MTV Drops 50 Cent’s Show
MTV is dropping the rapper’s reality show “50 Cent: The Money and the Power” after only one month on the air due to low ratings.
The show attempted to discover the next Hip Hop mogul among 14 wannabes - ranging from an 18-year-old youth counselor who describes himself as “Grandma’s little hustler” to a guy whose family owns six businesses and raps, “I’ve got more ladies than Fifty’s got Mercedes.”
In a line-up DVR-full of rappers-turned-reality stars (Snoop Dogg’s “Father Hood” on E!, Flavor Flav’s “Flavor of Love” on VH1 and Rev. Run’s “Run’s House,” Diddy’s “Making the Band” and Xzibit’s “Pimp My Ride” on MTV), it’s surprising that the hip hop success, who survived nine gun shots in 2000, can’t beat bad ratings.
But Fifty’s failure isn’t the end of the reality road for the network, which has 16 new series in the works. Tonight, “Hills” alum Whitney Port trades in LA for “The City” and a job with legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Next month, “Girls of Hedsor Hall” will follow a group of hard-living young women who are sent off to finishing school.”
Donald Trump, “South Park’s” Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Nick Lachey are some of the big-name producers on the MTV horizon for 2009.
Eric B. Paid in Full Twice: Features Brooklyn Rapper Avion in Debut Album
The multi-platinum producer and entrepreneur, Eric B. is breaking record deals for traditional as well as non-traditional music distribution. Music and Internet companies have proposals on the table to for Eric B. Feat. Avion album. The streets are talking about the new Eric B. project dropping sometime late spring 2009. Eric B. discovered the rapper, Avion, who delivers a unique sound and lyrics.
Born and educated in Brooklyn, NY, Avion has lived in Miami for ten years and both have an influence on his savvy style. Avion’s combination of east coast and southern appeal is the right mix for what music listeners want today. The single “Hit the Floor” with Rough Ryder RIAA Platinum rapper Jadakiss is on the hook. The Single already has rave reviews from several well-known industry music critics.
The interview took place in Eric B.’s head quarters, which is in one of his spacious mega mansions. Eric humbly says, “My goal is to build a 21st Century Motown. Motown an assembly line for hit music. Motown was a true music factory. Eric B. continues, saying, “Product with the Motown name is still viable ten, fifteen, years after its initial release. Most of the hits made a decade ago are still playing on the radio airwaves today. This year the company will build the 21st Century Motown, which has both a music and film ventures under development. Eric B. Music Group is aggressively building the next generation of producers…”
Eric B. Special Projects is working with strong, young, talented producers that are consistently delivering the goods. During the interview Eric B. recently produced a duet for teen phoneme, Corey Golden and other well-known Radio Disney talent. The song sounds like a piece from the Broadway play Grease.
“Eric B. feels that it is important that we build a foundation on good product. The music, and lyrics, come from sought after talent working under the Eric B. brand and quality control. Most of our producers may not have gotten the shot with another label. We looked to develop raw talent…Eric B. hand picked talent that we feel have potential to be the next breaking artist. Music reviews are coming back strong,” According to Richard V. Mahee, Executive at Eric B. Special Projects.
In the mid 80’s managed by Russell Simmons, Eric B. was paid in full with a $1 million advance from a record company (the first ever in hip hop game). Eric B. also was advanced another $1 million from a publishing deal on week later. $2 million in advance for a project is not even obtained by many signed artists in 2008. The reason why is because “Eric B. brings the highest quality of product in everything that he does. The Eric B. featuring Avion project will also bring tremendous opportunities for our partners and sponsors to leverage their brands,” Says Richard V. Mahee.
Eric B. is also known for chart breaking music, selling out concert halls to Madison Square Garden. “It will be interesting to see the span of generations that will come out to the show. The show will pack many coliseums to the max,” Says Richard V. Mahee.
