“All The Drugs In The World”
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Wes Fif Ft. Schife [BGA]
“All We Do Is Get It”
Alternative Pick: Usher Ft. Robin Thicke
“Secret Garden”
Brisco Ft. Joe Boom
“Throw It Away”
Marques Houston Ft. Soulja Boy
“Swag Sex”
A-Alikes
“Chronicology 101”
Tyga and Chris Brown P### by Jahlil Beats
“Holla @ Me”
Big Bang Ft. Lil Chuckee
“Sponge Bob Ready Remix”
Shorty Mack and Ray J
“Get Da Money”
Talib Kweli & Hi Tek Launch Nationwide Tour; Kweli Explains R.P.M.
(AllHipHop News) Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek have announced an national tour in support of their highly anticipated reunion album Revolutions Per Minute. The pair will kick off the tour in Hi-Teks hometown of Cincinnati on Thursday (April 22nd) and wind down the tour on May 29th in Seattle, Washington. Hi-Tek produced the album, which features guest appearances by Mos Def, Bun B., J. Cole, Jay Electronica, Estelle, Bilal, Res, Chester French and others. Kweli explained the concept behind Revolutions Per Minute, which is his first album with Hi-Tek since 2000s classic album Train of Thought. “It’s the idea of revolution through music. Its the idea that people in today’s culture take things in YouTube-sizedbites and clips and if it’s not in a clip or a soundbite or something that you can fit in under a minute, people don’t pay attention to it,” Kweli explained. “The idea is: How many revolutions can you get accomplished in under a minute in a quick culture?”Revolutions Per Minute is due in stores on May 18th. Tour dates are listed below:Thu 4/22 Cincinnati, OH / Covington, KY Xavier Univ. / Madison TheatreFri 4/23 Evanston, IL Northwestern Univ.Sat 4/24 Grand Rapids , MI The IntersectionSun 4/25 Pontiac, MI Crofoot BallroomTue 4/27 Chicago, IL House of BluesThu 4/29 New York, NY Nokia TheatreFri 4/30 New Brunswick, NJ Rutgers Univ.Sun 5/2 Long Island, NY Crazy DonkeyMon 5/3 Washington, DC Black CatWed 5/5 Philadelphia , PA The NoteMon 5/10 Kansas City, MO Midland TheatreTue 5/11 Tulsa, OK Cain’sWed 5/12 Houston, TX WarehouseThu 5/13 Dallas, TX Granada TheatreSat 5/15 Boulder, CO Fox TheatreSun 5/16 Denver, CO BluebirdWed 5/19 Los Angeles, CA House of BluesThu 5/20 Anaheim, CA The GroveFri 5/21 Phoenix, AZ The ClubhouseSat 5/22 Tucson, AZ DV8Sun 5/23 Ventura, CA Ventura TheaterMon 5/24 San Francisco, CA FillmoreTue 5/25 San Diego, CA House of BluesWed 5/26 Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst NightclubThu 5/27 Eugene, OR The BlueprintFri 5/28 Portland, OR Aladdin TheatreSat 5/29 Seattle, WA ShowBox at the Market
Wais P Ft. The Mad Rapper
“How To Pimp”
Waka Flocka Flame Ft. David Blayne
“About A Dollar”
Hip-Hop Mourns Guru; Artists Speak
Real talk time.
Hip-Hop, real Hip-Hop, is not having a good day. Guru is dead. Another one of our favorite Hip-Hop artists is dead. He returns to the essence, but lives on in our collective memory. We have been fans of Guru and Gangstarr from the moment we heard of them. Even when you didn’t realize it, you were a fan of the Gangstarr sound. Starting with the album No More Mr. Nice Guy, Guru and the incomparable DJ Premier, lead an entire generation of artists and showed them how to craft bangers. How to make meaningful music. How to become a legend. How to stay in the game in ways rappers dream about. Today, we mourn, but we have forever to listen to Guru and all that he has contributed to this game.
“I Will Never Stop Praying For Guru. Automatic Shutdown. Leave Me The F### Alone. Please.”
-Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddie Foxxx
“Rest in peace my brother. You will live forever in my memories..”
-Deams – rapper from Amsterdam
“Guru Rest in Peace. Good times good memories. Wish we had reconnected one last time. Farewell fam.”
-Masta Ace
“in my 10 greatest voices in hip hop. Guru was easily top 5 imo. smooth. velvet. will be missed. RIP Guru”
– QuestLove of The Roots
“Guru didn’t write that letter. He’s been in a coma for over 2 months….word”
– DJ Scratch
“Rest in Peace Guru…Pls send Prayers go out to his Family!”
-Jazzy Jeff
“He used to always tell me “hey Alski, the old man still got it!” cant believe hes gone RIP the legend Keith E the Guru. Gangstarr 4eva!”
-The Alchemist
“Rest in Peace Keith “GURU aka Gifted Universal Rhymes Unlimited” Elam & Dorothy Height. Prayers to their families.”
“GURU WAS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND I AM SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF THIS HIP
HOP ICON I DO NOT THINK HIS LAST “LETTER” IS LEGITIMATE. IT IS MADE OUT
TO SOUND LIKE GURU HATED PREMIER AND I DO NOT THINK ITS THAT DEEP.”-Producer Domingo-DJ CK Brooklyn
“Guru and I didnt always see eye to eye… but we shared 2 things sincerely.. the mic.. and respect … peace good brother”
– Dre of Black Sheep
“R.I.P GURU LOVE YOU MY BROTHER the World Will Miss You!!!! WE LOST A Great Man and a Big Part OF HIP HOP History!!!”
