Ahhh..forget Kanye and Kim for a few. This get back to Mr. West. Looks like Kanye is moving steadfastly towards coming out with a new album again We knew this was on the way, but when you are seen coming out of the studio with Rihanna, you know this is really happening. And that’s what apparently happened last night. The homie Kanye – one of my best friends in my head – was seen leaving a studio in Los Angeles. Not a lot more after that. But, yeah…we’ll see.
Image source: tinypic.com
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
(AllHipHop Features) Veteran Hip Hop artist Buckshot has been holding it down for the independent rap scene for two decades. After previously releasing joint albums with KRS-One and 9th Wonder via his own label, Buck is back this week with his latest collaborative effort.
The Duck Down Music co-founder teamed with New Zealand-based producer P-Money for the BackPack Travels LP. The 10-track album features guests appearances from Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, Raz Fresco, Chelsea Reject, David Dallas, T’Nah Apex, and Pro Era’s Joey Bada$$ & CJ Fly.
AllHipHop.com caught up with the Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik member to talk about the project and more. In part 1 of an exclusive interview, Buckshot praises a few of his recent collaborators, offers advice to New York City’s new school of rappers, and addresses the theme behind one of BackPack Travels standout tracks “Killuminati.”
‘Backpack Travels’ Cover Art
How did the BackPack Travels project with P-Money come together?
[Co-CEO of Duck Down Music] Dru Ha has one of the best ears that I’ve ever been around. Dru was the person that introduced me to P. Dru introduced me to half the people we rock with. Except for the people in the beginning.
Dru would hear something dope, and he’ll say, “Buck, what you think about this?” I’d listen to it, and say, “It’s crazy.” Then we all just meet with the minds. Next thing you know it comes together.
I saw you guys dropped the video for “Sweetest Thing” featuring T’Nah Apex.
T’Nah Apex’s one of my favorite all time artists period. When I first got with her, it was just incredible. She’s such a dope emcee and artist. It’s only natural for you to feel like she’s the Lauryn Hill of today.
She’s on the album. You have Pro Era members Joey Bada$$ and CJ Fly on the track “Flute.” It kind of feels like, and correct me if I’m wrong, that you’re sort of passing the baton between the different Brooklyn Hip Hop generations.
That’s the whole point – passing the baton. I felt that happened with me, not really consciously or on purpose, as far with KRS-One passing me the torch. I’m telling people all the time that I’m a proud student of KRS-One. So for me to have an opportunity that I can make music and produce an album with KRS-One – nothing can be better than that.
So when we got that opportunity to work with Pro Era it was only a pleasure. There’s certain things you’re just amazed at, because they are so dope as individuals. And those are the type of people that give props to artists of the 90’s. To me, that’s special because I’ve always given props to the artists before me like the Big Daddy Kanes, the Slick Ricks, and the KRS-Ones. I like people that’s like that. Some people just don’t care, and they’ll tell you.
There are a lot of acts from Brooklyn buzzing right now like Troy Ave. What’s your take on the current state of Brooklyn Hip Hop?
I’ll just say some people deserve to be in that position of acknowledgement, and some people really don’t. I give props to the people that deserve it. I don’t really mention any names.
Some people say they represent New York. Okay you represent New York, but when certain people keep saying “New York, New York, New York” all the time that just becomes a little bit aggravating after a while. You don’t gotta keep saying it all the time. Some people just overdo it.
Do you think constantly saying you’re from New York can have a negative effect on appealing to some audiences?
Of course it can. Why not? Of course it can have a negative effect, because people all over the world could be like, “Alright, I respect New York and respect what New York brings to the table.” But once you keep saying “New York, New York, New York” every three minutes it changes the positivity.
On another track on the album, “Killuminati,” you really go in on secret society conspiracy theorists. Those theories are so ingrained in Internet culture. Do you think people will ever be able to move beyond these alleged connections between Hip Hop and the Illuminati?
It goes so deep. I wish I could say that it was phony. I say that because I don’t know if the Illuminati is a universal thing or if it’s really physically a group of people who sit around and plot what’s about to happen. I don’t know if that’s the case, because if you look at how many people have not been around. A lot of people died. A lot of people won’t make it to even see the Illuminati come true or passage of its vision.
I was just talking about down with the [New York] Daily News. I hate that paper. I always say, “the Daily News brings you the daily blues.” I can’t stand that paper. Yet, it does promote Illuminatism. Why? Because it’s always promoting something about how eventually your freedom is going to be turned into crap. You think freedom is just being able to walk around as much as you please? Even that’s going to stop.
Freedom is not just walking around as much as you please. [Real] freedom is having the freedom of your own person. Freedom of living in your own world. You don’t want somebody watching you all day, every day when you get on the train, off the train. All of these things are real. Right now they have cameras on the trains.
Is that what inspired that track?
I’ve always been in touch and in tune with that whole vibe, that whole phenomenon of the Illuminati. It just means those who are in the light. That’s all Illuminati means. So those who are in the light of a computer before it hit the public were considered the Illuminati. Because those were the people who able to trade stocks, invest.
Those who didn’t know were like, “Nah, get out of here.” Those who knew made millions of dollars. Of course they’re going to be considered the Illuminati, because they made millions and they’re not around for you to see them. The cycle just goes on and on and on.
All the pawns of the Illuminati – the cops, the banks – those are little kids. They’re not in touch with no Illuminati. Hip Hop – we’ve always been in touch with the consciousness. Like I said, ever since KRS-One. That ain’t nothing that’s new to Hip Hop.
Buckshot along with Sean Price and DJ Statik Selektah will be appearing at the BackPack Travels album release show tonight at NYC’s Webster Hall. For more information visit ticketweb.com.
Follow Buckshot on Twitter @Buckshot. Follow P-Money on Twitter @p_money.
Download Buckshot & P-Money’s BackPack Travels on iTunes.
Stream Buckshot & P-Money’s BackPack Travels via Spotify below.
Day 26 is back! Releasing their EP The Return!! Brian, Willie, Que, Rob and Mike have R&B fans ready for the heat they are about to bring. The new project will feature 8 new tracks and will serve as the first piece of work that the group has put out with all original members since 2009′s Forever In A Day. The EP is filled with the love making tracks that made fans fall in love with them during their 2007 Making the Band introduction. Check out The Return below and let us know your thoughts.
(AllHipHop News) Dame Dash does not want to bring back Roc-a-Fella Records, but he would not mind making some more money off of its history. Yesterday (June 25th), Dame Dash hinted that he would be willing to work with his old friend Jay Z for the 20th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt.
Jay Z’s debut album was released on June 25th, 1996 and the ownership of the album’s masters were split between Dash, Jay Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. On the 18th anniversary, Dash went to his personal Instagram account to voice his interest in working with Jay Z on the 20th anniversary in 2016:
Me and jay still own this together we might have to do a reasonable tour…maybe for the 20th anniversary…that way we could all make some money… I don’t see why he wouldn’t…might have to holla #freebiggs
While Dame claims that he owns the rights to Reasonable Doubt with Jay Z that will soon change. When Jay Z became President of Def Jam in 2004, a 10 year hold on his masters was placed that will expire at the end of this year. Jay Z will retain full ownership of his masters and publishing rights. Last year signed a deal with Warner/Chappelle Music to have them help administer the copyrights for Jay Z and other Roc Nation artists.
I am glad to be a nerdy kinda guy. Because these dudes ain’t playing. The word on the streets is BIG MEECH himself, put the word out on Rick Ross and that was executed by others, possibly Trick Trick. Now, if you didn’t know, Trick Trick issued a PSA about his involvement or non-involvement in the case. I wasn’t clear after the video ended, but it sure seemed like it. Also, the Detroit concert in question was on Big Meech’s birthday, which may have been a cause for contention especially if Rozay planned to rock his biggest hit (“B.M.F.”). Now if you don’t know Meech, I suggest you google that, but its well known you don’t mess with him or BMF. Seems like some folks feel Ross should have paid his hood tax, but Trick Trick said he personally didn’t do anything like that. By the way, Meech is serving a 30-year prison term so he’s exercising his power from there.
That story is over here:
Trick Trick Speaks On Rick Ross/”No Fly Zone” Situation
“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
(AllHipHop News) Frank Ocean’s ties to Odd Future just became a bit odder. Yesterday (June 25th), reports surfaced that Ocean had cut ties with Odd Future management team 4Strikes Management and Life or Death PR.
Ocean, along with the other members of Odd Future, has been managed by 4Strikes Management since 2010. According to reports, Ocean informed 4Strikes that he would be leaving the management team earlier this Spring.
