On the set of “Fast Lane” in the Southwest Detroit, Director James Larese of Syndrome discussing the next shot with Eminem & Royce 5’9 . Big announcement tomorrow relating to the EP Bad Meets Evil on MTV.
NorthJersey reports earlier this afternoon, Hackensack police arrested Cassidy on an outstanding warrant for probation violation and as a suspect a murder and two attempted murders in Philadelphia. The rapper was brought to the Bergen County Jail Annex awaits extradition to Philly.
Yall may not remember this group but they were signed to Akon’s Label Konvict Music. They were place on the shelved and finally free from their deal. They hey have partnered with industry vet Wendy Day.
Didn’t even know Adele was here (said, I know), but I found this story interesting…..you can read the full story at TBD.com (by Sarah Godfrey).
Last night, the British soul singer Adele played the 9:30 Club, but not everyone with tickets got to hear her amazing voice. Some Adele fans showed up at the club last night and quickly learned that their tickets were counterfeit.
“I immediately knew something was wrong when I saw the line around the corner and down the block,” says one man (he asked that his name not be used) who purchased fake tickets from a seller calling himself “Alexis” on Craigslist. “Then I noticed they had set up a ticket checkpoint at the corner instead of at the door. The guy looked at my ticket, immediately asked me where I bought it, then put it in his pocket and asked me to step to the side while he checked it out. There were about eight other people who were asked to step to the side, too.”
At the end of the night, according to accounts from people who were at the club, somewhere between 15 and 30 people presented fake tickets.
This doesn’t really look like the “intimate” setting we’ve come to expect from that series at all. Time will tell, though.
Lil Wayne followed hip-hop greats like Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill, becoming the latest artist to go “Unplugged†for MTV. The rap kingpin taped his intimate special of the groundbreaking series before a live audience at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif., on Thursday (May 12), performing stripped-down versions of his Cash Money classics.
Read more after the jump.
Dressed casually in a white tee, jeans, and red fitted cap, Weezy opened with “3 Peat†and “Mr. Carter,†before giving new life to “A Milli†with his band. Playaz Circle’s Tity Boi joined him for “Duffle Bag Boy†and Young Money’s own Shanell guested on Rebirth‘s “Running†and “Prom Queen.â€
The New Orleans native ventured into holy hip-hop territory with an acoustic cover of Tupac Shakur’s “Hail Mary,†his answer to those who keep asking about his recent jail experience.
After performing more current hits including “Drop the World†and the chart-topping “Lollipop,†he debuted a new song from Tha Carter IV called “Nightmares of the Bottom,†part of which he has previewed on his “I Am Still Music†tour. “I’m sleeping at the top, nightmares of the bottom/ Everybody want to be fly till you swat them,†rapped Tunechi.
The memorable evening came to a close with a rousing rendition of “6 Foot 7 Foot,†with Young Money’s rising star Cory Gunz storming the stage to spit his rapid-fire verse alongside his mentor.
“MTV2 Presents: Lil Wayne Unplugged†will air Sunday, June 12, at 9 p.m. on MTV and MTV2.
50 Cent mean mugged with Soulja Boy on his latest album The DeAndre Way, and now the student is returning the favor. The “Crank That†rapper has submitted beats for his mentor’s upcoming album.
“We were in California [last month] and 50 played his whole album, what he got so far,†Soulja told Rap-Up.com. “He was asking me for some beats, so I played some beats, gave him some beats. He’s got some tight beats from me too. I left him like five beats in California and he’s been recording on them.â€
Soulja Boy, who recently shared his plans to collaborate with Drake, confirmed earlier reports that the G-Unit mogul’s fifth album would have a more soulful vibe. “That’s true. He has some soul and he has people singin’ the different hooks,†he shared. “But he’s smart though. It’s still 50, but it’s on another level now. You know where he comes from.â€
The young rap star was impressed with what he heard. “His album was kinda dope. I ain’t gonna lie to you. That’s my big bro and all that. I got love for him. He’s got some good stuff on there.â€
Ever since the release of Prodigy’s autobiography, My Infamous Life, things have been rocky between him and C-N-N. In the book prodigy accused Capone of snitching and Noreaga of shooting somebody. Prodigy went to twitter yesterday to clear things up between them.
I dont know why ppl r sayin I beat @noreaga up….ha! Thats not what my book says and that not what happened. Read b4 u speak. I never said we “WON†or “LOST†in that confrontation either. Shit happened and I told the story. Thats what autobio’s r about. Real life.
N.O.R.E. then responded with the tweets below. Capone, you’re turn.
Last week, EW’s Music Mix announced that Late Night With Jimmy Fallon would spend this week paying tribute to Marley, with each of the week’s musical guests performing a classic cut by the reggae legend. Ziggy Marley, Chris Cornell, Jennifer Hudson, Jakob Dylan and Lenny Kravitz were already signed on for the salute (which kicks off tonight with Ziggy), and now the show has announced that Keith Richards and Lauryn Hill will both be joining in the fun.
Hill, who has had five children with Marley’s son Rohan, will be the musical guest on Thursday night’s show (May 12), when she is scheduled to perform a pair of songs in an extremely rare television appearance.
Not really a person who focuses on the day of passing, but I spotted a nice write-up on it, so shoutout to Sandra Rose:
Jamaican singer/songwriter Bob Marley passed away 30 years ago today from complications of malignant melanoma (cancer) of the big toe. He was 38.
Marley, an avid soccer player when he wasn’t touring, injured his toe playing soccer at the start of his European tour. Marley continued with his tour even though he was diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma.
Marley’s album Uprising was released in May 1980. One of the singles, “Redemption Songâ€, is believed to be Marley’s way of coming to terms with his mortality. Marley never really took his cancer diagnosis as a death sentence. He believed in the powers of ganja (marijuana) and he smoked it religiously.
After playing two sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Marley’s took ill as the cancer metastasized (spread) throughout his body.
Against the advice of his doctors, Marley flew to the Bavarian clinic of Josef Issels, where he received a controversial type of cancer therapy partly based on avoidance of certain foods, drinks, and other substances.
After the experimental therapy (and smoking copious amounts of ganja) failed to heal him, Marley flew to Miami, Florida (considered his second home) where he sought aggressive, traditional cancer treatment to save his life.
But it was too late.
On the morning of May 11, 1981, Marley died of multiple organ failure at Miami’s Cedars of Lebanon hospital (now called University of Miami hospital). The cancer that started in his big toe had spread to his lungs and brain.
Marley’s last words to his oldest son, Ziggy Marley, was “Money can’t buy life.â€
Mexican newspaper Vanguardia featured Tony Yayo in Sunday’s edition for naming the project after Chapo and using his image on the cover. El Chapo is online now.
The photograph of the fugitive leader of the Sinaloa cartel when it was introduced in the federal prison in Almoloya de Juárez (now known as the Altiplano) is the album cover of the new New York rapper Tony Yayo, a member of G-Unit, one of the most influential hip-hop groups headed by Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent.
The album cover, which this week was released in the online music store iTunes, contains a visual effect whereby the face of El Chapo Guzman becomes the Tony Yayo, who wears a black jacket, and cap New York Yankees.
B.o.B previously released a diss track at the OFWGKTA leader, but Bruno Mars is taking a cooler approach.
On “Yonkers,” Tyler threatens to “stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus.†Turns out, he isn’t the only one trying to stop Bruno’s movement.
“[Tyler] has to wait in line if he wants to stab me,” he told Spin.com. “[Tyler’s] definitely not the first guy that’s said something like that to me and he’s not going to be the last.”
The issue hits stands May 31st, check out an excerpt from the feature below.
What’s the difference between this relationship with Wiz and your last with Kanye?
The thing of it is…how can I say this without sounding crazy or mean? I’m sorry. No need to apologize, the floor is yours.
There’s no comparison in personalities. You know when people say how do you go from Kanye to Wiz Khalifa, that’s a downgrade. But the only question I can ask them is: have you ever dated Kanye? Because I have, and believe me, I did not downgrade at all. Not in any aspect, at all.
Kanye West performed Tuesday night at the MoMA’s Party in the Garden benefit. Moving forward, every Kanye West show should conclude with a rant. In November, at the intimate concert he played at the Bowery Ballroom to celebrate the release of his latest album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,†he closed the night with 10 or so minutes of wounded tongue lashings and self lacerations.
It’s likely that the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden had never seen such twisted pain. It was filled with a crowd of more than 1,000 – largely, men in expensive suits, and women in more expensive dresses – and some of its more delicate pieces were roped off, for their own safety. A smattering of famous faces worked the room: Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Aziz Ansari in a slim suit, cutting through the crowd at warp speed, trailed by a similarly outfitted entourage.
When he arrived on stage, Mr. West was almost certainly the most underdressed person in the room, in a gray hooded sweatshirt, white t-shirt, light blue jeans and black sneakers. And he began the night defiantly, with a harsh cover of Stevie Wonder’s “They Won’t Go When I Go.†Sung awkwardly but purposefully, it set the tone for the rest of the night. Freed from the emotional restrictions of a major arena show, where joy has to abound, or at least appear with some frequency, he took the opportunity to stew here, emphasizing the more abrasive and gruffer sides of his catalog: “Hell of a Life,†“Can’t Tell Me Nothing,†the melancholy “Flashing Lights.†(In this context, the grotesque “Monster†qualified as exultant.)
Even “Good Life,†the rare unambiguously joyous song in Mr. West’s catalog, was extended past its joyous core, dragged into an extended version where timpani-like rumblings gave it an air of impending tragedy. He did something similar on the paranoiac “Run This Town,†where he altered the melodic structure of the verses, turning them even colder and more percussive.
But then something surprising happened: he didn’t dwell. Instead, he brought out a surprise guest, Jay-Z, one of the few people who it seems can lift Mr. West’s mood. Together they performed the riotous “H·A·M,†a song that feels disjointed on record, but had just the right amount of mayhem for this moment. Then Jay-Z performed “Empire State of Mind,†typically a limp anthem, but here a palliative. Mr. West, unburdened, rapped along and smiled.
The homie Freddie Gibbs has a new project on the way, titled Cold Day In Hell. Archie, who’s manages The Gary grown emcee tells XXL that they’re aiming for a June 14th release date. In addition, the mixtape will be bolstered with contributions from Young Jeezy (who Gibbs recently signed with), Juicy J, Alley Boy, Freeway, Sly Polaroid, Slick Pulla, 211 and Bun B. We can also expect production credits by Big K.R.I.T., Justice League, Alchemist, Burn One, Lil Lody, Mexicans With Guns, Olympicks and K-Salaam & Beatnick. Cold World.
Don’t think 50 isn’t still winning. From AllHipHop:
Rap star 50 Cent has come forward to clear the air about the venture between his G-Unit brand and Sleek Audio, which produced his “Sleek by 50” line of headphones.
50 terminated the deal between Sleek’s parent company TVGoods Inc. and his company, G-Unit.
His new company, SMS Audio LLC, has signed a new deal with TVGoods, to bring a new line of wireless headphones and a full-range of audio accessories to market.
“As reported, the license arrangement between my company, G-Unit, and Sleek Audio to produce headphones branded as ‘Sleek by 50’ has been cancelled,” 50 Cent clarified to AllHipHop.com. “Instead, I have established a new company that is developing a complete line of audio accessories, including wireless headphones, offering superior sound quality along with cutting edge technology for all music lovers to enjoy.”
As a businessman, 50 said that he seeks ownership in any company that utilizes his name and brand recognition.
50, who still owns a hefty 7.5 million shares of TVGoods, is also still committed to his original vision of creating a world-class audio product for his fans.
“As an artist, I am committed to bringing top-of-the-line audio products to my fans, and I am excited that I have the resources to achieve just that with this new venture,†50 Cent told AllHipHop.com.
Mecklenburg prosecutors on Monday dismissed charges against six men arrested after a daytime shootout at a car stereo store where rapper Waka Flocka Flame had been talking to fans and getting his picture taken.
One man suffered a gunshot wound in the February shooting that drew widespread attention because of the rapper’s fame and his previous scrapes with violence and the law.
The rapper’s publicist said the shooting started after several men tried to rob Waka Flocka Flame of his jewelry.
But prosecutors have little to go on, they said, because none of the witnesses identified who was responsible for the shooting. They also said there was no evidence of an attempted robbery.
“We didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute any of them,” District Attorney Andrew Murray told the Observer. “The defendants are still in custody. That’s why we need to dismiss the charges now.
“I’m not thrilled about having to dismiss these charges. Some of these guys have felony records.”
Atmosphere, Big Boi, De La Soul, Slaughterhouse (Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden, Royce da 5′9″, Crooked I), Brother Ali, Doomtree (P.O.S, Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, Papertiger), Evidence x Rakaa-Iriscience x DJ Babu, Mac Miller, Curren$y, Blueprint, Grieves & Budo, Zion I & The Grouch, Sab The Artist, DJ Abilities, Face Candy, Edan with special guest Paten Locke, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Looptroop Rockers, Rubberoom, Soulcrate Music, 2Mex, Mr. Gene Poole, Qwazaar, Longshot, Mally, Desdamona, Duenday, Midwest Konnect, Rocky Diamonds, Stage One, Shortkut, Noam The Drummer, Exile, Maseo, Skeme Richards, Kid Cut Up and Espada. Hosted by Toki Wright, Carnage and Kevin Beacham.
I honestly don’t really have much feeling over the things that media like Fox says anymore. From XXL:
Conservatives are not fans of rap music. So much so, that many of their representatives , including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has voiced their opinions on First Lady, Michele Obama’s decision to invite Common to the White House tomorrow afternoon (May 11) as part of an event celebrating American poetry.
According to New York’s Daily News, Palin wasn’t the first to speak out against Com’s appearance. Fox News called the Chicago lyricist turned actor “vile†for his comments about George W. Bush and Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report wrote on his website: First Lady to host rapper who talks of killing cops, burning Bush.â€
Palin took to Twitter to comment on the news. “Oh lovely, White House,†she wrote, linking to an article that featured Common’s spoken word poem from Com’s Def Poetry appearance where he openly criticized the government and former President Bush. [Watch above]
The Grammy-award winning lyricist reacted to the backlash on Twitter himself. “So apparently Sarah Palin and Fox News doesn’t like me,†he wrote.
Swizz Beatz to Release Limited Edition Line of Reebok Shoes
Swizz Beatz and Reebok are set to release a limited edition version of their upcoming sneaker collaboration.
Last year, Swizz Beatz announced that he had teamed up with sneaker company Reebok Classics for a new custom shoe. Now, this Friday May 13, the Jay-Z and Ruff Ryders producer is preparing to unleash a limited edition preview of his line of kicks, called the Kamikazes. Reebok will release 84 pairs of the Limited Edition shoe this Friday at only seven stores across the nation. Each of the shoes will feature a tag hand-signed by Swizzy and will cost $100 a pair. The stores where the shoes will be availble for purchase can be found below.
Footaction, Greenspoint Mall, 12300 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77060
Sportsland/TAF UP, 5401 Wentworth, Chicago, IL 60609
Underground Station, Underground Atlanta, 50 Lower Alabama St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Sneakervilla, 4 S 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139
Sportie LA, 7753 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Jimmy Jazz, 442 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Dr Jays, 256 W 125th Street, NY, NY 10027
The Limited Edition Kamikazes can be seen below. The line is set to hit store shelves nationwide this July 11.
MTV and BET decide they aren’t feeling Game’s “aggressive content.”
As Game gears up for his long-delayed R.E.D.album’s release, BET and MTV have apparently decided to ban the music video for “Red Nation.” Citing too much gang-related content, the networks have elected not to show the video for the song, which features Lil Wayne. Game noted that the networks originally banned the song “One Blood,” until it received over one million views on YouTube. S/O HHDX
Rapper/producer/entrepreneur Pharrell Williams has been tapped as creative director of Karmaloop TV, a network set to launch later this year that looks to target the tech- and trend-savvy 18-34 demographic.
“Pharrell is, without a doubt, one of the most influential cultural creatives and business minds in America today,†Karmaloop CEO Greg Selkoe said. “We’re delighted and honored that he has joined our effort to create a multi-platform brand that will once again excite cutting-edge youth culture about TV, just as MTV did in the 1980s.†The Grammy-winning Williams will take an equity stake in the venture.
