Singer Amerie is back! She talks to GIANT Magazine about her personal style and upcoming album in her photo shoot for GIANT's Celebrity Style section.
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AllHipHop Reports
The life of Harlem rapper Lamont “Big L” Terry will be told via a new documentary titled Street Struck: The Big L Story.
Produced by Dangerzone Films, Street Struck takes a look at Big L’s rise, from his early involvement with groups like Children of Da Corn (featuring Mase, McGruff, Bloodshed and Cam’ron) to his role as a member of the legendary Diggin In The Crates collective of rappers and producers.
Street Struck also chronicles Big L’s ascent as one of the most gifted, technical rappers in the genre.
The documentary, which was produced by Dangerzone Films, features rare stories and photographs about Big L, as told by various family members, friends and other rappers who worked with him.
The final version of the documentary will also feature extremely rare footage of Big L and the late Big Pun performing together on stage and conducting an interview from the set of Fat Joe’s “John Blaze” video shoot.
Artists like Mysonne, DJ Premier, Showbiz, McGruff, Cipha Sounds, Stan Spit and others give an insiders view of Big L, who was tragically killed in a barrage of bullets in February of 1999 in Harlem.
Big L’s murder remains unsolved by New York police.
In related news, a mural of Big L on 140th Street in Harlem was slated to be re-done to withstand the elements and to touch up the painting.
Although there is no release date for Street Struck: The Big L Story, sources told AllHipHop.com that the documentary will be released in February, to mark the 11th year of Big L’s death.
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Reuters Reports
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years," Whitney Houston sings on what is, in fact, her latest comeback album.
The 46-year-old pop singer, a long-term resident of the record charts during the 1980s and '90s, officially ends a seven-year hiatus on Monday with the U.S. release of her sixth studio album, "I Look To You."
Early reviews are promising and Houston's Sony Corp-owned Arista Records label hopes it will become one of the biggest sellers of the year.
The music industry desperately needs a hit. Annual U.S. sales in 2009 are on track to slide for the eighth time in nine years, ravaged by the recession, piracy and competition from other forms of entertainment such as video games.
Houston could also do with a hit. Her previous album "Just Whitney" in 2002, also was billed as a comeback and was the worst-selling of her career. She got more attention in the ensuing years for her rocky personal life, including multiple stints in drug rehab and a bitter divorce from former R&B star Bobby Brown.
In fact, she half-jokingly said last month that she had been planning to retire to an island when her mentor, record-industry chieftain Clive Davis, phoned 3 1/2 years ago to lure her back to the studio.
Davis, who has closely overseen Houston's career since signing her at a New York nightclub in 1983, lined up such A-listers as R&B singers Alicia Keys and R. Kelly, and prolific tunesmith Diane Warren to write songs for Houston.
"IT'S A BEYONCE WORLD"
Keys wrote the single "Million Dollar Bill," which received a warm reception at radio stations earlier this month. But will that translate into big album sales, especially when there's a new crop of superstars in the spotlight?
"It's a Beyonce world," said Caryn Ganz, an editor at Rolling Stone magazine. "I don't think Whitney has a clear place anymore."
She predicted early sales would be strong, then taper off.
Arista agrees with the first half of that assessment. Industry sources expect the album will sell between 300,000 and 400,000 copies across the United States during its first week, easily taking the No. 1 spot during a late-summer slump.
"This is a cultural event," said Scott Seviour, the label's senior VP of marketing and artist development. "The enthusiasm and the energy for this release is palpable."
Such a start would outpace first-week tallies for recent releases by Kelly Clarkson (255,000) and Madonna (280,000) but fall short of those for Mariah Carey (463,000), Beyonce (482,000) and Britney Spears (505,000).
"Just Whitney," the only album that Davis did not work on, debuted at No. 9 in 2002 with 205,000 copies and sold about 730,000, overall. Houston's worldwide sales of albums, singles and videos stand at 170 million units, according to Arista.
The label has left no marketing stone unturned, targeting Houston's core fan base of 30- to 55-year-old women, as well as the gay and lesbian community, Seviour said.
For her part, Houston has adopted a low profile. As with her 2002 album, she has consented to only one big TV interview, this time on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which will air on September 14. Next Tuesday, she will tape a performance in New York's Central Park for ABC's breakfast show "Good Morning America."
