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Willie The Kid: Rap’s New Royalty

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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Aphilliates Music Group’s flagship artist, Willie The Kid is far from another run of the mill artist that is rapping as an alternative to say a street hustle or deflated hoop dreams. Since the first grade Willie has been exercising his penchant for writing and rhyming, performing at school talent shows and writing movie scripts. After gaining acceptance to Clark-Atlanta University, he departed from his crime-laden hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, known by most residents as “Gun Rule”. At Clark he linked with DJ Don Cannon and DJ Drama and accelerated the relentless pursuit of his lifelong goal—becoming “the future” of the rap game. Soon after, he appeared on all of Don Cannon’s mixtapes, as well as DJ Drama’s, and continues to make appearances on all of the acclaimed duo’s releases. But for those who’ve developed the misconception that the Picasso painting MC got a free ride under the armpits of Cannon and Drama, they’re sadly mistaken. Although it’s taken a little time to reach the top of the ladder, including a minor setback caused by a F.B.I. raid of the AMG offices in January 2007, the “Crown Prince” remains extremely content about building his castle using one grain of sand at a time. Dropping Absolute Greatness on September 30, pay attention now.AllHipHop.com: What’s been good with you Willie?Willie The Kid: As you know I’m signed with DJs Drama, Cannon and Sense’s label Aphilliates Music Group (AMG) which my brother LA The Darkman is President of. Since Dram released Gangsta Grillz in November, we’ve hit everywhere from Connecticut, Hawaii, Jamaica, Toronto, Amsterdam, Tokyo and everywhere in between. I’m dropping a mixtape September 30, on Asylum Records as a pre-album. I’m really excited about it. It’s called Absolute Greatness. We’re gonna be shooting the video for the first single called “Love For Money” towards the end of September. The single features Trey Songz, La The Darkman, Gucci Mane, Yung Joc and Bun B. Right now, I’m trying to be the best artist I can be. AllHipHop.com: What’s been going on besides the music?Willie The Kid: I’m trying to focus beyond all of the cliché rapper s**t in the bag. I’ve been writing movie scripts since I was a little kid. I got about three of those done right now. We have a clothing line, some reality show offers, but I don’t think about that. That’s what all the rappers do. We’ve been doing all of that. I took fashion design in high school. I’ve been drawing and designing.

Thang Back – Willie The KidAllHipHop.com: You’ve been referring to yourself as the Crown Prince for a while now. How did that moniker come about?Willie The Kid: I’ve always been like royalty, with my family in Atlanta, my family in The Ru [Grand Rapids, Michigan]. Everywhere I go, that’s the role I always play. I’ve always been more like a prince, and not at all a court jester. A lot n***as screaming that prince s**t now, so I’m about to let it go though. They can have it. AllHipHop.com: What’s the difference between living in Grand Rapids and Atlanta?Willie The Kid: I love The Rule. It’s home, but it’s totally different. In The Rule there aren’t that many opportunities there. You can be rapping all you want and it doesn’t really mean anything. The exposure to the mainstream is far and few in between. When I came to Atlanta it was becoming a hub for music. If I was still at home I’d be the nicest n***a in the hood. It’s like being an “And 1” n***a. I would just be a hood celebrity. I’m gonna be that regardless.

Driven – Willie The KidAllHipHop.com: A lot of industry notables have been referring to you in extremely high regard. Late last year I interviewed another Grand Rapids, Michigan Native, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., for Allhiphop.com. He said that if he had to name one of the nicest rappers in the game that it had to be you. How do you feel about that?Willie The Kid: Floyd is my cousin through marriage. His family and mine have been linked together since I was a baby. I knew Floyd knew about my music, but I didn’t expect him to go to the mainstream and talk about it. That was a good look! Actually, I didn’t expect a co-sign from him. It feels good when somebody of his status does that. I don’t think he’s saying it because he’s family. I believe he’s honestly paying homage to what’s obvious. AllHipHop.com: What role did your brother LA The Darkman play in your career? Willie The Kid: He’s been my manager for life, even beyond music. He started working on his album, Heist Of The Century, in ’96 and released it in ‘98. He sold nearly 300,000 copies independently. He was rolling with Wu-Tang. I was observing and consuming the inner-workings of all of that stuff back then. My s**t goes back further than the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. It’s similar to being raised in the dojo, so don’t be surprised if I got a black belt.

“We used to rap in [Don Cannon’s] closet and [Drama’s] bathroom. We used a sock as a mic filter and had a [Boss] BR-8 4-track board—no Pro Tools. I used carry the crates for Cannon and Dram because I was underage and I needed to get in the club early to avoid getting hassled.”

AllHipHop.com: What was your experience like at Clark-Atlanta University?Willie The Kid: I got a degree in Mass Communications. I did most of my pre-courses in high school, so by the time I got to college I was almost done. I only had to do two years. The people I met there made it more valuable than anything. Had I not been there I wouldn’t have met Don Cannon and Drama. That’s who I came into the game with. We used to rap in Don’s closet and Dram’s bathroom. We used a sock as a mic filter and had a [Boss] BR-8 4-track board—no Pro Tools. I used carry the crates for Cannon and Dram because I was underage and I needed to get in the club early to avoid getting hassled at the door. As you can see we’ve been grinding together for a minute!DJ Drama ft. Nelly, T.I., Diddy, Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Young Jeezy & Twista “5000 Ones” Video

AllHipHop.com: Not too long ago, there was a little back and forth on wax between you and Lil Wayne. What’s that really about?Willie The Kid: That s**t ain’t nothing! It has to do with the situation that happened when Dram got raided. There was a lot of tension in the air. I ain’t the type of n***a that feels like he has to go the beef route to make a name for his self. I ain’t on it like that. I was in the studio making my record and I said what I said, and I meant what I said. That wasn’t a plan for me to market myself or create an on-going beef with Lil Wayne. I see them n***as all the time—no real beef! If it is real beef, holla at me when you see me–and that’s just that.

“I’m building my s**t thoroughly from the ground up. I don’t want to make one big Hip-Hop cross over song and be here today and gone tomorrow.”

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of the raid, did that have anything to do with your album getting pushed back? Willie The Kid: The raid happened January 16, ’07. My album wasn’t supposed to come out in until after Dram’s album dropped. They took my album in the raid; they took the hard drive with all of the masters. They tore this whole studio and made holes in the walls and ceilings. They were looking for guns and drugs, so they went extra hard. They set us back, shredded our s**t to shambles. But we rebuilt everything, new furniture, TV, equipment, new cars, new money—everything is new. We put my album back together, put Dram’s album back together, and we’re working on LA’s album. We’re stronger than ever. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about the approach that you guys are taking in getting you out there? Willie The Kid: I’ll tell you one thing, and I’m proud of this–I’m building my s**t thoroughly from the ground up. I don’t want to make one big Hip-Hop cross over song and be here today and gone tomorrow. People are fickle. They love you today and hate you tomorrow, forget about who you were the next day. It may take longer, but it’ll be much stronger. Like the story with the twigs, the sticks and the bricks. When the n***a came to blow the cribs down,the n***a with the bricks didn’t get touched and he was still standing. Anybody who said they heard Willie The Kid and La The Darkman loves us. We’re happy that we’re taking the careful, strategic route.

Wyclef Jean Launches Haiti Storm Relief Fund

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Rapper/producer Wyclef Jean is making moves to provide much needed resources for those affected by severe storms that have battered his native Haiti.

 

The former Fugees member has launched Haiti Storm Relief Fund, an effort designed to provide food, water, purification tablets, tents, blankets, medical supplies and hygiene kits to storm victims.

 

Jean’s Yele Haiti organization is also stepping up to assist the effort while working closely with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

 

The foundation, which incorporates projects that are designed to impact education, health, environment and community development, is also in consultation with the Haitian government’s emergency management authorities.

 

Jean’s passion for helping Haiti goes deeper than short-term relief, according to the entertainer.

 

“My country is facing a serious catastrophe at the moment and we urgently require assistance,” said Jean, who also serves as a Haitian goodwill ambassador. “But the long-term catastrophe is that we have less than two percent tree cover, and without restoring our forests we will always be susceptible to mudslides and flash floods from storms and hurricanes.”

 

Efforts by Jean to aid Haiti come in response to Haitian President Rene Preval’s appeal to the international community for help as he labeled the country’s situation a “catastrophe”.

 

In recent weeks, storms in Haiti have battered the country, leaving more than 500 people dead.

 

The devastation has affected more than 600,000 people who have been displaced by flooding or cut off from food supplies.

 

In addition to providing supplies and resources, the Haiti Storm Relief fund will provide funds to a number of nonprofit organizations that are working on the ground to respond to the emergency.

 

The Fund and Yele Haiti are among various projects Jean has taken part in to provide relief for Haitians.

 

In May, the rapper publicly launched Together for Haiti, a partnership with PADF and WFP in cooperation with Yele Haiti that was created as a response to the country’s food shortages and rioting.

 

Donations to help storm victims can be made online at www.yele.org.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Kanye’s X-mas Gift! Uncle Luke Kicks Some A$$! Solange’s Reality Show!

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

KANYE’S GOT A RELEASE DATE

Kanye is coming to town like Santa Claus, according to Amazon. The Chi-towner has already blessed us with “Love Lockdown” drops on the 16th of December- just in time for the holiday. As I told you before, Kanye is expected to use the vocoder/voice box thingy on the whole CD. I heard that several people attempted to talke Ye out of doing this move with the vocoder, but he was dead set on it. The crazy thing is, if anybody other than T-Pain can pull this off, its Kanye.

I’m with ya, homey!

CONGRATS USHER!

Usher is officially all in! As we have rumored, Usher is going to be a second-time papa! Ursh and his lovely wife Tomeka are going to be expecting the new kid soon. I heard soon is this year, possibly in December. People Magazine made the confirmation after Tomeka was “spotted wearing a belly-disguising outfit during Usher’s Sept. 4 NFL kick-off concert in New York.” They said the dress was a good one and they weren’t sure, but when she stood up it was easier to realize that she was indeed with child.

GILLIE SLAPPING PEOPLE UP?

I’ll tell you! I want rappers to stop putting their hands on people! In Philly there is a crew or something called Heavy Spitters. I heard for some reason, Gillie The Kid slapped somebody from Heavy Spitters! Why would he do that? I don’t even know. All I really know is I like Heavy Spitters because they blessed me with the 47 year old rapper a ways back. See him below!

More on this as I get intel.

SALT-N-PEPA IS BEEFIN?

Could there be beef within Salt n Pepa’s beautiful ranks? It seems possible. As you know, Pepa has a new book out there and it’s a nice insight into S-N-P’s rise from her perspective. Anyway, I heard that some of the things that she wrote might not have gone over well with Salt. I haven’t read it all, but I heard that some stuff may be causing friction. I haven’t really heard anything about Pep disparaging Salt at all. I don’t know. I also heard they got a deal to perform in Japan, but aren’t bringing Spinderella! I mean, this doesn’t affect me at all, but if they do a show in Philly or Delaware, they best not come without Spin!

WOE IS ME…HOW CAN REV. WRIGHT…BE SO WRONG?

This man’s mark in history is SO IN STONE. I cannot wait to see how history teaches this one in a few years. Here is the latest on Rev. Wright, who suddenly pops up in the media at the most inopportune time. Apparently, Reverend Jeremiah was having sex with a married woman from his former church. Rev apparently has/had an intimate relationship with 37-year-old Elizabeth Payne. She claims the affair led to get her fired from her job at the church. To be fair, sources from the church say she was fired, because she lied and embellished her resume. On top of this, I heard that Wright scooped his last wife from a dude that sought marital counseling in the 1980’s. WOW. I know God “don’t like ugly,” but this is crazy.

WTF? MICHAEL JACKSON’S USED UNDERWEAR FOR SALE!?

Somebody has completely lost all his marbles. Michael Jackson used to wear a pair of size-28 Calvin Klein white cotton briefs – aka DRAWLS. Well, these are the same damn underwear that MiJack was wearing when he got busted for molesting children. Santa Barbara DA Tom Sneddon was going super hard at Mike and got a judge to give him permission to get a pair of DRAWLS for DNA purposes. IF it was for that, why are these damn undies on EBAY? SIGH. I mean, what’s going on, people? On top of ot all, they are selling for a starting bid of $1 million. The DRAWLS are still in the evidence bag and everything. If soiled MiJack panties don’t excite you, they are also selling a used tube of skin-bleaching cream and the letter Mike wrote to Lisa Marie Presley detailing why he wants a marriage annulment.

TREY SONGZ IS GETTING MARRIED?

From MiJack’s annulment letter to Trey Songz reported marriage? They are saying Trey is trying to get married to his Ethiopian girlfriend, Helen. I was reading Sandra Rose and she revealed that Trey is fully ready to lock it down. Helen is reportedly one of Trey’s dancers that eventually got the deluxe treatment. Trey said that Omarion introduced him to his gal:

Well, I’ll say he introduced us. From there, we went on that first tour together. I was on the Holiday Jam Scream Tour. She was on it too. We ain’t never really get a chance to kick it. She’d see me and she’d just kind of brush me off, but I’d be trying to holler at her. She’d see me with all different kinds of chicks and she wasn’t really feeling that.

Marriage is the new single life.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Canadian rapper Drake, aka Aubrey Graham, is not only a gifted artist, but he is also an actor on a Canadian show called “Degrassi The Next Generation.” Lets just say his rap talents are probably going to take him farther. I can’t knock his hustle…he’s gettin’ that young money!

Have you ever heard of Jamaican Spongebob? Click here to see the new Spongy with Squidward getting gangsta.

During the VMAs, Yung Berg was and he was chillin’ in a backpack wearing all black. And then there was Trick Trick…being devious with his own daughter!!!! They gonna force Yung’s darker twin brother to hurt somebody.

Somebody told me they saw Tommy Davidson and he was allegedly acting like somebody that could be using cocaine.

Check out John McCain get Barack-Roll’d – LMAO!

Morgan Freeman might be getting divorced, but I hear he is out and about getting his swerve on!

Deelishis is now a married woman! Her hubby is businessman Orlando Gordon! The story was broken by S2S magazine.

I forgot to mention, Akon is off the hook. Another video of that rumored “fan-punching” has come out and Akon can be seen hugging the woman in apology.

Beyonce’s bodyguard allegedly choked the fire out of a guy that got to close to the star during fashion week in NYC. He must have had too much Red Bull. I want to see Beyonce choke somebody!

Allen Iverson is reportedly trying to sell his house. I hope he has luck in this economic mess!!!!

Shout out to Kevin Powell. He didn’t defeat 74-year-old Edolphus Towns, but he did Hip-Hop PROUD! We can DO whatever we put our minds to.

Question: Where the hell is MC Ren?

LL COOL J’S LAST ALBUM!!!

“Ladies Love Cool James” recently checked in with my homegirl Kendra G and her fam DJ Touchtone on 100.3 The Beat (Philly) and confirmed what most of us already knew. The G.O.A.T. told the crew that his latest CD “Exit 13” will be his last CD with Def Jam. LL was the first artist to drop an album on Def Jam. Boy, has it been an incredible ride. Watch the video to see what LL has planned next.

AND FREEWAY’S LAST IS HERE TOO

When you think about Def Jam, you don’t normally think about Freeway in the same manner you think of LL. But Free has been on the brand for some time and he’s repped well over the years. Now, I heard he has been let go or dropped from Def Jam. Like Joe Budden and Peedi Crakk, I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. Good luck and maybe 50 Cent is still interested.

SHELZ’S ARBITRARY MOMENTS

Randomness…

Uncle Luke doesn’t like Charles Hamilton, a rapper from NYC. Luke says he’s gonna kick CH’s a$$. Check out the video below.

With Kanye’s surprise album, we have some good music coming, but hopefully by the time it drops, he will have stopped dressing like one of the Children of the Corn.

The Other One aka Solange Knowles may be getting her own reality show. Why not? Everybody else has one.

Just in case you didn’t catch it on ESPN, the Nashville police found Vince Young. If you didn’t know he was missing, don’t worry about it. He didn’t know he was missing either.

Lata Folks…..

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

That Sarah Palin is so hot. She is so hot they are calling her a V.P.I.L.F., not even a M.I.L.F. or a G.I.L.F. Guess what? The inevitable happened. A p#### company is now looking for Palin look-a-likes so they can make a skin flick of the vice-president aspirant. Here is the data:

Sarah Palin Look alike (Atlanta)

Date: 2008-09-01, 3:14PM EDT

We need Sarah Palin look alike for adult themed video production.

* Location: Atlanta

* Compensation: Per episode basis

* This is a contract job.

* Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.

* Please, no phone calls about this job!

* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

The saddest thing is that the idiots just outweigh the intelligent people exponentially. Sorry, it just is. And some chick’s legacy is about to be put in stone and I don’t mean Palin herself. Sadder still, it’s a per episode taping so the lucky p### babe might not even get a shot at the sequel.

TYGA STANS REJOICE- HE DID OR DID NOT GET JACKED!

It looks like he either did or didn’t get jacked at this point! But, there is a chain there that looks exactly like the one in the goons’ video. Tyga’s stans are fighting these jack allegations feverishly!

LADY DRAMA’S DONE STARTED SOMETHING

VH1 gets real Hip-Hop

In addition to Vh1’s hip-hop honors show the network will also be launching two other programs that chronicle key points in hip hop culture. According to billboard.biz VH1 will broadcast ‘100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs’ and ‘VH1 Rock Doc: NWA: The World’s Most Dangerous Group’. ‘100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs’ is a five-part series which will count down some of the best Hip-Hop songs of all-time and provide commentary and stories behind the songs. It will also feature original interviews and archived performances from artists such as Public Enemy, Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa and more.

‘VH1 Rock Doc: NWA: The World’s Most Dangerous Group’ will take a look at the history of NWA. and will feature appearances and interviews with such names as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella, along with Eazy-E’s widow Tomica-Woods Wright and more.

I’m really feeling VH1 and their programming, I feel like they are setting the tone for music channels to actually focus on music and not over rated reality series which have no substance what so ever! My DVR will be set when both programs premiere September 29 at 10 pm and October 3 at 11 pm respectively.

Stop Frontin… Diddy Never Owned a Private Jet?

Look don’t look at me all sideways, a Palm Beach Post down in South Florida says Diddy never owned, or has owned a private jet. I know, I know ya’ll don’t believe me well read for yourself:

A thorough review of federal records shows that no plane in this country is registered to a Sean Combs or any of the trend-setter’s numerous companies, including clothier Sean John and his music company, Bad Boy Entertainment.

One private aviation source scoffed: “It’s my jet this, my jet that, he’s just pretending. I have list of every plane with the name of the owner, and he’s not on it.” When contacted about his fib, Diddy’s people issued some bullsh*t ass statement.

But Puff’s publicist says that the mogul is a fractional owner under NetJets which damn near is like owning a jet. But according to NETJets.com ‘Fractional owners pay for a limited number of flight hours on any company jet.” Which says absolutely nothing about owning the jet. Now this all wouldn’t be so bad if Puff didn’t put out youtube vids complaining about taking HIS private jet and what not 😉 Not for nothing but his math was a bit off flying back and forth to LA twice would set him back $100,000 and not 250,000! Man these youtube vids are really showcasing peoples shortcomings huh?

