News One » Hip Hop

President Obama Snubs Rap on His Playlist

Ruth Manuel-Logan — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:00:55 +0000

The White House just released a list of 29 songs that will be heard at President Barack Obama‘s campaign stops and events between now and November 6. The list runs the gamut from R&B slow jams that include Al Green‘s “Let’s Stay Together” — which he just serenaded the country with last month at a fund-raising event at New York’s famed Apollo Theater — to country tracks and even Ricky Martin, but rap is nowhere to be found.

Why would our cool prez, who has in the past admitted to listening to rap artists like Lil’ Wayne and Jay-Z, not include Hip-Hop music on his campaign trail playlist?

Obama’s playlist seems to cover every genre of music — Sugarland, U2, Aretha Franklin, Florence and the Machine and even the English indie folk band Noah and the Whale. But there is not one sign of an MC anywhere to be found on the culturally diverse list of performers.

Waz up?

In the past, Obama has been quoted as saying that one of his favorite groups are The Fugees; this fact is also mentioned on his Facebook page. They’re Hip-Hop performers, so why isn’t their music good enough to make the campaign trail?

Hip-Hop poet Common, who has slammed former president George W. Bush and egged on violence against the police in his poetry, was invited last May by the First Lady to perform at the White House Music Series. The move enraged right-wings pundits like Sarah Palin, who was very clear in her criticism of the Obamas:

The judgment is just so lacking of class and decency and all that’s good about America with an invite like this. They’re just inviting someone like me or someone else to ask, ‘C’mon Barack Obama who are you palling around with now?’”

If Common was good enough to secure an invite to perform at the presidential digs, why isn’t one of his songs on the list?

Jay-Z, who — along with wife Beyonce — has been invited to the White House, actually tweeted a picture of the couple as they sat around a conference table pow-wowing with the president.

Where aren’t any of Jigga’s cuts on the presidential playlist?

On Spotify, a music streaming service, the presidential mix has the following subtitle: “The official 2012 playlist features picks by the campaign staff, including a few of President Obama’s favorites.” The Washington Post reports that a spokesperson for the Obama campaign clarified in an e-mail that the president didn’t choose the songs; they were suggested by staff members and volunteers.

Hmmm, really?

Didn’t the Hip-Hop community rally around our president during his campaign? Rappers seemed to collaboratively go the extra mile to ensure Obama’s election. Nas, LL Cool J, OutKast, Young Jeezy, as a matter of fact the “Queen of Hip-Hop” Mary J. Blige even worked at a campaign office.

The Hip-Hop community has wholeheartedly embraced Obama from jump, but it is quite evident that there is a lack of overt reciprocation for the Hip-Hop community’s affections by our president.

Obama Campaign Playlist:

Different People – No Doubt
Got to Get You Into My Life – Earth, Wind & Fire
Green Onions – Booker T & The MG’s
I Got You – Wilco
Keep on Pushing – The Impressions
Keep Reachin’ Up – Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators
Love You I Do? – Jennifer Hudson
No Nostalgia – AgesAndAges
Raise Up – Ledisi
Stand Up – Sugarland
This – Darius Rucker
We Used To Wait – Arcade Fire
You’ve Got the Love – Florence and the Machine
Your Smiling Face – James Taylor
Roll with the Changes – REO Speedwagon
Everyday America – Sugarland
Learn to Live – Darius Rucker
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
My Town – Montgomery Gentry
The Best Thing about Me Is You – Ricky Martin, featuring Joss Stone
You are the Best Thing – Ray Lamontagne
Keep Marchin’ – Raphael Saadiq
Tonight’s The Kind of Night – Noah and the Whale
We Take Care of Our Own – Bruce Springsteen
Keep Me In Mind – Zac Brown Band
The Weight – Aretha Franklin
Even Better Than The Real Thing – U2
Home – Dierks Bentley

Maya Angelou Talks About Common

Police Are Using WorldStarHipHop To Catch Criminals

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:06:28 +0000

ABC News has a story on the popular hip-hop/video website, WorldStarHipHop.com. In the story they discuss the effects that the website, which often posts cell phone camera footage of fights in schools, fast food restaurants, and on trains and buses.

They also report that police departments are frequenting the popular website to to identify and apprehend people who are involved in the fights and other criminal activities.

ABC News reports:

Christine O’Brien, spokeswoman of the Philadelphia Police Department, said World Star and similar sites have helped detectives zero in on suspects quickly just from watching the videos. They solved one such crime in early January, when a man was jumped, beaten and robbed while waiting for a subway. The incident was uploaded to World Star Hip Hop, and detectives made an arrest in the case four days later.

“After we got this got tip [about the World Star video], we found the video and were able to gather information from it,” O’Brien said. “At that point, we made decision to make sure investigators were made aware of this website, to go on and look for incidences. You don’t realize how many people follow YouTube and the videos. It’s a great tool in solving a lot of these crimes.”

Platinum Producer Drumma Boy Talks Classical Music and Hip-Hop

NewsOne Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:41:37 +0000

Multi-platinum producer, Drumma Boy, has made quite the name for himself in the Hip-Hop industry. From producing the award-winning club smash, “No Hands,” for rapper Waka Flocka, to the Atlanta anthem “Put On” for Young Jeezy, Drumma has consistently proven his ability to make hit after hit.

Now, in an insightful — and unexpected — blog post on the HuffingtonPost.com, he reveals that orchestral music is the foundation of his base-driven productions and that a marriage between the two genres is not as farfetched as people might believe:

Orchestral and Hip-Hop — along with Rhythm & Blues, Jazz and Country — are all necessary ingredients in the Memphis gumbo that seasoned my perspective on manhood and music. Though I flirted with selecting one genre and perfecting it, once I began studying the diverse career of iconic composer Quincy Jones, I began to realize that the merger of Hip-Hop and Classical music is not impossible — it is inevitable.

There is an electric synergy between the two genres of Classical and Crunk, but one has to have a discerning ear to recognize the instinctive connection. One has only to listen to Nas‘s sampling of Beethoven‘s Fur Elise in his inspirational ghetto hymnal, I Can, Coolio‘s C U When U Get There or former G-Unit soldier, Young Buck rhyming menacingly over Mozart‘s Requiem in Say It To My Face, to feel the mirror tension and twisted beauty that lies in both genres. The theatre of Carmen: A Hip-Hopera — based on the 1875 French opera Carmen, by Georges Bizet, and Kanye‘s ‘Runaway.’

Drumma Boy, who also raps under the alias D-Boy Fresh, shows his extensive knowledge of orchestral history when he shares his appreciation of Ludwig van Beethoven and examines how the maestro’s deafness enhanced his capability to feel music on another level:

From his 3rd symphony (Eroica), to his 5th symphony (Symphony No. 5 in C minor), I find my true, kindred spirit lives within the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. He couldn’t hear at the height of his career when he created his masterful 9th symphony — what many consider to be his magnum opus and the first symphony by a major composer that incorporated vocals — but, he, like I, understood that music transcends sound; it breathes with each note that is created.

Read more on Drumma Boy and the connection between Hip-Hop and Classical music at Huffington Post.

The Grammys Charged With Snubbing Hip-Hop

Associated Press — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:36:35 +0000

NEW YORK — Since its beginnings in the 1970s, rap music has transformed from an underground, street-based sound to a definitive part of pop culture, transcending race and becoming one of the strongest — and most prolific — voices of today’s generation. But at the Grammy Awards, rap has had a long-lasting losing streak in the top categories.

The hip-hop sound — first recognized at the 1989 Grammys — has garnered numerous prestigious nominations over the years, and for 10 of the last 14 years, rap acts have either led or tied for most Grammy nominations. But rarely will a hip-hop act win one of the show’s top four honors — album, song and record of the year, along with best new artist. Instead, rap acts tend to win rap awards.

50 Cent, who won his first and only Grammy two years ago, believes Grammy voters are out-of-touch and need a fresh outlook on what’s going on in contemporary music.

“I think that the board is a lot older and they’re conservative, so some of the content in the music is offensive on some level,” said 50 Cent, who famously interrupted Evanescence’s best new artist speech by walking onstage when he lost to the rock group in 2004. “There’s a lot of people that don’t accept that hip-hop culture is now pop culture.”

This year, hip-hop leads the Grammys in nominations again, with Kanye West earning seven; it’s his third year as the show’s top-nominated act, and his fourth overall (he tied Mariah Carey and John Legend for most nominations at the 2006 Grammys). While his song “All of the Lights” is up for song of the year, his critically revered fifth album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” didn’t score an album of the year nomination, a shock to many. Even Jimmy Jam — the chair emeritus of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences — was surprised by West’s snub.

“I think he’s one of the genius artists, and I’m saying this as a person who’s worked with Michael Jackson and Prince, so I don’t throw that word around lightly,” Jam said. “So, yes, I was surprised.”

West’s album with Jay-Z, “Watch the Throne,” was also left out of the top album category; both CDs are nominated for best rap album.

Jay-Z, who once boycotted the Grammys because of the show’s lack of love for hip-hop, says Grammy nominations are “cool,” but he doesn’t use the accolades as a barometer of his success.

“The Grammys and all of those other things, they’re fine and it’s a good way for everyone to get together amongst their peers and collect some trophies at the end of the night, but my whole thing is for the people, as long as the people accept it — that’s my real Grammy,” Jay-Z said. “As long as it connects with an audience in a way.”

But Steve Stoute, the former record executive who accused the Grammys of being irrelevant last year in a full-page advertisement in The New York Times after Eminem and Justin Bieber lost top awards, says there is a bigger problem. Stoute believes The Recording Academy doesn’t have board members who understand hip-hop as a true art form.

“If (The Recording Academy) understood that, then (rappers) would be scoring technical points,” he said. “They don’t get the technical points.”

In Grammy history, 14 hip-hop albums have received nominations for album of the year. Lauryn Hill has the distinction of being the first hip-hop artist to win album of the year for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1999, but the album, while featuring rap, was heavy on R&B. Hill also won best new artist that year, the second time a rap-based act had done so following Arrested Development’s win in 1993. A rapper hasn’t won the award since.

OutKast, the alternative, genre-bending hip-hop duo, followed in Hill’s footsteps with an album of the year win in 2004 for the double disc “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” It, too, was not strictly hip-hop, as Andre 3000 blended rock and even jazz for his half of the project.

But while there have been high-profile wins, what stands out more are the losses. No rapper has ever won record or song of the year, and both Eminem and West, each nominated three times, have failed to win the album of the year trophy in years where they appeared to be critical favorites.

At last year’s Grammys, three of the five songs nominated for record of the year were rap smashes. Lady Antebellum’s crossover hit, “Need You Now,” ended up taking away the record and song of the year honors.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the leader and drummer of the Roots, says the hip-hop community shares some of the blame for its losing streak. He says those in the genre aren’t involved enough with The Recording Academy, its community and its events.

“We’re not active members of (The Recording Academy) and I promise to take a more active role in that,” said Questlove, who has won three Grammys. “I should definitely come and be more involved in that. It’s taxing time-wise, but you know, I can either sit and complain … or do something about it.”

Jam says rap’s losses are also a reflection of the Grammy membership, which he said is “traditionally very heavy” with members of the country, jazz and classical music worlds.

“We’re a membership organization and the members vote. So, if the numbers of members who consider themselves of the hip-hop genre … if those numbers are lower, then the results probably point to that fact,” Jam said.

But Stoute, who is the author of “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy,” had harsh words for Jam, a founding member of funk-soul band The Time and best known for producing multiple hits for Janet Jackson, Usher, Boyz II Men and more with partner Terry Lewis. Stoute and Jam had a conversation after last year’s awards, and Stoute was upset that Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” wasn’t up for song of the year: At the Grammys, a track is not eligible for that award if it contains a sample or if it’s not an original piece of work; that disqualifies much of rap, which relies heavily on sampling (“Empire State of Mind” samples The Moments’ “Love on a Two-Way Street”).

Stoute said Jam should be helping hip-hop, and blasted the renowned producer.

“What he’s doing is not right,” Stoute said of Jam. “And if he’s supposed to be the guy who understands urban music because of his famed career as a producer … (and) if he’s not going to be sensitive to the creativity around hip-hop, I am sorry, we’re in trouble.”

Jam, who was The Recording Academy’s chairman from 2005 to 2009, says his goal was to diversify the Grammy community, and if people have an issue with traditional Grammy rules, they should demand a change.

“You can write a proposal,” Jam said. “I hope … people step up to the challenge rather than dismiss it, which is the easy thing to do.’”

Jam also said he helped bring forth the best rap song award at the 2004 Grammys, which honors rap tracks that contain samples. Jam also implemented a new rule in 2009 that allowed anyone nominated for a Grammy to bypass the regular application process and automatically be made a member for a year. He said he did it so that nominated acts would easily be involved in the organization the following year.

“If hip-hop is the most nominated, then they should be the best represented according to what I did,” Jam said.

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How Hip-Hop Teaches Nonviolence

Adisa Banjoko, West Coast Editor — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:02:01 +0000

As the anniversary of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, I cannot help but thank God for my parents. Long before it was a legal holiday, my parents took me out of school on his birthday. My mom and dad were strategic in their rebellion against the American school system.

That was how they honored his life, before the nation had the sense to do the same. We did not BBQ. I did not sleep in on Dr. King’s birthday. I read about Black history, my duty to learn from it and seek better for our people. I was taught to celebrate his life by respecting all life. I never met another kid who had parents that took such an approach to Dr. Kings birthday. I realize now that my parents were nonviolent revolutionaries. Today, with my own children I am working to pick up the torch they gave me in my youth. Hip-Hop music, has helped keep me stay in tune with the mission of Dr. King along the way.

Despite passing long before the seeds of Hip-Hop had began to bloom, rap music itself is an act nonviolence. Many might immediately take offense to this or laugh. However if you look at even some of the most violent rap you can think of, it is still just a song. Any rapper who rhymes about killing, could have picked up a gun. Instead they chose to pick up a pen. I’m not defending the content of murderous rap. What I am saying is that they chose to write an angry poem, instead of using their felling to commit a violent act. That’s choosing nonviolence!

Dr. King spoke directly to the importance of education. In the era of Hip-Hop’s “Golden Age” knowledge was a duty for most rappers. Public Enemy, Rakim, Ice Cube and many others laid a clear foundation for promoting nonviolence in Hip-Hop.

Songs like Ice-T’s The Hunted Child , Ice Cube’s Colorblind illustrated in graphic detail about the consequence of violence on the streets. While embraced as a classics within the Hip-Hop community, mainstream media hardly acknowledge its existence. Even today rappers like Game and Nas will make songs in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and it gets almost no recognition by Black or White media outlets. So, they must be doing it for more than the money? They get zero reward for speaking about peace, and only hit the charts when they sing of murdering their own. We should applaud their courage and accept their sincerity.

In recent years songs like I Know I Can by Nas, Sabac Red’s The Commitment and T-KASH’s Peace To My Enemies motivate feet and minds to live better.

Dr. King took the power of God’s love to the streets. Hip-Hop music comes from the streets. This means that it will not always say things that are fun or easy to digest. But it will always be honest. Songs like Sticky Fingaz Oh My God, Kanye West’s Jesus Walks and Rakim’s Who Is God? are brilliant illustrations of some of the spiritual aspirations circulating within the Hip-Hop community. The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan made an amazing song about love for The Creator called Sunshine on the album 8 Diagrams. Rapper Killer Mike wrote amazing verses about spiritual redemption with God In The Building. Many of these songs may not be in the Top 4o. But they keep the people on the streets motivated to embrace God. I don’t believe Dr. King would want it any other way. Let us remember he died on the way to protect the rights of sanitation workers in Memphis.

While many have taken on Dr. King’s mission of nonviolence, his crusade against poverty has been largely ignored. Poverty knows no color. The empty stomach of a child in Oakland does not hurt any less than the stomach of a child in Chechnya. A Mexican mother without food, worries no less than a White mom in Minnesota. Until I worked at a high school in San Francisco, I had not true understanding of poverty. This opened my eyes to the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr., almost more than anything else.

I have learned that starving student cannot study. I have seen “underground railroads” of food emerge in response. Many teachers argue against kids attitudes in class. Others see food in the classroom a nuisance. I understand how frustrating it can be for a dedicated teacher to endure it. Kids appear to be disruptive in class, but they can’t hear the math lesson over the rumble in their stomach. I’ve watched kids walk down hallways in shoes with soles that literally are about to peel off the bottom of their foot and be mocked by others. I’ve seen kids walk around in clothes they’ve outgrown due to a growth spurt. So their growth is a silent curse as their parents cannot afford new clothes. I’m not talking only about just Black children. I see this as global burden. Poverty is an oppressive demon and in many cases is the root of why violence happens and why we (humans) excuse it many times. One might be able to argue that the bulk of the violence in Hip-Hop is in direct proportion to the initial state of poverty its performers existed in.

The impact of poverty on the heart and mind can be seen in the music of artists like Apathy’s Check to Check, or Vinnie Paz’s Keep Movin ‘ On . They leave deep impressions about the reality of poverty. In an Occupy Wall St. era, their lyrics sting with searing precision. In his time, Dr. King’s words had the same effect.

I love Jazz, Blues and Rock. I love Gospel and all other forms of Black music from the African diaspora. But nothing has pushed nonviolence as consistently and as bold as rap music. It is a fact we cannot deny. This fact does not undo much of the violence and sexism and celebration of materialism in Hip-Hop. Yet it was Bid Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and Kool G Rap that reminded me to Erase Racism. What the subculture of Hip-Hop has achieved, I will not allow to be denied. I thank Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his sacrifice every time I hear a rapper embrace peace. Happy birthday Dr. King. Those love Hip-Hop continue to keep your message alive.

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Hip-Hop Program Helps L.A. Kids Stay Out Of Trouble

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:43:27 +0000

LOS ANGELES — A community center in L.A.’s notorious Rampart area is helping teenagers stay out of trouble by giving them a creative outlet.

A program at the community center, “Sessions LA” use hip-hop and deejay culture to teach them how to make beats using digital technology.

CNN reports:

Huang eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he began to volunteer with Sessions LA, which uses hip-hop to draw kids in and keep them from trouble. Huang helped to develop the program’s curriculum, and helped it grow. It currently serves about 15 kids, most of them Latino, black and Asian. They’re often the children of immigrants, and many have experienced trauma or abuse.

These are the kind of at-risk students, Huang said, who don’t usually have much to keep them busy.

Being A “Hip-Hop Parent”: When Lil Wayne Mixes With Sponge Bob

Dr. Boyce Watkins — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:23 +0000

When your 7-year-old comes in the house spitting lyrics that would make a convict blush, what do you do? Abdul Ali and Natalie Hopkinson recently presented an online debate on the Washington Post about how to deal with children in the age of hip-hop, where one of the greatest musical art forms in history has been transformed into a straight-up gangsta’s paradise.

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Cuddly elementary school kids have let go of Sesame Street in exchange for an AK-47 with a condom on top. The great challenge is finding a way to be a good parent in a world that provides influences that run counter to everything you want your child to believe, and believe me folks, it ain’t easy.

The formula presented in commercialized hip-hop is simple: Drink and use drugs in excess; have as much irresponsible sex as possible; don’t ever show any respect toward women; for God’s sake, don’t ever educate yourself; make sure you’re “strapped” whenever possible, in case some fools try to roll up on yo’ spot; spend all your money and don’t think one second about saving or investing it.

It’s hard to disconnect the beats, rhymes and messages being absorbed by our kids with the fact that Black people are broker than we’ve ever been, getting less educated by the minute, going to prison like cattle, killing one another at record speed, and running back and forth to the club every other day. Hip hop is not entirely to blame for these problems, but yes, there is a connection.

Dr. Towanna Freeman, who professionally mentors young women, has strong feelings about the music and spoke openly about how she dealt with her daughter’s decision to download music that she found to be objectionable:

Whether you know it or not, your subconscious is absorbing the stuff this music is saying to you. What goes in eventually comes out. One day you will find yourself cussing someone out or acting in a way that responds to the music you’re listening to. That’s why when someone is being brainwashed, they have them listen to headphones. You absorb what you hear.

Columbia University Professor Dr. Christopher Emdin says that the music provides a teachable moment for parents:

The chief thing for parents to understand is that there is a major distinction between rap and commercially hip-hop (which is driven by corporate interests and caricatures of blackness) and black music and its complexity, its history, and its wide ranging messages. Parents who have children who are interested in music/hip-hop have to make the music sharing/listening activity a family activity.

Dr. Emdin goes on to say that there are ways that parents and kids can work together to inspire critical thinking as it pertains to hip-hop culture:

Create playlists with wide-ranging Black music together. Listen to their music, and then suggest something that you like. If a child likes a song, find the original sample and develop an appreciation for the original music. Teach them to listen and then critique the messages in music. Teach them not to be a consumer, but a critic.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, president of Bennett College for Women, also sees the music as a chance to teach your children about values:

Parents are responsible for transmitting values to their children, despite the challenges of hip hop and black radio. When vulgar language is used, parents should be the ones to point it out and discuss why it is vulgar. When sex and sexuality are on display, parents have the opportunity to talk about their values about sex.

While the debate over hip-hop isn’t going to end anytime soon, there is no debate regarding whether or not some things need to change. There’s nothing in the theory of Psychology stating that you can recite lyrics over and over again without this message having some impact on your subconscious thinking. Black people don’t own media, but we own the right to reject the media that is serving to destroy our children. Our voices must be louder than the radio.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. To have Dr. Boyce articles delivered to your email, please sign up here.

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10 Great Moments in Hip-Hop Philanthropy

Sia Tiambi Barnes — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:31:59 +0000

In a recent sit-down with Time.com, Moshe Levi (pictured), the rapper formerly known as Shyne (most-famously known for a voice reminiscent of Biggie and most-infamously known for his involvement in a 1999 New York nightclub shooting), went into detail about his legal name change; what kind of content to expect on his forthcoming albums, Gangland and Messiah; and what his gripes are with hip-hop. Of his criticisms, Levi said, “Hip-Hop culture is not a philanthropic culture.”

While it remains to be seen how his music will be distributed and categorized (he’s had deals with Def Jam and Cash Money since his release from the pen), here are 10 examples from 2011 that prove hip-hop is philanthropic — and we’re not even including the most-active hip-hop philanthropists Russell Simmons and Wyclef Jean.

1. KENDRICK LAMAR, XXL’s FRESHMAN CLASS REACH OUT FOR WOMEN

MC Kendrick Lamar donated the proceeds from “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain),” off his debut studio album Section.80, to address the abusive cycle of prostitution. XXL‘s 2011 Freshman Class also contributed to the ending of prostitution by headlining a concert that benefited two organizations, Downtown Women’s Center and Project Rural India Social and Health Improvement (RISHI). [ocweekly.com]

2. ASHER ROTH’S HUNGER CAMPAIGN

Preparing for his Def Jam debut, Philly-based Asher Roth has decided to give the proceeds of his latest interim project, the Pabst & Jazz Sessions, to the Philadelphia Hunger Coalition. The collection is slated for a Dec. 20 iTunes release. [ballerstatus.com]

3. LIL WAYNE’S CASH MONEY

With so much money made from the Young Money, Cash Money, Universal labels, it makes sense that Lil Wayne would team up with Discover Financial Services to issue a Lil Wayne-endorsed pre-paid debit card. Proceeds from the card sales go toward his One Family Foundation. [americanbanker.com]

4. WIZ KHALIFA SPARKS GREEN CONSCIOUSNESS

One in three people lack access to quality water, so Wiz Khalifa teamed up with Green For All (Yes, isn’t it ironic, or coincidental, or kismet?) on World Water Day to launch a Campus Consciousness Tour and a public education campaign called “Keep It Fresh.” [greenforall.org]

5. MAC MILLER MAKES-A-WISH

Fulfilling a promise that he would donate $50k to the Make-A-Wish Foundation if he got $50k worth of pre-orders for his debut, Blue Slide Park, Mac Miller signed a check to the foundation. The album eventually sold 145,000 copies in its first week and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1. [theboombox.com]

6. 50 CENT ENLISTS DEEPAK

50 Cent’s Street King movement went from Twitter to the auric field, when he introduced a new commercial featuring Deepak Chopra. Sales from the energy drink go toward his partnership with the United Nation’s Food Programme. [killerhiphop.com]

7. NICKI MINAJ’S BARBIE

Nicki Minaj has partnered with Mattel to make a limited-edition doll modeled after her own Barbie persona (pink hair and all). With an opening bid of $1,000, the proceeds will go to Project Angel Food, which provides food for people living with HIV/AIDS. [billboard.com]

8. B.o.B.’s B-DAY GIFT

B.o.B, named a Forbes‘ 2011 Hip-Hop Top Earner, took a moment from his 23rd birthday celebration to donate $10,000 to Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. [hiphopwired.com]

9. FABOLOUS’ ROYAL COAT DRIVE

Fabolous helped to meet the goals of New York Cares with a month-long coat drive sponsored by his A Fabolous Way Foundation. The first annual 3 Kings Coats Drive helped to bring in 100,000 coats, which kept about 10,000 more youth warm than the organization was able to outfit last year. [xxl.com]

10. JAY-Z TAPS FINANCIAL FRIENDS

Jay-Z continues to set his sights on big-money tickets. The mogul announced plans to perform two concerts at Carnegie Hall in February to raise money for his Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation and the United Way of New York City. Tickets went on sale Dec. 12, priced at $500 to $2,500. A portion of the tickets, reserved for the public, will be offered at lower prices on Jan. 30. The foundation has provided more than 750 students with at least $1.1 million in scholarship money. [nytimes.com]

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ATF Poses As Hip-Hop Label To Catch Drug Dealers

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:19:42 +0000

WASHINGTON-The ATF and the Washington D.C. police had an operation in which officers posed as hip-hop music industry insiders and pretended to be a fake hip-hop label that confiscated $7.2 million in drugs and 161 weapons.

The ATF and D.C. police created a fictional rapper “Richie Valdez” and used a studio they called “Manic Enterprises” and reached out to the criminal underworld to catch criminals.

AllHipHop reports:

Over the course of the year, agents confiscated 161 firearms (including a rocket launcher), 29 assault weapons, 80 pounds of methamphetamine, 21 pounds of cocaine, 1.25 gallons of PCP, 24 pounds of marijuana, heroin and Ecstasy.

In addition to the seizures of drugs and weapons, police said many of the 70 suspects detained bragged about other crimes and reportedly stated they would kill police officers or other innocent people if necessary.

Philly Rapper Tommy Hill Shot, Killed In Robbery Attempt

The Grio — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:58:33 +0000

A Philadelphia rapper was shot and killed last Friday in East Mount Airy in what police believe was an attempted robbery, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

John Wilson, better known as rapper Tommy Hill, was talking to the manager of a bar he left without paying when he was approached by three men around 1:30 a.m. on Friday.

According to reports, one of the suspects aimed his weapon at Wilson while the others grabbed him, pushed him to the ground and began rooting through his pockets.

Wilson was later found with wounds to the chest and lower body. He was rushed to a local hospital where he died from his injuries Sunday morning, police say.

Allhiphop reports that back in 2004, Wilson cooperated with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office in a case against a trio of North Philadelphia drug dealers accused of running a high level drug organization in which they stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.

Read more at the Grio.

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U.S. Military Leaves Legacy Of Tattoos And Hip-Hop In Iraq

Associated Press — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:12:15 +0000

BAGHDAD — After more than eight years in Iraq, the departing American military’s legacy includes a fledgling democracy, bitter memories of war, and for the nation’s youth, rap music, tattoos and slang.

In other words, as the Dec. 31 deadline for completing their withdrawal approaches, U.S. troops are leaving behind the good, the bad and what “Lil Czar” Mohammed calls the “punky.”

Sporting baggy soldiers’ camouflage pants, high-top sneakers and a back-turned “N.Y.” baseball cap, the chubby 22-year-old was showing off his break-dancing moves on a sunny afternoon in a Baghdad park. A $ sign was shaved into his closely cropped hair.

“While others might stop being rappers after the Americans leave, I will go on (rapping) till I reach N.Y.,” said Mohammed, who teaches part-time at a primary school.

His forearm bore a tattoo of dice above the words “GANG STAR.” That was the tattooist’s mistake, he said; it was supposed to say “gangsta.”

Eight million Iraqis — a quarter of the population — have been born since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, and nearly half the country is under 19, according to Brett McGurk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and, until recently, senior adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

So after years of watching U.S. soldiers on patrol, it’s inevitable that hip-hop styles, tough-guy mannerisms and slangy English patter would catch on with young Iraqis.

Calling themselves “punky,” or “hustlers,” many are donning hoodie sweat shirts, listening to 50 Cent or Eminem and watching “Twilight” vampire movies. They eat hamburgers and pizza and do death-defying Rollerblade runs through speeding traffic. Teens spike their hair or shave it Marine-style. The “Iraq Rap” page on Facebook has 1,480 fans.

To many of their fellow Iraqis, the habits appear weird, if not downright offensive. But to the youths, it is a vital part of their pursuit of the American dream as they imagine it to be.

“Lil Czar” Mohammed, a Shiite Muslim, says he was introduced to American culture by a Christian friend, Laith, who subsequently had to flee the anti-Christian violence that broke out in Baghdad. “I had nothing to help my friend, he left,” he said. “But when I get the money and become a rich boss, I will tell my friend Laith to come back.”

Meanwhile, he said, he is trying to record a rap song in Arabic and English. “It is about our situation. About no jobs for us.”

“I love the American soldiers,” said Mohammed Adnan, 15, who pastes imitation tattoos on his arm. Adnan lives in the Sadr City, the Baghdad base of followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has threatened violence against U.S. troops if they stay beyond 2011.

But, surprisingly, Adnan says the U.S. gangsta look is accepted in his neighborhood.

“All young men in Sadr City wear the same clothes when we hang around,” he said. “Nobody minds. And we’re invited to weddings or celebrations where we perform break-dancing.”

It all adds up to a taste of the wide world for a society which lived for decades under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship that deprived them of satellite TV, cell phones and the Internet, and then through invasion, terrorism and sectarian killing.

Not all Iraqis welcome the culture the Americans brought. Dr. Fawzia A. al-Attia, a sociologist at Baghdad University, says one result is that young Iraqis now reject school uniforms, engage in forbidden love affairs and otherwise rebel against their elders.

“There was no strategy to contain this sudden openness,” she said. “Teenagers, especially in poor areas where parents are of humble origin and humble education, started to adopt the negative aspects of the American society because they think that by imitating the Americans, they obtain a higher status in society.

“These young Iraqi people need to be instructed,” she said. “They need to know about the positive aspects of the American society to imitate.”

Like many Iraqis, high school student Maytham Karim wants to learn English. But the English he hears most often from his peers — and mostly those who listen to American music — is laden with profanity.

“The F- and the ‘mother’ words are used a lot, which is a very negative thing,” Karim said.

As U.S. forces began closing their bases Iraqis rummaged through their garbage for discarded uniforms, caps and boots to sell to youngsters who pay top dollar to dress like soldiers. Baghdad’s tattoo business is also booming. Hassan Hakim’s tattoo parlor in affluent Karradah neighborhood is covered with glossy pictures of half-naked men and women showing off their ink, regardless of Islam’s strictures on baring the skin.

The storefront caused a stir when it opened last summer, but complaints soon died down and the business is thriving.

“Iraqi youth are eager in a very unusual way to get tattoo on their bodies, probably because of the American presence here,” said Hakim, 32, who is attending graduate school at Baghdad’s Fine Arts Academy. “Four years ago, people were concealing their tattoos when in public, but now they use their designs to show off. It is the vogue now.”

Most of Hakim’s customers are Iraqi security guards imitating their American counterparts. They demand tattoos of coffins, skulls, snakes, dragons, bar codes, Gothic letters and crosses. Female customers prefer flowers and butterflies on their shoulders. Also, many young women now dare to wear tight tops and hip-hugging jeans with their hijabs, or head coverings. Some also sport miniature dogs.

Showbiz and military chic aside, young Iraqis agree that the American troops opened their minds to the outside world. The wait for a place in an English classes, for example, can last months.

“I found that all Iraqis want to learn English,” said Nawras Mohammed, and using the Internet or watching satellite TV is fine. But users need to be selective, the 24-year-old college graduate said.

“The positive and the negative aspects of the American presence,” she said, “depend on us.”

“Trap House Money” Rap Video Leads To Drug Ring Bust

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:09:28 +0000

MILWAUKEE-Fourteen people were charged with running a massive drug ring in Milwaukee after a rap video called “Trap House Money” led investigators to indict them for drug trafficking, money laundering, and gun offenses.

While twelve members have been arrested, the rappers in the video Eastside L Boog and Eazy (real names: Larry Hooker and Earl Willams) are currently on the run.

The Loop21 reports

They are also seen giving a tutorial on how to cook crack cocaine and warning listeners about various “snitches on the block” and admitting to keeping weapons handy just in case they have to “let off a couple shots” if the “cops run up in the spot.” They also mentioned just how many packs they move a day

While Hooker and Williams are still on the run, when they do get caught, just know that they pretty much wrote out the prosecution’s case for them. At least we know they were authentic.

Martha Stewart Thinks Rappers Are “Cute”

Sia Tiambi Barnes — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:23:51 +0000

Somehow, Refinery 29 found out that Martha Stewart was a “big rap fan.” So when interviewing her, the style site prodded Stewart: Just what it is about rap that she likes?

“Well, not a really big fan,” she corrected. “But I like rap music. They’re all cute. Those are cute guys and they’re all talented.”

Though she never discloses exactly who she’s keen on, marketing execs would concur that there are many appealing, adept artists in Hip-Hop. Here’s a sampling of some who would make a great cross-over feature on the Martha show, other than her friend Diddy.

1. After Mac Miller debuted at the top of the Billboard charts with his Blue Slide Park, it’s the perfect time for Martha to commemorate his success with a Pittsburgh original remix inspired by his name: a beer braised turkey Devonshire sandwich with a side of EZ Mac.

2. Before he was on the road to recovery as rap royalty, Eminem worked as a short order cook at the Gilbert Lodge. He and Martha can cook up a version of the burgers and pizza menu that the Michigan eatery is famed for.

3. If Three 6 Mafia doesn’t win Vh1’s “Famous Foods,” perhaps their “Cookin’ Ain’t Easy” show will get picked up after an appearance on Martha, and Martha can add another franchise to her empire.

4. Hailing from the same hometown of Jersey City, Martha and Joe Budden can take a trip to a slaughterhouse and find some tasty beef to cook up for the holidays.

5. This year’s Billionaire Boys Club partnership with Rocawear could be the signal that Pharrell Williams is ready to take his designs to the masses. He and Martha can sit down in one of his limited edition “Perspective” chairs and ponder how to mainstream it a la the Martha Stewart Living collection.

6. Not forgetting that there’s some lovely lady rappers too, a Martha craft corner segment with Nicki Minaj could be the catalyst for a whole line of food-inspired accessories.

7. Not only can Martha and 50 Cent dish on their entrepreneurial success as authors of “Martha Rules” and “The 50th Law,” respectively, but they can also help boost 50’s energy drink, Street King. For every shot sold a meal is provided for a hungry child.

8. Martha and Styles P can bond over time spent in the clinker, and she’d discover that while locked up, Styles became quite health conscious. He’s since bought into Juices for Life, a juice bar in the Bronx, and can blend up some veggie and fruit juice recipes with the domestic diva.

9. An Asian/Staten Island fusion moment is called for if Raekwon the Chef gets in the kitchen with Martha. The two can chop chop Shaolin ninja-style with a peanut pesto pasta like Chef Chiarello made on “The Next Iron Chef.”

10. Still a touring rapper, the now reality TV star and self-proclaimed Ghetto Gourmet, Coolio can give Martha some Compton street-cred with a revival of his web show “Cookin’ with Coolio.” Of course, he’d have to make it daytime TV appropriate, but he still may be able to get away with his seasonings packaged in dime bags.

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Rapper Erick Sermon “OK” After Heart Attack

NewsOne Staff — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:41:04 +0000

Erick Sermon, one half of the popular hip-hop duo EPMD, suffered a heart attack on Saturday, but appears to be recovering, reports say.

Longtime EPMD affiliate DJ Scratch tweeted: “Erick Sermon had a heart attack today,” Scratch wrote. “He’s ok, but still send your prayers. He is not on Twitter.”

The news comes just days after rapper Heavy D passed away in a Los Angeles hospital Tuesday after collapsing at his condominium building.

The duo [EPMD] rose to fame in the late 1980s with their debut album, Strictly Business, which featured the underground hit “Strictly Business,” based on a sample of Eric Clapton’s version of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.”

Birthplace Of Hip-Hop Gets New Lease On Life

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:32:25 +0000

NEW YORK — 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the building credited as the birthplace of hip-hop has been given a new lease on life after Workforce Housing Advisors, a company dedicated to working class housing, bought it.

The building, where Kool DJ Herc held parties that would help create hip hop culture, had fell into disrepair after the business that bought it defaulted on the mortgage and fell into foreclosure.

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The New York Times reports:

Representative José E. Serrano, who had lobbied with building residents in a failed attempt to buy the building in 2007, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the auction.

“The new owners have committed to preserving the building as affordable housing, and to engage in efforts to better recognize the building’s historic status as the birthplace of hip-hop,” he said. “If taken, all of these steps will help revitalize and properly recognize this historic location.”

Rappers Promote Education At “I Will Graduate” Event

The Grio — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:20:50 +0000

Rappers Maino and Jim Jones, along with TV host and actor Terrence J were among the various celebrities in attendance at the third annual “I Will Graduate Day.”

The event, put on by New York Non-Profit Entertainers for Education Alliance (E4EA), aims to encourage and inspire young people to live their dreams while emphasizing the importance of education.

“That’s one good thing about education in our country,” said Terrence J. “We’re a country where it comes free to everybody. And as long as you do your thing in school and as long as you keep up with your grades, you are able to get a post high school education as well under the government.”

Read more at the Grio.

Suspect! Rapper Wears Lipstick And Tights, Claims He’s Not Gay

NewsOne Staff — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:41:49 +0000

A Dallas rapper is following in the footstep of artists like Prince, blending gender lines by wearing lipstick and flower print tights all the while contending that he is not gay.

Rapper Dphillgood is spearheading what he calls the XY movement, hoping that people will reconsider what they think is normal male and female behavior.

“The only obstacles are in your mind–I had to break down those barriers in my mind until I was just confident enough to do it,” he said about wearing lipstick and tights.

“A lot of people feel like a lot of colors or tight clothes is homosexual. I feel like it`s more of an expression of me,” said XY Movement creator Daryll Duane Philips II.

Read Up! 50 Cent To Release Children’s Book On Bullying

NewsOne Staff — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:15:38 +0000

50 Cent is well known for his business ventures outside of music, however, his latest is unlike the rappers many projects in the music, fashion and cologne industries.

5o’s latest venture, “Playground”, is a new book focused on bullying and aimed at teenager readers. “The scenarios in the book are written from the perspective of a child that is being a bully not dealing with the emotions properly,” says 50.

50 says that bullying is a relevant issue for him because his son is now 15 years old. The language and the situations are a bit “rough” but they represent the life 50 Cent lived before stardom.

