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You are currently viewing the archive for May 2011.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
David Harraway, who represents Aasim, has posted "Ridah" for free download.

Aasim seems to be rapping from Diddy's perspective on the record and Harraway labels it as "'Ridah' freestyle reference," which would seem to indicate that the track was recorded as a reference vocal for Diddy to consider.

Posted by Patrick
Here's one more gem from the blog of Geno Sims, former Bad Boy A&R: "Bad Boy BBQ" by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Black Rob and Ness.

Back in March of 2007, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie released "Live at the BBQ 2007" by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Diddy, D-Dot, Ness, Black Rob and Aasim.

"Bad Boy BBQ" is the same record, except with some small changes, no Diddy and no Aasim. Listen below.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Former Bad Boy A&R Geno Sims has released a previously unheard remix of Diddy's "Come to Me" featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Nicole Scherzinger and The Voice of Harlem. It was produced by veteran hip-hop producer K-Def and Sims.

The Biggie versed used is from the rapper's "Party & Bulls***." According to Sims, this remix was finished and ready to be released, but they couldn't clear the samples. Listen below.


Posted by Patrick
On his blog, former Bad Boy A&R Geno Sims has released the orchestral version of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Warning" that was performed during the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, which were hosted by Diddy.

In his post, Sims says that the music was orchestrated by violinist Miri Ben-Ari and producers Ryan Leslie, Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker and Steven "Stevie J." Jordan and that the group, along with Diddy, were up 3 and a half days straight. Listen below.


Posted by Patrick
Former Bad Boy A&R Geno Sims has released a track for free download on his blog that he says was one of the records created for consideration on Biggie's "Duets: The Final Chapter" album.

The song is "Suicidal Thoughts," which takes the Biggie vocals from the song of the same title on the "Life After Death" album. This reimagining of the song was produced by The Heatmakerz and features The Product G&B, best known for their contribution to Santana's "Maria Maria." Listen below.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Tom Murphy of the Denver Westword's Backbeat blog has an interview with Janelle Monae that talks a lot about her creative influences and her beliefs on individuality.

In some interviews you've encouraged people to be individuals. What do you mean by that, and how would you encourage people to do so?

I just want people to love themselves. And I want people to seek out love. That's all. To be an individual. I can't tell people -- that's just going against it, like, "People need to be this." That's not what I'm here to do. All I'm saying is that we all have to live in the world together. Consider your brother and your sister, consider your neighbor, consider everybody's feelings. That's all. It's not just your world.

Posted by Patrick
Biggie's daughter, T'yanna Wallace, graduated from high school on Sunday. Lil' Cease was on hand for the celebration, tweeting. Congratulations!

Via Global Grind.

Posted by Patrick
Parmy Olson of Forbes reports on the hacking of the PBS NewsHour website.

As part of their efforts, the group responsible for the hack planted a fake and obviously dubious story alleging that The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac are both alive, living in New Zealand. The story has since been removed and NewsHour has apologized via Twitter.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
In a video on his Facebook profile, Jeremy Greene plays a snippet of a track called "Higher," which he describes as a collaboration with an artist in the U.K., a label mate. What label? Good question, I'm not sure.

In addition he mentions that he is working with Jan Smith, a prominent vocal producer who counts Justin Beiber, Usher, Drake and Trey Songz among her many clients. The "Info" tab on his Facebook page even mentions her as his manager now.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Last week, Yung Joc released a new mixtape, "Ready to Fly." The title track lists it's featured guests as Diddy and K-Nova. Upon listening to the record, Diddy is only featured at the very start and the audio was sounds like it was taken from a phone call.

As best as I can understand, what Diddy says is quoted below.

"Just like how I had it with Biggie, I'm gon' have the understanding with you and you'll have your own freedom to make your decisions. And that's what you told me to get and that's what I went and got. Swagg Team."

Since it does sound like a phone call, it is unclear if this is something Diddy actually said for the mixtape or if it was recorded and/or included on the mixtape with his permission. You can listen to the mixtape below.


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
A special remixes EP of Gorilla Zoe's "Twisted" was released on iTunes last Monday, featuring remixes by Dulce de Luxe, 8Barz and J Farell, as well as instrumentals of album version of "Twisted" and the 8Barz remix.

Below, you can listen to all three mixes, care of the producers.

» Read More


Posted by Patrick
Highs and Lows (HAL) and Colab Eyewear have paired up to release a pair of sunglasses inspired by The Notorious B.I.G., aptly called "Biggie."

Here's how it is described on the Highs and Lows website:

After just 5 years in the game the little shop from the other windy city have already conquered collaborations with New Balance and Reebok, and now they have their sights set on their own Colab frame with an homage to the Notorious B.I.G. Drawing from the Coogi sweater, Versace shade era that Brooklyn’s Finest brought to the spotlight, The Biggie is a throwback to the unlikely union between the street urchins and high fashion houses that made the 90′s such a memorable time for hip-hop and fashion in general. One for the dice shakers and investment bankers alike.

They will be available internationally soon, with the retail price of $249.

Via Nate Santos.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Moments ago on Twitter, Gorilla Zoe shared a link where his upcoming album, "King Kong," could be pre-ordered on iTunes. On the page is a track listing for the album. Here it is:

1. King Kong
2. I Do It
3. Crazy featuring Gucci Mane
4. Nasty featuring Yo Gotti
5. At All featuring Ray Dinero
6. What's Going On
7. Party Over Here
8. Your B****
9. Mr. Shawty
10. Twisted featuring Lil' Jon
11. Turn Me On
12. Main Thing
13. It's Over
14. I'm Not Perfect

It's unclear if this is the final track listing or not. Zoe has mentioned that T-Pain is featured on the album and, as you can see, T-Pain is not listed as one of the featured artists on this track list.

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
Cassie, in her capacity as a Carol's Daughter spokesperson, appeared at a private event to celebrate the release of the new Monoi hair care line. the.LIFE Files was there and shared the footage below.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
JSOnline has an interview with Janelle Monae, discussing her rise in popularity, her appreciation of the opportunities she's been given and more.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
After Diddy changed his name to Swag for a week, XXL reached out to Lil B, who had recently helped popularize the term or repopularize it, anyway.

"It’s all good," he told them. "Diddy is my family and we finna get in the studio! I'mma have the first feature from Swag."

Posted in General
Posted by Patrick
At the end of January, house and electronic producer Guy Gerber revealed that a collaborative album with Diddy was almost finished and would be his "main album for next year."

At first, Diddy wanted him to do a remix album of Dirty Money's "Last Train to Paris," but Gerber wanted to make something "deeper musically."

Now, in an interview with the Miami New-Times blog Crossfade, Gerber talks more about how the album came together.

How did you first hook up with Sean "Diddy" Combs? And what can you tell us about the new mystery album you collaborated on?

Well, he just called me one day and said that he loved my music and sampled one of my tracks for the intro of his album, and asked me to come to New York and hang out in the studio. At this point, he didn't know what he wanted. But I was just working out some beats and some musical landscapes and he was totally into it, even though the music was really deep and weird. Then he said, why don't I make a whole remix version of his album Last Train to Paris, some kind of a more underground interpretation. And I decided to take the opportunity to make something really different. I have to say that Puff really inspired me and pushed me to the limit. And I just took some time off touring and started making music that I'd never done before, and he was really supporting whatever I was doing. I think that is just great that he could have this vision about the whole project.

No official release date has been announced.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
In honor of Memorial Day, Complex asked Red Cafe, Raekwon, Sean Price and Heems (of Das Racist) what their favorite cookout foods were. Here's what Cafe said:

"Every Memorial Day for the last, maybe, eight years, I’ve gone to Miami. I’ve been to Cancun a couple times, but usually Miami—the energy is great there. My recipe for Memorial Day is you have to get an apartment, preferably a bachelor pad with balcony. Or a house with a backyard. You need some cool friends that won’t come empty handed. Probably a Red Cafe CD [laughs]. And then you want chicken and shrimp kebabs. I get on the grill, cause you have to make sure the food tastes good.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
Before the Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, Bulls player Carlos Boozer released a rap record, "Winning Streak (I'm Not Losin')" featuring Mario Winans and Twista, presented by Begr8er, which was founded by Shannon "Slam" Lawrence, who previously spent some time with BAd Boy and was featured on "Making the Band," and Katrina Campins. The song was produced by Winans and Lawrence.

You can listen to some of it in the clip below, care of Campins' Twitter profile, and buy the song on iTunes now.


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
In an Interview with AllHipHop.com, Gorilla Zoe talks about his upcoming third album, "King Kong."

He says that the album is "GRAMMY material" and that it's release will lead him to be compared to the greats. It sounds like he likes the album!


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Producer Sonny Digital, who Gorilla Zoe says will produce around half of his upcoming "King Kong" album, revealed to MTV that Zoe was "probably" the first person to hear the beat for YC's "Racks," which Digital produced, and was among those who passed on it.

Check out the official video for "Racks" below to listen to the record.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
On Wednesday, we shared the news of the Diddy/Dirty Money-created MYMAG, a custom once off magazine focused on the group, their tastes and interests.

A press release issued by MYMAG has more details on what you'll find inside and on all of the creative talents that came together to provide that content.

Kalenna and Dawn called upon Flaunt magazine to provide an insightful feature on the late fashion designer, Alexander McQueen (whose work is currently the subject of a major exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art), a Tank Girl comic (Dawn's pick) and a feature on Marilyn Manson (chosen by Kalenna) adorn the pages of Diddy's MYMAG.

Other content includes Vibe magazine's first-ever magazine feature on Diddy, as well as tributes to Biggie Smalls, Mary J. Blige and Hype Williams. One of the UK's top music magazines, NME provides content for one of Diddy's idols, music innovator and icon, David Bowie. Rare Frank Sinatra and Rat Pack photographs are also featured in the magazine, the late Hollywood legend inspires Diddy's style and is another one of his all-time idols.

Esteemed photographer Jean-Paul Goude lends his celebrated Grace Jones imagery; shots emblematic of a style trend that courses through Diddy Dirty Money.

"I've always loved art magazines and dope books," Diddy says in the release. "The DDM magazine gave us a chance to illustrate some of our personality and share pieces of some of the elements and people who have inspired our collective journey. Diddy/Dirty Money features some of our all-time favorite articles, photographs mixed in with some of our own content... it's an accurate glimpse into our respective lives."

You can buy the magazine directly or pick it up at select Barnes & Noble stores and newsstands on May 31.

Posted by Patrick
The estate of The Notorious B.I.G., led by his mother, Voletta Wallace and widow Faith Evans, has signed a licensing deal with brand management and development form Brand Sense Partners (also known as bsp), under which the company will oversee licensing and merchandising for Biggie's name and likeness.

Specifically, the Biggie brand will be managed by Theresa Brown, which has represented the states of Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen and currently lead's the first celebrity and estate initiatives, including Sheryl Crow, Marlon Brando and Jimi Hendrix.

"Christopher Wallace was a pioneer in the hip-hop and rap music movement, paving the way for a countless number of today's talent and we are excited to leverage the untapped equity in his brand," bsp President and CEO, Ramez Toubassy said via press release.

"The family and I are excited to move forward with the exceptional team at bsp," said Wayne Barrow, formerly Biggie's manager who currently advices Ms. Wallace. "Their understanding of Christopher's cultural impact, as well as their vision for our brand mission made them the best partner possible for the task. We look forward to working hand in hand with them to build on Christopher's unique legacy."

Via Mark J. Miller.

Posted by Patrick
FADER has a great pictorial taking you to various places that were significant in the life of The Notorious B.I.G., complete with quotes and stories from people like Andre Harrell, Mark Pitts, Matty C, Wayne Barrow, dream hampton, "Hypnotize" video director Paul Hunter and more. Check it out.

Posted by Patrick
FADER founder Rob Stone, who previously worked at Arista Records and helped to promote The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" album recently penned a great article reminiscing about time spent with Biggie during the marketing of "Ready to Die." A worthy read.

Here's a small teaser:

We’d been running around all day like lunatics and back at the hotel, no one showed up for a midnight run to the radio station, except Big. So I went from miserable to HOLY S*** very quickly. It was pouring outside, so I ran to pull the car around and pick Big up in front—not that he requested it, but he had a way of making you want to do right by him. Because it was just us, we talked about a lot of things: our families, our moms, friends, girls, the business, Puff. He was curious about my life growing up in Long Island—how I’d gotten into hip-hop and proud to hear that I was born in Brooklyn and impressed that my dad went to Erasmus High School and still owned a trucking company in Brooklyn. He talked about recording his new album in the Caribbean, away from everyone. Things were getting complicated with way too many distractions. And he made a point to say, “I can’t front: Puff made Ready To Die great, and he’s gotta be there with me.” I asked how and he said Puff was the one who told him to paint the picture and tell stories. He’d designed tracks to fit Big’s style. It was pretty amazing to hear and to be let in on what felt like a secret.

In the article, Stone mentions that he was one of the few allowed to listen to "Ready to Die" early on and that he was trusted with an unmastered cassette tape of the album that featured "two dramatically different songs." On Twitter, I asked him what these records were and he was kind enough to respond. They were "Come On" and "Respect."

Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
In an interview with Rap-Up.com, Dawn Richard has announced that her upcoming solo debut will be titled "GoldenHeart" and to expect it in late 2011 or early 2012.

Not only that, but the album will be the first of a trilogy, followed by "BlackHeart" and "RedemptionHeart." She played a couple of records for Rap-Up.com, including "Hollywood Story," which was produced by Rob Holliday, and "Running from Sane," produced by D'Mile. She says that the second track was inspired by Phil Collins and Meat Loaf.


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. Nothing to write home about. Small gains by Dirty Money's "Your Love" and a debut for Red Cafe's "We Get It On."

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

43. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 39).

Singles

Hot Singles Recurrents

12. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (down from 7).

Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay

17. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (a new high, up from 18).

» Read More


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
David Harraway shared a new freestyle by Aasim for free download. It's over Nicki Minaj's "Moment for Life."

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
David Harraway (who represents Aasim) is offering a free download of "December (Remix)" by Olivia featuring Aasim. The track was also shared on Olivia's Twitter profile.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, will honor Diddy with the ASCAP Founders Award during the 24th annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in Los Angeles on June 24.

According to the organization's website, the award is their "most prestigious honor and is given to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius, which will enrich generations to come."

Past recipients have included Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy Jr. and Motown Industries, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Neil Young, Annie Lennox, Dr. Dre and Rod Stewart. That is a pretty impressive list of artists.

"To be recognized for my contributions to music by ASCAP, an organization that represents music creators, is a true honor," Diddy said via press release. "All I wanted to do was make people dance and hopefully inspire others to never settle for anything but their best."

"Diddy is a world-renowned producer, performer, top-notch developer of talent, fashion designer, an actor and astute businessman," said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. "His success is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and ingenious ability to add his personal touch to contemporary culture. He continues to be a major force in hip-hop music, and we are very proud to honor him with ASCAP's Founders Award."

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Aasim has released "So It's On" via free download. The song takes vocals from Drake's "Do It All" and puts them over a new beat with a verse from Aasim.

Thanks Theo for the tip.

Update: Post first said it was Drake's single "Over." But, it's actually "Do It All."

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, David Harraway, who represents Aasim, posted a free download of "Madness" by Aasim featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Diddy.

The song includes a Biggie verse from "Long Kiss Goodnight" and an introduction from Diddy.

Thanks Theo for the tip.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
In a joint interview with Complex, Rick Ross and comedian Andy Samberg reflected on what they learned from Diddy. Samberg was featured in a skit with Diddy, when he appeared on "Saturday Night Live" in December.

You’ve both worked with Diddy before. What’s the most important thing you learned from him?
A: Have like seven phones.
R: Just be ready. Be well rested. There’s gonna be so much shit. Songs and the remix—he gets all his s*** out the way right then.
A: Diddy is running an empire while he’s in your skit.
R: And having Ciroc in the studio.

Did you share Ciroc with Diddy?
A: No, we didn’t touch Ciroc together. [Laughter.] But I wouldn’t rule it out as something that could happen in the future.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
MYMAG is a service that allows celebrities to create custom magazines, sharing "documents, photographs and meaningful personal artifacts with their fans." The latest celebrity to use the service? Diddy/Dirty Money. You can see a preview and buy their magazine for $12.00 plus $4.95 shipping from the MYMAG website.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Diddy shared a photo from the music video shoot for Red Cafe's "We Get it On" featuring Omarion, which was featured on the rapper's "Above the Cloudz" mixtape.

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
Cassie is featured in the June/July 2011 issue of Vibe magazine. On the cover, which you can see below, there is a teaser for "Cassie: Bad Boy's Fashion Freak."

July 2011 Issue of Vibe Magazine with Rick Ross and Cassie

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Yesterday, the music video for Dirty Money's "Looking for Love" premiered on BET's "106 & Park". The clip, which was originally shot in November, is now available online, care of Diddy. Watch below.


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Back in February, HipHopDX's Jake Paine reported that Gorilla Zoe was no longer signed to Bad Boy.

We have maintained coverage of Zoe, while all of the details were sorted out. Here's another wrinkle: MTV's Rob Markman has a story on the album, following an interview with the rapper. The album, he says, is set for a June 14 release on Block Ent./Bad Boy. Of course, we also know that E1 Music is a part of the picture.

On Twitter, I asked Markman who had told him that Zoe remained with Bad Boy and he was kind enough to respond, saying that Zoe had told him.

In the interview, Zoe said that Diddy was "hands-off" on the project and that both he and Russell "Block" Spencer give him freedom musically. The article also mentions that Gucci Mane, T-Pain, Yo Gotti and Lil' Jon are all set to feature on the set, which will also have production by Zaytoven, Drumma Boy and Sonny Digital, who produced around half of the album, according to Zoe.

» Read More


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
On his Twitter profile, Gorilla Zoe shared a message from Daniel Kuniansky mentioning that you can get a new free track from gorillazoesite.com called "Illuminate Me."

This domain may end up hosting the new official Gorilla Zoe website as the domain name registrant information is associated with Koch Entertainment, of which E1 Music is a part of. Zoe signed to E1 in August. The email address listed on the domain name registrant contact information ends with flashenhanced.com, the website of Flash Enhanced Inc., who lists Koch Records as one of their clients.

Finally, this track download and website was shared on the official E1 Music Facebook page.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Gorilla Zoe has released the album cover for "King Kong," his upcoming third album.

"King Kong" by Gorilla Zoe (Album Cover)

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
According to Diddy on Twitter, Dirty Money's "Looking for Love" music video made a surprise premiere on today's "106 & Park." He also released a new trailer, which you can watch below.


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Chris Webby has shared a free download of "WDGAF (We Don't Give a F***)" featuring Gorilla Zoe, produced by Aaron Lacrate. Listen below.



Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy has launched a second Twitter account, iamswag. In the video below, he says that he's going to change his name to Swag for a week.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
It was only a month ago when Dirty Money's "Coming Home" was certified Platinum by the RIAA, marking 1 million units sold in the United States.

According to the Billboard charts released today, "Coming Home" has now been certified at 2x Platinum, confirming 2 million units sold in the U.S.

This is exceptionally meaningful. There have been only 3 singles released by Bad Boy that have been certified at 2X Platinum or higher: Diddy's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (2x) and "I'll Be Missing You" (3x) and Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down" (3x). A multi-platinum certification is a big deal and this is underscored by the fact that, with all of the hits Bad Boy has had, there have only been four in the company's history.

Beyond the company, it's important for Diddy, as well. No one can take this away: "Coming Home" ranks among his biggest hits in a career of hits. "Coming Home" fits in nicely with the list of Diddy singles that have been certified by the RIAA, including "Hello Good Morning" (Gold), "Shake Ya Tailgeather" (Gold), "Satisfy You" (Gold),
"Come With Me" (Platinum), "Victory" (Gold), "Been Around the World" (Platinum), "I'll Be Missing You" (3x Platinum) and "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (2x Platinum).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. Dirty Money's "Coming Home" moves from the big boards to the recurrents and "Your Love" gains.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

39. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 30).

Singles

Hot Singles Recurrents

7. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (debut).

Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay

18. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (debut).

» Read More


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Vogue has a fun video, following Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars as they attend the Met Costume Institute Gala for the first time, from the selection of wardrobe to walking the line of cameras.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Forbes has updated their annual list of the world's most powerful celebrities. Diddy finds himself at #52, a 16 spot upward move from last year.

Forbes continues to maintain a "hip-hop impresario" category and Diddy ranks second in it, following Jay-Z, who dropped from #15 to #38. Other members of the category include Eminem (#71), Kanye West (#76) and Lil' Wayne (#85).

