Discuss
Printer Friendly

Apparently Xzibit was attacked on the weekend by a group of Mexicans outside a Los Angeles nightspot. The altercation, which originally began inside the club, soon found its way into the street after Xzibit asked the people involved to step outside. However he was soon attacked by others of the same gang and hit in the face with a 40 ounce glass bottle.

The rapper was taken to hospital by his fiancé and received approximately forty stitches around his mouth; however the exact number changes from source to source. Famous for his Internet drama, Daz Dillinger has gone on record saying that Xzibit will never be able to rap again. This is a huge exaggeration of the truth, StreetHop.com can confirm that while this will no doubt delay his rapping a bit, Xzibit is expected to fully recover soon.

Rumor last week was that Xzibit was trying to sign a deal with Shady Records. This may or may not be true, but Xzibit is still signed to Columbia and contractually owes them one more album.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: K-Theory, Houston Chronicle (newspaper) Sunday, July 17, 2003

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: DubCNN.com

Discuss
Printer Friendly

On Jin's new track "Get In Touch With Us" featuring Drag-On, Drag-On raps, "And n*ggas think your Pac, cause you got a Pac flow, but n*gga that's not yours."

Listen to the Clip

Source: x7

Discuss
Printer Friendly

At a concert in Spokane this week, Snoop took a few minutes to speak to the crowd about having quit smoking pot. "How many of ya'll heard I stopped smokin weed!?" Snoop asked.  After a varied response from the crowd Snoop asked,  "How many of you believe that?"  Snoop then toked from a huge blunt and starting singing a song titled "Smoke Weed, Get Drunk and Fuck."

Source: Ryan L.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

The Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council has begun a petition in Hollis, Queens in an attempt to get the street where Jam Master Jay grew up, 203rd Street, renamed to Jam Master Jay Street.

The aim of the petition and the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council’s movement is to get the street, portions of a nearby park or Hollis Avenue renamed to honor Jam Master Jay’s memory and the legacy he has left behind through his work with Run-DMC and other members of the local community.

The Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council hopes that the petition will be reviewed and acted upon soon so that the street can be renamed in time for the one year anniversary of Jam Master Jay’s still unsolved murder on October 30th. However according to a report in Newsday, Randy Fisher, the executive director of the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council, is accusing political officials in Queens of not reviewing the petitions due to a City Council seat race, putting their needs ahead of others. Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon out of respect for the legend, Jam Master Jay.

Source: AllHipHop

Discuss
Printer Friendly

D12 member Proof has confirmed on D12World that he has spoken to Edi of the Outlawz about working together.

"[Edi] confirmed that the Outlawz ain’t down with Murder Inc, and old boy rhyming with Ja ain’t down with them anymore," said Proof referring to Fatal Hussein working with Ja Rule on various mixtape disses aimed at Shady/Aftermath.

"Plus we linking up to do a song to squash all the rumors and nonsense," confirmed the D12 rapper.

No mention of when and how the song is to be released has been made, but speculation suggests the track will be another diss aimed at Murder Inc and Ja Rule; something a lot of Outlaw fans have been anticipating for years.

Source: StreetHop.com

Discuss
Printer Friendly

D-12 member Proof has confirmed on D12World that he has spoken to E.D.I. of the Outlawz about working together.

"[E.D.I.] confirmed that the Outlawz ain't down with Murder Inc., and old boy rhyming with Ja ain't down with them anymore," said Proof referring to Fatal Hussein working with Ja Rule on various mixtape disses aimed at Shady/Aftermath.

"Plus we linking up to do a song to squash all the rumors and nonsense," confirmed the D-12 rapper.

No mention of when and how the song is to be released has been made, but speculation suggests the track will be another diss aimed at Murder Inc. and Ja Rule; something a lot of Outlaw fans have been anticipating for years.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Napoleon and Jimmy Jones did a remake of "Bomb First" that will appear on a Diplomats mix-tape circulating the East Coast.

Source: Bill Blast

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Last Saturday night rapper Trina performed a concert in the Monroe Civic Center Arena. Originally scheduled for a Trina/Mystikal duo, she performed the show alone. During the set Trina called a participant out of the audience (some audience member were as young as ten), for a demonstration.

