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J. Holiday: The Return of the R&B Thug

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

What defines an R&B thug? Is the answer in his

vernacular or his mannerisms with people? Is it his way with women or his

dress code? Despite our eagerness to classify today’s modern singer as a thug

when we see their tattoos and stocking caps, these singers aren’t as

predictable as what you may assume.

Frustrated with life, dealing with the death of a loved one

and the rollercoaster ride of love are things that D.C.’s J. Holiday expressed in

his Grammy nominated debut album Back Of My Lac. It just so happens that he expressed his experiences with lyrics in

regards to sipping yack in the back of his Cadillac with the diamond in the

back, peppered with a few references to the herb and expletives to paint us a

picture of his life.

The crooner’s second project,

properly named Round 2, is a sequel to

what his fans enjoyed in Back Of My Lac. By keeping the team he used for his debut, Holiday fans should expect pleasurable content as

well as a few surprises that wouldn’t be expected.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You have the

great tattoos, the braids, stocking cap, the hat and a great persona. Do you

consider yourself an R&B thug?

J. Holiday: No, not

at all. I honestly wear the stocking cap because I’ve been growing my hair

since I was 15 and I’m kind of tired of it, but at this point it’s a part of my

image, so I do with it what I do with it. That’s just me. On the album I’m

dressing up a little more. It’s not because I’m following the trends but you

have to grow somewhere. At that point in my life that’s where I was at like

the jeans and the tennis shoes.

AHHA: What are your

thoughts on artists who change their image to go the route of the R&B

thug image?

J. Holiday: Like I

said: personal responsibility. If you portray that image and then certain thug

things happen to you—people always think its cool when something happens

to them and they get real humble about it. You live by the sword and die by

the sword. You reap what you sow. I try to make sure I do right by everyone

around me including the people that work for me and including the people that

don’t work for me like my family and my fans.

AHHA: Some fans

like that rough appeal, especially from an R&B singer. Do you feel

pressure trying to keep up with what appeals to your fans?

J. Holiday: When

you have artists that come out and some artists come out younger than others,

some come out when they are already grown, but I think your fans grow with you.

I think if anything does change about me, they will accept it. I’m not an

attention freak and I think those people who do those changes are trying to

gain that attention. That’s not even the kind of person that I am. I’m going

to just grow and where that is, that’s where it’s going to be.

AHHA: So you have

no thoughts on the artists that hump the floor, have a great bedroom body and

rip off their shirts.

J. Holiday: That’s

on them and that’s what they do. Some people need that for their show. When I

take off my shirt, I feel comfortable and confident in myself. I feel like I’m

sexy in my own right. [laughs]

AHHA: In regards to

your vocals and not the style, have you ever been told you sound similar to

Trey Songz?

J. Holiday: Definitely.

What’s crazy is before we went on tour I found out that his birthday is the

day after mine, so we’re very similar in a lot of ways.

AHHA: What was that

like being on tour with Trey? Was he what you expected?

J. Holiday: Actually I try not to prejudge people, but sometimes

you see stuff on T.V. and that’s not how that person really is. He was completely

different from what I thought. He was cool, he was chill. For anyone that

might have that bad impression on him, he’s a cool dude. I liked the fact that

we both went on stage and put in 100% every night. My biggest thing is when I

get on stage and the fans came to see a show and they came to hear you sing the

songs that they love. They don’t want to hear you up there playing around and

neither one of us did. We went all the way in every night.

AHHA: Back Of My

Lac has you up for a Grammy nod. Jazmine Sullivan came out this year

and she’s up for five nominations. That’s amazing for brand new artists. It’s

artists like you and Jazmine Sullivan who are putting pressure on the established

acts that got comfortable. How do you feel about the state of R&B that’s

been going on for these past years?

J. Holiday: I’m

just happy that R&B is getting back to R&B. You’ll always have those

consistent artists like Mary J. and Ne-Yo, but in other places it’s gotten a

little shaky. I’ve seen Jazmine Sullivan live and she’s dope. It’s good to see

the young people coming in and showing R&B the right type of love and not

making a mockery of it.

AHHA: What about

all of these artists coming out with dance songs and Super-Manning women on

their backs?

J. Holiday: [laughs]

I try not to even focus on it.

AHHA: But that is

the next generation. Rap, R&B, Urban Pop—whatever it is, that’s the

next wave that’s coming out. What you’re putting out now is what these kids

are using to help form their music.

J. Holiday: I do

try to do my part because if I focus on music that may not be going so well for

music, then that’s when my music will start to fall off. I just try to make

sure that I focus on what I’m doing and I keep people happy with the sounds

they love to hear. We got a lot of kids coming up now and we have a lot of

kids watching us. That’s what I’m focused on. You have to set a good example.

For the younger generation that’s coming out, they have to understand that one

day they’re going to have kids and they don’t want their legacy to be that and

only that.

AHHA: Getting

caught up with personal relationships and children can affect your career. How

do you stay grounded?

J. Holiday: I used

to work a 9-to-5 job before this, so I know how to work hard. We have certain

responsibilities and you got to do what you got to do. At the end of the day I

love singing, but this is my income. This is my job. This is what I’m

supposed to do. I’m supposed to get on stage and make sure that the fans are

satisfied. You can’t get caught up in the hype.

AHHA: Do you feel

at some point before you dropped Back Of My Lac that artists like

Usher fell off?

J. Holiday: Sometimes

as artist we have people who often forget that we’re human. It’s almost like

they believe the fantasy that they see on T.V. or forget that we have a real

life outside of what you see on T.V. Sometimes people just have situations in

their personal life and it can take your focus away. I can’t really speak on

what happened, but you got to be able to focus. Sometimes it’s hard and it

depends on who you have around you. That’s why I make sure my team around me

keeps me happy and not bring me down.

AHHA: “Be With Me”

was out for a while. Why do you think it wasn’t as big of a song as “Bed” or

“Suffocate?”

J. Holiday: At the

time that wasn’t about what people liked. A lot of people liked that song too.

I think at the time the situation I was in there were a lot of things going on

internally within the label with people getting shifted around, so people

couldn’t focus on getting the music out there. That’s really all that was. I

think everything happened the way it was supposed to. Nothing is a mistake.

AHHA: Let’s talk

about your new album Round 2. Your new single “It’s Yours” is out

now. Where were you trying to go when you did this song?

J. Holiday: People

want to be loved these days. I think the whole player phase is getting played

out. It’s just showing people you can be in love, have fun and live a cool

life. Everyone thinks the player life is cool and I love living a rock star

life but that doesn’t mean I can’t find someone to love as well.

AHHA: Do you feel

that people want love because they are getting older?

J. Holiday: You

have to. As a youngster you want to run around, but as you get

older—especially now that I have a daughter—I can’t just have any

type of female around her. If I do it would have to be somebody serious.

AHHA: You never

really did a club record. Does Round 2 have club records on it?

J. Holiday: There’s

definitely some tempo on there. There’s really no such thing as a club record.

Depending on the tempo, my songs aren’t necessarily “Jump around! Jump

around!” but I do have records on this album that have more tempo that could be

played in the club, but that aren’t necessarily club records.

AHHA: With Round

2 are you going to do collaborations?

J. Holiday: Right

now the only collaboration that I have is a song that I did with Rick Ross

called “Wrong Lover.” I got a song on the album called “Homeless.” It’s not

finished yet but we’re trying to get Mos Def on the joint right now.

AHHA: Did you make

an R&B version of Young Jeezy’s Recession?

J. Holiday: Something

like that. It’s really more focused on homeless people, but it’s just showing

awareness for the people who have nowhere to sleep.

AHHA: Your last

album you did some cursing in there, are you doing more cursing in Round 2?

J. Holiday: No, I

toned it down a little bit.

AHHA: Your mother’s

a preacher so I was wondering about that.

J. Holiday: Me and

her even had a talk about that. She was just like there are some things that

you just need to get off your chest. It’s just not about cursing like a sailor

all day, that’s how I felt in those songs. I knew that she would understand

that.

 

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Hip-Hop Rumors: Is Jay-Z Looking To Body Chris Brown! 50 Cent/Rick Ross/Khaled Dissed? Koch Records Gets Sued?

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.

TODAY’S RUMORS! IS JAY-Z GOING TO KILL CHRIS BROWN?Wow.

Here is the latest mess-age. “[Jay-Z] hit the roof. Chris is a walking

dead man. He messed with the wrong crew,” according to a source with Us

Weekly magazine. The magazine is suggesting, from a sources’ suggestion

that Jay-Z is going to do bodily harm to Chris Brown for beating down

his princess. I don’t know. I do know that this is great

sensationalism. And, I THINK Jay-Z is smarter than to put that sort of

energy out in the street, because there is this thing called “motive”

in crimes. With that said, Chris Breezy is charged with felony battery

and something like making criminal threats. Jay has reportedly don

things in the past, but we’re looking at an older, more intelligent

person who probably won’t adopt a career in pop star assassination.

“Lets get it on!”

TROUBLE CONTINUES TO LOOMS FOR CHRIS BROWN

It looks like Chris Brown and Rihanna were having an argument right after the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party. When, Rihanna took his Lambo keys and threw them out of the window. When she did, and he couldn’t find the keys, Brown lost it. According to E! News, the rest went down like this:

He tried in vain to find the keys, then came back to the car, put his hands around her neck and, according to the insider, said, “I’m going to kill you!”

