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Hip-Hop Rumors: Man Attacks Soulja Boy! Chris & Rhianna Move In?! K-Fed Disses Kanye? African Tip Drill?

DISCLAIMER:

All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.

TODAY’S RUMORS!

THE DAILY TWO CENTS

All my people that saw something and said something, thanks! Click here for yesterday’s rumors.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING[email protected].

K-FED DISSES BLACK AMERICA?Here is the song: “Grape Soda”

K-Fed didn’t really diss Kanye. I can do better. Just as the Arab Nation is heated at Busta Rhymes, K-Fed is rumored to be looking to upset the U.S. Nation of African Americans. I am hearing a powerful, supreme rumor that K-Fed has a song called “Grape Juice. The song is an ode to acting like an ignorant Black person, drinking a lot of soda and pretending to be “Black.” Now, I haven’t heard the song, but I heard he makes references to smoking weed in the White House. I heard whatever label he is on is seeking to give it a strong push to radio. I guess this could be a diss of Kanye.  Stay tuned…

LL COOL J IS DONE WITH DEF JAM

I talked to the homey Esco on K97.5 in Raleigh and he got up with Uncle L. He said he was done with Def Jam and he wouldn’t be re-signing, as his contract is up. He also will apparently take a break from music and look to develop all his other ventures. LL was the first artist to release an album on Def Jam. The end of an era.

KHIA RECENTLY RAN DOWN A LIST OF PEOPLE SHE DISSED ON 08

She really did go at a lot of people.

1. Janet…….. Miss Jackson if you Nasty????

2. Trina… The Bullet Aint The Only Thang Dats Been in Dat B#### Mouf!!

3. S### Bucket Ass w##### Making It Bad for Real Queens Like Me

4. Wendy “Crackhead” Williams and Her Husband F###### Young Girls.

5. Vh1 Miss Rap Supreme

6. Mista Cherry

7. MC Serch non rapping ass and YoYo aka B-A-C-K Girl.

8. Lollipop Remix

9. Big Bat Broke Broke Ass Records

10.Be Your Lady Video Shoot

11. Nasti Muzik In Stores Now

12. Khia Done Outsold Her Husband Weezy.

13..DJ Cheron of Detroit and Deelishis Undercover Hatin Ass

14. Poor-sha Fox from V103

15. Stupid Stu from Tampa’s 95.7 The Beat

16. Greg “ Gay Ass” Street from V-103

17. Jamie Old Ass from Sister 2 Sister.

18. Puffy steals Danity Kane’s money and why the Hood is calling him a “PEDIFILE”

19. BET HIP HOP AWARDS

20. Beyonce at Hot 107.9, Dirty Awards, Fake ass Promoters and The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

BONUS. HIT EM UP TRINA DISS

JERMAINE DUPRI..NOT GOOD ENOUGH?

I don’t know who the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills think they are, but they must think they are the best thing ever! Why? They flew Jermaine into town with the expectation that he was bringing Janet with him. The new hotel hotel flew JD and thought they were flying Janet in too, I guess. Well, it’s a new hotel and this is the opening weekend, week or month. The hotel was HEATED, I heard, but JD was there to get them some publicity. JD also managed to kick it at all the clubs all weekend. Ahhhhh…the life of a baller.

DAMN – THE HOUSING SITUATION IS REAL!

American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino isn’t such a happy camper, I bet. Her home in Charlotte is up for foreclosure. The lavish home will be sold/auctioned off in about a week. First Clef, now this. 50 Cent loses a couple million. What next!?

THIS MAN HAS JUST WARNED SOULJA BOY OF AN IMPENDING ATTACK

They either already beat him up or have threatened him.

Stop snitching on yourself, people!

BRISCO IS MAD AT YUNG BERG…

I don’t know who went and upset Brisco, but I decided to just give the message straight minus dilution or edition.

ayy dis ya goon Brisco (Yung Money/Poeboy Ent.)

real goons dont do dis internet tabloid s**t but b***h n****s play games an u got get on they level

the media keep a n#### name in som s**t bein a n***a f##### with Wayne now but certain thangs a g cant let slide

yall lil site then crashed my name with allkind of true b***h n##### like Bergerboy and dis cockaroach Bugsy but i chose to get money and see n##### when i see them like a man do

the s**t wit Berger is personal b***h run his mouth 2 much an he kno he gota aswhoopin comin. dats on Opalocka!

i never had a problem with b***ha$$ Bugsy plus tha n#### Tyga saved da b***h a a##whooppin Memorial Day Weekend in miami when he came out there wit Flip tryin to pleabargain

now this b***h runnin round tellin folks me & Berger stole his bulls**ta$$ song

i been in da studio wit dat b***h 1 time never heard non his s**t

but he get on da internet and call me all kind of s**t in his blog like it dont getbac

got my city thinking i gota steal yo weaks**t

tell dat b***h please WE MAKE HITS OVERHERE

let the world know both them lil b***hes gota a##whoopin on da way

YUNG MONEY/POE BOY B***H!! 09 all Brisco!!

THE GET FRESH CREW 2009

I heard there is a crew coming out of New Orleans called The Get Fresh Crew. Just a reminder, there is/was a crew called that and they are closely affiliated with the legendary Doug E. Fresh. But this Get Fresh Crew is quite interesting, because one of Lil Wayne’s former rap buds is in it – Curren$y. Apparently, Curren$y has hooked with Monsta Beatz, Fly Society Inc., Nesby Phips and some other players in the game. One source says these guys are supposed to be the ones who put New Orleans back on the map since the old Cash Money and No Limit days. Also, Curren$y is  signing a huge deal with one of the majors some time this week in New York. Well, that’s nice. I know AHH helped, because he is all over the site! Still, I can’t help but think…How do Doug E. Fresh, Barry B and Chill Will feel about this?

BOW WOW STEALING SWAG?

Take this rumor with a grain of salt. I get these alllllll day! The cousin of a rapper named Lil Vinnie said that his phrase “on my momma” and his adlib (“Yummmm” – like a car speeding off) were stolen by Bow Wow! I guess Bow Weezy has a song called “On My Momma” and it runs down the alleged swagga jack. Lil Vinnie tried to fight it on youtube and they pulled the diss video.

Check out Lil Vinnie

CHRIS AND RIHANNA MOVING TO VIRGINIA?

The state motto of VA is “Virginia Is For Lovers.” Well, if any portion of this rumor is true, Rihanna and Chris Brown may have found their new residence. Its hard to imagine Chris Breezy and RiRi in any other city than NY or LA, but Chris was born and raised Tappahannock, Virginia. The word in the Richmond, VA area is that the pair was spotted in the area and RiRi went to the DMV for a driver’s license or ID. Could they be looking to make that move? Don’t know.

NO LOVE FOR THE UK, US RAPPERS?

Check out this letter I got.

Yo, basically I feel as though the industry is gettin more and more sloppy in many different aspects. And recently I’ve been gettin severely p##### off. Im from Manchester in the UK and the city usually does have gigs from mainstream artists on a regular basis. But….. recently its all gone wrong and I don’t know what the hell os goin on!!!!

In the past 3 months, 3 major gigs have been ‘postponed’ A.K.A. cancelled for no apparent reason except in one case.

When my friend and I heard about ‘Rock the bells’ comin overseas we copped the VIP tickets straight off for a chance to kick it with the likes of NaS, Mos Def and The Pharcyde. But, one week before this event, I get a text, ‘Rock the bells has been postponed.’- Thats all it said. No reasons why, but the London event still went underway so why where we cut outta the loop.

On the 18th of November, we get wind of Ghostface Killah and maybe even GZA as a special guest tearin up a venue for just 300 people. We copped tickets for that too. Get to the venue that night and get informed that Ghost has been arrested at Heathrow on arrival. A fair enough excuse for the gig to be stopped but whats up with the arrest? no reasons given again.

Now more recently, my friend and me copped tickets to see D-12, Obie and Royce Da 5″9 tear it up in town. The gigs this sunday so im buzzin even though Proof ain’t there (R.I.P), but today I get another txt, ‘its been postponed’- no f##### reason at all!!!!

The thing thats p##### me off is that why are they leavin the cancellations so late, I know that s**t can crop up but I think the artists are gettin sloppy. If they make committments they should fukin stick to em.

We are takin it a lil bit personal in Manchester and we just want answers.

I’ve copped a ticket to go and see The Game on the 19th, Im just waitin for that cancellation txt now.

Peace

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

Somebody sent this to me under the assumption that the police wronged some criminals. Unfortunately, I have to say that the police in Philly are some clever people and they gave me the fail[s] of the day. I will say that the person that sent this accused the police of being corrupt. That might be true, but this is interesting. Philadelphia police department (fugitive task force to be specific) sent out fake stimulus checks to criminals in the city that had outstanding warrants. To make a long story short, these accused criminals (see: accused) were lured out if hiding with the possibility of getting some “bail out” money. The whole thing was a sting by the police to get them out and about. I have been hearing the tension in the city is crazy between the people and police. I remember they were beating a dude’s tail on tape in Philly. On the flip side, the po po is probably trying to get vengeance for Cool C and Steady B.

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END.

I don’t even know why this is a sign…it just seems like it.

Was that a man?

And if that wasn’t enough, check out this big dude remix Busta’s “Arab Money,” but I like to call it “”McDonald’s Money.”

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Toni Braxton is coming out with a new album in 09 on Atlantic Records, rumor sources say.

Yung Berg has reportedly left Sony to sign with Universal Motown with Busta Rhymes.

Click here for the “African Tip Drill.” Eat your heart out Nelly. Not safe for work, if you aren’t 18, if your baby moms or moms is around.

Not to start beef, but rumor has it, Jim Jones doesn’t think it was so smart of Kiss to go the The Roc/Def Jam and that just proves that he cant make any moves alone. I hear Max B is on Kiss’ CD…could be that.

Young Chris of the Young Guns is supposedly going to Roc Nation with Jay. Joining him is rumored to be rapper P.O.R.N. from Philly and Saigon.

If you were interesting in what happened to True Life, here is a song with him, Uncle Murda, Gucci Mane, Memphis Bleek called “That’s the Recipe

T-Pain and Ron Browz have reportedly ended their “beef.” LOL. 2008 Beef: Somebody stole from somebody that stole from somebody and they squash it.

Scratch Will Smith off the list. It’s looking like George Eads (of CSI fame) will be the next Captain America.

Ciara had a label called C-Era Music Group, but I heard she’s shut that operation down at the moment. Not sure if that had anything to do with her CD getting pushed to 09.

It looks like Max B just might really be going to G-Unit! Dude is in talks with 50 and it seems like a lot of it rests with Jim Jones.

Jennifer Hudson has reportedly filmed a new video for her Grammy nominated CD. Glad to see her get it popping.

Some damn fool is doing a p### version of the Cosby show. SMH. Trash.

I don’t usually plug an artist’s release, but I have to say that Brandy’s Human CD drops tomorrow. Why? I’ve been informed that some good friends of AllHipHop produced a couple songs on the CD. Shout out to Medinah Ent.

IF you are a snitch, this is your lucky day. Rat out DMX and you could be $5000 richer! The cops issued a reward to help bag the Dog.

HANG MICHAEL VICK?

Rob from Matchbox 20 seems to be a cool dude as far as dealing with the papz, but did he have to advocate Mike Vick getting hanged or the electric chair?

Damn…dude.

RANDOM QUOTES

First Rupert Murdock endorses Obama and denounces Bill O’Reilly and now he disses myspace:

“If you’re on MySpace now, you’re a (expletive) c#####. And you’re not only a (expletive) c#####, but you’re poor. Nobody who has beyond an eighth grade level of education is on MySpace. It is for backwards people.”

T.I. Talks about signing Young Buck (loves the idea! MTV):

“Buck is a personal partner of mine. We’ve spoken, about a month or two ago, but we didn’t iron out no particulars. I would definitely be willing to speak to Buck about that, but I haven’t. I haven’t even started the conversation with, ‘What would it take to get you over here.’ That’s just the conversation that’s been floating around the rumor mill. When I spoke to him, it was more, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ speaking as partners. We didn’t speak professionally. Just him making sure I was all right. Him asking me how I’m feeling, me asking the same of him.”

Killer Mike might be Grand Hustle too!

“Killer Mike, on the other hand, I have been speaking to about connecting and moving forward professionally together. Mike is an outstanding lyricist and phenomenal talent and very intelligent individual. We get along very well. Always have. It’s a real organic fit.”

SHELZ CHECKS IN : NO BEEF WITH DRAMA AND JEEZY

Luda and Soulja Boy Together?

The pair headlined a free concert here in Atlanta over the weekend after the SEC Championship game. It’s an odd combo to say the least, but the show was packed and I understand pretty decent. Oh, SB also made the cover of Billboard and dropped a video showing off the cover and thanking folks like he won a Grammy. Guess he’s practicing the acceptance speech. You know, just in case.

More Arab Money Controversy?

Some DJ in the UK was recently suspended from his morning show gig for playing this song that I understand has “sampled” the Qur’an. When Busta was asked about all the controversy in a recent interview he had this to say:

“I really only respect the Arab culture,” Rhymes said. “I ain’t really trying to pay no attention to, ya know, these little people in political positions and executive positions that ain’t Arab culture oriented people because a lot of the times, what are you really showing all of this concern for?”

I’m not really sure what that means, but hopefully he is suggesting he will take the offended folks opinions into consideration. Click here for the response by an Arab rapper.

DJ Drama Not Interested in Beef

This is what he had for Jeezy and the CTE folks in a recent interview:

“If there are things me and Jeezy need to speak about, that’s for us to do. It’s not for the public. I heard La’s interview when he was on the Internet. Again, we’re not here to escalate anything or condone anything, we’re here to make good music. I’m gonna speak highly of everybody, because we’re in Atlanta. How does that look to the fans? How does that look to the people if DJ Drama and Young Jeezy are beefing? That’s not what we’re here for. People wanna see us make history again.”

T.I. has agreed to play moderator between the pair, but Drama doesn’t believe a moderator is needed because it’s not that big

BROOKLYN: WE GO SOFT!

No disrespect to BK, but there are other spots than places like Brownsville and Flatbush. What about the people going hard in Williamsburg?

Just kidding, BK. D-Ware goes hard too.

COMMON STUTTERS AND STAMMERS ABOUT SERENA…and forgets Venus’ name.

Peep the full interview.

KANYE WEST TWITTER IS FAKE!

I knew this twitter blogger was fake, because he didn’t follow me but Twitter deleted the account!

As you know, Kanye had been beefing with Stephen Colbert and Colbert launched into “Operation Humble Kanye” campaign, a move that ultimately helped move Colbert’s X-Mas CD to #3 on iTunes. Kanye’s slid from 1 to 4.

SORRY KELLY!

Beyonce was looking good at the Kennedy Center Honors!

 

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

OBAMA, WE LOVE YOU!!!

They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!

-illseed

WHO: illseed.com

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at [email protected].

– allhiphop rumors

EXCLUSIVE: Arab Rapper Calls Out Busta Rhymes

IRAQI MC The Narcicyst has jumped into the storm surrounding

Busta Rhymes’ controversial new single “Arab Money.” The rapper has released a

stinging response to the song, hitting back at what he calls straight out

racism.

 

 

The Narcicyst says he was stunned when he first heard the

track—and has been flooded with calls from the Arab Hip-Hop community who

are furious that Busta has made what they deem a high profile error and poked fun at

their culture.

 

 

“Immediately I got that screeching sound in my head

like, ‘Whooaa.’,” says the Narcicyst. “Once again, Arabs are represented as

these arm flailing, oil rich, loft having, private jet taking, c######## lady

bangin’, desert camel riding, bearded sand men.”

 

 

He continues, “And to come from Hip-Hop was just

disappointing. All that and the title. I started reading up on the lyrics,

watching the YouTube videos and that just took my feelings to a whole other

level.”

 

 

So perturbed was the Narcicyst the he took a break from

shooting a feature film in Dubai, UAE,

and immediately hit the studio to record “The Real Arab Money,” a stinging response to Busta Rhymes’

single.

 

 

Explaining why he had to hit back on the mic, The Narcicyst

says: “The remix they all did took it to a whole other level. People are

getting suspended for playing the song in the UK, when that song came out you

should have seen the reaction.”

 

 

“How you gonna have Qu’ran in a song about Money? The

new chorus is the opening to every time you read a su’ra from the Qu’ran. Arabs

do not take that lightly at all. Then you got cats talking about women, cars,

houses? What does “In the name of God the most beneficent the most

merciful” have to do with you being able to buy whatever you want? That

right there really really really really really p##### me and a lot of fellow

Arab MCs Off. ”

 

The Narcicyst, who immigrated to Montreal with his family

after Saddam Hussein’s regime destroyed Iraq, adds: “We need to rise up

together as society against the evils that bring us down. We need to speak our

minds freely and expand on the knowledge we were gifted to have. I hope that’s

how it came off. And to explain myself fully, my song is about everybody to

relate to what it feels like when someone called me a ‘sand n****r’ or a ‘dirty

desert rat’ or someone who told me to go back home when I immigrated to Canada.

Enough is enough man.”

 

 

And the Narcicyst, who is set to release his new album PHATWA in early 2009, also explains how

it was even harder to hear Busta’s track when his own homeland Iraq is war-torn

and in total poverty despite having huge oil reserves.

 

“If the hook was in Arabic… If they got an Arab to do

the hook and didn’t call us ‘Ay-rabs’… Trust me, I would have probably been

fine with it. S**t, I would have been proud! Besides the whole beards looking

weird and that it’s possible to fly a Lear jet to go lounge in Baghdad. Baghdad

ain’t no joke right now. My country is f**king dead. It’s not somewhere to be

glorifying as ‘Arab Money.’ That’s the last thing people need. They need

security.”

 

 

Moreso than anything, the Narcicsyt was stunned to hear one

of his Hip-Hop idols insulting his culture.

 

 

“I just didn’t understand,” he says. “I know Busta is

not ignorant, I know he’s not a racist. Then where does it come from?”

 

 

He continues, “It’s my duty to speak on this, to give

my opinion on ‘Arab Money.’ Don’t even get me started on Ron Browz, that dude

should put away his auto-tune cuz T-Pain and Kanye did it better than anyone

else. To have a young man my age, putting random syllables together and calling

it Arabic is completely and utterly racist. It wouldn’t go down any way if a

non-African American did a song about African culture and made up some random

gibberish about the language. It’s not funny anymore.

 

 

“You would think, at a sensitive time like this, that

if anyone knew what it felt like to be boxed in it would be the African-American

community in America. We are of the same strife. Public enemy number one is now

Arab/Muslim males. What did they try to do to Obama during his campaign to

destroy him? They made him out to be a closet Muslim. Like that is a bad thing,

to be a Muslim. Its’ all one big f**k-up, as you can see, its deeper than the

song itself, its the principle.”

 

 

Though upset at the situation, the Narcicsyt does now want

to cast Busta aside. He goes as far as to he will still support his fellow MCs

career.

 

 

“I want to say this to make it clear, Busta Rhymes is a

lyrical idol of mine. I have always had mad love for his lyrical ability, his

style and his grace as an artist. His albums are opuses and his delivery is

absolute bananas. He was actually one of the first MCs I saw on stage and I was

blown away. I will most probably buy B.O.M.B.

I’m not making this make me not listen Busta anymore. Busta is dope dude. Busta

had Stevie on his last album. Busta did “Woo-hah,” he was on “Scenario,”

Leaders of the New School.

 

 

“My track is not a diss song, this was a response. I

ask you this, How would Busta feel if I came out doing a song about Black People

with some stereotypical s**t on the hook?

 

 

“As a person of his stature, I would have expected more

and would have loved to see our people celebrated for our culture and not our

money. I just think the song wasn’t calculated right. Get an Arab dude on the

hook, talk about the reality. I respect that it was an attempt at bridging the

gap, but unfortunately it did the total opposite.”

 

 

The Narcicsyt has also contributed to a full remix featuring

a host of Arab rappers including Omar Offendum, Cilvaringz, Salah Edin,

Palestine – which is set to be leaked within a few days.

 

 

For more check out: www.myspace.com/euphrates 

 

 

Grandmaster Flash Enlists Snoop, Q-Tip, Busta for New Album

Pioneer Hip-Hop turntablist Grandmaster Flash is set to kick off 2009 with a brand new studio album entitled The Bridge: Concept Of a Culture.

 

Backed by Strut Records and Flash’s very own Adrenaline City Entertainment, the LP marks the DJ’s first major label release of all original material since 1988’s On the Strength, the last album that featured the original Furious Five lineup.

 

A student of fellow Hip-Hop legends Pete “DJ” Jones and Kool Herc, Flash is credited with popularizing the groundbreaking turntable technique known as “cutting,” where phrases, edits, and overlays are done simultaneously between two records.

 

The technique was prominently displayed on the seminal 1982 street single “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” which created a blueprint for a whole generation of turntablists, and solidified the DJ’s status as the backbone of early Hip-Hop culture.

 

Last year, Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

Aware that the new album represents his introduction to a new generation of fans, Flash meticulously worked on the project for the last two years.

 

The purpose was to craft an album that reflects Hip-Hop’s current uniting power as a worldwide phenomenon, and Flash’s 30 plus years as an ambassador of the culture.

 

“As a DJ, I’ve been blessed to see many different people, places, and styles,” Grandmaster Flash explained. “The album title represents all the bridges I’ve crossed worldwide.”

 

The Bridge boasts an impressive list of contemporary and veteran artists including KRS-One, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Red Café, Mr. Cheeks, Princess Superstar, Grandmaster Caz, Big Daddy Kane, and Supernatural.

 

The Bridge: Concept Of a Culture hits stores on March 3, 2009.

Andre 3000 Sued Over ‘Class of 3000’ Cartoon

A new lawsuit filed in a Boston courtroom claims that the Andre 3000-created Cartoon Network series Class of 3000 was not as original as the rapper, or the network would have viewers believe, the Boston Herald reports.

 

Former art student Timothy McGee is suing the Outkast star, as well as Cartoon Network and its parent company Turner Broadcasting for $2 million in damages, citing copyright infringement, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets in the creation of the award winning show.

 

He is requesting compensation in the form of all the profits from the show, as well as court fees and any other payment the courts may see fit.

 

“We’ve requested $2 million in damages thus far,” said McGee’s attorney Jerrold Neeff. “The rest remains to be seen.”

 

According to 33-year-old McGee, in 1997 he submitted a show idea to then Cartoon Network vice president of programming Michael Lazzo about a show following the lives of a group of young musicians, “as they try to break into Atlanta’s burgeoning music scene.”

 

At issue for McGee, the lawsuit says, is the impression that the “characters, artwork, storylines and concepts” he developed for his show were heavily borrowed upon for Dre’s show, which aired from November 2006 to May 2008.

 

McGee’s show, for which he proposed Babyface as the young musicians’ mentor, included “a young corporate type” who aspired to be a music producer, a “tough full-of-attitude female executive, a young techno-whiz sound engineer, a talented young Asian singer and a central energetic young singer/rapper,” the suit explains.

 

Class of 3000 featured Dre as Sunny Bridges, a musical genius who left his hometown of Atlanta to pursue a recording career, only to return after experiencing the corruption of the business.

 

Sunny becomes the new music teacher at the Westley School of Performing arts where his students include an would-be music producer, a “tough, brash full-of-attitude” female student who plays the harp and guitar, a “technological genius bass player, and talented twins of Asian ethnicity,” McGee’s lawsuit said.

 

“The artist known as Andre ‘3000’ Benjamin was credited with the creation, executive production and starring role in ‘Class of 3000,’” the suit continued. “The similarities between the expression of Mr. McGee’s work in ‘The Music Factory’ and that of ‘Class of 3000’ are sufficiently detailed and pervasive.

 

The show’s co-creators and developers, Thomas W. Lynch and Patric M. Verrone, don’t seem to have been named as co-defendants.

 

Class of 3000 was cancelled in December 2007 due to budgetary constraints, but not before snagging the 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.

Topps and Funkmaster Flex Create First DJ Card

Influential New York DJ Funkmaster Flex has announced a brand new partnership with The Topps

 

Company to unveil the Funk Master Flex autographed card, the first ever awarded to a DJ.

 

Topps has remained the leading name in sports cards since debuting in 1938. The company now manufactures cards for Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA.

 

Also a giant in the confectionary market, Topps’ brand names include Bazooka bubble gum, Rung Pop, Push Pop, Baby Bottle Pop, and Juicy Drop Pop.

 

Since breaking open New York’s radio market in the early 80’s, Flex has gone on to have one of the most successful DJ careers in Hip-Hop history.

 

He hosts a decade and counting top rated mixshow on Hot 97 and creates custom cars for companies such as Spike TV and Ford.

 

Through his extensive brand partnerships, his team the Flip Squad (now the Pitbulls), and memorable parties at New York’s legendary Tunnel venue, Flex helped usher in a new era where DJs could become autonomous entities on the level of their emcee counterparts.

 

According to Topps Director of Product Development Clay Luraschi, these achievements enticed Topps to secure Flex for the launch of their Mayo Football line, due out next month.

 

“Funkmaster Flex is an icon in the Hip-Hop world and we’re excited to be able to incorporate him into our new Topps product,” stated Luraschi to AllHipHop.com.” “The autographed Funkmaster Flex cards are sure to be a hot collectible and give fans yet another reason to be excited for our new Mayo Football product coming out in January.”

 

The Flex card will be included in rare packs of the new line, which is a re-design of the first ever football product from the turn of the century.

 

The 2009 Topps Mayo Football line will retail for $3 per pack.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Kanye Disses K-Fed?, Real Chance Winners!, Russell Simmons’ New Cutie

DISCLAIMER:

All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.

TODAY’S RUMORS!

MY DAILY TWO CENTS

Here is my 2cents…sloooooow weekend for rumors. For the rest of the world, it popped off. But there were some shining stars in other areas.

“Punisher: War Zone”

Foxy Brown’s Wardrobe Malfunction

Efil4zaggin Vs. The Chronic

OJ Simpson Busts “A Gangsta Rap”

Also shout out to Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao destroyed Oscar, but somehow the former champ managed to quit with class.

As I said, I need your eyes and ears to help the rumors to pop properly. I’m not into biting off other people and whatnot. Shout out to all the people that hit me up from Australia, the land “up over!” Email me at [email protected].

LUPE FIASCO RUMORS

Lupe Fiasco is quietly making moves as he movies towards his last opus, a triple album. This really isn’t a rumor, but since its not news, it’s a rumor. Lupe’s triple album is going to be three different albums, coming out on three different dates. Not sure if that means it’s a true triple album, but anyway. The first LupEND album is going to come out is the Fall of 09. I don’t know when the other two will drop. Also, he said all the bloggers and haters can kiss his a**.

Lupe stans: check out www.lupethefiasco.blogspot.com…

IF YOU WATCH “REAL CHANCE OF LOVE” DON’T READ THIS

I don’t watch the mess, buf if you do, just skip this section. It’s a spoiler. I got the word on how the end goes down. I heard Real picks “Cornfed” and Chance picks nobody. That’s right, NOBODY. Now, what is interesting, I heard they are already working on the second season of the show to jux you into wasting more time. Regardless, I find is crazy that a pair of gay-looking brothers are picking women. They should at least mix some men in there.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

I have to ask: WHERE THE HECK IS TRU LIFE?

The late Heath Ledger gets the thumbs up for an Oscar. But for now, he was awarded the Australian Film Institute’s international award for best actor. Huge honor. I hope there are more coming.

I heard Keith Sweat is the singer behind those McNugget commercials…is this true?

Toni Braxton had surgery to have a lump removed from her breast. It wasn’t cancerous and didn’t have anything to do with her implants either. She reportedly missed the “Dancing With the Stars” finale or something.

Fortunately, the lump turned out to be benign. We wish Toni a speedy recovery – this poor gal has been through it this past year.

Brandy, Beyonce or Rhianna should slike Keyshia Cole their publicist’s business card. She looked a lil’ crazy at the De La Hoya fight. She was all the rage and the talk of the town though. Here it is:

Another vid:

RANDOM QUOTES

Akon on working with MiJac:

“He only works at a certain time and keeps a lot of stuff hidden. He’ll launch it off a certain way and wants to surprise people.”

Common on the rumors around that super group with Q-Tip (read the whole interview here):

“Yeah, we still gon’ make it happen. It’s called The Standard and Tip got his album and once my album come out and we get to getting that material out there… We just talked and said man we got to start doing it. We had the idea and then we both started doing our thing. I believe it’ll be happening soon, like at some point in the next year I believe we’ll have some songs ready to put out.”

Yours truly asked Prodigy about the New World order and this is what he said (read the whole interview here):

Everybody that acting like, “Oh P talking all this s**t because he locked up now,” or, “He think he Malcolm X because he in jail.” N***a get a life and do some homework, do some research ‘cause you’re dumb ass would put your foot in your mouth if you knew that Prodigy been on it like this and your just a dumb a###### who just talk s**t; just a hater.

J-KWON IS NOT IN JAIL

Well, I made a mistake (aka got some bad info), but my mistake is good news for J-Kwon. Not only does he get another mention on the Infamous AHH Rumors Page, but he gets positive information. He is not in jail and nothing drug related is stopping him from doing his next projects. He is working on Hood Hop 2 and some mixtape projects via his Hood Hop entertainment. Good news.

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

This is a candidate for idiot criminal of the day. Muncie Police in Indianapolis thought they had a routine traffic stop when they pulled a local woman over. Well, the woman made a simple request. Honesty Knight, 32, asked Trooper Eric Perkins if she could smoke. Perkins, being fair, said “Sure.” The lady named Honesty then proceeded to pull out and light a marijuana joint. Perkins took the “bud” and saw there was no tobacco in it. Honestly, in being SOOOOOOOOOOOOO honest was arrested and charged with possession. WOW.

Good deal, Dion!

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

The NYPD didn’t get the “change” memo apparently, because it appears to be business as usual. Michael Mineo alleges members of the NYPD forcibly sodomized him and the state has charged three officers in the alleged sexual assault of the Brooklyn man. According to local ABC news one officer will be charged with using his baton to rape Mineo and the other pair of police stand accused of holding the man for the deed to occur. Her is how is went down according to New York’s ABC News:

For nearly two months, a grand jury listened to Mineo describe, in disturbing detail, what he says happened on October 15. He claims that officers approached him for supposedly smoking marijuana outside the Prospect Park subway station and them chased and assaulted him. What followed, the 25-year-old says, was an attack that involved an expandable police baton being forced in his rectum.

“I think the city owes this cop, who broke the blue wall of silence and did his job,” Al Sharpton said. “I think that the mayor and others ought to salute this policeman.”

The tide turned after officials also learned doctors said Mineo’s internal injuries were consistent with his claim. But critics say the most troubling thing is the fact that while a grand jury is on the verge of handing down criminal charges, internal affairs initially dismissed the claims.

Glad I live in Delaware. Those NY Cops are lawless, it seems!

NAS AND KANYE ON TOUR

My dude Luke from Australia hit me up and gave me the scoop on the Glow In the Dark Tour with Nas.

Yo, just got home from Kanye West’s Glow In The Dark Tour in Brisbane, Australia. As usual Yeezy killed it. At the start, Kid Cudi and Consequence performed, then came Scribe, followed by Nas who killed it, repeatedly saying “f### the radio”. After Nas Kanye came out and was on for about 2-2.5 hours, with a long speech in the middle, including a long shout out to Nas and how he is a hip-hop legend. Kanye also was heard saying Elvis who? John Lennon who? Basically Kanye killed it, ending with Love Lockdown. Other favourited were Goodlife and Stronger, and during Diamonds, the whole crowd was throwing up the Roc. Enjoy.

Another reader also saw the show in “the land down under,” but he offered some other details.

But of course, Kanye caused controversy. His show was AMAZING, but what would a Kanye show be without those diva moments? Firstly, while performing ‘Put On’, he went into some kind of auto-tune-freestyle. Basically what he was saying was that people don’t want him to change, people don’t want him to grow, they’d rather see him do exactly the same thing over and over again.

Then, he went into a rant; saying that the media had stripped him of real life and explaining his daily pressures of being a celebrity. Then, he randomly started talking about Britney Spears, claiming that she spazzed out because K-Fed took advantage of her to better himself.

But, the best was yet to come. Kanye decided to close with Love Lockdown. He restarted the song three or four times (i lost count). The first time, I don’t think he was in-sync with his musicians…so 30 seconds in he told them to stop and start again. The second time, Kanye said ‘Nah you guys f#$ked it, start again’ and stormed off the stage, the musicians kept playing through the chorus and only stopped afterwards…which was awkward as Kanye wasnt even singing.

The third time, Kanye got about half-way through the song and stopped it once more. Kanye then came out and said “I’m supposed to have another f*cking outfit for this song, but they’ve taken it back to the dressing room. But f*ck it, Let’s just do it”. He was pretty angry lol, but all the fans were laughing haha. He then managed to get through the whole song without stopping..needless to say…i dont wanna hear Love Lockdown again…lol.

Anyway i thought he didnt need a stylist since he shops so much that he can speak Italian…LOL. it was mainly a good show anyway.

That was a lot, but a lot of color…hey…interesting.

Here is a vide on it:

RUSSELL SIMMONS KEEPS A BAD BABE

He dumped his ex and he’s on to the next.

JOE BUDDEN SAYS, “F**K NY” AND EXPLAINS

WHAT THE HELL?

Something isn’t right with this dude.

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

OBAMA, WE LOVE YOU!!!

They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!

-illseed

WHO: illseed.com

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at [email protected].

– allhiphop rumors

Common: Universal Mind Control (Album Review)

 

 

How does an artist who spent most of his career as a diamond in the rough MC stay relevant for several years before finally enjoying commercial success? Common has managed to do so with ease.

 

Finally getting his long overdue mainstream recognition with the assistance of his successful acting career, Common’s eighth studio release, Universal Mind Control (Geffen Records) is not necessarily an improved sound for the veteran lyricist, but rather the same standard he has always been known for with an attempt to give it a fresh twist.

 

Produced entirely by the Neptunes, the album features a combination of laid-back lyrical stylings like the days when he was known as Common Sense, as well as more up-tempo tracks in which some come off a bit desperate to fit into a commercial category.

 

The album’s attention grabbing lead single “Universal Mind Control”, which samples Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock”, is destined to get major club spins. It’s the only club-ready track on the entire album in which there’s a perfect transition from the typical lyrically infused tracks we’re used to hearing from the Chicago rapper.

 

“Punch Drunk Love” follows with fellow G.O.O.D. artist Kanye West on the hook which adds another record to the Neptunes’ catalog of perfectly crafted beats. The merging of hi-hat sounds with electric organ interjections make this easily one of the top three tracks on the album.

 

Things dwindle down a few notches with the doo-wop inspired but still very mediocre “Make My Day”. Additionally, the similarly ordinary “Sex 4 Suga” features Common sounding as though he used a combination of an 80’s style flow over a recycled late 90’s Neptunes beat. “Announcement” takes things back to the days of Like Water For Chocolate with Common claiming the title of being the ‘Alex Haley of this Rap sh*t’ over a simplistic organ infused conga rhythm.

 

Listening to “Gladiator” gives an atmosphere of classic Wu-Tang over a more modernized Hip-Hop bounce as “Changes” eases things down to a slower melodic tempo with assistance at the end by Assata Lynn, Common’s daughter. On “Inhale”, we’re reminded why Common is one of Hip-Hop’s jewel MC’s as he describes his deep flow and still being one of the most slept-on rappers. 

 

The album wraps with “What A World” and “Everywhere” where the former sounds like it would be better fit for the next N.E.R.D. LP. The latter which features British vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, just wasn’t a strong enough closer and seems to have just been a last minute addition.

 

Although the album is stacked with both hits and misses, it’s still worth a listen as he opens himself up to a wider audience. One thing certain is that Common remains true to his craft and doesn’t compromise the essence of originality in Hip-Hop as so many others continue to do.

 

Common Featuring Pharell

“Universal Mind Control”

Universal Mind Control – Common

Common Featuring Kanye West

“Punch Drunk Love”

Punch Drunk Love (Feat. Kanye West) – Common

OJ Simpson Drops Gangsta Rap In Outrageous New Video/DVD

O.J. Simpson’s recent 15-year jail sentence hasn’t prevented him from releasing “Get Juiced,” the NFL Hall of Famer’s first ever rap video.

 

O.J. Simpon’s new rap video was conceived as a prank for a DVD entitled Juiced, which showcases the controversial football great performing pranks on unsuspecting victims, in the vein of Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d.

 

Using a gangsta rap persona named MC Juice, Simpson performs the track at a strip club surrounded by numerous burlesque, nude dancers.

 

Simpson raps over a beat similar to “I’m Serious,” a 1988 classic by Philadelphia rapper Steady B., that was produced by KRS One’s Boogie Down Productions.

 

“All you player haters and you sucker MC’s better get on your knees/and get some of the these/These nuts…” Simpson raps while surrounded by a harem of women.

 

Outtakes from the video also show Simpson holding a tongue-in-cheek audition for the strippers, dressed as Elvis with a midget, working in a fast food drive-thru, dressed as an 80-year-old man playing bingo and as a cheater who gets caught with a married woman.

 

Perhaps the most outrageous stunt features Simpson attempting to sell his infamous white Ford Bronco to unsuspecting marks, while acknowledging there are “no bodies in it” and that the SUV had “escapability.”

 

Aware that many would call this DVD tasteless in light of Simpson’s legal woes, Juiced distributor and Xtreme Entertainment Group CEO Rick Mahr argues that projects like this are big business in the American market.

 

“Juiced is America’s new guilty pleasure and will have everyone talking,” Mahr told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “We were shocked to see O.J. film these uncensored segments and surreal scenarios. From the moment you put Juiced in your DVD player and press play, the footage will keep you glued to your screen. You won’t believe your eyes.”

 

Simpson’s latest venture comes on the heels on his December 5 conviction for robbing two sport memorabilia stars at gunpoint.

 

He was sentenced to 33 years in prison on armed kidnapping and robbery charges.

 

Although an appeal is pending, the sentence will run concurrently if it stands, allowing Simpson to be eligible for parole after 9 years.

 

An uncensored version of O.J. Simpson’s “Get Juiced” will be featured on the Juiced comedy DVD, which is available in stores and online for $19.99 now.

 

The video is now available on iTunes for $0.99.

Common: My Mind Spray

“Truthfully I wanna rhyme like

Common Sense, [But I did five mill’]—I ain’t

been rhymin’ like Common since,” quipped Jay-Z on his

song “Moment of Clarity.” The point is clear; rhyming for the sake of the art

doesn’t really pay. But then again Chicago rhyme slinger Common isn’t doing so

bad.

 

Surely you’ve seen Lonnie Rashid Lynn hawking Zunes and Lincoln Navigators, getting his acting on in

flicks like Wanted and American Gangster, and on tour performing

selections from his eight albums. On December 9th he drops his latest

LP set of MP3s, Universal Mind

Control, proving that having the skills can pay the bills.

 

Common has long embraced his spot as the conscious MC not to

be tested on the mic (ask Ice Cube). Right now the former

Common Sense speaks on how all his corporate sponsorships and acting gigs mean

better music, what he learned making music with the likes of J Dilla and Kanye West, and that

pending album with Q-Tip. Seems like Common is seeing things clearly.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: You had people ready for Invincible Summer. Obviously now it’s Universal Mind Control, what happened?

 

Common: We was close to finishing, I really was planning on

bringing out the album, in July, and actually the 1st day was June

24th I had in my mind. It became a album [Ed. Note: Invincible Summer was originally announced as an EP.] We was

almost done and 

then I got the movie The

Terminator. So I was like, “Man I got to do this,” so during that process

while I was doing it I couldn’t work at the same pace that I was working at. I

had to push it back.

 Universal Mind Control (UMC) – Common

AllHipHop.com: Did the title change reflect a change in the

music as well?

 

Common: Oh yeah, well the title change happened because

first of all a lot of people, like my mother, would say, “Why you gonna still call your album invincible summer?” I was still

kinda like look, I like the title, I’m

calling it Invincible Summer.  But at one point a friend of mine, ‘cause

she heard the album, she like was like, “Man, Universal Mind Control, that’s what the album feel like. That would be a good title”. I felt

that was more fitting for the album, the sound of the album. I’ma come with Invincible

Summer at some point.

 

AllHipHop.com: You had also mentioned that your doing the

movies allows you to do music without caring about the business aspect. Can you

elaborate on that?

 

Common: First of all I’m an artist, so music is the way I

express myself. Man I love music, so when I get a chance to do it I’m feeling

grateful. I’m looking for the challenge and, for some reason, when I started

taking on acting I felt challenged, a challenge in me as an artist too. It was a new challenge, and I just kept

working on it and working on it and then I finally started getting opportunities

to do some movies.

 

In the interim I would be working on music, and it felt like

a weight was taken off my back as far as the responsibility of, “Man you got to

sell this amount of records,” you know or your music has to be so big ‘cause

that’s what’s sustaining your income, your life. As far as financial things go I felt like that weight was

taken off a little bit. Not that I came in and just started getting super,

super money on the movie side.

Like I said, it did take some of the responsibility off of

music as the only source of income. And now, with me doing more movies it’s

given me a chance to go out, touring ‘cause I want to. So that’s a joy for me

’cause I love music so I want to do it, for the love of it. That’s the reason I

first got into it of course.

 

We young men so we all think about making a living. You

know we all want to get, get money too.

But I got into Hip-Hop just because I loved it. When I first started

writing, money wasn’t even on my mind. So if I can kind of create that same

environment for me as a musician where it ain’t even no

way or shape about money, that’s gon’ make the music

that much better for me. It’s going to allow me to have more fun. 

 

The biggest thing/purpose for me making music at a lot of

points is just to affect people’s lives. I’ve seen the

presence that it could have and that’s my biggest focus, even still. I wanted to affect peoples lives in a

way that they just gon’ be having a good time

enjoying themselves. Sometimes it’s like, “Damn I got to make sure I get’s

paid”, you know? As an artist you try to separate that s**t from your mind when

you working. You try to just do

the art and then once the arts [is] created, you go out there and you go market

that stuff. I want my music to reach even more people now. But it’s just like I’m having more fun

doing it that’s all just what really it just boil down to. It’s good to be like,

I’m working on this audition, but when I’m riding on the way to go do something

I’m in the car writing a song. Here let me read this script, let me go work on

something, it keeps me flowing. Common discusses new album Universal Mind Control – 12.9.08 – Common

AllHipHop.com: Because of the

type of artist you are it’s almost like a lot of your fans want Common to be broke.

Then you got all these sponsorships and the acting so cats start whispering

things, Common’s kind of selling out. What do you say when people say stuff

like that?

 

Common: I mean being at the point that

I’m a man, I got things that I want to do in my life, people to take care of

and a family to support, and investments to make. So I want to keep building

and building, and making things flourish so that I could provide for my family

and my community and all those around me. So, my thing is I’m very focused and

know that I’m cool with making money and not putting money first. I still want

to live well. The point is I don’t mind if a corporation comes to me and wants to do a deal if it’s something that fits with me and

won’t take away from me artistically. Then I mean I’m grateful.

 

Not only is it an

opportunity to make money directly but it’s also expanding audiences for me. If

you don’t change for money or you don’t change for doing some type of

partnership for the business or whatever, then shoot you should take it as a

blessing.  Then you doing the right

thing, that’s what you should be doing. Otherwise, it’s difficult for a artist if they not able to make a living [from just music]

if they not able to keep creating you know what I mean? It’s tough for them to

make a living and really be able to stay creative ‘cause then they got to try

and find another job.  It always

used to scare me like, “Man I don’t want to work no day job.” [laughs] 

 

So I’m bout to make the best music

ever. And I’m a believer that if

you make the music as good as possible and just make good quality music, then

it’s gon’ come to light and people will get to it. Sometimes it may take a continuous evolution of that, but it

will come to light. I’m a believer

in that like, that, at some point, you just keep putting quality and growing

with what you do, as an artist and people gon’

recognize it and expand your audience. And really what I’m doing with the films, the commercials and different

things like that, is just expanding my audience and letting people know more

who Common is.

 The People – Common

AllHipHop.com: Over your career

you’ve worked with

production giants, Dilla, Kanye, the Neptunes; what have

you gained from working with some of them?

 

Common: Working with Dilla I just learned that…that’s somebody that I felt was

like all he knew was about making good music. I mean of course he wanted to

make money but his love was with the music man. His mom told me he was walking around when he was three

years old with 45’s on his wrist. His dad would walk him to the park,

he would have 45’s on his wrist. I

felt that coming through him.

 

With Kanye

I feel like I learned about song making. He really knows how to make songs and

he’s just so passionate and I also learned about being able to present your stuff with

confidence and say man, “This is what it is,” and not being like, “Ok, am I

offending anybody?”’ Cause I know in my heart where my heart is, and I know I

don’t want to offend nobody. I recognize that in Kanye. I mean even if people did get offended

his heart is in the right place. I

kind of learned from him, as far as making songs, it got to have good choruses.

You got to bring in these certain type of melodies. He was really the person that was like, “Ok, we gonna do some raw Hip-Hop, that’s gon’

still reach the masses.” We’re gon’ make sure it reach the

masses. That’s what his approach

was. 

 

Working with the Neptunes is like…first of all we’re not working with

samples so that was something different in some ways. But I did that too with J-Dilla and ?uestlove, but the point is

that the Neptunes had a whole different approach in

production. Pharrell

might start the beat and then Chad will come add on. Pharrell

is definitely one who will, tell you, “Man we should do the hook like this,”

and then come with an idea for the hook.

He is one of the greatest producers I have ever worked with or the Neptunes together, some of the greatest producers.

 

Between them and Kanye they will make sure that song is done til the end. They

ain’t just gon’ let you rap a certain way. Kanye, ’cause he and I had known each other for a while and

he was definitely like, “Nah, re-write the rap.” Pharrell will be like,

man I think we could make this better.

He will say like you can do better.  It’s different approaches but both of them get to the finish

line.

 

No ID. Man, he is just one of the

greats that people really don’t know but he has done some incredible stuff. Working with him;

we were both new, this was our first time even making records. We were making demo’s

together, it was just about making music man.  He would make cold beats and I would just write the

raps. And he would give me his

opinion and say, “Man I think you could change this.” But most of the time I was stubborn at that time. Man, but overall that was just the raw

creation right there. We didn’t

know much about making the great hook or whatever. I would luck up, any hooks that we had that was good I would

luck up, I was just focused on the raps more than the

hooks.

 

AllHipHop.com: Now what’s up with

this super group you and Q-Tip are supposed to be putting together?

 

Common: Yeah, we still gon’ make it happen. It’s called The Standard and Tip got his album and once my album come out and

we get to getting that material out there… We just

talked and said man we got to start doing it. We had the idea and then we both

started doing our thing. I believe it’ll be happening soon, like at some point

in the next year I believe we’ll have some songs ready to put out. I’m just looking forward to working with

somebody of that talent. I listen to Tribe I listen to Tip

now and it’s like that’s a timeless dude. They made some music that’s forever

and he making music that’s just incredible. I feel like what we doing is two

jazz musicians getting together to make a album. The Game – Common

Actor De’Angelo Wilson In Eminem’s ‘8 Mile’ Found Dead

An aspiring Dayton, Ohio actor who starred in Eminem’s#### movie 8 Mile has been found dead of an apparent suicide, AllHipHop.com has confirmed.

 

Actor De’Angelo Wilson, who starred as “DJ Iz” in 8 Mile, apparently hung himself on November 26, just one day before Thanksgiving.

 

According to police, Wilson, who also had a role in the hit movie Antwone Fisher, was found dead in the back room of a Los Angeles business, although it took police a week to locate his next of kin.

 

Once Wilson’s mother was contacted, she revealed that she didn’t have the funds to bring her deceased son’s body back to his native home of Dayton.

 

A group of his friends have stepped in – including the real Antwone Fisher, who befriended Wilson during the production of the movie Antwone Fisher.

 

Wilson’s most recent role was in 2006, when he starred as “Julius“ in Mercy Street.

 

He also had small roles in The Salon, CSI: NY, Outside Man and others.

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL: Efil4zaggin Vs. The Chronic

*Yeah I know it’s Sunday Morning, but i had to watch De La Hoya get itDr. Dre will probably go down as the greatest producer of the modern era.  Between the World Class Wrecking Cru, N.W.A, Death Row, and Aftermath, he has been at the forefront of whole shifts in the music landscape more than once.His production style has shifted each time as well from the electrofunk of the Cru, to the dusty drums of early N.W.A to their more polished work and on to the GFunk of Death Row.It’s been a while since we were treated to anything from the good doctor and even longer since we’ve heard something we were actually moved by, but the fact remains, that a significant number of singular MC’s of the past 20 years (Ice Cube, Snoop, 50 Cent, Eminem, Game) have gotten their way in the door with his cosign, regardless of where they went after him.Today we look at two of Dre’s masterpieces, one the black nihilist Efil4zaggin and The Chronic. Both of these albums came during a period of uncertainty for Dre. Following Cube’s departure from N.W.A, we all wondered out loud what the group would sound like and actually whether they would still be viable.  Dre (with DJ Yella’s able and unsung assistance) upped the ante with a quantum leap production wise that blew away everything Dre had done before. Live guitars, much cleaner drums, while still maintaining samples, and some of the whiney backgrounds that laid the groundwork for future production.After Dre’s departure from N.W.A no one knew what was next.  Even though we got a taste of it on “Deep Cover” we had no idea what was next.  The Chronic‘s formula of madness to melody trumped Efil4zaggin in the fun factor if not as focused musically.With a new crop of MC’s led by the incomparable Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre brought gangster to America and the world. MTV couldn’t get enough and it was the beginning of Hip-Hop’s domination of the charts for the next 15 years.Without any further rumination on my part, a clash of classics.  Efil4zaggin vs. The Chronic.  Be heard.  Peace.Poll Answers

MOVIE REVIEW: Punisher War Zone

Someone finally did it.  Someone finally gave us a Punisher movie worth watching.  In a year that has already given us more than

a few quality comic-book movies, Punisher:

War Zone is an unexpected treat.

After the horrible  Dolph Lundergren version and the PG-13 Thomas Jane vehicle, Punisher: War Zone feels like a shot of

adrenaline mixed with a whiff of laughing gas. 

While the 2004 film borrowed certain sequences and characters from The Garth Ennis run (particularly Welcome Back, Frank), Punisher: War Zone manages to capture

the spirit of the Garth Ennis

version of Frank Castle: ultra violent, dark humor and self-parody.

           

This latest outing stars Ray Stevenson as The Punisher and he looks eerily similar to

the “real thing.”  His role contains few

lines and a few “emotional” moments that probably should have been cut, but aside

from that, Stevenson pretty much embodies

the role in every sense of the word.  He

is the Punisher that we’ve read for over 30 years: a grim reaper with an

ever-growing arsenal and ever inventive ways of killing criminals. 

 

           

The film wisely provides no back

story for its title character, aside from a few flashback shots.  As the movie opens, we are thrown right into

the thick of the action.  The Punisher is

in the midst of carrying out his one man war against organized crime in New

York City.  The opening sequence has him

hacking and shooting his way through a mafia family with a cold and efficient

abandon.  The violence is intentionally

over the top and cartoonish with more of a slasher movie feel than an action

film.  Think Evil Dead II crossed with Death

Wish and you get the idea.  Those who

prefer their comic heroes to be deadly serious should stay at home.

           

           

The villains of the piece are

the usual wiseguy stereotypes, as it should be. 

Punisher comics aren’t about layered characterization and depth.  Frank Castle kills criminals, period.   Anyone from a mugger on the streets the most

powerful of crime bosses. 

           

On the acting front, Dominic West steals the show as Jigsaw, a pretty boy mobster whose face

is horribly disfigured after The

Punisher drops him into a glass grinder. 

What makes the performance such a blast is that Dominic seems to be making it up as he goes along.  The character himself is a study in

irony:   He is hideously disfigured, and

yet he carries himself with the confidence and swagger of a flamboyant

pimp.  It’s like the accident unleashes

some sort of weird  self-caricature hidden

away in his subconscious.  In its own

way, the performance is just as much fun as what Heath Ledger did with The

Joker in The Dark Knight (though

nowhere near as brilliant or layered).Almost as much fun is Doug Hutchison as Jigsaws cannibal,

karate-fighting minion Looney Bin Jim. 

           

Does any of this add up to a

cinematic masterpiece the likes of The

Dark Knight?  Nope.  Does it even add up to a legitimately good

movie?  Probably not, and that’s

fine.  Writer/Director Lexi Alexander likely realized as much

when she took on this project.  A Punisher

movie doesn’t need to be great, it just needs to deliver in the same sense that

the best Punisher comics have over the years. 

The idea of a soldier becoming a ruthless vigilante had already been

done before The Punisher ever

existed.  The only thing that ever

distinguished Frank Castle from being

a garden variety vigilante was the skull on his chest.  Garth Ennis tweaked the character a bit by

adding a bit of humor to his grim world, and Lexi Alexander found a way to translate that sense of humor and

mayhem to the screen.  We should all be

thankful for that.  Welcome back Frank, indeed.

Jamie Foxx, WTF Were You Thinking? (you too, Lil Wayne!)

Hey everybody! Hope all is well. This week I came across a new joint that made my skin crawl. I am a true fan of R&B, and it just hurts my soul when older artists feel the need to try and keep up with today’s new artists. I agree that reinventing yourself is always a good idea to keep things fresh, but don’t lose yourself while making that transition. And I say all of that to say this, Jamie Foxx – WTF where you thinking? As I surfed a host of new tracks this week, I couldn’t help but stop and listen to the one labeled, Jamie Foxx ft/ Lil Wayne – “Number One”. I thought to myself, Jamie Foxx and Lil Wayne? This either going to be “hot like like fire” or “hot garbage”. So after hitting the play button, I took a deep breath and asked, WHY? How do you get two artists of this caliber on the same track and come up with such a bullsh*t ass song? The joint was even produced by Just Blaze, so that equates three hot people in the game that crafted together some pure bullsh*t. I mean come on! Some of you might say the beat is hot, but so f*ckin what?Earlier this week I highlighted Jamie Foxx in my Wednesday column “R&B Rewind”. I mentioned some of the accolades he’s achieved up until now, from his days as Wanda on In Living Color to scoring an Oscar for Ray, and how he put out his first album in 1994, Peep This. Jamie Foxx is a musical genius, so WTF happened with this song? He has two singles out right now, one featuring T.I. titled “Just Like Me” and another with Ne-Yo and Fabolous “She Got Her Own”. Both of those songs are hot and are a reflection of Jamie’s talent, while “Number One” is an example of what happens when a seasoned vet tried to keep up with the “in” crowd.I don’t expect Jamie Foxx to keep himself boxed up in a world of Urban Adult Contemporary Music, even if he is 42 years old. And I don’t expect him not to take advantage of the marriage between R&B and Hip-Hop, but if you’re going to do a joint with Lil Wayne it should be a hot one, because that is way too much talent in one room to go to waste.Jamie Foxx can sing just about anything and make it sound good, and if I’m not mistaken, I think I hear the Auto-Tune in this track. Why would a guy who can sing his ass off, and do genius things like sing “The Brady Bunch” theme (see the bonus track below) and make it sound like a R&B hit try and match the latest trend? I just don’t get it. Ok, now that I’m done venting about Jamie Foxx I’m going to end and say that I hope his new album goes in the direction of “Just Like Me” and “She Got Her Own’ and not “Number One”. I actually plan to attend a listening party for Jamie Foxx this week here in Chicago and I am seriously contemplating asking him, WTF was he thinking? This is definitely one of those tracks he’s going to look back at and ask himself, WTF. Yes, Jamie Foxx has achieved enough accolades over the years to call himself “Number One”, but this track definitely sits at the bottom of the list. Tell me what you think! Hot or Not?Well y’all thanks for taking time out to read what I had to say.Until next week check out this week’s Sunday Selection – “Number One”Number One feat. Lil Wayne (Clean) – Jamie FoxxBonus Track: “The Brady Bunch”Brady bunch – Jamie Foxx