February 2007 Archives

This picture has been all over the internet and I wanted to post it to get you guy’s opinion on it. Firstly, I know it has nothing to do with Hip-Hop but since T.O. does have a home here in Atlanta, I figured I could some how find a correlation to post it.

With all the healthy discussion over Hip-Hop in mainstream media recently, and the proper or more lessâ€"improper way it’s influencing our society. I’ve searched the internet to find more subject matter to give my readers. Bottom line, he’s an activist.

Meet Byron Hurt. He’s an independent film maker who’s made a tight new documentary titled Hip-Hop:Beyond Beats And Rhymes. More than a filmmaker, Byron Hurt is an anti-sexist activist who provides cutting-edge male leadership, expert analysis, keynote addresses, and workshop facilitation in the field of sexual and gender violence prevention and education.

My friend, and fellow colleague SOHH Soulman interviewed R&B Diva(ish) Monica Arnold recently. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Monica has been on the crazy defense after it was alleged that her fiancé Rocko flipped out and straight hooked off on some female fan that resulted in some serious injuries(allegedly). You can go over to O1LT.com to check out the photos if you haven’t seen them.

Atlanta’s own Jermaine Dupri, called into the Funk Flex Show in NYC last week to clear up all the rumors about JD’s new job as President of Island Def Jam records. He talks everything from Mariah, to Usher, to even Janet Jackson. Now that Janet’s contract is officially over at Virgin, could she be moving over to Island Def-Jam?

I don’t know, but would that be a good look for the Island Def Jam to having to ballad powerhouse(ish) MC, and Pop Leader(ish) Janet on the same label? And whatever happened to that damn duet that was supposed to happen between the two?

Talk to Y'all lata,

--SOHH Gyant

Touching back on the post I did on Friday regarding CNN’s special on Hip-Hop “Is it Art or Poison”, I found some video footage on youtube.com with popular radio personalities Ryan Cameron, and Elle of Atlanta’s people stationâ€"V103.

Since CNN premiered their straight to the point special, Hip-Hop has been on the defense in a big way. Rappers and fans of the innovative, and often times, toxic music genre have been flooding in calls in major urban markets to express their opinions about society’s negative feelings towards rap music

Ok, so I got this press release, on Young Jeezy from his company, Corporate Thugz Entertainment. Since some of you feel that I’m a hater on the southern princeâ€"Jeezy, I’m posting this information on SOHH Atlanta. See Nick I don’t hate on ya boy all the time!

I have some sad news for everybody. Just two weeks after bringing home a Grammy Award for Best Hip-Hop album, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges lost his father last night (2/25/07), Wayne Bridges, due to unknown causes.

My heart goes out to his family during these troubled times. When I find out more I will let you know!

Talk to you all lata,

--SOHH Gyant

There is an explosive internet rumor swirling around that LiL Wayne may have a lot more problems then those pesky internet pictures of he and Baby locking lips.

According to a published media report from one of the most influential magazines in Hip-Hop (XXL), LiL Wayne may be directly responsible for DJ Drama getting pinched by Atlanta police.

Ok, so Young Buck’s new video from his upcoming CD Get Bucked was released yesterday and to my fucking surprise, I actually like it. I’m sure you all know my high standards I have for Hip-Hop by my various posts. When I heard about Buck’s latest lyrical project, I immediately dismissed it, thinking that after the beat down he served to an Atlanta DJ would permanently sideline his career, at least as far as Atlanta was concerned.

Wednesday night CNN’s Paul Zahn did a special on Hip-Hop, asking the question: "Is it art or is it poison?" While the argument remains a constant discussion around water coolers, radio shows, and open forums, Hip-Hop is a multi billion dollar industry, selling one in 5 CD’s. White Americans make up over 80% of Hip-Hop CD and concert sales, while Latino’s and African-American’s make up the remanding 20%. Last year the Hip-Hop industry made 47 billion dollars, proving that the genre has a huge impact on the recording industry and society as a whole.

Though there are many aspects to Hip-Hop like party rap, gospel rap, social awareness rap, and inspirational rap. The most visible aspect is the overtly sexual and misogynistic rap that seems to dominate the billboard charts. And, that’s where the "question" arises.

Yo, it’s going down at Club Europe tonight. I just got this email after getting in from the gym. My boi Ike Umar, who I used to work with, is doing his thing. He’s the successful owner of “Ikes Night Life” a club promoting company.

Now before you all start in on me. I realize that Club Europe isn’t where many black people hang out, but for D-Rock of the Ying Yang Twin’s, I think we can all make it an exception, right? T-Boz, Fabo from the Franchize Boyz, Joe Hamilton, etc.

Make it your business to be there, because I’m for damn sure rolling through.

Club Europe
4001 Presidential Pkwy
Atlanta, GA 30340

Talk to y’all lata,

--SOHH Gyant

On February 25, 2007 -- 7pm in The Loft @ Center Stage (formerly Earthlink Live), join Fusion Magazine, Def Jam Records, 3:16 Media Group, CAJO International, The Cartel, Urban Gospel Alliance and DBS Sounds for a monthly performance showcase that offers incredible exposure for new and emerging artists. Dubbed Battleground, this event taps directly into Atlanta's exciting music arena, creates an excellent networking forum for “movers and shakers” on the rise, and provides direct access to A&R executives, radio programmers, promotions reps, deejays, retailers, music-buying consumers, and the media.

Yo, I peeped this article written by Mossi Reeves about DJ Drama and DJ Cannon in this week’s Creative Loafing.

While I can’t post the entire article on this blog, because its way to long, I will post important points that were made.

• The Gangsta Grillz series was so hot that major labels often hired the Aphilliates to create mix-tape CDs for their artists. (Just before Gnarls Barkley dropped its Grammy-winning album St. Elsewhere, DJ Drama and Gnarls Barkley issued A Trip to St. Elsewhere.) The DJs' personal profiles grew, too. Drama and Cannon performed at the 2006 BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. As rapper T.I.'s official DJ, Drama is depicted alongside the platinum-selling rapper on the March 2007 cover of XXL, America's most popular hip-hop magazine.

What in the hell did miss? Was I so preoccupied staring at Deelishuhs’s ass that I complete I’ve totally missed how upset people are over Ludacris performing at Paris Hilton’s Birthday party?

Various media outlets are reporting that Rapper Ludacris rushed from his own concert to perform 4 songs for the birthday girl. The singing didn't stop there; Oscar winner Jamie Foxx also made a surprise 30 minute performance.

One media outlet had this to say about Ludacris’s surprise performance at Paris’s B-day party.

Unbelievably, rapper Ludacris (pictured above) helped racist Paris Hilton celebrate her birthday party in Las Vegas during All-Star weekend. Does Ludacris have any self-pride and common sense? He seems to have more respect for racist whites than he does for fellow African-American Oprah Winfrey-who he slams at every opportunity. Pathetic!

Firstly, I want to personally apologize to you SouthernMiss for Matt Herbz disrespectful and possible illegal comments that he made on our blog yesterday. I have already spoken to the powers that be over here at Sohh.com. Blocking readers IP addresses is completely up to them. I would have deleted his crazy as comments in the moment, but I wasn’t around a PC all day.

Again, I am sorry. We will work it out and get it together.

What’s good everybody?

Well its time for another Poppin or Floppin video. This week’s video selection is none other then Atlanta importâ€"Bow Wow. Bow Wow is still trying to some how save his latest album “The Price of Lame” by releasing another video, which will probably be his last one. The video stars relatively new artist(s) T-pain and Johnta Austin on the hook.

Fellas, (and some ladies), I got the new pictures from Deelishus’s new magazine spread. The powers that be over at Smooth Magazine liked Dee Dee so much that they gave her two covers for the special ‘Live In Jamaica’ issue.

Here is the first set. I will post the rest of them tomorrow!

The response to last weeks post on Southern Rap History Month was overwhelming. I see you guys don’t hate EVERYTHING I do.

My selection for today’s Southern Rapper(s) who helped to put Atlanta on the map is Tag Team. For those who don’t know, or who might not be aware, Steven RollN and DC The Brain Surpreme scored a massive hit with their 1993 single "Whoomp! There It Is," which sold over four million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

As I’m sure many of you already know, Atlanta was DEAD this weekend, as everybody was in Las Vegas for the NBA All Stars.

Here are some pictures of various stars chillin at the Celebrity Pool Challenge, presented by Boost Mobile’s Zo and Magic Johnson. Check them out!

Big Boi doing his thing for charity!

There have been so many posts this week that I thought I would post a recap, just in case you’ve missed some.

THERE’S A STRANGER IN SOHH.COM’S HOUSE

CAN BOW WOW RUN HIS OWN RECORD LABEL?


LUDCARIS GRAMMY AFTER PARTY

My good friend and fellow collaborator SOHH Soul Man is doing BIG things over on his blog. If you haven’t stopped by to check out the new and improved SOHH SOULFUL blog, you need to. He just got back from the Grammy’s and will have everything Grammy related up on his blog momentarily.

This is one of the reasons why white people sometimes get more ahead then we do when it comes to finances. In this video, Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie is showing us how spabovian he really is as he proceeds to take out his stash of cash and flip it out on the street for everyone to see.

For those who don’t know, Splaboo is what Michael Jackson calls black people. I’m not lying to, it’s in court documents. I thought the outrageous title was so ridiculous when I first heard it, but so humorous that I adopted it into my own vocabulary

Now Y’all know I love me some black women, particularly Serena Williams. I found some new pics of the Tennis Champion and decided to share them with you. You can’t hate, the bitch (and I say that lovingly) is HOTT!

I got two hot events that are poppin off this week in Atlanta. Check them out. I might roll through these events myself.

Where’s the fucking loyalty?

I hate to be unprofessional about this, but I have to let you all in on something. When I posted the Lil Scrappy entry on Friday 2/09/07, I found everyone’s post very interesting.
Everybody had good points that were brought up, that got my mind running on an idea.

The idea, which was posted today on Sohh Atlanta and Sohh Houston’s blog was meant to have healthy dialect between Atlanta and Houston’s readers. However, it would appear that not everyone was on board with the idea. It seems that Sohh Houston felt that he was pressured, by whom is not clear, to post this idea on his blog.

Instead of posting the question in a positive way, he blasted the idea totally by saying

Fat Joe just released his new video for “Make It Rain-Remix” video featuring everybody and their grandmamma.

What was the budget for this shitâ€" $20.00? They got my man Lil Wayne looking like he’s in black face from the minstrel era. Child molester himself, R-Kelly, looks like he’s in front of a green screen. Y’all know I got love for Atl’s T.I, but he also looks crazy as hell in this video. What? They couldn’t afford to get a real safe for the King of da South to stand in front of?

All in all this video (in my opinion) was floppin! Just because throw all the hottest rappers and one child molester on a track doesn’t mean it’s hot.

Do I stand alone in my judgment? Tell me what you think!

Talk to Y'all lata,

--SOHH Gyant

I had great time reading everyone’s comments this past Friday. One comment in particular stood out in my mind so much that I’ve decided to post a blog entry about in conjunction with Sohh Houston. Over the past 5 years, the south has been a major influence in Hip-Hop. However, which city is responsible for the explosion remains a hot topic in the streetz, and on blogs throughout the south.

From UGK, Scarface, Outkast, Goodie Mob, Lil Wayne, Master P, Cash Money, 8 Ball & MJG, Triple Six Mafia, Ludacris, Trillville, and countless others-have all contributed to the advancement of the southern Hio-Hop culture. But the argument raised by many is "Which city actually runs the south?"

It seems that since Bow Wow's recording future is looking extremely bleak with the apparent failure of his latest album “The Price of Lame”.(Currently Bow's album is # 71 after only 7 weeks on the charts.) Bow is looking to reach out and create other business opportunities for himself.

While many strive to create their own record label within the music industry, many have also failed at making it a success. Look at Missy Elliot and The Goldmind Inc. Though she’s had the ability to make amazing beats and bring home platinum plaques for her and other A-list artists. When it came time for her to develop her own artists and make them into stars, she failed miserably. Might I remind you of Tweet, Nicole Wray, Gina Thompson, Mocha, Torrey Carter, etc. (If you don’t know who half those people are that I just mentioned, I’ve just proven my point.)

G-Unit front man and token bad boy, 50 cent, also created his own label that started off quite successfully. But, after multiple artists flops (Lloyd Banks, Mobb Deep, and Tony Yayo) G-Unit’s future is also looking very uncertain.

As you all know Los Angeles was where it was at this past week. Everybody who is anybody was there for the Grammy’s. Now that the legendary award ceremony is over I’m getting the entire scoop on what happened.

My LA connection and personal friend Myra Panchace informed me on how off the chain Ludacris’s party was, saying

DTP Recording artist and Ludacris protégé â€"Bobby Valentino is trying to capture a portion of his success from his previous album by releasing another track from his upcoming album. His new album “Special Occasion” was supposed to be released in the fourth quarter of last year (so I’ve heard), but was pushed back until February 14th for “Valentine’s Day”. However, when I went on Amazon.com this is the information they have listed for Bobby Valentino’s new album

Product Details
• Audio CD (December 10, 2010)
• Original Release Date: December 12, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Def Jam

So at this point, you can see that somebody over at DTP/Def Jam aint doing their job.

It looks like DJ Drama and DJ Cannon are starting to crawl up from underneath the rock they’ve been hiding from. After their highly publicized piracy arrest that sent shocks throughout the Hip-Hop industry. Tyree and Donald are coming back to reclaim their radio spot for HOT 107.9 radio. According to Hot 107.9 program director Jerry Smokin' B, DJ Drama will bring his immensely popular "Gangsta Grillz" radio show back to Hot 107.9 on Saturday's at 8pm.

My friend, blogmaster of Myurbanreport.com and journalist for Black Family Channelâ€" A.man.I hit the streets last week (February 7th-8th) with Nashville, TN Bad Boy,Young Buck, while filming his latest video “Get Bucked” which is from his sophomore effort "Buck the World." Atlanta's own DJ Polo produced the head nodding track. When asked to describe the feel of his newest track Buck said:

"It's one of those records; it has a lot of energy. It's got a band theme," Buck said from the set on the first night of shooting. "It's one of those party records, and to me, I like to compare it to Fifty Cent's "In The Club," but ten more notches up,"

Atlanta stand the fuck up!

Yo, I've been watching Lil Scrappy closely over the past couple of months and I've noticed how Atlanta has seemed to have abandoned our boi. Why aren't we doing more to support him? Though Atlanta is known for putting southern hip-hop on the map, we're also known for supporting our people like no other city on earth.

T.I. for damn sure gets his love in Atlanta. Ludacris gets it too, so why have we all seemed to have deserted Lil Scrappy? It appears that his new album is a bust, his newest video "Gangsta Gangsta" with Lil John isn't even being talked about by anybody. What's up with that?

Could his affiliation with G-Unit, or G-Unot have been the problem? Or could he have been yet another victim to the sophomore jinx? We all know Scrap from the undaground mixtape sceneâ€"so tell me why we've seemed to have left him by the curbside?

I got a personal invitation by Corporate Thugz Enterainment to attend this video shoot when they were shooting in Atlanta, and though I couldn’t make it I still think it’s a pretty hot video. It’s my selection for this weeks Poppin or Floppin Video of the week.

Sexy Atlanta Sirenâ€"Ciara is gracing yet another cover this month and it’s King Magazine.

I’ve got to say, I think the princess of Crunk & B music’s appearance on the cover of the hip-hop men’s magazine is a real good look. Though she isn’t showing her ass on the cover like others before her has. She is still showing her age, and dishing out a little sexiness with the lollipop.

What’s good people?

Yo, I found a very interesting article in the newspaper today on the art of Hip-Hop. This kat Jeff Chang, who wrote the 2005 American Book Award-winning “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop â€" A History of the Hip-Hop Generation”, has penned a new book titled "Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop”.

In this new book he argues that hip-hop isn’t defined merely by the mainstream sounds of Jay-Z or T.I., or even the music of genre forefathers Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Through his insightful and entertaining anthology of essays, round table discussions and interviews by an all-encompassing roster of artists, the veteran culture critic examines how the hip-hop ethos resonates in other arts as well.

Now y’all know I try to bring something different to this blog as much as I can. I also want to bring you the hottest events poppin of in the “A” every week. From this point on you can count on Sohh Atlanta to post banners about events, and parties across this booming city.

79 Poplar St NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
(678) 904-0050

Renowned rapper RASHEEDA has been satisfying the musical palates of hip hop heads for several years now and the musical fruits that she bears just seem to get better with time. Her hip hop highness has been cranking out spitfire, take-no-prisoner rap songs since the early 90s, back when she was barely a teenager herself and most of her peers were just shunning their pigtails and bobby socks.

Since that time, shes not only ruled supreme over the Crunk Kingdom but she has also established herself as one of the sexiest women in hip hop, unafraid to cut to the chase in her music and say what every woman wants to say and every man wants to hear.

To all who support Sohh Atlanta I appreciate you. I’ve come in, changed a few things and challenged a lot about Southern Hip-Hop, this booming metropolitanâ€"and the rap game as a whole. I realize that I must be a hard pill to swallow with me not being from Atlanta but, I have to admit that I’ve been taken aback by some of the outrageous comments that have been made about me or the work that I do. Acts of violence, racism, and the over all disrespect has become extremely overwhelming.

At first, I entertained the negativity because, for me, I love the disapproval. In life people hate on other people for absolutely no reason. And I learned long ago that what people think of you is really none of your business. However, by me responding to each and every negative comment that has come my way, I have allowed it to reach a fever pitch and I feel it is my duty to attempt to curb, if not stop the overzealous haters.

At the end of the day Sohh.com gets millions of hits a week. I can sit here and pretend that some people’s four or five negative comments a day affect Sohh Atlanta’s success, but in actuality it really doesn’t. I, nor are my other blogger colleagues are graded on comments. We are graded on consistency.

Love me or not I consistently bring you videos, news, events, gossip, and fresh new talent daily. I make a commitment everyday to get this information to my audience while also holding down the extremely popular O1LT.com I don’t take either site lightly. What I have tried to accomplish as being your Atlanta columnist is to expose you to more diverse feelings and opinions. If everyone in Atlanta, and the world, thought the same and acted the same what kind of world would we live in?

Overall, many of you have been extremely supportive, and for that I thank you. And though I will strive to elevate Sohh Atlanta to the highest it can possibly beâ€"I will no longer entertain or respond to ignorant, disturbing, and completely outrageous negative remarks. The only thing that I can do isâ€"do this jobâ€"and do this job to the best of my ability.

Now that’s all over, let’s get on with the news.

It looks like Jermaine Dupri will still be driving in his Ferrari, and Jaguar switching four lanes, with his top down screaming out money aint a thing.

After months of speculation over the fate of Jermaine and his fleeting So So Def recording label its being widely speculated that today Universal Music Group will announce Jermaine Dupri as president of urban music for Island Records

I attended an event recently where these kats performed, and I got to hand it to themâ€"they did their thing. Str8Drop are three white boi’s from ATL and though their look would make you think other wise, their flow is undeniable. If I’d have to label them, I would call them the “Beastie Boys of the South.”

They, along with popular metro Atlanta's DJ Holiday, have been creating a strong buzz around da "A". Local industry heads like Maceo, 107.9’s Griff, as well as Street Talk have shown major luv to the undaground rap group.

With it being February, and our annual Black History month, lots of people are talking about and commemorating the same people we do every year.

But what I thought was, instead of celebrating the traditional black pioneers for the advancement of black people. I’ve decided to post non-traditional black pioneers who’ve advanced southern Hip-Hop as a whole. This weeks artists needs no introduction what so ever. But, for those of you who don’t know. Let me school you a bit!

This might be the lamest story have I covered since my inception to Sohh Atlanta, but its being reported that Bow Wow is still mending from his breakup with Ciara.

Now before you all start in on me let me just explain my case. From day one, when news broke out about Ciara and Bow Wow "dating", I instantly broke out in laughter. Why anyone believed that the height challenged rap/pop act and the Amazonian crunk &B princess were actually a couple was beyond me. When ever I would see them together, all I saw was a walking publicity stunt. Missy Elliot and Ciara had more chemistry...(oops did I say that out loud)!

Aiight, y’all know I’m in Miami recovering from a massive hangover, right?. I am barely alive, but I still got to look out for my peoples and so here I am. I would file a Superbowl report, but this aint ESPN so I'll just say that I had a great time.Though Im fucked up as hell, the show must go on right? I got some info on Rich Boy for y’all! I also got his highly anticipated new remix available for download! Don’t say I neva gave you nothing. "THROW SOME D'S Remix" Feat. Jim Jones, Murphy Lee, Andre 3000, The Game

Rich Boy is continuing to do his thing while his new single “Throw Some D’s” is still burning up every club from here to Miami. I’ve found some performances from the King of Bama on youtube.com check them out!

One of Atlanta’s reigning rap duo’s Outkast is my selection for Sohh Atlanta’s Classic Video Re-run. They are so legendary that they don’t even need an introduction. Here are some of my favorite videos from the funkdafied pair.

Yea, you know how we do it on Sohh.com. Here is a listing of some events poppin off over the weekend.

*Yo if you’re a promoter and got a party or event going down in ATL. Holla at me and let me know sohhgyant@sohh.com*

50 Upper Alabama Road Suite 12
Atlanta, GA 30303

How come rappers never stopped by my school when I was enrolled?

One of our favorite rappers, Ludacris, in conjunction with the people behind the Grammy Awards, stopped by Clark University yesterday for “Grammy Career Day”. Over 300 metro Atlanta high school students from 10 different high schools will forever have the experience of meeting Atlanta’s multitalented rapper, producer, and CEO of DTP records burned in their minds. Luda headlined the event that is geared towards placing students in direct contact with industry pros, for the next two weeks in various cities leading up to the Grammy Awards broadcast on February 11th.

What’s good Family?

It’s that time again. I got to address some ignorant ass mufuckas who seem to spend most of there day hating on what Sohh Atlanta is doing. Niccas like Zone 4, and Decman are my perder uno, and perder dos (its Spanish look it up) who claim to hate everything about Sohh Atlanta, which is essentially me, yet they stop by every day to drop off a daily dose of hate, and I personally LUV IT!!

Yesterday Decman had this to say:

aight bruh... how can i say this.. see, yo ideas is aight.. we aint got no problem wit yo ideas and such.. we got a problem wit you.. you see its nothin personal its jus da fact that you are 1. from outta town (which really aint a problem if you a real nigga) but, 2. you are a lame ass relocated college boy from outta town who dont uderstand southern culture, atlanta culture, or atlanta period both blogs today were safe blogs but bruh on some real shit you fucked up wit me when you came out yo mouth wit all this country mentality bullshit you was talkin earlier... which brings us to now only support you get is from outta towners... how long do you think this can go on.. like i said its nothin personal (you might actually be a cool dude.. i doubt it but anything's possible) but Atlanta is one place that you gotta adapt or... well keep on tryna do you and youll see i hope you can take this for what it is.. no hate.. jus an ATL analysis of the situation.