10th Anniversary (September 13th 2006) – RIP Tupac Shakur (1971 – 1996)

September 13, 2006

Today is the 10th Anniversary of the death of Tupac Shakur.  The music industry, Tupacs Family and fans lost one of the greatest artists of all time on September 13th 1996.  The actor, rapper, poet and entertainer will be remembered forever. Rest In Peace Tupac Amaru Shakur Check out a couple of music videos by Tupac:  Dear Mama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcloTmvTeA 

Changes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_8HIwRyrE

Sean Combs (P.Diddy) to re-brand after losing right to “Diddy” name in UK

September 10, 2006

The Guardian newspaper reports that Sean Combs (P. Diddy) is to re-brand after losing his rights to the name “Diddy” in the UK.  The re-branding is expected to be extremely costly.  He lost his rights to the name after another DJ, DJ Diddy Dearlove from London was proven to be using the name since 1992 – he won a settlement of £100,000.

Please click the link below to access the full article:

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1868448,00.html

Tupac Shakur Petition for Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

September 8, 2006

There is a petition up online in aid of getting Tupac Shakur a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been set-up by a Tupac protege Muszamil.

So far there have been more than 8,000 signatures on the petition.  To add your signature in support of getting the legendary musician, actor and entertainer a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, please click the link below:

http://www.petitiononline.com/2pacfame/

Thank you for supporting Tupac on this!

Hip Hop Front

50 Cent and Sean “Diddy” Combs beef – What do you think?

September 8, 2006

What do you think of the beef between 50 Cent and Sean”Diddy” Combs?

– Is 50 Cent acting like a child because Diddy won’t release Mase from his Bad Boy Records Contract?

– Is Diddy playing it cool? He has only hit back with one line “I am Richer Bitch” in a track from his latest album, Press Play.

– Is 50 Cent simply looking for publicity by trying to diss the biggest man in Hip Hop, Sean “Diddy” Combs?

Let us know you thoughts about the beef which was quashed on Wednesday.

Tupac Shakur Reinterpreted – 2 Weeks of Tupac’s work in London

September 5, 2006

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tupac Amaru Shakur’s death the British Film Institute are running a numbers of sessions at the National Film Theatre in London, UK called Tupac Shakur Reinterpreted. Films including “Gridlock’d”, “Juice” and “Poetic Justice” as well as documentries “Biggie and Tupac” and “Tupac Ressurection” will be shown over a 2 week period of 15 September to 28 September.

The opening night will see Leila Steinberg, Tupacs first manager, talking about her experiences of working with the artist and his influences on music and media culture.

I thought I would share this information with you so that you can take the opportunity to asorb some of the many talents that Tupac posessed.

Check out the websites below for more information on Tupac Shakur Reinterpreted:

http://www.bfi.org.uk/incinemas/nft/seasons/tupac/

http://www.myspace.com/londontupacretrospective

Elton John to make a Hip Hop album with Dr Dre!

August 27, 2006

Elton John was recently interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine and has said that he would like to bring his music together with Hip Hop beats.  Elton said that he would like to work with Dr Dre and a host of hip hop artists including Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, Eminem, Pharell Williams and Kanye West.

Check out the interview on the Rolling Stone website:

Rolling Stone Magazine – Elton John – “My next record will be Hip Hop”

Will Suge Knight and Death Row Records come back?

August 19, 2006

As a big fan of everything that Death Row Records and Suge Knight have acheived, I thought I would see what your thoughts are on whether there is going to be a re-birth of Death Row Records.

 Personally I think there will be a re-birth – Suge Knight is a man with an ear for music.

 Let us know what you think…

Check out these Classic Usher videos from 94/95

August 13, 2006

Can you get wit it (you will notice Diddy/Puff Daddy flicking switches)

Think of you (Remix)

Cassie’s Debut Released on Diddy’s Bad Boy Records and Ryan Lelie’s production company Next Selection

August 9, 2006

Cassie’s debut a very suprising debut album. If you thought Me & U was as good as it got for Cassie try understanding the sheer quality of her debut from Ryan Leslie’s Next Selection through Diddy’s Bad Boy Records Empire.

Surprisingly Sean “Diddy” Combs doesn’t produce or write a single track, however who needs him to when Ryan Leslie pulls off the quality he does here. A signature sound is a phrase that springs to my, but more importantly it is the close knitt relationship between R-Les and Cassie which makes this album a masterpiece.

Check out a review of the album on hiphopfront.com

Yung Joc continues quick rise to the top with the help of Block and Diddy’s Bad Boy South

July 31, 2006

Hip Hop Front found an interesting article on Young Jos’s rise in the rap game.  The article/interview below shows Russell “Block” Spencer’s and Diddy’s influence on helping Young Joc get to where he is today, with a great album in stores and in the media.  Check out the article below:

 Multimillion-dollar deals are cut, hot tracks recorded and careers launched virtually overnight in hip-hop.

Six months ago, producer/mogul Russell “Block” Spencer, 30, had just met aspiring rapper Yung Joc, 23.

Fast-forward to the present. Joc (aka Jasiel Robinson) headlines a concert tonight at Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines and can boast the No. 1 rap album (“New Joc City”) and single (“It’s Goin’ Down”) in the nation – via Block’s new $15 million deal with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records and Warner Music Group.

Block, who also helped orchestrate the rise of Young Jeezy and Boyz N Da Hood, finally will release his own solo album, “Welcome to My Block,” in May.

“The toughest part of the game for me is getting artists with the grind,” Block said last week from Atlanta, where he and Joc live.

“A lot of artists don’t have the grind (work ethic), and they don’t have the sense to understand, in this music business, it’s 90 percent business and 10 percent talent.”

Talk about the grind: Joc already is recording his sophomore album that should hit the streets in March.

“I said to myself, I put in so much hard work, it’s gonna pop, it’s gonna pop big for me,” Joc said last week from a tour stop in Virginia. “And it did.”

Yes, indeed. More Joc talk:

Q: What has been your biggest show to date?

A: Summer Jam, New Jersey, Giants Stadium in front of 60,000 people.

Q: What did that feel like?

A: It felt like I was getting the exposure that I worked so hard to get. It felt good.

Q: What’s the most expensive thing you’ve splurged on since your album blew up?

A: My house. And my new Mercedes CLS500.

Q: Your record company bio mentions jail time. Why were you locked up?

A: I was doin a bunch of (stuff), man … Stealin’ and (stuff). … Drugs. … I just changed my life all the way around.

Q: How did you change?

A: Just realizing it wasn’t me. I was doin’ a lot of it for attention. Once I realized that I was doin’ it for attention (at age 15), I quit.

Source: desmoinesregister