One of hip hop's bar-for-bar best emcees, Royce Da 5'9, recently chopped it up with Vlad TV. During their chat the subject of ghostwriting came up.
Nickel Nine talked about writing "The Message" for Dr. Dre at 19, learning how to re-write while penning "Tell Me" for Diddy and explained why in his opinion Drake can't be considered on of today's top lyricists.
"It's a newer way of creating," Royce said. "I guess hip hop is evolving slower than other genres. And if this is what it is evolving into ... as a OG I accept it. It's my decision whether I choose to work like that or not. I choose not to work like that. It's a certain fulfillment that I get out of writing myself. But I do understand going out partying. Staying in tune with that's going on outside the booth while other people are working in the studio. Then you come back and you A&R the whole shit, produce the whole song. That's still a beast. That's a beastly ass way of working. I just get fulfillment out of writing.
I think automatically the rules have to change a little bit when you talk about ranking these artists. Where they stand as far as best lyricist. You still gotta put 'em in there as best artist. Because you're still a great artist by pulling songs together that way," he continued. "You can't take that away from 'em. But when you're talking about best lyricist ... I guess it comes down to what being a great lyricist means to you. To me a lyricist is a writer. The word lyricist and writing go hand in hand to me. You automatically can't be top tier lyricist if you're not writing everything. I'm not gonna compare you to Rakim. I'll call you the greatest of this era. And I want says that you're better than Rakim, and I won't say that you're better than Kendrick, and I won't say you're better than Cole, as a lyricist."
When asked if having a ghostwriter knocked Drake out of the best lyricist category Royce replied. "it has to, it's only fair."
To celebrate 16 years since the release her debut album titled "Da Baddest Bitch,"Trina releases some new music for her fans. Check out Trina's latest titled "Overnight" and download it for free.
A$AP Ferg is preparing to release the follow up to his 2014 "Trap Lord" album. The A$AP Mob member took to his social media accounts to unveil the cover for "Always Strive and Prosper." Peep it up top.
**UPDATE** April 6
The tracklist for A$AP Ferg's forthcoming album,"Always Strive and Prosper,"has been released.
Features include SchoolBoy Q, Future, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Uzi Vert, Skrillex, Missy Elliot, Chuck D, Rick Ross, A$AP Mob and more.
Tyga was just hit with a lawsuit by his clothing business landlord.
According to TMZ, the rapper leased a space for his Last Kings Clothing company, but skipped out on it with 5 months remaining.
The landlord says he stopped by the location in June 2015, only to find it completely empty. He alleges that he had to cough up $75,000 to make the space presentable again.
Damage allegedly included ink that was poured down the drain into the sewers, doors that were painted black with Egyptian patterns, ink stains on 5,000 feet of the concrete floor and ceiling tiles that had been painted over.
A rep for Tyga blames the owner, saying the building wasn't up to code.
The owner is asking for the $75,000 he spent plus the 5 months rent left on the lease.
The collaborations between Nino Man and Jadakiss keep coming. Their latest is titled "Phuck Dat." The song was produced by Veorleior. Give it a listen up top and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Audio Push releases their second single from their forthcoming EP, "The Stone Junction!""Vamonos" features Kap G and is produced by Izze The Producer. Stay tuned for The Stone Junction dropping April 8th.
Smoke DZA, Manolo Rose and Royce 5'9 collaborate on a new joint titled "Black Elite." The 183rd-produced song is taken from Manolo and DZA's upcoming project, "867 Madison Avenue."
Brussels, Belgium (CNN) Three explosions that ripped through the Belgian capital of Brussels on Tuesday killed at least 34 people and wounded about 170 more, according to Belgian media, and raised the reality of terror once again in the heart of Europe.
"We were fearing terrorist attacks, and that has now happened," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters.
Belgian federal Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw said late Tuesday morning that it was too soon to know exactly how many people died in the bombings. Yet Belgian state broadcaster RTBF, citing emergency services, reported 20 dead at the Maalbeek metro station and 14 more killed at Brussels' international airport.
