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.

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Defjam.com reports that Def Jam, Vibe, Spin and Blaze will proudly present Method Man's and Redman's new album 'Black Out!' at 9pm on September 21st. There will be an online CD listening party and an online chat with the duo.
'Apollo Kids' featuring Raekwon is the first single from Ghostface Killah's upcoming effort 'Supreme Clientele.' (News taken from http://wu-tang.interspeed.net)
The Tunnel, faces a possibility of being shut down for good after a 16 year-old girl was raped in the club. Two men, Orette Fiedtko, 21, and Roddy Carballo, 19, both of Jersey City, allegedly took the 16 year-old female into a uni-sex bathroom and raped her. After the attack was reported, several units of NYPD officers bumrushed the night club, kicking everyone out looking for the suspects. The incident has gotten back to the Giuliani administration, where Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington said, "I'm going to be doubling my efforts to close this establishment as soon as possible." The Tunnel was given a summons for being a disorderly premises and two summonses for serving underage patrons. In the past, The Tunnel has also had drug problems and other legal troubles.
Ice Cube has filed a lawsuit against his former business partner Terry Carter and his companies Cube Carter LLC and Rendezvous Records. In the lawsuit Cube claims "it is not reasonably practicable to carry on the business of the Company in conformity with the articles of organization or operation agreement" and requests the ending of Cube Carter LLC, a joint venture between Cube and Carter. If the court does not rule in favor of Cube's suit, he then requests that Carter not use his name or Lench Mob Productions in his business ventures to gain profit, which he has already done. Cube also asks that Carter pay his legal fees and other damages incurred.
Treach & Pepa made their marriage official this weekend at their home with about 350 geusts. Reverend Run was on hand to lead the ceremony and bring the two MCs together.
While attending a record release party in Manhattan, Father MC was arrested by Nassau County Sheriff deputies. He was charged for not paying child support where he allegedly owes $66,000 in payments. He will be arraigned in the Nassau County courts next month in New York.
WWF Wrestler, The Rock, will be at The Source Awards as a presenter
BLACKSTAR HAS JUST INKED A DEAL WITH MCA RECORDS !!!THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PROJECT UNDER MOS DEF'S GOOD TREE LABEL DEAL W/MCA.ALBUM SCHEDULED FOR EARLY 2000. (MCA wrote the news to us in caps)
There's a rumble ripping through Los Angeles' underground music scene, and it's 39 tracks of dope-ass music. While the West Coast is known for MCs Ice Cube, Too Short, and E-40, their underground vibe gave birth to other lesser known, but equally dope, MCs like Ras Kass, Xzibit, and The Alkaholics. Next month, L.A. Underground's artists, Abstract Rude, Medusa, Volume 10, Phoenix Orion, and others, are releasing a 2-CD, 39-cut compilation called Cater To The DJ. The project, produced by DJ Fat Jack, should be available August 24th on Celestial Recordings.
Stic Man, one-half of Dead Prez, is scheduled to appear in court next month over a skirmish at a Tallahassee club. During a show at The Moon, the group was on onstage when the crowd started chanting "F*ck the police," and things got out of control from there. Stic explains, "All of a sudden, the police ran up on the booth and ran up in the crowd. They got me off the stage and I was locked up. Those police in Tallahassee are wicked for real. It wasntt even my fault. Now I got to go to court in August for that sh*t." In other dead prez-related news, the group is preparing to drop their debut album, Let's Get Free, in October. Throughout the project, they plan to address issues such as how the police and the government have had a negative affect on the black community. In a Blaze Online interview with the duo, M1 had this to say: "[The police] create a double standard in our communities. Police try to stop us to protect the white communities from harm. They make so-called drug free zones, and what they do is make the neighborhood five times more dangerous than any other community." They're also going to attack the economical, social and political standards of America. Aware of the huge responsibility of being a political messanger, M1 explains, "We have a mission. A lot of stuff is on there. It's fun, serious and I hope muthaf*ckas like it. Nah, I just want them to hear it and I'll be satisfied." Featured guests include the Last Poets, Mobb Deep's Prodigy, and The People's Army. We're not even playing when we tell you to do yourself a favor and cop Let's Get Free the day it comes out.
Red & Meth's album was renamed 'Black Out!'
from Sonicnet:
Public Enemy Preach Digital Revolution At Festival Show Veteran rappers also introduce two new projects - Confrontation Camp and a solo Flavor Flav.
Contributing Editor Eric Arnum reports:
NEW YORK - Public Enemy had a lot on the agenda when they took the stage at Tramps on Wednesday night, the second night of the Digital Club Festival. Besides introducing Confrontation Camp, frontman Chuck D's new rock band, and previewing sidekick Flavor Flav's upcoming solo debut via a short solo set that mostly featured Flavor Flav's renditions of Public Enemy tunes, Chuck D had a digital revolution to preach about.
"I predict that in three years, there will be a million artists and 5,000 labels," Chuck D (born Carlton Ridenhour) said during one long "sermon" from the stage. Downloadable music, recordable CDs and convenient formats such as Zip disks are going to make it easy for artists to distribute their work, he said. "So start your own label on the World Wide Web and create your own template for the future."