A few magazine cover stories are in the works, including the next issue of Ebony, and there probably will be a concert tour next year, Seviour said
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HipHopWired Reports
In celebration, Hip Hop royalty and fans alike will gather together on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at Santos Party House, to welcome back one of Hip Hop's favorite MC's Raekwon The Chef. To host the evening festivities will be none other than Sean "Diddy" Combs alongside New York radio HOT 97 morning personality Peter Rosenberg as DJ Kid Capri warm up the crowd on the wheels of steel. This album release party, presented by Ice H20 Records and Littles, is expected to be one of those legendary moments in New York City Hip-Hop.
Easily considered one of the most influential Hip-Hop albums of its time, Raekwon's 1999 smash solo project Only Built 4 Cuban Linx remains at the top of every Hip-Hop "Best Of" list. After a brief recording hiatus and years on the road as both a solo artist and a part of the ground breaking Wu-Tang Clan, "The Chef" returns with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, to be released on September 8th on his Ice H2O Record label.
Regarding the follow up of his classic Raekwon states, " I'm excited about this project. This is a true evolution from where we began. I'm also overwhelmed by the love and support that I've received. My long time friend and Hip Hop veteran, Diddy, reached out to offer his support and agreed to host the event. It's going down at Santos Party House, which is one of my personal favorite spots. I also knew it would be the perfect environment to celebrate with my core audience."
Rae will also bless the audience with a live performance and such artists as Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Lyfe Jennings, Talib Kweli, Beanie Siegel, Ghostface, and Slick Rick will also be in the building that night to help bless the stage.
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TRACKLIST :
01. Intro (Brisco Speaks)
02. Revenge
03. Game Room
04. The Realist Shit I Wrote
05. Stunt
06. This Ain't A Rap Song
07. Stay Strapped (Everyday) ft. Ludacris
08. Shit On Me (The Transition)
09. Goon Music
10. Slidin
11. Interlude (Brisco Speaks)
12. A Goon's Scripture
13. Bout Dat
14. We Got It
15. Blood Money ft. Rick Ross, Birdman, Ace Hood
16. Maze
17. Do Dat To Death ft. Rico Love
18. I'm Back
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Shawty Lo shows yall what goes down, behind the scenes in the studio. Check out what Lo and his crew did to one of the homies while he was sleeping!
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Watch out boys! Kristen Stewart, seen here in the film 'The Cake Eaters,' is showing some skin for a new indie film.
NY Daily News Reports
Kristen Stewart is baring it all.
The Twilight star will appear nude in an upcoming indie flick, "Welcome to the Rileys," also starring James Gandolfini. The "Twilight" star plays the role of a 16-year-old lap dancer and prostitute, Mallory.
The movie tells the story of how Mallory reunites a grieving couple (Gandolfini and Oscar nominee, Melissa Leo) who have fallen apart after the death of their young daughter eight years before. The speculation is that Stewart will strip in several scenes.
"It’s an independent movie that nobody would normally see and now it’s like, 'Oh, let’s go see Bella in this stripper movie—it’ll be crazy!" the actress told WENN.com.
Also coming up for Stewart is her role playing Joan Jett in "The Runaways" due next year, and the next two movies in "The Twilight Saga."
XXL Reports
While rumors of a Hot Boys reunion have been circulating the net for some time now, it has yet to materialize. During a recent interview Juvenile told XXLMag.com that all four members of the group have yet to hit the studio together.
“They already gave me some money on that project but I don’t really know what happened to that,” Juvie told XXL. “I would love to give people a concrete answer but all I can tell you is I did receive some money for that project. I don’t know what happened with the business on everybody else so I can only speak on a Juvenile standpoint.”
Although he has already been compensated, Juvie says that himself, Lil Wayne, B.G and Turk, have yet to make any new tracks together. When asked if they have even recorded any new music, the New Orleans native replied, “Nah we never made it to that point. “ He does assure us, on the other hand, that him and B.G. have shared the vocal booth together on one track.
As XXL previously reported, Juvie recently released a new song from his upcoming ninth studio album, Cocky and Confident. On the track, titled “My Money Don’t Fold,” he uses the term “soldier” disrespectfully which fans speculated might be aimed towards Soulja Boy. Juvie cleared up his true meaning, saying the term is a popular slang in the South, similar to the way New Yorkers say “son.”
“People are taking it the wrong way,” Juvenile explained. “I said ‘soldier’ and everyone thinks I’m talking about Soulja Boy. But that’s been my language and my word long before Soulja Boy even came about. That’s really how we talk down here.”
Cocky and Confident is currently slated for an October release on UTP/E1 Music/Atlantic. In the meantime fans can hit Juvie on his twitter page, @juviethegreat.
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MTVNEWS Reports
50 Cent may rub some rappers in New York the wrong way at times, but the Queens-bred artist is generous as any entertainer when it comes to serving his community and fostering a direct relationship with fans.
This weekend was shaping up to be a display of his altruism: On Saturday he's busing in a number of residents from his former South Jamaica, Queens, neighborhood to New Jersey for a day at Six Flags Great Adventures amusement park, followed by a 50 performance.
But his "40 Day" event, also known as "Family Day," scheduled for Sunday has hit a major snag and is being postponed indefinitely, MTV News has learned.
The rapper's representative released this statement to MTV News exclusively regarding the festivities.
"The G-Unity Foundation and New York Restoration Project are deeply saddened and disappointed to learn that the permit for our upcoming Family Day event was not granted by the City," the statement read. "As a result, Family Day — scheduled for August 30th — has been postponed until further notice."
The project, sponsored by 50 and actress Bette Midler, drew the ire of the city when authorities discovered the rapper may perform at the event. The New York Post drummed up controversy around the event, reporting that locals were concerned about violence. The story cited a number of local sources, several of them anonymous, with one person saying "police brass were worried that a rival or punk out to make a name for himself would try to shoot Fitty during the performance."
The rapper spoke with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and assured officials he would not be performing. Bloomberg confirmed he talked with 50 and indicated the event would still take place. The two seemed to settle on a compromise that things could proceed if the rapper didn't perform.
G-Unit rapper Tony Yayo said the event would still take place despite the minor setback when he spoke to MTV News one day after Bloomberg told reporters he met with 50.
"The mayor was saying he spoke to 50 and he agreed that it wouldn't be a performance. Yo, I can't get at the mayor," Yayo said. "I don't even wanna say anything bad about him — I don't wanna get pulled over when I leave from outta here! But 50's big, 50s bigger than life. Rumor is he spent over half a million dollars on this."
Q-Tip, also a native of the neighborhood, recently rallied behind 50 and attacked Mayor Bloomberg's administration for having outdated views of New Yorkers. He said the move to strike down 50's performance hurts kid who may aspire to rise out of their conditions like the rapper has done. He called it a blow to the community's morale.
"I think that's a shot to morale," Tip said. "It's a shot to somebody's morale who's 15 or 16 years old. That's an impressionable soul who sees 50 Cent, how he's not able to see him perform. I think the [city's officials] are aware, but they think [50's] performance may cause rabble-rousing, or get people to act out. That's just an old way of thinking about folk, especially black folk. That's what it all boils down to, essentially."
50 Cent announced plans for his first annual 40 Day event last year. He partnered with Midler in November to unveil the Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Community Garden. During that event he told the crowd about his plans for the summer. "We're gonna make it happen the way we been making it happen, right here," he said, referring to Family Day.
For now, though, the plans are on hold. 50's G-Unity Foundation expressed their disappointment over the news.
"Everyone in the community of Jamaica, Queens, especially the children, were looking forward to once again participating in this fun-filled, family-friendly event which was to promote community pride and provide adults and children alike with quality time together," they said.
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AllHipHop Reports
Oakland veteran Too Short was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana yesterday morning (August 27) in Las Vegas.
The 43-year-old rapper was stopped by Las Vegas Metro Police around 4:00 am and charged with driving under the influence, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and exhibition of power.
According to TMZ.com, it’s the second time Too Short has been charged with DUI in Las Vegas within the past three months.
In related news, Too Short recently revealed that he was working on an Internet only album as well as a memoir based on his life titled Life Is Too Short: The Resilient Life of Todd Shaw.
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THE LONG AWAITED HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DJ DRAMA/G-UNIT COLLAB IS FINALLY HERE. G-UNIT CAPO TONY YAYO LINKS UP WITH BARACK O'DRAMA FOR THIS HOT MIXTAPE !! DOWNLOAD LINK BELOW
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AllHipHop Reports
The NAACP is now involved in Corey “C-Murder” Miller’s homicide case, requesting that the Supreme Court step in over evidence of jury tampering.
Miller was sentenced to life in prison on August 11 for the murder of 16 year old Steve Thomas, who was shot after a 2002 altercation with the rapper in a Harvey nightclub.
The jury reached the conviction through a vote of 10-2. The ruling was controversial, as juror Mary Jacob claimed that her guilty vote made under pressure from fellow jurors to end the drawn-out trial.
She stated in an interview that she was verbally abused, and became physically ill during the sessions.
Judge Hans Liljeberg ordered another deliberation, which resulted in a second 10-2 verdict that was upheld.
Louisiana NAACP President Ernest Johnson wrote a letter to Chief Justice Catherine Kimble, calling for her court to conduct “a full investigation of this entire case, the immediate removal of the trial judge, the appointment of a new judge from outside the 24th Judicial District to hear all post trial motions, and the immediate release of Mr. Miller from prison pending a review of this entire matter because justice delayed is justice denied.”
At press time, the Louisiana’s Supreme Court has not released a statement on whether Miller’s conviction will be reviewed.
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HipHopWired Reports
Watts finest Jay Rock has been on a roll this month with a 30-day assault of music to the Internet. While his Warner Bros. debut is still in the making, Jay Rock spoke to Hip-Hop Wired about the major flood of music and the hold up of his album after releasing the bang out single “All My Life (Ghetto)” with Weezy F. Baby over a year ago.
“Basically what I'm doing, I don't want to be one of those dudes that put out an album just for the sake of saying I have an album out and it don't do nothing. I feel like when I got the right support, I feel like when I got everybody behind me, and basically I got the world on my shoulders and everybody supporting me, then I'll drop the album. But right now I'm just gone continue to feed the streets until I know I got everybody's attention. I just need that support. When I drop my album, I want it to do what it's supposed to do.”
Not one to rest on just that, Jay Rock also announced that he will be dropping an official single with a “big surprise” on it at the end of the month. Speaking on what made him come up with the “30-Day Takeover,” he said,
“My pops had passed away recently and I was going through a lot of stuff. So then I told myself I'm gone take over the game so I went in and just started knocking out songs. So I got back on my grind and was in the studio like four days straight, I didn't even go home. It's real music that people gone love. I gotta go hard with it. I see a lot of people killing that Internet game and that's where it's at. Killing that internet with some good material so I made up my mind I'm gone go in and show them Jay Rock's hustle. It's a lot of original material too so I'm just letting the streets tell me what they think about it. I got plenty of material so I just want that support so I'm getting everybody ready for the album. I might mess around and do another one. Just gearing up for the next single to continue to give that streets that good music with the mixtapes until that day come from the official album to drop.”
Jay Rock is also bombarding the mixtape circuit with everyone from DJ Drama to DJ Kay Slay.
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September 13, the night of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was already shaping up to be a pretty busy evening for Beyoncé. — who's nominated for a whopping nine Moonmen. Now, it's going to be even busier.
That's because B — who's up for Video of the Year and Best Female Video for her eye-popping, hip-shaking "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" clip — has just been added to the growing list of VMA performers, too.
Beyoncé will take the stage to sing "Sweet Dreams," the latest single off her multi-platinum I Am ... Sasha Fierce album. She joins the likes of husband Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Green Day, Pink and Muse, all of whom have also been confirmed as performers at the '09 VMAs.
This will mark the third time the real-life Sasha Fierce has performed at the show. In 2003, she shared the stage with Jay for "Crazy in Love." Then in 2006, she brought the house down with a fiery version of her single "Ring the Alarm."
Also, while the big show is taking place, there's going to be plenty happening on MTV.com too. That's where we'll exclusively unveil Death Cab for Cutie's "Meet Me on the Equinox," which has just been tapped as the first single off the "New Moon" soundtrack, which hits stores on October 20.
And if that isn't enough VMA news we've got for you, it's also been confirmed that up-and-coming rapper Wale and the legendary Washington, D.C., Go-Go band UCB will serve as the official house band for the night. As his work with Lady Gaga on the song "Chillin' " proves, Wale is no stranger to collaborations, so he should feel right at home when he joins forces with the All-American Rejects, Pitbull and 3OH!3 to perform versions of the year's biggest hits.
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}