During a show this weekend in Long Island, New York, Brooklyn rapper Maino got emotional during a performance of his latest single, the rags to riches anthem “All The Above.”
Joined by a slew of members from his entourage, a shirtless Maino knelt down on the stage, seconds after the song started. Overcome with feelings, the Atlantic recording artist abruptly stopped the track. “Let me just get this out my system, I got a lot going on in my life now,” he passionately told the audience at L.I. club, The White House. “Let me just say this the police shot my friend and they telling me he might not walk again.
Holding his tears back he continued, “But this right here is victory. We unstoppable,” before starting the song back up again.
Hot 97 radio personality Miss Info reports that the man that was shot goes by the name of 80, and that the two are inseparable friends.
The cut, produced by Just Blaze and featuring T-Pain, is the second single from Maino’s upcoming debut, If Tomorrow Comes… The project, which has been long-delayed, has been pushed back yet again. It is now set for a June 30 release date.
It's been a long time coming, but the new Mos Def album, Casa Bey, will finally come out on June 9th through Downtown, featuring guest spots from Talib Kweli and Slick Rick and production from Oh No, Chad Hugo, Mad Lib, Mr. Flash and the late J. Dilla, among others.
We're stoked to premiere the new single and title track this A.M, a song based on a sample of Banda Black Rio's "Casa Forte" with Mos doing his mile-a-minute word dance over top. The story behind the beat has it that on a recent trip to South America, Mos linked up with well-known Brazilian rapper MV Bill, who gave him a tape with "Casa Forte" on it. Bowled over by the track, when Mos came home, he turned to DJ Preservation and Dante Smith to (barely) cut it up into a beat, forming the instrumental.
The buzz continues to grow for Toronto rap newcomer Drake. The Young Money signee recently did an interview with UK radio personality DJ Semtex where he spoke on his rumored collaboration with Jay-Z.
Drizzy confirmed with Semtex that he has been in the studio with Jay, as producer Just Blaze posted on his Twitter account. “I’ve been blessed enough to work with Jay in the last couple weeks and I mean people are just gonna have to wait, you’ll have to see what comes of it.
While not offering any more details on the collaboration the former Degrassi actor said working with Jay was one of “the most key moment in my life.”
Drake is expected to fly overseas in late June/early July to play a show with Weezy and other newcomer Kid Cudi – with whom the rapper says, as another up-and-coming new face in the game he is “very proud of.”
reported earlier this week that Drake is in the process of signing with an undisclosed major. He says he wants the album, titled Thank Me Later, to drop before Christmas. As far as other possible features besides Jigga and Wayne, he says, “Just know the best of the best will be involved.” Drake revealed to MTV News that he has also worked with Kanye West and Young Jeezy.
As DJ Drama promised, T.I. has just released a statement about Alfamega, essentially disassociating himself and his company from the rapper in light of reports that he was a former informant for the DEA.
“I am stunned and totally surprised about the news about Alfa (Ced Zellers),” he said. “Even though all of our artists and employees are asked by us to be honest and open about their past history, at no time did Alfa disclose to me or Grand Hustle what has now appeared in the media. He essentially deceived us by failing to fully disclose the truth about his past and there is no place in our organization for this kind of misleading behavior. This is our way of saying you must take responsibility for your own actions. We at Grand Hustle can not support or condone blaming others for our own mistakes. I hope and pray to God bless his financial plans but I don’t forsee me or my company playing a role in his personal or professional business.”
The Smoking Gun reported earlier this week that Mega was a government withness and worked with the DEA. According to the site, the artist, who calls himself the Grand Hustle Muscle, copped a deal with the government in order to shorten his 1995 jail bid in on federal gun charges. TSG obtained legal documents showing that the rapper testified against a known heroin dealer and several other criminals to have 18 months subtracted from his 110 month sentence.
T.I., who is expected to turn himself on his own 2007 federal gun charges by May 19, has a history with informants. His former bodyguard, Corey Williams, got caught buying weapons, and the government gave him a deal to turn on Tip. This lead to the King Of The South’s arrest.
J Cole, the first signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, also hit the stage early on, after which he spoke about hooking up with Hov. “It’s something I couldn’t imagine back in the day. I couldn’t fathom being 14 and writing raps to being here,” said Cole.
His deal with Roc Nation represents a 360 venture, in which the artist shares touring and merchandising revenue with the label in addition to record sales. “That’s the way new artists’ deals are being done in this day and age,” said Cole. “Unless you come to the table with some bargaining power, that’s just what you’re gonna get.”
