Grouchy Greg

48 Months

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / MusicDecember 2, 2003

Artist: The Unspoken HeardTitle: 48 MonthsRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: N. Context Anything worth having starts with a plan. Our plan was to make music, and to offer a different and honest perspective to the music. The ground work that we chose to lay the foundation of our plan is, in my opinion, quite revolutionary, simply because we chose to pluck our own hands from the deck, while others waited for the deal (pun intended)-Asheru Asheru and Blue Black of the Unspoken Heard, independently, have quietly been carving a niche for themselves which is beginning to have a resounding affect in the Hip-Hop community. From 1997 to present, they have toured world wide and have worked with a variety of artists from J-Live to Talib Kweli. If you havent heard of the Heard before, this is your second chance to get a first impression. Following up their 2001 debut album Soon Come, 48 Months is an anthology of recordings from 96-2000 for all those cats that didnt catch our stuff prior to Soon Come. From their first EP release Cosmology to the release of the Jamboree EP, 48 Months embodies The Heards continuing efforts at creating that straight up Hip Hop. Right down the middle. Not too far to the right that we get ignorant. We are not too far to the left that you cant rock our jams in the club. With tracks like Jamboree and The Music they give you anthem resonating songs that can be played anywhere from the clubs to family reunions. N#### Like Me showcases Blue Black and Asherus emceeing skills with their ability to flip flows and effortlessly pass the mic. On Setting Sun, Blue Black breaks down the unspoken conversation between father and son as the son watches the father die. This is the other perspective to his From Sun up to Sun down; telling the same story but from the Sons view. Besides featuring The Heards earlier EP released songs, the album contains never before released tracks. SoulJamboree is a funky remix of Jamboree with the horns chopped up and the piano loop shortened with Asheru spitting different verses from his rhyme book. Smiley Soul Dub Version is an up tempo, house instrumental remix which can bump in your car, stereo or headphones. How Ya Living is the extension to Trackrunners where you are privy to Asheru, Grap Luva, J-Live and Sondia freestyling (not prewritten but free spittin) over a hand clap and then beat box. Without a doubt 48 Months is a solid prequel collection of The Heards work. The songs flow effortlessly into one another exhibiting their varying styles and subject matter. If you are longing for that 90s Hip Hop feel this is where its at. File our records in the, I remember when s### was good this sounds like some early 90s positive he got rhymes he got beats hes mad cool I saw him at SOBs that artwork is ill my girl likes this my mom likes this my pops knows that sample this is funky this is hard I put this on on my way to work I put this on when Im at the gym I could bang this in my mans system stop listening to that b.s this is whats up Hip Hop section

Lloyd Banks: Batter Up Part 2

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: FeaturesDecember 1, 2003

AllHipHop: Ya’ll have a strong force around ya’ll, can ya’ll enjoy life in that state? Lloyd Banks: It’s crazy because my success came kind of faster than an average artist. I can’t go no where in New York right now. Like when 50 walks through the mall they won’t care if he’s with his baby mother, grandmother, whoever they are still going to run up on him. They not thinking about if they’re disrespecting him all they see is 50 Cent. I’m to the point where I can go certain places but even now it kind of grew, like I don’t have a record out, I don’t have an album out, so therefore what I was killing the streets with were the mixtapes and I was still getting that type of popularity off the mixtapes. So I’m feeling like, sometimes you over grow other peoples expectations before your own because I’m feeling like I’m not a star until I sell records, they’re feeling like you’re a star already so while you still feel like you can go to Jamaica Avenue or you can go to the mall, you already grew out through the expectations. It’s kind of like a hard new process, you have to know when to be certain places and when not to be certain there. AllHipHop: Were you there when 50 was in Philly for this Iverson stuff? Lloyd Banks: Yeah it was hard, they had locked the whole street down. In Philly the Reebok store wasn’t the biggest store. So it was crammed up there, 50 he jumped on cars and everything. AllHipHop: Is it true you are originally from Baltimore? Lloyd Banks: I was born in Baltimore. I was born on the run, I grew up in Queens. The only reason why I was born in Baltimore was because my pops was on the run at the time. He took my moms with him to Baltimore, I stayed there for about a year or two then came back to Queens. AllHipHop: Ya’ll shut down the mixtape game and the problem now is that everybody is trying to do the same thing that ya’ll did and everyone can’t do that. I’m kind of tired of seeing that every artist has to have a full fledged mixtape Lloyd Banks: Especially artists who already have an album out. I’m doing that now for a reference for what is going to come on my album every now and then. I’ll give them a hook. When my album comes out there will be no more Lloyd Banks: mixtapes, I’ll still be hitting mixtapes, I’m not going to put out just me because if you are hustling back, you can’t be a platinum artist and then go and put out a mixtape. You have to hit individually, give a few freestyles to this DJ, give a few freestyles to that DJ because they own the market. I better get that award this year too or we fighting. AllHipHop: What award? Lloyd Banks: Best New Artist on a Mixtape. AllHipHop: Oh for the Mixtape Awards, are ya’ll going to be there? Lloyd Banks: Oh I’m going to be there if I win, I might be there if I lose too, but I’m not feeling that one. I mean who else. I gotta get that. It’s funny because I stretch that point because I take more pride in that s### right now than any other award just because that’s what built me. There’s a lot of people who know me only from mixtapes. That’s more important to me than any Grammy or anything at this point. Until I start selling albums, then I’ll want a Grammy. For now I want the Mixtape Award. AllHipHop: Do you get sick of artists sweating you? Lloyd Banks: It’s cool as long as you know what relationships are what, at the end of the day it’s all good. I got two records with Joe, a record with Eve, a record with Missy, Mya, with Alicia Keys, I got a record with the kid Novel, got the Rah Digga record. It’s so many features that I have, I got two Brandy records one that’s going to be on the Barbershop 2 Soundrack that’s with me, Fabolous, and Brandy it got to be a freestyle that turned into a record, and I got another record for her album that’s coming out. So my features go on and on. AllHipHop: You could eat off that alone really Lloyd Banks: Yeah that alone, not to mention I’m Ghost writing too. Oh for who, (catches his-self) I guess you can’t Lloyd Banks: Ah, a good Ghost writer never tells. I’m just saying I’m a Hustler baby I’m not going to tell you. AllHipHop: What’s it like working with Eminem? Lloyd Banks: Yeah he’s the man, we click tight because he’s a lyricist. We click real tight. I respect his opinion to the up most, he really listens. That kind of shocked me because he was doing my verses and I was like damn, this is Eminem this dude done sold a lot of records. From the first mixtape he knows the verses from them. He’s a work-a-holic. Like we be staying in the studio forever. AllHipHop: What’s the future for you, where are you trying to end up? Lloyd Banks: With me I’m real business minded man. I don’t want to rap forever. 50 sold more albums than n##### do in their whole career. Like LL Cool J been in the game for what ten years, but this is his tenth album. Either or, it just takes that many records to sell that many records. If I can have the success that I think I’m going to have, I don’t want to rap forever. I want to learn the boards, I want to learn how to produce, I want to have my own artists, I don’t want to rap forever. I’m not going to be 30 years rapping. That’s not going to […]

Lawsuits, Downloading And The Digital Revolution

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: UncategorizedDecember 1, 2003

Ayana Soyini, a music promoter (www.goldeneyes.com), was served with a lawsuit for posting an MP3 of a new Jay-Z song apparently given to her by Universal (rumor? fact?) to promote to her constituency… Def Jam then sued; her website was shut down… Chuck D wrote a response which she posted to her website… slightly inflammatory… Peace Ayana, Chuck D. from the mountains of Brazil where real black folk answer the greed of the rich haves. Really they (Lyor, Russell) need to get a life.. and see the big picture and think outside the box they are in. So these cats get the say so on what is and what is not promotion? Do we wait for the big white man to finally say its legit and cool, just as they finally accepted mixtapes…which to me are no different? Again when these companies went digital some knew exactly what they were dealing with in order to triple charge the consumer. With digital comes liquid risk, and these Gestapo tactics are stupid as immediately files are in Singapore, New Zealand, China, Budapest and East St. Louis. What the f*ck is one American company gonna do here when increasingly American opinion is becoming a smaller part of the world? Earlier this year there was a television commercial with a backing of what was obviously an older Isley Brothers song. I fiended to find this song, and it happened to be ‘I Turned You On’ which I bought in the stores in both catalog and the "Live at Yankee Stadium albums. I’ve played it 1000 times. So much for people saying downloading hurts, which proves that people will continue to support and buy was great, not just barely adequate. Def Jam built its company on sampling and the swap meet trade to get people alerted on rap music, all so Russell and Lyor could sell it to Universal for $160 million They press up 5000-10,000 pieces of vinyl on most rap artists, shipping them to DJs in hopes that they would play it over some radio….how prehistoric and $$$ wasting is this? Video clips cost $300,000-600,000 average, with no residual benefit other than promotional, plus the fact that 85% of outtake footage is a waste, never used again and no one seems to know where they are ultimately stored. A Jay-Z promo record is not as accessible in places like where I’m at now, Rio DE Janeiro Brazil. The web promotes that beyond a shipment. Some white business cat(s) now navigates how word moves in the streets? Well maybe the streets were his in the first place, eh? I was told by these same Universal legal cats, I wouldn’t see royalties ever..after 10 million records..because of legalities. Well aint this a……"Cool" I said and began to tear the whole **** down. They know my name and I know theirs and the truth is they don’t give a damn about any of this…it’s a control issue of the format. Universal bought MCA which bought Chess (pioneering label that recorded such greats as Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Etta James, etc.) amongst many other companies….how many Blues/Soul cats see Universal checks? They shouldn’t even dare go after you…as you’ve been trying to help in a progressive forward manner..only simple minds stay stuck in old rules that no longer apply. So it’s war with me. I deal with 50 countries…and connected into peeps like the World Zulu Nation. Universal’s Slave pimp Doug Morris sicced LL and Lyor on me in DC last month. Here’s what I had to say about that: A Family Letter to Lyor and LL: The p2p File Sharing Senate Hearings in Washington DC September 30th 2003 Well I don’t really know what good to say. I think Doug Morris has pimped your brains out or something. The R.I.A.A looked and called Morris who probably rang your bell thus you and LL proceeded to do a tap dance in front of the US Senate with your strings in his back, Doug Morris’ strings in yours and the R.I.A.A in his. Thinking that it would neutralize the grassroots effort of all this. I didn’t get into this digital whirl for fanfare …you know me. I never sucked no ass to get to a place…it’s about the art, integrity and commitment as well into the connection to the world, because I refuse to be submissive to the corporate dominance and collusion of the Radio networks, TV outlets and film, record and media companies that now feel they own and dictate the culture. This collusion has stifled the growth of grassroots businesses who can’t afford to build themselves without some drug dealer backing. Seriously you guys have separated yourselves into the same aristocracy we rebelled against in the first place. Being that I spend half my time outside Amerikkka and you have such international ties abroad, we should know that stuffing your pockets and altering a domestic law in the U.S. has little bearing on world thought, even in music. The masses of the people are important and somehow using mass media to control their thoughts is becoming a more expensive task with dwindling result. The public opinion swayed by propaganda, marketing, and promotion will not make the masses sorry for perceived millionaires. It’s arrogance.. typical Amerikkkan arrogance that increasingly is becoming a symbol of world angst and anti-opinion. The haves over the have-nots ..although it may not be true, it seems that you’re responsible for keeping the artists of your company dumb or seemingly dumb to reach the dumbed down masses to buy dumbed down product. At the end of the day the black artists remain childlike under your wings with no world opinion whatsoever, pending the existence on "Soundscam" and units sold while people still look to White icons like Bono, Paul McCartney, Madonna and even "Governator" for the statements on where we really stand. It’s hypocritical for LL to say what’s stolen from him when 75% of his and most of […]

Juvenile: Brand New Day

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: FeaturesDecember 1, 2003

Juvenile getting back with Cash Money is like N.W.A. reunion that everybody longed for. Juve’s return marks the return of the label’s greatest selling rapper and a mending of past beefs – sort of. While his foray alone didn’t get exactly as he planned, the Magnolia representer is taking it back to ’98 with his eyes fixed on the future. AllHipHop.com: What’s going on right now with ya’ll? J: You know what’s up, we trying to get this album out December the 23rd. Juve The Great man, you heard me! AllHipHop.com: Why you call it that? J: Because man I gave them what they wanted, a lot of people say "when we going to hear some songs like on 400 degrees? That was the Juve I know." I gave them that same thing, Juve The Great, himself. AllHipHop.com: Your still the best selling artist that Cash Money ever had. J: I know this man. AllHipHop.com: What made you guys patch things up, are ya’ll patched up or is it just straight business? J: It’s straight business man it’s not too much of a friendship, It’s just a fact. Come on man lets do this business. Let’s get this business right and lets do this and make some money. AllHipHop.com: Yeah, who made the connection, was it you or them? J: Me. I was making sure I was going to make the connection because of my lawyer. I would say my lawyer made the connection. AllHipHop.com: So, is it a better situation than you had before money wise?I know you had beef over the money. J: Yeah, I am not tripping. AllHipHop.com: So how are you trying to come out? The last album was almost another era ago, Rap has changed. J: I’m a trendsetter myself and I always felt like that. I felt that I was a rapper that could change the whole era and the way people do things so I just did me man. I tried to branch out a little bit. Do different flows, different skills… different topics. AllHipHop.com: What other crew members are going to be on the album? J: I got Manny n the first single and that’s really just about it. Everything else is just Juve and UTP. AllHipHop.com: UTP, the group is still together? I guess some people thought it was a wrap. J: Well people thought it was a wrap because [Young] Buck made his move to G-Unit. The whole thing with Buck leaving at the time, is I wasn’t straight and we always had this thing if you had an opportunity come to you, you take it. You always come back and look out for the captain. AllHipHop.com: So there’s no beef between you and Young Buck then? J: Nah, there isn’t no beef between Buck and me. AllHipHop.com: So your happy for him and he’s had a lot of success… J: Yeah! No matter what Buck does it makes me look good because I spent a lot of time with him. AllHipHop.com: So you won’t be on the album though? J: Nah, unfortunately when I was doing my album I was captivated to myself and he was traveling with G-Unit. AllHipHop.com: So do you have a label situation that you’re trying to setup? J: Yeah, right on the nose. AllHipHop.com: Any detail about that? J: I don’t want to put to many details out there but we been back and fourth with Sony and we’re to the money point. And if that don’t work I got a liitle change. AllHipHop.com: So how are the people responding to you coming back? A lot of people were pretty happy to see you back to where you started more or less because they want to catch that old feeling back from the early days. J: I knew my fans were happy, because my fans really want to hear me and a lot of people who liked Cash Money back then. So with me doing that, I know it was a good move for Skip and Wacko too because we on the Universal system which is the best system in the music industry. I want to take full advantage of that. AllHipHop.com: I remember your first video, it was one of the craziest videos I ever saw. It was just raw, I was like "who is this dude he’s so ghetto?" How different is that Juvenile to this Juvenile? J: That’s where I’m at to be honest with you. I’m on some other s###. I done jumped the fence like 20 times on this album. AllHipHop.com: You recently had an issue with the law J: I don’t even want to get into that because that’s nothing major and that situation been handled and taken care of. Somebody want to be on frontline, they want to promote s### and I ain’t trying to give them that. AllHipHop.com: What are your views on the Internet, I heard you had a situation with a bootlegger. J: I’m going to be honest with you; it was a friend of mine that stole something from me. You aren’t going to kill them, but you going to whoop em. That was more personal if anything. AllHipHop.com: Are you open to more or less stay out of trouble? J: I’m going to stay out of trouble, Juve don’t get convicted for nothing. All the promotion they put on TV, I jumped a bootlegger and stuff like that, you got to understand that don’t hurt me. Not to be the most ignorant person in the world, but some of my fans want to know if you’ll bust a m########### in the head. AllHipHop.com: Is it hard to maintain that rep? J: I’m not trying to maintain anything; I’m a people person. AllHipHop.com: So you and little Wayne have ya’ll managed to patch anything up? His last album was 500 degrees. J: We haven’t never sat down and talked or anything like that. We still in the same building but rushing him would […]

Chinese Government Repacking Mao As A Rapper

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsDecember 1, 2003

The Chinese Communist Party will repackage Mao Tse-tung as a rap artist, in an attempt to appeal to Chinese youth.Authorities feel that Mao’s influence is fading among a younger generation, whom they feel are more money oriented.Mao’s, the Two Musts, will be set to hip-hop music. The Communist party will also release pop versions of “The East is Red” and “Serve the People.”The albums commemorate the 110th anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s birth next month.

Jay-Z Concert: Madison Square Garden, Nov. 26

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: UncategorizedDecember 1, 2003

It happened so suddenly. I got a call about 2pm from AllHipHops Jigsaw who obtained tickets to the highly publicized Jay-Z concert at Madison Square Garden. Even though it was a weekday, it was a no-brainer. Jay-Zs first concert to begin his trek into retirement was definitely gonna be a good look this Tuesday night. Jig and AHHs Raze, already in NY, were going to meet me there. As I stepped on the New Jersey transit train, I noticed something that was unusual to me. I had been on this train, at the same time, many times before. It seems Jigga Mans influence has boosted ticket sales for the train to 34th street. Everyone on the car I was in was heading to the concert. When I arrived, the scene was unbelievable. Women were dressed in their finest as if Jay himself would catch a glimpse. Fellas rocked their dopest throwbacks, furs, coats, expensive jeans and crispy white sneakers. We entered the lobby at Madison Square Garden to an overwhelming crowd of people waiting in eager anticipation. The pack soon divided into legitimate ticket holders trying to enter and desperate fans scheming to create a way into the arena. The ticket-less fans kept trying to bumrush the doors until we were all met by New Yorks finest and the National Guard. The whole spot was shut down and everyone was forced out of the lobby to re-enter the venue. We all grew angrier when Hovas most famous joints seeped through the walls and into our ears. Finally after a 45-minute wait, we entered the performance area. (Some of those people were later arrested and Jay’s number was “retired” in the Garden.) I sprinted through the hallways like OJ in the airport looking for my seating section. I walked in to see Jay and his Roc La Familia on stage doing some of their most famous crew classics. The show then yielded to a Philly thing as Free and Beans performed Roc the Mic and Freeway , Jay, and Beans spit What We Do. Pictures of Phillytown and Iverson flashed on the monitors above the stage. I felt like I missed most of the show until Jigga said, We only a quarter of the way done.they gonna have to get the cops to get me outta here. He spun right into Memphis Bleeks#### Is That Your Chick and a slimmed down sexy Missy Elliot came out, getting folks hype with her chorus to the song. Twista wrapped up the set with a mind-boggling verse that only an ear trained in hip-hop could understand. Hov showed love to his loyalists by pointing them out specifically by the clothes they were wearing. He even humorously commented on one outfit saying I see you in the turquoise, but I dont know if I would have worn that sh*t. Then Jay said, You ready B? The stage curtain lifted to a 7-piece band (The Roots Questlove & Illadephonic) with Beyonce and five dancers in sleek, shiny, short black skirts. The pair blazed Crazy in love and Beyonce went on to enthrall the crowd by performing Baby Boy and Summer time. Ghostface Killah shocked all of Madison Square when he appeared in a long, terrycloth robe with Theodore in sequins written on the back and performed the once-thought bootlegged rap version of the song. Jay returned on some grown man stuff. He glided in a snazzy black business suit and a white derby hat. Im thinking, This is why Jigga has the U.S. open. Eventually, he tossed the derby in the crowd and minutes later a fight ensued. He then appealed to his fans from day one performing hits from Reasonable Doubt. I just knew he was gonna cut Aint No N#### when Foxys part came up, but sho nuff she came out hype like a kid off punishment to do her verse. They shared a brief hug and Fox commented that she loved Jay. Um-Hmmmmmm! Jigga then performed Cant Knock The Hustle with Mary J draped in a mink shawl and a low fitting Gucci hat. Mary assisted Jay on Song Cry and Jay added a verse that solidified his position with Beyonce saying, I know the difference between a b*tch and a B ni**a. As if we didnt already know, Hov! Mary J proclaimed Jigga to be the greatest rapper of all time and, the way the show was going, I was becoming a believer. Mary blessed the audience with a short set of her own. Jay returned with Pharell of the Neptunes to execute their most famous duets even though the sound went out on them. Didnt matter to the crowd. They were singing with just the monitors as Hov barked at the soundman to get the sound back on. The Illadefonics band put the petal to the metal on Give It To Me as the audience recited the lyrics word for word. When the sound abruptly burst back, it added incentive for the masses to turn the level of intensity up a notch. I thought the show was winding down as Jay fired up the Kanye West-produced Encore. The crowd lived out the theme of the song to life chanting, HOVA HOVA HOVA, as Jay again exited the stage. They chanted Hova for about 5 minutes and then the noise ceased. Jay came on the mic and threatened to end the show if the noise didnt step up. The fans immediately responded as a voice from the back belted out Welcome to the best of both worlds. Could it be? I thought Jay had cut him off after all the allegations. Damn, the stage lights blared in the back like an old Puff and Mase Video and Jay and R-Kelly walked out in all white velour sweats and snorkel jackets. They got it crunk doing songs to an album once considered a flop! (Gangsta!) The arena exploded. Girl went nuts screaming, I dont care, R! I love you! […]

World Aids Day Today, Eazy-E Remembered

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsDecember 1, 2003

Today is the 16th Annual World Aids Day. Individuals and organizations around the world celebrate and discuss the progress that has been made against the AIDS Pandemic and use the day to raise awareness about the disease globally.The pandemic is affecting entire communities and whole nations. Worldwide, over 42 million people have HIV or AIDS.In March of 1995, legendary rapper and mogul Eazy-E succumbed to the disease. Before passing away, the founder of N.W.A., Ruthless Records and arguably “gangsta rap” as it is known today, Eazy-E released his final statement, warning people about the deadly disease.”Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on — but it did pay off,” Eazy E said. “Then we started rapping about real stuff that shook up the LAPD and the FBI. But we got our message across big time, and everyone in America started paying attention to the boys in the ‘hood.”Eazy said that the rewards for being a famous rapper included cars, gorgeous women and good living. Eazy did not apologize for the lifestyle that ultimately consumed him, but warned his fans they needed to learn more about the disease.”I’m not saying this because I’m looking for a soft cushion wherever I’m heading, I just feel that I’ve got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what’s real when it comes to AIDS,” Eazy continued. “Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their a#### before it’s too late.”In the final statement, Eazy-E warned that the disease was real and did not discriminate.”I’m not looking to blame anyone except myself. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real…It affects everyone…Now I’m in the biggest fight of my life, and it ain’t easy. But I want to say much love to those who have been down to me. And thanks for your support.”Eazy-E passed away on March 26, 1995 from AIDS. He left behind a wife and seven children by six different mothers.

Diddy’s Sean John Cleared Of Sweatshop Allegations

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsDecember 1, 2003

The Honduran factory that manufactures the Sean John line of clothing for Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, has been cleared of charges alleging it was a sweatshop.The country’s labor minister and a team of inspectors toured the facility and uncovered no proof of the sweatshop allegations by U.S. based National Labour Committee.Lydda Eli Gonzalez, who is 19-year-old, came forward for the National Labour Committie and said that the area she worked in was surrounded by a metal gate, very high walls and armed guards.”We are under constant pressure,” Gonzalez said. “They call us filthy names, like maldito, donkey, b*tch, and worse things. You can’t answer the supervisors or they will fire you. It is very hot in the factory and you are sweating all day. There is also a lot of dust in the air. You breath it in, and you go into the factory with black hair, and come out with hair that is white or red or whatever the color of the shirts we are working on.”Combs denied all of the allegations and promised he would investigate the charges.Honduran Labour Minister German Leitzelar said that the charges were overblown and that the conditions in the factory did not match what they found after a six hour inspection tour.

Luke Campbell: The Man, The Mouth

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: FeaturesDecember 1, 2003

Luther Campbell has seen more in his 20 year career than perhaps any single person in the rap game. He has seen the top of the game after coming from the bottom, straight outta Miami’s Liberty City. Beef? Luke almost invented the concept. The rapper took on the U.S. Government, a President, Senators, not to mention the rappers he has taken on. Now with some years behind him, Luke is coaching a kid’s football team and raising money for programs dedicated to improving the lives of kids. With a tell all book and 20th Anniversary album on the way, don’t think Luke has lost his step. Miami’s original bad boy is back. AllHipHop.com: I got this report on you coaching a high school little league football team Luther Campbell: Basically I’ve ran a program since 14 years ago in Liberty City. Really what happened was people just found out that I was coaching the team that my son plays on in Miami Lakes. For the last 3 years they been trying to get me to coach. I’m like a founder of my program, so I was kind of caught up between how would it look if. I’m the founder of my program which really, we go year round baseball, football, basketball and track. I was kind of caught in between okay, should I do it or should I not do it. I know so much about football. One of the coaches got a team and they asked me to coach, so basically I’m out there coaching anyway. I just went on ahead and got certified and started coaching. The kids are 10 and 11. A 90 pound football team. AllHipHop.com: Do they know about your legacy in the rap game? LC: Yeah a lot of the kids know and their parents know. A lot of their parents grew up to the music and after all, this year is my 20th anniversary. I’m pretty sure I might of had something to do with them coming in to the world. They know the music. I did a song for the Dolphins called "Run Ricky Run." What we doing down here is I’m taking the song and r- doing it where we will sell the song at the stadium and all the proceeds will got to the programs like the one my son is in. Those programs run short of money every year. Hopefully my record that I do, people buy at the stadium locally and donate all the proceeds to these different charities to make sure they succeed. AllHipHop.com: What do you have planned for your 20th anniversary? LC: I’ma do a 20th Anniversary weekend. I got certain clubs real famous clubs down here. I started off DJing at the parties so each one of the things that I started and that people know about, we gonna re-live those things on the weekend. AllHipHop.com: I also heard you have some words for Snoop Dogg on your new album. LC: I was a bit offended by one of the little pranks they did on the show (Doggyfizzle Televizzle) and they said I was a washed up rapper. I got a problem with that and everybody in my camp had a problem with that. He was cool with us and we thought he had enough respect for me not to do something like that, being that he’s on all these "Girls Gone Wild" videos, which is a take off of my "Freak Show" videos and our peep shows. On this album it’s gonna be a serious emphasis on people like him saying slick things. The way I think, hip-hop needs to be brought back into perspective as for what it used to be. I wanna give my opinion about the state of hip-hop. I think a lot of that is missing. I’m saying a lot of things to alot of people and hopefully they hear it and they wont be offended by it cuz I aint doing nothing but telling the truth. From Snoop on down to Puffy to everybody else. I got something to say. A lot of people calling theirselves pimps. I’m adressing that. Saying you a pimp and your a player. Its a lot of things I’m addressing on this album. AllHipHop.com: What is your take on that because the pimp is being labeled the new "gangsta" of rap. LC: I got a problem with that. Its bananas that I sit there and I look at some of these magazines. Guys talking bout they pimps and Don Juan giving out cups to everybody. You can buy it online now and that makes you a pimp. All they need to do is define what a pimp is. A pimp is a person who prostitutes women. The women sell their body and they make their money and give it to the pimp and the pimp gives the girl what he wants to give the girl. All theses guys are claiming that they pimps and their not pimps. On one song they say they a pimp, the next song they say "oh Ima take you shopping, buy you clothes, buy you this. That makes you a trick and a pimp. I don’t get that, so I think it needs to be said because aint nobody else saying it. Did you ever get into the pimp game at all? LC: Never got in the pimp game. People thought I was a pimp because I always had girls at strip clubs and all my girls hustle. What I do is not pimping because I don’t take their money. I pay them to dance for me. What they do on the side while they are at a party, at a club, at a show and what they do on the side is their thing. They pimping theirselves and I aint mad at that. That’s their business. They don’t go and get with no rappers and then come to me and give me they money. No no no […]

Weekend Warrior

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / MusicDecember 1, 2003

Artist: Biz MarkieTitle: Weekend WarriorRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Toshitaka Kondo<font face="verdana" size="2" Hip-Hop is still fun. Seriously. If you dont believe me listen to Biz Markies new Tommy Boy release Weekend Warrior. Its an hour of funky fresh music thatll take you back to fat laces and air-brushed t-shirts. I guess thats not too far back since they re-issue everything nowadays, but you get the point. Although his flows a bit outdated, the music is refreshing and makes for a surprisingly strong return for the old school legend. The beats are mostly mid-tempo and upbeat, fitting Bizs simple flow and random thought patterns (When I watch cartoons, I watch Johnny Quest/I wake up in the morning and shower with Zest). Although the sung hooks sound a little overused throughout the rather long album, its a minor drawback. Even with his ADD tendencies, he has the ability to stay focused on themes. He reminisces about Dapper Dan and African medallions over a happy guitar loop on Throwback. While Friends humorously looks at relationships in the same vein of his classic Just A Friend. Stripping away a womans emotional baggage on Games, Biz urges her to do the right thing like Spike Lee. His more spontaneous work is also humorous and incredibly random. Anytime you can rhyme about shrimp-fried rice and beef and broccoli as on Chinese Food, and not sound completely ridiculous, thats good. Although he ignorantly imitates Asian dialect at the end, it can be overlooked as part of his goofy and harmless demeanor. Even when paired with more current stars like P. Diddy and Elephant Man on Do Your Thang and Let Me See U Bounce, he sounds as diabolical as ever. Thats cause Biz is completely himself at all times. Like good wine, old school rappers just get better with age. Well, at least some of them do. You wont find any ill battle rhymes or cinematic crime narratives on Weekend Warrior, just fun hip-hop that feels good. Hearing a dude thats closer to 40 sounding this good will make you mad Jiggaman is even talking that retirement s###. But I guess thats why nobody beats the Biz.

Big Shots

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / MusicDecember 1, 2003

Artist: CharizmaTitle: Big ShotsRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Brolin Winning The past year has been a good one for fans of early-nineties hip-hop. We’ve seen the release of some crucial, previously shelved albums (Dooley-O’s Watch My Moves, Pete Rock’s work with INI and Deda), and discovered new artists who flip the classic styles of old (Little Brother, Edan). The latest entry comes from Stones Throw mastermind Peanut Butter Wolf, who hits us off with the long awaited full-length from him and San Jose emcee Charizma. For those who dont know the deal, the duo were signed to Hollywood Basic back in the day, but Charizma was killed in ’93, and the album never dropped. Stones Throw put out a few 12-inches from the project (“My World Premiere” was the label’s first release), and finally, the LP is here. From the first track on, this s### is bangin. Wolf’s production is relentless, loaded with up-tempo break-beats and absurdly funky loops, while Charizma goes all out on the mic, mixing vivid storytelling with mad metaphors and Big L style bravado. “Here’s A Smirk” starts things off right, rocking a stuttering guitar sample and snares with more punch than a young Mike Tyson. “Jack The Mack” employs a rubbery bassline and seriously live drums, while telling the tale of a flashy crack dealer who ends up catching AIDS. Charizma breaks down his player tendencies on “Devotion” an organ-fuelled, scratch-laden jam, and gives advice to the females on the horn-propelled “Tell You Something.” Grade-A braggadocio abounds on several tracks, especially on “Charizma What”, set to a neck-breaking boom-bap and jumpy piano loop. While most of the album is on the fast and furious tip, the mellower joints are equally hot. “Talk About A Girl” is a short but sweet romance rap, and the self-descriptive “Methods” is straight classic, built on mellow keys and dusty vinyl pops, punctuated with tight SP beats and swift cuts. Other highlights include the raga-flavored “Soon To Be Large” and the ridiculously catchy “Ice Cream Truck.” Recorded entirely between ’91 and ’93, Big Shots is just what the doctor ordered for heads who remember the days when rap music was about more than just flossing your shine or trying to out-abstract the next man. Had Charizma lived, there is no doubt that he would have been huge, his mic skills were extraordinary and his emcee name very fitting. With fifteen dope tracks and zero filler, this is easily one of the year’s best albums. Another triumph for Stones Throw, and a must-cop for any hip-hop fan.

Goapele: Dream Street

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: AlternativesDecember 1, 2003

People might have a hard time pronouncing Goapele’s name but after listening to the album they will learn what great music is. Her debut CD Even Closer gives your 14 tracks of soulful, sensual, music that good for the soul. The title track alone will force you press the repeat button and listen to it all day long. Everyone has been singing the praises of Goaplele. She has become one of the sought after talents. Her collaboration resume reads like a who’s who in the Neo-Soul and hip-hop arena. Doing joints with Raphael Saddiq, Soulive, E-40, the Hieroglyphics, and the list continues to grow and grow. Goapele was just recently awarded SF Weekly Award for “Best Soul and R&B Artist.” And her song “Closer” will be featured be featured on the upcoming Jessica Alba movie soundtrack, “Honey.” Allhiphop.com recently spoke with Goapele and heres what transpired. Allhiphop.com Alternatives: Do people mess up your name a lot? What are some of the worst translations you’ve heard? Goapele: All the time all my life. A lot of times I’ve introduced my self as Cuapalay which the g sounds more like an h and people may get confused and think Im trying to say popular or gospel or something that is just a regular word in English that had nothing to do with my name. They look at me like oh my god I know someone didn’t name her that. That’s not her nickname. Theres different crazy variations of anything that could sound like Cuapalay since its so unfamiliar. Anything that can rhyme with a word. It’s a South African name it means go forward. Its my grandmothers maiden name. AHHA: What was the process for you to write the title track, “Closer?” Goapele: Closer was a song that was really was kind of a train of thought and a much more spontaneous kind of song than anything I’ve written. Amp Live and Mike Tiger who are both producers from the Bay Area produced the track and just brought it to me and just said it’s a vibe track and I immediately really liked it. And I was finishing the EP that I was doing and was finally gonna get my music out there and was gonna finally let it go and let people hear it and was really excited. The words for Closer just started coming to me over the music and then just really informally went into the studio and started recording it just as a rough idea because I wanted the feeling to come across and we ended up just sticking with that first raw version. It was more the feeling and a stream of self consciousness. AHHA: What was it like meeting Prince? Goapele: I have been wanting to meet Prince for a long time. I have been a fan for a long time and he came to the show at the Knitting Factory in L.A. and I guess about maybe 2 months ago. It was definitely a surprise. I wasn’t expecting him to come. I was expecting some other people to come and it was a great turnout and a lot of energy and a lot of folks there and Raphael Saddiq came and hes come to a couple shows and that was just his offer. That was really nice. That was kind of the icing on the cake at the end of the show my brother came and said “Prince came, Prince is here lets go up there and meet him.” I had heard that Magic Johnson was gonna come and Dre and Raphael Saddiq and these other people so I was already just like so flattered and excited and I had already been anticipating that. Magic Johnson didn’t end up coming but he came to the next show. I just wouldn’t have expected that and just to be such a big fan and have a surprise like that is really touching and amazing. I went up there and talked to Prince a little bit. I was nervous but I think sometimes when I’m nervous I seem really calm so it was kind of a quiet conversation. I didn’t go crazy or anything but in my mind I was just like Wow Im sitting next to Prince right now talking. AHHA: Do you feel like you’ve moved closer to your dream? Goapele: I feel like Im getting closer to my dream all the time if theres really any measuring point or in the goal or anything like that. Constantly I’m trying to move forward and I can feel it a lot of the time. I feel like theres been a lot of blessings along the way and little benchmarks that just makes me feel like this is happening and I’m moving more towards really what I’m supposed to be doing. AHHA:Who was your favorite person to work with? Goapele: As far as people that I have done shows with that I would like to work more with is like Raphael Saddiq, and Talib Kweli. We did a show with The Roots and that band is so phenomenal. Jazzy Jeff I really like . Dead prez, Mystic and Eryka Badu and theres a lot of people that I’ve met now as fans and its been really good to get support and see that from a lot of them and I would love to collaborate at some time. Especially when its mutual just artist that I’m feeling and artists that are really feeling where I’m coming from. I think its just a matter of time for me to do something with them. AHHA: You’ve worked with E-40 tell me something about that? I just met E-40 a little while ago. I really like him. He is on a remix of “Got It” from my album and we did a song together on his album. I really liked the song and I enjoyed the experience just getting to meet him and getting to do something with him. I’ve been hearing […]

Raphael Saadiq : Escalator Style

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: AlternativesDecember 1, 2003

Raphael Saadiq has boldly set out to etch his legend in stone just a little deeper. The formation of an independent R&B label is something almost unheard of in the music industry, and if he can pull it off successfully, he will undoubtedly set a new precedent in his already flawless career. His new label, Pookie Entertainment, has already begun to draw their own road map to success with the signing of two new artists. Two of R&Bs most vivacious songbirds, Truth (formerly known as Truth Hurts) and Joi have formed an alliance with Raphael that is guaranteed to sellout any venue. They are determined to bring forth the vibe that the major labels are seemingly unwilling to do. Raphael took time away from his current tour to speak with Allhiphop.com about the formation of the new label and how he plans to captivate the masses with his unique brand of sound. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: The last time we spoke, you were in the process of transitioning into your new label, Pookie Entertainment. How have things been since that time? Raphael Saadiq: Everything is looking real healthy. We are trying to keep our fingers crossed and keep it moving. AHHA: You got three different albums on the horizon, yours obviously, plus new albums from Truth and Joi. Talk about your plan of action to get these albums the best shine possible. RS: With Truth, I plan on letting her be who she was as far as doing the type of stuff that she was doing with Dre. Plus, Dre is still going to work with her. We are just going to try to give her more music so that she can have a full album of stuff that she would like, too. We are just going to be real guerilla tactics with it. The same goes for Joi, too. We plan on Joi just really taking off and going overseas and killing that market more than the market over here, and then come back over here. AHHA: Do you find that the market overseas is more open and honest for artists such as yourselves? RS: A lot more open. Over here, its getting more open, but its a bigger scheme of things over in Europe. Its the same thingyou got to be able to blow up over here, too. I think Truth is a radio-friendly act. Joi is not really the radio person. Shes from the south, and her whole background is the dirty south music. Shes more underground, a more alternative rock kind of feel. AHHA: How do you blend your style of music with someone who has an alternative rock appeal? RS: Im from every type of background of music, so thats nothing for me. My whole thing with Joi is more like the marketing. We just have to set up the marketing and the place where she can be seen and heard. Music is international with me anyway. AHHA: When I spoke with Truth, we were talking about how this is almost a first regarding independent R&B labels. Do you plan to stay on the independent road for the remainder of your career? RS: Yeah basically. I dont think Berry Gordy went and did anything before he became a major. I plan on becoming a major. AHHA: Talk about your solo project and what came of that. RS: Thats the All Hits At The House Of Blues. It came out real cool. We put out a wish list of people who should perform and everybody on the CD showed up. It made for a double CD. Its in the stores and its doing cool. AHHA: Many artists have gotten into the live CD thing. What makes your live performance different from a Maxwell Live album or an Erykah Badu Live album? RS: I havent heard their live albums. I think Maxwells was an MTV Unplugged thing, so it would be a lot different from mine. Mine is mine! (laughs) This is 15 years of catalog on this record. AHHA: Do you have anything to speak on regarding your next studio album? RS: Its going to be a real solid record. But, Im just playing it by ear really. Im already recording it, though. I got a couple of things that Im excited about, and Im excited to go home to really start working on it. Really man, Im just going to go real gutter with it. Im definitely going to work with (DJ) Premier. Im not going to do it any different than I did any other album. Im just going to get in there and make it happen. AHHA: Around what time frame are you looking to drop everything? RS: Im thinking like 2nd quarter. AHHA: Explain to me what the hell happened at the last Grammy awards. You got five nominations, man. They were robbing people like it was the Watts riots or something. RS: Well you know, you cant get too excited about them award shows, man. Those awards aint really built for that. AHHA: Do you view the hardware as a show of popularity more so than an appreciation of talent? RS: Its more of a popularity thing. It does something for you once you get it because everybodys watching it. Whether you win or lose, people are still going to watch it. AHHA: How do you plan to approach this new venture from a business standpoint? As I mentioned earlier, I think you are breaking new ground with the independent R&B label because they virtually do not exist. You are a viable businessman in this industry now. RS: Im going to treat it as if it was a major. Im not going to treat it like its an indy. Im already doing as much as I did with the majors as far as press and shows. Im still traveling with an 11-piece band. Im sort of treating it like the majors treated me in the beginning. My approach is going to be to […]

Always Will Be

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / MusicDecember 1, 2003

Artist: J-LiveTitle: Always Will BeRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Toshitaka Kondo Whos J-Live? Hes could be the best rapper who youve never heard of. The Source Unsigned Hype alum has all the symptoms of the good rapper, bad luck syndrome. A heavily praised, yet bootlegged and unreleased debut, The Best Part. His nomadic label situation. And the is he still rhyming? look that 97% of hip-hop heads give when his name is mentioned. Leaving Coup dEtat, who released last years All Of The Above LP, hes returned with the Always Will Be EP through Fat Beats. Although his delivery lacks the intensity displayed on Braggin Writes, he still personifies a true MC. Whether speaking on industry ills (Car Trouble) or self-imposed isolation (Walkman Music), J-Lives talent as a writer is evident. On the former, the ex-educator uses clever car analogies to school an aspiring MC about potential music industry hurdles. Even with bad experiences, hes not the madd rapper. As he says on Deal Widit, Dont get it twisted/ I wasnt drafted into this life, I enlisted. Although his conceptual work is imaginative, he still has the ability to just spit. Riding a jazzy piano loop on 9000 Miles, his rhymes seems endless: I get on the mic and strive to be the best/But its not just a flow theres more to the test/I gotta spit like theres no time to waste/Spit like I cant take away this life taste/Spit for rebellion/Spit for resistance/Spit for accuracy/Spit for distance. Elsewhere, the hard horns and battle rhymes of Get Live justify the last four letters of his name. With eight tracks, his chances of missing are slim. However, his calm delivery on Deal Widit, doesnt get across how stressful time constraints are. Also, Stunt 101 disciples may complain about the scarcity of club bangers. Then again, he makes it clear that If you sittin on chrome and its spinnin when youre not, this is not for you. Maybe its best that he remain an underground hero. Listening to Always Will Be, this would probably suit J-Live just fine.

The Black Album

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: Reviews / MusicDecember 1, 2003

Artist: Jay-ZTitle: The Black AlbumRating: 4 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Quia Querisma It’s no secret that The Black Album was anticipated. The real secret is whether or not Jay-Z is really going to call it quits. Doubtful, but if he does, he’s leaving the game the way you should, while hes on top. Jay pulled no punches and dug out the best and the brilliant for his production team. Kanye West, Rick Rubin, DJ Quick, and Just Blaze are about half of The Black Album’s dream team. Unfortunately, in what seems like an effort to create an over-elaborate entrance to his exit, the first four tracks of the album are choking on pseudo-grandeur production. The orchestrated sound lacks the same kind of appeal of the Blueprint’s “All I Need” and just turns into a distraction from the tenacity of the lyrics. After getting past another Neptunes/Jigga joint for the girls, “Change Clothes,” a certifiable banger finds its place. The Timbaland-produced “Dirt off Your Shoulder” is full of BET-brand egotistical flow. Tim bounces the beat like a Spalding as Jigga tells us “I drop the Black Album then I back out / I’m the best rapper alive, n#### ask about me.” It’s this song that lights a fire to the production that doesn’t go out until the close of the disc. Eminem gave up a sinister-sounding track for “Moment of Clarity” where Jay rhymes about why he chose the road he has taken. Talking about everything from feeling awkward at his pops’ funeral to critics complaining about his content, he spits, “I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars / they criticize me for it yet they all yell ‘holla’ / if skills sold, truth be told / I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli / truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense / (but I did 5 mil), I aint been rappin like Common since.” Jay spends a lot of time reminding nay-sayers that he’s from the streets and he refuses to be punked. “Threat,” “99 Problems,” “Justify My Thug” are all odes to his street credo. “Allure” is his Neptunes-produced love song to the drug game. Gunshots ring out in the background amidst the violins and piano. It’s a good song but it sounds out of place on the heels of what is arguably the best song on the album, “Lucifer.” Kanye West unleashed all production Hell on the Reggae-inspired joint that brandishes a sample from “I Chase the Devil” like twin Desert Eagles. More gunshots in the background as Jigga confesses “Lord forgive him / he got them dark forces in him / but he also got a righteous cause for sinning’ / dem’ a murda me, so I gotta murda dem first / emergency doctors performing procedures, Jesus.” Jay closes out his solo career with the ironically-titled “My 1st Song.” We hear a clip of Biggie saying that the key to staying on top of the game is to approach everything like it’s your first project. A bluesy guitar shares this track with a southern-sounding rolled bassline. Jay reverts back to a faster-flow a la “In My Lifetime.” Somehow, he managed to recapture the hunger of a fledgling artist because his inflection is full of passion. Jigga has definitely bowed out gracefully with an album that can stay on repeat all day and not get old.

G-Unit, Beanie Sigel Both Working On Saturday Morning Cartoons

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsNovember 29, 2003

In addition to the massive success of his debut album, Get Rich or Die Trying and the debut of G-Unit’s Beg For Mercy, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks will provide voices to an upcoming Saturday morning cartoon, "Beaver Street Gang." "It’s basically about a bunch of kids at an orphanage hanging out outside," Lloyd Banks told AllHipHop.com. "It’s like the new age Cosby’s." 50 and Lloyd Banks join Beanie Sigel and members of the Roc-A-Fella family, who have their own Saturday morning cartoon in the works as well. "[The cartoon] is the whole State Property squad and we do to this day care center everday. None of us like it there. It’s like jail for us. The whole language is from the inside [of jail]. We don’t gotta take naps, we gotta take it down. We don’t eat lunch, we gotta go to chow. We don’t go to yard to play, we gotta go to rec. It’s gonna be a funny cartoon." In addition to the "Beaver Street Gang" cartoon, Banks said that an unnamed video game surrounding G-Unit will be released next Christmas. G-Unit’s Beg For Mercy debuted at number 3 on Billboard’s Pop Chart, moving over 300,000 copies the first week in stores.

Wordsworth Inks Deal, Preps Solo Album

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsNovember 28, 2003

Rapper Wordsworth has inked a deal with Halftooth Records and will drop his highly anticipated solo album. Wordsworth, who gained fame from his role in the Lyricist Lounge showcase, said that his decision to sign with the indie label was based on the owners belief in his music. “I chose to go with Halftooth because they believe in me and my music," the Brooklyn bred rapper said. "It’s hard to find a label that believes in you. They understand what I’m doing as an artist and that the music I’m making will have an effect on the world so they support that.” Halftooth Record’s President, David Schrager, said that signing Wordsworth would help his upcoming label, due to the rapper’s knowledge and experience. "We are very excited to have Words as part of our family," Schrager said. "Words is one of the most talented and most respected Hip-Hop artists to date. I’ve been a fan of Wordsworth since ‘97, and it’s an honor to be putting out his first solo endeavor.” The untitled album will drop in June of 2004. "I think of my CD as an audio mirror of life," Wordsworth said of his upcoming album. "It embodies a timeline of experiences. Each song is a cinema crafted to strike a nerve and actually deliver a message. In my rhymes, I try to create pictures that illustrate emotions. When people hear my album I want them to feel like I said everything they couldn’t say, so when a song ends their response is, ‘Word!’ To put it bluntly, my album is like an audio art gallery of emotions." For more information on Wordsworth and Halftooth Records, visit www.halftooth.com.

New York Council Member Seeks Reparations From Record Labels

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsNovember 28, 2003

New York Council member Yvette D. Clarke joined community activists and elected officials last week, denouncing misogynist and racist lyrics by Eminem and other popular hip-hop artists. Clarke, along with Erica Ford of the Code Foundation, Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement, representatives of the Harriet Tubman/Fannie Lou Hamer Collective, the Masses United for Human Rights, Africans Helping Africans and others rallied at City Hall in New York, saying they were "fed up with what has become a pervasive and destructive theme in the commercial world of hip-hop." "There is nothing more important than what we have to say about the context of the images, sounds and words that are broadcast to our youth," Clarke said. "We are here to say that the entire hip-hop industry must begin to make itself more respectful and accountable to a community it owes so much to and should be compelled to repay." The groups condemned the racist lyrics of Eminem, which surfaced when the Source magazine released a ten-year-old tape that featured the multi-platinum artist using the word n*gger and making disparaging remarks about African-American women. "Far too many have become apologists for what is wrong in hip-hop," Clark continued. "Just because someone has apologized for their destructive actions doesn’t mean that we all don’t have an obligation to stand up and say what Eminem did was wrong. And more importantly, to make sure that his fans, black and white, hear that message loud and clearly." Clarke said the positive themes of earlier hip-hop have been replaced with self hating and defaming images, which have stunned the growth and development of the community. "There are other artists who look like my father and brother, who are just as guilty of the type of hateful, anti-female words that Eminem espoused. These brothers need to check themselves and realize that as artists, their words and actions are strongly having a devastating impact on our youth," Clarke continued. "While we hold Eminem accountable for his actions, we must at the same time pose this question: who made it culturally acceptable for the word "n*gga" to be used so openly and freely, without repercussion? Who made it acceptable for hip-hop to be a forum for the denigration of Black women? And the most important question of all: Who profits from this madness?" Clarke criticized the music business for promoting "hatred on our airwaves and in the record stores" and called on the major labels to invest more into the Black and Latino communities of the United States. "While we acknowledge that there are several organizations making contributions to the community, it is only a fraction of the billions of dollars made annually off the destruction of our culture," Clarke noted. "I am calling upon the music industry that is hip-hop to seek out ways to give back to community institutions that feed the minds, bodies and spirits of our youth. And for the hip-hop community to wake up and realize that they are our future. We need their strength and energy to combat the problems that afflict our community, and not add to those problems."

DJ Quik Wanted For Assault

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsNovember 28, 2003

An arrest warrant for David "DJ Quik" Blake was issued by San Bernardino County this week after the rapper allegedly entered his sister’s home and assaulted her. According to authorities, Quik entered the house of his 42 year-old sister on November 2 with two other men while she was sleeping. His sister said that Quik made comments about family problems and punched her in the face multiple times. Authorities said the woman broke free and hid. One of her children allegedly witnessed a gun as Quik searched the house for the woman before leaving. The woman suffered minor cuts and bruises. Quik recently produced "Justify My Thug," on Jay-Z’s Black Album.

Details In Soulja Slim Shooting

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg)Category: NewsNovember 27, 2003

James "Soulja Slim" Tapp was shot and killed yesterday (November 26) in front of his mothers house in New Orleans. Police are investigating a number of leads in the killing, but have yet to charge anyone in connection with the crime. "Slim was wildin’ out, he was on X (Ecstasy) hard," a source told AllHipHop.com. "He was out at a club on the West Bank. Someone said something like f*ck Magnolia (Magnolia projects in New Orleans), then all of Magnolia busted em up. The dude that got jumped has been walking around with a vest on all week, looking for Slim." In addition to that incident, Slim allegedly got into an altercation at a club in Mississippi. The source said that a man was in the V.I.P. area of an unnamed club. Slim didn’t recognize the man and apparently struck him, before being thrown out of the club. In another similar altercation in a club in Miami, Slim was allegedly involved in an altercation and took a man’s jewelry. According to the source, there was also an altercation at a New Orlean’s gas station. "This aint no bullsh*t," the source continued. "Slim must have forgot something, because he ran back into his mother’s house and left his truck running. The dude walked up in all black from the side of the house and shot him 5 times in the head. This was a hit. Whoever did this had to have done it before. Slim was one of the realest n*ggas on the streets. B.G. and Juvenile and all the local rappers are planning to do a tribute concert for him on Friday. All this violence has got to stop. Kids see these big time rappers beefin and think that it’s ok for them to do the same thing."