bigted

:hail: Another amazing track, major labels should be tearin' down his door to sign him..

Working with 50 doesn't mean sales necessarily, ask Mobb Deep about that, they thought they'd go diamond and get all the white girls to buy their music but they didn't even go gold, lol... LL didn't really collab with anybody on his first 5 albums, which actually many consider to be most of his best work btw, he did do a few guest appearances on other artists albums in between(Keith Sweat, EPMD, Craig Mack,etc.) but when he started working on "Mr. Smith" the Trackmasters suggested for him to have up and coming rappers on the remix to "I Shot Ya" like Foxy Brown, Prodigy, and Fat Joe, and he decided to have Boyz II Men do the vocals on "Hey Lover"... He realised how much fun it was to collab with other artists on his projects in compared to just working with himself so he's decided to basically collab with a lot of artists on them after that, he did say in quite a few interviews in recent years that he considers 50 Cent one of the best rappers out and he enjoys his work so I guess he wants to work with him, at this point in his career he's like Michael Jordan 'cause there's nothing left to prove, even it this album with 50 Cent ain't groundbreaking it won't hurt him anyway 'cause Jordan playing with the Wizards doesn't stop people from calling him the G.O.A.T. baller.. I guess working with the younger rappers keeps his competitive fire going so it's all good, we just gotta wait and see what happens, I mean who would've thought that Ludacris would be involved on one of the great tracks on Will's "L&F"album in "Party Starter", I mean for those of us to yell out sell out just 'cause LL's working with 50 Cent need to think about some of the pop acts that Will's worked with on his solo albums and ask why is it ok for Will to do it but you bash LL for it?(Lil' Kim, Ludacris, Snoop, the girl from the PussyCat Dolls) this collab with 50 might actually be good 'cause working with LL should motivate 50 to step up and do something better.. Now I personally don't like 50 Cent so I'm not that excited about hearing them collab but of course whenever LL does something I check for it, I'll be more hyped for it when it comes, I hope LL takes his time and just doesn't rush it out right away after releasing "Todd Smith" a few months ago, he should promote it a lil' bit more before rushing off to another one since he's touring for that right now too in the US according to his site... I'd probably prefer Will to do movies for a few more years than to jump in and do an album with TI hypothetically speaking, he really should take his time as well but it's his decision on what he wants to do and as fan I'll be checking out what he's gonna do...Now speaking of DMX, I think LL would have better chemistry working with him on an album 'cause the 2 songs they recorded together "4,3,2,1" and "Fughidaboughtit" were amazing, forming a supergroup with Redman and Method Man who were also on those tracks would be something that'd raise the bar in hip-hop, they could come up with some aggressive stuff together...

I'm not at all excited about it, I'm actually happy that Will's doing all of these movies right now instead of trying to work with all these pop rap sellouts and ruin his legacy, the way things are looking right now there's probably a better chance that Will does something again with Jazzy then there is a chance of LL doing something with Marley again, LL doesn't seem to remember his ol' school roots, 50 and G-Unit'sprobably be trying to get LL involved in the lil' rap beefs that they're in now and it'll be the equilvalent of Jordan losing with the Wizards at the end of his career, he's going with the losing team

I know this happened a few days ago but I still think it's worth discussing, this is definately something that's gonna make the Central Division much more competitive in my view: Ben Wallace leaving Pistons to sign with BullsBy Chad Ford ESPN Insider For the last six years, Ben Wallace has been the face of the Detroit Pistons. No more. Marc Stein's take Add up the money and that opportunity, and even Ben Wallace couldn't resist walking away from what was regarded as the NBA's best five-man, all-for-one ensemble, as well as a city that treasured him. That city is now in mourning: Independence Day 2006 will be recorded in local history as the day Detroiters woke up to Wallace's free-agent defection and Stevie Yzerman's retirement. A league source said Monday night that Wallace has told the Pistons he has accepted an offer from the Chicago Bulls. While the offer was first thought to be a four-year, $52 million deal, a source close to the negotiations told ESPN.com that the deal is actually for four years and $60 million, with a starting salary of nearly $14 million a year. A deal can't become official until July 12, when the salary cap is set for the 2006-07 season and exact contract values can be computed. "I appreciate everything Detroit did for me and my family," Wallace told the Detroit News on Monday night. "They gave me an opportunity to make a name for myself and we had an opportunity to win a championship together." Wallace helped Detroit advance to four straight conference finals -- the first team to do so since the Bulls of the early 1990s. The move will come as a shock to Pistons fans who thought the chances Wallace would bolt from Detroit were slim to none. The Pistons came out of the gate Saturday offering Wallace a whopping four-year, $48 million deal, but they told the four-time defensive player of the year that it was their final offer. The signing clearly upgrades the Bulls' front court, albeit at an exorbitant price. The Bulls will have to use roughly $14 million of their projected $16.7 million in cap space to secure Wallace. However, Wallace adds the veteran toughness and defensive presence the Bulls felt they lacked up front. Look for the Bulls to now explore trade scenarios involving Tyson Chandler. One potential opportunity, according to sources, is New Orleans, which is mulling a Chandler-for-P. J. Brown swap. Brown is in the last year of his contract, which would give the Bulls even more cap relief next season. The Bulls also have explored Chandler trade scenarios with the Hawks (via an Al Harrington sign-and-trade) and the Warriors. The move puts the Pistons in a difficult position. They lose Wallace for nothing and don't have anything more than the $5.1 million mid-level exception to offer to potential replacements. There are a few starting center-caliber free agents out there, such as Joel Przybilla and Nazr Mohammed, but none who can give the Pistons what Wallace did. Instead, the Pistons may opt to beef up their backcourt and to move to a more up-tempo style with Rasheed Wallace at five and Antonio McDyess at the four.

I think it's time for LL to leave Def Jam, that's why he's trying to rush out another album so the contract could expire, Jay-Z' too busy hanging out with Beyonce and recording another album to run the label, they need better leadership at that label...

It's great to know that Will still remembers his roots...

Yeah the thing is most 50 Cent fans probably look at LL as a corny and soft ol' school rapper and most LL fans probably look at 50 Cent as an immature rapper, I don't think many fans'll be actually anticipating this, Def Jam's marketing team must be pretty stupid to let this idea come out like this, Marley Marl, Cut Creator,and Rick Rubin would be the perfect way for LL to go back to his ol' school roots, I'd imagine that there'll be some rappers that might be dissing LL's credability for teaming up with 50 Cent 'cause 50 Cent's not that respected of a rapper in the game, I could understand though how the similarities between LL and 50 might be when they were younger, when LL released "Walking With A Panther" he probably received as much criticism as 50 did releasing "The Massacre" since he was rapping about a lot of material things and hoes just as much as 50 has been lately(LL said this in his autobiography on "Walking With A Panther": " I was rapping about champagne, silk shirts, cars, jewlery, girls. I had become the anti-Christ of rap. I was selfish, I was egocentric. People felt like I was not being honorable and that I didn't represent where the black community should be heading."), ofcourse "Walking With A Panther" has better songs than "The Massacre" but he really didn't rap about much subject matter then, LL matured over the years and maybe he might be helping 50 mature as well so maybe that's why he's reaching out to him to rap with more substance, either that or they're just gonna rap about hoes and Bentley's together and both lose credability, lol, Fat Joe probably feels as confused as some of us 'cause he considers LL his favorite rapper and now he hears that's working with his enemy

Oh you meant LL shouldn't work with many young dawgs on the mainstream, well yeah I could see that point in being that there ain't really any young artist currently with the talent to be on LL's level but like I said earlier he could be like a mentor to them, show them the way to becoming better artists, be like a big brother to them, working with LL could bring the best out of 50, being in the studio watching LL making an album could be a big lesson for him to step his game up, the rap game needs leadership to improve, since LL's the most popular rapper from the original era of the game then it's up to him..

Now as more I think about it the way I see it is that Def Jam wants to get rid of LL for their younger r&b acts since his next album'll be his last album on there, they want him to rush out another album and they probably proposed for him to work with current artists to end the contract, it's a buisiness, labels don't care about artists, look how they shelve Redman, Method Man, dump DMX, the label's lost most credability over recent years, they just want money, the best thing for LL to do is to just release an album of unreleased songs and get out of Def Jam and start his own label since he's a big enough name in the rap industry and release his own albums whenever he wants, take control of his career, he should be more hands on, just like I think Will should just release all of his stuff through Overbrook and release the proper singles and promote the albums himself, I mean we complain about labels screwing him up all these years but come on now he's a multimillionaire, he needs to put that money to work if he really wants the props he deserves as a rap artist... Now I think LL could work with whoever he wants to though, you can't say that he shouldn't work with any young artists, it's like 50 Cent could be last on the list of the artist that I want him to work with but it's his career not mine, to each his own, hopefully when he hears my album come out he'll want to work with me, it's like I'm tired of being an armchair rapper, I need to get in this game myself, lol... The thing is now that there aren't many fans that stick with any artist, that's why it's hard to tell what fans want, some fan wants this, some fan wants that, everybody likes different things, only a small percentage of fans like us will stick with any artist,(with us all being JJFP Potnas through thick and thin), for example fans might be turned off that Nas signed to Def Jam working with Jay-Z and some might be excited about it, that's why it could become a dillema for an artist to decide what direction they want to go with their music 'cause views constantly change, the music marketplace is a fickle place to have a constant fanbase... btw going through LL's autobiography I found an interesting quote that probably applies to 50 and a lot of the young rappers coming in selling a lot of albums now that don't realise the type of impact that they make, he probably wants to work with 50 to show him a better way as an artist: "I can't condemn those rappers and entertainers who aren't always positive. You can't expect someone to become a positive role for all of mainstream America overnight. It takes time to realize the power your music has over people. It took me more than 10 years. For a lot of artists, they never get that time. By the time they figure it out, they're finished. Somebody who is on their first of second album-they don't know how powerful they are. They don't know how influential they are when it comes to children, so they say what they feel. But four, five, nine years down the road, after they've had a few albums and can see what statements they've made and how they've affected people-then it's time for them to live up to their responsibility and be a role model to a wider audience. You can't expect a kid who is fresh out of the projects and going triple platinum to understand the complete spectrum of his influence as an artist. When did he get that opportunity to grow and learn about what that means?"

Well that's my reaction when I heard about it, I'm stunned and quite confused about how it'll turn out, I couldn't control my thoughts there I admit, but hey I ain't no Loretta, if it turns out wack I'm gonna say it's wack, I sure hope he knows what he's doing...

I agree with what Turntable says that if you're gonna criticise somebody so much then I think you should download some of their albums and see if they're as wack as you say they are, you shouldn't just judge somebody off their singles 'cause after all that's what we say about people that diss Will off his singles right?That's being kinda hypocritical, I always try to listen something before I criticise it or I don't say nothing about it, it's not really fair to call LL a sellout for doing an album with 50 Cent either before it comes out, now if LL tries to sound like a studio gangsta then we say that, he's been in the music buisiness 21 years so I'm sure he'll make sure that 50 Cent won't change his image so much that it'll let down all of his fans, if it don't work out then it'll fall through and LL might work with somebody else before releasing his next album which of course I wouldn't mind, the experience of working with LL might actually help 50 discover himself as an artist as well, right now I look at it as a questionable move but sometimes there are great collabs from artists that we least expect it from, as a big LL fan I hope for the best 'cause I don't want to see him disappear from the rap game and lose all credability, being in the game so long he needs to keep the ball on his court...

I heard both of 50's albums, "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" actually has some good songs in it, while "The Massacre" is garbage except for maybe a couple songs, I'll take LL's worst albums over those 2 albums anyday, these days a lot of people download so not many artists in general sell that much anymore, LL would go triple platinum 10 years ago 'cause it was before the downloading era came along, going platinum these days is like going triple platinum then, it's actually great that people could download now in my view 'cause if you don't like a certain album you won't have to waste $20 on it and actually buy something you like, I'll probably be giving LL's next album a download if G-Unit's all over it rather than running out to get it

I'd rather have LL do another album with Puffy than to do an album with 50, at least Puffy respects hip-hop history, I liked "Phenominon" and that track they did together on "10" called "After School", Puffy's great compared to 50 Cent, 50 Cent is extremely immature and egotistical to go along with his weak talent, it's not a smart idea to work with him on a whole album, if I see the tracklisting with G-Unit features all over it I won't even buy it 'cause that'll be a disaster like when Eminem and G-Unit were all over 2Pac's last album, I mean how many legacies can one crew destroy?

Yeah at this point LL should be starting his own record label and executive produce his own albums considering how long he's been in the game and the thing is that he should be trying to put some of his ol' school peers back on top again, sign new artists that put out quality music over substance, instead of working with so many wack current artists, people'd buy his albums regardless to who he works with, in fact doing all these collabs I think actually hurts his popularity 'cause a lot of his originals fans don't like it, they want to hear LL Cool J, they probably want him to work with Slick Rick and Chuck D not 50 Cent and J-Lo, his most popular albums have been with lil' guest appearances in fact, it's not like it hurt his career for not working with Vanilla Ice when he was on top, in fact if he did work with Vanilla Ice he'd faded with him and that's gonna happen now working with 50 Cent who's career is fading,people want to hear LL Cool J working with himself and a few dope mcs in between, he built his legacy selling quality music so why put out watered down music to sell out? I wouldn't mind if this album has a parental advisory sticker if it turns out to be great like "Mr. Smith" and "The G.O.A.T" which had parental advisory on it but 50 Cent hasn't made any albums on that level so I don't think he could guide LL to that if he can't guide himself together

"Todd Smith" was certified gold a couple months ago, if Def Jam pushed to release another single or two it'd hit platinum, if they payed less attention to promoting Rihanna and gave more attention to LL then I think LL would be better off promoting this album more instead of rushing to do an album with 50,and btw he's outselling Mobb Deep who I believe had 50 executive produce their recent album so that proves that even though 50 might executive produce for LL don't mean that his sales'll go up either, LL's sales might not be what they used to be but it's the same for G-Unit already, they ain't as popular anymore either, ever since 50's movie flopped last year the sales on G-Unit releases are slipping, LL'd be better working with Ice Cube and Will on albums/movies instead of wasting time with 50 Cent and G-Unit who're running out of their 15 minutes, now if LL plans to leave Def Jam, not sign to another label, and just retire off of releasing this album with 50 Cent then I think he'll lose a lot of credability and the album will flop horribly and not even go gold, he'll be going out rock bottom and looking like somebody who lost it... Now I don't mind if LL works with a rapper who curses, if he had DMX executive produce the album I could live with that 'cause DMX is more talented than 50 Cent, I care about quality, DMX wouldn't let LL put out a wack album, while 50'll encourage LL to put out a wack album 'cause really 50's never been about quality music, come on now didn't Nas sign to Def Jam, why not do an album with him? Working with Nas would be like Jordan winning with Pippen, that's a duo that wouldn't lose,and I'd rather see Will do movies for 10 straight years than to do an album with 50 Cent

I'd take the second choice, everybody over 18 will talk about Will as a wack rapper with the first choice, all 10 million will be a bunch of horny school girls that don't know a thing about good music, at least Will's gonna have his original fans still respect him if he did another album with JJ

A rapper with 2 subpar albums giving orders to a rapper with 12 great albums does not equate to a great album, I could never picture LL lowering himself down like this, what happened to the mc that got pissed if you borrow his mic? lol

There is only 1 reason why a legend like LL Cool J would do an album with 50 cent..... SALES! :sick: Yeah that's true, LL's gonna lose all respect from his original fans just to have millions of white girls to buy his albums :ponder: He's one of the highest selling rappers of all time already though so that's why it's a lil' shocking though, he has more platinum plaques than 50'll probably have albums released, it's not like all of his albums flop, that'd be like Will doing an album with Bow Wow, don't make sense, LL could work with more talented artists and still sell a lot plus keep credability, why not work with Busta or DMX and make great music selling millions instead of doing teenybopper **** with 50 and the G-String girls?.. He don't need 50 but I guess it's only about the money now

You know me I'm one of LL's biggest fans and I just don't understand what motivation could somebody 50 Cent give LL Cool J to make a great album? LL's been the most consistant rapper ever, he don't need a lowlife, inconsistant rapper such as 50 Cent to help him make an album... If LL goes to G-Unit, that'd be like Jordan going to a garbage team like the Wizards or Willie Mays limping off the field with the Mets but probably even worse than that, LL's gonna tarnish his legacy doing this, it's not a good look, if LL needs 50 Cent to help him make an album then he must have lost it, I just don't understand why, this could be career suicide...

The way it's looking, with LL saying that this is his last Def Jam release, he's probably gonna sign to G-Unit, he should just hang up the mic and do more movies instead of doing that, he's gonna lose a lot of respect 'cause G-Unit is not credible at all, I really hope this don't happen :damnyou:

I don't know what to say, I'm shocked, why are all these legends like Michael Jackson and LL Cool J want to work with somebody like 50 Cent for?: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1535528/2...tner=rssMozilla 50 Cent, LL Cool J Team Up To Prove NYC Reigns Supreme On Todd Smith Sequel 07.05.2006 6:00 AM EDT LL says pair focusing on making fall album 'as hot as it can be.' LL Cool J BEVERLY HILLS, California- Two of New York's finest MCs are joining forces for an album. LL Cool J recently revealed that 50 Cent will executive-produce his next LP, Todd Smith, Part 2: Back to Cool, which is due in the fall. "It's my last Def Jam record so I wanted to make it something special and something really unique and kinda get back to my roots a little bit," LL said. His debut album, 1985's Radio, was the label's first-ever full-length release. "50 reminds me a lot of the things that I used to do and the places I used to be in my life, and I think we can have a good time together. "He's talented and I feel like I have something I want to say - I think he can help me get it off my chest." LL and 50 can currently be heard together, along with Lloyd Banks and Hot Rod, on the remix of LL's "Freeze," which he's calling "You Can Bump This." The two are still working out how much 50 will rap on the new album, and whether anyone else from G-Unit will appear. "I don't know if I'm gonna do as many collaborations on this record," said LL, whose most recent release, April's Todd Smith, is packed with stars (see "With Blige, J. Lo, Foxx On Board, LL Cool J's New LP Is A Guest Fest"). "I think that me and 50 is enough." The two Queens-bred MCs have yet to start recording but have talked at length about the music. "We're definitely putting our heads together, we definitely have subject matter in mind and I'm definitely focused on making it as hot as it can be," LL said. LL was in Los Angeles to collect the Golden Note Award at June's American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, which is given to songwriters who have achieved extraordinary milestones. His 21-year career has yielded nine platinum LPs and two Grammys. "I'm a blessed guy, I'm lucky," LL said. "I didn't know it would end up like this. It's pretty wild." — Corey Moss

Will & Jada Pinkett Smith On Board '3rd Annual Charlie Mack Celebrity Weekend' By Rudy West Date: 7/5/2007 5:50 pm Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith will participate in Charles "Charlie Mack" Alston's 3rd Annual Charlie Mack Celebrity Weekend, a series of charity events taking place in Smith and Mack's hometown of Philadelphia July 21-23. Mack, a film producer and legendary Philadelphia promoter who has served as Smith's long time aide, will donate a portion of the proceeds of the "Charlie Mack Party 4 Peace Celebrity Weekend" to various community based charity organizations, including Mothers in Charge, a Philadelphia based nonprofit that supports women who have lost loved ones to violent crimes, as well as Yesha Ministries. "As a native Philadelphian, I wanted to provide young people with a vehicle to interact with today’s entertainment industry leaders, however, it was after the loss of my two brothers that I saw an even greater need to create a fundraising benefit to assist anti-violence organizations," Mack said. "I am proud and pleased that the Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Foundation has joined in the efforts to stop the violence and increase the peace in our great city of Philadelphia and that the Smith’s are joining us in this year’s cause,” remarks Mack. Rapper Queen Latifah, Meagan Good (Waist Deep), Regina King (Ray), Tracy Ellis Ross (Girlfriends), Duane Martin (All of Us), Allen Payne (House of Payne), Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), Cuttino Mobley (Los Angeles Clippers), Flip Murray (Cleveland Cavaliers) and basketball great Mark Jackson and others are among the confirmed list of celebrities slated to attend the charity events. Mack, who served as co-producer of the movie ATL, which stars rapper T.I., founded the event over 15-years-ago as a yearly celebrity basketball game, but the event soon evolved into a charitable benefit that raised money and awareness to deter violent crimes in Philadelphia. "It is hard for me to get a grip on what is happening in the streets of Philadelphia, the same streets that I grew up on and walk through," Will Smith stated. "However, I do understand there is a different mind set today then when I was raised so I feel compelled to do something. I am excited about illuminating the positive’s of the weekend and have known Charlie Mack for a lot of years and has seen how he has changed his life and become a shining example of the possibilities of what Philadelphia can produce.” Mack's weekend begins of Friday, July 21 with the "Praise 4 Peace Gospel Concert" and other events during the weekend include Saturday's "Youth Day" featuring Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, the Celebrity Gala, the 10th Annual Celebrity Basketball Game and an official Mary J. Blige afterparty.

Hitmaker Dallas Austin Sentenced To Four Years; Reportedly Receives Pardon 07.04.2006 11:22 AM EDT Lawyer says producer could be released within a few days. Dallas Austin Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images Dubai's ruler pardoned American R&B producer Dallas Austin on Tuesday, hours after he was sentenced to four years in prison for possession of cocaine, two of the producer's lawyers told The Associated Press. Al Maktoum issued the pardon but Austin has not yet been released from jail, said the lawyers, one of whom told the AP that Austin's release was "a matter of paperwork." The lawyers requested anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Austin, 33 — who's worked with TLC, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Pink, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and many others over his 17-year career — was traveling to Dubai to attend Naomi Campbell's three-day birthday party at the Burj Al Arab hotel when he was detained at Dubai International Airport on May 19 (see "Hitmaker Dallas Austin Imprisoned In Dubai On Drug Charges"). Dubai police had pulled Austin aside at customs upon his arrival at the airport and searched his luggage, where they found a small bag containing slightly more than a gram of cocaine. The presence of restricted drugs and medication in the body can count as possession in the United Arab Emirates, the Persian Gulf nation in which Dubai is located, and Austin's urine had also tested positive for drugs, according to authorities. Austin claimed at his arraignment on Sunday that he was only guilty "by mistake" (see "Hitmaker Dallas Austin Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges in Dubai"). "I had no knowledge and no intention of violating the law," he told the court. A second member of Austin's five-man legal team told the AP that the producer's release could take a few days. Austin is expected to be deported after his release.

Rapper CL Smooth is ending a ten-year hiatus and releasing his highly anticipated solo album, American Me. The album, which drops on Shaman Work Recordings, features production by Arsonist of the Heatmakerz, Kaygee and Tramp of Divine Mill and newcomer Mike Loe. " American Me is about misconceptions. It's about the things people say, the things people perceive, right or wrong it's about the speculations that we force on each other," CL Smooth explained. The first single from CL Smooth's debut is titled "Smoke In the Air," which is slated to hit radio nationwide this July. A video for the single will hit major video outlets as well. Like his well known songs "Straighten It Out," "I'll Take You There," and "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)," which were recorded with former partner Pete Rock, American Me will tackle a variety of personal and political topics. "I'm bringing the real deal, in spite of everyone and everything else. My lyricism isn't about brute force; instead it showcases what I've come up against and why I'm still here." American Me hits stores September 19 on Shaman Work Recordings. Below is the track listing for American Me: 1. American Me Intro 2. American Me 3. I Can't Help It 4. Call on Me 5. Black Heart Radio interlude 6. CL Smooth Unplugged 7. Warm Outside 8. The Interview 9. Gorilla Pimpin 10. The Outsider 11. The Impossible 12. Smoke in the Air 13. Travel Sometime interlude 14. The Stroll 15. American Me Outro 16. All We Ever Know

I don't care if he makes songs like that but he shouldn't say that "I Get High" is a song that reflects his lifestyle the most if he says a minute earlier that he's trying to be a role model, we all have skeletons in our closet and I'm not trying to knock down Style P but if you say you're trying to be a role model you have to be more responsible in what you say or do, andI don't think 2Pac ever said that the thugged out songs represented his lifestyle the most either