"Make Me Proud" did just that for Cash Money Records' Drake.
Cash Money Records star Drake has broken the record for most #1 singles on the Billboard charts. The Toronto, Ontario native's #1 appearance of "Make Me Proud" featuring Nicki Minaj, the emcee/singer has achieved the feat 11 times. Previously the honor was shared by Drake and Bad Boy Records mogul Diddy, with 10.
File this one under 'when drunk dialing goes wrong!' Ericka Lee, Drake's alleged ex-girlfriend and muse behind his hit song "Marvin's Room", is suing the rapper over her vocals being used on the smash hit record. Erika is the inspiration for the record and is the voice heard on the voice mail monologues. She was credited as a "vocalist" on the song under "Syren Lyric Muse" but has never received any compensation for her work.
She is claiming that Drake acknowledged her contributions via text messages, which she has saved. Reportedly, they read "U basically made that song" and "It's sh*t without you." Big mistake, Drake!
Lee filed a lawsuit against the rapper on July 11, claiming, âMy works and voice are used on this work.â About six weeks later, Drakeâs label, Cash Money Records made its own claim, saying that the song authored was an âemployer for hire.â According to the complaint, Drake later sent a text message to Lee that offered her two percent of âpublishing royalties.â
By November, Ericka claims that Drake agreed to meet up with her in Los Angeles to discuss, but when he didnât keep his word, she hired a lawyer. When Drake found out, he allegedly spazzed out and started making threatening phone calls.
âWhat the fâk is your problem?â he said to her, according to the complaint, then offering her â4-5%â of publishing monies plus a $50,000 payout to go away.â
Lee is demanding that a judge declare her as co-writer of the song. Sheâs also seeking damages and disgorgement of profits on allegations of breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. Lee is represented by Neville Johnson, who previously filed a lawsuit against Drake on behalf of a Playboy Enterprises for sampling an unauthorized sound recording it owned on âBest I Ever Had.â
It looks like Ms. Lee has a good lawsuit on her hands. Drake should have just paid her upfront. Now it looks like itâs going to cost him a lot more money. Crazy how the same lawyer who successfully sued Drake before is back at it. Hey, you know what they say, âMoâ money Moâ problems!â
Jay-Z's hold on music may be secure, but the Rocawear clothing brand the rap mogul aligned with over the years is on shaky ground.
Rocawear is faltering so much so that Jay-Z is taking the bull by the horns and leading the effort to put the brand back on top with its first-ever television commercial.
The Anthony Mandler-directed black and white clips, titled From "Marcy to Madison Square," will chronicle Jay-Z's rise from selling CDs from his car in the Marcy Projects of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to headlining Madison Square Garden with Kanye West on the "Watch The Throne" tour in November 2011.
The Rocawear commercial arrives amid troubling times for the apparel line, which experienced a global sales dip of $500 million. As a result, "Roc Apparel Group LLC laid off 28 of its 56 employees at its Manhattan headquarters," Women's Wear Daily reported.
Speaking with the publication, Iconix Brand Group president and chief executive officer Neil Cole revealed that things are looking up for Rocawear, despite a "rocky winter." Iconix bought Rocawear for $204 million in 2007.
This winter has been especially hard for Rocawear. In November, the company came under scrutiny for allegedly selling "Occupy All Streets" T-shirts without giving any of the profits to the Occupy Wall Street movement which inspired the clothing. In addition, rumors swirled that Jay-Z was about to leave Rocawear. As it stands now, sales of Rocawear's men's clothing account for just over 15 percent of their overall intake.
Talk of Jay-Z's departure has since been silenced. The entertainer is committed to staying on with Rocawear until 2014, after renewing his contract for another three years. While the rap star has a lot on his plate, Cole maintains that Jay-Z is still in control and doing his part to ensure that Rocawear continues to thrive.
"Of course, he's a busy guy between his tour and his new baby and his music," the executive said. "Are there times when he's not on tour and not in the studio where we get more time with him? Yes. And are there times when we have to work via e-mail and through other channels? Yes. But we are lucky enough to get a lot of his time and caring."
In addition to the new commercial, Rocawear plans to rebound by focusing on children's and international sales, which have proven to be more successful. The Jay-Z-featured Rocawear ad is set to hit the small screen this spring and air on MTV, BET, and TNT during NBA basketball games and online.
U.S. rap star 50 Cent will get major exposure this weekend during the Super Bowl, thanks to a new commercial by American Suzuki Motor Corp.
50′s track "Movin' On Up" is being featured in Suzuki's "Sled" Super Bowl ad, promoting the new all-wheel-drive 2012 Kizashi sports sedan.
The commercial features an Eskimo, who upgrades his sled to the new Kizashi sedan by Suzuki.
"We are thrilled to show off the Kizashi's fun-to-drive capabilities during the most-watched sporting event of the year," said Jeff Holland, director of social media, American Suzuki. "We feel that 50 Cent's upbeat music brings the Kizashi to life in a way that viewers will relate to."
The Suzuki 2012 Super Bowl ad will continue to air both in 60-second and 30-second formats, as part of a new Suzuki advertising campaign that is scheduled to debut in March.
Tonight (February 4), 50 Cent will join Lil Jon and Pitbull as the headliners of the Bud Light Hotel Super Bowl XLVI party in Indianapolis.
Jeffrey Atkins says that he's made a few top level acquaintances in the clink.
Ja Rule is currently serving a two-year bid for gun possession, but time behind bars isn't so bad for the former Murder Inc. rapper. In an interview with New York Daily News, Ja, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, said that he's befriended former state controller Alan Hevesi and former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski and that prison is "amazing" for hosting these types of individuals.
"Outside, you don't meet guys like this every day. This place is amazing," he said. "Koz just got out on work release. Not to say I wish he was still here... But they're both great, smart guys.
"It's funny," he added. "We're from totally different walks of life. But when you're here, you're here."
Oh man, this is just sad if it's true. Insiders are saying that Don Cornelius committed suicide so that he could try to prevent his ex-wife from cashing in on his two life insurance policies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Don and his ex-wife Viktoria Chapman Cornelius had a very tumultuous relationship, which ended in divorce in 2009. Don reported that he was peppered sprayed by his wife on multiple occasions and she accused him of domestic violence, which he was eventually convicted of.
In official legal docs obtained by TMZ, Don said, "I am 72 years old. I have significant health issues. I want to finalize this divorce before I die." Unfortunately, there was a provision in his divorce settlement that says that Don must make Viktoria the beneficiary of both of his life insurance policies totaling around $300,000 in benefits.
Under California law, if a policyholder commits suicide within two years of the time the policy is issued, the company can deny payment. But Don had the policy for more than two years, so Viktoria, the woman he despised, will get the cash. So sad.
If the rumors are true, Beyonce and Jay-Z may be set to be worth a BILLION dollars combined sooner than we all expected! Sources are saying that "X-Factor" creator Simon Cowell has offered Beyonce $500 MILLION to be a judge on the hit TV series.
Originally, reports were saying that Simon Cowell was interested in hiring Mariah Carey as the judge, but he has now moved on to Beyonce to ensure the shows success. Peep the insiders comment below:
"He wants a big name female star on the panel. Mariah [Carey] is good, but she's not that hot today. He wants Beyonce because that would immediately give him the bounce needed to beat American Idol." And Simon is willing to PAY to land Beyonce.
The deal he is reportedly ready to offer Beyonce is a five-season deal worth $100M per year. Beyonce needs to jump on that quick!!!! Knowing the work-a-holic that Beyonce is, she can still churn out an album a year, tour and be a great mommy in addition to her judging duties.
WWE superstar John Cena will use Machine Gun Kelly's hit song "Invincible," as his theme music for Wrestlemania XXVIII this April.
The track has already started running in promotional spots promoting Wrestlemania XXVIII.
"The reaction to 'Invincible' has been amazing," Machine Gun Kelly told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "First, Verizon picked it to run in their campaign and now it's an official Wrestlemania song. It's crazy.
Additionally, John Cena will walk into the ring to "Invincible" during his main event showdown against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, during the famous PPV event.
"John Cena and myself are both underdogs and the song is about struggle, I think it's so cool they chose it," MGK continued.
Wrestlemania XXVIII takes place April 1, 2012 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL.
Rapper, producer, and all around entrepreneur Kanye West will be heading to the Middle East next month to shoot a new short film according to a recent report from The New York Observer.
West reportedly sent representatives to scout locations in the Persian Gulf, including Abu Dahbi, Dubai, and Doha Qatar, for the short which is scheduled to film in March and will be presented in a similar manner to 2010′s "Runaway" from his Grammy-nominated album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
According to the Observer, "A number of local municipal officials and film companies are said to be engaged in what is characterized as a heated bidding war for the contracts involved in bringing Mr. West's vision to life."
One source involved in the talks stated, "In Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha all of the film initiatives are government controlled. A bidding war is going on between various government entities and private investors to fund the film. There's pretty intense rivalry here between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar. They all want to claim the film as their own and take credit for generating the publicity." Currently, details on the plot of the short and the shoot itself are being kept under wraps, even to those who are closely involved.
"Mr. West's creative team is moving to the region for a few weeks, as part of an effort to create an "authentic" depiction of the culture. They plan to utilize local talent and production crews, and are said to be eager to portray the locales and their cultures in a positive light," the source added.
K'Naan's EP featuring Nas debuts, while an Amazon one-day sale launches The Roots 68 spots above last week's appearance, as Yelawolf also gains chart ground.
The lone Hip Hop addition the charts last week was an EP from K'Naan. Meanwhile Homeboy Sandman's Stones Throw Records debut EP and The Alchemist and Oh No's second Gangrene project both missed the Top 200 of the charts. The week did see large gains happened on late 2011 albums from Yelawolf and The Roots, as one release remained in the Top 10.
K'Naan's More Beautiful Than Silence Debuts On The Charts
Somali Canadian emcee-singer K'Naan's fifth overall release, an EP, debuted at #172. The A&M Records release features previous collaborator Nas, along with Nelly Furtado. The five-song work is K'Naan's first release in nearly three years, since Troubadour. A full-length effort is reportedly in the works for release later this year. In an interview with HipHopDX in January, K'Naan explained the EP's influence, "I got a lot of friends, rappers that we all respect, and they know what I do, they know what I can do, and they always [telling] me like, 'K'Naan, you need to go at them. You really need to explain [the environment you come from] to them.' And so, part of my response on the new record is really just to be that, just to show people like, 'Look, I can be explicitly direct about this shit.' I took a place for such a long time of humble grace, in which I would rather you figure this shit out before I gotta explain it. But I think it's time to explain it."
Yelawolf's Radioactive, The Roots' undun Display Growth On The Charts
Yelawolf's studio debut, Radioactive, climbed 14 spots in the last week. With new single/video "Let's Roll" circulating, the Shady/Interscope sensation has now crossed the 100,000 unit milestone. The Roots' acclaimed undun album climbed an astonishing 68 spots last week, largely due to a one-day Amazon sale, placing the digital version of the LP at $3.99. The band for the The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon's "perfect" HipHopDX album features appearances from Big K.R.I.T., Phonte and Dice Raw.
#172. K'Naan - More Beautiful Than Silence - 2,500 (2,500)
* data comes from Nielsen Soundscan, rounded to nearest thousandth for units above 10,000, nearest hundredth for units below 10,000. Each week, HipHopDX presents top albums in Hip Hop/related, and five notables.
The dancehall performer was pinched on sexual offense charges.
Jamaican dancehall star Elephant Man was arrested yesterday (January 31st) on sexual offense charges, including grievous sexual assault and rape.
According to Go-Jamaica, Elephant Man, whose real name is Oneil Bryan, reportedly sexually assaulted a woman at his St. Andrew home earlier in January. Police detectives put the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse on the case, leading to his arrest. Elephant Man was questioned in the presence of his attorney and was then slapped with the charges.
UPDATE: Elephant Man was released from custody earlier today after posting bail set at 400,000 Jamaican dollars, which is roughly $4,637.95 in American coin.
Star Magazine scored an exclusive interview with several of Jada Pinkett-Smith's family members who are spilling the beans regarding the super-star couple's alleged upcoming divorce. The magazine is claiming that Will and Jada have split up the kids and are living on opposite sides of the country and according to the source, 'the kids are devastated."
Will and their son Jaden, 13, are living in Philadelphia, where they will be filming After Earth, while Jada and Willow, 11, are living in L.A. before Willow starts touring in May. "The kids are really suffering," a source says. The family has been torn apart for a while now.
"They haven't spent any time as a whole family in months," explains the source. "And it's not going to happen anytime soon if ever again."
The magazine goes on to say that Willow and Jaden are aware of what's going on with their parents.
"The kids hear everything that Will and Jada say about each other," an insider shares. "They've shed tears over it. It's a hard time for them."
"I'm sure [their parents] take it into consideration, the psychological impact on the kids and what they could do to make it minimal," Jada's former stepdad Warren Brown tells Star. "[But] it would surprise me if they stayed together."
"It's always a shame when divorce splits up families," Estelle Pinkett, Jada's great-aunt, agrees.
Wow, Jada's great Auntie and Stepdad came out of the wood-works and sold Jada and Will out! If this is true, it seems as if Will and Jada are closer to getting a divorce than ever before. I hope they keep their kids together, though, it would be a shame to separate the siblings.
Just as Eminem prepares to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his groundbreaking "Born of Fire" commercial for Chrysler, the rapper is being sued for $9 million, in a hand written lawsuit that was filed last week.
Stephen Lee Pieck, of Ossining in Westchester New York, filed the lawsuit on January 12, in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.
Pieck, who listed his address as "homeless" in the lawsuit, claims that he was in a Legal Seafood restaurant in White Plains New York, on September 9, 2010.
The lawsuit claims he was in the restaurant with Jordon Bratman and Christina Aguilera, when the pop singer called Eminem.
The lawsuit claims that Christina Aguilera handed Pieck the phone and that he then gave Eminem the idea for the "Born of Fire" commercial.
"I want the court to reward me a judgment in the amount of $9 million," Pieck's handwritten lawsuit states. "I designed every aspect of the commercial and the commercial was stolen from me. In addition, I did not receive compensation in monetary terms for the work I did."
Two numbers were listed for Pieck in the lawsuit.
One number went to his mother's house and the other went to a cell phone.
When contacted, his mother refused to provide any details about the lawsuit.
A another woman answered the cell phone and when asked for more details, she hung up.
The "Born of Fire," commercial debuted during the 2011 Super Bowl and promoted the new 2011 Chrysler 200 Sedan.
The award-winning, two-minute commercial featured Eminem and his song "Lose Yourself."
Check out the entire lawsuit below:
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
Stephen Pieck Vs. Eminem in $9 Million Lawsuit Over Chrysler Ad
A number of rappers are reacting to the death of Soul Train founder/host Don Cornelius, who was found dead today (February 1) after committing suicide.
While details are still being confirmed, early reports said that Cornelius shot himself in the head in his Sherman Oaks, California home.
"We are overwhelmed with the news regarding the passing of Don Cornelius. Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his family at this time," said Kenard Gibbs, CEO of Soul Train Holdings. "He was a true television visionary and his contributions to African American culture, music, and entertainment are incomparable. The outpouring of affection and tributes to his legacy are a true testament to the profound impact that his life's work had on many generations."
Don Cornelius is largely credited as being a pioneer in the development of urban culture through music on television.
"Every Saturday morning I looked forward to watching Soul Train, as did millions of other people," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Soul Train Holdings Chairman. "Soul Train taught the world how to dance! Don's contribution to us all is immeasurable. He will truly be missed. I thank him for trusting me with his Soul Train brand and I will carry on his legacy through it. My condolences to his son and my good friend Tony Cornelius and the entire Cornelius family."
If the messages on Twitter are indicators, Don Cornelius will be greatly missed by the Hip-Hop community, despite his well known views on the genre.
"JUST WOKE UP TO SOME SAD NEWS, R.I.P. Don Cornelius founder of SOUL TRAIN," Wyclef Jean said via Twitter.
"Rest in Peace, Love & Soul…Don Cornelius," Ice Cube said in remembrance of Cornelius.
Don Cornelius had plans to make a movie about the Soul Train legacy in the coming years, but nothing had come to fruition as of late.
"We've been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground. It wouldn't be the 'Soul Train' dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project," Don Cornelius told the L.A. Times in a 2010 interview.
"So sad about Don Cornelius," Russell Simmons Tweeted.
"May u rest in peace and thank u 4 ur platform. U will always be remembered R.I.P. Don Cornelius," Q-Tip expressed through his Twitter page.
"RIP Don Cornelius…Thank You for all you have done for us…" DJ Jazzy Jeff told fans.
Don Cornelius had just been in the spotlight, when he was featured on a popular episode of TVOne's "Unsung" featuring Full Force.
The group was supposed to present Don Cornelius with a plaque for his unwavering support throughout the years.
"He couldn't make it because of root canal he had earlier. I spoke to him early last week too, for 40 minutes," Bow Legged Lou told AllHipHop.com.
"Don Cornelius and his creation of 'Soul Train' and its legacy had a great impact on American culture. Don's vision allowed for African-American artists to be exposed to people all over the world through the power of television," said Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who wrote the #1 theme song for Soul Train.
"We were glad to help Don Cornelius fulfill his dream and legacy by creating the theme song for his hit show. The 'Soul Train' and TSOP brands will forever be inseparable. We thank Don Cornelius for his tremendous contributions to the entertainment world.
"Our deepest sympathy goes out to Don's family and everyone he touched."
More news as funeral details are announced.
Check out Full Force's plaque to Don Cornelius, as well as some ads congratulating the legend on his show over the years.
Also below are some Hip-Hop performances from Soul Train.
Don Cornelius
Full Force's Plaque for Don Cornelius
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Ad Congratulating Don Cornelius On Success of "Soul Train"
Legendary producer/host Don Cornelius was found dead early this morning and his Los Angeles home.
According to reports, Don Cornelius allegedly took his life from a self-inflicted gunshot.
In recent years, the 75-year-old was in failing health and according to various sources, he suffered from dementia.
Don Cornelius helped revolutionize black music when he created televisions longest running dance show, "Soul Train."
The show aired from 1971 1993, with Don Cornelius plan host during those years.
Don Cornelius' association with Hip-Hop music was fleeting throughout the years.
Although a number of Hip-Hop groups appeared on "Soul Train," Don Cornelius was admittedly not a fan of the genre.
"[Cornelius] ultimately decided that there was a duty to show the culture as authentically as possible," according to the "Soul Train" website. "Soon after, the Soul Train Awards developed and while there were unfortunate occurrences at different shows, there was an overall appreciation for the award ceremony recognizing Hip-Hop's contribution to American culture."
A variety of rappers have named checked "Soul Train" in their songs, from Eric B & Rakim, to De La Soul.
Legendary rapper Kurtis Blow was the first Hip-Hop artist to appear on "Soul Train", in 1980.
More details will be released as they become available.
Viacom owned cable channel BET has banned the video for Nicki Minaj's new video "Stupid Hoe."
A representative spoke to TMZ.com, and confirmed that the video was banned, because it is too explicit for the network.
A representative said that "Stupid Hoe's" chorus, along with the risqué video, was too much for the network to air.
The BET ban or Nicki Minaj's video for "Stupid Hoe" will not impact the song's popularity.
The video for "Stupid Hoe," which shot by legendary director Hype Williams, already has over 20 million views on YouTube since it was posted on January 20.
MGK says that his Bad Boy boss was understanding of the situation.
After Machine Gun Kelly was arrested this weekend for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, his Bad Boy boss Diddy took to Twitter to reach out to his signee, writing, "@machinegunkelly WtF!!!!!! Call me at miami crib now!!!!! Everyone hit him and tell him to call me NOW!!!!! Pls thanks!!!!"
During an interview with MTV News, MGK addressed his response, stating that the two have linked and that Puff understands the situation. "You can tell he's, like, playful with it, but there's a serious tone behind [it]," he said. "I talked to Puff today, and he's like, 'It's all good. Do what you do. You did what you had to do.'"
Soon after Diddy posted his initial tweets, he was misinformed that MGK had been arrested a second time after his associate Kells was drunk driving and crashed his car. ""He thought I was in the car too, so he thought I got arrested twice. It was like the first arrest was cool, like, all right, he'll let it slide. But when he [thought it was two arrests], he was like, 'What the f---? You got arrested two times? Something is wrong with you, man,'" he said. "He was, like, spazzing out. I think all the label is on edge about how we rock."
The Chef drops a bombshell on VladTV about how he feels the Wu's solo careers hurt the group.
VladTV recently caught up with Raekwon to talk about the legendary Wu-Tang Clan's career and their legacy as of date. During the interview, the Chef explained that he personally feels the Clan hasn't been as active as a team as of late due to differences that arose out members' solo success.
He explained that when the Wu was first working together, there was a certain energy and hunger that unified the nine members behind the W. But as members branched off with their own projects, certain emcees' solo fame led to divisions within the group that ultimately hurt almighty Wu's effectiveness as a team.
"What I really miss is that energy from my brothers. We were young, we were child stars at that time, but I miss being around niggas and laughing in the studio…just, every line that come out niggas, everybody's head lift up like, 'Oooh,' and everybody's head go down and get back in that pen and pad," he said. "To me, it just created a force and I'ma tell you something - and I ain't told nobody this - but I feel like in a way, us doing solo things hurt us [as a group]. I never told nobody that, y'all niggas the first ones to know. When we had something so pure and so solid together, it could've been structured more togetherly. It could've been more stronger if we knew it had to stay like that. But when we allow[ed] each other to do us, some did better than others and when some did better than others, it caused a certain kind of reaction in the whole movement."
He added, "It wasn't like nobody was trying to out-do each other, because we all was nice, it was just that some probably worked a little harder and some did more things and some was just playing his part. You can't be mad at it; the nigga is playing his position and when it's time to go shoot and you say, 'Yo, shoot!' - 'Aight, shoot - bong,' but not being a slinger. To me, when we did that, it kinda like put us in a more competitive situation with each other instead of focusing more strongly on the brand. The brand is so big just as a team, it's like when we did that, it jumped into some ego shit - which normally happens, but what I'm just trying to say is if we would've stayed more tighter, we probably would've had about 30 albums right now."
