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Nas is set to join members of ColorOfChange.org and MoveOn.org, two political organizations, in delivering a petition to Fox News' New York offices Wednesday afternoon (July 23).
The petition demands that the network cease their attacks on black Americans, specifically Senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, during their news broadcasts.
In a press release announcing the event, the organization accuse the network of an alleged pattern of incidents -- including an onscreen graphic that referred to the Obama's wife as his "baby's mama," a pundit who "confused" Obama with terrorist al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and then joked that both should be "assassinated," and the now-infamous comment by a Fox anchor who described the Obamas' fist bump as a "terrorist fist jab."
It also cites an incident in February, when Nas nemesis Bill O'Reilly talked about calling a "lynching party" to deal with Michelle Obama.
"When Fox talks about lynching the woman who may soon be our first lady and then refers to this wife and mother as a 'baby mama,' they are maligning not only the Obamas, but black women and black people across this country," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org in a statement.
Color of Change, Move On, and Nas are scheduled to deliver this petition at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Courtesy: Ballerstatus and TMZ
Rapper Lil Scrappy was injured and arrested Friday night (July 18) in DeKalb County, Georgia.
According to local news channel WSBTV2, the incident took place at around 7 p.m. in an apartment complex in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Reports said that the 24-year-old rapper (real name: Darryl Richardson) had received a call from his sister who said she had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend.
This is when authorities said Scrappy went to his sister's apartment, and became involved in an altercation with his sister's boyfriend, and ended up getting stabbed.
He's ok though. Scrappy was listed in stable condition Saturday. That's not all the bad news for Scrappy though. He was also arrested, as mentioned earlier. When police arrived on the scene, they took the rapper into custody and charged him with felony possession of marijuana, felony possession of a firearm/knife, battery and obstruction of officers.
As of Saturday afternoon (July 19), Scrappy remained in jail. Although a bail amount of $1,500 was issued for the misdemeanor battery and obstruction charges, an amount was not determined for the felony drug and gun charges.
Props to BallerStatus... I guess that's why they called him "Lil Scrappy".
Rapper DMX was arrested in a Phoenix on Saturday (July 19) for an incident in April, when he alleged gave false information to get out of paying a hospital bill.
In April, the 37-year-old rapper (real name: Earl Simmons) allegedly checked into an Arizona hospital for treatment of chest pains and shortness of breath.
During his stay at the Mayo Clinic, he allegedly used the name Troy Jones, and gave a false address and social security number, which he later said he provided the info to avoid paying the bill.
That incident has come back to haunt him, and he was picked up this Saturday.
"He's back in jail again," Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told the AP. "I don't know why judges keep letting this guy out. Every time he goes in there, he gets out on bond ... I'm hoping this is the one time he's going to pay the penalty for his offense."
At press time, a bond had not been set in the recent arres
VIBE Presents “THE BEST RAPPER ALIVE” Competition
Choose from rappers such as...
Lil Wayne
Jay-Z
Eminem
Andre 3000
Nas
T.I.
Game
Snoop
Lupe Fiasco, you decide!!!
VIBE readers will be given the opportunity to decide who’s the best rapper in the game as VIBE Presents the “The Best Rapper Alive” competition. This interactive, NCAA-style tournament will pit the top 64 MCs recording today against each other in a head-to-head battle.
VIBE.com will host the tournament with winners of each match-up being determined by fan votes online. VIBE readers can also fill out the brackets provided on page 103 of the August 2008 REAL RAP ISSUE and mail in to cast their vote.
Each round will last one week and the winner of each match-up will be announced on VIBE.com. At the end of five weeks, a king or queen will be crowned, and the champion will be announced in VIBE’s November 2008 issue.
Very good idea. MTV tried to get it right. They just made a bunch of folks tight. (Hey that rhymes) Here is YOUR chance to decide for once and for all Who is the Best Rapper Alive???? What are your thoughts?
Click HERE to go to Vibe's site.
With a new album [click to read], a successful tour, and flourishing fashion presence, producer Pharrell Williams is gettin' his grown man on and starting with a clean slate...quite literally.
The N.E.R.D frontman and fashion trend setter revealed this week to Brittish Vogue that his tattoos no longer fit his lifestyle and so he is trying a revolutionary new tattoo removal procedure, which involves applying replicated skin over old body art.
"It's basically like getting a skin graft, but you're not taking skin from your ass or your legs. These guys actually grow the skin for you," he explained. "First you have to give them a sample of your skin, which they then replicate. Once that's been done, they sew it on - and it's seamless."
Fake skin on your skin? I don't know...To Read on Click HERE
Young Jeezy recently confirmed his long-rumored relationship with R&B singer Keyshia Cole, and it was a lot more serious than most thought.
In one of Vibe's feature stories in their latest issue, Jeezy not 
only admits to a relationship with Keyshia, but also claims the singer once proposed to him.
To read the rest of this story...CLICK HERE.
This year's host will be funny man DL Hugley. In years past the BET awards' audience have been a younger crowd. Let's hope DL's jokes hit home. I'm sure they will. It can't be as bad as Damon Wayans a couple years back. His jokes were made for an older crowd.
75 Year old music legend Quincy Jones has been selected as the 2008 recipient of BET's Humanitarian Award and will receive the honor at the “BET Awards” on June 24. Past winners of the award include Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Denzel & Pauletta Washington, and Don Cheadle, who were bestowed the award in 2007.
Some of this year's performers are...
1. T-PAIN
2. KANYE WEST
3. AL GREEN (WHO IS THIS YEARS RECIPIANT OF THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD)
4. KEYSHIA COLE
5. MARVIN SAPP
6. YOUNG JEEZY
7. RIHANNA
8. NEYO
9. CHRIS BROWN
10. NELLY
11. ALICIA KEYS
12. USHER
13. LIL WAYNE
SHOULD BE PRETTY INTERESTING. I AM HOPING THESE LIVE PERFORMANCES WON'T INCLUDE A BUNCH OF LIP SYNCING AND VOICING OVER TRACKS. (T-PAIN AND YOUNG JEEZY) I SAW A CLIP OF JEEZY REHEARSING ON ACCESS GRANTED LAST NIGHT, AND HE WAS RAPPING OVER HIS OWN VOICE. WHICH IS WACK. BE AN EMCEE MAN... WE KNOW YOU ARE THE KING OF ADLIBS, SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THE ADLIBS BEING NECESSARY IN THE BACKGROUND. BUT, HOW YOU GONNA RAP OVER YOUR OWN VOICE FOR THE WHOLE SONG? ANYWAY, LETS HOPE FOR AN ENTERTAINING FIGHT FREE TURNOUT. I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING MARVIN SAPP SING. I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF HIS VOICE FOR A LONG TIME.
“We both have the same energy,” he said. “I don’t sleep. If you ask anybody, I don’t sleep. I think it’s the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you’re impersonating death to me. He don’t sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night. The connection is crazy. He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing.”
Two of Hip Hop and R&B’s cameo kings are joining forces for an entire project.
In an MTV report, Lil Wayne has confirmed that he and T-Pain are forming a supergroup.
"We both have the same energy," he said in the report. "I don't sleep. If you ask anybody, I don't sleep. I think it's the cousin of death. As much as you sleep, you're impersonating death to me. He don't sleep. I play all day. He plays all day and all night."
The duo has previously collaborated on “Got Money,” the second single from Lil Wayne’s new album Tha Carter III.
“The connection is crazy,” he says about his musical chemistry with the Tallahassee, Fla. hit maker. “He loves to be creative, he loves to work; I love to create, I love to work. He really wants people to respect his rapping; I really want people to respect my harmonizing.”
In the report, Lil Wayne also announced that he will begin touring for his album on June 27. "I just want people to leave the show and feel like they saw something that they gonna remember forever," he said of the impending tour. "You know how our parents always tell us about some concert they went to [back in the day], but they remember it like yesterday? I want that to be every night, every city for me.
Courtesy HipHopdx
DOWNLOAD: Lil Wayne - A Millie (remix) "Thank You"
Mrs. Doggy Dogg was stopped by cops in Fullerton, California early Saturday morning and arrested on suspicion of DUI. She was released shortly thereafter with a citation. Broadus is scheduled to appear in court next month.
Word is Kanye was nearly two hours late to his early Sunday show (2:45 a.m.) at Bonnaroo this weekend.
Your Boy was at first set to show at 8:15 p.m. I guess K-weezy's dedication to perfection may have clouded his dedication to his fans' time. Cause Yahoo says Kanye wanted to spend more time tweakin' his 'bigger than life' Stage and Light Show. Hence the title "Glow in the Dark" tour.
Now, I know there are 120 other bands playing and folks should plan to be there all day, but Ye' need to stop playing! Don't nobody wanna be waiting on nobody for that long. Some concert goers claim Kanye didn't apologize for the delay or acknowledge the crowd in any way.
Read Yahoo's whole story on the incident.
| As Rap Basement preveiously published, there was an acappella version of Lil Wayne's "Dr Carter" a few weeks ago. Recently Swizz Beatz told MTV that if you loved that rhyme for "Dr. Carter" that Lil Wayne kicked, you will undoubtedly bang your head through a wall once you hear the finished song. "I was like, 'Why the f--- they putting [an] a cappella [version] out?' " Swizz, the producer of the song, said. He noted how Web sites have picked up the exclusive audio Wayne gave Mixtape Monday. "That 'Dr. Carter,' I made [the beat] for Hov to save the game. He vibed with it, but he didn't jump on it. I was like, 'Hov Carter.' 'Wayne Carter.' It still works." Swizzy says the actual beat has an old-school vibe, but you'll hear all types of hospital sound effects, including flat lines. | |
"Two turntables and a Microphone" an investigation about the slaying of Jam Master Jay on third of the groundbreaking hip hop group RUN DMC, made it's premiere at the 9th annual Black Film Festival on June 3rd. (Tuesday).
It's about time more filmmakers bring to light the lack of response black crimes get, especially among Hip Hop artist.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Camu Tao - “Hold The Floor“ from Definitive Jux Presents Vol. 2 (Definitive Jux, 2002)
Today, at around 2pm, our dear friend, family member and musical collaborator Tero “CAMU TAO” Smith passed away in his home town of Columbus, Ohio. Tero had been quietly fighting for his life for the last year and a half after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
To those who knew Tero, he was an almost uncategorizable force of nature. Wild, hilarious, proud, loving, tough, outspoken, spontaneous and brilliant. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he dripped creativity, leaving inspiration and awe in the hearts and minds of anyone who was fortunate enough to see him work.
We, his friends and family, have truly had our collective hearts broken by his passing. Not only because of the loss of our friend, but because of the loss of his contribution to those who never knew what we knew about his talent and his potential. He was the secret that no one wanted to keep and we always knew that one day his vision and his heart could change music forever the way he changed all of our lives.
His departure from us all 1 month away from his 31st birthday is nothing less than a tragedy… nothing less than a crime. he was a gift to us all and he is irreplaceable. Rest in peace, Mu. We will love you forever. May god bless you and your family.
R.I.P. Tero “CAMU TAO” Smith born 6/26/77, passed 5/25/08 wm/cc
sincerely, jaime “el-p” meline (on behalf of many, many wonderful and broken hearted friends)
For Our Sons is a riveting documentary filmed in New York City in June of 2007. Editing was completed in October 2007. It was written produced and directed by Vanz Chapman and Eric McKay. It was shot and edited by Christopher E. Scott
Christopher E. Scott is a filmmaker who spent most of his formative years working professionally as a camera operator and an editor. He founded Maroontown Pictures in 1993. He also went onto co-found GrandTheftVideo.com in 2006.
In 2005, he directed PURE, an avant-garde documentary about drug culture and the perils of drug use. That same year, he directed THE MONTH OF THERMIDOR, an experimental film exploring life in a post 9-11 environment. In 2007 he directed a documentary about the House Dance scene in New York City. He also acted as the Director of Photography and Editor for the ground breaking and controversial documentary entitled For Our Sons. In 2007, Christopher Scott was the Director of Photography on the dramatic film entitled "Scenes From A Rooftop". Set in New York City, "Scenes From A Rooftop" deals with mental illness, suicide, and child abuse in an African-American family.
Writers/Directors Producers- Vanz Chapman & Eric McKay, Director of Photography - Christopher E. Scott, Editor - Christopher Scott, Production Assistant/Sound - Darryl McKay, All post-production, digital effects, and DVD authoring was done by Maroontown Digital in New York City and Toronto, Ontario.
Atlanta Film Festival Invitation:
FOR OUR SONS was invited to be screened at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid595963047/bclid595116861/bctid1364182954
Brandy's little brother, Ray J, was kicked out of a Hyatt in DC on Saturday morning, because hotel security found weed and a club drug called "Boat" in his room. Boat is apparently the street name for PCP. There's also something called "Love Boat" OR "dip", which is a joint dipped in formaldehyde.
TMZ reports that security only came to Ray J's room, because they got a complaint about the noise. He left the hotel and checked into a Holiday Inn down the street.
Ray J's rep told TMZ, "The altercation did not directly affect Ray J -- it was people in his entourage. But he did the gentlemanly thing and left the hotel anyway."
Yea, okay.?
This is just a snippet. Full version will be posted as soon as it becomes available. John Legend's album to be released Early Fall '08. Click the audio link after the jump.
G.O.O.D. Music’s second hardest worker (behind Kanye West) has been a very busy man this past half-year.
John Legend created the “Show Me” campaign, where he and a team of activists organized to help fight economic and spiritual poverty in Africa. They have sponsored several villages in Africa and are making a big difference in the lives of others.
Then there is his newly started label Home School Records and his first signee Estelle. Her first album on the new label (executive produced by Legend) released April 29th, and features Kanye West, Cee-Lo and production from Wyclef Jean and will.i.am.
Now though, he’s focusing on his third album. Though it doesn’t have a title yet, John Legend has finished about half of the expected tracks. Featuring production from will.i.am and the Neptunes, Legend hopes to bring something new to his loyal fans.
One of the tracks to make the cut is “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000, which has been described as futuristic and a bit more poppy than the usual Legend, but he feels this is the right way to go for this album. “The last record was mellower,” Legend told Billboard. “The production this time is a little more up-tempo and more pop sounding than the last one.”
To go along with a different sound, Legend has chosen to take a different marketing scheme that may be more effective than the usual. “I want to go beyond what the label machine always does and think of some cool ideas. Labels get into a creative rut. I want an ad firm that launches other products to use their knowledge to launch my music. It'd be cool to get ideas from a firm that can still reach my marketplace. We're taking proposals now.”
John Legend’s third album is slated for a September release date.
Download / Stream Green Light
Rihanna has credited her shorter hairdo with distinguishing her from other pop stars - and for allowing her to discover herself.
The 20-year-old rebelled against her record label's wishes last year (07) when she chopped her long locks into an edgy pixie cut to coincide with the release of her album Good Girl Gone Bad.
And the Umbrella hitmaker insists the change in style helped her establish her independence.
She says, "I felt like the whole world had long, curly, flowy blonde hair. Ciara, Beyonce, Mariah, Christina Milian. Everybody wanted to be like everybody else. So I cut my hair and they (Def Jam) made me put my long hair back in (as extensions).
"The second time, I didn't have any discussions, nothing. I just cut it, I dyed it black, I went into the studio making music my way. I found myself all at once. I like things strong, edgy, a little to the left. I don't like things that are expected - nothing cliched."
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