[ahh_audio src=/11-30-11/PleasureP-ILoveGirls.mp3]
Alley Boy “Speak For Me”
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Mike Posner “Looks Like Sex”
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Juicy J. Explains Signing With Taylor Gang; New Three Six LP In The Works
(AllHipHop News) Three Six Mafia’s Juicy J. caught up with AllHipHop.com in an exclusive interview to discuss his signing with Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang imprint, in addition to his latest projects, which includes his recent mixtape Blue Dream and Lean hosted by DJ Scream.
The mixtape, which features production from the likes of Lex Luger, Sonny Digital, Drumma Boy, ID Labs & Big Jerm and Harry Fraud, features fellow Talyor Gang rapper Wiz Khalifa, up and comers A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz, Kreayshawn, The Joker, Casey Veggies, Alley Boy and Project Pat.
“It’s unexpected for me, I didn’t know it was going to be like this, but I put a lot of hard work into this project,” Juicy J. told AllHipHop.com about the outpouring of support for Blue Dream and Lean.
“It’s just a blessing, I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and people still embracing me and like my music and listen to me like I’m a brand new artist, so its amazing for me man,” Juicy J. told AllHipHop.com.
The Memphis bred/LA based rapper told AllHipHop.com that the Taylor Gang signing is real and that they are planning a tour compromised of select dates across the country.
“Yea man it’s going down, that’s it, it’s real, it’s done, I’m in. That’s my brother, we going on the road and we gonna impact,” the new Taylor Gang signee explained.
Juicy also gave fans an update on the possibility of a new Three Six Mafia album, which should be released in 2012.
“He’s [DJ Paul] working on some stuff, we still got Three Six Mafia, we still working, you know we got a new album,” Juicy J. revealed. “I got a meeting with Sony tomorrow to see what’s up with that, I got multiple hustles. I got ‘Trippy t-shirts’, hoodies, and DVD’s man. We trippy mane.”
Check out Juicy J’s popular video for “A Zip and a Double Cup” ft. 2Chainz and Joker, which has received over 500,000 views in less than a month.
The Umpteenth Coming of Busta Rhymes – Part 2
“Back in the days/ A n*gga used to be a*s out/ Now a n*gga holdin/ Several money market accounts…” – Busta Rhymes, “Dangerous” (1997)
Even with all of his years in the game, 2011 may have been Busta Rhymes’ best 365 days yet. On Chris Brown’s monster track of the year, “Look At Me Now,” Bussa Buss taught these rap kiddies some valuable lessons about the lungs-to-lyrics ratio between his skills and their amateur showings. It’s not that everyone had forgotten him until now – he rarely takes a more than two- or three-year break from the game. It’s just that everyone from cover duo Karmin to businessman Birdman himself can’t get enough of the fact that Busta is still around – and still this good.
AllHipHop.com reported the latest Busta Rhymes news early on, and in Part 1 of this interview, we asked him about the details behind his bonanza of a business deal – signing with Cash Money and getting backing from Google Music. In Part 2, we hear about his growth as a person, his respect for the elders, and why these young cats need to learn how to earn nine lives of their own:
AllHipHop.com: So, I witnessed a Busta Rhymes growth moment of at the BET Hip Hop Awards in October. I wasn’t sitting far from you, and there was a point when the audience stood up – I believe it was when we were clapping for LL, and everybody didn’t get up. And you turned around and like sonned the sh*t out of all of them! [laughter] You were like, ‘Y’all better get up!’ And I was like, ‘oh sh*t, I’m glad I’m standing already!’ That moment said, ‘he’s an O.G. now – everybody respects Busta!’ So, I do see growth. What do you think prompted that?
Busta Rhymes: I think just being a genuine fan of the music, that’s the seed of it all. I love my job, like, I love the fact that I was blessed with this ability, and I think that the highest way of showing my appreciation is by busting my *ss and never stopping, you know what I’m saying? I think it would be blasphemous to have the ability to do what I do and not maximize it in every way possible.
But that’s just speaking about me. Now, me speaking about being a fan of the music, I love LL Cool J, I love Run DMC, I love Beastie Boys, I love Jay-Z, I love Nas, I love DMX, I love Drake, I love Nicki Minaj, I love Kanye, I love Q-Tip, A Tribe Called Quest, I love De La Soul, I love Kool G Rap, I love Kane, I love N.W.A., I love Ice Cube, I love Too Short, I love, I could go on forever. But because of the love I have for all of these different artists, and just because I didn’t mention certain names don’t mean I don’t love them, because there’s just too many to keep that going in this interview…but my whole point in what I’m trying to say is, because of my love, is why I’ll turn around and tell people to stand up who ain’t standing up.
Do you know what LL means to Hip-Hop? F*ck what he means to me, I could talk about what he means to me all day, but that’s a little selfish, you know what I’m saying? And I’m only speaking about what he has done for me, and for what all of those artists have done for me – the inspiration they give me, and the drive to do the sh*t that I do, and to keep doing it. Them dudes had moments, and I wanted to have moments like them. I wanted to be like them. I want them to be like me. I want them to see moments that I’ve had and feel like, ‘damn, boy, I wish I did it like Busta Rhymes.’ There’s records that they made that I wish was my records, you know what I’m saying?
I want to be able to give other artists that same feeling an those artists did that for me. And when I know that there’s certain people – it ain’t necessarily their fault that they don’t value L. the same way that I might have valued him. It’s probably because they ain’t from that time where they can understand and appreciate his value and his worth the same way that I can, because they’re younger or because he hasn’t prioritized music as his primary source of revenue, so he ain’t putting out a sh*tload of music like he used to. So, there’s generation that might miss or might have missed what his significant value.
And it’s artists like me, it’s our job to me, and it’s our responsibility to me, to make sure that dudes don’t forget, and that dudes understand, and that artists and people in general understand the value of people like LL, and the value in people like a Queen Latifah. We’re all going to have to be given that accolade someday for our lifetime achievements.
