bigted

There's still a lot of great music in hip-hop from the east coast, it's not really getting much airplay but that don't mean it's wack, artists need to just keep putting out great music and put egos to side, all the egos sorta takes away from the music like Fat Joe says, the south artists don't tear each other down that's why they're selling but a lot of rappers from the east coast seem to be hating on each other, that's real talk right there

I feel you there, if I didn't get a sale on it I probably wouldn't have got it right away but I'm very happy that I did, it's very much worth a purchase, and btw it's kind of sad that there's more posts about 50's final album than there is about this great album, we rather talk about how wack somebody is than pay attention to what's good and we wonder why real artists don't sell that much :shakehead:

Thanks for the insight TopDawg, I'll be sure to peep it whenever I get the chance

Uh that's not really a good thing if that happens, Jay-Z was doing albums with Linkin Park and R. Kelly and doing remixes every five minutes in his so called "retirement", if 50 does something similar to that we won't stop hearing about him, I'm waiting for the day that Interscope drops him since his buddies in his group keep floppin' and I hope LL comes to his right sense to not do an album with him, btw I read on LL's forum on Def Jam's site recently that LL's gonna sign to Columbia Records after he's leaves Def Jam so we don't have to worry about him to going to G-Unit at least

Yeah he sure does, I actually read this interview earlier today on that site, I agree with him with the point that no matter what an artist does it's hard to satisfy people, and really it doesn't matter if an artist tours or not when it comes to selling records, he does big touring and sells much less than Will does, we said that "Lost and Found" would sell more if Will toured but not really, it's really more about exposure

This will probably boost Fabolous career, probably gonna be his highest selling album of his life after the controversey like this

Man I just realised yesterday that Robin Thicke's album came out a few weeks ago, I was looking forward to that album too for awhile, that shows you how much that was promoted, it really gotta be promoted badly 'cause I could usually find anything, lol, how is that album? Btw like I said it's very disturbing how MTV blacklisted Janet while they play Justin every five seconds it seems

:interesting: I agree a lot with what AJ and Ted said. I think that I have a better understanding now on this topic and old school hardcore hip hop. Thanks for all the insite. Hey man anytime that's what we're here for, btw I found this quote from LL Cool J in an interview from the year 2000 where he gives his thoughts on gangsta rap, he even puts a FP reference, maybe he seemed to misunderstood's FP's statement 'cause FP feels the same way: LAUNCH: People don't receive violent lyrics in hip-hop the way they're intended. Do you agree with that statement? LL COOL J: It's not because people hate on hip-hop, it's 'cause you're talking about how you flip pies and kick doors and smack people with pistols, and then you put a spin on it and say you're exposing it to the world--that's not really what you're doing. What you're doing is making Goodfellas, the movie. You're making The Godfather, the movie. You're entertaining people with violence and drama and danger. The song "Homicide" I just described is what it is. I'm exposing it. I don't ever want to get out here and promote any kind of hate. And I don't want to promote any kind of separatism. I ain't into that. I think people should be [judged] based on their actions and on how they treat others. And with hip-hop, I think everybody's different. I think that it's important to remember there is room for messages in hip-hop, and there's room for messages in Hollywood, too. I'm in films, and I'm in Hollywood, but in society, perception is everything. There are so many double standards. You take a film like Goodfellas--Joe Pesci, I love him as an actor, but they take a guy, pistol-whip him with a gun until the gun breaks on his face, wrap him up in a sheet, throw him a trunk, stab him, up and bury him. You put that in a rap song, it's horrible. Nobody wants to deal with it, like it's not happening, or "How could you say something like that?" I have two versions of my album. One has profanity, one doesn't. Is it entertainment? Yes, but there's social commentary in there as well, and then there's a clean version for younger kids. Everybody's not the same. Some people like Barney, and some people like to watch Scarface. We all have a different way of expressing ourselves. That doesn't make you a better or worse human being. We all have a role to play, and if we did the same thing, then we would all be a bunch of robots. So when I listen to Will Smith and he says that gangsta rap is wack--you know, I'm not a gangsta rapper, but I don't agree with him that gangsta rap is wack, I just think that he has a different way of expressing himself. Now if you tell me it's not appropriate for kids, then I tell you [you're] right. Gangsta rap is for a certain age, you know what I'm saying? I just think that we need to be free to express ourselves as artists.

Check out this interview from allhiphop.com, I saw that I accidently posted "Hip-Hop Forever 2", I meant "Hip-Hop Forever 3": Hi Tek: Called in Favor By Zachary Franklin It’s amazing that Hi-Tek could float under the radar for the past five years and yet still have so many production credits to his name. But since he’s joined in the ranks of Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and the label’s growing stable of artists and producers, Tek has seen his name drop in a few places hip-hop heads might not have expected, lending his production talents to the likes of 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, G-Unit, Busta Rhymes and The Game. Now trying to build his own production company, push along the career of singer Dion, also signed to Aftermath, and preparing to release his highly anticipated sophomore album, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip, the Cincinnati producer spoke with AllHipHop.com about his upcoming about, why it took so long to drop and how his production has evolved since his days of Reflection Eternal and Black Star. AllHopHop.com: You’ve got the new album out, what are your expectations with the release? Hi-Tek: I think people are just happy to hear something from me. Whether the sales are high or low, I think people are just going to happy to hear something musically from me. I’m just trying to give back to the fans and the people with this album. I know I don’t have a strong single or buzz this album. And it’s not your typical release. I’m just trying to get the music across to the people. AllHipHop.com: What took you so long to come out with a follow-up? Hi-Tek: After the Rawkus release, I got signed with MCA to do Hi-Teknology 2. During the recording of that, I got an artist singed to Def Jam, Jonell, and I wanted to get that project done first, before I finished mine. But it took too long with both the R&B project and Hip-Hop project at the same time. Both Def Jam and MCA eventually crashed on me, and I had two years of music just sitting. By the time I got to Geffen, they didn’t really see the vision of doing Hi-Teknology 2. I had to go back and do a lot of production. And now I got the independent release with Babygrande. AllHipHop.com: How did you choose the artists you wanted to work with for this album? Hi-Tek: First, it started with the beat and then me thinking who sounded best for that track. This album was really about putting together collaborations and seeing who is the best to collaborate with. Me being a fan of a lot of these people, I wanted to bring out the best in the track and basically display it that way. AllHipHop.com: As a producer, why did you decide to feature artists on the album as opposed to doing something like an instrumental album? Hi-Tek: My thing is putting out songs. I don’t really like instrumentals and feeling like I’m giving out my music. I’m really not into that. That’s not the type of producer I am. I am definitely trying to do production [from an artist’s] perspective, meaning my beats talk just as much as someone on the microphone. It’s like the beats are speaking too. They talk. And you need someone lyrically to bring out the track at the same time. AllHipHop.com: How did the recording process go with the featured artists, did you sit down with them or was there an exchange of music and you got a file back with the vocals? Hi-Tek: It was a little bit off both. AllHipHop.com: What was it like in the sessions with the artists? Hi-Tek: Once I envisioned that over the track and reached out, like 80 percent of everyone that I reached out to and spoke with came through and they felt they should be on the track too. AllHipHop.com: With the sending tracks back and forth, do you feel there is an element lost in the recording process by doing this? Hi-Tek: I think sometimes there is an element lost. In my situation, I was totally blessed. I might have disagreed with one thing on the album, but it was just one out of everything you’re hearing. And of everything else I was totally impressed with. AllHipHop.com: You’ve got an eclectic mix of music on the album with music structure and tempo, how did you choose which tracks were going to be on the album? Hi-Tek: It’s hard to really say. A Hi-Tek project has a different feel then other songs, because I have vision in my head before I even get started. Maybe one or two of those songs within that vision due to politics; I mean, I am into selling records and reaching the world. But I put everything together in my head and have an overall vision. I like to give back to the people that way. AllHipHop.com: How did you decide where to place everything on the album, is there a theme in terms of how the album is put together? Hi-Tek: One thing I really wanted to get across was my versatility. Hi-Tek is a real producer and I wanted to display both an East and West [sound]. I wanted to show these new cats that you don’t have to pigeonhole your sound; you can come from the heart and be true to your production. AllHipHop.com: You’ve got guys such as Q-Tap, Nas, Busta Rhymes, Common and Jadakiss on the album. What does it say to you that you’re getting major players on the album? Hi-Tek: It says Hi-Tek made it to the top. I come from the underground so for me to be able to get them, and me being a fan of all them, it lets me know that there are a lot of people that can’t get that done. I’m not a DJ where it’s going to benefit them and I got to get on this mixtape. It’s about respect. I know those artists wouldn’t get down if it weren’t about respect. AllHipHop.com: You’ve also got newer artists like Papoose and Ayak also on the album. How do you go about incorporating the newer artists in with an album packed with rhyme veterans? Hi-Tek: That’s the business side of thinking. I am always looking for new artists. At the same time, if I have an artist signed, what better way to give them exposure? Aside from the political part, it’s really showing part of how they’re going to be on a bigger level. If I got an artist like Ayak, I need to get the most and the best exposure possible, and what better way to expose them to big name artists then to put them next to big name artists. AllHipHop.com: Everyone wants to know what was it like recording with Talib Kweli again? Hi-Tek: It was like we never left the studio. It’s always good. AllHipHop.com: Do you ever feel like you have to shake the “underground” category that can come up when mentioning your name? Hi-Tek: I never considered myself an underground producer. You’re in the game to grow. You’re only underground when you’re not exposed. I don’t plan on being underground for the rest of my career. In my heart I was always a big dog. And now I’m producing with the big dogs. AllHipHop.com: How is this album different from your debut? Hi-Tek: It’s the same blueprint just with bigger artists. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist? Hi-Tek: I have definitely matured with my music. I’ve gotten more hands-on and more musical. There is less sampling and more playing; really showing that musician side of me. I think I can create music now and layer it up as opposed to using a sample. AllHipHop.com: In between albums, you’ve had a number of production credits to your name, how has producing for other artists influenced how you approach music for this album? Hi-Tek: Once I hooked up with Dr. Dre, the expectations of producing for Aftermath and Interscope were bigger. He gave me the challenge of stepping up. It taught me to reach out to more musicians and make a bigger production. From then on, it just carried throughout my career. But being around Dre has definitely upped my game. AllHipHop.com: How did a record coming out on Babygrande come about? Hi-Tek: It was cool. We didn’t have a big budget and most of the album is through relationships. I mean, the budget was nothing. But at the same time it’s great for me, because I’m someone who doesn’t plan to go back to a major without 100 percent creative control of my music. And it’s great to have Babygrande, who is a fan of you, and let’s you do what you want to do. As opposed to having a major on your back and telling you how to do it, that kind of energy is so draining. I was very, very happy to have someone let me do what I do. Babygrande reminds me of Rawkus days when it wasn’t about an A&R. That’s how I got to be who I am. That’s how people know how Hi-Tek is, and how I am able to do me on my own. AllHipHop.com: With the release of a second album, are there going to be more credits to your name after the album drops, or are you going to keep the level of business the way it is right now? Hi-Tek: Really, I’m definitely going to produce more and be on a production team. I’m building a whole production company and building my record label. I wanted to get this album out to get people paying attention to me. It’s about giving back to the people and letting them know what they’ve been missing. I think they miss that sound. I definitely feel incomplete without putting out a record. AllHipHop.com: What’s next for Hi-Tek after the album drops? Hi-Tek: I got this artist, Dion, who signed to Aftermath. And I’m trying to be more on the production side of things. I’m trying to be more like the next Dr. Dre or Puffy. The album is going to be released October 17. If you go get the album from Best Buy, you can get three bonus songs and a DVD that comes with it featuring me creating a beat. For all you up and coming cats who want to see Hi-Tek make a beat. It’s just a way of me giving back to the people.

We could only hope but more than likely 50's just doing this for attention to see if anybody still cares about him, lol, btw I checked Def Jam's album schedule for the rest of the year and they don't mention that LL/50 Cent album coming out, wasn't it supposed to come out in the fall since they recorded it fast?

lloyd banks #3 on billboard 200 isn't a flop and when you do 100,000$ to 100,000 from january to january that is not a flop either this sounds fake #3 is bad for G-Unit, I thought they were supposed to be the top selling group in music, they only brag about their sales all the time so if they don't sell millions they're a flop, selling 100,000 in the first week instead of what they used to do a couple years ago shows that they're fading out, they're a faze that's getting played out, now if they were real artists like FP and didn't worry about sales and actually let it be about the music then these artists ain't a flop, the only thing G-Unit had was sales and now that's gone they're nothing, G-Unit don't represent real music so they're a flop, people are finding other artists to listen to, 50 Cent fans are starting to like who he dissed more than him now, even Fat Joe could sell more than 100,000 in the first week and 50 made fun of him for doing that last year but now the table's turned on him and his click and he's wondering why he's getting dissed for now, lol, and you're out of line to say that Hi-Tek album is only average at best when G-Unit ain't even close to being average, to quote my man Nas "It's real hip-hop not that 50 Cent ****"

Read my post above, most likely those 2 I mentioned there

They're probably counting the GRODT soundtrack(2005) and the G-Unit compilation album "Beg For Mercy"(2003) which he was very involved with, 50 needs to be like Puffy and have these rappers write lyrics for him 'cause his lyrics are wack

I guess he's trying to build a rivalry with Jay-Z and the Nets, own a team in the same division, and Usher owns part of the Cavs in the same conference, maybe LL could buy the Knicks and Dr. Dre could buy the Lakers next, lol :pony:

I usually don't worry over what people think about what music I like, everybody has different tastes, besides there's good music and bad music in every genre, if you says that you like pop people could think boy bands instead of real artists like Michael Jackson

I think the Bun B track's average compared to most tracks on there but it's still good, btw I got a bonus disc with these features on it: EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACKS: 16. HOW WE DO IT FEAT. SNOOP DOGG, TALIB KWELI & SLIM THUG 17. TIME IS NOW FEAT. REFLECTION ETERNAL (HI-TEK AND TALIB KWELI) 18. WE GET DOWN FEAT. MOS DEF, RAPHAEL SAADIQ & ROOTSY COLLINS. BONUS DVD CONTENT: Hi Teknology 2 EPK Where It Started At (NY) Video Ft. Jadakiss, Papoose, Talib Kweli Making A Beat From Scratch

Yeah 50's really quieting down when it comes down to dissing other rappers lately, he knows that he needs as many guest appearances on his album as possible to save his career, he can't make a good album on his own, he's a hustler, he ain't really trying to get respect, he's just tryin' to get rich or die tryin' like he said

Yeah "20 YO" definately has more life in it than "Damita Jo" and "All Of You" does, of course she could do better but so could everyone else, she's still a better artist than Beyonce and most out today

Well if this album flops like all the G-Unit albums since his film last year then he'll stop rapping, he's only in it for the money, that's probably the reason why he's thinking about giving up 'cause he knows that his 15 minutes is ending

Yeah Daz' album only sold 50,000 copies, that's a shame 'cause he's one of the few gangsta rappers that I feel

Janet's album ain't really doing that bad, selling 400,000+ albums in 3 weeks is actually great these days, if MTV didn't blacklist her she'd be doing Beyonce/Justin Timberlake numbers, I actually got a chance to listen to Janet's album recently, I definately think it's better than her last couple albums

I recently got it this week, I was looking forward to gettin' Jazzy's "Hip-Hop Forever 2" the same time but gotta wait till Oct. 30th now, this album has everything you could ask, dope mcs spitting over dope beats, I recently got it this week, this album's a must for all hip-hop lovers, pick it up!: 1. Oracle (Intro) - Hi-Tek, 2. Chip - Hi-Tek, 3. Keep It Moving - Hi-Tek, , Kurupt, Q-Tip, 4. Think I Got a Beat - Hi-Tek, , 5. Can We Go Back - Ayak, Hi-Tek, , Talib Kweli 6. Josephine - Ghostface Killah, Hi-Tek, , Pretty Ugly 7. March - Busta Rhymes, Hi-Tek, 8. Where It Started At (NY) - Hi-Tek, , Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Papoose, Raekwon 9. 1-800-Homicide - Game, Hi-Tek, 10. Money Don't Make U Rich - Hi-Tek, , Strong Arm Steady 11. Baby We Can Do It - Czar*Nok, Hi-Tek, , 12. Let It Go - Hi-Tek, , Talib Kweli 13. People Going Down - Hi-Tek, 14. So Tired - Bun B, Devin the Dude, , Hi-Tek, , Pretty Ugly 15. Music for Life - Marsha Ambrosius, Busta Rhymes, , Common, , Hi-Tek, , J Dilla, Nas

Jermaine Dupri Screws Virgin, Leaves Label Friday - October 20, 2006 by Dick Johnson Jermaine Dupri has reportedly stepped down from his positon as president of urban music division at Virgin Records. Earlier this week, The New York Daily News reported that JD threatened to quit due to lackluster sales on Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O. album. Now, sources are saying the Atlanta mogul left the label. Though the album debuted in the Top 5 three weeks ago, sales of 20 Y.O. have fallen short in comparison to previous Jackson albums. The album has sold 416, 353 units to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In addition to his Virgin duties, JD's So So Def imprint is distributed by the company. His roster includes Da Brat, Dem Franchize Boyz and Daz Dillinger, among others. Daz recently dropped his So So Gangsta album, only selling 51, 308 copies since its release on September 23rd

"Just The Two Of Us" is a brilliant song that displays he's a great husband/father as much as he is a great entertainer and "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" is probably the best party jam that Will released as a single

Well G-Unit better retire before they get dropped 'cause everything they released lately has been a flop, it's better to bow out gracefully when you're as wack as them