This past weekend Commission’s own DJ Holiday held his first annual Holipalooza Concert at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, GA (an Atlanta suburb). The concert was packed to the max with music execs, media, and Hip-Hop enthusiasts of course. DJ Holiday brought out artists such as Mike Fresh, Zuse, Que, Extream Bling, Runway Richie, TK N Cash, Young Dolph, Bobby Shmurda, Rae Sremmurd, Migos and more. It’s safe to say that the first Holipalooza was a success! AllHipHop caught up with some of the performers backstage to discuss their new projects. Check out our recap video below.
I’m not a Kardashian fan and I don’t watch the show, but word is on this week’s past episode, Khloe confronted French Montana about suspicions of why he may really be with the reality show star.
BallerAlert reports:
“Kim confronts French about suspicions that he has an ulterior motive when it comes to dating Khloe. In a recent interview with Billboard Magazine French dished on his relationship with Khlo and how he wanted to take advantage of the spotlight. “I want to capitalize on it,” he said. “I’ll get a fan base from everywhere. I just hope I’ll be able to connect with everything that’s going on.”
Before you start worrying about Khloe, she’s a big girl. She says that she knows French’s intentions and doesn’t care. “It’s amusing to me that Y’all think I don’t see it. I was the first one to see it. I just don’t care.””
Now if that ain’t a damn…nevermind. Guess it’s like her brother-in-law Yeezy rapped, we don’t care what people say…
(AllHipHop News) The same week Chief Keef teased an upcoming collaboration with Kanye West, reports are coming out that Ye could be teaming up with Paul McCartney on tracks as well.
According to the New York Post, the Chicago emcee and the Beatles legend have been secretly recording together, and those songs could develop into a full album.
One of those collaborations could be a song titled “P### On Your Grave.” The Huffington Post has confirmed with representatives from Kanye’s camp that the track does exist, but the reps would not comment on whether McCartney is on the song or if a potential joint project featuring the two stars is in the works.
McCartney previously said in an interview that he thought about adding a rapper to his song “Appreciate.” The only rap guest features he considered were Kanye West and Jay Z.
Ye has mentioned the Beatles on a track in the past. On the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy track “Gorgeous” he rapped, “And what’s a black Beatle anyway? A f**king roach?”
Ok now make sure you have a few minutes to spare, because this one takes awhile to get out…
Rumors have been circulating a minute now that Future and Rihanna may have a ‘thing,’ but it gets even messier because one site is reporting that another party may be involved, Keyshia Cole. Peep what Blind Gossip.com is saying:
“This relationship started out with the best of intentions. Two good-looking and successful people – both at the top of their game – fell in love and got engaged. Of course there was the obligatory giant diamond ring (which he helped to design), the open displays of admiration for each other, and declarations of happiness all around when the engagement was announced. Sweet, right? Oh, hell no! He was so used to women flocking to him that he just couldn’t seem to settle into only having one woman. In the past six months alone, he has cheated on her at least twice… and both of the women that we know about are famous! Mistress 1 is probably the most famous person in this story. She was working on a project with Fiance, and there were some whispers that the two of them had gotten close. Our Bride-to-be initially dismissed the rumors as gossip, but later found out that the rumors were all true. Bride was furious… but her Fiance managed to convince her that it was nothing more than a few casual hookups and that it was totally over. Groom-to-be and Mistress 2 worked on a project together a few years ago. Nothing happened then, but as soon as Groom got engaged, Mistress 2 was suddenly all over him! This was no one-night stand either. It was an honest-to-goodness full-blown affair. Bride has no clue about Mistress 2, and you know that there is zero chance that Groom will voluntarily tell her about it. So we will. Bride-to-be: Groom-to-be: Mistress 1: Mistress 2: BONUS CLUES on Twitter! BONUS CLUE: Mistress 1 is single. Mistress 2 is married. This affair may have broken up M2′s marriage. BONUS CLUE: One woman was pregnant while these affairs were occurring! SOLVED! August 13, 2014 Bride-to-be: Ciara Groom-to-be: Future Mistress 1: Rihanna Mistress 2: Keyshia Cole We were not at all surprised when it was announced today that Ciara and Future broke up. The reports are saying that Future cheated. Blind Gossip told you about this two months ago… and we also told you with whom he was cheating! While Ciara was pregnant with Future’s baby, Future was screwing around on her with Rihanna and Keyshia Cole. Ciara gave birth to their son, Future Zahir, three months ago. However, by that time, the relationship with Future was broken. Now you know why. All of the details of the cheating scandal are contained within our original blind item (above).”
