West Coast emcee and producer Hittman was set to be the flagship artist on Dr. Dre's Aftermath record label. He was featured on many of Dre's bangers including 10 songs on "Chronic 2001."
"Last Dayz" was released in 2000 and was supposed to be the lead single off of Hittman's shelved "Murda Weapon" album. It eventually appeared Hittman's "Hittmanic Verses (Collection) project. By that time he was long gone from Aftermath.
You can grab "Hittmanic Verses (Collection) album on all streaming platforms
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The UFC has been sold for approximately $4 billion to a group led by Hollywood talent agency WME-IMG.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the sale of the mixed martial arts promotional company in text messages to The Associated Press on Sunday night.
Dana White will remain UFC President following it's $4 billion sale
WME co-CEO Ari Emanuel also announced the sale early Monday in an internal company email that included SNTV — a joint venture between The Associated Press and IMG.
Ari Emanuel
"We've been honored to have UFC and a number of its athletes as clients and couldn't be happier to take our relationship to this next level as the organization's owner and operating partner," Emanuel said.
White will stay on to run the UFC, which has grown from a money-losing promotion in a minor sport into a global entertainment brand. UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta have tapped out of the company after nearly 16 years, although they'll retain a minority interest. The Abu Dhabi government still owns 10 percent of the UFC as well.
The New York Times first reported the completion of the long-rumored deal. It has financial backing from private equity firms Silver Lake Partners, which owns WME-IMG, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, along with the investment firm of billionaire Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computers.
"UFC has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade and we are looking forward to helping the organization and its athletes identify new opportunities to develop and further establish their global footprint," Emanuel said.
The UFC was founded in 1993 as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, staging violent fights that were banned or unregulated in many areas. The Fertitta brothers and White, their high school friend, purchased the promotion for $2 million in 2001.
Lorenzo Fertitta (left) and Frank Fertitta
With White as the promotional face and Lorenzo Fertitta as its chairman, the Las Vegas-based UFC was kept afloat by the Fertittas' casino fortune while the sport once labeled by John McCain as "human cockfighting" gradually gained widespread acceptance and popularity.
The UFC used cable television and the internet to get its intriguing product in front of young fans, and they also sought legitimacy by welcoming regulation by athletic commissions. New York finally lifted its ban on MMA earlier this year, putting the sport in all 50 states.
After helping Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz become stars who straddled the line between sports and entertainment, the promotion now boasts a stable of elite athletes with mainstream fame, including Conor McGregor, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, who is represented by WME.
Conor McGregor (left) Ronda Rousey (right) have become 2 of the biggest stars in the UFC
Although the UFC has received occasional criticism from fighters for its pay scale, its ability to control talent costs is a major factor in its profitability. Its position atop MMA also allows it to match the sport's top fighters against each other consistently, setting it apart from the hopelessly fractured world of boxing.
The UFC's price tag has drawn gasps since it was first rumored earlier this year, but the consortium is getting a sports property with a unique niche and ample growth potential.
WME purchased IMG, the sports and event management group, in 2013, and the talent agency has evolved into a multifaceted entertainment company. The organization already made moves into niche sports properties last year by buying Professional Bull Riders and forming an e-sports gaming league with Turner Broadcasting.
With more than 500 athletes under contract, the UFC stages roughly 40 events per year and is broadcast in more than 150 countries, reaching 1.1 billion television households. The promotion has built a large roster of endorsement deals and sponsorships, and its subsidiary ventures include everything from a digital streaming service to more than 100 branded fitness centers.
The UFC also recently began construction in Las Vegas on a 180,000-square-foot, campus-style corporate headquarters that also will house training and rehabilitation facilities for its fighters.
The UFC appears regularly on Fox under its seven-year broadcast deal, which ends in 2018. The next contract is expected to be extraordinarily lucrative.
On Saturday night, the promotion staged the landmark UFC 200 show in its hometown. The event drew 18,202 fans to T-Mobile Arena and took in $10.8 million in ticket sales, both Nevada records for the company.
The late, great D12 rapper Proof was in London, England in 2001 for a concert with Eminem. Watch as he hypes the crowd with an impromptu freestyle for Tim Westwood TV.
STAR & BUC WILD made the national stage on MTV in 1999 but it was their cutting-edge radio show on New York's Hot 97 and Power 105 (2000 - 2006) that secured their place in history.
Considered radio pioneers by many, STAR & BUC WILD have set precedents on the urban landscape and were recently inducted into News One's "Top 20 Black Radio Jockeys Of All Time."
Their resume includes The Source magazine, MTV Networks, Hot 97, Power 104.1, Power 105.1, Pulse 87, Hip-Hop Weekly magazine, Vladtv, Thisis50, 100.3 The Beat, shot97.com and VH1 (The Gossip Game).
Tim Westwood has dug up some golden footage from 2001 of Eminem and D12 having a freestyle session backstage in London. Watch Slim, Proof, Mr. Porter, Kuniva and Swifty McVay get busy.
Before Pitbull became the international superstar that he is today he was just like every other rapper looking for his big break. Here is some lost footage of Pit on Uncle Luke's 'Something Nasty' tour in 2001 spitting some freestyle bars.
Dr. Dre hit up Club Liv in Miami over the weekend to help DJ Stevie J celebrate his birthday. With DJ Clue behind the turntables, Dre performed his classic song "Still Dre."
Lil Wayne will be the latest hip hop artist to play a stripped down set for MTV Unplugged.
Due to air June 12 at 9 pm Eastern, the concert will be the first televised rap performance for MTV since Jay-Z in 2001.
"Lil Wayne is an amazing choice for Unplugged as he is at hip-hop's forefront — leading a new generation of artists whose appeal spans across music genres and playlists," Amy Doyle, MTV's EVP of Music and Talent, said.. "Lil Wayne's skills, influence, and catalog are a powerful addition to the legacy of artists who have rocked the 'Unplugged' stage."
It's been a very busy 2011 for Wayne. In addition to non-stop touring and several cameos on other artists songs, the 28-year old is finishing up his highly anticipated new album 'Tha Carter IV' which is expected to be released June 12.
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