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Just a small addition to the "Notorious" film soundtrack that I reported previously: Faith Evans will join C.J. Wallace on "One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix)". Technically, this was on a link I shared, but I didn't specifically mention it, so I wanted to be sure to do so. Faith will be featured on 3 tracks on the album in all, including "Letter to B.I.G." and "One More Chance/Stay With Me Remix".
Jordan McCoy is now on Twitter. You can find her at http://twitter.com/jordanmccoy.
In a MySpace blog entry, D. Woods (formerly of Danity Kane) has squashed any thoughts of her appearing on the upcoming season of Making the Band or in the next iteration of Danity Kane.
"You won't see me on whatever the next installment of MTB will end up being or apart of what DK will become," she said.
Elephant Man's "Alli Luya" can be heard in our audio player.
Elephant Man is featured on a new song from reggae artist Serani. It's called "Rising".
This is the cover for Jordan McCoy's EP album, due out on January 13. McCoy fans may notice that "Just Watch Me" is no where on this cover. This seems to indicate that the EP will be self-titled, but that is not something that is confirmed.
At any rate, now that it is only two weeks away from release, I wanted to repost the credits for the songs that we shared all the way back in June of 2006.
1. Next Ex Boyfriend
Produced by Bobby Huff. Music and lyrics by Bobby Huff (Coburn Music, Inc./BMI), Olivia Nervo and Miriam Nervo (Sony ATV Music/PRS). Recorded at Little City Studio and Emerald Studios, Nashville and The Royal Park, London. Background vocals by Liv Nervo and Mim Nervo. Programming by Bobby Huff. Guitars by Dale Oliver. Mixed by John Painter at I.H.OF. Studio.
2. I Decide
Executive produced by Diane Warren. Produced by Peter Stengaard for Studio D Productions. Words and Music by Diane Warren (Realsongs/ASCAP). Guitars, Bass, Keys and Programming by Peter Stengaard. Recorded at Realsongs, Studio W, Hollywood, California. Mixed by Manny Marroquin, Larrabee Studios, CA. Mastered at Bernie Grindman, Hollywood, CA by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner.
3. Just Watch Me
Produced and arranged by Matthew Gerrard. Written by Matthew Gerrard (ASCAP) and Steve Diamond (ASCAP). Mixed by Manny Marroquin, Larrabee Studios, CA. Published by Seven Peaks Music O/B/O Itself and Sixteenth Street Songs (ASCAP), NEW DIAMONDS (ASCAP) admin. by Sony Music Publishing (Sony ATV Music). Background vocals by Keely Pressly. Musicians: Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Programming by Matthew Gerrard. Drums by Randy Cooke. Mastered at Bernie Grindman, Hollywood, CA by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner.
4. I Get Weak
Produced, recorded and performed by Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack. Words and Music by Diane Warren (Realsongs/ASCAP). Recorded at the SoHo Dungeon, NYC. Mixed by Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack at the SoHO Dungeon, NYC. Mastered at Bernie Grindman, Hollywood, CA by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner.
5. Rock N Roll
Produced, recorded and performed by Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack. Written by Kyle Kelso, Alan Schaefer and Mike Shimshack. Recorded at the SoHo Dungeon, NYC. Published by Wild Pink Music (ASCAP), Bok Music (BMI). Mixed by Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack at the SoHO Dungeon, NYC. Mastered at Bernie Grindman, Hollywood, CA by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner.
Update (12/31/08): Added mastering credit.
As Theo mentioned, Mister Cee premiered Jadakiss' contribution to the "Notorious" soundtrack, "Letter to B.I.G.", on HOT 97 recently. But, he chopped up and spoke over the version he aired, so I wanted to wait until the full version had been released. And it has. You can listen to it now in our audio player. If he hadn't done and said all of those crazy things during The Lox's disputes with Bad Boy, I'd be a big time Jadakiss fan. Definitely digging this track. Well done by Jada.
Back in August, I reported on the controversy between Elephant Man and Jamaican dancer Ice, who had claimed that he had not been properly compensated for creating the "Gully Creepa" dance that he had worked to create. The criticism was specifically aimed at Ele, who he said had shortchanged him.
Sadly, Ice was shot early on Friday morning, according to The Jamaica Observer. They have reaction from Ele.
"Right now I hardly can find words to express how I feel," said ... Elephant Man.
"To see that the dancer was just enjoying his life and to see this happening to him is very tragic and the whole entertainment fraternity - the entertainers and the dancers - are all mourning," said Elephant Man, who helped popularise the Gully Creeper with a recording.
Desi Hits has an interview with Gorilla Zoe.
DH!: What producers have you worked with for 'Don't Feed The Animals'?
Gorilla Zoe: You know, I've been working with everybody who's anybody. I do most of my work with Drumma Boy. I also do some producing. I've been producing for awhile.
Janelle Monae will be performing in Miami Beach on New Year's Eve. She'll be at Delano. You can RSVP at Giant Step.
Via the Miami New Times.
Recently, Billboard released their 2008 year end charts. These are the top artists, albums and songs of 2008, based on their chart rankings during that calendar year. You can find the Bad Boy positions below. Danity Kane was the clear juggernaut for Bad Boy in '09, but Day26, Elephant Man and the label as a whole received mentions, too. I thought it was interesting that Bad Boy had the top 2 Top R&B/hip-hop groups, as well.
Top Billboard 200 Artists
68. Danity Kane (1 Charting Title).
Top Billboard 200 Albums
75. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane.
