(AllHipHop News) Ja Rule’s book tour interviews are living to the book’s Unruly title. During his interview with Power 105’s The Breakfast Club, Ja Rule discusses his new album title, Murda Inc offering Superhead as a gift to DJ’s and radio program directors and more.
Back in 2010, Karrine “Superhead” Stefans appeared on TV One’s Life After and asserted that she and Ja Rule had “5 days of non-stop sex” after meeting at a nightclub in Los Angeles. Ja Rule asserts that he never had sex with Supahead but does say that what Murda Inc did used her as a pawn in this game of music. After stating that Steffans “basically prostituted herself for Murda Inc”, he explains how she was used to thank radio DJ’s and Program Directors for supporting their records.
Back in the day, the music scene was a lot different. It was more fun. We had a lot tof fun. We do the big conventions down in Miami. All the DJs are there and all the PDs are there. It was, ‘thumbs up, I’m hearing that Ja Rule record is spinning crazy. We got a gift for you. Thank you for all the love and support.
Months before Jay Z scored his first Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 song for his “Can I Get A..” collaboration with Ja Rule and Amil, Jay Z’s first taste of Billboard success was on Jermaine Dupri’s “Money Ain’t A Thang”. The song appeared on both Jay Z’s Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life and Dupri’s Life of 1472. “Can I Get A…” also appeared on Jay Z’s album, however Ja revealed that not only was the song originally his but there was early frustrations over giving the song to his former Def Jam label mate:
I think Jay heard the track or whatever the case may be or whatever. I spit the hook to him and he was like, ‘that’s dope.’ Then he called me back later that night and said ‘spit to me, let me hear it again’. He was like ‘That’s dope. Let’s use it for my album and for the Rush Hour soundtrack. I think at the time I was young and not understanding how the industry works. So, I said things about ‘aww man, if I had the record myself, it could’ve made my album bigger.
Check out Ja Rule’s full interview on The Breakfast Club below:
(AllHipHop Features) Almost any emcee would be ecstatic if a legend like Nasir Jones were to put his weight behind you in the music business. Hardcore Nas fan Boldy James is no exception. The streetwise storyteller is humbled to be one of the first rappers to sign with Nas’ newly formed imprint Mass Appeal Records, but he is not resting on just a nod of approval from an icon.
Boldy is committed to grinding on his own accord in order to make a name for himself in the Hip Hop game. He has dropped several projects over the last few years including the Trappers Alley: Pros & Cons mixtape and the My 1st Chemistry Set LP (produced entirely by Alchemist). Boldy is now on the cusp of releasing Trappers Alley 2, and he’s been hard at work spitting out guests verses for several other artists as well.
The West Side Detroit native was recently on the video set for one of those features, and he took a break from filming Isaac Castor’s forthcoming visuals for “Arizona” to speak with AllHipHop.com. Boldy shared information about his Trappers Alley 2, discussed a few upcoming tracks with his cousin and The Cools Kids alum Chuck Inglish, and the importance of keeping his fan base fed.
What have you been working on recently?
I’ve been working on Trappers Alley 2. I’m just trying to bring back that rough, raw Detroit sound that I originally come from before The Cool Kids era. Before Chuck was making boom bap beats, he was making these real grimy, dark beats that use to compliment what I do. I’m just trying to find the medium between what my fans expect of me and what I want out of the music. I’m trying to satisfy both parties – me and the fans.
Do you find that to be a difficult balance?
At times, because a lot of times it feels like just because I’m from the ghetto we put ourselves through it a little harder than other people, and seems as if that’s most of the world. Until you get out into the world, start traveling other places, and seeing that’s the minority.
You get to feeling swamped in your own bulls**t that presents itself in the neighborhood. Then you’ll look at somebody that got a regular, balanced life and you get to comparing the two. I always feel like a lot of people won’t be able to relate to me, because I’m from a different world. That’s the challenge. Trying to make people understand where I’m coming from, because it’s not many people that’s really from my world.
At one point in time in my life that’s all I knew – the neighborhood. Once you get out of the urban acclimation mode, then you can spread your wings and realize that there’s more to it than just being from the ghetto.
Is Trappers Alley 2 going to be a free mixtape or are you releasing it to retail?
You’re probably going to be able to download it when I first put it out, and then I think it’ll go up on iTunes too. So if you want to support it, you can. If you want to just steal the music, you can too. It’s all good. It ain’t no big deal. I got a lot of things going on.
