Author’s Disclaimer: For those who read

my columns weekly for its, as I’ve been told, “intellectual value,” this might

not be for you:

“Never read the Qu’ran or Islamic

scriptures/

Only Psalms I read was on the arms of my

Ni**as/”

—Jay-Z, “Intro,” The Dynasty Roc La Familia, 2000.

Listening to Beanie Sigel excoriate his

former (?) “Big Brother” last week couldn’t have put a wider smile on my face. Simply

put, it’s about time. For those whose lives are forever buried under a rock, it

all started last weekend when the AllHipHop rumor section reported

Beanie Sigel had made certain unflattering advances—or allusions—toward Jay-Z

at a Philly concert.  

Upon reading the rumors—which depended solely

on accusations that Sigel had repeatedly declared on stage, “I run this town

tonight”—I couldn’t but hang my head in shame for what, as I believed, Hip-Hop

media had come to. I saw this as yet another validation of my lamentation

a few months back that “[t]he present state of Hip-Hop media is

regrettable. The days of intellectuals, cultural critics, and music scholars

are all but over. Now begins an age of pseudo-journalists and half-witted

bloggers who’ve convinced themselves that a column consists of 400 words and

two paragraphs.” And that, “Everyone has a blog but not enough brains to match

them.” But in less than 24 hours, further details surfaced, which told of Sigel

being escorted by police officers from the venue—compliments of the Jigga man.

As time advanced, it was becoming increasingly clear to some that the best, and

worst, of this ordeal, was yet to come.    

Sure enough, a couple of days later

Sigel dropped the much-anticipated diss

record, “What

You’ Talkin’ ‘Bout (Average Cat),” implicitly revealing some salacious

secrets about Jay-Z, the Roc-A-Fella dynasty demolition, and the Jigga man’s

newfound corporate identity—which some of us have known, and written about, for

a while.   

Sigel complained of indifference

directed his way by Jay-Z while incarcerated—the many times he’s been locked

up. He also threatened to expose some personal elements Jay-Z might want to

keep secret (“I was the fly on the wall: sh** I witnessed/ I can say sh** that make

B look at you different/”)—for as long as his reputation is valuable. The climax,

however, seemed to be the recounting of a meeting held with HOVA, in which he

pleaded to be released from his contract, but the man in the suit “bounced that

tennis ball around your office for an hour, and went back and forth with me,

and told me you ain’t want to let me go.” (Bounced

a tennis ball? He learned that from the White folks, Beans!) Sigel says

Jay-Z asked if he was cash-strapped, but he shot down any offers: He just wanted

his freedom. Plus, 50 Cent was

plotting a couple of power moves with him and Freeway—both stopped in their

tracks shortly after.  

Why did Jay-Z find it so important to

have Beanie around him? The reasons aren’t at all indecipherable—for all the

street credibility lost these last few years (trust me: it matters to HOVA), to

keep his most respected Colonel/Major General around, and, most importantly, to

repudiate rampant rumors that he only cared about a few pet projects (Jay-Z,

Jeezy, Rihanna) who would work the tracks for him.  

But in spite of it all, Sigel insists “Average

Cat” isn’t a “diss record.” It’s also not “the green-light for everybody to

start making a diss Jay-Z record.” Far from it. “This is me taking my brother

in the yard for 5 minutes.”

Here’s some salient advice for HOVA: Run like the wind! Don’t attempt to battle

Beans. And don’t send no lieutenant his way, either. If you want J. Cole’s

career eviscerated before it begins, unleash

him on Beans. Your best bet, it seems, might be making things up with Sigel.

This is a guy who, even with all the bullsh** you’ve put him through, still

believes loyalty comes first. You might want to humble thyself, and listen carefully to his concerns and/or

demands.

Unfortunately, Jay-Z appears incapable

of humility—as his

first response was to accuse Sigel of squandering golden opportunities and

of being ungrateful.  

Those of us who’ve followed Beans for

years were only left wondering what took so

long. It was evident before long Beans would bust and spill—there’s only so

much a man can take before breaking bounds of loyalty. And, in fact, that might

have been the most loyal thing he did his whole relationship with Jay-Z—refusing

anymore to take slugs for a man whose conscience is only as costly as the next

business deal signed.    

And it’s not just Beans. Dame, Calvin Klein, De-Haven,

Jaz-O, Jim

Jones, Peedi

Peedi, Joe

Budden, DMX,

LL Cool J, and Teairra Marí

(“I was shocked, I was sad … Jay didn’t call me himself”), all share similar

views. C’mon, Jay-Z. They can’t be all wrong. Unless, of course, he sees this

as some secret conspiracy to bring a

Black man down!

The Jay-Z-Beanie Sigel controversy couldn’t

have been more timely, as it coincides with reports that Lil’ Wayne, scheduled

to be locked up for a year on July 2007 weapon possession charges, might have

avoided sentencing if he refused to take the fall for the true owner of the guns. For all

my quarrels with Lil’ Wayne, I respect his loyalty.   

Late January 2008, video

surfaced of the 30-year-old rapper cussing out his entourage, hurling his

jacket at his DJ, and leading the concert crowd in chants of “F**k You,”

directed toward the men behind him. “I just want all the m####***kas that

[have] been with me, that ain’t gon ever be with me again, to know I did it for

ya’ll,” he said, much to the school-girl-crowd’s oblivion-infused amusement. Earlier

that day, his tour bus was stopped at an Arizona U.S. Border Patrol, and in it discovered

four ounces of marijuana, over 1 ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy, and

various drug paraphernalia.

He had just been rattled by the reality

that promises and their fulfillment in matters of friendship are two separate

and unequal executions.

Lil’ Wayne is currently in a predicament

not unlike that Jazz icon Thelonious Monk faced in 1951 with fellow pianist Bud

Powell, when arrested for drug possession. Powell was 7 years his junior and

considered a younger brother. Monk couldn’t see such budding, bright talent go

to waste, so he took the fall, and, as a result, lost his Cabaret Card—the

Almighty license required to play at liquor-serving Bars; particularly more

costly for a Negro Jazz musician of the times. For 6 years, Monk was denied his

former life, but he came back swinging, and many have known him ever

since—regardless of all the slanderous and condescending definitions formed by

uninformed critics—as a principled pianist with an even better record as a

human being. It would do Lil’ Wayne well to pick up acclaimed professor Robin

D.G. Kelley’s latest work, a stellar biography on Monk, aptly titled, Thelonious

Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original. 

But one need not even look so far back

as a half-century. Prodigy, one half of the New York legendary group Mobb Deep,

provides one of the finest examples Loyalty has offered in a while. In October

2007, Prodigy was sentenced to 3 1/2 years behind bars for gun possession.

Prodigy contends, however, the real reason he is serving a sentence at all,

following what he believes to be an illegal trunk-search, is for turning down offers,

proposed by the NYPD, to set up G-Unit General 50 Cent. 

Speaking a couple of years ago on Sirius Radio, he revealed: “When they locked me

up they tried to get me to set up 50 Cent. They wanted me to plant drugs and

guns in his car. I was like, ‘Hell no, I ain’t doing that.’ They told me if I

plant stuff in his car, they would let me walk.” To avoid his fate, he advised

peers to “stop f**king putting rims on your car, stop buying all this f**king,

fa**ot-ass jewelry that they stealing from black people in Africa, anyway, and

just put cameras in your car. Think about your safety, think about surveillance.”

There’s no evidence to back up Prodigy’s

side, but it’s highly unlikely he would dare accuse the NYPD of such offense if

it never took place.

Prodigy is of the same tribe Beanie

Sigel hails from. Both believe loyalty has no superior. Unfortunately, both

don’t seem to have equally loyal Generals.

So, for instance, while 50 was working

hard behind the scenes trying to

secure an earlier release date for Prodigy, Jay-Z didn’t

think much of Sigel’s plight enough to send “not one picture, a letter.”

And while 50 was recruiting

former foes, putting together an event of mass magnitude for his old neighborhood, Jay-Z was selling

out his old neighborhood for a mess of pottage. Of course Jay-Z isn’t

the worst thing since Santa Claus, and 50 Cent isn’t God’s unblemished gift to

the world; but the contrast is quite startling.

There’s a cost to be paid when

disloyalty sets into any camp. If Jay-Z is smart, and he sure seems so, he

would make quick amends before his empire flattens like a tipped house of cards.  

Tolu Olorunda is a social commentator

and a columnist for BlackCommentator.com.

He can be reached at: To***********@***il.com.

This season we are seeing the return of the baggier jean for men, bootcut and wide legs for women, and 80s looks continuing to go strong.

 

 

Here’s just some of the hottest denim trends this season from DJPremium.com and DrJays.com:

 

 

Continue reading “Monday Fashion Feature: Denim Trends: What’s Good This Season” →

16 Producers.

 

Atlanta.

 

Beats GALORE!

 

A magnificent event is about to descend on Atlanta, one of the new Meccas of Hip-Hop. The event will line up 16 talented producers for a battle for the next “big tune” that will move the Hip-Hop crowd.

 

On November 3rd, Atlanta’s Opera will host the national finals of Red Bull Big Tune, where the eager crowd will determine who the winners and whose beats knock the best. Here’s how is will go down:

 

Eight qualifying battles were held across the US bringing the winner and runner-up from each stop to represent in the ATL.

