World Of Hip Hop Round Up 05/13/11

With several stories making national attention, I’d figure I put’em all in one post.  Comment and enjoy!  BIG s/o to HotNewHipHop!

Friday May 11th, 2011

Michael K. Williams Speaks On Getting Into Character To Play Ol’ Dirty Bastard In Biopic

Actor Michael K. Williams will be portraying ODB in the upcoming biopic about his life, and he speaks on prepping for the role.

Michael K. Williams, who starred as Omar Little in The Wire and currently has a role on another dope show, Boardwalk Empire, spoke to MTV News about getting into character for Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s upcoming biopic, in which he will star.

“I am doing a lot of research on Russell,” Williams said. “I had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful mother, Ms. Cherry. We sat down for, like, three hours, and she told me the most amazing stuff about her son and a lot of things that the public didn’t know. I’ve been talking to people who know him well … people who knew him when the cameras wasn’t rolling. I’ve got a lot of insight into who he was as a human being and as a man and, dare I say it, scholar. The dude was actually quite smart. You have to be able to recite mathematics and be five percent God body — you can’t play with that. You have to know what you’re talking about. It’s a lot of studying, a lot of knowledge.”

Although the film will be a drama, they won’t be forgetting about ODB’s quirks,

“It’s drama, but if you know ODB, there’s going to be some comedy, but we’re not playing to that. It’s going to be shot as a straight piece, no buffoonery, for lack of a better word,” Williams said. “It’s only going to cover the last two years of his life when he was released from prison to the day he died. It’s just an insight into what he struggled with in the public eye.”

source

Lil Boosie Found Not Guilty in Murder Trial

Moments ago, the jury examining Lil Boosie’s murder trial declared him not guilty for the murder of Terry Boyd. Network WAFB reports that after 90 minutes of deliberation the jury freed him of the charges.

This does not mean, however, that Boosie will not serve any jail time. He is still serving an 8 year sentence for a previous drug charge.

Sunday May 13th, 2011

J. Cole Confirms Joint Album With Kendrick Lamar

We’ve heard rumours about a J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar mixtape, and now we get some confirmation from J. Cole that the project is actually happening,

In an interview with Hot 97.5′s Bootleg Kev, J. Cole revealed he’s started working on it,

“I just started working with Kendrick the other day,” he said, ”We got it in, finally, again. [It's gonna be an] album, man,”

“We actually worked, bouncing ideas, which was great. The vibe was so good that it was like, man, that’s absolutely gonna happen,” he added.  “We got maybe four or five [songs] together.”

Listen to the full interview below (via HipHopDX).

Big K.R.I.T.’s Tracklist For “Live From The Underground” Revealed

Check out the tracklist for Big K.R.I.T.’s upcoming album, due out June 5th.

Big K.R.I.T.‘s highly anticipated debut album, Live From the Underground, is finally dropping June 5th.

The tracklist has been revealed (via Amazon, where you can pre-order the album). See the sixteen tracks below, which include features from 8Ball, MJG, 2 Chainz, Ludacris, Bun B and more.

1. LFU300MA (Intro)
2. Live From The Underground
3. Cool 3 Be Southern
4. I Got This
5. Money On The Floor feat. 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz
6. What U Mean feat. Ludacris
7. My Sub (Pt. 2: The Jackin’)
8. Don’t Let Me Down
9. Porchlight feat. Anthony Hamilton
10. Pull Up feat. Big Sant & Bun B
11. Yeah Dats Me
12. Hydroplaning feat. Devin The Dude
13. If I Fall feat. Melanie Fiona
14. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
15. Praying Man feat. B.B. King
16. Live From The Underground (Reprise) feat. Ms. Linnie

The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation | Fact or Fiction?

Honestly, I don’t know where to begin.  Probably because, foremost, we don’t know the validity of this story (quick, tech quys, trace back who originally blasted this email out!).  It’s definitely a great piece to spark discussion; my issue is the lack of names or traceable details.  Although that makes it more dramatic, it also makes it less believable.

Is the Illuminati real?  Do private corporations really run the U.S?  Are we all doomed?…COMMENT BELOW!!!

Hello,

After more than 20 years, I’ve finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I’ve simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well-being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren’t ready for.

Between the late 80′s and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen.

The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn’t seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn’t find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the “unfamiliar” group collected the agreements from us.

Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of “decision makers”. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn’t know what a private prison was but I wasn’t the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we’d be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we’d also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, “Is this a f****** joke?” At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the “unfamiliar” group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we’d want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, “It’s out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement.” He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.

A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I’d like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn’t talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn’t remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I’d probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn’t willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn’t uncover anything about the music business’ involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged. 

As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.

I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a “quiet” life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90’s, having the internet as a resource which wasn’t at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they’ve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.

Thank you.

Hip Hop Is Read.

Melvin Ingram to Chargers | Bleacher Report

#NFLdraft2012 is upon us and the debut of the first round being shown on prime-time television.  I must say, and maybe this is just the san diegan in me, but I am truly excited not only about the upcoming year, but to follow the draft especially close.  Say what you  like about the commissioner, but the NFL is running away with the “America’s Pastime” title (IMHO).

Now, onto the pick…Meet Melvin Ingram (South Carolina DE)

NFL is “scheme versatility” — meaning the ability to play in multiple schemes (i.e. the 3-4 and 4-3 defense). No player better represents this than Melvin Ingram. Ingram started his college career at inside linebacker. He then moved to defensive tackle. Yes, from linebacker to defensive tackle. It sounds crazy, but it worked. Ingram did well at tackle, but his quickness was better suited on the edge, so he moved to defensive end.

That’s not all—he also returned kicks as a senior and ran the ball twice for 87 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown run versus Georgia. Ingram is a freakishly good athlete who has the ability to succeed anywhere you put him on the field.

The versatility that Ingram brings adds value to his stock, as he’s able to move around and fill holes as players get injured, or as production drops off at virtually any position along the defensive front seven. The only major concern is his height. He measured in at just under 6’2″, but in a stand-up position at outside linebacker, or playing off the edge at defensive end, that’s not an insurmountable obstacle.

So the next time someone says “scheme versatility”— think Melvin Ingram

Melvin Ingram to Chargers: Video Highlights, Scouting Report and Analysis | Bleacher Report.

On the tenth anniversary of Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes’ death, TLC announces ‘reunion’ tour

A decade ago today, TLC rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, the most volatile and outspoken member of the platinum R&B trio, passed away following a car accident in Honduras. She was 30 years old. Lopes left behind a legacy of controversy (in 1994, she famously set her NFL player boyfriend’s house on fire. and huge hits (TLC notched four number ones and sold 22 million albums in the nine years they were together).

Now TMZ is reporting that surviving members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas are planning a reunion tour that would incorporate Left Eye into the show via archival footage. It’s not the same as Dr. Dre resurrecting Tupac for a drop-in, but it does further the idea that death need not be the end of a performer’s on-stage life.

Following Lopes’ death, Watkins and Thomas finished the group’s final album 3D without her. Though it was unclear whether or not the group would have stayed together had Left Eye survived the car crash; in a notorious statement published in the pages of Entertainment Weekly,she challenged her other two bandmates (plus producer Dallas Austin) to a showdown where the victor would be decided by album sales.

“I challenge Tionne ‘Player’ Watkins and Rozonda ‘Hater’ Thomas to an album entitled The Challenge,a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums,” she wrote. “I also challenge producer Dallas ‘The Manipulator’ Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I’m sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner.”

Lopes was never given the lead on any of the biggest TLC songs (in fact, her rap on “No Scrubs” was jettisoned from the single version, meaning most people never got to hear her contribution), but her personality was so huge that she was often considered the most popular member of the trio. Her first and only solo project was constantly delayed around the turn of the century, and it ultimately faltered at radio and never came out in the United States (rightfully so,many would agree).

Still, she was hugely influential on female MCs, and her influence can still be felt on the radio today (just listen to a Nicki Minaj or Karmin track and tell us you don’t hear echoes there).

http://music-mix.ew.com/2012/04/25/tlc-reunion-tour-left-eye-lopes/

Fernando Torres Scores In Extra Time, Sends Chelsea To Champions League Final

Well, not the greatest week for FC Barcelona. Last week, they lost to Chelsea in Champions League action, then lost to Real Madrid over the weekend, all but ensuring their biggest rival will win La Liga. And today, just a few minutes from avenging that Chelsea defeat at home, Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, who came into the game as a sub for Didier Drogba, scored in extra time, salvaging a 2-2 draw… and, combined with their win last week, put Chelsea into the Champions League final, eliminating the team that not terribly long ago looked like the world’s most dominant in any sport.

Oh, and did we mention that Chelsea was playing with 10 men half the time after John Terry’s red card? Or that Lionel Messi, the world’s best player (though there’s going to be more chatter than ever about whether he is or not now) missed a penalty shot? Or that Chelsea’s other goal was also scored in extra time, at the end of the first half? Quite a bit going on here. Below, the goal from Torres that thrust this craziness into overdrive. Not a great week for Barcelona, but a hell of a night for Chelsea.

read original article here: Sports Grid

NaS Talks New Album, Jay-Z And Trayvon Martin

Nas is back at it, making his rounds to promote his new upcoming album ‘Life is Good’ and the Queensbridge legend hit up 106 & Park to keep his fans up to date.

NEW MUSIC:
“The Don”

The rapper dished on his relationship with Jay-Z since he has become a father, he says: “He was like, ‘Why you ain’t tell me about this, man?’ He’s cool. Congratulations to him and Beyoncé.” The two now have a lot more in common, both now being father’s to little girls. Nas also vented his feelings on the Trayvon Martin case saying: “I don’t think he thought his life would ever become this legacy, so I’m just looking for justice.”

VIDEO:

Producers Da Internz Say Nas’ New Album Will “Tear Your Face Off!”   The rapper is about a week away from his album release and recently told MTV he’ll be addressing a lot of things, including his sudden divorce from singer, Kelis. There’s a lot to look forward with this new album! Check out Nas on chat it up with Rocsi and Terrence Jin the video above!

Read more: http://m.globalgrind.com/entertainment/nas-talks-about-beyonce-jay-z-blue-ivy-106-park-video

Will Ferrell, No, Make That Ron Burgundy, Announces ‘Anchorman’ Sequel

On Wednesday evening, Will Ferrell stopped by Conan O’Brien’s talk show in character as Ron Burgundy to make an important announcement: Paramount Pictures has officially greenlit a sequel to the hugely popular 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

After playing some jazz flute and poking fun at Conan, Ferrell made his official announcement. “As of oh-nine-hundred hours Mountain Time, Paramount Pictures and myself, Ronald Joseph Aaron Burgundy, have come to terms on a sequel for ‘Anchorman.’ It is official: There will be a sequel to ‘Anchorman.’”

He then played more jazz flute and disappeared into the curtains.

A sequel for “Anchorman” has long been in the works, but had previously failed to come to fruition. Originally, Ferrell and director Adam McKay intended for a sequel to to originate as a Broadway show before coming to the big screen. However, the planned film, which was to take place in outer space, was deemed “not a good fit” by Paramount executives as of last May. Of course, that was before “The Other Guys,” also directed by McKay and starring Ferrell, made over $170 million worldwide.

No word on the release date for the sequel, but Deadline reports that the movie will see Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner reprise their roles from the original. They also indicate that Judd Apatow will again produce and McKay will direct the film.

Ferrell’s decision to make his exclusive announcement on “Conan” is hardly surprising, as the “Casa de mi Padre” star has a long history with the talk show host. After appearing on some classic bits on O’Brien’s “Late Night,” Ferrell had the distinction of appearing as both the first and last guest on O’Brien’s “Tonight Show,” and even performed “Free Bird” to close out the show’s shortlived run. When O’Brien went to TBS, Ferrell personally shaved off Conan’s beard in a high-profile moment.