bigted

Check it out, they talk about touring and doing another album possibly: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1116

Jazz looked a bit shaky at the end of the fourth quarter but they recovered in OT, that was a great game

Btw check out this Allan Houston interview from Allhiphop.com: Allan Houston: Ballin' For All The Right Reasons Published Saturday, May 10, 2008 12:00 PM By Thomas Stuyvesant Allan Houston is a lot of things: a father, a son, a brother, a husband, and as most people know him, a former two-time NBA All-Star guard for the New York Knicks. He’s accomplished a lot in his life, on the court and off, but he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t do it alone. He had help - from his parents, from his coaches, and from his community. They supported him, but more importantly, they provided him with the tools he would need to succeed. Now it’s his time to return the favor through the Allan Houston Foundation, which helps kids and young adults achieve success through a variety of different programs. Houston, just like the foundation bearing his name, is all about hope. In 1999, he gave the city of New York hope with his last second, series clinching jumper that beat the Miami Heat and eventually led to his first and only NBA Finals appearance. Today, he gives young adults hope through his charity, which provides a Business Education and Development Program (BEDP) and a "Father Knows Best" basketball retreat. The BEDP provides economic empowerment through entrepreneurship and encourages education and life skill development. The basketball retreat brings fathers and sons together to work together on the court and in life. AllHipHop.com recently caught up with Houston to discuss two of his passions, basketball and his foundation. AllHipHop.com: The NBA has had its struggles with image in the past. What are your thoughts on the state of the league today? Allan Houston: I’ve never thought of the NBA as being down, from my perspective, I mean it’s a great game. I mean I feel like the time I’ve been traveling and going overseas, everyone’s been excited about the game. I think this year it’s become one of the best years in a long time because you’re starting to see a lot of young talented players. You look at Atlanta, you look at Orlando, you look at teams like New Orleans. It’s fun because younger players are starting to really learn and grow, and David Stern has done a good job. AllHipHop.com: You said you’ve been traveling a bit, have you had much of a chance to sit down and watch the playoffs this year? Allan Houston: Yeah, every Monday morning we do a little conversation on KISS FM in New York and talk about the playoffs. I’ve had a chance to watch a little bit, but it’s hard to watch everything. In the playoffs you’re always going to have something unexpected that happens. We’ve come to expect the unexpected. The exciting thing about the playoffs is you’re always going to have some guys that come out, step onto that stage and take advantage of that stage. There’s always going to be a couple thrilling shots and thrilling games but at the end of the day the best team is always going to win. AllHipHop.com: You mentioned New Orleans. They are going into a battle with the San Antonio Spurs, and we all know about them. On the other side, it looks like LA will be matching up with Utah. So who do you like coming out of the West between those teams? Allan Houston: For me, it’s hard to bet against the Lakers because Kobe, at the end of the day, is in a great position. They are well coached and they are very sound defensively. And I think if you throw Pau Gasol in the mix with anyone, he’s a very tough match up. With Pau, Kobe, and Lamar, I think they’ll be tough to beat. And then with San Antonio, everything [used to be] centered around Tim Duncan, but now it’s also around Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. So if you can stay on Tony Parker and guard him on the pick-and-roll, you may have a chance. It’s tough, because Phoenix didn’t give us any ideas of how San Antonio is really going to be. I think the best series and the one I’m going to love to watch is Chris Paul and New Orleans against San Antonio in the West. Both [CP and Tony Parker] are extremely quick. I like Chris Paul because he controls the games a little more. He’s capable of getting you twenty something points but he’s also capable of getting you 15 assists. AllHipHop.com: What is your favorite playoff memory? Allan Houston: It’s split between a few. All in 1999. I was fortunate to be a part of the NBA Finals that year. The shot against Miami that got us out of the first round was special. But Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana was very special to me, because I knew that night that my daughter was going to be born the next day. It was really my favorite one, because it lasted the whole game and not just one second. Going through that game was kind of like an out-of-body experience for me and I was just having fun. AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation. What inspired you to create the program? Allan Houston: I think the goals of the program are very similar to my goals growing up. The various things we’d talk about with my parents in terms of having character and your faith in God, the attention to education, and discipline. I was fortunate enough to see what its like at any early age, where a lot of people, especially in the African-American community, don’t get to see what that’s like. We learned those things, and we learned at the end of the day you have to be equipped, so we wanted to have somewhere that will help equip young adults and children [with the skills they need to succeed]. The Father Knows Best basketball retreat stemmed from my relationship with my father. He’s a man of character, of principle, and of extreme love. We still share a great relationship so I felt like him being a coach, there so many parallels between his role in my life and a coach - a basketball coach and a life coach and that’s really what a father figure should be. And then even as a coach you have to have relationships, you know, from senior management. We call God our senior management, and we kind of embrace parallels between basketball and life. We play basketball, do fun activities, and shooting drills and at the end of the day, we just try to understand what being a real man is. AllHipHop.com: They both sound like great programs. As far as the business education development program, what is the selection process like? Allan Houston: A lot of people come to allanhouston.com and they register and we let them know through some promotional activities when the classes start and when they can sign up. There is a process. We have an interview stage and there are some requirements. The age is usually 18-25 years old. The biggest requirement is that you really need to have a serious business interest. You can’t come in and say “I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do in life.” Everybody has to come in focused on their business. Some of them are already in operations, they just need to understand a little bit more about how they can improve it and some people have a great business idea but they’re just starting out. And that’s really one of the main requirements for us. The two winners of the program get $20,000 and 12 months free office space. We have great sponsors in Lenovo and Citigroup who have helped us start the program, so everything we do at this point is really about equipping our young adults and young people. AllHipHop.com: Have any classes graduated already? Allan Houston: We graduated Harlem this past September, and we’ll graduate New Orleans at the end of June. And right now, we’re probably going to be raising some funds and trying to get some support so we can continue to grow in different cities. AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk more about the Father’s Knows Best Basketball Retreat. What can we expect from your event coming up on Father’s Day, a two-on-two celebrity event at Rucker Park? Allan Houston: We have a two-day event. That Friday we’ll kick off the retreat, and we’ll probably have about 200 fathers-and-sons, or mentors-and-mentees. We’ll have games, workshops, you know, a shooting camp me and my dad put on. The Saturday before Father’s Day we have competitions and then we go to Rucker Park, where we’ll probably have the finals of the shootout and a celebrity two-on-two shootout, so we’re still looking forward to that. We’re just waiting on some confirmations but it’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it. AllHipHop.com: Are you participating in the shooting contest yourself? Allan Houston: Yeah, I participate in everything. I go through everything, so that’s what makes it fun for me and my dad and my son. AllHipHop.com: What is the main message that you want to get across through your Father Knows Best Basketball Retreat? Allan Houston: I think growing up many of us, you know, as young men, we’re all getting taught by media and by so many different angles about what being a real man is, what we were created to be. And the message is, we want to understand what that is and teach our young men what it means to have integrity, what it means to work hard, what it means to treat women with respect and how to handle those relationships. It’s basically a skill development message for young men, and those same principles are applicable on the basketball court. So we try to draw parallels, and at the end of the day we want coaches, and the fathers, and the father figures to be that main influence and coach our young kids through life as well as on the basketball court. AllHipHop.com: Are you planning to expand the basketball retreat into other cities? Allan Houston: We’re looking to start a camp which is more a one day event in the Burroughs of New York with the same concept. We’re putting that together now. And then after that, once we are effectively operating and managing that, then we’d love to take it to different cities, but the camp will have the same mission and goals as the Father Knows Best retreat. AllHipHop.com: Where can people find out more about your foundation? Allan Houston: People can go to the website at AllanHouston.com, and they can find out how to support or participate.

That's amazing to see the Celtics not winning a playoff game on the road when they led the NBA in road wins during the regular season

This is a great remix! :signthankspin:

Footage Vindicates Snoop; UK Ban Overturned, Officers Blamed By Chris Richburg Snoop Dogg is free to roam the United Kingdom, thanks to a senior immigration judge who officially overturned the rapper’s ban in the country yesterday (April 23). According to The Guardian, senior immigration judge George Warr based his decision to lift the ban on an earlier ruling by immigration judge Nehar Bird, who found that there was no evidence that Snoop Dogg had been responsible for any public disorder, nor did he initiate it. The decision is in contrast with reports over an incident at Heathrow Airport in 2006 during a mass brawl between Snoop Dogg’s entourage and airport security. The rapper and five members of his entourage were arrested after the brawl, which resulted in seven officers being injured. A DVD film of the fracas features the 37-year-old Snoop Dogg entertaining young children, just before the brawl. Snoop Dogg, who was given a caution by authorities, also did not retaliate against a police officer, who is seen shoving the rapper twice in the footage. A constable’s statement confirmed that Snoop Dogg complied with instructions from the Metropolitan Police to lie face down on the floor of a shop during the brawl and did not resist when he was handcuffed. Upon viewing the DVD, Bird concluded that the Heathrow incident was "precipitated by decisions made by BA staff and the police." "The appellant's behavior on the DVD did show him interacting with the public," Bird said. "The children were laughing and generally enjoying either dancing or singing or playing music." In his ruling, Warr determined that there was nothing to support the notion that Bird had overlooked evidence or made a material error of law. “Wednesday’s decision served as nothing more than a verification of why the case was "an appalling waste of public money to pursue this man," Snoop‘s lawyer Phillip Trot told The Guardian. "It is outrageous that the government is trying to exclude someone who is an innocent figure and has frequently spoken against gang culture and youths carrying guns.” In related news, Snoop Dogg recently inked a deal with Extreme Music, a production unit of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The rapper will produce The G-Series, a CD series of original Hip-Hop music for a number of outlets, including film, television and advertising projects. http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/...4/19716236.aspx

Here's the link: http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=sho...p;page=#1674070

Well I was just browsing along the internet and noticed this review, it's kinda unfortunate critics judge Will's rap abilities off his singles but really most of them are idiots who think Lil' Wayne's the greatest rapper alive, lol

Ne-Yo Plans To Make Mother's Day Event Special (May 9th) Ne-Yo and his Compound Foundation announced that McDonald's USA, LLC. and Atlanta's V103 Radio Station have joined as sponsors for 'Ne-Yo's Mother's Day Brunch Serenade.' The event will take place on Sunday, May 11th from 2-5 pm at the Loft in Atlanta's historic Castleberry Hill district. The Mother's Day Brunch Serenade will encourage, celebrate and reward these mothers for all that they do each and everyday. While mothers enjoy the brunch, their children will be treated to fun activities and games. This is an invitation only event for foster mothers who have been chosen by Georgia's Department of Human Resources to have a positive record of service to children in Georgia, mothers who are V-103 radio contest winners, and a select number of mothers staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta while their children are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Porsche Foxx, V103 radio personality, will be the host for this special occasion and is currently giving away tickets for the event during her afternoon radio show. As the title sponsor, McDonald's will provide Happy Meals for children attending the event. Children will also be able to play two games from McDonald's Passport To Play school program, and Ronald McDonald will make a special visit and lead his 'Get Moving with Ronald McDonald' show and conduct other fun activities for the children. "We hope to bring attention to state of the foster care system in America and to honor mothers that deserve recognition. This group seldom gets the attention that they deserve because they are not troubled; they are just good mothers. They wake up each morning and go about the day's activities selflessly; sometimes forsaking their own needs," said Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...Jeff&st=nyt Album Of The Week By JON PARELES Published: November 19, 1999 WILL SMITH: ''Willennium'' (Columbia). Will Smith describes himself as hip-hop's ''Mr. Clean'' and challenges other rappers to write just ''one verse without a curse.'' He's sold millions of albums doing just that; in his spare time, he's a sitcom star and a bankable action-movie hero. He has plenty to boast about, and he does, but what saves him from sounding sanctimonious or overbearing is an all-conquering affability. He doesn't claim to be the toughest, the wildest, the most underground or the most innovative rapper, just a clever word-slinger who's delighted and amused by his own success. He and his original partner, D. J. Jazzy Jeff, are the album's executive producers; songs are unashamedly built on recognizable tunes. ''Willennium'' is cheerful, benign and mildly trendy; quick on the uptake, it includes a rap over a Tito Puente mambo. And it doesn't expect a long shelf life; ''Will 2K,'' rhyming about a New Year's Eve party over the Clash's ''Rock the Casbah,'' expires on Jan. 1. JON PARELES

Don't sleep on Sha, he's a true mc

Awesome stuff

I think the songs good, nowhere near the classic but it's not wack either

Y'all gotta check out the remix featuring Bun B, Pusha T, and The Cool Kids http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...5/19794923.aspx

Here's some more details, all I gotta say is damn: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon spill wedding beans to People NEW YORK - Mariah Carey really did get married to Nick Cannon in the Bahamas last week - and they have the tattoos to prove it. The 38-year-old singer and the 27-year-old actor confirmed to People magazine that they tied the knot at Carey's Bahamian estate April 30 after a courtship that began in late March. In an interview from the magazine's May 19 issue, Cannon said they clicked instantly when Carey cast him as a lover in the video for her new single, "Bye Bye." "From the first time we sat down to discuss the video at the Beverly Hills Hotel, we connected," Cannon said. "We had so much in common spiritually, and we laugh at the same things. I didn't have to put on my Mac Daddy suave mode. I was able to be myself with her. We are both eternally 12 years old." They began a whirlwind romance, and raised eyebrows when Carey was seen sporting a huge diamond ring on her finger at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her movie "Tennessee," in which she plays a waitress. Carey said she told "only about four people" about the wedding. Were Carey's friends surprised? "Some were, but some weren't," she said. "One thing (few people) knew was we got tattoos a few weeks earlier. So anyone who saw my (Mrs. Cannon) tattoo wasn't surprised." Chiming in, Cannon said, "To me rings are special and exciting, but tattoos mean more than anything. They're forever and ever. They professed our love." A dozen guests attended their sunset wedding, where they served Maine lobster and Dom Perignon champagne. The bride wore a gown by Nile Cmylo that showed off her curves and faded from off-white to pale pink. "My pastor Clarence Keaton flew in from New York," Carey said. "The whole wedding was really beautiful and sweet. Being there with loved ones under the sky ... it was a spiritual moment." Cannon said he was speechless watching Carey walk down the aisle: "I was elated, but I was thinking, `Don't pass out.' ... (The pastor) said, `The eyes are the window to the soul,' then gave us an entire minute to stare into each other's eyes. So I was saying, `Don't cry.'" The pair said they've thought about having kids. "It's part of the whole purpose of getting married," Carey said. "I'd just want our children to have the best childhood and upbringing they possibly could."

I'd love to see that happen sooner rather than later, this is the perfect time for him to be on top of hip hop, JJFP gotta give to 'em somethin' like dis for the 08

Kidz In The Hall Debut At #6 On MTV's TRL May 7th, 2008 | Author: Jake PaineIn a shocking move for independent Hip Hop, Kidz In The Hall [click to read] debuted their video "Drivin' Down The Block" [click to view] on MTV's TRL on May 1st. Today, "Drivin' Down The Block" reached #6 on the sought after chart for Pop music. The video, which parodies the 1980 Kurt Russell film Used Cars, is the first single from the duo of Naledge and Double-O on their Major League/Duck Down release The In Crowd. The album releases on May 13. This position, which is Duck Down's first ever appearance on the video countdown, may mean a wider audience for the duo who debuted in 2006 with School Was My Hustle on Rawkus Records. The group's manager, Dan Solomito, told industry friends, "This is remarkable news but we're not content. Lets get it to number #1, and show the world that independent music is alive and kicking!" Citing groups like Panic At The Disco, Chris Brown and Danity Kane as competition, he urged fans of Hip Hop to vote for the single to be propelled further into seemingly uncharted territory.

Hey AJ enjoy that birthday man!

You guys gotta check out "Black President", it's an incredible song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyn7v5pxLbc

Thanks for the review, sounds dope, gonna check for 'em

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1110

That sounds cool, my parents love Al Green, nothing like that classic soul

I'm in shock of how well the Hawks are playing, they got the Celtics on the ropes right now

Reports: Mariah Carey marries actor Nick Cannon By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY AP Music Writer NEW YORK - Nick Cannon is cast as Mariah Carey's lover in her new video - but has the superstar diva given the young actor a considerably bigger role in real life? According to several published reports, Carey, 38, married Cannon, 27, on Wednesday. Neither Carey's publicist nor Cannon's manager returned requests from The Associated Press for comment. If the pair did indeed wed, it would be a whirlwind romance. Word that the two were seeing each other first surfaced in the last few weeks. Last Saturday, Carey was seen sporting a huge diamond ring on her finger at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her movie, "Tennessee," in which she plays a waitress. Cannon was at her side at the party. Speculation swirled that the couple were engaged. Latina.com was first to report that the two got married, at Carey's home in the Bahamas. Friday's New York Post also had the pair wed and E! Online quoted a relative of Cannon's as saying that he called his family and confirmed the news. "He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him," Linda Cannon, identified simply as a family member, was quoted telling E! People magazine's Web site reported Friday that Carey had obtained a marriage license in the island of Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, where she has an estate. Cannon has put out a rap album, but is best known for his role in the movie "Drumline" and a Nickelodeon TV series (yes, Nickelodeon - Cannon is 11 years Carey's junior). He's featured in Carey's upcoming video for "Bye Bye." While Carey and Cannon (or is it the Cannons?) were playing coy, the famed jeweler Jacob & Co. was quick to publicize its apparent role in the reputed union with a press release touting the ring Cannon reportedly gave her. The release described it as "crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. "The total carat weight of the ring - center stone is 10 carats - is a jaw-dropping 17 carats with a value of $2.5 million." Cannon does have experience with engagement rings. The actor, who has previously romanced singer Christina Milian and voluptuous reality star Kim Kardashian, last year gave a 15-carat stone to Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks as he proposed in grand fashion - on the Jumbotron in New York's Times Square. Cameras were flashing as she said yes. They split just a few months later. The Carey-Cannon match is already getting considerably more ink, leaving some to wonder whether it's a publicity stunt: After all, she's just released a No. 1 album ("EMC2" is on the top of the charts), and he has at least four movies due out this year. But then again, Carey is one of the most successful artists in music, and hardly needs a marriage to get her attention: She's already scored a No. 1 hit off the album with "Touch My Body." This would be Cannon's first marriage but Carey's second. She famously wed top music executive Tommy Mottola in an extravagant wedding in 1993. They had a bitter divorce in 1998.

EXCLUSIVE: Jay-Z Establishes Trust for Sean Bell's Children Published Friday, May 02, 2008 12:15 PM | Email| Email this| Print this| RSS 2.0| Atom 1.0 By Houston Williams Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has established an educational trust for the for the children of Sean Bell, the unarmed African-American man who was shot and killed by police on the day he was to be married. Sources have confirmed with AllHipHop.com that Jay-Z is working closely with Nicole Paultre Bell, Sean Bell's widow, to institute the trust funds for both of their children. Nicole Bell appeared prominently in Jay-Z’s Rocawear "I Will Not Lose" advertising campaign with images that caused indignation within the NYPD's Benevolent Association. The process began prior to the not guilty verdict for three police officers accused of slaying Sean Bell. A well-informed source close to the matter told AllHipHop.com that Nicole Bell’s lawyers didn’t want to initiate any activity during the trial. Typically, a trust fund is regarded as a long-term, profitable program that can provide significant monies that vest when a child becomes an adult or graduates from college. They can also become available at a designated point in the future. Trusts, educational or otherwise, are generally set up in the child's name, by their parents or others close to the child. Now that the trial is over, Jay-Z will resume his efforts for the children of Sean Bell in the form of a stock-based trust fund. Judge Arthur Cooperman acquitted NYPD officers Mike Oliver (who fired 31 shots at Bell), Gescard Isnora (11 shots) and Michael Cooper (four shots) in a case that has instilled nationwide outrage in Bell’s supporters. Two other men were shot in the shooting, where the police were charged with manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment. In the aftermath of the Sean Bell verdict, the Hip-Hop nation has responded en mass with songs, statements and protests. Those that disagree with the verdict include The Game, David Banner, Swizz Beatz, Talib Kweli, Styles P, Jadakiss, Mos Def, and countless others. Below is a webisode for Rocawear’s "I Will Not Lose" campaign featuring Nicole Bell.