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AHHA’s Best of 2008: Danity Kane

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Alternatives
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Original Post Date: June 10, 2008Most artists have to wait until they’ve hit the big time before the general public gets a glimpse of them on television. And even then, it might only be a carefully placed music video on a music entertainment channel. Yes, this is usually the protocol for most artists. That is of course unless your band name is Danity Kane.After the grueling process that was Making The Band, it seemed that Diddy had finally assembled his dream team. Danity Kane exploded onto the music scene in 2006 with their self-titled debut album, which not only debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200, but also spawned the hit single “Showstopper.”Yet after the success of their debut album, rumors began to surface about disharmony within the group. Many began to believe that their first album might very well be their last as Danity Kane. But then on the season finale of Making the Band 4, the girls appeared out of nowhere like the fictional superhero that is their namesake. The girls appeared to be as united as ever.This past season on Making The Band – aside from fans becoming reunited with Danity Kane as they worked on their second album – they also got to know their labelmates, the newly formed Day 26 and soloist Donnie Klang. The creation of their new project brought new challenges for the five women, yet fans watched as they stepped into the driver’s seat, took the wheel, and steered their album to completion.Now on the heels of another Number One album, Welcome To The Dollhouse, and another hit single “Damaged,” they are about to embark on their first ever headlining tour. We sat down with these ladies of Bad Boy for a chat about all things Danity…AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You guys have definitely grown a lot since we first became acquainted with you. How have your experiences changed? What is different?DK-Aundrea: With this album we definitely took a lot more creative control. We came in this time with our minds set on how we wanted to look and how we wanted to sound and what songs we wanted to sing. And we also wanted to write. We definitely went head to head with Puff to get everything that we wanted. The major difference on this album is that things are a little more our way.DK-D.Woods: Also, it’s just that the first time around we were just so happy to be in the game, just playing along. But now it’s like we have a strategy, and we are in it to win it.AHHA: Your last album was a lot more R&B. This album is a lot more Pop. Is there any particular reason you guys went in a different direction with the album this time? DK-Dawn: I think it has a lot to do with the movement of music and where it is going. I think the first album was pretty much like D said. We were told what to do, and we were excited and it was more urban because that was pretty much Bad Boy’s track record. Usually with the producers that we’re given like B[ryan-Michael] Cox, we’ve got alot of urban-sounding producers; that was the direction of where that last album went. This time around, we really wanted to expose ourselves internationally. We felt that we really didn’t touch on that before. Especially with this group and the different sounds that we have, we just can’t cater to one sound especially urban, since we have such a diverse group of girls here. So we really wanted to tap into pop music as well as urban, because the urban will be there being on Bad Boy and the group already has that ground underneath it. We really wanted to make it international – touch the clubs with that high-energy music, where music is pretty much going right now. And that’s why we worked with producers like Danja Handz, and that Euro sound. I think it was extremely smart on our part because we got on it before it really hit. Because now it seems like everything you hear is on that level. I feel like we already tapped into it, but still stayed with the Danity Kane sound that we had before; just added to it. That’s what makes us different from what’s out right now. DK-D. Woods: Also a big difference is because we had so much creative control this time around. We weren’t allowed to do that last time, although we wanted to. Sometimes you just have to play your position. So this time around, like I said, we came in with our strategy. And because [the material] is coming moreso from us, from  “the horse’s mouth,” it has a different tone than if it was given to us. Also we are dancers, which is why we have so much dance music, because we really didn’t get to express that talent as well as we would have liked to the last time out.DK-Aundrea: And even on top of that, we are just a few years older than we were, and we definitely grew as a group. We grew closer. We grew vocally. Our vocals definitely changed, and we have learned each other’s voices so much better. So we just had this set thing of how we wanted to sound.AHHA: Do you guys sense a difference in how you have been received this time around?DK-Aundrea: Definitely. I think this time out people have been more receptive. They are seeing that it’s not just TV. And also they are playing our stuff all over the radio. Radio didn’t really touch us with the last time at all. They didn’t really play us. This time it’s very different. We just went into the Top Ten for pop radio and on the Billboard charts this week. We have just been received very well.DK-Dawn: I think also we were very skeptical about the show ourselves and a little bit wary about this whole situation the first time. But this time we really took the reigns, so even the swagger of how we are and the way we approach things is a little bit different. If you give us respect, we’re gonna continue to earn [it]. As long as we are good and we continue to do our job, people are starting to see that we are not looking for approval. We are looking for the next thing we can do, the next goal we can accomplish. A lot of people are starting to see that we have a work ethic like you haven’t really ever seen. Even Diddy continues to say a lot that we are some hard working women. We are just looking for ways to make ourselves better; how we can make our fans appreciate the music more. And because of that, I think artists are starting to respect that because we are songwriters and we are trying to better ourselves as musicians as well as artists and performers.AHHA: Was the experience of being in the same house as Donnie and Day 26 and recording at the same time a bit hectic for you all?DK-Aundrea: I think in the beginning we were just a little concerned, because we didn’t really know what their work ethic was like. And we didn’t really know them at all. And we knew what WE wanted to do. We knew that we wanted to come in focused. I think we were all pleasantly surprised. They are all very very nice and very talented young men, and I think we learned a lot from them. I also think they learned a lot from us. I also think they motivated us and pushed us even more.AHHA: Have you guys gotten used to having cameras follow you around every minute of the day?DK-D.Woods: Yeah, it’s funny because now the directors from the show don’t even have to direct us. I mean it is reality TV, but there is a certain amount of “set” involved in it. It’s like we know a lot of the sound guys and cameramen so we are used to them. DK-Aundrea: It’s funny because a lot of people who aren’t really used to it…they get nervous when they approach us or when they are talking to us. And I’m like, “Calm down. Don’t even pay attention to them!” [laughs] We are so used to them being around because it’s just always been apart of how we’ve done Danity Kane. It would feel weird to not have [the camera crew].AHHA: Now if you guys could talk a bit about the tour that you guys are headlining…DK-Aundrea: Yay!! DK-Dawn: I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised. I think Puff is smart. He knew what he was doing when he [put this tour together]. People are gonna be taken aback by Danity Kane since we have been in ten-hour rehearsals, and like D said, we are all performers and dancers so we always try to go above and beyond what the normal person would do.DK-D.Woods: You don’t want to see my feet right now! [laughs]DK-Dawn: Seven to ten hours in stilettos, and we are not tipping around the stage. I’m talking about hardcore dancing. We are rolling on the floor, doing leg lifts; we’re doing tricks. [laughs] It’s crazy! We are just constantly looking for ways that we can push the envelope. Even with the smaller venues, that doesn’t mean any [difference] for us, it doesn’t matter how small [the venue is], our brains are so big in what we wanna do visually. And because the content of our album is so meaningful, there are so many deep things we can touch on visually with the sound of the album. There is so much we can do with it. I think people are going to be really excited to see what we have in store for them. I don’t think they are ready! DK-D.Woods: Even Puff said when he comes into one of our rehearsals and he was like, no matter what [the choreographer] said…[group in unison]Y’all got this good! DK-D. Woods: But [Diddy] was really really surprised. You know, the tell tale factor in the show is can you do this with the lights on in your rehearsal clothes with no makeup and still be captivating. He said he was captivated even in the first process of our rehearsal. He was like, “I want you guys to be ready that when you guys get on stage, you might not get the crowd screaming and going crazy. They might just be taken aback and just watchin’ y’all, because I was really taken aback.” We weren’t expecting, “If there’s crickets, it’s ok. They just don’t understand what you’re doing.” AHHA: Beyond this album, beyond this tour. What’s next for Danity Kane?DK-Aundrea: We are going to take over the world!DK-Dawn: Just more. DK will be a brand name.AHHA: In 20 years if someone asked, “Who is Danity Kane?” what would be the answer?DK-Aubrey: A group of diverse women that figured out how to understand each other and unite instead of work against each other, which is the most important thing you can do.

Busta Rhymes: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 2

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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Busta Rhymes: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1AllHipHop.com: How much of  Blessed is going to be carried over to B.O.M.B.?

 

Busta Rhymes: Probably about 20% ,when I got my

new situation with Sylvia, the queen, I was so inspired to make new heat for

her, and for myself because I was just so inspired. The new situation was sexy,

the deal was sexy, the money was sexy.  The whole spirit of the situation felt

good I was living in that studio like I had no family to come home to. And a

lot of great things came out of that energy and there was no reason to not

display it on this project.  Especially if she is the one responsible for this project being

able to happen.  So I wanted

to make sure that I put my best foot forward for Sylvia Rhone cause she was the

one who was making this all become a reality.

 

AllHipHop.com: Now “Arab Money” is becoming another big Busta Rhymes hit but it’s not the most politically correct

title. Have you felt any type of backlash from that at all?

 

Busta Rhymes: Nah I mean I been hearing little salt and pepper sprinkles

about concern for some people.  But

obviously that concern is not stopping the growth of the record.  And I really only respect the concern

of the Arab culture.  You know I ain’t really trying to pay no

attention to people in these positions of political positions, and executive

positions that ain’t Arab culture oriented

people.  Because, a lot of the

times you know, What are you really showing all this

concern for? Is it concern for the people or concern for your job? A lot of

people feel like, something, things that may be risqué in their opinion, is in

these times not the thing to be doing. Because the most

irrelevant thing can be justified as a reason to fire somebody nowadays.

Nobody is safe, this recession has f**ked the whole game up and everybody is on

they eggshells when they walk around. So I just feel like that’s really more so

what it’s about than anything  and until I get some direct  awareness of the Arab culture having an issue, we’re going

to continue to move forward with our campaign.

 Busta Rhymes “I Got Bass” Video

AllHipHop.com: There aren’t many top notch

producers that you haven’t worked with. Are there any two or three that you

wish you have or are looking forward to work with?

 

Busta Rhymes: Premo, never worked with him. Always

wanted to work with Primo.  I just recently

got some beats from Premo that I’m starting to really

feel after waiting for years to just get a beat from Premo

‘cause Premo’s book was always so locked in with

projects that he was working on that he would schedule you months down the

line.  And by the time he’s ready

for you if you ain’t sitting

around and waiting your project is done by the time he’s available. So that has

happened with me and him for like the last four albums.

I never worked with Kanye he never produced a track

for me I always liked Kanye’s production. I think

that’s it, for right now.

 

AllHipHop.com: Of those you have worked with who

were the most special?

 

Busta Rhymes: J Dilla, Dr. Dre,

Nottz, Dj Scratch, Pharrell, Cool & Dre.

 

AllHipHop.com: What was working with Dilla

like?

 

Busta Rhymes: Dilla was just…perfection to me

cause he always made s**t that you knew you needed without telling him what you

needed. He knew what I needed and he just knew how to do it.  And then if he ever asked me what I

needed I couldn’t tell him cause the words couldn’t describe what he gave me. I

wish I could tell somebody what he gave me so I could try to get it from

somebody else. But I couldn’t even tell him and he still knew what I needed;

gave it to me every time. That’s why he’s been on every solo album I’ve ever

made from day one.  I never

finished an album without Dilla.  So you know, he’s “one” on my list of

favorite producers of all time.

AllHipHop.com: Now looking at the Busta

Rhymes catalogue and looking at the discography of what you’ve done, whenever

there is a top five discussion your name should be in there. But at times your

name doesn’t come up. How do you feel about that?

 

Busta Rhymes: I don’t feel anything about it. I never really concerned

myself with s**t like that cause, what you gonna do? 

All I know how to do is what I been doing, and at the end of the day,

that’s smashing mothaf**kas

in every way across the board. A n***a could never

really say he bust my ass on a record. 

N***a can never say you bust my ass in a stage show.  So as far as I’m concerned I don’t need

to say anything about any of these things when the fact of the truth is

undisputed. ‘Cause people may not put me in they top five but whenever you ask

them who’s nicer than me? 

 

When it comes to the records

that be rhymed on together if you hear me on “Flava

in Ya Ear (Remix),”  or “Scenario” or whatever

records you want to pull up and see me collaborate with mothaf**kas.  How many

times you hearing a mothaf**ka really saying, “Yo Bust got his ass whooped on this record.”? I don’t think you ever heard that in your life.  And when it comes to these stage shows

whoever you gonna hear say, “Yo

this n***a bust Busta Rhymes and them n****s on the

stage.”  I don’t think you ever heard

that neither.

 

I really think at the end of

the day, a lot of the peoples top five are the people that they are told on a

regular basis are top five.  It’s

kind of like a symptom out of sight of mind. So if you hearing Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie all the time, that’s what’s going to come out

of everybody’s mouth just like you hear a record on the radio all the time, it

don’t matter if it’s not hot, it becomes a hit. So it becomes

conditioning.  How your train of

thought has been conditioned to function and over the years that’s what you

hear. 

 

Even nowadays, as hard as

Wayne has been going in for four or five years, how many times do you hear him

in n****s top 5’s?  That’s some

recent s**t now that you’re starting to hear him in n****s top 5’s.  I wasn’t hearing this three years ago and

he was going just as crazy three years ago.  For the last three years he’s actually been putting in more

work than anybody as far producing material from mixtapes

to cameos to features. But again it’s like you gotta condition these people. How you campaign, that

helps to change the dynamic of what you hear out of people’s mouths.  I never made it my business to campaign

being in n****s top 5’s.  I never

felt that I needed to and that’s just the kinda

cloth that I was cut from.  We

don’t’ self proclaim our hotness. 

You let the people do that. You put the work in and let the people do

that.  

Leaders of the New School “The International Zone Coaster” Video

AllHipHop.com:

You got your first deal at 17. You’re still here, an elder

statesmen doing his thing. If you wrote a manual how would

you explain to these up and coming MCs how not to fall off? 

Busta Rhymes: By having they concept,

lyrics, music, attitude and performance together, and that’s it in a

nutshell.  I was taught that by

Chuck D, the acronym is C.L.A.M.P. 

If you got a clamp on your package as a well-rounded artist you gon’ have a clamp and a lock on the game. So I always

applied that to my own s**t. Concepts,

that’s why from the first album with Leaders of The New School, you look at the

back [of the album] and you see the first couple tracks is “homeroom” and the

next couple songs is “lunchroom.” Lunchtime and the last couple songs was “afterschool.”

We had to draw the whole album package on notebook paper and come to the label

like, “This is what we want to do, Leaders of The New School is the name, and

we want to do this school s**t.” You know the afterschool fights so we would

have “Show Me a Hero” which is me beefing with a bully in school and songs like

that.  Lunchroom would be “Sounds

of the Zeekers” with of all of the f**kin’ n****s we

had on the record, because in the lunch room you and all your boys was in there

beat boxin’ and freestylin’

and snapping on each other and just bugging out. 

 

Lyrics

is always important because nothing was more important to garnish your

respect in being a MC. As a lyricist your attitude

got to be right because if you’re an a###### mothaf**kas won’t want to f**k with you.  Your appearance got to be right cause when you walk in a room

you got to light the room up without even talking.  You got to be able to look like a star and be the star when

you ain’t got the

microphone. Your music of course,

production always got to be the super dope hot s**t. And you performance at the end of the day is

the end all says all.  N****s come out  spending

they money to see you when they could be doing something else. You want to make

sure they getting their money’s worth. 

Leaders of the New School “Case of the P.T.A.” Video 

AllHipHop.com: Damn, that mantra you described

could be used by a gang of today’s newer artists. Even

some of the older ones.

 

Busta Rhymes: That was the grooming that we was

blessed to be around though. 

That’s the Public Enemy they was a direct, influence on everything we

did. They were our standard of approval. If we didn’t meet their standard of

approval it wasn’t gonna

happen.  So we had to work to

garnish our respect in the immediate circle before the people even had a chance

to be exposed to it.

 

AllHipHop.com:

So what’s good with the acting man?

 

Busta Rhymes: I just did a movie called Order of Redemption with Tom Beringer and Armand Asante. It’s coming out next year like

April/May. I ain’t

playin’ with [acting]. I mean I stopped doing that

for a second trying to focus on this music while I was over at Aftermath trying

to get a whole other level success acquired.  That didn’t happen based on the way things played out.  But we nose diving headfirst into the

movie world and getting it poppin’.  We just knocked down Order of Redemption and we got two more

lined up.

 

AllHipHop.com: Who is your greatest MC, and who is your favorite MC?

 

Busta Rhymes: Hmm…greatest MC and favorite MC…

 

AllHipHop.com: Got you on that one huh?

 

Busta Rhymes: Yeah that’s a hard one, my greatest MC I would have to say

it’s several of them, it’s not one.

[Big Daddy] Kane was one of ‘em,

Rakim was another one of ‘em.  Nas, BIG,

Eminem, those are my favorite MCs. 

 

Greatest MC, I would probably

have to say, between Nas and BIG.  LL Cool Jwas one of favorites too.  But I say Nas and BIG because they

was lyrically crazy…wait, I can’t forget Sick Rick yo. Slick Rick is in the favorite MC category too.  I mean greatest MC category too.  Because, he did s**t

with words and told stories at the same time. Because sometimes a mothaf**ka be a dope story teller

but it would compromise how ill they were lyrically.  Then it’ll be a ill lyrical mothaf**ka but wasn’t as crazy with the stories, but to

have the dynamic of both. I would say [it] is Nas and

Big and Slick Rick.  

 

AllHipHop.com: When listen to a Busta

Rhymes record it kind of reminds me of KRS-1 always harping on real MCs having

many styles. The way you deliver on one record may be complete different from

the flow on the next one. What you you attribute that

too?

 

Busta Rhymes: That just came about as a result of trying to marry with

whatever the beat was that I rhymed on. I never felt that it would make sense

to try and sound the same on beats. Unless you rhyming on the same type of

beat, beats vary sonically in so many ways that if you can marry with whatever

direction the beat is going sonically it’s gonna

automatically bring about just the many different styles that ultimately are

brought about.  I don’t really

think about how I’m gonna

get on a beat I just let the beat dictate it. Following the music usually is

the best way to allow the style to transition or to change or to give birth to themselves. Following the beat just helps make the rhyme

sound iller to me.  You know it’s like you play dodgeball

with the kicks and the snares and, you find pockets in the beat that your

regular cliché flow rhyme pattern ain’t gon’ maximize if you rhymes the same way on every beat. So

why won’t you adjust your s**t to fit with what the beat is doing so that you

can maximize the way your going to sound on this beat?  That’s what I always thought was the

smartest thing to do.

 Busta Rhymes “Gimme Some More” Video

AllHipHop.com: Do you always have the beat first or do you ever

have concepts for songs beforehand?

 

Busta Rhymes: I have concepts for songs before the beat, but I won’t

write to it until I get the right beat to go with the concept.  You feel what I’m saying? If I write a

certain joint or one to a beat prior to getting the beat, the way it might come

across could compromise you appreciating the concept if it ain’t being said right. If the flow ain’t right, if the way you

articulating your s**t at certain parts of what the beat is doing it’ll

compromise how you appreciate the concept. Like the grave digging joint

[“Legend of the Fall Offs”] on Big Bang,

I couldn’t rhyme how I did on “Touch It” on that beat because you wouldn’t

appreciate it in the same way. Just like with “Touch it”.  You see how the beat changes?  I had to write my rhyme to the way the

beat was changing so you could appreciate the… “TURN IT UP!!!!” and then the

drums change and s**t “GET LOW BUST!!!” (beatboxes

the track). All of that is just following what the beat is doing.  It helps you appreciate the concept

better if you going with the beat and marrying that beat the way you should.

 

AllHipHop.com: Are

you still doing business at all with Papoose and Kay Slay?

 

Busta Rhymes: Nah we’re not in business

together but you know me and Slay we’re always gonna

be peoples cause we just got a respect level with each other. Slay is a good

dude and smart dude and we just always been cool.  And like every relationship everybody go through they little

differences, and you know we wasn’t able to really get it poppin’

on the whole business level together but outside of that, we good. 

 Busta Rhymes “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” Video

AllHipHop.com: From what you told me, and correct me if I’m wrong,

but it seems like your time with Aftermath slowed you up and affected all your

other ventures, no?

 

Busta Rhymes: Indirectly, because that was a choice thing. It wasn’t

really like Aftermath caused that. I personally wanted to give my undivided

attention to the Aftermath situation so I chose to not be as active in the

films. Which probably wasn’t the smartest choice at the time but that’s just

where my heart was.  I wanted to

make sure that the dedication that I needed meet the standard, in that establishment;

it had to be focus one. I made choice and that was my choice.  Like, “Just put your all into this

album over here.” In the house with the big doctor and when he come to the

table with his s**t that’s gon’ be crazy, you want to

be able to come to the table with your s**t that’s gon

be crazy.  I didn’t want anybody to

get in the way of me being able to deliver the crazy that was expected of

me. 

 

AllHipHop.com: Last question. B.O.M.B.,

what can people expect?

 

Busta Rhymes: The most phenomenal body of work that you’ve ever gotten

from Busta Rhymes. The beauty about Busta Rhymes is I’m as great as my latest.  And if this is my latest project it got

to supersede everything that’s been done prior so you’re gonna get the most phenomenal body of work to date

that you can get from me.  And last

but not least it’s gon be that vintage Busta Rhymes feeling that people have always known to grow

and love without us trying to re-create that sonically.  So we aint

going to got try and re-create “Put Ya Hands (Where

my Eyes Can See),” and we aint trying to re-create

“Woo Haa.” 

There’s so much new s**t with the music going on with this project that people

need to be introduced to because I constantly like to grow and take to another

standard level sonically. But I definitely made sure that even thought there’s a newness with the sound, the element that you’ve known to

grow and love me for is at an abundance as far as the feeling in this album. Busta Rhymes “Don’t Touch Me (Throw Da Water On ‘Em)” Video

Busta Rhymes: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 1

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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“I never really concerned myself with s**t like that cause, what you gonna do?,” says Busta Rhymes when asked at his inconspicuous absence whenever Top 5 rapper lists are tallied. He continues, “All I know how to do is what I been doing, and at the end of the day that’s smashing mothaf**kas in every way across the board.”Busta insists there’s no chip on his shoulder, though if he did the claim would be legit. Since his debut to the rap world as a boisterous Leader of the New School, Busta has embarked on a hit laden solo career (“Woo-Hah! (Got You All In Check),” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See”) that coupled with a full clip of show stealing guest verses (“Flava In Ya Ear (Remix),” “Scenario”) and combustible stage shows has indisputably made Bussa Bus one of Hip-Hop’s top tier artists. In 2004 Busta signed on with Aftermath Records. Surely working with Dr. Dre would mean a turbo boost in stardom, and sales, right? However, the album was slow to arrive, and despite a huge hit (“Touch It”), his first #1 chart debut, and critical kudos, 2007’s The Big Bang didn’t live up to expectations in the marketplace. Simultaneously issues surrounding the death of his bodyguard, Ismael Ramirez, at the “Touch It” video shoot and various ensuing legal troubles didn’t help matters. Nevertheless, Busta presses on. In July 2008 he left Interscope and Dr. Dre’s care, eventually landing at Universal/Motown. The label is headed by Sylvia Rhone, who signed Leaders of the New School in 1990. “I’m just back in my comfort zone again,” says Busta of he and Rhone’s reunion. With the success of his controversial hit “Arab Money” he is comfortably back on the charts as well. With his eighth album, B.O.M.B. (Back On My B.S.), due in March 2009, we asked Busta just about everything. From his legal trouble to what really occurred during his convo with Jimmy Iovine, on to who his favorite producers and MCs are, he answered everything candidly and sincerely. No B.S.AllHipHop.com: So, now you’re signed to Universal/Motown, it’s

almost like you’re coming full circle since Sylvia Rhone is here and your solo

career really jumped off at Elektra with her. So what’s that like?

 

Busta Rhymes: Back on my

bulls**t.  You know what I’m

saying? We back to getting back to what we used to do, to what we’ve always

been able to do together. I’ve never loved any one that I’ve been in business

with more than I love this woman. 

And I just think that Sylvia is just an extremely loyal person.  She loves really hard and she’s an

extremely passionate individual.  She’s

always been the type of person where, if you in her good graces she will walk

through any storm and any fire with you.

 

I think this one of the greatest

ways to actually press the restart button. I pressed my start button to my solo

career with her.  And I went

through phases with other situations and I can see the difference in the way

things are manifested now as opposed to what they were in my last

situation.  We put one record out

[“Arab Money”], s**t is on frenzy level everywhere now

that I’m back with the person that knows how the do business with the Busta Rhymes brand better than anybody in the game. I’m

just back in my comfort zone again, and I’ve always tried to acquire a comfort

zone like this for the last five years. 

I just wasn’t able to do it. 

Busta Rhymes f/ Ron Browz “Arab Money” Video

AllHipHop.com: That said what made you leave Elektra to J Records.  What was the situation behind that?

 

Busta Rhymes: Back then, I was in a different

space mentally. I felt like the things that me and Sylvia

had done together had outgrown that situation. We was a monster that couldn’t

fit in the building no more.  Video

started off being $600,000 then ended up becoming $2.4 million videos.  Like, where else was there left for us to

go? What, we going to start spending three, four million dollars on videos, you

know, to outdo [the previous one]? 

Everything we did just got so much bigger than the last s**t and that’s

what we was about. Me and Sylvia, we just was so dope

together that nothing outside of ourselves [was] our competition, you know what

I’m saying?  So we was competing with ourselves.

 Busta Rhymes “Woo-Hah!” Video

AllHipHop.com: It was definitely crazy video after even crazier

video for a while.

 

Busta Rhymes: It was crazy like nothing couldn’t top what we was doing.  And

it just got to a point where we couldn’t top our own s**t. It was time for us

to try something else.  And you

know it was almost like a defense mech. We had to leave ourselves or we was gonna kill ourselves. Because what

we started doing no longer was conducive to proper business practice.  The profit margin started lessening the

more we spent. 

 

It started to cost us more to

acquire greater success because we just was creating those movies every time we

came back around with a new project. Think about it, first album was with Zhane [“It’s A Party”]. And then When Disaster Strikes had Erykah Badu on “One,”

then Janet [Jackson] was Extinction Level

Event [“What’s It Gonna Be?”]. It just got bigger

and bigger and bigger and s**t was just…it just became too much.  So we had to let each other breathe a

little bit, and let somebody else share the burden of trying to maintain the Busta Rhymes success. 

Busta Rhymes “Pass the Courvoisier Part 2” Video

AllHipHop.com: You said you’re in a comfortable situation now. The

Aftermath situation started off with great potential and expectations, of

course.  What happened?

 

Busta Rhymes:  Just ummm…the patience that Dr. Dre

had was a little difficult for me. 

I respect patience, your circumstance can only allow you to have the

kind of patience he has.  You know

what I’m saying? His circumstances were very different than a lot of us because

he’s been successful on an astronomical level for a very long time. As a

producer Dre can generate significant amount of

revenue without having to be on the front line as an artist.  You know me,

my primary revenue stream is being on the front line as an artist. 

 

So at the end of the day while

Dre is perfecting perfection itself, you know, at

that level he does things in every way when it comes to music, you sitting

around three, four years trying to put an album together. Because

nothing is good enough for Dre.  Which was actually a blessing because

it ended up making The Big Bang one

of my most incredible albums. 

 

“’I Love My Chick,’ that wasn’t a single choice that was made by Busta or

Dr. Dre. So when you see the difference, Busta Rhymes put out ‘Touch It,’ it was a movie. The single that I chose to

go with, which Dre was in agreement with was ‘Get You

Some,’ which was a Dr. Dre produced record.”

 Touch It – Busta Rhymes

AllHipHop.com: Looking at your discography through the years you

were good for a year, year and a half between albums, not to mention all the

remixes and guest features.

 

Busta Rhymes: That’s the pace that I was used to.  That’s how Busta

Rhymes does things when Busta Rhymes is in the driver’s

seat.  But when I went to his

situation you play by different rules because you’re moving into someone’s

house who’s had success that superseded your success;

doing it his way.  There ain’t been a project that Dre put out that aint do five

million, four million, three million. So it’s hard to tell him to do it

different, when his way has always worked for him.  And which it probably would have, with my album, if we

didn’t compromise what we knew was best for the project.

 

When I say that I mean sometimes

when an exec from a parent company wants you to go in a direction that they

want you to go in, and they promise to deliver on those levels where you make

that choice and support what they suggest is the decision that you should

support. Then if you fight against that and it doesn’t go the way that you want

it to go… A lot of the times you may not get the support that you might

need.  On The Big Bang album, “I Love My Chick,” that wasn’t a single choice

that was made by Busta or Dr. Dre.

So when you see the difference, Busta Rhymes put out

“Touch It,” it was a movie.  Then

we put out the remix, bigger movie. 

The single that I chose to go with, which Dre

was in agreement with, was “Get You Some,” which was a Dr. Dre

produced record with Marsha and Q-Tip. 

First song on my album, now after three years of sitting around, there

is no possible way that the people are going to want to see an album come out

and you not have a Dr. Dre produced record, if you’re

on Aftermath with Dr. Dre. 

 

We’ve already seen what a Dr. Dre produced single with Busta

Rhymes on it can do with “Break Ya Neck” when I was

on J records.  We put it out and

the Genesis album ended up selling

1.9 million albums and that was my first single. So for me to have been at

Aftermath/Interscope and not have a Dre single, it just made no sense. But obviously, that

wouldn’t be a choice that we would make. 

We rolled with the choice of Jimmy Iovine at

the time because that’s what he felt we should have done.  And that directly contributed to the

change of the momentum of the project. That single wasn’t the right single and I

chose to never let a situation like that transpire again.  But you know, we could have also stood

our ground and said, Nah we not doing that regardless of what the end result

would have been.  But that was then,

this is now.

 

AllHipHop.com: It’s like a double edge sword. You stand your ground

and…

 

Busta Rhymes: You don’t get the support you want.

 

AllHipHop.com: Right.

 

Busta Rhymes: And then if you do go with it, you get all the support you

want and then you still don’t get it because you know it ain’t the right single, you’re damned either

way.  Again, that was then this is

now.  And I’m not making those kind of mistakes anymore. But with that being said, I don’t

want people to think that there’s any disgruntledness

because, I’m not mad at my experience over there.  S**t happens the way they happen because that’s just how it

happened.

 

There was a lot of other s**t that

went down in my two years over there that shouldn’t have happened that

contributed to a lot of the difficulties of the way things was going on.  The s**t that

happened at the video shoot. 

You know, just a lot of the negative press with the court cases and the

constant getting arrested and it was just…a lot of s**t was going haywire at

the time too that was hurting what we was trying to do with the music.  It was just a major anti-Busta Rhymes campaign for a while. 

Busta Rhymes f/ Swizz Beatz “New York S**t” Video

AllHipHop.com: You dropped The Big Bang which

received plenty of critical acclaim but then in the months after its

release it seemed like every time your name came up in the press it was about

anything but music.

 

Busta Rhymes: You stopped thinking about me having an album, you started

thinking about me being a criminal and s**t. In a timeframe when they was

putting every one of our Black entertainers in jail, if my charges were that

serious I would have been doing some kind of time too.  But none of my charges were serious

because, I’m not no criminal, number one.  Number two, situations, more or less

were manifesting not as a result of me doing wrong things but as a result of me

being dealt with in an unjust manner and being harassed by law enforcement

because of the situation that transpired at the video shoot.  Because as you can see for the 16, 17

year career at that time , I never had no problems

with nobody.

 

AllHipHop.com: You can’t say there was a pattern or anything  like

that.

 

Busta Rhymes: Nothing.  And

once that situation transpired it was an onslaught of s**t that just started to

play out back to back for the last two years, and I’m still dealing with some

of it now. But the difference is, you my cases are closed so it ain’t too much they can do with me

right now. As far as trying to get me in trouble I don’t have any pending cases,

I don’t have no legal issues with nobody. I’m in a new

space with a new deal, new album coming, I’m a new person and I’m extremely

happy. 

 

AllHipHop.com: Is there anything final you want to say about the

situation at the video and with your late friend Ismael

Ramirez? There’s always been a ton of speculation but mostly from people not

really familiar with what happened, so is there anything final you want to say

about it?

 

Busta Rhymes:  Nah, there’s

really nothing else that I do want to say. I don’t really want to say anything

because the bottom line is, you know, I don’t have anything to do with anything

concerning that situation other than trying to provide an opportunity for all

of us to work and make money ‘cause we were shooting a video.  And again, I just wish for the people

that have so much to say about me in the situation…it would serve a greater

purpose to not only get the facts and know what you talking about before you

talk, but invest the energy that you are putting in in

trying to disrespect the situation by continuing to talk based on information

that you don’t really have the facts on [and] do something to help the man’s

family.

 

If you really want to do

something do something to help the brother’s family; he got three kids, three

mother’s of his children and it could be more useful putting whatever energy

that you have into being productive, moving forward for the situation. And

that’s pretty much it.  And God

bless all the loved ones and all those that have been affected directly and

indirectly.  I’ve been affected

directly and indirectly since the day that it happened more than people

realize, and I’m still dealing with those effects, and so is my family so I

just kind of want to move forward.

 

“[Jimmy Iovine] supported me in a way that I never seen

before—he let me leave with my album. What more could you ask for? There

was no beef whatsoever and that’s not a politically correct

answer neither.”

 

AllHipHop.com: Blessed was originally the title of your

next album and you had dropped some songs to prep its

release. But is it true that there was an argument between you and Jimmy Iovine that lead to you leaving Interscope

and then landing at Universal/Motown?

 

Busta Rhymes: Nah. That’s another thing that wasn’t accurate. I never

had any beef with Jimmy Iovine. We sat down and we

communicated our concerns and I communicated not only my concerns but what I would like to do moving forward as far as wanting

to make some changes.  And the

beautiful thing about Jimmy Iovine that I respect is

the fact that he respected my judgment call as far as what my choices were and

he also respected the hard work that went into creating the legacy that I have;

he didn’t want to do nothing to soil that or stain that.

 

[Jimmy Iovine]

supported me in a way that I never seen before—he let me leave with my

album. What more could you ask for? That’s a blessing because a lot of these

labels when they give you money to spend on a project, they want they money

back in some kind of way.  They

want to override or they want you to pay that money back in its entirety. I

didn’t have none of that to deal with and I guess it’s

because the discussion was dealt with in a respectful manner.

 

There was no beef whatsoever

and that’s not a politically correct answer neither.  We don’t got no problem in getting in somebody’s

ass who ain’t doing they

job. That’s a M.O. of Hip-Hop artists. A lot of the

time the artists beef so much with labels that ain’t doin’ they job that a

lot of time you start to think that that’s their mothaf**kin’

excuse for s**t they do sometimes that’s just wack. I

ain’t wanna

use that as an excuse in this situation because my success wasn’t the greatest

over there so I got every reason to pop s**t.  If it was just based on and being about the success of the

records, but that’s not really the nature of my situation I really don’t have

nothing to be mad about with that experience over there. 

 

I do wish things could have

popped a little crazier as far the success but I would not have changed The Big Bang album for the world.  It’s still one of my

if not the favorite album of mine from a lyrical standpoint, a

conceptual standpoint, and a musical standpoint.  You know? 

“Legends of The Fall Offs”, gravediggin’ beat

with the shovel in the dirt, that s### is conceptually…it’s just unbelievable.

“You Can’t Hold a Torch,” me and Q-Tip over the J-Dilla beat. 

“Don’t Get Carried Away,” me and Nas over the Dre beat. You know

“Gold Mine” me and Raekwon over the

Erick Sermon beat with the Dre production;

Rick James, Stevie Wonder.

Legend Of The Fall Offs – Busta Rhymes

AllHipHop.com: It definitely felt like the album should have lasted

in the marketplace much longer than it did.  

 

Busta

Rhymes: Yeah. We had a 60-piece orchestra at the end of the Stevie Wonder song.

You know it’s like there were movies made on that album and I wouldn’t change

it for the world.   The only

thing I probably would have changed is “I Love My Chick” would not have been on

that album.  I probably would have put “I Love My Chick” on another album

that it would have been more appropriate for. 

 Busta Rhymes: The AllHipHop Interview, Pt. 2

M.O.P.’s Lawsuit Against John Cena Voluntarily Dismissed

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Brownsville vets M.O.P. have voluntary dismissed their copyright infringement lawsuit against WWE champion John Cena, stemming from the sampling of their 2000 smash hit “Ante Up.”

 

In a lawsuit filed on the group‘s behalf, M.O.P. alleged that World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) illegally obtained the rights to sample their signature track “Ante Up,” for Cena’s theme song “My Time is Now.”

 

In addition to entrance song duties, the Cena track has been utilized on the wrestler’s debut rap album You Can’t See Me, which is certified Gold, on Pay-Per-View specials, as ringtones, and on DVDs.

 

According to attorneys representing M.O.P., the duo turned down initial requests to sample their song.

 

WWE later approached the publishing holder Next Level Publishing and obtained the clearance from the president.

 

However, M.O.P. claimed the clearance was illegal since an office worker who misrepresented his position was the one finally granted the WWE permission.

 

The group requested an undisclosed sum of damages from WWE for all proceeds made from the song (CDs, DVDs, PPVs, etc.) and that the track be recalled.

 

In their lawsuit, the Mash Out Posse claimed to have over 65% ownership on the song, which legally would require their permission before the composition could be licensed.

 

At press time M.O.P. has not released a statement clarifying if a settlement had been reached out of court.

 

The dismissal allows John Cena to continue using the entrance theme song, which he has retained for the last three years.

CLASS OF ’88: Ice-T and Power

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Reviews / Music
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Perception seems to be everything in Rap music. Many rappers flaunt a gangster image but have rarely have lived a minute in the criminal life. You know the deal; “I sold this”, “I shot him”, and “I ran this town”. Entertainment or not, the role playing through rhyme has become a standard practice in our culture. But throughout the years there have been certain rappers who really ran the streets as they say on their records; add Ice-T to that list.

 

Born Tracy Marrow, Ice was a gangster in real life and would also pioneer Gangster Rap. The West Coast icon gave listeners a raw look into dope dealing, pimping, gang banging; all with a Los Angeles flair. While his debut Rhyme Pays was an ill introduction, his sophomore follow up would capture the streets in a way never done before.

 

Originally released September 13, 1988, Power would be groundbreaking to say the least. Joints like the “I’m Your Pusher” and “High Rollers” depicted the ups and downs of getting fast money; sounding like nothing else on the radio at the time. Now twenty years later we pay tribute to this classic the right way. We get none other than Ice himself to kick game on each track, discuss the LL beef, and the infamous album cover.

 

 

“Intro”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: The intro to the album was based around somebody listening to my last album Rhyme Pays. This cat has the new Ice T album and I act like they were fighting over it and my man ended up jacking dude and knocked him out to listen to the album. That was back in the days when the skits were a big part in music. I loved making an album where you felt like you were sitting through something really happening.

