The Beats, Rhymes and Life section is in full effect. Big ups must go out to Buddah M.A.C. for some of the news shown here. Plus we do get news from Sohh.com, MTV.com, and sometimes, Blaze Online so peep those sites too.
- The Planets, along with Apollo, Mystro and Therapist will be online freestyling (true freestyling, not pre written) on Monday May 1st, at 11pm - UK Time (6pm EST, 3pm PST) until 1am. It will be going on at www.gaialive.co.uk, I anticipate this shit being dope as fuck. To check it, you need to select "archive" from the
menu, then click on "hip hop" then go to homegrown and you will see it.
- Rah Digga and AG and jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman will all temporarily trade in their full-time rap careers for a day job at a New York City record store as part of a special fundraiser for LIFEbeat. On April 29th, Rah Digga, AG, and Redman will work the cash registers at the grand opening of an HMV record store in Harlem from approximately 12 noon to 4 p.m. (ET) as part of LIFEbeat's CounterAID program. As part of the fundraiser, customers at the store will be able to either donate change left over from their purchases or add donations to the total cost of their transactions to LIFEbeat, the music industry's non-profit HIV prevention group.
LIFEbeat will then take all then funds raised by the event and divide them amongst several different AIDS service organizations in Harlem. Other artists that have participated in past CounterAID events include Green Day, Mary J. Blige, and TLC. Now if Rah Digga was across the counter at a store near me. I'd be there in 10 seconds. Rah Digga has just completed the video for 'Break Fool,' her second single from 'Dirty Harriet,' and is in discussions about possibly heading out on tour with Black Rob, Ghostface Killah, and Carl Thomas this summer.
- On Tuesday, Dr. Dre and Aftermath Entertainment, filed suit against Napster after issuing a warning to the online music distribution aid last week. Dre and his lawyers fired off a letter to Napster last week giving the company until Friday, April 21st to remove all of Dre's songs from its pool of available downloads. Dre followed through on the threat on Tuesday by filing suit against Napster in U.S. Federal Court in Los Angeles. Dre released his own statement regarding the suit, noting, "I don't like people stealing my music."
- From Vibe.com:
Christina Aguilera and her record label RCA ruled out a litigation suit against Eminem. Because of what he says in 'The Real Slim Shady.' He calls Aguilera "a little bitch" and says that he, MTV veejay Carson Daly, and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst had sexual escapades with her. The song also sends out disses to Will Smith and actress Pamela Anderson. A spokesperson for the label said, "Suing for slander requires that somebody takes him seriously. It's obvious in the song that he's making this stuff up about people."
- On Friday, Dre's attorney told MTV News that the rapper received a "disingenuous offer" back from Napster. As the process of drafting the complaint has already begun, the rapper is expected to file suit in Los Angeles' U.S. Federal Court citing the same three charges that Metallica levied at the company, including copyright infringement. Like Metallica, Dre is expected to name Napster and possibly the University of Southern California as defendants. Metallica had targeted Napster and USC as well as Yale and Indiana University, but Yale and IU were dropped from the suit after the institutions blocked student access to Napster's Web site.
- Also from Vibe.com - A Night of Women in Underground Music will be held at the Frying Pan and at Pier 63 in New York on May 6th. The event will include a free showing of a documentary by Rachel Raimist that focuses on women in hip hop called Nobody Knows My Name from 6pm-9pm. After which, there will be performances by DJ Shortee, MC Apani B Fly Emcee, The Anomolies, and DJs Anna, Rehka, SuperJane, and Keli Hand.
- Sonja Blade's 'Who Am I' LP will feature appearances by Busta Rhyme, Carl Thomas and Nate Dogg, as well as production by DJ Premier, DJ Clue, DJ Scratch, Rockwilder, Clark Kent, and Mario Winans. Busta appears on 'Gutter,' while Nate Dogg is featured on 'That's Just the Way It Is.' The album drops in stores in August 2000 on Bodybag / Virgin Records.
- A VERY reliable source, very close to the Wu informed me that it definitely looks like the 3rd Wu-Tang LP will drop this summer.
- The new 'Royal Fam' LP will be dropping August/September of this year, and around the same time, a tour should go ahead with them and Wu-Tang.
- Some Makeba news for you....Makeba is on a PBS children's television
show called, 'Between the Lions' it comes on everyday...She is also on the new Royal Fam record and that is coming out on Loud. Makeba will also have a new single with Lone catalaysts. So peep those.
- George Lucas' Lucasfilm, Ltd. production company is suing Dre and charging the hip-hop impresario with various copyright and trademark wrongdoings. Lucasfilm's suit, which seeks unspecified damages, hinges on Dre's use of something called the "THX Deep Note," a sound trademarked by Lucas' company. According to Lucasfilm, the sound is the first ever to be trademarked; it should be familiar to moviegoers as the sound that accompanies the THX logo before films screened in theaters with THX sound systems. It should also be familiar to rap fans as the sound that opens Dre's album '2001,' which is precisely the problem, according to Lucasfilm. The production company claims that Dre used the sound without the company's permission, prompting Lucasfilm to file the suit against the rapper as well as his Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. A spokesperson for Dre's lawyer claimed that the rapper had not yet been served with the suit, and a spokesperson for Interscope offered no comment on the case.
- Treach, Method Man, Redman, Sticky Fingaz, DMX, KRS-One and Big Pun will be featured in the upcoming movie 'Boricua's Bond.' Latin pop singer Frankie Negron, who made his acting debut in the Broadway production of Paul Simon's "The Capeman," stars in the film as a young artist struggling to make it on the violent streets of the South Bronx. 'Boricua's Bond' was written and directed by 21-year-old newcomer Val Lik and is scheduled to hit theaters in late June.
- 'Ruff Ryders Volume II' will feature production from Swizz Beats, DJ Premier, Timbaland, Dr. Dre and Teflon, who produced the first single 'Got It All' featuring Jadakiss and Eve. Featured emcees on the album include Redman, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and Juvenile.
- In conjunction with CustomDisc.Com, Cypress Hill will make available previously unreleased and rare tracks for fans worldwide. What fans have to do is pre-order Cypress' new album, 'Skull & Bones' at CustomDisc.Com, and they will be given a password and the opportunity to create a custom Cypress Hill CD. They will select 5 songs from a list of 10 rare and unreleased tracks, select a cover design, and create a personalized title all for $5.99. Some of the tracks that will be available are "I Love You Mary Jane" from the Judgment Night Soundtrack and "Latin Lingo (Blackout Mix)" from the I Like It Like That Soundtrack.
- Cee-Lo is taking his talents to the musical theatre. Playbill On-Line is reporting that he is working on the music for Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera. Cee-Lo will rewrite "Mack the Knife," among other things. The show will run May 6-13 at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, Conn. The Threepenny Opera opened in 1928 and an English language version
(translated and adapted by Marc Blitzstein) hit Broadway in 1954. Based on
John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, it tells the story of Macheath, a notorious
bandit and womanizer, and the attempts by authority figures to have him
executed. Information from cdnow.com
- Dr. Dre has apparently set his sights on the Napster. According to Reuters, Dre and his lawyers have issued a letter to Napster giving the site until Friday to remove the rapper's songs from its pool of available MP3s. Napster aims to give users one simple interface through which to search for and download MP3s of their favorite songs. Dre reportedly shares views that this constitutes copyright infringement. Perhaps not all that coincidentally, Dre's lawyer, Howard King, is also representing Metallica in that band's lawsuit against Napster. Dre has reportedly yet to make up his mind about a similar suit, though
King told Reuters, "That would be the logical conclusion if they don't take
it off their site." King also told Reuters that at least ten other acts have approached him
about filing suit against Napster. King was unavailable for comment at press time, and a spokesperson for Dre's record label, Interscope Records, chose to reserve comment on the
matter. Napster contends that the band made no effort to contact the tech company,
and that if it had, "We would be happy to speak to the artists or to their
management. Many bands who have approached us learned about Napster and how
to leverage what we offer and understand the value of what we do. But if
these people insist on turning it over to the lawyers, we'll defend the
case on that turf"
- A judge has ruled that Da Brat must stand trial for her alleged role in an
altercation at an Atlanta nightclub on March 7th. Da Brat (born Shawntae Harris) faces one felony count of aggravated battery in connection with the incident, in which the 26-year-old rapper is accused of assaulting a woman at the Chili Peppers club in the city's Buckhead
district. The fight allegedly broke out during an argument between Da Brat
and the woman, Rezue Robateue, who was trying to gain access to the VIP
area of the popular club. Robateue was taken to Grady Hospital and treated for a cut in the head that she says she received during the altercation with Harris. Robateue is
charged with battery in the case. The ruling came during Thursday's pre-trial hearing in Atlanta Municipal Court. Judge Jacqueline Bennett did not set a date for the trial. Da Brat's manager, Lucy Ryans, said she had hoped the judge would throw out the case. "But," she said, "because of all the publicity that the case has received, I felt that it would not happen."
Ryans said the judge's ruling is based on the many discrepancies that came
out during the hearing. "The plaintiff and the arresting officer testified,
and it was very obvious to everyone in the courtroom that there were a lot
of inconsistencies between what was said on the night of the arrest and
what was said in court," she said. Da Brat's court appearance came two days after the release of her new album, 'Unrestricted,' and on the heels of the final date of Mariah Carey's nine-city U.S. tour, which featured the rapper as the opening act. Ryans said Da Brat maintains her innocence. A drive-by shooting that occurred in the vicinity of Da Brat's Buckhead apartment just days after the Chili Peppers incident has been ruled out by police as retaliation for the nightclub melee.
- Rapper/guitarist Wyclef Jean's performance Thursday at S.O.B.'s in New York will be webcast live at Music Choice OnStage (www.musicchoice.com). The former Fugees frontman will begin the performance at 8:30 p.m. (EDT), and the show also will air in select cable markets nationwide.
Wyclef will perform selections from his upcoming sophomore solo release,
The Ecleftic: Two Sides to a Book, which is due July 4th. The album features
the single, 'Thug Angels,' with the B-side 'Fugee This, Fugee That.'
- Information from manhunt.com
There has been talk of a Hip Hop museum in Mount Vernon, NY for almost a
year now. Well, the plan is finally being pushed into action.
This past Thursday, a party was thrown for The Official Hip-Hop Hall Of
Fame in New York and some of Hip Hop's pioneers were in attendance: Kool
Herc, Chuck Chillout, Grandmaster D from Whodini, Jazzy Jeff from the Funky
4 + 1, and Schoolly D. The only thing that has been decided on is a website for the museum.
"http://www.ihiphophalloffame.com will allow us, the fans to vote on who
should be in the Hall Of fame. Aside from that, there are no board of
directors and there is not even an official location yet.
- The following was taken from Platform.net:
NME reports that Tricky has written an autobiography that will be published
this November. Entitled All I Hear Is Words, the book will feature
writings, art, lyrics, and poetry from the artist, as well as interviews
and a CD. the book will be released through Payback Press.
Platform has a bit more information on the Eminem vs. Christina Aguilera
feud news that we reported last week (click here to read our news blurb).
In an exclusive interview with NME magazine (it hits the stands in the UK
on April 19), the rapper trash-talks a grip of boy bands and the two
reigning princesses of pop... here's Eminem's quotable of the week:
"Boy/girl bands-- little, watered down pop groups, made bands, somebody
sticks 'em together and makes something that's artificial, that's fuckin'
phoney. you can only rhyme 'fire' and 'desire' and 'heart' and 'fall apart'
so many tomes, and I'm sick of seein' it, sick of hearin' it, and if I lose
my fans 'cos they find out that Eminem doesn't like N'Sync, I don't give a
fuck. Fuck N'Sync, fuck Backstreet Boys, fuck Britney Spears, fuck
Christine Aguilera, fuck all that bullshit, that shit is trash to me,
fuckin' no talent."
- From Wu-Tang Monestary:
Dom Pachino aka PR Terrorist's album has 18 tracks on it. He's looking at 3
more to record. Producers on his album include True Master, Mathematics,
4th Disciple, Black Moesart and Rebel Danja / Danja Mental. He wouldn't
unleash any titles because he's afraid that someone might snatch 'em. But I
managed to get one title out of him and that's WANNA BEEZ produced by Rebel
Danja (who did like 4 tracks on Terra Iz Him). Rebel Danja is also the
producer of DAY ONE, a track that was first 9th Prince's, then PR's and now
a track on the new Killarmy album called 'The Six Men Wetting' on Wu-Tang
Records. The reason why PR nor any other Killarmy members have released
their album is because they don't have a record label yet. They financed
the recordings and marketing, promotion etc themselves. PR doesn't want to
release it under that W. He wants it to be PR not Wu-Tang. So right now he
was looking for distribution and I approached him with the offer to release
it under Wu-International/BMG. So as we speak, vice-president of
Wu-International Mark Cordner and PR are discussing a deal. So far the 411
on PR Terrorist his album Terra Iz Him. Expect a biography by PR himself
soon.
- Well, here we go, some exclusive shit. Firstly, big ups to my boy 50 Caliba, his group's LP should be dropping late May, so check for that. Now, he hooked tha-real.com up with this Canibus '2000 BC' sampler disc. It's introduced by Doo Wop (who says the LP will drop in May, but it won't) and is mostly snippets. Anyway, check the joints out yourself. And if you're feeling it, pick it up June 13th. Oh yeah, 'Life Liquid' is up in full within the New Ish pages and 'Mic Nificent' will be tomorrow. There are only snippets of them here to co-inside with the way the disc flows.
2000 BC Sampler -
(other than the intro these are confirmed tracks):
Sampler Intro
Mic-Nificent (produced by Daniel 'Danny P' Pierre)
Life Liquid ft. Journalist
(produced by JuJu for the Beatnuts)
2000 BC
(produced by TY FYFFE for Now Get'Em Entertainment)
Die Slow
(produced by TY FYFFE for Now Get'Em Entertainment)
Watch Who You Beef Wit
(produced by Chaos for Crazy World Entertainment)
Phuk U (produced by Punch for Champa Productions)
- Wyclef Jean, who has set July 4th as the release date for his second solo LP,
'The Ecleftic,' has posted some concert footage from his current tour on
his official Web site at www.wyclef.com, including a live performance of
his new track, 'Diallo.' 'Diallo,' which will appear on the rapper's forthcoming LP, addresses the four NYPD officers responsible for the shooting death of 22-year-old West
African immigrant Amadou Diallo in February 1998. 'Diallo' also features
the vocal talents of West African singer Youssou N'Dour.
- Dice Raw, is about to set out on his own with his debut album, 'Reclaiming The Dead.' "I've been working on the album since March of last year," Dice told Blaze Magazine. "It's supposed to drop around August [and] the title is called Reclaiming The Dead." Along with familiar guests like M.A.R.S., Black Thought and Malik B of The Roots. Dice added, "I have a cut [called] 'I Don't Think' with me and my little sister Shanna Raw." Addressing the concept of the album, Dice explained, "With the titleitself, Reclaiming The Dead [describes how] right now hip hop is a dead
artform, and people aren't using it as an art no more. So what I'm doing
is, I'm a grave digger [and] I'm digging it [hip hop] back up." 'Reclaiming The Dead' is due out in August on Motive Records and features production by The Roots, Scott Storch, and Kelo, who produced the first white label single, 'Will the Real Raw N*** Stand Up.' Dice Raw is
currently featured on Nigerian singer Femi Kuti's LP Shoki Shoki, on MCA
Records.
- Steven Rifkind announced on Friday that Chris Lighty, CEO and Founder of Violator Records,
has joined Loud Records as Executive Vice President. In addition to his new
position within Loud, Lighty also brings his prestigious record label,
Violator Records, to Loud, which is half owned by Sony Music and is the
home of the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep etc.
- 'Cher chez la ghost' video comes out today.
- The Majestic 12 album is scheduled to be released this summer. Take down this info.
Group: Majestic 12
Label: Soul Temple Records/WU-TANG
Artist: Carlos Bess AKA Dr.Ben Casey And Madam Majestic
Album Titled: MCMLXXIX
15 TRACKS PLUS
- Shabazz is no longer part of the Gravediggaz. He's still planning on dropping his debut album soon, plus the 'Book of Shabazz' project which is all his older joints and he has a 3 song single coming out in May.
- Supposedly the first single from the new Canibus LP will be 'Mic-nificent'
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