“What Up Truck”
“What Up Truck”
“We Outta Here”
“Fasho”
“Nothing On You (Stiletto Remix)”
“OD”
“Boy Back Up”
“Aftermath Psychopath”
“B.L.O.W.”
“Winner”
“Victory”
For nearly two decades, Eric Roberson has reigned as the king of the independent soul music movement. Even so, he remains to be one of the industrys best-kept secrets, since his fan base and reputation have been largely built upon word-of-mouth stemming from his spectacular live performances. In fact, as an esteemed alumnus of Howard University, Robersons name is spoken in Chocolate City with a level of reverence that is generally reserved for his musical forebears Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. Such glowing respect is well-deserved, however.
In 2010, with the release of Music Fan First, Eric Roberson received his first GRAMMY nomination Best Urban/Alternative Performance for A Tale of Two along with Ben O’Neill and Michelle Thompson. In celebration of this historic milestone, Erro managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule to settle down for an interview with Clayton Perryreflecting on sixteen years of resilience, the influence of DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Sol Village, his monthly showcase at SOBs in New York City.
AllHipHop.com: Congratulations on your 2010 Grammy Award nomination! To be perfectly frank, my friends and I often wondered what took the Recording Academy so long to recognize your work! But now that you officially have the industrys highest stamp of approval, how does it feel?
Eric Roberson: Man, Im still numb from the whole situation. I dont know if its really sunk in yet, but what I will say is that its very reassuring because the last nine, ten years, I have just been stepping out on faith and following my heart, you know? And a lot of times it may not have been the best decision or my peers may not have thought it was wise. But with a nomination like this, its like saying what youre doing is right and keep going. Im completely honored. I feel like its even more responsibility, a good responsibility, because I think its going to slowly but surely open the door for a lot of other people to get recognized. To me, its a sign that the playing field is getting leveled and a show of appreciation for making good music, and not focusing on what label it belongs to, or how many records it sold compared to some big artist, or whatever.
AllHipHop.com: I hope that the tide is changing! This year, a few other independent soul artists received nominations as well. What do you think has caused this sudden change?
Eric Roberson: This is a crazy thought as a comparison, but I dont know if President Obama could have won the election a couple of years ago just because of the people that were in play. Race is definitely a factor in American life, but as more and more white people became exposed to different black personalities, they also were reeducated on who we are as a people. Now, the government looks different, from the Supreme Court to the Congress looks different. When I look at the Recording Academy, I kind of feel like its almost the same thing, because my peers are now in a voting situation. People that know my story are in the movement, which is slowly but surely helping. Its not all the way where it needs to be at yet, but its getting there. Case in point Robert Glasper and Bilal received nominations in my category, too. And then you have Foreign Exchange. And these guys are pretty much part of the independent movement. Robert Glasper plays for Maxwell, but puts out his own album. And Foreign Exchange has several different groups and collaborated with so many different artists. Weve circled the wagon. Sure were independent artists. But you know what? We work with major artists. Well write and produce for them, but well do our own stuff as well. So were just covering the music business in general. When it comes down to it, if a Robert Glasper song comes across a desk, it has a better chance of being recognized for what it is now, because they see his work, all across the board, who he is and what his story is about. And it probably goes the same for me, as well as a lot of other independent artists. We just have to make sure that we keep it pushing ahead, so that the next people that are coming around behind us can benefit from that. And I think they can. I think they will.
AllHipHop.com: As I hear you talk about pushing ahead, I immediately thought of a couple key moments in your life that are certainly the by-products of divine intervention. Sometimes, you never know how one thing can lead to another. When you were sixteen years old, for example, you were in the Mr. Black Teenage World pageant. Had it not been for that, you would not have received your scholarship to Howard University. When you look at your career, how did your Howard experience shape your future life as an independent artist?
