Hip-Hop Rumors: Nas Loses His "N-Word"

NAS LOSES A SONG – AN N-WORD SONG!

This was sent to me from some of my elite intel. Remember Nas’ “Be A N****r” too? Yeah, the one with the video. Well, that record has been dumped from the album that has no name. It didn't make the album because Nas and his people couldn't get the sample in the beat cleared. Isn’t that something? But it gets even deeper from what I understand. I don’t know that you all know, but the hook of the song is actually borrowed from a jingle of soft drink soda “Dr. Pepper.” Yea, the original hook said, “I’m a Pepper, He’s a Pepper…wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too.” Well, Nas essentially replaced “Pepper” with “N****r” and that was a “no-go” for the people over at Dr. Pepper. They refused to let Nas use the hook melody, because of the N-Word in the music. At any rate, I heard the album is really impressive. I don’t think that one song is going to affect that anyway.

NYOIL GOES IN ON NAS ABOUT “THE N-WORD”

There is one person (or more) that is probably happy that Nas’ N-Word song got cut. A lot of people outside of the New York area might not have heard of NYOIL, but he is a very dope MC that has a conscious angle. He’s outspoken and lyrically advocated certain rappers to get “lynched” for selling out. Check the features section for the interview with him.

“I don’t believe that he is going to adequately handle this issue. This is an issue, when you get to talking about certain things…for example, if I start talking thug s**t right, the expectation is that I better be prepared to live that thug s**t because when you talk that thug s**t and you go to different towns muthaf**ers is gonna test your metal. If I was talking that pimping hoe s**t, I better be prepared to do what a pimping hoe do. So if you’re trying to be this conscious dude, you gone speak on conscious issues not just lyrically but orally and be able to articulate your position. If you can’t articulate that position, you don’t got no business building on that s**t. Leave it alone, it ain’t for you.”


MY BAD!

My bad…shout out to all the “folk” I missed yesterday. King High Pimpn – shout out to the big homey. Also shout out to Venus and Serena! I see what y'all doing at Wimbleton!
"I let you win the last one so give me this one."

"OK, fine, but I am getting that Puma endorsement this time."

"Deal!"

DISCLAIMER:
All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on.

Rock Steady Crew Celebrating 31 Years July 24-27

By Chris Richburg
Legendary collective Rock Steady Crew (RSC) will celebrate 31 years of preserving Hip-Hop culture during its annual anniversary celebration.

The four-day event will kick off with the celebrity benefit basketball challenge and Against The Grain Concrete B-boy/B-girl battle on July 24 at The Cage in New York City.

The day will also feature a popping/locking and B-boy dance workshop presented by RSC members Mr. Wiggles, Fabel, Suga Pop, Crazy Legs, Servin' Ervin, Bonita and Ynot at the Red Bull building.

"For some reason, Hip-Hop has that natural ability to bring people together and bridge the gaps that divide us, because of our common interest,” RSC Founder Crazy Legs told AllHipHop.com in a statement. When people come to the RSC anniversary, it becomes more than the anniversary. It’s a pilgrimage to the Mecca of Hip-Hop. It’s a way to get in touch with why they got in to Hip-Hop, and to meet some of the people that help to pioneer this culture.”

The week will honor legendary DJ Red Alert, who will celebrate 25 years on the radio as special guest DJ during the UK B-Boy Championships US qualifier, which takes place on July 25.

The Spy Awards and 5-on-5 crew battles will highlight the third day of celebration as B-boys and B-girls compete for a grand prize during round-by-round eliminations on July 26.

The day holds an additional meaning for RSC supporters and members, as it marks the official Rock Steady Crew Day in New York City.

The Rock Steady Crew will conclude it’s celebration with a free all-day outdoor concert and food drive on July 27.

The event will be held in conjunction with the third annual Lincoln Park Music Festival. Artists scheduled to perform include the Beatnuts, Buckshot, Craig G and Marley Marl, Sadat X, Soul Sonic Force, Positive K, Grand Master Caz, DJ Premier featuring NYG’z and Blaq Poet, Termanology and DJ Statik Selektah, A-OK, Akrobatik, Skyzoo and others.

A food drive will be held in honor of Wayne 'Frosty Freeze' Frost, who died after a long illness on April 8.

Prior to his death, Frosty Freeze gained mainstream exposure with an appearance with his Rock Steady brethren in the 1983 film Flashdance.

"Frosty Freeze was one of the last B-boys who embodied the very DNA of the original style, character and moves that existed when this dance began in the early '70s," Crazy Legs said.

For more details on the Rock Steady Crew 31st anniversary, visit www.rocksteadycrew.com.

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Hip Hop & Rap Music Artist "LT" in Radio Rotation on Australia’s ZFM Countrywide

by Editor Choice
The debut single by hip hop and rap music artist “LT” titled “The Candle Always Burns” feat. Multi-platinum singer Imarri has been added into frequent radio rotation on Australia’s ZFM Countrywide satellite radio station.

ZFM Countrywide website:
http://www.zfmcountry.com/

At the moment LT is receiving more than 120 spins per week on ZFM’s Urban Channel 103. New music from the subsequent 30 days is added to the radio station play list at the change of every calendar month (ie. the 1st) and LT’s single and his B-side track “U Can Change” have both been added.

ZFM Urban music play list:
http://www.isonliveradio.com/playlists/

LT commented, “I’m very excited that Z-103 is playing my music on the air. As a kid that’s all I ever wanted and now it’s a reality. Australia is a great country and because Hip Hop is so big there it makes me want to catch the next plane to do a show there tomorrow. I have lots of fans there that are just as excited as I am about this great opportunity. I want to thank DJ James Exton and the entire ZFM family for their support of my music.”

His single “The Candle Always Burns” was recently nominated for the Hip Hop/Rap MP3 Music Awards in the UK. The MP3 Awards is designed to support new music and aims to provide a platform for new talent from around the world to showcase musical ability. If chosen as a Finalist for the competition LT will travel to Europe to perform and compete live.

“For an independent artist to achieve what LT has in such a short time is an accomplishment”, said Joanne Pepitone. “With the combination of frequent radio play on ZFM in Australia and the nomination for the MP3 Music Awards in the United Kingdom we feel we’ve been able to build a global buzz for LT and his music”.

Official LT websites:
http://www.myspace.com/LTgotHEAT and http://www.LTgotHEAT.com

About ZFM Australia:“The Z” targets a wide range of music listeners under general genre headings. Their demographics are male-female 20-40. The Z can be listened to from the greater majority of anywhere spanning Australia. ZFM owns affiliate stations in Russia but has subscriber based stations spanning the globe including the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, South America and more.

ZFM Subscriber stations lists:
http://www.zfmcountrywide.com/international/

G-Unit: Terminate On Sight

By Adam Thomas

It must have been a New Year’s resolution for G-Unit to shake things up. Think about it, they start the year with a brand new mixtape series, and conspicuously Young Buck is left out. It sounded like Buck was given his discharge, and lo and behold, by June, there are multiple diss tracks and taped conversations all over; from print to pixel.

Like battle hardened soldiers, G-Unit seems the best when they are in battle. General 50 Cent is a mastermind of controlling the heat and keeping the beef fresh in people’s minds. Hate it or love it, it has kept us talking about them even after a relatively quiet 2007, whose high point was CURTIS.

As such, their latest offering, T.O.S. (G-Unit), probably has more press based on the conflicts and beef than the actual music. Fans expecting the same as their first commercial outing, Beg For Mercy, may find themselves a bit out of sorts. However, those who’ve enjoyed the recent tactical barrages of Whoo Kid tapes will find themselves at home within T.O.S.’s musical trenches.

The opener, “Straight Out of Southside” pays homage to N.W.A’s original gangster posse cut “Straight out of Compton” with each member giving their toughest introductions to their personas. Banks takes the cake with harsh lines like “F*** the police with an HIV carrier / No Vaseline and an M-16”. If you need another reason to realize that Banks is the lyrical sharpshooter within the clique, look no further than “T.O.S.”, where Banks delivers potent bar after bar with deadly accuracy.

“No Days Off” features elements that made G-Unit famous in the first place. The gloomy harp and tapping bass resembling rain creates a terrific drop for a sinister track. Also the smoothly produced “Piano Man” catches the entire Unit dropping potent verses. Fan Favorite “Rider Pt. 2” made the album, featuring 50 on a synthesizer and some now ironic lyrics from Buck like “ If 50 ever dropped me, I still wouldn’t sign:”

This isn’t to say this disc is all grit grime and good times. There are two songs (“The Way She Do It,” “Kitty Kat”) are just down right awful. You can tell that 50 and company are trying to recreate a "Wanna Get to Know You," but the magic just seems to be missing in action.
By the time “ Money Make The World Go Round” delivered by sergeant at arms Tony Yayo finishes the disc, you have an idea of what they have been building towards with the mixtape push and makeover they experienced this year, shedding some of their commercial feel and replacing it with more hardcore sound.

Is the mission accomplished? Not by any means, as some of the forgetful tracks (“Close To Me”) on this album makes their flaws that much more visible. However, Terminate On Sight at its best, creates the sound their hardcore fans felt their individual albums were missing. While it does not win the war, it’s at least a tactical victory.

Three 6 Mafia: Last to Walk

2

By Felicia J. Barclay
Whether you’re a fan or not of Three 6 Mafia, who wasn’t happy to see a Hip-Hop act win an academy award? Still riding high off their Oscar win, the remaining duo releases their eighth album Last 2 Walk (Columbia). While this effort doesn’t top their best work, it still remains on track with their original sound combined with a dose of commercial singles.

Capturing the core of the group’s signature hard-hitting beats mixed with gritty lyrics is the opener “I Told ‘Em.” “Trap Boom” which features Project Pat, gives an account of the everyday dealings of the trap-house. The pulsating storytelling track blueprints what is offered in the trap inventory, to the idealistic transmission of goods from pick up to delivery. “Playstation” also takes things back to vintage Three 6 with rhythmic bells interjected midway with a thumping tempo.

With only Juicy and Paul left in the group, this album lends to a lot of guests. Cuts like “I’d Rather” featuring Unk, “Weed, Blow, Pills” and “Rollin” featuring Lil Wyte may not hold the attention of the pair’s new found audience that came with The Most Known Unknowns due to its content, however all can appreciate the melodic high each track carries you away on.



“Hood Star” featuring Lyfe Jennings, slows things down a bit. It depicts the tribulations of going from hood assailant to hood star and the stress that follows. Akon lends his vocals on “That’s Right,” while “First 48” features a slew of appearances including Eightball & MJG, on an edgy track consisting of a conglomerate of different sounds.

“My Own Way” oddly features Good Charlotte, lending their vocals not once, but twice with the remix. The album winds down with the current single, “Lolli lolli (Pop That Body)” which is not the typical ruggedness that we’re used to hearing from Three 6.

Despite their compliance of taking a slightly different approach with certain tracks on this project, they still manage to stay true to the essence of the days when they were known for tearing up clubs.


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Hancock Expected To Gross $100 Mil; Will Smith, Jazzy Jeff Reunite

By Ismael AbduSalaam
With his new movie set to be another summer blockbuster, rapper/actor Will Smith surprised audience members at the Hancock premier party earlier this week, by reuniting with long-time collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The duo showed no rustiness from years apart, as they started their set with their Hip-Hop classic, “Summertime.”

Harking back to his early shows in seminal places like Union Square, the former Fresh Prince utilized his trademark call and response interaction with the crowd, as he fashioned additional rhymes over 50 Cent's “In the Club.”

While the crowd was mostly full of reserved movie goers, there were a few knowledgeable Hip-Hop fans in attendance.

As Smith tried to make an exit, the fans chanted loudly for the duo to perform “Brand New Funk,” off their Grammy winning and multi-platinum sophomore album He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.

The group obliged, and Smith had no problem delivering the rapid-fire rhymes of his youth.

Jazzy Jeff, who has become a highly sought after party DJ and producer since the group’s amicable split, had no problems re-creating the frenetic scratches of the classic record, to close out the performance.

As a group, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince have 5 albums together: three gold, one platinum and one multi-platinum.

The duo is planning a summer tour together in conjunction with the Hancock film, which debuted on July 2.

Hancock is predicated to gross $70 to $80 million this July 4 weekend.

Counting projected ticket sales from the 3,695 theaters that screened the movie late Tuesday night (July 1), other analysts are predicting a total North American gross of over $100 million dollars.

Smith’s previous opening weekend best was I Am Legend, which grossed $77.2 million last December.

Killer Mike & Ice Cube Drop Controversial Song On Holiday

By Chris Richburg
This year’s Fourth of July celebration will include a bit of revolution, courtesy of a new video from Atlanta rapper Killer Mike.

The clip, titled “Pressure,“ debuts today (July 4) and features West Coast rap icon Ice Cube.

The video for the politically-charged track will offer an honest and discouraging view on the current state of affairs in America.

For Killer Mike, "Pressure" provided a way for the rapper to tap into "a frustration that’s bubbling in all parts of this country."

"You can only get upset for so long before you stop holding back. So I let loose and said some s**t that no other rapper has the balls to say," Killer Mike told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “We as black people should not be just blaming whites, but making black politicians, social and religious leaders take responsibility and accountability for selling out their community."

Killer Mike touches on topics ranging from "the police department being the state sanctioned killers of blacks" to "the Sean Bell aftermath," to "the police killing of a 92-year old grandmother in Atlanta," on "Pressure."

Produced by The Bizness, "Pressure" is one of the songs featured on Killer Mike’s forthcoming album I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II.

The album, which features appearances from Shawty Lo, 8ball and MJG and Chamillionnaire, is set to hit stores on Tuesday (July 8).

The following is a tracklisting for I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II:

1. Intro

2. 10 G's

3. Can You Hear Me

4. 2 Sides feat. Shawty Lo

5. Pressure feat Ice Cube

6. Big Money, Big Cars feat. Chamillionaire & Messy Marv

7. God in The Building

8. Super Clean/ Super Hard feat. 8Ball & MJG

9. Woke Up This Mornin'

10. Bang!

Hughes Brothers Explore Pimpin' In New HBO Special

By Tai Saint Louis
Nearly ten years since the release of their groundbreaking documentary American Pimp, the Hughes Brothers have signed on to work on a new drama based on the lifestyle they surveyed and brought to the mainstream.

Albert and Allen Hughes will direct the pilot of HBO’s new Gentlemen of Leisure, the story of a legendary pimp attempting to retire.

The show will be set in Oakland, California and is described by writer Evan Reilly as being about a guy who wants to get out, but keeps getting sucked back in by the allure of the game and by extraneous circumstances that have to do with his family.

In addition to the Hughes Brothers and Reilly, Gentlemen of Leisure will be executive produced by Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony, an exec in Interscope’s TV unit.

Iovine was reportedly interested in creating an “urban mob drama” with ties to Hip-Hop when the new project was brought to his attention.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gentlemen of Leisure is expected to have a very strong musical element.

“You’re not going to see a bunch of colorful, goofy 70’s pimps,” Allen Hughes said. “This is a film noir-style urban drama based in rich characters that will explore the human conditions across the board.”

He went on to explain that the series will take a close look at the conflict that exists between old school-pimps and the younger guys who ignore the code created by their predecessors.

The younger generation of pimps are often accused of mixing the pimp lifestyle with a more violent approach, associated with the drug culture.

Kanye West Partners With Absolut For "Be Kanye" Campaign

By Ismael AbduSalaam
Superstar Kanye West teamed with Absolut Vodka to release a comical video yesterday (July 2) entitled “Be Kanye.”

The lighthearted, 1 minute commercial is an advertisement shot in retro 80’s format complete with loud colors and cheesy sound effects.

In the commercial, Kanye hawks a fictional product named “Be Kanye.”

The dissolvable tablet enables the user to receive the “famous superstar power” of West. The spot ends with a toll free number to order and pricing at the familiar figure of $19.95.

The commercial is the latest project between West and Absolut Vodka since a sponsorship deal was announced in February 2008.

The influential brand recently organized after parties for West on his Glow in the Dark tour.

Master P. Makes History With Wal-Mart

By Tai Saint Louis
Master P and Romeo are out to prove their clothing line’s motto as “The Great American Brand,” by making P. Miller Designs accessible to more families.

The affordable clothing line aimed at teens and young adults will now be available at Wal-Mart stores nationwide, becoming the discount chain’s first African-American Hip-Hop supplier.

Hoping to provide an alternative to higher priced brands, P. Miller offers working class families the option of following Hip-Hop styles, for a fraction of the price.

In addition to the existing men’s line – with prices running from $9 dollars for a shirt to $20 dollars for a pair of jeans, the company will introduce a new women’s line as part of the new partnership with Wal-Mart.

Miller Peaches will consist of items retailing for no more than $10 apiece.

“We use the same factories and the same materials as Sean John, Rocawear, and Ed Hardy,” said Master P. “These are quality clothes you'd normally find at a department store like Macy's. Now you can pick up the same high-end fashion at an affordable price.

“This is the makings of a great partnership with the number-one retailer in the world,” continued the father/business impresario. “Wal-Mart is making a lot of opportunities available to minority-owned companies that are ready to do business with a big corporation. Together we’re making it cool to shop for clothes at Wal-Mart.”

As the P. Miller Designs brand continues to expand, with shoes, jewelry, fragrances and an eco-friendly organic line on the way, the company is also committed to continuing Master P’s longstanding history of community improvement and empowerment.

P. Miller Designs offers inner-city kids the chance to explore the world of fashion and design, creating jobs and opportunities those youngsters might not usually have access to.

Nas Explains Fila Deal

By Tai Saint Louis
On the eve of the release of his highly anticipated and controversial tenth album, Queensbridge rapper Nas has inked a one-of-a-kind partnership with Fila.

The Italian sportswear brand has chosen Nas to represent it’s new Fila Italia Footwear Collection, serving as the new line’s “sole ambassador.”

As part of their new deal, Fila will release a series of ads this month to commemorate both the July 15 release of Nas’ Untitled album and the launch of the Fila Italia Collection in stores nationwide.

On the album’s release date, BET will exclusively run a series of ads featuring Nas as he speaks on his experiences with the Fila brand.

“The first person that was close to me with a pair of Fila's was my younger brother,” Nas recalls. “I remember being scared for him. The sneakers were from a prestigious brand, a new brand to our neighborhood. Fila represented money, style and success. My best friend [Ill] Will and I loved Fila. It represented prestige and everything that was cool to us. When Will passed, we buried him in a black Fila sweat suit, so doing a deal with them has a lot of significance for me."

The Fila Italia Collection will be available in stores starting with the Holiday 2008 season.

In a statement, Fila expressed pride in having the opportunity to build a relationship with an artist of Nas’ caliber, as the company continues to set itself apart from other sportswear brands in today’s industry.

“It is not every day that a musical artist such as Nas comes into Fila and speaks from his heart,” said Fila President Jon Epstein. “When Nas speaks, consumers listen. He is the truth and has real meaning and like Nas, Fila stands for something.”