After the blasts -- which came days after the capture of Europe's most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, in a bloody police raid -- Belgian authorities again hit the streets looking for those tied to Tuesday's carnage and who might launch more attacks.
Citing judicial sources, RTBF reported that raids were underway midday Tuesday around Brussels, targeting people linked to the attacks.
At least one of the two airport explosions was a suicide bombing, Van Leeuw said. A blast happened there outside the security checkpoints for ticketed passengers and near the airline check-in counters, an airline official briefed on the situation said.
The subway station blast happened in the Brussels district of Maalbeek, near the European quarter, where much of the European Union is based.
Richard Medic, who arrived at the station shortly after that explosion, wasn't surprised by the carnage after all that Europe has gone through recently, including the November's massacre in Paris that ISIS claimed responsibility for.
"I think, after the Paris attacks, we were assuming like this would happen," the Brussels resident told CNN. "And it was a matter of time."
Yet Jef Versele, who was in the airport's departure hall when the blasts occurred, said that he thinks Belgians should not hole themselves up and instead should continue to travel "to prove that we're not afraid of those who have done (the attacks)."
That doesn't mean being in the middle of it all, though, isn't frightening.
"You cannot believe it; you cannot believe it," Versele told CNN. "It was so insane. Not in my backyard."
Europe, U.S. on alert as well
Belgian authorities bolstered security after Tuesday's attacks, including shutting down all Brussels metro stations and evacuating the city's airport.
This comes as the terror threat level in Belgium went up four -- its highest. That step-up means that army soldiers can be sent onto the streets to meet security needs.
In addition to the airport, Belgium's Royal Palace was evacuated after the attacks. And broadcaster RTBF reported the National Pensions Office in Brussels had also been cleared after two suspicious packages were found inside.
The ramifications were felt outside the Belgian capital as well.
As far away as the United States, authorities in places like New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles took special precautions like increased K9 sweeps of subways and additional police patrols. This was especially true around airports, subway stops and train stations, with scenes like those in the U.S. capital -- where police pulled out and checked travelers at random -- not uncommon.
Similar, if not more intense measures were enacted around Europe.
Eurostar, a high-speed railway that goes to England and France, noted a number of schedule and other changes, including canceling service between London and Brussels.
NATO, the military alliance that is headquartered in Brussels, increased its own alert level and expressed solidarity with Belgium.
"This is a cowardly attack, an attack on our values and on our open societies," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. "Terrorism will not defeat democracy and take away our freedoms."
British police have increased their presence at certain locations, including transport hubs like London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, according to Scotland Yard.
And France deployed 1,600 more police around the country, according to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
That sentiment was echoed by Belgium's Michel during what he called "a dark time for our country."
"More than ever, I call on everybody to show calm, but also solidarity," the Prime Minister said. "We are facing a difficult, challenging time. And we should face up to this challenge by being united."
Airport witness: Windows broken, ceiling parts down
The darkness set in not long after the sun rose in Brussels. Anthony Barrett said he heard something about 8 a.m. local time from his hotel across from the terminal building.
"When I opened the curtains and looked out, I could see people fleeing," he told CNN.
Barrett saw stretcher after stretcher carrying people out of the airport, with luggage trollies also used to transport the wounded.
In the airport's departure hall, Versele noticed "people ... shouting and running around" after the first blast, then even more pandemonium after the second explosion, which was, "in my eyes, much more powerful."
That blast blew out windows, created a lot of smoke and caused parts of the ceiling to fall, he added.
"People were on the floor," Versele said, estimating he saw 50 to 60 people on the floor seemingly unable to walk. "... It was quite a mess."
Traveler Jeffrey Edison had cleared security and was out by the gate, several hundred yards from the departure lounge, where the explosions occurred. He told CNN he didn't hear the blasts but "suddenly saw" 200 to 300 people rushing toward him from the security checkpoint.
He says it took authorities around 25 minutes to tell the passengers what had happened, before evacuating the area and leading the passengers to the runways.
Soccer star: 'I wish for Brussels to act with dignity'
About an hour later, during the tail end of Brussels' rush hour, another blast went off at the Maalbeek metro station.
Sander Verniers was heading toward there when this explosion occurred, producing "strong winds going (through his train) and some noises that shouldn't be there." Belgian troops met the passengers as they got off the train and walked along the tracks.
"We all had to get out," Verniers told CNN. "There was a lot of smoke."
Kristalina Georgieva, the vice president of the European Commission, said that all the organization's institutions are at "alert level orange" and that all meetings on its premises and outside have been canceled.
Belgium's Prime Minister deflected a question about whether there's any link between Tuesday's bloodshed and Abdeslam's capture, saying it is too early to tell.
He said Tuesday that he had "no information" about who was responsible for the attack, adding that authorities will find that out, but right now their focus is on caring for the victims.
Belgian national soccer team captain Vincent Kompany tweeted that he was "horrified and revolted (that) innocent people (are) paying the price again," but he urged people not to encourage those wishing to lash out.
"We must reject hate and its preachers," Kompany said. "... I wish for Brussels to act with dignity."
Posted by Jake Watson on March 21, 2016 at 10:08pm
Ravoshia Mone a new artist from Bermuda but a Texas native releases her new single "Dip & Wine" which embodies the styles of reggae and hiphop infused into one. She is now working with Grammy Nominated Producer James Worthy as moving forward with new music. This song & official video is now available on Vevo, Youtube, & iTunes.
Back again, adding enticing visuals to the impressive sounds on his new project Late Night Early Morning Two, artist AM Early Morning is ready to announce his second single “Almost”, whose video is set to real ease THIS WEEK!! “Almost” is a song placed over a bluesy funk ballad, where the artist tells a somber, nostalgic tale of the environment surrounding him,the happenings in his neighborhood, the troubles of life and the reality of how some of us almost didn't make it, and others almost did. The highly anticipated full length video for this single will depict every lyric the artist drops in the bars of this song.In the meantime, be sure to check out the single here:Be sure to follow him on social media @amearlymorningRead more…
King of the Dot recently held it's "Blackout 6" event. One of the premier battles was IronSoloman vs. Dizaster. Check it out below and let us know who you think was bar for bar the better man that day.
Hosted by:Organik, Gully TK, Bishop Brigante and Poison Pen.
@Blo5k is the hot group out of ATL that consists of @b5lila + @b5_fatt. Their debut mixtape "Blo5k Muzik" hosted by Bigga Rankin and DJ Tokars generated a lot of buzz and had these guys on the road promoting and pushing. The music must continue to be updated and with that mentality they went back into the studio with Bigga Rankin and put together their lasted project "Gang". Support these super duo and their continued strive for super stardom.
R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is preparing to release his ninth solo album titled "What I'm Feeling" on March 25. He stopped by The Breakfast Club to get the word out during a conversation with Angela Yee, DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God.
In addition to the new project, Hamilton talks about getting his start as a backup singer for D'Angelo, getting divorced, having six boys, upcoming tour with Fantasia, liking August Alsina and Chris Brown.
Hailing from the gritty streets of Chicago’s West Side, rapper AM Early Morning has created a dynamic new sound. With his fusion of conscious rap and raw lyricism, embedded with passionate flow, the phenomenal artist has released a brand new project entitled “Late Night Early Morning Two” produced by the extraordinary Chance Productions. Rest assured, it is the perfect day to day soundtrack for every type of music fan! This follow up to the previously released “Late Night Early Morning” is a continued expression of the artist’s love for, and ode to Hip-Hop.Check out the brand new project, “Late Night Early Morning Two” right here:Be sure to follow AM Early Morning on Twitter and Instagram: @amearlymorningRead more…
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