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Hip-Hop Rumors: Did Chris Brown Bribe The Grammys Production Team?
Ever since the Rihanna incident, it seems no matter what he does, Chris Brown will always have people who truly hate him. His career has been a rollercoaster of good and bad, and today is no different for the crooner. Rumors are swirling that Breezy bribed a key production member for the Grammys in order to win his first ever Grammy earlier this year. According to an inside source, there are alleged e-mails that show Breezy offering large sums of money in exchange for the Grammy for Best R&B album.
The executive in question is Ken Ehrlich who is responsible for putting together the Grammys telecast. Ehrlich was recently fired from his position, and the reason for his dismissal was “indiscretion and violation of the Academy’s ethics and integrity in rewarding talent.”
Neil Portnow, The President of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences released a statement saying, “With almost ten years of being President for The Academy, I would have never predicted that this would happen. My lack of blessing for Chris’ nomination was known, but as I’ve always respected by colleagues’ insights, I mustered all I could not to fight it so much. I have worked alongside Ken for years now, and I am heavily disappointed, and will have to raise the conduct around this board. will see to it that nothing of this caliber of humiliation will happen again.”
Breezy’s rep’s are calling the story “bogus,” but the evidence is stacking against them. Let’s just hope those e- mails never see the light of day.
Daily Word: Talk Is Cheap!!
Happy Friday, my Dreamers and Doers!
Welcome to the day that you continue to keep getting it done!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to talking! Talk is cheap!! It can get you somewhere, but it won’t keep you there!
In a world where social media has allowed us to become anything we want, we must make sure we don’t fall into the trap of saying more than we’re doing! Facebook has over 900 million users; Twitter: 462; Google+: 170; LinkedIn: 150! With some overlap that’s
more than one billion people talking and sharing what they’re “about” to do!! While it’s good to keep the world informed about your intentions, it’s imperative to remember that intentions don’t pay the bills!!!
Let your work speak for itself!! Spend more time cultivating your craft and creating meaningful relationships than just saying things for likes and retweets! Anybody can be a CEO, but your real bio is based on what you do day in and day out!! Stop talking and get to work!! Your dreams are only possible if you do what it takes to make them possible!!! NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!! THE WORLD IS YOURS!!
-Ash’Cash
“If your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” -Henry J. Kaiser
“After all is said and done, a lot more will have been said than done.” -Unknown
“Tell me what you brag about and I’ll tell you what you lack.” -Spanish Proverb
“Well done is better than well said.” -Benjamin Franklin
“Ironically, making a statement with words is the least effective method.” -Grey Livingston
“Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.” -Baltasar Gracian
“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” -Chinese Proverb
“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” -Lewis Cass
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.
B.G. To Be Sentenced To Prison This June
(AllHipHop News) Rapper B.G. will formally be sentenced to prison next month, for weapons possession and witness tampering.
B.G., born Christopher Dorsey, is expected to be sentenced to at least eight to 10 years in prison, over a November 2009 arrest.
B.G. and two associates were caught in a stolen car, which also had three guns inside, two of which were reported stolen.
Authorities also found two extended clips in the vehicle.
According to the Times-Picayune, B.G. will be sentenced to prison on June 13, after several sentencing delays.
The two other men in the case have already been sentenced to prison over the stolen weapons.
Both B.G. and another man named Jerod Fedison, 29, were also charged with witness tampering.
They attempted to get Demounde Pollard, 19, to take the gun charges, since his record was clean at the time.
Jerod Fedison, 29, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the crime.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence that is longer than the mandatory minimum of eight to 10 years.
Check out a video of B.G. that the federal government is using to prosecute him below:
Download Exclusive: Talib Kweli’s DJ Spintelect Fulfills His Promise Of A Special Mix For AllHipHop.com!
Well, DJ Spintelect “The African DJ” made us a promise, and he kept his word!
After our feature on DJ Spintelect a while back, the super spinner behind world-class rapper Talib Kweli promised he was going to create a special mix just for AllHipHop.com and its readers, and he has up and done it!
The “King of the Midweek Mix’s” gnarly offering has a little something for all tastes – from Meek Mill to Jean Grae to Frank Ocean to Game and more. Click the link below and enjoy. Thanks for the love, DJ Spintelect!
Download AllHipHop.com’s exclusive DJ Spintelect Mix
TRACKLIST
Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth
Nappy Roots Teams Up With AllHipHop.com For “Sh!t’s Beautiful” Mixtape and Tour
(AllHipHop News) Drae Jackson has announced that two-time Grammy Award-nominated group Nappy Roots have teamed up with AllHipHop.com to present their new mixtape, Sh!t’s Beautiful, to be released for free on June 27.
“A lot of folks think Nappy ain’t made a song since Watermelon, Chicken N Gritz,” said member B. Stille, “but I look at this new project, Sh!t’s Beautiful, as a statement to those people. We’ve put out five albums and dozens of mixtapes since 2002. We are still touring and blessed to still be doing what we love — even a decade later, so really, sh*t’s beautiful. I’m especially excited because the project is absolutely free.”
The Kentucky group, which features members Skinny Deville, Ron Clutch, Fish Scales, Big V, and B. Stille, will follow up their 2011 album, Nappy Dot Org, with the new project which has all members of the collective excited to showcase their changes over the years.
“This project is dope because it’s shows the evolution of our Nappy Roots movement,” Skinny said. “You get the group breakdown, as well as a few features from some of our friends and label mates. We tour the country thoroughly and what we’ve found is that SH!T’S BEAUTIFUL and everyone deserves to hear our musical interpretation for free. Summertime nostalgia is the best feeling to have and this presentation and collection of work should embody just that.”
Nappy Roots member Ron Clutch said, “No man brought us together, but rather the simple love and respect for Hip-Hop. So regardless of what this world may throw our way, we accept it and use it to our benefit… realizing that ultimately sh*t’s bound to be beautiful.”
Added Fish Scales, “Right now I’m feeling very unapologetic. This album is a chance for me to do music that totally reflects me without any compromise.”
In addition to the new project, the group will hit the road on May 31 and touch down in cities including Washington D.C., St. Louis, MO and Orlando, FL before coming to a close on July 26 in Vero Beach. The tour will also include two listening parties and a Sh!t’s Beautiful release concert on June 27 in Atlanta.
Check out a full list of tour dates below:
- 5/31 – Awful Arthurs, Roanoake, VA
- 6/1 – Port O’Call, Kill Devil Hills, NC
- 6/2 – Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
- 6/6 – Sh!t’s Beautiful Listening Party – Sutra Lounge, Atlanta, GA
- 6/7 – Sh!t’s Beautiful Listening Party – Washington D.C.
- 6/14 – The Hub, Cedar Falls, IA
- 6/15 – Krazee Kafe, Des Moines, IA
- 6/16 – Krazee Kafe, Des Moines, IA
- 6/20 – Manny’s, Billings, MT
- 6/21 – Town Square Tavern, Jackson, WY
- 6/23 – Reef, Boise, ID
- 6/27 – Sh!t’s Beautiful Release Party – Mood Lounge, Atlanta, GA
- 6/28 – Pensacola, FL
- 6/29 – The Blue Note, Columbia, MO
- 6/30 – Plush, St. Louis, MO
- 7/13 – Café Firenze, Birmingham, AL
- 7/14 – The Blue Iguana, Prattville, AL
- 7/19 – Double Down Live, Gainesville, FL
- 7/20 – Sports Page Live, Satellite Beach, FL
- 7/21 – The Social, Orlando, FL
- 7/26 – Filthy McNasty’s, Vero Beach, FL
For tickets and more information visit NappyRoots.com.
Album Review: Killer Mike and El-P’s “R.A.P. Music”
Rating: 8.5 / 10
To some, one-time Outkast protégé Killer Mike may have seemed to lose his way since emerging on the scene as that fantastic rapper who would show up on his fellow ATLiens eclectic records, chewing up the lush, pop scenery with his vicious rhymes. Not that his skills as an MC have ever been called into question, of course.
Mike’s Southern drawl has always been charismatic; sometimes hard, sometimes laidback, and always head-bobbingly infectious. But after three lengthy installments to his Pledge series – which saw him diversify with everything from revolutionary anthems to masculine, Waka-esque cuts to soul-sampling, sex anthems – Mike spent the last few years making great music and gaining the attention of media giants such as Rolling Stone, but the full appreciation (and possibly direction) hasn’t been there. Something had to change.
Help arrives from an unlikely source in producer and Definitive Jux entrepreneur, El-P. An underground king in NYC for his shadowy synths and mauling drum loops – best summarized by his own claustrophobic solo records – El Producto takes the role of sole producer on R.A.P. Music (an acronym for Rebellious African People, by the way), reinvigorating Killer Mike with his own brand of blazing Hip-Hop instrumentation. But to call this a record of Killer Mike’s neck-snapping country rhymes atop of El-P’s battering East Coast beats would be an over-simplification. Instead, both artists work in tandem, borrowing some of the mechanics from each other’s sound and fitting them to their own machine. Think Ice Cube and The Bomb Squad on AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, a record that fused the sound of both coasts, and you’re most of the way there.
“Southern Fried”, for example, is an old-fashioned, greasy Atlanta jam mixed with El-P’s steely New York idiosyncrasies. Put it all together, and you’ve got a concoction reminiscent of Outkast’s classic Hip-Hop mash-up “BOB”. “Welcome to this country-fide, bonafide/And my flow is sweet as a potato pie,” raps Mike on “Southern Fried”, but your typical country sh*t, R.A.P. Music ain’t.
The occasional ATL shout-out aside, lyrically this may be Mike’s toughest album to date. He’s always liked a political jam, but here religion, social injustice, and police brutality all come in to focus. “Don’t Die” is a throwback to Death Certificate-era Cube with its vivid narration depicting crooked crops, while the ferocious “Reagan” is scathing attack on the former President’s administration, tarring every presidency since with the same brush:
“Ronald Reagan was an actor, Not at all a factor/
Just an employee of the country’s real masters/
Just like the Bushes, Clinton and Obama/
Just another talking head telling lies on teleprompters”
It’s the kind of rebellious rap that was once so prominent in the genre, marginalized over the years by noughties economic prosperity and Hip-Hop’s increased commercialism. Mike, however, is not afraid to point his crosshairs at those he deems worthy of a lyrical attack.
But it took El-P’s influence to ignite that fire. At 12 tracks, R.A.P. Music is more of an intense sprint than a marathon. There’s not a skit in sight; no slow jams or radio songs. El-P simply won’t allow it. “This album was created entirely by Jamie and Mike,” says Killer to open “JoJo’s Chillin”, acknowledging El-P’s considerable contribution. Mike stretches Jamie. Jamie focuses Mike.
It’s R.A.P. Music, and it’s beautiful.
VIDEO: L.E.P. Bogus Boys Highlight Their Visual Flair, Chi-Town MC Camaraderie, and Beef With The Boys In Blue
Earlier this month, Chicago rap duo L.E.P. Bogus Boys were banned from performing in their hometown. In the time since, a number of clarifications and retractions have been issued by both the House of Blues and Chicago Police Department, and through it all, the L.E.P. posse was never once deterred from putting on for the Windy City.
Not that Chicago has lacked any Hip-Hop heat in the past, but L.E.P. Bogus Boys’ most recent mixtape, Now Or Neva, officially put the duo on the city’s map and forced the industry, along with their peers and vets, to take notice. For those that have been living under a rock, L.E.P. are sure to gain a new legion of fans once they hit the road with Drake for the second leg of his “Club Paradise Tour,” which also features J. Cole, Waka Flocka, Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, and French Montana.
Crew members Count and Moonie have earned every well-deserved co-sign under the sun recently and yet, they maintain the real, honest, and gritty music that got them attention in the first place.
AllHipHop.com spoke to the L.E.P. Bogus Boys about the House of Blues incident and their feelings toward the Chicago P.D. We also discussed the visual flair present in all of their videos, and the camaraderie they share with fellow Chicago MCs.
Check out our exclusive interview with L.E.P. Bogus Boys below:
Check back Monday for the second part of our interview with L.E.P. Bogus Boys
Follow L.E.P. Bogus Boys On Twitter: (@LEPBogusBoys)
Swishahouse Wins Award from Univesity of Houston for Promoting HIV/STD Prevention
(AllHipHop News) Legendary Houston, Texas record label, Swishahouse, has been honored by University of Houston with the 2011 Most Outstanding Educational Program Award.
In association with the CCM Foundation, Swishahouse was given the award at the 27th Annual Campus Leaders Reception at the University of Houston.
Working in partnership with the Collegiate Cancer Council, Swishahouse earned the kudos by creating the yearly “Well Woman Extravaganza.“
Since 2009, the event has provided HIV/STD testing, HPV/cervical cancer immunizations and education, breast cancer education and screening services, and other health screenings to over 600 people to date.
“We are thrilled and honored to win this prestigious award,” said Michael ‘5000’ Watts, “and we look forward to continuing to sponsor community events that impact the lives of so many women on the University of Houston campus.”
The “Well Woman Extravaganza“ is held in the Fall semester and is free for college students, as well as the general public.
For more information on this and other Swishahouse collaborative efforts, contact Co Garrett.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Rocsi Is Dating Which Legendary Comedian?
Rocsi Diaz sure does love her older men, doesn’t she? First, she was rumored to be homewrecking Lisa Raye’s marriage and seeing her then-husband, Michael Misick. 
Then she was spotted on vacation with Tony Toni Tone lead singer, Raphael Saadiq.
And now the 106 & Park host is rumored to be dating legendary funny man, Eddie Murphy! The two were spotted grabbing coffee together in Los Angeles and from the looks of the pictures, they let go of each other’s hands as soon as they spotted the paparazzi. Check out the photo of them below.
Rocsi has already commented on the rumors and said that they are friends getting coffee together. Yeah right! It looks like Rocsi is trying to secure a sugar daddy, especially now that it’s been announced that she will be let go from her hosting gig at BET at the end of her contract.
Jay-Z To Preside Over “Annie” Remake With Willow Smith
(AllHipHop News) Jay-Z will lead the musical direction over a big budget update of the classic movie “Annie,” which will star Willow Smith.
Furthermore, Jay-Z is expected to write new songs for the movie, despite claiming to be taking a break a press conference promoting his “Made In America” festival.
Will Smith confirmed in an interview with Good Morning America that he would produce the movie, which will have an updated script as well. A director has not been named.
The original “Annie” movie hit theaters in 1982 and was set in a 1933 New York City.
The new version will be set in a present day New York.
Jay-Z sampled the soundtrack to “Annie” to yield one of his biggest records in “Hard Knock Life” in 1999. The song was produced by legendary beat maker Mark The 45 King and appeared on the mogul’s third album Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life.
“Annie” began in the 1920’s as an orphan, her dog and caregiver Daddy Warbucks. It became a highly successful play in the 1970’s.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Kid Cudi Defends Pusha-T Against Lil’ Wayne
Yesterday, Lil’ Wayne tweeted “Fu*k Pusha T and anybody who love em” over an alleged diss track aimed at Weezy and Drake. Well Pusha-T’s G.O.O.D. Music label mate, Kid Cudi, was having non of that and responded to Lil’ Wayne via his twitter. Check out what Kid Cudi tweeted below:
How long before Yeezy gets involved?
Next 48 Hours With B.o.B Part 2
Chuck D Offers Update On Public Enemy’s Two New Albums “Most Of My Heroes…” and “The Evil Empire of Everything”
(AllHipHop News) Public Enemy will mark the 25th anniversary of their 1987 debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, with the release of the group’s 13th and 14th studio albums, respectively titled Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp and The Evil Empire of Everything.
Chuck D spoke on the group’s two new albums to Billboard: “They’re twins, fraternal twins – not identical, but they will talk to each other. The statement with these albums isn’t so much just within the content, but in the audacity of the release, just like, ‘What the hell? Two albums that bookend the summer? What the hell?!’
“But we know we’ve got a fan base that’s kind of acclimated and used to albums,” he continued, “because we were the first to come along and kind of bring a concept album to the hip-hop marketplace. So we oblige this year by doing not one, but two.
“Maybe in the past one would’ve been an A side and the other a B side, or it would’ve been a long CD, but halfway into making it we decided to have two different aspects, one that dealt with the whole movement of people and the other that deals with the situation of everything coming at you at once, like a blizzard.”
To date, features on the album are set to include Brother Ali, DMC, Bumpy Knuckles and Large Professor with more announcements to surely come closer to the first album’s time of release.
Public Enemy will perform this Sunday, May 27 at the Movement Electronic Music Festival in Detroit, Michigan.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Kid Cudi The Movie Star?
Fresh off of his starring role in Kanye West’s new short film, “Cruel Summer” and a starring role on HBO’s original series, “How To Make It In America”, we hear Kid Cudi is going to be taking a break from music to focus on acting. Logan Hill, senior editor at GQ is currently out in Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival, and chatted with Cudi about his acting aspirations. Check out what Hill tweeted about the meeting below:
“Kid Cudi stars in @kanyewest Cruel Summer and tells me his whole focus now is acting, picked up 2 scripts today at #Cannes “
Cudi is also rumored to be participating in the upcoming Michael Bay remake of the classic, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . I know one thing, Cudi should definitely be cast in a remake of the Jean Michel Basquiat movie. Cudster looks exactly like the art genius! Check out the side by side photo of them below:
DJ AM’s Mother Launches Addiction Fund In Son’s Name
(AllHipHop News) DJ AM’s mother will launch an addiction fund dedicated to helping users on their road to recovery.
Andrea Gross has teamed with Musicares’ Memorial Fund to launch the DJ AM Fund, aimed at helping substance abusers within the music industry.
The charity will launch during the Eighth Annual Musicares Map Fund Benefit Concert on May 31.
This special dinner and concert will feature performances by Alice In Chains, Billy Idol And His Band, Heart, Mark Lanegan, Duff McKagan’s Loaded and will honor Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell.
Tickets for the fundraiser range from $1,250 per person to $12,500 for a seating area for 10.
Comedian Steve-O will host the benefit concert for DJ AM, who died of a drug overdose on August 28 of 2009.
The benefit concert, which will be DJ’d by Moby, will take place at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Diddy Doesn’t Pay His Bills?
You always hear of celebrities not paying their bills, but now with Twitter around, disgruntled former employees have a platform to air out the celebrity cheapskates.
Yesterday, Diddy was feeling generous upon returning from his trip to Cannes, France and tweeted that he was going to give away $2 million at his upcoming club appearance at a strip club. One of Diddy’s former employees, photographer Rob Hoffman, saw the tweet, and tweeted Diddy back, blowing up his spot for lack of payment. Check out the hilarious tweets below:
Rob then asked his 50,000 followers to retweet #Payyourbillsdiddy to ensure that Diddy could see them. Crazy! No word on whether Diddy finally paid the guy or not.
Spotted at SandraRose.com
Kanye West’s “Cruel Summer” Premieres At Cannes Film Festival; Plot and Images Revealed
(AllHipHop News) Last night (May 22) at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Kanye West and the G.O.O.D. Music family premiered the rapper, director, producer, and all-around creative mind’s new one-of-a-kind short-film, Cruel Summer.
On hand at the premiere was Kanye’s fellow Throne member Jay-Z, current flame Kim Kardashian, and G.O.O.D. Music members Pusha T, Big Sean, and Kid Cudi. Comedian Aziz Ansari was and Brooklyn MC Theophilus London were also present.
While details on the film itself have been heavily guarded, GQ Senior Editor Logan Hill was on hand at the premiere and tweeted a number of details and plot points about the film. In addition to stating that Kanye plans to bring Cruel Summer to New York, Qatar (where the film was mostly shot), and worldwide, Hill was told by Amanda Palmer of the DOHA Film Institute, co-producer of Cruel Summer, that Kanye plans to show the film on November 19 as part of a festival in DOHA.
Regarding the film’s plot Hill tweeted, “Cruel Summer is the story of a Lamborghini car thief who falls for a beautiful blind Arabic girl who’s father will let them……marry if he can help her see. So he (Kid Cudi) does using strings that lead her around palace to play music. @kanyewest talke synesthesia.”
“[Kanye] says it work in progress but it’s wildly stylish, huge booming soundtrack,” Hill continued. “Vanessa Beecroft production design. immersive fun. @kanyewest needed 20 camels, 100 extras and I’m guessing 20 Lambos. @kanyewest film features fashion he designed and pieces by local Arabic designers, shot in 4 days, 3 months start to almost-finish.”
Warner Bros. recording artist, Theophilus London, who is currently prepping his sophomore album, Rose Island, tweeted, “That was wild” and “Shout to YE ON HiS RARE CANNES PREMIERE 7 screens under a pyramid.”
A number of pictures from the premiere were tweeted by both the Brooklyn MC and WAD Magazine creative director Alex Sossah, which you can view below:
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EXCLUSIVE Part 2: David Banner Makes a Surprise Visit to ATL Youth; Talks Risk-Taking and Trayvon’s Legacy
David Banner, speaking at Year Up Atlanta, a non-profit workforce development agency, talked to the students about issues important to them. Prior to the event, where he was interviewed by AllHipHop.com staffer, Biba Adams, Banner was insistent that the students be able to ask their own questions.
In this part 2 of our coverage of Banner’s 2M1 Movement and release of Sex, Drugs, and Video Games, the young adults of Year Up Atlanta asked interesting questions of the rap star activist:
Terry Harris, student: My teacher taught us about that certain people or entrepreneurs have had certain habits that have helped them be successful. The one that most appealed to me is taking a risk. What was one of the biggest risks that you have taken, how did you feel when you took it, and what was the outcome of taking that risk?
David Banner: Honestly, to be real with you, just about everything I’ve done in my life has been a risk. I had a 3.9987 in an accelerated Master’s program, and I actually worked in my department. But something in my spirit told me that it wasn’t for me. That that wasn’t my path. That wasn’t my goal. So, I packed my clothes and I left. First, I went to New York, and I lived in New York homeless. I was homeless in New York for a spell. And then I met Wendy Day. She let me sleep on the couch. Well, let me sleep on the floor. I took all of that knowledge that I learned street tips and everything from New York, and I moved back to Mississippi and opened up an independent record label.
I mean I would go to Kinko’s, and I would print “David Banner” 10 times on a sheet of paper, and I would cut ‘em out. I would put ‘em on all the cars every night by myself. Finally, some dope boys came up to me and say, “Dude I will buy yo CD if you don’t put no more paper on my car.” And that’s why I was saying knowing your vision, knowing your place, being open enough to hear the spirit whenever it calls you. Whatever you believe in, I’m not judging whatever you believe in but hearing that spirit inside of you and being able to listen. So, that was one of the biggest risks that I took. It’s funny now because I make more than the president of the college. [laughter]
Sabrina Prioleau, student: I’m developing this nonprofit program called “Campaign to Love a Black Man,” and you were talking about reinstating families and getting us to be a cohesive unit. It’s so hard with Hip-hop dictating to this generation of women that we are all bit*hes and hoes. As women, we want to give love effortlessly. How can we do that to you and not feel like you’re rejecting us?
David Banner: Wow! That’s a age old question. One thing that I do want you to know, and I want you to take into consideration as we move forward, I had the opportunity to speak to Congress on behalf of Hip-Hop, and one of the things that I told people is that what you have to understand is that systematically this has been going on for 500 years. Not to take responsibility away from us, but it goes back also into the visions and other things that we see outside of Hip-Hop. It’s easy for us to blame Hip-Hop because nobody’s gon’ protect Hip-Hop.
It’s like the problems in America are so much deeper than just rap,but since you asked the question about rap, I’ll address that. If we really want better, we have to support better. We have to start acting better. One of the problems in Hip-Hop is there are a lot of rappers that I know – and I’m not gon’ call they name, ’cause it’s not for me to put ‘em on front street – that really wanna do better. Me and 9th Wonder put out an album called Death of A Pop Star. And the whole album was positive. It had all these positive messages and guess what it did. Right, nothing.
The thing is that I have had to try to find a way to work in the constraints of the system to make sure that we make some money, so I’m actually able to be able to get in the front of you. It’s sad, but if it wasn’t for “Play” or “Like A Pimp”, I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you talking. Do you know how it feels as a man to understand what I understand now about our culture and the things that we do, but my tool is just the thing that I fight against? Do you know how that feels? As much as I try to do for our community, at the end of the day, I’m looked at as the problem.
That’s why I said it’s gon’ have to get to the point when we break the system. If I got two million people who down with David Banner regardless, I can put out whatever music I want to. Because my two million people will realize it’s not about record sales. If I tell my two million people, “Ok we gon start making better music,” and then I’ll have two million numbers behind it, then I can go to the labels, and whoever, and say this kinda music does sell, ‘cause we got two million people behind it. But what has to happen is the people have to get behind it. Because what’ll end up happening is just like what happens to the rest of our leaders. They end up broke, lonely, and dead. So I need help. I’m one of the ones that’s willing to do it. But I need help.
Kenya Manchester, student: Besides making music and putting out positive music, what would you do with the $2 million that you gain from 2M1?
David Banner: 2M1. First of all, I’m gon answer your question like this – we giving 16 songs with some of the top artists in the whole wide world. We are giving 16 videos. I like to tell people, whatever I do with the money shouldn’t matter, because you get the service. But, because I’m the type of man that I am, I’m gonna tell you. But the same thing that you ask me we should ask all of these products. We should ask Doritos. We should ask Jordan. We should ask Nike, but we only ask ourselves that. “I wanna know what you gon do with the money. What you gon do with $2 million, David Banner? ‘Cause I don’t want you to make nothing.” Not saying that you was doing that. But what I am gonna do with it is that we’re gonna give part of the proceeds to charity. We gon’ pay my staff. We gon’ pay me back cause I spent a lot of my money on this project. And then the other $1 million, we gon’ shoot a movie with. Remember when I told you the 2M1 was about changing our images?
AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about Trayvon. You’ve been very outspoken about Trayvon Martin. What should the situation, and the case…..what should he mean to this generation?
David Banner: The Trayvon Martin case means even more to me now because the day before I spoke at Harvard, I spoke in front of Trayvon Martin and Oscar Grant’s family. What Trayvon Martin should mean to you is that, it goes back to the movement. What it should mean to you guys is it should show you how America values our life. At the end of the day I want y’all to remember this was a child. When they speak about him regardless, we forget that this was a Black child. If Trayvon Martin was White and Zimmerman was Black, would this case be different? If Trayvon Martin was White, he probably wouldn’t be dead right now. The implications of this trial should show us where we are in America, and what we need to work towards. There’s something that I want to say that I’m working on personally ,‘cause I honestly think that if we start treating ourselves better, and we start respecting ourselves a lot better, it’ll leave less space for other people to treat us the way that they do.
David Banner: Can I tell them one more thing?
AllHipHop.com: Of course.
David Banner: Y’all find out what your goals are now, what your goals are. A lot of times in our community, we follow what our parents or what somebody else had. Their vision. Get somewhere and get quiet and find in your spirit what your purpose is and what your goals are. Research. Find out what your goals are and don’t go into anything but that. Stay directly on your path.
Sometimes distractions come in your life that look like they’re good. Like different jobs and different situations that come your way. Stay on your path. If you stay on your path, as I look you in your eye, I promise something will come out of it. I thought I was supposed to be a rapper all my life. God revealed to me that rap was just like an apple in front of the donkey’s face, something to tempt me and keep me focused. Now I do Gatorade commercials, I score movies. Y’all heard that Gatorade commercial, [sings] “If you want a revolution…?” That’s me! I wrote and produced that. More money than I ever got on tour. [laughter] But that’s because I stayed on my path.
Check out Part 1 of David Banner’s Year Up visit, and learn more about Year Up here. Follow them on Twitter (@YearUp).
Download David Banner’s Sex, Drugs and Video Games. Follow him on Twitter (@THEREALBANNER).
Hip-Hop Rumors: Nicki Minaj Credits Irv Gotti For Inspiring “Moment For Life”
Nicki Minaj’s#### “Moment For Life” was recently used in her Pepsi commercial as part of her ‘Live For Now’ campaign. During a behind-the-scenes interview with TheInsider.com on the set for the ad spot, Nicki revealed that producer and former Murder Inc. label head, Irv Gotti, gave her the inspiration for the track. Check out what she said below:
“When I was writing my first album, ‘Pink Friday,’ I had a conversation with one of my really good friends, his name is Irv Gotti, and we had this really interesting conversation where he told me ‘enjoy this moment, you’ll never get this moment ever again,’ you’ll never be the ‘new girl on the scene’ ever again, and so I went into the studio. I heard this amazing track, and right there in the moment I kind of wished I could freeze everything that was happening because it just felt so exciting, people were all of a sudden interested in me. As an underground artist, I wasn’t really used to that.
“I just started singing, “I wish that I could have this moment for life.” I went in the booth and started singing it. I never wrote it down. I just felt that’s what the track was saying.”
Irv inspired a lot of hits in his day – glad to see he’s still got it!
In related news, Nicki also credits Beyonce for having the Pepsi commercial that influenced her the most. Check out what she said below about King B:
“Out of the people that have done something with Pepsi, I think I was probably the most influenced by the Beyonce commercial, because I felt like this is a young black girl, early on in her career and she’s doing something so iconic and I never thought in a billion years that Pepsi would reach out to someone like me.”
Check out the video interview and behind-the-scenes footage below: