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Friday, March 6, 2015
How To Write the Concise Guide To Rap
The Concise Guide To Hip-Hop Music is the latest book by Paul Edwards, the How To Rap guy. I missed How To Rap 2, but I'm glad to see him broaden himself up topically this time around. Even the original How To Rap didn't seem like a particularly useful tool for aspiring artists to learn how to rap; but it worked fine as an enjoyable collection of hip-hop anecdotes by a nice variety of hip-hop artists. And this book is the same as the other books in the sense of its form and style... the book is a collection of individual paragraphs transcribed from interviews with tons of hip-hop artists. And that's still a very entertaining way to structure a hip-hop book.
But now it's no longer constrained by having to act like a tutorial. Being simply a "guide" to "hip-hop music," pretty much anything any of these artists has to say on the genre fits in perfectly. The book is divided into three general categories: Hip-Hop 101, Influencers (where artists talk about each other), and Hip-Hop History. All those subjects are nice and vague, so anything interesting anyone had to say could be worked in. And those categories are broken up into lots of shorter sub-categories, like Diversity, Lack of Innovation and Experimentation or Debunking Hip-Hop Myths (although a bunch of the book's "myths" and "facts" seem to be just very subjective opinion). Some of these are as short as a single page. But that's fine, because I don't think we want to read long diatribes on subjects like these, we just want to visit them for as long as our favorite artists have something interesting to say about them and then move on; and that's what we're given.
And by favorite artists, I'm not even going to try to list everybody quoted in this book. It's a lot. Old school, new school, east coast, west, indie, major. I'll just list some at random to give you an idea: Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, Domino, Brother J, Tech N9ne, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Prince Paul, Kool G Rap, Rah Digga, MC Serch, Bill Adler, Charlie Ahearn, Mannie Fresh, CJ Moore, Doug E Fresh, Coke La Rock... It's a really impressive and seemingly endless line-up. But it's not all the artists' words. Edwards gets in here to introduce every topic, and generally be the glue between rappers' thoughts to turn the book into a more cohesive read. It's handy and well-written if you don't know much about the topic and very easy to skip if you do.
Some of the artists quotes are very short and only loosely fit the category they're in. For example, there's two and a half pages dedicated to Drum Machines. Q-Tip's full contribution under this heading is as follows, "[On the song "Excursions,"] I put a reverse [Roland TR-] 808 behind it, right before the beat actually kicks in." That's it; that's the whole thing, in and out. The section starts with a couple introductory paragraphs explaining what drum machines are by Edwards, and then quotes by Kurtis Mantronik, Schoolly D, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim, and then that Q-Tip quote. As any kind of overview or or text on drum machines, I guess you could say it fails; but I think that's just because, like How To Rap, this book still isn't quite what it pretends to be. As just an interesting collection of thoughts and tidbits about drum machines by some great hip-hop artists, it works perfectly fine. That's this book in a nutshell.
This Guide delivers on being concise, too. It's noticeably shorter and even a little bit smaller than How To Rap. Especially when you consider the last 49 pages are "Notes" and the index [How To Rap was like 35% index, too, as I recall], and that every page is full of headings, subtitles, and line breaks between every artist's quote. It's a very breezy read. And even so, it's hard to resist skipping around, finding your favorite artists or the most interesting sounding topics rather than reading from start to finish. But that's fine; I'm sure the author knew that's how most of us would approach the book, and it works perfectly. The press info for this guide calls it "the first book of its kind," which I think is pretty misleading. Apart from the title switcharoo, it's really the third book of its very specific kind. But that's cool, because the first left us wanting more, and this book delivers exactly what we wanted - even if it's not exactly what it claims to deliver - and in a slightly freer and more rewarding manner. An entertaining book for anybody interested in hip-hop music, not just aspiring rappers. Sign me up for #4.
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On Friday, VladTV received exclusive information on why Steve Francis' chain was snatched.
Reebok ZPump Fusion
Reebok has revisited their Pump Technology to give us a brand new custom fit experience. The all-new ZPump Fusion puts the future of the brand on full display in the form of what looks to be one of their best new releases yet.
At a glance, the new runner is a sleek screen-printed cruiser with minimal eyelets and a toebox that is reinforced by fused material. The air bladder spans the midfoot and heel area to lock the foot in place and a ZRated outsole is there for comfortable support with a barefoot feel. The upper affords itself the ability to go graphic and for this first run, it’s emblazoned with “the pump” logo across it in bold block lettering.
These are set to hit retailers on March 10, but if you’re pumped about their release, you can pre-order them now at Reebok.
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Game and Meek Mill Spit Fire on 'The Soundtrack'
The problems that exist in Compton, Calif. and Philadelphia, Penn. are similar in terms of the street life so it makes total sense that Game and Meek Mill would jump on a song together to address the struggle.
“The Soundtrack” finds both rappers trading bars over a jazzy sample and strong drums. “I got real n—-s everywhere, that will cut your life short like it’s February / Killa Cali where them burnouts is necessary / Especially when the feds is tapping phones like secretaries, s— real like Tupac’s obituary / Killed him, Big too but their memory legendary,” spits Game over the saxophone-laden banger.
The beat is a definite head-nodder, but it’s the West Coast rapper’s gruff voice contrasting with Meek’s high-pitched flow that makes the song so compelling. “And I know they hate us though, cause we really made it though / Ballin’ like I’m Jordan n—- shooting and try to fade me though / OG Bobby Johnson .44 with the potato noes, turn your mash potatoes bro, but it’s all gravy though,” rhymes the MMG signee, using stellar wordplay.
If anything, the track makes you want to hear Meek’s Dreams Worth More Than Money album sooner than later. At this point, it’s not clear if “The Soundtrack” will be on Game’s next album, The Documentary 2, or if it’s just a loosie for his fans to enjoy.
Either way, the lyrical content and cinematic beat are stellar. Experience their collaboration below.
Listen to Game’s “The Soundtrack” Feat. Meek Mill
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Nicki Minaj's The Pinkprint Tour Was Almost Canceled
After the fatal stabbing of a crew member who worked on Nicki Minaj’s Pinkprint Tour last month, Nicki Minaj has revealed that she strongly considered canceling the tour altogether.
“I don’t think people understand how fast-paced this business is,” the U.K.’s Metro. “You never get a chance sometimes to do what normal people do, like mourn a loss. Everything happens so fast.”
The stabbing took place on Feb. 18 outside Che Bar & Grill in Philadelphia. A fight between her crew members — 29-year-old De’Von “Day Day” Pickett and 27-year-old Eric Parker — and Pierce Boykin reportedly started inside the restaurant and spilled out into the street where Pickett and Parker were then stabbed. Parker survived while Pickett died from multiple stab wounds to his torso the following day.
Boykin, 31, has been arrested on March 3 and charged with murder and other charges with his alleged involvement with the incident.
Minaj said that Pickett “was a part of my crew, and it is devastating to think someone can work somewhere, make a living and then lose their life for absolutely nothing.”
And added that everyone on the tour took it really hard. “My band members took it very hard,” she said. “They were with him all the time and toured with him for years. When I came to rehearsal after he had been killed, the look on everyone’s face – it was heart-wrenching.”
Despite the heavyhearted feelings, Minaj has decided to continue on with the tour in order to pay tribute to Pickett and show that Boykin can’t win in this.
“I can’t let anything stop us from putting on the show because that would be quitting,” she said. “So we’re going to continue the tour in his memory.”
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Nike Air Max 90 Ultra Moire Holographic
There is no such thing as too far when it comes to sneakers, but Nike has decided to tow the line with this latest release. They’ve taken the Nike Air Max 90 to a new plateau with an update that is hard to ignore for obvious reasons.
The Nike Air Max 90 Ultra Moire goes holographic for a shoe that feels super futuristic. The 3M used along the upper shifts colors in a fluid gradient motion while being backed by hits of black along the way. Finished by a grey outsole to help smooth out the radical look, these seem to be the perfect shoe for jogger visibility if you’re looking for functionality.
We still don’t know what these things look like with the lights off and that will be revealed when the official release date is announced. Until then, enjoy this first look from Modern Notoriety and try to figure out what you’re going to wear them with.
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Pusha T Praises Pharrell's $500,000 Richard Mille Skull Watch (@pusha_t @pharrell)
Virginia natives Pusha T and Pharrell have been working together for almost 20 years, and they're continuing to make magic as Skateboard P will be providing Push with more than a few records for the G.
Charles Hamilton on Troubled Past: "I Wanted to Commit Suicide" (@charleshamilton)
Rapper Charles Hamilton was once revered as one of the most talented emcees on the mic.
50 Cent Talks Son's $700,000 Modeling Contract, Vivica Fox and More With Angie Martinez [VIDEO]
50 Cent may not be close to his son Marquise at the moment, but he is close to his younger son Sire.
When the G-Unit boss sat with Power 105′s Angie Martinez, along with Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks, he revealed that Sire just received a $700,000 modeling contract.
“He’s got a [modeling] deal now with an audio company,” Fif revealed. “They paid him a big payment too, $700K. He’s super cute.”
The young tyke is also extremely lucky, because his dad said the money will be all his, and won’t go towards a college fund.
“He’ll get 700K and be the face of their company; already he made his own money,” stated 50. “I was about to say this is your college fund but I got to handle that part and let him just have that.”
In addition, the Queens rap mogul responded to Vivica Fox’s recent statement. When the actress stopped by The Meredith Vieira Show, she said the “In Da Club” rapper was the “love of her life.”
50 was shocked, he said.
“I saw that after. I was like wow, that she would even say that at this point,” expressed the veteran recording artist. “It was a lot of confusion. At that point, I was real green. We at 2003, the release of Get Rich or Die Tryin’, largest debuting hip-hop album, and I’m sitting there like, ‘huh?’”
“We went out once before the [MTV Video Music] award show,” he added. “I didn’t know the award show was going to publicly marry us. She knew better than I did what was going to happen, so when the train is taking off without you, you kind of feel really uncomfortable.”
You can check out the entire G-Unit interview above, where Fif talks about Bobby Shmurda, his relationship with his son Marquise and other interesting topics.
50 Cent Details Issues With Son Marquise: I Don't Speak to Him
50 Cent's relationship with his eldest son, Marquise Jackson, has been quite turbulent over the past few years, as Marquise was called out by his father for hanging out with Floyd Mayweather and Slowbucks while the "Animal Ambition" rapper had problems with them.
Wiz Khalifa Parties With His Crew in 'Decisions' Video
Wiz Khalifa‘s new video for the song “Decisions” looks like one big party.
There’s pretty girls, bottles of champagne flowing and a lot of the sticky green being smoked. Instead of an actual video, it looks like someone just grabbed a camera and started filming the rapper’s daily life.
Most of the scenes look like they’re shot in a dressing room or at a private event. Director Dan Folger also throws in some performance shots and uses some special effects throughout the video, which breaks up the monotony of Wiz just rhyming into the camera.
The Taylor Gang leader lets his friends in on the action, as everyone sips alcohol and dances to the track, looking completely joyous. Overall, the video is very free-flowing and doesn’t contain any fancy shots or camera tricks. Seemingly, Folger just wanted to showcase Wiz’s colorful personality.
The rapper looks completely happy in the video, even though he’s in the middle of a divorce and custody battle with Amber Rose. He’s smiling, dancing, rubbing up on women and enjoying the fruits of being a famous rapper.
#WST Bring 4-Wheelers Into the Mix in Death-Defying Video
We Stunt Together hit the streets of New York City in yet another trick-filled video, and this time it's not just motorcycles tearing around town.
Diamond Strawberry Called Out for Implying She's Engaged on IG
Love & Hip Hop star Diamond Strawberry went through a very messy break-up this season before moving on to aspiring singer Roc America, whom she introduced to the world via the show.
The-Dream Discusses New Song Featuring Kanye West (@thekingdream)
Singer/ songwriter The-Dream took a visit to ESPN's Highly Questionable recently where he revealed that he will indeed be collaborating with Kanye West on his upcoming album.
Week of Release: Big Sean's 'Dark Sky Paradise' (@BigSean)
Big Sean's bars are bringing him blessings.
Jay Electronica Drops 'Road to Perdition' Featuring Jay Z
Just when you stopped holding your breath for new Jay Electronica music, the rapper drops a new song. The Roc Nation artist even teams up with a veteran hip-hop boss on the effort.
Electronica took the internet by storm when he dropped the Jay Z-assisted “Road to Perdition.” The track, which samples ad-libs from Hov via his song “Success,” finds Electronica doing what he does best — spitting socially-conscious bars over a laid-back bass-heavy beat.
“A thousand kisses to the haters ’cause they made me greater / A thousand wishes from a million slaves could raise a savior / A thousand visits to these dickheads at these major labels/From Big Daddy Kane to Big Daddy Cain and Abel,” he rhymes with vigor.
“Road to Perdition” was listed to appear on Act II, Electronica’s debut album he tweeted about a few years ago. This is the first listen fans have received of the mysterious record. Hopefully Electronica will finally release a project in 2015. Since migrating to London, he has been somewhat of a recluse. He recently announced a European/Chinese tour, which may show signs that he is here to stay.
Listen to Jay Electronica’s “Road to Perdition” Feat. Jay Z
Adidas Originals Jeremy Scott Wings 3.0 Gold
Shock value just isn’t so shocking anymore and a big part of that shift is due to designers like Jeremy Scott getting us accustomed to unorthodox looks. The bite in his collaborations with Adidas has become commonplace thanks to the consistency with which they’ve released.
Take for instance the Adidas Originals JS Wings 3.0, which has now popped up in gold metallic leather. The sheen is the first thing you notice and as you travel down the shoe, you’ll bump into a gum outsole that heightens things even further.
Jeremy Scott really turned the Adidas Basketball EQT on its head with this model, giving it an entirely new life. Look for his golden-winged version to hit retailers including Solestop soon.
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Plies Reveals His Love-Hate Relationship With Deranged Women (@plies)
Florida rapper Plies is back at it with his latest rant on Instagram.
Exclusive! Lord Jamar Laughs at Star Calling Eminem the "King of Hip Hop" (@troitorain @lordjamar)
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Vanilla Ice Performing at Selma March's 50th Anniversary on BET
While Vanilla Ice may not be the first name you think of when you think of the Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama, someone at BET thought the "Ice Ice Baby" rapper would be a good fit to commemorate that moment in American history.
Game Goes Off on Followers Saying His Ex-Fiancee Looks Old
Game is one public figure who has no problem clapping back at his haters, and is even willing to defend his ex-fiancee against online trolls when necessary.
Who You Got? Mike Tyson Projects Winner of Mayweather vs. PacMan (@miketyson)
May 2nd is projected to be a legendary day for the sport of boxing.
Kim K. Calls Out Ben Baller Over 'Fake' Black Yeezy's
Sometimes we get a little bit ahead of ourselves when we're scrolling through our timeline on Instagram and see a photo that causes an immediate reaction where we just comment back without quite comprehending the caption.
Captain to the Rescue: J. Prince Helps Recover Francis' Chain (@jprince713)
On Friday TMZ reports that the Sauce Twinz and Rap-A-Lot C.
Exclusive! Tara Wallace: I'm Now Poster Child for Dysfunctional Partners (@iamtarawallace)
Tara Wallace's complicated relationship with Peter Gunz has played out on Love & Hip Hop over the past few seasons, and the reality star opened up to VladTV about their current situation.
Exclusive! Jordin Sparks: My Focus Is More on Music Than Acting Right Now (@jordinsparks)
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Exclusive! Dumbfoundead Names His Top 5 and Talks Math/Dizaster Beef (@dumbfoundead)
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Tech N9Ne Invites Fans Into His Strange World in XXL Docuseries [VIDEO]
Tech N9Ne is one of the most gifted and business-savvy rappers in the game. But what makes him tick? In XXL’s new docuseries Step Into My World, Tech takes them behind the scenes for an in-depth look into his Strange Music label and beyond.
XXL traveled to Lee’s Summit, Mo., where the Strange Music Headquarters are located and checked out their massive warehouse and 26,000-square foot custom recording studio.
For over 15 years, the label has been releasing music independently before other rappers followed suit. Tech’s empire rakes in nearly $20 million a year through merchandising and profits from recordings. So far, Strange Music has released 46 full-length albums to date.
The docuseries also takes viewers backstage at one of his sold-out shows. Viewers will get to see the method behind Tech’s madness as he explains why he goes so hard for his Technicians (aka his fans).
This year, Tech will release his 15th studio album, Special Effects, on May 5. In addition, the “Fragile” rapper will embark on an accompanying tour in support of the new effort. The trek starts April 3 and ends on June 8. Joining Tech on his excursion are Krizz Kaliko, MURS, Flint, Chris Webby, King 810 and Jamaican rap artist Zuse.
Also, check out two videos below of Tech performing “Caribou Lou” and “Riot Maker” live in concert. They were both filmed during the making of Step Into My World.
Watch Tech N9ne Perform “Riot Maker” Live
Watch Tech N9ne Perform “Caribou Lou” Live
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Man Brings Dead Body Into Law Office Instead of Calling Police
Before calling police after allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor, John Marshall, 52, of Fort Meyers, Florida, brought the body of Ted Hubbell into his lawyer's office.
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