It was one of those experiences that was a blessing. I put working with Puff right up there with working with Dre because you learn so much. You learn work ethic. Those dudes were looking at me like I had a strong work ethic. Puff’s follow-through is sick. I must have written 50 verses for the “Tell Me” record. That’s not even counting the other records. The average person would sit there and complain, but when you see the way that Diddy works, it’s an around the clock thing. He has three rooms working at once. You look at that and you say, “Now I see why this nigga’s so rich. He doesn’t stop. He’s like a fucking machine. What’s driving him to be this way?”
It makes me say, “I should be this way. I was out drinking last night and this motherfucker was in the studio. I’m complaining about why his chain is nicer and what makes his music so special.” It’s because he started ten to fifteen years ago and he has not stopped since. That’s my thing.
I tell myself every day that when I’m not hearing my wheels turning in my head, that’s when I know I’m not focused. I don’t have to be focused to do my job. I realize that. I can be drinking every night and going back and forth to the studio and taking the risk of driving home drunk and still make dope records. That’s not enough. Along with that shit comes the hoops that I have to jump through. Mentally, I can’t jump through no hoops anymore. I have to get to the level I know I should be at. I’ve wasted a lot of years fucking around. That’s what I learned being around those dudes. They walk in the room, you see how they operate and you know they know what they’re supposed to be doing.
I spoke to Pharoahe Monch about his experience with Diddy. He said his work ethic completely changed through working with Diddy. Did your work ethic change working on Press Play?
Yeah. My work ethic is going to be way different from now on. I’ve never lacked as far as spending time in the studio. It’s just how my days go. If I go out one night and get drunk and I’m in the studio the next day, I’m still feeling the shit from last night. I’m not as sharp as I could be. I’m working in a job where I need to use my mind, but I’m fucking with my mind doing other things that I feel are fun. I come up with my best shit when I’m focused around the clock. I’m sharp. When I’m sharp, I don’t think anybody can fuck with me. Any hindrance there is me hindering myself. If I can perform to my highest capabilities, I don’t think I can be touched. I’m not there right now. I haven’t shown enough in my actions to claim that right now. That’s something I’ve kept to myself, but you’re going to see.
An integrated marketing communications firm in Guelph has received its third industry award for helping rap star Sean "Diddy" Combs launch a fashion clothing line in Canada.
Here are the latest Bad Boy numbers from the top 200 SoundScan sales. With the Christmas holiday, both Danity Kane and Diddy saw noteworthy rises in sales.
94. "Danity Kane" by Danity Kane, 38,900 (839,600 overall).
120. "Press Play" by Diddy, 29,600 (456,500).
The basket included two of every item for Diddy's kiddies, and consisted of frog slippers, hand-embroidered clothing sets, musical teddy bears, pink cherry shoes, chenille pillows, mobiles, and leather diaper bags which retail for 340 each dollars.
According to the article, the items came from Petit Tresor.
Also, considering your recent experience on Bad Boy Records, what do you have to say to those that believe Diddy only focuses on promoting himself, not his artists?
Well, it is his label. He is the biggest artist on his label. So usually the biggest artist gets all the attention or at least most of the attention. That’s the way I look at it….me and MJG…[laughs]. We’re not moving in with him. We’re just doing our business trying to make good music and put our stuff out there. I don’t know, maybe we don’t get everything that we should get at Bad Boy but I think sometimes the blame lies on us too because there’s a lot we could do sometimes to make that happen. For people who have b******* and bad s*** to say about Diddy…I wasn’t there for their experiences and I can only speak from my experiences at Bad Boy. I’m not trying to be politically correct with my answer or none of that b*******. I’m just trying to say what I feel without cluttering or clouding s***. We focus on 8ball and MJG and Diddy is just another artist on Bad Boy to us. There isn’t much more I can say about it.
Speaking of Bad Boy, the streets are waiting for your upcoming LP, Ridin’ High, which is to be released in 2007. What can we expect from the new album?
Well, as far as features we got Pimp C, Bun B,.Jazzy Pha, Juvenile, Killer Mike, 112, Project Pat, DJ Nasty, Three 6 Mafia…Montana Tracks production. It’s just a real tight 8ball and MJG album. This album is a big mixture of everything that we are...from the beginning to end.
1. Intro
2. Relax and Take Notes
3. Cruzin'
4. Whatchu Gonna Do
5. Take It Off
6. Runnin' Out of Bud
7. Ridin' High
8. Like This, Like That
9. Stand Up
10. F*** That
11. Get Low
12. For an Outfit
13. Memphis
14. Pimpin' Don't Fail Me Now
15. Turn Up the Bump
16. No Joke, No Lie
17. Pimpin' Interlude
18. Alcohol P**** Weed
I had held back on reporting this because the only corroboration was a MySpace page and, let's be honest, that's about as useful as seeing it written on the side of a cardboard box outside of Wal-Mart.
But, yes, Making the Band 4 will be back - with Diddy. MTV has a site up. And here is a promo trailer with Diddy:
Q.: Why is Southern hip-hop -- Atlanta to be specific -- so hot now?
A.: I think it's the fact that Atlanta is like a multicultural melting pot. A lot of people come through that place. So when they come through they influence some of the things that we do because we get a chance to touch all types of people, just like New York. What happens is it influences our music and we put out music that's ours but it's been influenced by other people in other markets. It feels like people everywhere can relate to it.
It looks like they have been able to conclude that the Sean John jackets in question did actually use raccoon dog fur. Macy's has pulled the coats from their stores and website.
In a statement by Sean “Diddy” Combs released by his publicist Hampton Carney, the designer said: “I was completely unaware of the nature of this material, but as soon as we were alerted, the garments were pulled off the Macy’s floor and Web site. I have instructed our outerwear licensee to cease the production of any garments using this material immediately.”
In the December 9 issue of Billboard Magazine, they have a "Winners & Losers 2006" feature. In the hip hop category, Bad Boy is listed as the winner, while G-Unit is listed as the loser.
There was some talk that Mario Winans was no longer signed to Bad Boy. Not so, according to Czar Entertainment CEO Jimmy Rosemond, who manages Winans. In an interview in the December 9 issue of Billboard Magazine, Rosemond says:
He's coming out second quarter and he's signed to Warner Brothers/Bad Boy. He gave some of his hits to Puffy, like the Puffy and Keyshia Cole record, "Last Night," that was supposed to be for his album. So he did about three songs on Puffy's "Press Play," took some time off, and now he's working on his own project.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and girlfriend Kim Porter became the parents of twin girls Thursday morning, with the hip-hop impresario flying in from a movie set in Canada for the birth at a Manhattan hospital, said Combs spokesman Robert Zimmerman.
“Diddy received an early Christmas gift,” said Zimmerman. “Both Kim and the girls are doing great.”
So, there is this tabloid type of website that throws out all these crazy, damaging rumors. This is done to get links, get traffic, get attention and... in the end, get money. I saw the "report" but knowing the source, simply declined to give it any attention. This is the type of site that, really, the only people that leap to believe it are those with an axe to grind. I'm not even going to link to it. Basically, it said that Cassie and Ryan Leslie were working to get her released from Bad Boy with the major reason being harassment. Basically, they choose to imply that Diddy was sexually harassing her. My reaction: yeah, right. I'm not even sure that Cassie had more than 1 album deal with Bad Boy, anyway. But, Cassie has chosen to address it, so I wanted to mention it. Watch below.
Rap mogul SEAN COMBS' fashion label Sean John is at the centre of controversy after an animal rights charity discovered his 'faux fur jacket' is actually made from raccoon fur.
The article states that they are performing DNA testing to confirm.
Even though it was certified in October, Billboard only recently updated the certifications page to reflect that "It's Goin' Down" has been certified 2x platinum. Wow! That's a pretty incredible level of success. "It's Goin' Down" was a really big hit.
If the info I have is correct, this is history. It's Bad Boy's first certified single since "Breath, Stretch, Shake" by Mase, but it is just the third Bad Boy single to be certified multi-platinum - EVER. The other two being "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (2x) and "I'll Be Missing You" (3x). Given this, it's safe to put "It's Goin' Down" in as one of Bad Boy's biggest hits, ever.
According to rapper Young Dro, he and fellow Atlanta native Yung Joc have teamed to create a new movie, "Young & Yunger." While Dro didn't reveal the details of the plot, the movie is being pitched to some Hip-Hop Hollywood A-listers. "We’re shopping the movie around talking to [Ice] Cube, Charlie Mack, Will Smith’s people and stuff like that," Young Dro told AllHipHop.com. Mack and Smith served as executive producers of ATL, which starred T.I., the CEO of Grand Hustle Entertainment. Grand Hustle released Dro's album Best Thang Smokin', which spawned the hit "Shoulder Lean." In related news, Yung Joc has teamed with DJ Drama to release a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape titled Welcome to My Block. Welcome to My Block features appearances by Russell "Block" Spencer (CEO of Block Entertainment), P. Diddy, Boyz N Da Hood, Lil Wayne, Dipset Ying Yang Twins and others and is in stores now.
