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| Grandmaster Flash "The Bridge" EPK Posted: 15 Jan 2009 09:40 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Daz Dillinger Starts Smoke-a-Thon With Juelz Santana & Freeky Zeeky Posted: 15 Jan 2009 08:48 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| T.I. Road To Redemption Trailer Posted: 15 Jan 2009 08:44 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Blacksmith Tv Trailer Episode 3, Rocking The Bells Posted: 15 Jan 2009 03:12 PM CST BlacksmithTV Episode 3 (trailer) from IdleWarshipMusic on Vimeo. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Some Think Obamas Victory Will Change Black Youth Culture Posted: 15 Jan 2009 03:00 PM CST  It's the night of the election and while much of America, depending on presidential predelictions, is either celebrating in the open air or drowning sorrows behind closed doors, New York rapper Jim Jones is making an early New Year's resolution. In the middle of rehearsal for the Off-Off-Broadway production of "Hip-Hop Monologues: Inside the Life and Mind of Jim Jones," a theatrical re-enactment of his hard-bitten Harlem life, he makes a pledge. Because of Barack Obama's election, he would no longer use the "n-word." One of those there to hear his promise was Benjamin Chavis, the former executive director of the NAACP who now runs the activist group Hip-Hop Action Summit Network with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, and had a part in "Monologues." "We were studying for the play and when the results came in, he was so happy," Chavis recalls in a phone interview, recalling that Jones vowed to address his friends differently. "He said he would say (the phrase) 'This is my Obama,' not 'my (n-word)'." Fast forward 10 days and Sean "Diddy" Combs is appearing on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." After some goading from the host about the state of hip-hop, Combs says recent events might change things. "I think that you will see another level of consciousness and also another level of responsibility," he responded. "We appreciate everybody that put race to the side and voted for him. You know, we never got the 40 acres and a mule - we didn't get a lot of other things promised - so we'll take this one. So maybe we'll clean up the lyrics now." While these two incidents are not directly related, they point to what some sense may be a sea change in black youth culture and hip-hop culture in particular. They feel that a newfound sense of pride and respect may spill over from the political arena into the cultural. Even those on the other end of the political spectrum have taken notice. In a piece written for New York magazine called "Revenge of the Black Nerd," conservative black writer John McWhorter enthused that it might be cool now to be a black geek. "Barack has set a new standard," says Navarrow Wright, president and CEO of Global Grind, a hip-hop-oriented social networking site. "They feel obligated to show a higher side of themselves ... Diddy and Jay-Z, there was so much heartfelt emotion when they were out campaigning, you can't help but change when you feel inspired. For the first time in a long time, we feel inspired. And hip-hop may be inspired to tell a different story." Of course, hip-hop - a movement that began on the tough streets of the South Bronx in the '70s - has long had a political and socially concious edge as evidenced by such early groups as Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy. It's just that, in the last two decades, that side has often been muffled by the rat-a-tat-tat of so-called gangsta rap and the party-hearty style of such chart-toppers as Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and Flo-Rida. What's become known as more positive or conscious hip-hop, as practiced by the likes of Common, Mos Def and Kanye West, is not as pervasive. It's a topic that has fueled discussion in at least one of the classrooms at Virginia's George Mason University, where adjunct professor Andrew Ryan, editor of "The Journal of Hip-Hop" and author of the upcoming book "The Responsible Use of Hip-Hop in the Classroom," teaches a class about hip-hop. "There were two groups: one felt that as long as there are poor people and a need to hustle, you're going to have music that reflects that regardless who the president is," he says. "Another camp says a lot of the conscious rappers will have a platform to say 'what we're talking about can turn out to be true' because the knock against (conscious rappers) was that they'd say 'change is coming' but nothing happened." For some, the change happened Nov. 4. "For African-Americans and Africans, this gives us a reflection of ourselves in the media and undoes a lot of (the damage) that has been done," says Dallas rapper Alejandro Perez, who goes by the name of African Personalities. "Having that icon as an image and reflection makes everyone reflect inwardly." "(Jim Jones) is not a conscious rapper and he doesn't strike me as a super politically aware person," says writer/critic Toure, who interviewed Jones for Tina Brown's The Daily Beast political/culture Web site after the rapper's anti-"n-word" revelation. "It just speaks of the ubiquity of the impact of Obama on everybody - regular guys in the hood feeling like this guy is so transformative that he matters to me." In his Daily Beast piece, Toure, who's African-American, wrote that he was "blown away" by Jones' admission: "Black men have used nigga for more than three decades as away of expressing a certain gallows humor. It is a way of saying, 'Hey, if America thinks we're the national boogie monsters, then fine, we are. Boo! ... But the election has done more than just usher in a black president. It's begun creating a new America where black people feel like the country perhaps doesn't hate us the way it once did, and black men no longer feel a need to identify ourselves as America's monsters." If nothing else, Obama's election has sparked a cottage industry in rap songs about the new president. While Jones was having his epiphany in a New York theater, a fellow Big Apple hip-hop heavyweight, Nas, was ducking into a studio during a tour stop in Oslo, Norway to record "Election Night." (He already had one Obama-themed track, "Black President," that was on his last album.) From Young Jeezy's "My President" to Ludacris' "Politics: Obama Is Here" (which the Obama campaign had to distance itself from because of the derogatory language used for candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain), Obama has become nearly as much a hip-hop lyrical mainstay as "rims" (car wheels) and "shawties" (slang for "shorties" or women). New York rapper Mekka Don and DJ Mick Boogie last week released an online project "All Eyes on Me," a mash-up of sorts featuring tracks from 2Pac - who often painted lyrical pictures of urban despair - with lyrics reflecting Obama optimism. But it remains to be seen what happens once the inaugural glow wears off and Obama gets down to the grinding, numbing work of the presidency. "One thing Barack doesn't have going for him is that he wasn't the darling of a regional scene. Even in Chicago, (local rappers) Kanye and Common weren't (rapping about) Obama when he was a senator," says George Mason's Andrew Ryan. "He didn't come up through the movement but the bigger issue will be if he maintains his connections to rap. He did an interview with Vibe. Will he continue to speak to hip-hop through media outlets? Will he have hip-hop at his inauguration? "Then there's the notion of class and Obama, while he's African-American, doesn't come through the same urban experience. That being the case, it might be easy for some MC's to say he's cool but he 'ain't from where I'm from.' ... His hood pass might be challenged if folks don't see that immediate change." There's also the age factor. The most prominent of those making pronouncements of change - Diddy, Jones - are elder statesmen in the world of hip-hop. "It's always going to be a youth-based culture," says Ryan. "In about two years, there'll be a whole new crop of rappers speaking to the youth." Even conscious hip-hop might not get the massive bump some expect. "People who are already stars may have to shift what they're talking about a little bit to meet the way people are feeling but I don't think (rappers like) Common are suddenly going to get hot," says Toure. And not everyone buys the idea that geekdom will take on a new sense of cool. Many of the online comments to McWhorter's "Revenge of the Nerd" essay ranged from disbelieving ("true nerds will always be at the bottom of the totem pole") to derisive ("this oversimplified 'article' is dumb on so many levels"). But for D-Nice (Derrick Jones), a rapper whose roots go back to hip-hop's 1980s glory days in New York and who's now a DJ, producer and photographer, Obama's ascension has already had a profound impact no matter what the future holds. "I see in Barack what I could become and what I still can do, getting more involved in helping people. I need to pay it forward. My mission is to become more presidential, in my way of being, the way I live, the way I relate to my kids, treat my wife," he says. "Even as far as the music I play, when I started deejaying, I played records from my heart. No songs with the 'n-word.' Then I started to become more popular and played what (audiences) wanted to hear but I didn't feel good about it. I was contributing to what's negative about hip-hop." But that's changed now. "I need to change my life and become more presidential," he says. "Hopefully, there are other people who want to change as well." ___ 'ALL EYES ON' OBAMA While Obama has been name-checked in many rap songs, it's still rare for him to be the subject of an entire album. But that's exactly the case with "All Eyes on Me," a nine-track, free-download-only set by New York rapper Mekka Don and DJ Mick Boogie. The twosome overlay vintage beats from the slain rapper 2Pac with lyrics about Obama and excerpts from his speeches. For example, the 2Pac hit "Dear Mama" becomes "Dear Obama." "I supported him in so many ways, helping people register to vote, and donating to his campaign," says Mekka Don, a 27-year-old former attorney whose real name is Emeka Onyejekwe. "I liked what he represents." So when Boogie - best-known for "Adele 1988" (his mash-up of up-and-coming singer Adele with '80s hip-hop grooves) and "Viva La Hova" (a mash-up of Jay-Z and Coldplay) - approached him about doing a 2Pac/Obama project, Mekka Don was intrigued. "I would be the person to do it because people think my voice resembles 2Pac," he says. The initial track, "Dear Obama," sparked enough interest that Boogie wanted to do more. "At first, I was hesitant," Mekka Don says. "I wasn't fully on board but as the idea got fleshed out, I got into it." The resulting album, whose title is a slight twist on 2Pac's classic 1996 release "All Eyez on Me," reworks such songs as "Life Goes On" and "How Do You Want It." It's the latest gambit from the New York University Law School graduate - who, two years ago, left his position at the NYC law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges to pursue hip-hop full time - for exposure. He and his business partners created a YouTube reality show last year, "Mekka Don: The Legal Hustler." No doubt, he's one of the few rappers who has been featured in the American Bar Association's ABA Journal: Law News Now magazine. But he wants to turn the focus on his original music and prove he's not just a lawyer who happens to rap. "From a career standpoint, this is my passion, so it wasn't difficult (to leave law). From the standpoint of potential ridicule from colleagues, it's difficult," he says. "People think I'd never rapped before but I've been rapping since 1999 and I've been in the studio a lot ... I want people to know who I am and what I represent." |
| Rick Ross Cuts Ties With Slip-N-Slide Records, Drops New Album On His Label, Maybach Music Posted: 15 Jan 2009 02:39 PM CST Miami rapper Rick Ross has reportedly moved on from record label Slip-N-Slide to pursue releasing music from his Maybach Music Group. Slip-N-Slide CEO Ted Lucas helped Ross secure his first major deal with Def Jam. Lucas signed Trick Daddy and Trina to Atlantic, and helped give Miami hip-hop a cred it had never had. But he struggled for a few years to establish another act, until finally Def Jam signed Rick Ross, and "Hustlin'" blew up. (Vibe Magazine) The company recently celebrated its 15th Anniversary. Slip-N-Slide's 15th Anniversary Party at Hotel Victor this December in Miami Beach was definitely the best party of 2008. Baby tigers, porn stars, open bars, and lots of millionaire thugs showing off their jewelry. Trina was posing for photos as Keith Sweat performed. Guests included Pitbull, Plies, Kevin Liles, E-Class and more. (Broward-Palm Beach New Times) Ross is now creating new music for his album Deeper Than Rap. It is official: Rick Ross is off of Slip-N-Slide Records and will be putting out his next project on his own label, Maybach Music Group."That's what makes the record real special. It just takes everybody a little deeper into my world," he said. "I can't lie: I'm dropping the B-side. It's titled 'Mafia Music' and it's gonna cause a lot of problems. It's a scathing four-and-half-minute nonstop flow, me being autobiographical about my life and my come-up and my triumph. Of course, I had to address a few things, I had to address a few people." (MTV) |
| Hip Hop 101 Celebrates Black History Month @With Concert @ Sports Arena In L.A. Posted: 15 Jan 2009 02:32 PM CST With a stellar lineup of Grammy winning artists on one stage, Hip Hop 101 Music & Arts Festival will celebrate Black History Month with hip hop and rap notables Ludacris, Common, and turntableist Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys on Saturday February 21st at the Los Angeles Sports Arena starting at 6:30PM. Also included on the bill are R&B singer and songwriter Keri Hilson and Grammy-nominated alternative Afro-Punk singer Janelle Monae. The brainchild behind Hip Hop 101 Music & Arts Festival are Investor/Event Presenter Derek Patterson(Champ Funds, Inc.), Executive Producer Ken Andrews (South Bay Music Awards), Arias Webster Berry (Entertainment Entertainment) and Producer/Production Manager Sid Zuber ,(Creative Marketing Agency) who's vision is to provide a creative arena to express Hip Hop in multiple ways. "Hip Hop 101 Music & Arts Festival is our way to acknowledge the achievements of every artist by creating a platform and embracing Hip Hop's culture and unity through the expression of music, beats, graffiti, visual arts, performing arts and lyrics," explained Andrews. Besides the A-list lineup, show producers created an event that will showcase multiple facets of Hip Hop. Some include live graffiti artists, Visual Symphony with an old school Hip Hop history film and visual effects show as well as a dance competition by Millennium Dance Complex (past dancers include Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson). Winners of the competition will be given a scholarship by Hip Hop 101 Music & Arts Festival. To increase awareness to this monumental event, Power 106 (www.power106.fm ) along with Metromix (www.metromix.com ) has come on board. For tickets please visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.wantickets.com Please visit Hip Hop 101 Music & Arts Festival www.hh101.com for more information. |
| Posted: 15 Jan 2009 02:26 PM CST All good things must come to an end, or does it? It's no secret, for some strange reason the Grammy's has lost its luster with its music audience over the years. One of their hardest years being 2008 in which the televised award show dipped down in viewers making it it's worst year in ratings since 1992. Which would mean people were much more interested in watching re-runs and reality TV. But the Grammy's refuse to go down without a fight. This year they are starting a campaign called "Celebrate The Music That Makes Us" which is a campaign geared towards allowing todays artists to pay homage to yesterday's stars. For the campaign, artists had to choose 10-20 songs that influenced them to be the artist they are today. They have enlisted the help of hip hop's rising artist Lil Wayne along with the oh so controversial Kanye West to represent for Hip Hop and name the artist and their songs that inspired them. Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, and Stevie Wonder are some of the artists confirmed to also take part in the campaign. The Grammy Association's agenda with the campaign, is to garner more viewers through the use of today's most popular artists. Jay-Z's "Can't Knock The Hustle" is one of Lil Wayne's picks that will play in Lil Wayne's spot in the print and television ad. Cant Knock The Hustle - Jay-z ft. Mary J. Blige
Personally, I have always adored the Grammy's. Although along the years they have snubbed Hip Hop in record breaking ways, I have always held high prestige to those who are Grammy nominated just as other's would. I just wish they would give Hip Hop a break. Hip Hop artists literally had to boycott the award show, numerous times, just to get a category that was announced on television; where's the love?! I must say that I am shocked that Kanye West is participating in the campaign seeing that he threw a temper tantrum (as usual) after he didn't win. I guess he really has (ahem) grown up. Lil Wayne is nominated in 8 categories including album of the year and Kanye earned himself 6 nods. Lil Wayne has also been announced as one of the performers for the award show. Thoughts? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| LL Cool J, T.I., Akon, Mos Def & More For Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball Posted: 15 Jan 2009 02:21 PM CST  LL Cool J Russell Simmons, MC Lyte will also appear at charity event LL Cool J, Akon, Mos Def, Young Jeezy and T.I. are among the acts who will celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington D.C. next week.Russell Simmons, MC Lyte and Dave Chappelle will also attend the event entitled 'Hip Hop Inaugural Ball' which will take place at the Harman Center for the Arts in the capital on January 19. The event is being presented by Simmons, Valeisha Butterfield, Dr. Benjamin Chavis and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which is the world's largest coalition of hip-hop artists and entertainment industry executives. The Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball will raise funds for the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which will continue its non-profit work for education advocacy and other empowerment programs for young adults throughout the United States. Tickets for the event are available at hiphopinaugural.org , hsan.org , and globalgrind.com . As previously reported, Beyonce, Bono and Bruce Springsteen a will perform at this Sunday's (January 18) official inauguration party. Stevie Wonder, Usher, Shakira, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow and Josh Groban are also on the bill for the gig at Lincoln Memorial. Country superstar Garth Brooks, Mary J. Blige and John Legend will also perform at the celebration. The show will be aired on HBO at 7pm on Sunday via an open feed, according to the Associated Press . |
| Obama Writes Letter To Daughters About Why He Ran For President Posted: 15 Jan 2009 01:54 PM CST  AFP/File – US president-elect Barack Obama (L) with his daughters Malia(C) and Sasha on vacation in 2008. In an … WASHINGTON (AFP) – In an open letter to his young daughters, US president-elect Barack Obama said Thursday that he entered the race for the White House "because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation." "When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me -- about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world," Obama said in the letter published in Parade magazine, a weekend newspaper color supplement. "I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfilment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation," wrote the soon-to-be Dad-in-chief. Obama's wish-list for children includes challenging and inspirational schools; equal opportunity to go to university, regardless of their family's financial standing; and well-paid jobs with benefits such as health care and a pension plan that will allow them to "retire with dignity." The 47-year-old father of Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, said he wants to "push the boundaries" of discovery to encourage the development of new technology and inventions that improve lives and protect the environment. And he spoke of his vision of a United States that has reached "beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other." He would strive to send young Americans to war "only for a very good reason", trying first to settle differences with other nations peacefully. "These are the things I want for you -- to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world," wrote Obama. "And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure," wrote Obama, who on Tuesday will move into the White House with his two daughters and wife, Michelle. |
| Jamie Foxx "Blame It Rmx" Ft Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, & T-Pain Posted: 15 Jan 2009 01:16 PM CST Hi U2M! Your friend Mr.T.I.C. <Mrtic@yahoo.com > just uploaded a file on zSHARE.net, and he/she wishes to share it with you. To view the file click on the following link: http://www.zshare.net zSHARE is a free file, image and video hosting provider and it's used mainly to share files that are too big for e-mails. Best Regards, |
| KNOW YOUR HIP HOP HISTORY!!The Top 10 Samples In Hip Hop History Vol.1-10 Posted: 15 Jan 2009 02:11 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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