bigted

I know this is a joke to say he was retired, his last remix came out a minute ago it seems, he just won a Grammy the other day and performed there too, he didn't give us enough time for us to miss him, now we've been missing the Fugees though, that's the comeback I'm looking forward to the most... I just hope that he don't push everyone else's album back on Def Jam to release his, I'll be mad if he releases his album before Redman which has been delayed forever it seems...

You look at it, albums Pac released 10-12 years ago are better quality than 99% of anything that's came out over the last few years, his music is timeless while basically everything now is disposable a couple months after release, the thing is a lot of these rappers might get sales 'cause they mention him in their songs when they don't respect him since they don't put heart into making quality music and that's sad... The main reason why you know the conspiracy theory is fake and that he's dead 'cause if he heard that D12 and G Unit was producing and rapping on his unreleased material, he'd come running back from wherever he was hiding, lol...

2Pac thought that Jay-Z was wack when he released "Reasonable Doubt" and he thought Biggie was a big biter so imagine how he'd feel about all these rappers out now, he didn't like what Dre was doing then but what'd he think of who Dre signed? lol Not to mention all the crap on the radio like Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Trina, etc., who are all carbon box copy cat rappers, they wouldn't have deals when he gets done with them, he's the only one who would have the power to come back and knock all these immitators out of the game, none of these rappers alive have the balls to call all of them out but I know he would, he needs to come back from the grave and jump on a remix to "Lost and Found", those kids who watch TRL wouldn't diss Will anymore if they realised that him and Pac were tight.... I think all these wack rappers make us want him to come back alive more and more 'cause seeing Kanye and 50 being the faces of the rap game is disgusting, Pac would be pissed seeing 50 trying to act like him just 'cause he got shot many times and he'd also be pissed if he saw Kanye posing as Jesus 'cause that's what Pac did for the Makaveli cover, every move Pac did rappers bite instead of coming with their own styles, Pac didn't like artists who weren't original so he wouldn't really like too many of those that came out basically the last 10 years since his death... they'd slow down their egos quickly if Pac came back, we need Left Eye back too, female mcs with class is lacking right now...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/8330 Hip-Hop producer/MC Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla, has reported passed away earlier today (February 10) in a hospital in Los Angeles, due to liver complications. The beatmaker has been sick for an unspecified amount of time. His latest album, Donuts, was released earlier this week. Dilla, who was a founding member of Slum Village and a member of A Tribe Called Quest's production team The Ummah, is best known for producing tracks for Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and The Pharcyde. Dilla has more recently worked with Ghostface Killah, Kanye West on Com's critically acclaimed album Be, as well as Champion Sound with fellow quirky producer Madlib. Besides Donuts, he released another solo LP, Welcome To Detroit, in 2001, and has another album dropping later this year on Stones Throw Records. Longtime fan Pharrell of The Neptunes, has gone on record calling Dilla one of his "favorite producers of all time." Jay Dee will be sorely missed. SOHH will be sure to provide you with more information as it becomes available.

Nick Van Exel & Smoot: Family Affair By Bill "Low Key" Heinzelman You know the saying - rappers wanna be ballplayers and ballplayers wanna be rappers. NBA veteran, Nick Van Exel of the World Champion San Antonio Spurs, is yet another basketball player with Hip-Hop aspirations. However, instead of getting on the mic, Nick has decided to stay in the cut and help develop his own record company, Kwik Entertainment. With his cousin, Smoot, as the label is also looking to dispel the stereotypes associated with ballplayers and Hip-Hop. In an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, Nick and Smoot are adamant that this is no gimmick. With a heavy reliance on content and conceptual material, Smoot is looking to prove his worth in this Hip-Hop game this summer with his debut album Change Gon Come. With guest appearances by Scarface, Chamillionaire, Bun B, Jadakiss and Swizz Beatz, Smoot will certainly garner the attention he feels he deserves. But can an NBA superstar really overcome the odds and build up a legitimate Hip-Hop label? Nick and Smoot are here to tell you why they feel they will be the first to do so. AllHipHop.com: What is your first memory of Hip-Hop growing up? Nick Van Exel: My first memory? Man! The thing I can really recall is when the movies started coming out, like Beat Street and Breakin'. I think that is what took it to another level, as far as nation wide is concerned. But I was always listening to Afrika Bambaataa coming up. Smoot: I would say the same thing, when those two movies came out - that was my first big memory of Hip-Hop. I actually used to break dance, so that movie was big for me. But I used to look up to 2pac a lot - ever since his first album 2pacalypse Now. AllHipHop.com: A lot of people have that one tape or album they listened to constantly growing up - did you have that one album? Smoot: Definitely All Eyez On Me. Nick Van Exel: My favorite rap album of all time is Snoop's Doggystyle. AllHipHop.com: Nick, when did you know you wanted to start your own record label? Nick Van Exel: I really don't know. I always thought about it, but my cousin Smoot really got involved in the game around '97 and '98. He started taking his craft more serious then, but at that time I was still a fan and I wasn't trying to get involved. But eventually Smoot came to me wanted to start a label and I was like, 'Man, I ain't really trying to do it.' But eventually I said, 'F**k it. If he wants to do it, then I'll back him.' So I started to get involved around '98 or '99. I then started taking it more serious around '01 and '02 because his skills started to get a lot better and he was evolving as a rapper. My first love is basketball, but I'm a big fan of Hip-Hop so it was only right. AllHipHop.com: I know you want to touch base on the lawsuit you currently have going on with two individuals, Wilson Ebiye and Leonard Chukwemeke, you used to work with. Can you tell us about that situation? Nick Van Exel: Basically, there was four of us in the beginning when Smoot came to me first with the idea of a label. The other two dudes, they really didn't have any money and they weren't rappers. I really wasn't too involved in the label at the time because I was busy playing basketball. So those two guys came at me with the idea of splitting the company four ways, so I was like, 'Cool.' But as the years went on, I saw we weren't making that much progress and every time something needed to be done or paid for it was always coming out of my pocket. So I was like, 'Hold on, if these dudes are the owners, then they have to come with something to the table as well.' Smoot was the MC, and I was bringing the money - so these dudes should have been coming with something. I gave them an opportunity to be apart of what we are doing but they didn't want to take a smaller percentage. And I didn't understand that because they weren't doing **** in the first place. AllHipHop.com: How did you originally meet these two individuals? Smoot: I actually met them. They came to me in L.A. when we were at Mack 10's album release party. They approached me about doing a concert called Hip-Hop Unity Fest. Out of that concert, we formed this documentary called Hip-Hop Story. After that, then one thing lead to another. AllHipHop.com: And with the money you gave these guys for the label, they bought cars instead - correct? Smoot: Yeah, they bought cars and other things. AllHipHop.com: Nick, what do you see in your cousin Smoot as an artist that makes you believe in him? Nick Van Exel: I like his style, delivery and he has a lot of love for the music. When you listen to a lot of his songs you realize its not just about the same things. He has a song called "I Choose Hip-Hop" where he talks about all the songs and artists he listened to growing up. A lot of people nowadays don't give a tribute to the artists of the past and I think its important for the new artists to do that. He also talks about a lot of meaningful issues and isn't just focusing on the money, cars and woman. AllHipHop.com: Yeah, I noticed that with the song "Change Gon Come," that you were focusing on making conceptual material. Smoot: That's right. But my first single off the album is going to be "Grain Gripper," which features Slim Thug, Chamillionaire and Killer Kyleon. It’s a Houston based sound but it’s a club banger. AllHipHop.com: I know you guys spoke on wanting to dispel the stereotype of another ball player with a label. So how do you guys plan on marketing yourself or proving to people that this is legit? Do you think the music will speak for itself or do you feel you have to go the extra mile on top of that? Smoot: I think that the music and my presence is going to speak for itself. I won't need Nick to sit there and talk to me and make other people believe in me. The music will speak for itself and I will make people believe myself. We made the mistake in the beginning of putting Nick in the forefront because he is a ballplayer and a celebrity - and I wish we didn't do that and just did our thing - but we are going to try and keep Nick in the background and let the music speak for itself. AllHipHop.com: Smoot, hailing from Wisconsin, not a lot of acts have broke from that state. Why do you feel the state or region has been overlooked? Smoot: Wisconsin isn't known for Hip-Hop, it’s known for cheese. It’s known for the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks - ain't nobody really trippin' off Wisconsin. But there are a lot of people that love Hip-Hop in Wisconsin. I feel I can be what Nelly was for St. Louis - I can be that spokesperson for Wisconsin Hip-Hop. I'm willing to take that load on my back. AllHipHop.com: As you know, Hip-Hop is very much a political game. Its becoming harder and harder for a new record labels to get their artists airplay and whatnot. So what challenges have you guys experienced so far? Smoot: I feel my talent gets overlooked a lot of the time because they know Nick is involved, and they are too busy looking at his cash. So I just have to get out here and get people to listen to my music. And whoever I deal with in this industry, I try and sit down with them and really feel them out so I know I'm dealing with the right person. And right now, we are trying to get the right people in here. This game is really built on relationships. It’s political, but it’s built on relationships. AllHipHop.com: Do you think the key for you right now is to cement your home base and gain a strong following, which will then allow you to further branch out? Smoot: Yeah, the key is definitely to gain a strong backing. I'm currently living in Houston, so I'm getting a lot of love here. I'm getting just as much love here, if not more than I am in Wisconsin. The key is to build that fan base, because those are the people that are going to help you take it to the next level. AllHipHop.com: Nick, once you retire, do you plan on focusing on the label more? Nick Van Exel: A little bit - I'm gonna let Smoot run it and do his own thing. I have a bunch of other stuff I'm focusing on as well, which I'm more hands on with. AllHipHop.com: How many more years do you plan on playing? Do you have an estimate in mind? Nick Van Exel: I plan on making this year my last. After that, I can go ahead and do other things. AllHipHop.com: How would you assess the Spurs performance this season so far? Nick Van Exel: I think with the way that these guys approach the season, that we have a long way to go. But if I had to rate the season right now, I would give the team a B. I think we are finally starting to gel and play better ball as of late. And as the season goes on, you want to start playing better ball. That is what we are doing now. We lost some games that we shouldn't have lost, but that happens during a long season. One of the most important things for us is to try and stay close with Detroit, because they are rolling right now. That home court advantage is very important to winning a championship in the NBA. AllHipHop.com: Some critics feel that the Spurs are just coasting now and you will turn it up when the playoffs start. But is it realistic for an NBA team to just turn it on and off like that? Nick Van Exel: Nah, that is very very unrealistic - especially, nowadays. Because there is too much parody. You can't play with a team like Detroit, Phoenix or Dallas and just turn it up when you want to. If you do that, you will be going home early. There is no such thing as playing to the level of your competition and then turning it up when you have to. In this league, you have to be ready every night and play championship type basketball every night. Because everybody wants to beat the Spurs and Pistons, so it’s a championship game for us every night. We just have to be ready. AllHipHop.com: Has it been different for you coming off the bench this year with a limited amount of minutes? Nick Van Exel: Yeah, it’s real different. [laughs] It was tough in the first month, but I'm starting to adjust a little bit more now. Usually, when I was coming off the bench in the past I was getting more minutes. But here, Tony Parker is playing All-Star basketball. I think we have a team which is deep enough, so guys like me and Robert Horry, we can rest throughout the season and be in full strength during the playoffs. AllHipHop.com: Nick, you have been mentioned in a couple rap songs over the years, so which one has been the most memorable? Nick Van Exel: The Jay-Z and Beyonce joint [“Crazy In Love”] was probably the hottest one. That was a number one hit and every time we were in the club they were playing that. AllHipHop.com: Smoot, as the artist here, any parting shots? Smoot: Be on the lookout for that Smoot album Change Gon Come - it’s gonna hurt 'em once it hits. Also be on the look out for that big NBA All-Star party on Friday, February 17. I'm gonna get down and do my thing and perform. So check me out at that, which is being hosted by Nick, Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Catino Mobley, and Chauncy Billups.

