(AllHipHop News) Cash Money’s Bryan “Baby” Williams has never been one to hide the fact that he likes to gamble and that he puts money on the big games.
This year’s Super Bowl is no different than last, as Birdman is again betting on arguably the world’s biggest and most highly televised championship game in sports.
Last year he had a $1 million on the Green Bay Packers, but this year Baby is uping the anti and putting $5 million on the big game, going with his “nephew,” Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis’ team, the New England Patriots.
“I like New ENGLaNd.my nephew play RB# 42.I’m Bet 5million 2 any niggaaa.like tha Giants YMCMB.BabyMoney anybody kan Getit,” Birdman tweeted from his account, @BIRDMAN5STAR.
The Super Bowl Kicks off on Sunday, February 5th, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Madonna is set to headline the halftime show.
Tickets to Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2007 Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants are currently starting at $1,500.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Kid Cudi took to his personal blog to reply to reports that he trashed a stage during a festival in Australia over the weekend.
Kid Cudi took responsibility for trashing the stage during the Heatwave Festival, after the sound man cut is set short by almost 30 minutes.
On his Cud Life blog, the rapper warned promoters that in the future, he would repeat the act, if his sets are cut short.
“If my set is EVER cut short at any show, im trashing the stage. Not out of anger, it takes a lot to get me furious nowadays, but out of principle,” Kid Cudi wrote on his blog. “The fans always deserve a full set at all shows, especially when they spend their hard earned money on expensive tickets. A lot of artist wouldnt do what I did in Australia, but I will.”
Kid Cudi, who has 367,864 fans on Twitter, also said that he would take it to the next level if there was any more unwanted interference with his shows.
“No matter the circumstance, cut my set short, im breaking s**t. And next time im startin a riot,” Kid Cudi promised. “Me and my fans. Cause promoters will sometime take advantage of the artists, and u gotta let em know what time it is. Cutting nobody any slack.”
Kid Cudi’s anger was a carryover from the Heatwave Music Festival, which took place in Melbourne over the weekend.
A series of operational problems left many fans enraged, while a number of headlining artists missed or canceled appearances, including D12 and Chamillionaire.
In related news, Kid Cudi and Chip Tha Ripper who together are known as The Almighty Gloryus, released their track “Gloryus.”
The track can be found on Chip Tha Ripper’s new mixtape “Tell Ya Friends.”
On February 10, the Michael Whitton-directed, independent urban-comedy, Exit Strategy, will hit theaters in limited release.
The film – starring Kevin Hart, L.A.’s Power 106FM radio personality Big Boy, Jameel Saleem, “QDeezy” Harris, and Kimelia Weathers – is a “laugh-out-loud, un-romantic comedy” being released by Ask Around Entertainment just in time for Valentine’s Day.
One of the film’s stars and executive producers, Big Boy, released a video earlier today (January 23) to help promote the film and the whole “exit strategy” state of mind.
Check out the film’s synopsis and what Big Boy has to say about his own personal relationship exit strategy story and some tips for those of you who want out below:
James (Jameel Saleem) gets evicted from his apartment and moves in with his girlfriend of three months Kim (Kimelia Weathers) and quickly discovers she’s everything he never wanted in a woman. He enlists best friends Carville (Quincy “QDeezy” Harris) and Leona (Noelle Balfour), plus high-schooler Scoop (NICK SINISE) and strangers Big Boy and Kevin Hart to find a relationship exit strategy; but for Kim, breaking up just isn’t an option.
Welcome to another day and another opportunity to get it right! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to being happy! I don’t care what you thought your purpose was or what you thought life was about, but the truth is that we are all searching to be happy! Whether it is in our relationships, in our career, or within our social settings, our goal has always been and will always be a pursuit of happiness.
Some of us know this and accept this fact, while others are in denial that true happiness really exists! Some of us create happy now, while others are waiting for that magic moment! Stop being being others! Understand that whatever gives you joy is what you should be doing everyday of your life! We need to stop allowing fear to stop us from getting what we truly want! Happiness will always be the key to living an abundant life – never the opposite! Stop prolonging what is rightfully yours! Aim for Happy and Don’t Stop until You Get It!!