Ocean also fired his PR team, Life or Death PR and has now joined Hollywood agency, ID PR. In an statement exclusively obtained by XXL, a representative of Life or Death PR stated they are “relieved” Ocean is no longer their client.
If Khloe Kardashian thought that getting with French would be less drama, she thought wrong. Khloe should have taken her fam’s advice because word is he’s already creepin’.
A Boston radio intern is coming forward saying that she had an encounter with French after a concert. The intern was seeking an interview for her YouTube channel and got way more than she bargained for.
RadarOnline reports:
“When she snagged Montana’s manager to make the request, the hip-hop star — who has been inseparable from Kardashian, 29, since April — allegedly looked Mariela over and said, “I’ll give her the interview. But first, I have to interview her.”
“French kicks out all the other girls and takes my cell phone away. Before he takes my phone, he says, ‘Here, call me so I can have your number in case you get lost.’ I have his number, that’s my proof,” Mariela claimed. “We’re making small talk, then he says, ‘Let’s go to my tour bus so we can do the interview.’”
Once they climbed into the bus, Montana began sweet-talking the young Lawrence resident.
“He says . . . ‘Whenever you want to visit me in New York, I’ll fly you out there,’”Mariela continued.
Suddenly, Mariela says Montana’s entourage left the bus— leaving the two completely alone.
“He climbs on top of me,” she said. “I say, ‘I’m not about this life. I have morals. I have a lot to lose.’ He says, ‘I have a lot to lose, too. You know that I have a girlfriend!’”
As the rapper licked her ear, the terrified intern says she attempted to get out of his grasp.
“He wouldn’t get off me. I had to double push,” she concluded, adding that she snagged her cell phone, ran out of the bus and asked her brother for a ride home.”
Could this be the beginning of the end for the new odd couple? Poor Khloe just can’t catch a break.
(AllHipHop News) Beyonce and Jay Z are going to ride this Bonnie & Clyde theme until the wheels fall off. Last night (June 25th), the Carters started their joint tour “On The Run” at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium and revealed extended footage of their “On The Run” movie as well as performed “Upgrade U
The short trailer for their faux-movie named after the tour surfaced in late May of this year. For the opening sequence of the tour, extra footage is revealed and in one montage Beyonce is heard saying “hey, baby can you call me back? I miss you. I need some gangsta sh*t.”
The full show included performances of over 40 songs between the two 15 year+ veterans. Check out the full list of songs and watch Beyonce and Jay Z perform “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, “Upgrade U” and “Crazy In Love” below:
1. “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”
2. “Upgrade U”
3. “Crazy in Love”
4. “Show Me What You Got”
5. “Diamonds are Forever”
6. “N—as” in Paris”
7. “Tom Ford”
8. “Run the World”
9. “Bow Down/I Been On”
10. “Flawless”
11. “Yonce”
12. “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”
13. “Big Pimpin’”
14. “Ring the Alarm”
15. “On to the Next One”
16. “Clique”
17. “Diva”
18. “Baby Boy”
19. “U Don’t Know”
20. “Ghost”/”Haunted”
21. “No Church in the Wild”
22. “Drunk in Love”
23. “Public Service Announcement”
24. “Why Don’t You Love Me”
25. “Holy Grail”
26. “Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit”
27. “Beach Is Better”
28. “Partition”
29. “99 Problems”
30. “If I Were a Boy”
31. “Ex Factor” (by Lauryn Hill)
32. “Song Cry”
33. “Resentment”
34. “Love on Top”
35. “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
36. “I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me)”
37. “Single Ladies”
38. “Hard Knock Life”
39. “Pretty Hurts”
40. “Part II (On the Run)”
41. “Forever Young”
42. “Halo”
(AllHipHop News) This past February, Kim Kardashian accompanied Australian businessman Richard Lugner to the Vienna Ball in Austria. During her time there she was approached by a man in blackface impersonating Kanye West and footage of that encounter has been released.
The incident was caught on camera as Kim and her mother Kris Jenner were filming for their Keeping Up With The Kardashians‘ reality TV show. According to Kim, her first reaction to the man in blackface was confusion:
I can’t believe there’s this guy in full blackface. I just am so confused. I don’t get why him or anyone else would find this funny.
