VM Hip Hop News

-----------------------------------------
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Well be back & Posting Soon!
| -----------------------------------------
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Hightyde.com is back up a running!
Peep it out kiddos or we'll smash your grill-ed cheese in..or poke our fingers in it...one of the two
Also peep out the latest Extreme Nemesis & High Tyde Collab -"One Chance"
It's free for you cheap basstaddas out there!

Fat Joe Gives His 'All' On New CD, Nelly Tour
Rapper Fat Joe has set an April 26 release date for his new Terror Squad/Atlantic album "All or Nothing." Although the full track list is not confirmed, the set will feature collaborations with Nelly, R. Kelly and Mashonda, as well as production by Timbaland, R. Kelly, Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz.

The Cool & Dre-produced first single "So Much More" climbs 51-37 this week on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks tally. "All or Nothing" is Fat Joe's first studio album since 2002's "Loyalty," which debuted at No. 11 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The rapper scored his biggest success to date last year as part of Terror Squad, whose single "Lean Back" spent three weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and appeared on 19 different Billboard charts. The cut topped Billboard's year-end Hot Rap Tracks roundup.
(billboard.com)

Extras
FBI Closes Notorious B.I.G Investigation (billboard.com)
How Much Is Your Stolen Music Worth? (Daniel Engber/Daveyd's)
50 Cent And The Game Call A Truce (mtv.com)
8Ball & MJG featured in book (hiphopdx.com)
Big Mike And Green Lantern Take Home Top Honors At This Year's Mixtape Awards (ballerstatus.net)
| -----------------------------------------
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Oakland - Based group Zion I set to release 3rd album, True & Livin, In April 2005
Long heralded by critics as one of the finest home-grown products to emerge from the Bay Area’s burgeoning and legendary underground hip-hop world, Zion I is set to release their third and best LP to date, True & Livin.The album --which features Talib Kweli, Gift of Gab, Del The Funky Homosapien, Aesop Rock and social activist Fred Hampton Jr.--will undoubtedly become one of the most important and talked about independent releases of the year. And for good reason: True & Livin’ is a musical amalgamation of rap, soul, jazz and blues, which runs the gamut from saxophone soaked reflections of life in ghetto America, to synthesized, upbeat, socially conscious anthems to acoustic guitar-driven southern blues ballads. And in a marked break from their previous two albums, True & Livin’ is full of serious subject matter, tackling issues like relationships, social injustice and perhaps, most striking, whether the love of hip-hop is really worth the struggle to make music and survive doing it. “Since the album is coming out on our label,” explains MC Zion, “it is the exact record we wanted to make. We didn’t cater to a particular fan-base or any aspect of the industry.”
(Daveyd's)

Chopper & Insane Clown Posse
Where has former Da Band member Chopper (a.k.a. Young City) been? He landed a Bad Boy recording contract, but before you hear his debut album, you'll see him on packages of Rap Snacks Pork Skins and Cracklins. Chopper has signed on as the official spokesperson for the latest line of Rap Snacks, which have previously featured Master P, ODB and Lil' Romeo. Each bag will also have a motivational phrase printed on it, such as "seize every opportunity." A company spokesperson said a line of Rock Snacks is being planned for later this year; the company has already landed Insane Clown Posse for those, and is in negotiations with bands such as P.O.D. and Good Charlotte.
(Mtv.com)

Extra
All Hip Hop Special of 50 Cent/ Game Press Conference (Allhiphop.com)
The Apprentice Meets Fat Joe, Lil Kim & Hip Hop Slang (Daveyd's)
Wal-Mart Being sued for $100 Millions by Tx record label (Manhunt)
Sounds Of The Underground Summer Tour (Manhunt)
| -----------------------------------------
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Extras
50 Cent says he did not prompt shooting (Earthlink)
One on One with the RZA: A conversation with a lyrical shogun (Final Call)
Layzie Bone Solo Release (ThugLifeArmy.com)
| -----------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
50 Cent's LP Pushed Up, Harsh 'Facts' Sound Like Disses On Leaked 'Piggy Bank'
50 Cent may have missed the original target date of February 15 for the release of his Massacre LP, however, the project is now coming to stores earlier than its rescheduled March 8 release. With the album leaking to the Internet and streets on Monday, Interscope says to look for the latest 50 Cent LP a few days earlier, on March 3.

The track causing the most stir since the album hit the black market has been the highly anticipated "Piggy Bank." 50 has done a ton of press in advance of the song, telling the world he was going to state "facts" about Fat Joe, Nas, Jadakiss, Ja Rule and Shyne

What 50 calls "facts" some others will call "disses," as the G-Unit captain raps, "That fat n---a thought 'Lean Back' was 'In Da Club'/ My sh-- sold 11 mil, his sh-- was a dud/ Jada, don't f--- with me if you want to eat/ 'Cause I'll do your little ass like Jay did Mobb Deep."Later, 50 takes aim at hip-hop's latest newlyweds, scoffing, "Kelis says her milkshake bring all the boys to the yard/ Then Nas went and tattooed the bitch on his arm."

As the record closes, 50 dares anyone who may have caught feelings because of the song to "do something now" — "You gotta so do something/ C'mon, man, everybody's listening."Fat Joe says he will definitely respond to 50 Cent on his LP, All or Nothing, due March 3. The other parties were unable to be reached for comment.
(mtv.com)

Scratch: All the Way Live DVD
After the critical success of the turntabilist movie Scratch comes Scratch: All the Way Live. This live concert DVD highlights a night from the last national Scratch Tour during a stop at Los Angeles’ House of Blues. The DVD will feature performances from the likes of Mix Master Mike, the X-ecutioners, Z-Trip and the Original DJ Jazzy Jay, plus Obey Giant creator Shepard Fairey in urban art engagement as he creates a Gene Simmons (KISS) inspired mural on stage.new DVD set for commercial release April 19 on Scratch Recordings. Bonus features on Scratch: All the Way Live include: a ‘how to’ session with Shepard Fairey illuminating the way he creates his posters and uses wheat paste to plaster them in urban surroundings; a commentary track with Z-Trip, director Doug Pray and the Scratch Tour producers; a live jam session from Philadelphia’s TLA show with Qbert, Scratch from The Roots, Z-Trip, X-ecutioners and the Original DJ Jazzy Jay; the animated trailer for the Mix Master Mike album Bangzilla (Scratch Recordings), gallery of graffiti pieces created by artists on the Scratch Tour; and the Scratch: All The Way Live original theatrical trailer.Look for the new DVD to hit stores April 19th on Scratch Recordings.
(Hiphopdx.com)

Extras
Andre 3000 Feels the Pressure (rapnesdirect.com)
Benzino rips his hometown (The Reality Box)
DJ Warrior Gears Up For The Mixtape Awards, Drops Mixtape With DJ Muggs (ballerstatus.net)
| -----------------------------------------
Sunday, February 20, 2005
De La Soul Goes Back to College
De La Soul is one of the few acts in hip-hop that has found a way to remain relevant in the game (unless you ask BET of course). For more than a decade De La has endured each and every phase hip-hop has gone through. Now the group will embark on a speaking and performance tour of U.S. colleges.The tour will be titled “The Past, The Present, The Future” and will feature the group performing some of their hits and spread some knowledge to college students all over the states. The tour will begin March 2nd at Howard University and run through March 30th at USC in Los Angeles. The tour will be sponsored by Toyota. "We've wanted to do something like this for awhile," Pos said. "We're fans of hip-hop and to have the opportunity to talk to young people about what's so powerful in hip-hop -- its history and what's going on right now -- is the coolest thing we could be doing."
(HipHopdx.com)

Will Smith takes shots at Eminem.
Five years after being ridiculed on Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady," the former Fresh Prince apparently has some words for Em. Insiders say Smith's upcoming Lost And Found is a deliberate departure from his usually clean cut music. The album features a track entitled "Mr. Nice Guy" on which Big Willie addresses his good guy image and disses Slim in the process. The album features production from DJ Jazzy Jeff, Timbaland and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige.
(sohh.com)

Extra
Arrested Development' struggles to survive (USA Today)
E-Swift, Hip-Hop Producer for Tha Alkaholiks, Raps About His New Tapco S-8 Studio Monitors (EQ Magazine)
Danger Mouse Completes Production of Gorillaz Album (DaveyD's)
Xzibit Tour & Hip Hop SupaStar Info (manhunt)
| -----------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Bay Area MC Lyrics Born has announced the U.S. and Canada tour dates
that will lead up to the April 26th release of his new album, Same !@#$ Different Day, the follow-up to his 2003 debut, Later That Day. Featuring eight remixes from Later That Day and five new songs, the album boasts collaborations with KRS-One, Evidence, Casual, E-40, DJ Shadow, Dan The Automator, Cut Chemist and DJ D Sharp. Making cameos on the opening night of the tour, at San Francisco¹s DNA Lounge on February 24th, will be Lateef The Truth Speaker (Lyrics Born¹s partner from Latyrx) and Blackalicious's Gift Of Gab.

Tour Dates:
February 24 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
February 25 - Lake Tahoe, CA @ Whiskey Dicks Saloon
February 26 - Portland, OR @ Berbatis Pan
February 27 - Walla Walla, WA @ Whitman College
February 28 - Olympia, WA @ Bar Code
March 01 - Bellingham, WA @The Nightlight Lounge
March 03 - Victoria, BC @ TBD
March 04 - Kelowna, BC @ Splash
March 05 - Nelson, BC @ Fluid Lounge
March 07 - Missoula, MT @ University of Montana
March 08 - Bozeman, MT @ Zebra Cocktail Lounge
March 09 - Jackson Hole, WY @ Mangy Moose
March 10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Egos
March 11 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater
March 12 - Denver, CO @ Cervante's Masterpiece Ballroom
March 14 - Breckenridge, CO @ Sherpa & Yti
March 15 - Vail, CO @ 8150March 16 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
March 18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Club
March 29 - Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
March 30 - Boston, MA @ Middle East
March 31 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
April 08 - Gainesville, FL @ Common Ground
April 10 - Tallahassee, FL @ Beta Bar
April 11 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
April 13 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
April 15 - Austin, TX @ Mercury
April 16 - Denton, TX @ Haileys
April 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
(CMJ.com)

Lord Finesse And All-Star Cast To Host Big L Tribute
Lord Finesse & the Estate of Big L will honor the Harlem emcee with an all-star tribute show at SOBs in NYC on Wednesday (Feb. 16), featuring appearances by the Diggin' in the Crates crew, DJ Premier, Pharaoh Monche & a host of others. Big L was shot & killed on Feb. 15, 1999. A new LP from Big L is in the works as well.
(allhiphop.com)

Game accepts Bleeks challenge to battle for 50 G`s
The Compton MC said although he's eager to settle with Hov, he may have some words in store for Memphis Bleek and the Young Gunz. Bleek had previously challenged Game to a battle. The thuggish Aftermath chain-wearer accepted Memphis' challenge and offered to put up $50,000 of his own money as part of the prize."
(Urban.Fan2Fan)

Extras
Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust (Review) (Hiphopdx.com)
The Yukmouth/G-Unit beef is far from dead (thickonline)
Game: "Jay-Z, And Roc-A-Fella Can Suck My D***" (Digital Mental)
Fans Can "Get Down" w/ Nas In New Guitar Center Contest (Sohh.com)
Random House Sues P. Diddy Over Advance (Billboard.com)
|

Verbal Mutilation Hip Hop 2000-2005
Blog - blogger.com Commenting- haloscan.com Tracking - statcounter