Too much right? If this has any truth to it Future is definitely doing the most. SMH.
(AllHipHop News) The murder trial for slain rapper Lil Phat has shifted in a major way once again. Now suspect Decensae White has testified on behalf of the prosecution in the case, admitting he and four other defendants were directly involved in Phat’s killing.
Lil Phat (born Melvin Vernell III) was gunned down in the parking lot of Atlanta’s Northside Hospital on June 7, 2012. White stated he had been tracking Phat’s car using a GPS device provided to him by ex-Russian mafia member Mani Chulpayev.
The prosecution believes this was all to take revenge on Phat for stealing marijuana from White and alleged Bloods gang leader Gary “Eldorado Red” Bradford. White also implicated Maurice Dewayne Conner and Deandre Washington in the murder. According to authorities, Conner and Washington were the gunmen paid to shoot Phat.
White gave an account of the moments leading up to Phat’s death inside Northside’s parking deck.
“We see that [Phat’s] car is there. We circle around the parking deck and then exited the parking deck. Red gets on the phone with Conner, and tells him to stay there and, ‘Do you see the car?’ He said, ‘Yes,'” White told Fulton County Prosecutor Gabe Banks. “That’s when Red was saying, ‘Gun his ass or kill him right there basically.”
White goes on to testify that he did not believe Phat would be killed at the hospital, but Red apparently said that the rapper should be murdered right there “mob style,” meaning his death would be about principle, not recovering any money.
In White’s mind that principle meant, “Respect for being a drug dealing gang banger.”
It’s been a while since we’ve heard Houston rapper, Travi$ Scott. Scott’s debut project Owl Pharoah was arguably one of the best mixtapes to drop last year, production credits working with Kanye West and Jay Z, and even opening for Ye’ during the Yeezus tour, we can say that Scott’s been pretty busy. However, La Flame drops his new album Days Before Rodeo, and it’s fire. The dark and grim production of Scott returns, giving listeners a sinister tone with hard-hitting bass. Days Before Rodeo includes appearances from Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, Big Sean, Migos, and Peewee Longway. Metro Boomin’ also earns a production credit for the album as well. Check out Travi$ Scott’s second album Days Before Rodeo below:
Uh oh Breezy and Mr. Steal Your Girl are uniting for a joint tour!!!
Chris Brown and Trey Songz are teaming up for an epic joint R&B tour this fall! Brown broke the news on Twitter: “THIS FALL is gonna be legendary! Get ready for me and @TreySongz Tour!!!!!!” To kick off the promo for the tour both singer posted Instagram videos of themselves pondering the idea of a joint tour. Breezy said, “real R&B, real singing, real performances, ton of ladies.” “We could do like old songs, new songs. Oh, we got that one song that we did together that no one’s heard,” said Trey before singing Breezy’s “Yo (Excuse Me Miss).”
The VA natives have plenty of new material to perform. Chris is readying his X album for a September 16 release and Trey’s sixth album Trigga debuted at No. 1 in July!
Check out their back-and-forth Instagram vids below get your tickets!
Music fans may still be getting familiar with Warner Brothers Record’s artist Bebe Rexha’s name, but they’ve already grown to love her sound. She’s the songwriter behind a monster hit and has upcoming collaborations with some of the biggest names in music. With the release of her single, “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You,” a song that MTV calls a “certifiable smash,” 2014 is shaping up to be the year Bebe Rexha takes center stage. Bebe Rexha released her Girl, Interrupted/Melancholia inspired debut video this week, “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You.” She penned the song while being hammered following a bad break up.
Bebe is a first-generation Albanian-American from Brooklyn. Her major break into the music industry was as the front woman for Pete Wentz’s Black Cards project, where she honed her talents opening up for acts like Travis McCoy, Panic at The Disco and Bon Jovi. In 2012, Wentz decided to fold the project to refocus his attention on his group Fall Out Boy, and Bebe found herself doubting her direction. She channeled those emotions into “Monster Under My Bed,” a dark, hypnotizing track produced by Frequency. Eminem remade “Monster Under My Bed” into “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna. The song spent five weeks at #1 and sold a massive 3 million copies. Fans soon discovered Bebe’s original demo online, and the buzz around her has been building since.
Bebe draws from her experiences with romance, family difficulties and personal challenges to create electrifying tracks that are a combination of toughness and vulnerability. Her sound is as versatile as her subject matter.
Check out the video to “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” below.
Atlanta’s QUE. & 2 Chainz team up to bring you “Rich Problems” produced by DJ Mustard. Look out for his mixtape “Can You Digg It?” to release tomorrow via livemixtapes.
Less then a week before she drops her mixtape Valifornia on 8/18, fast rising L.A artist Raven Felix puts a crazy flip on SchoolBoy Q & BJ The Chicago Kid’s “Studio” by inserting her own perspective. The 19 year old shows her range by taking on both parts of the song. Raven Felix’s mixtape Valifornia drops this week.
“Ahhh sh*t Now why the f*ck you done called them cops/With your hands up, you still getting shot.”-50 Cent
G-Unit is in no mood for a peace treaty. On their new track “Ahh Sh*t”, the Unit discuss the police brutality that surfaced in the recent deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown.
(AllHipHop News) Many moons (and prison meals) ago Remy Ma was garnering a buzz as a capable battle rapper. In a recent interview, Remy Ma discusses her view on female battle rap now, turning down a “six figure” offer to battle and still believing she can battle.
Back in 2006, Remy Ma faced off against Lady Luck for Fight Klub. According to Remy in her interview with TheHomeOfHipHop247 states that she can
I had a crazy offer that was in the six figure area to do such. That’s not really where I’m at right now in my career. I believe I could do it if I wanted to, that’s what I do. But that’s not what I want to do. I like seeing people that haven’t had the chance to make it as far as I have or even as far as I would like to be one day get a chance to showcase their art and their creativity.
Remy has not chosen sides on the beef between Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim feud but does believe it has “been going on for too long.” In the interview, Remy states that Kim’s lyrical focus has been too narrow as a result of her beef:
It’s been going on for too long. That’s one thing. On Kim’s part, I would have liked if she put out more music. Not just music directed at the person she’s upset. Just music in general. If you feel like you hold a certain position, it’s so easy to prove that by putting out material.
(AllHipHop Features) Statik Selektah may have a serious addiction. Going off the continuous projects, tours, and events attached to his name, it appears the DJ/radio personality/producer is a functioning work-a-holic. And Statik does not seem to have any interest to kick his labor habit any time soon. Up next is more new music.
After dropping critically acclaimed LPs like Population Control (2011) and Extended Play (2013), Statik is set to release his latest studio album this week. What Goes Around is a collection of tracks that feature a diverse group of emcees including Joey Bada$$, Freddie Gibbs, Action Bronson, Ab-Soul, Snoop Dogg, Black Thought, Ransom, Styles P, Talib Kweli, and many more.
Statik’s musical career has always consisted of working closely with other artists. From 1982 with Termanology to Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away with Freddie Gibbs to The Proposal with Ransom, the Massachusetts native has created numerous collaborative projects. Even as What Goes Around is about to hit stores, Statik is also helping craft the forthcoming albums B4.Da.$$ by Joey Bada$$ and Mr. Wonderful by Action Bronson.
The current New York City resident took a break from his various jobs to chat about What Goes Around, connecting with Joey Bada$$, the new era of NYC Hip Hop, and which rapper could be his next full project collaborator.
Read part 1 of AllHipHop.com’s exclusive interview with Statik Selektah.
There are a lot of interesting collaborations on What Goes Around. What is your process when you’re trying to decide what artists you want to put together on a track?
It really just comes natural. I hear certain people on the beat, and we reach out. That’s it. A lot of these guys are a phone call away. I basically have a list of who I want to work with when I start the album.
Sometimes things happen through chance. Sometimes I might bump into someone at the right time. It really depends. Every collaboration is different.
Did you ever have any rappers that ask if you could put them on a track with a particular artist? Or do they ever request that you put them on a certain track?
Yeah, it happens every day. On this album one specific one was I had Joey [Bada$$] on “Carry On” by himself. It was supposed to be a little interlude in between two songs, and I was like, “Let’s put [Freddie] Gibbs on this.” Joey and Gibbs actually did a record together for Cocaine Piñata at my crib a long time ago, and Gibbs ended up doing the song by himself.
