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Hip-Hop Rumor: Is R.Kelly Acting Like a Diva Again??!!
R.Kelly is back to his diva ways!! Our sources tell us, Kellz was booked to perform and celebrate his birthday at the Hennessy VS MLK Weekend event at the King of Diamonds in Miami last weekend and he arrived 2 hours late to the gig! To add salt to the wound, Kellz also refused to perform and would not leave his dressing room the whole night!
This isn’t the first time R.Kelly showcased the diva within. Two weeks ago, we hear he pulled the same stunt at a nightclub in Fort Lauderdale, FL. This guy should be happy people are still booking him to shows, considering his disturbing history. Get it together Kellz!
Knwledge “CoSigners”
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Fred The Godson [BGA] “Rack City Freestyle”
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Knowledge Medina “You Don’t Really Care”
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R&B Legend Etta James Dead At 73
(AllHipHop News) Legendary R&B singer Etta James has died at the age of 73, it was announced today (January 20).
The singer died from complications related to leukemia, in a Riverside, California hospital.
Etta James was discovered by R&B pioneer Johnny Otis, who recorded James’ first hit “Dance with Me Henry.”
She was later signed to Chess Records by Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows, where she recorded classic sides like “Something’s Gotta Hold On Me,” “Tell Mama,” “All I Could Do Was Cry,” and her best known song, “At Last.”
Etta James’ career was turbulent at times, due to an addiction to a variety of drugs, including heroin, alcohol and prescription painkillers.
Etta James won her first of three Grammy awards in the 1990s and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
“Three-time Grammy winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Etta James leaves behind a dynamic legacy spanning six decades,” Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow said. “Her music knew no boundaries as she explored diverse genres including blues, soul, R&B, rock and roll, gospel and jazz. She will forever be remembered for her timeless ballad “At Last,” and a powerful voice that will echo around the world for generations to come. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, fans and all who have been stirred by her soulful songs and passion for music.”
Etta James’ music has been sampled by a number of Hip-Hop artists throughout the years.
Common sampled Etta James’ “Something’s Gotta Hold On Me” for his song “This Is Me,” while Kanye West sampled “My Funny Valentine” on his 2005 track “Addiction.”
Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé Knowles famously played Etta James in the movie “Cadillac Records,” which also starred Mos Def as Chuck Berry.
Stalley [BGA] “Gentlemens Quarterly” P###. by Ski Beatz
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Young Scooter Ft. Gucci Mane “77 Birds”
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Alternative Heat: Twanée “Lesson Learned”
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Range “Black Hole Sun”
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Riot “Smoking Weed x Drinking”
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New Orleans Rapper Dee-1 Helps Promote “Barack Talk” and Voting for 2012
(AllHipHop News) In the three-plus years since the 2008 Election, the top issues affecting many Americans – unemployment, insufficient healthcare, poverty, and lack of adequate educational resources – have been heavily thrust into the spotlight. And, among the mostly urban Hip-Hop community, the problems that plague us are front and center, according to rapper Dee-1, the so-called “one-man army.”
In this pivotal year for collectively raising voices and finding solutions among “The 99%”, there are some who report that they don’t plan to vote. To that end, on January 24, AllHipHop.com will partner with The League Of Young Voters Education Fund and Rock The Vote for the second annual #BarackTalk, a State of the Union roundtable discussion and watch party. 
Panelists include rappers Dee-1 and Rhymefest; Goldie Taylor, leading news correspondent at TheGrio.com (MSNBC); Chuck Creekmur, influential urban entertainment journalist and co-founder of AllHipHop.com; Andreas Hale of TheWellVersed.com; Shaheem Reid of Editor-At-Large of XXL; and Michael Skolnick, Political Director of GlobalGrind.com.
Join the movement on January 24, and watch the video clip below, as Dee-1 and Goldie Taylor talk the importance of voting and the 2012 Election with everyday, concerned young citizens:
Chingo Bling to Appear in Film Featured at Sundance Film Festival, “Filly Brown”
(AllHipHop News) Houston, Texas hip-hop artist, Chingo Bling, widely known for his unique marketing campaigns that proudly display his Mexican-American roots, announced that he will be attending Park City, Utah’s Sundance Film Festival.
Widely regarded as one of the most prolific independent film festivals in the world, The Sundance Film Festival will play host to Chingo’s newest movie, Filly Brown, a movie about an L.A. street poet.
The flick also stars Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips, while Youssef Delara and Michael Olmos handle directing duties.
“I got a call back in November 2010 from my good friends on the West Coast, Edub and Khool-aid of Pocos Pero Locos. They said that there was a film they were involved in as producers and would love to have me be a part of it. So naturally I’m like hell yea!” Chingo told the Houston Press.
“I play a character named Rayborn Ortiz. He’s a fast talking Damon Dash like character, full of clichés and a little comic relief. A legend in his own mind. He is Filly Brown’s manager,” Chingo said of his role in the movie.
When asked about his development as an actor and about his overall understanding of the movie business, Chingo said being an independent artist helped him.
