nino The Magnificent. Hosted by DJ Bigga Rankin and Core DJ’s Tony Neal, the New Orleans vet’s mixtape boasts features from Maybach Music Group’s Rick Ross along with Rich Boy.
Download this mixtape exclusively from AllHipHop.com, and be the first and hear HOT new music from Juvenile now!
The Tupac hologram continues to fascinate the public. So, much so, that there is a very short, but clever spoof we saw on illseed.com. The clip shows R2-D2, C3P0, Luke and Obi Wan getting a dose of Thug Life. The clip is below.
Today (April 19) we celebrate the memory and brilliant musicianship of Keith “Guru” Elam who passed away two years ago after falling into a coma and succumbing to cancer.
Over the course of his career, Guru collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including giants outside of the Rap genre such as the legendary Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, and Chaka Khan. His catalog was so humongous that there were certainly gems that were overlooked and somehow forgotten.
At times, Guru got downright grimy, conjuring up sounds that might shock the faint at heart. At other times, he was oozing with positivity, talking topics like manhood and saving the youth. It got us to thinking – what Guru tracks have fallen below the radar over the years?
Since we miss him dearly, check out AllHipHop.com’s list of five of Guru’s most slept-on songs and verses below:
5. Gang Starr – “DWYCK” ft. Nice and Smooth
“You could say I’m sorta the boss so get lost / The brotha dat will make you change opinions / Dominions I’m in them when it’s time to kick sh*t from / The heart, plus I get a piece of the action / I’m feelin satisfaction from the street crowd reaction”
As the follow-up to 1992’s Daily Operation, “DWYCK” was featured on Gang Starr’s fourth album Hard to Earn and was one of the higher charting singles from the critically-acclaimed LP that produced records like “Mass Appeal” and “Code of the Streets.” He featured Nice and Smooth, and you have to admit that at a certain point, they could do no wrong.
4. Guru – “Supa Love” ft. Kelis
“There’s not a problem that I can’t fix / Not a hot track, that I can’t flip / There ain’t no sex style, that you can’t pick / After my supa love, you’ll be like you can’t switch”
“Supa Love” dropped on Guru’s third Jazzmatazz volume titled Streetsoul. The MC pulled out all the stops on this album when he brought in Pharrell Williams, DJ Premier, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Macy Gray, and a host of others to collaborate on his second to last Jazzmatazz release. It was a sexier side than we usually saw from Guru – but then again, Kelis WAS on the track.
3. Cutthroats – “Stop Looking At Me” ft. Guru
“I don’t give a f*ck if you talk sh*t / I’ll make you a follower, passin out leaflets / So beef this”
The 13th track on 1993’s Menace II Society soundtrack gave listeners a very Onyx-sounding Guru that fans had rarely heard before. On an album that featured tracks from Brand Nubian, MC Eight and Brand Nubian, Guru and the Cutthroats had the perfect recipe for standing out (and scaring the heck out of old people) on a track.
2. Heavy D & The Boyz – “A Buncha N*ggas” ft. Third Eye, Guru, Notorious B.I.G., Rob-O & Busta Rhymes
“It’s time for me to flow and get down with this / I’m pullin out my mic, spittin off some rounds to this / I gotta known rep, so son you better slide out / Cause when I’m flippin, I’ll be rippin your pride out”
“A Buncha N*ggas” closed out Heavy D & The Boyz fourth album Blue Funk and was also one of the first records that Biggie ever recorded as he sought out a deal in the early days. Not only did the album contain production from DJ Premier, Guru practically steals the show from a gaggle of greats with his verse from the album’s last track.
1. Guru – “Life” ft. M.O.P. & Stikken Move
1995 was the year that “Life” premiered on Guru’s Ill Kid Records album which to this day is heralded as one of the MC’s rarest gems, due to his production taking center stage on an album that he only appeared three times on vocally. A young M.O.P. laced the track, along with a little-known MC named Stikken Move – hey, Guru collaborated with any and everyone.
In 2010, DJ Premier announced that he was assembling a postumous Gang Starr album with recordings of Guru’s verses recovered from all over the world. The project has since stalled, and we haven’t heard any update’s about it’s release.
On this, the two-year anniversary of Guru’s death, we are hearing rumors that this album is finally going to see the light of day. We hear Premier is very close to finishing the project, as well as a DVD of archival footage that dates back to the 1980s. Check out what Premier had to say about the DVD footage below:
“I have footage from the very first show we ever performed. It was Ice-T, Queen Latifah and Monie Love. She was in the bathroom nervous trying to remember her rhymes for Ladies First. Special Ed told her it would be okay and then Monie Love killed it. It was us, Tribe, Latifah and then Ice-T. Ice T introduced me to a DAT machine. I was like, Wow. This was 1989. I have that tape.”
Sources say the album sounds like the “Moment of Truth of 2012″, referring to Gang Starr’s 1998 album, Moment of Truth. The album is said to be scheduled for later this year. This sounds like it’s going to be good.
It’s official. TIME has named soul singer Raphael Saadiq to the 2012 “TIME 100”, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
For over a quarter century, soul singer Raphael Saadiq has been on the music scene. Saadiq began his career as a member of legendary R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! in 1988, when they first arrived on the scene. It was just two years later when they scored their first Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “Feels Good”.
Saadiq later branched out and went solo, first appearing on the Higher Learning soundtrack in 1995, with “Ask Of You.” A few years later, he released his first solo album, 2002’s Instant Vintage. In 2011, Saadiq released his highest charting album on the Billboard 200, Stone Rollin’. The album spawned three singles, “Radio”, “Good Man” and “Stone Rollin'”. Who can forget the moving, you-must-watch-this, visual that accompanied the “Good Man” single?
Most recently, Saadiq headlined a tour that boasted performances at Austin’s South By Southwest Music + Film Interactive Festival and Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Now, he’s joining Lenny Kravitz on his European and North American Tours.
The full “TIME 100” list and related tributes appear in the April 30 issue of TIME, available on newsstands on today and now at time.com/time100.
(AllHipHop News) Today (April 19) marks the two-year anniversary of Keith Edward “Guru” Elam’s passing, after succumbing to complications from cancer. The Hip-Hop icon and pioneer was 48.
Coining himself as the “King of Monotone” and widely regarded by critics as the artist/producer who spearheaded the Hip-Hop and Jazz fusion movement with his critically-acclaimed series Jazzmatazz, Guru’s influence can be seen across the genre.
Guru formed Gang Starr in the late 1980s with DJ Mike Dee and a host of others. Disputes would later disband the group, leading him to partner with DJ Premier in 1989, who he signed a deal with under Chrysalis.
Over the course of Guru’s career, he reached the Billboard charts several times, peaking at #5 for top Independent Albums with his project BaldHead Slick & da Click. He also reached as high as #8 on the R&B Charts with Jazzmatazz Vol3: Streetsoul.
In 1995, Guru’s single “Watch What You Say,” hit the charts with his song peaking at #13 on the Hot Dance Music/M### Singles Sales.
Despite an illustrious career that includes six critically-acclaimed projects with Gang Starr, including two gold albums Moment of Truth (1998) and Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr (1998), Guru’s final days were unfortunately marred by controversy.
After suffering from cardiac arrest and subsequently falling into a coma, Guru’s then production partner Solar, claimed in March 2010 that Guru awoke and wrote a letter to fans. Despite this claim, Guru’s family denied that he ever regained consciousness after falling into a coma, ascertaining that the letter was fraudulently written by Solar.
Guru’s family would eventually make their own public statements in the Boston Globe and other publications, while longtime Gang Starr producer, DJ Premier, shared his grief over losing Guru in his own public statement:
“I’VE BEEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON A LETTER SPEAKING ILL OF ME WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY WRITTEN BY GURU IN HIS DYING DAYS. ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER WAS BEAUTIFUL, WE BUILT A HIP HOP LEGACY TOGETHER, AND NO ONE CAN RE-WRITE HISTORY OR TAKE AWAY MY LOVE FOR HIM. ONE THING I WOULD NEVER DO IS PLAY AROUND WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS LIFE,” DJ Premier told fans in an excerpt from his official statement to the public.
“I WILL CELEBRATE GURU’S LIFE… I WILL HONOR HIS MEMORY… I WILL GRIEVE WITH THE ELAM FAMILY OVER HIS UNTIMELY DEATH… I WILL REMEMBER THE GANG STARR FOUNDATION AND ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF GANG STARR WHO CAME BEFORE ME – WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER”
Guru, a graduate of Atlanta’s Morehouse University and former student of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, would have turned 51 this July. He leaves behind a massive catalog of solo and collaborative works that continue to be celebrated, especially by the Hip-Hop and Jazz communities, and was an activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and youth issues.
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star 50 Cent has teamed with the Game Show Network’s interactive division to launch a Blackjack game on Facebook.
“50 Cent’s Blackjack” is a new gambling game that allows players to compete at 50’s virtual casino.
Players compete against a dealer for chips, as well as their friends and other 50 Cent fans.
Avatars on 50 Cent’s Blackjack are customizable and players can even build their own wardrobes.
In addition to launching on Facebook, GSN Digital is planning a mobile version of 50 Cent’s Blackjack for Android and Apple devices.
“I am excited to partner with GSN Digital on this venture to create an unparalleled social gaming experience for my fans. 50 Cent’s Blackjack is filled with fun twists and innovative features that is sure to provide hours of entertainment,” 50 Cent said.
The game is 50 Cent’s official entry into the online/mobile gaming space.
“50 Cent is an entertainment force of nature, and we’re excited to partner with him on his first venture into the world of social gaming,” added Peter Blacklow, executive vice president, GSN Digital. “50 has garnered an incredible following of millions of fans on Facebook, and we’re excited to bring this audience, as well as the millions of game fans out there, a fast-paced social blackjack experience.”
The mobile version of 50 Cent’s Blackjack will be available in the next several months.
Atlanta rapper and rumored “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” star Lil’ Scrappy claims to have almost kicked the bucket on Tuesday due to a massive asthma attack. Check out what he said about the incident below:
“I damn near died … if it weren’t for my driver, mom, and rap artist I would have been dead. I felt like I was dying.”
Scrappy was hospitalized at Emory University Hospital on Tuesday morning after a hard night of drinking and partying. The rapper says that when he woke up, he could barely breathe and couldn’t talk.
He was treated and released, and says that he now owns a “breathing machine,” and that he “will never leave anywhere without it again.”
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star Fat Joe will be inducted to the Bronx Walk of Fame as one of the 2012 inductees.
The Bronx Tourism Council announced that Fat Joe will join a number of other Bronx legends, who have been honored for their representation of the borough around the world.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz will preside over the induction ceremonies during the “Bronx Ball,” which will celebrate each of the 2012 inductees.
“I am extremely thrilled and grateful to be inducted in this year’s Bronx Walk of Fame,” Fat Joe told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “The Bronx is vibrant, colorful, and filled with rich history and through the years it has been the inspiration that has helped me grow as an artist. Thank you to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., for allowing me to be among such an illustrious group of fellow Bronxites that are being honored.”
According to Diaz, Fat Joe, who launched his career in 1993 as a member of the legendary Diggin’ In the Crates collective, has been a model citizen.
“He has been an outstanding citizen and a role model to countless Bronxties,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. added. “He has positively represented the Bronx and throughout his music career has helped keep the Bronx on the ‘musical map,’ becoming one of our very own home-grown success stories.”
“The Bronx Ball” will take place on May 19 on Orchard Beach in the Bronx.
Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to your perspective! Effective immediately, I need you to realize that you are rich with opportunity! Starting right now, I need you to acknowledge that you are exactly where you are suppose to be! At this very moment, I need you to understand that the power to change your circumstance lies in your hands alone!
Too often, we are missing out on big opportunities because they are disguised as obstacles! Too many times, we are cursing our blessings and not allowing our desired lives to shine through! See It Differently! You can look at things and think the worst, or you can recognize the beuaty in every situation!
Those who ALWAYS look on the bright-side are those who can turn lemons in to fruit punch! The cards you were dealt are the cards you were dealt! Play your hand and win the game!! Losing is not an option!! Change your thoughts you change your circumstances!!!
-Ash’Cash
“Opportunity is often difficult to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards.” -William Arthur Ward
“To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure.” -Unknown
“Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.” -Henry Miller
“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how we use them.” -Unknown
“He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.” -William James
“To begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment.” -James Allen
“If we want to realize our dreams, we have to stay awake.” -H. H. Swami Tejomayananda
“Life is a challenge, meet it! Life is a dream, realize it! Life is a game, play it! Life is Love, enjoy it!” -Sri Sathya Sai Baba
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.
