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Tinchy Stryder: Prince of Grime

If the UK grime scene had a family tree it would go something like this. Wiley aka the ‘Godfather of grime’ would sit at the top of the tree. Former Wiley protégée Dizzee Rascal would be the next heir in line and as the tree splitters down and sideways popular names such as Ghetto, Kano and Chipmunk would appear. Second ‘cousins’ Sway and Lethal Bizzle would also make an appearance but if grime were to have a nephew – it would be Tinchy Stryder.

Hailing from the ‘spiritual’ home of grime – Bow E3 – Tinchy Stryder is to grime what a bun is to a burger, the two just go together. Under the wing of grime’s Godfather Wiley, Stryder burst onto the underground scene aged just 16. His small stature, rapid delivery and intense flow coupled with some east London swagger made Tinchy a popular feature on pirate radio stations such as Rinse FM.

With several underground hits and a promising debut album under his belt, it was merely a matter of time before the rapper made it to the top of the charts. His back to back commercial hits Stryder Man and the number three charting Take Me Back – have already made him a household name.

Now 22 (and still 5’1) the rapper – who has been number one in the UK singles chart for three consecutive weeks – is currently putting the touches on his sophomore album Catch 22. Michelle Adabra caught up with the mc to talk about life on top of the charts, the future of grime and taking on the US.

AllHipHop.com: How are you feeling about your number one record?

Tinchy Stryder: It’s one of those things that you dream about. When I first heard the news I just couldn’t believe it really, I’m very happy right now.

AllHipHop.com: So you’re the first artist in the UK to go to number one with a record called ‘Number One’- not even Kanye and Pharrell could manage that…

Tinchy Stryder: …I know I heard that I’ve set a record (laughs). I didn’t call it Number One thinking, ‘I’m going to number one’ but it happened anyway so I’m thankful.

AllHipHop.com: You’re currently working on your new album Catch 22– what can we expect from it?

Tinchy Stryder: It’s like a new sound for me on this album. I’m really experimenting, obviously there are some grime sounding tracks because that’s where I’ve come from but I’ve tried to not limit myself in terms of sound. I didn’t want to go to crazy on the collobos, so far I’ve got a track with N Dubz and Frank Music – who are both doing big things in the UK right now.

AllHipHop.com: So was it a conscious decision to move away from the traditional grime sound?

Tinchy Stryder: No it wasn’t really conscious, sometimes it just depends on the producer you’re working with. If I’m working with someone who makes those really dark, grime beats then that’s what I’m gonna record. The difference is, this time around I worked with different producers and just tried to experiment more, I’m really excited about the stuff we’ve done so far.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been dubbed the ‘prince of grime’; do you still see yourself as a grime artist?

Tinchy Stryder: Well yeah I’ve come from the grime scene, so that will always be a part of me. Obviously the singles I’ve released recently aren’t really grime but they connect more with the mass. Things are changing there are a lot of artists from the grime scene who are making different types of music now. I never called myself that name, it was given to me but at the end of the day I have come from the grime scene and I’ll always be proud of that.

AllHipHop.com: Like you said a lot of grime artists are moving in other directions – do you think there still is a thriving grime scene?

Tinchy Stryder: The people at the top of the grime scene do seem to be moving in other directions however I’ve been writing and spitting since I was 13. I can look back now and see a new wave of kids coming up and doing their thing in grime and these kids are going to experiment and take the music even further than we did.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of UK acts are having success in the States at the moment – do you have any plans to do the same?

Tinchy Stryder: Yeah, hopefully. UK artists are doing pretty well at the moment so in time I’d like to see if I could penetrate the US market. Hopefully they like my music and want me over there!

Tinchy Stryder – “Number 1”

Tinchy Stryder – “Breathe”

Hip-Hop Rumors: Pretty Ricky Explains Gay Dance! The Dream’s Boston Fail! Drake & Teyana?

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.

THE DAILY TWO SENSE

Man, if feel bad for all the people that have recently lost somebody in their lives. I’m thinking about King Tee, who lost his teen daughter. I’m thinking about Young Dro, who I heard lost his sister. I’m thinking about Mike Tyson, who lost his 4-year-old daughter just yesterday! Man, life is a MF. Sometimes, I feel like I’m just here and going wherever the tide takes me. Anyway, God bless these people and anybody else out there that has lost anybody. Crazy times.

