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Donnie Klang: Ten Minutes to Save the World

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Alternatives
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With everyone caught up in the excitement of American Idol, some might forget that before Fox’s reality competition, there was Making the Band. Even before Diddy got involved, the focus of the show was always on creating superstar groups and not individual artists. But in the most recent competition, Donnie Klang broke the mold by becoming the show’s first solo project. Always looking for the next big thing, Diddy saw that even though Donnie wasn’t right for the group he formed that year, he couldn’t let all of those screaming girls go to waste. Donnie was given a contract on Bad Boy and sent to Florida with Danity Kane and Day 26 to work on his album and grow as an artist.Like Idol, not every artist who came up through Making the Band went on to much success (Dylan, anyone?) and at first, it seemed like Donnie was off to a shaky start. While recording, he had trouble getting the attention he needed in a house with ten other singers. In addition, it took some time for Donnie to figure out just what he wanted to show us. He missed the boat and wasn’t able to get his album out this Spring with the others. But now, he’s ready to take advantage of the extra time and come back to prove that Diddy chose him for a reason. Donnie has spent his whole life learning to sing, dance, act and answer awkward interview questions about his personal life, so he’s not about to let all that training go unused. We talk to Donnie as he prepares to release his album Just a Rolling Stone on August 19th, hit the road for the Making the Band Tour, and film his last season of the current class of the show.AllHipHop.com Alternatives: With you being such a big fan of Bad Boy before Making the Band, what was it like to hear Diddy tell you that he wanted to be on your first single just because he liked the song? Donnie: Actually, at first he wanted the whole song for himself to put on his album coming out, but we talked about it and he was like “alright, I’ll do a sixteen on it.” It was crazy to be in the studio working with him. He’s a veteran and a huge legend, and I’m right there in the studio working with him.AHHA: Does he still think you can’t dance?Donnie: [laughs] No, but we’re having rehearsal for the tour right now, and I had two days where we just went in and he broke me down. I just wanted to prove him wrong, and the next time he saw me he was like, “Okay, you look a little better,” but now the first show is in less than a week and I’m at the point now where I feel like I’m killing it. He pushes you to that level where you wanna prove him wrong like, “A’ight, Diddy, you think I can’t dance? Check this out.” Even if he doesn’t mean it, he’ll say something to break you down just to make you work harder.AHHA: Does it bother you that you didn’t make the original plan to be part of the Spring Danity Kane/Day 26 release schedule? Donnie: I definitely feel like it’s better. We’re filming the new season of Making the Band and we’re going on tour. [The new season] is gonna air in August, and my album comes out August 19th so it’s like a perfect setup. If I had come out with Day 26 and Danity Kane, I possibly would’ve got lost in the crowd, so now it’s all on me. AHHA: In retrospect, do you think you really would’ve fit into what Day 26 eventually became anyway?Donnie: Looking back…actually, no. I think if I was with them, it might have taken the group in a different direction. But even with me finding myself as a solo artist, I didn’t always know what direction I was gonna go in. The phrase “Pop R&B” is very broad. I was just trying to find me because, well, there are people that I’m starting to get compared to (which is kinda accurate), so for the most part, I just wanted to create something fresh so that when I put the album out, people can hear that I did something different with it.  AHHA: At the end of Making the Band II, Puff basically got fed up with Da Band and broke them up. He was supposedly going to release solo projects from some of the members, but that never really happened either. What are you going to do to make sure that you don’t end up in the Bad Boy graveyard with them?Donnie: It’s really just about your own work ethic and how bad you want it. A lot of people say “you got your deal, you finally made it,” but that’s really not true. It’s just the beginning of all the work it’s gonna be. It’s tough, but you gotta get the right management and make sure everything’s right on the business end so you can just concentrate on making hot music and getting that live performance together. Beyond that, I really want to get into movies, TV and possibly some modeling to really make a brand out of myself.AHHA: Obviously, being on reality TV helps with that because fans get a lot of exposure to you, but that also means your personal life is open to the world…how’s it going with Aubrey?Donnie: Oh boy… well, you know, I’m there from Making the Band and she’s the outgoing one from Danity Kane so we just kinda came together. Yeah, we were kinda trickin’ each other out for the first couple of days and it was weird at first, but then we went on the date. AHHA: Yeah, the date…Donnie: The whole thing blew up because she thought I went on a second date [after I dropped her off] but just to clarify that, I didn’t go on a second date. I was just chillin’ with a few guys and a few girls in like, a bar with a lounge type situation. We fought, we made up, we got close again, but at this point, we’re just friends. That’s good though because I like being on the road with her. She’s fun to be around and she likes to have a good time so it’s cool.AHHA: Since you’re obviously being positioned for the “ladies man/sex symbol” image, is it good for business to have your female fans see you on TV kickin’ it with Aubarella?Donnie: Nah, I think it’s cool. [Danity Kane] has a broad fan base especially with females, so I wanna reach out to them too.  It’s actually good for them to see me in those situations. I grew up in a single parent household with my mom, and then my dad got remarried and I’ve got three sisters so I’ve grown up respecting women treating ladies right. I just want everyone to see that. That’s why I was so nervous like, when Aubrey thought I was going behind her back because I’m not that kind of guy at all. I think you can see who I am though and that’s the good part. The fans get to see us from day one and see us working and in the studio and rehearing so the really know us.AHHA: We saw on the show that you were working with Channel 7 for most of your early songs. Will he be doing pretty much the whole thing or are you going to mix it up with some other producers?Donnie: We’re mixing it up. [Channel] 7’s gonna kinda lead the overall project, but the lead single, “Take You There” is produced by the Soul Diggaz. I got to write a lot plus I’m working with Mario Winans, Brian Cox, Danja and The Clutch to get a diversified sound. Still, I’m taking what I learned with 7 to carry that into all the other songs and to keep it all in the same lane. I’m looking for something that’s big and different that doesn’t sound like a first album and more like a second or third album instead.AHHA: Kanye set the bar pretty high with the Glow in the Dark Tour and Puff has actually gone on public record saying that the show changed his life. Now that expectations are even higher, what are you, Day 26 and Danity Kane going to be doing to try to compete with that level of energy and excitement?Donnie: Since we do have a TV show, it’s kinda like our fans already know us and know who we are. We’re doing a lot of the smaller venues so it’ll feel more like we’re chillin’ with out fans and feeding off of that. There’s also a lot of energy in our competition [between the groups] because we’re all trying to be the best on the show. I’m opening and I’ve got ten minutes, so I really wanna make it hard for the next group to step on stage.

The Streets Is Talking: Curren$y

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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For many upcoming MC’s it seems getting offered that highly sought after recording contract equates to hitting the Rap jackpot. While a feat such as signing on the dotted line is not something to sneeze at, it sure does not guarantee a fast track to stardom. Ask Curren$y; the New Orleans protégé has been down that road a couple of times. Originally on a local independent Curren$y would catch the attention of C-Murder. With C catching a murder case, his brother Master P would step in and scoop the young boy up for No Limit Records’ second generation run. With no movement there, Curre$y then hooked up with Lil Wayne for a stint on the milli selling rapper’s Young Money imprint. What seemed like an ideal situation didn’t materialize like all parties involved would have hoped. Now a free agent, Curren$y is manning up and taking things into his hands. Peep his past, present, and future. AllHipHop.com: Let’s start with your days with No Limit Records.Curren$y: I was originally on a label called Tough Guy Entertainment my brother started with another artist from the Calliope projects. They were cool with Master P and C Murder. When my homey got killed I ended up going to TRU records. C Murder reached out trying to get certain situations going for me but he ran through some hard times with his case and s**t. Then P reached out and I ended up over there. AllHipHop.com: How long were you with No Limit Records?Curren$y: Maybe two years. I was on that 504 Boyz album; the second one [Ballers]. I did whatever music was coming out in ‘01-‘02. I was there but too much didn’t come from it so I couldn’t date it properly. AllHipHop.com: Is it true you were doing a lot of ghostwriting during your time there?Curren$y: I mean I wrote on projects, I don’t [know] if the bulk of what I wrote ever came out. I was doing some writing when Romeo was doing his thing during the second album. AllHipHop.com: What was your impression of Master P’s while you sat on the label for two years. Curren$y: I had saw what it had grown to become. So I had a level of respect for the situation when I got there. People were telling me that they weren’t really popping over there, but I had so much respect for what they had become, I figured I could go over there and make it all good. AllHipHop.com: How did you get out of the deal?Curren$y: I had the paperwork that we had to release an album, but by nothing ever coming out of it, it was an amicable split. AllHipHop.com: So you move from that situation to the Cash Money/Young Money situation correct?Curren$y: Yeah I had bumped into [Lil] Wayne and we chopped it up for a second and I asked him about doing a record. We did like six records that night. He let me know he was still doing that label thing, and I was like alright let’s see what’s good. So I was like I’m going to do this.AllHipHop.com: What was your first impression of him?Curren$y: He worked hard, the same way I do. So it was just good because I went into a situation were music was being pumped out so surely it was productive. So it was a good enough impression for me to get down, you know?AllHipHop.com: Did you get at him to sign with the company or is that something Lil Wayne pursued?Curren$y: He put it together and everything went from there. He told me come kick it and see what’s good in the studio and it pretty much went without saying after that. I was down for like three years but I didn’t officially sign until January or February of last year. What I’m saying if I’m down, I’m down. I wasn’t really tripping off no paperwork you know? I wasn’t really signed that entire time but I had been rocking with them so long, people thought I was. If we eating, we eating.AllHipHop.com: So even when you weren’t signed, they were hitting you with some paper?Curren$y: Yeah it was all family; it was a good situation where I was eating, AllHipHop.com: Any comment from you on Lil Wayne doing a million units his first week?Curren$y: That’s great! Dude is getting money, and he is from my city so I would never hate on him. A million records first week is awesome. I’m not even tripping; I’m just trying to get my bread.AllHipHop.com: At the time did you ever get concerned of Wayne hitting that drank too hard?Curren$y: Nah I don’t too much about that or what it does. So I never even had time to grow a concern about it. I didn’t even know it was something to be concerned about. AllHipHop.com: Did you ever see any of them kiss or anything like that?Curren$y: Nah (laughs); that must have been before my time. When I got there it was all good. It just didn’t work out.AllHipHop.com: When did you notice things weren’t going to take off for you?Curren$y: After my buzz single (“Where Da Cash At?”) started to wear out at radio without having a video shot. That’s when I was like uh oh. We eventually shot one but it didn’t get put into rotation and programming and s**t like that. That’s when I knew this might not go how it’s supposed to go. There were no more moves being made on my project and I just fell back and waited to see what was going on. I seen it before; I know how the backburner look so I was like, Yeah it’s that again. AllHipHop.com: At that point did you voice your concerns to Wayne?Curren$y: Yeah we spoke about the album and everything that was going on. I felt like I didn’t need to talk. I’m there and I know how things are supposed to go and once it wasn’t going that way I realized I should just do it myself. It was no point in talking to anybody about it because I just went through it before. Rather than speak on it and fix another situation, I was like it’s time to create my own. So at any problems I’ll ever have it will be with me. Me walking away from Wayne wasn’t any explosions or anything like that, some people realized that they can work for people or they can’t. Like college isn’t for anybody. I just realized like some other situations I’ve been in, this situation isn’t the situation for me to do what I got to do. AllHipHop.com: So there wasn’t any beef when you left or missing money issues?Curren$y: It wasn’t nothing like that. It’s just I have some s**t that needs to be heard. It was no beef or nothing; I just had to do what I had to do. I can rap too! AllHipHop.com: Wayne was really pushing for you, did he try to hold on to you and ask you to stick around?Curren$y: They couldn’t, after a while what is understood doesn’t have to be said. He had to understand it. There wasn’t any confusion because it was the same thing with No Limit, nothing happened.AllHipHop.com: When’s the last time you talked to any of them?Curren$y: When it was all good; when I stopped, I stopped. AllHipHop.com: What are you working on now?Curren$y: Another tape, I’m working on Super Techmo Bowl right now. I’m putting that out next month. I’ve been putting out tapes every month since March. I’m just leaving the studio right now. There have been some people reaching out, I’m still doing my independent thing and building my buzz up so [can] I really get all the things I want. I don’t want to entertain things until my buzz is to a point where I need it. Every tape brings offers from another label. I figured out the formula, if I keep grinding I’m going to get exactly what I want.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Will 50 Cent Attack Buck? U-God: The REAL Story! A “Dark” Cutie Gives It To Yung Berg!

