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Nas Owes IRS Over $2.5 Mil In Back Taxes

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Rapper Nas is the latest artist to run into tax problems with the IRS, as he owes millions of dollars to the federal government.

 

The IRS filed a lien against Nas claiming the rapper owes $2,584,206.31 to the government for unpaid taxes on income earned throughout 2006 and 2007.

 

The rapper inked a multi-million dollar four-album deal with Def Jam in early 2006 and released Hip-Hop is Dead, his debut for the label and eighth solo effort.

 

In 2007 he released a Greatest Hits album, while 2008 saw the release of his controversial Untitled album.

 

In 2009, Nas was ordered to pay almost $44,000 a month in child support to his estranged wife, R&B singer Kelis.

 

Nas was also ordered to pay $45,000 in attorney fees and for a forensic accountant.

 

Kelis filed for divorce from Nas in April, citing irreconcilable differences.

African Artists Criticize T-Pain for Concert Behavior

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

T-Pain’s performance at South Africa’s annual Macufe African Cultural Festival has been lambasted by local artists for the star’s alleged elitist and disrespectful behavior.

 

Several artists have reported that they were kicked out of the backstage changing area because T-Pain refused to share space with them.

 

Others stated they were harassed simply for attempting to watch the American star’s set from the vicinity of the stage.

 

Artist Thembi Seete verified that she had a confrontation with security guards, and feels that the U.S. artists look down on their peers from other countries.

 

“I want to thank Macufe organizers for allowing me to perform there, but what happened to me was unacceptable,” she explained to the Sunday World. “I wasn’t allowed to stand next to the stage when T-Pain was performing. It is sad that these U.S. artists think they are all that and [can] treat local artists the way they treated us.”

 

Seete’s manager Kgomo Modise said these issues are nothing new, and happen every time an international star makes their way to the country.

 

“My artist was seated next to the stage waiting to perform when local security guards came and ordered us to leave the vicinity,” Modise explained to Sunday World. “We asked him why because we had ‘all access’ cards and artists tags but he insisted we leave the place. It was only when we threatened to expose them in the media that they left us alone. It is bad that local artists are treated like this every time an international artist is here.”

 

Festival organizer Joe Chakela vehemently denied the accusations, but conceded there was a policy in place to make sure no artists remained on stage after a performance.

 

 “People must not come with their own stories. Nobody was manhandled or chased away from the stage,” he stated. “The policy was that artists who had finished performing must not go on stage or near it to watch T-Pain perform.”

 

 T-Pain is working on a new album, tentatively titled Revolver.

Going Rock: What the Recent Rock & Roll Frenzy Says About Hip-Hop’s Future

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Uncategorized

“All things come to an end. … Now, the

spirit of Hip-hop will always be alive… as long as there’s inner cities,

there’s ghettoes, and there’s poor people.”

—Nas[1]

Last week BBC News featured a report couched in questioning: “Has hip-hop

grown up?”[2]

Besides the obvious condescension, we learned next to nothing (!) about what

musical maturity truly means or how it might relate to Hip-Hop. The scantily

clad article did very little to examine the dexterity and virtuosity that has sustained

Hip-Hop for three decades, and kept it in a permanent state of reinvention. 

Big

wheel keep on turning.

Maturity, it seemed BBC was trying to tell us, is achieved when privileged suburban students

(a la Yale) find an art-form valid

enough to study, and “think critically about,” it. Hip-Hop has indeed come of age because, now, “tourists

visit inner city ghettos and Ivy-league students study street culture.” No

mention of how this didactic experiment with Black artistry, of how this

fetishization, and trivialization, of Black culture is a practice as ancient as

colonialism. For, as Ralph Ellison wrote brilliantly a half-century ago, “it is

the crime of reducing the humanity of others to that of a mere convenience, a

counter in a barrel game which involves no apparent risk to ourselves. With us

Negroes it started with the appropriation of our freedom and our labor; then it

was our music, our speech, our dance.”[3]

Sara Baartman knew a thing or two about

that.[4]

To say I was surprised would be

disingenuous. The whiff of ignorance-infused elitism was pervasive from start

to finish, so it seemed only right that it would end with a slight nod to the

much-hyped, but discredited, generational division between the younger and

older Hip-Hop family. 

Somewhere in the shallow depths of my

mind, I can hear Toni Morrison reminding: “the subject of the dream is the

dreamer.”[5]

* * *

The recent wave of Rock-influenced

Hip-Hop is worth exploring.

It all seemed to start when Damon Dash,

a much underrated mind I should add, collaborated with Blues-Rock sensation The

Black Keys to formulate “a good business model… that kind of protects the

artistry, it’s lucrative, but where a lot of people can get [into] it without

compromising the brand.” Out of this, Blak

Roc sprung, and the rest, as is often said, is history.[6]

The project, recorded in 11 days and due November 27 (“Black Friday”), is to

feature Mos Def, Jim Jones, Billy Danze (M.O.P), Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, Raekwon,

ODB (R.I.P.), among others, lacing their vocals onto instrumentals built with

the signature sound of The Black Keys.[7]

Then surfaced a video promo clip late

last month in which Onyx, the ever-energized New York Hip-Hop group, expressed

displeasure about Blak Roc, as they

considered the concept essentially a rip-off of their soon-to-be released

album, The Black Rock. Group member

Fredro Starr described the instrumental feel to be expected on their album—“mad

guitars, hard drums.” Sticky Fingaz also promised to deliver “an hybrid album

of Hip-Hop and Rock & Roll.” 

They contend the potency of their idea

was so strong that, now, “everybody and they mother want to do a Rock &

Roll album!” In a stark-raving-mad interview on Sirius Radio, Fedro Starr and Sticky Fingaz went so far as leaving

open the option for violent confrontation with anyone involved in “biting” their concept.[8]

Besides the obviously exaggerated

outburst (meltdown?), they have every right to express righteous indignation at

the recent Rock & Roll frenzy brewing in the Hip-Hop community. Seeing as

Jay-Z now wants a Rock project of his own, they might have a point.[9]

And, of course, within the last 3 years, unexpected

artists like Lil’ Wayne and Shop Boyz have found the initiative

irresistible—even if they lack the artistic sophistication to do something

worthwhile with it.

But if would be wrong for Onyx to

assume, or ordain, themselves the originators of Rock-Hip-Hop mash-up. Run

DMC’s pioneering role with “Walk This Way” (Raising

Hell, 1986) should never be forgotten. And neither should the Beastie Boys’

unabashed maintenance, and development, of a Rock-reflected sound their whole

career.

It would be just as wrong for Jasiri X,

the highly skilled Pittsburgh MC, to pronounce himself the first Hip-Hop artist

with an inextinguishable dedication to fusing intelligent rhyme schemes with

social advocacy. He might be the finest example of our time, but he’s a legatee

of the Gill Scott-Herons, Muhammad Alis, Fela Kutis, Miriam Makebaas, Public

Enemys, and X-Clans that laid the foundation upon which he has built a legacy

of his own.

Hip-Hop artists must always remember, no

matter how convenient—and oft times lucrative—it is to forget, that our musical tradition is but an

extension of that which came before us. From the West-African folklore, to the

North-American Plantation Gospel, to the Blues, to Rock & Roll, to Jazz, to

Reggae, to Afro-beat, to Latin Jazz, to Opera, to Funk, to Soul, to R&B,

the peculiarity of Hip-Hop is only overshadowed by its strict reinterpretation of those elements.

Through sampling, one of Hip-Hop’s greatest contributions to humanity, this

truth is set free.  

It’s much too easy to condemn modern-day

Hip-Hop production, and use it as proof positive of an innate defect Hip-Hop

artistry harbors, but anyone lucky enough to have been exposed to the eclectic

creations of Afrika Bambaataa, J Dilla, Outkast, Madlib, Questlove, Black Milk,

or 9th Wonder, can attest to the wide-ranging rhythms Hip-Hop is

capable of producing.

No other art-form in the history of modern

music is able to boast of exposing so extensively its younger demographic to

the sounds of old as Hip-Hop has demonstrated these last 30 years. The regeneration

of George Clinton and James Brown are two great examples of Hip-Hop’s

philanthropic possibilities.  

In The

New Beats, a slept-on classic written by Hip-Hop critic S.H. Fernando Jr.,

George Clinton applauds Hip-Hop for making his “job easier”—the job of

sustaining that critical creation of Funk that is both unique and unnerving.

“I never knew that I would be sampled,”

he said, referring to the rampant recycling of old P-Funk records which gave

rise to West Coast Hip-Hop—particularly the G-Funk genre. “But once it started

working, we wasn’t gonna get on the radio no other way. And when people started

bootlegging, I was glad. All of that was part of keeping the funk… alive.”

“Rap is that new, edgy sh**,” Clinton is

quoted saying. “It’s gonna be around and, like I said, the funk is gonna be in

it, the jazz is gonna be in it. It’s starting all over again.”[10]

Rebirth.

“No idea’s original, there’s nothing new

under the sun,” Nas once informed us. “It’s never what you do, but how it’s

done.”[11]

And The Teacher KRS-One instructs new, neophytic

artists to “Go online, look up Kraftwerk/ Everything we doing is past work/ We

already wore that hat, those pants, and that shirt/ So do you, man—if that

works/.”[12]

In “Rock is Black Music, Too,” an op-ed

posted on TheRoot.com, writer Rob

Fields declares: “Hip-Hop has run out of ideas.”[13]

Like the BBC piece, he provides

absolutely no critical insight to corroborate such blatantly misinformed

conjecture. The sole evidence cited

is that “[t]he best-selling rapper of 2008—Lil Wayne—is doing a rock

album.” 

“We need artists who have the courage to

explore new sounds and ideas,” he pompously proposes. In the next breadth,

though, condescension reigns supreme: “But there’s no way today’s artists can

do that if their grasp of music history only extends to the latest ‘80s record

Diddy sampled.”

Thus, Fields wants the Hip-Hop community

to examine critically his clarion call, even if the only valuable, however

unremarkable, revelation in his piece is that Rock & Roll, before the MTV takeover,

was as Black as night—and, in many ways, still is. 

But this isn’t Hip-Hop running out of

ideas or things to say. Rather, this is Hip-Hop reinventing itself, re-imagining

itself, recreating itself. This is Hip-Hop, like it or not, stepping into

destiny.

Journalists of all stripes have always

found desperate and unpleasant ways to describe Hip-Hop. Early as 1990, Newsweek had condemned it—“the thumping,

clattering, scratching assault of rap”—as “music so postindustrial it’s mostly

not even played, but pieced together out of pre-recorded soundbites.”

This laziness, this “biased and

uninformed reporting,” as S.H. Fernando puts it, would also be picked up by Time Magazine, which described Hip-Hop

lyrical content as “a raucous stew of street corner bravado and racial

boosterism… often salted with profanity, and sometimes… demeaning remarks about

whites, women, and gays.”[14]

Of course, not everyone lacked so

bitterly foresight. Princeton professor and renowned philosopher Cornel West

understood, as far back as 1982, that Hip-Hop’s core intention was to serve as

an extension of the great, rich, soulful musical traditions that had made its

rise possible—to begin with.

Part-time working as American

correspondent for the French journal Le

Monde Diplomatique, he wrote:

 [B]lack rap

music indeed Africanizes Afro-American popular music—accenting syncopated

polyrhythms, kinetic orality, and sensual energy in a refined form of raw

expressiveness—while its virtuosity lies not in technical facility but rather

street-talk quickness and linguistic versatility. In short, black rap music

recuperates and revises elements of black rhetorical style—some from our

preaching—and black rhythmic drumming. It combines the two major organic

artistic traditions in black America—black rhetoric and black music.[15]

What Dr. West was aware of, which so

many of his peers lacked the insight to see, was that Hip-Hop could have never

taken flesh without the existence of those great sources of musical depth that

collectively breathed the breadth of life into it.

E

pluribus unum—“Out

of many, one.”

Yes, it is true that “Hip-Hop has stood

the test of time as one of the only artistic developments, throughout the

history of humanity, to come to life without the help, supervision, or even

awareness of an adult population.”[16]

But it is also true that without a reference

point to which the culture was able to refer, this musical phenomenon might

have never come to be.

Without a Louis Armstrong to look up to,

or a John Coltrane to admire; without a Cab Calloway to imitate, or a Mahalia

Jackson to emulate; without a Bob Marley to draw strength from, or an Aretha

Franklin to respect; without a

Machito to be inspired by, or a Celia Cruz to take cues from; without a B.B.

King to learn life’s lessons from, or a Hector Lavoe to pay dues to; without a

James Brown to get down with, or a Teddy Pendergrass to uncover the art of

seduction through; without a Fela Kuti to develop political audacity from, or

a, yes, Gladys Knight to be moved

deeply through, Hip-Hop is less likely to have broken out the shell of misery

that enclosed the lives of many Black and Brown youth.

And though I would like to see Rap music

retain its organic, street-toned, unattenuated quality and sound, if a

Rock-inspired theme is the next turn of the wheel, then the selfishness of my

preferences would have to succumb to a greater desire—its preservation.

Tolu Olorunda is a cultural critic and a

columnist for BlackCommentator.com.

He can be reached at [email protected].

[1] http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/338723/nas-with-cornel-west-hip-hop-is-dead-extened-interview.jhtml

[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8285383.stm

[3] Ellison, Ralph.

Shadow

and Act. New York: Random House, 1964, p. 124.

[4] http://www.southafrica.info/about/history/saartjie.htm

[5] Morrison, Toni.

Playing

in the Dark: Whiteness in the Literary Imagination. Cambridge: Harvard

University Press, 1992, p. 17.

[6] http://nahright.com/news/2009/09/18/video-dame-dash-presents-the-black-roc-project/

[7] http://www.blakroc.com/

[8] http://teamyee.tv/?p=1788

[9] http://www.vibe.com/mt/2009/10/jay-z-wants-a-collision-course-type-lp-with-brit-rock-band-oasis/

[10] Fernando Jr.,

S. H. The New

Beats: Exploring the Music, Culture, and Attitudes of Hip-Hop. New

York: Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1994, p. 71.

[11] Reference from:

Nas, “No Idea’s Original,”

The Lost Tapes, 2002.

[12] Reference from:

KRS-One & Buckshot, “Robot,”

Survival Skills, 2009.

[13] http://www.theroot.com/views/rock-black-music-too

[14] Ibid. The New Beats, p. xxii.

[15] West, Cornel. Brother

West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir. New York: Smiley Books,

2009, p. 149.

[16] https://allhiphop.com/stories/editorial/archive/2009/10/06/21967440.aspx

 

Monday Fashion Feature: Sweaters: What’s Good for Winter 2010

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Uncategorized

With the east coast U.S. expecting possibly the coldest winter in a decade, you’ll want to make sure you’re armed with stylish and cozy knits and fleece.

 

The cardigan made a big comeback and is here to stay. Although the “grandpa” styles are hot as well, many brands have updated the classic cardigan with small details and slimmer fits. Hoodies are cool, but not the ridiculously oversized ones.

 

Try more grown up, fitted styles. Clean crew neck fleece sweatshirts are a 90s look that also made a strong comeback in recent years.

 

Thankfully, these are also not going anywhere. Check out some of the newest pieces from your favorite brands with fly graphics and details.

 

The great thing about crew neck sweatshirts is that you don’t need to match up other layers of clothing – just pull it over your head and you’re good to go!

 

Check out some of the freshest pieces in each category on DrJays.com:.

 

THE FLEECE CREW NECK:

 

 

Chris Brown

 

Crew Sweater by Money Clothing

 

Fomalhaut Knit Sweater by Nikita

 

THE MODERN CARDIGAN:

 

 

Megan Fox

 

Rainbow Roo Sweater by Married to the Mob

 

Striped Cardigan by CAVI

 

THE GROWN UP HOODIE:

 

 

Kanye West

 

 

Milan Hoodie by CAVI

 

Big Words Hoodie by Married to the Mob

 

See more from DrJays.com by clicking HERE.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Ma$es Debo’s His Way Off Bad Boy? Kanye West Found! Beyonce Records?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Rumors

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.

WHERE ARE YOU YEEZY?

 

People are wondering where Kanye is. Well, from what I understand, Kanye is not over in India taking a religious sabbatical as reported. From what I understand, Kanye is right in Illinois and making music with a rapper he’s been affiliated with for a long time. That rapper’s name is ______. From what I was told by a super credible source is that Kanye was “around the way” very recently and is working with this rapper again, because they are close friends. I was told not to divulge the name of the rapper, because it could cause problems for somebody. But just understand that the rapper is 1) from Chicago, 2) not Common and 3) Helped Kamye score a huge hit. Anyway, Kanye just strolled in and people were shocked. Good to see him laying low.

 

WYCLEF DISSED KANYE?

 

 

I got a line from my homey Phil from Kenya and he checked in with me on the African Hip-Hop Scene. But he also hit me up with some rumors from the Motherland. He told me that ‘Clef said that somebody should have beaten Kanye up for what he did at the video music awards.

 

Also, after the African Music Awards, I heard that a women that was or claimed to be Akon’s baby moms was not allowed to see him at the hotel where he stayed. In fact, I heard security kicked her out.

 

Phil also told me that Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 is the hottest CD in Africa right now. He even said that they don’t appreciate the previous “attacks” that T-Pain has levied against Jay-Z. I heard they said and felt similar things about The Game.

 

 

 

50 CENT NOT WORKING WITH THE GAME

 

The Game and Dr. Dre recently let their personal issues come to a close. The rumor then was that the West Coast producer would then get the two guys back  on a stong.

 

“You shouldn’t really hold your breath. If Dre decides to work with him, that’s Dre’s prerogative.”

 

50 Cent recently said that to MTV and  somebody picked up the audio and sent it over. So, that basically dashes that on the rocks below. I think with all the G-Unity going around this may have been true. Guess not.

 

DMX CAUSES A RUCKUS

 

DMX got into a big thingy over the weekend in Colorado. Well, he got to a concert late and they didn’t want him to go on. DMX wanted to go on and they threatened him. Whatever. Here are some other details I heard. I heard the security there tried to pepper spray DMX about a foot from his eyeball. LOL! The way my homey Irv Da Phenom described it was crazy. He sald the cops – key stone cops – were slamming people and being abusive. DMX finally got to a mic and had all the people engage in a prayer. After that, everybody chilled out and stuff.

 

 

BEYONCE’S LABEL IS COMING

 

Clearly, Beyonce is on a path of world domination.

 

One of the main parts of the industry that B has not taken on is the area of the record label. I’m hearing that’s all soon to change in a few. Yes. My peoples sent me a lil note that said that Beyonce is going to soon get going on  her label after much of the dusk has settled with touring and her recent album stuff, she is going to start on a label. There was no timetable given, but she did suggest that she’d be willing to start a “family” in about 5 years.

 

MASE DEBOS PUFFY INTO LETTING HIM GO!

 

This was weird. Mase gets at Diddy at the radio station in Atlanta and basically has release papers in his hand. He wanted his “freedom” and it looks like he got it. Check  it out.

 

 

There was something sad about that right there.

 

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

 

Looks like a lot of Lil Wayne’s music is insecure and leaking.

 

New songs from T-Wayne (T-Pain and Lil Wayne) have now leaked and the labels are trying to stop it.

 

Also, there is likely a threat that Drake’s project is going to leak EARLY. Apparently, there is somebody that claims to have Drake’s album and intends to leak it because he doesn’t like Drake.

 

This same person claims to have Lil Wayne’s rock album and will leak it too. I know this…

 

Andre Dirrell got robbed on Saturday and Jermain Taylor got KTFO. Read about it here.

 

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

 

Goodness. This is a fail beyond belief. Three punks decide to assault a man’s fiancée and do they get a knuckle sandwich deluxe – right in the middle of Times Square! Sheeeeet!

 

 

Dude straight beat up all three dudes at once and then some!

 

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AND END

 

 

This one is awesomely tragic. A mother has been arrested for shooting her sons – one 5 years old and the other 1 year old. The one that’s dead is the one that is 5 and the one that is alive is the one that is one. The one-year old child is now in the fight of his young life. The woman called 911 and admitted to the crime. When the police arrived, she basically was waving a gun around wildly and asked that the police shoot her. They didn’t. they just took her  gun and too her to jail. The one year old was shot several times and its now in the hospital. Tragic.

 

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS

 

Here are the rumors that Chance did over the weekend but I didn’t update. Here you go:

NO LOVE FOR WENDY??

Wendy Williams is apparently having a hard time booking guests for her show.  After years of trashing celebrities over the air a lot of them aren’t eager to support her move to TV.  Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Diddy, LL Cool J, Tyler Perry and Usher have all turned her down.  I never really watched the show but I heard it was OK and she’s been very cool with the site for a few years now.  I’m diggin Moniques show though … just wish she’d use her inside voice a little more.

CONGRATS!!!!

…to Drake, Wale and Kid Cudi for collectively being named GQ’s Man Of The Year

MC BALLOON BOY

Balloon

boys parents are going to face charges that could land them in the

joint for up to 6 year.  This family is obviously dying to be the next

reality craze.  The family was on

Wife Swap as the radical family that switches moms with the

conservative family, they were shooting some kind of movie when the

balloon got away (so they claim) and even called the news before they

called the cops.  They even dabble in Hip Hop.  Check out this video

featuring balloon boy, his brothers Bradford (8) and Rayo (7) and his

mother on the

guitar.

Does he have a future in rap?

GOOD CALL MADGE

Madonna was going

to call her last album “Black Madonna” and even shot the cover in black

face with red lipstick and white eyes.  However, she figured people

wouldn’t “get it” and nixed the idea.  Good call if Nas can’t name his

album “N#####” that is definitely NO BUENO.

AMY BREAKS A BOOB

Drug

addict/singer Amy Winehouse recently got some breast implants that

brought her from a 32B to a 32D.  Well after a performance last week

she was rushed to the hospital because her boobs were “f**king killing

[her]” as she put it.  Rumor is one of them broke during the show.

HUSH JOB

Although

the news of Matthew Knowles’s jump off being pregnant is new, the

actual pregnancy isn’t.  She’s six months pregnant and word is Bey’s

pops may have known the whole time and tried to hush her up with a job

at Interscope as a Marketing Director earlier this year.  But her lack

of experience and penchant for drama resulted in her getting fired real

quick.

It might not have been a cover up though just MK trying to hold his side chick down.IS MONICA A HOME WRECKER???

Monica

is working on a comeback but there’s always someone with some dirt to

throw … a woman says she ran into Monica at Saks in NY and while she

was shopping in another section her husband claims Monica approached

him and BEGGED him to take her number.  He said she eventually backed

off when his wife called to check up on him.

VIDEOS ON THE WAY

50 shot the the video for his song “Baby By Me” in NY Saturday and his leading lady was none other than Illseeds ex-squeeze Kelly Rowland here are some pics from the shoot:

Chris Brown shot the video for his second single “Crawl” on Friday with Cassie as his leading lady… the video for the first single “I Can Transform Ya” will be out soon:

And Rihanna was in New York last week shooting the video for her

first single.  Ne-yo says you can expect a much angrier Rihanna on this

album…(no s**t Sherlock):

(Bonus pic) Here is RiRi shooting her album cover:

TOO MUCH INFO???

Maybe it’s

just me but this sounds like a deposition … Soulja Boy’s homebody

gives a DETAILED account of what happened the night he and SB were

arrested … which to my knowledge is still an open case:

ANGELA GOT SKILLZ

Here’s Angela Simmons on a

shopping expedition with her new boyfriend Skillz of

Play-N-Skillz…not digging the lipstick but Angela is a bad mamma jamma

UPGRADE????Pro Skateboarder/Rapper Terry Kennedy aka Compton A** Terry is rebounding from Angela with this Brazilian goddess:

 IM JUST SAYIN’ Cormega said he cant f**k with Drake because

he was rich before rap … he says these “spoiled kids” need to go do

something else.Latoya Jackson is nervous the people that “conspired” to kill MJ are coming after her next.

Redman

says How High 2 IS on the way … Universal isn’t allowing Red and Meth

to use the storyline or characters but they are trying to work around

that.

Beyonce and Lady GaGa just shot the video for “Video Phone” in BK with Hype Williams … the shoot was very well secured.Word is Kid Cudi will be replacing Kanye on that Lady GaGa tour … it’s called The Monster Ball now.

In Michael Jackson’s family exploiting his death news for $3,000

you can have dinner with Joe Jackson at a private screening of This Is

It in Vegas.Ashanti is working on her 5th album … she plans to release it in 2010 through her own company Written Entertainment.

Michelle Obama has been turned into an action figure…I hope this doesn’t p### off Asher Roth.

PEACE – CHANCECDR @ Twitter or Gmail

For more, go to illseed.com. Or just follow me at http://twitter.com/illseed

FOXY, 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].

Bill Cosby’s Town Hall Meeting – LIVE!

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Uncategorized

Check out Bill Cosby, and four African American men about race, family, music and a myriad of other matters in the community.Bill Cosby has been a lightening rod in the Hip-Hop community. He’s been a positive force for years, as an entertainer, comic and as an activist. Still, with his intentions in recent years have been met with some fierce opposition.His words towards Hip-Hop and those in lower economic positions have made The Cos a more controversial person. This live stream shows Cosby means well, if nothing else. This townhall is live! See it below!

 

Stream videos at Ustream

 

Knockout Nation: Taylor KO’d, Dirrell Robbed? Mayweather-Leonard Fight

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Lifestyle

Arthur Abraham Kicks Off Super Six with KO

Jermain Taylor’s (28-4-1, 17 KOs) hope of exorcising the demons from his disheartening TKO to Carl Froch were dashed when Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) delivered a dramatic KO with 11 seconds left in the 12th.

 

As predicted, Taylor started off well working the jab and circling the plodding Abraham. The German was content to just stalk after Taylor behind his trademark high guard. Abraham would sparingly let loose an overhand right, but Taylor was much too quick early on to catch anything flush. However, Taylor’s jab was just a range-finding punch and Abraham was paying no physical price for walking down the former middleweight champ.

 

When Abraham did throw, whether it was a jab or a hook, his punches were considerably harder and normally pushed the larger Taylor back. The Berlin audience cheered their man’s every move, but were audibly anxious as round after round passed with Taylor assumingly ahead just on activity.

 

Another subplot was Abraham’s complaints of no blows, which made Taylor reticent to utilize his best asset when dealing with Abraham’s high guard. The referee warned Taylor several times, making the threat of point deductions imminent with more than half the fight remaining. Additionally, Taylor complained of several rabbit punches and audibly chastised Abraham for the tactic.

 

Through the middle rounds, Abraham became more aggressive and let loose with several thudding body hooks to Taylor. In the 6th, Taylor lost a point for low blows, and was rattled by looping right hands. The pattern continued in the 7th, with King Arthur knocking Taylor back with hook combinations to the body. A huge left hook to the head stunned Taylor, who now was hesitant to counter the firepower coming his way.

 

In the corner, Taylor assured them he was ok, and could see the right hand coming. Despite that proclamation, it was Abraham’s hard jab that was blinding Taylor’s vision and setting up the powerful right hook.

 

 

That combo paid dividends in the 9th when the right hand crashed home and left Jermain badly hurt and wobbly with 2:02 remaining. Taylor was knocked around the ring with more hooks before wisely holding at the 1:46 mark, which almost certainly saved him from a knockout. Luckily for Taylor, Abraham’s plodding nature allowed him to recover, and a ripping right hook to the body kept the German on defense for the rest of the round.

 

The 10th and 11th were all Abraham. Taylor could mount no consistent offense outside of a flickering jab, while Abraham was mauling him with wincing hooks to the body and head. Still, Taylor never stopped trying and kept Abraham honest with an errant hard overhand right.

 

Before the final round, both corners advised their men to box smart, with Taylor’s side emphasizing they needed to have this round.

 

Taylor stormed out working the right hook to the body. For most of the round, Abraham was content to play peek a boo defense and slowing stalk forward as seen in the early rounds.

 

But then Abraham started opening up at the 1:30 mark and strafing Taylor with hooks. Two left hooks hurt Taylor with less than a minute remaining, and the Little Rock, Arkansas native must have started seeing flashback of his previous fight and loss to Carl Froch. But he stayed defiant, and visibly shook his head as if to say “no, I will finish this fight on my feet.”

 

But it was not to be.

 

As Taylor desperately went after his foe, he was blinded by a left and caught flush with a perfect straight right through the gloves. Taylor was gone before he hit the floor, and received a concussion when his head crashed into the canvas.

 

The referee stopped counting midway through as medical personnel were already in the ring to assist Taylor.

 

 

The win gives Abraham the early lead in the tournament with 3 points (2 for winning and an additional point for the KO), and the colorful fighter was of course ecstatic with his performance.

 

“All the time I was going for the KO, but I knew I was ahead on points,” Abraham stated. “I was just waiting two and half minutes for him to open up [in the last round]. I was waiting for this opportunity and then I hit him, and it finally worked. Only the win is important, nothing more. He [Taylor] doesn’t hit hard. I haven’t seen a single fight of Dirrell [my next opponent], but I will starting watching tapes and prepare. I hope to go to America , and I will take America. That’s my next plan.”

 

Before going to the hospital, Taylor explained that whether the loss was a decision or a KO, it’s still just as devastating.

 

“A loss is a loss to me, man. This ain’t the first time, this is boxing,” Taylor reflected. “You have to expect the worst. It’s a hard sport.”

 

Next for Arthur Abraham will be Andre Dirrell. Regarding Taylor, some fans and critics are already calling for him to vacate the tournament, citing dangers to his health for having back to back brutal KO losses.

 

At press time, Taylor has expressed no desire to leave the Super Six.

 

 

 

Froch Wins Controversial Split Decision Over Dirrell

WBC super-middleweight titlist Carl “The Cobra” Forch (26-0, 20 KOs) had to make it an ugly, mauling bout over the last few rounds to take a disputed, and some say robbery level split decision win over young American upstart Andre Dirrell (81-1, 13 KOs).

 

With the bout taking place in Froch’s hometown of Nottingham, England, the challenger already knew he had a difficult task in front of him.

 

For the first few rounds, Dirrell controlled the action with a peppering jab to the head and body. A switch-hitter, Dirrell would change his stance once or twice a round to throw off Froch’s rhythm.

 

After 2 rounds of not landing anything clean, Froch started to make things rough by rabbit punching and blatantly hitting Dirrell on breaks. The challenger complained on every foul, and the referee gave Froch a warning in the 3rd. Still, it was Dirrell’s movement and crisp straights to the body and head that carried the round. Froch looked frustrated, but managed to land a glancing right after running down Dirrell.

 

In the 5th, Froch got a warning for hip-tossing his foe to the floor, while Dirrell was reprimanded for leaning on Froch in the clinches. These rounds were close depending on what you favor: the aggression of Froch or the cleaner punching and movement of Dirrell. Later in the round, Froch received another warning for hitting on the break after clipping his challenger to the body.

 

 

By the 7th, Dirrell had slowed enough to allow Froch to maul him on the inside. In the clinches, Froch would blatantly rabbit punch and hold and hit. Instead of defending himself, Dirrell would complain to the ref and eat more punches in the process. These punches not only got the crowd back into it, but no doubt made an impression on the judges.

 

Dirrell tried to reassert himself briefly in the 8th by winging fast lead hooks. But it was Froch’s constant pressure, and a huge left hook that carried the round.

 

Things were still nip and tuck by the 10th, when Dirrell was shockingly deducted a point for excessive holding. The deduction was strange considering all the roughhousing going on, and Dirrell sough to salvage the round with a couple of huge lefts hooks that wobbled Froch. The champion grabbed and began holding and hitting, and a few more rabbit punches were snuck in.

 

In the last 2 rounds, Dirrell stood more flatfooted and gave Forch more opportunities to flurry him wildly against the ropes. However, it was Dirrell with the advantage courtesy of several homerun hooks. Froch kept up the pressure, but the majority of his shots did not have the accuracy of Dirrell’s.

 

Final scorecards read 113-114, and 115-112 twice for Froch, who retained his WBC title.

 

“We know where we are with a hometown favorite. He came on strong in the last round, I’ll give him that. But I boxed him enough to gain a decision,” Dirrell stated in the post-fight interview. “I still don’t know why he took the point from me…he’s been holding and hitting me in the back of the head the whole time. He’s been rough the whole fight…I got another fight next. The most dangerous ones are the ones who got that loss first.”

 

“It could have gone either way [regarding the point deductions]. Andre Dirrell was holding non-stop,” Froch argued. “If he’s going to duck low, I’m going to hit him on the back of the head because it’s there to be hit. That’s fighting, that’s boxing. Not illegally, but because he’s ducking low. It’s the only thing you can do….I’m in there to win the fight.”

 

In the next round, Dirrell will face Arthur Abraham, while Froch goes up against tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler.

 

 

Vitali Throws Down in Politics

I wonder if the issues in American politics would be solved quicker through behavior like this. Check out heavyweight titlist Vitali Klitschko involved in a minor scuffle during some type of Kiev, Ukraine political meeting.

 

Anyone care to translate?

 

 

 

Tyson-Holyfield Reconcile on Oprah

There are three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and the world will love you following an Oprah cosign. Last Monday, Mike Tyson’s emotional interview over the loss of his daughter and his poor life choices changed his public perception from vilified convicted rapist to a misunderstood, emotionally scarred man trying to rebuild his life.

 

On Friday (October 16), Evander Holyfield showed up and the two future Hall of Famers had their first meeting since the infamous ear-biting incident from their 1997 rematch.

 

 

 

And for those who missed it, check out the last rounds of their first fight, named RING Magazine Fight of the Year in 1996.

 

 

 

 

 

 vs.

Mythical Matchup of the Week: “Sugar” Ray Leonard vs. Floyd “Money” Mayweather

Here we have two of the greatest fighters of all time. One is an all time great at welterweight, and the other has been one of the premier fighters at that weight class since 2005. So who would win this epic mythical showdown?

 

Sugar Ray Leonard is an offensive machine. He possessed the ability to land any type of punch with the deadly combination of speed and power. He was equally adept at boxing (Duran II, Benitez) or slugging (Hearns I) when needed.

 

Since moving up to welterweight (his 4th weight class), Mayweather has become even more of a defensive specialist. He’s been content to potshot opponents with quick counters and through his immense skill completely shut down the offenses of his opponents. Against him, Mayweather’s welterweight opposition have a combined connect percentage of less than 20%.

 

Head to head, Leonard holds the distinct advantage of being a natural welterweight. Mayweather is not a big hitter at welterweight but very capable of getting the respect of most fighters with his stinging counters.

 

But Leonard isn’t most fighters. And as a man who’s walked down Tommy Hearns to a stoppage win (getting a detached retina in the process); it’s likely he’ll go through Mayweather’s punches.

 

Leonard’s speed and power will keep Floyd cautious, and the multi-division champ would be focused more on defense and not getting KO’d as opposed to initiating any offense.

 

Mayweather hasn’t fought anyone similar to Leonard, but Sugar Ray has a close facsimile (at least in defensive prowess) in Wilfred Benitez. Unlike most of Mayweather’s opponents, Leonard won’t get discouraged, and will keep the steady pressure on him despite the missed punches.

 

Prediction-wise, I’d go with a Leonard win by clear unanimous decision, probably by the score of 10-5 or higher over a 15 round bout. A knockout is possible, but I feel Mayweather takes less chances than say a Benitez on offense and won’t give Leonard the openings needed.

 

Of course, Mayweather doesn’t quite feel the same way. When I broached the topic to him last month preceding his comeback bout versus Juan Manual Marquez, Mayweather pointed to how Leonard did against his own lightweight opponent moving up.

 

“Sugar Ray always gives me a hard time [when I see him],” Mayweather told Knockout Nation. “I told him I respect what he did in his era, but he always talks about what he would’ve done to me. Roberto Duran was a legendary fighter, but he came up from lightweight to welterweight and beat you! [Leonard] is always trying to size me up. He was a beast, he beat my dad before. But my dad was giving him problems and he only had one hand. He was injured but had to take the fight because of the opportunity.”

 

Of course, Roberto Duran isn’t exactly your normal lightweight, a point Floyd acknowledged.

 

“I probably would’ve had my hands full with him. But I have the blueprint on how to beat everybody because I’ve seen everybody lose,” Mayweather countered. “Nobody has the blueprint on me because no one has seen me lose.”

 

So how about it, everyone? Who wins this mythical welterweight matchup between Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Ray Leonard?

QuestionsView Results

 

 

 

Leonard vs. Finch

 

 

Leonard Highlights

 

 

Mayweather Highlights

 

 

 

Father Sees Daughter Having Sex, Shoots Boyfriend

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Rumors

 

This is an Epic Fail, Win and Sign The World Is Coming To And End…all in one.

 

“He might have over-reacting just a little bit.”- A Friend of Father

 

A father and his daughter typically have a special bond.

 

How do I know? I don’t, but I am sure that no father wants to walk in on his daughter doing the wild thing with her boyfriend. Well, that is exactly what happened

 

In this case, a man comes home, hears something and goes up to the room to see what is going on. Upon entering the room, he witnesses his step-daughter’s, 16, and her 18-year-old boyfriend having sex in his house.

 

Father leaves.

 

Father loads gun.

 

Father returns.

 

Father fires gun.

 

Four bullets enter boyfriends body, including his legs and genital region.

 

See the video below.

 

OUCH.

 

 

Did the father overreact?

 

QuestionsView Results

 

DMX/Police Confrontation Sparks Riot at Concert

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

DMX’s scheduled Colorado Springs concert last night (October 16) turned into a riot after the Yonkers artist clashed with local police over his headlining set.

 

The show was supposed to be for American Charities, and X made it to the venue around 11pm. Upon his arrival, the multi-platinum artist was accosted by a security guard and told he could not perform.

 

DMX was furious, and inquired as to why he couldn’t fulfill his contractual obligations. The guard explained that he was allegedly supposed to be there by 9:30PM, and fans had already been told he wasn’t coming.

 

During the back and forth, the security guard threatened to have X arrested if he attempted to get on stage, a warning the rapper scoffed at.

 

“[Arrest me] for what?! You ain’t no police!” DMX argued. “I’ve been paid to perform.”

 

When X attempted to force his way on stage, several authorities tackled him to the ground. His entourage and fans joined the fracas, and DMX’s publicist Pam Pinnock reportedly suffered a minor concussion and face laceration after being trampled on the floor.

 

DMX eventually made it to the stage, but was not given the supporting sound system to appease his chanting fans.

 

While details are still being revealed, the American Charities’ strict refusal to let DMX perform is allegedly the result of the non-profit not having the remaining money needed to cover X’s performance. The rapper was paid an $8000 deposit, with a remaining amount of $7000 to be delivered upon the show’s completion.

 

Instead of informing DMX’s management, the show promoters allegedly opted to completely cancel the set rather then negotiate a new arrangement.

 

Last year, DMX had a similar situation at Indiana University, when police caused a brief riot by shutting down the rapper’s set for not taking the stage on time for a scheduled 8:30PM performance.

 

At press time, neither DMX nor a representative from American Charities could be reached for comment.

 

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P.Miller Assists HUD in Rebuilding New Orleans Housing Projects

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Entrepreneur P.Miller recently joined HUD secretary Shaun Donovan to break ground on the newly rebuilt B.W. Cooper Housing Projects in New Orleans.

 

The refurnished mixed-income development represents a goal Miller had to bring development money into his community. Initially, Miller’s goal was inspired by observing mogul Donald Trump and then working with business banking and financial management specialist Keith Mays.

 

As always, Miller hopes his work will be an example to his old colleagues in the music industry and those throughout his native New Orleans community.

 

“I want to be able to show these guys look at me. I changed my image, I changed my life and I had to grow up,” Miller explained. “I’m honored to be a part of the ground breaking alongside President Obama’s right hand man Secretary Shaun Donovan who shares the same goal as me, which is to help B.W. Cooper residents get back into their new homes.”

 

4 years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, many areas in New Orleans remain ravaged and deserted. Secretary Donovan detailed that 30,000 families were still awaiting disaster help, as “duplication of benefits” rules left many homeowners without the necessary funds needed to finish home repairs.

 

“We worked closely with the state and the city to get services to them so we could help them with whatever challenges were keeping them from getting into a permanent home,” Donavan stated. “And as you heard today we made a number of changes to speed assistance to help rebuild homes.”

 

Formerly the B.W. Cooper Projects, the community has been renamed Marrero Commons after activist Yvonne Marrero, who passed away following Hurricane Katrina.

 

At press time, the development is scheduled to open to residents by the end of 2010.

 

P.Miller’s next community project will be Onemilliongifts.org, an ambitious directive to give one millions gifts to children in New Orleans by Christmas 2009.

The Last Word: Tracy Morgan Disses SNL Fam, Richard Pryor Movie! Amy Winehouse Is Back!?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Alternatives

How’s the life everybody? The weekend is here and I’m heading to the left coast to spend time with my sister and her fiancé, reconnect with old friends and, with any luck, make a few new ones. All this amid an active five days of Rush Limbaugh getting no love for trying to buy the St. Louis Rams, Hilary Clinton saying she won’t run for president again and Sen. Olympia Snowe being the only Republican to support president Obama’s health care plan.

 

Thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends of pro-wrestling legend figure “Captain” Lou Albano, who died at his home Wednesday (Oct. 14) morning. Shout out to the sounding boards for making sure I stay awake for the encore.

 

Now’s the time for …. The Last Word for the week ending Oct. 16, 2009.

 

 

1.       Tracy Morgan Takes Tina Fey to the Strip Club; Blasts Former SNL Castmates

 

No matter what you may think of Tracy Morgan, you have to admit that he always seems to make an impression.

 

Just ask Tina Fey, who was lucky enough to go with Tracy to “after-after-after-after party” years ago when they were part of the cast of Saturday Night Live.

 

“Friends of mine were running an illegal strip club they called the Loft. It was in an office space they’d rented and converted into an after-the-after-party spot. They put a stage in it, they put a few futons all around, and they’d get strippers and girls to come and do shows,” Morgan revealed in his upcoming memoir, I Am the New Black.  “I invited everyone to go down there one week. And Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch and a few others came along. I didn’t tell any of them what they were in for, so it was all cool when we got there.

 

“At first … they thought it was just a private party. Then these two girls came out onstage and started [engaging in sex acts], and that just shut it down,” the comedic actor continued. “All the grips and crew guys from ‘SNL’ were standing around and loving it, but my castmates took one look at that, turned right around and rushed out of there.”

 

With stuff like that, it’s easy to see why Fey wasn’t on Tracy’s bad side. The same can’t be said for fellow Not Ready for Primetime players Chris Kattan and Cherri Oteri, whom Morgan had less than flattering memories of.

 

“I had my finger on the pulse of urban comedy, but when I brought my act to ‘SNL,’ those mother——— just felt bad for me.  None of the cast I came up with saw this future for me. No, sir,” the entertainer said of his 10-year-stint on the show. “All I have to say about that is, where’s Chris Kattan now? Where’s Cheri Oteri now? That b—- can’t even get arrested.”

 

It definitely seems like Tracy got the last laugh. He’s on the Emmy-winning 30 Rock with Fey, appeared in various movies over the years and hosted the VH1 Hip Hop Honors for the second year straight. Still, there seems to be nothing like beef to help sell whatever it is your offering. Funny, ain’t it?

 

 

2. Nelly Furtado Ponders Nudity at Age 40

 

She may have sung about being “promiscuous,” but Nelly Furtado is far from that with a husband and child. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Hugh Hefner from offering some big money for the 31-year-old songbird to take it all off for Playboy when she was starting her career as a singer.

 

“The magazine was even prepared to offer me $500.000, (but) I didn’t want Playboy on my resume at the age of 22,” Furtado confessed to WENN.

 

What a difference a few years makes. It seems that Nelly has changed her tune, as she wants Hef to make her a new offer to pose naked on her 40th birthday.  As she’s gotten older, Furtado has gotten more confident in her looks and career. Hence, the change of heart towards displaying her birthday suit.

 

“If they ask when I’m 40, I’ll probably say yes.”

 

With all the older femmes (Halle Berry, Stacy Dash, Lisa Raye) outshining their younger counterparts lately, a nude Nelly Furtado may continue to keep the streak going, if she does follow through with it. The question is will Hef take her up on it. Stay tuned…

 

 

3.       Marlon Wayans Prepares for Richard Pryor Close Up in New Biopic

 

Could Marlon Wayans be setting himself up for a dramatic makeover of Jamie Foxx proportions?

 

According to EW.com, the entertainer is in advanced talks to play Richard Pryor in the biopic Richard Pryor: Is it Something I Said.

 

The film will follow Pryor’s controversial brand of comedy and his battle with drugs.  Producers for the feature will include the legendary comic’s widow, Jennifer Lee Pryor as well as Chris Rock and Mark Gordon.

 

Wayans good fortune seems to be Eddie Murphy’s loss.  The former Saturday Night Live Star, who was originally set to star in the Bill Condon-helmed film, dropped out amid conflicts with Paramount Pictures.

 

Nevertheless, the cards ultimately shifted in Wayans’ favor as sources revealed to EW that the funnyman fought for the role and blew away producers with a 13- min screen test where he “transforms into Pryor.”

 

Sounds like Marlon is making an honest effort to really honor Pryor with his performance. Although you could dismiss this because of his past roles in Dance Flick, White Chicks, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and countless Wayans Brother films, Marlon does have a dramatic range. If you haven’t checked out 1999’s Requiem for a Dream, you should. It definitely makes you take a different look at him.

 

But I have to ask “What if?.” Knowing that Condon directed Murphy to a best supporting actor Oscar nod for Dreamgirls, could playing Pryor have made Eddie a certified Oscar nominee again?  It certainly would’ve been interesting, but somehow I think Marlon just might surprise everybody with this. What say you?

 

 

4.       Amy Winehouse Returns to Music; Signs Goddaughter to New Label

 

Could it be that Amy Winehouse has cleaned up enough to officially put the wheels in gear to creating a follow up to her multi-platinum opus Back to Black?

 

It seems to point in that direction. The folks at the BBC report that the songstress’ record label, Island, is expecting the album to be completed next year. And according to Island co-president Darcus Beese, it looks promising.

 

“I’ve heard a couple of song demos that absolutely floored me,” he said, adding that Winehouse has been writing and recording “in fits and starts.” “Hopefully we’ll have her album next year.”

 

In addition to reappearing in the studio, Winehouse has made some business moves with her new label, Lioness Records. Among the acts signed are the entertainer’s 13-year-old goddaughter Dionne Bromfield and her long-time back-up singer Zalon Thompson.

 

Already, Bromfield has garnered comparisons to Winehouse as listeners say sounds like a younger version of Amy as she releases her debut album, a collection of 1960s soul and girl group cover songs.

 

“A lot of people have said you sound like Amy, and to me that’s a compliment,” Bromfield told the BBC when asked about the comparisons. I try to be myself but when you’ve grown up with Amy and sing together, you both click and sound the same.”

 

Although Winehouse has become more known for her tabloid behavior than her music, Bromfield only sees the musical side as Winehouse, who instantly became a mentor after hearing her voice, doing everything from paying for singing lessons to teaching the young girl the guitar and put her into the recording studio to record demos with her band.

 

“Eventually she said, ‘Dionne you’re on my label,’ and I said OK! I wasn’t going to say no,” she said.

 

Hmmm. Sounds like an offer the young singer couldn’t refuse. Let’s hope Amy stays focused so she can  do something worthwile with her goddaughter while making more classic music.

 

 

 

5.       Leona Lewis Gets Punchy Reception at Book Signing

 

An appearance at a book signing was anything but normal for Leona Lewis.

 

The BBC reports the songstress was punched by a fan while signing copies of her autobiography Dreams.  The incident took place after Lewis had spent about 90 minutes signing autographs at Waterstone’s bookstore in London.

 

It was at this point when  Lewis’ spokesman said  a guy came up and punched her to the side of the head.” The encounter definitely affected the vocalist  as the spokesman went on to say that Leona was “understandably badly shaken.”

 

Soon after, Waterstone’s released a statement addressing the incident, voicing its support of any police investigation looking into what happened and thanking Lewis for her professionalism during the ordeal.

 

The bookstore assault comes as Leona prepares for the release of her forthcoming album Echo. The project, which includes the recently released single “Happy,” is slated to hit stores due Nov. 17.

 

 

 

In Other Words…

 

Six months after the death of their father, BeBe and CeCe Winans have released their first gospel album in 15 years, Still. Songs featured on the new release include the single “Close To You,” and “He Can Handle It.” Producers include Mario Winans, Warryn Campbell and Mervyn Warren.  Still is available in stores now.

 

 

If you ever wanted to spend the holidays with Jennifer Hudson, now is your chance. The Oscar winning singer will hit the small screen for her primetime ABC Christmas special, Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show, which is slated to air in December, will feature Hudson as she relives her childhood holidays with musical performances filmed in locations specific to her youth: the Oscar winner’s church, music academy and other Chicago locations.

 

 

Chris Rock is headed back to the big screen as the star of the upcoming film My Black Friend. According to reports, the feature sprang from a November 2008 GQ magazine story by the publication’s senior correspondent, Devin Friedman, a married white journalist out of Manhattan.

 

Friedman’s article centered on his search for black friends on Craigslist and the unexpected results that that occur from his quest to expand his social circle. Oprah’s Harpo Films is working with Lionsgate to develop the project. In the meantime, Rock’s documentary Good Hair is in theaters now. The will be followed by the comedy Death at a Funeral, which the funnyman co-wrote and produced. Look for that film to be released in April.

 

 

Fergie is making a major business move as a co-owner of the Miami Dolphins. SportingNews.com reports the Black Eyed Peas hitmaker was approved by NFL owners voted on Tuesday as a celebrity minority investor in the team.

 

The only thing now that’s keeping Fergie from joining the Dolphins’ celebrity investor club is signing the paperwork necessary to make the deal official. The Peas are current touring of Australia has prevented the team’s owner Stephen Ross from signing the papers at this time. Needless to say that Fergie will be in good company once things are done. Other celebrity Dolphins investors include Serena Williams, Marc Anthony, Jimmy Buffett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

 

 

Looks like Michael won’t be the only Jackson gracing fans with new music. Janet Jackson will be back on the scene with her forthcoming greatest hits album Number Ones. The two-disc project, which hits stores on Nov. 17, will feature more than 30 of Janet’s most popular songs that span from her classic debut album, Control, to her last musical offering, Discipline.  

In addition to the classic, Number Ones will also feature a new song from Janet called “Make Me,” which was released last month.

Diddy Loses $20k Jewelry Item at 106 & Park

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ recent promotional stop at BET’s 106 and Park came with a heavy price when the mogul accidentally threw away a ring worth $20,000.

 

The blunder happened while Diddy appeared on stage with his new group Dirty Money. The trio threw promotional bills mixed with real money into the crowd as they made their way on stage.

 

During the “making it rain” session, Combs’ ring mistakenly came off and was picked up by an unknown party.

 

Afterward, the audience was frisked one by one in an effort to locate the expensive item. Unfortunately, the security team failed to find the ring.

 

Combs took the financial loss in stride, and voiced his disappointment on Twitter .

 

“The craziest s**t just happened to me lol,” Diddy tweeted. “I guess its s**ttin on me season. Enjoy it while it lasts!!!! Lol Life is crazy!”

 

Regarding the new album Last Train to Paris, Diddy framed his new label home Interscope as the place where he will create a new music dynasty.

 

“Nothing has really changed, it’s just the future. The best way I can explain it is when Kevin Garnett was playing for the Timberwolves and he got traded to the Celtics,” Combs stated. “I’m going for my ring right now, my championship…I’m not out here trying to sing like I’m Trey Songz, Usher, or Luther Vandross. It’s more the emotions that are going on in my head and using my voice as an instrument.”

 

Diddy’s Last Train to Paris is set to drop in early 2010 on Bad Boy/Interscope.

AHH Stray News: J. Cole, Nelly, Sedgwick & Cedar

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: News

Roc Nation rapper J. Cole recently revealed details around his upcoming debut album, which is due out next spring or summer. According to Cole, he has linked with one of Hip-Hop’s most prolific producers, No I.D. No I.D., who is responsible for producing Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” and “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune), has worked with a number of artists over the years, including Common. Despite the chemistry, J. Cole said the majority of his debut will be self produced. “In my mind, I’m producing my album, but every time I get in with him, we just come up with some great music,” said Cole. “But I’m trying to produce a large majority of my album.”

 

 

Saint Louis rap star Nelly will make another appearance on CBS’s#### series CSI-New York. Nelly, who debuted on the show last October, will reprise his role as a New York City nightclub owner named Terrence Davis, a convicted gun smuggler who ended up accused of murder during the last season. Fans of the rapper can tune into CSI-New York on November 18th at 10:00 PM EST to catch Nelly’s cameo appearance.

 

Hip-Hop clothing company Sedgwick & Cedar launched a new line of t-shirts in partnership with famed New York photographer Jamel Shabazz. Under the new deal, Shabazz will license various photos from his book Back in the Days and Times Before Crack,” which will be featured on the front and back of the new collection. “Jamel wanted to keep this collabo limited and special and we could not agree more with him,” Sedgwick & Cedar CEO Ray Riccio told AllHipHop.com. “Once these designs are gone, we will move forward to our next limited photo collaboration featuring the legendary works of photographer Joe Conzo. So, if you are a fan of Jamel Shabazz and true Hip-Hop culture, we suggest getting these designs while they are available.” The Shabazz collection will be available for the holiday season and supply will be limited.