I was like, “There’s still no Joey Bada$$/Freddie Gibbs record.” Me and Joey were out in San Diego, and Gibbs came to me like, “What do you want me to get on for the album?” I asked Joey what he felt about putting Gibbs on “Carry On.” He said, “Let’s do it. That sounds dope.” It came out crazy, and now the video is coming out.
You’ve seemed to really embrace Joey Bada$$ and the entire Pro Era movement. How did that relationship first start?
We’re literally together every day. I’m on the road with him, so in the last two years we’ve done over 300 shows. It came about early when he was working on 1999, and his manager Jonny Shipes reached out to me to do some scratches. He came through my crib, and we just started working.
It was just a natural vibe. Ever since then we’ve been rocking, literally every day. I’m very involved in his album. He’s on my projects. He’s like my little brother.
You worked with him on his album. So you have production on it?
Yeah, I mixed a lot of it too. I brought him ideas. I’m very, very involved with his album.
A lot of your previous work has been critically acclaimed including Extended Play that you put out last year. Does that add any pressure when you’re creating your most recent project knowing that people have a high expectation for a Statik Selektah album?
Nah, if anything I think I surpassed it big time on this album. Extended Play was me finishing a chapter of my first five albums that are kind of similar. To me, this album is a lot different. There’s a theme to it. It’s real jazzy. I brought in a lot of live music.
I think it’s time to bring, on a music level, everything to the next level. So when you start hearing a lot of the records I produce now, you’re going to start hearing a lot more live instrumentation. Obviously, I’m always going to stick to my samples and certain drums, but you’re going to hear a lot more live music.
People associate your production style with the “traditional New York sound,” and you’ve worked with a lot of the new NYC acts like Joey, Troy Ave, Action Bronson, Nitty Scott. How do you feel about where New York Hip Hop is at the moment?
I think it’s great. I don’t always look at it from the artist’s perspective. I look at it from when I see the fans. I go to a lot of shows, and I think there are a new wave of fans now from the age of 15 on. These kids are really rocking out with the traditional New York values now. From the style – the way they dress – to the vibe of the music, and that was missing for a long time.
A lot of kids were into Soulja Boy and s**t like that for a long time. If you ask the average kid walking down the street in Brooklyn what they’re listening to now, they’re probably going to say some dope s**t. I really appreciate that, because the history got lost for a little while. The people weren’t looking back into Nas, Biggie – real music. Now when I meet these kids they know what they’re talking about.
That’s bugged out to me, because my whole career I’ve been DJing clubs and for Q-Tip, so I meet a lot of adults. I never got to do all-ages shows until I started rocking with Joey Bada$$, so now I’m meeting all these kids that I never would have had a chance to meet. It’s dope. It’s like a new energy to this Hip Hop s**t.
What’s your take on New York artists that have incorporated other regional sounds into their music? Like for example Bobby Shmurda. He’s hot right now, but he has faced some criticism for kind of sounding like he’s from Chicago or the South.
I don’t knock anyone else’s hustle if they’re trying to put on for New York, but to me that’s like a flash in the pan right now. If Bobby Shmurda makes a career out of that, and he makes real music then I’ll be impressed, but right now I haven’t really heard anything original that’s really impressed me.
His single is cool, but it’s a freestyle to me. I understand the dance and all that, but let’s see if he’ll make some music that will last a couple of years. We’ll see. I hope he does. I hope everybody makes good s**t. But I felt like it was a Chicago type of thing when I first saw it.
We’ll see what he does with it. That’s not really what I’m rocking with though. We got our own thing going on. [“Hot N***a”] is a fun record. You play it in the club, people do the dance. To me, that’s – I don’t want to say a gimmick, there’s just a catch to it. What happens when you take that element out? Is he going to put out a real good record? We’ll see. I hope so.
Going back to your album. I noticed there’s a hidden track on there. Why did you decide not to list that particular song on the official track list?
I wanted an element of surprise on there, but even besides that, literally I had way too many songs for the album. It was one of the last songs that got turned in, and to me it just hits you in the head. When you think the album’s over it surprises you.
He’s somebody that I grew up listening to – from Ultramagnetic to Sex Style and Dr. Octagonecologyst. He’s a bugged out dude. I got to get cool with him recently. I think I’m going to throw people off with that.
