2013 is definitely an evolution in technology. You can send a fax from your phone, order a baby online, they are even making hamburgers in laboratories. One thing you can not do is try to serve someone a lawsuit on Facebook, a lesson concert promoters Mothership Music should have known. According to Billboard, Flo Rida (Tramar Dillard) avoided paying $400,000 in damages to Mothership Music for not showing up to a 2011 performance in Australia.
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After Flo Rida did not appear at his scheduled performance at the Fat As Butter fest in 2011, Mothership Music sued in the NSW District Court for breach of contract and damages. Due to travel constraints, Mothership Music resorted to serving Flo Rida a summons to his Facebook page.
Big mistake.
Flo Rida appealed Judge Judith Gibson’s initial ruling in Mothership Music’s favor and the ruling was subsequently upheld due to the promoter’s method of serving according to Justice Robert McFarlan:
The evidence did not establish, other than by mere assertion, that the Facebook page was in fact that of Flo Rida and did not prove that a posting on it was likely to come to his attention in a timely fashion
A judge denied Gucci Mane a court house request to have community service in the case of an assault where the Atlanta rapper allegedly struck a man in the head with a bottle.
Gucci was arrested earlier this year for allegedly striking a fan in the head with a bottle in the V.I.P. section of an Atlanta club.
A Fulton County judge denied the rapper the request.
At press time, a trial date was not set in the assault case, but Atlanta Fox 5 is reporting that they expect a trial before year’s end.
Macklemore recently spoke about perceptions and his competitive nature.
“I’m a competitive person,” Macklemore said in an interview with New York radio station Power 105.1. “I understand why people get put into boxes. Once you have a song like a ‘Thrift Shop,’ or even a ‘Can’t Hold Us,’ it’s easy for people to label it one thing, but if you listen to the body of the album, if you listen to the work, if you do some YouTube searches, I think it’s easy to see, first and foremost, I’m an emcee. That’s where this all started from. I’m competitive. I’m a rapper. I’m good at it. That’s my job.”
“Every single rapper, when that record dropped, spent that night writing angry battle raps,” Macklemore said. “I was definitely one of them. I wasn’t pissed, but for like 48 hours, I was like, ‘Hell no. I’ve gotta step my game up.’ That’s what it is. That’s the beautiful thing about that record. It has people talking. Everyone knows it. Everyone’s competitive. If you get on a song with somebody else, there’s not one rapper in the game that’s not like, ‘I want to have the best verse. I’m trying to out-rap the dude next to me.’ That’s natural. Kendrick is a competitive dude. He’s always said it and he works his ass off. I think he’s at that place in the game where he can say something like that and back it up. That’s the beautiful thing. It challenges everyone else to raise their bars and work as hard as he does.”
Discussing his roots as an emcee, Macklemore also recalled being a “backpack rapper.”
“I’m like a backpack rapper,” Mackelmore said. “That’s how I came up. I came up as a backpack rapper, underground Hip Hop. The fact that a song about thrift shops popped off the way that it did…I mean, we didn’t think we had one single on the entire album, much less three.”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released The Heist last year and have released three commercially successful singles, “Thrift Shop,” “Can’t Hold Us” and “Same Love.”
In a previous interview with Power 105.1, Macklemore addressed being labeled as both a backpack rapper and a conscious emcee.
“I just think it’s corny,” Macklemore said. “I’m not more or less conscious than anybody else. I’m a full spectrum of a human being. There’s songs that are deep and personal and might bring up some social issues, but that’s not the full side of me. I think that it’s a box that’s just corny. It’s very outdated. It’s very underground Hip Hop backpackerish and that’s not the music I make.”
Loaded Lux is one of the most respected battle rappers in the game today, and the SMACK/URL veteran recently told VladTV the one high-profile emcee that he wants to see get that work is Eminem.
“If one day I could get that bout, that would be something,” said Lux. “I’m letting the brother know, if he’s willingly to oblige, respectfully, that’ll be the pinnacle. I have a lot of respect for Eminem as a battle emcee.”
In June, Chief Keef affiliate Lil Durk was arrested and charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
In a recent interview, Durk spoke about the situation that landed him in prison. “Havin’ a name, they so thirsty, they want a name, [they] put a gun on me,” he explained. “I’ma beat it, though, I ain’t worried about that shit.”
Durk also spoke about his time in the pen, which he did not recall with fondness. “The worst, man. I was at Stateville [Correctional Center]. …You eat three times a day, but your last meal be at 4:00.”
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As for the other inmates, Dirk simply said, “It was fifty-fifty. People were beefing with me, or they was fans.”
Ever the optimist, Durk was able to find some silver lining surrounding his circumstance. “By me going to jail, that was publicity, too. It was all in newspapers. So at the same time, it never kinda stopped.”
Watch the interview below:
The incident was Durk’s second handgun offense, with the rapper having been convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2012. At the time, he was sentenced to one year in prison. He was released on parole in July 2012.
50 Cent claims that race had a major impacted in a case that ruled in favor of Sleek Audio.
50 alleged that the headphone company owed him $261,000, but the company disagreed. The matter was put in arbitration and a judge ultimately ruled in favor of Sleek Audio.
Court documents obtained by TMZ says that 50 claim the judge was against him because he’s a rap artist, African American and high profile. The mogul formally and legally responded in federal court.
50 wants the judgement thrown out and a new hearing. Sleek Audio denied the validity of 50′s allegations.
Kanye West is no longer facing felony charges regarding his July 19 altercation with a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport, according to latimes.com.
Yesterday (August 16), the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office decided not to file felony assault and attempted robbery charges against the rapper-producer, according to the report. Instead, the district attorney’s office sent the matter to the Los Angeles city attorney to see if the incident merited a misdemeanor charge, as per latimes.com.
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In a video of the altercation, West was shown wrestling the photographer to the ground. The photographer was later treated for contusion and muscle strain at Marina del Rey Hospital, as per latimes.com.
Deputy District Attorney Amy-Hannah Broersma said in her report to the court that the felony assault charges would not be pursued because the victim did not sustain significant injuries, according to the story.
The attempted robbery charged was dropped because there was insufficient evidence of any “specific intent,” according to latimes.com.
In the video, which appears below, West appears to get into an argument with a photographer outside of the airport.
Later in the clip, West grabs the photographer and seems to have him in a headlock. West also appears to force the photographer to the ground.
Immortal Technique’s perspective on all things political in Hip Hop is often thought-provoking. When the topic ofKanye West’s poignant song, “New Slaves” was brought up in a recent interview with Vlad TV, the Harlem native gave his opinion on the matter.
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“I don’t even know why he said that, did he say that to evoke thought?” Tech said when asked what he thought about the song. “I wouldn’t say that rich black people are the new slaves, that would be ridiculous, but are rich black people being mentally enslaved? Absolutely, because if they had any sense they would start their own industries that benefited some of their own people.”
Immortal Technique admits that he wasn’t sure what Kanye’s motive was with the song and that he hasn’t even heard it, but he said he did agree that people can be wealthy and enslaved at the same time.
“This is my disclaimer, I don’t know what his mental state was, I haven’t heard the song so I don’t know what the fuck else was said in that verse or what was said in conjunction with that verse,” he explained. “But can people be fabulously wealthy and still be blind as fuck? Yes…they can.”
Weslyn “Mama Wes” Monroe, the mother of the late Pimp C, has died according to published reports.
Mama Wes was reportedly stricken with a sudden illness and died in Port Arthur hospital.
Bun B said the following in a statement:
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Thanks to everyone that has sent prayers and condolences. She was a great woman. Nurture us from boys to men and made us strong enough to handle this industry. She was the one that kept us going when we didn’t wanna go anymore. She was the backbone of UGK, the definition of loyalty, the personification of unconditional love and the essence of what being Trill really meant. She’s finally reunited with her son. God bless you both. RIP Mama Wes. You gave everything to make us Underground Kings.
December marks the sixth anniversary of Pimp C’s death.
Last year, Meek Mill and Kendrick Lamar both appeared on “Power Circle,” from Maybach Music Group’s Self Made Vol. 2 compilation. This week, Kendrick’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control (HOF)” mentioned Meek Mill in his controversial bars claiming reign over his Rap peers. K Dot rapped, “Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller /
I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you niggas.”
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Hours after the song leaked, Meek Mill appeared on Power 99, in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvia. Host Mina SayWhat asked Meek’s thoughts on the verse. “He’s not comin’ at him in a disrespectful way, he’s comin’ at him in a competitive way,” said Meek, who compared it to sports. “It’s like if me and my homie playin’ basketball—I’ma tell you: I’ma dunk on you, I’ma spin off you, I’ma give you 30 points a night like Lebron [James]. I’m pretty sure [NBA players] hang around each other in the club and all that, but [still trash talk competitively].”
Meek said that his battle with a gold-selling (nearly platinum) peer is quite different from the local battles he’s been involved with throughout his career. “People get it misunderstood. [On] Philly diss records, you don’t even know a person, [and you saying] you’re gonna blow they head off, shoot your mom with you see you. On some Rap stuff, you’re like, ‘Aight, bet. Put your vest on, ’cause doin’ some shots too, havin’ fun with it.’ That’s what Hip Hop about.”
The former Grand Hustle Records artist did imply that he plans on responding to Kendrick. Unclear whether speaking to Kendrick’s Black Hippy quartet with Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul or just K-Dot, Mill stated, “I’ma tell y’all: y’all what y’all run; I run the streets.” To the Philly emcee, he’s the king of his own place in Hip Hop. “I’m in a lane by myself. I’m the only [one] that’s lyrically spittin’ some street music and gettin’ money. Kendrick [Lamar and Black Hippy], I’ma tell ’em in a rap: y’all can run that backpack, I’ma run these streets.” Backpack refers to a style of lyrical Hip Hop and sampling popular in the 1990s. Meek stressed that this competition is purely amicable. “We gonna have fun with it; get money. Hip Hop needed that.”
(August 14)
UPDATE: Hours after Meek Mill’s Power 99 interview comments circulated, Kendrick Lamar is believed to have had a laugh of his own. In a brief Vine video added to YouTube on August 15, Kendrick appears on a four-wheeler, a street-vehicle popular with Meek Mill since his early days as a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania street rapper.
Kendrick pulls up, tells the camera “Meek Mills, huh?,” calling the rapper by a name he used on early mixtapes and late 2000s recordings. Then after yelling, Kendrick pulls away, and does donut spins with the quad.
Drake’s upcoming album, Nothing was the Same, scheduled for a September 17 release, will feature Jay Z and Lil Wayne.
News of Drake’s collaborators was reported by Rolling Stone today (August 16). In the article, Drake also talks about taking a new musical approach with his upcoming collection.
“This album is about growth,” Drake says in the Rolling Stone piece. “When I play it for people, they ask, ‘Who’s that rapping?’ I’m like, ‘That’s me.'”
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Drake’s Nothing was the Same will also include “Connect,” a song that has not been leaked yet.
“That one hits you in the heart,” Drake says. “It’s painful and beautiful at the same time.”
TNGHT’s Hudson Mohawke, who recently worked with Kanye West on Yeezus, will also appear on the album.
Drake announced the release date for Nothing was the Same with a promotional clip for the project. In it, Drake celebrated a Grammy award with a drink.
The Yeezus nonbelievers were in full force last night (August 16th) in Dodgers Stadium for the Dodgers vs. The New York Mets. According to ESPN writer Arash Markazi, Kanye West wasa booed by the fans in attendance when he was shown on the jumbotron:
Robin Thicke is at the Dodgers game too and gets a loud ovation.
With a smile on his face, Kanye was then relocated to the second row near the Mets dugout while other celebrities in attendance received much warmer ovations:
Russell Simmons has apologized for releasing the now-deleted “Harriet Tubman Sex Tape” video on his All Def Digital YouTube channel.
“In the whole history of Def Comedy Jam, I’ve never taken down a controversial comedian,” Russell Simmonssaid in a statement published on Global Grind. “When my buddies from the NAACP called and asked me to take down the Harriet Tubman video from the All Def Digital YouTube channel and apologize, I agreed.”
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Simmons also said what he thought of the video before he was asked to remove it.
“I’m a very liberal person with thick skin,” Simmons said. “My first impression of the Harriet Tubman piece was that it was about what one of actors said in the video, that 162 years later, there’s still tremendous injustice. And with Harriet Tubman outwitting the slave master? I thought it was politically correct. Silly me. I can now understand why so many people are upset. I have taken down the video. Lastly, I would never condone violence against women in any form, and for all of those I offended, I am sincerely sorry.”
The video featured actors DeStorm Power, Shanna Malcolm and Jason Horton. In it, Tubman and a slave formulate a plan to blackmail a slave owner for freedom by filming a sex act between Tubman and the slave holder. “All these years I’ve been acting like I didn’t enjoy our special time together,” the actress portraying Tubman says in the clip. Shortly after the clip was released, it faced criticism for its depiction of Harriet Tubman.
Harriet Tubman, a significant figure in American history, was born into slavery. Tubman fled for freedom and risked her safety to help hundreds who were also enslaved. Tubman was able to carry out this task through the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes and safe houses. Tubman also served in several capacities during the American Civil War.
Russell Simmons addressed the launching of his new All Def Digital channel in a press release Wednesday (August 14).
“I’ve worked my entire professional life to promote up-and-coming talent and the new art forms they create and YouTube is the perfect platform for this new generation,” Simmons said in a press release. “Just as our talent will benefit from being able to engage directly with their fans, YouTube will benefit from having a network that reflects the incredible diversity of the new America.”
Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records, helped break artists like LL Cool J, Beastie Boys andRun-D.M.C. The older brother to Rev Run of Run-D.M.C., Simmons was also a producer on many of the group’s projects, including 1984’s self-titled release. Earlier this year, Simmons announced the launch of All Def Music. Simmons has worked in fashion, known for his ownership of Phat Farm. He’s also worked in comedy, most notably as the creator of Def Comedy Jam. Simmons has also participated in philanthropic efforts, forming the Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
Nelly, who was rejected by 10 labels before his platinum partnership with Universal Records, applauds Ryan Lewis and Macklemore’s independent hustle.
Before St. Louis, Missouri star rapper Nelly found success with Fo’ Reel/Universal Records in the late ’90s, the former minor league baseball player was turned down a reported 10 times by recording labels.
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After six releases with the New York-based UMG, Nelly recently took time to acknowledge Hip Hop independent Macklemore, who with Ryan Lewis, is approaching platinum status on the self-released 2012 album, The Heist. “You know why I like [Macklemore]? Because he’s independent,” Nelly told Charlotte, North Carolina’s Kiss 95.1 radio station. “I respect hustle… I know what it’s like to sit there and have labels tell you that your talent isn’t good enough to make it.”
Nelly added that labels, including his own, are likely bothered by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ commercial success and mainstream acceptance. “For someone like Macklemore to do it independently and to really just give the middle finger up to the labels now, it’s awesome.”
Nelly, who is part of the Charlotte Bobcats ownership team (along with Michael Jordan) is currently trying to change the team’s name, possibly back to the Charlotte Hornets, who left the city a decade ago.
Nelly is expected to release his seventh album, M.O., in October.
Dailystar.co.uk reports that Kanye and Kim have purchased tow Dartz Prombrom armored SUVs from Latvia.
The cheaper of the two vehicles is valued at approximately $386,000 and is modeled after President Obama’s armored transport, while the more expensive model, the “Prombron Iron Diamond” is valued at approximately $1.2 million, and can reportedly withstand attacks from landmines and rocket-propelled grenades. The former is for West, while the latter is for Kardashian.
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“Kanye is fully aware that his new family is so high-profile they attract the attention of weirdos and psychopaths,” said a source to the site. “He aims to leave nothing to chance. “His priority is to get delivery of the vehicles, especially Kim’s, before he begins his US tour in October.”
While it is unlikely that the Rap superstar and his wife will be involved in guerilla warfare in the near future, Kanye has had his fair share of run-ins with the paparazzi over the years. And while the new rides won’t make West, Kardashian, or the couple’s child North West any less conspicuous, there’s no doubt that they’ll be safer.
“More stars, especially those with families, are buying the sort of vehicles that boast military-grade specifications,” said Los Angeles-based media analyst Mike Raia of the purchase. Indeed, the increasingly privacy-minded family has refused to sell photos of their daughter, despite offers of millions.
O.T. The Realest @OT_TheRealest
Arash Markazi ✔ @ArashMarkazi