AllHipHop.com: But, let me ask you this, though. Last year, I asked a lot of the Old School rappers and others about creating a new lane called Adult Contempo Hip-Hop. Because, let’s say that 10 more of your peers get these monster deals and suddenly we have a bunch of 40-year-old rappers who are doing their thing again real heavy. Do you think there needs to be another lane, or did you think it’s all rap, and we shouldn’t segment it by age?
Busta Rhymes: You can’t put a timeframe on greatness! You just can’t. So, I don’t think nothing, I think segregation is gonna weaken the whole sh*t, and it compromises the respect level, and you start creating these gaps that need bridges that we don’t need to have to struggle to find a bridge to bridge those gaps. I don’t want to do that. There’s no reason that there should be another lane for the artists that are a little older than the younger dudes, because once y’all separate yourselves, and once there’s a separation, there’s a respect level that’s compromised.
Older dudes need to respect younger dudes, because we needed to command that respect when we was the younger dudes, and we wanted that respect from the older artists that was looking at us like we wasn’t credible at the time, until we proved that we were. Sometimes I think it’s important that, well, it’s even more important that we embrace each other, because some of these younger dudes need help…
AllHipHop.com: For sure! [laughter]
Busta Rhymes: …in knowing what it is to become well-rounded artists, and not just be dudes that make one or two hot records and their career life is shorter than motherf*ckin’ [laughter]… I can’t even describe. Because I don’t understand short career lives. I wanna see dudes come up that can have careers, because ultimately, if the new dudes don’t have careers like me and Jay-Z and Nas and, you know, the dudes like us, the life of our genre is going to continue to dwindle, and it’s gonna die.
AllHipHop.com: Absolutely…there has to be some continuity. And I was thinking the exact opposite of your opinion, but you signing to Cash Money changed my mind. I said, ‘we don’t need a new lane. If Busta can get a crazy, monster deal like that, then the lane is open for anybody who wants to come back and is powerful and talented, you know?’ So, I give you kudos for that. You have the potential to change a lot of minds about whether the older generation of rappers who are still out here can actually continue to get their life in the industry.
Busta Rhymes: You know what? I thank you, and I really, genuinely appreciate that. I just want to point out something. The only thing that makes me an older artist is the time that I’ve put in. But my music…nothing about what I do, what Jay-Z does, what Nas does, there’s nothing about what we do that’s older, because if it was older, it wouldn’t be the sh*t! If it was older, these kids that you see, the millions of kids that you see go on YouTube to try and say my “Look At Me Now” verse, you wouldn’t see that if my contribution was old to them. You get what I’m saying?
Ultimately, if that’s the facts, then I don’t even see where the “older artist” category…how or where that fits in. The only thing that I see the “older artist” category or title or whatever we want to describe that to be being something that is of significance or value is what the people after us can learn from us, the “older artists.” With that being said, as long as the new dude is willing to embrace this new “older artist swag,” they’re going to have that to use to their advantage in addition to what they already are doing as their new sh*t.
But, the problem is, new dudes are gonna always have to compete with the one thing that they don’t have – that’s the new swag that the current and the timeless and the great older artists still can deliver. Not only are we delivering the new and setting the standard for what’s the next, but we’re doing it with the experience of a thing that we’ve lived that they haven’t. It would be to their advantage to pay attention and listen and, you know, embrace the veterans that much more gracefully.
AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I saw an example of that in the Tribe [Called Quest] documentary when you were in the scene with Q-Tip and Ali, and you were telling Tip that there was this song of theirs that you listened to that brought tears to your eyes. I think that experience is something that the new guys can’t ever get, especially from that era. So, what’s your single biggest piece of advice to these young guys who want to have a 20-year career?
Busta Rhymes: My biggest single piece of advice to them would be the one thing that I know hasn’t failed any artist that has actually lived through this…one thing, and that is DO NOT COMPROMISE facilitating and executing what your feelings dictate before anything. Like, don’t let nothing come before that. Whatever your feelings are, whatever your ideas are, you gotta facilitate and execute them sh*ts before you start letting people come in and mix and dilute and start tampering with it.
Ultimately, that thing is the driving force behind what is going to make people make you into who they know and grow to love. You know what I’m saying? We fail to realize – when we first got put on, or when we first get our record deals and are exposed in a major way – those first moments of exposure…they all came from you just trusting your extinct. You was just following your gut. It was no record labels involved, telling you what to do and how to do it. There was no bunch of people that was around you just being critics, because this Internet sh*t provides a platform for the most irrelevant opinions that f*cks with you and can discourage you as the newer artist. Because, all of these people got some sh*t to say!
Before you put your music out, you wasn’t paying attention to none of that sh*t, so don’t pay attention to it after the fact. Like, you can bear witness to what they’re saying, but don’t pay attention to the point where it starts compromising the way you go about doing the things, that ends up putting you in a position to where people want to start critiquing you in the first place. You wouldn’t have been in that position if you would have followed your own gut. So just do you, follow you, and don’t let nobody tell you nothing. After you share your music with other people and hear what they got to say, and you honestly feel like you need to go and make a change, or you need to make an adjustment, then and only then you do that. Outside of that, just do what you love, and it will allow you to sleep better at night. [laughter]
AllHipHop.com: Yo, the Internet is the devil! As much as I run a website everyday, I know that the ‘Net is good for doing that to people. Like, I was thinking about this being the 20th anniversary of you and Leaders of the New School on “The Arsenio Hall Show” – that was the only time we got to see you guys, other than the music videos. There wasn’t all this access and all these websites where you could say whatever nasty things you wanted to say. We just saw you on TV and we were like, ‘wow.’
But let me ask you about that – 20 years since Arsenio Hall! Did you have any inkling back then that you’d still be around?
Busta Rhymes: I mean, ummm, obviously you never know that you’re going to be around as long as you’re gonna be around, because you don’t even know if you’re gonna live that long! You know what I’m saying? [laughter] But, the fact that I’ve been blessed to wake up everyday, have my health and strength, that’s number one, and then to be able to go and do the sh*t that I love everyday, it’s an inbelievable blessing in itself.
And the fact that I’m able to hear you ask me about a 20-year Arsenio Hall appearance anniversary is crazy in itself. I definitely didn’t foresee none of this sh*t, you know what I’m saying? My father, my mother, they wasn’t…they respected what I did, and my mother was way more supportive than my pop. My pop was on some, ‘Yo, you gon’ come and learn this trade and be a licensed electrical contractor, and have that sh*t as a backup plan in case this little rap sh*t that you trying to do don’t work.’ Obviously, they didn’t foresee it neither.
I don’t think you can ever foresee – we’re not fortune tellers – but one thing that I can say is that my determination, my desire to want to do this for the rest of my life has only grown, and I think that’s a testament to what I’ve been able to display through my work and my career landscape. I can tell you, I’m not finishing with what I have to do no time soon, because there’s a lot of sh*t that I gotta do, and there’s a lot of great things that I have planned that I wish and hope that I’ll be able to successfully get off so that the world can experience the things that I got in mind.
So, I’ma be around for a while, and I hope, God willing, that everything plays out in a way so that I can even be around beyond those things that I have planned in the immediate and the long-term future. And I hope that another 20 years from now, when I’m like 57, 58, 60 years old, you know, you still doing ya journalism, and we can sit back and talk about the 20-year anniversary of this interview! [laughter]
AllHipHop.com: [laughter] Ha ha!!! That would be SO dope! And I want you to know you have some oldheads at AllHipHop, including me, who have followed you since the very beginning, so this is one of the cool moments of the year for us…to see this happen for you, Busta.
Busta Rhymes: Awww, wow. Thank you, Seandra. I’m at about 85 percent with finishing up this album, and then I’m gonna have some listening sessions. They’re gonna be real unconventional and intimate and everything, so I look forward to having you and the AllHipHop crew come out. Happy holidays and love to you, baby girl.
A “Luda-Crisis”: Does Hip Hop Hate Women?
“Every woman in America/ Especially Black/ Bear with me/ Can’t you see/ We’re under attack?”
-“White Man’s World” – Makaveli (Pac)
Tyanna Johnson wasn’t sure how she got there. Three months ago, she moved from Mississippi to Atlanta for a better way of life. But when the crappy economy forced her company to shut down, she found herself standing at the intersection everyday holding a cardboard sign that read, “Please Help Me!” Every day, she just stood there trying to hold on to her last piece of dignity. Then, one day, a gold-toothed rapper rolled up in a new Maybach and asked her to “do sumthin’ strange for a little piece of change…”
Last week, Hip-Hop superstar, Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges released the 1.21 Gigawatts mixtape. While much of the Hip-Hop buzz has centered around his disses of rival rappers, little attention has been paid to the disrespect of his primary target – Black women.
A few years ago, the song “Do Sumthin,” where Luda and Rick Ross trade verses about the freaky stuff that they would make a starvin’ sista do for a Klondike Bar, would have just been written off as another strip club anthem. But with people facing dire economic situations, the song takes on added socio-economic significance. With single mothers in the real world strugglin’ to feed their kids, millionaire rappers promoting ho’in as a viable option is done in extremely bad taste.
Do rappers hate women that much?
While the disrespect of all women is a problem for all cultures, the disproportionate economic suffering of Black women plus the fact that they own most of the booties that are seen shakin’ in Hip-Hop videos makes this issue more race specific. This is compounded by the jacked up relationship between Black men and Black women that has been promoted by the entertainment industry for the last couple of decades.
Black men dissin’ Black women is nothing new, as its roots can be traced back to antiquity. Chancellor Williams in his classic work, “The Destruction of Black Civilization” wrote that the problem goes back thousands of years in Africa when foreign invaders raped Black, Egyptian women, causing the sons to hate their mothers and identify with the nationality of their fathers, the conquerors.
So the seed with which we are dealing today was planted eons ago.
Of course, this is not to say that White men have not exploited Black women, as this has been well documented for centuries. South African, Saartjie Baartman, was paraded across Europe as a freak show attraction because of the size of her badunkadunk almost two centuries before Nicki Minaj appeared on the MTV Music Awards.
Nor can the disrespect of Black women be totally blamed on Hip-Hop, as Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were singing “Brown Sugar,” a song glorifying the rape of a “slave girl,” and “Some Girls” a decade before The Bad Boys dissed “Veronica” and Slick Rick “treated ’em like a prostitute.”
But that does not give Black men of today a pass. Especially grown men with young daughters.
Dr. Frances Cress Welsing gave a psychological reason for rap’s virtual rape of sistas in The Isis Papers, when she wrote that, “Black males engage in this activity out of their imposed frustration and sense of political powerlessness and inadequacy.”
However, some have pointed to a more insidious reason; a conspiracy to turn Black men against Black women and initiate them into a secret society known as the “Hip Hop He-Man Woman Haters Club.”
If what Immortal Technique alleges in his song , “Natural Beauty” is true – that “men who don’t even like women control the business.” This is not only possible but probable, as they take enjoyment from the gender war between Black men and Black women.
As noted historian J.A. Rogers wrote in his book, Sex and Race Vol. III, the deadliest form of the conflict and process of extermination within a civilization lies in the conflict between the two creative forces – Sex (woman) and Intellect (man).
Now some may argue that Luda is telling a true story and there are really women who act like that. But there are also women who act like Ida B. Wells, Assata Shakur and Kathleen Cleaver. Why are these stories not being told? Not to mention the story of the OG ride-or-die chick, Mary Turner, who, in 1918, along with her unborn child, was murdered and mutilated by a lynch mob in Valdosta, Georgia, for reppin’ her husband who had been murdered by the same mob.
Some may consider the actual details of the horrific event, like how one of the members of the mob removed the fetus from Turner’s belly and pounded it into the ground, too graphic. However, they are no more graphic then the acts rapped about on Luda’s CD or in songs being played on the radio about Black men riding around with “choppers” in their cars hunting other Black men like prey.
Perhaps, if rappers were taught this history, they would be less likely to make misogynistic songs.
Personally, I think that a group of brothers should find Luda and kindly “escort” Mr. Bridges to the Folsom Bridge, the spot where Turner was lynched, and leave him there until he reconsiders his position on Black women.
Either way, this madness has got to stop.
Like Nas said in “Black Girl Lost,” “Say men are all the same?/ What we need to do/ Is break this chain.”
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott represents The Militant Mind Militia. He can be reached at mi*****************@***il.com, on his website at http://www.militantmindmilitia.com, or on Twitter at @truthminista.
Daily Word: Speak Differently (You are What You Say You Are)
Happy Wins-Day, my creatures of Excellence! Today's Daily Word is dedicated to speaking differently! Words have power! People often make a big deal about what others are saying about them but think nothing of what they say to themselves! Other people's words have a significantly lower affect on you then what you are saying to yourself! Make sure that you are not falling into the habit of negative self-talk! Change your conversations with yourself, and I guarantee that you will immediately begin to move your life in the right direction! Instead of telling yourself what you can't do, tell yourself how talented you are for what you CAN do! Instead of complaining of what you don't have, be grateful for what you do have and speak ONLY in abundance! The words that you utter, whether loudly or quietly eventually become your reality! Speak ONLY on what you want! Everything else is a waste of time and a waste of life!! -Ash'Cash "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." -Pearl Strachan "Words are our wands. They have the power to get you on the fast track to manifesting your dreams." -Unknown “Your own words are the bricks and mortar of dreams you want to realize." -Sonia Choquette “Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.” -Brian Tracy "Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so he is." -Publilius Syrus “You can create the energy to turn your dreams into reality by knowing what to say when you talk to yourself.” -Shad Helmstetter "Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character, Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." -Unknown “Quite simply, what you say is the single biggest factor that determines your happiness.” -Irwin Katsof
TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.
Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.
Assistant Police Commissioner Denies Vybz Kartel Escape Reports
(AllHipHop News) Police in Jamaica have shot down reports that artist Vybz Kartel has escaped from a prison, where he is being held for two murders.
Reports hit the Internet yesterday, claiming that Vybz, born Adijah Palmer, had made a daring escape from the New Verizon Adult Remand Centre.
According to the rumor, Vybz and seven other inmates held guards hostages, stole their uniforms, fled in a vehicle belonging to police and left one dead and 12 injured in the prison break.
Jamaica’s Assistant Police Commissioner denied the reports.
“I know nothing about that. If that had taken place I would would certainly have known,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green told the Jamaica Observer.
Police told the paper that the rumor may have been the work of Vybz’ cronies, who could be attempting to keep his name in the headlines.
Vybz Kartel is being without bail, for his role in at least two murders.
He is also charged with conspiracy to murder, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of ganja charges.
Russell Simmons Gets His Own Postage Stamp
(AllHipHop News) Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons is the first hip-hop artist to receive his own stamp, via a new campaign with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Russell Simmons’ mug will appear on one of 20 stamps dedicated to the most famous vegetarians of all time, in an effort to stamp out animal abuse.
Other celebrities that are featured in PETA’s latest campaign include Woody Harrelson, Cesar Chevez, Gandhi, Bob Barker of “The Price is Right,” Gandhi, Paul McCartney, Ellen DeGeneres and others.
During the campaign, the celebrities will offer tips on healthy living, in addition to doling out wisdom on the importance of being a vegetarian.
“The consumption of animals causes more harm to the environment than all the forms of transportation put together,” Russell Simmons told CNN in 2008, while discussing why he chose to be a vegan.
“When they said dominion over the animals, I don’t think they meant the abusive 10 billion farm animals every year, which is what we do here in America,” Simmons continued. “I feel better, I look better, so it’s a big change for me. You have more clarity and I think that all of us want to be more clear. I wanted to look younger and feel better and wanted to be a greater contributor to the good on the planet.”
The limited edition stamps are on sale from December until January, depending on the demand.
Signs The World Is Coming To An End: Lil Boy Shot In Head At Rap Vid
BABY SHOT IN THE HEAD AT RAP VIDEO SHOOT!
I’m telling you, people…we have to do better! These damn people are bringing guns and little kids to video shoots! And a kid got shot! The 1-year old boy, Hiram Lawrence, was shot when about six men ran up on a rapper set and just started firing rounds. Other people – eight – were shot and sent to the hospital. As for lil Hiram, he is in critical condition from his injuries. Apparently, the boy was shot as his dad ran for cover, but he wasn’t actually on the set of the video like I thought. Like, I totally could have changed the headline and edited the story, but I think he was close enough to say he was on the scene. Stop the violence people.
CHARTWATCH: Black Friday Boosts Sales for Young Money, The Throne
(Week Ending December 2nd)
After debuting last week at the top spot on the charts (659,190 units sold), Drake’s sophomore effort, Take Care (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Rep), fell to #4 after selling 173,618 copies in its second week. Over the weekend in San Francisco, Drake and the OVO crew shot the video for “The Motto,” which is the next single off Take Care.
Fellow YMCMB member, Lil Wayne, saw an 147% increase in sales as The Carter IV (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Rep) sold 62,790 copies this past week and checked in at #14 on the charts. This sudden, huge increase in sales might be attributed to Black Friday shoppers finding themselves unable to turn away from a discounted Carter IV.
Black Friday may have also contributed to the 60% boost in sales for Kanye West & Jay-Z. The duo are currently on the “Watch The Throne Tour” as their album, Watch The Throne (Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation), continues its run on the charts, where it has been a stable presence since its August release. This past week, it sold 31,541 copies, yet moved down 4 spots to #32.
Elsewhere on the charts, Yelawolf’s first album since joining Shady Records, Radioactive, sold 41,826 copies in its first week, debuting at #25. Features include Eminem, Kid Rock, Lil Jon, Killer Mike, and Mystikal.
Wale’s Ambition (Warner Bros.) sold 20,357 copies this past week and dropped from the 18th spot to #50.
After A Big Week in Ongoing Hip-Hop Sales was reported last week, a few big names have dropped out of the Top 50.
J. Cole’s debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story (Roc Nation), dropped out of the Top 50 for the first time since its release in late September.
Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park fell out of the Top 50 as well. This comes three weeks after Mac Miller made history by becoming the first indie act since Tha Dogg Pound to reach the top spot in their debut, selling 148,915 units. However, after an 83% decrease in his second week of sales, this should not be too much of a surprise to see him absent from the Top 50.
Lastly, Childish Gambino’s commercial debut, Camp (Glassnote), dropped out of the charts in its second week, after selling just over 51,000 units last week. You can read AllHipHop’s review of Camp here.
Dropping This Week (Week Ending on 12/2/11):
Curren$y’s Jet Life compilation album, Jet World Order (Jets International/iHipHop Distribution), drops today. The album features Jet members Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy, Smoke DZA, Mikey Rocks, Fiend, Nesby Phips, Corner Boy P, and Street Wiz. Read AllHipHop.com’s review of Jet World Order here.
Dropping Next Week (Week Ending on 12/9/11):
The Roots will drop their 13th album, undun (Def Jam), next Tuesday (December 6). The legendary group’s first single off the album, entitled “Make My,” features Big K.R.I.T.
T-Pain’s fourth album, rEVOLVEr (RCA/Nappy Boy/Konvict), is set to release on Tuesday as well. The 17-track album includes features from Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, and Wiz Khalifa among others. Watch the video for the single “5 O’Clock” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen below:
Belly: Canada, Music, and The Greatest Dream He Never Had
Born in Palestine and raised in Canada, 27-year-old rapper and mogul Belly has fought long and hard to get where he is today. Although you may not have heard of Belly here in the states, please believe that, in Canada, he is no stranger to a dedicated work ethic resulting in enormous success. His first album, The Revolution, was certified Gold in Canada and led to his first Top 10 single “Pressure,” featuring Ginuwine. Belly also earned consecutive MuchMusic Awards for Best Rap Video in 2007 and 2008. That same year, he won his first Juno Award, which is the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy, for Hip-Hop Recording of the Year.
In 2011, he released two mixtapes, Sleepless Nights, hosted by DJ Ill Will, and the more recent The Greatest Dream I Never Had, hosted and presented by DJ Drama. On the heels of his newest mixtape hitting the Internet last month, Belly has begun setting the master plan in motion to crossover from one side of the border to the other, the result of which should be a huge reception for his sophomore follow-up, due sometime next year.
AllHipHop.com spent some time with Belly recently to talk about The Greatest Dream I Never Had, what the success of other Canadian artists like Drake and The Weekend mean to him personally, his Palestinian roots, and much more. Check out the exclusive interview below:
AllHipHop.com: What’s going on, Belly?
Belly: Not much, man, just kicking it at the crib in Toronto right now.
AllHipHop.com: Nice. Well, first things first, you recently released The Greatest Dream I Never Had which was your seventh mixtape that dropped a couple of weeks ago. Now that the public has had some time to digest it, how do you feel the response has been based on the feedback?
Belly: The best out of anything I’ve released, for sure, since the album dropped out here in ’07, since The Revolution. I haven’t really seen people react like this. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s been an amazing response, and I have such an amazing fan base of loyal fans, but this one is over the top. It’s not just the fans that appreciated it; it was even people who never liked me before. They heard this, and they see me in a whole new light.
AllHipHop.com: Do you believe it’s your best work?
Belly: I just make music, man. I don’t know. I’m the worst judge of my own music so, to me, everything is personal and everything is something I did so, you know, I look at it all the same.
AllHipHop.com: When you’re working on new music, do you find yourself trying to top what you did the last time, or is it more in the moment, creating music based on what’s happening with you at that exact time in your life?
Belly: Yeah, it’s definitely about being in the moment. I love music to the point where I can get inspired by it in any form. I might hear a little melody in a movie or something and just run off that. It might spark a whole new project just based on that one sample; that one melody that might have inspired me. That’s what happened with this tape [The Greatest Dream I Never Had]. I did “Purple Drugs” first, and when I did that, I knew I had to do a whole project of music like this. I loved where I was going with it.
AllHipHop.com: I saw that you also handled some of the production on the mixtape.
Belly: Yeah, I was right there throughout the whole production process, but like, not to take anything away from Da Heala and Danny Boy Styles, man – those guys are geniuses, and it ended up where they just kind of split the production duties and nobody had no egos. It was just real smooth, man. Definitely the best experience of working on a project was this.
AllHipHop.com: Is that something that you started doing recently, or have you been producing your own stuff for a while?
Belly: Yeah, I think I always made it a point to have at least one production by myself on each project, and then somewhere along the way, it just faded away and I focused more on the writing and my own music. But yeah, it’s dope. I think production is like the foundation, so being back involved with the that has been amazing for me.
AllHipHop.com: Some of the hottest producers right now are all from Canada. What’s in the water?
Belly: [laughter] Oh, man, I think Canada’s got it right now with producers. Boi-1da, T-Minus, Arthur McArthur, Tone Mason, Da Heala, Danny Boy Styles. I think it’s right here right now.
AllHipHop.com: The Greatest Dream was also presented by DJ Drama. How’d you two link up in the first place, and will we ever get a Belly-fied Gangsta Grillz?
Belly: I’ve known Drama forever. Drama’s just someone who’s always held me down, and there’s never something I’ve asked him to do that’s he wasn’t down to do. I think it was in like ’07 or something like that, I had a shot a video with Ginuwine. Hulk Hogan was in the video, it was crazy like a circus, and I flew Drama down and he appeared in the video, so we’ve been homies ever since. Every time I hit him about something, he’s always down to work so Drama’s that dude, man, very influential cat. And maybe, man, maybe one day. People are getting The Greatest Dream I Never Had, and I already know what my next two or three projects are going to be. I’m already working on those, so maybe a Gangsta Grillz after that, definitely.
AllHipHop.com: What can you tell me about those projects that you already have in the works? Are those mixtapes or your next album?
Belly: I mean, it depends; as far as the album goes, I’ve been working on my album for a minute and the vibe and sound is so different that it’s easy to differentiate when I make music, what I’m going to keep for the album or what I want to use on mixtapes. It’s a work in progress. When I approach a mixtape, I approach it as a project. When I did this one, I recorded all the songs in the same type of environment, I wrote all the songs in the same type of environment, and it just gave the mixtape a certain mood and a certain vibe, and that’s what I like to do. But sometimes a song will pop up here and there that I’m like, “we need this for the album,” and I’ll put that on the side.
AllHipHop.com: What can you tell me about the title, The Greatest Dream I Never Had?
Belly: Well, it’s the follow-up to Sleepless Nights, which was the last tape that I just did with DJ Ill Will. I was staying in Miami at the time on literally no sleep. Me and Danny Boy Styles was just grinding it out, so that’s how that tape came about, and I think just as a follow-up, The Greatest Dream I Never Had is like I’m still sleepless, I’m still chasing this dream. I feel like I can’t get sleep until I accomplish this.
AllHipHop.com: In the short but successful career you’ve already had, you’ve worked with a ton of huge artists like Drake, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and The Weeknd. How are these collaborations constantly coming about?
Belly: It definitely goes back and forth between here and over there. With the big homie Snoop Dogg, we were on tour together across Canada, and that’s how we built that relationship. We always just linked up; we never really worked. He would come into town or I would go to L.A. if he was in town and not touring the world somewhere, then we’d link up or if he was here in Toronto we’d link up. We did that for like two or three years before we actually got in the studio together and did the record “Hot Girl,” and then since that we just did another record called “I Drink, I Smoke.” We flew down to Amsterdam and shot the video. Shouts to R.T. for shooting that.
AllHipHop.com: Why didn’t that record end up on The Greatest Dream I Never Had?
Belly: It was never supposed to. The mood of that mixtape can’t handle a song like that.
AllHipHop.com: So, what is the plan for that record?
Belly: The plan is to have that on the album, but you can’t really plan albums and singles or none of that no more, you just have to make music and put it out and let the people decide. I’ve got a loose plan, but the people got the blueprint, the fans got the blueprint.
AllHipHop.com: I like that. So, of all the artists that you have worked with, if you could choose one to only work with for the rest of your career, who would it be and why?
Belly: Wow, one person that I can make music with? That’s crazy [laughter]. Damn, man, who would I work with? I would have to say The Weeknd, man; that guy is a genius.
AllHipHop.com: That’s interesting, and I know he also did some production on The Greatest Dream I Never Had. What is that relationship like?
Belly: Oh, man, me and him, that’s like a genuine friendship man. That’s one of the guys that I met in this game that has kept it probably the most real with me. He basically put it like this…we had the house built with The Greatest Dream, and he came in and renovated it you know what I mean? He just polished it, and sonically and melodically, he just brought so much to the tape. It was exactly what it was missing at the time. I think he definitely brought that to the table. Aside from that, that was the first time me and him have worked together. We’ve been friends for some time now, and that was the first time we actually got in the studio and worked. These are friendships before they’re working relationships.
AllHipHop.com: What is the status of the friendship/relationship that you have with Drake now, and have you gotten a chance to hear Take Care?
Belly: Yeah, he played me a few songs off the album before it came out, and I was just in awe, man. Drake is like the hometown hero. Come on, like he took this thing worldwide from Toronto, so it’s dope to see him do what he do.
AllHipHop.com: So, what does it mean to you as an artist from Canada who has also had a ton of success up there to see your fellow friends and musicians like Drake and The Weeknd crossover into the U.S. and be some of biggest and most talked about artists?
Belly: That’s my “I told you so” moment because when I was coming down to the states in ’07 and ’08 and doing radio runs and all that type of stuff, I told everybody that the West had it, the East had it, the South still got it, but like the North has got to come up at some point. And, what’s dope is that it did come up here, and there’s a lot of artists that are buzzing and crossing over and erasing that border that some guy drew. So, to me, it’s a beautiful thing to see that New York is back on, the West is buzzing, the South is buzzing, the North is buzzing. Hip-Hop is at a strong point right now, and it’s a beautiful thing.
AllHipHop.com: How different would you say the actual music scenes are in Canada as opposed to here in the U.S.?
Belly: I think the music scene out here is just, for Hip-Hop, it’s a little tougher. We don’t really have radio stations that cater to what we do or what we really want to do. So, a lot of times, for artists to get on the radio, they have to cater to the radio. I think that’s a struggle out there that artists face, definitely, especially in Hip-Hop music.
AllHipHop.com: We briefly talked before about your earlier success, but for those that don’t know, your debut The Revolution went gold in Canada. You’ve had a number of Top 10 singles, and I’m sure one of the biggest moments of your career had to be winning the Juno Award.
Belly: Definitely.
AllHipHop.com: So, it’s safe to say that you’ve conquered Canada and you’re prepared to do the same over here, but what do you want your next major accomplishment to be? What is the goal that you’re trying to reach right now?
Belly: To me, over the years, my goals change. Right now, my biggest goal is just to have my music heard by the most people that I can possibly have it heard by. I think that would be my greatest accomplishment, to know that people in every corner of the Earth are listening to the words that I wrote down.
AllHipHop.com: You also do some ghostwriting as well. Is there anything you’ve worked on from that perspective that you can talk about?
Belly: Well, a lot of the stuff that I do for certain rap heads, I definitely can’t talk about, but a lot of the R&B stuff that comes out here, the radio stuff that comes out here, I write a lot of that stuff. Probably 40 percent of what plays on Top 40 radio out here.
AllHipHop.com: I’m getting the vibe that Canada is a lot more Pop and R&B oriented in terms of the major music genres. Is that the case?
Belly: A lot of R&B and Pop, man, and I just get my hands into everything. I co-own one of if not the #1 independent record labels in the country, CP Records. We built up the label to the point where we’re basically competing with the majors out here.
AllHipHop.com: What about the artists that you’ve signed? What genres do they fall into?
Belly: We go for everything, man; we go for talent, that’s first and foremost. We don’t have an assembly line around here. We take time and we develop artists and we take our time, and if a single doesn’t work, we don’t drop somebody. We really try and push and give as many looks as we can to our artists and stuff like that, and it’s been working out. The loyalty is there. Artists know that if they go somewhere else, they’re going to get shuffled around, and as soon as somebody else new comes around, they’re gonna get pushed to the back. Around here it’s not like that. Everybody’s got priority.
AllHipHop.com: So, you obviously have a great business sense, but are you looking for a major label deal knowing that you have CP Records and seeing what happens to a number of artists singed to the big labels? Has that kind of put you off from wanting to accept some of the things you’ve been offered?
Belly: Well, shout out to everybody ’cause there’s a lot of people that reached out to us already, and we’re talking to a few people right now, but I’m not really concerned, man. Like I said, I’m taking such a different approach and putting music first and that’s what it’s coming back to now, ’cause the music is being put back into the hands of the people to decide. That’s all I’m really focused on is making the music, and I know everything else will come after that. All I know is I’m not gonna sell myself short. I know what I’m capable of on so many levels, and I do so many different things when it comes to music, so I won’t sell myself short. But, I’m always open to hear a conversation and see what somebody’s saying.
AllHipHop.com: So you said earlier that you were working on your next few projects already, one of which is your album. Is there any tentative release date for when that will drop?
Belly: I mean we’re definitely hoping for a 2012 release and we’ll drop a video soon enough for “I Drink, I Smoke,” and see what happens and just go from there.
AllHipHop.com: Do you have a title for the album yet?
Belly: Yeah, it’s called Champagne Dreams, Marijuana Thoughts, and the next mixtape is called Thank God I’m Faded.
AllHipHop.com: Alright, I like that [laughter]. Before I let you go, I want to ask briefly about your Palestinian roots. You actually grew up in Palestine, right?
Belly: Yes, sir. I grew up in the Middle East and bounced around between different countries like so many other Palestinians have to do, but yeah, I came to Canada when I was seven.
AllHipHop.com: I know you’ve also done some songs in the past about Palestine and the Middle East, but because of your roots and where you come from, do you feel obligated to make people more aware of the situations occurring over there through your music?
Belly: I mean, it’s not that I’m not focusing on it. Every now and then, I’ll just get the inspiration to drop a new one and basically, I like to just say everything that pertains to a certain time period on a record. I don’t like to exhaust that avenue and be doing 15 records about that all saying the same thing. So if I feel like people aren’t saying what should be said, then I drop a record.
AllHipHop.com: Fair enough. Lastly, for people that may be discovering you for the first time through this interview, or who maybe just heard The Greatest Dream, what do you want people to know about Belly?
Belly: The Greatest Dream I Never Had is me. That’s the most current, personal, introspective embodiment of me. From top to bottom, that’s me right there. I think people need to just pick that up and listen if you really want to get my side of the story: “Numbers,” “Purple Drugs,” “Fallen,” “Dreamer,” “Downtown,” all the records that the people are really hitting me about right now. The Greatest Dream I Never Had, man, I think that’s the best way to get to know me.
AllHipHop.com: Thanks, Belly. It was a pleasure speaking with you.
Belly: Thank you, man. I appreciate the opportunity.
Download “Belly – The Greatest Dream I Never Had” below! Follow Belly on www.youtube.com/bellycp, www.twitter.com/rebellyus, and www.facebook.com/bellylive.
For More Information on Belly Visit www.BellyLive.com
Hip-Hop Rumors: A New Notorious Movie? Has Rick Ross Lost One?
NOTORIOUS PART TWO?
I have not a clue how this would work. But I am hearing there is a sequel to “Notorious” that is in preproduction! How does this happen since clearly Biggie dies in the first one? I have no clue. Maybe it will deal more with the Junior Mafia early years? That has been suggested to me. Nevertheless, there are appears to be a new version of the Biggie’s saga about to be told.
PILL DROPPED?
According to KarenCivil.com, Pill may have been dropped from Rick Ross’s bubblin’ roster at Mayback Music Group. This isn’t official, but it certainly is a rumor and this site is big to be saying as such. I don’t think rappers actually get “dropped” these days…but maybe? KC says he’s not wearing his chain anymore either!
Here is what he said recently, according to TheBoombox.com.
“I’m just getting back into the swing of things and trying to get things back popping the way they’re supposed to be,” he tells The BoomBox. “I don’t have no shots for anybody who’s ever worked with me. I’m just doing me. I’m doing my thing right now. I got a second cover of XXL, I’m on the BET cypher, you’ve seen me overseas in London with Mark Ronson, you’ve seen me on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ twice, you’ve seen me on ’106 &Park’ twice. You’ve never seen that before I had a management issue.”
There has been no comment since.
Comedian Patrice O’Neal Dead at 41 Following Stroke and Battle With Diabetes
(AllHipHop News) Forty-one year-old actor and comedian Patrice O’Neal died late last night (November 28) after complications stemming from a stroke he suffered in October. O’Neal, who had also been battling diabetes for a number of years, was one of the comedic staples behind the Comedy Central Roasts that take place every year.
Known for his witty and sometimes dark, yet very playful humor, O’Neal is a talent that often times did not have a working filter between his mind and mouth, and this led to some of the most entertaining, jaw-dropping, and hilarious, although, at times, controversial comedy of the past decade.
Most recently, O’Neal participated in the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen which was one of the most watched specials in the networks history. Along with his role in the roasts, he was also a great comedic actor having appeared in episodes of “The Office,” “Chappelle’s Show,” “Arrested Development,” and his own animated series that also aired on Comedy Central in 2002, “Shorties Watching’ Shorties.” His film credits include roles in Head of State, 25th Hour, Scary Movie 4, and many more.
Breaking News: Lil Boosie Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Drug In Prison
(AllHipHop News) Li’l Boosie has pleaded guilty to three counts of smuggling drugs into Dixon and Angola prisons.
The rapper, real name Torrance Hatch, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Boosie pled guilty to three counts of conspiring to bring drugs into a penal institution.
Lil Boosie remains charged with first-degree murder for the death of Terry Boyd.
Daily Word: Act Differently!!! (The Life You Want Is Already Yours!!)
Great Tuesday, my Great People!!
Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to acting differently! There’s something called “Fake It Til You Make It” that I would say is practiced greatly by many people in our society! A lot of us spend too much energy being people we are not to impress people who don’t matter! This, I wholeheartedly don’t approve of whatsoever! It is a complete waste of time and winds up costing more than is even worthwhile!
On the other-hand, there is a form of “Fake It Til You Make It” that I urge you begin IMMEDIATELY!! This is the
process of being who you aspire to be TODAY in order to eventually will that person into existence! It is a fact that you are what you repeatedly do! Those who live life in their current state are certainly securing the fact that they will most likely remain in that state! It isn’t until we begin to realize that the best way to get a better life is to begin living a better life, that we start to see significant changes in the quality of our situation!
Stop Waiting!! Be who you aspire to be TODAY!! Act as if ______________ (Fill in the Blank), and I guarantee you that you will become ______________(Fill in the Blank)! Act Differently!! Fake it Til You Make It!! and Continue to take the life that you deserve!! Nothing will be given to you! You must make it happen NOW!!!!
-Ash’Cash
“We will act consistently with our view of who we truly are, whether that view is accurate or not.” -Anthony Robbins
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” -Charles F. Kettering
“Execute every act of thy life as though it were thy last.” -Marcus Aurelius
“The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.” -George Bernard Shaw
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” -Thomas Jefferson
“Act as if you have already achieved your goal and it is yours.” -Dr. Robert Anthony
“Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay.” -Simone de Beauvoir
“Look famous. Be legendary. Appear Complex. Act easy. Radiate presence. Travel light. Seem a dream. Prove real.” -Unknown
***Bonus***“In order to act, you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking.” -George Clemenceau
TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.
Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.
Rocsi Opens Up About Webbie Incident; Says Rapper’s Sexual Harassment Led To BET Ban
(AllHipHop News) Rocsi Diaz, co-host of BET’s 106 & Park, discussed a recent incident with Baton Rogue, Louisiana rapper Webbie, who has been banned from the network.
Webbie was permanently banned from the TV network after he appeared on 106 & Park’s “Freestyle Friday” segment in October, to promote his new album Savage Life 3.
While Webbie claimed that the ban was due to Terrence J.’s uncontrollable passion for Rocsi, she flatly dismissed the notion of a romantic link to her co-host and placed the blame squarely upon the rapper and his behavior.
“It’s really sad, the way it was looked upon. I have thick skin, but when you are at your job and somebody sexually harasses you, in a manner that is very vulgar and disgusting, I have no shame of sticking up for myself and telling you that you’re improper right now,” Rocsi told NBC’s Peter Bailey. “I’m at work we’re on a set, there’s children around us. You’re really out of line right now.”
Rocsi admitted she was surprised by some of the support Webbie received after the incident.
But she was in full support of co-host Terrence J., who proclaimed that the Baton Rogue native was banned from the network.
“People should more so applaud a woman sticking up for herself and the people around her for sticking up for herself, than allowing that kind of behavior to happen. I think we allow that behavior to happen too much in our society. It’s ok to speak up ladies and say no i don’t ;ik to be spoken to in that manner.”
Rocsi said that she was a fan of Webbie, since she’s from New Orleans and he’s from Baton Rogue.
But the rapper’s disrespectful conduct on the show was too much and to top it all off, he’s never called and personally apologized. To make matters worse, Webbie has threatened Terrence J. several times since the incident.
“It was really inappropriate, it’s really sad and I just hope that he understands it. There’s never even been an apology, it’s been more of an upsetting incident [to him] because he can’t be on BET.”
Rocsi did say that Webbie’s management called and apologized for the rapper’s behavior.
In related news, Rocsi is working on her a new book that she describes as an “interview with her younger self.”
The book will touch on her battle with anorexia in high school, her self esteem issues and her journey through the music industry.
“It’s not what you see on the magazines or TV, there’s more to it to make that one person look the way.”
50 Cent “Stop Crying”
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B.o.B. [BGA] Ft. Future and Trae The Truth “How Bout Dat”
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HEATER OF THE DAY: Nakim Ft. Jadakiss “Swervin Remix”
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