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Song: Uppercut
Artist: Tupac ft Outlawz
Album: Loyal to the Game
Producer: Eminem

 
Jay-Z leaves Roc-A-Fella to start his own label?
Posted by on Sunday, February 29 2004

StreetHop.com has been told by a reliable source that Jay Z will leave the Roc-A-Fella family and start a new label under the Warner Brothers music division.

Apparently Jay Z and Roc-A-Fella Co-CEO Dame Dash have had a falling out, and only communicate through their lawyers.

What is even more interesting for fans is that the new deal would see Jay Z, who said he would retire after The Black Album, release at least one more album under his real name, Sean Carter.

 

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Kastro featured on upcoming Mike West CD
Posted by on Sunday, February 29 2004
Mike West's official website just posted that Kastro and Mike West just finished a song called "I Got History" which is produced by Marco, this track will be on Mike West's upcoming album called "A Westside Story Chapt. 1" The site also said that the Outlawz and Mike West are planning on doing more collaborations in the future.

Source: GhettoFro.com

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Sly Boogy to release second album in spring
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004
California rapper Sly Boogy is currently in the studio and finishing up his second album, the sequel to last year's Judgement Day. The album is scheduled to be released by Bolo and J Records spring 2004, WestCoast2K.net reports.

"It's gonna be a mixture of a whole lot of different stuff," Sly Boggy told WestCoast2K.net. "From radio flavor to underground and in between shit, but expect a well rounded album."

The album features guest appearances from Crooked I, Jayo Felony, Kurupt, Raphael Saadiq and Saigon. It features production by producers such as Damizza and Scott Storch. The first single is "That's My Name (Keep It Thuggin')."

 

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English professor notes positive influence of Tupac
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004

During her presentation Thursday to a group of Holland middle school students, Hope College English professor Karima Jeffrey noted that popular rap artist DMX has a song that praises God and that slain icon Tupac Shakur wrote poetry and paid respect to musical greats like Billie Holiday.

Her point?

That modern rap and hip-hop music doesn't exist in a vacuum and that to truly understand it you must understand its historical and literary roots. She also told the students that many rap artists have deep vocabularies and thoughtful messages and that the profanity and violence in some of the music should not be glorified.

 Jeffrey, who grew up in New York City, was invited to speak to the group of about 40 students from Holland's two middle schools by the Learning Enhancement Achievement Program, a tutoring group organized under the umbrella of Core City.

Ruth Coleman, executive director of LEAP, said the group invited Jeffrey to speak with the hope that she could engage the students on familiar ground.

"You never know how you might affect a child," Coleman said. "But you definitely have to talk to them in their language."

Jeffrey encouraged the students to explore the history of hip-hop music, which she said dates back to slave spirituals.

"I wanted the students to understand that rap music has a long standing history," Jeffery said. "Maybe they'll be prompted to read more about it."

She also made a point of distinguishing between thoughtful, articulate artists and "garbage rappers." When she asked a young girl to read DMX's "Prayer V," the girl stumbled over a few of the rapper's wordy rhymes.

"You will see that they use some sophisticated language," Jeffrey said.

Source: The Holland Sentinel

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Afeni: A tale of a black evolutionary
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004

Growing up, Afeni Shakur told people her great-grandfather was an Indian.

For years, she remembered her great-grandfather, who was really white, as one of the Lumbee people, the North Carolina descendants of white colonists and various Indian tribes along the east coast.

"And that was cool with me because the Lumbee people didn't take no shit from white folks," she said in an interview for the just-published biography, "Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary," " . . . In fact, they ran the Klan out of Robeson County."

Shakur was a child when the Lumbee, a tribe still fighting for full federal recognition, told their black neighbors to stand back while they chased away the Klan, which had tried to impose a 10 o'clock curfew on the Indian and black communities. The Lumbee, armed with guns and rifles, had other ideas, Shakur recalls.

The childhood experience convinced Shakur, mother of rap star Tupac Shakur, of the effectiveness of armed resistance. It may be why she joined the Black Panther Party at the age of 22, and also why Jasmine Guy, a dancer and actress, wrote "Evolution of a Revolutionary" about Shakur.

Guy met Shakur in 1994 while accompanying her friend, Jada Pinkett-Smith, to a New York City courthouse where Shakur's son - a close friend of Pinkett-Smith's and Guy's - was to answer to sexual assault charges.

On the eve of his trial, Tupac Shakur - who would be gunned down in Las Vegas two years later - had been shot five times the night before in the foyer of a Manhattan recording studio. At the courthouse, he was in a wheelchair and wrapped in bandages. Guy met Afeni Shakur in the hallway and the two became close friends.

 Their closeness allowed Guy, whom most people know from "The Cosby Show" spin-off, "A Different World," to get beyond other books said about Shakur. That included books like "Look for Me in the Whirlwind: A Collective Autobiography of the NY 21," about the famous 1971 trial of Afeni Shakur and 20 other leading New York Black Panthers charged with plotting to blow up the New York Botanical Gardens and area department stores.

During a visit to her friend, Shakur spots the Panther autobiography on Guy's bed.

 "I wasn't very cooperative with this right here, [Shakur] holds up the book, and this right here, in the back of the book - Letter to My Unborn - was the one concession. They had to print this letter if I was to participate."

Shakur, who was pregnant with her son and in jail through some of the 25 months that the Panther 21 trial lasted, was the lead defendant in what became the most publicized case against the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, founded in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in Oakland, California.

Guy, 37, is too young to remember much, but her nostalgia drives her to egg Shakur on: "It was a great fight, Afeni, the war against oppression, the revolution, whatever you want to call it. And the soldiers were young, hopeful, angry, aggressive, intelligent, and vibrant."

Shakur's reply: "It was a war we lost." Guy can't believe her ears.

"That's right. We lost it. We dropped the ball . . . We were in over our heads," Shakur continues. "And, worst of all we were not listening . . . to old people. We had removed any semblance of spirituality from our movement. So, when the danger came, what did we have?"

Not enough, apparently, of what Shakur had - an early sense of focus. When a boy in school made fun of her dark skin, short hair and flat chest, she said she went straight to the problem's source: "I kicked his ass."

Shakur also kicked a crack habit that took her through one indifferent relationship after another, caused her to have an abortion during what she describes as one of her life's lowest points, and brought her to abandon her daughter, Sekiywa, who was younger than Tupac, to the care of others.

It's difficult not to approach the book with some skepticism. For one thing, it was written by a friend. Nevertheless, "Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary" sounds remarkably honest; the women's friendship might have helped Shakur to be as forthcoming as she is.

The bigger problem is that the book is, after all, not about someone famous but about the mother of someone famous whose life was taken prematurely. But that is what makes Shakur's story so unique and so interesting.

Drug addiction leaves few survivors. Shakur's notoriety as a Panther went down with the Movement, and there were thousands like Shakur who, for one reason or another, decided not only to "turn on" and "tune in," but to "drop out" for good. Shakur decided to bounce back.

Among other things, this is a book about forgiveness. Shakur's children, including Tupac before he died, forgave her, which may be why she smiles wherever she appears these days.

Through a friend, she opens a window into a soul tormented by all kinds of demons, both internal and external. This is a snapshot of Shakur, now a grandmother, at a time when those demons have mostly let her be.

And here, in the quiet after the storm, her evolution begins.

Source: South End

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Petey Pablo is still writing in his diary
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004
Jive Records is scheduled to release Petey Pablo's second LP, Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry, on April 6th 2004. The first single is "Blow Your Whistle." The LP features production by Kanye West, Mannie Fresh, Scott Storch and Timbaland. The tracklist is as follows:

01. I Got It
02. Did You Miss Me? - featuring Baby and TQ
03. Part 2
04. Get On Dis Motorcycle - featuring Bubba Sparxxx
05. I Ain't Scared
06. Confusion
07. Blow Your Whistle
08. Club Banger
09. I Swear
10. No Matter How Hard
11. Roll Off
12. Be Country
13. The Tribute
14. He Spoke To Me
15. Break Me - featuring Missy Elliot

 

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Suge Knight to start hip-hop/tabloid magazine
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004
Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight is planning to start his own magazine once he's released from prison, AllHipHop.com reports.

The magazine is said to be titled Uncut and be part hip-hop, part tabloid.

"Suge wants to do it," a spokesperson told AllHipHop.com. "The only major obstacle is that there is a British publication by the same name, so a name change might happen."

Suge Knight will be released from prison in late April 2004. He was sent back to prison on June 27th 2003 after being accused for violating his parole by allegedly hitting a Hollywood club valet.

 

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Thug Law 3 - news
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004

Big Syke has started working on the new Thug Law installment titled Thug Law Vol. 3 The Thugalation. Mike West of the Boss Marawdaz official website posted that Mike West has just recorded a track for the upcoming album called "We Don't Give A Fuck".

I will find out in a few days if Rated R and Macadoshis will be appearing on this album and post up the answer when i get it, but as far as I know they will both be on this album.m

This is what Mike West's site had to say "In todays news rapper Mike West will be featured on the new upcoming album from Big Syke of Thug Life titled Thuglaw vol.3 The Thugalation Album. The title of the new song is called "We Don't Give A F*@k" Mike West has blessed the song with a fire of 16 bars, Be sure to look out for the new album coming soon"

Source: GhettoFro.com

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N.E.R.D. readies release of Fly Or Die
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004
Chad, Pharrel and Shae is back as N.E.R.D. Virgin Records is scheduled to release their second LP, Fly Or Die, on March 23rd 2004. The first single and video is "She Wants To Move." The tracklist is as follows:

01. Backseat Love
02. Don't Worry About It
03. Drill Seargeant
04. Fly Or Die
05. I Love The Way She Dance
06. Jump
07. Maybe
08. She Wants To Move
09. Trasher
10. Waiting For You
11. Wonderful Place
12. Sweet Chariot Of Fire

 

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Goodie Mob to release new LP this spring
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004

Koch Records is scheduled to release Goodie Mob's fifth album, One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, on April 27th 2004. The LP is produced by Organized Noize. The tracklist is as follows:

01. We Back
02. Goodie Advice
03. I Been
04. We Build Up
05. Profession
06. My Stompin' Ground
07. How We Ride In The South
08. Life Goes
09. One Monkey
10. Ain't None For Us
11. It's The Game
12. What's Going On Today?
13. For My Homeboys Dead And Gone
14. This Is The Time
15. We Comin' Man
16. Murder And Abuse
17. In The Streets

 

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Nas to release double album this summer
Posted by on Saturday, February 28 2004

That's right! Nas' upcoming seventh album will be a double disc, reports his official website, GodsSon.net. The yet-to-be titled double album is slated for a summer release.

For now, fans should look out for Illmatic: 10th Year Platinum Edition, due out March 30th 2004. It contains classics such as "Halftime," "It Ain't Hard To Tell" and "The World Is Yours" in a new remixed format. The LP also features two previously unreleased songs, including the first single "Chizzled."

The Lost Tapes 2 is also on its way. It looks like this is going to be a big and busy year for Nasir Jones.

 

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Yukmouth and C-BO diss 50 Cent on new LP
Posted by on Friday, February 27 2004
Yukmouth's Smoke-A-Lot Records and C-BO's West Coast Mafia Records is scheduled to release In Thugz We Trust, a collaboration project between Yuk and C-BO under the name the Thug Lordz, on March 30th 2004.

The LP features the 50 Cent diss song "He Ain't A Thug" featuring Bang 'Em Smurg and Domination, formerly from G-Unit.

The production is being handled by Bosko, E-A-Ski, Mark Sparks, Mo Betta and Rhythm D. It's being distributed by Navarre Corporation.

01. Go Hard In Tha Paint - featuring Killa Tay
02. Sideshow - featuring Richie Rich
03. 44 Mag Glocc - featuring Killa Tay
04. She's A Hoe
05. He Ain't A Thug - featuring Bang 'Em Smurf and Domination
06. American Dream
07. Get Away
08. Killa Cali - featuring Spice 1
09. Bulletproof Love
10. Get Ya Money
11. Made Men - featuring Killa Tay
12. My Life
13. Let's Flip Her
14. 21 Gun Salute

 

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Hassachi Ryda goes from The Coupe To The Booth
Posted by on Friday, February 27 2004

StreetHop.com has been told that Hassachi Ryda is in the process of shooting the video for his first single, "From The Coupe To The Booth." The video will be shot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Young H Hassachi Ryda has recently spent a lot of time in the studio finishing up his debut LP, which will feature a total of 13 songs including three bonus tracks.

The LP features songs such as "Rise Up" featuring Lil' Tip Toe and "Keep It Gangsta" featuring Spice 1. Other guest appearances include Muszamil, who is set to guest appear on two songs, and Hassachi's new back-up rapper, Cuthroat.

Other Hassachi projects include a DVD featuring footage of Hassachi living it up in Las Vegas. Expect it to be released later this year.

 

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Eminem sues Apple Computer Inc.
Posted by Jon on Thursday, February 26 2004

Eminem is suing Apple Computer Inc. on grounds it used his track "Lose Yourself" in a TV advertisement for their iTunes pay-per-download music store.  The lawsuit also names Viacom Inc. and its MTV subsidiary and TBWA/Chiat/Day advertising agency as plaintiffs.  The lawsuit doesn't specify any specific damage claims, but states the "defendants have acted intentionally, recklessly, willfully and in bad faith," and requests "exemplary damages."

"Eminem has never nationally endorsed any commercial products and therefore he indicated, though his manager, that even if he were interested in endorsing a product, any endorsement deal would require a significant amount of money, possibly in excess of $10 million," the 15-page lawsuit says.

Source: Real-HipHop.com/Reuters

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Loon officially charged with felony assault
Posted by Jon on Thursday, February 26 2004

Chauncey Hawkins, aka Loon, has been charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon.  Additionally, he's facing two special allegations which could lengthen his sentence if convicted; one for use of a deadly weapon and one for use of a deadly weapon with intent to cause great bodily injury.

The charges stem from a stabbing at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, where Loon, William Reyes, and Teon Tanqueray were both arrested after a security guard was stabbed. The stabbing allegedly took place as security attempted to refrain the three men and others from rushing the stage where Lil' Jon & the East Side boyz were performing.

Loon as entered a plea of Not Guilty.

Source: MTV

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Tony Yayo Pleads Guilty To Passport Fraud
Posted by Jon on Thursday, February 26 2004

G-Unit member Tony Yayo has plead guilty to passport fraud.  After spending a year in prison for jumping bail, he was picked up a day after being paroled for presenting a fake passport to his parole officer.  His lawyers hope that his admission of guilt will speed up his release.

Source: MTV

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Kanye West - College Dropout has impressive debut
Posted by Jon on Thursday, February 26 2004

Kanye West's album, College Dropout has had a very impressive debut, hitting #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop album chart and #2 on the Billboard 200.

StreetHop.com reviewer Marty 'doobious' Caballero has done an indepth review of the album, scoring it an impressive 4.5 out of 5.

Click here to read the review.

Source: Big E

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Afeni Shakur book reading and signing schedule
Posted by on Thursday, February 26 2004
Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, is currently travelling accross the country to promote her auto-biography, Afeni Shakur: Evolution Of A Revolutionary, written by Jasmine Guy. Below is a list of dates and locations for book reading and signings:

February 28th 2004, Southfield
03.00 pm, reading and signing
The Truth Bookstore
21500 N. Western Highway
Southfield, MI 48074

March 16th 2004, New York
01.00 pm, reading and signing
Borders/Wall Street
100 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005

March 17th 2004, New York
06.00 pm, reading and signing
HueMan Books
2319 Frederick Douglas Blvd.
New York, NY 10027

March 18th 2004, Washington
03.00 pm, reading and signing
Howard University Bookstore
2225 George Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20059

March 19th 2004, Baltimore
Bowie Town Center
15624 Emerald Way
Bowie, MD 20782

March 20th 2004, Washington
03.00 pm, reading and signing
Sister Space
1515 U Street
Washington, DC 20009

March 27th 2004, Atlanta
02.00 pm
Oasis Bookstore
2801 Candler Road
Decatur, GA 30034

 

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Gravediggaz to release new LP
Posted by on Thursday, February 26 2004
X-Ray Records is scheduled to release Gravediggaz's sixth LP, 6 Feet Under, on March 9th 2004. The tracklist is as follows:

01. Six Feet Underground
02. Big Shot Dead
03. Know What I Mean?
04. What's Wrong With You? - featuring Lady Tigra
05. A Strong Woman
06. Rough Enough
07. What's The Meaning?
08. Gotta Stay Strong
09. Home Of The Brave
10. Player's Theme
11. Burn In Hell
12. Break What?
13. Along In The Graveyard
14. Barking Up The Wrong Tree
15. I Understand That

 

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Convay signs with Universal, produced by Dr. Dre
Posted by on Thursday, February 26 2004
Universal Records recently signed a Los Angeles rapper by the name of Conway, WestCoast2K.net reports. His Dr. Dre-produced single "Nutcracka" is currently recieving heavy airplay on various radio stations.

Dr. Dre also produced another song by Convay. Be sure to visit WestCoast2K.net for audio and further information.

 

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Sign-Up for the HitEmUp/StreetHop Newsletter
Posted by Jon on Wednesday, February 25 2004

Sign-Up now for the HitEmUp/StreetHop monthly newsletter and be eligible to win prizes while receiving monthly Tupac, Outlawz, general rap, and site updates!

This month we'll be giving away copies of the Thug-Life Outlawz album Thug Law Chapter 2.

To register, visit the main page of / and enter your e-mail address in the top right corner.

 

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Cassidy's debut to be released in March
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

J Records is scheduled to release Cassidy's debut LP, Split Personality, on March 23rd 2004. The tracklist is as follows:

01. My Interpretation
02. Hotel - featuring R. Kelly
03. Make You Scream - featuring Snoop Dogg
04. Lipstick - featuring Jazze Pha
05. Get No Better - featuring Mashonda
06. Tha Problem (Skit)
07. Tha Problem
08. Blood Pressure
09. Can I Talk To You? - featuring Jadakiss
10. Hold Dat
11. Pop That Cannon - featuring Styles P.
12. Real Talk (Skit)
13. Real Talk
14. Husslin'
15. I'm Hungry
16. Around The World

 

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New hip-hop magazine - Scratch: The Science Of Hip-Hop
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
Harris Publications is putting their effort into a new magazine called Scratch: The Science Of Hip-Hop, HipHopSite.com reports. The magazine is giving its readers an insight on the production of rap music.

It will focus on the three main elements: The creaters of the beats, the tools used to make them and the lifestyle of the DJ and producer. The premier issue is set to hit newstands on May 25th 2004.

Harris Publications is the same company, which is behind urban magazines such as King, Slam and XXL: Hip-Hop Soul.

 

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Bad Azz to make Executive Decision with new album
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
Riviera Entertainment is scheduled to release Bad Azz's third solo LP, Executive Decision, on May 11th 2004. The first single is "What I'm Spillin'" featuring Johnny Chronic and Lil' Tip Toe. The tracklist is as follows:

01. Legendary Life - featuring Kokane and Scoob Loc
02. What I'm Spillin' - featuring Johnny Chronic and Lil' Tip Toe
03. Bumpin' & Poundin'
04. Get That...!
05. Money Up Front - featuring Lil' Tip Toe and Snoop Dogg
06. Round We Go - featuring Latoiya Williams
07. Freak O Tha Week - featuring Tanqueray
08. Let's Roll Baby
09. Incredible Hulk - featuring Jelly Roll
10. Business & Friends - featuring Krondon and Phil Tha Agony
11. Smoke Til Ya Pass Out - featuring Crazy Earwin
12. Professional Hustling - featuring Daz Dillinger, Konflict, Lil' Jay, Shorty K and The Lowlifes
13. What It Iz Here!? - featuring E-White
14. Talkin' 'Bout U - featuring Konflict
15. What Tha World Needs Now - featuring Benjilino

 

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Everything Remains Raw on Busta Rhymes' DVD
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
Fortress Entertainment is scheduled to release Busta Rhymes' DVD, Everything Remains Raw, on April 20th 2004. The DVD is described as groundbreaking by its makers as the featured live performance sets new standards for music DVD's.

The DVD features a over 60 minutes long live performance featuring all of Busta's biggest hits shot in High Definition video and recorded in true 5.1 Surround Sound.

"It's on a quality level that is definitely next level," director Devin DeHaven said. "We shot the live in High Definition with the same truck that shot the Superbowl. The quality of sound and picture is unbelieveable and then we added the Fortress touch with all the access."

The DVD also contains an hour of all access and behind the scenes footage from his United States and overseas tours. Plus an exclusive look at Busta's multi-million dollar car collection.

As a new addition, the European release will be subtitled in six different languages.

Everything Remains Raw trailer:
Real Player | Windows Media Player Small | Windows Media Player Large

 

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Kurupt's Against The Grain tracklist
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
Kurupt and Death Row Records are both making a come back this spring. Death Row and Koch Records is scheduled to release Kurupt's fourth solo album, Against The Grain, on April 27th 2004. The first single is "Throwback Music" with "Anarchy '87" on the B-side. The tracklist is as follows:

01. Against The Grain
02. Throwback Music
03. Anarch '87
04. The Past
05. My Home Boys
06. Everyday Life
07. Speak On It
08. Can U Feel It?
09. One Thang's Fo' Sho
10. Real Talk

 

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dead prez is Revolutionary But Gangsta on new album
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
dead prez is comprised of emcees and activists M-1 and stic.man.

There's so much to be said about dead prez, that it's easy to dip into hyperbole. And considering that hyperbole is the order of the day when hyping a new album, it may seem a bit gratuitous to say that dead prez's 2000 freshman album, Let's Get Free, was the best hip-hop album released that year, a hip-hop debut as promising as A Tribe Called Quest's People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm and OutKast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. To take it further to say that Let's Get Free was the most fiery, learned and observant political statement made by hip-hop since Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet, may come off a bit snake oil-ish. But this is dead prez, and Let's Get Free was no ordinary album.

With RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta, M-1 and stic have repeated the feat by giving hip-hop a cohesive creation that's timely and timeless; something it didn't realize it was missing just when it least expects it. Where Let's Get Free dealt with world politics and theory, RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta shifts the focus to the hood and street knowledge.

The personal aspects of the struggle come to the fore on songs like "50 In The Clip," a picture of street corner dice games where push-ups, not cash, serve as currency.

More poignant is "Unbroken." Powered by a Bill Withers vocal-sample and soulful crooning, the autobiographical tale recounts the harsher, more private parts of and M-1 and stic's history: Growing up with crack addicted family members, dealing drugs, serving jail time, stints of homelessness, and living on public assistance are just the tip of the iceberg. "'Unbroken' is a testament to the fact that we've been through the worst that life could throw at us but we're still here, we still survived," says M-1.

Likewise, "The Bottle" documents stic's past battle with alcoholism. "I was drinking from the time I got up in the morning to the time I passed out at night, everyday," he informs. "Hennessey, Andre, Beck's, E&J--whatever cheap shit they got at the corner. I stopped because I got diagnosed with gout. I think people gotta know the balance, they gotta know why we are who we are, why we say what we say. We really try to communicate that on this album."

M-1 also goes by the name Mutulu Olugbala. The last name he shares with his rhyme comrade comes from the Yoruba culture and means "for the love of the people." M-1's political consciousness was sparked when he read Alex Haley's The Autobiography Of Malcolm X. "I was trying to be exactly like Malcolm," he says. "I tried to change around a lot of things that I used to be doing." When M-1 was kicked out of high school for "some bullshit reasons," he relocated to North Carolina where he finished his secondary education, going on to attend college at Florida A&M University, where he met stic, who would hang out on campus, though he was never enrolled for classes.

The two comrades' growing sense of Black pride and political theory served as a common bond as they joined various community groups, eventually forming dead prez as a rap group and moving to New York. After a chance meeting with Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar at a Brooklyn block party, the duo signed a recording deal with Loud Records, which released Let's Get Free. But even before the release of the record, dead prez amassed a strong and loyal underground following through their explosive live shows, ardent community organizing and top notch unreleased material. Their rigorous work ethic has continued to the present, as evidenced by their critically acclaimed black market release, Turn Off The Radio, which revamped dance hits by artists such as Aaliyah and Black Rob into mind-awakening food for thought with titles like "We Need A Revolution" and "That's War!"

"We took the popular songs that we love because of the hot sound or the melody or whatever and made it relative to Black people's struggle," says stic. "It means it's a lot more we could be talking about with these great hits."

Turn Off The Radio was also for fans who had been waiting for a follow-up to Let's Get Free. "Good food, you gotta let it cook, make sure it's seasoned right and everything," says stic. "A lot of times, the public don't know what's going on. Because of the nature of our music, they be like, 'Where dpz at? They must be frontin' on 'em.' A lot of times dpz be like, 'We ain't ready.'"

"I think you'll find with dead prez that if people gave us that time, we could take ten years to make a record," says M-1. "A lot of times critical analysis takes a real careful process of decision making, and criticism and self-criticism."

RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta stands for many things. It's hip-hop, but can't easily be categorized by one sound or production style. It mixes elements of soul, blues, reggae, rock, and more in natural flowing ways.

"We always have a new sound vision where we want to fuse certain things," informs stic. "We think about music that we like and certain artists from back in the days to right now whether it be Dr. Dre or Lil' Jon or Trick Daddy or Sade or Portishead. We take all these different things and we fuse elements from that and we feel like it captures what we're trying to capture."

"We're finding a groove in production and we know that that means that we have to call on people to invoke the kind of sound that we need cuz we're not Stevie Wonder," says M-1. "I work the ProTools and stic does a heavy amount of the production. We do it together, but stic is a genius sonically. It's basically just a two-man team to record. I work the computer, I engineer the sessions, and stic lays the beat in."

"I don't really consider myself no producer, but I have fun trying to make music that I wanna hear," confesses stic. "We work with live musicians as well as beat machines. We lay the foundation. We might lay some drums, and then build, either getting samples or some type of rhythm in the instruments, or we might come up with a melody. A lot of times the melody is he first thing for me in terms of creating a song. I just start singing some shit and then we start."

RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta's "Walk Like A Warrior" features Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Krayzie Bone: "If you gon' bang then bang for change/ Don't bang for crazy thangs/ If not, don't bang/ If you gon' ball, play the game how it should be played/ Can you dribble a grenade to save your life?/... This is only a rhyme, now don't get skurred/ Listen to the message in the word."

"Hell Yeah" features an electric guitar and desperate rhymes told from hungry bellies that do anything for a meal including sticking up the pizza delivery boy. "It's talking about different things that being oppressed and living in poverty'll have you resorting to," says stic.

On a lighter note is "20," the saga of a small bag of weed traveling from Jamaica to Brooklyn, which was inspired by a late night smoke session. "One time the Marleys came through with Mr. Cheeks and that's the time we almost got booted out of the studio we were renting out," says M-1. "I brought a bong to the studio at 4 o'clock in the morning and '20' is the type of conversations that happened. It ain't meant to make such a deep and profound political statement. It's a fun song, but it's food for thought. I hope that dead prez never comes off preachy or presumptuous or self-righteous, and that song in many ways acknowledges our non-discipline as well as the fact that we're still human as well."

"It's time you gonna smoke some weed, there's times you wanna get some pussy and there's a time to go to war," says stic. "A man gotta be balanced. You can't just be about the pleasures."

RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta is in stores March 30th 2004. Be sure to check out their official website @ deadprez.com.

Download "Hell Yeah:"
Quicktime | Real | Windows Media 56K | Windows Media 100K 

Download "Hell Yeah (Pimp The System Remix):"
Quicktime | Real | Windows Media 56K | Windows Media 100K

 

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Tech N9ne teams up with Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
That's right. Tech N9ne has teamed up with Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone on a new song titled "Thug Pit." The song also features Insane Clown Posse and Kottonmouth Kingz.

The song is featured on the compilation Hallowicked 2003, which is being sold at the Wicked Wonka Tour.

 

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Krayzie Bone speaks on Thug Brothers
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

Krayzie Bone was recently interviewed by UrbanConnectionz.com. He spoke on various topics including Thug Brothers, the collaboration project between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and the Outlawz. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

UrbanConnectionz.com: There's been talk of Bone doing a joint album with the Outlawz. What's going on with that?

Krayzie Bone: That's definitely still in the works, but that's going to be down the line, though. We've still got to get Bone re-established first.

How did you come to the point where you wanted to hook up with the Outlawz?

Oh, we've always been cool with the Outlawz. We're always down for them just like they're down for us.

 

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E.D.I. from the Outlawz speaks on The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

Last week, The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network was held at the Bovard Auditorium on the campus of the University Of Southern California.

Rappers that showed up includes Cherub, Crooked I, Daddy-O, Fredro Starr, Hump, Kanye West, Knoc-turn'al, Lady Emmy, Layzie Bone, Loon, LT Hutton, Money B, Outlawz, Poetess, Snoop Dogg, Tamia, Young Gunz,

"The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network is a really positive force and we are honored to be a part of this movement," E.D.I. from the Outlawz said. Hopefully, this will change the youth of my generation's perspective on voting and politics."

"I thought this was a very successful event and the HSAN is a very positive vehicle that we should all embrace," the Outlawz's manager and A2Z Entertainment CEO Steve Lobel said.

 

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Master P reveals his Good Side/Bad Side on new LP
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004
As earlier reported, New No Limit Records has left the major distributor Universal Records and signed a distribution deal with the independent Koch Records instead. The first release with Koch will be Master P's 11th LP, Good Side/Bad Side, due out March 23rd 2004.

The LP features guest appearances by 8-Ball, B.G., Bone Crusher, Cash Money, C-Murder, David Banner, Field Mob, Lil' Flip, Lil' Romeo, Ludacris, Mystikal, Three 6 Mafia, T.K. and UGK.

The purchase of the CD comes with a bonus DVD disc. The tracklist for Good Side/Bad Side is as follows:

01. We All We Got
02. Who Want Some?
03. Let 'Em Go
04. Who Dem Boys?
05. Act A Fool
06. Them Jeans
07. Block Party
08. We Love This Army
09. We Got D
10. I'll Ride For You
11. Neighborhood
12. Anything Goes
13. Romance
14. Da Weed
15. Tell 'Em
16. Thug And Get Paper
17. Incredible HulK
18. Represent
19. We Ridin'
20. Shake It
21. Loyalty (Bonus track)

 

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Terror Squad to release new LP this spring
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

Penalty Records is scheduled to release Terror Squad's second LP this spring, HipHopSite.com reports. The new and revamped Terror Squad constists of Armaggedon, Fat Joe, Prospect, Remy Martin and Tony Sunshine.

In related news, former Terror Squad member Triple Seis is set to release his solo debut album on May 27th 2004. It contains a collaboration with The Beatnuts.

 

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Mob Life Records releases a limited edition single
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

Mob Life Records has just released a limited edition single from Cablez's upcoming LP, Tha Movement. The single first single Tha Life We Live includes an intro from Mutulu Shakur and features Cablez, Muszamil, Napoleon and Nzingha Shakur.

The single can be purchased at MobLifeRecords.net. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Mutulu Shakur Intro
2. LP Version - featuring Muszamil, Napoleon and Nzingha Shakur
3. Radio Edit - featuring Muszamil, Napoleon and Nzingha Shakur
4. Remix (Unavailable On LP) - feat Muszamil and Nzingha Shakur
5. Instrumental
6. Gotta Be A Way

 

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The Grey Album's Grey Tuesday
Posted by on Wednesday, February 25 2004

It's time for music fans to stand up and demand change from the music industry's copyright cartel.

Today, February 24 is a day of coordinated civil disobedience: websites will post Danger Mouse's Grey Album on their site for 24 hours in protest of EMI's attempts to censor this work.

DJ Danger Mouse created a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles White Album, and called it the Grey Album. Jay-Z's record label, Roc-A-Fella, released an a capella version of his Black Album specifically to encourage remixes like this one. But despite praise from music fans and major media outlets like Rolling Stone ("an ingenious hip-hop record that sounds oddly ahead of its time") and the Boston Globe (which called it the "most creatively captivating" album of the year), EMI has sent cease and desist letters demanding that stores destroy their copies of the album and websites remove them from their site. EMI claims copyright control of the Beatles 1968 White Album.

Danger Mouse’s album is one of the most "respectful" and undeniably positive examples of sampling; it honors both the Beatles and Jay-Z. Yet the lawyers and bureaucrats at EMI have shown zero flexibility and not a glimmer of interest in the artistic significance of this work. And without a clearly defined right to sample (e.g. compulsory licensing), the five major record labels will continue to use copyright in a reactionary and narrowly self-interested manner that limits and erodes creativity. Their actions are also self-defeating: good new music is being created that people want to buy, but the major labels are so obsessed with hoarding their copyrights that they are literally turning customers away.

This first-of-its-kind protest signals a refusal to let major label lawyers control what musicians can create and what the public can hear. The Grey Album is only one of the thousands of legitimate and valuable efforts that have been stifled by the record industry-- not to mention the ones that were never even attempted because of the current legal climate. We cannot allow these corporations to continue censoring art; we need common-sense reforms to copyright law that can make sampling legal and practical for artists.

The Grey Tuesday protest is being organized by Downhill Battle, a music activism project that has no affiliation with Danger Mouse.

For more information on the protest and issues surrounding this massive online action, head over to GreyTuesday.org.

 

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Obie Trice won't be on Tupac's next album
Posted by on Tuesday, February 24 2004

Various websites have over the last past few days reported that Detroit rapper Obie Trice recently was on television and said that he's going to be making a guest appearance on the next Tupac album.

HitEmUp.com has spoken to the music supervisors of Tupac's posthumous projects, who decline this information. Obie Trice won't be on Tupac's next album. As a matter of fact, they haven't even started working on the next Tupac album yet.

 

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New Audio: Napoleon and Aman - "I Got U"
Posted by Jon on Tuesday, February 24 2004
StreetHop.com has posted an exclusive new Napoleon and Aman track under Featured Audio, titled "I Got U." To download the track visit http://www.streethop.com/ and view the Featured Audio on the right side of the page.

 

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Aceyalone re-issue
Posted by on Tuesday, February 24 2004
Aceyalone is re-releasing his 1995 debut album All Boumce Don't Bounce. The re-release, which dropped today, comes with a bonus disc containing b-sides, remixes and songs cut from the original recording sessions. Also included are the videos for "I Think", "Give It Here", "Knowknots" and "Mic Check". The tracklistings are below:

All Balls Don't Bounce

01. All Balls
02. Anywhere You Go
03. Deep And Wide - featuring Abstract Rude
04. Mr. Outsider
05. Annalillia?
06. Knownots - featuring Abstract Rude
07. Arhythamaticulas
08. The Greatest Show On Earth
09. Mic Check
10. Call It Cali
11. Headaches & Woes
12. I Think
13. Makeba
14. B-Boy Kingdom
15. Keep It True

Bonus CD

01. All Balls Intro
02. Universal Soldier
03. Headaches And Woes Intro
04. Headaches And Woes (Remix)
05. The Greatest Show On Earth (Fat Jack Remix)
06. The Greatest Show On Earth (Bar 9 Remix)
07. Mic Check (Remix)
08. Show Your Right
09. The Nobodys
10. They Don't Know
11. Feet Up On Tha Table
12. TweakendZ
13. I Dream
14. Believe In Yourself

 

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Two new Tupac books on the way
Posted by on Monday, February 23 2004
Tupac is without a doubt the most written about rapper in hip-hop history. There's been more books written about him that any other rapper, and the list keeps growing.

Pocket Star is scheduled to release All Eyez On Me: The Life And Times Of Tupac Shakur by Quinton Skinner on September 1st 2004. The book contains 384 pages.

Capstone Press is also scheduled to release the book Tupac Shakur by Nathan Olson in January 2005.

 

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Strong Arm Steady DVD to be released in March
Posted by on Monday, February 23 2004
Fortress Entertainment is scheduled to release Strong Arm Steady's self-titled DVD on March 2nd 2004. Strong Arm Steady consists of California rappers Krondon, Mitchy Slick, Phil The Agony and Xzibit.

The DVD contains music videos and hidden elements. It features appearances from Busta Rhymes, Cypress Hill, Kanye West, Linkin Park, WC and others.

The DVD is also set to be released in Japan on March 2nd, but fans in Australia and Europe will have to wait until April.

 

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Bo Rocc from The Dove Shack speaks on Tupac
Posted by on Monday, February 23 2004
Bo Rocc from The Dove Shack was recently interviewed by WCRydaz.com. In the interview he speaks about his relationship with Tupac, the 1994 and 1996 shootings in New York and Las Vegas, the unreleased songs with Tupac and much more. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

WCRydaz.com: Freestyling is like the ultimate showcase of what skills you've got.

Bo Rocc: Exactly. So I think before you get to a certain status in rap music, before you can be on the status of Jay-Z or call yourself a Jay-Z, you've gotta be able to freestyle. 'Cause like a lot of people didn't know, like prime example, Biggie... Biggie couldn't freestyle. Biggie couldn't freestyle and the way I know this is because I heard it out of Biggie's mouth, not third party, not nothing.

The night that Total did that song, "Can't You See, What You Do To Me," a lot of people don't know that night they recorded that song is the same night Tupac got shot in New York. The way I know is because me, Snoop, Warren G and the Twinz and all of us, we were at the studio with Total, when Puffy first snatched them up from Syracuse when they was in the studio with their big ol' sweaters on, complaining that we were smoking too much weed up in there and that we were hurting their damn throat.

'Cause Biggie came up in there with what looked like half a pound and came up in there with a whole box of White Owls, a big box and told Faith and some other females to get to rolling. And there was just blunts being fired up and Total got to complaining and right when we got ready to leave and right when we got to the hotel, that's when we turned on the TV and they were saying that Tupac had just got shot. See what I'm saying?

But we were freestyling to that "Can't You See" beat. Me, Kurupt, the niggas from The Dove Shack, we were standing in the hallway of the studio freestyling. And Biggie was standing there out serving. And Kurupt asked Biggie if he did want to get in. Biggie said out his mouth, "I don't freestyle, yo. I don't even freestyle, yo." But he came in and he kicked a verse of some shit that he wrote that was just tight, but he said it was not a freestyle. It was not straight off the top of the dome.

Damn, I didn't even know about all that, being there the same night Pac got shot.

The night Pac had got shot in New York, we were in the studio with Biggie and them. In fact, The Dove Shack, we were out there to work with Jam Master Jay, meeting with Russell Simmons and Lyor and them. Working on our project. Snoop and them had just returned from overseas. I think Amsterdam.. no, Warren G had just returned from Amsterdam, Snoop was in town to do the show Apollo Comedy Hour.

That night Snoop and Rage and them was suppose to be shooting their episode. Apollo Comedy Hour, in one night they shot like five different episodes. So on this particular night they were shooting Brandy's episode when she was on there. They were shooting Snoop's episode and they were shooting Mary J. Blige's episode.

So we ran into Puffy and Puffy told us come by the Hit Factory studio, and that's where we went after we left there. We were over there just chilling with them in the Hit Factory studio. Like I said, Jah Skillz and Da 5 Footaz had left and in the process of us leaving the studio, one of the Twinz phone kept blowing up by one of Da 5 Footaz, Jah Skillz. She was like, "Man, turn on the news!" They were like, "Pac just got shot at a studio right out here somewhere." And we were like, "That is crazy."

Did yall know Pac at that time?

I did. Me and Pac actually, when me and Pac just met, me and Pac weren't cool. A lot of people don't know that. Me and Pac had an incident behind something that happened at the House Of Blues. Something had happened one night. I really don't wanna go into too much detail about it, but it involved a certain female he was messing with, very popular that everybody know.

Something happened when an accusation was thrown at me of me slapping her across her ass in the club. I actually didn't. The homie next to me did it - slapped her ass. Being the type of cat that I am, when she stepped in front of me shaking her ass though, with a fishnet dress on, with her thong panties on, you could see straight through the fishnet dress, with no bra on, nipples sticking through the dress, this is at the premier of Poetic Justice matter of fact.

The Poetic Justice release party that was at the House Of Blues. That night me and Pac had a confrontation, but later on we became cool. He came by Trek studio while Warren G was working on his album. We squashed the thing once me and Richie Rich worked together. Me and him really just got the chance to chop it up and kick it. Then it was a different story then.

Another thing that was just crazy too is that the same way he got shot in New York the first time, I was also in Vegas when he got shot the second time. Neither time was I with this dude, neither time were we even out there affiliated with each other. We weren't even out there affiliated with each other, but I was in town both times he got shot. I was in New York the night he got shot and I was in Vegas all the way at E-40's party at the Luxor the night he got killed.

Are there collabos with Pac or anyone else from the Death Row days that never came out?

Aw man, come on. Man, I got so much stuff. See here's the type of dude I am. Like I said, I was in the mode. Well, I am in the mode of I'm trying to get paid and what not, I gotta pay my bills, I was just getting into the music industry, the artistry of it, so I did a lot of stuff with people for free and just did it. "Okay, I do a verse for you, you do a verse for me." Like that.

So I've got stuff with like Snoop that ain't been released. I'm talking about killer stuff. Tighter then the stuff he puts out now. I've got stuff with Tupac that hasn't been released. I've got a song or two with him that's absolutely heated. I've got a few little things, but they mainly with my peoples. Like I said, Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G, they're mainly with my people like that, as far as unreleased.

As far as The Dove Shack, we do have an Eminem verse with a collabo we did with him that ain't came out. We've got a collabo we did with Nate Dogg that ain't came out either.

Click here to read the full interview.

 

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VIBE to release new book on The Notorious B.I.G.