Beats, Rhymes & Life

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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, Sonicnet.com and sometimes, Blaze Online so peep those sites too.

News Archives :
November '98 News
October '98 News
September '98 News
August '98 News
July '98 News

There will be a compilition to free Mumia called Unbound. Artists on this will be Zach De La Rocha (from Rage Against The Machine), Talib Kwali, Saul Williams, Pharoah Monch, Dialated Peoples, Poor Righteous Teachers, Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Common, Ras Kass, and the Roots.
Dr. Dre's The Chronic 2000 shoul be released in early 99 with Eminem all over it and a couple tracks with Snoop, but King Tee's (completed)album has been pushed back to "maybe later this year".
The Arsonists are dropping their first album "As The World Burns" in April/May and they just released a mixtape with most of their stuff up to date.
RZA's "The Cure" has been pushed back until early Summer, and right now he is touring in the US. He will also tour Europe in Jan.
There are rumors that U-God will drop "Warriors" in Spring.
Ghostface Killah's sophmore album, "Supreme Clientele", will officially drop March 30. Inspectah Deck is rumored to drop in Feb.
DMX has a new mixtape out where he disses Mary J Blige for some reason.
Mos Def and Talib Kwali started their own label on MCA called Good Tree
There is a compilation called Organized Rhyme that will drop soon. Artists on it include Guru, Twista, Sticky Fingaz, King Tee, McGruff, CL Smooth, Masta Ase, Jayo Felony, Ras Kass, Channel Live, Buckshot, O.C., and more.
Method Man will star in a film called "Bundy" where he will play a deaf mute. RZA will provide the music for the entire movie.
Raekwon is also in a movie coming out which explores the relationship between Italians and African-Americans. One of Wu's behind the scenes men, Power, will be the executive producer on the album.
Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito the Barber will no longer be hosting '89Tec9: the Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito the Barber Show' together. However they will be hosting but changing who hosts when each week. The reason being they want to play different tracks.
Taken from Music News Of The World :
Rap Mogul Master P All Dolled Up For The Holidays
Plastic version of the famed hip-hopper/label head is first release from his newly formed No Limit Toys.
Contributing Editor Randy Reiss reports:
The Tickle Me Elmos, Furbies, and Beanie Babies of the world may soon have competition from the most unlikely of playthings -- a 16 1/2-inch doll version of gangsta-rapper and No Limit Records chief Master P.
The hip-hop doll of the mega-successful rapper is getting ready to join them on store shelves this holiday season.
"The Talking Master P Make Em Say Uhhh Doll" comes dressed in camouflage, with miniature Versace sunglasses and a gold tank medallion. When squeezed, the doll lets out Master P's signature "Uhhh!!, Na-na-na-na!" -- the hook to his hit song "Make Em Say Ugh" (popularly pronounced "Uhhh")
"I'm just an old white guy, but I think it sounds cool as hell." -- Jacques Vroom, founder and president of Vroom .. music memorabilia catalog.
"There were 6,500 Master P dolls made, and they were snatched up immediately [by stores]," No Limit publicist Betsy Bolte said.
The Master P doll is the first release from the newly formed No Limit Toys, an arm of Master P's ever expanding empire that now includes a record label, a film production company, a sports management firm and a book-and-magazine publishing house. The doll was first advertised in an insert placed in the No Limit compilation We Can't Be Stopped. It is set to hit store shelves this week at $29.99 per doll.
Daz Has Left Deathrow
Daz of the now defunct Dogg Pound has finally left Deathrow Records to start his own label. The label is called Mobstyle Muzik and the first release will be Westside Riderz Vol. 1 which will feature Snoop Dogg, Dru Down, and Kurupt. Daz is also working on his second album which will be entitled Backstabbers
Queen Latifah is finishing her autobiography, entitled 'Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman.'
Pras will be starring in the new film 'Mystery Men', along with Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo and Hank Azaria.
Next March, Brand Nubian will launch the Brand Nubian Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to 'give back to the urban community.' They're planning to help out underprivileged youths.
The following is here thanks to Mtv.com :
While fans await the January 12, 1999 release of his new album, "It's A Beautiful Thing," rapper Keith Murray has begun serving his sentence for second-degree assault.
His attorney, Joseph A. Moniz, says he is still investigating certain aspects of the case, and he and Murray will be in court on Friday motioning for a re-trial based on the claim that "the investigation singled Murray out because of his status as a rap star."
Keith has not given up and is turning the situation into a positive. Mr. Murray told the "New York Amsterdam News" that he is going to start a non-profit organization for underprivileged kids who are going the wrong way in life. He told the paper, "There's a lot of kids in my situation that don't have a voice. I'm trying to show people a better way."
As it stands now, Murray is serving a five-year sentence, suspended after three years. Meanwhile, fans wishing to send the rapper words of encouragement can do so to:
Keith Murray
c/o WRFMU
1151 East Street South
Suffield, CT
06075
Coolio was convicted of accessory to robbery and causing bodily injury for a Nov. 20 altercation at a clothing boutique in a suburb of Stuttgart, Germany. Coolio and the 40 Theivz were accused of stealing $940 worth of clothing, and Coolio punching the female store owner when she tried to stop him from leaving the store without paying for the merchandise. Coolio received six months probation and a $30,000 fine.
Wondering where EA-Ski's album has been? On the shelf at Dreamworks Records offices.
EA-Ski is planning to file a $20-$30 million lawsuit on Dec. 7 against his record label Dreamworks Records SKG for breach of written and breach of implied contract of good faith and fair dealing, breach of written overhead contract, and fraud. To break it down, he's suing because Dreamworks refused to release his album Earthquake which was completed in January of 1998. He signed to Dreamworks last summer, then was told in September that the scheduled release date of January 1999 has been canceled and they weren't going to release it.
In an interview with Allstar, Ea-Ski says,"I had just left my situation with Relativity, and Mr. Jheryl Busby was very interested, and he heard my album [Earthquake] and was blown away. We get into this lucrative deal with IMG [Infrared Music Group], the label I operate, to come to DreamWorks, and I had other offers on the table, but he was real interested. And then they're talking about not putting the record out. I'm like, 'What? How do you hear this, then all of a sudden you're not putting it out?'He said it wasn't commercially satisfying," explains E-A-Ski. "If it wasn't, then why did they sign the album? I'm hearing all kinds of things from the attorneys, that Jheryl was getting flack for signing the kind of deal he did with me. They offered me a lot of money and the points were great. 18 points, and basically he's getting flack for that."
Taken from mtv.com :
After selling more than one million copies of its last album, "The Great Milenko," the Insane Clown Posse has now been able to corral Ol' Dirty Bastard, Snoop Dogg, and Ice-T into appearing on its next album, "The Jeckel Brothers."
ICP hopes to have the record, its fifth, in stores in March of 1999.
The group also recently began work on "Big Money Hustlas," its first foray into the world of straight-to-video movies. The film stars Insane Clown Violent J as "Big Baby Sweets" and Shaggy 2 Dope as "Sugar Bear" as well as Rudy Ray Moore reprising his classic blaxploitation character "Dolemite." The group hopes to have the video in stores in April of next year.
While the Clowns are branching out into film, they are leaving the world of pro wrestling. The group had been turning up during various World Wrestling Federation telecasts, but recently severed all ties to the WWF with ICP's manager claiming, "Their portrayal of ICP was increasingly goofy and inaccurate. They never bothered to listen to ICP's music and see what the band is really about. I don't believe they had any idea of the extreme content of the records. They just knew ICP had sold a million records so they wanted them involved."
The Insane Clowns say they will not be appearing as part of the WWF's upcoming "Rock Bottom" pay-per-view special, which airs this Sunday.
Ice-T has stepped up to the plate to start producing films. In a deal with Filmwerks, he plans to produce three movies the first one being King starring Snoop Dogg, Big Pun, and Fat Joe. The film will be directed by Albert Pyun, who has also directed Cyborg and The Sword & The Sorcerer and recently worked with Ice on the straight-to-video mobster movie Crazy Six.
The production for King will begin next year and be filmed all around Europe.
Starting Wednesday, Busta Rhyme fans who purchase his next album E.L.E. Extinction Level Event on the internet will also have the privilege of making a custom-made Busta Rhyme album.
To get the custom-made CD, you have to order the new album from Tower Records or Transworld Entertainment between December 9 and January 15th. You would then recieve a validation email with a password and a link to a Busta Rhyme/Customweb.com site where you can create your CD using special remixes picked out by Busta himself. All you have to pay is $4.99 for shipping and handling and for an extra dollar you can have it gift wrapped. For more info you can peep Busta Rhyme's website.
Today, Puff Daddy will release a preview issue of the magazine Notorious (named after Biggie) which began in November 1997 but ended in July of 1998 after the fourth issue.
The word is that Puffy's investment is in the "multimillions" and that he wants to create an empire in the 21st century.
Last Month, about $1.5 million dollars worth of equipment was stolen from Ice Cube and thanks to the Redondo Beach Police Department he got it all back.
Police spotted a man loading up his truck with Cube's equipment out of his locker. He was then arrested for the possession of Cube's equipment and some recordings.
DMX's forthcoming album "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" will be coming out December 22nd, right before Christmas. Rumours are that Marilyn Manson will be appearing on a track?
Yes, it's true Foxy Brown fans -- the album Chyna Doll has been officially delayed until mid January. The release date is not set for January 12th.
Canibus made a new track for an AIDS benifit called "AIDS is Gold, HIV is Platinum".
Sticky Fingaz from Onyx will be releasing a solo album.
Organized Noize will be releasing their own LP. Expect plenty of Dungeon Family on that.
The rumors about Tupac being alive are resurfacing since a track on his greatest hits album has him saying "R.I.P. to my nigga Biggie Smalls"
Prince Paul's movie "Prince Among Theives" will be a 'hip-hop musical'. The movie and the soundtrack are said to have just about everyone.
Ghostface Killah's second album is rumored to be released Feb. 23 and will be titled Supreme Clientele.
Inspectah Deck looks to be the next Wu album to drop. He had 2 tracks previewed on Stretch and Bobbito's show.
Also, the reason DMX's album is coming out so early is because of the eventual sale of Def Jam.
Chuck D is very pissed at Def Jam. Because Def Jam's about to be sold, that's messin' up all types of stuff with Public Enemy's Bring The Pain 2000 album. So Chuck was gonna release the entire album on MP3 on the Public Enemy website. Well, Universal and Polygram have taken those MP3's down and Chuck D is yet again pissed. Don't expect this to be over yet.
Lauryn Hill is being sued by people who worked on her album, but didn't recieve royalties. Also, L-Boogie's going on a solo tour.
There will be a movie made on the life and death of Notorious B.I.G. which wil be titled "Ready To Die".