G.O.O.D. Music recording artist GLC is determined to make his own way in the rap world. You might know GLC and then you might not. Gangsta L. Crisis is a neophyte in the Hip-Hop game that has been fortunate enough to flow on tracks with some of the most notable names in the business. Yet, he has yet to release his own album. GLC prides himself on being a man of honor and being real, thus you won’t hear in his lyrics are lines about making it rain when he is experiencing a drought. What you might hear from the Chicago native are lyrics reflecting his life. A life where at times he may be broke, getting groupie love or mulling over his darker days on the block. When asked is he nervous about the success of his upcoming debut album, Love, Life, Loyalty, GLC can give you an honest answer; “No”.  You could assume that the unwavering confidence comes from his alliance with Kanye West. However, according to GLC, Kanye has already done his part. Now it’s his time to do his work.AllHipHop.com: Where did you get the name Gangsta L. Crisis?GLC: The name Gangsta came from the organization I was a part of and crisis came from my life. It was what was considered a crisis. Crisis is critical. I managed to get a lot of positivity from it. I did not let it break me down.AllHipHop.com: Let’s take it back a little. Back when you had that 8-Track recorder and you were trying to get on, doing your two or three songs a day.GLC: (laughs) You snapped knowing that! You must know me. AllHipHop.com: How did you originally get involved with rap?GLC:  My brother and sisters use to listen to rap and soulful music all the time. I couldn’t sing either. The singers get a whole lot of girls. What influenced me was people like Ice T. The ladies on there looking real pretty. I was like, “Hey.” I looked at dudes like Big Daddy Kane, Snoop Dog, Spice 1, and Outkast. They all played a big role but more than that it was Psycho Drama, Crucial Conflict. They showed me that I can just do me and get on. I don’t have to act like I’m from somewhere else to get on. I can change the lives of the people I love. My sisters and my nephew. This is a stepping stone. You never know what God has in store for me. Plus it gets me girls. (laughs)AllHipHop : How did you meet Kanye?GLC: We had a mutual friend by the name of Andre. He went to elementary school with Kanye and him and I went to high school together. He knew I rapped. He was like you should meet my guy Kanye. I went over there and Kanye was making beats. We just bonded from day one. We have been friends a long time now. People always ask me why Kanye hasn’t put me on. But he has. He helped me get two Grammy’s. I have got to do the work for myself now. GLC is doing really good for himself. AllHipHop.com: You have a relatable flow. You are rapping about working in the mall folding jeans on “Spaceship.” What made you decide to go that route instead of doing the typical flashy, braggadocios type rap?GLC:  What made me go that way with my rhyming is that it’s easy, it’s the way I am. Some rappers build a façade. They build a character. That character that they show when they get on the mic is not the same person as them when they are off. With me, I’m the same way regardless. AllHipHop.com: While we are on the subject of getting on, most of the people who you are affiliated with are very successful. Kanye, Common, John Legend. Is there any pressure to meet their level of success on your album?[GLC “Honor Me”  Video]GLC:  Aww no I don’t have any pressure. What they do, they do it to the fullest. What I do, I do it to the fullest. I give you pieces of me. The pieces I give you have a whole. I can’t give you the whole in one because if I do that then why would you listen to my second album or third. Through the grace of God I’m developing and I’m also staying true. It is because of principles that I have and embraced along the way. I change constantly. AllHipHop.com: In the same token, you already have managed to earn two Grammy’s without even dropping an album. Is there any pressure for you to have that same level of success on your own album?GLC:  Nah. That don’t put no pressure on me that just get me more girls.AllHipHop.com: (laughs)GLC:  They be like man he got a Grammy! You know how that is. It just gets me a lot of action.AllHipHop.com: How is the groupie love?GLC:  (laughs) I think they are some of the best people in the world. They are very passionate about what you do. Almost as passionate as you are. They will go to any means to show you just how passionate they are. If you decide to mess with a groupie then you have to deal with the risk that this groupie might just be on a come up. They might just be trying to have a baby by you. Or they might just wanna tell all your girls she slept with you. You never know. But, I think God really snapped when he made women. I tell him that too. When I pray I tell him that he snapped when he made women. AllHipHop.com: What is the album going to be titled?GLC: Love, Life and Loyalty. I want people to be loyal to life and loyal to love. You can find love in a lot of places. Some people might find love in shooting people. Whatever it is that you love, you have to put […]

She is Queen and she’s ready to roar. The days of female empowerment within Hip-Hop may have died off with Latifah, but now there’s a new Queen entering the game and she’s ready to make a change. Queen Yonasda tackles the image of women in Hip-Hop, vows for a balance of power, and in this election year, uses her politics and God to give us a breath of change. And she’s no joke, a daughter of a revolutionary and raised by the notorious Minister Louis Farrakhan, Queen Yonasda’s socially conscious music is everything Hip-Hop has been missing.AllHipHop.com: How are you, as a female emcee, trying to change the image of women in Hip-Hop right now?Queen Yonasda: A lot of people feel Hip-Hop is dead, and I feel that Hip-Hop needs a balance. It needs a balance of the portrayal of the woman. A lot of the women that are, especially within our generation, they are either single mothers or they’ve been raised in a single family home. A lot of my female counterparts are coming from New York; I’m from Arizona, so I can’t relate to what Lil Kim and Foxy are talking about because I didn’t grow up in Brooklyn; I didn’t go through that whole drug thing and all that stuff. My position is that I want to bring “Queen” back into our vocabulary, bring “Queen” back into the way that we look at each other. I think that the word “B” is not a word of empowerment to me; it is what it is, a female dog. If you start calling yourself a “Queen” you start looking at yourself as a queen instead of a rough, rugged B. If you look at Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Salt-N-Pepa, the females back then were calling each other Queens. We have such a powerful influence as female MCs, and we have such a major influence amongst this generation because we are the mothers of the nation. We have such a major influence on these younger girls and these boys that are coming up that we raising within our music, and also in the community. AllHipHop.com: So how do you define “Queen”?Queen Yonasda: Strength, wisdom, virtuous—that’s what it is, a virtuous woman. And virtuous is defined in the Bible in regards to how she is able to take care of her community. How she is able to take care of her husband, take care of her children, and also take care of her community. And the way that she is able to even at times when she doesn’t have anything—make everything of what she has. AllHipHop.com: So why Hip-Hop, why did you get involved with Hip-Hop specifically?Queen Yonasda: Well, my mother she was on the run from the feds and because of the fact that she was a revolutionary – she was in the American Indian movement at the time and also she just stopped working for Muhammad Ali – she was really getting into helping her people out, which is Native American. I’m half Native American and half black. So we were in California and she took me over to Venice Beach and I saw the Rock Steady Crew. And it was like the early 80s when Hip-Hop was at its height. I was in awe of seeing that these kids were using Hip-Hop as an expression of letting go of all the stress and the anger. To me it just seemed like a revolution was beginning. I saw the way that they were fusing that strength into a musical form into B-Boying, and MCing, and DJing, it was really crazy at Venice Beach during that time. AllHipHop.com: And you’re mother also worked for the Nation of Islam with Minister Farrakhan…Queen Yonasda: Yes, during the time she was working for Muhammad Ali she was introduced to Minister Farrakhan and she was also introduced into the Nation of Islam. She was working for Minister Farrakhan and assisting him in developing the construction of the Phoenix Palace here in Phoenix, Arizona.AllHipHop.com: When you were raised by Minister Farrakhan, how did that shape your views and the way you express yourself through your music?Queen Yonasda:  Without the Farrakhan family I really wouldn’t be here. The day when the feds came to the house, I was about 7 or 8 years old. They came to the home to grab my mother, my aunt came to stay with us, and they received a call that the state was on their way to come get us and separate me and my brother. That’s when Minister Farrakhan and his daughter Maria and her husband Olive stepped in and said, “We’re going to go ahead and take them because they shouldn’t get lost in the system.” It’s shaped me [through] discipline. I tell everyone in my music that when you are going through certain things, God is always there. When I moved to Chicago, I learned a lot about Islam, it was not a wake up call, but a culture shock for me. I learned a lot about respect of women, and in Native American church law it’s there, too, but growing up in an Islamic home I’ve learned a lot especially with discipline because you have to pray five times a day and don’t eat this — the five pillars of Islam. AllHipHop.com: So with 2008 being an election year, how do you think your political views and socially conscious music is going to be received?Queen Yonasda: My timing is so perfect because we are in a year of change – spiritually speaking, we are in a year of completion. And with Hillary and Obama, I think that everyone is just yearning for change, they are yearning for something different, they are yearning for the truth. And they’re yearning for justice to finally be done, I think the nation wants our troops to come home. Even if you think of God very little, they are putting a lot of faith into the candidates to please make […]

The competition was thick, submissions came from all over the planet, and  the decision was very difficult. Every submission had something that was sheer dopeness. We didn’t get any straight garbage.  If you submitted and believe strongly in your product, put it back to the test again.  Next time break out the serious flames this time to leave no doubt in the judges.Below is the tale of the tape for each chosen competitor. Take a listen to each track in it’s entirety to feel the changes in the beat and Decide for yourself who’s beat game needs to go straight to the infirmary based on the following criteria…Creativity: The drum patterns, the instrument flow, the vibe.Originality: Is this different or just the Timberland, Kanye, Neptunes, rip-off!!?Marketability: Can we imagine someone rhyming or singing on this beat?Structure: Changes, bridges, hooks etc.. Post your choice in the comment section along with any constructive comments you may have.  You are free to post as many comments as you like, but your initial vote will be counted only once.  Voting polls close on Friday at 12am est. The winner, as well as next round’s guidelines, will be anounced later in the day.Contestant #1Name:  NoFace from Trackmates ProductionCommunity Name: TraxcrashHometown:  East New York   BrooklynMain weapon of choice: Reason 4.0, Protools, Mpc 2000xlLength in the game: 4 yearsBrief Description of yourself: Check us out at  www.myspace.com/trackmates1             “Face Keys” “Hotness” “The Last Battle” Contestant #2Name:  Dual OutputCommunity Name: Dual OutputHometown:  Las VegasMain weapon of choice: FL, Triton, Mackie pro board Length in the game: 4 yearsBrief Description of yourself: www.myspace.com/dualoutput01″Bang Bang””I Ain’t the Daddy””Yeah I know”

ATL’s (the SWATs, specifically) latest rap upstart Rocko is out to prove management isn’t always clueless. While the 29 year old earned his stripes representing artists and developing their careers for his own Rocky Road label, a year or so ago he figured he had the goods to make his own way as a rapper. Rocko is candid about his initial picking up of the mic strictly for the moolah, but insists money isn’t his only motivation. With his album, Self-Made, dropping in March, Rocko answers five questions you should know about.On what label he is actually signed to.It’s my first deal as an artist. I’m not signed to So So Def. I’m signed to Rocky Road. I’m signed to myself. My deal goes through Jermaine Dupri, which is Island Urban. So as far as So So Def as an entity—no. It’s strictly Rocky Road slash Island. I don’t know what they have going on with Island as far as a label these days. I’m just hearing things, but I’m signed to myself, which is Rocky Road. As far as So So Def as a record company, Rocko is not affiliated with So So Def. As far as Jermaine Dupri, Rocko is affiliated with Jermaine Dupri because Jermaine Dupri is the President of Island Urban. A lot of people getting it misconstrued.It was the best deal for me. When I walked in the building I got a good vibe from the building. I’m a strong believer in vibes, that’s how I always rolled. If I get a good vibe from you then we’re cool, but if I don’t get a good vibe from you then we’re not cool. I went in a lot of buildings, met with several labels, but when I walked in the building it felt like home.On putting management on the backburner to become an artist in his own right.At first I was more cash motivated; just tryin’ to keep the dollars coming in. I knew I had what it takes because all that rap is [is having] swagger and just making words rhyme and tell stories and things of that nature. So, I already knew I had it what it took. I had to make up my mind if that was something I wanted to do. So, initially it was all cash motivated, but then once I really got into it, I started liking it. I started kind of digging it.After I started really taking it seriously, I started going to the studio everyday, I say [for] a couple of months.  I really started having fun doing it. I started to love it, I started to really really love to do it, you know what I’m sayin?You know I’m a young man, the majority of my artists were either my age or older than me, so I was always hands on with everything that took place. When it comes to the pre-production of the music in the studio to working the boards. I’m familiar with how everything works. I’m a consumer first, so I already know what I would like to hear. So when I was in the studio with my artists and they’re making music and everything, it’s like a collective effort because all of us are trying to do the same thing, we’re trying to get to the same place. So if it’s a beat and it’s something I hear, and I think would sound good on a beat I’d let it be known. Once I realized that I had flavor like that I was like, Okay, I can do this.What working on the business side of the music industry enlightened him to.As an artist I’m still very much hands on with a lot of my business. [But] I know that as an artist you have to have someone else to do certain things for you because in this business  people expect ou to be an artist, you know what I’m sayin? So you have to have those people that step up to the plate and talk business for you and handle things for you—that way you can stay in artist mode.  But at the same time I feel like everything that I learned behind the scenes applies towards my career. So with my management team we’re hands on, we’re in cahoots together. I let them know how I feel certain things should be done and they do it. They act out their job to manage me. On “Umma Do Me”s success.I released it as a street single, like a set up single . I knew it was a nice record, but I didn’t realize the radio would take to it the way that they did. That’s how I was feeling. You know like, everyone else do you and I’mma do me. It’s like people hate on you, tell you you can’t do this, you shouldn’t do this and it’s like, you just do your thing On avoiding one-hit wonder status.I make hit records. There’s no way around that. It’s no way for me to be denied because I make hit records. And I have the power to get my records heard, so I don’t have to sit around and wait for someone else to promote my records when I can get out and promote my own records. And I’m my own worst critic. I’m not going to leave the studio until I’m 100% comfortable with it. And I don’t keep yes men around me. I feel like my time’s gonna last. I’m like 75% done with the album [Self-Made]right at this point. Right now I’m working on doing more songs with like the R&B feel to them. But not too left field, you know still with the edge. I’m going in with Ne-Yo this week, Trey Songz he sent me some stuff. Just finishing up that part of the album right now.Perseverance pays off. [After listening to my album] they will see that it’s no limit to the amount of things you can […]

If you’ve been wondering where your favorite producer has been hiding, he’s right here! Pete Rock has been one of Hip-Hop’s most revered musicians since the early ’90s.  His melodic beats layered with thick basslines and distinct horns along with once partner CL Smooth was  a breath of fresh air  to consumers who were being smothered by more aggressive forms of music.While the two parted ways musically, Pete forged on producing countless records and remixed for artist like 50 Cent, Brandy, Red Man, and Ghostface Killah.  In addition to lacing other artist’s albums, Rock also released a string of solo albums that incorporated some of Hip-Hop’s most elite lyricists while flexing his own rhyming abilities.The once proclaimed Chocolate Boy Wonder is back, now stamping himself with the title of his new release, New York’s Finest.  His latest full length effort, set for release on February 26th will, in Pete’s words,  provide some “balance” in an industry that seems to have forgotten how great music should be done.  Pete took time out with AllHipHop.com to discuss everything from his take on today’s music, to which Southern artists he would love to work with.AllHipHop.com:  What’s going on with you?Pete Rock: Ain’t nothing, just working.AllHipHop.com: Let’s get into it then. Tell me about your new project coming out.Pete Rock:  New York’s Finest. I got my man Royal Flush on there, Red Man, my man LB, he’s a new artist coming out of Nyack, New York.  I got Chip-Fu on there, Renee Nuefville from Zhane on there, Jim Jones and Max B, Styles P. and Sheek Louch, Little Brother, my man Papoose, and I rhymed on a couple of joints.AllHipHop.com: You have a wide variety of artists that participated. You have like a Red Man to Jim Jones. How do you go about selecting who you want to work with?Pete Rock:  Some are from past relationships, and some are just people wanting to work with me out of respect and vice versa.  I felt like [Jim Jones]  was the new cat  that everybody loved, all the young generation, and I wanted to see what me and him could do together.  I think it came out pretty dope. Actually we worked together before for his album Diary of a Summer and I did a song called “G’s Up” and we manifested “We Roll” from that.AllHipHop.com: I listened to a few songs from it and I thought it was interesting how you have different forms of music on there. Why did you decided to do it like that instead of straight Hip-Hop?Pete Rock:  Basically I just wanted to do different things and show people I still got versatility and good beats, and s**t that can make somewhat of a difference in the game.  I’m not here to say I’m saving the world but just to put some type of balance back in Hip-Hop along with a lot of other people.  I can’t do it by myself, but the way I make music, I try to make it as strong as possible.AllHipHop.com: Speaking of versatility in the game, what’s your impression of the game right now?Pete Rock:  My impression of the game is basically just the young cats are doing things. Some are good,  some could be better and tweeked a little. You have a mixture of the South now. A lot of Southern music is being played, not only in New York but all over the world, which is a good thing.  But a lot animosity going back and forth with the South and New York.  I’m just all for making music together with people. AllHipHop.com: Would you ever work with an artist from the South?Pete Rock: Hell yeah, Lil Wayne, I want to f**k with him. God bless T.I. gets out of his situation, I want to work with him too.  He is a clever artist. Outkast, I love them cats. I’m just a music lover and an appreciator of good music.AllHipHop.com:  You started when there was always diversity, but do you think it’s kind of shifted a little?  The labels don’t seem to be pushing the diversity anymore.Pete Rock: Well when you say labels, you mean the major labels?  Yeah they definitely already have high expectations. You have to meet the expectations, which are really high. I mean If you have certain acts on a major label and they want Hip-Hop, they get at me for certain beats.  I did a song for Keyshia Cole’s album and when Ghostface was on Def Jam and Red Man was on Def Jam. But to me [it would be better if]  the A & Rs and some of the people that really knew had more knowledge of the music and were working in these offices.  It’s a new generation working in the offices. Some of them you wonder if they have a history or Hip-Hop music or are they just in this for the ride.  So, to me it’s funny and it puzzles me because a lot of music coming from these major labels could be much better.AllHipHop.com: Do you think the big companies being involved had anything to do with that? Because back in the day going Gold was excellent.Pete Rock: You got to go triple platinum to be a superstar and for everyone to notice you. But how long will that last if you can’t continue to give them good music. To me real music is the key because what’s done from the heart and soul is so important. You can tell in the music and you can hear it. When other people hear it and their soul lights up and get a little feeling when they hear a beat that they like, that’s power man.  It’s like people need to understand that a lot of the s**t on the radio don’t stick to you. Ten years from now that s**t wont be a classic like Reminisce ( They Reminisce Over You), or anything that’s done in the Golden Era.  That record “Reminisce” is important […]

There is usually minimal life after Bad Boy for artists who leave the label for greener pastures. But when you’re a member of a group like the Lox, you become the exception to the rule. Sheek Louch rose to national stardom as one third of the Hip-Hop supergroup. Through all the label politics, fights over publishing and rap beefs, Sheek has built a respectable following with fans of hardcore Hip-Hop around the world with countless mixtape appearances and features. However, after dropping two solo albums, Walk Wit Me and After Taxes, the Yonkers, NY native has yet to match the solo success of the arguably more popular Lox members Styles P ad Jadakiss. With his third solo release, Silverback Gorilla, Sheek stands ready to prove to the naysayers how strong an MC he really is. AllHipHop.com: You’ve been in the game for a while now. First as a ghostwriter, then as a member of the Lox, now as a solo artist. What does this new album mean to you? Sheek: This is my third masterpiece. The first album the people were like, “Okay let’s see what homie’s got, third dude of the Lox. Let’s see what he’s about.” And people were like, “He’s aight.” So I had their ear. Then I came with the “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” joint on After Taxes. Now they’re like, “Oh, homie is a problem. He got something going on here.” Then I was releasing mixtapes and doing this and that and it went from, “Oh, homie is crazy,” to me being on fire right now. Now I feel like I’m a monster with it and I’m coming with that type of swagger on this Silverback Gorilla album. Like when I got on a verse I murdered it, I manhandled them s**ts. Concept wise, lyrically, the growth is all there. One of my favorite joints is Don’t be Them. I named mad people and it’s just basically saying we don’t need another Jada, Styles, and Sheek. We need a “you” little homie. Whoever you’re going to be when you come in the game just come in and be that. I even tell all the new artists we got the same thing; “Yo, you sound like us. I don’t want to hear that.”AllHipHop.com: You’re in a group with two of the most respected lyricist in the game who have each seen their share of solo success. Do you feel like you still have something to prove?Sheek: At the beginning, definitely. I was like I got to separate myself as a lyricist. They been had their solo things going on. When I got into it I would just run in and start airing it out. Now, they can’t wait for Sheek to spit. Everybody knows what I bring to a feature or a mixtape or whatever. There’s no sound similar to what I do. AllHipHop.com: You’re not known for doing the “radio friendly” songs. What made you do something like your first single, “Good Love”?Sheek: I tried something like “Good Love” because I feel like I’ve got nothing else to prove with the gritty talk. I still got that on the album of course but I just felt like I needed to get a little radio record going. A lot of times people try to pick what the singles going to be but nobody really knows. I asked Hov years ago how he picks singles and he was like “I just put it out.” No one really knows. You…the public is going to judge. So commercially, it comes. We still do songs with Mariah, we make songs like “Benjamins”. We make those and we do the gritty stuff too. Sheek could definitely get more out there and get more of a commercial status but the respect is the main thing all the way through. Now I just need the money. [laughs] AllHipHop.com: With the talent that you and your other group members have, why do you feel you haven’t made it to that next level?Sheek: We been stagnated from back then when we joined the dream team with Puffy and B.I.G. and them. And due to us not looking at the paperwork, and I blame myself more than my lawyers and managers and all that. But we were young and nobody was really looking after us. So he had publishing money from back then going up to a few years ago. Thank god he let that go. Good looking Diddy for letting that off. People came in the game and within one year made mad money because their publishing was straight. Their s**t was done right so all the money from those hits went to them. AllHipHop.com: Is that what led to the eventual separation from Puff and Bad Boy Records?Sheek: It got to a point where we didn’t even want to write anything anymore because all the money was going to him. That was frustrating man. When you heard Styles and them at the station talking about throwing TV’s and refrigerators on him and s**t, that’s how they was really feeling. It was like, I can’t do nothing because it’s going to this dude. And, at the time, he wasn’t letting up, but thank Hod he did. Everything is dope. Shout to Diddy again for giving us our publishing back. AllHipHop.com: For those that don’t know, explain how important publishing is to an artist?Sheek: If you’re my artist and I put you out. I got you out there and the world knows you now, once you sign your publishing to me that’s that. I gave you your money for the rights to your publishing and that’s that. And that money is for life. Publishing is not like a one time thing. That money comes in every six months or so forever. Imagine you wrote everything Diddy said. All his raps from “Victory” to “Benjamins”, all the remixes and all that. We sat there and wrote them joints. Fam you know how much I’m supposed to have?!? […]

Welcome to AllHipHop.com’s Beat Melee!!The Beat Melee is a battle between AllHipHop.com community members who will use their best musical maneuvers and tactics to claim Beat supremacy.  The Beat Melee is a  weekly battle judged by the AllHipHop.com community.  The rules are as follows.Contestants must* Be members of AllHipHop.com’s community ( If not, sign up with us)* Not be a professional or signed producer with industry placements* Submit three of your strongest, original, musical compositions/Beats to BEATDYNASTY@Gmail.com.  In the subject line please include “The Beat Melee.” Submissions should be in Mp3 format and each beat should be no longer than 1 minute.  Beats may include hooks, but no full verses. Any less or more than three beats will not be considered.* Submit beats each Saturday between the hours of 1pm and 3pm EST. So all my UK, Asian, and African beatmakers, get your timezone correct. Any submissions outside of that time frame will not be considered valid.  Beat submissions from a previous week will also not be considered.  If you feel strongly about your submission, continue to submit as long as it’s within the allotted time restriction.  * Complete the form below within the e-mail textName:  ( The producer name you go by)Community Name: ( The username you login with)Hometown:  ( Where you are reppin’)Main weapon of choice: ( What is your main tool or equipment)Length in the game: ( How long you’ve been doing beats)Brief Description of yourself: ( No more than 4 sentences. You may include your myspace address, but no other promotional text)Each submission will be critiqued by a team and in the first week, the two contestants with the strongest beats will be selected to compete in the first battle on Wednesday February 6th, 2008.  After the first “Beat Melee” one contestant each week will be chosen to take on the champion from the previous week.  A champion can claim four victories before being crowned with supremacy and immortalized in the Beat Melee Hall of Fame.   Beats will be Judged on:Creativity: The drum patterns, the instrument flow, the vibe.Originality: Is this different or just the Timberland, Kanye, Neptunes, rip-off!!?Marketability: Can we imagine someone rhyming or singing on this beat? Structure: Changes, bridges, hooks etc.. The winner each Wednesday is determined by the community votes in the comment section. Members may also comment on the beats and provide creative,constructive, positive feedback.  Members may comment as many times as they like, but their vote will only be counted once.  Official winners will be announced every Friday along with any additional instructions for weekly submissions.This is for all the producers on AllHipHop.com that comment in the music section that the beats are lame and need changes. This is for all the producers that post their Myspace addresses hoping to get a look. Jump in the Melee and get your battle on!!!* By submitting to the “Beat Melee” you certify that you are the original creator and owner of the works and compositions submitted.  You also agree that AllHipHop.com has your permission to post the music you submit and will not be held liable in the event of any claims of copyright infringement or any other litigation pertaining to your submission. If you do not agree to these terms, do not participate.  

Longtime rap fans will remember Yukmouth from his days as one half of the Platinum-selling group The Luniz and their smash hit single “I Got 5 On It.” Although the group has long-gone their separate ways, Yukmouth has maintained a solo career as an artist on Rap-A-Lot Records with three albums released including the Gold-selling Thugged Out: The Abulation.  Never one to hold back his tongue, Yukmouth has spent a good portion of the past decade feuding with the likes of Too $hort, Master P, Daz Dillinger, The Game, and the whole G-Unit camp. Now with a new album, The Million Dollar Mouthpiece, scheduled to drop February 12 on Rap-A-Lot Records, Yukmouth took the time to explain his new peaceful frame of mind and his different outlook on the rap world. Be warned, just because Yukmouth has set most his beefs aside, that doesn’t mean that he’s lost any of his viciousness as he shows in discussing his former Luniz partner Numskull. Pay attention as he shares his piece of mind. AllHipHop.com: You’ve got a new album coming out in February. Give us the word on that.  Yukmouth: It’s called The Million Dollar Mouthpiece. It’s got a combination of new and older artists. I’ve got Too $hort, MC Eiht, Jayo Felony, Richie Rich, and Devin The Dude. Then there are the new cats like Glasses Malone and The Team. There are also some new Hyphy cats that will be on the album. It’s definitely a mix of the new and the old.  AllHipHop.com: So Yukmouth is down with the Hyphy movement?Yukmouth: I’m loving it. It’s a breath of fresh air for the [Bay Area]. People weren’t hearing from us for a minute and the Hyphy movement put us back in their minds and back in people’s ears. It has people wondering what’s going to come out next from the Bay.AllHipHop.com: I myself am used to your tried and true sound. Will there be a lot of Hyphy-type stuff on the album?Yukmouth: I do have one on there called “East Oakland.” It’s a Hyphy beat made by Droop-E, who is E-40’s son. It has a Too $hort sample where he says, “I come from East Oakland where the youngsters get Hyphy.” Everybody from East Oakland gets down on that one, including Dru-Down, The Deliquents and Richie Rich. That’s my Hyphy joint for the album. AllHipHop.com: You being a West Coast veteran, what’s your take on its current state?Yukmouth: I’m mad that people are not uniting. We need to unify and bring our movements together. We are the only region that tries to stay separate from each other. Nobody wants to help each other out. We will never get back on the map until we unite. It’s not going to take one act. It’s going to take all of us coming together. You’ve got DJ Khaled putting eight or nine of the top South guys on one song. We need to do that out here. Get eight or nine of the top West Coast dudes on one song like that. We need to do what we have to do in order to win. You’ve got rappers from elsewhere selling Ringtones, well, that’s what we need to do too. AllHipHop.com: A few years ago, I didn’t think it would be possible to hear something like this from you. Unity? You were beefing with everybody and their mommas.Yukmouth: I squashed all of my beefs. I have no beef with The Game, G-Unit or Master P. I get along with all of those guys right now. I’m about getting that money and that’s why I am real positive. Everybody needs to unite. I squashed all of my beefs – so they should be able to squash theirs too. My thing is uniting and getting people together to get this money. AllHipHop.com: You even squashed it with Spider-Loc of G-Unit? There was some tension there a while back. Yukmouth: Yeah! Me and Spider hooked up and squashed it personally. We got that on camera and that’s going to be on United Ghettos Volume 3. We are cool now. We smoked a blunt and talked about it. The beef made no sense. AllHipHop.com: You were going off on The Game too for a while there. You were going to reveal footage and other stuff. How did you resolve that beef?Yukmouth: Thanks to my homeboy Eastwood when he was doing his deal with The Black Wall Street. Me and Wood have been doing our thing for years together before The Game even blew up. He said to Game, “Yuk is my n***a. If you are going to sign me, then you’ve got to squash the beef with that n***a. That’s my dude who’s been looking out for me when Suge wasn’t.” Game called me on a three-way and we squashed it. Shout out to my n***a Wood for making it happen and shout out to The Game for being a man. That n***a said, “F**k the bulls**t.” AllHipHop.com: Hopefully more dudes can follow that example. Yukmouth: How can I talk unity and then beef with people? People need to put their little petty s**t to the side. For the West it’s going to take more than the Hyphy movement and more than a rapper from L.A. or a Dr. Dre album. It’s going to take more than that now. The industry is way different. Nobody is going platinum anymore. All of that s**t is a wrap. N***a’s are going three-times platinum on Ringtones. AllHipHop.com: You’ve been doing your thing since “I’ve Got 5 On It.” How does Yukmouth fit in to today’s Hip-Hop industry?Yukmouth: I’ve got a movement that stretches from the States to overseas. That’s why I can go gold on word of mouth without a record playing on the radio. I’m still here because my Movement is strong. AllHipHop.com: But do you have any songs that can get played in today’s radio market?Yukmouth: We are starting off with the first single, “Hey Boy.” I’ve got a […]

When it comes to the mixtape scene below the Mason-Dixon line, DJ Smallz’s Southern Smoke series has been a key ingredient in the elevation of the Dirty South’s Hip-Hop movement. Born overseas, a young Smallz moved to Florida, thus expanding his passion for southern Hip-Hop music. His strong love affair with the scene switched to a passion for turntables from percussion instruments as a teenager. By the age of 18, he rapidly sharpened his turntable techniques through various night club performances and a powerful mixtape presence.Through his Southern Smoke brand, DJ Smallz has collaborated with established industry figures as Grammy award winner Big Boi of Outkast, southern Hip-Hop pioneers and icons Luther “Luke” Campbell and Pimp C of UGK. DJ Smallz is the only DJ to have Pimp C host a mixtape. Master P, Three six Mafia, as well as the multi-platinum superstars Lil’ Jon, Ludacris, and T.I. have also hosted Southern Smoke. With Southern Smoke’s overwhelming success on the streets, DJ Smallz has now secured a slot on Sirius Satellite Radio every Thursday night from Midnight-2 AM EST. Southern Smoke Radio dominates the airwaves and broadcasts live to more than 3 million subscribers on (Channel 40 “Hip Hop Nation”) and the DISH Network (Channel 6040). At age 22, DJ Smallz has a lot on his plate including his Fear Factor Music Group, an artist development company, Southern Smoke TV, a reality television show in conjunction with the Beef series creator QD3, and the release of DJ Smallz’ highly-anticipated Southern Smoke album, a commercial compilation releasing Summer 2008. We met DJ Smallz at the Hip-Hop Soda Shop [Tampa, Florida] to discuss his Southern Smoke official commercial album, his past, and his plans for 2008 and beyond… AllHipHop.com: What’s up Smallz, what do you have in the works right now man? DJ Smallz: Anything and everything I’m on it, 2008 is gonna be a big year for me! I don’t know about other DJs out there, but I’ve got a serious agenda.  2008 I’m doing a lot of big things! One of the big things I’m working on is the Southern Smoke album, the official commercial compilation, we’re about to announce the deal and everything next month. I’m finishing up the first single it’s a major record and you know my album is just gonna raise the level of DJ albums period. Shout out to all the big brothers and all of my other DJ pals doing their thing with albums, shout out to big brother DJ Khaled doing his thing, but no DJ album is ever gonna be as big as the Southern Smoke album. We’re using some different marketing techniques and different ideas that have never been used in the history of DJ albums. AllHipHop.com: Sounds like you’re trying to step it up. Who do you have producing on the album? DJ Smallz: Well of course me, I started getting my hands in a little bit of production so I’m gonna have a record on there. Last year before the Ozone Awards I produced a record called “Welcome To The Gunshine State,” I featured 30 Florida artists on one record it was 15 minutes long. AllHipHop.com: Yeah, we had that on the site. DJ Smallz: Right! We had artists on there like Flo Rida, who has the number 1 record on iTunes right now, Plies, 2 Pistols, and a bunch of other hot artists. There’s a lot of talent here in Florida so I’m looking for a lot of the Florida producers to help me out like the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, The Runners, Kane Beats, Cool & Dre, so we’re keeping it real heavy with the Florida producers but then we have DJ Toomp who’s a longtime friend of mine, we have DJ Paul and Juicy J, Three 6 Mafia’s helping out with the production. AllHipHop.com: Sounds like you’re doing it big. Now as far as artists, who do you have on the project? DJ Smallz: Well I kind of wanna keep that under the ‘wraps’ right now, but I just wanna say that some of the biggest artists you can think of all the way down to some of the newer cats, that will be the future of Southern Hip-Hop, are on it. We got the legends to the new dogs, I’m mixing up some Southern Smoke sounds and I’m about to do something totally different. AllHipHop.com: How long have you been deejaying in the game and how did you get your start? DJ Smallz: Right now I’m 22 years old, I’ve been deejaying since I was in middle school and I started deejaying as a hobby, you know house parties and things like that, it was cool. But then I really wanted to get into club deejaying when I went to college. I’m a smart dude I ain’t stupid, I got a scholarship to USF [University of Southern Florida] but to get into the club was difficult because I was a young cat. So the thing at that time was to do a demo CD and at that time New York music was real big. Def Jam, DMX, Jay-Z, Ruff Ryders, in 1998, ’99, and 2000 was real big so it was hard for me, being from the South, to get into that New York market. So what I did is what I know, mixed a lot of Southern records together and that became my demo CD. I passed it around to a lot of club owners and I gave it away at high schools and people started to say, “Yo, you can really make a mixtape, this mixtape thing is big in New York”. So I did my research and noticed DJ Clue and I looked up to him, I would say he was my role model for doing mixtapes. AllHipHop.com: That’s a good role model for an up and coming DJ. DJ Smallz: Exactly, I look at him as the Godfather of mixtapes because he took it from the street level to the commercial level with […]

Lesbian Hip-Hop duo KIN are out to crush stereotypes one stage at a time. Ten years ago, two teenage Mount Vernon, NY based young ladies came together to form a unique group.  MC’s Nor and IQ chose the name KIN and set off to take the world by storm.  Initially, the group was unsure if the world was ready to consider that a lesbian Hip-Hop group with hard core lyrics and beauty to match could be taken seriously. Sought out by major labels, KIN soon learned that their unwillingness to shift focus to physical attributes instead of lyrical abilities would put an end to their dreams of being signed by a major label.  Fast forward to 2008.  Armed with their own label, Noriq Records, an international following, and a recent appearance on the popular PBS series In The Life, the duo continues to prove doubters wrong. In between booking appearances and catching trains, KIN talks with AllHipHop.com about the challenges of being out MC’s, making an old Neptunes beat new, and that groupie love isn’t just for the fellas. AllHipHop.com:  How did you hook up with Pharrell for the “Good Foot” single?  It sounds like club single.IQ:  It definitely is that club single.  It was through a producer we work with.  We recorded separate.  It was a track that nobody wanted. We brought it into the studio to show what we could do on it. We didn’t get to meet him.  We laid it down and put it out.  Nor:  It was an underground freestyle type of joint. A lot of times because we produce our own tracks, we wanted to show that we can perform to our own tracks or a Neptune’s tracks or a Timbaland track.   [KIN f/ Pharrell “Good Foot”]AllHipHop.com:  Was it necessary for you as artists, especially as Hip-Hop artist, to be out as MC’s?  Nor:  As far as sexuality is concerned, it was something that we would conceal early on in our careers due to feedback that we would get from people who were already established in the industry and them trying to make us hide it.  AllHipHop.com:  That was never a desire you shared? You never wanted to do that?Nor:  No, never.  We always wanted to be true to ourselves.  We believe if you are not a real person, at the end of the day, people are going to recognize that.   It’s not like we could ever pretend to be anything other than ourselves.  As we developed…took our career into our own hands, and wanted to do what we wanted to do, it was whatever.  It’s not something that we necessarily promote in our music.  You won’t hear in detail about it.  In interviews we are candid about it and we’re not ashamed.  People support that.  There is an untapped market for it. IQ:  I’ll be honest, when I first started it was a struggle.  When I came out at fourteen I didn’t want to be gay.  We have been rapping for ten years.  We didn’t want to be seen as gay rappers.  We noticed that we had talent and if we weren’t trying to be like “I’m a big gay rapper talking about girls.”  I wanted people to recognize me as an MC, that I put  together a studio, and an engineer. I wanted them to get that first.  In the beginning I felt like that was all they would see.  We were eighteen and had a meeting with a big A&R.  He told us we weren’t f—able.  When you tell that to an eighteen year old you die.  You get crushed.  And then you grow up and realize you are who you are.  We try to focus on making good music.  We had to try and convince people that we were talented first and didn’t wear it on our sleeves.  People always made assumptions, so why did we have to hide it anyway?  Nor:  We woke up one day and said as a female rap group, as a Hip-Hop group, you know what the struggle is performing and getting on the road.  The people in our community were supporting us.  We were touring.  These are people in my community that deem us famous enough to get paid.  No major record label deal.  And these are people from the gay community.  How can I look at them and not release all that it is that I am when they are the only people that are supporting me?  That really started to flip in my head about five years ago when we really started to tour heavy.  The people in the LGBT community wanted to support us. I wanted to not disrespect that. AllHipHop.com:  What bothers you about having to discuss your sexuality along with your music?Nor:  Good music is good music.   A lot of times people put too much emphasis on people’s sexual preferences. If I decide I date women in life and that’s my sexual preference, what’s that have to do with me making a hit record?  What’s that have to do with you listening to my music while you driving in your car bobbing your head so hard that your neck hurts?  In the back of your mind will you wonder if I date women?  And if I do, you aren’t going to be my fan anymore? People put too much emphasis on the things that don’t count. AllHipHop.com:  What has been the reaction to your appearance on In The Life?Nor:  I recently got an email from a fan that saw us on In The Life. She said, “Wow, you’re gay?  Don’t worry; I’m still your fan.”  I was [thinking] OK.  Thanks for doing me a favor.IQ:  I’m getting a different response [from the show].  I get people that aren’t even discussing sexuality and it’s beautiful. They think the show was great and so positive. And they are not gay.  There was some fear with that ’cause we actually were coming out on film.  Anyone could look it up and there […]

When Sha Money departed from G-Unit, the rumor mill went crazy. From stories alleging that he was dismissed for funneling sub-par beats into the camp, to reports of him wanting to expand beyond the scope of the label, people gripped all aspects of the news and created their own versions of what happened.  While remaining relatively quiet during that transition, Sha was also busy at work building a brand for himself, networking, and creating fresh opportunities.Now serving as CEO and President of his own company, Money Management Group, Sha manages the careers of artist like Young Buck, and Lloyd Banks, and producers Hi-Tek, Chris Styles, Jake One, and many others.  Returning to his first love, production, has also allowed the former President of G-Unit records to reach back and help producers looking for a crack in the industry to allow their talents to shine through and be noticed.  The One Stop Shop producer’s conference is coming back to Phoenix, Arizona  in March.  This was founded to provide opportunities for up and coming producers and to present them with a glimpse of how to move forward with advice from many industry notables.  Sha Money sat with AllHipHop.com to explain everything from his divergence into the world of technology to why some G-Unit members got his departure “Twisted.”AllHipHop.com: What’s going on man?Sha Money:  I’m good man, I can’t complain at all. I’m getting ready for the Super Bowl, just locking down the city. I’m doing a lot of events out here in Arizona, so we got The Super Bowl coming up and we got a few events going down, so we’re just gearing up for it.AllHipHop.com: Are you going to the game?Sha Money: Yeah, I’m gonna be at the game. I’m gonna take my son and my wife there.AllHipHop.com: Who to do think is gonna win?Sha Money: Awww Man. I mean who I wanted to be in there is not in there, so at this point, I’m just a fan of the sport.  I’m just going to be having fun in the city, a lot of people are coming out. We have Buck getting busy out here so it’s gonna be great.  AllHipHop.com:  So ya’ll doing up big out there?Sha Money: Yeah we got clothing in stores, signings in stores, performances, after parties, strip club after parties, we got everything going on down here.AllHipHop.com:  Why did you start doing business in Arizona?Sha Money: You know everybody got a second home. A lot of people choose Miami, Like Chis and them got a crib in Miami.  A lot of people have a place in Atlanta. I came to this city ( Phoenix) about six years ago and this city, it grew on me like a magnet.  Not to mention I do have a spot in Atlanta, and I do have a spot in Florida that I do go spend some time at. But this city…I’m more of a pilgrimage dude where I can come into a quiet city and lock it down you know?  I’m in this quiet town to lock it down and it’s a lot of great things about this city.  It’s a lot of Fortune 500 companies out here.  The cost of living, my crib is huge, humongous. My kids, they at peace, they can play on the block and the streets and I ain’t gotta trip.  So it’s just good living.AllHipHop.com: In terms of business, do you see it as untapped?Sha Money: It’s definitely untapped and there’s a big Hip-Hop scene out here. G-Unit was the first to sign someone from out here which was Hot Rod. Now it’s growing because DTP signed Willie NorthPole who’s from out here.  There’s more talent, its 5th coast, it’s Cinque, it’s Jiggolo.  This producer named Jiggolo I promise you by the end of this year he’s gonna be one of those dudes that comes from here that will be like what Jermaine Dupree was, the illest producer in the ATL.AllHipHop.com:  So you’re getting ready for the One Stop Shop conference again?Sha Money:  It’s coming March eighth and ninth and we’re gonna do it so big. AllHipHop.com: Last year was crazy! what do you have special for the producers this year?Sha Money:  I got Swizz Beatz who’s gonna appear in person. We’re gonna honor him for lifetime of his greatest music catalog. DJ Toomp, all my favorite records from last year were produced by Toomp.  DJ Premier, we’re bringing him back out again, he’s the OG, he’s the legend. But this year were doing a Premier beat suite where it’s an exclusive with Microsoft and Xbox.  So we’re gonna be playing games and listening to every producer.  AllHipHop.com:  Tell the readers how an up an coming producer can  benefit from coming to the conference?Sha Money:  When I sold my first track, I put myself in a position where the artists and the music was at. So if you’re in these markets where you can’t see people run past you every day that are valuable, even in Arizona, ain’t nobody really here that’s going to be able to get you anywhere unless you know me or a few other heads. So I’m saying, here’s a place that’s dedicated for producers to get their music out there, to get it sold, to get publishing deals, to meet all the A and Rs at the major labels, to meet all the producers that’s making it.  Even if you wanted to get in Swizz Beatz’s camp, here’s an opportunity to meet him and prove your talent to him.AllHipHop.com:  You are one of the first producers to expand production into technology, why did you decide to make that transition?Sha Money: I’m happy you said that. Us as music people we get high and we don’t pay attention to the smart decisions and how to be ahead of the curve. So I take more time in learning. I’m on websites so I can learn technology and be ahead of the curve, because this guy Steve Jobs is about to […]

D4L’s Shawty Lo is out to assert that his trap turned rap career will last longer than a snap of the fingers. Few could have anticipated that D4L, the group most famous for 2005’s often-mocked but inescapable “Laffy Taffy,” would spawn Atlanta’s next bona fide trapper-turned-rapper.  But Shawty Lo is winning over even the skeptics with the heavily remixed street anthem of the moment, “Dey Know,” where he self-assuredly gives a nod to his haters over producer Balis’ burly horn ensemble.  Admittedly not a lyricist after only two years of rapping, Shawty Lo has cultivated a style he dubs the ‘slow flow,’ narrating his trap tales in a quiet drawl tinged with menace.  The D4L founder has deftly disassociated himself from everything snap, except of course the team he remains loyal to and the money garnered from their hits. With a well publicized Raw Report DVD entitled Shawty Lo: The Real Bankhead Story, the former drug dealer once dubbed the “Colonel” brings viewers along as he visits the infamous Bowen Homes projects in Bankhead and vouches for his authenticity.  Claiming to be one of only a handful of Atlanta rappers to rightfully rep Bankhead, Shawty Lo has traded subliminal shots with fellow Atlanta native T.I. that some believe went beyond the music. On an up north trip to promote his D4L/Asylum records solo debut, Units In the City, which drops February 26, “L-0” spoke on his criminal past, the alleged beef with T.I., and the rumors that are sometimes a difficult symptom of fame.  AllHipHop.com: With your recent success, are you still feeling like the “underdog of the industry”?Shawty Lo: Yeah, in my time I always rooted for the underdog, and I feel like I still am the underdog. AllHipHop.com: You were surprised by the creative direction that D4L was going in when you were locked up, so what was your original vision for the group as their leader?Shawty Lo: Basically the music we were making is kind of like the music I’m making now, but it just happened. The snap movement happened like that, I got a producer named DJ Pooh, he came up with the beat for “Betcha Can’t Do It Like Me,” and we had another producer K-Rab, he did the “Laffy Taffy.” I was in jail seven months before I came home, and I think it was Stuntman, he was like, “We got another hit,” and I said “Let me hear it,” and in my head I was like “That ain’t it,” but when that came on it was it, that’s what we had to roll with.AllHipHop.com: Do you find yourself constantly having to live down the “Laffy Taffy” image now that you’ve launched your solo career? Shawty Lo: Nah, basically I wasn’t ever at the forefront, I was behind the scenes.  I did not consider myself a rapper then; I was like Baby is to Cash Money, Puffy to Bad Boy. I was the man behind the scenes, and I just added myself to the group to add more flavor.AllHipHop.com: What does the rest of the group think of the direction you’ve gone in?Shawty Lo: Basically they know, they proud of me. I was arrested in 2004 and I got out in July of 2005, but when I came home you saw people saying, “D4L, they nothing without Fabo,” they were just criticizing, saying different stuff. So when I came home I had did this song “I’m da Man” around the beginning of October [of 2005]. That was the first solo song that I ever did, and people around my neighborhood and the ATL area said, “That song’s a hit!” “That’s the kind of music we want to hear from you, we know you really lived it. We can’t vouch for these other rappers that say they from Bankhead and Atlanta,” but I thought it was true in my back of my head, I didn’t say nothing but I agreed with them so I started recording more songs. I hooked up with DJ Scream and did the mixtape [I’m Da Man] and everybody said, “Shawty Lo, we think you the one,” and that’s how I came from the crack smoke.AllHipHop.com: So you think people were encouraging you to go solo because they thought you were more real than other rappers?Shawty Lo: I guess the streets wanted to hear an album from me ‘cause they figured that was my style of rap. No snap music. But I ain’t finnin to stop my money, I’m a CEO that’s how I get my money. But the rap I’m rapping now, that’s my life. That’s why I did the Raw Report DVD Shawty Lo: The Real Bankhead Story, for folks to get a visual on me. ‘Cause what I’m talking about is what I lived, my adventures. The rap I do, I call it ‘slow flow,’ I ain’t rapped but two years and it’s a blessing.AllHipHop.com: What were the circumstances that drew you away from the trap game to the rap game?   Shawty Lo: I had to give it up, the trap, cause I was a big dude in the trap game and when I got arrested in 2004, either I stay with it or I was going to jail and was going to stay in jail.AllHipHop.com: So how did you get the reputation as the Colonel in the streets?Shawty Lo: When I was growing up I was really rough. I was a real tough fighter when I was coming up, and I had older dudes that used to come up to me like Lo, “when you round here fighting and doing your thing, they gonna follow you.” And it just showed I guess, I used to be so bad and people around my neighborhood used to follow me. I had a crew, we used to listen to No Limit all the time, and they started calling us “Lo Limit,” and when I started getting money illegally in the drug game, that made me real powerful in the city.AllHipHop.com: A […]

When you think of Katrina “Trina” Taylor the word vulnerable isn’t what comes to mind. Since premiering in Trick Daddy’s video [“Nann”] in a silver sequinned bikini top spitting lyrics so heavy in sexual gratuity that you needed a cigarette afterwards, she made it more than clear who she was. The “Baddest B***h,” a title that may evoke listeners to search for more empowering female rap examples only to find that when it comes to mainstream vitality, they are few and far between. Yet Trina is more than just a female rapper looking to prove herself amongst her male counterparts. These days you may still find Trina hitting the club showing off a healthy helping of skin, but if you talk to her you will get a totally different vibe. Trina is a laid-back, focused, and well rounded woman. After being MIA for two years, her third album, Still the Baddest, is set to drop in February of this year. Regardless of what you think of her you can’t deny the confidence in her swagger. Admit it maybe you’re just a little curious about what she has to say about her and Lil Wayne, those damn relationship rumors, and why female emcees can’t catch a break.  AllHipHop.com: Your new single, “Single Again,” sounds very personal, where did the motivation come from?Trina: [Laughs] the new single stems from the energy that’s around me. It’s my life. I am single and of course I’ve been through personal situations, and I reflected it in that particular song. It’s just about getting myself focused and being happy about myself regardless of if I’m in a situation or not. I’m single and I’m happy to be single. It was crazy because when I was in the studio recording that wasn’t how that record was going to be, we were just playing around. I wanted something that was going to be a ladies anthem. It was a fun record, I had a great time doing it.[Trina “Single Again”] AllHipHop.com: So I guess that the rumors about you and Kenyon Martin being an item aren’t true?Trina: No, I’m single. People are always insinuating and making up things. It seems like if you speak to somebody people want to put you with that person. That’s just the industry, that’s how it is and that’s not necessarily the case. I’m single, I’m happy, I’m focused. I was in a situation—I’m no longer in that situation—I just needed time to myself to find my own self worth and this project; that is the most important thing to me. I’m happy about that.AllHipHop.com: How has the Trina from back in the day, “The Baddest B***h,” changed?Trina: I think I’ve grown a lot. I’m still the same person but just in a whole different element. You can’t still be in the same place from when you first come out. I’ve changed assistants; some friends are no longer my friends. I’ve been in love and out of love, so you just grow. I think life is a challenge. There are just so many different experiences that I’ve been through since I first came into this business. Being more business wise, being more responsible, branching out, the whole thing is like growing into a woman. It’s really crazy but it’s been a blessing. I’m happy to see myself evolving and growing through different things.  I still think I have so much more to go through and so many changes to make so I’m preparing myself for that also.AllHipHop.com: What were some of the things that stopped you in your tracks and aided in your growth? You don’t have to talk about Lil Wayne, but you can… Trina: You’re funny! [Laughs] I would say being in a situation like that and going through different situations in that relationship and coming out of it was another growth period. I got to see a lot of different things. Love is blind so you’re not seeing everything you should see. Then, I was in a great situation. I must say, I have no regrets about it. It’s just that people grow. They have different visions in life and I had a different vision.No longer being with Atlantic Records was a big thing for me because I’ve been with them my whole career. When my label [Slip-N-Slide]…when we decided to not do my current album with them it was like starting all over. I’ve grown so much with them and we became a family but I felt like it was time for me to change and do different things. They were so accustomed to doing things one way, I don’t think that they really saw that I wanted to grow and do different stuff. Being able to step outside of that was like a relationship; and to branch off to something else and start a new relationship with EMI, all of this is different. You have to meet different people, you have to go through the whole thing of trusting people with your project and making sure they have your best interest at heart. AllHipHop.com: Being a well known female rapper why do you think that female rappers are important to Hip-Hop?Trina: I just think that the industry is so male dominated, everything is coming from a man’s perspective. We [women] like the type of music in the club where you can dance but when it’s coming from a woman it’s a different thing. When I do music, I know it’s explicit and it’s raw, it’s coming from what I see. It’s coming from the streets. It’s coming from what I come from. This is everyday life and I think that women can relate a little more when it’s coming from a woman because we are more emotional. We are more personal. We think about stuff more than guys. AllHipHop.com: Why do you think there is a lack of unity among women rappers?Trina: I think it’s just women. Women have egos, women have their selfish ways. Everybody wants to […]

J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, acronym for Just Undeniable Songs Tracks Instrumentals Corporate Enterprise League, consists of a trio of Grammy-winning producers; Colione, Kenny, and Rook hailing from Tampa, Florida. The three-man crew has crafted hot quality production for the industry’s elite like Mary J. Blige, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Juelz Santana, The Game, JR Writer, J. Holiday, Young Buck, Shareefa, and a host of others. With the emergence of writers and producers from the state of Florida like Cool and Dre, T-Pain and The Runners, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League has ‘repped’ The Sunshine State just as well. Although relatively new to the music industry as a collective unit, they have been individually cultivating and perfecting their styles individually for over 10 years. Together for four years as the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, their reputation and work are setting them onto the path of attaining veteran status while still bringing a breath of fresh air to the industry. Their work with Mary J. Blige, on the song “No One Will Do,” earned them a Grammy as her album was named best R&B album of the year. Colione provides hard drums, infectious melodies and synth-laden beats while Rook, originally from the Bronx, N.Y., brings an east coast arrogance and influence on the group with dusty samples, a classic drum break approach to making music and a blend of vinyl-driven, ear popping drums with a meticulous approach to recording vocals. As a master of sax, keys, and woodwind instruments, Kenny is the musical tie that binds the group together. Their individual strengths serve as a testament to the diversity of the music they create, which ranges from all styles of Hip-Hop, R&B to Rock. With a new label situation and upcoming projects with Usher and Ludacris in the works, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League is on their way to becoming a household name. We caught up with the guys at the Hip-Hop Soda Shop [Tampa, Florida] during their artists’ 2 Pistols video shoot to discuss their recent recording with Rick Ross featuring Jay-Z, their new label situation through Universal, and the pros and cons of attaining success in the Hip-Hop and R&B genres… AllHipHop.com: What’s up fellas, first of all off the top, congratulations on the Grammy for your work with Mary J. Blige, how was that experience?  Elaborate on that a little. Rook: [ I ] Appreciate it. It’s an honor to be even nominated for a Grammy.  But for us to win is incredible being that a lot of people work a long time to achieve that goal and we’ve been in the business for relatively a short period of time and we’ve accomplished that.  It’s definitely not a fluke we’re definitely all about quality music. AllHipHop.com: You recently did some work with Rick Ross and Jay-Z correct? Colione: Yeah AllHipHop.com: How did that situation come about? Kenny: It all started when Rick Ross came by one of our cribs in Tallahassee when we lived there. We were playing him some tracks to place on the upcoming Trilla ablum, and he came across a track and in a few seconds he said “Oh I got it, this is “Maybach Music” you know what I mean?”  So he was just vibin’ to the beat for a while trying to come up with some more ideas. So he took that beat back along with a couple other ones and he eventually came back with what he had recorded to the song and the idea and what he came up with was crazy. We were actually working in our studio in Atlanta and he came through and let us hear it and he had a feature with Jay-Z on it and we thought that was crazy, having Jay-Z on one of our tracks because you know that’s Jay-Z.  So Rick Ross told us to add some elements and basically do what we do on the track but it was hard because we wanted to give it that authentic sample sound to fit with the Jay-Z feature. Rook: When we were nearing completion of that song we wanted to go back and add a lot of things musically so when you hear the final product you’ll hear that every verse changes musically and there are a lot of things going on that really pushed the bar as far as production and even Hip-Hop in general. Kenny: We had gone through about five different intros, we had to change up the verses a couple of times just to get it right because that collaboration was so huge that we had to get this right, we had to get it perfect. It was a blessing and kind of a nightmare at the same time but the finished product came out sick, so we’re very happy with how it came out man. AllHipHop.com: Make sure I get one of the first copies of that, I’m a DJ as well so as soon as you get the clearance to give that track out, make sure I’m one of the first to get it so I can blaze it for you. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League: Ok, (Laughs) Kenny: Yeah the Rick Ross Trilla album is gonna be legendary. We also have a track on there with Young Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne, and Trick Daddy too. That one’s called “Luxury Tax”, that one’s crazy, it came out sick. Rook: We also did the intro to the album, a song called “Hood Billionaire.” AllHipHop.com: You’ve been one of the few production camps to be able to achieve success in both the R&B and Hip-Hop genres. How has that been advantageous to your career, you do a little Rock and Roll too correct? J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League: Yeah, yep Colione: It definitely makes you work a little harder because now you’re doing different genres of music, some producer’s specialty is Hip-Hop, some producers specialize in R&B and that’s basically what they do. When you start flippin’ genres of music then you have double the work load. You gotta be able to have beats prepared and ready for […]

Beanie Sigel goes in on some of his past and current songs while adding some color commentary. From his first appearance on Jay-Z’s Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, people knew that there was something special about Beanie Sigel. The Philly natives distinctive delivery and hard-hitting rhymes solidified his place as one the street’s favorite MC’s. After surviving the death of one of Hip-Hop’s most prominent dynasties, a shooting in 2006, beating one case and serving a bid for another—and recently, having to spend another day locked up—Beanie Sigel is still standing strong. With his new album, The Solution, Beans seems to have found the answer to the questions of how to start a new chapter in his career, how to continue building on his legacy as one of the streets favorite MC’s, and how to make the rest of the world stand up and take notice.  AllHipHop.com: One of the first songs you were featured on as a Roc-A-Fella artist was “Reservoir Dogs” from Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life album. What was that like for you as a new artist?Beanie Sigel: That s**t was crazy for me. I hadn’t even signed my contract yet. For me to get on a track with Jay-Z, the Lox, Sauce Money and hold my own…even if something would’ve happened and I ended up not signing with Jay, that’s something I would’ve been able to hold on to. That’s history right there. I was on a track with Kiss and Jay and them and still shined. That was a big accomplishment right there. [“Reservoir Dogs” – Jay-Z’s Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (1998)]AllHipHop.com: A couple of years later you and Jadakiss were in the middle of a heated battle. What brought you two to that point?Beanie Sigel: That s**t was like for the sport of it. Like when you playing ball with your mans and you telling him, “Get the f**k out of here man, you can’t beat me.” Y’all going at it on the court, elbowing the s**t out of him and just going hard at each other. It’s closest to that because it was never anything that got physical or personal. Or, at least that’s how I looked at it on my half. Every time we seen each other while we were going at it. it was like, “Yeah n***a, I’m on y’all’s ass.” It was all good man. Before we started getting crazy and getting real hard into it I met up with Kiss. I was like “What’s up, what you trying to do?” And to be real, that was the best thing for me to do at the time. The Lox street cred was crazy. Kiss and them had the streets on smash. And then there was me just stamping my mark. At that time wasn’t nobody crazy enough to go at them n****s man. So it was like win, lose or draw I’m going to leave my mark in the streets like “Yea, I’m here.”AlHipHop.com: It seems now, with Jadakiss now an official Roc-A-Fella member, you guys have come full circle. What was your reaction when you found out he was on the same label?Beanie Sigel: I got excited. Soon as I knew Kiss was coming over it was like, “Yeah, I see it.” The whole process where n****s get back on that real street s**t. I can’t wait for that s**t to happen. AlHipHop.com: On the “Ether” track, Nas alluded to you being better than Jay-Z. Have you two ever battled?Beanie Sigel: Nah. I think both our s**t is on another level when we go in that booth. But Jay, dude ain’t no nut man. Like when he’s in that booth you can’t sleep on him. A lot of people say, especially on The Dynasty album, “You right there, you and him are right there.” But I’ve seen him. Dude does this too easy. You can’t sleep on main man. Jay is the s**t. Keeping it all the way gangster Jay’s the s**t, Scarface is the s**t…like dudes is playing talking about who’s King of the South like Scarface ain’t around no more. And I’m not knocking anybody for what they’re doing because you’re supposed to feel like you’re the best n***a out. But there’s some things that shouldn’t be said. It’s a respect thing and n****s need to respect that s**t. AllHipHop.com: You’ve worked with Scarface on a few occasions; one of the most notable being “This Can’t Be Life” from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia album. That was a very introspective song. How did it all come together?Beanie Sigel: It was just simple man. Just going in the studio with Jay and him is just so easy. And when you’re spitting about real s**t, about something that’s a part of you it’s different. That whole song is real. Everything we said on that song was some real s**t. Everything. Scarface came into the studio. He was laughing and joking and all that then his man calls him. Like all that s**t in his verse is real. That was the song he had come to do. We were working on that song that day. Scarface is my man. I look at him like a brother so he came in f***ing with me, “What’s up Bean bag. What’s up n***a.” You know joking, talking s**t, laughing. Then that phone call comes through. The mood just switched up. And he took that and made the song. “Walked into the studio to do this with Jigg/I got a phone call from one of my niggs…” that was all real. [“This Can’t Be Life” – Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)]AllHipHop.com: On that same track your verse addressed the fact that you practice Islam and sometimes your faith is questioned because you’re occupation and lifestyle. Is that still an issue?Beanie Sigel: We all do things we’re not really supposed to. Like none of us is supposed to have sex before we’re married. One sin is no greater than the other. Because I […]

He was born and reared in a borough of Hip-Hop elitists, purists, and pioneers.  He brokered his first deal to the tune of $300,000 off the strength of a now classic verse [“Give Up The Goods”] from Mobb Deeps seminal The Infamous.  His debut album (really an EP), aptly titled, Episodes of a Hustla landed on the streets during a time when the creativity of your music held far more precedence than a catchy chorus or corporate appeal.Due to personal reasons, after his 1996 debut Big Noyd waited seven years to release another album. Since his resurgence in 2003, Noyd has toured the world and released four well received LP’s. As a constant mainstay on Mobb Deep tracks, Noyd has managed to stay afloat in a finicky industry thanks to a mixture of street knowledge, gritty wordplay, and a love for his craft. With a reinvigorated passion for the game and the release of his new album Illustrious, slated for January 22nd release, Rapper Noyd sat down with AllHipHop.com to discuss the new album, the kids, and his new situation with Koch Records. AllHipHop.com: So how did you come up with the title for the album?Big Noyd: Illustrious.  It’s something to the meaning of a shining star. You know I’m a star in my own right.  I don’t sell millions of records, you don’t see me on BET, MTV, or no stuff like that, but just making it from where I come from, statistically I’m supposed to be dead or in jail at this point. So in my own right I’m a star. I’m not just going to be an artist no more.   From this point you’re going to have Noyd Inc. which is my label.  That’s who I put out my last album with and it was distributed by Caroline (Records).  I’m going to be even stronger hopefully with the push from Koch. You know I’ll become more of a business man than just an artist.AllHipHop.com: M.O.P.’s Lil’ Fame is Executive Producing the album.  How did that come about?Big Noyd: No doubt. Fame is the man. What’s crazy is I’ve known him for a while but I’ve never done any music with him before. I happened to go to a studio out in Brooklyn and he was in the back working on some beats.  I heard one of the beats and I’m like damn that’s some crack.  He was like what you doing?  I’m like nothing. He was like lets get on it lets do it.  I did that one joint… and that’s how real Hip Hop comes about you know, you don’t plan it. We did that one song and it came out so crazy he was like what you doing tomorrow?  I was like I’m here.   He was like come on let’s do it.  I’ve been going back and forth there every other day doing like ten songs. We picked like the best four out of the ten. And he was like let’s continue.  Fame was like are you working with any other producers?  I was like yeah.  He said do you mind if I check out the beats.  I said yeah no doubt.  And I didn’t even know fame did beats.  All them hot joints he did for M.O.P., I thought Preem (DJ Premier) did em’.  Come to find out he did em’, I was going crazy. Seeing him in their on the MPC going hard. Digging through crates. I’m like, “Wow, damn this boy is nice.”  So when he asked to let him sit in and listen to some of the beats that I was going to pick.  I was like definitely so that’s how that whole thing begun.AllHipHop.com:  So Fame did the first single, “Things Done Changed.”Big Noyd:  Yeah.AllHipHop.com: That’s a real soulful track. Does the whole album have that soulful feel?Big Noyd:  You got like two or three joints on the album like that. You’ve got “Things Done Changed,” we also got “We Gotta Get It Right,” which is featuring 40 Glocc from L.A.  That one right there is more about, no matter how you look at it, we’ve got kids looking up to us.  You know, I’m not just going to cross over because I’m still struggling.  I’ve still got that struggle in my heart. And with the same token I’ve got a nine year old daughter.  So at one point you’ve got to really realize that we do have kids listening to us so we’ve got to get it right.  I’ve got a couple of joints on the album that’s like that.  All the other joints is still that struggle, that shoot em up bang bang on the block.  And hopefully one day we can all survive from that.  There’s a lot of energy with this album.  Like,  a lot of theses songs, not that it’s not good for the cars, for the whips, and for the house, but you really want to see me perform these songs because there’s a lot of energy.  It’s like performance type songs.AllHipHop.com: So besides Lil’ Fame and 40 Glocc who else can we expect to hear from on the album?Big Noyd: I’ve got Joell Ortiz on there. That boy spits so ill.  I’ve got Rick Rude producing. I’ve got DJ Skiz.  And it’s not like I really wanted to keep Mobb Deep out of the loop on this album.  There’s some joints I wanted them on.  There was some legal difficulties with G-Unit and Koch Records and stuff like that. And at same time I didn’t want the same ol’ what people expected that Mobb Deep was going to be all over with the Queensbridge sound.  Not that I didn’t want it.  It worked out well because they’re not really on this album.  So my next project maybe I can go back to my homies and the sound that we all know and love, and add it to the new flavor of Rick Rude and Fame from M.O.P. and mix it up with the next […]

If you listen to popular music enough, It’s not uncommon to be able to name the producer who designed that particular track, without reading the credits.  Simply by studying the patterns,  keyboard sounds, and grooves, you can often place a trackmaster with it. Hip-Hop producers can pigeonhole themselves into a certain style that they can end up struggling to escape from.  Such is not the case with Versatile. The New Jersey native has been scorching the industry and keeping listeners off balance with his various styles of production.  From club- rockers and dance music to melodic R and B tracks, Versatile is proving that he is capable of delivering hits.  But don’t take my word for it, just ask Fabolous, Method Man, Jay Z, and Uncle Murder.  With influences that range from The Neptunes to Led Zeppelin, and an extensive background in music theory and audio engineering, Versatile is primed and ready to ascend to the ranks of the production elite.  He took time out with AllHipHop.com to discuss everything form his start in the industry to why it’s important to have a strong education in music to be successful.  Take notes producers…AllHipHop.com: Explain why you chose the name Versatile Versatile:  I started making music like five years ago when I was going to school in New York City.  I would basically try to make music for anybody and for everybody that I was going to school with. They either wanted to be recording engineers , producers, or break through as an artist. I would try to make music for anybody whether they were a rapper, or a dance artist, or maybe a new age sound.  I felt I could make music for anyone and do it successfully, so I decided to call myself Versatile.AllHipHop.com: Are you primarily Hip-Hop right now or are you producing other forms of music?Versatile: Primarily right now I’m making my way through Hip-Hop.  I always loved dance music, but it was always difficult to make money or make a living doing dance music.  Right now I’m in the process of signing and developing my first dance artist, this girl named Arielle.  AllHipHop.com:  After you got out of school, how did you get started in the business?Versatile:  When I got out of school, I started looking for internships in New York City. It was actually my second internship at a recording studio in Manhattan. I started interning more to do engineer work, although in the back of my mind I really wanted to do production.  It just so happened that there was a group called Shatak and Monkey that worked there. It was three guys and they were engineers, and they were also a production team. They would do remixes for all sorts of artists, but they were really good engineers. I really saw and opportunity with them. My job was to clean the studio, so I would knock on their door and say “Yo, can I take your garbage out?” That elevated into “Hey what do you think of this?” Next think you know they say “Oh I gotta do something tonight, can you run the session?”  But that was my first opportunity to see people that were kind of in the game.AllHipHop.com:  You describe yourself as a true producer and musician, what does that mean to you?Versatile:  A true producer is someone who can make a record, a finished product.  You could put me in the studio with anybody and I could make a good finished product.  A record with a concept, with a good chorus. It sounds so simple, yet it’s really not.  I got my first taste of that working with Posta Boy, me and this other producer Dilemma. It was the first project we did about two years ago. It was the first time I was in the studio with an artist, we worked nine months putting records together. Before that I was just making beats and shopping beats.AllHipHop.com:  How do you make that transition from just selling beats to actually being in the studio with an artist?Versatile:  I’m like kind of in the middle of that transition.  There are some artists that have been in the game for a while like Method Man, Fabolous, Pittsburgh Slim, and some of these guys I’m allowed to go to the studio with them. Like Method Man was the first project that I worked on and they allowed me to go into the studio.  It was my first placement so I just kind of fell back. And RZA was there, so I didn’t really say anything, even though it was my track. Just the history that they have, they knew how to make a record. Same with Fabolous, this was album number four for him. I heard what he did with the record and I let him go. Some of the newer artist, for instance I’m about to go to the studio tonight with an artist called Asia. This is a different situation because she doesn’t have an album out yet. So tonight, I might feel like [saying] ” Maybe you should try this.”  Before I worked with Posta Boy, I was shopping beats. I said “I keep shopping beats but I don’t go into anybody’s office with a finished product.” I was shopping beats for three or four years with no placements. I was like “I don’t have anything with my name on it that I’ve accomplished.” I hadn’t worked with anybody. I felt like I had to do that to get more respect.AllHipHop.com:  Do you play instruments?Versatile: Yeah, I play guitar which I taught myself to play. I also play piano, which I still take lessons to this day. I practice every day, that’s part of my job.  I’m not gonna sit down and play Mozart for you, but I really take theory classes, arrangement classes. It’s really a study, it’s about song writing also.AllHipHop.com: Some people feel like playing instruments boxes you in to certain structures.  How do you feel about […]

Jody Breeze on his new independence, putting Boyz N Da Hood on hold, irritating ringtone rappers and his desire to give back to the community.Jody Breeze has seen his share of the spotlight as a fixture in the Southern underground Hip-Hop scene and a member of the Atlanta based rap group Boyz N Da Hood. But being a piece of a puzzle is not in the big picture for the Griffin, Georgia native. After a relatively fruitless stint, Breeze has severed his business ties to Jazze Pha’s Sho Nuff Records and decided to take his destiny into his own hands. After noteworthy appearances with various artists including his Boyz N Da Hood fam and a proven talent for songwriting after contribting five songs to Diddy’s Press Play album, the opportunities seem limitless. In the state the music industry is today, strategic independence may be the best move, he, or any other artist can make. AllHipHop.com: The news recently broke that you left Jazze Pha’s Sho Nuff label. What was the reason for the split?Jody Breeze: Basically it was just time man. It’d been too much time passed with putting anything out. It’s time for something different. I’ve been on Sho’ Nuff since 2004. And a lot of time passed with nothing really being done and not enough help with me being put out by them. It’s still love, but this is a business situation. They’re still family. Always going to be family. But, business wise, it was time to move on. AllHipHop.com: You are a member of the group, Boyz N Da Hood, and you’ve written songs for Diddy. Is it safe to assume that Bad Boy South is a likely choice for your new solo deal?Jody Breeze: Not really. Well…they’re an option. It’s a new year and I’m ready to try new things. New group, new people…everything. Everybody is still family. This is a business thing. It’s time for me to start branding Jody Breeze instead of just being connected to this or connected to that. It’s more about me promoting me and just getting the ball rolling. AllHipHop.com: What are some moves you’re making to build your brand? Jody Breeze: Right now I have a watch line. I’ve been looking into movies, trying out for different roles. It’s a whole new year and I’m trying to touch every market. AllHipHop.com: You have a respectable following from your group projects and solo mixtapes. Will fans have to wait long for new music? Jody Breeze: They can get new music from me on MySpace. I got the mixtape, Best Kept Secret Vol. 3 on there right now. I’m just trying to stay busy and keep s**t in the streets. AllHipHop.com: With every situation the potential for legal disputes over ownership of songs and things like that is always there. Do anticipate any problems coming up with your separation?Jody Breeze: No disputes. We tried to take care of that from the get go when we did the deal so we tried to knock out all those problems before they came up. We worked things out. We made a deal. Wasn’t a good deal, wasn’t a bad deal. But it did what it was supposed to do which is free me up to make moves and do what I need to do for me. AllHipHop.com: What do you feel would be the ideal situation for an artist like you?Jody Breeze: The ideal situation would be for me to start my own company. I have my label, Young Gunna Records, I’m working on that. I also want to start working with kids. I don’t want to sign no grown people. It’s too much that goes on with all that. I want to work with the kids and just try to give back as much as I can. It’s a brand new year dog. I got to get it. AllHipHop.com: With you being focused on your solo career is there any animosity between you and your former label team or your group Boyz N Da Hood? Jody Breeze: No, I’m still working with the fam. But right now it’s about me and proving, well not really proving, but just executing my plan. Just trying to stay humble and make s**t happen. With any group separation happens. From the Hot Boys to N.W.A there comes a time when members drift apart. You can’t do that s**t forever. It was good while it lasted and they’re going to always be family. We did a lot of s**t together but every man has his time when he needs to do his own thing and take care of his own responsibilities. I got to do me. I can’t wait for a group of n****s to get their s**t together. I’m not saying that I’m through with them, that’s just not my priority. I’m doing me right now. AllHipHop.com: With all the gimmick and ringtone artists getting all the attention, and you being more of a “hardcore” artist, do you feel you can compete in the industry solo?Jody Breeze: I feel like that takes away from people like me. People that take this so seriously. That s**t irritates me. Certain types of music irritates me and not because I’m a hater it’s because I love this music. Everybody has their own reasons for being in this s**t and that’s why they make that type of music but it is what it is. I just try to stay down, stay true to it man. I was brought up like that. I can’t do it any other way. And people are either going to like it or keep it moving. My fans are truly loyal fans. They understand my music. They know where I come from with the type of music I make. That part of the population that only mess with the gimmick music do so because they don’t know what real music is. Like sometimes it seems like people are blind to the fact that certain things are not […]

As the country picks a side in the presidential race, Russell Simmons, the music and business entrepreneur, finds himself torn between his heart and his brain. Guess what? He’s not alone. Russell Simmons’ logical side and his emotive half are at odds with each other. And he wants to talk about it. “I have been struggling. I’ve been to yoga twice with John Edwards and I’ve been on the phone with him at least once a week. I really like his ideas. I’ve had Bill and Hillary Clinton’s personal phone number for 10 years, mobile numbers,” the Hip-Hop impresario told AllHipHop.com as he watched his Argyle Culture collection on display at the GM Style fashion show in Detroit. The energy of Election 2008 has increased exponentially after the Iowa caucus kicked off on January 3, which saw Illinois Senator Barack Obama defeat the popular New York Senator Hillary Clinton. Many young Americans find themselves in a similar predicament as the Def Jam/Phat Farm founder. African-Americans, as a people, have largely grown to know and respect Hillary Rodham Clinton, and have gone so far as dubbing husband Bill the unofficial “first Black president.” “So, its difficult for me to go with somebody I don’t know. There are some real hard issues. My brain has been with Hillary Clinton a long time and I’m trying to get my heart…I met with Barack once,” he says visibly conflicted. Simmons’ announcement comes at a moment when Rodham-Clinton’s position within the African-American community is strained. In a speech she implied that Barack Obama was a better speaker than leader and inadvertently made a disparaging—and perhaps misconstrued—comment about Civil Rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The former first lady told the Fox News network on Jan. 7 that “King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964” and that “It took a president to get it done.” Clinton may be in disfavor with some, but Simmons said that the New York Senator’s longstanding work in public service overrides a misplaced statement. He’s got his own philanthropic efforts as proof, he says. “When I needed to fight the governor on prison reform, Hillary ‘cut the commercial’ and helped us bring those 100,000 people out and spoke…and got into a [verbal] fight with the governor publicly,” Simmons recollects of his 2004 efforts against the Rockefeller Laws. The 51-year-old businessman continues, “And then when I had to fight education cuts, Hillary Clinton got in, ‘cut the commercial,’ showed up at the rally and got into a fight with the mayor. So, she’s got into a fight with the governor and major, city and state government with me.” Additionally, Simmons feels that he’s heard more specific bullet points from Hillary Rodham Clinton on what she would do for the environment, conflict resolution and to fight poverty in America. “That’s very important to me,” he says. The 42-member Congressional Black Caucus is split 15-15 between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of those that have formally endorsed a candidate. Both Obama and Hillary have strength nationally within the White and African-American communities and many of those polled have stated that race plays no part in their overt decision making process. This is where Simmons finds where his heart lies. “I’d love to see a Black president. I’d love my kids to see a Black president,” he admits. While people may deflect them, race and generational matters have rapidly become key factors in triumph or defeat according to experts and new headlines. Although the older generation that Simmons speaks of adores the Clintons, the youth statistically favor Obama, even if they are not the focal point of the Sentator’s campaign. Young Democrats participating in the Iowa caucus leapt 135%, according to Time Magazine. Simmons admits, “A lot of young people want me to run in and endorse Barack.” Vanessa Simmons, Russell’s 24-year-old niece and daughter of Rev. Run, is undecided as well but appears to be leaning towards Barack Obama. “There are a lot of good choices, a lot of good options out there this time around,” she states. When pressed, without fully committing, the model and budding businesswoman yelps, “Of course Barack, I think it’s unbelievable.” Rapper Bun B told AllHipHop.com that he’s still looking to see what facts will emerge on both Senators, but was looking towards voting Obama based on what he knows now. “I’m still waiting to see. I think its still a little early,” says Bun B, of the legendary group UGK. “I’m really, really leaning that way [towards Obama]. I’m sitting back and seeing who’s going to do what. I don’t know enough about Barack and it would be ignorant of me to get just behind him just because he’s Black. But I’m not saying Barack ain’t down.” But more than differences in race and age, Barack represents a paradigm shift in the way that politics is moving, much as Bobby Kennedy did 40 years ago, prior to his untimely assassination in 1968. Obama wears the hat of reformer, and an agent of change and offers a very enticing alternative to tradition. Conversely, the elders have often benefited from traditional political alliances, and tend to defend their established position. Simmons concurred, but doesn’t necessarily agree that the Clintons will win simply because they have collected high-end favors over the years. “I know that there are a lot of the Black caucuses out there, the Bob Johnsons (billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Network], the Cathy Hughes [Radio One], [but poet] Maya Angelou doesn’t have any political needs. I don’t have any political need. I’m not a politician,” he says countering. “You have to have political resources and personal relationships to make the change you are talking about happen. You gotta spend time with them. These people are concerned about their community, especially Black leaders. Community is first. You don’t have too many selfish Black leaders. Business leaders in other communities are sometimes worried about taxes.” Although leaning towards […]