Any deal with the most successful rapper ever may seem highly promising, but Jay-Z has struggled in the past in regards to breaking talent. However, Cole remains unfazed. “The type of artist that is gonna have success under Jay is the type of artist who’s gonna break himself, so his track record to me is irrelevant,” he said. “It’s really up to me. All [Jay-Z’s] giving me is a platform and a way for me to put my music out there. I’m not relying on Jay-Z to make me or break me
A slew of classic hip-hop acts like EPMD, Brand Nubian, Black Sheep and Lords Of The Underground will be hitting the stage along with N.O.R.E., Redman and Method Man later this month.
Presented by Funkmaster Flex and Adam Lublin, the show, under “The Hip-Hop Legends Concert Series,” will take place at S.O.B.’s in New York City on May 24. Tickets, which can be purchased now on the venue’s website, are going for $30.
Headliners Red and Meth are currently preparing for the release of their new album, Blackout 2. The disc, which is a sequel to their platinum selling 1999 disc of the same name, hits stores on May 19. N.O.R.E. recently put out a new C-N-N album, Channel 10, with his partner-in-rhyme Capone. Brand Nubian rapper Grand Puba also has a new record coming out on indie label Babygrande records. The disc, titled Retroactive, is scheduled for a June 23 release.
DJ Drama will continue his Gangsta Grillz mixtape series with releases from Gucci Mane, Fabolous, Cory Gunz, Willie The Kid, and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em all in the coming months.
However, his first order of business is the upcoming album, Gangsta Grillz 2, set for release amidst a crowded playing field on May 19 — the same day Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Method Man & Redman all plan to drop their latest discs. “I’m excited—it’s ‘big dog’ day,” Drama told XXLMag.com. “All [those artists] are people that I have the utmost respect for in that I came up loving and supporting their movements so to have an album come out on the same day as all those guys is an honor.”
The dawn of summer will then see a rush of releases from Drama’s signature mixtape series, the first of which will be Cory Gunz’s Heir To The Throne, in the works since November. Willie The Kid’s The Fly will follow, as well as Fabolous’ There Is No Competition Part 2 in anticipation of the Brooklyn emcee’s forthcoming album, Loso’s Way.
Not surprisingly, the Grand Hustle DJ will hook back up with rising ATL star Gucci Mane for a follow-up to The Movie, but Drama is also cooking up a certainly less-expected collaboration — Follow Me with Soulja Boy.
“We met a couple months ago, chopped it up on the phone, and agreed that a Gangsta Grillz would be hot,” said Dram. “He’s definitely been on his mixtape grind and it was only right that we linked up.”
Expect no future collaborations with now ex-Grand Hustle muscle Alfamega, after T.I. kicked him out of the camp amidst the revelation that he was a former DEA informant. Said Drama of Mega’s past, “I wasn’t aware of that and I definitely have to disassociate myself from it.”
50 Cent’s Blood and Sand may have impressed video game critic’s moreso than his first game Bulletproof but apparently, accolades aren’t enough to convince the fans. Sales for Fif’s 2009 sequel to his 2005 hit aren’t as impressive; were talking 1/12th of its predecessor, around 56,000 copies world wide.
To its credit, Blood and Sand has only been on shelves for three months now. However it pales in comparison to the first three months of fan fueled frenzy — 681,000 copies–that pushed the final sales figures for Bulletproof to 1,123,000 copies.
On top of the frustration over the string of Before I Self Destruct release delays and a sagging economy, if his game’s performance is any indicator of the markets willingness to put a buck behind the name 50 Cent, 50 may have a rough year ahead of him.
The Hollywood Black Film Festival has announced the lineup for their 10th anniversary. The festival begins June 2nd and ends on the 7th and will feature 102 films over the 6-day period. Some of the notables this year include Samuel L. Jackson, who executive produced and stars in the full length animated feature, Afro Samurai: Resurrection as well as writer-producer, Antwone Fisher who makes his directorial debut with the short film, “My Summer Friend.”
For more info on the Hollywood Black Film Festival 2009, click here: www.hbff.org
Just because Swine Flu has people groveling in fear of Porky Pig, Babe and bacon related products doesn’t mean they can’t do it style. The WHO (World Health Organization) has raised the of the alert level for Swine Flu to 5, causing an influx in face mack usage and inspiring many designers and mask wearers alike, to add some personal touches to their face wear in the wake of this possible global pandemic.The streets of Mexico city has become hot-spot for stylish safety masks. These are some of our favorites.Japanese illustrator Yoriko Yoshida has even created a specially designed set of swine flu prevention masks to help people stay fashionable during this state of emergency.
The public was in an outraged when it learned that Apple launched an application for the iPhone called “Baby Shaker”, which depicts a crying baby and encourages the user to stop the baby from crying by shaking as fast as possible, resulting in death. Now they have a strict process when selecting new applications, which means an Apple representative not only approved it but also tested the application out. Amid the public scrutiny, Apple has since pulled the application and released the following statement:
“This application was deeply offensive and should have not been approved for the distribution on the App Store. When we learned of this mistake, the app was removed immediately. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention.”
Was Apple's apology enough?
The Cool Kids latest mixtape Gone Fishing is officially available for free download as of today. Producer Don Cannon and the rap duo lace the mixtape with 21 bangers, along with guest appearances from Ludacris, Bun B, Ryan Leslie and Kanyeeze’s protégée GLC.
Track Listing:
1. Introduction to Ice Fishing
2. Hammer Brothers
3. Champions
4. Gold Links
5. Cinnamon
6. Premium Blends
7. Step Back
8. Jump Rope feat. Tennille
9. The Last Stretch feat. Jahda
10. The Art of Noise (interlude)
11. The Light Company
12. Popcorn
13. Wise Words by GLC -Told by GLC
14. Pennies (the updated rosters) Remix feat. Ludacris & Bun B
15. Broadcasting Live
16. Takin’ a Break
17. Tune Up
18. Weekend Girls feat. Ryan Leslie
19. Summer Vacations
20. Words of Wisdom by GLC - Told by GLC
21. Knocked Down
In preparation for his album release with T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records, B.o.B ( Bobby Ray) went on the road and put on quite a show when he performed at Connecticut College and the Bamboozle Festival in NJ. The energetic Hip-Hop musician had the crowd going from the start
From Dream to Reality car design exhibition, Kave Naser Bakht, an Iranian student, created the Audi D7 concept car. The sleek futuristic electric powered engine model will be easily noticeable at night with lighting that wraps both sides of the car, leading to the headlights and taillights.
Kid Cudi surprised fans by making a guest appearance at Wale’s NYC concert last night. Kanye’s protegee jumped on stage and performed his Top 5 smash “Day ‘N’ Nite” with Wale’s band, sending the audience into a hypnotic trance. The anticipation continues to soar to new heights for Cudi, as he is set to release his debut LP, Man on the Moon: The Guardian later this summer. Keep reaching for the stars Kid. Get a glimpse of his performance.
Named for beloved pot author and activist, Sensi's Jack Herrer is truly one of the top hybrids ever created at the Cannabis Castle. The goal was to make a 50 percent Haze cross that kept the properties of this top-rated sativa, while shortening the painful 6 month flowering time that a full-blooded Haze demands.
This variety's long-fingered leaves and dense, grape-cluster bud formations appear light green due to the frosty resin coating. The few hairs on the buds turn brick red as the plant matures. The smell is fresh with a signature Haze accent and a pleasin hint of skunkiness.Since the rooted clones can go directly into flowering, the total number of light hours in the life cycle is almost exactly the same as a conventional indica-heavy cross, even though the flowering cycle is longer.
If growing in soil, full ground is recommended over pots, which are usually too small. Dry climates, like Spain and California, are Jack Herrer's only reasonble candidates for an outdoor home. Growing Jack indoors is necessary in most parts of the world. Hydroponics will give quick satisfying results, but Jack Herrer is best grown as bigger plants.
A longer-flowering cross can be unnerving to grow, but bravery and patience will be rewarded with fresh peppery buds that produce an immediate cerebral, up high. Don't cave to the temptation to harvest too early. When allowed its full time to ripen, Jack Herrer is a tasty smoke with mild lung expansion and possibly visually enhancing or silly effects.
Drake Doing it form wheel chair Jimmy to one of the most known voices of today
01. Lights Out Intro
02. Dangerous MC’s
03. Big Dogs
04. A Yo (feat. Saukrates)
05. Well All Rite Cha
06. How High
07. City Lights (feat. UGK)
08. Interlude (”We Back For The Smokers”)
09. The Rockwilder
10. Tear It Off
11. 4 Minutes to Lock Down (feat. Raekwon & Ghostface)
12. Lights Out Outro (”May 19th Is The Date For B.O. 2, Bitch!”)
This is Nyce of GTP Muzic and I would love to welcome all bloggers to the site post and enjoy and make sure to check for my mix tape How I Feel coming soon
Off the bat we are introducing two weekly posts especially dedicated to Cleveland music.
Song Of the Week and Artist Of the Week. Im thinking about doing weekly interviews as well. Let's just see how this goes.
Looks like OX Ent. is going in overdrive with the promo for Niccotine Be on the lookout for "Second Hand Smoke" - Hosted By Dj Chicago Check out Nicc's Myspace.
Question, Why are guys in the club on there crackberries or iphones WHILE DANCING with ladies. I can see pullin' out the cell to lock inher number or email but whole twitter convos? whats going on people. More on this topic 2morrow