Your catalog includes a lot of collaborative projects. Are there any particular artists that you haven’t worked with you that you’d like to do a full album with?
I have a wish list. How realistic it is, I don’t know. Something that could happen in the future – me and Ab-Soul. We’ve been working. I think we’re going to do an Ab-Soul [project]. Obviously, I love Kendrick [Lamar]. I love Common. I’d like to work Common, Jay Z, Nas, Eminem. The regular top dogs.
I like Chance [The Rapper] a lot. I see him going in a different direction now. I see him doing a lot more soulful s**t which I enjoy. I went to see him in London. He was real dope. I like Vic Mensa. He’s dope.
I feel like I’m working with pretty much everybody I want to work with. If anyone’s not on the list of who I’ve worked with, it’s definitely Kendrick.
Do you think we could see a Statik/Joey Bada$$ full project since you guys are so close?
I could put one out right now if I wanted to. We have so much unreleased music. You’re going to see a lot. I think when people hear his album they’re going to hear my influence on it. When you hear Action Bronson’s album – those three points are going to connect, and people are going to see it. I can’t give away too much right now.
How do you have time for yourself or anything else? It seems like you’re on a constant grind.
I’m actually moving this week too. I just landed from Europe, and then we’re leaving again in a couple of days. It’s madness.
Statik Selektah (via Instagram)
Statik Selektah’s What Goes Around is scheduled for release Tuesday, August 19. Order the album on iTunes.
The What Goes Around album release event featuring Pro Era, Freddie Gibbs, Ransom, and more takes place tonight August 18 at SOB’s. For more information visit sobs.com.
(AllHipHop News) In a bizzarro world, Ice Cube has chosen who will immortalize Paul Giamanti in the upcoming N.W.A. biopic. Recently the actor who will play the manager of the legendary group in Straight Outta Compton was chosen.
Paul Giamatti was selected to play as Jerry Heller in the upcoming N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. Paul Giamtti’s most recent role in his illustrious 15+ year career was as Aleksei Sytsevich, the Rhino in 2014’s The Amazing Spider Man 2.
Heller founded Ruthless Records and managed N.W.A. throughout their short-lived career from 1986-1991. Ice Cube left N.W.A. in 1989 after making claims that Heller was shortchanging the group on their royalty payments. On his 1991 debut album Death Certificate, Cube made his accusations explicit with lyrics from the song “No Vaseline” such as “It’s a case of divide and conquer, ’cause you let a Jew break up my crew.”
Straight Outta Compton is currently filming and is set to be released on August 14th, 2015.
In the wake of the tragic killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, Atlanta duo ILLClinton return with the timely track “Alive (Don’t Shoot).” The song was recorded prior to the police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, but the tune addresses the unnecessary death of black youth.
Brennan raps, “I pray all of my n***as live long for a million moons and don’t end up one of them damn statistics on the evening news” over his brother Blake Belair’s production.
(AllHipHop News) What you see may not necessarily be real. During a recent interview, Wiz Khalifa explain how celebrity couples manufacture news coverage of their relationship.
While on The Breakfast Club, Wiz described Beyonce and Jay Z, Tiny and T.I. as well as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as “public relationships, so they’re like sitcoms.” He differentiates his marriage from those by stating that “we don’t got [public relations] for our relationship.” Wiz explains how those types of public relationships “set up” media coverage:
I know what’s real. I’m not telling any secretes, but this is entertainment. It’s been going on since the 80’s. The 70s, the 60s. But, the media wasn’t as accessible. It became media accessible in the 80’s and the 90’s where it’s set up. But, we ain’t in no set up.
Last month, Wiz Khalifa described Tyga’s excuse for leaving the “Under The Influence” tour without informing him as “corny.” According to Wiz, he and Tyga spoke after he made those comments and Wiz explicitly explained his gripe with the Young Money rapper he calls a “friend”:
I was just like ‘we run what we do’. How people look at it and how they see it is all on us. So, if you want it to be like ‘I’m too busy’, that’s how it’s going to look like. If you want it to be like ‘Me and Wiz would love for this to happen but we didn’t get a chance to because of this that and the other thing but I’m going to make it up. Then we can orchestrate that amongst us and then it comes off right. That’s what I was telling him.
