Has he learned NOTHING from the Cristal fiasco? Apparently not, because the article continues:
“I have to talk like that”–he flashed a gang hand-sign–“and speak like that”–he flashed another gang hand-sign–“and move like that”–he grabbed his crotch–“and it’s ridiculous!” Now he was shouting. “What we bring into the market was always innovative, and I feel now I am trapped and I have to just talk the same way, like I have to have skulls and some kind of snakes. It’s boring, it’s really boring!””
Akon Speaks Out Against Explicit Lyrics In Music
R&B singer Akon has echoed music mogul Russell Simmons’ call for hip-hop to be censored for broadcast, declaring the urban scene is “talented enough to write lyrics” without curse words.
Simmons believes recording and broadcasting authorities shoulder censor the words n**ger, bitches and ‘hos from hip-hop, which has caused controversy within the urban music industry.
Akon agrees the words are negative and there’s no need for their placing in hit songs.
He says, “I think words like that are not necessarily needed in the song to make it a hit.
“Me personally, I would have no problem getting rid of it, words on any record for anybody, I think we are talented enough to write lyrics for songs without using that type of language. I think it’s a good thing for the positivity of hip-hop in general.
“And at the same time, I look at it like, words in general, stuff like that, words are only what you make it. At the end of the day, it’s just a word – it wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t react on it, so it’s more of a mindstate, people just have to be willing to change.”
(L note: isnt the same guy who sung “I wanna F*ck you”?)
Cassidy Addresses Claims Of Dissing 50, Lil Wayne, & TI
Gearing up for the release of his third LP, B.A.R.S. (The Barry Adrien Reese Story), Philadelphia rapper Cassidy has been hard at work as of late.
After taking time off due to a near fatal car accident, Cass has returned to the industry with a vengeance dropping numerous mixtapes and freestyles—some of which are speculated to be disses towards 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and T.I.
In a recent interview with Real Talk NY, Cass took the opportunity to address the speculation. “Every time I do an interview, they always think that. Crazy part about it is, I never even mentioned anyone’s name—So for people to think that I was referring to certain people, it’s like the streets are telling them what I said is true. It’s gotta be true if the person listening automatically jumps to that conclusion” said Cass.
“I didn’t say any of it to start any trouble, but I’m in the streets everyday, and I know what people in the streets are saying. People have been saying, “oh that hustler dance, I’ve seen that some where, or that I get money, I’ve heard it before, or even split personality” So I just decided it to say it in songs cause it’s what they were saying to me.” He Continued.
“I’m not trying to cause any problems because I know I’m not going to benefit from it. I know the dudes that think I’m talking about them or even the ones that know I’m talking about them, I know they don’t want any real trouble either. The business and the people around it are not kids, so I know they don’t really want real beef, it’ll just be some industry stuff.
They can stay on that industry stuff and say what they say, the same way I can say what I wanna say. I said “I never kissed my dad, I don’t get my lil wayne on.”
I’m not trying to diss em, I’m just saying how I feel. I mean, he’s not even really his biological father—and even if he was, you still shouldn’t be kissing him in the mouth and I’ll never approve of that. There’s no way that you can word it to make me approve of that, so I’m going to let that be known. But if you do approve of it, then fuck it, you approve of it, and I don’t. He’s just saying, he does it and I don’t, I’m cool with that.
It’s not a diss is just saying you do something different than what I like to do” said Cass.
B.A.R.S. is currently scheduled for a September 14th release.
Bob Dylan Agrees To Hip-Hop Remix Of One Of His Songs
In a monumental move, Bob Dylan has agreed to let producer Mark Ronson do a Hip-Hop remix of one of his songs.
According to the UK Times, Ronson will remix Dylan’s “Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” from his 1967 album “Blonde on Blonde.”
The song will debut next week on BBC Radio 1 on the Zane Lowe show.
“It’s the first time Bob Dylan has given anyone the original multi-tracks of his songs to do remixes,” Ronson told The Times. “I’m a huge Dylan fan, so it’s a great honor, along with the fact that he heard it and approved it, because, as you imagine, he’d be quite picky.”
Ronson and Columbia Records UK Managing Director Mike Smith decided on the song due to its “rhythmic breakbeat” and deep lyrical content.
“We hope the fans will see this as an addition to the canon, not a desecration,” Smith said. “It’s a new interpretation of Bob’s world and adds to the mystery. We all approached the remix with respect and awe.”
A member of duo Floetry is being replaced.
Natalie Stewart has reportedly been replaced by rapper/MTV personality Amanda Diva, who will join current Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius on The Floetry Remixed Tour.
At press time, is it unclear if the change is permanent of just for the date of the tour. …
VH1 & ?uestlove Search The Net For Aspiring Producers
VH1 & The Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson have joined forces for an online competition titled “The Score,” which will seek out an aspiring producer to craft the official soundtrack for this year’s “VH1 Hip Hop Honors.”
Contestants can post sixty second beats at thescore.vh1.com and three finalists will be selected by a panel of music industry judges. Viewers will then decide the winner via online voting.
The winner will be mentored by ?uestlove during a session where the winning score will be professionally produced. The winner will also receive show credit and will be flown to New York for the taping of the “VH1 The Hip Hop Honors” program in October.
Now in its fourth year, “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” continues to pay homage to icons of the hip-hop culture through performances from today’s talent. Past honorees have included Big Daddy Kane, The Notorious B.I.G., the movie Boyz N Da Hood, LL Cool J, Eazy-E and MC Lyte, to name a few.
This year’s “VH1 Hip Hop Honors” will be hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan and will pay tribute to Snoop Dogg, Whodini, Missy Elliott, Wild Style’s 25th Anniversary and producers Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell.
“VH1 Hip Hop Honors” will air on October 8 at 10 p.m.
will.i.am’s Up-Coming Solo Album To Feature Only One Guest
Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am says he’s “really excited and nervous at the same time” about becoming a solo artist with the Sept. 25 release of “Songs About Girls.”
“I was like, ‘How and why should I put out a solo project?’ I could just do another Black Eyed Peas record,” he tells Billboard.com. The hook, he says, was making “Songs About Girls” a semi-autobiographical conceptual piece “where all the songs could tell a story of falling in love, falling out of love, trying to get back in love, destructing love and destroying love and then starting a new situation. That journey is what makes this unique.”
The first single from “Songs About Girls,” a club track called “I Got It From My Mama,” is currently on its way to Top 40 and Rhythm Crossover stations. The album features only one guest star, Snoop Dogg, on the electroclash-styled track “Donque.”
Besides the album’s 12 songs, will.i.am shot videos for eight of the tracks and stitched them together into “a movie about making a movie” that will accompany the CD. The album will also include a new digital platform developed by will.i.am and Interscope Record chief Jimmy Iovine that allows fans to share in revenues generated by sales and sharing of the player.
will.i.am plans to perform some of the “Songs About Girls” material live when Black Eyed Peas hit the road for a two-month international tour on Sept. 4 in Israel. The group will play in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and Mexico but not in North America. “There’s no Black Eyed Peas record out,” he explains, “and America’s weird like that. If you ain’t got nothing in the marketplace, (the fans) ain’t showing up.”
ICE-T GOES BACK TO HIS FIRST LOVE
Although to prime-time TV addicts, he’s probably best known for his most recent role as a police detective, Ice-T is going back to the talent that put him on the map: rapping.
Next month the actor/rapper will perform as part of concert tour featuring Mano Brown, MV Bill, Black Alien and others. The concert kicks off August 9 in Sao Paulo and will move to Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Porto Alegre.
Born Tracy Marrow, Ice-T is one of the original gangster rappers. His 1992 song “Cop Killer,” performed with his heavy-metal band Body Count, landed him at the center of a controversy.
These days Ice-T portrays Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on NBC’s series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
UNCUTmagazine.net 