French explains that it's one of the reasons he signed with the house that Diddy built.
French Montana vetted a bidding war over the past few months, only to end up signing with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. But according to French, he inked the deal on his own terms, making him the first artist in the history of Bad Boy to own his publishing. Speaking with Real Talk NY, he revealed that Puff did him right by allowing him to own the rights to his tracks.
“I think I’m the first person - and I ain’t tell this to nobody - I’m the first person in the whole history of Bad Boy not to sign my publishing to Bad Boy or Puff,” he said. “Everything I asked for, Puff kept his word. In my eyes, he a real nigga for that. So far, so good. I have no complaints.”
While he wouldn’t comment on other artists who have been burned by Puff in the past, French said that it’s a matter of getting good lawyers who can interpret the contracts.
“I feel like a person, as a man, should never judge somebody on his situation with other people. You should always judge a person based on their situation with you. The situation you got with each other is the only way you can judge a man,” he continued. “I find it kind of weird. How can someone jerk you and give you the paperwork for your lawyer to see… It’s not like they’re tricking you. It’s not like words get up in the middle of the night and change on the contract. You just gotta get good lawyers. Of course, Puff is going to have the best lawyers.”
“No. Because despite how it’s been worded by him that situation is not a ‘hip hop moment’ or a ‘battle for the sake of musical integrity’…it’s a ploy for attention around the release of an album,” he said. “More than anything it was just disappointing cause what kid isn’t a fan of what Common has done for our genre. A guy who made such an incredible career for himself based off expressing genuine feelings about life and love is now targeting me for sharing my story.”
Additionally, Drake said that he plans to tour through 2012 and has already begun recording new music.
“I have begun working on new music already and I’ll be recording during the whole college tour with 40. Making better music and building myself as a business is all that’s on my mind. Hopefully some acting as well.”
You heard it here first, people! It looks like 2 Chainz is officially down with the team that’s Def. That’s right, AllHipHop Rumors has officially discovered that the rapper once down with Ludacris, the man that once had one of the worst rap names ever is down with Def Jam!
Machine Gun Kelly pushed his “Wild Boy” ways to the limit this weekend and ended up in the slammer. The 21-year-old Bad Boy artist spent four hours in a Florida jail and was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct/brawling.
TMZ is reporting that the arrest occurred on Sunday at 4:12 a.m. following his show in St. Petersburg. He was released a few hours later after posting $100 bond.
MGK took to Twitter to address the situation. “Just spent my entire night in a fucking Florida jail…sh*t escaladed way to quick last night, it always does with us though,” he tweeted. “The weirdest part of it was how many inmates in there knew who I was and knew about the movement. It was some trippy sh*t. Lace the F*CK up.”
He added, “Anyways, thank you Florida for ragin this week. Lookin forward to seeing every state during this spring/summer tour (no more handcuffs tho!)”
MGK looks so sad in his mugshot. Hope he stays out of trouble!
Bronx, New York rapper Cory Gunz was arrested yesterday (January 28), after police found him in possession of a loaded handgun.
Police caught the rapper with a loaded, unregistered Taurus .9mm handgun.
Cory Gunz, born Peter Pankey Jr., is currently in custody in the Bronx.
His father, rapper Peter Gunz, told MTV News that his son was the victim of an illegal search.
“It was definitely an illegal search,” Peter Gunz told MTV News.
Peter Gunz further elaborated on his 24-year-old son’s arrest.
The rapper was exiting a cab when plain clothes officers aggressively approached him.
“He just got out of a cab and police ran up on him and they were in plainclothes,” Peter Gunz told the New York Daily News. “He didn’t know they were cops – he thought he was getting robbed.”
Peter Gunz said his son was currently in Central Booking, where he is being processed.
Although its his first offense, Corey’s father is worried that New York’s strict anti-gun laws will have an adverse affect on his son’s career.
The same laws sent Lil Wayne, the CEO of Young Money, Cory’s label, to jail for eight months in 2010.
“At the end of the day, there’s a reason for everything, but at the same time, in New York, it’s mandatory jail time,” Peter Gunz told MTV News. “To go to a precinct and see your son, your junior, in handcuffs, it’s heartbreaking. Anytime you see your child in jail, in the cell, in handcuffs, it’s very hard.”
Even though its his first offense, Cory Gunz faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 3 and 1/2 years in prison.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have found the secret to getting along -- splitting up.
Sources very close to the former couple tell TMZ ... months before the breakup, there was virtual radio silence between the two. We're told when they did talk, it was loud and contentious ... often ending in tears on Jennifer's part.
But since the split, we're told their bond has materially strengthened. They are communicating and co-parenting well and not fighting at all.
We're told they're actually happy to do joint appearances for their new show, as well as charity work.
Sources say a number of people around them are saying there are signs of a possible reconciliation, although it is by no means certain.
A College Park, Georgia woman is holding Cash Money Records accountable for an incident that took place last year.
Cash Money founders and co-CEOs Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Baby” Williams appeared in court earlier this week in connection with a violent sexual assault that took place at a studio bathroom.
Accuser Nicole Westmoreland says that the label is responsible for the events that transpired last year. The College Park, Georgia woman says that she was invited to a studio for a meeting, but was sexually assaulted by Cash Money associate Alfred Cleveland, who is already serving time for the attack.
The Hip Hop moguls allegedly offered her $100,000 to remain silent on the incident, but she refused, claiming that they then threatened to kill her if she didn’t comply.
Westmoreland says that she has had to seek treatment at a mental hospital after experiencing suicidal thoughts. She is seeking unspecified damages.
Beyonce’s year just keep getting better and better. The city of Houston is planning to build a massive monument in Beyonce’s honor! Two local Houston men are currently in talks with the city of Houston to create a “Hall of Beyonce.” The mini museum has already received the approval from the Mayor of Houston and plan’s to open its doors on September 4th, Beyonce’s birthday. Check out the local Houston television news clip here.
The Hip Hop artists and moguls make the prestigious cut.
Billboard magazine has just unveiled its first-ever Power 100 list, with Live Nation chairman ranked at No. 1. But further down the list are a handful of Hip Hop figures, including Jay-Z, Beyonce, Birdman and more.
Jay and Bey, who recently had their first child Blue Ivy, jointly place at No. 13. Hov is honored for having the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, in addition to his business ventures, while Beyonce has sold more than 29 million units from solo and Destiny’s Child album sales.
Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams, founders of Cash Money Records, rank at No. 25. “We got so much more we need to do," says Baby. "We dominate rap, but we need to dominate R&B. We need to dominate pop, gospel, country-we're a brand, so we should be able to put out all these different types of music. We just got to keep grinding."
RadarOnline.com is reporting that Whitney Houston is flat broke and has lost her fortune.
A source close to the legend singer and The Bodyguard star, 48, who sought help for her crack addiction last year, has revealed that the singer has hit rock bottom.
“Whitney’s fortune is gone,” the source said. “Music industry heavy hitters are supporting her and her label is fronting her cash against her next album, but no one knows when that will be released.”
The six-time Grammy winner has blown through an enormous fortune that she amassed over decades of stardom.
“She might be homeless if not for people saving her. She is broke as a joke.”
Bobby Brown’s ex-wife’s financial woes have her so cash-strapped she’s been begging friends for help.
“She called someone to ask for $100,” the source said.
“It is so sad. She should have Mariah Carey money, and she’s flat broke.”
Whitney, please get your life together. You are too talented to go down in flames!
What is the world coming to?! An inventor has created a makeshift vagina for your iPad! The “FleshliPad Holder” allows horny, desperate, nasty men an opportunity to “interactively reach self-gratification with various pre-recorded multimedia (photograph, video, or animation).”
The product, which is still going through the approval process, can also be used on a tablet. Okay, this is just plain gross. Who would want to have sexual relations with their iPad????
Drizzy Drake has confessed (yet again) that his long-time dream is to play President Barack Obama in a major motion picture. Well, they do kind of look alike! The Canadian rapper is already preparing for the role by studying the president’s speeches in hopes of getting his cadence down. Check out what he said about his ultimate dream role below:
“I hope somebody makes a movie about Obama’s life soon because I could play him,” said Drake. “That’s the goal. I watch all the addresses. Anytime I see him on TV, I don’t change the channel, I definitely pay attention and listen to the inflections of his voice. If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m pretty good at impressions.”
During an interview with Complex, Cash Money CEO Birdman said that Wayne plans on dropping the sequel to his Human Being album this summer. "Wayne’s got an album he’s about to drop real soon. Its called I Am Not a Human Being 2. It’s gonna be before the summer for sure. We haven’t picked the date yet," he said. "Whenever he’s ready to drop his album, we’re gonna make it do what it do. He’s definitely got an album done and ready to go. Wayne works a lot. There’s no telling [if Rebirth 2 will happen]. But I know for sure we’ve got I Am Not a Human Being 2 ready to go. That’s the next project.”
Additionally, Baby said that he is finished recording the sequel to his collaborative LP with Weezy, Like Father, Like Son 2, and plans on releasing a solo album.
"We got [Like Father, Like Son 2] finished too. We’ve been recording that. We never stopped recording [for] that. We got songs we want. When we get ready to drop it, we’ll probably do that in the 4th quarter. Wayne wants to do the I Am Not a Human Being 2 and I want to do my solo album too, so we’ll probably do that later on.”
A songwriter has filed a lawsuit against a production duo who claimed sole responsibility for producing B.o.B.’s hit single “Airplanes.”
Christine Dominguez filed a lawsuit against Jeremy Dussolliet (Kinetics) and Tim Sommers (One Love), who produce under the name Kinetics & One Love.
The lawsuit, which was filed January 23 in United States District Court of New York, claims that Dominguez co-wrote the smash single, but received no credit and was cut out of all royalties.
According to the lawsuit, in September of 2008, Kinetics & One Love asked Dominguez to create a melody and other musical contributions for two unfinished recordings called “Airplanes.”
Dominguez claims that Kinetics & One Love e-mailed her an unfinished version of the track and she recorded her contributions to the sound recordings.
The lawsuit claims that Dominguez created the melody and the chorus for “Airplanes,” including background vocals, countermelodies and other contributions.
“In a transparent effort to keep all the credit and earnings for themselves despite Dominguez’ substantial contribution to the joint work, defendants omitted her from the listing as the author of “Airplanes” on the 2010 release and elsewhere. Nor have defendants accounted to Dominguez for revenues derived, either from the 2010 release, or any other source.”
Dominguez claims that the pair thanked her and gave her credit for her contribution to the song on an obscure, 2009 CD Kinetics & One Love: Fading Back to Normal, which contained an alternate version of the song.
In 2010, the producers authorized the release of two versions of “Airplanes,” which was on B.o.B.’s hit album B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray.
A remixed version of the track also featured superstar rapper Eminem.
The lawsuit claims that the Dominguez and Kinetics & One Love could not reach an agreement regarding her appropriate share of the revenues, as joint authors of the song.
Dominguez is suing for unfair competition, unjust enrichment, copyright infringement, and failure to account for revenues derived from sampling or other use of the song.
Dominguez is seeking revenues derived from CDs, digital sales, ringtones, ringbacks and other sources of potential income from “Airplanes.”
B.o.B. is not named in the lawsuit, just the producers.
Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Watch The Throne" slides back into the Top 10, as new releases from Yo Gotti and Schoolboy Q enjoy encore performances on the charts.
Both of last week's Hip Hop additions to the charts made an encore appearance. No new releases from the genre hit the Top 200 this week, as January continues to pad the numbers from the top commercial releases from last year as a string of exciting releases for Quarter 2 and sooner loom on the horizon for 2012.
Jay-Z & Kanye West's Watch The Throne Climbs The Charts
Schoolboy Q's Habits & Contradictions Charts Again
Black Hippy emcee Schoolboy Q is enjoying the commercial accolades of releasing one of 2012's first "acclaimed" Rap releases, in its first full week available to fans. The West Los Angeles, California emcee's second "project" Habits & Contradictions features involvement from The Alchemist, ASAP Rocky and Curren$y, in addition to appearances from Black Hippy cohorts Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar.
* 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.
Can Gangrene blow smoke up the charts? Will Homeboy Sandman's digital EP show the benefits of Stones Throw's backing? Stay tuned to HipHopDX.
Common is asked about Drake beef and shares his take on emceeing. "If you put me in the ring with anybody on the mic, I'ma destroy them."
While it has been weeks since Common and Drake have mentioned one another in rhyme form, they are still asked about their feud. Recently, Common was asked how this feud could end. He took the opportunity to shed light on why the rhyme battle began, saying that he's prepared to "destroy," but adding that he doesn't dislike Drake personally.
"I really honestly don't know how things will end," he shared in an interview with Bossip. "I just want to put out there that it's not a thing where I don't like him as a human being or like I got something against him personally. That's not what it is. You dissed me on record. I know you felt a certain way about certain things so if you dissed me so I had to say what I had to say. If you come at me, I'ma fight until the end. I'm not talking about physical. I'm talking about emceeing."
Com also added that he isn't just confident in a battle with Drake. Instead, Com noted that he feels he can stand toe-to-toe with any emcee in a rhyme bout.
"I feel like if you put me in the ring with anybody on the mic, I'ma destroy them. I don't care who it is. That's how I feel. At the end of the day, that's how every emcee should feel."
The once-rumored stand-up tour with Dave Chappelle still might happen. During a chat with Vulture about his movie 2 Days In New York, Rock briefly talked to us about his upcoming projects, and while he didn’t have much to say about his role in the omnibus comedy What To Expect When You’re Expecting, he’s pretty excited to go out on tour.
“I’ve been talking to Chappelle a lot. Been trying to get Chappelle to go on tour,” he told us. Those reports had surfaced briefly in October, but we’d heard nothing since then; is Rock really going to make this a reality? “You know I’m not the hard one,” he said, laughing. “But I’m trying to make that happen. After seeing Kanye and Jay-Z, I was like, ‘Me and Dave should do this.’”
As President Obama gave his third State of the Union address last night (January 24) and opened the last year of his term, it was clear that several overarching themes are priorities for his Administration in 2012, including the economy, tax legislation, and the development of more jobs.
“We can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” Obama said. “What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.”
In addition to addressing the country’s economic issues, Obama said he hopes to boost manufacturing, develop new energy sources, and train workers in order to boost the economy. He also called for the development of America’s bridges, roadways, and other infrastructure with financing saved as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close.
Questlove of the legendary Roots crew chimed in on the State of the Union address by joking with his Twitter followers and tweeting videos that indirectly related to statements made by Obama:
“#SOTU#POTUS for those banks who break the law on wall street i will no longer bail you out. matter of fact i will http://youtu.be/1VRZq3J0uz4,” Questlove said as he Tweeted the link to KRS-One’s “Sound the Police.”
Obama also pointed out signs of economic recovery, claiming to have created 3.2 million private-sector jobs in 22 months, while saving the auto industry.
“People can say whatever, but if you oppose what President Obama says when he talks, you best to sharpen your intellect. TheseNextYrsNotForDumbsht,” the outspoken Chuck D of Public Enemy tweeted.
“We do not accept that ours will forever be a nation of haves and have-nots. We must always be a nation of haves and soon-to-haves,” Obama said to listeners, encouraging the pursuit of the American Dream and happiness.
“You can call this class warfare all you want,” Obama said. “But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.”
Halle Berry has just arrived at court, where she'll ask a judge for an order prohibiting her baby daddy, Gabriel Aubry, from having ANY contact with 3-year-old Nahla until the child endangerment investigation against him is resolved.
As TMZ first reported, the LAPD is conducting a criminal battery and child endangerment investigation after Gabriel allegedly pushed the nanny with Nahla in her arms. And before the alleged pushing, the nanny says Gabriel screamed at her and hurled a racial epithet. In addition, we've learned the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services is also conducting a child endangerment investigation.
TMZ has learned more about what nanny Alliance Kamdem has told the cops. Law enforcement sources tell us ... Kamdem claims Gabriel repeatedly yelled and cursed at her, often while Nahla was present. Kamdem also says it got so bad ... Gabriel would make her sit in a corner in his condo until he called for her.
Kamdem also claims Gabriel often yelled at Nahla, causing the child to cower and cry. And she told police ... when Nahla had a rash he refused to treat it.
Kamdem quit last week after Gabriel allegedly shoved her.
Gabriel's rep tells TMZ, "Anyone can file a police report at any time, regardless of it being accurate."
As for Halle's court appearance later this AM ... we'll be there.
The smooth crooner moves his Compound Entertainment imprint to Motown.
Ne-Yo has announced that he is parting ways with Def Jam and moving to Motown Records, where he will also serve as senior VP of A&R.
According to Billboard.biz, the smooth crooner is bringing his Compound Entertainment imprint to the label. He will serve as a producer and mentor to Motown artists and discover and sign new talent.
"I'm honored that I¹ve been given such a prestigious title and trusted with such responsibility; terrified because I know that playing this role in the fashion of one of my career role models, Mr. Smokey Robinson -- these are big shoes to fill. But trust, I can handle it,” said Ne-Yo.
"His track record of success at Def Jam will always be a benchmark," added Universal Republic and Island Def Jam Motown chairman/CEO Barry Weiss. "But this move to Motown will provide new and inspiring challenges for Ne-Yo as both an artist and a key member of the new senior management team that is taking form at the label in 2012."
MTV2 is set to honor Hip-Hop history with a special night of programming that includes an episode of “MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps Classic Cuts,” on Sunday.
The special show will be followed a special with MTV News crowning the “Hottest MCs in the Game VII” and a “Sucker Free Countdown” that will name five “Sucker Free Certified” rising stars.
The return of “Yo! MTV Raps” brings back one of Hip-Hop’s most-celebrated and influential music shows.
the 30-minute episode, which is being hosted by Sway Calloway, will document the era that helped shape and define Hip-Hop as the dominant music form that is today.
The “Hottest MCs In the Game VII,” also hosted by Sway Calloway, enlists the “Hottest MCs Hip-Hop Braintrust,” that will come together once again, to debate what MCs are making the greatest impact in Hip-Hop today.
Last year Eminem was given the top spot on “Hottest MCs in the Game VI,” while Drake, Rick Ross, Ludacris and Waka Flocka Flame all made the top 10.
Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj became the first female MC to ever earn a spot on the “Hottest” chart last year.
“MTV2 Presents: Yo! MTV Raps Classic Cuts,” airs on Sunday February 19th at 10 pm ET/PT.
Hottest MCs in the Game VII” will shoe at 10:30 ET/PT, while the “Sucker Free Countdown” will begin at 11 pm.
Cash Money’s Bryan “Baby” Williams has never been one to hide the fact that he likes to gamble and that he puts money on the big games.
This year’s Super Bowl is no different than last, as Birdman is again betting on arguably the world’s biggest and most highly televised championship game in sports.
Last year he had a $1 million on the Green Bay Packers, but this year Baby is uping the anti and putting $5 million on the big game, going with his “nephew,” Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis’ team, the New England Patriots.
“I like New ENGLaNd.my nephew play RB# 42.I’m Bet 5million 2 any niggaaa.like tha Giants YMCMB.BabyMoney anybody kan Getit,” Birdman tweeted from his account, @BIRDMAN5STAR.
The Super Bowl Kicks off on Sunday, February 5th, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Madonna is set to headline the halftime show.
Tickets to Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2007 Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants are currently starting at $1,500.
Puffy plans to venture into music television by the end of the year.
From vodka entrepreneur to professional actor, Diddy has never been one to shy away from the chance to expand his brand. Now, the Bad Boy mogul is looking to branch into a new frontier with a music-themed television network Revolt.
According to Broadcasting Cable, Diddy is launching a new television network called Revolt on December 12, 2012. Sources indicate that Revolt will focus primarily on music and music videos, a la MTV.
Although there are few details about the kind of distributiong the network will receive, Revolt will reportedly be distributed by Comcast and Time Warner Cable service providers.
Chelsea Handler was a guest on Howard Stern’s radio show this morning, and she took the opportunity to throw shots at her former boo, 50 Cent!
According to Chelsea, she dumped 50 Cent after he confessed to her that singer Ciara still called him on occasion to tell him she “loved him.” 50 felt the need to confess because Ciara was getting ready to be a guest on Chelsea’s show, and he thought it was the “honorable” thing to do. Wrong!!!
Chelsea was actually “irritated” that 50 would call her at work with such childishness, and said this tidbit of information caused her to be uncomfortable during her interview with Ciara. Chelsea also said that she thought that 50 wasn’t telling her the whole truth, and that he and Ciara may still be getting it in.
Handler finished off the interview by calling 50 some not so nice names over the air. Hmmm, it looks to me like Chelsea is still salty about this one.
Kanye West was reportedly45 minutes late to his performance at the Big Day Out concert in Australia last night, which caused the crowd to boo him when he finally hit the stage. Ye’ blamed his lateness on the rain, which caused the crowd to chant, “Bullsh*t!”
Um, haven’t they heard Kanye’s mantra, “You should be honored by my lateness/that I would even show up to this fake shit!” ??
In related news, Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell wasn’t impressed when a soundcheck of West’s upcoming set at the main stage could be heard in between Soundgarden songs, and the rock band’s fans started booing.
“Sounds like there’s children playing music there, retarded children, retarded as in held back. There’s no other word for it,” Cornell told the crowd.
What a hater!!!! Go get a hair cut dude! You’re washed up!
This is a pretty shaky rumor, being that it comes from the folks over at Media TakeOut.com, so take this one with a grain of salt. The online gossip rag is reporting that Alabama police are currently investigating southern rapper Lil’ Webbie for murder! Below is what they’re saying:
According to a TOP SNITCH, a man was MURDERED outside CLUB PRIMETIME, at a WEBBY concert held at the Dothan, Al club. According to reports, a fight popped off INSIDE THE CLUB and spilled outside, where the victim was shot and killed.
According to MediaTakeOut.com’s insider police SPOKE TO WITNESSES and that led them to CALL IN WEBBY FOR QUESTIONING . . . at the COUNTY JAIL. It’s not clear whether Webby was ever allowed to leave. Developing . . .
We’ll let you know if we hear anything else regarding this rumor. For Webbie’s sake, I hope its not true….we definitely don’t want another Lil’ Boosie situation on our hands.
Well, it looks like another married couple bites the dust. The YBF.com is exclusively reporting that Fat Joe and his wife Lorena have split up after 17 years together. According to a source close to Lorena, Fat Joe started feeling himself a little too much after his recent weight loss and began cheating on her.
Lorena discovered a gang of text messages on Joe’s phone and also received confirmation from one of Joe’s homeboys. The source says Joe’s “homeboy” sent her a pic of Joe and his new boo thang, a 26-year-old chick from Dubai, who goes by the name “Ms. Dubai.” She resides in Miami – where Joe, Lorena, and their 5-year-old daughter live as well. And Joe has supposedly flown her to several places with him, and even brought her out in public to parties and such.
I don’t think Joe and Lorena were actually legally married. Either way, I hate to see a long-term relationship come to an end. It looks like Joe lost some brain cells along with all that weight!
A former publicist for Amber Rose is planning to expose the model in an upcoming documentary titled “The Michael Jordan of Models: This Is Janero.”
Publicist Janero Marchand is head of the Marchand Media Group, which at one point counted Amber Rose as a client.
Janero Marchand unleashed a tirade of accusations against Amber Rose on his Twitter account today (January 23).
Marchand claimed that Amber Rose stole his 20% commission he was supposed to earn, for arranging her appearance in the “Robocop” video.
“Set the record straight. Yes, introduced Amber Rose to Kanye West for the ‘Robocop’ video. She stole my 20% of her $100,000 for the video,” Marchand tweeted today.
He also accused Amber Rose of plotting to steal from Kanye West, which was one of the reasons the celebrity couple’s split.
“Amber & her brother Antonio were going to Hawaii plotting & stealing money from Kanye,” Marchand alleged. “I didn’t want anything to do with it so YES I told Ye.”
According to Janero Marchand, he is planning to reveal the details behind the break up, along with more about Amber Rose, in his documentary “The Michael Jordan of Models: This Is Janero,” which drops in February 2012.
Marchand also claimed that one of the reasons for exposing Amber Rose was because of her recent allegations against Kanye West in the media, that included accusations that Kanye cheated on her with Kim Kardashian.
He also issued an ominous warning to Amber Rose, in anticipation of her reply.
“If she tries to refute what I say I have emails to back up everything,” Marchand tweeted. “Kanye is a good person & it’s not right what Amber is doing to him.”
Legendary R&B singer Etta James has died at the age of 73, it was announced today (January 20).
The singer died from complications related to leukemia, in a Riverside, California hospital.
Etta James was discovered by R&B pioneer Johnny Otis, who recorded James’ first hit “Dance with Me Henry.”
She was later signed to Chess Records by Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows, where she recorded classic sides like “Something’s Gotta Hold On Me,” “Tell Mama,” “All I Could Do Was Cry,” and her best known song, “At Last.”
Etta James’ career was turbulent at times, due to an addiction to a variety of drugs, including heroin, alcohol and prescription painkillers.
Etta James won her first of three Grammy awards in the 1990s and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
“Three-time Grammy winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Etta James leaves behind a dynamic legacy spanning six decades,” Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow said. “Her music knew no boundaries as she explored diverse genres including blues, soul, R&B, rock and roll, gospel and jazz. She will forever be remembered for her timeless ballad “At Last,” and a powerful voice that will echo around the world for generations to come. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, fans and all who have been stirred by her soulful songs and passion for music.”
Etta James’ music has been sampled by a number of Hip-Hop artists throughout the years.
Common sampled Etta James’ “Something’s Gotta Hold On Me” for his song “This Is Me,” while Kanye West sampled “My Funny Valentine” on his 2005 track “Addiction.”
Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé Knowles famously played Etta James in the movie “Cadillac Records,” which also starred Mos Def as Chuck Berry.
Hov's New York City, New York club was shuttered just a day after its grand reopening.
Shortly after the reopening of his 40/40 Club in New York City, New York, Jay-Z is now dealing with the closure of his swanky sports bar.
According to NY Post (via HHW), Hov’s Big Apple franchise has been shut down due to food safety violations. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued the bar with 69 violation points, with critical violations including workers not using proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with food, insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment and more.
“If you have a walk-in place with food like this, you put a hell of a lot of people at risk,” an anonymous source said. “A night of dinner and dancing should not include the risk of contracting food-borne illness.”
The 40/40 Club reopened the previous evening (Jan. 18th), with celebrities including Warren Buffett, Swizz Beatz and DJ Khaled appearing to support the event.
Com explains that he's said everything he has to say in their war of words.
Common and Drake have been trading disses over the past few months, most recently culminating with a scathing track aimed at Drizzy on a remix to Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin.” But in an interview with RollingStone.com, Com says that he actually enjoys the Young Money rapper’s music and refers to it as “clever.”
“I think he makes good music," he said. "He's definitely said some real clever things and made some cool songs. I like his music."
Despite their heated war of words, Common says he’s ready to move on from the beef. The Chicago, Illinois explains that he’s expressed everything he feels he needs to say in the situation.
"I feel like I said what I had to say, and I'm just going to let it be at that point," he said. "Now, if something else happens, then I'll just have to act accordingly. But right now, I feel like, man, I said what I needed to say about this situation on record."
Uh OH! There may be some trouble on the scene. Based on the name, you may think that Jay-Z and Beyonce’s baby is about to drop a new clothing line. Shoot, she’s already been on the Billboard charts, why not? Well, we got a tip that a clothing designer has already revealed plans to drop a clothing line called “Blue Ivy” to capitalize off the name that Jay-Z and Beyonce gave their daughter.
That designer better watch out…I smell a lawsuit on its way!!!
Rappers Jay-Z and Will.i.am are among the celebrities comprising a wish list for the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama.
The list, which was leaked last week to the Nashville-based newspaper, The Tennessean, includes 194 potential campaign endorsers who are entertainers. In addition to Jay-Z and Will.i.am, singers Alicia Keys, John Legend and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine comprise the list, as well as India.Arie, Jamie Foxx, George Clooney, Sara Bareilles, Arcade Fire, Counting Crows, Ricky Martin, Josh Groban, Chris Cornell, and Will.i.am’s fellow Black Eyed Peas member Fergie.
“This was a wish list of people and groups who may be asked to participate in a campaign event,” campaign spokesperson Addie Whisenant explained to The Tennessean. “Not everyone on this list has been contact or agreed to help the campaign.”
Being a potential campaign endorser isn’t the first time Jay-Z or Will.i.am have been mentioned in the same breath as Obama. Both rappers have been vocal supporters of Obama, with Jay-Z actively helping to increase voter turnout during the then-Illinois senator’s run for the White House in 2008, in addition to performing for free at voter-drive concerts financed by Obama’s campaign. That following year, Jay-Z was featured on the official remix to fellow rhymesayer Young Jeezy’s song, “My President.”
Like Jay-Z, Will.i.am voiced his support for Obama in 2008. The entertainer contributed “Yes We Can,” a song featuring direct quotes from Obama’s concession speech in the New Hampshire presidential primary. The song, produced by Will.i.am and featured on the album Change Is Now: Renewing America’s Promise was accompanied by a star-studded music video that followed after its release on Feb. 2, 2008.
At this time, it remains to be seen whether Jay-Z and Will.i.am will officially lend their support to Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
Yo Gotti's major label debut nearly cracks the Top 10, while Schoolboy Q does it again, on his own terms. Common may have hit the headlines in a major way last week, and sales suggest a small spike.
Two new Hip Hop releases debuted on the charts this past week. One was from an artist who has succeeded in the independent/underground grind for over a year. The other is the epitome of underground success right now, and achieving commercial recognition through digital-only release. Both works feature an array of high-profile artists, and are driving conversation online.
Yo Gotti's Live From The Kitchen Nearly Gets A Top 10 Debut
Veteran Memphis, Tennessee emcee Yo Gotti's major label debut Live From The Kitchen nearly cracked the Top 10, with a #12 debut. The Polo Grounds/RCA Records release finds Gotti after a tenure a decade ago with TVT Records. His new release includes contributions from Big K.R.I.T., Wiz Khalifa and one of the artists who he helped premier at a mainstream level, Nicki Minaj. Gotti sold over 15,000 first-week units in a quiet January.
Schoolboy Q's Habits & Contradictions Hits The Charts In Two Days
Black Hippy emcee Schoolboy Q's second digital release Habits & Contradictions released Saturday, January 14. With only two days at retail the Top Dawg Entertainment release scanned nearly 4,000 units to crack the Top 100 - without any marketing or advertising. This is the second time Q has done this, after last year's Setbacks accomplished a similar a feat almost a year to the day from January 14. Habits & Contradictions features involvement from The Alchemist, ASAP Rocky and Curren$y, in addition to appearances from Black Hippy cohorts Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar.
* 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.
Can both new additions sustain on the charts for at least another week? Stay tuned to HipHopDX.
That’s the word according to the Miami Times News, who’s reporting that Weezy got into a little brawl with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant over the weekend at Club Liv. The following updates have been coming in throughout the day:
“Beach police have no incident reports from the fight, but a source tells a Herald reporter that Lil’ Wayne was involved. The fight happened inside the Fontainebleau’s LIV, the station reports, but details are otherwise sketchy about the altercation. For now, WFAA reports that Bryant was at LIV on Sunday night when he clashed with the unnamed rapper’s “entourage.“
“The Dallas Morning News writes that the fight started over someone mocking Bryant about a subpar season and a mounting personal debt crisis. Either way, Bryant’s mentor David Wells tells WFAA that the wide receiver wasn’t arrested in the incident.”
“MBPD apparently has no record of Bryant being detained on Sunday at the Fontainebleau. There was a bit of a melee outside LIV that night with a drunk patron striking a security guard in the chest and a crowd swarming to watch the fight, according to a police report, but Bryant isn’t mentioned in the paperwork.”
2012 is wasting no time trying to one-up 2011 with the major label signings of buzzing artists. Last year, we saw Kreayshawn make $1 million in one of the biggest busts of a deal for a label, then A$AP Rocky cashed in a rumored $3 million from RCA. (He’s actually been one of the more consistent rappers out there as of late, though.)
Then, last week, it was rumored that Australia native Iggy Azalea had landed a deal at Def Jam, which was pretty much confirmed by her tweets, as well as those of A&Rs at the label. Now we have word from Harlem’s own Azealia Banks that she just inked a deal with Universal Music!
Check out the tweets below, and congratulations to Ms. Banks, a.k.a. Kanye’s Twitter pal
News and reports have swirled for the past week about newly anointed father, Jay-Z, swearing off the word “b*tch” now that he has a daughter in the sure-to-be-beautiful, Blue Ivy Carter.
Well, that’s not exactly the case according to representatives for the father, rapper, and mogul, who recently reopened the New York location of his 40/40 Club.
Via Billboard: “The first publication to report the poem’s existence, Rolling Out, cites no publication source for the poem and could not be reached for comment. Sources close to the rapper have declined to confirm or deny its authenticity. “
And according to The Daily News, Jay-Z told the newspaper directly that “the poem and story are fake.”
Carmen Bryant, the woman who notoriously started the Jay-Z and Nas beef back in 2001, is back and talking reckless on Twitter. If you all remember, Carmen is the mother of Nas’ daughter, Destiny, and legend says that she was creeping around with Jay-Z behind Nas’ back. Nas found out, and he unleashed one of the best diss records ever, “Ether”! Jay-Z came back with “Super Ugly,” which had so many low blows in it, he publicly apologized for it.
Anyway, Carmen has gotten herself a little Twitter account, and she’s talking all kinds of craziness on there. Check out a few of her tweet below:
“Awe Camel wrote a letter to his daughter…..Why didn’t he write one to his SON?”
Carmen even goes in on Alicia Keys, calling her a “homewrecker”. Nas come get your baby mama…it looks like she’s not done embarrassing you yet!
President Obama has taken a stance against SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act), a bill that would allow the justice department to force Internet providers and search engines to block all sites accused of copyright infringement.
For now, it appears that President Obama has stalled the controversial legislation. Read the details according to Forbes.com:
“The growing anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) support that has swept through the gaming and Internet community found a very big ally today. With websites like Reddit and Wikipedia and gaming organizations like Major League Gaming prepared for a blackout on January 18th – the same day that the House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 3261was scheduled in Washington, D.C. – President Barack Obama has stepped in and said he would not support the bill.
SOPA has been delayed, for now. The House has agreed to revisit the issue next month, but they now know the White House will veto any bill that’s not more narrowly focused.
Much to the chagrin of Hollywood, the Entertainment Software Association (which has been a backer of the bill from early on), and Internet domain company GoDaddy.com (which lost many accounts as a result of its support for the bill); SOPA has been shelved. The Motion Picture Association of America, one of the bill’s largest sponsors, is expected to regroup.”
A Las Vegas judge dismissed his cocaine possession charge stemming from his 2010 arrest.
In September of 2010, Bruno Mars (born Peter Gene Hernandez) was arrested for drug possession following a concert at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. He later plead guilty to having 2.6 grams of cocaine.
Since then, Mars has been on good behavior, completing his probation and 230 hours of community service. He also paid a $2,000 fine and participated in eight hours of drug counseling.
Mars’ lawyer, Blair Berk, told TMZ, “Bruno earned the dismissal of his charge. He exceeded the expectations of the court in both his service to the community and his counseling.”
Judge Jessie Walsh agreed and dismissed the charges against the pop star.
An Atlanta music company has filed a lawsuit against Yung Joc and Block Enterprises, claiming legal control over the rapper’s career.
Master Mind Music Inc. filed a lawsuit against Yung Joc and Block Enterprises in United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia on January 17.
The lawsuit claims that Yung Joc signed an artist development and exclusive recording agreement with Master Mind Music in February of 2005.
Under the deal that Yung Joc signed, each record that was created by the rapper during the duration of the deal, was to be the property of Master Mind Music.
Master Mind Music also reserved the exclusive right to copyright the recordings of Yung Joc in its own name.
In addition to administrative rights, the lawsuit claims that Master Mind Music was entitled to co-ownership of all of Yung Joc recordings, in addition to a 50% share of Yung Joc’s publishing during the term of the agreement.
The lawsuit claims that Master Mind Music helped with the recording and eventual release of Yung Joc’s debut album Hustlenomics, which contained the rapper’s biggest single “Coffee Shop.”
Around October of 2005, Master Mind Music linked with Block Enterprises, in order to place Yung Joc on the Bad Boy/Atlantic Records record label.
The lawsuit claims that Block Enterprises presented Yung Joc as its sole artist, effectively cutting Master Mind Music out of the deal.
The lawsuit also claims the Block Enterprises illegally granted copyright interest in Yung Joc’s recordings to Bad Boy.
“Block knew or should have known that he did not have the rights to the artists’ exclusive recording services which he purportedly granted to Bad Boy/Atlantic,” the complaint reads. “Further, Block never subsequently acquired those rights from Master Mind.”
According to Master Mind Music’s lawsuit, Yung Joc debut album for Bad Boy, New Jock City, sold over 1 million copies and contained the single “It’s Goin Down.”
Master Mind Music claim that Block Enterprises didn’t have the authority to distribute Yung Joc’s master recordings.
Master Mind Music is suing for copyright infringement, breach of contract, torturous interference with contractual relations, fraudulent misrepresentation, and fraud.
Rappers 50 Cent, Lil Jon and Pitbull will bring their star power to the Super Bowl XLVI this year, as headliners of the Bud Light Hotel concert lineup.
The rappers will perform at the Bud Light Hotel, which is the official destination for Super Bowl XLVI week entertainment.
Bud Light, which is the official beer sponsor of the NFL, has transformed a 180-room downtown Indianapolis hotel, into an entertainment hub.
The Bud Light Hotel is hosting parties for EA Sports and Playboy, in addition to performances by 50 Cent,
Lil Jon and Pitbull, who is sponsored by Bud Light.
Check out the line-up of events:
Thursday, Feb. 2 – EA SPORTS Madden Bowl XVIII (invitation only)
Friday, Feb. 3 – The Playboy Party (invitation only)
Saturday, Feb. 4 – 50 Cent, Lil Jon and Pitbull (doors open at 8 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 5 – Barenaked Ladies (doors open at 2 p.m.)
Hip-Hop legend LL Cool J will serve as host of the 54th annual Grammy a
Awards this year.
This is the first time LL Cool J has served as host of the Grammys and it’s the first time in seven years, that the Grammy’s have had an official host.
LL, who has won two Grammys of his own, is already associated with the Grammys.
In addition to hosting the “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night” since 2008, LL also serves as co-producer of the pre-Grammy performance show.
“I’m thrilled to be part of Music’s Biggest Night,” LL Cool J told AllHipHop.com in a statement today (January 18).
“I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true,” LL said. “Great performances and great music — it’s gonna be a great night!”
Artists who will take to the stage during The Grammy Awards include Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj, who will perform at the ceremony, for the first time.
The 54th annual Grammy Awards air on February 12, live from the Staples Center at 8:00 PM on CBS.
Diddy and Cameron Diaz continued to fuel rumors that they are getting it in with each other. Last night, the two sat at a corner table together at a Golden Globes party and refused to take any photos together. When a photographer came over to get a group shot, Cameron bent down to get out of the shot.
The two arrived and departed the event together, although they coordinated it so that Cameron arrived and left the party about 45 seconds before Diddy. He was caught following her out of the back door, and The YBF.com has the photos to prove it!!! Check the photos out below.
CAUGHT! You’re not sneaky, Diddy!!! Cassie, come get your man!
Clifford “Tip” Harris Jr. is no stranger to the world of acting. The Grammy Award-winning rapper has transitioned to “actor” over the past few years, with roles in some high profile movies like American Gangster, ATL, Takers and even appearing on the hit HBO show, Entourage.
In a recent interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine, it was revealed that the Rubberband Man could have elevated his “star” to enormous heights in 2012 had he not violated his probation with that infamous traffic stop. The run-in with the cops put Tip back in the slammer for 11 months, while he was out promoting Takers and his new album at the time, No Mercy.
“I was supposed to be in the film Tower Heist with Ben Stiller. The Eddie Murphy movie. I was supposed to be in that. And I wasn’t able, obviously, to be there. G.I. Joe II (G.I. Joe: Retaliation), they called me for that. World War Z with Brad Pitt. They called me for that. The Joel Silver movie (Bullet to the Head) – I would have been co-starring with Sylvester Stallone. They called me for that too.“
We know Detroit rap giant Eminem has been going through some changes over the past few years…getting off those pills and whatnot, developing a new rap group called Slaughterhouse, still making good music, and doing a decent job of staying out of the negative paparazzi gleam.
And now it seems that the mostly private Em has taken on a new challenge – doling out public opinions about and advice to pro sports teams! In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the rapper offered his thoughts on the seemingly, kinda, well, always iffy Dallas team:
“Just for the record — I am a Lions fan first and foremost,” Eminem said. “But growing up as a kid, the Lions were so bad for so long, that I picked up another team in the Cowboys.
“I hate to sound f*cking cliché, but I truly believe that Romo gives them the best chance to win,” Eminem said.
Joking about using the sports commentary in an upcoming track, Slim Shady pondered: “Who knows? A lot of things rhyme with Tebow, though, right?” Hmmm. Yeah.
GQ also asked him for his predictions for the Super Bowl – which at press time were New England and New Orleans. One outta two ain’t bad!
He has dropped lines in songs about sports before, so maybe this is no big deal, but Ol’ Emsy doesn’t say much, so like Kanye West, it’s always worth a listen! Maybe he was inspired by Slaughterhouse member, Joe Budden’s, appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” a few weeks ago. We gotta admit…Joey B held his own in the sports department!!
Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons’ UniRush has filed a lawsuit against a company that he claims has been using the “Rush Card” name to leverage search results.
Lawyers for Simmons’s Rush Card filed a lawsuit against AccountNow in United States Federal Court, Southern Division.
According to the complaint, AccountNow is taking advantage of the word “Rush” and sending customers to its own website, in some cases trumping the real “Rush Card” display ads on various Internet sites.
Lawyers for Simmons’s Rush Card said that they sent a cease and desist notice to AccountNow in November of 2011, but the legal warning was ignored.
Lawyers for Simmons’ Rush Card are concerned that consumers are being confused by the similar advertising, which could damage Simmons’ brand.
Russell Simmons launched the Rush Card in 2004.
In 2008, Russell Simmons sued another fraudster for attempting to operate the website rushmecredit.com.
UniRush is suing for unfair competition, trademark infringement and seeks an undetermined amount of punitive damages.
YMCMB rapper Tyga is accused of inciting a riot when he was a no show for his January 6th concert in San Diego.
According to TMZ, despite numerous attempts to locate the rapper, Tyga was unable to be reached and was an eventual no-show to his San Diego, CA performance at the World Beat Center earlier this month.
When concert promoters told the crowd of hundreds of fans that Tyga wouldn’t be performing, fans began to trash the World Beat Center, destroying the walls, floors, and other pieces of property in the venue.
Eventually, 12 police officers were called to the scene to break up the disturbance that resulted in Tyga being banned from the venue for further concerts.
Tyga’s reps could not be reached for comment at press time.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with a lawsuit by Empress Haircare Products, over the usage of the name Empress, a perfume created by the Sean John Clothing Company.
Empress Haircare Products filed a lawsuit on January 10 in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.
According to the lawsuit, representatives for Sean John attempted to file a trademark for the name Empress, even though they knew that a existing trademark had been granted to Empress Haircare Products.
Around February 2010, an attorney for Sean John contacted Empress Haircare Products, in an attempt to obtain the rights to use the trademark, in return for compensation.
Empress Haircare Products declined to enter an agreement with Sean John, and would not grant the rights to use the Empress mark.
Sean John then filed a second application to trademark the name “Empress Sean John,” but the application was also rejected, because consumers could have been confused by the similar names.
Attorneys for Sean John then allegedly contacted Empress Haircare Products, in an attempt to plead their case, claiming there would be no confusion in the marketplace.
Despite the legal issues surrounding the name, the lawsuit claims that the “Empress Sean John Perfume and Lotion” was released and is currently being marketed to the same target consumer as the Empress Haircare line of products.
Sean John is being sued for infringement of a federally registered trademark and unfair competition.
Empress Haircare Products is seeking damages of up to three times the amount suffered, in addition to three times the profits earned by Sean John’s Empress perfume line.
A federal judge disclosed Friday that former presidential candidate John Edwards has a life-threatening heart condition, a court source confirmed to CNN.
Edwards had sought a delay in his criminal corruption trial, scheduled to begin this month.
Attorneys and the federal judge met in a North Carolina courtroom Friday afternoon for a status hearing regarding the pending trial of Edwards, a former U.S. senator.
Edwards appeared at Friday's hearing. His lawyers had made the motion for a delay under seal, but some of its details were publicly revealed by the judge in the open hearing.
The criminal trial has been delayed until at least March 26, according to the court source. Judge Catherine Eagles said she has been in contact with Edwards' cardiologist, who recommended a postponement, saying Edwards is scheduled to undergo surgery next month.
Edwards has to provide the court with a written medical update by February 28, according to court records.
One legal expert, Marcellus McRae, a trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said he doubted that Edwards' illness would influence a jury verdict.
"Edwards's illness may prompt the public, including potential jurors, to view him in a more sympathetic light. However, it is doubtful that this will have any impact on the outcome of his trial," McRae said. "Given the nature of the charges, his physical condition is of no relevance and he will have in theory recovered by the time the case went to trial in March in any event."
Edwards' attorneys asked in December to delay his criminal trial, saying he had an unspecified medical issue.
Edwards is charged with six felony and misdemeanor counts related to donations to and payments from his failed 2008 presidential campaign. He is accused of conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws. He denies any wrongdoing.
Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, died of cancer in December 2010. The couple had separated that year, shortly after Edwards admitted that he had fathered a daughter with Rielle Hunter, who was hired to make documentary videos for his campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
March 26 is also when a North Carolina civil trial is scheduled to start in Hunter's invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against Andrew Young, an Edwards aide in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Hunter is suing Young to reclaim materials that she says belong to her, including an alleged sex tape that involves Edwards.
Hunter's lawsuit claims that the tape was made in or about September 2006 and that she worked with a political action committee for Edwards' campaign between about July 2006 and December 2006.
Com Sense explains the origins of the beef with Drizzy.
Common and Drake have been exchanging shots at one another over the past few weeks, with the former most recently releasing a scathing diss remix to Rick Ross’ “Stay Schemin.” Speaking with Sirius Hip-Hop Nation last night, the Chicago, Illinois native said that the battle is not because Drizzy was hanging out with his ex-girlfriend Serena Williams, but more because he took it to the next level.
“Well, the song ‘Sweet,’ for me, was a song where I was really talking about Hip Hop. A lot of the softer side of Hip Hop is just being the example of what people think Hip Hop is. To me, you can express yourself in many different ways, but I was just missing that hardcore Hip Hop, that raw Hip Hop sound, and I was just talking about it. I was saying, man, the song ‘Sweet’ was cats out there doing sweet music. Dude must have took offense to it, so he came out and said some things, and once he said something on record, I said something on record.”
Common asserts that he did not intend to specifically diss Drake, but once he responded in concert, the floodgates opened.
“That was the first thing that he responded and said something. I was like, well, I wasn’t trying to address you specifically, but if you feel like you are that person and if you’re addressing this to me, then I have to address you back,” he continued. “But my whole mentality was that I’m doing this for Hip Hop music. I’m not trying to bring somebody down. At the end of the day, I just expressed what I felt about Hip Hop. And I’ma keep it on that level, just as an emcee. That’s how I battle. I don’t try to battle any other way than emceeing.”
Contrary to rumors on the Internet, the battle is not over Com’s ex-girlfriend Serena Williams. Though Drake was spotted with her following their breakup, Common maintains that it’s all because the Young Money rapper fired back.
“We know that things can get like that, but that’s not what we want for the culture, for ourselves as men. I think we learned enough from those days to be like, OK, if you’re going to challenge me as an artist, an emcee, I’ma let you know who I am.
You just gotta know what you in it for. I got in this because it’s Hip Hop. I was speaking up on the song ‘Sweet’ about, over and over we’re hearing a lot of singing. I listen to R&B, I listen to good R&B and soul music, so I’m not opposed to singing. I’ma be frank about that. But I just spoke up for the art of Hip Hop and what I feel about it, and I want everybody to know that Hip Hop is a diverse culture and it does have that boom bap to it too. Once he said something back, that’s when I said, aight, I guess you want to get in a battle with me. And if that’s what you want, then I’ll battle.”
Rihanna is allegedly trying to sink her claws into L.A. Clippers star Blake Griffin. The singer reportedly has a huge crush on last year’s NBA slam dunk champion, and has been attending a lot of Clippers games lately in hopes of catching his eye.
Below are a few photos of Rihanna at a few Clippers games this year.
Rihanna even skipped out on attending the People’s Choice Awards last night to see her boo in action. Blake is a cutie, but we hear he has a girlfriend. Girlfriend, smirlfriend, has that ever stopped Rihanna before?!
In related news, Rihanna’s Roc Nation team recently gifted her with a new, black Jeep Wrangler!
Rihanna was so happy with the new whip, that she tweeted the Jay-Z lyric below :
“Foot out dat bitch, ride dat shit like a skateboard!!! Thank u to my G’z at RocNation baby!”
Lucky girl! Even though we all know that Roc Nation got that car for free because of Jay-Z’s endorsement deal with Jeep. So essentially, by having Rihanna drive around in the car, she will be endorsing it as well. Except she’ll be endorsing it for free!
File this one under LMAO!!! This is just too funny! Keri Hilson has made it known that she dislikes Beyonce in countless interviews, and even tried to go hard at her on one of her tracks. Well, we all know how hard Beyonce stans go hard to protect their little Bey, and unfortunately for Keri Hilson, she encountered one of them on the street.
Check out her tweet below about the encounter:
Is Keri just trying to get some of that Beyonce/Jay-Z publicity thrown her way, or do you think she was really attacked?
Whoo Kid jokingly recalls all of the times he's been fired and "love" smacked by 50, talking about his experience behind the turntables for G-Unit's General.
For years, DJ Whoo Kid has been the resident deejay for 50 Cent and his G-Unit camp. During a recent stop at ThisIs50, Whoo Kid talked about his experience with G-Unit and described what it feels like to be fired and smacked by 50 Cent. DJ Whoo Kid also explained why Eminem and his camp wanted him killed.
"The first DJ got stabbed and left town, went to Tennessee or somewhere," Whoo Kid said, describing how he became a part of G-Unit. "I think it was during that studio situation where the lights got cut off. It was a deejay that got stabbed. When 50's mixtape came out, they had the tour schedule. They just needed a deejay but at that time, they weren't interviewing anybody. The trust issue was crazy. So, I was put into G-Unit as the deejay."
Since then, Whoo Kid has rocked with 50 Cent on stage. However, during that time, 50 also fired Whoo Kid on several occasions.
"It's up to 48 [times being fired] now," he said. "I don't mind getting fired because I guess he's so used to doing it so much that he gotta keep firing me. You could go on YouTube and see all the countries I got fired from."
Firing has been one part of the job, but smacks have apparently been another. According to Whoo Kid, he watched as 50 "smacked random people" during a tour, adding that he's also been smacked.
"I didn't want to fuck up with 50 on stage because during those days, he was ruthless. He was smacking everybody. He was smacking people per day. He was smacking everybody on the bus. If he had nothing to talk about or to do, he would smack random people on the bus. That's why I stayed in the front with the fucking bus driver."
Still, that tactic didn't keep him safe from smacks, though he says they were "love smacks."
"He loves me so it's like a love smack. But the new niggas was gettin' wrecked."
During the interview he also explained why Eminem wanted him killed.
"Along time ago, I leaked an Eminem joint by mistake and they wanted to kill me," he shared.
More from the interview can be seen below, courtesy of ThisIs50.
It looks as if fatherhood is really changing Jay-Z for the better. In honor of his daughter, Blue Ivy, Jay-Z has made a commitment to drop the B-word from his vocabulary. Check out the touching letter Jay-Z released today:
Before I got in the game, made a change, and got rich,
I didn’t think hard about using the word B—-.
I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it
now with my daughter in this world
I curse those that give it.
I never realized while on the fast track
that I’d give riddance to the word bitch, to leave her innocence in tact.
No man will degrade her, or call her out her name
the women won’t despise her and call her the same.
I know it’s gonna miss me
cuz we been together like Nike Airs and crisp tees
when we all used to hang out front
singing 99 problems but a lady ain’t one.
Excuse me miss, can I be your mister
cuz I can tell the difference from a little girl and a sister,
She never grew up, her father left her alone
I promise not to talk like we used to
until Kingdom Come.
I’m so focused on your future,
The degradation has passed
I wish you wealth, health, and insight
forever young you may pass.
Blue Ivy Carter, my angel.
Some of you kiddies are too young to remember when Common and Ice Cube had beef. Basically, Common caught flack for his song “I Used To Love H.E.R.” and Ice Cube and them didn’t like it. Well, they did some response that I don’t remember but it prompted Common to do the now classic diss song “The B****h In Yoo.” Got it? This was 1996.
In 2012, Common is beefing with Drake. This is all fun and lyrics even though some people are trying to suggest it could turn into something more. Well, I am hearing rumors that Common has braced for a Drake reply and recorded (or will record) “The B***h In Yoo” Part 2 for Drake. If this is true, I am assuming it is under the anticipation that Drake may return with a diss. Based on what Baby of Cash Money recently proclaimed, I don’t see Drake having much more to say. Also, I think quiet as kept, people realize that this could be a brand problem for Drizzy, not a Hip-Hop one. IF “The B***h In Yoo” Part 2 comes out do you think it would measure up to the original? Based on “Sweet,” I think so. Maybe Drake should take the beat first and run with it!
Here is the original 1996 “The B***h In Yoo.” (This version is fast, because of the youtube bs rules. All the rest are blocked.):
Young Money founder, Grammy Award-winner, and platinum-selling rapper, Lil Wayne, is moving into a new entrepreneurial venture – being an author.
Wayne, who spent eight months in 2010 on Riker’s Island in New York after being found guilty of a gun charge, will release his first memoir through Grand Central Publishing later this year.
Ben Greenberg, executive editor at Grand Central Publishing, said the following about Gone Til November: “We are thrilled to be publishing Wayne’s prison memoir. He kept detailed journals of his inner and outer life while he was on Rikers Island, and they certainly tell a story. They are revealing.”
The journals are said to detail Wayne’s “thoughts and feelings, the people he met, his plans, his family, his children, his past and his future,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gone Til November is set for release on November 28.
2012 looks to be a year of achievements for Atlanta rapper/actor Ludacris, who will reunite with R&B singer Usher for his forthcoming album, Ludaversal.
According to Ludacris, the offering is “in the “beginning stages” at this time. Ludaversal will mark the first official studio contribution from Ludacris since the release of his 2010 album, Battle of the Sexes. The rhymesayer released a mixtape, 1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time in November 2011.
“I get the beats together and I put out my ideas, so I’d say we’re maybe about 40 percent done,” the rhymester told Billboard.com. “I’ve pretty much collected about 80 percent of the beats that I need, and I’ve started writing ideas on them. First I have to love the beat, absolutely love it.”
Usher is the latest collaborator to come aboard for Ludaversal. Hitmaking production team, The Neptunes, were confirmed by Ludacris last year as being part of the project, which the rapper admitted to being set for release in May.
As for Usher’s involvement, Ludacris acknowledged their past work together, while teasing about other things fans can look forward to with his newest release.
“Usher is one person that I’ve already worked with and in terms of other artists; you can say that there’s going to be a lot of surprises on here,” said Ludacris.
The duo first aligned with each other on the number one hit “Yeah!” The Lil John-assisted track was followed by another success as the trio joined forces again for Lil John’s “Lovers and Friends.” The first single from Ludaversal will be released “probably within March,” the lyricist revealed to Billboard while providing a glimpse of what will be addressed on the album.
“It’s been a minute since I’ve been away from music, and there is just so much to talk about,” Ludacris shared. “So [the album] is mostly about my personal life, my travels, my experiences, rumors, gossip – you know, everything coming together in one.”
Usher’s inclusion on Ludaversal comes on the heels of a business victory for Ludacris, who announced last week the opening of a new restaurant, Chicken & Beer, in Atlnata’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia.
Grammy nominated rapper Nicki Minaj has been announced as the first performers during the 54th annual Grammy awards.
Nicki Minaj would join artists like Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift as performers during the event, which will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Nicki Minaj’s performance is the first time she’s ever performed live on the Grammy stage.
This year, Nicki is up for four Grammy awards.
The Young Money rapper is nominated for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album for Pink Friday, Album of the Year as a featured artist Rihanna’s album Loud, and Best Rap Performance for her hit single “Moment 4 Life.”
The Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The show will be broadcast on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m.
It's the "story" of legend, even if the story was always a fictional tale. Michael Jordan, regarded for over a decade to be the best basketball player ever, was supposedly "cut" from his high school basketball team during his sophomore year. Jordan has brought it up endlessly, writers like Bob Greene and David Halberstam trumpeted the tale, and the idea that the Best Player Ever could not be included amongst the 10-best players in tiny Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C., back in 1979 tends to boggle the mind.
It should boggle the mind, because it isn't true. Not just that he wasn't amongst the 10 best, Jordan clearly was, but because MJ was never really "cut." He was sent to the JV team by a 26-year-old coach who was recently brilliantly profiled by Thomas Lake at Sports Illustrated. Coach Clifton Herring is a man who probably didn't think he'd be the subject of anything having to do with Sports Illustrated at the time, much less 30-some years later.
It is a long (for the blog generation) but worthwhile read that cuts to the ever-shrinking core of Jordan, the person whose accomplishments need no inflating, but someone who has taken self-aggrandizing to a new level in the same way that he dominated the game of basketball for two decades after that "cut."
In those days it was rare for sophomores to make varsity. Herring made one exception in 1978, one designed to remedy his team's height disadvantage. This is part of the reason Mike Jordan went home and cried in his room after reading the two lists. It wasn't just that his name was missing from the varsity roster. It was also that as he scanned the list he saw the name of another sophomore, one of his close friends, the 6'7" Leroy Smith.
Over the next three decades Jordan would become a world-class collector of emotional wounds, a champion grudge-holder, a magician at converting real and imagined insults into the rocket fuel that made him fly. If he had truly been cut that year, as he would claim again and again, he wouldn't have had such an immediate chance for revenge. But in fact his name was on the second list, the jayvee roster, with the names of many of his fellow sophomores. Jordan quickly became a jayvee superstar.
Bobby Knight also loves to tell a tale of his own, even if his was actually based in reality. About how he told then-Portland Trail Blazer GM Stu Inman to "play [Jordan] at center" when Inman talked up drafting a needed center in the 1984 draft ahead of Jordan. Inman, flush with Clyde Drexler and 20-point scorer in Jim Paxson at the wings, selected Sam Bowie ahead of MJ. Bowie boasted more considerable accomplishments than Leroy Smith did at Laney, but the lesson (I suppose) remains the same.
Size matters in basketball, at any level. Just as it matters in football with linemen or a quarterback that can see over the top of an oncoming defense, it matters in a game where the best possible shot is taken inches away from the goal. And before Jordan, at least in the NBA, no other guard really mattered as much.
Every champion had a center leading the way, even if that center wasn't always the team's best player or leading scorer. Hell, before Jordan won his first NBA title in 1991, league-leading scorers didn't really factor into championship teams. To discredit coaches or personnel chiefs for not recognizing a player who would change the entire way we look at basketball is to yell at anyone who was around before 2005 for not figuring out that we could film hilarious things on our mobile phones and easily upload them to the Internet to much acclaim.
To kill the then-26-year-old Clifton Herring for thinking orthodoxy-first and selecting a 6-7 big man to man his middle over a 5-10 guard that would no doubt lead the JV squad to a series of wins (while developing his game with all the minutes and shots he could handle) is ridiculous. This isn't college hoops, where the 5-10 guard could transfer or fly off to the NBA. This isn't the NBA, where the guard could pout, force a trade, or leave as a free agent.
This is high school, where you have that guard for another two seasons following his assumed brilliant turn with the JV. This is high school, where you have a team to consider in between grading American History quizzes, and making absolutely no money while dealing with the developing egos and emotions of dozens of students.
This is high school. It sucked then and will continue to suck for everyone that is forced through its halls. Get over it, emo Michael Jordan. Because it clearly got a whole lot better.
Drake's "Take Care" stands strong, while J. Cole's "Cole World" and Pitbull's "Planet Pit" make significant gains on the chart.
For the second week in a row no Rap/Hip Hop releases added to the charts. However, there were some movements within the reigning charters. While most releases saw a decrease in position, Pitbull's Planet Pit gained a massive 24 spots, J. Cole's Cole World debut climbed over 10 spots on the charts, while Game's R.E.D.ascended six spots, and Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa's Mac + Devin Go To High School Soundtrack release gained a single spot.
Drake's Take Care Holds Strong At #2
Identical to last week, Drake held down the Rap/Hip Hop charts at #2, beat overall only by Adele. The Toronto emcee's studio sophomore effort was just over 80,000 units behind the prodigous singer. Drizzy's fourth overall commercial release (including the Young Money album) features Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj. The work is sitting at just under 1.3 million copies sold for the Cash Money/Young Money family.
Childish Gambino's Camp Remains A Top 100 Release
Comedian/actor/writer-turned rapper Childish Gambino (a/k/a Donald Glover) continues to give Glassnote Records their first six-figure-selling Hip Hop album. The Community star's album continues to thrive without radio-play, as the 28 year-old largely self-produced his studio debut. His three previous street albums include Poindexter, Culdesac and Sickboi.
* 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.
Will Southern independent vet Yo Gotti's major label debut, Live From The Kitchen make a Top 10 debut?
Hov and Bey's newborn is already making her mark by becaming the youngest person to chart on Billboard.
It may have taken Jay-Z a couple of years to make it big after his dropped his debut album Reasonable Doubt, but it looks like his daughter is hitting the charts early. Blue Ivy Carter, Hova and Beyonce's newborn daughter, is now the youngest person to be credited on a Billboard chart entry.
According to Billboard, Jay-Z's recent song "Glory," which featured a recordIng of his daughter Blue Ivy's first moments after birth, entered the Billboard Hip Hop/R&B charts at No. 74 this weekend. As a result, the daughter of the Roc Nation impresario, who is credited as B.I.C. on the song, became the youngest person to ever be featured on the Billboard charts only 48 hours after her birth.
The song's release marked a new achievement for newfound dad Jay-Z as well. "Glory" became Hov's 107th entry on the Billboard charts and debuted as the highest new entry on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list with 1.7 million listeners.
Some people are just plain old CRAZY! Some nut bag in North Carolina vandalized a sign outside a church to read “Beyonce had her baby, Satan is on earth.”
According to TMZ, the pastor at Beulah Hill Baptist Church in West End, NC said that he discovered the vandalism yesterday after receiving numerous complaints from locals — and removed it immediately. The pastor insists, the church had nothing to do with the apocalyptic message … it was simply the victim in a random act of mischief.
In related news, Beyonce’s sister Solange is tired of people calling her sister a liar and has taken to Twitter to expressed how p’ed off she is. Check out her rant below:
“It has really gotten out of hand. I’ve been doing my best at keeping my mouth shut….but the ignorance is really sad and upsetting. We are supposed to be super human and watch people we love get slandered, lied on, and ridiculed. It is one of THE hardest things to accept.
In any other workplace…if someone directly tells your mother or sister is a liar and a fake ect…you would naturally express yourself. However, the pure happiness and joy I’ve witnessed and experienced helps me to keep my mouth shut.”
While I do feel sorry for the sister, scrutiny is the price of fame. And they are being paid quite handsomely!
You know when Baby gets involved, it’s a problemo for Common. That’s why he repeatedly screamed “This man to man!” LOL! Now, Baby has basically said that its whatever! “Drake the homey so we ride or die. So, however the lil homey wanna deal with it. We support him with our life. Its Drake or nothing.” Baby said he won’t get into it lyrically. See it below.
Malice, the other/less celebrated half of The Clipse, has just revealed in his new book, that he has been married for 20 years! Who knew? Malice is also reportedly turning over a new leaf and is now a Christian rapper! Good for him.
In his new book, Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind and Naked, Malice offers a laundry list of tips on how to make your marriage last as long as his, and with all of the groupies, traveling, and money that he experienced in his life, while still maintaining his relationship, maybe he has something worth listening to.
Malice writes in the book:
“Faith is the foundation. It’s the floor plan to my marriage. Faith and forgiveness lay the ground rules… It’s just a big part of it and I think that as… and I got to choose my words carefully, but I think, not just Black people, but in our culture and I do believe it’s culture in general… I’m just so focused on my culture that it’s just very relevant for us, but I think that many times we give up on those who we claim to love or we know we’re in relationships with.”
“I think that relationships and marriage especially is about working with one another and loving each other so much that you know you’re able to forgive and be willing to compromise and work out some things and I just think that we give up too soon, so I think that faith definitely plays a part in building strong, lasting relationships and sometimes you just have to go through the fire to be purified.”
That’s actually some really good advice. On a sidenote, did you know Malice is 40 years old!? He doesn’t look a day over 30!
Harlem rapper and recently-announced Coachella 2012 performer, Azealia Banks, has been putting it all out there recently. After sending some shots Kreayshawn’s way last week on Twitter, she now has an even more elaborate opinion on Illseed’s Person of the Year, as well as some words about the first lady of YMCMB, Nicki Minaj.
Speaking to The Hundreds magazine for an upcoming cover story that will hit newsstands on February 2, Banks revealed the following when asked about her two fellow, female “MCs”:
On Nicki Minaj:
“The butt, the hair, the this, the that, all the other sh*t, like… As much respect that I have for her, we’ve seen you do this already, what else can you do?”
On Kreayshawn:
“As much as Kreayshawn would love to be considered part of this ‘rap game,’ she’s not. I guess a part of me is kind of annoyed that those white girls are making these songs, and it’s like if these girls were black and making the same songs would you be that interested?”
Is this a case of an upcoming rapper trying to get some shine, or do you agree with her stance? What is she trying to accomplish? Well, here are her own words: “I’m trying to be innovative, I want to be like Missy Elliott was, respected and accepted for doing her own thing.”
Blue Ivy Carter, the newborn daughter of Beyonce Knowles and Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, is having one heck of a first week. Before leaving Lennox Hospital in New York City late last night (January 10), baby Blue was given one of the most thoughtful and original gifts imaginable, the song “Glory,” by her father Jay-Z.
Now comes the real gifts, though, which are being given to the family by members of the industry, close friends and relatives, acquaintances, and fans.
Some of the more talked about gifts have come from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, who has given Blue Ivy a trunk full of her favorite children’s books, while Beyonce’s close friend and Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland was seen shopping at a children’s boutique in New York City a couple of days ago purchasing a Bob Marley onesie for Blue Ivy.
Entertainment Weekly also reported that Rowland gave the couple a Swarovski crystal bathtub for the Baby, priced at about $5,200 while dad Jay bought his baby girl a $22,000 Posh Tots Fantasy Crib (pictured below).
Other celebrities, such as Diddy, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more have all reportedly showered the newborn with the finest brands in baby accessories and clothing.
In addition to the crib that Jay bought, both he and Beyonce are said to have shelled out over $1.5 million on baby gifts. This would include a $600,000 golden rocking horse and a $15,000 Swarovski high chair.
The former Bad Boy will remain behind bars for a case stemming from over three years ago.
Former Bad Boy Records artist and Harlem World member Loon has been arrested in Belgium. According to DDotOmen.com, the Harlem, New York emcee was reportedly arrested while trying to enter the European country after he had been indicted in May of this year for distributing heroin. The charges stem from over three years ago, in North Carolina.
Loon, now known as Amir Junaid Muhadith, will reportedly be extradited to the United States for trial.
Loon's music career has been quiet in the last five years. After his Bad Boy self-titled solo debut, Loon released several independent albums, most recently 2007's Bad Boys with another former Diddy protege, G-Dep. G-Dep is presently incarcerated for confessing to a 1993 New York robbery-murder.
UPDATE: According to an article published in Nieuwsblad.be, Loon has been ordered to remain behind bars in Brussels, Germany. His lawyer, Isa Gultaslar, said that a grand jury decided that he will stay in prison earlier today and will attempt to appeal the decision in Supreme Court. The U.S. is yet to send documents for his extradition.
Hov and Bey thank fans for their support during the birth of their first child.
Following the birth of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter this past Saturday, Jay-Z and Beyonce have released a statement thanking fans for their support.
In the letter, the power couple describes the birth as "emotional and extremely peaceful" and state that "we are in heaven." The seven-pound baby girl was welcomed into the world on Saturday evening.
Earlier today, Hov released a new song titled "Glory" that features a sample of Blue Ivy's cries.
We are happy to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, born on Saturday, January 7, 2012.
Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven. She was delivered naturally at a healthy 7 lbs and it was the best experience of both of our lives.
We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support.
In a recent interview with MTV, Tip revealed the following about his upcoming eighth album: “We plan on getting back in and coming up with a few more, so you never know what could become of that. We got one with Akon, did a few records with Rico Love. Man, I got records with just about everybody. We just putting it together, we done did about 70 records. So now we’re in the narrowing-down process. So we’ll narrow them down, we’ll do probably about 15 more. We got a lot of hot, old-school, vintage T.I. records on there. I’m talking like gutter, gangsta, intellectual ignorance, hard-core stadium sh–, but at the same time we got those over-the-top crossover records as well, big features and whatnot that we plan on putting into play.”
Despite the fact that the Rick Ross’ Rich Forever was undoubtably the most downloaded mixtape last week, many hip-hop fans have paid closer attention to the Drake verse that was seemingly directed at Chicago rapper Common on the French Montana assisted, “Stay Schemin’” track.
Although Drake didn’t say Common’s name, Common has already replied with a diss record over the same beat and has specifically called out Drake for his use of singing during his raps and the sensitive nature of some of his songs.
“My motto is Chicago b**ch, everybody know you’re sweet, what the problem is? / Don’t play dumb, I’m the one that acknowledged it, son of a b**ch I imagine what you father is/She said how you make your oppponent?/The rapper of the moment, the style he don’t own it…
And later Common raps:
Can’t say a ni**a name but you rap about a ni**as wife, you sho’ black and white tryna live a ni**a’s life/I’m taking too long with this amateur guy, you aint wet nobody ni**a, you Canada Dry. “
While the nature of the beef is unclear, some speculate that it could be centered around professional tennis star Serena Williams, who is rumored to have been involved with both artists.
“Soft ni**a, make no mistake, I’m taking to Drake,” Common concluded.
To make matters worse for Drake, Common concluded the song with Destiny Child’s song, “Say My Name” repeating in the background of the track.
Drake has not yet replied on Twitter or in any interviews as of press time.
Hit producer/mogul Dr. Dre is in hot water with PETA over a new limited edition run of Beats by Dre headphones.
Dre, born Andre Young, has teamed with Oscar De La Renta to release a limited-edition line of Beats by Dre earmuff headphones, that are wrapped in fox fur.
Earlier in the week Michelle Cho, a representative for PETA, fired off a letter to Dr. Dre urging him to respect animal rights.
“We wanted to get in touch to urge you to keep fur and exotic-animal skins out of your Beats by Dre designs,” Michelle Cho wrote. “Foxes, minks, rabbits, and other animals—including cats and dogs—are bludgeoned, genitally electrocuted, strangled with wire nooses, drowned, and even skinned alive for their pelts.”
Cho explained to Dr. Dre that most animals are killed for their fur in China, because there are no penalties for animal abuse want for farms.
Cho also provided Dr. Dre with a video featuring Eva Mendes, to educate himself on animal abuse.
Cho urged Dr. Dre to use his influence around the world to make a positive difference in the lives animals.
“You have a tremendous amount of influence on young people,” Cho continued. “Won’t you please consider using your platform to advocate kindness toward animals by pledging never to design with real fur and exotic skins?”
Dr. Dre’s Beats by Dre fox fur earmuff headphones retail for $695.
Fif also explains what differentiates his Sleek by 50 headphones from others.
50 Cent tossed his hat into the audio market with his Sleek by 50 headphones, which sparked some ire from Dr. Dre, who was one of the first to enter the industry with Beats by Dre. During an interview with Gizmodo, Fif said he doesn’t exactly look at it like competition with the West Coast veteran and that the market isn’t narrow enough to put one ahead of the other.
“It depends on how you look at it. The category itself, how big is it? Is he in direct competition with me, or Bose or Sony? At this point, it’s just me creating what I feel like is the higher standard,” he said. “This is what I sit in the studio for after recording for the mastering process, to feel like it’s completely up to par and standard, so when people hear it, it registers the right way.”
50 did note that many rappers license their name for a product without overseeing the business side of things. With artists like Ludacris and RZA coming out with their own headphone lines, Fiddy is steering his company’s ship.
“For them, it’s a licensing agreement. They just put their name on it, and they really don’t have any control over what their company decides to sell under that brand later,” he says. “I’m actually CEO of the company.”
Wiz's wifey gears up for her first foray into music.
After revealing that she and Wiz Khalifa were working on music in August 2011, Amber Rose has announced her first single.
Breaking the news on PerezHilton.com, the model shared her excitement in releasing “Fame” featuring Wiz, with plans to release the track on the site on Tuesday, January 10th at 9 a.m. EST.
“I'm so excited to release my first song… It's CRAZY! Working with Wiz is a dream come true; I am fortunate to have his support,” said Rose. “This is a very personal song to me that I wanted to record for my fans. I want people to see the world from my eyes, you know, from BEHIND MY SHADES! It's my interpretation of what it means to be "FAMOUS," which is not something superficial but instead being self-confident and happy with who you are. You can feel famous everyday if you believe in yourself!”
Rose previously spoke with HipHopDX, explaining the chemistry between her and Wiz. "We inspire each other. We help each other with music but I’m not producing anything," she said.
The singer reflects on his legal troubles, as well as some of his peers.
In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, singer-songwriter Bruno Mars discussed what it was like to be nominated with some of music's most notable acts.
"It's so cool, man. It's so surreal. Especially when you're in categories with artists like Kanye and Adele, who I really look up to and who I'm a genuine fan of. Got every Kanye West album."
"I love Adele," he revealed. "What she's doing is amazing for music, it's amazing for the music business, she's selling records when everyone was told records weren't selling anymore. Adele's selling records. Kanye's selling records. It's quality control."
Mars was also asked for his opinion on Amy Winehouse. "I was really hurt by that whole story. I really felt like I was gonna have an opportunity to meet her. ...When her album came out, she did it. She took what she liked and made it her own."
The discussion about Amy Winehouse's addiction led to questions about Mars' own issues, which culminated in an arrest in 2010 for cocaine possession. "I don't live my life with regrets. I don't dwell on anything. It happened; it must've happened for a reason. ...I think it's something that I moved past and I'm hoping everyone else that I come across will move past it sure."
Floyd Mayweather just got an official “get out of jail free” card so that he can fight an “unnamed” opponent on Cinco De Mayo in Las Vegas. This fight is reported to rake in more than $100 million for the Vegas economy and will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena! This has to be the anticipated Mayweather/ Manny Pacquiao boxing fans everywhere have been getting on their knees at night and praying for.
Mayweather was supposed to turn himself in yesterday to begin his 90-day jail sentence for domestic violence; however, Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa has ruled to allow Mayweather to begin his 90-day stint on June 1 so he can fight and so Vegas can rake in that dough. This judge must be a huge boxing fan, or maybe she doesn’t think attacking your ex-girlfriend, while your two kids watch, is a serious enough offense.
In true Money Mayweather fashion, the fighter came to the court with his washed-up celebrity friends, including former rap star and plastic surgery victim Lil’ Kim and former porn star, I mean R&B artist, Ray J.
Get ready for the biggest fight of the year on May 5th – Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao is my best guess. If not Pacquiao, who do you think Mayweather will be jousting with?
This is starting to get interesting! Ricky Rozay has released the official video for “Stay Schemin” featuring French Montana and Drake off of his new mixtape “Rich Forever”. On the track, Drizzy seems to be throwing shots at someone. Drizzy raps:
“It bothers me when the Gods/get to actin’ like the broads”
“That’s why I see no need to compete with n*ggas like ya/I just ask that when you see me/ you speak up n*gga that’s all”
“Shawty wanna tell me secrets bout a rap n*gga/I tell that b*tch it’s more attractive when you hold it down”
Whoah! I’m feelin’ Drake’s tough alter ego. Take a look at the video below and perhaps Common sense will tell you who Drizzy’s target is.
Common and Serena Williams may be rekindling their romance….on the set of his new music video! The two exchanged flirty tweets on twitter today, that began with Serena professing her love for his song “Lovin I Lost” off of Common’s latest album The Dreamer/The Believer. Common reciprocated by asking Serena to star in the music video for it. Aww, how cute! The song IS all about Serena and his love for her…why wouldn’t it be her favorite?! Dude sounds soooo sprung on this track! On the track Common raps:
“How could someone you talk to each and every day/ that you about to marry/ be on they merry way.”
No wonder Common got all emo on Drake, he wanted to marry Serena, where as Drake just wants to hit it and write a song about it. Take a listen to “Lovin I Lost” below and check out the tweet interaction between the two former flames.
BMF head honch, Big Meech, has sent a message from behind bars, slamming the wanna be reality show “BMF Wives.” Big Meech reached out to his mama and told her to get the word out that these so called “BMF Wives” are all frauds. Check out Mama Meech’s tweets below.
I see Big Meech’s beef, but do any of the “wives” shows have actual “wives” on them anyway?
Someone took DMX’s infamous line, “Get at me, Dog,” a little too literal! Last night in Long Beach, while X was performing at Café Sevilla, a deranged fan jumped on stage and tried to choke DMX out right in front of the crowd! The man held DMX by his throat for a few seconds before security jumped in and put the man into a choke hold of their own and yanked him off stage.
The music came to a halt as security hauled the man off stage, and DMX hollered out, “We don’t stop music for sh*t!!” That man is lucky DMX didn’t spazz out on him. TMZ has it all on video, check it out below.
Earlier today (January 6), it was announced that the new 2012 Dodge Charger, which is set for release in the first quarter of this year, will include an exclusive Beats By Dre audio system.
This marks the second time Dr. Dre has collaborated with Chrysler – the first being last year’s Chrysler 300 models.
Next week, the new Dodge Charger will make an appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit before hitting the floor at a dealership near you.
Dr. Dre
President and CEO of Dodge, Reid Bigland, confirmed by saying, “Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine have built their careers on revolutionary and forward thinking decisions that formulate trends in music, popular culture and technology.”
He continued, “our goal in partnering with Beats by Dr. Dre is to integrate their recording-studio quality audio experience for our Charger enthusiasts to feel and hear their favorite music as it was intended – all while heightening the street performance and technology assets of the new 2012 Dodge Charger.”
The audio system is set to include the following:
Three 3.5-inch speakers located in the instrument panel
Two 3.5-inch speakers located in the rear doors
Two 6 x 9-inch front-door woofers provide bass
Two 6 x 9-inch speakers and a center-mounted 8-inch speaker located in the rear-shelf area provide full-range audio
An 8-inch Beats Audio trunk-mounted dual-voice coil subwoofer with sealed enclosure delivers tight, powerful, punchy bass
The rapper, producer, and all-around mogul has been expanding the Beats By Dre imprint alongside Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine since its inception in 2008.
Last summer, electronics manufacturer HTC claimed a 51 percent stake in the rapidly growing company, with a $300 million investment.
Today (January 6) at 3:05 PM EST, Rick Ross dropped his new mixtape Rich Forever. The project is the precursor to Ross’ anticipated new studio album God Forgives, I Don’t which is set for release sometime in the first quarter of this year.
Rich Forever, which contains a total of 19 tracks, features appearances by Diddy, Drake, Nas, French Montana, 2 Chainz, Future, Pharrell, and MMG members Wale, Meek Mill and Stalley.
Production on the mixtape was handled by a number of top-tier producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Boi-1da, Lex Luger, The Incredibles and many more.
Check out a visual for the Rich Forever track “Stay Scheming” which features Drake and French Montana and download the mixtape below:
Do I have an exclusive rumor for you! Our sources tell us that Kim Kardashian was frantically trying to get in contact with Kanye West yesterday after Amber Rose spilled the beans to Star Magazine about Kim’s homewrecking ways. After calling everyone and their mama looking for Yeezy, who was out of the country in London, Kim finally got a hold of him and begged him to say that Amber Rose was lying. You see, after her sham wedding, being called a homewrecker is the last thing this celebrity guzzler needs….after all, she IS in the process of rehabilitating her image.
Everyone knows Kanye adores Amber and we’re told he would have none of that talk. Instead, he shocked Kim right out of her Christian Louboutin’s by suggesting that they GO PUBLIC with their romance. After hearing this, and probably seeing dollar signs, Kim told Kanye she would call him back. She’s probably meeting with E! executives right now about a “Kim and Kanye Take New York” show.
We’ll keep you posted on any updates we receive!
In related news, RUMOR CONFIRMED! — Amber Rose admitted to dry snitching to Star Magazine about Kim Kardashian’s “homewrecking ways” (I wonder how much bank Amber was paid for this juicy tidbit). Peep the magazine cover above, with “Kim Cheated with Kanye” in the top left hand corner. Here’s what Amber posted on her blog about it:
I know there has been a lot of rumors circulating the internet today. After being asked the same questions over and over in every interview for so long i had to be honest and get this off my chest … I don’t lie, i don’t embellish I’m not trying to hurt anyone just setting the record straight. #FAME is a Crazy thing But I’m so thankful I have a AMAZING husband that Loves and supports me to the fullest he’s my Angel and soulmate. Thank u Rosebuds and Rosestuds for understanding me Muva loves y’all so much
The answer to that question is….maybe? Although both T.I. and Jeezy have confirmed interest in recording a collaborative album together, nothing solid has been confirmed. The two have been flirting with the idea, but right now T.I. has made it clear that he needs to focus on recording his new project, telling Los Angeles Leakers:
“Jeezy and I, we have discussed doing a collaborative album. Right now, we’re both focused on putting Atlanta back on top where we once knew it to be,” T.I. explained. “In my absence, I’ve seen the city take a backseat, if you will, to other areas and other regions. I’m not trying to sleight nobody’s efforts or nobody’s contributions to the game, but I know what my city represents and I know what my city’s capable of. And if I feel like we’re not living up to our full potential, I’m going to gather all the cats who I know who supposed to ride for the town like I ride and we gon’ get it back right. So that’s what we focused on right now. After we do that, then we can focus on anything else. But first is first.”
Back in October, Jeezy told Billboard magazine:
“Me and Tip actually were together and we [talked] about it,” he said. “We’ve just hit the ground running and been doing so many records that I don’t think it’s impossible. And we’ve known each other [long] enough to put something like that together, and I definitely think that the city would need it, because it would be a good look. And it would be an amazing album release party, by the way.”
T.I. needs to make the time to collaborate on an album with Jeezy. We need that in our lives!
We hear Jay-Z is absolutely livid with Ludacris over his new restaurant, Chicken N Beer. Word is, both Jay-Z and Ludacris were BOTH gunning for a prime piece of real estate inside Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, but the airport only had room for one new venture – and Ludacris won!
Ludacris with Mayor Kasim Reed
Luda allegedly pulled some strings and got Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta to speak to the Atlanta City Council on his behalf. And poof, vamoose to Jay as Luda was granted the license to open his restaurant.
This is a loaded rumor right here! In Touch magazine, one of the top gossip rags, is reporting that the careers of Will Smith and Jada’s children are the main reason why they are allegedly getting a divorce.
Apparently, Will and Jada can’t agree on how to manage the blossoming careers of their super stars-in-the-making offspring. Not to mention that Jada has been on the road with Willow for the past two years, and not at home taking care of her man! This is certainly a recipe for disaster.
The magazine is claiming that Jada has already sought the counsel of top divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser. Laura is the epitome of a “pitbull in a skirt” and has represented several celebrities in high profile divorces and garnered them millions! I wonder if these to have a pre-nup? Stay tuned for an official announcement from the pair any day now.
With the impeding release of Rick Ross’ new mixtape, Rich Forever, less than 24 hours away, the Maybach Music Group founder has released the official tracklist for the project.
Rich Forever, which contains a total of 19 tracks, features appearances by Diddy, Drake, Nas, French Montana, 2 Chainz, Future, Pharrell, and MMG members Wale, Meek Mill and Stalley.
Production on the mixtape was handled by a number of top-tier producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Boi-1da, Lex Luger, The Incredibles and many more.
Rick Ross’ Rich Forever drops tomorrow (January 6) at 3:05 PM EST.
Check out the full tracklist below:
1. Holy Ghost ft. Diddy
2. High Definition (Produced By Saint Denson)
3. MMG Untouchable (Produced By Arthur McArthur & Boi-1da)
4. Yela Diamonds (Produced By Beat Billionaire)
5. Fuck ‘Em ft. 2 Chainz & Wale (Produced By Academy Productionz)
6. London Skit
7. Rich Forever ft. John Legend (Produced By DVLP)
8. Triple Beam Dreams ft. Nas (Produced By J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)
9. Mine Games ft. Kelly Rowland (Produced By Arthur McArthur)
10. New Bugatti ft. Diddy (Produced By D. Rich)
11. Keys To The Club ft. Styles P (Produced By The Inkredibles)
12. Last Breath ft. Meek Mill & Birdman (Produced By D. Rich)
13. I Swear To God (Produced By Beat Billionaire)
14. Off The Boat ft. French Montana (Produced By Lex Luger)
15. King of Diamonds (Produced By Mike Will)
16. Ring Ring ft. Future (Produced By DJ Spinz)
17. MMG The World Is Ours ft. Pharrell, Meek Mill & Stalley (Produced By Boi-1da)
18. Party Heart ft. Stalley & 2 Chainz (Produced By Chuck Inglish)
19. Stay Schemin’ ft. Drake & French Montana (Produced By The Beat Bully)
Queens, New York, rapper Nas is making an effort to save a conert promoter who was abducted after the rhymesayer was a no-show at a recent concert in Angola.
Although sources close to Nas say the rapper is refusing to take the blame entirely for not performing at the show, TMZ.com reports the rap star is “extremely concerned” about the safety of Patrick Allocco, the event’s promoter – so much so that he is willing to cut a big check to ensure the AllGood Entertainment worker’s stateside return.
“The key is getting Patrick Allocco home safely,” one source told the web site.
A previous report on the story from AllHipHop.com stated that Alloco’s abduction came when a local “concert impresario,” Henrique “Riquhino” Miguel, was upset that Nas and Jemiah Jai were not present at the New Year’s Eve show. As a result, Miguel hired local thugs to kidnap Allocco and his son at gunpoint and demanded that the promoter give the $315,000 advance back to him, or else. Despite the U.S. Embassy helping to obtain his freedom, Allocco is currently staying in a local hotel in Angola, where he is attempting to resolve the situation with Miguel.
The sources further stated that while Nas and his team did initially agree to perform at the show, the appearance was called off in light of a “miscommunication” about travel plans.
Despite Nas’ intention of never keeping the money, the rapper’s team is unclear about where to send the check. Speaking with a source, TMZ added that Nas’ team is “currently working on a solution … and intends to help resolve the matter ASAP.”
Hip-Hop star Kanye West has launched a new design company that will make “products and experiences” for people.
According to Kanye, the new company is called DONDA and will have 22 different divisions.
“DONDA is a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers and put them in a creative space to bounce there dreams and ideas,” Kanye West tweeted.
The rapper/producer said that DONDA will hire architects, graphic designers, directors, producers, social media experts, publishers, lawyers, nutritionists, scientists, doctors, teachers, A&R’s, etc.
“We want to help simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see hear, touch, taste and feel.”
Kanye also clarified recent reports about his upcoming clothing line for women.
Kanye shot down recent reports that his upcoming line would be named “DW” after his mother, Dr. Donya West.
“The name of the line is Kanye West not DW,” Kanye tweeted. “The DW was a design element placed on the invite in homage to my mom.”
Kanye revealed that he was bankrolling his entire effort in the fashion world with the money he’s earned from hit albums like his latest with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne.
“You guys might think I have some type of backing for my line but I don’t,” Kanye said. “I did the first fashion show out of my own pocket and used the money I made touring to follow my passion. I’ve been working at this for 8 years now.”
The rapper has been living in multiple countries in pursuit of his passion, including Japan, France and now London, according to reports.
“For the first 16 or 17 years of my life the only thing I knew about my woman’s clothing was what my Mom would wear. I guess some critics would joke that I still don’t know anything LOL. The teachers said I couldn’t focus… I used to get kicked out of class for bringing dirty mags and drawing Nikeys in 4th grade.”
Kanye said that his worldwide fame has actually hurt him more than it has helped.
“Being a celebrity has afforded me many opportunities but has also boxed me in creatively,” Kanye revealed. “What good is fame and prestige if you can’t use it to help people… I want to help by doing what I know how to do best .. create.”
Drake's "Take Care" nearly returns to the top of the charts, while huge position gains happened for Yelawolf, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z & Kanye West.
With no Rap/Hip Hop releases added to the charts this past holiday week, it was seven days for the movers and shakers of 2011 (and some from 2010) to gain rank. Game'sR.E.D. album, Tyler, the Creator's Goblin and Tech N9ne'sAll 6's & 7'sboth returned to the Top 200 after hiatuses, as significant chart gains were seen by Drake, Yelawolf, and especially Jay-Z & Kanye West, who gained 26 spots with Watch The Throne.
Drake's Take Care Nearly Gets An Encore #1
Topped only by Adele's 21, Drake nearly reclaimed the top spot on the charts. The Toronto emcee's studio sophomore effort was just over 70,000 units behind the prodigous singer. Drizzy's fourth overall commercial release (including the Young Money album) features Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj. The work is sitting at just under 1.25 million copies sold for the Cash Money/Young Money family.
Rihanna and LMFAO Score Gold Albums
Two albums close to the Rap genre hit gold-status milestones this week. California duo LMFAO's Interscope album, Sorry For Party Rocking crossed the 500,000 mark, as did Rihanna's latest Def Jam release, Talk That Talk. RiRi's album features Jay-Z, along with production from Hit-Boy, No I.D. and DXnext alum Alex da Kid. Busta Rhymes is featured on LMFAO's sophomore album, along with producer GoonRock, who has also worked with veteran Los Angeles emcee Ahmad.
* 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.
Can Drake get another #1 later this month out of Take Care? What underground releases get a chance to shine on the charts in slower times?
Holy huge handbag! We hear there’s another fake “wives” show on the way. Get ready for some more drink throwing, hair pulling and love triangles, BMF style!
According to Ozone Magazine, the significant others of several members of Big Meech and Terry Flenory’s infamous Detroit drug cartel, BMF (Black Mafia Family) are filming a reality show. The BMF carter were all busted in 2007 and charged with several drug and money laundering charges. Below is a chart of the infamous BMF crew
Here are the descriptions of the cast members below:
Tonesa Welch (far right), wife of Terry Flenory aka the “Shaunie O’neal” of the show. Tonesa calls herself the “First Lady of BMF,”and hopes to help tell Terry’s side of the BMF story.
Gricelda Chavez is ex-girlfriend of the snitch, music producer Damon Thomas. If his name sounds familiar it’s because he was Kim kardashian’s first husband. Damon was a player in a BMF money-laundering scheme involving jewelry purchases and, when confronted with the evidence, agreed to cooperate with the government as a witness against Terry. Wonder what this means for Tonesa and Gricelda’s relationship?
Lisa Buford’s boyfriend is “PJ,” a high-ranking BMF affiliate on Terry’s side of the organization.
Tiffany Gloster actually went to jail for two years for her role in BMF. This ride-or-die chick is the girlfriend of Jerry “J Rock” Davis and helped launder the proceeds from J Rock’s cocaine sales. J Rock is currently serving a sentence of 39 years and 10 months in prison.
I’m not sure we need another “wives” show with so many on TV already, but people can’t seem to get enough of them. Will you be tuning in?
Well, well, well, it looks like the goodie-two-shoes daughters of rap legend Rev Run from Run DMC are having a little trouble paying their taxes. And by a little trouble, we mean, these chicks owe almost half a million dollars in back taxes! (Do they even have that much money?)
This is all according to the Detroit News, which says that several liens were filed against the Pastry owners. Check out the laundry list of liens filed against them below:
* The IRS filed a $26,658 tax lien against Angela Simmons on Dec. 22 with the New York City Register.
* The IRS filed a $22,528 tax lien against Vanessa Simmons on Dec. 22 in New York.
* The IRS filed a $157,787 tax lien against Vanessa Simmons on Nov. 10 in New York.
* The IRS filed a $27,248 tax lien against Angela Simmons on May 20 in New York.
* The IRS filed a $132,466 tax lien against Angela Simmons on April 1 in New York.
* The state of California filed a $44,253 tax lien against Vanessa Simmons on March 23 in Sacramento County Court.
* The state of California filed a $39,538 tax lien against Angela Simmons on March 23 in Sacramento.
Looks like Daddy is going to have to come to the rescue on this one. Maybe these “socialites” need to stop posing for the paparazzi on red carpets, and start taking their tails to work. Expect Angela to pose for Playboy or hook up with a baller in 5…4…3…2…..
Amber Rose is finally opening up about why her relationship with Kanye West met its demise. The official “come-up” queen sat down with Star magazine and claims that the real reason she and Kanye broke up was all because of Ray J’s former bang buddy, Kim Kardashian.
Here’s what Amber had to say about the the former porn star-turned-reality star’s homewrecking ways.
“Kim is one of the main reasons why me and Kanye aren’t together … She’s a homewrecker.”
The two first hooked up while Kim was dating Reggie Bush and Amber was with Kanye, 34.“They were BOTH cheating,” Amber reveals.“They were both cheating on me and Reggie with each other.”
And Kim, Amber says, instigated the whole affair by calling, texting, and sending racy photos of herself to Kanye. But even when Amber uncovered the emails and confronted Kim, 31, she just wouldn’t give up trying to steal Amber’s man.
“She was sending pictures, and I was like, ‘Kim just stop. Don’t be that person,’” Amber says, “I thought at least she’d be woman enough to respond to me. She never responded.”
Nothing we hear about Kim K. surprises us anymore. She needs to see a therapist to address her issues of low self-esteem. One thing’s for sure – she sure does love guys with “Big Egos”.
Chris Brown’s manager, Tina Davis, recently told Billboard that her client would not be doing any interviews in 2012. Despite having a very successful 2011, it appears that 2012 is the year of staying out of the spotlight for Mr. Breezy. Chris plans on taking the year to focus 150 percent on performing and recording, so it’s safe to suggest that a new album will be dropping sometime much later in the year.
His manager also said, ”we’re not trying to be rude, selfish, or disrespectful to anyone in anyway. If people are going to judge him for anything, judge him for his talent.”
Coincidence that this is happening just days after reports were running rampant that he is getting back with ex-flame Rihanna? Who knows for sure, but don’t cancel out any possibilities just yet!
As you will see and hear below, French Montana’s deal was not solely with Diddy and Bad Boy Records. In fact, like many people had suggested prior to his signing announcement on 106th & Park, the rapper who was often seen with Rick Ross and his MMG crew, has an “arrangement” with both moguls.
Rosci sure does like older men, doesn’t she? The BET 106th & Park host, who is reportedly 28, was spotted in Miami over the holiday weekend hanging out beach side with Tony! Toni! Tone! singer Raphael Saadiq, who is 45 years old!
In the past, Rosci has been linked to Lisa Raye’s ex-husband and former Premier of Turks and Caicos, Michael Misick, who was 45 years old at the time of their alleged affair.
Rosci and Michael Misick
Raphael still looks good for his age. Go ‘head Rosci! Get ‘em, girl!
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Hip-Hop star Wiz Khalifa is being sued by a Pennsylvania man, who claims the rapper stole the concept for his hit single “Black & Yellow.”
Songwriter Max Gregory Warren, of Sharon Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Friday (December 30, 2011).
The lawsuit claims that Warren authored a song titled “Pink N Yellow,” in November of 2007.
He says he copyrighted “Pink N Yellow” in February of 2008, when he sought to publish or license the song.
Warren claims that prior to “Pink N Yellow” being officially copyrighted, Wiz Khalifa, along with producers Stargate, as well as label Rostrum Records, stole the concept for the song.
Warren claims Wiz stole “Pink N Yellow” and released it as “Black & Yellow,” and “Black & Purple,” in addition to several other remixed versions of the song.
According to the lawsuit, Wiz Khalifa and his producers heard “Pink N Yellow” and “engaged in a scheme to defraud plaintiff out of the fruits of his copyright of the Subject song.”
Max Gregory Warren is suing Wiz Khalifa for fraud and deceit, copyright infringement, civil conspiracy and unjust enrichment.
Also named in the lawsuit is Wiz Khalifa’s publishing company PGH Sound, EMI Music Publishing, Rostrum Records, Warner Music Group and Atlantic Recording Corporation.
Warren is seeking $2,375,000 in punitive and actual damages.
Check out a copy of the lawsuit below:
Wiz Khalifa Sued: “Pink & Yellow” vs “Black & Yellow”
Wiz Khalifa Sued: “Pink & Yellow” vs “Black & Yellow”
Wiz Khalifa Sued: “Pink & Yellow” vs “Black & Yellow”
Wiz Khalifa Sued: “Pink & Yellow” vs “Black & Yellow”
Wiz Khalifa Sued: “Pink & Yellow” vs “Black & Yellow”
Rapper/actor/TV producer Nick Cannon has been hospitalized for kidney failure, his wife Mariah Carey has revealed.
According to Mariah, Cannon suffered from “minor” kidney failure and is currently recuperating in an Aspen, Colorado hospital.
“We’re trying to be as festive as possible under the circumstances but please keep Nick in your thoughts because this is very painful,” Mariah Carey wrote on her website.
“The truth is as long as we’re together, we’re OK,” Mariah continued. “I’m not trying to make light out of the situation because it’s a serious moment that’s very tough on all of us so please keep us and our family in your prayers.”
Nick Cannon and Mariah had twins Monroe And Moroccan Cannon, in April of 2011.
More details on Nick’s condition were not available as of press time.
Check out some pics of Nick and Mariah as the arrived in Aspen, Colorado, just hours before Nick was hospitalized.
A promoter from the United States claims that he was kidnapped in Angola, Africa after a failed New Year’s Eve show that was supposed to feature Nas.
TMZ.com reports that a promoter named Patrick Allocco from AllGood Entertainment, was working for a local concert promoter in Angola named Henrique “Riquhino” Miguel, who paid $315,000 for an appearance by Nas and Jemiah Jai.
Nas and Jemiah Jai allegedly missed their flights to Angola, resulting in a dispute between Allocco and Miguel, who allegedly hired local thugs to kidnap the man and his son at gunpoint.
They were held and interrogated for over seven hours, until the U.S. Embassy intervened in the situation.
“The hope is that Nas and Jemiah Jai will return all of the monies that were wired to them immediately so that our ransom may be paid and our safe return to the United States may be facilitated,” Allocco said in a statement.
Allocco and Miguel are currently in Angola in a hotel room, attempting to resolve the dispute.
Legendary Hip-Hop group The sugar Hill Gang, R&B veterans The Moments and the executors of the Estate of Sylvia Robinson have filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming the major label owes unpaid royalties.
The lawsuit, which was filed in The Supreme Court of the State of New York, claims that Universal has been witholding royalties from the legendary label, as well as the group members of Sugar Hill Gang and The Moments.
The lawsuit states that Universal has ignored agreements with the Sugar Hill label, some which date back as far as 1969, when the company Sylvia Robinson was running was known as All Platinum Inc.
All Platinum was Sylvia Robinson’s label and counted artists The Moments, The Whatnauts and Robinson herself, as featured talent on the label.
Sylvia Robinson and her husband Joe launched Sugar Hill Records in 1979, and introduced the world to the likes of The Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, The Treacherous Three and many others.
The Sugar Hill Gang has sold over 10 million copies of their 1979 hit single, “Rapper’s Delight,” alone, while The Moments have been sampled by a who’s who in Hip-Hop, including Wiz Khalifa, De La Soul, Game and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.
The group has been fighting to recover royalties from the sales of that single alone, since at least 2008, when they sued Sugar Hill Records, claiming Joseph Robinson lied on contracts to take control of their name.
The Sugar Hill Gang is now working on their first album in over ten years, marking their first release since 1999′s album Jump On It!
Check out the lawsuit below:
Sugar Hill Gang and The Moments vs Universal Music Group
Sugar Hill Gang and The Moments vs Universal Music Group
Sugar Hill Gang and The Moments vs Universal Music Group
Sugar Hill Gang and The Moments vs Universal Music Group
The singer-songwriter signs a deal with Jay-Z's label for songwriting management.
Singer-songwriter Ester Dean has signed a management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
The 24-year-old broke the news on Twitter (via Rap-Up). “I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012,” she tweeted.
The Oklahoma native has lent her pen to dozens of artists in the game. Credits include Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass,” Rihanna’s “What’s My Name?” featuring Drake, Usher’s “Lil Freak” featuring Minaj and Dr. Dre’s “Under Pressure” featuring Jay-Z.
Dean joins a songwriting roster that includes Andrea Martin, James Fauntleroy II and Makeba Riddick. Additional artists managed by Roc Nation includes Rihanna, Mark Ronson, Solange Knowles, Wale and more.
Tha Doggfather co-hosted the Drew Carey-hosted game show to raise money for the Snoop Dogg Football League.
Earlier today, Snoop Dogg appeared on CBS' "The Price is Right," where he co-hosted with Drew Carey to raise money for his Snoop Dogg Football League.
During the broadcast, Tha Doggfather managed to raise $72,585 for the league, which gives inner-city kids a chance to play football. The appearance was part of a weeklong celebrity guest run, with plans for Heidi Klum and Chris Daughtry to cameo on future episodes.
So much for those Dollicia Bryant rumors! Last night, Drake was spotted ringing in the New Year with his ex, Zineb aka Nebby. For those who don’t know, Nebby was Drake’s self-proclaimed first love, and the woman who inspired his break out hit, “Best I Ever Had”. The two were all hugged up on the Nivea Stage after Drake’s performance on Carson Daily’s NYE special. Check out the photo below.
Drake and Ex-girlfriend Nebby on NYE 2011
Drake has also name dropped her in a few of his songs, including “Look What You’ve Done”, where he raps, ‘It’s like ’09 in your basement and I’m in love with Nebby / And I still love her but it fell through because I wasn’t ready‘.
True love never dies! We’d rather see Drake with his first love before a video vixen and industry jump off any day. Nubby, do what you gotta do, girl!
Kanye West made his stateside DJ debut as DJ Yeezy World Peace last night at the pre-grand opening of 1 OAK at the Mirage in Vegas. Kanye manned the DJ booth for 3 hours and spun a combination of Bon Jovi, Bobby Brown, and Michael Jackson, as well as an array of his own hits including “N*ggas in Paris” (which he played five times!!), ‘‘Golddigger” and “Good Life”.
Unfortunately, not everyone thought DJ Yeezy World Peace did a good job behind the 1′s and 2′s. Several fans in attendance tweeted their dislike for Kanye’s DJ skills, calling him “the worst DJ of all-time” and an “awful DJ”. Check out the tweets below.
Russell Brand filed for divorce from his wife Katy Perry on Friday, just a little over 14 months after they were married. Reports surfaced earlier in the week that they had a massive fight and spent Christmas apart; while that may or may not be true, they certainly did travel separate paths in 2011.
Perry was on the road nearly all year on her "California Dreams" tour, which helped her place the songs "Last Friday Night (TGIF)" and (ironically) "The One That Got Away" in the top ten on the Billboard Top 40 chart. She also worked on and then promoted "The Smurfs" movie, in which she starred as a voice actor.
As for Brand, he had two major film releases in the spring: "Arthur" and "Hop," both of which took him around the world on promotional tours. He then starred in the upcoming film "Rock of Ages," and set up his own production company at Warner Bros.
While that does all equal a lot of time apart, it'd be unfair to speculate that the distance had anything to do with the break; all Brand is saying for now is, "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."
Talk about an obvious subliminal tweet! Rihanna and Chris Brown have been caught sub-tweeting to each other before, but could this tweet confirm that, despite their tumultuous past, these two are destined to reunite in the not so distant future??? Only time will tell…
Check out Breezy’s response below.
Watch your back, Karrauche!! Rihanna is checkin’ for her “#1 Love,” and it looks like Breezy’s down for it!
Drake has a new main squeeze, and no, it’s not Rihanna or Serena Williams. Continuing on his quest to wife up video vixens around the world, Drake is rumored to be dating none other than industry plaything, Dollicia Bryant. The rapper took to instagram to post this photo of “Dolly B,” who joined him at Saddle Ranch in L.A.
Dollicia’s reps confirmed that the two are an item, saying, “Yes, Drake and Dollicia are dating. They’re both in L.A. right now spending the holidays together.”
Dollicia has had her share of celebrity boyfriends, having dated Jamie Foxx, Hill Harper, Bow Wow, Rob Kardashian, and others. We don’t see this relationship lasting very long.
In other Drake news, the rapper shot his scenes for Mary J. Blige’s new video for “Mr. Wrong” yesterday in L.A.
NBA superstar LeBron James brought in the New Year by proposing to his longtime girlfriend during a private dinner in Miami.
LeBron’s Miami Heat teammates Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade were on hand, to celebrate as was Wade’s girlfriend, Gabrielle Union.
During the dinner, which was sponsored by Remy Martin V, LeBron proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Savannah Brinson.
After the engagement announcement, LeBron celebrated his birthday with the likes of Nas, Queen Latifah, Jessica White and his mother, Miss Gloria James.
Check out some picture below:
LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade get it poppin in Miami
LeBron and Chris Bosh celebrating at a private dinner in Miami sponsored by Remy V
Gabrielle Union…wow!
Chris Bosh looking smooth
Chris Bosh and and his girlfriend Adrienne Williams
Louisiana rapper C-Murder’s sentence was upheld today in a Louisiana appeals court.
The rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, is the brother of Percy Miller, also known as No Limit Forever founder Master P.
The three judge panel from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Miller’s defense that he didn’t get a fair trial in the shooting of a teenager in 2002.
Seven years later, the jury convicted Miller of second degree murder in 2009 for killing the 16-year-old boy in a nightclub.
Miller claims the judge who carried out the trial allowed jurors to hear prejudicial and unsubstantiated testimony, and that witnesses were threatened.
In addition to the aforementioned claims, Miller says the prosecution intentionally eliminated Black people from the jury. All claims were denied.
According to ABC News, one of Miller’s attorneys didn’t immediately return phone calls.
“The rapper, Rick Ross, has issued a statement cancelling his performance at the Calabar Festival, scheduled for December 28, 2011, for reasons not related to his recent surgery and seizures,” the statement read. “The performer’s cancellation is unexpected and the reasons are unknown to Cross River State since he has confirmed receipt of his entire performance fee many weeks ago.”
The government of Cross River State Government has hired lawyers in the United States to explore other options to sue Rick Ross for breach of contract and to recover the performance fee.
“Rick was very excited to attend this event as it is the biggest festival in Nigeria and he is quite disappointed that he will not be performing,” a rep for Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com.
Reps for Rick Ross were not available to comment about the possible lawsuit as of press time.
Rap star/mogul Jay-Z has been hit with a lawsuit by the Workers Compensation Board of New York.
TMZ.com reports that the Workers Compensation Board of New York has filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, over an $18,000 fine over a dispute regarding workers compensation insurance.
The rapper was sued for the $18,000 for not having the proper insurance for his domestic help for three months in 2009.
The insurance was meant to cover domestic workers in Jay-Z’s house, including his cooks, maids and drivers.
A court ruled in favor of the Workers Compensation Board of New York and ordered Jay to fork over the cash, for not having the proper insurance.
But reps for Jay-Z claimed that he quickly acquired the proper insurance for his domestic servants and disputed the $18,000 fine.
According to TMZ, the $18,000 bill was the result of a “clerical error.”
In related news, Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club will reopen in New York City on January 18.
The club closed in June, to undergo $10 million dollars worth of renovations that includes a new bar, VIP section and menu.
During the reconstruction, Jay-Z was l criticized for his choice of labor to work on the 40/40 Club.
In September, the Carpenters Union in New York protested Jay-Z for hiring nonunion labor by erecting five large inflatable rats, in front of the 40/40 Club.
Reps for Jay-Z said they had no obligations to hire union workers and claimed members of the union used the “N” word during the protest.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has decided to take on 21-year-old Soulja Boy’s case, after the rapper was arrested in October of this year in Temple, Georgia.
Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, was pulled over on Interstate 20 for a traffic violation.
After searching the car, officers found handguns, thousands of dollars in cash and more than five ounces of marijuana.
According to the Temple police, Soulja’s accomplices, Dontay Lamar Bates, Camron Wagner and James Raymond Smith were all charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and were also charged with the possession of a firearm.
“This office has not charged a defendant named DeAndre Cortez Way, a/k/a Soulja Boy,” Yvette Comer, representative of the U.S. District Attorney’s Office said. “Otherwise, we do not confirm or deny federal investigations in any matters.”
John R. Murphy, special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Atlanta Field Division, told the Times-Georgian that the case did not meet requirements for federal drug investigation.
“There were some initial discussions about taking it federal, but it didn’t make any federal guidelines,” Murphy explained in a statement to reporters. “As far as the drugs, it was five ounces of marijuana, that wouldn’t even register on a federal level. If you’ve got a rapper that could show legitimate income, that could be contested as being legitimate income, and without a substantial amount of drugs, we didn’t have anything that would rate a federal drug charge on that.”
Soulja’s attorney Kip Jones had not returned calls regarding the case as of Tuesday afternoon.
