Author: hhns

Bow Wow says that he’s “at my peace” and is now “at my best.”

 

Last month, Bow Wow took to Twitter to say that his oft-delayed Cash Money Records debut Underrated was on hold, writing “fuck that album” and stating that he’s “doing everything on my own.”

 

Now, the 25-year-old rapper is singing a different tune, stating that he’s “at my peace” with Cash Money Records and that Underrated will arrive this fall. “Moving to Miami helped me. It helped me find myself as a man. Now things are coming naturally,” he told The Daily Nebraskan. “I’m in Cash Money Records, a place I wanted to sign with. Now I am at my peace, and when peace is in my life I am at my best. That’s when it’s real scary for my competition, because then I feel I am invincible.”

 

He also touched on what it’s like to be signed to the house that Birdman and Slim built, stating that it’s a collaborative environment and that he’s pleased to be part of a team of strong emcees. “They aren’t only good people, but good artists as well. We all help each other out, so as long as we do that we can make the label and brand even bigger. That’s what we are about.”

 

Ludacris’ imprint and Def Jam have been hit with a lawsuit over the use of Playaz Circle’s name and logo.

Even though 2 Chainz has been finding greater success as a solo artist than as a part of the duo Playaz Circle, that doesn’t mean the Disturbing Tha Peace duo doesn’t still make headlines. Now, in a recent report from AllHipHop, it looks like Ludacris’ label and Island Def Jam Music Group have been hit with a lawsuit over the illegal use of the group’s name and logo.

Music consultant Torrey Cook served DTP and Def Jam with a civil lawsuit over the use of Playaz Circle’s logo and trademark, which Cook owns. The lawsuit claims that Def Jam and Luda’s imprint profited off of three compilations featuring the Atlanta duo and failed to properly compensate Cook for his ownership of the group’s trademark.

Additionally, Cook claims that he informed both members of Playaz Circle – 2 Chainz and Dolla Boy – of his legal status as owner of Playaz CIrcle’s trademark. He says that he had been working out a deal with Def Jam and DTP, but that representatives from both companies failed to respond to his queries as the deal entered its final stages.

“Mr. Cook made it very clear to all involved, at every juncture, that the name Playaz Circle was trademarked and that it belonged exclusively to him,” the suit reads. “Further Mr. Epps [Ed. note: 2 Chainz] and Mr. Conyers [Ed. note: Dolla Boy] confirmed that they understood that the [trade]mark belonged to Mr. Cook.”

Neither 2 Chainz nor Dolla Boy have been named in the suit

Chris Lighty’s wife and brother react to the news of the veteran manager’s apparent suicide.

 

The world of Hip Hop is still reeling from the news of veteran manager and founder of Violator Management Chris Lighty’s suicide last week. Now, two of Lighty’s closest family members speak on the tragic of lost of the Hip Hop icon.

 

Chris’ wife Veronica Lighty spoke to the New York Daily News about the loss of her husband and the speculation that their financial situation and rumored divorce played a part in his suicide. She dispelled the rumors, saying that not only had they paid down most of the $5 million they owed to the IRS, but that they were in the process of repairing their marriage.

 

“My husband was too smart of a man. He was a genius. No smart man is going to leave his children for fighting with his wife,” she said. “That makes absolutely no sense. We had a passionate relationship. We fought all the time. I had filed for divorce last year, but retracted it. That was my gift to him [for Father’s Day]. Chris had a lot of weight on his shoulders.”

 

She added, “My husband was obsessed and adored me. He was one of the most beautiful people that I have ever met in my life. Let him die proud, at peace because that’s what he needed and that’s what he wanted. He just wanted peace and he wanted to relieve all that stress.”

 

Chris’ brother Dave Lighty also spoke on the tragedy with Hot 97’s Lisa Evers and FOX 5 News. He said that he refuses to believe that his brother would be so exasperated by his financial problems to have taken his own life; rather, he feels that there’s a deeper story to the incident that he implores the police to investigate.

 

“I’m a little surprised, shocked and lost at this moment,” he said. “I want the truth to come out. This isn’t my brother. My brother was a strong person…nothing is adding up. I can’t get a direct answer from anybody…I understand there’s a process to be followed. I can’t even get clear answers from people I think I should be getting clear answers from.”

 

He added, “Everyone’s like, ‘That’s not the Chris I know,’ in no way, shape, or form. Things were popping. Yeah, we’re in a bad economy, that’s everywhere. Nah. Not this. We’ve been in way worse situations than this. I just want to know what really happened to my brother…I just want the truth. The truth.”

 

 Griselda Blanco a.k.a. “The Godmother” was gunned down earlier today (September 3) in Medellin, Columbia.

The former drug kingpin was one of the biggest importers of cocaine into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

Griselda Blanco was attributed to thousands of murders during the drug wars in Miami in the 1980′s, which were the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary “Cocaine Cowboys.”

According to local reports, assassins on motorcycles unleashed a hail of bullets as Blanco left a butcher shop in the city.

Blanco, 69, was deported to Columbia after spending almost 20 years in prison in the United States, according to the Miami Herald.

Griselda Blanco served the prison time for three murders and drug trafficking.

During her time in prison, three of her four sons were murdered.

The fourth, Michael Corleone Jr. started a Hip-Hop label in Miami.

“My mother always took care of the boys and from there me and my brothers were the head honchos of the family and we told everyone else what it was,” Michael Corleone told AllHipHop.com in 2008. “It was a good upbringing. Christmas came around and I got my first Porsche at six years old.”

Several Hip-Hop artists co-opted The Godmother’s name and fearsome image, including rappers Lil’ Kim and Jacki-O, who beefed over the moniker.

“We started Hip-Hop in Colombia in the mid 80’s and early 90’s,” Corleone said. “We are the fathers of Hip-Hop [in Columbia].”

 Miami rap star Flo Rida is in Charlotte, North Carolina tonight (September 4), for the Democratic National Convention.

The rapper is in town to support Got Your 6 and Lifetime Television’s “Your Life. Your Time. Your Vote” campaign.

Got Your 6 collaborates with dozens of non-profit partners, who support veterans using programs focused on jobs, education, health, housing, family and leadership.

The goal of the latest campaign is to help over 1 million U.S. military veterans reintegrate into society.

In addition to Flo Rida, special guest Eva Longoria will host the event, which is expected to attract Democratic Governors, and members of Congress.

The private, invitation only event takes place at Amos’ Southend in Charlotte.

One of the prime suspects in the Nas ghostwriting scandal says there’s no chance Esco used ghostwriters.

 

Several weeks ago, it was alleged that Jay Electronica and stic.man of dead prez ghostwrote significant portions of Nas’ Untitled album.

 

Now, Jay Electronica is vehemently denying those claims.

 

“Nas is one of the gods, one of the greatest of all time, one of the godfathers of even my own style,” said Jay in an interview with MTV’s RapFix.

 

The elusive emcee did acknowledge that he submitted something to the project, but disagrees that his contributions amounted to ghostwriting. “I met him on a humble submission and he is one of the greatest ever — he never has or never will need a ghostwriter. He’s legendary, his pen game is unquestionable; salute to Nas.”

 

“And all of the other bullshit, is just bullshit,” added Electronica.

 

T.I. joins Kelsey Grammer in the cast for the political drama.

 

T.I. is expanding his acting resume with the announcement of his joining Starz’s political drama Boss.

 

According to VIBE.com, Tip will join the cast for the show’s second season. Based on the first season, star Kelsey Grammer garnered a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama for playing Tom Kane, a Chicago mayor who is diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder.

 

In the show, the self-proclaimed “King of the South” will play a “former gangbanger with designs on a career in City Hall. He is the cousin that Darius (played by singer-songwriter Rotimi) turns to when struggling with his love for Emma (Hannah Ware), Mayor Tom Kane’s daughter, and he is the conduit between a local Alderman and the gang that is powerful enough to function as a grassroots organization in the projects.”

 

 After announcing the official tracklist for his G.O.O.D. Music compilation just yesterday, Kanye West took to Twitter to ponder the vocabulary used in Hip-Hop as well as his recent song inspired by Kim Kardashian called “Perfect B*tch.”

West has also used the word ‘b*tch’ before on the Watch The Throne album for the song, “That’s My B*tch.”

Contemplating vocabulary that is acceptable and unacceptable, West tweeted:

“I usually never tweet questions but I struggle with this so here goes…  Is the word B*TCH acceptable?

“To be more specific, is it acceptable for a man to call a woman a bitch even if it’s endearing…

“Has hip hop conditioned us to accept this word? Do we love this word as much as we love the word N*GGA in an endearing way?”

With regards to how radio filters profanity, he wondered what it would be like they allowed cursing on American radio.

“What if there was no profanity… What if we decided to legalise profanity in a sense? In France they play songs with cursing on the radio.

“Excuse my French but I’m in France…

“I was recently questioned about the use of the word B*TCH in my music and initially  was offended by anyone questioning anything in my music…

“I will admit that I sometimes go back an omit cursing from my records.  I like to use profanity as a tool and not a crutch. I’m not tweeting to say what we need and what we don’t… I just wanted to think out loud with you guys today…”

Fans don’t have long to wait on his next choice of words for his lyrics. Kanye West’sG.O.O.D. music family’s Cruel Summer compilation is due on September 18.

Popular actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister a.k.a. “Deebo” from the “Friday” series of movies, pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud yesterday (August 31).

 

Lister is accused of defrauding lenders out of $3.8 million, by using fake information and bank statements to obtain mortgages on four different properties in Los Angeles.

 

After the mortgages were obtained on the houses, Lister and three other associates allegedly used the properties as collateral.

 

Lister also admitted to withdrawing over $1 million in loans against the properties, which were never paid back.

 

According to TMZ.com, Tiny Lister is facing up to five years in prison.

 

The news of Lister’s possible incarceration, could seriously impact the production of Ice Cube’s new installment of “Friday.”

 

Ice Cube had stated in previous interviews that he was writing the script for “Last Friday,” which he hopes will include original cast member Chris Tucker.

 

In addition to Friday, Tiny Lister has had cameos, or starred in number of popular movies like Master P.’s “I Got The Hook Up,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Wash,” “The Players Club,” “Jackie Brown” and others.

 

Freeway opines on his former Roc-A-Fella label mates’ legal issues.

 

Much has been made of Beanie Sigel’s latest string of legal issues. Sig was sentenced to a two-year bid for tax fraud, an issue that was compounded when he wasarrested on Wednesday (August 29) with drugs and a gun.

 

The arrest led to Sigel beginning serving time immediately, before the release of his latest album, This Time.

 

In an interview with allhiphop.com, former Roc-A-Fella label mate Freeway spoke on the matter prior to State Property’s performance at the Made In America Festival.

 

“It’s definitely unfortunate,” said Freeway of Sigel’s situation. “I was just on the phone with his wife. It’s looking crazy, but Inshallah, he will get through it. It’s hard on me, it’s hard on his family, but he’s got good people out here who support him.”

 

During Jay-Z’s set at the Made In America performance, Young Chris, Neef, Memphis Bleek, and Freeway made it out on stage.

 

50 Cent speaks on one of his latest entrepreneurial pursuits, as well as his upcoming album.

 

50 Cent’s entrepreneurial spirit never rests. The Queens emcee found himself in Berlin, Germany recently to discuss his latest product, SMS Audio headphones.

 

50 explained his involvement in the company as an owner rather than licensing out his image, and provided a rundown of the specifications for the over-ear headphones: 16-bit lossless wireless technology allowing up for four headsets to sync up from up to 50 feet away.

 

“I wanted to offer something that didn’t exist in the marketplace, and I feel like I did it, so I’m proud of this project.”

 

Additionally, 50 explained some of his latest charity efforts. “I also started Street King, an energy drink project that I partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme to provide a meal with every drink that’s sold. …Through SMSAudio.com, I provide 250 meals to feed Americans…Hunger’s not a third-world issue – it’s a world issue.”

 

Finally, Fif also discussed his upcoming album, Street King Immortal. “My new album will actually be out November 13, the first single off of that project is ‘New Day.’  Myself, Alicia Keys, and Dr. Dre. The record is going up the charts now.”

 

Legendary Hip-Hop group Run-DMC performed their first show together in over 10 years today (September 2) in Philadelphia.

 

A variety of acts hit the stage today in Philadelphia during final day of the Budweiser “Made In America” Festival.

 

Tens of thousands of people crowded onto the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, where acts like Santigold, Eve, and Jill Scott performed during a muggy day marked by showers.

 

But the highlight of the event thus far was the reunification of Run-DMC, who hit the stage around 5:30PM.

 

The group, backed ran through popular songs from their catalog like “Rock Box”, “It’s Like That”, “It’s Tricky”, “Peter Piper”, and others.

 

“Damn, I ain’t did this in so long, but it feels so damn right,” Rev Run said before the group launched into the songs “Here We Go,” “Beats to The Rhymes,”

 

The late DJ Jam Master Jay’s sons, Jason Mizell Jr. and TJ Mizell, took over the Run-DMC set to showcase their DJ skills, which impressed the crowd.

 

“Some years back, my DJ got assassinated when he was still in the ‘hood. Me and D broke the group up without Jay. He was everything to us. We put a silence on the group,” said Rev Run from the stage. “Jam Master Jay opened up a DJ school and both of his kids are here. They both DJs. They are serious DJs.”

 

Odd Future will perform later in the evening, while Drake and Pearl Jam are slated to close out the Budweiser “Made In America” Festival late tonight.

 

50 Cent goes after his former business partner for his wireless headphones, “Sleek by 50.”

 

50 Cent has sued Sleek Audio LLC over an unpaid $285,000 promissory note that he lent to the company in 2010, according to The Miami Herald.

 

Fif initially partnered with Sleek for his “Sleek by 50” wireless headphones and terminated his partnership with the company in May. He claims that Sleek Audio agreed to make payments on the loan once it reached $750,000 in revenue, an amount that was apparently met in February 2011. After 50 partnered with SMS Audio, Sleek claimed that the initial loan was nullified since he took the idea to a competitor, and “purposely omitted and misstated information during their negotiations with intent of fraud,” according to the suit.

 

“Sleek would have never borrowed money from [Curtis] Jackson or allowed him to invest in its company had it known that Jackson would ultimately use this tactic (of misusing the money) to steal its design, technology and headphones,” said the company in an un-sworn court statement.

 

50 tried to recoup the money in March 2011 but the company “essentially refused” by making itself unavailable to meet.

 

In addition to asking for his advance money returned, he is demanding $61,429 in back interest as well as an additional 15 percent for any unpaid debt moving forward. He also requests that Sleek Audio cover any legal fees connected to this issue.

 

UPDATE: Police reports confirm that Chris Lighty took his own life amidst a difficult year for the veteran music executive.

 

Longtime Hip Hop executive Chris Lighty has died. News broke today (August 30) first on Twitter and thenconfirmed on VIBE.com that the Bronx, New York native and founder of Violator Entertainment died from an alleged suicide. Details are still emerging.

 

Lighty was integral to the careers of 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, N.O.R.E., Diamond D, and many others. After growing up under the tutelage of Hip Hop icons like DJ Red Alert, Lighty began working professional at Russell Simmons’ RUSH Management firm in the late 1980s, where he helped work with Def Jam Records artists and others in securing endorsement deals and touring.

 

A part of the Native Tongues at the turn of the decade, Lighty and his brother as The Violators, helped the movement alongside A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.

 

The Violator name carried on in the late 1990s and 2000s, when Lighty launched his own firm. The management company handled clients ranging from Diamond D and Foxy Brown to Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip. In recent years, Lighty was working on Brand Asset Group with Lyor Cohen, his longtime associate and friend, and Warner Music Group. Last September, Violator merged with Primary Wave to form powerhouse management company Primary Violator.

 

N.O.R.E. mourned the passing on Twitter, saying, “I will be a Violator for life 4ever.”

 

UPDATE: The New York Daily News confirms that Lighty was found dead at his apartment in Bronx, New York this morning at 11:30 am EST. He was shot in the head in what arriving officers reported was self-inflicted. Police officials also told the newspaper that Lighty, 44 years old, was newly divorced and owed the IRS several million dollars.

 

Bad news for Max Biggavelli. An appeals court has upheld the murder conviction and 75-year sentence given to Max B for his role in a 2006 robbery at a Fort Lee hotel which turned deadly. Max B, real name Charly Wingate, had argued that the Bergen County Superior Court judge who tried his case had erred by not granting a request to separate it from that of his accomplice, Kelvin Leerdam.

 

The 34-year-old rapper was convicted in 2009 after a jury found that he had sent Leerdam, his stepbrother, and his girlfriendGina Conway to a Holiday Inn on Route 4 to rob two men,Allan Plowden and David Taylor. The robbery was botched and Leerdam ended up murdering Taylor. Max B’s sing/rap style is said to have inspired artists like French Montana, Jim Jones and Wiz Khalifa. Support for the release of Max has been strong within the Hip-Hop community, going as far as being name dropped by Jay-Z in the song “3 Kings.“

 

Max B will not be eligible for parole from Trenton State Prison, where he will be jailed until November 9, 2042