“Luckily, my career took me on a path where I have created a following, so I’m used to being on camera, and people know who I am,” Chingo explained. “I produce a lot of my own content so I have a feel for directing, editing and improv. All of that experience helps when producers are trying to cast for a movie. In 2011 I had to pass up a few roles that were offered to me because of scheduling conflicts, etc. This year I want to really dive in and take advantage of more opportunities and land more roles.”
Below is the Sundance Trailer for the film Philly Brown.
Exclusive: Black Thought’s View From The “Back Of The House”
“I shall…proceed…and continue to rock the mic.” – Black Thought, “Proceed” (1995)
Either Black Thought was a fortune teller, or he already knew back in 1995 that he had something special that would allow him to dominate his rap opponents for years to come. In fact, at the time “Proceed” was released, The Roots spitter had already been part of his gifted rap band for nearly a decade (his “Illadelph Half-life?”), and he seemed to know in advance that the best was yet to come.
Flash forward to 2012, and you’ll find out that Black Thought was right. He’s still rocking mics and crowds, from Toronto to Tokyo and everywhere in between, recording epic albums, and then getting right back to work on the next one. Hip-Hop has been good to him, too – artifacts from his world travels adorn shelves and tables in his home. Countless photos of music legends grace the walls, but Black Thought is posing in very few of them. Perhaps a voyeur, he comes across as a keen observer who is not full of himself – at least not outside the booth.
AllHipHop.com recently hung out with Black Thought before he took the stage at an intimate show with the legendary singer/xylophonist, Roy Ayers, in New York City. In the back of the house, he has “blinked himself away” in a corner VIP booth – listening, laughing, and very obviously enjoying doing nothing at all. It was a great time to be a keen observer of the keen observer – check the video clip below for insights about the swell life and times of The Roots’ founder:
Did you miss out on “Black Thought Week?” Be sure to catch up on our week of exclusives with The Roots frontman:
– Black Thought Reflects on MLK’s Dream
– Black Thought Deconstructs the undun Album
– Black Thought: Don’t Ever Call Him “Underrated” Again
– Black Thought Births the New “Sound of Philadelphia” Via The Wurxs
Naughty By Nature: Behind-The-Scenes at The Legends of Hip Hop Tour
Naughty By Nature vets Treach and Vin Rock share their thoughts on being “Legends of HipHop” in this exclusive filmed in Baltimore, Maryland. Salt-N-Pepa’s “Legends of Hip Hop Tour” put the iconic lady MCs front and center, and was inspired by a few one-off concerts stemming from their reality show, “The Salt-N-Pepa Show.”
Salt-N-Pepa brought together pioneers like Kurtis Blow, MC Lyte, Kool Moe Dee, Dougie Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, Whodini, and more for a nationwide tour with the roster rotating in each city. As you’ll see in the clip below, for racking up 20+ years in the game, Vin and Treach are still as energetic and amped on stage as ever:
Album Review: Schoolboy Q’s “Habits & Contradictions”
Rating: 7.5/10
Is it finally Schoolboy Q’s time to shine? After the monster year Kendrick Lamar had, Q is looking to use his affiliation with Top Dawg Entertainment to launch his own career. The anticipation was certainly there, as Habits & Contradictions built buzz up until release. It’s always a positive step in an artist’s career when they make the transition from a ‘free download’ to ‘available for purchase on iTunes’- but does Schoolboy Q have the legs to stand on his own on this big of a stage?
The California representative has gained a reputation for his aggressive, almost angry, rapping style, and there is no shortage of that here. “Raymond 1969” sounds like something out of a horror film, with Schoolboy riffing about endless violent acts. The horror theme follows on “Nightmare on Figg St”, where Q makes a play on last year’s biggest hit, “What 50-grand to a m*thaf*cka like me/ Can you please remind me?/ Sh*t, I’ll remind you.”
Two of the best tracks on the project come in the same brash manner in “Sexting” and “Druggys With Hoes Again”. When the album first leaked, many versions were missing the first of the two – which is a shame, as the lust filled flute-like sounds on the instrumental set the tone for Q to spaz on. The same goes for the latter, which features Ab-Soul and an insanely catchy, bouncy bassline. Violence and hoes – not the most articulate of ideas, but Schoolboy Q excels at what he’s good at.
However, when he does delve a bit deeper, he does it with success. The first song on the album, “Sacrilegious”, is a spacey introduction with introspective lyrics; the same kind of lyrics that are featured on “Blessed” (a Kendrick Lamar sighting) over the stuttering bass thumps. He’s quoted as calling these songs the “title tracks” to the LP, and it’s easy to see why.
“My Homie” is a tale about friends and snitches matched up with a cerebrally tranquil Alchemist beat, and “My Hatin’ Joint” tells about cheating on another man’s girl; more looks into the several facets of Schoolboy Q’s still-growing style. Coming off as a rough, thug type, Schoolboy does a great job of giving the listener an inside look of the trials to that lifestyle.