Eric Roberson: Man, thats a great, great question, because there are no accidents. My father always says that. But at the same time, its amazing how a small change can have a tremendous impact. My mother put my sister in pageants, and me being the younger brother, I pretty much did everything that my sister did. But while at her Hal Jackson pageant, she met someone who said, If your son has talent, theres competitions for him, as well. And just being an active mom, trying to keep me out of trouble, anything she could put me in, she pretty much put me in. In addition, when I won the national Mr. Black Teenage World competition, to realize that I had a scholarship to Howard University I can reassure you that I would not have been able to go to Howard if there was not that scholarship. My whole life course would have been totally different. I probably would have gone to school locally in New Jersey and tried to get a football scholarship. Even my focus in that regard would have been totally different. So to go to Howard, which has a great amount of musical history, and to be surrounded by such amazing talent, it was definitely a chin-check. It was made for me, man. I was in heaven in those years. And it made me not only the man that I am today, but it a better artist, a better student, a better everything. And I wont say that it was always easy. That was definitely hard. But that was probably the start, right there, of where everything started coming together. Without that one scholarship, right there alone, I dont know what I would have done. I knew Shai who were good friends of mine at Howard and when they got signed, I gave them my demo tape and said, Hey, if you could pass it on to somebody If they hadnt done that, where would I be at? In some form or fashion, maybe I would have still gotten to this point. But Im appreciative of all the rare opportunities Ive had that actually led me to getting to some place such as this.
Eric Roberson can i borrow you
AllHipHop.com: The one thing I always respected about you is your level of determination and always pushing ahead — no matter what. During the early part of your career, after a few setbacks with Warner Bros. and Island, some people would have just given up. Where did you get the strength to continue? And looking back, how was being dropped a blessing in disguise?
Eric Roberson: Its several different things. Aside from just having a good supporting cast parents who were just very encouraging, my sister everybody was encouraging through those tough times. It was humbling. I probably spent more time on the eye-opening facts of the whole thing, because up to that point, everything vocally always worked for me. Music and singing solved all my problems. If I broke up with a girl, then opened my mouth and starting singing, I could find another girl. I thought the world would be paved out for me easily because I could sing. I naively thought that up to that point. To see the business come in and punch me clean in the face, that was just an eye-opener especially the Island situation. A new President came in, he had his people, and he didnt care who was there. Im like, Well, you can at least listen to what I have. He goes, No, Im good. Were good. Weve got a male vocalist that weve been working on, that were bringing in. It is what it is. I couldnt understand that. I was like, What do you mean? If I at least open my mouth for you, I think I can keep my spot if I can at least sing for you. They were like, We dont even need to hear what you want to sing, like it doesnt matter. So that was eye-opening to know youre really going to have to develop other aspects of who you are. That might have been the sole reason why I went back to school which was a great, great decision, overall, when I look back in my life. Im so happy that I went back to school. Im so happy for the opportunity. Even though the embarrassment and pain that it may have caused going back, it was still the best decision I ever made. And it made me the better artist because if I stayed on that label and put out more music, I dont think I had the talent level at the time to put out consistent music that I do now. Theres a lot I learned in that moment of being able to step back. Ive seen a lot of artists from the writing and production side that get signed, and because now theyre out there, they dont have the opportunity to really develop certain parts. Its almost like a kid that skips college and goes back to the pros. And if he had not skipped college, he would have had a little more time, maybe, to work on that outside jumper a little more. But now hes got eighty-two games a year, he doesnt have the time to really step back because so much time is looked at like, Okay, youre a Laker today. Youve got to study this. Youve got to study how to guard it. Okay, tomorrow you have to Theres no room to step back and go, Okay, how can I better myself? Those years going back to Howard were more about me saying, Okay, let me figure out how I want to do music and how I hear music.
AllHipHop.com: Luckily, you have your own label, Blue Erro Soul, as well as a personal studio the Blue Room where you record all your music. At what point did these elements become vital and necessary for fostering your artistic expression?
Eric Roberson: One of the big steps for me was meeting Jazzy Jeff and the producers at a Touch of Jazz in Philadelphia. I spent years in those basement studios in Philadelphia honing my craft and worked with some amazing people. That was when my songwriting and my artistry all went to another place. That was the first time I really went into a studio and didnt have to worry about a time. We were sneaking in at nighttime and off-hours, or I was going in paying for time. So we were going in and Jazzy Jeff just wanted us to work. He just wanted us to vibe out. So those hours of spending time to figure out what worked for me and what didnt work for me, what worked to better a song and what didnt work to better production or whatever, really opened up that drive to say, Man, theres so much creativity that can open up if were given the time of finding that next layer. And that was what really started me buying my own equipment. I realized no one could stop me from doing what I love if I own what I love. So bit by bit, one by one, when I made a little bit of money, it went to equipment. And before you knew it, I had so much equipment, that it was like, Okay, let me try to put this equipment into an actual studio room. And thats what came to building the Blue Room and the rest was history. Once I got my own equipment, I could sit in there and work for days. Thats when I was able to let go of a lot more. If you have to make self- discoveries in public, you may not be able to realize a lot of your mistakes or a lot of your shortcomings or a lot of your accomplishments, because youre still presenting it. But when you can really reflect over things in private, theres another level, another wall that opens up for you. And that was what happened for me, artistry-wise. I still love the fact that I have my own studio. And when I have a little idea, I can go right downstairs and click the equipment on and try to hammer that idea out. I wouldnt trade that for the world. Its extremely important to todays artists, in my opinion. If you really want to find who you are musically, thats a step up that you must take.
AllHipHop.com: When you look at yourself artistically, what skill do you think you have improved upon the most?
Eric Roberson: Mainly to show who I am. Its funny. I have a show at SOBs that I do called Sol Village. Every month we do it. Ive spent so much time on stage now, and that has helped me so much, because there are certain times where, say the drummer broke the kick-drum, or lets say the guitar amp isnt working between acts. And I had to problem-solve while on stage, while performing. Thats like the main part of my job. As the host of that show, I have to hold everyones attention while still stage managing and navigating the night. And being on stage so much becomes second nature. Im able to be on stage and be myself and still be in the moment of performing and be able to give you the talent that you paid to come see, but yet can still be going, Okay, wheres the next act at? Let me flag down the assistant so he can go track that person down. And let me sing another song while the keyboard player is still trying to get the sound on his second keyboard, or whatever. Its funny, because at Howard, I was a musical theatre major and those acting classes that I had during that time helped shaped how I perform so much. I just cant really express that enough. That was one of the main sparks that helped my writing, how much it helped my stage presence. As individuals we all see things differently. We all carry things differently. We all have something special. So the moment that I can see you for your work, its special, whoever it is. And if we all just show who we are, well all have something different to say. Im just all about trying to show me, but more importantly, Im trying to not get in the way of myself while showing myself. And thats what we all do. We go, Im the show. Oh my God! I need this crazy outfit. Im just not doing something so I have to make myself look cool. And you already cool. You already cool. If you just get up there and have your talent together, and present yourself or present you, and not be so occupied with all the craziness, everything will be cool. I loved to dress. Im going to be on stage looking fresh, but at no point am I going to allow what I do on stage to hurt my performance. Lets say the shoes are uncomfortable or the outfit makes me feel too tight, or whatever. The most important thing is the connection. And Ive learned that. Ive learned to say, you know, Thats a dope jacket, but Im not going to wear it because I feel comfortable on stage here, among other things.
AllHipHop.com: Sol Village is a commitment that you have held yourself to for quite some time. How did that opportunity first come about, and why is it so important to you?
Eric Roberson: Well, I remember at one point, I had become a pretty successful songwriter. And I would walk into meetings with my songs. I would be told, Oh, thats nice, man. I can hear this for such-and-such. I can hear this for such-and-such. Id go, But, thats my song. I kind of thought I would sing this one. And theyre like, No, man. Youre a songwriter, man. Im singing my face off. Theres still artist mode on the song. A song about my own life. I remember I wanted to make steps, bold steps to separate myself from the usual songwriting title that I had built for myself, to be honest. So, I started trying to do some shows. And I remember trying to do shows in New York. And I remember trying to get in SOB and not being able to perform there. I remember it. I remember calling and not being able to perform. And I remember the way we got into SOBs was we said, Well, how much does it cost to just rent your club? How much does this cost? And he said, Well, okay, it costs this, and whatever, whatever. I said, Well, I want to rent your club out. I want to rent your club out. And I bought the club out for a night. And I did a free concert for all the industry and all my friends. That event was so successful, that SOBs was like, Wow. We were really impressed with your talent and we really like what you are doing. From that point on, when I called and wanted to do a show there, it gave me the opportunity to do a show. Now, mind you, if I didnt buy that club out, I dont know when I would have ever got a chance to perform there. But it built years of me being able to do shows there. I did shows; probably every five or six months, I would do another show just to perform. So it made sense. And one of the managers at the time her name was Erica Elliott she said, Im sure theres other talent like you who would love to perform on this stage that just doesnt get a chance to. What do you think if we did a monthly show called Sol Village where people could perform? And I jumped at that. I said, I would love to host it. I would love to do it, because I remember being that person. So now, to give acts an opportunity once a month to perform on a stage such as SOBs where industry people can come and see you and youre guaranteed a good crowd each and every month, its been beautiful. I mean, sure, its a dedication to make sure Im available every third Wednesday of the month, but it isnt that hard. It isnt that hard. That, to me, is all worth it, because I remember when I was that person. Ive been in this business now for over sixteen years now
AllHipHop.com: It is crazy to hear you say that.
Eric Roberson: Its really crazy. And let me side-step for a second. I performed on Sunday at Lincoln Theatre in D.C. and I had not been on that stage since I was probably nineteen or twenty years old. The last time I performed there, I was performing The Moon and other songs I had at the time of the Warner Bros. deal. And here I am now, revisiting this stage with this huge amazing gap in-between it. I remember seeing things had changed. I remember when The Roots or Jill Scott or Erykah Badu and DAngelo could do SOB, but an independent artist couldnt set foot on that stage. I remember it. I was one of the people who was trying to get on that stage. Now, four or five acts get that opportunity every month. Its a launching pad for these artists, and because they do so well and build their following through Sol Village, theyre even doing their own nights at SOBs, as well as all around New York. Its just part of it, man. Im just happy to be a part of the foundation of a lot of things. By no means am I taking credit for launching anything. But Im just happy to be a part of a lot of stuff that has helped, including myself.
AllHipHop.com: A couple of days ago, I was going back through my CDs and I came across the live DVD that you recorded in D.C. When I look at the product, I am very impressed by the quality of work you present, in general, because there are not that many artists, especially independent artists, who come out with a DVD of their show, as well as a CD of the audio. You are definitely an inspiration to aspiring artist everywhere. And with the industry in the current state that it is in, a lot of people can definitely look to you in terms of a blueprint for what they need to be doing. I know that might be a lot of weight on your shoulders, but I see you getting more love now. Sadly, it took sixteen years, but Im happy that you are doing what you love and stayed with it for so long.
Eric Roberson: I appreciate that. Its all about organized growth, man. You may hear me say that a million times, but what my family has instilled in me is always trying to build, but never overshooting, just a steady growth. And for me, Ive always had a year plan. Ive always had a five-year plan. And Ive succeeded way beyond what my five-year plan was five years ago. I still have a year plan right now, and I have a five-year plan from now. And Im fine with each time theyre growing. I think its only a matter of time. With a Grammy nomination now and us being able to professionally tour throughout Europe and not just doing London and coming home or whatever, it really means a lot. So I can only imagine what it will be like in five years. Im excited about it, man. Im excited and patient to see.
For more information on Eric Roberson, visit his official website: http://blueerrosoul.blogspot.com/
“Unthinkable (I’m Ready) Remix”
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.
SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING!!!!!
IN MEDIA W###### 101: TAHIRY GETS TAT REMOVED
Sigh. Tahiry gets her “Joey” tat removed and lets everybody know.
That new tat looked like a squid in a fight with an urchin. Whatever works.
ILLSEED’S QUICKIES
Yeah, Mariah Carey was looking to drop a remix album of her last album. Well, LA Reid or somebody put the ky-bosh on that. It has been deaded.
Looks like Chris Brown, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy were just playing on Twitter. That’s some pretty strong words to just be playing.
Waka Flocka’ not the sharpest blade in the knife set. He was arrested for leaving the state of GA without permission.
Now that Matthew Knowles has a new son, rumors say that Beyonce, Kelly and Solange are going to LA to meet lil Nixon. I highly doubt that.
LOL! OH BOY! WATCH THIS!
CHECK THIS LIL GIRL RAPPIN’ – ILL!
I hope her daddy is raising her well. If so, she’s got a future in Hip-Hop….
LIL RAPPER GIRL!
WE
LOVE YOU!!!
They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about
them then they should worry!
-illseed
WHO: illseed.com
WHAT: Rumors
WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed
HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at [email protected].
(AllHipHop News) A war has been declared against Sean Diddy Combs after the mogul labeled other vodka brands as pee pee.Liquor Tycoon M.J. Silver has announced a press conference will be held tomorrow (March 25) in Times Square to protest Combs statement that if youre not drinking Ciroc vodka, then youre drinking pee pee.Combs made the statement during a party he was hosting earlier this month at New York hot spot, Greenhouse. Silver who owns Georgi Argent, one of the best selling vodkas in New York, took offense to the statement and is demanding an apology from Combs.Now, Silver and the owners of Alexi vodka and other American spirits will protest Combs French made Ciroc Vodka, the brand Combs has a 50% stake of, with the other half belonging to Diageo. They will be putting a liters of Ciroc into a large toilet bowl and having it delivered to Diddys offices near Times Square, a representative of the vodka wars coalition said in a statement. The protesters will express their dismay with Combs at 2:00 PM, in front of the moguls oversized Sean John advertisement.
“Supposed To Get It”
ChartWatch for March 24, 2010
It looks like we are at another low point in the year where not a lot of music is coming out from the hip hop arena. We are too far away from that end of the year, holiday push but not close enough to the summer to get a group of new releases. That doesnt mean the charts are totally devoid of hip hop. Ludacris falls a couple of spot but still holds strong at the number three position with his seventh album, Battle of the Sexes. This week the Atlanta MC sells another 57,000 copies due to hit singles like How Low and My Chick Bad.
Next up is The Black Eyed Peas and their latest album The E.N.D. The group actually jumps up two spots to number seven selling 39,000 copies this week.
They are followed by Lil Wayne and his label Young Money. The Crescent City MC sells 24,000 copies of his experimental rock album Rebirth while his label sells 16,000 copies of We Are Young Money. Wayne takes the number 17th spot and Young Money rest at number 25.
Dropping This Week
I bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies?and hypothesis can’t define how I be droppin these?mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery?Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me
-Inspectah Deck, Triumph
This is the beginning of one of the most classic verses in Hip Hop said by none other than Inspectah Deck. The complete verse, arguably the best on a song packed with heavy hitting MCs, is well known by any fan of the music. This week Inspectah Deck drops his fourth solo album, The Manifesto. The album features Cormega, Raekwon, Planet Asia, Kurrupt, Billy Danze, and Cappadonna to name a few. I dont know how the album is because I, like a lot of others, really havent listened to Deck since the classic verse so if anybody out there heard the album let the rest of us know.
Next up is Memphis Bleek. Thats right Memphis Bleek. The New York MC is coming out with his fifth album titled The Process. The new album features Denim, Rick Ross, Uncle Murda, Neo Da Matrix, Pharrell, and not Jay-Z. Its also coming out on not Jay-Zs label, Mass Appeal Entertainment. Hey, maybe Bleek is really trying to do it on his own. Much respect to him because if I had a multi-platinum selling, chart topping, company owning, rapper friend, I would straight Tony Yayo it. Just drop albums for no reason featuring the rapper everyone wants to hear and just be the ultimate tax write off. All jokes aside, good luck to ya Bleek.
Snoop Dogg is dropping More Malice a follow up/expansion to his recently released Malice in Wonderland. This is, once again, a CD/DVD combo with music and an accompanying movie. More Malice has five new songs and two more remixes. If you want to know anything about the album then just flip on your tv because Snoop has been everywhere lately. Hes pushing this re-release harder then he did the original.
Madlib is back again with the next installment of his Beat Konducta series. Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta In Africa features forty instrumental tracks largely influenced by funk, soul, and jazz from places like Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana, and the Ivory Coast.
Brother Lynch Hung invites his fans out to eat on his new album Dinner And A Movie. Its Brother Lynch Hung so if youre a fan you ought to know what to expect. If youre not a fan but still want to try out the music then take a look at the album cover and you ought to know what to expect.
Thats it for this week. See you next week with ChartWatch.
Editor’s note: The
views expressed inside this editorial aren’t necessarily the views of
AllHipHop.com or its employees. What would Waka Flocka Flame be doing if he wasnt
rapping? A couple of weeks ago,
the southern bred MC and Gucci Mane cohort acknowledged that he wasnt lyrical
nor was he into lyrics and all hell broke loose. It was as if the young man had desecrated religion or even
worse.
Hes not into lyrics, and obviously his motivation in the
rap game isnt to go down in history as anyones top five, dead or alive. It appears that his motivation is the
same as so many of todays artists, and thats to get paid.
Over the years, weve seen rap evolve. Therefore, with the evolution of rap,
Im sure many would concur, that the participants motivation changed as
well. Initially, MCs just wanted
to move the crowd and thats what they did, upon the inception of the art
form. During the eighties,
arguably we witnessed the most diversification and transitional stages in
rappers, which could probably be credited for laying the benchmark for rappers,
for many years to follow. We had
the likes of Darryl and Joe whose swag was impeccable to none, the knowledge
administered by the eighteenth letter, the consciousness of Public Enemy number
one and the f### the police mentality ushered in easily by n###### with
attitudes, just to name a few. All
different groups and styles existed with one motivation, to tell a story,
educate, inform and through it all, we were entertained.
Then came the nineties when it was imperative to be lyrical;
and the complexities of rappers rhymes made their stories even more brazing and
sinister than what they really were.
Their words were deep, and the way they were spoken, made people rewind
and listen again. Did you hear
what he just said? Many of us
remember making that statement at some point in time in regards to hip hop
music, two decades prior to our present.
Im certain that many of you also recall hearing rappers in interviews
say that they wrote music with the intent of making the listening audience say,
as we pressed rewind, Did you hear what he just said? A statement as such only existed
because their motivation was different.
Many of the early ninety artists were still challenging the presence or
the ghost of those who had paved the way for them to even exist. During that time, Nas was the sire and
blueprint, epitomizing the standard of the art; for Christ sake we all remember
who he was compared to, the eighteenth letter, the God MC. How did he write his rhymes? Probably with a dictionary and
thesaurus close by, and after reading countless material on subject matter such
as politics, religion, economics, history, theatre and the arts, authored by individuals
like Niccolo Machiavelli, William Shakespeare, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,
Prophet Noble Drew Ali, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Malcolm X, George Jackson,
Huey Newton, and Bobby Seal, just to name ten of thousands. Artists of the nineties understood the
story telling component and how to move the crowd, but seemed to thrive on
being part of the argument of whos the best rapper?
Much transpired in the previous decades in hip hop before we
started concerning ourselves with gold and platinum plaques or the amount of
money artists earned for selling their art or brand. Though Puffy and them had everybody throwing their Rollies
in the sky or wishing they could, honestly, it was them boys from the bottom
of the map that changed the motivation in the game in one swoop.
Though hell never be mentioned on any lyricist top five lists,
Percy Miller, masterminded the game and blatantly and unabashedly announced the
new reason and motivation that rappers should be in the game. That No Limit soldier got filthy rich,
quickly, without spitting any complex lyrics; but contrarily for spitting
simplistic lyrics over hard knocking beats and more importantly by understanding
the business that he was partaking in.
True, Puffy, Jay and some others got money to, but I dont believe that
monetary reasons were their initial motives. Initially, classic material seemed to be the driving force,
then they started making a lot of money and the dollar became the motivation.
The difference between many of the artists from the nineties
era who still exist and put out music, in comparison to those who followed
them, Im certain, is the fact that they remember another reason for wanting to
emcee other than to get rich.
Since the new millennium, there have been some acts that
have been able to enter the game with lyrical ability and capitalize on the
business aspect as well. However,
many new acts also realized that rap is a means to an end, a good one; I might
add, if youre somewhat successful with your hustle like a Waka Flocka Flame or
Gucci Mane. Consider this, Waka Flocka
hasnt dropped an album independently or on a major and he gets over $15,000.00
a night to perform, already. Last
year, Gucci Mane dropped his first major release album and prior to that was
already commanding over $30,000 a night to perform. No, theyre not selling out arenas, but theyre performing
at clubs around the country, consistently, on a regular basis and they are
booked throughout the week.
What would Waka Flocka be doing if he wasnt rapping? Hell, I could ask the same question for
many other emcees that may not be deemed the most lyrical and oftentimes rap
about the same content. With that
being said, you could probably ask the same of the quote unquote lyrical
rappers as well. Now, who am I to
say exactly what they would be doing if they werent rapping, but would it be
completely false of me to assume that they would not be legitimately making the
kind of money that they currently earn?
Most of us come from the same type of environment, faced the
same obstacles and had the same dreams.
We all wanted to escape the societal ills inflicted upon us. We were either going to get rich or
die trying. Biggie said that it
would either take us selling crack rock or having a wicked jump shot. Either way, we wanted out. The early stages of hip hop allowed us
to express those suppressed emotions, we shortly found reward through our
expression, and then our motivation to express changed, but still with the same
underlying resolve. Most young
boys from our community dont have a bar mitzvah to indicate that theyre
men. There is no ceremony, instead,
whats the first thing youre reminded as a boy proclaiming to be grown? The first time your mother hear you
say, Im grown she immediately reminds you that youre not grown until you
can fend for yourself by paying bills, such as rent, gas and electric, buy your
own clothes and food. If you watch
one of the most recent videos of Waka Flocka uploaded on different hip hop
sites, youll hear him make a comment about his house which he states is
bigger than your mommas.
Im not mad at Waka or any of the other artists for not
being lyrical because I know their motivation to rap isnt the same as those
individuals who are commonly revered as being great emcees. Again, todays rap is a means to an
end. For many, its just a
hustle. And if there was another legitimate
hustle, which allowed the return to be just as profitable for time invested,
Im certain that theyd pursue that.
As perplexing as it is, truth be told, Id guess that Id
rather see them making an honest living rapping about the trap in simplicity,
than to try to make a living trapping.
(AllHipHop News) Texas rap legend Bun B. continues to work and actively collaborate with a new crop of emcees blossoming in the Hip-Hop genre. Over the weekend, Bun B. was in Austin Texas shooting a video with rappers Chuck Inglish, Chip The Ripper and Freddie Gibbs for an upcoming single. Chuck Inglish and Mickey Rocks form the critically acclaimed duo The Cool Kids, who met via MySpace in 2005.The pair have since released a number of critically acclaimed independent releases, in addition to recording with artists like Twista, Pac D##, Cleveland rapper Chip The Ripper has been bubbling based on releases like Get It Girl and Fitted in addition to being cosigned by producer Hi-Tek. Gary, Indiana native Freddie Gibbs has already worked with a number of top producers, including Just Blaze, Alchemist, Buckwild and others in addition to being featured in XXL magazine, as well as AllHipHop.coms Breeding Ground. Its just something we came together and did, Bun B. told AllHipHop.com in regards to the singles origin. Rich Perry, the manager for The Cool Kids and Pac D## was like yo, Im trying to do a something a little different, I got this track, I just want to put a couple of cats on it and see what happens. We just got together and did it, Bun B. stated. Bun B. has been recording for almost as many years as all of the new artists have combined. This fact does not deter Bun from working with the latest in Hip-Hop talent. You cant break the cycle, Bun B. told AllHipHop.com. Life goes in cycles and theres cycles within the main cycle. You look around and you see things happening that happened before in the past and you see the new resurgence of emcees and if you dont step out the way sometimes and let these kids come through, they are just going to push you out of the way. I give my blessings and my cosigns, and I put them on my shoulders so to speak and they give me game and hopefully they come back and pull me up and then we pull somebody else up. And thats how they game supposed to go. Bun B. is currently working on his new album Trill O.G. for Rap-A-Lot/Universal Records.
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.
SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!!
I maintain, as I have for the longest, that we are looking at the end of the world as we know it! My Boy Bobjohnson (thats his real full first name!) hit me with this story from the Saginaw News! A 45-year-old woman traded her GRANDDAUGHTER to an OLD PERVERT for COCAINE. The man proceeded to sexually abuse this 10-year-old girl. WHAT IS GOING ON? Peep the story from the Saginaw News!
To satisfy her drug habit, a Saginaw Township woman traded her 10-year-old granddaughter to a 67-year-old Saginaw man who sexually assaulted the girl, police say.
Angela A. Blackwell, 45, who last lived at 1410 S. Center, Apt. 4, is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13 and a single count of pandering or pimping.
A judge has signed an arrest warrant charging Johnnie L. Griffin, who last lived at 2517 Owen, with two counts of first-degree and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 as well as two gun charges. Police continue to search for him.
First-degree criminal sexual conduct, the most serious of sexual assault offenses, involves penetration and carries a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. When the charge concerns a person under 13, the minimum sentence is 25 years. Second degree involves touching and carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
ITS NOT EVEN HER DAUGHTER! READ ON HOW IT WENT DOWN!
