Monday, July 30, 2012

Rapper 50 Cent Talks Plans For TMT Promotions; “Street King Immortal” Set For Nov. 13 Release


50 Cent recently signed boxer Billy Dib of Australia to TMT Promotions (The Money Team), a new company the rap star is running with world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.
50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather’s TMT Promotions have already received its promoter’s license in New York and has another application pending in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Mayweather is finishing an 87-day prison sentence for spousal battery.
In addition to Billy Dib, TMT Promotions has already snagged featherweight boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa and super middleweight boxer Andre Dirrell.
According to 50, it was Floyd’s idea to start TMT Promotions as an alternative to the current promotional deals that are being offered to boxers today.
Billy Dib
Billy Dib
“I mean, outside of the fact that it was Floyd’s concept, and that it was his idea initially that he wanted to develop a company for himself and for other talent that can execute things without having to be within a traditional situation where you have to completely watch your back, 24/7,” 50 Cent told RingTV.com. “From a fighter’s perspective, you know, it’s going to be exciting to be a part of our company and something like that. When you achieve a certain level of success with your career, you start to do some soul-searching and you start to figure out what you’re actually after.”
50 told RingTV.com that Floyd can spot talent in upcoming boxers, which was another reason that two famous friends decided to go into business together.
In related 50 news, the rapper has set a November 13 release date for his album Street King Immortal.

Talu Green: “Fela!” Play’s Percussionist Talks Fela’s Hip-Hop Inspiration and Busta Rhymes’ Invitation

The current Broadway production of the play Fela! has been supported by thousands of theatergoers over the past few years, and notably, it has received some all-important co-signs from the Hip-Hop community.
From Jay-Z to Busta Rhymes and Questlove and beyond,rappers and Hip-Hop musicians are singing the praises of the onstage depiction of the revolutionary life of the late African civil rights activist, Fela Kuti.
Principal to the nightly spectacle they’ve beamed over is percussionist Rasaan-Elijah “Talu” Green, a four-year veteran of Fela!, who, from his onset, brought an essential rhythm to the story of Kuti.
“At the time, [Fela! directors] weren’t specifically looking for aDjembe drummer; they were looking for a percussionist who could also move with it, an athletic kind of thing,” said Green in a recent interview with AllHipHop.com. “With the musical director, it was kinda like trying to mesh the style that I play – which is a traditional West African style or Djembe – with this “Afro-Beat” style that was created by Fela Kuti.”
“Talu,” as the native New Yorker is less formally known, is a former student of Long Island University whose pre-Fela! experiences include the Afropop Worldwide Gala, Russell Simmons’ Diamond Empowerment Fund Benefit, Dance Africa, National Black Arts Festival, the Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, and more.
LISTEN: Questlove Speaks On How Fela! Has Impacted Him
That rap resonates with Fela! is no wonder to Green, who explained, “If you think about it, most times, history repeats itself. A lot of what Fela was talking about back in the ‘70s, as far as the social injustices and the corrupt government and just all those sorts of things that were going on back then throughout Africa and throughout the world, I mean, it’s kind of repeating itself today.
“That connection with rappers? That’s the same kind of thing they rap about; those who are conscious enough about what’s going on, they talk about that stuff in their lyrics, so I think that connects it,” Green adds. “And also, just the sound – they like those horns blasting and, you know what I mean, just the rhythmic patterns. Any person who loves music would want to be connected to that.”
Green notes that Fela!’s popularity and Hip-Hop’s embrace have afforded him some meetings he may not otherwise have had. He has spoken with Questlove backstage, and just last week after a show, received an invitation from Busta Rhymes to record together in the studio.
About the usefulness of Fela Kuti’s legacy for himself and the Hip-Hop generation, Green proclaimed, “Just stand up and let your voice be heard, no matter what your instrument. That’s what Fela stood for. He didn’t want to let anyone take him down; he knew what he believed in was right, and he wasn’t going to let anyone tell him otherwise.
“That’s the biggest thing for an artist or musician…just do what you have to do. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but the biggest thing is standing up and believing that what you know as right is right for you.”
Fela! continues its run on Broadway this week, then moves on to the next city. For info or tickets, visit www.felaonbroadway.com.
Watch the trailer for Fela! below:


EXCLUSIVE: Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Johnson Inspired By Pac, B.I.G.

