JumpinJack AJ

MC Shan Slams Public Enemy, Salt-n-Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Slick Rick For Grammys Appearance By: AllHipHop StaffCategory: NewsFebruary 11, 2023 On Thursday (February 9), the Juice Crew alum re-shared the throwback photo of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Salt-n-Pepa, Slick Rick and Kid-n-Play to Instagram and wasn’t exactly in a celebratory mood. The 65th Annual Grammy Awards featured a special segment celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop. Executive produced by Questlove, the 13-minute performance boasted appearances from Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Too $hort, Queen Latifah and many more. While it was certainly a highlight of the exhaustive four-hour ceremony, some people had a problem with it. MC Shan, in particular, called out several of the performers for their perceived hypocrisy. On Thursday (February 9), the Juice Crew alum re-shared a throwback photo of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy, Salt-n-Pepa, Slick Rick and Kid-n-Play to Instagram. In the caption, he pointed out they initially boycotted the Grammys in 1989 after the Recording Academy refused to televise the rap categories. “IF YOU SAW ONE OF THESE ARTIST AT THE GRAMMY THEY SELL OUT,” he wrote in all caps. “I TOLD YALL THEY WOULDNT EVEN LET US IN THE DOOR iN 89. BUT NOW THE GRAMMYS IS THE S###. F### YOU, YOU SELL OUT. THAT WAS OUR BLOOD ON THE GROUND THAT YOU SO CASUALLY PASSED ON YOUR WAY IN. SO F### YOU.” Shan, who appeared angry about the entire situation, insisted he wasn’t upset. He continued: “NO IM NOT MAD THEY AINT CALL ME THEY WOULDA BEEN MAD F### A GOOD LOOK WHERE THE CHECK …ALL THE N-GGAS THAT GOT BIG MONEY WENT ON LAST KALID TO RICH JAY TO RICH FOR A GOOD LOOK SO YOU KNOW THEY BUST THEY HEAD ….LOLOL.” The rap categories were introduced at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were nominated (and won) the first-ever rap Grammy for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” But DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith decided not to attend. “We chose to boycott,” he said at the time. “You go to school for 12 years, they give you your diploma, and they deny you that walk down the aisle.” Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav famously didn’t attend either. They’d already made up their minds about the Recording Academy. As Chuck rapped on the 1988 single “Terminator X to the Edge of Panic,” “Who gives a f### about a g###### Grammy?” Despite the Grammys’ complicated relationship with Hip-Hop, its 50th anniversary celebration was enough to appease the purists and welcome the next generation. https://allhiphop.com/news/mc-shan-slams-public-enemy-salt-n-pepa-dj-jazzy-jeff-slick-rick-for-grammys-appearance/?fbclid=IwAR1Ngj5c2FsTK2TnXeD2Dn9O0PwcuHwuNSi9i6IxJL7SfUAV7VGzSRXvBNE

This is so corny, so LL...and I love it. I previously saw the headlines that he was scrapping the album and got really disappointed. LL Cool J Trolls Fans By Claiming He Won’t Drop Album With Q-Tip By: Justin IveyCategory: NewsFebruary 22, 2023 Q-Tip executive produced LL Cool J’s next album, which will be the Hip-Hop legend’s first release since 2013. LL Cool J played a trick on his social media followers. The Hip-Hop legend made fans think he scrapped his comeback album on Wednesday morning (February 22). LL Cool J posted a series of since-deleted tweets saying he won’t drop the project, which was executive produced by Q-Tip. “I’m really trying to figure this album out,” he wrote. “SMH. Just not feeling like this album is worthy of being released. I tried.” He added, “Not dropping it.” LL Cool J continued to troll fans on Wednesday afternoon. He posted a video on Instagram with the following caption: “Explanation behind my choice to not release my album.” The clip revealed it was all a ruse to hype his upcoming collaboration with Q-Tip. “I was considering not putting the record out because it’s too f###### good!” he said with a laugh. “Q-Tip, you a genius, baby. Yo, this my favorite album I’ve ever made. I can’t wait for y’all to hear this. Date, tracklisting, coming soon.” LL Cool J hasn’t released an album since 2013’s Authentic. Since then, he’s continued his acting career as one of the stars of the CBS series NCIS: Los Angeles. He also launched his Rock The Bells platform, which ran its first festival in 2022. https://allhiphop.com/news/ll-cool-j-trolls-fans-by-claiming-he-wont-drop-album-with-q-tip/

MATTHEW EISMAN/GETTY IMAGES DE LA SOUL’S MASEO BREAKS SILENCE FOLLOWING TRUGOY THE DOVE’S DEATH by ANDY BUSTARD Published on: Feb 21, 2023, 3:09 AM PST De La Soul’s Maseo has broken his silence following the death of Trugoy The Dove. Maseo, a.k.a. Plug Three, took to Instagram on Monday (February 20) to mourn the tragic passing of his long-time groupmate, who died aged 54 on February 12. The rapper, producer and DJ took a trip down memory lane as he shared a throwback photo of De La Soul signing their first deal with Tommy Boy Records back in the late 1980s. Producer Prince Paul, who produced the trio’s lauded first three albums, and Tommy Boy founder Tom Silverman and label president Monica Lynch can also be seen in the picture. “This is the day we signed our contract with Tommy Boy… Much Love And Respect To Monica Lynch,” Maseo wrote in his caption. “SUPER CLASSIC HISTORY,” DJ Premier wrote in the comments section, while A-Trak reacted with: “Wowww.” Busta Rhymes and Diamond D also offered their support and condolences. Maseo followed up with another post, this one a close-up of a black medallion commemorating De La Soul’s seminal 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. “Since 1988,” he wrote in the caption, celebrating his, Trugoy and Posdnuos’ 35-year run in the rap game. “i wore mine around the bx back then,” Diamond D chimed in in the comments section, while J. Period quoted a line from De La’s song “Buddy” by writing: “BLACK MEDALLIONS. NO GOLD.” While Posdnuos has yet to address Trugoy The Dove’s death — the cause of which remains unknown — countless Hip Hop figures have paid tribute to the beloved De La Soul lyricist, many of whom were influenced by the trailblazing trio. “Trugoy The Dove[.] You showed us it’s ok to have fun not sad or too too deep or fight the power tho it was very much fight the power what u did so genuis,” Nas wrote on Instagram. “The group made me wish I was them. Thank You.” “Trugoy Dave from De La Soul has gone up to be with the day of the stars with the Master,” Pharrell tweeted. “Sending love, light and positive vibrations to his family, The Soul and everyone whose lives have been touched by his existence. Oodles and Oodles and Oodles of O’s.” Busta Rhymes shared his “disbelief” and “hurt” on his Instagram page, while Common reflected on how De La “changed” his life and his friendship with Trugoy, who he knew simply as Dave. “The truth is he has been one of the greatest influences and inspirations in my life,” the Chicago MC penned in a heartfelt Instagram post. “I will miss you brother. You are loved beyond words and I am praying for all your family which is our family.” Elsewhere, tributes flooded in from Prince Paul, Queen Latifah, LL COOL J, Fat Joe, Chuck D, Questlove, Black Thought, Redman, Bun B, Rapsody and many more. Trugoy’s untimely death came just weeks before the March 3 release of De La Soul’s back catalog on streaming services, which will see critically acclaimed releases like 3 Feet High and Rising, Buhloone Mindstate and Stakes is High become available on Spotify et al. for the first time. The group announced the news in January, revealing they had partnered with Reservoir Media and Chrysalis Records to distribute their first six albums digitally after resolving long-standing sample clearance issues and a legal dispute with their former label, Tommy Boy. “We can’t believe this day is finally here, and we are excited to be able to share our music with fans, old and new,” De La said in a statement. “Golnar [Khosrowshahi], Rell [Lafargue], Faith [Newman] and the Reservoir team have been great partners in this entire process. We’re grateful that our relationship with them all has enabled this to happen.” https://hiphopdx.com/news/de-la-soul-maseo-trugoy-the-dove-death-reaction

https://thegrio.com/2023/02/17/i-am-legend-sequel-to-have-alternate-ending/?fbclid=IwAR1nRRevWrjWKkeB7CnJHDMpePMNYdLYbo829L4wF1cYDd7vbMldStuPb5w ‘I Am Legend’ sequel will feature time jump, alternate ending The original sci-fi thriller earned nearly $77 million during its opening weekend, making it one of 2007's top-grossing films. Filmmaker Akiva Goldsman has shared plot details about the “I Am Legend” sequel starring Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan. Goldsman tells Deadline that the follow-up to the 2007 blockbuster sci-fi thriller takes place many years after the events in the first film. Not only that, the story will follow an alternative ending, that sees Smith’s character, Dr. Robert Neville, survive, USA Today reports. Will Smith attends the “Ismael’s Ghosts (Les Fantomes d’Ismael)” screening and Opening Gala during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2017, in Cannes, France. (Photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images) “This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman said of the sequel, noting that it will “trace back” to Richard Matheson’s 1954 post-apocalyptic horror novel that the original movie was based on. “What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore,” Goldsman told Deadline. At the end of the original film, Smith’s Neville dies while attempting to create a cure that will save mankind from a deadly plague that turned people into bloodthirsty mutants known as Darkseekers. A special-edition DVD release of the film features the alternate ending in which Neville survives and co-exists among the Darkseekers“I Am Legend” earned nearly $77 million during its opening weekend, making it one of 2007’s top-grossing films. Deadline reports it grossed $585.4 million worldwide. Smith and Jordan will both co-star and co-produce the sequel. Meanwhile, Jordan is gearing up for the release of “Creed III,” coming to theaters and IMAX on March 3. Jordan reprises his role as Adonis Creed, who faces off with a former childhood friend after he resurfaces following a lengthy prison stint. Per the official synopsis: When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose. “Creed III” is the third installment in the beloved film franchise and co-stars Majors, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu and Phylicia Rashad. The film marks Jordan’s directorial debut.

DAVE, AKA TRUGOY THE DOVE, DEAD AT 54 EXCLUSIVE DETAILS 5K 2/12/2023 3:05 PM PT REMEMBERING TRUGOY THE DOVELAUNCH GALLERY Getty David Jolicoeur -- also known as Dave and Trugoy the Dove, who was one of the three founding members of De La Soul -- has died. Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ the rapper passed away Sunday at a hospital in Maryland. No other details, including a potential cause, have been released ... but we're told his death appears to be from natural causes, and that he was battling an undisclosed illness. De La Soul's official social accounts have yet to say anything about Dave -- ditto for the other two members and their own pages ... Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos) and Vincent Mason (Maseo). Dave was with DLS since the beginning, getting together in '87 and going on to crank out some of the most famous rap songs of all time. The group went on an incredible three-album run through the '90s -- with two of those being being certified platinum and gold, respectively. Some of their best-known tracks include ... "Me, Myself and I," "Eye Know," "The Magic Number," "Stakes Is High," "Ring Ring Ring," "Say No Go," "Breakadawn," "Oooh," "Buddy," "All Good," "Ghetto Thang," "I Am I Be," "Ego Trippin (Part 2)" and countless others. De La Soul was unique in that they emerged in one decade, but seamlessly transitioned into another ... all while adapting their style and production to keep up with the times. Three of their songs have been nominated for Grammys over the years, with one of those -- a smash hit collab with the Gorillaz in "Feel Good Inc." -- actually winning Best Pop Collaboration in 2006. Their music has been hard to listen to in recent years ... for one reason or another, nobody has been able to stream their stuff on major platforms, but a deal was recently inked that'll finally allow their classic tunes to be played en masse starting next month. https://www.tmz.com/2023/02/12/de-la-soul-dave-trugoy-the-dove-dead-dies/

I'm so mad about it that I meant to post this on the music board and ended up posting it on the movie board.

This has me mad. He sometimes talks about how he's not appreicated in Hip-Hop the way he should be. He had a place in this, and he walked away. His partner in music was part of this, and he walked away. His peers, many who have shown respect for him, were involved in this, and he walked way. This was a one-night event/commitment, and he walked away. This could have played a big part in his comeback in pop culture, and he walked away. Him and Jeff have the first Grammy for Hip-Hop. The slap didn't really bother me. This bothers me. I can only hope that the Grammy's performance sparks interest in Hip-Hop culture and music and that we see more events surrounding it and that he gets his butt in order and participates.

Questlove says Will Smith was going to make a surprise appearance during the Grammys' hip-hop tribute The "Wild Wild West" rapper had to put the music on pause in order to film Bad Boys 4. By Emlyn TravisFebruary 05, 2023 at 10:51 PM EST The 65th Annual Grammy Awards is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a star-studded tribute that very nearly included the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air himself. Questlove, who curated the 14-minute-long celebration that aired on Sunday evening, revealed that Will Smith was originally set to make a surprise appearance during the performance but ultimately had to back out because it coincided with the filming of Bad Boys 4. "I'll give the spoiler alert away. Will Smith was a part of the festivities tonight, but they started shooting Bad Boys 4 already this week," Questlove told Variety. "There's a lot of preliminary shots that he had to do, so we had to lose Will." Will Smith was going to perform during Questlove's hip-hop tribute at the 2023 Grammys. | CREDIT: DAVE ALLOCCA/STARPIX/SHUTTERSTOCK The multi-hyphenate explained that he totally understood Smith's decision to put filming first. "It was a shot in the dark," he said. "He's always shooting movies. We had a lot of people and some of them have other jobs." He continued, "There was a lot of legit reasons why we couldn't be all inclusive of some people." In fact, the four-time Grammy winner noted that a few of the performers — including the Roots, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, and LL Cool J — all had to "leave their respective shows" in order to participate in this week's festivities. Questlove added, "It's going to be amazing." If Smith had made an appearance at the event, it would've marked his and Questlove's first collaboration since Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars just minutes before Questlove won Best Documentary for his film Summer of Soul. Despite accepting the award onstage minutes afterward, Questlove has previously joked that he wasn't totally "present" when the slap happened because he had been meditating during the commercial break. Earlier this week, Smith confirmed on social media that he and Martin Lawrence will be returning for the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise. "It's official, y'all!" Smith yelled. "Bad Boys for life, baby!" The 65th Grammy Awards are airing live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night. https://ew.com/awards/grammys/will-smith-dropped-out-grammys-2023-performance-questlove/

Smokey doesn't stop. I love this. SMOKEY ROBINSON - If We Don't Have Each Other (2023)

I hear you. They've been talking about a sequel ever since the first one was in theaters. That's always the case when they have a hit on their hands. At the end of Aladdin, the Genie isn't even the Genie any more, so it would be interseting to see who they bring him back. Part of me thinks it's unecessary, but Disney typically does a good job of only doing a sequel if it's good. I loved Mary Poppins Returns, which I thought was really risky. If anything, we'll get some sort of song(s) will Will on it if this happens.

https://insidethemagic.net/2023/01/disney-welcomes-will-smith-new-movie-confirmed-ab1/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1M02N_7QuLSKSbsWAtpz1L5WAd3QuXVbNaa_zcnuxYJEcupZzFCskfwe0 Will Smith Confirmed to Star In New Disney Movie IN ENTERTAINMENT Posted on January 24, 2023 by Andrew Boardwine4 Comments Will Smith is set to make his return to Hollywood a little less than a year after the Oscars incident that took the world by storm. Smith– who is known for countless blockbusters, including the Men In Black franchise, the Bad Boys franchise, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), I Am Legend (2007), and many more– was in the headlines for the wrong reason last spring when he slapped comedian Chris Rock during The Academy Awards show after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. The actor was given an Academy Award for his role in King Richard (2021). After several months away from the limelight, Will Smith’s newest project, Emancipation (2022), was just recently released and the actor has been named as a nomination for the NAACP Image Award. There have been varying opinions on the timing of when Will Smith– who has received a 10-year ban from The Academy would be welcomed back into Hollywood. However, it seems that it will be sooner than later. Credit: ABC The Sun is now reporting that Will Smith has been welcomed back by Disney and that one of his first movies to begin filming will be none other than Aladdin 2. “This would be one of the first movies Will has shot since the Oscars slap and it is quite surprising, given that it will be for a kids’ film,” a movie insider said. “He has done a lot of work on himself and the consensus is that it will all be very much in the past by the time the movie is released.” Credit: Disney The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star made his Disney debut in the first Aladdin (2019) and the live-action blockbuster earned over $1 billion at the Hollywood box office. While there were rumors that Dwayne Johnson could potentially replace Will Smith in his role as Genie, it seems that Disney wants to keep its same cast. “The first film was a huge success so it would be silly not to make another, and it would be a real shame to have to re-cast Will over what happened,” an insider said. “So Disney is keen to stand by him and bring him back into the fold.” Credit: Universal Studios Aladdin Director Guy Ritchie recently shared that he wanted Smith to return for the sequel, stating that he was a “perfect gentleman.” “I’ve never met a more lovely man, and working with him was one of the most wonderful, great experiences I’ve ever had. I never saw anything other than the consummate, generous gentleman. I wouldn’t have any issue casting Will Smith in anything, because, as I say, he was just the f——ng perfect gentleman.”

On playing two separate roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (a one-off as Claudia in 1991, and a recurring role as Will Smith's girlfriend-turned-fiancée Lisa from 1994-1995), and her deep love for Smith in the wake of the actor’s uncharacteristic attack on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars "They recycled me on Fresh Prince… You know what, I think sometimes that's where you take the creative license and you're like, 'I don't have to explain s***.' Forget Claudia, you are now Lisa. Those were good old days. It was my first consistent job where I was actually working every day and learning what it meant to be on a show with three cameras versus film where there's one camera… And I just remember that Will was this energetic, goofy, funny guy that was obsessed with playing golf and sneakers. And he was just the happiest person. He was like Disneyland. Will Smith was like Disneyland during The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And I love him and I will always love him. And he's had an incredible career and he's carried a burden for many years to try to represent what perfection looks like or achievement looks like. And I don't think that, at least when we were growing up, there was room to be human. And I think he's now able to be human and I'm just thankful and grateful for that moment in my career because it taught me a lot about comedy. "Sometimes I'm like, 'Can you stop being so damn happy?' You cannot be this happy. But he really is. He's a joyous person. But I think we all have our moments in life where we have to reconcile things that maybe we suppress. And I think it's hard growing up in this business and being front and center every day, all day… I can go to the grocery store anytime I want to. And for the most part people are like, 'Hey Nia Long, how you doing?' No one's chasing me down the street. I still have my anonymity and I appreciate that about my career. I appreciate that. However I've managed to do that. That it's, it's the thing that allows me to stay connected to the people and to be human and not try to be this perfect being. And you know, I've had some pretty devastating moments in my life over the last couple of months and I've had to just say, 'It's all right. You'll pick yourself back up…' Oh my God, I'm about to cry. You pick yourself back up and you keep it moving. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nia-long-boyz-n-the-hood-will-smith-turned-down-charlies-angels-195638684.html?ncid=facebook_yahooenter_yxwbqqk7sto&fbclid=IwAR0IEuJtpSYMuW_Wp7iz3X8Txmv2hMJhyrqVtKG30X52a0XArxo3NPPTDmk&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sLmZhY2Vib29rLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIaiz2ksPigD8NCWgOOPQlCEw4t8arPo8DdEhovcpuHGWMq33Cqo8_iCDPDHHrY4O4QQTqerjuv4SfLLDLHj9Gw3MbT9rOKC8eAqKXIfFGosrQysT6VYP_tksYax6TiC7--aM49vHY_KlKpaUdCqHWiUSyVM3xiqppmrC1UL1DiJ

LL Cool J plans to release new album this year: “Wait 'til you hear this MF" Don’t call it a comeback, but LL Cool J said he’s dropping a new album this year. It will be his first project in a decade. BY KEVIN KEISE / 01.16.2023 Don’t call it a comeback, but LL Cool J is planning to drop a new album this year. The hip hop pioneer took to Twitter for the announcement on Saturday (Jan. 14). “I’m competing with myself on this new album,” he wrote. “Wait ’til you hear this MF. This year, B. It’s coming,” the legend continued. LL, whose last album Authentic came 10 years ago, arrived on the music scene with Def Jam and Columbia Records in the mid-’80s. His first project Radio was released in 1985 and featured 13 tracks, including three iconic singles, “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” “Rock The Bells” and “You’ll Rock.” He then dropped Bigger & Deffer in 1987, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. Three years later, he released Mama Said Knock You Out, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and spent 76 weeks on the charts. The Queens native’s music career has been quite historic. Of his 13 studio albums, the first 10 went Platinum, making him the first rapper to do so. He also became a two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist, as well as an actor, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 2017, the emcee even received a Kennedy Center Honor, and four years later, was inducted into the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Along with dropping albums, LL has proved to be an outstanding actor. The entertainer, whose real name is James Todd Smith, landed blockbuster roles in films such as Charlie’s Angels, Deep Blue Sea, Any Given Sunday, Last Holiday and Halloween: H2O. He’s also graced the small screen on shows like his former hit series “In The House” and the crime-fighting drama “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Speaking of acting, the rap legend recently asked if he should do a movie based on his life. On Jan. 12, he tweeted, “Should I do a biopic?” Many fans responded, “Yes,” and one actor revealed he would love to star in the role if the chance presented itself. REVOLT reported on Jan. 14 that Mack Wilds was interested in playing the “Luv U Better” hitmaker in an autobiography film. https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-01-16/267196/ll-cool-j-plans-to-release-new-album-this-year/?fbclid=IwAR1Dez4cwEqo_YHS2HrHhXWlL70Rn8H2iz9fGyr0qtgliy5eigoOtEkw4Ho

Not that anyone doubted it, but Eddie did confirm he loves Will when being interviewed after his weak joke.

How hasn't this been brought up earlier? When Eminem was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he goes down a long list of artists he calls "teachers" and "rock stars" who influenced him, and who he hopes will be considered to be inducted. He says many wouldn't be here without them and that this night was theirs just as much as it was his. You'll hear him mention DJ Jazzy Jeff + Fresh Prince at 14.44, and the crowd responds.

Watch a rare Rap City interview from 1988 with Will Smith Isaac semple SUN 1ST JAN 2023 18.00 GMT Although Will Smith is primarily renowned for being an actor, many people in hip-hop also know him to be a competent rapper. Although several of his records within the genre were commercial and extremely radio-friendly, he still put out his fair share of music. From ‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It’ to ‘Summertime’, Smith and his discography undoubtedly have a place in the hip hop history books. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Smith was an aspiring rapper before he was an actor. He first garnered attention as part of the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. The latter was his stage name. The pair landed a number of top 20 hits in the US and UK before Smith transitioned into the world of acting. The songs that they produced were fun and light-hearted hip hop songs, perfect for children and for the family. The West-Philadelphia duo even earned Grammy nominations. Their most well-known hits include the likes of, ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ and ‘Summertime’. The former earned the act a Grammy Award for ‘Best Rap Performance’ in 1989. Both Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff (real name Jeffrey Townes) would continue to make music together until 1994, selling over five million albums. As a rising star and a vibrant popular young personality in 1990, American television network NBC approached Smith about perhaps featuring in a sitcom based loosely around him and his life. The show became a massive hit among the African-American community in the ’90s, and as result, Smith decided that perhaps his future was in the world of acting. Already a known name, it didn’t take the actor long to land his first movie role, which would be alongside Martin Lawrence in the 1995 film Bad Boys. Featuring two of the biggest African-American actors of the decade, the film grossed $141.4 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing that year. From here, Smith’s career snowballed, with each role getting bigger and bigger. However, as a result of having such a vast filmography, fans tend to forget that his entrance into the world of film was a result of being a musician. In 1988, Will Smith appeared alongside his partner Jazzy Jeff on ‘Rap City’, where they were interviewed about Philadelphia’s hip hop scene. You can watch the interview in the video below. https://hiphophero.com/watch-a-rare-rap-city-interview-from-1988-with-will-smith/?fbclid=IwAR0FcF3Uwk3WJOZDns3mrh0QDIVYNp4iBaCue_M3MeXyqHCNYyDtQl5B9qw

I don't really care what people think, so if a conversation comes up where it makes sense to bring him up, I will. I don't know anybody who's been overly critical of him like you'll see in some online comments.

https://myrapverse.com/how-2pac-dmx-almost-joined-forces-on-death-row-records/?fbclid=IwAR3WFseVXSkEqQtl1Xe9_kzTSkypHdNQqLUa6Qzotk3kWqwCHtBFfwp2fPE How 2Pac & DMX Almost Joined Forces on Death Row Records DJ Skandalous Last updated: 12/20/22 at 9:43 PM The Year is 1994. 2Pac is filming his iconic Basketball/Hood Classic Movie “Above The Rim”. During this time 2Pac was still apart of Interscope Records. During a meet-up in New York, Pac met with Suge Knight. The two knew each other before their iconic Death Row days, as Suge got 2Pac to do a track for the “Murder Was The Case Soundtrack”. Suge ended up paying $200K for the song “Life’s So Hard”. The original track was not released however it was re-worked by 2Pac and Snoop. This song would later be enhanced further in 1997 for the Gang Related Soundtrack. The seeds for Suge signing 2Pac was already set in place before 2Pac would be incarcerated. During this time, Suge also met with Irv Gotti and The Ruff Ryders in an attempt to sign DMX, Swizz Beatz, Irv Gotti and their crew to Death Row Records. The founders of Ruff Ryder Entertainment Joaquin “Waah”, Darin “Dee” and Chivon Dean spoke on the matter. They said that they were close to signing, but the deal was not in their favor and they feared that their rappers would get slighted in the partnership with Ruff Ryder producers having to mainly produce for Westcoast artist instead of focusing on their team from Yonkers. Swizz Beats also talked about how Suge Knight tried to strong-arm them into a deal. Pictured below are both 2Pac and Suge Knight with the Ruff Ryders in 1994. DMX however was not pictured here. There are several reports that Death Row again tried to sign them in 1995 and even flew them out to a LA Hotel which Pac was at and that 2Pac was supposed to speak to DMX about the East Coast drama. This meeting could have further solidified Death Row into a Music Powerhouse of the 90s. Signing DMX and Ruff Ryders would have also been ideal for the iconic music label seeing how they had plans to create a sub-label called “Death Row East” in 1997. This expansion into New York would have positioned Eric B. as its President and Craig Mack and Bootcamp Clique as their first signings. However, 2Pac never came downstairs as he was too busy with several meetings taking place which could have prevented these parties from joining forces. DMX would later go on to diss 2Pac on several Freestyles and unreleased records in 1996. These lyrics would be used later on by DMX on his first album “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot” for the classic 1998 track “Get At Me Dog” with the 2Pac lines replaced. It’s debatable if this was DMX just trying to get attention because if 2Pac responded to anyone it would blow them up, or if DMX felt slighted about Pac not coming down to the hotel lobby to meet them. Either way, Ruff Ryders probably made the best choice they could make. But DMX, Irv Gotti and Swizz Beatz with Pac on Death Row would have been legendary

https://allhiphop.com/news/rap-legend-grand-daddy-i-u-dies-at-54/ Rap Legend Grand Daddy I.U. Dies At 54 By: Houston WilliamsCategory: NewsDecember 13, 2022 RIP Grand Daddy I.U.! Telegram (Opens in new window)Rapper, producer and media host Grand Daddy I.U. has died suddenly. The 54-year-old Hip-Hop legend passed away, for unknown reasons at the time this report was published. Several sources confirmed the passing with AllHipHop and the news spread quickly. DJ Chuck Chillout, who was a friend of the rapper, helped break the news to the masses on his Facebook account. They were hanging out recently in late November. Grand Daddy I.U. was an MC that emerged in the late 80s to become one of the leading artist on iconic label Cold Chillin’ Records. The late Biz Markie played an instrumental role in his signing after he received Grand Daddy I.U.’s demo tape from his peer’s brother. I.U.’s debut album, Smooth Assassin, produced a pair of hit records. “Something New” his No. 11 on the charts and “Sugar Free” peaked at No. 9. Grand Daddy I.U. continued to make his mark in Hip-Hop, as a rapper and a producer in the 1990s. He also did a lot of ghost writing. He released a sophomore album in 1994 called Lead Pipe. He produced for Das EFX, Heltah Skeltah, KRS-One, Ice-T, and others. He frequently would appear at AllHipHop events too. Most recently he was doing work as a media personality and conducted interviews that were popularly promoted on Facebook. Rest in peace Grand Daddy I.U.

This is probably the most comprehensive tribute. They missed a few, but it's eye opening to see how many Hip-Hop artists we've lost. STETASONIC - Fallen Soldiers (2022)

DMC - Bad Guy (2022)

ICE CUBE - Hood Robbin' (2022)

Ever since this stupid song, The Game has been making bold, silly accusations and just generally acting weird. He's trying to reach Kanye status.

I've learned the very first song they wrote was for another group; Celebrity Club.

I was today years old when I learned that Kid N' Play originally went by the name Fresh Force or The Fresh Force Crew back in 1986, before blowing up as Kid N' Play in 1987. This is classic mid-80's Hip-Hop. Their stage names were Kid Coolout and Playboy then. I figured a few people would want to hear these. Here are the songs they recorded under the original name...