People think that the music is everything. That’s just only a part of it. You still got to have a business mind. It’s still other avenues and lane that open up just from creating the music.
Have you decided on a release date yet?
Sometime mid-September/early October.
Why did you decide to go with “Crunchin” as the lead single?
It just seemed like a good idea with my business partners to push that one. It had more of a well-rounded sound. It wasn’t just drill music. It had more diversity to it, so I felt like more people would probably feel that one coming out the gate than all the other music I’ve been making. And then I can’t give the strongest song, and then not follow through with a stronger one. It was just a plan of attack.
Has the response been good?
Yeah, for sure. I put out a song like that “No Hate In My Blood.” That was just a mixtape song, and the people let me know how they felt. They weren’t feeling that joint. They were on my head about that one like, “Boldy, that’s not you,” “That’s not the type of music you make,” “You just lost a fan.”
At the end of the day, I must have felt confident enough about the music before I let it out, so I’m just going to let it do it’s thing. See the response I get, so I can know what to do different next time. Or approach a track that was similar to that one different, so I don’t get the same response I did last time.
You seem to be pretty interactive with your fans.
Yeah, that’s because it’s just like when you sell dope. Your fiends are like your fans. You got to give them what they want, so they can keep spending with you. You can’t sell one of your fans no bulls**t and expect them to come back and spend their money with you when it’s time for the re-up.
I try to cater to the fans for the most part, because they are who made me Boldy James. Lil Moochie’s gonna do his thing in the streets with or without music. But Boldy James, he needs his fans for him to bloom and blossom into the great artist his fans think he really is. I need them to hold me up when I stage dive.
Can we expect a Nas feature on Trappers Alley 2?
More than likely. I don’t see why not. That’s the big homie. That’s who I’m doing big business with, so I don’t see why not. Nas is one of the illest to ever do it. He knows how much I respect his craft.
If you had a Nas questionnaire that asked about this verse or that verse, I think I’d damn near be able to give you word-for-word, bar-for-bar each and every song he ever put out. If Nas did some s**t in the studio that got leaked, I’m pretty sure I heard it and I know the verse.
I’m a big Nas fan. And he must admire something about what I do, because he don’t f**k with n***as. So for him just giving the co-sign and to be breaking bread with me, I don’t see why not. We’re gonna see what it do. Trappers Alley 2 coming soon.
Boldy James + Nas + Mac Miller In The Lab (via Instagram)
You’re also going to be on the upcoming Mass Appeal compilation. Can you talk about some of the music you submitted for that project?
Me and Fashawn got a banger. Me and Mac Miller got a banger. Me, Chuck Inglish, and Fashawn got something so dope. We just did it in the studio while we were working on the Mass Appeal joint. Chuck came through and laced us with a beat. It’s called “Off White.” I love that song.
I got all types of stuff in store for y’all. These features I’ve been doing on these other people’s projects. Just random artists that have been reaching out. My feature price went up.
It’s just a good look right now. The money is the motivation. It’s like when you’re in the trap, and you’re trap’s snapping. All that money keeps slipping in and out your hands. That’s how I feel right now. I’m in a good groove.
You’re from Detroit, and that city is known for it’s battle rap scene. Do you follow the battle rap culture?
Shout out to my dog Calicoe, BMF representing, Detroit City, my man Qleen Paper. A lot of the people that battle rap from the city that’s really in the street, I know them. But if they ain’t around here in the streets making no noise, then I probably only recognize them if I see them or if one of my guys back home who f**ks with the battle rap scene puts me up on. I don’t know a lot of them cats. That’s why I’ve never been a battle rapper.
How far along are you on your studio album?
I got like 15 albums recorded. Then a plethora of probably a couple hundred more songs just in the stash. I work a lot. I’m not just one of those guys who blows his life away. I’m always doing something. I’m always thinking of new ways to make money, stay busy. I have to keep working, because you can’t expect to get something for nothing. You always got to work twice as hard if you expect to get anything out life. So I’m working overtime and a half to get that band up.
Chicago’s Young Gii teams up with fellow Windy City spitter King Louie for “All On My Dih”. Young Gii was born in the Bahamas. He quickly fell in love with the world of hip hop at the age of 17 when he moved to America. Young Gii used his struggles and life experiences as a catalyst to produce great music.