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

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

TODAY’S RUMORS!

WILL 50 CENT DESTROY YOUNG BUCK?

Let me be CLEAR. I am a fan of both 50 Cent and Young Buck. I really like the underdog, but mostly value talent. With that said, these two are entertaining and talented. Now, on to the new rumor. I am hearing that 50 Cent has much more “documentation” on Young Buck that could really and severely destroy his career. I’m not sure what 50 is waiting for, but from what I heard, he isn’t so eager to “pull the trigger” on this info. Now, some of this alleged info, I have, but I am not going to get in this mess. My name is Bennett and I ain’t in it! Anyway, 50 is reportedly rolling with D-Tay now, probably as a weapon or something. Who knows!

I have a lot more on 50 but I have to spread it out over the week or you might get sick of them all!

IS U-GOD OFF THE HOOK?

So, I did a bit of research with the help of some friends in the game. And guess what I have stumbled on? We may have all been misled about this U-God situation. This is what I am being told REALLY happened… What really happened was that a maintenance person in his complex broke into U-God’s place and stole some money. U-God being U-God went downstairs and screamed on the cat. The dude went and filed a complaint against him, so U-God filed a cross complaint against him. When U-God went to the police station, they asked him if there was anything else going on that they should know about and he said not really, just this pending lawsuit with Wu-Tang. From there, the coppers blew the whole mess all out of proportion. I am also hearing that the feds are the ones who have actually been following him because after the complaint was filed, they saw he had a crazy rap sheet. From what I understand, most of the Wu is over in Europe on tour. That wouldn’t be smart of U-God to tour with Wu when they are the ones trying to kill him, right?

RICK ROSS – HATERS HACKED HIS IMAGE!

Rick Ross has been accused of being a correctional officier at a jail, but the rapper says, “I got Photoshopped!” Peep the quote!

He told AllHipHop.com exclusively, “My life is 100% real. These online hackers putting a picture of my face when I was a teenager in high school on other peoples’ body. If this s**t was real don’t you think they would have more specifics, like dates and everything? I’m in the entertainment business and a lot of people who like to hate because I’m on top of my game. Like I said before my life is 100% real. I live by this die by this. Fake pictures are created by the fake, meant to entertain the fake.”

I am still getting email from people that say Ross was a C.O., P.O. or some “O.” Right now, I am going to have to believe Ricky Ross until somebody proves it wrong! Send what you have to ah*******@***il.com. Are they just haters!?!

TERRENCE J…WHAT HAPPENED?

Now, I wonder if 106 & Park is simply creating drama? I know what Terrence J did to Rocsi wasn’t all THAT bad. I didn’t see it, but my boy Rosco hit me up and let me know that he watched “106 & Park” like everybody else I know. He told me that the show was aiiiiiiight. The big winner was Keri Hilson, who was an apparent co-host. Hmmmm..was this all an act to set up a big Monday for Keri? That would make Rocsi a big loser if she went along with that! Anyway, go to illseed.com to see the stuff that made Rocsi walk off. Also, I heard there was some cute stuff with Keri and strawberrys or something. I have to find that video, because she is one hot talented mama. I want Rocsi back! Oh yea, Terrance J didn’t apologize, but I heard he referenced the stuff in a vague way I don’t care about.

YOUNG BERG CLARIFIES HIS COMMENTS…AGAIN. BUT READ WHAT HE SAYS.

You know my girl Kendra G is a fly, dark-skinned sistah! Yung Berg’s comment about “dark butts” will not go away! Berg checked in with “Live With Kendra G and DJ Touchtone” (100.3 The Beat in Philly) and tried to clarify what he truly meant by those comments. Kendra G told Young Berg directly that she was p##### off by his comments being that she is chocolate woman her self.

Guess what Berg did: blamed the media! Nevermind, he and his crew ran straight to the media to clean up the spilled chocolate milk. Anyway, Yung Berg replied, “You shouldn’t be p##### off because you know how the media blows things out of proportion and you should had really looked instead of just going to that clip because I was on a show that was like 2 and a half hours [and it] was real sexual. During [the “Lip Service”] show the girl was calling me a ‘light butt’ and all this other stuff, things that you didn’t know that translated before that and all they took was that clip. I can’t say I don’t like chocolate woman, I just said that I have never been with a chocolate woman before and I am still waiting for one of them to turn me out and I don’t think that was so bad as everyone is trying to make it but you know the internet and the media they are going make that bad press travel, you know.”

UH HUH.

When Kendra G. brought up the fact that she heard the audio of him talking about “dark butts” and how he won’t date anyone darker than him, Yung Berg claimed that he didn’t say that! (We all heard that, if you didn’t go to the podcast section.) Yung Berg said, “The audio that we heard, the girl was like she was racist because all she dates is white dudes and I said sarcastically I am racist, I never dated dark butts. But I don’t want to blow anything out of proportion because I love chocolate woman my mother is a chocolate woman. I just have never been in a relationship with one and I am still waiting. And if anyone is a Young Berg fan you can go to all my videos and see that my lead interest has been a chocolate girl that you see in the videos and I am kissing these girls and I hand selected these girls too.”

So if everything was a misunderstanding, why apologize? Young Berg said because people are trying to paint him as a racist and I have to let people know that I am NOT a racist.

LIL WAYNE TOO DRUNK TO PLEASE THE DALLAS FOLK?

One of my people from Dallas hit me up and told me some stuff about Lil Wayne in Dallas, TX. Here we go. Club Cirque advertised that Lil Wayne would be there with their promotional flyers and such. Play-n-Skillz were all set to post up at a nearby club called Purgatory as well. Well, my folk like Crystal decided to go see Weezy at Cirque ($150 a pop, by the way). One person told me Wayne didn’t “show up til God knows how late.” From there he allegedly sat in VIP, sparked up a blunt, with the DJ playing some song for him to come to the stage. Well, on of my people went to get a drink and turned around and people were booing! They were booing Wayne because he reportedly left faster than it takes Twista to spit 16 bars. They were even throwing their Styrofoam cups and everything! Anyway, the DJ was heated and took his music off and tossed it in the trash. He announced what he was doing from the mic. The person said “a milli” sure changes a person.

Sadly, most people that emailed from Dallas wish that they supported the local Play-N-Skillz.

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

I am hearing Busta Rhymes isn’t dropped and has a September released date! Whew! I was really looking forward to that one. I guess they worked it out!

Fabolus, DJ Envy and DJ Enuff showed up to Nas’ exclusive party last night to celebrate Untitled.

Fat Joe and Sean Kingston are making the rounds in Africa and will be in Ghana on the 19th on this month. I heard the way the price for the show is expensive. Thanks, Eugene!

Ryan Leslie performed at Club Poetry in Vegas over the weekend. I heard he put on a good show, but only performed two songs. He definitely made one big fan from Seattle.

Is anybody going to reply to Bumpy Knuckles’ “How To Rob By The OG”? I guess not.

I heard that Erykah Badu would really like to marry Jay Electronica. Not mad.

Rapper Fabolous was seen partying at famed Brooklyn cabaret Rasputin over the weekend. I heard he was pretty lite up and finally stumbled out of the nightclub around 3am.

RANDOM QUOTES

Whew! These people are going to run my pressure up. Talk show host John McLaughlin has called Obama an “oreo”:

“Does it frost Jackson, Jesse Jackson, that…an Oreo should be the beneficiary of the long civil rights struggle which Jesse Jackson spent his lifetime fighting for? [Obama] fits the stereotype blacks once labeled as an Oreo — a black on the outside, a white on the inside.”They just saying ANYTHING eh?

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!

When you kids are going to your rave or your Rihanna show, you really want to have fun, right? I got news for you: you might have bigger problems than the beat. In Russia, there was a rave at Moscow and several partygoes left that b***h blind after the lasers in the show burned their eyes! About 12 people were struck with laser-blindness and 17 others admitted to the hospital. These people were hit with 80 percent vision loss from a RAVE. YO. Here is the ill part. 1) They can’t regain their sight. 2) The owner of a Moscow laser rental company told Reuters that all this happened because the laster technicians COULDN’T READ. They were illiterate and couldn’t read the directions to the laser.

Question: How you gonna let a dude that can’t read handle the laser at the rave?

Damn.

ABOUT THAT NEW YORKERS MAGAZINE COVER

To all: I get what the New Yorker was TRYING to do, but you know that only feeds into what they are trying to counter. I still think it was irresponsible journalism. Yes, cartoon are journalism too if they are editorializing something visually. They got us talking…but nobody is talking about the content of the article. Its like Jesse. He said something utterly STUPID about Barack Obama, but in context of what he was REALLY trying to say – it was some real ish. I rock with Barack, but what Jesse was actually SAYING was 100% REAL and worth talking about. Guess what? Nobody cared, because they didn’t get past the dumb stuff. My 2 pennies!

Not saying that I agree with this, but activists are calling on all advertisers, newsstands and stores to immediately pull the “New Yorker” magazinefrom shelves.

For what its worth, the editor if the magazine defended that imagery. David Remnick, the editor, told CNN:

“The idea is to attack lies and misconceptions and distortions about the Obamas, and their background and their politics. We’ve heard all of this nonsense about how they’re supposedly insufficiently patriotic, or soft on terrorism. That somehow the fist bump is something that it’s not. And we try to put all of these images in one cover, and to satirize and shine a really harsh light on something that could be incredibly damaging.”

The Book Bandwagon is Bout Full

Damn if the books don’t keep a-coming. Now I don’t know if you would call this a tell all. But Faith has written a book, Keeping the Faith, supposedly to put all the rumors to bed about her relationships with Big and Tupac, Big’s relationship with Lil Kim and Faith’s alleged drug use. Now I tend to have issues with the “I wrote it after he died” books. But Faith suggests that the book is primarily about her. I really hope Mrs. Smalls keeps it real. You can cop it at the end of August.

Rick Ross said that ain’t him in the pic… Well, it is him, but not really.

Hmmmm…. I don’t know. The photoshoppers must be real damn handy with that app. Notice how his chunky neck hangs ever so slightly over his state issued collar. Looks seamless to me. But what difference does it make? How many of us really believe everything Rick Ross says in his songs anyway? [Shelz is crazy!]

Kia Shine might get it, or he might not…

Ya know this rumor thing is a funny game. Take this whole Kia Shine vs. Two Six Mafia thing. So I see in one place that he had already left when they started talking greasy and he had this diss video he was perfecting. Then I hear somewhere else that his appearance at the signing was to squash the beef and he wasn’t planning to let the two six throw him off his path on the high road. So either he’s going to go hard or he’s going to go home……. Maybe Lady Drama knows.

ILL PICS!

This isn’t a rumor! Bone Thugs N Harmony are WHOLE! After 11 years, the entire 5 members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are finally back together again and were caught in the studio working on new material! Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone and Flesh-N-Bone are all in the studio working on some new music for the album! Here are the exclusive images.

 

 

 

Shout out to Toni Delano of Ebb Tight Productions.

www.myspace.com/ebbtight

www.ebbtight.net

YESTERDAY, WE LOVE YOU!

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

-illseed

WHO: illseed

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

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

– allhiphop rumors

Exclusive: Rick Ross Denies Ex-Correctional Officer Claims

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Rick Ross has charged that images depicting him as a young correctional officer are totally fabricated, the result of savvy graphic artists.

 

He told AllHipHop.com exclusively, “My life is 100% real. These online hackers putting a picture of my face when I was a teenager in high school on other peoples’ body. If this s**t was real don’t you think they would have more specifics, like dates and everything?”

 

Earlier, a single image was in circulation on the internet suggesting that Ross previously worked as a correctional officer at an unnamed jail or prison.

 

The Miami-based rap artist, known for his gritty street rhymes, said envious people have conspired against him for his success and stature.

 

“I’m in the entertainment business and a lot of people who like to hate because I’m on top of my game,” Ross told AllHipHop.com. “Like I said before my life is 100% real. I live by this die by this. Fake pictures are created by the fake, meant to entertain the fake.”

 

While the image appears very realistic, boxer Oscar De La Hoya was involved in a similar scandal that made the pugilist appear to be a cross dresser.

 

The images were proven to be doctored and De La Hoya was completely exonerated. Ross is already moving on.

 

He stated that he was working on a new album called Deeper Than Rap, which would come at an undetermined date in the near future.

Buckeey Breaks Silence On Sex Tape

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Former Flavor of Love Season 2 and Charm School standout Buckeey has broken her silence about her leaked sex tape, which was distributed throughout the internet in June.

 

In an exclusive interview, Buckeey, real name Shay Johnson, is steadfast in stating the tape’s distribution was done without her permission, and she had no intention of using it for publicity as some have claimed.

 

“It troubled me to find out my intimate act of love was classified as a sex tape. I didn’t speak on it because I knew how tender the situation was between me and my partner,” Buckeey revealed to AllHipHop.com. “I didn’t want to point fingers at anyone or come out with any names because it was then and still is very much my personal business.”

 

Buckeey gained notoriety as the short tempered, potential beau of legendary Public Enemy hypeman Flavor Flav on the reality series Flavor of Love.

 

In season two, Flav eliminated Buckeey after she had a dangerous fight with another contestant and nearly pushed her off a second story balcony.

 

Since the tape, Buckeey has had to deal with heckling and graphic questions about her sex life she was not prepared to deal with.

 

In order to repair her reputation, she feels this is no longer an issue she can ignore.

 

“Over these past few weeks I have been tortured by strangers about what happened, who was I with, did I release the tape on purpose to get publicity, can I prove to them it was me and multiple other random and indecent requests and questions,” Buckeey explained. “So I’m forced to make a statement. Once you become a personality on television you become the target of haters and I am no different, the release of the tape was done by a hater, stolen by a hater and is just another blatant case of b***chassness.”

 

In the end, Buckeey hopes that fans and media alike will remember the two human beings involved that have had their lives turned upside down by the leak.

 

She asks that her privacy be respected and her fans to continue their support for her entertainment aspirations.

 

“The truth is what I did was out of love for someone and for he and I to share and reflect on. It was never meant for thousands of people to view and make comments on,” she reasoned. “So from this point the concentration should be on where I’m going not what I did. All I ask is for my fans to continue to love me and the haters can keep their job too.”

 

Shay “Buckeey” Johnson has appeared in Hip-Hop videos like “Ms. New Booty,” by Bubba Sparxxx, “Shoulder Lean” by Young Dro and T.I. and “Happy Hour” featuring Jazze Pha and Cee Lo and others.

Knockout Nation: Klitschko Victorious! Pavlik-Williams? Augustus Partners with EA Sports! Big George Tribute

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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Klitschko Stops Thompson in the 11th

 

Wladimir Klitschko continued his dominance of the

heavyweight division with an 11th round knockout over a game but

overmatched Tony Thompson this past Saturday (July 12).

 

Throughout the first six rounds, Thompson was able

to find success whenever he pressured a still gun-shy prone Klitschko. With a

240 pound plus frame, the challenger was able to muscle to the inside and land

sporadic hard lefts to the body, followed by clubbing rights to the head.

 

Still, the more skillful Klitschko was able to

score quick knockdown off the right hand in the second round.

 

Klitschko remained consistent with his powerful

right cross, and found a home for the punch repeatedly from the seventh round

on.

 

By the championship rounds, a worn down Thompson

was caught with another straight right behind a jab which sent him to the

canvas. With his energy spent and a cut over the right eye, Thompson slowly

rose by the count of nine only to see referee Joe Cortez call a halt to the

bout.

 

While the fight wasn’t a barnburner, it was a

significant improvement over Klitschko’s sloppy, pedestrian performance against

Sultan Ibragimov five months ago. The champion also pads his resume with his

sixth win over a top 10 ranked heavyweight.

 

Unfortunately, the barren wasteland that is the

heavyweight division does not have many challengers left for Klitschko. Samuel

Peter is still standing, but Dr. Steel Hammer already holds a win over the Nigerian

from their 2005 encounter. Plus that rematch has lost some luster after Peter

was nearly kayoed by Jameel McCline.

 

Ironically, the next big fight for Klitschko may

come from the cocky cruiserweight champ David Haye, who’s already on record as

stating the Klitschko-Thompson bout was lackluster.

 

Check out the two champs facing off. As much as I

like Haye, I see visions of Apollo Creed vs. Ivan Drago if this comes off.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOANul82Tw

 

Pavlik-Williams a Strong Possibility

 

Maxboxing.com broke the story that middleweight

champion Kelly Pavlik is nearly signed to face two time WBO welterweight champ

Paul Williams on September 23 in Atlantic

City.

