| 01.12.05 - 50's Single Hit's Street"s |
| Just call 50 Cent "Big Willy" as in Willy Wonka from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The official first single from the G-Unit captain's forthcoming album, St. Valentine's Day Massacre, is called "Candy Shop," ' "Candy Shop" is a mid-tempo dancefloor track produced by Dr. Dre, and features Olivia the only female G-Unit member going back and forth with 50 on the chorus. The Queens MC says, "I'll take you to the candy shop/ I'll let you lick the lollipop/ Go ahead girl, don't you stop/ Keep going till you hit the spot." "I'll take you to the candy shop/ One taste of what I got," she sings back. "I'll make you spend all you got/ Keep going till you hit the spot." Admittedly, 50 is trying to get seductive on the track and isn't shy rapping about his antics. Some lucky radio DJs already have a copy of "Candy Shop," but you're guaranteed to hear it by copping G-Unit Radio, Part 10: 2050 (Before the Massacre), the new mixtape from 50's DJ, Whoo Kid. "Disco Inferno," another track from 50's new set, was leaked a few weeks ago and is already heavy in the clubs. 50 is shooting the video for "Candy Shop" this week in Los Angeles. St. Valentine's Day Massacre is scheduled to drop on March 8. |
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| 01.12.05 - Jay-Z Brings Foxy Back |
| Jay-Z's barely had time to print up new business cards, but already Def Jam's new president and CEO has signed an artist to the label: Foxy Brown. Foxy's reps aren't giving away too many details right now, but they said she's been in the studio working on her next album and that she spent part of Tuesday in the Def Jam offices. Foxy and Jay's official reunion certainly comes as no surprise. She performed several dates with him during both the Best of Both Worlds and "Jay-Z and Friends" tours last fall, and even before that, Fox was telling everyone that she was going to be a part of Jay's S. Carter imprint an imprint that has yet to come into existence in light of the rap mogul's new Def Jam job After her last LP, Broken Silence, dropped on Def Jam four years ago, Foxy recorded an LP called Ill Nana 2: The Fever, which was never released. She then left her only recording home and has been in the lab recording material for an album tentatively titled Black Roses. Barrington Levy, Dido and Luther Vandross are among her collaborators on that material. Besides Foxy's new LP, projects on the horizon under the Def Jam umbrella include records from 112, Mariah Carey and Memphis Bleek. Source Mtv.com |
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| 01.11.05 - Access Granted |
| Best showcase in NYC; showcasing the most talented individuals in the tri-state area. Singers, rappers, musicians and reggae artist are participating. All up and coming artists this is the place to be!!! Top-level music executives will judge the showcase. Reps from Atlantic, MBK, G Unit, Jive, Sony, Interscope, Universal, Geffen, and Def Jam will be in the building. Goes down this Wednesday January 12th check out the flyer for all of the information ***All A&R, Managers, Promoters, Assistants, Artist, are welcomed*** |
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| 01.10.05 - Nas And Kelis Tie The Knot |
| God's Son vowed to be Kelis' spouse on Saturday in Atlanta. Nas and Kelis were married in a small ceremony attended by family and friends, according to a spokesperson for the Queens, New York, MC. Unlike plenty of celebrity couples who choose to hide their relationship, the rapper and singer have been open about their courtship over the past couple of years, and Nas even rapped about what he thought their wedding day would be like on the track "Getting Married," which appears on his new double album, Street's Disciple. No further details about the wedding were available at press time. Source-Mtv.com |
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| 01.08.05 - Chingy fires back |
| On Thursday Chingy was filled with more passion than probably anybody has heard the laid-back St. Louis playboy speak with in a long time. He's upset that people are calling him out, and he's not just talking about it, he's also rapping about it "I'm tired of these guys I'm talking about Ludacris and Nelly I'm tired of these guys taking shots at me." Chingy on a dis record targeting Nelly called "We Got" that leaked online this week. "I heard that song, boy; it ain't another, boy," he raps, backed by his crew, the Hood Starz. "Better keep my name out your mouth, boy/ ... I been discovered, boy; that's why you hatin', boy/ ... The media hyped you, boy/ KRS crushed you, boy/ ... Put up the chains, bars and the platinum teeth, boy/ And bring the drama beef, trouble to the streets, boy/ You started it, boy/ Well, I'mma finish, boy." "I'mma run it down like this, ya dig? That record right there, that's some old material," Chingy said Thursday from St. Louis. "I done that when this all started. I'm gonna be real about it. I'm tired of these guys I'm talking about Ludacris and Nelly I'm tired of these guys taking shots at me in all these interviews and songs [with] subliminal shots. Business is business. I'm the one who sold 3 million records, and I'm still getting money back that [Disturbing Tha Peace] had in their possession. Ludacris knows what I'm talking about." Earlier in the year, Chingy left Luda's DTP crew, citing mismanagement and claiming he wasn't receiving money that was owed to him. His squabbling with Nelly came about after Nelly's Sweat album was released in the fall and Chingy heard a record called "Another One" that he felt took a shot at him "I ain't hiding from it no more," Chingy said. "I ain't with all this foolishness, but if you gonna make songs about me and speaking about me in these interviews, I'm not gonna hide in no shell. At the end of the day, they spitting false talk and this is real talk. I ain't got nothing too much more to say about those guys. I'm trying do my thing with my music and my company and keep things moving. I'm done with all that bullcrap. I'mma shut it down right now." Chingy said he was well aware that Luda and Nelly might also have some raps in store for him, and although he's noted that he's done making music about his nemeses, it doesn't mean that he's not armed with a stash of barbs. "I prepare myself for the worst," Chingy said, implying he has more ammo ready just in case. "I prepare myself for the worst. So take it as that." Chingy plans to drop an official single in the next few weeks. He's putting out "Leave With Me" featuring R. Kelly and is looking over video treatments now. "We're in the process of getting that together," he said. AUDIO: We Got |
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| 01.07.05 - Snoop's Hot Streak Continues |
| Snoop Dogg's New Year's resolution is easy: to make sure there's "more to come." He has a tour he wants to launch in the middle of the year, two smash singles and no less than five movie projects in varying stages of production. behind the title of 'Let's Get Blown,' " he said of his latest single, "is us having a good time: It's 2005, and we wanted to make music to make you feel good." Then there's the first single from his R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece LP, "Drop It Like It's Hot," which doesn't look to be going away anytime soon. "The record is big, it's growing and growing," Snoop said. "I think the growth and development of Snoop Dogg as an artist and as a person got me there: Being able to go through what I went through and stand tall through it all. At the same time that I'm growing, people are appreciating that I'm doing the music thing from the heart." The Dogg has just completed work on one of the several films he's appearing in. He spent a month shooting the role of Willie Spearmint in a film called "The Tenants," in which Dylan McDermott also appears. "He's a writer, a journalist," the lanky MC said of Spearmint. "He just got released from the jailhouse. He's writing about the [militant] movement. It's a great suspense drama with Dylan McDermott as my co-star." In other Snoop cinema news, the MC has lent his voice to a bloodhound named Lightning in the family comedy "Racing Stripes," due in theaters January 14. The film also features the voices of Frankie Muniz, Dustin Hoffman, Mandy Moore and David Spade. Snoop's also doing voice work for another kids' film, "Arthur and the Minimoys," which will feature the voices of David Bowie and Madonna. Other upcoming films include "Boss N Up" (where he plays a reformed pimp trying to get into the music business), which co-stars Lil Jon and Trina, and "Coach Snoop," which is based on Snoop's experiences coaching a Pop Warner football team. Finally, the Dogg's tour plans are just getting under way: He's looking to hit the road in May or June. credit to Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Curtis Waller and Rashaun Hall |
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| 01.06.05 - Eminem and Benzino still at it |
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truce isn't a truce if both parties don't agree. That seems to be the case in the ongoing beef between Eminem and Benzino. While Eminem has said that he would like to end all of his rivalries (see "If [Eminem] did want to come forth and address these issues, that would be a great thing because of his influence. But he's never had the desire to sit down with me." Benzino "Eminem Hangs Up Beef, Refuses To Be A Pawn"), the co-owner of The Source magazine said he isn't buying it. "These guys are all about spin," Benzino said Tuesday. "He never wanted to squash the beef. He said in another publication that he would never sit down with me. If he did want to come forth and address these issues, that would be a great thing because of his influence. But he's never had the desire to sit down with me." In fact, Benzino has crafted "Look Into My Eyes" as a response to Slim Shady's "Like Toy Soldiers," which featured the fictional murder of D12 member Proof. The video picks up where "Like Toy Soldiers" leaves off: In the opening scene, an Eminem lookalike calls a character named Jimmy (presumably a reference to Interscope Records honcho Jimmy Iovine) from the hospital to tell him that he wants to get out of the business because he's been scared by Proof's death. "He's dead, he's dead they killed him, Jimmy," the Eminem character says. The Jimmy character tries to calm Eminem down, reminding him that he said there would be casualties. However, Eminem cannot be consoled and says he wants to quit. While Benzino is never named by either character, it is insinuated that he's to blame for Proof's death. As the video continues, there are shots of police raiding a warehouse where Benzino and his crew are holed up. While Benzino isn't killed on camera, he is later shown as an angel rising to heaven, and at the end of the video, "Jimmy" telephones someone and says, "It's done." "The guy that shoots Proof in ['Like Toy Soldiers'] is supposed to be me," Benzino said. "What he's so afraid of happening in that video happens in the 'hood every day. I have lost three friends one of them died in my arms like that. 'Look Into My Eyes' addresses all of that. He's never gone through what we've been through in the 'hood." The autobiographical "Look Into My Eyes" also chronicles Benzino's turbulent life, including the incarceration of his father and the MC's years growing up on the mean streets of Boston. The song serves as the first offering from the rapper's forthcoming LP, Archnemisis, which is slated for release on February 22. The beef between Benzino and Eminem has been long-running and well-documented (see "Benzino Calls Eminem 'The Rap Hitler,' Says There's No Beef"). Most recently, it was reported that the two parties would settle at least some of their differences in court Representatives for Eminem had no comment at press time. Rashaun Hall |
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| 01.04.05 - Luda VS Austin Powers |
| Ludacris has his mojo intact and is getting ready to "scheme, scheme" and "plot, plot" a couple of weeks from now in Los Angeles. According to his camp, Cris will be up to no good in his next video, which is a split clip of "Number One Spot" and "As soon as I hear [Timbaland's] beats, they just automatically motivate me, because he strives to be different with the beats and I strive to do something different with the rhythms." Ludacris "Potion." Tentatively scheduled to go into production from January 14 to the 16, Cris' latest tube endeavor will be a sendup of the "Austin Powers" series with Luda said to be parodying a few of the villains who gave Hollywood's favorite man of leisure headaches. Hip-hop's mouth of the South has even reached out to "Austin Powers" stars Mike Myers and Verne Troyer to participate in the production. One man Luda does have locked in to appear is Quincy Jones. The legendary producer's "Soul Bossa Nova" is sampled for "Number One Spot." Cris wrote the record for anybody who's been dozing off on his mic skills. For the record, he says all MCs should believe that they're the preeminent spokesperson on the mic, so yes, he does feel he's the best rapper in the game right now. "But if anyone else doesn't think that, then I'm coming for that 'Number One Spot,' " he further explained of the song in November. "I'm just going out there to gain the #1 spot in all areas, that's what I'm about." As for "Potion," Cris said he couldn't wait to get back in the studio with Timbaland, who didn't get a chance to work on his last LP, Chicken-N-Beer. "I always love working with Timbaland. I think me and him vibe really, really well," Luda said. "As soon as I hear his beats, they just automatically motivate me, because he strives to be different with the beats and I strive to do something different with the rhythms. I think that's like the perfect marriage right there." "Number One Spot" and "Potion" will be co-directed by Cris' manager and business partner, Chaka Zulu, and the Fat Cats. Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Sway Calloway and Whitney-Gayle Benta |
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| 12.30.04 - Eminem hits #1 |
| Despite spending the majority of 2004 baiting everyone from Michael Jackson to George W. Bush, it looks like Eminem still found a way to make it onto Santa's "nice" listHis Encore album benefited the most from the Christmas-week sales surge, moving more than 429,000 copies to land the #1 spot on next week's Billboard albums chart, according to SoundScan. It's the third time in the past six weeks that Em has topped the chart, and thanks to all those frantic last-minute shoppers, sales of Encore have now moved past the 3 million mark. |
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| 12.26.04 - Order Strike The Free World Lp |
| Strike is ready to attack the fans with his new record that is about to hit the streets January 25th featuring appearences by Eminem, Method Man, Dina Rae, Miz Korona, Wesley Valentine, his group Mountain Climbaz and more be sure to copp it. Click here to order |
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| 12.24.04 - Remy Martin gets in a accident |
| Remy Martin isn't having such a happy holiday. The first lady of the Terror Squad was in a car accident on Friday morning that sent her to the hospital. According to her manager, Jennifer Turner, Remy was headed out to do some Christmas shopping in her brand-new BMW 645i Coupe in Fort Lee, New Jersey, when she was hit head-on by another car. Remy was admitted to a local hospital on Friday after sustaining minor injuries. She was released on Sunday. Her car is in the shop and is also expected to make a full recovery. On a brighter note, Remy is currently working on her solo debut, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (see "Remy Martin Provides Steamy Action On Terror Squad Video Set"). The album is slated to be released in the early spring. |
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| 12.24.04 - 50 Cent strikes back |
| Looks like 50 Cent is at it again. The G-Unit honcho was on Funkmaster Flex's radio show in New York on Wednesday night, taking aim at Ja Rule, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Nas and Kelis. 50 said he has a track titled "Piggyback" that addresses his beefs with all of the aforementioned artists, adding that he took particular offense to Fat Joe and Jadakiss' support of Ja Rule on the hit single "New York." "They co-signed that one," said 50. "Even people who were on the outskirts, like, 'Nah, I don't want no part of it' and 'Y'all need to just chill' they have cameos [in the video,] saying, 'I'm From New York!' " He also accused Nas of making anti-G-Unit statements at his free show in New York's Central Park this summer. There's no word on whether the song will be on his forthcoming St. Valentine's Day Massacre, due March 8. ... Meanwhile, reports are surfacing that 50 gave a deposition in September with regard to a $21 million suit filed in November 2003 against the rapper, Interscope Records and Shady/Aftermath Records by a New York Post photographer who claims the rapper's bodyguards assaulted him. James Alcorn says the men accompanying 50 assaulted him outside a store in Manhattan, causing "severe and serious injuries." According to Alcorn's attorney, the case is close to being put on the court calendar and should be given a trial date for early 2005. ... Q-Tip, D12's Kon Artis and Rockwilder are among the hip-hop producers who have created original 30-second ringtones for BlingTones, which is calling itself the first wireless record label. Salaam Remi (Nas) and Hi-Tek (Talib Kweli) are also signed on with BlingTones, and the company is talking with comedians about creating humorous ringtones. ... Mudvayne have announced a U.S. club tour in support of their upcoming album, Lost and Found. The trek will kick off in Sacramento, California, on January 29 and continue through cities including Detroit, Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia before concluding on February 17 when they play New York's legendary CBGB's. ... Three years after they released Discovery, French electronic duo Daft Punk will return with Human After All. The group's third album is due March 21 internationally, with a domestic due date expected later. ... New York rockers Ivy will release their next album, the 10-track In the Clear, on March 1. Collaborators on the album include A Perfect Circle/ former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and Girls Against Boys' Scott McCloud. The album was mixed by Steve Osborne, who has worked previously with New Order and Happy Mondays. ... |
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| 12.23.04 - Fight Breaks Out At Ja Rule Afterparty |
| Police in Peoria, Illinois, are investigating a nightclub shooting that occurred during an afterparty for Ja Rule, who had just finished performing at the Peoria Civic Center. According to a police report, Ja Rule was standing near the dance floor at Club Ignition around 1 a.m. on Monday, speaking to a crowd of people when someone approached him and threw a drink at him. A scuffle broke out between several males on the dance floor, but it was broken up by the time police reached the area. The club began to close after the fracas its closing time is 1 a.m. and as the crowds exited, a gunshot rang out in the vicinity of Club Ignition's stairwell entrance. Hundreds of partygoers began to panic, pushing and shoving their way out onto the street or back into the club. Though there were police officers inside and outside of the club, it was not immediately known if the single gunshot had struck anyone inside the club. However, a short while later officers did locate a victim outside the club, Peoria resident Marshall Payton, who had suffered a small-caliber bullet wound to his left hip. Payton told police he was walking down the staircase inside the club, heading toward the front door, when he heard a "pop" and felt a slight pain. It wasn't until he got outside the club that he realized he'd been shot. Payton was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where doctors told police that the bullet did not cause any major damage or strike any bones and didn't need to be removed from Payton's leg. Police determined Payton had been shot at close range, because of burn marks on his clothing. A shell casing was later recovered from the stairwell of the club. The incident is still under investigation. A spokesperson for Ja Rule could not be reached for comment. Credit: James Montgomery for MTV News |
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| 12.22.04 - Dj Syn City is Todays Guest DJ on Rap City |
| New York, NY-- December 22nd, 2004--Catherine SynCity Ouellette, one of the fastest rising deejays on the New York Hip Hop scene, will be appearing on BETs Rap City as a guest DJ and also to promote the release of her newest mix tape Dead Presidents-- a Hip Hop and R & B classic compilation of hits from Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Easy E, Big L, Big Pun, Aaliyah, Left Eye and more. Rap City is the longest running Hip Hop themed show in television history and is hosted by Big Tigger. Though her face may be new to the American music scene, DJ SynCity has been involved in the music and entertainment industry for nearly eight years. Originally known for her skills as a battle break-dancer on the international level, SynCity began her assent in the industry as an intern at Cornerstone, a marketing and promotion firm that caters to DJs and the music industry. SynCity is not only a DJ, but a icon-in-the-making. She is an entertainer and a businesswoman who aspires to be mentioned in the same breath as JLO, Beyonce and JayZ¼but in her own fashion. SynCitys appearance on Rap City will air on BET from 4 pm to 6 pm, Wednesday, December 22nd. |
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| 12.20.04 - Lloyd Banks Nominated for Adult DVD Video |
| Lloyd Banks has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Solo Performance for "On Fire," but the big new is the Groupie Luv Adult DVD Video has been nominated. Banks is the host of the DVD, in which the DVD is fully interactive. In the DVD while Banks hosts, Porn Stars Monica Sweetheart, Kaylani Lei, Lacey Duvall, Daisy, and others do almost as much as you want them to. The next level interaction and control of point-of-view sex. The DVD offers multiple camera angles, naughty or nice personalities for each of the stars, various location including a plane and studio, and the ability to direct a girl-on-girl sex scene. Groupie Luv is up for Best Interactive DVD, Best DVD Extras and Best DVD Menus. Banks is doing promotion for the DVD at AVN Awards ceremony, and autograph signings at New Sensations/Digital Sin booth on Friday, January 7th and Saturday, January 8. |
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| 12.20.04 - Lil Kim Launches 'Hollyhood' Clothing Line |
| Lil' Kim has launched her Hollyhood clothing line, which features a collection of tops, denim, active and fashion wear for women, with prices ranging from $25 to $200. "I've always expressed my love for fashion through my music," Kim said in a statement. "Hollyhood is a label for those who believe in my philosophy that there are no rules when it comes to fashion it's about having fun and choosing to dress in a way that makes you feel good." The line will be available at select specialty and department stores worldwide in the fall of next year. |
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| 12.20.04 - DMX Faces More Driving Violations |
| Just days after pleading guilty to DUI and reckless endangerment charges, DMX was arrested again last Wednesday on charges including speeding, driving an unregistered vehicle and third degree aggravated unlicensed operation. The rappers license was suspended following a road rage incident at New Yorks Kennedy Airport. |
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| 12.20.04 - Ludacris Honored |
| Ludacris was honored as Hip Hop Artist of The Year at the 9th Annual Multicultural Prism Awards at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Friday. The gala also featured performances by Loon, Ruff Ryders rapper Jin, and Omarion. |
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| 12.20.04 - Young Buck Charged with Assault |
| Young Buck was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on Monday for allegedly stabbing the man who attacked Dr. Dre at the Vibe Awards last month. The G-Unit rapper, whose real name is David Darnell Brown, faces up to eight years in Violence erupts at the Vibe Awards prison if convicted, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Hamid Towfigh. Buck remains free on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on January 14 (see "G-Unit's Young Buck Surrenders To Police" and "Warrant Issued For Young Buck In Vibe Awards Stabbing"). Jimmy James Johnson, the man who initiated the melee (see "Dr. Dre Attacked, Man Stabbed During Melee At Vibe Awards"), was also charged Monday with assault and remains in custody on a parole violation, Towfigh said. His arraignment has not been set. Johnson allegedly punched Dr. Dre in the face after the producer refused to sign an autograph. The punch sparked a brawl that was broken up a few minutes later by police using pepper spray. The Vibe Awards continued and aired later in the week, although the incident was edited out. |
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| 12.20.04 - Dr. Dre to Producer Ice Cube's New Album |
| ICE CUBE is to team up with fellow ex-NWA star DR DRE, who will produce his new album. Alongside the likes of Eazy-E, Dr Dre and Ice Cube were founding members of the legendary LA rap group NWA. Now, Cube has revealed that they will team up again to work on his new album, due for release next year. "Two of the biggest masterminds in West Coast hip-hop are together again," he told MTV. "I think that's something exciting. Hopefully next year you'll see an album by Cube produced by Dr Dre. For me it's exciting because my next album could be the best album I ever released. To me that's something that turned me on to where I just want to get on the mic. "I'm writing. (Dre's) doing music. He's also working on his album. We're trying to get both albums to come out around the same time. Tour together. Make it a big, full circle." However, there are currently no plans for an NWA reunion. He concluded: "As far as I know, that's not gonna happen no time soon. I don't even know if I want it to happen now because I don't want to mess up what we've already put together, our legacy. Why even tamper with it if it can't be a smooth thing? If it has to be forced it shouldn't be done." |
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| 12.19.04 - Syn City to appear on Rap City The Basement |
| Check out Dj Syn City on Big Tigga's Rap City The Basement december 22nd from 4-6pm dont miss it! |
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| 12.17.04 - ODB Performance Auction |
| According to eBay, video of ODBs final performance has been auctioned off online for over $100,000 (U.S.). The concert footage reportedly shows the rapper performing for 30 to 40 minutes in Ft. Collins, Colorado two days before his death. An autopsy report released this week revealed that ODBs death was caused by a lethal combination of cocaine and a prescription painkiller. |
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| 12.17.04 - Snoop Dogg Signs Seven Figure Deal for Movie |
| Rap star Snoop Dogg continues his ascent on the silver screen and has signed on for top billing in the real-life story of him coaching his sons youth football league. A bidding war for the story took place between Fox, Paramount and Columbia for the rights to the story, landing Snoop a cool seven-figure deal. The movie is the story of the Rowland Heights Raiders, a team of 8 to 10 year-olds who play for the Orange Counnty Junior All-American Football League and an overworked Hip-Hop star, who is committed to coaching the team. Snoops son plays quarterback and led the team to the league championship with an undefeated record of 13-0. In an interview with the USA today last February, Snoop complained that Hollywood was limiting the roles that he could play, because of the recognition his name brings. "Right now, they want Snoop for the 2 or 3 million people they think I'll bring to a movie just because of my name," he said. "I'm looking for more demanding roles, trying to find characters people normally wouldn't expect me to play. I really want to stretch." The untitled movie is being penned by Mark Gibson and Philip Halprin who penned "Snow Dogs" and the upcoming animated Disney project "The Wild." In an interview with the USA today in February, Snoop complained that Hollywood was limiting the roles that he could play, because of the recognition his name brings. "Right now, they want Snoop for the 2 or 3 million people they think I'll bring to a movie just because of my name," he said. "I'm looking for more demanding roles, trying to find characters people normally wouldn't expect me to play. I really want to stretch." Snoop said that coaching and teaching the children on his team fun and added that he gave the children strength and vision. "I am falling in love with these kids," Snoop said. |
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| 12.16.04 - Outkast's Big Boi signs Bubba Sparxxx |
| Outkast's Big Boi is stepping out on his own with his Purple Label imprint. The ATLien has recruited Bubba Sparxxx as one of the label's first signings via Virgin Records. Sparxxx was originally signed to Interscope through Timbaland's Beat Club |
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| 12.16.04 - Loon Leaves Bad Boy |
| Loon has left Bad Boy Records after several years as a key player at the label. The rapper/producer told Billboard that his split with P. Diddy was amicable, but also claims, I wrote pretty much every chart-topping record or verse that came out of Puffs mouth for the past four years. Loon has already launched his own label, Boss Up Entertainment. |
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| 12.16.04 - ODB Died of Drug Overdose |
| ODB died of a drug overdose last month, the New York City medical examiner's office has said. The 35-year-old, also known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, collapsed and died at a recording studio on 13 November 2004 after complaining of chest pains. He died "as a result of intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine and Tramadol, a prescription painkiller but not a narcotic". "The manner of death is an accident," said spokeswoman Ellen Borakove. ODB, real name Russell Jones, was dead before paramedics could reach him at a Manhattan studio where he was recording last month. A founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s, ODB's best-known solo track was Got Your Money featuring Kelis. He had been working on a comeback album for more than a year prior to his death. ODB joins a string of rap stars who have met untimely deaths, including Jam Master Jay of Run DMC, who was fatally shot in late 2002, and Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur who were both shot in the late 1990s. |
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| 12.16.04 - Eminem Studio Auctioned on eBay |
| Seller expects piece of hip-hop history to fetch at least $500,000. So, you're in the market for a recording studio? How about this nice little two-story number in Ferndale, Michigan? The building is "in excellent condition," with a studio on the first floor and an apartment upstairs. It's recently been renovated, and a whole bunch of local artists have recorded there over the years, including this one guy you might've heard of. His name is Eminem. Starting Wednesday on eBay's commercial real estate site, fans of Em can bid on the yellow building with brown trim at 430 Eight Mile Road affectionately known as Studio 8 where the rapper worked on material for his breakout album, The Slim Shady LP. And if that's not enough of an incentive to get in on all the auction action, listen to this pitch from David Giltner, a VP at commercial real estate firm Grubb & Ellis: "It's got wood floors and a lot of foam on the walls. And in the downstairs studio there is a lot of recording equipment that I am not too familiar with. I mostly deal with commercial real estate." No matter the equipment isn't up for sale, only the building is, so unfortunately the winning bidder won't get to twiddle the same knobs that Slim Shady once did. But, as Giltner pointed out, it is an opportunity to own a rather large chunk of hip-hop memorabilia, and bidding starts at a mere $215,000. "There are definitely buyers out there who want to be associated with this kind of history," he said. "We're thinking we can get somewhere between $500,000 to 600,000 for the building." But it's not really about the money for Giltner, who said he got involved to help out an old friend. And Giltner is a fan of Eminem, has seen him in concert, and owns all of his albums. But he's quick to add that he's "more of a rock and garage guy" who's really into the White Stripes. |
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