“You don’t have to be a gangsta to be real,” said Young Gii. Gii He has already released three great mix tapes, “I’m So Ill” hosted by the well-known Chicago DJ Sean Mac, as well as “Step Into My World” and “I Am Young Gii” hosted by the legendary Don Cannon. Young Gii is currently working on his latest project, an EP titled Islands to the City.
DJ Hustle has this mix jumping on AllHipHop.com. Listen to DJ Hustle’s jump off mix #2 . Weekly mixes will be posted for your weekly enjoyment. Let DJ Hustle know what you want to hear in the mix @AllHipHopcom or @DJHustle.
Our second mix features songs from YG, B.O.B, Iggy Azalea, Plies, Hurricane Chris and more.
The East St. Louis native, Fresco Kane, has Hip Hop legends taking notice of the 26-year-old with the rock star persona–from Jermaine Dupri insisting the rookie sign with his label just hours after meeting him for the first time, to Busta Rhymes contributing a raunchily righteous verse to his JD and Bryan Michael Cox-produced buzz single “Hump Wit It.” Industry visionaries can argue that the St. Louis Hip Hop scene hasn’t had a champion of this immense talent in years. It’s usually cliche when rappers claim that their region rests on their backs, but with Fresco it’s the undeniable truth. “I definitely feel like a lot of weight is on my shoulders,” he says.
He has a clear picture of what true success is and knows he has a long road ahead to reach his destination. Thus he keeps himself humbled and his lens on the big picture. “Just because you’re signed doesn’t mean you’re on,” he states. “I got signed off of my talent––because I can sing, because I can produce and rap.”
Check out his new single “You Can Have It” below, produced by Mike Kalombo & Don P.
(AllHipHop News) Add the C-O-double M-O-N to the list of African American entertainers defending Justin Bieber against racist allegations. A month after Mack Maine claimed Justin Bieber had “legitimately adopted the Hip Hop culture”,
Back in June, a video tape surfaced of Justin Bieber singing “one less lonely nig*er” at the age of 14. During an interview with VladTV, Common admits to not seeing the tape itself but deduces from Bieber’s recent activity that he 20 year old singer is not a racist:
He surrounds himself with black people. So, I don’t think it was something that—To be honest I never even seen the tapes, but I got the feedback of it. But I don’t think it’s something that he was saying wholeheartedly to demean a black person.
Common later reasons that Bieber, who was born and raised in Canada, “must have been raised in a place where he just didn’t know” about the implications of those types of remarks. Common also takes the time to reiterate the message of his longtime collaborator Kanye West’s 2004 lyric “racism still alive, they just be concealing it”:
We got so many other problems in America, racism is not at the forefront. We feel like ‘Oh, we have a Black president. Oh, we see successful people out there that are African American and Black. We doing multicultural movies, so racism [doesn’t exist]. But it still does exists. It’s just under the table. One thing I liked about during time is that it was just out there and put on the table. I rather it just be put on the table, because that’s the way you get to the solution.
Check out Common discuss racism, Justin Bieber’s tapes and more with VladTV here.
(AllHipHop News) Cee Lo Green will continue to profit from his voice but grew tired of The Voice. In a recent interview, the Goodie Mob artist explained how fatigue led to his departure from the hit NBC show and gives his replacement, Pharrell Williams, advice on handling the show.
News of Pharrell Williams replacing Cee Lo on The Voice surfaced this past March when show’s official Twitter account annouced the change. Cee Lo originally revealed on The Ellen Degeneres Show a month before the announcement and revealed his reason for leaving was based on wanting to work on his new album. Cee Lo changed his reasoning a bit during an interview with Us Weekly:
It easily and quickly became a job. Very, very obligating… Taxing and tiring… I still tip my hat to Adam [Levine] and Blake [Shelton] and those guys who continuously do it, but I think I ran my course there just naturally.
Green was one of the original judges announced for the show back in February 2011, two months before the show’s inaugural season began. Later in the interview, CeeLo gave advice to Pharrell on how to handle the job:
Just kind of pace yourself. Just find it enjoyable, and as long as you’re passionate about discovering new talent and really helping people and encouraging them to be themselves and live out loud and follow their dreams, then you should have no problem.
Cee Lo’s new show “The Good Life” premiered on TBS on June 28th and airs every Monday at 10 P.M.
(AllHipHop News) Russell Simmons is taking his roots to the future and searching for the next great artists Today (July 10th), Russell Simmons and Steve Rikin’s announce their partnership with Samsung’s Milk music streaming service to release a single from a new artist ever week for a year.
ADD52 is a part of Simmons and Steve Rifkin’s All Def Digital music label they began in 2013 and will expand their partnership with Samsung to include working with its relatively new music streaming service, Milk Music. 52 singles were picked from thousands of submissions from unknown acts made to ADD52.com. The partnership includes Universal Music Group which will extend a recording contract at any of its labels to the artists with singles that have the most streams, likes and social media shares.
Rikfin, founder of Loud Records and SRC Records, claims in an interview with Billboard that ADD52 is an answer to the monotony of current radio programming:
The research we’re getting back is people who are coming to the station aren’t necessarily wanting to hear Drake and all the hot records. They’re there to hear the new records that nobody has ever heard before.
ADD52 was originally announced back in March around the time of Samsung’s Milk Music debut. Samsung’s Milk Music has over 13 million songs and recently announced the music service was downloaded over 2 million times in its first four months of release. Simmons admits that while there is no plans for a long term partnership with Samsung past the 52 weeks, ADD52, Simmons informed Billboard “there are too many artists that need exposure for me not to continue this process.”
Check out ADD52’s promotion video explaining the partnership with Samsung’s Milk Music
(AllHipHop News) Fake or real, Chuck D is against all forms of racism. Last night (July 9th), Chuck D responded to an altered photograph of Iggy Azaela calling Drake, B.O.B. and T.I. her “n*ggas”.
The photo of Azaela with the three rappers originally appeared on B.O.B.’s Facebook page in 2012 to promote Azaela’s “M.D.M. (Million Dollar Misfits)” collaboration with T.I. and B.O.B. The photo reappeared recently with the caption “Me and my n*gga’s” and Chuck D found offense in the post, even after realizing it was fake:
a new straight path to slavery Here comes a endorsed sanctioned CORPlantation artist with A line straight out of 1853 pic.twitter.com/OiUZhQ7DUi
True or not the IGGY thing is a reality when you call yourself with the slaveass term that was branded on skin & today marketed, sht happens — Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 10, 2014
Azaela has been alleged to be a racist since her 2012 song “D.R.U.G.S” which consisted of a lyric that likened the Australian-born rapper to a “runaway slave master”. In a recent interview with The Guardian, she addressed how dating Los Angeles Lakers’ star Nick Young made the racist allegations harder for her to endure:
Getting the word racist put on me sucked. And it’s hurtful forother people to have to hear it (she nods in the direction of the boyfriend, who is buttering a crumpet). And it is hurtful for other people’s families to have to hear it. I think people seriously need to rethink that word. We are very liberal in flinging it around and it is pretty f###### heavy
(AllHipHop News) The discussion surrounding race and Hip Hop has become a big topic over the last year. From Lord Jamar saying white artists are “guests” in the culture, to Macklemore’s controversial Grammy win over Kendrick Lamar, to Forbes initially claiming “Hip Hop Is Run By A White, Blonde, Australian Woman” via Iggy Azalea – the conversation continues to be ongoing.
Hard Knock TV caught up with veteran engineer Young Guru to get his perspective on the topic. The longtime Jay Z associate connects Hip Hop with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream Speech.” For Guru, it’s not about the color of your skin, but the level of your talent.
Hip Hop has always had that different face. If we really go back and you really talk about Hip Hop music and Hip Hop culture some of your greatest graffiti writers like Zephyr and these guys were white guys. People try to take out the Spanish and Puerto Rican influence in some of the greatest B-boys and some of the greatest DJs in the beginning of Hip Hop.
You can’t tell me that the Beastie Boys are not Hip Hop. You can’t tell me MC Serch is not Hip Hop. I think that people – when they look at when it spreads, the audience themselves may not be Hip Hop. Macklemore’s audience may not be the biggest Hip Hop audience, but you can’t say that Macklemore himself is not Hip Hop. People are going to have their own expression.
Hip Hop is not a color based thing. It’s actually the one place where Dr. King’s dream has been realized. Where it doesn’t really matter what color you are. It matters how dope you are. That’s all it is. That’s what the content of character means. How good are you at what you claim you do? That’s Hip Hop. The only place you could ever see that.
During the interview Guru also speaks on his time teaching at the University of Southern California, the importance of documenting Hip Hop’s history, and the difference between a producer and a beat maker.