The Top 5 Unsolved Hip-Hop Murders

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:13:09 +0000

Usually when a celebrity is killed, there is a massive investigation and people reveal anything and everything they know about the situation.

In the world of Hip-Hop, police don’t seem to concerned and the “no snitching” rule usually rises up amongst the public when it comes to speaking to authorities.

New information is revealed all the time about unsolved Hip-Hop murders, but it is unlikely anyone will ever be brought to justice for these deaths.

Below is a list of the top 5 unsolved Hip-Hop murders.

5. Soulja Slim

James Tapp, Jr., who performed under the name of Soulja Slim got his start with Master P’s No Limit Records. Before signing onto No Limit, Slim worked with B.G. from the Hot Boys and later Juvenile, with whom he recorded the number one single, “Slow Motion.”

Soulja Slim would wind up being killed in New Orleans by gunfire to the face and chest. A 22-year-old man would be charged with Soulja Slim’s murder only to be released and then murdered himself.

4. Big L

Big L, real name Lamont Coleman, was 25 years old when he was killed in 1999.

At the time, Big L was full of promise, having the respect of both the underground and the streets. But right before Big L had a chance to blow up, he was shot and murdered in his own Harlem neighborhood on 139th St. and Lenox Avenue.

A childhood friend of Big L’s was charged, but later released. Police believe the killing may have had to do with Big L’s brother who was killed three years later.

3. Jam Master Jay

Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was the DJ for pioneering rap group, Run DMC. He was shockingly murdered in 2002 in a studio in Queens, New York. In 2007, federal prosecutors claim that notorious Queens stick-up artist, Ronald “Tenad” Washington, was an accomplice to the murder, but was never convicted and no other suspects have been named.

2. Notorious B.I.G

Notorious B.I.G also known as Christopher Wallace was killed in Los Angeles, California in 1997 after a Vibe Magazine party. The shooting sent shockwaves through the industry.

While accusations and rumors have been plentiful, no one has ever been charged with the murder.

Theories range from corrupt cops working for Death Row Records killing Wallace on the orders of Suge Knight to Crips killing Biggie in retaliation for an unpaid debt.

1. Tupac Shakur

After surviving being shot in New York City, Tupac Shakur was fatally killed in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson fight while driving with Death Row Records head, Suge Knight. One of the original suspects, Orlando Anderson, who was beat up by Tupac and Suge Kinight’s entourage before the killing

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Has Hip-Hop Activism Made A Comeback?

TheGrio — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:18:44 +0000

Kanye along with Jay-Z, rightfully received public criticism from elder hip-hip statesman Chuck D for their usual wealth flaunting on their collaboration album Watch The Throne’s first single “Otis.”
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Whether or not Kanye considered his appearance at the protest a contradiction, a conflict of interest, or worse, is unknown. Public mocking and condemning his appearance happened widely and quickly.

Because the Occupy Wall Street is itself a purposefully wide assortment of protesters who range from people calling for reasonable financial reform to anarchists, it’s unclear if they themselves welcome self-made millionaires like Kanye West and Russell Simmons among them.

The Record Stops! Birthplace Of Hip-Hop Faces Foreclosure

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:47:41 +0000

NEW YORK — The birthplace of Hip-Hop is facing a foreclosure auction.

1520 Sedgwick Avenue, credited as the birthplace of hip hop, is the site of one of Hip-Hop’s founding fathers, Kool DJ Herc who helped create hip the culture as we know it.

Curbed reports:

Turns out it hasn’t been as easy for the new owners to fix that situation as they expected, because they’ve run into a bit of trouble paying the mortgage. According to PropertyShark, the building is facing a foreclosure auction on November 7. The lien amount: $7,379,208. Will anyone ever rescue this piece of history?

Wild Thing?! Rapper Tone Loc Sentenced On Domestic Violence Charges

NewsOne Staff — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:18:44 +0000

Rapper Tone Loc will spend one day in jail, three years on probation and attend anger management classes after he recently pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges.

The rapper, whose real name is Anthony Smith, was arrested this past summer for his involvement in a dispute with his child’s mother where an AR-15 assault rifle was confiscated. Originally, Smith was held in custody for less than an hour before posting bond of $50,000.

He pleaded guilty to one count of corporal injury to a spouse and possession of an assault weapon. The weapon was an unregistered AR-15 Sporter, but he didn’t actually use it.

Rapper Arrested Using Real Guns During Mock Robbery For Video

NewsOne Staff — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:54:14 +0000

NEW ORLEANS, LA.–A New Orleans rapper and seven others face criminal charges after they used real guns to simulate a robbery at a convenience store for music a video they were shooting.

Danny Rogers, better known as “Lil Dee God’s Gift,” was acting out a mock robbery armed with real, unloaded guns when someone passing by thought a real robbery was occurring and called 911.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputies swarmed the parking lot, arresting Rogers, Chance Gomez, Yonael Santana, Timothy Kelly and Nidal Jamhour for Criminal Mischief. Raassan Holmes, Frank Cheffen and Terrell Hogan face a charge of Illegal Carrying of a Concealed Weapon along with Criminal Mischief.

Rapper Jayo Felony Accused Of Squatting At A Hollywood Mansion

NewsOne Staff — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:11:32 +0000

West coast rap legend Jayo Feleony is under investigation by authorities for allegedly squatting in a foreclosed mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

Residents of the the neighborhood claim the rapper illegally entered the property and has since disturbed the community with his loud music and rampant marijuana smoking, which neighbors say they can smell from their properties.

Tyler The Creator, Oddfuture Signs Rapper Named “Young Ni**a”

NewsOne Staff — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:13:27 +0000

Odd Future, the hip-hop collective of Tyler The Creator–MTV’s best new artist of the year–recently announced they signed the first artist to their OFWGKTA’s imprint.

Rapper Young Ni**a, the first artist to sign the to the Sony/RED backed OFWGKTA record label, debuted his first single, “Come Threw Looking Clean” with the announcement.

A statement from Odd Future’s publicist reads: “While our original intent was not to sign anyone to the label we simply could not pass up the opportunity to sign somebody this talented.”

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Rapper Lil Boosie Tells 15-Year-Old: “You Can Be Better Than Me”

Johan Thomas — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:24:18 +0000

Incarcerated rapper Lil Boosie hopes his influence can make a difference, recently highlighting the trouble that comes with drugs and crime to a 15-year old who said he wanted to be like just Boosie on Beyond Scared Straight, a popular rehabilitation show for troubled teens.

Boosie’s message from prison was sent as a letter and read over the phone to the 15-year-old by one of his close friends.

You can be better than me. You don’t want a marijuana addiction because it leads to trouble as you can see. Look at me. I’ve been in prison two years for smoking marijuana… most gangstas end up in jail or dead… we never got a letter from our role model telling us to chill out.

See video at Worldstarhiphop.com

Game: I Have A Problem With People Pretending Not To Be Gay

The Grio — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:01:42 +0000

Rapper The Game shared his thoughts on closeted gay rappers in a recent sit-down with DJ Vlad.

According to Game, he doesn’t have a problem with gay rappers and believes he may have already collaborated with closeted rappers before.

He continued, “I think there are several rappers that are in the closet and gay, and see those are the type of gay people–the only type of gay people that I have a problem with.”

“Be gay, you can do that. Game don’t have a problem with gay people. Game has a problem with people that are pretending not to be gay and are gay because the number one issue with that is that you could be fooling somebody and you could give them AIDS and they can die and so that in the closet s– is real scary.”

Read more at the Grio.

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Rock The Bells Tour Immortalizing Hip-Hop’s Golden Era

The Grio — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 18:51:00 +0000

Like Woodstock, Hip-Hop’s Rock the Bells is making American music history uniting legends of Hip-Hop’s golden era and unknown newbies in a multi-city tour that’s immortalizing the genre’s greats and cementing its continued success and impact on fans young and old.

“The festival isn’t very shy about revealing its biases in terms of which era of hip-hop it thinks was king,” said Oliver Wang, the author of Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide.

When was the last time you saw Wu Tang Clan — the entire collective — perform live? Or for that matter, listen to Nas’ inimitable flow as he spit bars in the flesh? Or consider the unthinkable: watching ‘Ms’ Lauryn Hill, now more famous for various and sundry off-stage peccadilloes than her music, put on a coherent show?

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VH1 Explores Hip-Hop And Crack Cocaine In New Documentary

Associated Press — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:39:39 +0000

NEW YORK — VH1 is exploring the connection between hip-hop and cocaine.

The network will air “Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation” next month. It explores the development of crack cocaine in the urban community and features rappers Snoop Dogg, Cyprus Hill’s B-Real and Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and Raekwon.

The two-hour special will air Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. Eastern. It was executive produced by rapper-actor Ice-T. He also narrates the documentary.

VH1 made the announcement Tuesday.

“Planet Rock” is the latest documentary by VH1 Rock Doc, which recently earned an Emmy nomination for the special, “Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America.”
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Ballin’! Rapper Soulja Boy Dishes Out $55 Million For Private Jet

Gerren Keith Gaynor — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:44:54 +0000

Hip-Hop artist Soulja Boy reportedly purchased a $55 million private plane for his 21st birthday. The aircraft purportedly costs $35 million, but the rapper paid an additional $20 million in improvements including custom Italian leather seats, flat-screen TVs, four liquor bars, a special travertine tiled floor and Brazilian hardwood cabinets. Read more..

Norwegian Terrorist Bashed Hip-Hop In Manifesto

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:03:01 +0000

OSLO, Norway — Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian alleged mass murderer and terrorist ranted against Hip-Hop music and culture in his manifesto. One of his rants was targeted at early 80′s Philadelphia gangsta rapper, Schooly D.

The Philadelphia City Paper reports:

I personally know of more than 50 individuals who started with hashish and marijuana as a direct result of the hip-hop mentality. Many of these went from light drugs to heavier drugs such as amphetamine and even heroin. I personally know that more than 20 individuals, from my “hip-hop community”, have become severe drug addicts and some of them are probably dead today. I estimate that of the 20 000 drug addicts in Norway, approximately 30-40% have initially been significantly influenced by the hip hop mentality.

I remember my active years in the hiphop movement as a continuous and intense orgy of misconduct, manifested primarily through tagging and piecing. During my two most active years at the age of 15 and 16, I estimate that myself (Morg), Richard (Spok) and Jon Trygve (Wick) inflicted property damage (through bombing raids – “tagging”) of approximately 2 million Euro combined of which I inflicted aprox. 700 000. The three of us were the most active of a loosely distributed “tagger force” numbering approximately 1000 at the time. This was during a primary peak of Hiphop, in 1994-1995. I estimate that the numbers of taggers have been reduced substantially since then and hover at around 200 individuals today in Oslo.

As for the fate of the hiphop industry; banning it altogether is not the optimal solution as it would cause overwhelming short term outcry and it would eliminate positive aspects as well. However, I believe significant restrictions in the rights of media companies which will include censoring negative and destructive lifestyles. An alternative is to limit such marketing to future “liberal zones”. Certain positive aspects of the hiphop movement should be allowed to survive such as break dance and positive genres of the music as long as it positively influences the self confidence of European youths and only if it can be re-defined as a European tradition and not portrayed as a ghetto/ethnic/multiculturalist lifestyle.

It is beyond all doubt that the political obstacles to solving these core issues are so comprehensive and enormous that only a revolution (initiated by a military coup) would present a climate where these issues can be properly addressed and solved.

Read The Whole Story At The Philadelphia City Paper

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Can Hip-Hop Artists Be Viewed As Communal Father Figures?

Gerren Keith Gaynor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:04:53 +0000

Hip-Hop is often shunned by critics and regarded as hazardous to Black youth. But can rappers be viewed as role models, especially to youth who lack parental guidance?

An opinion article on The Root reports:

In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the answer for many of us was hip-hop. Nowhere was there a more ready supply of black men with something to say and the ability to articulate it in a way that allowed others to relate and learn than in the booming hip-hop culture. For young black men in search of guidance from someone with a face that looked like their own, rappers became the surrogate fathers.

Monkey Gang Creators Talk Hip Hop Negativity At Advance Screening

NewsOne Staff — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:24:35 +0000

Last Firday at the Anthology Theater in New York City, the controversial hip hop Mockumentary (Mock Documentary), “Monkey Gang: The Mockumentary” was shown in New York City to a packed house. The crowd laughed throughout the whole movie and got the message about the satire and parody of negativity in hip hop culture.

After the movie, executive producer Montaigne “Logic” Massac, executive producer writer and star of the movie, Casey Gane-McCalla, the producer, writer, creator and star of the movie and other members of the cast and crew talked to a camera crew about the how the movie was made and the message behind the movie.

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Boston MC “Akrobatik” Is In A Coma

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:40:00 +0000

BOSTON - According to reports on Twitter and on Boston Hip Hop forums Boston Emcee, Akrobartik has had a heart attack and is in a coma. Akrobatik, real name Jared Bridgeman is from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and has had his music featured on "The Wire" and the video game "NBA Live" and has released music on Rawkus and Fat Beats. He also was a regular on the Jamn 94.5 Morning show wh... Read more..

Actor Adrien Brody Recites Biggie’s Lyrics At Elite Poetry Reading

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:25:51 +0000

NEW YORK- Last week, the Poetry & the Creative Mind benefit, organized by the Academy of American Poets, had a poetry reading at Lincoln Center.

Authors such as Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poem Alan Ginsberg and others were read by celebrities such as “30 Rock’s” Alec Baldwin and “The Social Network’s” Jesse Eisenberg. Oscar Award winning actor, Adrien Brody decided to read Notorious B.I.G.’s “Ten Crack Commandments.”

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Mr. Cee Sets Hip-Hop Back With His Own Homophobia

RK Byers — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:33:57 +0000

The first comment I came upon while researching Mr. Cee’s arrest for allegedly soliciting oral sex from a 20 year-old man was some dude writing about how most Black men are on the “down-low” because we’re raised by single mothers.

Great, I thought. I’m the product of a divorced single mother and though I’m yet to enjoy any homosexual hi-jinks, I guess it’s just a matter of time.

One thing I can promise you though – is that when I do finally get into guy-on-guy action – it won’t be out in public and it won’t be with an alleged male prostitute as Mr. Cee’s allegedly was. I’d like to think that I’m hot enough to get a guy that would give me some for free.

More seriously, here’s the most troubling thing about Mr. Cee’s arrest. If the incident happened as the police tell it, he felt he had to hide his proclivities by keeping them on darkened streetcorners, all the while engaging in the same “pause” talk that everyone else does. It points to something obvious and quite disturbing about hip hop culture—its rampant homophobia.

Why is hip hop’s homophobia disturbing?

Well, like Shakespeare’s famous quotation from Hamlet, “the lady doth protest too much,”which means literally, if you complain ad nauseam about something, you probably secretly enjoy it, hip hop’s gun-blazing anti-homosexuality makes it seem, well, gay.

Why so much concern over it if it doesn’t affect you, fellas?

Another factor to consider is the hyper-masculinity that rappers, as most Black men, seem to enjoy.

Well, this is a bogus myth that should be obvious from the door.

Would hyper-males have ever been enslaved?

Would hyper-males allow the females of their race to shoulder as much of the burden of carrying the race as Black men have?

Moreover, would hyper-males seem ecstatic to glorify the beauty and wonders of every other female except the females of their own race to the extent that Black men have?

No, no and no.

But I didn’t write all this to attack Black men. I’m a Black man myself and I love me some me.

What I’m saying in essence is that Black men, most specifically Black men in hip hop need to abandon homophobia and if not become homo-friendly, then at least become homo-indifferent because by not doing so, you’re making us all look suspect.

New Rap Song About Girls Killed By Cops And Right Wingers

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:26:51 +0000

PITTSBURGH -C onscious Emcee, Jasiri X has continued his string of politically oriented bangers with “3 Little Girls.”