Getting a jump on that future, Public Enemy, who first made a name for themselves as political firebrands and sonic adventurers in the late 1980s, released an album, There's a Poison Goin' On, two months ago on the Internet, where it was exclusively available for sale as a downloadable MP3 file. On Tuesday, the album was released in stores - on CD, cassette, vinyl and Iomega Zip disks
For the present, though, the template seemed to have some bugs to work out. Though the show was considered one of the hottest attractions of the four-day live-music and webcast festival, which has brought several hundred bands to the city, Tramps was only about half full.
The stage, by contrast, was crowded. As they played a set that was loaded with PE hits but barely touched on the new album, Chuck D, Flavor Flav (born William Drayton) and outspoken sideman Professor Griff (born Richard Griffin) prowled and jumped around the stage. Sometimes they kickboxed the air, and at least once or twice they bumped into each other. "You broke my motherf---ing tooth," Chuck D screamed at Flavor Flav after one such collision.
"I was a little disappointed," said Manhattan resident Dennis Crowley, 23, who was seeing Public Enemy for the first time. "I was a big fan all through high school. But I figured they'd throw off more energy live, and I figured there would be more people here."
The trio of Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Professor Griff jumped onstage at 11:30 p.m. while DJ Johnny Juice - taking the place of Terminator X, who Chuck D said was in North Carolina - played the sinister samples from "Dark Side of the Wall: 2000," the leadoff track from There's a Poison Goin' On. "Time is running out," the sampled voice said before Flavor Flav and Chuck D launched into 'Do You Wanna Go Our Way???,' the second track on the new CD.
Anyone looking forward to hearing more from the new release, however, had to wait till nearly the end of the two-hour show, when Flavor Flav did "What What" during his short solo set. In between, Public Enemy played hits punctuated by Chuck D's advice and philosophy.
At stage left and stage right, two members of Security of the First World (S1W) stood guard in their curious armor, a cross between Black Panther garb and Batman's superhero getup. Mostly they stood at attention, but every once in a while they'd throw in a quick dance move or two.
Chuck D brought a local radio DJ onstage, introducing Chuck Chillout as the guy who first played "Rebel Without a Pause" on the air in 1987. But instead of breaking into that song, PE launched into "Miuzi Weighs a Ton" - from their 1987 debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show - then into 'Bring the Noise.'
Digital Club Festival pass-holders were told by organizers there would be a quota system at the door for this show and gigs by a few other national acts, such as Bush and Everlast. But the queue length for admission never exceeded a dozen people.
At one point, Chuck D and Professor Griff got the "and you are?" treatment from the woman with the guest-list clipboard, while Al Teller, president of the band's Internet label, Atomic Pop, was getting the once-over from the man handling the clubfest pass-holder's line.
Teller, a former president of CBS Records, said the label released There's a Poison Goin' On on Zip disc "as an example of how computer technology can open up opportunities for artists." A Zip disk can hold 100 megabytes of data, which in MP3 terms, can equal more than an hour and a half of music. However, Iomega decided to work with another format, so the Zip disks of There's a Poison Goin' On are in Liquid Audio.
Chuck D had plenty to say about digital music, too, virtually stopping the show after "Can't Truss It" to tell the audience about the digital revolution he anticipates.
"If you don't own the master then the master owns you," he said, quoting from the lyrics of the recent PE single, "Swindler's Lust." But instead of launching into that tune, he continued rapping for another five minutes about the dawning of the revolution. The performance seemed to suck the energy out of what had been an exciting show, dampening the reception for 'Shut 'Em Down' and "Fight the Power," which turned out to be the PE set closers.
Without a word of explanation, the two S1W members about-faced and walked off, as did Flavor Flav. Then rapper Kyle Jason walked onstage with two guitarists and a drummer in combat fatigues. Chuck D announced that this was Confrontation Camp. They did four songs and then all but Chuck D walked off.
He said Confrontation Camp's debut album will be called Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, and will use a fisheye photo of the federal building in Oklahoma City as its cover art.
Then he mentioned Flavor Flav's upcoming solo album, It's About Time. Flavor Flav walked back out, announced he wanted to do a drum solo, and Chuck D walked off while his sidekick rapped a few PE tunes - including "911 Is a Joke" and "What What" - along with some of his new material. For Emily Lawrence of Manhattan, Flavor Flav's miniset was one of the highlights of the show. "His version of '911 Is a Joke' was great, kinda in that mellow style of his," she said. And though she didn't know "What What" was a new PE tune, she said she liked that one, too. "But we were really psyched by all the old-school songs," she said.
from Sonicnet:
Death Row Head Suge Knight Remains Focus Of Biggie Murder Investigation Police concentrating on jailed rap label executive since naming him a suspect in April.
Staff Writer Teri vanHorn reports:
LOS ANGELES - Detectives investigating the 1997 murder of Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls) continue to focus on the role that jailed Death Row Records head Marion "Suge" Knight might have played in the rapper's death. Knight was named a suspect in the case in April.
Police continue to review and follow up on evidence obtained in April through searches of locations linked to Knight, Lt. Al Michelena of the Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday.
"We are in the very boring part of detective work, going over records and [material] we got from our search warrants, talking to people and moving along at our slow and deliberate pace," said Michelena, who leads the investigation in the robbery and homicide division of the LAPD. Michelena called Knight a "possible suspect" in the case.
