Welcome to the day that you take back full control of your life! Today marks the 47th anniversary of Malcolm X’s death, a day that has changed our country forever! In celebration of his life, we are dedicating today’s Daily Word to doing what is necessary!
Martin Luther King once said “If you are not willing to die for what you believe in, then you are not fit to live.” And while that might sound a little harsh, it is a true testament to what Martin and Malcolm where willing to sacrifice to see their dreams become a reality.
What are you willing to give up? Just cruising through life is absolutely unacceptable! Taking life as it comes is not only a waste of who you are, but a waste of who you can become! It is imperative that everyday that you are given breath in your body, that you are doing what is necessary to become more!
Maximize your full potential! Do your best then do better!! Our best life consist of doing more than the norm and pushing ourselves to the limit! The time for excuses is over! I don’t care what your circumstance is…. If you are reading this right now, then you still have a shot! Take what you deserve… By Any Means Necessary!!!
-Ash’Cash
“It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” -Winston Churchill
“Risk is essential. There is no growth in staying within what is safe and comfortable. Once you find out what you do best, why not try something else?” -Alex Noble
“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” -Ralph Marston
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” -St. Francis of Assisi
“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, heartbreak, and loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” -Malcolm X
“A true champion, face to face with his darkest hour, will do whatever it takes to rise above. You must fight, and fight, and then fight some more.” -Kenny Powers
“If you think you can win, you can. Faith is necessary to victory.” -William Hazlitt
“Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is startled, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.” -Robert Collier
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.
The best way to describe Yelawolf’s musical pattern as of late is to simply say “Expect the Unexpected.” Since his Shady Records release Radioactive, the Alabama native has been doing everything in his power to remain at the top of his game, including taking the unorthodox road of releasing another EP while promoting his album.
The “Slumdon Bridge”EP has him teaming with up-and-coming UK singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran to make something quite unlike anything you may have heard this year. Although the EP is only four songs, it’s well worth the download and sparks the question if they’ll work together again in the future.
To be clear, this is a collaborative effort from Yela and Ed, but that becomes obvious by the end of the second track listed. The surprise is how well they actually mesh; Yelawolf takes the lyrical route, while more often than not Sheeran provides the powerful melodies that lace the songs even while Yelawolf rhymes (during the intro to “You Don’t Know (For F**k’s Sake)”, Yelawolf even refers to him as the “Melody Man”). Sheeran even ventures into spitting a “rhyme” in the same song, but it fits well with the flow of the EP.
The best part about the project is the fact that within such a short amount of time, Yelawolf figured out a way to show off so many different styles of his lyricism. From the storytelling angle on “London Bridge” to the building rap crescendo on “You Don’t Know (For F**k’s Sake)”, to the all-out aggression on “Faces” (which was done so well it could’ve been slid on the end of “Radioactive” as a bonus cut), to the patterned flow on “Tone”, it all feels like Yelawolf from start to finish.
Aside from the somewhat obvious flaw of brevity here (you can listen to the entire EP in under 15 minutes), there’s not too much to complain about unless you’re looking for the “Hard White” sound from Yelawolf. This isn’t that type of project, but that’s not a bad thing in this case. It’s a unique project from start to finish, and it is well worth noting that Yelawolf and Ed Sheeran are talented enough to pull this off without seeming like a gimmick. It’s the most unlikeliest of teams, but it works. Here’s to hoping that we see more of them together in the future.
Huntsville, Alabama, native Jackie Chain has been doing his thing on the music scene for quite awhile. At a young age, Southern rap groups like UGK, Three 6 Mafia, and 8Ball & MJG, were what caught Jackie’s ear and led him to first fall in love with Hip-Hop. Although he loved it all, from N.W.A. to Nas, from Scarface to Pimp C, Jackie is a product of the streets and the soundtracks that played to them.
After a heavy grind and work ethic got Jackie noticed by some execs at Universal Motown, he was tasked with creating his first major label studio album, Ain’t Slept In Weeks. With a release date set for later this year on his new home, Universal Republic, Mr. Chain continues to prove that with some good ol’ fashioned music, a rabid fan base, and a catchy name, anything is possible.
AllHipHop.com recently spoke to Jackie, after the release of his new mixtape with Nich Catchdubs entitled After Hours, about life in Alabama, his relationship with Bun B and Big K.R.I.T., what the status of his album is, and where he got anointed as “Jackie Chain.”
AllHipHop.com: How you feeling, Jackie?
Jackie Chain: Feeling good, man.
AllHipHop.com: First things first, being that you and your man Yelawolf are both from Alabama, I have to know what kind of crazy sh*t you two get into when you two are together.
Jackie Chain: Oh man, it’s funny because he’s an Alabama fan and I’m an Auburn fan, and so even though we’re both from Alabama, that’s a big rivalry here, so we both get at each other about that. But it’s really just like, we’ve known each other for so long, and when we get together, it’s more just like two old homies kicking it. We just clown and joke and we get really, really, really drunk [laughter].
AllHipHop.com: What are you guys drinks of choice when you’re kicking it?
Jackie Chain: Well, I’m a beer man, I drink Coors Light, and I’ll take the occasional shot of Jaeger, but Yelawolf, man, he loves that Jack Daniels. He’s a true Alabama boy, and he gets down on that Jack, man.
AllHipHop.com: I know you two have toured together in the past, but now you’re about to hit the road and embark on your own 30-city tour. Tell me about what your fans can expect from Jackie Chain on that.
Jackie Chain: Yeah, man, they’re pretty much more so going to be college towns, and we’re just trying to hit those markets which are the same ones I hit when I was on tour with Mac Miller and Big K.R.I.T. and Freddie Gibbs, and all of them. I’m just really trying to hit the markets that show me love, you know what I’m saying? That’s a lot of the college campuses and a lot of the people that support me right now.
AllHipHop.com: Oh, that’s what’s up, man – that should be crazy. Going back in time a little bit, though, for those that don’t know you and your story, tell me a little bit about your background.
Jackie Chain: I always listened to Rap; even as far back as I can remember. Like I remember being in a Rap group in fifth grade. I always loved all types of music, though, but I grew up and started listening to Too Short, N.W.A., and once I heard groups from the South like 8Ball & MJG, I think Comin’ Out Hard was like one of the first CDs I got, and then I started getting into UGK and Three 6 Mafia.
I’m from the South. We don’t have subways, we don’t wear backpacks, we don’t have big skyscrapers. It’s just totally different from being in L.A., so when I heard rappers from the South, I could actually relate and had been to these places that they’re talking about like Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta. Especially when the whole Dungeon Family, and Outkast, and Goodie Mob, all those cats that just made me fall in love with it all even more. To be able to see what they were actually rapping about meant a lot. I never really grew up on New York rap, because I couldn’t relate to it. Of course I listened to it, but I really first fell in love with Hip-Hop when I heard the Southern rappers, ‘cause it was just all about them being from the same place I’m from.
AllHipHop.com: Do you actually remember the first Hip-Hop album, cassette, or record that you bought for yourself?
Jackie Chain: It was actually a tape, but the first Hip-Hop thing I bought was N.W.A.’s “Hundred Miles And Runnin”.
AllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up. I have to ask, where did Jackie Chain come from? I’m going to assume that’s not your government name [laughter].
Jackie Chain: No, it’s not, and it’s funny how I got it. I did a brief stint in prison. I turned 20 and 21 in prison behind bars and that wall, and I was never really serious about the rapping, but once I got in there, that’s what we did to pass the time. We freestyled and we rapped, and I was the only Asian in the joint, so they hit me with every Asian name from Bruce Lee to Mr. Miyagi to Jackie Chan. And in Alabama, everyone’s got that Southern drawl, so Jackie Chan came out sounding like Jackie Chain.
There was this one guy, and every time he saw me, he called me Jackie Chain. So when I got out of prison, I was hanging out with a lot of my friends the street, and I ran into someone that I was locked up with, and they were like, ‘What up, Jackie Chain?’ and all my friends would get a kick out of it. And then all my friends on the street calling me Jackie Chain, and one thing led to another.
AllHipHop.com: Well, it’s definitely a catchy name, and that’s a cool story to go with it. But like you said before, you listened to and were influenced by all different types of artists and groups, but specifically 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia and UGK, and you’ve actually been able to work with a lot of them. What is that experience like, being in the studio making a song with someone you idolized when you were younger?
Jackie Chain: Oh, man, it’s crazy. I actually did a song with Bun B 10 years ago, but it was more like I wasn’t in the studio when he recorded it. I did my verse somewhere else; it wasn’t really official, you know what I’m saying?
AllHipHop.com: Yeah.
Jackie Chain: So, my first official single is with Bun B and Big K.R.I.T., and the fact that I grew up listening to these guys, and I get to meet Bun, it was so cool – ‘cause I’ve met Bun at various spots at shows and backstage, but to actually kick it with him for four or five hours in the studio was great.
