bigted

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...

Cassidy Talks Recent Conviction By Chris Richburg Date: 1/31/2006 2:10 pm Rapper Cassidy is speaking out for the first time since being sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison last week, after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault. The rapper was convicted by Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan of being negligent in providing guns and ammunition to assailants that eventually killed Desmond Hawkins, a 22-year-old Philadelphia man. "While I am pleased that I was cleared of the murder charges, my satisfaction is not long-lasting, because of the death of someone who I considered to be my friend, Des Hawkins. And while I am eager to resume my career as a recording artist, writer and performer, I am also eager to be reunited with my family, friends, and fans," Cassidy said in a statement via his defense attorney, Fortunato Perri. "I too share the important message stated in court by Des's dad, who urged all parents to love their children, and to be there for them. As the father of a young child myself, spending much time on the road and in the studio, away from home, I am relieved that I will soon be home for family and my career." Cassidy could possibly be out of jail in a few months because of time already served. The rapper has been incarcerated since June 2005. Despite his current status, Cassidy is looking ahead as he prepares to head back into the studio with producer Swizz Beatz to record a new album. Swizz said that when Cassidy gets out, they would not "promote this situation as a cocky and violent situation, but as a blessed situation" "I'd like to first thank radio and all of his fans for their love and support during this time," Swizz said. "Cass will continue to make great music, but in a positive way, educating the youth that violence is never the answer. We'll do the rest of the talking with the music." Cassidy's record label, Full Surface/J, will release a new single titled "Cassidy (The Anthem)" Feb. 28. The track, which was not featured on Cassidy's latest album, I'm A Hustla, will also be available as a master ringtone via all carriers Jan. 31, while the digital single will be available for download Feb. 14

:word: That's a hot interview!!

The timing of the release of "Born To Reign" is what did it in the most, it was release in between promoting "MIBII" and filming "Bad Boys II", there was no time whatsoever to promote it, at least Will did some performances during the release of "Lost and Found"...

since i was 15, i'm almost 21 so i'm closing in on 6 years, i don't plan on stopping anytime soon

RIP, we lost another strong woman that was an inspiration for many

Will's gonna have to start fighting A&R's!! :bat:

Well they ain't really that commercial, I'm talking about a most of those sellin' millions and are constantly in rotation on MTV, I don't even feel like mentioning their names 'cause they get discussed so much, lol, all I wanna say is I ain't really feelin' them and I'm gonna leave it at that, I'm not trying to knock anyone who listens to them though, that's their choice but I'm bored with it...

Yeah it's probably my favorite r&b song out now, I was listening to Hot 97 last night and I heard them play a remix featuring LL Cool J

Well Outkast is true hip-hop miles ahead of all the other wack crews on the charts right now, they're like the LL Cool J of groups, in a class of their own, I'm looking forward to their movie and their soundtrack, they always put out something innovative, btw Big Boi's gonna be another movie with TI called "Atl" that comes out at the end of March which was executive produced by Will Smith so check out for that too, finally somethings to look forward to...

Yeah you really can't be tired of real hiphop but you can be tired of commercial rap, hiphop won't ever die but I think commercial rap will die unless something groundbreaking happens soons, FP and LL can't carry it forever, somebody new needs to come along and take the game to the next level, you see those who are topping the charts should be setting the standard artistically but they just ain't, they're too busy dissin' each other over who's the richest rapper alive, it's just all about getting money instead of saving the art, there's no leadership, "Lost and Found" could've been something that would've changed the game but it wasn't properly supported, FP's the perfect example of a hip-hop leader, if he were selling 5 million right now a lot of great things would be happening now 'cause it'd take him a lot of hard work to get there which would inspire up and coming rappers but look who got there through hype and you see why there's so much crap, people look at them commercial cats selling millions and being all arrogant, crying over awards and all that stupid crap and so a lot of the younger rappers like Bow Wow consider them real for doing that so they try to do the same and they diss the real mcs like FP that've been putting it down before all these clowns had a record deal, there's no respect for the pioneers and that's the problem too, that's why commercial rap is the way it is, I could applaud Juelz Santana for putting Rakim in his video, I don't see many of the younger rappers showing love to those who paved the way when they get on top.... I just don't see that hunger on the commercial rap scene anymore, there's just a bunch of copy cat rappers who just rap about gettin' the money, well I ain't gonna go broke buying into those gimmicks, lol, I got bills to pay myself, these wack rappers ain't gonna pay my rent so I ain't gonna support them if they put out crap, lol...

I think that happened to both Biggie and Pac, after they died everyone jumped on the bandwagon, including some rappers that used to diss them when they were alive, they weren't called the best rappers ever wehn they were alive, I like Pac more than Biggie but with all the wack mcs out you could say Biggie is one of the top ever, with the sorry state of hip-hop right now actually works favor of their legacy

Will always talks highly about Biggie, he should've been allowed to on that Biggie album, and he definately should've been on one of the 2Pac they put out after his death but I see they put mostly younger rappers on them that they wouldn't even work with but I'm sure they'd work with Will before a lot of them if they were alive still...

Happy Birthday Joe!

Solitary refinement liberates OutKast Now moving into film, the hip-hop duo continues its habit of acting separately together. By Chris Lee Special to The Times January 29, 2006 You'd be forgiven for jumping to the wrong conclusion about OutKast's film debut. With both members of the Grammy-winning, multimillion-selling rap duo receiving top billing in the upcoming big-screen musical "Idlewild," logic dictates that it must be, well, an OutKast movie. An exercise in OutKast chemistry and musical solidarity à la the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night." The film casts Antwan "Big Boi" Patton as Rooster, a hustler with a heart of gold who operates a Prohibition-era speak-easy and gets caught up in a gangster turf grab. André "André 3000" Benjamin plays Percival Jenkins, a mortician turned piano player (and Rooster's childhood homeboy), who must walk a moral tightrope while struggling to reconcile his love life and musical ambitions. Those narrative arcs, however, converge only briefly. In the film as in real life, they keep face time to a minimum while their fates remain inextricably linked. "It's not like we were filming together," says Benjamin, brushing off questions about his musical partner's acting ability. "It's only two scenes we have together in the whole movie." Patton puts a finer point on their nonscreen chemistry. "People are expecting a 'Beverly Hills Cop'-type of buddy movie," he says. "That's not what this is." And so it goes with the most unconventional platinum-plus relationship in hip-hop. "Idlewild" is set to arrive in March after 10 months of release date push-backs and cost overruns, voluminous fan conjecture about OutKast's demise and much hand-wringing by executives at both the group's LaFace/Jive Records and the film's distributor, Universal. Keeping with the formula that resulted in 2003's boundary-pushing blockbuster, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" — a double album born of what had been, essentially, two solo projects — the film was conceived as a starring vehicle for both rappers, despite the disparity in their movie résumés. Benjamin has several films to his credit, including "Four Brothers" and last year's "Be Cool," while Patton had never acted before. "The go-to is, André is the lead and Big is the supporting character," says the film's writer-director, Bryan Barber. "I wanted a film where both characters were leads. I balanced them screen time-wise and story-wise." Benjamin and Patton's on-set days rarely overlapped during the movie's 3 1/2-month shoot in Wilmington, N.C. And keeping the two visually separate is a crucial part of the film's impact, says Barber, a music video ace making his feature debut with "Idlewild." "I didn't want to create a 'rapper movie,' " Barber says. "My first piece of advice was, 'I don't think you should do anything together. I want you guys to be characters.' Them being in a lot of scenes together — that would have made them OutKast." Yet being OutKast — the pimp-strutting funkateers responsible for transcendent hits such as "Hey Ya," "I Like the Way You Move" and "Miss Jackson" that put Southern hip-hop on the map — is precisely what got the film a green light from HBO Films. It was envisioned originally as a straight-to-cable release with a $1.5-million budget, but Universal acquired the theatrical rights last year after seeing early footage. Heavyweight actors like Terrence Howard and Ving Rhames as well as R&B stars including Patti LaBelle and Macy Gray joined the cast. Platoons of dancers and choreographers were enlisted. And eventually, "Idlewild's" budget ballooned to $27 million. That makes the strategy of minimizing the rappers' screen time together seem like a risky move that could undercut the film's primary selling point. But dating to their platinum-selling 1998 album "Aquemini" — and unbeknownst to most OutKast fans — doing their own thing has been a recipe for the group's success. "We're both producing writers, we both control every aspect of the music," says Patton. "So we don't have to be in the same room to make music. Sometimes, to put your own vision out, you have to be in your own space." Working in solitude Case in point: the "Idlewild" soundtrack (due March 7), their first new music as a group in three years. Patton and Benjamin have recorded their respective contributions at studios in different parts of their hometown, Atlanta. As recently as two weeks ago, the album was unfinished without so much as a lead single chosen. And the rappers continued to work in solitude, meeting briefly every few days. "I'm an only child, so I sit at home and get them to a point where I can feel good about my tracks. I never have anyone around," says Benjamin, up for a Grammy after producing two tracks on Gwen Stefani's album-of-the-year nominee "Love.Angel.Music.Baby." "You know how you sing the best while you're in the shower? That's the deal. "I do music, put a few tracks on the CD, drop by the studio. 'Hey, Big Boi, what do you think of it?' 'I love it!' And Big Boi'd write to it. Sometimes he comes up with cool stuff." They've been fast friends since a chance meeting at an Atlanta-area shopping mall when they were in the 10th grade, but Patton dismisses the notion that he and Benjamin have become like an old married couple, uncommunicative and staying together more out of convenience than passion. While acknowledging that their careers have veered onto separate courses in the years since "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below," he likens their relationship to that of brothers. Further, with hip-hop's shift away from the rapid vocal interplay style OutKast was known for in the early to mid-'90s, the rappers' physical distance has become even less of a hindrance to their creativity. "It's not like on our first, second, third albums where we would tag team on rhymes in the studio," Patton says. "Now we're doing our 16, 32 bars" of music, "and however many bars you're doing, it's just you." They haven't produced a dud; every OutKast album has enjoyed at least platinum sales. And while Benjamin refuses to close the door on the prospect of taking a break from the group or completing a solo project, Patton insists predictions of OutKast's demise are premature. "We've gotten older. Your agenda starts to change," he says. "Dre wanted to pursue movies. I was doing my record company, Purple Ribbon Entertainment. We're pursuing different avenues of entertainment. We're still gonna do another OutKast album in a couple of years." What makes OutKast run Barber, director of many of the group's most famous videos, including "Hey Ya," "Roses" and "The Whole World," has known Patton and Benjamin since 1998, when he was a film student at Clark Atlanta University. Collaborating closely with Benjamin over the years, he has written various OutKast screenplays and shaped "Idlewild" from a disparate array of source material: stylized 1930s historical drama, ragtime-imbued hip-hop and biographical vignettes from all three men's lives. Largely responsible for visually branding the group with his alternately ecstatic and quirkily narrative videos, he is well positioned to appraise what makes OutKast run. "One rounds out the other, one helps the other succeed," Barber says. "Big Boi is urban. The underground. André is pop culture. Those things come together, pop and street, and make the perfect combination." The latest on a short list of African American period films, Barber calls "Idlewild" a "gumbo" of genres. It mixes shoot-'em-up action, melodrama and musical comedy to achieve something he describes as a "feel-good movie like 'Chicago' or 'Moulin Rouge.' " For Barber, the penultimate scene of the film — one of the few in which Benjamin and Patton appear together — crystallizes the partnership. "It's a scene shot from behind, as they're walking out the door," Barber says. "They say goodbye, but then the two of them walk away together. "You know they're each gonna be successful and they'll always be the friends that they were when they started. For the people that know those guys and their struggle who see it, it's kinda heavy. You feel their growth. And their love."

Yeah "Ms. Holy Roller" is probably the least radio friendly track on the album, I can't see it getting airplay...Honestly "Parter Starter" is one of the most radio friendly songs on the album and how well did that do? The radio doesn't wanna give Will a chance to begin with so they wouldn't give his serious songs a chance either, Will might have to buy his own radio station, lol...

Nas said that he wanted to start something new in an interview, maybe that means Bravehearts are retiring, a lot of the other artists that were on Ill Will ended up having beef with him and they left anyway, did Nas ever sign Quan to Ill Will?...

:word: That'd be awesome! :2thumbs: