Today marks the release of Mike WiLL Made-It’s long-awaited new project, Ransom. Announced earlier this year, Ransom is the super producer’s first ever project with all new, exclusive music, and features include Future, Juicy J, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Rae Sremmurd, Riff Raff, Big Sean, and more, while also continuing Mike’s tradition of introducing new artists – Yung Joey, Eearz, Fortune 5, and more, join artists on the verge like Key!, Bankroll Fresh, and others.
Ransom also marks the close of another big year for Mike WiLL. 2014 saw the launch of his label, Ear Drummer Records, in conjunction with Interscope, and the signing of his first two acts, Rae Sremmurd, who’ve gone on to have a breakout year with their two Mike WiLL-produced singles “No Flex Zone” and “No Type”, and Two-9, who are gearing up to release their new project, #B4Frvr, in 2015.
Since separating from his wife Amber Rose, Wiz Khalifa has been seen frolicking with reality stars, video vixens and hooked up with claims to have a sex tape of the Blacc Hollywood rapper.
The Taylor Gang general hooked up with Playboy model Carla Howe recently and unbeknownst to him, he was being recorded. Howe claims that Wiz was looking directly into the lens while also recording her on his phone. Now, TMZ says that Howe is in talks with Vivid Entertainment head honcho Steve Hirsch to sell the video.
Howe is willing for the video to be sold but Wiz is refusing to sign off on the deal. Unless Hirsch gets Wiz to sign on the dotted line, the video will not see the light of day.
Ne-Yo is back with his sixth album, Non-Fiction, and he called on some hip-hop favs to fulfill the album’s plus one’s. He’s adding more of an edge to this effort with features from Juicy J, TDE’s ScHoolboy Q, T.I and frequent collaborator Young Jeezy. If the 14 tracks on the standard edition isn’t enough, the deluxe edition has seven extra songs for your listening pleasure.
Non-Fiction is due out Jan. 27 and is available for pre-order over at iTunes. View the track listing below.
A Queens rap crew of real brothers have mad it through investigations, prison time, and a slew of false promises before getting to this point. Brothamanz, consisting of Shortee Sha, Amin Ra, and Reazon, drop some updated science on “Truth Hurts” the premier single from their ‘Galactic Alignment’ due in 2015 produced in house (literally) by baby bro Shortee Sha.
Crakron, Drohio aka Akron, Ohio rapper L-Dro hails from Lebron James’ home town and here he lets go of a ATL-eque track that will be sure to get Southern DJs and fans of Dirty South trap rap moving. #DROHIO is out on LiveMixtapes & DatPiff now, #InUsWeTrust is on the way. Peep his current music on http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/22870/l-dro-dro-ohio.html…
The house that Lil’ Wayne and Birdman built is seemingly falling apart. After Weezy took to his Twitter to say he wanted to part ways with the label he’s called home since the age of 13, fans were shocked and wondered about the status of the long-awaited Tha Carter V. With hopes of clearing the air, YMCMB president Mack Maine paid a visit to Miami’s 99 Jamz to set the record straight.
During the interview, Maine assured fans that Tha Carter V would be dropping at the top of 2015.
He’s touching up the album and about to start another special project for the people. I can’t give a definitive date [for Carter V]. I can just say first quarter for sure. … It’s coming out.”
As far as Wayne wanting to leave Cash Money, Mack says that dispute will surely be handled.
“I wouldn’t pinpoint anyone personally, he said.” I got an optimistic, positive vibe about everything. It’s just some business that’s gon’ need to be handled. … Once that’s handled we’re going to keep moving and it’s getting handled as we speak.” He also went on to say that “everybody has their breaking point” but he supports “Wayne 1,000 percent.”
Bill Cobsy has finally spoken out about over two dozen women alleging that he drugged and sexually assaulted them. In a brief interview with the New York Post, he didn’t address the allegations but did say how he wants African-American media to handle the scandal.
“Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind,” Cosby said.
Cosby’s lawyers have advised him not to speak to the media, so he kept the conversation brief. When asked how his wife of over 50 years, Camille, has been dealing with these allegations, he chalked it up to strength and love.
