It’s the Tuesday after a record is released, everyone knows what that means, SoundScan reports come out. To no surprise, Jay-Z’s American Gangster is number one in the country, selling over 400,000 units in it’s first week. Since they produced half the album, Sean C. and LV are definitely ecstatic.How do they celebrate their contribution to the number one album in the country? Pop bottles, sail on the French Riviera, or hey go on 106 & Park and kick it on the couch. Not even.  These two want that staying power, therefore they celebrate by doing the same thing that got them to the top. In the studio, grinding.Super producers Sean and LV know how to buckle down. This work ethic and focus has allowed these two to break barriers and draw top music executives into their world.  Sean and LV are sick enough behind the boards that Puffy got at them for their beats and is even considering them to be his new “Hitmen.”  They also maintain separate careers outside of production (Sean C. is an A&R for Universal and LV is Fat Joe’s DJ) proving to all that yes, it can be done. Taking a short break from the music to talk to AllHipHop.com, Sean and LV exude confidence in their material and their musical direction. They elaborate on the obvious Jay-Z questions and shed light on Puffy’s involvement with their production. Most importantly, they discuss the dedication to their craft and let the world know that at the end of the day, “It’s just music baby. ”   AllHipHop.com: Wassup guys congratulations on the album, foremost. How did you get involved with the American Gangster project?Sean: Thanks,  Puff called us when he was in Saint-Tropez on vacation talking like “Jay-Z wants to work with me on his new album and I want ya’ll to work on it with me.” So when he got back, we were all in the studio playing beats and what not. Puff then calls Jay and is like “I need you to come down to the studio. I never tell you to come down, I need you to come down here now. “ Jay got there in record time, I mean like 15-20 minutes  He was only supposed to stay for 15 minutes but he stayed for about 2-3 hours and listened to like 30 beats. He left and came back 2 days later with 2 songs. One was “Sweet” the other was “No Hook” That there was the start of American Gangster.   AllHipHop.com: When you worked with Jay, was there a lot of in-studio time spent with him?Sean C.: There was such a short time to get the album done. He would come to Daddy’s House and we would play him the beat, he would go back over to Roc the Mic [studio], do his vocals, send it back to us. We would just add what we had to add to [the beat] then send it to him. Afterwards, we would just start working on the next track. We just kept going back and forth and that’s how a lot got done.   AllHipHop.com: Real quick, can I get a list of the songs on the album that you all produced?LV: “Pray,” “Sweet,” “No Hook,” “Party Life,” “Roc Boys,” and “American Dreamers.”   AllHipHop.com: Puffy is listed as the producer for the tracks that you two actually produced. What percentage would you say that Puffy actually contributed?Sean C: He helped put everything together. He was in the studio with us working on material. Puff also helped  formulate things, and make the records big. He made [the tracks] sound epic and more like a movie. He would even guide the musicians. Overall, the production on the project was a collaborative effort between the three of us.   AllHipHop.com: Working with Puff in production, people are considering you two to be his new “Hitmen,” are you trying to take things back to the Bad Boy  Era?   LV: No, we’re just taking it to where it needs to be at. Right now it needs to be on number one. We just trying to make good music.   AllHipHop.com: Ok, let me rephrase myself, are you trying to take it back to the time when Bad Boy was all over the radio and you heard nothing else Sean C: Hell yeah!  But this time we gonna take it where its Grind Music Hitmen.   AllHipHop.com: What direction are you going in musically with Puffy?LV: We going everywhere there is no where we can’t go in music. We have a lot of versatility in us.   AllHipHop.com: What where your first hits?Sean C:  “Can’t Knock the Hustle” with me and my man Knowbody. “Get Off N####” with Puff or “So Good” with Ne-Yo. LV: When I first heard my hit on the radio it was “Terror Error”by Terror Squad   AllHipHop.com: Do either of you write lyrics as well?Sean C : No, I don’t write rhymes baby.  (Laughs)   AllHipHop.com: From what I understand you did some work on Ghostface’s new album, how was that?LV: It was cool. We did 6 tracks on his album, six is our lucky number right now. Its different from American Gangster . Its Ghostface so we had to get in his realm.   AllHipHop.com: LV you’re also a DJ, Fat Joe’s DJ at that.  How do you balance that and producing? Is there a conflict of interest?LV: Nope, no conflict of interest. We giving everybody smash m*********ing records right now. We gave Fat Joe a smash hit with J. Holiday. You just gotta make it work, work all the time, that’s how you get that money.  (laughs)   AllHipHop.com: Sean C., with you being an A&R for Universal Records as well as a producer, was it difficult to be taken seriously as a producer?Sean C.: I don’t know. I haven’t seen that. The A&R thing is the A&R thing. I’m a producer first. I’m not completely on the corporate […]

In 1992, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic blazed in a new era of Hip-Hop. More than being the catalyst for the G-Funk era, it was the foundation upon which Death Row Records was built. It possessed an intensity, boldness and swagger that seemed to be in direct defiance of the Native Tongue movement taking place out in the East. The spokespeople for this new sound were a stable of hungry artists wanting to claim the spotlight left vacant by N.W.A. A smooth rhyming Calvin Broadus Jr. (Snoop Doggy Dogg at that time) and the booming, unorthodox style of Eric Collins (RBX) were the most talked about of these new artists. Through the rise and eventual fall of Death Row, Snoop and RBX were selected as “Most likely to blow up” by industry insiders. 15 years after their introduction, RBX and Snoop have had careers that have gone in very different directions. Despite both winning awards and being a part of platinum selling projects, RBX has remained underground while Snoop basks in the limelight. With the release of his latest project, Broken Silence, RBX looks to silence critics by demonstrating that he can still drop bombs like Hiroshima.AllHipHop.com: The intro to Broken Silence features a reporter asking you about where you have been since ’94. Do you think that the common perception is that this is your first album since The Chronic?RBX: Well actually he was being sarcastic. I don’t know if it came across like that, but some people may not know me. For those that don’t, they may think that this is my first album, but if they dig into the crates, so to speak, they will find out that it is not. AllHipHop.com: You were introduced to the world via The Chronic, has there been any talk about you appearing on Detox?RBX: Yes there has. I am in the dark about the record just like everyone else. I had a conversation with one of my folks and they said that Dre is not complete on who he is going to have on it; he is still digging through some of the songs he has, but maybe I will make it. I don’t know yet. We are going to have to wait and see. Dre is so picky that one week you might be on there and the next week you are not, so you just have to wait till it comes out to see. AllHipHop.com: You have experienced everything there is to experience in this industry, but what would you say is the most frustrating aspect of being involved in Hip-Hop right now?RBX: A lot of these industry cats don’t know the history of Hip-Hop. No one looks out for the next man. AllHipHop.com: You appear on various projects by the Visionaries and Ld and Ariano’s A Thin line, but how did you guys first connect?RBX: Ariano has a kid by one of my brother’s cousins. Ariano tried to get at my homie Quaz who was working at this studio. We met and ended up always working around each other. Since he was working with the Visionaries, one day I hollered at Key Kool and 2mex and the whole crew, and now it’s all family. Working on this project with the Visionaries was strictly Hip-Hop. Everyone would come in like it was the Terrordome. All the MCs stepped their game up. AllHipHop.com: A year ago at the Visionaries album release party, you came out and kicked a freestyle. What was that like to perform in front of your home crowd surrounded by your family?RBX: Aww man you remember that. That show was crazy. It was really good. I work really hard to get the audience tuned in. To see loved ones from Long Beach show appreciation is a good feeling. It gives me my mojo back and reminds me I have some time left and some things to do. AllHipHop.com: You state on “Echoes of My Mind” that you were disenchanted after the Death Row situation and the passing of Biggie and Pac, but then you were back on. What was it that got you back on to Hip-Hop?RBX: I still had a love for it. I would hear beats, and my mind would start wandering. I would write hooks, so I knew I still had the itch. I was just depressed and frustrated because things didn’t turn out exactly like I thought they would, but I had to just grow up and stop being a big baby, get my mojo back, and start to doing what I am supposed to be doing. AllHipHop.com: Do you think those experiences have made you a stronger artist?RBX: Oh my God, yes! At the time I was going through them, no I did not think that. I thought it’s a rap, I am through with this b#######. As they say, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” I now actually see what I was doing wrong back then, and I have corrected my errors. I act the way I do now because of the things I have gone through. I no longer drink or party. I ain’t got time for that bullsh*t. This is what I have come to. AllHipHop.com: Snoop produces “Overdue”. What is your impression of Snoop as a producer? RBX: He is my cousin and is serious about everything he does. At first I didn’t know he was serious about production, but he sent me this track, and it was all good. AllHipHop.com: How did it come about that he would produce a track for this album but not rhyme on it?RBX: He could have rhymed on it but at the pace we were working at, he wasn’t free at the time because Snoop’s plate is full as hell. I didn’t consider it because I know his schedule, but it’s not a big deal. AllHipHop.com: What is your opinion of the state of West Coast Hip-Hop?RBX: 9-1-1. AllHipHop.com: Why do you say that?RBX: You have all of the hoods […]

Scarface, the sometimes morbid, always enlightening herald of Southern Hip-Hop, period, makes his return.The cream always rises to the top. While it may seem like the world is suddenly the land of one billion rappers, only a select few deserve or will receive the prestige of a lengthy career. Of that handful, an even smaller minority will possess the longevity to remain just as relevant in their twilight (no offense, please) years as they were during their precocious rise to rap infamy. In that regard, Brad “Scarface” Jordan is truly a rap icon, in every sense of the word.You should know the history. Texas rapper (Scarface) rises to enough prominence to inadvertently overshadow his none too shabby group (Geto Boys), achieving critical and commercial rap success in the process (four gold albums, three platinum plus albums), while maintaining as much street cred as cats with names like Hoover and Tookie. Notoriously finicky with prodding media, if you catch Face on a good day, you’ll be privy to the rap OG’s fascinating takes on everything from Black music history to the Feds to his appreciation of Soulja Boy. Sure, his new album Made is out December 4, but when the Houston native opines this much, it’s all the more clear why his mastery on the mic has touched so many souls. That lyrically uncommon sensibility is why even when he gets bored and takes a hiatus to pursue a hobby—lately, playing golf on the daily—Mr. Scarface knows his true calling involves thanking the Lord that his voice is recordable, and especially you, the listeners.AllHipHop.com: What do you think has been the key to your longevity in the rap business?Scarface: I think just to make the best f*cking records man. Continue to make records that are relevant, rather than just making f*cking fad records. People make fad records, man. They make records for the times but they don’t make records that’s timeless. My approach on a song is to make sh*t timeless. I go back to my sh*t and be like, “Damn man, can somebody play this in ten years and get the same feeling they got when they first heard it?”I remember when I  first heard the “Kashmir” record by Led Zeppelin. Damn! I had to go get that record. That’s a bad ass song dude. I remember where I was; I was in my momma’s Monte Carlo and we was jamming. Even my momma was like, “Damn!” You play the record today you get the same feeling. Like when I heard the “Eric B Is President.” I was in the back of my partners blue Cutlass Oldsmobile, he had about a 1977, I’ma say. He took the springs out of it so it bounced. It was riding five deep, we was going to this place called Rosalie. And everybody from Houston know what the hell was on Rosalie back in the gap. We heard, “Clap your hands to what he’s doing!”; the car bouncing with the beat, baby. We heard that sh*t man, smoking that g####### fry; some people call it clickums, some people call it sherm. [Ed. Note: Scarface is reminiscing, don’t use drugs.] I don’t know, we was formaldehyde funk men, that’s what we were. I heard that record, I just knew it was something special man. It was going to change the face of what Hip-Hop was. When I first heard LL’s “Rock the Bells” record, oh sh*t! When you heard the, “Too black, too strong…,” the Public Enemy “Welcome to the Terrordome” record. When you heard, “Listen to my 9 millimeter goes bang.” Those kind of records are the records that are timeless. Those are the records that I want to try to create. Not re-create. But I want to be responsible for making those types of records. You can’t even make records like that no more. Cause the artists today didn’t take the time out. See we studied this sh*t man. We studied R&B, we studied Rock & Roll, we studied Blues. My house is like a f*cking school of music. AllHipHop.com: You’ve mentioned great artists with great albums, have digital singles affected album sales?Scarface: F*ck what it affects man. If ringtones is your hustle…I ain’t going to knock no one’s hustle. Digital f*cked up records sales. But it didn’t f*ck artists up. The downloads don’t mean sh*t. The downloads are paid for, the artists need to be getting their f*cking money. You remember when the record came out “Video Killed the Radio Star”? Okay, that’s what’s happening right now. The Internet killed the record selling star. Some exceptions are Kanye West when his sh*t dropped or Eminem when his [album] finally drop, you know his sh*t is out of here. Them the kinds of artist that Internet sales don’t affect, in my opinion. Keep in mind this is just my opinion now. This is how I think. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the truth. AllHipHop.com: You’ve long been able to maintain your lane without pandering to radio or the clubs, how have you pulled that off? Scarface: That’s Face, that’s my life man. That’s how I was raised. I always tell people, if I give you a bag and I tell you there’s a million dollars in quarters in this bag, you can take that motherf*ckin’ bag with you. Cause you know that it’s a million dollars, in that bag, in quarters. That’s just way I am. If I tell you I’ma do something, I’ma do it. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but it’s gonna get done. I make the records that I feel. If I did a f*cking song with a catchy f*cking hook and I wasn’t talking about sh*t, how could I face my kids?AllHipHop.com: Or your fans too.Scarface: Fans is one thing but them kids is heartless man. Them the most brutal, kids, when it comes to making records. I got an 18 year old son in college, I got a 20 year old daughter in […]

If you’re wondering where No I.D. has been hiding at lately, it’s not exactly a stupid question. As one of the pioneers that brought Chicago Hip Hop to the masses in the ‘90s, No I.D. is often heralded for his hand in crafting Can I Borrow A Dollar? and Resurrection with childhood friend Common. His work has been responsible for some charting pop-singles like “My Boo” by Usher and Alicia Keys or “Let Me Hold You” by Bow Wow and Omarion, but his presence in rap since Y2K has been limited to only a handful of albums, primarily Def Jam releases. Jaded with an audience that placed more worth in commercial success than creativity, No I.D. hasn’t really felt inspired to be a part of projects solely for a paycheck. That was until he recently got in the studio with Jay-Z and Nas respectively, and was reminded why he fell in love with H.E.R. in the first place. Now back in grind mode, No I.D. was ready to talk at lengths about his recent work with two of Hip-Hop’s finest and why nobody really understands the “Big Brother” relationship.   AllHipHop.com: Even though you’ve been in the industry for over 10 years, people know you better now as “Kanye’s Mentor.” Does that sit well with you as far as being titled that?   No I.D.: Umm…it’s a good title (Laughs) that really never was an issue to me, I think people always appreciated the work I did. You can’t always live off the things you did in the past, you got to generate those new things so people can talk about them. So I think for me, that’s just the line of succession in my career.  AllHipHop.com: Is it strange to get a lot of media attention recently when you’ve already been around? No I.D.: Not really, because anybody that knows me knows that I didn’t really seek it.  So it’s only a matter of time if you do so much in a time period. Kanye might have brought it all to a head for me as far as my career. But I just feel that over time if you work long enough, it just becomes media worthy from the work. That’s without a publicist or any of those things, I’m just doing music. AllHipHop.com: I know you’ve always had a lot of good industry relationships, but has your phone been blowing up?   No I.D.:(Laughs) Yeah, it has been. But people that know me know that my answering machine says, “Please do not leave a message.” I’m just a private person in that sense that I’m not really looking for the spotlight. But I do feel the energy to do a lot of good music again, so I want to step out. AllHipHop: You recently said you’re more excited than ever about Hip-Hop after working with Jay-Z and Nas. What is it about each of the artists and projects that made you feel like that?   No I.D.: The level of artistry. Being able to make beats, knowing that people you have the most confidence in will come in and take it to a whole other level. As opposed to trying to figure out how to make hit records that don’t have anything to do with the raps. I felt like I felt when I used to work with Common. We used to make records because they were good, not because of what they would do when the market place.   AllHipHop.com: Is that how you’re feeling right now?   No I.D.: At least [about] the songs I worked on with them. They were just all generally songs that we liked, not calculated as how they would work in this market or for that market, or this radio station or that radio station. That’s just something I missed. That’s what made Hip-Hop fun to me, and not just job or not just a way to make money.  AllHipHop.com: Have you ever had to compromise your artistic vision of what you really wanted to do before? No I.D.: Yes, but not that far. Because I don’t know any other way to do it except the way I do it, and musically a lot of times I don’t feel like I have too many morals. Musically I feel like I can do any type of music without compromising myself. Unless it just comes from a false place. Sometimes I find myself in sessions, and ask myself “Why am I in a session with this person? What is this?  It don’t even make sense for what I know how to do, it’s a political move or something to enhance my career, and just really phony to me.” Most of the stuff I’m speaking on never came out, because if I feel like it’s wrong, I’m not going to do it and I’ll just stop right there. I don’t want to name names, but if you put me in a studio with a pop artist, and I’m No I.D., and they’re like “Yeah, you’ll blow up off this,” that doesn’t make sense to me. Why am I trying to do pop music?  Even though I can, I’d rather do pop music that makes sense for what I do, as opposed to reaching and trying to imitate somebody else’s music. AllHipHop.com: You worked with both with Jay-Z and Nas for their new albums, and produced a track that has both of them on it. Do you have a favorite between the two, or was working with both of them just two completely different things?   No I.D.: Two totally different things. Jay’s process and Nas’ process are different, and I liked them for different reasons.  They satisfy a different thing in me, and it kind of even taught me why certain people like Jay more than Nas, and why some like Nas more than Jay. But me just being a starving Hip Hop fan, I’m just enjoying being a part of songs that I feel like can stack up with the “I Used To Love […]

While the world steadily inquires about reunions, The Preacher’s Son stays on his international grizzly. Lead Fugees rapper Wyclef Jean was the first member of the group to embark on a solo career [The Carnival (1997)], and he proved ambitious and eclectic on his own. As the Fugees hung in limbo, Wyclef became Hip-Hop’s unofficial multicultural conscience; a seemingly omnipresent activist, he assembled or participated in numerous high-profile charity benefit shows for a variety of causes, including aid for his native Haiti. Wyclef’s political consciousness also informed in his recordings, which fused Hip-Hop with as many different styles of music as he could get his hands on. In addition to his niche as Hip-Hop’s foremost global citizen, Clef was also a noted producer and remixer who worked with an impressive array of pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop talent, including Whitney Houston, Santana, and Destiny’s Child, among many others.With no Fugees reunion still in sight, Wyclef is continuing to focus on his solo projects; which includes a new album Memoirs of an Immigrant and helping aid his hometown of Haiti. AllHipHop.com: How are you?Wyclef: I’m good. How are you?AllHipHop.com: Great thanks.  So let’s get right into your new album…Wyclef: Well, you know how Carlos Santana has Supernatural and Quincy Jones has Back On The Block? Well, this is Wyclef Jean, Memoirs of an Immigrant. This is the song-writing EP that everybody has been waiting for, where I go ahead and put all this mad music together and then find the sickest cast to perform on a piece of music. It’s crazy! AllHipHop.com: You’ve collaborated with so many people in your time. Collaboration wise, what are we to expect on this record?Wyclef: I won’t really call them collaborations. Collaborations often occur when you call someone and be like, “Yeah let’s collab.” However, with this album, I already had the vibes written and the energy in place and I just went and found a believable cast. So you can expect Wyclef and T.I. you know? T.I. comes in over a guitar that Wyclef is playing. Wyclef sings on the right side of the speaker whilst T.I rhymes on the left side. Every time I sing a line he rhymes a line. It’s sick! We also have Chamillionaire on a joint called “Immigration” cause it’s a serious topic back home in Haiti, and of course the return of Mary J. [Blige] and Wyclef with the 911 everyone is waiting for. Then you have Clef and Shakira rhythm; which is a new sound I’ve come up with called the Columbian Swing. It’s a sound that has a bit of an Indian twang to it. It’s mad, trust me. AllHipHop.com: You and T.I. seem to have struck up a real friendship…Wyclef: Yeah he is one of my co-executive producers for this album. You know me as a producer, I get to bond with great artists. The bond just came naturally between me and T.I. We just clicked. AllHipHop.com: You’ve also worked with Akon. Why did you choose “Sweetest Girl” as the first single off the album?Wyclef: The music game is like a game of chess. Akon and I go back in the days of the Fugees. He is kind of like my little brother. He even flew 26 hours to come do the video. It’s like, I’m from Haiti and I have a style and he is from Africa (Senegal) and he has his style. When I heard his sound, heard his flow, I knew that we had to work together at some point. For me, the first joint had to be perfect and feel right. We both had to do a record together so people can understand the swagger, “This is what Clef does. Now we understand.” Think of it as Haiti with Senegal. We also have Weezy from New Orleans. It was the best of swaggers put together, but on a record where we can actually sing and you can feel the emotion. It’s some real stuff being talked about. AllHipHop.com: Do you consider Lil Wayne the best rapper out there?Wyclef: He’ definitely one of the best, his work ethic is probably the best right now bar none. He’s definitely killing it right now.AllHipHop.com: Now we are in the digital age where more ‘ringtone’ music and disposable songs seem to be in fashion; do you worry you will find it hard to stay relevant?Wyclef: Well I tested the waters with the Shakira track [“Hips Don’t Lie”] and that did well. So I think I’ll be ok [Laughs]AllHipHop.com: You have been in the music business for so many years now. How do you feel about its current state?Wyclef: I mean it changes. The business changes. Things may change but the struggle and drama people go through is still going on. As long as I focus on my part and what I bring to the music industry, I don’t really worry about whatever else is going on. AllHipHop.com: You’re last two albums didn’t do so well commercially as some of your previous work. Why do you think that is?Wyclef: Every album is a reflection of what I was going through. You know what I mean? When I did Masquerade I had just lost my father, so then after that I did The Preachers Son. Everything I do usually appeals to the masses but those two albums I think were kind of therapy for me and dealt with personal demons that I was going through.AllHipHop.com: I know that your late dad was a man of the church. I’m assuming that that had a whole heap of inspiration on you also…Wyclef: Yeah definitely, with my father being a minister. Pastor’s kids are supposed to be the worst kids; don’t think that because my dad’s a minister that I won’t kill you, I’ll kill you! What he did was he showed me spirituality, which is the most important thing. You can have everything but if you don’t have no spirituality and no culture, money doesn’t equal respect and culture. So […]

Long before your favorite DJ was cutting and scratching, Aaron Levinson was crossing genres with some of contemporary music’s most talented musicians. The music veteran has 16 albums under his belt, along with several Grammys and Billboard Awards. But, trying to describe his music category is difficult, because Levinson has composed and produced music from around the globe. So why is this important to Hip Hop? Because Levinson has just released the multi-genre project called The Harlem Experiment, which may be the only place besides 125th Street in Harlem where you can hear a mix of Jazz, Latin, Hip Hop, Funk and even Jewish music. On the heels of his other critically acclaimed projects, The Philadelphia Experiment and The Detroit Experiment, Levinson has once again assembled a stellar team including Queen Esther, Olu Dara, Taj Mahal, Mums, and Larry Legend to tell the story of one of America’s most culturally rich cities.Levinson explains his love for genre blending, and how he misses the times when Hip- Hop took more risks. If you ever wanted to know where to start your Jazz collection, Levinson gives some suggestions, and even hopes that Harlem’s most infamous rap crew The Diplomats, would stop by his studio.AllHipHop.com : Philadelphia and Detroit were the first two cities in your Experiment series.  Why was Harlem chosen next? Aaron Levinson: I lived in Harlem for a number of years, so it’s a place that I had a lot of first hand experience with and a neighborhood that I grew really fond of while living there. Detroit was very interesting, but Harlem to be honest with you, reminded me a lot of Philly. By New York standards, it’s a very accessible neighborhood. It’s not like the rest of Manhattan, where there are giant, towering high-rises. In Harlem, there are a lot more private homes and corner stores. Harlem is a lot more human. That’s how I would describe it. Coming from Philly, there was something about Harlem that felt very much like the world that I knew. And it was comforting, because New York can be a very intimidating place. When I first moved there, I lived downtown, I was on 18th and Broadway. And there were towers everywhere. By the time I moved uptown, I thought that it was much more like where I came from and was familiar with: restaurants, corner stores and barber shops, you know? I was like, OK, I’m home. That was a good feeling, and that feeling of kinship never left me even when I moved out of New York. I always felt like Harlem was a place I have affection for.  When the opportunity came up to do another Experiment, there is not more you can say about Harlem besides the fact that it’s pretty much the center American culture. When you walk down 125 th street, there’s nothing like it. You just get goosebumps. You walk past the Apollo Theater, and it’s like, everything happened here! It’s a place where you feel the ghosts of so many important cultural movements and figures that made their mark there. Harlem’s going through another one of its periodic renaissances. So, I also felt like this was a good time to explore Harlem, because it’s really on such an upswing now.AllHipHop.com: So how do the changes in the Harlem area affect the music and art scene?Levinson: Now there are a lot of people, like Queen Esther, who sings on the record, who moved from Augusta, Georgia to be a New Yorker and to apply her trade as a singer. Harlem is a place that clearly had a great deal of influence on her. She’s fundamentally a jazz singer and she just thought, wouldn’t that be great to be a part of that cultural continuum, even though she’s not from Harlem. So I guess in that way, Harlem is acting like a cultural magnet. That is a very powerful idea. Then you get somebody like Taj Mahal, who sang on the record a song called “Reefer Man,” who is originally from Harlem. He moved away to Massachusetts when he was a teenager. So for him, it was like a return to Harlem. That’s always interesting. I feel like the records would be different if you didn’t bring people back to their hometown. AllHipHop.com: With so many different generations and cultures of people in one small area, like Harlem, how does music play a part in bringing those people together?Levinson: One of the things I was really trying to do with the Harlem Experiment was to tell a tale of one neighborhood, but of a lot of different histories that go to make up the neighborhood. America is a culture that is obsessed with separating things. All too often it’s done at the expense of a story that crosses over lines. You end up with a very one-sided explanation of things. In doing the Harlem Experiment, I knew I wanted to make this record a cultural salad. I didn’t want it to be one thing. I think one of the gratifying results of doing this is that I’m getting response from every single musical and ethnic community that was a part of it. People that are Jazz fans are writing about it, people that are into Latin music are mentioning that. It proves to me that people have much wider ears that the categories would be able to contain.AllHipHop.com: How would you go about introducing Jazz to a strict Hip Hop listener?Levinson: Hip Hop, by nature to me, draws on different types of things. Maybe today, that’s less true. But certainly in The Golden Age of Hip Hop if you think of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. That whole generation of Hip-Hop was throwing everything into the mix. It’s ironic to me now, with the music that was started with such an eclectic base that the Hip Hop audience is surprisingly conservative today.I would introduce them to Soul Jazz first. Because I think that you […]

Jha Jha has dipped from the Dipset, and she’s speaking her mind. In 2003, the Harlem Diplomats had the Hip-Hop world on smash. With the hold they had on the streets and their strong presence in mainstream media it seemed like success was guaranteed for anyone who got down with the ‘Set. But, as Dipset’s now former first lady Jha Jha would find out, nothing in life is guaranteed. After the Florida native joined Dipset she made her debut on Jim Jones’ “What You Been Drankin’ On.” The song got people’s attention and after noteworthy features on numerous Diplomat projects such as Jim Jones’ “We Fly High” and “Get From Round Me” with Juelz Santana and Cam’ron, she and fans both began to wonder, what’s really good? Jha Jha speaks ons on the creation of her own record label, G## It Girl Entertainment, Foxy Brown allegedly biting her music, leaving Dipset and on her intentions of bringing all the images of female wealth and power that are associated with her name to life. AllHipHop.com: I recently found out that you’ve separated from the Diplomats. What made you want to leave and why now?Jha Jha: I was never signed to Diplomats. I never had a binding contract. I was with them for like four years. I thought we could work something out but no contracts were ever put on the table. I wrote a record for Diddy, I had a record on MTV Jams countdown, I was writing and producing records and at the end of the day…I guess you can say it came down to creative differences. I wish the Diplomats the best of luck. The good thing about this situation is I don’t owe anybody any money. No money was ever spent on me. I bought my own cars I bought my own houses, I paid for my own studio time, anything that you’ve seen that had to do with Jha Jha I did myself. Because nobody spent any money I can walk away from this scot free. I appreciate everything that we did together but, at the end of the day, business is business. AllHipHop.com: Some people say you never quit a job unless you have a new one. With that being said, do you have a new deal lined up?Jha Jha: I started my own company, G## It Girl Entertainment. A lot of labels are showing interest in signing me right now but it’s not just about getting a deal, I’m looking for a joint venture. The money is in ownership and branding yourself. As an artist you’re not really making any money. I’m signing myself to my own company and now you have to go through G## it Girl Entertainment to get Jha Jha. A lot of artists don’t know what happens when you sign to these regular deals. You’re getting like $0.06 off an album and then are left wondering why you’re selling 300,000 and still in debt. You’re getting $0.06 and they’re getting like $10 off of you at least. With that deal you’ll have to sell well over a million records just to see a hundred stacks. I think females in the industry are getting the sh*tty end of the stick. AllHipHop.com: Why do you suppose that is?Jha Jha: They say it’s because we’re not selling records and I really don’t think that’s the case. Like look at the ratio of men to women. What I mean by that is there’s like 100 dudes rapping but there are only like seven you can say are really successful. There are only five females in the game who have had success or some type of success. That’s Foxy, Lil’ Kim, Missy, Trina, and Remy. Kim and them came out when I was in middle school, like 10 years ago. No disrespect but, you can’t label the whole female genre on that. Like, they’re always going to have their fanbase but they’ve already sold their records. They’re not going to come out and sell four million records anymore. Their fanbase has grown up.  Missy, Kim, they broke all types of barriers but their fans have grown up. Even Redman and Method Man, they can’t come out and sell three million units anymore. Not saying any of them are wack but, their original fanbase has grown up and moved on to different things. They can still come out and sell like 200,000 or 300,000 but a T.I., or a Jeezy, or someone else who is fresher to the scene can come out and sell 700,000 or 800,000 units because their fanbase is still young. My point is this, if you had more female artists in the game there’d be a greater chance for us to sell records. It’s all about marketing. You can’t keep putting out the same five females every year or three years and think they’re going to sell the same amount of records as when they first came out 10 years ago. AllHipHop.com: So as a female artist, do you feel women are recognized as equals in the business side of Hip-Hop?Jha Jha: You got women out there like me that write and produce for dudes. People want to give me publishing deals to write for R&B artists. I’m that female that works harder than the dudes. Like if a studio session is 12 hours I’m in there from 9p.m. to 9 a.m. working, writing records making beats. I can get six records out in a day. A lot of people don’t expect that. A lot of people expect me to be a certain way because I come form a certain environment. I’ve spoken to people and they say, We thought you were going to be a hoodrat.” That’s not the case but women have this stigma about them being difficult and hard to work with and some are. But, I’ve seen a lot of men who can be drama queens. But at the end of the day it just makes you work harder.AllHipHop.com: […]

Cuban-American rapper Pitbull is something of an enigma.  Hailing from Miami and defying simple labeling in today’s stratified Hip-Hop landscape, the former battle rapper and Miami Bass aficionado known as Mr. 305 cleverly allies himself with the musical trends of the moment.  To his credit, Pitbull’s versatile approach to hit-making has enabled him to stay relevant in an ever unpredictable popular climate.  Once a part-time envoy for Reggaeton in the United States with 2004’s crossover smash, “Culo,” he now has strong doubts about the viability of the Panamanian-born movement.  And with the passing of crunk’s heyday, Pitbull recognizes the need to embrace an even wider range of genres for his third official release, Boatlift, which is backed by beats from Lil Jon, Play-N-Skillz and Mr. Collipark.  Don’t be fooled by the album’s historically weighty title: if you’re anticipating a political manifesto from Pitbull, ask for his views on Cuba instead.  But if your preference is a string of VIP-studded club anthems that celebrate a medley of sound stretching from R&B to techno, cop his album on November 27th.  Miami rap’s Secretary of State, Pitbull conducts his diplomacy most effectively in musical terms.  Allhiphop.com: Your Myspace page says that you’re “Too Latin for Hip Hop and too Hip Hop for Latins”, what do you mean by that?Pitbull: It’s real simple: I’m almost like Pitbull aka confusion, I confuse people.  Awards shows in English tell me, No you’re too Spanish, award shows in Spanish tell me I’m too English, so I’m sort of in the middle, they don’t know how to categorize me. They don’t know what to give me awards for, but out of it all I have big records, big albums and a huge following.  They don’t understand me, [but] I take it as a benefit really, it allows me to tap dance not only through different cultures, but [also] different music genres, and be able to still be successful without people saying ‘Oh he did a slow record, he’s not street no more,” or “He did this record, he’s too street.”  So it’s cool, I let them figure it out and give me my own category one day.Allhiphop.com: Earlier on in your career, Reggaeton figured more prominently in your music than it does now.  In terms of the timing, what would you say the Reggaeton movement did to help you get on, and what made you move away from it?Pitbull: To be honest with you, Reggaeton didn’t help me, I helped Reggaeton get on.  So with that said, we opened the doors for them to get in here. A record like “Culo” was a record that spawned a whole different type of movement- playing on English radio, crossing over into pop and even into urban. That’s what opened the doors for a lot of these Reggaeton cats to come through. Not just me—Fat Joe opened doors, Noreaga [N.O.R.E.] opened doors, Lil Jon opened doors when they did records with certain people that introduced them to a new audience. Now, not only are they not appreciative of what these different artists did for them, but they can’t tap into that audience anymore, you feel me?Allhiphop.com: So that’s what you think happened to Reggaeton?Pitbull: What happened is for one: repetitive music.  I can’t eat steak everyday, nobody can.  For two, the artists thought they would cross over into all types of genres without speaking any English, that’s not going to happen. And number three, they priced themselves out the game, they thought they was that hot that they could get all this money for what they do.  Now do I see some cats surviving? Yeah, I do, I see a couple cats that are big enough to be able to survive if they’re open minded and know how to be creative enough. But right now it’s at a stagnant pace.Allhiphop.com: But do you think that for some of Reggaeton’s fans, part of the appeal is that it’s something all Spanish for the Latin people?Pitbull: I agree 100% that it’s got its Latin appeal. A lot of people feel pride for what they’re doing. But at the end of the day, any Latin person will sit down with you and tell you, “You know what? It’s too much.” You go in the club right now, you’re only going to hear the big Reggaeton hits. It went from a 30 minute set to maybe a 10 minute set in the club. Because at the end of the day, people wanna dance and they wanna hear good music, but they don’t wanna deal with the bullsh*t. And when you have guys that are from the same island rapping against each other, it’s stupid.  They are basically following what 50 Cent does, they think controversy is going to sell records. Allhiphop.com: The popularity of crunk has also waned a bit.  Given that fact, what styles and trends have influenced Boatlift?Pitbull: For me personally, what’s hot in the clubs and what’s making people go crazy is the whole house/techno movement, whether it be a Bob Sinclair record or Rune. Lil Jon and I actually grabbed the beat to Rune’s “Calabria” like it was a riddim and did the record called “The Anthem,” which is about to take over the clubs for 2008.  As far as crunk, Jon was truly the king of crunk and when he ain’t putting out those type of records anymore, then there’s going to be another movement. As far as that, he’s on to bigger and better things—he’s making crunk rock. He’s already thinking “How can I creatively expand this?” He’s all about energy at the end of the day, so however you want to bottle it up and name it or label it, that’s on the public and the press. But when it comes to making records with energy that make you go to the club and lose your mind, that’s what me and him will always do.  We live in the club. At the end of the day, you gonna […]

Despite being kin to rap’s King, Jay-Z’s nephew insists that he feels no pressure. Imagine having Jay-Z as an uncle. Money. Fame. Wealth. Bentleys. Could life really be that glamorous? With an uncle that is worth over $300 million dollars, earning the number one position on the Forbes lise of Hip Hop Cash Kings due to owning a few 40/40 clubs, selling Rocawear, and appearing in a couple of Budweiser commercials; if Jay-Z is eating, the family is eating. Jay-Z once stated, “I carry my nephews like my sons.” So, after the untimely death of his nephew, Colleek Luckie—who had plans to continue the Carter legacy of fine music and entrepreneurship—it is only right for another nephew, 19-year-old Ramel Carter a.k.a Young Mel to continue with his aspirations of achieving rap stardom. Young Mel opens up about being Jay-Z’s kin, forming his own label, (Natural Born Hustlaz Entertainment), and why he considers himself a new breed. AllHipHop.com: How are you related to Jay-Z?Young Mel: I’m his nephew. AllHipHop.com: What made you start up a label?Young Mel: To show people that I could do this by myself. I could have took the easy way and went to my uncle but I did everything myself and I showed him I can do it too. AllHipHop.com: How did you come up with the label name, Natural Born Hustlaz Entertainment?Young Mel: We don’t mean hustlin’ as in any illegal stuff. We just hustlin’. We get it any means necessary. Me and my two cousins came up [with the name] – me, Rah, and Spank. We were just up one night, chillin’. Me and Rah went through a bunch of names and N.B.H. just stuck.AllHipHop.com: Who are the artists on this label?Young Mel: It’s me, my two cousins- Spank and Young Rah, my homeboy J. Dot that I grew up with, A.K. and Sam Hook.  I met A.K. at a pizza shop. My boy met her actually and she gave us a demo. We heard it and we just grabbed her up. And Sam, my homeboy Carl introduced us at my little cousin’s baby shower. AllHipHop.com: What made you start rapping?Young Mel: I love music. [It was] to express myself and get some things off my chest like therapy. I use to be shy but now I’m not. When I [was] shy, I use to write to express what I feel. AllHipHop.com: Who is your inspiration?Young Mel: Me, my mama, my uncle, my family… all my family.AllHipHop.com: How old were you when you began to rap?Young Mel: I started to rap when I saw the “Aint No N***a” video but I began toshow people [when] I was 16, 17.AllHipHop.com: On the “Anything” track, he started the third verse as if he were writing a letter, “Dear nephews, I’m writing this with no pen or a pad. And I’m signing it, your uncle, your best friend, and your dad…” How has Jay-Z affected you?Young Mel: He’s like my biggest influence in life, ever. That line right there proves everything. I ain’t have a father when I was growing up. He’s like my father. He’s like my brother. He’s like my best friend. [He’s] all that in one. AllHipHop.com: How did the untimely death your cousin affect you? Young Mel: That right there just stopped everything. I felt like the whole world stopped. It made me appreciate life more and look at life different. It made me focus on what I wanted to do. AllHipHop.com: Have you met Jay-Z or is he just Uncle Shawn all the time?Young Mel: Uncle Jay, not Shawn. That’s my real uncle. We [are] a normal family.AllHipHop.com: How is Christmas at your house?Young Mel: Everybody gets everybody a gift, just like you would. [Laughs] We do a grab bag. We put names in a hat. We do all that. AllHipHop.com: So does anyone ever expect anything extravagant from your uncle?Young Mel: You better tell him what you want or you ain’t going to get nothing. AllHipHop.com: Does he still make time for the family?Young Mel: Yeah, of course. We a real family. I can call him right now and he will answer, we talk. AllHipHop.com: On the Panjabi MC’s “Beware of the Boys” track, Jay began the song “It’s the Roc in the building/ Colleek, Ramel, Jarell/ I got my nephews in the house.” How does it feel being in the studio with him?Young Mel: Electrifying. It’s like sitting on the floor watching Jordan play. It’s what he do. AllHipHop.com: Are you the only brother that raps?Young Mel: Nah, my younger brother Jarrell raps but he doesn’t take it seriously. He’s going to be my bodyguard. He’s big as hell. He’s like 6’8. AllHipHop.com: On the “Lucky Me” track, he stated “I pray hard that none of my nephews want to be stars.” Is that what you mean when you said that they wanted you to go to school? Young Mel: Yeah and he said it on AllHipHop.com that he doesn’t suggest it at me. At the end of the day, it is my decision. I’m a man now. I figured that he didn’t want me to go through all the bullsh*t. Like all the bullsh*t to go through in being a star. I feel like he was protecting me. AllHipHop.com: In high school, did people treat you differently?Young Mel: Some people but all my life people treated me differently. My mother would teach me that all people are not your friends. From what I seen, it’s true. Some people try to use me but I can see a snake from far away. I cut the grass on that @ss. AllHipHop.com: How can you distinguish your real friends from the fake ones?Young Mel: I can just tell who my real friends. I would give them a test. I might leave them at my house and leave something important out when I leave and if it’s here when they are there, they good. I got a close circle and if you ain’t in […]

Anyone familiar with the career of Cory “Cormega” McKay knows he has an ear for good music. Whether he was beefing with longtime friend Nas, becoming a  pioneer of the independent Hip-Hop game, or struggling to have his classic debut finally see a release date, Cormega’s beats have always been on point.       Despite never quite reaching to the level of fame many predicted after a well-known guest appearance on It Was Written, Cormega has always been revered by fans for his truth-laced lyricism and his impeccable taste for timeless musical backdrops. Never one to follow trends, Mega is one of few artists always willing to give unknown producers a chance to prove themselves.       Being that he is a true ‘beat connoisseur,’ it makes sense that Cormega would choose to drop an instrumental album comprised of both old and new joints, highlighting some of the best new comers and consistent old-timers. Motivated by a duty to give something back to the culture and the people, but also to fulfill a contractual obligation, Cormega gave AllHipHop.com some insight into his thought process for the new project, and explains why it takes more than a hot sample to be a great producer.     AllHipHop.com: You’ve done a lot of interviews with AllHipHop.com, so I wanted to start out by reading you something that you said to us back in 2002. “I select my beats with my heart. A lot of people be d**kriders in the industry. I don’t go off of names. When it comes to music, you have to close your eyes and absorb that s**t.” Can you elaborate a little on that today? Cormega: It’s from me being an artist and around a lot of artists, and seeing how they really be d**kriding. Like, if you name a producer right now that’s hot, they might not even be hot last year, they might be straight new. But he might have done something for somebody that’s poppin’ right now, and motherf**kers will just take what he gives them, just to be a part of it. And that’s one of the things that always turned me off. There’s new guys that bring so much to the table that never get an opportunity to play their beats. Like I said, I be around artists, and I’ve seen artists get a CD and throw that s**t right out soon as we leave them, or throw it out the car window.  I’d be like “Wow. At least give him a chance before you throw out the car window.” AllHipHop.com: Would you pick it up and listen to it? Cormega: No, not necessarily. If it ain’t for me then it ain’t for me. If it’s not given to me, then I don’t want it. I just take what’s given to me. I’m not gonna act like I’m a saint, trust me, I’ve thrown my share of CDs out the window too, but it was for good reason (laughs). AllHipHop.com: For beat selection, what’s the process usually like for you? Do you give anybody a chance that passes along a new CD? Cormega: I think my history speaks for itself. If you look at my albums, every Intro is introducing a new producer to the world. If you look at all my albums, there’s always new producers on my work. Because the way I see it, somebody gave me a chance when I was new, so it’s like you’ve got to do stuff like that. AllHipHop.com: Some of the guys you’ve put on have really blown up, like Emile for one. Cormega: Exactly. That goes to show how knowledgeable you are about producers. Like some people don’t even know about Emile, or they will spell his name wrong. He’s putting a lot of work in, he’s a beast. Sha Money XL, the first song he did was “Angel Dust” when I was on Def Jam. He was a humble, cool kid, he came in there and we kicked it, and he gave me a beat CD. I could have did the usual rapper thing and thrown somebody’s CD out. But the way I see it, you get what you do. I believe in karma, so I wouldn’t want anybody throwing my CD without listening to it. So I listened to it, and the rest is history. Now he might hire me one day, s**t (Laughs). AllHipHop.com: The first track you ever produced on The Testament album. Cormega: Yup, “62 Pick Up.” But I can’t take all the credit for that. My man, David Atkinson played on an extremely big role in that song getting done. Every song I’ve ever produced, I’ve always had contributors to it. That song was actually played over, then we freaked it, and then I put the drums the way I wanted it. So that song was played over. People might think it was sampled, but there was a whole production behind that song. AllHipHop.com: How did producing your own tracks come up? Was it just after being in the booth for so long and on the mic, you just wanted to get behind the boards? Cormega: Naw, I think it was just out of necessity. At the time, you have to understand when we was doing The Realness album, my back was against the wall and I wanted to come out with the album quick. A lot of people don’t know this, but The Realness was done in like two weeks, two and a half weeks tops. If you add up every session we recorded during The Realness, it wouldn’t be more than 14 days. My back was against the wall, and that’s one of the songs that I always wanted to do. That beat was always in my mind, and that’s just something I wanted to do. So we knocked it out, and I didn’t think it was going to come out like that. But the rest is history. AllHipHop.com: So are you still planning on doing some production for upcoming […]

There are a lot of things that can be said about growing up in Harlem, NYC. But none truer than the phrase, “Harlem makes hustlers.” If you don’t believe that, just ask J.R. Writer. This cocky MC came up in the streets of Uptown and made it to international notoriety before his 25th birthday through note worthy mixtape verses and his affiliation with Harlem’s Diplomats. It wasn’t A&R’s or nepotistic relationships that got him noticed, it was his hunger. That same appetite for rhyme that had him in the streets battling MCs from all over, sometimes two at a time and that makeshift training drew the attention of fellow Harlemite and Dipset leader, Cam’Ron. Since joining with the Dips, Writer’s natural facility for creative wordplay has been featured on numerous Diplomat projects and become the subject of his own Writer’s Block mixtape series. Now with the fifth installment to the Writer’s Block series dropping November 20th on Babygrande Records, J.R. Writer is looking to take his career to the next level. Just call it a hustler’s ambition.   AllHipHop.com: You came in the game as Cam’Ron’s protégé. With all the rumors circling your crew people want to know, how’s that relationship now?J.R. Writer: Same way as it was last year and the year before. We’re still family. It’s all loveAllHipHop.com: So there were no harsh words or hurt feelings when you branched outside the Dips to do the deal for Writer’s Block 5?J.R. Writer: It’s not really outside or apart from the Dips because I’m still Dipset. It’s Diplomats until I die. It’s just that we’re all hustlers. We make moves. We don’t just sit back and wait for sh*t to fall in our laps. We make moves. We don’t need anyone to hold our hands and make deals for us. We’re all businessmen. We do for ourselves. We all grown men over here.AllHipHop.com: How did that deal come about?J.R. Writer: I got a call from one of my dudes who put me on with Chuck [Wilson] over at Babygrande. He said he liked what I was doing and wanted to invest in my future. You know, help me build my career. He was really digging what I was doing and really wanted to help get this mixtape out, you know, push this Writer’s Block 5. So we spoke and I liked the numbers he was throwing out there so I was like, Let’s do it.AllHipHop.com: How does Writer’s Block 5 differ from any of the previous installments to the series?J.R. Writer: I feel like with every project I turn it up. Every project takes it up a couple notches, takes it to that next level. Writer’s Block 5 is like part four to the 10th power. And I just want to say I appreciate each and every one of you that copped part four. It sold like 50,000 units on some straight independent s### and I appreciate that. But, with part five I went crazy. I built a studio in my crib just so I could focus on nothing but that. Every track I’m going in. It’s all me showing the people my lyrical ability and giving the people what they want, this good music. AllHipHop.com: Will you continue to do the mixtape thing or can fans expect an album?J.R. Writer: We’re still working on it. With the album I’m looking to let people get to know me better. I want people to know where I’m coming from and the trials and tribulations I’ve been through and all the people around me have been through. But the mixtape is preparing you for the album. The mixtape is me going in, showing everybody I still got it and still will air it out. AllHipHop.com: There were some rumors back when Jim Jones got his deal with Sony that he was going to be taking you with him. Is there any truth to that? J.R. Writer: Jim getting his deal was just another business deal. Just like me having this third project on Babygrande. It’s all love. The same way we all been working with each other we’re going to keep doing that. All the rumors and gossip be confusing the people man. We’re the Dips. We’re family. Nothing can stop this movement. AllHipHop.com: So are you looking to follow in those footsteps one day?J.R. Writer: I’m trying to make my own lane. I got my own company, I’m definitely trying to get into other business ventures and make the name bigger. AllHipHop.com: So will there ever be a time that you step away from the mic to pursue these other ventures?J.R. Writer: There’s never going to be a time when I will not be putting out material. I got a booth in my living room. I’m in there everyday. I wake up in the morning and go in the booth before I eat breakfast. I can’t sit back and get comfortable. If one deal is up I got to go get another one. I got to come up. I think the people want that. They want artists to stay hungry and keep giving their all. AllHipHop.com: With the industry being what it is right now, and every label is concerned with commercial success, do you feel pressured to make that kind of music, or will you still focus on what made you popular, the streets?J.R. Writer: I’m definitely for the streets. The streets show me love so I got nothing but love for them. But at the same time, I’m an artist so it’s only right that I look to take it to that next level. All the features and projects I’ve been putting out have been building me a buzz. Everything I do gives me more experience so when I do that major deal, it’s going to be big. I can do my crossover thing with that big push behind my sh*t. When I get that big budget I’m going to do it big. But right now I’m still grinding it […]

50 Cent and his compadres Young Buck, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks take aim at securing their spots in the rap pantheon.G-Unit is a magnet for attention. When you boast worldwide sales of around 30 million albums sold collectively, the spotlight will inevitable surround you and your crew.  With all the attention on every move that’s made, rumors, beefs, friction and internal turmoil make Hip-Hop headlines and without a proper foundation, any one of those distractions can split a group apart.However, G-Unit’s resolve has been proven and so far stood the test of time. In the midst of preparing for a world tour, getting any kind of time with the Gorilla Unit groups is a major challenge. However, with the group’s sophomore album, Shoot To Kill, set to drop December 18th, AllHipHop.com candidly spoke to 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck to discuss the past and what lies ahead for the future.                                       AllHipHop.com: Lets talk about the G-Unit album. Are there any other artists making appearances on the album?Tony Yayo: I don’t know. Right now, we just working. Me, Banks and Buck is just working right now. And as far as production-wise, we got Timbaland, we got Swizz Beatz, we got a lot of new producers… a lot of people who have sent us stuff like Ron Browz . That’s for sure, right now. We got two records, which are my favorite, from Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. AllHipHop.com: The G-Unit album, why did you do it? What’s the difference between the first one and this one?Young Buck: I think as artists we’ve all matured. We’ve all individually had the chance since the first G-Unit album, getting out here with platinum success and establishing ourselves as artists. It’s just financially everyone is in a better position from where we started. Mentally everyone is in a bigger position. We’ve never stopped working. The work ethic shows as far as the music. The music has definitely gotten better in the sense of being people who never stop working which was instilled through us on day one through 50. You know the whole part of “Alright ni**a you may have a hit but you need another one”. And we’ve followed that method as far as, from the beginning up until now, it’s just a second time coming. The streets really been waiting. They love us period. Whether we’re individually out doing our thing, you got a Lloyd Banks album or a 50 Cent album or a Young Buck album, our loyal fans they’re there, even the ones we make fans, they love us period individually. But I think overall all the fans love to see us together period. Because [there have] been times where I may do a show and50 come through and Banks and Yayo come through and the sh*t is crazy understand? Or just period it can be just anytime where we just together and you can just feel the energy. It’s time. 50 thinks it’s time. You should think it’s time my ni**a. It’s been a while.50 Cent: I felt good about the project. I felt like that this record so far is coming together. It’s not a difficult project because you have four writers, instead of one. So creating, having to write production ideas, picking the right beats, and concepts for songs—like for the first portion of the record we were in the studio recording and they thought that they were pretty much done with the record cause I was like, “Yo, let’s get this done this week”. We ran through 18 records. But what I was doing at that point was I was allowing them to make the same effort that they would make for mixtape material, for the album. So we’ll put portions of that material that were made during that time span on the actual street. It’s not going to do anything but build momentum. Cause it’s the same grain of quality that you’ll get from the actual album on the G-Unit mixtape, that will come out ahead of it. I think they all got some thing to prove.Young Buck: Yeah, honestly, you know since we actually dropped the first G-Unit album, its been a lot of other artists been actually able to come into the game and do their thing. And that right there builds enough hunger in us individually, to see other artists to succeed and do their thing. We are competitors and we strive to be number one. We won’t settle for anything other than being number one. It’s just the energy of what’s been put out there is just like another fuel to our fire. You know it’s a lot of good sh*t, but there’s more bullsh*t out there. That makes us feel like, Hold on man lets get this back to where it needs to be.  50 Cent: You know I think it’s clear, that even the public understand, that there is no direct comparison to any group or crew prior to G-Unit, like who would you point out that had an entire crew, if you pointed out.  AllHipHop.com: Wu-Tang maybe?  50 Cent: Wu-Tang is probably the only that you can say that established having each one of their artists recognized. But they can’t say that each one of their artists went platinum individually. You see what I’m saying? And have success when they actually come together to create the project at the same time. It’s a tough task for you to actually accomplish that. Like you got St. Lunatics when there’s members in the group that you won’t actually know their name. You feel what I’m saying? And the same for D12. They had that issue. That’s why they did “My Band.” Eminem created that actual song because it would be people having those issues not paying enough attention to the group. So I was conscious of those situations initially. That is why after completing Get Rich or Die Tryin’, I went straight to Beg For […]

Labeled the “Jane Of All Trades, Master Of All” – Leslie “Lez” Segar, the VJ formerly known as “Big Lez,” has held it down as a professional choreographer, dancer, television host / producer, radio personality, fitness specialist, and actress. She has appeared in and choreographed videos for several artists including some of the greats like Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, L.L. Cool J and Bobby Brown. Lez gained widespread notoriety during her seven year tenure as the host and producer for BET’s Rap City after appearing on the show as a guest choreographer. Her winning personality along with her extensive knowledge and connections within the Hip-Hop arena, sparked the interest of Rap City’s producer and initiated an audition. She later conducted some of the first classic interviews with Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Outkast, The Fugees, and a host of others. A former Queens, New York resident now residing in Los Angeles, Lez is currently a television show host / producer, radio personality, and voice-over talent. Her voice was featured on the popular Grand Theft Auto San Andreas video game after she was contacted by one of the game’s producers. She currently works with Premiere Radio Networks where her responsibilities include segment producing and board operating for The Jim Rome Show, The Bob Costas Show, and The Delilah Show. She also acts as an entertainment reporter for several Clear Channel radio station affiliates. Lez’s talents are also showcased on the nContrast television show which airs Thursday evenings on BET J where she is also a producer. Leslie was recently one of the co-hosts of the Steve Harvey Morning Show at her former number one station, 100.3 The Beat, Los Angeles. From her on-air midday radio DJ stint at L.A.’s 92.3 The Beat, to New York’s Hot 97, to Atlanta’s V103, along with L.A.’s Big Boy Morning Show at Power 106, Lez has accumulated radio experience from coast to coast. She was also the on-air DJ & producer of “Hot Jamz,”  the premiere national commercial free R&B station on Sirius Satellite Radio. Leslie’s at-home studio allows for extensive voice tracking & voice-over production. She has also used her conditioning expertise to set up fitness & healthy lifestyle programs for executives such as Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Andre Harrell,  and artists like Heavy D, Faith Evans, and S.W.V., to name a few. We caught up with Lez to discuss her experiences in the television and radio industries, her take on rappers turned actors, Rap City, why she eventually left BET and more… AllHipHop.com: What’s up Lez how are you ? Lez: I’m chillin’, how are you doing ? AllHipHop.com: I’m good, the last time we crossed paths in D.C. it was “Big Lez,” so you took the “Big” off huh ? Lez: Well we’ve tried to do that for years but every [television or radio] show that I do, because I’ve had a relationship with folks for a very long time, since the dancing days, it’s always “Big Lez, Big Lez, Big Lez what’s up ?” as if it’s my first and last name on my birth certificate. (laughing)  Then they end up having to stop tape, go back and try to correct it, but it’s hard to edit out so we just said, “Forget it.” I always just preferred Lez, but it is what it is. AllHipHop.com: So you’re in L.A. now, how do you like it out there ? Lez: Yeah I’ve been out here for quite a few years, but I’ve always been back and forth. I’m not mad at it actually, when you’re from the east coast and you’ve dealt with winter for a ‘gizillion’ years and in the middle of February where it’s still 80 degrees I’m not mad… AllHipHop.com: Yeah I feel you, now back in the day you appeared in and choreographed videos for a lot of artists including some of the greats like Michael Jackson, Mary J Blige, Bobby Brown, and Whitney Houston. Are you still doing the choreography thing or have you kinda stepped away from that ? Lez: I stepped away for a while but if the right project comes along where I feel really excited about doing it, then I just might you know. Dreamgirls would have been a wonderful project for me but my sister Fatima was already attached to it and that’s my girl so that’s her blessing you know. AllHipHop.com: Right, now a lot of people know you from your tenure at Rap City as a VJ and producer of the show. You did some of the first classic interviews with Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Outkast and I know that had to be an incredible experience, tell us a little about that ? Lez: I was actually brought on the show as a guest choreographer, I was touring I think with Heavy D or Guy or somebody at the time and we started talking off-camera during the commercial breaks. We were talking about the tour and the relationships I had with these people so the producer came downstairs and asked me if I wanted to audition for the show, and because I knew so much of the inside retrospected as opposed to just the face value of it, that’s how I ended up getting the gig. But in regards to how it felt to interview a lot of these people for the first time on Rap City, I didn’t get the chance in the very beginning to really watch the show because we were always on the road.  That’s when Rap City was shooting on location.  But when I finally got copies of the stuff, and got to sit back and watch it, other than critiquing yourself, you’re like “Damn, I got to them first !!!”  Then of course with the successes of any one of those artists you’re kinda like “Awww, I’m in the history books.” So you pat yourself on the back a little bit, it’s a blessing. AllHipHop.com: I don’t know if you still talk […]

Frank Lucas on what he hopes his legacy will be:“I’m very remorseful. Sorry I did what I did. I did it. Wouldn’t do it again if it was laying out on the table for me. My name is Frank Lucas and please respect me as such.”Frank Lucas has been highly respected for a number of things he has been: father, husband, businessman, and one of the leading drug lords in the 60’s and 70’s. These days, the 77-year-old North Carolina transplant is regarded as the “American Gangster” and his life is now an acclaimed film starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and rappers like Common and T.I. A sizable segment of the population loathes Lucas for his drug dealing days, where he went so far as to transport near-pure heroin in the caskets of dead Viet Nam vets though the U.S. military. These days, he rejects the American Gangster moniker and is now seeks to do some good for all of the negative he’s contributed to the world, especially his drug haven of Harlem, New York. With all his illegal millions gone, he now denounces his gangster ways, but Frank Lucas is what he is and when you hear his gruff, abrasive voice recall the old days, you know he’s the genuine article. In this AllHipHop interview, he examines how he became the infamous Frank Lucas. He trounces commonly held street notions about rival Nicky Barnes and The Council. He discusses his son’s rap career. Finally, he’s also got a few barbed words for rap magistrate Jay-Z and that infamous line from “No Hook” from his hit album American Gangster.AllHipHop.com: At one point, I heard you were charging for interviews so I didn’t think we’d ever get to talk.Frank Lucas: I don’t never do too much for free, but hey…why the hell not? You don’t pay for your interviews? AllHipHop.com: No. I don’t get any money for interviews that I do. Frank Lucas: Why not? I hear you’re a super star.AllHipHop.com: [laughs] I’m somebody, but I don’t know about a super star. That’s you.Frank Lucas: That’s the word out there – super star.AllHipHop.com: [joking] Well maybe I should charge then.Frank Lucas: Let’s talk.AllHipHop.com: So, how do you feel you were represented in the movie American Gangster, which is based on your lifes and times in Harlem?Frank Lucas: Well, I said it once and I’ll say it again, I don’t have anything to say but good when you have Mr. Denzel Washington doing your part.AllHipHop.com: It’s a great movie, from my perspective. Frank Lucas: You saw the movie so there ain’t much I can tell you.AllHipHop.com: Who is the real Frank Lucas? Obviously, we’ve seen the movie, but its just that – a movie. How accurate is the movie?Frank Lucas: Through that whole movie, and the parts that Mr. Washington does, is 85-95% accurate. You can’t get much better than that.AllHipHop.com: The opening scene of the movie is a shocker to me. I know you’ve said on the record that you haven’t killed anybody, but how were they able to represent you that way?Frank Lucas: I told you it was a movie.  They’re gonna make their money regardless. You gotta look at it that way also, you know?AllHipHop.com: I get it. It stated in the movie that there is an experience you had before coming to Harlem where you experienced a lot of racism and hardships. Can you speak on that and how it affected you into what you eventually became.Frank Lucas: When you are a kid and you see something like that, you can’t help but affect your life. You can’t help but think that the whole world is trying to tear you down and rip you off. When you are six years old and you see something like a Ku Klux Klan knock your cousin’s teeth out with handle of a shotgun and turn around and put it in his mouth and pull the trigger… I mean, his face looked good, but you could put a cantaloupe in the back of his head [because the hole was so big]. That can’t help but affect you. I’m speaking to you now, but a little while ago I was feeling sick. Brains …brains…bone…blood…teeth…was all over the yard.AllHipHop.com: Wow.Frank Lucas: Did you read about why he got that?AllHipHop.com: Yeah, for looking at a White woman – “reckless eyeballing.”Frank Lucas: Yeah, you got it. Reckless eyeballing. I don’t even think that was in the movie, but that’s what it was. All that was for reckless eyeballing and that’s a damn shame.AllHipHop.com: That was crazy and that was in North Carolina, correct?Frank Lucas: Absolutely.AllHipHop.com: A lot of your family is from  North Carolina…Frank Lucas: All my family is from North Carolina…we all come from down there.AllHipHop.com: Do you stay in touch with your family at all?Frank Lucas: Heck yeah. I’ve always been a family man, always will be. I’m about family more than anything else in the world. Without family, you’ve got nothing.AllHipHop.com: You’re right. I’m close to my family too. How did you maintain the life in the drug game with a family? It’s not a lifestyle conducive to having loved ones. In the period of the movie you supposedly had a daughter that wasn’t depicted.Frank Lucas: It might be hard for some people, but it wasn’t hard for me. You mean, back in the money days, the glory days…that’s what you’re talking about?AllHipHop.com: Yeah.Frank Lucas: I did both. I matched them up real well. It wasn’t hard for me, not at all. They had everything they could dream about. They had everything. On the other hand, I wasn’t a happy camper, because I was thinking back and forth in my head, “What’s gonna happen when this is over.” AllHipHop.com: A lot of people ask, “Why didn’t you stop?” Can you answer that question now?Frank Lucas: I can answer it now, but I don’t know if it’s the answer you looking for. I didn’t stop, because my wife gotta get me to stop. Some of […]

Ladies and Gentlemen: we , the staff at AllHipHop.com, have seen many lists over the past few years regarding who’s the best emcee, and what are the greatest albums of all time. We’ve decided to throw our hats into the ring and give you our consensus views as a staff as to the answers of these things. Enter: DIGITS, an ongoing series. The rankings are based on the number of reoccurring songs or artists appeared on a composite list. Songs with the fewest instances were eliminated First up: The 20 Dopest Verses of All Time. How do you quantify dope? Is it the most lyrical? Is it the most emotionally raw? Is it the best delivered? Where does flow come in? How quantifiable is something so subjective? Sometimes a verse looks way better on paper than it does when you hear it. For this exercise, the dopest verse typically involves when an emcee abnormally blacks out on a verse. Sometimes it’s a highly lyrical performance. Sometimes it’s a relentless assault far beyond the walls of the 16 bar box. With such a list, you’d probably get a different 20 verses depending on the day of the week (we sure did). But we sat down and hammered out this list based on the first 20 that came to mind from each of us. Then we tallied up the ones with the most votes, and then battled continuously over which ones would be whittled down to the final list (in random order). Hate or love it, without further ado, AllHipHop.com’s 20 Dopest Verses of All Time! (To hear the song in which each verse resides, just click the title of the song.) “King of Rock”-Run DMC – King of Rock (1985)-First Stanza DMC Followed By Run “I’m the King of Rock, There is None Higher!” Think about that. Yes there were 4 Beatles (Sorry Run). Only Jay could play an instrument, but the DJ aborted them as the group made a proclamation that would change the world and our lives forever. They didn’t wear costumes like most of the acts in the ’80’s. There weren’t even any non-MiJac Black people on MTV, much less Rap/Hip-Hop. The minimalist rock drums (You crazy for that one, Rick). The reverb on DMC’s booming voice, copied by so many afterwards. The rush of those guitars that pretty much deaded any disco powered Hip-Hop related music. The power of DMC. The swagger of Run. It’s iconic. It’s everlasting. It’s the greatest verse of all time in our eyes. “Winter Warz”-Ghostface – Killah Ironman (1996)-Cappadonna Verse Before he was a cabdriver, Cappadonna was a serious contributor to both Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Ironman. On “Winter Warz,” he lost his mind and assaulted the pounding drum powered beat. Rhyming for over two minutes straight and seemingly out of nowhere as a cleanup hitter, ‘Donna switched from the Stapleton lingo (“1-6-0 4-9-3-11”) to the gutter and back. He doesn’t pause for a breath, he’s just relentless. He may not be on top of the overall emcee list, but Cappa’s “Winter Warz” verse is like Sleepy Floyd’s 53 Point NBA Playoff game: An all-time performance from a footnote player. “Victory”-Puff Daddy & the Family – No Way Out (1997) Notorious B.I.G. 1st verse. There are so many reasons why this verse is here. The last virtuoso performance of Biggie. The first salvo from a top selling, yet underrated album. Puffy’s suspense building intro combined with Rocky Balboa’s Championship pedigree, and then B.I.G.’s explosive abandonment of the slow flow that made him king. Arguably better than any verse on his last album, the power of the verse can be summed up in one stanza. “Warm nights I perform like Mike/Anyone, Tyson, Jordan, Jackson.” ‘Nuff said. We don’t know what’s on his tombstone, but no greater epitaph exists for his music career. “Live At the BBQ” –Main Source – Breakin’ Atoms (1992) Nas Verse The Streets Disciple was still nasty with no sign of Escobar. Just hearing it evokes a feeling of 40 oz’s, bodega heroes and blunts. Nas’ entry to our lives was full of the power of youth. Rich with imagery (“Shoot slugs from my brain just like a rifle”) irreverence (“I went to hell for snuffin’ Jesus”) and young rage (“Nasty Nas is a rebel to America”), Nas was definitely causing hysteria. While Main Source was NOT forever, and Akinyele went from dropping rhymes to bumping rumps, Mr. Jones would go on to greater heights as arguably the premiere lyricist of his generation. This verse was his entry and calling card. “The Headbanger”-EPMD – Business Never Personal (1992) Redman Verse Rough, rugged, and raw. Politically incorrect (clowning cerebral palsy!) hood pop culture referential (“Lullaby your stupid ass – Rockabye baby – shout to Keisha from “New Jack City”), and just flat out bugged, Redman was as raw as it got for a lyricist in his era. The cherry on top of a hardcore chocolate sundae, the cleanup verse was frenetic, comical, violent, and everything about Hip-Hop in that era, complete with the metaphors and similes. Respect is due and this verse keeps collecting. “The Message”-Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 – The Message (1982) Grandmaster Melle Mel 1st Verse. Post-Civil Rights. Post Disco. Product of Reaganomics. Urban. Gritty. “Broken glass everywhere, people pissing in the corners, yo they just don’t care.” Mel took us from the parties in the club and took it to the mud. Mirroring Stevie Wonder’s abandonment of Berry Gordy-flavored bubble gum, Mel took that disco rap and slammed it in the grime. Yeah, he yearned for the color TV to watch the Sugar Ray fight, but “The Message” was the truth from the mouth of the Grand Master. Not from the Klan, but representing the Clan. The Furious Five. The world would never be the same. “Puffin on Blunts and Drankin’” Tanqueray-B-Side to Dr. Dre ‘F**k With Dre Day’ Single (1992) Kurupt Verse It was supposed to be a throwaway record. 7 Minutes which […]

Pimpin’ Ken is internationally known, nationally recognized and locally accepted. Try to keep up.There is no denying that many people have been influenced by the lifestyle of pimps, even if unrealistically. Artists like Too Short, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, E-40, Ice T and even rap-rocker Kid Rock have used some type of pimp philosophy in their songs. Even in trying to make the word a “good” thing ala Nelly’s P.I.M.P. campaign (Positive Intellectual Motivated Person) or Xzibit’s playful Pimp My Ride TV show, the word pimp alone has carried a stigma of negativity that won’t soon fade.Veteran “Pimpin’” Ken Ivey has more than made his mark in the game, and is now working on turning the tides on America’s perception of the pimp. From his early years motivating a bevy of hookers through disciplined thinking, tactical manipulation and positive reinforcement, Ken took his natural ability to motivate others to new heights. While garnering accolades for his achievements like “Mack Of The Year” from the Annual Player’s Ball, Ken was aligning himself with rappers, event producers and television professionals all in pursuit of a bigger dream. He was largely responsible for the classic HBO films Pimps Up, Ho’s Down and Pimpology Uncut, and appeared in various cult(ure) classics like American Pimp. These days, Ken Ivy is a full-fledged business man with a film company, a radio show, regular public speaking engagements and a new book entitled Pimpology: The 48 Laws Of The Game. Although he’s not necessarily aspiring to be a superstar rapper, he has also partnered with UGK’s Pimp C for a new DVD and album. We spoke with Ken at great length about his projects, his past and his philosophies on life. Grab a seat, and get game.AllHipHop.com: What are your new projects with the album and DVD about, and how are you marketing them?Pimpin’ Ken: Actually it’s a DVD with an album included, it’s called The Best of Both Worlds Part 2. Pimp C is gonna generate some of the favorites that he has in the industry as well as myself, and we’re gonna collaborate and bring those people on board. In particular people like Too Short, 50, whoever we can get to participate in the project. We’re gonna reach out to all of my friends, such as my man B.G., Lil’ Wayne, 50, Nelly, all of those guys. I’m gonna try to get them involved with the project, because the project is about people that lived the street life, the pimp life as well as people who rap. All of them converted and changed their lives and now they’re merging and it’s the best of both worlds. Basically The Best of Both Worlds is the rap game and the pimp game legitimately merging together to come to a head where people can see how both lifestyles [are] prosperous if you learn how to do it the right way.AllHipHop.com: On your DVD, there are a lot of conversation about pimps who want to be rappers and rappers who portray the life of and want to be pimps. As someone who was involved in pimping over a period of time, how do you feel about rappers who glamorize pimping who were not involved in it but just claim to be a pimp?Pimpin’ Ken: Coming from the perspective of the hood, I think it’s a good thing. The reason why I say it is because it all ends up to one thing—making money. Now obviously if you never pimped and you rapped about it, it is to your best advantage to mention or get with a person that’s either pimpin’ or has pimped and get their endorsement. That’s what a lot of rappers don’t do, they talk about pimpin’ but they don’t know nothin’ about pimpin’. If you was smart, you’d do like 50 Cent, Jermaine Dupri, Too Short and Pimp C did. All of those guys got with me when they wanted to do something about pimpin’. They sit down, they talk to me and ask me if they were saying the right things, “Is this the proper way to approach the game?” Except there’s some guys out here that’s rapping [about] pimpin’ but they never had any affiliation with pimpin’ so they use the word out of context and they’re really just using the word as a fad because it sounds slick. But the proper thing to do is like a boxer, you train. You look at a tape of a boxer who’s boxed before, he learns and enhances his skills. That’s what the movie is all about, The Best of Both Worlds, we talk about rappers who portray pimps and pimps who portray to be rappers. Even the pimps, I’m not just gonna leave one side out, these guys need to get with rappers and learn how to produce, learn about publishing, learn what an escalation clause is and different rules of the game. Learn what  mechanical rights are and so on and so forth, how to do 16 bars and what a hook is before they just get on tape and start rapping and don’t know nothing about the rap game. AllHipHop.com: Too Short was really a big catalyst of putting the mainstream on to the pimp game. Would you agree that there were certain rappers that influenced the rest of the rappers to speak on it?Pimpin’ Ken: Too Short got a quote in the back of my book Pimpology: The 48 Laws Of The Game. He said, “Pimpin’ Ken taught me a lot, he represents real pimpin’”. What Too Short was doing that a lot of rappers is not doing, Too Short was hanging out with guys like Sir Captain, Sir Charles, myself and Bishop Don Juan. He was actually getting the game from the players. See, Too Short comes from Oakland, California. The movie The Mack, which is one of the premier movies for pimps in the world was shot right there in Oakland. So those guys had a lot of […]

Bizarre of D12 infamy lives in The “A” but his heart forever bleeds Motown.The Museum of Contemporary Art-Detroit (MOCAD) is a formerly non-descript building that has been spray-painted and transformed into a showplace for modern art. On the side of the museum facing Detroit’s main thoroughfare, Woodward Ave., is a neon glimmer of optimism, “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT”. The declaration shines into the night like hope in a city that is full of churches and liquor stores; places where its residents go to find hope and when all hope is lost. Detroit is a city that needs some hope, like the words maybe, if, or probably, to quote Andre 3000. In a state where the unemployment rate increases every month, nearing 8% and that is just of residents who are actually counted by Federal unemployment guidelines, the figure doesn’t include the chronically unemployed, of which there are plenty. This is a city that wonders if it’s Golden Age has come and gone, however, it still clings to the tenets of its city motto: We hope for better days; it shall arise from its ashes.  Bizarre is a rapper who has known love and loss. A Detroit native from the city’s Westside, the rotund rapper hails from 7 Mile and never appeared in the film named after a street one mile north, although characters based on his group were featured in Eminem’s biopic, 8 Mile. In the film, Em’s character, Jimmy Rabbit, tells Bizarre’s character, Sol, “If something is going to happen, it needs to happen now.” While the film was a glimpse of their past, however, that line is prescient of their future. Speaking of Future, Mekhi Phifer’s character’s inspiration is no longer a part of Detroit’s present and nothing has been the same. “Proof, man, he was just, he was a leader, he was the leader of D12, it was his group; a lot of people don’t know that,” Bizarre affirms. “He put it together, he chose the members.” The future of Eminem’s band that wasn’t a band is up in the air now. Rumors swirl around them like smoke after the murder of their founding member and leader, DeShaun “Proof” Holton in the early morning hours of April 11, 2006 at CCC Nightclub. One of the rumors is that the group is unhappy with its current recording contract with Shady Records. However, Bizarre states that a D12 album is “in the works.” Shady Records has undergone a lot of changes since its founding in 2001, when D12 was the only artist on the roster to be joined by Obie Trice; then overshadowed by 50 Cent. “Marshall has a lot more artists and a lot more responsibilities,” says Bizarre. “He is recording his album, it’s going to come out first and then we are going to come out,” he continues, adding D12 has already recorded almost 40 songs. There are also plans to use some of Proof’s previously recorded material to fill his noticeable absence on the project.D12 is a multi-platinum selling rap group. They are also leaders of the Detroit Hip-Hop Community which includes standouts like Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Marvwon, as well as newcomers, Tone-Tone and Stretch Money, who has an appearance on Biz’s solo effort, Blue Cheese and Coney Island. The Detroit Hip-Hop scene also boasts former D12 friend turned foe turned friend, again, Royce Da 5’9”, as well as some of the industry’s most promising producers, like Nick Speed and Silent Riot. The city is also the hometown of Slum Village and J Dilla whose music deeply influenced Hip-Hop. “If I had one wish (for Detroit) what would I wish for? More unity. More radio support. And more respect for artists who paved the way, and made it possible for all of us to do this.”When asked if there is a “Detroit Sound”, Bizarre replies, “Kinda. We are in the Midwest, so there is a little bit of everything. We are influenced by the world. But we have our own style, swag, and lingo.” Bizarre currently lives in Atlanta and returns to his hometown every other week, by his own admission. He relocated south after moving there with his former wife, Deanna. His album title, Blue Cheese and Coney Island is a tribute to his two places of residence. Blue Cheese is a favorite topping on Hotlanta’s Hot Wings, and Coney Island is a popular type of diner in Detroit. Bizarre was a regular at Detroit’s now legendary, Hip Hop Shop, where he met Eminem and not long afterward he released his first album, Attack of the Weirdos EP in 1998. It would be seven calendar years, millions of dollars, and even more millions of fans later, when he would release another solo project, Hannicap Circus in 2005. The album was not a great hit; released on Matthew Knowles’ Sanctuary Records, however, it allowed his fans to get a dose of his hilarity. On this new album, Bizarre takes a more serious stance. “This album has a bunch of serious songs. People know me as always being silly. You can’t be silly all the time. This album has a really different flavor.”  After losing 21 pounds on Celebrity Fit Club and shedding a tear on Punk’d, Bizarre has been one of D12’s more visible members. Currently a judge on Celebrity Rap Superstar, he hopes to shed his image of just a character in a shower cap, “A misconception about me? People think I’m crazy. That I’m just a crazy guy who runs around in a shower cap 24 hours a day. I’m just a cool guy.”Biz is the first member of D12 to release an album since the death of the groups founding member. On “So Hard (Letter to Proof)”, he speaks on life, love and loss. “It kinda just explains the struggles of life. Losing Proof, and how much it meant to us as a group and to everybody in general.” The song features Monica Blaire and her rich soulful voice adds […]

In Part one Wendy Day discussed various ways to structure a written contract, how to gain attention in the industry, and the drawbacks of offering your production for free.  In this part Wendy touches on the best ways to build relationships and how to protect your artwork from being stolen.   AllHipHop.com-  In your opinion, what is the best way to shop beats?Wendy Day:  You know it’s the hardest job out there, and it’s the thing I hate to do more than anything in life, because it’s all based on relationships.  There are so many producers now, and the market is so weak because there are so many bulls**t producers out there that you have to really have a relationship with an A & R person or the artist.  The only way you can build a relationship is to network. If that A & R person is based in New York or Atlanta, and you’re in Memphis, You have to get to New York or Atlanta somehow in order to interact with that person.  If you sit back in Memphis and wait for them to come to you, it’s probably never gonna happen.  So [you need to] align yourself with a manager that’s based in New York or Atlanta, or you can just set up meetings yourself and play your beats for people.  But it’s more than just listening to your CD once though.  The thing about A & R people is that they don’t really pay attention to beats until they’re working on an album.  So if I’m Gorilla Zoe’s A& R person and his record just came out, I might take a meeting with you just because I like you and I like the game that you kicked me on the phone.  But the reality is that I’m probably not gonna remember who you are next summer when I’m working on Zoe’s next album.  It’s not just reaching out to them one time, it’s reaching out to them every month so they’re getting to know who you are and your style.AllHipHop.com-  Wow! That’s good advice.Wendy Day- Yeah, and [it can be] a little frustrating.  As a producer you really just wanna make beats. You don’t want to be doing a mailing once a month to a bunch of New York people.  But you have to, it’s a business.AllHipHop.com-  When you do shop a beat, and a A & R is interested in using one of your beats, what would be a appropriate rate for a new producer to get paid?Wendy Day- I would say between 1,500 and 5,000 dollars a beat. That is based on a major label purchasing your beat for an artist who’s not necessarily new. For a new artist, because they are going to have a lower budget, maybe between 1,000 and 3,000 dollars on a major label.  AllHipHop.com-  But in that range there is always negotiation right? What if you have a hot beat that you know the label or the artist really wants?Wendy Day:  You have more leverage if you know somebody really wants your beat. Everybody wants a hit record. Hit records are what sell albums in this business.  If you’re delivering a hit record you just have to have enough faith in yourself to stand your ground. If you feel your track is worth 1,500 dollars then that’s what it’s worth, if you feel it’s worth ten grand, that’s what it’s worth.AllHipHop.com-  I got an email from a producer who claimed he was jacked by a certain major label.  They allegedly took his beat, re-worked the elements, and put it out under another producer’s name. What is the best way for a producer to protect his or her work?Wendy Day:  I hate this question because I hate the answer to it. The answer is, it’s hard to protect yourself. You need to copyright all of your beats.  You can copyright by Cd. For example when I helped David Banner set up his company Banner Beats, I copyrighted all of his beats for him. We had Banner Beats One, Banner Beats Two, you know all the way up to 60 something. So every time he would make enough beats to fill a Cd, I would send them off to the copyright office and save it as Banner Beats One.  So if he heard a beat that sounded an awful lot like his he could say “Ok, I think it’s around Banner Beats four, five, or six.”  Then I’ll burn the copies for him and send them to him, he’ll find the beat, and then file suit because it sounds too much like a beat that he produced and handed to the artist. The way the law works, not only does the beat have to be your exact beat and sound, you also have to prove that the person had access to your beats.  You have to prove that you either handed them a Cd or Federal Expressed them a Cd or whatever.  That’s really, really, hard to do.AllHipHop.com:  Ok, give me the one thing a producer should avoid doing in his or her process to get in the industry.Wendy Day:  I guess I’d say, don’t sign underneath another producer and let them steal your s**t.  Sometimes when you come up under a producer, you think that’s the price you have to pay to get on. But in a lot of cases, you never get on.  I could give you many, many, examples of this, but I wont do it here (Laughs).

In Hip-Hop’s at times theater like atmosphere, there may be no better primetime player than DJ Drama. DJ Drama has been through more than your average Hip-Hop DJ can stomach in just one year. His arrest for racketeering by the FBI triggered a domino effect that virtually shut down his mixtape game for a short time earlier this year. His long awaited debut, Gangsta Grillz: The Album, pushed back nearly a whole year because of another “DJ Drama” that popped up who felt he had the right to the name. But most recently, his friend and business partner T.I., was arrested on federal gun possession charges in Atlanta. None of this has fazed him. In the world of Hip-Hop few music executives have more influence than DJ Drama. His Gangsta Grillz compilations have helped define this decade’s Southern rap explosion. He has been instrumental in the careers of rappers like Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne , T.I., Saigon and others. Now he is set to take Gangsta Grillz mainstream and break his own artist; Michigan native Willie The Kid. DJ Drama speaks exclusively to AllHipHop.com about his new December 4 release date, rumors that have been circulating in the media and gives us his views on the federal charges against his dear friend. AllHipHop.com: Hi Drama. How’s everything going with the new album? Drama: Everything’s great. Everything’s great.AllHipHop.com: So what happened with the original release date? The album was supposed to come out almost a year ago? Drama: I had some complications. One was due to the situation with my name… You know how it goes, “More money, more problems.” This guy from Chicago basically popped up out of nowhere and said he had the legal rights to the name DJ Drama so that complicated things for a moment and then Tip’s album [T.I. vs. Tip] was ready to come out and you know how it goes? He is the big powerhouse over at Atlantic, so the label put all their focus onto his project and rightfully so. That’s my big homie, so we focused on getting his album to platinum status real quick. I went back in the studio, put some more work in, got a banging single done and got me a new date right around Thanksgiving so you know everything worked out for the best. We made the best out of the situation. AllHipHop.com: I know you have made the best of the situation but after you put so much work into a project it must be frustrating to be pushed back almost a whole year? Drama: I mean, it is what it is. It just means that there’s more work to do. For me, my fan base and what I represent is real different from a regular artist because I consistently feed the street with product, with my mixtapes. As long as I keep doing what I do, as long as I stay hot on the streets then I’m good. I was never really worried about it; I was never really thinking, “Oh sh*t are people going to forget about me”. I mean, yeah sometimes I would be feeling impatient to come out but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Now I’ve just dropped the single “5000 Ones” [featuring Nelly, T.I., Willie The Kid, Yung Joc, Young Keezy, Twista and Diddy] which is a very big song and in the long run the new date will work out for my benefit. It’s a fourth quarter release anyway, star-studded, a lot of powerhouses involved so it’s all good. AllHipHop.com: After the RIAA raid; you had a nice little buzz going; the original December/January release date would have kept that buzz at fever point…Drama: I mean in today’s world we all know controversy sells and I was definitely on the tongues of the media for a minute. I garnered a lot of publicity that a lot of people would usually have to pay for. Me and my movement, The Aphilliates, have done a lot and yeah it would have been good to come out around that time, but that’s not the end of my story, that’s not the beginning of my story; it’s just a chapter in my book. That was never going to define me. The album is still banging, nothing changed. I’m still doing my mixtapes, I’m on the radio more days than I was before and I’m still visible. AllHipHop.com: Regarding the raid and the charges against you, whatever happened? Has that all gone away? Drama: It’s still pending. I am yet to be in court. So we shall see but I’m not in jail so that’s a good thing. AllHipHop.com: So we should keep our ‘Free Drama’ t-shirts for a while? Drama: I mean you can hold on to it just for memorabilia purposes but I hope you don’t ever have to put it on again. AllHipHop.com: Due to that whole situation, did anything to do with your business end up being affected negatively? Drama: Nah. It basically just affected my business positively. It put me on a larger scale. I did a lot of travelling, I got booked for a lot of international gigs and you know the mixtape game as a whole slowed down so that was a definite turn of events, but I think that’s slowly, but surely coming back to life because of people like myself and a lot of other people who are putting in a lot of work to bring the game back to life. I’m a firm believer that mixtapes will never die but overall it didn’t affect my business in any negative way. At the end of the day; the stories in the media are always full of half-truths and you’re always going to have up’s and you’re always going to have down’s. You got to take the good with the bad. A prime example would be Puffy. Look how many things Puff has been through.  I’ve used this example before but let’s just say he […]

CATCH UP…Prepping to release the G-Unit collective’s sophomore salvo, Shoot To Kill, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo reveal some of their targets. AllHipHop.com: Let’s address the rumors about the whole G-Unit camp. A couple of months ago, it seemed like 50 Cent had some issues. There was some controversy about all y’all doin you and the whole G-Unit had a conference call. From that meeting what came from that? Tony Yayo: I feel like any ni**a that get money, [50] just felt like he needed more support from [us] to be around. That’s anybody. It’s hard being an artist cause you got a lot of stuff you gotta worry about. He gotta worry about himself and he got a label he gotta worry about. So, sometimes 50 is crazy and he goes through his things, but him and Banks is like family. We from the same hood, so there’s a difference. I don’t care if ni**as stop talking for a year and a half… it’s business.  And after the business that’s where the friendship comes in. You know when I’m with 50 and I’m around him, it’s hard when your friend is your boss. But you gotta deal with it. You don’t use ’em, cause everybody want him. I feel like people try to use me, cause I got money now.  He feels like people try to use him. 50 feels like people try to use him for certain things.  But right now we back together like a family supposed to be. Cause me and Banks always talked, but he went through his thing, like I said. The heart attacks with [Banks’] mother, his father just passed away, it’s a lot to deal with. Outside media look at it like they don’t know what’s going on. But get in our personal life and see how we live. Hip-Hop Police following us. Like right now, I’m out on bail, baby on the way,  Hip-Hop Police follow us everywhere we go…our lives are movies. If you had a reality show on us there would be millions of people that would want to watch to see what we got going on, and why we ride around in bullet-proof vehicles and why we got bodyguards. You know why I got a bodyguard? So, I won’t have to pay someone $50,000 for punching them in the g**d*** head. Cause that happened before. Other rappers don’t get lawsuits because they don’t have lawsuit-money.  Lloyd Banks: Other artists advances are like $250,000. That’s what I pay in lawyers fees, between me, my ni**as funerals. That sh*t ain’t expected. They are all things that a lot of people ain’t dealin with and we are. That’s why when you make a lot of money and he got 20 people with him, it’s important. From brothers, to sisters, to cousins, to third-cousins, to aunts that never said nothing to you… There’s a lot going on. It’s the lifestyle that brings on…like, B.I.G. said, ‘Mo’ Money, mo’ problems’. I wouldn’t have expected it. I didn’t understand. When I used to see like [the] whole cast of Different Strokes in jail your like, “What’s wrong with these ni**as? They famous.” You don’t understand until you in that limelight. A lot goes on. The music, don’t get it twisted, we could go into the studio today and a monster can come out with 5 or 6 records so, that’s never been a problem, it’s just like there was an off switch and now it’s on. AllHipHop.com: So Banks, what’s the next move? The streets haven’t heard from you in a minute. Lloyd Banks: I’m always in the studio, the main reason they haven’t heard me for a minute, and I stress it all the time, is rap is not rap all the time. My clock move 12 hours a day. My sh*t go by like that and with your average person it’s 24 hours a day. While I’m jumping from Japan to Germany, Germany to Switzerland, Switzerland to back here.. real sh*t is still going on. And that doesn’t get addressed to the public all the time. Some sh*t has to be your Life. And the fact of the matter is I was going through a lot of stuff. My father passed around this time last year…like weeks after my album came out. I’m not going to lie to you, that’s not something you prepare for. If your ni**a pass, you runnin the block with him everyday…you know the consequences. The most it would be shocking, but you can deal with it. My pops was 45 years old…still in that life and died at a time when I wasn’t prepared for it. A ni**a dies you like, ’Damn, well, he was wildin’ out…” Pops dies its like, “S###, I been running around. I never even had the time to actually have that relationship.” So, sh*t f*cked me up. Had me feelin like…with all the politics, the game turned from actual business and talent to being to the politics sh*t. And I was wasn’t feelin’ that. I was like, “F*ck all this sh*t! I don’t care about none of this shi*t!” I went through that mode, for a while. It might have hurt my record sales. Most definitely, cause I wasn’t there to promote the album. My mother was back and forth to the hospital, [she] had two heart attacks. My brother crashed my cars, damn near killed himself. I had a lot of sh*t going on at that time, man. To be honest with you, I love music, but I really wasn’t thinking about it at that time. Now that I’m back where I need to be, it’s a problem. Cause I’m not sparing nobody. Motherf*cker say something about me,  your addressed tomorrow. Whether it be AllHipHop.com or whatever. Because at this point, I really don’t care. The music is what feeds me, my family, so I’m going hard.  They can expect new material from me, group material, as well as Green Gang […]