bigted

Teacher calls student "N" word WARNING: Story contains graphic language 12:35 PM EST on Friday, February 3, 2006 http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/W...d.64363ef1.html via: black My story Valley Traditional High School is in the middle of a racial controversy. A teacher used a racial epithet towards a student. The word is only six letters long but the impact is far reaching. We do want to warn you that some of the language in this story is strong and may offend some people, but since this story is not just about the "n" word it's also about the pronunciation, we've decided to leave it in the story for you to decide. Murphy: "What did he say to you specifically?" Chavers: "Sit down, nigger." Also Online View this story Discuss in the WHAS11.com Forums Keysean Chavers is a freshman at Valley, a Boy Scout, a football player, a member of the ROTC, an honor roll student. He was hanging around his teacher’s classroom door in December. The teacher, Paul Dawson, told him to sit down. Dawson says Keysean used the word first. “I was just kind of stunned for a second and I said, 'Well then, get away from the door, niggaz.' I repeated the same insult because that was sort of what I was trained to do.” The school district says that’s not what they trained Dawson to do. “He tried to say I said it and I didn't say it and no one else in the class said I said it, because I didn't,” says Keysean. Documents from the school investigation show that several of the students interviewed from Valley did not hear Keysean say the "n" word first. Dawson says students use the slang version of the word at Valley High School all the time. He says “nigger” is a racial slur but says students use “nigga” as often as they say "dude" or "hey, man.” Dawson says as much as he doesn't like the word, he still used the slang version to feel more comfortable with black students. “Why is this word used so frequently? So I just don't understand it and I’m trying to understand it,” Dawson says. “I need help.” Murphy: "What kind of example are you setting for your students if you are using a word that you don't want them to use?" Dawson: "Upon reflection, that’s not good." Dawson was suspended for 10 days without pay from January 9 to January 23 and has to go to diversity training. He says he's learned from this and hopes others think twice before using the epithet. “I will never say any form of nigga. I’m cured of that.” Dawson says he is sorry for the way things were handled, but Keysean says he is not looking for any apologies. “Apologizing isn't going to change the fact that it happened and he's not been punished,” he says. What constitutes punishment in Keysean’s mind? “Him not having his job anymore.” Dawson says he wants there to be a steadfast policy against using the word. Right now it is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Keysean is still in Paul Dawson’s classroom. Dawson has been with the district for 20 years. As part of our investigation we found that English teacher Paul Dawson was suspended in 1994, back when he worked at southern high school. According to documents, Dawson directed a student to place a sign on another students back that said, “I am gay.” Afterwards, he was assigned to non-instructional duties pending the investigation and he was not supposed to return to Southern High School. The next day he ignored the order and went to Southern anyway. Shortly afterwards, Dawson refused to turn in his grade book to investigators. Dawson was suspended for five days without pay and had to go through an employee assistance program. Dawson also had a letter of reprimand that same year for selling candy to his students. The school district says even with this most recent incident of him using the word “nigga” toward a student, this veteran teacher will get to keep his job. “It’s understandable the frustration and the anger about a situation like this and we sincerely apologize because it is not our mode of operation, but we do believe that we have sent a very strong message,” says Jefferson County Public Schools spokesperson Lauren Roberts. Dawson says he will appeal his 10-day suspension to try and get it off his record. He did not want to talk about his past suspension when we met with him. His latest suspension is the longest suspension the district has ever given a teacher. Dawson will go before district administrators at the end of the month to appeal his unpaid suspension. Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.

Yeah Nas is a great mc but I get the feeling he must be hanging out with Jay-Z and Kanye too much lately, the ignorance is rubbing off on him now, he needs to hang out with Chuck D and Will so they can get his mind in the right state again, they'd slap him if he told them that he was consider titling his album that, Nas needs to get away from that nonsense and lead the younger generation of mcs coming up, he has all the talent to do it but if they see him doing things like this it'll bring more ignorance to hip-hop, this takes away some of my anticipation for his album....

I think it's good the way it is now, guests can't see the potna or audio forums so they have to register....

I figure I'd bump this post to see what everyone else thinks about this, I heard yesterday that Nas was at Puffy's party the other night and proposed to name his next album "Nigger" and Al Sharpton expressed his displeasure about it there, I figure this ties into what we're talking about here so I figure I'd mention that, I'd be a lil' dissapointed if Nas does name his album that 'cause I don't like people saying that word, it's sad to know that a real mc like that is also dumbing down to that trash... http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/sto...6p-329285c.html Rapper Nas is working on his new album, and he's trying to get the word out. The N-word, that is. The hip-hop provocateur tells us he's planning on calling the CD simply "N-." Except, he'll be filling in the blank. "That's the name right now," he said. Just to make sure we didn't mishear him, he spelled the racist epithet for us. "I don't care about sales," he explained at Wednesday's MAC Cosmetics party for Sean (Diddy) Combs' new fragrance, Unforgivable. "Well, tonight I don't. I never was a big sales dude, so it never really mattered." The slur, formerly used by Southern lynch mobs, has become a common greeting among black youth. But the Rev. Al Sharpton, also at the Core Club party, still finds it profoundly offensive. "I'm astonished by the psychological gymnastics some people perform to make that self-denigrating word acceptable," he told us. "No other race does it. Why is it accepted? In an industry that makes Michael Jackson take out a word that was offensive to Jewish people, why does it sanitize a word that continues to be used by the Ku Klux Klan when it attacks our people?" Last night, Jana Fleishman, a spokeswoman for Nas' label, Def Jam, was taken aback when we informed her of the proposed title. But after talking with the rapper, she said he changed his tune. "Nas says he was being facetious. He just started recording last week." Meanwhile, Nas and Diddy were both amused to see Kanye West portraying himself as Jesus Christ on the cover of Rolling Stone. A 1999 video aping the Crucifixion had the two older rappers hanging on crosses. Asked if Kanye stole their idea, Nas said, "I loaned it to him." Diddy agreed: "It was a cool cover to me. I'm a fan of his, so it's all good."

Seriously how could Seahawks be underdogs since they were 13-3 and they dominated the Redskins and Panthers in the playoffs with homefield advantage, the Steelers on the other hand barely made the playoffs and beat the top 3 teams in the AFC on the road, I think the media's definately jumping on the Steelers bandwagon though since they're the only team in NFL History to beat all the top teams on the road so they're counting on them to do it again, I hope they win too, I wanna see Jerome Bettis go out on top, he's a class act...

Ice Cube is a hip-hop legend

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/20...th_motown_new_a 02/03/06 Nick Cannon Signs Deal With Motown; New Album In Spring Motown Records has signed celebrated, one-man entertainment arsenal, Nick Cannon, in a venture with the actor/musician, to be called Can I Ball/Motown Records. Cannon's debut for the new label, Stages, featuring the first single "Dimepiece," and guest appearance by the first artist signed to his label, Izzy, is slated to be released in spring 2006. The new disc is executive produced by Cannon and Michael "Blue" Williams, and features a host of top notch producers including Kanye West and artists such as Talib Kweli, Anthony Hamilton and 112. "I'm thrilled to be able to work with such a passionate, monumental executive like Sylvia Rhone," stated Mr. Cannon. "The new team she has put together at Motown has hit the ground running, and I'm excited to be launching this venture with such a capable and inspiring group of people who love music." "Nick is one of the most extraordinary, multi-talented stars in the entire entertainment business," stated Sylvia Rhone, President of Motown. "His charismatic presence, his endless reservoir of talent, his boundless creative depth and sensitivity toward the human condition makes this a seminal signing for us. Nick's tremendous poise and business acumen also ensures the Can I Ball imprint is destined to become a vital component of the Motown legacy." Nick Cannon's rise in the film, music and fashion business has been nothing short of meteoric. Cited by People Magazine as one of the 'Top Ten most successful young people in Hollywood' and featured on the Cover of Black Enterprises' 40 Under 40, the effusive star has been garnering accolades from all corners of the entertainment community. His combined creative endeavors, including breakthrough movie and TV roles, and his own successful multi-million dollar clothing line, have entertainment industry analysts citing him as Hollywood's next one-man power-mogul. Cannon landed his first breakthrough role on the Nickelodeon hit series All That, at only 18, and subsequently was awarded his own starring vehicle on Nickelodeon, winning his first kid's choice award for The Nick Cannon Show, which he starred, directed and executive produced. The 2002 hit film Drumline would be the breakthrough role for Cannon, leading him to other memorable performances in films like 2003's Love Don't Cost A Thing, and others. That same year he released his own self-titled debut album, and has collaborated with a host of other musicians, such as R. Kelly, E-40, Lil Romeo and B2K on soundtracks and other projects. In 2005 he starred in the movie The Underclassmen, in which he wrote and began hosting, producing and directing his own MTV show, Nick Cannon Presents Wild'n Out, which is the networks #1 rated show. Along with an exciting new label deal, Cannon is currently under new management. Michael "Blue" Williams, President & CEO of Family Tree Entertainment who is most recognized as the catalyst behind Outkast's career success, is now also overseeing Cannon's musical career. Williams was instrumental in negotiating Cannon's label deal with Universal Motown Group

i don't know why pete rock would consider producing for G-Unit, say it ain't so??!!! :stickpoke:

Chappelle Says Stress Caused Him to Leave By ANNA JOHNSON Associated Press Writer CHICAGO - Comedian Dave Chappelle told Oprah Winfrey he was stressed out and not crazy or on drugs when he abruptly left his hit Comedy Central show last spring during production. In his first television interview since ditching "Chappelle's Show" in May, Chappelle said that after he signed a $50 million deal for the third and fourth seasons in August 2004, too many people were trying to control him and his show. "I wasn't crazy but it is incredibly stressful," Chappelle, 32, said during his appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that aired Friday. "I felt in a lot of instances I was deliberately being put through stress because when you're a guy who generates money people have a vested interested in controlling you," Chappelle said. Last May, with the premiere date looming for the third season, Chappelle stunned his fans and the entertainment industry by leaving the show in mid-production. He spent two weeks in South Africa before returning home to his farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio, about 75 miles northeast of Cincinnati. Chappelle has since resumed performing live standup. The provocative and sometimes raunchy comedian denied reports that his mysterious departure was caused by mental or drug problems. But he told Winfrey that other people were trying to get him to take psychotic medication when he decided to leave the show and country, without telling anyone except his brother before he left. Chappelle stressed that the fame that grew as his show become increasingly popular wasn't the problem, but instead he felt awful going to work. "I would go to work on the show and I felt awful every day, that's not the way it was" he said. "I felt like some kind of prostitute or something. If I feel so bad, why keep on showing up to this place? I'm going to Africa. The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching." The comedian did not rule out returning to film the rest of third and fourth seasons of "Chappelle's Show" but only under certain circumstances. For example, Chappelle said he would like to donate a portion of the proceeds from DVD sales to the less fortunate. The status of his show has hung in limbo since May. Comedy Central announced in December that four half-hour episodes of "Chappelle's Show" - based on what Chappelle taped before leaving the production - will premiere in weekly airings this spring. A full season would have been between 10 and 13 episodes.

Ice-T and Too Short pioneered the pimp image but Snoop and Dre took it to another level commercially that they didn't, just like how JJFP and Run-Dmc took hip-hop further than the pioneers Sugar Hill Gang and Kurtis Blow did...Yeah it's been played out but as long as people continue buying it, record companies will continue to sign pimp rappers over rappers with a positive message, if Kel Spencer was a pimp rapper he'd be selling as many albums as 50 Cent right now but instead he's still shopping for a record deal, commercial rap is a buisiness and these A&R's only care about making money, they're happy when rappers beef, disresepct each other, and make videos with hoes wearing nothing 'cause they get to cash in, kids buy into it, fans need to wake up, parents need to be responsible and teach their kids that there's more to music than just songs about pimps and hoes and teach their daughter to be something productive in life, not a video hoe, young brothers go around screaming "what up pimp, what up hoe, what up my nigga" without even knowing the meaning behind what they're saying and young girls don't mind if a brother slaps them in the ass 'cause they don't know how to respect themselves, gangsta rap is way overexposed... Music videos should have a concept behind them 'cause it's an artform but it seems like all videos are similar these days, there's too much imitation, Snoop shouldn't let 50 imitate him.... Hip-hop needs more diversity, you don't see every movie being a horror flick but it seems like 90% of rap artists these days potray that pimp image... btw, if I ever have a daughter say they were gonna be a video hoe or pose in Playboy I'd be like Uncle Phil, lol...

Well who in '90 when Will was starting FPOBA would've thought that Will'd pull off Ali a decade later, especially when he was real skinny then, who knows maybe Jeff could've buffed up too :kekeke:

http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1314 Rewind The Rhyme: Ice Cube By Amanda Diva There was a time when lyrics really mattered. I remember as a kid pressing “play” and “rewind” over and over again so I could memorize what I considered to be hottest verses in rap music. It was one thing to like an artist, but if you really wanted to be on top of your game, if you really wanted to show that you knew your stuff, if you truly respected the game, you had to know the rhymes that defined it, line for line! But those days are essentially gone. As most artists seek to produce records that will bring them money and the subsequent mainstream success, lyrics have taken a back seat to catchy hooks and hypnotic beats. It’s got a lot of folks sounding like De La Soul wondering, “Whatever happened to the emcee?” The emcees themselves will answer the pressing question in a my reoccurring feature called, “Rewind the Rhyme with Amanda Diva and (insert your favorite emcee’s name here).” The Hip-Hop-loving folks at AllHipHop.com will uncover how some of rap’s greatest lyricists created their most classic records/verses, how things have changed or remained the same in their creative process, and whether lyrics still matter. Before the kiddie flicks and family fun movies, Ice Cube, through his scalding honesty and intensity, came to be regarded as one of rap’s most respected wordsmiths. A living legend, he is accredited with, among other things, solidifying the gangsta rap movement with classics like “N***a You Love to Hate” (1990's Amerikkka’s Most Wanted) and the laid back “Today Was a Good Day” (1992's The Predator). About to release his fifth solo album of new material, Laugh Now, Cry Later, I sat down with Cube at Mirror Image Studios in New York City to rewind the rhyme and talk about Cube’s writing process on some of his most renowned records, his new music, and if he’s still the n***a you love to hate! Amanda Diva's Rewind The Rhyme with Ice Cube. AllHipHop.com: Do you still listen to Hip-Hop? Ice Cube: Yeah. AllHipHop.com: You still do? Ice Cube: Yeah, what else I’ma listen to? AllHipHop.com: Nah, you know a lot of folks be like, “I don’t even listen to Hip-Hop no more, yo. I’m straight old school, straight old school.” Ice Cube: Nah, I listen to everything. I mean, I listen to old school, but I listen to new school, rap, R&B. AllHipHop.com: So, on a scale of one to 10, where do you think lyrics rank on a scale of importance in Hip-Hop these days? Ice Cube: One-to-10 on importance? I mean, as far as the game go, lyrics are always gonna be some of the most important things. Just as important as your beats. But, nobody ain’t saying nothing important right now. You know what I mean? Nobody ain’t really saying nothing significant that’s gonna change somebody life. It’s a few MC’s out there that are trying to do it. Or that have been consistent with it. I mean you know, you can’t dismiss what The Roots are doing. You can’t dismiss what people like dead prez is doing and Common and Kanye and people like that. But for the most part the Hip-Hop nation just don’t want to hear now like that. AllHipHop.com: Let’s start off with a record that did change a lot of people’s lives and lyrically I think this is the record you get most “props” for. Ice Cube: DAMN! (Smiling) I remember doing this record! Greene Street Studios, SOHO right? Green Street Studios, with Chuck D, the Bomb Squad, Eric Sadler, Keith Shockley, Hank Shockley. You know this record to me represents the best of both worlds. You know coming straight from NWA with that West Coast gangsta flow, but over a Public Enemy conjured up-you know they used to be like mad scientist up in there with them beats flippin em-and it was like the perfect marriage at the right time. It was exactly what Hip-Hop needed and uh, you know the record Amerikkka’s Most Wanted is still my favorite record. AllHipHop.com: Really? Ice Cube: Yea, 'cause my memories of doing that record and what I had to go through to get it done makes it just kinda like close to my heart. AllHipHop.com: So let’s play this next record. I think this is probably your best known record. When folks think of Cube this is the record most point to that don’t really know your history. Ice Cube: At the time I did “It Was a Good Day,” people was trying to pigeonhole me saying, “All he can do is one type of record.” And you know, I’m a B-boy, I like all kinds of Hip-Hop. I’m not just, “Oh I like the gangsta stuff and that’s it.” So, “It Was a Good Day” was trying to show that, you know, whatever comes from me is not gonna be because people are saying I should do this kind of record, or I should just stick with what I’m doing. ‘Cause people was not really wanting me to do this record in my camp. They was saying, “You do hard records. Why you gonna do this?” And I was like, “That’s exactly why. Because it’s dope.” AllHipHop.com: I think a lot of people miss the point of this record though. They miss the irony. Ice Cube: Yeah AllHipHop.com: The record is ironic in that it’s a good day cause n****s ain’t get shot? That’s crazy! But people don’t see it that way. Ice Cube: Exactly. It is. It is. But when you really strip the song down, life is hard in the ghetto. All these land mines you try and duck and you’re happy that everything is going alright. Basically the song is saying, if you get through the day it’s a good day, without getting shot or going to jail or people you know getting shot or going to jail. AllHipHop.com: On the new album do we have any joints that lead to a laid back Cube or is it a whole new Cube? Ice Cube: It’s a lil’ dibble and dabble of both, of the old and the new. I got a song on there called “Growing Up.” It reminds me a lot of “It Was a Good Day.” It’s that old Minnie Ripperton sample, “Back Down Memory Lane.” It basically takes us through the history of Ice Cube from the time I met Dre all the way to XXX II (XXX: State of the Union). It’s one of those songs that felt a lot like “It Was a Good Day”. AllHipHop.com: So we got this new album and the name of the album is? Ice Cube: Laugh Now, Cry Later. AllHipHop.com: And where did you get that title from? Ice Cube: That’s a title that a lot of the people in the penitentiary use; tattoos people get. It kinda describes their life when they were on the street and them paying for it now. You know, laugh cry later is kinda the feel of my album. It’s got, you know, the club bangers, the political records-which is the cry later kinda feel. It kinda encompasses that. You know I didn’t want to do a whole political record and I didn’t want to do a whole record where I was just trying to get it jumped off. You know so, it’s a record that flows from kind of one tone to the next. Laugh Now, Cry Later really is the state of the world in a way. You know, you could say it’s the state of the world, the state of America, the state of urban America. Now everybody’s doing a lot of playing and nobody’s really thinking about when God gonna make us pay for all this at some point in time. That’s really what inspired me to make it that title. AllHipHop.com: How do you know as a writer when a verse is done; when a record is finished? Ice Cube: When the song is complete and I rap it acapella and I rap it with the beat that somebody gave me before we recorded and I go set it down, but I wanna go in there and rap it again because I wanna hear how it’s sounding. Cause I know that it’s fire, you know what I’m saying? (laughs) So, that’s how I know, to me, that a song is complete and a song is good, is that I wanna-I’m like anxious to get to the studio. I’m like busting at the seams to get there. That’s how I know, that this is it. AllHipHop.com: You’ve got classics. Hits! A bevy of them. Did you know that they were classics when you made them? Did you know that these were lyrical classics that people would be repeating these words? Don’t be modest! Ice Cube: In some cases yeah and some cases no. AllHipHop.com: Name one that you knew. Ice Cube: “We Be Clubbin.” AllHipHop.com: You knew it? Ice Cube: I knew it! I knew, like “We Be Clubbin” that nobody was really rappin about being in the whole club experience. It was a song that kind of kicked off talking about how it feels to be kickin’ it in the club. So I knew that it was something that a lot of people was doing. You know, I did that song in ’96. So it was something that a lot of people was doing, but a lot of people wasn’t rapping about it. So I knew that would do it. I knew “F**k the Police” was gonna be. I knew “Today Was a Good Day” was gonna work. AllHipHop.com: Yeah? Ice Cube: Just cause of the sample. Using the Isley Brothers I felt like I was winning before I even started rappin so… AllHipHop.com: Did you have any idea that “N***a You Love to Hate” would end up being one of them records that defines you? Ice Cube: Yea it’s like a record that, like if “F**k the Police” marks NWA, “N***a You Love to Hate” kind of is like the stamp. If you want to explain to anybody what Ice Cube is about, you could probably play that record and get then and now. AllHipHop.com: So are you still that n***a? Ice Cube: Oh yea, fa sho, fa sho!

Yeah I thought that there was gonna be another Pete Rock and CL Smooth album coming soon, anyways I can't wait to check out Pete Rock's album next month, hopefully he produces for Will again someday, he should do more work with his cousin Heavy D again too...

Yeah that's the thing, Jazzy didn't work at it, Will wasn't really that good of an actor when he first was on FPOBA but he worked at it while Jeff stayed focused with music, acting wasn't Jeff's interest but if it was I bet he could've been an A-List actor just like Will, who worked himself from the bottom to the top since FPOBA 'cause he worked hard enough to...

Snoop basically godfathered the pimp style that a lot of rappers put in their songs and videos today, I like some of his stuff though but I think he definately deserves some blame for the way the rap game is today 'cause a lot of them rappers who came up look up to him and Dre, and he also collabs with them too, he's on 50's last album plus doing that famous "P.I.M.P." video , he was in one of Chingy's video, he did a song with Nelly, Game was in one of his videos, etc., so he's helping pollute the way hip-hop is today 'cause he's in a lot of the 90% of videos and songs that have that pimp attitude, 50 Cent has different sides to him just like Snoop does but he's also more famous for his pimp style, that's why it's sorta surprising that Will would wanna do a song with Snoop especially since he's known so much against gangsta rap being exploited like that, I guess that's why it's not that much of a stretch for Will to say that he's friends with 50 either, but I think Will's trying to keep the peace and show that he has nothing against the artists, that's why he said before he released "Mr. Nice Guy" that he didn't want a rap war 'cause he knows how basically Eminem could get all the hardcore rappers to gang up and diss Will the same way they did when Ja Rule dissed Eminem, positive rappers ain't heard so Will has to keep the peace to stay in the game since he still wants to have a career in the rap industry but I don't think in reality he's that close of a friend to either 50 or Snoop, he doesn't like a lot of what they do but starting another rap war wouldn't be good, he knows what happened with Pac and Biggie and he doesn't want to happen to himself, people take things too serious now.... Now if Spike Lee was still a rap video director I bet he wouldn't diss Snoop like that 'cause if he did not many rappers would want him to do a video for them again, they'll boycott him.... I think the big issue should be to go after the radio stations and TV stations that refuse to play anything other than pimp rap songs/videos...Another issue would be for all these rich people like Spike Lee to give back to the 'hood instead of just standing up there and criticising, Snoop does a lot of positive things in the communities, if the urban communities got cleaned up there wouldn't be any need for so many gangsta rappers but a lot of them might rap about hoes and gangs 'cause that's all they see when they're in the 'hood, they see women selling their bodies so they think all women are hoes, and they rap about drug dealers and gangs 'cause that's what they saw, even if you don't like the songs you can't knock what they're expressing like it never happens, if those rich people are so much against gangsta rap, they should work on cleaning up the streets.... Why don't the women who go in the videos get criticised too? You can't just blame the rappers when the women are willing to sell themselves like that, it's just like when they pose nude in Playboy, nobody puts a gun to their heads and tells them to do that... Personally gangsta rap ain't really my favorite part of hip-hop either but if I listen it'll probably be some of earlier Snoop, a lot of later stuff sounds basically as watered down as 50 Cent's latest stuff, he needs to hang out with Will more often to get better direction with making songs, that'd be kinda dope if Will and Snoop did an album together, that'd bridge the gap between positive hip-hop and gangsta rap... btw, didn't Spike Lee say something about Will being an uncle tom before when he released "Legend Of Bagger Vance"?

http://www.nycnn.com/node/140 Pete Rock: Real Survivor Submitted by patrick on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - 9:57am Hip Hop Interview Pete Rock has been one of the most recognized and acclaimed hip hop producers in our time. Remaining relevant throughout the years he has merged old school style with the knowledge gained through experience and smarts to keep his ear the streets to keep bringing bangers with consistency. Though a fallout with long time collaborator C.L. Smooth had some critics and fans alike wondering, he’s here to set the record straight and fill you in on his future plans. This interview is a must read for all hip hop heads young and old. Word is there is going to be a new Pete Rock album in March of 2006, what can you tell us about that? Aw man, It's gonna be everything that everybody is expecting, if you're tired of that other crappy ass hip hop music, this is what you wanna purchase when it comes out. The best of all New York. Any collaborations? What can we expect? I'm keeping it as a secret because there's gonna be some good surprises. If you could produce a whole album for any artist or groups, who would they be? I would have to say Ghostface (Killah), I would have to say Nas, I would have to say Mobb Deep and The Lox, most definitely, The Lox is like my favorite rap group. Working with Styles P and Jadakiss is something I'm trying to accomplish. I think with the way hip-hop is going today, why I want to work with these people and make sure that hip-hop is the greatest. I feel like they've been short changed on the music. They're very talented artist, all the people I mentioned and I feel like they don't have the right type of music sometime. What do you think about the idea of doing an album with you, Nas and Large Professor on the mic and yourself, Premier and Large Professor on the beats? Umm... Not to disrespect anyone else but my thing is, I have my own ideas and if I'm going to work with an artist like Nas I'm gonna work with him, period. Just me and him. I can't say though because I haven't spoken to Nas in years. He has other people calling me to get in touch with me but he won't call me himself. We're all grown men here, I'm close to my mid- 30's. Whatever happened in the past, I don't know what happened, why we fell out or why we haven’t spoken in years about working with each other but whatever happened, I'm willing to put that behind me. I'm a big enough man to say I can confront Nas and ask him and talk to him to find out what the problem is and keep doing music. Positive things. With Nas and the way I produce, I tend to make a lot of stuff that seems like he could use. I think we have a wonderful chemistry, I haven't funked with him in years but we could make a smash album or a hit record right now. It's a lot of ego coming into play in this music game, I deal with the truth and whatever the reason we haven’t worked together, I'm willing to put it behind me. How would someone go about buying beats from you and what kind of cost would they be looking at? Go through management. If I know you personally for instance, The Lox, we kinda grew up in the same area, but for those type of things I would definitely come to the table. Do you got flat rates or is a fluctuation type deal depending on the artists? I got flat rates, but it depends on what kinda deal we're making though. How do you feel about the SP1200? Do you still use it at all? I use it still along with the MPC, I never stopped using it, I got a lot of new SP beats for the new album. I got a lot of stuff for an album in Japan and I'm also working with my brother. What do you think of DJs who are going digital using CDs or MP3? I'm a vinyl guy. Call me old-school or whatever but I collect vinyl I'm a DJ, vinyl is always gonna be right next to me. It's cool, the digital world, a lot more clearer and cleaning, but it's nothing like cutting vinyl, touching that vinyl and burning it. Have you ever made any beats you thought were to good to sell? Of course, but not too good to sell, just to good to give to some one who would **** it up. I would never give a beat like that to a whack person, I wouldn't want an artist to **** up the beat. I only give dope ass beats to artists I know can handle it. Have you ever regretted selling a beat to any artists? Anything you weren't happy with regarding the finished product? Not really, I like to hear my music regardless of who is on it, there are mixes I've done that I regretted that I wish I could have done better. Like there were people out there who kinda took over trying to mix a Pete Rock beat and couldn't do and made my **** sound thin and funked up. Anything in particular? Yea, there's a lot actually. A lot of the Ed O.G. stuff wasn't mixed properly, there were one or two records on there that weren't mixed properly that I wish I could have done. If you can redo any of your beats which would they be? Reminisce, Shut Em' Down, The Creator, Soul Brother Number 1 What do you look for in an artist you want to work with? I look for delivery, I look for character, I look for confidence and so forth. Late 80's and Early 90's Hip-Hop music is the cornerstone of the genre, how do you feel with great artists like yourself get looked over by the average hip hop fan for a 2pac or a Biggie or the Neptunes? I don't get upset of nothing, I mean I've worked with Biggie, I knew Pac very well, we hung out a couple of times. When a younger person doesn't know their rap history I just tell em to check it. It was cats like me that paved the road to make other producers better. I was the guy that put out beats that made other producers say "Oh, ****. I better get on my ****ing job" Why do you think it is difficult for older groups and artists to resurrect themselves for the younger audience? I don't know, maybe they're not keeping their ear tuned to the street, maybe they don't feel they should do what the younger cats are doing. But my thing is, reinventing yourself is the best thing you could do for yourself, stay on your toes, even in today's music be relevant. That's very important. I'm very happy to say that I'm working with one of my favorite rappers, Ghostface (Killah). That's something, one of my goals I've accomplished. We got a great working relationship The summer of last year, on Allhiphop.com they kinda played with your words and got CL Smooth into getting kinda grimey on you, what do you think of his comments? To me, that is so funny and it's so stupid, so immature for a grown man to speak like that of another grown man when none of the stuff is true in the first place. There's a lot of immaturity there you can see and listen. A lot of people that know me know that I'.m not that type of person and I'm not the type to have poor work ethic. I put out four projects after I left CL Smooth, he's put out nothing, so it's a joke to me. He hasn't put anything out without me. Not one single thing. My whole thing is like "When you wanna do something or it's time for you to do something you always came to me about it but you never been a man and stood on your own two feet and did your own thing" You understand what I'm saying? My whole thing is, the immaturity is never going to change, so I have to move on, that's my old life and it's all about my new life right now. I have a new artist that I'm working on and I'm working with a bunch of new artists on the outside. 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, Tony Yayo, Jim Jones, Papoose. I'm working with all these cats, all the negativity is bull****. Are you guys in a position where you could work together or maintain the friendship? Never! Never ever again and you can quote me on this. That's never gonna happen again, that's like I told you, it's my old life. I don't with nothing bad on the man, I hope the best for him but I've moved on and that's that. There were rumors a while back about you having drug problems, something most artists have to deal with it one point or another in their career, how do you deal with these kind of accusations? Naw, that's some old bull****, never had a drug problem in my life. Only problem I had was music, that's my drug, I get high off that. Never do I let anything interfere with what I do in music. If you had to rate yourself as an emcee and as a producer, out of 10, which would be the highest, what wouldyou give yourself? 10 in the beat making and 8 in the rhyming. It's all a part of what I do, I make beats and I make rhymes in my head. It's like a part of what I do, Pete Rock.

Daily Hip-Hop News: DMC Gets Reality Treatment On VH1 Thursday - February 2, 2006 by Jolene "foxxylady" Petipas Hip hop icon and Run-DMC co-founder Darryl "DMC" McDaniels will reveal the life-altering discovery of his adoption via a VH1 documentary entitled "DMC: My Adoption Journey." While gathering information for his autobiography in 2000, DMC's "mother" revealed to the then 35-year-old that he was adopted. The revelation sent DMC on a journey to find out more about his biological family, and a VH1 film crew was there to capture it all. "My Adoption Journey" will air on February 25, at 9 PM and will be VH1's first reality TV documentary under the VH1 Rock Doc Series. As previously reported by SOHH, the series will also do a feature on TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, which will air later on in the year. DMC will also be releasing his long overdue solo album titled Checks, Thugs and Rock n Roll in March. The album will be released through his own label Rags 2 Riches Records, and will feature appearances from Sarah McLachlan, Ms. Jade, Kid Rock and actor Gary Dourdan ("CSI," "A Different World"), among others. DMC's former partner-in-rhyme Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons enjoyed enormous success when his reality show "Run's House" debuted on MTV late last year. According to Daily Variety, the first four episodes of the show averaged 2.1 million viewers. The show focused on Run as he juggled between his rapping career and raising his five children. MTV ordered a second season of Run's House which is slated to air later on this year. "DMC: My Adpotion Journey" will air on VH1 on February 25 at 9pm, while DMC's solo album, Checks, Thugs and Rock n Roll, is due on March 14.

Columbia would've released Jeff's album and it would've sold as much as "Big Willie Style" if Jeff became a famous actor like Will :kekeke:

Spike Lee Disses Snoop Dogg and Pimp Culture in Black History Month Speech Thursday - February 2, 2006 by Janeé Bolden Spike Lee denounced Snoop Dogg and pimp culture Wednesday night (February 1) during a Black History Month event at the University of Florida. While Lee is best known for directing films-nearly one a year since making She's Gotta Have It in 1986--he's also gained a reputation for outspoken social critique, and his comments at the University of Florida's O'Connell Center were no exception. In addition to making a few jokes about President George W. Bush and his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Lee also used the opportunity to criticize the portrayal of blacks in mass media. "We are bombarded by these ('gangsta') images again and again and again and again . . . They do make a difference on human behavior," Lee told the crowd of over 2,000. "No one gets upset that pimpdom gets elevated on a pedestal." Among Lee's other targets was Soul Plane star Snoop, who he made repeated reference to while deriding the stereotypical images promoted by films and videos. Lee, who has also directed music videos, took issue with the rap music genre's portrayal of women in videos as "hoes" and went so far as to accuse rappers of "cooning" in music videos. "African-Americans are known all over the world from these videos," he said. Aside from his issues with the representation of blacks in media, Lee also advised students to, "find a profession you love so much, you'd do it for free," adding that he felt blessed by his career. "Not many people on this Earth get to do what they love." With a career spanning two decades, Lee has been twice nominated for Academy Awards; first for the 1989 screenplay of the controversial Do The Right Thing and in 1997 for the documentary 4 Little Girls. In addition to his work as a director, Lee is also a faculty member at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master's Degree in Film. For the last four years Lee has served as artistic director of the school's Graduate Division of the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. He's also established grants for minority students. In related news, Lee will also take part in Nickelodeon Network's Black History Month programming, appearing on the "That's What I'm Talking About," a roundtable mini-series hosted by Wayne Brady, which will discuss the perception of Blacks in the US.

Barbers' rap makes the cut on MTV's 'Shop' From l., Bobby, Teddy, producer Cory Rooney, Deb, Van, Pop and Tim THE SHOP. Tonight at 10:30, MTV. There's a lot of promise in MTV's new reality show "The Shop." It's just not delivered in the first episode. "The Shop" is set in Mr. Rooney's Barbershop in Queens, and revolves around a group of barbers and their customers. Mr. Rooney, in this case, is Cory Rooney, a record producer who pops in sometimes, along with real-life music acts such as rapper Tony Yayo and R&B star Chris Brown. Sean "Diddy" Combs, Busta Rhymes and Bobby Brown will visit in future episodes. "A lot of stars come through here," says Rooney at the top of the show. "If it ain't jumpin' off here, it ain't jumpin' off nowhere." Yet, it's not the stars that will make or break this show. In fact, they get in the way. The real barbers are ones to watch and their ongoing banter is what makes the show fun. That back-and-forth ranges from who's supposed to be sweeping the floor, to what they wear, to girlfriends, to music videos and performers. It's a real view into a slice of life displayed before in two "Barbershop" movies starring, among others, Cedric the Entertainer and Ice Cube. "I want to know what happened to Dave Chappelle," inquires one barber. "He might not want to be funny anymore," says another. "Y'all don't know the things they go through." "I want that problem," adds another, "I want to say 'There's too many girls dancing, I can't take it.'" Another riff is on how a barber named Van, described as the rebel of the bunch, refuses to wear a barber coat like the others. "If you want them to respect you as a professional," Rooney tells Van, "you've got to carry yourself as a professional." That, of course, sets them off. "You don't see the dude in McDonald's making a hamburger in his wife-beater [T-shirt]," shouts one. "If a bus driver pulls up and opens the door, and he's got on a throwback [jersey] and Tims [boots]," Rooney says. "You gonna get on that bus?" Says another: "I'm gonna get on that bus, it's a project bus." It's at precisely those moments that the potential of "The Shop" comes shining through. The talk is fast and furious, with the barbers joking, and jockeying to score with funny lines on everyday issues. And that's what needs to be exploited in upcoming episodes. The make-or-break factor for any reality show is whether the audience connects with and cares about the cast. That's true for every show - ranging from "Survivor" to "Laguna Beach." Based on the first installment, there are glimpses of the barber's personalities, though not enough to guarantee the audience is involved. If anything, the celebrity cuts take away from the real stars of the show. When a celebrity is in the chair, the focus is on them, rather than the barbers, and that's too bad. There is one funny celebrity moment, though, that felt real. While Chris Brown is getting his hair cut, Van holds up a copy of Vibe magazine with Brown on the cover. "Chris, why you look darker here?" Van says. "Is it makeup or something?" "Why you hating," Brown asks, as the room busts out laughing. He's laughing, too. It make take a few episodes for this series to jell, but based on the first one, it's worth a return trip for a second look.

well at least he has intentions of cleaning his life up...

:word: i'm like AJ, i don't wanna start fights but i think there's a lot of trash polluting the airwaves out there right now...

The Roots Host Third Annual Jam Session By Kye Stephenson Date: 2/1/2006 4:30 pm The Roots will host their Third Annual Jam Session and the crew is encouraging vocalists, musicians, and aspiring artists to take part in the five-hour session Feb. 7 at Key Club in West Hollywood, CA. This year's gathering will be hosted by Roots frontman Black Thought, comedian Dave Chappelle, and actor Don Cheadle. The invitation-only event is presented by Dave Chappelle's Block Party in association with Live for Darfur. “Most industry parties are a little too stuffy and are limited to performances by one or two artists,” says Roots founder and drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. “We created this event in order to put the focus back on the music and give major artists as well as new talent a chance to take part in a business and musical exchange.” The anticipated guest list includes Jay-Z, Common, Will Smith, Mos Def, Will.I.Am, Talib Kweli and Kanye West, among others. As with last year's session, the event will be produced by Okayplayer.com, Goodtime Girl Productions and Keldof Productions. Live for Darfur, co-chaired by Don Cheadle and Djimon Hounsou, is a worldwide campaign that rallies high-profile artists to help raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, Africa. More information is available at www.savedarfur.org.

don't be calling stuff that some of us like trash then we won't diss who you like...

hey thezone i find it kinda ironic that you call a deep song like this trash when you listen to lil' kim...