bigted

Awesome cover! :wickedwisdom:

House Apologizes For Slavery; Rappers React Published Thursday, July 31, 2008 2:23 PM Email alerts| Email| Email this| Print this| RSS 2.0| Atom 1.0 By Ismael AbduSalaam On July 29 the House of Representatives issued a formal apology to African Americans for the atrocities committed against them and their ancestors during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and Jim Crow segregation laws. Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen created the vote as one of his first actions as a new congressman in 2007. The resolution was introduced after Cohen found out the Senate would not be able to do a joint resolution. Cohen also made history as the first white lawmaker to represent a majority black district (Memphis) in over 30 years, and is also Tennessee’s first Jewish Congressman. “Slavery and Jim Crow are stains upon what is the greatest nation on the face of the earth,” Cohen explained to the Associated Press. “Part of forming a more perfect union is such a resolution as we have before us today where we face up to our mistakes and apologize as anyone should apologize for things that were done in the past that were wrong.” The resolution, while not speaking about reparations, acknowledges the responsibility of government in correcting the “lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow.” For Russell Simmons, who actively campaigned for reparations for African-American’s, the resolution is a step in the right direction. “It’s just another statement that America is changing,” Simmons told AllHipHop.com. “It has changed enough to accept the fact that it is impossible to fully heal without acknowledging the past.” The resolution also explains that Africans under the slave trade “were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage.” The resolution ends with a formal apology, stating the House “apologizes to African Americans on behalf of the people of United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow.” Outspoken Atlanta rapper Killer Mike proposed his own interesting alternative to monetary reparations for slavery. “When they start talking about reparations, let's not make it about the money,” outspoken rapper Killer Mike told AllHipHop.com. “Let's make it education based. I think every Black person in America should be able to go to college for free. I think they should have eight years to go after their Bachelor's, Master's, whatever they can get in those 8 years. And the reason why I say 8 is that some of those people are gonna be single parents [for example], and so I think they should have twice the amount of time the average kid in college takes. And for those people that's too old or already got a degree, they should get a tax break for a certain amount of years.” Cohen felt that with only five states formally apologizing for the atrocities enacted on African peoples, it was long overdue for Congress to acknowledge its role in creating laws that oppressed its own citizens. Rapper Immortal Techinque agreed with Cohen that the apology was a long time coming. “I believe that this apology is way over due and it was just done strategically at a time when Congress is at an incredibly low approval rating,” Immortal Technique told AllHipHop.com. “I think its a step in the right direction, but since slavery without a doubt built up the capital for capitalism, there needs to be a discussion in Congress about some sort of reparations. That and the social, religious and educational mechanisms that facilitated the justification for slavery and the modern form of racism, that was born from it." Cohen is scheduled to defend his seat in an August 7 primary.

I just voted for today, been voting all month

Hey Jim, the interview's up on Allhiphop.com: http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/arch...2/20324313.aspx

I'm feeling the dancehall flava of this track, good to see Heavy D back http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...9/20346801.aspx

I'm not surprised personally, it's a damn shame but the truth is you can't expect the mindless teens that listen to Lil' Wayne to understand the substance of a Nas album, btw I like how Nas is standing up and fighting the power of these lame journalists, check this out: UPDATE: Nas Goes To War W/ Fox, “Demands” Network “Stop Racist Attacks” Written By Danica Dow Nas joined a throng of protesters at the Fox News building in Manhattan this afternoon to deliver over 600,000 petitions demanding that the network stop racist smearing against African-Americans and democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. As SOHH previously reported, Nas partnered with grassroots organizations ColorofChange.org and MoveOn.org to put an end to what they call Fox’s “racist propaganda.” “I’m here today to stand with the ColorofChange.org,” Nas said as he read from a prepared speech. “Over 600,000 people of every color across the country are demanding that Fox stop their racist attacks on the Obama family and on black America.” “We already know that Fox is not a news network,” he continued. “They are a propaganda machine but their racist attacks have gone way too far. Calling Michele Obama ‘Barack’s baby momma?’ Tell me is that acceptable to you? Is that racist?” he asked the crowd. Nas also referenced the network’s portrayal of the fist bump that Barack and Michelle Obama shared as a “terrorist fist jab” and Fox anchor Bill O’Reilly’s call for a “lynching party” for the woman who may become First Lady. “Fox poisons this country every time they air racist propaganda and try to call it news,” said the Queensbridge rapper. “This should outrage every American that Fox uses hateful language to talk about the person who may be the first black president.” According to Nas the Obamas aren’t the only victims of Fox News. He also blames the network for attacking, black leaders, black institutions, ordinary black people and of course hip-hop artists. “It’s offensive to black Americans,” he said. “It’s offensive to all Americans. That’s why I wrote on my new album a song called, ‘Sly Fox,’" he said before reciting a few lines from the song. “Watch what you watchin’/ Fox keeps feeding us toxins/ stop sleepin’/ start thinkin’.” In related news Nas’ Untitled album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today. The controversial album was Nas’ fifth No. 1 album, and sold 187,000 albums it’s first week out.

Yeah Jim a couple years ago I posted on here that the former producers Carvin and Ivan for ATOJ mentioned in Vibe Magazine that Eminem felt excited and nervous when he met JJFP in the studio back in '99 'cause he was a big fan back in the day, it's nice to see Skillz sticking up for FP like that, he's a real dude and a dope mc

LL Cool J: The AllHipHop Interview posted Friday, July 18, 2008 8:00 AM | 51 Comments By Haaron Hines LL Cool J is a man of many firsts. James Todd Smith was the first artist on the house that Rush and Rick built. Uncle L was also one of the first successful rapper turned actors, and pioneered what is now an industry staple, the chick record. With 12 albums released, movies, books, clothing, television shows, among other ventures, one has to wonder, what does Hip-Hop really have to offer Mr. Smith? With an industry seemingly changing for the worse by the day, and so much already accomplished, many people wonder what makes the Queens, NY native still pick up that mic. But what people don’t understand is when you’ve been in love with something since you were 16 years old, it’s impossible to let it go. And nothing, no movie, book, clothing deal, or TV show can ever take the place of your first true love. To LL Cool J, the upcoming release of Exit 13 is more than just his 13th album. It’s a love letter to the music that made him great and a declaration to every fan and naysayer, Uncle L is still here. AllHipHop.com: Your career spans over two decades. While everyone can agree that nobody is perfect, you’ve maintained an almost spotless image over the years. Is that a conscious lifestyle decision or some just damn good PR work? LL Cool J: [laughs] It's just how I live. I'm not trying to be perfect. I'm not trying to get up on a pedestal and do the pedestal thing. That's how I live my life. I don't go around trying not to play myself but I don't go around trying to either. I'm just doing me. I have a family because I chose to have a family. I never let the culture we're involved in dictate what I would or wouldn't do. I ran my career, I didn't let my career run me. AllHipHop.com: The image we just spoke about make you incredibly marketable. With the industry being in the state it is, why not shift your focus to the film aspect of your career? LL Cool J: It's what I love to do. That's one thing about me. A lot of people expect you to do what they think is going to be most lucrative for you. I really turned down a lot of movies during this period. I turned down like seven or eight movies because I really just wanted to focus on this project. A lot of people want to just count the money and tell me what I should be doing but what people don’t understand is that in life, you have to do what makes your soul feel good. You can’t sell your soul to go after the quick buck. I don't make decisions based on money I base them on what I love to do. I love Hip-Hop and me doing Hip-Hop doesn't mean I'm trying to be 19. I'm not confused, I don't have things twisted. When I put a hat on backwards I'm not trying to recapture something. I know who I am. I'm comfortable with who I am, my age and my status. I love our music and I love creating music. Anytime I can go do a mixtape with a guy like Kay Slay or drop freestyles and have the Internet buzzing that tells me that what I feel and what I have to say is still relevant. When I can go out on [the] Summer Jam stage and get the reception I received that shows me that I'm relevant, so it's justified. I'm not one of these guys trying to cling on to something I had before. I'm not trying to recapture something I did many years ago or imitate anybody today. I'm blazing a path and a trail nobody's ever blazed before. There's no artist for me to follow. And the artists that came after me looked at Russell then looked at me and decided they wanted to be a hybrid of both. My desire was to be an artist. That was what I wanted to do with my career at that point. My desire was to make great music and that's something I was able to do. I want to show people I still have the ability to do that and I'm going to have fun doing it. AllHipHop.com: You are responsible for creating the now obligatory “chick friendly” record. Do you feel that guys give you your proper credit for finding and capitalizing on that particular niche? LL Cool J: I think that people give me credit but let's just call it what it is, when you're a guy that a lot of females talk about cats aren't going to give you but so much credit. We can sit here and pretend that we don't know that but, the reality is if there wasn't so much of that female appeal, and it's definitely a blessing, but the amount of female appeal is definitely what keeps fellas from giving it all the way up. But they listen to them freestyles and they hear them rhymes connecting so they know what it is. I'm okay with that because we all have our paths that we choose. I'm comfortable with that. I know that I introduced the campaign towards the girls to cats back in '89. I had the panthers and the rope chains and the champagne on the album covers. I been doing this for years since back when me and Jam Master Jay was battling over who had the biggest chain. When you're in that position you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. That's part of the responsibility of being first. It comes with the territory. My thing has always been to focus on making great music and loving that. I never really wanted to go outside of that. Once people realize I've been completely satisfied and fulfilled with what I've done with my career thus far, I think that they'd have a better idea of who LL is. AllHipHop.com: What are some of the misconceptions you’ve dealt with? LL Cool J: Many people seem to have this picture in their minds that I had all these other things I wanted to do but in reality all I wanted to do was my 10 albums then three after that. I've done what I wanted to do. A lot of people were saying, "LL wants a job at Def Jam." LL Cool J does not want to work at a record company. I don't know why people think I'd want that. It's not attractive to me to have to wake up at the crack of dawn to drive into Manhattan at 8:30 in the morning. Most of the people that have to do that everyday don't want to do it. What makes people think LL wants to work at Def Jam? People got things so twisted then came back around and were saying LL is bitter. I'm a 40 year old multi-millionaire who owns his own catalog, done movies, just made the biggest clothing line deal in the history of Hip-Hop culture so what am I bitter about. People need to realize you don't need to live your life being compared to other people. And people sometimes feel those same comparisons about me. They think I want to be somebody else when I just want to be LL. AllHipHop.com: They say you have to lose something in order to gain something. With all that you’ve been able to achieve in your career, can you think of anything you lost or any moments that made that you regret being in this industry? LL Cool J: I don't have any regrets about that. I’ve loved it since I was nine years old. At 12 I was writing, 14 I was making a record and at 16 we started Def Jam. I never regretted being out there. I have been frustrated. I’ve had times when I wanted to quit but that’s a part of being great. You have to live up to those challenges. Michael Jordan got frustrated, he had to play with the flu a couple times but he did it. It’s a part of life. The key is just to believe in yourself. You have to believe in yourself when no one else believes in you. There’s always going to be people around you to tell you that you can’t do something. When I first started I would tell guys I’m going to be a rap star and they used to tell me I was crazy. The first time I ever rapped in public a girl came up to me and told me I can’t rap. I didn’t let that frustrate me. You can’t expect everybody to be your fan. I love what I do. I love the culture, I love the music and I do it from the heart. AllHipHop.com: The age of our favorite MCs is becoming an issue. Most of the younger guys coming into the game feel that at a certain point the torch must be passed. What’s your take on that statement? LL Cool J: One thing that people have to understand in Hip-Hop, the thing we have to be clear about is; because you continue to make rap music it does not mean you are trying to be younger than you are. They have to understand that I will not stop liking rap music because my birthday passed. I know, for some, that might be difficult to believe but a birthday does not mean you can no longer like Hip-Hop. That’s the thing for me. AllHipHop.com: So when guys say Jay-Z has had his time and he needs to fall back and let some of the newer artist have their shine you defend him? LL Cool J: I’ve heard them say that here and there, and I’m not looking to defend Jay on any level but, I don’t see any reason for him to stop making music. These guys just have to understand that you need to prove you’re better. This isn’t sports. I’m not on the court trying to mix it up with the young boys. I’m solidifying a legacy and making great music for people who appreciate LL Cool J. It’s not about guys getting older and trying to capture somebody younger. Just do you. That’s what your focus should be. If you get it in, you spit crazy, then you should just focus on making the hottest records you can. Focus on making the greatest material you can and just really bang cats out. That’s what you should focus on. You should not focus on why guys are 10, 13, 14 albums later, still making music. That’s a waste of time. AllHipHop.com: This album, Exit 13, is you’re 13th. What does that mean to you? LL Cool J: I think that this whole project, the mixtape, the album, the excitement and the energy that comes with them…it’s what I live for. I live for these moments. I laugh when I see guys say, “Now who’s he going to blame when his album flops.” I’m not going to have to blame anybody because my album is going to win. I’m going to succeed. You’ll never hear me say I never made a bad album or a wack record because everybody has to someday. Somebody somewhere thought that single or that album was wack homie. But I’m coming from the heart with this music and I’m doing what I got to do. And if you can’t understand that then you need to just click onto another site. Allhiphop.com: What was your process when making the record? I heard you worked with 50 Cent for most of the project? LL Cool J: I did a whole album with 50, I did an album by myself, then I went and did another album by myself. I decided to use like two or three songs from the album I did with 50, one from the second album I did by myself, and the rest is all new material. 50 definitely inspired and motivated me. Watching him work made me hungry again but, it was also important for me to come out with an LL Cool J album that doesn’t sound like I’m trying to be 50 Cent. I’m not doing that. AllHipHop.com: Now that you mention it, people thought you were signing to G-Unit once word got out you two were working together. LL Cool J: [laughs] There were a lot of, for lack of a better word, doe-dos out there that were like. “LL is going to sign to G-Unit.” I don’t know what these guys are thinking. Why would I work for 20 years to sign to another artist? I don’t know where the stupidness came from. I don’t think they understand who they’re dealing with and the reason I’m here. I just wanted to make good music. 50 definitely motivated me, pushed me, and inspired me a lot. I go a song on the album with him and a couple songs that we just worked on together. It sounds good man. AllHipHop.com: You’ve been rhyming for over 20 years and have maintained your relevance through constantly adapting to your surroundings musically. Is that part of the creative process or a conscious action? LL Cool J: Well that all depends on how you look at it. To most people LL is adapting and changing over the years but LL looks at it like he’s leading. I’m not trying to imitate what’s going on today and I’m not trying to recapture yesterday. I’m trying to push the envelope. It doesn’t mean I have or always will succeed in doing that. It’s not easy and when you’re doing something for 20 something years you’re going to make some mistakes. It’s a fallacy to think that you’re never going to make a mistake that’s not a reality when you’re and artist. Everybody does it. With that being said, I just constantly look to the future. I don’t walk around with the 1995 high school championship ring on. I don’t live my life by what LL used to do. Although, in a freestyle I may have to re-educate some cats and set the stage for them so they can understand who I am but I don’t live in the past. That’s the thing that people have to understand with me. When I make music I make it from the heart. I don’t run around trying to fit in. My first record came out in 1984, I’m not following nobody. At this point who am I following? Who is there for me to follow? The guys that people are calling veterans have like 10 or 12 years. I’ve been out twice as long as some of the guys people call veterans. AllHipHop.com: You’re known for having your hand in a bunch of different pots. What else do you have going on outside of music? LL Cool J: I’m doing a lot of stuff man. I have a drama coming out on CBS as a mid-season replacement. The deal is inked and drying as I speak. I have a movie coming out with Meg Ryan. Actually, let me talk about the Sears deal. Most people have been saying, “LL is crazy. Why’s he doing a deal with Sears? He should be with Ed Hardy or Gucci or something like that.” What people fail to realize is I’m not above people. I’m not trying to disassociate myself from regular people. Everybody doesn’t have $10,000 to blow on one pair of jeans and a hoodie. Even though stuff like that sounds fly, there are people out there that work for a living that can’t afford all that. So why not partner with a company that’s trying to put fashion forward designs at affordable prices on the backs of people who don’t have the disposable income to spend at those “upscale” stores? Why wouldn’t I, a guy who is supported by regular people, support that and help make people proud to embrace that? It doesn’t make you any less aspirational to do something that affects your community in a positive way. You can do good and still be very rich and very successful. I always want to maintain my connection with my community. So the decisions I’ve made from making a song called “Around the Way Girl” to this have been based on that idea. I got a digital distribution network called www.Boomdizzle.com and that’s crazy because it’s going to give people an opportunity to get out there. Def Jam is working with me on it and it’s really going to be an exciting thing for upcoming artists. I want to help people; I want to see people make it. I’m not trying to hog the game. I want to see other people be successful, make money, and get rich. I’m okay with other people coming in and becoming legends. AllHipHop.com: Do you feel that other veterans do enough for the up and coming artists new to the game or still trying to get in? LL Cool J: I’ll put it like this, there are two ways people can make it to the top. You can make it creatively or competitively. Competitive people get to the top then kick the ladder down or pull the ladder up so no one else can make it up. Creative people make a ladder and leave it there for others to climb. I think we, as a people, have gotten used to the competitive way where you just worry about you getting up and screw everybody else. I don’t get down like that. People are going to see me succeed in the next couple years and when they witness my success it’s going to be a lot clearer to people that you don’t have to cut everybody’s throat to succeed. You don’t have to position yourself like “I’m better than you” to be successful. Like, I don’t have to distance myself from my neighborhood. I can go to the barbershop and say what’s up to my people. I can still go to my old neighborhood and still be rich. It’s a car drive away. I’m not saying you can’t grow and develop new circles of friends as well. There’s nothing wrong with growth but remember, the taller a tree grows the deeper the roots. If not, that tree is dead. There’s no problem with evolving. We’re going to evolve, we need to evolve. We need Fortune 500 businesses but that doesn’t mean we have to abandon our people to do it. AllHipHop.com: While we’re talking about evolution, have you had a chance to sit down with Russell Simmons or Rick Rubin and talk about the current state of Def Jam? LL Cool J: No. not really. The way I look at it is, I was there from the beginning. Everything that you guys are seeing right now represents growth. It’s not like we went wrong or anything. When we started it was me Russell, Rick, and Heidi Smith the secretary ordering sandwiches for lunch with no furniture in the office. So when I look at Def Jam now with hundreds of employees, I’m impressed. That’s not to say that, musically, things can’t be better but that’s ebb and flow. With any label or any situation that will happen. I don’t have a problem with the growth. People don’t know I owned a piece of Def Jam but I sold it back at a certain point for a certain price. I own my catalog. Before Lyor [Cohen] and them left we did a deal and I got my full catalog. LL Cool J owns his whole body of work. Every record. I’m very happy about the growth Def Jam has experienced. Now, do I feel the Hip-Hop side of the music needs more attention, yes. Do I feel like that’s going to change shortly, yes. I think Hip-hop will be served more now that Shakir [stewart] is up there doing what he does. You’re going to see the Hip-Hop get better. You can see from my project. You’re probably going to be getting calls from people you’ve never spoken to before. People are excited about Hip-Hop. People are excited about my project and I know it’s going to succeed. You now have people up there that are really rooting for the artists. There is no more competition between the executives and the artists. It’s back to artists being artists and executives being executives and we’re all going to have success. AllHipHop.com: When you look back at when you came in and all the doors you’ve opened, who are some of the artists, besides yourself, that make you feel like it was all worth it? LL Cool J: There are too many to name man. Off the top of my head, I think what Lil’ Wayne is doing is great. As an artist and just his overall work ethic is great. For him to consistently come up with that many verses and mixtapes and then what he did with the album, that’s great. All that speaks to his work ethic and success never rewards the wrong person. I’m happy for him. AllHipHop.com: You’ve been in your fair share of situation when you had to introduce somebody to the wrong side of a battle rap. If someone challenged you on that level today, at this point in your career, would you entertain them or let it go? LL Cool J: I don’t know what I would do. I’m so unpredictable I don’t know what I would do. I might not say nothing or I might make like 19 records about you. I don’t know. It’s all according to how I feel it. I’m quirky like that. I might ignore something people thought I wouldn’t ignore and then I might feed into something people thought I really wouldn’t or shouldn’t feed into. I really don’t know. All I know is when it comes to this microphone and this whole MC thing I’m fearless. I been doing this my whole career and I’m built for it. But I’m not going after that. Bullies always end up on their back at some point so I’m not going that route. But if anyone feels like they want to underestimate me, it’s whatever turns you on homie. Just know what it is. I enjoy making my music. I really enjoy that so I do what makes my soul feel good. That’s why I’m here 24 almost 25 years later. Since the day you were actually born I’ve been making records. I’ve been doing it because I love what I do. I don’t sell out and that’s why I’m still there. I’ve been very courageous in the decisions I’ve made. Be they popular or unpopular I’ve always stuck to my guns. On “I’m Bad” I said, “When I retire I’ll be worshipped like an old battleship,” and I meant it man. I got to do this man. I need it, I want it.

You know I'm down

Busta Rhymes Confirms Album Will Be On Aftermath July 14th, 2008 | Author: Jake PaineAfter speculation last week that Busta Rhymes had severed ties with Interscope Records, or vice versa [click to read], it has been confirmed today that the veteran rapper and Flipmode Squad leader will indeed drop his Blessed album on Aftermath Records, Dr. Dre's imprint at Interscope. "I want everybody to know that the new Busta Rhymes album is coming through blazing the streets crazy. It's the most incredible album in Hip Hop. Stay tuned – it will be out late September on Aftermath, all day, every day," Busta Rhymes told Chris Faraone of The Boston Herald this afternoon, who shared the information with HipHopDX. The album is said to feature Lil Wayne [click to read], Pharrell and Ludacris [click to read].

Happy Birthday Silver Tiger! God Blessa!!!! :wickedwisdom:

Definately looking forward to this, Skillz' one of the rare true rappers left out there

This is a great song, check it out: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...9/20272963.aspx

I heard a lot of these tracks recently and I'm very impressed, Nas never seems to dissapoint, I can't wait until the album drops a week from today

By Hillary Crosley Reuters - Saturday, June 21 01:13 am NEW YORK (Billboard) - As Def Jam's first signee in 1984, LL Cool J has spent two decades balancing love songs with braggadocio, setting an example that most contemporary MCs have followed. Now the rapper, who also has appeared in 30 films and is producing a new untitled drama for CBS' fall season, is working on the final album in his Def Jam deal, "Exit 13." Due August 5, the set is led by the single "Baby" featuring the-Dream. (Advertisement) Q: You recently told the audience at WQHT (Hot 97) New York's Summer Jam that people have forgotten about you but you're going to jog their memory. What did you mean? LL Cool J: I plan to deliver some great material this year, and I think it's important that people understand my level of passion for "Exit 13." My music suffered a bit on my last two or three records because I made my decisions as an actor and businessman first. Q: One of the new songs, "I Cry," features Lil' Mo. How did that collaboration come about? LL Cool J: People suggested other artists, but Lil' Mo delivered the quality of singing that I wanted on the record, and I believe in her as a talent. Talent doesn't always give you the ability to make great records. Those elements are separate, but I was able to harness her talent and put her in a position to sound great on a song. From the response we're getting at radio, people agree with me. Q: What producers are working on "Exit 13?" LL Cool J: I'm working with a lot of young, burgeoning producers, not many well-known guys. DJ Scratch is the most famous producer thus far on "Exit," and he produced the song "Rockin' With the Goat." The same way I worked with a lot of producers early in their careers and they became popular, these guys -- Raw, Uncut, Illphonics and Suits -- will be the next crop of A-list producers. There are a lot of symphonic instruments on this record, and it has a melodic musicality that I think goes beyond anything I've done in years. Q: Since this is your last album via Def Jam, are you looking to sign with another major label? LL Cool J: I'm not looking for a record deal right now because I'm not looking past this project. "Exit 13" is too important to start thinking about where I want to go label-wise. I want to give people the best record I possibly can, service this project completely and tour. I'll deal with that afterward. Q: Focus is understandable, but as a marquee artist, it's odd that you're not considering other labels. LL Cool J: After 24 years, I'm on my 13th record. so why would I be thinking about labels? I have so many other things going on in my life. If I only rapped, then I would be focused on my next situation. But I have a dramatic TV show with CBS that I'm getting ready to film, I've shot 30 movies, and I have a digital distribution company, LL Cool J Enterprises. It's not about looking to the next deal. That would be almost arrogant. Strategically, it's all about "Exit 13" being great, because whatever I want to do is based on what this record does. I'm better off making sure that this record is successful so that I have more options. Q: Will labels be hesitant to sign you after you publicly challenged former Def Jam president Jay-Z's business decisions last year? LL Cool J: I didn't say anything that wasn't valid. I'm not looking for another deal, but I wouldn't be uninterested either. Regarding my comments about Def Jam, if I make the world's worst record and you accept it, then your responsibility is to promote it. If you think it's the world's worst record and you can't promote it, then don't accept it. I never made my views a personal attack on anybody at Def Jam or tried to degrade anyone's reputation. I'm just glad that there's been a regime change. It feels like the new Lakers. I'm not going to focus on the negative. Reuters/Billboard

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jspymd=200...8&fext=.jsp 07/06/2008 8:15 PM ET Midsummer Classic has 25 newcomers Bumper crop of first-timers highlights new wave of All-Stars By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com The fans have voted. And now so have the managers and players. This year's All-Star squads are now set to represent the National and American Leagues in the annual Midsummer Classic at Yankee Stadium on July 15. Again they offer the best and brightest of Major League Baseball's veterans and talented younger set. From Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Lance Berkman to Chase Utley, Joe Mauer, Ryan Braun and Geovany Soto, it's the finest of the old and the new. Twenty-five players are on an All-Star roster for the first time -- 11 for the NL and 14 for the AL. Seven of them are starters. The Cubs and Red Sox each have seven players on the squad. "Because of our success, and I think, the popularity of the team, that has shown in the number of Red Sox that are on this team," said AL manager Terry Francona, whose Boston club has won the World Series twice in the past four years. "I don't want to sit here and apologize for that. We have won, and we have good players. Next week, to be able to represent the American League with that number of Red Sox will be very exciting. I'm very proud of that." The Cubs' club-record-setting seven are Soto, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. The Red Sox's seven are Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Varitek and J.D Drew. It will be the fifth time that the Red Sox have had at least seven players selected to the All-Star Team. The seven All-Star selections for the Cubs and Red Sox are the most for a team since seven White Sox were chosen for the 2006 game at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. The host Yankees have three players on the team: mainstays Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Rodriguez, the third baseman for the Yankees and now a 12-time All-Star, was again the top overall vote-getter with 3,934,518. Last year, for the game in San Francisco, A-Rod out-polled all 16 elected starters with 3,890,515 votes. "As a kid, I never missed an All-Star Game," Rodriguez said. "It's such a fun game. I really enjoy it. Right now, it has tremendous ramifications with home-field advantage in the World Series, and it's something that I take tremendous privilege in -- receiving these votes." Utley, the six-year second baseman with the Phillies and a .299 hitter this season with 24 homers and 67 RBIs, paced the NL with 3,889,602 votes. A record 214.7 million votes from 16.5 million ballots were cast online via MLB.com and the affiliate 30 club sites. The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the last to be played in the current Yankee Stadium -- which closes at the end of this season -- will be televised nationally by FOX, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET. It will be shown live in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. XM will provide satellite radio play-by-play coverage of next Sunday's XM All-Star Futures Game. As in recent years, the winner of the game will determine which league has home-field advantage in the World Series. The "This Time it Counts!" rule was implemented in 2003. The AL, which has won 10 games in a row (not including the 2002 tie at Milwaukee), has enjoyed that advantage every postseason since. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It's amazing to me where I was and where I am now." -- Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AL will look to keep that string alive led by the contingent from the World Series champion Red Sox. Francona, along with his Red Sox coaching staff, will also have Tigers manager Jim Leyland and Yankees manager Joe Girardi on his bench. These are the AL starters going around the diamond: Youkilis is at first base, making his first All-Star appearance; ditto for teammate Pedroia at second, Jeter is at short, making his ninth appearance; and A-Rod is at third. Mauer of the Twins is making his first start behind the plate and second appearance. The outfield is made up of old standbys Ramirez, making his sixth start and 12th appearance; and Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, making his seventh start and eighth appearance since his arrival from Japan in 2001. Josh Hamilton, who is in his second season and first with Texas, is the newcomer, making his first start and first appearance. "It's amazing to me where I was and where I am now," said Hamilton, who has overcome drug and alcohol problems to get to this point. "Getting back to the big leagues and being able to go to the All-Star Game is a dream come true." Fans could choose an AL designated hitter for the game, because it's being played this year in an AL park after a two-year run in Senior Circuit yards. Ortiz got that nod, but he won't play because he's on the disabled list with a hand injury. He'll be replaced by Milton Bradley of the Rangers. The players selected these reserves: Bradley, catcher Varitek and outfielder Drew, first baseman Justin Morneau of the Twins, second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Michael Young of the Rangers, third baseman Joe Crede and outfielder Carlos Quentin of the White Sox and outfielder Grady Sizemore of the Indians. Francona added infielder Carlos Guillen of the Tigers, catcher Dioner Navarro of the Rays and pitchers George Sherrill of the Orioles, Justin Duchscherer of the A's, Joe Nathan of the Twins and Joakim Soria of the Royals. The AL pitching staff is as follows: Duchscherer is joined by fellow starters Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays, Cliff Lee of the Indians, Scott Kazmir of the Rays, and Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana of the Angels. Sherrill, Soria and Nathan are joined by fellow relievers Rivera, Papelbon and Frankie Rodriguez of the Angels. With that roster, the NL will have its hands full trying to take back the Midsummer Classic. But if anyone knows the importance of securing home-field advantage in the World Series, it's the man at the helm of this year's NL squad. "This is not a celebrity golf tournament anymore, where everybody gets together, shakes hands and has a lot of giggles," said Clint Hurdle, manager of the defending NL champion Rockies and the skipper of this year's NL team. "We're going to have fun the day before, and we're going to have fun during the workout. Come game time, we're going to have fun, but we need to play, and we need to win a game because of the significant value it adds to the World Series. Four games vs. three, it's the biggest thing out there to get out on that initial foot." Chicago manager Lou Piniella is one of Hurdle's coaches. Piniella is a former Yankees player, manager and general manager. The other NL coach is Padres manager Bud Black. "I'm excited. I'm flattered I was asked," Black said. "To be part of that event is special. Yankee Stadium is a great place, and this is the last go-around. To be part of that in a place where I always enjoyed going as a player and a coach. It's going to be a great three days." No other NL team has more than two players on the squad, including the Rockies, who have outfielder Matt Holliday and pitcher Aaron Cook on the roster. Soto, Soriano and Fukudome were all elected to the team by the fans. Soto and Fukudome are the first rookie starters for either league since the Yankees' Hideki Matsui did it for the AL team in 2003. Soto is the first rookie catcher ever on the NL team, and first rookie backstop to start in an All-Star Game since Cleveland's Sandy Alomar Jr. opened for the AL in 1990. Fukudome is the first rookie outfielder in the NL starting lineup since Frank Robinson in 1956. "Let's hope we win," said Wood, whose NL Central-leading team finished action on Sunday with the best record in the circuit at 53-36. "We could have a chance to benefit from that maybe this year. It would be an important game. It's nice to have your teammates there for sure." The starters around the horn in the NL are Berkman of the Astros at first, making his second start and fifth appearance; Utley at second, making his third consecutive start in as many appearances; Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins at short, making his first appearance; and Jones of the Braves at third, making his fifth start and sixth appearance. Soto, in his first full season after shining as a callup last September, is behind the plate. Soriano, making his fifth start and seventh appearance, joins teammate Fukudome, the do-everything rookie from Japan, and Braun of the Brewers, in the outfield. Soriano, who is currently on the disabled list with a broken finger, has just begun taking batting practice and is doubtful for the game. "The swing, it doesn't feel like it's supposed to," said Soriano, adding that his hand still felt weak after taking BP. "I think it will take time, maybe a week, to feel good again. I'll be ready to play in the second half." The players elected these reserves: catcher Russell Martin of the Dodgers, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres, second baseman Dan Uggla of the Marlins, third baseman Aramis Ramirez, shortstop Miguel Tejada of the Astros, and outfielders Holliday, Nate McLouth of the Pirates and Ryan Ludwick of the Cardinals. Hurdle selected shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Nationals, catcher Brian McCann of the Braves, first baseman Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, plus pitchers Zambrano, Dan Haren of the D-backs and Billy Wagner of the Mets. The NL pitching staff is as follows: Zambrano and Haren are joined by fellow starters Dempster, Brandon Webb of the D-backs, Edinson Volquez of the Reds, Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Ben Sheets of the Brewers. Wagner is joined by Wood, relievers Brad Lidge of the Phillies and Brian Wilson of the Giants. As in the AL, the players made all the other pitching selections. Now in its seventh year, the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote gives baseball fans around the world the opportunity to select the final player on each All-Star team. Balloting began immediately following Sunday's Major League All-Star Selection Show presented by Chevy, continues until 5 p.m. ET on Thursday and is unlimited. The winners will be announced on MLB.com shortly thereafter. Here are the Final Vote candidates for both squads: In the NL: third baseman David Wright of the Mets and outfielders Pat Burrell of the Phillies, Corey Hart of the Brewers, Carlos Lee of the Astros and Aaron Rowand of the Giants. In the AL: first baseman Jason Giambi of the Yankees, third baseman Evan Longoria of the Rays, second baseman Brian Roberts of the Orioles and outfielders Jose Guillen of the Royals and Jermaine Dye of the White Sox. There are two ways for fans to vote for the 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote -- online now at MLB.com, or on-the-go from their cell phones. Fans also can text the word "VOTE" to 36197 to have the All-Star Final Vote candidates sent to their phones. To vote for a specific player, simply reply with your choice. In Canada, fans should text the word "VOTE" to 88555. Standard text messaging rates apply -- please check with your mobile carrier for details.

Busta Rhymes The Next To Go In Interscope Housecleaning? July 7th, 2008 | Author: Allen JacobsAccording to inside label sources at ThisIs50.com, Busta Rhymes is the next artist to be dropped from Interscope Records. The announcement comes less than a week after Shady Records artist Obie Trice was released from his contract [click to read], and in the same year Joell Ortiz severed ties with Aftermath Records [click to read]. Per the reports, the veteran rapper and Flipmode Squad leader had a conflict with Interscope President Jimmy Iovine that ended with the two parting ways. Busta Rhymes had been working on his second Aftermath/Interscope album, Blessed. A number of songs from that album have already surfaced on the Internet, including "Don't Touch Me (Remix)" [click to listen] featuring an all-star list of emcees new and old. Since signing with the label in 2005 after a tenure at J Records after starting his successful career with Elektra Records, Busta Rhymes released The Big Bang [click to read]. After appearing on Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, Busta Rhymes also has confirmed appearances on Nas' Untitled album and The Game's L.A.X., making him the only artist to appear on what many are billing, the three biggest rap albums of 2008. Interscope and Busta Rhymes have yet to confirm these reports. HipHopDX will keep you posted.

Allhiphop.com just posted the song: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...4/20256593.aspx

Allhiphop.com mentions the JJFP performance in their news: http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/...4/20254408.aspx

This is a great song, the king is back y'all! :wickedwisdom:

Hey y'all check out the "Pain" remix feat. Keyshia Cole, Jadakiss, Bun B, Pusha T, Fat Joe, Young Buck, and Queen Latifah, figure I put it here instead of starting a new thread: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...2/20250325.aspx

Hey The Definition I sent you a pm, looking forward to hearing this, I definately wanna see MJ come back big

I find it interesting that LL might stay with Def Jam now that Jay-Z ain't there and I've playing that mixtape he released a lot ever since it came out, he seems very hungry again LL Cool J Talks "Exit 13" And Staying With Def Jam? July 1st, 2008 | Author: Omar BurgessLL Cool J has not had a platinum-selling album in nearly ten years, and he says he has himself to blame. "With all my television and film projects, the quality level of my recent albums has suffered," LL said, while speaking with Rolling Stone. "This is a record that I actually, honestly believe from the deepest part of my soul, I would buy- every record you make is not like that." "Mr. Smith" credits his lyrical improvement to the Hollywood writer's strike, which gave him more time to focus on music. He estimates that he threw away two full albums worth of material from his original version of the forthcoming Exit 13. Fellow Queens native 50 Cent will likely lend his support, and LL says the album showcases "a whole other level of dedication, commitment, creativity." Wyclef Jean, Lil Kim, Jim Jones, KRS-One, Method Man and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora are all slated to be featured. Will LL Cool J's 13th album be his last at the only label he's ever known? In past years Def Jam's longest tenured emcee has not been shy about voicing his displeasure with the label's former president Jay-Z. With Shakir Stewart taking Jay-Z's vacated spot, "The G.O.A.T." even hinted that the August 5 release of Exit 13 may not be his final Def Jam effort saying, "It's my last record on the contract, but that doesn't mean that our relationship is over."

Congrats to Kel for the nod, you know I'll be voting! :thumbsup:

:yeahthat: I think Game keeps getting better and better