Foxy Brown Launching Fur
Collection - June 03,2004
Foxy Brown Launching Fur
Collection - June 03,2004
Source: hitoppro.com
The Hip-Hop masses have clamored about rhymestress Foxy Brown and her whereabouts.
Now, the Brooklyn rapper will introduce a custom line of furs and possibly an accessory line called Champaign and Ice.
Partnering with Alexis & Ganni for the collection, the exotic line will include pieces include mink and chinchilla, with prices ranging from $2000 to $12,000. A special show room for the collection will open in Manhattan next month.
Incidentally, the name of the fur line has meaning to it. Champaign represents the life of a celebrity and elegance, while Ice signifies the opulent lifestyle sometimes associated with a person who decides to wear furs.
To promote her latest venture, Foxy will do six in store appearances across the country to promote the line, which will be sold to most upscale clothing outlets in the United States.
The rapper also has input as to the designs of the fur collection, which is scheduled to hit stores this year and via a website, www.foxybrownfurs.com.
Jay-Z
Drops Cutting Edge DVD Playable CD 'S.Carter The Remix' Hip-Hop Mixtape - May
28,2004
Source : NOBODYSMILING.COM
The New Mixtape titled “S.Carter The Re-Mix” has 18 tracks of freestyles, rarities, and Black Album remixes. Included on this release is the uncut version of Jay-Z’s new controversial video “99 Problems”. This version has not been played on MTV and BET due to its graphic images of Jay-Z being shot at the end of the video. Reebok’s Jay-Z and 50 Cent TV commercial is also present on the disc, showing the CS2CD’s power to add advertising to titles that can generate high revenue for artist and labels. Jay-Z is the first major artist to use the CS2CD DVD playable video™ format. What is a CS2CD? CS2CD is the hot new multi-media CD enhancing format that embeds DVD playable video and DVD photo slide shows onto traditional one sided CD albums and singles.
“This release proves artist no longer has to compromise their creative ideas for the sake of airplay!” says CEO and inventor of the CS2CD Will Smash. “And with the CS2CD, they can gain all the wealth of a DVD single release with manufacturing cost of an audio CD! Jay-Z is always looking for something new and innovative. We provided him with a CD that is more technically advanced than any other CD released by his industry peers. ”
A limited number of units were given to journalists, TV reporters, and consumers at Jay-Z and Beyonce ’s huge bash in London on Sunday May 9th. CS2CD formatted “S.Carter The Remix” will be available after May 28th as a promotional item complimenting the new S.Carter II sneakers from Reebok.
The Hip-Hop mixtape features skits that include P-Diddy, Michael Jordan , Denzel Washington. On the mixtape Denzel Washington talks about the Black Album. Emcee guest appearances include Kanye West, Beanie Seigel and more.
Rapper Jackie-O To Appear
In Playboy Magazine - May 28,2004
Source : NOBODYSMILING.COM
Miami rapper, Jackie-O has not only recently signed a deal with Poe Boy Entertainment/TVT Records, but she will be appearing in the August 2004 issue of Playboy Magazine.
The Liberty City native has already heated up the charts with her breakout single,"Nookie" and the Timberland -produced follow-up, "Slow Down." She has also recently appeared on the Ghostface "Pretty Toney" album on a track entitled "Take Me Back."
Jackie-O will be in the studio putting the finishing touches on her debut album, "Poe Little Rich Girl" scheduled to be released late summer 2004.
"Iam excited about being on TVT Records," said Jackie-O. "I feel right at home with all their Southern acts, from Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz and Ying Yang Twins to Pitbull and Chyna Whyte. I'm just glad that I will have this opportunity to make my mark."
"Jackie-O has positioned herself as a uniquely bold and talented artist," remarked TVT Records President, Steve Gottlieb. "We look forward to working with Poe Boy Entertainment and taking her project to the next level."
Da Band's Choppa Plots Solo
Return - May 26,2004
Source : sohh.com
While Da Band fans speculate on the future of the now defunct group's six members, New Orlean's Choppa aka Young City is grinding in the studio, recently recording a new track "That's Me" produced by upstart producer Akira. In an exclusive interview, Akira gave the inside scoop on the making of Choppa's hot new track.
Viewers of the series finale of MTV's Making the Band II will note the scene when manager Phil Robinson inquired of Da Band's whereabouts, to which Choppa replied that he was in Baltimore. In fact, Young City was in the studio with Akira -- listening to beats and plotting a few songs.
My man John from Innerloop Entertainment happened to know Choppa's manager. [Choppa] was in town looking for some tracks. He was like, 'who's the hottest cat in the city,' and John sent him to me, Akira told SOHH.com via phone from his Baltimore home. "I played like 4 tracks for him. Out of the 4 tracks he liked 3 of them and let us know he wanted to lay it down. The next day we did that."
On one of the songs, tentatively titled "That's Me," Young City reintroduces himself as a solo artist and bigs up his hood over sped up chops of alternative rocker band R.E.M's "Losing My Religion." The hook borrows singer Micheal Stipe's classic words, "that's me in the corner / that's me in the spot."
As he laces the track, Choppa shies away from his fly guy persona to make room for more menacing lyrics as he spits, "real cocky / quick to snap shots like papparazi." On the second verse he warns, "never back down / always keep my hand on the chrome in case ya'll wanna act clown."
Commenting on why the REM inspired track worked for Young City, Akira explains his formula for finding the perfect match between track and artist.
"Whenever I'm doing tracks, immediately my thinking is that it should say something about the person," says Akira, whose influences include Dr. Dre, Timbaland, DJ Premier and Kanye West. "At that time I was seeing him on the show and thought that a track about where he's from would be perfect. And the sample says, 'that's me in the corner, that's me in the spot.' It fit him perfectly."
With help from Randy "Speeke Greene" Austin's Soul Scholar Media, Akira's phone has been ringing increasingly and the 25-year-old producer now has two major production deals on the table. Ak is also still in talks with Choppa's camp regarding future collaborations. There is no word on whether "That's Me" will be included on Choppa's Bad Boy South debut.
JADAKISS,
IN NEW SONG LYRIC, SUGGESTS BUSH COMPLICITY IN 9/11 ATTACKS - May 25,2004
Source: hitoppro.com
Jadakiss, a well-known rapper from New York, has invoked a popular 9/11 conspiracy theory in a new song, bluntly stating that President Bush was involved in the taking down "the towers".
In his new song titled "Why?", Jadakiss asks "Why did Bush knock down the towers?".
Conspiracy theories regarding possible Bush Administration complicity in the 9/11 attacks continue to gain momentum. Many have pointed out impossibilities and problems with the official story, like David Ray Griffin in his book The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11. Read more.
Source: sohh.com
Taking a cue from
While everyone from Pharoahe Monch to Rakim have appeared in Lugz ads, Baby is the first to score his own shoe with the company. And if you ask Baby, the deal was a long time in the making.
"I always wanted to do a shoe. As soon as I got a chance to do it I jumped on it and I wanna do it big," Baby told SOHH.com via phone.
Though Baby is excited about the Birdman kicks, he admits he had never worn a pair of Lugz before inking the agreement. In fact, he was contemplating several other companies for his shoe.
"I got the Birdman. It's me, my name. It represents me and I do it in a big way. I'm into shining so I think my shoe represents that," Baby explained. "They came to me. I was already looking at other things, but Lugz allowed me to have as much creative control as I wanted. I also wanted a partnership. That's why I ended up with Lugz."
50 Cent In Sum Mo Drama At Show In SPRINGFIELD, Mass -
May 11,2004
Source: hitoppro.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Police broke up a shoving match at a Springfield club after rapper 50 Cent and his entourage jumped from the stage during a surprise appearance and scuffled in the audience.Two people were arrested for disturbing the peace at the Hippodrome club early Saturday morning, said Springfield Police Capt. Charles Arpin.
Police also were investigating whether a nearby shooting was related.
The crowd of 1,400 people didn't know 50 Cent was there until he took the stage after other acts. About 10 minutes later, someone in the crowd threw water at him from a cup or a bottle, Hippodrome co-owner Michael J. Barrasso said. "He removed his gold chain, handed it to someone on the stage next to him and jumped off the stage into the crowd," Barrasso said. The rapper's entourage, including bodyguards, also jumped off the stage. The audience was so dense, Barrasso couldn't tell whether there was any fighting beyond pushing. Security guards and police officers pushed the rapper — whose real name is Curtis Jackson — and his entourage back on stage, Barrasso said.
"He finished the song, believe it or not," Barrasso said. "Then the whole entourage and him just rushed for the exit, got in their cars and left." Two men were charged with disturbing the peace.
Afterward, a man walked into the Mercy Medical Center emergency room with a gunshot wound to the leg, saying he'd been shot about a block from the theater. Arpin said police aren't certain whether the shooting was related to the disturbance to the Hippodrome.
Two Shot, One Killed Outside G-Unit Album Release Party -
May 5,2004
Source: hitoppro.com
The Tennessean reports two men were shot, and one was killed outside G-Unit's album release party in Printer's Alley early Tuesday morning. A large crowd had gathered for the party honoring the group. The band's security guard says the shooting suspect was kicked out of the party earlier in the evening. He then returned with a gun around 3:15 am and opened fire. One of the men shot was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt, while the other was taken to Baptist Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 50 Cent and crew had left the event 30 minutes before the shooting. Read more, including photos, here.
Camron
blasts Eminem on new mixtape—Diss record said to be one of artist's best -
May 5,2004
Source: hitoppro.com
In an interview with New York disc jockey Kay Slay, Camron, a Harlem area artist, discusses his new “beef” with Shady Records performing artist, Eminem. Their beef reportedly stems from the latest D-12 video, '40 oz,' which was released as a bonus DVD on their latest LP, "D-12 World."
Two tracks have reportedly been leaked to the DJ, and are entitled, "Kill 'Em Cam," and "My Bitch," which is a freestyle.
“See I had no problem with the bitch till he released this video. It was all gravy until then. Things done changed and he know it. ” Cam said.
During the video, some would say, Eminem deliberately attacks Cam, while attempting to recreate a scene from a recent Camron video, "Get em Girls."
Camron also said he had no respect for Eminem's style of "singing on records like a little bitch," an overt reference to Eminem's latest hit "My Band."
Regardless of record sales, one of the diss records samples an old Elvis hit, "All Shook Up" and is entitled, "Kill 'Em Cam," and will be hit among Dipset fans. The other, "My Bitch," is a freestyle over the latest D-12 hit, "My Band" instrumental and is to appear on Kay Slay's latest mixtape cd, "Street Beef, Can They Handle It?"
The tape reportedly will also feature disses from Kay Slay himself to Shady records disc jockey, DJ Green Lantern.
Bobby Brown to Stand Trial for Abuse- May 6, 2004
Source: ATLANTA (AP)
Brown and Houston exchanged smiles during a 5-minute court hearing where Judge
Barry Zimmerman ruled there was enough evidence to continue with the case
against Brown.
The singer was ordered to turn himself in to authorities July 10 or 11 for
fingerprinting when he would be released on a $2,000 bond. The judge also warned
Brown again having ``violent contact'' with Houston. The couple left the
courtroom walking arm-in-arm and made no comment to reporters and television
cameras waiting outside. Brown's attorney Maurice Bennett said the judge's
decision was expected.
Simple battery is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Normally on a first offense in domestic-violence cases, the charge is dismissed if the defendant undergoes counseling.
No date was set for when the case will be heard in state court. ``It could be as much as a year down the road,'' said Lanny Lipsky, senior court clerk.
Houston called police Dec. 7 to report that Brown threatened to beat her ``and then struck the left side of her face with an open right hand,'' a Fulton County police report said.
Brown addressed the report's specifics in an April interview with Dateline NBC, saying, ``I got big hands, man. I would hurt her, you know? It would be more than just a little cut on the lip.''
Brown further described the incident as a ``little spat.'' He said the two were playfully ``slap boxing'' and Houston took one of his jabs a ``little serious.''
Houston's publicist in Los Angeles, Nancy Seltzer, did not return messages left by the Associated Press.
Brown has
been jailed twice this year. In February, he spent a month in jail for
multiple probation violations before being released a month early for a March
child-support hearing in Massachusetts. There, he spent another night in jail
before paying a former lover more than $60,000 in back child-support payments.
Pharcyde Readies To Release New Album
-April 21, 2004
Source: ballerstatus.net
The Pharcyde is back! With a long absence from
the mainstream, the group is returning with a brand new album due out soon.
The Pharcyde was a big name in the '90s when they gained huge success with their
hit single "Passing Me By" off the Bizarre Ride album. Then followed up
their success with Labcabincalifornia, which didn't match the success of
the first.
In a time in hip-hop where "gangsta rap" ruled the airwaves, Pharcyde broke the
mold with their uniquely yet lyrically advanced style.
The group is now back, preparing a new album titled Humboldt Beginnings
due out in June. The album will drop on their newly formed label Chapter One
Entertainment.
In celebration of their upcoming album, the group have announced a concert at
the University of San Diego, California on April 23rd with the Roots and C-Lo.
T.I. Sentenced To Three Years In Prison-April 21, 2004
Source: ballerstatus.net
Just as his hit single "Rubberband Man" is starting to take off
from his album titled Trap Muzik, T.I. has been given a sentence of three
years for violating terms of his probation.
An arrest warrant was issued back in December of 2003. As of March 30th, T.I.
has been locked up awaiting a verdict after turning himself in to authorities.
Today (April 21), attorneys for the rapper appeared in Cobb County Superior
Court and signed a consent order for T.I. to be sentenced immediately.
He will now serve a three year prison term, but after serving a minimun of one
year, he may appy for a work release program according to an MTV News report.
The rapper was on probation after being convicted in 1998 of violating a state
controlled substances act and for giving false information.
According to an interview T.I. did with a Florida radio station a month ago, he
stated that he has enough recorded material to release several albums if he had
to do time.
MOVIE INSIDER: Snoop's 'Soul Plane' To Fly Again?- April 19, 2004
Source: BECK/SMITH CELEBRITY GOSSIP
It hasn't even had first lift off, but word is that Snoop Dogg's
upcoming big-screen comedy "Soul Plane" could fly again. "MGM is very happy
with it and everyone is very excited," reports NFL pro baller-cum-actor
Terry Crews, who stars in the film with Snoop Dogg, D.L. Hughley, Tom
Arnold, Methodman and Kevin Hart.
"Believe me we all want to do another one. We want to take it to another level. If this is a hit I promise you there will be a 'Soul Plane II.' You can put your money on the table."
Taking the already outrageous, decidedly un-PC comedy to another level is a scary thought. Crews says the film, which opens this summer, is all about "the brothers' airlines, okay! You've got upper class and lower class and the plane has a nightclub on it. I play the only security guard on the whole plane and I ain't playin'! I'm a thug who's just a little too hostile."
Crews says "Soul Plane" director Jessy Terrero -- who made his mark helming videos for such artists as Jill Scott, KRS-One and Mystikal -- "trusted me enough to let me do my thing. My big scene is with Tom Arnold. We did it two or three different ways and went with whatever was the funniest. It was so much fun. My wife is like 'That ain't work, you need to stop playing.'"
The former pro footballer for the L.A. Rams, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins who's also been featured in "Friday After Next," "Malibu's Most Wanted" and "Starsky and Hutch," says acting definitely beats being knocked around the gridiron. "I'm done with that thank goodness."
Big
Rube's Gang Caught With Mary Jane - April 13, 2004
Source: New York (AP)
"American Idol" Ruben Studdard's crew got a warm Midwest welcome this week. While traveling through Ohio for a concert in Cleveland, three men in one of Studdard's tour buses were pulled over by Ohio State Highway Patrolmen for a traffic violation and cited for misdemeanor marijuana charges. Maybe that explains Ruben's craving for munchies.
Janet Bares All On
SNL - April 11, 2004
Source: NEW YORK (AP)
It was inevitable: Janet Jackson spoofing her infamous wardrobe malfunction by flashing a heavily pixillated breast on ``Saturday Night Live.'' The one surprise was the context. Jackson portrayed national security adviser Condoleezza Rice opening her blouse at the Sept. 11 commission hearings, in an opening skit on the comedy show.
Beanie
Sigel Likely To Serve Prison Time - April 6, 2004
Source: Philadelphia (AP)
Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, will plead guilty to federal drug and weapons charges at a hearing Thursday, his lawyer told the Philadelphia Daily News in a story published Tuesday. ``He's prepared to accept responsibility,'' Fortunato N. Perri Jr. said. The 30-year-old rapper would face a likely sentence of about three years under federal guidelines if he pleads guilty to drug-possession and a weapon-possession charges. During an April 2002 traffic stop, Sigel allegedly ditched his 2002 Cadillac Escalade and a loaded handgun while fleeing from police. Police said they found a variety of drugs in the vehicle, including codeine, oxycodone and marijuana. U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick, who let Sigel travel to New York to film a movie sequel last month, will sentence the rapper, who has been under house arrest. Sigel's legal troubles won't end there, however; he has a state court trial scheduled for next week on charges he shot and seriously injured a man outside a bar last year. He also awaits trial for allegedly beating a 53-year old man in January 2003, fracturing the man's eye socket. Defense lawyers, in court filings, are trying to present a cleaner image of the rapper, who took his name from the South Philadelphia street where he grew up. Sigel is a one-time choir boy who supports community events and youth sports teams, his lawyers said.
J-Lo's Mom Wins Millions - April 6, 2004
source: netscape.com
Guadalupe Lopez, 58, of New York, was playing Wheel of Fortune at the Borgata
Hotel Casino & Spa when she hit for $2,421,291.76 just before 8 p.m. Saturday,
according to the casino.
Casino spokesman Michael Facenda denied knowing of any relationship between the
jackpot winner and pop celebrity Jennifer Lopez. But Us Weekly and People
magazine report in upcoming issues that Guadalupe Lopez is Jennifer's mother.
Jennifer Lopez's publicist, Rob Shuter, declined to comment Monday night. Us
Weekly reports that Guadalupe Lopez plans to use a portion of her winnings to
start a $100,000 college fund for her two grandchildren.
John
Kerry Fascinated With Hip Hop - April 1, 2004
source: streethop.com
The Democratic Party's Presidential candidate John F. Kerry recently expressed
his fascination for hip-hop and rap music in MTV's television show Choose or
Loose. "I'm fascinated by rap and hip-hop," Kerry said. "I think
there's a lot of poetry in it. There's a lot of anger, a lot of social energy in
it. And I think you'd better listen to it pretty carefull, 'cause it's
important."
Mase
Coming Back??? - March 29,2004
source : www.nydailynews.com
Nineties megastar rapper Mase has had a career changing epiphany - again.
The rapper-turned-pastor, who left music to preach as Dr. Mason Betha, is
planning a hip-hop comeback.
Betha retired from rap in 1999 to minister to the 1,500-strong S.A.N.E.
Church International in Atlanta.
In his heyday, Mase was featured on hits by his mentor, Sean (P. Diddy)
Combs, as well as Notorious B.I.G., Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight. But he
went on to sharply criticize the music industry from his pulpit.
A source tells us that although he is still contracted to P. Diddy's Bad Boy
Entertainment, Betha is trying to work out a comeback deal with Nelly's
label, Fo' Real Records.
"Yes it is true," Fo' Real President Ed Holmes told us. "But we're in the
process of trying to structure something with Bad Boy to allow Mase to do
this project."
When asked whether Mase would be recording Christian rap, Holmes replied,
"No! It's definitely hip hop. There's no profanity, though. He's still
talking about relevant issues."
Betha did not return calls.
Nelly's
Camp Warns Of Apple Bottom Imposters - March 26,2004
Nelly's camp is warning fans to be aware of unofficial Apple Bottom model
searches, after a fraudulent event took place on March 21 in Oakland,
California.
Urban Trenz, an urban retailer, staged a false and illegal "Apple Bottoms
Model Search" at Kimballs Carnival on Sunday, March 21, 2004.
"This event was in no way affiliated with Apple Bottoms or Nelly," an Apple
Bottoms spokesperson told AlllHipHop.com. "We are looking into legal action
to halt the fraudulent advertising and executive of these illegal events."
The Official Apple Bottoms Girl Tour will kick off in July 2004 and will be
hosted by Nelly himself.
Apple Bottoms is the clothing line the St. Louis rapper launched last year
for women.
Sales for Nelly's mens clothing line Vokal and Apple Bottom are expected to
top $100 million this year.
Nelly will start a ten-date tour April 5th, as he prepares to release his
third album this summer.
Source: mtv.com-Shaheem Reid
From Biggie to Mase to Loon, P. Diddy's Bad Boys almost always portray
themselves as heartbreaking playboys. But Mario "Yellow Man" Winans intends
to break the mold and show that guys can get their feelings trampled as
well.
"Men got hearts too," Winans said from Florida last week. "I just wanna
speak for all of them. I understand men make mistakes and mess up, but it
doesn't mean we're not human. We've been dogged for the longest. We've been
hurt too."
Winans said we'll hear a slew of stories about his relationship calamities
on Hurt No More, due April 20.
"You'll find a lot of stories about love and betrayal on my new album," he
explained. "Hurt and pain. A lot of stories about how I feel about a woman
and the emotions a woman can bring from me. A lot of true experiences God
has blessed me to write about."
The title may suggest that Yellow Man has risen from the depths of despair,
but you wouldn't know it from his new single and video, "I Don't Wanna
Know." The dude is hurt and refuses to come to grips with reality. In fact,
Mario is so gone over his girl that he takes a bath and forgets to disrobe.
"I come home with pictures of my girl, knowing she done kissed another guy,"
Winans explained of the video. "I'm going through all these emotions of not
really wanting to know, not wanting to face it. It's to the point where I
get in the tub with all my clothes on. It's tearing me up inside."
"I Don't Wanna Know," featuring P. Diddy, took on a life of its own. It
wasn't the obvious choice for the album's first single, but radio
programmers and DJs gravitated toward it when it appeared on mixtapes, so
Bad Boy had no choice but to release it officially.
"I was so excited about that. It was definitely one of my favorite songs on
the album," Winans said of the track, which samples Enya's "Boadicea." The
Fugees flipped the same beat a few years ago for their classic "Ready or
Not."
"I first heard 'Boadicea' at the end of the movie 'Sleepwalkers' about five
or six years ago. It's something I always wanted to produce. Then when the
Fugees did it, oh my God, I loved it."
Several "remix" versions of "I Don't Wanna Know" have popped up on mixtapes.
MCs like J. Hood have rhymed on the song, either adding verses to P.D.'s rap
or replacing him altogether. Winans said none of them is sanctioned by Bad
Boy and that his own down-South-flavored remix is coming soon.
Winans has also recorded with Kelis and Slim of 112. The latter ditty, "You
Knew," was recorded in Diddy's hotel room in Australia during a Bad Boy
tour.
03/20/04 Jada Pinkett-Smith's Band To Open For Britney Spears
Source: mtv.com
It looks like Britney Spears' Onyx Hotel Tour will be taking a wicked turn
in April.
Wicked Wisdom, a band fronted by Jada Pinkett-Smith, will open for all eight
of Spears' U.K. shows, beginning on April 27 in London. The group, which
formed about a year ago, frequently plays the Los Angeles club circuit. This
will be the band's first major tour.
Wicked Wisdom does not yet have an album out, but those who want to check
out Pinkett-Smith's vocals can preview some of their music, including video
of a live performance, on their Web site <http://www.wickedwisdom.net>.
Among the songs available for listening are the angsty, symphonic rock
numbers "Taste Your Fruit" and "You Got To" as well as the sassy R&B ballad
"Worship Me."
Though Pinkett-Smith is launching a music career, she'll be keeping her day
job. The actress will next appear in the action thriller "Collateral" with
Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Mark Ruffalo, due in August. Pinkett-Smith will
play an attorney who's on the hit list of a contract killer played by
Cruise.
03/18/04 TWISTA'S GOT ANOTHER "MONSTER" IN THE BAG WITH NEW SINGLE, "OVERNIGHT SUCCESS"
Source: urbanconnectionz.com
"Overnight Celebrity" - the second single from "KAMIKAZE" - is already on track to be another Twista monster. In only its third week on the national charts, the song has already bulleted into the top forty on Billboard's "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles" chart, while ranking in the top thirty at CHR/Rhythmic radio. The companion video clip for "Overnight Celebrity," directed by Erik White (Ludacris, B2K, M.O.P.), is currently in post-production. It will follow the video domination of "Slow Jamz," which ranked as the #1 most-played video on MTV, BET, and MTV2. It has also been #1 on BET's "106 & Park" Countdown, one of the top ten most-requested videos on MTV's "TRL," one of MTV.com's top five Most-Streamed Videos, and on the air at VH1, VH1 Soul, and Fuse. Twista, who is currently on an extensive cross-country promotional trek in support of "KAMIKAZE," will hit the road in the spring for a concert tour of large clubs slated to run from April 12th to May 23rd. In other Twista news, he recently taped a spot for the Arena Football League's "AFL on NBC" game broadcasts. The 30-second spot features the music from the track "Higher," which appears on "KAMIKAZE," with new lyrics specially written by Twista for the Arena Football League. The spot premiered on March 14th during NBC Sports' coverage of the AFL and will be seen every Sunday throughout the season. To highlight the spot's launch, Twista was also featured during last Sunday's halftime program, commenting on the best AFL plays so far this season.
03/18/04 D12 Gears Up For New Album
Source: mtv.com
Eminem has never shied away from addressing serious topics in his rhymes.
But when it comes to hooking up with his old rap group from Detroit, D12,
Eminem seems determined to keep it silly.
In the group's new single and video, "My Band," Eminem and company satirize
the very obvious fact that despite their best intentions, Em clearly is the
most high-profile member of the group.
In the clip, Eminem is the egocentric lead singer of a rock band who affords
himself all the perks of celebrity while shutting out his backing bandmates.
The idea is a spin on three real-life experiences that happen to the crew
again and again, Eminem says: when D12 get called a "band" and not a "rap
group," when Eminem is singled out from the other members, and when people
mix up the names, faces and voices of the group's other members. Instead of
continuing to get angry about the situation, they decided to poke fun at it.
"You know, one day I was just in this silly-ass mood ... where I was kinda
slap-happy. [I decided to act like] I'm the lead singer here and I'm going
to get the chicks," Eminem said of the behavior that inspired the
"character" he plays in the video.
"It was all day long, though," his D12 mate Swift added.
"All day long," Eminem agreed. "I was probably annoying the f--- out of
them, but it ended up becoming a song."
The self-parodying in the clip isn't limited to Em and D12 - extended family
member 50 Cent gets it as well. Mocking the "Six Million Dollar Man" workout
regimen 50 Cent goes through in his video for "In Da Club," the
Buddha-shaped D12 rapper Bizarre is shown hanging upside down in a futile
attempt to get in shape.
Eminem both produced "My Band" and directed the video. The track appears on
D12's upcoming sophomore album, D12 World, which is due out April 27.
03/18/04 Suge's Magazine Not To Be
Source: SOHH.com
Rumors that Suge Knight is launching a magazine are not true according to
official sources.
The Row's publicist has confirmed that recent rumors of a Suge Knight
magazine are unfounded. "Suge, nor anyone from the death row camp, has been
quoted... the only thing that we have been talking about lately is the new
Kurupt CD."
03/16/04....WHITNEY ENTERS DRUG REHAB
Source: mtv.com
Whitney Houston's battle with drug abuse took another turn Monday night when
the singer entered a facility for drug rehabilitation. Houston's
spokesperson declined to elaborate on the admittance but offered a statement
on the singer's behalf, saying that Houston "thanks everyone for their
support and prayers." This isn't the first time Houston's name - or that of
her husband, singer Bobby Brown - has been linked with drugs. In 2000,
Houston was charged with a misdemeanor drug offense after authorities at
Kona International Airport in Keahole, Hawaii, seized her handbag and
allegedly found approximately half an ounce of marijuana. The charges were
dropped in March 2001 after Houston cleared a substance abuse assessment. In
a December 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime," Houston
admitted to having abused drugs in the past but claimed to have overcome her
problem through prayer.
Article Courtesy of MTV!
Beyonce and Usher Team Up for
"Naughty Girl" Video
Source: mtv.com
For her next video, Beyoncé got the leading man at the top of her wish list.
No, it wasn't Jay-Z (been there, done that) who joined her for "Naughty
Girl," but Atlanta crooner Usher.
"I'm giving away my secret to you!" Beyoncé exclaimed after revealing the
name of her co-star. "I feel like Usher's the Fred Astaire of our times."
Which would help, since Beyoncé says the video, directed by Jake Nava (Spice
Girls, Tina Turner), was inspired by the dancing of Astaire and sometime
co-star Cyd Charisse. In it, she and Usher use their graceful moves to flirt
with each other. "I feel like it was a perfect match, me and him. Not only
is he a great dancer and a great personality, he's a great artist," she
said.
"Naughty Girl" will be the last single released from her Dangerously in
Love, Beyoncé said. Soon after her Ladies First Tour with Alicia Keys and
Missy Elliott , she'll return to the studio with Destiny's Child.
50 Cent Holds off on 2nd Album Release
Source: MTV.com
At least no one can accuse 50 Cent of simply cashing in. The rapper has
admitted that he recently aborted sessions for his next solo album because
he felt the songs didn't meet the standards set by his debut, Get Rich or
Die Tryin'.
"I wanted to come out on the Fourth of July, so I went in and made some
records," 50 said on Friday. "And then I went back to listen to Get Rich or
Die Tryin'. I said, 'I have to top this [album] in my head. I have to make a
lot more records in preparation for [a new LP] than I had for Get Rich.' "
Just as a controversial interview with Playboy magazine hit stands, 50
explained that he's aiming to have his solo album out by October. That would
mean a nonstop caravan of G-Unit releases between now and then: Lloyd Banks,
Young Buck and new G-Unit member Game are all scheduled to have solo albums
out by the end of summer.
50 noted that he's not the only one feeling pressure. "There's pressure on
[Dr.] Dre, also," he said. "He has to produce a better record for me than
'In Da Club.'
"In three days, I could make a record, 12 songs," 50 boasted. "But I have to
make an album that tops what my last album was, so it'll take a lot longer."
Sleepy Brown
Collaborating with Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes?
Written by: Jay Casteel (ballerstatus.net)
Monday - March 15, 2004
Could we see a colaboration with Sleepy Brown; Earth, Wind and Fire, Isaac
Hayes and Marvin Gaye? If Sleepy Brown had it his way this would be a must
in his career. When asked what would be a dream colaboration for the soul
signer, Sleepy Brown told Ballerstatus.net, "It'd be Earth, Wind and Fire,
Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye. I'm not sure what I would name the song
though." Sleepy Brown has been in the game for 10 years waiting for his
shot and now with his new single "Can't Wait" heating up the airwaves, he
just wants to make good music. With such hit songs like Outkast's "So
Fresh, So Clean," Killer Mike's "A.D.I.D.A.S.," and Big Boi's "I Like The
Way You Move," Sleepy Brown is finally spreading his wings on his own. "I
just want to do my part for soul music," Sleepy Brown told BallerStatus.net.
"I just want to put out some good product and demonstrate another side of
soul. I will do it a bit different, but it's all the same." Sleepy Brown is
currently touring with Big Boi from Outkast and doing shows on the side in
promotion of his solo LP, Only for the Grown and Sexy. The "I Can't Wait"
video is currently receiving airplay on BET, MTV2 and MTV and the single is
receiving spins on major radio markets across the country. Only for the
Grown and Sexy is slated for a June 1st release date.
Nas Attacked
and Robbed?? - March 14, 2004
source : illhill.com
Ever so often the rumor mill gets churning with a good one that seems so real it's got to be true. This time, a fake Nas robbery is the topic. Word has been spreading on the internet and radio that Nas is recovering in a Cincinnati Hospital after being assaulted and robbed upon leaving a performance earlier this week. The gossip says that two men threw Nas to the ground, kicked and punched him several times and torched the car he was traveling in. Nas' camp is denying the rumor and the Cincinnati Herald, where the story allegedly stemmed from, has no record of such a report.
03/12/04......Break In The R-Kelly Child Pornography Case
A judge ruled Thursday that digital photographs allegedly showing R. Kelly
having sex with an underage girl were illegally obtained by Florida
detectives and therefore cannot be used to try him on child-pornography
charges in that state, The Associated Press reports.
Kelly, 37, currently faces 12 counts of child pornography in Florida, where
deputies seized a digital camera - wrapped in a towel in a duffel bag -
during a June 2002 drug raid of his Davenport home. If prosecutors do not
appeal Thursday's (March 11) ruling, they would have to drop all charges
against Kelly in Florida.
Although a judge did grant a warrant to the Polk County sheriff's detectives
for the original search, Circuit Judge Dennis Maloney's new ruling supports
the assertion by Kelly's lawyers that there was not enough evidence to
justify the search in the first place, according to the AP.
Kelly was not present for the ruling, but his Chicago-based lawyer, Ed
Genson, told the AP that Kelly was "very pleased" with the news.
This does not affect the 14 counts of child pornography Kelly faces in
Chicago, where he was indicted in
June 2002 on charges related to the videotape allegedly showing him engaged
in sex acts with an underage girl.
03/06/04......FBI ARRESTS ATTORNEY OF RECORDING ARTIST TURK!!!!!!
Federal agents have arrested the attorney of KOCH Records recording artist,
Turk. Turk (Young Turk of Cash Money and Hot Boys fame AKA Tab Virgil) is
currently being held on one charge of attempted murder of Sheriff Deputy,
Chris Harris. Initially, the 22 year-old rapper was being held on two
charges, as authorities had claimed the Louisiana-based recording artist had
shot two Shelby County Sheriffs Deputies. However, the second charge was
dropped after ballistics tests showed that the second officer who was
wounded at the scene had been actually shot by one of the other police
officers present. Turk's attorney, Scott Crawford, was arrested Sunday night
by FBI agents, who are holding him on charges of obstruction of justice,
bribery, attempted bribery, possession of crack cocaine and possession of an
illegal handgun. Crawford is being held without bail, a move that seems
highly unusual. Those around Crawford insist he is not a flight risk.
Crawford's attorney, Sam Perkins was removed by the court as Crawford's
lawyer yesterday, after the court ruled that there may be a possible
conflict of interest. At the time this press statement was written, Crawford
had just retained attorney Marty McAfee, who was presently at the Memphis
federal courthouse, trying to get his client, Mr. Crawford, out on bail.
Turk's next hearing is scheduled for March 31, although it is not yet known
if the arrest of his attorney will delay that hearing. Turk is currently
being held on $750,000 bond. The rapper's manager, Leroy Hollins II, is
setting up a legal defense fund for Turk, a solo artist, who was previously
a member of the Cash Money Records rap group, The Hot Boys. Hollins is
maintaining Turk's innocence. Support has also come from those who are among
the Cash Money Millionaires. Another figure in the music business, Gotti's
manager, Artemis "Peppa" Williams, says Turk is "internationally known," and
"Turk was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." A Memphis SWAT team
had burst into an apartment where Turk was visiting, while staying in town
to record his upcoming album. Feds claim that they were serving a search
warrant for drugs. According to Hollins, however, no drugs were either
seized or turned in as evidence. Turk says he hid in a closet when the
apartment was being broken into by officers, who he said did not identify
themselves. He maintains that they began shooting, while he was in the
closet. According to a source close to the case, the closet and the nearby
wall had been shot at 52 times.
02/26/04.....LUDA & CAMP PRESS ON WITH TOUR AS SCHEDULED, DESPITE IGNORANCE
AND RACISM.....
Fans of Ludacris may have cringed last week following reports that the
National Alliance, a white-supremacist group in Casper, Wyoming, was passing
out flyers and lobbying to ban the city's Disturbing Tha Peace tour date.
Luda, however, says he's getting too much love in other area codes to devote
energy to the ignorant. "Yeah, I heard about it. Ain't nothing new," Cris
answered unflappably. "[Stuff] like this has happened on tour before. All we
do is make sure we're prepared for anything that's going to happen, do our
show and get the hell on. Ain't nothing new to us. We've had opposition in a
lot of places over the past four years, so this ain't no surprise."
Undaunted, Cris and company continue to roll. Their shows have been selling
out, and audiences, albeit smaller than in the past, have been crunk. "I
decided to go that route because you can become more personal sometimes in
smaller venues than in bigger ones," Cris said about shying away from arenas
during this round of touring. "You can't necessarily hit all the same places
in the United States." Even on the road, Cris still keeps up with all his
Disturbing Tha Peace CEO duties, such as making sure Chingy has everything
he needs to rock a 45-minute solo set (see "Ludacris Lines Up DTP Tour With
Chingy, I-20, Shawnna"). "The reason he can do 45 minutes is because we put
him on the right side project and make sure he has those records people
know," Cris remarked. "He gets out there and does his freestyle and tries to
balance the show with surprises. Plus, we have our own artists, like I-20,
who has songs with him. Before you know it, it's been 40 minutes' worth of
show. "I've been doing it for so long, I just want people to bring energy
and balance," Cris said of what he wanted to pull out of his crew, which
also includes Shawnna, Tity Boi and Lil' Fate. "You don't want a dull
moment. You try to hit them as much as you can. If you have a certain amount
of songs, you might do one or two verses and then switch up. You never
really want to tire the crowd out. So I just try to give him little tips or
pointers. He knows what he's doing, so far. He was born for this. He don't
need us to tell him much." Luda, on the other hand, has been gladly taking
direction. He just wrapped up his role in the movie "Crash," which contains
more celebrities than a P. Diddy afterparty. "Yeah, 'Crash' is coming up
with Larenz Tate, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser," he said.
"That's coming out at the end of this year. Me and Larenz, we're carjackers,
and the movie is about race discrimination in Los Angeles. Sort of like how
'Do the Right Thing' was about blacks and Latinos and white people clashing
in New York." Ludacris has more films on the way. He and his partners,
brothers Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon, are looking into producing a slew of
movies. One of them, "Radio," is ready to ramp up this spring. "I'm not
going to be full directing 'cause that's a big leap," said Chaka Zulu last
week, "but I'm definitely looking over the director's shoulders." Chaka has
previously directed Cris videos. "I'm definitely going to be part of the
technical aspect, knowing what type of shots we wanna get. Its good to be a
ghost sometimes." Despite a plot concerning Ludacris as a disc jockey,
"Radio" is not a biopic or based on Ludacris' real-life original career as a
DJ. "It's really not Luda's life story," Chaka said. "It's just gonna be
reflective. The only thing the same is the radio station. Little elements
will be reminiscent of Ludacris' radio life, but it's not his life story.
Radio is a very big part of everything that goes on with music, especially
hip-hop. So we gonna expose that and everything that goes on with being a
disc jockey. We wanna surround him with up-and-coming mid-level cats. We're
also gonna pull in some people from the hip-hop world we think have camera
magnetism." Anheuser-Busch is also betting on Cris' allure. Luda just signed
on as a Budweiser spokesperson on the strength of his Chicken-N-Beer LP. "He
got a nice big check," Chaka chuckled. "They already know who he is. Pepsi
knew who he was, too. They just buckled to a little bit of pressure from
Bill O'Reilly. It is what it is. We protect ourselves when we do our deals.
If people wanna pull out on us, we got our clauses, our payouts. It's all in
Ludacris' power to promote and influence not only urban culture but suburban
culture, too. He's one of the more valuable spokesmen for any product. It's
just a matter of, if you gonna ride with him, you have to be loyal to him
and his fanbase." Article Courtesy Of MTV!