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Yes we were down but can't nothing hold us back. Slowly we
will be getting back to the number one position. But in the meantime let's talk
T.I.--a man who knows a thing or two about bouncing back from adversity.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/143711200298f598/
Just when you thought Mike Tyson had fallen into obscurity he's suddenly resurfaced with some strong allegations being thrown his way.
And what's up with that tattoo?
According to my girl Myra Panache at one point the former heavy weight boxing champion feared for his life because apparently someone tried to kill him. Here's what she is saying:
A contract was taken out on former boxer Mike Tyson's life after he ordered the killing of the men responsible for murdering his bodyguard, according to witness testimony on Monday in a gang trial.The plot to kill Tyson was planned to be carried out in the summer of 2000, two months after the June death of Darryl Baum-the man accused of shooting rapper 50 Cent nine times in May of the same year (00).
Gang member Shelby Henderson testified in Brooklyn, New York Federal Court in the trial against member Abubakr Raheem. Henderson claimed that when he learned of the $50,000 bounty Tyson had offered to have their members killed, gang leader Damion 'World' Hardy (Lil Kim's ex-boyfriend) planned a retaliation.
The plot was later abandoned.[Source]
It looks like Diddy is getting that middle age spread. By the looks of this picture clearly he wasnt aware that his shirt was as clingy as it was. You can see that the music mogul has developed quite the belly. Thats not a good look Puff. It's time to put down the Patron Ciroc and get your ass in the gym homie.
You're definitely not keeping ot sexxy with that tire growing around the midsection. I'm just sayin.
Got A Hot Tip: thestreetzalwaystalk@gmail.com
Killer Mike has released a new track called "10 G's". You know SOHH Atlanta gots a lot of luv for the grind time official star. And how can you go wrong using a Biggie sample. Check it out below.
This song if of the southern representative's highly anticipated "I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II"
Listen Here If Boomp3 doesn't work.
What do you think? I'd really like to get a chance to hear the mastered album in its entirety. Hint, Hint Killer!
Oh And Before I Forget......
I got to give a shout out to Hip-Hop Royalty's UGK for receiving their award for best Hip-Hop group at this years BET award ceremony. Definitely had to give them their props. This song, in my mind, will always be a classic.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
[COMMENTS ARE DOWN FOR THE MOMENT. THE TECH DEPT IS WORKING ON THE ISSUE, SORRY!]
BET’s Hip-Hop vs. America II ‘Where Did The Love Go’ aired last night. Panelists from all corners of the media touched on the much heated topic of how black women are portrayed in the media. David Banner, Michael Eric Dyson, Esther Armah, Allison Samuels, Lola Ogunnaike Ali Le Roi and others all got down to address their individual takes on a wide range of topics. One segment that caught my attention in particular was the discussion on the demoralization and exploitation of African American females in today’s society.
Nobody can deny that women, particularly black women, are not valued in this country. I see exploitation and demoralization of females virtually everyday. Are some of the stereotypes that women receive self inflicted â€" yes! If you look at the demographics females purchase a large percent of the music they claim disrespects them. However, do I also see black men disrespecting females regularly â€" yes! Because we are the oppressors in hip-hop, and in our own unique ways, perpetuate societal stereotypes of black people in our society.
The images and representations of black women are powerful and pervasive and they're EVERYWHERE! So I find it fair to say that the hip-hop community has to take responsibly that the culture contributes to the perpetuation that black women and women as a whole for that matter are lesser than us. That is a lesson that is taught early on. And with the decrease of black men raising our black sons and even our black daughters when are we as a people going to get it!
Personally I find it particularly interesting that everyone seems to point the finger at any one thing. Some take the historical route, while others reach for moral ideology. I personally think that the answer is quite simple and my opinion is two-fold. If women, particularly black women, would make it their priority to respect themselves others will follow suit. And if society [particularly the black community] would adopt the old adage that “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child†then a lot of the conversations would cease. It is my belief that we are a selfish people. We think about ourselves and only ourselves. The idea of struggle, and “not having†overrides our innate ability to lock arms with our brothers and sisters and perform acts of righteous [i.e. what is morally right].
So until we truly start to analyze why we fail to ban together unlike our pigmently challenged counterparts [AKA white people] well will never overcome as a people.
And that’s real!
Just my two cents.
And David, [and I luv you brutha] you got to be open to LISTENING to other peoples point to of view in order for them to LISTEN to yours. It’s not a debate if you’re screaming over everyone to make them hear you. You come off more like an ass. I’m just sayin….
Talk to y'all lata,
SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
[Update]
I know that our comment section is down but a female reader emailed me such a great comment that I am posting it for you all to check out.
I watched this last night. hip hop does have responsibility and David banner (since he's not a woman and makes money being a rapper who AT TIMES writes song that can be degrading or objectifying to women) missed the boat completely. he was so angry he could not listen and he was so focused on all the stuff he felt like he did right as a black man he could not be humble and quiet enough to see what he could so better. he is so mad about how black men are treating in society that he isn't able to focus on his equal counterparts (black women). he is afraid someone may take the little power he has in the industry to date (his music) and doesn't want to hear that it's wrong or negative. such a smart man who many times is well spoken lacks the power of patience. how sad.
yes he is powerful when he speaks out on political issues but why not one up David and take another high road and speak out for black women too. since he is fairly smart when he talks folks will listen. he just has to calm down some. boy gets so dang mad and ignorant when he rants.
another point he tried to make that was off the mark was when he compared the Quintin Tarintino's and Arnold Schwarzenegger (violent movies) who kill and then they are hero's and become governor, etc. the reason his point was not valid is bcz white kids normally don't respond to that type of violence in such movie in a negative or personal way. they see the movie (as do plenty of black and white adults) and then that's it. the movie does not become a part of their lives. most of those kids don't pick up a gun a blow up their high schools (i.e. columbine). BUT with the influential black children who are looking for hero's bcz most of them are not raised by their own personal hero's (absent of a father or strong male role model) they look to what is popular and that is hip hop and rap and make that their standard and what is cool. the rappers look cool, happy, rich, respected, and sexually powerful so the kids say, "hey i wanna be like that" or "hey this is my way out of the hood". some kids have mothers that work all day long or are just emotionally tired so they are not as able to give to their kids as needed. and I'm not saying that that's my fault (i don't have kids) or a rappers fault and that it's his ENTIRE responsibility to raise everyone's kids BUT i am sayin they have to start to see that there is power in their words bcz their words are all over television and radio and those powerful images are what kids watch and are influenced by. HELLO! DUH! if that were not true and rappers had 0% responsibility than why when a dance comes out do kids follow it (i.e. Soulja Boy) or how do kids know the words to all of Jeezy's song? Why does T.I. have so many MALE groupies who just wanna be around him and be like him? Influence because of the position of power they have. Their power is almost stronger than that of the government on a very personal level because they directly speak to the black youth and relate to them unlike the government can. I don't think they have to stop all songs that have a cuss word in it BUT please be more mindful. Music will still sell if that is the direction that most people go. Hell the way music is now most aint selling any damn way so what the hell do you have to loose.
It does take a village to raise a child. Maybe if David had a little girl he'd better understand. Possibly then he'd be less defensive and not take the exploration of his "craft" to betterment as such a personal diss. (which i can understand to an extent but dag boy, chill out for a second. just cuz it's not an issue you don't believe in as strongly doesn't make it less of a real issue. if the black women is not built up better than the black man will ultimately suffer right along with her.) It is up to parents and teachers to influence kids BUT others have some power also in their words and images that they and the record labels perpetuate and create that gets into our children's minds.
boy i can go on and on about how women's bodies have to be nice and slim with fat round booties BUT a man like rick ross can come out at the BET Awards on stage with his undigested food infested belly poking out as he saunters proudly around the stage. ewww.
some women are wrong and allow men to treat them this way or present themselves this way and YES even support such degrading music but for the women that don't, we also should be considered and protected. white men sure as hell protect their damn women (including marry them if they get knocked up.). man black people (NOT ALL) are so pleasure driven that they are selfish and think only of THE moment. (this effect takes place in sex, and money such as savings and living beyond one's means just to be satisfied with the illusion of wealth for the moment.).
now that's my rant from the mouth of a educated, analytical and secure female.
ciao.
--Miesha White
I just would like to comment on the Hip-Hop v America and respond to Miesha White.
First off, I would like to say that I am a 29 year old black male who was raised by both mother and father and that I grew up on rap music heavily. But I have always been told by both my mother that 90% of the stuff that I see on t.v are just an illusion and really don’t apply to the real world. Yes, I grew up with my pops, but it was like he was never around because he was always at work trying to support us. So in fact, my father really only provided financial security and that was it. It was my mother who truly raised us.
Now with that being said, the truth of the matter is that rappers are not obligated to anyone but their consumer. There are so many rappers in the game who’s music are 100% positive that talk and hit hard about issues such as; race, politics, black single mom households, government, education, and why you should stay in school and out of the streets. But the consumer chooses not to listen to that type of music.So why are we as black people still coming down hard on the rappers who seem to exploit women when we know and knew from the beginning that, that is what they were about from the start. Today’s consumer has and always have had a choice of different styles of music and it seems that they prefer to listen to gang banging, exploitation, sex-filled songs. And lets not forget that 80% of today’s rap music are being bought by white folk and women. So what does that tell us? I really do believe that people that use “not having a father to raise me and teach me from right from wrong†are using an excuse and a cop out for a reason of why they went down the wrong path. That’s the only time that you hear that excuse anyway is when someone has went to jail or is living the fast life. The point of the matter is, stop looking at these rappers to be our fathers or leaders when it is not their responsibility. Now, I do agree the the black man needs to take responsibility into raising his child if helps make one. But all these holding rappers responsible for how black women are being portrayed on television is non sense. What’s the difference when you watch football and see the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders in their skimpy outfits dancing and gyrating. Nothing. The reason why black women catch so much flack is because they are more full figured black women who possess bigger, fuller, more attractable assets than their white counterpart. That’s all it boils down too. If black women didn’t possess these beautiful, full, curvaceous bodies unlike their white counter parts, ‘THIS WOULDN’T EVEN BE AN ISSUEâ€.
BOTTOM LINE, with all the major problems the U.S are having ie: high gas prices, food hikes, growing unemployment, current recession, record of foreclosures on middle class, EXPLOITATION OF BLACK WOMEN, is the best that we can debate on.
-Chris Foster
[COMMENTS ARE DOWN FOR THE MOMENT. THE TECH DEPT IS WORKING ON THE ISSUE, SORRY!]
I caught up with Young Jeezy this past weekend at V103's Car And Bike show. I wanted to get at him to address the BMF allegations as well as his recent DUI, but before I could even hit the record button on my camera he made it very clear that he wasn't interested in talking about any of that. Now the old Gyant would've still tried to sneak it in on some level, but I've learned how to better respect people and their drama. However, he did talk to me about the new album, our struggling economy and why he thinks you should vote for Barack Obama.
Perhaps I will try and trap Mr. Jenkins in our next sit down about all the other stuff. I mean he's going to have to talk about it at some point. I mean he CAN'T not talk about it. But today let's just keep it light. LOL!
But Moving Right Along........
It seems that while Shawty Lo has been spending all his time and energy trying to "expose" T.I. the hood that he so proudly wears like a badge across his chest is in peril. According to a recent news report Atlanta developers want to tear down the well known Bowen Homes housing community to make way for a better more engaging property development.
Not surprisingly the community is fighting such a proposal. Since 1994, Atlanta has steadily demolished dilapidated public housing to make way for mixed-income projects.
While it's no surprise that cities are slowly trying to demolish the "hoods" of our nations, I think that this isn't necessarily a bad idea. But I still find it interesting that rappers don't focus their time, energy and celebrity to help out those who come from where they come from.
Instead of trying to call T.I. out why doesn't Shawty Lo attempt to draw media attention to helping Bowen Homes? I'm just sayin....
And If You Trying To Get Your Party On...................
201 Courtland St NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 524-3151
Get Directions
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Last night Young Joc unveiled his new group that he’s pushing called Hot Stylz on the BET Awards Preshow. The guys came out to amp the crowd up, but for those of you who may have missed it I got the video below courtesy of worldstarhiphop.com.
Check it out and tell me if they knocked it out of the park or if they missed the mark.
While I wasn’t moved by their performance one way or the other I really want to know if you all will be purchasing their music.
Share your thoughts.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
OK! SOHH I was really on the fence about this post, but I really can’t help but look at Nelly’s situation and scratch my head as to why this musical has-been won’t quietly fade into the background and collect his coins with ad campaigns, endorsement deals and his highly successful clothing line. I mean it’s getting SOHH bad that not even producing genius Polow Da Don can help him.
SOHH far this year Nelly has dropped three singles in an attempt to regain the momentum of the past. But after hearing another boring track from the St Louis MC with JD I can't help but point out why he’s going to flop big time when his new album is released.
I’d like to preface this by saying that I’m no expert, I’m just a blogger with an opinion.
1. The End Of The St. Louis Era: Nelly burst on the scene with his multiplatinum Country Grammar, Nellyville and even did fairly well with his simultaneous release of Sweat/Suit. But what a lot of rappers fail to realize is that gimmicks have a short shelf life. That whole “St. Lunatics†gimmicky bulljunk is dead. Yet it remains abundantly clear that Nelly hasn't gotten that memo.
2.Flo Rida Beat Him To It: Although I think that Nelly’s rap career is pretty much fenito I do think that he missed out on a major comeback with Flo Rida’s ‘Low’. Think about it: “Applebottom Jeans, Boots With The Furs, The Whole Club Was Looking At Her’. You can’t tell me that Nelly isn’t slightly upset that he missed out on such a great hit. And might I add record breaking track.
3. The End Of The Swag Movement: This video says it all.
It seems like with each passing day more and more people are becoming apart of the Asher Roth movement. For those who still aren't sold on the idea that a whiteboi from Atlanta by way of Pennsylvania can come in and make a name for himself in the game might I refer you to the video below.
Drama stopped by BET's Rap City today and touched on Asher Roth during his interview. I know some may see it as being slightly ghetto but I bust out my camera to catch his debut on the legendary hip-hop show.
Check SRC's Asher Roth Spit His Game.
Now the haterz of the world can still choose to overlook Asher's creativing rhyming ablity all they'd like. But to date Asher has been featured on SOHH.com, Hiphopdx.com, Allhiphop.com and Nahright.com [just to name a few].
I told y'all he was the truth. But trust and beleive y'all aint seen nothing yet!!!
Still Haven't Downloaded His Mixtape? What the F*ck Are You Waiting For??
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Today I'm posting two videos for SOHH Atlanta's weekly poppin' or floppin'. In one corner we have Shawty Lo feat DJ Khaled, Jimmy Jones, Ricky Ross and Birdman. And in the other we've got JD, Nelly and Ciara. Who's poppin' and who's floppin'?
No disrespect, but Shawty Lo looks SOHH corny. I thought a rappers job was to sell a fantasy. Does anyone believe Shawty? Plus, I'm SOHH over the same damn Miami video. Every video that's being shot down in Miami is starting to look the same. It's like everybody uses the same strip.
And now onto Nelly, JD, CiCi.
You know I was working on post titled "Top 10 Reason's Why Nelly Is Going To Flop", but I haven't decided if I'm going to post it or not.
It's clear that the Midwest rap movement is over[let me clarify for the sensitive - I meant the St Louis rap movement [i.e. Midwest - geesh], but Nelly refuses to fall back quietly. He's still trying to make that comeback with his new album titled 'Brass Knuckles'. But what do you all think of the new video? Is he coming of as innovative or corny? Stepped On My J's, WTF?
Ciara is looking good as hell, but eye candy isn't enough is it?
Speak ya mind on the videos. Is Gyant a hater, or do these people need to go back to the drawing board?
Oh And Before I Forget....
Rovella Williams is hosting a part to celebrate the Evolution of the Super Producer!!!
Drumma Boi "Put On" Jeezy ft. Kanye and Bangladesh "Millie" (Lil' Wayne and too many freestyles to name) and Hot 107.9's Shyneka are the hosts along with several other producers such as Collipark Music Package Store (VIC, Hurricane Chris, Ying Yang Twins), Wonder, Sam Addams, Battery 5, M16, Ced L. Young, Jason Pitt, High Caliber Ent, Khao and the list goes on...with music by DJ Princess Cut.
The Evolution begins Tuesday, July 1st at the Mark. RSVP at themarktuesday@gmail.com for complimentary entry and your chance to win a free touch screen IPOD!!!
Each week the Evolution of all things Urban will be explored fashion, the video vixen, the DJ's, the bloggers and more. The Evolution begins next Tuesday and every Tuesday thereafter at The Mark in downtown Atlanta.
Don't say I didn't put you on to some hot sh*t.
Talk to y'al lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
This weekend I was invited to attend V103’s annual Car & Bike Show at the World Congress Center. For those of you who missed it …you already know I got you. With such a stellar lineup like Young Jeezy, Ray J, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Blood Raw, Rocko, Shawty Lo [OK that one may have been an exaggeration], The Dream, Trey Songz and Day 26 you just knew it was going to be an off the chain event. And I can’t even front it SOHHHHHHHHHHH was! Check it out below.
V103 gave ya boy unprecedented access this year to give you all a birds eye view of went down. After attending this years event I now understand why they are truly called the 'People's Station' because the turnout was pretty big. The performances were bananas as DJ Khaled and Young Jeezy shut the sh*t down. Usually I do a "Good, Bad And The Ugly' post, but there isn't one thing that I can say negatively about V's event. What can I say; They got their sh*t together over there, which is more then I can say for that other urban station.
And you already know I got some video for you all to check out.
[Check out the Trey Songz and Dream impromptu beef at 2:02. That was some funny sh*t.]
Now there's no since in fronting like I know about cars and bikes - because I don't. I just decided to focus on what I do best which are the celebrities.
[Keyshia Cole stopped through for a minute to sigh autographs. Looks like the rumors are true; her gap has been removed.]
[You to can perpetrate a fraud like many of today’s rappers by renting yourself a Phantom Rolls Royce. Don’t believe the hype people. There are very few people in this industry who are truly ballin’.]
[And just when I thought Rocko had gone Hollywood. He managed to crack a smile for camera.]
[Sean Garrett struck a pose. Y’all know he’s trying to do his solo thing right? Let’s hope it takes off for him. I heard he still needs some work on the performance tip.]
[V103's Romana and Tangie.]
[Ray J showing KJ and friend some luv.]
[Dorian and Miss Sophia - I can't. It's too easy!!]
[Ricky Ross dropped through to perform a set, but Foxy Brown was nowhere to be found.]
[Day 26 showing some luv. What’s going on with Q & Dawn? Do we care??]
[Rock City and DJ Khaled - Check Out RC's "A Milli Remix [here]
Block Entertainment's new artist was there for his first Car and Bike show experience. Have you checked out his new video? If not [Go Here]
[Greg Street, Trey Songz, The Dream]
[Blood Raw and Young Jeezy showing SOHH luv.]
More Pictures:
All in all I got to give V103 their props for doing the damn thing. It's clear that they truly are the number one station in Atlanta [yea I said it!] I have more video of performances that I will post later on in the week.
I got to give a MAJOR SHOUT OUT to Aisha Hardimon[PR for the station], Reggie Rouse[HNIC/Program Director] and the entire V103 staff for the access! I see you Janet.
I also got to shout out the industry heads who always hook me up with their artists. Without you all I wouldn't have nothing! Ron Hurd [Regional Director For Def Jam], Keinon Johnson[Interscope], Yancey Richardson[Atlantic], Cannon Kent[Atlantic],Young Jeezy, Erica Bowen and Jade Ambercrombie[CTE].
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:Sohhgyant@gmail.com
Block Entertainment's new artist JC has dropped his new video for "Nobody Gotta Know". The Tennessee native came hard with it too. In today's shaky music industry videos have been one of the main budgets that have been severely scaled back by music labels. However, JC and Block ENT is showing us that as long as you have a creative concept as well as a little imagination you can make it happen at any cost. Check it out below
I had the chance to visit the set which was filmed right here in Midtown on the rooftop of very prestigious condominium. The theme was inspired by 'Casino Royale' and JC plays a high stakes gambler who decides to pop something off with his opponents girl.
Check it out and voice your luv or hate. Is it Poppin' or Floppin'?
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
It looks like there's finally been a break in the case of T.I.'s lifelong friend Philant Johnson. According to new reports there's been some arrests made. Check it out below.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer two arrests have been made in the terrible murder of Philant. Earlier this year word had spread that the police were closing in on some suspects, although publicly they denied such claims.
Hosea Thomas, 34, of North College Hill, and Padron Thomas, 40, of East Price Hill, have been charged with murder and felonious assault for the death of Harris’ assistant and childhood friend. The two are reported to be brothers.
For those of you who may not know all the details of that horrific evening check this out:
“T.I. and his group were in the VIP area,†Gormly said. “The suspects wanted to get in the VIP area and weren’t allowed to.†At one point, he said, one of the brothers was struck in the head with a bottle.Shortly after the shooting, several witnesses told The Enquirer that anger also flared when some of those in the rapper’s entourage threw money from the stage. That event may have helped fuel the fire, Gormly said.
“It was just a total accumulation of everything that happened that night,†he said.
When Harris and his entourage left in two vans, they were followed by two SUVs. It wasn’t long before gunfire was exchanged from the moving vehicles on Seymour near I-75, killing Johnson and wounding the others. T.I. was slightly injured by flying glass.[Source]
These moments of justice are often times bittersweet because on one hand I want justice to be served, but on the other it's unfortunate that two black men are going to enter the prison system. Let's hope that this provides a sense of closure for T.I. and Philant's family.
Yesterday I told you all about Ice T going after Soulja Boy. Well it seems that Soulja Boy himself has a few choice words for the once notorious "cop killer". Check it out above.
Disrespectful? Or a just harmless response??
Oh, And Before I Forget..................
CHRISETTE MICHELE'S
OFFICIAL
BET Award Nomination Celebration
&
OFFICIAL After Party for
"Art of Music" Tour
WITH SEVERAL CONFIRMED
SPECIAL & SURPRISE GUEST'S
Major Music Network will be filming,
PLEASE dress accordingly
TONIGHT
At
ARTISTRY
942 Peachtree St, NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
On 9th and Peachtree
(formerly sweet low down)
Doors open at 10 p.m.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Earlier this week I met up with Blood Raw at Slice in Castleberry to talk about his new album that's in stores now. The CTE signee chopped it up about the streets of Panama City, his time spent in the slammer, and why his new album is the sh*t. Check it out below.
Not to disrespect the hip-hop community, but it was good to speak with someone who actually had more to say than the same ole street talk bullsh*t. While I am still having a hard time mentally digesting the name, Blood Raw isn't your everyday rapper.
Make sure to check back next week to get Blood Raw's "Hip-Hop's Guide To Surviving The Economy". He said some good sh*t that I wanna share with you all [but that's next week].
And don't forget that his new album "My Life: The True Testimony" is in stores now.
Track Listing:
1. I’m The Truth featuring Big Rube
2. It Feels Good
3. Louie featuring Young Jeezy
4. Almost There featuring Mannie Fresh
5. What’s Happening featuring Trina
6. F**k You featuring Slick Pulla
7. Tryin’ To Get Home featuring Lyfe Jennings
8. I’m Fly
9. Get Away
10. News Reporter
11. Go Head
12. Still A D Boy
13. I Miss You
OK, SOHH now that all the dust has settled with regards to Usher’s new project, I’d really like to know what’s the fans/haters true review is of the project. The best selling male of the decade has had some setbacks with “Here I Standâ€. SOHH what say you?
To date Usher’s new album has sold a respectable 689,332. Decent numbers by some standards but a disappointment from a Guinness Book of World Records holder. According to soundscan estimates Usher’s album slipped three to five as Lil' Wayne dominated the album charts. However with numbers like these it looks like Usher might just sell either a little under one million albums, or slightly higher than a million. And for such a stellar artist isn’t that a commercial flop?
I hate to compare the brutha to Justin Timberlake, but Justin’s last album sold between 3-4 million copies. It looks like I was on to something with the “Top 8 Reasons Why Usher’s Going To Flopâ€.
Hopefully Usher will grab Jermaine hop back in the studio and record, record, records, and have a new album out by next year. I know I would be more than willing to look the other way and give him a pass if he’ll just keep his family life private, pop them hips, dance his ass off, and drop great music.
But again, what’s your take on “Here I Standâ€
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
The SOHH news department is saying that one of Atlanta's most popular rappers was pinched by the police yesterday for a DUI. . Read more below
Here's SOHH's account via Tmz.com
According to TMZ, the rapper (real name Jay Jenkins) was stopped for speeding and was arrested on a slew of charges, including DUI, reckless driving, speeding, having no tags or proof of insurance and driving with an open container.Jeezy was released this morning on bail and is due back in court on July 17th.
A source close to Jeezy told TMZ the rapper had just taken his brand new white corvette to the car wash and the temporary plates had fallen off which lead to his being pulled over. The source added that Jeezy claims the open container belonged to another passenger.
Damn, between this and that explosive information that came out regarding Jeezy and the notorious Black Mafia Family it's not shaping up to be a good week for the Def Jam/CTE star. But I guess at the end of the day this is all great buzz for his highly anticipated album The Recession
Is it me or are DUI's becoming the new sex tapes? Do they every really hurt your career or just boost it? I'm just sayin....
It looks like legendary rapper Ice-T is echoing the sentiments of many hip-hop fans feelings towards the dance movement. Check out what Ice-T had to say:
“Fu*k Soulja Boy! Eat a dick! This ni*ga single handedly killed Hip-Hop. That sh*t is such garbage man. We came all the way from Rakim, we came all the way from Das EFX, we came all the way from motherfu*kers flowing like Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube, and you come with that Superman sh*t? That sh*t is garbage. Hurricane (Chris) take them fu*king beads out of your hair ni*ga! Man up. You ni*gas is making me feel real fu*king mad about this sh*t.â€
While I wouldn't have gone as far as to say "Eat A D*ck', I do feel him on SOHH many levels. But I wonder; Can Soulja Boy ever do it again?
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Just because T.I.'s going through some personal discourse doesn't mean that his business savvy has been altered in any way. Just a few months after being handed down a less restrictive house arrest T.I. is already making some positive business moves by signing two hip-hop legends to Grand Hustle.
Apparently T.I. made the monumental announcement at this past weekends Birthday Bash. T.I. [T.I.P.] who shortly after making the announcement brought out the duo 8 Ball (Eightball) and MJG who performed in front of the sold out crowd at the Phillips Arena.
I guess this would explain why I kept seeing the legendary duo perched in the hallway right next to T.I's dressing room that night. While I was running around trying to pull some Matrix moves to snag a photo of Kanye West [which didn't happen because while in my mind I was being Neo, his people were being Agent Smith.] I kept noticing 8 Ball and MJG just hanging around.
But weren't they just recently signed to Bad Boy? Damn can Diddy do anything right?
What do you all think, is Grand Hustle a good move for these two? I mean I love my people over at Grand Hustle, but this one has me a little nervous.
But While You're Mulling That One Over.....
Last week I had the chance to sit down with Nitti/Jermaine Dupri's new artist 9th Ward. The newly signed PlayMaker/Def Jam artist is gearing up for the release of his debut album I Aint Looking Back.
Initially the thought of sitting down with yet another faceless, nameless rapper seemed too much to bare, but after coming through to Nitti's studio and listening to a few tracks from the album as well as sitting down with 9th Ward himself I walked away with an entirely different opinion.
If your able to put aside your biases and really just listen to his music I think that many of you will actually be pumping your fists for the New Orleans native. Check out the video above.
I think Nitti is on to something.
Um...kids if you ever needed an example on why it's important to stay in school here you go. What did he say? What's him selling a million copies got to do with a book drive?
Gyant says: Wayne leave the drugs alone, please!
Oh and yes congratulations on the million plus!
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
[The HNIC himself, Erik Parker.]
This past weekend I got the opportunity to stop by and chop it up with the "Parker Report" crew as they taped a few episodes in the ATL. T.I., Khaled, BoB, Trina, Greg Street, Big Kuntry, Rock City and a gang of other nucca's dropped through to show the MTV Jamz show love. And y'all already know I had to probe into this whole "50 Cent/TI" situation that people's been buzzing about. Check out what one of the "Kings Of The South" had to say.
[Erik Parker, BoB, T.I., Maino]
You can look at the rest of the pictures below. But lemme tell you what T.I. had to say. After Cliff taped his segment for the show and proceeded to head to his car I approached him and asked him if I could get a quick interview on camera of him addressing the new 50 Cent jab. For those of you who don't know here's what Curtis supposedly has said in a new song on the G-Unit project:
“Nowadays this rap shit ain’t adding up/ How niggas get caught with 10 machine guns, only get 12 months?/Oo-weee, don’t talk to me/ If you talking to him, you talking to them…/I got the best lawyers that money can buy/ they say at best they woulda got me 10 or maybe 9./I said, how do you explain how the homie breezed?/They said, you keep your mouth shut or you eat the cheese.[Source]â€
Kind of disrespectful [I thought], but it seems that T.I. is on another level in terms of how he approaches people in this game. He politely told me that it's unlike Fiddy to say stuff in songs and not just say it directly, and that he really doesn't want to perpetuate any negativity. So he wasn't going to respond to it.
Y'all can't say that I didn't try. But on some real talk I'm really digging the new humbler T.I. it seems like he' truly learned his lesson. You can still make good music, sell albums, and concerts and just stay out the bullsh*t. And it's clear that T.I. and Grand Hustle are doing that. SOHH I got to give them props.
Looks Curtis is going to have to try and find someone else to pick on to sell albums. But, on to the pictures.
[My New Favorite Group Rock City]
[The New Up & Comers In The Game.]
[Trina Was In The House. Damn, She Got The Perfect Smile.]
[Erik Parker, DJ Khaled, Trina and Khaled's New Artist Ace.]
[Trina & Greg Street.]
[Gyant and Trina â€" Do Y’all See The Kung Fu Grip She’s Got On Me? I’m Just Sayin…]
Shout out to E.Parker, Tuma, Buttah Man and the crew for allowing me to be a fly on the wall.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
[This is my pick for SOHH Atlanta's Honorable Mention This Week]
In today's shaky and over all lame music industry I consider it a musical blessing when I am able to find two stellar acts back to back. Y'all already know that I fux with Asher Roth heavily, but now there's more fresh music up in my iPod from an Atlanta duo [by way of the Virgin Islands], Rock City.
I'm not even gonna front like these kats just stepped on the scene because real music heads already know about em. Rovella Williams with Almost Famous been buzzing in my ear for a minute about these kats, but it wasn't until I saw the video for their new song " I'm Losing It" that I turned into a fan. And after doing some digging around I've come to find out that often times good music that we're all looking for can be right up under our noses.
In a time where music is redundant, repetitive, and just down right boring these brothers [yes they're actually siblings] are bringing the FIYAH. If you want a a little Pop - they got you. If you want a Caribbean vibe- they got. But if you truly want the essence of hip-hop and all around good music - they for DAMN sure got you.
Check out their interpretation of Bangladesh's "A Milli" beat and you decide.
And we gonna keep living off other artists advances so we can never fall off like Morpheus glasses.
Gyant says: speechless!
But let's just forget for a minute that these two are behind some of the biggest hits you've heard on the radio. Let's forget that they are signed to Konvict Music/Interscope records. Let's also forget that they penned the new Pussycat Dolls records "When I Grow Up". All you need to remember is that these kats will be big in one years time. Not street buzz big I'm talking world wide buzz!!
Lil Mama, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and yes even Jay-Z needs to sit they asses down because in my opinion Rock City rocked that beat better then any of em'...PERIOD!
Check out their myspace [here]
AND IF YOU WANT TO SPREAD THE MOVEMENT DOWNLOAD THE "A MILLI" REMIX
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
Shout out to CTE for getting with the muthaf*ckin program. If you're a Jeezy fan you can now get a little closer to the rap star through his new website. You already know I got the information for y'all below.
The new site is called USDA2DAY.com and it's on the hugely popular member site Ning. Jeeyz's new site is a completely interactive website where fans can come together to create member profiles, obtain exclusive CTE material, and keep yourself abreast of everything Jay Jenkins.
I have been shouting from the proverbial rooftop that today's artists need to get with it with establishing their online presence and it seems that CTE got the message. Block Entertainment is also getting the message as they are actively taking their internet game to the next level.
Note to all industry heads who are trying to get on this new media sh*t. Ya boy Gyant got some ideas. This is what I do! Holla at me if you are serious about the internet. It's not a game.
But Moving Right Along......
A week ago I had the pleasure of meeting legendary producer No ID. For those of you who don't know this dude has been in the game for a long time and has worked with virtually everybody who's anybody in the game.
And if that isn't enough, he's the one who mentored Kanye West. Sh*t, that alone makes him apart of hip-hop royalty. You already know I got some video for you all to check out. The common denominator I find between today's youth is their lack of willingness to work and educate themselves on their trade.
How many aspiring producers do you know? I know lots, but they really don't know the first thing about real production and that's where No ID is going to come in. For the next four weeks I will be brining you all a weekly series with the famous producer who's worked with everyone from Jay-Z to Common.
Check out the video and become more familiar with No ID.
[Our Site Is Acting Up Today, SOHH Check Back For The Video -- Sorry].
Wait until y'all hear who he passed up on working with. For that I'm going to need you to come back next week.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:Sohhgyant@gmail.com
As many of my ATLiens already know this past weekend was the HOT 107.9’s Birthday Bash at the Phillips arena. And for those of you who didn’t know you know I got you. But like always I keeps it real SOHH it’s time for another “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.
[LOL what a joke!]
Unfortunately I got to be straight up and tell you all that this year’s event was extremely lackluster compared to previous years. The way Radio One decided to handle the media this year was disappointing because as an industry we’re all there to essentially “big up†their event and get the word out. However it seems that this go round the good people over at Radio One wasn’t having it. I think we [as in NOT MTV] were considered more of an after thought rather than a priority.
What Was Good:
[I Caught Up With Jeezy In The Hallway.]
Jeezy truly lit the stage on fire this year by not only bringing Usher on the stage to do a rendition of “Make Love In This Clubâ€, but he also managed to get Mr. Kanye West to join him on stage for their collaborative effort “Put Onâ€.
The Game shut it down as well. There was a moment to where you could see his real side rather than the “gangsta†persona he displays when he brought a bunch of kids on the stage to get their moment of shine.
Another good moment was Jeezy pulling me aside and actually telling me personally that he reads SOHH Atlanta, and that he wanted to make sure that I address him as “big homieâ€, and not “lil homie†like I often times describe various people I run into.
For me I am usually the biggest person in the room, SOHH I address everyone as “lil homie†as in stature â€" not success. But in Jeezy’s eyes that’s not cool SOHH I will try my best to oblige his request going forward.
What was Bad:
Again, the way the media was treated. They had us confined to a small room with over fifty different media outlets. We were not allowed access to the stage area whatsoever. Then when they finally decided to bring a celebrity to us each rapper only could spare 5-10 minutes SOHH everyone was clawing to get their questions answered.
Call me a conceited bastard, but I don’t fight to speak to anybody. I’ve worked hard enough over the years to get what I need when I need it. And never being one to follow the rules I still managed to get an artist to give me an all access wristband SOHH that I could fan out and bring you all great shots which you'll find below.
I would love to bring you all some footage from the performances, but Ravi Sheldon over at Radio One shut me down when I requested media access for the stage area a few days before the event was to take place. I guess SOHH.com isn’t ranked as high as Getty Images, the AJC, or Wire Image photography although we are the biggest hip-hop site online [yes, I said it].
Another questionable moment of the show was how the line up was. After Jeezy came on stage with Blood Raw, Usher, Kanye West and the entire CTE family everyone thought the show was over. I mean who could follow that? However, it seems that T.I., Shawty Lo and Soulja Boy were still set to perform. Nobody knew and ultimately a lot of people started to leave not realizing that there was still more to come.
Wouldn't it have made sense to have Jeezy be the last performer with such an incredible line up? I'm Just Sayin....
[I’m not going to lie Diamond’s got one phat ass for her frame. I know I hate on baby girl, but she was looking good as hell that night!]
[Gorilla Zoe talking to Rolling Out]
[Bun B stopped through to show some luv to the SOHH camera. He even gave me some dap. I got to learn to respect the legends!]
[Tahira Wright of Branded Public Relations, her sister and Katena Keno were trying their best to hold down the media circus.]
[Block ENT’s artists JC made his first Birthday Bash appearance.]
[DJ Trauma and HOT 107.9’s Maria Moore]
[Diamond and Hot 107.9’s J. Nicks]
[Honestly Ladies Is This What You Call Sexy?]
[I’m Convinced That Gucci Mane Is The Second Man To Have A Baby. And I’m Not Even Going To Comment On The Hole In The WifeBeater.]
[Mixtape King, Don Cannon and Katena Keno.]
[The Hottest Producer In The Game Mr. Bangladesh And His Girl Struck A Pose.]
[Dream Rolled Through.]
[The College Hill Boyz Were In The Bldg, But I Couldn’t Tell You Their Names.]
[Devyne Stevens and Monica]
[Yo, It Was Raining DJ’s At The Bash As Always.]
[The H.K.I.C. [Head Korean In Charge] Over At Grand Hustle Is Very Camera Shy, But I Still Managed To Get Something...LOL]
[T.I. Was In The Bldg And From What I Hear He Shut It Down….]
[Tahira, and Tahira. Nah, Seriously They Are Both Named Tahria.]
Groupie Moments:
[ T.I. And I Took A Picture.]
[Young Jeezy And Myself In His Dressing Room.]
[Look! Even Diamond posed with me. Have we made up D?]
[Gyant and Monica. I Can’t Front, Monica Is A Legend In My Eyes. She's Almost Finished With Her New Album. She Told Me That It's Due To Be Turned Into Her Record Label In Fourteen Days.]
What Was Ugly:
Nothing I care to type this go round.
Shout out to Branded PR for the access.
Talk to y’all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
The words Thank God Its Friday couldn't have a stronger meaning because after two months of talking about Asher Roth homies mixtape is finally ready. Haterz to the front of the line please. I want y'all to be the first ones to download your copy and share your thoughts. Check out the free download link below.
Now if for some reason the download doesn't work you know I got you. [Click Here]
CLICK HERE to Download "The GreenHouse Effect Mixtape" If The Other Links Don't Work
I don't want you to comment now. Take it in. Hell take the weekend and then post what you feel. But I know that I'll be getting my workout on to the "Greenhouse Effect" for weeks to come.
Oh, And Before I Forget.....
HOT 109's Birthday Bash is this weekend SOHH you know the party scene in the ATL is going to be bananas. But if you want to get your party on and be in a chill, yet off the chain atmosphere then you need to get ya ass on over to Uptown on Courtland.
The theme Saturday night is going to be "Make Love In The Club". And though I can't tell you the celebrity powerhouse that are going to be in the bldg, trust and believe YOU WANT TO BE UP IN THAT B*TCH!! I know I'll be there!
201 Courtland St NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 524-3151
Get directions
Shout out to the homie's running the livest parties in the ATL, Jamal Coleman, Chaka Zulu,Taiye Boogie and Sean Taylor for holding down the party scene. If you don't know I suggest you recognize.
I'm not posting anymore today. I got hella sh*t to do. SOHH absorb the "Greenhouse Effect" and we'll talk Monday.
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Y'all already know that Bitchassness is a horrible disease. But now thanks to Big Block, Diddy, and the entire Block Entertainment squad it can also be one real ass mixtape. Check out the exclusive download below.
Y'all got 23 tracks featuring top acts like Gorilla Zoe, Yung Joc, Big Block, Jody Breeze, Young Dro, and a host of others putting it down and giving y'all free musicl
The countdown is continuing. Asher Roth's mixtape drops mañana so you know I got to keep building that momentum. If you've noticed one thing about anything Asher related I haven't tried to sell any of y'all on his sh*t.
And that's because his music will speak for itself. All the kats out there who think he's just another Eminem will be singing a different tune come tomorrow. And if you were smart then you'd bust out a notepad and take notes on Asher's publicity plan. His countless youtube videos, his crazy website that's slowly generating a cult following. THIS IS HOW YOU GET IN THE GAME!!!
Hell even legendary producer Rico Wade is cosigning the Asher movement.
Come tomorrow you'll see what it is [if you don't already].
But for those who can't wait, here's a sneak peek courtesy of SRC.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
I don't even know why I am posting this video. At this point I think it's clear that nobody cares about pop hip-hop anymore SOHH this post will probably be one of my lowest rated ones of the week. But I felt Shad's passion SOHH I thought I'd share it with all the "haterz".
Check out Bow Wow's plea:
[There are SOHH many things I could have attacked by watching this video, but who the hell cares anymore right?]
While watching Bow Wow's video I couldn't help but think about some things. Checkout my rant below.
Since October 2006 I, [Gyant] has been dubbed a “hater". Apparently the former blogmaster, SOHH Southern, used to pump his fists for any and everything that came out of the ATL, but I’m a little harder to please SOHH. I’m not moved by any ole song, album, and or project. I believe I speak for most people in the worldwide community. The only difference is I have a blog to voice it my opinions. SOHH am I a hater?
Is hatin’ really something that can be SOHH easily dumb-down in the eyes of hip-hop? Or is hatin’ merely a reflection of people's opinions based on the lackluster crap the consumer digests on a daily basis?
To me now-a-day’s if you don’t like something for whatever reason you’re instantly classified a hater!
That song is whack? [You’re a hater].
You’re girls not all that hot! [You’re a hater]
Dawg, get your weight up [You’re a hater]
That rapper is garbage! [You’re a hater]
Why can't someone’s opinion just be that â€" an opinion? The notion that we have to agree with everything the majority agrees with is preposterous. Because truth be told a lot of the majority are dick riders and “yes†people†that in the back of their minds are thinking the same thing that I write on this blog.
If I had a dollar for every email I ever got about someone giving me props for airing someone out, or telling it like it is, I could quit this b*tch.
Personally for me “hatin’†[A.K.A. truth telling] affords me a pretty decent lifestyle. I get a very nice check to “hate†on a daily basis. SOHH Atlanta has logged hundreds of thousands of hits because people want to know “What’s Gyant got to say today?â€
SOHH for me this video doesn’t hold much weight. Hatin’ makes the world go round my industry brethren. Now I understand that being Bow Wow’s age the hate can be extremely frustrating. In a time where Shad is still trying to figure out who he is, and more importantly where he fits in the “hate†can be overwhelming. However, to make a request to just stop it all together is a tad bit counterproductive
But I guess the purpose of this blog is really to ponder the idea of hate. What is hatin’ exactly? And what purpose would it serve for people to stop it?
Can someone break this down for me?
And While We're On The Topic of Hatin'.............
I'm sure y'all remember the post I did yesterday pondering whether or not Cash Money Records/Universal effed up by not releasing Wayne's new album earlier due to the rampant leak situation. Well apparently, in this instance, I don't know what the f*ck I'm talking about because according to Billboard "The Carter III" has sold 423,000 copies in its first day. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's right people Wayne's new CD is a lock to be the number one album next week, and quite possibly the best selling album of the year. It's actually very interesting because industry experts touted Mariah Carey and Madonna to take that record home this year, but clearly Wayne had a much better buzz.
There's no hate in my keystrokes when I say CONGRAGU "F*CKIN" LATIONS Wayne. I guess sometimes nucca's do be knowing what the f*ck they're doing.
Talk to y’all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Ludacris talked to Complex magazine about everything from his many business ventures, to his new album Theater Of The Mind. Plus, I got a retraction regarding Playaz Circle, and Willie Northpole stopped by Rap City to drop a freestyle. Check it all out below.
You’ve stayed out of the beef for most of your career. The only really notable one you had was with T.I. Have you spoken to him since he started dealing with his legal woes?Ludacris: No, I have not, but of course God bless him and his family.
Since you’re both Atlanta heavyweights, could you see yourself picking up the slack when he has to go away for a year?Ludacris: Well, I never looked at it the way you put it. We’re both great artists from Atlanta and I feel like there are other great artists out of Atlanta. I always look at it on a worldly level and continue to put out good music sporadically or whenever I can. Mostly, I put out music every year. I’ve been doing a couple movies for the past year, so it kind of slowed me down a little bit as far as the music is concerned. But for the most part I’m going to stay consistent and I hope he does the same.
Do you attribute the drop in sales to that “manufacturing�
Ludacris: I attribute that to the consumer getting smart and not going out to buy albums from people that they think only have one or two good songs on their album. It’s good that the consumer is getting smarter. To be honest, looking back, for the most part I feel that I’ve put out solid albums. You can say at least the majority of the albums have good songs on it, as opposed to there being only two or three good songs. My goal is to put out that perfect project where hands-down, the majority of the people all agree that 100 percent, every track, every single song is all the way on point. If that happens, the consumer will continue to buy albums as opposed to particular songs of iTunes.Does anyone in the game still excite you?
Ludacris: I would definitely say Wayne. That’s one person I do have on my album as a surprise. I’ll give you some information. Wayne excites me. Definitely Kanyeâ€"it’s always good to hear Kanye. I would say Game as well. Game is also on the album.[Source]
Damn, does everyone in the game like Lil Wayne??
Yesterday I ran a post about Playaz Circle and their new video, but it seems that I was wrong because the video I posted was an old one.
Here's the new one for you all. My badd!
And Last But Certainly Not Least......
DTP recording artist Willy Northpole stopped through BET's Rap City recently and laid it down on the mic. Y'all know that I got a lot of luv for Willy so check it out and show your luv!!
Don't hurt em too bad y'all.....
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Damn! Jermaine is getting it hard this week. First Greg offered up his two cents about the music mogul and now Charlamagne Tha God is offering up some commentary on 10 reasons JD must be a Leprechaun a.k.a. The Luckiest Little Man in Hip-Hop. Check it out below.
10) Money Ain't a Thing Video - This video was all the luck of the Leprechaun. Using his Leprechaun luck, a phone book, and pedal extensions, he was lucky enough to be able to reach the pedals of those hot ass cars he was driving in this video. This video did a lot for the Leprechauns image and had him mentioned in the same breath as Sean Combs, but only when people said damn JD trying to be like Puffy.
9) Kris Kross - This was one of the Leprechauns first pots of gold. He was lucky enough to discover two childhood friends, Chris Kelly and Chris Smith in 1991 at an Atlanta shopping mall. Dupri thought the two "looked like a rap group" and proceeded to gas these twelve-year olds to wear their clothes backwards. There debut album "Totally Krossed Out" went 4 xs platinum in the US and to this day nobody really knows why? I also always wondered if he encouraged them to wear there boxers backwards? If he did, with the hole in the back instead of the front, their album should have been called "Totally Assed Out".
8) Whoever introduced him to Bow Wow - In 1998 at the age of eleven, Bow Wow was introduced to JD who sprinkled a little Leprechaun luck on Bow Wow's young career. Now I don't know who introduced Bow Wow to the Leprechaun but half of this pot of gold should have gone to them. Nobody gave a damn about Slow Slow Death in 1998. I mean nobody cares now, but they where damn near dead then. It was rumored that Bow Wow was a Leprechaun, but nobody would really knew until he got older. Those rumors have been shot down now that he's older because he's too tall to be a Leprechaun and has established himself pretty well in the music and film industry (without the Leprechaun's assistance).
7) His Braids - JD was lucky enough to wear cornrows years after going bald. This combined with his natural Leprechaun height kept up his youthful appearance so he didn't look like Bow Wow's vertically challenged father in Bow Wow's videos.
6) Da Brat - Now this is when rumors of JD being a lucky little Leprechaun really started. He swagger jacked Snoop and reincarnated his style in the form of a female MC and Da Brat was born. Even though much better MCs like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte came before her and had commercial and critical success none of them ever went platinum, but Da Brat did. She was the first female solo artist to ever go platinum. The Leprechaun strikes again.
5) The Street Single - This is what Greg Street was talking about when he said the Leprechaun was a BDS A&R. He goes and grabs pots of gold that are already out there and claims them as his own for example: Bone Crusher (Neva Scared), J-Kwon (Tipsy), Youngbloodz (Damn), Franchise Boys (I Think They Like Me) and Rocko (Umma Do Me). A deaf man could hear these where going to be hits, but JD was lucky enough to sign these artists at key periods in Slow Slow Deaths existence. These records have served as life support for a label that should have been dead years ago.
4) Michael Mauldin - The Leprechauns father and former President of Columbia Records. What, you thought JD worked his way into the game? No! He was lucky enough to get handed his position in the game. This explains why he doesn't really have an ear for talent most of his artist where introduced to him by someone else (see # 8) or they where more gimmick than talent i.e., Kris Kross, Da Brat and Bow Wow, or they already had a single buzzing (see # 5) and JD just stamped So So Def on it and called it his own. Who needs an ear for talent when your father was a president for a major record label? Lucky bastard!
3) The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey's comeback record went 6 xs platinum, fueled by the singles "It's Like That", "We Belong Together" and "Shake it Off", all co produced and co written by JD. This had to be the luck of the Leprechaun (see # 2).
2) Janet Jackson - This is the moment when people realized JD was not human, but was an actual real live Leprechaun living among us. How did he bag Janet Jackson? The Luck of the Leprechaun!! This is how we know the Emancipation of Mimi was pure leprechaun luck because he had two chances to bring Janet back with 20 Y.O. and Discipline and couldn't do it. He used all his pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers to bag Janet in the first place. He had no more luck left as far as she was concerned to make pots of gold appear at the end of the rainbows of her last two albums.
1) DJs playing Slow Slow Death Records - If it wasn't for the DJ, not one record JD produced or wrote would have ever been played! If it wasn't for the DJ, Da Brat and Bow Wow would be nobodies! If it wasn't for the DJ, he would have never established the So So Def DJs even though we know he did this just to have a coalition of people to force his latest batch of hot garbage down the world's throats! Now since his, "The DJ is dead" comments, the Leprechaun's luck has run out. The DJ has no reason to support a mediocre talent, with a mediocre roster of artist and a very mediocre label. R.I.P. to the Leprechaun's career, sadly it was already dying a Slow Slow Death.
You can't say that Charlamagne lacks creativity. It's a little juvenile, but what the hell. I still got a few chuckles out of it.
The countdown is officially on for Asher Roth's official mixtape The GreenHouse Effect which drops this Friday, June 13th. The highly anticipated download is produced by DJ Don Cannon and DJ Drama.
As you all already know I'm a strong supporter of Asher and the music. SOHH you know I got some exclusive sh*t for you all to check out.
The mixtape comes out on TheDailyKush.com at 3:39am on Friday June 13th. That's 22 Tracks of Asher Roth Greatness for Free.
The countdown is official. Be on the look out for exclusive Asher material on SOHH Atlanta for the next few days.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
OK, so I have sat back and waited to see how Lil' Wayne and his record label were going to handle the leak of his new album The Carter III. Personally I thought that the release date should’ve been moved up to combat the rampant downloads. But alas, they kept the course and the new CD drops today.
But you got to wonder; is it going to sell well?
I was discussing the Wayne leak with an industry associate over the weekend and I expressed my perplexity at Cash Money Records, whose parent company is Universal, decision to not advance Lil' Wayne’s release date. But the response my industry brethren shared with me confused me even more than my original question.
Could Cash Money feel that the hood is going to stand up and support Wayne’s album? SOHH much SOHH they feel that the people who downloaded The Carter III aren’t their target audience? If that’s there thought process on the situation then I really have to look at them with the sideways stare.
The notion that the hood, a community that is notorious for purchasing bootleg copies and not really supporting their artists is Wayne’s target audience is ludicrous to me. Have I lost touch with demographics or hasn’t it been proven time and time again that white kids and women support entertainers more SOHH than any other demographic?
Call me an assh*le but if Universal and Cash Money think that the uncontrolled downloads of the past two weeks will not have an impact on Lil' Wayne’s overall sales then they need to close up shop and call it a day…indefinitely.
In my opinion The Carter III could’ve been the biggest selling hip-hop album of the year, hell the last two years despite the lacking lyrical execution of Lil' Wayne â€" if only they would have played their hand a little better.
What do you guys think? Is the album leak going to affect record sales drastically? Should Wayne have released that b*tch last week rather than keep his original release date? Or is Gyant just one big hater?
Playaz Circle is still doing the damn thing with the videos. Note to all rappers in the game you don't have to wait around for the label to approve budgets for you to still promote your music.
Stop being SOHH lazy. Check the video below.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Has anyone read the book "The 48 Laws Of Power"? Well an industry homie of mine Artemus Jenkins wrote what is in my opinion a great piece on Lil' Wayne and how one can become "The Best Rapper Alive" by applying a lot of the "48" theories to their career. Though this piece was written last year when Wayne was supposed to drop this project, I believe that it still works. And since his album does drop today I thought it would be as great a time as any to showcase it. Check it out below.
How to become the "best rapper alive"!!!
By: Artemus Jenkins
Take a second to Google "best rapper alive", about 0.13 seconds later Lil Wayne pops up as the found entry all over the damn place, most likely on all the pages! My question is, why? It's because he said so, that's why! He gave you raw eggs , you cooked it up, made an omelet and enjoyed it. So now thanks to the general publics acceptance of whatever the mainstream is willing to serve them, an uneducated consumer can Google "best rapper alive" and produce a dissertation complete with a thesis and works cited page on Weezy F. Baby. Well, it's time to wake up people; Lil Wayne has pulled a fast one on us all. Robert Greene; who can be viewed as something like a genius, depending on who you ask, wrote a book some time ago titled "The 48 Laws of Power". This book basically emphasizes using manipulation and critical thinking to get whatever you want. However despite millions of books sold, not everyone has the wits to put these principles into action. Contrary to popular belief, I'm here to tell you that a college edu-ma-cation pays off! Dwayne Carter has 48 Laws O' Powered that ass and you didn't even know it! How else could an average, gold selling emcee who raps about guns, bitches and bling become the "best rapper alive"? Without further ado, some insight on the blueprint Weezy has been following.Law 25 Recreate your Life
In the midst of major turmoil amongst the Cash Money camp, Wayne emerges from the fire no longer in the shadows of B.G., Juvenile and their multi-platinum selling records. He becomes president of Cash Money records and with his new found position a makeover of sorts commences; this consists of more jewelry, more tats, and more hair! How about the positive things in Weezy's life as well, he enrolls in college and is now a Psychology major, he stopped dating chicken-heads which is always a good look. This is evidenced by his love affair with ... Trina? Ok maybe I'll get back to you on that one. Anyway the point is, Lil Wayne decided that if he was going to prepare himself to be the best, you have to look the part. By recreating your life and everything in it you better position yourself to manifest change within your music.
Law 28 Enter with Boldness
This rule applies to just about any situation, you ever wonder why some people seem to always get what they want? It's because they step on the scene with gusto, as if they subscribe to their own bullshit and you should consider a subscription as well. With "Tha Carter", Weezy claims to have perfected his craft, he hints at things to come by "bringing it back to the bottom of the map' and demanding we shower his DJ with accolades. We all chant "Go DJ, thats my DJ" and love it. DJ's love it too, because they now have a new theme song. Although mildly entertaining, "Tha Carter" didn't appear to be perfection of any craft outside of demonstrating how far a swaggeriffic bop and some braggadocio will carry you.
Law 6 Court Attention at all Costs/ Law 4 Play on People's need to create a cult-like following
Without a doubt the events before and after "Tha Carter 2", produced the busiest years of Wayne's rap life; we were there for the legal issues, beef and (drum roll) the infamous Complex Magazine interview, producing the statement that Lil Wayne is better than Jay Z, in turn making him "the best rapper alive"! The scrupulous master plan is unfolding before our eyes. The Fireman has spoken, "I,I,I,I,I got em! Indeed he did have us, to the tune of over 1.8 million records sold. In a time where the hip-hop community appeared to be lost and desperate for the next big thing, Lil Wayne was the platonic friend to the hip-hop nation's proverbial lonely woman. He managed to swoop in and captivate our attention in a way many rappers could not. He had so much swagger, his lyrics were so raw. We hadn't heard a dude spit such hot fire since Dylan Dillinger. To affirm his status as "best rapper alive" he gave us mix-tapes, remixes and freestyles, all we had to do was believe him.
As a result, Lil Wayne has developed a cult-like following of young and old, who buy into the statements "best rapper alive" and "I am Hip Hop". You know how when we really want something or feel a certain way, we come up with a way to validate whatever bullshit we have no business doing? This is the case for many arguments that happen between people with good sense and the Weezy-ites of hip hop:
Sensible Consumer: Man, you know Weezy bit his whole style from Jay?
Weezy-ite: Nah Man, Weezy got his own style, Jay wish he had Weezy swagger!
Sensible Consumer: But what about his flow, he raps like Jigga...
Weezy-ite: Bullshit, all Jay rap about is trips to St. Tropez and fancy shit we can't get...
Sensible Consumer: Weezy always raps about the same shit as well...
Weezy-ite: That nigga be spittin that real shit though! He got mad bars son!
Much like a real debate with a Weezy-ite, this conversation could go on forever. Lil Wayne is something like the Jim Jones of hip-hop(not the dipset capo) and his funny Kool Aid is ever flowing. Speaking of ever flowing, that brings me to the next law.
Law 5 So much depends on your reputation, guard it with your life!
The cat is out of the bag, Weezy has been crowned "the best rapper alive", "He is the beast/ feed him rappers or feed him beats"! Over 85% of the BET generation believes it. Cats up top subscribe to the Weezy weekly and Lil Wayne's freestyles get five star ratings on many hip-hop sites, even when he says cheeseburger over some sped up sample. " How does one keep up such a front, after creating the maelstrom of press, freestyles and guest verses put up in 2006? Simple, you have to keep doing it, put out 15 mix tapes before June, release old verses with new mixes, and develop ambiguous relationships with skateboard companies. Why? Your career, your fans and reputation depend on it all, that's why. As the greatest you have to do the things to keep people believing it, correct? You have to rap like you truly have something to prove to everyone, right? Wrong, as a truly great artist, rapper or whatever, being the best does not lie in the quantity of music you put out. This brings us to the law Wayne may have left out of his mix.Law 16 Use absence to increase respect and honor
Fact is Lil Wayne has place himself in quite a pickle, with the frequency of music he has released, Wayne is becoming quite common in the eyes of many. Fall back Wayne; the fans want music, but you think they are going to stop liking you because you didn't give them a weekly dose of classic material ( I use this term loosely), i.e. Prostitute Flange. True hip-hop greats recognize the power of absence. After IdleWild we foamed at the mouth for Andre 3000 to give us some rap, and he responded. In 2007 alone Andre gave us 4 of the best verses of the year, thanks a million 3 stacks. Hov left the game, came back and sold a million records quick, fast and you know the rest. The internet nerds were even going nuts over a so-so Rakim record floating around on the net and we haven't gotten any material from him in a few years.
If indeed greatness as an emcee is measured by what you don't give people, Weezy will not join these ranks anytime soon. The man likes the shine, the cameras and attention way too much. With his current attack on DJ’s and constant I'm the best statements, it's clear that fading into obscurity to obtain god-like status will be a tall order for Lil Weezy. Who knows, Tha Carter may have something planned for us like we've never seen or heard before citing Law 3, Conceal your Intentions. Until then I guess we will just have to sit back and keep enjoying the free Kool Aid.
And while you are all pondering Artemus's commentary you know I got something to say....
SOHH what do you think? Is Artemus on to something here?
In a new video posted on youtube: "Countdown To The Carter", industry aficionado's break down the hype over Wayne's new CD.
Shout out to Carl Chery and SOHH's own Danica Dow and Erik Parker.
Talk y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:Sohhgyant@gmail.com
Over the weekend a track featuring Jay-Z leaked on the internet. On the track it's Jay rhyming over Atlanta producer Bangladesh' beat for Wayne's "A Milli". While I think Bangladesh should be blown away that the self-proclaimed best rapper alive decided to hop on one of his beat, I can't help but feel that Jay needs to give it up once and for all.
Listen to the song below:
What's crazy for me is that I was just starting to feel Jigga all over again with the passing of the torch song "Mr. Carter", but when I hear shit like this it makes me wanna throw my hands up in the air and just go back in time to where Hov was in fact the best in the game.
Seven years ago Jay would've never let something like this come out even if he was just f*cking around. I personally think the sh*t is a waste of disk space, but it's great for Bangladesh to have a rap icon spread his music further than before.
Oh and Jay we're in a recession. People are losing their homes and people can't afford the high ass gas prices. Don't nobody want to hear about your millions. Sometimes the rich can truly be insensitive.
Last week I told you all that I got a chance to link up with popular producer Drumma Boy. In a new "Gyant Chats It Up" episode he and I discussed all his achievements, what he's working on and his response to the critics that say the south is ruining hip-hop. Check it out below:
If you're trying to connect with check out his myspace page [Click Here] Plus, you can reach Drumma's mgmt @ [404] 803-3615.
Now Lets Talk Sports...
Sunday I was invited to attend my very first baseball game at Turner Field where the Philadelphia Phillies played the Atlanta Braves. I have never been to a baseball game ever and though I had great seats right behind home plate the heat made it completely unbearable.
Although I was about 30 min late when I got there I realized that I might have my black card revoked because me and my friend where the only spots in the bunch [outside of the Turner Field Staff]. Why people choose to sit in the direct sun sweating their balls off for the slowest sport known to man is beyond me.
But here are some pictures for sports fans out there. It was a cool experience, however I will never do it again.
Thanks "Uncle Ted"
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Y’all know I just love sh*t like this. Friday I posted a video from a series that Jermaine Dupri and themostaccess.com put together titled “The State Of Music Business†[Checkout That Post Here]. The five part series has drawn heavy criticism on various blogs and hip-hop internet sites.
But there’s one popular DJ who is not pleased with JD’s take on the “Death Of The DJ†and an exclusive vlog [video blog] Greg Street is airing Jermaine Dupri out. Watch the video below.
Damn! I mean Greg went for the jugular on this one. I’m gagging at the part where he said “You got to stop faking and acting like you doing this and you doing that. Jay-Z gets a club, you get a club. Jay-Z get a superstar girl, you get a superstar girl. Puffy opens up a restaurant, you open up a restaurant. It’s Ludacris â€" yea you could have signed him too!!â€
This is your chance to speak up people. Do you agree with one of the most legendary DJ’s on the planet?
Charlamagne Tha God hit me up and has alerted me that Greg Street will be on The Wendy Williams Experience this Tuesday, June 10th in the 4 o'clock hour to further discuss his issues with Jermaine. You can listen online [here]
I’ll tell you one thing; I would kill to be a fly on the wall when Jermaine and Greg bump into each other at V103. You know JD’s So So Def radio program comes on right after Greg's show.
If you feel like talking JD you know what to do, just make sure you send the video my way once you’re done.
Although I do find it interesting that Todd 1 over that themostaccess.com posted a statement saying the following:
JD discussed The Death Of The DJ. This is not coming from the perspective of a new exec in the game… this is coming from the perspective of someone who has been in the game for almost 20 years and saw what the DJ used to be and what the DJ is today. We don’t knock anyone trying to get money because money is what makes the World go Around… but the point is - How can you be the DJ and do your job effectively when you are more focused on handing out YOUR music than playing music from the ARTIST? [Source]
Don't forget that Greg will be getting an award at this year's Almost Famous Awards on July 26th. Check out more on that information [here]
Talk to y’all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Jermaine Dupri is offering up some free advice on the state of the music business via Themostaccess.com. He's done a 5 part video piece on what's really hood with the music. Check out part one below.
What y'all think about what JD is saying?
Moving Right Along....
The creator and owner of Almost Famous, Rovella Williams, just put me on to some news about what she's putting together for a star studded event that's happening in July. You know I've been a big supporter of the Almost Famous movement for quite some time and have put you all on to her info over the years.
Check out the press release for what looks like a pretty interesting affair.
In celebration of the 4 year anniversary of the Almost Famous Show, Verseus Entertainment Group will offer a forum to discuss the Evolution of Urban Music Saturday, July 26th at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. VEG plans to bring more awareness to the foundation of urban music by inviting legendary music professionals to speak with some of today's chart toppers. The interaction will serve to inspire and enlighten aspiring artists, producers, and music executives in attendance as well as to educate consumers. The Almost Famous Forum will provide practical information about the music business and a platform for successful and legendary speakers to share their individual experiences. There is no blueprint for success in the music industry, but those who laid the foundation can certainly offer examples to follow.
The forum precedes the 2nd Annual Almost Famous Awards Show, which is a celebration of excellence within the emerging community of rappers, singers, music producers, DJ's and more. The awards show will honor those who've demonstrated an impeccable grind matched with exceptional talent throughout the year. The hottest female and male MC's, R&B's finest , the most effective management team, the Indy label with major impact, and the DJ dedicated to breaking new artists, and the publicist who's been most effective in their media campaigns for new artists are just a few of the categories. In addition, "They Can Make You Famous Awards" will be presented to several previous judges of the show over the past 4 years to reward them for their tireless efforts and success in molding superstars. Honorees include Kawan "KP" Prather, DJ Toomp, Bryan Michael Cox, Mr. Collipark, Chaka Zula, TJ Chapman and more.
About the Almost Famous Brand
Founded in 2004, the Atlanta based Almost Famous Show is an outlet for emerging artist to connect with the industry. Previous judges include award winning producers, Bryan "Michael" Cox (Usher, Mary J, Mariah Carey), DJ Toomp (TI, Kanye West, Jeezy, Jay Z), Bangladesh (Ludacris, Kelis, Lil Wayne), Mr. Collipark (Ying Yang Twins, Soulja Boy, Jamie Foxx), PJ "Tom Slick" Scott (Pit Bull, Hurricane Chris, VIC), managers and A&Rs such as Chaka Zula (DTP), Kawan "KP" Prather (Ghet-O-Vision), Jullian Boothe, (Slip N Slide), and industry tastemaker TJ Chapman (TJ's DJ's). Special guests have included Super Producer Rodney Jerkins, Monica, Q of 112, Mz Shyneka (Hot 107.9), and Tony Neal (Core DJ's/Konvict Music). It has been a haven for the above mentioned as well as radio and club DJ's, the media, consumers and more. In addition to the show, the Almost Famous Brand extends to the Almost Famous Mixtape Series, the Almost Famous Magazine, an online blog and a weekly radio show powered by Goodfellasradio.net, which are all utilized to heighten the relevance of up and coming artist.
For more information email info@almostfamousshow.com
Have A Great Weekend Everyone,
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
Over the years Ludacris has become one of my favorite MC's in the game. I remember back in the day when Luda first stepped on the scene I really couldn't stand his music. And don't even get me started on those sideburns.
But in 2008 Ludacris stays on heavy rotation in my iPod. I'm even becoming a fond fan of the brutha's acting chops. And while some rappers continue to stay stagnant in their artistry, Luda's evolving with restaurants, blockbuster films, and now a new show with Rocker Tommy Lee. Check it out below.
You can't say that the brutha doesn't lack charisma..
The housing crunch isn't just affecting us mere mortals because prize fighter/heavyweight champion as well as Dancing With The Stars Alum Evander Holyfield has lost his legendary sprawling Atlanta estate.
According to the news Evander's 104 room Atlanta home is under foreclosure. The home is worth 10 million dollars is scheduled to auctioned off July 1st.
When I first moved to Atlanta everyone would rant and rave about Holyfield's home. Apparently he used to have the illest bashes there. And a friend of mine told me a couple of months ago that he had seen Evander traveling on his airline in Coach. At the time I didn't think that it was a big deal. I thought it was kind cool that he'd fly with us regular folks.
Between his missed child support payments, and now the foreclosure of his home it looks like Evander's star is rapidly descending from the sky. It just goes to show you all that rich people can become non-rich if they don't invest their money correctly.
Remember, if you're irresponsible with your cash nothing lasts forever.
Y'all already know that one of my favorite hip-hop blogs on the planet is Randy Roper's writersblockmedia.net And thanks to Randy, AKA Mr. Exclusive in honor of Obama making history we got another banging playlist for you all to add to the iPod. Take it away Randy.
It’s a celebration, b*tches!
Cam’ron - My Aura (Webrip)
T-Pain - Silver & Gold
Lil' Wayne ft. Currency - Pineapple Sunkiss (C3 Bonus)
Rick Ross ft. Trey Songz, Shawty Lo, Triple C, Flo-Rida, Brisco & Birdman - This Is The Life (Remix)
Alfamega ft. T.I. & Nitti - Uuuh Huh
Boo Rossini - Head Kush Pussy Crack
Gym Class Heroes - Don’t Tell Me Its Over (Snippet)
Jadakiss - Now Until Then (Preemo Version)
Usher ft. R. Lovette, T-Pain & Michael Jackson - Stop Playin
Young Chris ft. Peedi Crakk - Kill Me
Nappy Roots - No Static
Cory Gunz & Charles Hamilton - Neh Neh Neh
Charles Hamilton - Brooklyn Girls
Rain - Rage
Young Swift - Perfection
Download Playlist Here or Here
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
SOHH many times people email me asking me to put their music on SOHH Atlanta. A lot of times I pass because I get a lot of junk sent my way. However from time to time I do get music sent to me that I can fux with. SOHH I've decided to start yet another weekly feature called "Honorable Mention". This will be music posts that Gyant can really feel. It wont be all hip-hop it's gonna be whatever I deem to be hot and worth mentioning. The first artist I'm kicking this off with is a fellow New Jersey native who lives in the ATL. She's been doing her thing in the biz for a minute and she most definitely deserves an honorable mention.
Some of you all might remember songstress Fundisha. I interviewed her a year ago. I whole heartedly believe in her talent and I love her sound. To me Fundisha gives you great chill music. A lot of times music can be SOHH hyped that I like to just put in some mood music to just kick back and slow things down a notch.
Thats when I turn to music like this. Fundisha is grinding hard trying to make a name for herself in this business SOHH allow me to give her an honorable mention. Listen to two cuts below:
What y'all think of Fundisha? And don't hate.
[JC and his stylist Reno on the set of his new video “Nobody Gotta Know"]
[From Left to Right Chingy, Dorian, Jody Breeze and JC chillin in between takes.]
[Princess and V103’s Tangie striking a pose.]
[Chingy]
[One of the “College Hill†girls.]
[Dorian and Tangie]
Check out some video someone just sent me over too.
Shout out to publicist Tahira Wright for the invite. Plus if you know of anyone who's got some good music and who deserves and honorable mention holla at me.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
One of Atlanta's favorite rappers I-20 is back with a new album as well as a new video. The DTP associate is gearing up for the release of a new project. The song is titled "Come See Me Then". You just know I had to select it for this week's poppin' or floppin' video of the week. Check it out below.
It looks like the video game "The Hitman" was the inspiration for this mini video. The creativity factor alone makes me instantly like it. It's simple yet you can see how the director pulled something a little different out his hat.
Props to you 1-20. Somebody over at DTP put me on to whats going with him. I checked out his myspace page, but couldn't find anything.
But Moving Right Along....
Yesterday I told you all about Young Jeezy's video shoot that went down. And I also told you all how I was unlucky in getting some shots. However thanks to a reader who was also there I can now bring you some visuals.
[Jeezy doing his thing against the green screen as Hype Williams directs]
[I have no idea who these two are, but let’s show them some luv anyway. - Update: the guy holding the chain is Rockett CTE's west coast artist].
[Blood Raw made an appearance.]
[There’s that Lamborghini again]
Props to Steal for hooking me up with this. Be sure to check out his website [here]
It looks like the man of the hour is taking some advice about taking his movement to the internet. I have spoken about Usher SOHH much these past two weeks that I promise this will be my final post.
But it's good to see that the top selling male artist has taken someone's advice and gotten himself a blog. Ushernow.com has been launched and its a completely interactive site with exclusive video and a whole lot more.
This is the future for many of today's artists. It can work for them on SOHH many levels. I'm glad that U is dabbling into the blog world. Let's see how it pans out for him.
Judging by the comments many of you think that I think that I'm bigger than I am. Trust and believe that I know I am small fish in a very large ocean. Usher probably doesn't know who the hell I am [LOL let's go with that]. But I still just like to offer my opinions on how people can get step their game up.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:Sohhgyant@gmail.com
Last week I dropped a bomb blog on musical sensation Usher titled "Top 8 Reasons Usher's Going To Flop". That post was met with immense opposition from the readers. I was even told by some close industry contacts to not do a post on Usher.
But I did, and it seems that I may have been right on the money [kinda].
Usher's new album "Here I Stand" came in at number one atop of Billboard's Top 100 selling a respectable 443k copies. Decent numbers in today's music climate, but disappointing in terms of the best selling male artist of the decade. With numbers like these I feel very confident in saying that "Here I Stand" might just sell a million copies here in the United States. But clearly Alicia Keys is still holding down the record for the best selling CD in recent years.
But just as I offered up reasons as to why his album wasn't going to do good. I'd like to offer some suggestions as to how Usher can be on top of his game again by next year. Listen up:
1. No more talk of Tameka or your son unless you're on Oprah or Ellen: Look marriage is great. Building a family is beautiful. But the one thing it's not is sexy. As much as the fans can appreciate the personal, they still want to think that they have a shot in hell of getting in bed with you. You are still selling, in a way, an illusion. Go back to that.
Get in the gym, open ya shirt again and start coming off as "that dude" from back in the day.
2. Step Up Ya New Media Game: Either get on Jive's New Media Department to do a better job with your online presence or just get your own crew to set you up with a community site [better if you do it on ning.com], get your youtube channel going and also start to leak free Usher music to the Concreteloops, and Thatgrapejuice's of the world.
3. Link Back Up With Jermaine Dupri: Let's face it JD had a heavy influence in Usher being who he is today. That magic is what the fans want. Get him back on the project as the Captain and let's get it going.
4. Lose the attitude: Usher's attitude often times proceeds Usher himself. I'm speaking from a fan standpoint. A lot of people have been turned off by this. I think that Usher needs to undergo a major personality adjustment [at least publicly]. It would be better for him to come off as warm an inviting, and not cold and over it.
5. Justin Timberlake collaboration: I know Usher has already spoken on this, but I think that this needs to be a major priority and it needs to be the first single off the new CD. A Justin Timberlake/Timbaland/Usher callabo would be insane. It could revolutionize Usher's entire project.
6. Dance, Dance, Dance: Dancing has been an important element in Usher's career, however this time around it seems that was a bit lazy with his footwork. He needs to get some of the hottest dancers in the streetz to produce him the hottest routine on earth.
If Usher truly wants to be on top and get the fans luv back and stop the haters dead in their tracks, then he needs to bring it. And bring it HARD! Oh, and again keep Tameka out of the picture.
That just my two cents about it.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
Damn! Who knew that Jeezy was balling like this. According to a few websites out there here's some pictures of CTE's leading artist's new Lamborghini. But get this - apparently this is his third one. WTF?
I am not a car enthusiast by any means, but after doing some digging around I found out that this mechanical beauty is a LP640.
I mean I know Jeezy was ranked as one of the top grossing rappers according to Forbes magazine last year, but he's been laying kind low for a minute. I really didn't know that he was balling like that. I saw his new whip at his video shoot yesterday and it's just as beautiful up close.
Late Tuesday afternoon I got a call about a closed set video shoot for Young Jeezy's new song "Put On" featuring Kanye West. But it was to my sheer surprise that the video was being directed by legendary video/film director Hype Williams.
This is the man who made "Belly" y'all. You know I had to ask him when we'd be seeing "Belly 2", but he said it's not happening. He said that X [DMX that is] is too messed up so he may do something that focuses on them when they were kids or something.
The video shoot was cool, and you just know I had my camera ready to get you all some amazing footage, but Hype is not that kinda dude. He doesn't allow any images to be taken from his sets.
In an attempt to be slick I even asked Ludacris manager and Def Jam executive Chaka Zulu to try and persuade Hype to allow me to get something. But as they were talking I kept watching Hype shake his head no.
SOHH though I can't show you anything, let me just say that knowing what Hype Williams can do with the visuals this video is going to be a must see.
Drummer Boy, J Nicks, and DTP's new artist LeLe were on the set. Plus, Def Jam's new Executive Vice President Shakir Stewart was there as well. I will have video interviews dropping soon.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Y'all already know that I fux with Asher Roth heavily and I am eagerly awaiting his new mixtape "The Greenhouse Effect" which drops on June 13th. SOHH I am sure that it comes as no surprise that I've got another video of Asher meeting yet another star [and label mate] who's just as interested, if not more, than I am. Watch what happens when Asher meets Akon
Real talk can you remember a time in today's current music state where entertainers were getting mad that they missed out on signing an artist? Put the Eminem comparisons aside. DJ Don Cannon assures me that this mixtape is gonna be bananas. You already know I am going to have that for you soon. I'll also have a video interview with Drama and Cannon soon SOHH be on the look out.
Plus you got to check out Asher's great new blog site called "The Daily Kush" [Go To Site Here]
Shout out to Rovella Williams for sending me over the remix to "Get Silly". It's produced by the four member Collipark Music Production team The Package Store (Hurricane Chris, BOB, E-40, VIC, Ying Yang Twins, and more).
What do you all think about it?
I was flipping through the channels on the tube today and just happened to catch Jermaine's girl Janet on "The View". She surprised co-host Sherry Sheperd with tickets to her upcoming tour.
Now I know I go hard on my girl sometimes, but she is my FAVORITE entertainer and I will admit that even I got SOHH much pleasure out of watching her truly surprise a fan. I had a groupie moment for the first time in a LONG time right here in front of the television. Thank God nobody saw it but the dog.
Is anyone as excited as I am about her up coming tour? If I were younger I'd be in line like all the other groupies trying to get my tickets, but I am far too grown for that sh*t now. I am hoping that someone just blesses a brutha with two tickets to her Atlanta show [hint, hint].
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email: sohhgyant@gmail.com
I really don't like too attack the up and coming to often. I mean hey, we are all trying to make it in this grimy, and often times evil entertainment industry. However, G-Unit's new artist Hotrod has just dropped a new song and in my opinion it has to be the worst song I've heard all year.
Hotrod's manager Chris Cornish, [actually from what I'm hearing Chris is Hotrod's former manager. They both separated six months ago] who also happens to reside in Atlanta, approached me last year about getting an interview of this "new rapper just signed to G-Unit". Apparently this kat is from Arizona and he's been generating all kind of buzz on the west coast. I passed on the interview not even hearing any of his music. The fact that he was from Arizona and is apart of G-Unit was enough for me to know that you all wouldn't give a damn SOHH why waste the time and energy.
Fast forward to just last week and I am browsing one of my favorite celebrity blogs [Perezhilton.com], and I'll be damned if this Hotrod character hasn't dropped a new song titled "I Like To F*k".
By the title of the song alone you already know what its about. And though I like to get my adult experience on like the rest of us I couldnt help but think to myself that hip-hop is reaching an all time low. Maybe I shouldn't even lump this kat into the hip-hop category. Perhaps this kid thinks that because he's throwing some words over a beat that its rap music -- I don't know.
But what I do know is that we're in a time of music where people just aren't taking enough responsibility for their craft.
"Whats wrong with this song Gyant?" you ask. Well for one its not socially responsible. But, while we can argue that fact for days to come, lets focus on the business aspect for a second. First off its extremely corny. Not well thought out, and cant be played many places.
Some of you may argue that the clubs will be blasting this shit out the box. And to that end I totally disagree. This all falls back to my post on artist development. The notion that Hotrod and his team could come together and mutually agree to put this song out as his first single is frightening. If I were Hotrod I would be looking for a more business savvy team.
And if I were 50 Cent I'd give my lawyers a call and figure out how in the hell I can get out of this contract with this lame dude.
I don't know call me a hater. But songs like this really urk the f*ck outta me. To you young kids in the game; Please make it your business to step outside the box. Stick to the formula but kick it up a notch.
Because contrary to popular opinion sex does not always sell.
Oh, And For The Playaz Circle Fans.....
You gotta luv these guys.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
Right about now Lil' Wayne, and the world, are learning a very valuable lesson. And that lesson is not to f*ck with the DJ. Like that old 70's [or was it 80's song] "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" they can just as easily eff it all up. I don't think I have ever seen a leak of this magnitude so far in the history of leaks. The Carter III is EVERYWHERE. So what does Wayne do to try and combat the leak? He takes to Atlanta's own DJ Drama to clear up his position on the "Fuck Mixtape DJ's" issue. Have a listen below.
DJ Drama interviewed Lil' Wayne on the Aphilliates Sirius Satellite Radio show last night and here's what Wayne had to say:
SOHH do you all believe him? If he really only meant to cuss out one mixtape DJ then why not just do that then to such a broad statement? At this point the only thing Weezy and his label can do is to release his album ASAP.
It's just bad business to wait until June 10th. I posted the album tracks over the weekend. I could've posted the actual album download, but I'm a new Gyant. With all that I saw out there I decided to post the lesser evil. To download these tracks I posted takes a lot more work then everything else out there.
I didn't pull a T.I.!
Am I the only one who still cringes when I hear non-black people call black people niccas? I'm just sayin.
But putting all that aside I got to say that "Mr. Carter" feat Jay-Z is my FAVORITE track of entire CD. It's been on repeat on my iPod.
Talk to y'all lata,
--SOHH Gyant
Email:sohhgyant@gmail.com