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The song talks about the murders Christina Taylor Green, killed during the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Brisenia Flores, gunned down by an anti-immigrant militia intent on starting a race war, and Aiyana Jones, shot to death while sleeping in her home, by the Detroit Police Department, while they were filming “First 48.”

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EULOGY: Thoughts On The Death Of Biggie Smalls

Smokey D. Fontaine — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:00:57 +0000

I was a fan first.

Before I had the chance to talk and laugh and join him in his world, I was a fan of Notorious B.I.G.. From “Juicy,” “Warning,” “Unbelievable” and “One More Chance” to “Things Done Changed,” “Dreams…,” and all the cameos and remixes, there was a lot of music to love. I actually played “Get Money” so often that the vinyl began to sound dead, and I remember rushing to the club the night I got “Hypnotize” so I could blow it up three or four times in a row.

It was fun. Fun to hear his growls at the beginning of records and to mimic the way he slurred some of the words in his rhyme. I loved watching him play the playa role in a ridiculously huge suit and enjoyed dancing all night to his tracks with women who loved his “Big Poppa” steelo. And when he rose out of bed, naked and unashamed, roaring down the phone in all of his 300-pound glory in the “Warning” clip, I knew that for now and always, Big was a star.

In February 1997, a few weeks before his death, I was assigned to do a feature for Trace magazine on the life and times of Biggie Smalls. I was determined to write a piece that kept clear of what I saw as the bullshit controversy surrounding his life: the drug busts and criminal charges, the hoopla around Lil’ Kim, the break-up with his wife Faith, and of course the conflict with Tupac Shakur.

I wanted to see what was behind all that, concentrate on the music, and explore some of the peculiar dilemmas that the nineties have held for African-Americans. See, for many of our young folk, Big was a hero. A hero because he gave expression to the thoughts and feelings of those who have never been heard. Biggie, as the best hip hop artists do, narrated as artistic fantasy what for so many, is a cultural reality. And that is essentially, the nature and purpose of the art form.

Like the blues, jazz and the best of African-American art, hip hop is one person’s expression of self that is representative of some part of ourselves. Big was Brooklyn’s finest, the brotha who dedicated his album to “all the teachers that told me I’d never amount to nothing…and the niggas in the struggle.” And he was a real person.

I remember the first night I spent with him, his peeps and I laughed for hours about his exploits on the road. Stories of Luke, Shaq, and rolling with R. Kelly had us in tears about as much as the numerous sex tales of groupies along the way. But there was no pretentiousness, no over-confidence, no cocky mask to hide any deep-seated insecurity. Big let you love him or leave him alone. And it was hard to do the latter because as he said so often: “To know me is to love me.”

“Dolly My Baby (Remix)”

But those who have the least, have to sing the loudest. So it was no surprise that Chris Wallace, former hustler, former dealer, former survivor, frequently expressed in his music the anger and frustration inherent in a life from the ‘hood. And the materialism. For over the past two decades, the most significant shift in the culture of African-Americans has been that we have fallen victim to the individualism and greed that have always defined the larger American society.

James Baldwin once asked in his classic discussion of the Civil Rights Movement, The Fire Next Time, “Do I really want to be integrated into a burning house?” Without ever answering, black folks find ourselves today within that burning house, robbing and stealing and “going for mine” either on Wall Street in a Ralph Lauren three-button suit or on the streets of Brooklyn in a Korean-made Polo sweatshirt. Biggie wasn’t ashamed about being in hip hop for the money. And why should he be? Goldman Sachs makes no apologies. Everything we learn and are taught by America tells us to go for the paper because with money there is success and happiness. Don’t try to improve your community or change the ghetto, just buy your way out. By any means necessary. And Big did that through hip hop.

A generation ago, Chris Wallace wouldn’t have had a chance to make “tremendous cream.” There wouldn’t have been a space for a “Notorious B.I.G.” or a “Biggie Smalls” or a “Puff Daddy.” And a generation ago, our parents feared we would be killed by someone in a white sheet, not someone that looks like us. So where are we now? And who’s to blame?

“Juicy”

Do we blame rappers themselves for often talking about the worst of their environments or the media industries for promoting and selling unhealthy words and images? Do we blame the parents who are not around to teach and guide their children or the kids who don’t take responsibility for their own actions? Do we blame an indifferent white government or ineffective black leadership? Or shouldn’t we just blame ourselves as a collective?

If I asked my former students, twelve and thirteen year-olds living in inner-city Baltimore, how many of them had seen or known someone who had been killed, every hand would go up. And so the drive-by murder of Biggie Smalls becomes not an anomaly, but a part of the macabre reality we call black life.

Hip hop is the primary way we are all socialized. In the absence of a strong family unit, the church, or any reliable systems of education, young people learn how to talk to each other, treat each other, and feel about themselves and their world using the rhymes they listen to every day.

The tragedy about the death of B.I.G. is here was a young brotha struggling to figure himself out. Life After Death represented for him a new beginning. A path away from a life he knew to be self-destructive, but one which until recently, he was unable to escape. That is not to say his second album is free of the pathos that made him so Ready to Die, but there is a growth there. A progression he would have continued in his music, a journey that so many young people could have learned from.

“Warning”

Big wanted to be alive, to laugh and cry and act out the lessons he had learned from his past. He also wanted to love. Love his children, his fam, and his moms. Mrs. Wallace was all over Ready to Die. She was an object of stress and bitterness, but also a symbol of strength and survival. Big spoke of her in his rhymes more than any other rapper I know–except of course, Tupac.

Many will point out that Biggie and Tupac’s deaths are more examples of life imitating art. But aren’t we all on stage? Murder is often the leading cause of death for young black men and most of us do very little about it. Can that be a reality? It seems that we have become increasingly unable to differentiate between fantasy and what is real. And for that reason, our art is our life.

Hip hop is our dominant culture, and it’s the way we learn how to live. Kids act like the stars they see in their favorite videos, and find a rhyme for the situations that confront them every day. That power of the art form surprises even many of those who wield it. It’s what makes hip hop so compelling, but aren’t we allowing ourselves to be entertained by our own tragedy?

Tupac, in his martyrdom, became a cultural hero. Biggie will be the same. Tupac asked brothas to die for him…Big found new life. But ultimately, the music couldn’t save either of them.

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NAACP Under Fire For Having Rappers At “Image Awards”

Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:29:40 +0000

MARYLAND – The NAACP is receiving criticism for showcasing different Hip Hop acts at their upcoming “NAACP Image Awards” including Jaz-Z, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. Rev. Delman Coates, a pastor of the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland has directly addressed the civil rights groups choice of performers.

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AllHipHop News reports:

“On one side these are young black men that are great business men, but on the other end it is like the tobacco business,” said Rev. Lucious Smith, pastor of Pasadena Friendship Baptist Church. “In the end you get cancer.”

Coates, who heads up the Enough is Enough Campaign for Corporate Responsibility in Entertainment, said the battle with the NAACP is not about Hip-Hop music.

Rev. Coates said he is not against Hip-Hop, but he said the NAACP could do a better job picking out artists who have a more positive message than the 2011 nominees.

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Oakland Will Pay Rapper $300,000 For Planting Gun On Him

NewsOne Staff — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:02:27 +0000

OAKLAND, Calif.—The City of Oakland will pay $300,000 to a parolee who said an Oakland police officer planted a gun on him.

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Assistant City Attorney Barbara Parker tells the San Francisco Chronicle that the Oakland City Council voted 5-3 in a closed session on Tuesday to pay the amount to Lorenzo Hall as well as his attorneys’ fees.

A federal jury awarded Hall $175,000 after a weeklong trial in San Francisco, last year.

Hall spent nearly two years behind bars before his case was dropped for illegally possessing a weapon after his arrest in 2006 while attending a wake for his aunt in east Oakland.

Police said they acted on an informant’s tip and found a gun in his waistband.

Hall’s attorneys say the gun belonged to another man who hid it in a nearby car.

Hall is also known as Zoe The Roasta, a bay area rapper.