Nuff respect for everyone that tried, when the video comes out I'll post a link so we could vote for it to get on TRL...

If you listen to "God Bless The Dead" at the end of the track Stretch says this is a dedication to my nigga Big representin' Springfield Hollis Crew, that tells you that ain't Notorious B.I.G., this Biggie Smalls was from Hollis, Queens, Notorious B.I.G. was from Brooklyn and he represented the Junior Mafia Crew, if it was meant to be for Biggie he'd said this is dedicated to Big from Brooklyn representin' Junior Mafia, every hip-hop fan should know that Notorious BIG wasn't from Springfield Hollis Queens, I figure they were talking bout a gang member named Biggie Smalls but I guess he's a rapper too, did Biggie Smalls sound like Notorious BIG in his songs, did he make any albums? Pac said a lot of times in his interviews that he knew Biggie was biting other people's styles, he used to be tight with Biggie before he was shot and he knew that Biggie was broke and he didn't get no girls, he actually asked Pac to hook him up with girls but then Biggie made "Big Poppa" about how he's the biggest mack and he got so much money, so I guess Biggie's probably as fake as 50 Cent, maybe that's why I don't like him much either, 50 does copy everyone too, you can't really say Pac copied anyone though, he had a style on his own, commercial rap fans are ignorant to put copycats like 50 and Biggie in the same sentence as Pac 'cause he was miles ahead of them, there's nobody like him and there never will be, his music'll live on longer than all of them...

LL finished at 2nd place, Jae Millz won, and Remy Ma came in 3rd, yeah at the end of the day LL's gonna sell more than them anyway, when he releases the video it'll debut on TRL probably while Remy Ma and Jae Millz won't get on MTV, they need Hot 97 more than LL so I ain't sweatin' it...

Yeah that's the reason why Nas calls G-Unit CB4 gangstas 'cause there's another 50 Cent and he's also from New York, a lot of peeps in New York think he's fake, Game also exposes that on his new DVD, they got a whole bunch of G-Unot signs up in Queens :lolsign: That's kinda weird how Pac was tight with one Biggie Smalls who died before Pac died while he was beefing with another Biggie Smalls who died after Pac did, that's one of the strangest things I ever heard, lol... There's a skit on Fugees "The Score" album dissin' gangsta rappers who use names from gangstas in movies acting like they're really those characters, Biggie Smalls was also a name of a character in a gangsta flick too I believe, when I listen to that album I always think, "Were they dissin' Biggie?!!" on another track on that album Pras says, "Did you shoot him/No kid I didn't have the balls/I realised I was bumping too much Biggie Smalls", maybe they were dissin' the other Biggie Smalls, maybe that's why they were considered one of Pac's enemies? Wow you tellin' me there was another Biggie Smalls actually opened that up for me, I didn't know that... It's sad though that a lot of people think that when a lot of these rappers use other names think that it's really their names... Fiddy vs. "Original 50 Cent" by Charlie Amter Jun 1, 2005, 4:45 PM PT 50 Cent is taking aim at some DVD producers for allegedly failing to keep a promise not to cash in on the rapper's name. The Massacre purveyor sicced his lawyers on Czar Entertainment and two offshoots Tuesday, claiming he had made a deal with the companies to participate in an interview session in exchange for the producers making a donation to charity. a d v e r t i s e m e n t Per the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Fiddy granted the sit-down in 2004. The rapper, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson, fielded questions about Kelvin Martin, a notorious 1980s thug who worked the streets of Brooklyn. Martin was nicknamed 50 Cent; Jackson, inspired by Martin's street-savvy attitude, assumed the moniker when Martin died in a hail of bullets. The "In Da Club" rapper says he agreed to participate for free in the segment, which, he says, was supposed to be part of Czar's Infamous Times video series. In lieu of payment, Fiddy claims Czar agreed to make a donation either to his charity, the G-Unity Foundation, or Martin's family. The rapper also says he never cleared the footage to be used in a for-profit venture. But the lawsuit contends that Czar never made the donation. Instead, per the suit, in early March, as Fiddy's The Massacre was riding high on the charts, the company, in association with Vision Plant Pictures and Premo Pictures, released a DVD titled The Original 50 Cent: The True Story of the Legend Who Inspired the Biggest Name in Rap. The box cover features 50 Cent's name, sans his permission, and the interview. His protégé, the Game, is also interviewed in the documentary, which, according to Czar, has already shipped platinum to major retail outlets. Jackson seeks unspecified damages, profits from the DVD and a court order barring the defendants from selling The Original 50 Cent. For its part, Czar says the federal suit is "without merit." The company claims to be working out a profit-sharing deal with the Martin family. "We have made arrangements directly with family regarding the donation of proceeds from the DVD sales and feel confident that all relevant parties will be satisfied," the company said in a statement Wednesday. It's been a busy few weeks for Fiddy's legal department. Last month, the rap megastar managed to avoid jail after reaching a plea deal with Massachusetts prosecutors in a case stemming from a 2004 concert brawl that left three women injured. His lawyers have vowed to fight any lawsuits that might arise from the incident. Speaking of Chuck D, I looked at one of his terrordomes he posted a couple years ago and he said that he wrote a letter to 2Pac a year before he died, he wanted Pac to change his ways, probably squashing beef with Biggie, him and Ice-T wanted to reached out to Pac, but Pac never responded back to Chuck, they did meet up briefly though before Pac was murdered: http://www.publicenemy.com/index.php?page=page3&item=73 "Last but not least how would you feel if you wrote a letter 8 years ago, and didn’t get a reply until yesterday? That’s how I felt picking up and then reading TUPAC’S book RESURRECTION 1971-1996. Page 194 has his response to a 7 page letter I wrote him while he was incarcerated in upstate New York. I had decided to write him whereas not long before ICE T and myself were waiting for him to join us as a third component to the EUROPEN AMERICA’S MOST WANTED tour then. He was shot 5 times while in NY handling his court case. He was then jailed and I wrote him a very personal hardcore note on what really was going on inside his head and soul. I really didn’t expect, or receive, a response but I had to say what I had to say regardless. I’m straight and no chaser, and look a cat in the eye. No, I don’t remember exactly what I said and what the letter looks like, (who copies their own letter before sending it?.. snail mail keeps no record) but I know that the next time I saw PAC he was rolling up with SUGE at the HOUSE OF BLUES in LA and we hugged and PAC talked of plans for kids and the hood. The next time I saw him disoriented, angry and lost about a year later at a post MTV Video awards party searching for NAS in a NYC park. Two weeks later he was shot dead in VEGAS. When everyone was crying I was angry as fuk because it was a waste of a genius, and everybody watched him heading into death like it was a movie or video. I didn’t get that return letter until yesterday, that in mind I had an idea deep down but never knew exactly how he was down with getting out and comprehending his paradox. I was there for him and somewhere out there he was there for me. Yeah, I know this for sure now. 2003… Yeah."

Yeah I found out what you're talking about there, Puffy talks about it in an interview, I'm not that much of a Biggie fan so I didn't know that Biggie had to change his name, but you're saying that the original rapper named Biggie Smalls died too? Where did you hear that? that's freaky, lol: http://www.chronicmagazine.com/public.php?..._id=473&level=2 It's just like there was some gangsta named 50 Cent before the rapper 50 Cent called himself that and I think he tried sueing 50 for that too, a lot of rappers name themselves after other street cats, especially after Biggie did it... Biggie referenced himself a lot as Biggie Smalls in his songs but there was another Biggie Smalls like you said there, I kinda figured there was anyway but I never really researched it 'cause I never really bought into the conspiracy, I knew that saying that Pac was still alive when Biggie was murdered was just rediculous... Most people who listen to that wouldn't know that so they think he's referring to Biggie the rapper.... Biggie also called himself a couple other names of street cats in his songs too.. A lot of times though that Pac was talking about death was talking about how a lot of brothers die young on the street and he was making songs like that so they could relate to what he's talking about...

I think a lot of these conspiracy theories are just stuff to get us talking about 2Pac again, the way he made his songs they seemed ahead of its time, he was just a unique artist, you could put on a 2Pac song from 10 years ago and it's still relevant unlike a lot of music out now that's just relevant at the moment but he's timeless, his music makes you think, that's why he was such a great artist, he put all of his emotions into his songs, you notice how he started talking about how he might die soon 'cause he knew that after he was shot that people were after him, he looked at life different after he was shot, it was just the emotions he was going through, a lot of people after getting shot and surviving probably feel that way, I think the reason why he said RIP to Biggie before he died in a song is 'cause Biggie named his first album "Ready To Die", I think Pac was just referencing to that, he knew that Biggie was going through his own drama too...

There's no way 4 Pistons should be in the All-Star game, they're not gonna break the '96 Bulls with 8 losses already, they're overhyped, not even the '96 Bulls had 4 All-Stars, only Pippen and Jordan...

Russell Simmons Salutes Coretta Scott King By Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis A Hip-Hop Salute to Coretta Scott King: Continuing the Struggle for Freedom, Justice and Equality February 8, 2006 Across America and throughout the world, millions of people have taken the time to say a prayer, to utter a word of condolence, or to make some expression of gratitude for the living legacy of Coretta Scott King. Like the living legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. King’s life-longed contributions to the freedom struggle now stand as a living testimony to the oneness of humanity and to the transcendent power of God’s love. Today the hip-hop generation of youth inherits and appreciates the progress, sacrifices and remaining challenges of the civil rights generation in word, deed and spirit. In the wake of the tremendous public outpouring of support and solemn respect for the King family and the effective movement that they led, we did not want this historic moment to past without offering a sincere salute to Coretta Scott King from the perspective of hip-hop culture. In her elegant and dignified manner, Mrs. King lived the life of a freedom fighter in her own right. She was an outspoken leader who was not afraid to raise her voice against injustice. She consistently refused to bow down to the temptations of a world gone mad with poverty, war and ignorance. The poetry of hip-hop captures the essence of the continuing struggle for freedom, justice and equality. When Dr. King and Coretta Scott King were a young married couple, they both had high aspirations and resolute faith that “The Movement” would eventually overcome the evils of that day and time. The good news is that today’s youth have those same high aspirations for a better quality of life and a resolute determination not to be satisfied with an impoverished mindset or living condition. Now young people all over the world are reaching out to one another in solidarity through the music and other cultural manifestations of hip-hop that transcend the racial and social divisions of the past. The legacy of the civil rights era connects directly with the resilience and recommitment of this new emerging force for change and empowerment. We will not forget the wisdom and perseverance of Mrs. King and all of the other elders of the struggle. We mourn her passing, but we celebrate her dedicated life and example. We know the importance of speaking truth to the powerful in behalf of the powerless. May the words of mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in the sight and presence of God. May God bless the living legacy of Coretta Scott King. Russell Simmons, Co-Chairman Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Co-Chairman Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

Busta Rhymes Issues Statement, Police Say Two Weapons Fired By Nolan Strong Date: 2/10/2006 7:50 am Rapper Busta Rhymes has issued a statement about an early morning shooting last Sunday (Feb. 5) that took the life of his longtime bodyguard. Authorities believe an argument between Ruff Ryders President Swizz Beatz and Tony Yayo and G-Unit sparked a deadly shooting on the set of a video shoot for Busta Rhymes' single "Touch It (Remix)." The argument spilled out onto the street and now police say two weapons were fired. Authorities said eight rounds were fired from a .45 and five more were shot from another weapon. Ramirez, 29, was struck once in the hail of bullets and fatally wounded. "I have sent my condolences to the Ramirez family during this time," Busta Rhymes told AllHipHop.com in a statement issued by his attorney, Robert I. Kalina. Busta Rhymes said Ramirez, 29, was more than just a security guard and labeled him "one of the rare friends that you come across that you can trust with your life." "The conversations I have had with Izzy's wife have all been focused on comforting her and helping her get through this," Busta Rhymes said. "To that end, I've assured her that I will be taking responsibility in making sure that my friend, a devoted husband and a loving father, is laid to rest in a proper fashion." Wakes for the slain bodyguard were held on Wednesday (Feb. 8) and Thursday (Feb. 9) in New York. Busta Rhymes immediately drew criticism for not attending the first wake, but the rapper did attend the second day of services flanked by four bodyguards, where friends and family paid their last respects to Ramirez. The rapper also offered an explanation for his absence at the first wake for Ramirez. "Out of respect for the family's desire for, and right to, privacy during this mourning period I made the decision to attend Izzy's wake on the second day rather than the first, knowing that my presence [on Feb 8.] would have brought unnecessary media attention to a personal and private time of grieving," Busta Rhymes said. Funeral services for Ramirez are scheduled to take place today (Feb. 10) at the Church of the Ascension in New York. While over 500 people were on the set of the video shoot in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, N.Y., witnesses, have been reluctant to come forward to speak to police. Busta Rhymes initially told police he was inside the studio with other celebrities when the shooting took place, but other witnesses placed Busta Rhymes just feet from Ramirez when he was shot. While the rapper expressed his sympathy for the family, he made no mention of when - or if - he intends to speak with police about the shooting. "Beyond this [statement] I have no further remarks to make at this time," Busta Rhymes concluded. Authorities believe the gunmen are associates of Queens, New York rapper Tony Yayo. Yayo has refused to speak to police about the shooting, according to his lawyer, Scott Leemon.

Yeah Kanye you won Grammies, who gives a ****, you're not the only one that won them, you ain't God, shut the **** up and just put out good music if you want more attention...

Well a lot of people look at the Game and 50 beef as a negative part of hip-hop 'cause it's more personal than just battlin' on the mic, you have a shooting outside a radio station building and now we got Busta's bodyguard being shot, even with Ja Rule and 50 they're beef is deeper than just music and it shouldn't be like that, they should learn from what happened to Pac and Biggie and not make things so personal, I remember you saying before that Pac and Biggie died for hip-hop, that's ignorant talk, you ain't supposed to die for hip-hop, you're supposed to live for hip-hop, Pac and Biggie should've mended their ways but it was too late, these artists that're alive now that're beefin' should do it while they're still here 'cause you never know what might happen, Pac vs. Biggie and 50 vs. Game are not hip-hop battles on the mic but rap wars on the streets which is horrible, you have people killing each other over it, I like that Game was trying to make it hip-hop by making mixtape songs against 50 but now I heard he got a DVD out now where he goes and destroys stuff on 50's property, that ain't hip-hop, that's stupid, yeah you could say 50's wack but you don't have to go that far, that could lead to violence... If you're gonna battle it should be like LL vs. Canibus or KRS vs. Shan where it's just beef over lyrical skills, you see Jay and Nas battle and now they're coming together, you didn't hear about LL going on Canibus' crib and steal stuff from him, lol, he just ripped him on songs and left it at that, that's hip-hop.... I could defend the part of saying that without these mainstream cats out now not many would be familiar with hip-hop... I just can't defend this point though of saying that Game and 50 beef is good for hip-hop, is just ain't and this ain't me saying this to diss them I'm just givin' real talk here, this makes hip-hop look bad, now if it was just battlin' on the mic I would have no problems but I think it's more of a negative way though, lots of people are talking about the negative things like this and ignore the positive things that rappers do, the media has really ruined hip-hop's image and the fans buy into it, the media saw this when Pac and Biggie had beef and they kept on feeding it to the public more and more, it wasn't Pac and Biggie's fault though and now they're doing it with 50 and Game, history's repeating itself again, I pray no rapper gets killed over these silly street beefs 'cause if that happens I think a lot of positive mcs might get discouraged and stop recording and hip-hop'll die, they need to embrace the music more and leave the streetlife behind them, there's a better life out there that hip-hop provided them with and they shouldn't throw it away... This isn't all the artists fault either but they need to be more mature and responsible with millions watching them, all eyez are on hip-hop as the most popular genre... I have no problem with them expressing themselves but they have to be a lil' more responsible, I'm dissapointed that Busta ain't tellin' the cops about what happened in the shootin', he wants to keep it real to the streets by not snitching but hey what're the streets gonna do if that person stays out there and kills Busta or his family? You keep it real the most by being an honest person and doing the right thing to improve the community, not bring it down, this is like when nobody comes forward to tell who killed Pac or Biggie but somebody in this world knows but their families continue suffering without closure because everybody 'refuses to snitch' I'm dissapointed in Busta but I've been a lil' dissapointed in him ever since he jumped in the middle of the 50 Cent/Ja Rule beef, where he had no reason to be involved with, his whole career has been about bringing peace but now he's getting involved with this juvenile crap just so he could stay relevant and that's not real... I've talked to a lot of people and they're dissapointed in Busta, especially since he's from an older generation of hip-hop artists, he has this responsibility, he needs to step up and set an example, I'm sure if Will saw the person who killed somebody he'd tell someone... There's a bigger life than just the streets, hip-hop is bigger than just the streets but it seems like it's just staying in the gutter instead of exanding like it was originally planned, you could keep it real and run the streets all you want but that ain't a smart move if you wanna have a long successful life, I would like to see some hip-hop artists live a long life, they all shouldn't have to all be killed runnng the streets keepin' it real, that's dumb...

Gretzky knew about gambling ring ESPN.com news services Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky knew about a gambling ring involving his wife and assistant coach Rick Tocchet, sources who cited state wiretaps told the Newark Star-Ledger and The Associated Press. Star-Ledger reported in Thursday's editions that there is no evidence that Gretzky placed bets, but investigators are looking into whether his wife, Janet Jones, placed them for him. Arraignment Date Coyotes associate coach Rick Tocchet, New Jersey State Police Officer James Harney and James Ulner -- who are accused by New Jersey authorities of running an illegal gambling ring -- are to be arraigned Feb. 21 in Mount Holly, N.J. Tocchet, who is on a leave of absence from the Coyotes and the NHL, has been charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Harney, an eight-year veteran of the state police force who has been suspended, has been charged with official misconduct, promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. He is free on $100,000 bail. Ulner has been charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Authorities said he funneled wagers to Tocchet. He is free on $50,000 bail. Gretzky can be heard on wiretaps made within the past month discussing with Tocchet how his wife could avoid being implicated, a source told The Associated Press, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Gretzky has said that he had no knowledge of the gambling ring. "The reality is, I'm not involved, I wasn't involved and I'm not going to be involved," Gretzky said Tuesday. "Am I concerned for both of them? Sure, there's concern from me. I'm more worried about them than me." Law enforcement officials told the New Jersey newspaper that Jones bet $500,000 in recent weeks, including $75,000 in Super Bowl wagers. Also, a source close to the team told ESPN.com on Thursday that GM Mike Barnett placed a Super Bowl bet with Rick Tocchet for a few hundred dollars. Barnett, accordng to the source, told investigators he placed the bet with Tocchet because he knew Tocchet was known in the dressing room to be a regular bettor on football games and a regular visitor to nearby Las Vegas during team breaks. The source said Barnett was told by New Jersey investigators that he would not be subpoenaed and that they no longer consider him part of the investigation. Jim O'Neal, the Coyotes' head of security, said in a statement Thursday that the team didn't expect further inquiries from New Jersey investigators. "There are a lot of rumors circulating with many names included," O'Neal said in the statement. "I was … advised by the authorities today that they did not likely foresee a need for further questioning pertaining to any members of our organization, whether it be Michael Barnett or others." Authorities say that from Dec. 29 through Feb. 5 -- the day of the Super Bowl -- bettors placed a total of $1.7 million in wagers with the ring run by a New Jersey state trooper, Tocchet and a south Jersey man. All face charges of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy and are scheduled to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Mount Holly, N.J., on Feb. 21, the state attorney general's office said Thursday. Tocchet, Gretzky's friend and assistant with the Coyotes, was placed on indefinite leave of absence Wednesday night by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, a day after New Jersey police accused him of financing a gambling operation that took bets from about a half dozen current players, among other bettors. Gretzky could be subpoenaed to testify before a New Jersey grand jury, the Star-Ledger reported. Jones has not made a public statement, but Gretzky said Tuesday that she would answer questions at some point. Gretzky did not attend the Coyotes' practice in Phoenix on Thursday. He would not be available until after Thursday night's game against the Dallas Stars in Phoenix and the team would not comment, said Coyotes spokesman Rich Nairn. ESPN's Pedro Gomez reported Thursday that Gretzky has no plans to resign as executive director of Hockey Canada and will to travel to Torino for the Olympics. The NHL Players' Association posted a message on a secure Web site Wednesday advising any player who is contacted by law enforcement authorities or the league to contact his lawyer "before talking to anyone," the Toronto Star reported. Tocchet and his new attorney met with Bettman on Wednesday, officially informing the commissioner of the pending charges Tocchet is facing. On the advice of attorney Kevin Marino, Tocchet wasn't prepared to respond to specific questions about the allegations, the NHL said in a news release. At the end of the meeting, the league said Tocchet requested the leave of absence. Bettman agreed to the leave as long as several conditions were met. Tocchet must immediately cease all contact and communication with NHL and team personnel and stay away for the duration of his leave. He will not be allowed to return without Bettman's consent. The commissioner also reserved the right to change the terms of Tocchet's absence at any time. "We view the charges against Mr. Tocchet in the most serious terms," Bettman said in a statement. "We have pledged our full cooperation to the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office." The NHL hired former federal prosecutor Robert J. Cleary, who headed the case against the Unabomber, to investigate Tocchet. New Jersey authorities told the NHL on Wednesday there is nothing that indicates the gambling activities relate in any way to league games. None of the players was identified in the complaint. "While there is speculation as to which other NHL personnel may have been involved in this matter, we continue to await guidance in that regard from the New Jersey law enforcement authorities," Bettman said. In an interview with ESPN.com's Mike Fish, Marino continued to criticize the New Jersey state police, particularly for speaking so extensively to the media. "I have to tell you, I think that to suggest that Rick Tocchet involved himself in this underworld gambling enterprise, or that he financed it, made money off it or whatever, I think it is very, very irresponsible. It is just completely false," Marino said. "I am not going to begin to speculate on why they brought the charges that they did," Marino added. "I can only tell you that in this country we respond to the allegations that are leveled against us. And when they are serious allegations we respond to them if they are leveled against us by a grand jury. That hasn't even happened here yet. My expectation is that when and if he is indicted on these charges we will go forward and have him vindicated, because he is not guilty. "I think it is unfortunate that they have decided to proceed in this fashion. To have Mr. Gretzky, who has not even been accused of a crime, much less indicted, to have his named bandied about as though somehow he is involved, I think is really reprehensible." State police Col. Rick Fuentes said the investigation -- dubbed "Operation Slap Shot" -- discovered the processing of more than 1,000 wagers, exceeding $1.7 million over several weeks, on professional and college sports, mostly football and basketball. Attorneys for the other men charged -- James Ulmer and Trooper James Harney -- have said they will fight the charges. "This case will not be a guilty plea," said Charles A. Peruto Jr., who is representing Ulmer. Ulmer, along with Harney, is accused of taking wagers and cuts of the bets. Cleary was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey from 1999-2002 and in the Southern District of Illinois in 2002. He was also the lead prosecutor from 1996-98 in the case against Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, who was sentenced to four lifetime terms in prison on charges related to three deaths and the maiming of two scientists. New Jersey State Police Lt. Gerald Lewis said police investigators will interview other hockey players to get a sense of the scope of the gambling ring and to determine whether others should be charged. Lewis said authorities also were exploring links between the gambling ring and Philadelphia-area organized crime. He said the investigation so far has turned up only that there might be some links, but authorities are unsure. He also declined to reveal which players will be interviewed. The NHL prohibits its players from making wagers, legal or otherwise, on NHL games. League rules do not forbid players from betting legally on other sports (for instance, with an established Las Vegas book). The charges against Tocchet are for illegal gambling per New Jersey law. Information from ESPN.com's Scott Burnside and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

yeah it seems to be wishful thinking these days, i'll be happy if they do anything...

Five players will make their inaugural NBA All-Star appearance Four Pistons Named as Reserves for 2006 NBA All-Star Game Chauncey Billups will be passing to Richard Hamilton in the first All-Star Game for both Pistons. D. Lippitt/Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images NEW YORK, Feb. 9 -- Detroit Pistons guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton will be appearing in their first NBA All-Star Game, joining frontcourt teammates Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace after having been selected by the coaches as reserves for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. This is the first time in NBA All-Star Game history that the coaches have selected four teammates as reserves and the seventh time that a team will have four representatives in the All-Star Game. The 2006 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston. Joining the Pistons foursome as reserves will be first-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors with forwards Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets rounding out the Eastern reserves. Two Western Conference players are also making their initial All-Star appearance as center Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies and guard Tony Parker of the 2005 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs have each been invited to Houston. Also named to the Western Conference All-Star team are guard Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics and forwards Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns. The 14 players selected -- seven each from the Eastern and Western Conferences -- were chosen by the 30 NBA head coaches, who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences -- two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position. They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Previously selected as starters for the East through the 2006 NBA All-Star Balloting Program were Cleveland’s LeBron James, Indiana’s Jermaine O'Neal, Miami’s Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade and Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson. Houston’s Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Phoenix’s Steve Nash and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan will start for the West. The 2005-06 Pistons joins the Celtics (1952-53, 1961-62 and 1974-75), L.A. Lakers (1961-62 and 1997-98) and Philadelphia 76ers (1982-83) as the only teams in All-Star Game history to have four players selected to play in an single All-Star Game. The selections of Gasol (Spain), Nowitzki (Germany) and Parker (France) along with voted-starters Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Nash (Canada) and Yao (China), gives the 2006 NBA All-Star Game a record-tying six international players in one year. The 2003, 2004 and 2005 NBA All-Star Games each featured six international players on the rosters. Should any player be unable to participate in the All-Star Game due to injury, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select the replacement. Flip Saunders of Detroit coaches the Eastern Conference All-Stars and Avery Johnson makes his All-Star coaching debut representing the Western Conference. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is not eligible to coach in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game because he coached in last year’s All-Star Game. The NBA All-Star Game will be televised live nationally on TNT in the United States and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada at 7 p.m. CT/ 8 p.m. ET. Live audio broadcasts are available on ESPN Radio and on NBA.com in multiple languages. For the fourth consecutive year, NBA All-Stars will wear uniforms created just for the game. This year's All-Stars will be outfitted in new uniforms from Reebok which were inspired by the exploration of space and the Texas state flag. As has become tradition, the East will be the road team wearing predominantly royal blue uniforms accented with red and silver, while the West will be the home team wearing white uniforms with red as the featured color and royal and gold accents. The NBA logo on the jersey has been enhanced with the All-Star version and the player's team is represented with the team logo on the center back neck of the jersey. NBA.com will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote count towards selecting the MVP of the 55th NBA All-Star Game, as a part of the site's exclusive 2006 NBA All-Star coverage. Through the Balloting program, which ran from Nov. 17, 2005 through Jan. 22, fans had the opportunity to vote in NBA arenas, in 19 languages on the NBA.com Network, in approximately 130 Loews Cineplex Entertainment movie theaters in the United States and through mobile phones at t-zones using T-Mobile service or wap.nba.com for any wireless carrier. This year’s All-Star Balloting partners include T-Mobile, AOL, NBA 2K6, Xbox and retailers GameStop & Electronics Boutique. NBA All-Star 2006 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to experience the thrill of the world’s greatest athletes playing the game they love and features a full slate of community enhancing activities and fan festivals.

I'm bumping this for those who didn't vote yet, the poll closes tomorrow, I was listening today and they said that LL's in second place right now... :pony:

it's been almost 2 months since they performed together since they did the holiday concerts, have they done anything together since then? i'd rather hear about them getting together recording than them doing seperate projects with will doing this compilation album and jazzy doing "return of the magnificent", they need to get on the same page while they have the time now, they could make it a double disc, have collabos with other artists on one disc and nothing but JJFP tracks on another disc...

I edited the title since Kanye and Mariah won 3, they didn't lose in a big way, it's fair that they won that amount, I don't what they did was so groundbreaking that they deserved to win all of them, it was a fair balance, btw I felt it was kinda strange to see Jay-Z performing with Paul Mccartney, my mama's a huge Beatles fan, lol...

They only did a handful of promo shows together in 18 months, while Will went off to shoot movies and Jazzy did seperate shows, where's the JJFP tour if they're such potnas? :stickpoke:

Here's more details, Busta didn't go to his bodyguard's wake, it also mentions that Yayo ran away with the shooter, I also remember hear a DJ on Hot 97 saying a couple days ago that he was at a G Unit party for the Super Bowl, now that was hours after Busta's bodyguard got murdered before their eyes? They got no heart if they're gonna go party after that.... Busta Rhymes A No-Show At Bodyguard's Wake Thursday - February 9, 2006 by Carl "H.D." Chery In addition to angering the Ramirez family with his lack of cooperation, Busta Rhymes pulled a no show at the wake of his slain bodyguard Israel Ramirez yesterday (February 8). Authorities believe Busta was standing by Ramirez when he was fatally shot outside of Brooklyn's Kiss the Cactus Production studio this past Sunday. "They're not knocking on our door to talk to us," New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters in regards to Bus and other potential witnesses present during the incident. The rapper initially told cops he was inside when the shooting took place and hasn't talked to cops since witnesses have placed him at the scene of the shooting. Tony Yayo, who is believed to have left the scene with the shooter, also refuses to talk to cops. Police believe Busta's refusal to cooperate is preventing other witnesses from coming forward with key information. "They have a code in the industry," a police source told the New York Daily News. "You don't talk to cops. if you do, your career tanks." Meanwhile, at Ramirez's wake yesterday, the bodyguard's brother-in-law Shawn Reynolds criticized Busta and Yayo for their silent treatment. "You think people making all of this money, they'd leave the ghetto out of them," Reynolds told the Daily News at the Century Cremation and Funeral Services. "You'd think they're making millions of dollars, they'd learn to be civilized." Word is Busta told Ramirez's sister he would do anything in his power to make sure justice prevails. Other reports say he first told Ramirez's widow, Amelin Ramirez, he wasn't sure he could help. "How are you going to say that when the husband of the woman you're talking to lost his life trying to protect you?" Reynolds added. Authorities believe Ramirez was attempting to grab the gunman's firearm when he was fatally shot. Though Busta said he would appear at the wake, the rapper pulled a no show, further frustrating Ramirez's family. Baby Sham, a member of Busta's Flipmode Squad was the only affiliate to show up. Sham wasn't on location when Ramirez was gunned down. "He gave up his life for them," Jenny Fernadez, Ramirez's sister-in-law, asked angrily at the wake. "Where are all these people? My nephew's thinking his daddy's coming home. Daddy's not coming home."

Well yes it's about the music, not the Grammies, it ain't the commitee's fault either 'cause they have to include a few popular artists to the nominations just so they could get high ratings, even though a lot of those albums got low ratings from critics, but the best songs these days are the ones that rarely get played on the radio, now if quality albums starting selling millions again it'd be an easier job for them, it's nice to know that Stevie Wonder got 2 Grammies even though his album failed to go gold.... I'd rather see Kelly Clarkson winning instead of that lip-synching Ashlee Simpson too, it's nice to know a lot of that watered down teenybopper crap didn't win much compared to recent years...