“Love and the strength of womanhood,” he said. “Let me say it again, love and the strength of womanhood. And, you could reverse it, the strength of womanhood and love.”
Supermodel Beverly Johnson is the latest to accuse the 77-year-old of drugging her in the 1980s. In an essay she wrote for Vanity Fair, she said Cosby slipped something into her cappuccino during her audition for The Cosby Show. When she realized she had been drugged, she said Cosby quickly threw her out of his New York brownstone.
According to the state’s license plate slogan, “Virginia Is For Lovers.” Going by the wide-ranging success of several homegrown boardmasters, Virginia is also for producers.
VA serves as the stomping grounds for platinum-selling Hip Hop producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes, Nottz, Lee Major, and Lex Luger. But the commonwealth is not done spawning hit-making production wizards just yet. Out of Norfolk comes another talented musical architect by the name of Kino Beats.
Kino knew he wanted to be involved in making music from a very young age. His initial passion was to become a rap star, but he later realized that was probably not the best route for him. He dropped his emcee dreams and discovered a new option to pursue his goal of breaking into the industry – producing.
By the time he was 12, Kino was crafting his own beats. Fast forward over a decade later, and the 24-year-old producer now has credits that include Jeezy’s “Talk That,” Nipsey Hussle’s “Success,” and his breakout track “Everything Is Good” by Juelz Santana and Wiz Khalifa.
Kino may still be on the grind of establishing his name among Hip Hop’s production elite, but he is already lending a hand to help other show biz aspirants. He partnered with J Braye to start Radio Ready. Since 2005, the recording studio and production company has provided professional level services to rising performers from Virginia’s southeastern region.
Producer and businessman are not the only labels listed on Kino’s résumé. He recently decided to tackle another area of entertainment by adding the art of DJing to his repertoire. AllHipHop.com spoke with Kino Beats about his advancement in the music business, working with established acts, and a track’s sometimes unpredictable journey from a beat to a released song.
How did the Juelz Santana and Wiz Khalifa “Everything Is Good” song come together?
I always had a relationship with different guys in Dipset. The first record I ever produced for somebody in the music industry was NOE. He’s signed to Jim Jone’s ByrdGang. I always had connections to artists in Dipset, but I emailed the beat to Bounce from SlowBucks. He told me was in the studio with Juelz.
Within 45 minutes of me sending him the beat, I got a phone call. He had Juelz on the phone. Juelz said, “I need that beat. I want to put Wiz Khalifa on it.” I said, “Alright, let’s do it. Let’s turn up.” Within in an hour and a half, they hit me back like, “Wiz Khalifa already laid his verse down.” It was a dope situation.
You also worked with Jeezy. How did that track happen?
I did that record with the producer Childish Major. I heard “U.O.E.N.O.” on Rocko’s mixtape. When I went to listen to Rocko’s mixtape that was the first record I listened to, and I said, “This song is going to be crazy, but this beat is so different.”
I figured out who the producer was, and I reached out to Childish Major. I told him, “We need to work. You got you one.” He hit me back and said, “‘Everything Is Good,’ you got you one.” I was like, “Cool let’s work.”
We literally collabed on one beat. That one beat is Jeezy’s “Talk That.” Shout out to Carbon 15. He always showed love. Carbon 15 connected all the dots and got the record to Jeezy.
What is your process like when you’re creating your tracks?
I will create ten beats, but producers understand that making the beat is the easy part. Anybody can make the beat in ten minutes. The difficulty is the sequencing, the mixing, the little tedious things that take the track from being “pretty hot” to being “whoa.” That’s the stuff that takes time.
I’ll do a bunch of tracks. I’ll have all the ideas that I want, all the elements of the beat. Then I’ll keep on going. Probably the next day or whenever I come back to another session and load up everything that I’ve done, I’ll listen to it. If I like it then I’ll work on sequencing it. Making tracks for me is like a two-day process. Just so I’ll have time to come back and really listen and figure out if I really liked what I produced.
What inspired your “Rework” series?
I slowed down, but I’m actually gonna pick back up on that. Basically, the “Rework” series was just my take on popular songs. I did Meek Mill’s “Levels,” Future’s “Move That Dope.” It was kind of all a ploy, because I actually started to DJ. I never DJed before.
I started making beats to new a capellas of these popular songs. I said, “If I’m gonna make these reworks, I want to be able to play them in a club.” I was tired of having songs and telling DJs to play it when I could just play it myself. I woke up one morning, went to Guitar Center, bought equipment, and taught myself how to DJ within 2-3 weeks.
After 2-3 weeks, my boy Brendon Hill had me come up and do a club in DC with him. That was my first gig. I’m only four months deep, but I’m doing 3-4 gigs a week in my hometown.
A lot of times it seems to go the other way – people start off as a DJ and then go into production.
It took my production to a whole other level. While DJing you study crowd control, so you see how people respond to certain records. You see what parts they really go crazy on. Whether it’s how certain words are said in the song or the way a beat drops.
For me it was just a way to promote my brand. Being from Virginia, it’s harder to stay as active. Being in a major city you come across more artists. In Virginia, it’s kind of slow. I picked up DJing to keep everything flowing in between doing tracks for other people.
There haven’t been too many emcees that have come out of Virginia. You have Clipse, Skillz, and others. But there have been quite a few producers that have made it big out of the state. Why do you think that area of Hip Hop has done a little better than the emcee portion?
The analogy that I use is Virginia has no professional football team. Since there’s no professional football team, it is literally impossible to have an NFL player in Virginia. We don’t have a professional basketball team, so it’s literally impossible to have an NBA player. Our market hasn’t been set-up for professional entertainers.
Why? I’m not entirely sure. You see the producers that do make an impact, they’re dealing with talent from different regions, because there’s more of an outlet. Or they would have to take an artist from the area, take them to a major outlet, and branch them off there.
The business portion doesn’t get handled the way it should, because there’s no real knowhow. It’s just no set up for it.
What’s next for you?
I’m in the studio nonstop. I’ve been working with Lex Luger.
How did that relationship start?
That was something that was bound to happen as far as us crossing paths. I’m cool with the Ur Boy Black which is the lead member of Lex Luger’s group V.A.B.P., and Lex was always working with High Def Razjah. Me and him have a good relationship too.
They were in Ur Boy Black’s studio, and somebody called me like, “Yo, come through. Lex is here.” I pulled up, chopped it up with him, and we’ve been rocking ever since. We’ve been building a catalog of beats. Some things are in the works where the ink hasn’t dried yet.
But I was in the studio with A$AP working closely on their projects. I still talk to Juelz very often, and he’s gearing up to work on some new projects.
I’ve been gearing everything toward DJing. Just going to different markets to do parties. There’s so many tracks in the pipeline, but it’s all about the release. So far in this game, I’ve lost more tracks than I’ve had released from industry artists.
Is that because they ask for the track and then never use it?
This is the breakdown. You’ll have an artist that releases 2-3 projects a year. An artist might release a 15-16 track mixtape, then an EP, another short mixtape – which is usually just a bs mixtape to keep the promo going – and then their album. So you’re looking at 45-50 songs.
You take those 45-50 songs from an artist that’s recorded 3,000-4,000 songs. However many of the thousands or hundreds of songs that person may be recording, you’ll have songs that get laid down that they never use. It something that doesn’t fit a project or whatever, that’s just how it turns out.
If they don’t purchase the track you can then sell it to someone else?
Yeah, the thing is you can make your own rules. [laughs]
What made me think of that was the Bobby Shmurda situation with the Lloyd Banks’ [“Hot N***a”/”Jackpot”] beat.
I wanna say that was a mixtape track. Then it’s a situation where everybody handles their business a different way. Everybody’s not tip-top on their business, so you might come across somebody that – I don’t know that situation – but an artist may use a beat from a producer and never get in touch with the producer.
There’s been times I went to LiveMixtapes and heard a track that I produced that I wasn’t credited for. I had to get people to make the calls. That’s just the risk you take and why you copyright your stuff. But when you’re sending out beats to different artists, they have different situations going on. They’re on the road touring, so they just hop on the beat. It then somehow gets released.
I’m sure the reverse has happened as well. Where you put a beat out, but an artist you didn’t expect to pick it up says, “I want to use that beat” even though they may have heard it from somewhere else and not directly from you.
