[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/Yukmouthft2ChainzGuddaGuddaandDGolder-SmellItOnMe.mp3]
homepage
Ab Soul Ft. ScHoolboy Q “SOPA”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/AbSoulftScHoolboyQ-SOPA.mp3]
Twenty Years After the Brutality, Rodney King Unleashes “The Riot Within” On AllHipHop.com
In 1991, Rodney King was just another young, Black man living in Los Angeles – a product of the early Hip-Hop era who had experienced hard times growing up like so many of his peers.
In the wee hours of March 3, 1991, King’s life changed forever. Following a night of heavy drinking with a friend, and after being pursued in a high-speed chase by the California Highway Patrol, he was pulled over and was to be placed under arrest.
What happened next is videotaped history.
Afterwards, the rioting and flames that engulfed L.A. on April 29, 1992, after the shocking acquittal of the police who brutalized him, changed that city and the world forever. It’s been 20 years since then, and now King is read to tell his story, “in his own words”, as he puts it.
Read a snippet of our interview with Rodney King, and check below it for a free, sneak peek chapter from his new book, “The Riot Within”:
AllHipHop.com: So, right off the bat, I know you’re promoting a book right now called “The Riot Within”. I wanted to ask you about the title – is this more of a personal book about your life, or does it make parallels to the incidents from 20 years ago?
Rodney King: Yes, it’s both – about my life and the incident 20 years ago also.
AllHipHop.com: So, does it tell us about Rodney King before the incident? Will we get a sense of you and your childhood, things like that?
Rodney King: Yeah, it does go into my childhood…
AllHipHop.com: OK, “The Riot Within” kinda sounds like you’re still in some internal turmoil, Rodney. Why are you releasing the book now – other than the obvious reason that we’re here at the 20th anniversary?
Rodney King: Because it’s time. It’s been 20 years, and with all of the things that’s going on today, I thought that it would be a good time for it to come out. You know, and just to show that we can all get to know each other better through reading…reading my book and seeing what type of person I am, how I was raised, where I come from, and what kind of background this, this particular American Negro has been through.
And, also to show how race relations can improve. People can get to know me through my book, you know what I mean? Maybe it will change someone’s mind about how they look at another person. Maybe another person somewhere down the road won’t get stereotyped – just because he’s Black.
It’s just a wonderful thing for me to be alive and to even be able to put a book out like this after going through a police brutality case. Twenty, 30, 40, 50 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have been alive to even write a book, so it’s a good thing that I’m not living in the ‘30s or ‘40s, and time has moved on.
There are Civil Rights people who came before me who died for our rights back in the day. They made room for me to even sit down and be able to write a book. All of the work they did back in the day – they didn’t die in vain for it. I am a survivor of that brutality, and that police beating back then, and truthfully, Civil Rights Movement made a way for me, and made it so I can write a book and have a story, so people can read about me – in my own words.
AllHipHop.com: It’s really good to hear that there are some lessons in it that you can impart to others…
CLICK HERE TO READ CHAPTER 1 OF RODNEY KING’S “THE RIOT WITHIN”
Come back for more of our emotional interview with Rodney King later this week, as we pause to remember the 20th anniversary of the L.A. Riots. “The Riot Within” is available on Amazon or in stores now.
King Russ [BGA] Ft. Money Makerz “Kim Kardashian”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/KingRussFtMoneyMakerz-KimKardashian.mp3]
Consequence “Killer Instinct”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/Consequence-KillerInstinct.mp3]
Nino Bless [BGA] “Get Ready Pt. 2”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/NinoBless-GetReadyPt2.mp3]
Alternative Heat: Jacquees Ft. Jacob Latimore and Issa “Clean”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/JacqueesftJacobLatimoreandIssa.mp3]
Rolls Royce Rizzy “Beez In The Trap Freestyle”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/RollsRoyceRizzy-BeezInTheTrapFreestyle.mp3]
Ty$ Ft. Joe Moses “The Man”
[ahh_audio src=/4-25-12/TySftJoeMoses-TheMan.mp3]
VIDEO: The “Mega Philosophy” Behind Cormega’s Upcoming Music
AllHipHop.com is privileged to get random access to artists in their natural habitats – the studio! Check out an in-studio interview with New York rap veteran Cormega, talking about his upcoming LP, Mega Philosophy, and his previous stint in prison:
Be on the lookout for an upcoming interview with Cormega about MARS, the new group he formed recently with Saigon, Action Bronson, and Roc Marciano.
“Raven The Blazin Eurasian” is an AllHipHop.com contributor. Check out more of her interviews HERE, and follow her on Twitter (@BlazinEurasian).
Lawyers For 50 Attempt To Block Young Buck’s Asset Sale Over Dispute
(AllHipHop News) Rapper 50 Cent has filed a motion to block Young Buck’s sale of his intellectual property, in an attempt to pay off creditors, as part of his bankruptcy filing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 50 Cent’s lawyers filed motions to stop the sale of Young Buck’s recordings, publishing and other intellectual property, until a judge decides what Young Buck is allowed to sell.
Lawyers for 50 Cent claim that Young Buck’s agreement with G-Unit already grants them the rights to almost all of the intellectual property the rapper created while he was signed to the label.
“The creditors are left with no choice but to file this opposition to ensure that the trustee is not seeking to adversely affect the creditors’ rights in assets that they own, or in which they have rights and interests,” 50 Cent’s attorneys wrote in recently filed court papers.
In addition to his music, lawyers for G-Unit say the label owns all trademarks, logos and even Young Buck’s professional name.
A judge is expected to weigh in on the motion next week.
Tank Gives Us A Behind The Scenes Look at “Compliments” Featuring T.I
R&B powerhouse Tank has been releasing track after track to promote his upcoming album release, This Is How I Feel. Take a look at some behind the scenes photos and video from his recent shoot with T.I. and Kris Stephens.
Tank’s fifth album on Atlantic Records, This Is How I Feel, hits stores and online May 8.
Mac Dre’s Thizz Ent. Implicated In Nationwide Ecstasy Ring; 25 Arrested
(AllHipHop News) Police concluded a four-year investigation into Mac Dre’s Thizz Entertainment record label, after 25 people were arrested and accused of being involved in a massive, nationwide ecstasy ring.
A number of rappers associated with Thizz Entertainment were arrested yesterday (April 24) and charged in a conspiracy to distribute ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and codeine cough syrup around the country.
According to police, members of Thizz sold drugs to finance the record label.
“This is another example of partnership that exists between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Vallejo Police Department to improve the safety of our community and reduce the level of violence associated with drug dealing,” Vallejo Police Chief Robert Nichelini told AllHipHop.com in a statement released yesterday (April 24) evening.
“We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California in coordinating the investigation and prosecuting the persons involved in such a complex and dangerous criminal enterprise,” Chief Nichelini said.
According to the DEA, over 45,000 ecstasy pills were seized in yesterday’s raid, along with 4 pounds of crack, a half pound of heroin and $200,000 in suspected drug money.
Police said that Thizz also operated two defunct marijuana dispensaries and seized over 230 acres in property valued at $1 million, that was used to cultivate marijuana in Yuba County.
Mac Dre, who started Thizz Entertainment, was shot and killed in 2004, in Kansas City, Missouri, allegedly by a rival rapper named Anthony “Fat Tone” Watkins.
Fat Tone and an associate were later gunned down in a construction lot near The Palms in Las Vegas.
In 2008, Bay Area rapper Mac Minister, born Andre Dow, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for murdering Fat Tone, his associate and a women who witnessed the killings.
Police hope that the bust is the final chapter in Mac Dre and Thizz Entertainment’s history in Vallejo.
According to police, Mac Dre was a member of the infamous Romper Room gang, that operated in the Bay Area in the late 80s and 1990s.
The gang committed a series of robberies of Pizza Parlors in the area, that were eventually the subject of an episode of BET’s “American Gangster” series.
Police say nine members of Thizz Entertainment are still on the run, while those arrested will make their first court appearances on May 4.
Below is a list of people the DEA charged in the nationwide drug dealing ring:
Michael Lott, performs under the name “Miami the Most”
*Major Norton, performs under the name “Dubee”
*Lawrence Kennedy Nelson
G###### Franklin, performs under the name “Geezy”
Clifford Bullock
*Narco McFarland Sr.,
Latroy Cunningham
*Eric Robinson
Dante Barbarin
*Eileen Knight
Beshiba Cook
Bruce Thurmon, performs under the name “Little Bruce”
Damian Peterson
Mikel Brown
**Nicholas Ramirez
*Ung Duong
*Phat Nguyen
*Marcus Davis
**Tiffany Brown
Andre Cawthorne
*Michael Smiley
*Anthony Young
*Anthony Payton
Hip-Hop Rumors: Wacka Flocka Still Thinks Wiz Khalifa Has “No Swag”
Back in December of last year, Wacka Flocka went on DJ Kay Slay’s radio show and said that he thought that Wiz Khalifa “hyped” his way to the top and had no swag. Well, Flocka was recently interviewed on the Angie Martinez Show on HOT 97 in New York, and while he did say the beef with Wiz was “dead,” it seems like his view on Wiz being swagger-less hasn’t changed. Check out a clip of Wacka’s interview below:
“That’s dead, I ain’t bothering nobody. I voiced my opinion because it’s true,” said Wacka Flocka.
Since when is an opinion the truth?
Rampage Inks New Deal; Planning New Album
(AllHipHop News) Rap veteran Rampage is planning a return to the Hip-Hop arena, via a new deal with Gracie Productions/TVT Records.
Rampage, who was once a member of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad, signed the deal yesterday and is working on an album of all new material.
“The family is growing,” Gracie Records’ President/CEO Dorian Washington told AllHipHop.com. “We love Hip-Hop. Gracie Records supports real Hip-Hop. We sign OG’s of this game. We still give out deals at conferences, you got a hot record go to the right conference. Everybody counted this one out and my man just got on.”
Gracie Productions has released projects by Slaughterhouse, Jacki-O, Royce da 5’9 and others.
Rampage has been based in Phoenix, Arizona over the past few years, where he has been running his company Deep Freeze Entertainment.
He released his debut album Scouts Honor…By Way of Blood in 1997 and his last official album Have You Seen? dropped back in 2006.
During his career, Rampage has worked with a number of artists, including Craig Mack, Notorious B.I.G., Alicia Keys, and his cousin, Busta Rhymes.
Check out Rampage signing his contract below:
Something Both Scandalous and Inspirational: “She’s Not Our Sister”
Tyler Perry’s not the only Black playwright in the game, you know?
Producer Johnnie Johnsons has released her newest and exciting musical comedy, “She’s Not Our Sister”, set for DVD and digital download release on May 1.
The play, “She’s Not Our Sister,” follows the lives of three women and their different emotional experiences in dealing with their father’s death. With hidden secrets and talks of affair that tore their parents’ marriage up, they have also discovered that their estranged father has left them a multi-million dollar inheritance – and a half sister. But will the sisters be able to bury the hatchet and allow love to overcome all? Or allow for bitterness to break them up?
With an All-Star cast including Kellita Smith, Drew Sidora, Azur-De, Christian Keyes, Clifton Powell, Tony Grant, and Jaszmine Lewis, “She’s Not Our Sister” brings director Vernon Snoop Robinson’s recent musical stage play about a family’s past to life. “She’s Not our Sister” is the highest-rated GMC World Premiere Gospel Play and has become a hit GMC television series entitled “She’s Still Not Our Sister”.
Cop the DVD on May 1, and check out the trailer below now:
FEEL RICH VIDEO: Paul Wall’s Wife, Crystal Slayton Wall, Works It Out!
Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Feel Rich,” our partnership with QD3, the talented son of music legend Quincy Jones. “Feel Rich” is all about creating a healthy lifestyle for Hip-Hop culture – both the artists and the fans. Enjoy!
Crystal Slayton Wall, wife of rapper Paul Wall, makes healthy choices for her kids as a way to show them love. “Give your baby an apple,” she says “Don’t give him a Snickers. That Snickers ain’t gonna do nothing but make him fat.”
In a community that tends to show love with foods like cake, pie, and sugary treats, Crystal is breaking the cycle with her children. “Healthy choices equal love.”
Continue reading “FEEL RICH VIDEO: Paul Wall’s Wife, Crystal Slayton Wall, Works It Out!”
Nas Announces Release Date For 10th Album, “Life Is Good”
(AllHipHop News) Def Jam Recordings and Nas have officially announced a July 17 release for the rapper’s tenth studio album, Life Is Good.
In a recent interview with MTV, Nas spoke on the ideas behind the music itself and some of the unexpected collaborations that he was involved with during the recording process. “A lot of the tracks have been my ideas – like I would take an idea from one of the guys that I’m working with, and try and put it together with a different sound that I had in my head with someone else and just try to get people to collaborate that really aren’t used to working together and to get something different from me.”
It’s been four years since Nas’ last album, Untitled, which received mostly positive reviews. Untitled included the singles “Hero” featuring Keri Hilson and “Make the World Go Round.”
The first single from Life Is Good, “Nasty,” hit airwaves last August and sparked the much-talked about notion that Nas would be releasing his new album before the end of the calendar year, which came and went.
Nas’ next single, “Daughters,” which was produced by No I.D. will be released on May 1, four days after the visual for his current single, “The Don,” hits the ‘Net.
“This album is, of course, it’s been a long time, it’s been five years since I released a [solo] studio album, so this record is everything,” he told MTV. “This is everything that I’ve got to say…I guess you got to live a little, sometimes not all the time, but you’ve got to live a little and you put that in your music and it’s coming from my life.”
Life Is Good will be released on July 17, 2012.
Exclusive FLICKS: Ice T’s Upcoming Doc “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap”
Directed by Ice T, a bonafide Hip-Hop legend and one of our favorite actors on “Law & Order SVU” these days, the film “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap” takes a look at rap music’s evolution. The documentary gives us access to the personal lives of many of Hip-Hop’s pioneers, including Doug E. Fresh, KRS One, Rakim, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Ice Cube, Nas, Snoop Dogg, and many more!
If you have yet to see the trailer, watch below:
BONUS: Nas Checks In As One of the Doc’s Stars
BONUS: Doug E. Fresh Discusses His Three Favorite Rappers:
“Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap” hits theaters on June 15.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Drake Disses Pitbull and Producer David Guetta
Drake has made it clear in several interviews that he is not a fan of dance music. In fact, Drake has called out Pitbull and producer David Guetta’s music for not having “integrity.” Check out what he told NME Magazine below:
“For me, the David Guetta stuff just doesn’t work,” he said. “I don’t really wanna go there. There’s other artists, that’s their sound. They feel in order to thrive internationally that they gotta do straightforward, four to the floor, David Guetta, Pitbull music.”
Drake says that he is open to creating music for the genre but insisted his work has ”integrity and soul,” which would be watered down by working with an artist like Guetta.
“They feel in order to thrive internationally that they gotta do straightforward, four on the flour, David Guetta, Pitbull music,” the 25-year-old Take Care rapper stated. ”For me, I’d rather go to somebody like [producer] ‘Jamie xx’ and tell him, ‘Look, I really wanna turn the club upside down, but I wanna do it with integrity, with soul.”’
David Guetta has previously worked with Young Money artist Nicki Minaj on two tracks – “Where Them Girls At” and “Turn Me On.” I wonder if Drake is saying that Nicki’s tracks don’t have any integrity either?