It took like an hour to do the song but he stayed for like four hours, and we blew through like two ounces of kush. But listening to the music and seeing how real he was, it was really a great experience, because I’ve been around some rappers that are *ssholes, so for him to be so down-to-earth and humble and a legend as one of the greatest to ever do it, that really just meant a lot to me, man.
AllHipHop.com: For sure, man, that must have been amazing. What about the other guys?
Jackie Chain: I’ve kicked it with Juicy J and DJ Paul, and we’ve got wasted. I haven’t kicked it with MJG, but I have had a chance to hang out with 8Ball a couple of times and it’s just…I don’t get starstruck too often, but when I’m around people like that who I’m actually a true to heart fan of, it’s a beautiful feeling and I feel like I’m accomplishing something. Especially back at the crib in Huntsville, because UGK is such a big influence in Alabama that by me doing a song with Bun B, [it’s] like I made it at the crib, and people are like, ‘You’ve got a song and video with Bun B!’ It just feels good, man, ‘cause like I said, I did grow up listening to them my whole life.
AllHipHop.com: That’s crazy, and I can definitely appreciate where you’re coming from. It’s interesting, too, because I’ve never heard a person say a single, bad thing about Bun B. It’s always about how nice and humble and down to earth he is, so it’s cool to hear you say the same about him.
Jackie Chain: Yeah, man, he’s a living legend.
AllHipHop.com: As far as the song “Parked Outside” goes, you told me how you hooked up with Bun, but how did you hook up with Big K.R.I.T. for that song?
Jackie Chain: Well, I actually did about 30 dates last year with K.R.I.T., and just from being on tour and together every single day. And K.R.I.T.’s in the same boat, he’s a cool, humble guy, and he actually did the beat for “Parked Outside.” So when he sent me the beat and I heard that UGK influence and that Pimp C hook on there, I just reached out to Bun and he showed me crazy love ‘cause he liked the song and he messes with K.R.I.T. And it turns out, he was a fan of mine before I ever met him, which blew my mind that he was listening to my mixtapes and all that. So when I reached out to him it wasn’t really business, it was more just like ‘let’s do it.’
AllHipHop.com: Well, since we’re talking about the music, I want to ask you about the project you dropped recently with Nick Catchdubs from Fools Gold called After Hours. That’s definitely got more of an up-tempo, feel good, party and get f*cked up type of vibe, so how exactly did the two of you link up for this mixtape?
Jackie Chain: Well, the response has been crazy, man, and I’m a hustler by nature, so I’m trying to get all that money. I want the rave money, I want the dubstep money, I want that Hip-Hop money, I want all that. So I actually hooked up with Catchdubs through Diplo who I worked with and my A&R at Universal was good friends with Catchdubs, and when I met him he was just cool, man. He sent me some beats, and we just joked around about doing a tape and like, I’ve got a song on there called “Molly” that we shot the video for last year at SXSW, so this mixtape has been in the works for a year. Like I said, I’m trying to get all that money, so if you can cut a check and I can come to your city and roll, then let’s do it!
In March I’m dropping a mixtape strictly for the streets, though, ‘cause I’ve been getting a real good response from After Hours, but my homeboys are like, ‘Jackie man, you need to do some more street sh*t, that’s where you came from.’ So this next mixtape is strictly for the ‘hood, and everybody will love it but I’m gearing it very much toward the hood. It’s going to be like that first Jackie Chain sh*t, that pimping hoes and selling dope type sh*t.
AllHipHop.com: I hear you, man. Does that project have a name yet or are you still undecided on that?
Jackie Chain: We’re still working on the name, man, ‘cause I really want it to be – I’ve got three or four DJs that I’m working with, but I don’t know which one I’m going to work with ‘cause they’re all so – I’ve just got a lot of people that want to work with me now so I’ve got to make the best decision for this hood sh*t, so trust me, you will know about it. I’m wrapping it up now, and it’s crazy. It’s bananas.
AllHipHop.com: I’m definitely looking forward to that, and it should be good for the fans to hear the Jackie that they came up on while you still get to experiment with all the other types of music. I have to ask about the actual album, though. So what is the current status of your Universal Records debut, Ain’t Slept In Weeks?
Jackie Chain: There’s about five songs that had sample issues that we’re just having so much trouble with. As you know, I was signed to Universal Motown, but that whole situation didn’t really materialize and I didn’t know where I was going, but they ended up moving me and the whole Young Money camp and Kid Cudi and Pac D## to Universal Republic.
