Bad Boy Records has such an awesome and storied legacy in Hip-Hop, with the whole Family (so to speak). And the brand created by Sean “Diddy” Combs and popped off by Biggie celebrated 20 years of existence just this year. But, I am hearing that something has happened. I heard that Bad Boy is no more. I heard specifically that they fired EVERYBODY from the label. I have been informed that people are either fired or they moved to other companies. Now, the good news is I heard a lot of these people are shifted over to places like Revolt and Ciroc. Bad Boy has not been killing it on the music call front for quite sometime, but they still had people like French Montana, Janelle Monae, Machine Gun Kelly, Red Cafe, King Los and a couple others. But it has been my understanding that these acts will be handled by a bigger company like Interscope.
This might seem cheesy at first glance but keep watching, it’s actually pretty cool. The Holderness family created a cute video Christmas greeting recapping the year they’ve had. Over the beat for Will Smith’s “Welcome to Miami,” they rap about how both mom and dad appeared in Iron Man 3, how the kids did well in school and the fact that they’ve decided to move forward full throttle with their family business, which happens to be a video production company. Even the Grinch has to smile at this.
(AllHipHop News) Auto-tune did not die after Jay Z’s 2009 “D.O.A.” song, it multiplied and produced one of the most successful R&B artists in recent memory, Future. T-Pain, one of the originators in the reinsertion of Auto Tune into mainstream Hip Hop and R&B has publicly taken issue with Future’s use of Auto Tune and finally revealed where his gripe with him started.
During an interview with VladTV, T-Pain says last year he invited Future’s brother to the VIP section of his turkey drive at Pin Ups strip club in Decatur, Georgia. After praising Future, Pain says he inquired about a potential collaboration when he was met with a disheartening response from Future’s brother:
So Future brother come in there… we chilled, we drank, everybody singin’ songs… I’m about to leave, and I go to Future’s brother, and I say, ‘Yo, bro. I need to work with your brother. We got to work together. This s### has got to happen.’ This n#### turns to me and says, ‘N*gga, my brother would never work with you. F*ck you and everything you stand for.’ I turned around…because my wife was there with me, so I didn’t want to get into no squabble… my wife was there. That would’ve just put her in a weird situation.”
This is not the first time T-Pain has had a disagreement with a member of Future’s camp. T-Pain called Future the “new T-Pain” on his personal instagram account earlier this year and claimed Future did not know how to use Auto Tune correctly in an interview earlier this year. Rocko responded to Pain’s statements in an interview with InFlexWeTrust earlier this year and surprisingly admits to being a T-Pain fan:
I don’t know what was going on with T-Pain cause I was actually a fan of T-Pain until he said that about my brother. I just feel like he was out of line because T-Pain came in the game and he milked the game and killed the game. He made his money in the game. I’m pretty sure he still making good money. He still probably getting good residuals and still probably touring and getting good money. So I don’t understand.
Check out T-Pain’s full explanation of the origins of his beef with Future below:
Christmas music has proven powerful enough to reach all the way from the bass-baritone singer Bing Crosby to the high-pitch vocals of The Chipmunks, and beyond. No genre is without its Christmas discography, Hip-Hop included.
Rap’s take on the 25th of December is just as diverse as anything else explored in the music too. Therefore, in order to show some of the different perspectives on this widely-recognized holiday, AllHipHop.com has come up with a list of the 10 Most Memorable Hip-Hop Christmas songs.
So even if “White Christmas” is the most successful holiday song to date, there’s nothing that says any of these following rap songs are incapable of connecting with listeners the same way Mr. Crosby’s iconic classic does. Because as life has proven, there is much more to Christmas than just glistening tree tops and the sound of sleigh bells in the snow.
10). “Deck Da Club” by the Ying Yang Twins: This song is pretty ridiculous, but the fun that the Ying Yang Twins had recording this can clearly be heard. So for what it’s worth, Kaine and D-Roc both deserve props for bringing Christmas cheer to gentlemen’s clubs. And while it is definitely a take on “Deck the Halls” that its authors never imagined, it still creates a yuletide atmosphere. Although it’s safe to say that it’s best suited for people who prefer stripper poles to mistletoes.
9). “The Christmas Song”by David Banner feat. Marcus and Sky Keeton: Released on his second solo album, which dropped on December 23, 2003, Mississippi rapper David Banner included the timely record, “The Christmas Song.” In this instance though, it was more about raising awareness than spreading holiday joy as Banner goes in on the “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” instrumental. The hook to the song goes, “It’s wintertime and we still cannot find a job / We fill out applications but you treat us like we’re slobs / So we rob and we steal, we’re just tryna get a meal / Cause it’s Christmas time and we’re broke again.”
