UG Rap Community

DMX and Cam Plan ''Hostile Takeover'' of Def Jam



Watch out Def Jam: DMX and Cam'ron are planning "a hostile takeover...

DMX went on Hot 97 on Monday [January 30] night to talk to Funk Master Flex about his own problems with Jay-Z and Def Jam, and Cam called in to help plot the war against the label.

"I already know your pain over there, brother," Cam said. "We in the middle of a hostile takeover."

"I want to be a part of that hostile takeover! This is what we gonna do," DMX said. "You be America. I'ma be England and we gonna take over - what's the name - Iran? Iraq? We taking over the Middle East right now!"

"We gonna send the troops in and lets make it happen," Cam responded.

Elsewhere in the interview, DMX said he knew Def Jam was going down when he saw LA Reid wearing "Chinese slippers with little gold beads on them," and suggested that spelling-happy rapper K-Solo stole his style from DMX when they were in jail together. X then did his own rap in the same style as "Spellbound" and announced he would duff K-Solo out.

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T.I. Remakes UGK Classic


T.I. recently shot a video for "Front, Back and Side to Side" featuring Bun B in Houston...

For the video, T.I.P. joined forces with noted director Dr. Teeth. To date, Teeth has directed several videos, including Mike Jones' "Still Tippin," "Back Then" and Paul Wall's "Sittin' Sideways," among others.

The video is set to premiere on MTV2's "Making The Video" in the coming weeks and the song, which is a remake of a UGK classic by the same name, will serve as the first single to T.I.'s forthcoming LP, King.

T.I. is also set to star in a feature film, ATL, formely known as Jellybeans, coming to theaters this Spring. The film is directed by music video director extraordinaire Chris Robinson (Amerie's "1 Thing", Snoop Dogg's " Beautiful") and will also feature Big Boi of OutKast, Bonecrusher, and Jazze Pha.

T.I.'s fourth solo album, King is slated to hit stores on March 28.

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Baby AKA Birdman Gets Arrested in MIA


Baby was recently arrested on weapons and fraudulent driver license charges in Miami...


Word is Miami Police Officer Kevin Millan saw a burgundy Maserati "parked in the right lane of traffic" on MIA's South Pointe Drive this past Sunday (January 29).

"The Maserati had no tag, and the [vehicle identification number] was covered," Millan told the Miami Herald. Baby, also known as Birdman, told Millan that he owned the Maserati and that his license and registration were inside the vehicle.

"After opening the glove compartment, the defendant reached across to driver's side," Millan said. "While doing so, he removed a .40 cal. Glock semi-auto pistol from his waist band with his right hand and dropped it to driver's floor board. . . . Gun loaded w/ 8 rounds.''

According to authorities, the Cash Money Records executive (born Bryan Williams) had three ID cards and two driver licenses from Louisiana, one under the name Bryan Williams, with a birth date of February 15, 1975, and the other as Thomas Corey, with a birth date of February 15, 1969.

Baby then told police his real name was Brian Christile Williams, born in 1969. He revealed that he recently bought the car in Los Angeles, but "it has no tag and has not been registered." According to the arrest report, he also told officers that he had a prior felony conviction.

The Birdman is being charged with carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, unlawful use of a license by presenting another's driver's license, possession of a fraudulent license and failure to have vehicle registration. He is currently free on an $18,000 bond, however he couldn't be reached for comment.

''There are some conflicting stories as to his possession of a handgun,'' Andre Crenshaw, Baby's lawyer, told the Herald. "[Williams] denies saying that he has a felony conviction. He never made that statement.''

Baby is slated to appear at a hearing in front of Judge William Thomas on February 21.

The incident doesn't mark the first time Baby has had a brush the law in Miami. Back in 2003, King Jewelers sued the rapper in Miami-Dade Civil Court. The Birdman allegedly ordered a $23,500 gold pendant with the initials "BM" in diamonds and nine gold-and-diamond Cash Money pendants worth $54,000, but never picked up the bling or paid for the order. According to reports, Baby settled with King Jewelers, forking up $57,000 for the jewelry.

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Spike Lee Disses Snoop Dogg



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.

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Roots drummer ''?uestlove'' Album News

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson will on Feb. 14 release his second BBE mix CD under the "Babies Makin' Babies" header. "Misery Strikes Back ... No More Babies” features selections from the Ohio Players, Albert King, Jermaine Jackson, Betty Davis and Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta, among others...


And while the first "Babies Makin' Babies" fulfilled Thompson's goal of creating "the CD you grab for when you're relaxing with your significant other," the new edition soundtracks the other side of the love equation.

"Being as though I've experienced love and breakup since the first album came out, I was like, well, let me make a soundtrack for people that just want to be melancholy," he tells Billboard.com. "I want people to know that not only am I the president, but I too was a client. Sometimes it's almost easier to feel sad than it is to be in love."

From a short list of 30 tunes, Thompson eventually whittled the track list down to 12, but not without searching hard for the appropriate blend of music and lyrics. "It's very hard to find a woman's voice expressing genuine grief, which is why we were racking our brains to get the Syreeta song cleared," he says. "That represents to me, 'OK, we had a failed relationship. Can we land the plane in a civilized manner or crash and burn?'"

"Same thing with the men's side," he continues. "I had a whole bunch of misogynistic stuff. [The O'Jays'] 'I Want To Be Free' would have been the first song. But [the Ohio Players'] 'Our Love Has Died' is more significant. The Betty Davis song is the only one where someone deals with the psychology of, ‘I'm afraid to love you and you're afraid to love me so we're just going to hide in our corners.’”

But what about the album cover, which appears to show a letter from Thompson to BBE co-founder Pete Ardarkwah explaining that he missed a photo shoot because he caught his girlfriend in the act of cheating on him?

"It's a running joke," he says with a laugh. "The first cover was something I drew at the last minute, because I missed the photo shoot. So I figured, why not do something cartoony and silly?"

Thompson is already conceptualizing the next album in the series, which will be called "The Sunday Drive" and could be out as early as August. "This is going to be my favorite one," he says. "It will be the kind of stuff you play when you're in the park or relaxing. It doesn't have to be about love or breakups, but the mood has to consistently fit. Those are the compilations I make the best."

Here is the track list for "Misery Strikes Back ... No More Babies":

"Our Love Has Died," Ohio Players
"Mother/Son Bedroom Talk," the Blackbyrds
"Anti Love Song," Betty Davis
"If You Didn't Love Me (Don't Go Away)," D.J. Rogers
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," Al Green
"I Almost Lost My Mind," Albert King
"Cause We've Ended As Lovers," Stevie Wonder
Presents Syreeta
"I'm Sorry," the Delfonics
"Good Morning Heartache," Natalie Cole
"That's the Way I Feel About 'Cha," Bobby Womack
"You're Supposed To Keep Your Love for Me," Jermaine Jackson
"One Look Over My Shoulder (Is This Really Goodbye?)," Average White Band

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Suga Free & DJ Quik Unite!



"Styles, you did it" said Ted Bundy, the manager of Suga Free, to me over the phone. For those wondering, on Tuesday Night we conducted a video interview with Suga Free where he stated that although he accepted DJ Quik's call for a truce, he still wanted his independence. However, myself and Ted were longing to see this dynamic duo come to a resolving peace. So I put out a call to Quik's homeboy and my good friend KK from 2nd II None and got him and Ted talking.

Well.... one thing led to another and to a shock for everybody, Suga Free hit the stage last night to perform with DJ Quik at The House Of Blues in Hollywood!! The two performed "Do I Love Her" and "Get Down Down Down" together as fans were in utter disbelief!! We will have more on this amazing development and we are still releasing our video of Suga Free where he talks openly and clowns on a variety of topics!

A big shout out goes out to Suga Free, Ted Bundy, DJ Quik and KK from 2nd II None....

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Gunfire Erupts At Busta Rhymes Video Shoot



SOHH.com has learned that gunfire erupted on the set of a Busta Rhymes video shoot early this morning in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, NY, leaving one mad dead on the sidewalk...

One man, a bodyguard who worked for the studio, is dead. The shootout took place shortly after midnight this morning outside of the Kiss The Cactus Production studio in Brooklyn where over 200 people were on the scene for the Busta video shoot. Fourteen shots were fired from what is believed to have been an AK-47 assault rifle killing one and leaving a nearby Dodge Durango SUV riddled with five bullets.

The police found the 30-year-old hispanic bodyguard dead on the sidewalk in front of the production studio with one gunshot to the chest. It is unclear whether the shooting had any direct relations to Busta. Police are examining the video from nearby cameras to find more information.

This is not the first shooting close call for Busta Rhymes. On February 21, 2003, Busta's SUV was riddled with bullets as it sat parked outside the Violator Records/Management offices in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. Busta and a company executive went into the Violator offices at about 10pm that night and came out eighteen minutes later to find the vehicle shot up on the passenger side. Thankfully, no one was in the car.

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Philadelphia rapper Freeway, of State Property fame, has become an official member of 50 Cent's G-Unit rap crew and is hard at work on a third album titled Free at Last, according to his manager.

The album is co-executive produced by 50 Cent and Def Jam president Jay-Z, and will be released under Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam, said Freeway's manager Ryan Press of Press Conference Management.

"Me, Jay-Z, and 50 are working hard on the album together," Freeway told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "I got mad love for [50]. What people don't know is that we have been tight for a while. Our first album both came out in the same month, and we did a lot of shows and other things together back then."

50 Cent's longtime manager and G-Unit founder Sha Money XL also confirmed 50's involvement in the project, as well as Lloyd Banks and Young Buck.

The album is slated to feature Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, the Roots' Black Thought, Nate Dogg, and Mariah Carey, in addition to production by West, Just Blaze, Scott Storch, Dangerous LLC, and Needlz, among others.

"Philly, I got a crazy joint with Black Thought. You already know what time it is with my joint I got with [Jay-Z]," said Freeway. "We only make classics, and the joint with 50 is stupid.

According to Press, Freeway is still currently signed to Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam and maintains good ties with Jay-Z.

Representatives for Def Jam could not be reached for comment.

"Jay-Z and Freeway have a great relationship and they're gonna work together for the album and other projects," said Press. "[They're] still very tight. There are no problems there. Freeway wants to put the Roc back were it is supposed to be."

Freeway made his first notable appearance on "1-900-Hustler," from Jay-Z's 2000 compilation album, Dynasty: Roc la Familia.

The rapper followed with his solo debut, Philadelphia Freeway in 2003 and Welcome to the Hood the next year.

His new album is due tentatively in May.

"The album is gonna be crazy. You're gonna hear growth from Freeway, the same classic hood bangers, and some stuff about why he has been in the cut for a minute," said Press.

He added that the album will also address the status of Freeway's relationships with G-Unit, State Property, and fellow Roc-A-Fella founders Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke.

"Any questions that you have about Freeway will be answered on the album," said Press. "He really wanted to stress that a lot of people are making songs that just come and go but if you check his track record, 'What We Do,' 'Rock the Mic,' and 'Flipside' are part of Hip-Hop history and are records that still bang in main rotation even though they are three years old."

Added Freeway: "I'm just very excited about my new album and also to help the unity in hip-hop and prove that young black successful people can work together in this game. It's gonna be big for the east coast. We need something like this."

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Spike Lee Bashes 50 Cent and Irv Gotti



Spike Lee criticizes 50 Cent and Irv Gotti for promoting violence in hip-hop in the February/March issue of Complex Magazine.


Never one to hold his tongue, the controversial movie director blamed Gotti and 50 for helping perpetuate violence in hip-hop in a Complex feature.

"I love hip-hop," Lee told the magazine. "But there are certain elements that are just [problematic]. You name your company Murder Incorporated, your logo's got bullet holes in it, you changed your name to Gotti, and you wonder why your ass is in court? I mean, come on. You want to be a gangster? Alright, well gangsters go to jail; gangsters get shot. I mean, look, 50 Cent has made a lot of money, but whatever you are doing that makes you have to put a bulletproof vest on your 5-year-old son, that's time for some deep introspective shit."

Spike didn't stop there. The outspoken director also bashed Fif's motion picture debut, Get Rich or Die Trying, and his video game, indicating that they negtively influence impressionable kids.

"That whole mantra-'Get Rich or Die Tryin'-for me that's criminal," Lee explained. "Because young brothers, they took that to heart: 'Whatever I got to do to get them rims, get my fly gear, to get my bitches and hos, I'm going to do it. Fuck who I got to hurt, who I got to shoot, who I got to kill.' That's crazy to me. And his video game, Bulletproof? I'm sorry, I can't get with that."

This doesn't mark the first time Spike speaks out against hip-hop. He recently dissed Snoop Dogg and pimp culture during a Black History Month event at University of Florida.

Complex's issue also features Lee addressing violence in video games, diversity in Hollywood and "Chappelle's Show."

Complex Magazine's February/March issue is on newsstands now.

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T.I. News



T.I. might have a pair of Grammys to his name come Wednesday night, but the Dirty South rap star — who has racked up praise for his hit singles "U Don't Know Me," "I'm a King" and "Bring Em Out" — is predicting even bigger success at next year's awards.

"It's just another day at the office for me," the Atlanta MC said on the set of his "What You Know?" video, the first single from his upcoming album, King. "I really appreciate being appreciated, and it feels wonderful to be recognized amongst my peers, but I don't really care about winning or losing [this time].

"I plan on coming back next year and really cleaning house, but if I win one [Grammy] this year, that's a plus," he continued.

The rapper is nominated for his featured slot on Destiny's Child's "Soldier," which is competing in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category. He's also in the running for Best Rap Solo Performance, although he'll be battling heavyweights 50 Cent, Eminem, Common, Ludacris and Kanye West.

"['U Don't Know Me'] was one of the best songs last year," he said, nodding. "But whether or not it was absolutely the best has yet to be seen. It's stiff competition, but it will give all the nominees a run for their money."

Producer DJ Toomp — who laid down the track with T.I. — said he knew from the get-go that the two had something special on their hands. "The magic was crazy [when] me and Tip came together," Toomp said. "Sometimes you don't really feel it till it hits radio, but I could feel it when we were mixing it. The track was already amazing, but the chemistry once T.I. jumped on it, I knew it was a masterpiece."

Tip has also snagged support from director Chris Robinson, who helmed both the "What You Know?" video and the upcoming movie "ATL," which stars T.I. and prominently features his new single. "We want Tip to get [that Grammy] and take it home to the ATL. We gonna carry it around at the movie premiere," Robinson joked.

"ATL" — out March 31 and also featuring Outkast's Big Boi — stars Tip in his big-screen debut. He plays Rashad, a young man who has to deal with the pressure of being the nucleus of his working-class family as he prepares to graduate high school.

Although the movie has yet to premiere, the video for "U Don't Know Me" envisions that exact scenario. T.I. is decked out in a crisp, black-collared shirt and white top coat, surrounded by his "ATL" co-stars (sans Big Boi) and a bevy of beautiful ladies.

The budding actor is on the lookout for future roles as well. "There's a lot of things in the pipeline, we just gotta see if we can fit them in," he said, "but we definitely gonna do more movies and maximize the opportunities that are presented to us."

As for King, due March 28, T.I. churned out roughly 65 tracks but only selected the hottest joints.

"King is like Trap Muzik on steroids," he said. "Everything you loved about [my] albums in the past has been reincarnated and hit with some nuclear sewage that made that sh-- mutate into something of catastrophic proportions."

The Rubber Band Man also has big plans in 2006 for his label, Grand Hustle Entertainment, which boasts an impressive arsenal of MCs, R&B singers and hip-hop artists including New Orleans rapper Govenor, Detroit's DJ Drama and Young Dro, who also makes a cameo in the video.

"Y'all ain't ready," he said, shaking his head. "We have an elaborate plan and scheme for world domination and we will not stop. Our global conquest will continue."

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Busta Rhymes May Be Questioned In Brooklyn Shooting



Detectives want to question Busta Rhymes about the fatal shooting of the rapper's bodyguard outside a Brooklyn warehouse where a star-studded video was being taped. Rhymes was among several potential witnesses who left the scene of the slaying early Sunday before police arrived, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters at police headquarters.

"We believe Busta Rhymes may have been on the street when the shooting took place," Kelly said. A spokesperson for Rhymes declined comment.

Police planned to seek a court order to obtain video shot inside the warehouse, believing it might provide clues about what sparked the shooting. "Obviously, we're very much interested in the filming that went on," Kelly said. "So all of that film will be examined with a subpoena."

Rhymes, Missy Elliot and G-Unit members, including Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, were set to start filming on a ninth-floor soundstage when the violence erupted around 1:30 a.m. outside the industrial building, police said. About 500 had gathered for the video that was to accompany a remix of Rhymes' latest single, "Touch It."

Police believe an argument that began inside the warehouse "moved to the street," Kelly said. "There was some pushing and shoving going on when an individual took out a gun and fired at least eight shots."

Israel Ramirez, 29, of Manhattan, was killed with a single shot to the chest. Rhymes, a Brooklyn native whose real name is Trevor Smith, was not injured. Sometime before the shooting, Yayo reportedly had an outburst in the studio that was later quelled by Rhymes.

Yayo, whose real name is Marvin Bernard, denies any involvement in the shooting, according to his lawyer, Scott Leemon. In a letter to prosecutors, Leemon said his client would refuse to voluntarily answer any questions from law enforcement. "Please make sure he is not contacted and/or harassed by NYPD," the letter said.

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Member of Trillville Rap Group Arrested



A member of the rap group Trillville was arrested on suspicion of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party, police said.

Donnell Prince, who goes by the name of "Don P," is charged with rape and two counts of aggravated sodomy, said DeKalb County police. A bond hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Prince and another man are accused of taking the girl into a bedroom in a suburban Atlanta apartment complex on Dec. 16, and authorities are searching for the second man believed to have been involved, said DeKalb police Officer Cory Hughes.

Prince's attorney, Keith Adams, disputed the police account.

The attorney said the girl was not a minor and the sex was consensual. Adams also said there were several people in the apartment that night and none will corroborate what police say happened.

Group publicist Teresa Sanders declined to comment on the arrest.

Trillville's members began making music in high school and gained popularity after signing on with Lil Jon, who popularized the high-energy, club-oriented hip-hop phenomenon known as "crunk."

The group has had two big hits in the last two years, "Neva Eva" and "Some Cut," which reached as high as No. 3 on Billboard magazine's hot rap tracks charts. The group is planning to release its second CD in the summer.

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Ice Cube Talks About 'Laugh Now, Cry Later' Album

Rapper/actor Ice Cube has announced that he will release his seventh solo album, Laugh Now, Cry Later, in June via his independent label, Lench Mob Records.

The album is the follow-up to Ice Cube's Greatest Hits collection, which hit stores in 2001. The rapper, born O'Shea Jackson, put his film career on hold to focus on recording the new LP.

"It's a record that flows from kind of one tone to the next," Ice Cube told AllHipHop.com in a recent feature. "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's gonna make us pay for all this at some point in time. That's really what inspired me to make it that title."

Scott Storch, Lil' Jon and Swizz Beatz are among the contributing producers on the 18-track album, with Snoop Dogg, WC and others making guest appearances.

The first single is the Scott Storch-produced social commentary titled "Why We Thugs."

Ice Cube started his career as a member of the pioneering rap group N.W.A., on Eric "Eazy E" Wright's Ruthless Records.

Ice Cube left the group because of a financial dispute with Wright and N.W.A.'s manager, Jerry Heller.

In 1990, he released his solo debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, which was followed by Death Certificate, War and Peace, Lethal Injection, The Predator and others.

Laugh Now, Cry Later hits stores June 6.

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What happened to Sly Boogy? A lot of people wondered what happened to the San Bernardino rapper, as he hasn't made any noise since his last mixtape project "The Fifth Letter" last summer. So what what happened to him? Another West Coast talent caught up in the industry politics?

The truth is, Sly Boogy never left. He's been hard at work in the studio; writing, recording, and performing at various shows (Inland Empire, Utah, Los Angeles, etc.). Sly Boogy feels his silence has gone on long enough, and that his fans have a right to know the truth.

Sly Boogy has been waiting for four years to tell his side of the story, but his silence has not been intentional. Sly has now released a detailed press release in form of a interview questionnaire with questions asked by fans. He explains what went wrong with Sway & King Tech and J Records, and it is here in this exclusive interview where Sly Boogy gives his never before told story.

With a new year in motion, Sly Boogy has been looking forward to a fresh start. Sly quotes, “I can’t wait to put the last four years behind me. This interview is very personal for me because I tried my best to answer the common questions asked by my fans over the last four years.” When asked if he has any regrets, Sly’s response, “I don’t have any regrets, just great experiences and wisdom.”

Hopefully through this interview, you can gather a clear picture of who Sly Boogy really is, where he’s been, and where he’s headed. At the pace he’s going you can expect to see something in stores for 2006!




Click here to read the Sly Boogy interview/press release

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Slip-N-Slide Inks Multi-Million Dollar Deal With Def Jam



Miami-based record label Slip-N-Slide Records has inked a multi-million dollar deal with Def Jam, headed by rapper/mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.

While Trina, Trick Daddy and Ft. Meyers rapper Plies will remain signed as Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic artists, newcomers Rick Ross, of Miami, and Citty, of Atlanta, will record under the new Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam imprint, where a new roster of talent will be developed.

"We met with every major label head across the country, but the level of respect that Def Jam showed for Slip-N-Slide was priceless," said Slip-N-Slide President Ted "Touche" Lucas. "Jay-Z saw Slip-N-Slide's vision and was willing to do everything in his power to make that vision a reality."

Founded by Lucas in 1993, Slip-N-Slide has sold over 8 million records, mostly powered by hits from Trick Daddy and Trina.

Lucas said he plans to expand the label's presence beyond Florida under the new venture and "form a cartel of new artists from other regions."

Rick Ross' debut album, Career Criminal, is slated for a summer release, while Citty's album, Da Cookie Man, is due before the end of the year.

"We have very high expectations for Rick Ross, Plies and Citty. We're going to have a big year," Lucas predicted.

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