Edward Franklin, 23, was chosen to assist Trina in her stage performance. Before the eyes of the viewers in attendance, the rapper pulled out a water bottle, drank a bit and let the remainder drip into Franklin's mouth. Following that, Franklin's hands were held down in his chair by the performer's bodyguards while she straddled his face for about 15 seconds. Then she climbed off of Franklin and began to rub on his chest and genital areas. Trina proceeded to unbuckled Franklin's pants and commenced fondling his genitals. She made inferences that she was about to attempt oral sex, however she did not, for Franklin at that point removed himself from the chair.

Source: MustafaX, Monroe Area African-American Community Free Press

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: J___A

Discuss
Printer Friendly

VH1, in conjunction with People's Magazine, have released a show and magazine special listing the top "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons." Tupac was placed #174 on the list.

Click here to view the entire top 200 list.

Source: Colin, Sharmake

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Digital underground is releasing a new DVD titled DU Raw Uncut.  The DVD takes a look behind the scenes of the group from the early days to present.  The DVD also contains footage of Tupac.

Click here for more Information.

Source: 40ozChris

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: Swordzman786

Discuss
Printer Friendly

For those who couldn't make it to the Roc The Mic tour, 50 Cent and Jay-Z is releasing a Roc The Mic mixtape in the next few weeks.

"We always put out a mixtape 'cause you gotta keep your presence in the street," 50 Cent told MTV News. "A lot of artists' houses are built on toothpicks, but the street is the foundation. [The fans] got a little attention span, so if you don't stay in front of them, the next guy can come [and take your spot]."

Besides G-Unit, the mixtape also features seven songs by Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek and State Property. Snoop Dogg, who recently collaborated with 50 Cent on the remix of "P.I.M.P.," said he'd also be willing to record something for the mixtape.

"We talked about it yesterday as a matter of fact," Snoop said. "We was in 50's dressing room watching the ['P.I.M.P' remix] video for the first time and it was like, 'Man, we need to go and do something' I was like, 'I wanna make a movie.' We just need to make something happen. We just love each other so much should do it instead of talking about it. That's what a lot of us don't capitalize on - we wait until we're dead and gone or either we have bad times. We're all havin' fun right now. This is the best time to capitalize on it, when everybody is loving each other."

Discuss
Printer Friendly

The following is an excerpt from a Young Noble interview done for the Outlawz's official website, OutlawRecordz.net:

First off, I want to address the Daz situation and let the fans know the real business. I tried to reach out to Daz about two months ago when he was talking shit about chopping off the Outlawz's head and all that bullshit. Daz has already been on some bullshit by releasing Makaveli And Dillinger. He thought he was disrespecting Suge Knight, but he was really disrespecting Tupac.

I called Daz's main man and told the guy that I wanted to holler at Daz because he was talking shit and told the nigga to have Daz meet me somewhere so we can fight one on one. But that nigga Daz never hollered back. I know he got the message 'cause a white guy called me back the next day and said Daz ain't trippin' and he is cool.

Daz talks all that gangsta shit, but when we tried to reach out to the nigga, he didn't holler back. We're gonna holler at Daz when we see him. The Outlawz be letting a lot of shit slide sometimes, but we're about to stop doing that. We're about to let niggas know the deal. This nigga Daz acting like 007. Tell Daz to stop acting like 007 and call a nigga back. I hollered at Daz on some personal shit, fuck all that rap beef shit. This ain't no stranger we're talking about. We know Daz, we had love for Daz and it ain't like he didn't get the message 'cause the white guy called back the next day.

Basically, I wanted to let the fans know niggas be talking all that gangsta shit, but don't really wanna do nothing. Fuck all that rap war beef, that shit is corny as fuck. If we're gotta dis niggas, then we gon' do it. Just let Daz know we ain't fucking sleep. We're repping Pac to the fullest. Daz been getting out of line. Niggas ain't as gangsta as they claim to be. Anybody can talk shit in a interview, but if you a real man, then let's fight. If you get your ass whooped, then you get your ass whooped.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Vibe magazine will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this September and to commemorate the occasion they will be releasing the September issue with ten different covers.

Tupac & Biggie will share one of the covers together.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

SOHH.com has reported that Tupac will be getting an official urban clothing label under the name of "Makaveli".

The Makaveli label will be a partnership between Tupac's estate and an as yet unknown apparel manufacturer.

The label will launch in time for Christmas this year and will cater for the high-end urban market, competing with such brands as Puff Daddy's Sean John brand.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

14-year-old Canadian singer Keishia Chante has just released her single, "Unpredictable", which samples Tupac's classic song "I Ain't Mad At Cha." The single is climbing the Canadian R&B charts.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

He simply can't be stopped. Despite having been incarcerated for over a decade X-Raided has another release coming up. Madman Records/Gangway Inc. is set to release X-Raided's newest album X-Filez Volume 1: 24 Garden Blocc Classics on July 29th, 2003. The album gives fans the chance to hear X-Raided's older material on a double disc for the price of one. The material comes from the prior released Psycho Active and Xorcist. The double disc album will be available in stores and will also be sold through the up-coming X-Raided website NefariousX-Raided.com for a cheaper price than in stores. The tracklisting is below:

Disc One:

01. Tha Murder
02. Still Shootin'
03. Call the Guards
04. Who's The Hoe
05. Crazy As a Muthafucc
06. Every Single Bitch
07. Fuckin' Witta Psycho
08. Bitch Killa
09. Everybody Killa
10. Shootcha in a Minute
11. That's How The Trigga Went - featuring Brotha Lynch Hung
12. That Siccness

Disc Two:

01. Open Tha Casket
02. I Ain't Dead Yet
03. Recognize
04. Collect Calls
05. Check Your Bitch
06. Body Count
07. Unfucwitable
08. Duece 5-To-Life
09. Done Deal
10. Liquor, Niggaz 'N' Triggaz - featuring Brotha Lynch Hung and Sicx
11. Brainz
12. Witta Mask On

Discuss
Printer Friendly

There's only 1 week left to sign-up for the Oz Contest Giveaway.  Register now by clicking here!

Despite an unprecedented 2 years of North American radio, store, and internet promotions with the help of AVATAR Records & Nettwerk Productions, "every sentence must come to an end". Deejay Ra's award-winning Lyrical Knockout Entertainment invites the urban & ethnic community on a final trip 'behind the walls' of Oswald State Correctional Facility as Showcase presents the last four episodes of OZ beginning Friday, July 4th at 10 PM.

"This series has been an absolute blockbuster for Showcase, delivering consistently high ratings and acclaim since season one launched back in January 1998," says Laura Michalchyshyn, Senior Vice President of Programming, Dramatic Networks. "OZ was one of the first series to test the boundaries of dramatic programming, tackling controversial issues with interesting characters that provoked thought and discussion - loyal fans will no doubt mourn the end of this ground-breaking series."

As part of the concluding 6th season of OZ, these final four episodes even blur the lines between fantasy and reality by focusing on Harper Entertainment's "The Journal of Augustus Hill", a multifaceted companion diary kept over the last 5 seasons by the show's wheelchair-bound narrator (Harold Perrineau, who recently starred in "The Matrix Reloaded" with Keanu Reeves). Besides touching on every past episode of the controversial HBO series, "The Journal" also offers fans a glimpse of their favourite characters through the eyes of Augustus Hill and extensive literature on real prison issues which helped inspire them.

Two such characters, Simon Adebisi and Dr. Gloria Nathan, have brought Nigerian actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (last seen in Matt Damon's "The Bourne Identity") and Puerto Rican actress Lauren Velez (best remembered from Al Pacino's "City Hall") multiple award nominations and close to 'iconic' status from their respective African and Latin communities. Hip-Hop journalist Raoul Juneja even went so far as to label Lauren's acting "a breakthrough for ethnic actresses who don't fit the over-sexed stereotypes portrayed by their cultures' current Hollywood or Bollywood representatives".

Yet even Adebisi or Gloria may have a hard time competing with the accomplishment of one Minister Kareem Said as TV drama's 1st Muslim character in a leading role. Brought to life by British theatre actor Eamonn Walker (best remembered as the doctor from the opening scene of M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable"), "The Journal of Augustus Hill" draws inspiration of the imam to the landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court case Cooper vs. Pate, in which Muslim prisoners successfully sought the right to obtain copies of Islamic literature, observe appropriate dietary laws and hold separate religious services.

In addition to Eamonn's studying with Muslims at mosques and prisons to help authenticate his acting, OZ creator Tom Fontana has also been adamant in only selecting verses from the Koran for the Said character which also appear in the Bible, an attempt at religious reconciliation especially appreciated by the series' South Asian fans who see the imam as, sadly, the closest they may ever get to a leading Sikh or Hindu TV drama character from Hollywood.

Attached support photography courtesy of HarperCollins Canada ("The Journal") and HBO/Showcase Television ("Kareem Said").

OZ Soundtrack & Book Giveaway Campaign!

Launched during the 4th season of "the most controversial show on TV", Oz - The Soundtrack was the highest charting new release of its month when it appeared as the Hot Shot Debut on both the U.S. Billboard Top 200 and the Top R&B charts, attaining Top 10 status. Billboard remarked of the soundtrack, "This who's who in rap will have you alternately rocking and contemplating the harsh realities of the prison/judicial system." Vibe Magazine added that the compilation provided "A vivid look at life on lockdown," while USA Today said Oz - The Soundtrack had "something that many others lack - a sense of purpose." Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar who (along with Method Man) appeared on both the series and the release remarked "This music reflects the times we live in."

Oz - The Soundtrack is not only a collection of smoking diatribes and top-shelf talent, but also serves as a fundraiser for The Innocence Project, a leading prisoner’s rights initiative whose efforts help free wrongly accused prisoners from death row through DNA testing. The organization, headed by famed criminal defense attorney Barry Scheck, will receive a substantial donation and royalty from sales of the soundtrack.

Conscientious and powerful, Oz - The Soundtrack is a genuine extension of the show that dared to be different. Series creator Tom Fontana summed it up perfectly in pointing out "what's great about the album is that the songs are all about staying out of prison - it's not about how cool it is to be in prison, and that's the show too."

For more about the OZ Series & Soundtrack visit hbo.com/oz and avatarrecords.com/oz respectively. Also be sure to check out the urban programming on Toronto's CKLN 88.1 FM, CHRY 105.5 FM and TheCyberKrib.com as well as London's CHRW 94.7 FM and Vancouver's StreetHop.com each week in July for exclusive Oz - The Soundtrack and "The Journal of Augustus Hill" giveaways.

Click here to register yourself for a chance to win!

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: lostoutlaw, bosoxpete8

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Six Figga Records has released "The Collector's Edition", a compilation containing unreleased songs and freestyles from The Children of the Corn, a group which consisted of the late Big L, Murda Mase, Cam'Ron, Bloodshed and McGruff.

The material was recorded during the early 1990's and most has not been released before.

01. Intro
02. The Corn - Featuring Cam' Ron, Mase and Bloodshed
03. Give Up The Game - Featuring  Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
04. Biscuits and Bangers - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
05. I Remember When - Featuring  Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
06. Hard To Get By - Featuring  Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
07. Harlem USA - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
08. Harlem Nights - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed and Big L
09. Don't Sleep - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed and Big L
10. Star Is Born - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
11. Harlem USA (Uptown) - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
12. Fare One Part 1 - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed
13. Fare One Part 2 - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed and Mase
14. Paint The Town Red - Featuring Bloodshed
15. Doin It - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed and Mase
16. Ill Flow - Featuring Cam' Ron & Bloodshed and Mase
17. Dangerzone - Featuring Mase, Big L and McGruff
18. Six Figga Freestyle - Featuring Cam' Ron and McGruff
19. Bobbito Freestyle #1 - Featuring Big L, Bloodshed, Mase, Cam' Ron and McGruff
20. Bobbito Freestyle #2 - Featuring Big L, Bloodshed, Mase and Cam' Ron
21. American Dream - Featuring Mcgruff, Cam' Ron, Bloodshed, Mase and Big L

Source: ToopackShaker

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Ja Rule's Canadian tour has been canceled and Murder Inc. has claimed not to know why, blaming Canada's strict stance on hip-hop in the past, resulting in artists with criminal records being refused entrance or hassled by Canadian authorities. However, SOHH.com reports that the real reason the tour was canceled was simply poor ticket sales.

Ja Rule was originally booked to perform at the Skyreach Center, which has a capacity of 18,000, but the promoters were unable to sell the 8 thousand minimum tickets required to go ahead with the show. The concert was then moved to The Joint, which has a capacity of 3,000, but Ja Rule was once again unable to sell the minimum 1,000 tickets and at the risk of loosing money, the concert was canceled.

Source: deeznuts14

Discuss
Printer Friendly

After recently announcing his Aftermath Records album was almost ready to drop (see "Rakim's almost ready to drop"), it has been reported by MTV.com that Rakim has decided to leave Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records.

The move has shocked fans, who have been anticipating the album's release since Rakim first signed to Aftermath Records over three years ago. The decision was reportedly a mutual one, and Rakim is already discussing a deal with other labels.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Our recent article about Daz's latest interview has seemed to cause a lot of controversy. Though the conotation of an interview is sometimes hard to distinguish, it sounds as though "Bud'da, you know the producer, he's a bitch too" was referring to Tupac being a bitch.  If that's not the case, we appologize.

In the same interview, Daz blamed Tupac for the tumor of Sam Sneed. It's a myth that tumors are caused by injuries and therefore Tupac couldn't have been responsible for that. Daz also admitted to making money off selling Tupac verses he had stolen from Death Row Records' vault. He ripped off fans for over one million dollars by selling the Dillinger And Makaveli bootleg for $500, then reducing the price to $50, then not delivering the album at all. No refunds were given.

In the past, Daz also called Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, a "greedy bitch" and "trick," as well as dissing the Outlawz on several occasions. In this same interview, he also spoke on negative aspects of the life of the late rapper and singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes: "[Kurupt] and Suge was fucking that bitch."

I understand that Daz likes to speak candidly and tends to dis most everyone, but at some point a line needs to be drawn, and we feel that line comes with talking disrespectfully about people who are no longer with us to defend themselves. Because Tupac is not here to speak on such issues, we feel that fans need to address them, as it is the fans that will show their appoval or disapproval.

We're not showing hate for Daz, but at the same time we don't agree with everything he says or does.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

ThaFormula: Now why didn't Sam Sneed ever drop an album on Death Row?

Daz: East Coast/West Coast shit, man, and he had a tumor 'cause Tupac and them beat the fuck out of him. That's why he got a tumor and damn near died. He quit. We had a meeting one day right after we got shot at and so Tupac said said to Sneed, "You just shot a video, right?" So he said, "Yeah." Pac said, "Well, we're gonna sit down and see if any West Coast motherfuckers is in there and each time we see an East Coast motherfucker, we're gonna knock you in your motherfucking head." So every time they would see an East Coast dude, they would kick him in the ass and Bud'da, you know the producer, he's a bitch too 'cause he sat there and watched Sam Sneed get beat up, didn't say shit.

What would you gave done in that situation, Daz?

I would have got up and whooped somebody's ass. I had guns, so I wasn't worried about what they were doing. Me and Nate Dogg were the only ones that would be strapped up in that motherfucker, 'cause when we would have a meeting it would be Bloods and Crips in there, so it's like shit, if we get to fighting up in this motherfucker, just start shooting and run towards the door. And then you know Kurupt and Tupac got into it once. Tupac was gonna whoop the shit out of Kurupt in Cancun. Tell somebody to ask Kurupt, "Was Tupac gonna beat your ass and Daz and Nate Dogg saved you from getting your ass whooped from Tupac and them?"

What exactly went down with that?

We got into the room and Kurupt had a Hennessey bootle. He was drunk and then the bottle hit the motherfucking table and all the other shit. So Tupac was like, "We're doing business here." So Kurupt was like, "Blah, blah, blah," and you know, being hard 'cause we were there. And then Tupac was like, "You know what, Kurupt? I'll rent a room right now and I'll beat your ass in there right now." Then he said, "You know what? I'm gonna get my homies the Outlawz," and that's when we stepped in like, "Nigga, you ain't gonna get nothing, nigga." So then I told him that and then me and Tupac got into it just for that second and I told him, you know, 'cause I'm helping Kurupt, I tell Tupac, "Why don't me and you go in the room, you know what I mean?" Then Suge and them jump in and then that's when it was on right after after that and then Tupac and them was only in the studio and at home. We're in the studio, streets, doing every motherfucking thang.

Perhaps if Daz made some music worthy of purchasing he could afford to live in a home instead of the streets.

Click here to read the full interview.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Source: J-A-B-B-A-R

Discuss
Printer Friendly

D3 and Riviera Entertainment is scheduled to release South Central Cartel's (Havoc and Prodeje) eight album, South Central Hella, on August 12th 2003. The tracklist is below:

01. Intro
02. Don't Trip
03. Yea Man
04. Famous
05. Hit It In My Chuccz
06. Movin'
07. Flash And Cash
08. Thug Da Club
09. What Can I Say?
10. So Many Words
11. So Good
12. Oh
13. Shake 'Em Off
14. Sometimes
15. Playing
16. West Coast
17. Game
18. Gz Run Da Blocc

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Los Angeles, CA - The spirit of Tupac Shakur lives on. Thug Life and Outlawz, both led by the late Shakur, have united for the second time to release THUG LAW - Thug Life Outlawz, Chapter 2.

Four years in the making, the first Thug Law album was a labor of love for Big Syke, who executive produced both albums. The second album was out of demand. When asked why he wanted to bring the two crews together he said, “Everywhere I went, people would always ask me what was up with the other cats from Thug Life? Was I still down with the Outlawz? When is new music coming out? Putting the album together answers a lot of those questions.” Syke was also quick to point out that the other members were supportive of the project from the beginning, and lent their talents. The entire album is fresh and loaded with never before released music. The debut single, “Feelin Like An Outlaw” features Kastro, EDI, Flamez and of course, Big Syke.

The debut album from the two supergroups, THUG LAW - Thug Life Outlawz, Chapter 1 was released in October of 2001. Look for the new album THUG LAW, Chapter 2 set for a September 2nd release date. The album features Mopreme, Kastro, EDI, Village Boo, Crucial Conflict and Napoleon

01. On Me - Big Syke, Mopreme, G-Money
02. Pimpin - Vilage Boo, Tiny Spark, J Stone, Jelani, Big Syke
03. Side of Me - Big Syke, Nite Owl, Mopreme, G-Money
04. Feelin Like An Outlaw - Kastro, EDI, Flamez, Big Syke
05. Why You Haten - Alisa, Jelani, Ju, Big Syke
06. How Long? - Mopreme, Big Syke, Money B
07. One Too Many, Part 1 - Big Syke, Alisa, Ju, G-Money
08. Put’um Up - Young Noble, Mopreme, Big Syke
09. Shift Change - Tiny Spark, Village Boo, J Stone
10. Poquito Mos - Big Syke, Village Boo, Ju, Brotha Marquis, Jelani, Mopreme, Tiny Spark, J Stone
11. Down Wit Us - Kastro, EDI, Stormy, Big Syke
12. One Too Many, Part 2 - Ju, G-Money, Brotha Marquis, Big Syke
13. Burnin It Out - Thug Life, Crucial Conflict
14. Hell On Earth - Big Syke, Napoleon

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Joining universities such as Berkeley, The University of Washington is offering a class on Tupac for Autumn 2003.

"The Textual Appeal of Tupac Shakur"
Autumn 2003 CHID 496E, sln 2261, 2 cr, c/nc

This focus group will explore the literary influences present in the work of late poet and hip hop artist, Tupac Shakur. We will look at a variety of texts, including Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," Machiavelli's "The Prince," Frantz Fanon's "Wretched of the Earth" and various selections from the works of Shakespeare and the Bible. We will read these texts alongside Tupac's lyrics in an effort to better understand the "theory of being" proposed by his work.

The reading for this course will be intellectually challenging, and students will be required to read about 100 pages per week. Students should be somewhat familar with both the general history of hip hop and the biography of Tupac. (Recommended: "Yes, Yes, Ya'll: An Oral History of Hip-Hop's First Decade" by Jim Fricke and Charlie Ahearn and "Holler if You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur" by Michael Eric Dyson). We will construct reading assignments and outline requirements for final projects on the first day of class.

Class Logistics:

Who am I?: A graduate student in the English department and a TA in CHID.
What kind of credit is the class? Just two plain credits, C/NC -- no VPLA or
writing credits.
Day and Time: Fridays from 10:30-12:20 in the CHID lounge in Padelford
Class size: Somewhere between 15-20.

Focus groups are not held as a "lecture style" classes but as seminar discussions. The aim of CHID focus groups is to fascilitate intellectual conversation among a  community of students (myself included) about a similar area of interest -- in this case, the work of Tupac. I should say from the get-go, I'm not interested in making Pac out to be a saint -- though I do think he was a genius (but we can argue about this once the class starts.) My point is, ALL of his writing is up for grabs...I should also add that some of the content of class discussion might be rated R, so if you're easily offended by profanity, this may not be the class for you. We're going to study Tupac like we would study any other writer, and while it's fine to bring in issues that are compelling to you personally (like the image of the thug or the figure of Suge), then I want you to relate that to Pac's lyrics....to be able to trace the metaphors he's working with to their particular history.

I would imagine class to work something like this. We'll read about a book (100 or so pages) per week. I'll assign 2 leaders for class discussion each week who will be responsible for outlining the general themes of the text and suggesting some connections to Tupac's work. This class will require you to be familiar with his albums, most of which are available in the library. As far as final projects go, I want us to be creative.....so begin thinking about it now.

This class will only work if people are truly interested in the topic and are willing to run with it. The reading list is below, and I've decided to make parts of "Holler if You Hear Me" required, so you may want to pick that up as well....It's pretty much the only academic text out there on Tupac right now, so it will be important to our discussion.

Reading List:

Title:     The Art Of War
Author:    Tzu, Sun (translator: S. Griffith)

Title:     Live From Death Row
Author:    Jamal, Mumia Abu

Title:     The Prince
Author:    Machiavelli

Title:     Wretched Of The Earth
Author:    Fanon, Frantz

Title:     Dr. Faustus
Author:  Marlowe

Title:     Holler If You Hear Me: Searching For Tupac Shakur
Author:    Dyson, Michael E.

Source: nine two six from forum.hitemup.com

Discuss
Printer Friendly

In Born 2 Ball Paul Pierce talks about his pregame music, mentioning that he listenes to DMX and Snoop.  He said if he wants to have a mad 40 point game he'll listen to Snoop, but if he wants to ride on em he'd listen to Pac.

Source: Kuntinue?

Discuss
Printer Friendly

One of the most (and definitely the longest) anticipated albums in recent history, Rakim's finally near finishing his album.  Three years in the making, Rakim has completed 16 tracks with Dre and hopes to finish seven more.  The first single is expected to hit near the end of summer with the album following shortly.

As far as guest appearances and other album information, Rakim has been fairly quiet, "There's a lot of anticipation on this album right here, so at this point we really want to keep it bottled up. Bottle it up and let it blow."

Source: ballerstatus.net

Discuss
Printer Friendly

CNN recently ran an article on Suge Knight's struggle to re-establish Deathrow Records as a force in the music industry. The article mentions the last two post-humerous Tupac releases and states that no replacement has been found.

Click here to read the full article.

Source: Phil

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Tupac Shakur is mentioned frequently in an article in this week's Sports Illustrated 50th anniversary issue.  In covering the tragic story of Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, Tupac is mentioned as an inspiration to the missing player.

"The biracial Dennehy was a rare mix indeed, a born-again Christian who revered the slain gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur.  He was just as comfortable reading the Bible as he was reading Tupac's poetry collection, A Rose That Grew from Concrete."
 
"As the case turned cold and hopes for Dennehy's safe return dimmed, it was hard not to think of his well-worn copy of Tupac's A Rose That Grew from Concrete and the haunting lines of a man who predicts he will die before his time.  'I have come to grips with the possibility/And wiped the last tear from my eyes,' Shakur wrote before his 1997 murder.  
 
The poem, which Dennehy had read many times, was called 'In the Event of My Demise.'"

Sports Illustrated, July 14, 2003.  
"The Sadness at Baylor" by Grant Wahl

Note: The year of Shakur's death is mistaken in the article.

Source: Rommel_Matt, Dave F.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

Discuss
Printer Friendly

In the wait for the release of the Outlawz's upcoming fourth album, That Was Then... This Is Now, Outlaw Recordz is scheduled to release the compilation Reloaded in the near future.

The label's official website, OutlawRecordz.net, reports that the compilation will feature appearances from Big Syke, Blaze, Ed Bone, Erick Sermon, Heartless, Jayo Felony, JT The Bigga Figga, Juvenile, Layzie Bone, Pirate Gang, Skip, The Game, Young Buck, Yukmouth and of course, the Outlawz themselves.

Discuss
Printer Friendly

The latest issue of RollingStone has an article on Eminem which makes a comparison between the popularity of Eminem and Tupac.

"What if Kurt Cobain had been a movie star? What if Madonna were a virtuoso? What if Tupac Shakur had been twice as popular -- and blond? "

The author is obviously unaware of how popular Tupac is and was, as to say Eminem is twice as popular is a vast exageration at best.

The author also mis-quotes Eminem as the best selling rapper of all-time.

"It's not just a matter of numbers, although numbers matter. Eminem has sold 20 million albums, making him the top-selling rapper ever."

Disregarding sales from Tupac's other seven albums and multiple singles, the sales of Tupac's All Eyez On Me, Makaveli, and Greatest Hits albums alone top 23 million in sales.

Source: Kushtrim Disha

Discuss
Printer Friendly

A new record label, Black Panther Records, headed by the former Black Panther Party's chief of staff, is opening for the purpose of encouraging consciousness in rap.

Click here to read the full article.

Source: GS

Discuss
Printer Friendly