bigted

I'm digging the song but y'all are right about David Banner, he don't have much skills as an mc, I give him credit though for at least trying to put a better message out there than most rappers these days

Hey fuq I understand how it is man, no hard feelings at all, you know that I got your back in whatever you decide to do, if you want to talk about something to me don't be afraid to pm or email and I'll answer you back

This is a powerful remix, I don't know why Nas ain't on it though since the original song's his afterall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZujRaCSACEw

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7858...g-second-debate McCain Calls Obama "that one" During Second Debate October 8th, 2008 | Author: Anthony Springer JrAfter a presidential debate with its share of awkward moments, early network polls suggest Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, came away victorious over his GOP rival, John McCain, in last night's town hall formatted debate. A focus group by NBC had the Illinois senator winning 60-40. CBS had Obama winning 39-27 (35 percent said it was a tie). Even the conservative leaning Fox News had Obama with a slight edge on McCain. In what may have been a potential deathblow for the McCain campaign, one awkward moment came when the Arizona senator did not address Obama by name when answering a question about energy. "I know you grow a little weary of this back and forth," McCain said addressing the audience when talking about a bill on energy. "You know who voted for it?" he asked rhetorically. "That one," he said of Obama while jabbing his finger in Obama's direction. The move stoked allegations of race baiting by Obama supporters on a day when McCain-Palin rallies became increasingly more hostile to Obama. When GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin mentioned Obama's association with former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, she drew a series of boos from the crowd as well as one disturbing retort. "Kill him!" one man responded, presumably talking about Obama. "I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America, as the greatest force for good in the world. I'm afraid this is someone who sees America as 'imperfect enough' to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country," Palin added. The final presidential debate is slated for October 15 at Hofstra.

Toni Braxton "Un-break My Heart"

I was checking out this interview she did recently with allhiphop.com, some great stuff: Part One: http://allhiphop.com/stories/alternatives/...7/20560526.aspx Part Two: http://allhiphop.com/stories/alternatives/...8/20560565.aspx

I've been sleeping on Murs too, gonna have to check this out

I can't believe I actually won last week when most of my fantasy players had bad games, lol

We all know Jazzy Jeff on the album is a must, I would like to see JJFP tracks with LL Cool J, Rakim, Chuck D, Nas, Boyz II Men, Keith Sweat, R. Kelly, and Aaron Hall as the guest mcs/vocalists, and have production by Jazzy Jeff, Teddy Riley, Pete Rock, DJ Scratch, and Timbaland

Guy "Gotta Be A Leader"

I found a video of the Naughty By Nature tribute: http://www.dimewars.com/Video/default.aspx...3b-a6b39af2922e

Naughty By Nature "Hip Hop Honors"(new track!, 2008), man they still got it: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...7/20560552.aspx

I only caught the 1st hour but from what I saw it was some incredible stuff, especially that Slick Rick tribute, I'm gonna have to catch the rest when it reruns, btw I just found a new Naughty By Nature track on allhiphop.com check it out: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...7/20560552.aspx

Tupac Producer Johnny J Dead of Apparent Suicide posted Saturday, October 04, 2008 8:19 PM By Morris Moore Producer Johnny Jackson aka Johnny J. died from an apparent suicide in the Los Angeles County Jail yesterday (October 3). According to a number of reports, Jackson, who was incarcerated on a DUI charge, allegedly jumped from a tier in the prison, resulting in his death, although the official cause of death has not been determined. Johnny J., who was born in Mexico and raised in South Central Los Angeles, is best known for the body of work he recorded with the late Tupac Shakur. He started in the music business at the age of 16, but his first taste of success came in 1990, when he produced the Grammy nominated hit single “Knockin’ Boots” for pioneering “Spanglish” rapper Candyman. Around 1993, Johnny J started an affiliation with Shakur, which would eventually produce hundreds of recordings land the producer work on a number of high profile releases. He produced tracks on albums like The Above The Rim soundtrack, as well as Tupac’s Thug Life album, Me Against The World and All Eyez On Me, which contained the hit single How Do U Want It, which was a Johnny J. production. Johnny J. was prolific as well, having produced or scored music for movies like Blood Diamond, The Fan and The Big Hit. Johnny J. also released a solo album in 1995 titled I Gotta Be Me and many of his productions on Tupac Shakur ended up on posthumous releases like Until The End Of Time, Better Dayz, R U Still Down (Remember Me) and others. Johnny J. also worked with a number of artists, ranging from Tatyana Ali and The Outlawz to Lil’ Eazy E’s group The Kings of L.A. A documentary on his life was also being produced at the time of his death.

That was a terrible loss by the Eagles today, the Redskins had a big time of possession and ran the clock out on us in the end, I don't think my fantasy team's gonna win this week since my boys DMac and Reggie Brown didn't play that well for me

Da Brakes Feat. Kel Spencer "Bringing It Back", got it on repeat, keep up the great work guys! Btw AJ, you know I don't sleep on ya posts, I'm gonna check out Draztic and I had no idea that Digital Underground had another album out until I watch that VH1 top 100 hip hop songs special and they mentioned that, gonna look for that too

Whoah I'm really feeling that song, y'all both killed that track, heat!! I just posted it over in the Ill Community for ya: http://community.allhiphop.com/go/thread/v...g_It_Back?sdb=1

Mary J. Blige "Family Affair"

The video's brilliant as well as the song, Ice Cube's the definition of a true artist

Biden, Palin Debate, Rap Community Reacts Published Friday, October 03, 2008 1:02 PM By Chris Richburg and Nolan Strong As voters assess the impact of Thursday’s vice presidential debate, representatives of the Hip-Hop community are sharing their thoughts on debaters Joe Biden and Sarah Palin and whether or not they helped or harmed presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain. Opinions vary regarding who won the vice presidential debate as the candidates answered questions pertaining to the economy, defense, foreign policy and climate change. "Sarah Palin did a respectable job in debating Senator Biden but in my opinion Joe Biden was a lot more polished and detailed with his answers in the debate," Houston's Chamillionaire told AllHipHop.com "There were many times where I completely agreed with Joe Biden’s stance against John McCain’s views on different issues. I don't feel like she was as sharp in her defense of McCain's views at certain points as Biden was defending Obama's views. I feel Biden definitely made a better case of why America should vote Obama.” Senator Biden appealed to middle class Americans, as he aggressively linked McCain’s policies with those of President George W. Bush and his administration. "The economic policies of the last eight years are the worst we've ever had," Delaware's Senator Biden said. Palin countered her opponent by directly facing television cameras and addressing viewers as she touted herself and McCain as a “team of mavericks” and attacked Obama for wanting to meet with rogue world leaders without preconditions. Legendary Hip-Hop mogul and activist Russell Simmons felt that Palin was given a pass and that her performance was less than stellar. "I guess the bar was so low for Sara Palin that conservatives think she did okay," Simmons revealed to AllHipHop.com. "The truth is that she's an absolute disaster with no experience. Had she been a man Senator Biden would have killed her and made it even more clear what a lightweight she is. He's a seasoned pro on the issues and she's a programmed publicity stunt. Hopefully some of the independents could see what I saw." During the evening, Palin accused Obama of being inconsistent and claimed that there was “too much finger pointing” regarding the war, the economy and other critical issues. She also said it would be a challenge for Obama and Biden to be taken seriously as an agent for change on the world stage, due to their policies. "There have been huge blunders in the war," Alaska Governor Palin stated. "There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration. "But for a ticket that wants to talk about change and looking into the future, there's too much finger-pointing backwards to ever make us believe that's where you're going." Outspoken Atlanta rapper Killer Mike shared his thoughts on the debate and disagreed with Palin's take on Obama and Biden. "Mr. Biden debated a woman who got her first passport in 2002 and 'has her eye on Putin' because Russia is across the river from Alaska? Don King has more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin through the 'Thrilla in Manila' and the fights in Africa. So Maybe if Don King had debated Biden I would been more impressed or interested." The vice presidential debate comes amid political turmoil as the House of Representatives vote on the proposed $700 billion bailout package to save Wall Street and the nation's financial system. Senate leaders passed the bill on Wednesday (Oct. 3) with a 74-25 vote, thereby setting the stage for the House vote. Biden, as well as McCain and Obama, were present Wednesday to cast their vote on the bill, which was filled with tax breaks and other provisions and supported by both Obama and McCain. "Our country is going through the most difficult time in our history - we can not afford four more years of what we have had," said TV personality Fonzworth Bentley, host of the hit series From G's to Gents. "We can not afford a leader who is mediocre. We have to have excellence in our leaders. Leaders who are respected around the world and who have a sensitivity to the global needs that affect us." Both candidates heavily touted the merits of their running mates during the debate, which took place at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and was moderated by PBS' Gwen Ifill. "The debate was exactly what I expected," added Mad Hatta of Houston‘s 97.9 The Box. "If you saw the Saturday Night Live Sarah Palin/Katie Couric skit, you know what I mean. After seeing this debate isn't it easy to see who should be America's next President and VP?" Reviews have been mixed over the performance of the vice presidential candidates, but most pundits agree that Palin’s performance exceeded expectations. Many doubted whether she could be a worthy running mate for McCain or a qualified successor as a president. Still, Palin did not convince rapper Immortal Technique, who felt that Biden displayed more knowledge of national and international affairs. "Joe Bidden had a much more firm grip on foreign policy issues that Palin," Immortal Technique told AllHipHop.com. "She had a very contrived and condescending tone which when mixed with sarcasm played well to disguise her inexperience. Still though, I expected more." While most people were impressed with Palin, many people were praising Biden’s strategy of concentrating his attack on McCain rather than Palin. "Sorry Sarah, I will not cast my vote for a feisty old guy and a sharp tongued soccer mom, who uses a fake "Fargo" accent over an Ivy League-educated, world-traveled lawyer, who organized in his community [Obama] and a 30-plus year political veteran with real political know how and relationships [biden]," Killer Mike said. Obama and McCain will square off with each other again on Tuesday (October 7).

Yeah I think Palin did better than expected but Biden had the slight edge overall

Allhiphop.com's Illseed posted this today about the Hip Hop Honors: http://allhiphop.com/stories/rumors/archiv...3/20549555.aspx THE VH1 HIP-HOP HONORS I heard the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors was a pretty good show with Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick, Too $hort…and one more. Guess who gets honored in addition to these fine people. It was taped last night in New York City. Read and see how it went from somebody that was on the inside! It is NOT edited. It is raw and uncut! Here is the run down: First of all, there were a lot of people running around the place. People like Chuck Chillout, Monie Love, Young Guru (Jay-Z's engineer), The event is cool so far Cypress Hill's rock superstar rocked! It was never one of my fav songs, but it translated well in the live performance. Plus, sen dog got to rap. Mc lyte aint aged in 10 years or more. I heard biz markie did a lil kool g rap set. He's got to be feeling some emotions about this. I feel prince paul should have been included with de la soul. public enemy, epmd and cee lo (in all silver) honored de la soul. has epmd been honored yet????? Cee-Lo performed "potholes in my lawn" while dressed as a silver highlighter…it had to be said. Hoping slick rick is last. Know naughty is last though. public enemy, epmd and cee lo (in all silver) honored de la soul. has epmd been honored yet????? about kid rock on the too short dedication...ok... the de la soul dedication was bizarre...odd on "me myself and I," pos of de la soul changed the rhyme and said "we hate this song" monie love was in the house and should have been included on “buddy” with q-tip they put slick rick 3rd....wow! “lodidodi” by biz markie and ghostface!!!! killer!!! Where is dougie fresh @ bust and spliff star rocked it perfect!!! eve has GREAT management! slick rick is about to kill it tho.....a children’s story! eve has great management, she got booked for the dedication to slick rick...in fact, so do lyte, fat joe, fab, PE, tip busta, mos – they all have great managers! the price of gold is up...slick rick will hv no issues with all that jewelry in this economy. That’s better than money round these parts! wow....they threw an issac hayes dedication in there!!!! estelle mos def chuck d and questlove too short is the OG, but I'm not sure about this right here, right now... Juelz Santana did a Lupe and forgot some of the naughty by nature lyrics. No biggie. naughty is the only group that can bring a damn posse on stage at hip hop honors. "uptown anthem rules" BONUS! Cee Lo, Chuck D of Public, Enemy, Scarface, Estelle and Mos Def others paid homage to the late Isaac Hayes! HOT – this was probably the best moment of the night..aside from naughty’s “uptown anthem” Hip-Hop Honors airs Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on VH1. Here is a more organized rundown…in the form of a press release: VH1 brought down the house tonight at the 5th annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" as the best of the best in hip hop royalty came together for one legendary night to honor the ones who came before them and transformed the genre into a true cultural phenomenon. Taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom this evening (Thursday, October 2) in New York City and hosted by Tracy Morgan, the music and influence of each of the honorees was recognized through performances by classic artists in collaboration with today's hottest new talent. This year, "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" paid tribute to Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick and Too $hort. The Cypress Hill tribute kicked off the night with an introduction by Freddy Rodriguez. Fat Joe, Jim Jones and Gym Class Heroes drove the crowd insane with the group's hit songs "The Phuncky Feel One," "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That," and "Insane In the Membrane." Cypress Hill lit up the stage with performances of "DJ Scratch Intro," "How I Could Just Kill A Man," and "(Rock) Superstar." Actress Joy Bryant introduced the second tribute of the night, honorees De La Soul, who took it way back with performances from Estelle, Mos Def, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Cee-Lo and EPMD. They tore the roof off with the group's biggest hits, "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays,'" "Stakes Is High," "Potholes In My Lawn," and "Ego Trippin.'" Topping off the performance, De La Soul broke it down true old school style reminding the crowd that they can still get down, breaking out in a medley of old school rhymes from "Me, Myself and I" to a remix of "Buddy!" The show continued on a "slick" note with hits that defined Slick Rick's solo career. Legendary rapper MC Lyte kicked off the tribute with "The Ruler's Back." The crowd went crazy when Busta Rhymes and Spliff Star took the stage performing the "The Show" which brought everyone to their feet. They led into a true hip hop medley with the legendary Biz Markie and Ghostface Killah singing "La Di Da Di." Finally Eve took the stage with her rendition of the eclectic hip hop chart topper "Mona Lisa." Slick Rick then took to the stage performing "Hey Young World" and "Children's Story." Next, in honor of R&B legend Isaac Hayes, a medley of artists took the stage to salute the icon. Mos Def took the stage first, outfitted in dark shades, setting it off with the hit theme song from "Shaft." Next British sweetheart Estelle performed a remix of "I Love You," and Cee-Lo kept the crowd grooving with "The Look of Love." Next on stage, Scarface dazzled the crowd with "My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me." Closing out this special tribute was Chuck D with "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos." Hip hop entrepreneur and producer Luke Campbell took the stage to introduce Too $hort. Luke talked about how he set the stage and paved the way for Too $hort to become the artist he is today. Also paying homage to Too $hort, Kid Rock gave a thrilling performance of "Life Is Too Short." Lil John got low with "Shake That Monkey" followed by a duet with Bun B of the electric "Blow the Whistle." After an intro performance of "The Ghetto" by Scarface, Too $hort got the crowd on their feet with "Gettin' It" and "Money In The Ghetto." Bringing the show to an unforgettable end, Wyclef Jean, Juelz Santana and Big Boi ripped the stage with the all-time favorites, "No Woman No Cry," "Everything's Gonna Be All Right," and the monster hit "O.P.P." Naughty By Nature closed the show as only they could do, performing "Uptown Anthem" and "Hip Hop Hooray."

Naughty By Nature: One For All October 3rd, 2008 | Author: Jake Paine Whether De La Soul, Run-DMC or Westside Connection, Hip Hop has produced some memorable trios. Among of all of the greats, few had the contrast in the three parts of East Orange, New Jersey's Naughty By Nature. Treach, Vin Rock and Kay Gee are just as memorable for bat mitzvah-accessible anthems like "O.P.P." as they were for open-palmed lyrical slaps like "Uptown Anthem" or "Dirt All By My Lonely." Treach's soldier persona, Vin's charm and Kay's ability to walk the line between street and pop led to a debut 1989 album as The New Style before four successful and acclaimed Naughty By Nature albums, followed by an asterix iiconz effort without the group's producer and deejay in 2002. Always independent, always consistent to the formula and showered with Grammy and American Music Awards, this group arguably bridged the gap between rap in the '80s and '00s. According to Treach however, the greatest accolade may be next week's Vh1 Hip Hop Honor. In the studio recording a yet to be titled 2009 album that returns Kay Gee to the mix. The vocal duo tells HipHopDX about the journey, Eazy-E confiding in them, and why 50 Cent might have some liner notes a bit misconstrued. HipHopDX: What does receiving a Hip Hop Honor mean to a group that already has so many awards and accomplishments? Vin Rock: I know, it’s kind of crazy! Me, [Kay Gee] and Treach have been talking about doing this album for maybe two or three summers now. We’ve started and stopped, started and stopped, started and stopped. Then, this summer, we got super-serious about it, and started going hard with the album. And then the call came in for the Honors. I was kinda thinking, “God don’t work in wrong ways.” This was the best time, perfect opportunity, perfect timing for us to do this new album, and this honor will kinda set everything off for us. As far as the honor, we were getting pressure from our boys like, “Yo, what’s up man? They forgot about y’all! They doin’ all these other, different groups, y’all impacted more than these guys!” [Laughs] I’m like, “Look, you can argue both sides. I’m sure there’s a lot of artists who deserve to come before us. We put in work. It is what it is. Eventually, they’ll get to us.” I guess this was our year. Treach: There’s no words for it. It’s an honor. That’s the perfect word for it – it’s a Hip Hop honor for us, as we’re just fans of Hip Hop first. You get awards through the years. You get your Grammys, your AMAs, but when your own home honors you and gives you props, that’s like comin’ to the hood and gettin’ what you get in Hollywood. DX: Well-deserved. All three of you had such a knack for being accepted in the mainstream, but regardless of that, still being one of the grimiest, street-respected groups in Hip Hop history. Can you put that method of balance to words? Vin Rock: I think it’s just the different personalities. When you work as a group, the finished product is representation of all three personalities. If you didn’t have Treach in the mix, you definitely wouldn’t have that street mix. If you didn’t have me or Kay Gee in the mix, you wouldn’t have the marketing and the music there – as guys know us to be Naughty By Nature. It’s just a perfect balance. When you put different people together, I guess that collective input equates to one. You get the merge. It is a mixture, and we have been able to ride that fine line between street and Pop. DX: Treach, the way that you deliver words on the microphone, I think so many guys today learned from that. You, Tim Dog and Freddie Foxxx were the first angry, passionate emcees pushing words into the mic. Where did that come from for you? Treach: It came…passion. A love for what I was saying. It’s a different type of things when you actually be goin’ through something and put it through an outlet, like actual feelings; there’s not a writer behind you. It’s not just a story you’re making up. I always had a strong voice, as far as projection. I always was a good projector, but I didn’t want to be yelly or preachy, anything like that. You’ll see the difference from an “Uptown Anthem” [click to read] or a “Ghetto Bastard” or a “O.P.P.” and “Jamboree” [click to read]. I feel as though, like how singers have different ranges and notes, I feel as though, me as a Hip Hoppers, I wanted to bring different tones and levels of my note, into the fold. Projection, because I was rhyming so quick, I had to be clear enough so people would know what the hell I was saying. DX: You said quick. You have an interesting syncopated timing to your flows. It’s almost like verbal percussion. Tell me, before you rapped, did you play the drums? Treach: If you were in Hip Hop back in the days, if there wasn’t a beat-box there, you’d take over and play the beat on the table in the cafeteria. Or me, a lot of times, I wasn’t writing to any beat. Or I’d write to any type of beat. My mom had me in different stuff – I took a couple of guitar classes and things like that. My moms had me modeling and stuff when I was younger. I was into music, entertainment, the facet of that from a young upbringing. It came more naturally to me. In the cipher, you don’t have no beat; you just gotta be on beat. Continued on page 2 » DX: I interviewed 50 Cent in May [click to read]. He told me that “Hip Hop Hooray’s” chorus came from a party routine from a spot called Gray Door in Jamaica, Queens. I don’t think he was trying to discredit you in the least, but have to ask. Is there truth to that on your side? Treach: Not that I know of. I mean, I’ve been going to Queens and Brooklyn and the boroughs ever since even before Naughty By Nature even came out. Like, as far as the “hey, ho,” whole thing came, we had the song, we performed it…the way we wrote the song, after “Hip Hop horray,” I needed something to rhyme with “’ray,” but not like [simple]. Me, I’m a hook analyst. So “Ho,” that’s since the first Hip Hop party. At the end of that rhyme, when it came to “’ray,” I said “Hey, ho.” It rolled with the beat. I didn’t hear it at a certain party and put it in the like. But heyyyy, if somebody said they heard it, I might’ve been in the area…if that’s the case, I wasn’t in the area for every hit we done had. [Laughs] Like you said, but 50 [Cent] is my man. I just finished his movie with him, everything. Like you said, it wasn’t a discredit or anything; somebody might’ve said something to him or whateva, but I definitely didn’t go to no party. I don’t be going to parties to try to find hooks. [Laughs] DX: My favorite album, strange as it may be, is Nature’s Fury. That album, or iiconz, have the same qualities as the other three or four. Again, how did you achieve the consistency of whether you were in your early twenties, early thirties or today? Vin Rock: It was a blessing that when we started, we made music from our hearts. With records like “O.P.P.,” it broke across all barriers, and it became a mainstream record, and it had a [Jackson 5] jingle – all of that was organic for us. So if we did a “Jamboree,” a “Feel Me Flow” [click to read], any of those kind of records, it’s organic to us, ‘cause that’s our style. That’s how we interpreted Hip Hop, being from [New] Jersey. Once you have your own style…certain artists can’t do [those songs] because they pigeon-holed themselves. We were blessed that we came out the box with a record like “O.P.P.,” which was universal. It kind of formed our profile. Us doing these records, it’s not like we’re reaching. DX: You did a hot record in “Radio.” You guys were on Tommy Boy Records for a bulk of your career. As you’re doing it yet again, given the climate that Hip Hop is in today, do you think it’s possible for groups coming up today, to have the success you three did without having major label backing? Vin Rock: Yeah. You know why? Because the music is more accessible now. Lines are blurred. Kay Gee and I were just reviewing the [MTV] VMAs the other day. White kids have been enjoying Hip Hop for so long, and Hip Hop has been around for so long, and I guess the urban kids are aware of the white kids liking it, the cultures kind of clash and merge. Maybe more urban kids are up on white music, and vice-versa. Now there’s no rules. You can do basically anything. Look at what Kanye [West] attempted that night [in “Love Lockdown”]. I guess it’s not the most well-received record he’s done, but there’s no boundaries now. Look at what Jay-Z [click to read] did, coming out to [Glastonbury] with his guitar. I just saw Lil Wayne [click to read] perform on Saturday Night Live this weekend, and he came out with a guitar on his back, and even played a little. I think it’s easier now, ‘cause music is more universally-accepted. DX: “Radio” was a Vin record. “Dirt All By My Lonely” is a Treach record. After 10 years, what made you come like that? Treach: It was a [line] that I said in “Uptown Anthem” first. Going back to 50, how strong that was…out of everybody he robbed in “How To Rob" [click to read], the only one that he ain’t diss that he mentioned was [me]. “I do my dirt all by my lonely like Treach.” A lot of people after that made that a slogan for they selves. You know we live in a snitch-free, supposedly, ghetto and it’s supposed to be against the rules. With me, I used to say I’d do [dirt] by myself because I don’t trust half these motha****as out here. I’m not gonna tell on myself, so I do my dirt all by lonely. Derived from that, it was Kay and Vin who said, “We need to do a ‘dirt all by my lonely’ record.” It was like a “Guard your grill.” It was a saying people said after that, so it’d only make sense to make a record after that. And Kay just had a track that was just so gully and hard, his track helped me write the rhymes. Continued on page 3 » DX: You guys began as New Style, a group signed to MCA. The first Naughty album had Lakim Shabazz, Queen Latifah and Apache. Look at what you’re doing now. To what extent would you say Naughty By Nature carried Hip Hop from its place in the ‘80s to its place today in the ‘00s? Vin Rock: Hmmm. After Run-DMC and Salt N’ Pepa, I think Naughty By Nature helped put the final stamp in Hip Hop being mainstream and getting this Hip Hop music out to the suburbs. I think we put the final stamp on it, and then the Death Row [Records] era came right after that. DX: I’m glad you mentioned that. You guys did one of my favorite Eazy-E records in “Only If You Want It.” Besides Ice Cube working with The Bomb Squad, bi-coastal collaborations were rare in those days. How did that happen? Vin Rock: Right! We hooked up with Eazy…I guess “O.P.P.” had come out, and Eazy was just goin’ through that stuff with [Dr.] Dre and them, so he kinda reached out to us to work with him. We got the tail-end of what was going on. We knew there was a transition. Eazy told us about Suge [Knight] and the Death Row situation. He was like, “They came and kinda tried to strong-arm me, but I know the core and the basis of where this guy is comin’ from, and in the end, it won’t pan out.” I remember Eazy to this day, ‘cause he came to my house. We were both into properties. He showed me his properties in L.A.; we showed him our properties out here in Jersey. Even, right now, I still live in the same house that Eazy came to visit. When I think back about Eazy, I’m like, “God, this guy was right here in this house!” He definitely was a marketing genius. Even I picked his brain about merchandising. At N.W.A. they had all that merchandising and the pull-out sleeves. “Eazy, how are you doing that?” Basically, he was using a licensing company. I took it a step further. ****, we were already printing stuff and we’re selling it off the block. We have the inventory and don’t need those guys, we just got Tommy Boy [Records] to let us put the inserts in the album cover. Eazy definitely put us up on game. DX: It’s always been said that you guys had the biggest entourage in Hip Hop. You guys and Hammer, and his folks were on payroll. To what extent were those people who were so much a part of your life in ’92, ’93, are they still in your life today? Vin Rock: First off, we’re all from East Orange, New Jersey. We all met together at East Orange High School for a talent show initially. It was those people who supported us. It was those people who gave us that first round of applause as The New Style that made us want to believe more in ourselves and say, “Hey, we could do it.” And it was the same people, after that talent show – we used to perform at Club 88, and those people would come [and help us win the competition]. It was then that we took it over New York and tried to make it bigger. To this day, we’re still in East Orange around the same people. Same people! It’s one big family out here – minus the homies that went to jail or got murdered. DX: You and Queen Latifah are often left out of the discussion about your state’s musical contributions, despite having unrivaled impact. How do you feel about New Jersey Hip Hop today? Vin Rock: I think Jersey has always been a step-child. It takes groups like us or Redman or Queen Latifah [click to read] to kinda do for Jersey what Jermaine Dupri [click to read] and OutKast have been able to do for Atlanta. There’s always been a scene here. We’ve always been the [sixth] borough. Jersey has been up on Hip Hop since its inception. One of the biggest Hip Hop labels was Sugar Hill Records, and that’s where you get “The Message” and “Rapper’s Delight” from. All of that is Jersey. Right now, since Naughty hasn’t been as consistent, Jersey has a Hip Hop scene. There’s a lot of talent out here. As a matter of fact, Treach is working on a project called Garden State Great. It’s starting with some guys from Newark working with Treach, but we’re gonna move it around the whole state of Jersey and use that as an umbrella brand. DX: Tell us about the new album, and where Naughty is meeting us this time on new material… Vin Rock: We’re just working. We took it back; there’s nobody in the studio but me, Kay Gee and Treach and the engineer – four people in the studio at all times. First of all, for Kay Gee, his progression as a producer… he worked on all the R&B albums, Next, Jahiem, Zhane. His musicianship and his production-skills have blossomed to a whole different level, which is why it was unfortunate that we had to do the iiconz [click to read] album without him, but you know…the classic internal beef. You have to move forward. Basically, it was left to me and my guy Bryan Leach at TVT [Records] to work with these different producers to come up with the material. Continued on page 4 » Having Kay Gee back] is the most important thing to me. I even told Treach: I really wasn’t interested in moving forward on Naughty By Nature albums without Kay Gee. That was just my personal opinion. It can always be done, but I just don’t believe in that. I believe we built such a legacy, and the situations that happened, which played a part in the group, I just thought it was bull**** and eventually we’d all come back together and work again. First and foremost, it was about getting Kay back in pocket production-wise. We’re in here, and he’s starting to bring in some of his songwriters, live musicians and that’s the approach we’re taking now. We do want to continue to expand our sound and experiment a little. You mentioned “Radio” [click to read] on Nature’s Fury, we got some fly **** comin’ right now. We reached to DJ Lethal from House of Pain, and he’s cheffing some stuff up for us. We’re definitely gonna put a 2009 twist on this thing. DX: Treach, when Tupac Shakur was murdered, you said one of the most profound things I ever heard. You said in his eulogy, “’Pac wasn’t a thug; he was a soldier.” People today ought to listen to those words. What does being a soldier mean to you? Treach: To me, being a soldier means being a rider. You’re not out there reckless, in the streets…certain times, you have to do what you have to do to be protected – the police got weapons. They ask me what I’m doing with a [bulletproof] vest, what are you doing with a vest? You’re in the same hood I’m in. If you need one, come on. A soldier is someone that takes care of they tribe. They go out to fight because they have to, not ‘cause they want to. They go out to protect they land and they family. They’re not just out there recklessly destroying their community, their people and their surrounding. We have a thug mentality ‘cause look where we from. We have no choice in that. If you’re a kid and you grow up around nothing but flowers, you’re gonna talk about flowers. If you go outside and you have to run into school ‘cause there’s shootings outside, that’s what your mentality is gonna be. Even if you don’t want to be like that, you’re gonna need that mentality just so the thugs think you a thug. But a soldier steps forward ‘cause he brings the soldiers and the thugs together and lets them know, “We’re here for a cause, not a pause.” Before you get them to follow the path that you want them to be on, you’ve got to get them on your team first. If there ain’t a cause, it ain’t for nothing because it’s easy to destroy but it’s hard to build.

Isaac Hayes Tribute Added To "Hip Hop Honors." October 2nd, 2008 | Author: Omar BurgessIsaac Hayes may have died on Aug. 10, 2008, but his legacy lives on. The Tennessee-born soul legend has often been lauded for his impact with Stax and his own Hot Buttered Soul label, and now members of the Hip Hop crowd will pay tribute at this year's Hip Hop Honors celebration. During the fifth installment of VH1's Hip Hop Honors, the Roots, Chuck D of Public Enemy and other artists will participate in a separate tribute to the musician affectionately known as "Black Moses." "If Isaac Hayes is not sampled as much as James Brown, he’s right up there, in terms of being sampled prominently in Hip Hop," says Hip Hop Honors co-executive producer Nelson George. In addition to other artists, Public Enemy sampled Hayes' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic," in their well-known single "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" [click to read]. George wasn't specific as to which other artists will honor Hayes when they take the stage Oct. 6, but he did stress the importance of connecting artists such as Isaac Hayes with the current generation. "Chuck D, the Roots and perhaps one more element, which we’re still working out, will perform a medley of Isaac Hayes’ songs and the songs that sample him," says George. "We weren’t really able to put that together for James Brown. The timing just didn’t work out, and there have also been a lot of James Brown tributes already. I do think the idea of making the connection between Soul, Funk and Hip Hop is something we’re really going to try to do more of in the future." Hip Hop Honors airs Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on VH1. A dedicated website is available at HipHop.VH1.com.

yeah BET's been selling out