Dutoi said the granddaughter would visit Blackwell on weekends, and Blackwell would bring her to Griffins home, where, in exchange for cocaine or other narcotics, Griffin would be allowed to sexually assault the granddaughter. The first assault took place in September and last assault was in February, Dutoi said.
I hope they get this piece of human trash and destroy the body. Here is his face if you see him. He drives a two-tone pick-up truck. And the grandmother needs to be flown to a country with harsher punishments than our own civilized nation.
ANOTHER SIGN: THERE ARE SCHOLARSHIPS OUT THER AND BLACK MEN ARE NOT APPLYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everybody is not a hate-filled idiot! If you are colleged-aged or in college…look below…this means YOU!
African American Scholarships Under-utilized – Pass the Word! AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE NOT APPLYING!Even if you do not have a college-aged child at home, please share this with someone who does, pass this scholarship information on to anyone and everyone that comes to mind. Though there are a number of companies and organizations that have donated moneys for scholarship use to African Americans, a great deal of the money is being returned because of a lack of interest.If you don’t ask or apply, no one will offer a scholarship.Take the initiative to get your children involved. There is no need for money to be returned to donating companies because we fail to apply for it.Please pass this information on to family members, nieces, nephews, friends with children etc. We must get the word out that money is available. If you are a college student or getting ready to become one, you probably already know how useful additional money can be. Our youth really could use these scholarships.Note: (If clicking on the link doesn’t work, then type in the Web site address manually or search the internet for program name)1) Bell Labs Fellowships for Under Represented Minorities http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.invent.org/collegiate3) Student Video Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;holocaust.hklaw.com/=206) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.aynrand.org/contests/7) Brand Essay Competition http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.htm8) Gates Millennium Scholarships (major) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=129) Xerox Scholarships for Students http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp10) Sports Scholarships and Internships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html 12) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr/jobs/stw.html13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm14) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.finaid.org/15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/16) Microsoft Scholarship Program http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp17) WiredScholar Free Scholarship Search http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.wiredscholar.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp18) Hope Scholarships &Lifetime Credits http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.ed.gov/inits/hope/19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-!assistance/Scholarship/blackhtml21) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.roothbertfund.com22) BOEING scholarships (soma e HBCU connects) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.boeing.com/companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships23) Easley National Scholarship Program http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.naas.org/senior.htm24) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.maef.org/26) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida ) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;ww w.http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;jackituckfield.org/27) Historically Black College & University Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm 28) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm29) International Students Scholarshi ps &Aid Help http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.iefa.org/30) College Board Scholarship Search http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html31) Burger King Scholarship Program http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.bkscholars.csfa.org/32) Siemens Westinghouse Competition http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.siemens-foundation.org/33) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html35) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.aflcioorg/scholarships/scholar.htm36) Federal Scholarships &Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm37) Scholarship &Financial Aid Help http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm38) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm39) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form &Info) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.fafsa.ed.gov/41) Scholarships and Fellowships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.html42) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west.htm43) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships ( for study around the world) http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html44) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1html45) INROADS internships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.inroads.org/46) ACT-SO bEURoeOlympics of the Mind ‘A Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml47) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp48) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html49) Graduate Fellowships For Minorities Nationwide http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES50) RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS AT OXFORD http://www.facebook.com/l/78a3b;www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html
LIL GIRL, WE LOVE YOU!!!
They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!
-illseed
WHO: illseed.com
WHAT: Rumors
WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed
HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at [email protected].
(AllHipHop News) Rap legend and actor LL Cool J will perform during the NCAAs Mens Final Four weekend taking place in downtown Indianapolis in from April 2-4. LL will hit the stage during Big Dance Sunday, which caps the free three-day concert, which will also feature a performance by The Goo Goo Dolls. The weekend features interactive displays, free food and other forms of entertainment. Other notable acts performing during the weekend include Darius Rucker, Daughtrey and The Stone Temple Pilots. Im really looking forward to performing at the White River State Park on April 4th during the NCAA Mens Final Four weekend, LL Cool J told AllHipHop.com in a statement. The Final Four is one of the most highly attended tournaments in college sports & has some of the most passionate fans. They always have a great time & I’m thrilled to be a part of the excitement. LL, who currently has a starring role on CBSs#### series NCIS: Los Angeles, is also working on new artist-friendly website, Boomdizzle.com. The NCAAs Mens Final Four Weekend takes place April 2-4 at White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis.