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Benzino: The Interview

Dave Mays and Ray Benzino of The Source Magazine have been relatively quiet since being forcibly removed from control of the long-running Hip-Hop magazine by the publication’s board of directors. Benzino, the more vocal of the two, says his detractors are celebrating far too fast. The Boston-bred rapper/executive breaks his brief silence and says that the pair will unequivocally regain the reigns of “the Bible of Hip-Hop.” Without further intro, read the thoughts, plans and views of Ray Benzino.

AllHipHop.com: So, yeah a lot of people are just wondering what’s going on from your perspective. I mean we’ve seen reports and things like that, but what’s going on from your point of view?

Benzino: I’m just saying you got a situation where you got a whole bunch of people trying to basically give their, I mean it’s a situation where Black Enterprises is a [company of] Black uppity-ass n***as, okay? Who don’t know about Hip-Hop, you got a whole culture of these writers or these people just stay in the f**king house don’t even know what it is to be in f**king society as a f**king normal human being. Who basically just want to see me and Dave [Mays] fall. Like this Jeremy Miller, that’s like Dave’s “son,” just like Elliott Wilson [of XXL magazine] and Mimi [Valdes of VIBE magazine], they all came up through The Source magazine. At the end of the day, me and Dave are still 82% shareholders.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I heard about that.

Benzino: I mean you got to look at the people that are involved in it. You know Jeremy Miller – It’s like they don’t represent what a Hip-Hop is, you understand what I’m saying?

AllHipHop.com: Right.

Benzino: You got Jeff Scott and you know Butch Graves and Earl Graves. They don’t represent Hip-Hop. They don’t give a f**k about the Hood. They don’t care about n***as in the f**king street, about n***as being locked up. All these mother f**kers are doing is just selling out a whole f**king culture.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. From a business perspective do you feel that they’re just protecting their interests, aside from the culture?

Benzino: [It] should be our interests. You know what I’m saying, should be our interests. This isn’t about their interests. When they came in with their money and that bulls**t contract that they had that Dave sign, that was about them to try to take over the magazine. You understand they invested in the magazine, the number one Hip-Hop bible on the newsstand. That basically brought every other f**king magazine out there.

AllHipHop.com: Right, no doubt. So I mean are you guys in the process of trying —

Benzino: Without The Source there is no XXL, there is no f**king AllHipHop.com, there is no Ozone, there’s none of that without The Source. You understand what I’m saying. The Source [has been] around since 1988 – documented. We been covering the politics of it, the music of it, everything about it. There’s nothing bigger than The Source. It’s an institution. These mother f**kers don’t know nothing about the culture. All they want to do is try to reap the f**king benefits.

AllHipHop.com: Right, right. How was it that they were able to do that considering that you guys are still 82% —

Benzino: They had a clause in their contract that said that if the company went in default they could add two board members. They add two board members, now they control the board. I’m a street n***a, you know what I’m saying. I don’t f**king know about no board s**t. I never went to one board meeting. I’m not a board n***a, I’m a street n***a and a sharp n***a. When Zino brought something, when we did the f**king Source Awards, we brought the ‘hood to TV. He wants to represent the ‘hood there’s, there’s no award show representing the ‘hood. It’s almost like people are embarrassed to be a part of the ‘hood, but want to benefit from the economics from the ‘hood. Enough of that, know what I’m saying, enough of that. That’s why Russell Simmons, Steve Stoute, Chris Lighty, all these coward a** n***as have to run around with f**king security. These n***as don’t rap, what the f**k is their excuse for running around with security?

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, no doubt. Well what about Jeremy is he —

Benzino: F**k Jeremy. You understand what I’m saying? Jeremy went down and started some magazine called Down magazine. His partner went out on him, the magazine was about to fold. Nobody knew about that. We started this empire. You can say what you want about us but our legacy is already f**king in [history], it’s already written. If me and Dave [die] tomorrow our f**king history is already written in the magazine. There’s a lot of f**king weirdo writers out there, journalists who wished they could say that.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of journalists, what happened with [former Source Editor-in-Chief] Dasun Allah? Do you know what happened with that?

Benzino: I’m saying Dasun is one of the best writers we ever had up there who understands the cause, but Dasun is a real emotional cat. And sometimes his emotion is a passion, just like myself and it ends up guiding his path. So you know he’s gonna be alright whether he’s up at The Source or wherever he is, Dasun is gonna be alright.

AllHipHop.com: Cool.

Benzino: Those cheap mother f**kers [former Source employees]. They always been clowns from day one, man. They always been guys that never could be accepted so like this is like their revenge right here. Watching me and Dave in the newspaper getting ousted in The Source. [Click here to listen] But, guess what, I’m coming back, yo. I’m coming back and I might come back on a f**king horse.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I hear you, so you think, you are in the process of getting The Source back or trying to get it back or —

Benzino: I’m coming back in on a f**king horse. Let me tell you something. I got lawyers so good that Jeff and Jeremy will be doing magazines in Alaska.

AllHipHop.com: So you mean you are going to try to get The Source back or in the process of doing that?

Benzino: I’m coming back in on a f**king horse.

AllHipHop.com: Ok, so how’s Dave doing, mentally wise, you know what I’m saying, is he straight?

Benzino: You mean the man that basically started a one page newsletter in 1988 to the biggest Hip-Hop media f**king conglomerate ever? I think he’s doing just fine, buddy.

AllHipHop.com: Oh, okay. You know, I’m sure that some things that went down probably that bothered him.

Benzino: Dave’s like this: We stood up for something. You understand what I’m saying. While this c**ksucker Jeremy’s going to try to suck Jimmy [Iovine] and Eminem, we stood up for something, you understand what I’m saying? We stood up for something. We stood up for the ‘hood. Interscope, they damn near control AllHipHop.com. They control XXL. Believe me, when I am back up in power at The Source, Eminem will never be in the pages of the Source again.

AllHipHop.com: What about the Ozone incident [Ozone named Benzino "Most Successful Extortionist" in their 2005 wrap-up issue]. Do you have any different feelings about that or —

Benzino: Oh man, don’t ask me about that f**king s**t monkey w####, man.

AllHipHop.com: Nah, I was just saying, I mean, would you have done it differently?

Benzino: What?

AllHipHop.com: I’m saying in hindsight, do you have any different thoughts about it or you know —

Benzino: Yeah, in hindsight I wish I would have seen her so I could spit in her f**king face, in hindsight.

Benzino: Any mother f**ker who wants to write something bad about me, I’m f**king coming to their doorstep.

AllHipHop.com: Alright. What about, you know I mean do you feel that everybody’s against you all, like why is that? Why is it that people are this way around The Source when everybody basically —

Benzino: It’s the journalists and fake people. Real people love me. See that’s where you n***as got tunnel vision. Like the street and people that get pushed away, they love me. When [Ozone] published my number, I’ve gotten love from Africa to Iraq to f**king Toronto to like all across the world, yo. Mother f**kers want a real n***a, not a n***a that sits up in an office and f**king puts another name on a story that I write. I’m not a n***a that isn’t scared to walk in any ‘hood in this f**king country.

AllHipHop.com: We heard that a lot of people did call you and did get good responses from you on the phone. People emailed us and told us that.

Benzino: Part of the problem is the industry, this big thing called Hip-Hop, the most greatest thing to ever happen to the f**king Black and Latino culture of America, part of the problem is that the youth have taken it and the people that are controlling it aren’t being responsible with it. It’s a simple fact.

AllHipHop.com: OK.

Benzino: Irresponsible stuff is happening. You know over radio and everything, man you know what I’m saying. And like at the end of the day people, people just ain’t real man. You know what I’m saying people just, I don’t know what it is man, but it’s like just a lot of people who are just miserable with themselves, you know what I’m saying. Like I can produce, you know what I’m saying. I can executive produce a major f**king TV show [The Source Awards] that got major ratings, the f**king sixth most watched show in the history of BET. I can direct videos. You know what I’m saying? I can do everything there is. I can run a magazine. I can do everything there is about Hip-Hop and I can stand up for something and f**king risk it all because of something where I believe in. So I don’t, you just don’t find too many mother f**kers like that cause I never been celebrity type n***a. I’ve always that in love Hip-Hop. I put my first record out in 1987, 88, you know.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, we know.

Benzino: I was on the cover holding a gun with a f**king Adidas sweatsuit with some Cazals on, cuz. I had a hit record with “Rock The Party. I been on Motown Records, I been across the country performing, cuz. I done f**ked some of the baddest b**ches in the industry, cuz.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, no doubt. I heard rumors about you and Trina.

Benzino: Let me tell you something. That’s like Trina’s cool, I got nothing bad to say about Trina, but that’s just one of them. So it, cuz, it’s nothing. And Trina can still f**k with anybody and give n***as time and converse with anybody. I don’t put myself over people.

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people, including myself are very concerned with the way that Hip-Hop is going and the lack of control. How do you feel that can be resolved, like how can we regain the reins of Hip-Hop and —

Benzino: We gotta first get this monopoly strangle-hold off of Hip-Hop and recognize who are the perpetrators of that. We got to recognize that this isn’t just a product, this is a culture of people. And it’s f**ked it all up, a f**ked up a culture of people. This just isn’t music where it’s music, this controls our every day living. And it’s f**ked up the lives of a lot of mother f**king kids. I think the internet is being very irresponsible the way people can just post messages up and say anything and somebody spew any kind of hate.

It’s a whole bunch of s**t. Radio personalities become more bigger than the artists they’re playing, like it’s all out of control. You know like there’s a lot of people responsible for it.

AllHipHop.com: If by chance, you and Dave are not able to gain control of The Source what will you do?

Benzino: [Click here to listen] Son, you’re not listening to me. You’re not listening to me, man. I’m coming back on a f**king horse, man. There is no “what if..” or “If me and Dave ain’t..” Hey, if you want the exclusive I’m telling you what the f**k it is man. I’m coming back up there and heads are rolling. You know what I’m saying, Jeremy or anybody else they got up there. I’m telling you what it is. There’s no “if me and Dave don’t.” When me and Dave are back in power, I’m coming back on a f**king horse.

AllHipHop.com: I hear you, I hear you. Okay, how soon you think that’s gonna go down? You know that –

Benzino: You know I don’t want to say that cause I don’t bite myself in the ass there. And like one thing’s for sure, also like I stepped my game 100%, set up like on my music, too you understand? And like my new album when I drop it, know what I’m saying is gonna f**k a lot of n***as up. Like a lot of n***as think that they’re so lyrical or think that they make great songs. I’m about to f**k up a lot of n***as up, man. F**k how old I am, f**k everything else, like I said the other day, there’s a whole bunch of n***as in the game that are in the 35 to 40 year old realm that are running Hip-Hop. That’s the age. It is what it is. Guess what? I can still f**king f**k with a 21-year-old real n***a and f**king be shoulder to shoulder with him. That’s what the difference is.

AllHipHop.com: What else about your album? Is it coming out soon or —

Benzino: I would think we’re probably gonna drop it in March. It ain’t on no s**t about [dissing] that f**king d####### or none of that s**t. It’s about me stepping my lyrical game up, great music and it’s for a crowd that is a little bit older, you understand what I’m saying? It’s also good enough for the young n***as to understand. It’s a more calmed down lyrical version, man. I got my little situation going like with the federal case up in Boston-fighting that, you know? So don’t believe into the hype, you know. Zino’s alright. Zino’s doing all right, Zino’s doing good, you can’t believe the hype about anything with the newspapers and everything. Like every thing’s good with me. I’m still f**kin’ with my Untouchable n***as, my Southside Bomber n***as. I’m still not bowing down to nobody.

AllHipHop.com: Right.

Benzino: And Funk Master Flex. I remember one day when I went up there and Ashton [Flex] pulled me to the side and talked about how he didn’t think he was gonna be up there too much longer and how The Source would really have to support him and his car thing and everything It’s cool. and you know so what happened with Ashton was there was a story coming out that wasn’t written by me. There was a story coming out, he thought that it was in The Source, I had put the story on hold when it came across me because of our relationship. He got a little scared and felt that because you know we had moles all through the f**king office, calling and saying s**t. He got scared and said some s**t on the radio and that’s why I said, f**k it. He wants to try and go against me and my company, as Angie [Martinez] does. Okay well f**k it and let’s just put it out there. The difference with Funk Master Flex and our s**t is all our s**t is true about him. Everything he says about I’m wack, my music, that right there is based on somebody’s opinion. Funk Master Flex is responsible for making New York a special city that birthed Hip-Hop to just another city that is just playing everything from Down South or Mid-West now.

AllHipHop.com: Right.

Benzino: So he can say what he wants behind those heavily guarded walls. There’s a lot of banana peels out there, homey. Lot of banana peels, yo. I hope Ashton doesn’t slip on one. And, if he’s so hot, why did his album come out and only do 11,000 in the first week? And the car shows are starting to get wack. What does he have now?

AllHipHop.com: Well, he has the radio…

Benzino: Well, he’s playing all the songs off his album on the radio and still couldn’t sell no albums. London Bridges is falling down.

AllHipHop.com: Hip-Hop is in such a chaotic state, I just want to know what’s really good with Hip-Hop, because…

Benzino: It got monopolized by a few people. Why don’t people understand that? That’s the reason Hip-Hop is the way it is. Stop asking that dumb a** question.

AllHipHop.com: Right. Anything else that you wanted to speak on like —

Benzino: After, after I get back in power I want to be known as Benzino the f**king Great.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, yeah if you get The Source back, you probably will.

Benzino: Let people know the name is Zino the Great, all right?

AllHipHop.com: One more thing. What’s the status on the BET lawsuit?

Benzino: Well BET had a two year contract okay. To show The Source was it, The Source was the sixth most watched show in the history of BET. There was a contract laid out okay. It became personal, they didn’t want the ‘hood. They didn’t want to be a part of the Hood, you know. As great as the BET Awards are and I have a great deal of respect for Bob Johnson and who’s the lady up there, Debra Lee? I have a great deal of respect for them but at the end of the day, when they turn their back on the ‘hood, The Source is the ‘hood. So they were suppose to honor that contract and they didn’t and we have legal rights to go at them, okay? And that’s all we’re doing, is exercising our legal rights and anybody else would do the same thing. They had a two-year contract and then they pulled out.

AllHipHop.com: Right, right. What about the Kim Osorio sexual lawsuit stuff? Is that still pending or is that, I thought I heard —

Benzino: We will be vindicated. They brought in these independent people [investigators], to come interview and found a "no finding." These are people that come in from New York and if that’s the case, sexual harassment that they came in and had a “no finding,” I don’t know the name of these people but you know what I’m saying, at the end of the day, it was what it was. Her closet isn’t so clean.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, okay. Well, that’s about it. Anything else or is that about it?

Benzino: Benzino the Great. I’m coming in a f**king horse. Oh and please put that thing about my lawyers are so great, that Jeff and f**king Jeremy will be doing Honey magazine in Alaska, okay. They’ll be printing magazines in Alaska. So, tell them to dress warm.

AllHipHop.com: By the way, where are you? Are you in New York?

Benzino: I’m in every ‘hood on this globe. That’s where I’m at.

Benzino: All right, my n***a.

AllHipHop.com: Thanks. I’m going to wait and see.

Benzino: Wait and see, like when it’s all said and done, you’ll be reading the stories to your grandkids about me. The will come to you and say, "Daddy who is this great man, Zino the Great? Who was this great man, granddad? And didn’t give in to the corporate c**k sucking. Who was this great man and that never walked with security a whole f**king day in his life?"

D-Maq: California Love

Much like the: ‘Which came first the chicken or the egg?’ argument, we may never truly know if a hit is a hit because of the producer or the artist, but whatever the case it’s most assuredly a collaborative effort. Artists like Ice Cube, Tupac, Kurupt and W.C. aren’t willing to gamble one way or the other that’s why they’ve continually sought the techniques of multi-platinum west coast beat maker Derrick “D-Maq” McDowell. If his name isn’t familiar, his music most definitely is with songs like “Tadow”, “I Wonder If Heaven’s Got a Ghetto”, “R U Still Down?” and “California Love” (remix) to his credit. Since the days of N.W.A., D-Maq has played his position in West Coast Hip-Hop with his first professional studio session resulting in Tupac picking three tracks one being, Strictly 4 My N#####. Back in the studio, with his long time production partner Lay Law, D-Maq just put his finishing touches on new albums from W.C. and Cube. Reminiscing on ‘Pac and the past while preparing for what’s to come, D-Maq shares with AllHipHop.com his perspective on being behind the boards creating timeless hits time and time again.

AllHipHop.com: Where did you learn how to produce?

D-Maq: I was at the liquor store with my friends, and I met this lady and she started telling me she sang and had all this equipment at her house. I hooked up with her and she basically taught me how to hook up everything. So, I learned all of my midi implementation and all that stuff over there. That’s the first time I used a sequencer. She had a keyboard hooked up to her sequencer and a drum machine hooked up to the keyboard, you know. I spent a lot of time over there getting my skills up and learning everything I could. After that I thought I’d get my own equipment and I started meeting different people going to different studios and working with more underground groups and things like that, in the midst of all that, came the opportunities.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, so we are going to fast-forward a bit. How did you start working with Cube?

D-Maq: That was through Lay Law. Him and Cube grew up together, plus he was part of N.W.A., so I had a direct line to him, Dre and everybody else.

AllHipHop.com: Being a successful West Coast producer with some of enormous hits in your own right, how do you compete with other heavy weights like Dre and Quik? Where do you fit in?

D-Maq: Well, I think I try and set myself apart by not being so one-dimensional. The thing I like about myself though is nothing I do sounds the same; everything I do has its own personality. Some people when they try to be different and people hear that they’re trying to be different; it might not always be received because people want to hear what’s familiar. They want to hear the old Quik. I want to hear the old Quik. Thing is everybody doesn’t know Quik like we do, he always reinvents himself. So I think its good and it works for me to do everything different.

AllHipHop.com: When West Coast artists you’ve worked with beef with each other, do you feel caught in the middle?

D-Maq: Well a lot of times it’s usually business, it’s never personal. Like Mack 10 was mad at me for a long time because I made that “Tadow” beat and I let him write to it but I wasn’t getting necessarily what I thought I should get, so I took it to Cube. Cube did his thing with it and it worked out, Mack 10 got introduced on that song. Everybody saw his face for the first time on that song. Ya know he was just a part of the song and as a result he was upset with me for some years behind it. Even though we had supposedly squashed it, you know you can always feel the under tones. You know, so I just kinda went the other way but that’s the only time I’ve ever really had any problems.

AllHipHop.com: So why did you have to sue Dre?

D-Maq: Basically, there was bad communication because Dre was leaving Death Row. And because no one was speaking, it made it hard for me to collect. After waiting a year and a half, my partner and I decided to do what we were supposed to do, sue everyone involved. As a result of that, the “California Love Remix” deal was reorganized and everyone, including Dre got paid.

AllHipHop.com: I know you guys settled out of court and you got paid from it, but do you get credited with “California Love”?

D-Maq: Definitely, I get a check for it so I definitely get credit for it. It wasn’t a big deal we just went in there and had one deposition, then it was over. It wasn’t like he was trying to beat us up or nothing. He was just leaving Death Row; he didn’t want anything to do with them.

AllHipHop.com: That’s crazy, I am sure producers have all kinds of crazy stories like that. How has that affected the way you do business now vs. then?

D-Maq: Well now communication is a lot better.

AllHipHop.com: How many times do you think you’ve gotten got as a producer?

D-Maq: Oh, just one time. I didn’t really care about it because it was the first thing I did, and I was getting paid under the table for it because I wasn’t supposed to be out front on that one. I took it on the chin, but a few years later when another issue came up with the same artist I reached back and I got that too. They didn’t even put up a fight, they knew. I’ve gotten paid for everything I’ve done. If somebody ever did try to get me, I turned around and reached into their pocket because my attorney, she don’t play. Generally, it is not a problem though.

AllHipHop.com: I know some people who would’ve given a lung to work with Pac or Cube what is one of your most memorable Pac experiences?

D-Maq: It would have to be April 29, 1992 while we recorded Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. during the Rodney King trial. We were recording at Echo Sound Studios and watching the trial at the same time. When the verdict came down, Pac was so p##### that he flipped the lyrics to the song as we watched everything unfold on TV. When we finished our session, we hit the street and we were all over the place.

AllHipHop.com: So what’s going on with the new Cube album?

D-Maq: Well, I have six songs on it. Cube is coming with some different s**t. We have a song called “Polla Seeds” that’s sick.

Feds Hit Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff With New Murder Charge

The federal government

has charged Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff with the murder of a Queens, New

York drug dealer adding to a list of charges the Murder Inc. associate faces in

his upcoming March trial.

McGriff and five

associates were arraigned today (Jan. 26). McGriff has officially been charged

with the murder of a Southeast Queens drug dealer named Troy Singleton, a man

50 Cent mentions on his song "Ghetto Qu’ran."

/I’m forgettin

Lefty and Jazz, Pretty Tony and Lance Head Lou, Mel son, Troy and E Money Bags/

50 Cent raps.

Singleton was murdered

execution style on Oct, 28, 2001. He died from four shots to the body and one

to the head outside a sports bar, the Club Van Wyck.

Prosecutors allege

McGriff ordered Singleton’s slaying as revenge for an earlier double homicide

Singleton allegedly committed.

According to Ethan

Brown’s book "Queen’s

Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip-Hop Hustler,"

Singleton and an unknown accomplice allegedly murdered two men named Pierre

Mitchell and Jamal Adams, during a basketball game near the Baisley Park Houses.

Prosecutors also

claim Singleton was murdered for pistol whipping Ja Rule’s manager Ron "Gutta"

Robinson outside a Queens, New York nightclub.

"The feds

were going to introduce the Troy Singleton murder as so-called ‘uncharged evidence’

in Preme’s trial," Ethan Brown told AllHipHop.com. "But clearly, given

their loss in the Murder Inc. case they are taking no chances and firming up

whatever allegations they have against ‘Preme [McGriff] into actual charges."

The charges are

the latest against McGriff, who could be charged with the death penalty if convicted.

In Dec. of 2005, the U.S. Attorney’s office confirmed they will introduce evidence

that McGriff orchestrated the May 2000 shooting of rapper 50 Cent.

Prosecutors have

already charged McGriff with the slaying of Queens, New York rapper Eric "E

Money Bags" Smith. Prosecutors claim McGriff ordered the murder of E Money

Bags in retaliation for the murder of his closest associates, Colbert "Black

Just" Johnson.

E Money Bags was

murdered in May 2001. He was shot 10 times after gunman open fire on the rapper’s

SUV, as he sat parked on a Queens street.

The government

attempted to introduce 50 Cent’s May 200 shooting during the federal money laundering

charges of The Inc.’s Irv and Chris Lorenzo.

Prosecutors accused

the Lorenzo brothers of helping McGriff launder millions in drug proceeds, but

a jury acquitted the brothers of all charges in Dec. of 2005.

During the trial,

the government accused Ja Rule’s bodyguard, Robert “Sun” Lyonsof

shooting 50 Cent at McGriff’s behest.

50 Cent has stated

in numerous printed interviews and in songs that the person who shot him was

Darryl “Hommo” Baum.

In addition to

the murders, McGriff is charged with racketeering and various narcotics charges.

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Tupac Amaru Shakur Center To Host “I Love Africa”

The Tupac Amaru

Shakur Center for the Arts (TASCA) is set to host author Felton Eaddy’s “I Love

Africa” Traveling Museum.

In celebration

of Black History Month 2006, Eaddy’s highly-acclaimed collection will be featured

at the Center, which was built to honor slain rapper Tupac Shakur.

"I Love Africa"

will be on display for part of the month of Feb. and the traveling museum maintains

a 125-piece art collection, of which as many as 40 works are shared with students

per site visit.

The “I Love Africa”

Traveling Museum is designed to lead students of all ages and abilities on a

unique trip to Africa, through the sharing of the continent’s cultures’ stories,

poems and songs, alongside authentic African artifacts.

The insightful

displays include handcrafted stools and textiles from the Ashanti people of

West Africa, Gullah Baskets, masks, dolls, musical instruments from Zimbabwe

and other fascinating cultural art pieces. Students are invited and encouraged

to handle selected artworks.

The “I Love Africa”

Traveling Museum will be on display from Wednesday, Feb. 22 through Fri. Feb.

24, 2006.

AHH Stray News: Rakim, Cash Money Ringtones, Chingo Bling & Tony Touch, The Boondocks

The Lyricist Lounge and Current TV have teamed to present an exclusive performance by legendary rapper Rakim. The legendary lyricist will hit the stage at BB Kings in Times Square, New York on Jan. 30. According to sources, the first show, which also features M-1 of dead prez and Ryan Perfect, is already sold out. A second Rakim date has been scheduled for Feb. 27. Tickets for the second show go on sale Sat. Jan. 28 at 12 pm and are available at bbkingblues.com or ticketmaster.com

Cash Money Records has teamed with Virgin Mobile and Universal Music to offer five exclusive ringtones to Virgin Mobile customers. Lil Wayne’s “Way of Life” and “Where You At,” Mannie Fresh’s “Conversation,” Big Tymers “Beat It Up” and Hot Boyz “Respect My Mind” are being offered through Virgin Mobile’s First Dibs program during the month of Feb. “Cash Money Records represents a group of highly talented hip-hop/rap artists that appeal to Virgin Mobile USA’s core demographic.” said Dominick Tolli, vice president of Product Management and Development for Virgin Mobile USA. “We’re excited that our customers will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy these ringtones from the Cash Money label.” In addition to the five exclusive ringtones, 20 other Cash Money tracks are being offered as ringtones.

Latin Hip-Hop mogul Chingo Bling, famed DJ Tony Touch and Jose Cuervo Tequila, the world’s largest Tequila company, have announced a nationwide search for a new generation of Latino artists. “Cuervotón” is a talent search that will showcase new artists and promote Latinos in the music business. Machete Records and Wu-Tang Latino are also taking part in the event. “There are so many people who are hustling for the American Dream,” said Chingo Bling. “Someone coming from nothing and trying to get something. It’s a universal thing and that’s one thing I represent. Through the “Cuervotón” movement we will be able to give struggling Latino artists an opportunity to showcase their individual talents in this country.” The search for talent will take place in New York, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix. One winner from each city will be selected to perform at a star-studded concert in New York on May 18, 2006. “Cuervotón” will be promoted locally through radio promotions in each market.

The Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim ordered 20 new episodes of the controversial cartoon series, “The Boondocks.” The new episodes of the show, which is nominated for an NAACP Image Award, are slated to run later this year. McGruder is executive producer of the show along with Reginald Hudlin.”The Boondocks” follows the adventures of two boys, Riley and Huey Freeman, who experience a culture clash after moving from Chicago’s Southside, to the suburbs with their grandfather. The cartoon, which airs during the Adult Swim block of programming, came under fire over a recent episode. Civil rights activist leader Al Sharpton is demanding an apology from The Cartoon Network, after a Jan. 15 episode aired featuring slain civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. using the N-word – the day before the United States’ national holiday honoring Dr. King. The episode, titled “The Return of the King,” featured King waking from a coma and using the n-word in an angry speech about his issues with today’s society. “We think Aaron McGruder came up with a thought-provoking way of not only showing Dr. King’s bravery, but also of reminding us of what he stood and fought for and why, even today, it is important for all of us to remember that and to continue to take action,” The Cartoon Network said in defense of the episode.

Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council Teams with Rosario Dawson For A-Team Program

Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council Teams with Rosario Dawson For A-Team Program

Plans for a new HIV/AIDs awareness program were revealed during a recent health fair and forum organized by the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council.

The event- sponsored by Glaxo/Smith/Kline with support from Popper Swift & Associates -was held Wednesday (Jan. 25) at York College and featured actress Rosario Dawson as the keynote speaker.

The organization’s new A-Team (Artists, Athletes, Actors & Authors Against AIDS) program will work to unite celebrities and young people in an effort to combat HIV/AIDS, according to HHSYC founder and chairman Charles Fisher. 

“The community has failed this generation in our fight against HIV/AIDS and the statistics prove it. To support the A-Team’s purpose, we have solicited the support of major Record labels like Warner Music Group to assist us in our work to team young people up with celebrities in a new fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Fisher, who spoke to audience members. “We are looking for you to be AIDS awareness ambassadors to help us in the war against HIV/AIDS. Our program advocates abstinence and awareness.”

Youth and young adults can play a vital role in helping to stop the growth of the virus in our communities, Fisher added.

Dawson and Dr. Marc Johnson, the event’s host, also addressed attendees as they answered about HIV/AIDS while sharing stories about how they dealt with the disease.

“The statistics are alarming, especially for African Americans. “What’s worse, they don’t reflect the true enormity of the disease,” Dawson said. There are so many people who are afraid to get tested. That’s why I’m working to build awareness with GlaxoSmithKline. To tell as many people as possible to get tested and take control of your lives.”

Johnson believes the A-Team’s efforts to partner young people with celebrities will make “a huge difference.”

“I know that our youth and young adults can make a difference and it is time for us to give them the resources they need to eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially in minority communities,” said Johnson, a worker with the Aids Center of Queens County and N.Y. Technical Hospital who looked forward to working with Dawson on the new program.

Randy Fisher, HHSYC executive director, was also impressed by Dawson.

“The forum was a huge success and gave us an opportunity to prepare for the official launch of the A-Team during Black History Month because AIDS is devastating the black and hispanic communities at an alarming rate and we have to do something about it now! Rosario Dawson is well educated about the virus and is serious about working with us to fight the disease,” Fisher said in a statement. “We are truly blessed and happy to have our first celebrity A-Team member on board to help us in our efforts to better enlighten our youth and young adults about the HIV/AIDS virus.”

D.C. Trip May Get Cam’ron Jail Time

Cam’ron’s impromptu trip to Washington D.C., which resulted in him getting shot, may find the rapper serving time in prison for violating a court appointed probation order, he revealed in a news conference on Wednesday (Jan. 25).

"The D.C. police are putting pressure on the New York police," the rapper told a group of reporters during a press conference. "I go to court on Tuesday. They’re going to try and give me 30 days because I won’t talk."

After being convicted for criminal weapons possession in 2004, the rapper has been forbidden to leave New York State without the permission of New York City’s Department of Probation. He said that he normally complies with the requirements, but was informed of a scheduled performance in the nation’s capital when it was too late to report.

The Harlem-bred rapper was shot last November in Washington D.C. and revealed a bullet wound on his right arm from his surgery. He said his recuperation would take about one year for him to fully recover, but he should regain full activity in his whole hand.

The rapper’s legal and health problems were a mere sidebar to his current beef with Jay-Z, which was the dominant topic of discussion.

When asked to address the notion that the event was a publicity stunt, Cam’ron stated, “ If everything I say [about Jay-Z] is the truth, then I can’t say anything, publicity stunt? My album doesn’t come out until April, why would I do it now, we’re wearing furs now [in the winter], when my album comes out we’ll be wearing shorts and sandals.” 

  

As previously reported, Cam’ron alleged that Jay-Z attempted to find old Catholic school pictures of Diplomat members and also video footage of him and Jim Jones, a Diplomat executive, being beaten up. Cam’ron concurred it was inappropriate for Jay-Z to host a peace treaty on stage with Nas after deeming the October show “I Declare War.” As retaliation, Cam released the track “Gotta Love It,” a song that berates the Def Jam president on a number of fronts.

 

Cam’ron said he is prepared for a Jay-Z response, but will not continue to release dis tracks unnecessarily. 

 

“I’m not just gonna keep beating up on an old man. I’m gonna wait, if he retaliates then I’m ready.” 

Jay-Z told MTV News that he’s not anxious to reply.

"My thing is, it’s such an obvious ploy for attention and to get people to talk about it and for [Cam to] sell albums," Jay-Z said. "N**gas is holding press conferences behind [the dis record]. That’s not even a good dis record. That s**t is trash. Maybe on my time we’ll deal with it, but I’m not really pressed. I’m inspired by good artistic s**t. Cam’s s**t is not artistic. There’s nothing good about it. Everything about it is an obvious ploy to get attention."

Beef aside,The Diplomats have stuffed 2006 with numerous album releases from Hell Rell, Juelz Santa, Jim Jones, and Duke Da God. A new website will also be launched, Killacam.net, where fans can find clothing and music video shows. Cam’ron will also be releasing a DVD warning against the dangers of child molestation by predators that stalk via the Internet. 

Cam’ron’s new album and movie, both called Killa Season, are slated for release in April.

Producers Plan To Sue Diddy; Diddy Responds

A group of super

producers that helped forge the sound of Bad Boy Entertainment into a hit factory

are planning to a file a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging non-payment

of publishing royalties.

Various producers,

including Easy Mo Bee and Lord Finesse, are planning to file the suit against

Combs, with some of the producers claiming they haven’t seen royalty statements

or received payment in upwards of 10 years.

“This is not personal

against Puff [Combs],” Lord Finesse told AllHipHop.com. “This is just a royalty

and publishing situation. A lot of people didn’t get paid.”

“Any monies owed

to anyone are either paid or are in the process of being paid — and, furthermore,

will always be paid,” Combs told AllHipHop.com, refuting the charges. “It doesn’t

do any good — and makes no sense at all to not pay people — what logical sense

would it make for a record company of Bad Boy’s stature to not pay people?”

The producers are

responsible for writing and producing major Bad Boy hits like “Whoa!,” “I Love

the Dough,” “Flava In Ya Ear,” “Warning,” “Get Down,” "Suicidal Thoughts"

and others.

Cassidy Found Guilty Of Manslaughter and Assault Charges

Barry “Cassidy” Reese was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault Tuesday and was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison.

The rapper could possibly be out of jail in a few months because of time already served in prison. The rapper has been incarcerated since June.

At the non-jury trial, Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan said that rapper was negligent in providing guns to assailants that eventually killed Desmond Hawkins, a 22-year-old Philadelphia man.

"You could be a leader in the community," Greenspan said according to the Associated Press. "All those guns – that’s why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns."

In court, the rapper expressed remorse for the crime. "It’s a tragic situation for me too. I didn’t set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was my friend … one of my closest friends,” he told the judge.

The murder trial of Philadelphia rapper Cassidy started on Monday Jan. 24, were the rapper was accused of first-degree murder in relation to an April 2005 slaying.

In June, Cassidy was arrested and charged with the murder of Hawkins. Cassidy surrendered to authorities in June of 2005, a week before the release of his sophomore album, I’ma Hustla.

Prosecutors claimed the rapper planned the murder by placing four of his associates in positions to attack his rivals.

His accusers concur Cassidy was more than prepared – as they said they discovered almost 80 unspent cartridges of various calibers in his home, near the shooting. Prosecutors claimed that Roberto Johnson, an associate of Hawkins, fought with one of Cassidy’s associates earlier in the day in front of a Rite-Aid drug store.

Seeking retaliation for the altercation earlier in the day, Johnson testified the he, along with Hawkins, Daniel Irvin, 22, and 21-year-old Bobby Hoyle went to Cassidy’s home.

Johnson testified he was not in the van because he was urinating in a nearby back yard. He heard the gunshots and ducked behind a car.

Ballistic evidence recovered at the scene found that 30 shots were fired at the van from an area near Cassidy’s home, while 12 shots came from inside the van.

Johnson testified that he was unarmed and the he had seen only one gun in the van. He said he sold the weapon after the shooting.

Responding to the allegations, Cassidy’s lawyer Fortunato Perri. Jr. suggested Johnson may have fired first as he was outside the van.

In July of 2005, prosecution witness Joseph Newkirk recanted his statements to police that he witnessed Cassidy firing a gun. In court on Monday, Newkirk alleged police detectives told him what to say.

In August, Cassidy’s charge was reduced to a third-degree murder charge, but the decision was appealed to a higher court and the first-degree murder charge was reinstated.

Jay-Z, Nas Talk Signing, Jay-Z Comments On Cam’s Dis

Jay-Z and Nas spoke to the USATODAY about the recent news that Nas had signed with Def Jam, the label his one-time rival Jay-Z, now presides over.In an article published today (Jan. 25), Jay-Z said his feud with Nas ended after the two met at the urging of Jive Records executive Mark Pitts, who was the former manager of Notorious B.I.G. and Nas’ current manager.”Everybody talks about Big and Pac and how that ended,” Jay-Z told the USA Today. “We talked about showing a different side and what it would mean to the culture of hip-hop. It was bigger than just us and our trivial little beefs. Hopefully, it shows another way.”Nas said Def Jam was a more hip-hop oriented label that will allow him to explore new ways of expressing his creativity.”I wake up every day in a new world that new children are growing up in,” Nas said “Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, it was one way, and now it’s a whole new world with the things that these kids listen to or watch on TV.”Jay-Z also spoke to MTV News about Cam’ron’s recent dis track “Gotta Love It.”Cam’ron released the seven minute song last week, which among other things, accuses Jay-Z of stealing Roc-A-Fella, Roc-A-Wear and Kanye West from former partner Damon Dash.”My thing is, it’s such an obvious ploy for attention and to get people to talk about it and for [Cam to] sell albums,” Jay-Z told MTV News “I’m torn…I feel like I would be stupid to even pay that any attention, because it’s such a ploy. N**gas is holding press conferences behind [the dis record]…That’s not even a good dis record. That s**t is trash. I’m torn. We’ll see what happens. Maybe on my time we’ll deal with it, but I’m not really pressed. I’m inspired by good artistic s**t. Cam’s s**t is not artistic. There’s nothing good about it. Everything about it is an obvious ploy to get attention. Nobody wants to get used.”

Queen Latifah Tapped to Host 2006 Alonzo Mourning/Magic Johnson 8-Ball Challenge

Rapper/actress Queen Latifah will host the 2006 Zo and Magic 8-Ball Challenge, a celebrity pool tournament organized by NBA star Alonzo Mourning and Ervin “Magic” Johnson.

The event, hosted by Boost Mobile, Red Bull, Volkswagen, Tyson Foods and others, will be held Feb. 16 at Jillians’s of Houston during the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Thirty-two two-person teams will compete round robin style in the Challenge, with the winning teams advancing until a final round of play.

Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets are slated to participate in addition to rappers Ludacris and Nelly and actor Dean Cain.

Prizes include a luxury vacation package courtesy of Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board and the elegant Old Bahama Bay Resort and Yacht Harbor, two Boost Mobile i875 mp3 phones with one year of free service and an Atlas Collection Silver Pool Rack and Cue courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning encouraged players to bring their a-game to the Challenge, which will benefit his Alonzo Mourning Charities, Inc. and the Magic Johnson Foundation.

“It’s always heartwarming to see people come together in support of efforts that improve our community, Mourning said. “Both Magic and I take the work we do through our Foundations very seriously. However, it is with much excitement that we hold the 8 Ball Challenge, which allows everyone to enjoy a great atmosphere and raise funds in the process. I am looking forward to seeing each person and to winning this year.”

The event marks the second time the Challenge has been held.

The first event, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, took place last year in Denver, Colorado.

More than $100,000 was raised as Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics took home the grand prize.

“I look forward to the success the Magic Johnson Foundation and the Alonzo Mourning Charities will achieve together with the 8-Ball Challenge,” added Earvin “Magic” Johnson, an NBA legend. “I am happy to partner with Alonzo on such a great event as well as support two great causes.”

In addition to the Challenge, fans can enjoy a private VIP Lounge hosted by Pierce and Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors as well as a silent auction.

Items from Mourning, Johnson and NBA great Michael Jordan will be auctioned as well as a Boost Mobile i870 phone with one year of free service and a Volkswagen silent auction package that includes chauffeured car and party passes for All-Star Weekend.

Founded in 1997, Alonzo Mourning Charities, Inc. helps improve the lives of underprivileged kids in various communities.

The organization has raised more than $5 million for various organizations that aid in the development of at-risk children and their families.

The Magic Johnson Foundation, founded in 1991, is dedicated towards identifying and supporting community-based organizations that address the educational, health, and social needs of children, young adults and inner-city communities throughout the nation.

A limited number of tickets are still available for the Challenge.

For more information, visit http://www.amcharities.org or http://www.magicjohnson.org

AHH Stray News: LL Cool J, QD3’s Beef, Marc Ecko, Dem Franchize Boyz

Rap legend LL Cool J has been added to the 2006 Essence Music Festival, which takes place this July. Cedric “The Entertainer” and R&B group Maze featuring Frankie Beverly have also been added to the show, which already counts Mary J. Blige, as one of the headlining acts. The 2006 Essence Music Festival takes place July 1, 2 and 3 at its new interim home, state-of-the-art Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com with prices ranging from $45-$110.

The popular “Beef” trilogy is slated to air on BET starting tonight (Jan. 25) and will air episodes 1-3 over the next three days. The “Beef” series of DVD’s is produced by QD3 Entertainment and focuses on the histories of some of Hip-Hop’s most celebrated rivalries. The series kicks off at 9:00 PM with the next installment broadcasting the following night at the same time. “Beef” part 2 airs Thursday Jan 26 at 9:00 PM and “Beef” part 3 airs Fri. Jan 27 at 9:00 PM.

Marc Ecko and Atari have announced that their new video game, “Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure” will ship gold when it hits stores nationwide on Feb. 14 and on Feb. 17 in Europe. Gamers assume the role of “Trane” and must learn various graffiti skills, as well as fend off rivals crews and an oppressive mayor. Over 65 graffiti artists lent their tags and art to the game’s back drop, while Sean “Diddy” Combs, Talib Kweli, Charlie Murphy, The RZA, M.C. Serch and others lent their voices to the game. The game’s soundtrack also features a collaboration between Rakim and Talib Kweli titled “Getting Up Anthem: Part 1.”

Dem Franchize Boyz announced that their new album On Top of Our Game will hit stores Feb. 7. DFB’s recently released their second single “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It,” and the group will make their debut appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live on Monday, February 6th. Additionally, DFB will make an appearance on ABC’s late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Feb.

Saigon: Bad Intentions Part One

Saigon is one of Hip-Hop’s most promising talents, but his rise was nearly cut short by a pair of assailants that stabbed the rapper in the head with a broken bottle. Still, the rapper aims to stay on course as The Greatest Story Never Told, his forthcoming Atlantic Records debut album, prepares for release. Click here to get the intimate details of Saigon’s brush with death and how he intends to move forward.

Click To Hear AllHipHop Audio:

Saigon talks about the attempted chain snatching and near-death assault.

Saigon speaks on what New York rappers need to do.

Sai responds to detractors that feel he hates on the Dirty South.

THE INTERVIEW:

AllHipHop.com: Hey, I heard you had a situation the other day.

 

Saigon: No. I’m okay. A little something… a little mishap…little fa**ot ass trying to act on the kid. You know what I mean? I’m the one. I fight back, though.

AllHipHop.com: What happened?

 

Saigon: F**ker was coming out of Chelsea Diner, man. You know. I seen the other media screwed up a few facts on it, but I was coming out of Chelsea Diner during the night. I seen him with my little man. My little man is small little n***a, B. You know. Okay, well I seen the kid inside the diner, but I didn’t pay any no attention when I came out, right? And then he came up behind me – like, walked in front of me. I thought maybe you know the whole Saigon s**t. [He] snapped my chain off my neck. So, I snatched it back. When I snatched it back and my man caught him. Bing. My man catches him [with a punch]. The n***a falls. So, he starts stompin’ on this guy. I’m lookin’ like this n***a’s retarded. I’m like I think I really thought he was gonna come at me, but I ain’t seen his man come from the back. His man came from the back with a bottle and s**t. And the s**t stabbed me in the artery and cut a artery in my temple. And you know I lost mad f**kin’ blood all over. Like mad man blood ‘cause I was up there still fightin these n***as.

 

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Yeah.

 

Saigon: My man got cut, too. So you know my stupid ass not wantin’ to f**k up my car, my little man was trying to get a cab. We tryin’ to get a cab. I’m like f**k it man. F**k the car. So, I jump in the car. We flyin’ to f****n’ Bellevue Hospital. I don’t know why Page Six [of The New York Post] said something about St. Vincent. I ain’t going to St. Vincent. I went to Bellevue. They patched the kid up. Gave me a little blood transfusion. But I lost so much blood. [A relative interrupts]

 

Relative: [Sobbing] How are you doing?

 

Saigon: [To relative] Don’t cry, man. I’m all right. What are ya cryin for? I’m all right, ya know. I’m good.

 

Relative: You better not wear that [chain].

 

Saigon: I’m good, ya know. Hey, you know. I got, you know, they just patched me up. You know. [back to AllHipHop.com] And I’m takin’ pictures. I still got both of their phones, B. I got the n***a phone right in my pocket. I got both of their phones. They’re both off right now, but they turned their phones off. While we was fighting, they just dropped their phones. Like a**holes. F**kin’ amateurs.

 

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. That’s crazy.

 

Saigon: I didn’t know I was this important. You n***as need to follow me around more.

 

AllHipHop.com: Remember, you had that scuffle last year at the AllHipHop.com Breeding Ground event.

 

Saigon: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The SOB’s joint.[Laughter]

 

I got a little piece of the glass in my head now. That’s the worst part of the s**t, man. I still got a little like chips of glass in my head. I got my cousin trying to pick the s**t out with pieces. That s**t hurt more than the f**kin’ stitches, man. Getting’ the scar.

 

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. What did Just Blaze and your crew say?

 

Saigon: You know everybody was just happy I was all right, man. You know, they was like, you can’t be walkin around like that. My man put it the best. He was like, “Man the economy too bad, man. Economy, they were just hungry in the street.”

 

AllHipHop.com: What’s your family saying, man? Like I’m –

 

Saigon: You know man, they heard. They happy I’m alive. They happy I’m okay. Everybody like once they seen it. Once they seen me and they see I can walk and talk. I mean everybody’s happy. But they was worried at first. You know my Mom told me. My mom seen the chain first. I just got the chain for Christmas.

AllHipHop.com: I’m looking at the Ill Community message board and they wanna know why you didn’t file a police report regarding the assault.

 

Saigon: I ain’t no f**kin’ rat. I ain’t no rat. I don’t get down like that. We don’t play those games. I mean, I grew up in prison. We don’t do that s**t. I got the n***as’ phones, both of them. I’m telling [one of the men’s girlfriends] what happened and she just kept saying, “Wow.” Now, I’m like I’ll give you five G’s if you can tell me who this n***a is.

 

AllHipHop.com: [Laughter]

 

Saigon: She says, “Sorry, I can’t do that. Wow, can’t.”

AllHipHop.com: Right. Right.

 

Saigon: I never had no expensive jewelry like that ever ’cause you know. But the chain, you know, its like 39 karats. Got a lot of diamonds and all that s**t in it. I’m not really even into s**t like that.

 

AllHipHop.com: Right. Right.

 

Saigon: More like for a gift from somebody else than myself. You know what I mean?

 

AllHipHop.com: What’s on the chain?

 

Saigon: Huh?

AllHipHop.com: Is it like Abandoned Nation [his crew’s name] chain or what?

 

Saigon: Nah. It’s just a cross with like yellow and white diamonds in it. I’m bloody and I’m still fightin’ these n***as. And you know what’s f**ked up about people. All those mother f**kers was in the diner, looking at us. Nobody came outside try to help us or nothing. They was at the glass looking. All this happened in a matter of, no bulls**t, like four minutes, B

 

AllHipHop.com: Right. Right. Okay. Any lessons learned or I mean?

 

Saigon: Yeah man. Survival is the lesson learned. I didn’t realize the economy [is this way]. Like my man said the economy’s f**ked up man. N***as still f**ked up on the street, and, the n***a thought I was fooled, man. I been on the other side of the game, so, I understand. You know what I’m sayin’? Then I think they’re looking for [income] so. I understand the game, so, it ain’t like I’m bitter about it. I just gotta move more cautiously, because, number one, I got a lot to lose, man. I could of died out there and s**t.

 

AllHipHop.com: Yeah.

 

Saigon: I mean, he coulda had a knife. He coulda punctured my lung. He coulda had a gun. You know what I mean? I was flippin’ like a motherf**er. So, I gotta move more cautiously especially walking around with a expensive piece of jewelry like that. N***as hungry in the street, man.

 

AllHipHop.com: You gonna write a rhyme about this?

 

Saigon: Oh yeah. Of course. I’m gonna address it in a rhyme, man. I ain’t gonna dwell on it and make it like a publicity stunt. I’m going to talk about it. A n***a stabbed [me] in my f**in’ temple.

 

AllHipHop.com: No doubt.

 

Saigon: You know. I’m happy. I’m happy that I’m feelin’ good. I’m alive, and, you know, I still got my chain.

Saigon: Bad Intentions Part Two

Click To Hear AllHipHop Audio:

Saigon talks about the attempted chain snatching and near-death assault.

Saigon speaks on what New York rappers need to do.

Sai responds to detractors that feel he hates on the Dirty South.

THE INTERVIEW:

AllHipHop.com: Okay. Now you know of course we gotta talk about what’s the holdup on the album. Everybody’s waitin’.

Saigon: You know, it’s not so much a hold up as it’s like, you know. It’s Hip-Hop [A&R] and G. They did it so many times with Jay-Z. They did it with Kanye, so. They know like your set-up gotta be right for you to be successful. I mean if I were to put out my album last year, I wouldn’t sold no records. Know what I mean?

AllHipHop.com: Right.

Saigon: Entourage. That was before Entourage and all that. Entourage has helped me dramatically. You know what I mean? And, you know, now I got a commercial that runs on MTV. So, now more and more people are getting to know me than last year when I wanted to put my out. I was mad. I’m like, “Yo, put my album out this year.” But it wasn’t time. [They] kept telling me you know be patient, be patient, be patient. My dude be patient. You know? And plus, you know, the album’s 80 percent. We got like over 40, 50 records [finished] already. So, you know, I want the set up to be right. And I think more and more people, even a little s**t like this happen, and, more and more people find out about me. And you know, hopefully, when it comes down for the album to come out, I’ll be more anticipated, than even now. But it ain’t the music, man. It ain’t movin there. The creative aspect, if you’ve got joints. You got strong, strong, strong, strong joints.

AllHipHop.com: Timing is a lot.

You know New York is hurtin’ right now, too. But, you know, like none of us is ready to come out. I’m probably more ready than anybody to come, but, if anyone of us if, were to come out like now, we wouldn’t do nothing right now. You need a good set up nowadays before you come out. If you wanna make any kind of impact. You know?

AllHipHop.com: Overall, what do you think New York needs to do right now?

Saigon: Need to start comin’ with some f**kin’ better records, man. Stop tryin’ to copy motherf**kers, B.

AllHipHop.com: Right. Right.

Saigon: Thing with us is, we copyin’ them now, B. Like we call the fronts, grills. We copyin’ Down South. We copyin’. It’s like when I mention that, everybody’s like, oh, you tryin to diss the south. I ain’t dissn’ the south. If anything, I just sayin’ we need to step out. We look like a**holes, not them. We copyin’ them. Nelly just now makin’ a song. Nelly got a song called “Air Force One” that came out like last year. And I’ve been wearin’ that s**t since I was a kid, man.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. No doubt.

Saigon: I was, we callin’ ‘em Uptown’s. They was doin’ up’s. Know what I mean? It’s like we don’t start no trend. Everybody think everybody wanna man with a red bandana in their pocket. Talkin’ about these sets. A set is a West Coast thing. We never called each other a set. We called it my click, my crew, my posse.

AllHipHop.com: It’s a money thing? People just take the money?

Saigon: Yeah. Exactly. N***as take the money, and, they just don’t care about the artistic value of the music, because, it’s so corporate now. That’s why you see Chevrolet commercials with rap, and, McDonald’s and Pepsi and Coca Cola. Every big major American Corporation uses hip hop to endorse their product. This s**t [Hip-Hop] started in ghettos everywhere. N***gas rapped about the f**ked up conditions we was livin’ in – tryin’ to escape the harsh realities of our situation. It wasn’t about motherf**kin’ party everyday, and, just party your life away. And have fun, and, then go to the club and shake you’re ass and booty clap like it is now. S**t is f**ked up, man. I ain’t even gotta say names. Those n***a know who they are. And all they gotta do is look at the big artists in New York. The ones that’s effective right now. And ask yourself why they effective. Cause, they really, ‘cause, they copyin’.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah. Is there a solution to this? I mean, obviously, we can’t control what other people do.

Saigon: Yeah. We can’t control it. I mean, only thing we can do is, man, like artists like myself. I’m like the sacrificial lamb, man. I’m gonna have to come in and be the one to say, “Yeah man, we gotta stop this s**t, and start makin New York records. Start makin dope songs and s**t again. Dope beats. We need to bring [DJ] Premier back. We need to do all that s**t man. We need to get these n***as dust off the MPC’s and come back and bring the slam back.

AllHipHop.com: Looking at the future, I heard you and Tru Life were real, real close. Is that true?

Saigon: Yeah man. It’s like my brother, man. Like my brother right there. Like we’ve been friends for like 12 years. Before the rap s**t. It’s true. Like the first n***a to put me in the studio like yo, son. Know what I mean? I’d die for that brother right there. He got a good album, too, man. I heard his album, man. Dudes gonna be surprised, man.

AllHipHop.com: There has been press on you hatin’ on the South or sayin’ you’re dumbing down Hip-Hop. Things like that. I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Like what are your thoughts on that?

Saigon: Some miscellaneous website took the interview I did like last year. And being that I did a tape with [DJ] Drama, you know. And a lot of people felt some kind of way about that ‘cause you know Drama the hottest DJ down South right now. You know they felt like, “Oh, this guy was trying to get this south. He said the South was slow. People in the South was slow.” And they took my words and they took it out of context. I said the South was always considered slow compared to other [regions]. That’s just history. If you look at the history. The Industrial Revolution started in the North. Slaves was wanting to come North. My mother and my whole families from down South. So why would I say down South people was dumb like they try to say. I said, “No, the South was always considered slow compared to New York. New York was always fast and fast paced. And that’s the truth.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the deal with you and Abandoned Nation? Are you still cool with Gotti? I heard –

Saigon: Yeah, still cool with Gotti, man. Me and Gotti we had our little differences like everybody else, but, you know, that’s still my boy. Know what I mean? He still around man, makin’ things happen. But you know Gotti go through these little emotional [periods], where he just want to disappear and nobody can get in touch with him. Certain times like we need you around. Like he does that at the wrong time sometimes. We have our ups and downs but that’s still that’s my boy. You know I mean? That’s my boy to the grave. I love Gotti to death. Know what I mean?

AllHipHop.com: Back to the album, how much of your so-called conscious side is gonna come out on the album?

Saigon: Oh, 85 percent man. The next paycheck when I do the gangster record that was just to get peoples attention, man. Now that I’m startin’ to get the ear, I’m ahead. I’m gonna wire what I really wanna say. You know what I mean? I thought if I just came at em all the way conscious from the jump, they would of just. I would have just chased them away. Nobody like to be preached to, man.

AllHipHop.com: What about Jay-Z, the new Cam’ron diss record? Any thoughts on that?

Saigon: It’s crazy right there, man. Yeah. I don’t know about that one. I’m dyin’ to see how this plays out right here, man. ‘Cause, I wonder if Jay-Z’s gonna respond, B, ‘cause, I think Jay would be helping Cam by respondin’. I like to see what’s gonna happen, man. A good battle is always good for Hip-Hop, man. Jay should just retire and enjoy my girl, man. If Jay would get out the game like he said he gonna do. The game just keep pullin’ him back in, you know? He’s. It’s like a person who wanna get out the street, but, they want to come back to the block every now and then and s**t. Jay-Z Without “Oh Boy” and all that, who knows where these n***as would be at right now. Cam didn’t credit Jay with that. Without Jigga, there’d be no Roc-A-Fella.

Murs 3:16 Announces Paid Dues Independent Hip-Hop Festival Coming in March

The first ever performance by Felt, [Murs 3:16 (Living Legends) with Slug & Ant (Atmosphere)] will be among the highlights of Paid Dues, a new independent Hip-Hop festival.

Aesop Rock, Living Legends and EL-P will be among the acts taking the stage for the festival, which is the result of a partnership between rapper Murs 3:16 and Guerilla Union’s Chang Weisberg, who spearheaded the Rock The Bells festival.

Paid Dues will take place Mar. 11 at the National Orange Show pavillion in San Bernadino, CA.

Murs came up with the idea for the Paid Dues festival as a way to offer something different for rap fans.

“After going on the Vans Warped Tour a few years back, I thought it would be great to do something similar for our fans-something outdoors during the day and at a great price, making it a refreshing change for our die-hard fans who are used to seeing us in the dark dank nightclubs. At the same time, it’s a great and inexpensive introduction to live Hip-Hop for the young fans.”

Other performers include Brother Ali, Cage, Grouch, Blueprint, 3MG, 2 MEX and Chingo Bling along with DJ Rhettmatic & Mr.Dibbs.

Paid Dues corresponds with the release of Murs’ new album Murray’s Revenge on Definitive Jux.

Tickets for Paid Dues, which go on sale Friday (Jan. 27), are $25.

On Monday (Jan. 30), tickets will be $30 and $35 at the door the day of the show. Limited VIP tickets are $85.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and various local Hip-Hop shops in the Southland area.

Murray’s Revenge hits stores March 21.

Doors open at 4 p.m. for the festival, which ends at midnight.

Kanye Poses As Jesus Christ On Upcoming Rolling Stone Cover

Grammy Award winning rapper Kanye West has posed as Jesus Christ on an upcoming cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

The rapper appears on the cover of the magazine with a crown of thorns on his head and is also pictured posing as boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

In the article, West discusses his album, his political views, his famous “George Bush” comments and his self-proclaimed addiction to pornography.

The Rolling Stone with West on the cover hits newsstands on Friday (Jan. 25.)

West’s album Late Registration is up for eight Grammy Awards on Feb. 8.

Master P Attracts Scorn And Support From “Dancing With The Stars”

Master P, music mogul, has been able to sell millions of albums, but the rapper’s presence on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” has caused a firestorm of controversy because of his continued inclusion on the show.

The rapper, who admitted to limited dance skills, explained his position on “The View” daytime talk show on Monday (Jan. 23).

“I never danced before in my life. I’m having fun, I’m still on the show and America likes what’s going on,” P explained.

But the New Orleans native also acknowledged his detractors.

“This is America, everybody is going to have an opinion. Everybody is gonna love you, everybody is gonna hate you. I’m just a country boy trying to dance. I’ve never danced a day in my life.”

The judges have berated Master P for his dancing and his refusal to conform to dance standards, but the rapper continues to be voted via the online poll component to the show.

Latoya West, who hosts a reality series TV blog at about.com, theorized that Master P’s fans are keeping the rapper in the running.

“The platinum-selling rapper has countless fans out there who may be calling in to save him. I’m pretty sure he has more fans than last week’s eliminee, Giselle “Who is she?” Fernandez. Dancing With the Stars may be more about popularity than Paso Dobles.”

While P said his whole family could dance, he said they too were perplexed at his dance floor maneuvers.

“They are like, ‘Dad, what are you doing?” he admitted. “Dancing” Judge Len Goodman told Master P. “It’s time that you and this show parted.”

But, Goodman may have underestimated the voting power of Master P’s wide fan base and those galvanized by the negativity towards the rapper.

Members of AllHipHop.com’s Ill Community defended the rapper’s efforts on the message board.

IC member Da 404 Soulja posted, “First off, I just want to give big ups to P and all the people that voted for him. If Master P ends up winning this, the White people are gonna start a riot and get P killed. I want to see P win this s**t!”

Master P’s supporters have even launched http://keep-p-dancing.com, a website dedicated to keeping the rapper on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Fans of “Dancing With the Stars” that posted on ABC’s web site weren’t as enthused at Master P’s endurance on the show.

“P has less rhythm than any White person that ever stepped on a dance floor and the show is supposing to be about dancing,” one ABC poster said. “The joke is in all the people who continue to watch and support this competition that allows dancing to be judged by popularity and not talent. It’s a talent contest. I suggest we all just turn off ‘Dancing With The Stars” and maybe they will come up with a better judging system.”

Master P responded to his detractors with positivity and a higher calling.

“I wanna show kids, ‘Do something else wit your life, you don’t gotta [succumb to the streets]. I’ve never danced before. I grew up in the ghetto. I just want to show kids they can try something new. Most kids in these communities live until they’re 18 or 19. If I made it out, they can make it out. I want to show them some change.”

“Dancing With the Stars” airs on Thursday nights at 8 pm EST on ABC voting results air on Friday nights at 8 pm.

Dave Meyers: Point Of View, Pt 1

Long before MTV began adding their names in the credits, and before programs like Making the Video hit the airwaves, music video directors have been equally anonymous to the janitor who cleaned up on set. Times have changed, and with more attention shifting to the talent behind the camera, music video directors have become celebrities in their own right. Case in point: Dave Meyers.

It wasn’t hard to catch his mug on many of the Making the Video episodes. Looking through a second set of lenses (his eyeglasses), and many times adorning a bucket hat, it was easy to see that this energetic and humorous visionary could easily be the life of the party. So, it’s no surprise that Meyer’s unique personality oftentimes translated into the type of videos he directed. If you’ve seen any of Missy Elliot’s most recent videos, most would agree that they look nothing like their cliche-ridden counterparts. You can thank the eclectic eye of Dave Meyer’s for a lot of that.

With nearly 200 music videos under his belt, from Jay-Z to Britney Spears, Meyer’s is setting his sights on commercials, feature films and even print work. He recently lent his creative talents to Mecca Clothing in the capacity of still photographer. Might not sound impressive, but what makes it noteworthy is that before Mecca, he had never shot a single photograph, at least not commercially. With the success of the ad campaign, Meyer’s is keepin’ it movin’. Lucky for us, he put the camera down for a few minutes to get AllHipHop.com Alternatives caught up on his latest moves.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You’ve been staying busy as usual. What’s on your plate at the moment?

Dave Meyers: I’ve just finished wrapping two Pink videos as well as shooting the album cover, and I’m prepping a Super Bowl commercial for Budweiser.

AHHA: You’ve been doing the music video thing for a minute, so take us back to video number one. Who did you direct your first video for?

Dave: Video number one was done in 1996 for a group called Whoridas. It took me ’til 1997 to get another video. I mean, I did a bunch of artists that no one has heard of, and then I kind of got under the wing of Master P’s camp. I did a lot of Soulja Slim, C-Murder and Silkk [the Shocker] videos. Then, I came across Kid Rock, who had not sold a record really. I did a video for “Bawitdaba”. That exploded, and I did all of Kid’s video after that. From that point, Jay-Z gave me a video and the Hip-Hop started taking off.

AHHA: You have a very distinct style which is particularly evident with Missy Elliot’s videos. The recent Korn video which incorporates Hip-Hop’s biggest stars, also comes to mind. Did you get into the game with the intention of trying to transcend cliches with your work?

Dave: I didn’t set out like it was some scripture. It’s just the spirit of my character. Like, I’m very much into the Lord of the Rings, Spielberg movies, and that type of thing. I’m a movie driven guy. I love the movie visuals and so in a lot of my videos, I’m always trying to push stuff that I’ve been impressed by in movies. But, I’ve never really ever referenced or made a reference to another video like oh, I want to do something like that. I’m not that entranced by it. At least, not early on. Now, I’ve developed an appreciation for a few of the music videos.

It’s about perfecting an art form, and what I see coming out in the Missy videos is that it’s where I’m most comfortable. I’m comfortable in the most absurd place. I was trying to push that through earlier in my career, but [labels] were like, we like the way you shoot, but we don’t want that idea. We want booty video! I’m like, oh alright, and I go and try it out because I’m always open-minded. I ended up doing them well, so I kept getting hired, but it’s really not me. To me, it’s not that challenging, even though I understand that it’s a desired “thing”. Once I get an artist who wants a “booty” video comfortable with me, like on the third video I’d be like let’s do something crazy. I’m just always trying to push that, but you know, some people do and some people don’t.

I’ve learned a lot of lessons about how to convince closed-minded folks to doing that stuff. It’s all about terminology. It’s all about decorating around them and not having them have to participate. “Bomb’s Over Baghdad” was a good example of that, where I painted the streets green and did all this crazy, extraordinary visual stuff. But, if you actually look at what [Outkast] had to do, they woke up in the projects, they ran outside, they got in some hot cars, and drove to a club. But everybody loved the video, well, at least I loved the video because it was just visually way out there.

AHHA: It seems like the majority of your videos are Hip-Hop videos. Had you always been a Hip-Hop head, and is that why you direct a lot of Hip-Hop videos?

Dave: In high school and college, that’s all I listened to. But I’ve grown a lot to appreciate the wide world of music and have been exposed to people like the Dave Matthews Band and what not who I think are so phenomenally interesting as musicians. I’ve done four Dave Matthews videos, I’ve done Mick Jagger and Aerosmith. I don’t know that most of my videos are Hip-Hop. I just think that it depends on what people focus on. It might be that more of them are Hip-Hop because more Hip-Hop videos are made than Rock videos.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have all type of videos made in all types of genres. But I am a Hip-Hop junkie. I go to Hip-Hop clubs. I’d never go to another type of club, but I’m not like a Hip-Hop “follower”. Do you see what I’m saying? Like, I enjoy the merits…I enjoy the soul of Hip-Hop, but I’m not like this guy trying to be “down.” I think I get respect for just being me. Although I’m sure there have been a few confused times where I lost my identity (laughs). But basically what I’m trying to say is that I love Hip-Hop, but I also love artists like Dave Matthews, U2, and Steven Tyler.

AHHA: So who are you feeling nowadays as far as Hip-Hop is concerned?

Dave: Musically with Hip-Hop, I’m still digesting [Jay-Z’s] The Black Album. That sh*t was so f*ckin’ great. It gets me so pumped up everyday I’m listening to it. It didn’t play itself out for me. I also really love the classics like BDP and Public Enemy. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is still one of my favorite albums. I’m pretty much an iPod man, so I just listen to the collection of songs I pick out, so it’s really eccentric.

Dave Meyers: Point Of View, Pt 2

AHHA: Speaking of eccentric, the recent Korn video “Twisted Transistor” has Snoop, Xzibit, Li’l John, and David Banner portrayed as members of the band. It’s quite a different take on the notion of meshing Rock with Rap.

Dave: Yeah, I’ve experienced the eclecticness in music and universality of it all and I think that’s where Korn’s video came from. It’s breaking all molds of all categories. You got a Rock group that lets Hip-Hoppers sort of take the lead in representing them. It’s a very daring step. The Hip-Hoppers embraced it and said let’s f*ckin’ rock with this, you know? They represented like Rock and Roll stars and loved every minute of it! I mean, Li’l John’s got a rock album coming out. It was great to watch all the personalities gel. The proof is in the pudding. Everybody really is one in the same. Everybody has their personality differences in their musical style, but they’re all expressing the same thing. There is this universal code.

I really hated the judgement on Hip-Hop early in life. You know, MTV tried to bury it and everybody’s walking around like, “MTV wants to bury Hip-Hop!”, and I was like you can’t bury Hip-Hop. It’s too strong. It’s so from the streets that there is no way to bury it. I think that’s where Rock has lost it. It’s lost its street edge and its become Pop, and Pop Rock does not work. I mean, sure, it works for teens, but that’s Pop Music. That’s Hillary Duff and stuff like the little Pop icons that work. But true Rock is the same as true Hip-Hop. It’s the same thing. If you look at Korn, they are from the streets. They’re very in tuned with their audience.

AHHA: And the way the audience gets their music and videos has really evolved. How do you feel about Myspace or iTunes? I remember reading that when iTunes first launched their video service, over a million videos were downloaded within two weeks. How is this new technology changing the game?

Dave: If you look at what was downloaded, it’ s really not the Top 40. It brings up a lot interesting things. It brings out the question about the legacy of videos. Michael Jackson videos were downloaded. Sure, Kanye’s video was up there and downloaded while the song’s hot. But I don’t know if people will download it in say, two years. I think it’s such a new experience. It’s like a floodgate of so much to get, so everybody goes and gets their ten favorites, but will they continue to get them? Will they continue to collect videos and what not? I think that’s where the real business plan needs to fall into place. I think once you see where the trends are, I’m sure it’ll affect things. When you can guarantee that if you release the video on iTunes, you’ll make a million dollars , then the huge music video budgets will come back.

What I’ve noticed is that a lot of the more obscure acts are getting a lot of the attention on there. That is not what MTV plays. It’s like the Usher video might not get downloaded as much as say, some Bjork video because the audiences are different. I think if anything, the iTunes creation will create more opportunity for lower-budget experimentation with other artists who may have been shut out of the MTV world.

AHHA: Ironically, it seems that video directors even get shut out from the MTV world, so to speak. I’m talking about the VMAs.

Dave: We come up with the ideas, and despite the lack of credit…I think [my videos] have won 15 VMAs and I only have one Moonman, because they give them all to the artist. It seems like you’d sit the director next to the artist at the VMAs. I can’t even get to the stage anymore. I mean, like Missy will thank me and I can’t go up there. It’s so obnoxious how they plan those things. I did get to go to the stage when I did win Best Video, but that was in New York. In Miami, it was very dissatisfying to me. It was very much a show, rather than an awards show. But when all is said and done, I’m not complaining.

AHHA: As far as awards shows go, I did hear Missy shouting you out at the 2005 American Music Awards while she was on stage.

Dave: That was nice. You know, I don’t think Missy’s album sales parallel her tastes. She goes platinum, but she’s not selling ten million records. Yet, she’s the pioneer and on the cutting edge of videos. Then you’ll get like a really terrible video from another artist I won’t name, and they’ll sell ten million records, so it’s weird. But with all that said, I think the business plan behind the amount of money it takes to do what Missy’s thinking puts her in Michael Jackson land. She could easily spend ten million on a video if she wanted to. To me, she’s always been one of those artists who I wish she’d sell a lot, because she’d turn around and spend it on her videos. She’d turn it right back around on some visual stuff.

AHHA: I understand you’re dabbling a little in still photography. You’ve just finished working on a print campaign for Mecca Clothing, right?

Dave: Yeah, it was my second run with them. I did their Fall campaign, early on in 2005. It’s kind of interesting the way that all come about. They approached me to be in their campaign as a spokesmodel for their fall campaign, which I agreed to. I’m a director, so I control all the behind-the-scenes usually. I’m used to that, but I’ve never been in front. I was nervous that someone would film me wrong or understand my degree of vanity [laughs]. Of course, not in any sort of egotistical way, but more of some sort of protection blanket. I looked through the Mecca catalog of previous stuff. Some shots were great, and some shots were not so great. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that was not so great. I didn’t know who the photographer was going to be and I wasn’t that familiar with the Mecca camp, so I said I’d do it. But they had no money for the spokesperson. It was very low modeling money. I kept worrying if it was done wrong, like Jay-Z and some of my clients would see it and just be like “Look at this fool, what is he?!”

If it didn’t capture the real me, I didn’t want it to seem like I was some Hip-Hop head or doing something that really wasn’t me. But I liked the idea of it all and basically said I want to shoot it. They asked if I had shot anything before and I said no [laughs]. But I said I’ve shot 200 of the most important artists and it’s basically a lot easier than shooting [motion picture] film, so they should have no reason to fear. I got into it and kind of elevated the whole situation. I got some good retouchers in there. I got a good photo team together. I started creatively conceptualizing and basically did my auto portrait and shot a few other guys as well. [Mecca] liked the experience and came back to me as a photographer, and I was not [featured] in the Spring campaign.

AHHA: So you’re really branching out. What else are you interested in tackling from a director’s standpoint?

Dave: I really want to do a movie. But, I’ve been doing a lot of commercials, and if a movie doesn’t happen, then I’ll continue to try to evolve in the commercial world. It’s a much more perfect world to play in. I really enjoy the relationships I’ve had with the agency people and the clients I’ve been building. I am really beginning to be received with the same amount of attention that the videos have gotten me, but with a whole new group of people, so it’s kind of a nice evolution.

DJ A-Trak: Trak Jewels & Kanye West

Not yet 25 years old, DJ A-Trak has had a world of colorful experiences. His DJ Battle titles could fill your favorite athlete’s trophy room. He had an integral hand in one of Montreal’s biggest Hip-Hop crews, Obscure Disorder. Amidst Kanye West’s elaborate stage shows, it is A-Trak that mans the cuts and scratches. All of these chapters and duties have been logged on video, now edited to view on A-Trak’s DVD Sunglasses is a Must. With appearances from everybody ranging from Kanye to KLC to Non-Phixion, the DVD covers a lot of miles, a lot of time, and a lot of Hip-Hop.

In 2006, A-Trak is hard at work on his album. As a man of diverse influences and friends, he’s promising an album that boasts shots from Little Brother and Diplomats alike. The Canadian prodigy aims to equally change the face of scratch music. The man who laced the scratches on Common’s Be and currently has the “Drive Slow Mixtape” with GLC, spoke to AllHipHop.com about his DVD, his past, and how he’s bringing good music over the board, under the needle, and into your ear.

AllHipHop.com: Before your solo album comes out, why release Sunglasses is a Must as a DVD?

DJ A-Trak: I’ve been working on the DVD for close to two years. I’m at the point now where I’m working on an album and I wanna reintroduce myself to some of the audiences. Some of the people know me from battles I did between ’97 and 2000, and there’s a whole new audience from the last couple years that might not know about that. It was a point where I wanted to make a retrospective. I knew that I had all that footage…

AllHipHop.com: Yeah, as a teenager, were you really into technology? The amount of archiving you did is crazy…

DJ A-Trak: It was almost a trend in the turntablist [community] in the years that I came up in. Like, around ’97 – the year I won my first DMC title – also the year I got affiliated with Q-Bert and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. That was a time when that crew, from the Bay area, they reigned. They came out with all the futuristic styles and everything. They would put out these videotapes called Turntable TV and they would film themselves scratching, hanging out, going on tour, pulling pranks…just random s**t. All the younger DJ’s that were coming up, started buying video cameras too. It was really a sight to see at one period, where at given DJ events, everybody had video-cameras out. It must’ve been just good timing when video-cameras became a lot more affordable. It wasn’t just me, everybody in the DJ scene was documenting stuff.

AllHipHop.com: The digital editing is wild, as is the coloration. This must’ve taken some serious time and money…

DJ A-Trak: I’m happy that you see the DVD that way, as far as on-point with the editing and all that. But I think, what it is is this is a homemade project that I made with my boys here in Montreal – with basically the guy who does all the artwork for my record label, [Audio Research] and the guy who does my website. I did this with a couple of dudes who don’t normally do video editing, but always had ideas and a vision. They’re very visual. On one hand, it took us a hell of a lot of time to do it, but at the same, we had a bunch of stuff we wanted to throw in there, whether it be animated titles and other stuff. We tried to keep a balance. After all, this was all filmed on a home-video camera. We just wanted it to look fresh.

AllHipHop.com: You spent time out West, working with people like Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, and Peanut Butter Wolf when you were in your mid-teens. Looking back, do you think people would’ve embraced you the way they did, had you not been so young?

DJ A-Trak: That’s a good question. You know, making this DVD allowed me to take an objective step back and realize just how generous those dudes were with me. They took me in like family as a 15 year old who could scratch pretty well. The DVD shows all these experiences building with dudes who were like five to ten years older than me. I can’t really tell if it had been different if I was older. Some of those dudes met me before my voice changed. It must’ve been a trip for them to meet somebody that young, who was so into the music. You mentioned Peanut Butter Wolf: I would go out in stay in his crib when I was doing shows in Cali. He was one of the first dudes to put me onto a lot of older records. There was a phase in the scratch world around ’97 and ’98, when a lot of DJ’s used to scratch over fast Electro beats. So I would go to Wolf’s house, and he knew that I was into scratching on those kinda beats, so he would play me a record like World Class Wreckin’ Cru’s “Surgery” which was some old school, early 80’s Dr. Dre Electro s**t.

AllHipHop.com: I can remember, in the late 90’s, when you battled a dude by scratching his name, then scratching “can suck my d*ck.” That was a whole new style and emotion to DJ battles. Why’d you go that route?

DJ A-Trak: I came up also with a crew called The Allies. That was like from ’99 on. That was a period where DJ’ing was already going through a really big boom. There was a strong sense of community in the DJ scene and the battle scene, to the point where you’d show up at a battle and people’s mentality would be, “Oh, we’re just here to elevate the art and push the art forward.” [That] was great in itself, and better that than everybody hating each other – but after a while, it got so extreme that it got a little bit generic, and me and these dudes from The Allies, we all grew up enjoying the true b-boy aesthetic of Hip-Hop, we wanted to bring back the dissing in battles. If you see me in person, you wouldn’t expect me to call somebody out. But in the context of the battle, you may as well make it funny. At every one of our battles, we’d call somebody out. Really, it’s a creative exercise – how do you find the records to say what you wanna say, using somebody else’s words. I remember noticing that in the years after [that battle], everybody was dissing again and it was really funny. Then that became generic.

AllHipHop.com: Some battle MC’s treat the battle like a boxing match – and really learn to hate their opponent for that day. Did it ever get that way with you?

DJ A-Trak: There was never any animosity between any of these DJ’s at a battle. I’m kind of a competitive person, and I really remember listening to Mobb Deep the morning of a battle and coming out of the hotel room like, “I can crush all these dudes. F**k ’em!” It’s not personal, but that’s the mindset you put yourself into. In battle DJ’ing, part of the way people perceive you is how you come off on stage – your presence. I’m a kind of a shy dude, I’m not a guy with tons of presence. But if you look like you’re confident and you look like you believe you’re better than all these dudes, it’s really a bonus.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the album you’re working on for this year?

DJ A-Trak: Basically, the way that I’m approaching this album is I’m producing most of the songs out of scratching. I won’t really use a sampler that much. It’s not a bunch of scratching in your face the whole time. It’s not non-stop scratch solos. But if you have a producer’s ear and you’re wondering why that hi-hat sounds that way, it’s because it’s scratched a little bit. Traditionally, scratch production has been very slow and gloomy. That’s just been the sound associated with scratch records. But my whole thing is, I wanna hear a real Tunnel banger, made of scratches. I wanna make like a RZA type-beat or a Just Blaze type-beat or a Kanye type-but just made out of cuts. Half the songs on the album have featured MC’s. The first white-label that I leaked was a song [“Don’t Fool With The Dips”] I did with the Dip set. People assume that scratch DJ’s are backpackers. But all those separations in the Hip-Hop landscape such as underground and mainstream or between coasts, that stuff is bogus. If I wanna do a song with Dipset, I’ll do it. At the same time, I got a joint with Little Brother and Consequence. My whole thing is making an album where those two songs don’t seem like extremes.

AllHipHop.com: It’s probably a question you don’t want to hear, but is Kanye gonna be on your album?

DJ A-Trak: I can’t say for sure until it’s done. All I know is he’s been very supportive of my music. There’s specific beats that he’s really liked. There’s one beat in particular that he almost put on Late Registration. He told me he’s down where he’s down to hop on stuff. I haven’t really gotten to the whole label world yet. If it gets to the point where he actually records on a song – which would be incredible for me – then I realize that it’s still gonna have to be cleared by Hova the God [Jay-Z]. [laughs] We’ll see.

AllHipHop.com: Being from Montreal, how did you link with Kanye West?

DJ A-Trak: I met Kanye in London about a year and a half ago. I was doing an in-store performance at a store that pairs up different artists. On that particular day, they had me and John Legend. This was a pre-album John Legend. At that point, any hardcore Kanye fan knew who John Legend was. Kanye was in town to promote his record, and came [in] to support John. I did a quick little routine, and I used a Jay-Z record. Kanye later told me, “What I liked about you was, you were using a record that I knew. A lot of these turntablist kids, they use some s**t that I don’t even recognize. You picked up a hit record.” He caught up with me afterwards. He said he wanted to take me on tour with Usher. He didn’t have a DJ, and that’s where it all started.

AllHipHop.com: Kids learn rapper’s DJ’s. I’ve been to Common shows where DJ Dummy is the star of the show along with Common. Did that experience create more interest in you or your previous work?

DJ A-Trak: Maybe not at first, but it’s catching on. I definitely think, I know that there’s people who’ve seen me at Kanye shows and found out who I was, after that. This is great. Kanye’s audience is obviously a whole other audience to my audience. That was the appeal of working with Kanye was the challenge of taking this turntablism stuff that I came up, and bringing it to these audiences who aren’t familiar with it anymore.

AllHipHop.com: In the 80’s, it seemed common to have the most skilled DJ’s behind the most skilled rappers. You had Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince, DJ Scratch and EPMD, and DJ Aladdin with Ice-T. Do you see that coming around again?

DJ A-Trak: Umm, it’s hard to predict. But that’s something I’m proud of. A lot of us come from a certain background in Hip-Hop where the DJ really had a presence, and when the MC had a DJ, you knew about him. The 90’s brought the DATs, and the DJ got phased out of the picture. Your [earlier] example of Common and Dummy is a good example. Those two really gel together to create an entertaining concert. I really hope that by Kanye having me perform with him at these events and on TV, that it might motivate more people to do the same.

AllHipHop.com: During his show, what’s your shining moment, or rather, the moment you wait for?

DJ A-Trak: [laughs] There’s a part at the end of “All Falls Down” where, after the last chorus, I grab the acapella of the chorus and break it down, then I go back and forth with the background singers who imitate what I scratch, while the rest of the

band plays along. [humming] That’s my favorite part, because we managed to integrate what I do into his show without the crowd going, “Okay, I wanna hear the next Kanye song.”

AllHipHop.com: Lastly, the DVD title is interesting. Especially since recently, we’ve seen you on the cover of Urb and other places, wearing sunglasses. Your style and image seems to really have jumped up. I don’t normally ask fashion questions, but what’s good?

DJ A-Trak: Sure. It’s funny because this all started with the title Sunglasses is a Must which doesn’t mean anything. It’s really just something my boy said years ago, out of nowhere. [My brother and I named it this in tribute to that]. By the time it came close to the release, I started buying sunglasses, knowing this was gonna come out. I never owned any. It’s taking the title and running with it. It’s not on some goofy Groucho Marx s**t, more on some flashy s**t.