Not to be a downer, so lets move on to the rumors.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Shout out to Kiana and Gunot_17!

Cam’Ron is talking about re-issuing Crime Pays. Hummm?

T.I. supposedly married Tiny just before he went to jail. Well, that’s a nice gesture. Click here for the story.

OJ Simpson has appealed the verdict in his case claiming there was a lack of diversity in the jury.

A man was arrested in the UK for trying to give Jay-Z his demo. They thought he was trying to attack Beyonce. Demos are so 90’s and 80’s.

DRAKE WAS IN NYC, BUT LETS TALK ABOUT CALI!

Here is a dose of facts, according to the people I know out in Cali. Here have been rumors about why Drake wasn’t at Elements in Hollywood. The real truth, according to my sources, is Drake WAS there 100%. The problem was the promoters implied or lied to their patrons and promoted the event as a concert when it was really just an appearance and afterparty, my SOURCES SAY. So when Drake and Co. arrived to see the whole crowd in front of a stage like it was a show, he wasn’t having it. He didn’t want to let the crowd down by not performing, but he wasn’t paid to do so. So, it wasn’t Drake’s fault.

I after I did all that writing, somebody sends me Drake’s own words and here they are:

“I WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT TRANSPIRED AT ELEMENT NIGHTCLUB IN LOS ANGELES ON SATURDAY MAY 23RD. ANYBODY THAT ATTENDED CLEARLY SAW ME ARRIVE AND LEAVE WIHTOUT THE PERFORMANCE THAT THEY WERE PROMISED. I LEFT THE VENUE BECAUSE THE PARTY WAS PROMOTED AS A FULL PERFORMANCE AND NOT AS A NIGHT THAT I WAS HOSTING. THE FLYER FOR THE PARTY SAID “MAIN SHOW” WHICH LEAD PEOPLE TO BELIEVE I WAS GIVING A SHOW AND ALLOWED PROMOTERS TO CHARGE 40 DOLLARS A PERSON. I HAD A SHOW AT CAL STATE THAT NIGHT AND AT NO TIME DID I INTEND TO DO ANOTHER SHOW AT ELEMENT. I WAS BEING PAID TO HOST A PARTY AND WHEN I SHOWED UP THE MONEY I WAS PROMISED FOR THAT SIMPLE TASK WAS SHORT. THE PROMOTERS WERE ASKING ME TO “JUST DO ONE OR TWO SONGS” AND LEAVE BUT I AM AN ARTIST AND I TAKE PRIDE IN THE SHOW I’VE PUT TOGETHER. I REFUSE TO STEP ON STAGE AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT I AM OKAY WITH THEM PAYING 40 DOLLARS TO SEE ME RAP OVER TWO RECORDS THAT MY DJ PLAYS. I LOVE MY FANS TOO MUCH FOR THAT AND THEREFORE I LEFT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXPLAINING THE MISHAP IN THE HANDS OF THE EVENT ORGANIZERS. I APOLOGIZE TO ANYBODY IN LA THAT WAS DECEIVED AND I PROMISE THAT WHEN I RETURN I WILL DRAIN MY BODY OF ALL ITS ENERGY WHEN I HIT THAT F***IN STAGE AND GIVE U ALL THE BEST PERFORMANCE I CAN. I LOVE YOU ALL.”

Question: why do rappers type in all caps?

THE DREAM’S NIGHTMARISH FAIL

Dream was at the Boston House of Blues with Keri Hilson and them. For some reason, Keyshia Cole wasn’t there, but that not the point. The point is, the crowd was super-hype to see The Dream. Dude didn’t realize that he was in the home of the BOSTON RED SOX. And he made the mistake of rocking a Yankee’s fitted. Some member of the crowd got every loud and belligerent in there. During The Dream’s set, they kept screaming “YANKEE’S SUCK, YANKEE’S SUCK.” By the end of the show, Dream got the hint and put on a rhinestone hat. I heard that he gave the hecklers the middle finger for good measure.