There are five subcategories that the celebrities are ranked on: money, TV/radio mentions, press mentions, social media presence and web coverage. Diddy excels in the web and social categories, where he ranked #29 and #31, respectively. He's #47 in money, #51 in TV/radio and #66 in press.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
On his Facebook page, Jeremy Greene has posted some studio footage and previews a snippet of a track that will either be titled "Tonight" or "Floor." Watch.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
On Monday, Jeremy Greene shared a clip of his take on Chris Brown's "Beautiful People" record, which hit the internet earlier this year.

Care of his Twitter profile, you can now download the song for free.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
Just now on Twitter, Jeremy Greene mentioned that he was working on a remix to OneRepublic's "Good Life." Listen to the original by checking out the official music video below.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
In April, Maybach Music Group's website listed Diddy among the four member outfit's collaborative album, "Self Made, Vol. 1." He was to be featured on Pill's "Pacman" alongside Rick Ross.

The website was later updated to remove Diddy's name and now we have the confirmation: Complex magazine has an exclusive premiere of the album and Diddy is not featured on the record.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, Aasim announced on Twitter that he was no longer a Bad Boy artist and was retiring from rap. He even said that he would not use his aasimtheanswer Twitter account and would move to a new one.

But, he's back on the account and tweeted that "sometimes you gotta leave and come back." It's unclear how or if this affects his status with Bad Boy or lack thereof.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
HipHopDX reports that Dirty Money has received a nomination in the Best Group category at the 2011 BET Awards. The winners will be announced on June 26 on BET.

Other nominees in the category include Cali Swag District, New Boyz, N.E.R.D. and Travis Porter.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
As we reported in March, Red Cafe made a cameo appearance in the music video for Lore'l's "Make it Pop." The clip has been released and you can watch below.


Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
An alleged new Dawn Richard track, "Control the Lights," has just appeared online. But, upon listening, it's not that new, after all. Basically, the track is "Can You Hear Love," from DJ Webstar's "Straight Outta Harlem" mixtape without DJ Webstar.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Janelle Monae's official website has the cover of the May 21 issue of Billboard magazine, which will highlight summer tours. Monae is included in a cartoon rendering where she holds a surfboard alongside Bono, Britney Spears, Rick Ross and Taylor Swift.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
In an interview with Billboard, Rick Ross talked about how, in building his Maybach Music Group, he was inspired by earlier movements like Bad Boy Records.

"Building Maybach Music Group and building this empire, of course I was inspired by some of the earlier movements and earlier dudes that came along such as Cash Money, such as Bad Boy Records," he said.

"And to me, when I really think about the greatest era of hip-hop, those were the greatest eras to me; when I turned on my TV and saw Big and I saw Mase and I saw Junior M.A.F.I.A. and I saw The Lox. That was the most exciting era of hip-hop to me and when I looked at the No Limit era and saw that camaraderie that they had, that unity and that brotherhood that they shared. You know, I think it spilled over from music and me, being an artist that really loves to make music to the point where I would love to have 4 and 5 incredible artists that I could be on the phone with or in the studio with on a daily basis."


Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
Over on his Facebook Jeremy Greene previewed a track that is a mashup of Greene with a previously released Chris Brown record, "Beautiful People."

Greene said earlier today that he was working on a song with Brown. But, given that this appears to be a mashup, this wouldn't be that record.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
It turns out that the mixtape cover that Jeremy Greene shared moments ago for his mixtape with Chris Brown was not the official cover, just an option for one.

He uploaded a second one and asked for people to vote by clicking "Like" on Facebook on the one they prefer. The one with the most votes, he says, will be the official one. Check out the two choices below and then vote on his Facebook page.

"UK" by Jeremy Greene and Chris Brown (Possible Mixtape Cover)

"UK" by Jeremy Greene and Chris Brown (Possible Mixtape Cover)

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
Edit: It turns out that this is not the official cover, but one of two potential covers.

Earlier today, Jeremy Greene revealed that he was working on a song and a mixtape with Chris Brown. On his Facebook page, he has released a cover for the mixtape.

"UK" Mixtape by Jeremy Greene and Chris Brown (Cover)

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Jeremy Greene revealed that he was working on a record and a mixtape with Chris Brown. He said that the title of the mixtape, which will be available for free, is "UK."

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
Over on his Facebook, Jeremy Greene posted a video about an engineer he worked with previously and the one he is working with now. But, in the middle of it, he plays a new track.

Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
On Facebook, Jeremy Greene has posted a link to a free download of "Bedtime Story." This isn't a new record, but I wanted to share it nonetheless.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
In the clip below, Dawn Richard takes us behind the scenes during Diddy and Dirty Money's Los Angeles stop on the "Coming Home Tour," which would prove to be the final stop.


Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
Day26's Twitter stream retweeted a message from the ExclusiveDay26 Twitter page, indicating that the title of the group's upcoming third album will be titled "A New Day."

As far as I know, the first suggestion of this title was made by Brian Angel in June of last year.

Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Blaze "The Champ revealed that, for the next 5 days, he'd be working with Day26 in the studio. Previously, Blaze produced "Imma Put it On Her," the group's lead single for their last album, "Forever in a Day."

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Fabolous performed last week at New York City's Hunter College. During his set, he brought out Red Cafe for "I'm Ill." Watch below, starting at the 1:52 mark.


Via XXLMAG.com.

Posted by Patrick
Will Ferrell spoke to CBS News about his new film, "Everything Must Go," which features a strong supporting performance by Christopher "C.J." Wallace, the son of The Notorious B.I.G.

"We had to audition a bunch of kids for that part and he's kind of - he's the neighborhood kid who doesn't have anything to do and kind of befriends me, and he's - he's an excellent actor," Ferrell said of his co-star. "And did such a great job."

Global Grind and BET.com have new interviews with Wallace, covering familiar territory.

Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
Cardi is best known to Bad Boy fans as Cardan, a regular collaborator with former Bad Boy rapper Mase. Under the stage name Cardi, he has released the new music video for "Dope Man," featuring Dawn Richard.

Rap-Up.com reports that the video was shot, at least partially, at the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms hotel in Las Vegas. It was directed by Dale "Rage" Resteghini. Watch below.


Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
In the clip below, Dawn Richard prepares to get on stage during a stop on the "Coming Home Tour" and talks about the importance of makeup and hair in the group's overall aesthetic.


Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, Red Cafe revealed that he was shooting a music video for an Omarion record that he was featured on. The music video for "Battle" has been released care of Red Cafe's site. Watch it below.


You can download the track for free by downloading Omarion's new mixtape, "The Awakening," via Omarion himself.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Beginning today, Atlanta will play host to Major League Baseball's Civil Rights Game weekend. The weekend closes with a game between the Phillies and Braves on Sunday.

Sean John has opened a gifting suite in the Ritz Carlton Atlanta where various esteemed attendees will receive Sean John products and be offered Ciroc vodka. Huffington Post has more details. Sean John is expecting 100 guests per day.

In addition, players on the Braves and Phillies will receive a"Sean John Warm-Up Pack," which includes a lightweight jacket and a pair socks.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Clinton Sparks has just released his new mixtape, "My Awesome Mixtape," which you can download for free on Sparks' website. The mixtape begins with an intro from Diddy, aptly titled "Diddy Intro."

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Back in January, Diddy appeared on "The Chris Gethard Show," a sketch comedy and improv show hosted by comedian Chris Gethard.

The first official footage from the show has finally been released. You can watch the sketch "Best Friends" below.

Diddy Gethard - Best FriendsUCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
FADER has an illuminating interview with Diddy focused on The Notorious B.I.G. Their first meeting, Biggie's character and the void that was left after he passed away. Must read.

What had you heard about Biggie before you met him? He was in The Source’s Unsigned Hype. They said he was ill, but I don’t think they really understood how ill he was. But also at the same time, it wasn’t like everybody out there had labels. It wasn’t no competition. It wasn’t like another label wanted to sign him, because he didn’t have that look. And also, his style. He wasn’t trying to spit no radio R&B-friendly records.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Following the first stop on their "Hooligans in Wondaland" tour, Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars sat down with SPIN for a fun interview covering their friendship, how the first performance went and the GRAMMYs. They also have an accompanying photo set.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today.

Albums

Top Current Albums

166. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 150).

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

30. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 27).

Singles

The Billboard Hot 100

43. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (down from 31).

» Read More


Posted by Patrick
Rapper Yelawolf talked with FADER about The Notorious B.I.G. and how his loss is felt by different people. Brother Bear, who manages Yelawolf, was at one time Biggie's barber.


Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
EigoMANGA has announced the release of the fourth issue of the Danity Kane comic, titled "Keeper of Life." You can buy it at Borders.

Posted by Patrick
XXLMAG.com has an interview with Christopher "C.J." Wallace, Biggie's son. He talks about acting and his role in "Everything Must Go", his favorite song by his dad, the relationship he has with Diddy and more.

XXLMag.com: What’s your favorite song by your dad?

Wallace: “Machine Gun Funk” is probably one of my favorites. I remember the first time I heard it I was in the car driving in L.A. and it gave me the best feeling ever.

XXLMag.com: How involved is Diddy in your life?

Wallace: I’m around him all the time. I go over his house and hang out with Christian, Justin and Quincy.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy and Dirty Money's "Coming Home Tour" has concluded. Initially announced with 20 dates, the group only made it to just 12, canceling 6 dates due to logistics, 1 date for unknown reasons and the final date in Phoenix due to Diddy being under the weather.

"I guess I pushed it too far because I literally can't get outta bed," Diddy wrote on Twitter. I'm sorry Phoenix. I regretfully have to cancel the show. I'm so sorry. Y'all don't know how sorry I am. I've never been this sick in my life - refund information will be posted on diddydirtymoney.com later today. Again, I'm sorry. Going back to bed now to fight this flu. F***!"

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Dirty Money has released the trailer for a "Coming Home Tour Uncut" film by David Kalani Larkins. Watch it below.

As an aside, the tour official who threatened and harassed me at the Norfolk show can actually be seen in the clip.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Rap-Up.com reports that, during Saturday's "Coming Home Tour" performance in Los Angeles, Diddy brought out his son, Christian, for the Bad Boy medley of hits that he has been performing as part of the show. Watch below.


According to Neon Limelight and The Boombox, YG, Nipsey Hussle and Game also made appearances.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Kid Ink's Twitter links to OnSMASH, which is offering a free download of "My City" by Kid Ink featuring Red Cafe, Killa Kyleon and Machine Gun Kelly. The track was produced by Cardiak.

Posted by Patrick
Speaking with AllHipHop.com, Big Sean named his top 5 rappers dead or alive and The Notorious B.I.G. was one of them. "He was so fresh from the style standpoint and he brought so many new styles to the game that was the blueprint for a lot of people's flows," he said.

Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, Swank Consulting released footage of Dawn Richard's photo shoot with Connect magazine. Now, we have the photos. View them at Vain Style.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Singer Teairra Mari has premiered her new single, "That's All Me," which samples Diddy's "It's All About the Benjamins (Remix)," all the way down to his classic "uh huh, yeah" ad lib. Watch below, care of her Twitter profile.


The executive producer of her next album, Dirty Money collaborator Rico Love, talks about the making of the track below.


Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
Last month, former Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day told B. Scott that she, along with other former group members Aundrea Fimbres, Shannon Bex and D. Woods have all tried to contact Dawn Richard, but that he would not respond.

RumorFix spoke with Richard, who denied those claims, saying that she hasn't tried to contact them, but that she has not received any contact from them. Watch below.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy and Dirty Money's "Coming Home Tour" was in San Francisco on Friday and, during the show, Diddy brought Lil B on stage. Watch the video below.


Via Rap Radar.

Posted by Patrick
In an interview with American Songwriter, country singer Colt Ford talks about a conversation he had with The Notorious B.I.G., where Biggie revealed how he was influenced by some country icons.

I’ve always been impressed with hip hop lyrics, in just how many there are per line, and the creativity involved. Do you feel the same way?

Honestly, hip-hop and old country music is really not all that different. They’re storytellers just talking about a different story. But, hip-hop is important. I’ve done some things in the hip-hop world, written a couple things for a couple people, and I remember talking to Notorious B.I.G., before he died, and him going, “You know, I learned the art of story telling from my mother listening to Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard.” His mother is from Jamaica, and in Jamaica they only have a reggae station and a country station. His mom liked that stuff, so she only had those records. He goes, “I would listen to these dudes: Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard, and they told stories.”

You take some of the guys, lyrically, like Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Eminem and those dudes are un-freaking-believable. Listen to the words they are putting together, lyrically and sonically what they’re doing. It’s phenomenal. I’ve sat there and watched Jay-Z sit down and write 16 bar verses and never write anything down. He’ll have it all in his head, then go into the studio and lay it down. That’s bada**. I don’t care who you are. You write songs, and you don’t appreciate that, then you don’t know shit. [laughs] You don’t know anything about writing a song if you can’t appreciate what that’s like while looking at the lyrical content. For me, I’m doing five, six, seven words for their singing one. A lot of my artist friends are like, “How do you remember all that stuff?” I say, “Sometimes I don’t.” That’s what makes real music and live music fun! Sometimes you mess up. That’s okay. That’s music.

Posted by Patrick
During an interview, BBC Radio's Ace & Viz asked storied music producer Dallas Austin to reflect on "This Time Around," the Michael Jackson song that he produced that featured The Notorious B.I.G.

He mentions that first Biggie came up with a clean rhyme, but he that wasn't really what he wanted to do on it, so he did another, more vulgar one. Austin didn't think Jackson would want to keep it, but he did. Watch below, starting at the 2:53 mark.


Via SoulCulture.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
If you want to get a taste of what you can expect from the Janelle Monae/Bruno Mars "Hoolidays in Wondaland" tour, check out reviews by Rap-Up.com, the New York Post and Village Voice's Sound of the Night.

Posted by Patrick
FADER is continuing their celebration of Biggie, following their decision to honor him for their annual Icon issue. They have released more footage from Biggie's 1995 performance as part of KMEL's Summer Jam in 1995. Previously, they had released a clip of him performing "Warning" with Lil' Cease.

In the clip below, Big curses and throws a bottle of water at DJ Big Kep, when the sound of the records he was spinning didn't come out right. Big Kep told FADER his side of the story, saying that it was so hot that the records were melting. Later, he says, Biggie was cool with him and knew what was going on, but didn't want to let the crowd think it was his fault.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Mick Jagger was in the house when Janelle Monae performed in New York on Wednesday. He met her after the show and her official site has a photo.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Lloyd spoke with MTV News about Diddy and how he ended up on the "Coming Home Tour."

Lloyd excitedly shared a coincidental fact about an inspiring moment. "My very first concert was a Diddy show in Atlanta," he said, smiling. "Puff came out and he just rocked it, man. I had never experienced anything like that."

Now Lloyd performs on the same stage as the star he admired so much as a kid. "Diddy's one of the first people to take hip-hop to a popular music standpoint," Lloyd noted. "He's the godfather of hip-hop!"

Watch the video below for more.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Promotion for Janelle Monae's tour with Bruno Mars is ramping up and she's doing press.

Newly published interviews with phillyBurbs.com and the Philadelphia Daily News mostly go over previously covered territory, as Monae shares her mission and talks about the tour.

One of the more interesting things I read was her talking about cinematical aspirations, including her desire to work with George Lucas or Tim Burton.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
In advance of their tour kicking off, Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars spoke with MTV's The Seven and talked about the influence that they have on one another. Watch below.


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. Dirty Money's "Coming Home" and "Last Train to Paris" fall while "Your Love" stagnates.

Albums

The Billboard 200

191. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 171).

Top Current Albums

150. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 136).

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

27. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 25).

» Read More


Posted in i SQUARE
Posted by Patrick
hollywoodteenzine.com has a feature on i SQUARE with the two videos below, where the group is interviewed.

They discuss the original of both the group name and their individual stage names, as well as their influences and bullying.




Posted by Patrick
Singer/rapper D.V. Alias Khryst recently told HipHopDX that he was "supposed" to contribute to The Notorious B.I.G.'s "You're Nobody ('Til Somebody Kills You)" from the "Life After Death" album. The introduction of the interview indicates that it was the hook of the song, which Biggie ended up singing himself.

I was supposed to sing “You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)” on [The Notorious B.I.G.’s] Life After Death album, and I don’t know what happened with that not happening ...

DX: You mentioned Biggie, did he reach out to you personally?

D.V. Alias Khryst: No, my attorney … had called me around the time of that project being worked on and told me that someone that he had spoke to – don’t remember their name – had inquired about me doing that record. I was very excited when I heard about that, because [I had] known Biggie for some time …. I was around Big and [Lil] Cease and them - and Smoothe was around these dudes - smoking blunts on the stoop with these dudes before a lot of this stuff transpired and went the direction that it went. So, to see his career go the way it went, and for me to had gotten an [invitation] to do a record with him on the [strength] of how our paths [had] always crossed – even from the “Dead Presidents” video shoot with Jay-Z, and showing Smoothe and everybody that was at the round table – I [thought it] would be a wonderful opportunity. But, when it didn’t happen I was a little funked about it because I felt like that could have been a great opportunity for the world to hear me and to give me the platform to really show people what I’m made of, [as] opposed to the box that I’ve been placed in.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
The Associated Press has a short piece of Janelle Monae, covering her tour with Bruno Mars and her new album. She says that the album "will definitely change lives."

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Last month, Aasim announced on Twitter that he was no longer a Bad Boy artist and that he was retiring from rapping.

David Harraway, who represents Aasim, responded to a comment about the announcement, in a pair of tweets, "what do we look like? Quitters? I don't think so. You should know better."

Aasim also mentioned that those looking to follow him moving forward should follow the socialclubent account on Twitter. At this point, it's unclear what the whole story is, so we'll be maintaining coverage of Aasim.

Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
T-Pain has released his new mixtape "prEVOLVEr: The Mixtape" for free download on his website. It includes "Fantasy" featuring Dawn Richard and produced by T-Pain.

Posted by Patrick
FADER founder Rob Stone spoke with Global Grind regarding the decision to honor The Notorious B.I.G. in the magazine's annual Icon issue. Stone worked with Arista during Bad Boy's early years.

Posted by Patrick
Following in the steps of Maino, Uncle Murda has released "Biggie's Back," a take on Meek Mill's "Tupac Back."

You can download it for free, care of Nah Right via Uncle Murda's Twitter.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Kalenna of Dirty Money has launched a blog at iheartkalenna.com, according to her Twitter profile. Watch the introduction below.


Posted by Patrick
Meek Mill's "Tupac Back" will be featured on the upcoming Maybach Music Group album, "Self Made, Vol. 1." You can listen to a preview of it on the Mayback Music Group website.

In response, Maino has released "Biggie Back," which you can download for free, care of Funkmaster Flex's website via Maino himself.

Posted by Patrick
Speaking with FADER, Killer Mike shares a little Biggie fandom and talks about how the Brooklyn MC influenced him. He also tells the story of a chance meeting with Big at the back of a club. Watch below.


Posted by Patrick
HipHopDX has a clip of an interview that FADER did with rapper Pharoahe Monch.

In it, he discusses the mutual respect that he and Biggie had for one another and how they were both afflicted with asthma.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Red Cafe posted a photo from a music video shoot for an Omarion record that he is featured on. This shouldn't be "We Get it On" as that was Red Cafe featuring Omarion.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Below, check out the single cover for Gorilla Zoe's "Twisted" featuring Lil' Jon. The music video premiered last week.

"Twisted" by Gorilla Zoe featuring Lil' Jon (Single Cover)

Posted by Patrick
DJ Quik spoke with HipHopDX about speculations, following the murder of The Notorious B.I.G., that he had been involved.

“When they came to my accountant’s [home] to come get me, I ended up calling my lawyer and I told him what was going on,” continued Quik regarding his ordeal as murder suspect. “So he called the Parker Center and arranged for me to go up there and talk to ‘em, instead of them gafflin’ me up and making a scene. So I went down there and told ‘em everything I knew, everything I saw, the whole s***. And after I did that the burden was off. ‘Cause it was rumors in the street that I did that s***. How am I gonna kill Biggie Smalls when I like him? Who does that?!”

Posted in Dawn Richard
Posted by Patrick
The clip below features a "shoulders focused" photo shoot with Dawn Richard, conducted by Swank Consulting. The clip itself and Dawn Richard's blog both mention that it is a shoot for Connect Magazine.


Posted in Jeremy Greene
Posted by Patrick
Jeremy Greene's Twitter stream features a retweet of the HipHopMusicFeed account that is offering a free download of a new song titled "Falling Forever." Download it now.