119. "Day26" by Day26.
Top Comprehensive Artists
73. Danity Kane (1 Charting Title).
Top Comprehensive Albums
82. "Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane.
130. "Day26" by Day26.
Hot 100 Artists
46. Danity Kane (1 Charting Title).
»
Read More
Cassie's latest, "Summer Charm", can be heard in our audio player.
You can listen to "Ridah" by Yung Joc featuring Monica in our audio player. It's possible that this is the guest appearance that Block talked about when he was discussing album guests that would appear on Joc's last album, "Hustlenomics".
Our audio player features new music from Elephant Man. Check out "Sweep Da Floor (Pop Champagne Refix)", "Nah Beg Dem Nutten" and "Nuh Beg".
Yung Joc is featured on a new song from Atlanta R&B group Nephu. It's called "Dance for Me," produced by Bad Boy writer Adonis. Listen at DJBooth.net
Mims has released a new track called "Bread N Butter" that features a Biggie sample. Biggie's line, "for the bread and butter, I leave n***** in the gutter" from "Gimme the Loot" is used as the track's chorus.
Diddy has premiered a Ciroc "Home Movie" on YouTube. It's a long version of the Frank Sinatra themed commercial, released in October.
The video below features Diddy talking more about the offer that he and Ciroc made to the town of New York, earlier this week, where he said that they would give $1 million dollars, if the color of the ball dropped in Times Square was changed to blue.
Lydia Martin at The Miami Herald reports that Diddy is hosting a party at Miami's LIV nightclub in Miami on New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, though, it is now sold out.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Lost" continues to move up the charts. Could it break into the Hot 100 next week?
Albums
Top Reggae Albums
10. "Let's Get Physical" by Elephant Man (re-entry).
Songs
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
4. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 9).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
35. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).
61. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (up from 62)
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
35. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).
61. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (up from 62).
Hot Rap Tracks
11. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 13).
21. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (unchanged)
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
24. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).
Rhythmic Top 40
32. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 36).
Biggie's MySpace blog highlights a promotion on Fandango, where you can get a free limited edition t-shirt and iPhone skin when purchasing advance tickets for the film. At checkout, you should enter the promo code BIG. However, at the time of writing, it doesn't seem possible to order tickets. So, you may need to hold on for this one.
Gorilla Zoe's MySpace links to video clips from interviews that Zoe did with radio stations K104 FM in Dallas and Party 93.3 in Houston.
K104 FM
Party 93.3
MTV News spoke with Diddy and David Caruso on the set of "CSI: Miami," where they were filming a scene between the two. Check out the video below. The episodes with Diddy are set to air on February 9 and 16.
From the press release:
DIDDY AND CÎROC VODKA RING IN THE “BLUE YEAR” WITH MILLION DOLLAR OFFER TO NEW YORK
“Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve” Wants to Take Over Times Square on December 31
NEW YORK, NY – December XX, 2008 – CÎROC Ultra Premium Vodka, the Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve, and Sean “Diddy” Combs have made an unprecedented offer to the City of New York: the brand and the hip-hop mogul plan to donate $1 million to a charity on behalf of the city in exchange for a New Year’s Eve ball takeover.
The brand has already secured an enormous presence in Times Square this holiday season with its impressive billboards, but in true Diddy fashion, the plan doesn’t stop there. The vodka brand wants to change the historic crystal ball to reflect its iconic blue sphere. The color of the sphere originates from a unique plant that grows in the Galliac region of France, where CÎROC is still produced, and serves as a symbol of prosperity for the area even today.
“As the ‘Official Vodka of New Year’s Eve,’ it’s only fitting that we take over New York, the most iconic New Year’s city in the world,” said Combs, who entered into a strategic marketing alliance with the ultra-premium spirit more than one year ago. “I’m going to give every adult in America a taste of what it’s like to enjoy a sophisticated celebration with Diddy, and what better time than while ringing in the New Year.”
Consumers should also stay tuned for a soon-to-be-announced campaign this holiday season that will focus on one of the most important aspects of sophisticated celebration—responsibility.
Aasim's MySpace has a number of new tracks, including "Be Right There" featuring Donnie Klang, "So Shwanky", "Blackbirds", "Proceed", "Beast" and "I'm Leavin'" featuring Wize G.
Updating a previous story, MTV News spoke to Diddy on the set of "CSI: Miami" and, though Diddy didn't say that he was interested in having a film made about his life, he did say that if it happened, he would like Derek Luke to play him, as he did in "Notorious".
From the Singersroom interview with producer Bryan-Michael Cox
Singersroom: Cool, you were behind a good portion of Day 26's debut album, are you looking forward to working on their sophomore project?
Bryan Michael Cox: Without a shadow of a doubt. Me and Puff are talking about what the game plan is for the album. I was instrumental in picking the guys so I kind of feel like they’re my group too. I’m looking forward to coaching their sound; their new sound.
AOL's Black Voices blog has a style-centric interview with Danity Kane's Dawn Richard.
From Reuters:
Warner Music Group ordered YouTube on Saturday to remove all music videos by its artists from the popular online video-sharing site after contract negotiations broke down.
The order could affect hundreds of thousands of videos clips, as it covers Warner Music's recorded artists as well as the rights for songs published by its Warner/Chappell unit, which includes many artists not signed to Warner Music record labels.
It's unclear how this might affect the Bad Boy channel, Diddy channel and other official artist channels. I would guess that it would have no effect, but we'll have to see. I've reached out for comment.
