Hip-Hop Island

The self proclaimed prince of swag is back at it with his second installment of studio magic on iSouljaBoyTellEm (Interscope). For sixty minutes or so, Soulja raps over what seems to be the same beat, talking about, well, mostly nothing. If Soulja planned on presenting the world with something new, he surely missed the mark on this one.

What Soulja does deliver on is a new ridiculous dance for Soulja Nation to learn. “Bird Walk” renders the same one-two step beat as “Marco Polo,” but the new steps have a little more flight to it. Ice-T may see Soulja Boy as the apocalypse of Hip-Hop, but one thing’s for sure, Soulja’s definitely profiting from his swagger as he prophesizes on “Turn My Swag On”, “I gotta question why they hatin’ on me? / I ain’t do nothing to them but count this money”.

From telling the world how great he looks in Gucci on “Gucci Bandana”, to boasting about his copious amounts of ice on “Shoppin’ Spree,” to dishing about his run-ins with the mall police on “Hey You There”, Soulja quickly runs out of topics to rap about. So naturally like any teenager, he turns his attention to chasing after the ladies.

Soulja yearns for those luscious assets on “Booty Got Swag”, as he painfully boasts that “her booty so big I can hang my chain from it.” Hooking up with Jamaica’s own teenage sensation Sean Kingston, the two take on dating on “Yahama Mama,” as they sing about being “Gs” and one night with them “will drive you crazy.”

Overall he takes the “Eazy” way out on by avoiding any sort of musical challenge and sticking with a product he already knows will make him tons of loot. Profit margins aside, Soulja Boy fails here with his limited subject matter and elementary lyrics. Yes he’ll keep the kiddies entertained for a couple of days, but life is not a game.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/12/27/20767659.aspx

Barack Obama may be "that one," but The White Rapper Show's infamous John Brown isn't letting "this other guy" get the upper hand in the presidential election. The VH1 reality alumni's latest single "Sarah Palin (I Wanna Lay Pipe)" takes another token stab at the governor's lack of experience; this time combining her sexual appeal with her unorthodox personality.

John Brown's latest project, titled John Brown Or Die: A Revival You Can Believe In, is touted to give an inside look to the real John Brown. Right here, check Mr. Ghetto Revival’s clear stance in the political realm and how no matter what Nov. 4th's outcome, he isn't leaving the Da 'Burbz.

AllHipHop.com: How do you think the White Rapper Show helped your career?
John Brown: The real reason I got involved with it was because of Ego Trip and to me to have an ability to create strong statements in their art. I really wanted to be a part of that and have the opportunity, you know, it just lead to other opportunities in terms of performing throughout the country and meeting so many different people from all walks of life. It really just gave me a platform, an entrance point, with which to bring the music that I had been making for years. And so working with Ego Trip was definitely an honor and they have a lot of cool other stuff that's doing.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever feel exploited by it?
John Brown: Well, I mean this is America, you know, it's a big exploitation fest. So, just as much as VH1 was exploiting me for advertising money, I was exploiting VH1 for my advertising money. That's why I was running around repping my company, repping my moniker, repping my slogan in the American way.

AllHipHop.com: Lately, from SNL to other online spoof videos, there's been a lot of commentary on Sarah Palin. Why did you decide to take part in that as well with your new single?
John Brown: Well I think that she sort of represents a lot of circus and superficiality associated with politics and I think there's a lot of superficial reasons why she was even given the space and look that she got on the national stage. To me, I just saw a lot of irony between her policies in terms of oil drilling and also to the sexual promiscuity or sort of flirtatious vibe she was trying to give off to voters. And I just wanted to combine the two because I just think that it was very Hip-Hop, you know, something that's very representative of Hip-Hop. And I didn't see anybody else really aiming towards that in this election. So I just really wanted to add a different unique angle and make it a statement.

John Brown "Sarah Palin (I Wanna Lay Pipe)" Video

After much underground hype and very little impact left on the United States, Canadian native Kardinal Offishall has finally broke onto the pop charts with Not 4 Sale (Kon Live/Geffen Records). Kardinal may not be for sale, but he and Akon's production crew spent their money wisely when it came to stacking Not 4 Sale with big name collaborations. Kardinal's Reggae and Dancehall influenced Rap is combined with everything from Motown to R&B giving Not 4 Sale chart topping possibilities.

The already popular "Dangerous" teams Kardinal and Akon up for the perfect recipe to be a club hit. However other collaborations like "Numba 1" featuring Rihanna put Kardinal in the back seat while the current princess of R&B steals the spotlight.

Kardinal steps outside of his comfort zone to show a more conscious side on the J. Davey assisted "Digital Motown" ("The ghetto youths are suffering / They need a fun day / I'm bleeding to see you succeeding one day"). Unfortunately, his moment of seriousness is easily dismissed due to the hyped up, party song production courtesy of Jake One. Fortunately, "Gimme Some" featuring The Dream and "Set It Off" featuring The Clipse bring things back to a more enjoyable pace.

Kardi finally gets the chance to showcase his true Reggae roots on “Due Me A Favour”. Mixing his Dancehall delivery with the soulful voice of Estelle, the track provides a glimpse into man's everyday struggles and Kardinal's holy side: "It's like speeding down the highway with a blindfold on / No hands on the wheel hoping God will lead me my way / And I know He will or so my grandma say”.

Kardinal's got the Reggae flow on lock down for most of the disc, but Akon's notoriety for creating chart toppers is a recipe that doesn't necessarily fit for Kardinal. In the process of making music that will guarantee revenue, Kardinal's talent as a rapper is lost amongst Not 4 Sale’s commercial make up. A few tracks do stand out proving his reign as an underground king was no fluke, but the radio friendly appeal leaves this effort heavily discounted on Kardinal Offishall’s true star power.

Originally published @ http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/09/25/20526693.aspx

Gym Class Heroes took over the stage the Seaport in downtown Manhattan. Supporting LG's Rally For Music, the band rocked into the night as lead singer Travis McCoy had a wave of fans screaming and shouting. Watch the performances below!