Meanwhile, Knight's lawyer, David Chesnoff, said Wednesday (July 21) that police suspicions regarding his client will prove groundless. "It's our position that there's nothing there," the Las Vegas attorney said.
Among the theories police are investigating is a possible murder-for-hire plot involving Knight, who was jailed for a probation violation at the time of Notorious B.I.G.'s death. He has not been charged in the case, and the only other suspect is the gunman who shot Biggie Smalls - the rapper known for such morbidly prescient tunes as 'You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)' - as he sat in a GMC Suburban on March 9, 1997, Michelena said.
In April, police searched the offices of Death Row Records in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles, seizing business records and a metallic-purple Chevrolet Impala that matched witnesses' descriptions of the vehicle used in the shooting. They also searched the apartment in which the grandmother of Knight's girlfriend lived.
Michelena said the evidence was returned after police made copies of business records and materials found in the search. The car also was analyzed and returned. He would not comment on the results. "They returned everything, so I imagine they don't need it anymore," Chesnoff said.
Chesnoff would not comment on his reaction to Knight's remaining a suspect in the case. "I consider Suge a political prisoner, so whenever anybody from law enforcement says anything bad about him, it doesn't surprise me," he said.
Defining what he meant by "a political prisoner," Chesnoff said, "that he is an African-American man who acquired a great deal of success and I think he threatened people as a result."
Michelena stressed that the search warrants do not signify that police are closing in on Knight or plan to charge him anytime soon. "Those search warrants were not the culmination of the investigation and now we're ready to put the hammer down," he said. "That was just a tool and another part in an ongoing investigation, a very long, 2-year-old investigation. A lot of times when we do search warrants, it's usually a signal that, 'OK, we got it; let's go get 'em.' That's not the case in this situation. "We've got a lot to go through. It's a nightmare."
The investigating team has spent the two years since the death of Notorious B.I.G. (born Christopher Wallace) going through "literally hundreds, maybe a thousand," leads in the case, Michelena said.
"We've got people that do nothing but investigate [those leads]," he said, adding that police still receive occasional tips. "Regardless of who we end up charging in this case, we can't go to court until we investigate every tip, because obviously, the defense would say, 'How about this one? You never checked this one - now that's your killer, not my client.' "
The team assigned to the case includes four detectives from the robbery and homicide division who are primarily devoted to the investigation of the death of Notorious B.I.G. Two more detectives from a specialized division also are available to help as needed, Michelena said.
Knight is serving a nine-year prison term for violating his probation in connection with a 1992 attack on two aspiring rappers in a Hollywood studio. He was jailed in November 1996, after a judge found that his role in beating a Los Angeles man - an assault caught on videotape by a Las Vegas hotel's surveillance system - violated the terms of his probation. In May, Knight lost a bid for early freedom when the California Court of Appeals denied him a new sentencing hearing. Chesnoff said he was "looking forward to Suge getting out and going back to work," adding that the time will come "soon."
Police attempted to speak with Knight about the Biggie murder case in April, but the label head refused. Chesnoff said his client has not spoken to police, while Michelena declined to comment on whether his team had talked with Knight.
Six months before Biggie's death, one of Knight's most successful artists, rapper Tupac Shakur, was killed when unknown assailants fired a barrage of bullets into a car in Las Vegas. Knight, who was also in the car, was wounded. That case, too, remains unsolved.
The two murders provoked debate in the music industry. Some linked them to a so-called war between such East Coast rappers as Notorious B.I.G. and such West Coast rappers as Tupac Shakur; they suggested Biggie was murdered in retaliation for Tupac's killing.
Investigators feel strongly that Biggie's murder was "not just a one-man operation," Michelena said. "This took some coordination, but believe me, we'd be very happy to get the gunman and to get the people responsible for ordering the murder. I'll take one or the other, but I'd rather have both." Michelena said the most difficult aspect of solving the Notorious B.I.G. murder case is people's reluctance to talk, "out of fear for their lives, out of loyalty to people involved, somewhat similar to gang murders." "You're talking about a tight-knit music community and people involved in this community who have been prone to violence in the past," he said. "As a witness or someone who has had knowledge, you'd be dumb not to be a little fearful." He added that witnesses sometimes deny the protection offered by police.
"There's people who know about this murder," he continued. "But that's the biggest stumbling block: getting people to talk. That's in any murder and it's no exception in this case."
Yet Michelena said he's satisfied they've made sufficient progress in the investigation. "We're a long ways from calling it quits," he said. "At some point, you might end up putting the case to bed without ever solving it. Sometimes that happens.
"But we gotta be optimistic. We gotta think that way. When we stop thinking that way, we'll put it on the shelf."
An MCA hook-up sent the following to us "Sunday was Rahzel's video shoot and I had Hot 97 personalities mention the video throughout the weekend. The video is a block party type of scenarioand there were hundreds of kids out there with their parents and the 98degree weather definitely kept the kids runnning and the parents relaxing.Rahzel performed live for the crowd and he did a hot impersonation of'Breaker, Breaker' that was HOT!!!!!. The video has various scenes includinga breakdance scene with the Rock Steady Crew, and graffiti wall that waspainted just for the video. The video is going to have little skits in it aswell as Rahzel performing live on stage at the video shoot.Marley Marl, Kool Herc, Cella Dwellas, Fatman Scoop, Big Pun, Ron G, S&S,Grandmaster Caz, and a few other local persoanlities came through to showsupport for Rahzel. The video looks really good and when you see the finalcopy, you will agree."
From Allstar Online:
Priority Records has been slapped with two lawsuits in California courtrooms in the last few days -- one from hip-hop production czar Dr. Dre, and another from Heavyweight Records on behalf of rapper Short Khop. In United States District Court for the Central District of California, Dr. Dre dropped a jam-packed lawsuit against both Priority and Death Row Records on Thursday (July 15) for false designation of origin and false description, federal trademark dilution, state statutory unfair competition, statute common law trademark infringement and unfair competition, state statutory and common law trademark dilution, constructive trust, fraud, and breach of contract. The reason? Blame it on the chronic. Dre, who owns the common law trademark rights to the title "The Chronic" and released a smash album of that same name in 1992, is suing the labels over The Chronic 2000, a Death Row-released compilation which includes tracks by Kurupt and Daz Dillinger, among others. The lawsuit reads, in part, "The title 'The Chronic' is associated in the minds of tens of millions of people with [Dr. Dre]. Fans of rap music and music critics generally consider that [Dre's] groundbreaking work on The Chronic, sparked phenomenal popularity of that genre of popular music. "As a result, both the trade and the public have come to identify the title 'The Chronic' with [Dre] and his business, and the title 'The Chronic' has developed secondary meaning associating it with [Dre]. The name 'The Chronic 2000' is confusingly similar to [Dre's] trademark 'The Chronic' and falsely suggests an association or affiliation with [Dre]." The suit goes on to accuse Death Row and Priority of naming The Chronic 2000 as such only after finding out that Dre intended to release an album entitled The Chronic 2001 in the future. Dre, and his business entity Aftermath Entertainment, are suing for an unspecified amount as well as to stop the manufacture, distribution, advertisement, or sale of The Chronic 2000. Over in Los Angeles Superior Court, Heavyweight Records filed a suit against Priority on Tuesday (July 19) over the use of rapper Short Khop's appearance on seven tracks from Ice Cube's War and Peace Vol. I without credit, as opposed to the contractually agreed two. After the May 1999 dissolution of Ice Records (a joint venture between Heavyweight Records and A&M Records), Heavyweight obtained the exclusive recording rights to Short Khop. As a result of a 1998 lawsuit between Priority and A&M, it was agreed that Short Khop would perform on two tracks on Ice Cube's War and Peace Vol. I album for free while Cube agreed to appear on the Ice Records-released 1998 soundtrack to The Player's Club for a payment of $25,000, a royalty equal to 2.5% of the U.S. SRLP front-line sales, and a payment for Priority's attorney fees not to exceed $25,000. As it turns out, the suit alleges that Priority released seven songs on the album featuring vocal contributions from Short Khop instead of the previously agreed two. The suit reads, in part, "Priority further breached the agreement when it failed to recall 'The War Disc' after Jan 27, 1999 and issue a revised album without the seven Short Khop master recordings." Heavyweight is suing Priority for an unspecified amount for breach of contract, intentional interference with contract, negligent interference with contract, and declaratory relief.
Ruff Ryder member, Eve, was robbed last night at a video shoot in Long Island City, Queens, New York. According to the police report, the female MC was approached by two unidentified Black men in a dark Ford Tahoe around 9:45pm and robbed at gunpoint of 3 pieces of jewelry worth $137,000. There were approximately 30 people on the video set. Police say no one was injured. The police have made no arrests at this time, nor do they have any suspects. Several calls to Ruff Ryder Records and Interscope were not returned.
In the ongoing saga between Chuck D and the anti-Defamation League, the pioneering MC put all his cards on the table in an interview with nme.com Responding to the recent accusations of anti-Semitism, Chuck had this to say, "In Schindler's List, Spielberg was talking about the pain of what he visualized in his people, and I'd just say for me as a black artist in the music industry, the pain I visualized was 'Swindler's Lust.' The swindle of the music industry has really been one-sided when it comes to black artists, especially in hip hop." Addressing the ADL specifically, he went on to explain, "People have taken it as an attack on Schindler's List, like it's me saying Jewish people run the music industry, which I think is stupid and I wouldn't say it. But I would say that everybody had their piece of taking the soul out of black folks and turning us into jokes, even black people themselves. Anybody can be a swindler. People might say, 'How could Chuck D play around with Spielberg's creation?' But I'm like, 'Why the fuck not? He's not God!'" In the interview, he also denies playing on the much-talked about tensions between the African-American and Jewish communities, saying, "There's not really tension. Because New York's the media capital it becomes a bigger issue. The majority of black folk in the United States pay Jewish people no mind. They still can't find the difference between Jewish people and white people
While performing a show with Redman and Nas in between his dates on the Vans Warped Tour, Eminem sustained minor injuries when he took a fall onstage. Eminem finished his set and was taken to a nearby hospital, where it was discovered that he had bruised some ribs. "I did a little spot date with Redman and Nas in Connecticut, and I fell off the stage and got some bruised ribs," Eminem told the MTV Radio Network. "I came, like, right towards the front of the stage, which was wet in the front, and fell, like, right on my side. I didn't feel it at first. I didn't feel it. And I had to go to the hospital last night." Unfortunately, Slim Shady's injuries will prevent him from hitting the Warped stage in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The rapper plans to head back to the studio in August to record the follow-up to his 'Slim Shady' LP after (health permitting) he wraps his Warped stint on July 31st.
The debut album by the Analog Brothers featuring rappers Kool Keith, Ice-T, Skyworld, Black Silver and Mike Live is in the mixing stage. Mixer Kut Masta Kurt (born Kurt Matlin), whom Kool Keith recently said he fired as his DJ, described the production as "futuristic funk." The effort, tentatively titled 2000 and 5, is expected to include 16 songs. It is scheduled to hit shelves in October on Kool Keith's own Funky Ass Records.
From Loud Online:
It's official, Relativity Recordings has been merged into the LOUD family. Relativity artists joining the LOUD roster include the individual members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Three 6 Mafia, Gangsta Boo, Lord Infamous, Project Pat, Infamous Syndicate, Mac Mall, M.O.P., Link, DJ Squeeky, Project Playaz, Bootleg, Consequence, Femme Fatale, Delite, and, of course, the world's famous Beatnuts. The merger comes as a result of Sony Music's acquisition of the 50% equity stake in LOUD previously held by RCA Records. The new and improved LOUD will be distributed by RED Distribution, the leading independent distributor in the U.S., and internationally by Sony Music. The new partnership between Sony and LOUD will definitely be leading to very big things dunnies, so keep an eye peeled and "Watch Out Now!"
MTV has announced that a TV movie on Tupac Shakur's life will go into production later this year. 'Tupac: The Early Years' will be one of the five movies being produced by MTV, other movies include Love Song starring Monica and Hip-Hopera, a hip-hop version of the opera Carmen No word on who will be playing what characters in the Tupac flick.
Tim Westwood is recovering from being shot yesturday in a drive-by shooting. He was in a car along with four other passengers along Kennington Park Road, when a motorcycle drove by and opened fire on the car. Westwood was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth, where he had an operation to clean the entry and exit wound in his right arm. For those who don't know who Tim Westwood is, well, he's the biggest rap and hip hop DJ in the UK and hosts a dope show.
'Beneath The Surface' is the next single from the GZA. Also, he is going to do a remix Monday for 'Breaker, Breaker.'
Roots EP is enhanced w/3 videos: 'You Got Me,' 'Next Movement,' 'What They Do'
Rahzel is shooting a video this weekend for 'Make The Music 2000' with appearances from Biz Markie, TJ Swann, Rocksteady, & other special guests.
Common is starting to mix a few songs next week off his upcoming album.
Ras Kass [on Priority] just did an underground cut called 'Dreams Pt II' which talks about hitting all the hottest female singers & MCs [Big up to B.I.G.]
Eminem will head back to the studio in August to record the follow-up to 'Slim Shady' after he wraps up the Vans Warped Tour. Dr. Dre and the Bass Brothers are expected to produce the still-untitled album. The rapper told MTV News that he's expanding musically during the time he's spent on the road with the Warped acts, which are a far cry from his recent headlining tour or last year's Lyricist Lounge outing.
D&D Studios in Midtown Manhattan has been the birthplace for hit tracks from the likes of Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and the Lost Boyz, and now the studio is reaching into its vaults for a heavy duty hip-hop compilation. On August 31st, the studio's newly-formed D&D Records label will release 'Best of D&D Studios, Hip Hop Volume 1,' which pulls together tracks from the aforementioned artists as well as Nas, KRS-One, Jeru The Damaja, and others. Among its cuts, the collection includes Jay-Z's 'Ain't No Nigga,' Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Unbelievable," and the Lost Boyz' 'Jeeps, Lex, Coups, Bimaz, and Benz.' Also featured are some underground favorites including 'New York State Of Mind' from Nas, and KRS-One's 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know.' Group Home, M.O.P., Black Moon, and Showbiz & AG also kick in tracks. A new cut called 'Ghetto Like D&D' comes from the D&D Crew which includes Krumbsnatcha, Tef, QNC, Starang Wondah, Afu-Ra, Fat Cat Kareem, and Jane Blaze. Presiding over the whole affair will be DJ Skribble, who is mixing the album.
DMC World DJ Championships To Be Held In NYC The U.S. Finals were held in San Francisco on July 10th and DJ P-Trix will represent the United States. Judges at the finals followed a criteria of looking at the competitors' technical skills, tricks, creativity, mixing, originality, and crowd reaction. Special guests at the finals included The Beat Junkies, Cash Money, Scratch Perverts, Rasco, Gangstarr, and the Hall Of Fame induction of DJ Apollo and Grandmaster Caz. The world finals will be held in NYC on September 17th and 18th where DJs from Spain, Italy, Japan, and Canada will fly in to compete for the world title.
Fat Joe, Big Pun, Triple Seis, Cuban Link, Prospect and Armageddon also known as the Terror Squad shot their first video for the upcoming Terror Squad album coming out in September. The filming for "Whatcha Gone Do?" took place in Brooklyn on a basketball court and featured appearances from NBA stars Stephon Marbury and Kenny Anderson. The video will air in August.
from Loud Online about the Quiet Storm remix:
The remix features Brooklyn's own Lil' Kim, who flips a verse and holds down the hook, as well as all new verses by Havoc and Prodigy. All three rock over the original blazin', Whitelines' inspired beat, and the combined effect of the Brooklyn-Queens collabo is some next sh*t. Keep your head up dunnies, for real, 'cause this joint is about to take over radio waves across the nation
The first film from Palm Pictures, 'Black and White,' is facing it's first obstacle in getting the 'R' rating they want from the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America). The movie stars Raekwon, Bijou Phillips, Mike Tyson, Ben Stiller among others and features a controversial scene where a threesome occurs between Wu-Tang manager Power, Bijou Phillips and actress Kim Matalova. The scene had to be edited to avoid an NC-17 rating (which no film production company wants) and film representatives are pretty upset about it. You can check out both versions of the scene at www.blackandwhitefilm.com and also give your feedback on the clips. The film also features appearances from Method Man, Ghostface Killa, Claudia Schiffer, and Robert Downey Jr. and will be released sometime this fall.
De La Soul, Prince Paul, Rakim, Das EFX, and Craig Mack have all agreed to perform at a special benefit concert being held on August 24 at Tramp's in New York City to raise funds for one of their hip-hop colleagues, Poetic. Poetic, who has written and produced tracks for the Rza-side project, the Gravediggaz, was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year, and his representatives tell MTV that Poetic's condition has reached an extremely critical stage. The money raised by next month's show will be used to pay for Poetic's continuing chemotherapy treatments, and spokespeople from the rapper's label indicate that a second benefit show for Poetic is currently being planned for September.
Black Elvis(Kool Keith) and The Mountain Brothers will be chatting at SOHH(Sohh.com) on Thursday, July 15th at 11PM EST
Killah Priest's album is almost done recording and is called 'A View from Masada.'
At The SOHH Sizzlin' Summer Series on July 8th, Hieroglyphic member Del revealed his upcoming album, Both Sides Of The Brain, will intergrate two anime characters, Deltron-Z and Deltoid
Following the footsteps of Chuck D and Public Enemy , Ice-T has signed on with internet record label AtomicPop. In the deal, AtomicPop will promote, market, sell, and distribute Ice's seventh album '7th Deadly Sin' and then release to traditional retail outlets. In the press release, Ice says, "I feel the Internet is the future and if I am going to get into the record business on the Internet level, I had to get in touch with somebody who was really rollin'. Atomic Pop to me, is the only true active record label on the net. There are a lot of other people that are selling music, but they don't function like a record label." The album will be for sale next month, and then released into stores on September 14th.
Ol' Dirty Bastard's second solo album will be titled Nigga Please and is slated for release Aug. 24, Elektra Records publicist Jana Fleishman said Monday (July 12). The album, which the Wu-Tang Clan rapper previously had said might be called God Made Dirt and the Dirt Don't Hurt, features production by Wu-Tang producer RZA and guest appearances by other members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Fleishman said the album would likely include 14 tracks plus interludes and skits. Nigga Please will follow up Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
The Yonkers, NY rapper was arrested in Port of Spain, Trinidad over the weekend for using obscene language at a concert Saturday night, reports the Associated Press. DMX (born Earl Simmons) was stopped by Trinidad authorities in the middle of his performance and taken to jail, where he remained throughout the weekend. He was scheduled to appear before a judge on Monday. While it is still unclear what actual words got DMX into trouble, public use of "obscene language" is against the law in Trinidad. According to MTV, authorities in the Caribbean island also cut short a July 3 Foxy Brown show after she allegedly used obscenities, although she was never arrested or formally charged. As we previously reported, DMX was arrested in his Teaneck, New Jersey home recently on several weapons charges, including possession of an assault weapon, bullet proof vest and hollow point bullets. The ASPCA (animal right�s organization) also confiscated 14 pit bulls that were living in unsanitary conditions in DMX�s basement.
Venerable rap trio De La Soul is hard at work on the fifth studio album of its 12-year career, an effort tentatively titled "Art-official Intelligence" and due in stores later this year. For the new record, the follow-up to 1996's "Stakes Is High," De La Soul has said it has already recorded tracks with the Roots and Xzibit, and is looking to log some studio time in the near future with Al Green and Sade. Meanwhile, all three members of De La Soul are featured in a new outdoor campaign for Levi's jeans. In the billboards, De La's DJ Maseo holds up a sign that reads "Leadership - Loyalty - Love is the key." The ads will be posted through the summer in New York City's Times Square, as well as locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
The following several points are thanks to Martin Mckie
The upcoming Death Row release 'The Underworld' which will feature diss-tracks towards No Limit, Aftermath, Bad Boy etc, will also feature a diss track towards Ja Rule and DMX by some of the new Death Row artists, and on this track they also diss Jay-Z by quoting him as Gay-Z. They diss DMX and Ja for 'biting' Tupac's style.
Juvenile and BG from Cash Money have both finished two more solo albums, no news on the release dates yet.
Method Man is releasing a remix album on August 3rd called 'Tical: The Alter Ego LP.' This will only bereleased in Japan and will cost 45$.
Wu-Tang related artist Cilvaringz will release his album 'The Killa-B Ching.' This will hit stores on September 28th. It will feature Method Man, Holocaust, Masta Killa, U-god, Raekwon, Born and Ghostface Killah. He is the first emcee signed to the European section of Wu-Tang records and he is from Holland.
Kurupt will release his second solo album called 'Trilogy' on October 5th. It will be released on his ANTRA label and will feature KRS-One, Nate Dogg, Daz Dillenger, Rosco, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, the Dungeon Family and others.
On the 13th of July at 4:30 EST, you can go to the official Vibe (vibe.com) site and chat with Snoop Dogg.
The 'Thicker Than Water' Soundtrack has been delayed to the 21st of September. The movie starring Mack 10 and Fat Joe will hit theaters in October and will be released on video at the end of the year. The soundtrack features these tracks: 'Let It Reign' by Westside Connection, 'Thicker Than Water' by MC Eiht, 'Bust A Slug Remix' by Ghostface Killah and Wu-Syndicate, as well as tracks by Mack 10, Fat Joe, Big Punisher, Cuban Link, AllFrumTha I, the Comrads, Noreaga, Memphis Bleek, Draft Pick, King T, Eightball, Krayzie Bone etc.
Ras Kass is working on his third album 'Rassional Explaination' and will feature production by Bob Cat, DJ Premier, Stu-B-Doo, Diamond D and guests like Xzibit, King T, Canibus, Killah Priest, Kurupt, Saafir, Flip Light, Mos Def etc.
Mr. Short Khop, the latest Ice Cube discovery, will release his debut album 'The Khop Shop' on his mentor's label Heavyweight Records. Guests will include Cube, Kurupt, The Negro League, Mack 10 and others. It will hit the streets this fall, and Khop describes the album like this: "it will feature some tight shit with a twist of some gangsta-bounce, but don't let that fool you! Khop is not a gangsta." Judging by this line, you can tell it will be a little different from the other WSCG sounds.
Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath, has just gotten two more emcees to its roster, Ms. Roq and Knoc' Turn-Al. They will both appear on 'The Chronic 2001: No Seeds.'
The rumors about Sticky Fingaz being signed to Aftermath were false, he is signed to Universal records were he will release his solo debut 'I'll See You In Hell.'
Warren G is working on another album, 'I Want It All.' It will feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Dogg Pound and Mack 10. It will be in stores the 28th of September
Wodie.com will be back Thursday, July 15th.
The next hot sh*t from MCA is The Roots EP titled 'The Legendary' in stores July 20th. It features 3 cuts recorded live from Zurich, Switzerland including 'The Next Movement' LIVE and 2 bonus cuts.....one cut is a classic"battle" between ?uestlove vs. Scratch called 'Battlestar?ueststacula [the Quest for Scratch].'
The Roots Live album will be in stores Nov. 2nd
According to MCA both Common and Killah Priest are close to finishing their next albums
Method Man and Redman will release their first album as a duo, 'America's Most Blunted,' Sept. 28th on Def Jam Recordings, a label publicist said. The album was produced mostly by Wu-Tang producer RZA and EPMD's Erick Sermon. Method Man and Redman, who released the solo albums Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Doc's Da Name last year, performed together during the 52-date Hard Knock Life tour in the spring. The first single off America's Most Blunted will be 'Tear It Off.'
from Loud online:
'Murda Muzik' will be released on August 17th, and that's our word. However, for all of you feenin' for some new MOBB sh*t before then, the second joint off "Murda Muzik," "It's Mine" featuring fellow Queensbridge resident Nas, will hit the streets any day now. So keep your ears peeled for the new Queensbridge collaboration on your local radio and mixtapes, and stash away a little dough for the new LP, the wait will be well worth it.
Busta Rhymes has helped craft some footwear for GBX. He previously delved into the fashion world through his Bushi line of clothes, on which he collaborated with designer Rasheed Booth. Bushi clothes are currently available via Busta's official Web site or by catalog order, and the line has already rolled out its Fall and Winter '99 collections.
Coolio was in a California courtroom on Wednesday to plead guilty to possession of a firearm. He was then sentenced to two years probation (including 10 days in jail and 40 hours of community service) after entering his plea in Superior Court in Torrance, California.
After releasing successful solo efforts late last year, Method Man and Redman are looking to become multimedia moguls in the near future. Since completing stints on the Jay-Z fronted Hard Knock Life Tour, the two have been recording tracks together for a new joint album, and the duo is now setting its sights on the silver screen. According to Method Man, who's already earned credits in such films as '187' and 'Cop Land,' several scripts have been floated in front of the duo, and it's just a matter of time before he and Redman make a film together.
On Monday, ex-2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell was arrested for aggravated assault in Miami. Apparently, Luke was at a Miami Beach club called Club Zen when he allegedly smashed a bottle in a man's face. The altercation started when Mathew Fabrice and his friends were at the club and blocked Luke's view of a show that was taking place, it then evolved into a heated argument, and then Luke supposedly grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and busted it across Fabrice's face. Luke was then arrested and taken to the Miami-Dade County Jail where he was charged and then released early Tuesday. Fabrice suffered minor cuts and possibly a broken nose.
According to SonicNet, Kool Keith has fired Kutmasta Kurt as his DJ and producer for starting the rumour about Keith going into a mental hospital.
A letter was sent to the promoters of the Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. stating:
"By now I'm sure you've heard about Kool Keith's commitment to the sanitarium. He could be there for weeks or even months." And signed Kutmasta Kurt.