-Ash’Cash
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” -Aristotle
“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” -Anthony de Mello
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” -Epictetus
“It isn’t what you have, who you are, where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” -Dale Carnegie
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” -Frederick Keonig
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” -Hugh Downs
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” -Herman Cain
“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.” -Agnes Repplier
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.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is making good use out of that Ciroc money and launching his very own music-themed cable network at the end of the year. Sources are reporting that Diddy will try to capture the essence of the “old MTV” with the unveiling of “Revolt” on 12/12/12.
The network will be geared toward African Americans, and reports are saying that it will be distributed by Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
Diddy is heading into Oprah territory with this one. The concept of the old MTV sounds good to me. As long as he doesn’t use this network as a platform to film another “I Wanna Work For Diddy” or “Making the Band” reality show, I’ll be tuning in!
(AllHipHop News) “We are the 99%!” Occupy Wall Street could very well be one of the most important protests of Americans’ lifetimes, as well as one of the most confusing. Many people are bewildered about what exactly the movement stands for; after all, it has no public leader and no demands.
The average person seems to think that it’s just a gathering of people camping out in both public and private parks around the nation. I must admit, up until recently, I was one of those people; until I got the opportunity to visit Occupy Newark and speak with some of the very passionate people participating in the movement.
Occupy Newark began on November 18, 2011, in Military Park in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The movement is peaceful and nonviolent. The park currently has about 30 tents that have been locked in position for almost three months, with occupants coming from all over the nation to participate.
Like the Occupy Wall Street movement, Occupy Newark’s goal is to raise awareness regarding corporate greed and corruption, as well as social and economic inequality and the high unemployment rate. One issue that makes them stand out from other Occupy movements is their commitment to solving the homelessness problem that plagues the city of Newark.
Take a look at the video below to hear some of the Newark Occupiers speak about what they would like President Barack Obama to say about their movement during tonight’s State of the Union Address, as well as what they would like to accomplish by participating in Occupy Newark:
During President Barack Obama’s address tonight, AllHipHop.com, The League Of Young Voters Education Fund, and Rock The Vote will host the 2nd Annual #BarackTalk, a State of the Union roundtable discussion and watch party.
The event will feature a series of panel discussions about the biggest issues facing the young generation and will broadcast live from Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C. at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Be sure to tune in right here on www.AllHipHop.com or www.BarackTalk.com, and please feel free to tweet questions or leave comments about the discussion at @theleague99.
I’ve known Kareem since he was an eager, creative teenager mature beyond his years.
He was mature enough to transcribe the longest of interviews. He was mature enough to sit in as I interviewed Kanye West and not act a fool. He was mature enough to act as my (and others’) intern as we worked at a Viacom-owned television network some years ago. Since overcoming a childhood in foster care, he’s now a graduate of Clark Atlanta, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and has amassed a myriad of other achievements.
Yet and still, Kareem is not employed, despite hurdling over insurmountable odds and seemingly doing all the right things in life. At 23, he’s strong, unrelenting, and will soon join AllHipHop as a part of an initiative spurned by the President Obama to get youth jobs, life skills, and competent mentors.
As a college graduate, Kareem could be considered one of the “lucky” fortunates. While the nation appears to be in an uptick, those around us – the people we know and touch – remain in dire straits. That is the charge of the president, as he prepares to address the nation today.
The fact is, the youth that peruse AllHipHop and similar sites are fundamentally disengaged, disillusioned, and fairly disgusted with the way the nation has treated them thus far. Many of them, like Kareem, remain optimistic, while some others have completely stopped buying into the notion that they can be helped into their own. There are others still, that never bought into it to begin with.
While at the White House recently, I saw firsthand that youth from all over the nation are like Kareem, but the general consensus in the room was these young people were exceptional. Another reoccurring theme from the mouths of these young adults was they simply needed a chance.
Right now, the president seeks another chance as well.
The time is crucial for the president, but far more crucial for the American people, whose lives and well-being hang literally in the balance. While he’s achieved much, for many, the presidency is wrought with shortcomings that are felt in a way that is all to real in 2012. Will the people – the real ones – give him a chance as we approach the presidential election? Will the president be able to win back the faith and support of the American people?
Right now, we see that change has indeed occurred, but it certainly is not the change the country expected back during election time in ’07/’08. Especially for our country’s young people like Kareem.
The time is critical.
Please join the discussion as AllHipHop.com, national non-profit organization, The League Of Young Voters Education Fund, and Rock The Vote prepare for the 2nd Annual #BarackTalk, a State of the Union roundtable discussion and watch party. The event starts at 7:30 pm tonight (January 24) and will stream live from Washington D.C. on www.AllHipHop.com and www.BarackTalk.com.
#BarackTalk panelists include rapper Rhymefest; activist Davey D; Goldie Taylor, leading news correspondent (TheGrio.com, MSNBC); Chuck Creekmur, co-founder of AllHipHop.com; and many more.
(AllHipHop News) An angry promoter has taken Pastor Troy to Judge Alex, on Fox television over a missed show and failure to meet the agreement.
On Judge Alex, the host/arbitrator is Judge Alex Ferrer, a former police officer, lawyer, and Florida judge who solves small claims amongst
Produced in Houston at the television studios of Fox’s KRIV (Channel 26), Troy was is brought to trial for failing to perform at what is a former best friend’s concert.
The promoter, Roderick, claims that the concert was canceled because Pastor was arrested, but Roderick also says he rescheduled the concert only to have Pastor bail on him again.
Pastor claims that he was receiving death threats and out of fear for his safety and for the audience safety, he thought it was best not to appear at the show.
According to Pastor Troy, “this club where he’s having this event is in Augusta, Georgia. This city, Augusta, Georgia and I have a history or just violence and negativity. Somebody had just got shot in that club the weekend before I was supposed to be there.
(AllHipHop News) Multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning music super-producer Jim Jonsin, up and coming American racer Joel Miller, and father-son duo Gary and Mark Jensen are competing in the 2012 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition
The competition which is set to premier live from Daytona in Saturday, February 4th on SPEED TV, will make Jim Jonsin, the only team owner and pro-driver in the music industry, to compete in a division of NASCAR.
Jim Jonsin’s Rebel Rock Entertainment combines music and racing to create a pop culture experience that will put Jim behind the wheel, as he makes his debut as pro-race car driver.
“Being the best is knowing how to bring the best out of others,” Jonsin told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “As a music producer I’m one of the best, and now I plan to build the best race team.”
In 2011, Jonsin took his lifelong love of road racing to the next level, by launching Rebel Rock Racing.
He later became the first music producer to obtain a FIA International Motor Sports Driver’s License.
In August 2011, Jim Jonsin and Team Rebel Rock placed in 1st and 2nd place in the SCCA Race Weekend at Daytona Speedway.
Jonsin is responsible for chart-topping singles by musical acts like Lil Wayne, Beyonce, T.I., Usher and Kelly Rowland.
Jonsin’s Rebel Rock Racing team vows to bring the best of the pop music lifestyle to Grand Am in every race by introducing live entertainment through the attendance of celebrity Rebel Rock supporters.
For more information on Jim Jonsin’s team check the link below:
(AllHipHop News) Michael Rapaport’s critically acclaimed documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest, took the top prize in its category at the Producers Guild Awards, which was held at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday night (January 20).
Rapaport’s documentary was one of the year’s most talked about films, as it showed a rare look at the internal successes and struggles of one of the greatest Hip-Hop groups in musical history.
Rapaport, who also served as one of the film’s producers, accepted the award with co-producers Edward Parks, Frank Mele, and Debra Koffler. “I really can’t believe we won,” a surprised Rapaport exclaimed.
The astonishment Rapaport felt could have something to do with the irony surrounding its nominations this year – rarely does a film win at the Producers Guild Awards that has not been nominated for an Oscar.
Beats, Rhymes & Life did not make the cut for the Oscar’s 15-nominee shortlist for Best Documentary this year, despite being crowned with the Producers Guild of America’s top prize.
(AllHipHop News) A former publicist for Amber Rose is planning to expose the model in an upcoming documentary titled “The Michael Jordan of Models: This Is Janero.”
Publicist Janero Marchand is head of the Marchand Media Group, which at one point counted Amber Rose as a client.
Janero Marchand unleashed a tirade of accusations against Amber Rose on his Twitter account today (January 23).
Marchand claimed that Amber Rose stole his 20% commission he was supposed to earn, for arranging her appearance in the “Robocop” video.
“Set the record straight. Yes, introduced Amber Rose to Kanye West for the ‘Robocop’ video. She stole my 20% of her $100,000 for the video,” Marchand tweeted today.
He also accused Amber Rose of plotting to steal from Kanye West, which was one of the reasons the celebrity couple’s split.