Via Sixshot.
I know what you're thinking: where's Lil' Wayne? It's possible that he's not in the video. I've reached out for confirmation.
Update: "I don't think so," was the answer given. So, it looks like he isn't going to be doing a video with Zoe.
According to his MySpace, Diddy is now on Twitter, the popular microblogging platform. While you are over there, don't forget to follow Bad Boy Blog and, if you'd like, me.
MTV News' Shaheem Reid interview Derek Luke, who plays Diddy in "Notorious." He said that Diddy needs his own biopic and if Diddy wanted him, he'd love to be a part of it. Watch below.
One day, I would love to see a Diddy movie and an autobiography. The man has gone through so much and done so much, it'd be amazing to hear his story, through his eyes.
People has a picture of Diddy on the set of his appearance on "CSI: Miami". He talked to them about the role and landing it. The name of his character is Derek Powell.
He's thrilled to be on one of "the biggest shows in the world," Combs says. "The CSI: Miami team is like the Yankees. Me coming on the set, I'm like a Little League player with the Yankees. [David Caruso], he's like Obi-Wan Kenobi or something! He taught me so much and let me ask questions and protected me. He's like the coach of the team."
E! Online talked with Diddy about acting and his pursuit of various roles. He says that he has just signed on to do a comedy, but can't give any more details than that. Watch below.
Via TheCelebrityCafe.com.
Dawn Richard's MySpace has a few new tracks from her. They are called "One More Drink", "Mistaken Identity" and "A Sure Thing".
Despite recent reports, any plans for a Zac Posen secondary line are on hold, due to the current economic conditions. This, according to Women's Wear Daily, who quotes a company spokeswoman.
Via Cityfile.
You can expect consistent press clippings about "Notorious" now that it is nearing it's theatrical release. Voletta Wallace spoke briefly with Newsday on the new film.
"To be honest with you, I saw a monster last night [in the film]," Wallace says. "Do I love the monster? No. But I love my son. Love you don't change. My love is still here for my son. But his behavior? Thank God he's not here because I would slap the daylights out of him."
SOHH.com has a short interview with Bob Teitel, who is a producer on "Notorious."
"For George [Tillman] and I, we made our first film in Chicago," he explained. "And we drove to L.A. with $600 between us and one CD, and that was Notorious B.I.G., Ready To Die."
Rolling Stone has a feature on "Notorious," which includes quotes from various members of the cast and crew.
"I'm like the 2009 Jennifer Hudson," rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard says, laughing at his improbable turn as hip-hop titan Biggie Smalls in Notorious, due in theaters January 16th.
Undercover.com.au reports that a "rare" Biggie poster will be shown at Rock Prints, an exhibition dedicated to showing "a collection of rare and limited edition posters".
It'll be at 374 Gallery, located at 374 High Street in Northcote. It is free to get in and it will run from 6 PM to 10 PM on Friday and 11:00 AM to 7 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
Not a huge news story or anything, but I figured that Biggie fans would find it interesting. According to Warner Music Australia, the remix of "One More Chance" that will feature Biggie's son, Christopher "C.J." Wallace, is set to be titled "One More Chance/The Legacy Remix".
Via GIGWISE.
Women's Wear Daily solicited design sketches from a large selection of clothing designers, essentially asking them what Barack Obama would wear in inauguration night, if dressed by them.
One of the participants is Sean John and you can see their submissions here, here and here. You can also vote on your favorites.
Via Elizabeth Snead.
MTV.ca polled a number of artists, asking them what their favorite albums and songs of 2008 were. One of the people they asked, Patrick Stump of the band Fall Out Boy, named Janelle Monae's album.
» Janelle Monae, Metropolis: The Chase Suite: "I've been a supporter of Janelle Monae's for a while. I first heard her on that Got Purp? compilation that Big Boi put out. Thus far she's been relegated to a sort of side-guest position, but she's finally come into her own with one of the riskiest, ballsiest R&B records I've ever heard. She's like if Prince and Andre 3000 were one woman."
HipHopDX interviewed Lil' Cease about his fitness DVD and current ventures, as well as the "Notorious" movie and his feelings on it.
But how did 18-year-old Marc John Jefferies (who coincidentally also portrayed a young 50 Cent in Get Rich or Die Tryin') perform in his portrayal of a teenage Lil Cease?
“Oh, he did wonderful!” Cease gushed when asked. “I sat on the set everyday with him. I rehearsed with him. We talked about things. We kicked it, on and off camera. I mean, he’s a full-blown actor. He been doing that since he was 3-years-old. He’s a professional when it come to that. And the only thing I had to do was just be around him, just give him a feel to [who] I was then. And he pulled it together. He did a good job, I can’t complain at all.”
Richard Johnson of The Jamaica Observer writes about a charity concert in Jamaica on January 3, led by reggae singer Shaggy. Elephant Man is scheduled to perform.
Emily Campbell of The Examiner has a feature on Bad Boy writer Makeba Riddick, focusing primarily on her recent charitable endeavors.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Brooklyn Go Hard" pulls back a bit, but "Lost" continues it's steady growth, including gains across the board and a debut on a new chart.
Songs
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
9. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 16).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
35. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 36).
62. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (unchanged)
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
35. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 36).
62. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (down from 61).
Hot Rap Tracks
13. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 16).
21. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (down from 18)
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
24. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 25).
Rhythmic Top 40
36. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (debut).
