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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

Snoop Sued Over Answering Machine Message

An answering machine message has gotten Snoop Dogg into trouble for the second time. According to court documents, the rapper is being sued by a man only known as "Joh Doe," in Los Angeles Superior Court. Doe, who resides in Compton, California, claims that Snoop used his voice unauthorized on "Pimp Slapp’d," which appears on Snoop’s album, Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss. The song is a diss to Death Row CEO Suge Knight. When Doe asked why Snoop used the answering machine message, Snoop allegedly replied "because it was so real." "Unfortunately, it is so real that the Plaintiff now fears for his life and that of his elderly mother because it appears that he, as a Compton resident (where a rival of Broadus [Snoop], Suge Knight, apparently has a lot of pull and is feared) is supporting Broadus in the turf war. " The complaint does not say how much monetary damages Doe seeks, but Doe is seeking to have the message taken off of all future copies of Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss and any future singles. Snoop Dogg already settled out of court for $75,000 in a case involving an 80 year-old woman. In that case, her answering machine message about Marijuana use was taped anuthorized. The song appeared on the introduction to "No Limit,’ the 13th song on Magic’s 1998 album, Sky’s the Limit.

Dame Dash Arrested, Son Brings Pot To School

Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash was arrested yesterday on a warrant for "absconding with a subject child," after his son’s mother claimed he was taking the 11 year-old boy to live in California. The arrest comes amidst a custody battle between Dash and Linda Williams, the 11 year-old’s mother. On March 10, William’s claims that the sixth grader told his teacher at his school that he was not happy with his father smoking pot. He then displayed the pot to the teacher. The 11 year-old now faces a drug possesion charge after the teacher called police. According to Williams, the boy will appear in Criminal Court in Hackensack, New Jersey. Dash removed his son from the school 14 days later. Damon Dash was released after appearing in Manhattan Family court. A trial date is set for April 3.

50 Cent Chart Domination Continues, Preps DVD

50 Cent’s reign at the top of the charts continues, as the rapper moved 234,000 more copies of his Get Rich or Die Tryin, bringing his sales totals to over 3 million copies in just seven weeks. The rapper is showing no signs of slowing down. On April 15th, he will release "The New Breed" DVD. According to reports, "The New Breed" DVD features a highly controversial film feature; an exclusive interview at Rikers Island with G-Unit’s Tony Yayo, live concert footage with 50 Cent, Eminem, D12 and Obie Trice; , and a computer-generated video for the Dr. Dre-produced album track "Heat." Three tracks will also be included "The New Breed" DVD. "In The Hood" (50 Cent featuring Brooklyn), "True Loyalty" (Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and producer Sha Money XL) and "8 More Miles" (50 Cent 8 Mile Road Remix).are all included on the DVD. 50 Cent has six recordings in the top 76 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart (March 29 issue date). Five of them, the #1 "In Da Club" (which is also #1 on the pop Hot 100 chart), "Wanksta," "21 Questions" featuring Nate Dogg, "If I Can’t," and "Patiently Waiting" featuring Eminem, spun off from Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

