AllHipHop

homepage

Willie Joe: For the Love of the Game

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Breeding Ground

The Hyphy movement has revitalized the

careers of E-40, Keak Da Sneak, and Too $hort. It has also continued to

add more concrete to the foundation that Lil’ Jon built in Georgia and

has managed to pull some of the attention away from the South.

But before the craze, there was Willie Joe.

The

22-year-old Vallejo native had been trying to cultivate a career in rap

since he was in High School. Having made mixtapes for friends and

classmates, Joe, who used money from a part-time job to fuel his

burgeoning career, made believers out of all them. As he grew older and

continued to cultivate a path, a life-altering moment occurred. A

shooting at a party woke the young emcee up and prompted his quick

relocation to Atlanta, Georgia. With no money, no place to stay, and a

burning pit in his stomach, Joe got a job working at the airport and,

as they say, the rest is history.

The California native, who has won a handful of showcases, is enjoying the success of“Get Em, Got Em”

as it burns all over Atlanta radio stations. The humble emcee talks

shop with AllHipHop.com as he talks about the inspiration behind his

move to Atlanta, why he really never left the Bay, and why the game is

bad.

AllHipHop: On the song, “Get Em, Got Em,”you spit, Name is Willie Joe, pimpin’ don’t get me confused with/Any other dude in the game who do music.

Yet, your sound is similar to Big Boi and has a little bit of Ray Cash

intonation. What is there about you that stood out compared to anyone

else in the business?

Willie

Joe: I think that the one obvious thing is that I’m Willie Joe, and

they’re not. The music that I make is pure Wata Boyz music. I’m from

the Bay and I don’t sound like anyone that is from there. But, if you

look at my swag and how I carry myself, it is reminiscent of the greats

from the Bay. I can sit here all day and explain why I’m different and

why people should notice me in the game. But really, all cats should do

is just be like Puffy and ‘press play’ to hear what I’m talking about.

AllHipHop:

But I think the masses are calling for something new. Not the same

materialistic, thug life mentality music that you hear all day on BET

or on the radio. So, as a relatively new artist in the game – how do

you think you’ll be able to counteract visiting the same content that

other’s have and deliver something fresh?

Willie

Joe: Something that I learn through doing this music is to get their

attention. It is one thing to have something and another thing to

actual deliver it. I believe that you have to, first, give them what

they want to get their attention and then give them what they need. You

have to understand, I’m still in my 20’s. I like to go to the club,

smoke weed, hang out with girls, and whatnot. But I am so passionate

about what I do that I can’t be denied and want to be up there like

some of the legends who represent where I’m from. I’m about putting my

city on the map. I can talk about how I sold crack to talking about how

a family member of mines ended up doing crack. I spit about

materialistic things, but I give you something to listen to, as well.

AllHipHop: Being from Vallejo, California, you have a song called “Get Hyphy,”yet you moved from the Bay Area to Atlanta. Why move when the Hyphy movement is tied into the Bay?

Willie

Joe: That’s something that people don’t know. When I moved, the Hyphy

movement wasn’t popping. No one in the Bay was getting any deals. It

wasn’t until I moved when the movement started poppin’ off. I feel like

I’m still a part of the movement. But I’m also in charge of my own

movement, as well. Take a look at things. E-40 hooked up with Lil’ Jon

and that propelled the Hyphy movement into the limelight. I feel like I

had to go somewhere to make my situation bigger. So, there were a lot

of people from the outside looking in think, “Why did I leave while the

Bay is poppin’?” I left before then.

AllHipHop:

But you don’t think that maybe your sound will resonate more thoroughly

because ATL is what’s hot right now? Plus, Don P. [Bay Area MC] is your

cousin. So, his knowledge of business in the ‘A’ is probably more

valuable there than in California, right?

Willie

Joe: Don P. is a legendary local artist from the Bay. He made a lot of

noise back in the day. He allowed me to get my voice out there. I

learned from him no matter what, believe in your self and believe in

God. He told me to don’t care about what people have to say, especially

if you’re doing something different. A lot of people from the Bay

thought that the South wasn’t going to feel a young guy from there. But

if you believe it in your heart, then you go at it a hundred miles and

running.

AllHipHop:

The South has been bubbling for the past few years now. Was the move to

Atlanta a more strategic move if anything to get more radio and video

play?

Willie

Joe: Yeah, it was. But at the same time it was a strategic move for me

personally. I’ve been in the Bay my entire life. I had a lot of friends

where negative things tend to happen. A friend of one my homies had got

into a fight with a dude inside of a house party. He came out and

greeted us as if nothing had happened. But what happened was the dude

who he was fighting with, came out with a piece and started spraying

out. It was just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

A bullet hit my leg and my man was hit in the back. After that the next

day, I was in Atlanta, GA. I didn’t know anybody. I had no money, so I

got a job at the airport, used the money to press up the mixtape and

kept grinding consistently.

AllHipHop: How is your man’s?

Willie

Joe: He’s alright. He’s a part of the movement now. Right now, the Wata

Boyz are on deck and they’re in the Bay. It was an alarm for me and the

whole squad. It made us stronger and we learned more about business to

apply it to the company and our foundation as a whole. I really want

people to know that we’re the new guys out.

AllHipHop: On the song, “Watch Out,” you say, No industry connections, no friends in the game/Just a hot click, a dream, with a third degree flame. Could you talk about how you got your exposure?

Willie

Joe: Ah, I see you doing your research. I had won a contest that really

propelled me out into the front. It was the same spot where Yung Joc

got discovered at. I won the showcase twice. I’m the only one to do it,

ever. The prize was to get a song on the radio station. It was a on HOT

107.9 in Atlanta. Other personalities started playing it and it really

took off. Right now, we’re in negotiations with Warner Brothers. “The

Free Agent” is my newest mixtape, that I’m about to put out. I’m not

signed to them, so I feel like, “Let the bidding war begin!” This

mixtape is going to put a lot of people on blast about me. Personally,

I want people to follow me on my journey. I want people to know where I

came from. I want to be different and show a work ethic, instead of

just poppin’ up and have everything. That’s why I named the album The Come-Up. I want people to get motivated to do whatever they want and grind hard for it. The album is like a reality series on audio.

AllHipHop: E-40 is known as the originator of most of the slang that is in Hip-Hop. So, what was does “yadda” mean?

Willie

Joe: In the Bay Area that is one of the things that we’re known for.

There’s that and we have the independent grind. That’s why no matter

what… people know that I’m from the Bay. From the slang that we spit to

the way that I grind my s###, I am not trying to fade into the

background. Yadda means – ‘you know what I mean’.

AllHipHop:

This past December, you won Atlanta’s renowned “Almost Famous”

showcase. In front of veteran music industry professionals, you came

out on top. What do you think they saw in you that the rest of the

mainstream public has yet to find out?

Willie

Joe: That was a big showcase where all the up-and-coming artists get

judged. All the people there were on the grind. I came on stage and

just did me with no hype man and won. I think they saw, not only the

confidence, but I believe that they saw the passion. Right now, the

game is so crazy because the people are doing it because other people

are doing it. Also, you have a majority of people doing it for the

money. It’s rare that you find someone who is doing it for the love. I

have the love for the game. It’s natural for me. I didn’t have to learn

how to rap.

AllHipHop:

With opinions about the state of Hip-Hop music more or less negative –

in your opinion, does the game need salvaging? What can we do to

collectively change it?

Willie

Joe: I think that it is bad right now. But, how we should go about

creating change is by everyone doing them. A lot of people are in

people’s ears telling them how they should present themselves. The more

that I find out about the E-40’s, T.I.’s and Kanyé’s I see that they’re

successful from being themselves. If everyone else were to do that,

then we’d be on the step to taking it back to the old days when

originality was key.

AllHipHop: Aside from getting ready to release the album and the mixtape – what do you have in the works?

Willie

Joe: I just came off of a tour with FYE and Face to Face [company]. I

toured the whole Florida area. I did in-stores at all of the FYE’s in

Florida. This coming Saturday, I have this big show in Florida with

Jibbs, Rick Ross, Dre [from Cool & Dre], DJ Khaled, and some

others. I’ll definitely be at the Bay Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards

here in Atlanta. We’re [Wata Boyz] just keeping it moving. I have my

own company and working on the artists that are coming out. We’re

trying to make moves. The artists that we have coming out are fire.

With the DVD that comes out with the album, I’m trying to position

myself as the new dude in the Bay. They’re not showing us enough love.

A lot of people don’t really understand the Bay, if they didn’t grow up

with there. I have the same swag, I grew up in the Bay, but I’m doing

it in a different way. We bring the same culture from The Bay, but we

put a twist on it… it’ll be special.

Visit Willie Joe at www.willie joe.com

Myspace page www.myspace.com/williejoe

Bad Boy South Renews Alliance with Block Enterprises

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

The

allegiance between Bad Boy South and Block Enterprises will continue, according

to Bad Boy CEO Sean "Diddy" Combs and Russell "Block" Spencer.The

pair announced the renewal of their venture Friday (Nov. 17). The

new deal caps off a successful year headlined by the success of Boyz N Da Hood

and Young Joc. Both

artists’ debut albums debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop

Albums chart.The

good fortune verifies Combs’ feelings about capitalizing on the South’s grip on

the rap scene."As

we have continued to expand the musical scope of Bad Boy, we knew we had to be

plugged into the creative and vibrant Southern scene," Combssaid. "When

Block and I first met, I realized he had an ear for the streets of the South and

that he would be the perfect person to be our partner in developing and breaking

new talent. The success of Boyz N Da Hood and Yung Joc proves that our instincts

were right, and there is much more fantastic music in the pipeline from the Block/Bad

Boy South team. I am thrilled that we have renewed our commitment to this great

relationship."For

Spencer, the teaming with Bad Boy proved to be the catalyst needed for elevating

his company to higher heights. The

mogul is noted for overseeing projects for 8Ball & MJG, Tela, and Crime Boss

during his stint at Suave House record, as well as establishing ShoNuff records

with producer Jazze Pha."Look

at the success we have already attained," Block said. "When the machine

is working successfully, you don’t look to fix it, but to add to it to make it

better. The renewal of our deal is going to make the Block/Bad Boy South partnership

even bigger."The

Block Enterprises/Bad Boy South union came about in 2005 with the release of Boyz

N Da Hood’s self-titled first album, which entered the Billboard 200 at

number 5. Upon

formalizing the partnership in early 2006, the labels created another success

with Young Joc’s debut New Joc City. The

album, which featured the number one singles "It’s Goin Down" and "I

Know You See It," charted at number three its first week on the Billboard

200.New

albums from Boyz N Da Hood and Yung Joc, as well as the solo debut of Boyz member

Big Gee and the first album from Gorilla Zoe are currently being developed by

Block Enterprises/Bad Boy South. Projects

from the alliance will continue to be marketed and distributed by Atlantic Records,

a division of Warner Music Group.The

Block Enterprises/Bad Boy South venture represents Bad Boy’s efforts to evolve

in the ever-changing music landscape, said Bad Boy executivevice president

general manager Harve Pierre. "Looking

back to when we first started with a handful of people in 1992 and fast forwarding

to 2006, we have truly grown as a label, family, and industry," he stated.

"We now have the manpower to get more done in less time. After seeing the

success of Boyz N Da Hood and Yung Joc on their debut albums, I can say with conviction

that this is the continuation of a beautiful relationship."

Airpushers: Bring The Funk

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

Known as the funk-infused musically exhilarated group Airpushers, Printz Board and Tim Izo Orindgreff are also recognized by the music industry as the multi-faceted musicians behind the sound of the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas.

The duo originally formed their own band, Horn Dogs, but when that didn’t fly, Printz became involved with the Black Eyed Peas. He incorporated his instrumental and production abilities into all of the BEP albums, eventually becoming the Music Director. Tim later came on to add his DJ, programming, and various acoustic abilities.

The Airpushers are revitalizing the rudimental elements of funk – the horns and the jam sessions. We talked with the eclectic duo about their musical philosophies and their recently released debut album, aptly titled Themes for the Ordinarily Strange.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: First of all, congratulations of the release of your debut album. How has the reception been amongst your fans since the release of the album?

Printz Board: Man, everyone has been so excited about the record. It was just a labor of love. You feel me?

AHHA: Definitely…

Printz: It was our labels [Sarathan Records] president [Jonathan Kochmer] who brought this whole thing into [transformation]. We were kinda looking at it as a side project. [But] the way he beefed it up and everybody was like, “Oh my god! This record is great” – we’re like on the Grammy thing it was like, ‘Whoa, I guess everybody really likes it!”

AHHA: Printz, you’ve been with the Black Eyed Peas for eight years. The most obvious thing that has caused controversy for the group is the fact that they got a lot of mainstream recognition when Fergie came on board. You did a lot of the producing on their albums, dating back to their previous material. Were they just like, “Look, we’re in need of a change,” or was it a collective exchange of ideas and just being more innovative?

Printz: It was all based around the 9/11 thing. That’s when me and Will.I.Am sat down and wrote “Where Is The Love?” It wasn’t really about being more innovative. Fergie came into the picture almost after the album was done. It wasn’t like, “We’re gonna put her in the group and now we re the United Colors of Benetton.” It was just a natural evolution in where we were going based on where the world was going.

AHHA: With you basically being with B.E.P. from the jump, would you say that they have changed, or have they really just always been the same, just on a grander scale now?

Printz: I think as far as Airpushers and the B.E.P.’s, [I] think that we’re kinda like Miles Davis, how he changed with the times. I don’t think anyone’s mental has changed; it’s kinda like, “This is where our music is heading and this is where the world is.” The first record was like, “We don’t wear baseball caps and we don’t like bling and all that.” But times have changed, everybody’s getting older and your desires change. I mean after 10 years, people get divorced from their wives and their ideas.

AHHA: When I was reading up your info, I saw that you toured with Black Eyed Peas for three years. Now you met Printz in 1996, so how come you came on so much later?

Tim Izo Orindgreff: They don’t like white people!

AHHA: Really! [laughs]

Tim: No, I’m just kidding. With Printz and I had a band together. We did sessions all the times under the Horn Dogs title, but as far as touring work he took a key spot in the Peas then there was a bass player, drummer and a guitar player. That foundation of the Peas touring lasted for the first two albums. When it came to the third album, they flipped up the actual instrumentation that was the DJ, drummer and bass player. I came in covering the DJ stuff on the MPC’s other guitar stuff and horn stuff, so they could keep it all in a small unit. I kinda covered two or three peoples’ roles. For the first couple of albums I was doing a lot of session stuff, I worked with Nikka Costa for a while, so we branched out in our own ways and then kinda came home together.

AHHA: There are just so many different instruments that you both play did you have formal training with these instruments or are you self-taught?

Printz: I have my degree in Jazz Trumpet and part of the curriculum was that you had to play a little piano and learn theory and all that. I picked up drums ‘cause my roommate was a drummer. I played base ‘cause I like that bottom. And I have a knack for being able to just apply everything from one instrument to the other.

Tim: [For me it was] a little bit of both. I started out when I was 10 or 11 playing the clarinet. I had a wonderful teacher, one of my mentors. She was a saxophone player, she was in the big bands, we hit it off right away. In high school I was a fluent saxophone and flute player. I was working in the mid-west. While people were going out on weekends, I had gigs. Working like that I paid off my first car, I bought my first horns. I still have my first set of horns from when I was 18. Then I took some time off from music for about a year. I was kinda burned out.

Then after college I left and came to California – that’s when I started to learn that it was going to be a whole lot easier to make a living playing guitar, keys, the drum programming stuff. All the computers recording, producing. If I could get a whole lot of things together it would be more viable in the music scene then if I was just a saxophone player. For me it was kind of a necessity to stay involved, because it’s pretty difficult nowadays just to be a horn player and make it. [For] Printz and I, that’s when we started delving into playing keys and writing and producing and all that. What are we gonna do with ourselves as a jazz horn duo?

AHHA: You have done production for everybody from Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, down to Xzibit, and Dr. Dre. If you personally were to choose an artist in this era that you would actually like to collaborate with who would it be and why?

Printz: Actually you know who? An artist who I haven’t worked with who I would really love to work with is 50 [Cent].

AHHA: Really? And why 50?

Printz: I love his temperament. I don’t hate on him, and I don’t hate on him in regards to the pop world. He makes good ass hooky-pop melodies. And I like the fact that he is an entrepreneur at the same time. I like his approach. I met him a couple of times and he’s just been mad cool.

Tim: Interesting… I’ve always really wanted to work with the Beastie Boys and never have. Our paths have never really crossed. I’ve grew up a Beastie fan. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to work on a project with Eminem. Xzibit was fun to work with. Dre was like a dream that’s part of the gospel. Him and Knoc-turn’al. Showing up at what looks like an MTV video shoot in the studio when it’s just actually them working on a track.

AHHA: That infamous track “Bed Intentions.”

Tim: That track was so much fun. That was years ago. It was kind of an intimidating situation to walk into at the time. This little white kid walks in [to the studio] with a flute into that situation. Hello!

AHHA: That’s still a hot track in the clubs. But the thing about West Coast Hip-Hop is that it’s heavily influenced by funk, so it’s a lot easier to collaborate with a producer or an artist from the West Coast probably than with one from the South or even the East coast.

Tim: I think so, or maybe I’m saying it because I live out here. I always really wanted the opportunity to work with the Southern artists’ out. We worked on a remix with Jay-Z [for the track “Encore.”] with Will.I.Am. I think all-in-all, I’ve had more opportunities to work on the west coast sh*t.

AHHA: In regards to the collaborating with artists’ like Warren G, Busta Rhymes and Dr. Dre considering that Hip-Hop tends to utilize DJ’s and heavy sampling. Were these artists’ open to incorporating live band into their sound?

Printz: With Xzibit specifically, him and I, we played horns. It was actually produced by another producer; he was calling us a lot to do stuff. I think we met him through Dre ‘cause we worked a lot with Dre, and as far as the list of other cats. When I produce stuff, I can emulate what it would be like doing a track like what a DJ would do. I can do the live music with Elton John and I can also the programmed stuff, [for artists like] Dilated Peoples, Erik B and Rakim.

AHHA: You produced beats on Tupac’s album The Rose That Grew From Concrete. I have not heard album yet but it sounds really interesting. How did that happen?

Tim: It was a bunch of artists, Rita Marley is on there. It’s a wild line up. The Blue Man Group did a tribute on there. It’s crazy but it’s all Tupac’s songs, so it goes down as a Tupac album.

AHHA: Have you had the chance to go see legends legendary bands or artists perform that inspired you before you yourselves pursued music. Like say, Prince or George Clinton?

Printz: I met both of those individuals I’ve been to Prince’s house, I played with Prince. That was definitely one of the greatest times of my life. I’ve met George Clinton and I performed with him. I’ve talked on the phone with Stevie [Wonder] and I performed with him. I performed a song with Earth, Wind and Fire.

AHHA: You had the opportunity to work with so many different genres of artists. In your opinion what is the difference between a Hip-Hop artists versus a mainstream pop artist?

Tim: I think producers on rock projects are harder to work with than Hip-Hop producers. I am not sure I would stereotype it as different genres or that you have to deal with each differently per say. I really like that aspect of working with different people, because it forces you to play different hands. To hope that you have enough of your own sense together whatever a certain situation needs and to bring something to the table that they never thought of. That’s the fun part – and that’s our album in a lot of ways. We’ve had so many things taken from so many worlds. We always find a way to incorporate everything. We’ll have a lot of Hip-Hop and jazz, and we’ll have a lot of electronics so rock and there’s always the funk.

AHHA: As it stands, are you ready to end the journey with Black Eyed Peas?

Tim: I think we’re all gonna stick together and keep doing a bunch of stuff years to come. We are all over Fergie’s stuff, and we’re gonna be touring with her. The musicians with the Peas are called Bucky Johnson. We have an album in the can with that. The Bucky Johnson play in the live version of the Airpushers stuff. I’m not done with the Peas at all, I’m very happy to be in that. That’s where all the family is. That’s home away from home, and it has been for years.

The Game Denies Impersonating A Police Officer

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

Rap star Jayceon “The Game” Taylor was arrested in New York on Thursday (Nov. 16) and charged with impersonating an undercover police officer.

In what is shaping up to be a bizarre incident, police claim the rapper ordered a cab driver to run several traffic lights, because he was an undercover police officer.

“This is a ploy by the Hip-Hop police to humiliate me, because they harass and follow me every time I come to New York,” The Game told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “I was in New York promoting my album. I never impersonated anyone especially and absolutely never a police officer.”

Police claim the rapper was in a Lincoln Town Car near 56th and 7th Avenue that ran through several traffic lights.

Police officers stopped the cab for driving erratically at 43rd Street and 6th Avenue..

The driver of the cab reportedly told the police that his passenger was an undercover officer.

Police promptly arrested The Game and charged him with impersonating a police officer.

The Game was in New York promoting his new album Doctor’s Advocate.

Bobby Valentino Adopts Senior Citizens In Atlanta

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

Disturbing Tha

Peace’s resident R&B singer Bobby Valentino has caught the holiday spirit

and recently adopted 15 senior citizens and their families in his hometown of

Atlanta, GA. On

Dec. 1, the crooner will deliver a truckload of turkeys and vegetable baskets

to the families at the Harriet E. Darnell Multipurpose Center in Atlanta. The

families are senior community gardeners from the Atlanta Urban Gardening Program,

which is headed up by Valentino’s father Bobby Wilson.As

a child, Valentino volunteered his time to the program, where he taught teaching

senior citizens and youth how to garden, clear vacant lots for potential garden

spots as a means to improve the community and build their self-esteem.In

related news, Valentino is finishing Special Occasion, the follow up to

his 2005 Disturbing Tha Peace self-titled debut, which spawned the #1 single "Slow

Down." Special

Occasion features production and song writing from Rodney Jerkins, Dre &

Vidal, Sean Garrett, Tim & Bob, Bryan Michael Cox and others.

No Mobb Deep/ 50 Cent Beef

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

There

have been rumors in fierce circulation about mounting tension between 50 Cent

and Havoc of Mobb Deep. The

rumors are greatly exaggerated as they don’t exist between the G-Unit mogul and

the accomplished producer. The

banter is rooted in Havoc’s production with artists like Sean "Diddy"

Combs, who once had beef with 50 Cent. According

to Storm, the manager for Mobb Deep, relationships between all parties are fine.

"Havoc,

Prodigy and 50 Cent have a great relationship," Storm told AllHipHop.com.

"Mobb Deep has toured the world this year, are very wealthy and very happy.

Both group members just purchased new homes and more cars to add to their collection."

Mobb

Deep is about to embark on another tour that carries them from December 3 to the

22nd in the UK. In

January of 2007, the duo and their entourage will tour Australia and Japan.

Xzibit And ‘Pimp My Ride’ Coming To Playstation, Xbox 360

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

Xzibit will hit

Playstation’s and Xbox 360’s this holiday season as the main character in Activision’s

newest game Pimp My Ride. The

game is based on the hit television show of the same name, which features the

rapper/actor transforming old, beat-up cars into lavish, exotic, luxury vehicles.

Users

navigate through the fictional Pimp City, with a timed goal of besting a rival

shop that is working on similar, tricked out ride.Other

features include open racing through the streets of Pimp City and a mini-game

called "Ghost Whip The Ride," that allows gamers character to dance

next to their moving pimped out ride. Pimp

My Ride the game is slated to hit stores in time for the holiday season.

Capital Punishment (CLASSIC REVIEW)

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

Artist: Big PunTitle: Capital Punishment (CLASSIC REVIEW)Rating: 5 StarsReviewed by: Pitbull

Let’s face the facts, there will never be another Big Pun. The Bronx bomber went in so hard (pause), it will be almost impossible to replicate his ill combination of innate raw lyricism and loveable playboy charisma. On his debut Capital Punishment, he displayed a little bit of everything; hardcore, thug, commercial, and even some backpack, making it an instant classic when it dropped. But sadly, Pun left us too early, passing away in 2000, and we are still missing him like crazy. TVT rap artist Pitbull is one of those people. The Miami native puts it best himself “That [album] made me more than a fan, it made me a fanatic. Read up on how El Mariel chops it up on this masterpiece. -Martin A. Berrios

“Intro”

Pitbull: The opener, when I heard the opening for the first time I thought it was different you know. He had the kid talking about The Punisher is coming and he flipped the double meaning. So it was definitively innovative.

“Beware”

Pitbull: This record right here, he just showing n***as that he can spit dog. When I first heard the album man, Pun was an inspiration to me. Everything he did, I was like that damn Chico done really made it in the rap game and that’s what Pun was to us. A record like “Beware” is letting them know that I am coming. Like, get ready, for real.

"Super Lyrical" featuring Black Thought

Pitbull: On this record, they went and got one of tightest MC’s that was respected, meaning Black Thought [of The Roots]. It was like [Pun] saying “Look man ya’ll can’t f**k with me, dog.” Listen to him, every word he [is] saying is rhyming with every [other] word, dog. Just to get Black Thought on there, it put him on another level. It’s like oh s**t, this n***a rhyming with someone who is not just respected but someone who is not mainstream, but is still nice with it.

“Still Not A Player”

Pitbull: “Still Not A Player” showed the versatility of Pun. But more than that it showed that he can make a hit record. He can rap all day and can make hit records. Plus it was beautiful at the time when n***as was saying “I’m not a player, I just f**k a lot.” That’s what every n***a would say. The video was cool, I was straight. But you know how some videos outdo the record, this record was so big man you couldn’t make a video to capture how big this record was.

“The Dream Shatterer”

Pitbull: When you hear him rap he came with so much intensity. Every record on here he was proving something to somebody especially since he was a Puerto Rican in the game, you know. I think every record he did on this album he just showing how talented he really is. This album is a classic, dog.

“Punish Me” featuring Miss Jones

Pitbull: This is the joint he did with Miss Jones. This is showing the softer side of him right here. [He’s] just showing he got feelings too. Just showing what he been through. How he caught his friend crushing in the back of the Camaro. I remember that s**t. Anything Pun said was believable. That’s what made him such a tremendous artist. If you look at his album it’s just a variety of music. He got all types of music on there.

“You Ain’t A Killer”

Pitbull: This is the first time I heard Pun. And when I first heard this record I thought it was some Wu-Tang n***a or something, I didn’t even know it was Pun. And much less a Puerto Rican. When I found out that he was Puerto Rican, I felt like he was our savior. I was like, “Oh s**t.” Another thing I like about this song is where he says “It’s not where you from it’s where’s your gat.” I really liked that s**t. It was a time in Miami when everyone was saying that it’s all New York rappers making it. And Pun put it like “It’s not where you from it’s where’s your gat” I really liked that s**t.

“Pakinamac (Interlude)”

Pitbull: Oh I love this s###. This one we used to f### around with all the time my n####. Once I heard that s### I thought that s### was funny as f###. This is one of the interludes that will forever stick in your head.

“Caribbean Connection” featuring Wyclef

Pitbull: “Caribbean Connection” showed more of his roots you know. Also, nobody outshined him on this album. His flow is so precise.

“Glamour Life” featuring Fat Joe and Terror Squad

Pitbull: This is a record where you put on all your dogs or whatever. And the thing is all of them were looking to live this lifestyle, the glamour life. Anyone that knows the record business knows that’s the last thing it is. You can see on this record how they looked up to Tony [Montana of Scarface].

“Capital Punishment”

Pitbull: Here you hear his versatility, man. He could rap about deep s**t too, you know what I’m saying? As far as what he is doing on Capital Punishment, he touching on s### that he has been through and what is wrong with society.

“I’m Not A Player”

Pitbull: This is the first “I’m Not A Player.” The first time I heard this was on a mixtape. And it was cool but when that remix came out with Joe, that’s when that s**t took off.

“Twinz (Deep Cover 98)”

Pitbull: “Twinz” was the s### that made me really love Pun. That “Dead in the middle of little Italy,” was like Oh my god. When I heard this s**t, because this one was one of the hardest beats and when Pun come on, he kills it. You can tell he was on some mobster s**t too. He loved the mob. I love [Fat] Joe, my n***a, but Pun murdered that s**t, dog. That dude really showed what he got on this record.

“You Came Up” featuring Noreaga

Pitbull: It’s just him saying we done made it. We went from nothing to something. The having fun on record, and of course with Noreaga on [it]. That’s something you notice on his album, he brought a lot of people together.

"Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)" featuring Prodigy & Rebel INS

Pitbull: As far as for this, Pun put some of the tightest n***as on the album to show that he can hang with them. Because really, he out did them! I liked that he named it “Tres Leches.” I don’t eat that desert because I don’t like sweets, but it’s good.

“Fast Money”

Pitbull: He just going at it there from a dope boy perspective. Just being on the block hustling. He was saying some sick s**t too, like “Get the camcorder run a train on his grand daughter.” You know what, on each one of these records you can tell how hungry he was dog. He is just trying to outshine everything moving.

“Parental Discretion”

Pitbull: This had more of a laid back, old school New York Hip-Hop s### [feel]. With the production he definitely stuck to his roots. He didn’t really veer off too much. He stuck to his New York roots but also his Latin roots. With Pun dog, I think he did the album like that to let everyone know that he was nice. This is that New York s**t and who better to have on the record than Busta Rhymes, a n***a that’s been apart of Hip-Hop since Leaders Of The New School. With Pun, he can get in deep, and the way he flows over it, he bounces. I don’t know how he does it but every f**king word would rhyme on his records. Rest in peace too. He was definitely a big inspiration for me. Capital Punishment was a classic. With Yeeeah Baby it was straight; this one you really felt. I think it’s like that with every rapper. Only a couple rappers are an exception. His hunger on this album was evident.

SmashTime Radio: Shade 45 Anniversary Edition

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

Artist: Clinton Sparks & EminemTitle: SmashTime Radio: Shade 45 Anniversary EditionRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: KeiSaundra “K.Sincere” Henderson

The definition of a mixtape at times requires that there be several artist who have come together to help a DJ compile music assisted by mixing and sampling of previously recorded tracks. Clinton Sparks and Eminem’s SmashTime Radio: The Shade 45 Edition (MixUnit) will even get 50 Cent-haters’ attention. Not only does G-Unit actually entertain and avoid commercializing their tracks, the “album” also features Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Fabolous, Snoop Dogg, Clipse, E-40, Young Jeezy and Papoose. With the perfect variety of new and old Hip-Hop emcees along with Clinton Sparks’ “smash ups”, this “tape” definitely measures up to what audiences are used to from Sparks.

Right out the gate, following an intro from Shady, Fifty maintains consistency with “50 Stay With The Strap.” Claiming to tote a strap in his stroller and stating “I was born into it/Before I could walk, talk a nig*a momma would do it.” Two tracks later Fifty completely eradicates his credibility by reminding audiences of how many times he’s been shot; which is still up for debate to this day. He leaves the undeniable question in mind, “How many times is he going to tell people how many times he’s been shot?”

Fortunately, the rest of G-Unit helps to save the moment with tracks like “Bucktown,” and “Act Like They Don’t Know.” With back to back tracks of G-Unit, Lil Wayne and Fabolous change it up and keep you listening. “Cash Rules” by Lil Wayne (a shorter version of “Where the Cash At”) is even better than Wayne’s individual rendition, simply because the Wu beat from “C.R.E.A.M.” along with a mix of Sparks’ smash ups. Together Fab and Banks make flowing sound easy with their smooth, no extra effort necessary styles over such a hype, club beat on “Million Dollar Ni**a.”

Even Talib Kweli had to make an appearance. Completely unexpected, Kweli graces the tape with “SmashTime Radio”. Of course at this point, the tape slows up on the tempo just a bit, just enough for Kweli to slide his style and lyricism in between the Shade 45 line-up. While “SmashTime” by Kweli is more of a promotional track for Clinton Sparks, it’s the perfect segue for Shady’s hilarious interlude with Jim Jones “Getting to know Jimmy Jones”, aimed at “channeling the little Jimmy inside the Dipset Capo.”

Clinton Sparks proved in the 90’s that he was a problem for DJs everywhere and he continues to do so on his SmashTime Radio Shade 45 Anniversary Edition. Must listen to tracks include Juelz Santana and Snoop Dogg “My Girl” over an ill Al Green loop, Papoose’s live freestyle (no words for this one) and Clipse (so glad they’re back) and E-40 “D-Boy”.

The Desired Effect

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

Artist: Moka OnlyTitle: The Desired EffectRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Slav Kandyba

The NBA may have pulled out of Vancouver, but not even a sour situation with a major can stop the city’s own Moka Only. The emcee’s recognizable mellow chops have hit U.S. eardrums on a variety of releases and fans accustomed to Moka’s sound will find much of the same on The Desired Effect (Green Streets/Nature Sounds).

On The Desired Effect, Moka offers up lyrics like a more abstract Common and a sound similar to the Digable Planets-without all that jazz. The lyrical content is hard to decipher by listening even several times over, but somehow that does not make the album less enjoyable. It could be because however conceptual the rhymes, they work with the beats to create a pleasant sound; the music emits a certain warmth, while the lyrics just kind of float over the snares, piano riffs and various percussion sounds. The tempo on each track is virtually the same, save for head-nodding and snappy Jay Dee produced “One Time (the re-up version)” and the groovy “More Soup,” which features MF Doom. Other producers include Oh No, J Rawls and Sixtoo.

The album’s title track finds Moka telling the story of signing with a major only to be told to change his sound and have his album pushed back numerous times. A melodic piano riff and female voice accentuate “So Heavy.” Moka speaks on the everyday issues affecting the creative process, from a girl who doesn’t believe in her man’s artistic pursuits when he says, “My partner, she talking all this J-O-B s###/You f###### kidding, this is my J-O-B,” to fans reaction of lack there of when he adds, “The less people listen, the more my head glistens/I am sweating.”

Moka’s only problem-if it is a problem at all-is that he is a too much of a true artist in a world of rappers and emcees that are hardly artistic. Instead of “microwave music”, Moka concocts gourmet meals. Unfortunately, only diners accustomed to consuming such fancy treats will take the time required to give Moka’s music its due diligence. The Desired Effect will be lost on most ears.

DMC, DMX Celebrate ‘Day Of The Child’

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

Hip-Hop icon Darryl

"DMC" McDaniels of Run-DMC and rapper DMX are among the performers at

this year’s Day of the Child celebration tomorrow (Nov. 18) at Chelsea Piers in

New York. Presented

by New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services and Children Uniting

Nations, the Day of the Child is described as the community’s way of reaching

out to at-risk youth in an effort to expose them to mentors who are available

to help and guide them. Mentored

children are more likely to find ways of surviving within the community without

turning to crime, drugs or gangs. More

than 500 youths will be paired with adult volunteer mentors, while spending the

day getting to know each other and exploring what a long-term mentoring relationship

might entail.The

goal of the event is to recruit mentors for at-risk youth, including those living

in foster care. Additionally,

the celebration will include musical performances from Mario and DJ Miss Saigon

and the chance to mingle with celebrity guests, who will participate in games

and activities. Expected

to attend are New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner

John Mattingly, New York Liberty point guard Loree Moore and members from World

Wrestling Entertainment.The

Day of the Child celebration takes place at at Chelsea Piers, Field House Pier

62.

Jim Jones: Boulders At The Throne

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

For the clueless few, Jay-Z and the Diplomats have had friction between them even when the group leader Cam’ron and company were signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. The tension had settled under the surface, dormant for many years. Furthermore, when

Cam’ron issued his own lyrical barrage at the Def Jam president last year…it was basically ignored. Things have changed in the last year and Jay-Z has put on his rapper cap in addition to his presidential duties. In full MC mode, he’s taken up a festering beef with Jim Jones who has prodded Jay for some time, an effort that culminated in the diss track “Kingdom Done.”

Both men have generated their share of electricity with their albums, Jim’s Hustler’s P.O.M.E and Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come. Jim Jones reacts to Jay-Z latest Jab, "Brooklyn High," his own diss that’s all the rage on the internet and radio. But, Jim Jones, a certified star, appears unfazed and even confident in the face of a lyrical assault by one of Hip-Hop’s dominant forces. Filled with belly-laughs and animated barbs, Jim Jones describes the fun autumn he’s having.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s cut to the chase. What do you think of Jay’s answer ["Brooklyn High"] ?

Jim Jones: Personally? It’s a couple feelings. To get Jay-Z to bite the bullet was a hell of a chess game, ‘cause he thinks he’s always playin’ chess. So right now, [I got a] check for his ass, ‘cause he sold for the bait. He said Jim Jones’ name a couple weeks ago on HOT 97, that was his first mistake, nobody ever thought he’d do that – If I’m supposedly not on his level, when he’s supposed to be this rich dude and such this gangsta. [laughs] That was his first mistake. And then he bit the bullet and did the remix to “We Fly High” [titled “Brooklyn High”], which I appreciate. He did two verses, and that registers as BDS, ‘cause it’s over two minutes. [Editor’s Note: BDS is Broadcast System Data, which records the frequency of a song’s play on a radio station] So what I’m gonna do is, I’m gonna put my verse to it, then we got the official Jim Jones [and] Jay-Z remix [listen to the new remix called "We Fly High (Beef Mix)"]. He ain’t even spittin’ right on that joint, so he kinda disappointed me ‘cause I thought he would’ve came harder. But for the people, I’m gonna put my verse on it tonight, so we gonna have the official Jay-Z [and] Jim Jones remix, and I’m gonna have it tomorrow. The BDS is already runnin’, so I appreciate you Jay, givin’ me extra BDS. That’ll probably take me up another thousand spins or something like that.

I look at it like I must’ve really gotten under his skin and all that, man. I appreciate the love from baby bro, nahmean? Since he can’t f**k with me in no way around the board, I listened to his [Kingdom Come] album, I’d say there was about two songs on there that was decent. It really wasn’t there for my n***as that be in the hood, hustlin’, tryin’ to get money, for the fly girls, them independent ladies, it wasn’t there for them, man. I was really disappointed in the album, man. You know? He says men lie, women lie, numbers don’t, and I don’t know if people understand what I’ve done this week, by shipping 300,000 units, I did 108,000 units – that ratio is incredible, understand? For me to be on an independent and to do 108,000 units in the first week is outta hand – not to mention that we do get seven [dollars and some change] a record, understand? So I just recouped and made a few dollars the first week, and next week, I’ll make all seven dollars off my records. It’s a big game goin’ on now, that I’m not mad at. I came in number one rap album, number one indie album, number six overall. I was lookin’ at the charts today… it’s funny though, ‘cause I was listenin’ to him on HOT 97, [and] he was sayin’ how [I’m] not in the top five rappers. Now, I’m on these things, which I’m gonna fax you so you can put ‘em up on the computer tomorrow. [Reading:] This is a BDS from HOT 97’s playlist, it says “We Fly High” is the number one record, getting played 98 times, and “Kingdom Come” is the number 11 record, getting played 38 times, “Show Me What You Got” is the number 14 record, getting played 34 times. [Laughs] The number two record is Snoop, what’s up Snoop?

Then I was lookin’ at the BET playlist, tryin’ to see what’s up with the video, and it says “We Fly High” is number one on BET also. “Show Me What You Got” is number three. I’m glad that he knows I’m not in no one’s top five, I ain’t, I’m number one, b***h! It ain’t in no more room up here. [laughs] I got this old n***a. His jump shot is weak, his knees is bad, his swagger is gone.

AllHipHop.com: Where does this all come from? Where does the beef start?

Jim Jones: Um, it’s a little bit personal, man. We’ve been in a couple situations, back and forth. We also had a deal with [Roc-A-Fella], and been in a lot of spots with him. We recorded at Baseline [Studios]. There’s been a lot of things; we always had the upper-hand. There were a few aggressive situations where we had to put our hands on a few people. It wasn’t… there’s just a lot of things that we choose not to expose, but these n***as really know what’s going on. We leave the music to music, and hold all that gangsta s**t for when we see each other, but they don’t want no parts of that, man. These n***as is young bols, I don’t care how old he is. And he talk about 30 is the new 20, but he’s 40. I’m 30, so who’s 20? Shorty? [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Aside from the remix, are you gonna do a reply?

Jim Jones: He didn’t really spit. I’m just gonna spit, I’m not gonna reply to him. Like, he didn’t really say nothin’ to me that was harsh. He didn’t even insult me. I thought Jay was gonna try to get at me! That s**t bounced off me, that s**t was weak! He just helped my song out. He got me on the hook and all that, talkin’ ‘bout “Brooklyn!” – so I’m just gonna go “Harlem!” He wanna say “ballin’!” but he said, “Brooklyn!” – you see how he sounds? You coulda said “ballin’!” baby, if you wanted to do the remix, you could’ve done it for New York with me, we coulda did the New York thing. I wouldn’t have been mad, I understand what’s goin’ on around the world: New York gotta come back, but he went about it wrong. You can’t divide Brooklyn and Harlem, ‘cause I’ve got more n***as in Brooklyn than you. Shouts to Bed Stuy, shouts to Marcy, shouts to Marcus Garvey, shouts to Jefferson, shouts to Lincoln. Come on, don’t play with us, man! We out there, man.

AllHipHop.com: For years Cam seemed like he was in the front, and that it’s changed positions, but you’ve really come into your own…

Jim Jones: I don’t want nobody…let me set this record straight: I don’t got no beef with nobody but the devil, I keep tellin’ people that. If anybody’s got a problem with that, they can go meet him, by all means. This game is built on aggressive competition. By all means, I am an aggressive competitor, smell me? Whatever devil gotta come off the top for me to be there. That’s why I never say I want to be king. That’s why I say I’mma kill these [guys] in total game, and I mean that for sure. I’m that soldier that’ll tear down everything, I don’t matter. But you know, we just havin’ fun out here, so shouts to Hoova, I mean Hova, I mean whatever the n***a’s name is, smell me? I appreciate the love, big baby. ‘Cause he’s not accomplishin’ nothin’. It’s a bigger battle for me to win than him. What is he accomplishin’? What is he gonna say he’s accomplishin’ by dissin’ Jim Jones? He’s supposed to be this multi-platinum artist who’s sold so many millions, and he’s G5’in, and I can’t follow. So what does he need, somebody more street level, or am I part of your marketing strategy? If I’m part of your marketing strategy, I’m a bad n***a. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: At the same time, you pressed up flyers saying, “Who’s Jim Jones? Ask Jay-Z”, is he a part of your strategy?

Jim Jones: No, that’s what he said on HOT 97. When Flex asked him, he said, “Jim Jones? Who is Jim Jones? Jim Jones who?” So I just put it on flyers. “Who is Jim Jones? Ask Jay-Z” That came out his own mouth. He used himself as his own publicity stunt for me. I don’t do that, smell me? Anything I do is pure fact, and I’m just havin’ fun. That’s the funny part. He’s really upset, and I’m just havin’ fun…and I’m gettin’ my money. The people are lovin’ it right now, ‘cause they know where I come from. I’m the underdog right now, people love the underdog. I’mma keep riding and keep riding, and when I’m no longer the underdog, then my days in this game is over. That’s what Jay shoulda did, he shoulda learned that he’s not the underdog no more, and bow out like the king he was, smell me? [laughs] He f**ked up. Freddie Kruger, n***a, I’m your worst nightmare. I’m young, I’m pretty, I’m Black, and I’m rich, and I’m ready for war, whatever you wanna do, ‘cause I got my money. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: Is Juelz messed up, being that he’s signed to Jay-Z through Def Jam?

Jim Jones: He’s not signed to Jay. LA Reid handles all Juelz’ business, not Jay.

AllHipHop.com: He can’t get shelved?

Jim Jones: He can’t get shelved. Told ya, LA Reid is the boss over there. He even bigger than Jay. Juelz Santana is straight, and anytime he don’t like the Def Jam situation, he will be off of it in days.

AllHipHop.com: Dipset has a Christmas album. What’s that all about?

Jim Jones: It’s Christmas, man, I love Christmas. For the last 10 years, I been watchin’ how Christmas is declinin’ with the decorations in the street and all that, the whole Christmas spirit is dead, man. I look at my son, man, and I want him to really feel Christmas at least until he’s eight [years old], and knows what’s goin’ on. The whole spirit of the city, just everything when it comes to Christmas is wrong, man. There’s no soul. I need that unity. I need to feel that eggnog flowin’ and things like that, so [the album] is just my contribution to make it an old school Christmas this year, man. I got special things I’ma do for Harlem, just to make it old school Christmas. I can’t save the world, but I know I’ma try to give back to where I came from, ‘cause I love Christmas to death, I swear to God.

Jay-Z Records Diss To Jim Jones

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

Jay-Z

has lashed out at rapper Jim Jones in a freestyle rap called "Brooklyn High,"

a song that plays upon Jim Jones’ hit "We Fly High."Jim

Jones has public berated the Def Jam president in published word and songs like

"Kingdom Done," which features former Roc-A-Fella co-owner Dame Dash.

In the

"Brooklyn High," Jay says, "Your bank versus mine / if you ballin,’

n***a what I’m doin’ can’t be defined/ The Jones’ can’t keep up / Maybe my n***a

Nas, but I got stronger after ‘Ether.’" "Ether"

refers to Nas’ scathing reply to Jay-Z’s "The Takeover." Nas, now a

Def Jam artist, and Jay-Z would eventually reconcile their differences in 2005.On

"Kingdom Done" Jim Jones says, "They waiting on Kingdom Come,

but its ‘Kingdom Done’ …I seen king’s get done." Neither

Dame Dash nor Jay-Z directly reference the other, but both seem to send subtle

shots at one another. "I

don’t understand these n***as. They act like this ballin’ thing is new to me.

Whatever happened to n***as gettin’ money 24/7?" Dash barks on "Kingdom

Done." Jay

laments, "Its over for you lames / give me back the [Roc-A-Fella] chain,

its over for you dames / f**k y’all broads."Jay-Z’s

diss was premiered by DJ Ponc, the official DJ of the 40/40 club, a night spot

owned by the rap mogul. Jim

Jones is experiencing the best period of his rap career, moving over 100,000 units

of his independent release Hustler’s P.O.M.E. the first week in stores,

landing at #1 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart and #1 on Billboard’s

Top Independent Albums chart.. Kingdom

Come is Jay-Z’s first post-retirement release and it drops on Tuesday Nov.

21.

Kanye Named World’s Best Hip-Hop Artist, Michael Jackson’s ‘Come Back’ Falters

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

The

World Music Awards took place in London for the first time last night (Nov. 15).

The

evening, which paid special tribute to Michael Jackson, was billed as a come back

event for the world’s biggest pop star, but the evening turned out to be a case

of more hype than action. Hundreds

of fans waited for hours outside Earls Court arena in West London to get a glimpse

of the ‘King of Pop.’ Fans

were left disappointed after Jackson failed to greet them when he arrived at the

venue, resulting in angry jeers from the crowd. The

show was opened by Beyonce Knowles, who performed a mix of her hit singles "Ring

the Alarm" and "Deja Vu," which was arguably the best performance

of the night. During

the night, Beyonce also won the award for Best International Female, which was

presented to her by Fashion Icon and fragrance partner, Tommy Hilfiger. Other

winners included Kanye West, who was named World’s Best Hip-Hop Artist, besting

the likes of TI, Busta Rhymes and Chamillionaire, who was incorrectly announced

as "Shamillionaire." The

World’s Best Pop Artist was given to Madonna and the World’s Best Pop/Rock Artist

went to Nelly Furtado. Organizers

had announced that Michael Jackson would perform his hit single "Thriller,"

but Jackson claimed this was a "misunderstanding." Instead,

R&B singer Chris Brown performed the legendary 1983 hit single. Jackson

was recognized for selling over 100 million albums worldwide with a Diamond Award,

which was presented by Beyonce. "He’s

made such a big impact on my life and on every performer’s life," Beyonce

said. "Michael Jackson, we love you. Congratulations to the King". During

an emotional speech, Jackson thanked his friends, family and fans. "I’m

greatly humbled by this award. It was my dream that Thriller would become

the biggest selling album ever," Jackson said. "I thank God and you

for it’s success. There have been so many who have loved and stood by me for the

25 years I have been in the entertainment industry. I’d like to thank my children

particularly Paris, Prince and Blanket for their unconditional love." Finally,

a teenage choir appeared singing the 1985 mega hit, "We Are The World."

It was

supposed to be a step towards Jackson’s come back, but the performance fell flat.

Jackson

managed to sing only a few lines of the song and during the fleeting performance,

his voice appeared to crack and falter on the high notes. The

performance finished midway, when the musical accompaniment suddenly disappeared.

Organizers

of the annual World Music Awards have also been criticized for a chaotic and unorganized

evening. Below

is the 2006 World Music Awards winners: World’s

Best Pop Artist – Madonna World’s Best Pop/Rock Artist – Nelly Furtado World’s

Best Rock Group – Nickelback World’s Best R’n’B Artist – Beyoncé World’s

Best Rap/ Hip Hop Artist – Kanye West World’s Best Latin Artist – Shakira

World’s Best DJ – Bob Sinclair World’s Best New Artist – James Blunt Diamond

Award – Michael Jackson Best-Selling Arabic Artist – Elissa Best-Selling

British Artist – James Blunt Best-Selling German Artist – Tokio Hotel Best-Selling

Irish Artist – Enya Best-Selling Italian Artist – Andrea Bocelli Best-Selling

Russian Artist – Dima Bilan

Mos Def Court Date Pushed Back

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

A

court date for rapper Mos Def, born Dante Smith, was postponed yesterday by a

New York court reportedly due to the rapper’s schedule.In

August, Mos Def and others were arrested for performing his controversial song

"Katrina Clap" outside of the MTV Video Music Awards. The

rapper was subsequently charged for disorderly conduct. "Katrina Clap"

is a barbed freestyle that criticizes the Bush administration and the sluggish

response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Theron

‘Tee Smif’ Smith, a film maker on the scene, was arrested with Mos Def. His company,

Kings County Cinema Company, filmed the event. Although

he is not at liberty to discuss the details of the case, Smith queried why there

hasn’t been more dialogue about the incident. "The

observation I have is how the Hip-Hop community didn’t publicly discuss what happened

more," Smith told AllHipHop.com. "In the history of Hip-Hop, when was

the last time you saw and heard of an event when a recognized artist in Hip-Hop

physically made a major sociopolitical statement about what’s happening to Black

people to the world? The music has been subdued for a long time. The VMA’s are

one of the major media events of each year. It was a bold statement that didn’t

get its recognition." The

rapper and the others involved in the arrest will return to court next week per

a judge’s orders. In

related news, Mos Def recently offered his support to the Hands Off Assata Campaign

with Sonia Sanchez and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.

The event, which took place two weeks ago, was in support of African American

activist Assata Shakur. Shakur

escaped prison in 1979 and now resides in Cuba, but the US Department of Justice

maintains a $1 million bounty on her head for her involvement in the shooting

death of a New Jersey police officer. Shakur,

who is also the god mother of Tupac, maintains her innocence in the slaying.

Clear Channel Bought For $18.7 Billion, 448 Radio Stations Up For Sale

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

Clear Channel Communications

has agreed to be purchased to an investor group for $18.7 billion in cash. The

company has been purchased by an investor group led by private equity firms Thomas

H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital Partners. The

entire landscape of radio may shift, as the company also announced plans to sell

off 448 of its 1, 150 radio stations in 90, smaller markets across the United

States.“Our

decision to divest these broadcast properties was reached as a result of the ongoing

optimization of our diverse portfolio of media assets,” said Mark Mays, Chief

Executive Officer of Clear Channel. “These are profitable and well-managed

properties in excellent markets. We believe that the sale of these stations will

allow us to position our business to provide even greater value to our listeners

and shareholders.”Stations

in large markets like New York (Power 105.1) Los Angeles (Hot 92 Jamz) Chicago

(107.5 WGCI) and Philadelphia (Power 99), are not expected to be sold, or immediately

effected by the purchase.

Jim Jones, Dipset Prep ‘A Dipset Christmas’

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

Dipset rapper Jim

Jones is celebrating the holiday season with another new album, A Dipset X-Mas.The

specially-priced album hits stores on Dec. 5 and will feature Jones and his Dipset

cohorts on songs like "Have A Happy Christmas," "Wish List, ""Ballin’

On Xmas," and "If Everyday Was Xmas"The

ten-track release also features unreleased material including the remix to Jones’

hit single, "We Fly High," which features Diddy, T.I., Young Dro, and

Baby.In

related news, Jim Jones’ latest album Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment)

moved over 100,000 units its first week in stores.The

album is currently #1 on the Billboard Rap Albums Chart, #1 on Billboard

Independent Album Chart and #6 on Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.Hustler’s

P.O.M.E. was feuded by the massive success of Jones’ single "We Fly High."

Jones recently

directed the video for the remix of the single in Atlanta.The

track listing for A Dipset X-mas is as follows:1.

"Dipset Xmas Time"2. "Have A Happy Christmas"3. "Wish

List"4. "Ballin’ On Xmas"5. "If Everyday Was Xmas"6.

"We Get Money"7. "Too High"8. "City Boys"9.

"We Fly High" Remix feat. Diddy, T.I., JD, Young Dro, and Baby10.

"Letter To The Game"

Killing Fields

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

Artist: MolemenTitle: Killing FieldsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Michael P######

Chicago Hip-Hop is in the middle of everything, and that means sedimentary influence: New York boom-bap, L.A. swagger, Southern drawl; it’s all around, all for the taking. It reached a new high in 2005, with Common (Be) and Kanye West (Late Registration) putting out groundbreaking albums that soaked up free-thought collaboration while shaking off the stale conventions that typically come with it. It was damn-near revolutionary: records with John Mayer and Jon Brion, respectively, that didn’t sound forced or duped, and people totally got it. Suddenly, Chicago Hip-Hop made sense.

Molemen are a Hip-Hop production group embedded in the Windy City’s underground. They make sense, too, but it’s because they don’t pull any punches. You see it coming, and yet, you don’t move out of the way. What they do is so straightforward, so genuine, that the temptation to describe it in complex terms-to overcompensate where they’ve left voids-is painfully strong, especially when they just keep at it, entirely without compromise. Killing Fields (Molemen) is the latest example of the group’s no-frills beat game, where members Panik, Memo and PNS invite neighbors (Rhymefest, Juice) and out-of-town guests (Kool G. Rap, Saigon) to a place of neutrality for a bunch of one-offs and Fat Tape cuts, all for the hell of it, just to say they did so.

Molemen have a sound, but its a sound that bends and wraps around the instincts of its hosts. The course is defined less by pre-determined samples than by improvised execution. It is why Mass Hysteria and G. Rap can rap over a track (“Full Metal Jacket”; dig the “lock and load” move line at the beginning) that sounds exactly like D-Block’s “2 Gunz Up” and not blink twice. It explains how Juice can breathe new life into a dirty blues thing (Panik’s specialty) that hasn’t gotten love since Compton’s Most Wanted’s Music to Driveby, or how Slug and Murs can pull a 180 by rocking cowbells over PNS’s “My Alien Girlfriend.”

It is the unexpected makes Killing Fields so special, that debunks the myths about boom-bap and swagger and drawl and how unavoidable appropriation is. But the haymakers are still the highlights, those bombs you see coming. Rhymefest absolutely murders Memo’s smooth “Provin’em Wrong,” flowing breathlessly while sneaking in jabs; Brother Ali does just as much, if not more, on “Life Sentence.” Likewise, Saigon pushes back on “2 Hour Banger,” matching the beat’s instability with his own chaotic cadence.

Nothing comes close, however, to what Vakill does on “V,” the crater he leaves in this thing. More than anything else here, it pits intensity against intensity, like watching two superheroes shoot fireballs at each other in mid-air while a city writhing in flames watches on below, waiting. You can’t tell who will win, but know this: Chicago Hip-Hop makes sense again.

AZ: Superhero with no Disguise

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

In an industry full of loud, braggadocios rappers feeding gimmicks to the masses, it’s a relief to see that some of the strong who move quietly aren’t being silenced. AZ is definitely one of those who has been standing firm for over a decade, and has no plans for slowing down.

One of the signs of a true artist is the drive to improve himself with each endeavor. AZ works to better himself on each new album and has proven to be the truth with each effort; the only person better than him is him, next week. After major label woes at Motown/Universal, AZ stepped to Koch, where last year’s A*W*O*L was considered one of his best, by fans new and old. Following that same recipe, and reusing a lot of the same personnel, his new album The Format and his label Quiet Money reassure that though the money might be quiet, it’s still enough to keep going. Like his label moniker, AZ’s rather quiet, rather unique, and rather motivated looking at his next catalog mark.

AllHipHop.com: The new album you have coming out is The Format… what can we expect from you on this album?

AZ: Well on this album it’s AZ, once again… and I just feel like every album gets greater. So this is just like AZ to the tenth power. As far as production, I’m dealing with [DJ] Premier once again, I have [Lil’] Fame from M.O.P.; I guess he’s been a student of Premier’s… and I’ve got a lot of up and coming producers that’s real hungry on the album.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel like with the release of every album you’re different, or is your format essentially the same?

AZ: I mean, with every release, it just seems like I try to outdo the last, so it just makes the next one greater. That’s my motivation: my own albums.

AllHipHop.com: So you’re just trying to top yourself?

AZ: All the time…

AllHipHop.com: In “The Truth”, you say “Measure my wealth by realness, I know what’s good, no meals missed, I keep one foot in the hood…” How important is it to you that you stay connected to where you’ve come up from?

AZ: I mean, you’ve always gotta stay grounded at the end of the day. There are a lot of things that go wrong but when you’re dealing with music, you’re like the CNN of the hood, and you’ve gotta be there. That’s the best way to really get the news first hand. So I always keep myself accessible to family and friends. And I’m right in the studio, so that’s my life; I always keep one foot in the hood.

AllHipHop.com: On the new album you have a song with Little Brother called “Rise and Fall”, which I thought was the most perfect and surprising collaboration I’ve heard in a long time. Can you tell me how that came about?

AZ: They were dealing with Koch around the same time I was dealing with Koch, about a year or so ago, and I heard the album that they released last year, [The Minstrel Show] and it was critically acclaimed, it was serious. I liked their style overall… they’re like me; we’re intelligent thugs at the end of the day. So I had to work with them, and once we started working, it was like a magic vibe ‘cause it is what it is… it was like we spoke from the same breath. To me, that’s definitely one of the good joints on the album.

AllHipHop.com: Are there any other tracks that particularly stand out to you personally?

AZ: Yea… I have another collabo with M.O.P. that’s serious. And I have another with Jha Jha from the Dipset and that’s left field to me too… and the record is beautiful.

AllHipHop.com: You’re one of the greatest rappers as far as lyrics and longevity… how have you evolved since “visualizing the realism of life and actuality”?

AZ: You know why? ‘Cause I think nothing that I did was premeditated, everything just happened in the order that it was supposed to happen then, you get it? I guess that’s what keeps me on my feet, being competitive with myself, and I’ve just seen so much and I’ve grown as a man and it show every time I start a new album.

AllHipHop.com: So you’d say your progression has been natural?

AZ: Oh, no doubt.

AllHipHop.com: You were in our 2005 Year End Awards for “Most Slept-On Albums.” Do you think Koch could have gone about promoting your last album, A*W*O*L*, differently, pushed it harder?

AZ: Of course… because it was my first time dealing with independent at that time, but it wasn’t their first time dealing with an artist from major or independent, but I guess they were skeptical and at the same time, I was skeptical, so no one kinda put their best foot forward. But I think now that I’ve got my hand on the situation, and how the independent game is run, we’ll see better progress.

AllHipHop.com: What can we expect to hear from Quiet Money Records after The Format?

AZ: After The Format, I think I’ve got like five more, 10 more albums in me.

AllHipHop.com: So The Format isn’t by far your last album?

AZ: Oh never; I decided I’m not going nowhere, I’m gonna stay down for a minute. And I’ve got a few artists that I’m bringing to the table and I want them to shine, you know?

AllHipHop.com: Do you have a favorite album of yours or no?

AZ: Like any artist would say they like all their albums, [I would too]. But I like Aziatic, it was one of my good ones, from the production, and I just felt it touched all areas in my life.

AllHipHop.com: What else is next for you? At one point in addition to your music, you had a few other endeavors, such as a restaurant and movies… what else do you have your hands in at this point?

AZ: Well, right now the movie that I did do is coming out, [Envy] so I’ll see how the fans gravitate towards that, and then from there, just focusing on Quiet Money, doing what I gotta do. The restaurant thing, you know, you’ve gotta be hands on for that, so I put that to the back burner for a minute. So right now it’s just a focus on Quiet Money and the movie thing.

AllHipHop.com: Other then the fact that the album is coming out next month and they should listen… what do you want people reading this to walk away knowing about you?

AZ: That I’m one of the greatest of all time, and I’m not going nowhere. I’m one of the pioneers of the Hip-Hop movement and I’ve added so much to it.

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Ladies Night

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

Being a woman in Hip-Hop is not the easiest task. Surfing through the waves of misogyny, bias, and assumed physical inferiority, ladies in the industry are faced with multiple obstacles just to align themselves as equals to the fellas. DJ Cocoa Chanelle is no stranger to this struggle. A seasoned DJ- one of the greatest in the country in fact- Cocoa has solidified her position as one of the strongest in the game (male or female). With successes on both BET and HOT 97, Cocoa garnered enough notoriety to achieve nationwide popularity among viewers, listeners, and true school DJs.

Evolution has brought Cocoa Chanelle to the next level of her career in Hip-Hop. With one element mastered, Cocoa is perfecting her craft as both an MC and producer. Catching the ear of distinguished MCs like D-Block and not-so-newcomcer Saigon, Cocoa is geared to show the world that her skills carry over from the decks to the MPC to the mic. With many successes under her belt, DJ Cocoa Chanelle shares her journey, her future, and subsequently, her inability to part with vinyl.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel that you’ve managed to bypass to a certain extent the gender bias of female DJ’s?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: It wasn’t easy; it was hard. When I first got in the game and I started DJing, there weren’t a lot of female DJ’s around. It was Spinderella and Jazzy Joyce that had the biggest names as far as females, so there wasn’t a lot of people. When I came in, people automatically assumed I did something else. When they found out I was a DJ, they thought maybe I was just somebody to stand behind the turntables as like a prop. They didn’t know that I was really really into it like doing tricks and you know, cuttin’ and scratchin’…taking it seriously like that.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel that you’ve been given the same opportunities on the production side?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: That was hard also, and I’m still kind of climbing the hill trying to get respect in that category, but I think like when I started doing tracks for D-Block- I produced on Sheek’s first and second album, Styles P’s album- I’ve been doing work with them. I produced Saigon’s first single, and these are all street dudes, so me working with them, I think definitely got my name a lot more respect on the street level as far as production. People started really looking at it like, “Okay, she’s really serious.”

AllHipHop.com: How did you start working with D-Block?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I hit up [their manager] Super Mario one day because I heard Sheek Louch was working on his album, and told him I wanted to play Sheek some beats, and he set it up for me to come to the studio and everything. When I went up there, I played him the tracks, and Sheek was feelin’ everything. We just built a relationship after that. He told me [that] after he heard the beats and liked everything I did, that he didn’t expect me to have anything and expected the beats not to be good. He said he just took the meeting out of respect for who I am and you know, on the radio, but he wasn’t really expecting me to have nothing. So when he heard the beats, he went out the room and you could hear him sayin’, “Cocoa got heat!” really loud, like screaming! [laughs] We had a relationship since then; we’ve been cool. He calls me for all his projects, and we work together.

AllHipHop.com: Who are some of the producers of the past and present that impress you?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I like Havoc a lot; I’m a Mobb Deep fan. Dr. Dre, I’m influenced by Dre a lot, and I respect him as a producer. [DJ] Premier. Bink, and I feel he doesn’t get enough credit. I like him a lot as a producer. There’s a lot of dudes.

AllHipHop.com: It’s crazy because now with producers in Hip-Hop, it’s almost like they’re a brand. Do you feel that once these producers crossover and get “branded” so to speak, their production style gets better or do they get lazy?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I think some of them you can definitely see them developing and getting better. Sometimes they start to switch and go with the trends, but for the people that I named just before, they get better.

AllHipHop.com: After a decade on HOT 97, what’s the craziest thing you’ve witnessed while being at the station?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Fortunately, when all of the crazy stuff goes down, I’m not around. [laughs] So all of the crazy madness that went on, I wasn’t in the area. Didn’t get to see that.

AllHipHop.com: What about funny?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Well some interesting things, not necessarily funny, like Jay-Z, he popped up on our show [Ladies Night]. He wasn’t planned, but he came up and gave away a pair of $4500 earrings to one of our listeners. He wasn’t like a scheduled guest or anything like that.

AllHipHop.com: When you, Angie Martinez, and Jazzy Joyce started Ladies Night, there had never been such a successful display of female comradery before. Why do you feel that it’s so rare on-air?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I think just like with DJing, it’s always been a male-dominated field. It’s always hard for people to take females seriously, like they didn’t think females could really hold down a mix show on their own. I feel like Ladies Night helped open some doors, where people started looking at it like, “Okay, this is an all-female mix show. It can be done.” Then I started noticing across the country, you would see other mix shows with all females on it, so it’s a good thing. It opened up a lot of doors for people.

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned before the idea of a female DJ as a prop, and in a lot of clubs you see a girl “DJ” just standing there behind two iPods. What do you think about that? Is she making things better for female DJs?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: [laughs] If she’s not really a DJ and just a prop with two iPods [laughs], I don’t think that makes it better for us. For the person that’s booking them, they’re thinking, “Well, we don’t need a real DJ, we can just hire somebody that’s cute and can just stand there.” I personally don’t feel like it helps. I like to see females who really have talent and take DJing seriously get those types of jobs.

AllHipHop.com: As a strong woman in this industry, do you feel women in Hip-Hop have evolved or devolved?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I think it’s evolved from where it used to be, because for a long time you didn’t hear about too many females, maybe just a couple like MC Lyte or Queen Latifah, Moni Love. Now you hear about female DJs, and now hopefully a couple of female producers, female rappers, you’re hearing about women in Hip-Hop a lot more than back in the days. Women are getting a lot more attention.

AllHipHop.com: What are some of your upcoming projects?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Well the Saigon single is out right now, so I’m really excited about that. It’s called “Pain in My Life”, and we’re getting ready to shoot the video for that. I’m getting ready to work with Sheek on their [D-Block] next project that they have coming out, and Joe Buddens- we’ve been talking about getting together. Styles P, his album Time Is Money about to come out, I have a track on there. So, a couple of things. Hopefully you’ll be hearing a lot of Cocoa Chanelle in ’07.

AllHipHop.com: At what point did you feel confident enough to spit on the mic?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Well I actually started as an MC first before I was a DJ. I started rhyming when I was twelve. I was doing that for a minute, but I never pursued it in terms of getting a record deal. The DJing was the thing that took off for me. I just kept rhyming anyway, but more for therapy. Like, anytime I would go through a situation, I would rhyme about it, and just lay a whole bunch of songs. And one day, I laid something down, it was just a freestyle, and Sheek got on there. We leaked it out to the streets, and it got a real big response. A lot of people didn’t even know that I rhyme.

AllHipHop.com: Wow, will you be pursing that along with production?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Well something I would like to do is put out an album where you can hear me rhyming and making beats, doing everything. Also, bringing new artists to the table. Kind of like how Dre did on The Chronic when he came out and he’s rhyming, he’s producing, and then he’s bringing new artists to the table; a project like that.

AllHipHop.com: Ok, so as a DJ: vinyl or CDs?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: I’m still on vinyl and everyone makes fun of me [laughs]. They’re like, “Why haven’t you switched yet?” I’m still on vinyl; I haven’t been able to make that switch.

AllHipHop.com: I’m still on vinyl too [laughs].

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: You’re still on vinyl too? See you get points for that, because I have all of these cases of records when I go to clubs and radio stations, and then I see these other DJs with their little backpack and one little thing. Sometimes, I’ll be feeling like, “Man…that’s not fair.” [laughs] See if I make the switch it would be to something like Serato, where it’s more of a real feel and get to actually use vinyl.

AllHipHop.com: With podcasts becoming so popular, what do you think the fate is of the mixtape?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Well right now not everybody has an iPod, so for right now, the mixtape is going to be okay. But eventually, they’re going to have to switch over to the iPod. But I think podcasting is going to get really really big as time goes on. I always said that, even when I first heard about it. I feel like it’s going to keep getting bigger and bigger. But you know, as far as people who still have the CD players in their car or whatever, they’re gonna keep listening to the CDs.

AllHipHop.com: What would you play as the last song on your last DJ set ever?

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: Probably “Encore” [by Jay-Z]. It just sounds like a finale song [laughs].

AllHipHop.com: Then again, if it’s reflective of Jay-Z’s career, it will leave it open ended.

DJ Cocoa Chanelle: [laughs] Very true.