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Jin Takes Advantage Of The Net, Drops Album Only Available Via MySpace

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

Jin is planning to

take full advantage of the MySpace phenomenon by releasing his new album I

Promise via his MySpace page.The

album, which has no ties to MySpace or any record label, will feature new music

the rapper recorded over the last month and boasts production by Bangout, Canei,

Obi & Josh, Younglord, Music Mystro, and Pluto.Jin

is looking to use the community networking aspect of the Web site to independently

sell his disc. "It’s

just something to let my fans know that I am continuing to work hard and give

them a little something before we do it big again," Jin said. In

order to purchase the limited edition release, fans must request to be added as

a friend to Jin’s MySpace page.I

Promise will be sold on a first come, first served basis and, according to

Jin, official copies will not be available after the album’s initial run.Orders

will be taken Nov. 1- 27 and the album will be shipped in time for Christmas.

In September,

MySpace announced its latest business model–allowing unsigned bands featured

on the site to sell their music as downloads. MySpace

is beta-testing the service, which the company hopes will eventually rival Apple’s

iTunes."The

goal is to be one of the biggest digital music stores out there," MySpace

co-founder Chris DeWolfe said in published reports. "Everyone we’ve spoken

to definitely wants an alternative to iTunes and the iPod. MySpace could be that

alternative."To

purchase Jin’s upcoming album I Promise, visit www.myspace.com/buyipromise.

Collardgreen and Lil’ Ru: South Carolina’s Chosen Few

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

While the South has recently dominated

Hip-Hop, South Carolina has been slept on more than Serta mattresses.

As the only Southern state without an artist signed to a major label,

South Carolina has been waiting on its chance to join the Southern

movement since rappers started making it cool to be country. But, the

state may have found its remedy for it’s narcolepsy. Two Columbia,

South Carolina rappers, Collardgreen and Lil’ Ru, have flirted with

industry majors. Lil’ Ru was an Elektra Records artist, but found

himself label-less after it merged with Atlantic Records in 2004.

Collardgreen, through the buzz of his regional hit “Everybody Looking,” has recently garnered attention from some majors in his own rite.

Collardgreen

and Lil’ Ru have ascended themselves to the upper echelon of South

Carolina rappers by continuously flooding the streets with their Hustle Hard mixtape

series and mastering the formula for radio ready singles. Both rappers

are regulars on local radio station airwaves with songs like “Will Destroy,”

“Watch My Shoes,” (Ft. Mr. Flip), and one of SC’s biggest hits in 2005, “Hood Hard” all finding their way into radio rotation.

With

this tandem making noise just loud enough for the labels to take the

state seriously, South Carolina’s wait for major artists may be over

sooner rather later. AllHipHop.com caught up with Lil’ Ru and

Collardgreen to talk about why South Carolina has been overlooked, what

the duo can offer the rap game, and what makes them two of SC’s “chosen

few.”

AllHipHop.com:

With the South dominating Hip-Hop, South Carolina is the only Southern

state without a major artist signed. Why is South Carolina being

overlooked? And what is the music scene like here in South Carolina?

Lil’

Ru: It’s the f###### game around here to me, its that a lot of n#####

ain’t as serious as, you know what I mean, you should be, you see what

I’m sayin’. Like n##### in Texas and all them n##### like Paul Wall,

Mike Jones, them n##### had a movement started, you know what I mean. I

think all them n##### was on the same page as being serious, you see

what I’m sayin’. N##### around here ain’t got their game together or

nothing. You don’t see n##### with no wrapped vans, you don’t see

n##### with nothing. You might see a n#### with ten CDs, okay, I got my

CDs pressed up.

Collardgreen: He writing on it, got writing on the cover.

Lil’ Ru: These n##### ain’t got their whole business plan together.

Collardgreen: And then people who doing the music, who can make [the] decisions, they’re not coming here anyway.

Lil’

Ru: And these n##### ain’t supporting, that’s it. That’s a whole

‘nother area of the game. N##### around here ain’t even supporting each

other. It’s all about, “I’mma be this label, you gon’ be this label, we

wanna get on first.”

Collardgreen:

And people like that, people in Texas, I mean, their people was just

behind them so hard. Me and Ru we getting that love right now. It’s a

movement as far as the radio, the people, streets. They starting to see

it now, that’s why they calling. And they on us hard.

AllHipHop.com: Well, that leads into my next question, where do you see yourselves at as far as the rap scene in South Carolina?

Collardgreen: I think we are one of the people, we are one of the chosen few.

Lil’ Ru: Yeah, I’ll say that.

Collardgreen:

The reason I say one of the chosen few is, we gon’ get it crackin’ to

the point where other labels and everybody else are going to be like we

gotta go down here and see what other kinds of people are down here.

AllHipHop.com: When you see Lil’ Ru, you see Collardgreen, so how did the two of you hook up? And what kept you all so close?

Lil’

Ru: I met that n####, I did a f###### show at Main Event [nightclub],

dog. My homeboy helped me put the show together, but he was f######

with Green down here and s###. I was like, “Man, who the f### these

n##### is, country n#####. They all on stage and s###.” I’m playing the

n#### dirty. I ain’t heard the n#### music or nothing, I’m just

treating the n#### crazy. But I met the n#### on some, you know what

I’m sayin’, the n#### came to me like, “What’s up man, I’m

Collardgreen.” You know how the n#### do, everyday s###. But I met the

n####, kicked it with the n####, the n#### vibe was so trill it been on

ever since. We dropped that [mixtape] Truth and the Answer s###, ever

since then they could call it a game. I’m trying to tell you.

Collardgreen: We like brothers forever.

AllHipHop.com: How long ago was that?

Lil’ Ru: S###, about five, six years ago.

AllHipHop.com: So what kept you all rolling tight?

Lil’

Ru: Just understanding each other, dog, and respecting each other and

that’s it, dog. Understanding each other. I know he do his s###, I do

my s###. And don’t let no haters come between us and s###. We just

understand the business. We know what we trying to do, pointblank. And

love, we got love for each other, and we trying to get to the same goal

so it’s a wrap. F### the rap s###, if we both stopped rappin’ today we

still gon’ be homies.

Collardgreen: And we got the whole Headhunter Records thing going on [the] same label.

AllHipHop.com: So you’re both signed to Headhunter right now?

Lil’ Ru: We both own the s### like, me, him, and 9 Mil own the s### together. So we trying to do our own s### like that.

Collardgreen: We businessmen. We ain’t just rappers.

Lil’ Ru: You can’t just be rappers. You’re never gon’ get paid being a rapper, dog, straight up.

AllHipHop.com:

Ru, at one time you were signed with Elektra, so explain that situation

to me, how you got signed to Elektra and what happened at Elektra?

Lil’

Ru: That s### there come from f###### nothing really, just a n#### that

could rap, n#### hearing me rap. That wasn’t no grind, no type of…I

had already been grinding but, I didn’t get signed off my grind. I got

signed off of a n#### bringing me in the door saying, “Oh, this n####

tight. Hear this n#### rap.” I start rapping, boom, n#### signed me

like that. B#### thought I was cute, boom, I got signed just like that.

F###### with Angie Stone, she brought me up there. She always had in

her mind to get me a deal, but we didn’t think the s### was gonna go

that easily. Got a little deal for that s###, boom. S### just got, I

don’t know, n##### just got lazy like, they wasn’t really pressing the

situation, like “Oh, get this n#### album out. Get him working on his

s###.” We was just like we got this money. S### wasn’t clicking or

nothing. So s###, they had that little merge, boom, that was it. After

they had their joint with Atlantic they dropped me after that. It was a

wrap after that, I hadn’t been f###### with Angie or nothing after

that.

AllHipHop.com: Green, what were your feelings from seeing Lil’ Ru get dropped from his label?

Collardgreen:

Good. We was good, we need to keep grinding out. It really wasn’t no

feelings. The main thing, we trying to achieve a goal and we gon’ keep

on working. We can’t dwell on nothing, nothing that happened messed up.

Lil’

Ru: For me, dog, that s### was a good situation being dropped, you know

what I’m sayin’. Cause I wasn’t ready for that. Man, I wasn’t even

ready for that. I was doing red carpets and s###, and I ain’t even know

how to really have my whole swagger together like I was ‘posed to you,

you see what I’m sayin’.

AllHipHop.com: Both of you have had local success as solo artists, have you all talked about doing an album together?

Collardgreen: One day.

Lil’

Ru: Yeah, that’s in the works. We definitely gon’ do that. But s###,

right now we trying to man, make this label thing crack. We got Mr.

Flip, we got n####, then we got a whole group. Me, Flip, Green are the

S.C.G.s. So if it do be a group, that’ll be the group album that’s gon’

come out.

AllHipHop.com: Why not pursue it together as a group?

Collardgreen: We was thinking ‘bout that.

Lil’

Ru: I’m kinda greedy though, I ain’t gon’ lie. I don’t want him sharing

my money. I don’t want Collardgreen getting this check for the show. I

want all my money here n####. $30,000 for the show, give me $30,000 for

my pocket. That’s why I don’t want to do no group. Jagged Edge, how

many albums these n##### done done? They still ain’t to the top to

where they need to be at. That group s### don’t work, dog. Look at D4L,

Fabo, nowhere to be found, that s### don’t work. That group s### break

you up.

Collardgreen:

I don’t know man, we trying to think right now. Cause we was solo

artists before. That’s why we got our own weight. That’s why when we

combine it’s much more crazier, it’s much more sicker. When they see us

on stage, they don’t even understand…

Lil’ Ru: That’s the reason we did it together like that, to make n##### be like that.

Collardgreen: So if you don’t like me, you gon’ like him. You don’t like him, you gon’ like Flip.

Lil’

Ru: You gon’ like something in that team, dog. Cause we got all that

s### that ever been buzzin’ around here on one squad. N##### in trouble.

AllHipHop.com: Describe Collardgreen’s style.

Collardgreen:

Collardgreen is the world. I’m waking up I might feel bad one day, I

might be mad one day. S###, I might just sit down and take me a shot of

liquor, I might wanna go party. I be chillin’, copasetic. I might see a

girl, I might wanna holla at a girl. Like 360, I’m a normal person.

Don’t mess with me, I ain’t gon’ mess with you. That’s my style. When

you hear it, my mix CD, Hustle Hard No Lunch Breaks, when you hear the

mix CD you’re going to hear everything. You’re going to hear from my

life, growing up ‘bout what was going on. To some party s### to okay

n#### don’t f### wit’ me I ain’t gon’ f### with you. Everything I do,

I’m a good illustrator. You know Jesus was a good illustrator, I’m a

good illustrator through my music. When you hear it, you’ll get a sense

of who I am. And when you get a sense of who I am, it’s a part of me in

everybody. And you gon’ relate to it, and that’s what’s going make you

like me.

Lil’ Ru: Oooh, you’ve been rehearsing. You been rehearsing on me on the low? [Both laughing].

AllHipHop.com: Lil’ Ru, same question?

Lil’

Ru: My style? My style n####, I don’t got no style. You can’t put me

with oh this n#### is a crunk rapper or this n#### is this type of

rapper cause, n####, you might hear me sangin’ on my s###. You might

hear me m###########’ sounding like an up North way, cause I’m just

versatile. You can’t even describe it, I can’t describe it my damn self

that’s what f#### me up.

Collardgreen: But we can talk about anything and make it a hit.

Lil’ Ru: I just got so many versatilities its crazy, dog. Like fast, slow, whatever, versatilities.

Collardgreen:

And a hit is a song everyone loves, and everyone wants to hear. I mean,

the radio know that. We done put hits out.

Lil’

Ru: That’s why we get on the radio n##### be like, “Oh why the f###,

nah, nah, nah.” Cause you know, we make the right f###### music,

pointblank. And the right timing, you feel me. Like that “Everybody

Looking.” N####, we don’t do all that s###, all that Joc’n’ s###, all

that s###. But it’s the perfect time, a snap song ok, if n##### wit’

it. Green came up with a perfect new song that fit right in that s###.

Now we got some other s### jumpin’ off right now. It’s just about

timing. When you hear that…you can’t always make [songs] about, “I

got that dope, I got that dope.” N#####, in the FEDs taking 30 n#####

to jail. N##### don’t wanna hear about no dope right now. Ok, let me

smile a bit now. Let me shine in the Chevy, let me talk about some

jewelry or something. I don’t wanna hear nothing about no keys, n####.

That s### crazy. It’s about timing dog, making good music at the right

time.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel your styles are a representation of what South Carolina’s sound is?

Lil’

Ru: There is not South Carolina sound. See I done been in Philly for 7,

8 months, Cali, all that s###, hearing n##### music, local music or

whatever. But this s### to me got like, I can put it to like a

Tennessee like [Young] Buck [and] them, you know what I’m sayin’. It’s

more gutter than a m########### like this is what you’ll do to a n####.

Like you’ll shoot a n#### in the face with a AK and all kinds of crazy

s### like that. That s### is like gutter, n##### don’t be on that s###

like everywhere else. N##### be on someone oh we doing this we got this

car, but this s### is gutter. I feel this s### is way more gutter than

a lot of n#####. S### more real, I guess that’s cause I’m here, I don’t

know. I guess cause I’m from this b#### but, this s### just seems so

real. I don’t know man, a lot of other local n##### music seems real to

me, dog. A lot of this s### is fools now, that’s a lot of b#######

round here, but it’s a lot of n##### that I’m f#####’ wit’.

AllHipHop.com: Collardgreen, your new single “Everybody Looking”

a major label expressed interest in that song, can you explain that

situation to me? And have they talked about signing you as an artist?

Collardgreen:

I don’t know pause it, I need to talk to my publicist. We had a lot of

people calling us. And we’ve been working on something real big. They

want the song, and we’ve just trying to work something out right now,

man. They on it all day, everyday, we talk to them regularly. But it’s

going to be real big for South Carolina, man.

AllHipHop.com: Collardgreen, what do you do that makes it seem like you are everywhere?

Collardgreen:

I just be everywhere. If I hear something, me and Ru, we know a whole

bunch of people throughout the whole state. Only thing I need is one

call, I’m such and such and they got this going on.

Lil’

Ru: His [grind is] more sicker than mine, I can’t lie. I be like, “Oh,

hell no. F### that, I ain’t going to that s###.” That n#### be like,

“F### that, I’m going. I’m up in that m###########.” He go to every

function like, I ain’t gon’ b####### you, this n#### had a show along

time ago at somebody’s house, n####. On the front yard, on the porch, I

was like, “Hell no Green. I do too much, I can’t rap for these n#####.”

Green jumped on the porch, rapping for these n##### on the porch. And

that show that n#### grind, he don’t give a f###, he just trying to get

that s### out there.

Collardgreen:

I’m just down to ride. Anything somebody want me to do, I’m doing it. I

don’t care. Something going on in Charleston, I’m there. Let’s go,

that’s what you gotta do.

AllHipHop: Lil’ Ru you were featured on the song “Hood Hard”

which was a big song in SC in ’05, what has that song done for your

career? And can you tell me why Jelly Tight has been nowhere to be

found?

Lil’

Ru: Really that s### kept me alive. That s### was like a float for me,

that s### kept me floating. I was like, “What I’mma do. I don’t know

the next s### I’mma drop.” I had a lot of music and s###.

Collardgreen: I think it kept his fans loving him.

Lil’

Ru: So when I hooked up with them n#####, my n#### TD [Da Don] was

already f#####’ with them n##### hard, doing mix CD songs with them

n#####. Them n##### was like, “Oh, that n#### Lil’ Ru, he would sound

good on this song,” you feel me. I came over there, heard the beat and

s###, the n##### already had the hook done. I was like this s### is

crazy. I jumped on that s###. At that moment I was in a zone like

n##### be sleeping on me. N##### don’t really think I can spit that

s### like that. I went in there, boom, smashed that s### like that.

Freestyled that s### off the top of the dome, it was over. That “Hood

Hard” done but me in a nice position. I got n##### where I want them

at, dog, it’s on now. As far as Jelly Tight, you know what it is, the

FEDs is vicious out here. The police is a m###########’ dirty dog. You

can’t be selling keys and trying to be a rapper at the same time, that

s### do not work, dog. I’m a witness from How You Love That, watching

my n##### go down. It’s just the police, you already know what it is

wit’ them n#####, man. They still out here grindin’ though, like Venom,

he still out here doing tracks. Donna and Cali, I f### wit’ them

b###### too, but it’s the FEDs, you already know. G-Boy, f###### Jelly

Tight, How You Love That, everybody gone, it’s all about them FEDs. You

can not sell crack and be a rapper, dog, straight up.

AllHipHop.com: On your mixtape, you worked with Rich Boy on the song “Shinnin’ On ‘Em” how do you hook up with him?

Lil’

Ru: F###### [DJ] D-Tec. Tec hooked that up. Nah, I gave my n#### Polo

Da Don one of my CDs, the n#### been on that s### hard. So s###, he did

the s### with Rich Boy, got Rich Boy the deal supposedly, I don’t know.

I just hooked the s### up through Polo, bam, we went to the “A”

together, did the s###. I f### wit’ that n#### right there, that’s my

n####.

AllHipHop.com: Have you worked with any other artists, or do you have plans to work with any other artists or producers?

Lil’

Ru: Man, I done did s### with Jeff Johnson, n#### did the Jamie Foxx

“Unpredictable” beat to that s###. He did Trick Daddy’s s###.

Collardgreen: The whole new South movement, the young boys, we a part of it. The Young Cashs, the Rich Boys, Suga Suga.

Lil’ Ru: All that s### there, we part of that new movement in the South, n##### already know us, we all cool.

AllHipHop.com: Lil’ Ru, what did you learn from your Elektra experience that will help you in your career now?

Lil’

Ru: Everything that shines ain’t gold. M###########’, stay on your

grind dog, don’t let nothing knock you the f### off. Be m###########’

focused about every situation you get into. Don’t be taking s### for

granted. I took that situation as “Oh, I’m signed n####, that’s it. I

don’t gotta worry about nothing. I told n##### I was gon’ get signed.”

And never think in the back of my mind that these n##### could drop me

any day. That’s how dumb to the game I was. You could get kicked the

f### off just like that. I was 16-years-old. Just being dumb to the

game, damn n#### you can get dropped just like that. You don’t even

gotta spit a rap, you don’t even gotta be garbage. Something happen to

the business and you can be out of here. That’s just me not being on my

s###, I learned to be on my m###########’ grind.

AllHipHop.com: Green, what do you think you could offer the game?

Collardgreen:

I can just offer a new sound, just everything. Everything that these

boys Nelly done done, came killed it giving the people what they want.

Ludacris. People that make hits, make good albums and good music, and

represent for my state. I’m bringing South Carolina to the game.

AllHipHop.com: Lil’ Ru, same question?

Lil’

Ru: What I’m bringing to the game? I’mma problem to the game, I ain’t

even gon’ lie. I’mma be honest. N##### ain’t gon’ never see no n####

like this again like straight up dog, I don’t give a f###. There ain’t

no n#### that ever been on, I ain’t never heard no n#### like me, dog,

that can do all the s### I do as far as music wise. Like coming up with

s###, as fast as I come up with s###, how I do, on the spot, shows,

swagger, all that s###. I’m just ‘bout to be a problem.

Collardgreen: And our shows. When the world see our shows, performance on stage they gon’ be amazed.

Lil’ Ru: Yeah, it’s over.

Collardgreen:

People don’t even do that no more, I don’t know what they be doing on

stage. We gon’ bring the energy back to this thing, they gon’ love us

to death, dog. Tell MTV to go head get the show ready.

AllHipHop: Do you all have anything else that I didn’t ask you about that you want to say?

Lil’ Ru: My m###########’ album is 1000 Grams that’s all I want to say, n####. My album’s coming out. My album is 1000 Grams, my mix CD is 500 Grams.

I ain’t talking about m###########’ dope, n####. I’m talking about dope

on the album but it’s just letting n##### know my style is straight

drop, n####. You drop 28, you definitely gonna get 28 all the time. You

gonna get double every time you f### with this. My style it is what it

is, dog. Album 1000 Grams that’s all I got to say.

Collardgreen: Album Dinner Served, mix CD in the streets Hustle Hard No Lunch Breaks, produced by 9 Million, hosted by 9 Million.

Lil’ Ru: Headhunter Records, that’s the movement.

Visit Collardgreen’s Myspacepage at www.myspace.com/collardgreen

Visit Lil’ Ru’s Myspacepage at www.myspace.com/lilruhoodhard

Lil’ Eazy E Inks Deal With Blackground, Plans To Rep Compton On New Album

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

Eric "Lil’ Eazy-E"

Wright, son of the late Eazy-E, hopes to be the next rap delegate of Compton,

Calif., and now he’s well on his way.The

22-year-old rapper recently inked a deal with Blackground/Universal and is currently

preparing his debut album Prince of Compton, due early next year.Lil’

Eazy-E, who was 10-years-old when his father died, said the disc will boast collaborations

with Timbaland, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, among others.He

hopes the new album will properly represent his native Compton, which is credited

with bringing gangsta rap to the mainstream and is also the birthplace of NWA,

MC Eiht, and the Game, whose sophomore effort The Doctor’s Advocate hits

shelves on Nov. 14."We

gonna keep it real," Lil’ Eazy-E told AllHipHop.com of his objective to represent

Compton. "[The Game] has been disloyal and he hasn’t represented the city

the right way. So he does him and I do me."Blackground

Records, which was launched in 1993, is owned by entertainment attorney Barry

Hankerson and his son Jomo. The

label is also home to Timbaland & Magoo, Toni Braxton, and the late Aaliyah.

Opening Arguments, Testimony Kick Off Source Sexual Harassment Trial

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

Sexual harassment

versus meeting professional expectations–those were the points raised during

opening arguments in the sexual harassment trial against The Source Magazine

yesterday (Oct. 11). Lawyers

for former Source editor Kim Osorio alleged that their client was forced

out of her position amid verbal abuse and threats of physical violence, the New

York Post reports. Although

Osorio voiced her displeasure to the magazine’s human resources department, the

lawyers stated, her complaints were ignored by executives who later fired her

when she refused to repeal her accusations. The

attorneys further claimed that Osorio, the publication’s first female editor,

had her leadership undermined by executives who berated her in front of subordinates

and accused her of sleeping with industry power brokers. "Her

bosses looked down on women and treated them as inferior," said Osorio’s

lawyer, Kenneth Thompson, who added that Osorio’s main persecutor was Source

co-owner/rapper Raymond "Benzino" Scott. "We

would be great together," Scott allegedly told Osorio, according to Thompson.

"I would be the king and you would be the queen of The Source."

Thompson

added that Scott’s propositions culminated in him pressuring Osorio to take a

trip with him to Atlantic City. "She

said ‘No,’ over and over and over to Mr. Scott, [who] would not listen,"

Thompson argued. Attorneys

for Scott and The Source disputed Thompson’s claims by saying that Osorio

was let go not because of her complaint but because of her inability to do her

job effectively. If

the magazine were so anti-female, managers would have never promoted her up the

ladder, countered Mercedes Colwin, a Source attorney. Among

the issues cited was Osorio missing deadlines, as well as her poor working relationships

with Source staff. "There

was lots of criticism about her job during the time she worked there," Colwin

said, adding that Osorio’s claims were a way for her to either protect her job

or force a financial settlement. "She was elevated beyond her capabilities.

This case is all about a hatched plan when she discovered her job was on the line."

In addition

to the opening arguments, jurors got an earful from Michelle Joyce, The Source’s

former vice president of marketing. Joyce painted a sexually degrading picture

of her tenure at the magazine as she testified about seeing pictures of topless

women on bulletin boards and noticing one employee’s computer screen display that

featured a collage of naked and scantily-clad women. Joyce

also recalled a p### movie viewing in the company mailroom. The

opening arguments, which took place in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, is the

newest chapter in the continuing battle between The Source and Osorio,

who was let go in February 2005. A

sexual harassment lawsuit was soon filed on behalf of Osorio and Joyce. However,

Joyce’s complaint was dismissed on legal ground. Joyce, who is appealing the decision,

later admitted that she lied to the company about her college education, according

to the Post.

Yung Joc Preparing ‘The Jocumentary’

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

Block Entertainment/Bad

Boy lyricist Yung Joc has teamed with the Raw Report to give viewers an

inside look at his life in the new DVD, The Jocumentary, scheduled to arrive

in stores on Nov. 14.Produced

by the Raw Report, the new documentary follows an uncensored Joc in his travels

and contains interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. The

DVD boasts guest appearances by Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jim Jones, Kevin

Liles, Rick Ross and Paul Wall among others."People

only hear the hit records but I wanted them to know what it takes to get there,”

Yung Joc said. "From the video shoots to the performances, now the fans can

see firsthand how it really goes down.""Now

the world can see up close the drive that Diddy and I first saw in Joc,"

added Russell "Block" Spencer, CEO of Block Entertainment. "It’s

one thing to watch a music video, but the Raw Report shows the uncut truth like

nobody else."Viewers

will also be able to access current and future episodes of the Raw Report DVD

Magazine through MixCast’s online video portal or download it through MixCast’s

video on demand service.

In June, Yung Joc’s debut album New Joc City landed at number one

on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart with 149,000 units sold, as

well as number three on the Billboard Top 200.To

view the latest clips from The Jocumentary, log onto www.mixcast.tv.

Nas: Critical Condition

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

Twelve years ago, you’d never catch Nas in the streets without a ton of reefer. Today, the King Poetic has turned over a new leaf, and no longer splits the leaves of his cigars. Perhaps it’s a new frame of mind for a 33-year-old rapper who went from snubbing Jesus to being the same age as the Christian messiah at his death. Perhaps this maturity has created a new perspective for the Queensbridge icon. With the forthcoming Hip-Hop is Dead Nas is candid about his mature views on the music that so many critics say he advanced a decade ago. But the question remains, if Hip-Hop is dead, can Nasir Jones – or anybody else for that matter, revive it? Just before the last rites, Nas arrives with one mic.

AllHipHop.com: If Hip-Hop is dead, who killed it?

Nas: Corporate America and DJs, radio programmers, video/TV programming, the rappers, us. We all just had a whole bunch of fun. We had too much fun. Because you got to live your life, know what I mean. And it’s a business. And business, it kills it, you know what I mean, business then kills it and s**t. AllHipHop.com: Well you maybe out and Hip-Hop is dead, so you referring to a specific chapter or just a general, conclusive data? Nas: I mean, it just came to me from people. I just heard people talking and I was just in the streets. So I would say the streets named the album. AllHipHop.com: So you’re just saying the street does it, that doesn’t mean that you necessarily agree? Nas: I totally agree. Yeah it’s just dead man. I’m free now. AllHipHop.com: So you’re not making Hip-Hop anymore. What are you making if Hip-Hop — Nas: I don’t know what it is – some s**t right. Crack music, whatever. It’s f**ked up. AllHipHop.com: Well, I mean the reason you give, then you mentioned working with a different caliber of producers for this next album. Give us a little insight as to who we can expect to hear from the album… Nas: Well, some people I’ve been working with, you know Salaam Remi, L.E.S., you know Dr. Dre, not as much but Dre. Premier, you know — AllHipHop.com: What happened to the Premier/ Nas album? Nas: Yeah, well that’s some s**t we want to do, you know. I think we really got to set aside some time to do it. You know, ‘cause when I’m ready to do it, I’m ready to do it at a certain kind of way and Premier got his way of doing it. We just got to really settle down because I want it to be an idea thing, like a concept from beginning to end, the theme you know. AllHipHop.com: Okay, I see you. So I also heard that you have Will.I.Am… Nas: Oh yeah Will.I.Am. I’ll definitely have. AllHipHop.com: So you know that throws a lot of people left because there’s a lot of people in Hip-Hop and your fans kind of regard you as above ground, with underground sound, know what I mean? Nas: Yeah, yeah. AllHipHop.com: Do you even give a damn what people think? Nas: Um –Yeah, well Will.I.Am is the truth. He’s the truth, man. That dude is… he’s advanced. He loves Hip-Hop so much, he could out break-dance anybody. He’s all the way involved. Don’t be surprised you catch him doing graffiti on subway somewhere. You know we don’t get a chance to see that because his group [Black Eyed Peas] is so large, you know. We don’t get to see who he really is.

AllHipHop.com: So what do you say to your fans who feel like you basically like sold yourself out in signing with Jay?

Nas: I signed with Def Jam. I didn’t sign with Jay. You know what I’m saying? Like, I’m not signing with Roc-A-Fella. I’m signing to myself, joint venture situation with Jones Experience [Nas’ new label]. And I’m actually still in with Sony. This album is a collective thing with some [people], but it was my idea to, or it was my thing to, you know help make the situation [work]. I had to go in there as a royalty act on Sony and deal with people knowing that [Sony] was a sinking ship for me, and it was my time to leave.

So you know there’s… you respect the Clive Davis’ and a lot of other Lyor Cohen’s, but who else will respect a movement of two Black men resolving something that started, this whole battle, situation for the last four-and-a-half years, where eHip-Hop’s gone crazy and it’ll probably kill New York rap, just from “Ether” and “Takeover.” Who else will respect us? They don’t care if the music and the culture suffers. So if we don’t stand up and come together in positions of power… this is God’s plan. This is not, there’s no disrespect, but other than a non-Black executive that would honor the situation. This is not a sellout. This is everything that was intended for the truth to be expressed this time. AllHipHop.com: Well where would you place yourself in the top MCs if you had to? Where do you think is your position in rap history when it’s all said and done? Nas: When it’s all said and done they all come after me, every last one of ‘em, White or Black. AllHipHop.com: Who’s that — Nas: Rappers. They all come from me, you know what I’m saying? At some point in time, whether it’s the shock value in these guys’ verses from when I first started, and you heard them start regurgitated and different artists talk about doing things and Jesus is now he’s dead, the shock value sound [referring to lyrics like, “I went to hell for snuffin’ Jesus,” lyrics or the lyrical pattern, or it’s the consciousness upbringing. It’s the balance upbringing. This all belongs to me. And that’s a lot, a lot of times I see what’s happening with New York rappers, they don’t have enough style in their personality, in what they talk about off the records, when they not rapping. When they not rapping, they like back in the days I couldn’t get on say, like [disrespecting] Rakim’s wife or Big Daddy Kane’s son, and I’m gonna diss him in a record. That was blasphemy. You never did a record that, now it’s so messed up and New York is the kings of savvy and style. But we up here, lost and confused, disrespecting each other, that’s not how it’s done. Old school, some of that old school used to hate on us. My place now is to say y’all all my kids. But Ice Cube can really say it. KRS can really say it, but I’m having fun saying it too. AllHipHop.com: But I mean here in New York you know, this whole New York, bring back to New York, what is that about? Do you co-sign that?

Nas: Yeah, but I mean New York is New York. It ain’t going nowhere. Yeah, I mean the thing is you know everybody else is having fun while everybody else is doing what they do. Up here, you know, everybody is confused; they [are] lost. You know [in the] ‘80s, we used to look up to you know a lot of different people from different walks of life. And you know everybody…I wear white t-shirts everyday too, but that’s an L.A. thing. You know what I’m saying. It’s more melting pot and that’s good because we all connecting with each others’ style and everything but then New York, I remember you know what we do. AllHipHop.com: So in your opinion, to bring New York back we need to get that swagger back, basically? Nas: To bring New York back we got to take it seriously, you know what I’m saying? They gotta take they selves seriously. Everybody’s like microwave music now, know what I mean, ‘cause it’s the way to eat. When I was doing this early on, [I did Hip-Hop] because I loved it. Now, they not artists, they opportunists. So it’s just a way to eat now. And that’s cool. But then of course, the music is gonna suffer.

AllHipHop.com: You mentioned The Jones Experience. So you have two label brands, along with Ill Will?

Nas: I have Ill Will for my release records, not over here in Def Jam. This Def Jam is Jones experience. AllHipHop.com: Okay. And what about Ill Will because I know you had big plans for the label but never really — Nas: It never came to fruition and I kind of wanted to put it to rest; it’s like, because it didn’t come to fruition, my dude was just part of the shine over me, getting me to do the slave s**t, know what I’m saying?

AllHipHop.com: And whatever happened to Quan? Nas: I don’t know. AllHipHop.com: You have no idea? Nas: No. AllHipHop.com: So what’s this treadmill? I feel that you get linked with cats and you’re supportive of them and they just kind of like — Nas: It’s a hard place. It’s a hard road to travel. You know it’s not easy to move. You got to be like, a lot of people think they gonna get…it’s real. You can’t get in this and expect you gonna be Michael Jackson tomorrow. You got to put it down. You gonna have to take some, you gonna have to put your, you know, get in shape man, and let’s go at it. ‘Cause you know I’m not in this for faking. You know what I’m saying. And a lot of people think like you know why didn’t you sign me or why didn’t you sign me? It’s like I don’t think you’re the next Snoop Dogg. Do you think they’re the next Snoop? I got it, like asking these artists, do you really think you can pack [Madison Square Garden] one day in five years, ten years. How? What are you talking about? I’m looking for someone who can grow. They don’t have to do it overnight, but I’m looking for someone who really loves what they do. They take it down and you know it really come from the heart. They’re ready to go in and go hard. AllHipHop.com: So, you’ve been at this a long time, what would you say the biggest difference with the game now than when you got in? Nas: It wasn’t as much paper. Paper changed a lot. It wasn’t as easy to get in. You know dudes got it made today. AllHipHop.com: Well you just said it was easier for you to get in back then ‘cause it — Nas: For me, yeah. But it wasn’t a bunch of [imitations] out there. You had this guy, we had, we had everybody get airtime. Everybody got whatever happening label. Everybody’s doing it. You know you can’t walk down the street without some n***a without a record label and rap.

AllHipHop.com: Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Nas: I think it’s great that we all love the rap game and that we all into it. I think it’s not good with the misunderstanding of what comes along being in it. You know they say like that less than 1% of n***as out here is gonna make it to where they see they selves supposed to be, and that’s kinda harsh reality.

AllHipHop.com: Word has it you have stopped smoking?

Nas: I smoke cigars. I’ve always smoked cigars. That’s you can mature with it man, so you can’t smoke a hundred blunts in one day. You know, you got to party, but every day? For what? AllHipHop.com: A blunt for breakfast. Nas: A blunt for breakfast… AllHipHop.com: What’s the favorite album you got?

Nas: I don’t have one. AllHipHop.com: Come on now, you have to have one. Nas: Definitely don’t have one. AllHipHop.com: Why wouldn’t you have one? Nas: I don’t know what’s on each album. AllHipHop.com: Really?

Nas: Nah, I get confused sometimes [with] what songs are on what album. AllHipHop.com: What would you say is the biggest misconception about you? Nas: That I’m not in total control, of every step of the way. AllHipHop.com: Elaborate on that. Nas: A lot of the weed smoking was the stage that set me free. And I never messed with any of these industry cats because there’s too many, I knew how easy it was for you to be behind a jail cell over one of these flunkies, you know. One of the kookie n***as that have you all tripped up. That ain’t no man s**t. That ain’t even gangsta s**t [to] get tripped up off one of these goofball n***as. So the thing about it, I stayed in my haze. [My] state of mind was perking all day long because I didn’t pay attention to none of that stuff. AllHipHop.com: So how does Nas the rapper different from Mr. Nasir Jones? Nas: I love being on stage. It’s everything to me, but sometimes people don’t know when to turn it off and the way they treat you is like it’s on every day. It’s all about rap, rap every day. They don’t know about life and stuff like that. You know, you gotta have a quality of life. So that’s real important to me. You see dudes frowning up all the time, paranoid and they’re [acting] 16, dude. They’re a grown man with kids, man.

AllHipHop.com: You smile. Nas: Yeah. I smile all the time. AllHipHop.com: What is your idea to stay connected with the youth?

Nas: It is what it is. Youth don’t want you to dumb down, ‘cause they not dumb. So you can’t, you got to do youth. You know they can understand that. [The] same way I understood the dudes that were over me when I was 12, 13 there wasn’t no 12, 13 year olds rapping. They were at least four years older than me if I bought their records. It was always like that.

Sadat X: Gone Til’ November

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

Sadat X is the definition of what it means to be about your business and on your grind. The one-time teacher, basketball coach, would-be firefighter and rapper is the everyman’s man. Not comfortable with just relying on one gig, the Bronx-bred MC isn’t afraid to take a regular job and hustle like the rest of the blue-collars.

And just like regular folks get caught up in unfortunate situations, the same holds true here. Not too long after the release of the well-received Experience & Education last year, Sadat caught a gun possession charge and will be heading to city jail late October. But not one to let a setback slow him down, he just released another solo, the aptly-titled and very candid Black October.

The Wild Cowboy spoke with AllHipHop.com about his multiple careers, importantly, why you should not send him any ghetto books while he’s in jail.

AllHipHop.com: How long had you been teaching?

Sadat X: For about six years.

AllHipHop.com: Back in the day, was your main gig teaching and then you decided you wanted to get into rapping?

Sadat X: I was a teacher’s assistant … working in the New Rochelle school system. But I was still able to balance that back and forth with the rap, but these last two years since I made the albums [Experience & Education, Black October] during the year, I haven’t been able to teach. A lot of travel for them was being done during the school year and I couldn’t get the time off like that.

AllHipHop.com: What grade?

Sadat X: All grades. I worked from high school to elementary, wherever they sent me.

AllHipHop.com: Did the kids know who you were?

Sadat X: Well some of them did, but these are young kids; I know most of their parents.

AllHipHop.com: Being a Five Percenter, did you find it hard teaching some subjects like Social Studies or History?

Sadat X: Well, I would just break it down into what’s fact and what’s fiction. A lot of the stuff, being that I was a teacher’s assistant, I couldn’t really get into it like how I wanted to—as opposed to me taking full command of the class and teaching what I wanted to teach. A lot of times you have to go along with what the curricula is calling for. But you could still, within the curricula, break down little fallacies. And also, I was working with a lot of kids with behavioral problems, so a lot of that stuff [history lessons] wasn’t even approached. A lot of stuff we were doing was just getting them to be able to behave in the classroom.

AllHipHop.com: What made you go into teaching?

Sadat X: I just like working with kids, that’s all.

AllHipHop.com: Is your teaching license going to be affected by your situation?

Sadat X: I don’t know yet. I haven’t applied back again, so I won’t know until I apply again. Until I go get another job and it pops up on my record …

AllHipHop.com: I’m thinking about the irony that the last album was titled Experience & Education and then this happens … that’s like an experience and education in itself. What do you think about that?

Sadat X: It is. I mean, s**t happens. Got into a situation, s**t jumped off like how it jumped off … do the crime, you gotta do the time. I’m not afraid or anything like that—not by any means. I’m afraid of the boredom of jail, but it’s only for six or seven months. It’ll be all right.

AllHipHop.com: On the song “Black October”, you pretty much said that you had no fear in anything, it was just boredom. You also said, “Don’t send me no ghetto books.” What do you mean by that?

Sadat X: It ain’t nothing wrong with them books like …

AllHipHop.com: A Hustler’s Wife or something like that?

Sadat X: Yeah. But once you read one or two of them books, you basically read them all. I read those stories before and I mean, when I’m in there [jail], I’m already in there with vice and crooks, so I need something a little more challenging.

AllHipHop.com: I was looking at the inside art of Experience & Education and the book that you were reading on the cover. I looked real close at the book cover and it said, Willing Yourself to Live. What’s that all about?

Sadat X: Well, actually, that’s crazy, because that book just happened to be on the table when I took the picture. A lot of people ask me about that and I’m like damn, I’m gonna have to really go back and read that. It must be something behind that.

AllHipHop.com: Back to “Black October.” You said, “I might’ve caught the case ‘cause of the way I reacted.”

Sadat X: Well, I could have reacted better. I could have let the situation be handled another way. My peoples told me they was gonna handle it, and understand, my people are grown men. They not like little boys in the streets; my dudes is grown men. They care about me—they don’t care nothin’ about rap. I knew them before there was rap. That’s why a lot of times when I tell these dudes, when they be saying these lyrics about hustlin’ and doing this, and doing that—I came up in the grown man’s era. I was with the original crew with the backpacks on the Amtrak going to D.C., Virginia, North Carolina and places like that. So a lot of dudes be playing with this, my dudes is serious. So, the situation jumped off and I should have let them handle it, but I chose to handle it.

AllHipHop.com: Can you get into what happened?

Sadat X: It was a beef over — I didn’t like the way that some guys had treated a friend of mine who I came up with, and I took exception to that fact. They had beat my man out of a lot of money, and I took exception to that, being that they live around here and I see this dudes everyday.

AllHipHop.com: So the cops were just there or something?

Sadat X: They called the cops. I didn’t have the gun out. It was two days before Christmas; it’s in the middle of the daytime, Christmas season … I live on Broadway, 157th, 158th, which is probably the biggest drug trade area in the East Coast. There’s a million police over there all the time and so many detectives. If I’d have been in the middle of the street with a gun — in the daytime — I’d have probably been killed. They say it happened in front of McDonald’s — how come nobody from McDonald’s came downstairs and said I was waving a gun? And my charge is not for that. My charge is for possession of a gun, that’s why I only got a year. If it had been anything more than that, I’d be gone for a lot longer. I just got the minimum time.

AllHipHop.com: On “Untraceable,” you said you had to cop a plea because there were no grounds for a trial.

Sadat X: Yeah, I had to cop a plea. I was caught with the gun, so there was no defense in that. I had to take that time. Being that I had a previous gun charge, I took the year as opposed to going to trial and then they bringing that into question. And then if blew the trial, I was looking at three to five. Usually when they make you an offer, they got something behind you.

AllHipHop.com: Even though on one of the songs you said it’s not a farewell, I kind of got the feeling that it was. I got a sense that, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you’d be going away for a real long time.

Sadat X: Nah, I’ll be back in like six or seven months — that’s light. I know dudes that say, “Yo, give me six or seven months.” They would take that like a Christmas present. And I ‘m in the city. I’m not even going up north. I’m in a city jail; I didn’t have to go upstate. That’s when you go to jail.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, that’s prison, not even jail.

Sadat X: Exactly. That’s prison — I got city time. There are a million Gods in the jail, and I know a couple of wardens, so I already got packages waiting for me. When I say packages, I mean I got clothes, books already in place, so when I come in, I’ll come in with a whole bunch of s**t. So, it’s all good.

AllHipHop.com: When did you record Black October?

Sadat X: This was done throughout the spring.

AllHipHop.com: Was it a different recording process going into the album knowing you were going away?

Sadat X: I had to do it a lot faster, really grind it out doing two to three songs a week.

AllHipHop.com: Are you already thinking about your next album? Is it going to reflect your time in jail?

Sadat X: Nah, I don’t want to make a whole jail album; nobody wants to hear that. I’m gonna reflect on certain things, but I don’t want it to be solely based on that experience.

AllHipHop.com: I was watching the video for Lord Finesse’s “Actual Facts”, and was wondering, being from the Bronx, how come you never got down with D.I.T.C.?

Sadat X: I’m affiliated with D.I.T.C., definitely. A lot of D.I.T.C. was in one area of the Bronx. They were based out of Forrest [Avenue], I was always affiliated with them — I seen them grow. I was just talking to A.G. I always talk with Diamond, O.C., and them. So yeah, I’m definitely connected with them.

AllHipHop.com: Do you find that with the global popularity that rap is enjoying now, that it’s almost unfair in a way for people such as yourself who’ve been around a long time aren’t profiting like this new generation is?

Sadat X: I take it like this: if you want to blame anybody, blame your parents for having you ten years early. Times change—you gotta change with the times. Times, change, technology changes; you grow and change with it.

Now it’s worldwide. When we first came out, people out of town didn’t have no way to see Brand Nubian; we couldn’t link to Germany — now they do. It’s just the way it is.

Driver Of Truck Issued A Summons In Cassidy Accident, Rapper Regains Consciousness

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

The driver of a truck

that critically injured Philadelphia rapper Cassidy has been issued a summons

for making an improper turn. According

to police, Javier Trujillo Gonzalez, 36, of Carson City, MI, was issued the ticket

for his role in the accident, after his truck ran a red light and crossed into

a an intersection, broad siding the Chevy Suburban that Cassidy and three passengers

were traveling in."We

know from the other witnesses, that the guy made an illegal move that caused the

accident," Cassidy’s attorney Simon Rosen told AllHipHop.com. "It was

unfortunate, but thank god he’s recovering and that he didn’t die. He’s getting

better and stronger everyday. I always joked with Cassidy that he was a hard headed

guy and thank god for that – literally." Cassidy,

24, was enroute to a recording studio in Yonkers, NY last Thursday (Oct. 5) shortly

after midnight when the accident occurred. Gonzalez’

truck hit the driver’s side of the Suburban, with Cassidy absorbing most of the

impact. Cassidy,

born Barry Reese, suffered a fractured skull and numerous broken bones in his

face. Doctors

have performed CAT scans and so far, have found no abnormalities with his brain

activity. Cassidy,

who recently regained consciousness, is expected to recover from his injuries."He

went through a large trauma that would have taken the life of less healthy people,"

Rosen said. "He was in good health before the accident. Everybody has supported

him from all over the world. The fraternalism of the Hip-Hop community isn’t going

to make headlines, but there are a lot of people that have banned together from

the Hip-Hop community to support Cassidy. It’s not all about negativity."

Black October

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

Artist: Sadat XTitle: Black OctoberRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Robert Longfellow

Sadat X should have known better. Caught up with a gun when the boys in blue ran up on him in late 2005, the Brand Nubian rapper is stuck with a year long jail sentence. While getting his life in order for his mandated “vacation”, he was able to put together another strong addition to his impressive discography with Black October (Female Fun).

The mark of a true MC is versatility, and whether they want to admit it or not, vulnerability. Opening with the pensive title track produced the underappreciated DJ Spinna, Sadat goes into what’s going through his mind while prepping for his bid. The part time teacher and basketball coach goes from nostalgic, “In the fall, no blowing trees in the hall,” to apologetic “Damn I’m miss my class, if I could kick my own self in the ass I would.”

Coupled with last year’s now ironically titled Experience & Education, the former Derek X has assembled a pair of poignant back to back works. They at times work as a pair. On “The Post” he re-treads the territory of Experience’s “The Daily News”, this time recalling June 28, 2006’s stories from The New York Post in rhyme. After “Momentary Outro”, where X heatedly breaks down exactly, relatively, how he found himself in his predicament, Black October closes with a “The God Is Back 2”. Instead of the resounding feel of the original “God Is Back”, this version is much more somber, considering the circumstances. Long the original blue collar MC, on “Million Dolla Deal” Sadat affirms that though his respect enviable, some more change in the pocket wouldn’t hurt.

Though Sadat may not be scoring platinum tracks, his choice in beats remains top notch, and continues. He gets heat from up and coming producer Marco Polo on the gutter posse cut “If You” featuring Boss Money Gangstas, Big Meg & Tommy Gibbs, as well choice cuts from old cronies like Diamond D (“The Post”) and Da Beatminerz (“On Tha Come Thru”). “The Chosen Few”, though, may lack the “umph” you’d expect from a Brand Nubian match up but is still easily trumps Greg Nice’s decisions to sample R. Kelly vocals for “My Mind”.

Sadat X is the last rapper you would expect to face a jail term with all the criminally talentless knucklheads running around in the game. Nevertheless, he’s chosen not to exploit his situation to sell more units but rather to further infuse his soul into his music. The result is a well-rounded, sincere and thumping piece of art. Here’s to an early release.

Black Magic

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

Artist: Swollen MembersTitle: Black MagicRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Alex Thornton

Despite commercial and critical successes in Canada, Swollen Members remain firmly in the “underground” category in the United States. Even on their home field, the crew is releasing Black Magic (Battle Axe) on less than firm footing; their last album, Heavy, was received so poorly that the group’s official website doesn’t acknowledge its existence. Two years later, Swollen Members attempts to not only restore faith amongst their base but branch out further into the American scene as well.

Black Magic is unlikely to reach those goals, largely due to a lack of direction in the majority of the songs. While MCs Mad Child and Prevail are competent at stringing words together, far too many tracks are simply the duo rapping about being dope rappers. The uninitiated may quickly become bored with hearing them lay claim to greatness without actually displaying any. While the two are vocally distinct, their lyrics are more or less interchangeable and sometimes too complex for their own good. The lyricists also manage to get repeatedly upstaged by their many guests (especially Ghostface Killah and The Alchemist on “Weight”) and don’t warrant any rewinds on their own. Meanwhile, producer Rob the Viking’s beats feel like uneven attempts to catch on to the Linkin Park audience.

It isn’t until the second half of the album that a few songs begin to stick out. The DJ Babu assisted “Too Hot” changes the tempo noticeably and the track has enough energy to make up for the incessant “We’re on top” rhymes. Mad Child and Prevail finally try picking subjects for the individual songs near the end, and while women (“Put Me On”) and weed (“Dynamite”) are hardly new ground, by this point in the overlong album, they earn points for effort if nothing else. Still, having to wade through so many so-so battle raps to get to the substance is frustrating.

Swollen Members have turned back in the right direction, but haven’t taken many steps as the elements of Black Magic just don’t come together. The crew may have cracked under the pressure or worse, simply run out of things to say, but neither excuse makes the results any better. They certainly put effort into the album, but perhaps too much. True, Black Magic doesn’t dig the hole any deeper than Heavy did, but it won’t help them climb out either.

The Champions: North Meets South

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

Artist: DJ Kayslay/Greg StreetTitle: The Champions: North Meets SouthRating: 3 StarsReviewed by: Martin A. Berrios

In recent years it has become almost cliche that New York Hip-Hop is in the need of some resuscitation. Big Apple veterans that used to hold down an entire coast seem less and less relevant in the public eye. Some might equate the decline to the rise of the South. Atlanta and Texas in particular have shined the brightest with their Snap and Screwed and Chopped sub-genres, respectively. In the hopes of developing more unity between the two regions and squashing any rumblings of a possible civil war, New York’s own Kayslay hooks up with Atlanta’s premier DJ Greg Street. The Champions: The North Meets The South (Koch) meshes the Dirty Dirty with the five borough block huggers.

Jumping everything off is honorary Streetsweeper Busta Rhymes. Bus implements a laid back, double time delivery over rusty synth notes. With Kayslay directing the traffic on this album, it is no surprise that Papoose is heavily featured. On “The Hardest Out,” Pap, Hell Rell, and Remy Ma go in on a horn heavy Amadeus track. The mixtape phenom also steals the show from Paul Wall and Mike Jones on “Live From The Block” with his signature wordplay: “When I say I mic check, they cut the check on site/I just walk across the set with my checked on Nikes/The gang bangers throw up signs like they on strike/Your stage show I disrespect off spite.”

With any DJ led compilation some turbulence is to be expected. On the unbearable “Hood Drug Warz,” Three Six Mafia and BG are held back by a suspect hook and sub par lyrics. The shoddy track makes it seem that the Memphis boys got lazy after the Oscar win. Surprisingly, the self proclaimed Queen Of NY Remy Ma also drops a hot dud as well with the sappy “One And Only.” Her dedication to her significant other pales in comparison to her current radio burners.

Overall The Champions: The North Meets South has its moments. With a more focused effort by both Greg and Kay, they could of brought the drama for real.

Jay-Z Responds To China’s Performance Ban

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

Rapper Jay-Z has

responded to the recent announcement that the Chinese government would not allow

him to perform a date in Shanghai. According

to local promoter Sun Yun, China’s Ministry of Culture denied Jay-Z’s performance

because of the "vulgar language" in some of his lyrics. Jay-Z

was confident he would soon land on China’s mainland to give a concert for his

fans. "I

look forward to rescheduling my concert date in Shanghai," Jay-Z told AllHipHop.com

in a statement. "This world tour has been a life changing experience and

it has only been made better by touching the fans that I am seeing for the first

time."During

his international tour, the rapper has traveled to several countries affected

by water crisis and is being filmed for an upcoming documentary special, Diary

of Jay-Z: Water for Life. Jay-Z’s

comeback album Kingdom Come is due in stores Nov. 21, while Diary of

Jay-Z: Water for Life debuts on MTV on Nov. 24., reaching 179 countries on

50 of MTV’s local channels.Today

(Oct. 11), Jay-Z is in Cape Town, South Africa for a performance at the Belleville

Velodrome.

AHH Stray News: Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss, Ma Barker, Hi-Tek

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

G-Unit’s Lloyd

Banks and the G-Unity Foundation recently donated $10,000 to August Martin High

School in Jamaica, Queens last week. Banks’ donation to his alma mater will be

used to bolster the library. "I wanted to start something new," Banks

told Fox 5 New York. "I will make sure I come back here every year, as long

as they accept me, just to let them know there’s something else beyond these walls."

Banks, who’s debut album Rotten Apple hit stores yesterday (Oct. 10), also

offered encouraging words for students. "I love English, I wanted to know

how to read and count my money, so I love math. You have to take what you want

out of it. [School] definitely puts you on the right direction."Yonkers,

NY rapper Jadakiss was released from prison yesterday (Oct. 10) after spending

three nights in jail for gun and drug posession charges. According police, Jadakiss

and two other men were arrested when police found marijuana and a gun that had

been reported stolen in the car. Jadakiss pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal

possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property and a misdemeanor

marijuana-possession charge. He posted $5,000 bail and is due back in court on

Oct. 20. Rapper

Ma Barker has inked a deal with Capital Gang Management and is preparing an upcoming

release, Wife of a Don: Unforgiven Sins. The album is a forerunner to her

untitled official debut, which so far boasts appearances from Kool G. Rap, 50

Cent, LL Cool J, Papoose, Joell Ortiz and others. The album also features production

from Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Buckwild, Scram Jones, Shuko, phreQuincy

and Lex Barkey. Wife Of A Don: Unforgiven Sins hits stores on Oct. 30,

while her untitled debut is expected sometime in 2007. Rapper

Hi-Tek will give Cincinnatians a free concert during the reopening of the city’s

Fountain Square. The day-long celebration’s Master of Ceremonies is the legendary

Bootsy Collins, who will host local artists and national acts during the festivities.

In addition to Hi-Tek, a collaborative performance between the Cincinnati Symphony

Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Opera will take place, along with

a reading by Poet Laureate and Cincinnati native Nikki Giovanni, who wrote an

original poem in honor of Fountain Square’s reopening. this occasion. "The

idea is that there is something for everyone and everyone should be here for this

celebration," said Bill Donabedian, managing director of Fountain Square.

"This celebration is representative of what Cincinnatians can expect on Fountain

Square day in and day out — leveraging our community assets and presenting exciting

entertainment." East Los Angeles rock band Los Lobos and Chicago rock group

Ok Go will also performing making their first major Cincinnati appearance. Fountain

Square reopens on Oct. 14 starting at 9:00 am. Hi-Tek’s Hi-Teknology 2

hits stores on Oct. 17.

Ice-T Bares All With New CD ‘Gangsta Rap’

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

Rapper-turned-actor

Ice-T will return to his Hip-Hop roots with his ninth studio album Gangsta

Rap, which arrives in stores on Halloween (Oct. 31) via the Los Angeles-based

Melee Recordings.The

new disc will be Ice-T’s first album since 1999’s The Seventh Deadly Sin

and contains 17 tracks that were mostly recorded in New York.Known

for trailblazing the path for gangster rap, Ice-T (born Tracy Marrow) is already

receiving backlash for the album’s controversial artwork. Its

cover shows him and his wife CoCo, both bare-naked, sprawled out on a bed. According

to label reps, the artwork will be stickered to avoid issues with retailers. The

insert features CoCo completely naked leaning against a car, advertising an upcoming

2007 calender. In

1982, Ice-T released his first rap single, "The Coldest Rap," which

was one of the first Hip-Hop records to use the words "n***a" and "ho,"

and is one of the pioneering records of gangsta rap. The

prolific rapper released his debut album Rhyme Pays in 1987 and has released

several groundbreaking albums, including Power (1988), The Iceberg/Freedom

of Speech…Just Watch What You Say (1989) OG: Original Gangster (1991)

Home Invasion (1993) and others.No

stranger to both the small and silver screens, Ice-T has starred in a multitude

of movies and television shows, including New Jack City, Surviving the Game,

3000 Miles to Graceland, and the Hip-Hop classic Breakin’.The

rapper is currently the focus of a new VH1 reality show, Ice-T’s Rap School,

in which he teaches young students the fundamentals of Hip-Hop and emceeing.

Drag-On Launches Hood Environment Record Label

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

Ex-Ruff

Ryders affiliate Drag-On is creating a new buzz with the establishment of his

own record label, Hood Environment. The

rapper, who has sold more than a million albums over his 10-year career, will

release his first album since 2003 under the new label."HE

is Hood Environment and the reason I named my label that is, I mean, nine out

of ten times we gonna keep the ‘hood involved," said Drag-On, who serves

as the label’s CEO. "HE the movement is serious and…the music is just

as strong as the movement."Although

he’s been absent from the mainstream for awhile, Drag-On has kept busy with the

release of five mixtapes and multiple projects with artists such as DMX and Baby

of Cash Money.The

rapper first emerged in the late ’90s on Ruff Ryders compilations and projects,

including Ryde or Die Vol. 1 and 2 and DMX’s "No Love for Me",

"For My Dogs", and "D-X-L (Hard White)."Drag-On

also made cameos on Eve’s "Let’s Talk About" and "Scenario 2000,"

as well as "If You Know" from the Lox’s "We Are the Streets."Those

appearances resulted in the early 2000 release of his debut album Opposite

of H2O, which went on to sell 800,000 units. The rapper later expanded his

résumé with film roles in Exit Wounds (2001), Cradle 2

the Grave (2003), and The Hustle (2003).

Chinese Government Denies Performance By Rapper Jay-Z

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

A proposed concert

in Shanghai by rapper Jay-Z has been denied by the Chinese government. by the

country’s Ministry of Culture.The

rapper was supposed to make his debut in China at Hongkou Football Stadium on

Oct. 23, but the country’s Ministry of Culture denied local promotional company

KS Productions the needed permits.Government

officials banned Jay-Z’s performance because of the vulgar language contained

on some of his recordings. Critics

of the decision noted the Ministry of Culture’s decision to allow recent performances

by rap group The Black Eyed Peas, citing the suggestive nature of some of the

group’s racier lyrics and rock group The Rolling Stones, who gave their first

concert in the country in April as part of their "A Bigger Bang" tour.Jay-Z

has ten dates left on his 27-date world tour, which started in Amsterdam, Holland

and winds down in Melbourne, Australia.He

is currently finishing his tour of Africa, with upcoming shows in Cape Town, Durban

and Johannesburg, South Africa. On

Oct. 18, Jay-Z will head to Thailand, followed by dates in South Korea and Taiwan,

before wrapping his world tour with a run of dates through Australia. In

related news, the video for Jay-Z’s "Show Me What You Got" is expected

to debut on television next Monday. The recently leaked single is from his comeback

album Kingdom Come.

Buffie the Body: Trump Tight

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

Just going with the flow is not in Buffie the Body’s nature. She wants to know everything that’s going on. Thanks to her voluptuous back-side, she’s gone from working odd jobs in Athens, Georgia, to being one of the most desired models to grace the covers of King and Black Men’s Magazine.

She appeared in Tony Yayo’s “So Seductive” video and several others, and this vixen has the Hip-Hop community in the palm of her hands. For someone who never had any plans of being in music videos, she’s done pretty well for herself. Despite the pre-perceived notions about most video models, don’t get it twisted – this lady means business. Manning the controls of her brand name with the distribution of calendars, DVDs and regular hosting gigs, she’s turned herself into a true commodity. Buffie is marketing her self-produced 2007 calendar “In Your Wildest Dreams” via her own website, and that’s just the beginning of her new ventures.

While she claims that she doesn’t understand the obsession with all the junk in her trunk, this aspiring real estate tycoon is doing the damn thing. We got deep with Buffie about her rise to stardom, her enterprising business moves, and the phenomenon that is Buffie the Body,

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How does a girl from Athens, Georgia, go on to become on of the top names in video modeling?

Buffie the Body: Basically, some photos taken of me were released on the internet without my permission. I did a photo shoot with a photographer back in Baltimore, because I wanted personal pictures for myself.

AHHA: How did you feel when you first found out about the pictures being released?

Buffie: I was upset! I got into a big argument about it because [the photographer] didn’t have my permission to do it. I was mad at him, but then I saw the response and what people were saying about the pictures. Everyone was overwhelmed. I don’t even know the words to describe it. All of a sudden, I wasn’t upset anymore. I was like, “Damn, people are acting like this about my pictures? I might be able to do more.” King Magazine saw the pictures and then they hit me up on the e-mail. That’s how everything began. The King spread, and then the Tony Yayo [“So Seductive”] video is what set things off.

AHHA: How has your family responded to the success? Are they supportive of the modeling?

Buffie: Yeah, from the beginning, they thought that it was good. No one has been negative. Everything has worked out good.

AHHA: What were you doing before you blew up?

Buffie: Just odd jobs here and there. I wasn’t doing anything special. At least nothing to really speak about. When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. Once I got out of that, I wanted to work with computers. I always had a thing about them, programming, everything. I was always on them.

AHHA: Do you still tinker around with any programming like Java, .Net or languages?

Buffie: I don’t have time. I’m on the computer lot, but not how I used to be.

AHHA: There are a lot of video girls out there. Besides the ass, why are you in such high demand? Is it the look, the on-set professionalism?

Buffie: I look at it the same way. There’s a ton of girls, like thousands and thousands of girls that are trying to do the same thing as me. It’s crazy how everybody is so stuck on me. I used to wonder the same thing. I don’t make nobody try to think that I’m better than the next girl. I only try to be Buffie. I never try to compare myself or act like I look better or that my ass is bigger than the next girl’s. It’s crazy, because I was never trying to model. It’s crazy how everything happened.

Everything that I’ve done, the videos, these people have reached out to me. It ain’t like I was out soliciting, trying to get into a magazine or anything. All of it just came to me. It does make it relatively easy because of this, now I’m doing it. I’m making sure that I stay relevant. I make sure that I do a calendar or DVD every year. I host seven to twelve parties every single month. I’m doing clothing campaigns, and there are a few other projects that have in line. There’s a lot of good things that have happened from really being nobody to now, all of this.

The reason why people love me so much – of course, the big ass. Since I came out, I’ve seen so many females with big a#### that I don’t even know if it’s that. It’s crazy how people see this Buffie the Body phenomenon. I’m just glad that everything is going good for me. I just bought a new car and house. I’ve got a lot of good people helping me out. Although, real estate is something that I wanted to do for the past three or four years. I’m taking speech and diction coaching, because if I’m going to be hosting shows on TV and parties, I need to learn to speak. I have a bad southern drawl. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t want to loose my accent, but my grammar isn’t the best. Southern people have a way of letting what ever come out our mouths.

AHHA: Sounds like you’re learning so that you can have longevity in your career.

Buffie: Exactly. That’s one thing that everybody told me when I first started doing this. You don’t want to be there for 15 minutes and then you’re out of there. Ya’ gotta’ keep doing it. I even went out and got a publicist. Actually, I have two now. I’m doing an interview every week. The publicist brings a lot of attention to you, so they’ve been a big help.

AHHA: The music industry, especially the video arena, has been known to be shady. Karrine Steffans’ book, Confessions of a Video Vixen, discussed the underbelly of the music and video industries. How have you managed to either avoid or overcome those types of circumstances?

Buffie: There’s been a lot of people that I’ve been in contact with like from modeling. They claim that they can do this or that. There’s a lot of that, but I don’t follow it. I haven’t had any really bad experiences while in modeling. I mean of course, ni**as lie. That’s nothing new. That’s been going on forever. They try to use you and get some pu**y. Hey, that’s nothing new. It’ always been like that. I just haven’t experienced anything that was so bad that it made me not want to model anymore.

People make promises that they’re gonna’ help you, but it’s not a big deal. For me, when one door closes, two more open. I just continue to keep my name out there and to what I have to do. I don’t wait for anyone to bring anything to me now. When it was time for me to do my calendar, I didn’t wait. You know, a lot of models are like, “I need someone to do my calendar or bring me a job.” Not me. Everything that you see with Buffie the Body, I’m behind it. I‘m behind everything that you see.

AHHA: With such a busy schedule running your career, do you ever get any down time?

Buffie: Usually, sometimes during the week. I’ll have three days off. It’s down time, but I’m still at home on the computer; making contacts, checking my myspace, sending and responding to e-mails. There’s down time when I’m traveling, but I’m always working. I have an office out of my home, some I’m up till three or four in the morning making sure that things are being taken care of. I can’t sleep knowing that something needs to be done. No one cares about my career like I do. I hate weekends because everything closes down. Corporate America closes. You’re not getting your wires in. No money is coming in.

AHHA: At least you’re doing the damn thing!

Buffie: That’s why I tried to tell people. When I first came out, it might have just been the big ass, “Oh’ she’s fine.” But I’m like, “How long can you keep looking at an ass?” That’s how I how I look at it. If I was a guy, and I was looking at Buffie the Body, I’d be like, “We’ve been seeing her ass for a year-and-a-half, what else can this girl do?” I would get over her. That’s why I gotta show that there’s more to me than just a cute face and a phat ass.

AHHA: Where do you see yourself in the next few years after this is all over?

Buffie: Ultimately, once everything is said and done, there’s a lot that I have to do in order to do real estate. My credit is one. Since everything took off, my credit has shot up. I have to open accounts, save money, get on the computer and read about the latest real estate. The guy that I bought my house through assesses properties. I’ve been meeting up with him and going to assess properties. He’s been showing me how it’s done. That’s ultimately what I want to do once all of this has boiled down. I’m gonna’ be a tycoon rich off of real estate! [laughs]

AHHA: What type of real estate?

Buffie: Investing in homes. Buying, fixing and then selling them. I haven’t invested anything yet. I’m learning the processes right now. I want to be able to get my own personal business going. I’ll know what I’m doing. I’m not going to just hand my money over to someone not knowing the business. They’ll end up taking my money. Again, I wanna know what’s going on.

AHHA: Does that “Always be aware of everything” mentality come from how or where you grew up?

Buffie: Yes, because it’s hard for me to trust anyone. Even the nicest, most honest person, I feel wants something. I don’t easily trust people, especially when it comes to money. You can loose a friend or family member over some money. That’s why I try to learn all that I can. So I can narrate myself, because I’m educated about the situation. If you don’t educate yourself, you could get took.

AHHA: You’re a very independent woman, but for all of the male readers, is there a special someone in Buffy’s life?

Buffie: Um… I have a crush on someone…

AHHA: Oh really…

Buffie: [laughs] I don’t know if you’ll know him. Do you know Twista’s manager? Well I have a crush in him.

AHHA: Ok, so what do you look for in a guy?

Buffie: I don’t know. I like guys that are sort of quiet. I don’t like guys that talk a lot. I like guys that are business orientated and that have goals. They don’t have to be rich, just have goal and be working towards achieving them. I also like a guy that has good conversation. I’m traveling a lot, so I don’t have a lot of time to hang out. If you can hold a good conversation on the phone, that’ll hold me over until I see you again. It has to be good, because someone with a wack conversation, I don’t like that. Also, he can’t be worried about what I’m doing.

AHHA: So, he doesn’t have to be in the business?

Buffie: No, he doesn’t have to be in the business. Sometimes I almost prefer him not to be.

AHHA: With you being in the public eye, you have to keep your personal business on the low?

Buffie: People have tried to say that I was with Tony Yayo or 50 Cent. I don’t know, people have tried to say that I’ve been with a lot of people. That’s the thing about it. My name is not tarnished, because people say, “Buffie has been with that person.” No one has ever really seen me with anyone. I don’t have a bad name because I haven’t done any f***ing to get to where I am now. Everything that I’ve done, I’ve consented to or helped build. But I haven’t slept with anyone.

AHHA: How has that affected you? Other girls sleeping with people to get to the top, opposed to you taking a business approach?

Buffie: Some women have to do it, but I don’t. My name, I’m respected. I get people coming at me to hang out or go out to dinner. When you turn them down and show then that you’re there for business, that you’re not there to mess around, you’re respected. They don’t come at you in that way. It all depends on how you get into the business and handle yourself. If you come into the business f***ing, then they’re always going to come at you like that. How I’ve been since the beginning, especially now when they talk to me, they talk business. They know that I’m not down like that. If I’m gonna’ f**k you, I’m gonna’ f**k you, regardless if it’s gonna’ do anything for me or not. I’m not trying to go out like that. A lot of girls don’t feel that they’re good enough to move up to the next level on their own, so they have to f**k. I always knew that I was good enough to get to the next level. If they don’t give me a deal because of that, then someone else will.

AHHA: In the past, we’ve seen a several video models move into singing or rapping. Do you see yourself making that transition?

Buffie: There was an artist out of Atlanta that was trying to get me to rap a verse on his song. I thought that it was the funniest thing in the world. Come on, Buffie, a rapper? I can’t rap. They were really trying to get me on the track. Buffie rapping? [laughs] So don’t be surprised if you hear me on someone’s song. I’m willing to try anything for money, as long as it doesn’t get me in trouble or sent to jail. Hey, I didn’t really believe in this modeling thing and look what happened. Who knows, I may rap on a song and become the next 50 Cent.

AHHA: Like they say, “Good things happen to good people.”

Buffie: Exactly. If it doesn’t make money, I’m not interested. If it’s gonna’ make some money, then hey, it’s worth sitting down and talking about.

Xzibit: What You See is What You Get

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

With seemingly everyone under the sun throwing the word “young” in front of their name or stealing the alias of an old mob boss, one could argue that the originality of rap monikers took a nosedive right along with record sales. If nothing else, you’ve got to give Xzibit credit for picking a name that’s original and actually fits. After all, an exhibit is a public showing—and if being in the rap game for over a decade and being broadcast into millions of homes doesn’t constitute a public showing, what does? Even in its more abbreviated form, “X,” which represents the unknown, the name still works. Think about it, do we really know who Xzibit is?

One minute he’s rattling off one-liners while the rest of the crew at G.A.S. is dropping $50,000 worth of custom accessories on Lawanna’s beat up VW Beetle. Is he the tattooed and khaki-clad Cali resident whose career was almost derailed by an encounter with an empty liquor bottle thrown at the speed of a baseball? Wasn’t he the one on Dr. Dre’s album, or was he lending his vocal assistance to Dee Snyder from Twisted Sister? Yes, yes and yes.

You see, if nothing else, Mr. Alvin Nathaniel Joyner is a businessman. After all, did you really think it was a coincidence that all those expensive flip-down TV’s on Pimp My Ride just so happen to be playing Xzibit videos? X is banking on the fact that everyone will see the picture clearer on October 17, when he drops his sixth studio album, Full Circle. His record label and outlook may have changed, but one thing remains the same. What you see is what you get.

AllHipHop.com: We all remember you coming into the game with King T and Tha’ Alkaholiks. What’s your relationship with your former Likwit Crew partners these days?

Xzibit: I deal with the O.G.; King T is on my new record. As far as I’m concerned he started that whole movement. He’s the one that helped start Tha’ Alkaholiks. That sound started with him and Tha’ Alkaholiks and then E-Swift stepped in and took it to another level. Those were the first guys I knew with record deals. Whatever has been put out in the media as far as them not feeling me or whatever, s**t, that is what it is. I would never say anything negative about my homies, ever. I’m not a dude that talks.

J-Ro moved over to Sweden, I haven’t talked to Rico [Tash] in a minute, and E-Swift is in Los Angeles, I believe. King T comes to kick it, though. I know his family, I know his kids and they all come hang out with me and my kids. I have close contact with King T, and he’s on my record.

AllHipHop.com: Dr. Dre, executive produced your two best selling albums. You’ve been shouted out by 50 Cent and had a cameo in 8 Mile with Eminem. Did you ever consider signing to Aftermath?

Xzibit: You’ve gotta remember, I’ve been doing work with Aftermath and Interscope since the days of “B*tch Please” and The Chronic 2001, so I was never an Aftermath artist, and I never signed to Interscope. There were talks about doing that, but with the label I was on at the time [Sony], I guess negotiations always fell through. My relationship with Dre has always been solid. My work ethic is what led to him asking me to be on Chronic 2001 and be on “B*tch Please” with Snoop. These were all calls that were made by Snoop Dogg and Dre and then that led into the relationship with Marshall and whatnot. If I ever wanted to go over there, that would be the ideal place, but it never happened.

Now, I wouldn’t want to go sign another artist deal. I feel like things I’ve done with them have spoken well and represented for what they were. I learned a lot and I’ve gained a lot from working with those guys and I feel like there’s nothing that can take away from that. I still feel like it’s important for me to stand on my own.

AllHipHop.com: People generally sign to Koch for one of two reasons: a concession that they have a smaller, yet consistently loyal fan base or as a set up for the next major label situation. Which category do you fit in?

Xzibit: I’m actually setting up to make a powerhouse centered around Open Bar Entertainment. Whether that is for a major or if I stay independent, I don’t know. I have to make that decision after we get this record out. For me, it feels better to have the brunt and the majority of work in my hands. It’s more gratifying knowing that the brunt and the majority of the profits are coming back to me.

I know that after ten years in Hip-Hop and being signed to a major, being in that loop and going through that machine, I really now have both the fan base and I still have the music the drive and desire to do [it]. But, the motivation is different, so I’ll probably stay independent.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever feel that your former label was trying to pigeonhole you based on Pimp My Ride or your relationship with Dre?

Xzibit: Well, see, the thing with Sony is they’re a juggernaut company. What you have to understand is that [Loud] got absorbed into Sony. It’s not like I went over there and that was my ideal place to launch Xzibit. I was only familiar with Nas being on Sony, and I had never heard him say anything positive about Sony. I didn’t know what to expect. You’ve gotta remember, I had just came off of doing Restless, which sold two million out of the gate, that was my best selling record. After that we came with Man vs. Machine and Sony, thinking that they would know what to do. But, you can’t bypass the street. That’s where Xzibit fans were born and bred, and that’s where we failed. Sony knew how to get you from one to five, but they couldn’t get you to that one.

It was just a struggle and growing pains. I had never been in a position like that, and no one expected me to come out and do what I did. After that, it was sink or swim going into the corporate structure of Sony. They [absorbed] Loud and dropped everyone except me and Three-6 Mafia. That was some cold s**t. We had Big Pun, Tha Alkaholiks, Wu-Tang Clan, dead prez—that was the upstart urban label right there. We could have been there and it’s a shame that Loud Records went the way it went. They were on their way to being something and they just had no idea.

AllHipHop.com: Restless seemed easier to promote, it was like a party that we were all invited to, whereas Weapons of Mass Destruction and Man vs. Machine tackled heavier subjects such as the prison system and police brutality. Were those conscious decisions or you just growing as an artist?

Xzibit: Artistically, I try to do different things. You can’t pigeonhole and peg me as one type of MC who only does this. I live in Los Angeles, I was born in Detroit, I’ve lived in Albuquerque, and I’m well traveled. I’ve got a lot of different experiences that I try to relay through my music because I know I’m not unique in these situations. If I can connect with my listener like that, then that’s what’s up man.

Me and my homeboy were talking about it on the bus yesterday. I don’t make Hip-Hop no more; I make “Real-Hop.” There’s too many cats out here that are leading everybody with false perceptions of who they are—they’re taught by the industry. As you can see, our hood is in the trash. I’m not saying that to be preachy, or try to be T.D. Jakes and s**t, but I’ve definitely gotta put a real aspect of life out there for me. The things I talk about in my records are real and the things that I’m going through are real.

Am I the man that I was when I was 19, 20 years old? No. So I’mma tell you how I feel now. That maturity is my strength. I feel like I have the luxury to grow with my audience and they shouldn’t expect the same thing that I did on “Paparazzi” or “Foundation”. Those are things that I felt when I was that age. As I mature, as I grow and expand my horizons and my range, you can grow with me or you can just not be with it at all.

AllHipHop.com: We see that growth on songs like “Black, Brown”, which addresses the ongoing beef between Blacks and Latinos in Southern California. Did the incident from 2003 factor into making that song?

Xzibit: Definitely, man. I got hit with a Jack Daniels bottle and there was no fighting involved. It was just me and this Hispanic guy, and I guess he had a homeboy, but I didn’t see him until the end. He hit me with a [liquor] bottle like it was a f**kin’ baseball, it was about three feet away. At first I thought the dude punched me, but when I turned to say something I started spitting blood and f**kin’ glass down my shirt. There was no punches thrown, I didn’t get jumped and there wasn’t a [brawl], it was just me and him. Dude ran off after he hit me with the bottle and his homeboy came around. I guess he had a pistol, he never pulled it out, he just had his hand on it. He saw what happened, and he ran off too.

So I’m kinda like, “What do you do in that situation,” you know what I’m saying? This s**t is f**ked up. I go to the doctor, and the motherf**ker tells me, “Yo, we don’t know if you’re gonna’ heal or talk again.” That situation could’ve cost me my livelihood. It was a real intense situation, and it could have went one of two ways, ’cause my people were not happy, my n***a. I was in a position where I could either react, or sit back and see what’s going on and then react.

But, the s**t healed up, I found out that it was going to be alright. It healed how it’s gonna heal. I refuse to get plastic surgery, so f**k that. It healed how it healed, and everything’s alright. As you can see, I’ve got a film and television career after the fact. I didn’t lose my life and I didn’t have to react and do something stupid because my pride was hurt. I didn’t go and make a wrong decision out of anger. That’s where that song came from. What I got from the situation was that I was patient and calm. I was like, “Do I need to send somebody to take someone’s life? Do I need to take somebody’s life because I got hit with a bottle? Or, do I need to sit back and see that my life has taken a whole new turn?”

Now, I can do whatever the hell I want to do. That was an experience that I was supposed to learn from and a beautiful song came from it. A bangin’ concept came from it, and now I don’t have [worry] about that. That situation didn’t affect what I do. So, you’ve got to balance those situations out. If that situation had have ended with one of my family members or my son getting hurt, then that’s a reason to really go there. But, for stuff like that, I had to sit back and count the cost.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s end this on a light-hearted note. As the host of Pimp My Ride you have to come correct. Out of your collection, what’s you favorite car and what accessories do you have on it?

Xzibit: I’ve got the new Range Rover Supercharged with a complete strut kit on it. I painted it so that the whole truck is silver and only the windows are black. I put some 22-inch strut rims on it to make it complete. I like a clean look. I’ve got that and I’ve got my Bentley GT, and I just zoom around Los Angeles in those two.

AllHipHop.com: That’s not a bad way to zoom around at all. I’m pretty much set. Do you have any last words or anything for the fans?

Xzibit: October 17th, we’re gonna’ get down with Full Circle, man. I’m hungry. You can hear it in the music and I can’t wait to put this down. It feels like my first record. The motivation is different and I want to push it to the limit.

AllHipHop.com: Well, on behalf of AllHipHop.com I thank you. It was a good one, man.

Xzibit: C’mon, it’s all good man. I bulls**t you not, I really f**k with y’all tight. I really be up on y’all s**t, even the Rumor section. I’ve been up in that motherf**ka a couple of times. I just laugh about ‘em, even if they’re about me—them s**ts is crazy! Tell Illseed, he’s a crazy motherf**ka.

Chess Master Maurice Ashley: Controlled Chaos

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

O ne of the beautiful things about chess, martial arts, and Hip-Hop is that at its highest levels, race does seem to fall away. You only

see the raw courage, and art in motion. International Grand Master Maurice Ashley embodies these three things, and he plays as well

as when he speaks. He is the first Black grand master and is also a product of the Hip-Hop generation. In this interview, Maurice discusses

how he began his journey as a chess player. He tells of how he clashed with GZA and Will Smith on the 64 and squares, and who would come out ahead in his opinion. The mysteries of chessboxin’ are revealed in this interview between the Bishop and the King. Check

AllHipHop.com: So, what does it take to become a grand master in chess? What do you have to do?

Maurice Ashley: You have to get a performance record of 2600 in 25 games. Now, what does that mean? You have to play in different international tournaments. There are various masters and international grand masters there. You have to perform at a certain level against that crowd. There is a specific kind of rating in chess. The best players are usually ranked over 2600. Garry Kasparov was the highest rated player of all times and he was rated at 2851 at his peak. But 2600 is the top 100 players in the world.

In order to become a grand master, you have to perform at that level of ability not once, but generally speaking, three times. Because most tournaments are nine rounds each. You have to do it in three tournaments. You literally play like one of the best in order to be given the title. If you can do that three times, you are given the title.

AllHipHop.com: Who was your last match against for you to get the title and how nervous were you?

Maurice Ashley: The gentleman was a guy from Romania, Adrian Negulescu. He was an international master. That game I was incredibly

nervous. I went into the game, and in the middle of the game, everything changed. Around move 14 I realized, “It’s all good. I just need to settle in and play.” I was able to play very calmly, very coolly and just play.

For that kind of important game, you wouldn’t think hat I could be calm throughout. It just so happened that I was very calm. My opponent did not know that game would give me the title. He just thought it was a regular chess game. But my friends knew, and a couple of people around me knew. So, after the game, he was like, “Why are you so happy”? I was like, “I just got my title.” He said, “Oh, wow.” He was cool about the game. Chess players are real sportsmen. It was a good game… he treated it with respect.

AllHipHop.com: Few people see the relationship between Hip-Hop and chess. When did you start seeing it?

Maurice Ashley: Well I’m old enough to be at the beginning of Hip-Hop. I came [to the United States from Jamaica] in 1978. Hip-Hop didn’t start until Sugar Hill [Records] blew up. That was about 1980, maybe ’79. I was of course a Bob Marley fan first. I grew up where Reggae was playin’ on the streets everyday. That kinda music was a part of my life on a regular basis. When I came here, Reggae wasn’t what it is now. It was a Jamaican

phenomenon. It wasn’t what it is now, with Sean Paul and crew got things to where they are today.

Chess and Hip-Hop definitely have elements that intertwined. One of those

things is creativity. The greatest chess players are creative. Of course there are some calculations that have to be made. There is skill

involved, much like there is skill involved Hip-Hop. But it is not the mathematical that separate the greatest players, it’s the creativity.

It’s the ability to change with the environment. Having the ability to deal with any situation hat confront you no matter what the

danger – to be able to over come. To stay cool under all pressure. That’s the real mark of a champion in chess.

AllHipHop.com: I know that you have mentored the GZA and Will Smith from time to time on chess strategies…

Maurice Ashley: VIBE was doing an article on the connection between chess and Hip-Hop. So, they linked us together. In the end, they only

explored the Hip-Hop side, and just did the article with GZA. But we found out we had to do a photo shoot together. We finally ended up meeting. We hung out at a chess club in Brooklyn, and I showed them some stuff.

AllHipHop.com: What did you think of GZA’s game and what have you helped him develop?

Maurice Ashley: Well, I was very surprised by his game. Considering he has never played a tournament in his life, he plays like a tournament

player. The problem he has is he does not have the long foundation one needs to avoid certain categories of mistakes. I was stunned

to hear that he had not read many chess books. What happened was, he just played.

Through practice he developed a lot of ideas on his own. When Wu-Tang fights, they get down. Their strength is mathematical-

tactical. It’s like street fighting. But street fighting does not work against a polished boxer. There are tremendous limits, and they will

show up . As the game goes on, sooner or later you are going to make a mistake.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about Will Smith…

Maurice Ashley: I was blessed to meet him. He saw me when I was first getting attention for being the first African American grand master, back

in 1999. He reached out as did other stars, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby… I met quite a few people, because they understood the

significance of a brother making it in that kind of field.

I met with [Will] briefly at a studio. But I could only stay a few minutes because I had my young four-year-old daughter with me.

I did not hook up with him again until the next year. His wife’s assistant called me and said that his wife wanted to surprise him on

Valentine’s Day. She wanted to give him a lesson with a grand master and asked could I come.

When came in the room he was like, “Whoa, what’s going on?” She was like, “Happy Valentines Day.” We played for like three hours. He has a very good game. He had been playing a while, and he reads. I would think that he would do better against GZA if they rumbled because his game has less holes in it.

AllHipHop.com: Like that?

Maurice Ashley: Will’s game has a little bit more polish to it. You gotta be careful with Will.

AllHipHop.com: In the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer, there is the theme of balancing the street hustler’s chess style [played by Lawrence

Fishbourne] and his classical chess teacher [played by Ben Kingsley]. What are the strengths and weakness of both kind of players?

Maurice Ashley: I think it goes back to the same concepts I mentioned earlier. The classically trained player knows the history, knows that which

has occurred in the past, knows what is proven. Because you can always draw on the classics to draw on a problem as you face it. The classics are tremendously important and provide the foundation of what it is you need to be successful.

However, something the classical player might lack, is that spontaneity. That innovative style. The ability to handle chaos. Because chaos has no rules.

AllHipHop.com: It has sublime rules.

Maurice Ashley: Well you have chaos theory and the butterfly effect and all that stuff…It’s not an easily quantifiable set of rules that you can say

“Well, stuff hits the fan this is what you do.” [Laughs]

The classically trained player might get confused in those situations, while the street player knows all about those situations. Knows all about life getting wild. Sometimes you don’t have money to pay the rent. You might have to go to Mikey D’s to get that next meal, or hustle up to get a drink.

AllHipHop.com: In the chess movie Fresh, which features Samuel L. Jackson, there is a scene where Jackson’s character sits in a trailer with his

son. He has photos of all these various chess greats. Bruce Pandolfini, Bobby Fischer, and others. He starts talking about as good as

a lot of these guys might be that with a chess clock- they cannot hang. That the pressure of a timed game proves the toughness of the

mind. How does a clock change the nature of the game?

Maurice Ashley: Control becomes a real issue. Some people think lightening quick and can control a game all the way through – even at the five-minute mark. But it’s almost impossible to do. Many more situations occur that force you to relay on intuition than calculation. That kind of intuition does change the game dramatically. People who are more used

to thinking fast on their feet play better clock chess, or what’s known as “speed chess” than they will over the board- which is a

slower version. You can have a player who will crunch you with no clock who will have trouble against you on the clock. Because

that person cannot check your ideas with a thorough search.

A lot of street players when they get into tournaments, they have failed. They sometimes don’t do well, because they don’t have the

dedication. They don’t have the patience for sitting at the boards for a long period of time.

Adisa Banjoko is the author of “Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion”. To download an ebook today visit

www.lyricalswords.com.

Battle For Ownership Of Houston-Based Rap-A-Lot Records Begins

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

A

new battle is brewing in rap and this time it’s between Rap-A-Lot/J. Prince Boxing

CEO James Prince and incarcerated drug dealer Michael "Harry-O" Harris.According

to Harris’ attorney Steve Goldberg, Harris has laid claim to a 50% stake in Rap-A-Lot

Records, alleging that he provided seed money to launch the label in the mid-’80s,

similar to claims Harris made against Marion "Suge" Knight’s Death Row

Records."He

has a 50/50 oral agreement with James Prince and we are going to find out exactly

how much money is owed," Goldberg told AllHipHop.com. "Of course we

expect Prince to deny this, but there were witnesses to the oral agreement at

the inception of Rap-A-Lot. Michael helped get Rap-A-Lot off the ground by booking

acts and providing start-up capital. James Prince would be no place without Michael

Harris. And just like he [Harris] won a judgment against Death Row, he will win

against Rap-A-Lot."Since

it’s founding in 1986, Rap-A-Lot has produced hit records for the Geto Boys, Scarface,

Bun B and Pimp C, and the Luniz, among others.Harris

founded various entertainment-related ventures in the ’80s, including the production

of Denzel Washington’s Broadway debut Checkmates in 1987.Prince

has been ordered by a Houston judge to produce documents relating to the assets

of Michael or Lydia Harris, including but not limited to the assets of Rap-A-Lot

Records.Prince

must appear in a Los Angeles court Thursday (Oct. 12) for continued deposition.

Goldberg

said he seeks to start with finding links between Knight and Prince.Of

interest to Goldberg is a recent album 2Face, that consists of 2Pac

and Scarface tracks released on Rap-A-Lot Records and co-produced by Knight."We

found out that Prince was less than forthcoming in his first deposition,"

said Goldberg. "He denied Rap-A-Lot was doing business with Death Row, but

we found out about the 2Face CD. Because of that, we showed the judge that Prince

had not been totally candid in his first deposition. I’m going to keep questioning

this guy until we get what we need."In

September, Prince celebrated a minor victory when questions regarding J. Prince

and Suge Knight were initially thrown out."Harris

is a pathological lying snitch," Prince said in September, adding that he

was "pleased with the judge’s decision on the court ruling" at the time.Michael

Harris is serving 28-years in San Quentin for attempted-murder and drug dealing.

He claimed

he invested $1.5 million to help start Death Row Records in 1991 with Knight’s

attorney, David Kenner.Knight

filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid paying Harris’ estranged wife Lydia

a $107 million default judgment and Death Row was placed into the hands of a Bankruptcy

trustee to auction off the labels assets, which include multi-platinum recordings

from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound and Tupac Shakur, the best-selling rapper

in history."Nothing

was dismissed," Goldberg clarified. "If Rap-A-Lot said anything was

dismissed from court, that was a misstatement. Until Michael Harris gets what’s

owed to him, we are not letting go."Attempts

to reach J. Prince and Rap-A-Lot for comment were unsuccessful.