“Amber & her brother Antonio were going to Hawaii plotting & stealing money from Kanye,” Marchand alleged. “I didn’t want anything to do with it so YES I told Ye.”
According to Janero Marchand, he is planning to reveal the details behind the break up, along with more about Amber Rose, in his documentary “The Michael Jordan of Models: This Is Janero,” which drops in February 2012.
Marchand also claimed that one of the reasons for exposing Amber Rose was because of her recent allegations against Kanye West in the media, that included accusations that Kanye cheated on her with Kim Kardashian.
He also issued an ominous warning to Amber Rose, in anticipation of her reply.
“If she tries to refute what I say I have emails to back up everything,” Marchand tweeted. “Kanye is a good person & it’s not right what Amber is doing to him.”
Check out this email that Amber Rose sent to Janero:
(AllHipHop News) Atlanta rapper Alley Boy is preparing to release his new mixtape and movement “Nigganati.”
The uniquely titled release is the latest for Alley Boy and his Atlanta-based label, Duct Tape Entertainment which has a distribution deal with Atlantic Records.
“I want people to f**k with us, link up, I’m the voice for all the ni**as who didn’t have no plug, all the ni**as that didn’t have nobody given them the work when they was trying to come up in the streets,” Alley Boy explained. “You know, everybody who had to take their way. This whole nation was built off taking, period. America, period was built off taking.”
Alley Boy’s new “Nigganati” mixtape is slated to be released later this week, exclusively through Livemixtapes.com.
“It’s all about us, it’s all about everybody in the streets who ain’t doing the 9-to-5 thing,” Alley Boy continued. “It’s just us taking our way, and us making our own way. They say the Illuminati is a just a whole bunch of rich and empowered people doing their thing and they excluding theyselves from everybody else, so this is us excluding ourselves from everybody else too.”
“Nigganati” will be available for download free on Livemixtapes.com this Thursday (January 26).
The first single from the mixtape is titled “Whats Going On,” which was produced by Tha Bizness and Kuddie Fresh.
(AllHipHop News) Organizers of the Big Day Out Festival in Australia have issued a statement defending Kanye West, after the rapper appeared on stage more than 45 minutes late to the dismay of a crowd.
According to reports, Kanye West took to the stage at the Big Day Out Festival more than 45 minutes late during his first date on the tour, due to heavy rain.
The rapper’s tardiness upset the crowd, who waited in the rain for his performance.
Additionally, Soundgarden lead Chris Cornell trashed Kanye West’s set, after complaining his music was too loud.
“Sounds like there’s children playing music there, retarded children, retarded as in held back,” the frustrated 90’s rocker said. “There’s no other word for it.”
But organizers of the Big Day Out Festival commended Kanye West for drawing the largest crowd, in addition to performing in uncomfortable circumstances.
“Stop picking on Kanye – the technical problems that delayed his start time by 45 minutes were from rain damaging our equipment,” organizer Ken West said in a statement. “The fact that he had the biggest crowd of the day and delivered an incredible performance with the huge crowd staying to the end of set even though it was 45 minutes later than scheduled is a testament to what a great artist he is. The next shows will be amazing Miss them at your peril.”
The news of Kanye West’s wraps up another bad weekend for Hip-Hop in Australia.
Don’t count the young guys out. If anyone is breathing new life into the game, it’s them. Case in point – Rockie Fresh. The 20-year-old Chicago native has had, by many standards, two wildly successful years and has no intention of slowing down for 2012. Rockie has used his “newness” to soak in, absorb, and adapt to the sounds and influences around him, all while catering to the fans that have supported him during his rapid rise to the top.
AllHipHop.com spoke to the one of the hottest young artists on the eve of the release for his new mixtape, Driving 88. Rockie discusses the honor of being an XXL Freshman nominee, the recording process for his new project, his rapid rise to success via the independent route, and where he sees himself in five years.
AllHipHop.com: First things first, did you get to keep the DeLorean?
Rockie Fresh: Nah, man, I didn’t get to keep it. That’s my homies DeLorean. He lets me use it whenever I want to.
AllHipHop.com: Lucky him. I want to congratulate you on your nomination for XXL’s 2012 Freshman Class.
Rockie Fresh: Thank you very much, man. I appreciate that.
AllHipHop.com: So, how did it feel when you found out you were nominated, especially to be alongside a number of your friends within the industry?
