bigted

BET gets real with Vince Young, DMX Tue Apr 25, 4:42 AM ET NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - BET is developing a reality series involving football player Vince Young and rapper DMX. ADVERTISEMENT The black-oriented cable channel unveiled its slate for the upcoming season during its "upfront" presentation for advertisers in New York Monday. "Next Level: Vince Young" follows the quarterback as he ventures into the pro game, while "DMX: Soul of a Man" will examine the troubled rapper's personal life. Other projects ready to roll this year include a late-night romance anthology series, an entertainment newsmagazine and a retrospective on black gangsters. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Yeah it's 'cause the fans are actually voting for it, it's not the bias media, I'm personally shocked about how few votes LL Cool J has gotten though....

I actually don't get what is this for, a magazine or something? It's nice to see that fans recognise what's up to consider Will one of the 4 greatest mcs though...

Hopefully this means he won't do it and he'll take the money :wiggle:

I don't think Will's ever done 6 movies before releasing an album, at this rate we won't get another album for the next 5 years and he'll never go on tour, I guess he's lost again, I'm not that excited about him doing all these films.... :shakehead:

Left Eye was a huge part of the reason why TLC is one of the greatest groups of all time, RIP...

Wow that's amazing, especially since his newborn girl was born recently, you figure he wouldn't have the energy to do that, lol, he seems to be a lil' strange though like a few have said but he's one of Will's best friends so he can't be that strange I guess, lol...

Will's actually in 4th place now....

This is old news man, there was a rumor about this last month like Da Brakes said, I'll believe it when I hear it 'cause if the track between Will and MJ never came out, I doubt that a track between MJ and 50'll come out if they ever even make one together, and I hope he gets Teddy Riley to produce the album again instead of Kanye West, Kanye's overrated and don't deserve to work with MJ, Teddy Riley and MJ got great chemistry together and they should keep it going....

thanks for mentioning that, well by that then there's actually a chance we might see them host again after all, shows u how much i pay attention to bet, lol

I doubt it, they usually get different hosts every year...

I didn't say that wearing jewlery is wrong, if I had some moremoney I'd probably get some nice jewels myselfbut I wouldn't go over board and buy chains worth as much as a house which might put me in debt later on,that's just ridiculous to me man and the point is since most of the rap fans are kids, I don't think they'd still prefer bling-bling rap songs over the songs with substance even if the conscious rap was pushed a lil' more, they just like something to dance to...

What's too long the long message I wrote or the long article I found? I could break it down into seperate posts if you'd like...

I think Chuck D recently produced a documentary on the history of The 'N' Word

Pacers stole Game 1 yesterday against the Nets so my pick is looking good, Haslem got suspended after Game One for the Heat against the Bulls since he threw his mouthpiece so it looks like the Bulls'll probably win Game 2 tonight, Ron Artest got suspended against the Spurs for Game 2 so it's not looking good for the Kings at the moment after that butt whooping in Game One as it is....

Well like I've said many times rappers don't raise kids, parents do, I mean if the parents did their jobs in the first place in teaching their kids when they grow up how to budget their money then I think that nobody would have to write a book about how to get your money right, it's real simple to me, you don't spend every dime, don't buy things you have no use for, like I wouldn't spend a million dollars to buy my wife an engagement ring that's stupid and if she don't like that then screw her, I don't want no golddigger, lol, I wouldn't buy no grillz, and I wouldn't spend money on a house I wouldn't live in, if I get millions of dollars I wanna still be the same way, just get what I need to survivesave some for a rainy day just in case emergency happens is what I learned, and give back if you can, it's all common sense, people just don't seem to have it, what can I say, if I ever get to have the type of money that Will makes I'd buy a network where they show the other of rap and they'd play hip-hop with a message, give groups like Dead Prez and Public Enemy a chance to shine, but of course one of those bling bling rappers would come along and start their own so what's the point right? :stickpoke: I agree with you though that these pop rappers doing bling bling songs is ridiculous, it shows a sign of immaturity really(ie Bow Wow in "Freshasimiz" video), but what I'm saying is that they don't represent everybody in hip-hop, there are mcs out there with a message, BET don't play them, that's what upsets me about Will, he complains about how they play all these bling bling songs and videos on his song Lost and Found but he got all this money. I mean come on now, he could do something about that if he wanted to really, I wonder if Chuck D was in his position financially would he do something about it instead, and since he got a lil' radio show online already, if he had Will's finances I'd be willing to bet he'd buy viacom, lol, Will'd get the ultimate respect in hip-hop if he bought a mainstream radio station like he said, what's holding him back man? Se Send that bitch Wendy Williams home and get some real DJs on the air that do less bull****ting and drop more hip-hop knowledge, it'd send a message to the entire hip-hop community, maybe instead of doing this book Russell Simmons could've thought about investing in a TV station or radio station himself, do it like Spike Lee, he got his own TV station in Spike TV, and 50 got the nerve to diss him, lol... TED: break up the paragraphs.. finish sentences with a full stop.. just makes it easier to read thats all