According to the source, the 20-year-old “Disturbia” singer told police that she lost consciousness, and when she awoke, Brown had fled.

According to the source, her right eye was blackened and badly swollen and she had hand prints on her arms. The responding officers were so concerned about her, they drove Rihanna to the hospital in their squad car instead of waiting for an ambulance.

Officers took two sets of photographs of the banged-up singer, one at the scene and the second after she was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. Those photos were presumably among the evidence presented to the district attorney.WOW.

THE SUPER GEEK DISSES CHRIS BROWN!

WHO GOT RICK ROSS’ CARTOON REMOVED?

It was only a few minutes yesterday, but I saw it. The Rick Ross was like a digital treat, if you caught it. Within minutes of it launching, the plug was pulled on the video and it was removed from the net. Clearly, it is likely out there in some form or another. There are rumors around this. It seems like Rick Ross’ label Def Jam may have blocked his attempt to lash out at 50 Cent. The video had 50 and G-Unit doing some working out that was not heterosexual. Ross was fighting fire with fire! On the other side, I have people that insist it was 50’s work that lead to the demise of the Rick Ross video. I wonder who?

Here is the revisit link:

And here is the new Rick Ross diss song.

HAS 50 VS ROSS AFFECTED DJ KHALED’S JOB?

DJ Khaled, who is a VP or president at Def Jam, might be looking for a new position shortly. According to sources days ago, IDJ might be looking to replace him. The first name on the list seems to be Tony Neal, who is the president of the CORE DJs. Apparently several calls have been made to Neal to gauge his interest in the gig. I’m not really sure where 50 Cent comes into this other than he’s got a running beef with Khaled. That is nothing knew to anybody. More telling is the fact that Khaled’s first artist o Def Jam (Ace Hood) didn’t do well at all. He still da beeeeeeeeessssss. And, no he didn’t kill himself.

SPEAKING OF “DUDE”

Speaking of that dude that did. I talked to a source that was happy that it wasn’t DJ Khaled that killed himself in the white Bentely. They said his brains were splattered all over the inside of the car. Not pretty. Here is the video right before it happened.

KOCH RECORDS ABOUT TO GET SUED?

I heard there is like a class action-type of lawsuit that involves 12-15 producers, Jim Jones and Twista. There are allegations that they were never paid for the Bad Santa album that was released in November on Byrd Gang/Koch. I hear there will be a huge lawsuit filed within the next 30 days. Here s the run down as told by an anonymous source:

About 18 months ago, we submitted some tracks for Jim’s album on Sony. As you know, Dipse t(Jim Jones and Juelz specifically) have the worst reputations in the industry for not paying producers. I actually was in the studio with Jim 3 years ago when I overheard him say, “We don’t pay producers. We blow up producers.”

Some 22 year old lame that Jim had collecting beats for him called us and said they wanted 2 of my tracks for the Bad Santa album. We told them what dollar amount we wanted and told ‘em to send the paperwork over. To which these lames asked if WE could have it drafted up. This was a first for us. We knew we were dealing with some straight herbs.

3 weeks later Chris called us up and begged us to send the Pro Tools sessions and said they had to rush because they had to turn the album into Koch in a few days. We told them absolutely not without a check and signed paperwork. 2 weeks later the album comes out and my 2 tracks are on it. They straight 2tracked the mp3s they had. Not only me, but they lied and deceived every single producer whose beats they stole and put on the project.

Twistas manager (he manages a producer who has a track on the album) and myself have hired a firm out of NYC. We have reached out to all the other producers as well. We will be filing a lawsuit in the next 30-60 days. A Cease and Desist made no sense since the album didn’t even sell 5,000 copies.

After numerous attempts to reconcile this situation with Yandi (Jims manager) and Koch(who says they cut a lump sum check to Jim to pay all producers), we are forced to sue. And yes, we know Jim got the position of VP of A&R of the urban division of Koch. Which makes this story even more f**kin ridiculous.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

I was all set to switch and then this happens! The U.S. switch to digital television signals has been delayed until June 12th.

Rumor has it, Mya might be writing a tell-all book. The only thing is, I don’t know that I believe it. She seems very private these days.

Where the HELL is my Foxy Brown response to 50 Cent!?

Faizon ‘Big Worm’ Love has been charged with felony assault after a fight in Hollywood hotel last month. They wouldn’t let him in and he allegedly punched a man in the face. Gotta love it.

I heard Kid Capri might have caught a case. Yesterday, he reportedly was found guilty for the violation of two restraining orders and harassment in New Jerz! He wont be doing any time though.

Milk will no longer let Chris Brown wear the milk mustache. Radio stations are starting to pull his music out of rotation.

RANDOM QUOTES

Kanye West talks about Rihanna and Chris Brown (to E! News’ Ryan Seacrest):

“She has the potential to be the greatest artist of all time and, in that sense, I feel like that’s my baby sis and I would do any and everything to help her in any situation. I don’t want to speak more into the specifics with that situation, but all I’ll say is it’s just so devastating. I feel like, just as a person, I don’t care how famous she is or even if she just worked at McDonald’s, that should never happen. It should never come to that place.”

T.I. had a different take on it from his “space,” which is that of the offender:

“He’s [Chris is] cool, you know. He’s a little concerned about the situation, but he’s still the same Chris. I told him, ‘This too shall pass.’ “We’re celebrities, we’re entertainers, but we’re still human—all of us. Don’t expect us not to make mistakes, because we will.”

Chris Brown talks about living in an abusive relationship:

“He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day…’ I hate him to this day.”

His step father talked to Access Hollywood and fired back and Chris Breezy!

“[Chris] has to take responsibility for his own actions.” When asked he thought Chris beat up Rhianna, he said “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY!

OH BOY! This is a crazy rugged joke that my buddy ebonymystique told me about. A wife plays a cruel joke on husband in order to get Kanye West tickets for Valentine’s Day. The rest is internet history. See the vid!

OH DAAAAAAMN!

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AND END

Somebody at Acme thought this was funny. If you look closely, the Black History Month Sale only includes items like corn bread, collard greens and grape soda. Ummmm…last time I checked “we” ate all sorts of foods. SMH at Acme.

I want some Whole wheat rice cakes on sale,  beYACH!

CHRIS BROWN TALKS ABOUT HIS MOTHER’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

I hope this is a case of the cycle not continuing, but its not looking good.

Shout out to MarQuita AKA Pootie Scrawberry Life Saver! LOL!

SOUTH AFRICA STAND UP!

Check out this song by my people from South Africa! Da L.E.S – FIRE ft BONGZ, MAGGZ!

IF YOU ARE IN NEW YORK – GO TO THIS EVENT FRIDAY!

“DIGITAL: HIP-HOP: The Convergence of Urban Lifestyle and Social Media”

Panel Followed by Social Media Week Closing Reception

WHAT: In the final panel of Social Media Week, our elite panel of speakers will discuss the unique convergence of social media and urban lifestyle. The panelists and their respective companies have been on the cutting edge of utilizing technology to communicate, create and distribute their message. This discussion will dig into the current climate of each respective business and explore where they see the culture going in the next 6 months, 5 years and even 10 years down the road. Other topics will include Hip-Hop’s effect on the Internet, hangout spots online, going mobile, Web 3.0, the panelists’ latest must-have gadgets, widgets, RSS feeds and the future of the urban digital landscape.

The panel will be followed the Social Media Week closing reception sponsored by SocialMedia.com.

PANELISTS:

Amanda Diva – Artist, Television Host, Online Personality

Chuck Creekmur – CEO and Co-Founder of AllHipHop.com

Corey “CL” Lewellyn – CEO and Co-Founder of Digiwaxx

Alan Rambam – President and CEO of MobileBehavior

DJ Vlad – DJ and CEO of VLADTV.com

Miss Info – Radio Personality on NYC’s Hot 97 FM, Blogger and Hip Hop Journalist

Moderated by Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO and Sr. Talent Agent at the New Universal Entertainment Agency

WHEN: Friday, Feb 13, 2009

Panel 5:30-7 p.m.

Reception immediately following until 10 p.m.

WHERE: Santos Party House

96 Lafayette Street (Text “DigitalHipHop” to 83733 for directions!)

RSVP: http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/2353m3hw26nkac3q5

SHELZ CLOSES OUT THE SET!

My girl Shelz hit me with some news and info to close the day!

Radio Personality Says “No More Chris Brown” Songs

Cleveland radio personality Java Joel has communicated through press release that he will no longer be playing Chris Brown songs on his show; well until this issue of Chris’ “shakes out in the legal system.” He wrote that his listeners were pretty upset, but they took it a step further and suggested he no longer support Mr. Brown or his music. Java Joel agreed. Then the Program Director heard what was happening and said I agree too. So 96.5 KISS in Cleveland has shelved the Chris Brown catalogue completely, but just until his legal issues is resolved.

Mr. Cannon Has Another Job

He’s going to be hosting America’s Got Talent since Jerry Springer quit. The folk over at NBC say they have big plans for Mariah’s boo. I guess people can’t call him a leech now, huh? Good work Nick.

When All Else Fails, Question His Manhood…

I guess this is the lyrical follow up to that workout video.

When All Else Fails, Question His Manhood Too…

Is Somebody Writing This For Him?

If not, I’m impressed.

Email illseed at [email protected] …tips, drama, pictures, information and other stupid stuff. Hell, say hello!

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

DILLA, 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].

J Dilla Remembered 3 Years Later

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

Three years ago today (February 10), Hip-Hop culture lost one of its most innovative and influential producers in Detroit’s James Dewitt Yancey, AKA J Dilla.

 

Blessed with strong musical genes from an opera singer mother and jazz bassist father, Dilla started collecting vinyl at the tender age of 2.

 

The aspiring producer made a strong name for himself in Detroit early 90s Hip-Hop scene.

 

He formed fledgling groups with Phat Kat (1st Down) and the late Proof (5 Elementz) before settling with classmates T3 and Baatin in Slum Village.

 

With SV, Dilla would make his biggest musical impact courtesy of the critically acclaimed albums Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1) and Fantastic, Vol. 2.

 

Dilla’s work attracted the attention of A Tribe Called Quest, who recruited the talented broadsmith to be a member of their Ummah (Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Dilla) production team.

 

With the legendary group, Dilla crafted several gems off Tribe’s platinum fourth album Beats, Rhymes, and Life: “Get a Hold,” “1nce Again,” “Keep It Movin’,” “Word Play,” and “Stressed Out.”

 

In addition, Dilla created numerous classic singles for other artists, such as De La Soul (“Stakes Is High”), The Pharcyde (“Drop,” “Runnin'”), Q-Tip (“Vivrant Thing,” “Breathe and Stop”), Janet Jackson (“Got ‘Til It’s Gone”), Common (“The Light”), and Erykah Badu (“Didn’t Cha Know,” “Cleva”).

 

Towards the end of his career, Dilla began to focus more on developing his emcee skills along with forming partnerships with up and coming artists and producers.

 

In 2003, he collaborated with Madlib for the well received Champion Sound project.

 

Starting in 2004, Dilla was officially diagnosed with lupus and TTP, a rare and incurable blood disorder.

 

The disease greatly restricted Dilla’s ability to tour and also resulted in a marked weight loss.

 

Sensing the end was near; Dilla immersed himself in his work, and successfully completed his celebrated final project, Donuts in 2006.

 

The album was released on February 7, just 3 days before Dilla’s death at the age of 32 from cardiac arrest.

 

Due to the outpouring of anguish from respected members of the Hip-Hop community, many curious fans sought out Dilla’s discography for the first time.

 

In the 3 years since his passing, Dilla’s legacy has grown exponentially, with many artists still referencing him in lyrics or outright using his prodigious back catalogue of beats for their work.

 

Dilla’s memory also stays alive with the J Dilla Foundation, which aims to find a cure for lupus.

 

J Dilla leaves behind two daughters, and younger brother Illa J, who just released his debut album Yancey Boys last November.

Q-Tip, J. Period Drop Free Mixtape ‘The [Abstract] Best’

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

Rapper/producer and former Tribe Called Quest front man Q-Tip is celebrated on a new mixtape produced in collaboration with DJ Period.

 

Titled The [Abstract] Best, J. Period’s latest mixtape is a combination of tracks from Q-Tip’s deep catalog, as well as remixes, interviews and new tracks from a list of popular MC’s, who pay homage to the Queens, New York rap star.

 

Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Skillz, Talib Kweli, Prince Paul, Consequence, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, ?uestlove, Black Sheep, Kid Cudi, Blu and others are among the list of rappers featured on the mixtape, which was made available for free download today (February 10).

 

“I greatly appreciate the time and dedication J.Period has put into this mixtape,” Q-Tip said of the collaboration. “He has pulled together an amazing group of contributing artists, and I am honored that my music has been inspirational to all of them. The feeling is mutual.”

 

The [Abstract] Best is the follow up to the track “Q-Tip for President,” which their pair released in November in celebration of President Barack Obama.

 

The track went on to receive over 100,000 downloads, prompting another collaboration between Q-Tip and J. Period.

 

“Q-Tip has inspired a generation of Hip-Hop artists and fans, and I am no exception,” J.Period said of the collaboration. “In an era of short attention spans, there is a reason why Q-Tip’s legacy has survived so long: like any great artist, his music has substance. I hope this tape shows why his name should be mentioned among Hip-Hop’s all-time greats.”

 

Additionally, fans who purchase a limited edition Abstract Best T-Shirt designed by Fuse Green, will receive a free copy of The [Abstract] Best Vol. 2.

 

Both versions of the mixtape, as well as outtakes and exclusive interviews, are available for free with the purchase of J.Period’s latest line of 1gB Flash Drives engraved with the phrase “Mixtapes Are Not A Crime.”

 

Q-Tip’s latest solo album The Renaissance is in stores now.

Enter TwittaLand: Rules and Survival Tips

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

Picture yourself in a nice nightclub. All the industry’s elite is in the building, having a good time catching up. You’re an up-and-coming hustler from your perspective but a nobody to them. How do you even begin to network? There’s no one right answer for this question. Make it short and sweet though. You only got 140 characters to say what you have to say. And chances are, they won’t even respond.

Picturing this scenario may help you to conceptualize Twitter as an easy-to-use networking tool. The new site that’s taking the worldwide web by storm is only two years old. It’s the lethal uppercut to MySpace. It’s slowly making Facebook the second site you pull up. Here are a few tips, strategies, and updates to have you twittin’ correctly. Welcome to TwittaLand…

Following Vs. Followers

Unless someone’s profile is private, you can add people as you please. This means that you can be updated with all the haps on the people you follow. A&R assistants, producers, artists, managers, musicians, groupies, and regular down-to-earth supporters are networking daily. Business folks are there to maintain and make even more money! Major producers are trading twits with major artists on the regular. Watch your following vs. follower count though. You don’t want to have 500 following and 4 followers. Not a good look.

What to Twitter?

* Encouraging quotes, thoughts of the day, or spiritual upliftment. It’s like singing “We Fall Down” on amateur night at the Apollo. No matter how whack your twit is, you’re still going to get love because of it’s positive impact.

* Interesting new stories that the common person wouldn’t know about. People usually don’t have enough time but they are interested and concerned about the world around them. Include a link of the news story.

* Interesting video clips. Seeing believes with people. There are great video clips all over the net of old artists’ videos, water balloons getting popped in super 80x slow motion, or the one of the lion charging and drop kicking a hunter. Hilarious!

* Updates about all the moves you are making across your hood, city, and/or the world out there. Dj Jelly was just in Germany. Quest Love of the Roots just got back from Japan. Erykah Badu and Jay Electronica just got a beautiful baby live on Twitter! People are genuinely interested in what their contemporaries are doing in their personal/business lives.

What Not to Twitter?

The website’s first question, “What are you doing?” is definitely rhetorical! The majority of people aren’t concerned if you’re “…on the toilet”, “smoking dat good”, or “recording a hot hit that you can check out later tonight at _____________ (insert MySpace page). Here are some major don’ts that will get you “unfollowed’ in quick click of a mouse.

* Rappers! Don’t promote your newest mix tape single every time you leave a twit. That’s the very reason people are ditching MySpace! That’s one of the quickest ways to get dropped by even one of your most loyal followers. People are on Twitter to get away from annoyances.

* Don’t get upset if someone doesn’t respond to your @! Just like walking up on someone in the club, a person will judge your approach. If you are over-eager, cocky, or down-right desperate you will rarely get a response.

* Have your facts together when you speak of someone or to someone. Your not about to score points with Shaq if you tell him, “congrats on the Magic win last night.” Fool, that was 15 yrs. ago! Did you just get out the pen?!

* Don’t crowd a person. You might be cool but networking takes time.

AllHipHop’s Twitter-ers (I need to copyright that.)

AllHipHop.com – http://twitter.com/allhiphopcom

Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur – http://twitter.com/chuckcreekmur

Grouchy Greg Watkins – http://twitter.com/grouchygreg

Illseed – http://twitter.com/illseed

Kathy Iandoli – http://twitter.com/kAHHthy

Alvin Blanco – http://twitter.com/AquaAHH

Notable Twitter-ers to Follow

Ludacris- ludajuice

Shaquille O’Neal- THE_REAL_SHAQ

Quest Love of the Roots- qoolquest

TJsDJs- TJsDJs

Erykah Badu- fatbellybella

*Honorary Pick* Maya Angelou- mayaangelou

Stay tuned to TwittaLand #2 to get updates of Notable Twitter-ers: The DJ “Add”ition

Snoop Dogg Inks Global Deal With MTV

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

Even while the details of his Interscope separation are being finalized, West Coast ambassador Snoop Dogg is moving forward on a unique partnership with MTV.

 

First up will be “Dogg After Dark,” an MTV variety talk show with Snoop handling hosting duties.

 

The show takes place from the Kress nightclub, located on LA’s Hollywood Boulevard.

 

In classic throwback Snoop style, the rapper will retain his very own house band, the Snoopadelics.

 

Additionally, the veteran crossover star will conduct A-list celebrity interviews and sketch comedy segments.

 

As part of the deal, MTV will assist in advertising Snoop’s upcoming album, Malice In Wonderland, through the network’s resources in “global distribution, marketing, and promotion.”

 

Snoop’s back catalogue will also be reintroduced to a new generation of video game fans, courtesy of MTV adding portions of his discography to their next edition of Rock Band.

 

When asked on how deal was formulated, Snoop explained it was a matter of recognizing the importance of cross-marketing in today’s music climate.