-Fat Joe
“From Allah we come to Allah we return. R.I.P. Keith GURU. A great man, poet, and I’m proud to say friend… 23 yrs. Damn!”
-Q-Tip
“waitaminute. i went whole day yesterday not knowing that guru passed away? –sigh–#damndamndamn!”
-Questlove
“R.I.P. Guru. Glory be to The Most High that gives life, to whom we shall return.”
Ali Shaheed of A Tribe Called Quest
“Can’t believe we lost GURU. Wow. RIP brother. Gangstar is one of the realest & purest hip hop groups of our lifetime and he won’t forgotten!”
– DJ Spinna
“The man has found his peace, far way from the devil. R.I.P. GURU / GANG STARR”
-DJ Premier Blog
“When asked how he has been able stay such a viable force in the music industry Guru stated matter of factly, “be honest with yourself, be original, be open to criticism and don’t be afraid to reinvent and recreate yourself.” We pray that his vision is upheld and the legacy of music that he created in his career is kept alive. Let’s continue to celebrate our legends while they’re here!”
Jackie-O of 4Sight Media
“Rest In Peace to my friend GURU. Words can nott describe the impact he had on me, musically and personally……”
-Statik Selectah
Kamp Kaos Ft. Loch and Crunk C
“Lemonade Remix 2.0”
Bumpy Knuckles P###. by Statik Selektah
“Put The Beats On’M”
Teddy Riley, Snoop, T-Pain Link With Korean Superstar Jay Park
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop/R&B producer Teddy Riley has teamed up with Korean superstar singer/rapper Jay Park to produce his new untitled album. Park shot to fame in South Korea as a member of the chart-topping group 2PM. The American-born B-Boy split with the group amidst controversy in 2009, after making controversial statements about Korea on his MySpace page. He eventually left the group, but resurfaced in Seattle as part of the Art of Movement B-Boy Crew and through a variety of covers on YouTube.com. Parks cover of B.O.B.s Nothing On You has received a staggering 4 million views alone, since being released in March. Since linking with Teddy Riley, Park has completed tracks with Snoop Dogg, Daz, T-Pain, Krayzie Bone and others. Additionally, Park has been tapped to star in Hype Nation, a flick about breakdancers from the East and the West. I scooped this guy up right away because he is an incredible talent and everybody wants to work with him in the U.S., Hype Nation executive producer Jason Lee told AllHipHop.com. Park will return to Korea this June, where 70% of Hype Nation will be filmed.
Guru: AllHipHop.com’s Last Interview
Editor’s note: This interview was originally published in June of 2009. The story was to be a retrospective look at Gangstarr’s very first album, No More Mr. Nice Guy. Guru did not want to talk about it, but he was just as upset that I did not want to include his business partner Solar in the interview. For me, it was a talk with Guru and only Guru. Also, it should be noted that Guru referred to producer DJ Premier as his “ex-DJ” in this conversation. On his date of death, Guru’s parting letter had some very choice words regarding Preemo, who is revered and beloved by anybody that’s a Hip-Hop junkie. Today many are questioning the validity of this letter. While we are trying to determine if the words in the letters are those of Keith Elam, one thing is for certain, the hostile notions expressed below are not foreign or new. Gangstarr is one of my absolute personal favorite groups and I cried over this man’s passing as if I knew him personally. I knew him though years of listening to his music and that’s it. My feelings and emotions don’t change the fact that Guru was hostile in this interview and towards Preemo. Afterward, I had a lengthy conversation with Guru and Solar’s then-publicist who said she was trying to work with them on changing their approach. Another company presently represents the group. REST IN PEACE GURU. GANGSTARR IS FOREVER.Below is the article exactly as it was printed on June 24, 2009.– Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur****“People ask me about my ex-DJ (DJ Premier) and all that. We were never all that close. We hooked up in the studio and did great music, but we were never hanging and all that cool. Solar and I, we got tight before we even started doing music.”
-Guru
I just didnt see eye to eye with Guru on this one. The legendary rapper and I disagreed from the onset of this conversation. I was looking to do an interview that discussed – in part – the 20th anniversary of Gangstarrs No More Mr. Nice Guy, the seminal album constructed with the equally iconic DJ Premier. Gurus primary musical priority is his new album Guru 8.0: Lost and Found, a collaborative effort with new partner/producer Solar. He’s got his mind made up and he moved on a long time ago.
Read on as Guru explains his annoyance with the politics of the rap game as well as his reluctance to discuss the glorious past known as Gangstarr.
AllHipHop.Com: I’ve heard some of the album- I actually heard the whole album, but I listened to it again today. Can you sort of speak on it in terms of what you thought you achieved with the album?
Guru: Well first of all, you know the title is pretty self-explanatory you know- Hip Hop was lost, but now it’s found. It’s found with myself and my partner Solar- 7 Grand Records, being that we’re those intelligent, creative leaders that Hip Hop needs, to take Hip Hop to the future. I travel globally- we travel all over the world and everyone’s like “Hip Hop needs this, it’s lacking that, it’s missing this, it’s half a lie, it’s fed” whatever. And so this is real Hip Hop for ’09.
