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June 28, 2001

Fabolous Preparing Debut Album

From SOHH.com. After making appearances on several DJ Clue mixtapes and getting some time on Lil Mo's "Superwoman Pt II", Fabolous is heading out on his own. The 21 year old Brooklyn emcee is hard at work on his debut album Ghetto Fabolous, which will be released through Clue's Desert Storm Records on September 18. The first single from the album, "Can't Deny It" featuring Nate Dogg has been popping up on radio across the nation. Production duties will be handled by the likes of Clue Duro, Rockwilder, Neptunes, Just Blaze, Rick Rock and Timbaland. You can also catch Fabolous on upcoming releases from Mariah Carey, Macy Gray and Jimmy Cozier.

June 26, 2001

Lil' Mo Recovering After Bottle Attack

From MTV.com. Instead of celebrating Tuesday's release of her debut album, Based on a True Story, Lil' Mo will be resting and recuperating after being hit over the head with a champagne bottle on Friday. The 4'11" singer, born Cynthia Loving, was attacked by a male as she was getting into her limo, which was parked outside the backstage area of the Warfield in San Francisco, according to a police report. She had just performed at the venue. Mo was treated at California Pacific Medical Center, where she received 20 stitches. She is doing fine but is a little shaken up, according to a spokesperson for the singer. "For this to happen on the eve of the most exciting week of Mo's career makes us all doubly sad," read a statement from the singer's label, Elektra Records. Mo has canceled all of her public appearances through June 29 as she has to follow up with her doctors, the label said. A police spokesperson could not offer any further details about the investigation.

June 25, 2001

Canibus Disses LL On Mp3.com

From SOHH.com. While Canibus has been virtually absent from the mainstream, the emcee with the mechanical mandible is still making some noise underground. The rapper has two tracks that have been floating around the net for awhile and are now featured on MP3.com. One of the tracks, "Rip The Jacker", is an answer record to LL Cool J's early dis "Jack The Ripper Part 2". The track jacks the beat to the LL classic "I'm Bad", while Canibus goes for the jugular. "I had to rock to a beat like this to show you / that I'm iller than the future, the present and the old you ... You can't rap or act my main man / you gonna end up as an intern working for Def Jam ... plus I heard Simone was the high school slut / and she learned how -uck before she knew how to cuss ... Mama said knock who out? I'll punch that b*tch in the mouth / 'cause she don't know what she talking about / Ay yo, do me a favor when you see your ghostwriters / Tell them the rhymes they wrote for you should have been a lot tighter / You could have asked me, I'll write you some lines / I'll do anything for the greatest loser of all time / You still drippin' with wack juice 'cause you wack n*gga / If you want the last word you can have it, I'm still iller / ya dead!" The site also has a track alled "The Last Laugh", and exclusive freestyle and a three-part interview.

June 20, 2001

Keith Murray Signs To Def Jam

From MTV.com. How do you remain on top of the rap game? You stack the deck. That's what Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen's been doing lately. Already commanding a roster that boasts Redman, DMX, Method Man and Ja Rule, Cohen signed Capone-N-Noreaga early this year, and on Monday he acquired the services of Keith Murray. Signing his contract and making his marriage to the record company official, Murray made it easier for Cohen to rest. After all, Keith would've been his top draft pick from day one. "I been pursuing Keith Murray for 13 years," said Cohen, who professed a love for Keith's wordplay. "Ever since I first met him I wanted to sign him, and I got snaked and he signed with Jive. I was sick ever since." Murray, who debuted on Jive records with the gold record The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World in 1994 and dropped two more albums in 1996 and 1998, still owed the label two albums when Def Jam came calling. He was granted his release after Def Jam forked over some money from its vaults. "Def Jam's got a lot of energy, you know?" Murray said. "And they represent true hip-hop in its purest form as far as back in the days to now. And that's what I represent, so our missions coincide. I felt I could be promoted, marketed and I could be heard in a manner that I wanted to be heard properly if I made this move. It was nothing personal [against Jive], it was just business." Looking at Murray sitting in Cohen's office on Monday, you could literally see his growth. Barely a month removed from the Connecticut halfway house where he served out the final months of a three-year prison sentence, the 26-year-old has grown his fade haircut into braids and has swollen with 20 pounds of girth. "I was preserved when I went in," Murray said. "When I was out in the streets I was drinking, hanging out, indulging in drugs, traveling, never getting proper rest. [In prison,] I slowed down. I had a proper diet and proper food, supplied myself with the proper nutritious elements. This is the way I should be." Then there's his change as a person. He's calm, poised, nothing like the animated "lyrical analyst" who rhymed while standing on top of a Mercedes Benz in the video for "The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World." Murray was forced to put the brakes on his fast-lane living when he went to jail for hitting a party-goer over the head with a barstool in 1995. "I practically grew up in public," said Murray, who feels his incarceration has helped him mature. "I came out when I was 19 [and had] stardom. I didn't really know about this side of the world — I grew up in it. And a lot of people saw me make a lot of mistakes, saw me do a lot of things that was irrational." "The kid was nuts, bouncing off the walls," agreed Cohen. "He's more mature now. I'm not sure which Keith Murray I like best, but he's just come home, so he's being reserved. I can't wait to have fun with the Keith Murray I knew before, too." Getting reacquainted with the outside world, Murray's been mixing his revelry including a recent Manhattan party for Lil' Bow Wow at Barcode with family time. Seeking to help others learn from his situation, Murray addressed social issues at last week's Hip-Hop Summit and lent support to Sean "P. Diddy" Combs when P.D. and Shyne were on trial earlier this year. "Me going through [my trial] was déj&aagrave; vu," said Murray. "I got family who have been through it. I've been through it a few times. I talked to Puffy a few times while the trial was going on. He was strong, you know? I just had him in my prayers. I definitely felt what he was going through, and I knew that they felt at that present time what I was going through." Like Diddy, now that he's a free man, all the rapper wants to do is look ahead. "I'm not mad. I maintained my innocence from day one," Murray said. "There's a lot about this situation that people don't know. ... The evidence, none of it matched. The allegations of the two people never were the same. They still found me guilty. Separated me from my daughter and my loved ones, my means of making money to better my economical situation. I did all that time, man. It was stressful. "Can you imagine waking up to the same nightmare everyday? Then I get out and I get a bigger deal than I ever had in my whole life. That's God rewarding me for enduring so much hardship, and he knows and I know that I did not inflict pain on any individual. So now I'm being rewarded ten-fold." Murray who was allowed to have studio equipment in jail, where he recorded his verse for Redman's "Wrong 4 Dat" said he'll reward fans for their loyalty when his new album drops next year. Although he won't hit the studio for a couple of weeks, the Long Island native already has his project mapped out. "You can expect a universal sound, [rhymes with me] sitting back, reflecting, looking out the window," the MC said. "Days, months, years passed by. I thought about a lot of things, and I realized that I'm a poet. I made a commitment to embrace the tragedy and fulfill the fate of life, so I'm more honest and emotional. I still have fun. I'm still lyrical. I've just grown to be well rounded." Murray also said he's going to switch up his formula of primarily working within his Def Squad camp, which includes Redman and Erick Sermon. "I feel as though it's time for me to branch out and explore new sounds from different producers, work with new artists, try new things." After all he's endured, Murray's not worried about trying to live up to his own hype. "It feels good, you know, when you accomplish something. The accomplishment feels liberating, just to be able to be in society and physically work towards achieving your goals it's the most beautiful thing in the world, baby."

June 19, 2001

Raw Music TV

RawMusicTV brings you this week an interview and video from one of the top rising stars on the west coast: Bad Azz. Check back every week as we bring you the most raw, uncut show anywhere. Click Here to check out the video!

ODB Sentencing Postponed

From SOHH.com. Looks like Ol Dirty Bastard will have to wait another month before he learns of his fate. Originally scheduled for June 13, ODB's sentencing in his cocaine possession case has been pushed back to July 17. ODB's lawyer requested the postponement because they needed time to prepare comprehensive report on the rapper's criminal and mental history. At the April 20 trial pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in return for having a bail jumping charge dropped, which would of gave him more time behind bars if he was found guilty. The rapper is currently facing only two to three years in prison.

June 14, 2001

Mobb Deep Preparing More Club Bangers

From MTV.com. Mobb Deep won't brighten up on their next album, but they will get down. Partners Prodigy and Havoc are putting their stark reports on thug life to more accessible beats on the still-untitled follow-up to 1999's Murda Muzik, tentatively due September 25. "It's definitely still dark, but in the clubs," Chris Lighty, CEO of the group's management firm, Violator, said of the album. "There are more quiet storms on the way." The effort will feature production work by Scott Storch (Dr. Dre, Eve) and red-hot duo the Neptunes (Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mystikal). Early this year, Mobb Deep finished their debut film, "Murda Muzik," inspired by their lives growing up in Queens, New York.

Slum Village Headline Family Free Tour

From MTV.com. When it comes to touring, musicians are increasingly putting family first family themes, that is. Following in the footsteps of Korn's infamous Family Values Tour, Detroit hip-hop crew Slum Village will headline the 24-city Family Tree Tour beginning June 28 in Chicago. Other underground rap acts on the bill include former A Tribe Called Quest members Phife Dawg and Jarobi, DJ Rasta Root, Dwele, Phat Kat and Mystic. Slum Village, who were on last year's Okay Player Tour, will be performing material from their upcoming album, Trinity, which is due in the fall, according to their publicist. T3, Baatin' and Jay Dee released their debut album, Fantastic, Vol. 2, last year and went on to sell more than 100,000 copies with little radio support. D'Angelo, Q-Tip and DJ Jazzy Jeff are among the album's guests. Slum Village will perform with an eight-piece band on the Family Tree Tour, which is subtitled "Bringing Hip-Hop Back to Its Roots." Family Tree Tour dates, according to Slum Village's publicist: 6/28 - Chicago, IL @ Cubby Bear Lounge 6/29 - Ashville, NC @ Ashville Music Zone 6/30 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall 7/1 - Birmingham, AL @ Five Points Music Hall 7/4 - Charleston, SC @ Warehouse 7/6 - Atlanta, GA @ Earthlink Live 7/7 - Jacksonville, FL @ Club 5 7/9 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues 7/11 - Houston, TX @ Hyperia 7/13 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa 7/14 - Dallas, TX @ Canyon Club 7/18 - Vail, CO @ 8150 Club 7/19 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre 7/20 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre 7/21 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rock 7/22 - Las Vegas, NV @ Huntridge Theatre 7/24 - Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre 7/25 - San Diego, CA @ 4th & B 7/27 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues 7/28 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues 7/30 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Palookaville 7/31 - San Francisco, CA @ Maritime Hall 8/1 - Eureka, CA @ Club West 8/3 - Park City, UT @ Harry O's

June 13, 2001

Loud Artists Taken Off Of Da Beatminerz LP

From SOHH.com. In the latest of beefs, this time it isn't between two artists but between two record labels. Apparently, Loud Recording artists Xzibit, Tash and M.O.P. were pulled off the upcoming Rawkus release, Brace For Impak from the Beatminerz due to some disagreements between Sony (who owns Loud Records) and Priority Records (who owns Rawkus Records). The disagreement stems from unauthorized appearances of Snoop Dogg, a Priority Records artist, on albums from Xzibit and Lil Bow Wow who are both under the Sony umbrella. Although specifics are sketchy on how that situation was handled, it is apparent that Sony wasn't too happy and did not clear any of their artists to appear on the Beatminerz project. According to DJ Evil Dee (of The Beatminerz) songs with M.O.P., Xzibit, and Tash had to be removed or edited. The songs were replaced with new tracks from Last Emperor and Diamond D and plus a couple of instrumental joints. The release of the album is still on schedule to hit shelves on July 31.

June 12, 2001

Erick Sermon Connects With J Records

From SOHH.com. With his latest joint, "Music" from the What's The Worst That Could Happen Soundtrack, getting radio and video play, Erick Sermon has begun work on a new album. The rapper recently inked a deal with J Records to manufacture, distribute and promote projects from his label Def Squad Records, which will release his album, The Sermon on August 7. According to Y2HipHop.Com, the deal also includes the signing of EPMD, who are currently recording their new album. On Sermon's album, expect appearances from PMD, Redman, Keith Murray, LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Too Short, Foxy Brown and others. Word is also around that work has already begun on a new album from the recently released emcee, Keith Murray.

June 11, 2001

Lawsuit Targets Hip Hop Artists

From SOHH.com. According to Billboard, Michigan-based Bridgeport Music Group has filed a copyright lawsuit naming over 800 defendants including artists, record labels, music publishers and copyright administrators. The suit was filed May 4 and is suing the defendants who have sampled elements of recordings or compositions owned by Bridgeport, citing that they have not been properly compensated for the sample use. Bridgeport Music Group owns almost the entire catalog of George Clinton's music with Parliament and Funkadelic bands. In essence, if you're a rapper who has sampled anything from Parliament/Funkadelic, be prepared to pay up. The company is seeking damages in the form of profits that came from the sampling as well as $150,000 in damages from each defendant, including companies like BMG Entertainment, EMI Group, Sony Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and BMI.

June 8, 2001

The FCC Trying To Censor Hip Hop

From SOHH.com. Seems like Eminem can't get away from the drama of his lyrics. The FCC has fined a radio station in Colorado Springs, Colorado for playing an edited (read: clean) version of the rapper's hit, "The Real Slim Shady". The FCC responded to a complaint made by a listener in July 2000, who sent the lyrics from a website instead an actual recording from the broadcast. The FCC concluded that the song has indecent material and fined the radio station $7,000. The station, KKMG, pleaded that they played the clean version but the FCC cited lyrics such as "walkin' around grabbin' his you know what" and "but it's cool for Tom Green to hump a dead moose" as indecent as well as bleeped words to a female body part. The station has taken the song out of rotation, but has yet to pay the fine. They must respond to the fine by the end of the month.

June 6, 2001

Naughty By Nature Signs With TVT

From SOHH.com. After finally getting let go by Arista Records, Naughty By Nature has found a new home. The group, now a duo, has signed with TVT Records and is working on their new album tentatively titled, The Rah, Rah. Scheduled for release this fall, Kay Gee will not be on the album since he left the group late last year to run his record label, Divine Mill (D.M.). Treach shared his thoughts on Kay Gee's departure on the track "Real N*ggaz," off of Redman's recent album, Malpractice. Part of verse reads: "Who's the game scratcher minus the rap masters? / Name is HEYYY, with the gay Gee after / My thugs on the street with the heat, listen to me / See them diamond D.M. medallions, SNATCH! You give 'em to me." In an interview with Sonicnet, Kay Gee was quoted as saying about Hip-Hop that he's, "graduated from that. [Naughty by Nature] is where I come from and I appreciate it, but that's not where I plan on being and growing old. You can't do that. You can't grow old out on the stage, not in Hip-Hop. Hip-hop is for the kids."

June 5, 2001

Pharoahe Monche Facing Law Suit

From SOHH.com. While Pharoahe Monch was enjoying the success of his track with Mos Def and Nate Dogg, he's been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit. The owners of the 'Godzilla Theme Song', Toho Co. and Toho Music, have filed a lawsuit against the rapper for using the theme without permission in his 1999 hit, "Simon Says". The suit names Pharoahe, Rawkus Records, and Priority Records claiming copyright infringement, irreparable harm and are seeking damages, court costs, and attorney's fees. They are also requesting an immediate injunction on the copying, distributing and public performance of the song. Neither, Rawkus, Priority nor Monch has made comment on the suit.