Posts Tagged ‘Hip Hop’

Producers talk about working on Eminems Relapse 2

With Eminem’s Relapse 2 being uncertain for a November release, two of its recruited heavyweight producers Denaun Porter Mr. Porter and Just Blaze have shed light on the album’s progress.

Porter detailed how his production relationship with Eminem has grown since their work on the superstar’s debut album, Infinite.
While many fans argue rapper’s earlier work are usually stronger because they are hungry for success, Porter feels Eminem’s quality has improved with his superstardom.

“It’s no fun when you’re broke,” he stated. “We were trying to do Infinite like we had more money when we didn’t have any. We were trying to get to a certain point, but now he’s got it. The reason he’s good is not because being white worked to his advantage. It did a little at first, but all day everyday the kid is writing. I don’t know if Jay-Z is writing all day. He owns multi-million dollar businesses. Em writes all day. Jay probably comes up with lines [and] that make him one of the greatest. I’m fighting, because Just Blaze came in and kicked ass.”

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After leaking Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C” and a Nas snippet last week, Just Blaze has renewed attention on what other tracks he has in the vaults, and what he’s developed for Relapse 2.

Due to their protective natures, Blaze revealed that his time with Eminem has been challenging despite their creative highs.

“It’s a challenge for both of us in the sense we’ve never worked with each other before. We’ve both been in the business 10 plus years,” Just Blaze explained. “We’re both very self-contained. He has his own production compound, and I have my situation with Bassline Studios in New York. Sometimes I’m like I need this [song] back in New York and he’s like I need it back in Detroit. It’s interesting because we’re both protective of the work and not wanting it to leak out. I’m in the same boat, because we both would lose money. Creatively it’s a good process. When it goes beyond a business arrangement, it always works out. I’ve had cases where people just want a beat because you’re Just Blaze. But here we are 2 people that are fans of each other’s work.”

Chris Brown is wearing Spandex on New Album Cover

Chris Brown released the album cover for his forthcoming Graffiti album (due December 15) on Monday (November 2). The singer tweeted the image on Monday afternoon, just as images from his “Crawl” music video were released.

On the cover, Brown is decked out in all black wearing a blazer, turtleneck, sunglasses and army boots and spandex pants, holding an electric guitar one shoulder and a can of spray paint in the other hand – which actually looks like a mechanical hand. He appears to be standing in a spacecraft, in front of a window showing stars and the Earth. The album’s title is in a liquid, futuristic silver font, contrasting oddly with a collection of colorful cartoon characters.

Jadakiss, Just Blaze, Alchemist, & Others Set for ATL Beat Battle

Today (November 3), Atlanta will be host to this year’s Red Bull Big Tune event, where a group of 16 aspiring producers will compete for the chance to record with industry stars.

Created in 2004 by producer/emcee Vitamin D and event coordinator Jonathan Moore, Big Tune has grown into a national event aimed at creating a clear path for talented producers to break into the industry.

Across the country, 8 qualifying battles were held to finalize 16 of the best upcoming producers in Hip-Hop.

From each battle, the winner and runner-up were selected to compete tonight. Before competing in tonight’s finals, each producer was given one-on-one mentorship options with established top names Just Blaze, Mr. Porter, DJ Toomp, The Bizness, and Don Cannon.

The big name producers offered invaluable information on their industry experience, and reviewed their past hits along with select samples of their new work.

The winner of tonight’s competition will get the opportunity to record with an A-list emcee of their choice. Last year’s winner C-Sick chose Nas and still marvels at the work they created.

Their storytelling track Film hit the net several months ago, and has the potential to be included on the rapper’s Damian Marley collaboration LP Distant Relatives.

“The way Nas spits over beats is crazy!” C-Sick explained. “It’s exactly what I expected.” Confirmed performances for tonight include Jadakiss, Alchemist, Mr. Porter, Just Blaze, and The Bizness.

The show will commence from Atlanta’s Opera venue at 8PM. Fans still have time to RSVP for free entry at http://www.redbullbigtune.com.

For those who miss the deadline, a $5 donation will be taken at the door and given to a local music charity.

Wale on Rap Criticism

Rap newcomer Wale recently discussed his stance on the lack of rap unity and popularity of criticism amongst emcees rather than an emphasis on bettering the rap game as a whole.

Aside from speaking on the critics, Wale also touched on his relationships with Kid Cudi and Drake.
“Why can’t you make a song without a hook on it? Why can’t you shout somebody out because you like them and not have it called d*ck riding?,” Wale asked in an interview. ‘Why can’t people go out and buy more than one album and support one artist? Why does it have to be ‘F*ck Cudi because I like Drake’? Or ‘F*ck all the freshman. I know n*ggas that’s better.’ If you keep assassinating the artists, you’re going to kill the motherf*cking game…The separation is natural. Now if we’re talking about two dudes who are my personal friends like Drake and Kid Cudi, we talk on the phone and all that, we’re talking about a guy who’s emphasis is melody and music for a specific type of person. Me and Cudi probably wouldn’t have hung out in high school. I watch sports all day and I like sports and he likes what he likes. Drake, same thing. I think the music shows that. Even fashion. Come on. Let’s really pay attention to the fashion differences. But they’ll always put us in the same category and it’s not fair to either one of us.

Rappers like 50 Cent have vouched for rap unity with events like the This Is 50 Festival last month.
“I wanted to make a festival that didn’t necessarily have to have an artist who has a single in rotation at the time,” 50 explained in an interview. “That doesn’t directly reflect good hip-hop. It reflects marketing dollars spent by the major corporations, the companies. Tonight we have everybody that means something to us musically in one spot. When I bring Cory Gunz, Trav, Maino…Now we got Jadakiss out here. This is real! Tell me anywhere else you can go where you can see everybody. It represents different portions of hip-hop. You got the Lox, the new young gunners Cory Gunz, Trav, Maino. Jimmy [Jones] and Juelz Santana coming. They say New York City, we don’t actually get along, that’s not true. We could work together and get more money than we can get apart, and they gonna see us do it in the future.

Gucci Mane Forced to cancel concert

A controversial concert featuring Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane at North Carolina A&T was scrapped on Saturday October 31, because the rapper is on house arrest.

Gucci Mane was forced to back out of the concert at Greensboro Coliseum because of a recent parole violation.

Due to the violation, Gucci Mane is prohibited from traveling outside of Georgia, unless he receives permission from the court.

News of the rapper’s appearance caused division amongst students at A&T and the university eventually dropped all official support for the concert due to Gucci Mane’s controversial image.

Over 11,000 tickets were sold to the concert, which went off without a hitch and featured rappers Fabolous, Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj, OJ Da Juiceman, Keri Hilson, Mario and others.

Gucci Mane was also forced to cancel a controversial appearance at Florida A&M’s homecoming on October 24, due to the probation violation.

Mike Beck Affiliate of Fat Joe Was Shot and Killed in Brooklyn

Mike Beck, an aspiring rapper and affiliate of Fat Joe was shot and killed last night in Brooklyn, New York.

Mike Beck was a member of the rap collective K.A.R. Kill All Rats, which also featured group members Rob Kash, Onez and Leader.

Sources say that Beck was shot and killed on Logan and Bellmar Street in Brooklyn, and that a botched robbery attempt could have been the motive.

Beck and K.A.R. were featured on Fat Joe’s “300 Brolic” remix. In May, the group released a self-titled mixtape executive produced by Fat Joe and Pistol Pete.

In addition to Fat Joe and Pistol Pete, K.A.R.’s mixtape features guest appearances from Ace Hood, Sheek Louch, Hell Rell, DJ Khaled, Jadakiss and others.

Beck was born and raised in East New York. At the age of 17, he was sent to prison for five years, for his role in a murder.

A number of artists expressed their condolences via Twitter.

“R.I.P. Mike Beck!!!!!” Fat Joe Tweeted, as did Cool & Dre, DJ Khaled, Noreaga, Raekwon and others.

Jay-Z Responds to Beanie Sigel

Jay-Z has responded to the barbed words of Beanie Sigel, in the aftermath of a diss song called “What You Talkin Bout I Ain’t Your Average Cat at a Canadian Press conference.
Jay-Z appeared at Montreal’s Bell Centre to answer questions from writers and reporters.

Sigel, once a prominent rapper in Jay’s Roc-A-Fella Records, expressed a number of issues with his former comrade. These matters ranged from loyalty to allegations that he had Sigel removed from a concert in Philadelphia by police.
Jay-Z made no mention of most questions that bothered Sigel, but he did say he felt he helped his counterpart greatly in an interview with a Canadian site.
“Beanie Sigel, to be honest and you can look it up, just to be honest…was driving two Bentleys. I don’t know how,” Jay-Z said at a press conference to the Canadian Hip-Hop site. “Its impossible to drive two cars at the same time. With his momma in the sticks, selling 800,000. I don’t know what more you can do for somebody.”
“What people choose to do when they obtain that type of success, at some point you gotta look in the mirror and look at yourself,” Jay continued. “Beanie Sigel had a record deal, a record label and a clothing line…and never went platinum. Ever. I don’t know in the history of rap has anyone done so much with so little. So, I don’t know what more can you do for a person at that point. A record deal – that’s normal. A record label and a clothing line. If that’s not pushing the person…s**t.”
Friday morning, Sigel spoke to Philadelphia radio host Charlamagne Tha God and aired out his grievances, which seemed more about loyalty than any other topic.
“I think I held my tongue long enough about this whole Roc-a-Fella situation,” Sigel. “I was the realest thing that happened to the Roc. The Roc was just a rock. I brought the Fellas to Roc-a-Fella Records; Hot 97, State Prop, y’all remember. I brought the street cred to that. I fought all them battles: Jadakiss, Nas, Dipset. Anybody you woulda told me to go after. Matter of fact, you ain’t even have to tell me. I frontlined for that thing of ours, for that diamond that people was throwin’ up. I’da took a bullet at that time.”
Sigel also stated the he wasn’t really dissing Jay-Z even though some of his raps seemed to counter that assertion.
The displeased rapper explained, “I’m not really dissing Jay. It’s certain parts in there where my emotions … it’s an emotional record for me. When I listened to The Blueprint 3, I heard a lot of shots directed towards people.