The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is sweeping the country in an effort to raise awareness and funds for Lou Gehrig's Disease. Between July 28 and August 19, $22.9 million has been donated, according to ALS' press release.
“Our top priority right now is acknowledging all the gifts made by donors to The ALS Association,” said Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of The ALS Association. “We want to be the best stewards of this incredible influx of support. To do that, we need to be strategic in our decision making as to how the funds will be spent so that when people look back on this event in ten and twenty years, the Ice Bucket Challenge will be seen as a real game-changer for ALS,” she continued.
Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck have all made donations on behalf of the G-Unity Foundation. Watch them get doused for a good cause.
Who will be next? Angie Martinez? Kidd Kidd? DJ Drama? They were all nominated so stay tuned to find out.
The G-Unit camp (50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Kidd Kidd, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks) release a new music video for their single entitled "Come Up." The clip was directed by Eif Rivera.
G-Unit is stepping up to help raise funds and awareness of Lou Gehrig's Disease by taking part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Following Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Lloyd Banks hilarious turns under the freezing cold water, 50 Cent and Kidd Kidd jumped in for the frigid challenge and offered donations through the G-Unity Foundation.
While accepting Ludacris and Bow Wow's challenge, 50 nominated Omari Hardwick, Joseph Sikora and JakeGyllenhaal.
Before getting doused Kidd Kidd took on Tony Yayo's challenge and nominated the entire 9th Ward in New Orleans.
Scarface is one of a handful of living legends in the rap game. The Houston emcee has been making certified classics for over two decades as a member of the Geto Boys, Facemob, The Product and as a solo artist.
His next album is entitled Deep Rooted and will be released this year. Here's a new banger featuring Akon, "The Exit Plan." Produced by Cardiak.
Back in November 2012 Gucci Mane issued a challenge on Twitter to fight anyone who was interested.
"I'm challenging any rapper friend or foe in the ring to a boxing match. Put yo money up. Who got hands not raps. Who wants the challenge," Gucci tweeted at the time. "All Deez Pussy ass rappers -- The proceeds from the ring will go to charities. You scary ass Rappers."
It wasn't long before The Game took him up on the offer. The fight never materialized, but Gucci apparently recorded a diss record as an answer back.
Take a listen to "The Definition" up top. Produced by Zaytoven. Gucci's Trap House 4 project drops on the 4th of July.
It's no secret that Ice-T's wife Coco has had some surgical enhancements done here and there.
The 32-year old, born Nicole Natalie Austin, has covered countless men's magazines with her traffic stopping ass. But few have seen what she looked like before the fame... until now.
In a preview of her new reality show with her husband 'Ice Loves Coco,' Austin showed pictures of herself from a baby all the way up through her teens. She's never denied having breast surgery, but has always maintained that her ass was real.
Check out some before and after pics of Ice-T's better half below and decide for yourself.
Omarion has to be wondering why certain people seem hell bent on ruining his career.
The singer has been dogged by rumors regarding his sexuality recently. First former B2K member Raz-B and his brother Ricky Romance declared the "Ice Box" singer was homosexual. Then on Saturday (January 8) a press release was sent out announcing Omarion was bisexual.
Omarion says the press release was fake, but here is what it said:
“I pride myself in being an honest, God Fearing, respectful man. I have kept my personal life private and wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, other’s are interested in profiting from my anguish; so before they can do that, i will clarify things. I am not at all what certain ex-band members are trying to paint me as, I am however a respectable, mature, proud, bisexual man.”
Omarion, who was in Japan at the time immediately denied being responsible for the press release, he tweeted his 350,000 twitter followers assuring them the press release was fake.
Soon afterwards, O's PR team sent out an official press release.
"The previously released statement regarding Omarion is false and was generated for negative publicity by an unknown person. Omarion will not contribute to anything negative said or done against him. Omarion respects all of his fans, no matter religion, sexuality, or race."
The rumors got so out of hand, Omarion became a trending topic on Twitter. Frustrated, he called into Hot 97 from Japan to speak with Funkmaster Flex and once and for all clear up the rumors.