And I wanted to say real quick before we continue that I don’t know whose decision it was to exclude Solar from the interview, but it’s just a collaborative effort and it wouldn’t be going down with Solar- he’s the CEO of the record company as well as the producer, as well as the director of all the videos. We been around the world, his production has been critically acclaimed on the previous records, you know around the world, and you know the politics that’s involved in this are not really to my liking. As a legend it’s a little bit-
AllHipHop.com: What do you mean when you say politics?
Guru: I mean to be say “Oh we just want to interview Guru” or “We don’t want to interview his partner.” It’s very you know- I’m a legend, and at this point in my career, I mean, I want to do what I want to do. I don’t really have to dictate in what I want to do, especially when it comes to promoting my record- it’s no f**king charm. I mean if it’s going to be something that’s not about this record and a trip down memory lane, then I would respectfully decline from even doing the interview.
AllHipHop.com: Okay, well I mean if you don’t want to do it, then we don’t have to do the interview. I do want to talk to you about- you know it is the 20th Anniversary of your 1st album
Guru: See that’s what I mean! That’s something I don’t want to talk about. I don’t want to talk about the past. The past is the past. It is what it is. It was great, but that was then and this is now. I mean, you know, that’s just what it is. I mean there may be some artists that’s doing new music that’s irrelevant, but my music’s relevant. 7 Grand is a successful, important, independent label. At a time when the music industry is tight, when CD sales are low, we’ve been successful. We’re still running- we’re up and running, and we’re going strong. So to be forcing me- to try and force me to go down memory lane when I don’t want to is kind of insulting. It’s not even kind of insulting.
Guru & Solar Divine Rule
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AllHipHop.com: Nobody’s trying to force you go down memory lane. We have a series that we have artist do a retrospective on their previous records.
Guru: Oh Ok! Well in that sense, I will just say that it was a great era and that was then and this is now. Now I’m adding another luxurious chapter to our already great career.
AllHipHop.com: Everybody knows what’s going on with you and Premier- that’s old news now but are you.
Guru: I mean what do you mean by that? There’s really nothing to talk about as far as that was then and this is now. There’s no drama attached to it you know, I don’t get it.
AllHipHop.com: I’m just so curious as to why you’re so dismissive of such a rich legacy of music that you had, that you-
Guru: I’m not. I’m not. Now you’re putting words in my mouth. I’m not because when we performed live in our live show, we had the number one Hip Hop/Jazz Ensemble on the planet. In our performance, we do a whole musical journey and part of that is through the Gang Starr classics, but they’re ranged by Solar and we have live instrumentation, which is incredible. How can I be dismissive of something I created? I created it. I own it.
AllHipHop.com: Well I’ll just put it like that, you know from a fan stand point- because that’s what I am, a fan, I would like to hear about how those records were made and what was the thought process behind them.
Guru: Yeah see that’s not what I chose to do at a time when- as a businessman and as a- let’s say I was signed to a major. The major record company would be like “You know he has a new record out that he’s promoting so he’s not going to want to talk about that”, and that would be that. You know what I mean, that’s just the way it is. No hard feelings or anything. That’s just how it has to be.
“I don’t want to talk about the past. The past is the past. It is what
it is. It was great, but that was then and this is now. I mean, you
know, that’s just what it is. I mean there may be some artist that’s
doing new music that’s irrelevant, but my music’s relevant.”
AllHipHop.com: Okay. No problem. So this particular project, are you feeling that it’s addressing some of the deficiency in music these days?
Guru: Definitely because rather than to try and go back to an era that’s gone already, we’re providing new Hip Hop for ’09 as oppose to 1999 or oppose to ’95 or whatever it is. Again, this is something that has never been done, so it’s taking people- some people some time to get their minds around it. Some people are definitely stuck in the past. Some people are stuck in the past, but not the audiences because our shows are sold out. You know it’s weird, it’s like it’s really an industry thing.
Guru and Solar – 2009
AllHipHop.com: Now, what about the comments that were made? You guys made a lot of people talk as far as the comments about down south music not being real Hip-Hop. I know mostly towards Solar, but do you feel the same way?
Guru: First of all, it was kind of taken out of context, but first of all he was saying it was good music, that we vibe to it and all that. It’s not that we don’t listen to it or whatever, but he was saying that it was a hybrid, that it’s not necessarily connected to the root, it’s derivative of pure Hip Hop. Especially that a lot of those artist do not have the respect or show any knowledge of where it came from. Again, to get a more in depth comment, you should ask Solar because he will break it down for you very articulately.
AllHipHop.com: Well I think that his point was fairly clear in the video. I didn’t see that it was edited in any way or even taken out of context from what I see, but perhaps we’ll do that.
Guru: Some of the stuff I read was, but go on.
AllHipHop.com: Okay. No doubt. As far as some of the down south artists that you do appreciate, would you mind sharing that with us?
Guru: T.I.- I always thought T.I. was lyrical. I like Lil’ Wayne. He’s got some ill metaphors. I think what it is is that the medias sensationalized Lil’ Wayne, but I think Lil’ Wayne is a dope artist. So I would listen to Lil’ Wayne for the music, not for the hype. Who else, a couple others… I like Jeezy.
AllHipHop.com: Oh yeah, what do you like about him?
Guru: I like his voice, his delivery. I like the fact of what he talks about. When you meet him you can tell he represents what he talks about so it’s not some act so to speak.
AllHipHop.com: Right. He’s one of the guys that people blamed on destroying Hip Hop. He’s actually rapped about that considerably. The people think that he’s not lyrical enough or his content matter is too negative, so that’s just something to note I guess. I guess it’s a little ironic, but not so much.