Placements happen the weirdest ways. At the end of the day, all artists have one general thing in common – they’re all trying to work. That’s why they’re artists. They need to make songs, and in order to make songs they need beats. It don’t matter if the barber gives them beats or the dude on the tour bus gives them beats. It’s no telling where it comes from.
Would you ever be interested in going back to try rapping?
Nah, I’m good on that.
So no Timbaland/Pharrell type career?
Nah, that’s why I picked up DJing – to push the brand. Pushing the brand as a producer is one thing, but as a DJ you’re an artist as well.
Seeing Just Blaze DJ and perform songs that he produced – you’re looking like “This is the guy.” That song I’ve been rocking to for years, this is the guy that did these records.
[Just Blaze is] eating nice off of DJing.
I caught him and Cam’ron at the Broccoli City Festival in DC. That was an epic show. They had their differences, but they came together to perform. Then I caught him in an upscale club in New York. His range is crazy. I don’t think anybody has that type of range in music as far as who he’s able to play for. He doesn’t have to make another beat a day in his life.
Do you want to get to that point?
I’m 24 years old. I operate a recording studio in Norfolk. I deal with over 2,000-3,000 local artists in the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, and I see all different types of artists. I don’t want to get to the point where I’m a 35-40 year old aspiring artist or producer. But you can be a 35-40 year old DJ.
It’s just about not being complacent in one thing. I know I have the talent to do more than just this. So let’s add a different arsenal to it.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Five years from now I see myself maybe touring as a producer/DJ. And just working. My drive is consistent. Every year I look back at that past year to see if I’ve grown. I try and grow every single year. So five years from now I want to have those hit singles under my belt and just go around the country spreading my brand.
Fabolous’ The Young OG Project is slight on featurea but Fab made sure to recruit some heavyweights. The 11-track effort features Rich Homie Quan, Chris Brown, funnyman Kevin Hart and French Montana. Fab also snagged some lesser known names like songstress Abir Haronni, rapper/singer Tish Hyman and Velous, an emcee who hails from upstate New York.
The Young OG Project drops Christmas Day. Peep the tracklist below.
1. Lituation
2. We Good (ft. Rich Homie Quan)
3. All Good
4. You Made Me (ft. Tish Hyman)
5. She Wildin (ft. Chris Brown)
6. Ball Drop (ft. French Montana)
7. Bish Bounce
8. Rap & Sex
9. Gone For The Winter (ft. Velous)
10. Cinnamon Apple (ft. Kevin Hart)
11. Young OG II (ft. Abir Haronni)
Jaden and Willow Smith have been mentioned in the latest distasteful leaked emails of exchanges between Sony execs.
TriStar chairman Tom Rothman sent an email to president of SPE’s Motion Picture Group Doug Belgrad about the New York Times interview the two did called “Jaden and Willow Smith on Prana Energy, Time and Why School Is Overrated.” In the piece, they spoke about their musical processes, time being relative and reading pre-dated texts, but what stuck out the most was what the two home-schooled siblings thought about going to regular school. Willow said she went to school for one year and it was depressing while her big bro Jaden said school’s not authentic because it comes to an end.
In the email that Rothman sent, he joked to Belgrad about not having the Smith kids in their movies.
This is just one of the many leaked emails where the Sony execs have dissed celebrities. In the emails that have been exposed, Rothman, Belgrad and Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal have sounded off on Angelina Jolie and Kevin Hart, who they called “money hungry” and a “w####.”
(AllHipHop News) Even with Odd Future member Frank Ocean announcing his first love was another man and prevalent artists like Jay Z publicly supporting gay marriage, the topic of homosexuality is often a taboo one in Hip Hop circles. So when anyone associated with the culture comes out, it is still a landmark moment.
The most recent Hip Hopper to reveal his sexuality is Darren “Buttah Man” Brin. Buttah Man played a role in launching MTV Jams and worked as the music director at BET. He also performs as a stand-up comedian.
Buttah stopped by Sway In The Morning to discuss his decision to publicly disclose he was gay. He talked about how President Barack Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriages impacted him.
“Even in my comedy it’s interesting cause I talk about being on the radio, but when I go into the part about being gay, the first response is either blank applause or blank stares. There’s that uncomfortable silence,” said Buttah. “I’m not a stereotypical gay dude. I call myself an ‘Obama Gay.’ That means I did not come out the closet until Barack Obama said that s**t was cool.”
Taking on comedy was another reason Buttah Man chose to come out. He felt the need to “live in his truth” through his stand-up, and he feels the process was therapeutic for him.
“You always think if I pray hard enough, if I meet the right woman, it’s gonna go away,” added Buttah. “Once I realized what my deal was, I didn’t want to be one of those dudes that’s the guy who marries the chick, has the family, and messes with dudes on the side. Because that happens.”
(AllHipHop News) Miami based rapper Trina is prepping to drop her sixth studio album in 2015. The climate for female rappers getting national exposure has been better than at any point in recent years, and “Da Baddest B*tch” sees the Hip Hop ladies’ success as a reflection of their work ethic.
“Females really work harder than some of these dudes. I know you’d definitely rather see a Trina show than you’d probably want to see one of the guys’ shows, because it’s definitely way more interesting,” Trina told ThisIs50. “I think when you got Nicki [Minaj], Iggy [Iggy Azalea], and that open door for woman to come up, you can understand [female rap] is not dead. We just need that power, that platform, that unity. You just gotta go hard like a dude.”
Trina also voiced her willingness to work with other female rappers like Nicki and Remy Ma. She also speaks on her past relationships with men in the industry and women getting butt enhancements.
(AllHipHop News) Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj released her third album The Pinkprint today, and the Queens performer spoke with DJ Whoo Kid about the project. The Whoolywood Shuffle conversation also touched on the highly publicized issues between her two bosses Lil Wayne and Bryan “Baby” Williams.
“We’re good. Love conquers all. I do know that no matter what, we’re a family. We’re not always the best of friends, but we’re a family and we love each other underneath it all,” said Nicki about her label YMCMB. “I know that Wayne and Baby love each other, and I know they’re gonna resolve anything that gotta be resolved. Shout to Young Money. I am Young Money. I ride with Wayne on whatever. But Baby has played such a huge role in my mental stability.”
Earlier in the interview, Nicki talked about The Pinkprint. The “Anaconda” rapper expressed that she created the LP for the love of Hip Hop culture and made it a point to be lyrical on the project.
“We’re giving a lot of people a lot of passes for not being lyrical and for not being nice. I have to be the one to do it. You can’t wait for nobody else to do it,” stated Nicki. “Pop culture follows what we do, and if we okay the bulls**t, they okay the bullsh**t. And they take it to another level.”
The leader of the Barbz goes on to add that she wanted to show Hip Hop fans that she is honored to be an emcee. For Nicki, The Pinkprint is the proudest achievement in her career.
Minaj also revealed Jay Z told her that he was a fan of her tracks “Lookin Ass N***a” and “Chiraq.” She also claimed she has not had sex with anyone in the music industry.
Rap-Duo ShaqnLivin from New York also known as SNL release their highly anticipated project “Soon You’ll Understand” including production from Joee Billi who has been collaboratively working with the Duo from the start of the project. SNL’s east coast sound blending with the west coast sound brings a refreshing style to the game.
In an age of cookie cutter homogenized rap, Da YoungFellaz, Jay Storm of the South Bronx and Sho-Biz from Crown Heights Brooklyn, bring a breath of fresh air straight from Hip-Hop’s essence. Matching new school wittiness with old school sensibilities, the duo flex their lyrical muscle over HitmakerDot produced “Still Representin”, which lifts its sample from Nas’ “Represent” from his seminal debut “Illmatic”. The track surfaces just in time for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Hip-Hop classic. Da YoungFellaz look forward to unveiling their forthcoming project “The New York Times”, which showcase their interpretations of their favorite 90s cuts with a nextgen appeal.
(AllHipHop News) The clandestine group known as the “Guardians of Peace” have caused a major headache for Sony Pictures. Leaked emails and documents from the entertainment company have revealed the real thoughts of executives on President Obama and top box office actors like Kevin Hart.
The leaks have also provided previously unknown details about potential projects. The Daily Beast discovered correspondence that showed music heavyweights Destiny’s Child and Kanye West could be displayed on the big screen in the future.
A December 4, 2013 email from Screen Gems production company’s Clint Culpepper to Sony executives mentioned Matthew Knowles approaching him about doing a Destiny’s Child biopic.
“Matthew Knowles, Beyonce’s Father wants to make the film of Destiny’s Child and came to me first,” wrote Culpepper. “He’s going to Universal next. Do we think it would be a successful film? They’re on Sony label. I’m just not sure that it’s not too soon.”
Another email from August 4, 2014 included a pitch from Kanye West’s creative director Elon Rutberg about a movie with the Yeezus rapper. Rutberg’s message was sent to co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Amy Pascal.
“I supervise all of Kanye’s film and media projects, and we have a major film project coming up that involves both cinematic and technological innovation, so I naturally thought Sony and wanted to reach out,” wrote Rutberg. “We premiered a multi-screen cinema experience to great response at Cannes 2012, and are looking to take the storytelling to the next level with a feature length film, shot for an immersive cinema experience.”
(AllHipHop News) Back in August, Floyd Mayweather was on the receiving end of countless jokes and memes. The boxing champion was ridiculed, most famously by 50 Cent, for allegedly having difficulties reading. One of the most shocking blows came from The Breakfast Club’sCharlamagne Tha God when he played audio of Mayweather struggling to read a drop for his radio station.
The incident came back up recently during Angie Martinez’s interview with The Breakfast Club. The fellow Power 105 radio personality was on the station’s morning show to promote her new book Healthy Latin Eating, but the discussion eventually turned to Charlamagne leaking the Mayweather drop.
“I think most of the time with Charlamagne, he’s just being honest. Whether you like it or not, that’s being honest. And that’s okay,” said Martinez. “But with that Mayweather thing, I thought that was just a little below the belt… I just felt like that wasn’t about you being honest. I felt there was an opportunity – and maybe you thought it was funny – but you took something that was private, you asked the man to do something for you, and then you make fun of him. It wasn’t about being honest.”
Charlamagne then admitted he felt bad about the situation and it was wrong to play the audio on the air. Co-hosts DJ Envy and Angela Yee then suggested that he should apologize to Mayweather. Martinez also felt an apology was necessary.
After first stating there was no need to say he was sorry, Charlamagne eventually expressed, “I apologize champ.”
The wait is finally over for neo soul and R&B fans as neo soul legend D’Angelo dropped his new album Black Messiah at midnight. D’Angelo fans have been waiting for 14 years for the follow up to his classic 2000 album, Voodoo.
Before releasing the album at midnight, the maestro of soul and funk hosted a listening party with longtime friend Questlove in Manhattan. The album is credited to D’Angelo and the Vanguard, and The 12-track album features contributions from Questlove, Q-Tip, bassist Pino Palladino, drummer James Gadson and Parliament Funkadelic collaborator Kendra Foster (who is credited as a co-writer on eight songs).
“It’s a passion project, and it’s everything,” Questlove told the audience at the listening party. “I don’t really want to give a hyperbolic or grandiose statement, but it’s everything. It’s beautiful, it’s ugly, it’s truth, it’s lies. It’s everything.”
Black Messiah is definitely the follow up R&B fans could’ve hoped for as it is funky with D’Angelo’s lush vocals and incredible range floating above some nice instrumentation with the guitars, bass, drums, horns, and keyboards. D’Angelo has been cooking up the funk and soul that only he can emote on a track for over a decade, and now it is ready to be served.
The album may be his most political to date as it features some of his most explicitly political lyrics: “All we wanted was a chance to talk, ‘stead we only got outlined in chalk / Feet have bled a million miles we’ve walked, revealing at the end of the day, the charade,” D’Angelo sings on “The Charade.” The Black Messiah’s track “1000 Deaths,” with its arrangement of the guitars, explores D’Angelo’s role in the society and actually will remind you of his Voodoo track “Devil’s Pie.” A significant amount of Black Messiah is about sex and love, and here we see the sensual D’Angelo again.
The wait is OVER! Take a listen to the album via Spotify below and let us know your thoughts.