Habits & Contradictions is filled with a bunch of cool joints. Aside from the ones mentioned above, “Grooveline Pt. 1” is a smooth track with Dom Kennedy and Curren$y, “Hands on the Wheel” is yet another head-banger with A$AP Rocky, and “How We Feeling” acts as a needed break of melody. What makes this project work is the fact that it doesn’t get boring. Whether it be the guest features, subject matter, or Schoolboy Q himself, it keeps the listener attached.
At the same time, though, most songs will come as good with one listen, but just average on a few others – with exception to the few exceptional tracks. Inevitably, anything he does will be compared to that of Kendrick Lamar – not in a competitive sense, but more of an expectation one. And, this is not a Kendrick Lamar project, but it’s a damn good, refreshingly hard album that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Daily Word: It’s Already Yours!!!
TGI….Everyday, my Destined, Determined, Blessed, and Highly Favored!!
Welcome to the best day of the rest of your life!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to being who you want to be NOW! Many of us, while setting our goals, set them with this futuristic person in mind! We tell ourselves that when we accomplish this task, we will become XYZ person! We envision the feeling of becoming that person and excite over the notion that our dreams will finally come to fruition!
While having vision is great, what we must understand is that the success you seek is already yours!! The person you want to be, the person you are working towards already exists!! Success will never really be yours until you come to grips with the fact that you are you already!! We are born winners, born capable of doing anything we want to do! If we think we can’t then we can’t!! If we think we will, then we will!!
Anything that is accomplished in life is never by accident! It is all based on our belief system and the thoughts that we put out!! So……. If you want to be a success… Know that you are successful already and begin to walk, talk, and act successful!! If you want to live abundant, begin to walk, talk, and act abundant!! The size of your wallet or your worldly possessions does not dictate who you are!! As Dr. Suess said, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You” and who You are??? is Great!! Successful!! and Capable of doing ANYTHING you want to do!!! THE WORLD IS YOURS AND NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Ash’Cash
“See the things you want as already yours. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession.” -Robert Collier
“Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” -Dr. Joyce Brothers
“To bring anything into your life, imagine that it’s already there.” -Richard Bach
“Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment.” -Robert Collier
“Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.” -Rabindranath Tagore
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” -Henry David Thoreau
“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly.” -Richard Bach
“Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else.” -Wayne Dyer
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” -Unknown
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.
Rick Ross Paternity Drama Unfolds; Rapper Denies He Fathered Child
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Rick Ross is involved in a paternity dispute with a Georgia woman, who claims he fathered her son.
A 36-year-old woman named Tyrisha Childers filed the paternity suit against Rick Ross in Broward County, Florida,TMZ.com reports.
The woman claims that Ross fathered her three-year-old child and is not paying up.
Childers says she has a zero income, aside from a $694 per month disability payment.
But Rick Ross has already filed a response to Childers’ paternity claims and denies he’s the father of her child.
The rapper is seeking a DNA test to prove that he is not the father.
Legal documents filed on behalf of the rapper claim that he never even slept with the woman.
Representatives for Rick Ross were not available as of press time.
Department of Justice, Major Websites Shutdown In Protest Of Megaupload Charges
(AllHipHop News) The battle over Megaupload.com rages on, with a number of updates in the hours since the popular file trading service was shut down by the United States authorities.
“Hacktivist” group Anonymous has already targeted the United States Department of Justice’s website, by knocking it off line, as of press time.
An Anonymous group in Sweden took responsibility for taking down the DOJ’s website, in protest of the Megaupload.com shutdown.
Other websites have been targeted by Anonymous as well, including the MPAA’s website, Universal Music and The RIAA’s website.
The FBI.gov website is the next target for the group.
The websites were shutdown in protest of the massive copyright infringement and racketeering charges brought against Megaupload.com and its top executives.
The website is accused of being complicit in costing copyright holders over $500 million in damages, while raking in over $175 million in illegal proceeds.
Additionally, Megaupload.com is accused of money laundering and racketeering in relation to the $175 million in revenue that was generated by the 13th most popular website in the world.
“This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States,” the Justice Department said in a statement
In addition to hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, police have seized Kim Dotcom’s expensive Maserati’s, Mercedes-Benz’s and other luxury vehicles.
Superstar Hip-Hop producer Swizz Beatz, who is married to singer Alicia Keys, is listed as the CEO of the company, but he is yet to make a statement on the incident.
A Conversation with Rico Love: “Love & Hip Hop’s” Winning Man
One thing is certain – VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” cast has drama and personality for days. In the show’s most recent episodes, viewers have witnessed the ensemble’s tears, fights, engagements, and flaky friendships play out on the small screen.
AllHipHop.com sat in this past week with Rico Love, a “Love & Hip Hop” regular, respected producer, and the SESAC’s 2011 Songwriter Of The Year. Check out our interview, where he discusses everything from his musical influences to his recent involvement with the popular series that some people can’t seem to get enough of:
Watch an all-new episode of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” on Monday night (January 23) at 8PM. Follow AllHipHop.com contributing writer, Skyyhook, on Twitter (@skyyhook).