~~~

WEEZY GETTING THAT PRE-ALBUM PRESS POPPIN':

Rapper Lil’ Wayne was arrested near Yuma, Arizona by law enforcement officials and members of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) last night (January 22).

While details are sketchy, it reported that the rapper is in the custody of the Yuma County Sheriff’s Department and will be arraigned on felony charges of possessing dangerous drugs, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The rapper is scheduled to appear in court today (January 23).

Lil’ Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, performed at the Tucson Convention center on Sunday (January 20) as part of the “The Tucson Takeover” concert.

WWW.ALLHIPHOP.COM

~~~

CHUCK D SEES THE FUTURE STILL:

By Roman Wolfe

While Public Enemy’s Chuck D. may not have been appointed to the President of Def Jam as he had hoped, the pioneering Hip-Hop artist continues to make strides in the digital arena, as he joins the board of advisors for Music Intelligence Solutions Inc.

Music Intelligence Solutions’ global headquarters are based in San Francisco, California, while the European offices are based in Barcelona, Spain.

The company uses patented technology that helps consumers, social networks, mobile users, artists and media companies discover and share music and visual media.

"Online services have helped address the 'availability' problem for music, but consumers and artists are still frustrated by a lack of 'visibility' to easily connect great artists with potential fans," Chuck D said. "Music Intelligence Solutions…can solve the visibility problem better than any other technology that I have seen."

According to Chuck D., the company’s "Music Universe" and "Hit Song Science" technology driven products that recommend songs and predicts the success of digital music and rich media convinced him to join the board of advisors.

Music Intelligence Solutions is run by David Meredith, who served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at VeriSign, the leading provider of digital infrastructure for the networked world.

At VeriSign, Meredith successfully managed the growth of the Wireless Commerce Division, which served over 150 communication and media customers globally.

"Earlier this decade, Chuck D correctly predicted the timing of one million artists going online and today that number has exploded to over 10 million artists worldwide with their own profiles on social networking sites," Meredith added. "Having toured with Public Enemy as well as lectured at universities in 52 countries, Chuck D has a global perspective that will be invaluable as we leverage our patented music discovery offering -- Music Intelligence Universe™, and unique market potential prediction solution -- Hit Song Science™ to enable consumers, record labels and mobile carriers to find quality songs and artists across all genres and languages worldwide."

For more information visit: http://www.uplaya.com.

~~~

WORD TO KOOL HERC AND ALL THE PIONEERING THINGS DONE IN THE WORLD BY JAMAICANS!!! :)



By Mike Winslow and Jamile Karout

As pioneer Kool Herc attempts to realize his dream of purchasing a historical landmark noted for birthing Hip-Hop culture, the legendary DJ took time out to thank slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for his message of brotherhood and equality.

"Dr. King’s dream still goes on," Kool Herc told AllHipHop.com. "Little black boys and little white girls break dancing together and rapping together. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream still lives on, happy birthday to you Dr. King."

Today (January 21) is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day in the United States.

Dr. King, who was born January 15, was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a legendary African-American figure who fought for civil rights in the United States and protested the Vietnam war, using non-violent tactics.

He delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during a March on Washington in 1963 and the following year, Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent attempts to end segregation .

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Kool Herc, who is regarded as the founder of Hip-Hop, noted that the genre of music has unified people all across the world, despite race, religion, creed or culture.

The DJ is calling upon Hip-Hop fans across the world to help save the genre’s birthplace at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.

Last week Kool Herc, New York Senator Charles Schumer and residents at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue unveiled a tenant-sponsored plan to buy the affordable housing project to prevent it from sold to a private investment group.

~~~

"I GOT 99 PROBLEMS AND A BEEYOTCH AIN'T ONE!" - WORD TO OBAMA:



~~~

THE KARMA MONSTER WILL STILL BITE BUSTA RHYMES, I KNOW IT:

Busta Rhymes cut a deal with prosecutors in New York earlier today (January 23) that will keep him out of prison on two assault charges. According to the Associated Press, the rapper agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor assault charges and was sentenced to 10 days community service and three years probation. If he violates the probation, he will face up to one year behind bars. The charges stem from two separate incidents in which a former employee and a New York man said the rapper assaulted them. Busta was also facing a DUI charge for an arrest on May 3, 2007. According to TMZ.com, he was ordered to pay a $750 fine and enroll in a drunk driving program. In relation to another separate count of driving with a suspended license, Busta will lose his driver’s license for a period of six months. In July, Busta rejected a plea deal offered by the district attorney that would have landed him in prison for one year.

WWW.XXLMAG.COM

~~~

PUFFY, DIDDY... HE WANTS TO BE KNOWN AS SEAN JOHN NOW... HE'LL ALWAYS BE PUFF DADDY TO ME:



I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOT, BUT HE'S GOT ...SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT IT THOUGH, HA HA

~~~

WU-TANG CLAN REALLY AIN'T NUTTIN' TA FUCK WITH... EVEN 15 YEARS LATER:

The Wu-Tang Clan packed their two Hammerstein Ballroom shows this week, but they didn’t exactly stage a triumphant comeback. Despite a remarkable new album, 8 Diagrams, the prevailing attitude is that the group has descended into the ranks of nostalgia acts. And the feeling’s understandable, given, among other things, the seemingly intractable inter-Wu beef — both RZA and the tracks off 8 Diagrams, which he produced, have been absent from the tour.

It’s only RZA’s show in the studio, though; live, it’s Method Man and the Wuettes. Last night, the second show, Meth was his usual animated self, crowd-walking (crowd-surfing upright, that is), bouncing, synchronized style, with whoever was in the spotlight, and even nonchalantly tossing Ghostface a mike from across the stage. Even better, though, was during an Inspectah Deck verse, when the rest of the crew ducked down in respect, looking like ninjas ready to pounce. (And we couldn’t get enough of Ghost’s Coca-Cola polo — dude’s been saving up those UPCs!)

During the ODB tribute, Meth trotted out what appeared to be Dirty’s entire extended family; the crowd screamed “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” and the Jones family screamed it right back. The warm fuzzies were flying later, too, as Raekwon professed his love for New York. But then after the set-closing “Triumph,” there was Diddy, tossing up the W, and Tracy Morgan, once again doing nothing to distinguish himself from his 30 Rock alter ego. Rae took the opportunity to declare that “Wu still play a major part in hip-hop.” He seemed as unsure as the rest of us. —Amos Barshad

~~~

LIL KIM HAS NO MAJOR LABEL EITHER NOW... WITH FOXY AND REMY NOW IN TH SAME BOAT, ALL THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS COLUMBIA DROPPING LAURYN, AND THE EXTRICATION OF BLACK WOMEN FROM MAJOR LABEL STATUS IS COMPLETE! EVE IS PUSHED BACK TIL NEVERUARY 33, 2066 AND HER NEXT ALBUM WILL BE HER LAST:

Lil Kim has reportedly been released from her contract with Atlantic Records. In a recent article, Billboard.com cites her comments during an appearance on DJ Kay Slay’s Shade45 radio show “Streetsweeper Radio” as confirmation of the split. During the interview, Kim noted that she harbors no ill feelings towards the label but is eager to release her next album independently. The diminutive Brooklyn MC is rumored to be in negotiations with Imperial Records, the independent division of Capitol Music Group that Fat Joe is currently signed to. While Billboard was unable to confirm the move with any of Kim’s representatives, she did state that she feels prepared to work her next project without the backing of a major label. Her last full length project was 2005’s The Naked Truth, which has scanned 394,000 copies to date according to Nielsen Soundscan. Her as-of-yet untitled new album is now scheduled for release in April or May.

~~~

AND FOXY IS FUCKED:

Judge Seeks Info on Brown's Ear Woes

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge says she wants more information before she decides whether to let rapper Foxy Brown get out of jail and go to California for repair of an electronic ear implant. Acting state Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson said Thursday she wanted proof of Brown's claim that deafness looms unless she goes to Los Angeles' House Clinic for treatment and for repair of a defective cochlear implant.

Brown, 29, revealed her hearing problems during a court appearance in late 2004. Her petition says her condition is worsening in jail and her hearing faces serious harm unless she has the cochlear implant reprogrammed and repaired.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was sentenced in September 2007 to a year in jail for violating probation.

The judge had put her on probation after she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of two manicurists at a Manhattan nail salon in August 2004.

Brown's lawyer, Laura Dilimetin, told the judge she was asking her to amend her client's sentence so she could make the medically necessary trip to the West Coast.

Assistant District Attorney Cindy Chung objected, saying Brown had offered nothing to show the medical procedure could not be done in New York. She said a jail inmate has no right to the doctor of her choice.

Chung also opposed the request to amend Brown's sentence.

"The mere existence of a debilitating health condition does not merit a sentence reduction, even if it is a terminal illness," the prosecutor told the judge. "Basically, your honor, this is a desperate and frivolous petition."

The judge ordered Dilimetin to give the hip-hop diva's medical records to the district attorney, the Department of Correction and the Department of Probation so they could file position papers. She said the records would be sealed.

"I need to have more information on this," the judge said.

Before being led out of the courtroom, Brown told the judge she had had a lot of time to think and had learned a lot in jail, including how to suppress her emotions and make better decisions.

"I have too much talent to throw it away," Brown said. "I know I will make you proud and my family proud."

The judge told the rapper, "I'm glad you're learning some very hard lessons that needed to be learned."

~~~

BOO-URNS:



~~~

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM.......

Rap Music… Who The Fuck Cares?!?

I am officially old and washed up. I have been in denial for the last several years in part because the music I enjoyed during my youth was still populated by artists that I enjoyed listening to when I was a bit younger. Even though these artists found it increasingly difficult to produce and release new music just their presence reassured me that I still belonged among them. When the realization finally hit me that I no longer belonged it was colder than ice cold water to my face. I remember this feeling many years ago when this little Philipino chick that I was crushing on sent word through one of my friends that she didn’t like me that way. Heartbreak doesn’t even go deep enough.

I found myself at the wrap party for The Wire last night(more on that later) and my homey from Brooklyn Bodega told me to leave rap music alone. I was too old. It no longer was for me. I resisted. In my mind I begged rap music to reconsider my feelings. We did have good times together didn’t we? Sure I dated soul, funk, jazz and rock music on the side, but that was for sample sources, so that I could become a better lover of rap music. I always came back didn’t I? Rap music unfortunately had moved on. There was no time for a guy like me who had all of these lofty demands.

Here I am trying to espouse complex socio-economic themes and heaven forbid, polysyllabic rhyme schemes while rap music has moved in the direction of songs based on guttural expressions like ‘Yaaah’. This isn’t the fault of Soulja Boy either even though he failed the 9th grade twice before dropping out of high school. I can relate to his plight since I have a G.E.D. my damn self. His triumphant satisfaction with lyrical mediocrity was already trumpeted by the crapper Mims when he said that “I can sell a mill saying nothing on the track”.

This is a scary moment for me. Someone please cue up that song from Rose Royce ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’.

So where do I go from here? I suppose I could go back into my funk mode, but lord knows that shit only sounds good with reefer. I love Coltrane ’til deaf, but his music just doesn’t make my head nod unless its sampled by the Bomb Squad. I supposed I could pull some 1980’s new wave shit out for a minute, but when you listen to too much Soft Cell that shit gives you a vagina like HGH. I think its time for me to pull out my Bad Brains and The Clash albums. No one is talking that hardbody social justice shit anymore. The revolution always gets co-opted and silkscreened onto a t-shirt like Che Guevara.

The future of rap music was going to be Joell Ortiz and Saigon with NaS leading the way through the darkness. My problem was that I refused to believe that Hip-Hop died way back in 1979 with the release of the ghost-written classic ‘Rapper’s Delight’. Ever since that moment when three total strangers were assembled to form the SugarHill Gang rap music has been a contrived, commodified commercial corpse. There’s no point in giving this carcass Detox. It’s been dead for thirty years.

http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=18651

~~~

I GOTTA SEE THIS FUCKING SHOW!

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/what-do-real-thugs-think-of-the-wire/

January 9, 2008, 9:36 am
What Do Real Thugs Think of The Wire?
By Sudhir Venkatesh

Sudhir Venkatesh has become pretty well known in these parts as an authority on the inner workings of criminal street gangs. His new book is out tomorrow; but today, here’s a great post from him about watching “The Wire” with some of the kind of guys who are portrayed in it.

Ever since I began watching HBO’s The Wire, I felt that the show was fairly authentic in terms of its portrayal of modern urban life — not just the world of gangs and drugs, but the connections between gangland and City Hall, the police, the unions, and practically everything else. It certainly accorded with my own fieldwork in Chicago and New York. And it was much better than most academic and journalistic reportage in showing how the inner city weaves into the social fabric of a city.

Last year, I learned a lot by watching a few episodes of The Wire with gang leaders in Chicago. So, a few weeks ago, I called a few respected street figures in the New York metro region to watch the upcoming fifth season. I couldn’t think of a better way to ensure quality control.

For the first episode, we gathered in the Harlem apartment of Shine, a 43-year-old half Dominican, half African-American man who managed a gang for fifteen years before heading to prison for a ten-year drug trafficking sentence. I invited older guys like Shine, most of whom had retired from the drug trade, because they would have greater experience with rogue cops, political toughs, and everyone else that makes The Wire so appealing. They affectionately named our gathering “Thugs and ‘Cuz.” (I was told that the “‘cuz” — short for “cousin” — was for me.)

There was plenty of popcorn, ribs, bad domestic beer, and fried pork rinds with hot sauce on hand. The pork rinds, apparently the favorite of the American thug, ran out so quickly that one of the low-ranking gang members in attendance was dispatched to acquire several more bags.
Here’s a quick-and-dirty summary of the evening’s highlights:

1. The Bunk is on the take. Much to my chagrin (since he is my favorite character), the consensus in the room was that the Bunk was guilty. In the words of Shine, “He’s too good not to be profiting. I got nothing against him! But he’s definitely in bed with these street [thugs].” Many had known of Bunk’s prowess as a detective from past episodes. The opening scene, in which he craftily obtains a confession, reinforced their view that the Bunk is too good not to be hiding something.

2. Prediction No. 1: McNulty and the Bunk will split. The observation regarding Bunk’s detective work led to a second agreement, namely that McNulty or Bunk will be taken down — shot, arrested, or killed. This was closely tied to the view that McNulty and Bunk will come into conflict. The rationale? Everyone felt that Marlo, Proposition Joe, or another high-ranking gang leader must have close (hitherto unexplained) ties with one of these two detectives. “Otherwise,” Kool-J, an ex-drug supplier from Northern New Jersey, observed, “there ain’t no way they could be meeting in a Holiday Inn!” Orlando, a Brooklyn based ex-gang leader, believed the ambitions of Bunk and McNulty would run into each other. “One of them will be taken down. Either the white boy gets drunk and shoots some [guy] ‘cause he’s so pissed, or Bunk gives him up to solve a case!”

3. The greatest uproar occurred when the upstart Marlo challenged the veteran Prop Joe in the co-op meeting. “If Prop Joe had balls, he’d be dead in 24 hours!” Orlando shouted. “But white folks [who write the series] always love to keep these uppity [characters] alive. No way he’d survive in East New York more than a minute!” A series of bets then took place. All told, roughly $8,000 was wagered on the timing of Marlo’s death. The bettors asked me — as the neutral party — to hold the money. I delicately replied that my piggy bank was filled up already.

4. Carcetti is a fool. Numerous observers commented on the Baltimore Mayor’s lack of “juice” and experience when it came to working with the feds. The federal police, in their opinion, love to come in and disrupt local police investigations by invoking the federal racketeering (“RICO”) statutes as a means of breaking up drug-trafficking rings. “When feds bring in RICO, local guys feel like they got no [power],” Tony-T explained, offering some empathy to local police who get neutered during federal busts. “White boy [a.k.a. Carcetti], if he knew what he was doing, would keep them cops on Marlo just long enough to build a case — then he would trade it to the feds to get what he wanted.” Others chimed in, saying that the writers either didn’t understand this basic fact, or they wanted to portray Carcetti as ignorant.

The evening ended with a series of additional wagers: Tony-T accepted challenges to his claim that Bunk dies by the end of the season; Shine proposed that Marlo would kill Prop Joe; the youngest attendee, the 29-year-old Flavor, placed $2,500 on Clay Davis escaping indictment and revealing his close ties with Marlo.

I felt obliged to chime in: I wagered $5 that the circulation of the Baltimore Sun will double, attracting a takeover by Warren Buffet by Episode 4. No one was interested enough to take my bet. Stay tuned.

~~~

AND PART TWO:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/what-do-real-thugs-think-of-the-wire-part-two/

What Do Real Thugs Think of The Wire? Part Two

By Sudhir Venkatesh

Last week, Freakonomics guest blogger Sudhir Venkatesh sat down with a group of current and former gang members to watch “The Wire.” This week, he took time out from touring for his new book (see reviews here, here, and here) to meet up with them again for Episode Two.

What price, a cop? I posed this question to several self-described “thugs” after the airing of the second episode of The Wire, season five. Once I saw Detective McNulty tamper with a homicide scene — apparently hoping to raise speculation that a serial killer is at large in Baltimore — I knew that the ex-gangsters would be salivating. And I was right.

“White boy would be my bitch in about five minutes,” said Shine, a 43-year-old self-proclaimed “New Yorker to the core,” referring to the rogue detective. “When you see a cop losing his head like that — drinking, acting crazy — you go after it. That’s like m—er f—ing Christmas in the ‘hood!”

And so my lesson on policing, ghetto-style, began.

Shine explained that the greatest prize for the thug is a cop on the take — or one willing to start down that road. “Just look at Prop Joe,” he said matter-of-factly. “Ain’t no way a fat man like that don’t sweat. That’s ’cause he’s got a fly” (meaning a “fly on the wall” — I hadn’t heard the term before).

Kool-J, another member of the thug group, elaborated: “In all the days I was slanging [drugs], I had one fly who helped me.” His voice was nostalgic, as if he was describing childhood summers on the Jersey shore. “But everyone wants a cop like that. That’s why they don’t last long. It’s like fishing in the river. Most of what you catch is small and scraggly. You know, stupid cops who want ten dollars or a d–k suck. But McNulty, he’s the big one! If I was there, I’d get him, give him what he wants — information. Then he’s all mine!”

The “fly fees” are not cheap, I discovered. Flavor, the youngest of the group, said he would need to pay $2,500 minimum a month for a cop, and “$5,000 if they start giving you good s–t.” Orlando said he conducted business using “cars, jewelry, or women,” none of which, apparently, leave a trail.

When pushed, all of them pointed out that few cops actually were willing to accept monetary bribes. “Most just want a little p–sy, or to beat a black man now and then,” Shine said. “It’s sad, really. I wish more of them took our money. It would make our [lives] a lot easier.”

While the actions of McNulty brought out the greatest commentary, coming in at a close second was Marlo’s end-run around the Co-op. Picking up the theme of Week 1, there was general agreement that Marlo would knock off Prop Joe. But another prediction emerged: that Omar would dispose of Marlo.

“That little f—-t is going to win,” Orlando said assuredly. “You watch: he’ll knock Marlo out, take the body to Bunk, and then go and get his d–k sucked.”

Flavor laid down $2,500 for another wager: “I say Barksdale comes back and kills everyone! That [guy] is the real thing!”

I’m thinking of taking this bet; I’ve called Countrywide for a short-term (subprime) loan.

Kool-J went one step further. “Marlo and The Bunk will do the nasty.” That was too much to bear. My Bunk? Selling his body for justice? Say it ain’t so!

Meanwhile, none of them showed any interest in the affairs of the Baltimore Sun.

~~~

TALIB KWELI AND PEEPS GOT A NEW VIDEO, "CAUGHT UP":



~~~

SOUTH AFRICAN KIDS WITH NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN RISK THEIR LIVES SURFING ON TRAINS... WOW:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKQ0eOkFH94

~~~

A HOLLYWOOD-STYLE 'COCAINE COWBOYS' MOVIE IS COMING! WORD TO MARKY MARK:

By Ace Cannon

Former rapper and now actor Mark Wahlberg will star in an untitled film based on the life of Miami drug lord, Jon Roberts. Roberts was chronicled in the hit documentary, Cocaine Cowboys. The movie, which will be directed by Peter Berg, details Roberts’ time in Vietnam as a decorated soldier to his role in distributing billions of dollars worth of cocaine for the Medellin drug cartel while residing in Miami. Roberts, who eventually served ten years in prison for distributing drugs, is featured in DJ Khaled’s video "I'm So Hood." The untitled movie is slated to go into production when the writer's strike ends.

~~~

AMY WINEHOUSE ON CRACK... IT'S OVER.



LONDON - Scotland Yard started an investigation Wednesday into a video that allegedly shows troubled British singer Amy Winehouse smoking crack.

The British tabloid, The Sun, released grainy footage showing Grammy-nominated Winehouse, 24, inhaling fumes from a pipe. The video was reportedly shot hours before she attended a court hearing for her jailed husband.

Police will look at the video before deciding whether any charges should be brought against Winehouse, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said while speaking on condition of anonymity in line with force policy. The Sun gave the police the video, he said.

Winehouse spokesman Shane O'Neill said he was unable to comment on the investigation.

In the video, Winehouse lights a pipe in front of a photo that appears to have been taken on the day of her wedding to Blake Fielder-Civil.

Winehouse's father, Mitch Winehouse, said in an interview with The Sun that he was devastated by the images and hoped it would prompt his daughter to turn her life around.

"Your video of Amy taking drugs may well be the best thing that has ever happened to her," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Universal Records, Winehouse's record label, said it would do what it could to help her.

"We are deeply disappointed and upset by these latest revelations and are doing everything we can to offer Amy our full support in dealing with her problems," it said in a statement Tuesday.

The singer's public demise amid allegations of drug use and lackluster musical performances have provided fodder for Britain's notoriously scandal-hungry newspapers.

Last month, the troubled singer, whose songs include "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good," was photographed walking outside her London home wearing a bra and jeans, with no shoes, looking upset.

Winehouse attracted yet more attention in court Friday when she blew Fielder-Civil kisses and shouted out, "I love you, handsome, gorgeous one," as he was led away after facing charges of assault and conspiracy.

Fielder-Civil, 25, is accused of attacking a pub landlord and then later conspiring with him to withdraw as a witness at the trial. Fielder-Civil pleaded innocent to the charge of assault, and is expected to plead to a charge of perverting the course of justice next month.

Winehouse is nominated for six Grammys including best new artist and album of the year for "Back to Black," plus record and song of the year for the brassy hit "Rehab." The awards will be presented Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

~~~

GAYME OVER. HE MIGHT AS WELL BE SMOKING CRACK WITH AMY. HE MIGHT PRETEND THAT HE SOLD IT TO HER, LOL:



~~~

NIGHT AND DAY POLITRICKS (THIS IS WHY OBAMA IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN HILLARY):

BARACK:



HILLARY:



AND ILL BILL:



~~~

THIS IS THE FIRST RESPECTABLE THING I'VE EVER READ FROM RIHANNA:

Rihanna on success (Source unknown):

"(People) forget that the success is one great aspect of your life, but behind that there are problems, there are dark sides, there is loneliness and unhappiness. In this business people are shallow, they are dishonest. You can't trust them.”

~~~

peace to Gigz, The Abyss, and Richniques!!! vibing with you guys last night was really a good time, and INSPIRING like you don't know! And Gigz, that beat you made for Masia is SUPREMACY! Mad props to you!!!

let's do what we're here to do,
love, Adhimusic