Kelly Rowland is featured in the latest issue of Complex Magazine. MAN, tell me Kelly isn’t stuntin’ on these fools…
Wait there’s more…
MAKE IT RAIN, KELLY!WHO: illseedWHAT: Rumors, Funnies, Fails and more!WHERE: illseed.com, twitter.com.illseedHOW: Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com.KELLY, WE LOVE YOU!
(AllHipHop News) A mistrial has been declared in the drug case of Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton, who alleged attempted to purchase five kilos of cocaine from an FBI informant last year. According to reports, the 12 jurors could not reach a verdict after four days of deliberating Buju Banton’s guilty, prompting U.S. District Judge James Moody declare a mistrial. The reggae singer, born Mark Myrie, was arrested in December of 2009, after surveillance camera allegedly caught the singer and associates making a drug transaction with an undercover officer. Buju allegedly inspected the shipment, resulting in multiple charges, including conspiracy to posses and intent to distribute in addition to possession of a firearm during the course of illegal activity.Buju Banton’s lawyers claims the government entrapped the singer because they used a government informant who pressured him to purchase the cocaine. Lawyers for Buju Banton are attempting to have the reggae star bonded out of a federal prison in Tampa, where was transferred after his initial arrest in Miami. Buju Banton is facing life in prison if he is convicted of the charges, which include conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm during the course of a felony.
[Editor’s Note: I already knew he was an ill MC before I met him. He sounds like this Philly/NY rapper transposed in Houston over these ill beats but he’s from the H for sure. Then I saw how musical he was in the studio, from audio mixing and breaking down elements of a track and verse. His music knowledge is crazy and his flow is fierce, this kid is NICE. -Steve Raze]Tha Centop, who is lovingly referred to as the Remix
King by fans, is about making movement not only for himself but others. I
experienced this first hand after texting Tha Centop manager to schedule an
interview. At the bottom of her e-mail it said, Tha Centop were going to GET
IT and highly motivated to get YOU there. Not only is he trying to help other
people in the industry get some shine, his main goal is to bring some
positivity to Houston rap. Thats refreshing to say the least.
Tha
Centops sound is a mixture of those deep soulful country beats laced with
lyrics that contain content. Tha Centop is reminiscent of Scarface, as cliché
as it may sound, the comparison is there. Working to build a better environment
not only for Houston but Hip-Hop as a whole, this Texas lyricist is making his
mark one showcase at a time. Hes a pleasant surprise to a scene and sound that
is generally overlooked by mainstream recently.
Music:Tha Centop – “Tha (Cy)pher” Tha Centop Ft. Alicia James – “Morality Music”
AllHipHop.com: Explain your name Tha Centop.
Tha Centop: Basically centi is one hundredth of a
measurement. Then there is top, which is the peak. Therefore my name stands for
one out of hundred.
AllHipHop.com: Describe your take on the Houston music
scene.
Tha Centop: As far as the sounds of the music, or the
environment?
AllHipHop.com: Ill take both.
Tha Centop: As far as the music goes, most people would
notice the style as being DJ Screw, Bun B, Scarface and Pimp C. It would be
that kind of country rap where they would talk about their cars and stuff like
that. What is beginning to happen is its starting to change over to newer
artists being more lyrical. Youll notice more sampling. There is a stronger,
well rounded sound. As far as the environment, I would have to say it is very
click oriented. You have the small circles and what not. There are so many
different artists that have talent that it gives that crabs in a bucket
mentality. Thats why we started to put together these different shows to try
and bring these artists together. This way it can get back to where we were mainstreaming
in 04 and 05.AllHipHop.com: Tell me more about these shows you put
together.
Tha Centop: Basically we started a show circuit called
Tha Four Horsemen Circuit. Its based off the group that has Rock Show,
Kriktal, Mr. PKT and myself. We put out a couple songs. One of them got posted
called For Introduction and we got a lot of good feedback and we also got a
lot of backlash. We got it because of the original Four Horsemen that put out
music about 10 years ago. People felt like we were riding off of that name. We
feel like there was never a project so it was never really a group. Yet we put
together a circuit that gets a bunch of artists together. It has everything
from homosexual artists to conscious rappers to gangster rappers. We put them all
together in one show. It does pretty good as far as selling it out, promoting
and what not. We have some good footage. Those are the types of things were
doing now. We have R&B shows, comedy shows and stuff like that to get the
entertainment life back to where it was.
AllHipHop.com: Whats the response like for the
homosexual rappers in your shows?
Tha Centop: There are a lot of male and female homosexual
rappers. Some of them have huge followings. We took a female rapper by the name
of Rome, she has a good following. We put her in the show because the artists
we put in have fan bases. They werent able to book shows because they were not
running around in those circles. We gave them an opportunity to get to perform
for their fans and people who may not know who they are.
“I cant say that Im a gangster rapper or Im a conscious rapper or
Im a party rapper because my music its just how Im feeling at the time.”
AllHipHop.com: What was meeting 8Ball & MJG like for
you?
Tha Centop: When I was in 8th grade, he came
to my school and talked with us. He came and gave us music to some unreleased
songs at the time and videos. He was around us and freestyling and talking to
us. At the time no one was doing that really. He was the first person to tell
me that rap is good for rhythm and poetry. I wasnt really enthused by Hip-Hop.
Basically taking those words three years later, I was playing football and once
I couldnt play football anymore, thats when I really got into writing. A few
years later I got into recording my own stuff. I didnt record my first song
until about 2005. Whenever I write I think about what 8 Ball told me.
AllHipHop.com: Have you had any other star encounters
since? How about working with other artists?
Tha Centop: Ive met with a lot of different people. Ive
done some engineering work for people. I have sat around and met with people or
sat in on conferences talking about the trade. I am around artists mostly from
the Houston area and I just listen to what they say. Everybody has a story.
Everyone has a reason for doing it. Everybody might try and say what to do and
what not to do. I would rather spend time listening to these artists then
actually talking to them. I would like to hear what they had to say. What they
would offer up.
AllHipHop.com: Have you performed outside of Texas?
Tha Centop: Weve done some things in Oklahoma. We have
done some things in Louisiana. Personally I like it because I have a pretty
decent MySpace buzz when MySpace was the thing to do. I would go places and
people would notice me from my MySpace. That was cool to me to be in New
Orleans and have people come up to me saying Im one of their MySpace friends.
For me not to have a record on the radio was a big deal. People would ask for
autographs, mixtapes and things like that. To me that was great. To get that
buzz was cool. To have people tell me, I saw your face on AllHipHop.com, I
liked the type of freestyles you did. Then I would have some people want to
battle me. To have things like that happening was cool. I would like to excel
so I can get into more touring in the earlier part of 2011.
AllHipHop.com: What do you want people to take away from
your work?
Tha Centop: What I want people to take away from my music
is the fact that its my music. Its what and how I feel at the time. Its very
scattered. I cant say that Im a gangster rapper or Im a conscious rapper or
Im a party rapper because my music its just how Im feeling at the time. Even
when I do the fun music, I try to present it in a clever enough way so that
its not considered bubblegum music. For people o really get my stuff, you have
to listen a couple times. I have said stuff before and after the actual punch
line. People can see they have something before and after to take things
further. Thats my thing, to have something to make people think.
AllHipHop.com: Have you been compared to any other
artists? What artists would you like to work with?
Tha Centop: Probably the Gift and the Curse, mostly because I have a lot people tell me I
sound similar to him. Which I dont really hear myself, but I get that a lot. Im
a big Jay-Z fan. I like J.Cole, I like what hes doing. I would like to do some
type of cipher with Cassidy or Joe Budden; somebone like that.
AllHipHop.com: What Southern rap trend would you like to
bring back?
Tha Centop: I think to bring back more of that late 90s
sound. Not even just the Southern rap, just the way that you felt and believed
what rappers are talking about. It just seems like a lot of rappers are just
image because thats what theyre told to do. Theres no realism to it. I would
like to see that realism come back. I think it would help record sells. If
everyone is gangsters and selling keys and what not then it seems unbelievable.
Visit Tha Centop atMySpace.com/thacentoptwitter.com/tha_centop
(AllHipHop News) Rap star/producer Wyclef was recently hospitalized with chest pains.According to sources, the rapper went to the hospital over the weekend. Jean, 37, became exhausted after the past three months, as he worked on his career and a bid for the president of Haiti.”I’m doing fine, just over worked. I Thank every one for their outreach and prayers,” Wyclef Jean told AllHipHop.com in an exclusive statement.A representative for Wyclef Jean said that the rapper suffered from stress due to lack of sleep, from a hectic travel schedule.”Wyclef is currently suffering the effects of lack of sleep and stress, global travel, even the endless public eye, and has asked that his fans and supporters bear with him for the next several days as he regains his physical health and stamina,” a rep said in a statement.Doctors ordered Wyclef to get more rest and released him from the hospital.When he is fully recovered, Wyclef Jean plans to return to Haiti to help the rebuilding process, after the nation was rocked by a 7.0 earthquake in January.
DISCLAIMER:All
content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual
info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.WHO: illseedWHAT: Rumors, Funnies, Fails and more!WHERE: illseed.com, twitter.com.illseedHOW: Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com.INFO/RUMORS ON BISHOP EDDIE LONG
Some people don’t get it, but somebody told me that I wrote previous rumors about Eddie Long regarding some of these issues. I don’t mean last week, I mean years ago. But, I do a million rumors per year and I don’t even remember. Well, this is what I am hearing from somebody that attends New Birth church as a member. First of all, the member tells me that he doesn’t believe the charges are true. He said that the church has men mentoring boys to be men, which is cool. I think men are supposed to teach boys how to be men. This opens up a bunch of other opinions I have, but I will stay on point right now.
So, a few of these boys/men got upset at Bishop Eddie Long and decide to charge him with these homosexual and p### acts. So, lets consider the motives behind the charges. One of the boys is apparently got himself in some trouble, which includes getting a girl preggers (if you consider that trouble). This person that hit me up said that he believes that this person is capable of shaking the Bishop down and even said that he thinks the guy’s mother could be party to it too.
But here is the weird part for me, because I am not 100% versed in this as others….but…
There are four men/boys that accuse Eddie Long of coercing them into sex, among other things. BUT, from what I have been told there are about 30 OTHERS that are also in the wings ready to set it on Eddie Long. Now, let me say that I am not going to bash Eddie Long. I had some opinions, but I have to wonder…how are there four or even 30 people that all come forth and make these accusations? Everybody can’t be a malicious liar. Everybody can’t be willing to say they are gay for the sake of revenge, can they? I mean, in my opinion it takes a lot to get 4 straight men together and say they have gay tendencies…and then to say 30? That’s just crazy. Then, there is some of the other damning evidence.
I also got another very interesting email that ran down all of the great things that New Birth church under Eddie Long has done. I can’t even say anything. That’s a mega church that does a lot of good in the hood (so to speak). From donating blood to employing the unemployed..a lot of good is going down there. The first email I got said that Bishop Eddie Long is a good man and he’s NOT guilty of these charges. Hopefully he’s right.
Here is one of Eddie Long’s speeches that somehow they are saying relates to HIp-Hop. I have to admit…I’m looking at Eddie’s hairline. That thing is different every time I see it!
BISHOP EDDIE, WE LOVE YOU! (NO MORE JOKES)They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!
The Next 48 Hours crew follows the release of England’s Professor Green. Check out the grind getting his album released in this unique docu-series.
Incarcerated Rapper Lil’ Wayne has turned 28 today (September 27th). In honor of his birthday, which he spends on Rikers Island, the Cash Money/Young Money rapper is releasing his new album “I Am Not a Human Being” digitally.While serving an eight-month sentence for weapons charges, the rapper expects to be released November 4th, at which point fans can expect to hear more about his highly anticipated fourth installment of the Carter series, The Carter IV.
I Am Not A Human Being is the rappers eighth album and will become available in stores in the coming weeks (October 12th).At first only an EP, but now an album with 12 tracks, many critics are regarding this release as one of his best ever and “classic Wayne”.Nicki Minaj, Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda, Tyga, Jay Sean, T-Streets, Lil’ Twist, Travis Barker round out the cast on the album. Below is a track listing:
“I’m Not a Human Being” Track Listing:
1. Gonorrhea feat. Drake
2. Hold Up feat. T-Streets
3. With You feat. Drake
4. I Am Not a Human Being
5. Im Single feat. Drake
6. Whats Wrong With Them feat. Nicki Minaj
7. Right Above It feat. Drake
8. Popular feat. Lil Twist
9. That Aint Me feat. Jay Sean
10. Bill Gates
11. YM Banger feat. Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda, and Tyga
12. YM Salute feat. Lil Twist, Lil Chuckee, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz, and Nicki Minaj
(AllHipHop News) Cleveland, Ohio rapper/actor Kid Cudi has pleaded guilty to drug possession charges, after he was busted with liquid cocaine in X. According to TMZ.com, Kid Cudi, born Scott Mescudi pled guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree, on Friday (September 24th) in court. The rapper was sentenced to two days of community service and must avoid any trouble for the next six months. Kid Cudi, who is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, was busted in June after an altercation with a woman in New York. Police responded to calls after Kid Cudi allegedly destroyed the woman’s phone during the incident and kicked down her door. Arriving officers searched the rapper and found him to be in possession of liquid cocaine.”I had a newfound respect for T.I. and Wayne,” Kid Cudi told Spin in a recent interview. “I only spent 15 hours in there! I was scared straight, going through the shakes, having no food, being held captive. It didnt matter who I was in the world.
Rapper Lloyd Banks has commented on his recent gold plaque for his hit single “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.”
Lloyd Banks revealed that the hit single was recorded on a shoestring budget.
“Climate wise, as far as the economy goes, it’s a beautiful thing man,”
Banks said in a statement. “When you are coming from an independent
standpoint, an independent gold record is really a platinum record and a
platinum record is a double platinum record. This record was recorded
in my home, mixed and mastered out the pocket. G-Unit as a record label
worked it, and here we are: 500,000 copies sold a few months later.”
Lloyd Banks is preparing to release H.F.M. 2., his first full-length album since 2006’s Rotten Apple.
H.F.M. 2. features guest appearances by G-Unit members 50 Cent and Tony Yayo.
Former rival Styles P also checks in, along with Pusha T, Jeremih, Ryan Leslie, and Akon.
H.F.M.2 is slated to land in stores November 23rd on 50 Cent’s G-Unit imprint.
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star Lil Wayne has been tapped to appear in a nationwide advertising campaign for the upcoming video game, Def Jam Rapstar. The New York Post reports that Lil Wayne will appear on billboard ads wearing handcuffs on one wrist to promote the game, which is slated to land in stores on October 5th. The game features classic and popular Hip-Hop songs that the users interactively performs along with. The karaoke rap video game can be played in three speeds: solo (one player), duet (two players playing together), and battle (two players against each other for points). Artists like The Notorious B.I.G. (Juicy), A Tribe Called Quest (Scenario), Big Pun (Still Not A Player), 50 Cent (I Get Money) and Lil Wayne (A Milli) are featured on the game. Def Jam Rapstar sells for between $49.99-$69.99.
DISCLAIMER:All
content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual
info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.WHO: illseedWHAT: Rumors, Funnies, Fails and more!WHERE: illseed.com, twitter.com.illseedHOW: Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com.
THE DAILY TWO SENSE
The weekend was pretty dead. I had some rumors on on Saturday and by Sunday they were either dead or disproved. One of the first rumors was that Eddie Long was quitting…read on.
EDDIE LONG NOT QUITTING!
Eddie Long has decided to fight the charges against him and stay at his church. If you attend the Bishop’s church, send me an email on your thoughts to al*************@***il.com.
Dude needs to be charged with his hair issues.
ILLSEED’S QUICKIES
There are rumors that Lil Wayne was beat up in jail. I’m hear to tell you, it ain’t true.
LOL! Al-Quaeda is unhappy with 50 Cent for comparing himself to Bin Laden.
Rick Ross brought out Slim Thug out in Dallas and they performed their song “Paid The Cost.” Beef DEAD.
Drake and Rihanna have recorded a new song. Do you care?
MTO is reporting that Saul Williams and Pershia White have broken up. Seems like it may be true.
I see the iPad is all the rage in church now that Eddie Long has used it. LOL!
?
Shaq’s ex-wife got booty implants?
RIP to Dick Griffey. Dude was an industry titan. I can’t even start on his legacy…please google him.
?
JERMAINE JACKSON HAS ISSUES!
Jermaine Jackson is BROKE? I thought he would still be getting paid from sales of “Lets Get Serious” or something! Well, he told a judge that he cannot afford to pay support for his kids Jermajesty and Jaafar. He’s supposed to be paying THREE STACKS per month right now. He says his monthly salary is about $1,100 altogether. His baby moms makes more than him and gets the cake. Oh…did you know that he and Randy Jackson have the same baby mom? SMH. This is why she gets a break…she got preg by two Jacksons. She just didn’t bag MJ.
LIL KIM STARTS SALON
Lil Kim and her cousin Katrise Jones have opened a new hair salon in North Carolina. Nice to see Lil Kim doing better and looking better.
IS HAMMER GETTING READY FOR A FIGHT?
I’m seriously wondering where this MC Hammer and Jay-Z stuff is going. Well, MC Hammer seems to have been in training before it went down.
BABY BASH….EXPOSED?
I don’t know if anybody dares to care about this. But a rapper named Coogi Kid feels he caught Baby Bash recycling a verse that he gave him.
RICK ROSS TALKS SEX TAPE
Rick Ross shoots down all the rumors of him doing a sex tape.
MIKEY T’S RUMORS
Mikey T’s got some rumors for you. You know the rules. You need to translate it and edit it, because I’m not. Shout out to MT!
In other news ya boy Mikey T The Movie Star got for you
Young Lyfe a member of Ja Rule’s Indie Imprint Mpire
will be dropping his new mixtape October 1st , Rule is working
hard on this label as well of the launch of his website
Young Buck still is in Tenesse , rumor is he has a few
movies lined up , nothing self financed .
it was looking like Prodigy was going to get out in
November but his release is looking like Early 2011.
No Word on the Max B Album , everybodys hoping Max come home
for Christmas .
Tony Yayo Album as early as Feb of 2011 Hunger for More 2 vs Pink Friday
speaking of G-unit Releases
it seems Banks is really taking it back
with this album H4M2 with the major features
Fab , Eminem , 50 , Jada …an it’s looking
like 50 is putting some weight behind the project
in the recent video about pranking Banks
at the top of the video it read Blue Friday , can
Banks pose a threat against Nicki’s Pink Friday November 23rd
MARIAH’S NOT LOOKING PREGGERS
Meanwhile, Mariah fell in Singapore.
WOW, LALA.
JAZZY F’S RUMORS!Jazzy F did some rumors FRIDAY and I just discovered them SUNDAY. Don’t blame him … blame me.WHAT HAPPEN TO NICKI MINAJ FIRST MANAGEMENT GROUP DIRTY MONEYWhat
happen to Fendi, Gravy and Dirty Money. You all remember The real Dirty
Money crew right? Now listen this was the group that brought us all
Nicki Minaj. Fendi was the guy that sat on the project steps with Nicki
Minaj with the baby phat bag with two stacks in it. Fendi was Nicki
Minaj’s manager at the time but since Nicki Minaj went with Deb Antney
we have not heard a thing about what happen to Dirty Money and Nicki
Minaj.I remember one time on a DVD Nicki said I bought that Ni66A Fendi
out! Did She?JAY-Z PUT SALT IN CHRIS BROWN TOUR GAMEWord on the
street is. On the low Jay-Z had something to do with Chris Brown not
being able to tour with Usher. This just may be true because its funny
how Chris Brown is out and Trey Songz is in. Trey Songz went on tour
with Jay-Z and who has been on the studio with Usher lately? Jay-Z
#imjustsayinKANYE WEST CAN WEAR ANYTHING BECAUSE HE IS KANYE WESTKanye
West believes he can wear anything because he is Kanye. He stated on
his twitter that when he went to see Lil Wayne on Rikers Island. The
guard told him his shoes were the bizness. Well the shoes turned out to
be slippers.The guard gave Kanye the compliment and he replied yes they
are I am Kanye West. Hey Kanye I thought the EGO was gone. LATERZ
ILLSEED, WE HATE YOU! They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!
Whether you like them or not, there is no denying that The Cali Swag District have got people talking and dancing across the nation led by their break out single, Teach Me How To Dougie. The young four man rap group from Inglewood, CA located within Los Angeles took many by surprise this year as their single picked up radio and club steam and received endorsements from entertainers and sports figures such as Steve Nash, Big Baby Davis, Kim Kardashian and many others. The group has followed up on the success of Dougie with Where You Are, a song which samples the late great Michael Jackson.
With the new album The Kickback coming out this October 12, two members of the Cali Swag District decided to talk to AllHipHop.com and answer some questions about their group and even speak a little to their skeptics. With a difference in music and fashion styles it’s no secret that there is a gap between the older and younger hip-hop generations and maybe with some conversation we can help bridge that gap and understand each other a little better.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the song that started it all, Teach Me How To Dougie. You guys have stars and athletes videotaping themselves doing the dance because of your song.
Yung: Big Baby from The Boston Celtics did that recently and he knew how to do it too! He had the head movements right and all. He’s just kind of big so it looked funny.
AllHipHop.com: I’m sure I’m not the only older hip-hop fan out there that’s clueless about the Dougie dance, so give us the info on it.
Yung: The dance actually came from Doug E. Fresh’s head movement. The people in Dallas, TX turned it in to the D-Town Boogie. One of our friends went down to Texas on a break and came back and told us that the dance was hot down there but not really here in L.A. He came up with the concept and we did the song. We actually had the lyrics finished before the beat was done. We went in the booth and blazed it and started a dance craze nationwide. The dance is from Dallas, TX. It’s not from us and we did not invent it.
Cali Swag District: “Teach Me How To Dougie”
AllHipHop.com: The Jerk dance craze was hot for a minute and that started with another West Coast group , The New Boyz. This wasn’t a response to that?
Smoove: Not at all. It has no ties to the Jerk movement. We weren’t trying to shut it down or none of that. It was just a song that we decided to do.
Yung: We wanted to do something different because everybody’s Jerk songs sounded the same.
AllHipHop.com: Give me a little insight in to your group. How did you guys come together?
Smoove: Big Wy (of the group The Relativez) put us together. Weve been friends for a long time but we were doing our own thing musically. I was DJing myself and the others had their own solo rap careers. Big Wy wanted to put together a group and thought that we all possessed that talent to be that group. He had the name together already and none of us liked it at first. It grew on us and now it means something to us. We are from California. Our Swag is all different – our characters and dress is different from each other. Our District is our city which is Inglewood.
AllHipHop.com: Why didnt you like the name at first?
Yung: It was kind of corny to us at first. It was California Swag District at first but we shortened it to Cali. We all kind of looked at each other when they first told us the name.
Smoove: It just didnt fit in with the names of what other crews in our area had or people our age. It grew on us though.
AllHipHop.com: So you can understand how some fans might not like the name when they first hear it?
Yung: Like who are these guys and what’s this? Yeah, we admit that but when they take the time to know us, they love it.
AllHipHop.com: The West Coast is known for it’s gangster rap, even your mentor Big Wy with his work with The Relativez. You guys are coming from a totally different field.
Smoove: Times have changed. The things that Snoop, Ice Cube and N.W.A. Used to rap about were things that they were dealing with and the way they came up. Some people know still go through that but that’s not what we are trying to express in our music. Us personally, we don’t face that lifestyle as hard as they did. Gangs are still there but it’s not as serious now to us. Our generation is all about having fun, meeting females and all of that crazy stuff. We don’t care about being hard that’s outdated. We express ourselves through our music in a whole different way. We are just having fun with it.
AllHipHop.com: Do you get any negative feedback about that from people in the West Coast?
Yung: We get love from a lot of the old artists and gangster rappers. Our visionary is Big Wy. If he put us together and said thinks that it’s cool, then everybody else thinks so too. DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg and many of the older artists show us love.
AllHipHop.com: I wanted to ask you about the New West. A lot of them have been working hard for years and you guys show up quick on the scene and bypassed many of them. Do you get a lot of hard feelings from them?
Smoove: Not at all. We are cool with a lot of them especially Nipsey Hussle and YG. We are all doing our thing and there is no hatred involved. We all show each other love.
AllHipHop.com: Teach Me How To Dougie really took off and some out there said that was going to be your only Hit song. What do you have to say to those who base your success off of what they deem as a gimmick?
Yung: To me it’s cool because I take it that they are looking for another hit. We like to prove people wrong. Our second single which features Michael Jackson is called Where You Are. We are going to hit a lot of people over the head with that one. We are going to prove people wrong.
Smoove: We already have because it was premiered on TMZ and played earlier today on L.A.’s Power 106 FM. We’ve already been getting feedback about the record. The new record is big and may be even bigger than Teach Me How To Dougie. Our manager brought the idea of that song to us and we loved it.
AllHipHop.com: I was actually happy to see that you guys sampled a classic. You don’t see many of today’s younger artists taking it back to the classics like the older Hip-Hop generations did.
Smoove: We knew that the idea was going to work. You can’t find someone who isn’t a Michael Jackson fan. Our studio is actually where Michael Jackson’s clothes used to be made his boutique. We randomly found that out one day. It was like he was haunting us or something because not only was our studio his former boutique but our first tour bus was used by The Jackson 5.
Cali Swag District: “Where You Are”
AllHipHop.com: Did you feel any pressure to come up with another hit after Teach Me How To Dougie? It’s common for a new group to have one hit record and then fall out of people’s memories down the line.
Smoove: Not at all. We are confident in what we can do. We sat back and allowed the right record to come to us and it happened. I can honestly say that there was no pressure in trying to top Teach Me How To Dougie.
AllHipHop.com: What do you have to say about Hip-Hop fans that are into rap “skills” who dismiss your music?
Smoove: We have songs that we’ve recorded where we get lyrical. It’s just that the one’s that are out now are not as lyrical. We are real diverse and we have range with our skills. Time will tell if you guys agree. The album is crazy and has lyrics on it.
Yung: Right now our generation likes the band chants and to have fun. Our generation is really not in to lyrics for some reason. You’ve got Drake and everybody likes him but our generation likes to have fun so we’ve got to represent that. Our album is titled The Kickback which is like partying. We are definitely going to try and show our lyrical side on the album and letting people know that we really can rap.
Converse has announced its new Fall 2010 brand campaign entitled, “The
Procession”, featuring product with the iconic Converse “Star Chevron”
logo, including the new Star Player Evo shoe.
Developed to pay homage to legends of Converses past, present and
future and to celebrate basketball along with the breadth of Converse
product.
The ads for the campaign shine a light on the iconic Star Chevron mark
and give nods to Converse’s connection to the worlds of sport, music
and culture.
The ads, which were directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua,
feature basketball icon Julius “Dr. J” Erving, rapper Jim Jones,
legendary ball-handler God Shammgod, Harlem streetball player Adrian
“A-Butta” Walton, Hip-Hop icon Doug E Fresh, skaters Kenny Anderson,
Sammy Baca, Rune Glifberg, Eli Reed and others.
“[Basketball]…its like a ritual. The basketball being the thing that
brings everybody [together]. The rhythm and the beat,” said director
Antoine Fuqua. “Converse is taking it to the streets. The streets are
the heart beat.”
During the ad, each of its cultural, torch-bearer stars symbolically pass the torch and give nod to each other.
Dr J. and Doug E Fresh represent Converses heritage and the brands deep connection to sport, music and culture.
Simultaneously, Carlos Arroyo, Jim Jones, the Converse skate team, and
the others all forge the strong connection of how Converse connects
today and for the future.
In addition to the ad, each of the stars are featured in a series of
online vignettes taken from outtakes that illuminate their mutual
admiration for each other and that blur the lines of sport, music and
lifestyle.
The national television spot will launch tonight (September 26th), during FOX Televisions The Family Guy.
Just because you run with Kanye West doesnt mean your entitled to a free ride. Big Sean knows this all too well as a member of Wests growing G.O.O.D. Music imprint. Instead of waiting on a label push, the 22-year-old emcee has used his Finally Famous mixtape series to build his rep over the last three years. Now that hes finally approaching the release of his first LP, Sean is making a final tour push to get fans ready for his official introduction to the world.
The last Saturday’s (September 18) event was organized by Gold Ice Circuitry Media, who did an excellent job of getting the word out through a strong viral campaign, and video spots from Sean.
The crowd was heavily composed of young college kids, who were treated to a loaded lineup of opening acts in Plane Jane Hollyweerd, FKi, Re, and Simp. One of the hardest things performance-wise for an artist is trying to win over a crowd thats unfamiliar with your music. In Hip-Hop, the difficulty can be mounted by bad sound systems which can distort the presentation. Everyone worked very hard, but they were unfortunately performing for a headline-only crowd, meaning an audience that would only be hugely receptive for the main act.
Even Atlanta native Pill have trouble breaking the chilly reception despite rocking very good freestyle tributes to Biggie and Big Pun. However, the young emcee displayed an intuitive ability that many rappers never learn; the skill of improvisation. Pill began to intro and close his songs with several humorous anecdotes about his personal life. Many of them were highly unflattering, such as him missing his first cue to come out because he was high, and another about posing as a student to work Clark Atlanta Universitys campus as a weed connect. As silly as they were, the short stories won the crowd over, and everyone became more receptive to tracks from his recent 1140: The Overdose mixtape like On da Korner, Hard in Da Trap, and We Outside.
Don Cannon came out to man the turntables for Big Seans anticipated appearance. The Detroit emcee opted to hit the stage to Final Hour, the opening track off his latest mixtape Finally Famous 3. Immediately, he went right into the airy Rollin off his previous offering Uknowbigsean. That song got an audible pop from the crowd, and set the trend of what type of tracks would elicit the strongest reactions for the rest of the night.
Today, mainstream Hip-Hop emphasizes melody and harmony more so than lyrical dexterity. So it was not surprising that Seans sing-song pieces like Meant to Be and Desire, Want & Need were big favorites with the audience. Still, those in attendance who prefer their Hip-Hop with a sharper edge were treated to joints like Closet and Fast Raps. Being in Atlanta, Sean made sure to put extra energy into his vocal and stage movements for Supa Dupa Lemonade, his version of the popular Gucci Mane single.
Big Sean concluded his set with What U Doin, Bullshitting, which allowed the crowd to have a big call and response finale courtesy of the tracks chorus. Afterward, Sean was gracious enough to remain in the venue to greet fans and conduct local interviews.
Big Seans Finally Famous mixtape series essentially tells the story of someone arriving in life by achieving their professional goals. What Seans learned is that the process never truly ends as long as theres breath in your body. His next test will the release of his debut album sometime this fall. So far, things are looking promising.
Ismael AbduSalaam is a senior staff writer for AllHipHop.com, and the creator of Beats, Boxing and Mayhem, a website specializing in boxing and Hip-Hop coverage.
(AllHipHop News) Veteran rapper/actor Christopher “Kid” Reid of the Hip-Hop duo Kid-N-Play made a high profile appearance on Bill Maher’s HBO series, Real Time With Bill Maher. The rapper was featured during a spoof of Delaware’s Tea Party Republican candidate Christine O’Donnell, who is attempting to win former Senator Joe Biden’s vacant seat. Kid was dressed in classic 90’s gear, along with his signature high-top box fade, which he popularized in movies like Class Act and the House Party franchise of movies. O’Donnell appeared on Maher’s show multiple times, 22 episodes in all, in which the candidate for Senate express her opinions on a variety of subjects, including the controversial October, 1999 comments in which she admitted to “dabbling in witchcraft.”In addition to Kid, Last night’s spoof featured Edie McClurg and Kato Kaelin, along with the O’Donnell impersonator, who admitted that she “killed a Mexican” during a game of truth or dare. At the end of the skit, Maher also cracked a joke on Philadelphia rapper/actor Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. “Tomorrow night, I tell ya, we have a young man who I predict is going to be a break out star. From DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff is gonna be here! Thank you and have a good night!”Later in the show, Maher played a real clip from 1998, in which Christine O’Donnell called the theory of evolution a “myth.”Kid’s appearance on Bill Maher is not as far fetched as it may seem. The rapper wrote the theme song for Real Time with Bill Maher.
(AllHipHop News) Rap star T.I. has been forced to cancel another high profile concert, since being arrested in Los Angeles for drug possession at the beginning of the this month. T.I. was slated to play at Virgin Mobile’s FreeFest in Columbia, Maryland. All last week, organizers of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest were unsure if the rapper would be able to make the date. Organizers confirmed that fellow Atlanta rapper Ludacris will take take T.I.’s spot during the festival today (September 25th), which takes place at the popular Merriweather Post Pavilion. Other acts on today’s bill include M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, Jimmy Eat World, LCD Soundsystem and Pavement. Thousands of free tickets to attend the Virgin Mobile FreeFest have been given away, while “Good Karma” tickets are available for $30 and all proceeds will benefit charity. This is the second high profile gig T.I. has been forced to cancel in the past two weeks, since the rapper and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle were busted in Los Angeles in possession of ecstasy on late in the evening, on September 1st. Last week, the rapper was forced to cancel a show at Penn State, which was supposed to have taken place last night (September 25th). T.I. and his Tiny face charges for possession of a controlled substance and both face a year in state prison on the ecstasy possession charges. T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr., could be sent back to prison for up to three years, if a judge decides that he violated his probation, just six months after serving a year in a low-security prison, for attempting to purchase machine guns in October of 2007.The Virgin Mobile FreeFest takes place from 11:00am – 10:00PM.
DISCLAIMER:All
content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual
info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.WHO: illseedWHAT: Rumors, Funnies, Fails and more!WHERE: illseed.com, twitter.com.illseedHOW: Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com. MC HAMMER VS JAY-Z!?!?!
“And Hammer went broke so you know I’m more focused / I lost $30 Mill so I spent another $30 ’cause unlike Hammer $30 Mill can’t hurt me”
– Jay-Z
So, can somebody explain to me what happened here? That’s a pretty clear shot at Hammer if you ask me. Here is what Hammer said on Twitter and it sounds like fighting words.
NOW, I don’t know if you can recall this, but AllHipHop’s Jigsaw did an interview with Hammer a ways back when BP3 first popped off and Hammer addressed the “DOA” controversy. Not sure if Hammer was talking slick, but something set something off! Here is the vid.
Now, what do you think is going to come about after this? Hammer’s gonna return fire on “Devil’s Night.” Interesting day…
EPIC FAIL.
Off to jail you go. Don’t do coke kids.
JAY AND HAMMER, WE LOVE YOU! DON’T HURT ‘EM, YALL!They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!
“YM Salute”
“Mean Mug”
“Streets Is Talkin”