In the mid 1980’s, Eric B’s influence was the inspiration for trends such as the valor Fila tennis suits, which then cost $1,700 each at the time, heavy solid gold rope chains. Eric B. is now setting more luxurious trends amongst his peers and today’s youth markets. When it comes to lifestyle, Eric B. raises the bar and always has. “People remember Eric B. as the first one in the industry to drive a Rolls Royce (his first car), but many people do not know that Eric B. is also behind music trends like party remix “Pump up the Volume”, which was produced by UK based M.A.R.S.,” Notes Mahee.
His new project features the first artist to be released under Eric B. Music Group, “Avion”. Eric did this album with “A” (Avion) because he enjoys working with great musicians. Avion is an exception. Eric B will release an exclusive interview, which will be released through Billboard Publicity Wire next week. The article will focus on how Eric B. is on top of the game and being paid in Full Twice.
Eric B. started his music career at a New York Radio Station WBLS doing street jams. “It is important to the industry that we have people who understand music making artist and repertoire (A/R) decisions.” Adds Eric B. Who is the ultimate decision maker for our brand,
Coming from a background in radio, Eric B. hopes to continue to win over the ears and hearts of radio mix show DJ’s nationwide. Clubs and stations are starting to play the Eric B. feat. Avion record “Hit the Floor”. The complete album, which has 19 songs, including “Hit the Floor”, is under tight wraps until its release. The project is still untitled but has been played for a handful executives and insiders at and the other music publishing companies. The response is “this project will be a classic… Every song on the album is a hit record,” Says Mahee. The team of executives and consultants are handing this project with special care. Eric dictates his ideas and concepts to Richard V. Mahee, who is known for his business development and marketing savvy have identified business targets of who we want to work with and are only knocking on those doors.
The video for “Hit the Floor” will hit the market in mid March. Eric B. Special Projects management team is also in negotiations with Boulevard Industries for a feature film, which is in pre-production. The cast will feature Eric B., Mahee and other members of Eric B. Special Projects executive management team such as: Supreme, Eddie Fuqon Brown, Freedom, John Cato, talent Avion and hot rising star model TL Blake. TL Blake now 20-years-old is one of the hottest new talents to break into young Hollywood scene may be featured in the video. TL Blake was recently the only teen model named to Stars Confidential Most Popular Teen List and Cultural Mall 100 Most Beautiful Worldwide List. TL Blake is now breaking out in to music videos and feature films. Casting for the project begins January 15th 2009.
Eric B. Special Projects is booking a series of shows (events) in major markets with a well-known international nightclub chain. “The vibe is luxurious private, mature and intimate…Its about spending time with fans, friends and family to come out and enjoy themselves,” Says Mahee. Tickets for our club dates are rumored that VIP tickets start as high as $250 per person. No comment on the price for general entry as of yet. The events will launch off during the 51st Grammy Award Weekend.
Eric B and Avion will also do a series of Concerts dates which are already being scheduled for summer 2009. Eric B. and his legal team, headed by Washington D.C. based lawyer Floyd Blair, will make a decision on what deal Eric B. Music Group will sign before the album is dropped summer 2009. The Eric B. Feat. Avion single “Hit the Dance Floor” is released the January 7, 2009.
Eric B.: Previous Hits include:
“Paid in Full”, Chart positions: #58 US, #8 Top R&B/Hip Hop, Last RIAA certification: RIAA certification: Platinum Singles, “Eric B. Is President”, “I Know You Got Soul”, “I Ain’t No Joke”, “Move the Crowd”, “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em”, Chart positions: #32 US, #10 Top R&B/ Hip Hop, RIAA certification: Gold, Singles: “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em”, “In the Ghetto” “Mahogany”, “Don’t Sweat the Technique”, Chart positions: #22 US, #9 Top R&B/ Hip Hop.
50 Cent Shaves $4Mill Off Mansion
The slowing real estate market has caught up with 50 Cent.
After almost two years on the market, the rapper has lowered the price of his Farmington mega-mansion from $18.5 million to $14.5 million, a 21 percent price cut.
“It’s the market,” acknowledged listing agent Deborah Orr of Keller Williams Realty. “With a unique property, everyone acknowledges it’s difficult to pinpoint the perfect market price. We feel we need to stimulate some activity, and that was the intent of the price cut.”
Even with the price reduction, the home is still the most expensive home listing in the region.
The home, on Poplar Hill Road, was purchased by 50 Cent in 2003 for $4.1 million.
The 17-acre property, which in the past has been home to real estate swindler BenjaminSisti and boxing champion Mike Tyson, has many sumptuous features, including a helipad, a 40-person hot tub, a movie theater, two billiard rooms and a disco. It has 18 bedrooms and 37 bathrooms.
T-Pain “I saw How People Didnt Really Accept Me”
When T-Pain and his synthesized vocals made their debut with the songs ‘‘I’m Sprung’’ and ‘‘I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper)’’ three years ago, most people dismissed the hits as novelties and expected the self-proclaimed ‘‘rappa ternt sanga’’ to be just a memory in a matter of time.
‘‘I didn’t even see myself making it past the first album,’’ says the singer, songwriter and producer, sitting in the recording studio of his suburban Atlanta home. ‘‘The amount of hate I was getting for it; just seeing how people didn’t really accept me at first. It was weird. I thought I was going to sell a quick 200,000 and be out the game.’’
Not only is T-Pain still in the game, he’s responsible for completely reshaping it. His vocoder-assisted vocals, which helped him churn out 11 chart-topping hits, has inspired so many copycats that listening to the radio these days can seem like hearing one-long T-Pain song.
Many rap and R&B acts are using Auto-Tune, the device that gives electronic amplification to the voice. It’s especially popular among rappers trying to sing: Snoop Dogg used the effect on his hit ‘‘Sensual Seduction,’’ as well as Lil Wayne. Kanye West uses it for most of his album “808s & Heartbreak” (T-Pain flew to Hawaii for five days to help West produce it).
Even Diddy paid homage to T-Pain’s trendsetting ways by consulting the man he calls the “Auto-Tune king” for his upcoming CD, where he too is using a vocoder.
‘‘You have to go to him to get permission,” Diddy says. “I actually gave him a half a point on my album for showing me certain tricks.’’
But T-Pain, whose new album is called ‘‘Thr33 Ringz,’’ still feels like he hasn’t gotten enough credit for his dominant style. He knows Roger Troutman made the digitally processed sound well known in the 1980s, but he also realizes that no one would be synthesizing their vocals and speech as often if it wasn’t for him reviving the electronic device.
‘‘I don’t understand why the most hated-on artist is being the most copied,’’ says the 24-year-old. ‘‘Why can’t they just own up to what I’ve done for this industry?’’
As he continues, he vents: ‘‘I’ve heard people come out with the sound and take credit. Then I’m like, ‘Dang, have you been away from society and not listening to the radio for a year?’ But those are the same people who want to make music with me.’’
T-Pain, with gold and platinum CDs to his credit — 2005’s ‘‘Rappa Ternt Sanga’’ and last year’s ‘‘Epiphany,’’ — sticks to the routine of delivering catchy melodies on his latest CD. The first hit is the female-friendly ‘‘Can’t Believe It’’ featuring Lil Wayne. On ‘‘Karaoke,’’ he raps mostly without Auto-Tune and calls out other users of the vocoder, calling them ‘‘swagger jackers.’’
But Grammy-winning songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox says T-Pain didn’t need to worry about his imitators. He says T-Pain mastered the concept, separating himself from others who are trying to do it now.
‘‘T-Pain found a unique way to connect with the audience, the listeners by creating music that is innovative … with simple rhythmic patterns,’’ he said.
‘‘The result is a hot track that is memorable.’’
Willie D of Geto Boys Creates New Group
Northridge, CA (Top40 Charts/ Def Press Public Relations) - Willie D, most known for his role in the platinum-selling Houston based rap group The Geto Boys, who spawned classic mega hits including “Mind Playing Tricks On Me,” is no stranger to controversy. With his often hard-edged music that often conveys positive social messages, he is now introducing rap fans to the group Huntzville, the newest signing on his Relentless Music label. Just like the Geto Boys, Huntzville is a trio, and has message-laden music laced within their harsh reality raps. However, unlike the trigger happy Geto Boys, Huntzville is comprised of three white rappers, D-Boi (aka Dustin Young), Lil’ Fly (aka Stephen Fox) and his brother C-Lean (aka Ryan Fox). Collectively, Huntzville has a “Backpack Fulla Guns,” and they are fully ready to unload it as their first single, in preparation for their upcoming debut album Disrupting The Ordinary, slated for release in early 2009.
The outspoken group hails from Huntsville, Texas, home of the notorious prison that inspired a song of the same title by country singer Merle Haggard.
These prison city playas live just an hour outside of Houston. After receiving one of their demos from a music business seminar and being impressed with what he heard, Will immediately decided he wanted to sign and mentor the group. Huntzville opened up the reunion show for the Geto Boys this past July.
Instead of reflecting on the “Mind Of A Lunatic,” Huntsville’s debut single, “Backpack Fulla Guns,” takes the listener inside the mind of a student that is going to commit a high school shooting. Pearl Jam had addressed this phenomenon brilliantly, coming from the state of an observer in the band’s prolific hit “Jeremy.” Conversely, the rappers in Huntzville are addressing the message from the point of view of the shooter.
Huntzville feels that if a kid is at the point where he wants to shoot someone in his school, and if he listens to this song, and he sees that somebody understands, maybe he will change his mind about shooting someone. C-Lean notes, “This is a topic that no one else is musically approaching in hiphop, and we wanted to make a strong point of it.” He adds, “Everybody can relate to being bullied or bullying. We wanted to get a dialogue going on this. It is so commonplace today, that on CNN the other day, they only ran a little tickertape on the bottom of the screen, saying there was another school shooting in Jersey. These are not even featured stories any more. No one seems to care.”
“The trend is that lot of rappers are not doing anything that is going to be relevant in five years. There is so much trendy stuff and dance stuff,” observes C-Lean. “We wanted to do something of substance that you could listen to in twenty years from now that would still be applicable. Unfortunately, kids are still going to be bullied in school 20 years from now, so people will relate to this topic in many ways, from many points of view.”
D-Boi acknowledges the controversy surrounding some of the group’s songs that will be released. He explains, “The single has a lot of meaning behind it. It’s not just a bunch of killing people. It’s not just mindless violence. We wanted to put a mirror up through this song, to show society that they’re not doing enough about this. These shootings are going on all over America, and they are a worldwide problem. Our job with the song is to remind people we need to take care of it, or it is going to keep happening.”
All one has to do is go to google news and type in “bullying” and “school,” and literally thousands of hits come up.
Lil Fly notes, “We’re not excusing it, glorifying it, or saying this uncontrollable reaction is what you should do. We’re trying to say this exists, and there are people who honestly feel like this, and who feel they have a reason and right to do this. We’re just bringing you inside what drives a person to be like this.”
Lil’ Fly says that it is particularly outrageous that some bullies grow up to be police officers that find people to bully. “What just happened in Houston to Donald Driver’s father is deplorable,” he notes. “Donald is in the Green Bay Packers, and is very involved in his community, and doing a lot of positive stuff. The police recently arrested his father, Marvin, at his home, and they reportedly took him to a gas station, where they beat him unconscious. He was unresponsive at the jail, so he was taken to the hospital, where he was listed as being in critical condition. He is getting better now. But this is what happens when bullies remain unchecked,” asserts Lil’ Fly.
Geto Boy Willie D, CEO of the group’s label has the group’s back, and is ready to defend the group in light of any ensuing controversy. In fact, Will feels so strongly, that he has penned a statement that can be found on the group’s website, which in part, states, “Not so long ago, the repercussions of bullying meant you got sent to the principal’s office or home. Today, bullies are being sent to the cemetery, often accompanied by other students and teachers. Where are the parents? I’ll tell you where they are. Many of them are standing at the door, waiting for their child to walk through the door, so they can smack them across the head, just because they feel like it. Many of these parents stand in complete denial, causing their son or daughter to become bullies, themselves. Most children learn abusive behavior from the violence and abuse they experience at home. In an effort to seek what they errantly perceive as a feeling of power, or being “superior,” such children bully, tease, put down, harass, or otherwise torment one or more victims.”
Will points out the trial currently being held against Lori Drew, a 49 year-old Missouri woman that used a fake MySpace persona to bully a thirteen year old girl into committing suicide, the first criminal trial ever held involving cyber-bullying. Will, who was born as Willie Dennis, also stated on the Huntzville’s website, “Many of the parents are bullies, themselves, so they see nothing wrong with it. Some maladjusted parents even co-opt with their child to abuse, torment or put down other children. Many parents vicariously pass on this behavior.”
The group urges those who are dealing with issues of bullying to come to their website, and read Will’s complete statement, check out Huntzville’s videos and music, and post their own experiences with bullyin
Keyshia Cole Earns Best-Selling Week
Keyshia Cole’s latest studio album “A Different Me” has sold more than 322,000 copies in its first week on sale, marking her best week sales as a solo artist. The effort debut at number two on Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart.
In working on her third major studio effort, Keyshia claims to have explored her sexy side with “more up-tempo and lighter” jams. She says, “I’m moving forward and growing. This time, I wrote more about other people’s situations other than my own, and I’m realizing things aren’t always so bad.”
“I haven’t always felt sexy in my life, and I’ve never wanted to base my career on physical appearance and being sexy,” she explains more. “I’ve worked hard to establish myself as a legitimate singer-songwriter. But now I’m here, and hopefully it’s not a dead-end street.”
Keyshia Cole has dropped “A Different Me” since December 16 in the U.S. She collaborates with Nas on “Oh Oh, Yeah Yeah” and Tupac Shakur on “Playa Cardz Right”.
Back on Billboard Hot 200, Jamie Foxx’s “Intuition” sits at number three with 265,000 units sold. Meanwhile, Britney Spears’ sixth studio effort “Circus” slips from number two to number four with a 2% sale decrease, garnering another 196,000 copies sold.
Scene from “Notorious”: 2pac is Dead.
Wondering how portly Brooklyn MC Jamal “Gravy” Woolard looks attempting to portray the most famous portly Brooklyn MC of all time, the Notorious B.I.G.? There’ve been a bunch of clips from the upcoming biopic Notorious floating around the Web, but here’s a particularly high-voltage one: it’s Biggie breaking the news of Tupac Shakur’s death to his own mom, Voletta Wallace. We’re a little meh so far, but what do you think? Is it like Eminem in 8 Mile, 50 Cent in Get Rich or Die Tryin’ or Method Man in How High?
Notorious B.I.G. - Nobody Is Invincible
Download Music Video Code at Blastro
When Rolling Stone spoke to Woolard about the film — which was named Hot Biopic on our annual Hot List — he detailed the intense boot-camp-like training he received for the film at Julliard, where he dove into method-acting techniques and had cotton balls stuffed in his mouth to learn better diction. In Notorious, director George Tillman Jr. gives viewers a crash course on Christopher Wallace. The movie begins with the Brooklyn MC’s youth and quickly leads to his eventual life as Kwest, the hustler who also raps, who then becomes full-time MC, the Notorious B.I.G. Newcomer Woolard stars alongside Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got To Do With It), Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) and Anthony Mackie (She Hate Me).
Source: Rolling Stone
Dubb Union - Hold Up
Dubb Union “Hold Up” music video from Doggystyle Records. Appears on the House Shoe Music Mixtape.
DUBB UNION_ DAMANI / SOOPAFLY / BAD LUCC _HOLD UP FROM THE HOUSE SHOE MUSIK MIX-TAPE from DBAKER on Vimeo.
Kanye West - Champion
Kanye West “Champion” music video from Rocafella Records. Director: NEON
Kanye West “Champion Video” Official Directed by NEON from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.
T-Pain - Can’t Believe It
T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne “Can’t Believe It” off the album Thr33 Kingz. In stores now from Jive Records.
T-pain Ft Lil Wayne - Cant Believe It from PN on Vimeo.