"First and foremost let me say I did not release that statement. Whatever people like is their business, but I'm not gay or bisexual, I love women and that's just what it is." Omarion told Flex.
At this point nobody knows who sent out the fake press release, but check out the rest of what Omarion had to say about the situation to Funk Flex below.
It’s easy to pick a great Dr. Dre beat. Picking 50 of them isn’t too difficult either. Where the task gets hard is in sorting them out.
There are still some people in the XXL offices who are disagreeing with each other over where certain beats fell in the pecking order, and we are sure our faithful readers will do the same. As a matter of fact, we can’t wait to hear what from our readers what we got wrong, why number five should have been number 20, and why some beat we didn’t put on the list should have been included.
So without further ado, let’s get right into the 50 Greatest Dr. Dre beats of all time.
50. “Fight Music” – D12 (2001) Album: Devil’s Night A hard-charging, hyper rap-rock cut samples Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” showcased Dre’s versatility on the boards.
49. “Natural Born Killaz” — Dr. Dre & Ice Cube (1995) Album: Murder Was The Case (The Soundtrack) The first Dr. Dre and Ice Cube recording since their N.W.A days was an audio massacre. A sinister beat fuels Cube and Dre to spit some of their most brutal verses.
48. “Remember Me” — Eminem (2000) Album: The Marshall Mathers LP A brooding and eerie concoction served to be the perfect backdrop for Em, Stick Fingaz, and RBX to spit gruesome bars over.
47. “Boss’ Life” — Snoop Dogg (2007) Album: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment The Snoop D-O-Double G bosses up over a menacing bass line and delicate keys for smoothed-out G-ride.
46. “Family Affair” — Mary J. Blige (2001) Album: No More Drama The rolling bass line and rich keys made for a ubiquitous club banger that everyone could enjoy.
45.“B*tches Ain’t Sh*t” — Dr. Dre (1992) Album: The Chronic The raucous posse cut built from Funkadelic’s “Adolescent Funk,” and MC Shan’s “The Bridge” was a rambunctious example of the Doc’s patented gangster sound.
44. “Fast Lane” — Bilal (2001) Album: 1st Born Second Neo-soul meets G-funk for a soul-stirring knock that was street but sweet.
43.“Been There Done That” — Dr. Dre (1996) Album: Dr. Dre Presents…The Aftermath Dre’s emancipation from Death Row spawned the cooler-than-thou cinematic cut.
42. “Satisfaction” — Eve (2003) Album: Eve-Olution The blond bombshell was such a f-ing lady over Dr. Dre’s stripped down funky one-two groove
41.“Express Yourself” — N.W.A (1989) Album: Straight Outta Compton Co-produced with DJ Yella, the good doctor infused the 70’s soul/funk classic “Express Yourself” (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) with some of that gangster s**t to express himself.
40. “My Name Is” — Eminem (1999) Album: The Slim Shady LP The genius of Em’s debut single lays behind Dre’s decision to keep his presence as minimal as possible, so as this then fairly unknown MC could show and prove on his own.
39.”Ask Yourself A Question” — Kurupt (1998) Album: Kuruption! The West Coast icon blessed Kurupt with a sparse bouncy backdrop to perfectly showcase the underrated MC’s talent on mic.
38. “F*ck You” — Dre (1999) Album: 2001 Dre proved that along with the street, the club and the whip, he can also make tracks that knock in the sheets.
37. “Poppin’ Them Thangs” — G-Unit (2003) Album: Beg For Mercy Dre gathered muted guitars, dark backdrops and rolling piano stabs to create a timeless head nodder.
36. “Next Episode” — Dr. Dre (1999) Album: 2001 The West Coast legend took David McCallum’s “The Edge” and turned it on it’s head, creating one of the most gangsta, cinematic instrumentals of all time.
35. “Lil’ Ghetto Boy” — Dr. Dre (1992) Album: The Chronic While he borrowed both the song title and the sample from Donny Hathaway, Dre proved to fans that he also had enough soul to compose tunes that would one day put his name amongst the greats.
34. "Westside Story” — The Lame (2004) Album: The Documentary Dre laced the Compton MC with a menacing backdrop for this standout joint from 2005’s The Documentary, with a deep organ sounds and high pitch keys.
33. “Outta Control” Remix — 50 Cent (2006) Album: The Massacre The Mighty D-R-E slimmed down his G-Funk sound for the clubs, with this 2006 cut that you could easily dance to or play the wall and bop your head with the rest of the thugs
32. “Afro Puffs” — The Lady Of Rage (1994) Album: Above The Rim (The Soundtrack Lifting two grooves from Johnny Guitar Watson (“Superman Lover” and “Love That Will Never Die”), the good Doc concocted an evil sounding, trunk rattling banger for the West Coast rapstress that still rocks rough and stuff 16 years later
31. “Ain’t No Fun” — Snoop Dogg (1993) Album: Doggystyle This classic track from Snoop’s heralded 1993 debut album, Doggystyle, showcases Dre’s signature laid-back G-Funk sound. Incorporating samples from Issac Hayes (“A Few More Kisses”) and Lynn Collins (“Think [About It]“), gang bangin’ never sounded so smooth.
30. “Keep Their Heads Ringin’ — Dr. Dre (1995) Album: Friday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) The spacey, funky production on this cut from the Friday soundtrack is still living up to its title 15 years later.
29. “Hello” — Ice Cube (2000) Album:War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) Dre and MC Ren hopping on this track from War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)created an N.W.A. reunion and Dre provided an updated sound to go along with it.
28. “Heat” — 50 Cent (2003) Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 50 Cent luh dem gun sounds, and the Doctor laced him with plenty, as a gun being cocked provided the percussion on this Get Rich or Die Tryin’ banger.
27. “Forgot About Dre” — Dr. Dre (1999) Album: 2001 To this day, this stringy 2001 standout remains one of the best collaborations between Dr. Dre and Slim Shady.
26. “F*ck Tha Police”— N.W.A (1988) Album: Straight Outta Compton One of the most controversial songs in hip-hop history wouldn’t have been the same without Dre’s aggressive, drum-heavy production.
25. “Imagine” — Snoop Dogg (2006) Album: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment Thanks to orchestral keys and D’Angelo’s soothing voice, this is one of the best Dre tracks to simply kick back and light up to.
24. “How We Do” — 50 Cent (2005) Album: The Documentary 50 Cent's hook and verses propelled this song up the charts thanks to Dre’s claps and keys.
23. “Lay Low” — Snoop Dogg (2000) Album: Tha Last Meal Snoop Dogg’s Tha Last Meal was a slept on album, especially when one considers there were singles like this collaborative effort with Dr. Dre.
22. “Nas Is Coming” — Nas (1996) Album: It Was Written This track from Nas’ It Was Written—recorded during a time of heightened tension between the East and West Coasts—also marked the beginnings of Nas and Dre’s collaborative efforts, which soon resulted in The Firm, as well.
21.”Bad Intentions” — Knoc-turnal (2001) Album: The Wash (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Dre lent his touch on the mic and the boards to this up-tempo Knoc Turn’al track which is marked by it’s constant flute sounds.
20. “X” — Xzibit (2000) Album: Restless He calls the good doctor. Dre comes with a bone-shattering beat that sounds like a great leftover from the 2001 sessions for Xzibit’s first single off the Restless album, which Dr. Dre also executive produced.
19. “Let Me Ride” — Dr. Dre (1992) Album: The Chronic What do you get when you mix James Brown drums, with a bit of Bill Withers’ percussion, then throw in some Parliament for good measure? 1992’s “Let Me Ride,” one of Dre’s most memorable tracks.
18. “Phone Tap” — The Firm (1997) Album: The Album In the wake of the dreaded East Coast/West Coast beef and the deaths of both 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., Dre hooked up with Nas’ The Firm and helped bridge the coastal divide. A testament to the union was “Phone Tap”, Dre’s take on New York’s then-Mafia inspired sound. Ironic how a flip of Chris Barber’s 1959 diddy “Petite Fleur,” (translation: little flower) turned out to be one of rap’s hardest beats ever.
17. “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” — Eve (2002) Album: Scorpion Always known for hip-hop hits, Dre once again proved his pop prowess in 2001 when he laced Eve and guest Gwen Stefani with the instrumental for “Let Me Blow Yar Mind.” Hard enough for E-V-E’s aggressive raps, by bright enough for Gwen’s crossover-styled vocals, Dre conjured up the best of both worlds and gained a Grammy for the track.
16. “Guilty Conscience” — Eminem (1999) Album: The Slim Shady LP Sure haters poked fun at Eminem, writing him off as a one-hit wonder with his quirky first single “My Name Is”, but by the time he dropped “Guilty Conscience” that same year, even the saltiest of rap heads had to give it up. Dre’s flip of Ronald Stein’s 1970 song “Go Home Pigs,” with it’s prodding bass gave Em the perfect lane to spit some of his best bars and he has Mr. Dre, Mr. N.W.A. to thank for it.
15. “Tha Shiznit” — Snoop Dogg (1993) Album: Doggystyle Most artists go to Dre to secure a single, but some times a low-key album cut can be just as potent. Such was the case with “Tha Shiznit” off of Snoop’s Doggystyle album. Who would’ve thought that a sampling of Billy Joel’s 1977 cut “The Stranger” would make for one of the albums best beats? Well, Dre of course.
14. “B*tch Please” — Snoop Dogg (1999) Album: No Limit Top Dogg Back when Snoop was riding with Master P’s No Limit label, fans longed for a reunion with the Cali funk doctor and on “b**ch Please”, Dre didn’t disappoint. The formula was familiar, pulsating bass, bright keys and swirling flutes. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
13. “Doggy Dogg World” — Snoop Dogg (1993) Album: Doggystyle By the time Snoop Dogg’s debut Doggystyle dropped, the LBC MC was the epitome of gangster; that was until Dre smoothed things out on the album’s third single “Doggy Dogg World.” The deep rolling bassline, calming keys and the overlaying sleigh bells all combined to form one of hip-hop’s most two-steppingiest tracks of all-time.
12. “Ho’s a Housewife” — Kurupt (1999) Album: Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha Kurupt’s Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha album was filled with Left Coast goodness, but none sonically better than the Dre-produced “Ho’s a Housewife.” The mid-tempo, bottom heavy track oozed pimpery and was so good that it also appeared on 2001, which dropped two weeks after ’Rupt’s CD.
11. “California Love” — 2Pac (1995) Album: All Eyez On Me Out on bail, fresh out of jail, who did 2Pac call to map out his return to rap? Well the good Doctor of course. With his bouncy synths and thumping bass, Dre’s flip of Zapp And Roger’s “Dance Floor” proved to be the perfect backdrop for ’Pac’s West coast ode.
10. “Straight Outta Compton” — N.W.A (1988) Album: Straight Outta Compton If N.W.A’s “don’t-give-a-damn” attitude wasn’t obvious in the rhymes of Ice Cube and the group’s other MCs, the message was written all over this beat. Dre may have always had the ability to craft a beat for the dance floor, but in his early years, he was trying to do anything but make people move their feet. “Straight Outta Compton” is a stylized mess of diesel truck horns, shrieking record scratches, and aggressive percussion.
9. “The Watcher” — Dr. Dre (1999) Album: 2001 It’s here, the very first song on 2001 where Dre proves his comeback was going to live up to all the hype his absence had created. The quiet whisper of the song’s chorus is a perfect compliment to all the instrumentals subtleties — tinkling keys, staccato horn blasts, and bass designed to put necks and bodies in motion.
8. “Still D.R.E.” — Dr. Dre (1999) Album: 2001 In many ways, “Still D.R.E.” was a comeback record for Dr. Dre. After having taken a hit on his credibility for his lackluster work on the 1996 Dr. Dre Presents…The Aftermath, Dre returned to the form that made him famous with this song, the first single from 2001.
7. “F*ck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” — Dr. Dre (1992) Album: The Chronic The lyrics to Dr. Dre’s second single from The Chronic were meant to sting Eazy-E, but what probably hurt more was the beat’s trunk-rattling bass line. It’s obvious from the moment “f**k Wit Dre Day” begins, the most talented artist on the West Coast was a man named Andre Young.
6. “Gin and Juice” — Snoop Dogg (1993) Album: Doggystyle By the time Doc went to work on Snoop Dogg’s debut album, Doggstyle, the producer’s G-Funk sound was a familiar presence on urban radio. In turn, “Gin and Juice” became a timeless hit record, sounding more like the street and party anthem it was than today’s jingly odes to a rapper’s drink of choice.
5. “In Da Club” — 50 Cent (2003) Album: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ It could be argued that without 50 Cent’s catchy hook and rhyme patterns over this fairly simple beat, “In Da Club” would not have been the hit that it was. There’s not much to “In Da Club”; the in-the-face smack of Dre’s drums, simple syncopated string patterns, and a drifting one-note guitar lick, but therein lays the innovation.
4. “It’s Funky Enough” — The D.O.C. (1989) Album: No One Can Do It Better Even now, it’s hard to believe Dr. Dre made this beat nearly 20 years ago. The way he pieces together samples of The Sylvers’ “Misdemeanor” and James Brown’s “Funky President” was an audio marvel and a big reason why many consider this record to be one of D.O.C.’s shining moments in his brief career.
3.”Xxplosive” — Dr. Dre (1999) Album: 2001 This album cut from Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001 was never released as an official single, but it surely felt like one. With its sampling of Soul Mann & The Brothers’ 1971 song, “Bumpy’s Lament”, “Xxplosive” was a proper update of the G-Funk sound Dre ushered in; a funky, soulful sound bed for Kurupt’s ferocious first verse, and Nate Dogg’s bluesy 16.
2. “Deep Cover” — Dr. Dre (1992) Album: Deep Cover (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Most noted for being the song on which a young rapper named Snoop Dogg was introduced to the world (then named Snoop Doggy Dogg), “Deep Cover” was a haunting cut with hardcore lyrics to match the beat’s gritty mood.
1. “Nuthin But A “G” Thang” — Dr. Dre (1993) Album: The Chronic Dr. Dre and Los Angeles hip-hop were already on the map before the release of this 1992 single from his solo debut, The Chronic, but “Nuthin But A “G” Thang” made the whole country take seriously the contributions of G-Funk. The beat’s sneaky flutes and subtle guitar notes combined with the pavement pounding force of the thumping four-note bass line, woke people up to the idea that melody can indeed sound gangsta.
Video After The JumpProbably the greatest debate among hip hop heads is who the greatest mc of all time is. If you polled 100 people I would bet 90% of them could name a greatest rapper in their mind.
One rapper who would definitely get top 5 dead or alive consideration is Nas. He feels like rap hasn't been around long enough to definitively name one the greatest.
"Somebody asked me who was the greatest mc of all time. And I think it's too premature, it doesn't make any sense," Nas said. "Like when you ask most singers who do they like, who were they inspired by. They might not say Usher, they might not say Trey Songz, they might not say Justin Timberlake. They might say Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder because they had the opportunity to look at these guys' whole body of work. And even if I say [LL] Cool J was the greatest of all time, no doubt he's the greatest. But when you put that title on yourself, it's almost like burying yourself."
What Nas says makes sense in a way, but I think based on what we have seen throughout rap's history, it's possible to choose a rapper who is the greatest of all time. At least until now.
What do you guys think? Do you have a # 1 above all choice? If so, who is it?
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Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 20, 2010 at 6:00am
Video After The JumpWhen it comes to great hip hop songs, NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" is near the top of most people's lists.
The Roots' Black Thought and Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip went in, and performed the classic at the Hennessy Artistry tour stop in Chicago on Saturday (September 18).
Backed by The Roots band, this was ill.
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For a hot minute, Houston rapper Mike Jones was everywhere. Dude was gimmicky, repeating his name throughout songs and giving out his real cell number. But people overlooked that because he had a bonafied hit early on with "Still Tippin", a collaboration with Slim Thug and Pall Wall.
At that time, Mike was with Michal "5000" Watts at Swishahouse where he dropped the album 'Who Is Mike Jones?'. Seeing an opportunity to grab a bigger piece of the pie, Mike formed Ice Age Entertainment and dropped the mostly ignored album 'The Voice'.
In addition to waning popularity, Mike was running into trouble with other rappers locally in Houston. At the 2008 Ozone Awards, held in Houston, he got punched in the nose by Trae The Truth for referring to himself as the "President Of Houston", even though he never repped the city according to Trae.
Ozone caught up with Pall Wall recently and asked him just what the hell happened to Mike.
Seems, Mike wasn't one of Paul's favorite people and he let that be known.
"Ever since he left Swishahouse I haven’t really kept track of him. I really didn’t know him too well before he came to Swishahouse. I’d say he dug his own grave. He lied to a lot of people, he turned his back on a lot of people, and he burned a lot of bridges. I don’t want to kick a dog while he’s down and I don’t wanna just talk shit about him, but I think a lot of people were happy when [Trae] punched him and knocked him out. But at the same time, a lot of people were mad at Trae too. It’s not like Mike Jones is the gangsta of the year, so in my opinion, you don’t really get points for beating up Mike Jones. Some people say it was a publicity stunt on Trae’s part, but I disagree with that totally because I know Trae and he doesn’t really do publicity stunts like that. If Trae feels disrespected, he’s going to address it. I think that’s what happened. If somebody disrespects you, [punching them] is not always the answer, but it’s definitely sometimes the answer. So I don’t feel like Trae was wrong in any form or fashion. Trae doesn’t do publicity stunts. But like I said, Mike Jones burned his bridge with a lot of people, so he probably had a knock out coming from somewhere at some time anyway. I’m positive of that."
Well, Damn!!
Mike Jones after getting clocked by Trae The Truth at 2008 Ozone Awards
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Actor/comedian Chris Tucker has somehow gotten himself into a huge problem with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
TMZ is reporting that he owes an astonishing $11 million dollars in back taxes.
The star, who really broke onto the national radar with his role as "Smokey" in the Ice Cube penned comedy 'Friday' has been very selective in his movie roles of late. He's only appeared in the two 'Rush Hour' sequels since 2001, but he earned a total of $45 million dollars from them.
According to the TMZ report, Tucker failed to pay his taxes in 2001, 2002 and 2004 through 2006.
Rap legend DR. DRE is working on another album in addition to his long-awaited DETOX record - he's preparing a disc full of space-inspired instrumentals.
The superproducer has promised to release the follow-up to his 1999 hit, 2001, by the end of the year (10) after numerous delays.
But he reveals there's another project in the works too - and it's truly out of this world.
He tells Vibe magazine, "An instrumental album is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have the ideas for it.
"I want to call it The Planets... It's just my interpretation of what each planet sounds like. I'm gonna go off on that. Just all instrumental. I've been studying the planets and learning the personalities of each planet.
"I've been doing this for about two years now, just in my spare time, so to speak. I wanna do it in surround sound. It'll have to be in surround sound for Saturn to work."
A release date for the tentatively-titled The Planets has yet to be announced.
Producer Ervin “EP” Pope filed a lawsuit against rapper Mack 10 and his record label Hoo Bangin’ Entertainment, claiming he is owed hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties.
EP claims he was never compensated for production work on two tracks featured on Mack 10’s album Soft White.
According to the lawsuit, EP claims Mack 10 orally agreed to pay a total of $60,000, for producing the songs “It’s Your Life” and “Big Balla.”
EP is seeking at least $100,000 from Mack 10 in addition to his share of unpaid royalties from sales of the album Soft White and the two songs in question.
Pope has produced tracks for a number of established artists, including Jay-Z, Twista, Kanye West Snoop Dogg, The Game and others.
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