May 2006 Archives

The Heart of New York City is keeping an ear to the hottest DJs and rappers in the streets with the 3rd annual Street Conference, which will be held June 7-9 at The Historical National Black Theater of Harlem on 125th Street.

Honorees will include DJ Green Lantern for "Breakthrough DJ," Jim Jones for "The Hustle Hard Like Russell Simmons Honor," dirty laundry reporter Wendy Williams for the "Female On-Air Personality Honor," Busta Rhymes for "Honor Best Stage Show Entertainer," and Fat Joe for "Honor Pete Latino Making Moves," to name a few. Just a thought... their idea of "making moves" is obviously in retrospect.

NYC's D-Block, Jim Jones, and The Diplomats are shifting in their seats in KOCH's offices right about now. It appears that "America's #1 independent label" has recently joined forces with three additional deals, one of which includes Def Jam's leftovers Damon Dash Music Group.

The SOHH NYC blog has been empty without your all time favorite, so here it is: first, Interscope Jackson approached Afeni Shakur about signing Pac, now his sickening fixation on those resting in peace has shifted to Compton's late gangsta rapper Eazy-E--only this time, he's going straight for E's son, Lil' Eazy E. You already have money. When will it stop?

The rumor is that 50 Cent is trying to sign Lil Eazy, which, if true, will only serve as another flop to the G-Unit roster. Before you call me biased, note that Yayo barely moved a muscle in spite of the release of three videos, ghostwritten rhymes, and extensive radio and video manipulation, Mobb Deep have again misrepresented the entire face of Queensbridge, M.O.P are M.I.A, Mase, who is now repping the "A," is the laughingstock of New York City, and Olivia's album appears to be left in oblivion. Hate it or love it, I'm just stating the facts.

Earlier this week, the true roots of hip-hop resurfaced via the Subway Series, a traveling concert made up of dancers, beatboxers, emcees, and singers that perform on an NY subway train.

It was the latest of the series, and will be the last for a while, which is a shame; in an era where hip-hop is plagued with pop-friendly tunes, trashy Paris Hilton collabos, sellouts like Jadakiss and Fat Joe, corny southern snap music, and lack of lyricism, there should be more, not less, of the support which preserves "real rap" and reminds us that true hip-hop really exists.

Kanye West, Missy Elliot, Olivia, Amerie, David Banner, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony and many others attended the Sprite Street Couture Showcase at Guastavino's in Manhattan, New York Tuesday night.

Models worked the runway, unveiling the latest from Rocawear, LRG, Triple 5 Soul, Etnies and WESC clothing as celebrities, press and tastemakers looked on. Others in attendance included Farnsworth Bentley, Consequence, Miri Ben-Ari, BET's Melissa Ford and Bad Boy executive Andre Harrell.

I don't know much about fashion shows, but one thing is sure - Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Jessica White owned the runway, marching with incredible swagger as each step captivated every eye in the audience. Omahyra (the model wilding out in Jay-Z's "Change Clothes" video) also graced the stage with her own unique flare.

DJ Green Lantern, who killed it with his "Alive on Arrival" comeback, has reloaded shortly after the "Team Invasion" release to put out "On My New York Shit" with DJ Kay Slay. Clearly in aggression to the lack of reverence the Mother and Father of hip-hop has been receiving lately, Lantern explosively retorted to Slay on the intro: "Mothafuckas talkin' crazy like New York done fell off or somethin'...[like] New York don't matter no more."

The remainder of the intro is a blazin' patriotic New York anthem that consists of mixed samples from the voices of Big Pun, Diddy, Jay-Z, Juelz Santana, Swizz Beats, and Busta Rhymes, to name a few.

Track three, appropriately emblazoned with the lyrical strength of Brooklyn's Papoose, is sure to be a backbone for the remainder of the effort, which is finished off with appearances by Bronx Bombers Remy Ma and Cory Gunz, Queens' Stack Bundles and Lloyd Banks, Lower East Side's Tru Life, BK's Maino and Red Café, and Harlem's Jae Millz and Jim Jones, to name a few.

As most of you may know, The Roots set off their star-studded Def Jam celebration with two nights at Radio City Music Hall last week.

Thursday night was supposed to be "the rabbit out of the hat," dedicated to the late, great J Dilla, but was instead plagued with sound failure and no-shows (Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco to name a COUPLE). However, some of the show's tricks were saved with performances by Nas and old schooler Big Daddy Kane. DJ Jazzy Jeff worked the turntables, Common worked out a high-strung performance of "Testify," "Go," and "I Used to Love H.E.R.", and Talib Kweli's set was well done.

Looks like ya boy Cam'ron has pimp smacked Hell Rell Rucker-style into doing his dirty work. With a sorry marketing plan (which consisted of attacking Jay's flip flops and a corny press conference) and minimal to no airplay for the video "Wet Wipes" contributing to Cam and Dukedagod's flopped album, it's no wonder Cam has thrown in the towel--or has he?

For a couple of weeks now rumors have been circulating that President Carter had blessed the boy Rick Ross with a verse for the remix to his breakout single, Hustlin', and that on that verse Jay was talking mighty greasy about a certain Harlem Diplomat who objects to his choice of summer footwear. Well, yesterday the song leaked and sure enough the same guy who once claimed that he doesn't respond to subliminals, had some a few subliminals of his own for that ass:

Who you haters think you talkin to
I'm the fuckin boss
White on white G-4 hater get lost
I'm in the air, I don't hear
Niggas corny raps
Yeah nigga Hov is back
That nigga Hov is back
I got a honey bun
No not a chick
I got a honey bun
Millions nigga
I got couple hundred them
99 Problems prick
Don't become the hundredth one
Unless you got a hundred lives
Murder them a hundred ugh!
We don't resort to violence
We on resorts & islands
Wit linen shorts & shades
In case they thought you was lyin
My Louie slippers
Polo top
Linen shorts so my balls don't get hot(ha ha!)

Gravy recently spoke to MTV about the ban of his music from Hot 97's airwaves. He wonders, and rightfully so, why the station decided to start banning the music of artists involved in drama after he was shot, but other much more visible artists have not been punished.

"I feel like, damn. ... Y'all stopping [airplay] on my end? After Lil' Kim, Game, 50," Gravy said last week. "Why me? Because I'm new? I'm just getting ready to do my thing. Y'all should have stopped [the violence] and had [surveillance] cameras [in front of the station]."

It's called being a scapegoat Gravy, get used to it. In other bullet scarred rapper news, Cam is projected to move somewhere in the neighborhood of 150,000 units in the first week of Killa Season according to the Hits Daily Double website. That's not bad at all for an album that didn't have half the promotion of Blood Money. The website is predicting that Killa will take the top spot on next week's chart from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

According to an article over at Gunitworld.com, 50 is in the process of trying to convince Afeni to let him produce the next Tupac album and release it as a joint venture between Amaru and G-Unit Records. He says that he's not happy with the way previous posthumous Tupac records have been handled and that he knows exactly what they've been missing: better marketing. Yeah that must be it, because an agressive marketing plan is what really makes for good music, just look at how well it worked for Mobb Deep this month. (That was sarcasm in case you didn't catch it.)

Billion Dollar Budget says:

"I feel the people running his material are not necessarily heading his work in the proper direction". 2Pac had an album come out some years ago and they only put out one single out of about an album filled with 30 songs and that single had Nas on it. To me that was the worst thing they could've done. Like why would they put Nas on a pac single and then worse make a video for it also as the lead single."

Alot of you youngsters out there may only know Ice Cube as that old guy actor from Friday and Barbershop who occaisonally raps, but in reality the man is one of the pioneers of West Coast gangster rap and the guy who most of your favorite rappers probably grew up listening to. This past Friday Cube Steady Mobbed his way through B.B. King's in Times Square, and he brought along Daz and Kurupt of the Dogg Pound and the Clipse for the ride.

The occasion was the only New York date on Cube's promotional tour for his new album Laugh Now, Cry Later, due out june 6th. Unfortunatley I couldn't make it, which is dissapointing since it's not everyday you get to see a living legend performing classics up close and personal in a small venue like this, in New York City no less. Man, I remember a period in time when The Dogg Pound might not have gotten a very warm reception in this town, but thankfully those days are in the past.

I've expressed my dislike for 50 Cent several times on this blog, so it may come as a surprise to some when I say that I'm actually a Lloyd Banks fan. Back in the glory days of G-Unit (before 50 dropped GRODT), this kid used to be a mixtape monster, consistently killing any and every beat DJ's dared to put in front of him.

But then he dropped The Hunger for More, and I got the impression that the Boy Wonder lost his appetite and he just hasn't been the same since. His flow seemed lazy and unfocused and his metaphors and punchlines just didn't pack the same punch that they did when he was in his prime. Last week My House, the lead single for his sophomore album Rotten Apple, due out July 18th, hit the streets and I really would love to say that I'm feeling it...but I'd be lying.

Here's Busta's new video for the new single off his upcoming album, The Big Bang. The song features Kelis and was produced by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, and Gabrielle Union co-stars in the video.

Method Man, who was at one point the most visible member of the Wu, has been relatively quiet over the last couple of years while fellow group members Ghostface and Raekwon have soaked up all the attention. Now it appears that Johnny Blaze is poised to make a comeback and two new songs hit the streets this week to get the ball rolling. The first track which I posted earlier this week, is an innocent enough collaboration withLauryn Hill called Things They Say.

Now this is some bullshit if I ever heard it. Hot 97 has declared that in light of his shooting in front of their offices, Gravy's music will no longer be played on the station. Ok, well that sounds good and all, but I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever heard a Gravy song on Hot 97 in my entire life.

Funkmaster Flex is quoted as saying:

"Gravy's records will never play on Hot 97 again. That goes for any artist that gets into an altercation. Whether it's your fault or not, your songs will not play...I'm sorry Gravy."

He goes on to say that they should have done the same thing after the Game and 50 Cent shooting, which is a load of nonsense, because they know damn well that they aren't banning the music from last year's two biggest selling hip hop artists anytime soon. And please, Flex, spare me the shock and outrage, because you didn't seem to mind the drama when you were on air calling out Benzino and dropping bombs all over dis records.

Money talks and Fat Joe and Jadakiss are listening. As you may have heard, the two M.C.'s have sold their soul to the devil, literally, and will appear on amateur porn star Paris Hilton's debut album. The track that they're featured on, called Fighting Over Me, is a sappy pop tune about how poor Paris has all these boys fighting over her attention, or some such nonsense.

Download the track here, if you dare.

When I first hear about this little collaboration, I was all ready to defend Joe and Kiss against all of the G-Unit groupies who were quick to point out that even the most street M.C.'s sell out and appear on shallow radio tunes. But then I remembered that little incident last year where Paris's spoiled, skanky ass mustered up the nerve to drop the N-bomb in public, and my argument went right out the window.

In a recent interview with hiphopgame.com, Joe Budden promises fans that his sophmore album, The Growth will be released this year, no if's and's or but's. He says that the head of his label, you may know him as The Greatest Rapper Alive, has not contributed a verse to the album and has had virtually no creative input on the project as of yet.

Joey also talks about being the default representative of New Jersey and how important it was for him to do his New Jerz Shit freestyle, which if you haven't heard, you can download here.

But Jumpoff isn't the only one who's feeling that Busta instrumental though. Your favorite rappers favorite rapper, Talib Kweli, and Brooklyn's own Jean Grae, who signed to Kweli's Blacksmith lable earlier this year, couldn't help themselves and jumped on the beat for a remake of Busta's barely month old New York Shit. Everybody knows Talib is the truth, but I'll be damned if Jean Grae isn't the best female rapper in NY, hands down. How could you not love a chick with a tattoo on her neck and a four finger ring?

Download their version here.

In a recent interview with PrefixMag, after being asked whether or not he felt New York artists were jealous over "losing the hip hop crown" as the interviewer put it, Ghostface had the following harsh words for his hometown:

New York lost the crown because the New York deejays gave the crown away for some fucking money. New York be bullshitting. Right know, I say fuck New York. Yeah, I'm from New York, but fuck New York. Because niggas is pussy. They is so quick to jump on the next man's dick and can't even deal with what they got in front of they face.

He goes on to criticize those same New York DJ's for not playing local music and suggests that the city is soft because we didn't riot after the murder of African immigrant Amadou Diallo in 1999. On the one hand I agree with Ghost about the dickriding and lack of support for our music from radio, but on the other hand I think he's wildin with some of his statements.

Whoever said Tom Cruise didn't have a hood pass? Some of Hip Hop and R&B's biggest names invaded Harlem along with Hollywood's highest paid actor for BET's 106: Impossible special to celebrate the release of his new film, Mission Impossible III.

Hollywood Hav and V.I.P. or, as you probably know them, Mobb Deep, ran up in the FYE on 56th and 6th Avenue on Tuesday night to to perform a couple of songs and sign autographs for fans who came out to cop their new album, Blood Money. While there have been mixed reviews of their G-Unit debut, some love it some hate it, there's no doubt that New York City still has love for the Queensbridge representatives.

With Juelz Santana's sophomore album slowly but surely approaching platinum status, a film role under his belt, plans for a tour, and some big name collabos on the table it's shaping up to be a hot summer for the Dipset's youngest in charge. SOHH NYC recently caught up with Harlem's Human Crack in the Flesh and he gave us the inside scoop on some of the drama that himself and his crew always seem to find themselves in the middle of.

You've gotta love this Ja Rule guy. He's a funny character and he just refuses to go away no matter how irrelevant he might be in the game these days. Which is why it doesn't surprise me that he would release a dis track to the same person who snatched his spot and all but ended his career, two years after the fact. As far as disses go, this really isn't half bad, and its the kind of thing Ja fans will probably eat up. If he would've dropped this back when there was actually still beef to settle, he may have had a chance.

Lil Cease spoke to MTV recently about his run in with Maino. He basically said that they bumped heads and ended up shooting the fair one, he wasn't jumped or anything, and that the beef is now squashed. From what I hear, there is in fact a video of the fight, so if there's anything more to the story I guess we'll find out soon enough. Cease also mentioned that he's had a hard time in the streets with people labelling him a snitch over the Kim situation, so he's planning on, of course, releasing a DVD explaining what went down from his point of view.