Kim and her mother abruptly left the ball.
Check out Kim Kardashian encounter the Kanye West impersonator dressed in blackface below:
(AllHipHop News) Several music and NBA stars will be on hand for the EBC America Celebrity Basketball Challenge in July. The Entertainers Basketball Classic – famous for hosting basketball tournaments at Rucker Park in Harlem – is sponsoring the event which will feature four celebrity-coached teams competing at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Each team will represent four major cities by putting three to five professional ball players and seven streetball players on the court. The DMV (DC/ Maryland/ Virginia) squad will be led by Wale. They will take on a team from Philadelphia.
Fabolous is heading Team NYC against Team LA. The winners of the two semi-final rounds will face off for ultimate bragging rights in the championship game. Fab, Wale, and Big Sean are scheduled to perform during the evening as well.
“We are always trying to find ways to bring our celebrity friends and basketball players closer to the people that made them famous,” says EBC Founder Greg Marius. “We are the Entertainers Basketball Classic because 32 years ago we gave people the basketball experience they wanted to see. This Barclays Center event will take what we do everyday in the summer for 2,000 people at Rucker Park to an unimaginable level at an NBA arena.”
“Our goal at the EBCRuckerPark is to provide people of all races and backgrounds the opportunity to get a taste of Harlem/NYC basketball in a family-friendly environment,” adds Marius. “New York City basketball is not dead, and if you don’t believe it, come witness it at Barclays Center on Sunday, July 27 at 4p.m.”
EBC America Celebrity Basketball Challenge 2014 is being hosted by DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God of Power 105’s The Breakfast Club. Tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center beginning Saturday, June 21 at noon.
(AllHipHop News) Kendrick Lamar sparked a major lyrically combative moment in Hip Hop last year when his verse from Big Sean’s “Control” made its way to the Internet. Dozens of rappers responded to K. Dot’s challenge to knock him off the throne.
In an extensive feature in the New York Times, the TDE emcee shares his opinion on the lack of competition and aggression in rap music today.
“If my edge is dull, my sword is dull, and I don’t want to fight another guy whose sword is dull. If you’ve got two steel swords going back and forth hitting each other, what’s gonna happen? Both of them are going to get sharper,” says Lamar. “Everybody that’s in the industry has lost their edge… There’s really no aggression. You gotta say things particular, and everything is so soft.”
The good kid, m.A.A.d city creator also discusses opening for Kanye West’s “Yeezus Tour.” Top Dawg Entertainment’s president Terrence “Punch” Henderson reveals TDE originally did not want Lamar to take the gig, because they wanted him to focus on recording his next album.
Apparently, West and his team wanted Kendrick so badly they got the Compton, California native a tour bus with a recording studio and insisted his show have a prominent role beyond the typical opening act status. Kendrick now seems pleased he did not turn that opportunity down.
“It’s a different kind of thrill when an actual artist asks you, when Kanye asks you,” reflects Lamar on going on the road with one of the biggest music stars in the world. “Now I know he’s really interested in what I do.”
Kendrick is currently working on his sophomore major label LP. Back in February, TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith hinted the project could arrive in September, but recent developments lean toward the next K. Dot album coming at a later date.
Is there trouble in paradise already? Kanye and Kim were just married a while ago, but it seems like all is not well. The Dish Nation crew is saying that they are fight over…Kim’s hoarding? Check out what they have to say.
Kim Kardashian has a secret hoarding habit and it’s causing a major rift with Kanye West. The reality star – who has previously admitted that she has OCD tendencies-is running out of space for her clothes, shoes and beauty products, and the moody rapper is demanding Kim downsize before they move into their marital home.
“Kim rents two storage lockers and had two rooms in her old house reserved for piles of clothes and shoes she never wears,” an insider told Dish Nation. ”So she had their contractor build in an even larger hangar-like space in their new house for all of her stuff. Kim also keeps years of backdated magazine and newspaper clippings that she’s been mentioned in.
Kanye doesn’t mind that Kim is so self-involved; he just wishes she was more organized about it. He told her to scan it onto a hard drive and to toss the paper trail.” ”They had their first major post-wedding fight after Kanye threw out boxes of Kim’s hoarded items because Kanye says Kim’s crap is wrecking his design aesthetic.”
The newly married couple has been living at mom-ager Kris Jenner’s Calabasas mansion since the June 2013 birth of North West, while renovating their $11 million Bel-Air mansion, including expanding it from 9,000 to 14,000 square feet.
Kim, who is a clean freak who previously copped to being a beauty product hoarder, “hates how Kanye keeps things so sterile, like a museum.” ”They don’t see eye to eye on this topic.
Kim was furious after Kanye told her she should go on a show like ‘Hoarders.’ He warned Kim that he can’t live with her if she continues to stockpile useless goods.”
I don’t know. They look pretty damn happy here at North West’s birthday party.
Images from Kim Kardashian’s Instagram.“They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!” -illseed.
(AllHipHop News) Ja Rule is set to release his new book Unruly: The Highs and Lows of Being a Man next week. The autobiography covers the platinum selling performer’s life from childhood to his time in federal prison where he underwent a personal transformation. The memoir also reportedly addresses his former rival 50 Cent.
According to the New York Daily News, Rule suggests 50 snitched on his business partner Irv Gotti to federal officials. Gotti and his brother Chris Lorenzo were charged with money laundering in 2005. Rule writes, “[50] secretly led them through his recordings for the answers they were looking for.” The Lorenzo brothers were later acquitted.
Ja also suggests 50 may have named him in the 2000 shooting incident where the G-Unit boss took nine bullets. “When [the feds] asked him who he thought had shot him, it would make sense that 50 would have said, ‘Ja Rule, Irv Gotti and Murder Inc.'”
In another section of Unruly, the “Holla Holla” rapper gives his side of two infamous fights between Murder Inc and G-Unit. One in Atlanta where he insists he hit 50 with a bat before his crew ran off, and another in New York where he claims to have slammed a speaker down on 50 as he crouched in a corner.
50 has repeatedly denied being a federal informant or working with police. The feud between 50 Cent and Ja Rule led to a shift of power in rap music. 50’s reemergence on the scene in 2003 and his rise to becoming one of the biggest stars in the genre came at the expense of Ja Rule and Murder Inc’s decline.
“50 was a crazed man on a mission to destroy me,” writes Ja. The Ja Rule/50 Cent beef was reportedly settled in 2011.
Ja Rule’s Unruly: The Highs and Lows of Being a Man will be available on Tuesday, July 1. To preorder a copy visit amazon.com
(AllHipHop News) Earlier this week Rick Ross finally addressed the cancellation of his performance at Hot 107.5′s Summer Jamz concert in Detroit, and now the other person linked to the incident is speaking out about the situation.
The reason Ross was blocked from the venue that night was allegedly tied to rapper Trick Trick’s “No Fly Zone” rules. In a video message, Trick expresses his anger that his movement has been misinterpreted and that whatever happened between he and Ross does not belong in the media.
My “No Fly Zone” ain’t about taking nobody’s money. I don’t want your motherf**king money. Nobody. What the f**k I look like telling somebody you got to pay me to come to my town? Don’t you think I would have been in f**king prison if that’s what was going on? And as far as the incident the other day, you see what the f**k the police said – no arrests were made. So what the f**k did I do wrong? That man said didn’t nothing happen to him. He’s correct, nothing happened to him.
Nobody had the right to be making no mini-documentaries and putting it out in the atmosphere any-motherf**king-way. It didn’t belong out there. Y’all should have been talking about all the great artists that did perform that evening. The good part about it instead of going right after the negativity. Y’all got the game f**ked up.
That’s what wrong with this motherf**ker now. Ain’t nobody talking about no music. That man’s a musician. I’m a musician. Our business don’t belong on the Internet. It ain’t none of your motherf**king business what me and that man [have] going on or what the f**k happened that day.
The mini-documentary Trick is referring to is a YouTube video created by Hot 107.5 that showed footage of the station’s Jay Hicks telling the crowd at the concert that Ross was not hitting the stage because he was “in fear of his life.” The video also featured different radio personalities explaining Trick’s “No Fly Zone.” It has since been taken down from the Internet.
Trick goes on to apologize to concert goers upset over not being able to see Ross perform at the show, and he states artists are welcome to come to Detroit as long as they connect with him or one of the city’s “representatives” to offer support to the citizens. He also asserts his only goal is to teach his brothers how to stand up for what they believe in in a nonviolent way.
GET INTERACTIVE WITH ALLHIPHOP.COM!
