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Grouchy Greg
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Grouchy Greg

I am Grouchy Greg. I founded AllHipHop in 1996. In addition to running the site, I enjoy breaking news stories. My stories have been cited in The LA Times, NY Times, NY Post, TMZ, Yahoo, Billboard, The Associated Press, CNN, and more.

http://staging.allhiphop.com

Jadakiss Stars Opposite Duane Martin, Vivica Fox In “Ride Or Die”

Jadakiss will star opposite Duane Martin and Vivica A. Fox in "Ride Or Die," a never-before-seen movie that will debut on the Starz Encore Group cable channel. "Ride Or Die," was Executive Produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith and is described as a "sophisticated hip-hop murder mystery." The film centers on a private investigator named Conrad McCrae (Duane Martin), who is investigating the suicide of his rap superstar friend, Benjamin (Jadakiss). McCrae suspects that Benjamin’s death is a homicide and finds shocking details. "Jada was great to work with," costar Duane Martin told AllHipHop.com. "He was the only rapper who didn’t audition with the paper in his hand. He came prepared which is more than half the battle in booking a movie. The world is his if he wants it." The movie also marks the debut of Martin as a feature writer and producer. Meagan Good and Michael "Bear" Taliferro also star in the flick, which debuts January 16, 2004 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Starz.

Hip-Hop Album Questions September 11, War On Terror

Hard Knock Records has released What About US?, a critical response by various hip-hop artists and activists in regard to the 2001 September 11 attacks and the current "war on terror." The album features appearances by Zion I, Blackalicious, Hobo Junction, Cool Nuts featuring Bosko, Davey D., Michael Franti and Spearhead, Abstract Tribe Unique, The Frontline, Raashan, Non Prophets, Rico Pabon and others. "The concept behind the creation of the album is in the title What About US?," Executive Producer Nick Huff said. "The media portrays the hip-hop generation as apathetic and materialistic but never supports artist that have something to say about what is going on in their communities." Huff said that the hip-hop community is critical of the wars in the Middle East because the majority of the consequences of the war will effect poor people across the country. "The Billions of dollars, possibly Trillions before it’s all over, that are being spent on the defense budgets are not coming from taxes to the rich or from corporations because they are getting their taxes cut to ‘Stimulate the Economy’. The bulk of that money is coming from programs that actually need the money the most like public education, after school programs, childcare for low income families, Medicare. These programs which our communities need the most are the ones taking the biggest cuts because we don’t have lobbyist to speak for US. Is this what president Bush meant when he promised to leave no child behind?" A portion of the proceeds from What About US? will be donated to the Underground Railroad radio show and KPFA apprenticeship program. What About US? is in stores now.

Saul Williams: Deep Thought

When Chuck D becomes President, who will deliver the presidential poem at his inaugaration? I suggest Saul Williams. Without Saul’s film Slam, would Def Poetry Jam be so popular? Without Saul’s books, the hip-hop section might be reduced to rapper autobiographies and books on Tupac. Without Saul’s album, our ears might not be ready for the bold fusions that are now being made by Big Boi, DMX, and even Jay-Z. Saul Williams recent released a new book, Said the Shotgun, to the Head. The book chronicles, in poetry, the past years of our lives: the love, the war, the religion. The text is not for the foolish. Saul Williams is one of the most fertile minds in the culture, his insights on life, love, and hip-hop are worth the read. AllHipHop Alternatives: She seemed to be focused on love primarily. In Said the Shotgun to the Head, you really added war and God to the theme of your poetry. Can love, God, and war co-exist? Saul Williams: Uh, they have to, because they all exist. The main question that the [book] raises is what do you play in its existence? There’s a Native American saying that if we’re not careful, we’ll end up where we’re headed. My whole perspective is that it’s quite obvious where we’re headed, but maybe all the information in our heads needs redirected. AHHA: At what point in the last three years did you focus your writing into this? SW: The book is one poem. I’ve been working on the poem for four years. It came into shape around 9-11. I had already been writing about an ode to Kali, the Goddess of Destruction. When 9-11 happened, it was like, “Oh man, I have to focus my attention on this poem.” AHHA: “The Pledge of Resistance” in text and audio truly captured the activist attitude of the past year. I’m sure you saw that power when you wrote that piece. But when you first performed it, was the response larger and more powerful than imagined? SW: It was larger. Some of the things I wrote on, I wrote with a lot of thought – like, “this is great, people will like this.” But that stifles my creativity, or just jinx a project itself. So a lot of times, I just don’t think about it, I just get the work done. So I actually am surprised how many hear it. It felt like something I was blessed to be apart of at such an early stage, with or without my name being attached to it. AHHA: When writing in the format that you do, how do you know when the work is complete? SW: When do I know? My answer is…when it’s complete. Pretty much I can tell when the ends are just not tied up yet. It’s usually quite a labyrinth. I’m traveling, trying to get to the end. I usually don’t know I’m there, until I’m actually there. AHHA: Are you aggressive in terms of editing? SW: I’m very aggressive as I’m writing. It’s like washing dishes. Some people do dishes right after dinner. Others wait a while. Some people let them pile up for a week. I usually edit as I’m writing. A lot of times I refuse to turn the page unless everything on the page is exactly as it should be: proper choice of words, editing out words, making sure its as concise as possible. I seldom write something down, and come back to it. AHHA: Said the Shotgun to the Head furthers your metaphors and allusions to hip-hop culture. Certainly the Seventh Octave had some pieces that were more obvious to hip-hop like ‘’1987.’’ But, is hip-hop still playing such an active role in your inspiration for writing? SW: Hip-hop plays a very active role in my definition of me: the generation, the culture, that a part of. Of course, like many of us, when I think of the current state of commercial hip-hop, it’s not as much. Of course there’s times where I’ll say, “I really like this song regardless.” It plays an important part. A lot of times I’ll use hip-hop imagery. For instance, “Cross-fade into Onk” is probably the most profound stanza in the poem. Hip-hop is a reflection of things nowadays – the whole make money, get yours, dog eat dog world -a lot of the aspects of the conservative American culture that a lot of us were against. AHHA: I think many would agree that you’re the poet laureate for hip-hop. I’ve heard the argument that MC’s are poets. Sometimes I agree. What’s your take on that argument seeing as how you’ve established yourself as both? SW: As an unjiggy MC, yes – they’re one in the same. It used to be than an MC was the master of ceremony. The master. A master has to overlook, has to oversee, has to be an aggressor. An MC acts like he knows. An MC will declare something as“No question, no doubt.” A poet, on the other hand, will raise the question. A poet will wonder what it is that you’re seeing. The MC can show no vulnerability. The poet is all about vulnerability. There aren’t many MC’s that show vulnerability and ask questions, ‘Pac to Juvenile to Kweli to Kool Keith, across the board, all those guys ask introspective questions, out loud. AHHA: How did you find that confidence for your writing, and does it carry into your speech, or is it reserved to your art? SW: There are many things that come through my pen that I do not claim authorship of. In other words things come through me. I’ll look at things I wrote and say, I couldn’t have wrote that. So that in my life, while I am a confident man…I am constantly trying to live up to my writing. That’s my mission.

Havoc: Sonic Blaze Pt. 2

AllHipHop: What’s the state of the group and where are you headed? H: Well, Mobb Deep is very much intact. We still here. We here to make Mobb Deep albums. Me and P are very focused-even more focused than ever. P is gonna make his solo joints. I’m going to make one too. We gonna make Mobb albums. We gonna put out other artists. P got the movies jumping off. Its gonna be a good look for the future for us. We gonna work hard like it’s our first time in the game. That’s how I see it. AllHipHop: Who did the Loud break up affect you guys as a group? H: It stagnated our career and how we eat. This is our future. We was looking for Infamy to come out, blowing, going platinum, double platinum and for the company to start falling apart at the time when you need it the most, its gonna hurt somebody, you know? But you know, it made us stronger, we been through this before. We stuck together and that’s that. It was a f*cked up situation and that’s that. It ain’t easy but you know that saying – anything easy ain’t worth having. It’s a struggle so, f*ck it. It just makes us stronger. Everything happens for a reason. AllHipHop: How do you feel about Infamy? H: I feel it was getting a lot of recognition as far as what I saw. We came out with "Burn" for the mix shows and mix DJ’s and they was thumpin’ it. Then we shocked motherf*ckers when we put out the 112 sh*t. Some people was like "why did you do that" and other n*ggas was feeling it. We got the most spins off the record than we ever had, everything was looking good, we was on the road, we was going hard and then [the Loud Records] sh*t happened. To me it was a good album and people was feeling this as far as what I know. AllHipHop: Also on that album y’all decided that other people would produce on that album, which seems like a first. Why did y’all decide to do that? H: Times change and just to be a little on the safe side, I was like aight f*ck it let some other producers come in. Not too much though, but just to get some different looks on the album. AllHipHop: Alchemist, credits you as one of his inspirations. How’d you meet up? H: I hooked up with Alchemist when we was doing something with DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill. That’s they peoples and he came up with them. I guess we met through there and we clicked with homeboy ever since. I think he’s very very talented and he’s definitely on his way to becoming one of the biggest producers out there. People say we sound similar but it’s all good. That sh*t don’t bother me in the least ’cause if he gets anything from me I’ll feel good. We exchange techniques anyway so it’s all good. AllHipHop: Do you look to anybody for inspiration? H: It’s a lot of good people out there. A lot of tracks I be hearing and I don’t know who produced it I’m not really easily influenced by listening to other brothers tracks. I might be inspired by how good they might sound and become compelled to make a better beat but, you know back in the day it was definitely people who influenced me like Primo, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip. I try not to let [outside influences] get in my mind ’cause that’s like poison for a producer, that’s like the start of your end. You definitely got to be able to make things that people like and sh*t like that. AllHipHop: How were you as a kid and what was your home life like? H: I grew up in a single parent crib, nothing to different from the average young black male’s experience in the 80’s. Been around the drugs, tryin to sell my lil’ bit of drugs but, I had somewhat of a good support system. My Grandmom’s and my pops taught me right from wrong and I took it from there to do what ever I chose to do. I wasn’t no angel but I grew up in QB. I chose music at the end of the day. I knew that music would be me. AllHipHop: So you grew up with your mom? H: I grew up with my moms until I was 13. Then I moved with my Grandmom’s ’cause my moms was going through a couple of changes. AllHipHop: I f you don’t mind me asking, what issues were your moms dealing with? H: Some drugs and stuff. She’s a working church lady, in church every other day. I’m real proud of my moms. She inspired me to beat my own drinking problems. AllHipHop: What School did you and P meet in? H: Art and Design H.S. right there in Manhattan, back in like ’89 AllHipHop: Did that contribute to you growing as a producer? H: Going to that school didn’t really affect me as far as being a producer because I was already at home with the dual cassette tapes. I used to tape sh*t off the radio from like the old stations and I used to hear a lil’ part in there I like, I would just keep on dubbing and recording, dubbing and recording until it was a whole loop kind of beat. So I was doing that before I got to H.S. I can say that going to that school changed my life ’cause then I met P. Who knows where I would be if I didn’t go to that High School. AllHipHop: What was some of the struggles that y’all have overcome through the years, did y’all ever get discouraged around the early days? H: Definitely, when we was signed to 4th and Broadway. That’s when we did the “Hit It From […]

Havoc: Sonic Blaze

Mobb Fans have been patiently waiting and waiting and waiting for the next street soundtrack from The Infamous. The Queensbridge-bred duo left fans hanging since their last album, Infamy, way back in 2001. Die-hard fans of the group got their pallet wet with 2002’s Free Agents, the double album mixtape, which had enough heat to temporarily warm the projects. One of the reasons for the temperature surge is the Mobb’s resident beatsmith – Havoc. Certainly, one of the masters in sinister soundscapes, Havoc has consistently backed Mobb Deep and a number of rap affiliates. The veterans got more fire on deck. And as fan await the group’s debut on Jive Records, the revered producer talks about his background, life, solo aspirations and the future of Mobb Deep. AllHipHop: What can people expect from your solo album? Havoc: sh*t, just gangsta sh*t, ill songs. The songs are gonna be tight the way I’m gonna put them together. I’m going to be talking about different issues, a couple of topics – not just freestyling. Things that I wasn’t able to do on a normal Mobb Deep album. AllHipHop: You alluded to it, but what’s the main differences between this and a Mobb Deep CD? H: I’ll experiment a little bit more alone because it’s just me and my little project. You’ll see some things that won’t be on a Mobb Deep album, I’ll do that. I’m going to try to push the envelope a lil something, you know? AllHipHop: What made you do a solo CD in the first place? H: The reason why I made a solo album is because P did one and on our last album, a lotta cats was coming up to me like, "When you gonna make a solo album?" I never really thought about it, but mad people were asking me. I said, "You know what – f*ck it. Might as well. It ain’t gonna hurt. It’s just another album." AllHipHop: What’s the name of your label again? H: Infamous Records. That’s me and P’s joint right there. I got my own record company called Done Deal, that’s by myself. You’ll see that in the future. But for right now, everything is going to be umbrella’ed under Infamous Records. AllHipHop: What is your technique for making beats? H: Really, I don’t have no certain technique. I f*ck around with the keyboards or whatever. I’ll go record shopping for some old records. My technique is just coming up with some banging sh*t. Back in the days, I used to use the ASR-10 and the EPS-16 plus. Now I just the Triton and the MPC-3000 jump off. The MPC-3000 that’s my joint right there. AllHipHop: As far as you a beat maker, you are certainly underrated as far a recognition…how do you feel about that? H: Certain people know that I did this that and the third, but I don’t do much work for people outside of the camp. The down side to that is that my name don’t get out there how it should. Everybody knows [production] is where the longevity is at. Most of the time its definitely behind the scene, but I am gonna balance the two for sure. AllHipHop: Do you feel like you should have done more with other people? H: No, I don’t regret not working with that many people. I feel good. Mobb is successful. Maybe a little underrated though. AllHipHop: As a rapper, how hard is it to give away or sell beats? H: Being an MC and a producer at the same time is kinda hard. Anybody out there that does what I do, they probably can tell you. I started as an emcee so that’s where my passion was at. So then to make beats and my passion is there too, it’s hard to give up a track because I be wanting to rhyme on it.

C-Bo: Ten Lives

October 17th, 2003 will be a day that West Coast Mafia CEO C-Bo will never forget. In the early mornings after leaving a nightclub in Kansas City, he and artists from his record label were met with a barrage of bullets while they sat in their SUV. Miraculously, no one was killed, and no life threatening injuries were sustained. This occurrence reads like a bad 2Pac or Biggie Smalls script. The circumstances are eerily similar, yet tragedy does not rear its ugly head. Just days after the incident, C-Bo spoke with Allhiphop.com to shed some light on the situation and offer words of enlightenment to those who may or may not encounter what he did. It is important to remember that no man or woman is promised the next minute, the next hour, or the next day, so do all that you do in a persistent, yet kind and gentle way. Allhiphop.com: What exactly took place the night of the shooting? C-Bo: Well you know, some boys got on us. They came out of nowhere. It wasn’t no accident or nothing, they just came out of nowhere shooting. Allhiphop.com: Where did all this chaos take place? C-Bo: I was in Kansas City. We was coming from the club, about to go turn it in. We was riding man, and they got my boy (Fat Tone) twice in the back. We was in a clean ass Excursion, sitting on 24’s and sh*t. They shot every window out of that muthaf*cka. They sprayed the fully and sh*t, you know what I mean? Allhiphop.com: What injuries did you sustain? C-Bo: Nothing man, just some cuts from the glass. Allhiphop.com: Various reports state that Messy Marv was seriously injured in the shooting. In actuality, it was Fat Tone who got the worst of it, right? C-Bo: Fat Tone got hit in the back, right below his neck. He got hit in the ribs, and one of his lungs collapsed. He’s stable right now. Messy Marv wasn’t in the car. He was with us earlier that day, but he wasn’t with us at that time. Allhiphop.com: There were no injuries to Fat Tone’s spinal column? C-Bo: Nope. The bullets missed his spine somehow. Allhiphop.com: Has the police gotten anywhere with their investigation? C-Bo: sh*t, I don’t even know. We really haven’t talked to them. They’ve been asking us questions and sh*t. Allhiphop.com: They have not established any sort of motive or anything? C-Bo: They high speeded away from the police and got away. They broke out, man. Allhiphop.com: What kind of condition is Fat Tone in right now? C-Bo: He’s straight; he’s going to make it. Allhiphop.com: I heard tell that they were coming after you with AK47’s. How were you able to escape the gunshots? C-Bo: Exactly my man! They pulled up on the side of us. I’m in the passenger seat, my n#### Fat Tone was behind me. Lil’ Psycho was in the middle, and Killa Tay was on the side. They rolled up on my side and just sprayed with the fully, about 75 shots in a matter of 5 or 6 seconds. It sounded like threw a bunch of firecrackers in the car! Allhiphop.com: How are you holding up from a mental aspect? C-Bo: I’m just chilling with my n*ggas right now. Thinking about life, bro. I should be dead ten times right now. n*ggas got to get motivated in this music 100% because it can over at any time. Allhiphop.com: You have to focus on the things you love most in this life and concentrate on that because you may not get a second chance. C-Bo: That’s real right there. Allhiphop.com: You got any messages for the people who are going to be reading this? C-Bo: Don’t wait to do anything. Do what you want to do right now because you can be gone any day. You got to stay motivated. Do the right thing, man. It’s not for nothing. The sh*t you do wrong comes back to haunt you and the sh*t you do good comes back to protect you. You got to do a lot of good sh*t so that it can protect you from all that bad sh*t.

The World Famous Wakeup Show Coming To MTV

Sway and Tech’s World Famous Wake Up Show will make the move from syndicated radio to an MTV television show. The award winning hip-hop radio show that started in San Francisco in 1991, will make the move to MTV and debut this December. If enough people tune into the show, it could be added to MTV’s regular lineup. The Wake Up Show is one of the most respected syndicated radio shows in history and showcased many legendary battles and upcoming rappers. Biggie Smalls received his first radio airplay on the show and Eminem was subsequently signed by Dr. Dre after his appearance. Sway took the job as MTV News’ hip-hop correspondent in the summer of 2000 and continues to contribute to The Wake Up Show. Sway and Tech also head up Bolo Entertainment, which dropped Sly Boogie’s critically acclaimed album, Judgement Day.

Judge Tosses Contraband Indictement Against C-Murder

The Louisiana Supreme Court tossed out an indictment against Corey "C-Murder" Miller that accused him of smuggling contraband into the Jefferson Parish jail, after being accused of having a cellphone while incarcerated. The court ruled a provision in the state constitution unconstitutional. The provision gave local officials the ability to determine what items are considered contraband. Miller was charged under the provision with states contraband inside the jail includes but not limited to drugs, money, stolen property, liquor and guns. The court ruled what is contraband should be left to local legislators and not law enforcement. Miller was accused of bribing guards to smuggle the phone in and using it to intimidate witnesses. He is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole, after being convicted of second degree murder on September 30. A close associate of Miller’s family said the conviction would be appealed, alleging that a juror had been bribed to obtain the conviction against Miller.

Fabolous Dropping Mixable Mix CD

Fabolous is preparing to drop a new mixcd that features 12 new songs and software bundled with the CD that will allow consumers to remix certain tracks on the CD. Fabolous’ More Street Dreams Pt. 2 The Mixtape, will come bundled with PCDJ software that will allow Fab’s latest song "Now Ride," directly from the CD. Purchasers of the CD will be able to rearrange and edit the vocals and instrumental tracks directly from their PC or laptops. An option to purchase the software is included as an added bonus. The software will not be available to the general public until the holidays. The new effort from Fabolous features Mike Shorey, Joe Budden and Paul Cain. More Street Dreams Pt. 2 The Mixtape, hits stores on November 4th.

Former Enron Employee Releases CD Dissing Enron Exec’s

A former employee of oil/energy giant Enron, is releasing a CD dissing his former employee’s, just in time for the second anniversary of the day the company laid off 4,000 employees. David Tonsall, who raps under the moniker "NRun," was a technical manager for the company. His upcoming CD, Corporate America, takes aim former Enron Chairman Ken Lay and former CEO Jeff Skilling. "It’s a spin on Enron," Tonsall told the Houston Chronicle of his rap name. "It also stands for "never run." Some of his lyrics are aimed at Enron executives, who have yet to be prosecuted for any crime despite presiding over one of the biggest corporate scandals in United States history. "Skilling, going to find you, rain, sleet or snow/There’s nowhere on earth that you can go/America, NRun has a story to tell/Gave … corporate crooks time to plan their escape. So when I see you, Jeffrey, I won’t hesitate." Tonsall lost almost $200,000 and his 401k when Enron went belly up. The CD features production by Slim Pimp. Corporate America hits stores December 3 and can be purchased at http://www.nrunwrekords.com/

Diddy Gets Down With XBox

Microsoft has signed Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, to help promote Xbox’s new slogan, “Let’s Play Together.” Diddy’s voice will be featured in the commercials.”I’m proud to be the voice responsible for connecting millions to the Xbox brand,” Combs said in a statement. “I love playing Xbox games and believe that the system’s cultural influence as a social entertainment brand has only just begun.”The new commercials will emphasize Xbox’s live multiplayer gaming. The 30 second spots will start running in time for the holidays.

Former Bad Boy Exec Shawn Prez Launches Promo Company

Former Bad Boy executive Shawn Prez has launched his own marketing and promotions company, Power Moves Inc., a full service promotions company.”I know the streets better than anyone, and understand how to brand products from the ground up, and for that reason have formed this company,” Prez said. “From working in the music industry for many years, I am well positioned to understand what resonates with consumers and the most effective manner in which to reach America’s consumers.”Prez has already lined up a number of clients, including EA Sports, And 1, MGM Studios, VSOP Passion Blend, Bad Boy, Sean John and others.”Power Moves is intended to enlighten corporate America, and the advertising industry on how to succeed with guerilla marketing,” Prez continued. “With the power to stimulate, penetrate and influence its time to connect the streets to the suites.”Prez said that the company’s promotional capabilities will include street teams, event planning and radio promotion.

The Good Brothers

Artist: Project Blowed Presenst…Title: The Good BrothersRating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Ducksauce The Good Brothers is the latest release on Aceyalone’s Project Blowed Recordings – named after the long-running open mic session held weekly in Los Angeles’ Liemert Park. This new collaborative effort features a plethora of upcoming Project Blowed MC’s, a handful of West coast headliners, and the legendary Acey himself as the ringleader of this eclectic circus. Like most typical compilations, this album was seemingly designed to have something for everyone. For the partygoers, there are the contagious tribal sounds of “Give It Here,” featuring notable performances by Aceyalone, Ahmad and Pep Love. Accompanied by energetic percussions and a catchy chorus, this track will definitely have heads nodding. The charmingly smooth, up-tempo “GB In Your Life” is yet another gem – a perfect, though not a little late, summertime anthem to bump up in your ride. For the conscious heads, on the reggae-induced “Come Unity” and the bouncy “Do The Math,” the Project Blowed MC’s take careful aim at society’s ills as they see it. Aceyalone spits: “Education’s at an all-time low / People don’t wanna learn s### no mo’ / Ask ‘em to read and then they say, What fo’? / ‘Cause fool you slow, and this is all about to blow!” Not the most complex lyrics of all time, but coupled with an ill instrumental, it can do wonders. Although this album has everything from poetic melodies (“Locked In”), love ballads (“L#####”), even a rock-n-roll finale (“Superstar”) – overall, it is bogged down by one too many filler songs. In addition, much of the production is nothing more than dinky, Casio keyboard sound-effects and what sound like throwaway beats from an 8-bit video game. To top it off, the numerous singsong hooks prevalent throughout the album prove to be more annoying than entertaining. As far as lyrics go, the album is cluttered with nursery rhyme-esque verses, like this one by Riddlore on “Hey Ladies”: “Now, I’ve been some places, and I’ve seen some faces / Good Brothers be rocking so many locations / Get standing ovations for running the nation / You know the rotation – feel the sensation.” Although his words flow nicely over the wickedly rhythmic track, non-descriptive, generic statements about rocking the crowd got played out like in 1989, and verses like this only add deadweight to an already sinking ship. Even a guest appearance by Rakaa Iriscience (Dilated Peoples) on the RJD2-produced “Rock With Us” isn’t enough to salvage this shipwreck. However, Aceyalone does appear on virtually every track, and thankfully so, for it is his lyrical presence that ultimately carries the weight of this project. Overall, The Good Brothers is just that – good (in a mediocre, average sort of way). It isn’t a monumental release, but at the same time, it isn’t horrible. Hardcore Acey fans should go and add this to their collection, but don’t set your expectations too high. Like the title suggests: it isn’t great, it’s just good.

Dear Andre 3000

Dear Andre 3000, I always had a feeling that this day would come. I saw it coming ever since you and Big Boi dropped the ATLiens album. At The Source Awards back in 1995 when you told the unruly New York crowd “I’m tired of closed minded people”. When you had on the military jacket and a turban. I knew that the path that Outkast was blazing would one day be difficult to continue in the same capacity. Dre, I’ve become more and more disappointed but somewhat understanding of the recent quotes I’ve read regarding your disenchantment with hip hop. Of course, only you can decide what’s best for you and your career and I respect that. But there’s something that you have to understand, you’re not the only one that’s mad at hip-hop right now. There are fans all over the world that miss the passion and fun that once came with hip-hop. As a fan of Outkast, I’ve purchased every Outkast album and even the “Player’s Ball” single when it first came out. Outkast made me want to come to Atlanta to go to college. Simply stated Dre…HIP HOP NEEDS YOU! We need albums like Aquemini and Stankonia. I was at the Stankonia concert when it came to the Atlanta Fox Theatre and I was amazed at the mixture of fans Outkast has. I’m not just talking about white kids at a black concert. I mean there were older white men and women, thugs, fine girls, afro-centric types, rock dudes, white-collar dudes, etc. ALL AT AN OUTKAST SHOW… I don’t now if you’re serious about not touring to support the new Outkast album but that s### floored me. Out of all the hip-hop acts that I’ve seen perform, Outkast has one of the best live performances, period. Do you know that people lose there minds when you throw on the old Atlanta Braves Jacket and jeans and tear into songs from “Southernplayalistic…”? Remember how ya’ll rock it at the Fox Theatre when you guys were on the Lauren Hill Tour? Dawg, you have to know what Outkast means to hip-hop? I think it was XXL magazine that pose the question on whether Outkast was the greatest group of all time. I think you’re right up there with Run-DMC and EPMD. If you wanna pursue acting, go ahead and act my n####. If you want to play guitar, play it. Whatever you want to do, do it my n####, your fans understand. But don’t take the Player and the Poet away from us. We look forward to seeing what new sound and songs you’ll come up with. Every time ya’ll drop a new CD there’s nervous confidence that you’ll pull it off again. We can’t wait to see what your next outfit will look like (By the way the new look is hot). We can’t wait to hear what new nickname Big Boi will call himself. The world is still saying “So Fresh and So Clean Clean” because of you guys. Dre, believe me there’s nothing in hip-hop that is as special as Outkast right now. Oh yeah, what about the A-town? The ATL is popular because of Outkast in some respects. Yeah folks new about Atlanta before 1993 but you guys painted the picture of what true ATLiens were about. Flip flops and socks, Hootie Hoo, Cadillac’s, and so on. Remember when people were bootlegging the Stankonia album before it came out? N##### was bumping that “Mrs. Jackson” all over Atlanta and that s### wasn’t even out yet. Can’t you see Dre, n##### don’t get excited over music like that anymore. Not unless it’s Jay-z, Eminem (50 cent too), or the muthaf**king Outkast. That buzz over a certain artists is rare these days. Dre, you have a gift shawty. There are a lot of people, including other rappers that consider you to be one of the best MC’s in the game. N##### to this day are still trippin’ off of your last verse on “Elevators”. Southern MC’s are getting their much-needed respect because of Face, Cee-lo, and you. So, instead of bowing out why don’t you show these n##### how to put out a classic solo joint? Then you and Big Boi come back out with another banger. What about making a CD with about 30 or 40 songs on it? Just take the game to another level because that’s what the game needs right now. Now if you want to sing…I’ll even accept that but you got to understand that even though “The Love Below” is good, you’re better at rhyming. You singing, with all due respect, is like me trying to qualify for the 100 yard dash in the Olympics. No matter how much I want to do it, speed is just not the skill that I was blessed with. If you’re uninspired with hip-hop, then inspire us. If you’re bored then continue to entertain us. Lastly, my n#### Big Boi has been holding the group down for a minute. He’s been so understanding of your growth, as far as I can tell from his actions and statements. I think he knows that no matter how much success you two could have separately, you guys will always be better as a group. Plus, Big Boi is spitting so hard on the mic right now, that n#### has to be in his prime. This is the point in your careers where Outkast could be making the best hip-hop records ever heard. I read where Big Boi said he would even go out on tour by himself to push the album. C’mon Dre, don’t leave Big Boi out there like that. Bottom line, Dre don’t stop rapping. Please find a way to want to rap again. Please find balance in all things you’d like to explore in your career. And please let that balance include hip-hop. For comments email J. Hill at offthedomecolumn@yahoo.com. J. Hill is the Co-Publisher of Criticalmag.com. All opinions expressed in the “Off the Dome” […]

Cam’ron: The Rugged Individual

Cam’ron’s past is often overlooked. For instance, people don’t care to recollect that The Notorious B.I.G. wanted to sign the rookie. He also once spit bars with a shiney-suitless Murder Mase, McGruff and Big L (RIP) as a member of the Children of the Corn. Through his ever-changing career, Cam has shown many faces, all of which have exemplified his individualism. From the quick flippant lyrics of “Confessions” to the bouncy drawl of “Oh Boy!,” Cam’s never been a follower. He’ll certainly continue with his rugged individualism with Purple Haze, which is on the way – love it or not. AllHipHop.com: Biggie “discovered” you through Ma$e. How did Ma$e introduce you to the legend? Cam: Big was doing his second album, Mase took me to his crib after he signed to Bad Boy and he just threw on a bunch of beats and I just rapped for him. Every beat he threw on I had rhymes, I had mad rhymes back then and he said he wanted to sign me. AllHipHop: What went wrong? Cam: Nothing really went wrong they just was busy and then I caught up running around in the streets. That day he had called his partner Un up like I want to mess with dude Cam he nice. So after Big passed away I went to the video shoot for Big Poppa and I seen Un there and I told him who I was, he said I want to sign you ‘cause Big said we was going to do that. That’s how that went down. AllHipHop: What happened when you got in trouble in college [in Texas]? Cam: I got caught with some guns and drugs in my room. AllHipHop: You were on the team? Cam: Yeah, I was playing basketball. AllHipHop: I never forget the promotion was real big like “Who is Camron” and “Who is Charlie Baltimore,” [when C.B. was with Untertainment] how was this? Cam: Over there it was cool, we didn’t always see eye to eye creatively. No discredit to him, I can’t blame him but he was to caught up in the Biggie era. You got to do this like Big, you got to do that like Big, I’m not from Brooklyn and I’m not Big you got to let a n#### do his own thing. We didn’t see eye to eye creatively but Un’s a great guy he was working hard trying to get it poppin’, but we didn’t see eye to eye creatively. AllHipHop: Early on your image was a little different from now, was that part of it? Cam: Yeah Un was commercial, he want that one hit to get you out of that tight situation. Me I rather have longevity where I do 500 [thousand], 500, 500 then start doing millions, I rather get it at the end of the career. Not to discredit him ‘cause he did give me a shot and a opportunity but it’s just that he always want that commercial, he didn’t know sometimes that grimey leads to commercial… AllHipHop: Y’all helped revolutionized the mix tapes; can you speak on that approach? Cam: It’s been going on about a couple years, we made a tape ‘cause we always had music. We would put all the songs on a CD and put them out on the streets for free. We started selling them for $5 just to get our money back. So I did it then after I did it other artists started doing it too. AllHipHop: So did that lead to your deal? Cam: Yeah definitely. Def Jam wanted to take the deal, but Dame took the first rights and refusal and brought it over to Roc-a-Fella. AllHipHop: Word is Dip Set lives like real Diplomats Cam: [For one trip] I asked for a $100,000 airplane and come get a n####, fly him there and get everything I want. Like I was a###### about it, I don’t go out to countries and a war about to go on. Listen, if I go I need a world jet that means no passengers just me and my n#####, smoking flight there, five star hotel when we get there, American food, American chef, this all for 2 days. When you’re on a private jet, world jet or G-4 it aint no searching just get on the plane. AllHipHop: Do you still have ill feelings toward Nas for callin’ you out? Jim Jones says stuff on the regular. Cam: I don’t even pay that no mind anymore, you say my name I’m going to come at you it don’t matter who you are or what’s going on, leave me the f*ck alone. I did apologize about his daughter and his mom ‘cause at that time I didn’t know his moms passed away when I said what I said. So I apologized about that, but realistically like you said dude came at me for nothing. I used to like his stuff but I don’t even listen no more. AllHipHop: Did you mean the apology, people felt like it was damage control to keep things peaceful? Cam: What happened with me was when I heard it I went in the studio 20 minutes later and recorded the song. I don’t really take back nothing I say but I sat there and thought about it like his daughter aint got nothing to do with it. It aint got nothing to do with what his baby mother said or what he said, that’s jus me apologizing ‘cause I was dead wrong for that. Second, I didn’t know his mother died so that really made me f*cked up like damn I’m not that type of dude. I would say that if your moms is alive. AllHipHop: What do you think about rap beef, personally I think it’s getting kind of played out? Cam: I never did like it, I never like when you have to use somebody else name to get fame. What happens then is people’s feelings get involved and get […]

Chicken -N- Beer

Artist: LudacrisTitle: Chicken -N- BeerRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Quia Querisma From that high-profile snafu with Pepsi and Bill O’Riley to his movie roles, Ludacris keeps busy. It’s easy to think that he’s not focusing on the rap game if he’s into so much other stuff right? Wrong. Chicken -N- Beer, the Atlanta-bred rapper’s third release on Def Jam is a 4-star effort, and by far his best album to date. Ludacris, relies heavily on his own talent and that of his crew, Disturbing Tha Peace (DTP). Of the 13 tracks, only four feature established artists. High-profile vocals include Snoop Dogg on “Hoes in My Room,” Chingy on “We Got,” 8 Ball & MJG and Carl Thomas on “Hard Times” and Houston’s Lil Flip on “Screwed Up.” The production team for Chicken -N- Beer is an assorted order. Erick Sermon, Kanye West, DJ Paul and Juicy “J” share the roster with lesser-known beat masters Icedrake, Ruh Anubis, and Jook. Beats provided by this team are more than enough to hook the listener, but craftily they don’t overshadow Ludacris’s flow. The recipe for the album is similar to the rapper’s prior two: freestyle sessions, smoking and drinking, partying, sex, introspection and pimpin’. The ingredients are similar to other mainstream rap albums but Ludacris’s charismatic delivery and hilarious rhymes continue to make him stand out. The lead single, “Stand Up” is the Kanye West-produced (and Ludacris co-produced) club banger. It has the right amount of energy and punch lines that makes it enjoyable in the club as well as in the car. Another standout track is “Splash Waterfalls.” The verses follow along the progression of a romantic relationship–one that’s full of kinky sex. But the verses aren’t what make this song great. Icedrake put together a track that’s mellow in the background but is laced with a fierce drum loop full of bounce. “Screwed Up” is Ludacris’s ode to the Houston style of “screwed” music. The beat sounds a bit like a slowed down circus ditty laced with a lot of bounce from the beat machine. Lil Flip lends his drawled vocals for a few verses as they flip about staying high off of weed and lean. “Hip Hop Quotables” is version three of the freestyle track that always appeared on Ludacris albums with Erick Sermon’s minimalist head-bobbing production allowing listeners to pay attention to the lyrics. The punch lines come back to back to back on this track. Don’t laugh too much or you’ll miss the next joke. Ludacris continues to improve as a lyricist despite keeping busy in the movies and his philanthropic efforts. Chicken -N- Beer is served up well and fans will want a large order.

Dead Prez Filing Lawsuit Against NYPD

Hip-Hop group dead prez is filing a lawsuit against the NYPD, after being arrested and detained in September.According to dead prez, police approached them and group A-Alikes as they took photographs in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York.The officers allegedly failed to provide a valid reason for requesting ID and the group refused to produce identification. Officers called for backup and arrested and detained the group.”I was harassed and attacked by the police in my neighborhood,” Stic said. “There were no complaints and I wasn’t violating any laws.”According to the groups lawyer, Attorney Kamau Karl Franklin, there are no state or federal laws that deem it unlawful for a person to question or deny the demand for identification by a law enforcement officer.”Even if we walk away with monetary compensation, which we’re almost guaranteed given the illegal detention, it’s important to be an example to other victims of police brutality, be they recording artists or everyday.”Dead prez, along with A-Alikes, the People’s Army and other fellow Hip-Hop artists are organizing a call amongst New York attorneys, community leaders, political activists, musicians and supporters.The group will hold a press conference on October 29, before entering court.

Cannibal Ox Breaks Up, Cancels Tour With Jean Grae

Rap group Cannibal Ox has officially broken up. Group members Vast Aire and Vordul have parted ways and have canceled a planned 30 city tour with Jean Grae, which was slated to start October 17th. "This is the second tour we canceled this year," former DJ Anthony "Cip One" Cipriani told AllHipHop.com. "Since leaving Def Jux, Vast and Vordul rarely speak to each other any more. Vast just wants to focus on his solo career." Jean Grae expressed shock at the group members decision to call it quits. Grae was part of the tour, promoting her The Bootleg Of The Bootleg EP. "People kept telling me it wouldn’t happen due to the history of the group’s situation with concert promoters worldwide," Jean Grae added. "Friday when Can Ox decided to pull out of the tour at the last second, as well as break up their group officially, we were pretty much left with nothing, except the pieces to try and pick up." Grae’s representatives have started planning a new tour to support The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP, which is in stores now.

Rapping Judge Dumps Lawsuit Against Eminem

A $1 million defamation lawsuit against Eminem has been dismissed by a judge in Michigan.DeAngelo Bailey claimed that Eminem slandered him on 1999’s “Brain Damage,” which was featured on The Slim Shady LP. In the song, Em accused Bailey of being a bully who beat him bloody as a child.In the most surprising event, Judge Deborah Servitto added her own 10 stanza rhyme, which read in part : “It is therefore this Court’s ultimate position/that Eminem is entitled to summary disposition…stories no one would take as fact/they’re an exaggeration of a childish act.”Bailey’s attorney alluded to an appeal of the verdict and said he was surprised that the judge included her own rap in the said he wasn’t sure how an appeals court would view the Judge’s rhyme.

Eric B. Wants To Be Paid In Full, Suing Island Def Jam

Eric B. & Rakim’s groundbreaking album, Paid In Full is being re-released as a double CD set, featuring the original album remastered and a collection of remixes. But Eric "Eric B." Barrier is not pleased with Island re-releasing the album, alleging that the label has never paid the duo for the legendary album and is filing a lawsuit against Island Def Jam Music Group, Lyor Cohen and Russell Simmons. "We have never received a dime from Paid In Full, not one dime, despite it selling so well throughout the years," Barrier told AllHipHop.com. "We were managed by Rush Management at the time of the album being released. Lyor managed the day to day operations. I recently talked to Russell and Lyor about it. Their lawyers said it was too old for us to fight and that they could beat us in court." Barrier said that before he considered legal action against Cohen, Simmons and the Island Def Jam Music Group, he attempted to settle the dispute out of court. "I approached them to settle this dispute 9 months ago," Barrier said. "They have been exploiting these masters for years. It’s just another way to f*ck someone. I’m going to sue everyone. They expect me to go up to the offices on the ole n*gga sh*t and go up against his head, but we aint into that. We are going to file the lawsuit against them and Island." Barrier said the issues started when they were being managed by Simmons’ Rush Management. The group was signed to a small label, Zakiya Records. Barrier said the Paid In Full album was completed in a short period of time and ended up being released by 4th & Broadway, a division of Island Records in 1987. "Our contracts were never signed to Island," Eric B. said. "Island tried to give us $475,000 to be locked in, but Universal came with a million. They went to court and ruled against Island and said they had no rights. That’s how we got out of being signed to 4th and Broadway and the masters were supposed to be returned to us. That means they were supposed to stop selling the record." Eric B. said that the seminal record has been a constant seller though the years in the United States and abroad, not to mention compilations the music from the album has been featured on and the movies that it has appeared in. "These masters have been exploited so bad," Eric B. continued. "Lyor charged Damon Dash $5,000 for the masters. Now this is the lead title track to the movie…the lead track usually get at least $200,000 without even blinking. If your saying you have a right to license these masters on behalf of Eric B. & Rakim and your only going to license it for that amount, your not doing a good job." Barrier said that his decision to sue was strictly business and that he harbored no animosity towards Simmons or Cohen, who are both Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. "This is business and not personal, but Russell can fight for Luda and get $4 million from Pepsi. He’s the Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. Eric B. calls about getting a settlement and that’s not important. How can you sit there and fight Pepsi for Luda but you can’t settle this thing for Eric B. and Rakim for one of the most important albums in history? I told Russell I never received a dime. He said to me, ‘Oh my god Eric, I can’t believe it.’ Russell said out of his own mouth, ‘they must owe you 60-70 million dollars.’ OK, so why can’t we settle this with Lyor before it becomes a big thing?" Barrier said that he was in the process of hiring top litigators to help with his case. "All the press is going to make them look bad. We are going to sue everybody. I am suing Island and I am going to sue Lyor personally. I told them I didn’t want it to come to this, but they owe us. They are getting free money year after year after year off our work." Cohen, Simmons or representatives for Island/Def Jam did not comment as of press time.