AllHipHop Classics continues in an interview with Beanie Sigel that has been preserved like a letter in a sealed time capsule. In the interview, which was conducted in 2001 by Jigsaw, Sigel was on a warpath. He addresses beefs with Nas, Mobb Deep and expressed why he’s into the streets more than mere talk. Beef was far from WWE at this time, as Hip-Hop was still reeling from from the deaths of Biggie and Pac. This interview also delves deep into his intense loyalty to Jay-Z, whom he is no longer friends with. The story appears below just as it did in 2001.Beef According To BeansBy Jigsaw In this age of hip hop, beef is not something to be toyed with. But when things get hot, Beanie Sigel has never been one to back down. In this first of a two part series, Beans discusses the many beefs he and his Roc-A-Fella Family are going through. Warning: It Is About To Get Ugly. AllHipHop.com: How have you grown as a person and MC?? ?Beanie Sigel: I don’t know in my age and years. I just speak my story. “The Truth” came out and that was – what? ’99? Yeah, that was two years ago. You know? Two Years of Growth. ??AllHipHop.com: I know when you first came out you had a problem at the Philly radio Power 99. What did that situation teach you? (Editor’s note: Beans was banned from the radio station for allegedly beating up a DJ who was selling “The Best of Beanie Sigel” bootlegs.) ? ?Beanie Sigel: That’s when I knew that I was – and I don’t like to say it – but a rapper. I was an entertainer. I knew I was in business. I knew I was a business man. It wasn’t Beans handling what he was in the street. You know, the way he would normally handle it. It was a situation that taught me a lesson as a business man. The pen is mightier than the sword. ? ?AllHipHop.com: Since you say that, let me ask you this: What is the deal with Mobb Deep / Nas beef with The Roc? What is your take on that?? ?Beanie Sigel: Man, we the champs right now. Its like we got the belt. We got the chips. There are a lot of cats out there that want the belt. So, they wanna throw cheap shots hoping for a shot at the title. But you don’t gotta throw cheap shots ‘cause you can step inside the ring with Sig anytime you want. I don’t give a f### about Mobb Deep. I don’t give a f### about Nas. F### Mobb Deep. F### Nas. What they eat is not going to make me s### and what I eat ain’t going to make them fat. They got a problem with Jay Z, they got a problem with me. They got a problem with Bleek, they got a problem with me. ??AllHipHop.com: Word.? ?Beanie Sigel: For one, women gossip. I ain’t sitting around writing raps to talk about another ni**a. Women do that. I don’t got no split between my legs, I hang. If you got that much broad in you to think of raps to write about another man, you a fa**ot. F**k you, ni**a. I’ll address you in the street before I write a rap about you. If you write a rap about me, look forward to Beanie Sigel to come to you and step to you as a man.? ?AllHipHop.com: Word. ??Beanie Sigel: I’ll put a little blood in ya mouth… ??AllHipHop.com: …Are you trying… ??Beanie Sigel: …Pick you up by your collar and smack you up…? AllHipHop.com: (laughs) ??Beanie Sigel: …F**k ya waves up. Chip another tooth or something. (Editors note: this was directed to Nas, who had a chipped tooth at the time) ??AllHipHop.com: So, are you… ??Beanie Sigel: You see what I am saying? ??AllHipHop.com: I mean I… ??Beanie Sigel: Chip another tooth or something. Know what I mean? See if your Mobb is really a mob or do I gotta analyse it.? ?AllHipHop.com: How ugly is this going to get. Its ugly like Shabba Ranks right now…? ?Beanie Sigel: I’m prepared to handle whatever. I cross that road when I get to it. Right now, I am just doing me. I’m in it for the check. If its going to help me get paid to talk s### about Mobb Deep and Nas I am all for it. But, right now that ain’t helping me, that’s helping them. Like I said., I could give a f**k about Mobb Deep or Nas so f**k them. Its whatever.? ?AllHipHop.com: Do you just want to keep it lyrical???Beanie Sigel: It you want to do that, then do that. But, like I said, women gossip. Like B.I.G. and Pac already outta here because of that. Talking s**t on record. Bottom flatline. No matter how you look at it, B.I.G. not here, Pac not here from talking s**t on record about other ni**as. And then (people outside of the beef) get involved and then it turns into some s**t. Don’t f**k with me ‘cause I am going all out to the extremes. ? ?AllHipHop.com: Last time I interviewed you, you had a little beef with your Philly boys, Major Figgas. Have you all resolved that tension? Beanie Sigel: I don’t got beef with them. I’m not thinking about them. I’m making moves. I’m getting paid. I’m getting checks. I ain’t about that. It was a business deal (between us) that didn’t happen. ? ?AllHipHop.com: I heard Jay is bringing the heat on this next album. That’s the word on the street. ?Aside from Mobb and Nas, cats like Jayo Felony, Meeno are poppin shots at Jigga. Is that true? ??Beanie Sigel: What? Jay brings heat every time. What? I ain’t holding nothing back. He’s going to crush anyone who got something to say. Like I said, there ain’t no women on The Roc. We eliminated that problem […]

If you’re a part of the Twitter world or just not living under a rock in general, chances are somewhere at some time you’ve heard someone refer to their friend as “slime” and tell someone to “stop it, 5.” A newcomer out of Harlem, rapper Vado, is to thank for that. After signing under fellow Harlemite Cam’Ron in 2009, Vado is already making a name in Hip-Hop and finally giving Harlem the shine it hasn’t seen since the days of Ma$e and shiny suits. Allhiphop.com catches up with Vado as he explains how he’s in the Diplomats but not Dip Set, the real deal with him and Juelz Santana and what exactly a “slime” is. AllHipHop.com: When you signed on with Cam’Ron, that was only just last year. For a lot of artists, it takes at least a few years to really see any notoriety at all, let alone doing shows all over the country and getting so many record spins. What was your mind set going into this situation? Were you prepared to just really grind it out for a few years, or was part of the deal like you got to get out there ASAP? VADO: I was ready to just grind it out you know? I got with somebody that I always looked up to, so I was just happy to be there. I was happy to just work with him and grind it out, whether I make it or not. AllHipHop.com: How did you two link up to begin with? VADO: My man Suga Duga is a mutual friend from the neighborhood…you know we all from Harlem. I reached out to him because I knew he be with Cam. In turn he reached out to Cam, and Cam heard me out. AllHipHop.com: Suga Duga must have really said some good things, no? Everyone knows someone that knows someone that’s “on”. People aren’t really getting deals left and right off of “Yo, check my man out…” VADO: Yea shout to Suga Duga for real. He really said some good things, and really just explained to Cam like who I am, what I do, the buzz I already had on the street. To really help the situation and back up what he was saying, me and Cam had both recently been in an issue of XXL, so Cam was like, “oh ok I’ll hear him out.” AllHipHop.com: Ok so then how’d you get into rapping? VADO: Back in the day running around with Jae Millz all the time. We grew up together. I was kind of like the popular dude but street hustler you know, whatever. He was like the very talented one, so I’d just be in the studio with him all the time, going around the world with him. So one day I’m like man, let me just start spitting. So I start playing with it, no h### and I used to rap it to him and he’d be like, “who said that?” You know, as if like I’m quoting like a real hot rap lyric. I’d be like, “man I said that.” He’d be like “you ain’t say that.” I’m like, “word, I said that.” So I started doing it a little more and he used to tell me stuff like, “yo I love listening to you, no h###.” When he said that I’m like word? So then I started doing this mad cipher thing with him and that’s how I caught my buzz. When people started showing me love from that, then that’s when I knew like aight I’ma do this. AllHipHop.com: Did you ever think your current record “Speaking Tongues” would take off as quickly as it did? I mean to have Funkmaster Flex obsess over a record with a new artist as quickly as he did, it’s kind of huge. VADO: Yes and no. Like I really didn’t realize it was going to do what it’s doing, but I did think it’d make a buzz for me and for us. I thought like as far as New York to make people start paying attention, I thought that’s about as big as it’d be. I ain’t realize like it was going to be getting spins all over the country, got me on the road and everything. It’s crazy but it’s such a blessing. Shout to Sire, he did the beat because the beat was just incredible. It’s an instant knock. AllHipHop.com: You and Cam have a joint album, Gunz N Butta coming out next month. Where did the decision to do a joint album come from? VADO: We want to show the movement, the whole U.N. movement to say like you know, we’re here. It was originally a group, but me and Cam’s combo is just so crazy we were like man…we’re just gonna do this, just us. AllHipHop.com: So the U.N. just solely consists of Cam’Ron and Vado? There’s no other rappers in the group? VADO: Nah, just me and Cam. AllHipHop.com: What kind of sound is “Gunz & Butta” leaning towards? VADO: Gunz & Butta is just classic music, it’s Harlem. It got that Harlem sound all the way. The lyrics is definitely Harlem, it’s just gonna give you that feeling that’s gonna make you want to go through Harlem. You might live in Oklahoma and be like you know what, I wanna roll through Harlem today. AllHipHop.com: Where’d the title come from? VADO: “Gunz N Butta” is just brains and business. Guns is just a slang way of saying your brain. AllHipHop.com: With the onset of the Diplomats reunion, where do you fit in with this? Are you “Dip Set”? VADO: Nah I’m not Dip Set at all. I’m not Dip Set, I’m just an artist over there. Dip Set came back, but the movement is the U.N. So I’m the artist coming out under the U.N., but at the end of the day, you know, it’s Diplomats. I’m signed to Diplomat Records, but I’m not in the “group” Dip […]

Kanye. Swizz Beatz. Jay-Z. Power. The remix is here and it is nothing shy of brilliant…if you this sort of Hip-Hop. Seriously, the Power remix is a throwback in many regards, because it evokes the original but also reworks it as well. Jay-Z’s been very passionate as of late and this verse is streams from the same vein as other features with Rick Ross and Drake. Swizz Beatz deserves credit for the remix which certainly reaches epic proportions with the inclusion of heavy synths over thumping drums, choirs and guitar wails. There is also a surprise ending! Check it out. Download it here.

You know him well… we all do. His name is Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, and he is confident. So confident that he could make the average soul uncomfortable.  Don’t be… Bow Wow is humbled. You could even say that he’s a little scared. To a young man which had his career laid out for him since the age of 5, 2010 and beyond could be his great unknown.  Alas, 2010 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of his debut album Beware of Dog. Yet there is an aura Bow Wow gave off; 6 albums, 8 movies to his credits, and 2010 is only the beginning? In his voice, the answer was yes. And the beginning is August 20th when Lottery Ticket arrives at theaters across the country.   Part 1 of our Lottery Ticket feature gave us total access and unfiltered perspectives to Cube Vision’s visionary, Ice Cube. Part 2 delivers on an extremely vocal leading man, ready to put the ‘boy’ behind him. Bow Wow talks about his preparation for the role of Kevin Carson, his respect for the leading lady Naturi Naughton, and the Ambassador of his next album.  AllHipHop.com: Take us back to when you were approached about ‘Lottery Ticket’. Was the role of Kevin yours from the very start?  Bow Wow: My agent called me. Told me that there was this project pending. They wanted to get me over to the office for a meeting. I met with Erik White. I was familiar with from his music video directing. Erik told me that if I’m going to do this movie that he needed me attached to the Kevin role. He said, “When I think Kevin, I think you.” I remember taking that long flight back to Miami, reading the script. And by the time I landed, I was in. We contacted Erik and from there, all the dominoes were put into place. Here comes (Ice) Cube, here comes (Mike) Epps, here comes Charlie (Murphy) and here comes Loretta (Devine). The momentum kept growing. From day 1, I knew that this would be a home run for us. I’m just excited to be on board.  AllHipHop.com: In which ways have you prepared for this role?  Bow Wow: I watched a lot of movies. I’ve watched “Juice”, one of my favorite movies. Watching Tupac, watching ‘Bishop’ and ‘Q’, the roof scene and all that. I needed all of that as far as the moods of the movie. And you can tell. I wanted to show people that on screen. We’ve watched a lot of duo movies like “The Pineapple Express”, “Bad Boys”, and of coarse we’ve watched “Friday”. We wanted to watch some of the greats. We’ve taken bits and pieces from every movie. And it helped us out a lot.  AllHipHop.com: Talk about one of the goals you’ve set for yourself in taking on this role.  Bow Wow: I just wanted to nail it. I wanted to show the audience that this is not the rapper, that is the actor. I wanted people to believe it. And so far, so good. People are telling me that it’s believable and that it’s a good film. I put all of my all into this. I shut down my schedule for two and a half months. It was a dream come true working with Cube and Mike. I didn’t want to let anybody down.   AllHipHop.com: I talked to Ice Cube the other day about the climatic scene of the movie, the moment between you and Brandon T. Jackson. Cube said he received a call once you were done taping the scene and he was told that you and Brandon nailed it. Without giving too much about the scene, what was it like working with Brandon and talk about what went into it.  Bow Wow: There was really no preparation for that particular scene. That was the first scene of the morning. Brandon and I were laughing and joking. But when they called out, “Action”, we ripped it. To me, when you’re acting, you’re trying. I become the character. If you become the character, you could be doing anything at the time someone yells, “Action”, and you’re back in character. That’s how it works for me. Brandon and I just tapped into the moment. And when we heard, “Cut”, we were back having fun. I was back tweeting to my fans.   AllHipHop.com: The leading lady for the film is the lovely Naturi Naughton. What have your learned from and about one another while working on Lottery Ticket?  Bow Wow: It was very easy working with Naturi. We both started our music careers around the same time (Naturi with 3LW). I remember being on tour in London early on in my career with them. It’s funny how God works. I never would’ve imagined that we’d be working together after all these years. She held her own in this movie. She has so much experience. She pays a lot of attention to detail, wanting to make sure that every scene is perfect. She’s very dedicated to the craft. I can really work with an actress like that. She made my job easier. I have eight films under my belt, as well as the Tyler Perry film that I’m shooting right now. I learned from Naturi. She didn’t need any advice.   AllHipHop.com: Is the Tyler Perry movie you’re speaking of “Big Happy Family”?  Bow Wow: Correct. I’ll have the pleasure of working with Loretta Devine once more. It’s another huge cast. I’m very excited about how my acting career is taking off. I am taking on all challenges coming my way. The pressure of carrying a Cube Vision film on my shoulders to working with Tyler Perry; man, skies the limit for me. No telling what’s going to happen next.  AllHipHop.com: You grew up in front of millions of people. And with that comes advice from all directions. Everybody seems to know what’s best for Bow Wow.  What is some of the best advice […]

While his mentor and label mate Lil’ Wayne serves his time on Rikers Island until what many believe is this coming November, Lil’ Twist is steady at work on his debut album Don’t Get it Twisted.  Already garnering the support of his other label mates Nicki Minaj, Drake and Tyga on featured tracks, the youngest in the Young Money camp is learning a lot about the game and growing up fast.  But the features don’t stop with the Young Money emcees, Twist has also developed a strong relationship with his fellow young breakthrough artist Justin Beiber. The two spend lots of time together doing the things that kids their age do; playing basketball, swimming, chasing girls and just enjoying life.  But the life of a young and up and coming rap star isn’t easy, as according to Twist it’s “a lot of work”.  Take a look at this sit down with the next in line of the Young Money camp and see whats going on inside the head of a 17-year-old emcee on the verge of his debut album and living amidst the craze for anything Young Money.  AllHipHop: So, what’s been up with it Twist? Lil’ Twist: Just working. Working on the album. Still working on some solo songs of myself, because I have a lot of collaborations on this album.  So I been really focusing on banging out  songs just by myself.  AllHipHop: Right. So, who are some of the collaborations with? Lil’ Twist: You know, the whole Young Money Camp, Including Wayne, Drake, and Nicki [Minaj]. Justin Beiber, Sean Kingston. I got a reggae feel with Sean Paul.  It’s a few more man. I really can’t even think of all of ‘em off the head.  AllHipHop: I understand.  That’s crazy and a good look. Now, how old are you now? Because I know you got started early in the game. Lil’ Twist: I’m 17 years old.  I make 18 in January.  AllHipHop: Wow. We thought that you were younger than that.  Honestly, I thought you were 16 or  something.  But, none the less, How’d you end up linking with Young Money and how    did all of that come together?  Lil’ Twist: Well, Lil’ Wayne actually had a show that was about an hour away from Dallas.  I drove    down to the show. And I already knew my  management that I have now, Cortez Bryant,    and  I ran up to him, and I was like, “ Yo, man. You have to let me get on the show. “And   so, he was like, “ Okay, let’s see. Put the little dude on stage” So, I got on stage, and I    ripped it! So, after that, Cortez started calling and talking to Wayne, Wayne got back to    me, and I been down every since.  AllHipHop: That’s crazy, man. So, obviously, everybody in the Young Money camp is real close knit; sort of like a family.  Can you tell me what its like being with Young Money, and being surrounded and able to work with such talent.  Lil’ Twist: Man, It’s a lot of fun. But, at the same time, its a lot of work too. All of us are different, so we bring our own thing to the table, you know what I mean?  But, yeah, it’s a lot of fun, and basically it’s just a family. That’s all it is.  AllHipHop: So, you had mentioned that you have got some work wit Justin [Beiber]. And, he is a    good friend of yours, right? Lil’ Twist: Yeah, Justin is one of my best friends.  We like brothers, for real.  AllHipHop: So, when you guys have free time, what do ya’ll do together? Lil’ Twist: We just chill. Kick it with each other when we both don’t have anything to do. Like, this past weekend,  we didn’t have anything scheduled to do, so we all just  caught a flight to Atlanta, and was just chillin in Atlanta.  You know, and being able to be young and be able to kick it with out all the work we have to do. Take a day or two just to play basketball, or go chill with girls, you know.  AllHipHop: [Jokingly] I know that’s treating you right, them girls…  Lil’ Twist: Yeah.  Them ladies man…. AllHipHop:  So, have you had any contact with Wayne or     saw him since he’s been locked up or anything? Lil’  Twist: I talk to him every chance that we get. Every chance that I get. You know, my phone line   is always open for him to call.  He calls a lot, and sometimes its just for the blog and stuff.    And other times, he calls just to talk about the whole process, and what he’s thinking    about, and what he’s going through.  But overall, a lot of times its just to call and check    on me.  AllHipHop: That’s a bet, man.  Okay, if you could say a couple things that you have learned from    being in the Young Money Camp, either from Wayne, or Drake, or Nicki, as far as    lyricism, and spitting, what would you say are some of the things that you’d say that you    picked up on being around some of the other emcees?  Lil’ Twist: Just music as a whole.  You know, all of them are  very musically creative.  And that’s all   they care about when it comes to music. Being the most creative and innovative artist that   they can be.  So that they can make sure their music sounds great.  Me being the next one    off the label, they want to make sure that I’m the same way.   So, they will be in the studio with me a lot. Just making sure that my album is quality. So    they do give me feedback and I have the opportunity to ask them questions.  AllHipHop: So, how much feedback have you been getting so far? Lil’ Twist: They Love it!  I feel that my album  is going to be great. […]

Hello AllHipHop.com, this the first of many  releases from yours truly. This is Bizzy Bone formerly of Bone Thugs n Harmony.I say formerly for reasons I’ll later reveal.So the press release is not taken out of context let me clear up the Cash Money issue right now before jealousy of the playa hata’s sets in.Actually the discussion I had was about how Cash Money, Young Money, G-Unit, Bad Boy and similar labels have SURPASSED MAJOR LABELS in marketing and promotion and all out record sales in the industry.My view was seeing how Bone Thugs n Harmony (in my eyes a mega legendary group) has been placed in a losing situation.This is the reason why I (BizzyBone) decided to go on my own and deal with labels of the Cash Money nature.To me it would be the ideal label for the likes of myself or even the entire Bone Thugs n Harmony group.Cash Money, Young Money and such labels as this know how to treat a artist. Whether the artist has been in the industry for a decade or brand new to the system.They (Cash Money, Young Money, G Unit etc.) respect the artist position and know how to market and promote a top caliber artist(s).                         :Basically to keep a artist hot: The label has to believe in them and clean them up so they shine like the pristine diamond (10 million + copies) sellers that they’ve accomplished. Instead these major labels put huge names on the roster for looks and investments. Treating a artist like s### , but bigging them up towards investors for larger budgets and when its goes down hill the blame is on the artist(s) or group(s). That makes the artist(s) value go down lower and lower and puts forth a black cloud over them that only talent and perseverance can dissipate. Only Lyor Cohen (from my studies and research) truly understands this fact.Labels like Cash Money, Young Money, G-Unit have continuously showed majors THERE IS NO RECESSION!This is simply a excuse for majors to sit on their a#### and control who’s hot and who’s not. Whether their endorsement of who’s hot is mediocre or flat out s##### (with enough radio and hype any artist can look successful)  yall know who they are no need to call em out. Playa gotta eat.With Barack Obama being the first black president and jobs in MAINSTREAM AMERICA declining, this was a opportune time to feed the Hip Hop community this (Recession) fallacy. Remember HIP HOP COVERS THE GLOBE NOT JUST MAINSTREAM AMERICA! There is enough money for everyone.                                Lil’ Wayne 1 mill + in                             1 week, Drake 450,000 + in oneWith them under the Cash Money umbrella I can see how people can misinterpret my comments.With the recent sales of Bone Thugs, mediocre at best, I feel it is a must to stand up for my brothers, regardless of me being a solo artist since 1998 contractually, they still my muh~f**ken dude’s. So I’m standing for them and others caught in that dark place. With Bone I learned to separate Business and pleasure, friendship and personal. Those are my golden rules towards the brothers.So that was the discussion. Basically Cash Money has the upmost respect from me along with their offsprings and affiliates.BABY, SLIM, FIDDY, DIDDY (Sean Combs), bless yall for yall continuous work in the Hip Hop community. I see yall and appreciate you all as well as the others whom follow in yall footsteps. I’m 44 records deep and even celebrity rehab won’t take me? (Some humor)Also I’m not trying to have any falsehood statements or press releases out there. Thank ALLHIPHOP.COM for getting this straight. Very reputable of you and expedient.Lock down Love Lil Wayne. The entire Hip Hop community eagerly awaits your return.Peace,Bizzy the Kid(yall remember used to be in Bone Thugs n Harmony?)P.S. I was asked by the group to not go on tour because I negotiated my own show money that’s why I wasn’t there.Long Live Child Support  BUCK BUUUUUUUCK!

After nearly a year out of the spotlight, rapper T.I. is poised for one of his biggest summers ever. Just last night, the King made his return to the stage in New York City for his first concert since being released from prison. On August 27th his new movie, Takers, releases in theaters and he’s also scheduled to release another album this summer as well. All this comes on the heels of him tying the knot with long-time girlfriend, Tiny. T.I. stopped by theGrio to explain his new role in Takers. Although it’s his third movie, this is the first time the rapper has donned the title of producer. T.I. said he welcomes the added responsibility. For him it was part of the natural progression of his career. “By the time I’m 40, I’d much rather be in the talks for Oscars than still for Grammys,” the Atlanta rapper explained. However, music is still very important to him. “Each of my albums represents a part of me at a particular point in time,” said T.I., “I can’t make Trap Muzik right now…I can’t make Paper Trail right now.” He considers his newest album to be more uplifting — a representation of how he feels about his life right now.

Marc Live started his rap career in 1990 with his group Raw Breed, who landed their first record deal for $75,000 with the help of KRS One. Since then Marc has been the ultimate industry insider, touring constantly with his cousin, Kool Keith, and his close friend Ice-T, supporting both legends on stage as a hype man, as well as on wax as a producer, heading projects such as Analog Brothers and Black Elvis. Seven records deep as a solo artist, Marc Live’s newest album Episode III: The Revenge of Marc Rippin is currently available worldwide. AllHipHop.com: Raw Breed was a big deal in the 1990’s, how did the major labels view the group? Marc Live: When got signed to Warner Brothers, we got $450,000 dollars. From ’95 to ’99 major labels were giving out big budgets. They loved us at Warner Brothers. We got signed the same day we played Howie T the demo at 11 o’ clock in the morning and he loved it, but said he wanted Denise Brown, the president, to listen to it so we went to Popeye’s Chicken on Hollywood Boulevard and by the time we got home on Arnez Drive and Sunset they called and said, “Who’s your lawyer?” and they signed us that same day. My group Raw Breed was the first rap group signed to SESAC publishing, in 1992. In ’93 we got the SESAC award for the most radio plays that year. We were naive, we didn’t know what the f**k that meant. I didn’t know how to capitalize on it or anything. My producer went to Nashville to get the award and I hung the plaque up on my wall but I didn’t know. When I went to London with Keith on the public enemy tour in 1998 we would go to radio stations they would have all my records and I was shocked. AllHipHop.com: How did the Analog Brothers record come about with you, Kool Keith, and Ice T? Marc Live: Analog Brothers happened when I was in LA. When I moved out to LA adopting the LA lifestyle. I started smoking pot, I started drinking, going out, dating white girls that lived in Venice Beach who went barefoot and listened to the Doors. I met one of Ice’s buddies Pimpin Rex, he was a musician and he helped produce the first Body Count album, and we became good friends. He had this garage all full of vintage keyboards, he a had Moog, 808 drum kit, SP-1200, and he would pick me up from Hollywood every morning at around 11 o’ clock, we’d smoke our first blunt, go get some Mexican food. We go to his garage, he lived in the hood, and we’d make beats. There was a white boy named Dan who had an extensive record collection, a bunch of old breaks, and he would bring crates over and we would sample them. Whenever I was working on a project everybody always wanted to know what I was doing. I just had that knack. So Keith was like “What are you working on with Rex?” Ice was like, “What are you guys working on?” I told them right now we were just working on beats, working on ideas, but I’ll let you know when we finish. And then Keith was like, “Yo I want to come over with my keyboard,” so Keith came over with his Korg. We started using the keyboards and making this sound, and Keith was like “We should go over to Ice’s house,” cause Ice had like the MTV Cribs house with the roof that opened up with a studio, and Keith said, “We should do a group together and call it Analog Brothers.” Keith came up with the name. So we got Ice involved, we got my homie Black Silver involved, and Rex Roland did all the singing, and I programed all the beats, all the drums, on the SP 1200, all the sampling and everything. We all went to Ice’s house and recorded the album in 4 days. AllHipHop.com: I’ve noticed Keith coming into his own with production over the past several years. Marc Live: Keith was always working with tracks, doing his own private stuff. Keith was always into records. He was the one who brought the beat for Ego Trippin to Ced to sample. All the hit records that Ultramagnetic had, Keith brought the records to Ced to use. AllHipHop.com: I have the KHM record with “Copy If You Want To” where you and Keith are dissing Andre 3000, what was that about? Marc Live: Keith felt Andre kind of took his image and didn’t give him props for it, and didn’t like the fact that the world thought Andre came out with the wigs, and that was his thing. So he was kind of p##### off. He was mad that he wasn’t getting the press that they were getting. AllHipHop.com: So after Analog Brothers came to an end what did you do? Marc Live: After that my next big project was Keith’s album, Black Elvis. That’s when I learned the mpc and keyboards, that’s when I got nasty, that’s when I was lethal. I became a prodigy, I made beats in 5 minutes, like overnight I was ill. I did two tracks on Dr. Dooom, also before we would go on the road I would program all the beats for the freestyles. I did The Clayborne Family, Guerrilla Black was on that record. AllHipHop.com: Wow, I didn’t know you worked with Guerrilla Black. Marc Live: I helped Guerrilla Black. I used to help him rap, help him with his technique and stuff. My best friend managed him and we would smoke weed together every day and I’d give him techniques. He used to be skinny. When I was hearing his demos I loved his lyrical content. I didn’t think when he came out people would diss him, I loved him. AllHipHop.com: So where were you doing all […]

Go on the road and watch how Rick Ross promotes his album Teflon Don. Watch all the exclusive access from AllHipHop and JumpOff TV’s reality-docu series.  Here is part one of The Next 48 Hours With Rick Ross, the day before the album release.

On August 20th, Alcon Entertainment, Burg-Koules Production Company and Cube Vision Production aim to continue the growing legacy of everything Ice Cube touches with “Lottery Ticket”. Lottery Ticket starring Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson and Ice Cube dives into the universal daydream of what would you do if you hit the mother load? 370 million dollars, to be exact! Bow Wow is Kevin Carson, a young man living in a low-income community, and is far from being the cool kid around his way… well until he goes against his own mentality and purchase what will become the winning ticket. Brandon T. Jackson is Benny, Kevin’s Ace, and the dedicated livewire with more to his comedic character than shown on the surface. And Ice Cube is Mr. Washington, the underground community resident, an almost urban legend to the youth in the area. There’s a Mr. Washington in every hood; old-school to his traditional core and feels that integrating with the every changing society would change that. He is proud of the struggles he went through in life. Which makes him angry at how the youth are wasting their abilities and talents over nonsense. Lottery Ticket may or may not have an All-Star Cast depending on your vantage point, but the characters hit home. The characters are relatable and the sub-plots may strike you if you are looking beyond the laughs. AllHipHop.com sat back down with one of our all-time favorite people in Hip-Hop, the Don-Mega, Ice Cube to talk about the movie, the instant criticisms levied on Black Films, and the role that Chuck D played in his early solo career. AllHipHop.com: The trailer for “Lottery Ticket” focuses on the comedic pieces of the film. But the full-length movie has just as much emotion as punch lines. Talk about both sides of the story and which side, if any, do you believe will make more of an impact on audiences. Ice Cube: I believe that with movies such as “Barbershop”, we’ve learned that people want their comedy, but people want their substance too. People don’t want just a silly movie. Especially when it’s cutting so close to home. So with “Lottery Ticket” we didn’t want to play the entire time. We wanted to make this solid. We wanted this movie to have longer legs. It was a conscious effort. Promoting the movie, of coarse they’re going to tell everybody that it’s all laughs. It’s fun, but there are some serious moments. I like it like that. AllHipHop.com: This film is based on the premise, “If you won the lottery, what would you do?” What do you believe is the second most important question this film asks? Ice Cube: How would you act? How would you act if someone close to you won it? Everybody tells you not to change when you win. What some fail to realize is that you might not be the one that changes; everybody around you does. This movie touches on materialism (and how much value we put on it), who you true friends are; it talks about how people hate on you when you have nothing then love you when you got it all. Nobody really got it all. But it’s not an after-school special, by all means. AllHipHop.com: Cube Vision production played a role in making this movie possible. Talk about the other key companies that you worked with on “Lottery Ticket”. Ice Cube: The people at Alcon Entertainment are the ones that approached Cube Vision. My man Broderick approached Cube Vision with the project. Erik White is one hell of a new writer and director. Also my man Matt Alvarez did a lot of heavy lifting on this movie; making sure that it got done in a Cube Vision manner. We must protect the brand. This was a collaboration of talented people creating a project that could stand on its own two feet. We’re following so classic movies. Hopefully we got one. AllHipHop.com: The chemistry between Kevin and Benny shares small similarities with the role you made famous in “Friday” Craig along with Chris Tucker as “Smokey”. Taking career paths into account, Bow Wow and yourself began as rappers, such as Brandon T. Jackson and Chris Tucker are comedic. Coincidence or predetermined? Ice Cube: In understanding the history behind “Friday,” the connection between Craig and Smokey, the fans of Smokey are about Erik White’s age. So if you see some aspects of what was before, that’s the foundation. Just like we took some things from Cheech and Chong for Friday. We’ve learned from the movies we liked. It’s only natural. So yes, there are some comparisons. But we aren’t pushing that line saying, “We need to create the new Craig and Smokey.” That’s just not how you should approach it. Every movie should have its own individual thing. You let the director have his freedom to get his vision off. Now, to produce a movie like this is kind of tricky because everybody has their point-of-view. The magic is getting these point-of-views on the screen. AllHipHop.com: There is a climatic scene between Bow Wow and Brandon T. Jackson that will surprise a lot of people. Were you on set for the taping of this scene, and if not, when you watched the scene, how did you feel about their work? Ice Cube: I wasn’t on the set during the taping of that scene. But I definitely got a call once it was finished. I was told that this scene would be the anchor for everything that’s going on in this movie. When I saw it, I was reminded of the scene in Friday when Pops got serious with Craig, telling him to put the gun down. This scene reminds me of taking that turn. You might not know you want to take that turn in a movie, but you want to take that dramatic turn. You want to believe that these people aren’t just characters; so real that these could be people you know. […]

Game has dropped the first official video from his mixtape Brakelights with DJ Skee. The Compton MC decided to debut the clip on AllHipHop.com today (August 14th). According to Game, he is dropping the mixtape to appease his fans as he retools his highly anticipated fourth official release, the R.E.D. Album. “Brake Lights is an appetizer to the R.E.D. Album. I know a lot of people been waiting on R.E.D., so I wanted to put out something to hold my fans over, while I finish up my album” Game told AllHipHop.com in a statement. Brake Lights, which was mixed by DJ Skee,  features production by frequent collaborators Cool & Dre, as well as DJ Toomp, JR Rotem and Rich Skillz.

DJ B-Do:  Port Arthur, Texas Producer and Pimp C Protégé ‘Countin’ Money’As Bun B fans enjoy the 5-mic Trill OG album that is in stores now, super producer DJ B-Do is enjoying the success of the album’s first single entitled “Countin Money” ft Yo Gotti and Gucci Mane, that he produced.  The Pimp C protégé hailing from Port Arthur, Texas, has been playing instruments since the early age of 9 and is very close with the Port Arthur community of athletes and musicians that have helped put the small Texas town of just over 57,000 on the map.Having released the video for the single this past Saturday online, and after a summertime full of work in studios from Atlanta to LA to New York, this Texas producer is making a name for himself with creativity and a respect for the game he has worked so hard to be a part of.  Take a look at this sit down with one of Texas’ finest artists in the game and get to know a producer that will be making hits for years to come.   AllHipHop.com: Alright, so they call you DJ B-Do Right?DJ B-Do: Yea my name been B-DO but there is an older producers from Houston he did a lot of Rap A Lot Records his name is John B-Do so you know out of respect I put DJ in front of it because I used to DJ in high school so I just used the DJ you know just out of respect. AllHipHop.com: I noticed you produced that recent Bun-B joint, “Counting Money” right? With Yo Gotti and Gucci Man.DJ B-Do: YeaAllHipHop.com: Tell me about that track man and how that track came together.DJ B-Do: MAN! that track came about and it was crazy, it was another record and it was actually for a project I was working on and Bun-B’s Manager “International Red” heard it and he was like “man you need to get this record to Bun!”.  First I was kind of not really hesitating, Bun’s all family, I got my first placement on UGK double disk album, so I gave him the record and uh..he put it on his “No Mixtape”.  But his first verse was on the mixtape and uh he gave it to Gucci before he went to jail and he gave it to Yo Gotti too and Yo Gotti did his verse and it leaked. So I guess some of them Internet bloggers or sites or whatever, they put it together and it went real hard.  After that you know that’s how we got to the lab and put all the verses together and there you have it…  AllHipHop.com: That s**t is tight..[LAUGHS}DJ B-Do: I appreciate it, actually I produced it and I am on the hook manAllHipHop.com: That’s what’s up man.   So just for our listeners that don’t know man tell them how you got to that point where you were able to produce for a song like that man.DJ B-Do: Man back in ‘07 I hooked up with Pimp, I am from the same town, and I’m from Port Arthur, Texas where Bun B and Pimp C are from. So I hooked up with Pimp  in ‘07 we did a verse called “Grind Hard” that got on the double disc album that went gold before Pimp passed and ever since then I just been in the mix. That was my firs major paper but before then I been recording around Houston with local artists and um I got on that major album right there man and since then I took off running. I actually got my first acting little gig in Lupe Fiasco video ” The Hip-Hop Save My Life” joint.AllHipHop.com: Oh ok yea I heard about that. You produced a couple of joints for Lupe right?DJ B-Do: Yea but they are not out yet. AllHipHop.com: Oh ok, who else are some the artists you have worked with?  Tell me some of the other artists you have like worked with or what projects you are excited about now.DJ B-Do: I have worked with Scarface, I did a record off of uh..”UGK4 Life”, that album that came out last year I did a song with Big Gipp of Goodie Mob, I did a song with uh E40, B-Legit and Eightball and MJG called “Used to Be”.AllHipHop.com– Right…That’s good s### man so um tell me what kind of production equipment you use?DJ B-DO: Phantom, MPC 4000, Logic and I use my own drums so I make sure I don’t have the same drums as nobody else but I got so many programs inside of that logic bro, that logic 9.AllHipHop.com: Who are you really looking forward to working with coming up in the game that you might already been working with?DJ B-DO: It’s a project I’ve been working with Pimp C before he passed called the Underdawgz.  Me, Pimp C, Young T.O.E. another artist from Port Arthur so be looking out on that because it’s going to come out right after Pimp C’s album. I would love to work with T.I, Ross and I would love to work with Kiss and Styles P but you know I would love to work with anybody that want to work with me.AllHipHop.com: I know you produced some down south joints but you seem like you would like to venture off and like you want to get to work with like some of the other artists.DJ B-Do: You got damn right! Man I am from the south so of course I am going to work with anybody that’s in my backyard, but man I travel, I love music first you know? I produced any type of music bro, you know what I’m saying? I make music some people are scared to rap on [LAUGHS] AllHipHop.com: Who are some of your musical influences? DJ B-Do: I have been playing drums since I was like 6 months old.   I bulls**t you not I can show you pictures! You go wanna make me send you some pictures so you can see man like I played saxophone.  I play […]

Even when it comes to Full Clip, VIBE has the sense enough to know not to bury the lead. So here it is: Scarface has left Rap-A-Lot Records. In an era of frequent artists drops and changing imprints, the news is indeed surprising given that the man born Brad Jordan has been associated with the James Prince-owned landmark Houston label since 1988. Back then, Scarface made his debut as a member of a revamped Geto Boys with country hard talker Willie D. and menacing dwarf Bushwick Bill. Face, whose at times violent, dark, vivid, complex and emotional lyrics dissected street life, would eventually find immense solo acclaim, becoming the south’s most heralded MC. But when the rapper, multi-instrumentalist and producer talks about going independent on a new album he’s currently finishing up tentatively entitled The Habit, he speaks with both regret and optimism for the future. “I think with anything that you do in life it has to run its course,” Face tells VIBE of his split from his longtime label home and J. Prince. “And I think that my business relationship with Rap-A-Lot has ran its course. I’m not just a rapper anymore. You can’t make me an artist, anymore. It’s time for me to have my own s###. There’s a lot of money in successful independent records. I was totally unaware of that throughout my career by the label. If you put a few million records out and you are making eight bucks a pop, everything is supposed to be everything. I’m supposed to be a part of that money, right? I think with the amount of money independent artists make I wish I would have made the move a little sooner.” “I feel good about my opportunities,” Face continues. “I have a son that’s 19-years-old who is a much better rapper than I was at that age! I’m trying to make his career right. I’m going to give him a couple of songs on my new album, which I’m aiming for an October release. He doesn’t have a MC name yet. I’m just going to call him Chris Jordan…because he’s a bad m##########, man.” Whatever the future of Scarface, he can rest assured that he has had one of the most consistent and enviable careers in hip-hop. The always-candid icon takes a look back at his remarkable run. —Keith Murphy Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)—Geto Boys I had no f###### idea this record was going to be [so controversial]. I was so excited to finally get my face on somebody’s cassette. The music just drove me. Willie D, Bill and myself literally didn’t know each other. We just sat around for a little while and recorded a few songs and after that James told us, ‘Ya’ll aint getting it done fast enough.’ They took us out to the middle of nowhere and left us together. We were in a house and it was the nicest f###### house I had ever been in my life. But back then we didn’t want to see no beautiful houses in the middle of nowhere. We wanted to be around that hip-hop movement. You also have to take into consideration that we were kids. I was about 17 back then. And we were not recording in a professional studio. We didn’t get into a professional studio until Rick Rubin came along. But Rick did not want me in the Geto Boys. He didn’t like my rhyme style. Rick wanted to exploit the fact that we were from Texas and I didn’t rap like I was from Texas. I never asked what changed Rick Rubin’s tune. However, I know early on he wasn’t f###### with me. I guess he felt like since we started together, we should finish together, so Scarface stays. We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)—Geto Boys I think my manic depressive state and suicidal tendencies played a huge role on who I was back then. “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” was one of the numerous songs I wrote and produced myself. There were three verses: my first two verses—the verse that Bill rapped was my own third verse. It was a record I originally recorded for my solo album, but nobody wanted that song. I swear…nobody. Willie D. didn’t think the record would work, but he wrote a verse to it anyway after J had done his research on this song. He found some people who were really feeling it. He wanted everybody to rap on it. It became a Geto Boys record. If you look at my face on the We Can’t Be Stopped album cover you can tell I didn’t want to be apart of that photo shoot. Bill was still in the hospital. He was highly sedated, man. (Just days before the We Can’t Be Stopped photo shoot, a drunken and depressed Bushwick Bill shot himself in the eye after his girlfriend refused to shoot him during an altercation.) We took that picture at the actual hospital where Bill was at. And Chief, who was our manager at the time, said, ‘Bill, take the eye patch down.’ And I was like, ‘Awww f###! Man, this is some b#######.’ I strongly believe that what goes on in this house stays in this house. I didn’t really want to put Bill out there like that. How many people have gotten their eye shot out and captured it on an album cover for everyone to remember? It’s hard to wake up in the morning and deal with that one. Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991) That album cover was shot near the same place we recorded the first Geto Boys album. And, no, that wasn’t real coke on the table. That was f###### flour. But the guns were real. Still, I was so reckless back then that at 19-year-old I know I would have taken that coke and sold it [laughs]. Willie D. didn’t like the fact that Scarface of the Geto Boys was printed on the cover. He did […]

Welcome to a new series titled AllHipHop Classics, where we revisit some of the memorable articles, moments and happening in AHH history. DMX marks the first in the series and we reprint the very first time we spoke to the self-proclaimed dog. In light of Earl Simmons’ present life, this piece shows that DMX, in many ways, has not avoided what destiny called for him, despite being one of the top-selling artists in music history. The piece was written by AllHipHop co-founder Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, who then wrote under his full name. Originally published in 1998 when his debut It’s Dark and Hell is Hot made the entire music game shift. Delve into the live and mind of DMX, circa 1998. Manhattan, Winter 1998. Elite flocks of stiff suit yuppies and buppies mingle in the hallways of the pristine Sony Music Studios several blocks away from the busy Broadway streets in downtown Manhattan. They sweetly sip fine wines and nibble gently at catered food chit chatting about nothing in particular. Simply partying. However strolling a bit deeper into the annals on the complex, there is foreign activity that just doesn’t fit in the neat, clean world right down the corridor. In the furthest studio, in the back of the complex, violent instrumental blares out of the Yamaha NS-10M speaker, bangs on the walls and bounces about the room. It waits intently for the DMX to splash vocals all over it. 11:06 p.m. In a well worn light blue Phat Farm jump suit, DMX is sprawled out on a small couch cuddling his pure bred pitbull, Bobbi. He’s exhausted, extremely irritable and yelps gruffly, “Imma disappear for 4 days.” Come on, X, cooperate. “That [magazine] s### don’t matter to me. What matters to me is that n##### dig my s###.” “People keep trying to take advantage of my good heart, ” he complains. But, X they said you have to do this. “Who is ‘they’ anyway?, ” he replies, “‘They’ is gonna get it!” Managers, business associates and friends nervously scramble about, hopeful DMX will cooperate with the last minute interview. Rob, the Caucasian engineer, watches passively, looking ready to go home. At 28, DMX aka Earl Simmons, has become a grotesque media darling with a life of more peaks and valleys than the hills in his hometown of Yonkers, New York. For the past 2 years or so, an inebriating dosage of DMX been injected into the main vein of hip hop and mainstream America. Every other mix tape. Every third song on the radio. Every other album. He’s on everyone’s tongue. Today, he’s just returned from an unyielding day of interviews and meetings. He just finished filming Rap City with host Big Les and voice drops for various college radio. When and if there’s nothing else to do then he’s recording verses for everyone else’s new albums, like DJ Clue, Jay Z and Jermaine Dupri. Bad Boy’s super producer Derek Angeletti rolls in the studio with a long, tight blunt he wants to share with DMX. “[The other artist’s] flow is extremely regular, ” he says smiling fiendishly, “That means you have to be extremely irregular.” “Extremely irregular, ” DMX repeats blandly, “Imma take it somewhere else.” Combusting, he starts rapping fiercely in the middle of Angeletti’s next sentence, slicing it in half. It’s still somewhat unclear as to the reasons behind DMX’s dramatic ascension. It could be that irregular flow that slows up, then speeds up, sputters and smooths out, all in one verse. Perhaps, it is DMX’s ability to relate his pain and experience directly to the audience that enjoys his tunes so much. And, it could be that this success it just his reward for waiting patiently for hip hop to cycle into a new era. See, DMX is not just a one hit phenomenon. “This n#### would battle anybody. Anywhere, ” says Def Jam A&R rep Irv Gotti, “And through battling anyone, it turned him into a monster. He ain’t gotta scream at you. He can sit here and talk to you and rhyme. And it’ll be the illest s### you ever heard.” Irv is credited with actually pressing Russell Simmons and Def Jam President Lyor Cohen to go to a small, janky club in Yonkers to watch DMX perform in January of 1997. Even before, Ruff Ryders Records and one of the founders, Joaquin Dean, have had the arduous task of guiding the “loose cannon” from the underground sewer to national prominence and dominance. In 1993, Ruff Ryders was able to secure a single deal with Ruff House Records. The song, “Born Loser,” fell short of the initial projections and DMX was dropped from the label. (“The fact that “Born Loser” wasn’t heard merely said that the world wasn’t ready for me, ” he will go on to say later.) DMX falls to fatigue until Joaquin gives him a stiff poke from a Timberland boot. 12:20 a.m. Finally, DMX yanks himself up to talk and he leaves the leather seat layered with short fine canine hairs sprinkled in his place. His obsession with dogs, particularly pitbulls, is well documented in his music, where sharp barks and fierce growls saturate the songs. “I always f##### with dogs. My dog ain’t gonna have sex with my girl. Steal from me. Lie to me. Beat me in the head. You give a dog love and they’ll give it back to you tenfold, ” he says with Bobbi cradled in his lap. “Damn, these things be getting big, ” he says, grabbing the nipples on the dog’s pregnant underbelly. DMX even has “RIP BOOMER” tattooed on his back in honor of one of his now deceased yet famous dogs. Joaquin says, “We go through a lot of changes with him and the dogs all in these places. He won’t come in if he can’t have the dog.” Earlier today, DMX plodded into the Def Jam office and fell asleep on the floor with Bobbi. His dog rides in […]

Kanye West started from humble beginnings, but nobody told Mr. West. Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek recollect their first meetings with the eccentric artist. Their musings are quite funny, from Kanye’s fashion aspirations to defying the odds in the music industry. Interview by Devi Dev…

Ras Kass released his first album, Soul On Ice, in 1996 to much critical acclaim.  Since then the West Coast rapper has been in a battle with his record company, a fight that has left the rapper with a 14-year career catalog of two released albums, two highly-praised unreleased albums, and a string of mixtapes.  Ras, in short, has never gotten a fair deal career-wise when it comes to record companies.  That’s not to say that his career problems have been all the record company’s fault.  Shortly before the release of his third album, Goldyn Child, Ras Kass was arrested for his third DUI, sentenced to jail time, and Priority Records refused to release the album.  Ras, in response, took the recordings, became a fugitive, finished the album, and later turned himself in.  After 19 months in jail he was released but had to return to jail because of a parole violation involving his attendance at the 2007 B.E.T awards.  Released in May of last year, Ras Kass is free from the system and his recording contract.  The MC is now making the music that he wants to make and receiving praise for it.  His new double-mixtape A.D.I.D.A.S (All Day I Dream About Spittin) is getting good reviews and Ras seems, for the first time in awhile, comfortable.    AllHipHop.com:  First up, what made you decide to do the Mel Gibson song? Ras Kass:  We were just in the studio writing some songs for another artist.  An A&R at interscope played it for me and I just bust out laughing.  It wasn’t the ni**er part.  It was the pack part.  He thinks we come out in litters like cats and dogs.  It’s so offensive it’s funny.  He’s crazy.  I have to sample this dude.  I know people thought I’d come with the heavy “I’m gonna f**k you up Mel” beat but let’s be real…I’m never going to see this dude.  So we just made it fun.  It took 30 minutes.  It was strictly for our entertainment but we figured the A.D.I.D.A.S project is coming out so why not put it out.  It went viral for a bit.  Howard Stern spoke on it and TMZ called me.   All the s**t I do and I get some recognition for something silly.  Honestly though, if he hadn’t have said “pack” it would have never happened.  The pack offended me so much I just had to respond [laughs]. AllHipHop.com:   A few years ago you described yourself as a music connoisseur and not just a consumer.  Can you explain that?  As a connoisseur, who are you listening to? Ras Kass:  Man, it varies.  I’ll be honest…I don’t actively go out and seek music.  There is just so much out there.  Right now there are too many rappers and not enough fans.  Too many producers and not enough fans.  Too many music critics and not enough fans.  Everybody blogs and….it almost defeats the purpose.  I love the internet for what it does do but it is like a double edge sword.  I just have what I call the “mixtape from hell” which has about 700 songs.  It can have De La Soul.  It can have rock records.  Just whatever I’m feeling at the moment.  I’ve been real heavy on Special Ed right now.  The third album.  The one that didn’t sell.  I’m listening to it like “This dude is nasty…how do people not get it?”  I just try to listen to everybody.  Just stuff I think is dope.  I even got a record from The Game on there. You make a dope song and I’ll listen…whether I believe you or not.  I can separate myself from my likes and dislikes as a person. AllHipHop.com:  On the new album you have a song “Where Did She Go” where you describe not knowing Hip Hop anymore.  Do you really feel that out of touch? Ras Kass: Sometime.  I’ve quit a couple of times.  I quit for some years.  I was going back to college and I wasn’t going to be a rapper anyway.  People just run with trends and stereotypes.  I’m not going to turn into n#### from the bay when it’s popular, then be from the south when it’s popular, and then be the gangsta when it’s popular.  I’m not playing that game.  It gets n####’s money…I get that…but it’s not me. AllHipHop.com:  You were wondering “how do people not get it” in terms of Special Ed but a lot of fans say the same about you.  What is your take on having critically acclaimed albums but that not translating into sales? Ras Kass:  From Russell Simmons to Dr. Dre to my mom…whatever….people have always said Ras is a star.  I’ve never had the marketing and promotion that my peers have had because, unfortunately, I signed with a company that didn’t know what to do with me.  I picked the wrong company in retrospect but there is no use crying over that.  I don’t equate my music with my record sales.  Sales don’t validate me as a person.  It doesn’t let me know how dope my music is…or how wack it is.  If I sold a million copies of a wack ass record the record is still wack.  It’s not good music.  You know, Hip Hop has gotten corny.  Everything it said it wasn’t going to be is what it became. AllHipHop.com:  For lack of better words, you haven’t had the best experience with record companies.  With the changes going on in the industry do you see yourself signing with another record company? Ras Kass:  Oh no.  Not at all.  I can speak on this now because there was literally a settlement and there where terms to that settlement that had me quiet for three years.  I’m done.  I’m kinda cool.  [laughs].  It’s funny because I see all these people out here trying to get a deal like it’s going to save their life and ever since 2002 I have been trying to get fired.  Just let […]

Unlike many other Third World countries in turmoil, Haiti is not plagued by warring factions or ideological conflicts. Haiti’s issue for the last few decades have centered primarily around a lack of funds and a lack of proper leadership. Over the last 15 to 20 years, the Haitian people have been subjected to political conflicts and economic stagnation rooted in selfish leadership which acted without true concern for the people or the development and progress of the island nation, which now lies as an embarrassment to its legacy as the first independent Black republic in the world. The January 12 earthquake which devastated Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and other towns on the island’s southwest side, dealt a final blow to the island’s international image. It revealed the nation naked exposing all the ills that had been plaguing its people. Now, with the first post-earthquake Presidential election in Haiti drawing near, many have speculated how to contend with the country’s current crisis as well as its legacy of socio-economic needs. Some have argued that Haiti needs a president who has a genuine desire to see the people do better. Wyclef Jean feels he fits that bill, but there is another. Enter Haitian musician Michel Martelly. Just days after celebrating the 22nd anniversary of his musical career, Martelly announced that he would submit himself as candidate in the 2010 Haitian presidential election, set to take place on November 28. But while Martelly, or “Sweet Micky” as his legion of fans knows him, has embraced his position as the “President of Compa,” he is much more reluctant to accept the title of “Presidential candidate.” In his first interview with American media since submitting his candidacy to Haiti’s Electoral Council, Martelly spoke candidly to AllHipHop.com about his country’s biggest problems, his goals for the people of Haiti, and why he won’t be voting for his friend Wyclef Jean. AllHipHop.com: So give us a brief introduction so American audiences can understand who you are Michel Martelly: I came into the music world in 1988 with a song called “Ooh La La,” that was like a breath of fresh air in Haitian music. Because back then, we had the old generation big bands of Compa, playing with 15 members; that concept was going down in Haiti. At the same time, bands from abroad, like Kassav, were coming out with Zouk, which is a genre from the French islands Guadeloupe and Martinique. So when “Ooh La La” came out, it was a breath of fresh air for the Haitian market. I rallied all the youth around me, all the people who liked Compa, but felt like it was dying, going away, being replaced with Zouk. So it became a movement. So, through the years, I’ve played my music with dedication, discipline and originality, and controversy also. Unlike the big bands, I was a one-man show for the first two years. And then I was joined by two more members. By then, I had captivated the heart of every Haitian in Haiti and abroad. Because of that, I felt like I was the only thing happening. People would travel with me just to listen to my music: they [come to a] dance tonight in Port-au-Prince and they’re with me the next day in Miami, just to hear my music. Around 1993-94, I proclaimed myself President of Compa. And because there was no objection, the title remains to this day. AllHipHop.com: Is the rumor that you are running for President of Haiti now confirmed? Michel Martelly: The rumor is confirmed, but I still don’t wanna put it like this, like I’m “running for President.” I don’t think it’s a good [aspiration], being President of Haiti. The last five-six presidents of Haiti have failed miserably. And I don’t think it would be an honor for me to say I want to be the next “president.” I want to be the man by with whom change arrives. Because, I think it’s definitely time. It’s time for the Haitian people to have access to education. It’s time for Haitians to have access to health care. It’s time to open our borders to the Haitian diaspora, open our markets to the world. It’s time to open our country to potential investors. It’s time to change our mentality, which [has become] self-destructive: we seem not to care about ourselves, we don’t care about our neighbors, our children. We seem not to care about our country. We’ve lost our sense of civic duty, of patriotism, our sense of pride. And the concepts of love, sharing, compassion, are the concepts that regulate a society; and they’re basic concepts. And I think it’s a must for us to have a mental revolution. And having a warm voice, being loved by my Haitians, I believe that if I assume the leadership to take them to where they ought to be, although it may not have been their plan; and with the assistance of a great team, a team that is well qualified and devoted, and that understands also that it’s time to change the direction in which the country is headed, I believe that I’ll be successful. That’s why I don’t want to be just a regular candidate. I want to be the man through whom change happens. AllHipHop.com: What motivated you to enter the political arena? Michel Martelly: The initiative came from my wife. Through the years, while I was performing on Christmas Eve and things like that, instead of staying home alone with the kids and thinking about me or crying, she spent time preparing home cooked meals [which she delivered] to people in poor neighborhoods, to go to hospitals, to go to the places where she knew that people in need where having a very different Christmas. So she would take them food and other necessities and share with them the spirit of Christmas. And it became a tradition for my kids and my wife to do that. And after the years, that developed into more […]

Several years from now, when the world looks back on the evolution of Mickey Factz’s career, he will be credited for revolutionizing – if not completely jump-starting – the digital mixtape game.  Following a string of successful releases, which included his critically-acclaimed Leak series, and founding his own label, GFC New York, XXL honored the rapper with a coveted spot on the cover of its 2009 “Freshmen 10” issue. And in the wake of receiving widespread media attention, a year later, Mickey Factz made the inevitable transition to the “major leagues” – shedding his “independent” status and signing with Battery Records, which is owned by Sony Music Entertainment and distributed by Jive Label Group. As Mickey Factz continues to put the finishing touches on The Achievement, his debut album, The Sims 3 will feature “Dreamland” on its highly-anticipated console release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. In order to whet the appetite of his fans, however, several buzz singles have been released in promotion of his forthcoming album. Upon review of “Paradise,” Mickey Factz managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with AllHipHop scribe Clayton Perry – reflecting on Kanye West, the evolution of the mixtape game, and his definition of real “hip-hop” music. AllHipHop.com:  I wanted to start this interview with the following quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which is located on your company’s website: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.” Having been accepted as a pre-law student at NYU, I am sure the decision to abandon your spot was risky and unpopular with family and friends.  When you look back on your decision, what immediate fears did you have to overcome in that moment of truth? Mickey Factz:  Everybody knows that music is not the most stable career, in any sense of the word, especially in this day and time.  Being a new artist, it’s even worse, because there are so many other artists that are trying to make it in this game.  The biggest fears I really had were just being homeless and out on the street. My mom really wanted to make sure that I had an education, and that I was good, you know, with a job that had steady income. So whenever people hear that I left a prominent school like NYU, they say that I was crazy. But at the end of the day, it’s not what I love to do, and I think everybody should follow their dreams and do what they love to do.  I would rather struggle and do what I love than be successful and miserable every day.  But I think everyone at some point wonders if they are going to be successful, and I know that I want to get to a certain level in the rap game. I just had to overcome the fear of quitting my job, because I was working, too, and quitting school, and it was really a leap of faith. When it comes down to your dreams, everybody should be willing to take that leap of faith, and I was just brave enough to do it. AllHipHop.com:  As you were talking, I immediately started thinking about your latest song, “Checkmate,” and you reminded me that we oftentimes have to make decisions in life without knowing what lies ahead.  Mickey Factz:  Chess is a thinking man’s game, and life – just like the rap game – is definitely a game of chess.  You always have to think ahead, because there will always be people that don’t want to see you succeed. And you have to realize that everybody you encounter is a potential enemy.  In the rap game, the competition never sleeps, and you always have to be ready, and you always have to think three steps ahead. On “Checkmate,” I was just trying to be creative and do something different – rapping about chess and comparing it to life and how it is filled with competition – but I also wanted to give the listener a chance to see how I was dealing with it.  The game is definitely like chess, because everyone is definitely coming for your neck, and you have to protect yourself.  Mikey Factz – “Alpha” MICKEY FACTZ: ALPHA from Creative Control on Vimeo. AllHipHop.com:  Having attained so much success independently, when you signed with Battery Records, what was the key selling point for you? Mickey Factz:  Battery has a very independent mindset, and they were very supportive and pleased about all the records they heard. They wanted to take the time to develop me and make me the superstar that I believe that I can be. A lot of the music that I was doing previously was very contemporary and very eclectic, and I think they were very surprised, because I got into a creative space, where my songwriting changed dramatically. They wanted to be a part of it, and I wanted to be somewhere where my talents wouldn’t be overlooked. I wanted to be the main focus of the ship. For example, if I went to Def Jam, I didn’t want to be in a position where my release date could possibly be the same date as Rick Ross, or have to worry about competing with another veteran for attention and knowing that they paid more attention to them instead of me. When I made my decision, I was very conscious about not having to battle with the label’s “favorite” child. I want to be the child that they love. AllHipHop.com:  I completely understand! And like you mentioned earlier, that is part of the chess game that an artist has to play. Mickey Factz:  Right! [laughing] I didn’t go for the big check. I went to the place where I would win in the long run. And I think […]

Eminem delves deep into the love-hate relationship so many couples go though. The rapper joins forces with actors Meagan Fox, who offers a compelling portrayal of a woman in a destructive relationship. Musically, Rihanna anchors this emotional excursion. Peep it.

Kanye West has debuted the creative vision for the “Power” video. The expression on display is definitely landmark and a “painting” as the Chicago-bred rapper explained. What do you think of it?