Craig G: Battles By Fire

In Hip-Hop, wack freestyles are like teenagers trying to purchase alcohol before they turn 21. They aren’t going to get very far, and they can be guaranteed a gas-face or two along the way. The art of "off the top of the head rhymes" is a lost, but precious skill, tried by many but mastered by a choice few. Craig G. is the blueprint of what a freestyle specialist is, and quite possibly the greatest the Hip-Hop world has ever seen. Or will see. A legend whose roots can be traced back to the days of the Juice Crew and underground classics such as "Symphony," Craig G. has been a major player in Hip-Hop’s underworld for some 17 years. He has lent his venomous lyrics to many an MC, most recently penning the freestyle battle lyrics in Eminem’s "8-Mile," which is by far one of Hip-Hop’s greatest tributes to battle rap. Craig recently went back to the lab to record tracks for his latest bangers, his official bootleg mixtape and his D&D Records debut, "This Is Now," which is due to hit stores on May 20th. The legendary mic controller gives Allhiphop.com a lesson on what it takes to move the crowd with no pencil to be found in the building. Allhiphop.com: Talk about the new mixtape that’s floating around in the streets right now. Craig G: I put out a mixtape because it was like a loan. I finished the album early, and we was a few months in between, so we figured we’d do something right now. It’s a bunch of exclusive freestyles and a couple of joints from the album. That’s how it came about. It’s just something for the streets, you know. AllHipHop: Has it hit the streets yet or when is it supposed to hit the streets? Craig: It’s all over New York right now. AllHipHop: Is NY the only place you can find the mixtape? Craig: It’s in Boston, Atlanta, and it’s on its way to Tennessee, but if you need something wherever you at, just call the label and we’ll send a box out to you. AllHipHop: No doubt. How did the situation with D&D come about? Craig: I used to do a lot of joints up there with them. I always hung out at the studio with other producers and artists, and it came about when I got off the set of this movie I was working on. AllHipHop: Just for those who don’t know, let them know what movie that was. Craig: 8-Mile. AllHipHop: We’re going to discuss the movie deal at length in a second. D&D is a historical label, and anybody who’s anybody in Hip-Hop has done some work for those guys. How do you feel about being affiliated with such a renowned label? Craig: It’s good because of the type of music I do. It matches up real well. AllHipHop: How long have you been a part of the label? Craig: For like a year now. We just finished the album; it’s just tight, man. We knocked it out real quick. AllHipHop: Word. Let’s get into some Juice Crew updates for a minute. Are you still in contact with any of those cats these days? Craig: Actually yeah. Marley (Marl) did one of the singles on the album, and I see (Masta) Ace and Kane all the time. AllHipHop: Did any of them make an appearance on the mixtape? Craig: No, because we did the mixtape so fast. But whatever we talk about gets done immediately. AllHipHop: That’s history all in itself right there. Let’s get into the 8-Mile situation, man. What was your capacity in that movie? Craig: I wrote a lot of the lyrics for the dudes that was going against Eminem in the movie. It started out when Eminem was in the Rap Olympics out in Cali. Before all the stuff jumped off with him, I judged that battle. We kind of forged a little relationship then. So, when it was time to do the movie, there were a few actors, and they was like, "how do we coach these people to do this?" and he just picked me. We jumped it off and got it rocking. AllHipHop: This is how y’all initially hooked up? Craig: Yeah. My lawyers worked with his, so it pretty much worked into its own, you know? AllHipHop: You are a world-class freestyle specialist. Can you tell me about how many battles you’ve been in over the course of your career? Craig: A ton of them, man. You get pigeonholed almost, you know what I mean? AllHipHop: It almost turns into a typecast situation, right? That’s all you become known for. Craig: Yeah, and that’s why I did this album right here. That’s why the album is called "This Is Now." I mean, I’ve been in a ton of them. I’ve been in countless states, just everywhere, you know? AllHipHop: Beside yourself, who do you think is the top MC when it comes to off the top lyrics? Craig: Proof (D-12) is real nice. He’s not the top guy, but Big Tigger is pretty nice actually. I’ll give it to him. AllHipHop: Tigger gets in the basement and does the damn thing, right? Craig: He freestyles better than a lot of signed artists sometimes on there. There’s a lot of dudes, man. But now, I went head first into this album because I proved that already. I did everything with that already, you know? AllHipHop: When you used to engage in those battles, what goes through your mind when you look across the stage and see your next victim? Craig: It’s like sports to me. You feed off of the energy the guy is giving you, and you just play your best out there. You got to stay one up on him. It’s hard when you are thinking about the next line before you even say it. AllHipHop: Was there any nervousness involved, or do you even have room to […]

Eazy E Passed 8 Years Ago Today, Krayzie Bone Comments

Today, March 26 1995 pioneering Compton, California rapper/executive Eazy E died from complications of AIDS just three weeks after being diagnosed. He was 31. Wright, who founded Ruthless Records’, is arguably one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history, helping to jumpstart "gangsta rap." Eazy was also one of the founders of N.W.A. "I wanna say is Eazy E’s Ruthless Records was the first sreet independent label and it needs to be recognized," Krayzie Bone told AllHipHop.com. "Every rapper from the West coast branched from him and can’t deny that." Bone, who signed to Eazy’s Ruthless imprint before he was diagnosed with AIDS, has released 5 albums and two greatest hits collections for the label. "If he was still alive he would still be right on top," Krayzie continued. "Hiphop needs to give ’em more props, because he did what people was scared to do first, and that’s keep it real gangsta." Bone is currently headlining the "Take Me Home" tour supporting their latest album, Thug World Order. 9-Apr Wednsday Nashville, TN 10-Apr Thursday Birmingham, AI 11-Apr Friday Atlanta, GA 12-Apr Saturday Athens, GA 13- Apr Sunday Columbia, SC 14- Apr Off 15- Apr Tuesday Orlando, FL 16- Apr Off 17- Apr Thrusday Miaim, FL 18- Apr Friday Tampa, FL 19- Apr Saturday Tallahassee./Mobile 20- Apr Easter 21- Apr Monday Jackson, Miss 22- Apr Tuesday Los Angeles House of Blues 23- Apr Wednsday Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre 24- Apr Thrusday TBA 25- Apr Friday Orange County, CA House of Blues 26- Apr Saturday Phoenix Celebrity Theatre 27- Apr Sunday Northridge, CA & Tucson, AZ CAl State Northridge, Rialto Theatre 28- Apr Monday El Paso Tx Club Valare 29- Apr Tuesday Albuquerque,NM Sunshine Theatre 30- Apr Wednsday Denver, Co Ogden Theatre 1-May Off 2-May Friday Dallas Tx, 3-May Saturday San Antonio, TX 4-May Sunday Houston, TX

De La Soul’s AOI 3 To Be Released Independently

De La Soul’s Maseo said that De La Soul’s third installment of the Artificial Intelligence series will be released independently, through his Bear Mountain Entertainment label. After splitting with Tommy Boy when the label folded, it was reported that the group had inked a four album deal with Elektra. "The group is not signed to Elektra," Bear Mountain president Jason Alexander told AllHipHop.com. "The album will come out independently. We are still negotiating a distribution situation." Last year, Pos told AllHipHop.com that label had inked a four album deal with Elektra and said that AOI 3 may see the light of day via the internet, but that the group was working on different album for Elektra. In a recent interview with the Miami Herald, Maseo, who lives and works out of Boca Raton, Florida, said that he was looking forward to the challenge of being independent. ”It’s the best feeling in the world,” Maseo said. "With the turn of the industry and the Internet absorbing a lot of the record sales, it’s the best thing that could have happened in my career." "It was great to wear the Tommy Boy jersey, but now we’re playing for our own," he continued. "From the business perspective, we get to see more of a return on our music.”

Russell Simmons Launches New Pre-Paid Visa Card

Russell Simmons has launched UniRush Financial Services, a new joint venture between Simmons’ Rush Communications and Unifund Corporation, a leading leading buyer and seller of distressed debt and will launch the Rush Prepaid Visa Card. The new Rush Visa card will target people who don’t have checking accounts or relationships with traditional banking institutions. "Nearly 48 million Americans do not have a banking relationship or access to traditional banking systems," Simmons said. "These people don’t have bank accounts, and often pay exorbitant check cashing and money transfer fees. The Rush Card and the services offered by UniRush will help put money back in their pocket and put them on the path to sound fiscal management." UniRush has developed an "existing pool" of potential users that they will market the card to. The user that doesn’t have a checking account will be able to utilize direct deposit of income into his or her account with UniRush and have access to the funds via the Visa Card. "UniRush has created a unique service offering, which is only possible through the type of complex electronic debit and prepaid commerce systems we currently have in place," said Craig Marshall, chief operating officer of Rush Communications. "Starting with the Rush Card, we will introduce a host of new services over the coming months geared towards improving the lives of unbanked Americans everywhere."

D&D Selling Studio Equipment

D&D Studios will be selling off their studio equipment next week. Starting March 31, the sale will run until April 4. Speakers, mixing boards, turntables, plaques and more will be sold off during the five day sale. For an extensive item list, contact:l 718-388-8073 or email: dndrecords2003@hotmail.com On March 1, the studio that such producers as Premier, Alchemist, The Beatminerz and countless of other producers and artists recorded out of, closed it’s studio portion on the business. The owners, Doug Grama and Dave Lotwin said they will focus on the D&D Records imprint.

Lyor Cohen And Def Jam Found Liable

On Friday (March 21), an 8 person jury in Manhattan federal court found Lyor Cohen, the Chairman of Island/Def Jam Music Group personally liable for fraud, willful copyright infringement, and wrongful interference with contract. The verdict stemmed from a lawsuit filed by TVT Records over an album by Cash Money Cliq. TVT claimed that Cohen told Gotti he didn’t have permission to deliver the album to TVT and is seeking $30 million in damages. "The verdict against Mr. Cohen, personally, for fraud shows that there are some very serious problems confronting Def Jam and Universal Music Group," said Peter Haviland, trial lawyer for TVT Records. Kevin Liles, Vice President of The Island Def Jam Music Group, testified at trial earlier in the month that he witnessed Cohen tell Gotti "No f*cking way, we are not doing this project" around August of last year, just before TVT was going to release the album. The jury unanimously found both Def Jam and Lyor Cohen personally liable for interference with TVT’s contract. Cohen was also found personally liable, along with Def Jam, for willful copyright infringement related to Def Jam’s distribution of TVT’s copyrighted recording "Get tha Fortune" which appeared on a DVD entitled "Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc." released in July 2002. Cohen was also found liable for willful copyright infringement related to the recording "The Rain," which Mr. Gotti had made for TVT to be released on the CMC album but instead appeared on the Def Jam release of the CD version of Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc. Cohen denied knowledge that Gotti had been working on the CMC project, despite the fact that the multi-platinum selling album of Ashanti, released in April 2002 included in its artwork reference to the CMC album. The artwork for the Def Jam-distributed CD Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc mentioned the album and advertisements also ran in hip-hop publications featuring Ja-Rule. The same jury which found Cohen and Def Jam liable will determine damages on April 28. Def Jam lawyer Charles Ortner said he will appeal the verdict on the grounds that Judge Victor Marrero refused key evidence to be presented to jurors.

Fabolous Arrested For Third Time

Fabolous was arrested for possession of a loaded semi-automatic firearm yesterday (March 24), according to police reports. This arrest marks the rapper’s third altercation in 2003. Fabolous, born John Jackson, reportedly attempted to perform at New York Club Webster Hall last night when club bouncers found a gun on the entertainer’s bodyguard during a routine frisking. The entourage was turned away according to witnesses. Club security then called police after noticing the bodyguard, 42-year-old Roger Fenrick, put the gun in the car after they parked their vehicle nearby. Police arrested the entire group of five as they made their way back to the club for the show. Police charge they found a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that none of the entourage would admit to owning. Fabolous plead not guilty to all charges levied against him. 25-year-old Fabolous was arrested for driving with a suspended license and gun possession on the very next day on January 24 and 25. The gun possession charge was dismissed earlier this month.

MTV Bans ‘Violent’ Videos

MTV has banned music videos it deems to be violent for the duration of the US led military campaign against Iraq. Attempting to reciprocate the somber mood of their audience, MTV executives told World Entertainment News Network that “videos with words such as ‘bomb,’ ‘missile,’ ‘war’ or other sensitive words in the artist on song title should not be shown.” “We’re screening videos with an eye towards current events to make sure whatever we play is sensitive and appropriate,” an MTV spokesperson told Pagesix. Such a broad definition of violence may prove problematic for Hip Hop videos in the vein of Nas’ “Made you Look,” or 50 Cent’s “Wanksta.” Currently, the playlist of MTV’s hip hop video show Direct Effect is relatively benign in respect to the new policy. This will potentially affect Hip Hop videos in the near future. An MTV spokesperson said, “In common with other broadcasters, I think we should be responsive to audience sensitivity in this time of war.”

T.I.: The Grand Hustler

His debut disc I’m Serious sported production credits from the omnipresent Neptunes and Jazze Pha, yet the combination of stellar beats with his laid-back but intense southern tinged delivery failed to garner widespread recognition (read: sales). Nevertheless it was a regional success with T.I. being a household name in states below the Mason Dixon line. His local fame culminated in a bidding war which included major labels like Universal, Bad Boy and Def Jam actively vying for his services. With a business savvy well beyond his 22 years, T.I. Is poised to make another attempt at cracking the rap game’s glass ceiling. Instead of being courted by the big dogs, he would rather be one of them. AllHipHop.com: What does the name "T.I." stand for? T.I.: Everyone from the streets knows me as Tip. When I would call people they would think I said "Chip" so I would spell it out for them, "T.I.P". That kind of stuck with me. When I signed to LaFace Records I was using T.I.P. When LaFace merged with Arista, that put me on the same label with Q-Tip and they felt having two artists with names that similar would be hard to market. A n*gga had been there longer and I was the new artist so it would make more sense to ask me to change my name than it would to ask him to change his. AllHipHop: Who made that decision? T.I: L.A. (Reid) asked KP to ask me about it. At first I bucked for a little while but it became a situation where it was like do you wanna move forward or stand still? AllHipHop: So you were with LaFace then when LA Reid left to assume his CEO/President position at Arista Records? T.I.:Yeah, some people got dropped some people went to Arista. I went to Arista. AllHipHop: Did that effect your situation with your "I’m Serious" album? T.I.: Honestly it had a lot to do with LA (Reid)’s positioning and what he was focusing on at the time. Taking that big job he was focusing on Pop, Rock, R&B. If it wasn’t Pop, Rock or R&B, he didn’t give a f*ck about it I don’t think, to be perfectly honest with you. Unless it had already made him a substantial amount of money and already had a no-brainer effect to it. A lot of people got caught up in that. I think LA wanted to prove himself in another genre of music. I think he kind of let the urban music alone for a little while and I think I got caught up in that. But it’s all good though, I ain’t got no hard feelings. AllHipHop: Did you have any trouble getting out of your contract with Arista? T.I.: Oddly enough naw, I didn’t. They pretty much just kept it pimpin’ with me. We had a few meetings. LA was like "Yo, I don’t want to let you go, I don’t want you to dip." I’m like "I understand that man but I don’t believe that you know that much about my genre of music. If you want me to stay it’s going to require this, and if you ain’t willing to do this, then let me go." I think he understood that and he let me go, for a small price. But it ain’t nothing to cry over, it could have been a lot worse. AllHipHop: What did you do since you album came out? T.I.: Sheeit man, grindin’. Acting as an independent company. Spending my own money, shooting my own video, promoting the product…spending my own money on posters, pictures, t-shirts, vinyl, promo cds, putting out independent records, getting records added to radio stations on our own. sh*t man what haven’t I been doing?! We been doing everything that they [the label] didn’t do within our means. We ain’t have millions to spend, I think we spent like a hundred thousand in getting "I’m Serious" to where it is right now. AllHipHop: Killer Mike spoke highly…how do you go about choosing who you work with? T.I.: I gotta respect your craft, I gotta respect your work. I’m not the kind of person that’s just gonna do a record with somebody just because they selling a certain amount of records or got a certain buzz right now. I’m a rapper, but I’m a fan first. I was a fan before I was a rapper. If I like the sh*t I feel then 9 times out of 10, other m’f*ckers are gonna like it too. And if I feel like what you do goes with what I do then we can work. And then again, in addition to that our genres’ of music have to be the same. Even if I do respect you craft and I do respect your art, it still gotta go with what I’m doing. The n*ggas who buy my records, they gotta in some way coincide with the m’f*ckas who buy your records. AllHipHop: So you wouldn’t do any records with Britney Spears? T.I.: Nah, I wouldn’t. Not because I don’t think she a good artist. I don’t think n*ggas who f*ck with dope boys and the trap n*ggas is going wanna hear me with Britney Spears. That can be bent to a certain degree but you gotta be real careful in that. I might not do one with Britney Spears, but maybe I would do one with Usher, you know what I’m sayin’? AllHipHop: You signed with Atlantic, but who else was in the running? T.I.: A lot of people thought that I had finalized a deal with Puff and Bad Boy. Me and Puff got together, we kicked it a few different places, a few different times and people were seeing us together. The biggest thing with that was when he did the Bad boy Weekend down here and had a show at The Bounce. I’m from Bankhead and The Bounce is Bankhead and his people said you need to f*ck with […]

DMX Denied Entry Into Canada For Second Time

DMX has canceled another show at SaskPlace in Canada, making it the second time in three months that the rapper has canceled a show in the country. "Due to the intensified security crackdown in the United States, current travel restrictions due to the war in Iraq, and unwillingness of Canada’s government to allow DMX into the country at this time, DMX will not be performing in Canada," DMX’s management said in a statement. In December of last year, DMX was denied entry into Canada and was briefly detained by immigration authorities after they said the multi-platinum rapper failed to meet entry requirements.

Eve Teams With Reebok For New Ads

Reebok has tapped Eve to appear in two print advertisements promoting the Classic Oryx and the Classic Gold Medallist. In addition to the "Blonde Bombshell" print advertisements, Eve will team with Fabolous to perform an original :30 spot about Reebok Classic sneakers. The commercials features Eve and Fabolous emerging from TV monitors at Foot Locker to the surprise of an onlooking consumer. "Eve is well known for her classic hip-hop style throughout the music industry and on the streets," said Micky Pant, Reebok’s chief marketing officer. "We believe her fashion-forward look and timeless appeal represent Reebok very well." The spot begins airing March 26 on BET, Comedy Central, ESPN Networks, MTV, TNN, UPN and WWE, as well as General Entertainment Syndicated Shows.

Killers On The Payroll

Well, here we are. Bombs are dropping, the dying has started, and our country of ignorant, blind allegiance-pledging sheep has sanctioned yet another massacre for profit in the name of “liberating the oppressed.” Never mind the fact that millions of people spoke out against our non-elected Commander-in-Chief’s hell-bent course of action, or that Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix and Ex-Marine and former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter stated repeatedly that weapons of mass destruction didn’t exist and that more time was needed, or that the report of supposed proof of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction presented by Colin Powell to the U.N. was plagiarized, or that of the 535 members of Congress, only one (Sen. Johnson of South Dakota) has an enlisted son or daughter in the armed forces, or that GOP-contributors the Bechtel Group Inc., Fluor Corp., Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root, Louis Berger Group Inc., and Parsons Corp have all been asked to submit bids for the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure, again sadly proving the argument that this is indeed a slaughter for profit. Never mind these facts, no. Never mind the fact the the Hallibuton Corporation, of which our Vice-President was once CEO, has been awarded a contract to oversee firefighting operations in Iraqi oilfields, and will probably be instrumental in the rebuilding effort, just as it was in the Gulf War after we bombed Iraq in 1991, to the tune of $23.8 million dollars. This will probably be lost on my fellow Americans. It certainly has been lost on our conservative -bending Bush-complicit media. I can almost hear the conservatives now. “Where were you when Clinton bombed Bosnia…blah, blah, blah…” Is this the best they can do? That’s a moot point at this juncture. People are dying in a war that is unjust and the media has simply sat on it’s collective hands. Where’s the independent investigation into 9-11? Gone forever, I suppose. This is now more relevant then ever because the entire chain of events which have transpired since 9-11 (the reduction of civil liberties, rampant profiteering and the demonization and imperialist invasions of lessor-developed countries) have occurred because of 9-11. How come I can find all this information from credible sources online but they can’t? Because they don’t want you to know, that’s why. I’m sure some of them will say, “what’s a rapper doing commenting on politics…blah, blah blah…” completely overlooking the fact that I, too, am educated, and that they, in their arrogance and inherent racism, don’t have the market cornered on analytical thought. What makes these talking heads more qualified than me to speak out? Nothing. Understand that today’s supposed "news" is totally under the control of the Pentagon. We never see actual war footage – babies dying, families slaughtered – just blips and far-away night vision shots. The dehumanizing effect of all of this is that we are desensitized to the atrocities of war. For most Americans, it is a temporary inconvenience that we hope will be resolved quickly. A video game…cool! We can’t relate to the horrors of war because we’ve never been attacked here. Remember most of the war hawks have never served in the armed services and most of the doves have. So now we are faced with the paradox of wanting our soldiers–young men and women who risk too much for too little pay–to come home in one piece. But supporting our troops while they’re fighting an immoral and illegal war is misguided and wrong. Members of our armed forces don’t deserve insults, but their role in this war doesn’t merit support either. Cheering them as they leave and holding parades when they return would certainly be misinterpreted by citizens of other countries as popular support for an inglorious enterprise–and it would make it easier for Bush to send them off again, to Iran or Libya or wherever. Iraq has never attacked, nor threatened to attack, the United States. As his 1990 invasion of Kuwait proved, Saddam is a menace to his neighbors–Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel–but he’s their problem, not ours. Saddam’s longest-range missiles only travel 400 miles. Why Iraq? Why not North Korea, who has an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the western United States and nuclear capability? Why not Pakistan, who just unveiled its new HATF-4 ballistic missile? I’m not calling for us to ride on these countries too, don’t get me wrong. But if disarmament were Bush’s goal, shouldn’t those countries–both of which have threatened to use nukes–be higher-priority targets than non-nuclear Iraq? Iraq isn’t part of the war on terrorism. The only link between Iraq and Al Qaeda is the fact that they hate each other’s guts. And no matter how often Bush says "9/11" and "Iraq" in the same breath, Saddam had nothing to do with the terror attacks. That leaves freeing Iraqis from Saddam’s repressive rule as the sole rationale for war. Is the U.S. in the liberation business? Will Bush spread democracy to the numerous other places where people can’t vote, speak freely or eat much? You be the judge. I wouldn’t bet on it. Of course, it would be great if Iraqis were to overthrow Saddam (assuming that his successor would be an improvement). But regime change is up to the locals, not us. George W. Bush has led us to commit an abhorrent crime, an internationally-unsanctioned invasion of a nation that has done us no harm and presents no imminent threat. We have killers on the payroll in the White House. Ten Thing You Can Do To Stop The War On Iraq 1. Call or Fax the White House or the United Nations Security Council to express your opposition to an invasion of Iraq. The United States Congress has voted for going to war with Iraq – failing in its duty to represent a deeply divided American public. But there are still ways to stop this invasion. Contact the White House at 202-456-1111 (tel) or 202-456-2461 (fax). Appeal to the members of the UN […]

Exclusive: Lyor Cohen Speaks On Gotti, Feds, JMJ

Island/Def Jam Chairman and CEO Lyor Cohen has broken his silence regarding a federal investigation swirling around Murder Inc., and his relationship with Irv Gotti. While Murder Inc. is leaving the Universal Def Jam offices, Cohen says it’s not due to any tension between the two executives. "Murder Inc. is going to move offices," Cohen told AllHipHop.com. "It’s only because of office space. They are growing. They have a producers division, they have a film company, they have a touring company. I don’t know how all of this got twisted." Reports, including one on AllHipHop.com, speculated that the split was possibly due to an ongoing federal investigation into whether or not Murder Inc. has participated in laundering drug profits for Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. Gotti has publicly accused Cohen of not supporting him enough, a charge Cohen said had nothing to do with the federal investigation. "In a relationship you have positive moments and negative moments," Cohen said. "It had everything to do with him feeling I didn’t promote Ja- Rule well as I should have, that’s all." Reports have surfaced, claiming that authorities are looking into whether or not Jam Master Jay was gunned down due to a feud between Murder Inc. and 50 Cent. "This is an unsolved murder. I know that Irv has not done any criminal activity. I have known the kid for over ten years. I know his family. He grew up blocks away from Jam Master Jay. He idolized him. Jay was the one who influenced Irv to start DJ’ing. Why would he want to harm him?" Federal investigators have been probing the company for over four months. In February, Island/Def Jam was ordered to turn over royalty records, invoices, and other information that may help the feds link Gotti to McGriff. "Supreme paid his debt to society," Cohen said. "He was simply trying to get into business. All of a sudden everybody gets broadsided with this." "I know Irv’s situation, I know all the details," Cohen continued. "The feds have been investigating this for 4 months. They have every bit of information and I don’t think they will find any wrong doing. Irv is not a criminal." When asked if it was possible that the legendary DJ was gunned down due to any issues with McGriff, Cohen replied that he and Jay were intimate and McGriff was never discussed. "I don’t know about any of that. I believe its completely unrelated. Jay never mentioned anything about Supreme, ever. All we can do is hope that everyone is cooperative and will give the police any information they may have."

Eminem: $40 Million Dollar Man

Hip-Hop phenomenon turn movie star, Eminem, has set yet another record, this time in the world of DVD’s. In only its first day of release, Eminem’s "8 Mile" DVD sold more than 2 million copies and broke the single day DVD sales record for an R-rated film. The DVD’s sales raked in a whopping $40 million on its very first day of release. "We are thrilled that the day one results have greatly exceeded our expectations. The ‘8 Mile’ DVD is showing the same momentum as ‘The Fast and the Furious’ DVD, which went on to rank among the top-ten selling DVDs of 2002," said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Video. Containing new rap battles and available in censored and uncensored versions, the "8 Mile" DVD also exclusively includes Eminem new music video Superman.

P.Diddy Not Happy With War

Entrepreneur and entertainer Sean "P. Diddy" Combs recently voiced his displeasure with the war on Iraq. Combs learned of the war’s commencement while on stage in Miami and the hip-hop mogul was greatly startled by the announcement. "I was told that while I was onstage the war started. I’m definitely pro-peace, I’m anti-war. I’ve been praying that this day wouldn’t happen," Combs said. "I’m against the way this situation has gone down. My prayers go out to all the innocent lives that are going to be lost in Iraq. "We have it good. Nobody’s invading America. They’re not blowing up everything around us. We can’t imagine what these people and children are going through. It seems that everything that could have been done was not done to try and avoid this war." Critical of President George W. Bush in the past, Comb’s feels that his responsibility as a celebrity mandates he be vocal about his feelings on the war. "We have a role and responsibility to speak out. We’re all entitled to our opinions. Whatever we can do to make things better, we should – even if it’s just speaking through our music," Combs added.

Queen Latifah ‘Just Wright’

With a new movie deal from Disney, rapper-actress, Queen Latifah continues to ride her wave of cinematic success. Nominated for this years Best-Supporting Actress Academy Award for her work in "Chicago," and boasting a $31.7 million debut for in Disney’s "Bringing Down the House," Latifah is set to star in another Disney movie, "Just Wright." A modern day retelling of Cinderella with a basketball theme, "Just Wright" will star Latifah as the movies lead character, Janice Wright. Latifah will also take on production duties for the film. "This idea came about as I watched Queen Latifah looking great as she walked down the red carpet at the Golden Globes. A woman in the group said, ‘Why doesn’t someone put her in a romantic comedy?’" screenwriter Michael Elliot said. "They don’t usually give actresses like Latifah those films, but as I looked around the room, most of the women there didn’t look like Halle Berry. "It took Tom Hanks’ clout to get My Big Fat Greek Wedding made, but star Nia Vardalso proved that you don’t have to be Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan or Halle [Berry] to appeal to the real women who identify with women like NIA or Latifah."

Prince Paul Readies 3rd Solo LP

Prince Paul is preparing to release his third solo album, Politics Of The Business, a commentary on the state of the music business. The album features Ice-T, The Beatnuts, DJ Premier, Guru, Biz Markie, Erick Sermon, Chuck D. and comedian and actor Chris Rock, who collaborated with Paul on Rock’s Bigger And Blacker album. The album is said to have a slightly more commercial feel to it than Paul’s past productions, which is said to be the point of the album. Politics Of The Business is slated for a May 6 release.