Houston isn’t folding anytime soon. Proudly reppin' the South and showcasing their mainstream appeal, Slim Thug and the Boss Hogg Outlawz follow up their 2007 Serve & Collect debut with Back By Blockular Demand (Serve & Collect 2), an album that still preserves the Outlawz street-value style. "We make the rules in the streets," says de facto crew leader Slim Thug. "We do what we wanna do. Twenty fours hours a day." The boss man and his posse of MCs (Killa Kyleon, PJ Tha Rap Hustla, Sir Daily, Chris Ward, J-Dawg, and Young Black) talk about the new record, upcoming solo projects, working for a major label, and why Hip-Hop is hurting.

AllHipHop.com: So, tell us about this new album?

Killa Kyleon: It's our second record showcasing the whole group, and the first actual Serve and Collect which we got a lot of good reviews on it – it was basically for our region; we had done the record for our region. This go around is more to show that we can go beyond our region and make a lot more mainstream records and showcase our talents a little bit more for ourselves concept-wise, lyric-wise, and content.

Boss Hogg Outlawz f/ Ray J “Keep It Playa” Video

Ain't nothing janky about the promoters these young filmmakers are documenting.

The hottest college parties in the country go down in the ATL—right in the heart of Atlanta University Center—and these aren't your normal weekend benders. College students from across the country travel to Atlanta each year to get down and busy, and students as young as 19 are making bank. Twenty-two-year-old Donte Murry and 19-year-old Michael Cooke, directors of the underground “reality movie” Hustle 101, expose the inner workings of college party promotions and competitive culture promotion teams have created in Atlanta. Respect their hustle.

AllHipHop.com: How did you guys come up with the idea for the movie?

Donte Murry: What I thought in the beginning was a unique opportunity to put something on film that's never been captured before. To see 18/19-year-olds making so much money and they're throwing like $3,000 off the stage in a night that just really intrigued me. And I figured that in our culture that would intrigue other people. The deeper I got into it, the more I wanted to know, film more and show people. Originally we wanted it to be a reality show, I was actually talking to some producers at BET and they couldn't really get a visual of what we were saying. So long story short, instead of waiting on somebody, we took matters into our own hands and came up with this film. And we just knew we could get it out there one way or another.

AllHipHop.com: Party promotions happen in cities all across the country. What is your movie, Hustle 101, showing us that we've never seen before or don't know about?

Murry: Well, Atlanta's really unique in the sense that our movie isn't just about party promotions, it's about college party promotions. Really there's nowhere else like it because in Atlanta you've got a little over 100,000 college students. What makes Atlanta really unique is that three or four years ago they raised up entry ages to get into a lot these clubs to the age of 21 and up. So, all these older promoters completely gave up on the college game. So that's why in the past four years, you had college students coming in taking over this huge market and making like $30,000 in a night. I haven't seen anybody coming close to what these kids are making in Atlanta right now. There's a real interesting thing that comes about when you have a 21-year-old wearing a $10,000 chain on his neck and he has 50 people under him that will do anything to wear his shirt and be on his team.

AllHipHop.com: Do you see a parallel between these promotion teams and gang culture?

Michael Cooke: This at its core is a positive. We didn't have to put a spin on it. These pretty much African-American people in this party promoter scene are making money legally, and they're making a lot of it. We in no way associate it with gang culture. We associate it more with the lifestyle of fraternities, how you want to be part of something.

Murry: To answer your question, no. It's kind of a very complex film when you get into it. I would say yes in the sense of the excessive attachment to materialism and being flashy and that drawing people in.

AllHipHop.com: Not necessarily the violence that can go along with gang culture, but the camaraderie that you see – how they would do anything to be part of that team.

Murry: Right. It reminds of me a lot of the music game and the entertainment industry. Seeing how people would do anything because that's the way they want to be and that's what you see with a lot of these party promotion teams. They snatch up these freshmen right when they come in and these freshmen will do anything. Because [imagine] you're coming out to school in Atlanta and you're from South Carolina and you see a guy that's two years older than [you] who throws about $3,000 a night. Who throws out money you can't make in a whole semester, you say, "Man, I wanna be that," so you're gonna do anything it takes to become that. "I'll do whatever, I'll do anything" – the length some of these kids will go to be on some of these teams is just crazy.

AllHipHop.com: These teams are like celebrity entourages, so what do you think it is that attracts these kids to the celebrity?

Cooke: You're in a college and, basically, all these people you have an association with them whether you have class with them or you see them three or four times a day just walking around on the promenade. Now these people know your face like, "Wait, you're the dude that threw that party... wait, you're the guy that's always up on stage…wait, you're the one who had the chain," and all these people start following you and relate that back to celebrity. It's almost like immediate gratification because your fans are right there. They compliment you on a daily basis, they give you props on a daily basis because these are the people you see – it's pretty much like being with your fans 24/7.

Murry: I intern for DJ Drama in Atlanta and I've seen more artists come in and out of that office than the average person, and instead I've seen these students be more groupie-ish with these party promoters than I've seen with some of these artists. It's instant gratification, it's all of those things you see on TV – money, flashy cars, jewelry, but it's right in front of you so you wanna get close to it.

AllHipHop.com: Why do you think these college party promotions are so popular on black college campuses?

Cooke: Well, look at America as a whole, take the way all colleges, not necessarily black colleges, are built in general. Atlanta is … you have Spelman, Morehouse, Clark, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Emory, a little out further you have UGA, you've got Bauder College, you've got all these colleges and they're so close together. The fact of the matter is I've seen white party promoters; I've seen party promoters of other races it's just predominately the way the AUC is made up of mostly African-American and minorities, that's where the party promoters, the majority of them, are coming from.

Murry: I think that another real big distinction [that] it comes down to is [the] swag. To be a good party promoter you're whole business is based off of drawing people to you. That's why people wear jewelry, that's why people throw out money, that's why they all have 40 girls around who will do anything that you ask them to do because it's all about image. I think that's something at black colleges and black people as a whole, I mean, we gravitate already towards people who are like that. I think it's just a natural extension on all collegiate campuses. I think it really just comes down to that whole swag factor, though.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of women, what role do these females usually play on these promotion teams?

Murry: One girl we covered is a girl who just joined a big promotions team in Atlanta called Hit Squad. She was just absolutely smitten, but she just couldn't put it into words for us. We were like, "Why are you joining this team?" And she was like, "Well, you know, they give so much money, and they making so many moves." And we were like, "Are you making money?" And she say, "No, but I will." At the end of the film she quits the teams. And she says something that's so provocative; it was symbolic of a lot things that we were trying to show in the film. She goes, "You know what I'm done with it, but I'm sure they'll find somebody just like me." And she's right, they just found 40 new girls. And once she found out her real role and the purpose that she served, she was gone. It's interesting to see her throughout the film take that descent though.