Rockie Fresh: It felt crazy, and it was cool because there was a fake list that came out a couple of weeks before they did that, and I was on that fake list, but a lot of people didn’t take it seriously, and it had got some people in my city talking about the possibility of me actually being a XXL Freshman. So for them to then come out with their own list and confirm that I had gotten to that point is dope and real cool. And then to have some of my homies on there with me, it just made it the more the merrier so it was cool.
AllHipHop.com: If you could create your own short list for who should be on that cover this year who would you pick?
Rockie Fresh: Outside of myself, it would be Casey Veggies, Phil Ade, and probably my homie Action Bronson. I really respect their grind, and they’ve all built a lot of stuff from the ground up, so definitely those three.
AllHipHop.com: Well, I hope you make it on there, for sure. Last time we talked, you had just released your last project, The Otherside Redux, and now you’re gearing up for the release of Driving 88. How did the recording process of the two mixtapes differ?
Rockie Fresh: Well, the last project, The Otherside Redux, I had recorded a few songs in L.A., but most of the project was done in Chicago. With the new mixtape, I started recording it while I was on tour with Patrick Stump, and so I recorded it in a bunch of different cities and had a bunch of different inspirations. I’m also getting older as an individual – not that I’m not young anymore – but I’m just experiencing a lot more things, and over the course of 2011, I saw some things that I never saw before in my life, so I was able to just broaden my horizon and broaden the things that I could talk about. So that’s what kind of changed with the recording process for this project.
AllHipHop.com: For those that don’t know, can you briefly explain the significance of the title, Driving 88?
Rockie Fresh: Yeah, the title came from the movie, Back To The Future, and basically the DeLorean had to reach 88 miles per hour for them to reach their destination, and so this project is kind of my pace and my speed of me just getting to the places that I want to go. That’s why I called it that.
AllHipHop.com: What can the fans expect on the project, and did you get to work with anyone this time around that you haven’t been able to work with in the past?
Rockie Fresh: Yeah, I was actually able to get a track from Good Charlotte that’s on there. It’s going to be a bonus track for the tape since they had it on their mixtape, but Casey Veggies and Phil Ade are both on the project, and they were on my last project so it’s cool to bring it back.
As far as the music, people can expect a real original sound. I really wanted to tailor my own style of music and my own type of beats, so that fans will always know a Rockie track when they hear it. And so, we really defined that with this project, so I’m excited to see what the fans think about it.
AllHipHop.com: I did actually get a chance to hear that track with the Madden Brothers from their mixtape, and it’s dope. In the past year alone, you’ve already worked with Asher Roth, the Maddens, Kidz In the Hall, Chamillionaire, and a ton more names. How important is it to you to as a fairly new artist to be recognized and respected by your peers in the industry?
Rockie Fresh: That means a lot to me, because it was real natural how I got a relationship with all of those guys, which is why I guess people say that I do a lot of random features, but it’s really always organic. Like I met Lil’ B when I was at SXSW last year, and his style of music is way different then mine. We represent two different things, but because he was a cool dude and he respected me, we were able to link up and do a record. Same thing with Asher and the Madden brothers; it was just a real organic thing, and for those guys to like what I do and respect what I do, it was a blessing for me, and it was super cool. It meant a lot.
AllHipHop.com: Other than the material that you have coming out on Driving 88, are there any collaborations that you’ve done recently for someone else’s project that you’re can’t wait for the fans to hear?
Rockie Fresh: Man, actually I’ve been working with a lot of Chicago artists, ‘cause we don’t really have a history of being big on the blogs or sites. And I’m one of the first people that really has been posted in a bunch of places, and I really want to lend a hand to other people in my city. There’s this guy named King Louie who’s on Driving 88, he’s a new artist out of Chicago. I’m just really trying to build the city of Chicago and bring some people up while I’m coming up as well.
AllHipHop.com: Do you have aspirations to sign with a major label, or are you more comfortable and confident in the independent lane which you’ve been so successful with, as have many other artists, specifically in the past year?
Rockie Fresh: I mean, it really just depends on what makes sense. As far as right now, I’m able to make the music that I want to make without having to use a major label, but at the same time, I’ve always had big dreams of releasing a number one album and things like that. I know that those are certain things that labels can be instrumental in helping with as far as promotion when the time is right. So, right now I’m just going to ride out this independent wave, and if me and some labels can come to an agreement on something and with certain things, then I definitely would sign a deal.
