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After releasing his very solid mixtape A Loose Quarter, Joe Budden is now focused on his upcoming No Love Lost album.
Joe released the cover for the album today. A couple of days ago he sat down with Hard Knock TV and revealed the project will have features from Wiz Khalifa, Lloyd Banks, Juicy J, Kirko Bangz and Omarion.
He also addresses the backlash he got for recording "She Don't Put It Down" with Lil Wayne.
No Love Lost will be released on January 22nd.
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As 50 Cent gears up for the February 26 release of Street King Immortal, he's been making the rounds giving some very interesting interviews about the project, fans expectations of him and his new single "My Life."
He recently chopped it up with Ryan Lyons of Respect Magazine about those topics and more, including Kidd Kidd, Precious Paris, SKI being his last album obligation to Interscope, the current climate for record sales, fans doubting him and more.
Check out that interview below
First, congrats on having the #1 single on Itunes right now, “My Life,”a collaboration with Eminem and Adam Levine. This single feels like a resurgence of the 50 we all know and love.
Thanks for saying that. I just launched the first joint. Well, the second joint but it was intended to be the first. It felt good. It felt like I’m back in pocket. I been writing since ‘97. It wasn’t a long process writing it. What I did was I just wrote what I felt . There was only one other time in my music career when I was vulnerable like that and that was on “Hate It Or Love It” because I didn’t know whether or not people wanted that from me, so I put it on Game’s album.
We seem to love records that make you look vulnerable because as the listener, we can relate.
It kind of makes you human. On this project I dealt with the pressure of people thinking I couldn’t actually write a hit song after I sold 40 million records.
What do you feel about the template of hip-hop success stories right now? You’ve already had major hit records, but do you need to change your process?
Hip-hop music particularly is about out with the old and in with the new. It’s not about what have you done. It’s about what have you done lately. This album took three years for me to actually release and this caution hasn’t been taken on my last few albums. My last album was actually on the street four weeks prior to my release. I lost records on both and it still sold 160,000 records [in the first week.] So when people look at the sales they say ‘Oh, he fell off,’ but it was all because it was out for four weeks.
Well, this record “My Life” definitely hit the nail in the coffin.
This is what I’m saying to you. It happens when you put out music in the right time period. Like, right now “My Life” is the perfect song.
How do you guys go about choosing a single?
They don’t tell me what to release. I put out that “Amusement Record,” they actually asked me for that record because it reminded them of the metaphor I used when I released “Candy Shop.” The audience resisted it because it was like no, it reminds me of “Candy Shop.” So, I took it as ‘It’s not a hit, because it reminds you of a hit.’
That just proves that you should be making your own decisions.
I remember I had went to this award show and they had me coming out of the sky and I almost fell off like 30 feet up in the air. So when I got down I was like f*ck that, I snapped out of it. I’m in 50 cent mode now. I know if I fall off I’m on my own. We here together on this actual platform, but as soon as I fall off I’m on my own, ain’t I? I thought man, if I f*ck up I’m on my own.
True.
Yea, so right after that. Jimmy [Iovine] came to the hotel and I played him the record, “I Get Money” and he says to me, “Are you sure this is what you want to say right now?” And I looked at him and I was like what the f*ck is he. I didn’t know what to say except for just let me think. Let me try and get it together and get it out and as soon as I left, I shot the video for “I Get Money” and put it out. Interscope reimbursed me for that. They never wrote the budget or agreed to the actual treatment. If you look at “I Get Money” it’s directed by me and J Jiffy.
That’s something that you decided on your own.
I did it myself. The song is a 50 cent record. A lot of times, they need to understand why or when that record needs to be put out. I’m talking to my core. I had just finished my deal with Vitamin Water and I’ll tell you how to get money and it feels good.
I feel like people want that confident record from you, similar to a lot of records on Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.
Rich people don’t really want to have a conversation about money. They got it, it’s boring. So, thats why [Jimmy Iovine] said, “ Is this really what you wanna say right now.” And I’m like yea this is what I want to say.
You speak about Game and Young Buck on “My Life.” Do you feel like you’re done nurturing new talent? Do you feel let down as a listener?
Nah, I’ll get back into that at the top of this year, but I won’t bring them as close to me as before. You’ve seen me with Kidd Kidd and Precious Paris. In the past, I’ll take a new guy and put him on the stage in front of 30,000 people and 60,000 people in different countries and they want that right away. And I can’t actually give it to them. What I can do, is give them the opportunity to impress those fans and you can get back around and make some of those people fans themselves, but I can’t give that to them.
Beef is something that’s always fueled your music career in addition to the music. Do you feel like it does the same thing in 2012?
It creates the excitement but the hit is what matters. You’ll have guys consistently saying things about a high profile rapper just to get their name out there. To establish themselves
What is it about rappers that push your buttons? I see you and French Montana are feuding now.
Well, French Montana doesn’t push my buttons. Creatively he’s not somebody we can even have a conversation about. He doesn’t yet have one hot record by himself. It’s interesting because he’s a snake. He was a camera guy at first. He ran around and shot DVD footage.
Yeah, I heard he gave you the Khaled footage for your beef with them? What do you think that statement will do for him?
Yeah, he gave me the footage of DJ Khaled’s mother and her house and he went and got the footage for me and I put it out. It doesn’t matter what it does, but it explains why I look at him like he’s a clown. He’s saying that he can hurt my career. He doesn’t even have a song. You know how many people have had one hit wonders? The boy ain’t talented enough. He reminds me of a Rich Boy or a Young Joc or all these people that are apart of the culture that had big records, and are talented people. If you haven’t paid attention, I’m on the Forbes list every year regardless if the record goes out or not. That should tell you that I’m not sleepwalking.
What do you think about diminishing album sales? Do you think It will ever get back to emcees selling like your first record did?
Well, it will be different. We’ll have it to where it will feel like it’s selling 13 million records, like when a song goes number one in 12 hours. Let me ask you this: does the iTunes chart feel like it’s the number one song on the radio? It being number one on the radio could be because they’re paying a lot of money to get the spins up. You got a lot of records becoming number one because they’re paying.
You have more than a decade now of recording under your belt. Does it affect the music, and why are you so keen on getting money outside of the music industry?
Okay, the actual market has shifted. If you noticed, CD’s going on sale now for $7.99 and the single that used to be $5.99 is now being sold for .99 cents. So they can’t allocate the same expenses in marketing as they did before. If you have the opportunity to be you have the ability to be cross-promoted with other major corporations. If you look in the “My Life” video there’s a Chrysler in the video that isn’t actually out on the street yet. They actually paid a quarter of a million dollars to put that in the video.
Damn.
Hello.
50, This is your last album requirement with Interscope. Is this the last album we’ll see from 50 Cent or does it mean a new contract?
Yea, I’ll probably go back in with business. It depends. While I’ve been away for the last three years preparing this actual record, there’s been a lot of changes with staff there. If I get in touch with the staff and we have a successful launch of Street King Immortal we’ll continue or explore another option.
So this isn’t the last time we’ll get a 50 Cent record?
Right!
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Video After The Jump
A$$hole By Nature rapper Trae Tha Truth delivers official visuals for "Choppa Talk" featuring Yo Gotti. The Sonny Digital-produced banger is off of Trae's mixtape Tha Blackprint.
Download it for free from Datpiff
Slim Thug is back for Thug Thursday with a new freestyle. This time he tackles Trinidad James' "All Gold Everything" instrumental with assists from Paul Wall and D-Boss.
There are a lot of emcees who have fallen off over the years. Some due to label issues, management problems or loss of hunger.
Complex has put out their list of "The 30 Worst Fall-Offs In Rap History." Check out the list below as written by Eric Rosenthal and Jeff Rosenthal @itsthereal.
30. Charles Hamilton
Interscope Records, the most prominent rap label in the 2000s and home to Dr. Dre, Eminem, and 50 Cent, had finally found the next cornerstone to their franchise, a formerly homeless young man from Harlem named Charles Hamilton. Charles seemed to have all the pieces in order: a very interesting story and point of view, the same powerhouse lawyer as 50 and Eminem, the same A&R who was involved with Kanye and Soulja Boy, a co-sign from DJ Skee, a viral video where he held his own freestyling with Game and Ye, a rapidly growing buzz online, and what many labeled sheer genius.
After releasing two handfuls of mixtapes during the summer of 2008, and on the eve of debuting music from his first album, a series of events over the course of just a few months caused the house of cards to fall apart. Charles claimed he was dating Rihanna. Charles lost in a rap battle at Penn State. On camera. Charles made fun of his girlfriend's abortion and she punched him in the face. On camera. Charles gave J.Dilla executive producer credit on his album, having had no discussion with Dilla's family or estate, and stirred up a great deal of anger from the city of Detroit.
Charles was dropped from Interscope. Charles was arrested in Ohio. Charles took to a wheelchair and was hospitalized for mental reasons. Four years (and an Internet lifetime) later, Charles is attempting a comeback. On his own.
29. Jungle Brothers
By the late 1980s, the Native Tongues movement had reached critical peak, stretching outward from the suburb to suburb. (Weird that such an Afrocentric movement attracted such a white following.) The Jungle Brothers were forebears of hip-house, their single "I'll House You" becoming popular on Club MTV, urban radio, and college campuses.
Straight Out the Jungle, their debut album, got high marks from everyone including Robert Christgau, who compared their output to "an early Bambaataa jam with comic timing." Their second album somehow managed to earn even higher marks from critics, but fell way, way short when it came to sales.
And then, when submitting songs for their third album, 1993's J. Beez with the Remedy, Warner Bros. consistently rejected everything the Jungle Brothers offered up, deeming their sounds too experimental. So, you end up with a product that's too straight-forward for anyone to really grasp onto and, unsurprisingly, no one bought it. So they got dropped by Warner and picked up by the much smaller Gee Street Records, which is why you never heard from them again.
28. Kool Keith
As one of the Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith's rhymes were already different from the rest: "Their rhymes are pathetic, they think they copacetic," as he said on 1988's "Ego Trippin'." Four LPs later, Kool Keith stepped out on his own, releasing 1996's Dr. Octagonecologyst, his concept album earning hyperbolic praise from all corners.
He was abstract and funny; surreal and explicitly pornographic. (I mean, check the title.) Pitchfork and ego trip both said that it was one of the best albums of the 1990s, the pinnacle of horrorcore.
But ever since, instead of being more pointed and assured, he's become just plain weird, spiraling into his own headspace. (Self-indulgent is a term that could apply here.) And so his albums keep coming, but no one cares anymore. Kool Keith probably never intended to be popular, but he also couldn't have wanted to be ignored.
27. Canibus
In the mid-1990s, Canibus was heralded as THE up-and-coming rapper to watch, after a legendary cypher with members of Wu-Tang, a co-sign from Wyclef Jean, and a verse on LL Cool J's "4,3,2,1" alongside Redman, Method Man, and DMX.
LL took great exception to Canibus' opening line, "Yo LL, is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that," and went in on a rapper—seemingly Canibus—during his own closing verse.
The beef escalated into vicious verbal attacks through songs, including the first single from Canibus' Wyclef-produced debut album, Can-I-Bus. A ton of critical poo-pooing, a gold-flaked spray-tan, and almost twenty years later, the very-lyrically gifted Canibus is but a footnote in LL Cool J's IMDB profile.
26. The Pharcyde
An alternative hip-hop group reigning from Los Angeles, The Pharcyde (Imani, Bootie Brown, Slimkid3, and Fatlip) were first a group of dancers, who were only seriously rapping for about a year by the time they recorded their first demo in 1991. They linked up with producer J-Swift and the record label Delicious Vinyl for their debut album,Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, which included the crossover success, "Passin' Me By."
But soon enough, the ride turned into a Behind The Music episode, with J-Swift's crack addiction, group infighting, low record sales, and the bitter departures of Fatlip and Slimkid3. Ego over collaborative art may seem backwards, but that's what The Pharcyde was, as evidenced in their Spike Jonze-directed music video for "Drop."
25. Boot Camp Click
Boot Camp Clik, the supergroup Voltron'd together out of Brooklyn emcees, was a breath of cigarette air in the 1990s. There were assorted pieces: members from Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, Originoo Gunn Clappaz and Black Moon, fastened with staples and rubber bands. As separate entities, they were each buzzing: "How Many MC's...", "Sound Bwoy Bureill" and "I Got Cha Opin (Remix)" are all still played in New York.
The crew teamed up once before "Headz Ain't Redee" off of the New Jersey Drive soundtrack, those two songs setting all of the hype in motion. (It's a well-known story that Tupac invited label head Dru Ha, Black Moon's Buckshot and the guys from Smif-N-Wessun out to L.A. to record with him.)
But when the entire Boot Camp Clik tried to do a full-length project together, in 1997, they could never capitalize; some blame it on the fact that they went with live instrumentation instead of their reliable production team Da Beatminerz. Then there were label problems and personnel problems and problem problems. They recorded some more together, but it seems like they blew their first and only shot.
24. Onyx
Onyx came out of Queens, seemingly on a tireless mission to break necks, heads and eardrums. "Slam" put them at the top of the charts, the hard-hitting hardcore grumbler somehow performing better on Billboard with pop audiences than hip-hop/R&B crowds. (Their album was called Bacdafuckup—who would've thought?)
They continued to put out minor hits throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but emcees Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr mostly stayed in the picture by acting in front of the cameras. While that might not sound so bad, just take a second to remember the short-lived TV show Dance 360, a pathetic mid-morning breakdance competition where Fredro played second banana to Kel Mitchell. Yes, of Good Burger fame.
23. Shyne
In the late 1990's Shyne was supposed to be the next in a solid line of Bad Boy success stories. Puff Daddy (Diddy) had deftly guided the careers of Craig Mack, The Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e and others to great heights, but this new young gun, Shyne, was to top them all. And he came out guns blazing, on tracks like "Bad Boyz" and "Bonnie and Shyne," with some critics, for better or worse, comparing his vocal stylings to Biggie.
But the train went off the tracks when on December 27, 1999, Shyne accompanied Puff and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez to Club New York. Three people were injured in a shooting that Shyne was charged with; Diddy and J.Lo got off. Shyne went on to spend eight years in jail, convicted of attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment.
His musical ambitions obviously never came to fruition, with a few short-lived post-Bad Boy record deals. Today, Shyne resides overseas, his rapping style is best described as "hurting," and has only gotten attention for the many figurative shots he's taken at Diddy, 50 Cent, Rick Ross, and others. Much like Biggie, Shyne's career was ended far too early.
22. House Of Pain
The rap group House of Pain—Everlast, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal—released their debut album, House of Pain, in 1993. It contained the super-smash-mega-hit song, "Jump Around," which reached No. 3 on the US singles charts, No. 6 in Ireland, and No. 8 in the United Kingdom.
Songs off their follow-up album received little radio rotation, and sales numbers echoed that; a break-up followed not long after. House of Pain may not have had longevity, but "Jump Around" sure did—there's not a sports arena in the country where the song is not played to this day.
21. Young Buck
G-Unit started with 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. A combination of hubris and label pressure from Interscope's Jimmy Iovine led the imprint to expand to the West for Game; the South, Young Buck. (Game clearly, uh, didn't work out.) Buck was more reliable and less prone to craziness: he stuck by the mercurial 50 through beef after beef; he made some good records that sold well (one platinum!).
But then, in 2007, Buck made some statements that led 50 to think he wasn't being loyal, giving Fif the reason he needed to kick the Tennessean out of the group. Egad! So, then there was a flurry of diss records between ex-employee and onetime boss, which wasn't that interesting until 50 released an audio recording of Young Buck crying on the phone, begging to be let into G-Unit again. Buck claimed the recording was doctored, but it didn't matter: people had long before tuned out.
20. Lil Kim
People might think it's Nicki's fault that Lil' Kim is on this list, but her downfall started way before Ms. Minaj ever put a wig or even a British accent on. Coming onto the scene in the mid-90s, Kim was a bitch of the finest pedigree: sex, smarts and Biggie's rhymes (literally). She went platinum, won Grammys, and had a course taught about her at Syracuse University.
But then she went to prison in 2005; Atlantic pushed her album out while she was behind bars, and it flopped.Dancing with the Stars, reality shows and her label dropping her: none of it helped. And that was before she started pulling Nicki's weave out of jealousy, before she made people pay for a mixtape that never arrived, and before her plastic surgery became a go-to joke for lazy comedians. That being said, Nicki's heavy-handed swagger-jack certainly didn't help.
19. Black Sheep
Ah, Dres and the other guy...they seem to be the forgotten duo of the Native Tongues clique. To put it quite literally (which is super-unfortunate): they are the black sheep of that time and that place. But for a moment, they were the future: their first release, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, is considered a classic by many, one of the best debut rap albums ever. It went gold off of the strength of three Top 10 hit singles on rap radio ("Flavor of the Month," "The Choice is Yours," "Strobelite Honey"), as well as solid word-of-mouth.
Everything looked bright, until it didn't: their follow-up, Non-Fiction, only peaked in the triple-digits on the Billboard 200 chart, and then they were gone. Their legacy, too, has been tarnished: people now think of the staple "The Choice is Yours" because Kia Motors took the song, animated some dancing guinea pigs, and made a Super Bowl commercial out of it. This was all against Black Sheep's wishes, for what it's worth, which is not much.
18. Foxy Brown
Inga Marchand was once the toast of the rap town: she was a platinum-selling artist at 18, she was a protégé of Jay-Z, and considered lyrically gifted enough to be a part of the supergroup The Firm. But any musical success for the sexy Brooklynite was undermined by her attitude, a myriad of assault charges, and most notoriously, the almost-complete loss of her hearing for over a year, during which she refused to wear a hearing aid. In a very short amount of time, Foxy went from the baddest female rapper to the baddest female rapper.
17. EPMD
Erick Sermon and Parish Smith once formed one of the most influential rap groups ever, Long Island's own, EPMD. Their sample-driven songs and back-and-forth rhyming schemes blended together to make classic albums like Strictly Business and Unfinished Business.
But record label business—messy contracts, distribution, and management—led to the group's downfall...well, that coupled with the time that Parish Smith's house was robbed, and one of the burglars said that Erick Sermon paid them to commit the crime.
Tensions, not surprisingly, grew, and EPMD was no longer. Over the last 20 years, there have been reconciliations and break-ups, recordings and near-death experiences, but never success like the late 1980s brought.
16. Slick Rick
Throughout the mid-80s, Slick Rick—eyepatched and accented—appeared all over MTV's airwaves, rapping "La Di Da Di" and "The Show." He dripped gold and fur, an opulent man in a time of extravagance. In 1990, though, it all ended. Rick the Ruler shot two men (one of them his cousin-slash-bodyguard) in revenge for an attempted shooting on his own life.
Prison can stop a career arc real quick, though not in this case: four years after his release, he put out his fourth album—1999's The Art of Storytelling—which quickly went gold. No, it wasn't the shooting or jail that did him in, but rather the deportation issues that stemmed from it. For years, Slick Rick battled the feds over whether he could live and work in this country, biding his time in Rikers while it was all figured out. (In 2008, New York's governor David Paterson pardoned his murder, which has allowed him to stay.)
15. Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice, born Robert Van Winkle, took the world by storm in 1990 with his track, "Ice Ice Baby." Not only was he the first commercially successful white rapper, he was the most successful rapper, period, having gone straight to the top of the Billboard charts and selling 11 million copies. His very-white look, his commercial achievements, his dancing, his seemingly struggle-free upbringing, his over-the-top lifestyle, his run-in with Suge Knight, his drug abuse, his suicide attempt, his new grunge-inspired looks, and his refusal to acknowledge the past all played a part in his undoing.
Today, he's rebounded to be an accomplished real estate builder and developer, as seen on his DIY-Network show, The Vanilla Ice Project.
14. Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill, South Gate, California-born weed-friendly rap group were in the early 1990'\s arguably the biggest name in hip-hop. In 1993, their second full-length, Black Sunday, debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, which was at that time the highest charted position for a rap album. Even more impressive, their first album, Cypress Hill, was still in the top ten—also a first for hip-hop. Black Sunday went on to go triple-platinum, thanks to the success of their monster song, "Insane in the Brain."
The following couple of decades have seen the group appear regularly in High Times magazine, though never high on the charts.
13. KRS One
KRS-One, one-half of the famed Boogie Down Productions, is celebrated as one of the keepers of hip-hop, the embodiment of each of the four elements of the culture. Remembered for cutting down MC Shan with his song "South Bronx," as well as the seminal album Criminal Minded, KRS went on to lead the Stop the Violence Movement and continue to preach the gospel of hip-hop.
Commercially though, KRS' relevance took a dip in the early-to-mid 1990s, as he explored different musical collaborations and spoke more openly about religion and politics. In 2008, BET presented KRS-One with a Lifetime Achievement Award—an honor typically is given at the end of one's career.
12. Raekwon
How do you follow up one of the most celebrated solo debuts ever? How can you top a classic album? Where do you go from the critical apex? In Raekwon's case, the Wu-Tang member took 15 years after Only Built For Cuban Linx... to put out a proper sequel. Let's just say that the music Rae produced in that decade and a half may have happened, but it definitely wasn't remembered.
11. A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest's albums The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders are considered sacrosanct, debated on the daily, as to which one is more perfect. In so many hip-hop heads' minds, Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali, and Jarobi could do no wrong. Unfortunately, the same sentiment wasn't shared within the group.
As was revealed in Michael Rappaport's documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, when Phife moved to Atlanta after the completion of Marauders, things done changed musically and personally. After they put out Beats, Rhymes and Life in 1996, Phife contends that Q-Tip decided himself that the group had gone as far as it could go; and that was that. ATCQ later reconciled and toured (which begat the documentary), but have yet to record another album.
10. Eazy E
Eazy-E originally just owned the label; his rhymes were largely written for him by Ice Cube and MC Ren. And yet he grew into one of the most compelling rappers of the 1980s, his high-pitched voice somehow able to sell both humor and reckless menace. On his Eazy-Duz-It and NWA's Straight Outta Compton, Eazy and his friends portrayed gangland L.A. as an exaggerated wonderland, where women were playthings as much as guns and 40s. They found quick success, their gritty street tales crossing over to the suburbs.
But with money came problems. Ice Cube left the group; his "No Vaseline" is a withering diss track, in which he calls out the remaining members of NWA—and Eazy especially—for being frauds. (A sample line? "I kept on stomping while y'all motherfuckers moved straight outta Compton.") The rest of the group escaped Eazy's grip soon after, aided by Suge Knight and company, and his fortunes dropped quicker than a 6-4. Eazy never got the chance to rebuild, as he died soon after, in 1995.
9. LL Cool J
It's especially sad to watch LL Cool J fall off, considering he built what so many stand upon. That was him in the Kangol and adidas; that was him screaming "Don't call it a comeback/I been here for years!" in 1991. "Doin It" and "Loungin" still sound fresh today, but that was over a decade and a half ago; somehow, LL's still aiming for middle school girls' ears like a wet willy. (He also appeals to moms, though no one in between. Might have something to do with the lip-licking.) Now he's got one foot in corny and the other in irrelevant: he recorded a song based around the CBS show NCIS, and recently put out another called "Ratchet." Someone tell this old man to grow up.
8. Big Daddy Kane
Thanks to songs like "Raw" and "Ain't No Half Steppin", Big Daddy Kane emerged in the late 1980s as one of the leaders of the hip-hop pack, showing off his fast-rapping and his unique fashion style. In the early 90s, Kane was gracious enough to bring Jay-Z on tour and let him show off on stage during costume changes. And while Kane won a Grammy Award in 1991, he was already on a commercial downswing by the time he showed off his "skills" in Playgirl Magazine and Madonna's Sex book; he never got it up again, so to speak.
7. Ice Cube
Ice Cube, known for his deadly rhymes and vicious scowl (literally the face of gangsta rap), was the meanest of the N.W.A. bunch, and a further force to be reckoned with once he went solo in December 1989. His albumsAmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator were as stylized as they were controversial, and his multi-platinum sales set him on a course to dominate the musical world...until his audience moved on in 1994.
Perhaps seeing the winds changing, Cube shifted into the world of film, where slowly but surely, his starring roles became family friendly and family friendlier in flicks like "Are We There Yet?" Associated today way more with his acting than his rapping, it's like new Cube killed old Cube—most likely with kindness.
6. DMX
If rap sheets were Billboard lists, then DMX would be running the game today. Alas. DMX's journey from the top to crack rock bottom began in 2004, when he showed up at JFK airport pretending to be a federal agent in order to get through security. (Unsurprisingly, he was in possession of drugs and guns, though not his marbles.) X had legal problems going back as far as 1998, but somehow his rape and assault charges got dismissed; this was when the tide turned.
After that, every month there seemed to be another news item about DMX doing something wrong. For a time, the only constant was that DMX was in jail, somewhere. Finally out of prison, it's too bad that his music isn't connecting with anyone. He's more likely to be on the radio to make fun of Drake than to have his songs played.
5. No Limit
Hip-hop was at its commercial (if not critical) peak in 1998, and no outfit was bigger than No Limit. Master P built an empire, free of major label backing, becoming a gazillionaire in the process. His albums were movies, with casts of dozens of artists: Silkk Tha Shocker, Mystikal, Lil' Romeo, Mia X, Fiend, C-Murder, just to name a few (seriously). Snoop also signed over there, briefly. Master P was putting out movies, with his signees getting screen time; each was accompanied by a requisite soundtrack album. It was synergy at its finest.
But then everything got overextended: Master P was a WCW wrestler for a little bit, and he kept trying out for NBA teams. Mystikal left for Jive and got a No. 1 album; new artists (including a very young Curren$y) weren't hitting the way they were supposed to. In 2003, the label filed for bankruptcy—No Limit had reached its credit limit.
4. Nelly
Nelly (born Cornell Haynes, Jr) single-handedly put the Midwest on the map in 2000, with the single "Country Grammar," off the album of the same name. That first single (which peaked at No. 7 on the charts), along with "E.I.," "Ride Wit Me," and "Batter Up," shot the album past 9 million records sold. His next album, Nellyville, debuted at number one and has gone over 10 times platinum, thanks to "Hot in Herre," "Air Force Ones," and "Dilemma feat. Kelly Rowland."
Nelly won Grammys, started dating Ashanti (who at the time was on fire), designed a women's jeans line, had an energy drink, and put his hometown people, The St. Lunatics, on. But as is the case for those generally used to the top, it's a long fall. Sweat and Suit still managed to debut at No. 1 and No. 2, but Brass Knuckles, and 5.0 came and went, and by nearly a decade after he ran the music world, it seemed as if Nelly lost his Pimp Juice. Today, people know Nelly as the first Flo Rida.
3. Death Row
The outfit of Death Row Records was always expanding. First, Suge Knight poached Dr. Dre and The DOC from Priority Records. That foundation allowed for the recruitment of Snoop, Warren G, Nate Dogg, The Dogg Pound, 2Pac, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Sam Sneed and on and on until MC Hammer was signed, long after his prime. They weren't just a label; for a time, they were the label: The Chronic, Doggystyle, All Eyez On Me...it almost feels belittling to list them all.
Death Row's downfall happened in three shifts. First, Sam Sneed was jumped in a meeting with Suge and Pac, since he had too many East Coast rappers in his "Lady Heroin" video; sensing something wrong, some (including The D.O.C.) ripped up their contracts and fled the label. After an argument over credits with 2Pac, Dr. Dre left to form Aftermath Entertainment. And then Tupac got murdered. No longer wanting to be associated with a sociopath like Suge Knight, everyone else rightfully got out of there.
2. Ja Rule
In the early 2000s, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing Ja Rule sing-rapping. The rapper born Jeffery Atkins, who at one time was spitting alongside Jay-Z and DMX, shifted lanes and just-about single-handledly took hip-hop pop, thanks to his collaborations with Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, and Christina Milian. But it honestly wasn't the lightweight fare that took its toll on Ja, it was the emergence of his real-life enemy, 50 Cent.
50 emerged like a buzz saw in 2003, with two goals: to become the biggest artist in the world, and to destroy Ja Rule, and not necessarily in that order. Ja, who 50 blamed partly for the shooting that almost killed him, went from karaoke favorite to perpetually mocked, and never recovered artistically. He's currently serving jail time for tax evasion.
1. MC Hammer
Everyone knows this story: MC Hammer danced his way to the top of the charts, made a ton of money and then pissed it all away by attempting to employ half of Oakland while on tour. (Who would've thought that the backlash would come so quickly?) MC Hammer's brand of swishy-Pepsi-rap was no match for the gun-toting hyper-realism that soon assaulted the airwaves, so he had to change his image and sound.
In 1994, his "Pumps N a Bump" video came out, and—while Hammer was more...aggressive—he was wearing a Speedo and thrusting and yuck. Not the best way to win over hardcore fans! He dissed A Tribe Called Quest, Run–D.M.C. and Redman; his more-mainstream followers deserted him. So, he signed to Death Row Records. Once again, it read inauthentic. He wasn't even on the ropes; he was on the floor. He became a punchline for The Simpsons, a sob story on Behind the Music. He only became 'a thing' more recently once Twitter suggested that people follow him, for some indiscernable reason.
Do you agree with the list? Who are some rappers you would add or remove?
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"Now, my question is who they gonna blame when I'm back number one on the Billboard again" 50 Cent - "Get Up"
The Billboard charts have confirmed what most of us already knew, 50 Cent has a hit record on his hands with "My Life."
The Eminem and Adam Levine assisted banger makes its debut this week at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song charted at No. 6 on the top R&B/Hip Hop Songs and No. 2 on the R&B/Hip Hop Digital Songs.
"My Life" is also the No. 5 Rap Song and No. 14 on the Canadian Hot 100.
The stats are very impressive for a song that was just released last week. You can pick up the song today on iTunes.
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Nyemiah Supreme keeps her buzz going by dropping an official music video for "Aim, Shoot." The track is off of her Pre-Gaming mixtape.
Directed By: HStyler
@NyemiahSupreme
www.NYEMIAHSUPREME.COM
Download the Pre-Gaming mixtape for free HERE.
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During Juelz Santana's visit to MTV's RapFix Live yesterday the Dipset rapper had a lot to talk about. He announced that his next solo album Born to Lose, Built to Win will be produced by Lil Wayne.
"I went out to Miami to chop it up with Wayne. I actually asked him to executive produce my album, Born to Lose," Juelz revealed. "A lot of people been reaching out to me to sign. They didn't know if my situation was right at Def Jam. Wayne is like my brother so I knew once I asked him to do it [he would]. I'm sure if I wanted to go to Cash Money, I could have went to Cash Money. But people look at me like a boss. For me the best thing to do was to reach out to him and figure out how we can still make it the best thing possible."
Juelz also speaks on his situation at Def Jam. He says L.A. Reid dropped the ball on his "Back to the Crib" record and asked him to take Chris Brown off the record and put Trey Songz on it because of Chris assaulting Rihanna.
Santana closed the show by spitting a freestyle
Juelz Santana says Lil Wayne is producing his next album
Juelz speaks on his situation with Def Jam
Juelz Santana freestyle
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Pusha T releases his new single "Blocka." The Young Chop-produced track features Popcaan and Travis Scott. Be on the lookout for Pusha's album My Name is My Name coming in 2013.
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Soulja Boy releases his new music video for "Molly With That Lean." The track is off of the SODMG CEO's new project Molly (On A Bean) aka Molly With That Lean.
Peep the video below.
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T.I.was not in the mood to oblige an eager fan with a picture so he let him have it verbally
"Stop talking and listen to me," Tip told the fan. "Look at me in my face. It's not the right time, I need to be accepting. I want you to have a nice night. I want you to make it home safe. That's it, there's nothing more I wanna say."
Check out the exchange below.
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Jay-Z and Kanye West are looking to kick 2013 off in a big way. The duo known together as The Throneracked up six nominations including Best Rap Performance and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration when the Grammy nominations were announced yesterday during a special concert.
Not to be outdone, Frank Ocean also got six Grammy nods including Best New Artist.
The Black Keys and Miguel got five nods apiece. Taylor Swift embarrassed herself when she beat boxed while LL Cool J sang her song "Mean."
The 55th annual Grammy Awards air Sunday, February 10, on CBS.
Check out the list of nominees below.
Album of the Year
» The Black Keys - El Camino
» Fun. - Some Nights
» Mumford & Sons - Babel
» Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
» Jack White - Blunderbuss
Record of the Year
» The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"
» Kelly Clarkson - "Stronger"
» Fun. feat. Janelle Monae - "We Are Young"
» Gotye feat. Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used to Know"
» Frank Ocean - "Thinkin Bout You"
» Taylor Swift - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
Best New Artist
» The Alabama Shakes
» Fun.
» Hunter Hayes
» The Lumineers
» Frank Ocean
Best Pop Vocal Album
» Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
» Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
» Fun. - Some Nights
» Maroon 5 - Overexposed
» Pink - The Truth About Love
Song of the Year
» Ed Sheeran - "The A Team"
» Miguel - "Adorn"
» Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
» Kelly Clarkson - "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
» Fun. - "We Are Young"
Best Pop Solo Performance
» Adele - "Set Fire to the Rain (Live)"
» Kelly Clarkson - "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
» Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
» Katy Perry - "Wide Awake"
» Rihanna - "Where Have You Been"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
» Florence and the Machine - "Shake It Out"
» Fun. - "We Are Young"
» Gotye feat. Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used to Know"
» LMFAO - "Sexy and I Know It"
» Maroon 5 - "Payphone"
Best Dance Recording
» Avicii - "Levels"
» Calvin Harris feat. Ne-Yo - "Let's Go"
» Skrillex feat. Sirah - "Bangarang"
» Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - "Don't You Worry Child"
» Al Walser - "I Can't Live Without You"
Best Dance/Electronic Album
» Steve Aoki - Wonderland
» The Chemical Brothers Don't Think
» deadmau5>Album Title Goes Here<
» Kaskade Fire & Ice
» Skrillex Bangarang
Best Rock Performance
» Alabama Shakes - "Hold On"
» The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"
» Coldplay - "Charlie Brown"
» Mumford & Sons - "I Will Wait"
» Bruce Springsteen - "We Take Care of Our Own"
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
» Anthrax - "I'm Alive"
» Halestorm - "Love Bites (So Do I)"
» Iron Maiden - "Blood Brothers"
» Lamb of God - "Ghost Walking"
» Marilyn Manson - "No Reflection"
» Megadeth - "Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)"
Best Rock Song
» Jack White - "Freedom at 21"
» Mumford & Sons - "I Will Wait"
» The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"
» Muse - "Madness"
» Bruce Springsteen - "We Take Care of Our Own"
Best Rock Album
» The Black Keys, El Camino
» Muse, The 2nd Law
» Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
» Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
» Jack White, Blunderbuss
Best Alternative Music Album
» Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
» Bjork, Biophilia
» Gotye, Making Mirrors
» M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
» Tom Waits, Bad As Me
Best R&B Performance
» Estelle - "Thank You"
» Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Ledisi - "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)
» Luke James - "I Want You"
» Miguel - "Adorn"
» Usher - "Climax"
Best Traditional R&B Performance
» Anita Baker - "Lately"
» Beyonce - "Love on Top"
» Melanie Fiona - "Wrong Side of a Love Song"
» Gregory Porter - "Real Good Hands"
» SWV - "If Only You Knew"
Best Urban Contemporary Album
» Chris Brown, Fortune
» Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream
» Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Best R&B Album
» Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio
» Anthony Hamilton, Back To Love
» R. Kelly, Write Me Back
» Tamia, Beautiful Surprise
» Tyrese, Open Invitation
Best Rap Performance
» Drake feat. Lil' Wayne - "HYFR (Hell Ya F---ing Right)"
» Jay-Z & Kanye West - "N---as In Paris"
» Nas - "Daughters"
» Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - "Mercy"
» Young Geezy feat. Jay-Z & Andre 3000 - "I Do"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
» Flo Rida feat. Sia - "Wild Ones"
» Jay-Z & Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean & The-Dream - "No Church in the Wild"
» John Legend feat. Ludacris - "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)"
» Nas feat. Amy Whinehouse - "Cherry Wine"
» Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - "Talk That Talk"
Best Rap Song
» Nas - "Daughters"
» Wale feat. Miguel - "Lotus Flower Bomb"
» Kanye West Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - "Mercy"
» Drake feat. Lil' Wayne - "The Motto"
» Jay-Z & Kanye West - "N---as In Paris"
» Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Featuring Bruno Mars - "Young, Wild & Free"
Best Rap Album
» Drake, Take Care
» Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1
» The Roots, Undun
» Nas, Life Is Good
» Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don't
» 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story
Best Country Song
» Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away"
» Ronnie Dunn -"Cost of Livin' "
» Eli Young Band - "Even If It Breaks Your Heart"
» Alan Jackson - "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore"
» Eric Church - "Springsteen"
Best Country Solo Performance
» Dierks Bentley - "Home"
» Eric Church - "Springsteen"
» Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin' "
» Hunter Hayes - "Wanted"
» Blake Shelton - "Over"
» Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away"
Best Americana Album
» The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
» John Fullbright, From the Ground Up
» The Lumineers, The Lumineers
» Mumford & Sons, Babel
» Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream
Best Blues Album
» Shemekia Copeland, 33 1/3
» Dr. John, Locked Down
» Ruthie Foster, Let It Burn
» Heritage Blues Orchestra, And I Still Rise
» Joan Osborne, Bring It on Home
For a full list of nominees click here
Frank Ocean receives six Grammy nominations
Kanye West vs. Nas: GRAMMY Hip Hop Battle
Taylor Swift Beatboxes @ GRAMMY Nominations
Taylor Swift beatboxes while LL Cool J Sings "Mean" at Grammy 2013 Nomination concert [Full version]
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Brick Squad Monopoly rapper Frenchie BSM releases a new tour vlog. Frenchie is currently out promoting his latest mixtape Concrete Jungle 2.
Here we get footage of Frenchie touching in in Chicago where he links up with GBE artists Chief Keef, Fredo Santana and SD along with BSM artist Bo Deal.
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Last month's shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Jordan Davishas reignited the push to repeal Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
As we previously reported, Davis was killed on November 23, after he and several friends got into and argument at a Jacksonville, Florida gas station with 45-year old Michael Dunn.
Dunn had pulled into the gas station with his girlfriend. While she was in the store he asked four black males to turn down the music in their SUV. An argument ensued and Dunn claimed he saw a shotgun before firing eight times into the SUV. Three of those bullets struck and killed Davis.
"It was loud," Jacksonville homicide Lt. Rob Schoonover said of the teens' music. "They admitted that. That's not a reason for someone to open fire."
Police say no gun was found in the SUV Davis was riding in.
Dunn and his girlfriend fled the scene. As they left someone jotted down their license plate number. Dunn and his girlfriend spent the night in a Jacksonville hotel. The next morning, they heard someone had died in the shooting and drove back to Dunn's home in Satellite Beach.
Dunn, who is vice president of Dunn & Dunn Data Systems in Vero Beach, was arrested at home Saturday November 24, and charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held without bond
Michael Dunn
Dunn's family is supporting him.
"He got threatened and had to do what he had to do, and it's sad, so sad," his daughter Rebecca Dunn told FirstcoastNews. "A terrible tragedy on both sides. It really is. I don't know. What are you going to do in that situation? You don't know what you are going to do. He just reacted."
Dunn's lawyers has indicated he would use the "Stand Your Ground" law as a defense.
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law gives shooters the right to use deadly force when they feel threatened and does not require them to retreat.
According to the Huffington Post, civil rights groups, including Color of Change, the NAACP and the Urban League, as well gun control groups such as the Second Chance on Shoot First campaign, have joined forces to gather online signatures for a repeal of Stand Your Ground laws in 26 states. The groups also plan to restart a campaign to lobby state legislatures in January, said Ginny Simmons, director of Second Chance.
Ron Davis, the father of Jordan Davis is embraced as he arrives at the funeral home for the visitation for his son Jordan, last month in Jacksonville, Fla.
“What we are doing with these laws is allowing our country to become more dangerous than a war zone,” Simmons said.
"Unfortunately, we have had another one of these tragic incidents that highlights how horrible these laws are and how dangerous they can be in that they empower vigilantes and provide them cover," said Rashad Robinson, the executive director of Color of Change. "We also live in a cultural environment in which young black men are feared and seen as a sort of universal threat. Their mere existence, is for some people a problem. That’s the cultural climate in which these laws have been implemented.”
Rap stars 50 Cent and Talib Kweli have been helping to raise public awareness about the case by sending messages to their Twitter Followers.
Davis was buried in Powder Springs, Georgia on Saturday afternoon.
Davis' mother, Lucia McBath, who lives outside of Atlanta, asked that her son's death not be thought of as a hate crime.
"We don't know where he was or what kind of dark place he was in at that moment, but something snapped in that man. Something snapped in him, so we are not looking at it as the hate crime because that's not going to honor Jordan," McBath told FirstCoastNews.com.
News coverage of Jordan Davis' funeral
More news coverage
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Fast rising Atlanta rapper Trinidad James recently performed in front of a packed house at Santos Party House in NYC. Trinidad stage dived and performed his hit single "All Gold Everything" a couple of times.
Trinidad also brought out A$AP Rocky and A$AP Mob and let them do their thing.
Trinidad performs "All Gold Everything"
Trinidad James brings out A$AP Mob
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Young Swift drops his new mixtape M.D.M.I. The tape is hosted by Akon, DJ Scream and DJ Nando.
Features include Young Jeezy, Vocal, M-Bass, Phocuz and more.
01. Young Swift - DJ Scream Intro
02. Young Swift - Field Lights
03. Young Swift - Born Slaves Die Kings
04. Young Swift - I Like (Feat. Young Jeezy)
06. Young Swift - Survive The Summer
08. Young Swift - Err Now N Den (Feat. M-Bass)
10. Young Swift - Good News Bad News
11. Young Swift - 100 Miles & Runnin (Feat. Phocuz)
16. Young Swift - I'ma Survivor (Feat. Vocal & Shonte)
17. Young Swift - No Sleep (Feat. Vocal & August)
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TRACE Urban recently caught up with Waka Flocka Flame in Paris, France. Waka spoke to them about his new clothing line, getting shot and his next album
"I'm getting ready for a new album, might be Flockaveli Part 2," Waka said. "Lotta sh*t going on. I got a clothing line dropping."
Waka was hesitant to reveal features for his next album, but he did say that DMX will be on there.
Waka has admitted a desire to work with DMX in the past.
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Snoop Lion has just gotten the green light on a distribution deal for his first reggae album titled Reincarnated. The album will be distributed through a deal between Snoop's Berhane Sound System production company and RCA Records. The project, which was executive produced by Diplo and the Major Lazer production team will be released in Spring 2013.
A companion documentary of the same name is also on the way. Reincarnated the documentary will detail the recording process of the album in Jamaica.
"Major Lazer and I had a special opportunity to focus on recording Reincarnated from top-to-bottom with no interruptions in Jamaica. From my time spent with the people and in the streets, these songs are based on peace, love, and the struggle." said Snoop Lion. "‘Here Comes The King’ is a taste of what's to come off that Reincarnated album and movie. It's going to be an exciting 2013. Bless up."
Check out the latest single from the album "Here Comes the King" up top. It was produced by Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid and co-produced by 6Blocc.
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Wiz Khalifa just released his O.N.I.F.C. (Only N*ggas In First Class) album and he's out heavily promoting it. Wiz stopped by The Breakfast Clubto talk about the project.
Wiz also talked about The Weeknd and Chief Keef not showing up for separate videos, pregnant sex with Amber Rose, his Taylor Gang's participation on O.N.I.F.C., upcoming marriage, doing a movie with 50 Cent, his career, skinny jeans and more.
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}