Speaking of Diddy he’s looking for Sean John Employees….Here are the requirements for an open Design Management position in the menswear division of the clothing line. Submit your resumes at seanjohn.com under the careers section. Good luck and NO you don’t have to be on a reality show to get the job 😉

My Theme Song… Hi Hater Remix Maino feat. TI, Swizz Beatz, Plies, Fabolous, and Jadakiss

Lady Drama’s Food For Thought:

Kanyes new album is called 808’s and Heartbreaks… For a man who lost his mother and fiancee in the same year I think that title is more than appropriate and I’m sure the material will be just as good also! No worries folks!

Since we broke the Laurie Ann Busta Rhymes couple alert (before MTO I might add) who is a better look Delishiss or Laurie?

Whoever would buy Michael Jackson’s used drawers for 1 million on ebay is a _________?

Go hard or Go home folks 😉

PAC D##! “TASTE”

I like these dudes.

ILL PICS

I don’t think Ye looks like a child of the corn. Shame on you, Shelz! He’s a fashionisto! Still waiting for Pastelle.

This image is soooooooooo…classic.They actually make a nice couple. Maybe Bow Weezy is growing up. Wait, didn’t he just get bodied in Madden? Pink is bad. She’s such a bad girl. Come out and play! Serena looking good and rubbing her victory in the face of the whole city of New York.Shout out to Riverside! Bucket 26!YESTERDAY, WE LOVE YOU!

They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!-illseedWHO: illseed.comWHAT: RumorsWHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseedHOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at ah*******@***il.com.– allhiphop rumors

Timbaland To Be Awarded By Trinity College in Dublin

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Multi-platinum producer Timbaland has been chosen to receive the highest award bestowed by Ireland’s prestigious Trinity College Dublin.

 

This October, the Grammy Award winner will be inducted into the school’s Philosophical Society as an Honorary Patron.

 

Each year, the society chooses an elite group of individuals to carry on its time honored traditions, established more than three hundred years ago in 1684.

 

Those selected, usually politicians and scholars, are then invited to share their knowledge and expertise with Trinity College students.

 

“Timbaland is a remarkable individual whose contribution to music is simply astonishing,” said Philosophical Society president Barry Devlin. “He is the most sought after producer on the planet, and why wouldn’t he be. He has produced an impossibly large number of hits. It is a real honor for us to host such an accomplished musician. The [members of the] Society are very much looking forward to Timbaland’s arrival.”

 

Previous recipients of the Honorary Patronage Award include Bono, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, authors Salman Rushdie, Bram Stroker, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Becket.

Chamillionaire: Mixtape Messiah 4 (Mixtape Review)

By: Mike Winslow Updated Category: Reviews / Music
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Fresh of the hiatus he proclaimed he’d take at the end of his sophomore album, Ultimate Victory, Houston hotshot Chamillionaire is back with part four of his acclaimed Mixtape Messiah series. While none of the projects have ever come close to matching the original Mixtape Messiah, this by far is a close second.Featuring guest appearances from southerners Slim Thug, Bun B, Killa Mike, “The Freestyle King” Lil Flip and others, the two disc Mixtape Messiah 4 provides a great combination of southern beats with poignant punch lines and lethal lyrics, displaying Cham’s wide range of musical abilities.

As a spin off from Cham’s “Roll Call” on Mixtape Messiah 2, where he imitated Houston’s elite MCs, “Roll Call Reloaded” displays Cham’s diverse talent again mimicking some of rap’s biggest stars. Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, and even E-40 make “guest” appearances on the song. Not only does Cham sound like them, but also raps in the same patterns and talks about their same topics and ideas.“

Do it for H-town” featuring fellow Swisha House alum Slim Thug and Rap-a-Lot’s Trae is a syrupy-slowed track stating that no matter what the critics say about Houston falling off the rap game, “Tha H” has always only answered to itself— and no one else. Slim Thug on Houston culture: “We been sippin’ drank by the pint since way back/we been candy paint on them 4s since they made that/…I’d rather flip a drop ‘Lac before I flip a Maybach.”One of the more clever tracks is “Internet Nerd Revenge” where he shouts out several online rap websites, including AllHipHop.com, as he pretends he’s a 17-year-old (white) suburban teenager, spending all his time locked up in his room writing bad reviews on Chamillionaire.

Cham pokes fun at himself, noting some of the complaints and gripes that critics—and fans—have expressed. Lines such as,  “He don’t rap about sippin’ syrup/he don’t rap that Houston rap/if I ever saw him in person, he’d be the rapper I’d refuse to dap,” and, “Anyway, I heard a rumor he ain’t beefin’ what a lame/he didn’t even dis 50 back when 50 Cent called out his name,” shows that Cham does indeed keep his ears to the streets.

On the somber “My Life,” Slim Thugga returns with Trae again, rapping about the trials and tribulations of life, including the death of Texas Legend Pimp C. “Last year was a hard one, but life goes on/thinkin’ bout my n***a Pimp while I write this song…Dear Lord, I pray that you take away the pain/from their family and their friends, please help us change,” Slim begs.The second disc is full of bonus tracks like “Cadillac” a distinctive Houston, car-themed song from Boss Hog Outlawz member Killa Kyleon, and “2 Real” by Lil Flip in which he congratulates Cham in being a part of the “platinum elite club” while attempting to revitalize his national career. Killa Mike’s “Never” has a guest spot on the mixtape, with Mike having a “you never know” attitude about life:  “A judge will give you time, you’ll never see the streets again/and even though you said you’d never snitch on any friend/you ain’t never seen the walls of a fed pen/you ain’t never seen them Brotherhood of Arians/…so how tha f**k you say you’d never snitch on any man?”

This provides a deep, introspective track that lacks from much of the mixtape. And lastly, the standout “2 MPH” featuring Bun B and Chamillionaire’s former best friend and partner, Paul Wall, is a cousin of the famous “Still Tippin” anthem that talks about ridin’ and drivin’ slow while bangin’ “Screw” through the streets of H-town.Mixtape Messiah 4 is full of witty punchlines and Chamillionaire getting back to his mixtape roots, because as he says, he left the mixtape game and no one grabbed it. However, in between the clever lyrics and him taking other rappers instrumentals and making them into songs that almost sound original, the “baller rap” can be overkill. Cham’s talk of how much money he has and where he’s been and who he knows gets annoying quickly—the mixtape lacks an overall “depth.”And while Cham references his still newfound national and international fame, the long time Chamillionaire fan that’s been down with him since his Swisha House days may be disappointed that his style and flow, and even subject matter is far apart from earlier in his career and his Color Changing Click era with Paul Wall.Mixtape Messiah 4 stands out and clearly displays Cham’s many talents, but lacks the “meat and potatoes” that you know Cham can give.

5ive L Continues Force MDs Legacy; Force MDs Documentary Planned

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Drawing on the influence of legendary Hip-Hop and doo-wop group the Force MDs, New York-based collective 5ive L is determined to create its own legacy in music circles.

 

The new group already knows the benefits and good fortune the music industry can bring, as the offspring of Force MD members and brothers Stevie D Lundy and Antoine “T.C.D.” Lundy.

 

The ‘80s group, which cemented a place in music history with classic hits like “Tender Lover” and “Love is a House,” have influenced numerous entertainers, including Boys II Men, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Doug E. Fresh and Run DMC.

 

According to 5ive L’s manager Mickey Bentson, the union was made possible through the guidance of their uncle, Force MD member Rodney “Khalil” Lundy.

 

“The group is very much under pressure because the expectation of 5ive L is to uphold or surpass the legacy of the Force MDs,” said Bentson, who currently manages the Force Mds, as well as music veterans Grandmaster Mele Mel and Ice-T.

 

The name 5ive L comes from the apartment number the group was formed in, as well as their philosophy on life: “Love, Loyalty, Life, Longevity, and Laughter.”

 

“There are siblings that parents are in the entertainment biz and really don’t have that entertainment in their body,” Benston told AllHipHop.com. “On the hand of 5ive L themselves, these kids really have that musical diversity. Music is in their genes. They grew up around the group the Force MDs and with entertainers and singers. And so the bloodline continues with 5ive L. If you don’t believe it, challenge it or give us a call and you can see it and hear it.”

 

Before joining together as 5ive L, brothers Cush and T.C. Lundy and their cousins, Zieme Capers and Josh Lundy, found success individually while opening for various artists which include Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Bow Wow, Trey Songz, Common and Daddy Yankee.

 

Despite their solo success, 5ive L chose to combine their talents in an effort to garner greater musical success.

 

The group, which is working with Bentson’s Pay Up Management, Khalil Lundy and Rob Franklin’s Wisemen Entertainment and Rob Love Of Launch Pad, is carefully considering offers from several record labels.

 

“We are the next generation of musical diversity,” 5ive L group member Zieme Capers added. “We possess all the elements that the Force MDs possess in terms of being diversified with the music, impersonation, comedy, dancing and Hip-Hop.”

 

Obtaining longevity like the Force MD’s has become a motivator for 5ive L to make their presence known among listeners, according to Bentson.

 

The Force MDs are currently working to bring their effect on the music industry to light via a new documentary tilted The Force M.Ds Relived.

 

According to Khalil Lundy, the film will chronicle the evolution of doo-wop and Hip-Hop’s merging together through the Force M.D.s.

 

Music heavyweights Mr. Magic, Kool DJ Red Alert, Kurtis Blow, Mele Mel, Tom Silverman, Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie are among those featured in The Force M.Ds Relived which is slated to be released in the first quarter of 2009 on OVNTV.com.

3rd Annual We The People Fest Kicks Off in L.A.

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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One of Los Angeles’ premier gathering for socially conscious music and people commences on September 27, with the highly popular We the People Festival.

 

The forward-thinking event focuses on advocating “non-partisan, non-violent, environmental, and politically conscious views as established through music and dialogue.”

 

The festival began in Watts in 2006 as a small gathering to give community leaders and artists the opportunity to reach out to urban youth.

 

The following year the event swelled to over 4,000 attendees as positive word of mouth spread around the community.

 

This year, the We the People Festival expects close to 15,000 people to witness performances from DJ Premier, EPMD, RZA, Dilated Peoples, Barrington Levy, Fishbone, Tom Morello, Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down) and many others.

 

Guest speakers for the event include Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney, G.C.N. Network radio personality Jack Blood, and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.

 

Also on hand will be various community-centered non-profits such as Rock the Vote, the American Lung Association of California, and Self Help Graphics.

 

We the People Festival co-founder Orlando Padilla explained that his event will make attendees aware of community issues and give them the opportunity to connect with others seeking to make social change.

 

“This festival stimulates social awareness by bringing together some of the world’s most fascinating thinkers, artists, and activists,” Padilla told AllHipHop.com. “They will all converge on one day for a common purpose: to express raw, uncensored social views that push the boundaries of the norm and encourage tangible results that will improve the quality of life to people around the world.”

 

The Festival will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

 

Tickets are available now through www.ticketmaster.com.

EXCLUSIVE: S.A.S. Breaks With Dipset; Replies To Juelz Incident

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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In the wake of a recent incident in their hometown of London, rap duo S.A.S. is severing ties with Juelz Santana, effectively ending their professional relationship with the Dip Set, which they left a year ago.

 

According to the group member Mayhem, the decision came after Juelz made statements on camera that implied that his former labelmates in the U.K. did not intervene on his behalf during a verbal confrontation with a British promoter last week, over a scheduled appearance that never took place.

 

While Juelz maintained in a recent statement that he was unaware of any unfulfilled London appearances, S.A.S. states that they advised him of an escalating situation in the UK as early as the winter 2006.

 

“Shortly after we returned to the U.S., we got into a verbal and almost physical dispute with Juelz’ ex-manager Big Joe over money he [allegedly] stole from guys in our city,” Mayhem explained in an exclusive statement to AllHipHop.com. “Only then were the two shows and the £70,000 confiscated by Big Joe brought to Juelz’ attention and he was angry that he didn’t know about it. But no one got the money back or tried to contact the promoters in the U.K. but us, with no call back.”

 

As previously reported, the situation escalated on August 31, the day before Juelz was to close a two-week European tour in Wolverhampton, about two hours north of London.

 

S.A.S., who had performed with Juelz throughout the tour with stops in Amsterdam, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, had not been booked for the last night, but met with Juelz at his hotel on the night in question.

 

“As we were upstairs, I get a call saying that the promoters are downstairs in the lobby and they have 30-40 people surrounding the hotel,” Mayhem told AllHipHop.com. “So being it is our city, Mega and I went down by ourselves to settle and hopefully resolve the situation. The promoters were livid, saying they didn’t wanna talk to us, only the Americans. I told them Juelz had no prior knowledge and that [the person with whom they had negotiated] wasn’t his manager anymore, but all they wanted was to all come up in Juelz room and get the [money] back.”

 

Following that exchange, Mayhem and Mega were able to convince the promoter to discuss the situation with a Dipset representative in private.

 

However, the two were unable to come to an agreement, and the promoter left irate.

 

Throughout the commotion, which culminated in hotel security calling the police, and Juelz being escorted out with his entourage several hours later, Mayhem says that he and his brother attempted to remain involved and provide any assistance necessary.

 

The last communication he had with Juelz and his camp was as the Skull Gang leader was leaving the hotel, when his brother Twin told that the situation “was getting sorted out.”

 

Juelz and his crew were then lead by a police convoy to another property, leaving S.A.S. at the site of the altercation.

 

“We didn’t hear anything from Juelz again till we seen the recent footage,” Mayhem added. “I don’t know what happened after he left [be]cause we didn’t know where he went in the first place. But any misunderstanding could have been handled on the phone. We’ve known him for five years, lived in his house, and know his mother very well, so we didn’t understand the subliminals on the footage.”

 

S.A.S. was introduced to most American audiences in 2004, when they were signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and made honorary members of the Dipset crew.

 

Sighting a lack of support following the break-up of the Roc-A-Fella roster, S.A.S. has spent the last two years branding their London-based imprint, Eurogang.

DJ Khaled: Global Grind

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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When you hear the ever animated DJ Khaled bellow out his signature catchphrase “We the best!” on his various hit records, you’re not hearing an empty catchphrase, but the slogan by which the man exemplifies his career. Since 2006, Khaled has ridden the wave of his albums (Listennn…The Album, We The Best) and their various all-star posse-cut compilations (“Holla at Me,” “I’m So Hood,” “Out Here Grindin”) from the DJ booth to fledgling boardroom executive. Now just a few short weeks away from the release of his third LP, We Global, Khaled explains the methods behind his planned worldwide takeover.AllHipHop.com Your new album We Global is scheduled to drop September 16. What direction were you looking to take on this album from your previous efforts?Khaled: The direction was just to go harder and bigger out here with these records. “Out Here Grindin’” is another huge street anthem. I got the whole hood representing it. I’m collaborating with the biggest hood stars and street artists in the game all on one record. I’ve got Ricky Ross, Plies, Boosie, Akon, Ace Hood, and Trick Daddy. This is just straight out the projects! That’s what I rep.And the new single “Go Hard” features T-Pain and Kanye West. And that [one], I can retire after that! I got Game on the record, [and] Nas. I got everyone! So basically the direction is to go harderDJ Khaled f/ Akon, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Plies, Ace Hood, and Trick Daddy  “Out Here Grindin'” VideoAllHipHop.com: You’ve been with Koch Records releasing major albums since about 2006. What’s the biggest benefit of working with them as opposed to smaller or bigger labels?Khaled: With Koch they’re hungry and see my vision. And there’s no hate, when I want to do something they say, “Let’s go.” They work hard and are very hands on. And my work with them helped me get a huge label deal with Def Jam.AllHipHop.com: Of course Def Jam is a name that’s synonymous with Hip-Hop, but many artists there have expressed discontent with the way their projects were handled. What made you feel comfortable partnering We the Best Music with them?Khaled: First of all I’m a fan of Def Jam and its artists. I grew up listening to Run-DMC [Ed. Note: Run-DMC was on Profile, though managed by Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons] and LL Cool J. Now you have Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Rick Ross. There’s so many artists that they’ve done well with, so to be under that umbrella is just a beautiful thing for my brand. LA Reid, I look up to him as a boss and somebody in the game that loves the music and the work. Signing my first artist Ace Hood was a true dream come true for me.AllHipHop.com: How did you hook up with Ace Hood and how has the creative process for his album been going?Khaled: We hooked up in Miami. He brought his music to the station while I was late on my way to work in the parking lot. I seen him and he looked like a star. So when I got his CD I told him and I’ll call him later after I’d listened to it. So after work I jumped in that Phantom and started bumping his music and I heard the hunger in his voice. So I called him and said, “Yo, I’m going to send you ‘I’m So Hood,’ let’s see you rap over it.” And he ripped it down.DJ Khaled f/ T-Pain, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross & Plies “I’m So Hood” VideoAllHipHop.com: Now a lot of up and coming artists would love to work with you as well. For everyone out there, what would be the top three things from an aspiring artist that would catch your eye and make you want to sign them?Khaled: The style or swag, the presence when they walk in a room, and their hunger and work ethic.AllHipHop.com: Right now you have a winning formula with the posse cuts. So far, they’ve pretty much been your lane exclusively for the last couple albums. As an artist do you subscribe to maintaining the formula as long as it works, or taking risks with your art?Khaled: My formula is my team. You’re always going to hear me do records with Ross, Ace Hood, Trick Daddy, Fat Joe, Akon, T-Pain, and Jeezy simply because I’m a fan of them and so are you. We make great music. But you’re also going to hear me do different things like “Go Hard” with T-Pain and Kanye.I believe in making hit records. And when I’m in the studio I’m on it and I feel these guys have to be on it. And by the way, everyone loves the same guys [artists] I like (laughs)…as artists, no h###.Go Hard (Feat. Kanye West & T-Pain) – DJ KhaledAllHipHop.com: A lot of people were thrown off by the collaboration you have with Nas on the album (“I’m On”). I know you’ve known him for a couple years through Fat Joe. Talk a little bit about how that project came about.Khaled: I called and told him I wanted to do a “Hate Me Now” but a little different. It was just time for us to do something. We always wanted to work together throughout the years. Somehow the record got leaked and it really p##### me off because I wanted it to be a surprise. It’s a big record. Nas is spitting that fire; talking about drinking champagne out of a beer can. He’s going in. It’s Nas! He’s a legend.AllHipHop.com: When you’re in the studio with all these different artists, do you have to offer a lot of direction or does everything just flow when the beats come on?Khaled: I always come to them with the concept, beat, and chorus. And when I’m in the studio I bring a certain energy and get the best out of all the artists. They’ll tell you themselves I’m passionate about my music. I’m On – NasAllHipHop.com: Under your Beat Novacaine producer name you also have a lot of production credits. Every producer has their own habits and patterns, so is there anything in particular that you do when coming up with the arrangements and rhythms for your music?Khaled: When I make my own beats they be real cinematic and theatrical…and hard. [But] when I get with other producers like The Runners or Danja I always give them passion and they deliver it to another level. So it really depends on what direction I want to go in at that time.AllHipHop.com: Being that you’re a cornerstone of the Terror Squad, can we expect another album from you guys?Khaled: Joe’s working on a Terror Squad album now. You know, we make hits!AllHipHop.com: A lot has been made recently about the status the DJ has now in Hip-Hop. Some people say the DJ is dead while others say that’s ridiculous and the DJ has more power now then they’ve ever had. As someone who’s made their name as a DJ, what’s your opinion on that?Khaled: Everyone has an opinion but the DJ is definitely not dead, and I’m living proof of that. The DJ is involved in a lot of different situations. A DJ can become an executive, promoter, program director, A&R, or producer. DJs are in the heart of the music.AllHipHop.com: As a producer and DJ you’re really close to the music and can feel trends are they’re developing. Where do you see the culture going lyrically, production-wise, and business-wise?Khaled: Business-wise it’ll go even more independent because major labels want artists to be CEOs and do all the work. They piggyback off it and then put the steroids in you once you’re hot. Lyrics will always be there. That’s why only certain people can be legends. Production-wise it’ll get crazier because sounds are changing every month and there’s crazy talented producers out there. I love Drumma Boy, The Runners, Danja, Infamous, and J-Roc.AllHipHop.com: Let’s have you weigh in on the ringtone vs. album debate. You’re an artist that sells well on both fronts. Do you feel the importance of ringtone sales have diminished the viability of albums, or do you think LPs are still relevant in today’s market?Khaled: You got to remember if you have a big ringtone record you got a hit record and you’re a hit artist. Are you a one hit wonder? It depends on that one artist. For me I make big ringtone records and record sales. The sales come when people buy into you and want to be a part of your career. A real fan is going to buy your record and support you.AllHipHop.com: There’s been a huge backlash against artists whose personas don’t coincide with their backgrounds. Is this because fans themselves are getting too caught up in the images, or because artists aren’t making a clear distinction between their entertainment personas and their real lives?Khaled: The problem with the fans is that there’s not enough time for artist development. Record companies aren’t doing it because they don’t want to spend the money. That’s why as an artist you have to be the CEO and go hard and not get mad at the record company but work with the new system. And the new system is “get yourself hot.” Go out there and grind and make them want to help you. The name of the game is to be relevant. If you have a hot record and you’re out there doing shows, going on TV, you’re relevant so that means you can make another record. There’s plenty of artists that can’t sell a lot of records but are millionaires because they do shows every single day and have a huge fanbase. Why they didn’t sell records it’ll be a mystery but the next one might hit. It’s just the game…it’s a recession.AllHipHop.com: Watching you perform it’s obvious you really enjoy being an artist. Now that you’re moving into the business side do you ever see yourself retiring from music like other artists have done, or do you see it always being a part of you?Khaled: I can’t say that now but I definitely know I’ll be going more into the business side because that’s what I do. I am the brand and now I can spread it to Ace Hood and my other team members.

Immortal Technique Embarks on European Tour

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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American underground rap fixture Immortal Technique is taking his revolutionary style of Hip-Hop overseas as he gears up for an upcoming European tour.

 

The outing, which kicks off Sunday (Sept. 14) in Amsterdam , is in support of Immortal Technique’s latest album The 3rd World.

 

In addition to showcasing his music, the rapper will utilize the tour to highlight local support in an effort to build strength in the Hip-Hop communities across Europe.

 

“Hip-Hop is not dead, it just lives under occupation,” said Immortal Technique, who will be joined on the tour by Viper Record label mates Diabolic and DJ GI Joe.

 

“But there is a guerrilla force out there fighting and it is not just rappers but the people who make up these communities and support real music, especially independent street music.”

 

Immortal Technique’s European trek comes as the rapper recently finished a US national tour that included appearances on the Rock the Bells tour and performances at various sized venues in front of thousands.

 

Since it’s release on June 24, The 3rd World has moved more than 45,000 units independently.

 

The critically-acclaimed release features appearances from Chino XL, Crooked I and Ras Kass as well as production from DJ Green Lantern, Bronze Nazareth and Toure “Southpaw” Harris.

 

The following is a listing of Immortal Technique European tour dates, with more dates announced in the coming weeks.

 

The outing will precede an international tour schedule.

 

Sept. 14 – Melkweg – 1017 PH, Amsterdam Sept. 16 – Vega – Copenhagen Sept. 17 – Nosturi – Helsinki, FIN Sept. 18 – Stadtgarten – Cologne, GER Sept. 20 – Coronet Theatre – London, UK Sept. 22 – Arena – Vienna, Austria Sept. 24 – John Dee – Oslo, Norway Sept. 25 – Mejeret – Lund, Sweden Sept. 26 – Rote Fabrik – Zurich, SWI Sept. 28 – Andrew’s Lane Theatre – Dublin 2, Ireland Sept. 29 – TBA – Belfast, Northern Ireland

Chester French: WTF Do THEY Have To Do With Hip-Hop?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Alternatives
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If people still went into stores and bought albums like we used to, more of us might notice a trend in modern music. Most stores divide their music into genres because, theoretically, it’s supposed to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. When you want to find The Rolling Stones or Run-DMC or Miles Davis, this works just fine. But when you want to find many new artists, the system falls apart. The Goodie Mob albums would definitely be in “Rap,” but is that where the Cee-Lo solo albums should be too? What about Gnarls Barkley? Maybe that would be in “Rock,” but is Gnarls Barkley really a rock band? This fall, you’ll probably find Chester French’s Love the Future in the “Rock” or “Pop” section, but with an album full of songs that were assembled more like Hip-Hop records than anything else, those categorizations aren’t exactly accurate. When it was time for Harvard grads D.A. Wallach and Max Drummey to find a record deal with a major label, it was Kanye West, Jermaine Durpi and Pharrell Williams who came to them with offers, not Clive Davis and Simon Cowell. They all wanted the duo on their side, because they saw that Chester French had more in common with Outkast than Fall Out Boy, even if the songs didn’t make it obvious. “A lot Rock people haven’t been feeling us, but for the music that’s come out over the last ten or fifteen years, we’ve liked a lot more Hip-Hop than we have rock. We’re people that’ve always loved and appreciated and respected Hip-Hop music so when Hip-Hop people like us, it makes sense to us.” No, Chester French aren’t making rap songs or even trying to play “rapper dress-up” like Korn and Limp Bizkit; they’re just making the kind of music they want to make and it just so happens that listening to Hip-Hop helped them learn to do that. Really though, all this talk of categories and genres isn’t important; Chester French doesn’t care and they’d prefer if you didn’t either. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: So you guys ended up getting signed before you graduated?DA: We got a bunch of offers before we graduated, but we didn’t end up finishing our deal until the summer after senior year. We had already decided to sign with Pharrell at Interscope before we finished though.AHHA: What made you choose Star Trak over the other offers that you had?DA: We did a keg standoff and, Pharrell not so much, but Chad really made a strong showing, so it was a no-brainer. We got Chad up to like 4 minutes and 50 seconds and this guy was like, red in the face but he still had that champion’s spirit.AHHA: Have you been involved with in any design for the BBC/Ice Cream lines now that you’re on Star Trak? It seemed like they started to incorporate some of the preppy imagery after you came on.DA: No, we’re not involved… we’re trying to mix-up our style with some wild sh*t. We did like, one photo shoot where we were wearing button-down shirts because that’s all we had. That ended up being the photo that got around so everyone’s like “oh, those guys are so preppy,” but we never meant to get in that box.AHHA: So there’s probably no need for any New England Battle Royale with the guys from Vampire Weekend for control of the image…DA: Nah… the music’s totally different, and I don’t really know if they’re like, parodying that sort of thing, but at least for us when we were in school, we never fit into that too much. I mean, there are people at Harvard who are actually the embodiment of that lifestyle. They really do have a huge trust fund and their grandfather went to school there. We showed up at college like “who are these guys?” You imagine that as something you only see in movies, but then you get there and it’s actually in your face… these people have garden parties. I didn’t even know what a garden party was, but there’s definitely some subtle erotic sh*t going on there…

“The first time we met with Pharrell, he said something that always

stuck in my head, which was that music is music, people are people. You

don’t want to be like ‘hey, we’re so eclectic’ and all that, but in my

head, that’s just the most honest way to approach music. You don’t want

to be thinking in any box, especially today when music and lifestyle

marketing is so integrated.”- D.A.

AHHA: What were your majors at Harvard?DA: I did African American studies.Max: I did Social Anthropology.AHHA: Did you actually intend to follow through with that then or were you just treading water until music worked out?Max: It’s kinda hard to follow through on either of those things…DA: We were just treading water. I don’t think either of us intended to follow through on [our majors].AHHA: So why not major in music then?Max: Harvard had a terrible music program run by really ignorant people…it’s a weird place.AHHA: You got to use the facilities to get your album done though, so it kinda worked out.Max: Yeah, at the end of the day, we definitely stole some stuff from Harvard.DA: The studio we had at school wasn’t actually affiliated with the music program there. That’s sort of an independent student group that Max and I were actually kind running too. We were actually engineering there as commercial engineers so even when we were getting the record deal, we were still recording weird a cappella groups and viola players to pick up some cash on the side. It was good too because we were able to learn how to record all kinds of different music and instruments and all that knowledge ends up being a resource when you’re working out your own project.AHHA: Who do you consider your major influences? I feel like there’s some similarity to The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison or Scott Walker with the kind of wide, sweeping arrangements on Pop records…Max: It’s frustrating to like, pick one or two things to advertise that we’re really into because at the end of the day, we listen to all types of music from all times and all types of people. If we come out and say “oh, we like this” then people are gonna look for that in our music. I’d rather they just hear what they hear and what they know in it.DA: The first time we met with Pharrell, he said something that always stuck in my head, which was that music is music, people are people. You don’t want to be like “hey, we’re so eclectic” and all that, but in my head, that’s just the most honest way to approach music. You don’t want to be thinking in any box, especially today when music and lifestyle marketing is so integrated. People get into that “I’m a backpacker so I like this s###” or “I’m a f**kin’ gangster so I like this sh*t” or I’m a punk rocker so I like this sh*t” and it’s ridiculous. It has nothing to do with the way you dress or anything. People bug out like “why are you hanging out with all these rappers” because we don’t dress like that or talk the same way, but we don’t see ourselves that way and we don’t’ see our fans that way. It would be nice if some of those boxes collapsed a little bit.AHHA: So as you start to play your first live shows, how are you able to translate those broad, complex songs into something you can play live?Max: All the songs in the first place just came from either a piano and vocal or guitar and vocal, so on a certain level, I’m just sort of used to thinking about them in that way so there’s an infinite number of ways to translate it. We’re just keeping it a little bit leaner and a little bit harder hitting. It sounds kinda oxymoronic, but it’s almost more powerful the fewer things you have going on because each thing can be it’s own big, epic force. DA: Since we got singed without paying a show, I think a lot of people were worried like “awww sh*t, we signed these guys but are they gonna suck live?” Even Pharrell told us that we’d need to use a backing track because we’d miss all those little gizmos and sounds, but for us it was like “f**k no, this is gonna be a live-ass show and we want to shake down these venues.”AHHA: That’s where the Beach Boys comparison plays in. Pet Sounds and SMiLE are pretty universally considered to be classics, but there was a big concern as they were being recorded that they’d never be able to play the songs live. SMiLE literally ended up being delayed for almost 40 years…DA: Well, like Max was saying, if you’ve got a song, you’ve got a melody, you’ve got some chords, then you can play it on just an acoustic guitar. A lot of that ended up being true for a lot of stuff on SMiLE too, and he does play it live now.Max: He’s got a ridiculous band in concert…DA: But if you’re on a studio making music and you’re on a stage making music, it’s a totally different experience.AHHA: So how has your recent live performing informed what you do in the studio?Max: For me, it’s made me more confident to do less and make things simpler.DA: When you listen to Beatles records especially, the recordings are so phenomenal that it’s hard to compare to anything that we wanna do but… they’ll have songs that have like, one instrument going on and it’s like “how does this sound so big and fill up that space.” When we were doing our record, we had limited resources so it was difficult to think how we were gonna make one piano or one guitar hold it’s ground and stand up by itself,” but now that we see how to do it live and let the music breathe, it opens up a lot of possibilities.

“People get into that “I’m a backpacker so I like this s###” or “I’m a

f**kin’ gangster so I like this sh*t” or I’m a punk rocker so I like

this sh*t” and it’s ridiculous. It has nothing to do with the way you

dress or anything.” – D.A.

AHHA: The lack of resources when recording the first album forced you to be inventive, so now that you’ve got a lot more money and equipment to work with, so you worry that it’ll tamper with your creativity?Max: The record we’re gonna put out is the record we made in school, just the two of us in the basement. From here on out in the studio, we’re just gonna keep the process the same because we like it. We’ll use whatever resources are available and just do whatever occurs to us. We made our record for $2000 dollars, but we never felt limited with what we were doing. DA: But now, we have some freedom where if we really wanted to do something in the vein of a song we heard and we really couldn’t figure it out, we could actually call somewhere and say, “How did you do that?” That’s part of what’s so wonderful of having Pharrell and them at our disposal, because there would be times when we were trying to say, copy something we’d heard on Neptunes records in the past and we would have to read an interview in Remix and try to replicate a production technique. AHHA: If we’re being honest here, Star Trak has been known to have a somewhat sporadic release schedule. How are you making sure that the record comes out on time? Max: We’re gonna leak it if they don’t put it out. I can’t speak for DA, but I will…DA: For right now, the plan is for them to put it out in September. I don’t see why that wouldn’t happen.AHHA: And it’s called Love the Future?DA: We’ll see… that’s the tentative title. It might be an eleventh hour decision. It comes from [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-il. His father was [previous leader] Kim Il-sung and that was the motto of his revolutionary movement. It was just an interesting historical fact that that had been his motto because the future was so incredibly bleak for them but it obviously mobilized a lot of people. The musical landscape may be irretrievably lost but…we’re gonna try to present ourselves with some integrity and do it the way people we admire have done it.

Hip-Hop Rumors: 50 Cent To Self Destruct? Beyonce Links With ‘Ye? Who Is Getting Help Writing?

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

50 CENT RUMORS –THE OBSESSION

You know, I try to give you the 50 Cent rumors until you are disgusted. Well here are some that may or may not turn your stomach.

I heard Jadakiss will be on the next CD by 50, Before I Self-Destruct.

I also heard there is the possibility of the album including Maino, Juelz Santana, plies and a longshot that Lil’ Wayne will be on there. I cannot say for sure, but there may be some sort of tie in with Lil Wayne’s lust to work with Eminem.

There maybe some commercial aspects to this new album, but don’t expect anything like the Justin Timberlake collaborations. There might be one or two commercial songs.

From a producer perspective, please I heard we’ll hear the beats of Sha Money XL, Timbaland, Swizzie and some others. I heard all the beats are in place.

I heard there are some straight-to-dvd movies coming out soon, with people like Terrence Howard and other Black actors. Rumor has it, Val Kilmer might appear in one of them. You might remember, that’s one of 50’s new best buds.

You might have already heard this, but 50 is also working with AFRICAN BILLIONARE PATRICE MOTSEPE on his new jewelry line. Sheeeeet!

I also heard some of the lesser known G-Unit rappers will continue to snatch chains from popular rappers.

KIM OSORIO GOES IN…DIRTY LAUNDRY STYLE!

AHH’s Kathy chatted with Kim Osorio, the former editor-in-chief of The Source magazine. Oh what an interview it was. Here are some excerpts, but you need to read the whole thing.

“[50 Cent] should stick to beefing with rappers… Leave little ol’ me alone.”

“I just got to a point where I was like, ‘Okay they want another Eminem hate story, let’s do it.’ I didn’t want to deal with the backlash of even saying anything positive about Eminem, because we all knew you would get fired [if you did].”

“I saw so many different representations of women in the earlier years of Hip-Hop. Nowadays, you don’t see as much when it comes to women. You are really just given this image of a woman – of a video vixen – and that’s all you see. That one type of woman in Hip-Hop.”

“My decision to write this book was something that I knew I needed to do to grow out of what I did. Obviously my story took a turn and it became something different, but there was always that story…Hip-Hop from a woman’s point of view.”

BEYONCE AND KANYE…CLEANING UP

WOW. Kanye, Jay-Z and Beyonce are not letting anybody eat, eh? I mean, they are going to take this 4th quarter OUT. I heard Beyonce is about to start shooting a pair of videos for her outing this year. Guess what else? I heard Kanye might be on her first single. I also heard Pharrell will be on the other, but I personally don’t know that I believe that one. Anyway, they have this year on lock. I am hearing Kanye’s new single is going to be on iTunes soon as well.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU?

This is Drake and he’s a rapper from Canada. Listen to this rap and tell me…does it sound familiar? (more later down the page)

JAY-Z FAN GOES CRAZY ON OASIS’ NOEL G!

If you missed his yesterday, here it is again.

GINUWINE SUED!

I don’t know why people go all crazy suing people they know have no real bread. All you do is end up being mad that you put all that money into a lawyer that cant get water from a rock. The point? Ginuwine, the singer that is still happily married to Sole, is being sued for $6 million by his former manager, producer and songwriting partner. I don’t know dudes name, but he claims he’s been owed since 1997, in Manhattan Court. Ginuwine, wherever you may be…stay there. This will blow over like a drizzle. Now if you pop up, its going to be like Katrina.DO REMEMBER ME!

TYGA NOT JACKED

Well, after doing some research and talking to a few people, it appears that homeboy Tyga wasn’t actually jacked for his chain. What seems to have happened is that some dudes – that really aren’t too busy – got a chain that looked similar to Tyga’s. Basically they had the same look and the same letters – “G-E-D.” The only thing is there is a distinct separation between the E and the D on Tyga’s chain, but the wanna be jackers’ chain had no gap. I’m not going to take a gang of time putting images in to prove it. We’ve wasted enough time on this one.

DAME DASH’S WOES CONTINUE

Man, I can’t believe some chicks. They say there are no good men and yet they keep the good ones from their kids. Now, I don’t know what kind of dad Dame Dash REALLY is, but I do know that he has been publicly trying to get back with his son. According to recent reports, he charges that his son Boogie’s mother is holding him “hostage” from daddy. I don’t feel his pain, since I don’t have any seeds but I get it! In the interest of being fair, Linda Williams, the mother of Boogie, has been complaining about Dame for a long, long time. I guess she denied Dame any visitation as a weapon. Anyway, Dame wants to get the courts to order her to bring him in. this is so sad. A child should never be denied just because the parents cannot get along.

RHIANNA SWAGGER JACKED FEFE DOBSON?

One of my great readers told me that FeFe Dobson was the one that was graciously jacked by Rihanna. I brushed it off, because it was very apparent that RiRi borrowed from the 80’s divas. A lot of people don’t even know who this FeFe is. I mean, I was just saying that she wasn’t relevant to be jacked for her swagger. Boy was I wrong! It would seem the FeFe could have been the inspiration for the whole rocker/bad girl chick look. FeFe even has the star tats that go behind the ear. RiRi was definitely late with that. So, FeFe decides to pop up and upstage my rumor the day I put it up. Not to mention she had was looks like a l#### make out session with Christina Milian. They were at a VMA party and were all hugged up, kissing on each other and walking hand in hand. FeFe is BACK. Now, we just gotta work on Christina and we GOOD.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Shout out to the SEA Awards. AllHipHop.com is nominated for a couple of prestigious honors. Click here to vote for us and all the other superior talents.

Gary Coleman is going to be sharing a cell with Bubba if he doesn’t get it together. The short actor reportedly hit a man with his after a fan refused to let him be about a dag-on autograph.

See why I do rumors and not gossip? Travis of GCH is actually dating Katy Perry (from “I Kissed A Girl” fame). Patty Crash or somebody that posts for her blogged that she is cool with Travis, but a music thing.

From what I hear, Ludacris has a new song called “Undisputed” that features Floyd Mayweather. I am not sure if Money is rapping though.

Darius “Eddie Winslow” MCray got on the radio and spoke out on Superhead. Click here to listen.

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

The signs are all around us, but this one is the craziest. Peep the report from CNN:

“Deep underground on the border between France and Switzerland, the world’s largest particle accelerator complex will explore the world on smaller scales than any human invention has explored before. The collider’s ALICE experiment will look at how the universe formed by analyzing particle collisions.”

It sounds sort of cool, right? Wrong! Here is the other part, later in the story.

“Some have expressed fears that the project could lead to the Earth’s demise — something scientists say will not happen. Still, skeptics have filed suit to try to stop the project.

Fears have emerged that the collider could produce black holes that could suck up anything around them — including the whole Earth. Such fears prompted legal actions in the U.S. and Europe to halt the operation of the Large Hadron Collider, alleging safety concerns regarding black holes and other phenomena that could theoretically emerge.

Although physicists acknowledge that the collider could, in theory, create small black holes, they say they do not pose any risk.

If the Earth gets yanked into a Black Hole, I am SUING these bastards! Damn scientists always trying to explain something only God can put together. This thing costs billions and billions of dollars and they aren’t going to come up with anything, but perhaps something they make up.

I AM MALCOLM X

I wish Malcolm X was alive! Why couldn’t Malcolm and Martin be with us? Check out this secret conversation between Malcolm and some FBI jakes. Even in beef, he wouldn’t turn traitor.

HERE IS MORE 50 FOR YOU

The other day, 50 Cent had to go to court over some baby mama mess. I feel for everybody in this situation. Baby moms, baby dadddys…ug.

PALIN’S ACTION FIGURE

I got one for my friend’s daughter. Thanks for the gift idea, Shelz!

 

NOW, DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

DON MAGIC PIMP JUAN DON GOES SHOPPING

Look at the Magic Don Juan get his shop on…like he was straight out of the 70’s! MACKIN!

Lil Wayne Calls it a Night and skips VMA After Parties…..

 

Well we all know that after the show theirs the after party but for Lil Wayne that wasn’t the case.  Weezy seemed to ditch the VMA post activities for his court date.  The rapper spent his night flying back to NYC from LA in order to make a court date stemming from a 2007 gun charge. Wayne’s lawyer Stacey Richman states:

 

‘He is the utmost, consummate professional,’ He recognizes his entertainment obligations, his business obligations and his obligations to the court.’

 

I guess she didn’t see his performance last night.. professional doesn’t even seem to be in his vocabulary but hey that’s just my opinion… and I am entitled to that…. or at least that’s what the AHH staff keeps telling me 😉 In any event the hearing will determine whether the stop and search was illegal or not!

 

Beyonce went to drug rehab for……….. 

 

Her new movie Cadillac Records duh! According to Beyonce she gained 20 IBS for the role of Etta James as well as going to drug counseling sessions in order to get into character! She said:

 

“I was really afraid. I didn’t know what I would see, because I’d never seen anything like that. I didn’t want to ask questions that were inappropriate, but (the people there) were very open and I have a new understanding. I never judge, but I just didn’t understand how, if you had children and so many things to lose, you could be so deep into your addiction that you just let all of that go.”

 

Blah, blah, blah! I really hope Beyonce can pull this role off, but then again why have high hopes! In any event I’m more ecstatic that she wasn’t pregnant with Jay Z’s child and she was only plump for the role! Cadillac Records hits theatres in 2009 and also star Mos Def as Chuck Berry and Gabrielle Union.  For more info check the web I aint IMDB!

 

Are Busta Buss and Laurie Ann getting it in?

 

 

Cause from this pic of the two at a VMA party it looks like Bus may have found him a new bust it baby 😉 A little too close for comfort to me but….. Hell at least someone got something good out of the VMA’s!

 

Lady Drama’s Food For Thought:

 

After seeing last nights VMA’s are you convinced that the BET Awards are on the come up.

 

I’m hearing Jay got Beyonce’s ring 5 months after they got married….. for 5 million and a flawless 18 karat diamond who gives a f*ck?

 

When will OJ realize some things are better left unsaid?

 

I sure hope Dame Dash’s son’s mother isn’t keeping Dame from seeing his son for more money… cause we all know how that will end up!

 

Go hard or go home folks ;0 

 

JAY-Z STANS, 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 ah*******@***il.com.

– allhiphop rumors

AHH WEEK!

Officer Testifies Lil Wayne Had Guns, Drugs

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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One day after performing and taking home a best Hip-Hop video honor at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, Lil Wayne appeared in a New York courtroom to answer for a 2007 arrest on his tour bus.

 

The 25-year-old New Orleans rapper, born Dwayne Carter, was arrested last summer after the bus was stopped by authorities who searched the vehicle and found a .40-caliber pistol.

 

He was later charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon.

 

According to The New York Post, Carter was present today (September 8) for a pre-trial hearing on the case.

 

Officer Diane Hornung testified that she boarded the bus after Carter performed at a concert at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan on July 22, 2007, when she saw and smelled marijuana smoke that wafted from the bus’ open door.

 

About 15 people boarded the bus around 11:30 p.m. after the show, said Hornung, who added that authorities pulled the bus over about 14 blocks away from the Theater after it loaded up with passengers.

 

When asked why she got on the bus, Hornung testified that she smelled “marijuana and I saw someone peeking through the curtain (over one of the windows on the bus).”

 

Hornung later ordered everyone off the bus, after which she said she headed to the rear of the vehicle, opened a bathroom door and saw a man trying to flush a sandwich bag of marijuana down a toilet.

 

At that point, Hornung said she confiscated the bag.

 

The officer then testified that she saw Carter in a bedroom at the back of the bus, sitting on a bed in his underwear and trying to hide a bag.

 

As the rapper was getting dressed, Hornung said she looked in the bag and found a loaded .9mm handgun.

 

Despite Hornung’s account of event, Carter’s lawyer Stacey Richman, got the officer to admit that she didn’t see anyone smoking marijuana when she went on the tour bus.

 

Richman furthered her case by arguing that the charge against her client should be dismissed on account of an illegal search of the bus conducted by the police stopping and boarding the bus without probable cause.

 

Carter was not charged with marijuana possession in the ordeal.

 

The rapper, who is free on $70,000 bail, pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession.

 

If convicted, Carter faces up to four years in prison.

50 Cent Wins Visitation Rights for Son

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Mogul 50 Cent won a significant battle in his legal war with ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tompkins today (September 8) in Suffolk Family Court.

 

Long Island Judge David Freundlich ruled today that the rapper can see his 11-year-old son Marquise every other weekend until an October 22 custody trial in family court.

 

The Queens native was mobbed by fans outside the courtroom, and disclosed to the New York Daily News that he plans to relax after closing another convoluted legal chapter with his child’s mother.

 

“I’m going to hang out with some women,” 50 Cent quipped. “Make some music, make some movies, and continue to kick it.”

 

Because Tompkins’ order of protection bars 50, real name Curtis Jackson, from having any direct contact with her, Tompkins has agreed to drop their son off every other Friday night at a police precinct in Queens.

 

From there 50’s mother or a driver will retrieve the boy.

 

Both Jackson and Tompkins have lawsuits pending against one another, stemming from a suspicious fire in May that destroyed Jackson’s $2.5 million dollar mansion in Dix Hills, Long Island.

 

Tompkins’ suit alleges that 50 started the fire to renege on a previous verbal agreement made in 2000 to split income made from his rap career.

 

She is requesting half of his reputed $100 million dollar portfolio.

 

Vehemently denying her claims, 50 countered with a $20 million dollar defamation lawsuit.

 

Shaniqua Tompkins nor her lawyer could be reached for comment.

Knockout Nation: EXCLUSIVE Nate Campbell Interview! Khan Exposed, Diaz Busts Up Katsidis, Azumah Nelson

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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EXCLUSIVE Interview with Lightweight Champion Nate Campbell

IBF, WBA, and WBO champ Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell is currently in training for a September 13 grudge match against Joan Guzman. Completely focused on unifying the lightweight division, Campbell has promised to take out all the top fighters willing to face him in the ring.

Graciously taking time with me before going out on a late night training run, Nate Campbell in this exclusive Knockout Nation interview talks about his rivals, the politics of boxing, and the one time he didn’t want to keep fighting in the ring.

Knockout Nation: You’re now entering your last week of preparation for Joan Guzman, how has your training camp been overall?

Campbell: It’s going great, man. I had a good group of guys with me from the trainers on down through the sparring partners. Of course with [trainer] John David Jackson we’re always doing our thing together.

KN: There’s been a lot of trash talk back and forth between you and Guzman, with him even commenting on your recent marriage and using pictures of your ceremony. Are you taking this fight personally or do you just look at as business since people are speculating his management wrote the releases?

Campbell: It’s always “personal business” with me. I know he hasn’t been saying most of the stuff; the people around him are going to do what they do. It’s to be expected, it’s boxing.

KN: Guzman has fast hands but he’s prone to brawl and leaves himself open on the inside. Are you banking on taking advantage on the inside or are you looking more so to take the fight outside?

Campbell: I’m not worried about what he’s gonna do because whatever he does I’m going to make it work for me. At this point he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do and I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do. At the end of the day, it’s a fight!

KN: The last couple of years you’ve made it a habit of taking the 0s away from young, undefeated fighters. Do you think fans and media are prone to overrating fighters with undefeated resumes and not looking at the substance behind the records they bring to the ring?

Campbell: They’ve always overrated guys. I just fight my fight. You are going to have to prove it to me [that you can fight].

KN: Because they’re so many titles and organizations out there, people have begun to look to RING magazine and the linear title to decide who the champ is. Since Golden Boy now owns RING magazine, that can be faulty as well. Talk a little about how the RING title is not the best system especially in your lightweight division.

Campbell: First of all the RING is p##### off at me because I said “just because you have the RING belt doesn’t make you really the champion.” That’s my opinion. It doesn’t matter who has [that] belt or doesn’t. I’m the best lightweight in the world, like it or not. The belt I have doesn’t matter.

You want to argue, that’s cool. Who has most of the belts?

KN: That would be you.

Campbell: Ok, then.

KN: Do you have a pick for the Katsidis-Diaz fight coming up?

Campbell: I haven’t stopped to think about that one. [It’s] two guys that I don’t care about.

KN: You’re a student of boxing history. What do you notice as the biggest difference in boxing now from a few decades ago?

Campbell: The undefeated record makes you a god in the eyes of people today. And all that is just fancy matchmaking. Back in the day you could have losses. Rocky Graziano finished his career at 67-10-6. And he’s in the Hall of Fame.

Now, if you have a “0” in your record you must be great.  My goal is to show what my experience level is.

KN: Let’s go back to the first Robbie Peden fight in 2004. Everyone derided you for dropping your hands and letting him hit you. Did you use that fight as inspiration because it seems like you gained a whole new focus after that bout.

 

 

Campbell: It was a great but grave defeat. If it wasn’t for that fight, I wouldn’t be world champion. I learned from the fight. And with boxing, it is what it is.

KN: Not too many people talk about it anymore but you’ve referenced your hardest mental fight was against Ricky Quiles. Not because you were being physically pushed, but because it was obvious he had nothing left and was taking a beating round after round. How hard was it to continue doing your job when you knew the man in front of you had nothing left and couldn’t defend himself?

Campbell: It was never hard [to keep punching] except for that fight. Before if a guy stopped punching, it would never bother me to keep throwing until there was nothing left.

KN: A lot of experts picked Juan Diaz over you because of your age. However, you always point out that even though you’re older you have less wear and tear on you than most young fighters because you started your professional career in your late 20’s. Do you feel that’s given you an advantage along with your experience over the competition?

Campbell: That’s one specific reason why. They keep making me out to be this old guy when I’m not. I’ve always taken care of myself in and out of the ring.

KN: If you could change three things in boxing today to improve it, what would those things be?

Campbell: The best should fight the best. I want the networks like NBC to get back in boxing. And fighters should be rewarded for winning fights, not given politics.

KN: You did great commentating on ESPN2 a few weeks back. Is that a possible post-fight career option?

Campbell: Thanks. Definitely, that’s one of the things I want to get into after my career is over.

KN: You’ve had a tough background growing up dealing with constant relocation due to foster homes. How did you use those experiences in your everyday life and development as a man?

Campbell: Where I come from you learn to believe in yourself and not allow anyone to take anything from you. So when people try to take my respect, I don’t think about them. I don’t let what people think about me offend me or upset me to the point where I can’t do my job. I am who I am because of what I’ve been through. I’m blessed to be here and thank God for my abilities.

KN: I appreciate your time, Nate. You’re the first boxer interviewed for the column and best of luck this Saturday.

Campbell: I’m honored, man. Thanks reaching out for this interview.

Note: Watch Nate Campbell this Saturday September 13 on Showtime against Joan Guzman. Who else do want to see featured here in Knockout Nation? I want to hear from you…

Amir Khan Massacred in PPV Bout

There’s nothing like a decisive 1st round knockout, especially when that knockout is an upset destruction of a hyped undefeated fighter. That was the scenario this past Saturday September 6, with unknown Columbian knockout artist Breidis Prescott taking out the hot prospect in less than one minute before stunned UK fans at the M.E.N. Arena.

The fight began with the heavy-handed Prescott swinging for the fences with left hooks and overhand rights. Ironically, the first damaging punch was a jab that wobbled Khan.

Undeterred, Khan kept testing fate by pressing forward and initiating exchanges.

The concern proved correct when Prescott countered Khan’s left to the body with a sharp left hook to the head.

Khan was shook badly by the shot and dropped like a ton a bricks behind a follow-up right hand and left hook.

Khan rose at two but was on spaghetti legs and in no condition to continue after stumbling back into corner.

However, before the hometown crowd the ref gave Khan the benefit of the doubt and the chance to save his immediate boxing future.

The end came swiftly as Prescott pounced on the disoriented Khan and deposited him in the corner with a savage hook for a clean ten count KO.

 

 

I cannot think of a worst possible loss for any fighter, let alone a young one to take. Khan was completely demolished in his backyard on a high-profile PPV.

The loss also echoed the concerns on his local commentators like former champ Barry McGuigan, who felt Khan was too vulnerable defensively to challenge for a title anytime soon.

Despite of all this, Khan is still 21 years old and can possibly bounce back from this loss. The end was quick and while the knockdowns were vicious he didn’t take any sustained punishment and appeared ok in the post-fight interviews.

But for Khan to make a comeback, defense should be the main lesson on his mind.

And no more fighting during Ramadan…

Juan Diaz Dominates Katsidis, Juarez Rallies for Late Stoppage Over Barrios

 

 

The proposed war between Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis was not to be, as Diaz dominated Katsidis for a dubious split decision win on Saturday night (September 6).

After a close first round, Diaz went on to dominate the next six rounds with accurate combination punching and angles. While Katsidis remained game, he was unable to land consistent clean punches and had to nurse a badly swelled and cut right eye.

In the championship rounds, Diaz maintained good defense in spite of Katsidis continuing to work hard while taking shots.

Final scorecards read 115-113, 116-112, and 113-115 for Diaz.

The fight was entertaining but many are already questioning how any judge could have the fight closer than 8 rounds to 4 for Diaz.

In the post-fight interview, Diaz made it known he would like to face the winner of Casamayor-Marquez this weekend.

On the undercard, Rocky Juarez won a stunning 11th round knockout over rugged Jorge Barrios.

Juarez struggled to get any offense going as Barrios deftly boxed a confused Juarez from both the outside and inside. However, the fight remained close due to the referee deducting two points for very questionable low blows that were on the beltline.

In round 10, Barrios had slowed down due to his high work-rate and was caught with solid body shots and left hooks from Juarez that buckled his knees.

Juarez continued that momentum in the 11th, opening up a nasty blood spurting cut in Barrios’ mouth before dropping him with a straight right.

Even though Barrios was there mentally, the hanging flesh and flowing blood from his mouth gave the referee no choice but to stop the fight.

The win improves Juarez’s record to 28-4, 20 KOs and possibly lead to him getting another shot at a super featherweight title.

Joel Casamayor vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Mora vs. Forrest II PPV

Juan Manuel Marquez moves up to lightweight this weekend to face linear champ Joel Casamayor in an intriguing matchup of highly skilled pugilists.

Marquez has appeared sharp in recent efforts, even in his controversial loss to pound for pound #1 Manny Pacquiao.

Casamayor on the other hand has struggled in recent bouts and barely survived a shootout with limited slugger Michael Katsidis in March.

Still, Casamayor will have a good size advantage for a change and should be the slight favorite this bout.

Regarding the undercard, with every fight Vernon Forrest moves further away from his prime years of 1999-2002. Expect Mora to drag Forrest into another dog fight and outwork him to a decision.

RIP Joey Giardello 1930-2008

Last Thursday (September 4) we lost one of the most underrated champions in boxing history with the passing of Joey Giardello.

The New Jersey native campaigned at middleweight from 1948-1967. Over his 19 year career he posted wins over Sugar Ray Robinson, Ruben Carter, and Dick Tiger.

He held the middleweight title from 1963-1965 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1999, he successfully sued Universal Pictures for his depiction in Denzel Washington’s The Hurricane as an inept punch-drunk fighter.

Joey Giardello’s final record is 101-25-7, 33 KOs.

Throwback Fighter of the Week: Azumah Nelson

Sometimes a loss can make a fighter a star. Take Azumah “The Professor” Nelson, for instance.

Unknown for his first 13 bouts, the Ghanaian became an instant star though his courageous losing effort against legend Salvador Sanchez, going down swinging in the 15th round for a TKO loss in 1982.

Nelson rebounded in 1984 against another Hall of Famer in Wilfredo Gomez, outmuscling and grinding him down to an 11th round KO to pick up the WBC super featherweight title. The knockout is memorable due to Gomez falling in slow motion after being punched directly in the throat.

From there Nelson held that title for the next five years, beating solid contenders in Pat Cowdell, Mario Martinez (2X), and Marcos Villasana.

He would lose in 1990 when he moved up to lightweight to face a prime Pernell Whitaker. While never quitting, Nelson was completely outclassed and arguably lost every round to Sweet Pea.

Nelson would move back down to super featherweight that same year and regain his WBC title by decision against Juan La Porte.

Controversy would follow in 1991 when Nelson was outboxed by Australian Jeff Fenech in Las Vegas, but somehow earned an undeserving draw. In early 1992, Nelson left no doubts in the rematch by KO’ing Fenech in 8 rounds.

Nelson spent the mid to late 90’s engaging in a tough four fight series with scrappy Jesse James Leija. He went 1-2-1: a draw in the first (1993), losing a decision in the second (1994), KO’ing Leija in the third (1996), and dropping a decision in the final 1998 bout.

By then Nelson was past prime and had also dropped a decision the previous year to Genaro Hernandez. He retired in 1998, but made a money-based comeback for one fight this past June against old rival Jeff Fenech. He lost by majority decision in a listless bout.

Azumah Nelson is a national hero in Ghana and recognized as the greatest fighter out of that country. He was inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Azumah Nelson’s final record stands at 39-6-2, 28 KOs.

Nelson vs. Wilfedo Gomez

 

Nelson vs. Jeff Fenech II