AllHipHop.com: With that in mind, what goals and “resolutions” did you set for yourself for 2012?
Rockie Fresh: For me, more than anything is getting, because I’ve got a lot of stuff on the table now as far as with the XXL Freshman thing, and there’s some other opportunities that I really can’t speak on right now, but for me I realized that I do have a broad fan base and it’s growing naturally. I just want to keep supplying them with better music and keep impressing them, so outside of anything, it’s just really to make sure I record everyday, try to get a song done a day, and make sure that I’m supplying the fans with what they support me for.
AllHipHop.com: And how has the “song-a-day” mentality been going?
Rockie Fresh: It’s been going good. I’m not perfect, so I’ve had some misses, but it’s definitely making me a better artist, making me become more creative and search for more inspiration and different content. So yeah, it’s definitely working.
AllHipHop.com: Where do yo see Rockie Fresh five years from now?
Rockie Fresh: Man, probably one of the top five rappers in the game, obviously.
AllHipHop.com: Great answer. Is there anything else you want the fans and readers to know about?
Rockie Fresh: Just download Driving 88.
AllHipHop.com: Thanks again for your time, Rockie. Can’t wait to hear the project.
Ohio born and bred Stalley has been on a heavy grind after his dreams of Pro Ball were derailed by injury. He pursued music in what turned out to be a natural progression – to him, seemingly blessed by God. From demo recordings with friends, to gracing the stage with the likes of Mos Def and Curren$y, to turning a deal with the biggest growing empire in the game, Stalley continues his ascension to the top.
With the recent release of his independent album, Lincoln Way Nights, his path forward continues. Having recently recorded sessions for flagship MMG release, God Forgives I Don’t, and working on the label’s next installment of Self Made, Stalley is in line to be one of the next greats off the Maybach Music Group roster. AllHipHop.com caught up with him a few weeks ago to hear what’s up with the MMG MC:
AllHipHop.com: What’s up, Stalley? What’s good on your side?
Stalley: On the road heading to VA, got a show, University of Virginia tonight. Lincoln Way Nights available on Amazon, iTunes everywhere. Make sure you get that…we working. Ambition available EVERYWHERE!!!
AllHipHop.com: How was it for you coming out of the Ohio Hip-Hop scene?
Stalley: When it came to music, I was one of those people that listened to everything. There were times I went through my backpacker stage, my East Coast, West Coast, down South stage. That’s the beauty of growing up in Ohio and the Midwest. We get everything; we are not biased to one coast or one genre of music.
I was probably one of the only people out of my friends that listened to people like Mos Def, Common, Nas. If anyone really listened to East Coast music, they listened to Wu-Tang, Jay Z, Biggie. Other than that, I grew up around people listening to Too Short, Scarface, Brother Lynch Hung, C-Bo, E -40, people like that. I listened to all that, too, but I was heavily influenced by all coasts.
AllHipHop.com: I know you like to step outside of your genre and work with different artists. How did this effect your relationships with others?
Stalley: They looked at me like I was hard to pinpoint, my sound or my style. Even from outside of Hip-Hop, I’ve been influenced by Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield. I try to incorporate all those sounds and inspirations that I got from those artists into my music. People start to look at me like, “Man, what’s he on? Where’s he going?” I just go wherever the instincts take me.
AllHipHop.com: You played basketball through your earlier years. How did you stay motivated to keep with it and not fall to temptation?
Stalley: My one big motivation through life, growing up in middle school , high school, playing sports, was just to get out of my small town. Growing up being there was like a trap. I seen a lot of great athletes leave adn come right back, not finishing school, ’cause really it’s a trap. You get so used to it – everybody knows everybody.
When you go away, it’s easy to get homesick, because everyday is laid out for you, your used to that repetition of just doing the same thing – waking up seeing the same people, knowing where everything is, just knowing how your day is going to end up. My thing is I just didn’t wanna end up being stuck there, ’cause a lot of people end up selling and using drugs or are just there, existing. I knew I had a bigger plan for myself. I wanna be able to reach people and touch people, no matter if it were on a court or through music. That was the motivation for me to work hard and stay focused.
AllHipHop.com: How was the transition from your athletics and education to making music ?
Stalley: I didn’t expect it to be as easy and natural as it was. I grew up focused on basketball and my education, ’cause that’s what I felt like was going to take me to where I needed to go as man financially, being stable and to take care of my family. I didn’t focus on music, I always loved music and it was a passion of mine adn something I did, but it wasn’t the main focus, ’cause basketball was, you know?
I always wrote and did freestyles, but it wasn’t until I got injured and stopped going to school and stopped playing ball, that a friend of mine got me into the studio and I recorded music, and it just took off…it was so natural. It was kind of like God put it there for me. He was like, “NO, you’re not supposed to be doing that…your real passion and calling is over here.” And that’s where I went. I’m here now; it’s going on four years now and I’m a signed artist. I’m with the hottest label, MMG. It’s a blessing.
AllHipHop.com:Where do you draw your inspiration for lyrics?
Stalley: All my inspiration comes from life and living growing up in a small town, college. Wanting to be great wanting to better people and give something good to people to help better their lives and help them see they can do it. Also, my inspiration comes from those places I pull from that energy. The things I’ve seen, the struggles…all the glory, all the good things. There’s been a lot of good that’s happened to me. God has blessed me so much, and I reflect and pull from all of those places and put it into my music. Everything is real and natural. I don’t say anything that isn’t the truth or doesn’t come natural to it. Nothing is forced; it’s all me.
AllHipHop.com: Will Self Made Vol. 2 be the first official release we get to hear you on with the Maybach Music family ?
Stalley: Yeah, Self Made Vol .2is coming soon. We working on records for that; Ibeen working with Ross. I may be on God Forgives, I Don’t – I’m not sure; he hasn’t put the track listing together yet. But we’ve done a few records together; hopefully, I’ll make that. If not then I’ll definitely be all over Self Made Vol. 2.
AllHipHop.com: Maybach Music Group has a big roster from the Core Triple Cs Gunplay, Torch and Young Breed, then you’ve got Meek Mill and Wale. You’ve been opened up to building a lot of new relationships …
Stalley: It’s all love, everything is just natural. I wouldn’t be there if it didn’t feel comfortable; if it felt forced in any way, I couldn’t be comfortable being around those guys. All those guys you mentioned right there, they’re my brothers, good dudes. We vibe out, we talk outside the studio when we see each other. It’s all love.
We all focused on music and being great in our own right. We all busy, but every chance we get, send a text, give a phone call. Being in the studio with them is great; there’s no egos. Of course, we all probably trying to write the best verses and out do each other, but that’s just being a rapper and having that pride of wanting to be great. But it’s all love; them are my brothers. It’s family over there.
AllHipHop.com: How have things changed for you in your personal life since your budding success?
Stalley: It’s changed for the good and bad, you know? [laughter] A lot of people are happy, and you’ve got a lot of people who are not happy – that just comes with the territory of being successful and doing what you love to do. It”s been a blessing. I have no complaints; everyone has shown love, especially from my town.
We are a prideful place; we are one of those places when someone is doing something positive and good, the whole city is behind it. Not too many people get to make their way out of that town. I love to be that voice and representation of my city and give the kids hope that there’s other things you can do besides sell and do drugs. That’s all they seeing right now around them, and it’s hard to stay focused on a bigger picture when that’s all you see.
AllHipHop.com: What can we expect to see from you and the rest of the camp for the remainder of the year?
Stalley:Lincoln Way Nights is available now. We got tons of music videos off the project coming…got a new mixtape. Besides that, look forward to Self Made Vol. 2 , God Forgives I Don’t, Ambition is available right now , Self Made Vol 1. is out right now. Just support the MMG movement, support good music.
Follow me on Twitter (@Stalley) and check out www.Stalley330.com, and you’ll get all the latest and greatest on myself.
And good looking out, Mikey T The Movie Star; we making movies!
Follow Mikey T The Movie Star on Twitter (@MTMovieStar).
This post is a collection of behind-the-scenes videos released over the past few days, containing exclusive access to video shoots, recording sessions, and more, with the likes of Wacka Flocka, Drake, Bow Wow, Wiz Khalifa, N.O.R.E., French Montana, Lil Wayne, and L.E.P. Bogus Boys!
(AllHipHop News) Mac Miller will be hitting the road beginning on March 27 for a three month trek across the United States. “The Macadelic Tour” is currently set to wrap up in Amsterdam on June 1, after a number of national dates.
The 22-date “Macadelic Tour” will stop at 18 colleges and universities, including Penn State, Clemson and Towson, one festival in New Jersey, and three stops overseas in Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam. Joining Mac on “The Macadelic Tour” will be The Come Up and Chicago natives The Cool Kids.
Tickets are currently available for the tour’s May 18 date at The Bamboozle Festival, as well as for the three international dates between May 29 and June 1.
Tour dates are listed below:
03.27 – Norfolk, VA (Norfolk State University)
03.28 – Clemson, SC (Clemson University)
03.29 – Radford, VA (Radford University)
03.31 – Fairfax, VA (George Mason University)
04.01 – Loretto, PA (Saint Francis University)
04.03 – State College, PA (Penn State University)
04.04 – Ypsilanti, MI (Eastern Michigan University)
04.05 – Kalamazoo, MI (Western Michigan University)
04.10 – Green Bay, WI (University of Wisconsin Green Bay)
04.11 – St. Louis, MO (St. Louis University)
04.12 – Bloomington, IN (Indiana University)
04.14 – Dayton, OH (Wright State University)
04.16 – Charlotte, NC (University of North Carolina Charlotte)
04.17 – Atlanta, GA (Georgia State University)
04.20 – Orlando, FL (University of Central Florida)
04.26 – Baltimore, MD (Towson University)
04.27 – Clarion, PA (Clarion University)
04.29 – Oneonta, NY (SUNY Oneonta)
05.18 – Asbury Park, NJ (Bamboozle Festival)
05.29 – Brussels Ancienne, Belgique
05.30 – Paris Le Casino de Paris
06.01 – Amsterdam, Melkweg
For more information on “The Macadelic Tour,” click here.
Chelsea Handler was a guest on Howard Stern’s radio show this morning, and she took the opportunity to throw shots at her former boo, 50 Cent!
According to Chelsea, she dumped 50 Cent after he confessed to her that singer Ciara still called him on occasion to tell him she “loved him.” 50 felt the need to confess because Ciara was getting ready to be a guest on Chelsea’s show, and he thought it was the “honorable” thing to do. Wrong!!!
Chelsea was actually “irritated” that 50 would call her at work with such childishness, and said this tidbit of information caused her to be uncomfortable during her interview with Ciara. Chelsea also said that she thought that 50 wasn’t telling her the whole truth, and that he and Ciara may still be getting it in.
Handler finished off the interview by calling 50 some not so nice names over the air. Hmmm, it looks to me like Chelsea is still salty about this one.
Now, I don’t believe this rumor for a second, but it IS a rumor, so I’ll share. There’s a blind item circulating about an A-list rapper cheating on his R&B singer wife. The description of the rapper sounds eerily like Jay-Z, while the woman he is allegedly cheating with is unknown, but names like M.I.A. and Ashanti have been thrown into the mix. Take a look at the blind item below:
Which Rapper Is Cheating on His Wife with an R&B Singer? This hip-hopper is going to revive the career of the singer he’s been sleeping with on the sly. This celebrity divorce will go very smoothly because the husband knows some scandalous secrets about his soon-to-be-ex-wife’s family. Now that’s better than a pre-nup.
1. “This former almost A list R&B singer who is still gorgeous, but has not had a hit in awhile and has been in this space before has been the go to person for when this married A+ rapper who has also been in this space before has needed to relax for the past few months because his celebrity wife does not want to help him relax. Is it any surprise that everyone thinks her next album will do really well. I guess she is taking very good care of him.”
2. “This celebrity split was definitely shocking, but the divorce will be smooth sailing. The reason: the husband knows a scandalous secret about his wife’s respectable family that she is desperately trying to keep it quiet. She will make sure the divorce is amicable because she would be very upset if people found out her father is not what he appears to be: he’s a deeply closeted gay and a bitter man.”
My two-cents….M.I.A. just had a child in 2009 with Benjamin Brewer, a very rich New York musician and son of Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman. Why would she jeopardize that big fat check? And Ashanti, well, she may be more plausible than M.I.A., being that she does have a history of being a homewrecker…remember she had a relationship with Irv Gotti while he was still married. Plus, the blogs were reporting that she was flirting with Jay-Z at the recent re-opening of 40/40. But wait, isn’t she still with Nelly??
Either way, neither sound like the real deal to me. Jay seems super happy with Bey, and the arrival of Lil’ Blue Ivy could probably heal the sick, so I’m sure if they did have any problems, they are gone now. Both options sound sketchy…what do you think?
