G-Unit and the Game have delayed the release dates of their upcoming albums, which were both previously scheduled for June 24. G-Unit's "T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)" is now slated for July 1, while the Game's "L.A.X." is penciled in for July 8. Stoking his long-running rivalry with the Game, G-Unit leader 50 Cent has told journalists he planned to use his influence at Interscope to move "L.A.X." to a different date than "T.O.S." He added that a same-day release showdown would not be the same as last year's battle between his own "Curtis" and Kanye West's "Graduation" because "Game is not Kanye..." Interscope, which is releasing both albums, declined to comment. "I will drop my album on July 8 in order to clean up the mess 50 made with his new release on July 1," the Game tells Billboard.com. "I thank all my fans for their support on the new single 'Pain' featuring Keyshia Cole." G-Unit's 2003 "Beg For Mercy" has sold 2.7 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while the Game's 2006 album "Doctor's Advocate" has sold 969,000 copies.
Source: Billboard
Friday, April 25, 2008
G-Unit, The Game Push Back New Albums
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Ying Yang Twins Are Back!
Multi-platinum selling artist, the Ying Yang Twins, announce a late Summer release for their forthcoming full length entitled "Ying Yang for President," due out on TVT Records late this summer. The albums first single "Drop" leaked on Myspace and has been played an amazing 31 million times...
The ATL duo is the #1 Indie artist on Myspace. "Drop" is produced by Isaac "Ike Dirty" Hayes III (son of R&B legend Isaac Hayes) - the electro club-banger that is setting dance floors on fire. The video was filmed in their hometown with Kaine and D Roc holding down a huge party atmosphere throughout the clip - an indication of the energy to expect from the Ying Yang camp in 2008. It was directed by up and comer Morocco, who had directed hot clips for Twista and Dude N' Nem. The video premiered on Yahoo! last Friday
http://www.yingyangmusic.com/drop/video/
The Atlanta duo burst on to the scene with their sexy and quirky club hit "Whistle While You Twerk" in 2000 followed by their first major radio hit "Say Yi Yi" in 2001. After signing to TVT Records, the group released a string of hits that put the group and Southern Hip-Hop on top of the charts. They included "Wait (The Whisper Song)," "Salt Shaker" and "Get Low" with label mate Lil Jon, "Badd" with Jim Jones, "Ms. New Booty" with Bubba Sparks, "Shake" with Pitbull, and "Dangerous" with Wyclef. Their 2003 album U.S.A (United State Of Atlanta) is a an absolute classic pushing the boundaries of hip-hop to include house, soul, electro-dance and the duo's trademark Yin(g) and Yang personas.
Having sold nearly 4 Million albums over the span of their short career, the Ying Yang Twins have already achieved international superstardom – more recently by taking part in the first ever major hip-hop event in Tapei in 2007.
Monday, April 21, 2008
8Ball & MJG Ready Greatest Hits Album
After well over a decade of putting in work and a string of both mainstream and underground hits, 8Ball & MJG are gearing up to release a compilation of their most popular songs.
We Are The South (Greatest Hits), which is set to hit shelves in May via Koch Records, will feature a slew of the Memphis, Tennessee duo's most celebrated bangers from their entire catalog of LP's including Coming Out Hard, On The Outside Looking In, Space Age 4 Eva and Living Legends...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Akon Lied About Criminal Past
Though his 2004 break out hit, "Locked Up," resonated with fans for its gritty real-life lyrics, R&B star Akon reportedly wasn't locked up for as long as he claimed.
In previous interviews Akon (born Aliaune Thiam) said he headed an infamous car-theft ring and claimed to have spent more than four years in prison...
Investigative news outlet The Smoking Gun revealed the singer's rap sheet, in an expose yesterday (April 16), that discounted the singer's claims. They reported that among the Grammy award winning artist's six arrests, the only felony conviction he had was for gun possession, and for that charge, the rapper got off on three years probation.
TSG also reported that in 1998 Akon was in fact jailed for possession of a stolen BMW, but for months, not years. All charges were later dropped and the rapper was released - a far cry from the tale he tells on wax in his sophomore set Konvicted.
Akon's representatives at his label Universal Motown had no comment when contacted.
Source: SOHH
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Busta Rhymes Drafts Linkin Park For New Single
Busta Rhymes has drafted rock act Linkin Park to guest on his new single, "We Made It," a Chris Robinson-directed video for which is being shot today (April 15) in Los Angeles.
The track, which was produced by Cool & Dre and Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, will introduce Rhymes' eighth studio album, "Blessed," due June 17 via Flipmode/Aftermath/Interscope...
This is one of those songs that can't be described better than touching the souls of the common people," says Rhymes.
Shinoda and Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington will appear in the video. The group previously teamed with Jay-Z for the 2004 album "Collision Course," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
Source: Billboard
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Three 6 Mafia New Album News
Hypnotize Minds/Columbia Records announce the upcoming release of Last 2 Walk, the first new full-length album from Three 6 Mafia since 2006, when the record-breaking history-making Memphis hip-hop ensemble became the first African-American rap group ever to win the Best Original Song Oscar. One of the year's most heavily anticipated album releases in any genre, Three 6 Mafia's Last 2 Walk will be available in stores and online Tuesday, June 24...
The brainchild of Three 6 Mafia founding members DJ Paul and Juicy J, Last 2 Walk premieres the future club anthem, "Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)" featuring hardcore rapper Project Pat (Juicy J's brother and longtime member of the Hypnotize Minds' hip-hop collective), the rising Three 6 Mafia protege Young D, and Superpower.
The album includes the salacious new single "I'd Rather" featuring Unk, "That's Right" featuring Akon, and the long-awaited "My Own Way" collaboration with Good Charlotte.
Three 6 Mafia secured its place in hip-hop history and the annals of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences when "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp," from the highly acclaimed "Hustle & Flow," took home the Best Achievement In Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) Oscar statue on Sunday, March 5, 2006.
The Academy Award win was the most visible of a long series of triumphs for Three 6 Mafia. That year's Best Song Oscar also represented a major victory for hip-hop itself as the groundbreaking art form, as represented by Three 6 Mafia, broke out of the underground to achieve bona fide recognition from the mainstream. That same year, Three 6 Mafia was presented with the Key to The City of Memphis by Mayor Willie W. Herenton, the city's first African-American mayor and became the first rap performers to be given a "Note on Beale Street," the Memphis equivalent of a star on Hollywood Boulevard.
Originally released in late 2005, Most Known Unknown, the last major label release from Three 6 Mafia prior to Last To Walk, was singled out as "one of the year's best hip-hop albums," by Kelefa Sanneh in a "Critic's Choice" review in The New York Times. The RIAA platinum-certified Most Known Unknown entered the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart at #3 while also debuting at #1 on both the R&B Album Sales and the Rap Album Sales charts.
Most Known Unknown once again upped the ante on Three 6 Mafia, whose previous album, the RIAA Gold-certified Da Unbreakables, debuted at #4 on the Top 200 in 2003 and the Rap album sales chart at #1. Da Unbreakables became the #1 best-selling album in Birmingham, Chattanooga, Jackson, Knoxville, Little Rock, Memphis, Mobile, Nashville, and Paducah
Garnering a cult-like following since their humble beginnings peddling TDK mix tapes, the Memphis, Tennessee-based Three 6 Mafia personify the essence of Down South Hip-Hop. With an ever-growing string of gold and platinum accomplishments, the group has never lost its core connection to the pulse of the underground. Three 6 Mafia has had a series of successful recordings dating back to 1995 and the group's initial releases: the first independent release, Smoked Out, Loced Out, the first full-length album, Mystic Stylez (which sold more than 200,000 copies), and the Live By Your Rep EP.
Three 6 Mafia scored its first major label success in 1997 with Chapter 2: World Domination (Relativity), which sold over 800,000 copies. The group claimed gold status on the destructive lead single, "Tear Da Club Up." Even more success came with the follow-up album, When The Smoke Clears, in 2000. That album debuted at #6 on Billboard's Top 200 album sales chart, and has sold well over one million copies. As if musical success weren't enough, the group moved into the video realm, releasing the Choices DVD and Choices soundtrack album in 2001. The Choices DVD has sold more than 100,000 units (which is platinum status for home DVDs/videos). A well-received follow-up DVD, Choices II: The Set-Up, was released in March 2005.
Three 6 Mafia starred in the MTV reality show "Adventures In Hollyhood."
For more information:
http://www.three6-mafia.com/
www.myspace.com/threesixmafia
http://www.columbiarecords.com/
source: worldwideconnect
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Nelly And Fergie Both Wanted The 'Party People' Beat
Polow Da Don-produced collabo will be on Nelly's upcoming album, Brass Knuckles.
Polow Da Don's penchant for playing tracks he shouldn't is still paying off for the producer.
Earlier this year, he admittedly leaked the single he worked on with Usher, "Love in This Club." The song then rocketed up the Billboard Hot 100 to land at #1.
This time, he played the beat for Nelly's new single, "Party People," to the St. Lunatic when it was originally intended to be a track for Fergie's next album. Instead, the Black Eyed Pea had to settle for second billing on the song.
" 'Party People' started as a song that Polow Da Don and I did back when I did 'London Bridge' and 'Glamorous,' " Fergie told MTV News on the set of the "Party People" video in Los Angeles. "Basically, it was almost done. Trina did a verse on it; that's why you hear me say [her name] on the song. Everyone thought it was too street for me at the time. [Laughs.] So that's why they didn't want to put it on The Dutchess.
"It was left off, and I was gonna put it on my next album," she continued. "Polow played it in the studio for Nelly, and [he] flipped out and turned the song around and made it into a major club banger, brought his energy, and it just became this monster. He played it for me. I told Polow, 'You know I was saving this song for my next album. But I can't hate on it, because it's good! I like it! I like this version.' And all the label heads loved this version. And Nelly called me like, 'It's crazy!' "
Nelly said he and Polow were 10 songs deep into recording when the producer played him the music for "Party People."
'I'll take it,' " Nelly recalled thinking when he heard it. "I kind of reconstructed it a little bit, put some Nelly in it, rearranged it some more, and it came out to be the song you hear today."
The pair recently finished the video, which has since popped up online and will officially make its premiere next week
The song is the lead single from Nelly's fifth album, Brass Knuckles, due June 24 on Universal Records. Guests expected on the album include Ciara, T.I. and LL Cool J. The first song released from the album was "Wadsyaname." But after the St. Louis rapper heard "Party People," he said he knew that would be the single.
"As soon as I heard it, I knew it was Nelly," he said. "It had everything that I really wanted. The beat is infectious. The feel of it is right where it needs to be — right what I want to do as far as killing it over the summer. It was perfect."
source: MTV
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
50 Cent: “Young Buck Is No Longer In G-Unit”
50 Cent has made it clear about the status of Young Buck, one of his artists who has had a shaky relationship with the company for several months.
50 Cent revealed today [April 7] that the Tennessee rapper was no longer in G-Unit the group, but would still record for the label.
“You can look at it and see that’s Game [former G-Unit rapper] all the way. I was giving him a chance, giving him the benefit of the doubt [to remain with the group]. You can take this as an official notice right here – pretty much you can say: Young Buck is no longer in the group G-Unit, but signed to G-Unit [Records] as a solo artist,” 50 Cent told DJ Envy, a co-host on the Hot 97 Morning Show with Miss Jones...
Most recently, Young Buck revealed that he had not collected any royalty income as an artist on G-Unit Records, a subsidiary of Interscope. Those reports were quickly dispelled by Sha Money XL, manager of Young Buck, who said the rapper was “waving the G-Unit flag strong.”
“There has been a new rumor going around that 50 Cent has not paid Young Buck any royalties," Sha Money XL told AllHipHop.com. "I, as Buck’s manager and as former President of G-Unit Records, want to make it clear: that is false. Young Buck has cleared over $10 million dollars working under 50 Cent’s and my guidance.”
Young Buck, born David Darnell Brown, was expected to appear on Shoot to Kill, the follow up to G-Unit’s 2003 debut album titled Beg For Mercy.
Young Buck once was to lead the charge for 50 Cent’s G-Unit Sout imprint. Instead, the rapper started Cashville Records and signed rap vet C-Bo and The Outlawz, who were a part of Tupac’s inner circle of emcees.
But has also started David Brown clothing to supplement his rap offerings.50 Cent and The Game initially parted ways, because the Compton upstart wouldn't assume beefs with Nas and Fat Joe that the rest of G-Unit had declared.
Source: Allhiphop.com
T.I. News
T.I. says an unreleased song of his that just leaked wasn't intended for public consumption
Outside of Paper Trail, T.I. is also going be featured on some cameos. His guest spot on Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" remix has been out for weeks, and in the near future, he'll appear on another high-profile song.
"We got a remix coming out — I won't tell you who, but it's some fellow A-Town representatives, and they're occupying the top spot on the Billboard charts right now with this record," he revealed coyly. "It's gonna be one in the club. Something for the club."
Obviously, the biggest record on the Billboard charts right now is Usher's "Love in This Club," which features Young Jeezy. Both are Atlanta staples. September has been Paper Trail's planned release date, but nothing is confirmed yet.
"We're getting the music right first, then we'll set the date."
Tip is currently out on bail, awaiting sentencing stemming from gun charges in Atlanta last fall. As part of a plea deal, he will be serving more than 1,500 hours of community service.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Texas Indie Hip Hop Artist Has Two Single on Billboard Charts
Hip Hop recording artist Fat Pimp has been enjoying success both locally (in his hometown of Dallas) and nationally. While his first single for Ball Hard Entertainment, Rack Daddy, has been dominating the airwaves and nightclubs in the southeastern region of the country, the success of his follow up single, I'm Getting Money has the artist with a total of two singles on the Billboard Charts. Debuting on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip Hop Single chart on February 12, 2008 at #12, the single, I'm Getting Money is now #89 on Hot R&B/Hip Hop Song charts, while Rack Daddy is currently #14 on the Bubbling Under Chart, and moving up rapidly. More importantly all of this success is based solely on the strength of the music, and not promotion saturation campaign...
Even though Rack Daddy is just now reaching the charts, it was this single that initially gained Fat Pimp the recognition, and ear of his ever growing fan base. The following he has amassed in a short period of time, without any real promotion, can be seen in his Myspace stats. While his page has only been active for only two months the Rack Daddy craze has the earned the artist over 94,000 profile views and over 5,000 friends. The dance and the song, which both originated in Dallas, can now be heard in every club on this side of the Mason Dixon Line. His follow up single, I'm Getting Money, which features his group mate Jodean and depending on which city you're in either Ray Paul (of Yung Guerrillas Ent.) or Poebeezy (of PoeDiamond Ent) is showing spectators that this producer / rapper isn't a one trick pony. The song, an ode to the rewards of hard work, is helping the artist to set himself apart from the pack. Boasting classic southern bass, an infectious hook, I'm Getting Money is an exercise in lyrical capabilities and style. All signs point to continued success for Fat Pimp, and his star is sure to keep rising as the sky is the limit.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Jay-Z And Beyonce Got Married On Friday
No official comment yet, but People.com reports it's true.
There was no official announcement at press time, but after six years of will-they-or-won't-they speculation, celebrity power couple Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z finally tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony at Jay-Z's New York apartment, People.com reported early Saturday (April 5).
"It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair — close friends and family," an insider told the magazine.
The ceremony was followed by a lavish party at the apartment that was attended by the couple's families and many celebrities, and featured DJ Cassidy, one of Jay's favorites, according to People.com.
While rumors about the two getting married have come and gone for years, on Tuesday, Jay and Beyoncé were reported to have secured a marriage license in Scarsdale, New York, a short car ride from their Manhattan home. That report was met with some skepticism, given that it was April Fools' Day.
However, speculation that the couple were finally tying the knot began to ramp up early Friday morning when a tent was erected at the top of Jay-Z's building. Soon after, a large delivery of flowers and candelabras was made to the downtown locale, according to People.com. The site also reported that waiters could be seen on the swank pad's roof practicing service.
At 8 p.m. ET Friday, a reverend and his wife were spotted outside Jay's apartment, according to UsMagazine.com. Early in the evening, a slew of guests began arriving, including Jay's mom, Gloria Carter; B's father and manager, Mathew Knowles; her sister, Solange; Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow; and Beyoncé's former bandmates in Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, all of whom were spotted by TMZ.
Late Thursday night, Rowland and Williams posted a video on YouTube from an "undisclosed location," Williams joked, before Rowland admitted to being in NYC. Giggling like schoolgirls at a slumber party, Rowland and Williams remained coy regarding B's rumored nuptials.
While family and famous friends were making their way inside, the guests' cell phones had to stay in the car, according to TMZ. Drivers were circling the apartment waiting for further instruction from security, and they all had their clients' phones in tow. The drivers also told the site they were hired for the event three days ago but it was called off early Friday — and then they were called back on later in the day.
If the wedding did go down Friday, the honeymoon would be over very quickly — Jay-Z is scheduled to perform in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday night with Mary J. Blige as part of the Heart of the City Tour.
Reps for Beyoncé and Jay-Z had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment at press time.
source: MTV
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Ashanti "Declares" Her Return, New Album Coming In June
After stepping away from the spotlight for a brief stint, R&B siren Ashanti is gearing up to make a comeback with the release of her new album Declaration.
The album, which is set to hit shelves on June 3, will be the singer's fourth solo LP and will be the follow-up to 2004's Concrete Rose.
The record is being propelled by the lead single "The Way I Love You," which has been gaining an increased amount of both radio and video airplay...
The album will also see Ashanti venturing out from strictly relying on producers provided by The Inc., as the multi-platinum selling songbird collaborated with an A-list group, including Robin Thicke, Jermaine Dupri, LT Hutton, Babyface, and Pharrell Williams, among others.
In addition to dropping a new album, the multi-talented diva is also scheduled to be furthering her author skills, releasing another book entitled Ashanti Style. The book is said to be a life and style book aimed at the teenage market and is her second literary venture, following her book of poetry, Foolish/Unfoolish: Reflections on Love.
Declaration is set to arrive in stores on June 3 on The Inc/ Universal Motown.
Source: SOHH
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Jay-Z And Beyonce Take Out Marriage License: Reports
One source says the couple will marry soon; license is valid for 60 days.
By Jem Aswad
Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z have taken out a marriage license in Scarsdale, New York, a source reportedly told People.com.
The pair obtained the license, which is valid for 60 days in New York State, on Tuesday morning (April 1), according to the report.
At press time, reps for the artists had no comment or could not be reached.
A source reportedly told UsMagazine.com on Tuesday that the couple have told friends they would like to marry in May after Jay-Z's tour with Mary J. Blige ends.
"Jay is trying to pull it together quickly and on the fly to keep it private," the source told the site. "They really wanted it to be private."
New York's Daily News reported this week that while Beyoncé was out of town filming for the Etta James biopic "Cadillac Records," Jay met with her younger sister, Solange, in Miami. Sources reportedly told the paper the two discussed Jay's proposing to Beyoncé and asking for her manager/father Mathew's consent.
Beyoncé, 26, and Jay-Z, 38, have been a couple since 2002, and marriage rumors have long been rampant. The couple rarely discuss their relationship publicly.
In September, Jay told reporters in Las Vegas during VMA Week that the couple will get married "one day soon — let's leave it at that."
In December 2006, Beyoncé said to InStyle, "You can't rush a man into anything — whether it's a relationship, marriage or having children."
And in 2005, she downplayed marriage rumors in an interview with Vanity Fair.