AllHipHop.com: Beyond the partying part of it, are these promoters doing other things to help their communities and customers?

Murry: We had one team they did something real admirable. They threw one event and took all of the money and sent it AIDS Awareness in Africa. That was Sky High. We get e-mails all the time from people saying that was so admirable. You've got someone in this culture that says they realize that they're reach is so big, "Why am I not going to use it? Instead of throwing $3,000 off stage, why won't I take all this money and send it to people who could really use it."

AllHipHop.com: What are you two working on for the future?

Cooke: I'm a filmmaker and photographer. Currently, I'm working the Raw Report right now that's a DVD Hip-Hop magazine. We're doing a couple of music videos. I do their music videos; I do their photo shoots. I'm just keeping it moving trying to get to the next step. Using Hustle 101 as a platform to launch myself from and both me and D still have projects we're working on together. And D's probably doing something spectacularly amazing right now.

Murry: Our thing is we're ready to take over the game all up on a whole new scale. We figure if we can do this on a $1,000 budget, then projects and movies we have coming out in the future [are] only gonna be up on another level. We've got a lot of ideas that we just want to get out to the public and hopefully, they'll eat it up the same way they did with Hustle 101.


Learn more and purchase Hustle 101 at http://hustle101themovie.com/

Originally published at http://allhiphop.com/stories/industryspotlight/archive/2008/08/21/20434582.aspx

It's been three years since we last heard from Wu-Tang's GZA. This time around he connects with fellow Clan producers True Master, Mathematics and Bronze Nazareth with guest appearances from RZA, Masta Killa and his son Young Justice on Pro Tools (Babygrande).

Not only are some of the elite members of the Wu together on this album, but GZA continues to take shots at 50 Cent and his G-Unit entourage. Petty beef aside, his top notch lyricism is met with solid production making this release his best effort since Liquid Swords.

On the first single "Paper Plates," GZA fires some darts at Curtis, his crew, and their "disposable" music. "I spray the Flea Unit with pesticides, and you can get / Your best ghost writers, get 'em all to testify / Have you ever been stung by a thousand hornets / Five hundred Killa Beez, buzzing and really on it." It's true the Clan does sting, especially when RZA and Masta Killa join up with GZA to show off their trademark flows and prolific lyrics on the Mathematics produced "Pencil."

The razor sharpness of GZA’s sword is ever evident on "Alphabets". "A legend in my own lifetime, from one rhyme / That was specially designed, from the hook to bottom line / Shine's like a precious jewel, cut up in the workshop / With specialized handcrafted tools." GZA's delivery shines on tracks like the Black Milk produced "7 Pounds" and the rock-infused "0% Finance".

You're either with the Wu or you're not; that's a theme GZA sticks to throughout here. But politically heavy songs like "Columbian Ties," although intellectual, fall off track and break the record's pace. But GZA does pick it back up on "Cinema" and "Life Is A Movie"; as they teeter that a thin line between reality and entertainment.

Pro Tools is GZA merging thorough beats and his mastery of lyricism into an album that defines Rap music -- a mixture of musical flavors while the wordsmith supplies the perfect verbiage. GZA and the gang are sick of no-talent MCs throwing their garbage into Hip-Hop, and they're here to prove there is a science to their art.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2008/08/20/20428779.aspx

Mr. October and Mr. Thanksgiving are back at it on the mixtape circuit. Ludacris' latest The Preview: Gangsta Grillz presents some dope DTP gems and that Luda magic he's known so well for. Hooking up with DJ Drama, Luda's preview is full of herb-smoking joints, political angst, and clever jabs at his Hip-Hop peers. The Preview is just a sample of what Luda has coming up this fall, and so far things are sounding pretty sweet.

After a lot of shouting about some upcoming movies and a new album, Ludacris finally gets down to business "Get Up Get Out" featuring DTP's own Block XChange. As Luda's rolling up, he proclaims, "I love it like Jeezy because Hip-Hop needs me / So roll up a blunt and be easy." Luda also shows off his wicked flow on the classic Jazzy Pha beat "Sho'Nuff Revisited."

Ludacris gets serious for a minute on "Politics As Usual," as he throws his political support to Barack Obama and calls on Black people everywhere to get out and vote. "Paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got them terrified / McCain's don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed / Yeah, I said it 'cause Bush is mentally handicapped."

At points, Luda's bragging get a little old -- he smokes the best dope, has the biggest house, and rakes in eight figures… so? As he sums up the history of breakups and shakeups in the celeb world, Luda attempts to make DTP sound like the Roman Empire that stands strong on "Stay Together." At times, even collaborations with DTP affiliates "Smoking Big Kill" featuring Shawnna and "I'm A Dog" featuring Playaz Circle fall short.

Luda's always gravitated towards being the funny man and humor is his forte when it comes to rapping. He playfully rips on tone deaf rappers (T-Pain, G-Unit, Snoop Dogg, and Lil Wayne) on the hysterical "The Vocalizer" skit, and even John Legend's romantic swagger doesn't stand a chance with the remake "Ordinary Negroes." The Preview is a sample of Luda at his finest and his upcoming effort is sure to be tight.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/08/05/20370533.aspx

He's a skinny, white guy from Philadelphia who dropped a one hundred fifty bar freestyle for Jay-Z right on the spot, and now he gives us a full volume of Hip-Hop fun on his mixtape The Greenhouse Effect Vol I (SRC). Roth's quick rhymes and clever wit over party beats is a throwback to the days when Rap was all about dope music.

His charismatic diss lyrics and frat boy sense of humor are similar to an early, less angry Eminem. He raps over everything from Jay-Z and Timbaland to Britney Spears and John Mayer – the Roth boys are about bringing good times back to Hip-Hop.

Asher and his college buddies form the Roth Boys crew and introduce themselves on "Roth Boys" – a remix of Jay-Z's "Roc Boys." "Jay passed over me for Pittsburg Slim / But in the end, I am kickin' it with Steve Rifkind / Enough said, well expect, Hey yo Steve, do you have enough bread? / La Heim, that's more like it, but what do I know I'm just a white kid." Roth's still a college kid at heart with sex anthems like "Morning Do" and "Rub On Your T*tties" that could get any drunk girl grinding with Solo cups in the air.