 

“When [MTV President] Van Toffler and I sat down Boss to Boss, a global quintuple threat takeover was masterminded. As the world of entertainment keeps changing, we felt it was the right time to let Snoop Dogg back on MTV so we could continue to run things with music, movies, DVDs and bring Hip-Hop to Rock Band,” Snoop Dogg told AllHipHop.com. “So screw your wigs on tight and tune in on Tuesday nights for the first step to the next level of Snoop D-O double G. ‘Dogg After Dark’ is the only nightclub TV show hosted by you know who. So take a journey with me through the mind, body, soul and musical mind state of the most prolific, authentic game spitter. And the sh*t is funny, so show me the money!”

 

MTV President Van Toffler echoed the rapper’s sentiments, and elaborated on his view of Snoop Dogg being one of popular Hip-Hop artists ever with MTV audiences.

 

“Snoop has been a mainstay across MTV screens for over a decade by pushing the boundaries of Hip-Hop with his signature antics, incredible catalogue of music, legendary videos, larger than life personality and even a little controversy,” Toffler explained to AllHipHop.com. “I can’t even begin to imagine MTV, my tumultuous career and several raging ulcers without the Dogg being such a big part of our history. He is an undeniable international superstar whose talent and work transcend music, TV and film and we look forward to launching this new multidimensional partnership with the Doggfather.”

 

“Dogg After Dark” premiers February 17 at 9Pm eastern time.

 

At press time, Snoop’s 10th studio album, Malice In Wonderland, Is set to feature production from Dr. Dre, Pharrell, and Lalo Shifrin.

 

The LP is tentatively scheduled for release later this year.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Lil Wayne & Nivea! Back? Rick Ross Releases “Gay-Unit Workouts”

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.

TODAY’S RUMORS!

THE DAILY TWO CENTS: R.I.P. TO “DUDE”

I don’t know his name, but he kept me up all last night. This is the guy that we THOUGHT was Chris Brown being chased by the cops. Then after some chasing and some telegraphic pictures, it looked like DJ Khaled. Then the news said it was “nobody of significance.” It was at that point, I knew this was going to end badly. Not even the media cared if they have a person killing himself or herself on camera and that’s what happened. I don’t even know dudes name and none of the media I saw reported his name. All I know is that he wasn’t Chris Brown or DJ Khaled.

The “dude” fiasco, once again played out on Twitter. YO…We were buggin!!! Shout out to all my Twitter folk! Check out how it went down right here.

UPDATES ON CHRIS AND RIHANNA

OK, things have been moving at an exhausting pace, but earlier today, I posted a super detailed rundown of what likely happened that crazy day. Also, they say Chris Brown allegedly beat her down, bit her and she had lumps on her head. Reports say that Rihanna was in so much pain, she didn’t want anybody to touch her. I’m reserving my personal judgments at this point, because when you say somebody beat another person until they looked like they were in MMA, that’s DEEP. Click here for all of that, because it also reveals who Chris Brown is reportedly dating now that he and Rihanna are probably over.

The second comprehensive rundown also details what probably happened. Click here for that information. Crazy! And it all went down in Black History Month. I’m so “proud” of us. SMH.

T.I. SAYS “CHRIS BROWN WAS WORRIED”

Tip was on the Carson Daily show and C.D. asked him about C.B. Tip said, “He’s cool. He’s a lil’ bit concerned.” See it below.

LIL WAYNE AND NIVEA!!

Man, Lil Wayne GOT IT GOOD! I mean, I guess he has it good, because he does whatever he wants and these “jawns” are on it. Anyway, the good word is that Weezy and Nivea were seen all hugged up after the Grammys. I have to give it to her. She wants her man and she isn’t letting up! I wonder what happened with that other girl that recently had his son? Papa definitely was a rolling stoned stone.

RICK ROSS DOES A 50 CENT CARTOON

This beef is getting to be yesterday’s news, but Rick Ross lashes back with “Gay-Unit Workouts” (G-Unit Diss). LOL…

FOXY IS ABOUT TO SET IT OFF ON 50 CENT!? OR IS SHE?

Check what I got in my email inbox, raw and unedited:

“What up illseed. This is foxy brown young gunner Mouse Murdah from Fox 5. I am sending you this email because the 24hrs is up. 50 going around talking all this garbage about rick ross. my sister(foxy brown) did not have to get into this and she kindly asked for [50 Cent] to take back ya statement, then you wanna put out a whack ass pimpin ken video….so lame for a queens n***a. So with that all said tommorrow i will be making a response back lashing back at 50….”

Well?

One thing that I did get from Mouse Murdah is that Foxy is indeed down with Akon and Konvict Musik. A-HA! I can’t wait to see how this rolls out. But, I will say that all respect to Mouse, I want to hear Foxy spit those bars in a day or so.

