AllHipHop

homepage

Nas Teams With HIV/AIDS Org To Serve Christmas Dinner

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star Nas will give back to the community this season during the 2nd Annual Christmas Dinner in Harlem, New York this week. On Wednesday (December 22nd), Nas will join HIV/AIDS activist Maria Davis, restaurateur Melba Wilson and the Souls of My Sisters Books/Kensington Publishing Corp. to support the event, which will provide Christmas dinner to families infected and impacted by HIV/AIDS. The 2nd Annual Christmas Dinner will serve cooked meals by Melba’s 125 Restaurant, for over 250 family members and their support systems. “An estimated 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, and yet one out of five don’t know it,” stated Maria Davis, author of the national best-seller, Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories and Heal Their Spirits. “This holiday season our focus is on helping the families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and their support systems including; extended families, healthcare and case workers,” Davis said. “I am especially proud that Nas and other celebrities can participate in providing inspiration during the holidays and share a word of thanks to the caretakers who work so hard to service this population.”In addition to Nas, radio personality Dee Vazquez, singing group ACE and a variety of other celebrities are expected to attend the 2nd Annual Christmas Dinner, which starts at 4:00 PM at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Plaza Building Plaza.

New Skool Rules Teams With AllHipHop.com For Songwriting/Producer Competition

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) New Skool Rules and AllHipHop.com have teamed up to launch an international publishing competition, which is open to songwriters and producers around the world. The winner will be received $1500 Euros and an all expense paid trip to the New Skool Rules conference, which takes place April 1st-3rd 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.Additionally, the winning producer/songwriter will be featured on AllHipHop.com in 2011.  New Skool Rules in a three-day conference that offers panels, workshops, masterclasses, performances, showcases and networking opportunities. This year’s conference will feature 40 showcases, 14 master classes, 14 panels, three after parties, demo listening session and even a speed dating session. To find out more information, visit http://www.newskoolrules.com/2011.

Willie D: Coming Clean

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

Willie D of the Geto Boys turned himself in last week after he was sentenced to a year in prison for an iPhone scam. Before he went away, the Houston Hip-Hop icon talked to OZONE magazine about the case and offers sobering clarity on what he did wrong.  For more, visit OZONE.

Of course people are familiar with you as part of the Geto Boys, and everything you accomplished over the years, but what solo projects have you been working on recently?I’ve just been working and making a lot of music. I don’t have a distribution deal or a label deal at this point, so I’m just making music. I’m doing a series of mixtapes called Gangsta Love. I’m planning on having Volume 1 out by March. Basically, it’s a whole album of f### songs, but instead of just talking about sex, I’m giving you some game too. It’s not just game for the men, but there’s game for the women too. I’m gonna have a bunch of game in the songs as opposed to just being sexy, so it’s gonna be real sex education. In the words of Pimp C, “It’s gonna be sex education on a compact disc, mane. I’m telling you, mane.” (laughs)

Do the Geto Boys have any plans to get back together?Naw, there ain’t no plans.

Are you guys on good terms?I ain’t gonna lie. We’ve never really been on good terms. We just kinda stay out of each other’s way.

Well, how do you feel about the state of Southern rap music today, since the Geto Boys really helped pave the way for this movement?Some of the artists are holding it down, but of course there’s a lot of garbage out there too. There are some artists who are really, really holding it down, and you can tell they’re gonna be around for a minute. But from my viewpoint, the artists that came before the current artists are always going to have a problem with the newest guys in the game. It’s the same thing with sports; the past generation always has something to say about the current generation. The guys who came up when [Michael] Jordan came up think that ballplayers today ain’t nothing. The ballplayers who came up before Jordan think his era wasn’t nothing. And so on and so forth. But let’s not forget that there were some artists who came up in our era that were garbage too. People act like everybody was jammin’. Everybody wasn’t jammin’ in the 90s. Everybody wasn’t jammin’ in the 80s, you know? There were some garbage artists back then and there were some one-hit wonders back then. You don’t even know who they are, because they were one-hit wonders. (laughs) And a lot of artists today who are one-hit wonders, you know, they aren’t even gonna be a footnote five or ten years from now, because nobody is gonna remember their name. So it’s the same thing. The artists today who are really, really solid artists and work on their craft will be remembered years from now. The artists who are in the game right now, the one-hit wonders who run around here asking for $30,000-$40,000 and they only got one song, they’re gonna have problems. I can tell you right now: take those $20,000 and $30,000 licks you’re making once a month and save your ass off, cause when it’s over, it’s over.

Let’s talk about your legal situation. You’re about to serve a year in prison, correct?Yes. A year and a day.

So basically you were accused of taking money from people overseas and promising to ship them electronics, and you kept the money instead of shipping the product. It doesn’t sound like a real foolproof plan, if that’s actually what you were doing. Is that actually what happened?Yep. That’s what happened.

Why did you think that would be a good idea? It doesn’t seem like something you’d be able to get away with long-term.Cause I’m crazy like that, you know? When somebody does something to me, sometimes I don’t use my better judgment in evening the score. Basically, this is what happened. I was running a cell phone business, me and my partner, for about a year solid with no problems. Then we started doing business online and everything was cool. I started doing business with some folks overseas and that’s when everything got twisted. The first few transactions were beautiful and then we got burned for a couple of phones. We felt like that was an isolated incident, but then we got burned again.

How did you get burned by overseas buyers? Were they giving you fake credit card numbers?Nah, nah. What they would do is buy phones from us on eBay. They would purchase our phones, we would ship them, and then they would say that they didn’t receive them. EBay works on the honor system, and the buyer has the almighty power to give you a bad score. We had a perfect score, we were at 100%. We had done over 100 transactions with a perfect score. If somebody gives you a bad score on eBay, you can never get that 100% back. Even if you had a million transactions and every single person gave you a positive score, the best you can do is 99.9%, feel me? When people look at that rating, it gives you credibility when they’re looking to purchase something. So rather than risking having a disgruntled buyer or a thieving buyer giving us a bad score, we just decided to eat it and shoot them a refund. EBay and Paypal are one and the same, and they’ll hold your money if there’s a problem with the sale until it gets resolved. So we went ahead and accepted the loss. We did that twice. After that, we decided that anytime we came across someone who seemed like they were unscrupulous, we would get them before they got us.

How do you determine which buyers are “unscrupulous”?You can tell by the way they send their emails; the way they communicate with you. There’s certain tell-tale signs that you can look for when you want to know if somebody is trying to dupe you. One example is when they don’t want to do business on eBay. They’ll start doing business with you on eBay, but once they get your information and you start communicating, they’ll say, “Let’s do this outside of eBay, so I don’t have to pay their fees.”

Well, some of these transactions were pretty large, right? Like, you had large bulk orders that you never shipped?Yeah, it’s all the same though, whether it’s 2 phones or 20 phones. If we felt like we were dealing with somebody that was unscrupulous, we would sting them before they stung us.

But why not just refuse to do business with them at all, if you felt like they were unscrupulous?Because we wanted some payback. We had already been burned a couple times.

But do you think it makes sense to get payback from one person for another person’s unscrupulous behavior, just because they are both from overseas?We felt like if they were trying to get us, we were gonna get them, period.

Okay. So you were charged with wire fraud? How did you plead?Guilty by reason of insanity. (laughs) No, I’m just kidding. I pled guilty.

Do you feel like you deserve the sentence that was handed down?I don’t think anybody feels like they deserve to be in prison, you know, even a murderer. I don’t think anybody thinks they deserve to be locked up. But I do understand what I did. I always take the bitter with the sweet. I understand what I did. I understand I broke the law, and in America, if you break the law, you go to jail. That’s just how it is. So I’m going to jail. As far as paying my debt to society, personally, I feel like I’m already doing that. Even before I got arrested, I was mentoring kids, warning them of the dangers of putting themselves at risk. I’ve been doing that all my life, ever since I learned that my name had some type of clout. I’ve been doing that for over 20 years, just going to prisons and alternative schools and hospitals and universities. I put on my first health fair this past June. It was supported by the City of Houston and St. Luke’s Hospital. We tested hundreds of people for HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, hepatitis B, breast cancer, you name it. No matter what, I feel like the good I do outweighs the bad. But I understand why I’ve gotta do this time.

How do you plan on spending that year?I’m gonna do a lot of reading. I haven’t read a book in years, so I’m gonna get caught up on my reading.

Are you gonna have a six-pack when you come out?I’ve got an eight-pack now. (laughs)

Okay, a twelve-pack then?Yeah, I’ve never stopped being in shape. I’ve always worked out, so that ain’t gonna stop.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?Look out for the mixtape Gangsta Love Vol. 1. You’ll be able to purchase that online at WillieD.com. You can also check me out on Twitter, @TheRealWillieD. I’m looking for a record label situation, so record labels should definitely holla at me.

You can write to Willie D here:William James Dennis #99063179FCI BEAUMONT LOWFederal Correctional InstitutionPO Box 26020Beaumont, TX 77720

50 Cent Launches New Label GNote Records

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) Queens, New York mogul 50 Cent recently announced the launch of a new record label, GNote Records. According to 50 Cent, the first artist on the new label is Phoenix, Arizona rapper Hot Rod. “@officialhotrod is the first artist of G NOTE he gonna do his numbers watch,” 50 Cent Tweeted. At press time, it is not clear what company will handle distribution of GNote and Hot Rod’s debut project. In August of 2010, 50 Cent’s G-Unit ended its deal with Interscope Records and signed a new distribution deal with EMI Records. The first release under that deal was Lloyd Banks’ critically acclaimed album H.F.M.2 (Hunger For More 2). In addition to Hot Rod’s album on GNote, Tony Yayo’s album is slated to be distributed through G-Unit/EMI in 2011 as well.

What Runs These MC’s?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

I guess I’m back on my very literal grind – this ax that I sharpen and swing from time to time against the malignant growths on Hip Hop.  My goal in writing these entries over the past six years has been to fight fire with fire.  To creatively use the same art of expression within Hip Hop to call out its recent fallout.  To counter the curses and death that are readily spoken into us by literally and liberally speaking life into it, you know – since Hip Hop is dead. 

It’s ironic how an art forum full of metaphors can serve as its own paradoxical allegory; but then again, that’s what Hip-Hop is all about.  Between the lines and behind the bars, there exists and anecdotal antidote for its present condition that I will attempt to pull out with this entry.  Rap is unique in that the records that are normally used to play music are what help originate it.  The turntables, with their records and needles, helped deejays eventually produce tracks that the emcee would then run with on the mic.

In recent years though, these facts have been eclipsed by stranger than fiction imagery – twisted fantasies, if you will, of the artists’ warped sense of self-absorbance.  In a downward spiral of greed and lust of material things, we are witnesses to substance abuse on record.  Every album that’s chocked full of decadence and exorbitance shows the addiction of the artist.  Self-aggrandizement is often a sign of both insecurity and immaturity. 

So to deal with such issues, artists create fictitious worlds that, while meant to exorcise inner demons, feeds the diseases instead.  Since we as listeners are along for the ride, we empower them to continue self-destructing as we feed into these conditions as well.  The danger to us is that since we’re so close to the music, we are drawn in as collateral damage when these artists explode.

So as you listen to the music, ask yourself – what runs these emcees?  What are the tracks really showing me about their afflictions?  Lastly, will you continue to support what you hear just to fulfill your own temporary high?

~

Gift Rap

Though rap’s offshoot should

Get back to its roots, it’s a

Branch beneath itself.

*

Mourning Breath

a.k.a.

Fixated Asphyxiation

Hip Hop’s fresh breath of

Air has turned stale from the tuned

Fumes that exhaust us.

*

What Runs These MCs?!!

What else revs and runs these MCs

Besides irreverent schemes for C.R.E.A.M.?

Is the American dream for greed that much of a driving factor?

Do fast lane stunts rush a need for speed?

What happened to the Rev Runs and DMCs?…

Forget Rapper A, Rapper B and Rapper C – these cats aren’t the livest rappers.

They’re contrived, aspirin’ actors –

starvin’ artists tryin’ to eat.

To hide this fracture –

they guard their bars behind the beats.

But what’s supplyin’ the feed that they’re all plugged into?

Instead of runnin’ the tracks –

they’re the ones that are synthesized.

Instead of stunnin’ with facts –

their stunted acts have criminal ties…

As pitiful, subliminal lines epitomize the drugs they Ginsu.

 

Rather, they’ve drugged us with symbols

from the tracks they cut up –

the devil’s workshop is their idol worship.

They’ve dumbed down and numbed up

 the critical mass of the public –

idle minds flatline as vitals worsen.

Thanks to flat lines and entitled cursin’ – “no substance abuse” is on the rise.

Read between these mindful lines –

I’m not talkin’ about beats and wordplay.

Real rap needs to be revitalized –

Hip Hop’s been beaten at H.E.R. game…

Who else used to love how H.E.R. worth sang the truth with songs of pride?

But if you look in H.E.R. somber eyes,

they’re bloodshot from these crypt keepers

Who took and shook a songbird confined

to the subplots of these script readers.

Too busy rippin’ speakers as flip bleeders – we need new life transfused.

Rather, we need new blood brought into the system.

Even these young bloods are lame ducks that just walk different…

Have we become so hobbled and indifferent –

can’t we see that new scribes are past due?!!

Rap’s too busy shootin’ up cats as if they’ve been immunized.

All the while, instead of booin’, we’re clappin’

‘cause we’ve been desensitized.

We’ve got minstrel cycles crampin’ the rebirth

of words that were once pregnant with possibilities.

It’s not all bad, though – I know I’m generalizin’

Right in the middle of a pitiful climate

But if I minimalized the chastisement, could you

visualize the predestined probability?

Could you see the destiny of awkward un-authenticity

That’s rewriting a legacy into an immodest litany?

VH1 honors pithily – look at what tomorrow’s

honorees are insipidly speaking into existence.

But back to the question at hand –

what runs these empty emcees are

reckless tracks and harrowin’ needles.

I’m not talkin’ records, fam –

I’m talkin’ sessions of crack and tracks from heroin needles…

 Only their drug is the fame, fortune and perilous evils

wickedly leaking into feckless missions.

These dudes need extradition like that assailant Assange.

They’ve got an illegal license to kill so forget bails and bonds!

If their souls are for sale, sound the alarm –

I’m tired of these rope-a-dope emcees ringing in my crew’s ears.

I’m not saying money’s not important –

but maybe if they stopped chasin’ bank

and shelves of unfulfilling profits,

They wouldn’t be run by such misfortunes –

being “filthy rich” isn’t so fun once

wealth has filled one’s pockets…

Forget funds, we need self-fulfilling prophets

to speak life and liberty as we bring in the new year.

Hip-Hop Rumors: The New Young Money Member? What Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne’s New Years! Fails, Wins and Signs!

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Rumors
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

DISCLAIMER:All

content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual

info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.WHO: illseedWHAT: Rumors, Funnies, Fails and more!WHERE: illseed.com, twitter.com.illseedHOW: Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com.NO 2011 WITH KAT STACKS!

Kat Stacks as been out of the light for some time. Mostly, because she is in jail on immigration violations. Well, it seemed at one point that she was going to be able to get out of jail. Now…not so much. Looks like Kat is in the very first situation that she was in – f**ked! She’s still facing a likely deportation. She’s now attempting to be positioned as a celeb to stay in America.

YOUNG MONEY RUMORS!

Soooo…now that Lil Wayne is out, the Young Money takeover is about to be something serious. What’s next? I heard Young Money members Wayne, Nicki and Cory Gunz were taping a recent performance for the Jimmy Kimmel Show. I heard Peta is not going to like what Nicki has to wear, because it is a sexy fur suit. I wonder if its faux fur or not? Gunz will get to peform, unlike when Wayne recently rocked SNL with Em. This is being taped for a New Year’s Eve show, but…its being taped right now.

CHAMILIONAIRE TO YOUNG MONEY?

There was a Nelly rumor and now the there’s a Chamillionaire one. Who is going to YM!?

LLOYD GETS ROBBED AND VINDICATED IN MI!

I got word from one of my sources that some idiot in Milwaukke tried to

snatch R&B singer Lloyd’s chain off his neck. Unfortunately, Lloyd

has a cousin with a KO punch. He hit the assailant and laid him out,

according to this rumor. Next, time tuck that, L.

CASSIDY PARTY

Uh OH. Somebody sent me this picture from a party or concert that boasted Cassidy appearing in Brunswick, PA. Shout out to Sarah G, who sent the pic. I think that’s her in yellow.

Not. Good.

WAKA FLOCKA SPEAKS ON THE RAID ON HIS HOME

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Nicki Minaj is selling stupid records. I didn’t check it, but I heard she’s moving move than Ye.

Amber Rose dating Amare Stoudimere? I’m a lil’ late, but that’s interesting since she was supposedly dating Fab. Ford Modeling Agency recently dumped Amber from their roster.

There were rumors over the weekend that Morgan Freeman was dead. Not true.

50 Cent just launched a pop label called G-Note records and Hot Rod is the first artist on it. Anybody else confused over this as I am?

Rumor has it, Erykah Badu is now a DJ! She did a gig over the weekend.

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

G-Dep. Now, I was going to let G-Dep slide with his 17-year-old confession. I think the man was torn apart over the murder of a man in 1993. According to the New York Post, Dep confessed, but didn’t know the man had died.

Trevell Coleman — whose rap name is G-Dep — said cops dropped the bombshell after he went into the 25th Precinct station house Wednesday to admit to the Oct. 19, 1993, shooting of John Henkel. “I was surprised — for some reason, I really didn’t think that he died,” the bald and bearded Coleman said in a jailhouse interview. “When they told me, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m not going home after this.’

He’s staring at life in prison and sadly has 3 kids. I hope they have a mother with some stability. This is a fail. God bless his soul and the one of the man murdered.

But, he thought he was confessing to a shooting.

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

What is the world coming to? Nestle recently brought Jenny Craig for $600 million. My thing is, how is a chocolate company going to buy a weight loss company? LOL! Check out what the AP reports.

Chocolate maker Nestle said Monday it would purchase weight loss product maker Jenny Craig Inc. for $600 million.

The acquisition follows Nestle S.A.’s purchase for around $670 million last month of Uncle Tobys, an Australian maker of nutritional cereals and snacks, and is part of the company’s “continuing commitment to nutrition, health and wellness,” the Swiss company said in a statement.

While best known for its namesake chocolates, the Vevey-based also makes baby formulas, nutrition foods such as PowerBar, drinks to aid weight loss and the Lean Cuisine line. The company’s purchase of Jenny Craig follows the lead of consumer products company Unilever, which bought both Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Slim Fast in 2000.

Weight management will become a new business within Nestle’s nutrition unit and will reinforce its U.S. presence, the company said.

I guess I get it.

EPIC WIN OF THE DAY

I stopped watching the game at halftime. Came back to this. Epic win for the Eagles.

CASSIDY, WE LOVE YOU!  They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!

Lil Wayne, Eminem Perform “No Love” On Saturday Night Live

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

Lil Wayne and Eminem were all the rage as they went Live on Saturday Night performing a joint set that covered three songs. Check out the ill collaboration.

Eminem And Lil Wayne – “Won’t Back Down” and “6’7””

Charles Hamilton Arrested For Assaulting Police Officer

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) Troubled rapper Charles Hamilton was reportedly arrested in Cleveland, Ohio, for allegedly striking a police officer. While details are sketchy, Charles Hamilton was arrested in December 13th. According to RapRadar.com, Charles Hamilton was causing disturbances at various bars.When police attempted to calm him, he allegedly struck an officer in the face, resulting in an assault charge. The rapper’s bail was set at $25,000. At press time it is unclear if Hamilton is still in police custody or not, as someone posted a link to the court case on his official Twitter account.

Jacki-O Says Griselda Blanco’s Family Blesses New Mixtape

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) Miami rapstress Jacki-O has responded to reports about her latest mixtape, which caused a minor controversy due to the cover.Jacki-O’s latest mixtape, bluntly titled Griselda Blanco, features the rapper invoking the image of Griselda “The God Mother” Blanco.The real Griselda Blanco one of the biggest cocaine dealers in the United States and part responsible for the deadly “Cocaine Cowboys” wars in Miami in the late 1970’s and 1990’s. Griselda, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, is also the subject of the hit documentaries Cocaine Cowboys and Cocaine Cowboys Part II: Hustlin’ With The Godmother.According to reports, Griselda’s son Michael Corleone Blanco was extremely upset with Jacki-O, over his mother’s portrayal. Michael, who has been rapping since his times as a child in Columbia, is also involved in the Hip-Hop industry, as head of the ominously named Miami based record label, XtorXion Records.”I did indeed make contact with Griselda Blanco son Michael,” Jacki-O told AllHipHop.com. “He first gave me his blessings and then expressed his need for us both to find a way to relive his mother’s legacy and portray her in a way that the media never did. (Maybe I did go in too much with the cover of my mixtape) (Laughs). After speaking with him and realizing the love his mother has for her children she is much more than a common, run of the mill drug dealer.”Jacki-O said the conversation with Michael Corleone cleared up any confusion surrounding the use of his mother’s name. In fact, Corleone was “flattered” that Jacki-O is paying homage to his mother.His only request was for Jacki-O to make sure her fans knew that despite the massive amount of violence associated with her name, Griselda was a loving, caring, mother. “He only asked that I let the world know that his mother Griselda Blanco is a ‘caring, loving, business woman,'” Jacki-O continued. “I will take what I have learned from doing my research on Griselda Blanco and continue to empower myself and other females. I am Jacki-O, not Griselda Blanco however we are both women in a male dominated arena and I can relate to having to be strong like she is. Me naming my mixtape after Griselda Blanco was because she is portrayed to have been infamous in the underground world and she was and still is very well respected. We have an open line of communication so everyone just stay tuned for what’s gonna be popping in 2011.”

Breaking News: Former Bad Boy Rapper G-Dep Admits To Murder; Held Without Bail

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

(AllHipHop News) Former Bad Boy rapper G-Dep is being held without bail in a New York jail, after admitting to murdering a man during a robbery attempt in October of 1993. The extraordinary tale began on Wednesday (December 15th), when G-Dep, born Trevell Coleman, walked into the 25th Precinct and admitted to killing a man named John Henkel in the James Weldon Johnson housing projects in Queens.According to the New York Post, G-Dep walked in and confessed to the murder after 17-years of living with the burred. He told police officers he rolled up on Henkel on Park Ave and 114th street and announced a robbery. When Henkel resisted, G-Dep shot the man three times in the chest and throw his gun into the East River. G-Dep, 36, had been arrested over 25 times for a variety of charges, including drugs, burglary and now, murder. The rapper released one album for Bad Boy titled Child of the Ghetto, which produced the hit single “Let’s Get It.”G-Dep was charged with murder and is being held without bail.

Bernard Hopkins: One More Championship Run?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Lifestyle
Preferred Source Publisher Button>

An aged fighter overcomes the odds and defeats a young, prime boxer. How many times have we seen this scenario with “The Executioner” Bernard Hopkins? From Felix Trinidad in 2001, through Kelly Pavlik in 2008, B-Hop has made many a boxing and armchair critic look foolish in the way he’s dismantled young fighters. There has been disputed losses along the way (Taylor, Calzaghe), but Hopkins now has an opportunity to win his second light-heavyweight championship. For further incentive, the 45-year-old Hopkins is fighting for the distinction of becoming the oldest champion at boxing history, eclipsing the record George Foreman established in 1994 by knocking out Michael Moorer.

Standing in his way will be Canadian Jean Pascal, who took out the man some say Hopkins was reluctant to face, Chad Dawson. In addition, Hopkins will be going to enemy territory by facing Pascal in his home country of Canada in Quebec City. Will Saturday night (December 18) add another notch in the legacy of Bernard Hopkins, or be the execution of another legend who hung around too long?

AllHipHop.com: Before we look ahead, let’s talk about what happened with Golden Boy right after the Roy Jones fight. You had your own friction going on with CEO Richard Schaefer. How was everything smoothed over?

Bernard Hopkins: I wouldn’t say it was a lot of friction. People in the boxing industry felt aroused because of the Roy Jones fight, [and Schaefer stating] I should be buried in the same grave that Roy Jones, Jr. is in. Richard Schaefer apologized for making that statement to the media. A win is a win. I understand people look out and care for me. But you talk about timing, and I don’t think the Roy Jones is a blueprint to state Bernard Hopkins doesn’t have anything to contribute to his legacy, or the sport of boxing anymore.