The 2012 Olympic Games commenced on Friday (July 28) in London, with an epic opening ceremony featuring a number of famous musicians, including rapper Dizzee Rascal.
During the first weekend of the Games, AllHipHop.com caught up with U.S. Olympic champion, Michael Johnson, who competed in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and won four gold medals.
During the Atlanta Games in 1996, Johnson created a new world record in the 300 meters and 400 meters which he still holds. Johnson famously broke the world record by wearing a pair of golden shoes and sprinting with an upright stance.
After the Atlanta Games, he went on to partner with Nike to release his golden shoes. In 2004, Johnson was elected to the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame for his 200 m performance at the 1996 Olympics.
According to Johnson, when he is training, he listens to a variety of music.
“My musical influences are pretty much anything R&B,” Michael Johnson told AllHipHop.com. “Sixties and 70′s R&B, a little bit of Hip-Hop, probably some Jazz. [It's] a very eclectic mix of music.”
When he was actually competing in the Olympics for his gold medals, Michael Johnson revealed that it was the music of Tupac Shakur and Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace that inspired him the most.
“The Hip-Hop I listen to is mostly 1990′s, 2000, Tupac. I’ve gotten too old for new music,” Johnson laughed. “But it was mostly Tupac and Biggie,” who revealed that his favorite song by Tupac is the rapper’s 1993 classic “Me Against the World.”
Michael Johnson is currently in the UK covering the London 2012 Games for the BBC.
Check out the exclusive clip below:


NBA Star Stephen Jackson Planning New Album “Jack of All Trades”


NBA player Stephen Jackson will release his album Jack of All Trades on his independent label Secret Society Entertainment.
In 2012, the San Antonio Spurs guard dropped mixtapes like “What’s A Lockout” and “TRILLmixes Vol” under his moniker Stak5.
Reps for Jackson told AllHipHop.com that Jack of All Tradeswill be hosted by veteran personality DJ Scream, while a clean version, family friendly version, minus the DJ tags, will drop via iTunes.
Jackson just dropped a video for his single “Save The Day” from Jack of All Trades, which will feature guest appearances by Game, Paul Wall, Jim Jones, Young Chris, Lloyd, Scarface Bun B., 2Win and others.
Check out “Save the Day”:

Jay-Z Named As Executive Producer Of 2K Sports’ “NBA2K13″

It was revealed in a promotional video released earlier today (July 30) that Jay-Z will serve as the executive producer of 2K Sports’ upcoming NBA 2K13 game, which is set for release on October 2.
With his Roc Nation and Barclays Center endeavors at full steam, Jay-Z has added “Video Game Executive Producer” to a constantly expanding resume that also includes multi-platinum selling rapper, minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets,Director of the Brooklyn Arena Firm, and owner of the worldwide 40/40 nightclub chain.
Although the full extent of Jay-Z’s involvement with the game is unknown, NBA 2K13 will feature NBA superstars Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose on the cover.
In addition to his involvement with NBA 2K13, Jay-Z will be opening the Barclays Center in late September with a string of sold-out concerts. He is also currently at work on his untitled 12th solo studio album.
Check out the promo video below, courtesy of Life+Times:


Sunday, July 29, 2012

Snoop Dogg Banned From Another Country – Norway

 Officials in Norway have announced a ban on rapper Snoop Dogg for the next two years.
The ban comes on the heels of the rapper’s arrest in June of 2012, as he attempted to enter the country with marijuana.
Authorities found eight grams of marijuana on Snoop, who was arrested at the airport and fined over the incident.
As a result, officials have barred him from entering Norway for the next two years.
This is not the first country that Snoop Dogg has been hard for him.
In 2006, Snoop Dogg and his entourage were involved in a massive brawl airport officials in Heathrow Airport in London.
Snoop eventually won that case, after surveillance footage was produced that proved police were the aggressors, vindicating him in the incident.
In April of 2007 Australian officials banned Snoop from the country due to his criminal record, although they eventually reversed the decision and Issued Snoop a work visa.


Exclusive Video: Havoc Speaks Out About Prodigy Rumors And Says Mobb Deep Is On “Hiatus….Indefinitely”

Mobb Deep has had some severe inner turmoil that came to a head when Havoc tweeted his frustrations with groupmate Prodigy over Twitter a few months ago. The two have not been the same since, and Havoc says he is ready to admit the truth about those tweets. Check out what he told Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur of AlHipHop.com exclusively below:
“The tweets is crazy,” said Havoc. “So it was you?” asked Creekmur. “Yeah,” said Havoc. “And I was speaking of a stand point of being mad, but still being truthful of how I felt – but it was just the wrong thing to do at that time.”
As for the state of Mobb Deep, Havoc says they are taking a break.
“Right now Mobb Deep is on hiatus, indefinitely…until things get hashed out,” Havoc told AllHipHop.com. “Eventually, the real story will come out; there’s two sides to every story. Only one has been spoken for.”
View video below of Havoc revealing the truth about why he tweeted and spoke out about the Prodigy gay rumors.
Part 2 of AllHipHop.com’s exclusive interview with Havoc has him speaking about his alleged new Prodigy diss record, his upcoming solo album, “Thirteen,” and more. Check back in the coming days.


EXCLUSIVE: Rick Ross Calls New Album “Classic Master Piece”

Rapper Rick Ross continues to roll out new music from his upcoming album God Forgives I Don’t.
The rapper recently dropped two new singles, one titled “911,” and the other title “Diced Pineapples” featuring Wale and Drake.
Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com that each track on the album was well thought out to compliment the other, like a movie.
“Motion picture master piece is the vibe of God Forgives, I Don’t,” Rick Ross told AllHipHop.com. “Every aspect of the album was handled like individual classic pieces.”
Rick Ross assembled major players for his next album. The 16-track release features appearances by Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, John Legend, Andre 3000, Ne-Yo, Meek Mill, Wale, Usher, Stalley, Drake, Elijah Blake and others.
AllHipHop.com will be following Rick Ross on his promotional run during the website’s popular series “The Next 48 Hours.”
“The Next 48 Hours” series chronicles artists as they visit various media outlets and perform and promote their album the day before and the day of release.
This will mark the third time Rick Ross has allowed AllHipHop.com to follow him on a campaign to promote a new release. Past episodes include Rick Ross promoting his fourth album Teflon Don, as well as Triple C’s.
“I invite AllHipHop.com to get a glimpse of this body of work to make history with me once again,” Rick Ross said.
“The Next 48 Hours – Rick Ross God Forgives I Don’t” will drop the same week as Rick Ross’ album God Forgives, I Don’t lands in stores, via Maybach Music Group/Warner Music Group.


Krayzie Bone Arrested On Suspicion Of Drunk Driving

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony rapper Krayzie Bone was arrested for drunk driving this morning in Los Angeles.
The rapper was driving his vehicle about 12:30 am and police pulled him over in a “routine” traffic stop, according to TMZ.com.
Krayzie Bone, 39, was suspected as being intoxicated, authorities said.
The police asked the rapper to perform a sobriety test and a breathalyzer came in over .10, which is over the legal limits in California.
The rapper was arrested and taken to jail.
He was cooperative.
AllHipHop.com was unable to obtain a statement from Krayzie Bone at press time, but the rap star recently conducted an interview with AllHipHop.com that was published earlier this week and revealed he was working on a double LP titled Chasing The Devil.
“I’m going to release the first one for free digital download,” Krayzie Bone told AllHipHop.com. “Just to give something back to the fans. I actually forgot to mention that it is going to be a double CD when I made the announcement, so I’m clearing that up now so everybody knows it’s going to be a double CD, and the first CD is going to be released for free digitally. However, I am going to have the whole double CD album available for physical purchase if people would like to do so.


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Actress & Singer Cymphonique Miller Hosting Star Studded Birthday Celebration

Actress and singer Cymphonique Miller is planning an all-star bash this weekend in Hollywood, to celebrate turning 16-years-old.
Cymphonique is the daughter of Hip-Hop mogul Percy “Master P.” Miller and the sister of actor Romeo Miller. She is also forging her own path in entertainment industry, as the star of her own hit television series on Nickelodeon titled “How To Rock.”
A number of A-listers are invited to attend the celebration, including Willow and Jaden Smith, OMG Girls, Big Sean, Justin Bieber, Diggy Simmons, Mindless Behavior and others.
The teen actress will also take time to give back during her birthday celebration. Cymphonique will celebrate her birthday with children that are fighting cancer, from the City of Hope Foundation.
MTV and BET will be covering Cymphonique Miller’s celebration, which is slated to go down in Hollywood tomorrow (July 27).


Swizz Beatz Addresses Megaupload.com Legal Situation

Swizz Beatz has commented on the legal situation involving Megaupload.com, a company that listed the superproducer as CEO before it was shut down for piracy in January.
Last week, the government revealed that they were officially looking into Swizz Beatz and his role as CEO of the company, as they attempt to bring a trial against Megaupload.com in the United States.
Several top executives at Megaupload.com were arrested on January 19, on charges of copyright infringement and racketeering.
Federal prosecutors claim Megaupload.com generated over $175 million in illegal proceeds from copyrighted works, costing the entertainment industry over $500 million in lost revenue.
“I’m a fan of music. I’m a fan of people that work hard. I would never be a part of anything that’s taking from an artist when I fight so hard to give so much to the artists,” Swizz Beatz said in an interview with AlLindstrom.com.
“I was giving the artists 90% of they s**t. Sometimes when something is so powerful and people can’t control it that type of attack happens,” Swizz Beatz reasoned. “You see that happen with multiple things in life. Things that are so powerful, they get shut down unexplainably.”
Swizz Beatz, born Kaseem Dean, may have a point.
Just last week, Megaupload.com’s billionaire founder, Kim DotCom, claimed that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden personally ordered the company’s shutdown.
Kim DotCom claimed that Vice President Biden met with the head of the Motion Picture Association of America over the issue of piracy.
“I do know from a credible source that it was Joe Biden, the best friend of former Senator and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) boss Chris Dodd, who ordered his former lawyer and now State Attorney Neil MacBride to take Mega down,” Kim DotCom told TorrentFreak.com in a separate interview.
Last week, Kim DotCom scored a victory in the case, when a New Zealand judge ruled that FBI warrants obtained to search his mansion in Auckland were illegal.
Swizz Beatz, who has worked with artists like Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Chris Brown and has won three Grammys, defended his character.
Although he is being associated with a file-sharing battle similar to those launched against past services like Napster, Audiogalaxy, LimeWire, and others, Swizz Beatz denied any wrong doing.
“I’m in the business of inspiring people. And I can’t be in the business of inspiring people if I’m so-called robbing my friends,” Swizz Beatz said. “And my friends know that, that’s why ain’t nobody speak out and say any clown s**t about me. They know my character and they know what it is.”


Busta Rhymes And Hip-Hoppers Venture To See Fela On Broadway

The Hip-Hop community has fallen in love with “Fela!” again.
The play, which is backed by Will Smith and Jay-Z, celebrates the life and times of legendary Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician and composer, activist, and political rebel.
Busta Rhymes recently attended a show and met with member of the cast afterwards.
“The Fela play is unbelievable, mind blowing, and very informative and bone chilling. Most importantly, very entertaining, and I will be going to see it again before it leaves New York, ” Busta Rhymes told AllHipHop.com in a statement.
Other Hip-Hop artists have continued to extol the play which is on a limited run in New York until August 4. It initially ran on Broadway in 2009 and was met with rave reviews.
Other members of the Hip-Hop community have also visited the play. Questlove of The Roots continuously praises “Fela!” through his various social networks.
“I witnessed a miracle tonight,” wrote Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson after seeing “Fela!”
Others still are rumored to be working with the musicians of “Fela!” in a number of Hip-Hop album efforts.
For information, go here www.felaonbroadway.com/ and for tickets, go here. You can get a discount if you put FEDGM77 in the promo code.


EXCLUSIVE: Yelawolf On Recording From The Back of a Bus and Why There Is No MGK Beef

First off, all talk about having words with other rappers aside, Shady/Interscope’s Yelawolf has been working.
The Alabama MC and renowned word flipper recently sat down with AllHipHop.com at DJ Skee’s infamous Skee Lodge in Los Angeles, California, to give us a firsthand breakdown of the concept behind his most recent effort Heart of Dixie,produced by Alabama’s own M16 and hosted by DJ Frank White.
Yelawolf says he spontaneously put out the collective of songs for fans earlier this month, and has since stayed busy also working with Travis Barker on their dual effort called, Psycho White. To boot, in addition to the aforementioned projects, Yelawolf has also been putting touches on the follow up to his acclaimed Trunk Muzik, dubbed Trunk Muzik Returns.
“Me, M16 and DJ Frank White are all from Alabama, so the name [Heart of Dixie] was fitting, and we just ran with it and the title; it’s just us coming together,” Yelawolf explained.  ”This was just a burner for me to get in there write and just get some sh*t off lyrically; you know, M16 flexing some beats, Frank White, just having fun. I mean, really, [M16] shot me some beats, and I recorded it on the back of the bus while I was touring.  And we dropped it just’ cause I really just want to rap. “
Heart of Dixie may be Yelawolf’s personal therapy, coming amidst recent comments that he made about his label Interscope not releasing as many singles as he would have liked. In the aftermath Yelawolf says that while he is still happy with his label situation despite the release issues, he felt the MC urge to give the fans something, given the lull of released material:
“I just wanted something to – well, I feel like I hadn’t dropped anything, and I didn’t want to put just anything out there. But at the same time, I didn’t want to f*ckin’ work on something for two months. I wanted to just go knock some sh*t out and put it out, not caring about sh*t but the statement of I’m still around, like, ‘I’m still around motha f**ker.’ Like, I’m still here and I’m writing.”
The music is priority number one, still there were questions to be answered about recent beef, and “Catfish Billy” as his fans call him, reluctantly and yet candidly offered a few answers regarding the purported beef with Cleveland rapper MGK.
“Where does our September run start? Alabama? Huntsville, Alabama? “Slumerican” tour begins. It’s an amazing tour; it’s gonna be incredible and breathtaking, circus tricks and all that sh*t,” Yelawolf said jokingly. “All that other sh*t can…I’m exhausted with nonsense. I just don’t know how to f*ckin’…everybody’s f*ckin’…if anybody, man, I don’t have any problems with f*ckin’ nobody in the world.”
But, there was more.
“Man, I put it like this, I wish MGK the best. I hope his career pans out, and I wish the best for him, like period. I don’t want problems with nobody. And, you know, outside of MGK, or to MGK, this is for anybody, if you f*ck with me, you’re f*ckin’ up, like for real. Like, just don’t f*ck with me, because I don’t f*ck with nobody. I’m like the old man on the front porch not f*ckin’ with nobody – with the loaded shotgun.
“I’m not f*ckin’ with nobody, so don’t come over here with that sh*t. Keep it over there, because, the team…it’s just… There’s nothing to say, if there was something to say, then it would be said, and it would be handled. But I wish that dude the best; I wish everyone the best.”
Yelawolf and tour mates will hit cities such as Jacksonville, Memphis, New Orleans, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Nashville, and more, before wrapping the tour up on November 17 in Atlanta, Georgia.


50 Cent Goes In On Oscar De La Hoy

Rapper 50 Cent is already shaking up the boxing world, after getting into a war of words with boxer Oscar De La Hoya, via Twitter.
50, who has jumped into the world of boxing via The Money Team Promotions (TMT Promotions), recently landed his New York promoters permit, and has one pending in Nevada.
Last night, he began taunting the world-famous boxer, who currently promotes Floyd Mayweather via his company Golden Boy Promotions.
“I don’t gamble Floyd do, but I bet you won’t be promoting Floyd Mayweather no more. TMT,” 50 Cent tweeted last night (July 25) making reference to the new Money Team company.
From there 50′s taunts got worse.
“Baby girl,@oscardelahoya, baby girl you here [sic] me,stop hating STOP IT RIGH[T] NOW.”
Oscar De La Hoya replied to the comments last night as well, but has since deleted most of them.
“your a boxing promoter? good luck maybe we can work someday. #success #nextgeneration #GBB #TMT,” De La Hoya tweeted.
50 kept on the pressure on the boxer and took another shot at Oscar De La Hoya’s masculinity.
“Great back pedal,can you swim backwards like that to girl?lol I except that as a apology.#GBB #TMT more success a head.”
Floyd Mayweather is currently incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center in Los Angeles, for domestic battery charges.
He is scheduled to be released from prison on August 3


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Yelawolf Sets The Record Straight On Upcoming Releases; Says “Psycho White EP” Is Complete

Shady Records recording artist Yelawolf has provided updates on a number of projects he has int he works including the Psycho White EP with Travis Barker,Trunk Muzik ReturnsCountry Cuzins with Big K.R.I.T. and his sophomore album Love Story.
While speaking to The SourceYelawolf revealed that hisPsycho White EP with Travis Barker is complete, and that the final details just need to be “wrapped up.”
“I think that’s next up,” Yela shared. “That will be the next thing people hear. Then afterPsycho WhiteTrunk Muzik Returns and then probably after that Country Cousins and then going on into 2013 it will be Love Story. But yeah, Psycho White is next.”
He continued, “That’s going to be available for sale, I believe. Now they just have to figure out how they want to distribute it. I’m not sure exactly where because Travis [Barker] has a bunch of places where he could put it… but its definitely going to be distributed soon.”
Yelawolf also shared that the follow-up to his 2009 mixtape, Trunk Muzik, is about “halfway done” and that, although it is an absolute reality, work on Country Cuzins with K.R.I.T. has yet to begin.
In addition to the full plate of releases that Yelawolf has in the pipeline, the Alabama native can be seen touring with Rittz, Trouble Andrew and DJ Vajra on the “Slumerican Tour” beginning on September 3 and lasting until mid-November.
Check out all that Yelawolf had to say to The Source here.


Ice-T Responds To Rush Limbaugh’s Rant – “I’m Also A Veteran”

Ice-T escalated his war of words with Rush Limbaugh via Twitter, after the right-wing talking head called the rapper out on his popular talk show “The Rush Limbaugh Show.”
Rush Limbaugh blasted Ice-T on his show Monday (July 24), after the rapper defended gun rights on during an interview about the Aurora, Colorado shootings that left 12 people dead on July 20.
“I’ll give up my gun when everyone else does,” Ice-T  told UK Channel 4 News after the shootings. “If there were guns here would you want to be the only person with out one? The right to bear arms because that’s the last defense against tyranny, not to hunt. It’s to protect yourself from the police. If somebody wants to kill people, they don’t need a gun to do it. You can strap explosives on your body, they do that all the time.”
The comments didn’t sit well with Rush Limbaugh, who took aim at Ice-T on his daily show.
“There’s Ice-T saying the only reason we got guns in America is ‘to protect yourself from the police,’” Rush Limbaugh laughed. “Well, we’re told, ‘Hey, its cultural. We gotta understand it from the cultural standpoint. That’s where Mr. T’s [Ice-T] is coming from.” He knew the word ‘tyranny’ and he knows that tyranny comes from government representatives. Double impressive. Tyranny doesn’t come from media figures, or actors.”
Ice-T replied to Rush Limbaugh’s comments yesterday evening, and continued to discuss the issue today (July 25).
“Before you challenge me do your research,” Ice-T tweeted. “I’ve lectured at Stanford, Princeton & Harvard to name a few… I just might be smarter than YOU.”
Ice took aim at today’s rapper’s as well, claiming the new breed of emcees are less politicized than the previous generation of artists.
“I love how people are soooo SHOCKED to hear something thought-provoking said by a rapper.. Hip Hop has changed to POP .. Nobody says shit. My comment on guns got a lot of press.. They call me ‘Gangster’ don’t forget ‘US Army Vet.’ A little gun history.”
Ice-T labeled Rush Limbaugh a “racist piece of s**t” and told his 272,673 followers that if they supported Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly, they should stop following him.
“No matter what.. There will ALWAYS be two sides to every issue.. Have the courage to chose one,” Ice-T advised.


DOWNLOAD: Mick Boogie And Hypetrak Team Up To “Represent The Stripes” With Slum Village, Action Bronson And More

DJ Mick Boogie has teamed up withHypetrak to release an 18-track mixtape titled Represent the Stripes as an homage to Adidas’ #represent campaign and to help build some musical awareness and anticipation for the 2012 Summer Olympic games which begin this Friday (July 27) in London.
Represent the Stripes features new music and appearances from the likes of Slum Village, Big Pooh, Action Bronson, Kids These Days, King L, Troy Ave, OnCue, STS, Chip Tha Ripper, and many more.
Production on the tape is provided by Chi Duly, Mell and D, Party Supplies, Block, DJ Uneek, Fly Union, , and more.
Hypetrak said of the mixtape, “Mick Boogie was so impressed with the upcoming Adidas #represent campaign that he decided to make a mixtape paying homage to it: “Represent The Stripes.” The project ties in the ideals of the Adidas campaign with the patriotism of the Olympics going on this month…hence the double entendre of “Represent The Stripes.” More of an exclusive, awesome compilation than a mixtape, this project features a who’s who of dope new rappers and some legends as well!”
Stream and download Represent the Stripes below:


EXCLUSIVE: Eminem Producer Supa Dups Production Values; Branching Into Other Genres

Jamaican bred music producer Super Dups of Black Chiney, took a moment in between recording to speak with AllHipHop.com about working with Eminem on not one, but two albums over the past few years.
“My manager [is] good friends with Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager. That’s how the whole situation came up,” Supa Dups explained to AllHipHop.com.
“He gave Paul a couple beats, Em liked one and it ended up on Recovery (“W.T.P.”). Eminem came back and said ‘we need more beats.’ I gave him the ‘Fast Lane’ beat and he did it with Royce Da 5’9.”
Although working with Eminem could appear to be the pinnacle of one’s career, Supa Dups is no newcomer to the Hip-Hop/R&B production game.
He won a Grammy for his production work on “W.T.P.” and is nominated for another for his work on Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans album.
Since 2004, he’s worked with dozens of artists, including Rihanna, Pitbull, Kardinall Offishall, Mary J. Blige, Nina Sky, Sean Paul, John Legend, Drake, Melanie Fiona, Bruno Mars and others.
Supa Dups, born Dwayne Chin-Quee, remained tight-lipped about his upcoming work, but he did reveal that he was looking forward to branching into new forms of music.
“I love all types of music and I don’t want to be stuck to one genre,” Supa Dups told AllHipHop.com. “I like to explore. At the end of the day, I like to make great music.
“I would love to even do a Country album one day, Alternative, I’m not stuck to one type of music. Reggae is my baby being from Jamaica.”
Check out AllHipHop.com’s exclusive Interview with Supa Dups below:


EXCLUSIVE: KRS-One Debuts Material From New Album In London

Hip-Hop legend KRS-One performed several classic joints, freestyles and tracks off his new album at the Jazz Cafe in London.
KRS was in London as part of a promotional tour to promote his upcoming release The BDP Album, which is being released by independent record label 6.8.2. Records.
During the performance, the New York bred rapper performed  songs from his catalog, in addition to tracks from The BDP Album.
KRS-One is slated to take the tour to other countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and other European cities.
The new album, which is being executive produced by KRS’ brother Kenny Parker, was 20 years in the making according to KRS,
A release date for The BDP Album is not available as of press time.


AHH Stray News: Nas Tops The Charts; 2 Chainz Announces Tour; Flo Rida Releasing Workout DVD

Nas topped early projections for sales of his tenth studio album, Life Is Good, with a final first-week estimation being reported at 139,402 copies sold according to HDD. The first-week sales, which will land the Queensbridge native with another #1 album, exceeded expectations by over 25,000 units. Life Is Good joins previous Nas albums likeIt Was WrittenThe FirmI AmHip-Hop Is Dead and Untitled by taking the #1 spot.
Def Jam recording artist 2 Chainz has announced cities and dates for his upcoming “Based On A T.R.U. Story” tour in support of his debut album of the same name, which will be released on August 14. The tour will begin at The Norva on August 30th in Norfolk, Virgina before hitting cities like Washington D.C., Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City before coming to a close on September 27 in Austin, Texas.
“One of the things I enjoy the most about being an artist is the opportunity to get on the stage and give the fans everything they deserve,” Chainz said. “I’ve performed along side some of the best in this business, but this time will be something special. This time it’s all me.”
In addition to the tour, 2 Chainz released the second single from Based On A T.R.U. Story yesterday titled “Birthday Song” featuring Kanye West, whose creative company DONDA designed the album artwork for Chainz’ Def Jam debut. Tickets and information for the tour can be found at Ticketmaster.com.
Billboard is reporting that platinum-selling rapper Flo Rida has spoken on plans for an upcoming workout DVD that has been rumored to be in the works for awhile. At the Teen Choice Awards, which took place on Sunday (July 22), Flo Rida told the website that fans can expect the DVD before the end of the year.
“I’m definitely going to do that. I have quite a workout regimen. I’ve always been about fitness and my fans can definitely appreciate that.”
Flo Rida is currently on the road in support of his recently released fourth studio album,Wild Ones, alongside B.O.B. and Cee-Lo on the “R U On the List Tour” which hits Washinton D.C. tonight (July 25) and will be in Atlantic City and East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 27 and 28, respectively.