Dance tracks "Demonic" and "Gimme Your Box" twist up Britney favorites "Break The Ice" and "Gimme More," respectively, as Roth and crew take shots at the pop tart. Roth's Greenhouse Effect is the soundtrack to any kegger, but weak production and overly thoughtful lyrics on "Dey Know Asher" and "Stop Waiting On The World To Change" can be a buzz kill.

Granted every party must come to an end, Roth still gives his best on this mixtape. His ego mania taints every track as his rhymes of greatness border on overkill. But Roth gives you exactly what you would expect from a college loving, party animal living it up with his best friends: party music to drink, and dance to. Roth and his boys may not change Hip-Hop, but they'll sure as hell have fun with it.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/07/14/20290802.aspx

Did anyone call for a motivational speaker because Killer Mike is here to help on his third solo album I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II (Grind Time Official). Killer Mike comes out throwing punches as he goes from dope boy to conscious spitting ghetto gospel. With collaborations with Southern based rappers UGK, Trae, 8Ball & MJG, Yo Gotti and Chamillionaire; Killer Mike promises his new album will be the soundtrack to your success.

Killer Mike doesn't rid of his Tony Montana mentality on his new found conscious movement. On "10 G's," he's getting his the Scarface way and riding off his independent prosperity, while b*tch slapping those who barely work at making it big. "If you're thirty and ain't flipping bricks by now / You wasting time get a job DHL, Fed-Ex, UPS is hiring."

Killer hooks up with Ice Cube on "Pressure," a politically fueled look at the African-American demise in racist America. "Black politicians, stop bullshitt*ng / And you funky preachers with your pulpits / Our King had dreams and big visions / All you give us is government and religion."

As Killer Mike hypes up his righteous vibe throughout the album, tracks like "Woke Up This Morning" and "If I Can't Eat Right" contradict his conscious views, as he chants about loose women and his obsession with making that paper. Unfortunately Mike loses focus at some points on The Grind II, which most will want to skip over; ignoring his "get money, f*** hoes" attitude for better tracks.

There's salvage on "I Gotcha" where he comes back as a solider ready to save Hip-Hop. "Is it the Hip-Hop police here to rob us? / Man, I don't know, but I'll fold their plans." Killer even gets holy on the gospel driven "God In The Building."

Despite Killer's flip-flopping between being socially conscious and a money hungry womanizer, he's probably one of the most captivating rappers out there. There's no front to hide behind when it comes to Killer Mike; he's playing the game like a true business man and telling it like it is on The Grind II.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/07/09/20268673.aspx

With everyone twistin' it up with Tyga, this guy needs no introduction! The 19-year-old California-native, Tyga's taking the charts by storm with his first single "Coconut Juice." But Tyga's not a newbie to the music world: he's cousins with Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travis McCoy and BFFs with rapper Lil Wayne. If that's not enough backing, he's also signed to Pete Wentz's Decaydance label! Peep our interview with the teenage star and find out what the weirdest conversation he's had over AIM. (Trust us, it's a pretty crazy story!)

So why are you the kind of guy that needs no introduction?
Basically, I just felt like everyone knew who I was, but they didn't know who I was. I've been around these people for a long time, and I just felt that if I made my album it would be real good.

How did you get the name Tyga?
When I was younger, my mom used to call me that. She used to say I looked like Tiger Woods when I was younger, and she used to call me "Tiger" all the time, but I switched the spelling to "TYGA" -- Thank You God Always.

Your album is really fun and positive, not the typical rap we've heard lately. Why did you go in this direction?
I'm not gonna say [I'm a] super positive person, but I'm doing me and I'm not trying to do anything else like outside of the box -- go this way and go that way. I just do what I know and that's just being creative and being talented and showing my talent.

Lil Wayne's one of the hottest rappers right now. How is it working with him?
Nah, nah, it's just normal. I got used to it. I know him personally, so it's just real cool -- it's just like working with Trav or working with Fall Out Boy -- everything's just regular now. Before it was kinda weird because you didn't know what they were going to expect 'cause they're on top of the world and successful.

What's it like being on Pete Wentz's label?
It's cool. You get a lot of benefit from it. Like the whole Hollywood life, that whole rock-pop world -- introducing me to all of that is real cool. And then I've got the whole Lil Wayne side, the rap, hip-hop side, you know, I can choose whatever I want to do today. I think they go together for my talent, me as an artist 'cause I'm not either -- I'm not 100 percent on one side; I'm 50-50. I'm in the middle of it, and it's real cool.

What do you think of Pete's rapping skills?
I haven't heard him rap yet. Writing, though, is real good. I'm actually trying to get him to rap right now on the "Coconut Juice" remix -- it'll be big.

You and Travis McCoy are cousins -- what are some of your favorite memories of Travis as a kid?
We didn't really grow up together. We didn't get close 'til a couple of years back. From him growing up all the way over there [in New York] and me all the way over here [in California], we'd see each other every now and then, but it wasn't like, "Oh, he's my favorite cousin" because we didn't know each all that well.

Who's a bigger flirt with the ladies: you or Travis?
I don't know -- we're both kinda calm and just like chillin'. We have our moments.

What kind of advice has Travis given you?
Oh yeah, a lot of advice. Just to always be humble, and whatever you do, no money or a lot of money, keep going hard and keep acting like you don't have all these people around you to help you, you always gotta help yourself.

How has being signed to a label like Decaydance affected the kind of music you make?
No, not at all. I have a studio in my house, so I always make for whatever I feel not just the audience. I make music for everybody. Mainly, the album is for everybody. The mixtapes that I've done those are more hip-hop.

Who is your favorite Decaydance artist?
I'd say Gym Class Heroes because I can relate more to them any of the other bands.

Who's been your favorite person to collaborate with and why?
Lil Wayne. He gives 100 percent effort in everything he does. When we're in the studio, we don't have anything to talk about at first, and we'll invite guests in and have a tattoo artist in the studio. We'll just wil' out and we'll talk about what's going on in the studio: tattoos, money, and stuff that's actually live and going on at that time. So that's why I like working with him because it's not about something that happened a long time ago and talking about it now; he talks about what's going on at that moment.

What's your favorite thing about summer?
I like summer because everyone can hang out. Everyone's outta school and everybody's got a vacation from work. But the one thing I don't like is I like to dress up more, and in the summertime you can't wear anything really other than jeans and t-shirt because it's so hot. The song ["Summertime"] had that West Coast, LA feel to it. It's real smooth and real laid back; that's one of my favorites. I actually wanted to release that as a single, but we didn't know how everyone would relate to it, but I know the West Coast, in general, would love it. It's got that bounce, that laid-back feel.

You have a song called "AIM." What's the craziest conversation you've had on AIM?
I've had some crazy conversations. The conversation with Trav AIMing me and saying, "Yo, I'm about to bring you out on tour. Here's your confirmation number." Like, through AIM. He didn't even send me an e-mail or anything! He just gave me the confirmation number through AIM and was like, "Here's your flight info" and all that. And this was the first time I'd been out on tour. I hadn't been on a plane in years. I'm like, "Wow, this is crazy." I'd say that's probably the craziest conversation -- good crazy.

If Tyga ruled the world, what would it be like?
If Tyga ruled the world, man, old people would not like me. Everybody would be running around here with tattoos. It would be a fun place though; it would be less violent. People could do more of what they want -- it's like when people have to work a lot and when people struggle, that changes to hate, and hate turns into violence. I would cut all the struggling part out, so everybody wouldn't have to hate on the next person.

What do you look for in an ideal girlfriend?
Pretty smile, nice face, something I could look at all the time. And somebody that doesn't talk too much, but doesn't talk too little. And somebody that really understands the situation -- me being an artist and traveling, me gonna have to take pictures with girls, and stuff like that. Somebody that doesn't get jealous at the same time knows that I do this for surviving; this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

What music would people be surprised to know is on your iPod?
Prince. And probably Coldplay -- more rock stuff that people probably don't think I listen to.

What's the first album you ever bought?
I just got into music, like supporting it a couple of years ago. The Eminem album was the first album I bought.

Tyga's debut album, No Introduction, is in stores now!

The nineteen year old Compton native brings a Reggae like flow and a rock star attitude to the game of Hip-Hop on his debut No Introduction (Decaydance Records). But who in the world is Tyga? Relative of Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes and friend of Weezy himself, Tyga’s debut record is filled with mostly good time anthems.

Tyga sounds eerily like Sean Kingston; with better flow of course. That combined with his Pharrell like style and love for meshing musical genres, No Introduction displays his stylized diversity.

On "Don’t Regret It Now," Tyga hooks up with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Tyga's quick lip rhymes combined with Stump's signature soft rock vocals creates an amazing rock-hop sound.

The lead single "Coconut Juice" garners Tyga popularity off a party jam, and tracks like "Summertime" and "AIM," an electronica like song about the typical teenage internet relationship with buddy list drama and MySpace affairs, has Tyga relating directly to his age group.

Tyga is the epitome of a teenage guy who loves girls, flashy swag, and popularity; often leaving little room for solid lyricism. On "Supersize Me," he misses the mark with lines like: "Jet lag Louis Vuitton bag / Under the eyes see they don't recognize me / So are you following me? / ‘Cause I say puff like the marshmallow man." Additionally tracks like “Press 7” and “Woww” which are watered down by weak production, fail to make any lasting impressions.

Where Tyga's career will take him next isn’t clear, but for now he's securing his spot in the teenage realm. No Introduction is a small glimpse into Tyga's world -- he's raps about only what he knows and doesn't try to be anything more than who he is.

Tyga Featuring Travis McCoy

"Coconut Juice"

Last night, we got the chance to see Lloyd perform for all his shawties at the Knitting Factory in New York! He wowed the crowd with songs from his first album, Street Love, and after all the girls were done screaming, Lloyd finished with his new single "Girls All Around The World." We've heard a few tracks from his upcoming album, Lessons In Love, and it's HOT!

Originally published @ http://www.alloy.com/entertainment/dailygossip/7291/1/

Coming off the success of hit single "Sexy Can I," Yung Berg is out to prove he's not just another Top-40 popstar who will just fade away come the next summer anthem. His latest mixtape Yung Boss or Die Vol. 1 teams Berg up with the likes of Lil Wayne, Cap One, Sean Kingston, Twista, Fabolous and, of course, his hit maker buddy Ray J. With a roster like that it's no wonder Yung Berg and DJ Green Lantern put together a surprisingly decent mixtape.

With tight rhymes and heavy beats, Yung Berg reps Chi-town proud and it looks like Lil Wayne is ready to take Berg under his wing and straight to the top. "Getting To That Money" has Wayne and Berg in a spit-off and in the end; they're both winners.

Berg's got what it takes to make it and he's ready to fight off all the critics who criticize Berg just a ladies’ rapper. And he defends his Rap honor hitting gold with "First Time" featuring Fabolous, "I know you see it like J.O.C. / Hundred thou worth of bling no J.O.B / About change to up the game like H.O.V."

Berg's out to be taken serious on this mixtape, but he's also about making some fun beat-heavy music. DJ Green Lantern syncs a perfect beat with Berg's quick-lip rhymes on "Nobody" featuring Casha. He's sitting pretty on top of the world as Berg boasts, "You and your crew / Me and my crew / Got everything you got in the booth times two." He also hooks up with Ray J again, proving if it works once, you're sure to have good results again. On "Exotic Pt. 2" Berg collaborates with Ray J on another R&B sexymphony.

Yung Berg might have played it a little safe with some tracks on Yung Boss Or Die Vol. 1, but he's got some surprising skills on the verbiage side that one wouldn't expect. At the very least, he's got some dope collaborations which adds weight to this newcomer's resume.

Yung Berg Featuring Lil Wayne

"Getting To That Money"

Holy Hip-Hop – it is not just for the deeply religious and positive thinking. Today, rappers from the mainstream are moving away from the secular and reconnecting with a Christian faith that was once just a hush-hush topic in Hip-Hop circles. With a Rap community that is filled with misogyny, drug and alcohol abuse, and endless violence, Hip-Hop's need for a balance has turned many listeners and artists back to their faith in order to reconcile a society's turmoil.

Former Three 6 Mafia member Mr. Del, rapper Shawn Pen (formerly Lil Shawn) and producer Rockwilder are just a few prominent names who have recently revamped their music into Christian Rap. And smaller and up-and-coming artists like 2Five are still fueling the Christian Rap movement with their own brand of in your face preaching.

The integration of Christian values within the realm of Hip-Hop isn't a new concept. Tupac nearly put himself on a pedestal right next to (and even above) Jesus himself as he filled his music with images of himself leading his disciples to a better life. On the cover of his first posthumous record, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, the image of Tupac nailed to a cross pinned him as a Hip-Hop martyr. Though Tupac used his thug image to come off as a gangster to be reckoned with, he always portrayed himself as a "Black Jesus."

"In times of war we need somebody raw, rally the troops/Like a Saint that we can trust to help to carry us through/Black Jesus He's like a Saint that we can trust to help to carry us through," rapped Tupac on The Outlawz’ “Black Jesuz.” Tupac's connection with Christian and Muslim ideas is an obvious part of his upbringing; as a son of the Black Panther, he took his personal struggles to the street and found solace in his faith. His music relayed himself as a warrior of God just trying to make it in this world.

As Tupac took a no holds bar approach to his music, other well-known artists have flirted with ideas of Christianity in their music. MC Hammer took off as a pop star joke in the 90s, but even after the fame of "U Can't Touch This," Hammer's biggest US hit was his Christian-infused song "Pray" (peaking at #2 on the Billboard Charts). Hammer even went on to start a short-lived pastoral career – the truth remains even after being Hip-Hop's punch line, MC Hammer wasn't afraid to out his Christian side ("up" was the only direction for him to go at that point).

Even the dawg himself, DMX has fluttered between his street cred and Christianity to come to new terms musically. In 2006, DMX released the Scott Storch produced "Lord Give Me A Sign," calling out to Jesus as his savior. "In the name of Jesus/Devil I rebuke you for what I go through/For trying to make me do what I used to." While Tupac infused his music with the whole world around him (druggin', bangin', hoochin', and believin'), it begs the question, does a few Christian themed songs make you a real Christian artist? Today, more and more Hip-Hop artists are not only being "saved," but they are also bringing their Christian values to the forefront of the music.


When Memphis-based Three 6 Mafia hit the scene, Hip-Hop was taken by storm with the group's new brand on "crunk" music. With chart-topping albums and nationwide exposure, Mr. Del was getting ready to release his own solo album when his musical career and personal faith took a turn.


"While sitting in service not really paying attention, God spoke to me and said, 'Come out and I want you to do exactly what you're doing now but do it for me,'" Mr. Del says. "My response to God was you have to take care of me and he said, 'Trust me.' So, I have been rolling with God every since."


But bringing faith into his music didn't change Mr. Del's love for Hip-Hop. "I came from Three 6 Mafia, and I was able to bring the same passion and drive to what I'm doing now which makes me different from the norm."

Today, Mr. Del heads up The Holy South Movement – his own musical imprint. Pushing aside the idea of the "Dirty South," Mr. Del started his faith-based record label in attempt to allow artists with a heavy Christian backdrop to shine musically, and to bring the idea of the "Holy" South back into mainstream Hip-Hop. "Hip-Hop currently lacks substance and the Holy Hip-Hop movement can provide that substance through God's anointing," Mr. Del says.


When you lose faith in the streets and everything you knew growing up, where do you turn? For Shawn Pen, rekindling his faith was the next best step for him to grow personally and musically. Shawn Pen went from rapping about his pimp status and gangsta lifestyle on his 1992 album The Voice In The Mirror, to serving a five-year federal prison sentence. With a hit Notorious B.I.G. collaboration, "Dom Perignon," turning his music towards faith was never expected.

"Coming home after a five-year Federal stretch, I lost all faith in the streets after being snitched on by street dudes who I considered close friends," Shawn Pen says. "Also, I personally didn't feel right being a negative influence lyrically to the many kids that listen, love and purchase the music."

But for Shawn Pen it wasn't just a change in ideology that led him back to religion – it had always been a part of him. "When I was in the streets getting money, I always had a foot in the music industry. What they knew of me personally never coincided with the music I made because the two were so night and day."

Christian rap music has in some form or another always been part of the Hip-Hop community (does anyyone remember Sketch and Frankie's choir rap "Are You Down With G.O.D." from Sister Act 2?) – unfortunately, it's been easier for record labels to promote profanity and music with high production value. "The spotlight is put on the only thing we have and that is the glorification of where most of us come from," Shawn Pen says. And that's where Christian rap artists like Shawn Pen take a stand and start rapping about what they know best, and that's God. "The reason why there's a wedge between Gospel rap and secular rap at radio is because one didn't keep up with the other when it came to the production and the rapper's flow causing it to fall short in quality," he says. "All it is, is positive."

Hear it right, Christian Rap is a movement of its own. Some may say its gaining popularity because of listeners' boredom with mainstream rap, but the music does have its own following. It is a different world of artists who are accepting their personal faith and spreading positive values through God. Shawn Pen's not a perfect man with a clean record (and who really is these days?). "The kids in my neighborhood knew me for three things: rap, coke and jail. Now, they still respect me on many different levels because they've seen me ball, fall, leave and return with encouraging words about staying in school, remaining sucker free and doing it legally."


In the same realm, rapper 2Five has been coming up in the industry as a heavyweight Christian artist, but for him, it's not about pushing religious values onto others; instead, he's using Hip-Hop as a platform to spread his message of savior. "Gospel rap tends to cater to the 'already saved' where as I've been called to reach out to the streets, the broken, the lost, etcetera," 2Five says.

So many from the Hip-Hop community, including artists and audience, are stuck in this 'hood mentally where "making it" means reaching a goal by any means necessary. Today's mainstream rap music has cultivated the ideals of the street gangsta, but that's where Christian-themed rap music comes in to foster a new way life. Current Hip-Hop is "in a state of denial," says 2Five. "It lacks substance lyrically, musically. The passion to do it is found in what some folk can get out of you with their nonsense, instead of pouring something good into your life. The wack ones won't admit it 'cause it's working for them right now."

Christianity within any music is viewed as a taboo subject, the only acceptable form being Gospel. Specifically within Hip-Hop, Christian values as a basis for music is seen as a weakness, and a dependence on faith is only for Christians, an opinion 2Five disagrees with. "The contemporary Christian music market and Christians in general keep calling it 'Christian/Gospel Rap,' therefore it means they only want Christians to buy it!" 2Five says. "How dumb is that when we're supposed to reach the lost?"

And while 2Five uses his music to give hope to those lost in negative values of the streets, Christian Rap music is slowly finding acceptance within Hip-Hop. "In the past, HHH has not met nor exceeded standards for quality, talent, creativity, and basic uniqueness," 2Five says.

In 2002, KRS-One's released gospel rap album Spiritual Minded, which failed to break any musical barriers, but a mere two years later, Kanye West took the mainstream by storm with "Jesus Walks" proving that religious ideas within Hip-Hop have a place and production value doesn't have to suffer because of it. Today, that's all changing as we see bigger names entering the Christian Rap realm. Grammy Award winning producer Rockwilder is giving mainstream Hip-Hop a rest and taking his music back to his roots in church as he works with new Christian artists, and even DMX plans on taking another stab with his upcoming gospel rap double album Walk With Me Now and You'll Fly With Me Later.

So even though the future of Christian Rap is unknown, it is fact that this branch of Hip-Hop is not just another form of art. Christian Rap is a movement that has embraced many of the fallen, but will this music save the current state of Hip-Hop from destroying itself? Maybe, but only when Christian Rap is accepted fully and integrated into the community as a norm. "[We need to] start calling it Hip-Hop with a message," 2Five says. "[And start to] embrace and foster positive relationships with our communities instead of pushing religion."

As Christian Rap barrels through the boundaries of mainstream Hip-Hop, more and more artists are using faith to serve a positive message to a community in dire need of saving. It's time for Hip-Hop as a community to stop glorifying violence and materialism, and what better way than using the common ideals of religion for an audience to relate to? For a musical genre branded with a bad rap, Christian Rap may be able to break this negative cycle. Hip-Hop could be on the verge of musical resurrection with a faithful backing.

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2008/04/29/19752948.aspx

And the drama continues within the Dipset camp. As expected, Max Biggavel's departure from The Diplomats and Byrdgang wouldn't be complete without an independent mixtape and a few diss tracks. The rapper / crooner's latest effort Million Dollar Baby 2 (Gain Green), glorifies his newfound independent stature, while giving a super sized middle finger to those who ever stood in his way.

All hatred aside, what exactly is Max B. trying to say to Jim Jones? "Umma Do Me" is whiney at most; Jim Jones is probably laughing at this feeble attempt. Even when the Silver Surfer takes some personal shots towards Jones and even his fiancé, it doesn’t really hold any weight: “You are nothing / With no Max B. / I won’t help you / So don’t ask me/ Where’s my paper / B**** you owe / Chrissy think I’m cute / She wan’t to blow me.”

Life without The Diplomats sure hasn't crushed Max's flashy aspirations. By going through some of the tracks it’s obvious he's still the "Hottest N**** In The Streets" who's still "Poppin' Bottles" for those "Nasty" and "Freaky Gurls." You got to wonder, if life's so good for him, why all the hate?

Max's personal slogan, "Mad at the world because I couldn't get paid" rings loud throughout this project. Well, too bad Million Dollar Baby 2 is full of weak remixes, gunshots left and right, and annoying complaints. Listeners can’t really expect something amazing from a tape that ends with "Freestyle" featuring Styles P. shouting "Kill that f*****/ Kill that f*****" over cocking guns. This might be worth a listen to those diehard Dip fans who want to ride that Max B. wave, but the lack of new tracks doesn't give this mixtape any real replay value.

Download Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/96632064/MBMDB2.rar

Max B.
"Umma Do Me"

Originally published @ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2008/03/04/19386047.aspx

If you were ever wondering where music went, well Nicolay and Kay's concept album Time:Line (Nicolay Music) has been holding it hostage. Together they are the epitome of everything the defines true old school Rap – Nicolay, of Foreign Exchange fame, lays down the rhythm while Houston MC Kay brings that gritty bluesy soul that could break a man. Time:Line is a journey through one man's struggle with life – with every up comes a down and that's a personal story anyone could relate to.

The album kicks off heavy and strong with title track "Time: Line." But "Blizzard" is easily the best track on this album that truly shows off Nicolay's sweeping production. The selection is a solid combination with the soul-screeching James Brown like vocals of Toby Hill and, of course, Kay's straight to the point raps: "I was born in the snow in the age of smack / My parents paid dues, man, they marched for that / In the days of the real President Carter / With gas prices low forty cents on the dollar."

Time:Line mirrors those aforementioned ups and downs with every song on the album. Celebrating life and all its small pleasures on "Tight Eyes;" Madlib's younger brother Oh No makes a guest appearance on this laid back track about the easy life: "Green addiction tight, keep listening / Drink's free before ten, but I'm a ghetto n**** / So, I'm a drink before I get in."

And just as Nicolay's production got you feeling high like nothing can go wrong, Kay kicks some harsh lyrics on the following track "As The Wheel Turns." What this lacks in production value is made up for through its verbiage – "She mesmerized by the three-pointed stars / Bavarian cars parallel to success that she see on the screen / But life ain't a dream / Age twenty three, just got a degree, black and inexperienced."

Unfortunately, the album as whole doesn't live up to the greatness of "Blizzard." "Grand Theft Auto" comes as a close second production wise and "I've Seen Rivers" reflects the same old school values seen in Kay's lyrics. It seeems like Nicolay and Kay attempted to show their worldly side with "Gunshot;" a Bob Marley influenced song that merges steel drums with a rock guitar riff featuring Chip-Fu of the Fu-Schnickens. As a concept album, Time:Line attempts to grow just like its main character from beginning to end; however, the focus is lost on songs like "Through The Wind."

All in all, Time:Line tells one man's story well with a few singles taking the lead role, but as a whole falls short in achieving total greatness. And maybe the album's tragic flaw is just that of any person; nothing's perfect.

Nicolay & Kay
"When You Die"

She is Queen and she’s ready to roar. The days of female empowerment within Hip-Hop may have died off with Latifah, but now there’s a new Queen entering the game and she’s ready to make a change. Queen Yonasda tackles the image of women in Hip-Hop, vows for a balance of power, and in this election year, uses her politics and God to give us a breath of change. And she’s no joke, a daughter of a revolutionary and raised by the notorious Minister Louis Farrakhan, Queen Yonasda’s socially conscious music is everything Hip-Hop has been missing.

AllHipHop.com: How are you, as a female emcee, trying to change the image of women in Hip-Hop right now?

Queen Yonasda: A lot of people feel Hip-Hop is dead, and I feel that Hip-Hop needs a balance. It needs a balance of the portrayal of the woman. A lot of the women that are, especially within our generation, they are either single mothers or they’ve been raised in a single family home. A lot of my female counterparts are coming from New York; I’m from Arizona, so I can’t relate to what Lil Kim and Foxy are talking about because I didn’t grow up in Brooklyn; I didn’t go through that whole drug thing and all that stuff. My position is that I want to bring “Queen” back into our vocabulary, bring “Queen” back into the way that we look at each other. I think that the word “B” is not a word of empowerment to me; it is what it is, a female dog. If you start calling yourself a “Queen” you start looking at yourself as a queen instead of a rough, rugged B. If you look at Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Salt-N-Pepa, the females back then were calling each other Queens. We have such a powerful influence as female MCs, and we have such a major influence amongst this generation because we are the mothers of the nation. We have such a major influence on these younger girls and these boys that are coming up that we raising within our music, and also in the community.

AllHipHop.com: So how do you define “Queen”?

Queen Yonasda: Strength, wisdom, virtuous—that’s what it is, a virtuous woman. And virtuous is defined in the Bible in regards to how she is able to take care of her community. How she is able to take care of her husband, take care of her children, and also take care of her community. And the way that she is able to even at times when she doesn’t have anything—make everything of what she has.

AllHipHop.com: So why Hip-Hop, why did you get involved with Hip-Hop specifically?

Queen Yonasda: Well, my mother she was on the run from the feds and because of the fact that she was a revolutionary – she was in the American Indian movement at the time and also she just stopped working for Muhammad Ali – she was really getting into helping her people out, which is Native American. I’m half Native American and half black. So we were in California and she took me over to Venice Beach and I saw the Rock Steady Crew. And it was like the early 80s when Hip-Hop was at its height. I was in awe of seeing that these kids were using Hip-Hop as an expression of letting go of all the stress and the anger. To me it just seemed like a revolution was beginning. I saw the way that they were fusing that strength into a musical form into B-Boying, and MCing, and DJing, it was really crazy at Venice Beach during that time.

AllHipHop.com: And you’re mother also worked for the Nation of Islam with Minister Farrakhan…

Queen Yonasda: Yes, during the time she was working for Muhammad Ali she was introduced to Minister Farrakhan and she was also introduced into the Nation of Islam. She was working for Minister Farrakhan and assisting him in developing the construction of the Phoenix Palace here in Phoenix, Arizona.

AllHipHop.com: When you were raised by Minister Farrakhan, how did that shape your views and the way you express yourself through your music?

Queen Yonasda: Without the Farrakhan family I really wouldn’t be here. The day when the feds came to the house, I was about 7 or 8 years old. They came to the home to grab my mother, my aunt came to stay with us, and they received a call that the state was on their way to come get us and separate me and my brother. That’s when Minister Farrakhan and his daughter Maria and her husband Olive stepped in and said, “We’re going to go ahead and take them because they shouldn’t get lost in the system.” It’s shaped me [through] discipline. I tell everyone in my music that when you are going through certain things, God is always there. When I moved to Chicago, I learned a lot about Islam, it was not a wake up call, but a culture shock for me. I learned a lot about respect of women, and in Native American church law it’s there, too, but growing up in an Islamic home I’ve learned a lot especially with discipline because you have to pray five times a day and don’t eat this -- the five pillars of Islam.

AllHipHop.com: So with 2008 being an election year, how do you think your political views and socially conscious music is going to be received?

Queen Yonasda: My timing is so perfect because we are in a year of change – spiritually speaking, we are in a year of completion. And with Hillary and Obama, I think that everyone is just yearning for change, they are yearning for something different, they are yearning for the truth. And they’re yearning for justice to finally be done, I think the nation wants our troops to come home. Even if you think of God very little, they are putting a lot of faith into the candidates to please make this change. And music is that change. Because I went through so much in my life from being, I was abused, I was homeless, both my parents were locked up, I lost my mother in 2003, so many things I’ve went through in my life. I haven’t been shot nine times, but I sure do have a story to tell. I’m still here and I’m still happy. And God has lifted me up and God has really been blessing me with the people around me and opportunities. I’m strapping onto this ride -- a change to lift a nation. So, if I could be able to do it through my music, then so be it. I would love to and it would develop into my work.

AllHipHop.com: So, tell me about your album – what are you bringing to Hip-Hop that we haven’t seen before?

Queen Yonasda: You know so many female rappers have children and they don’t even acknowledge them and it’s like “Why!? You have children, you know, talk about that in your music.” I do talk about that in my music. My album is called God, Love and Music and it’s about that. It’s about at the end of the day whatever you believe in whatever you are going through those are the three necessities – the God within you the God we don’t see, Love the love for yourself and the love for Him, and also, Music, because even if you don’t listen to music, it’s the heartbeat of your heart – it has a sound it’s a music and it’s what keeps you alive. So that’s the reason why I call my album God, Love and Music and my album...oh man, I have Cappadonna from Wu-Tang Clan, I’ve known him since November 2004.

AllHipHop.com: How was it to work with Cappadonna?

Queen Yonasda: It was a lot of fun; I learned a lot from Cappadonna. He’s been in the game for 15, 20 years; he just really taught me a lot to the point where some people have asked me, “Does he writes your verses?” I’m like “No, he doesn’t.” We write all the time together and we recorded. As a matter of fact, we have a full album we have done together, it’s not released yet. We don’t know what we’re gonna do with it, it’s called Kings and Queens. I have him on the album, he’s on my first single “You Don’t Want No Problems.” I have Remedy he’s a Wu-Tang affiliate; he’s a Jewish rapper, and he has a song with me it’s a rock version we re-did Queen’s “I Want It All.” Dr. Ben Chavez from the Hip-Hop Summit laid some of his poetic verses on there; Minister Farrakhan introduces me on the album. April Love, she’s a female rap artist from Baltimore, and a lot of people feel female rappers can’t get along. She is vicious on the mic, [we] did a woman’s empowerment anthem called “Come Too Far.” The album is really R&B, rock, conscious Hip-Hop, club, I have salsa on the album, I have reggae. Music has no boundaries; music is such a universal language. You’d be very surprised a lot of people in the Hip-Hop community that really want to make the change, but the labels and things like that are restraining them from making that change.

[Queen Yonasda f/ Cappadonna “You Don’t Want No Problems”]