Elephant Man's latest, "Dance" is now in our audio player.
MTV's Daniela Capistrano has a feature on Afro-Punk and it features Janelle Monae.
"I felt it was my duty as an artist and as a young African-American woman to support Afro-Punk," Monáe told us at the Afro-Punk Festival last summer.
"I think it's very important to let people know that we're not all the same. Diversity needs to be promoted more ... I love being in that environment, and that is something I am trying to promote."
Via the Wondaland Arts Society blog.
Updating last night's story, the label has issued an updated track listing with an additional song, plus a new release date. The release date is now January 13, 2009.
Here is the updated track list:
1. "Next Ex Boyfriend (Album Version)"
2. "I Decide (Album Version)"
3. "Just Watch Me (Album Version)"
4. "I Get Weak (Album Version)"
5. "Rock N Roll Girl (Album Version)"
The addition is "I Decide," written by Diane Warren.
Ben McGrath of The New Yorker has a "Notorious" themed interview with Jamal Woolard (also known as Gravy), who plays Biggie in the film.
AllHipHop.com reports that Gorilla Zoe has been added to Lil' Wayne's "I Am Music" tour. Check out the dates on MTV.com.
They also note that the video for "Lost" is premiering on tonight's episode of BET's "The Deal", airing at 2 AM ET. Yes, 2 AM.
Thanks to BBB reader Bryant for the tip.
Diddy has launched a competition in promotion of "I Am King" where three men will be selected for an all expenses paid trip to New York City, including airfare, accommodations, transportation, dinner, a $500 shopping spree at the Sean John store, a tour of the Bad Boy offices and, of course, some "I Am King". For details on how to enter, check out this video:
You can enter at the new "I Am King" website. It's a cool site, if light on content. It has some downloadable wallpapers and AIM icons, for those interested.
The competition ends January 25.
Here's a free, legal download of "Spit It For Remix (Remix)" by Sic Osyrus featuring Ness, Reed Dollaz and 2ew Gunn Ciz. It was produced by Raf Moses and Drawzilla and includes a sampled Beanie Sigel.
Yesterday, Diddy made an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to promote "I Am King".
During the interview portion of the show, Ellen asked him how many TV shows he was responsible for and he named the usual suspects. But, he also named a new one, called "Daddy's Girls". You can consider it a spin-off of "Run's House," as the show is about Rev. Run's daughters, Vanessa and Angela Simmons. Specifically:
... Daddy's Girls follows Vanessa and Angela as they officially leave the comforts of the family home in New Jersey to run their own business and live full-time in Los Angeles. Will they be able to keep in mind the invaluable moral lessons their father has instilled in them as they navigate the fast lane?
Here's the trailer:
Gorilla Zoe has put his own spin on Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like". Check them out below.
Last night, I wrote about the upcoming release of an EP from Jordan McCoy titled "Just Watch Me." The EP is slated for a February 2009 release. Here's the track listing for the EP, care of Debbie Hammond, who runs McCoy's co-label, ClockWork Entertainment.
1. "Just Watch Me"
2. "Next Ex Boyfriend"
3. "I Get Weak"
4. "Rock N Roll"
I reported at the end of November, that Dream had added two new members, Danielle Keaton and Lindsay Taylor, bringing the group to four, including Jordan McCoy and Hunter Pecunia.
The lineup is not complete, yet, though. They are actively looking for a fifth member, an R&B vocalist. This is according to Debbie Hammond, CEO of ClockWork Entertainment, one of the people behind the original Dream and the person who is putting together the new group. If you'd like to audition, you can do so online.
Our audio player has a new track from Day26, titled "Stadium Music (Flashing Lights)".
The video below, released on Jordan McCoy's YouTube channel says that a "Just Watch Me" EP is due out soon. It's toward the end.
The video description says that the song "Rock N Roll," presumably on this EP, is due out in February 2009. I'm trying to find out more.
Apparently, the song was featured in the Polly Pocket "Pollyworld" movie, released back in 2006.
Day26's "Favorite Girl" is now in our audio player. This is another old track.
Our audio player features "She Can't Love You" by Danity Kane. This is an old track recorded before the group lineup was shuffled. It is produced by 7. Cool track.
Our audio player has a new track from Elephant Man, "Big Bad and Bold."
Back in August, we published an interview with Day26, where we covered a myriad of topics, including Making the Band, Laurie Ann Gibson, the group's album and more.
Here is the second part (of two) of the raw audio taken from the interview, which was conducted over the phone. It's a great, funny interview. So, if you are a Day26 fan, definitely check it out. You can read the text version in full now.
Here's part 1, as well:
AOL's Black Voices blog has a nice interview with Diddy (including video), covering the "I Am King" fragrance.
The fragrance is dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Barack Obama, three men who Diddy says embody the spirit of his cologne. And he has already picked out the "queens" to whom he'll dedicate his upcoming women's fragrance, 'I Am Queen.'
The winners of The Online Hip-Hop Awards 2008 have been announced and Bad Boy acts and/or related websites took home a number of honors. Here they are:
"Album of the Year (R&B)"
"Welcome to the Dollhouse" by Danity Kane
"Digital Download of the Year (R&B)"
"Got Me Going" by Day26
"Off the Hook (R&B)"
"Damaged" by Danity Kane
"Vlog of the Year"
Dawn Richard Online
"LMAO Award"
Diddy
Via Cyrus Langhorne.
YouTube channel gglilburn features five Gorilla Zoe themed videos, having to do mostly with his weight loss efforts. In a pair of the videos, he references the video shoot for "Lost," which happened on December 1 and 2.
Check out the most recent video below, featuring a funny exchange between Zoe and Block.
SOHH.com's Gyant shares this clip from last year of Diddy at a charity auction hosted by Frank Ski of radio station V103 in Atlanta. It's pretty funny.
According to Gorilla Zoe's MySpace, he has a new mixtape out with DJ Holiday called "Feeding Time." There is a download link on his blog, but it is not working at the moment. Here is the cover of the mixtape:
Here is the track listing, as reported by SOHH.com's Gyant:
1. "Block Intro"
2. "Feeding Time"
3. "Hood Rich"
4. "Zoe Talk"
5. "Too Much"
6. "Broom" featuring Gucci Mane and DJ Holiday
7. "Day In" featuring Rick Ross
8. "Freestyle"
9. "Zoe Talk"
10. "Oh No!"
11. "Freestyle" featuring Jody Breeze
12. "Freestyle" featuring Jody Breeze
13. "Roolin On A Bean" featuring Yung Chris and Hustle Boy
14. "Free Falling"
15. "Zoe Talk"
16. "Freestyle"
17. "Run It Back"
18. "Made Me A Gangsta"
19. "Lost" featuring Lil' Wayne
20. "Make Me Laugh"
TropicalFete.com reports that VP Records will be releasing an Elephant Man greatest hits set on February 17, 2009. It'll be a CD and DVD set and will feature his "most crucial hits" from the VP Records and Greensleeves catalogs. The track mentioned in the article include:
"Jook Gal Remix" featuring Twista, Youngbloodz and Kiprich
"Signal di Plane"
"Pon di River"
"Pon di Bank"
"Gully Creepa"
"Nuh Linga"
"Nuh Linga (Sweep Version)"
"Elephant Message
"Bun Bad Mind"
The DVD is titled "Living La Vida Ele" and features a profile of Elephant Man, live performances and music videos.
You can listen to "Real Hard" by Yung Joc on the rapper's MySpace.
BlackBook's Foster Kamer shares reports from Ben Barna from the "Notorious" press junket, which featured a bus led tour of Brooklyn, led by Wayne Barrow, Biggie's former manager, and Voletta Wallace, Biggie's mom.
Billboard reports that Yung Joc and Gorilla Zoe will be featured guests on Paul Wall's upcoming album, "Fast Life." It is slated for early 2009.
Zap2it's Liz Pardue writes about Wednesday's episode of "Stylista", which is a fashion based reality one. One of the tasks was to find a replacement model for a Zac Posen shoot.
Gorilla Zoe is blogging for Global Grind. His first entry is aimed at helping people to make good food choices. This follows his weight loss program, where he is working to lose weight in anticipation of his upcoming album, "Don't Feed the Animals."
According to Sandy Tomcho of the Times-Herald Record, Donnie Klang will be performing at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY on December 15. It's located at 6 Crannell Street. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased from their website or by calling (845) 471-1966.
With the holiday season upon us, it may be a little quiet around here toward the end of this month, but I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy holiday and a happy, healthy and successful 2009!
Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, linked and contributed to Bad Boy Blog in 2008. I appreciate all of the support!
Thank you for visiting Bad Boy Blog.
Diddy will be appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Monday, December 15. He'll be promotion "I Am King" and his appearances on Ellen are always fun, if you've seen him on there before. Check your local listings for the show start time.
Diddy shared some of his thoughts on "Notorious" with MTV. In the clip below, he discusses the Biggie and son collaboration for the film's soundtrack. He also vouches for the film's accuracy, saying that it accurately portrayed his life.
"At the end of the movie, it messed me up," Bad Boy's CEO said. "I was messed up for two weeks. It made you miss him in the right way. It made you count your blessings. It's definitely a tear-jerker. It's definitely a movie you're gonna be dancing in, crying in, you're gonna love it. You're gonna wanna see it again."
This is a great video discussing some of the performance footage in the upcoming "Notorious" film. Check out Diddy in the middle of the clip, as well as D-Dot, DJ Enuff, Wayne Barrow and others.
The Miami Herald has an interview with Diddy.
The ads around town picture Combs in a suave white tuxedo a la Agent 007. Daniel Craig, watch out. Combs cut an audition tape in the South of France last month to win over the Bond folks. Helicopter rental and Bond girls included.
''I'd love to be the first black Bond,'' he says, chuckling. ``There are certain roles you aspire to play. I think they ought to start looking into affirmative action and equal opportunity over there [in Hollywood].'
Access Hollywood reports that Diddy will be attending Barack Obama's Presidental Inauguration.
“If I don’t have the best seat in the house, I’ll be alright,” he joked with Shaun after being told he had tickets to the inauguration. “As long as I am there and around the people and able to witness my fellow Americans… I’ll be cool.”
The nominees for the Golden Globes were announced today and "A Raisin in the Sun" earned a nomination. "I really did not think it could get any better," Diddy said upon learning of the nomination. "First, an Emmy nomination and now a Golden Globe -- this is an incredible honor. A dream come true."
Here's the category:
21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. A RAISIN IN THE SUN (ABC)
Sony Pictures Television, Storyline Entertainment, and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment
b. BERNARD AND DORIS (HBO
Trigger Street Independent Productions in association with Little Bird and Chicago Films and HBO Films
c. CRANFORD (PBS)
A Co-Production of BBC and WGBH Boston.
d. JOHN ADAMS (HBO)
Playtone in association with HBO Films
e. RECOUNT (HBO)
Spring Creek/Mirage Productions in association with Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures and HBO Films
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Lost" and "Brooklyn Go Hard" continue to gain.
Songs
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
16. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 22).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
36. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 37).
62. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z ("Hot Shot Debut")
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
36. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 37).
61. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (debut).
Hot Rap Tracks
16. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 18).
18. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (debut, "Greatest Gainer")
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
25. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 26).
Previously release and then taken down, the third video in the "Cassie's Questions & Answers" series has been posted again.
Check out this great, funny clip from the "Arab Money (Remix)" video shoot, featuring Diddy. Note the part where Busta brings Diddy a bottle of Ciroc. Classic. At the end, Diddy comments on how Akon and T-Pain were holding out on sending over their verses until they heard Busta's and Diddy's.
Via Theo.
Here's the cover for Day26's Christmas single, "This Christmas." You can listen to it with Real Player (.ram) or Windows Media Player (.wax).
Our audio player has a new song from Gorilla Zoe featuring Rick Ross. It's called "What It Is." I think it has potential, it's fairly catchy.
Check out Elephant Man's latest, "We Nah Friend Dem," in our audio player.
Here is some Biggie live footage released posted on the official The Notorious B.I.G. imeem. They are live music videos, of sorts, for "One More Chance" and "Juicy" with live performance clips pieced together.
Danity Kane for Dollhouse jeans are now available for purchase on the Dollhouse.com website.
According to a bulletin from the MySpace page of Day26's Willie, Day26 and Donnie Klang will be performing at Fall Jam '08 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York on December 13. They will be joined by Slim from 112.
You can buy tickets from Ticketmaster.
A flier on Ness' MySpace announces that he will be performing at TLA (Theater of the Living Arts) in Philadelphia, PA on December 11. The tickets must be redeemed at local Villa stores. The show is from 6 PM to 9 PM.
Check out "No Fool" by Elephant Man in our audio player.
Interview Magazine has an interview of Christopher "C.J." Wallace, Jr., Biggie's son, conducted by Voletta Wallace, Biggie's mom.
VW: I saw a YouTube piece where you and your friend Josh were rapping. You think you're gonna want to do that yourself in the future?
CW: Probably. But first I want to go to college. And I want to graduate and study film.
They also have an interview with Anthony Mackie, who plays 2Pac in "Notorious."
Dawn Richard of Danity Kane talks briefly, in the video below, about a track she is working on called "Living With the Enemy."
Check out a pair of new Elephant Man tracks in our audio player, titled "TLC" and "We Duh Know Dem."
This is a tad mysterious and I don't know anything about it, so I can't really provide any details. The legitimacy is questionable, at this stage, because of the requirements alone. Consider what footage was requested, for those that wish to participate:
1 hour of singing.
1 hour of personality.
2 and 1/2 hours of dancing.
2 and 1/2 hours of dancing for a rock band? That's a little strange. Que is very sketchy in this video, details wise, and that could be deliberate. He's trying to put together a rock band, he says. Whether or not it's a band he will be in, is unclear. It's speculation on my part, but could this be someway tied to Making the Rock Band? The show was announced in May of this year as a new reality TV venture, produced by Diddy, that would seek to put together a rock band. I'll see what I can find out.
The Jamaica Gleaner spoke with Elephant Man, asking him what it would mean to him to win a Grammy.
"It would mean a lot 'cause if you ask anyone mi always a bring the energy, a jump and entertain di people," he said. "It would be di biggest achievement. Music carry me overseas and let me see di world; to have a Grammy unda my belt would be the best. No one can seh mi don't deserve it, 'cause even when mi tek weh miself or mi deh bout mi always have good music."
Mary Beth of INF Daily has a video interview with Diddy on "I Am King," it's creation and the story about the name.
Via Liz Kelly.
From The Miami Herald:
11 p.m. PERFORMANCE
It's been chilly lately, perfect weather for boots with the fur. Catch rap sensation Flo-Rida perform tonight at Mansion at a party hosted by the cast of Notorious: The life of Biggie Smalls. Tickets: $15 at www.wanttickets.com. Mansion, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.
Just to update the story I wrote this morning, I spoke with Wayne Barrow, producer on the "Notorious" film and former co-manager of The Notorious B.I.G. and he confirmed for me that "Blind Alley Freestyle" and "Microphone Murderer" are one in the very same, as I had suspected. So, it looks as though we are getting the real demo. I can't wait.
The nominations for the 51st annual Grammy Awards have been announced and Bad Boy collected two nominations.
In the category of "Best Urban/Alternative Performance," Janelle Monae's "Many Moons" is nominated. Meanwhile, in the "Best Reggae Album" category, Elephant Man's "Let's Get Physical" receives a nod. Congrats to both of them.
The winners will be announced live on February 8, 2009 on CBS, beginning at at 8 PM ET.
MTV News' Shaheem Reid reveals the track listing to the soundtrack for "Notorious," according to Bad Boy. Here it is:
1. "Notorious Thugs" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
2. "Hypnotize"
3. "Notorious"
4. "Juicy"
5. "Party & Bullsh--"
6. "Warning"
7. "One More Chance" remix (featuring Faith Evans)
8. "Brooklyn Go Hard" (Jay-Z featuring Santogold)
9. "Letter to B.I.G." (Jadakiss featuring Faith Evans)
10. "Kick in the Door"
11. "What's Beef"
12. "World Is Filled"
13. "One More Chance" (featuring CJ)
14. "The Notorious Theme" (composed by Danny Elfman)
15. "Microphone Murderer" (previously unreleased demo)
16. "Guaranteed Raw" (previously unreleased demo)
17. "Love No Ho" (previously unreleased demo)
This seems like a nice assortment of tracks from various points in Biggie's career. But, let's talk about the good stuff - the new stuff.
"Brooklyn Go Hard" is the first single, as we reported. It was produced by Kanye West.
"Letter to B.I.G." is a song that we reported on back in March. It was intended for Jadakiss' "Last Kiss" album, according to MTV. The song is basically Jadakiss talking to Biggie about what has transpired since he died.
Just yesterday, we reported that a new version of "One More Chance" will find Biggie's son C.J. rapping along with his father. This is according to a "source close to the Wallace family" that spoke with MTV.
"The Notorious Theme" will be the score for the film crafted by Danny Elfman. It will, most likely, have no vocals.
Finally, let's get to the best part. The demo. In Cheo Hodari Coker's "Unbelievable," Biggie's original demo is said to have three tracks. They are "Blind Alley Freestyle," "Guaranteed Raw" and "Don't Love No Ho." For all intensive purposes, "Microphone Murderer" is simply "Blind Alley Freestyle" renamed. In a track that was previously released online, and is said to be the "Blind Alley Freestyle," Biggie begins with "Microphone murderer, mass mayhem maker..." While the veracity of the track isn't 100% clear, it also seems to point to the track being renamed.
Nonetheless, in the interest of having that confirmed, I have reached out to Mr. Barrow for comment. Hopefully, I'll have more later.
Update: Mr. Barrow was kind enough to return my message, confirming that the two tracks are one in the very same. So, it looks like we're getting the real deal demo here. I can't wait to get my hands on this soundtrack.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Lost" has a solid week, gaining in four charts and re-entering in another, while "Brooklyn Go Hard" makes it's first mark.
Songs
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
22. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (re-entry).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 41).
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 41).
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
2. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z featuring Santogold (debut).
Hot Rap Tracks
18. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 22).
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
26. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 31).
SOHH.com has an interview with Slim of 112, where the singer discusses what he learned from Diddy, his relationship with the mogul, Day26 and more.
SR: So are you still good with Diddy?
Slim: Yeah, that's my boy, that's my homie, me and Diddy we're cool and its great to hear him say he was proud of me and he sees the moves I was making, he was extremely proud of me on that one. I told him I learned from one of the best. Being around him I wasn't just an artist going through the motions, I was actually paying attention to the business aspects. I'm still learning but one day I would love to be in his position and be where he is right now but the only way I can get there is to take calculated risks and believe in myself. Sometimes people will think I'm crazy, but when I'm making positive steps that's all that matters. My label M3 I'm running it through Asylum, great partnership, everybody believes in the movement and you're seeing proven results. "So Fly" the first record I dropped is top 10 in the nation. "Good Loving" record was the number one most added record the week it was added. I'm going to continue to drop new music not just from myself but from other artists and we'll keep doing this.
In the video below, Bow Wow introduces "Anything You Can Do," a song produced by Bad Boy producer Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson. The song has been left off of his album, though he says he wishes that it would have made the cut. The song features Bow Wow adopting the persona of his younger self, Lil' Bow Wow.
The video was highlighted in a bulletin from Amadeus' MySpace, where the producer expressed that it was his hope that fan sentiment might lead to the song making the album, in the end.
The Notorious B.I.G.'s MySpace has some new stills from the "Notorious" movie, featuring the screen versions of Biggie, Diddy, Lil' Kim, Lil' Cease and more.
BlackBook's Ben Barna has a short feature on Janelle Monae. It includes a couple of good photos.
Fashion Week Daily reports that Zac Posen is planning to introduce lower price clothing lines, in response to economic struggles. The first, they say, will be a diffusion line.
Via BlackBook.
From the press release:
NYMMG (Model Management Group), a New York-based modeling and talent management agency, is pleased to announce its recent signings of well-known stars for its Celebrity Division.
NYMMG has partnered with recording artist and megastar Dawn Richard, founding member of the hit R&B and pop group, Danity Kane.
From the press release:
As part of the 10th anniversary for Sean John and the 50th anniversary of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Sean John is pleased to announce that they will dress the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's talented men's dance team in Sean John Fine Tailored suits, dress shirts and ties for the 50th Anniversary Gala tonight, Wednesday, December 3, 2008. At approximately 9:00pm, over 1,200 guests will arrive for the gala party at the Sheraton New York, for dinner and dancing in the Metropolitan Ballroom, transformed into a sparkling landscape with decor inspired by the timeless grace of Revelations, the masterpiece created by Alvin Ailey. All of Ailey's male dancers will kick off the season in style, making a red carpet entrance donning Sean John and wearing limited edition Ailey Movado Museum Dial Timepieces. Ailey's female stars will wear gowns provided by acclaimed fashion designers Badgley Mischka. Proceeds from the gala will help to ensure the continued growth and vitality of all of Ailey's important programs -- from the creation of inspiring new works to scholarships for talented young dancers to innovative outreach programs.
Some users (those with Adobe Flash Player 10 installed) were experiencing issues with our audio player. These issues are now resolved. Thank you for your patience.
EW.com's Simon Vozick-Levinson spoke with Wayne Barrow, Biggie's former manager and a producer on "Notorious."
Wayne Barrow tells EW that several legendary unheard demo tapes from early in Biggie's career form the heart of the soundtrack: "We kept everything as is, in its raw form. This is what got him the [recording] deal, plain and simple. His fans have been asking for it for years."
In addition, Barrow said that Biggie's son C.J. will be featured on an "emotional remix" to "One More Chance." MTV News spoke to a "source close to the Wallace family," who told them that C.J. will be rapping with his dad on the track.
"It Ain't Nothin" is a new song from Yung Joc that features rappers Big Kuntry and Trae. Listen to it here:
Here's "Pum Pum Pum," a new song from Elephant Man:
Check out new Janelle Monae features by the Guardian and Rolling Stone.
Donnie Klang will be performing at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on December 3. The Mall of America website has full details.
BallerStatus.com has an interview with Slim from 112. In it, he discusses the groups time at Bad Boy and why they left. This had been highlighted in a video interview previously, but I thought that some would appreciate it in text format, as well. He also has some praise for Day26.
BallerStatus.com: You touched up on this already but you mentioned Boyz II Men, and Jodeci. Back in the 90's there were some real grown ups in terms of firepower, but as of now, there's barely a spark. Outside of Day 26, do you feel R&B male groups are a dying breed?
Slim: Well you know what? It doesn't really feel like what it was about 4-5 years ago when the only group who was really making noise, even from a mainstream side was Destiny's Child. The competition is definitely different. I call the 90s the golden era, where the groups were explosive. Not to mention when you had Blackstreet, and the rest of those incredible groups. They were selling millions, and this was who we were on stage with night, after night, after night. Let's not forget New Edition. They were doing their thing too. It's like wow. As of right now, you can't really take anything away from Day 26 because they are a talented bunch of guys. It was just that we come from an era where it was very strong. ...
BallerStatus.com: Normally when musical acts sever ties with their labels, they want nothing to do with them afterwards. What was admirable with you guys was when you guys severed ties with Bad Boy, you and Diddy were still cool. The love was still there. How were you guys able to maintain a relationship like that with Puff even though he knew 112 left the label?
Slim: Well, the problem wasn't really with Diddy. 112 never really wanted to leave Bad Boy. I'm speaking for myself. Slim never wanted to leave Bad Boy. The problem was that 112 was tied into a production deal that was horrible, financially speaking. For us taking care of our family, you want to do things for your parents, your family, and for yourself. The production deal was horrible. There was no way that we could live. It was just impossible with the numbers in that type of a deal. So what we did was, when we finished the production agreement ... people didn't even know this but we weren't directly signed to Bad Boy. We were signed through that production deal to Bad Boy. When we finished the agreement with the production deal, it automatically knocked us off of Bad Boy. When we became free agents, we became free agents at the top of our game. That's great when you're an athlete or anybody. When you become a free agent, you come on the block, and people start coming at you. You know the great thing about me, is that everybody starts coming at us, and we ended up getting an incredible deal. (Laughs)
HipHopDX reports that Gorilla Zoe has begun a 12 week weight loss program that is being called "Don't Feed Da Animal," in honor of his upcoming album, "Don't Feed the Animals." Zoe is aiming to shed 40 pounds, bringing his overall weight down to 190.
That's not all, however. A website has been launched to talk about the program and share his progress. It can be found at dontfeeddaanimal.com. The website says his album is due for October 2009, but I don't believe that that is accurate. As far as I know, the album is scheduled for March 17, 2009. Edit: Confirmed, yes, it is.
From the press release:
The Source Magazine today announced its December issue will hit stands on December 9th and features the Notorious B.I.G. on its cover in honor of the release of his January 09' movie "Notorious". The issue also features extensive coverage on President-Elect Barack Obama's historic win this past November as well as a four-page collage of newspapers covers from around the country, honoring the historic moment of America 's first black president. Also included in the new issue is an in-depth look at the AIDS epidemic and the economy as well as a tribute to Shakir Stewart, former President of Def Jam Records. There is also an in-depth Holiday Buyer's Guide and stories on Q-Tip, Nina Sky, Keri Hilson, Joe Budden and Wyclef.
The story of the late great rapper, Christopher Wallace, is retold through the eyes of director George Tillman as he recounts to The Source how he managed to bring the legendary rapper's life to the big screen. Voletta Wallace, Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts (former managers), Lil' Cease and many of Wallace's closest confidants and business partners give recollections of their experiences during the filming of the movie. Voletta Wallace, mother of Notorious B.I.G. states in the article, "Maybe I'll cry my heart out; maybe I'll just laugh myself silly. I really don't know what I'm going to do after I see the film."
In a pair of video blogs (see below), Dawn Richard of Danity Kane mentioned that she was on the way to New York to tape Making the Band. No further details are given.
On December 6, Ness will be performing at Whispers Lounge in Stroudsburg, PA. It's located at 1220 West Main Street, inside the Quality Inn.
Edit: Since our audio player is apparently on the fritz, I am going to include the audio here:
Today we get our first taste of the upcoming "Notorious" soundtrack as Bad Boy releases the first single. It's called "Brooklyn Go Hard" and it's a Jay-Z song that features Santogold. It was produced by Kanye West. You can listen to it in our audio player. A video is coming soon.
On a related note, the release of the soundtrack has now been pushed back to January 13.
The album cover has also been released. Here it is:
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