50 Cent: Calculated Steps

Tupac Shakur once rhymed that "Every move is a calculated step, to bring me closer to embrace an early death." 50 Cent is a man full of calculated steps, but self-destruction aside, he appears too smart for an early death. That doesn't mean he can't go out in a blaze of glory as he has released a new freestyle where "the George Bush" of rap says, "F**k Jimmy Iovine...I ain't got no boss!"  The pride of Southside Jamaica Queens unflinchingly approaches a duel of record releases – against Kanye West, that 50 dismisses as media stupidity.
   
    The calculations date back to 2002, when a recuperating 50 Cent invested in an obscure fitness beverage, not knowing Urban America would follow. Curtis features at least six singles, while artists clawing at 50's heels rarely get past three. Meanwhile, as a father, Curtis Jackson may be grooming his son to be ultimate prodigy in an entrepreneurial or entertainment field. 
   
    Sitting in his G-Unit office, 50 Cent is soft-spoken, focused and filled with strategy. The '00s icon speaks about whether they love him like they love 'Pac, what he's doing with LL Cool J, and if the Kanye West collaboration was scrapped for any particular reason. Controversy bows to calculation, and 50 Cent may be just as smart as he is resilient.

AllHipHop.com: The first two 50 Cent albums were hyped with a lot of talk about the music, as in "What is he going to say on here?" Curtis appears to be getting talk mostly about its numbers, as in "What's he going to sell?" How do you react to that shifting conversation?

50 Cent: You know what it is. I feel like in different classes of people, they're going to actually be more conscious of the numbers…we're in the business of selling music, so they're gonna look and see who's selling what. A lot of times, you've got these new guys that come out with a single that connects, and they still haven't established themselves with an audience, so they ain't gonna sell no records. The ringtone may pay for the actual album. There's no physical cost to create a ringtone. Do you know the manufacturing cost of a disc that you'd sell for a single? It's totally out of the picture, so a [ringtone] is straight profit.

If you get the right single out of the gate, you're gonna start in the black [not owing money]. Even if they only sell 150,000 or 200,000 units, the record company is gonna allow that group or artist to make an album again 'cause they made some money off of the ringtone. An artist like MIMS or Rich Boy, they had big records; it didn't translate into big sales when it came time for the album to come out. But they had big, big records, and those records sold lots of ringtones.

AllHipHop.com: Just talking about singles, Curtis appears as if it is going to have upwards of five or six singles. That's something we haven't seen from a rap album in almost a decade. Even with T.I.'s King last year, he never worked it that far. Why are you plotting this, before the album even releases?

50 Cent:  I think that multiple impressions are more effective than one at this point. You go with consistency. In the public, they'll say "Straight to the Bank" and "Amusement Park" didn't do as well as "I Get Money" or "AYO Technology," but at the same time, both of those records played over 3,000 times. "Straight to the Bank" and "Amusement Park," those would be great records for new artists, but the expectations are so high coming from 50 Cent 'cause [the public] has listened to Get Rich or Die Trying and they heard The Massacre, and we're going into Curtis, and the expectations are beyond even me at some points. Man, I guess I raised the bar so high that I've got to jump up and down to make sure I can touch it. [Laughs]

At radio, the program directors will be like, "Yeah, I like this record, but give me the joint, man! Give me the one." With "I Get Money," they said, "Okay, this is it. We're good." You've seen this before. You've seen this with Usher – he didn't put out the right single, he switched it, and he was good.

AllHipHop.com: I'm asking, but these were all the right singles?

50 Cent: Right. That's exactly what I'm saying. It's not like I put out the wrong record where people were like, "Nah, this is wack." Nah. I can't see that happening, period. Right now, I was receiving a little resistance and I worked my way through it.

AllHipHop.com: "Fully Loaded Clip" definitely seemed to give the streets what they were asking for…

50 Cent: I've got some hard records on this [album], don't get me wrong. But Before I Self Destruct is…that record embodies everything that they appreciated me for initially. The last bit of that, that aggression I was givin' 'em early on, on the mixtape circuit.

AllHipHop.com: One of the biggest bars you ever spit was "I want them to love me like they love 'Pac" on "In Da Club." Almost five years later, to what extent would you say you achieved that wish?

50 Cent: When I said [that], I want you to love me like you love Biggie [too]. That's actually impossible, but I'm sayin' that to you because there's people out there that do love them. It's impossible for me to obtain that love because you're greater in your absence than you are in your presence. [Tupac and Biggie] are a lot better to them dead than they were when they were when they were here. They appreciate them more now. Both 'Pac and Big, their shoes are way too big for me to walk in; those are legends.

Jay-Z might say that he felt like he was better than Big; he said that on ["Hola' Hovito"]. I think he can only say that because he was actually active while they were there.

AllHipHop.com: He was of that generation.

50 Cent: Right. So he can say that if he feels like it. But me, I don't think I should be saying that. I haven't been physically out to compete within that era.

AllHipHop.com: People speak about the lucrative business of your investment with Vitamin Water. In the hood that I live in, I see a lot of kids and adults drinking the stuff from the bodega in lieu of soda or whatever. I attribute that placement and that influence to you. Was that ever underneath your decision to invest?

50 Cent: For me, my choice and the decisions that I've made in business are a reflection of me and my actual habits. If I endorse G-Unit sneakers, if you look at my feet, 90% of the time, you'll see G-Unit sneakers. The only time you probably won't is when I'm on the red carpet. If you look at my clothes, the majority of the time, you'll see me wearing G-Unit, if I'm not wearing a suit. I'll endorse Vitamin Water before I go towards alcoholic beverages because I don't drink that.

I was more conscious of my physical health after being in a bad physical state. After I got shot, I was more health-conscious of what I'm eating, everything. When I came out during Get Rich or Die Trying, I was like 190, coming back from 167. I was 230, got shot, and went all the way to 167 [pounds]. I spent 13 days in the hospital, but it was six weeks that I had braces in my mouth from my jaw being broken from the shot.

I came across [Vitamin Water] in the gym in Los Angeles. When I came across it, I just did the research to see the possibility of getting down with them, early on. At the time, it wasn't even distributed on a broad scale like that. It was still just in the gym at that point. It worked out. I was using it as a supplement from soda. I drink the Smart Water, but you need something else to drink outside of water.

AllHipHop.com: People are focusing a lot on your G-Unit roster right now. I want to ask…what is it like working with LL Cool J? Arguably, you're the two biggest stars from Queens in rap history.

50 Cent: It feels great. LL is the greatest rapper from Queens; you can't argue that with nobody. The fact that he's working on an album that's called Exit 13, his thirteenth album, his final requirement [to Def Jam] says that he's endured more than anybody else – just being interesting enough as an artist to keep people willing to buy your record this long.

AllHipHop.com: What kind of impression have you and your label made on that album?

50 Cent: The impression comes from my musical selection 'cause I kind of picked the beats. I was the A&R department on this album. As an executive producer, I can help with the creative direction – as far as choruses and that are concerned, but L didn't need anything else.

When I do books, when I'm writing with great writers, we'll create the outline together, and then I'll let them go. 'Cause I might alter their direction to the point where I might not get a story that's as good as what I could have got. When I go into the studio, I work with the greatest producers out – from Dre, from Timbaland, and they'll play the beat, and let me go, because they know they'll get a greater song, creatively, if they let me go than they would if they told me something.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking about producers, when we interviewed you last, you mentioned that you had worked with Kanye West on Curtis. That didn't make the final tracklisting. Did that have anything to do with the competition?

50 Cent: Nah. I worked with Kanye. I went in the studio and worked with him…the controversy, that's just promotion! This is mind-boggling how stupid the general public is at some points, that people are buying into it. You feel me?

This is great promotion for Kanye West to make you think that we can be compared on any level. There's no comparison. 50 Cent vs. Kanye West, none. To have people come out and say it's a bout, it ain't no bout or competition. I sold four times more than him on both albums. In the same sense, the guy will say to you right away, "I don't mind being number two." He'll make the statement, 'cause it's clear that there ain't no competition like that. I appreciate him, and I went to him, to see if he had something that I could create something exciting with. But right now, the biggest draw to a Kanye West album would be that Kanye West produced the record. He produces great records. Okay, Dr. Dre produces great records – he's on my album. Eminem produces great records – he's on my album. Timbaland, Havoc, all of 'em. The ones you got with no names, you gotta be excited about them, 'cause I just delivered "I Get Money" [produced by Apex Productions].

AllHipHop.com: I recently read "wherever the rich go, the poor will try to follow." I was struck by that quote. You're a wealthy, non-conformist leader. How do you look at that statement? Because, at the same time, poverty has become such a qualifier to acceptance in this culture.

50 Cent: Well, I think…I can't speak for everybody, but I can say, for myself a rags-to-riches story is exciting. There's hope for a person who's not in a good space. When you grow up without finances, finances appear to be the answer to all of your problems. So if you find yourself in the space where you've reached a point where people feel you've been successful for three or four years – 'cause I'm in that space now – you can only say that for three or four years, I've been successful. But for 28 other years, I can make reference to not havin'.

AllHipHop.com: Let me rephrase. I don't want to get personal, because I know your son is very near and dear to your heart. But you've got a workingman or a poor man's ethic in you, based on your upbringing. Your son, for lack of a better, has had a silver-spoon upbringing. How do you, as a father, instill that same ethic in him?

50 Cent: He do. He does have a silver spoon in his mouth. And hopefully, he'll take my habits, just being around to see them. But he's grown up under different circumstances. It's impossible for you to place a kid under the same circumstances that I was under, without there being any money around. The mistakes that I made early on were out of the same ambition that's in me now. I had the same intentions, just the wrong direction.

I believe Kobe Bryant is who he is because of who his father was. When he idolized him at an early age, he wanted to play ball like daddy played ball. If you have someone that you idolize, I think they can help you learn at a faster pace. I was around this young girl when she was flat-out boy-crazy. She wasn't doing good in school at all, 'cause she's thinking about the boys. If you have a basic conversation, before you know it, she's talking about one of the boys in school, and what he did. That's where her head was at. But if one of the boys gives her a book, her reading comprehension skyrockets. Because she's thinking about the conversation that she's gonna have with him, and she wants to know what the book is about so she can that conversation. She's learning faster.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of books, when you're on the plane, or when you get a chance to read, what do you like?

50 Cent: All types of different books. I'm actually reading a lot of Robert Greene books on strategy. I actually hung out with him yesterday. He was here yesterday in my office. We're doing a book together – The 50th Law. I can't tell you specifically when it'll be ready, but we're working on it.

AllHipHop.com: Any fiction?

50 Cent: I like urban novels. I like them because they speak exactly the language that me and you would be speaking. They're talking the way that people talk in the actual neighborhood in the book, as opposed to using terminologies to describe situations that aren't as visual.

AllHipHop.com: My last question. When you're reading scripts, what is the ultimate or most challenging character you see yourself ever playing in film?

50 Cent: I don't even know. You know what it is? It's because my challenges keep changing. I'll read the screenplay, and if it seems like a challenge for me to work myself into that actual character…like my imagination says, "That'll be exciting for people to see me that way," then I'll want to do that.

I don't have a particular character that I want to play. Sometimes I don't actually get the character I want to play. I'll read it, and it'll already be [cast] for somebody intended for that character.

Posted On: Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Rapper Remy Ma appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday (August 14) to learn if she has been indicted by a grand jury in regards to the shooting of a childhood friend in Manhattan in July.

Remy Ma, born Remy Smith, was charged with attempted murder, assault and weapons possession stemming from an incident on July 14.

Prosecutors accuse Remy Ma of shooting her friend Makeda-Barnes Joseph twice in the stomach, after the two argued over $3,000 that was allegedly stolen from Remy Ma earlier in the evening.

According to reports, Remy was not indicted yesterday because a grand jury has not heard her case.

After several high profile shootings in the city, New York prosecutors are reported to be taking their time building a case against the Bronx bred rapper.

"I suspect that the district attorney's getting conflicting views of the events from various witnesses and doesn't want to go before a grand jury until he's sure of what happened," Remy Martin's attorney Ivan Fisher told the New York Daily News.

According to Fisher, "no view of the events that has surfaced publicly is accurate."

Next week, Fisher and representatives will examine and photograph Barnes-Joseph's vehicle, before returning it to her next week.

Barnes-Joseph is currently home recuperating from her gunshot wounds and is unable to work.

Remy Ma is free on $250,000 bail until the next court date, which is slated for November 29.

Don't Believe the Hype: Freshly Roasted Flavor Flav

While Flavor Flav may have become an object of ridicule through cable television's last five years of programming, we, as a Hip-Hop journalists, can't help but "roast" the man for his merits. full story on AllHipHop.com 

Yung Joc to Take Over the Hip-Hop World with New LP

When Yung Joc does something, he always does it in the biggest way possible, especially when it has something to do with hip hop. The star, whose debut LP "New Joc City" gained a huge success, has hinted that he is about to release new album by Christmas.

"I'm doing my album called Feed the Hungry," he said. "I'm going to different cities, get some hot records from local artists and put bigger names on the records to help springboard their careers. I'm coming to a 'hood near you."

Has already started working on the new set, Joc will also release what he calls a "Jocumentary", a behind-the-scenes DVD, on October 3rd. He, furthermore, also is setting out to shoot the video for his 3rd single "1st Time," and plans on bringing on some big names to participate, like Marques Houston.

What's more on the hip-hoper, MTV reported that Joc has just inked a deal for his own imprint called "Hustlenomics".

---

More Yung Joc News & Links

NEWS : Yung Joc Coming Up with Second Album
July 06, 2007 09:25:19 GMT
Yung Joc is ready to reprise the success of 2006's "New Joc City" with "Hustlenomics".

NEWS : Boyz N Da Hood's Second Set Arriving August
May 31, 2007 07:38:12 GMT
Boyz N Da Hood will release their sophomore effort which took almost two years to complete.

NEWS : Marques Houston Turns "Veteran" in New Album
March 22, 2007 08:20:09 GMT
Young R&B singer Marques Houston opens up about his new record titled "Veteran".

NEWS : Rapper DMX Caused Riot at Hot 97's Back to School Jam
October 03, 2006 04:56:30 GMT
DMX caused a riot at his Saturday night Sept. 30, 2006 performance during Hot 97's Back to School Jam.

NEWS : The 2006 MTV VMAs Nominees
August 01, 2006 02:23:49 GMT
Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira receive seven MTV awards nods each.

FOXY BROWN IN AFRICA, 50 CENT NOT WORKING WITH DRE? THE JENA!

GAY RAP CEO IN THE A?

I have been informed that this is the "biggest rumor in the ATL these days." From what I have been told, one the baddest CEOs in the Dirty South is actually gay and is in a relationship with a well-known barber who is outwardly gay. Now, from what I have been told, the label CEO has been on the creep for a minute and has started to bubble out and about. I don't even know who it is, but if I get a lil' more info, we'll see what can manifest.

OZONE AWARDS

Over the weekend, I heard the Ozone Awards went down in the MIA. I don't know all of what happened, but I heard it was popping down there with all the panels, performances and the actual show. I heard Mistah Fab, Flo-Ridah and Big Kuntry smashed it on the performances. I wonder what Trina was doing? I like her.

UNDERGROUND MUSIC AWARDS

Last night, the Underground Music Awards went down in New York City. DJ Kid Capri won a lifetime achievement award and I heard Deelishus accompanied him. Hmmmmmm…Now, I'm not trying to start anything that's just what I heard. Deelishus gets around and I heard she got a lot of attention. Also, Ma Barker (Kool G Rap's wife) performed there too. My peoples told me that there were some good folks there like Stimuli, S.M.G., Craig G, Joell Ortiz, Grafh and Blackhand. The Force MD's got an award and cussed everybody out for not recognizing their contributions to music! I'm sure there was more, but that's what I heard. I'll have more on this later.

CHINGO BLING GETS DEPORTED!

Nah, I'm just kidding. He wasn't deported yet. But, I heard a rumor that he's causing more than a stir with his new CD, They Can't Deport US All. There is a billboard in Houston and it says "They Can't Deport US All" and the image depicts a man, a woman and a chicken making a run for the border. I heard Chingo has been getting hate mail, death threats and crude vandalisms to anything he owns with that slogan. The vandals say, "Yes, we can [deport you all]!" Chingo says, "I am promoting my album, but more than anything I am promoting a movement. I want to help bring awareness to a topic that is very close to me." If he's an illegal immigrant, he might be deported soon poppin' all that stuff!

CHOCOLATE RAIN!

People don't really get that "Chocolate Rain" has a very deep message that goes with it. They just think it's this crazy, weird dude with a deep voice. But the voice and the message are deep! What happens when you mix Tay Zonday with Radiohead? One helluva remix! This is the best one yet. Word to Thom Yorke. (The player is strange. You have to hit playlist and scroll to "Chocolate Radiohead." Click that, then the play button and you're good.)

ClicK Here To Down Load Classic selection of Drum loops And Hot Kick Samples.rar

A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer.

The individual instruments of a drum kit are struck by a variety of implements held in the hand, including sticks, brushes, and mallets. Two notable exceptions include the bass drum, played by a foot-operated pedal, and the hi hat cymbals, which use a foot pedal in addition to the normal striking motion.

Differing music styles implement the components of a drum kit in different manners. For example, in most forms of rock music, the bass drum and snare drum are the primary instruments used to create a drum beat. In jazz, however, the ride cymbal and hi hats (or brushed snare drum and hi hats) usually fill this role.

..>..>..> ..>

The Drum kit

1 Bass drum | 2 Floor tom | 3 Snare | 4 Toms | 5 Hi-hat | 6 Crash cymbal and Ride cymbal

Other components

China cymbal | Cowbell | Sizzle cymbal | Splash cymbal | Swish cymbal | Tambourine | Wood block | Rototom

Hip-Hop Rumors: LAURYN HILL IN BK! DIDDY SWERVES ON! 190,000 WEAPONS LOST IN IRAQ & NAS' NEW CD? JAY-Z ADDRESSES RUMORS! TRINA IS TERROR SQUAD?

LAURYN HILL IN BROOKLYN

If you saw Lauryn Hill in Brooklyn, you were lucky. I heard that Lauryn did show up, but if you wanted to see her, you had to get there stupid early. Hill came to BK for a free concert. Its something she's done a few times and she continues to give back. Only thing is, she wasn't allowed to give back to all that wanted to receive. I heard that people were blocked from getting close to the venue as far back as 10 blocks. If you tried to find a way around it, the cops were there to re-route you. Some people were able to hear her sounds from outside of the Brooklyn's Wingate Field.

USHER'S WIFE THE GANGSTRESS

Move over Remy, Kim and Foxy..there is a new b***h on the block. According to the National Enquirer, Tameka is furious at her sister that leaked all the info on her criminal past. She reportedly said, "You are one dead bitch and you better watch your back, cause I'm putting a hit out on you!" Man, I'm in awe of this quote, but I can't verify the validity so I am sure there will be a counter statement soon.

DAMN HOMEY…BRETT RATNER COMES CLEAN...OR DOES HE?

Check out this quote from Brett Ratner, who is the big man behind "Rush Hour 3." He told this to gay website, advocate.

"My first blow job was from a man, but I didn't know it was a man. That's where that comes from. It's based on personal experience. It happens to a lot of people. That happens to a lot of heterosexuals. You meet a girl in a bar, and it turns out she's not a girl. I think a girl should tell you if she's a girl or a man--that way it's your preference. It's comedy."

I would have to differ with Brett on these points. No, it's not comedy and no it's not happening to that many people in hetero-world. If you are an intergalactic traveler, maybe that's something else. Shout out to Jackie Chan.

SHOUT OUT TO PUBLIC ENEMY!

Chuck D and PE are definitely "Harder Than You Think." Peep the vid.

DIDDY MOVES ON?

Well, now that Diddy is free and single, he can do whatever he wants I guess. With that said, the tabloids are saying that he's invited Sienna Miller to his yacht for a not-so-secret rendezvous. I can't call this but they say that Diddy is looking to woo her and romance her into submission. On the real to real, the UK's Mirror said that, "Diddy is expecting romance. He has candles and endless bottles of Cristal champagne on ice." Diddster and Sienna started with those hotel room pics that circulated online. Diddy denied that they were anything but good friends.

LIL' ROMEO GETS THE BUSINESS FROM HIS TEAM MATE

Sejin Park, the starting shooting guard for USC Trojan, the same team that Lil' Romeo plays for, has spoken up. He's not being all that nice to the owner of Rap Chips.

"Being in front of his dad and his posse, if you will, seemed to add to him playing a little more selfishly," Park said. "Sometimes, it would be better if he passed the ball a little more. Other times, he'll try to do a little extra going to the basket when two points is two points. I think he needs to get that out of his system and focus on the game instead of what the crowd is telling him."

PAC MAN CUTS HAIR & READY TO RUMBLE!

AllHipHop got at Pac Man Jones and he talked about doing the thing in the world of Wrestling! Did you read our story on Pac Man? Check it out when you can. It's all about him going to wrestle. But, from what I am getting, he's not going to be going crazy with the wrestling. Word is, he is just killing time with it and he will not actually be wrestling. He will be more of a promo tool for TNA wrestling. I never even heard of the TNA until now so I guess it's working.

Check out my homey Pay Boy with Pac Man.

BROOKE VALENTINE IS A FREE AGENT

Brooke Valentine has been dropped by Virgin Records. According to the dedicated dude on her fansite, "Hey guys, I haven't updated in a very long time. Brooke Valentine is doing absolutely nothing and I don't know what's going on. One thing that I can say is that she is officially out of Virgin Records." He's stuck on the foulness. I always thought Brooke was cute, but I ddint like that "Dope Girl" song at all. Bad look.

THE ALLHIPHOP RUN DOWN!

AKON - we got at him and he's opening up about all the problems he's facing. Frank and honest - "Real Talk" Akon.

Spider Loc goes all the way in on his thoughts about 50 Cent, The Game, Crips and how gang banging lost the original idea.

Another G-Unit member keeps it real - HAVOC of Mobb Deep plots the joys of being independence.

Check out the entire run down of AllHipHop's Wild Style Week! Yo, this was the first Hip-Hop movie and it is 25 years old now!

-Here is a book review called, "Wild Style The Sampler."

-Lady Pink, the female graf pro.
DJ Charlie Chase, he was the Latino on the Wheels of Steel!
Grandmaster Caz - still has beef with Sugar Hill's Big Bank Hank for stealing his raps!
Fab 5 Freddy directs videos and guess what? We did a round up of his top vids!
Crazy Legs - you know his name!

50 Cent and Kanye West are going to DEBATE! I'm voting for both! Check it out!

The Ten Track Commandments: Part 1...We been in this game for years, it made us animals. Producers...read this one!

IS LIL WAYNE THE NEXT TUPAC? Click here to join in the discussion.

ILL PIC!

Look this picture I found online by a dude named T-Mac. This is the illest pic I have seen in a minute (even though I suspect it is a Photoshop special).

Remember this couple?

I just thought this was a cool picture.

ILL VID

I think Maroon 5 could stand some controversy. Check out the video for "Wake Up Call," that comes equipped with guns, dumping bodies, hot sex and strippers. BLAOW BLAOW – Blown to death! (Shout out to Dj Bi$hop of the Hittmenn Djs.)

50 CENT AND CIARA DANCE AWAY!

 QUICKIES

Pimp C is getting rumor page burn like he was Jay-Z, 50 or Lil' Wayne. The latest…a diss to Lil' Troy. Check it out here.

Why did Milk Dee do a remix of "I Get Money?" Check that out. Styles P went and flipped it "Stop Skeemin." Ahhhh, I love this hard s**t with the serious-as-cancer beat.

My girl Amy Winehouse is looking to do a clothing line with the likes of Calvin Klein.

Chris Rock beat the paternity rap. Kudos to Mr. Rock.

Jonetta Patton aka Usher's mother was not there to see her son and Tameka wed. SMH.

The Rock The Bells concert date in Houston has been cancelled for reasons unknown.

Toni Braxton allegedly bounced a check for $35,000 to a clothing designer that made some gear for her. She eventually paid 20k and has 15k to go. Stop trying to put Toni on blast, hater!

During the filming of "AYO Technology," rumor has it 50 Cent was actually sleep when some of the hot girls on the set came around to chat it up. He was apparently mad tired.

Chingy has now joined the Def Jam family. I see a difference here. JD's signing the Chingy's and Jay-Z is signing Uncle Murda's. LMAO.

Don't forget to download Trae's mixtape, if you didn't already.

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS

Jermaine Dupri was in Crimson Nightclub in Hollywood recently. He partied with some friends.

Erykah Badu was seen at Miami's Chakra Lounge on Saturday with a huge natural weave.

SIGNS THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

I have a pair of them for you. Here is the first.

According to reports, the Pentagon cannot find or account for 190,000 in weapons it gave Iraqi forces in 2004 and 2005. Here is a break down of the arms that the government has lost: 110,000 AK-47s, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items related to body armor, and other misc. equipment of a military grade. To say that it all might have fallen in the wrong hands is an understatement. Gen. David Petraeus is supposedly the man to blame, as he was in charge of training the Iraqi forces. SMH. And they'll probably wind up in the hood so somebody can kill somebody.

NEWARK, NJ – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Three college kids, slain executioner-style. One survived with a shot to the head. Here is the report, as written by the AP:

"In a city where gun violence has become an all too common part of daily life, these shootings were enough to chill even the most hardened residents: Four young friends shot execution-style in a schoolyard just days before they were to head to college.

Three were killed after being forced to kneel against a wall and then shot in the head at close range Saturday night, police said. A girl was found slumped near some bleachers 30 feet away, a gunshot wound to the head but still alive.

The four Newark residents were to attend Delaware State University this fall. No arrests had been made by Monday and authorities had not identified suspects."

CRAZY! One of the kids was even an ordained minister! People are calling for Major Booker to resign, but I think that's premature. I think this is the kick-in-the-butt the administration needs. He's doing good things…but 60 murders this year alone is serious. Here is the whole thing.

If that wasn't crazy enough, a cop killed a little boy after trying to shoot a snake out of a tree!

Pt 2

NAS' NEW CD? JAY-Z ADDRESSES RUMORS! TRINA IS TERROR SQUAD?

You all know Rock The Bells, the concert series? Well, I heard it was recently in Miami and many fans down there wanted to see Pimp C and Bun B, especially on the heels of all this crazy stuff. Well, they didn't make it for some reason, I have been told. I mean, it's not like Pimp was scared, but it probably was something personal or whatever. Anyway, I heard UGK was especially missed, because David Banner recently dropped off the bill and there weren't really anyDirty South reps down there.

On the positive side, I heard the other acts held it down and Mos Def was able to perform for a longer period of time due to the lack of UGK. Monch rocked with a live band and Immortal Technique ripped it. Nas showed up and dissed 50 Cent again saying, "This is real Hip-Hop and not that 50 Cent bulls**t!" Common rocked and so did Talib. Wu Tang and the others rocked the house and a highlight was Meth crowd surfing as the crowd chanted ODB's lyrics.

NAS IS COMING…

Remember the rumor I was blessed to debunk…that Nas is leaving Def Jam? Well, down in Miami he apparently told the people down there that he was going to be dropping a new CD in December of this year. YEP…ANOTHER ONE. Like I said before, Nas is definitely in the studio recording the next CD. A-HA! Hip-Hop didn't die, it multiplied!

JAY-Z TALKS...

Here is the Jay-Z interview that didn't go down a week or so ago. No bombshells and a lot of giggles. Hovie and Angie crack each other up. The kid, the nude beach, the Def Jam/Columbia rumors and so on...so on...THE ROC!

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3
Click here for Part 4

AYO-JIG-NOLOGY!

Remember how mad you were when you heard that Jay-Z / Timbaland song didn't make the Kingdom Come album? You remember right? There was a youtube video of the song, but nothing ever leaked. Well, from what I have been told, Tim took that beat and sold it to 50 Cent and it now manifests itself in the form of "AYO Technology." I don't know, but it seems plausible.

KIA SHINE IS OFF THE HOOK

From what I understand Kia Shine is a married man and Rocsi and him aren't an item. I heard his wife might kick my a$$, but I didn't make it up! On the other side, I heard Kia managed to turn a booing crowd into fans down there at club "Secrets" in Ocean City Maryland last night. It was an unannounced performance so security broke it up. Here is what Pay Boy had to say about the faithful, God-fearing man Kinfolk Kia Shine:

"What's up illseed this is Payboy and I'm back to clarify a rumor on my kinfolk Kia Shine. He is not dating the beautiful Rocsi from "106 & Park," but I see how you would think that because Kia Shine is happily married to a girl that kind of looks like Rocsi, they have the same complexion and they are the same size."

Shout out to Kia & wife, my bad. I didn't even know he was married!

CURREN$Y IS GETTING ANTSY!

On his myspace page, Curren$y broke down his current situation with Lil' Wayne and has now started a lil' label called Fly Society. Check it out in its unedited glory.

"I know some of yall r wondering what's goin on with my album....why hasn't it dropped yet?? and when is it dropping?? Alot of people have asked these questions and i never made an effort to respond until now.....With regards to my album and its release date I can only ask that everyone be patient and keep riding wit me until i get a positive situation set up for myself and my company FLY SOCIETY no disrespect to anyone but the only way things will be right is if I control my own destiny....I got some red tape to cut through and after that its take off time....Fly Niggaz and pregnant doges respect it Hott Spitta out......"

ILL PIC!

Trina performed live in concert recently at Mansion down in Miami. Well, low and behold, homegirl was wearing a Terror squad chain when she took to the stage. A nice chunky piece of ice too. This pic comes compliments of Ozone Mag and Malik Abdul, the photographer. Trina still has it. She's kind of hot!

Mel B had a baby just four months ago and she's lookin' RIGHT!

Raykim are back together again.

SCARY SPICE VS NORBIT

Mel B (Scary Spice) and Eddie Murphy's ex-wife were recently seen having lunch out in Cali. Norbit is getting set-up something serious.

Meanwhile, he issued the following statement: "Eddie Murphy always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father. Mr. Murphy and Ms. Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of ANY sort. He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms. Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy. Mr. Murphy views this as a private matter and as such, will not be making any further comments about it."

JEFF CHATS WITH RUDY RAY MORE!

My boy Jeff hooked up with Rudy Ray Moore aka Dolemite down in Atlanta. And he told me they talked and talked and talked. Jeff ran down what Mr. Dolemite had to say about a variety of things. There is a rumor that RRM has a movie coming out called "The Dolemite Explosion." Here is the break down…like to hear it, here it goes…straight from Jeff:

-Barack Obama will not become president.

-Hip Hop is suffering because these new artists are NOT paying proper homage to the originators. The first person he gave dap to was Ol' Dirty. He also gives big props to Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, Rakim, The Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Big Daddy Kane, 2 Live Crew, Common, Outkast, Ice-T, Too Short and Busta Rhymes for including and referencing him on many of their records and projects. He said those artists are masters of the game and need to be recognized as the all time greats by this new generation. Hip-Hop wouldn't be where it is if it wasn't for these guys taking it to the next level.

- He said lack of homage is the same reason why comedy is suffering. Said he couldn't understand how Steve Harvey had the balls to have an Original Kings of Comedy tour and not mention Dolemite. He said he is the Original King Of Comedy. He noted that before he started doing stand up comedy, Redd Foxxx and Richard Pryor did clean records. Rudy said was the first to use profanity and afterwards, they used his format. Said there wouldn't be an Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor or any other X-rated comedians if it weren't for him. He gave props to Chris Rock and Eddie Griffin, but didn't care too much for any other folks. Also, he no longer uses the N word in his revue and persuaded Richard Pryor to stop using that word towards the end of his career.

TAY ZONDAY HITS IT BIG!

My boy Tay did it! HE made it to VH1's Best Week Ever. I'm just as proud as a daddy that sees his son get his GED after failing 12^th grade. Check it out!

SPIDER LOC DROPS SOME "SCIENCE"

He talks about "the lie" and his part in that. He also talks about the n-word.

 QUICKIES

Superhead is charging that she has a sex tape of her and Irv Gotti. SMH.

I won the Islamic Intercontinental Lottery! I'm RICH! I'M RICH. I got this email and all I have to do is introduce myself to Mr. Waleed Babiker via email!

Rumor has it Sean Kingston is the same lil' boy that played in Biggies "Sky's The Limit."

Read this story about a dude that 5-0 tried to get to "snitch" on Barry Bonds.

If you did not hear already, Ving Rhames' dogs attacked and killed his assistant the other day. They mauled him at Ving's house.

SHOUT OUT TO JimBo T – what it do? Peace out to Benjamin K! What it is?

TOMORROW, WE LOVE YOU!

They keep us talking, but if we stop talking about them then they should worry!