Young Buck: Moving Past The Past

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Features

Over two years have now passed since

Cashville’s finest Young Buck released his studio album Buck

The World. When speaking to him it becomes immediately clear that

he has matured during this time, perhaps unsurprisingly after having

to overcome a number of career obstacles throughout this turbulent period.

Following the constant stream of rumors circulated by a number of media

outlets, Buck wants to move past any negative preconceptions but not

before setting the record straight regarding several matters with AllHipHop.com,

as he acknowledges that to avoid certain subjects would be to ignore

the proverbial elephant in the room.

Having clearly learned a lot from his

experience in the industry so far, Buck explains how his separation

from Hip-Hop supergroup G-Unit has encouraged him to become “more

focused” as a businessman, “paying more attention to the moves that

[he] makes as an artist and as a CEO.” Following the aftermath of

the situation, he now realizes that when you are in the public eye,

you have to be a little more careful with the course of action you take.

He notes that throughout the entire sensationalized saga, “there was

a lot misconstrued and a lot of s**t tossed in the media.” Still a

self-proclaimed “street n***a,”he claims to have “become more

wise” over the past two years. “I won’t say that I’m perfect

or that I’ve done everything right out of this situation but I’ve

done more right than wrong,” Buck says proudly. “I’m man enough

to admit my wrongs and correct [them].” On that note, he is quick

to add that as an artist, he really just wants “to move beyond the

whole thing.” “It was a phase in my life that came and

went and it was good while it lasted but right now it’s about Buck.”

Never one to place a veneer over his

genuine feelings on a situation, Buck admits that the last few years

have been far from easy. Not particularly content with the sales of

his last release, Buck explains, “The second album is what they call

the sophomore jinx; it’s traditional that most artists’ second record’s

numbers are lower than their first’s numbers.” Still, drawing on

his ever-positive outlook he jokes, “Mine happened to drop but luckily

they didn’t drop as low as some of these cats out here!” After all,

as he correctly points out, “I’m still considered a platinum

artist. My first album went beyond platinum, second one gold.” Buck is hoping that labels will recognize his worth, though he states

that he is ultimately “just looking to be successful with Cashville

Records period, whether it’s independently or from a major label standpoint.”

In fact, he is moving swiftly forward toward that goal, investing all

of his energy and hard work into ‘making sure that Young Buck and

Cashville Records is the biggest movement for the years to come.’

Through his trials and tribulations

in the music business, he has certainly learned to empathize with the

unsigned or inexperienced artist. He maintains, “Instead of showing

the individual what he would need to be shown,” many so-called industry

professionals would rather “take from that individual.” As someone

who has been through all types of difficulties in this rather corrupt music industry, Buck can say with authority that “90% of this game

is made up of those type of individuals that [are] not going to show

you what you don’t know, they’re only going to take from what you

don’t know.” Still he encourages any artist that has faced the same

obstacles in this business to stay positive and persevere, as “you

have what you call karma and things of that nature tend to roll around.”

Be it due to karma or his unstoppable

grind, success is beginning to roll around again for Young Buck, as

his mixtapes are really beginning to cause a stir and gain the attention

of some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop. He proudly describes his next

album as potentially being ‘the biggest record of [his] career’

when it finally comes into fruition. Excitedly he announces, “I think

all the labels know because to be honest with you I’m getting a lot

of different phone calls that I never expected in my life.” Perhaps

not so subtlety he then adds, “Shout out to Jay-Z!” Until then,

Buck intends to flood the streets with a steady flow of quality music. “At this point I wouldn’t consider myself number one in the mixtape

game but I would consider myself definitely in the top three,” he

claims. “I’m really keeping my presence out here and I would consider

my mixtapes as almost albums. They’re actually better than half of

these rappers’ albums.”

Buck states with pride that he aims

to make each of his mixtapes “feel like a classic.” He explains, “I want people to actually anticipate my mixtapes as well as you would

an album and the only way to do that is by delivering a mixtape in that

format.” His well-received Back On My Buck S**t mixtape certainly

achieved that goal, although he feels that his latest effort Only

God Can Judge Me, hosted by Freeway Ricky Ross (the infamous 80’s drug kingpin) and DJ Bigga Rankin,

has raised the bar yet again. The tape provides a reflection of exactly

where Buck stands as both an artist and a person, mapping his growth

and development during recent times. He clearly understands the importance

of progressing as a musician, stating ‘as an artist that’s what

you’re always looking to do; you always want your next thing to be

better than your last thing.”

Through working on his mixtapes he

has also had the opportunity to learn about his own place within the

game.  “It’s just about staying consistent and staying relevant,

because a lot of mutherf**kers are just not relevant right now,” he

explains. “The blessing about being a real individual, is that all

I got to do is just make music, the reality music…[about] the real

s**t that’s going on and that’s keeping me relevant.” Exploring

this “reality music” is also allowing Buck to gain a better insight

into his own work. “I’ve found my ‘swag’ I should say,” he jokes.

The projects have allowed him to do a fair bit of lyrical conditioning

too, which is proving to be very beneficial to his career, which is

beginning to blossom once more. “To be honest right now I’m in Detroit,

about 2 miles away from Eminem’s studio, so you know my lyrical game

is getting good,’ he says excitedly. ‘”Shout out to my D12 mob n***as!”

Passion courses from the heart of his

two latest projects and when speaking to Buck, his genuine love for

Hip-Hop can’t help but shine through any preconceptions. In fact,

as he jokes, his passion for the music is not always beneficial in today’s

cut-throat industry. He exclaims, “I’m a cat that loves the music

so much that I put the music before the business and in this game it’s

90% business and 10% talent!” He explains, however, that his love

affair with the genre has its positive sides too.  “People are really

hearing more of the passion in the music, because I do my music

and speak from the heart with everything,” he continues. “You can

kind of hear my state of mind and see where I’m at by just listening

to me.” This industrious, genuine and typically-Buck approach radiates

from a number of noteworthy Only God Can Judge Me tracks, particularly “Nuthin’s Gonna Stop Me” and “That Work.”

“I won’t sit here lying, saying

I don’t have hard times. I got hard times, going through hard times,

been going through hard times but I don’t know an individual who don’t

go through it.’ Laced with real stories yet oozing his witty, charismatic

personality, Buck’s unique brand of “reality music” is creating

a dialog with his listeners, exploring the experiences that we all

face in life. “Life is not all diamonds, cars and f**king jewelry; life consists of bills having to be paid, baby mama drama,

people getting killed, babies having babies and everything else,” Buck says.

Tapes like Back On My Buck S**t

and Only God Can Judge Me are injecting the rap scene with an

overdue dose of authenticity. He explains truthfully, “I’m one of

the artists that’s pouring his heart into the music, not the next

man’s heart or the next man’s life.”

Nowadays, Buck just seeks to move past his past. The media seems largely unwilling to move away from it though, he laments. As for

his label scenario, he jokes that a “street n***a got to go the political

way about this.” He remains positive though, stating “It’ll work

itself out one way or the other you know, you’ll get an album any

minute from Young Buck. Up until then, I’m

going to be giving you a mixtape every f**king month.” He really is

trying to make his “Next move [his] best move,” Regardless of which

route he decides to travel next. Addressing previous negative media

preconceptions, he asserts, “There’s two sides to every story

and you always remember that.” Just when you thought you had this

seemingly complex web of contradictions named Young Buck figured out,

he simply drops one final enigmatic bombshell.

“My story is yet to be told.”

For more information about Buck and

his latest music and projects, go to http://iamyoungbuck.com or for bookings and inquiries please email [email protected].