Blogs

All Posts (59442)

Sort by

Ashanti To Play 'Dorothy' In NYC Production Of "The Wiz"

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 5:06pm

NEW YORK — Come June 12, Ashanti will be easing on down the road as Dorothy during a three-week stint in "The Wiz" at the New York City Center. And until she begins rehearsals next week, the Grammy-winning singer is just spending time at home, working on the role made famous by Diana Ross. "We don't start rehearsals until next Monday, so I'm at home rehearsing in my room," she told MTV News at a press conference for "The Wiz," where she sang the song "Home" from the show. "But it feels great to be out here and to sing 'Home' for the very first time in front of a crowd. It makes it realistic, and it kind of hits home, ironically." Although she still has a few weeks until she makes her debut as Dorothy, Ashanti is excited that night after night, she'll get the chance to sing "Home." "I think so many people relate to that song on so many different levels. Obviously, for me, being gone and traveling so much, you miss home, and you get a sense of 'I miss it,' so when I'm there, I take advantage," she said. "Then again, so many people are able to relate to it." The cast includes Orlando Jones ("Mad TV") as the Wiz and LaChanze (Broadway's "The Color Purple") as Glinda. Ashanti can't wait to start working with them. "Just jelling with the rest of the cast when we do our read and the script is hilarious. I didn't think it was going to be that funny, but it's really, really great," she said. "So just to hear the real voices and put the faces to the characters is going to be great." Ashanti is no stranger to the Land of Oz. She previously made trips there as Dorothy in the Muppets version of "The Wizard of Oz" and as the Wicked Witch of the West for a charity production of "Wicked." "I don't know [why I keep visiting Oz]," she said. "They look at me like I'm Dorothy. That's going to be my new nickname!"
Read more…

50 Cent Posts Dr Dre Produced "Ok,You're Right" Online

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 4:38pm

50 Cent just dropped a street record from his upcoming Before I Self Destruct album called "OK, You're Right" on ThisIs50.com. "When they talk about me, they say I be trippin'," 50 teases on the sing-songy chorus. "What they say about me doesn't make me mad/ I think they hatin' 'cause they see me when I'm rollin'/ Man, I can't help it if they really doin' bad." The song was produced by Dr. Dre. A couple of weeks ago, the G-Unit General posted a vlog shot in a luxurious studio with Dre and others. The two have been crafting new tracks for Before I Self Destruct, which is due sometime this year. 50 said going back in with Dre caused him to shelve most of his existing material in favor of working on new music. "It's about 30 percent of what I had when I felt like I was finished," Fif explained. "The production, Dre made a lot more of the music that's on the actual album now. I rewrote some concepts." Tony Yayo told MTV News the album should be a classic. "50 got some crack," Tony Yayo said. "50 got some unexplainable records. He's just waiting. The thing with 50, the n---a is addicted to being a perfectionist. He'll wait. He's not like these other n---as that gotta rush to make a album. 50's got millions. The average artist is rushing an album because they want that advance money. They gotta pay their bills. Nah, that n---a's good. He won't put out anything until sh--'s right. You already know when he's this quiet, he's got a master plan. He's got something up his sleeve."
Read more…

Mirko Cro Cop Eyes Brock Lesner's UFC Heavyweight Title

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 4:30pm

MIRKO FILIPOVIC will return to the Octagon against Mustapha Al-Turk in June — before setting his sights on heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The Croatian star battles promising British fighter Al-Turk at UFC 99 in Germany after a 21-month absence from the promotion. Cro Cop was one of the most explosive strikers in mixed martial arts during his days in Pride, where he won the open weight Grand Prix in 2006. He enjoyed victories over top-tier fighters including Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett and Kevin Randleman but his switch to the UFC saw him suffer a dip in form. Cro Cop defeated Eddie Sanchez via TKO on his Octagon debut but his second fight in the cage saw him famously knocked out with a head kick by Gabriel Gonzaga. He then lost a unanimous decision to Cheick Kongo at UFC 75 in September 2007, which appeared to be his last appearance for Dana White's company. But spells in Japanese promotions Dream and Dynamite got him back to winning ways and he is now keen to re-establish himself as one of MMA's elite heavyweights. Cro Cop said: "I decided to fight in the UFC again because of the stronger competition in the heavyweight division. "My next opponent will be Al-Turk. I didn't do well in my first three appearances — I wasn't myself. "By returning to the cage I want to prove I can still fight at the highest level, no matter when or where." UFC 99 will be Cro Cop's first fight this year and he wants two further bouts before the end of 2009, with Lesnar among his targets. He added: "It's hard to talk about concrete plans but I would really like to fight at least three times this year. "I wish to fight against quality opponents and to fight my way up to a title shot. "But for now, I'll focus only on my next fight and after that we'll see what's going to be next on the menu. "I want to say thank you Mr White for your interest and the invitation back to the UFC. "I owe you a lot from our first deal and I'll make it up to you." Source : The Sun UK
Read more…

Who Was Dolla ? A Closer Look At His Life And Career

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 4:30pm
Dolla often spoke about staying focused on his music despite life's many tragedies. He told XXL magazine last year about how his mother had to battle cancer, his younger brother died at birth and his father committed suicide; Dolla was just 5 years old when he witnessed his dad taking his own life. Fifteen years later, in 2008, the then-20-year-old Dolla was out promoting his upcoming album and new single when he spoke to satellite-radio host Angela Yee about how he wanted to get his older sister out of prison. That tragic streak continued when Dolla was fatally shot in Los Angeles on Monday night. He was 21 years old. While the up-and-coming rapper had worked with big names like Akon and T-Pain, he had yet to have his big break. So who was Dolla? The MC, born Roderick Anthony Burton II in Atlanta, had traveled back and forth from his hometown of Atlanta to L.A. to work on music for the past decade. Da Razkalz Cru, Dolla's group with two of his cousins, signed to Elektra Records in 2000 when the MC was just 12 years old. The trio only released a single before parting ways with the company, but they did get a chance to work with Akon, who was also on his way up at the time. 'Kon and Dolla remained friends. In 2006, the duo forged a partnership between Konvict Records and Dolla's Gang Entertainment imprint. Signed to Jive Records, Dolla was slated to release his debut, Dolla & A Dream, with contributions from Chris Brown, Polow Da Don, Jazze Pha and T-Pain. Pain sang the hook on Dolla's "Who the F--- Is That" last spring, and the song became a radio hit in many markets, and its video got a lot of play on MTV Jams. "My music is universal," Dolla said in his bio on MySpace. "I can do street music or pop music. But whatever I do, I attempt to make meaningful songs with substance." Unfortunately, the young artist's dream will never be fully realized. His career and life were cut short when he was shot in the head in L.A. on Monday night. "It's a terrible tragedy," T-Pain said in a statement Tuesday (May 19). "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Read more…

Tony Yayo Drops Swine Flu Mixtape,Keeps Beef Going With Rick Ross & Disses Hot Rod

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 1:00pm
Mixtape: Swine Flu Starring: Tony Yayo Key Collaborations: The tape is hosted by universal 'hood king Mac-A-Zoe, and Lil Boosie is featured on "My Cadillac." "I met Boosie at Buck's house," Yayo told us of their first encounter back in the day. "Between Boosie and Gucci, them n---as is my favorite in the South." Essential Info: OK, the obvious question: Why? "I think my flow ... everything is serious about me," Yayo said. "I feel my flow is serious; I feel like I'm the most underrated. Swine Flu is an epidemic. I'm about to start an epidemic ... I wanted to use what's relevant right now to get people's attention. I learned that from 50." Another thing he learned from Fif was to never stop the war. Yayo says he got Mac-A-Zoe from the Zoe Pound to host the underground CD via a phone call from prison. G-Unit's personal public enemy #1 shouted out the Zoe Pound on the hit "The Magnificent," and has worked with Pound member Redd Eyezz in the past. "Being all the stuff that's going on with Rick Ross, I had to get Mac-A-Zoe to host the mixtape for me. Mac-A-Zoe said him and Ross used to be cool. ... I got in contact with Mac-A-Zoe through Sha Money. We're all Haitian — me, Zoe, Sha Money and Whoo Kid. Sha Money called me with Mac-A-Zoe on the phone. We're kicking it on the mixtape. He's basically saying Rick Ross is an impostor. I agree with him. This guy is talking about bricks, I'm 'phony Yayo' and I sniff coke and smoke crack. All this delusional sh--. I don't know where [Ross] is getting it from. But you're the n---a that's a cop. I'm gonna make a movie. Don't push my back to the wall where you try to make it seem like I can't eat, or try to destroy my brand." Like G-Unit member Lloyd Banks, Yayo says he's fed up with Interscope Records, but he still owes the label one more album. But Yayo isn't in a rush to drop an official LP — he's just excited about staying relevant on the mixtape circuit. "It's all politics," the Southside Queens native said. "I never thought Interscope cared about me anyway. G-Unit the label pushed me more than Interscope." Swine Flu comes out next week and a part two will follow shortly after. "Me, I don't see myself going to Hollywood and doing all that acting sh--," he said. "N---as know Yayo for wilding out and all types of crazy sh--. I'm going back to my street element." The Last Word on Ross: "This n---a got t---ies, thinking he looks better than me. He's confused. Then the n---a is on the cover [of XXL] with these fake Louis Vuitton glasses talking about swag. You gotta put that on the record. I been fly, I been doing this." Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this beef is going to end anytime soon.
Read more…

Tech N9ne Signs Brotha Lynch Hung To Strange Music

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 1:00pm

Two pillars of cult-followed independent Hip Hop are crossing paths. It was announced this morning that Sacramento Hip Hop veteran Brotha Lynch Hung is signing to Kansas City seven-figure sales titan, Tech N9ne's Strange Music. The signing reportedly happened through Strange Music VP Dave Weiner, the same man who united Master P with Priority Records in the early '90s. "There’s an incredible synergy,” stated Weiner. “Every Tech fan knows that verse [“My World”] and is wondering what’s going on with Lynch.” Brotha Lynch Hung found success in the early '90s with the controversial Black Market imprint. Distributed through Priority Records, the rapper has often been described as "horror-core," due to his frequent references to murder, cannibalism, and violence. Rappers including Snoop Dogg and Tech N9ne have all cited Lynch as major influences. He is at work on Dinner And A Movie, his next album. Recently, Strange Music released Tech N9ne's Sickology 101: The Study Of Being Sick, which debuted in the Top 20 of Soundscan.
Read more…

Rapper "Dolla" Shot To Death In L.A.

Posted by ChasinDatPaper on May 19, 2009 at 3:09am

The man shot at the Beverly Center mall this afternoon was identified as Atlanta-based Dolla, whose real name is Roderick Anthony Burton II, according to his publicist, Sue Vannasing. She said Dolla was shot in the head around 3:10 p.m. while he and another rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, waited in the area after shopping at the popular Westside mall. A friend who was with the rapper at Beverly Center also confirmed his identity to The Times. About two hours later, Los Angeles police detained a “person of interest” as he attempted to board a plane out of Los Angeles International Airport. The man allegedly drove his silver Mercedes SUV from Beverly Center to the airport. Vannasing said Dolla had gotten into an altercation with other passengers on a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, but it's unclear if that was related to the violence.] [Updated at 5:15 p.m.: Police have arrested one "person of interest" in connection with the shooting but were looking for a second suspect.] [Updated at 5:40 p.m.: The arrested suspect, who fled from the mall in a silver Mercedes, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while trying to board a flight. Police said the shooting took place in the valet waiting area of the mall]. The shooting occurred just after 3 p.m. at the La Cienega Boulevard entrance to the popular Westside shopping center. All entrances and exits to the popular Westside shopping mall were sealed off as police swarmed the scene. LAPD officials said that officers were sent to the mall on a report of a group fight, possibly involving a knife. LAPD Sgt. Ronnie Crump said two suspects ran in the direction of Beverly Hills. At a Chipotle restaurant in the mall, several people were eating when the shots rang out. “The customers were yelling 'close the store, close the store, because somebody is shooting,' ” said Elsa Hernandez, general manager of the restaurant. An employee who was behind the restaurant, near the mall’s valet parking service, saw the tail end of the dispute, Hernandez said. “He saw a lady ... shooting a handgun,” Hernandez said.
Read more…
} Facebook Login JavaScript Example