DX News Bits: Rakaa Iriscience, Marco Polo, Cold Heat
While the two other members of Dilated Peoples (Evidence and DJ Babu) have both released a slew of solo albums, instrumental records and EPs, the seminal ’90s and early ’00s underground Los Angeles Hip Hop collective has yet to see Rakaa Iriscience step out on his own. Today, Decon Records announced that the emcee will see his solo debut Crown of Thorns release July 20.
The album’s production will be handled by Rakaa’s bandmates, DJ Honda, as well as longtime Dilated affiliate and producer Alchemist. KRS-One, Chali 2na and Fashawn.
In other news, Duck Down Records producer Marco Polo announced that he will be releasing a second album this year. Last month, Marco joined Sean Price protege Ruste Juxx for The eXXecution, and next month will release The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo.
The second compilaton from the Canadian-born producer, after 2006’s Port Authority, features appearances from such Hip Hop luminaries as Large Professor, Torae and Grand Daddy I.U.
The tracklisting is below:
D-Stroy & Bad Seed – Buggin Out
Large Professor – The Radar Remix
Promise – The Bridge
Red Clay – Official
Ruste Juxx – Bomb Sh*t
Shylow – Whylin Out
Saga – Think of You Now
Torae – Combat Drills
DJ K.O. – Best To Do It ft Royce Da 5’9,” Elzhi & Supastition (Marco Polo Remix)
Skyzoo – Block Sh*t
Diamond District – Who I Be (Marco Polo Remix)
Skoob of Das Efx – How I Get Down (Marco Polo Remix)
Surreal – So Basic
Grand Daddy I.U. – The Veteran
Arcee – Ambition
Exile – Radio ft Ruste Juxx & Torae (Marco Polo Remix)
In related news, both Torae and Large Professor worked with Brooklyn duo Cold Heat. Emcee Jak D and producer Jay W have just released Life Behind Bars. The Soulspazm Records project released today, with assistance from Marco Polo, O.C., Da Beatminerz, Craig G and others.
J. Cole Speaks On His Production Abilities, "The Warm Up"
After Roc Nation’s artist J. Cole performed an array of songs off of his mixtapes The Come Up and The Warm Up 
at the University of Maryland last week, he sat down with HipHopDX to discuss his opinion of his own two mixtapes, as well as the differences between the two. “I don’t think either one of them I like better. I mean certain days, I’m feelin’ a certain way and I’d probably pick one over the other. But I think The Come Up was way more raw; it’s raw just straight rappin’. I am just trying to prove I can really rap with anybody, I can hang with anybody. I was trying to keep up with the [Lil] Wayne’s and all that at that time. And then The Warm Up was more so me trying to show that I can put together an album and a body of work, something with songs, and a concept, and it flows, and a sequence that tells a story. So that’s more like what The Warm Up was about. I think my style was more represented with The Warm Up. That’s my style now.”
Cole’s style heard on The Warm Up seems to be effective, as quite a few songs have been huge successes with his fan base. “Lights Please” and “Get Up” are two such songs, and are also favorites of the North Carolina rapper. “Those are some of my favorites too. I think people like when you talk about something these days. It’s more than just the generic flashy ‘I get a lot of girls, I’m fly.’ I do those songs and those verses [too], and those are cool, but how many of those can you do? So I think it’s refreshing for people to hear somebody actually hitting you with a concept, and talking about issues, and not in a corny way. Some rappers do it, but it’s corny like, ‘Man I don’t want to hear this nigga preaching to me on this song.’ But to me, I feel like it doesn’t come off preachy, I feel like it’s almost like we are having a conversation. I am almost like your friend, some days we talk about bullshit, and some days we actually talk about some real shit. I feel like that’s how you feel when you listen to my music. Whatever you want to discuss, I got a song for.”
The Warm Up also showed a different side of J. Cole, adding another title to his name: producer. “People don’t know that all the songs they love off of The Warm Up, I produced those. ‘Lights Please’ ‘Grown Simba,’ ‘I Get Up,’ ‘Losing My Balance;’ these songs were produced by me. I’m not a good self-promoter so I don’t go around saying, ‘Hey rapper-producer J. Cole.’ As soon as I’m done with the album, that’s my main priority; producing for other people, and finding an artist, and developing an artist, and producing a whole album, because I feel like that’s how you really get your sound.”
When asked what artists he would like to produce, J. Cole stated, “I would do a whole Nas album, I feel like I got one more classic waiting. I believe that somehow if he someone reads this, I got a classic waiting for him. I’d produce a Wale album. If I could really get my weight up, I would produce a Beyonce album. Not just because she’s Beyonce and she’s the biggest, just because I feel like she’s the best.”
Though J. Cole’s career is just beginning, he has big plans for himself in the next five years. “I hope to have four or five classic albums. And just have more freedom to do what I want. If I want to write a movie, I want to be able to write a movie, if I want to act, I want to be able to act. I want to have my production game on a whole other level. I want to be respected as a producer, really respected as a producer. So hopefully that will take off too.”
With his debut album currently in the works, fans have been anxious for the arrival of the album. We asked J. Cole to tell us in one sentence, what we can expect from his album. With a confident answer, he replied, “Something that lasts forever.”
Written and Reported by Amaiya Davis.
Havoc Wants To Work With J. Cole, Talks Production Renaissance
Just minutes ago, HipHopDX spoke with Mobb Deep’s Havoc. The veteran emcee and producer confirmed to XXLMag.com last week that he has a placement on Eminem’s Recovery album. That, plus strong production on albums such as Big Noyd’s Queens Chronicle and Big Twins’ The Project Kid make it indicative that the classic beat-creator is back to his old ways, after sharing more production duties on the last two Mobb albums. Asked if he was undergoing a musical renaissance, Hav clarified, “To the brothers that might [think] it seems like I’m havin’ a renaissance with makin’ music again, as far as production, I feel like I’m always in a renaissance period, whether or not I’m gettin’ public placements. I’m always home, workin’, and really just tryin’ to perfect my craft. I love production more now than ever. It’s how I [best] express myself. There’s a lot of new, dope emcees that I would like to give production to, as well as established artists that’s already out there.”
As far as new artists, Havoc is deeply impressed with North Carolina Roc Nation artist (and fellow emcee/producer double-threat) J. Cole. Laughing that he is not alone in wanting to work with Cole, Hav explained, “He’s on everybody’s short-list! I hate to be soundin’ like I’m on some kind of band-wagon, but I really feel that in my heart, that dude is dope! There’s a lot of other dope emcees out there, I hate to name just one. It seems like I’m just forgetting the rest, but he’s definitely on my radar. Even if I get a track on his album or not, I’m behind him 100% no matter what he do. I wish him well, and I know he’s going to do well, ’cause he seems like a real-for-real artist. He’s in it for the art.” Havoc also acknowledge a fellow Queens native, popular battle emcee, Hollow. The producer simply stated, “He’s crazy!”
After touching on the emcee and producer Cole, Havoc was asked if self-producing artists like Cole are a return to the ’90s class of greats like Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Large Professor – and Havoc. “I would just like this about that trend: that’s very smart,” expressed Hav. “That’s very wise. I encourage a lot of other artists to do the same.”
On the subject of his support of local artists, Havoc explained why he’s always represented his burough so proudly, through Hip Hop’s many changing trends. “I love the fact that I’m from Queens. It’s an honor to be from Queens and to share the [Hip Hop] history that Queens has. Any chance I get, I’ma represent Queens. Even more, to generalize it, I’m just in love with New York Hip Hop period. Regardless of where it stands in popularity, I’m always gonna be a New York [Hip Hop] head, till it’s all said and done.”
As a fan of New York Hip Hop, Havoc added that he was proud of his contemporaries for returning to their classic formulas and themes for music-making. “You’ve got groups like [Capone-N-Noreaga] droppin’ [The War Report 2], Raekwon doing [Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt.II]…it’s a beautiful thing. When you see that being done, that just shows you ever more, how much love for Hip Hop these acts have.”
Just in speaking about New York Rap glory days and ’90s Hip Hop peers, DX asked Havoc about a lesser-known appearance on a classic album, 1993’s Enta Da Stage by Black Moon. Joined by Smif-N-Wessun, Havoc dropped a verse on “U Da Man.” Reflecting back to that point, the longtime emcee says it was pivotal to his production coming to fruition. “To work with them, that’s when I was really starting to get into my production thing. I really was checkin’ out what [DJ] Evil Dee was doing. I was tryin’ to put my lil’ input in. I know they was lookin’ at me like I was crazy, ’cause I really didn’t know what I was talkin’ about, but they embraced. Buckshot, he’s like a brother from another mother to me. Whenever I’m around that dude, it’s like I’m around family. Even back then they made me feel like that. Salute to Black Moon, Buckshot and the whole Duck Down movement.”
DX News Bits: Tech N9ne, Starang Wondah, Method Man, Travis McCoy
As one of independent Hip Hop’s most successful and respect emcees, Strange Music’s Tech N9ne has performed everywhere around the country, but for the Kansas City-born rapper there’s simply no place like home.
On May 18, Tech N9ne will be releasing K.O.D. Tour: Live in Kansas City, the result of his November 21 homecoming performance last year. The DVD features footage of his performance, as well as performances from the entire Strange Music crew (Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob) in front of nearly 3,000 concert attendees. K.O.D. Tour: Live in Kansas City marks the second DVD performance Tech N9ne has released, with Strictly Strange being released last year from his “Strictly Strange Tour” in 2008.
In other news, Duck Down CEO and Boot Camp Clik rapper Buckshot recently wrote a blog post about the whereabouts of O.G.C. and BCC member Starang Wondah.
“As few may know, Starang has been serving an 18-month prison sentence in upstate PA for illegal drug possession…While I won’t dive into the specifics of his case, Starang maintains his innocence and looks forward to appealing the charges when he comes home in mid August,” he said.
The post also goes into Buckshot’s recent visit with Starang, who says he may have plans to continue a rap career once he is released. You can read the whole blog here.
In other news, The Bamboozle Chicago happens on May 15th at the Charter One Pavilion. Artists set to perform include Cobra Starship, 3OH!3, Travis McCoy among others.
Info about The Bamboozle:
Founder and ringleader of The Bamboozle, John D, has created an institution and a must attend annual festival event. Since its inception in 2005, The Bamboozle has become a weekend long crash course in today’s youth-culture scene. It is the only place to watch over one hundred of the most talked-about bands in pop, punk, rock, rap and more perform live on one massive bill. The Bamboozle Festival now encompasses The Bamboozle East Rutherford which boasted headliners Drake, Ke$ha, Weezer and Paramore and took place the weekend of May 1st-2nd, The Bamboozle Chicago, just announced for May 15th and The Bamboozle Anaheim which kicked off on March 28th-29th with the newly reunited Something Corporate as headliner. Alongside all of the great music, The Bamboozle 2010 also features exciting carnival rides, tasty food and drink, the world-famous vendor village, band merch plus lots of exciting surprises.
Finally, Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man is offering up the chance to play him in Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox360 Gold Member users.
Players interested are asked to add the gamertag “GWF Method Man” this Friday and be online before 4:30 p.m. (EST). Gaming with Method Man will go from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (EST). For more information, visit here.
Marc Live Talks New Album, Working With Ice-T & Kool Keith
Marc Live may not be a household name, but the New York native remains both one of the most enduring and one of the most creative forces in Hip Hop. The front-man for early ’90s Rap outfit Raw Breed, Marc has seen both major label peaks and industry valleys. Maintaining lasting relationships with his Analog Brothers Ice-T and Kool Keith, as well as the Sa-Ra Creative Partners, this industry veteran remains well-connected and well-respected.
Speaking with HipHopDX early this week in celebration of his nrew album, Episode III: The Revenge of Marc Rippin’, the veteran speaks about lasting relationships, bruised egos and the devastating changes to a culture and an industry that once embraced creativity.
HipHopDX: This is your twentieth year in Rap. What’s changed the most? What do you miss, and at the same time, what’s really helped within those 20 years?
Marc Live: Well I think the financial scope of music has changed. The digital market killed the business…its as if every Macy’s or Walmart went out of business and you’re trying to sell clothes and people just download shirts and jeans…they would be suffering also. Fifteen years ago, Warner Brothers gave my group, Raw Breed $450,000 for a [Blood Sweet & Tears] album budget; now the label won’t give you anything. It’s like they’re signing you to fail. I miss the New York raw Hip Hop. Everything coming out of New York [now] sucks. Guys are doing Down South records and trying to sound like Mystical. [There is] no innovation. What helped me in the 20 years I’ve been in the game is my stage show and knowledge of the business and that’s why I’m moving more into the management and the executive game in the music industry, [like fans have seen with Diddy].
DX: Throughout your career, you’ve maintained a strong working relationship with both Ice-T and Kool Keith. We, as fans, saw that come alive in the Analog Brothers’ Pimp To Eat album. At the height of the underground, that project really shocked a lot of people. To what do you attribute the collaborative loyalty with those two guys, and how do you look back at that album?
Marc Live: That was a great project, really special. It started in a garage in South Central [Los Angeles] and ended up being this amazing, crazy album. It was so powerful that the group broke up before we even released [Pimp To Eat]. But I will never forget Ice-T’s mansion studio in the Hollywood hills and chicks topless and lots of gin and vodka. It was wild, but that was the formula. [Kool] Keith and I have been working together for 15 years, and Ice-T about the same, I’m both [of] their on-stage partners and have traveled the world with them. I owe them both my career, so I will be down with them to the wheels fall off.
DX: Tell me about The Revenge of Marc Rippin’. The song titles and themes are largely about revenge, returns, owning New York. Where is this demeanor rooted in?
Marc Live: Well, yes, “Marc Rippin” in my alter-ego from the Raw Breed days, and I wanted to bring that character back. I felt Hip Hop was lacking that early-’90s appeal, so I wanted to really have some raw topics based in a New York City setting. So [the concept is that] I’ve been away for 10 years, and they find me in the islands [with] the straw hat and bodyguards on the cover and they bring me back to take over Hip Hop…very Goodfellas, Godfather-type innuendos..but really just raw Hip Hop.
DX: Longtime fans will note the Tim Dog diss on the album. Care to tell us why you’re going at Tim, after projects together in the past?
Marc Live: Well, Tim [Dog] was a guy I looked up to, and is one of the original member of Ultramagnetic MCs. [All that being said], he just lives in the past and has a damaged ego, so he sabotaged a lot of things and alienated the crew, so then he did a diss record about Keith and myself…so I responded.
DX: You worked with Sa-Ra Creative Partners on this project. Do you see any parallels in the careers you both have had, bi-coastal, lots of projects and appearances? Can you describe the collaborative process with them?
Marc Live: Well Sa-Ra [Creative Partners] is like Prince & The Revolution. You go in the studio and they make the tracks from scratch, they ask you what vibe you want, what sound keyboards or samples…singing or rapping. [Then they] tell you to go to the store and eat something, and in two hours the room is shaking and the track is laid and done, and you’re like, “Wow, these guys are geniuses.” The rhyme just writes itself. I like working with those guys. I actually started Ommas’s career when he was 17, he worked on the first Raw Breed demos for Ice and Priority Records, and we later signed to Warner Brothers and Shafiq was a member of Raw Breed, and our main producer under TR.Love from Ultramagnetic, so we are all family and will be doing things together for years to come.
Purchase Episode III The Revenge Of Marc Rippin by Marc Live
Eminem Receives "Artist Of The Decade" Soundscan Award
It’s no secret that Eminem is one of the top-selling rap acts of all time. But fans might be surprised to know that Slim Shady was, in fact, the top-selling act in all of music in the 2000s – surpassing pop acts like N’ Sync, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Recently, Eminem was awarded the Nielsen SoundScan “Artist of the Decade Award,” which recognized him for having sales exceeding 32 million units domestically (worldwide, his sales are approximated to be near 80 million). The award was presented to the multi-platinum rapper by Nielsen Entertainment President Eric Weinberg and Nielsen Entertainment’s Retail Relations Vice President Chris Muratore.
2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP and 2002’s The Eminem Show were each certified diamond, meaning over 10 million records sold domestically. 2004’s Encore sold over seven million, while 2005’s greatest hits album Curtain Call nearly reached double platinum status. 2009’s Relapse managed to hit platinum before the decade ended as well.
In addition, Eminem was part of other high-selling projects which did not count towards his tally as a solo artist, including two platinum D12 albums in 2001’s Devil’s Night and 2004’s D12 World. Other platinum releases included Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture 8 Mile, and Eminem Presents: The Re-Up.
Below is a picture of Eminem receiving the award. Left to right: Jimmy Iovine (Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records), Dr. Dre, Eric Weinberg (President, Nielsen Entertainment), Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg (back row), Chris Muratore (VP, Retail Relations, Nielsen Entertainment), Eminem, Steve Berman (Vice Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records). Berman was featured in a number of skits on Eminem albums (Marshall Mathers LP, Devil’s Night, Eminem Show, Relapse) as a cantankerous album executive.
Sedgwick & Cedar’s New Line Pays Homage To Hip Hop
Clothing brand Sedgwick & Cedar has announced a new line that will pay tribute to Hip Hop’s history and pioneers. The announcement runs parallel with the relaunch of their new site and re-emergence of the brand, which is named after Sedgwick Avenue in Bronx, New York, and Cedar Park in the same neighborhood. Starting in 1973, the two streets were recognized for hosting some of Hip Hop’s first house parties, which included Grandmaster Caz, DJ Kool Herc, Sha Rock, and many other pioneers.
Legendary Hip Hop photographer Joe Conzo, who captured Hip Hop’s burgeoning culture in the 1970s, shared his library of the period with the Sedgewick & Cedar clothing brand to create limited edition items of clothing.
“My dream was to build a trusted consumer brand that serves as an homage to the untold story and the icons of Hip Hop,” said Ray Riccio, founder of the brand. Pioneers who helped launch the brand, including DJ Kool Herc, Sha-Rock, Coke LaRock, and others will also earn royalties from the sales of the products that include their images.
“It’s incredibly important to me to not only be a part of this brand that pays homage to our roots, but to have a voice in its creation,” said Grandmaster Caz. “Sedgwick & Cedar is reviving this explosive moment in musical history by representing a culture and a movement that myself and the other pioneers are proud to have had a part in creating.”
Nas Says He Can’t Afford Child And Spousal Support
It was reported last month that Nas was ordered to pay more than than $87,000 combined in both back child support and back spousal support. In addition, Nas was ordered to pay $10,000 a month to ex-wife Kelis in spousal support, and an undisclosed amount in monthly child support.
Now, TMZ reports that the judge predicated the order based on the assertion that Nas makes $152,031 a month.
In response, Nas has said he makes “substantially less than that amount.”
The rapper’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has requested that the judge take another look at the figures, and reexamine the situation.
More on this as it develops.
News Bits: Casual, Jake One, Slaine, Kutt Calhoun
It was announced yesterday that veteran Hieroglyphics affiliate Casual is the latest artist to enter the studio for a full album with Seattle’s Jake One.
Following 2010 full collaborations with Freeway (The Stimulus Package) and TRUTHLiVE (Patience), Smash Rockwell told DX that he’s at work on The Return of the Backpack. Casual said that a release date has yet to be confirmed, but did reveal that recording is already underway.
Casual’s last album was 2005’s Smash Rockwell.
In other news, La Coka Nostra’s Slaine and Strange Music/DXnext alum Kutt Calhoun are joining forces for 2010’s Strange Noize Tour. The event is a collaborative effort between Strange and Suburban Noize, a label owned by Kottonmouth Kings’ Brad Daddy X.
Big B and KMK’s Johnny Ricter will also be performing during the tour.
The dates for the show are as follows:
Jun 21 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
Jun 22 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
Jun 23 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
Jun 24 – Maplewood, MN – The Rock
Jun 25 – Elgin, IL – The Roadhouse
Jun 26 – Detroit, MI – Harpo’s
Jun 27 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
Jun 28 – Columbus, OH – Al Rosa Villa
Jun 29 – Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
Jun 30 – Worchester, MA – The Palladium
Jul 01 – West Springfield, VA – JAXX
Jul 02 – Jacksonville, NC – Hooligan’s
Jul 03 – Fayetteville, NC – Jester’s Pub
Jul 04 – Goose Creek, SC – The Dive
Jul 06 – Orlando, FL – Firestone
Jul 08 – Jacksonville, FL – The Pit
Jul 09 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
Jul 10 – St. Petersburg, FL – State Theatre
Jul 12 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Jul 13 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Jul 14 – San Antonio, TX – Back Stage Live
Jul 15 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Jul 16 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
Jul 20 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
Jul 22 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Jul 23 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
Jul 24 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Jul 25 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Jul 27 – Casper, WY – Downtown Grill
Jul 28 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Jul 29 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
Jul 31 – Orangevale, CA- The Boardwalk
Black Rob Released From Prison, Talks Diddy, Bad Boy Records
Four years in prison has altered the relationship between former Bad Boy artist Black Rob and the label’s owner, Diddy. After being released from incarceration this past week, Black Rob has made public his severed ties with his former boss, claiming that Diddy turned his back on him.
“If you tell me you love me and you tell me you my man, I’m going to take that and run with that,” he said in an exclusive interview with BET on Friday. “When something happens to me and you turn your back on me–regardless of the situation, regardless of what we been through–I don’t appreciate that…I don’t respect that. If you my man, I’m going to always be your man unless you flip on me. I was under the assumption that I was family.”
The rapper was sent to jail in 2006 after failing to show up to court on a grand larceny matter. Although he is no longer with Bad Boy, and holds personal issues with Diddy, he says that he takes full responsibility for his actions. “I’m not blaming Bad Boy,” he assured. “Let’s set the record straight. I’m not blaming P. Diddy, I’m not blaming Harve Pierre [president of Bad Boy] for my situation. That was me. I did that. I have no hatred in my heart. I don’t want to retaliate and I don’t want to make any records about Bad Boy.”
Diddy has made no comments about Black Rob’s release from prison.
