Month: April 2013

Two Republicans from South Florida are calling for an investigation into Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s recent trip to Cuba.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé were photographed in Cuba during a trip to the island nation last week, to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary in Havana.

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Republican representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the 27th Congressional District and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart of the 25th Congressional District, are calling on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control to investigate the trip.

Cuba is currently the subject of an economic embargo by the United States, and its citizens are only allowed to travel to the country with special permission.

The pair sent a letter to Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department, requesting information on the type of license that Jay-Z and Beyoncé received to travel to Cuba.

“Despite the clear prohibition against tourism in Cuba, numerous press reports described the couple’s trip as tourism, and the Castro regime touted it as such in its propaganda ” the pair said in the letter to Adam Szubin. “We represent a community of many who have been deeply and personally harmed by the Castro regime’s atrocities, including former political prisoners and the families of murdered innocents.”

Check out the full copy of the letter below:

The Honorable Adam J. Szubin
Director
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Department of Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220

Dear Director Szubin:

We write to express concern and to request information regarding the highly publicized trip by U.S. musicians Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Beyoncé) and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) to Cuba. We would like to respectfully request, within all applicable rules and guidelines, information regarding the type of license that Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such travel.

As you know, U.S. law expressly prohibits the licensing of financial transactions for “tourist activities” in Cuba (Section 910(b)(1) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act). If these individuals were given people-to-people licenses, we would like to bring to your attention the Cuba Travel Advisory issued by OFAC on July 25, 2011 which states, “OFAC only licenses People-to-People Groups that certify that all participants will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the travelers and individuals in Cuba.” These restrictions are in place because the Cuban dictatorship is one of four U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism with one of the world’s most egregious human rights records. Cuba’s tourism industry is wholly state-controlled; therefore, U.S. dollars spent on Cuban tourism directly fund the machinery of oppression that brutally represses the Cuban people.

Despite the clear prohibition against tourism in Cuba, numerous press reports described the couple’s trip as tourism, and the Castro regime touted it as such in its propaganda. We represent a community of many who have been deeply and personally harmed by the Castro regime’s atrocities, including former political prisoners and the families of murdered innocents. The restrictions on tourism travel are common-sense measures meant to prevent U.S. dollars from supporting a murderous regime that opposes U.S. security interests at every turn and which ruthlessly suppresses the most basic liberties of speech, assembly, and belief. We support the Cuban people by refusing to sustain their jailers.

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Chicago rapper Kanye West and a number of record labels are the subject of a new copyright/RICO lawsuit, over the continued usage of a 1974 sample.

The rap star is being sued by Trena Steward and Lorenzo Pryor, who are the owners of the copyright for the song “Bumpin’ Bus Stop.”

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The song was originally recorded by the siblings’ father, David Pryor of the music group Thunder & Lightning.

David Pryor died from various health conditions, in May 2006.

The brother and sister are suing for millions of dollars in damages, claiming Kanye illegally used a portion of the tune in his hit single “Gold Digger.”

According to the lawsuit, Kanye and various labels engaged in a 15-year “illegal copyright infringement scheme and criminal enterprise involving the unauthorized, willful sampling of plaintiffs original copyrighted music on a massive scale.”

Other record label’s named in the lawsuit include: Roc-a-Fella Records, Bad Boy Records, Stones Throw Records, Bomb Hip-Hop Records, Autumn Games, Activision, Caroline Distribution and The Island Def Jam Music Group.

Check out a copy of the lawsuit below:

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April 07, 2013: Kanye West just SPOKE OUT about the new Ray J hit single – I HIT IT FIRST – about Kim Kardashian. Here’s what he said, through a friend:

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But the source assures us that Kanye sees the song for what it truly is — a publicity stunt. ”Kanye don’t condone broke ass, jealous [guys] who be trying to bite off he and Kim’s fame just to stay, wait, just to become relevant.” Kanye West & Kim Kardashian Will Not Give Ray J Attention

Even though Kanye’s fuming, the source states that Yeezy won’t be giving Ray J the attention he wants. So we should probably stop hoping for Kanye to release a diss track of his own (that battle wouldn’t even be fair). Instead, don’t expect much of a response from Kim and Kanye, as Ray J fades back into obscurity.

“Tell him to call Ye when he gets to the $100-million mark,” our source concludes. “Cause guess what — Ye ‘hit that’ first.”

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It would seem that Ray-J is trying to get under Kim Kardashian or Kanye West’s skin with his new song, “I Hit First.”

The song was slated for release on April 9th, but leaked to the internet today. The lyrics are highly suggestive.

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“She might move on to rappers and ball players, but we all know I hit it first,” the singer croon, “No matter where she goes or who she knows / She still belongs in my bed.”

There are also lyrics that reference Kim Kardashian’s past and her present relationship with Kanye West, which whom she is having a baby with.

“I had her head going North and her ass going South /But now baby chose to go West,” Ray-J continues in the song.

The video for the song reportedly has a look alike Kim Kardashian character. The song is below.

Ray-J and Kim Kardashian starred in a porno movie together called “Kim K Superstar.” By the end of the song, he’s appealing for Kim Kardashian to “make another movie” with him.

Neither Kim Kardashian or Kanye West have not spoken on the song at press time.

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There’s been a lot of talk about folks coming out of the closet lately. Football players, Magic Johnson’s son…and now rappers. Well, that last one wouldn’t be a good idea if you ask Snoop Dogg Lion.

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During a recent run in with TMZ, the rap legend explained his theory on homosexuals in Hip-Hop. When asked whether Frank Ocean’s coming out had any impact in the game Snoop shed some light:

“Frank Ocean ain’t no rapper. He’s a singer. It’s acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don’t know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine.”

He continues, “It’s like a football team. You can’t be in a locker room full of motherf—-g tough-ass dudes, then all of a sudden say, ‘Hey, man, I like you.’ You know, that’s going to be tough.”

Can Hip-Hop get over its homophobia? Or do you agree with Snoop?

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Big Sean says he and Kid Cudi are still “brothers,” and that the two will still collaborate.

With Kid Cudi’s sudden departure from G.O.O.D. Music, it’s natural that it has become the topic of discussion with his former label-mates.

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In an interview with Los Angeles’ Power 106, Big Seanexplained that nothing has changed between him and Cudder. “Cudi isn’t just my label-mate, he’s one of my good friends,” explained Sean. “Yo, Cudi gave me his Jesus piece. The Jesus piece Kanye gave all of us, I lost my Jesus piece messing around, and he gave his. Yo, like that’s my brother. Cudi’s on my album. Me and him making music together. We still crew, whether it’s G.O.O.D. Music or not. That’s my dog.”

Big Sean revealed that Cudi didn’t tell him anything personally. “He ain’t tell nobody. I found out about it [when] somebody told me about it, and I saw it on Twitter. …That’s his business. He ain’t gotta call everybody and let everybody know what he’s doing business-wise. Even though we a fam…that’s the homie homie. That’s my dog forreal. Cudi’s awesome.”

“He ain’t signed to me. He ain’t gotta call me,” added Sean.

Watch the interview below (spotted at HHNM):

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Yukmouth explains why he calls Plies “fake” and why his beef with him began.

Yukmouth is no stranger to beef. From his verbal exchange with Game to his feud with Master P back in 1995 the Bay Area emcee definitely speaks his mind.

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This week, the Luniz co-founder called out fellow rapperPlies on his diss record/video “Charles Bronson” and echoed the sentiment others have had in the past claiming Plies is not the thug he claims to be.

Shortly after shots were fired, Hip Hop Vibe talked to Yukmouth about the feud and expanded on why he believes Plies is fake.

“This is what I live this is me all day everyday,” Yukmouth said. “Plies got to put the shit on that’s why I said he got to put the mask on son ’cause you wack. A real nigga don’t got to prove that he something, he trying to prove it.”

Yuk claims that the origin of the beef comes from Plies “taking his name.”

“I ain’t going to just shit on a nigga like that like, I had a problem with what he was doing ’cause there’s a lot of niggas that’s fake,” Yuk said. “I can go on the whole fucking industry so let him be fake but don’t take my motherfucking name, that’s where we got a problem at, period.”

Listen to the full interview below (via Hip Hop Vibe):

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Katt Williams confirms that he and the former head of Death Row Records “have business together.”

In the final days of 2012, comedian Katt Williams was filmed by TMZ, just hours after being released from jail on child endangerment charges. The Friday After Next star and Diplomats affiliate was then accompanied by former Hip Hop mogul Suge Knight, who was caught on tape fighting outside of Los Angeles, California’s Club Eden.

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AllHipHop.com recently asked Katt about his relationship with Suge. In addition to co-founding and being the CEO of Death Row Records, Knight, a Compton, California native also managed artists including Tupac, DJ Quik and The D.O.C. “I didn’t realize that me knowing him was going to be taken in all the different directions that it has been taken to,” said Williams. “We have business together, and number one, I respect what he thinks musically, first and foremost. I know from the things that I have been through and the entities that are mad at me, that your team is sometimes judged by your team.”

Although Suge Knight has been criticized for theft and violence by some high-profile rappers including Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger, Katt stressed the solidarity. “I know that he has never done anything wrong to me, and he actually came through for me at a time when I didn’t think that anybody was going to step up. And he did.”

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William (Billy) Williams, the admitted killer of BET’s “106 & Park” DJ Megatron, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in January, and this week he was sentenced to 21 years for DJ Megatron’s death. After his sentence is up, he still has up to  five years of post-release supervision to serve.

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Prosecutors said that at around 2 a.m. on March 27, 2011, Williams shot radio and TV personality DJ Megatron, 32, in the chest while the victim was walking to his Stapleton home.

According to Investigators, Williams, a recent parolee, and Richard Cromwell attempted to rob Corey McGriff aka DJ Megatron.  Williams shot the victim in the chest because he refused their robbery demands. Reportedly, as the DJ lay dying, authorities said Cromwell snatched his watch, which was a sentimental gift from DJ Megatron’s young daughter as well as one of his cell phones.

Cromwell will be sentenced for his role in the crimes next week.

According to SIlive.com DJ Megatron’s  mother, Louvenia McGriff, addressed her son’s killer inside the courtroom:

“We will never ever understand how you killed our Corey. He lived to give and to help others.”

DJ Megatron worked on BET’s “106 & Park” show as an on air talent as well as for the BET website. Former 106 Co-host Terrance J, spoke on what DJ Megatron meant to him and the “106 and Park” family. It was a very moving testimonial to the greatness of DJ Megatron as a DJ, a friend, and most importantly a man. Take a look.

 

Hopefully this sentence will bring lasting peace to his family, friends and fans.

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Too Short has been charged in his recent DUI arrest, in which he tried to run from the police.

The OG rapper has been charged with four misdemeanors stemming from the March 20 arrest in Los Angeles.

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The rapper was sent to jail after the police found meth in the car that that rapper traveled in.

The rapper was spared the felony drug possession charge, but, according to TMZ, now looks at a date in court for two counts of DUI, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of Marijuana or an open container while driving

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Rick Ross’ lyrics don’t just get him into trouble, 63 gang members in Harlem can thank The Bawse for being  busted by the NYPD. Authorities were led to the gangsters by way of social media posts that included lyrics from Ross and his MMG protegé, Meek Mill.

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According to the indictment, released today, members of gangs, Air It Out, True Money, Whoaday, and the  True Money Bosses (aka  “Trillas”), basically incriminated themselves, using Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to boast about their illegal activity. “God forgives I don’t….somebody gotta’ die,” posted one accused member (and Ross fan) on Facebook. Another AIO member referenced Meek writing “I’m 2 Glocks strapped, rolling down 112th Madison, 116th is the New Iraq,” putting a New York City spin on the lyric.

(Also, for those unfamiliar with slang, the ridiculous New York post outlined the story in the form of rap culture crash course.)

The gang members stand accused of numerous assaults, three murders, more than 30 shooting, plus gun possession, and trafficking. The eldest of the suspects is 25, while many of those indicted are younger than the age of 21. Charges range  from felony conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, to fourth degree criminal weapon possession.

“Today’s indictments chronicle a bloody gang war that claimed the lives of at least three teenagers, led to the shooting of dozens of individuals and put bounties on people’s heads,”said Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance. “Since October 2009, 68 shootings have occurred in the swatch of East Harlem that these gangs all call home. Forced to live among this senseless violence is the silent majority–innocent families who live in fear of getting shot while trying to go about their daily lives. Today’s cases are a part of my Office’s ongoing efforts, working with the NYPD, to strategically target areas that claim a highly disproportionate share of violence in Manhattan.”

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly credited the NYPD’s “calculated attention” for the “successful interruption of violence street crew rivalries.”

Starting in October 2009, members of AIO, TMG, and Whoaday are said to have committed six homicides, 46 non-fatal shootings, and 17 instances of shots being fired between 106th and 116th streets on Manhattan’s East Side.

Kelly noted the 2009 shootings of two members of the True Money Gang as the cause of a “tit-for-tat” retaliation. Over the next three years, two more TMG members were killed and a minimum of 10  “retaliatory” shootings broke out on the Harlem streets. “Social media remains a double-edged sword in our crime fighting strategies,” Kelly said. “It is used by crew members to brag about past crimes, taunt rivals, and incite violence. On the other hand, we use social media to document past crimes and intercept new ones being talked about openly by crew members on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.”

See photos from today’s announcement, and the weapons confiscated, below.

 

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(AllHipHop News) Drake got into another fight with a celebrity involving projectiles and feuding crews. This time the Take Care MC squares off against Kevin Hart during one of Hart’s stops in Toronto on his Let Me Explain tour.

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Moral of the story: Drake has shooters and those shooters have paintballs.

Hart is planning to release a movie of his sold out Madison Square Garden show from the tour  in July. Drake’s anticipated follow up to 2011′s Take Care is slated to be released later this year.

Check out the battle below:

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Esoteric announces that fellow Boston emcee Cadence has died.

Cadence of the Boston-based Hip Hop group Raw Produce is reportedly dead.

While no details regarding the cause of death are currently available, Esoteric of 7L & Esoteric announced the loss via his website, and spoke on the Beantown emcee, real name Seth Boyd:

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We have recently lost an amazing person/artist in Seth Boyd aka Cadence from the Boston-based Hip Hop group Raw Produce. In the mid-90′s, when we were really first learning how to put records out, Seth selflessly opened his doors to us. I’d travel to his studio in Cambridge as often as I could to soak up knowledge and trade stories with him.

Esoteric explained how deep Cadence’s passion for Hip Hop ran, and how his knowledge extended into other areas as well.

In ’97 there weren’t many people that were up for 2-hour long discussions focused on the hi-hat from that one Ultramagnetic b-side or what caused Simply Too Positive to change their name to Organized Konfusion. If the conversations ever veered off into other subjects, I’d usually try and steer us back into Hip Hop because I couldn’t keep up with him when it came to politics or social issues…he was too informed. He was wise. He described one of his tracks as ‘another leftist rant’ which immediately put us on the same page politically, yet he knew this stuff cold. Everything I felt, he was able to actually articulate. He had a way of communicating that was always well thought out, yet could spin into a sarcastic rant or clever play on words in an instant.

Esoteric continued, revealeing that Candence was driven by a passion for music:

I looked at studio visits or “building” with many artists as an obligation or a chore, but never with him. With Seth there was no ego, no tall tales, no war stories, just a modest exchange of ideas, most of them fueled by the desire to create the next great Hip Hop record. In ’95, he did: Raw Produce’s single “Cycles” is one of the most moving, beautifully constructed Hip Hop singles in Boston history. We met Seth and his partner Damian (Pitch) through the Vinyl Reanimators and we learned a lot from them both.

Finally, Esoteric recalled the history of his collaborations with Cadence:

Seth appeared twice on our Soul Purpose album, on “State of the Art” and then “My Rhyme Pt. 2.” I remember recording that one with him, and remembering how “Lakim Shabazz” his ad-libs were. I was jealous, but thankful he lent a helping hand to the track. Last time I spoke with him, he mentioned to me that he was recording and performing with Sammy B and Mike G (of the Jungle Brothers), Zimbabwe Legit, and YZ….and that he rocked with them and Stetsasonic at the Knitting Factory in NYC (more jealousy). He also shared a track he did with Grand Puba. These things, based on all of our conversations, gave me every indication that Seth was living his dream. He will certainly be missed, but never forgotten. RIP Seth. “The phrase turner Cadence here to set it, don’t forget it, taking out more muthaf***ers than radio edits.”

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Waka Flocka Flame is planning on going “back to the essence of music” on “Flockaveli 2,” talks Gucci Mane beef.

Just days after Brick Squad rapper Waka Flocka Flameinformed Rap Fix Live viewers that he would never do business with Gucci Mane “ever in life,” the Atlanta rapper has now revealed that he has no issues with Gucci.

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During an interview with Montreality, Waka Flocka stated that there is “no beef” or “animosity” between himself and Gucci and instead revealed that the two artists happen to be pursuing different goals at this point in their careers.

Waka further commented on his alleged issues with Gucci, which initially started with a single Tweet, by stating that it’s no one’s business what the reason behind the pairs split was.

“We in two paths in our lives. Ain’t no beef, no animosity. It’s just that me and him see two different goals. I guess we both be at the finish line we just going our own routes,” Waka explained. “That’s all I can say. People they just can’t put a finger on it. Like, ‘What’s the reason?’ Sometimes it’s none of your fuckin’ business what’s the reason. You know what I’m saying? Just understand two men went they own ways. It’s no problem.”

The Flockaveli rapper later spoke on his upcoming album, Flockaveli 2, and his plans on taking the project “back to the essence of music.”

“I feel like I’m a fresh artist again. But I know more tricks and trades. Like now I know more shit,” said Waka in a video posted on HipHop-n-More.com. “Plus, my second album I went so far left when I was already writing that I wanted to show people I could conquer another genre of people. And I did it. So now it’s time to go back to the essence of music. Of how I started and what I created. It’s time to claim what the fuck I started.”

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Celebrity deejay and radio personality DJ Clue was arrested on drug- and traffic-related charges after police stopped him at a checkpoint in lower Manhattan Wednesday morning and found he was driving with a suspended license, law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York.

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DJ Clue, whose real name is Ernesto Shaw, was driving a black Range Rover with New Jersey plates when he was stopped at the checkpoint on Varick Street at about 2 a.m.

Police checked his driving record and found the 38-year-old deejay was driving with a license that had been suspended eight times, according to law enforcement sources.

When police went to arrest him on the suspended license charge, they searched him and found three pills wrapped in tin foil, law enforcement sources said.

DJ Clue was taken into custody and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and aggravated unlicensed operator. He’s expected to be arraigned in Manhattan court later Wednesday.

An e-mail sent to a representative was not immediately returned. Information on an attorney wasn’t immediately available.

DJ Clue launched his career in the mid-’90s with signature mixtapes that were high-quality production and featured exclusive songs. One 1994 tape featured unreleased work by The Notorious B.I.G., accelerating his rise to fame.

DJ Clue joined Hot 97 as a radio personality in the late 1990s before releasing two major label releases via Rock-A-Fella/Def Jam. He later created his own label, Desert Storm, and left Hot 97 for Power 105.1.

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