DMX IS NOW ON LOCK DOWN

Poor DMX! This dude cannot get it right to save his life. The guys are reportedly on 23 hour lockdown for threatening a C.O. SMH. I thought he had turned himself over to Jesus. I don’t really know the circumstance around this, but DMX needs to get his mind right. Jadakiss weighed in on X in a recent interview with AllHipHop.com.

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY!

I wish Rihanna had hand skills like this big woman. She whips this dudes A$$!

“I’ma help you up.” She beat that a###.

This is so classic.

EPIC WINNER OF THE DAY

There are too many fails going on these days so I decided to post this young lady on the site. Gerra Gistand of MacGregor elementary won first place during the 13th Annual Gardere MLK Jr. Oratory. Finalists gave original five-minute speeches on the topic: If Dr. King were alive today, what do you think he would say about current events?

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

They are trying to make a movie on the great Angela Davis. They want Beyonce to play the civil rights activist. Ok, B is dope. B is cool. No B for Angela Davis, please.

Keshia Chante, who is allegedly Chris Brown’s new babe, was one of the main girls in the Bow Wow and Chris Breezy’s video “Shortie like Mine” a while back.

Click here to see this kid speed draw Barack and Michelle Obama. But, the most incredible video is the dude that draws Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins with both hands at the same time.

Both Chris Brown and Rihanna have cancelled appearances. Chris Brown has withdrawn from his involvement with the NBA All-Star game this Sunday.

Rihanna has postponed or possibly cancelled her sold-out concert in Malaysia.

R.I.P. J-DILLA

Three years. Wow. Notice how much music has changed since J-Dilla passed? I have. Shout out to all the Aquarians out there!

I’m taking a nap! Email me at [email protected] …tips, information and other stupid stuff.

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

DILLA, 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].

New Details Surface on Alleged Chris Brown Assault

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

Two days after Chris Brown’s arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, more details are emerging regarding the singer and his girlfriend Rihanna.

 

Media sources report the unidentified woman Brown allegedly hit was Rihanna.

 

A source told Access Hollywood that Brown hit the 20-year-old pop diva with his fists and bit her during the alleged incident, which occurred around 12:30 a.m.

 

Sunday (February 8). Both entertainers, who were expected to perform last night at the Grammy Awards, cancelled their appearances on the show.

 

Brown later turned himself in to authorities during the Grammy broadcast and was booked on a suspicion of making a criminal threat.

 

He was released that night on $50,000 bail. The Los Angeles Police Department is still investigating the incident, which involved an intense argument between Brown and an unidentified woman inside a vehicle at the Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles.

 

The dispute escalated after Brown reportedly stopped the car and the woman got out of the vehicle. According to the LAPD, the woman suffered visible injuries.

 

Police arrived on the scene after receiving a 911 call. The woman, who identified Brown as her attacker, was the only one present.

 

Brown left the scene before authorities came, police said. Rihanna was reportedly hospitalized as she sustained a slightly bruised face.

 

According to TMZ.com, photos have surfaced of Rihanna that feature the songstress with a split lip and bloody nose as well as major contusions on both sides of her face which have resulted in serious swelling and bruising.

 

In addition, the site confirmed that bite marks were present on several fingers and one of her arms. Although she refused treatment at the scene, Rihanna did allow police to take photos.

 

Reports citing Rihanna as the person who made the 911 call were debunked as it was revealed that the call was made by someone in the Hancock Park area, who heard screams from the vocalist.

 

Despite various publications and web sites reporting that Rihanna was the victim in the incident, the LAPD has not confirmed who was assaulted as it referenced state laws that protect the identity of abuse victims.

 

Brown and Rihanna were last seen together leaving a pre-Grammy party on Saturday (February 7) shortly before the incident.

 

Although he is currently free on bail, the fallout from the incident is already affecting Brown.

 

On Monday (February 9), Wrigley issued a statement that it was suspending its ad campaigns featuring the 19-year-old crooner as its Doublemint gum spokesman until Brown’s situation is resolved.

 

“Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown. We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen,” the company said. “However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved.”

 

Since the incident, Brown and Rihanna have kept a low profile. Brown has pulled out of a planned appearance during this weekend’s NBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix.

 

The singer was scheduled to play in the league’s All-Star Celebrity game on Friday (February 13), perform in and introduce the 2009 NBA all-stars before tip-off at Sunday’s (February 15) game.

 

Rihanna also postponed a sold out concert in Malaysia on February 13 and her birthday celebrations scheduled for February 20 as well.

 

The LAPD revealed that additional charges might be filed against Brown after the Los Angeles County district attorney reviews the case.

 

The arraignment for the entertainer’s case is slated for March 5.