“Dirty”
“Dirty”
“I’m A Hoodstar”
“I Can’t Call It”
“Bacardi”
“In My Own Lane”
Effective today (January 27), independent powerhouse Koch Records will now be known as E1 Music.
The initiative comes directly from parent company E1 Entertainment, in a concerted effort to merge their portfolio of over 100 global subsidiaries under one umbrella.
The company’s urban division will remain in New York City, while the main office is set to relocate to Long Island, NY by the end of February.
The name change comes as the company plans a loaded 2009 with anticipated 1st quarter releases from D-Block, Alchemist, Juelz Santana’s Skull Gang, Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Slim Thug.
“We are looking at the best year in our history,” an excited Alan Grunblatt, General Manger of E1 Music, told AllHipHop.com. “We are just changing our name to E1 and will continue to change the game.”
With a library of over 15,000 songs and 3,700 feature films, E1 Music President Bob Frank is confident the label will maintain its near-decade of dominance in the independent Hip-Hop scene.
“E1 Music will pick up where Koch Records left off as the #1 Independent 8 years running,” Frank explained to AllHipHop.com. “These are very challenging but exciting times for the recorded music business. We have positioned the company perfectly so that we can continue to win!”
The new arrangement does not affect the status of artist and ByrdGang leader Jim Jones, who will retain his A&R position for the label.
Since his well-received AllHipHop.com blog, TQ has been busy promoting
his latest album Paradise. Witness to some dirt inside the
famous Ca$h Money Records camp, the artist seemed to double his fan base
overnight after spilling the beans on his former label. So after many of you
requested it, we managed to get hold of TQ amidst his busy international tour
schedule and sat him down to fire some questions at him that many of you told
us you wanted to know the answers to. So without further ado it’s time to
revisit TQ…
AllHipHop.com Alternatives: So how have you been since we last
caught up with you?
TQ: I’m good man. I’m blessed. That’s the way I
could say it best. To be able to stay in this business and constantly do music
and put music out like I have all these years is a beautiful thing.
AHHA: Your 2008 AllHipHop.com blog took off last year and
seemed to garner a lot of attention. Would you do it again?
TQ: Dove, my publicist who hooked all of this up, had
actually told me that the people at AllHipHop.com wanted me to write some more.
The thing is I really wanted to get into the international release of my new
album to kinda connect where I left off with the blog. It’s not really that
time yet. I don’t have the next part of the story just yet.
Once Paradise comes out in Europe and we start seeing what’s
happening that’s when I’ll be able to tie it all in. At that point that’s when
it can keep going. I can write as I go and can let everybody know what I’m
into. I just think my position is unique, and if I can give a play-by-play of
the moves I’m making, right and wrong, it’s a blueprint for those who come
behind me to do this thing the correct way. That’s basically what the holdup
is.
AHHA: You were signed to Cash Money, which a lot of your
AllHipHop.com blog was based upon, since splitting from them have they hit you
back?
TQ: [laughs] Actually I have a
really funny story. I haven’t told anybody about this. The morning of the part
of the blog that outlined the Jailhouse Love story – which bearing in
mind you guys named them different to what I named them – I got a MySpace
message from [Lil] Wayne. Wayne says, “Yo, I like the new ‘Sexy’ joint. I need
to get on that. Let me get on the remix. Send me the mp3.” He gave me his email
and everything. Sure enough I sent him the instrumental and I’m saying to
myself, “Now watch me. As soon as he sees this AllHipHop.com feature he’s gonna
be mad as sh*t.”
[laughing even louder] So, sure enough the article goes live maybe two
or three hours later, I came back to my computer and Wayne had erased his whole
MySpace. It said, “This profile no longer exists,” the message had a big X
through it and I got a text from Baby. It said something about seeing each
other or something like that. It was some kind of whack ass philosophy he be
talking about, but whatever. It was so funny. It was just hilarious.
As it turns out I haven’t heard from those guys ever since. I have
talked to Juve[nile], I have talked to Turk, and I have talked to B.G. and I
have talked to [Mannie] Fresh, and they got a kick out of it. The people that
were there, the people that were around, and not only them but a bunch of other
artists, I’ve talked to who used to be around the situation, that I won’t bring
into it, not just artists but other personalities, they know the reality of it.
It is what it is. It ain’t about airing dirty laundry. It’s just the truth is
the truth.
AHHA: While at Ca$h Money you witnessed the rise and rise of
Lil Wayne up close and personal, you were even featured on his 500 Degreez album. What
was he like before Wayne-mania took over? What was it that blew him up, and do
you think that his newly found fame is warranted?
TQ: Yes definitely. Wayne’s fame is without a doubt
warranted. Wayne works! He works harder than any of those other cats. He always
has from the beginning. He’s always been the most diligent, he’s been the most
creative, and he is the most gifted out of all of them. So what he’s getting
now is definitely 100 percent deserved, and I hope he gets as much as he
possibly can get. When it comes down to an artist I respect that dude. I
watched it first hand. He’s always been a lil’ beast, he’s always in the
studio, he’s always working, so all the good things that have happened he
deserves 100 percent.
AHHA: Was he your favorite of the Ca$h Money clique?
TQ: B.G. was always my favourite out of Ca$h Money from
day one. He’s the first one I ever heard before I even knew who Ca$h Money
were. He’s always as real as it gets and he’s always the same way. On top of
that, with him I’ve never seen anybody’s city have a back like they do his. I
mean dude is the King of New Orleans! I don’t care what Baby says or what
Master P says. B.G. and Soulja Slim, R.I.P., were the Kings of New Orleans.
Right now it’s straight up B.G. His City loves him because he keeps it hood
with them period.
AHHA: Your new album, Paradise, dropped in
the middle of last year over here in the U.S., and you’ve mentioned that it’s
in the process of being released in Europe, so tell us about it.
TQ: For me I feel like it’s my best work yet. I guess
that’s a bold statement for all the They Never Saw Me Coming fans. I just
think the way it came about was really organic, just like that record did. With
my first album, I went into the studio with Mike, Femi and Rick Rock and we
just built everything from scratch. That’s the way I did [Paradise]. I went in
with Static [Major], and I went in with Deezle and everything just came from
scratch. There was no listening through beats, we were just creating stuff as
we went along.
I think because of that it allowed me to spread my wings a little bit
more. Most of my previous albums have been message driven, whereas this time
around I just wanted to do some good music and do it from the standpoint of
accomplishment and confidence. I’ve never had the opportunity to say, “Ok, let
me sit back and look at my success and what I’ve done and celebrate a lil’
bit.” For me, this album is definitely a celebration of how far I’ve come.
AHHA: Where does the title come from?
TQ: It was the first song we did for the album. Myself and
Static Major sat down and knocked this one out. As I mentioned before, it’s all
to do with a sense of accomplishment. Also, it was a record that came out
exactly the way I heard it in my head before we even laid it down. I put
together a plan, “The song needs to come out sounding exactly like this,” and
that’s precisely what happened. I think that comes from experience, confidence
and being able to do what I do for so long.
It’s like – not that I’m calling myself Michael Jordan – but
if there’s four seconds left on the clock and he’s got the ball, he’s expecting
himself to make that shot, while everyone in the arena is expecting him to make
that shot. That’s just what I felt like going into making this record, and
throughout this record, and for me that’s paradise. To musically be where
you’ve been trying to get to for a long time, and you feel like you’re finally
there, that’s paradise.
AHHA: How’s the album been performing?
TQ: The album’s doing ok. Things picked up when we
released the single “Sexy” to iTunes. The album’s selling a couple thousand a
week, which I’ve always said for an independent release, you always wanna do
better, but when your per CD take is f**kin’ 500 percent better than it was the
first time around you can sell one fifth of the records. The way I gauge an
independent project is am I making money on it? And I am making money on it. So
I wanna continue to get it going bigger.
My thing is when it comes to the U.S., I don’t put too much into the
promotions and marketing pot. Simply because the way the music scene is right
now, I couldn’t see any return on it. It’s just not gonna be there. I save my
main bulk of promotion dollars for Asia and Europe. For the next couple of
months, it’ll be Europe and seeing what we can do with that, and then we’ll
move on to Japan, dip over to Australia and then back to the rest of Asia. As a
business man and an independent I’m happy.
AHHA: The album sees quite a few high profile features,
including Krayzie Bone, B.G. and Jagged Edge. Being that you’ve been out of the
limelight for a bit how did you establish these collaborations?
TQ: The thing I’m most proud about of my entire career is
the respect level that I have in the streets and by my peers. I’ve been off the
scene for a minute as far as doing something of this caliber at least, and cats
still be in the streets and it’s all love from everybody. So when I pick up the
phone and make that call, by the grace of God people answer. That’s basically
what it was. There was a couple of guys I really wanted to get down with on
this album, so I called them up and they were with it.
The Krayzie Bone thing happened because, well… I got in to this acting
scene real heavy back in ‘06 and we were both reading for this movie part. I
saw him in the elevator at the casting call and I told him I had a record I
thought was perfect for him and he said send it to me and I’m on it. He did it
the next day and sent it back to me just like that. It’s just respect. That’s
all it comes down to.
AHHA: As a man
that knows the importance of collaborating with rappers and making it sound
hot, what would you consider important when choosing a rapper to collaborate
with?
TQ: For Paradise in particular, I have
relationships with all of the featured artists. They’re all my friends. Each
one of them I did records with before. As far as the other features that I have
done, I like to do records with people that I respect, people whose music I am a
fan of. That would come first when I’m picking a person to collaborate with.
Whereas a record company would just turn around and say, “Do a record with the
hottest person out right now.” They convince you that you could get hot with
them. For me it’s not necessarily about that. I wanna do records with people
that are in my deck. I like to work with have touched me in some kind of way
with their music already.
AHHA: Being that you’re now enjoying independent life,
what’s your take on label politics and how the grass isn’t always greener?
Also, what advice would you give to today’s artist trying to make it in this
dog eat dog business?
TQ: I can only speak from my experience obviously, which
is kind of a unique experience. All of the things that I could say bad about a
label and a label situation, I can say because I’m in a position to say that. I
have a fan base already. I don’t need anybody’s help to actually get people who
know me. The way I see it, it’s about anywhere from around 500,000 people to a
million people, and I’m shooting low, around the world who know who I am and
have heard my music before. I don’t need anybody’s help to start up with those
listeners. I can start with them on my own with the internet, a couple of
airline tickets and keep it moving. I don’t need to sign half my life away for
somebody to take care of my expenses and then charge me triple or quadruple
what they spent.
For a new artist it’s not easy to build a fan base as an independent.
It’s a lot of work; it takes a lot of money and there’s no return at the
beginning. If you’re in a position where your finances allow you to do that and
you want to take that road, then odds are it’ll come back around. However, it
won’t be a quick process. It’s not a quick investment. Now a situation like a
Ca$h Money or a clique or a group of artists who already have a fan base, go
there and steal that sh*t. Go there and make their fans your fans and then
leave them alone. That’s basically what I did.
I had “Westside”, “Bye Bye Baby”, none of my records got played in the
South… at all. “Sexy”, “Paradise”, “Right On”, and everything I’ve dropped
since Ca$h Money always plays in the South first, even before the West Coast.
And that’s because I spent three years or better down there infiltrating their
fan base, and making their fans know me and my music. So when I left [Ca$h
Money], I took a little bit of that with me. I didn’t necessarily take it away
from them, but a lot of Ca$h Money fans also became TQ fans. To put it all in
one big bubble, it depends on the situation that you’re personally in, and to
be doing music in 2009 as an independent, you’re nothing without your fan
base.
AHHA: There seems to be a lack of quality R&B/soul
artists stepping in to the spotlight today, why do you think this is?
TQ: People are more caught up on the flash, the glamour,
and everything else that surrounds today’s popular culture. The young kids
today aren’t listening to Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield or Smokey Robinson like
I was. They’re listening to… hell I don’t even know what they’re listening to.
Maybe R. Kelly or Chris Brown, and that’s not a problem. There’s a place for
all of these cats, but that type of music lacks a bit of that substance
necessary to actually call it Soul music. It’s based more on making people
dance.
Like I said, that’s not a problem, but the meat is gone there. I mean
there’s a lot of potatoes and a lot of vegetables, but there ain’t no meat on
the plate. A lot of people ain’t gonna be happy; we’ve gotta put meat back on
the plate. The only way that’s gonna happen is if there’s a revolution within
the genre from the major artists where they take control of what type of music
they’re gonna be doing from here on out. To achieve that they would need to
leave their current situations when their contracts are up.
AHHA: So what’s next for TQ?
TQ: I’m always gonna make music. It’s just what I love to
do. I do the same thing when I don’t have to work when I do have to work. I’m
into film pretty heavy at the moment. I’m moving into some extensive training
on the acting side of things. I’m getting off into scores. I’m just about to
start the first film from my own production company; it’s called When The
Smoke Clears. That’s really it. I’m diversifying. It’s definitely
more about moving into the movie side of things. It’s just something I like to
do.
**To get the latest AllHipHop Alternatives Features, follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/AHHalternatives**
The Dream and speaks about, writing music, Mariah Carey and more.
Catch up…Charli Baltimore: The B.I.G. Picture, Pt. 1
AllHipHop.com:
They show in Notorious Biggie building the character of Lil’ Kim. How
instrumental was Biggie in the building of Charli Baltimore?
Charli Baltimore:
I’ve always been me. My style is my style. I guess that’s why Big liked me. Big
would come to me for advice about Kim. He was building an artist. As far as I
was concerned, I never really had the chance because Big passed before we were
able to capitalize or move forward with The Commission, which was our group. As
far as [Kim’s] style is concerned, I don’t think you can make somebody an
anything. He definitely asked me my advice like what do you think about Kim and
how should I approach this and that. I always offered my input. At the end of
the day, she still came out the way she came out.
AllHipHop.com:
The VIBE article that recently came
out talks about how Kim had a problem with this film; she didn’t like how she
was portrayed. In the film, she’s a really sympathetic character because she’s getting thrown around the soundbooth by Big, and she’s
crying like, “Why doesn’t he love me?” Another thing that she had a problem
with was Naturi Naughton being too dark and how she wanted Christina Milian to
portray her because she felt it was more accurate.
Charli Baltimore:
Wanted Christina Milian to portray her as Lil’ Kim? I wasn’t aware they were
the same complexion [laughs]. Again I didn’t see the movie but last I checked,
well I don’t know what color she is right now, but she was brown-skinned. Maybe
she’s light-skinned now. I don’t know. People change skin tones in this day and
age. I can’t see Christina Milian portraying Lil Kim. That’s not…that seems
really weird to me, but you know, to each his own.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. f/ The Notorious B.I.G. “Get Money” Video
AllHipHop.com:
They showed some violent scenes between Lil’ Kim and Big. Did you witness any
of that?
Charli Baltimore:
The only violence I ever saw was a situation where Big and I were together on
the bus and my clothes were strewn all over the bus and I couldn’t figure out
why…I didn’t know what was going on at the time. I said, “Why are my clothes
all over the bus like this? They were folded up nice and neat.” We were in the
back of the bus and I walked off the bus and when I was coming back on…Kim was
getting kicked off the bus…foot to her butt, onto the ground. She had rummaged
through my clothing, Big was upset about it and he kicked her on the butt off
the bus. That was the only violence I’ve ever seen between them.
I mean he’s never touched me on a physical level of any
sort, so I don’t know. But like I said, it was a while before I knew they had a
personal relationship. We were in videos and everything together, Kim and I. We
spoke, we had conversations and everything. Things got a little out of hand
towards the end, but it was never anything physical, nah. Not with me and her
anyway. I’ve never seen Big strike her. I’ve overheard conversations…later, not
during that time…when I came into the industry where it was a weird
conversation I overheard that said when you have a female artist, there’s
always someone that needs to have sex with that person to gain control over the
female.
I felt like that was the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard
and it was a conversation actually between Un and Big. So I guess they were
debating who should have sexual control over the situation to garner control of
the project, because towards the end of Kim’s project there were a lot of
problems. So I would say other than that, no I’ve never seen anything.
AllHipHop.com:
You and Kim were in the “Get Money” video together…you play Faith.
Charli Baltimore:
That’s another thing I’d love to clear up, please, if we can. I’ve said this a
zillion times and for some reason people just never listen…I was not playing
Faith in that video. I’m a Philly girl. They dye their hair all different
colors. I actually had blonde short hair at the time, and I’m a teenager. I’m a
teenager, never been in a video…I’m not thinking if I have blonde hair I’m
going to be perceived as Faith. That was not the intention. I would never as a
woman, a self-respecting woman, portray another woman in a video. Unless we’re
doing a movie and we’re doing some sort of biopic, I’d never portray Faith in a
video.
I was portraying the person that Big was talking about in
the song. It wasn’t Faith either, it was just a record. It was never directed
towards Faith. If I had brown hair, they would have never said anything of the
sort. Just to clarify that, Big told me, “Yo, before we do this video ma,
please dye you hair back brown.” I’m a Philly girl, at the time I’m wearing
weave, I’m like, “No n***a I done dyed my hair blonde, I’m not dying it back
brown. I’m standing my ground with the blonde hair.”
If I would have known the repercussions that came behind me
having this hair, and people saying I was dissing Faith or portraying her in
any sense, I would have never done it. Big did definitely asked me to change my
hair color. So no, as a self-respecting female, I would never portray another
woman, especially someone’s wife in a video. I would never do that so I’d like
to clear that up. That was never the case. I just so happened to coincidentally
have blonde hair and that’s that.
AllHipHop.com:
Ok, thanks for clearing that up. It sounds like there’s no animosity between
you and Faith. Was it always cool with you guys or is it just that you’re so
far past it now that it’s just like kind of whatever?
Charli Baltimore:
We had our bad moments, but at the end of the day once her and Big were
completely separated, she was quite respectful towards me and vice versa. I
mean we’ve had slight disagreements. Nothing ever physical, not to that extent.
We’ve had conversations about Big just like any other women do. They weren’t
together. People make it seem like mistress, blah blah blah…they weren’t
together. Faith had moved on with her life. You know and soon after Big died
she was married. I don’t know how long after he died but she remarried so, you
know.
AllHipHop.com:
You had been living with Big around the time of his passing. Is that correct?
Charli Baltimore:
I had my own place. I stayed with Big from time to time…I had keys. I wasn’t
living there per se but I would stay there from time to time. Big had n****s
that lived in that house. If I’ma live with somebody it needs to be just be me
and that person.
AllHipHop.com: So
Kim obviously knew that you were with Biggie?
Charli Baltimore: Umm-hmm. She saw us
together many times, I guess she was just not allowed to speak on it. I don’t
know. I have no idea. I don’t know how that situation goes, because if I’m with
somebody and I’m their girlfriend and there’s somebody else involved, I’m going
to speak on it. I’ve been in the studio with Kim, I’ve been in Kim’s company,
she’s seen all types of jewelery and cars and everything else Big bought me and
never had much to say so I don’t understand where the girlfriend thing comes in
at.
AllHipHop.com:
When you learned that something was still going on between the two of them, was
this when Big was still alive or you found out after the fact?
Charli Baltimore:
I knew towards the end, me and Kim had an argument. Me
and Kim had a pretty heated argument where…oh yea that turned into a little
violent incident [between Big and Kim] from what I understand. I didn’t
witness, it but I heard about it.
AllHipHop.com: Oh
between him and her?
Charli Baltimore:
Between Big and her for her disclosing information to me that I guess she
wasn’t supposed to disclose.
AllHipHop.com:
Did you know Big the longest out of you, Faith, and Kim?
Charli Baltimore: No I didn’t actually. They knew him way
before I did. From what I understand Kim was Big’s babysitter or something to
that effect. I came in during the whole separation period. Big had his own
place, Faith had her own place and I don’t know where Kim lived. I only saw her
in the studio and on the road.
AllHipHop.com:
Any final thoughts that you wanted to clear up regarding you and Biggie?
Charli Baltimore: Well anybody that knows Big, or D-Roc or
Cease or any person that lived in Big’s house…even Ms. Wallace whether she
wants to believe it or not, knows that I was Big’s girl. I don’t need to say it
every five minutes, I don’t need to throw Big a dinner every year on his
birthday and sit his picture there and pray all praises be to Big. I know what
I had with Big, and I don’t need to explain it to everyone.
The only reason I’m really speaking out on it at this point
is because something got misconstrued over something else that went on. This
really has nothing to do with the movie. This has something to do with an
interview I did that got totally misconstrued last year before the movie was
even popular and getting ready to come out. Honestly, I wasn’t even going to do
any sort of interview or anything about this, but my best friend sort of made
me do it and I did it on the strength of let’s just clarify this right fast.
Because there are some things, there are some facts that are totally wrong and
it’s not cool.
As far as the movie’s concerned, I could care less because
it doesn’t really make me a difference. I know what I had with Big and I don’t
feel as though I need to constantly go over it and explain it to anyone. Big
would turn over in his grave if he saw the circus that was made of his life. I
think the people should focus on his music and leave his personal life where it
is. He has a son and a daughter and that’s great. It’s a shame he’s not here to
see his son and his daughter grow up, and I think that’s what people should think
about. Not about who Big was banging. It was a long time ago. I’m sure every
woman in this world has someone in their past that they’re like geez and I was
dealing with this person, why?
At the end of the day, I was young. People learn from their
mistakes. We all were young at the time. I’m not sitting here saying that
anything anyone was doing was the right thing. The only person that had any
legal obligations to Big was his wife. I’m not going to disrespect anyone in
this conversation, because I don’t know what Big was saying to anybody. Big I’m
sure was saying one thing to Kim, one thing to Faith and another whole thing to
me. I was a teenager so that was one of my first real relationships that I was
a part of. I had never vibed with someone that was separated from a wife. So I
don’t know the ins and outs of how that goes, so you know I learned as I went
along.Get the latest AllHipHop Features on twitter @ twitter.com/ahhfeatures
The views expressed in this blog are not the views of AllHipHop.comIn response to the false and ridiculous reporting by the New York Post,
Page Six, that I have the “hots for Barack Obama and want to have his
kids.”
I portray a character in the Starz comedy series Head Case, which is
a hilarious show about a wacky psychiatrist who is wackier than her patients. My
character admits that she thinks Obama is hot. It is innocent and
funny. It was shot back in September and airs in March. The quotes
printed by Page Six were taken completely out of context, and no less
the dialogue from a scripted television comedy. It’s ridiculous. It’d
be just like having Denzel Washington arrested in real life for the
crimes his character committed in American Gangster. There are members
of the press, namely the person who wrote the article, who are
untalented and uninspired so they look to write false statements and
tear people down because they couldn’t get paid to write about anything
meaningful or true.
I respect and love our new President and his family just as you do and would never disrespect them in anyway. Thank you.**To get the latest AllHipHop Alternatives Features, follow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/AHHalternatives**
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.
TODAY’S RUMORS!
THE DAILY TWO CENTS
I just want to send a shout out to Jesse Jackson for a minute. I know Jesse has taken a beating recently, but I think he deserves a shoutout for opening the door – to some degree – for Barack Obama to be possible. In fact, I want to shout out Shirley Chisholm too! I’ll never forget when Biz Markie said, “Reagan is the pres, but I voted for Shirley Chisholm.”
MONICA’S MAN IS KNOCKIN’ EM OUT THEIR WIGS
I think Rocko is married to Monica, but apparently, he’s not as nice to other women. The rapper who actually does have a hit has been sentenced to a couple days in jail over a 2007 assault. The beatdown occurred at a local ATL night club. Rocko yanked the woman’s hair and proceeded to punched her in the face. He never fessed up to the crime, will say. I wonder if somebody will create the “FREE ROCKO” movement.Click here for the full news story.
MIKE TYSON AND EVANDER HOLYFIELD 3?
I don’t know why people start this mess up, but I am hearing that Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield might be looking to mix it up again in the ring. Why? Hmmmmmm…maybe it is because they have been promised about a $34 million each! Both boxers have been strapped for cash so this is a big deal. There’s a problem. Mike Tyson hasn’t fought in nearly 5 years, but Evander has been active the whole time, chasing a heavyweight belt. In fact, Evander was recently robbed of a belt, but he’s still super active.CHARLI BALTIMORE GIVES THE FACTS ON B.I.G.Did you read this excellent story on C. B-more? Here are some quotable:
Charli Baltimore:
I went through the windshield. I was in the backseat, that’s true. Cease lost
all of his teeth… every last one of his teeth got knocked out. He was the
driver. From what I understand it’s portrayed in the movie like it was really
lightweight, and it had a lot of bearing on Big’s album. And again, everybody
in that car almost lost their life. So I don’t play that, it’s not cool at all.
Charli Baltimore: I mean if someone was going to make a movie about Big’s
personal life then it should have been Faith, not Ms. Wallace. I mean come on;
we’re all adults. As an adult, your mother doesn’t know every waking detail of
your personal life. That’s just not realistic. Not to say anything bad about
[Ms. Wallace], but… Charli Baltimore: Like I said I’m not bitter about the film because for me, I
always felt like my relationship really was nobody’s business. I know what I
had with Big; I didn’t really need to explain it to anyone. But I also…you know
Big confided in me as a boyfriend would confide in a girlfriend. So I know a
lot of things about Big that I would never discuss with anyone.Read the whole AHH interview riiiiiiiiight HERE.
JEEZY ON O’REILLY!?!
Whoa. I am getting word that Young Jeezy might be going on Bill O’Reilly? Why? I am not sure, but I have a good guess: to defend himself over the recent slew of slander Billy Boy and Dennis Goober threw at him and Jay-Z. I hope he’s prepared to articulate himself the right way.
K-FED SIGNS TO BONE THUGS IN HARMONY!?
I heard the CEO of Mo Thugs Records signed K-Fed and the white rapper will appear on the song “Change Gone Come [Remix].” A guy named Big Caz is allegedly involved in this, but I am not sure who that is. Anyway, this rumor say that K-Fed will be talking about his ex-wiz Britney and some other stuff. Feddy Fed is supposedly going to be working “withy” Bizzy Bone really soon too, if it hasn’t already happened. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is rumored to be very happy about this. I don’t know. I guess we’ll see, but it sounds strange. It is my understanding that Layzie Bone is the actual owner of Mo Thugs Records.
WHOA! 50 CENT PUSHES HIS ALBUM BACK AGAIN?
WOW. 50 Cent has pushed his album back to March. I might have missed this tidbit of information, but apparently it’s true. I don’t know about this one. I don’t know, but it looks like 50 Cent and Rick Ross are headed for a collision course this Spring. Ross has “Deeper Than Rap” and he’s licked a shot at 50 on “Mafia Music.” AND I have news for you…Ross can spit. There was a time where only a few people would say anything to 50, but now…that’s not the deal.
PIMPIN’ KEN DISSES T.I.
Pimpin’ Ken isn’t really too happy with T.I. He is forced to denounce T.I. (This is kinda lengthy so you might not care.)
Tip gives out tips! Pimpin’ Ken is funny!
RIP MARIANA!
I posted the wrong person yesterday, but here is the real Mariana Bridi.
FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER BEING WATCHED?
Rumor has it, the IRS might have curbed Floyd Mayweather’s desire to “make it rain.” I heard the IRS has been watching intently on how Money is moving. I heard “Money” Mayweather was supposedly going to rain $100,000 on a crowd at a club appearance. But, rumor has it, when he got there, he came on stage, said a few words and threw out like $100. He then stated he was going to the bank. I’m wondering if he was going to put money in or take it out. Either way, he didn’t come back to the club. LOL.
LIL KIM DIDN’T SAY IT!
All you people out there that have nothing better to do than make up some quotes, listen here!
“The statement posted up on Facebook was done by someone falsely portraying themselves to be Lil Kim and is completely untrue. They have been contacted to remove immediately or legal action will be taken,” says attorney for Lil Kim.
This is in response to Lil Kim supposedly 1) wanting Christina Millian to play her and a bunch of other false information.
AMY WINEHOUSE IS HAPPY
Anytime a singer like Amy Winehouse gets happy, it almost always means their music will suffer. You know, people like myself need that misery music when we get miserable. Anyway, Amy is supposedly happy these days. She is dating a new man and they have take residence in St. Lucia at a hotel. Dude is a fitness instructor so maybe he can get her body frame game tight. Amy is in the midst of a divorce from her drug addict ex. I wish her luck, but do that album quickly!
JOHN FORTE’S LIFE HAS JUST BEGUN
John Forte is back in the game and he’s recorded his first song since getting out of jail. Check it out. I think he’s on to something.
ILLSEED’S QUICKIES
Sarah Palin is looking for a book deal to tell her side of the story. I wonder if she’s throw McCain under the bus?
Not that you care, but for the record, Kelly Osbourne has entered rehab for an unknown addiction.
J.Lo is supposedly pregnant.
Diddy has denied the notion that he was mad that he didn’t get to perform for Barack Obama. Through a publicist, he said he was very content with his 3rd row seat.
Rumor has it Angela Simmons might be back to dating Bow Wow again. Who knows? I don’t think this is true though.
I heard somebody tried another attempt on Deelishus! The only difference is someone put urine in her drink! What the hell?!
Before I forget, I want to send a shout to Suga Rae from Hot1027 in Detroit. That’s my boo right there.
Shout out to Jimmy…I mean Jimmel! HAHAAHA! He knows the joke.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING – allhiphoprumors@gmail.com.
Yeah baby! Send me pics!
EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY
I didn’t know people even went to the library still, but they still don’t play. Remember how you got charged for not returning a book back on time? Maybe not. Anyway, a lady named Shelly Kootz was arrested for not returning a book since April of 2008. She was arrested and charged with fifth-degree theft charge for keeping “The Freedom Writers Diary.” The book is worth about $13.95. A cop went to retrieve the book, but the copper got nothing. Shelly was a real G. She ducked the cops, the librarian and all their calls for nearly a YEAR. Finally, she was released after posting $250 bond. And guess what? She never snitched. She did her time standing on her head.
OH SNAP! BANG EM SMURF IS BACK TO DISS JIM JONES!
I don’t know why I didn’t think Bang ‘Em Smurf knew about the internet. Well, he’s back from Belize or Jamaica or wherever he’s at and he’s dissing Jim Jones. Check it out.
KILLA SHA AND LARGE PRO
MY BOO KERI HILSON TALKS THE INAUGURAL
Keri Hilson is such an upstanding young lady. Manifique’, as they say in broken French. Here she talks about the inaugural of Barack Obama.
I RESPECT KANYE…
I just don’t know what to say about this picture.
THIS HAT ROCKS
Ever since Aretha Franklin rocked this hat, people have been dying to wear it and buy it! I hope she is getting paid off the sales! Bootleggers are running wild.
I have mine…I heard Styles P has one too. Kidding. And if you don’t like it, can honestly say Ya Momma and Ya Granny love my Aretha Swag.
BEFORE I GO….SHOUT OUT TO TUM TUM’S DOUGIE
I’M OUT LIKE IGNORANCE!
You may not agree with everything Obama is or does, but that’s not stopping you from going out in your community and making a difference. The NWO doesn’t make you stay home and play video games.
Don’t forget to check out KRS-One talk about Obama and 911 to Alex Jones. Real interesting stuff.
For more, go to illseed.com. Or just follow me at http://twitter.com/illseed
THE DOUGIE, WE LOVE YOU!!!
They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!
-illseed
WHAT: Rumors
WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed
HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com.
– allhiphop rumors
So
Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller were not happy with some of Jeezy and
Jay-Z’s “rants” during a performance in DC over inaugural weekend. I’m
sure you have seen the video. Jeezy thanked the
journalist who launched the Stacey Adams bombs at the former President
as well as the moving crew who got all his s### of out the White House.
Jay said he’s putting the puddy on pause because he’s not interested in
any more Bush.
The response from the Fox peanut gallery was par for their normal course. Jeezy and Jay were called offensive and low class.
I watched that short clip they played over and over again on Fox attempting to discover the source of the pair’s angst. It
couldn’t have been the profanity because O’Reilly and Miller did not
call them p#### mouths. It couldn’t have been the sexual connotations. We have all seen the transcripts from O’Reilly’s sexual harassment suit. He’d be ill advised to chastise anyone for sprinkling their metaphors with female anatomy references. So what was it?
Dennis Miller said The Inauguration should have helped them ratchet down the hate. So
I guess it was the Bush disdain that caught the ire, as if somehow the
communities further disenfranchised by his policy have no right to
dislike him. We should accept. We
should accept the lies, the war, the treatment of New Orleans and all
the other Bush decisions that set our communities deeper into the tank
and keep it moving. Expressing your dislike for being treated as if you have no worth is hate.
Now,
I am not blaming Dubya for every ill the country faces; especially in
the black community as we have more culpability than we would like to
admit. But most understand that he did his
damnedest to lead plenty of folks down the road to ruin. Even if you
don’t agree, how can you say Jay and Jeezy aren’t entitled to their
opinions? And how is purposefully forgetting or mispronouncing someone’s name not just as disrespectful? (Miller referred to Jeezy as emphysema.) How is mocking a culture not disrespectful. How
is single-handedly making Monday Night Football the lamest show on
earth for two damn years not disrespectful? (Don’t tell me you don’t
remember Miller from Monday Night Football.) O’Reilly said Jeezy and
Jay missed the memo of the country coming together; but when looking at
Bush’s approval rating, it looks like the country had been together for
some time. And that memo, Mr. O’Reilly missed.
What
I hear when I listen is ignorance; ignorance to who those two men on
the stage were; ignorance to how they represent themselves and the Hip
Hop culture and ignorance to the mixed bag of expression that has
always been found in the black community.
You see, those comments were made during a Hip-Hop show at which Hip-Hop fans were in attendance. Yes,
it was a public place, but the community involved appreciates and
accepts to colorful lingo and hard core expression used by its artists. Would the pair have spoken the same words with the same intensity at a mixed meeting? Of course not. It
is very easy for Bill O’Reilly to remove a conversation from the Hip
Hop context and hold it up to the public PC standards and say, “Look
how hateful they are.” It is extra easy when you
refuse to acknowledge the source of the harsh words; the catalyst of
the pain that leads to the reprimand.
In
public, O’Reilly has referred to lynching parties when talking about
Michelle Obama. He has admitted his astonishment when visiting a black
restaurant and not seeing angry black people screaming and cursing all
about. Yes, he said he was shocked we could make it through a night out
without calling someone a motherf****r.
Miller is no better. He
suggested a while back in jest that the disenfranchisement of the Vice
President was way worse than anything Black folks in this country have
gone through. And yes, that s### was supposed to be funny.
Look, I’m not here to weigh in on the appropriateness of what Jay and Jeezy said. However,
I would think while you are hurling aspersions at folks who you deem
offensive and low class, you would attempt to do so while taking the
high road. Unfortunately Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Miller were unable to do
so. To me that renders their opinions irrelevant and their behavior, for lack of better words, offensive and low class.**To Get The Latest In AllHipHop Editorial, Follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/allhiphopcom**
The rumors get put to rest about Bow Wow’s relationship with Video Vixon Karrine Steffans!
Check out N.O.R.E.s Return To NY Part 2
Mashonda discusses her divorce with Swizz Beatz.
Jenny Speaks to DJ Drama on his current projects, Fed charges, T.I. and more.
Atlanta rapper Rocko has been sentenced to 48 hours in prison after he pleaded no contest to striking a woman during an altercation in February of 2007.
Rocko pleaded no contest to battery charges during the incident, in which he struck the woman, causing injuries and contusions to her face and eyes.
Rocko, born Rodney Hill Jr., is engaged to R&B singer Monica and the couple have two children together.
The rapper is the CEO of Rocky Road Records and released his debut album Self Made through a distribution deal with So So Def/Island Urban.
Rocko, who has also worked with artists like Hitman Sammy Sam, Young Dro and Dem Franchize Boyz, hit big with his own single “Umma Do Me.”
He must also serve 12 months probation and complete an unspecified amount of community service.
The Miami/Liberty City Hip-Hop community remains in shock following a Friday night shooting spree that’s left 2 teenagers dead and 7 people wounded.
Miami authorities are continuing a search for at least one masked man who used an AK-47 assault rifle on bystanders at a Liberty City grocery store on January 23.
Eyewitness reports state the masked man broke up a craps game while over 50 people watched and forced the victims to the ground before opening fire.
According to the Miami police department, 6 of the 9 victims were current or former students at Northwestern High School.
Brandon Mills, 16, and Derrick Gloster, 18 died from their gunshot wounds.
Former 2 Live Crew member and rapper/entrepreneur “Uncle” Luke Campbell expressed his grief over the shootings.
The former Liberty City resident, who continues to give back to the community as coach of the nationally acclaimed Liberty City Warriors youth football team, was shocked at the carnage.
“More people died [on that day] in the city of Miami then in Iraq,” Campbell told AllHipHop.com. “The sad thing is they are kids. This needs to stop an we know how to stop it.”
A local resident detailed the horrifying scene to local station WSVN.
“It was like a war zone. I witnessed this guy laying there with his face, looked like it was completely tore off,” Joan Rutherford disclosed to WSVN. “His eyes [were] all I could see, and he had a grip on some money and gasping and trying to lift his head to say something.”
One victim remains in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery yesterday (January 24).
At press time, Miami officials have issued a “plea of information” for community help to bring the gunman to justice.
There has been no announced motive or suspect in the shooting.
“To fight war you have to fight on the front lines,” Campbell told AllHipHop.com. “Some time this week I will make a change in my life to help others. I will let you no what my plan is on Thursday.”
Yo, stop sippin’
the Kool-Aid, please. Quick history lesson #1, for those that don’t know: Jim
Jones—the kooky cult leader, not the Dipset
Capo and alleged Ne-Yo snuffer—had a compound
in Jonestown, Guyana, where on Nov. 18, 1978 he and over 900 of his followers performed a mass suicide by ingesting poison flavored with Flavor-Aid. Hence the aforementioned, though slightly altered, term used to describe rapt followers,
“drinking the Kool-Aid.”
The point of this clipped history is too many of you are
gushing over the Kanye West designed Louis Vuitton kicks. LV teams with the rapper turned pop
artiste to drop some couture footwear. Joy. They drop in June and will likely cost a couple of paychecks to us common folk.
However, said kicks (above) look like a pair of glorified 5411
Reeboks. Quick history lesson #2: The Reebok freestyles (pic
below)—go-to pair of sneaker attire for hip ladies in the hood in the
90’s—were dubbed 5411’s due to their $49.99 tag, which when adding NYC’s
then .0825% sales tax, meant $54.11 would get you a pair.
A message from kwest on Vimeo.
Not that he cares what I think, nor should he, but ‘Ye was better off when co-signing his Air Yeezy’s (1st pic above). Just my opinion folks. And as far as his call me MLK Jr. rambling in the video above, what do YOU think? I will say a grown man rocking a ‘Frullet in ’09 cannot be ignored in this equation. West designed five shoes in all and in the pic to the left, jacked from his blog, is another design.
Speaking of Nike, the last month or so must have been straight
orgasmic for Air Jordan fiends, with a number of Jordan Brand affiliated kicks
dropping. Including…
The Air Jordan 2009. What, you
really thought they were going to stop making new pairs at #23? The shoe features
Advanced Propulsion Technology (APT), carbon fiber tech and a whole bunch of
other things you might not care about since they looks so good. They launch nationwide Valentine’s Day and will run you back $190 bones.
More colors on the Jordan 6 Rings. They go for $160 beans.You won’t find these unless you literally run with Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby of the Atlanta Hawks, or if you catch them at a House of Hoops. These player exclusive of versions of the Air Jordan Pure Pressure are an ode to Obama’s inauguration. Props to OSneaker.com
AJF 6’s. Don’t usually feel these, pause, but ain’t mad at the colorway.
A Representative for Lil Kim has dismissed recent reports that claim the rapper wanted a Latina actress to play her in the movie Notorious.
Reports stated that Lil Kim was unhappy with Naturi Naughton’s portrayal of her in the movie Notorious and that she really wanted Christina Milian to play the role.
While her dismay has been well documented, an attorney for Lil Kim dismissed rumors that she wanted Milian to play her in Notorious, which grossed over $21 million dollars when it opened last weekend.
According to her attorney, the rumor was sparked by a posting on Facebook, by a fan allegedly purporting to be Lil Kim.
“The statement posted up on Facebook was done by someone falsely portraying themselves to be Lil Kim and is completely untrue,” Lil Kim’s attorney Bernard H. Jackson III told AllHipHop.com. “They have been contacted to remove immediately or legal action will be taken.”
Lil Kim is currently in the recording studio working on a new album, which she has said will introduce the world to a “whole new style.”