SPECTACULAR SPEAKS!

I have to say…Spec challenged a bunch of men at the beginning of the video. Come on, dude! “You know that ain’t riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!” We all have seen Pretty Ricky’s “Spectacular” dancing in his red briefs trying to prove he can out-grind Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Day 26 and more! Well Spectacular checked in with “Live with Kendra G” and answered every question you probably had has you were watching the video!! Why was he wearing those red briefs? Was this his “coming out video” meaning is he GAY?? Will he do more videos like that? Watch the interview with Kendra G for yourself to get all the answers:

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PITBULL KNOCKS STUPID FAN OUT!

Never get on stage and flash money in the face of Pitbull. FAN FAIL.

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LMAO: I SMELL MILK, I MEAN BEEF!

It looks like the “situation” with Play-n-Skillz has turned into something other than it was! I never regarded it as beef, but this new cartoon suggests something is awry. Just click here to see what is what.

NORE VS SOME DUDES?

I don’t know what this is all about but, one of the homies hit me up and said he and some of his boys almost got into it with Nore and his clique. Like 4am in the morning the were on 42nd street in Manhattan and they saw Nore. Well, he said that Nore said something like, “What’s poppin, Purple City?” in a way that they felt was disrespectful. He said they were outnumbered 2 to 1 so they didn’t do anything at first. He said they came back about a minute later and Nore was gone. They got into it with the remaining members of the crew though, but they were most interested in getting Nore! I don’t know if this is true, but we don’t need any dead rappers!

WHO DID WHAT WITH WHO?

This is coming from the Twitter of p### star India. Now, I didn’t really know who Claudia Jordan was until today. India spilled the beans on this Jordan woman by saying she did a “professional” on Diddy. I can’t confirm or deny this, but only report it as what India claims. How India can make this claim is anybody’s guess. Here is what she said:

@CLAUDIAJORDAN IS A H*E THAT B****H SUCKED DIDDY D**K AND HOLD ON …I DID MOVIES SO IT AINT NOTHIN I LOVED MY CAREER…

SMH.

At any rate, Claudia was very diplomatic and positive about the mess by saying the following:

“Oh I’m fine. I’m ignoring it. It’s some low end p### girl who said I ignored her in a club or something-so now she has it out 4 me”

“mad immature & I never heard of homegirl-her world is nowhere in the vicinity of mine.let’s keep it that way. She’s blocked.dead”

“I’m trying to keep it peaceful and not use my powers of severe wit for evil. They won’t take me off my positive kick–no sir”

Here is a petty telling image though.

THE BAWSE TALKS TO GOD

God is “Rich Off Cocaine” in the spiritual sense! Seriously, I heard the Christian community is upset about this!

RED AND METH: 48 HRS!

This is a prequel!

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SPECTACULAR of PRETTY RICKY PART 2

I’m giving all of you fair warning. The boy is out there.

Respect to the gays, but this one is in denial. The boy gayer than fruit cocktail, I tell ya!

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

Here is another one where the kids get the short end of the stick. Sadly, this is all real coming out of Memphis, TN. What happened? A woman is with her 2-month old kid at Wal-Mart.Well, the store suspected the woman of shoplifting and they approached her about it. The women tried to escape by using her baby as a weapon. She threw the seat at the Wal-Mart employee WITH THE BABY IN IT! The baby falls face-first on the pavement. The baby was KO’d and paramedics had to revive her/he. And, the mother RAN AWAY. Stacey Cleaves of Memphis is now charged with felony child abuse and neglect and assault. LOSER.

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

Demi Moore has taken twitter too far. She went to the dentist and twitted this:

What is wrong with these people? She looks like a meth head in recovery!

ILL PICS

My homey Nick was in Miami over the weekend. He saw the Ruff Ryders, new and old! DMX, Cassidy and the newly signed Murda Mook.

DRAKE AND TEYANA?

She may not have liked the Rihanna rumors, because suddenly these Drake pics pop up.

She says they are just friends so…we’ll see.

THE ORIGINAL PRANK

You remember the prank yesterday? Well, this is the original. He GOT GOT! Now, I see why he got his boy back so bad. These are some serious PRANKS!