AllHipHop.com: Somebody wanted me to ask if you miss Boston.
Guru: I travel to Boston to see my parents, you know they’re still there. As far as Boston goes, I get love to where I’m getting love from and I a lot of love in New York so I’m here showing love back. Boston has been a bit kind of funny you know. They don’t want to give you that hero’s welcome that I deserve. They want to put me in the little underground spots and so forth to perform- spots that I’ve done a million of times, not really trying to do all that again. So Boston has to step it up as far as showing me love. I’ve done a lot to put Boston on the map and you know if they were to get behind me, there’s a lot more. But I’m not going to show love if I’m not getting love. That’s just the way that is.
AllHipHop.com: One thing I noticed on the album that you is there’s one song on there when you use the autotune. I was were curious to as prompted you guys to use that device.
Guru: I’ve heard autotune on Red and Meth’s album and you know, did [you] ask them that (laughs)? I mean, I’ll put it to you like this, it’s used in a way that it makes sense for us, not in a way that’s used indicative of whatever “Pop Hop” that’s out there. It’s totally different. It’s just a song, it fits the style of the production for that song, and it made sense. Solar’s production is brilliant. It all comes together to form the lost and found theme.
AllHipHop.com: Have you felt any resentment from people in the industry?
Guru: In the industry yes because a lot of them are from that era where they just want to talk about Gangstarr, they just want me to do what I used to be doing or whatever. And like I said, Gangstarr was great, it was great till that time and it represented a lot of important things. Gangstarr is me. It runs through my veins. I got it tattooed on my arm. But at the same time it’s ’09 and I’ve moved on, and I’ve moved on to join forces with New York Citys brightest producer, visionary film director who connects with that next genius producer or the next genius artist. I’ve been known to do that.
I’ve connected with Solar so it is what it is. Some people are just stuck in the past. It doesn’t discourage me at all. In fact, it motivated me more. At the same time while there’s people doing that in the industry, there are people at our shows, at our concerts, and people that are supporting the records that love what we’re doing. And there are bunch of new fans. See thats the whole new element that’s not being spoken on. There’s a whole new 7 Grand fan base that’s new and never really knew about Gangstarr – that’s learning about Gangstarr from the new material. They get the new material first and then they do the history.
AllHipHop.com: I’m not trying to dwell in the past or anything, but do you stay in touch with any of the other host of the Gang Starr Foundation members- aside from the Gang Starr part. I’ve seen Jeru Da Damaja out and about…
Guru: No, I haven’t. I haven’t seen anybody. It was just a situation where people grew apart. People ask me about my ex-DJ (DJ Premier) and all that. We were never all that close. We hooked up in the studio and did great music, but we were never hanging and all that cool. Solar and I, we got tight before we even started doing music. We were friends for a couple of years before he even started playing me the hot tracks. I knew he had the heat, but it was more like we were building as men. So, it’s just a different situation. I guess that’s why I’m so I’m passionate about what I’m doing you know what I mean. It’s just a whole different level.
Cypress Hill: Rise Up
They walk on to the roof
top of the Capitol/EMI Records offices in downtown Manhattan and it
is as if they are unaware of who they really are. Most people
consider Cypress Hill to be true pioneers in the game. Hip-Hop legends,
if you will. But these O.G. are far more humble than you would expect Hip-Hop royalty. Even Kings have to promote an album and at 1pm, Cypress is just getting started. Meanwhile, the average
New Yorker has completed roughly half their day. But for B-Real and Sen
Dog, the new journey has begun. Theyve just finished a number of phone
interviews, ate a quick lunch then proceed to smoke a couple of joints.
Later on that evening, will go on to play a show at New York
Citys S.O.B.s. But for the time being, they sit calmly on the
roof top as the crisp spring breeze whisks away the potent smell of
Mary Jane. Cypress Hill released their
eighth studio album six years ago (2004’s Till Death Do Us Part) and since then, both members released solo projects (Smoke
N Mirrors for B-Real) Diary of a Mad Dog from Sen Dog). Despite their solo efforts, theyve managed to come full circle.
Theyve added percussionist Eric Bobo to the roster, signed with a
new label (Priority/EMI Entertainment), gotten back in the studio and
are now prepared to present their latest studio LP, Rise Up,
which is scheduled for release on the most significant day for all marijuana
smokers from here to Timbuktu, April 20. There is no doubt that
B-Real and Sen Dog have grown, becoming more mature and experienced
in the industry that has eaten many alive. They have proved that when
all the smoke clears, there is one thing that is for sure. Cypress Hill
is still the same down-to-earth pot smoking, lyrical assassins that
maintain crazy love and respect for all that is Hip-Hop. And so long
as they have breath in their bodies, they wont stop delivering the
music that takes fans higher. AllHipHop.com: Rise
Up was pushed back from its original scheduled release date and
is now going to be released on April 20, 2010. Besides what many people
would consider to be the obvious significance of 4-20, was there any
other reason you pushed the album back? B-Real: Originally, it
was supposed to come out late last year. But we wanted to do a little
bit more work and get a couple of more tracks done. Then we said we
were going to release it in March. We always wanted to put it out on
4-20. But we had been kind of anxious because its been six years.
But then we all said, you know what, 4-20 has to be the release date
because it just makes the most sense. Why wouldnt we do it? We have
the chance to do it. So, we jumped on it and pushed it back. A lot of
people think we planned it, like aw well, they waited this long because
4-20 is on a Tuesday and thats when people release records. I wish
the story was that easy. (Laughs) We just took more time than we thought
we would need. We all had solo projects happening, but for the last
three years we started grinding out. AllHipHop.com: Was it hard
to come back together after such a long hiatus?Sen Dog: No. The game plan
was to always come back and continue Cypress Hill.B-Real: We already had
created momentum from other projects. We were already in the studio.
It wasnt as hard as people might think. AllHipHop.com: So
it sounds like 4-20 is going to be a big day for you all? What are you
going to be doing, besides promoting the album?B-Real: (Laughs) Aside
from smoking a ton, theyve got us on a crazy press run. Well be
in LA doing a [radio] morning show. Then we have to run a catch a flight
and do an in-store at 4-20 which we are going to be streaming live on
our Ustream. And then were gonna be playing a show that night. We
do an annual 4-20 show in San Francisco. This one is going to be our
fourth annual 4-20 show there. And its obviously gonna be one crazy
weed party. I mean, weve got so much s**t going on. AllHipHop.com: All of your
albums have shown different sides of the group and continuous growth.
What can the fans look forward to in terms of lyrical content and diversity
with this album? We try to never to do the same thing twice. We try
never to borrow from the sound that came before. You know what I mean?
We try to re-invent ourselves with the music every time. We just write
about life experiences. The things we go through. Things that weve
seen in this business or in our personal lives. So as long as we are
using that as a back drop, well never run out of material.
We have stuff that everybody can relate to. Whether youre rich or
broke. We write about what people go through. We try to keep the human
factor.
AllHipHop.com: Are there
any big features on the album? B-Real: Weve got Tom
Morello, hes a very good friend of ours. Hes featured on the title
track, Rise Up. Hes also on another song called Shut Em
Down. We got Everlast. Mike Shonida. We got Marc Anthony and Pitbull.
As far as producers we got Jake One, hes a really dope producer.
Daron Malakian. And of course, DJ Muggs. Weve got a lot of good features
and dope producers on the album. AllHipHop.com: Snoop is
now currently the creative chairman for the label. Have you had the
opportunity to work with him hands-on on this project? B-Real: He just let us
be us. Hes knows were professionals. Whenever we can collaborate
together as artists, thats great. But as far as when he signed us,
he didnt really come in and try and tell us what to create. We have
a vision of what our s### should sound like. And I think as an artist
he understands that. AllHipHop.com: What is this album
going to do for West Coast Hip Hop?B-Real: Umm, I dont
know. I think thats up to the people when they hear it. Hopefully,
it will open up the eyes of people who have been forgetting about the
West Coast. There are plenty of great artists but they dont get enough
light because our own stations dont really support as much as they
should. Sometimes they play too much of that down South music. They
dont even play that much East Coast s**t anymore. Theres not a
good balance anymore. Its kinda f##### up. It kinda ruined the Hip
Hop scene back home but were tryna get it back started. Hopefully
this is one of the many steps we are going to take in tryna get it back
to the way it should be. AllHipHop.com: Do you follow
any of the South music? B-Real: Here and there.
Um, theres a lot of cool s**t out there. But theres not that much
creativity coming from there. You got a few people doing some real cool
s**t but then it all starts to sound generic. And then you cant differentiate
the good from the sh**ty. It starts to all sound the same. And I think
thats the problem thats going on down there. But I cant hate,
do your thing. Its your lane. We got our lane. Theres room for
all of us. Radio has the power to shed light on whatever they want.
And right now, thats where it is. Its not fair but its not
a democracy. AllHipHop.com: Who do you
follow in Hip Hop or music in general? B-Real: Oh, thats a
lot of people. Cube. Snoop. Dre. Nipsy. All them cats. We all gotta
be down together because all this separation s### between the older
artists and the newer artist is bulls**t. We gotta pass the torch like
the guys before us pass the torch to us. We aint gotta go nowhere
but at least show love to the guys that are coming behind you. Because
this s**t aint just for us. Its for everybody. Thats why I
f**k with everybody, both old school artists and new school artists. AllHipHop.com: Are you
ready for that Dre album [Detox]? B-Real: Weve all been
waiting for it. The album is definitely overdue. I dont care when
it comes out, as long as it comes out.AllHipHop.com: Will
DJ Muggs be returning to the Rise Up tour at some point or has he left
the tour and/or group permanently? B-Real: Well, theres
not a tour yet. But Muggs hasnt been performing with us for a while.
But were still working with him. Right now weve got Juilo G. A
lot of people dont know the history of Julio G. He pretty much introduced
us to Muggs. But yea, we definitely still all work together. AllHipHop.com: Do you consider
yourself Hip-Hop legends? B-Real: Thats not up
to us. Thats up to the people. I dont walk around thinking to
myself, like oh, Im a Hip Hop Legend! (Laughs) There might
be a lot fans feel that way and thats all that really matters. AllHipHop.com: Theres
been some news coverage about how in California, if marijuana is to
become legalized, the economy is projected to rise to 1.4 billion dollars
over the course of one year. What are your thoughts on the legalization
of marijuana in the United States? B-Real: California definitely
needs it. I think if its done in California, California will be the
template. I think the government has started to get wise to the fact
that its something that will help us. So hopefully soon, theyll
vote on it and decide that this is something that we really need. If
you think about ten years ago, there were only maybe three states that
allowed medical marijuana, California being one of them. AllHipHop.com: Yea, New
Jersey just recently passed medical marijuana legislation. B-Real: Oh, ok. So now,
there are 17 states, being that Jersey just came in. And each
state has different rules and guidelines but the fact that its in
place, tells you that the American people want that s**t. AllHipHop.com: They know
whats going on.B-Real: They know whats
going on. You think about it like this, the jails are over crowded with
all these people serving time for marijuana related charges. They cram
all these people together, meanwhile, you got all these people committing
real crimes like murder, rape and robbery. Its ridiculous. They could
alleviate a lot of this s###, by simply legalizing marijuana. But we
could go on all day about this (Laughs). AllHipHop.com: Yea, we
could. Ok, so, you talked earlier about passing the torch. Given your
old beef with Ice Cube, what are your thoughts on his new beef with
some of the newer artists? B-Real: Well you know,
our beef with Cube was different than what hes going through with
these young artists right now. Hes gotta a point man, he dont
owe anybody nothing. Thats just the reality of it. He doesnt own
them nothing. At the same time, you know, (Laughs) its like, these
guys aint getting no love from the radio, they aint getting love
from nobody. But once and a while we gotta show these guys some love.
These are the next generation of dudes so we have to support them. But
as far as whats going on with that, he dont owe nobody s**t man.
He didnt get no hand outs. He had to grind for everything. He had
to work for everything he has. From the time he was with NWA to when
he left. He had to grind out after that. He did that. It wasnt like
somebody was like “Hey Cube, heres your spot, go do your thing.” You
know so, I think thats a feeling that hes entitled to. AllHipHop.com: Lastly,
who is your top five, dead or alive, male or female? B-Real: Aw man, I would
have to say KRS One, Eminem, Rakim, Jay-Z and Ice Cube.
Cypress Hills ninth
studio album, Rise Up will be in stores globally on Tuesday,
April 20, 2010. For more information on Cypress Hills music, live
shows and upcoming projects, visit http://www.cypresshill.com
The Genius Of Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Caricature (And Character) Outsells Talent
One morning in 2003 I had the honor of being with both the WWEs Vince McMahon and Russell Simmons at a political gathering announcing their collaboration in Washington, D.C. I love Russell to death but I already knew him and decided to take the opportunity and limited time to say something to Vince McMahon. Obviously tired with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee in his hand, I shook Vinces hand and told him that it was a pleasure to meet him. I told him I thought he was a genius. Very graciously he thanked me and said, referring to Russell Oh no, I was just standing next to one today. I told him I understood but what made him Vince McMahon so unique in my eyes was his ability to interpret popular culture and human nature and create characters and caricatures that represented the thoughts, feelings and social cycle of entire people. I said, anyone who could do that for so long and still be standing, is a genius.
If you really want to understand the power of caricatures you have to take professional wrestling into account.
Evidently the always in tune Camron has, with his new joint, Ric Flair. Only a man who talks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=h_sjoytbCbU&feature=related
could inspire a song like that.
The thing people need to realize is that Money Mayweather is a (caricature/character). And thats what these fighters need to learn about business. If you had a character youd have something to sell. But a lot of these fighters dont have nothing to sell because they dont have any personality.
With those words, spoken by the boxer himself, and made available on a hidden away interview placed On Demand (and not during the first two episodes of HBOs 24/7) Floyd Mayweather Jr. lays out a lesson I wish every artist would pay attention to if they were serious about succeeding in the marketplace, and not just being famous or good at what they do.
His words reminded me of one of the more interesting experiences I had handling some aspects of the business affairs of Wu-Tang Clan. In the late 1990s we were approached by the book publishing house, Double Day, who wanted to put out a graphic novel on the group. A graphic novel is essentially a comic book, but it can become quite sophisticated, well beyond what most of us think when we hear that more common term (comic book). I was assigned the responsibility of handling the negotiations with Double Day. I visited their offices in New York City, got a tour of the facility, and was shown a variety of new titles they were publishing (one of the best was the title Warfighting: Tactics For Managing Confrontation). When we got down to business I asked them to thoroughly explain to me the graphic novel industry and what they wanted to accomplish with a release featuring Wu-Tang Clan.
As they spoke I realized the value that such a work could hold for us, because it would bring out or further dimensionalize that aspect of our brand which separated us from any other rapper or rap group on earth past and present. In addition to being great lyricists with an intriguing tribal culture, the group had characters who were like superheroes, somewhat like the Superfriends animated television series (for the record, Green Lantern was the man), people related and favored different members of Wu Tang Clan based upon either their powers (rap style and flow) their persona (personality type, slang and nicknames) and appearance (style of dress). Even though we were extremely popular I never felt we had fully brought all of these dimensions out on a big stage which would have allowed us to further expand our audience and market segments.
I could tell that the people at Double Day suspected this and could bring it out in the graphic novel narrative but I wasnt confident that they alone would be able to market it to the kinds of emerging markets I had in mind. They gave us an industry standard book rate which I and other decision-makers felt was beneath the total value of the project, and so, we declined their offer, optimistic that a better opportunity would present itself, or perhaps, we may do it ourselves.
