Big Sean: How He got in the Game

So I haven't posted in like a month...but I enjoyed this interview so much I mustered up the energy to do it....yea....I been slackin....though no one even reads this blog hahaha.... Wutev

Eminem on Jimmy Kimmel

Ivory sculpture in Germany could be world's oldest

MAD COOL...I like hearing stuff about human origins and art and and stuff that went on thousands of years before the foolishness in the current world.

By PATRICK McGROARTY, Associated Press Writer – Wed May 13, 3:42 pm ET

BERLIN – A 35,000-year-old ivory carving of a busty woman found in a German cave was unveiled Wednesday by archaeologists who believe it is the oldest known sculpture of the human form. The carving found in six fragments in Germany's Hohle Fels cave depicts a woman with a swollen belly, wide-set thighs and large, protruding breasts.

"It's very sexually charged," said University of Tuebingen archaeologist Nicholas Conard, whose team discovered the figure in September.

Carbon dating suggests it was carved at least 35,000 years ago, according to the researchers' findings, which are being published Thursday in the scientific journal Nature.

"It's the oldest known piece of figurative sculpture in the world," said Jill Cook, a curator of Paleolithic and Mesolithic material at the British Museum in London.

Stones in Israel and Africa almost twice as old are believed to have been collected by ancient humans because they resembled people, but they were not carved independently.

The Hohle Fels cave discovery suggests the humans, who are believed to have come to Europe around 40,000 years ago, had the intelligence to create symbols and think abstractly in a way that matches the modern human, Conard said.

"It's 100 percent certain that, by the time we get to 40,000 years ago in Swabia, we're dealing with people just like you and me," Conard told The Associated Press, referring to the southern German region where the sculpture was recovered along with other prehistoric artifacts.

Conard believes the 2.4-inch-tall (6-centimeter) figure may have been hung on the end of a string. The left arm is missing, but Conard said he hopes to find it by sifting through material from the cave.

The Hohle Fels sculpture is curvaceous and has neither feet nor a head, like some of the roughly 150 so-called Venus figurines found in a range from the Pyrenees mountains to southern Russia and dating back about 25,000-29,000 years.

But Cook warned against trying to draw any connections between the Venuses and the Hohle Fels figure, saying that would be like comparing Picasso to a classical sculptor — too much time had passed.

"I wonder whether at this point we're looking at figures which are unique within themselves and unique within the cultures that they're arising in," she said.

Archaeologist Paul Mellars, of the University of Cambridge, suggested a clearer continuum.

"We now have evidence of that sort of artistic tradition of Venus figurines going back 6,000 years earlier than anybody ever guessed," he said.

Neanderthals also lived in Europe around the time the sculpture was carved, and frequented the Hohle Fels cave. But Mellars said layered deposits left by both species over thousands of years prove the sculpture was crafted by humans.

"Nothing within a million miles of this has ever been found in a Neanderthal layer," Mellars said.

The archaeologists agreed the sculpture's age and features invite speculation about its purpose and the preoccupations of the culture that produced it.

Cook suggested it could be symbol of fertility, perhaps even portrayed in the act of giving birth.

Mellars suggested a more basic motivation for the carving: "These people were obsessed with sex."

Conard said the differing opinions reinforced the connection between the ancient artist and modern viewer.

"How we interpret it tells us just as much about ourselves as about people 40,000 years ago," he said.

DRIZZY FREESTYLE IN TORONTO

DRAKE-Say U Will Freestyle Toronto Show from Aaron A on Vimeo.

Quite Entertaining...Some online show by Talib Kweli I think

BlacksmithTV Episode 6: Grae Goose Pt. 1 from Blacksmith Music on Vimeo.

GTFOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This guy? a Rapper?! naaah

Complex: Ha, OK. So you made headlines yesterday talking about Asher Roth, saying he lacks swag. If you had to battle Asher Roth, what would you use against him? 
Spencer Pratt: I mean, the fact that I’m so paid, and he’s broke [laughs]. Simple as that. That’s my whole point, being that I’m fly with tons of money, and he doesn’t have that yet. I’m sure he’ll have a lot more swag in three years if he keeps selling.


Complex: You also said, “I’m like the white Jay-Z.” Would you consider Heidi the white Beyoncé? 
Spencer Pratt: A little bit more than the white Beyoncé. Beyoncé had to be built by a group like Destiny’s Child, but Heidi shines solo. I’ll actually give you an exclusive: I could guarantee you Speidi’s [Spencer and Heidi's] “Bonnie & Clyde” version is going to stunt on Jay and B’s version.

Complex: Who’s rapping career would you use as a blueprint for yourself?
Spencer Pratt: I think I’m the future of hip-hop. You know, I feel bad for saying that. That’s unfortunate, but that’s a fact. You can’t compare my model of hip-hop with what I’m about to come out with versus anything in the game. You know I’ll take the Diddy route. I’m not a lyrical MC, I’m just like Diddy. Look what it did for him? He is still balling.

Complex: I saw that you’re trying to reach out to OJ Da Juiceman for him to get a verse on a Morales-produced track.
Spencer Pratt: Yeah, I’m trying to get him on my first real single because “I’m A Celebrity” is not my single. That’s just my marketing tool for the show. My first single, I just want to have me, Gucci Mane, andOJ Da Juiceman. It’ll be the flyest song in the game. I’m going to track them down, that’s my priority today.

WE GOT THE MUNCHIEEEES

Sometimes this fool is mad annoying...and sometimes he can be funny as fuck

Peace Magazine Article

by Lissa Monet - lissamonet.com/blog

Born in Memphis, raised in Toronto, the 50,000+ who downloaded Aubrey “Drake” Graham’s new 2009 mixtape can’t be wrong…

What are you bringing to the table for 2009? I want to make music for people to listen to. But I also want them to believe in someone who is somewhat of an underdog, establishing a lane for myself, and getting to the point where other artists can be compared to me: “Oh, that sounds like a Drake type right there.” I want to get to the point where I’m a name that people use to describe something new.

How did you meet Lil’ Wayne? The connection was a gentleman named Jaz Prince, the son of the founder of Rap-A-Lot Records, J Prince. He just called Wayne on a day when Wayne felt like hearing some music. I was actually getting a haircut at the time, which worked for me, because Wayne called my cellphone and wondered if I could meet him in Houston the next day.

No other Canadian rapper has rocked a room of 20,000 like you did at the Air Canada Centre with Wayne. I was just proud of my city. And, to be completely honest with you, I was nervous. Not about forgetting my lyrics, or tripping, or anything like that. But up until that moment I could never be sure if I had any fans in my own city – 20,000 people is a lot of people to win over, and even if one-quarter don’t like me that’s still intimidating. But it ended up being a great night. Wayne definitely noticed the city was behind me, because I got the same reaction from the Toronto crowd that he would get from the audience in New Orleans.

Which place do you want to call home for the next few years? My heart is in Toronto, and this city definitely inspires me, but I enjoy L.A. and Atlanta. Once the music is out there, and I have a retail album that we can all profit from, I’ll probably get back into acting which means moving to Los Angeles.

Where did you get the idea to call your third mixtape So Far Gone? The title has many meanings. Toronto is struggling for an icon, but I feel the furthest out there of all my peers, where the only people I feel understand me are the ones close to me. I feel like we live with a very genuine, pure, elevated level. But there’s also a distance from others who aren’t in my circle. I feel like they don’t understand what’s going on.

How does it compare to the previous mixtapes? Well, people started hearing my music as soon as I started making it, so I really was growing. Southern Smoke was a very early project that reflected my interests at the time – I was into the Roots, Little Brother, Mos Def and other great hip-hop music. Then I started to understand the value of a hit record, and became more interested in melodies than a track of overwhelming lyrics. Comeback Season started leaning toward songs that were fun. Now I’m confident enough to convey a personal message, reflecting what’s going on in my mind, like a timeline of my personal life.

Which of the forthcoming collaborations stand out most for you? There’s an interlude with Lloyd that solidifies the fact that I’ll be singing more in the future, embracing the fact that people loved tracks like “Brand New” and “Sooner than Later.” Working with Lil’ Wayne is also a very humbling experience – he’s like my mentor. I know it’s the right combination because, no matter how many times we do something over, it always seems to come out the right way.

Who else have you worked with lately? My usual people: Boi-1da has a lot on there, and my engineer 40 really made the sound, painting the picture and creating a story for it. When I was unsure what kind of tape I wanted to make, it was 40 who kept cranking out those instrumentals that basically laid it out for me.

Are you planning to collaborate again with Trey Songz? Yeah, he’s actually on my mixtape, and one of the funniest people I know. We always have a great rapport, so we talk often, and just laugh and joke about life. At this point, he’s more a friend than a business colleague.

Do you think XXL slept on you by not putting you in their “Freshmen 10”? Nah, the guys they selected were great and had a phenomenal year. I don’t consider myself part of any group, because I have a completely different story, and a different approach to this whole thing. Being separate from the pack is actually a positive thing for me.

Are you signed to Cash Money, or Interscope? I’m actually not signed to either. I’m still an unsigned artist, and think I have a couple more bullets in my clip to let out before I really open my eyes and see what the aftermath of all my shots were.

And, speaking of Aftermath, how did your mixtape land on Dre’s desk? On whose desk?

Dre. Who’s that?

Dr. Dre. I didn’t know my mixtape landed on Dre’s desk.

Did you ever hear the mixtape by DJ Ill Will and Rampage called Best of Heartbreak Drake? I had no part in it, even though a lot of people have told me they liked hearing it – it’s my songs, after all, so … enjoy it.

How have the changes in your personal life been reflected in the lyrics? I’ve always been very honest about my emotions, but things haven’t drastically changed, since I have a new emotion to express in every song. “Every Girl” is just having fun and talking shit with a bunch of dudes; “Replacement Girl” is me giving a piece of myself to women that pay attention. I’m speaking to both genders: the guys who want to have fun and feel fly, and the women who want to know what we think.

The track “Get Over It” mentions that you’re Jewish. How did your bar mitzvah go down? Mine wasn’t as extravagant as the other kids. It was just at a restaurant, where I slow danced to “I Want It That Way” with Heidi Gold. That’s a little fact that you may not know about. But now you know.

For a free download of So Far Gone: www.octobersveryown.net/mixtapes/drake_sofargone.zip

www.myspace.com/thisisdrake

Asher Roth and the Racial Crossroads (Ill Doctrine)

Jay Smooth of Ill doctrine talking about the Asher Roth controversy..This is a very cool video and good for people to hear.

FEATURE: Eminem, Hard To Kill (XXL Magazine) PICK IT UP!

It’s felt sort of empty without him, hasn’t it? One of the biggest superstars on the planet, EMINEM has been on a three-year hiatus, dealing with some awfully heavy personal issues. He’s back now, though.

And up to his old tricks. Sick. But healthier than ever. Tucked away in the VIP room of Morton’s steak house in downtown Cleveland, Eminem sits at the head of a long, 12-seat dinner table, looking more like a high school baseball shortstop than a multimillionaire don of the hip-hop world. He’s rocking a white Jordan fitted cap to the back, with a platinum cross dangling atop a wrinkled white T-shirt, black sweats, and Nike Air Max on the feet. Along with his longtime manager and partner, Paul Rosenberg, D12 producer Denaun Porter, and an eight-member team of label support, assistants and security, the 36-year-old rap star is watching Michigan State handle Connecticut in an NCAA Final Four game, which is playing on a huge flat-screen hanging on the mahogany walls. Repping Detroit harder (and more successfully) than General Motors, the crew oohs and aahs and screams at every basket, urging the Spartans to victory. Em cracks jokes about his publicist peeing on people in a riot back in the days. (Never happened.) But just as everything seems dorm-roomish and festive, word comes down. “Let’s roll. Em has to be there now.”

That’s a sentiment no doubt shared by millions of fans worldwide. One of hip-hop’s biggest-selling artists ever (his 34 million total domestic album sales ranks second only to Tupac), Eminem has been mostly MIA for the past three years. After an aborted European tour in summer 2005, the troubled icon ducked out of the spotlight to deal with a growing drug problem—one exacerbated, the next year, by the failure of his second marriage to Kimberly Scott, and even more by the loss of his best friend and rap partner, Proof, who died in a tragic, and still somewhat hazy, shooting incident in a bar on the very 8 Mile Road that Em has made so famous.

But he’s back. This spring marks the release of his sixth solo album, Relapse, the first of two on tap for the year. Judging from a quick listen to the setup singles “Crack a Bottle” (with fellow Interscope Records pillars Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) and “We Made You,” and a few select unreleased tracks, it’s pretty clear that rap’s nimble-tongued clown prince wants to reclaim his throne. With an emphasis on the cartoony, TV-steeped ultraviolence that rocketed him to fame 10 years ago, Em’s rapping in his Slim Shady guise, with a nod to his favorite Marvel comic-book hero, the trigger-happy vigilante Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher. “The Punisher just seemed appropriate for my return to the scene,” he says. “Shady with a vengeance!” Everyone feels the wrath—from horror-flick serial killers, like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, to train-wreck starlets, like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, to failed vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. In the video for the first single, “We Made You,” Kim Kardashian gets the wood-chipper treatment.

But tonight there’s more serious business to attend to. It’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 24th annual induction ceremony, and the blue-eyed, formerly golden-haired god of hip-hop’s modern era will be introducing the greatest group from hip-hop’s early years, Run-DMC, before they take the stage and receive their prestigious due. Fresh from Morton’s, backstage at the museum’s performance hall, crumpled-up, handwritten speech tight in his fist, Em paces the small dressing room right next to the one occupied by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. “I’m about to rock this shit!” he says, goofing on his own nervous energy, as a black leather coat arrives for him to wear. “I don’t know what I’m about to rock, but I’m about to do it! I’ma, ummm, rock this speech!”

He hops up, dons the coat and a matching Run-DMC–style fedora, takes the walkway to the stage and busts a b-boy stance at the podium. The audience leaps to its feet. The place goes crazy. Somebody screams “It’s Eminem! He’s back!”

Where have you been? It seems like a whole generation of hip-hop has gone in the time that you’ve been away.

Yeah, well, there were a few things that played into that factor. First of all, I went for seven years straight and never took a break. It got to the point where I felt like I needed to pull back. After the last tour, the Anger Management 3, as everybody knows, I went into rehab for a drug problem that, honestly, didn’t get better when I went into rehab. I wasn’t ready to go into rehab. I felt that, at the time, everyone else was ready for me to go. And I wasn’t ready.

You weren’t ready mentally?

I wasn’t ready mentally. I wasn’t ready to give up the drugs. I didn’t really think I had a problem. Basically, I went in, and I came out. I relapsed, and I spent the next three years struggling with it. Also, at that time, I felt like I wanted to pull back, because my drug problem had got so bad. I felt like, Maybe if I take a break, maybe this will help. I started to get into the producer role more… I can still be out there with my music, like with the Re-Up album, but I don’t have to be in the spotlight the whole time.

What types of drugs were you were taking?

Ever since the beginning of my career I dabbled in Vicodin, Valium, Ambien. It was kind of like a recreational thing that, for some reason, when it first started out, like ecstasy and shit like that, I was able to do it and step away from it. Drinking, I was able to do it and step away from it. But slowly it started progressing. For a while, there were, like, four to six months where I struggled with ecstasy. I had found myself taking it before every show.

So you would go out, rock these shows…

Yeah, like, on the Warped Tour, me and Proof would split a hit, like half a hit or whatever, and on top of it, I was drinking or whatever. Then I would come home and be like, Aight, I’m not gonna do it around the kids. So those would be the times I’d clean myself out. I’d be home for a week, two weeks or whatever and be like, I’m done with this. Then I’d get back out on the road and then… It started becoming that I’d be doing it all the time if people had it. I wouldn’t carry the shit on me. I wouldn’t have it myself. If we were around that kind of party atmosphere and somebody had it, which my music at that time always attracted that crowd, like the raver kids and shit like that, we’d end up hanging out with some kids somehow, and people would be around us and be like, “Hey, I got some mushrooms, I got this, I got that.” Slowly, after a period of time, it became where we were buying it on the road. So we would kinda say, “Who’s got the E?” It became where I wasn’t doing it anymore because people had it, I was doing it and actually purchasing the shit, just because. Then it got to a point where I felt like I needed it to be onstage. My biggest thing was sleeping. I would take NyQuil and shit like that. I’d be like, Okay, well, this worked last night. But I got to take extra tonight, ’cause it ain’t gonna work. Now I got to get a prescription for something. I got to see my doctor.

Because you couldn’t sleep?

It’s between the schedule and all the shit when it starts to get crazy. When you’re in album cycle and touring and shit like that, the schedule… You got to be somewhere at certain times. You only got this little window to sleep. And if you don’t sleep, you are kind of fucked for the next day. So it was all the mental things that I went through. I struggled with ecstasy, kinda struggled with drinking. But I was able to cut it off, which is what I never understood about pills. But that’s obviously what you learn in rehab. It’s what becomes your drug of choice. Certain addicts may not struggle with… I may not have a problem with liquor. But if I drink liquor and I get to where I get a hangover the next day, I’m screaming for a Vicodin. “Oh, I wish I had a Vicodin!” So, basically, I struggled off and on with prescription pills, like, the next three years. Then, everybody knows, I went through a divorce. I was trying to put my family back together. That ended up not working out. Then losing my best friend. It was kinda like going through those struggles. None of that shit was easy. My addiction got worse and worse and worse.
I had to come to the realization, I mean, I’ve been clean for a year now, but I had to come to the realization that I want to do this. This ain’t something that anybody can just tell me, know what
I mean? This isn’t something that everyone can want for me.

When did you know that it was time for you to go to rehab?

There were a bunch of moments where I felt like, I want to do it, I want to do it. Ah, maybe now is not the time. Maybe I’ll just do this for a little longer. I started realizing, like,
I took a break from the spotlight, and I felt like I wanted to be with my family and spend more time with my kids and stuff like that. But the whole time, I’m walking around the house high most of the time. So I’m missing out on the best parts of their lives. There were several moments. And it got to the point where the guilt that I started feeling inside for doing the shit… I wasn’t fooling anybody but myself.
I had to come to that realization. At the time, I’m 35 years old, how long am I going to keep doing this? I felt like I needed to grow up, and if I didn’t grow up, it was like, now or never.-DATWON THOMAS

For more of Hard To Kill, the Eminem cover story, make sure to pick up XXL’s May issue on newsstands now.

Drake to Collab w/ Kanye, Jeezy, (Wayne ofcourse), and Kid CuDi

MTV Shows

I'm Still Fly- Page feat. Drake

ILL SONG...ILL VIDEO

lol this video is cool

50 Cent in the studio with Dre...rare footage man..lol

WOOOOOOW

Ok so this video is of some people who camped out for days just to get some shoes...they weren't just any shoes...They were Kanye's Air YEEZY's....but still....Is a pair of shoes that will one day go out of style (or a new design for it will be released) really worth loosing your job and income? is it really worth missing many days of school and failing out? (not that I ever liked high school, though I made it out damn good and went to college)....I'm just sayin...it puzzles me how materialistic this country...and the world can be sometimes....Oh well...the shoes are undeniably fly, but I doubt I would camp out days to get a pair....Kanye and who ever he worked with did an amazing job on designing this shoe...maybe one day when I'm not a broke ass fool I'l cop a pair! Lol

Waiting for Yeezys from kwest on Vimeo.

3 A.M. - Eminem

Eminem's new single off of Relapse....This video is pretty intense

Another CuDi Interview

Yea all I post now-a-days is CuDi...man he just says the realest shit in all of his interviews....He says a lot of shit that I would think about! its fuckin crazy....its like we got the same fuckin mind...DAMN...puttin all my ideas out there Cudder Lol

Keelay & Zaire Interview Kid Cudi from XIU TV on Vimeo.

The Cool Kids- Gone Fishin'

The Cool Kids are droppin' their new mixtape "Gone Fishin'" soon...should be cool...they have been workin on it down here in ATL...I'l definitely be downloading this... This video is of them just talking about the mixtape.....and workin' on it...and just fuckin' around...

DON CANNON AND THE COOL KIDS - GONE FISHIN' from zachwolfe.com/live on Vimeo.

BANG- Rye Rye feat. M. I. A.

M.I.A Bang (original test) from David OReilly on Vimeo.

CuDi in Brooklyn b4 Big Break

For some reason...I think this video is crack....it's CuDi walkin' around Brooklyn around the time he was getting his big break...reminds me of my days in NYC wit my niggas...just roamin round the city..thinkin big thoughts

I'm BACK

I was having issues with my blog...but I'm back...and shit is in full effect...believe that....- AV

Barack & Curtis: Manhood, Power & Respect- Directed by Byron Hurt

This is a really interesting documentary on the types of black men that Barack Obama, and 50 Cent represent in America.  There are some interesting parallels and statements in this documentary.  CHECK IT OUT...

dailymathematics.blogspot.com: 50 Cent is Not A Rapper (Great article on 50)

I've been a 50 fan for years, and never understood why people hated 50 Cent besides the fact that he decided to stop making Get Rich or Die Tryin' quality records...Some of his stuff is still good, but anyway this story is really interesting.

50 Cent Is Not a Rapper

I first heard about the rapper 50 Cent back in 1999, when my dude and former client Deric "D-Dot Angelettie, p/k/a The Madd Rapper produced and was featured on 50's 1st single "How To Rob". "How To Rob" was that perfect single for a rapper trying to get noticed in a market then flooded by Hip Hop superstars. On the debut single, 50 jokingly rapped about robbing several rap stars and entertainers from a hungry rapper's perspective. Deric's Madd Rapper ad-libs added to that desperate "I gotta get mine from these industry cats" vibe, egging 50 on from the background. The single also had legs on the radio, at least here in New York. Unfortunately some rappers named in "How To Rob" took offense, I guess they didn't find it as funny as the fans did. Some even responded with shots at the new rapper. Regardless, it was clear that the new rapper called 50 Cent had a shot at making a name for himself.

The next time I heard about 50 was in March of 2000. I received a call from Peter Panic who, along with Father Shah of Poor Righteous Teachers fame, was hired to produce a track for 5o in connection with his first album "Power Of The Dollar". Peter and Shah had joined forces as a production team and one of the potential buyers for a beat was 50. That March, Peter and Shah, along with Giscard Rondeau p/k/a "Gis" were in the famed Hit Factory recording studios with 50 Cent, in one of the smaller rooms. The Hit Factory was a enormous studio with state of the art equipment and many recording rooms, some large enough to fit an entire orchestra. Gis had deejayed for several notable rap artists and was 5o's first designated deejay. On this particular evening, 50's rivals, members of the famed Murder Inc. were also booked in The Hit Factory, in a different room. 50's beef with Murder Inc had been going on for some time, particularly with Ja Rule. Apparently, some members of the Inc. had peeped 50 in the building and decided they would roll up in his session and ride on who ever was present. Right in the middle of recording, 50's session was interrupted by what seemed like at least more than 5 crew members of the Inc. As the goons rushed the room, they decided to cut off the lights in an attempt to further "shock and awe" 50 and his companions. Shit got real hectic with Peter, Shah, Gis and 50 going for theirs in defense against their attackers. When it was over, Peter had been a bit scuffed up, Shah had received a small knife wound in his shoulder. 5o was treated with three stitches also due to a knife wound. The most severe of injuries was sustained by Gis, who was stabbed directly in his chest by a small knife, wielded by rapper Black Child, a member of the Inc. Gis saw Black Child hit him in the chest, not realizing he had a weapon, and when Black Child backed up from him, he saw his shirt immediately turn red, wet with blood. In addition, Gis realized he was suddenly short of breath, not realizing the extent of his injuries, that his lung was punctured. Without going into detail, Peter told me about the incident and he, Shah and Gis made some money from that ordeal. 50 Cent the rapper realized that his beef with Murder Inc. had just escalated to a whole new level. Niggas was really coming for him, and not just on wax.























The third time I heard about 50 Cent was on May 24, 2000, when he was shot nine times and left for dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. The shooting was allegedly in connection with 50's beef with the Inc. Miraculously, Curtis James Jackson, III survived the shooting. In one fell swoop, he beat out Tupac Shakur in legendary street cred status, 'Pac having survived getting hit with "only" 5 bullets. All this and with only one single recorded. Still, even though Curtis Jackson survived that shooting it seemed that the rapper who was 50 Cent was killed or at least his career was. Severely wounded and now without a deal, 50 Cent the rapper was left to die.























Two years later, after the industry and fans alike had ample opportunity to forget about him, 50 dropped the mixtape "Guess Whose Back?" Having been blacklisted by most record execs, unable to find a studio that would allow him to record, 50 was forced to travel to Canada in order to compile "Guess Whose Back". Shit was unlike any mixtape ever heard. Containing some tracks intended for his unreleased "Power Of The Dollar" album for Columbia, along with some new tracks aimed at his foes connected with the Inc., the cd played like a concept album. In addition, the rumor was that the jewelry piece 50 was brazenly showcasing on the album cover, wrapped around his gun was actually a piece that once belonged to Ja Rule. The story was that 50 and Ja had gotten into a scuffle and the scuffle ended with 50 walking away with Ja's chain and diamond studded cross. Regardless if said story was fact or fiction, 50's buzz hit like a bomb. Industry cats once again started talking about the mixtape, about how hot 50 was. Kniccas in the streets and in the barber shops were also talking.


Dino, my boy who was an A&R at Universal and was the dude responsible for signing the Cash Money Millionaires had seen the opportunity and was the first exec willing to stick his neck out to sign 50. Dino wanted to lock 50 down with the quickness and 50 needed a lawyer so he called me, asked me if I was interested in meeting 50, or if I was scared, shook like a lot of our fellow industry colleagues on account of 50's beef. I told Dino I wouldn't mind working with 50, especially since the mixtape was fuego. Dino knew that if hired by 50, I would make the deal happen unlike some other attorneys who had a rep for drawing deals out, making things difficult for all parties involved. Fifty called me shortly after. We arranged a meeting to break bread and discuss whether we could establish a working relationship. On the day of our meeting 50 showed up promptly to my office. Most rappers feel that showing up late for meetings must be some kind of cool. Even though he had "taken some time off" to heal and recuperate, niggas was still out in the streets gunning for him. Because of that, he was rocking a fresh bullet proof vest, accompanied by his manager Sha Money XL and one other dude who mos def looked like he was a shooter. Me and one of my law partners sat down with 50 and we began to build.

Curtis was incredibly focused. Perhaps the most focused person I had ever met during my time on this planet. Calmly, the man spoke with incredible clarity as to his immediate and future plans, how he was going to get his family out the hood, how he would put together an album that wouldn't just shock the world but would also make him very rich. How with his newfound wealth, he would put himself in a position of power and build an army to take care of all his rivals who placed him in his current position, a position of having to move quietly, carefully, of having to constantly watch his back. With very little emotion, but with the charisma of a star, Mr. Jackson explained how in a short period of time, the tables would be turned and how he would be sitting on top of an empire that would extend far beyond any record deal. No bravado, none of that "nah'mean" swagger lingo that so many rappers brandish when inflating their infantile images to the public, just methodical well thought out step by step plans that would ensure the success of his goals. Curtis conducted the entire meeting looking both me and my partner dead in our eyes, but it was apparent to me that he was looking through us, beyond the here and now.













Dude saw the future, not just the end result, but every effin brick he would have to lay in order to transform his visions, his dreams into reality. Curtis was also very forthcoming about a possible deal with Eminem, with Dr. Dre, Shady, Aftermath and Interscope. Told me that Em's people, including Em's lawyer reached out to him. Curtis was extremely respectful in taking the time to meet with me, respectful in maintaining a good relationship with Dino but explained that he might not take the Universal deal on account of how it wasn't in his benefit to replay the role of a solo artist left out in the cold to defend himself against his enemies who were Goliath like in stature. How Em and Dre might just could put him in a position of power and how he most likely would rock with Em's lawyer. We concluded the meeting. After Curtis Jackson, Sha and their shooter left the building, me and my partner were quiet, in awe at the meeting that had just taken place. We knew immediately, that whatever endeavor he set out to accomplish, Curtis Jackson would be incredibly successful. I also realized, at that moment, that two years earlier, on May 24, 2000, the rapper who was 50 Cent was shot nine times, died while lying in a pool of his own blood. What was left in place of the slain rapper was a man reborn with the intimate knowledge of the relationship between life and death, who knew first hand the meaning of war, of strategy, of alliances, of power and how he would claim his power. It was also evident that once 50 claimed the power he so desperately needed, he would never relinquish an inch of it.

Six years after the release of his first album"Get Rich Or Die Tryin'", 50 Cent continues to remain relevant, remains in full control of his power. He also continues to manipulate the media and the masses to believe only what he wants them to believe. That thing with Kanye and their album beef? So clear that 50 was playing with us all. The jabs at Diddy, at Wayne, at damn near anyone that might could even resemble a future threat, just pawn moves in his ever evolving chess game with the world. Recently, I've been most entertained with his relentless and ruthless public flogging of the former CO turned rapper Rick Ross. I'm also amused when people complain about how he no longer releases quality music, how all his posturing and beefs have all but destroyed his career as a rapper, how his endeavors in acting and in video games have cheapened his street cred, how his vast amount of public beefs have killed his record career. I'm so amazed at how the man Curtis Jackson p/k/a 50 Cent continues to pull the wool over so many people's eyes so concerned about him as a rapper. True he can go back into his past life and pull out rhymes, songs and even albums, but 5o Cent is many many things, a rapper he is not. I keep wondering when all these other rappers will realize that 5o Cent the rapper left the building years ago, so many years in fact that no matter how prolific and masterful they are with their word play, their rap battles exist on an entirely different plane, a completely different playing field than 50's, and as these rappers continue to swing at shadows while 50 lands critical blows from afar, in an arena much broader and far more complex I'm asking myself, "why did these niggas do it to themselves?"

And as long as he continues to be everything but a rapper, I will continue to enjoy the ever continuing saga that is the 50 Cent show. 50 Cent the rapper is dead, long live 50 Cent, the world's smartest entertainer.

N.A.S.A. feat. Kanye West, Santogold, Lykke Li- GIFTED

I need to check out N.A.S.A.'s other material...Apparently they have an album out now The Spirit of Apollo

MORE KID CUDI

Ok I know most of my posts are about CuDi now...but thats because his buzz is just getting crazier and there's more interesting material out there on him now more than ever...anyway heres CuDi on KarmaLoop.com

Part 1

Part 2

Interview with 88-Keys and CUDI

Just talkin' music...Kid CuDi talks about real and fake people...and what's next

Kid Cudi Talks about Deciding not to Retire

A couple weeks back Cudi said he would retire after his first LP. Then he changed and his mind...THANK GOD...that would've been a dumb decision

Big Sean Freestyle Backstage (G.O.O.D. Music Showcase)

Big Sean kicked that fly shit at the G.O.O.D. Music Showcase in Austin, Texas.  Big Sean is one of Kanye's new artists and he appears on Mike Posner and the Brain Trust's Mixtape

WTF is this WORLD COMING TO?

A stampede at New York City's Top Model Auditon Leads to Arrests and Injuries...people are becoming frikkin' zombies man...not everyone can be on Tyra's show....GET OVER YOURSELVES....I feel like people's brains are turning to mush...accept who you are...and if you knew you weren't cut out to be on the show....don't show up...this matter doesn't really concern me but I'm just sayin'.....Daaaaaaamn

Asher Roth- "Roth Boys"

I know I'm pretty late on this...ITS ALL GOOD THOUGH...4/20!!! ASLEEP IN THE BREAD AISLE

Asher Roth- Lark On My Go Kart

Asher Roth leaked a song from his up & coming album Asleep In the Bread Aisle

Lil Wayne introduces his label: YOUNG MONEY

From MTV NEWS:

MTV Shows

The crew consists of familiar names from Wayne’s albums and mixtapes including Drake, Mack Maine, Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Tyga and newer artists Gudda Gudda, T-Streets, Lil Twist, Lil Chuckee and Shanell, who co-wrote her boss’ latest hit, “Prom Queen.”

Wayne’s currently putting the finishing touches on his next project, his rock debut, Rebirth, now due May 19, and is also working on a number of other albums, from a Hot Boyz reunion LP to Tha Carter IV. But if his plans go right, he said the world will also see the release of a Young Money group album, a solo project by a Young Money member and a single from a second member by the end of 2009.

The collective shot a video for their buzz single “Every Girl in the World” that should be airing soon. The explicit track isn’t the official single, Wayne warned. He said the proper first single will be huge, but the world will just have to wait for that one.

“We gonna be that clique, that record company, that everybody wanna be with, everybody wanna be like,” he said. “You remember Bad Boy, you remember No Limit, you remember Cash Money. … We coming back with that. We bringing that back.”

I think Wayne's label is going to have HELLA potential, because of the serious buzz of a couple of his artists already (Drake, Nikki Minaj) and just because he is dominating mainstream hip-hop right now (other than KanYe haha). I remember when I wasn't a fan of Wayne and everyone was on his mixtapes, but when I heard The Carter III I could no longer ignore the dude.  Can't wait to see the projects from some of these artists (DRAKE haha).

When CuDi met KanYe

KiD CuDi talks about when he first met KanYe at the Virgin Megastore in NYC back in 2004, when there was no deal and KANYE was ON.

MTV Shows

"Sabina"- Celsito White

You gotta check out this poetry.  This is my best friend Celso White's work....He was in a national poetry competition with his college (Washington University in St. Louis)...They made it pretty far...This is dope....CHECK IT OUT.....

The Asher Roth Story

Asher (in the UK) talks about how he got started and got his deal...comparisons to Eminem and so on

SEMTEX TV - THE ASHER ROTH STORY from DJ SEMTEX on Vimeo.

Kid CuDi- Talking about his disapproval of the Crooker's Remix Video

Cudi says how he liked the creative Crookers Remix music video...but he did not approve of the video...I personally like the origional "Day 'N Nite" video too....Crooker's video was just "ok" for me

Kid CuDi- SuperBoo

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....you know I will never stop posting Kid Cudi....BIGGEST NEW ARTIST OF 09!!!!!....this video's pretty hot...considering it's all females...I love females

TWITTER! I Have one Now

So my homie convince me to get a Twitter...so you can check me out on twitter.com/ThisisAV

In case you are curious what I am up to from time to time....I'm only a man...trying to live life day by day....and that's what you'l get

Anyway....again it's twitter.com/ThisisAV

  

Asher Roth: Asleep In the Bread Aisle (Debut Album) 4/20/09

1. Lark on My Go Cart (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
2. Blunt Cruise (prod. by Oren Yoel)
3. I Love College (prod. By Mike Carren and Ben Allen)
4. La Di Da (prod. By Don Cannon)
5. Fallen (prod. by Novel)
6. Be By Myself Feat. Cee-Lo (prod. by Oren Yoel)
7. She Don’t Want A Man (prod. by Oren Yoel)
8. Sour Patch Kids (prod. by Oren Yoel)
9. As I Em (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
10.Bad Day Feat. Jazze Pha (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
11. Leo The Lion Feat. New Kingdom (prod. by Yoel)
12. His Dream Feat. Miguel (prod. by Yoel)
13. Nothing You Can’t Do (prod. by Nottz)

N.W.A. Movie in the Works (coooool)

New Line Cinema is developing Straight Outta Compton, an urban drama about N.W.A. (a.k.a. Niggaz With Attitude), the hip hop group that helped pioneer the gangsta rap movement in the '80s and early '90s.

The project will chronicle the rise and fall of the rap quartet, founded by Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and MC Ren, whose songs were so incendiary (i.e. "F--- tha Police") they were banned from radio playlists but still sold millions of albums.

Then came the inevitable fiery breakup, a grudge match between the former bandmates, and Eazy-E's tragic death due to AIDS.

The film's producers, which include Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Tomica Wright (Eazy-E's widow), and Circle of Confusion Entertainment, are now actively searching for a director along the lines of Curtis Hanson (8 Mile).

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Eminem To Release "Relapse" May 19

Millions of Eminem Fans are waiting for this day, May 19th 2009. Eminem will be hitting Stores with his new Album Relapse, the confirmation just came today. The first Single from Relapse will get released onApril 7th, simultaneous with the Video.

And that's not all, Eminem is already working on the follow-up Album "Relapse 2". The Fans can expect this Album to drop in the second half of 2009.

Eminem said: "A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year. I was one of them. Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre. Putting out Relapse 2 will let everyone get all of the best stuff."

I CANT WAIT FOR THIS

Kanye West VH1 Story Tellers (the Complete Show)

Kanye VH1ST Part 2
by yardie4lifever2