CHARLES HAMILTON REPLIES!

It is on the record. I tried to hit up Charles Hamilton on twitter, but he wasn’t around so the rumor ran. Any star that wants to get at me directly may do so at al*************@***il.com or twitter.com/illseed.

Here is some of what Charlie had to say about the rumor that Interscope wasn’t feeling his album:

First off, thank you Illseed for my morning coffee. Actually cooled me down a lil bit to know that my album’s “status” is worth being in the AllHipHop rumors section. Now if I can only get a review of anything other than my face’s ability to block punches…

NOW.

What Jimmy told me was to do my thing, and use the business to my advantage.

Interscope is used to a certain sound, as evidenced through the latest Em release (“Relapse”). The crystal clear, uncompressed sound, usually mastered by Dr. Dre (or Ron Fair) is what makes an Interscope album an Interscope album. Content and production wise, they LOVE “This Perfect Life” (much to the dismay of the email).

As far as sound quality, they don’t understand it.

“This Perfect Life” was professionally mixed, but in the mastering, I did things a little bit different. Each song was ran into vinyl, before digitally remastering each vinyl-ly mastered song, before mastering the album together as a whole. So you hear actual dust from the record.

So it sounds a lot older than it really is.

Quite literally, you hear the needle drop on the record.

The point of me doing that is, the mainstream way of presenting music is getting old. Yeah I know, “Charles this mix sounds like crap.” That’s kinda the point. You have to LISTEN. The points I bring up with this album on every song go beyond the 30 second sound-byte of a ringtone. There are solutions to problems that we all face that need to be heard.

Or is that not what an artist is supposed to do?

There is a plan to put “This Perfect Life” in stores after it’s online release, as a box set, with a DVD of animated videos that string the concepts of the song together to make a movie. There will also be a collage if you will of my interviews and interviews with celebrities, politicians, and commonfolk about what a perfect life would mean to and for them.

We’ll work on those music reviews.

And, Charles…because I care…here is a new babe for you until things are smoothed over with Briana. This woman is Ms. Stitz and she has the largest breasts on Earth. Don’t say I never did anything for a playa.

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

DILLA, WE LOVE YOU!!!

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

-illseed

WHO: illseed.com

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at al*************@***il.com.

T.I. Is A Married Man, Weds Tiny

T.I. and longtime girlfriend Tiny are now man and wife, according to recent reports.

T.I., real name Clifford Harris, and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, were married in a secret wedding ceremony last Friday on an island that was on the outskirts of Miami.

Cottle is the mother of two of T.I.’s kids and been the rapper’s companion since 2001.

“It’s been a crazy situation around here with all that has been taking place. In regards to Tiny and T.I., yes they are officially husband and wife. It recently took place in a very private ceremony with only members of the immediate family and certain members of the Grand Hustle family,” an unnamed source told The Urban Daily.

The wedding was positioned as a family trip to the media, but doubled as a wedding.

Rapper T.I. checked into a federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas on Tuesday (May 26).

 The rapper is serving a 366-day federal

prison sentence for attempting to by illegal machine guns and silencers

from undercover agents in October of 2007.

Diddy Hits A Million Followers On Twitter; Mild Backlash Ensues

Hip-Hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs can add another first to his list of accomplishments, as he has become the first rapper to have over a million followers on popular micro-blogging site, Twitter.

 

The mogul began a countdown last week, asking his hundreds of thousands of followers to re-tweet his messages in attempt to gain more followers to cross the 1 million mark.

 

Early this morning (May 27), the mogul sent out a message thanking his followers for helping place him in company with celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Seacrest and even United States President Barack Obama.

 

And while Diddy has reached the milestone, he still trails behind celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal, Britney Spears, Jimmy Fallon and others.

 

The mogul’s accomplishment has not been without backlash. Almost immediately, Twitter users began a tag called #unfollowdiddy, which consists of users explaining why they should not follow the mogul.

 

The tag has quickly become a trending topic, although it doesn’t appear to be effecting Combs’ Twitter page, which continues to attract thousands of followers.

 

The negative tags and re-tweets may have gotten to Combs who wrote: “Life is short! Use your time wisely! Only a fool waste [sic] time on negativity! while your trying to tear me down I’m already onto my next dream!”

 

He also sent a link out to a YouTube link to a clip of a popular skit by Katt Williams addressing “haters.”

 

Combs recently released a free Bad Boy mixtape titled Welcome To Bad Boy: Hottest in the Hood.

 

He is currently working on material for his new solo album Last Train to Paris.

Mike Tyson’s Daughter Dies Tragically

Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter has died after sustaining critical injuries from a treadmill cord wrapped around her neck as she played on Monday.

Exodus Tyson was playing around a treadmill in the family home in Phoenix at the time of the tragic accident.

Her 7-year-old brother found Exodus alive, but with the cord around her neck. At the time, her mother was cleaning in a separate part of the house. The brother immediately alerted the mother who alerted emergency services.

Exodus was taken to the hospital and placed on life support, but she died hours later.

“Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there’s a cord that hangs under the console — it’s kind of a loop,” police Sergeant Andy Hill told local Fox News. “Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it.”

Sergeant Hill has eliminated any notion of foul play around the death.

Mike Tyson was in Las Vegas, but flew to Phoenix as soon as he received the news.

A PR firm representing the family issued a statement.

“The Tyson family would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for all your prayers and support, and we ask that we be allowed our privacy at this difficult time,” a statement released on behalf of the family said.

Wale Roc Nation Deal Clarified; Headlines Rock The Vote Concert

Washington, D.C. rapper Wale has entered into an agreement with Roc Nation, the record label, management and music publishing company founded and helmed by Jay-Z, AllHipHop.com has confirmed.

 

However, contrary to early interpretations of a video interview, which has since been pulled from the web, Wale is not signed to the label side of Roc Nation, his manager explained.

 

Several websites reported that Wale had signed to Roc Nation, which lead many fans to question his status with Interscope Records and Mark Ronson’s Allido Records.

 

Wale has been signed since 2008.

 

According to the rapper’s manager Dan Weisman, Wale is managed by Roc Nation and his company Elitaste, and remains signed to Allido/Interscope.

 

Weisman would not offer further details.

 

Wale’s debut album, Attention Deficit, is due out later this year.

 

In related news, Wale will take a break from his heavy touring schedule for a special hometown performance on June 3rd.

 

The Allido/Interscope Records artist will headline the debut show of this year’s Rock The Vote Nights concert series with the support of go-go band UCB.

 

The concert, to be held at the 9:30 Club in Washington, will also feature performances by fellow DC artists Tabi Bonney and XO.

 

“Wale has been on tour all over the country for the past two months and we are excited to bring him back to D.C. on June 3,” said Rock The Vote’s executive director Heather Smith. “This is a special Rock the Vote Night for us and a chance to celebrate the 22 million young voters who went to the polls last November.”

 

The June 3 show will be the first in a summer series which will include events in DC, Los Angeles and other cities, which have yet to be announced.

 

In addition to kicking off the Rock The Vote Nights series, Wale, Tabi and XO will have the honor of performing the official concert of the America’s Future Now conference.

 

Rock The Vote is supporting the event in an effort to insure that the young voters who turned out in droves for the 2008 election continue to get involved and be heard.

 

“A record number of young people went to the polls in 2008,” Smith explained. “In 2009 Rock the Vote will help ensure young people’s voices are heard throughout the halls of Congress and in their state legislatures, demanding reform around the issues most important to them like economic stability, clean energy and green jobs, and heath care.”

 

Tickets for the Rock the Vote Nights debut show can be purchased at www.930.com. Doors open at 7:00pm.

AHH Stray News: 50 Plays Informant, Cam, Bumpy Johnson, SellYourGoldTeeth.com

More details have surfaced about the new movie rapper 50 Cent is shooting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 50 Cent is in the state shooting scenes for the upcoming flick Caught in the Crossfire, which also stars Adam Rodriguez. The centers around police officers seeking to root out crooked cops. According to reports, 50 Cent plays a police informant, working with the police to weed out the rogue cops. “It’s quiet enough for me to enjoy myself,” 50 Cent told the Grand Rapids Press of the setting in Michigan, where movie producers are being encourage to shoot with tax incentives. “It’s laid back out here,” 50 Continued. “It’s not so much going on that I’m uncomfortable being out and about.” No release date is available for Caught in the Crossfire.

 

Harlem, New York rapper Cam’ron will treat hometown fans to a show this June in Manhattan. Cam’ron will take to the stage at BB Kings on Tuesday, June 30, for a one-time performance. The rapper will hit the stage at 8:00 PM, where he will perform material from his latest album, Crime Pays. Tickets are $26 in advance and $30 at the door.

 

The life and times of Mayme Hatcher Johnson may be coming to the big screen, as the film rights to her book Harlem Godfather: The Rap on My Husband, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, have officially been optioned. The news comes just weeks after Ms. Johnson’s death at the age of 94 on May 4. Harlem Godfather details her life with Bumpy during the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s until her husband’s death of a heart attack. “Growing up, I heard about the exploits of Bumpy Johnson. Not just about his criminal activities, but also all of the good he did in his community, and how his community loved him,” said Sardar “Candyman 187” Khan, CEO of Havenotz Entertainment, when announcing the optioning. “When I found out that the film rights to this book were available I was ecstatic. This is a man whose history is intertwined with the history of Harlem. His acquaintances with people like Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and even Malcolm X are spoken of to this day.”

 

A new, profitable business is now forming around expensive Hip-Hop grills. Porcello Estate Buyers has announced a new campaign to buy back gold teeth and gold crowns, according to representatives for the company. Porcello Estate Buyers owns the domain name SellYourGoldTeeth.com, in order to buy up various types of jewelry, including emeralds, diamonds, scrap gold and silver. The company is looking to take the brand on the road in various markets, in hopes in cashing in on the economic downturn by buying up the old “grillz,” made popular by rappers like Paul Wall, Lil Wayne, Nelly and numerous others.

UPDATE: T.I. Officially Begins Prison Sentence

Rapper T.I. checked into a federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas today (May 26).

 

Confusion briefly broke out this morning about the time of the rapper’s surrender, which occurred around 12:29 CST, sources told AllHipHop.com.

 

T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr. is now serving a 366-day federal prison sentence for attempting to by illegal machine guns and silencers from undercover agents in October of 2007.

 

Officers blockaded the prison entrance and refused to allow reporters any closer than within 170 yards of the prison.

 

A source told AllHipHop.com that T.I. was issued a new check-in date, which may explain the delay.

 

T.I. originally faced 10 years in prison for attempting to purchase high powered AK-47’s and AR-15s with silencers.

 

Representatives for T.I. were not available to comment as of press time.

 

T.I. recently preformed a farewell concert in front of 16,000 fans on Sunday (May 24).

Boyz II Men Announce Hip-Hop/R&B Scholarship

Best-selling 90’s collective Boyz II Men recently appeared at Minneapolis’ Institute of Production and Recording to announce the initial planning of their new R&B/Hip-Hop scholarship.

 

During the visit, the group participated in a Q&A panel with students to share their 20 plus years in the music industry.

 

“It was an honor having these guys come by our school,” said Brian “Champtown” Harmon, IPR artists coordinator. “They are around first-class, great men. A lot of folks don’t understand their love for Hip-Hop. To have them be down with our scholarship program we are developing is a wonderful thing.”

 

Between 1992 and 1997, Boyz II Men dropped five #1 R&B songs and to date have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, making them one of the most successful groups in music history.

 

In the discussion, the trio spoke about how Philly Hip-Hop culture contributed to their record-breaking success.

 

“A lot of people don’t know that we went to the high school of Creative and Performing Arts out in South Philly. We grew up with a lot of guys that are in the business right now,” explained Boyz member Shawn Stockman. “From ?uestlove and Black Thought from the Roots, [to] Amel Larrieux, we all went to the same school…We consider those the magic years because most of the artists that came out of that time got gold records and Grammys and things of that nature.”

 

The group also spoke of two well known artists that most people underrate as groundbreaking emcees: Will Smith and MC Hammer.

 

“Before Will was the Fresh Prince, him and Jeff used to do a lot of house parties at Temple University and Drexel,” Stockman explained. “How cats do it now with the buzz, Will was doing it in Philadelphia. He’d kill shows and used to be a beast, especially when Jeff was on the records.”

 

Chiming in, Nathan Morris detailed that the group was almost signed to Smith’s production company before settling on Motown.

 

Regarding Hammer, the Philly crooners argued that most emcees today utilize a multi-media blueprint created by the Oakland native in the early 90s.

 

“Hip-Hop has evolved to what it is and the guys today have gotten smart,” Stockman stated. “You can say Hammer was ahead of time. People front [now] but people danced to Hammer records…He’s another guy that if it wasn’t for him bringing us out of that six month tour…we hit all 50 states. Whether the arenas were packed or not, he still went out and gave an awesome show. And that stuck in our heads, even now. We still were around the right people to build in us that work ethic that we tend to utilize today.”

 

In addition, the group reflected on their “beef” with rivals Jodeci, and other Philly pioneers such as Steady B, Cool C, and Three Times Dope.

 

Boyz II Men’s last album was 2007’s Grammy nominated Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA.video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsfree video player

Rapper Flesh Bone Hoping For Freedom June 1

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony group member Flesh-N-Bone is still incarcerated, but an upcoming parole hearing could change the rapper’s situation.

 

Flesh, born Stanley Howse, was released from prison in July of 2008, after serving almost 10 years in prison for gun charges dating back to 2000.

 

The rapper ran afoul of the law in April, after police stopped his car and later, raided his home in Santa Clarita, California, where they found a gun and marijuana.

 

The charges were later dismissed, when it was revealed that the gun belonged to his wife, a Chicago Police Department officer and that the rapper had a medical marijuana license.

 

According to Bone group members, Flesh has a high powered lawyer representing him on June 1, when he will appear in court to learn if he will be freed.

 

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is working on their highly anticipated reunion album Uni 5.

 

The group recently hit the recording studio for a collaboration with Chicago rapper Lupe Fiaso.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Wayne Didn’t Wayne An Abortion! Pretty Ricky’s FAIL! Lupe & The Bone Thugs!

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.

THE DAILY TWO SENSE

Now, the weekend is over…do me a favor and click here for the rumors I updated over the weekend. You know, I was definitely working too hard over the weekend for it to be a holiday.

I don’t really have a lot to say about anything else at this point in time.

KANYE’S EX DENIES THE RUMORS

Amber Rose said she’s about to “shut this rumor down” and she did.

Over the weekend, she posted: ” I do NOT know Cassity personally I met him for the first and only time at a charity softball game. THAT’S IT! These blogs r ridiculous!”

No mention of Kanye, but I new that mess about Cass was BS.

LAUREN WANTED AND ABORTION & WAYNE DIDN’T?

This is a case of T.M.I., I think. However, it is what it is. Apparently, LL gave her virginity up to way, says Egypt. Also, its being said that Lauren wanted to have a baby instead of keeping the lil guy/girl, because she didn’t want to be one of Weezy’s baby mommas. But…she was willing to be one of his jump offs? I’m just sayin! Anyway, it is rumored that Wayne told her he’d go public with the abortion and everything if she didn’t just have the kid. Hmmmmmm….wondering if this has any validity.

I used to love this:

But, she did this:

And might be having one of these!:

In all seriousness, I wish them the best.

LUPE AND THE BONE THUGS IN THE STU

I know Lupe Fiasco is working with The Neptunes, but somehow they got in the studio with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. It looks like the guys were in the studio until about 5 or 6am today. Looks like the goodness of the session will see the light of day at some point in the future. Flesh is still looking for his release date. Don’t know why they don’t just let the man go.

SOULJA BOY AND BOW WOW: TOGETHER AGAIN!

Stories like this…warm the soul and the soulja. Bow Wow and Soulja Boy appeared on Stage in Montgomery, AL over the weekend. That’s right – the beef is OVA! LOL. Here is how it went down. Soulja Boy came out on the stage and did his thing. All the people loved it, especially that “Swag” song. After Soulja, then there was Bow Wow. He rocked the show, but did something strange after only two songs. He started playing that song “Marco Polo” and oout came Soulja Boy and they performed the “jam” together.

G-UNIT/AFTERMATH/SHADY RUMORS

Lloyd Banks is rumored to be working on his new studio album, allegedly called The Famine. I am hearing that Banks is going to take a different approach to this CD and work with other artists on it. I think we are looking at features from Fabolous, Jadakiss Juelz Santana, Flo Ridah, Method Man and more. I heard tracks with Ron Browz and Swizz Beats have already been laid down. We’ll see if they make the album. Still, I am hearing that Sha Money XL and 50 Cent are going to act as the executive producers of the CD.

Detox? Ugh! I hate to hear these Detox rumors now, because I can honestly say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” BUT, there are rumors that Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Nas and Lil Wayne will all be on it…if it comes out!

50 Cent is still looking to call his album Before I Self Destruct. I didn’t even know that 50 was thinking about changing the title or something.

MIKE TYSON’S DAUGHTER

Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter is in critical condition and on life support after she was found with her neck caught in a cord of a treadmill machine yesterday (Monday). The child was playing and got her neck caught in a loop that acted like a noose. She couldn’t get out. Her 7-year-old brother found her. Medics were brought to the scene quickly in time to save her life, but she is still in jeopardy. Tyson was away in Vegas, but flew straight to Vegas to be with the child in this time.

CAREFUL MR. HAMILTON

I won’t tamper with this one. I got it in my inbox and I’m not sure if its true:

Charles Hamilton’s debut album was to be entitled The Perfect Life, and to be released by Interscope. Charles Hamilton has been personally claiming on his blog that the album will come out this summer, and be the first album to be distributed on the internet for free download.

Fact of the matter is, when he submitted the final tracks to Interscope, they hated every single track, and told him to scratch it. They want him to do a whole new album with a more “pop” sound.

Rumor around the building is, it is being discussed if he will be released from his contract for associating Jimmy and the label’s name with the release. Representatives from Violator management have tried to talk to Charles himself about the seriousness of the issue, but he appears joyfully unresponsive.

PINKY SPEAKS ABOUT TWISTA RUMOR…

Okay during the Memorial Day weekend “Pinky the P### Star” checked in with “Live with Kendra G” and talked about the whole Twista rumor. Twista has denied the fact of every sleeping with Pinky but was he lying??? Check out the video to see with Pinky told my homey Kendra G.

TIA KEMP SPEAKS

I’ll tell you. This situation doesn’t stop. Finally, the book is here and here is a quick blurb with Tia Kemp over the situation with Rick Ross.

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ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Wale is supposedly signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Looks like Hovie is forming quite a crew there. Click here to read a story on Melanie Fiona, new Roc chick.

B_Love told me that Keyshia Cole and Keri Hilson rocked the “A Different Me” tour in Greensboro, NC.

I heard that Charles Hamilton and his girl are not really “cool” even though they did that very public, on-camera apology. She makes several disparaging remarks about Charlie, but it does seem that they are working it out.

If you thought you were going to see Drake at Club Element over the weekend, you are probably very mad. For some reason Drake never got there in Hollywood that day. Not sure.

Shout out to Phil 4 Real from Orlando!

Rumor has it Corey Gunz is quite possibly going to Roc Nation.

The Eastside Boyz have purportedly called it quits. I don’t think they stood a chance without Lil Jon.

Drake did a show at Cal State over the weekend and he did well. 10 pm! Nice and early!

Eleven people were killed in a stampede in Morocco when 70,000 people rushed to leave a concert with Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and others. The North African Mawazine Music Festival was otherwise a success.

EPIC FAIL OF THE DAY

Pretty Ricky gets the fail of the day for this h######### challenge to men like Bow Wow for a dance off. WHAT THE F**K!?! I’m warning you now like my twitter friends…this is funny, but it’s definitely a moment from Pauseland.

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EPIC WIN OF THE DAY

LOL…Barack Obama remakes T-Pain/Jamie Foxxx “Blame It.” Even Michelle shows up in here.

RAW! “PRANK WARS!”

Dude, people have died over less, but an impressive prank!

RIHANNA WAS GETTING OFF THE PLANE AND THEY WERE THERE…

To snap the pic!

BAD-U

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MIKE TYSON AND CHILD, 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 al*************@***il.com.