 

“Power”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: Well Power was my first record where I really realized I had some juice. Coming off Rhyme Pays it was so early in Rap that I didn’t expect to have a gold record on my first record. I didn’t expect people to like me that much. When you do get all those fans, you’re like wow this is a powerful format. Now I had a million people listening to me and I was taking advantage of that.

 

Me and my crew came into Rap totally different from everybody else. We never thought this music should be danced to. Because most of us real gangsters and real players don’t dance anyway; it was more like grab a glass of wine and sit back and listen to Ice pop it. To us gangsters and players it had to be true; it had to be extremely honest. I couldn’t lie about cars and things I never had or things I never did. That wasn’t really allowed in my circle. I thought those were rules.

 

“Drama”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: With “Drama” is what I called faction. I created style of Rap which I called faction. A factual situation put to a fictional scenario. So all the things happened but they didn’t happen in that order or that night. But you know driving around dirty in the car and seeing those blue lights, I think any n**** has been through that. It’s one of those classic Ice-T stories where I end up dying in the end. So it’s kind of a story of a cat in the street all the way to death row in four verses [laughing].

 

“Heartbeat”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: “Heartbeat” is a record I got sued for by War. It was in the early sampling days and I always dug that record. To me that break, I mean to me that was kind of Hip-Hop; the way he was scatting over it. We just took the record itself and looped it. I just freestyled over it; it wasn’t a message in there though. But War came and got me for that record. I had to pay them a lot of money for that track, that’s when I learned about the sample laws.

 

They came to get me years later. What happens is sometimes the groups sell their publishing and whoever handles their publishing goes on a mad hunt on anyone using their music. I can’t even say it was War, but whoever their publisher was, they came after me for forty thousand dollars which was a lot of money at the time.

 

“The Syndicate”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: That was really a rap where I let the homies go. I had Donald D. on it. I had Henry G on it; who was really Evil’s brother who was more of a DJ than a rapper but he happened to be in the studio that day. We went and took a little poke at LL on that record because he was kind of like my nemesis back in the day.

 

I started the beef with LL. Los Angeles was in a position where we were trying to get out there and at the time L was the hottest rapper. And a lot of New York rappers would come to LA and diss LA; you know being very arrogant. So for me to be the number one rapper from LA at the time, I had to challenge him.

 

When I heard “Break Of Dawn”, I made this record called “Open Contract”. At the time LL was one tour with my boy Busy Bee, so I had a lot of personal information on L. But my style was a little different. Because LA n****s go straight for the guns, people kind of saw something coming, so we ended up squashing it thanks to Afrika Bambaattaa.

 

“Radio Suckers”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: I need put that record out right now. If there’s any bitter part of Ice-T, is that radio would never play my music. I never felt like I was the best rapper, but I was selling a lot of units. So I was like why don’t these n****s play my music? One time this DJ told me I sounded too serious and people really believed what I was saying.

 

So my street reputation preceded me; so radio was really worried like we were threatening people. The only song that I think ever got played was “I’m Your Pusher”, that was the first Rap record with a singing hook.

 

“I’m Your Pusher”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: I come from an era where we were all into the Blaxploitation era; whether it was Dolemite, or Supafly, or Truck Turner, The Mack. Being that I was named after Iceberg Slim, my albums had to sound like one of those movies; like a player just chopping game. So that Curtis Mayfield record (“Pusherman”), I held close until the second album.

 

I had an idea that Rap would become illegal because I know it was too toxic. So I knew that dudes would have to sell their music like dope, so we used that metaphor and that’s something else we have seen come true.

 

“Personal”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: That’s your traditional suck my d*** Rap record. Where you tell them hey, ya’ll didn’t think I would make it now I’ve made it. With love comes a B-Side of hate. Like if I were to say Allen Iverson and you say “I love him” another n**** will say “F*** him”. That’s just life. So with the love I was getting, I also got the hate. So that was my reply.

 

“Girls L.G.B.N.A.F.”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: That was meant to be a spoof on all the love records people were making. We were like I’m not going to make love records, we were going to tell a b#### let’s get naked and f***. It was about taking the more hardcore route and being more blatant and being more aggressive.

 

There wasn’t any reason for me to show love to these hoes until I met someone I loved so we were talking crazy. It turned out to be a big party record and I still perform it at my shows.

 

“High Rollers”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: I like to define things and break stuff down. “High Rollers”, we just broke it down. I wanted to write it like if you were really from the game, you knew I knew what I was talking about. It had to be authentic.

 

I never really felt like I had to be judged by rappers, I always wanted to be judged by real players. So when we did the video, we had the real guns and the real money, we had real cocaine on the scene; it was real sh*t. The people shooting the video got real shook. They wanted to know if the guns were really unloaded.

 

I told n****s to come heavy we doing a video and they brought their own cars and it was real. That was when MTV would show guns. But me being real, at the end of the video I die. I was trying to show the real hustler lifestyle. That house in the video was my first crib from moving out of an apartment. I was wearing FILA, using a big ass brick ass phone.

 

To me you can’t talk about this game without talking about the B-Side of the game. I would always talk hard in my music, but I always wanted to show the vulnerability of the game.

 

“Grand Larceny”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: That was just a metaphor. Instead of doing a heist we were doing shows and getting like twenty five thousand a city which was real cake at the time. We were like this is a new legit hustle. We turned it into a regular robbery but coming into your own town; similar to “I’m Your Pusher”.

 

“Soul On Ice”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: That was a tribute to Lightnin’ Rod’s Hustler Convention record. That was before Hip-Hop and I loved that record. Just how n****s would chop poetry over beats and just flex their voices and use other people’s voices and kind of paint a scene. I was just having fun with it.

 

It was a story of a guy who was going to have his last party. Dude is having a good time and then he gets shot. I said “Isn’t it ironic the night I retired / Is the same night my whole life expired”. I always got to give the truth, even with my music today. I wouldn’t want to lead anybody into a life of crime.

 

“Outro”

Produced By Afrika Islam

Ice-T: Yeah that’s the end where dude from the intro finishes with the record.

 

[In regards to the album cover]

 

Ice T: That year Bush was president I heard him say “Military power equals strength and equals peace”. I’m like wow, what the f*** is he talking about? So I thought of an idea for the cover that would show three forms of power.

 

The power of sex which is the first thing you see, the power of weapons which is the next thing you see after Darlene, then when you flip it over it’s the power of deception. Which I feel is the ultimate power anyway.

 

A deceptive motherf***er or a liar can get any good n**** any day. I tried to show that in the picture in a unique way. It was the first time n****s had seen a girl’s ass and people went crazy like “How you could put your girl out there like that”. I was like it’s my girl, what are you talking about? I would feel more corny if I had a model standing next to me. It’s a cold cover.

 

Ice-T

“High Rollers”

Ice-T

“I’m Your Pusher”

EXCLUSIVE: Rapper Juelz Santana Sued Over Violent Concert

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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The promoter of a Juelz Santana concert that turned violent has made good on his threats to seek justice in court and has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the rapper.

 

Juelz Santana is being sued by an Allentown, Pennsylvania promoter named Lamont Williams, who owns Loud N Wild Entertainment.

 

Williams’ lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, claims the rapper almost ruined his reputation by showing up an hour late to a show and then refusing to perform.

 

The failed concert took place on Sunday, July 16 at the Crocodile Rock Club in Allentown.

 

Over 1,000 patrons in the audience watched at least dozen opening acts while awaiting Santana, who was paid $20,000 to perform at the venue.

 

According to reports, Santana showed up at the venue 15 minutes early, as the final act was winding down a set, which they had paid $1,000 for.

 

The group allegedly smashed a wireless microphone and turned over sound equipment when their microphones were cut off as the sound man made way for Santana.

 

Santana allegedly walked on the stage, then turned around and simply left, without performing.

 

A number of fights broke out in the crowd, as a result of his brief appearance and failed performance.

 

State Police with help from several different County Police Departments Police were called in to break up the fracas, which occurred around 1:30 am.

 

Police arrested two people, while four other people were treated for minor injuries at Sacred Heart Hospital.

 

Santana is now being sued for breach of contract, losses Williams suffered for having to reimburse consumers in ticket sales and attorney fees, plus court costs.

 

Williams is represented by Emeka Igwe, Esq. and entertainment lawyer Paul W. Gardner, II, Esq.

New Album from Joe Budden Due in February

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Joe Budden fans will soon see the release of their favorite rapper’s official sophomore album after years of set backs.

 

The project, titled Padded Room, is the follow up to Budden’s self-titled debut offering.

 

Powered by the hit single “Pump It Up,” the 2003 album went on to achieve gold status as well as a Grammy award nomination for the rapper for best male rap solo performance.

 

Since his official entry into the rap arena, Budden has attracted new fans and kept busy while struggling to get out of his recording contract with this former label, Def Jam Records.

 

The influential music label ran into conflict with the rap star when it decided to shelve Padded Room for nearly four years.

 

Despite the obstacle, Budden remained on the radar of rap fans as he utilized the Internet to release his Joe Budden TV videos and popular Mood Muzik mixtape series.

 

Among those appearing in the series were rappers Fabolous, Clinton Sparks and Joell Ortiz.

 

After his release from Def Jam in 2007, Budden reemerged on the music scene with Halfway House, a “digital-only” album released by his current recording home Amalgam Digital.

 

The 14-track project sold about 3,000 downloads in its first week of release this year as it marked the first time the entertainer charted on the Billboard 200 in five years.

 

One of the stand-out songs from Halfway House was collaboration with Ortiz, Royce the 5’9 and Crooked I called “Slaughterhouse.”

 

The track was recently named by Vibe Magazine as one of the 80 Best Songs of 2008.

 

Following the example set by Halfway House, Budden will release Padded Room in digital format via www.AmalgamDigital.com.

 

To coincide with the album’s upcoming release, Amalgam will re-launch the AlmalgamDigital.com website store with a new design and features as well as enhanced functionality.

 

In addition, Budden and Amalgam will offer exclusive hidden bonus tracks for fans that purchase the album from AlmalgamDigital.com.

 

The 13-track Padded Room will also feature Budden’s collaboration with former rival The Game, titled “The Future.”

 

The pair is expected to begin filming a video for the single in the coming weeks.

 

Joe Budden’s Padded Room is slated to be released on Feb. 24, 2009.

 

The following is a tracklisting for the album:

 

1. Now I Lay (produced by Blastah Beatz) 2. The Future f/ The Game (produced by Fyu-chur) 3. If I Gotta Go (produced by the Klasixs) 4. Don’t Make Me (produced by Blastah Beatz) 5. Blood On The Wall (produced by Moss) 6. In My Sleep (produced by Blastah Beatz) 7. Exxxes (produced by the Klasixs) 8. I Couldn’t Help It (produced by the Klasixs) 9. Adrenaline (produced by Dub B) 10. Happy Holidays (produced by Quan) 11. Do Tell (produced by Blastah Beatz) 12. Angel In My Life (produced by Blastah Beatz) 13. Pray For Me (produced by Versatile & Dilemma)

New Book To Spotlight Hip-Hop’s 1st Latino DJ, Disco Wiz

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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In June 2009, Powerhouse Books is set to release the first ever biography of Luis “DJ Disco Wiz” Cedeno, Hip-Hop culture’s first Latino DJ.

 

Titled It’s Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, the book chronicles the DJ’s triumphs and falls that make up one of unique untold stories of Hip-Hop’s early years.

 

Born in the 1960s and a Bronx native, Wiz struggled to provide for his mother, who suffered from breast cancer, and enduring abuse from an alcoholic father.

 

Wiz spent the early 70s running a street crew called the East Side Boys before discovering Hip-Hop with Grandmaster Caz in 1975.

 

Together, the ambitious youths formed the Mighty Force Crew and engaged in several memorable DJ battles throughout the Bronx.

 

Calling as his peers such legends as Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa, Wiz left his own distinct mark on the genre with his use of the “mixed plate” technique, which combined special effects, paused beats, and sound bites.

 

This innovation and Wiz’s aggressive battle style made him one of the early stars of the Bronx’s embryonic Hip-Hop scene.

 

The popularity from his DJ skills wasn’t enough to keep Wiz away from the allure of street life, and at the age of 17 he was sentenced to 9 years in prison for attempted murder.

 

Since his release, Wiz has left the streets and become an active elder statesman in Hip-Hop culture.

 

He contributed to the completion of the critically acclaimed book Yes Yes Y’all (Da Capo Press, 2002), and was featured in the Emmy-nominated VH1 documentary NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell.

 

Veteran Latino DJ, journalist and radio personality Bobbito Garcia praised the work for its frank honesty and detail on Hip-Hop’s first decade.

 

“It’s Just Begun has opened my mind up to so much more about Hip-Hop history than I could’ve imagined, and is a sure-fire tool to help younger generations understand the volatile 70s decade in all its mess and glory,” Garcia explained to AllHipHop.com in a statement. “DJ Disco Wiz represents for all Latinos who have ever grabbed a set of headphones since Estoy tan orgulloso de el.”

 

It’s Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip-Hop’s First Latino DJ (Ivan Sanchez, Luis Cedeno) will be available at all book retail outlets in June 2009.

Easy Mo Bee Disappointed By ‘Notorious’ Snub

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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After fighting to be brought onto the project, producer Easy Mo Bee told AllHipHop.com that the offer to have him help score the upcoming Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Notorious, was unceremoniously withdrawn.

 

Mo Bee, who produced the lion’s share of Big’s 1995 debut Ready to Die, said that even a contract and payment in full did not guarantee his involvement.

 

In late November, Mo Bee found out that production had wrapped on Notorious and that his services would not be needed.

 

“I was kinda furious, kinda confused, kinda hurt,” Mo Bee shared with AllHipHop.com. “The world knows that Biggie’s beginnings, especially with the connection with production, started with me. I’m the first real producer that Biggie went into a real studio with. I’m not saying that before that he wasn’t recording, doing demos at people’s houses and different stuff like that. But when he worked with me, the stuff that we came up with on Ready to Die, ended up being half of that album.”

 

Easy Mo Bee, who had already worked with Big Daddy Kane, GZA and even Miles Davis by that point, was responsible for Bad Boy Records first two major Hip-Hop hits: Craig Mack’s “Flava In Ya Ear” and Biggie’s “Party & Bulls**t.”

 

Following his work on Craig Mack’s debut and Tupac’s Me Against the World, Easy Mo Bee went on to work on B.I.G’s classic release, Ready To Die.

 

Their work together yielded “Warning,” “Gimme the Loot,” “The What” feat. Method Man, “Friend of Mine,” “Machine Gun Funk” and the title track, “Ready to Die.”

 

While Notorious chronicles Biggie’s rise to superstardom, Easy Mo Bee is not portrayed in the film, which features representations of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight, Faith Evans and others, who affected the slain rappers personal and professional life.

 

There’s no word yet on whether even the early Notorious B.I.G. recordings reported to be made available to the public for the first time through the soundtrack, will include any of his work with Easy Mo Bee.

 

Despite his frustration with the situation, Mo Bee says he has no intention on seeking any kind of retribution, noting that it is impossible to separate him from B.I.G.’s legacy.

 

“I just wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t me,” the producer stated. “Because this kind of stuff has happened before. And when you just leave it undone and unexplained, people can fill in their own blanks. I just figured this time around, we would get some clarity on it for the public and for the people that expected me to be working on the film. The gratification that I get is just clearing up with the public. We ain’t gonna have Easy Mo Bee out there looking all funny. At least not anymore.”

 

In 2006, Mo Bee and a group of producers, including Lord Finesse, threatened to sue Combs, claiming they had not been paid publishing royalties in years – allegations Combs dismissed as making “no sense.”

 

Depsite the legal hurdles, Mo Bee is proud that at least his previous work with B.I.G. will be showcased in the highly anticipated film.

 

“Fortunately, inevitably, some my songs are gonna be in the film,” Mo Bee reasoned. “That is, unless they chose, for whatever reason, they chose not to use ‘Ready to Die,’ Machine Gun Funk,’ ‘Gimme the Loot,’ ‘The What,’ ‘Friend of Mine.’ Whether I’m involved with the film or not, I am forever, whether anybody likes it or not, chained to that man’s legacy for what I’ve done with him.”

 

Notorious was written by author and Biggie biographer Cheo Hodari Coker and writer/director Reggie Rock Bythewood.

 

The flick was produced by Voletta Wallace and BIG’s managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts.

 

 Notorious is set to hit theaters January 16.

 

Easy Mo Bee is extending his legacy with projects created for the digital enterprise.

 

He is currently collaborating with two independent labels, Platinum Ice Records and Honey Comb Enterprises.

 

He also recently released the debut project from his Easy Mo Records, Pop/R&B singer Noelle’s It’s Personal, which is available on iTunes.

AHHA’s Best of 2008: The Trials of TQ – The Ca$h Money Kissing Game

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Alternatives
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Original Post Date: May 29, 2008A Team…That always got me going. When I used to play football, my coaches always made sure we focused on that. It takes a team to win… That’s what made me jump at signing to Cash Money. It looked like a bunch of ni**as playing their part to win. A team. That’s some sh*t that I fit well in. I always have. But in my career up until that point, I never really had one. It was always me against the world – a.k.a. me against a f**k a** record company… These ni**as rolled with their bosses. I rode on Slim’s bus, ya dig? Ni**a, I saw Tommy Mattola twice! Do the math… If my bread was late, I didn’t have to have my manager call this person to “check on it” with that person or none of that sh*t. I could walk my a** into Popeyes with Baby and quietly ask him, “Where the f**k is my money?” Now he could in return quietly tell me to, “Get the f**k outta his face” which he did on several occasions, but hey it is what it is. You the boss bruh…we don’t eat seeds on the West Coast though. Like I said before, Baby doesn’t owe me a dime. Now he’d come around late every once in a while, but hey, who doesn’t? I think this is why I turned a deaf ear to all the rumors going on around me. Now New Orleans was like my second home at this point. I had been living there for about a year. There was a lotta chatter going on in the city about this big rift going on inside of Cash Money. I loved New Orleans, so I stayed in the streets when I was there. The streets talked. Even though I was signed to Cash Money, I had some real TQ fans down here way before that. They would see me in the streets and tell me what’s going on within my own camp! Like they was trying to look out for a ni**a, you know? I found out that that Juve wasn’t f**kin with us no more in the streets. Some ni**as saw me at the Daiquiri Shop and and told me all about it over some Hurricanes. Same thing when Lil Turk said “f**k’em”… BG told me out of his mouth. Can you imagine that feeling? It’s like, “What the f**k did I do?” I swear everywhere I went in the city, my fans were asking me why I signed with them “fake a** ni**as”… Fake a** ni**as… That was the theme. Everybody seemed to consider Cash Money as some “Fake a** ni**as”… Dawg, I’m from Los Angeles, ya dig? I’m just listening, making observations, and trying to be a diplomat. It got to the point where I wouldn’t drive Baby’s sh*t no more. Too hot. I was finding out that that in New Orleans, most ni**as didn’t f**k with Brian Williams. “Call somebody and ship some of my sh*t down here!” I ain’t bout to get in a twist over some of this ni**as sh*t.  Everywhere I go there’s somebody talking bad about this man in his own city! What the f**k? Nobody got sh*t good to say! I’ll never forget the day we were in Baby’s old neighborhood shooting the video for “What Happened to That Boy.” He walked me over to this cat that he wanted me to meet. He was like, “T, you know how y’all got them ni**as out there that you call OG’s? Well you ‘bout to meet my OG…” I was kinda pumped as we walked over to the ni**a cuz I’m figuring I’m about to get some game. Man did I! The ni**a had just got out the pen. We walked up to him, and Baby introduced us. I noticed that the cat wouldn’t look at Bird. Dude was like, “Yeah man I know who you are. We used to listen to your sh*t in Angola… I don’t know why you signed to this p#### ni**a tho… He ain’t gonna do sh*t but jack ya style and put you on the shelf. I hope you got your paperwork right with this b####…” I’m like, “Huh?” I’m lookin’ at Baby, then I look at the cat and I’m waiting on somebody to laugh or somethin’! Talk about a crazy ten seconds…Baby’s phone rings and saves his a**. He walks away. The OG tells me “Later Wo” and walks the other way. The lil’ ni**as in the projects who were sitting on the curb watching all this bust out laughing. Man I didn’t know what to feel… But that sh*t was funny though. That ni**a didn’t crack a smile! LOL.

“What Happened To That Boy” video

Too much funny sh*t was going on at Cash Money. This ni**a Stunna would have a fit about me being out by myself. I’d tell him to chill out! Man I ain’t stupid. I don’t run around jeweled up like you. I don’t keep cash on me like you and my thang thang is registered to me, unlike yours. Chill the f**k out! Make no mistake, this ni**a is a boss. He’d send somebody behind me I guess. Sometimes the ni**a would call and blow on me about being where I was at the moment. The ni**a would say, “Get the f**k from ‘round there!” and I’d get the f**k from ‘round there. Quick too… See this ni**a was the head of my team. I did what he asked me to do. I used to hate that sh*t though man…How did he know my every move? I wonder now if that ni**a was concerned with my safety or did he just not want me to hear his city sh*t on him… I don’t know man. Sh*t started leaving a bad taste in my mouth. We did a whole Hot Boyz record with no Hot Boyz in the studio. I never saw Juve when we did Project English. The new movie that we were gonna do got scrapped because Nile wouldn’t do it. Baby owed them money man… Big time. Every last one of them… [Mannie] Fresh and Wayne were just being loyal and waiting it out I guess… Meanwhile all the new cats were working like slaves in the studio and not getting anything out. Me, Gillie, Mikkey, Strings, Boo & Gotti, and Lac & Stone were in the studio with Fresh taking a whole bunch of old CMR sh*t and making it hot for the day. We’d give Baby the sh*t he asked for and then Fresh would make us our own sh*t on the sly. That was the best part about Cash Money to me. Muthaf**kin’ Mannie Fresh… When Bird was gone, we’d really get down. We gave that ni**a so many songs I could kick myself… He still got a bunch of sh*t! Win some, lose some right? He won that one.Too much funny sh*t was going on at Cash Money. I’m sitting at the house in the East one day Wayne comes in and walks over to Baby and kisses him in the mouth. I didn’t just see that so I ain’t gonna say sh*t. When Wayne gets ready to leave, they do it again. I guess some of them other ni**as recognized the look on my face and ran to the rescue. “T, don’t trip, that’s jailhouse love.” Jailhouse love? What the f**k? Them two ni**as and never been to jail! I’ve sent my fair share of Kites homie and I ain’t never heard of two ni**as kissing as being jailhouse love unless they was… ya dig? That sh*t was disturbing to me pimp. They say it’s a father-son thing. Ni**a I ain’t kissing my daddy in the mouth! To each his own… I ain’t questioning a ni**a’s sexuality cuz I just don’t get down like that, and I know for a fact that both of them cats like women. But it f**ks me up when them ni**as do that sh*t in public… Everybody always asks me about that picture. Well did y’all forget about 106 and Park?? Ni**a, my neighborhood rode me for months about that sh*t… I had to speak on it cuz y’all wanted to know. That’s my spin on the whole “kissing” sh*t. I’m done with it.CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE NEXT PIECE OF THE CASH MONEY PUZZLETQ’s new album Paradise is in stores and Online NOW! Featuring Krayzie Bone, BG, Jagged Edge, the D-Boys and More! Check out myspace.com/TQOfficialSite and thugpoetry.com for more info!