8). “Cold Chillin’ Christmas” by the Juice Crew: While this can’t compete with “The Symphony” (but then again, what really can?), this posse cut finds the New York City Hip-Hop collective dropping a solid seasonal rap. Given the quality of emcees rocking the mic, there are plenty of great lines. The best one though is when Roxanne Shanté ends her verse by referencing Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.”
7). “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto” by Snoop Dogg et al: Similar to the Death Row logo, the album cover for Christmas on Death Row depicts a hooded person strapped to an electric chair. But the fact that the person is in a Santa suit and that the album was for charity does bring a holiday vibe to the unsettling image. Additionally, the project is actually more new jack soul than rap. However, the highlight is still the Hip-Hop record, “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto.” It may sound like just a novelty at first, but records with Snoop and Daz rapping and/or Nate Dogg (R.I.P.) on the hook aren’t bad. This song is no exception.
6). “Ludacrismas” by Ludacris: While Fred Claus was equally almost as panned as the Star Wars Holiday Special, a silver lining in the former is that it did provide audiences with “Ludacrismas,” a fun holiday rap courtesy of Ludacris. Interestingly enough though, the film didn’t appear on the movie soundtrack. According to a statement from Luda back in ’08, “They asked me at the eleventh hour to make that song, so the soundtrack was already turned in.” Fortunately, the song found an audience and it is now a Hip-Hop holiday standard.
5). “Christmas in Harlem” by Kanye West et al: Before Hit-Boy produced “N****s in Paris,” he crafted the beat for “Christmas in Harlem.” And with that, Kanye West, his G.O.O.D. music team, Dipset, and others put together the best Christmas rap song in recent memory. From Kanye talking about holiday season sex to Jim Jones discussing holiday shopping and everything else around it, it’s certainly an eclectic input of subject matter from a large number of people. However, Teyana Taylor brings it all together very smoothy via her outstanding vocals put to the melody of “Strawberry Letter 23.”
4). “Christmas Rap” by the Treacherous 3: One of the most memorable scenes in 1984’s Beat Street is when Kenny goes to DJ Kool Herc’s club, The Burning Spear, and presents the Treacherous Three, Doug E. Fresh, and the Magnificent Force in a Christmas skit. Given the fact that this scene is still talked about almost 30 years later, the audience reaction to it has clearly been just as positive as the one from the crowd in the movie. “Alright you people get ready to cheer for the Christmas show at The Burning Spear.”
3). “Player’s Ball” by OutKast: In 1993, on the LaFace Family ChristmasAlbum, OutKast’s made their first outing on their own two with “Player’s Ball.” In an unconventional move, the duo made a holiday song about how Christmas is hardly recognized in the hood. But between Big Boi “gettin’ tipsy off the nog’gen” and Andre 3000 saying how he “gots no snowy weather,” the record was still able to represent the season (and in a way that it had never been before). It is this ability to break the mold, which they’ve also done many times since, that has made OutKast one of rap’s best acts ever.
2). “Christmas Rappin’” by Kurtis Blow: Kurtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’” became a hit in 1979 when two former Billboard writers did a rap-take on “The Night Before Christmas.” They approached Kurtis’ manager, the legendary Russell Simmons, with the record who also played a pivotal role in getting “Christmas Rappin’” made. The song was a smash and made Kurtis Blow Hip-Hop’s first solo success story. It helped him become the first rapper to ever sign with a major label. Just musically, it has held up well over time too. It was even sampled in 1997 for Next’s platinum-single “Too Close.”
1). “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-D.M.C.: Hands down, this Christmas rap song is the GOAT. The song starts with Run finding a million dollars in Santa’s wallet and trying to return it. Then D.M.C. brings up Holiday home cooking and the comforts of common Christmas traditions like lights, eggnog, and a yule log. Produced by the group themselves and Rick Rubin, the song has not surprisingly remained a popular holiday tune. It even reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2000, thirteen years after its initial release. AllHipHop.com co-founder Chuck Creekmur explained the song best when he simply described it as, “eternally dope.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
This songs are dope, but just didn’t quite make the list.
“Dana Dane Is Coming To Town” by Dana Dane
Dana Dane has given us a few hits, but this is one oldie but goodie. When Hip-Hop and Christmas meant happy songs.
“Let The Jingle Bells Rock” by Sweet Tee
Back in the day female rappers were much more plentiful. Sweet Tee recorded this jam for Profile Records in the 80’s. Kinda forgotten, lets give it new life…because Christmas has definitely gone Hip-Hop.
“Bad Santa Intro” by Jim Jones
Nice melody with this Christmas song by Mr. Jim Jones. Uptown stays kickin’ it for St. Nick.