I once saw an interview where D.M.C. said that Public Enemy was the Led Zeppelin of rap and that Run D.M.C. was the Grateful Dead. I thought his insight was interesting and just smiled because of something I always held to myself which was that I felt Wu-Tang Clan was the KISS of rap. I finally mentioned that publicly a couple of years ago and most of the reaction I received was negative. But my perspective was not just artistic, it was business-oriented. As a young boy like most of us who are 30-somethings I grew up when there was no Hip-Hop and R&B formatted radio stations. I came up listening to all kinds of music, including heavy metal, and for all of the artists I liked Boz Scaggs, The Spinners, the Ohio Players, AC/DC, Sugar Hill Gang, Yarbrough and Peoples, and Earth, Wind and Fire, the group that stands out in my mind the most is KISS.
Why?
Because they were by far the best at marketing themselves as characters and in caricature form. The result although I can barely remember their songs, was that by the time I was 8, I had a KISS lunch box, action figures, and watched their television specials whenever they came on. For the record, I rolled with the groups Ace Frehley whose guitar had crazy supernatural powers. People may have felt these promotional tactics detracted from the groups talents and artistic credibility but KISS is still laughing to the bank. Just last month came the news that group members were developing a childrens show.
If I was advising Lil Waynes Young Money the closest association of Hip-Hop artists Ive seen to having Wu-like potential Id tell him and them to study KISS and the Clan carefully. Theres a goldmine out there for them, if they nail the science of creating characters and caricatures.
Now, with that context, lets get back to Money Mayweather who further reveals the secret that artist development A & R is not as valuable as character development:
When you get to talkin about who holds the record for Pay-Per-View (buys)? youre looking at him. Or, who took less punishment? youre looking at him. Or, whose (punches) land with the highest percentage in boxing history? youre looking at him. Who had the highest gate? youre looking at him. With or without Shane (Mosley) Im a be fine. Like I said all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather. Thats why every fighter is chasing me. I aint gotta chase nobody. Ive been off for two years, and come back, and everybodys chasing me You got to realize the commentators want you to basically (be like), Oh yes Sir, thank you for everything you gave me, I appreciate it. Ah, hes the toughest guy Ive faced. Thats not me, man, thats not me. Let me be who I am. This is me. And its obvious that Ive got to this point doing something right. Im not out there making $30 and $40 million paydays not doing something right. So, its obvious Floyd Mayweathers doing something right. But when you look at Shane Mosley, you say, OK, hes a good fighter. Hes a fighter. You look at Bernard Hopkins, De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Cotto when you look at all of them, I dont take nothing away from them, theyre all good fighters. The thing about Floyd Mayweather is that Im an entertainer. Period. You gotta realize, without boxing I done made millions. And when youre a real entertainer; when youre a mega-superstar; you can go to other things and blow up, and make things happen. You can put a hundred thousand (dollars) on Floyd and it becomes a hundred million, eventually.
I knew Floyd Mayweather was a special entrepreneur and not just a fighter, or just a loud-mouth as most believe (and as he wants most to believe) when I watched him thoroughly destroy Arturo Gatti in June of 2005. Two things he did impressed me. The first was the intensity and depth of his openly crying tears of joy and gratitude after winning. As he kept repeating God is good! on his knees a good friend of mine who is a boxer looked at me and said, You can tell he really wanted this one. The second thing he did that night was, while during a post-fight interview, correct an adorable child ( I believe it was his son) who had an opportunity to speak, and basically called Arturo Gatti a bum. It was obvious the child was simply and innocently repeating what they had heard Mayweather, Jr. saying publicly and privately for weeks, as part of his character, or caricature, to promote the fight. Mayweather, gently but firmly corrected the child, telling them no, in fact Arturo Gatti was good, and a great fighter.
It was that night five years ago when I realized that Floyd Mayweather Jr. knows exactly what he is doing and that he understands human nature and the laws of marketing which reveal that people develop more intense emotional connections to personalities than they do logical or intellectual ones to facts. People are moved more by images initially. I write about it in depth in Volumes II and III of my book, The Entrepreneurial Secret.
Understanding that science, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. altered his persona from Pretty Boy to Money Mayweather, Jr. Hes been raking in the C.R.E.A.M. at a higher rate ever since.
Money May wants you to see him as a villain because it is a better business model, right now, for him, than any other; and because he has the constitution to do it without appearing to be acting. It also is part of his strategy to get in the head of his opponents. He continues to pull in new fans, and with the help of his advisers Leonard Ellerbee and Al Haymon (the greatest concert promoter in the history of R&B music) does what it takes to make non-boxing fans cross over and make the $54.99 order to see if somebody is actually good enough to shut his mouth and put Mayweather. Jr. this man who talks hella st -on his ass!
For me, one of the most humorous sights is getting a reaction from the causal fight fan (usually a woman or young male who was drawn in by the Money Mayweather caricature) who sees him fight for the first time. Its always the same, he aint doing nothing this is boring how come he doesnt knock him out? But the true fight fan, boxer, or student of the sweet science is never confused Floyds defense-first/ counter-punch/stamina and conditioning wins fights formula is next to impossible to beat.
And after some kind of over-the-top ring entrance, the loud-mouth and radically flamboyant Money Mayweather suddenly transforms into the quiet and conservative intellectual boxer, Mr. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. His whole demeanor changes from what 24/7 got you accustomed to seeing. His trainer Roger Mayweather takes over the st talking (and can anyone do it better than Uncle Roger?) while Floyd calms down with the objective of fighting smartly and intelligently. It is quite an evolution to observe.