 

“I’m dealing with [Dan] Goossen, it’s a deal. But [it’s] not sure,” Arum told maxboxing.com. “You never know if it’s a deal. I

think there is a deal. But if my life depended on it, I wouldn’t swear to it.

With Goossen, you’re never quite sure.”

 

At first glance it seems peculiar that Arum would

match his fighter with a champion two weight classes below. But since Arthur

Abraham is tied up with a mandatory defense, it doesn’t seem as bad since

Williams is coming off an impressive, high profile destruction of Carlos

Quintana last month.

 

Still, Pavlik is too strong a puncher for Williams

and would likely brutally stop him. We should hope that their backup choice,

Allan Green, gets the call for what would be a more competitive bout with Pavlik

still the favorite.

 

Emanuel Augustus Signs On for Fight Night Round

4

 

Cult favorite and ESPN Friday Night Fights legend

Emanuel Augustus has announced a deal to feature his likeness in the 2009

edition of EA Sport’s Fight Night.

 

In the twilight of his career, the deal marks a

huge exposure opportunity for Augustus, who has had to deal with many

controversial and heartbreaking decision losses in his career.

 

“To all my doubters in the pro boxing industry now

that I am working with EA Sports I have definitely made it to the big time,”

Augustus released in a statement. “I hope my actions inside the ring and

outside the ring will turn all my doubters into Emanuel Augustus believers. I

want to thank all my fans for their continued support and I want to show

special appreciation to ‘Irish’ Micky Ward. We will forever be linked together

by our historic fight in 2001. Everyday Micky Ward continues to be a great

inspiration to me as I continue to move forward in my career.”

 

In his fourteen year career, Augustus has become a

fan favorite due to his bizarre “drunken master” style offense and fearlessness

to take on any fighter even on short notice.

 

His most famous bouts are his spirited efforts in

losing performances to Floyd Mayweather (2000) by TKO and Micky Ward (2001) by

decision.

 

Throwback Fighter of the Week: “Big” George

Foreman

 

The affable, product hawking George Foreman that

we see today is a far cry from the brutish, Sonny Liston molded Foreman of the ‘70s

that terrorized the heavyweight division.

 

After mowing down mostly easy competition, Foreman

earned in his first title shot against undefeated Muhammad Ali conqueror Joe

Frazier in 1973. All it took was two rounds for Foreman to drop Joe six times

in route to a merciful stoppage.

 

The following year he demolished Ken Norton in two

rounds before running into well prepared and motivated Ali. In one of the most

famous bouts in history, Ali outsmarted his younger and stronger foe with the

Rope-a-dope to score an upset 8th round stoppage. Foreman was never the same mentally after that

bout, taking two years off to recover.

 

He returned to barely survive a classic shootout

with Ron Lyle before knocking out Joe Frazier again in a return bout. After

being upset by slickster Jimmy Young he retired in 1977.

 

Returning 10 years later, Foreman was amazingly

able to compete with the top fighters due to his immense power and physical

strength. He eventually regained the title in 1994 against Michael Moorer

before retiring for good in 1997.

 

Foreman is considered by most to be one of the

powerful, physically and punch-wise, fighters in heavyweight history. His final

record stands at 76-5, 68 KOs.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL7KnkWWXbQ

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lRwBb9lbA

Daz Makes It Rain In New DVD Movie

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Rapper Daz Dillinger is breaking into the world of film, directing and appearing in the upcoming direct-to-DVD release Make It Rain.

 

A collaboration between the Dogg Pound member and director Patrick J. Blake II, the movie brings to life the tale the chaos created by an Atlanta commissioner on a mission to shut down the city’s strip clubs.

 

At the center of the story is one club owner in particular, Big A portrayed by rapper AlfaMega, whose Grand Hustle/Capital Records debut hits stores in October.

 

“It’s like a Friday and a Players’ Club,” Alfamega tells AllHipHop.com. “My character, Big A, messes with all the girls in his club. I end up getting one of the girls pregnant, but because I’m dissing her, her actions lead to me getting robbed. And that sets off and brings together a few other story lines.”

 

Several Atlanta Hip-Hoppers are also featured in the movie, helping the many story lines along.

 

Daz and Alfa are joined on screen by Khujo Goodie, Kandi Burruss, Big Kuntry, Rasheeda, Boyz N Da Hood’s Big Duke, comedian Shawty Shawty, and even Snoop Dogg, who makes one of Make It Rain’s cameo appearances.

 

While fans may have to wait for Make It Rain, Daz’s latest album is set to hit stores August 12.

 

Featuring appearances by Snoop, Obie Trice, Krayzie Bone, Kurupt and Keak da Sneak, Only On The Left Side will be Daz’s second release since leaving So So Def Records.

 

A new album by Tha Dogg Pound entitled 100 Wayz is also due out before the end of the year.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Rick Ross Says “I was Photoshopped, homey”

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

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

TODAY’S RUMORS!

TERRENCE J TO SAY SORRY TO ROCSI?

This Just In, This Just In!

We all know and have now seen the serious tension between Rocsi and Terrence J on BET the other day. I wrote about it over the weekend. After a misstated word after reading from a teleprompter, Terrence J clowned Rocsi for the next 4-5 segments on the show. She finally up and walled off the set leaving T to do a lil’ stuttering himself. He did scoop and impromptu guest host from the crowd after Rocsi left. (You can see this video over at illseed.com too) Well…I heard that a landmark decision has been made… Terrence J has been ordered to apologize for antagonizing his sexy co-host on-air last week. I am not positive, but y’all let me know if this happens. I am going to be unavailable to watch. I think it’s a good move. Say sorry like Yung Berg to the dark butts and its over.

NEW WACKER MAGAZINE

Moving on. How tasteless is this magazine cover?

I never knew the New Yorker was on this level of bitchassness. This is like level blood red bitchassess. Tell Diddy to get me a t-shirt! Grade A-Wackness! Looks like the Right will go an any extreme, even lying to destroy Obama. SMH at Political Playa Hating.

RICK ROSS THE P.O.? – NOOOOOOOOOOOO!This is Ross official statement, from Rick Ross. He told AllHipHop.com exclusively, “My life is 100% real. These online hackers putting a picture of my face when I was a teenager in high school on other peoples’ body. If this s**t was real don’t you think they would have more specifics, like dates and everything? I’m in the entertainment business and a lot of people who like to hate because I’m on top of my game. Like I said before my life is 100% real. I live by this die by this. Fake pictures are created by the fake, meant to entertain the fake.”So there you go. Rick says that is indeed him, but not as an officer of anything! He was a kid! Not a trace of a beard! 

YESTERDAY, WE LOVE YOU!

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

-illseed

WHO: illseed

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

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

– allhiphop rumors

Trae tha Truth Gets His Own Day In Houston

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Indie rapper Trae tha Truth, a mainstay on Houston’s Hip-Hop scene, will be recognize this month for his contributions to his community with an honor that has yet to be presented to a rap artist in the city’s history.

 

On Tuesday, July 22, Houston Mayor Bill White will issue a proclamation officially declaring the date as Trae Day in a ceremony to be attended by the city officials as well as several other prominent Houston celebs.

 

In the last few months alone, Trae has participated in two high profile initiatives tied to Texas’s often underserved prison community.

 

In May, he embarked on the Hopefest Tour, a speaking and performance tour which took him, frequent collaborator Slim Thug and members of their respective crews ABN and Boss Hogg Outlawz to several Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities.

 

The tour reached several hundred inmates from maximum-security facilities to the juvenile offenders at the Clements Unit in Amarillo, TX. He is also actively involved with the No More Victims Advocacy Program, which works with the M.B. Smiley High School in Northeast Houston to support children of incarcerated parents.

 

“It’s a blessing to be honored by the Mayor, the city and the streets,” Trae the Truth told AllHipHop.com. “It was an aggressive and meaningful statement when I said ‘I am Houston,’ but it is solidified as the truth now. The streets still have a real representative for them.”

 

For the past two years, he has appeared alongside fellow Houston artists including Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, and Michael “5000” Watts, to support, encourage and celebrate the program’s graduating seniors.

 

Trae is currently in the early stages of establishing an official non-profit organization to unify his many informal community initiatives as well. A.B.N., an acronym for A Better Neighborhood, will primarily serve children and families in need.

 

Immediately following the July 22 proclamation ceremony, set to take place at 2:00pm, Trae will host a six-hour block party at the Sharpstown Mall, located at 7500 Bellaire Boulevard.

 

From 3-9pm, the former Rap-A-Lot Records artist will treat hundreds of children and their families to food, drinks, games and rides, continuing what has become an annual tradition.

 

The kids, who come from the many Houston communities that have benefited from Trae’s efforts, will also be treated to free live performances by several surprise guests and Trae himself.

 

Following his departure from Rap-A-Lot “to pursue other options” a little over a year ago, Trae released The Diary of Tha Truth, a mixtape album which was well received by critics and fans alike.

 

He continues to promote the project, propelled by a radio single, “So Hot” featuring DJ Khaled, and the Slim Thug-assisted “Nothing to a Boss,” while searching for the next label he will call home.

Asher Roth: The Greenhouse Effect (Mixtape Review)

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Reviews / Music
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He’s a skinny, white guy from Philadelphia who dropped a one hundred fifty bar freestyle for Jay-Z right on the spot, and now he gives us a full volume of Hip-Hop fun on his mixtape The Greenhouse Effect Vol I (SRC). Roth’s quick rhymes and clever wit over party beats is a throwback to the days when Rap was all about dope music.

 

His charismatic diss lyrics and frat boy sense of humor are similar to an early, less angry Eminem. He raps over everything from Jay-Z and Timbaland to Britney Spears and John Mayer – the Roth boys are about bringing good times back to Hip-Hop.

 

Asher and his college buddies form the Roth Boys crew and introduce themselves on “Roth Boys” – a remix of Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys.” “Jay passed over me for Pittsburg Slim / But in the end, I am kickin’ it with Steve Rifkind / Enough said, well expect, Hey yo Steve, do you have enough bread? / La Heim, that’s more like it, but what do I know I’m just a white kid.” Roth’s still a college kid at heart with sex anthems like “Morning Do” and “Rub On Your T*tties” that could get any drunk girl grinding with Solo cups in the air.

 

Dance tracks “Demonic” and “Gimme Your Box” twist up Britney favorites “Break The Ice” and “Gimme More,” respectively, as Roth and crew take shots at the pop t###. Roth’s Greenhouse Effect is the soundtrack to any kegger, but weak production and overly thoughtful lyrics on “Dey Know Asher” and “Stop Waiting On The World To Change” can be a buzz kill.

 

Granted every party must come to an end, Roth still gives his best on this mixtape. His ego mania taints every track as his rhymes of greatness border on overkill. But Roth gives you exactly what you would expect from a college loving, party animal living it up with his best friends: party music to drink, and dance to. Roth and his boys may not change Hip-Hop, but they’ll sure as hell have fun with it.

Flesh-N-Bone Released; Bone Thugs Reunited

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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After almost 10 years behind bars Stanley “Flesh N Bone” Howse is now officially a free man.

 

The 34-year-old rapper, who was originally sentenced to twelve years for threatening a friend with an AK 47, was released from his California penitentiary early yesterday morning (June 13) to the waiting arms of family and friends which included Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy and Wish Bone.

 

This now marks the first time that all five of the original members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have been together in over a decade.

 

“It feels amazing, refreshing, exciting [and] I’m so happy for him to finally come home to his family and friends and fans,” Bone Thug’s longtime manager Steve Lobel told AllHipHop.com. “Flesh is a very great, loving, talented, creative individual. We have a lot of memories together. Hopefully we can have more.”

 

Upon his release Flesh-N-Bone wasted no time getting back to work.

 

All five Bone members instantly hit the studio to begin work on their upcoming album, which is expected to be released on Interscope through a joint venture with Swizz Beatz’ Full Surface imprint.

 

The album will be the follow up to the 2007’s gold selling Bone album Strength and Loyalty which only featured three of the original quintet due to Flesh’s imprisonment and Bizzy Bone being shown the door.

 

Bizzy Bone also reconciled and recently reunited with the group, officially making the group a quintet again.

 

“I know his Bone brothers are so excited he’s home and now they can make history again,” Lobel said. “They all deserve it. They are amazing and unstoppable together as a team. Thanks to all the fans who wrote to Flesh while he was away and stuck by his side and supported him. I know his brother Layzie [born Steven Howse] couldn’t wait for this time to come.”

 

Flesh is also expected to start working on his third solo album and will begin looking for a label home in the coming weeks.

 

The Cleveland born rapper enjoyed his best success with his 1996 Def Jam release entitled T.H.U.G.S. which went on to be certified Gold later that year.

Album Review: Beck – Modern Guilt

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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Hip-Hop hasn’t typically embraced leftist sub-genres as readily as Rock and Pop. So even though Beck’s early hits were often just oddball Hip-Hop records disguised as Rock, The Community never made any attempt to claim him. His support from other audiences has been inconsistent as well, freeing him to wander across borders as he pleases and focus on creativity instead of marketing. By now, Beck has evolved past primitive notions of genre, but in a roundabout return to his roots, he’s enlisted fellow travelin’ man Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton for his latest, Modern Guilt.With that said, don’t go into Guilt expecting a rap album; it’s closer to an hour-long version of the instrumental break from “Space Oddity.” Like Danger Mouse’s work with Gnarls Barkley and Gorillaz, Hip-Hop production techniques are sculpted into a broader range of styles to become something that a five piece band alone couldn’t quite accomplish. Meanwhile, Beck’s performance is more subdued than usual, setting aside the stream-of-conscious raps and glam performances. Here, Beck is more like a ghost that lives in the attic of his songs than the off kilter frontman he sometimes plays on TV. You always feel his presence, but his vocals are more organically bound to the music than layered on top of it. “Orphans” starts the show with a subtle assist from Cat Power. Here, (and on “Youthless” and “Replica” and everything else) he guides the track effortlessly but does so more with dreamy melodies than catchy hooks and neon-lit theatrics. Bits of Danger Mouse’s dense compositions resemble his work with other bands, but the songs still feel unique since Beck doesn’t simply fall back and allow Burton to envelope him in sound. Having built his career with the assistance of bold producers like The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys) and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead), Beck has a unique expertise for finding his pocket in big, sprawling arrangements that would intimidate a less sure-footed artist (“Soul of a Man”). Modern Guilt’s success isn’t exactly a surprise thanks to Beck’s consistently high quality, but it’s always nice to hear a musician deliver repeatedly while continuing to grow. With his Interscope contract now fulfilled, Beck is likely to go independent for good, but he’s clearly got the talent to avoid getting lost in the Indie-net shuffle. Beck still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and however he chooses to bring them out, they’re sure to be magic. 

Nas: Portrait of an Untitled Hero

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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It’s hard to tell what Nas is really thinking right now. From walking the beaten path of complaints yet again over his now Untitled album title to watching el Presidente Hov exit Def Jam to pursue the next phase of his career, Nas has a lot to question. The only thing Nasir Jones knows for certain is that his lyrical prowess is as sharp as ever, and that tool is most certainly needed right now in Hip-Hop. His new album would suggest that he’s ready to attack with the same illmatic intensity he harbored years back. However, if you’re looking for an enraged veteran MC bitterly beating his chest about social injustice and how he’s Superman, you won’t find him here. Contrary to the fire behind his single “Hero,” Nas is pretty laid back about the whole “situation.”Speaking semi-candidly in between airport security checks, Nas is giving a proverbial middle finger to the controversy surrounding him. He doesn’t sound like a defeatist though; more like an optimist. While Lil’ Wayne counts the figures of his album sales, the paradox of God’s Son being shamed into a corner for speaking his mind is unfortunate. He’s not mad at Weezy though, and neither should we be. As the Son’s disciples, we’re all marching to the basslines of his leaked LP in the hopes of following protocol on how to preserve Hip-Hop of substance. The solution is in Nas’ new mantra: Kill ‘em with kindness.AllHipHop.com: There has been some back and forth on what the real title of your album is, so just to officially clear that up…what is the title of your new album? Nas: There is a title; it’s called Untitled.

“Too many people took [the title] the wrong way. I think Al Sharpton; he didn’t realize when he had lost. He lost when my record company stood with me. Jesse Jackson even had to change his tone when he saw that brilliant Black artists and White artists stood with me and understand what I’m talking about, even before they heard one song.”

AllHipHop.com: In the last verse of “Hero” you paint this really powerful imagery of what happened regarding the titling of the album. For those who really didn’t absorb the words in the verse, how would you explain what happened and your decision to do that?Nas: Def Jam had been riding with me 100 percent every step of the way since the beginning. There has been talk that they were not riding behind me, but there has never been one point where they weren’t down with my freedom of expression. There was a time when I decided, when you’re getting calls from the White House, when you’re getting calls from opportunists in the Black community, when you’re getting calls from people trying to take this thing all the way to something like that, which is going to be a fight for Universal. So I kind of felt bad for them, because me knowing my mouth not knowing what type of s**t I was going to get us into, I kind of felt bad for them. There was a Newsweek article saying, the start of other big wigs overseas and they got really nervous about this word and me trying to handle the African-American struggle on one album. It just seemed like that way, we were about to get attacked from all angles, and part of me was like, “f**k it.” I mean those guys overseas were really scared. I was like, “You know what? Why let them stop this record from hitting the streets when I can just get my record in stores, do what I got to do and get my record in stores?” To people, when I go to the store and I go to buy an album and there’s not enough copies there, I am p#####. If there is anything that stopped it, I’m p#####. I want a record when I want it. And me wanting to put it out in December, it wasn’t ready, and me wanting to put it out and keep pushing it back, pushing it back. I was getting tired of the wait, and I didn’t want to wait anymore. Out of all the hoopla and all of that s**t, this is music, let me put this music out, and that will be that. And people will listen to what I’m saying and people [will] take it from there.AllHipHop.com: What do you think they feared more; the title of the album or the content in the album? Or which do you think they should fear more?Nas: I think the title if that is my intention – to remind muthaf**kers – watching and hanging out with rich friends was not enough to remove the realities of the world. I just look at life like, “Alright, I made it out the hood where it seems impossible to make it from and me just chilling out wasn’t enough, and me helping a few people wasn’t enough. It was too much going on.”I think initially, the title, I think too many people took it the wrong way. I think Al Sharpton; he didn’t realize when he had lost. He lost when my record company stood with me. Jesse Jackson even had to change his tone when he saw that brilliant Black artists and White artists stood with me and understand what I’m talking about, even before they heard one song. They know what I’m going to say before I say it, because they know what I’m talking about. So I feel like we beat them, we made them understand that we are apart of them. Where a lot of elders look down on the Hip-Hop generation and disassociate themselves and cut themselves off the younger generation, which to Black people seems insane. How could you stand for them to look down on me because my music reflects the lifestyle on the corner? That makes you look like you’re out of touch, so that was my message. But then the record started to turn into the attention only for people to battle me with the title, and that’s not what this s**t is about. This s**t is about for my kids, for rap fans and we laughing in the face, throwing a middle finger back in the face of those who want to use Hip-Hop as a scapegoat, and use Hip-Hop as a platform to grandstand on, and point the finger at us, and say that we’re responsible for the crimes of America because of the music. It was a middle finger back in their face, like everybody forgot them, everybody left the hood, everybody made it, and everybody got educated and got the hell out. And we made it by talking about what was happening there, whether America likes it or not, no matter how ugly language, no matter how many people get shot at the concert, no matter how many girls want to dress in tight jeans and be called hoes and bi**hes on record. There is hoes and bi**hes in the world, there are ignorant n*****s in the world. It’s brilliant men in the world; it’s brilliant women in the world. Everybody needs they music to dance to or move to. If the music reflects the reality of the corner, the block, then we are going to expose the people who ain’t of that and really don’t want to see us come off the block with that attitude. What we did was turn that into money. I’m explaining that on some of my songs too. We are turning our nightmare into a dream, into a great dream, a beautiful dream come true. And that is a beautiful triumph, an incredible triumph that needs to be awarded, not looked down on. And that’s what thy’re doing to us, looking down at Hip-Hop, so by stating the album title “n****r” it was a middle finger back in those conservative, nose in the air, don’t know where I came from, mad at my own people, lost and confused Negroes. This album is for them.

“The hustlers are rhyming; the gangsters are rhyming, that’s crazy. Lil’ Wayne is living proof that Hip-Hop Is Dead is something that pushed a lot of people forward.”

AllHipHop.com: The title of the Hip-Hop Is Dead album was challenged as well. Once you dropped that album, everybody from award ceremonies to live performances got up and the first thing they would say is: “People like to think that Hip-Hop is dead,” and they really challenged it. Originally wasn’t Hip-Hop Is Dead supposed to be called the N-word, but then you went with Hip-Hop Is Dead? What changed back then for you and how do you feel it reflects now?Nas: Right. I think it was great for the game. I think it was beautiful for the game and that’s a great thing. I know people somebody at Universal is like, “Who in the hell signed Nasir Jones? What was L.A. Reid thinking? What is going on?” But then there has got to be somebody at Universal like, “Wow we got this guy on our billings?” That has got to mean something. So it’s just provoking people to think and talk, and that’s everything to me right now.  AllHipHop.com: Do you think it says a lot that you changed your album title and people were outraged with it, but Lil Wayne breaks the one million in sales mark and they say he is saving Hip-Hop?Nas: He is. I heard the song “Dr. Carter” when he breathes it, and to me that is the best s**t ever to hear…that “Dr. Carter” song and [Lil Wayne] breathing life into Hip-Hop. You know n****s, they’re cheering, Lil Wayne love Hip-Hop. He does in his BET performance at the Hip-Hop Awards “I am Hip-Hop” and he said it at the BET Awards performance he said it again. It’s in the end of the Nelly video. Some girl even has a shirt on that says, “Hip-Hop Ain’t Dead.” AllHipHop.com: Keri Hilson has the T-shirt on [the singer on Nas’ track “Hero”].Nas: Oh. Yeah so that’s a beautiful thing, man. Lil Wayne is here to show how much he loves it. You starting to see how people love Hip-Hop you didn’t even know cared about Hip-Hop. The hustlers are rhyming; the gangsters are rhyming, that’s crazy. Lil’ Wayne is living proof that Hip-Hop Is Dead is something that pushed a lot of people forward. That statement alone.AllHipHop.com: With Jay-Z no longer the president of Def Jam, does it change your comfort level with the label? Jay being an artist himself seemed like he was championing for artists too.Nas: Two reasons I came there were L.A. Reid and Jay. And the big reason I came there was to squash our s**t and move on, but it’s inevitable that [Jay-Z] is going to make moves. I’m going to make moves; people grow. He is somebody that is business sharp, so he is about growth. I wish that he was still there, but at the same time everything is going to grow, everything is going to move. The other reason I’m still there is L.A., so it’s still good. AllHipHop.com: I spoke with Common [recently] and he was discussing working on his new album and he said…once the money has already been made and you’re not worrying that the album will do well to actually feed you, and you can actually make music for the sake of making music, you feel so free in your approach to Hip-Hop. Do you agree with that?Nas: Yeah. I think once you spend a lot of time in [Hip-Hop], I think where ever you are, if you sell records and make money rather than just getting by, if you spend your time in it, you start to get comfortable in it. AllHipHop.com: And you feel you can creatively navigate how you want?Nas: Oh no doubt.AllHipHop.com: A lot of tracks are leaking from the album. Was that at all intentional?Nas: No, that’s the basics of two weeks [of] free music. Once it’s out of your hands, once it’s out of the record company’s hands somehow it happens, because other people have to hold it. The plants, the manufacturing, it’s in lots of hands so it’s going to happen. If you want to hear it, it’s going to happen. Every one of my albums has been bootlegged worse than these days. I’m actually looking forward to the two weeks before the album drops when the music leaks. It’s kind of cool because people want to hear it and people get to talking, it helps. AllHipHop.com: You have listed some crazy producers on the album. You have stic.man, Mark Ronson and The Game even helped produce a track, is that right?Nas: Yeah “Make the World Go Round.”AllHipHop.com: How did you go about picking these producers for this album, because they seem to be really diverse?Nas: Yeah, I wanted to make sure it was people with open minds. Somebody like stic.man has a real strong approach when it comes to Black matters, matters of our people. He has a real strong approach, he is very knowledgeable and it was like really important that I work with people who had that kind of knowledge. It couldn’t have been just give me beats from anybody. You have to have some type of knowledge of what we’re doing, and it was a process not just give me beats let me rhyme to them. Somebody like Mark Ronson is open-minded and from the UK, he is a nut you know what I’m saying? So his s**t is not only going to come one way, I already knew how his s**t was going to come before I had even heard it. He took his time and worked on the music and we talked about it, talked about it, talked about it. He didn’t know what I was going to do to it, until I sent it to him. But we just talked about it and talked about it, so it was a whole lot of fun.

“I’m like a boxer when he hears the bell; I’m going to throw my hands up, I’m going to get my feet in position. I’m like a Vietnam vet when the truck [backfires]; I duck. I’m trapped in it forever, the album says toward the end, ‘This n****r is like he hasn’t created his favorite song yet.’”

AllHipHop.com: The timing of your album coming out is actually perfect, given the type of commentary while at the same time the rise of Barack Obama. What is your whole standpoint of America finally embracing the idea of a Black President?Nas: Are they finally embracing it? I think the whole world has been ready for it. So I think it has been a great thing, it puts the cool back in America. America lost its stature in the world, and it was caught up in old times and old ways and old people. Everything has to die so there can be a re-birth. Certain sounds of Hip-Hop are dead and there has to be a rebirth, you have to have new artists out here – Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Kanye West save Hip-Hop period. So you have to have that in order to keep me motivated, to keep the whole game motivated. A lot of the guys who was hot in the ‘90s, producers, rappers and even DJ’s, their moment is a great moment that we can always look back to, but it’s not the forefront of Hip-Hop no more and they’re frustrated because of it, but that’s like a Bush. They have a George Bush mentality; they want America to stay the way it was in the ‘80s. It has to change, and whether you like it or not it has to change. And when you really don’t want it to change, it’s going to change in ways you hoped it wouldn’t. [Obama] is a great example of change. AllHipHop.com: When do you think Nas will retire?Nas: When I’m dead. I look at B.B. King; I’m trapped in it. I’m like a boxer when he hears the bell; I’m going to throw my hands up, I’m going to get my feet in position. I’m like a Vietnam vet when the truck [backfires]; I duck. I’m trapped in it forever, the album says toward the end. “This n****r is like he hasn’t created his favorite song yet.” It is what it is, forever. I used to have a lot people around me saying, “Yo, I ain’t going to be rapping when I’m 25 or 30,” and now they’re 30. “I’m not going to be rapping when I’m 40.” That is the stupidest thing; it doesn’t even make any sense. Now people realize that was the dumbest thing. Ain’t no way out of this except when we leave and even then s**t is immortal. Because they’re going to play your s**t, so we are in this forever. So keep rapping, catch Nas in Vegas. I will give you a free ticket to the Nas show at Vegas in 2024.       

Hip-Hop Rumors: Tony Yayo & Young Buck PPV? Saigon Goes Home! Carmelo Rappin’ With Cassidy?

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

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

TODAY’S RUMORS!

SAIGON IS GOING BACK HOME

Not Mooseknuckle! Not Africa! When I say Saigon is going home, I have to say that I know exclusively that Saigon is returning to his roots. You know that Saigon and Just Blaze got a release from Atlantic after sitting on the shelf for about forever. But, just when you thought he was done, I get word that he is resigning with Mark Ronson and his Allido Records (a subsidiary of Sony). You might recall that back in the early Saigon era, he was doing some serious work with Ronson, work that predated Amy Winehouse and others like Wale. So, right now, Saigon is looking like he’s about to win and win big!

CARMELO AND CASSIDY – A NEW DUO? LIL WAYNE BEEF?

I don’t know where this quote came from, but I think it is from Cassidy’s recent mixtape with Green Lantern.

“I Just finalized my partnership with Carmelo Anthony, you know the kid who lead the league in scoring, do it big and ball all the time. Yeah, well we just finalized the deal and we bout to make it happen asap.”

So, from what I heard Melo is rappin’ now and he’s down with Cassidty. Maybe he got inspired by Shaq’s “Tell Me How My A** Taste” rap. I don’t know. I just hope he is better that Ron Artest, with all respect to the big homey.

Also, it would seem that Cassidy has dissed Lil Wayne. Go to illseed.com for the video. Let me know what you think.

LIL WAYNE WASN’T ARRESTED OR BEAT UP

I know there is some [mis]info going on out there that Lil Wayne was tore up in a New Orleans club, but sadly that just isn’t true. I mean, its not “sadly,” but I know that people are clamoring with hate. Here is something more on the positive side, Jigsaw hit me up and told me that Wayne was down in Dallas and represented at the Power House show. I heard he tore it down and even shouted out Play-n-Skillz, who are from Dallas. They produced a song for Weezy too. Security was so tight, they couldn’t even get to the stage.

MORE ON DALLAS POWER HOUSE

I hate to say it, but I heard Yung Berg didn’t get a lot of love from the audience in Dallas. I’m not sure if this was in response to the “dark butts” comments or whatever. I did hear that Plies fared well. So did Pretty Ricky, which shocks the mess out of me. Anyway, Yung Berg need not feel too bad. I heard Soulja Boy’s boy VIC didn’t fare much better. Overall, I heard the show was really good.

50 CENT BUYS EX’S LIFE STORY?

I’m not sure if this is the case, but I am going to put it out there. If this is true, 50 Cent is probably the smartest man in rap. Here it is. With all the Superhead books that are coming out (See Nas and Mos Def), I heard 50 Cent did the unheard. I heard that 50 bought the rights to Shaniqua’s life story! Shaniqua is the chick he has a kid with and claims he tried to kill her. She’s also suing him for $50 million. I guess, that offensive move will prevent her from releasing all of 50’s business for a profit. (I wonder how much her story cost?)

YOUNG BUCK AND TONY YAYO TO FIGHT ON TV?

It might be Michael Buffer time if Tony Yayo and Young Buck get their wish to fight each other in a ring.

You may have read this on my blog but Young Buck went on XM Radio and officially challenged Tony Yayo of g-Unit to a boxing match. Here is the quote:

“As far as Yayo – [he] talking about he wanna fight? I’ll do it off of real n***a s**t. I swear on my child’s life. If they line this s**t up, where me and that n***a can go in a ring, we can put that s**t on VH1 we can make that s**t real life. I’ll have Floyd Mayweather training me. I’ll knock that n***a fat, flabby, old, non rappin’ a** out.”

Now I am hearing that G-Unit is ready and willing to make this fight. I heard that Yayo is ready to go. This sounds like a stretch, but promoters have reportedly jumped on this opportunity. I hope to see this fight made.

CHRIS BROWN? SUPER GEEK?

In Nigeria, what would you do? If you tuned into the rumors over the weekend, you know all about Jay-Z, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell and others in Nigeria for a concert festival. Well, Chris Brown was there too and I heard he had himself a good ol’ time. He reportedly sat at the bar for about 2 hours or more watching cartoons on his laptop with all his friends. LMAO! Somebody told me, they can’t fathom know he and Rihanna work it out- she is too mature! Chris did do the press rounds, but nobody filled him in on Nigeria or why he was there. Also, the people were reportedly clamoring over the Rihanna stuff but no confirmation.

Do we need a confirmation? Not really. We know what it is.

FAT JOE: THE HEADLINER!!!!

I heard Fat Joe was the headliner over in Nigeria. That’s right. Mary J. Blige is here and super big. Chris Brown is here and super big. In Nigeria, they opened for Fat Joe, who shut it down to the glee of the fans.

I didn’t include this in my weekend report, but I heard Usher’s concert in Nigeria was disturbed by violence after a fight broke out in the crowd. They said some people were drunk and got too rowdy. It was broken up quickly.

DID TREACH GET BEAT DOWN?

I’m not sure how true this one is, because I know Treach is always in the hood of Newark, NJ. So, I am hearing from a source of mine that Treach was at a club called Lounge 13 and he was with some dude. Suddenly, somebody is in the street and it appears to be Treach whomping the mess out of somebody something ferocious! In the process of this alleged scrap, somebody clocked Treach with a sucker punch! Treach caught one, but I heard he is OK. Somebody is going to send me some pictures so we’ll see the real deal, if there is one.

AMY TO DIE SLOW?

Enough! Amy Winehouse was reportedly caught with coke in her nose. Her dad has admitted we’re going to watch Amy die. He says, “She will die. But it won’t be from a drugs overdose. She will die from emphysema. That will be the most likely scenario if she doesn’t check her behavior. We are talking about a long, slow, painful death – gasping for air. I would like all the people who would give her illegal substances to think about that.” What’s he smoking?

ILLSEED’S QUICKIES

Bout Time: Flesh-N-Bone is finally out of jail from what I heard. I heard he walked yesterday!

Pissy! Porscia Coleman, Russell Simmons former girlfriend, has deflected rumors that she and Russ broke up, because he is a control freak. “Russell is my best friend,” she said.

008: Alicia Keys rumored to be recording the new James Bond theme, an honor that was supposed to go to Amy Winehouse. Keys got this.

Pay To Appear! My boy DC Ca$hville told me that a new hot club opened in Nashville. I heard a gang of people showed up like Gabrielle Union, Kim Kardashian, Whitney Houston, Kid Rock, Ex NFL player Eddie George and Snoop Dogg.

Smart, Amy! Amy Winehouse has reportedly opened a club but her fans were saddened. Apparently, Amy was supposed to be showing off her DJ’ing skills. She never went on.

Angelina Jolie Delivers: She had a boy and a girl. Congrats.

AKA: Michele Obama was reportedly inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Over the weekend, they celebrated their 100th anniversary.

RANDOM QUOTES

Gene Simmons of KISS has fallen in love with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

“She told me it was OK to call her Condi. I find her very sexy.”

Bernie Mac after saying some crass remarks at a Barack Obama fundraiser in Chi-Town:

“People like rumors. They’re going to say things like you was at the club with Lil’ Kim, and you and Kanye West got into a fist fight. You can’t get upset. You’ve got to keep hope alive.” [Read more of this below, thanks to Shelz!]

SHELZ’S ARBITRARY MOMENTS

Can hair rollers save the Brown Estate?

Damn near the entirety of what is left of James Brown is going to be hawked to the highest bidder. Now this isn’t all that odd, as many a dead star has had their stuff on the block at Christies considering a lot of family members become so damn money hungry after the death of their famous loved one. But in normal form, the folk hovering around Mr. Brown’s estate can’t agree on anything. Some folk want the auction to happen, some don’t. And of the folk who are down for the auction, they can’t agree on where the money should go. There is some foundation that some feel the money should go to and others want to see it go directly to the estate, which last I checked, was running in the red. But yooo…. They are even auctioning his hair rollers. (SMH) Christies believes it’s about a million dollars worth of memorabilia.

Bernie Mac gets the hook at Obama Fundraiser

Bernie Mac’s stand-up had the folks in Chicago looking for Sandman this past Friday. I am assuming when the person who put together the fundraiser for Barak Obama considered Bernie Mac as a performer, they were thinking of the Bernie Mac Show Bernie. But instead they got the Def Comedy Jam Bernie and folks were not happy with his choice of material. His normal fare was met by heckles and requests for him to get off of the stage by the audience who paid over $2,000 dollars per person to attend the event. Once Mr. Obama took the stage, he admonished the comedian saying it was a family event and he needed to clean it up. You know, Mac’s routine has never changed, ever. Maybe the staffer who thought he would be a good choice never saw Kings of Comedy.

Q-Tips gets at Mos Def’s Wife

So Mrs. Def is doing the obligatory press tour to market her book when she ends up on Lip Service (Shade 45’s prime time Monday night show). Now we all know that the Crew on this show do not cater to their guests and they unleashed a surprise on this chick; Q-Tip. If you don’t know, Q-Tip and Mos are friends and Tip came in blazing. He yelled that the girl was foul; that she was sh*tting on niccas. He said she was just using Mos to sell her book and putting their personal info out there was just wrong. The crew pretty much clowned her during the entire interview and I don’t think she ever got it. So, I really hope she sells enough copies of her book to get through school because she seems a little dense to me.

[Illseed note: you can hear this in the podcast section on AHH.]

Is Busta too gangsta for Britain? Looks like he may be. I’m hearing that Busta was supposed to be involved in a free concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on September 26th  for London’s volunteerism campaign, but due to his lengthy legal woes that may not be an option.Spokesperson for the U-K Border Agency says, “We continue to oppose entry to the U-K of individuals where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offences abroad.“ If denied entry Busta will be among many who have been turned away including Martha Stewart! guess we know who wont be killin em in the UK!  Ouch… Meet Dave Only Makes $5 Mil…… Are You Surprised? Really…. Looks like Gabrielle Union has found another way to send her career into recession! Her new film Meet Dave which she co stars along Eddie Murphy only made a measly $5.5 million this past weekend. The messed up part about it is that it played in over 3,000 theaters and still got no burn! Not for nothing but why did Eddie even think this movie was worth the trouble! I hear he’s looking at retiring…. Now may be the best time! As for Gabby you still have your looks but those only last for so long….. I hear Russ is taking applications! Not tryna be funny just getting my match maker on damn! 😉 Time for me to suck up to my boss!     Can a sista get a raise now 😉 (When I  get those nudes or a number…sure!) 

Ice Cubes Back…….  And if this aint enough for you thirsty peeps check out the track list now: 1. What is a Pyroclastic Flow?2. Jack In the Box3. It Takes a Nation4. Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It5. Hood Mentality6. Why Me? (ft. Musiq Soulchild)7. Cold Places8. Do Ya Thang9. Thank God10. Here He Come11. Get Money, Spend Money, No Money12. Get Use To It (ft. The Game & WC)13. Crack Baby14. Tomorrow15. Stand Tall16. Take Me Away (ft. Butch Cassidy) Cop the album on Aug 19th! Lady Dramas Food for Thought: Does anyone else respect Terrence a hell of a lot more since he showcased his gangsta on 106 & Park the other day? Is it just me or does Cube look like he just stepped off the set of higher learning on his album cover! What up Fudge!    Will Yung Berg ever recover from his statement? And furthermore will his pu$$…. rate ever recover? Cause I know he’s facing a serious drought now a days? And for those who want to know what I’m working with behind this keyboard you’ll see sooner than later! Ill keep you posted! What up friend in my head INE&J! 

Go hard or go home! Till next time 😉  ILL PICSMy homey sent this to me. Not a bit of disrespect to Rick Ross, but this is funny!

I’m not sure if Nore’s weight gain is funny. I know he’s always been eatin’, but is he still on the run? He and Ross the Boss need to start a group.

The whole crew has a shirt but Nore. I think this is a bid for Celebrity Weight Loss.

YESTERDAY, WE LOVE YOU!

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

-illseed

WHO: illseed

WHAT: Rumors

WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed

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

– allhiphop rumors

Yung Joc Sued Over $25K Stereo System

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Rapper Yung Joc is set to appear in court on Monday (July 14) to dispute an unpaid bill for high-end stereo equipment.

 

According to WSBTV channel 2, the case involves fraud and contract disputes between the Atlanta rapper (born Jasiel Robinson) and a company called “Stereotypes.”

 

The conflict stems from claims by Stereotypes that Robinson did not pay the company for installing high-end stereo equipment in his car.

 

According to court documents, services provided by Stereotypes totaled nearly $25,000 dollars.

 

The pending trial will take place at the Fulton County Courthouse.

 

The news comes as Robinson, who recently signed a deal with Jive Records, is planning to release the debut album of Chicago-based rap trio Hot Stylz.

 

The group, which is enjoying the success of its hit single “Lookin’ Boy,” is one of the artists affiliated with Robinson’s imprint, Swagg Team Entertainment.

Coolio Encourages Students To Go ‘Green’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Grammy award-winning rap star Coolio is leading the charge to educate students at historically black colleges and university’s (HBCU’s) about the global warming crisis.

 

The rapper will join jazz saxophonist Jarez as spokespersons for the EJCC HBCU Initiative, a program organized by the Environmental Justice and Climate Change’s (EJCC).

 

The effort was officially launched Friday (July 11) on “Just Environment,” an EJCC-sponsored urban talk radio program that addresses environmental issues through informative discussions of problems and solutions for healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

 

The show, hosted by Na’Taki Osborne Jelks, airs weekly at noon on WCLK 91.9 and live online at www.wclk.com.

 

According to EJCC director Nia Robinson, the new campaign is geared toward engaging a “diverse group of African American youth in the fight for climate justice.”

 

“Whether they’re old school hip-hop fans, jazz enthusiasts, or among the neo-soul crew, we want them focused on climate change,” said Robinson, who voiced EJCC’s excitement with helping Coolio and Jarez reach out to fans to promote she called “environmental sustainability.”

 

A partnership with former Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection’s “We” campaign, the EJCC HBCU initiative is dedicated towards encouraging black youth to discuss climate change.

 

As part of the effort, the EJCC will train and organize students on black college campuses to promote the greening of university grounds, grow support for climate justice and encourage HBCU presidents to sign on to a presidents climate commitment.

 

“The effects of climate change fall disproportionately on people of color, Indigenous Peoples, and low-income communities,” said Robinson about the importance of student involvement in the initiative. “Black college students must be on the frontlines educating their communities and contributing their voices to the policy debate.”

 

The EJCC HBCU initiative is among a string of happenings involving Coolio, who is currently working on his forthcoming CD, Steal Hear, and preparing for the debut of his new reality show Coolio’s Rules.

 

The series, which will air on The Oxygen Channel this fall, revolves around Coolio’s life as a family man with his children.

Peep Game: Xbox Drop Hits Target! Mirror’s Edge Best of ’08? Rock Band 2 Gets Real; Soul Calibur IV Updates

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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E3 is next week, so be on the lookout for a complete Peep

Game dedicated to the news extravaganza and conference. This isn’t to say that

this week isn’t exciting.

 

With news reports on sleeper Mirror’s Edge, a karaoke game called Lips, Rock Band 2 and a

couple of trailers featuring everyone’s favorite hedgehog and psychologically

deranged cop, and there is a little something for everybody.

 

Past that, there is a special Played and Pre-Order focusing

on Soul Calibur IV.

 

For our weekly readers, you can tell how much we are

anticipating this based on just the amount we report on it, (shout out to the

IC’s Jenetix…looking for that rematch), and the fact that the first

frenzied video from Gamer’s Studio was a crazy matchup of Soul Calibur III.

 

Interested? We’re keeping that footage for the Peep Game special. For now, you have plenty to read. Let’s get to it.

 

Big News

 

Mirror’s Edge – Game of the Year Candidate?

 

To be honest, I have been a fan of this game since getting

wind of it last year. It seems to be a genre shattering experience in the

making. The lead character is a journalist named Faith, whose main weapons are

her agility and knowledge of the backstreets.

 

Now with actual play tests and visuals coming in, the game

looks just as advertised. More news is assured to be coming out about it during

E3, but if you have been sleeping, here is a trailer:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N1TJP1cxmo

 

Xbox 360 Price Cut

 

It’s all but official. Target is now listing the XBOX 360 Pro units at $299, which is

dangerously close to the Nintendo Wii

industry low $250. Just in time for E3, and the likely slew of first party

games that will be announced (Gears of

War 2) and preannounced ( Fable 2,

Too Human ) to garner some excitement.

 

Lips – The 360 Karaoke

experience

 

Microsoft is trying to cash in on the ever-so-popular

musical recreation genre with their new karaoke game, Lips. Sounds farfetched, but it’s actually a real game, already in

production. Your goal is to mimic some of your favorite songs, much like a

karaoke night, minus the binge drinking.

 

Coming with it is a wireless mic that has glowing LED’s to

measure your progress. Not much is known at this point; expect more news to

come out during E3.

 

Rock Band 2 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby!

 

Rock Band is an

experience no doubt. Getting your friends and mashing on the controllers on

expert can make you feel like bona fied rock stars. But, what if the

instruments were real? According to PS3 Fanboy, that is what Rock Band 2 Developer Harmonix &

Instrument “Developer” Ion will be releasing – a drum kit that will have pads

and cymbals. Not just that, there is word that Harmonix may be working on

getting some actual guitars and turning them into controllers for the games.

Insane.

 

It isn’t all gravy though. There is a lawsuit pending

against Harmonix from Konami because they are “simulating musical instruments.”

This may not be as frivolous, as main competitor Activision actually went to

Konami and got the licensing to avoid this. More on this as it develops.

 

Playstation 3

Changes? According to Wal-Mart…

 

According to Wal-Mart and Engadget, they are going to stop

stocking the Playstation 3 40 GB’s for something new. I don’t believe this

means the end of the 40 GB, more so news that will be confirmed at E3 – that

all Playstation 3 models will be attached with the DualShock3, instead of the three-ounce-soaking-wet

SIXAXIS.

 

Wii Keyboard – Logic

3

 

For those who don’t like simply hooking up your USB keyboard

to your Wii, Logic 3 has a solution for you. It’s an small add-on that will

seem really convenient if your stuck on your Smartphone (journalists/ business professionals…you’d

already feel at home here) as it uses its design, and its size to add on to

your Nintendo Wii. Problem is, it comes out across the pond in the UK. The price

point is £14.99, or about 30 duckets American.

 

Trailers! Max Payne and Sonic Unleashed

 

Max Payne, Rockstar’s

other other franchise, has a decent cult following. Because of it, it will be

the first franchise from Take Two’s savior to get a movie. Quite deserving of

it, its neo-noir feel provides for quite the captivating story, starring

rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg. Slated to hit theaters October 8, this may

be one to watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JboQmDIdKWs

 

Sonic Unleashed is

the next game to try to break from the shadow of the last great Sonic

adventure…aptly named Sonic Adventure.

People were excited to see that it took Sonic back to his roots, blurring speed

and breathtaking acrobatics. Hopefully it won’t come with the slowdown and awkward

camera angles that seem to plague the series over the last few years.

 

Algol Joins Soul Calibur IV Roster

 

Whispers of this appearance are now confirmed. Character

designer Hideo Yoshie said, “He was the strongest character ever in the SC

series.” He processes the Soul Edge and the Soul Calibur, wielding them both at

once. He also has 10 other weapons built into him and can fly. The only thing I

can say is, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Ha!

 

Played

 

SoulBlade

Platform: PSX

Developer: Namco

Originally Released: November 17,

1997

 

“A battle of soul and swords…” It’s opening statement that

breeds intrigue. What most people didn’t know then, but know now, is that it

would be opening phrase for a series that had captivated the fighting game

genre and would still be held relevant six games in the series.

 

Everything must start with a first step, and SoulBlade may have been a leap. It

brought over the concept of weapons based fighting, something that had been

relatively rare this side of the Pacific, with characters who were quite

endearing. It introduced us to Mitsurugi, Voldo, Taki, Siegfried and the crew,

and was just a very solid fighter, that had a wide variety of playing styles

and some balance.

 

For those looking for a trip back, this one may be one you

have to dig for. Its very rare for a store to carry around PSX games anymore,

which means rolling the dice on Ebay or hoping a friend has it stashed

somewhere in the back of his game room. If you do have it stashed, take a

moment and revisit this one. Who knows? You just may find yourself having some

fun.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxrpyv8SNS4

Pre- Order

 

Soul Calibur IV

Platform: PS3, Xbox 360

Developer: Project Soul

Release Date: July 25, 2008

 

Soul Caliber IV,

the aforementioned sixth game of that series of soul and swords. With each

piece of news coming in about this title, it begins to get that much more

anticipated. Surely to bring even more fire to the doors of E3 this year, Soul

Calibur IV may be in a class above with another miscounted IV game (Street Fighter IV) in a year that will

bring us a ton of fighting games.

 

If you don’t read this column usually, here is some visual

treats that will be sure to get you on the Soul Calibur bandwagon like we are.

A Peep Game special is forthcoming about the franchise, which will chronicle

its beginnings with Soul Blade, and bring those who haven’t played it up to

speed on just how great this series is. For now though, just enjoy the trailer.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar8gE1xXjBM