From: Youtube.com
Producer 9th Wonder Presents The Soul Council
Saturday, July 17th, 2010Maxwell Talks About Life Back In Music
Friday, June 25th, 2010From: MSNBC.com
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Nas & Common: Violent Lyrics In Hip-Hop Music
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010From BlackTree.TV:
Hip-hop heavyweights Nas and Common came together for a panel during the 52nd Annual Grammy Weekend in Los Angeles, CA. The two icons not only spoke on the impact their music has on each other, but also on the emotions behind the lyrics.
Yele Haiti Responds To Allegations; Akon Offers Support
Saturday, January 16th, 2010
Photo Credit: twitter.com
After the website, The Smoking Gun, posted an article yesterday questioning the authenticity of Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti foundation, the president of the organization has issued a response.
“Wyclef Jean, the founder of Yele Haiti, has never profited from his organization,” stated Hugh Locke. “It’s a shame that during this international emergency, we have had to divert resources away from our response efforts to address these allegations.” The Smoking Gun obtained the tax returns of Jean’s charity, which show that the musician and Haiti humanitarian and his business partner, Jerry Duplessis, have been compensated over $400,000 in rent, production services and appearance fees from the organization since its creation 12 years ago. The website also says that last year was the first time that Yele Haiti had filed tax returns with the IRS and they only disclosed information about the years, 2005, 2006 and 2009.
Locke went on to explain the discrepancies. “Yele Haiti, originally called the Wyclef Jean Foundation, filed a tax return in 2000 and then suspended activities until 2005 and so was not required by law to file a tax return until it resumed operation.”
Yele Haiti has reportedly risen over $2 million in donations in relief funds as of today. Wyclef Jean has been detailing his trip to Haiti on his twitter account. He has called the state of Haiti an apocalypse.
In the video, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Akon gives his support to Wyclef Jean and his homeland.
From MTV.com:
Mos Def: The Ecstatic
Friday, January 8th, 2010In this clip from Global Vision Studio, Brooklyn MC and actor Mos Def works on his album, “The Ecstatic.” The fourth studio album from Mos was released last June and garnered a plethora of critical acclaim, with some calling it the best hip-hop album of last year. “The Ecstatic” has been nominated for a Grammy award for Best Rap Album.
88-Keys Remembers J Dilla
Monday, January 4th, 2010Another Day Another Dilla from Gasface on Vimeo.
In this video from the blog Gasface, hip-hop producer/rapper 88-Keys reminisces over the day he was introduced to the late-great producer J Dilla. The introduction took place in 1994 between the up-and-coming producers, and came courtesy of A Tribe Called Quest alum, Q-Tip.
Known for his boom-bap-influenced style and his love of Polo Ralph Lauren, 88-Keys released the critically-acclaimed album, “The Death of Adam,” in 2008. J Dilla, A.K.A. James Yancey, is considered by many to be one of the most influential producers to ever grace hip-hop. Known for his unique way of sampling records, the Grammy-nominated producer died from lupus in 2006.
Mario: Ink Not Mink
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Photo Credit: blog.singersroom.com
R&B sensation Mario has secured a deal to be the newest spokesman for PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (PETA), is the largest animal rights organization in the world–with more than 2 million members and supporters.
Inspired by fellow celebrities Eva Mendes, Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson, Mario hopes this ad campaign will encourage his fans and everyday people alike to be aware of animal brutality. “Every piece of fur that you see out there and people wearing, there’s an animal [who's] lost his or her life,” the Grammy-nominated singer said via his new campaign.
The Baltimore native, born Mario Barrett, says in the ad that he has loved animals since a baby and has also turned down deals to wear fur on his tour. The singer had arguably one of the biggest songs of last summer with his smash, “Break Up,” which featured Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane. Mario is currently the headliner of the 106 & Park Tour.
T.I. Released From Prison Today
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Photo Credit: The New York Times
Atlanta, GA — Hip-hop superstar T.I. has been released from prison today. After serving seven months at the Arkansas Forest City prison for a 2007 federal gun charge, the rapper–whose real name is Clifford Harris–will serve the remainder of his one year sentence at a halfway house in his native Atlanta.
Steve Sadow, Harris’ attorney, told the website xxlmag.com that “He’s on his way back to the Atlanta area. He has to report to a halfway house in Atlanta sometime this evening. And he will then spend somewhere between the next two or three months in a halfway house, ending his Bureau of Prison sentence.” This seems like the perfect gift for T.I. and his family just in time for Christmas. “A halfway house is more along the lines of a residential dormitory,” Sadow told xxlmag.com. “You live within this house that is broken into areas for living, and you are permitted to leave during the day for certain reasons, of which would be employment, medical reasons. So it’s a restriction on your liberty, but it’s a way for you to reenter into society and not be confined within a jail type institution 24-hours a day.”
T.I. faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge from the three-count indictment related to his gun charge. But after reaching a plea deal that included time served for house arrest and speaking to young people in schools and community centers about the dangers of drugs, guns and life on the street, his sentence was reduced to 366 days. Harris even filmed a reality T.V. series for MTV, “T.I.’s Road To Redemption,” that had the rapper interacting with at-risk youth in the effort to enforce positive change in their lives. That show was not apart of his plea deal.
T.I.’s last album, “Paper Trail,” was released September 2008 with a re-release that included new material in August 2009. The album has sold 2 million copies in the U.S. and received a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. Hopefully, it won’t be long before the self-proclaimed “King of the South” is back in the studio making great music. But not a minute before he spends time with the family and loved ones who have missed him dearly.
December COVER COST: Juelz Santana Is Built For Greatness
Friday, December 18th, 2009
It seems like an entire era has passed since we first laid our eardrums on the uptown resonance of LaRon James. Better known as Juelz Santana to his loyal Dipset followers, the Harlem-bred MC has been somewhat of a child star, beginning his career in a rap duo named Draft Pick in the late nineties at the age of 15. After catching the attention of another Harlem heavyweight by the name of Cameron Giles, Santana made his mark on Cam’Ron’s 2000 release, “Sports, Drugs and Entertainment” (S.D.E.). Since then, it has been nothing but full throttle hustle for the 25-year-old. After scoring a Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Cam on the 2002 smash hit, “Oh Boy,” Santana was brought into the fold of The Diplomats–a New York City hip-hop movement founded by Cam’Ron and two of his longtime friends, Jim Jones and Freaky Zekey.
Making his mark in a crew that brought numerous trends (pink-hued clothing) and phrases into the hip-hop lexicon (no homo), these days bring a new direction in the career of Juelz Santana. The MC and new-found record executive is readying the release of his third studio album, “Born to Lose, Built to Win,” on Def Jam Records. This will be the first release for Santana after inking a 50/50 venture with the label after his former mentor Cam’Ron sold his contract to Def Jam for $2 Million. But through all of the tumult that has surrounded the dissolve of The Diplomats and the relationship between its members, Santana maintains a positive outlook and even says that the Dipset movement is still alive and well.
And that should be good news to the movement’s truest fans, as they are holding on to the hopes of hearing one last album from the hip-hop collective. But until that day comes, Juelz Santana’s main focus is pushing his new label, Skull Gang Records, toward the forefront of the future of hip-hop. The new single from his album, “Back to the Crib”–which features Chris Brown–has been heating up radio as the album gets its finishing touches for a 2010 release. As droves of people will be ringing in the New Year staring intently at the Time Square crystal ball or partying the night away, Santana just might be pulling an all-nighter in the studio–gearing up for another win.