According to Keith, Kurt has been trying to get more into the spot light, and booking shows behind his back. He also claims that he made up the whole mental hospital rumor.
Kurt denies making it up but he was just going along to protect Keith. He thought it would sound better that Keith would be committed than him just not showing up for the show.
To make matters worse, Motion Man, an L.A. MC, announced the rumor on stage at one of his shows. This made keith so mad that he will try to stop production of his albums 'First Come, First Served' and 'Sex Style' just to make sure that Kurt doesn't profit from any of the records, even as far as burning the masters. These albums will become collector items, according to Kool Kieth.
From Allstar online News:
DMX (real name Earl Simmons), along with his wife Tashera, were arrested on weapons charges in Teaneck, N.J. on Wednesday (June 30th). According to Detective Sergeant Michael Falvey of the Teaneck Police Department, DMX was wanted in conjunction with the Fort Lee, N.J. shooting of Ray Copeland, the rapper�s uncle and manager, on Saturday (June 26th). Copeland was shot in the foot. Fort Lee police were granted a search warrant for DMX�s home in Teaneck, where they recovered an Intratec 9 auto pistol, hollow-nosed bullets, a high-capacity magazine for the pistol, a bullet-proof vest, some drug paraphernalia, and 14 pit bulls (13 of which were caged in the basement). DMX was not at home at the time of the search and later turned himself in after receiving news of a warrant for his arrest. The rapper and his wife were charged with possession of hollow-nosed bullets, possession of drug paraphernalia (possibly glass vials and smoking pipes), possession of an Intratec 9 pistol, and possession of a high-capacity magazine. There was also a supplemental charge of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. DMX�s wife was hit with all the same charges. The rapper was freed on $50,000 bail while his wife was released on $2500. At press time, a return court date had not been set.
We know you thought Brandi and Monica were fighting over Mekhi Phifer in their mega-POPular joint 'The Boy is Mine' from last summer. But, it seems they were thinking about the 'boys' from MOBB DEEP and their boy Nas. Well, if they weren't at least their work provided inspiration for a new MOBB and Nas collabo that is sure to be much more bangin'. Following in the legacy of other classic collaborations from the Queensbridge trio such as 'An Eye For An Eye' and 'Give It Up Fast,' the as yet untitled new joint plays off the hook from "The Boy," thug style. The single will be the next 12" off the new MOBB LP 'Murda Muzik,' which is coming soon, and is set to blow up like the first 12", 'Quiet Storm.'
The first single to Puff Daddy's sophomore album Forever will be 'PE 2000' which will have three different versions, a hip-hop mix, a spanish version (yes, Puff will rap in Spanish) and a rock remix featuring Chuck D. The single will be in the stores on July 6th while the album will be released on August 24th featuring appearances from Goodie Mob, Lil' Kim, Busta Rhymes, 112, Faith Evans, Twista, R. Kelly, Bizzy Bone, Jay-Z and many others.
El Savadoran hip-hop group Mecate' have been banned from the radio airwaves in El Salvador due to a song called 'El Directo.' The track is about the life of an infamous Salvadoran gang member and his experience on the country's mean streets and in its jails. Mexican hip-hop group Molotov have also been banned from the radio in El Salvador for their stand against the Mexican Government, Mexican media giant Televisa, their vulgar language and attacking public decency. "We've asked that the song be pulled because it does nothing to promote healthy entertainment for young people," Morena Serpas, head of the Interior Ministry's Office of Public Entertainment.
Master P and No Limit Records are facing a $10 million lawsuit filed by a producer and label exec who claims that he was coerced by P and his associates into releasing Mia X from a contract he had with the female rapper. According to a report that surfaced in New Orleans' "The Times-Picayune," the suit was filed last month in a federal district court by Roy Joseph, who says he signed Mia X to a two-year deal with his old label, Emoja Records, back in 1994. (The contract was then folded into a new deal with Joseph's subsequent label, Slaughter House Records.) While discussing the lawsuit, Edward Haskins, an attorney for No Limit Records, dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous and pointed out that the judge's most recent ruling in the case struck down certain elements and language used in the suit for being potentially defamatory and scandalous in nature. In the lawsuit, Joseph says that an associate of Master P's threatened to ruin his fledgling label unless Joseph withdrew his claim on Mia X's contract. Mia X signed with P's No Limit Records in 1995, but didn't release her first solo album for the label, 'Unlady Like,' until 1997. A second album for No Limit, 'Mama Drama,' was issued in November 1998. Because of the vitriolic nature of the language used in the suit, a U.S. District Court judge recently sealed the records pertaining to the action and placed a temporary gag order on the parties involved. The judge has also ordered Joseph to amend his complaint to include more specific details about the racketeering practices allegedly used by Master P, and has given Joseph until mid-July to file the more explicit complaint.
In an effort to build on the success he found when his album 'Venni, Vetti, Vecci' hit the charts at number three, Ja Rule is turning to some high-profile help. The rapper tapped Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Memphis Bleek, Hot Totti, Black Child, and Taj Murder for an all-star remix of his hit single 'Holla Holla.' Ja Rule and the cast of characters responsible for the remix got together in Queens, New York last weekend to shoot a video for the track. Last weekend also saw Ja Rule team with Memphis Bleek yet again to shoot a clip for 'Murda 4 Life,' a track that appears on both rappers albums.