I don’t think anyone should dictate to people whether they should or shouldn’t. I think a lot of people should retire. Matter of fact, I think business people, those who can’t pull the trigger on big deals anymore, should retire. When you hear a statement like that, emotionally, people have to understand no one else can make that decision. I’ve been doing this professionally for 23 years, and since I was nine years old. To me, I looked at it as no one has the right to speak for me but me.

I think it was an honest mistake, and one where you’ll learn from. I made one statement that settled it all. For the sixth round to the 12th, I fought [Roy Jones] damn near blind. That’s no drama, it is what it is. It took Oscar six months after the Pacquiao fight to say he’s retired. You and everyone waited to see what he’d do. Boxing is full of surprises. It’s only right since I’ve put my work in that I get the same, if not more respect.

AllHipHop.com: Last time we talked, you mentioned to me that Chad Dawson was a “failed stock” that HBO had brought into. That was before Pascal beat him. There was no hesitation in you signing to fight Pascal. What makes Jean Pascal such an attractive fight for you?

Hopkins: Well, Chad Dawson did my work for me, by proving he wasn’t the guy HBO was promoting who could fight. I’m not one to use the word “great” often when I’m talking about another athlete. I think great is earned through time and achievement. Boxing is so looser than any other sport, that guys who sit on their a#### will give a fighter that stamp of approval before they’ve earned it. A lot of great fighters are turning in their graves when they hear those statements. Things get missing and underrated when you evaluate while they’re still active, as opposed to when you sit back after they’ve retired. When it’s over, that’s when you’re really analyzed. It’s only a few people that were great and active: Michael Jordan, Bernard Hopkins, and a few others. I don’t want to call myself great even though I did, they gave me that title. I think I’ll become greater when I retire and my report card is analyzed.

Chad Dawson, they invested a lot of stock, and a lot of promotional conversation behind that product. If that product in boxing doesn’t deliver like Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, and a few other names I can run off to you, no one can save you in that ring. It’s just you against another guy’s skill, and you can’t fool the people. TV can be good or bad for you. When people see the truth not being promoted, they basically jump off the bandwagon. Pascal did my dirty work, and settled that conversation about Chad Dawson. I kept telling them if I destroyed another young fighter, what does it do for me if I can’t make a substantial amount of money doing it, or no other tangibles? The RING belt and other titles are very important to me, even at this stage of my career. I’m going back to get what I feel is still mine, going back to the Joe Calzaghe fight.

This shows you how things come full circle. I’m on Showtime for this fight. I won my first title in 1995 against Segundo Mercado on Showtime. I made about 5-6 of my 21 defenses on Showtime, a record that I think will never be broken in my lifetime. Here I’m back. Not necessarily at the end, but not the beginning. How profound is that when, not if, I become the oldest champion in history, beating out George Foreman? That’s enough motivation. If I have to be out of character [to win], I’ll be out of character.

This fight with Pascal, what haven’t I seen in boxing? I respect his swagger to call me out, I’ll give him that. That raised some eyebrows. I have to train on that note itself and be ready; he thinks he can beat me.

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned this isn’t the end. Are you still considering a heavyweight run? I know you wanted David Haye, and he retained his title last month.

Hopkins: It would have been an option now, but Golden Boy didn’t see that fight as being realistic. I thought people would’ve understood it because of historical fights like Michael Spinks-Larry Holmes and Roy Jones-John Ruiz, and David Haye coming from cruiserweight. I’m a fan of David Haye and he’s a fan of mine. We hung out some years ago in Miami. Business is business and not personal, but there has been an agenda to get Bernard Hopkins out of boxing. You remember that night when I beat Kelly Pavlik. I stood on the ring apron and faced the media, [and not] jumping up and down like a buffoon and hollering. I just stared at the media, because I understood the forces wanted me to just go away. I’m not going until I want to.

You remember when I came out with a 75-year-old billionaire named Artie Rabin, who owns have of the clothing industry that every rapper and actress has a label on, with [Frank Sinatra’s] “My Way?” Things get lost in little sound bites of history with media. I do things subtle, and then very bold, which may cost me a fight or two. That was the reason the Kelly Pavlik fight was a devastating blow to HBO, the youth of boxing, and a lot of people. I showed I still had a lot left. I handled that boy every round.

It reminded me of when Dr. King made his final speech, and was dead less than 10 days later. It was someone knowing things might be over, but delivering on his promise. That’s what that stare was about. It didn’t need screaming, I said nothing. It’ll be shown 10-20 years from now. When you analyze the other greats like Ali, Joe Frazier, Satchel Paige, George Foreman etc, I guarantee you that footage will be in there. Larry Merchant said I should have got on the turnbuckle and said, “I shocked the world!”

They don’t understand me and never will, because they are not my God. It’s about who I believe protects me. It ain’t Golden Boy. It ain’t any person. There’s nobody who breathes this air that I fear. I’m covered by a higher being, and if my blessing doesn’t come on Monday, that doesn’t mean I get discouraged. I meet so many people around the country that say “Bernard Hopkins, you inspire me. As a man, I changed my ways.” That feels good to me; not doing 24/7’s throwing money in the air, and having 10 cars drive with me to one spot. If I have to act like an idiot to get my just due, I don’t want it. I’m too old for that, I’m 45 years old [laughs]. That same footage, as my brother Mike Tyson says, all the big houses, Versaces etc, next thing you know they’ll be using that in a documentary on you 20 years from now. They don’t get rid of that stuff.

AllHipHop.com: As someone who’s worked with Showtime and HBO, what’s the difference between their mentalities?

Hopkins: One is trying to gain an audience of being the top network. HBO has been the 400-500 pound gorilla for the last 20-30 years. I personally think the tides are changing just based on the Super Six. I’m a businessman, nothing personal. I think there is people at HBO that need to retire; I said that to Greg Leon over at boxingtalk.com. I think they’ve overstayed their welcome. If boxers can be punch drunk, why not businessman, especially these CEOs of big corporate America, and banks? We all live to die, and don’t have the wit from when we were younger. Do you retire because of your age, or because you can’t do it anymore?

You asked a great question, and I got a lot of ammunition for you, facts! The Super Six was a brilliant idea. You took the best of the 168 pounders, man. And now you got my protégé, Glen Johnson, who’s a live dog, and Andre Ward, who I love. He and the late Vernon Forrest are like my brothers, we have history. When you come and be creative, and can go out with that bank book; it’s a fine line to becoming drunk with that power. We’ve seen preachers and priests become drunk with that power. We’ve seen politicians get caught up in all types of indiscretions. Everyone can’t handle that, sometimes you get lazy.

It’s like a fighter after they’ve won the championship. Instead of getting up at 5 AM to run, they get up at 10 AM. It’s not that they’re a bad person, some become bad, and it’s that power of comfort. It makes some egos not as aggressive, and become part of the industry. We know who used to pay the most, and that might not even be the case anymore after this year. As far as the viewership on TV right now, I’d love to see the ratings between Showtime and HBO. This year is in the books already in corporate America. I’d really like to see the comparison between HBO and Showtime Championship Boxing. You could definitely write about that. I could be wrong. Now that Showtime is doing other weight divisions with tournaments, they’re tying up top fighters. I think a couple people over there [HBO] might need to reconsider their job. Ya lost a step, buddy!

AllHipHop.com: Everyone is familiar with your middleweight reign. Last time, I asked you how you would do against fellow greats like Hagler and Monzon. But you’ve been a light-heavyweight for some years now. When you look at the greats at 175 like Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles, who do you think would be your biggest challenge?

Hopkins: I would have to say Matthew Saad Muhammad.

AllHipHop.com: Would that be because of his brawling ability and recuperative powers?

Hopkins: Exactly. It would be a bloodbath. Put it this way, we’d probably end up in ICU with straws in our mouths asking we did we do this to each other.

AllHipHop.com: Excellent conversation as always, Bernard. Any closing thoughts?

Hopkins: December 18, I will make history and inspire every 40 plus year old person. Whatever they aspire to do in their hearts and minds, they can achieve it. December 18 will be history.

Ismael AbduSalaam is a senior staff writer for AllHipHop.com, and the creator of Beats, Boxing and Mayhem, a website specializing in boxing and Hip-Hop coverage.

Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal will be for the linear and RING Magazine light-heavyweight title. The fight airs live from Quebec City, Canada this Saturday (December 18) on Showtime Championship Boxing at 10 PM ET.