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Bone Crusher Plans Rock Album

Atlanta rapper Bone Crusher has set a show record for his astonishing weight loss on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club...

The portly MC, who first rose to national prominence with his hit single “Never Scared” off his 2003 debut LP AttenCHUN!, lost 19 pounds in a single week and 43 pounds since season four of the show debuted in early August. On the show, Bone Crusher serves as captain of his weight loss team, The Weight Crushers, which includes singer Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips and actor Nick Turturro. In related news, the Atlanta native is also in the studio working on a rap/rock album with Jim Jonsin of The Unusual Suspects, Good Charlotte and Billy Hume. “I got a bunch of crazy black boys that like that metal shit. That’s why we named the band the Onslaught. And I’m not just rapping on this record, I do a little singing too. It’s the perfect mix of rap and rock,” said Bone Crusher. The album is slated to drop on his newly-founded record label Vainglorious Entertainment.

EPMD Plotting World Tour, Group Reunites With DJ Scratch

The reunion of rap duo EPMD during VH1's Hip-Hop Honors Week won't be the only stop for the group, according to their DJ, Scratch.

The pair is also in the early stages of planning a world tour.
But in the meantime, EPMD will perform their first concert in eight years on Oct. 14 when they grace the stage at B.B. King's in New York.
The group will complete their reformation by re-teaming with their former turntablist DJ Scratch.

"I'm so anxious to touch that stage," DJ Scratch told AllHipHop.com, adding that 2007 will mark EPMD's 20th year in the rap game. "We're blessed to still be able to contribute to Hip-Hop. [EPMD group member] Erick Sermon and I alone have generated the sale of over 100 million albums for our production in the game. We're going to take it back to the Hit Squad tour on this one. No holds bar, and you know what's going to happen when I touch those turntables."

Sans EPMD, DJ Scratch has still thrived over the years, producing hits for artists such as 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes.

The EPMD concert is one of two events on deck this month for Scratch, who returns to TV as the resident DJ for Hip Hop Hold'em, a new weekly, one-hour program that combines poker with celebrity lifestyle and music, as five celebrities compete in a high stakes game of No Limit Texas Hold'em.

Although the game is intended for fun, Scratch said fans might witness some verbal sparring from players who are motivated to win.

"When you put five Hip-Hop artists at a table with cards and money, no one wants to lose," Scratch said. "Your reputation is on the line because America is watching. So you're going to see a lot of trash talking at that table--but all in fun. [There's also] great performances and me cutting up golden era Hip-Hop to make the cipher complete."

Hip Hop Hold'em premieres Saturday (Oct. 7) on the CW network.

And with a new show and a return to his former group, Scratch may have to field an obvious question for curious EPMD fans.

Is a reunion album in near sight for the legendary group? "

As far as a new EPMD LP, who knows?" Scratch himself wondered. "It can happen, I'm ready."

Papoose and Nation of Thugacation Rep For 'Educated Thugs'

While some MCs would be content celebrating a new $1.5 million label deal with Jive, Brooklyn-bred rapper Papoose is already planning his future with the rap group the Nation of Thugacation.

According to Papoose, group members Tydro, Snipe, Odogg, Flip, Cbrown, Ike enfa diamonds, and R&B singer Maleeke will have cameos on the rapper's upcoming major-label debut, Nacirema Dream (American spelled backwards).

"We represent what you call an educated thug--more about knowledge of self," Papoose told AllHipHop.com. "We specialize in things like knowing the law. It's not fortunate for brothers to be incarcerated or catch cases, but if you do you should know the law. Knowing the law might be the difference between jail time and not getting jail time."

The group is also recording an upcoming mixtape, to be helmed by in-house producer edubb, the beatsmith behind two of Papoose's "Law Library"-- trilogy of songs that focus on different aspects of criminal law (conspiracy, warrant of arrest, and grand jury proceedings).

Despite Jive being in the midst of a very public feud with the Clipse (the duo claimed that the label is poorly handling their releases, including the heavily delayed Hell Hath No Fury), Papoose remains confident in choosing Jive as his first home.

"If I was playing tennis or golf, maybe there would be pressure," Papoose said of going major. "Hip-Hop music? There's no pressure. This is what I do. I just needed the opportunity. So I am given the opportunity by Jive, by Kay Slay [Streetsweepers Ent.] and Busta Rhymes [Flipmode]. I am blessed with this opportunity and it feels real good, it's a dream come true."

Baby Bash Signs With Arista Records

Houston-based rapper and songwriter Baby Bash has signed a recording deal with legendary music man Clive Davis, Chairman and CEO of BMG U.S., and Arista Records. Baby Bash joins a combined Arista/J Records roster of critically-acclaimed and multi- platinum selling artists such as Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, Pearl Jam, Fantasia and Jamie Foxx.

"I feel ultra blessed to be with Clive Davis and the Arista Records familia," states Baby Bash. "I look forward to Arista elevating me to a higher level. This business is crazy and it feels good to have people on my team who see and understand my vision," Bash concludes.

Baby Bash started his musical career in Vallejo, CA where he was a member of Potna Deuce and the seminal rap group Latino Velvet back in the mid-'90s. Bash's career was placed on an upswing when he went to Houston to work with SPM (aka the South Park Mexican). Their successful collaboration catapulted Bash into one of the area's biggest rap star and prompted him to relocate to Texas, where his popularity grew exponentially. In 2003, he inked a deal with Universal Records and released two albums, the gold-selling The Smoking Nephew and Super Saucy, which spawned the #1 hit singles "Suga Suga," and "Baby I'm Back." As a songwriter Baby Bash has penned smash records for artists like Frankie J's "Obsession" and Arista label mate Paula DeAnda's current hit "Doing Too Much." Baby Bash is currently featured on the remix of Mario Vazquez's "Gallery."

Jadakiss Arrested, Hit With Gun Charge

Jadakiss was arrested in Yonkers, New York and charged for weapon possession this morning (Oct. 7).
According to police, Jadakiss was one of four people in a car stopped around 4:30 am. Authorities searched the vehicle and found a loaded handgun inside of the vehicle.

Jadakiss, 31 and three other passengers were charged with criminal possession of a loaded handgun.
In July of 2004, Jadakiss was charged with various misdemeanor offenses in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after police found guns and marijuana in an SUV he was traveling in.

In March of 2005, the rapper reached a plea agreement with authorities and was given deferred prosecution. He was also ordered to submit to searches and random drug tests.

Def Jam Takes Jay-Z "Show Me" Leak Seriously, Song Explodes On Radio

While millions of fans are not complaining about today's (Oct. 6) leak of Jay-Z's single "Show Me What You Got" his label, Def Jam is taking the breach seriously and may pursue legal action against the individual responsible for the leak.

While no one knows who the culprit behind the leak is, sources told AllHipHop.com that Def Jam has launched an internal investigation, fearing that the rapper's forthcoming comeback album Kingdom Come may be leaked in its entirety.

"The FBI may do an investigation into this," an anonymous source told AllHipHop.com. "Everything has been under lock and key, so we have no idea how the single was leaked."

"Show Me," which samples a saxophone loop originally used on Public Enemy's "Show Em Whatcha Got" from the group's 1988 Def Jam album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, hit the Internet today and quickly went into rotation on radio stations around the United States.

The single, which was produced by Just Blaze, gained immediate and repeated airplay on stations in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

"I played it six times in a row at 6:00 pm today," Atlanta DJ Greg Street told AllHipHop.com. Street, who airs on Atlanta's V103 Monday through Thursday in the 6-10pm slot, said the feedback has been tremendous.

"It was so crazy [Island/Def Jam Music Group CEO] LA Reid & [Def Jam A&R] Shakir Stewart called into V-103's hotline," Street said.

Jay-Z himself was told of the leak during a performance at the Accra International Conference Center in Ghana, Africa.

Unauthorized full length albums from The Roots, Pharrell and Lupe Fiasco have all found their way to the Internet prior to hitting stores.

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor was pushed back several times, after the original version was leaked and bootlegged months before the album's completion.

Jay-Z's Kingdom Come will reportedly hits stores Nov. 21. The album features production by Just Blaze, Kanye West, Pharrell, Timberland and others.

MTV News Exclusive: Nas Previews Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N

Nas said he's less than two weeks from finishing his next LP, Hip-Hop Is Dead ... The N, and he already has a prediction.

"All respect to all rappers on Def Jam, I love the label," Nas said. "Without disrespect, I'm about to be the craziest sh-- on Def Jam. But that should go without saying."

Nas has a lot to boast about this time around. After his last project, the 2004 double LP Street's Disciple, had a lukewarm reception, the New York legend feels confident he has another classic on his hands.

MTV News had a chance to preview some tracks last week, and to dispel some rumors, Nas is not leaving his roots. His LP is very much street, and there aren't really any commercial tracks. Lyrically he still commands the vocal booth.

A bulk of his criticism the last few years has been his choice of beat selection. On Hip-Hop Is Dead, he worked with the best, including Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Kanye West and others. You can hear the excitement in the producers' music — they've given him top-grade material.

"It's cool," Nas said Monday about working with Dre on "QB True G," which features a guest appearance from the Game. "I worked on Dre's Aftermath album when he left Death Row. The second Aftermath album was the Firm album. I think him and [industry mogul] Steve Stoute got into a lot of beef, so the record got hurt when it came out. But that album is still a platinum monster. I know Dre was saying that n---as was bothering him, saying the Firm flopped or he turned pop, but that Firm album was not a flop. That record was a monster. Back then, [Interscope Records co-chairman] Jimmy Iovine was ready to send me a jet, trying to get me off of Sony because he was seeing my potential and what I needed to do.

"Since then, I hadn't seen [Dre], but I bumped into him in a studio and he said he was ready to do my whole album right there on the spot," Nas continued. "I just knocked out the joint I did with him."

The beat has the feel of the dark party track Dre gave 50 Cent for the "Outta Control" remix, but it has a bit more bite. Nas raps on the beat that he and the Game came to "sprinkle a little bit of heaven for your ears." The Game starts his verse by rapping that over a decade ago, he was a kid in a record store and had to decide whether to buy Nas' Illmatic or Dre's The Chronic because he only had money for one purchase. He decided to steal both albums.

"Game is a megastar, man," said Nas, who appears on the Game's upcoming The Doctor's Advocate. "That n---a shut down a whole crew by himself. That's big."

Kanye West raps on and produced "Still Dreamin'." Nas starts one verse scolding hangers-on who are looking for handouts, and on his second verse, he tells a story of a female newscaster who gets caught up in a drug dealer's lifestyle.

" 'Ye is that n---a," Nas told. "His music is right. I wish I could've got more time in with him, actually. He comes through. N---as just be kicking it. Next thing you know, he plays me his sh-- he's working on, I play my sh--, then it comes from there. He'll play me some sh--, and I'll say, 'Let me get that.' "

The song "Blunt Ashes," where Nas talks about the missteps and betrayals of R&B legends like Prince, Alexander O'Neal and Bobby Womack, came about from the wordsmith just kicking it in the lab with another one of his friends, Philadelphia 76ers forward Chris Webber. Webber produced the track.

"We was in the studio in Kelis' session," Nas said about working with his wife. "We had a room next door, because I didn't want to mess her session up, but I wanted to listen to something. I went in the other room, we was chillin'. One of my mans told Chris to put on one of his [beat] CDs. We was in there freestylin'. I started freestylin' to one joint about sh-- we just be talking about, and I was like, 'This is my sh-- right here. This is my joint.' But Chris is my homie though. One of my closest homies."

Another person you wouldn't necessarily picture on a Nas record is Will.I.Am. The multitalented Black Eyed Peas frontman concocted the LP's title track. Where some may expect a real pop sound like on Busta Rhymes' "I Love My Chick," Will went left and very dirty. He actually brought back the same bassline from Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," which was also used for Street Disciple's "Thief's Theme."

"It felt like the 'Thief's Theme' to me," Nas said. "It was one of the low-key Nas joints that you know about it, but you don't want to look over there. You don't want to deal with that. This [song] reiterated the vibe of 'Thief's Theme' at another level. The title track is Will.I.Am taking pieces of sh-- I did before, pieces of old-school hip-hop, slappin' it all together and letting me do me. That's what it is."

Nas throws out a few punch lines on the album, including "If hip-hop is dead, we die together" and "Like my girl Foxy, a n---a went Def." His lyrics are also very tough on radio and DJs. Nas says on the disc that if the impossible happened, if hip-hop did die, DJs would be the first people he'd punish.

"Let's be real," he said of the song on which he insists his wedding to Kelis was his second marriage — he married hip-hop first. "DJs play a big responsibility of what hip-hop is doing. ... At the end of the day, it's up to us to control and to own hip-hop. DJs need to challenge us rappers. They got so much power, they need to challenge us. We don't challenge DJs by making crazy sh-- enough."

Nas also said that the phrase "hip-hop is dead" has a much more important meaning than just music.

"When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically America is dead," he clarified. "There is no political voice. Music is dead. B2K is not New Edition. Chris Brown is great, I love Chris Brown, we need that, but Bobby Brown sticks in my heart. Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead. Everything in this society has been done. It's like a slingshot, where you throw the mutha----a back and it starts losing speed and is about to fall down. That's where we are as a country.

"I don't wanna lose nobody with this, but what I mean by 'hip-hop is dead' is we're at a vulnerable state," he continued. "If we don't change, we gonna disappear like Rome. Let's break it down to a smaller situation. Hip-hop is Rome for the 'hood. I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop. ... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say. We're warriors. Soldiers."

Snoop Dogg appears on the Scott Storch-produced "Play on Playa." "Unforgettable," which uses a sample of the Nat King Cole song of the same name, has Nas looking back on his life ("Mom's cooking used to wake me up/ Deep/ 'Cause now my wife's cookin' puts me to sleep"). "War" finds the legend going political, lashing out against what he calls unfair media views and "the white man's paper." Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley co-stars on that reggae-flavored track.

Hip-Hop Is Dead comes out December 5. He hasn't chosen a first single yet, but Nas said he's leaning toward going with a real street record first, like the Game did with "It's Okay (One Blood)."

"Every n---a under the age of 28 that raps — except for maybe five of you — needs to shut the f--- up for eight months," he said about what some of his peers should do in preparation for this album. "Get your mind right and learn what the f--- to say. That's gonna be a wakeup call. With all respect due, because they're my comrades."

— Shaheem Reid

Scipio drops “Angel Dust” on WestCoastRydaz: Full Mixtape Download!

West Up. For years now WestCoastRydaz has closely worked with Altadena’s brightest star Scipio, premiering exclusive songs and dropping footage from live shows and studio sessions. We first reported on his debut solo project, a street album titled “Angel Dust” that captured the attention and respect of everyone who heard it. The street album, an all original 12-track release was many fans first opportunity to listen to an entire project overseen by Scipio himself and showcased his ability to create a certified street classic.

The release was the first move in Scipio’s transition towards showing the entire hip-hop community his skills both on the microphone and off, as he gathered an impressive line up of notables like Teedra Moses, Bishop Lamont, Balance, Roccett and the New West Movement (Chevy Jones, Noni Spitz, Bangloose, Problem, Taje, Mike Ant) and also showcased other rising Altadena talent with appearances from his own crew “The Hunned” (Phat Cat aka P.C, Z.Cali & Bleu Rose).

“Angel Dust” instantly received both critical and street acclaim, appearing in The Source Magazine’s “Tale of the Tape” section for the hottest releases in hip-hop while also making a strong impact in the California streets, moving units and building a strong buzz. The far-reaching extent of Scipio’s talent was also seen when his Stanley “Tookie” Williams dedication “Street Dreams” was featured on the major hip-hop website allhiphop.com and once again earned him a spot in The Source.

Covering topics varying from his troubles with the law and the rough LA streets (County Jail) to honoring the Black heroes in American History (Blacc Heroes), as well as a tribute to his hometown Altadena (Born And Raised) and a song for the ladies (Next To Me) plus much more, “Angel Dust” was a well put-together project that universally appealed to hip-hop fans.

With “Angel Dust” achieving so much success, we linked up with Scipio and decided it was only fitting to hook up all his loyal supporters here on WestCoastRydaz with an exclusive version of “Angel Dust” in its entirety for free download!

With beats from Dae One, Dem Jointz and many more talented producers alongside the signature Scipio sound and the solid features, this album is a must have for all West Coast fans.

Here is the full download of "Angel Dust"



www.westcoastrydaz.com">http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/media/mix ... trydaz.com).zip

Trick Daddy Arrested, Charged with Disorderly Conduct

Miami rapper Trick Daddy has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to local television station WSVN...

The charges stem from an incident that occurred back in July where the rapper, whose real name is Maurice Young, allegedly yelled and threw punches at a man at the Lincoln Road Mall in Miami. Whether or not Young has been released or is still in police custody is unclear. Trick was last arrested in 2003 on drug possession charges after police found marijuana and cocaine in his possession at a high school football game. At the time he was placed on house arrest because of separate pending felony weapons charges.

Piece of the News #6
mit:
Little Brother, Gang Starr, Supastition, RA & Vinnie Paz

9th Wonder, Big Pooh und Phonte befinden sich wieder im Studio und arbiten als Little Brother an einem neuen Album! "Getback" wird das Ding heißen und im Laufe des kommenden Jahres über Atlantic erscheinen. Interessant: Neben 9th Wonder sind dieses Mal u.a. auch DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Nottz und weitere beteiligt!

Auch von Gang Starr gibt es Neues: "Mass Appeal: The Best of Gang Starr" erscheint am 26.12. über Virgin und enthält 21 der größten Klassiker von Guru und Primo sowie eine Bonus DVD mit 13 Crew Videos...

Viel Neues von Supastition! Zum einen gibt es ein neues Solo Album, zum anderen wird mit Illmind an dem gemeinsamen "Memory Lane" Album gewerkelt...

R.A. The Rugged Man und Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind) bringen eine gemeinsame LP! Viele Details gibt es noch nicht, allerdings sollen nach ihren Wünschen Madlib, Ayatollah, Prince Paul und Bronze Nazareth mitarbeiten! Ferner soll es neue AOTP Projekte geben...


Quelle: www.hiphopnews.de

Big Boi Creates Big Kidz Foundation, Aligns With Russell Athletics

Outkast's Big Boi is finding good fortune through his alliance with Russell Athletic.
The company, which outfits more than 500 men's and women's athletic teams on 49 HBCU campuses and provides more than over $350,000 in scholarship money each year, has partnered with Big Boi in support of his Big Kidz Foundation, a philanthropic project created to help children make lifestyle advances through film and music.

Russell Athletic and its e-commerce web site, buyhbcu.com, recently sponsored the Foundation's signature event Strut, a fashion show and charity auction.

Strut is just one of two events featuring the resources of the two entities.
Russell Athletic's HBCU division recently announced that it will work with the company to create a one-of-a-kind football uniform that will debut Nov. 25 at this year's Bayou Classic.

"The Bayou Classic is one of the most well-known rivalries in HBCU football," said Big Boi, who called his partnership with Russell Athletic "a great opportunity to promote HBCU athletics in order to generate the publicity they deserve."

Considered one of the most distinguished sporting events, the Bayou Classic attracts more than 70,000 fans who take in the annual face off between SWAC rivals Grambling State University and Southern University.

Grambling will sport the Big Boi-inspired jerseys for the game.
The Russell Athletic jerseys from both teams will be on display at the Classic and at buyhbcu.com.

This year's game, which will be televised on NBC Sports, marks the return of the Classic to New Orleans' Louisiana Superdome after being relocated in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina.

"We expect the Bayou Classic to be one of the biggest HBCU events of the year. The fans are excited, the teams and bands are ready, and most importantly, New Orleans will be full of energy for the game," said Torarie Durden, Russell Athletic director of HBCU programs. "This makes it the perfect time to debut Russell Athletic's partnership with Big Boi and his inspired jersey design for HBCU schools."

In addition to the game, fans will have a chance to experience the Russell Athletic Everyday Performance tour.
Interactive elements such as a basketball goal, football toss, and chin-up competition will be featured, as well as the distribution of Russell Athletic premium items.

A tour vehicle will highlight the history of Russell Athletic and recent innovations in HBCU products.
The Big Boi-inspired jerseys will also take center stage as part of a month-long promotion by Academy Sports and Outdoors.

The promotion, which begins in early November, will take place in up to 10 Louisiana stores and allow customers a chance to win numerous gifts including the grand prize, an autographed Big Boi jersey

J. Prince Denies Michael 'Harry-O' Harris' Claims Of Owning Interest In Rap-A-Lot

Rap-A-Lot CEO James "J. Prince" Prince has denied that the legendary Houston-based label is co-owned by convicted drug kingpin Michael "Harry-O" Harris.
Prince did not attend a hearing in Los Angeles today (Oct. 12) relating to the matter but he and his attorney offered up a challenge to settle Harris and his attorney Steve Golderg's claims that Harris is owed money.

The incarcerated Harris charges that he owns half of the company and provided startup capital to launch Rap-A-Lot. He also claims that he is rightfully entitled to half of the label's earnings, dating back to its formation in 1986.
Prince, however, fiercely denies Harris and Goldberg's claims that Harris was an early investor in the label that helped launch the careers of the Geto Boys, Scarface, Yukmouth, and the Luniz, among others.

"I've been dealing with Feds, snitches, and rats all my life, conspiring to destroy me and Rap-A-Lot," J. Prince told AllHipHop.com in a statement. "This is nothing new to me. It's interesting, you have this Harris guy, a L.A. rat, who's lonely and desperate because the best thing that ever happened to him has divorced him and moved back to Houston with all his money," Prince added, referring to Harris' estranged wife Lydia, who recently won a $107 million default judgment against Death Row Records after the label's CEO/co-founder Suge Knight missed multiple court dates to answer her claims of owning interest in the label.

"The only explanation that I have for him waking up in prison after 20 years saying that I made an oral agreement for 50 percent of Rap-A-Lot is he must think that his ex-wife [Lydia] still has a special place in her heart for me," Prince quipped.

Harris, who is serving a 28-year sentence in San Quentin State Prison in Calif. for attempted murder and drug dealing, claimed he invested $1.5 million to help start Death Row in 1991 with Marion "Suge" Knight and Knight's attorney, David Kenner.
According to reports, Harris filed for divorce in June 2005, after learning that his wife Lydia was allegedly in settlement negotiations with Knight and was planning to cut him out of her $107 million judgment.

Harris later filed another lawsuit, claiming he was entitled to half of the judgment. Knight and Death Row eventually filed for bankruptcy protection to avoid paying the sum.
The label is currently being managed by a bankruptcy trustee, which will auction off the label's assets to pay creditors.

In September, attorneys for Harris sought to question Prince about his business dealings with Knight in front of a Houston judge, claiming that he had also helped Prince launch the label.
Prince's attorney Warren Fitzgerald, Jr. explained that the mogul felt that the order to appear in front of the judge violated Prince's rights.

Through Fitzgerald, Jr., Prince filed an appeal and won a stay of deposition, which is still pending.

"For Goldberg to make the statements about what he's going to find out about Prince and Knight violates the courts order," said Fitzgerald, Jr.

"I'm not Suge and Rap-A-Lot ain't no Death Row, so they can find another ambulance to chase," Prince said. "So I look forward to dealing with his bootleg lawyer, this frivolous lawsuit, and Harris the rat if and when he gets out."

"If Goldberg and Harris really think they have a claim, after 20 years of doing nothing, they can file a lawsuit, where the facts count, rather than grandstanding and publicity seeking in the media, and misleading the public with half truths and out right lies," said Fitzgerald. "The truth is Harris' claim doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell in a court of law."

Damani Inks Deal With Sony Urban For New Album!

Official Press Release: Emerging West Coast rapper Damani has signed with My Block/Sony Urban Music, who will release the young artist's first full-length album.

An Inglewood native, Damani is pioneering a new approach to West Coast rap, breaking musical and lyrical boundaries as a dominant force in the current Los Angeles hip-hop scene. An in-demand MC in local hip-hop clubs, Damani began to draw airplay on major LA radio stations -- including serious BDS spins on Power 105.9 and K Day 93.5 -- with tracks like "Inglewood" and "Gotta Stay Paid."

Raised on the streets of LA, Damani was determined to develop a sound and style that would transform the LA hip-hop world. Toward that goal, he released his breakout mix-tape, "Congratulations Playa," hosted DJs Reflex and Skee, which made him one of the most sought-after artists on the West Coast.

As admiration for his skills grew in the local rap community, Damani earned the respect of a number of West Coast rap pioneers, whose work had first inspired him to go into music, including Dr. Dre, Mel Man, and his biggest influence, Snoop Dogg, who called Damani an artist "….I could pass the torch to and watch it burn."

"Damani is an important new voice in West Coast hip-hop, combining the truth and soul of the streets with hypnotic rhythms and an incredible musical sophistication," said Lisa Ellis, President, Sony Urban Music. "Sony Urban is proud to welcome him to our label family and look forward to working with him in creating a new chapter in hip-hop history."

"Damani brings a new perspective to West Coast hip-hop," said Kawan "KP" Prather, Executive Vice President, A&R, Sony Urban Music. "As much as he was born and raised in Inglewood and has the respect of the streets, he has also seen other parts of the world. And he's able to let people know, through his music, that it's ok to represent your hood, but it's also great to experience as much life as possible. To me, that's gangsta, for real."

We will keep you updated on everything surrounding Damani. Incase you missed his mixtape "Congratulations, Playa", which he had available for download, check it out now below:

Damani - Congratulations Playa (Mixtape)
http://www.dubcnm.com/audio/mixtapes/dj ... pe-(dubcnn).rar

_________________
www.myspace.com/sichill
www.sichill-music.blogspot.com

Quelle: www.bild.de

Damizza & Butch Cassidy Come Together For Duet Album

It's been a long time since we last heard from hook master and R&B crooner Butch Cassidy, who blessed many tracks with his smooth voice in the past couple of years. But whenever we did hear from Butch, he was somewhere around Baby Ree's Damizza.

After years of collaborations, they have decided to come together for a duet project called "Back B4 You're Lonely", which is set to be released January 30th 2007 through Baby Ree/Universal/Fontana.

"It's been a long time coming, and we're back.", Damizza says. "Time to put some records out. Butch & I just have a sick chemistry when we get in the studio, we just tend to knock out hits." Butch & Damizza have already enjoyed success together, including the track "On 2's" which appeared on EA Sports NBA Live Video game. "It's a privilege to be able to listen to our music while I'm kicking Damizza's ass at NBA Live", Butch says.

Expect to hear the Gangsta Blues with a Twist of Street-Jazz that Butch is known to bring; combine that with Damizza's smoke- filled, hypnotizing, G-Crunk beats and you know it's gona be a hit.