Fortunately for Shane Mosley, his trainer, the unusually wise Brother Naazim Richardson, understands all of this, revealing in an incredible AllhipHop.com interview with Ismael AbduSalaam (Click here for that), Floyd knows his audience; he got the barbershop and Hip-Hop audience, the young boys on the corner. Naazim knows that Floyd Mayweather is first and foremost an intellectual and strategist and to beat him you have to resist reacting to the caricature and character he has constructed.
Of course, its easier said than done, and you can notice Brother Naazim is now going argument for argument with the Mayweather camp now even skillfully countering the allegation that Shane may still be using steroids with a lesser known rumor that Floyd shoots novacaine into his fragile and small hands before fights. In any event, and whatever is slander, libel or true, Brother Naazim and Shane both know Mayweather earns money with his mouth, but he wins fights with his mind.
Several weeks back I wrote a piece for AllHipHop.com called, The Business of Story (A Rappers Brand and Image) (Click here for that) where I explain how the most successful artists and entertainers become commercially lucrative by managing their brand, image, and reputation, making sure they are always in alignment. I explain how even Jay-Z failed to do so and how it cost him, temporarily.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has so far managed this process as flawlessly as his boxing record but he will likely have to soon make adjustments. Hes extremely sensitive with a caring personality and passion for his community which at times is hindered by the Money May caricature. Off stage hes much more serious-minded and substantive than that projected image and those who make money off of Money have little interest in showcasing his consciousness. A classic example is the difficulty his camp has had in getting HBO to feature is sincere efforts to help the communities of Grand Rapids, Michigan (his hometown) and Las Vegas.
I saw the same with launch of Wu Tang Clans foundation and our efforts to feed, educate and bring recreation to inner cities across the country and the groups hometown Stapleton and Park Hill Projects in Staten Island and our Feasts of The 12 Jewels which I coordinated in Chicago in 1996. The media (even to the level of the Associated Press) in FBI-like COINTELPRO fashion repeatedly lied about violence at our Park Hill Days and they absolutely would never cover our unique Feast Of the 12 Jewels Dinners where we fed hundreds for free.
In trying to balance a billionaires caricature, with his more genuine personality as one who gives back and who is a thinker-strategist, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is dealing with some of what such wealthy men as Andrew Carnegie once experienced.
In his excellent biography titled Andrew Carnegie (which I hope someone will give to Floyd) David Nasaw writes of the dilemma of the self-made millionaire, He was thrilled with his success as a businessman and capitalist, but far from satisfied. He wanted more from life and would spend the rest of his days in pursuit of it. His ultimate goal was to establish himself as a man of letters, as well known and respected for his writing and intellect as for his ability to make money.
The author sums up the challenge of the billionaires brand when he writes:
Yet for all that he accomplished and came to represent to the American public a ferocious businessman and capitalist, a self-educated writer, peace activist, philanthropist, lover of culture, avid self-promoter, and vehement proselytizer of the virtues of American democracy Carnegie has remained, to this day, an enigma and a man of striking contradictions.
When you hear or see Floyd speak intelligently on the realities of race relations, poor communities, and even bringing standards to the sport of boxing you can see a bit of the struggle he faces as he wrestles to reconcile the self promoter in him with the philanthropist-activist an image that his external business partners and associates have little interest in promoting.
Strangely, I actually think that Floyd would be freed from the strait-jacket that his character and caricature have placed him in, should he eventually lose in the ring (or barely win in a warrior-like tough fight). Then his brand, image and reputation could evolve in new directions more compatible with who he really is and what he cares most deeply about, aside from money.
In a sense, he is the only person I would put above LeBron James (see my The Crossover Journey: Why Lebron Comes To New York), in terms of the potential for being both a billionaire and force for social change answering the challenge of Jim Brown and even Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers who perhaps framed it better than anyone in the track Black Business, Where do Blacks with crazy cash and knowledge of themselves live at? Teacher havent seen none. Many sold their souls for cash.
But for now, heres to the genius of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. a man who is much more than he appears, on purpo$e.
Cedric Muhammad is a business consultant, political strategist, and monetary economist. He is also a former GM of Wu-Tang Management and a Member of the African Unions First Congress of African Economists. Cedric is author of the book, The Entrepreneurial Secret (http://theEsecret.com/). He can be contacted via e-mail at: cedric(at)cmcap.com
Guru of Gangstarr Dies, Writes Letter To Supporters
(AllHipHop News) Legendary Gangstarr artist Guru has succumbed to cancer after a lengthy bout with the disease.The artist, born Keith Elam, died on Monday April 19. He was 43 years old.Solar, Guru’s partner, expressed sadness over the loss.”The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru,” Solar said in a statement. “Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.Guru, a Boston native, rose to fame in the 80’s as one half of Gangstarr, the iconic rap group with DJ Premier.The group released six highly regarded albums in their tenure until 2003 when they broke up. After his successful run with Premier, Guru founded 7 Grand Records with producer Solar.Solar went on to tend to the rapper as he fell ill, seemingly controlling the flow of information and access to Guru. Many of his family members complained that they were denied their right to see him.Solar also said that Guru wrote a letter to fans and sent it out through a press agency. “For the fans that reached out with love and support, I can’t tell you how much that meant to Guru and myself. Guru prepared this letter (read below) while he was in the hospital for the fans,” the producer continued. “I hope now that Guru has moved on to a better place.”In the letter, seen below, the rapper explains his illness, expresses gratitude to supporters and offers some parting words for DJ Premiere. I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.AllHipHop.com sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Keith Elam.