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Kidz in the Hall Manager Speaks Out on Naledge Arrest

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

Days after Kidz In The Hall rapper Naledge was arrested for allegedly interfering with a police investigation of an altercation inside a Tempe, AZ nightclub, the duo’s manager is coming forward to set the record straight with his take on what really happened at the venue.

 

Naledge (born Jabari Miles Evans) was taken in to police custody early Saturday morning (July 26) shortly after a fight broke out at the Cherry Lounge & Pit, according to Tempe police spokesman Sgt. Steve Carbajal.

 

The rapper and fellow Kidz In The Hall member Double-O were scheduled to perform that night at the club.

 

A police report detailing the incident noted that Naledge was charged with violating a city code of obstructing justice after he was physically removed from the scene after refusing several police commands to leave a crime scene.

 

The Chicago-based rapper, who was taken to the Tempe City Jail, was later released after posting $500 bail.

 

Although he confirmed that Naledge was arrested outside the Cherry Lounge & Pit, Kidz In The Hall’s manager Dan Solomito revealed that Naledge did not witness the incident, which centered around an assault of Double O by several bouncers after Kidz In The Hall finished performing at the club.

 

Instead, the manager explained that the rapper’s actions were anything but threatening to the police.

 

“Naledge’s attempt to get medical assistance for Double-O was misconstrued as a hindrance to the investigation,” Solomito told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “Reports that no injuries were sustained are false as Double O was taken to the hospital with multiple injuries from the excessive force used by club security.”

 

Solomito further revealed that Double-O was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery for one of his injuries on Sunday morning (July 27).

 

At this time, Double-O is “still in the hospital, but in stable condition,” Solomito added.

 

Saturday’s incident marks the first time Kidz In The Hall encountered trouble at one of their performances with concert security, the club or police, Solomito said.

 

The group, which is among the acts performing at this year’s Rock the Bells festival, has traveled to more than 10 countries and performed at more than 200 shows in the last two years.

Hip-Hop Rumors: The Rick Ross Haircut! A Nas/Kelis Album? Buck And 50 Working “It” Out?

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

DISCLAIMER:

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

TODAY’S RUMORS!

T.I.’s LATEST SIGNEE?

Rumor has it, T.I. was in Philly and recently announced the signing of local artist Meek Millz to Grand Hustle. My dude Mike from South Philly tells me Meek is that dude in Philly right now. Meek has one song with Gillie and Peedi that is getting some air play and his Single “In my Bag.” People are fairly surprised that T.I. signed him. On top of everything, I heard they were actually both on the radio together yesterday. The Hot Boyz had T.I. on for a second after he did his “Behind the beats” thing for Power 99 and they didn’t even know about Meek. All good.

BIG BOI GOES ON WITH OUT THREE STACKS

This is a real song that speaks to the times. That’s what Hip-Hop – the REAL CNN of the Black experience. Unless you are not Black, then it speaks for your experience.

THREE STACKS GOES ON WITHOUT TIPPING?

There are times when I don’t want to tip a waiter or server that doesn’t tend to my needs when I eat. Oh, like serving in a timely manner or checking up on me when in need some ketchup. I got sent a link from Sandra Rose and I was saw how Andre 3000 might have stiffed a waiter for his tip.

Atlanta waiter Matt Moore claims that he went out of his way to hook Andre up with some vegan dishes after the rapper visited the restaurant he works in — even though it is non-vegan. Apparently, that effort wasn’t enough and Andre decided to complain anyways — getting his bill reduced in the process. At the end of the meal, the low-baller left a $0 tip and walked away. Classy.

What’s a guy to do? eBay! Moore was understandably p##### and threw his story up on the auction site, along with a description of the injustice and the offending receipt. “The chef had tried to please them with original dishes and took time out of the busy dinner to customize a meal for them,” he wrote. “Despite the spot-on service and super-catered food, they felt the need to leave me no money. I had nothing to do with the food, yet he stiffed me.”

In defense of Andre, here are some other possible scenes. 1) Andre might have left cash on the table and this dude is lying or 2) Andre left a tip and one of the other workers swiped it. That happens also. Just giving the brother the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, the dude did manage to sell the receipt and made like $14.

THE KIDZ ISSUE A STATEMENT

Double O from the hip hop group Kidz In The Hall was assaulted by several bouncers early Saturday morning, July 26, while inside a nightclub in Tempe, AZ following a Kidz In The Hall performance. Group member and friend Naledge, who did not witness the assault on Double O, was arrested outside of the club. Naledge’s attempt to get medical assistance for Double O was misconstrued as a hinderence to the investigation. Reports that no injuries were sustained are false as Double O was taken to the hospital with multiple injuries from the excessive force used by club security. On Sunday morning Double O underwent surgery for one of his injuries. He is still in the hospital, but in stable condition.

In the last 2 years, Kidz In The Hall has traveled to over 10 countries, have done 200+ shows and never before been involved in any altercation, big or small, with club or concert security, or police officers.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

I hear Foxy Brown has a show in New York at B.B. with “special guests.” We’ll see.

By the way, she and Ross are still cool, if you thought otherwise – I heard.

I don’t know how true this is, but rumor has it The Firm might be reuniting and will include Nas. These cats were IT for a hot second.

Nicole Scherzinger has aborted her debut solo album like a pussycat. Apparently, she’s just focused on the Pussycat Dolls’ CD Doll Domination.

Do you remember Keith “I Want Her” Sweat? Sure you do! I heard he may have a sex tape with former Cash Money rapper Strings. She wasn’t too bad.

I just want to say to everybody that thought I was serious about Berg and Bugsy in a reality show together. I was kidding. Sorry. I say jokes and people don’t get it.

I am hearing the Lupe Fiasco may be going straight into producing as a new creative outlet.

Not sure where this came from but 50 Cent has admitted to feeling back for pressuring Lloyd Banks to promote his last album even though his father had died. I know Banks took that death hard, as he should.

Mike Knox, the dude running the “G-Unit Philly,” was in prison. I never knew. I heard he is now out.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES PART 2

I had so many quickies, I had to make it a deuce. Go to illseed.com for more stuff like the Barack Obama comic book.

I heard Nas and Kelis are hoping to record an entire album together, mtv reports. Do we really need this?

Kelly “My Boo” Rowland has reportedly started at travel show! Oprah is reportedly interested in putting it on her network.

I heard Freeway might be going to G-Unit full time and had been chillin with 50 Cent almost as much as Tony Yayo. You know that’s a lot.

Rumor has it, Young Buck and 50 Cent are close to working something out between the two of them. Not sure what that means, but I am hearing that showing up at Game’s video was bad timing.

I am hearing Spider Loc, Jayo Felony and 40 Glocc have some kind of West Coast super gang group coming.

I know Juelz Santana is supposed to coming out on Def Jam later this year, but I heard that some others are interested in signing him too (both names rhyme with “itty”).

RICK ROSS FANS UNITE!A picture is worth a thousand words. This one is at least 2,000.

For more, check out illseed.com

RANDOM QUOTES

A rep for Barack Obama condemns lyrics by Ludacris (AHH)!

“This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”

Wendy Williams and Omarosa keep the catfight going. For now, the last word goes to O.

“I knocked Wendy out. She’s so used to bullying people, but for the first time, she met her match.” “She definitely has a face for radio.”

Young Buck keeps talking about the situation with 50 Cent:

“At the end of the day, it was a heartfelt conversation from me. I meant everything I said. I was actually going through a situation at the time. He chose to put it out there to kinda discredit me. I think it backfired if you ask me.” (More on this with Shelz)

Charles Cosby talks about his Cocaine Cowboy days (read the feature here).

“Griselda Blanco was the first Colombian drug lord in the United States of America. This is just not me saying it, the records say this. She was the first one. By the time 1975 came around, Griselda had five hundred million dollars in cash; that’s what she was worth. That’s before Escobar was even a drug dealer. Escobar was stealing cars just to make ends meet.”

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

You know I personally don’t subscribe to all that mess about 1 out of 2 new AIDS cases being African American. If that’s the case, here is some news that reps the end of the world. Doctors at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston are rapidly closing on a cure for HIV. Here is what one of the doctors said:

“We have found an innovative way to kill the virus by finding this small region of HIV that is unchangeable,” Dr. Sudhir Paul of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston said.

Dr. Paul and his pal Dr. Miguel Escobar seek to destroy HIV by giving the human immune system with mechanisms that beat the s**t out of HIV. There is a part of the HIV bug that doesn’t mutate or change to drugs. This is where they are seeking to attack by way of something called an abzyme. The abzyme takes out the HIV virus. You are probably wondering where the “sign” is. After “the powers that be” realize that mostly Black people and Africans are going to be helped by this recent discovery, something tragic will inevitably happen to Dr. Paul or Dr. Miguel. There is no way they are going to let a cure for AIDS pop off. Nevertheless, they now have to work on the human testing to see how well this stuff works on people. Wonder who they are going to run the tests on?

Any real break through is about 5 years off. Oh, that’s plenty of time for “the man” to make “something” happen.

SHELZ KEEPS ISH POPPIN’

Shelz: It Wasn’t Me…

So Baby aka Birdman aka Cash Money Man #1 was in court on Wednesday pleading not guilty to a possession charge he caught late last year in Tennessee. It seems an RV he was riding in with 15 other people was pulled over and searched. And guess what the fuzz found; guns and drugs. Now that’s what you call shocking. Anyways, the pound (yes I said pound) of weed they found is what landed Mr. Cash Money in hot water. The guns were completely legit. I don’t think there is a way to make a pound of weed legit, even if you have cataracts.

It WAS me…

Sounds like Young Buck wants to take partial responsibility for the dismal sales of TOS. Here is what he said to Buckie Naked Radio:

“I’m glad to see the fans are still here with me. You put me out the element bruh, it’s kinda rough man. I can’t just say that it was me. But at the end of the day, the energy of what was going on between me and 50 Cent, I think definitely played a part.”

I know this is going to sound really odd, but how bout the album didn’t sell because it’s not that good. Does anyone think that may have something to do with it?

F**k you. Pay me.

Is Jacob the Jeweler still running things from the Pen? It seems he (or someone on his locked up ass’ behalf) has filed suit against Wyclef for non-payment of fees for products rendered; $319,680 worth of products rendered. Jacob’s folks claim they have made several demands for payment, but they have received nothing from Wyclef. Damn. I really want y’all to think about this; $300,000 in diamonds? My house isn’t worth that. Hell, my house plus my car plus my savings aren’t worth that. I need to start rapping.

Do You Respect D’Angelo? Well He Doesn’t Think So.

D’Angelo disappeared and it’s his own fans fault! He got all buckety nekkid in that video for “Untitled” and you all started treating him like a piece of meat. How many of you spent the three minutes and change of that song absorbing those heartfelt lyrics? None of you, I’m sure. You probably spent those three minutes trying to change the laws of physics by pulling the bottom of your TV screen down so you could see a lil bit more. Mmm Hmmm. Well it is that type of behavior that drove D’Angelo into hiding. He allegedly had some sort of mental break down due to his fans lascivious behavior. At least that’s what his former Manager told Spin. Anyway, he’s working on some new stuff and looking better than he did in that infamous mug shot (I swear it took a week for my folk to convince me that wasn’t Ole Dirty Bastard in that pic. May he rest in peace) So when he re-appears on the scene ladies remember he’s an artist and he’s sensitive about his sh*t.

Hasta La Vista Babies…

LMAO – IS THIS HOT ROD DISSING G-UNIT?

I have to say that I haven’t seen Hot Rod enough to really know what he looks like when a side profile and a hate over half of his head while sitting on his Granny’s couch. With that said, I doubt this is him. But all you Hot Rod fans: please verify for me.

Shout out to Yung Skrilla!

FLESH N BONE IS BACK – FIRST INTERVIEW

ANGELA SIMMONS’ NEW VIDEO

I’m not really mad at this, but what do you think?

SOME SISTAS OF AHH

Bhudda and her Colgate smile!

LTBROWN…reppin!

If you are a sista of AHH, email me at [email protected]. You can be any race, color or creed.

YESTERDAY, 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

Obama Campaign Condemns Ludacris Dedication Song

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

Presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama has condemned an endorsement song from Ludacris, in which the Atlanta MC criticizes rivals Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

 

The song “Politics: Obama Is Here” contains celebratory bars on Obama’s success (“The first is destined and it’s meant to be”), but turns venomous when Obama’s rivals are addressed.

 

Ludacris references the bitter Democratic primary battle by stating “Hillary hated on you/So that b**ch is irrelevant.”

 

Regarding Republican nominee John McCain, the rapper rhymes:

 

“McCain don’t belong in ANY chair unless he’s paralyzed/ Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped/ Ball up all of his speeches and I throw ‘em like candy wrap.”

 

Through his campaign team, Senator Obama released a statement condemning the song as offensive and typical of much of Hip-Hop’s current lyrical content.

 

“As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to,” explained spokesman Bill Burton. “This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”

 

Previously Obama once that Ludacris’ music received heavy rotation in his iPod, a point also acknowledged in the song when the rapper says:

 

“With a slot in the president’s iPod Obama shattered ‘em/ Said I handled his biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers.”

 

In November of 2006, Ludacris met with Senator Obama at his Chicago office, where the Grammy Award winners discussed youth empowerment.

 

The rap has also drawn the wrath of WomenCount, a new organization co-founded by former Rock The Vote President/political commentator Jehmu Greene.

 

“It is another example of hateful, sexist language being used on the campaign trail, and now is our moment to make it clear: not on our watch!” stated Rosemary Camposano, Communications Director, WomenCount PAC. “The leadership of both parties must step up to condemn such hateful speech and demand apologies. The Obama campaign has criticized the lyrics, but we call on the presumptive party nominee, who is the celebrated subject of the new song, to go even further: Publicly condemn the song. Demand an apology on behalf of the targets. Now.”

 

Ludacris could not be reached for comment at press time.

Rapper Suga-T Launches ‘Be About It Project’

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

Rapper/Actress Suga-T will launch of her new Be About It Project in Modesto, California this weekend, with some assistance from fellow femcee Ms. Toi and Salt-N-Pepa’s legendary DJ Spinderella.

 

The Project, which aims to mother, educate and encourage peace and unity in the community, will utilize Spinderella’s birthday celebrations on Friday and Saturday (August 1-2), to bring awareness to it’s mission and upcoming initiatives.

 

The Be About It Project consists of a series of workshops highlighting economic, political and social issues to empower those who have dealt with adversity.

 

The program works with youth and parents alike, to develop ways to deal with the pervasive problems created in the community by a lack of educational and recreational options and resources and increasingly difficult economic conditions.

 

“We created workshops to connect the fan-base, to foster a deeper and more personal relationship in an effort to create real change, opportunities, and solutions and help people improve their lives through the platform of music,” Suga-T told AllHipHop.com.

 

“Instead of looking at what’s wrong in the world, let’s look at what we can do to change it through love and respect of all persons; regardless of race, sex, national origin & creed, and work together as the human family to ‘Save Our Planet’,” added Suga who is a member of Bay Area rap group The Click, along with brothers E-40 and D-Shot and cousin B-Legit.

 

As a subset of the Be About It Project, Suga-T has united a group of “Hip-Hop Moms,” consisting of artists like The Lady of Rage, Yo Yo, The Conscious Daughters, and of course Toi and Spinderella, who are equally dedicated to the preservation of Hip-Hop culture and how it affects their children.

 

She has also created two gender-specific lecture series: G.I.R.L.S., Grooming Insight for Realistic Success; and B.O.Y.S., Bringing On Your Success.

 

Both programs offer insight into the entertainment business and teaches teens how to implement the components of realistic success into their own lives.

 

The Be About It launch parties will take place on Friday at the Fat Cat Club, located at 930 11th Street in Modesto, and Saturday at Chativas Sports Bar & Grill at the Waterfront in Stockton, California.

 

Doors open at 9pm on both days.

 

For more information visit, www.suga-t.net or www.hiphopmoms.net.

Sneak(er) Peek: Air Questos, Fly McFly and other stuff…

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

Can you really ever go wrong with a pair of Nike’s ubiquitous Air Force 1’s? These bad boys here (above to the left & below)—pic courtesy of the good folks at The Vault up in Harlem, where you can cop you a pair—are a mesh of the Uptowns with the Air Max 97’s. Crispy.The Roots’ ?uestlove has always been a stand up dude, consistently good for some knocking tunes, but his Air Questo will spawn some debate. They are a part of Nike’s 1WORld series that sees Air Force 1’s “created in partnership with global innovators in the fields of sport, music, art & design.” To his credit, ?uest said he wanted to “start off with a very loud statement, a sneaker that sort of has 12 exclamation points behind it.” I’d say say he accomplished that mission. “The inside (of the shoe) is of me drumming. Yeah, inside art is very important to me. Even though you’re the only person that sees it from a consumer standpoint but, I sorta know you put a lot of work into it as a designer based on how your shoe is designed on the sole.”-?uestlove f/k/a B.R.O.THER. ?Kanye West kicked, “You’re fly is open McFly” on Common’s “Southside,” but it’s doubtful that he knew Nike was going to pull these jawns out of their sleeves. Only 350 of these Hyperdunk McFlys—a take on Kobe Bryant’s Hyperdunks with Back to the Future II colors and a glow in the dark sole, word to Michael J. Fox—were made and last EBay check, they were going for as much a stack. Ahh, the cost of freshness…They do look better than the Marty McFly OG versions below. Now I’ve never been too much of an Aesop Rock fan, but if he had a hand in designing his Adidas and Upper Playground collaboration (available July 31), then the man of the dense lyrical verbiage has impeccable sneaker taste. Save for Rod Lavers, you can’t lose with a pair of Stan Smiths…So Nasir Jones got a deal with Fila. Must say this is an exponential improvement from his days of pushing that Willie Esco stuff. On a slight tangent, am I the only one not impressed by those Filas that look like Prada knock offs?  But for real, The Fat Boys are who made me want to cop a pair back in the day. Now? Nah.

The Family That Plays Together… Sports Family Ties

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

 

 

Did you know that in 1973 almost a quarter of all pro-baseball players, a third of all pro-football players and two-thirds of all pro-basketball players were Black? Most recently, African-Americans now make up 8% of baseball players, close to 67% in football and nearly 79% of basketball players.

 

As we cap off July with barbeques and family reunions, we

are bringing you a Black Family Month inside look at some family ties in

professional sports.

 

Muhammad Ali and

Laila Ali

 

The last name in this family alone deserves so much praise,

for what it means to boxing and the world of sports in general. The great Muhammad

Ali, born Cassius Clay, took home the gold-medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. His

pinnacle fights included the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman and the infamous fight with Joe Frazier “aka” the “Thrilla in Manila. Ali finished up

his remarkable career with a record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts.

 

His daughter Laila decided to follow in his path and stepped

into the ring, when she made her professional boxing debut in 1999. What a

debut it was, in her first fight she knocked out her opponent 31 seconds into

the first round. 

 

Currently Laila holds the title as the undefeated Super

Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World with a 24-0 record and 21 knock-outs. Laila, now with-child, fought her final fight in 2007,

knocking out her opponent in just 56 seconds. Laila can also be seen mentoring

overweight teens on The N network show Student

Body.

 

Reggie Miller and

Cheryl Miller

 

It’s Miller Time! The Miller name is very familiar to NBA fans everywhere, especially those whose team lost in the clutch thanks to Reggie. The now retired Miller spent his entire 18-year NBA career as the shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers, averaging 18.2 points per game. He ended his career with a total of 25,279 points, set a record of 2,560 career three-pointers and finished 12th place on league’s all-time scoring list.

 

His sister Cheryl, though she did not have a lengthy

basketball career due to a knee injury, was drafted in United States Basketball League. She was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Women’s basketball team and in 1986 she led the team to the World Basketball Championship title in Moscow.

 

In her latter years, she coached college basketball, and then served as the head coach of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for four seasons. Both Reggie and Cheryl, after their basketball careers, have taken on a new role as television basketball commentators.

 

Many people don’t know, but Reggie and Cheryl have a brother Darrell Miller, who was a Major League Baseball catcher for the California Angels in the ‘80s.

 

Venus Williams and

Serena Williams

These two powerful sisters stepped on the tennis court and

have forever changed the game. Venus Williams, the recent winner of the Wimbledon, has won 16 Grand Slam titles, which include seven

singles, seven women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles. She is also the winner

of Olympic gold medals in the singles and women’s doubles events.

 

Serena, the other half of this dynamic duo, has won a title

in all four Grand Slam tournaments. Her other accomplishments include winning

28 singles championships, 11 doubles championships and was a Gold-Medalist at

the 2000 Olympics. In 2002, Serena won the Italian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

 

Grant Hill and

Calvin Hill

 

Up next is the Hill family, who did not dominate in the same sport, but they were each great in their own lane! Grant Hill was first drafted by the Detroit Pistons and then moved to the Orlando Magic before ending up at his current home with the Phoenix Suns. Hill, a 13-year pro, has played in over 700 games, averages 19.3 points per game and 5 assists. He is a seven-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA First or Second Team four times.

 

On the football field the retired running back, Calvin Hill, ended his career with 6,083 rushing yards and 42 rushing touch downs. In his 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981, he played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. In 1972, the four time pro-bowler became the first Dallas Cowboy running back to have a 1,000 yard rushing season.

 

Karl Malone and

Cheryl Ford

 

Though this father-daughter combination does not bear the same last name, they share similar skills as forwards on the b-ball court. NBA power forward Karl Malone, otherwise know as The Mailman, spent over a decade with the Utah Jazz. Malone had an average of 25.0 points per game, 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals. At the end of his career he scored a total of 36,928 points.

 

Right now you can check out his daughter, Cheryl Ford, as the star forward for the WNBA’s Detroit Shock. Drafted as the third overall pick in 2003, she was awarded Rookie of the year and rallied the ailing Shock to a WNBA championship. Cheryl averages 11.1 points per game and has over 1700 career points thus far.

 

Malone has another child Demetrius Bell, who was recently drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

 

Tiki Barber and Ronde

Barber

 

Now we have the Barber twins, who both had [and are still having] stellar careers in National Football League. The12-year veteran Ronde Barber is the cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has 965 tackles, 21.0 sacks and 33 interceptions. Barber became the first cornerback in NFL history and just the seventh player overall to record 20 career interceptions and 20 career sacks.

 

Three time pro-bowler Tiki Barber, was the running back for the New York Giants and the all-time leader in rushing yards in G-Men history. Not only did he retire in 2006, but in that same year he became the 21st player in NFL history to rush for over 10,000 yards. Tiki ended his 10 season career [unfortunately before the Giants big Superbowl win last season] with 10,449 yards, 55 touch downs and 2,217 carries.

 

Ken Griffey Sr.

and Ken Griffey Jr.

Here is another family whose name rings bells, this time it’s on the baseball diamond. In 1973 the Major League Baseball organization’s Cincinnati Reds picked up Ken Griffey Sr. In 2097 games, Griffey accumulated a lifetime batting average of .296, with 152 home runs and 859 RBI (runs batted in). Nearly two decades ago, Griffey was also the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 All-Star Game. He retired after playing 19 seasons, with teams that also included the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves and the Seattle Mariners.

His son,

Ken Griffey Jr. is a well-known Right fielder for the Cincinnati Reds. He was initially drafted by the Seattle Mariners where he played for 11 seasons, before going to the Reds after the ’99 season. Griffey Jr. has 605 homeruns, 1746 RBI and is currently sixth on the list of most career home runs.

Joe “Jelly Bean”

Bryant and Kobe Bryant

As another father-son duo, the Bryant last name is probably one of the most

talked about names in sports at the current moment. The NBA super star and

starting shooting guard of the Los Angeles Lakers is the 12-year franchise

player Kobe Bryant. Coming straight out of high school, this remarkable ball

handler aaverages 25.0 points per game and has been selected to every All-NBA Team since 1999. Kobe has won three consecutive championships,

owns an astonishing 21,619 career points and there is no end in sight with him

on top of his game.

His father Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant was drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors in 1975. He was later traded to the Philadelphia

76er’s with whom he played four seasons, then to the San Diego Clippers for two

seasons, before his final NBA season with the Houston Rockets in 1983. At one

point Joe Bryant played in Europe and was also

the coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. 

With so many notable sports families to choose from, let us

know who you have in mind that’s not on our list! Here are a few more honorable

mentions:

 

Patrick Ewing and Patrick Ewing Jr. – BasketballJulius Jones and Thomas Jones – FootballCecil Fielder and

Prince Fielder –BaseballCandace Parker and Anthony Parker – Basketball

Jacob Sues Wyclef Over $300k Jewelry Bill

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

Incarcerated jeweler Jacob “The Jeweler” Arabov and his company Jacob & Co. filed a lawsuit against Wyclef Jean, claiming the rapper/producer owes over $300,000 in unpaid bills.

 

According to The New York Daily News, a lawsuit filed yesterday (July 29), Jacob & Co. accuses Wyclef of purchasing $765,000 worth of watches and jewels between March of 2002 and January 2006, but failed to pay the balance of $319,680.

 

In June, Arabov started a 30 month federal prison sentence for his role in laundering over $270 million in drug money for the Black Mafia Family (BMF).

 

Arabov, 43, pled guilty to falsifying records and giving false statements.

 

Representatives for Wyclef Jean could not be reached a press time.

K-Salaam & Beatnick: Hello New World

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

A revolution is brewing in Hip-Hop and it’s the liberating sounds from Minnesotan producers K-Salaam and Beatnick that fight to resurrect the vacant soul of a dying culture. On their debut, conveniently entitled Whose World Is This? [VP], the duo set out on a mission to find the “answer” to this invigorating question. The result: an uplifting, 18-track, compilation that creates a unified musical discussion between some of the industry’s most talented Hip-Hop (dead prez, Talib Kweli), Reggae (Sizzla, Buju Banton) and spoken word (Black Ice) artists. On the unconventional but thumping, Sting sampling lead single “Street Life,” featuring Buju Banton and Trey Songz, the former wails, “…Oh lawd…what is the meaning of life/If I ain’t got a voice and I ain’t got a choice…” Read on as K-Salaam and Beatnick passionately explain why their messages needs to be heard around the world.AllHipHop.com: Whose World is This?, could your timing be any better with an album title so relevant to all the confusion going on in the world right now? Nas asked the question more than 20 years ago on Illmatic, why did you feel like it was time to readdress such a prominent issue? K-Salaam: We wanted people to finally start to think for themselves but we definitely borrowed the idea from Nas…Beatnick: The album points to the answer but each listener is supposed to take what they need and come up with their own answer.  All the artists [on the album] come from completely different walks of life and are giving their individual opinions. AllHipHop.com: Artists’ are debating whether or not Hip-Hop is dead and then you bang them with an even deeper, more thought provoking question, was the timing and relevancy [for this project] a coincidence?K-Salaam: It’s not a coincidence!  If you are a real artist the timing and your relevancy is a part of your art.  That’s what makes somebody dope… the title, message, ideas, production…the whole package!  Beatnick: Hip-Hop is at such a low point…the timing of the album is definitely crucial because things can’t go on like this for much longer.  People have to step forward, take a chance and do something that’s honest and real!AllHipHop.com: What were you looking for from the talent you sought out to work with on this project?  The list is so diverse, from Papoose to Luciano, why did these people stand out?Beatnick: It ultimately came down to people who we respected and were feeling…K-Salaam We’ve been shopping beats and creating relationships for a while now, so with a lot of the featured artists [on the album] it was a mutual thing. We work with good people and good musicians. That’s what we’re about.  We reached out like “here’s the message” and they felt it and in turn chose to get down. For some [of the artists] this topic is not [normally] something they would address in their music but it’s still something real that they live every day. AllHipHop.com: Can you briefly tell me about your individual journeys? How did you two link up and get into music to begin with?  K-Salaam: I been deejaying since the early 90’s and then slowly got into production. My moms’ was a professional piano player. I play the trumpet and mess around on the keys. When I linked up with Beatnick he was already a full-fledged producer. He’s the brains behind the actual musicality of what we create.  Nick is a composer, engineer, beat-maker…musically we just click. Beatnick: My family is a musical family so this is in my blood.  My grandfather was a Jazz arranger and I’m a trained musician.  I started off playing the guitar and then got into music theory… I went to a high school that specialized in music and was introduced to Hip-Hop and producing in that style… I met K my senior year [of high school] and we’ve been grinding side by side ever since.AllHipHop.com: How would you describe your production style?  K-Salaam: Our style is that we don’t have a style.Beatnick: There’s no one particular sound that’s going to define us. The one consistency that you’ll hear in every track, whether it’s club, street, or conscious is honesty and substance.K-Salaam: “Feel” (f/ Talib Kweli) and “We Gotta Take It” (f/ Papoose & Busy Signal) both really highlight a new sound in music…if you really listen to the beat you’ll say, “this is fresh, I’ve never heard anything like this before.” Papoose deals with the subject on a simple political level and Busy speaks on a gangsta’ level but both verses come together… demanding us to take back our life our culture…our freedom!K-Salaam: “Babylon” (f/ Young Buck & Sizzla) is another brand new sound. I’ve been playing that in clubs and people are loving it!  It’s very colorful and visual.  When Buck heard what Sizzla was coming with, he hit me back and immediately wanted to jump on.  AllHipHop.com: What a sick combination…K-Salaam: Thank you. We don’t make 20 beats a day. Good art doesn’t work like that. We really take this seriously and put our blood, sweat and tears in it.  The producers out there who make 20 tracks a day you can listen [to the track] and tell.  K-Salaam: Another thing that’s being overlooked in Hip-Hop right now that we’re incorporating [in our beats] are drums. All the drums suck in Hip-Hop!AllHipHop.com: That actually ties in the question that I have about the dope drum solo [following “The World is Ours” / Black Ice]…who’s playing and what type of drum is that? Beatnick: The drum solo is kind of throwback to what Pete Rock used to do. We borrowed that from his creative genius.  It’s a reward for people who actually listen to the album all the way through…they get a little treat. That’s actually just a cheap Gimbe drum that I bought a while back.  I was excited about something at the time when I got it and just started playing…it turned out to be a hot track and what better place to throw it on the album…K-Salaam: Black Ice is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life.  He was really inspired by the project. Beatnick: Well that Black Ice track is significant because it’s the direct answer to the question in the title of the album [Whose World is This?] and honestly just sums up what the album is about.AllHipHop.com: How long did it take for you complete this project?  For the aspiring DJ’s/Producers out there who may not truly understand the grind…could you describe your coming of age?Beatnick: It took us a while because we basically started with nothing.  We started with very few relationships and built from there…this whole album is us becoming who we are now. K-Salaam: Nick and I were dropping mix-tapes back in Minneapolis and then eventually just progressed as producers while simultaneously working on this project…  We were deejaying, shopping tracks, building relationships…  We’ve been in the game for about five years now and still aren’t even close to where we want to be or where we know we’re capable of going.AllHipHop.com: What’s your mission in the game overall?K-Salaam: The game needs good music. We’re trying to bring truth, honesty and substance back into the music…  Beatnick: It’s been too long that music’s been mediocre and uninspiring. When anyone comes around and is just a little bit above the bar they’re considered “the greatest.” The bar is real low and K & I are definitely raising it.AllHipHop.com: What major projects have you worked on prior to the release of this album?K-Salaam: We actually did a couple tracks on Nas’s [Untitled] album but he didn’t use them.  He recorded about four songs over our beats; a couple of them were just crazy.  We’re working with Young Buck and Collie Buddz right now on their albums…heavily with Pharoahe Monch, Outlawz, dead prez, Sizzla and Rihanna. K-Salaam & Beatnick with Pharoahe Monch in the studio from ksalaam beatnick on Vimeo.AllHipHop.com: Growing up in Minnesota, how prominent was the Hip-Hop culture in your life?  Listeners may assume that it’s impossible for two “white” dudes to address a struggle that they know absolutely nothing about…why do you feel like it was your job to do this?Beatnick: The love for music and our responsibility to let people know that there’s still good s**t out there…K-Salaam: And the love for the people too. I come from an activist Iranian family so I live in the struggle.  Beatnick [Albanian rooted] lives in the music. When you’re real [even if we were straight up white dudes] and you’re bringing something to the table that people can learn from… no one’s gonna’ question you, and nobody has. People respect and appreciate it.AllHipHop.com:  Why did you guys decide to link with VP Records?  K-Salaam: VP came and offered us a major deal.  We’re both big Reggae heads so it was convenient.  We were trying to get our album out in a timely fashion so we decided to run with it and do the best we could with it. AllHipHop.com:  Any parting words?K-Salaam: Pick up the album…we are really giving something back to people…we’re not just putting out some bulls**t paper music like the s**t that’s out now…this is real.  If you’re too poor to buy the album just download it for free and listen. 

Charles Cosby: Cocaine Cowboy’s Griselda Blanco’s Million Dollar Man Part 2

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Continued From Part One With Charles Cosby

 

AllHipHop.com: During your run did you ever go to Columbia yourself?

 

Charles Cosby: I’ve been having a passport for the last eighteen years so I took trips to Columbia as well as Panama and other countries where it was for pleasure. Every time I went to Columbia it was business. I went to the jungles where they have the actual laboratories maybe twenty miles into the jungle. The only way you can get there is by horseback.  

 

AllHipHop.com: It must have been a surreal sight to see workers with shirts covering their mouths mixing the product up?

 

Charles Cosby: I would say it was surreal but it just let me see what a position I was in. A cat from the hood has no idea how the process goes into bringing cocaine from the coca leaf into the hood. And I actually saw these people stepping on leaves and eating them twenty miles in the middle of a dense jungle. They go for thirty six hours straight, no sleep or nothing. The way they are able to manage is they take the coco leaf and put it in their jaw; it keeps them going.

 

AllHipHop.com: It’s like caffeine in coffee.

 

Charles Cosby: Exactly.

 

AllHipHop.com: Since you were Black and you were dating The Godmother, did you feel any tension towards you when you visited Columbia?

 

Charles Cosby: I felt tension from day one I started dealing with The Godmother but you must understand, The Godmother she is a person of last resort. Whatever she says goes. So regardless what they felt about me, they know I’m The Godmother’s right hand. A punch against me was a punch against her. So they weren’t going to cross the line regardless of how they felt. She brought me in so they would have hell to pay.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: They rolled out the red carpet for you?

 

Charles Cosby: Without a doubt as much as they hated to do it, they had no choice.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you were dealing with the Ochoas during your visits to Columbia?

 

Charles Cosby: I was dealing with the Griselda’s people. She had people she would deal with exclusively. She fell out with the Ochoas many years ago.

 

AllHipHop.com: When did the moral guilt hit you about what you were doing to the urban communities?

 

Charles Cosby: That was some years later. This is post Griselda Blanco. This is after the relationship dissolved. I really sat down and thought about the effects of my so called entrepreneurship. Although I wasn’t selling directly to the streets, I had a hand in that sh*t.

 

AllHipHop.com: At your peak how much money were you seeing?

 

Charles Cosby: At my peak I probably had twenty five million dollars.

 

 

 

AllHipHop.com: Never getting high off your own supply was a cliché statement with in the game during your run. Did you ever touch the stuff?

 

Charles Cosby: Until this day I’m forty years old I have never tasted alcohol, I never smoked a cigarette. I never smoked a joint. I never snorted cocaine. I’ve been drug free my entire life. Some say you can never say never, I will never get high period and this is a forty year old man saying this sh*t.

 

AllHipHop.com: When does the relationship with Griselda start to deteriorate?

 

Charles Cosby: Griselda was scheduled to get out of federal prison in the mid 90’s like ’96. It was a guy named Rivi [Jorge ‘Rivi’ Ayala] her main hit man; he killed forty or fifty people. So Griselda is about to get out of jail, and the authorities don’t want her to get out of jail because they think she is a very dangerous person. So Rivi approaches the prosecution’s office and said “okay well Godmother is about to get out of prison and I have information on various murders I committed for Godmother, can you give me some type of deal?” So they gave Rivi a deal.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: So he snitched on Griselda?

 

Charles Cosby: Yeah, he snitched on Griselda. They indicted her for first degree murders which were death penalty charges. Of course she went through a wide range of emotions during that time. So she an idea of kidnapping John Kennedy Junior in New York, holding him for ransom until she is released, they going to hold his ass. When she is released and flown to Columbia the kidnappers would release him. So of course FBI got wind of it of her hair brained scheme. FBI kicked my door down but the thing of it is, I told Griselda from the start she mentioned the idea to me and I was against it. I told her I’m a drug dealer and don’t force me to something I don’t want to do.

 

So she said, “If you’re not with me, then you must be against me Charles.” I said I’m not against you, but at the same time there are other ways to go about this. You’re a billionaire; let’s spend millions on your defense. We can body slam Rivi in court, who is going to believe a convicted killer who is fighting to get a deal? Griselda is very stubborn so she is going to do things her way. That’s what basically dissolved the relationship.

 

AllHipHop.com: How did the FBI know that you were her guy to kick your door down?

 

Charles Cosby: Well most phone calls in federal prisons are recorded. So Griselda and I were on the phone and I asked her something on the Kennedy plan and she readily admitted it on the phone and of course they heard what we were talking about. The FBI alerted Kennedy’s family and that’s how they were able to come to my house.

 

AllHipHop.com: Can I ask you something man to man?

 

Charles Cosby: Oh yeah.

 

AllHipHop.com: Obviously Griselda was older than you.

 

Charles Cosby: That’s right.

 

AllHipHop.com: Where you genuinely physically attracted to her? Or was it more the allure of whom she was.

 

Charles Cosby: At the beginning it was the allure, this larger than life person, this Godmother of cocaine. But when I met Griselda Blanco, I got a chance to sit down and talk to her in person. Aside from that Griselda Blanco was a really beautiful person. Pretty eyes, nice round face like a doll, deep dimples; Griselda was not an ugly woman, she was beautiful. I eventually fell in love with Griselda Blanco. I didn’t plan it out, it just did.

 

AllHipHop.com: After your refusal to take part in the Kennedy kidnapping everything with Griselda stops.

 

Charles Cosby: After they kicked my door down, the relationship dissolved. At that time I was on probation for a machine gun conviction; I got caught with a Mac 10 in my car I got subpoenaed from the Florida County General’s Office. As much as I didn’t want to go I had to. I wasn’t going to give them anything relevant because what good would it do me to send Griselda who is already distressed. I had already walked away from the game at that point. So I wasn’t looking back. I wasn’t going to sh*t on this woman even though we didn’t see eye to eye anymore, she did a hell of a lot for me. So I still had respect for her. I wasn’t going to be the n****r who sat on the witness stand and put her in the joint for life. I let Rivi do some sh*t like that. I would have dam near gave my life to prevent any harm to come her way and she knew that. This lady is a billionaire, with a b. Her story you will never see again, and I was just honored to be apart of it.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you stopped running her operation.

 

Charles Cosby: I stopped running it around ’97. The money was still good but I had become unhappy at that point. The money didn’t matter because all the sh*t people say if they were millionaire I wouldn’t have any problems. The thing is I’ve been there. I’ve been a millionaire many times over. So if you a jealous n****r, hiding behind bushes and sh*t, you going to be the same n****r when you get money. Ain’t sh*t going to change. Money only allows you a bigger house, more expensive house. Money can’t make every wish and dream come true. I learned that from first hand experience.

 

AllHipHop.com: With all the money you made, did the feds ever come to you accusing you of this and that?

 

Charles Cosby: No the feds never came to me with anything because I could cover it. I had businesses and sh*t; real estate and what not. I can speak freely on the sh*t now. For one the statute of limitations has run out. And two if they want to come and take what I have, fine come and take it. Material sh*t comes and goes, but that’s if they can find it.

 

AllHipHop.com: What was the hardest part of leaving the game for you? Did you miss the action, the status?

 

Charles Cosby: You know what? I can say this with absolute certainty. I didn’t miss sh*t about the game. Until this day I don’t even think about it. No matter how much money you make, these streets are a lie.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: As a guy who was at the top of drug game, what is the number one mistake this current generation makes to get them selves notice by the law? Is it being too flashy?

 

Charles Cosby: The biggest mistake any organization can commit is committing murders because that brings unwanted attention. The DEA know, the ATF know, the FBI know they can never ever stop drug dealing but once you bring the murder into things, it becomes a public outcry and they have no choice but to become more aggressive that’s how they create conspiracy laws, they connect the dots. But if they sold dope in peace and left the murders alone, you could have a ten or fifteen year run as long as you are under the radar.

 

As far as being flashy and sh*t, that’s another thing. That’s just as worse as committing murders because it’s one thing for the police to know you a major drug dealer but it’s an entire different thing to thumb your nose at the police like “yeah motherf***er, we doing this sh*t and there isn’t a dam thing you can do about it.” That a lie, they can take your ass down whenever they feel like it. So for these upcoming cats that want to be more flashy than smart, it’s a jail cell waiting for them too.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: After you stopped working for Griselda, were you still doing your own separate thing in the drug game?

 

Charles Cosby: When I broke off from Griselda Blanco, I had Columbians ringing my phone off the hook. They knew I knew how to get the job done. They knew if they laid five thousand kilograms on me, that I would move them relatively quickly and they are going to be paid. I passed it up though, I never looked back. That’s a part of my life I didn’t want to revisit some eleven years later. I’m still living good, I travel, go wherever I want to go, buy any car from any showroom floor. I’m doing well for myself. I got a beautiful family, what else can a man ask for?

 

Cocaine Cowboys 2 is available now.

Charles Cosby: Cocaine Cowboy’s Griselda Blanco’s Million Dollar Man Part 1

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / Music

Every so often a criminal persona will have a street reputation so grand; it will become permanently fixated into popular culture. From Al Capone and his cigar, the Son of Sam’s grim mystique all the way up to John Gotti’s Teflon disposure. In 2006 a new outlaw would be etched in our hearts via the cult classic documentary Cocaine Cowboys.

 

The film chronicled the insane drug trafficking flowing throughout Miami in the 1970’s and 1980’s. At the center of all the money, murder, and kidnapping was Griselda Blanco. Also known as “The Godmother”, Blanco was a pioneer in the cocaine trade due to her amassed fortune and ruthless ambition to stay at top.

 

While Cocaine Cowboys detailed her rise to infamy, her entire story was not told. Now with the recent release of the much awaited sequel Cocaine Cowboys 2, her story continues in California. Albeit being incarcerated, Blanco still ran a multi million dollar drug operation behind bars with the assistance of Charles Cosby. A dealer himself, Cosby would link with Griselda and make street history. In an exclusive, AllHipHop.com speaks to The Godmother’s multi million dollar man.

 

Point blank his story will make your favorite rapper’s favorite hustler look like a chump. Who else but us?

 

AllHipHop.com: Cocaine Cowboys 2 just dropped. Can you give the readers who haven’t seen the movie some background information on you? Let’s start when you were coming up in the drug game in the west coast.

 

Charles Cosby: Okay I grew up in Oakland California in a little community called Brookfield Village. In contrary to what it may sound like, it’s not a [housing] project. It was a single family home neighborhood. I was like any other kid growing up in the hood you know hanging out and then the crack cocaine epidemic hit Brookfield in 1983, 1984. So all my friends around me were involved in that and I soon became apart of the fast life as well.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you started hustling?

 

Charles Cosby: I started hustling right at sixteen years old. You know everybody was doing it. That was the new thing sweeping across the ghettos of the United States of America. I was like everybody else, I wanted to be apart of it.

 

AllHipHop.com: As I hear you are doing well for yourself in the drug game and become aware of “The Godmother” Griselda Blanco.

 

Charles Cosby: I originally heard of Griselda Blanco February 1985 when she was arrested in Southern California. That’s the first time I was aware of Griselda Blanco. I didn’t make contact with her until six years later.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: Everyone knows you wrote her a letter while she was incarnated, but not many people know you actually were introduced to Griselda through one of her associates first correct?

 

Charles Cosby: Correct. I was at a relatives house I met a Panamanian lady named Manuella. She once worked for Griselda Blanco in New York and also in Miami. So she had an in road to Griselda. That’s how I originally made contact.

 

AllHipHop.com: So it was the type of thing where she told Griselda “I know of a gentleman that would be interested in speaking to you”; basically cosigning you correct?

 

Charles Cosby: Correct. She got in contact with Griselda. She said “I met this Black guy in Los Angeles, he’s originally from the Bay area and he wanted to make contact with you. I just want to let you know he respects you and wants to meet you; for no other reason that he has love for you.” So Griselda was expecting to hear from me. When she did hear from me she called me in the next couple of days. She was careful, like what is up with the sudden interest. Am I trying to make contact to ask her for money or what not?

 

AllHipHop.com: She was doing federal time in northern California correct?

 

Charles Cosby: Yes.

 

AllHipHop.com: I’ve asked around with individuals familiar with that fast life. Colombians generally don’t associate with people of color, namely African Americans. How did you break that wall with her?

 

Charles Cosby: Yeah, they don’t f*** with Black people. They don’t even f*** with dark skinned Colombians. In their eyes light skin is superior and dark skin is inferior. She wasn’t hesitant in dealing with me the way I addressed her…I said an earful. So she couldn’t do anything but respect what I had to say. It was a hell of a beginning. She respected me; I respected her for allowing me the honor.

 

AllHipHop.com: When did Griselda get out of prison?

 

Charles Cosby: Griselda didn’t get out until 2004. She did nineteen years.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you were running her entire operation while she was locked in?

 

Charles Cosby: Yeah, while she was locked in jail. Even before she was in prison, she earned up to a billion dollars a year, with a b. Once she went to federal prison, a lot of her income dropped off but still she was at fifty million behind the walls which is incredible.

 

AllHipHop.com: So detail how everything starts rolling where you’re her go to guy. Do you just take the ball and run with it or was it a situation of back and forth conversations where she outlined how she wanted her business dealt?

 

Charles Cosby: Well when I made contact with Griselda Blanco, I wasn’t allowed to visit her because I was on probation at the time in 91. Federal rules prohibited me from fraternizing with her in person. So after nine to ten months, we established a strong relationship throughout the course of phone calls and letters. Once I was able to go see her all those months later, it was like going to meet my friend who I haven’t seen in years because that’s the type of relationship we had established. The very first visit she agreed to give me fifty kilograms of cocaine and a hundred kilograms in the next month or so. You know selling fifty kilograms in three to four weeks was two million dollars.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: From that point you couldn’t turn away.

 

Charles Cosby: Well I didn’t want to turn away. The money was good. Up until that point, I met Griselda I was just a street dealer. A few crack houses here and there, but my income was limited. A couple of thousand dollars every couple of days or what ever it may have been. There was no way without The Godmother I would have reached the level that I eventually reached.

 

AllHipHop.com: So how was the operation run with her on the inside and you on the outside?

 

Charles Cosby: Well the thing is Colombians are at the top of the food chain. That’s the end all be all supply. They have real power, unlike these American Gangsters Columbian motherf***ers have real power. So if they go to jail or even if they die, the operation is still going to run regardless. So with her being in federal prison, from drug trafficking she still has subordinates in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco who were still on the street doing their thing. But when I came on board she became so fond of me, her love grew so much for me she appointed me to run her entire organization. Which means the people that have been with her fifteen years on her payroll, they were forced to take orders from me; if they wanted to talk to The Godmother, they would have to go through me in order to reach her. It fractured a lot of egos. It created a lot of animosity towards me. First I was Black but then I subsequently became their boss. So I had two strikes against me.

 

AllHipHop.com: Once you were appointed the top position in her organization, did you start fearing for your life?

 

Charles Cosby: I didn’t fear for my life not once because it was an adventure. Know what I mean and I’m an adventurist. Everyday was fun, everyday was a new challenge. I’m from the hood; my income was limited before I met Griselda. After that I became a multi millionaire in a relatively short time. That was fun, it was intoxicating within itself.

 

AllHipHop.com: So this is the powder thing?

 

Charles Cosby: Yeah I got it in bricks and that’s how I sold them.

 

AllHipHop.com: So you didn’t have a team on street, you were more of a wholesaler correct?

 

Charles Cosby: Well I was the supplier that supplied the wholesalers.

 

AllHipHop.com: How much you were letting the bricks go for back then?

 

Charles Cosby: Well it was over a five year span, so it was going anywhere from the high twenty eights to the low twenty’s.

 

AllHipHop.com: Straight?

 

Charles Cosby: That was probably ninety five percent pure cocaine.

 

AllHipHop.com: So your millions start to come in. Paint the picture of the life of luxury you lived immediately after coming into the big money.

 

Charles Cosby: At my peak, I mean purchased a five thousand square foot home in Oakland Hills which overlooked the entire city. You can see as far as San Francisco from my bedroom window. In fact in Cocaine Cowboys 2 you’ll see a clip where I’m standing to the left of my home and I’m overlooking the city. It’s a beautiful shot. I had a Ferrari 512. Although The Godmother tried to curtail my spending, she always said high end spending would do me in which I found out later to be true. She didn’t want me to buy high end merchandise but I would go behind her back and do it anyway. It was dream to me that came true.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: During your time as top dog in the drug game, did you ever have deals with the original “Freeway” Rick Ross?

 

Charles Cosby: When I actually got with The Godmother, he was already incarcerated. Coincidentally, she was Rick Ross’ supplier at one time before she was arrested in Los Angeles. Yeah I would hear the names Rick Ross, ALPO, Supreme, a few other guys, Fat Cat, whoever. But the thing of it is I’m going to tell you a thing most people don’t know. Those dudes didn’t do the numbers that have been said. That’s not possible. It’s not possible for someone in the hood to make three million dollars in a day.

 

So when you hear those numbers about what Rick Ross did, that’s just not true. Colombians make three million in a day. Not no dude on the block, I don’t give a f*** who he is, how big he is, or how big his name was, he didn’t make three million dollars a day. Same thing for Alpo and Supreme; these dudes were breaded out but not to the extent that has been portrayed on American Gangster or sh*t like that. They probably had three or four million that they can touch, but at my peak I could touch twenty million dollars easy! That’s the difference.

 

AllHipHop.com: How about Rayful Edmonds from DC?

 

Charles Cosby: Oh Rayful Edmonds was the real deal. He actually f***d with Griselda’s kids when she was in federal prison, he was dealing with her and her family which is documented on different television outlets but I knew that story fifteen years ago about Rayful. Rayful is the real deal. If I would have to tip my hat to anyone of them, it would be Rayful. Because he a real dude. I know the numbers he did because Griselda told me from her own mouth.

 

AllHipHop.com: How about Michael Fray. He was from DC and was supposedly getting it too.

 

Charles Cosby: I never heard of him.

 

AllHipHop.com: And the Chambers Brothers from Detroit?

 

Charles Cosby: Those cats they did well. They did a million a week or whatever it might have been. This is what I know and this me who was on the inside. At her peak, Griselda made three million dollars a day which equates to roughly a billion dollars a year. She was the biggest of the big and she controlled the majority of the supply. So how is a cat from the hood going to generate three million a day? It isn’t possible.

 

 

AllHipHop.com: I want you to shed some light on the inner works of the Colombian cocaine cartels. The general population believed Pablo Escobar was the man. When Cocaine Cowboys hit it put the focus on the Ochoa Brothers. What’s your take on that?

 

Charles Cosby: Well I’m going to give you a complete breakdown, this is the real deal. Griselda Blanco was the first Colombian drug lord in the United States of America. This is just not me saying it, the records say this. She was the first one. By the time 1975 came around, Griselda had five hundred million dollars in cash; that’s what she was worth. That’s before Escobar was even a drug dealer. Escobar was stealing cars just to make ends meat. Griselda Blanco was the one who gave Pablo Escobar his start and he was loyal to her for a number of years. As far as the Ochoas, they came into the game in the later years in ’78 and ’79.

 

By that time she had become a billionaire, she had become the first cocaine billionaire in the world. But years later in the early 1980’s, Pablo Escobar, The Ochoas, Carlos Lehder and [José Gonzalo] Rodríguez Gacha, their money and power eventually surpassed Griselda’s. They became mightier then The Godmother. They were more like a coalition; they worked hand and hand.

 

AllHipHop.com: If she was sitting on all that cash where did she keep it at? Did she have it in different stash houses?

 

Charles Cosby: Well it goes to stash houses before it goes across the water. Which usually ends up at the Bank Of Colombia which is our Bank Of America. It could go to Panama or the Cayman Islands or wherever during that period.

 

AllHipHop.com: Have you ever seen the autobiographical movie on “Boston” George Jung Blow?

 

Charles Cosby: Yeah I have. But let’s go back to the numbers being inflated because years ago George Jung gave an interview and they asked him how much money did you make and loose? So he said during my time of drug dealing with the cartel and Carlos Lehder I made and lost a ten million dollar fortune. So fast forward to years later his book came out before the movie. BLOW: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. It inflated his numbers ten times.

 

AllHipHop.com: I bring up the Boston George because I wanted to check in with you on how prevalent it was with people taking their earnings to Manuel Noriega’s banks in Panama.

 

Charles Cosby: Well Noriega was a king of drug dealers as well. He was actually in big with the cartels, Pablo Escobar, The Ochoas. When those guys got in trouble with the Columbian government they fled to Panama; Noriega put them up in Panama for a fee. They became large amounts of money into Panamanian accounts which subsequently Noriega ended up taking their money when they fled back to Colombia. So there was nothing they can do about it.

 

 Part Two With Charles Cosby

Baby Heading To Trial Over Marijuana Charge

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

Cash Money Records’ CEO rapper Bryan “Birdman” Williams pleaded not guilty to marijuana possession charges during a preliminary hearing yesterday (July 29) in Kingsport, Tennessee.

 

Williams and 15 others were originally charged with possession of marijuana, after police stopped his RV last November on Interstate 81 for making an improper lane change, which forced a tractor trailer into the emergency lane.

 

A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a pound of marijuana in the RV’s trash can, as well as a number of guns.

 

Williams, his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, an 18-year-old woman and 13 other people were charged with possession of more than a ½ of marijuana.

 

In subsequent interviews after his arrest, Williams, who was on the road promoting his album 5 Star G, admitted to possessing marijuana but denied possessing a pound.

 

Yesterday, three of the group member also charged with possession of marijuana failed to appear in court and bench warrants were promptly issued for their arrests.

 

Williams and the group are slated to go to trial in October.

Kidz In The Hall Rapper Arrested

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

AllHipHop.com has confirmed the weekend arrest of Chicago rapper Naledge, one half of duo Kidz In The Hall.

 

The 25-year-old artist, born Jabari Miles Evans, was taken into custody in Tempe, Arizona early Saturday morning (July 26) following an incident at a local nightclub where he and partner DJ Double-O were scheduled to perform.

 

While details surround the incident remain unclear, Tempe police spokesman Sgt. Steve Carbajal said the arrest took place shortly after a fight broke out at the Cherry Lounge & Pit.

 

According to a police report, Naledge was physically removed from the scene after refusing several police commands to leave a crime scene.

 

He was charged with violating a city code of obstructing justice.

 

The rapper was released from the Tempe City Jail after posting $500 bail. No one was hurt during the altercation.

 

Throughout the rest of the summer, The Kidz In The Hall are part of a packed Rock The Bells Festival line up, which this year includes Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, and The Pharcyde, who have reunited at least for the full run of the festival.

 

Their appearance in Tempe was not part of the Festival.

Hip-Hop Rumors: R. Kelly’s New Girl! Jay-Z Disses Foxy & Prodigy? Prodigy Disses Jay!

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

DISCLAIMER:

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

TODAY’S RUMORS!

Starting off with a lil “drama” – Lady Drama lets the juice fest commence and illseed and Shelz come from the middle to the end to the ill pics: 

Beyonce raps it up! Word on the street is that Beyonce is rapping on a new track for her upcoming album. Don’t know how great this will be but I will say this with Jay-Z as a coach I’m sure it will be flawless. I know some of you may clown me for this comment but Bey has rapped on a track before on her last album and it wasn’t that bad so you never know! I also hear that the track may be leaked sooner than later so you all can judge for yourself when that time comes! R. Kelly has a new girlfriend…… and she’s legal! Looks like R.Kelly has learned something from his court circus that took place last month, he’s decided to go after girls who can’t get him locked up! I hear he has a new arm piece that’s 18! Now now, the age of the girl is still questionable considering he’s in his 40’s but hey Russell, Quincy and Don Cornelius do it and wife their chicks up so why not! I’m just glad that she’s legal and R.Kelly can have a hump fest with a free conscience! Alright! And I hear that the girl may be showcased in his new video so keep your eyes peeled when that hits the scene!  Joc and Kim Spotted AGAIN! Hmmm…… Looks like Joc had his hands full at a recent shin dig! Sidebar on Queen Pen making numerous appearances now a days! And if you squint with one eye from a profile look Lil Kim looks “________”   

…and lastly…… Raven round up: So I hear some of you guys were hurt by my comments on Raven…… Get over it I love all of you equally the same but you know when someone falls short I have to call them to the carpet, not the red carpet but the black carpet! Raven may very well be successful in other business ventures but when it comes to music she can’t hold a light to all the other competition out there! I didn’t say she was a horrible business woman I said she was a horrible artist and not for nothing that’s as close to the truth that you’ll get in this rumors section! On a side note if I’m not here to tell it like it is then what am I here for? Lady Drama’s Food For Thought: Has anyone else noticed the rock on Whitney’s finger in her recent Ray I outing photo? Now wouldn’t that be a hot mess of holy matrimony? Am I the only one disappointed that TJ and Rocsi kissed and made up? I live for a good catfight! Damn! I’m so over the A.Keys, Swizz Beats, Mashonda triangle of love…….. how about you all? Drop it please! Speaking of being dropped, can we do the same with the Rick Ross issue? If he is or isn’t what does it matter now? Go hard or go home folks! Emphasis on GO HARD! 

ILLSEED IS BACK – NEVER FEAR!

50 SHOOTING MOVIE

This is something that slipped past me. 50 Cent I taking his next album to levels higher than Red and Meth, from what I have been told. (Maybe not higher than Red and Meht, but you get where I am going with that.) 50 Cent is reportedly shooting a movie called “Before I Self Destruct,” a complementary item to his album of the same name. Apparently, 50 is taping the movie in Patterson, NJ to the glee of the surrounding community. This is also his last CD with Interscope. He needs it to be a banger so he can have leverage for negotiating a new deal.

DIAMOND VS PRINCESS

Diamond and Princess just got into a confrontation at Souljah Boy’s bday party. It started with Diamond walking past Princess several times. Princess was standing off in the cut, minding her business. I would say Diamond was the instigator. When she approached Princess, it started out as a fake friendly convo, and quickly escalated to blows almost being thrown. Surprisingly, Shawty Lo broke it up. But by that point, all the photogs were over there. The war of words continued until one photog suggested a freestyle battle. Princess was with it, Diamond started coppin pleas. First she was like “Let’s do it on Payperview,” then, she was asking where the money was. Finally, as Princess started going in, Diamond’s handlers pulled her away.

Afterwards Princess, said it was “unroyal” of her to stoop to that level, but “sometimes your emotions get the best of you.”

Apparently, Shawty Lo did his lil’ dance right when he broke it up. I kid! Thanks, Tai!

DID GAY RUMORS MAKE MARQUES GET MARRIED?

He’s not married yet! But, I am hearing that persistent gay rumors prompted Marques Houston to get a honey and make her his wife. I am hearing the girl hails from Atlanta so she is probably glad to get a good man. I don’t know who Lil’ C is, but I am hearing that Marques stole his gal and it has caused a real problem inside the TUG camp. Lil C is in a group named 2 Much who is managed by TUG, I heard. They are also on Interscope, What is really bizarre, is I heard Lil C is only 16 years old. Marques’ alleged fiancée is of age. Anyway, Lil’ C has some youtubbery for you to see his side of things.

Here you go:

T.I. SAYS “RESPECT MY VOTE!”

JAY-Z DISSES PRODIGY AND PRODIGY DISSES JAY-Z

Yo! If you haven’t heard it, check out the “Put On” remix with Jay-Z. In the song, Jay goes hard at Prodigy, but also seems to send some shots at Foxy Brown. Anyway, below in this old footage, Prodigy disses Jay for doing a soundtrack about Frank Lucas (American Gangsta). Cam’ron gets a lil’ diss too. There are different levels of snitching…I didn’t know!

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

I don’t this means Cam is leaving the Dips or just down with another crew. I am hearing Cam’s got a clique called Team Aura. You might recall Cam has a song called “My Aura,” and that’s the start of his new alignment with these dudes. Anyway, Penz is one of the members.

Will Smith might be involved with a I Am Legend prequel that’s on the way.

Amy Winehouse is out of the hospital.

It sucks to be Amy, since Alicia Keys locked down the theme for the upcoming James Bond movie.

Rumor has it, people aren’t taking to Oprah’s O magazine the way they used to. Isnt that all magazines?

Some bird that says Chris Rock fathered her kid is now writing a book.

Rumor has it, R.Kelly’s new girlfriend is 18 years old. Hey, at least she’s legal.

Buckshot wasn’t in AZ. So he basically missed a helluva cipher at the Rock Steady Reunion. So did I.

Bugsy might be getting a reality show on MTV about the trials of a young rapper coming up. Co-starring Yung Berg.

RANDOM QUOTES

Nas “conversates” about to Rev. Jeremiah Wright:

“That’s street corner s**t. That’s that n***er s**t, just on a higher level. That’s just a dumb-ass n***a. With all the degrees and intelligence he has, he throws all that out the window when he starts cooning. Reverend Wright is the biggest coon of the 21st century so far, and that’s just what it is. And I don’t give a f**k who he’s down with, where he studied at, he’s a great f***ing coon.”

Ne-Yo preaches about the state of the music…and all that BS!

“Image is the most difficult thing. Back in the day, you were judged off your music, or how many hits you had or the quality of your music. Now it’s what celebrity you’re dating, or how many times you’ve been arrested in a year, or what drugs you’re doing. That’s what gets you the cover of a magazine.” Word to Winehouse!

Kim Kardashian goes at the haters!

“I can take criticism, I know not everyone will like what wear, how I do my makeup, or certain choices I may make, but there are positive ways to express yourself without being nasty!”

I guess the rumors about 50 buying the rights to his ex-girlfriend’s life is correct:

“I bought the rights to her life story so she couldn’t write a book. I seen her being ridiculous; I knew her capabilities of going in that direction, so I bought the rights.”

RICK ROSS TALKS…

The people aer talking about Rick Ross and Ross is talking about Ross. He really is the biggest boss. I love the interviewer for his tact.

THE EXPOSURE IS HIGH!

This is from the panchereport.com and they are going IN on some rapper, who is unnamed in this write up:

Author Terrance Dean was introduced to Deelishus this past weekend at Gay Pride in Detroit. According to Terrance, she noticed my book and we got to talking about it. She was like, “Oh my God! We have to talk.” “No problem,” I said.

“Okay, you know I used to date someone in the business, right?” She looks me in my eyes with her gorgeous smile.

I am definitely attracted to her. There is something about Deelishus that makes you feel welcoming. She is really beautiful with soft feminine features and a dynamic smile.

“Well, who are you talking about?” I asked already knowing who she was referring to. I really wanted her to say his name.

“He is a rapper,” she says coyly.

I get that she is not going to say his name. So I try a different approach.

“Did he used to have long hair?”

She thinks for a moment and then looks at me shocked. She nods her head and says, “Yeah.”

“What do you want to know?” I ask.

“I mean, do you know anything. I heard…” her voice trails off and she looks at me for some indication or confirmation.

“I know some things.”

“Oh my gosh!” Deelishus squeals. She puts her hand over her mouth.

“It’s no secret. We all know.”

“No, no, no,” She continues to squeal and backs away from me. She starts laughing. “Are you serious?”

But, before we could continue, one of the hosts of the party jumps between us to get his photo op on. Then a crowd swells around us. She keeps looking over at me and saying, “Terrance, we have to talk. Seriously we have to talk.”

I smiled at her and told her, “Yeah, we do.” I know she has some things she wants to share with me as well.

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AND END

For the rest of the world, America is in a bad way. Granted, we don’t have it as bad as other nations, but people are feeling the sting of recession. College students are now forced to get in “bread lines” to get food, because they can’t afford it. At the University of Washington students get handouts for milk and bread over at the University District Food Bank. Before this was for poor people with kids, but more and more college students need that help. This is happening all over the place too. According to an AP report, places like Community College of Denver have one of these donation spots in house to get food to the future. That’s about it, but next time you see somebody using food stamps, they might not be poor…just broke.

SHELZ GETS DOWN WITH THE WU

The Wu-Tang Chronicles

So the peeps over at Prefix sat down with RZA aka Bobby Digital and of course he said some things that made me go hmmmm? The suggestions of schizophrenia always baffle me. The interviewer asked him to “imagine an encounter between RZA and Bobby Digital.” Aren’t they the same dude? Then RZA responded “Bobby Digital aims to please RZA” Again I ask, aren’t they the same dude? But he did say he’s working on a Bobby Digital comic book for all you overgrown kids out there and the characters from the book will somehow be incorporated into some of his music. Then he said something about the n-bomb being found the Koran and he lost me again. But I swear RZA’s interviews are always seriously interesting whether I understand what he is saying or not.

Then…..

Meth was interviewed by TSS and we all know he has a comic book out too. But his take on the previous Wu-Tang comic book enterprise wasn’t too kind. He pretty much said the book was wack. He didn’t like it and he had nothing to do with it. He also had less than sparkling reviews for the Wu-Tang video game. The name escaped him, but his opinion didn’t. I think the word he used was garbage. Yup, that’s it.

And then…..

Raekwon was on Karmaloop promoting Only Built for Cuban Links 2 and he made some head scratching comments as well. He said something like, he’s going to have a poster of himself on the floor and all of the baby rappers will have him tied up and his feet cuffed to the floor and then he will wake up and …. Well I don’t know. Maybe when he wakes up, he will explain that last sentence to me. The Game and Ghostface are featured on his upcoming release. And even though I didn’t understand anything he said either, I’m still gonna cop that.

HERE ARE A GANG OF PICS – I HOPE YOU AREN’T BLIND…

First, here is Kelly and her bubble. Most importantly, she is chilling. Also, Ladies of AHH, I didn’t forget you.

KELIS…THE BIZARRO KELLY!

Hey, are those hammer Pants Kelis has on?

What-What-What! Go, Hamma! You can never front on MC Hammer!

GUM PEDDLERS?

Chris and Ne-Yo hawking gum! I see you. That check better be favor too!

STILL STUMPED!

To this day, I cannot think of WHAT made Marques Houston where this get up.

NEW BIG PUN MOVIE!

Big Pun’s wife, Liza Rios and longtime friend of Pun, Cuban Linx, were at the premiere of Big Pun’s tribute documentary, Big Pun: The Legacy. The event drew many friends, fans and celebrities of one of the best MC’s to ever spit on the mic.

Rapper/actor Al Be Back and DJ Enuff show respect to Big Pun by checking out his documentary premiere in New York.  

DJ Disco Wiz and legendary photographer Ernie Paniccioli also made the premiere of the tribute documentary on Big Pun. 

 

LEBRON IS READY FOR THE GOLD!

YESTERDAY, WE LOVE YOU!

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

-illseed

WHO: illseed

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

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

– allhiphop rumors