It’s almost like I got a new deal. We’ve still got the songs on deck, but I had to go up there and shake some hands and see what was what with my project. So right now everybody at Republic is showing me love, and everybody is interested in it. So, I think it’s just a matter of getting back up in there and chopping it up with them and seeing what’s up but it’s definitely going to drop this year.
AllHipHop.com: It sounds like a good “fresh start” for you, not to say that you need it, but it certainly can’t hurt. Who were some of the people that you got to work with on the records that haven’t had sample clearance issues?
Jackie Chain: Oh, man, well, production-wise I’ve got, of course, the Block Beattaz. I got some beats from K.R.I.T., he did a couple of joints on there for me. I actually got a crazy song on there with me, Big K.R.I.T., and Yelawolf that he did the production on, and it’s crazy! I got [Kid] Cudi on the album. I got some nice little features on Aint Slept In Weeks, and a lot of the songs with the sample issues have features on them, so I’m not sure if they’re going to get cut or what, but I’m definitely coming strong. Of course, I got Bun [B] on the album, so it’s gonna be crazy, man.
AllHipHop.com: Damn, that Yelawolf and K.R.I.T. joint sounds crazy! I can’t wait to hear that and the rest of the new music. Is there anything else you want the fans to know about?
Jackie Chain: Yeah, man, just follow me on Twitter @JackieChain74, and no I was not born in ’74, a lot of people ask me that. Just look out for me, man. I’ve got a new video about to drop for “Role Models,” and I’m just getting it. I’m trying to get it in this year, so look for me in a city near you.
AllHipHop.com: Got to ask, what does the 74 stand for then?
Jackie Chain: It’s just an organization, man. I don’t want to say it’s a gang, but it’s an nationwide organization that I’m a part of that is all about growth and development and helping each other.
AllHipHop.com: Fair enough, man, just had to ask. It was a pleasure talking to you, and I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been cooking up. Thanks for your time.
Jackie Chain: Oh, it’s all good, man. I’m a big fan of the site, so I appreciate the love.
Download Jackie Chain and Nick Catchdub’s After Hours Mixtape Here!
Chase N. Cashe of the Surf Club has dropped his long-awaited mixtape, The Heir Up There, hosted by DJ Drama. Last year, he released his first mixtape, Gumbeaux, and began making his transition to the rap side of the game, to complement his top-notch production skills. Some of his most popular production credits to date include Drake’s “Look What You’ve Done” and Lil Wayne’s “Drop The World”. As you might expect, the production on The Heir Up There is excellent, thanks to Chase’s own efforts as well as Araab Muzik, Tha Bizness, and Hit-Boy, among others.
The opening track, “I’m The Man,” produced by Chase himself, is an early highlight on the tape with heavy-hitting bass and lots of energy from Chase behind the mic. Another self-produced standout (“Where Do We Go”) samples Coldplay’s “God Put A Smile On Your Face” throughout and has Chase digging a little deeper, rapping about his musical and life journey as well as his philosophy of keeping it trill.
Chase then shares his “Daily Routine” on the Hit-Boy and Merge produced track, rapping on the hook, “All I do is get cash and get *ss.” He goes on to elaborates further on the subjects of women and money here, which are two topics that take a prominent lyrical presence throughout the tape.
The last five tracks, beginning with the Megaman produced “S.S.D.” provide a canvas for Chase to put his alluring flow on full display. The self-produced “Show & Prove” features Chase speaking on his style: “Versace T-Shirts with the wheat Timbs and a Surf Club fitted that’s how we Trill,” while on “B.Y.O.H.” (Bring Your Own Hoes), produced by Tha Bizness, he brags about the ladies: “I’m constantly conversing with women from ‘round the globe with / accents and visas, bad b*tches and divas, stamps on the passport / gotta know how to treat ‘em.”
Chase’s bravado continues as the mixtape nears its end. On yet another self-produced track (“Don’t Worry”), he raps about the rewards he’s earned through hard work: “The club sponsored me with bottles, I’m important and sh*t / And I’m surrounded by some models we imported and sh*t.”
After a lengthy wait for The Heir Up There to drop, fans will definitely be pleased by Chase’s work as he continues to make a successful transition in becoming a multi-talented artist. The timing of the tape’s release also ended up being just right as Chase joined Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and A$AP Rocky to kick off the Club Paradise Tour this past week. Overall, The Heir Up There is an impressive effort from Chase, featuring stellar production and enough energy and braggadocio and positivity from him to carry the mixtape from start to finish.
(AllHipHop News)bA man wanted for his role in Jimmy “Henchman” Rosemond’s drug dealing operation was apprehended over the weekend.
Authorities had been seeking Jason Williams, who went on the run in May of 2011, after an indictment was unsealed accusing Henchman and his subordinates of using Czar Entertainment as a front for a $10 million drug dealing operation.
Henchman is accused of using Czar, which managed artists like Game, Brandy and Akon, as a cover to send hundreds of kilos of cocaine in cases used for transporting music equipment to various recording studios.
The scheme then used Fedex to send the proceeds to mailbox drops in vacuum sealed bags on the West coast.
Henchman himself went on the run from May of 2011 until he was apprehended in late June of 2011, at The W in New York’s Union Square.
In October of 2011, Henchman’s brother Kesnar Rosemond was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the drug dealing operation.
Jimmy “Henchman” Rosemond is currently awaiting trial on drug conspiracy and trafficking charges.
He has pleaded not guilty and faces a life sentence if convicted.
Jason Williams is currently being held without bail on cocaine distribution and drug trafficking charges.
(AllHipHop News) Baltimore, Maryland rapper Los, Diddy’s most recent signee, recently spoke with AllHipHop.com about inking with the Bad Boy roster.
Los joins are stable of artists that includes MGK, Red Cafe, French Montana, Dirty Money and Cassie.
The new talent is part of Diddy’s plan for the future of the famous Bad Boy Entertainment record label.
Los, who was signed to Bad Boy in 2005, hopes that the second time with the label will thrust him into the national spotlight, after the first deal soured due to “non-musical reasons.”
“You know I had a relationship with Puff from the past. In 2005, I was signed to Bad Boy and things didn’t work out,” Los told AllHipHop.com. “Non-musical factors affected us, and we went our separate ways, and I just continued to work and build my brand and put my own thing together. It just so happened I started to get the attention of the masses. And, we had a vested interest and he gave me a call, and we just started talking and communicating and we re-built the friendship and we just sat back and saw where it would go. It all ended up coming full circle, and here we are now, you know?”
Los recently spent time behind the scenes on MGK’s most recent visit to 106 & Park.
He also kicked off the New Year with Diddy in Miami and is fitting in nicely with the rest of the Bad Boy roster.
“MGK, French [Montana], Red [Cafe], everyone is extremely talented and cool. I definitely have plans on working with all of them. Cassie has a lot of stuff going on right now with her project she’s working on, King of Hearts,” Los told AllHipHop.com. “We are all kind of figuring out our direction as individual artists, but we come together when we can to help each other. But me, of course I’m just getting my feet wet, but we will definitely all come together.”
But everything hasn’t been easy for Los, who hails from the rough streets of “Charm City,” which was famously showcased in HBO’s The Wire.
According to Los, the climate in Baltimore is not far from the scenarios that played out on the famed, award-winning series.
“I mean, to be honest with you, it’s not far fetched, you know, ‘The Wire.’ It’s a tough place, man, it breeds people that are survivors, and it embeds the hustle and it instills strategy, and everything,” Los explained to AllHipHop.com. “Because just surviving in Baltimore is like an obstacle course, and when you go through the things that just growing up there naturally puts you through, it just prepares you for the rest of the world – if you can make it there. That’s just basically the way I can sum it up. Baltimore is like boot camp; it conditions you for life, but at the same time, you can’t let the elements go over you man and you just have to persevere.”
Los is currently hitting shows across the country in support of his project The Crown Ain’t Safe.
He also plans to drop the video for “King Los,” one of the highly touted songs on the project.
In the mean time, Los is just learning from Diddy and picking up on any advice the rap mogul/legend has to offer about life and Hip-Hop.
“He [Diddy] is just a great coach.” Los said of his mentorship with Diddy. “Of course, he has a tremendous amount of knowledge and wisdom in this game, as well as in life, and I think that he’s mastered the art of Black excellence, and the hustle. So it’s like, why would you not listen to anything that he has to say?”
By now, we’ve all heard the rumors about Rihanna’s popular “Birthday Cake” track being remixed to feature Chris Brown. The rumor is all but confirmed at this point. Well, according to Sandra Rose.com’s exclusive source, the head honchos over at Roc Nation may put the breaks on releasing the track due to all of the controversy surrounding Chris Brown’s appearance on it.
Apparently, Rihanna’s core fan base known as the “Rihanna “Navy” are not in support of the track and consider the collaboration to be “career suicide.” The track is scheduled to drop tomorrow and has the full support of both Rihanna and Chris Brown. Check out their tweets below:
