(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?
Kanye West was reportedly45 minutes late to his performance at the Big Day Out concert in Australia last night, which caused the crowd to boo him when he finally hit the stage. Ye’ blamed his lateness on the rain, which caused the crowd to chant, “Bullsh*t!”
Um, haven’t they heard Kanye’s mantra, “You should be honored by my lateness/that I would even show up to this fake s###!” ??
In related news, Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell wasn’t impressed when a soundcheck of West’s upcoming set at the main stage could be heard in between Soundgarden songs, and the rock band’s fans started booing.
“Sounds like there’s children playing music there, retarded children, retarded as in held back. There’s no other word for it,” Cornell told the crowd.
What a hater!!!! Go get a hair cut dude! You’re washed up!
(AllHipHop News) In the past several months, America’s “Occupy Wall Street” movement has expanded golobally, and now, into specific sectors and communities, such as the homeless and the disenfranchised Hip-Hop communities. At Occupy demonstrations, the so-called “The 99%” have been vocal about the unfair corporate and government policies they say have yielded mass joblessness and poverty, along with inadequate healthcare and education.
Within the Hip-Hop community, artists and pundits have joined the conversation, with many taking to New York City’s Wall Street in recent months to show their solidarity with everyday citizens. Russell Simmons, Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco are just a few of the celebrities who have joined the cause.
Later this week, longtime civil and human rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson, will show his support by hosting “Occupy Hip Hop New York,” a discussion that will bring together a “Power Panel” from the music, broadcast, and education sectors for what leaders are calling “a Conversation, a Pledge, and a Plan.”
“All that we have gained in recent years has been attacked,” Rev. Jackson told AllHipHop.com in an exclusive, pre-event interview. “We have to protect ourselves from the tyranny of the majority.”
The January 26 event is part of Rev. Jackson’s 15th Annual Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project Economic Summit, and includes speakers such as author/Georgetown University scholar Michael Eric Dyson; Hip-Hop journalists and pundits, Chuck Creekmur of AllHipHop.com and Davey D, rapper Master P, politician/activist Adam Clayton Powell IV, and others. There will also be musical performances and workshops throughout the overall three-day summit.
With regards to the Hip-Hop community’s seeming lack of enthusiasm for voting in the 2012 Election, Rev. Jackson said, “To not vote in 2012 is to vote for [Newt] Gingrich, [Mitt] Romney, or someone else who has no regard for civil rights, and no commitment to us.
“When we vote, things tend to come out right,” he added. “No one cares enough to put air in our ball now. Dr. King’s last act on earth was to ‘occupy’ on behalf of the workers he was speaking out for. Now, we need to ‘occupy the streets’ for access to education, healthcare, and more…we have big work to do.”
Check out the flyer below for more information about this week’s 15th Annual Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project Economic Summit, or visit www.wsphiphop.eventbrite.com.
(AllHipHop News) Cleveland rapper Machine Gun Kelly recently spoke about his upcoming tour with Tech N9ne, that will feature the rappers performing 90 shows in 99 days.
Machine Gun Kelly is part of The 2012 Hostile Takeover Tour, which also features headlining artist Tech N9ne, and artists like Krizz Kaliko, Mayday, Prozak Stevie Stone and others.
“Touring with Tech N9ne is going to be wild,” Machine Gun Kelly said. “I’m going to Lace Up and bring the energy to so many cities across the country. I’m thankful to be able to play to in a bunch of new cities and give them a crazy memorable show.”
The 2012 Hostile Takeover Tour starts March 22 and will stop in markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Denver and Seattle.
The rigorous tour with Tech N9ne is only the start of a busy schedule for MGK, who will also be a headlining act on the 2012 Van’s Warped tour this summer.
