After messing up a Maybach in the “Otis” video, Jay-Z and Roc Nation present Skylar Diggins with a Mercedes Benz.
As Roc Nation’s sports management branch builds out, the trophies are already coming in. One of Jay-Z’s clients that Roc Nation represents, Notre Dame Women’s Basketball guard Skylar Diggins received a grand graduation gift this past weekend. Jay-Z, Roc Nation and Dancy Auto Group gave Diggins a new Mercedes Benz upon receiving her degree from the Mendoza College of Business.
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Diggins, who will play professionally for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA, thanked all three givers yesterday (May 19), courtesy of Instagram and Twitter. She included a photo of her new wheels:
Skylar Diggins ✔@SkyDigg4
The “SNL” performances of both songs can be viewed below, as found on DDOTOMEN.
No official word has been made about whether these songs are part of Kanye’s next studio album. However, it appears the tracks will be featured on the disc, now thought to be titled Yeezus by several outlets. The album is also scheduled to be released June 18, according to various reports.
Kanye West takes to the side of numerous buildings to give fans a taste of what’s next from him.
In what was last minute notice but no less the audience,Kanye West took to the sides of 66 buildings worldwide to premiere his newest single “New Slaves.”
Cities that included Kanye’s latest work included Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Fransisco, which all had showings at different times.
Many quotable lines were dropped during the song including “I’d rather be a dick than a swallower” and “Doing clothes you would have thought I had help/But it wasn’t satisfying unless I picked the cotton myself.”
‘Ye tweeted out the locations of where his newest song would be playing, Friday night. It remains as his only tweet after the others were deleted from his account.
After being put on the spot, Birdman donates a large sum to Swizz Beatz’ charity.
As one of the wealthiest people in Hip Hop music, placing within the top five rap earners from Forbes list earlier this year, knowing Birdman can prove valuable for one’s fundraising efforts.
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Swizz Beats hosted his annual Bronx Charter School For The Arts Fundraiser this week and called the head ofYMCMB live from the event, putting him on the spot for a donation.
When asked what he could donate, Birdman said “Anything for you homie… $10,000, $40,000, $50,000, whatever works for you.”
“The number you stopped on wasn’t a bad one,” Swizz replied, grabbing the $50,000 offer from Baby.
Watch the footage of the phone call below (via HotNewHipHop):
Kanye West just may be a marketing genius. Last night, Yeezy sent out a rare tweet, revealing his new video for a song called “Rare Slaves” would be shown across the world. However, the clip wasn’t premiered via YouTube or Vevo, but projected on the sides of buildings.
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“NEW SONG AND VISUAL FROM MY NEW ALBUM BEING PROJECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE GLOBE ON 66 BUILDINGS, LOCATIONS @ http://KANYEWEST.COM,” read West’s tweet. His website provided addresses and times for when the video would be projected.
Stateside, the video appeared in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami. Other locales included Toronto, Sydney, Berlin and, of course, Paris
Plenty of Vines of the projection came in but the homie Mike Fresh nabbed the full clip. Watch below before it gets yanked off the net. Peep the lyrics after.
My mama was raised in an era when/Clean water was only served to the fairer skin Doing clothes you would have thought I had help/But they wouldn’t be satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself You see its broke n—a racism/That’s that don’t touch anything in the store And there’s rich n—a racism/That’s that come here please buy more What you want a Bentley, fur coat and diamond chain?/All you blacks want all the same things Used to only be n—as /Now everybody play me Spending everything on that Alexander Wang/New Slaves
[Hook] You see it’s leaders and it’s followers/But I’d rather be a d-ck than a swallower You see it’s leaders and it’s followers/But I’d rather be a d-ck than a swallower
[Verse 2] I throw these Maybach keys/I wear my heart on my sleeve I know that we the new slaves/I see the blood on the leaves I see the blood on the leaves/I see the blood on the leaves I know that we the new slaves/I see the blood on the leaves They throwing hate at me/Want me to stay at ease F-ck you and your corporation/Y’all n—as can’t control me I know that we the new slaves/I know that we the new slaves I’m about to wild the f-ck out/I’m going Bobby Boucher I know that pussy ain’t free/You n—as pussy, ain’t me Y’all throwing contracts at me/You know that n—as can’t read Throw him some Maybach keys/F-ck it, c’est la vie I know that we the new slaves/Y’all n—as can’t f-ck with me Y’all n—as can’t f-ck with Ye/Y’all n—as can’t f-ck with Ye I move my family out the country /So you can’t see where I stay So go and grab the reporters/So I can smash their recorders Yeah they confuse us with bullsh-t/Like the New World Order Meanwhile the DEA/Teamed up with the CCA They tryna lock n—as up/They tryna make new slaves See that’s that private-owned prison/Get your piece today They prolly all in the Hamptons/Braggin’ ’bout they maid F-ck you and your Hampton house/I’ll f-ck your Hampton spouse Came on her Hampton blouse/And in her Hampton mouth Y’all ’bout to turn sh-t up/I’m ’bout to tear sh-t down I’m ’bout to air sh-t out/Now what the f-ck they gon’ say now?
Krayzie Bone and Bizzy Bone point out that Eazy-E wrongfully does not get the gangsta glory witnessed in the legacies of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.
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In preparations for their Rock The Bells tour reunion, Cleveland, Ohio multi-platinum group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is speaking a lot about their mentor. While performing, Bone will be joined by an original digitally projected version of Eazy-E, who rapped with them on “Foe The Love Of $.” The quintet released their debut EP,Creepin’ On Ah Come Up under Eazy-E’s tutelage on the Compton, California native’s Ruthless Records imprint. While Eazy would tragically die a year later after complications from the AIDS virus, the group remained a flagship act on his label until the early ’00s. Their breakthrough 1995 hit “Crossroads,” and especially its video single, was dedicated in part to their mentor.
Speaking with TMZ.com, the reunited members of Bone Thugs expressed disappointment that Eazy-E’s legacy is not better preserved by fans. “[Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.] died being known as gangsta heroes,” Krayzie Bone told the celebrity news site. “[Eazy-E] died from a disease, so many look at that differently.” Eazy-E is believed to have contracted the AIDS virus through unprotected sex shortly before his death. Some affiliates of the N.W.A. founders, including B.G. Knocc Out, have publicly disputed reports regarding Eazy’s cause of death.
Bizzy Bone, who will be back with his band-mates after numerous hiatuses over the last decade, added, “Some people seem like they are afraid to commemorate him due to how he died. But Bone never once has, nor will, stop commemorating him.”
After some financial and label disputes in the past, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is working with Eazy’s estate and widow, Tomica Wright on the authorized performance. Earlier this month, Kurupt told HipHopDX that Tha Dogg Pound is working on a collaborative album with their foes-turned-friends, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
50 Cent says he helped G-Unit gain more popularity than D-12 and St. Lunatics. He also claims he helped them with their projects and that they weren’t always grateful for the assistance. Furthermore, 50 explains how his animated series on FOX came to be.
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While reflecting on his past, 50 Cent recently spoke about his experiences with G-Unit. In the process, he explained a bit more about his animated series on FOX.
Regarding his new series, 50 Cent said the show came to be as a result of his recent book about bullying.
“A lot of the times, my childhood experiences help me with projects that I create now,” 50 told HardknockTV. “Like, I created ‘Playground.’ It was a book based on bullying. My son was was telling me a story about something someone next to him was experiencing at school. I found myself explaining it from a perspective where I realized I was the bully. I was like, ‘Damn. How you gonna teach him and you’re tellin’ him…’ So, I wanted to create a book where I made the audience like the bully before I made them realize that his own actions was comin’ from something internal that had nothing to do with those situations…That book was a successful book. And now it has been picked up to become an animated television show on FOX. So, you’ll see it soon.”
During the interview, Fif also expressed his take on what went wrong with G-Unit.
“A lot of people here may not know every member of D-12 by name or every member of the St. Lunatics,” he continued. “But chances are, they recognize who was a part of G-Unit. It’s because I was so conscious of the people around me that, after the first record took off – and Interscope Records really didn’t want – Why do you want a G-Unit record when you can have a 50 Cent record when that one is the largest debuting Hip Hop album? You want another 50 Cent record. So I was adamant about positioning them properly because those crews, D-12 and St. Lunatics, had people that spearheaded them like Eminem and Nelly that had so much success, those projects would take two years before they would finish. They would come out and be such a huge success that they’re traveling and touring with so much going on that their crew would be there and they would turn into those guys that are just in the background…I didn’t want that to happen so I made the G-Unit project at that point and it offered them different things.”
“[I got] to the point where I was writing the music,” 50 added. “Helping them with their albums, putting the right choruses and production around them so they could make the album right. I think that there are certain things you do where you enable people and they feel like you are supposed to do that. This is how we do it, versus they appreciate you actually doing it. So, I made that mistake also.”
More from the interview can be viewed below.
In 2011, 50 spoke on his book, Playground. The emcee then shared similar sentiments. “Because my son is 15 years old, right now, it’s a relevant issue for me.” he said. “I had more experiences where I was part of the problem. To now have an adult’s [perspective], I can [look back] and say ‘that’s wrong.'”
“How can I be humbler/When I’m the cause of Tumblr”– Kanye West
Changing the opinion of a man openly tells you you can’t tell him nothing and he’s a god is close to impossible. However, Tumblr’s Music Evangelist, Nate Auerbach wants Kanye West to come back to reality for a second.
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Last week, West’s long time stylist, Ibn Jasper quoted the arrogant lyricist on his Instagram account during West’s performance at an afterparty for the Met Gala event in New York City. In an interview with Soundctrl.com, Auerbach claims Kanye was not an inspiration for Tumblr’s creation, however does attest that the Chicago rapper had an indirect influence on the revolutionary microblogging site:
“How many rap lyrics do you take literally? Lil Wayne says he’s a Martian. Tumblr is influenced by our users and by the creators on our platform. It would probably be more accurate to say that Kanye’s fans have influenced Tumblr. One of my favorite tumblogs is All Yeezy Everything.”
Prior to Tumblr’s inception in February 2007, West’s personal website kanyewest.com featured a very similar layout including a continuous scroll and a streamlined design for posting picture sets.
Chances are that the father-to-be has more pressing matters to deal with than validating his influence. According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian is planning on accompanying Kanye on his upcoming tour in October and has made demands to have soundproof hotel rooms and cribs at every tour date for the newborn child.
Last night Kanye West premiered a new track at Adult Swim’s Upfront event at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Standing inside of a giant pyramid, the Chi-town emcee broke into his latest single. The untitled song is an EDM-inspired tune that features the lyrics “too many hoes in this house of sin.”
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Kanye performed another new song, an auto-tuned ballad apparently dedicated to his girlfriend Kim Kardashian. He also went on one of his famous rants about his recent troubles with the paparazzi, his celebrity status, and his upcoming stint on Saturday Night Livethis weekend.
Read text of Kanye’s personal message to the public and watch videos of his performances and rant below.
One thing about me. I’m the worst kinda, worst kinda, worst kinda celebrity, because all I do is make real music. All I do is sit in the studio and make real, real shit, and that’s it. That’s motherfucking it. That’s motherfucking it. So I don’t want nobody running up on me with no cameras, trying to sell pictures and shit to magazines, asking me no dumbass questions. Throwing me off of my focus and shit. Harassing you all motherfucking day. I ain’t no motherfucking celebrity.
…go on SNL and you’re going to do like a skit about the paparazzi and shit and like humanize yourself?’ I ain’t here to apologize to no motherfuckers man. It ain’t about me humanizing myself. At what point did I become unhuman where I had to turn myself back? Or maybe i was demonized. Or maybe I was treated inhumane and not human in that type of situation.
I ain’t no motherfucking celebrity. I ain’t running for office. I ain’t kissing nobody’s motherfucking babies. I drop your baby and you sue me and shit. I’m trying to make some music that inspires people to be the best they can be. I don’t want nobody to ask nothing else of me. Don’t ask nothing else of me. Motherfuckers chasing you down ’bout to make you crash and shit. And all they want is for a nigga to laugh and shit. Hell nah, I ain’t doing no motherfucking SNL skits, this my goddamn life. This ain’t no motherfucking joke. That’s it. Stop that shit right there.
In March, the rapper had been ordered to submit to a urine test, but police say he turned in a sample that was suspiciously cold, and may have been tampered with. When asked to submit another cup, Scrappy allegedly refused.
According to TMZ, Scrappy revealed that the warrant for his arrest was invalid because “he never submitted bad pee in the first place.”
A judge granted Scrappy’s lawyer’s motion to recall the warrant. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for May 16.
UPDATE: Lil Scrappy’s hearing has been delayed a week. According to AllHipHop.com, the hearing will now be held on May 22.
Did you know, or care, that back in 2008 Rick Ross and Birdman created a gang of songs that haven’t seen the light of day? The MMG and YMCMB honchos have announced that they will be dropping the first volume of said work, titled The H: The Lost Album, Vol. 1, on May 23.
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DJ Khaled will serve as the album/mixtape’s host. Derick G caught up with the two rappers on the set of the “Started From The Bottom” video shoot in Miami, where they offered a few details of the album’s creation.
“This is a project me and Stunna did maybe in three days,” recalls Rozay. The Cash Money honcho then added, “We probably did 40 songs in less than 10 days.”
Call us pessimists but can we expect much quality if the music is being created at such a fast clip? We trust someone will be double checking their lyrics for any lines that will piss off any of their political connects. Also, will there be the addition of a new song to serve as a diss track going at Reebok and Mountain Dew? Probably not.
Continental Five states that he’s forced to deal with the various beefs 50 Cent stirs up, says he’s now paranoid.
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Earlier in the week, 50 Cent made mention of his cousin and fellow rapper Continental Five during an interview and stated that Continental Five was trying to emulate his past lifestyle in his music and revealed that he’s not a fan of his cousin’s records “because he has never been through the things he’s talking about.”
Continental Five recently responded to Fifty’s comments in a video interview with Forbez DVD and also explained his side of the story. According to the rapper, the lifestyle he raps about is one he lives with every day and even suffers from paranoia due to the “beef” 50 Cent involves himself in.
“Whatever stories you hear about this nigga, I deal with it on an everyday basis,” Continental explained. “I deal with that shit. So, when he’s gone and doing the rap shit and he’s starting the beef and he’s igniting all that, I’m still here…I’ve been paranoid. I don’t be out like that because—I’m worried about if a nigga would try to do it. None of the beef that I’m gripped up for or be running around with is not mines. I’m not outside starting trouble. This is somebody else’s problems I inherited.”
The rapper went on to address 50 Cent directly as he shot down comments made in regards to what Fifty believes was his desire to be a gangster rapper. Continental Five also called out 50 Cent for causing issues that he’ll never be forced to deal with.
“So, to a nigga listening, nobody’s trying to be a gangster. I want to get the fuck away from this. I’m trying to do my thing,” said Continental. “So, when you see me rapping it’s not me rapping about trying to portray something. No nigga, this what’s gon’ get me to get the fuck out the situation because I’m still in that situation. So, while you’re in your bulletproof and you good and you somewhere else, the reality is I still gotta deal with the shit that comes with your issues.”
The full interview with Continental Five can be found below.
Super-producer Dr. Dre (born Andre Young) and influential music executive Jimmy Iovine are using parts of their substantial fortunes to help cultivate the next generation of music business moguls. It was announced that the pair is giving the University of Southern California $70 million to create a new music academy.
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“The vision and generosity of Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young will profoundly influence the way all of us perceive and experience artistic media,” said USC President C.L. Max Nikias in a statement.
The four-year program will teach undergraduates the necessary skills to be successful in the music industry. Courses focusing on engineering, computer science, fine arts, graphic design, business, and leadership training will be taught by members of USC’s Thorton School of Music, Roski School of Fine Arts, Marshall School of Business, and Viterbi School of Engineering.
According to a statement issued by USC, “industry icons and innovators as visiting faculty and guest speakers” will also take part in the program. It will also provide one-on-one mentoring by professors.
“Academy students will have the freedom to move easily from classroom to lab, from studio to workshop individually or in groups, and blow past any academic or structural barriers to spontaneous creativity,” said Erica Muhl, the first director of the new academy, in a statement.
USC’s Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation is set to open in the fall of 2014 with an initial class of 25 students.
The rapper we better know as Snoop Dogg made a way that you can give your friends a jheri curl without the activator.
Last week, veteran emcee and endorsement king Snoop Lion (a/k/a Snoop Dogg) released Snoopify, an app for “photo-bombing.” The app was designed by 99centbrains, Upper Playground and Snoop’s public relations and marketing company, the Cashmere Agency.
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Snoopify allows users to enhance photographs with virtual “stickers” on Instagram, with animated extras including wads of money, jheri curl hairstyles, grape juice and various caricatures of the rapper who endorses it—Snoop.
Spokespeople for the Long Beach, California native included the following examples, using photographs of 2 Chainz and Drake:
The free app is compatible with both iPhone and Android, and is available on iTunes and Google Play, respectively.
The YMCMB mogul takes on the app world with Shorty Cuts, a phone app with shortcuts for texting and typing.
With his latest endeavor, Bryan “Birdman” Williams has announced Shorty Cuts, an app for iPhones, iPods and iPads. Birdman’s new app allows users to create shortcuts for typing on mobile devices.
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The app features a custom keyboard that users can program to represent different words and/or phrases. These words and phrases can include emoji icons. Users can also update Facebook statuses and Twitter posts within the app.
“As the owner of multiple global businesses, my time is valuable,” Birdman said in a press release for the app. “Over the years I have witnessed the growing demand for technology products and realized that an app that allows you to save time while typing was needed. Time is money and with Shorty Cuts by Birdman, you will be platinum!”
The app is currently available for $1.99 at the iTunes App Store. The app can also be found at shortycuts.com.
Big Sean says, “you gotta have a sense of what’s right and what’s wrong,” in regards to Rick Ross controversy.
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In late April, a photo of Detroit emcee’s Big Sean, Eminem, and Royce Da 5’9” surfaced online and consequently caused quite the stir on the internet. Details on the studio session have remained relatively scarce, but during a recent appearance on NiteCap With Peter Bailey, Big Sean spoke briefly on the session he deemed “historical.”
The Motor City spitter didn’t comment on whether or not any recordings for his sophomore album Hall Of Famewere made, but did state that he talked to both Eminem and Royce for hours and was able to speak with the pair about the impact they’ve made for artists in Detroit.
“It was crazy just coming from Detroit. We sat and talked for a couple of hours, even before we did anything musically. You know what I’m saying? So, I was just telling them how much—how crazy it is man coming from The D,” said Big Sean. “Them was the superstars. Them was the heroes in rap music. And they showed me that you can be worldwide. Cause it was always local heroes, but obviously one of the biggest rappers in the world is from Detroit. It was a big deal there. It was an honor man, straight up.”
Big Sean, who partnered with Adidas last year, also spoke on Rick Ross’ controversial “U.O.E.N.O.” lyric and the rapper being dropped from Reebok following the public outcry to the song.
“The content for this new album has been way more mature. People are gonna see as soon as you start putting the content out. I don’t think you should necessarily censor what you say if you feel like how you feel,” the rapper revealed. “I don’t think he ever censors what he says. He apologized for it. I don’t think he meant it how it came across…You gotta have a sense of what’s right and what’s wrong.”