 

Before each producer rocks the stage they will have one-on-one experiences with top name talent Just Blaze, Mr Porter, DJ Toomp, The Bizness and Don Cannon. The Hip-Hop heavies will help them gain industry insight during two days of mentorship.

 

Then, on the 3rd, Opera will host a night that will offer performers like Jadakiss, Alchemist, Mr Porter, Just Blaze, and The Bizness.

 

Here are a listing of the producers and the runner up in each region.

 

Phoenix

 

Winner: LiftedRunner up: Young Seph

Denver

 

Winner: Boon DocRunner up: Xperiment

 

Chicago

 

Winner: J RellRunner up: J Mac

 

Seattle

 

Winner: Marcus DRunner up: KD Cutz

 

Minneapolis

 

Winner: NicademusRunner up: G Mo

 

 

Detroit

 

Winner: Apollo BrownRunner up: Frank Dukes

 

New Orleans

 

Winner: Hannibal the Beat AnimalRunner up: Sky Scrapa

 

Las Vegas

 

Winner: DJ FinylRunner up: D1 (Deuno)

 

One of these aspirant beat maestros will be proclaimed the victor and will receive the opportunity of a lifetime. They will be bestowed with the opportunity to record at the Red Bull Studio in Los Angeles with an A-list emcee of their choice.

 

Presently, the artists have yet to be announced, but previous rappers include Nas, Young Buck, Common, The Game, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. Last year’s Red Bull Big Tune winner, C-Sick, recorded his song with Nas and loved the experience.

 

“The way Nas spits over beats is crazy. It’s exactly what I expected,” he said of the experience.

 

AllHipHop.com will follow the 2009 winner as he moves through his mentorship, victory and eventually recording with a Hip-Hop mega star.

 

Until then, watch C-Sick as he meets and works with Nas.

 

 

 

 

NAS – “FILM” – PRODUCED BY C-SICK

 

 

Jay Z is probably the only “rap” dude that can get grown

men excited.  Now, for what may

appear to be obvious reasons, after that statement, I feel the need to interject

“no h###.”  Do people even say that

anymore?  And not to digress, but I

ask, was it ever cool to say anyway? 

Last year, my wife and I had the privilege of witnessing the sold out,

Heart of the City tour when he and Mary J. Blige visited Baltimore.  And on several different occasions

during that day, I recall gleefully saying, “I’m excited!”  Truth be told, I did have an early

afternoon sip of my favorite blended Canadian whisky, but I won’t put my

gleefulness on the drink.  Instead,

I was honestly excited to hear Jay spit his lyrics in person.  You know, “flyer than the piece of paper

bearing my name.  I got hottest

chick in the game, wearing my chain. 

My name is Hov!”

 

That night wasn’t my first time seeing Jay on tour.  As a matter of fact, I had the

opportunity to see him on two prior occasions.  The first time was probably him at his

best, entertainment wise, and that was during the Hard Knock Life Tour.  It was a Roc-A-Fella, Ruff Ryder

collaboration with special guests Method Man and Redman.  That show was bananas.  Anyone who was there would concur and if

you were unable to bare witness yourself, I suggest you go rent the movie

Backstage. 

 

The second time I saw Jay was when he toured with R.

Kelly.  I believe that tour was

billed “The Best of Both Worlds.”  I

must admit, the CD was and still is incredible.  I think their plan to record and then

tour together had the potential to be monumental; however, we all know the

outcome.  For reasons never

mentioned (wink), Jay and Kels didn’t hit the stage together until an hour after

the scheduled time.  Still, the show

itself was amazing.  And once again,

Jay did him.  That was during the

time when he rapped, “it’s not even close, just leave it alone.  I’m Michael Jordan, I play for the team

I own.”  Hey, I was impressed then

and I’m even more impressed now.

 

In preparation for the Blueprint 3 experience, initially

scheduled to drop on Friday September 11, 2009, I recalled all of my Jay

moments, which culminated with me being in attendance at his sold out show last

night at the First Mariner Arena. 

Before purchasing the BP3, I first viewed my copy of Backstage, which I

own on VHS. As I watched the tape, I rejoiced in my memories of seeing the

actual live show.  I also wondered

if the Muslim brother who killed the cipher that Jay and DMX had going on

backstage, as seen in the video footage, ever got signed.  He was nice!  That night in the spring of 1999, Red

and Meth were dangling from the rafters above the crowd performing How High,

Beanie Sigel was introduced to us spitting acapella to an attentive and

astonished crowd, we heard the growl and bark of DMX and saw him stand toe to

toe with Jay.  And Jay, well

hindsight shows now that he was just getting started.    In preparation for the

Blueprint 3 experience, I also listened to the first and second Blueprint’s

remembering my favorites and recalling what I was doing during the times those

songs were played in heavy rotation. 

And as I watched his Madison Square Garden performance on FUSE, I wore my do

rag (just because), which my wife found to be hilarious.  Needless to say, I’m a Jay Z

fan.

 

Last night’s performance was immaculate.  I stood on my feet for more than ninety

minutes with a crowd of roughly 14,000 people.  I sung along to countless hits.  I two stepped and brushed my shoulders

off.  And in the midst of it all, I

had an epiphany.  As I watched Jay

Z’s influence on the crowd, which ranged in ages from 3 on up (yup a 3 year old

got on stage and put the Roc sign in the air), with representations of all

different ethnicities, I admitted for the first time, that he is the greatest

rapper of all time.  That was hard

for me to say, because up until then, I always professed Tupac to be the

G.O.A.T.  So in my comparison of Jay

to Pac, I concluded that I was fond of Tupac because he spoke to my youthful and

rebellious spirit.  Tupac captured

and voiced feelings that I could relate to as a young man, minus the

responsibilities that I have now as an adult.  That’s not to say that Jay Z did not

voice relatable experiences when he initially debuted as a Roc-A-Fella artist,

but to Jay’s advantage we’ve had thirteen years to grow together, and as I then

related to Tupac as a child, I now relate to Jay Z as a man.     

 

I think it’s ludicrous for an artist like Gucci Mane to

say Jay Z isn’t the best.  Then

again, no it’s not.  Maybe it’s

bothersome knowing that if Gucci Mane is saying that Jay isn’t the best, the

thought of who he may suggest is better, which I honestly hope isn’t himself, is

offensive.  Allow me to also add

that I don’t think Baby was serious when he most recently said Lil Wayne was

better than Jay Z because “he does the most and make the most money.”  If he was serious, then in the voice of

Ed Lover, facial expression intact I must say, “C’mon Son.  Get the f### out of here!” 

 

In addition to being lyrical and the fact that he’s been

successful on all levels, he has debuted eleven number one albums, surpassing

Elvis Pressley.  But probably more

important than anything else to me is what Jay Z embodies, which is the essence

of young men raised in inner city America.  We shared the same experiences.  We were dealt similar hands and faced

the same obstacles.  Many of us

became statistics and fell victim to societal ills, but there were a few who

successfully managed.  Jay Z

obviously was one who succeeded and was intelligent and creative enough to

lyrically convey his pathway to success, with the hope that his message would

somehow inspire those of us who thought his level of success was impossible and

unattainable.  Thanks Jay for

showing us that it’s not. 

 

Oftentimes, BIG and Tupac are the only two MC’s that we

place slightly ahead of Jay in argument, which is unfortunate in his case

because how can one compete against nostalgia?  Honestly, their body of work is

incomparable to Jay Z’s.  Real talk,

it’s like comparing apples to oranges. 

Feel me on this:  I was

raised in a town where the best basketball playground legend ever will always be

Skip Wise.  I’ve been around people

who have vehemently told me that if Skip Wise would have made it in the league,

he would have been better than Michael Jordan.  I’m certain that most people would say

that we can’t intelligently make that argument simply because we’re comparing an

if to an is; a what would have been to a what was.  With that being said, consider what

we’re doing when we compare Jay Z to BIG and Pac.  We’re

comparing new material to old material. 

We’re comparing growth to something that’s infertile.  We’re comparing life and death, a person

to a corpse.  We’re comparing what

we think, to what we know.  So, for

myself, from this day forward, it’s no longer what Pac meant to me, instead it’s

what Jay Z means to me. 

 

Hands down, he has accomplished what he intended to

do.  He came, he saw, and he

conquered.  So as he says in the

chorus of Everyday a Star is Born, “clap for him.” 

 

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and Val Kilmer star in the new direct-to-DVD flick Hardwired, a new physiological thriller.

 

After losing his wife in a horrific car accident, Luke Gibson (Academy Award ® Winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Jerry Maguire, 1996) wakes up in the hospital to find his once idyllic life on the brink of destruction.

 

Implanted with a lethal microchip and monitored closely by a Hope Industries executive (Val Kilmer), Gibson is plagued by strange visions and haunted by a past he cannot remember.

 

If he wants to survive, his only chance lies with a group of renegade hackers who may be the only ones who know how to stop the dangerous corporation before it’s too late.

 

Also starring Michael Ironside (Terminator Salvation).

 

Hardwired lands in stores on November 3.

 

Check out the trailer premiere of Hardwired below:

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