I'm trying to make up for not posting much lately, it's an interesting topic that I have a lot of thoughts on so I figure I'd share them :wiggle:

I found another article about this, this is a promotional tour that's being done to promote Russell Simmons' new book: Three 6 Mafia and Obie Trice Join Russell Simmons To Talk Money Tuesday - March 14, 2006 by Jolene "foxxylady" Petipas Three 6 Mafia, MC Lyte, Stat Quo, Doug E Fresh, and Obie Trice will all come out to support Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) launch its "Get Your Money Right" financial literacy and empowerment national tour in Detroit. As SOHH previously reported, this will be the second year for the tour. Sponsored by Chrysler Financial and Anheuser-Busch, the "Get Your Money Right" tour will include stops in five other cities, including New York (April 22), Miami (May 20), Atlanta (September 16), Los Angeles (September 30) and Dallas (October 14). "HSAN understands attainment of financial literacy is a life long process and with their support we have found a way to provide the basics of money management with the ultimate goal of raising the awareness and importance of sound financial habits in summit participants" said Chrysler Financial vice president William F. Jones Jr. via a statement. "Artists sharing their personal stories have been an effective teaching method." Last year's "Get Your Money Right" tour also launched in Detroit. Eminem and R&B singer Fantasia were among those in attendance. "The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network consistently taps into the consciousness of our youth, providing them with not only knowledge, but tools that will help them prepare for a future in which the decisions they make today will determine the opportunities they have tomorrow," stated Johnny Furr, vice president, urban marketing and community affairs for Anheuser-Busch. "Anheuser-Busch is proud to continue our partnership with, and support of, the Summits and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which make a real and lasting difference in the lives of young people in communities across the nation." The 2006 "Get Your Money Right" tour will launch on March 25 at Wayne State University's Bonstelle Theatre.

The Outlawz And dead prez Unite for New Album By Chris Richburg Date: 4/24/2006 12:46 pm The Outlawz and political rap duo dead prez are hooking up to record a new album titled Can't Sell Dope Forever. Featuring appearances from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member Layzie Bone and Messy Marv, the project aims to spark dialogue, while urging unity, power and progression in the streets. The album title was inspired by Miseducated Society, a streetwise clothing company based in Atlanta whose "Can't Sell Dope Forever" tee has become a staple in southern hoods, echoing the need for change without preaching down to its intended audience. Both the Outlawz and dead prez insist there are other ways to be empowered beyond selling drugs and glorifying the drug game. Can't Sell Dope Forever also boasts cameos from newcomers Stormey and Malachi, as well as dead prez member stic.man's mother Nora, who appears on the track "Believe." The album will be the first release from Affluent Records, a New York-based label headed by Oscar Sanchez, formerly of Def Jam and Violator. The company, modeled in the same vein as Def Jam and Bad Boy, is distributed by Caroline/EMI. "Dead prez and the Outlawz are some of the most explosive acts in the market today and we are very happy and proud to be able to launch Affluent with these world class acts," said Sanchez. "I love their movement and respect their business. I've always been a fan. Now I get the chance to show the world with them their overall vision." A contest will also be launched to coincide with the album, which hits stores later this year.

Everybody check out this interesting article I found posted in the Ill Community at allhiphop.com, I tried to post it in my other thread but I was realised it was too long, they don't make as much you think but it's still quite a bit compared to us, it shows you they either rent those cars they got in their videos or they got a loan out to have it, no wonder a lot of them go into acting but you can't make $20 million out the gate that takes time to do that, basically just like anything the artists will make more if they keep working hard.... ARTISTS DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM RECORD DEALS By, Wendy Day from Rap Coalition Who is the incredible bonehead who said rappers make mad loot? Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!! Because the fans expect their favorite artists to be crazy paid and livin' large, this puts an incredible amount of pressure on the artists to appear wealthy. And it's not just the fans; I can't tell you how many times I've been out with rappers along with people in the industry, and the industry slobs have expected the artists to pick up the dinner check. I've even seen people cop an attitude if the artist doesn't pay for everything. This is small minded and ignorant because the artist is ALWAYS the last to get paid. Everyone gets their cut first: the label, the manager (15%- 20% of all of the artist's entertainment income), the lawyer (by the hour or 5%-10% of the deal), the accountant (by the hour or 5% of all income), and, of course, the IRS (28% to 50% depending on the tax bracket). Once an artist releases a record, the pressure is on to portray a successful image to fans, friends, families, and people around the way. People expect the artists to be well dressed, drive an expensive car, etc. Think about it. Don't you expect artists "to look like artists?" Would you admire Jay-Z as much if he drove a busted old 1990 Grand Am instead of that beautiful, brand new, top of the line Bentley? Sadly, when an artist gets signed to a label deal, especially a rap artist, he or she receives somewhere between 8 and 13 points. What that means is 8% to 13% of the retail sales price, after the record label recoups the money it puts out (the advance, the sample clearances, the producer advances, usually half the cost of any videos, any cash outlays for the artists, etc.). The artist has to sell hella units to make any money back. Here's an example of a relatively fair record deal for a new rap artist with some clout in the industry and a terrific negotiating attorney: ROYALTY RATE: 12% We're going to assume that there are 3 artists in the group, and that they split everything equally. We're also going to assume that they produce their own tracks themselves. Suggested retail list price (cassettes) $10.98 less 15% packaging deduction (usually 20%) =$ 9.33 gets paid on 85% of records sold ("free goods") =$7.93 So the artists' 12% is equal to about 96 cents per record sold. In most deals, the producer's 3% comes out of that 12%, but for the sake of brevity, in this example the group produced the whole album, buying no tracks from outside producers, which is rare. Let's assume that they are a hit and their record goes Gold (although it is rare that a first record blows up like this). Let's also assume they were a priority at their record label and that their label understood exactly how to market them. So they went Gold, selling 500,000 units according to SoundScan (and due to the inaccuracies in SoundScan tracking at the rap retail level, 500,000 scanned probably means more like 600,000 actually sold). GOLD RECORD = 500,000 units sold x $ .96 = $480,000. Looks like a nice chunk of loot, huh? Watch this. Now the label recoups what they've spent: independent promotion, 1/2 the video cost, some tour support, all those limo rides, all those out of town trips for the artist and their friends, etc. $480,000 -$100,000 recoupable stuff (NOT advance) -------- $380,000 -$ 70,000 advance (recording costs) -------- $310,000 Still sounds OK? Watch... Now, half of the $380,000 stays "in reserve" (accounting for returned items from retail stores) for 2 to 4 years depending on the length specified in the recording contract. So the $70,000 advance is actually subtracted from $190,000 (the other $190,000 is in reserves for 2 years). Now, there's also the artist's manager, who is entitled to 20% of all of the entertainment income which would be 20% of $310,000, or $62,000. Remember, the artist is the last to get paid, so even the manager gets paid before the artist. So the artists actually receive $19,333 each for their gold album, and in two years when the reserves are liquidated, IF they've recouped, they will each receive another $63,000. IF they've recouped. Guess who keeps track of all of this accounting? The label. Most contracts are "cross-collateralized," which means if the artist does not recoup on the first album, the money will be paid back out of the second album. Also, if the money is not recouped on the second album, repayment can come out of the "in reserve" funds from the first album, if the funds have not already been liquidated. Even after the reserves are paid, each artist only actually made 50 cents per unit based on this example. The label made about $2.68 per unit. This example also doesn't include any additional production costs for an outside producer to come in and do a re-mix, and you know how often that happens. So each artist in this group has received a total of about $82,000. After legal expenses and costs of new clothing to wear on stage while touring, etc, each artist has probably made a total of $75,000 before paying taxes (which the artist is responsible for-- remember Kool Moe Dee?). Let's look at the time line now. Let's assume the artists had no jobs when they started this. They spent 4 months putting their demo tape together and getting the tracks just right. They spent another 6 months to a year getting to know who all of the players are in the rap music industry and shopping their demo tape. After signing to a label, it took another 8 months to make an album and to get through all of the label's bureaucracy. When the first single dropped, the group went into promotion mode and traveled all over promoting the single at radio, retail, concerts, and publications. This was another six months. The record label decided to push three singles off the album so it was another year before they got back into the studio to make album number two. This scenario has been a total of 36 months. Each member of the group made $75,000 for a three year investment of time, which averages out to $25,000 per year. In corporate America, that works out to be $12 per hour (before taxes). OK, so it's not totally hopeless. Since we're using the fantasy of a relatively fair deal, let's look at publishing from a relatively fair perspective. There are mechanical royalties and performance royalties to figure in. Mechanical royalties are the payments that Congress stipulates labels must pay based on copy right ownership and publishing ownership. These payments have nothing to do with recouping, but everything to do with who owns the publishing. Publishing is where the money is in the music business. Suge Knight claims to have started Death Row Records with the money he made from owning Vanilla Ice's publishing for one song: Ice Ice Baby. It may not be true, but it could be. Avatar Records (home of Black Xuede) is financed through the publishing that the CEO has purchased over the years. Although publishing can be quite cumbersome to understand (just when I think I get it, I read something else that makes me realize how little I know about the subject), but the most basic principle is that when an artist puts pen to paper, or makes a beat, the artist owns the publishing. It's that simple. Whoever creates the words or music owns those words or music. Where it gets confusing is all the different ways to get paid on publishing, all the ways to split publishing with other folks, and all the ways artists get screwed out of their publishing. In the 8 years I've been doing this, I have heard so many times, artists say that they don't care about losing a song or two because they can always make a ton more. That's stupidity. It's undervaluing one's ability. That's like saying it's OK to rob me of my cash, I can go to the ATM machine and get more money. Wrong!! It's never right to rob someone. The "I can make more" defense immediately goes out the window when the creator sees someone else make hundreds of thousands of dollars off a song. Every time!! So why not protect yourself in the door? Bill Brown at ASCAP breaks it down more simply than anyone I've ever heard. He compares publishing with real estate. When you make a song, you are the owner of that property: the landlord. Sometimes you sell off a piece of the land for money (but you NEVER give away your land, right??) and if someone else wants to use your property, or rent it, they have to pay you rent to use it. I love that analogy. It's so crystal clear! A copyright is proof of ownership of a song, both lyrics and music. If there is a sample in the music, you are automatically giving up part of the song, at the whim of the person who owns the rights to the original song (not necessarily the original artist). In order to "clear the sample," you send your version of the song to the owner of the original composition or whomever owns the publishing (and to the owner of the master, meaning original record label or whomever now owns the master). Then you negotiate the price with those two owners. Some are set in stone and you get to either agree to their price or to remove the sample. On DJ DMD's last album (22: PA Worldwide on Elektra) he spent close to $100,000 in advances and fees due to the sampling on his album. It came out of his upfront monies (advance) and he bears the burden of paying for it all, even though Elektra released and owns the record. Proof of copyright is easy to obtain by registering your song with the copyright office in Washington DC. You call them (202.707.9100) and ask for an SR Form (sound recording). You fill out the form, listing all of the owners, and mail it back to them with a copy of the song (a cassette is good enough) along with the Copyright fee (around $25 or so). This way, if someone steals your song, or a piece of your song, you can sue them for taking it and for your legal fees. With the "poor man's copyright" (mailing your tape to yourself in a sealed envelope with your signature across the sealed flap, and then never opening it when it arrives back to you with a postmark proving the date), you can not sue for damages and it's more difficult to prove your case. The copy right fee may seem like a lot of money to some, but it's nothing compared to what a law suit would cost you. Performance royalties are money that is paid for the performance of your song. The money is paid based on the percentage of ownership of the song. So if you own 100% of the song, you get the whole check. If you own just the music, which is half the song, then you get half the money. If you own the music with a sample in it that claims half the song, then you get a check for 25%. Ya follow? Performance Rights organizations consist of ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC (which is still quite small). They police the radio stations, clubs, concerts, etc (any place music is played or broadcast), all of whom pay a fee to play the music which the performance rights societies collect and split amongst their members based on the amount of times a record is played. Although the formulas change annually based on play, a Top 10 song played on commercial radio can earn a good chunk of change in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range. There is another kind of royalty artists receive when their records sell: mechanical royalties. These are paid based upon a pre-set limit placed by Congress which increases automatically every two years. In 1998 and 1999 it was .0715 cents per song, but on January 1, 2000 it increased to .0765 per song. Record labels put caps on mechanical royalties (the slugs) at either 10 songs, 11 songs, or 12 songs, no matter how many songs actually appear on the record, and you get what you negotiate for. Also, there's a slimey little clause that restricts payment of mechanicals (because God knows labels don't make enough money as it is) to anywhere between 75% and 85%. This evil deed is called percentage of statutory rate. Here's the difference those few pennies make as it pertains to an artist's royalty check (I refuse to even consider illustrating the worst bull**** deals such as 10x at 75%) provided they own 100% of the song: # songs stat mechanical 100,000 sold 250,000 sold 500,000 (Gold) 1,000,000 (Platinum) 11x 85% .6639 per album $66,390 $165,975 $331,950 $663,900 11x 100% .781 per album $78,100 $195,250 $390,500 $781,000 12x 85% .7242 per album $72,420 $181,050 $362,100 $724,200 12x 100% .852 per album $85,200 $426,000 $852,000 $1,704,000 10x 85% .6035 per album $60,350 $150,875 $301,750 $603,500 I based the above chart on the old 1998-1999 rate of .0715 per song, so I could use my friend Fiend as an example. His first album came out in April of 1998 when the stat rate set by Congress was at this rate. The dollar figure above represents monies due an artist (regardless of recoupment) per album based on ownership of 100% of publishing. So for example, Fiend who is signed to No Limit, provided he owns 100% of his publishing (I can dream can't I?), if his deal gives him 11x rate at 85% (I hate it but it won't kill me) then on his first album, There's One In Every Family, which came out 4/28/98 and sold 565,977 SoundScan units, No Limit would have paid him (hopefully) $378,369.77. If No Limit owns half of Fiend's publishing, he would receive $189,184.88 provided he wrote all of his own songs (which he did, except the verses by other artists who appeared which lowers the ownership percentage and dollar amount) and provided he made all of his own beats (which he did not; he features outside producers on this album like Beats By The Pound). So there you have it, the real deal on how much money an artist makes. You can subtract out now another 28% to 50% of all income, including show money, (depending on the artist's tax bracket which is determined by how much income was made within any given calendar year) for the IRS who get paid quarterly (hopefully) by the artist's accountant. If the average artist releases a record every two years, then this income must last twice as long... I think about this every time I see my favorite artists flossing in their music videos drinking champagne or every time I see them drive by in a brand new Benz...

LL Cool J

Sugar Hill Gang: And You Don't Stop By Christopher Milan Thomas I n the annals of Hip-Hop history, the reputation of The Sugar Hill Gang has been tarnished by the controversy surrounding band member Big Bank Hank’s unauthorized use of Grandmaster Caz’s rhyme book. The pioneering rap crew has been called “inauthentic” and labeled as “Jersey rap puppets” in the mainstream media. In an AllHipHop.com exclusive, two of the group’s original members, Master Gee and Wonder Mike, address the criticism they’ve received over the years and air out some long-held beefs, not surprisingly, with former bandmates like Big Bank Hank and the alleged shady practices of Sugar Hill Records. Currently juggling between music and traditional nine-to-fives, the duo is working on an independent album, and plan on releasing it by the end of the year. Fan or not, these MC’s guided Hip-Hop through it’s infancy in 1979 with “Rapper’s Delight” and sent the genre into the mainstream. Read on for a candid, brutally honest interview with Hip-Hop icons. AllHipHop.com: The Smithsonian recently premiered a Hip-Hop exhibition, and it’s now in full swing. Although you weren’t at the inauguration, were you guys approached at all for the project? Master Gee: Through our management, we’ve been getting in touch with the people running the exhibit, and they are actually looking for things to be donated for it. From what I heard, it’s going to be a huge exhibit commemorating the whole beginings of rap music. I’m getting ready to donate a custom-made tour jacket that has “Master Gee” on the front and “Sugar Hill” in the back. It’s a frozen-in-time kind of piece. I heard [Grandmaster] Flash donated a hat and a mixer, so I’m trying to keep it in the same form as that. Wonder Mike: I might contribute a newer jacket so I can get that s**t out of my life. I’m looking to entirely move on. That’s a part of my life that is over. After 26 years, f**k that, it’s finished. I love all the fans and the recognition and the place I have in history. The rest of it, they can keep. AllHipHop.com: Since 1982’s 8th Wonder, the music stopped. What gave you been doing since? Master Gee: When I left in ’85, I got involved in the magazine industry, doing sales as a cold caller, going door-to-door. I was mentored very well and then I started my own company selling magazine subscriptions for the last ten years. I stopped recording and touring with them since ’85. With me stepping away from the group, [The 2nd Master Gee] felt that it was his opportunity to go on the road and take my place. He was involved in all the sessions, but he never performed on any of the hits, “Rapper’s Delight,” “Apache,” “8th Wonder.” That’s all me. Wonder Mike: I had a ten-year break from music from ’84 to ’94. When we disbanded, I went and started a painting company doing interiors and exteriors and all that. AllHipHop.com: A lot of people, including myself, weren’t even alive when you made history with “Rapper’s Delight.” I know you were very young when you made that record. What were you doing at the time it was recorded? Master Gee: I was 17 when I made that record, and I was just getting ready to go into 12th grade in high school. I was DJing at the time, and that brings me to a misconception that a lot of people have about us. A lot of people think that we were put together to record the record and we didn’t have any history. I was doing parties and rapping several years before getting discovered and doing “Rapper’s Delight.” I met the guy that turned me on to [sugar Hill Records founder/producer] Sylvia Robinson, and them while doing a party for his girlfriend. When Sylvia approached us with the idea of doing the record, I thought it was pretty clever. Wonder Mike: “Rapper’s Delight” was recorded in August and May [of that year] was the first time I ever heard of Hip-Hop. My cousin brought over a boom box and there were these guys from New York rapping on the tape and I was like, “What is that?” This is rap, baby. So, I listened to it and I started making rhymes at my job in my head. That’s how I came up with the “Chicken tastes like wood,” s**t. I asked my cousin to join his group and the rest is history. AllHipHop.com: What was the initial reaction you had to the track when you first heard it? Master Gee: Because of the fact that I was DJing and rapping in peoples’ basements and dancehalls, we ended up rapping to [Chic’s] “Good Times” at almost every party. That was our anthem that we used to turn the party out. Not the guitar part [mimics riff] but the actual break. The first songs that we did [as the Sugarhill Gang] were all songs that we used at the party. “8th Wonder” was a break, “Apache” was a break, “Good Times” was a break. My favorite break of them all was “Catch A Groove.” If you buy the Sugarhill Gang album, it’s the beat to the song called “Sugarhill Groove.” AllHipHop.com: What was the vibe like in the studio when you recorded the vocals to “Rapper’s Delight?” Wonder Mike: It really was cool. I had a sense of history in the making as it was happening. In terms of global recognition, it happened a lot faster than I thought it was. The vibe in the studio was like, “Wow, I think we got something here.” Before the demise of Sugar Hill and all the bulls**t, it was a good feeling. Master Gee: It was a great experience because it was so new. My father was a recording engineer, so I had been in studios before but recording rap music was new to me. It was a very exciting thing because nobody was doing it, aside from King Tim [iII] who had the “Fatback” record. AllHipHop.com: Do you ever feel like a pioneer? Master Gee: To a certain degree, yes. We kinda created the rap star. Before us, there was no rap star. Young people didn’t aspire to be a rapper and we gave the people another choice in our environment to become successful. You either had to be an athlete, an entertainer of some sort or, if you were lucky enough, involved in business. Once we became successful recording artists that happened to rap, we opened up a whole new avenue for people to be successful in. AllHipHop.com: I want to build on that and ask you who are some of your favorite rappers that are out now? Wonder Mike: I listen to some, as long as they don’t glorify killing other brothers. I’m 48 years old. I grew up and they were shooting water cannons on our people and sicking dogs on them, beating women down and setting kids on fire. I can’t really listen to violence and black-on-black crime s**t. Master Gee: I like Busta Rhymes because he’s so creative. I’m really feeling Common. He’s so unique. I know, technically, there had to be a start for these people to come out and, I just happened to be the person who got the opportunity to start it. I don’t look at it like, if it wasn’t for me, there wouldn’t be them. Somebody had to get it going, and I’m that person, Mike and I. And Hank. AllHipHop.com: What’s up with Hank? Your myspace page promotes the two of you and Big Bank Hank is notably absent from it. People may not know that Hank used Grandmaster Caz’s rhymes for most, if not, all of his Sugar Hill raps. Do you think he’s been getting a rough deal as far as how he’s been portrayed, historically? Master Gee: The truth is the truth, man. He didn’t write the lyrics. He’s a hell of a performer, totally awesome when it comes to performing lyrics, and his voice is so classy. As far as the lyrics go, he didn’t write them. You gotta give credit where credit is due. Wonder Mike: I love Hank. He’s like a brother to me. But every man has to make his own decisions. I decided to leave the group when I did, and he decided to stay on. AllHipHop.com: Speaking of that, you both performed “Rapper’s Delight” with Grandmaster Caz in place of Hank, and you have each said that it was one of the best performances you’ve ever done, maybe even, the best of all time? Master Gee: Absolutely. You see, we got clumped together with [Hank’s failure to write his own lyrics]. At first, people were trying to say that none of us wrote our stuff; we were called inauthentic. We ran into Caz on a number of occasions and we had a lot of friction with him. Eventually, we had to come to terms and sit down with Caz and his people and let them know, when [“Rapper’s Delight”] came out, we didn’t know that stuff wasn’t his. Hank was coming from The Bronx, and Mike and I came from Jersey and we didn’t know what was going on in The Bronx at that time. To say that we were down with it, or privy to it, is a falsehood. So we wanted to legitimize the whole thing and give [Caz] the opportunity to do his s**t. That’s why it was such a great performance. I’ve performed “Rapper’s Delight” 10,000 times, but to hear this person perform his own lyrics is indescribable. No one knows your lyrics like you do. Wonder Mike: We did that about five times at different venues. I think that it would be a big thing if he came on the road and did “Rapper’s Delight” with us. I still got a lot of love for Hank, but this would be, like, setting things straight a little bit. Hank is the voice on “Rapper’s Delight” and that won’t change, but Caz is the writer and he raps the lyrics different from Hank. Hank has a very forceful, aggressive style. But Caz says them in a smoother, slicker way. When I heard it for the first time, I was like, “Damn. That’s the way it’s supposed to sound.” AllHipHop.com: But, how does Hank feel about this? Master Gee: He’s gotta give credit where credit is due. It is what it is, man. If somebody wrote my lyrics and they finally got the credit for it, I would have to give them their props too. That’s what Hank’s gotta do. I mean, we all know each other and time has made it possible for the truth to be told. What me and Mike are doing now is working to get out and let people see the real deal, because some people aren’t even sure about who’s who. They think that this other guy is Master Gee. Fortunately, because our music is timeless, the public is going to have the chance to see what is the truth. They need to see Wonder Mike and Master Gee perform so they could see the song done the way it’s supposed to be done. AllHipHop.com: Ok, I’m going to play devil’s advocate. Grandmaster Caz performing “Rapper’s Delight” is not the way it was originally performed, do you agree? Master Gee: [it isn’t], but Grandmaster Caz is also the person who wrote the lyrics. Now you get the chance to see the original lyricist and the original performers do the song. I would love to see me, Hank, Wonder Mike and Grandmaster Caz perform “Rapper’s Delight.” AllHipHop.com: Could you ever see the 2nd Master Gee perform the song with you also? Master Gee: No. First of all, you’re not supposed to use someone else’s name. There was never an agreement made between him and I. As far as performing, he didn’t write the lyrics, he didn’t record the songs. He’s not really entitled to say that he’s me. There’s only one original member performing as the Sugar Hill Gang right now, and that’s Hank. The rest are stand-ins and they’re duping the public. When people go out to see them, they’re not getting the real deal. AllHipHop.com: You guys have gotten a rough deal as far as the history of the Sugar Hill Gang has been portrayed. But, if it weren’t for you guys, a lot of people would be out of a job; do you know what I mean? Wonder Mike: A lot of these people that hate on us weren’t there when all these R&B groups pulled the plugs on us and turned the lights off during our performances back in the day. We had to set their punk asses straight. We opened up for them and then we ended up headlining in a month. We kicked the damn door in for Hip-Hop and now everybody else is coming in to eat. Nobody f**king recognizes that. No one showed us any respect; we had to take the damn respect. AllHipHop.com: Do you have any regrets about the Sugar Hill experience? Wonder Mike: One time, we came out and surprised Busta Rhymes while he was on the Vibe show. We came out while he was doing an interview and he gave us a hug with tears coming out of his eyes. The next thing I knew, Sugar Hill was suing him for using Hank’s lyrics for “Whoo-Hah! Got You All In Check.” Come on, man, that’s just dumb. The same thing happened backstage at the second VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Awards with the Beastie Boys. They were jumping around like little kids, excited and happy to see us. Then, here came Sugar Hill again, suing them a few weeks later for something else that they used. All that happy, teenage, horses**t I used to say in the past about Sugar Hill [Records] is out the window. I will never go back to them. It will be all good once people know that we’re not with those clowns anymore. Master Gee: Listen man, our music is a part of everyday life. Somewhere in the world, everyday, our music is being played. I can’t be mad at that. Concert dates and tour info can be found at www.myspace.com/mastergeenwondermike.

Come on now don't knock these rap artists for doing something positive, especially LL Cool J and Nas getting involved like this, those two don't make all their videos with cars, rims, and jewlery in them, you gotta remember thatrappers ain't the only ones to sport fancy clothes and cars, what about the other celebrities, don't people trying emulating them too when their cribs are shown on MTV?Why does rappers have to be blamed for everything? We see a lot of flashy things in movies and TV shows too, not just in rap videos, white people also go through financial problems not just black people, it might not have nothing to do with what they see in entertainment either, maybe their job slows down and they have problems with bills and they don't make as much as a celebrity does but if celebrities get hundreds of thousands or even multi million dollar checks(depends how famous they are, maybe if you make a cameo appearance on a TV show, you're a benchwarmer as a rookie on the Chicago Bulls, or have a minor hit and sell 100,000 on a major label with a minor hit that means you'll be making less than if you blow up with being the star of your own show, selling 5 million out the gate, being a star player on the Chicago Bulls right away as a top player from the draft then you got millions) they shouldn't spend all of it, it's common sense but the fame seems to cloud their vision I guess.... What some celebrities spend on things is just ridiculous though, they buy big mansions that they don't even live in most of the time 'cause they're always on the road(Will probably does this too since he's always busy), they should just wait until they settle down from their fast life to do that and just rent places when they're on the road, I mean come on now the ring Kobe Bryant bought for his wife could feed a whole neighborhood for life, lol.... All celebrities need to financially responsible 'cause the ride don't last forever, come on now Kobe Bryant could get a serious injury and might never play another game but that money'll have to last for another 50 years or so of his life, he has to be responsible what he buys or else he'll have to sell some of it to pay his bills in a few years... People should know better that it's only entertainment in the first place and not to believe the hype, a lot of these celebrities might be flashing jewlery this year but next year they might be filing for bankruptcy if their fame falls short but no matter what type of financial problems they might have it's not like a regular person's problem if you think about it 'cause if you only have one hit album/movie/play one year of professional sports you're making more than most people will make even if it's not as much as you'd think they'd get, it might take 10 years for most to $200,000 that they might make in one, seriously who makes $200,000 at a minimum right out of high school? One in a million it seems, to be famous or get in the spotlight somewhat is a pipedream, most don't ever get to see that, even if it's a short time, these young celebrities should invest some of that money for college so they could get a career if the entertainment don't work forever, they have their lives ahead of them like us but a lot of these rappers come from extreme poverty so they might act a lil' crazy when they get all that money at once, lol, a lot of them use loans and credit cards to get those expensive jewleries and houses and they'll be stuck with a huge bill if their careers end.... Most 18 year olds are flipping burgers at Burger King while going to college on a loan while Lebron James was making millions in endorsement money and his NBA contract but there were other 18 year olds not quite as skilled as James that were basically benchwarmers making the league minimum of $200,000 a year and they might not be in the league now so basically they're in the same shoes as the rappers who have one hit album and fade away, Lebron James is the exception that's why the NBA raised the age limit to 20 years old 'cause they know that players need to develop more before they make it there, I think it needs to be the same way with rap artists and other entertainerstoo, a lot of kids come in at a young age and they don't develop their craft so they don't last long, I find it crazy that those celebritieswho drop out of college or never go to collegemake more than the president of the US who only makes $250,000 a year with all that college experience he has.... btw, there are quite a few rappers that don't make videos about cars, rims, and ice but BET refuses to play it so what could you do? It's not like conscious rappers have enough money to buy their own network right? Maybe Will should sacrifice all of his mansions and live in a trailer and buy BET, if all these rappers have to give up sporting their chains, why shouldn't Will give up one of his large mansions he don't live in? lol There's nothing wrong with it though I think if they manage their money right for them to enjoy their success, they should all give some of their money back to the streets but at the same time they should be able to enjoy their fame a lil' bit 'cause they work hard for it, it's not we have to all give our entire paychecks to charity so why should they? I already know some people are gonna come in and say in this thread that a lot of these commercial rappers don't give back at all but that's not true, they don't do it in front of the cameras that's all, BET only shows you the negative side of rap but there's a lot of positive things being done by the rappers to help the streets and it's good that something like this comes out and gets press, it shows the people who criticise rap that these rappers have heart, EDIT that thought I was watching 106 & Park a couple of hours ago and Russell Simmons was on there talking about the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and he was shouting out G-Unit, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Puffy and a lot of other rappers for their charity efforts so there you go: here's a site of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network he was mentioning: http://www.hiphopsummitactionnetwork.org/C...n.aspx?pageId=1 It's a simple concept to just not spend more than you make, if you can't afford something don't get it, if you can afford it, get it... Alot of these videos are like commercial jingles I must admit though but it's entertainment, you can't only knock rappers, other pop artists make catchy music too with no subject matter in it, you have to knock the whole music industry for content, a lot of artists in general who put content in their work don't get on the airwaves, not only rappers...

Yeah these rappers don't really have that much more money than us once their contracts expire, for every LL Cool J that has longevity there's a million one hit wonders that have to file for bankruptcy and have to get a regular 9 to 5 job like us 'cause they're just about our age so they can't file for pension yet, lol, the executives that work for the labels make more than the artists do, like Missy Elliot once said: "I know most of y'all rappers live dead broke When I go to your accountants, they say no doe" I think they're also referring to society in general 'cause a lot of young people like us overspend our credit cards and then we're stuck with a bill we have to pay for years, buying stuff they don't really need to buy really, I know some of my cousins going through that situation myself, they spent most of it buying brand new cars now they have problems paying it back...

Thanks for this, those haters that think that Will's a sellout celebrity who doesn't give back needs to read this...