Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the microsoft-start domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /wordpress-versions/6.7.2/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114

Deprecated: Constant FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING is deprecated in /dom35283/wp-content/plugins/wpseo-news/classes/meta-box.php on line 59

Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /wordpress-versions/6.7.2/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114
Grouchy Greg
profile-pic

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

Jae Millz Arrested In New York

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Jae Millz was arrested yesterday (May 19th) in New York, after an incident at his house. While details are sketchy, the rapper sent out a tweet revealing that he was held in the 43rd Precinct in the Bronx. “This woman really just called the cops on me… But u in MY house,” the rapper wrote shortly before tweeting: “I’m gettin arrested!”A source told AllHipHop.com that Jae Millz was involved in some sort of domestic dispute, although he listed another reason for the bust on Twitter. “Its real weird how I got arrested 4 havin an illegal substance, but 80% of da holdin cell was in there cuz of chicks,” Jae Millz tweeted. Today (May 19th), Jae Millz is slated to shoot a video for the first song off of his upcoming mixtape He Still Nasty, which will be released May 26th.

Jay-Z and Beyonce Lead 2010 BET Awards

(AllHipHop News) Jay-Z and Beyonce may be married, but they are about to be fierce competitors at the 2010 BET Awards. The married couple are competing in three categories in the anticipated awards show. They will go head-to-head for video of the year, best collaboration and the viewers’ choice honor. Jay-Z leads all nominees with five nods with Trey Songz, Beyonce, Roc Nation artist Melanie Fiona and Alicia Keys trailing with four nominations. Rihanna, Maxwell, Drake and Fabolous also received several nods. The BET Awards air live on June 27 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.The Nominees: Video of the Year Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga – “Video Phone” B.o.B f/ Bruno Mars – “Nothin’ on You” Melanie Fiona – “It Kills Me”  Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind” Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”   Best Female R&B Artist Beyoncé Mary J. Blige Melanie Fiona Alicia Keys Rihanna   Best Male R&B Artist Chris Brown Raheem DeVaughn Maxwell Trey Songz Usher   Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Ester Dean Lil’ Kim Nicki Minaj Rasheeda Trina   Best Male Hip-Hop Artist B.o.B Drake Fabolous Jay-Z Ludacris   Best New Artist Justin Bieber Melanie Fiona Nicki Minaj Wale Young Money   Best Gospel The Anointed Pace Sisters Kirk Franklin Presents Artists United For Haiti Tamela Mann Marvin Sapp Vickie Winans   Best Group Black Eyed Peas Clipse Diddy-Dirty Money New Boyz Young Money   Best Collaboration Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga – “Video Phone” B.o.B f/ Bruno Mars – “Nothin’ on You” Drake & Trey Songz – “Successful” Drake f/ Lil Wayne, Kanye West & Eminem – “Forever” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind” Trey Songz f/ Fabolous – “Say Aah”   Video Director of the Year Benny Boom Gil Green Anthony Mandler Chris Robinson Hype Williams   Viewer’s Choice Beyoncé – “Sweet Dreams” Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind” Monica – “Everything to Me” Rihanna f/ Young Jeezy – “Hard” Trey Songz f/ Fabolous – “Say Aah” Young Money (Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Drake, Tyga) f/ Lloyd – “Bedrock”

Hip-Hop Rumors: Yung Berg Beat Up AGAIN? LeBron’s Mom Explanation! Dream & Mariah Sued!

DISCLAIMER:   All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on. Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com. THE DAILY TWO SENSE  Of you don’t like me or the rumors…the rest of the site is better than here. Here are those special sections.  News Music Video Features Editorial Lifestyle Alternatives Community Or you can stick around here. YUNG BERG BEAT UP AGAIN???? Aw man, I am sure nobody really wants to hear this story, but I am going to bring it. One of my thug readers got into it with Yung Berg at the Bellagio at the Bank nightclub. (I think this is in Vegas.) Apparently, Berg bumped into my reader very hard and he asked if Berg ever heard of “excuse me.” He said that after that, Berg just started poppin’ off at him. Suddenly, he swatted a fake diamond studded White Sox hat off Berg’s head. After that, a huge fight broke out right inside a casino! My reader’s crew pulled him off Berg and the rolled out…guess who they saw? T.I.! They told Tip “Welcome back” and all of that good stuff. The dude that told me this story wanted to send a message straight to Berg himself…sheesh! “Young Berg need to learn fro TIP and give respect and you’ll get it back! And you may get all your chains and manhood back if you pay the price and wuit acting like a thug with your new weak ass tats on your face. And fyi Berg we know a lot of the same people and I recall you kissing my ass at the Denver Airport when I was with my crew,you came and said what’s good to us and we just ignored you in front of us in line, P.S. I was the white boy in Denver and Vegas and next time I see your disrespectful ass I’m snatching whatever b####### chains you got on and sending them to Trick Trick, and Maino.or they might look good on my English Bulldogs!!!” THE DREAM AND MARIAH CAREY GET SUED?! Whoa! Mariah and The Dream and a dude named John Huffman are accused of stealing a song from some Bay area producers. Producers Farmer and Symba cut a song and gave it to John Huffman of Real Content Media. Huffman allegedly liked the song and said he could secure big names to sing it. Huffy allegedly passed the song off and stopped returning the calls of Farmer and Symba. An almost identical song popped up on Dream’s album with Mariah singing shot gun. The plaintiffs want at about $450,000. Farmer reportedly asked Huffman “Why did you steal my song?” and Huffman, according to Farmer said: “We can work this out.” 4080, people, 4080. SOME JAY-Z-LOOKING MF’s!                         LEBRON BRINGS OUT THE LAWYERS Hmmm…strange. A lawyer is on the prowl for the people responsible for the rumor that Delonte West and Gloria James were having a sexual relationship and that was the cause of LeBron’s odd playing in the playoffs. Well, LeBron has responded with a letter from his lawyer. The lawyer has sent out a cease and desist letter to several sports sites to stop this rumor. They said that Delonte and Ms. James don’t even know each other very well. Well…I thought a statement would have been the way to go, but they sicced a lawyer on ‘em. THE DREAM GOT SOME ‘SPAINING TO DO For some reason, The Dream thought it was a good idea to remake Aaliyah’s classic “One  In A Million.” The internets went ballistic on him. He tried to explain,  but I think he’s going cut this from the song. “No one will ever [sing] Aaliyah’s ‘One In A Million’ like she did! Deff not me lol/ I did it because I Reilly miss her still and it was out of respect! To her I’m still just a fan not a writer not an artist a Fan! Calm down the worlds not over. But [at least] y’all will remember how dope she was and still is to this day!” What do you think of his excuse?  Here is the song.   ILLSEED’S QUICKIES Soulja Boy is going to sign a Mista Mac? I don’t even know who that is. Alicia’s money long, son. Don’t tell Mashonda though. The former Mrs. Swizz Beatz is suing her ex for $334,000 in alimony and child support payments. She even allegedly called him a deadbeat dad. Sounds like somebody is taking a page from Kelis. Rick Ross has gotten his bald wig pushed back to July 6th. I wonder if he’s still Teflon. The other day, Kid Cudi sent out a tweet that suggested he was not a big fan of Soulja Boy. It stopped just shy of a diss. Remember the video where the Lone Crip showed up to the Gucci / Waka video? Mad dudes got knuckled down at that shoot, but it wasn’t the Lone Crip. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REMIX: JUST BLAZE SPEAKS DJ WEBSTAR IS TWEETING WHILE TIPSY! Check this out. DJ Webstar has a create contest based around Twitter. INNOCENT AND HEAD STOMPED “I will beat the f***in’ Mexican p### out of you homie, you hear me?” This is what a Seattle cop said to an INNOCENT man that was apprehended by Seattle police. Yeah, this is what they do to the innocent people for appearing to be an immigrant. There was a robbery in the area and the cops apprehended a number of people that had nothing to do with it. Well, one of those people ended up getting their head stomped on as they were face down on the pavement. WOW. After that a female officer stomped on his legs. Police are already investigating their own. The cops are now trying to cop pleas! SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END The latest on the sad, tragic […]

Exclusive Yukmouth Explains ‘Free At Last’

(AllHipHop News) Rapper Yukmouth has announced he will release his sixth solo album Free At Last, which will hit stores on his own label, Smoke-A-Lot Records. The album features guest appearances from a number of popular rappers, including Jay Rock, Mistah F.A.B., 2Eleven, Beeda Weeda, Richie Rich, Curren$y, Roccett, Shady Nate, Tity Boi and others. “The title Free At Last comes from me being free at last really…free from Rap-A-Lot Records and free from jail. Last album West Coast Don was all written in L.A. County Jail When I did three months in jail, Everybody has a story to tell, so I was tellin my stories in my songs I wrote in jail. So that album wasn’t me at my best because I was locked away from the studio and the rap life.”The album is heavy on Bay Area rappers, with artists like C-Bo, Dru Down, Stevie Joe, C-Bo and others check in on Free At Last. Yukmouth was a member of platinum selling group The Luniz, the group behind the Hip-Hop marijuana anthem, “I Got 5 On It.”The first single from Free At Last is titled “211” featuring Chicago rappers L.E.P./Bogus Boys. “I admit the last two albums wasn’t my best, but this one is me back on my one-two on n***as. On Million Dollar Mouthpiece I didn’t want to give Rap-A-Lot my best, because they weren’t pushing it hard because it was my last album on they label. And yall know the story with West Coast Don being locked up writing the album. So this one is me at my prime. This rap s**t is like a light switch. I can turn it on or cut it off and right now I’m back on like s**t.”Other singles on Free At Last include “The Hard Way” featuring Jannine V and “The Life” featuring Ya Boy, Jay Rock and London. Yukmouth was clear that his freedom came with the blessings of Rap-A-Lot CEO J. Prince, who acted as a mentor to the rapper during his tenure on the legendary label, which will be honored during this year’s VH1 Hip Hop Honors program in June. “J. Prince told me. ‘Do you want me to give you fish or teach you how to fish?’ I said ‘teach me how to fish,” Yukmouth stated. “From then on I’ve been on my independent grind. Shout out to J. Prince and the whole Rap-A-Lot For Life staff and family. Thanks for all the love.”Free At Last is due in stores June 1st.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Crips Get At Gucci & Waka!? Should Gucci Stay Off Streets?

DISCLAIMER: All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on. Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com. THE CRIPS VISITED GUCCI MANE? Well, it would seem that we have a party here. The CRIPS allegedly are the ones that paid Gucci Mane a visit. Yeah, straight out of jail and the drama has already found him. POLL: IS IT TIME TO STAY OUT OF THE STREETS? I am of the mindset that if there is all this trouble in the streets to this degree, rappers need to stay out of them if they can. If this dude was about it for real, we may not have a Gucci or a Waka anymore.  What do you think? QuestionsView Results WAKA FLOCKA FLAMES GUCCI MANES, WE LOVE YOU!!! They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry! -illseed WHO: illseed.com WHAT: Rumors WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com.

Rap-A-Lot Celebrates Upcoming 25th Anniversary With New Distribution Partnership

(AllHipHop News) J Prince (James Smith), CEO of the pioneering, Houston based Rap-A-Lot Records, has confirmed an exclusive distribution deal with Universal Music Group affiliate Fontana. Fontana is the independent distribution group within Universal. The company currently provides back office, marketing, and sales support for over 80 labels worldwide, including Kedar Entertainment and Delicious Vinyl. The deal gives Rap-A-Lot the opportunity to expand their audience for new releases from Bun B, the late Pimp C, Z-Ro, and multiple compilation LPs. Fontana CEO Ron Spaulding was attracted to Rap-A-Lot due to their proven track record over several decades of various trends and stylistic changes in Hip-Hop. “I have been doing business with James Prince and Rap-A-Lot for a long time and it is an honor to welcome his entire team to Fontana. James is a true music visionary and has established Rap-A-Lot as one of the great pioneers of Southern Hip-Hop, a true original,” Spaulding explained in a statement. “And as they approach their well-earned milestone of 25 years in the industry, Fontana is thrilled to embrace their innovation, rich catalog and talented artists as we play a role in the next exciting chapter of their history.” Founded in 1986, J Prince’s Rap-A-Lot exploded onto the national scene courtesy of seminal albums (Grip It! On That Other Level, We Can’t Be Stopped) from the Geto Boys. Later, the label further its and Southern Hip-Hop’s reputation with projects from Scarface (My Diary), Do or Die (Picture This), and Ganksta N-I-P (The South Park Psycho). Looking forward, Prince’s vision is for his company to transcend regional tags and be considered the premier label in Hip-Hop. “I am excited about Rap-A-Lot Records’ new journey and the opportunity to work with Jim Urie [President & CEO, Universal Music Group Distribution] and Ron, two music executives that I have the utmost respect for,” J Prince stated. “I believe in the Universal/Fontana system and I look forward to having the Rap-A-Lot brand be a part of the #1 music company.” At press time, Rap-A-Lot’s next major release will be Bun B’s Trill OG sometime this summer.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Kanye & Amber Rose Break Up? Amber & Tila Make Out? Common Wants To Marry!

DISCLAIMER: All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on. Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com. THE DAILY TWO SENSE Why was this dude stepping at Gucci and Waka like that? Any ideas? video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player COMMON’S READY FOR SERENA TO MARRY HIM Seems like Common is ready to settle down a bit. I was reading theybf.com and they were saying that the Chi-Town rapper wants to get married! I know some of you are like “Big WHOOP!” Me too. But, still he said, “I definitely want to get married. I would love to get married and have kids.” Serena is 28 and seems pretty feisty for marriage. With Comm 10 years her senior, you think she’ll give the guy what he’s looking for? “Actually, Serena and I have been close for about two years. It’s been evolving.” This will show up on Ellen Degeneres today. CIARA AND 50 CENT ARE REALLY A COUPLE Man, maybe they need to do a record together and really get it poppin’ like Jay-Z and Beyonce. You know. These relationships are business too! Me and Kelly Rowland have a couple projects we are working on. Tell you about it later. Yeah, that’s that. Anyway, in reading The YBF again, I discovered 50 and CiCi are buying furniture at some obscure spot. Peep the tweet of one of the workers. LADY GAGA SLIPS AND FALLS Since people seem to like these falls, here is another one. Maybe  these singers need to stop wearing stripper heels.     AMBER ROSE AND KANYE BREAK UP?  I heard this and forgot about it. For some reason, I thought Kanye and Amber were going to it take it to the max, but I am hearing that they have broken up. Not much other than that.     TILA TEQUILA AND AMBER ROSE – MAKE OUT SESSIONS? If you have nothing to do with yourself or you are on your lunch break, here is a long story of Amber Rose and a tryst she supposedly had with Tila Tequila. This is all as told to by Tila. Lemme tell ya’ll a funny story about Miss Tila and Miss Amber Rose! A long time ago, I would say around last Summer, when Miss Rose was all over the press as Kanananazeezzyyzyzyyy’s boo and I must admit, just like everyone else, I had a MADDDD HUGE CRUSH ON AMBER!!! So one day last Summer at P. Diddy’s Annual White Party, I went there and I saw my dream girl… Miss Amber Rose! Ohhhhhhhhhhh Snap son!!!!! I’m about to goooooooo innnnnnnnnnnnnn, in a good way, of course! LOL I was thinking to myself “I’m about to do some c###-blockin on Kanananazzeyezzyyy and steal my Wifey Amber from him!” LMAO     So I was being a little cute stalker and Miss Amber Rose was by the restrooms, so I walked up in there to get as close as I can to that fine ASSSSS of hers (me want to touch the hiney! lol) and then I said to her “ohh Miss Amber Rose! You fine as hellll mama! May I take a picture with you????”     and of course with her thick Philly accent she said “yea fasho!” LOL *Heart Melts*     OK so fast forward a little bit more, we swapped numbers and kept in touch and chatted every once ina while! I was ALWAYS hollarin at her on BBM! LOL I would be like “Damn girl, when u gonna sit on my face??? Let’s make a sex tape together I wanna tap that ass so bad!” hahahaha! No I swear, I really said these things to her!     She was a good sport tho and would be laughing her ass off and be like “hahahaa girl you crazy witcha bad self!”     But I was not gonna give up on tappin that fine ass! Kanaanananeyeyzoyyyeeeezzyy who?? sorry dude… but that’s my chick! LMAO! *Runs and hides* anyway so she would invite me to fly to Miami with her and hang with her and her girlfriends, but d##### my f###### schedule at the time, I was busy flying all over the place hosting parties and performing and stuff so I missed out! UGHHHH! So it was like that on and off for a LONG time! Us always trying to meet up and schedules were always conflicting! I always told her myself that Imma steal her from kananananayeyeyeeyeyzzzzyzyzzyyy and she would always laugh and say “Girl witcha crazy ass self!” Mmmmmmm * heart Melts again* LMAO     Ok so fast forward to these pics. Since the loser stalkers leaked my number on the net, I change my number like once every month so nobody has my numbers. I do it all the time. It’s become a MANDATORY thing! so anyway I never gave Amber my new number cuz I just got lazy after getting a new number every month!!! So once I bumped into her again at Kitchen 24, i was like “ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh weeeeeeeeeeeee there’s ma wifey yo!” LOL     So I went over to her table, and she was also wearing something white and matched my white costume from my earlier performance that night! Not sure if Miss Amber Rose Saw the old posts I made about her when my site first launched, where I was giving her tips on how to stay relevant, but hmmm….maybe she took my advice????? Because we chatted for a bit and she told me she now decided to move to LA so she lives here now! She is trying to pitch a new non-scripted reality show and I told her that I have one that’s arlready done so we most DEF gotta be on each other’s show, but even more importantly, we GOTTA BE ON EACH OTHER!!! Buahahhaaaha!     Anyway, Amber is a super down ass b#### and a real sweetheart, we swapped […]

Hip-Hop Rumors: More On Foxy Brown’s Nicki Minaj Diss!

DISCLAIMER:   All content within this section is pure rumor and generally have no factual info outside of what the streets have whispered in our ear. Read on. Send your rumors, sightings and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com.FOXY VS NICKI: THE WAR OF THE SUMMER? I’m getting more info on this Foxy Brown stuff and I just got word from the streets that the WAR OF THE SUMMER is about to go down!!! This is exactly the words my sources used….WAR of the SUMMER. FOX BOOGIE VERSUS NICKI MINAJ!!! From what I understand, Foxy was shocked when Nicki remade TWO of her hit songs without paying homage, but let it go, since they were supposedly cool. It seems like the “streets” have helped fuel this one, everything from saying Nicki’s biting to her supposedly being Trini. Everybody knows Foxy’s Trinidadian, but it doesn’t seem that Nicki is. So, the latest is that Foxy is in the studio recording her new album now and he’s going all out. On top of it, it seems that people in the camp fee; that Nicki has swiped Foxy’s hardcore dancehall flow on a pair of reggae-tinged songs. They even feel that the Foxy’s ADLIBS like “WO” have been borrowed! Now, it seems that all of this has gotten the Brooklyn Don Diva’s Gucci panties in a bunch! I don’t have the song yet, but I heard Foxy is going to go IN on Nicki! WOW! I wonder if Nicki’s going to respond!!!! This is wild. FOXY AND NICKI, WE LOVE YOU!!! They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry! -illseed WHO: illseed.com WHAT: Rumors WHERE: AllHipHop.com, MySpace.com/TheIllseed HOW: Send your rumors and ill pics to illseed at allhiphoprumors@gmail.com.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Criticizes Drake/Mavado Video

(AllHipHop News) A video featuring Canadian rapper Drake and Jamaican dancehall artist Mavado has drawn criticism from the country’s Minister of Tourism. The country’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett spoke out against the pair’s video for “Find Your Love.” In the video, Drake falls in love with a native woman (Maliah Michel), who is in love with a gangster on the island named “Puffy” who is played by Mavado Drake is eventually confronted by Mavado and Puffy’s henchmen and the video ends with Michel presumably kidnap and shoot the rapper. “We just have to say that care has to be taken by all, including our creative artistes, in portraying images of our destination and people,” Bartlett told the Jamaican Gleaner. “Gun culture, while not unique to Jamaica, is not enhancing (the island’s image).” According to Mavado’s manager Julian Jones-Griffith, they Mavado and Drake are simply acting in the video and decided that Jamaica was an ideal location. “The concept that they came up with, where did they come up with that? If Mavado did not do it, another Jamaican actor would have done it. There are a broad range of issues which need addressing if people from California want to portray a love story like this,” he told The Gleaner.

Suspect Arrested In 2006 Death of DJ Carl Blaze

(AllHipHop News) New York police have arrested a suspect in the murder of popular DJ Carl Blaze, who was gunned down in the Bronx in December of 2006. Police believe that Zarnoff Taylor, 23, was in a member of a violent gang of drug dealers and motorcycle thieves, who operated in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Power 105.1’s Carl Blaze was shot 13 times in the Inwood Section of Washington Heights and robbed of his $20,000 CB gold/diamond studded chain. According to the New York Post, police believe the robbery was an inside job and that DJ Carl Blaze was set up by someone in his neighborhood. Carl Blaze played on Power 105.1 from midnight to 2 am on Friday’s and from 10 pm to 2 am on Saturdays. The DJ has been dedicated to his craft for over 12 years and spins a wide range of music, including Hip-Hop, R&B, Reggae and Reggaeton. Taylor is also accused of shooting and killing two men in the Bronx on April 16th. Police claim Taylor shot and killed Jonathan Torres and seriously wounded Juan Quinones. He then allegedly dumped them from a 2001 Dodge Caravan on a street in the Bronx.

How High Can Hip-Hop Go?

People have always smoked marijuana, for one reason or another.  Some people justifiable reasoning was religious/spiritual or medicinal, others used the drug-induced state to escape, some indulged to make stupidity seem gut busting hilarious, if not genius, while others just geeked and got the munchies.  I’m from the red light, beaded sectional dividers, burnt incense, wicker chair, top paper era.  So, you know I know.  I came of age during a time when you were more likely to smell someone smoking marijuana than actually seeing someone smoke marijuana.  And in many cases, that was only if you could differentiate the scent of hemp from frankincense.   The first rap group that I recall hearing mentioning marijuana in a rhyme was (my favorite group) Run-DMC.  In the song, Here We Go, Run said, “I keep a bag of cheeba inside my locker.”  During that time, though many people were indulging in the activity, some even using harsher drugs than weed, the mention of it in their music was sporadic and limited, hardly non-existent.  And we definitely didn’t see video footage of hip hop artists intentionally or unbeknownst to them, caught in the act.  Fast forward a few years in the music, the early nineties and beyond, damn near everybody is getting high in the booth or on video.  Now, I’m not Nancy Reagan, no resemblance at all.  I’m more like Barack Obama, or dare I say, Bill Clinton.  So, if ever questioned by the gatekeepers to an opportunity in politics or a government appointed job, my answer is either, “I was in college” or “I didn’t inhale.”    Speaking of college, Dr. Dre dropped the Chronic while I was there.  By no means would I ever suggest that Dr. Dre influenced anyone that I know, to smoke weed “without inhaling, while in college,” but I will say, it seems to me, that ever since Dr. Dre first released his album entitled the Chronic, that weed references in rap music and the public acceptance and participation in the community escalated to an all time high (pun intended).  That’s a hell of an unsubstantiated claim to make, but for some reason, it seems so true to say, so for the purpose of this piece, I’m sticking with it.  Segue.  Eighteen years after the Chronic and I am watching an old interview from 2009 of Soulja Boy and he is being questioned about his marijuana usage.  I don’t know what I expected the young man to say, as I watched the screen with a quizzical look on my face when he insinuated that he smokes weed to help keep him grounded/sane because it’s difficult being so young, successful and wealthy.  To be exact, his words were, “I got to keep my mind right, or I’ll have a nervous breakdown.”  Well, besides the fact that Soulja Boy is still a boy, albeit a very influential one, whom many youth aspire to be like, that’s not what I’m addressing in this edito rial, though I do think the issue of teenage substance abuse is very serious and need to be discussed and dealt with accordingly. However, for this particular article, I’m interested in knowing when did getting high ever help keep the “mind right”?  Now, I know addicts and recovering addicts who abused all different types of drugs, and of those that I know, there’s not one who’d say that they were in a better mind state when they were high.  Quite contrary they’d say, “I stayed high because I could not deal with my reality.”  And that’s exactly what I deduced from Soulja Boy words, even though his reality (from the outside looking in) appears to be one that so many people would trade theirs for in a heartbeat.  Admittedly, I don’t know what the young man is dealing with, I can only imagine:  people asking for handouts, newfound relatives who need initial start up money to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, pressures from record labels and executives, pressure from the public, expectations as a “role model” to the youth and he’s a child himself, hating homeboys, hating homegirls, people he never met hating on him and everything else you can imagine.  Whatever the issues are, they must be so serious that he’d rather get high and avoid them, than to address them.  Or maybe he’d like to address them, but he just doesn’t know how to.  Either way, when I viewed that very short video footage and heard his comments, I felt sad for him.  I never purchased a Soulja Boy album, nor am I part of his targeted demographic buying audience, though I can relate to that song about him “hopping out of bed and turning his swagger on.”  I do that every morning.  Did I just publicly admit to liking a Soulja Boy song and that I “turn my swagger on”?  Nevertheless, I respect the young man for putting himself on and I’d like to continue to see him grow and develop as an artist and a person, in the public eye.  But I know that his growth will be impeded and his success will suffer, if he continues smoking weed to “keep his sanity.”  There are countless examples to support what I’m saying; I wonder who his example is to show otherwise.

TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE: E-40

With both of his new Revenue Retrievin albums selling like crazy across the country, E-40 seems to have again solidified his place in hip hop history with another successful independent release. As one of the few West Coast artists to no have never been “under Dr. Dre” at one point or another, E-40 continues to defy the boundaries of what how MC’s rhyme. Hitting the game with different cadences, subject matter, and slang for over 20 years, E-40 has the respect of the streets, gangsters, prison inmates, females, older hip hop heads and the youth. Take a look at how E-40 ranks his Top 5 Dead or Alive. Its West Coast heavy, but the man has a few surprises, check out his reasoning.AllHipHop.com: AllHipHop.com has a feature called Top 5 Dead or Alive. Can you discuss your Top 5?E-40: I can’t say myself on there huh? Ahhhh (Sigh) let me think this out then. (Pause) Hmmm….. Ahhh…. Hmmm….  I think I am the dopest in the world. I honestly do. I think that I covered every part of the game. I think there may be some mother f**kas that don’t agree as far as my rap style but I am talking about uniqueness, I’m talking word play, I’m talking subject matter, the whole kit a caboodle, you smell me? I’m talking about the whole s**t. I’m talking about beat-wise, I’m talking about relevance, longevity. I’m talking about coming in the game with a prayer wish hope and a dream. I’m talking about coming in the game with nothing.What I mean by that is that, I didn’t have a crutch, nobody threw me and my family a bone. They didn’t throw us a bone. We didn’t come up like that, no disrespect, we didn’t come up under Dre. I look up to Dr. Dre, but we are one of the few people to come up successfully without coming up under Dr. Dre or being Dr. Dre affiliated. Just keeping it 1000%. Which ain’t nothing wrong with that, I would have definitely loved it to have come up under him back in the day, but fortunately I didn’t and I made it without an executive producer or anyone putting money into our s**t, no nothing. It was all grassroots, and I consider all that and consider myself the greatest, dead or alive in real life because for one I did something that rappers today have a hard time doing, and that’s sell units with no radio airplay or none of that. Like we sold a lot of records. I was one of the first rappers out here with a big deal out here in 1993 or 1994. Back then every label in the world wanted the Click and E-40. We signed to Jive Records in 1994. That’s the group that I rapped with, you know, E-40 broke barriers man. I did something that the average rapper and rappers today couldn’t do back then. It’s because the streets really f**k with me and they do til’ this day. This is real man, this is street s**t. So any motha f**kas out there that be thinking a n***a corny they got me f**ked up. Its just over they head because they just gang groupies. (Laughs)AllHipHop.com: Ok, next? E-40: Tupac. See one thing about him is that he could get on some gangster s**t with his raps or he could get on some super uplifting s**t. That’s why females and males loved Pac. He spit that uplifting s**t like, “Brenda’s got a Baby”, “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Dear Mama”. Songs like that, ya see what I’m saying? These are classic songs and he did that all day. He could get on some gangsta s**t then some party s**t. Then he could get on some real life issues, it was incredible s**t man.AllHipHop.com: OkE-40: Ice Cube. Cube said some of the most like…. I’m a 80’s cat so I grew up during the crack epidemic. When that white girl first hit the streets of the inner cities in the 80’s, this man still had heat even after he wrote a lot of lyrics for Eazy-E, this ain’t taking nothing away from Eazy-E, I feel like Eazy-E was definitely one of the greats and everything the brought to hip hop. The only reason I brought that up is because for him to utilize his lyrics way back then and still have lyrics, to take it to another page. This man had songs about going to Minnesota, setting up shop and all other soils. That’s what people really did. Go out there with a sac and sell it for double or triple what they sell it for out here on the West Coast. He had that yola game pretty much down pat. Now it wasn’t just that he was about though. I mean he had some of the coldest lyrics. Like “Once Upon a Time in the Projects”, covering all parts of the game. He was a political dude too, like he could get on some controversial political s**t and the man still have longevity today. He is still in the game today. He will sell out the Coliseum on your ass. This man got a real dedicated fan-base man. He just recently had a Gold Record. He’s been in the game forever, since the 80’s.E-40: Too $hort started off in the game as a youngster. Real young, one of the first rappers making tapes for hood dudes, dudes from the soil, from the hood. Like customized cassettes where he might take a Rappin Duke instrumental and rap over that and make it customized for one of his homeboys. So if you are hot rapper and I’m just a street hustler, and you that dude. I would definitely break bread with you too. Like, “$hort make me a song bro, a customized song about myself.” You gonna feel ya self man. You gonna think you’re a baller. He made songs for people in the hood, he spit […]