Merry Muthaf***in’ Xmas by Eazy-E
This is one for the G’z as the late Eazy-E talks about shooting up Christmas, having sex under the mistletoe and even eating chitlins with the fam.
“Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa Claus” by De La Soul
This may be the deepest Christmas record ever. Thanks, De La.
Happy Holidays to everyone- whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.!
What do you think of this list of Holiday Hip-Hop? Let us know in the comments section!
(AllHipHop News) Lauryn Hill’s comeback tour is now headed to Charlotte, Atlanta, and Miami. The singer/emcee added stops in those cities for February 2014. Hill has also rescheduled recent dates to earlier next year as well.
The former Fugees member kicked off her first tour since being released from prison last month. During her show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, Ms. Hill brought out three of her children, and her son Joshua recited a rap for the crowd.
(AllHipHop News) It is almost 2014, but Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse and the responses are still a big topic of discussion in Hip Hop. The latest artist to weigh on the matter is B.o.B of Hustle Gang. When asked by DJ Vlad who he felt had the best response track, Bobby named MMG’s Meek Mill.
“I just like the ‘ooh, kill ’em.’ That was the best part,” said B.o.B. “Meek always comes with bars. He always comes with energy. He never lets you down, so I wasn’t expecting nothing less.”
B.o.B released his own “Control” response titled “How 2 Rap.” The Atlanta emcee also just dropped his third studio album Underground Luxury. The LP features appearances from T.I., Juicy J, Chris Brown, Future, and 2 Chainz.
(AllHipHop News) When Cee Lo Green and Danger Mouse joined forces to become Gnarls Barkley, the music world was treated to a soul/alternative hybrid that won over critics and fans. According to Cee Lo, the duo is set to make a return in the near future.
Speaking with TMZ, the star of NBC’s singing competition show The Voice revealed he and Danger Mouse are planning to get back together in 2014. Cee Lo was not clear whether the reunion would include new music or tour dates, but Gnarls Barkley is apparently scheduled to reappear in some fashion.
Gnarls Barkley released the international hit single “Crazy” in 2006. The song was included on the group’s debut album St. Elsewhere which picked up the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2007. Their last project was 2008’s The Odd Couple.
(AllHipHop News) Young Money performer Drake is headed back to Saturday Night Live. The Toronto native will take on the duties of host and musical guest on the January 18th episode of the long running late night sketch comedy show.
January will be a big month for Drake. Besides appearing on SNL’s 2014 debut, the OVO leader’s Nothing Was The Same album is up for three Grammys awards later that month. He will be competing in the Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album categories. The Grammys air January 26th on CBS.
(AllHipHop News) While performing his hit single “Type of Way” in Columbus, Ohio Rich Homie Quan had to rush off stage after shots rang out in the venue. In the end one person was left dead.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that 24-year-old Jeremiah I. Frazier was shot at the Red Zone bar where the concert was taking place. The shooting happened around 2:30 in the morning. The victim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
So far police have not provided any further details about the incident.
(AllHipHop News) After deciding to end his business ties with Nike, Kanye West moved on to the next one and inked a deal with Adidas. The Chicago emcee spoke with his hometown radio station 107.5 about working with German shoe company. During an interview with Tony Sculfield and The Morning Riot Show Kanye revealed that he also designed 20 sneakers for the Adidas and the should be available for purchase in September of next year.
“I just got back from Germany. It was one the greatest creative days of my life. We designed the entire women’s collection. We designed the entire men’s collection. And we designed 20 shoes,” said Kanye. “We coming in September, and it’s about to be a paradigm shift.”
The “Bound 2” rapper also addressed his former partners at Nike.
“Listen at the Nike campus, that methodology, that’s not going to work. All of this leveraging and extortion is not going to work now because I’m at Adidas,” said Kanye. “The game is flipped now. There’s nobody you can run to and nowhere you can hide right now.”
Mr. West also explains his recent highly criticized comparisons to police officers and military members.
“If I compare myself to a soldier or cop, that’s saying I’m going to work everyday and I’m on my grind,” explains Kanye. “I’m on my grind like I’m an officer. I’m on my grind like a soldier. I’m a solider when I’m in that booth.”
(AllHipHop News) As the world go Hip-Hop mourns, the cause of Lord Infamous’ sudden death has been revealed.
The founding member of Three 6 Mafia, the Memphis collective, died of a heart attack.
Infamous, real name Ricky Dunigan, died in his sleep at the age of 40 on Friday.
As previously reported, DJ Paul said that his friend was tired. “He said he was tired, he wanted to sleep. He sat down at the kitchen table, put his head in his arms to lay down … to get some sleep.”