Diddy's MySpace has posted "All Night Long" by Diddy featuring Fergie. The odd thing is that it is actually different from the version of "All Night Long" that was released as an iTunes bonus track. So, check it out.
Not "new", but something I just noticed myself. "Three Bricks" by Ghostface Killah featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Raekwon on Ghostface's "Fishscale" album is different from the "Duets: The Final Chapter" iTunes bonus track "Three Bricks" by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Ghostface Killah and Raekwon.
The vocals are the same, but the music behind it is different. You can listen to a sample at Amazon.com.
By placing himself on a major-label remix, Indianapolis-based rapper Benjamin "Kayo" Priest helped generate airplay for a song that otherwise received none.
Noticing ["Long Way 2 Go's"] mediocre performance, Kayo contacted Bad Boy promotional executive Rich Dollaz and offered to add a verse of rhymes to "Long Way 2 Go's" middle section. Dollaz liked what he heard, and DJ Orion eventually added Kayo's version to his mix shows on WNOU-FM (93.1).
Not a quote, unquote official remix, but as it got an OK from Bad Boy, I thought I'd go ahead and mention it. You can listen and download on Kayo's MySpace.
One of the Long Way 2 Go cd singles features two non album tracks. They are "When Your Body Is Talking" which is produced by JY Park and co-produced by Tae Kwon and Seo "Bomb" and "Can't Do It Without You" which is produced by Ryan Leslie. The album version of "Long Way 2 Go" is included as is the video for the track, when put the CD in your computer.
WordofSouth.com has a nice interview with 8 Ball & MJG. Among other things, they mention that "Ridin' High" is slated for a February 13 release and the video for "Relax and Take Notes" (which you can watch here) will premier on Rap City on BET on December 18.
WordofSouth.com: So let’s talk more about the album. Whom do you have lined up for features and production?
MJG: We got production by Lil Jon, Jazzy Pha, DJ Nasty from Orlando, Cool & Dre…
8Ball: Timbaland, Midnight Black, B-Rock, Montana Trax from our camp. We got Juvenile on the album, Killer Mike, 112, Three 6 Mafia, Pimp C, Bun B, Slim Thug, it’s something else. ...
WordofSouth.com: A lot of your fans enjoyed the last album, but felt it had more of a commercial feel to it then previous work. Did you hear anything about this? if so, did you take that into consideration with recording the new album?
MJG: It was new for everybody, for us, the label, and the fans. We expected to hear that no matter what because of the new label situation and how different it was. You have to expect that type of criticism because it takes some getting used to. I think on this project everybody including us, the label, and the fans have gotten used to us being on Bad Boy and understand that we still are 8Ball & MJG. Everybody understand the situation a little better now and this next project will come across a whole lot different.
Sean "Diddy" Combs is transferring his Broadway experience to the small screen in a new television movie adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.
Production recently started on the three-hour feature in Toronto, Canada. The feature will air on ABC during the 2007 season.
The rapper's murder back in the 1990s is entangled in the sexual harassment litigation because officer Christle was part of an LAPD team that reviewed the investigative files, Chatman reported.
Christle and her lawyer claim some of the information she prepared has disappeared and was never forwarded to the rapper's family as ordered by the courts, according to NBC4.
SOHH.com is reporting a MySpace page for casting for Making the Band 4. The only corroboration I can see is the MySpace page as no major outlets are reporting it. This strikes me as strange, obviously, so it should be treated as a big rumor at this point. I'm working to confirm it.
MARCH
12 Oslo, Norway Spektrum
13 Copenhagen, Denmark The Forum
14 Berlin, Germany Max Schmelling Halle
15 Stuttgart, Germany Schleyerhalle
16 Hamburg, Germany Sporthalle
17 Frankfurt, Germany Festhalle
18 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle
19 Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
21 Paris, France Bercy
22 Paris, France Bercy
23 Dusseldorf, Germany Philipshalle
24 Brussels, Belgium Forest National
25 Amsterdam, Holland Heineken Music Hall
27 London, UK Wembley Arena
28 Cardiff, UK Cardiff International Arena
29 Manchester, UK MEN Arena
30 Glasgow, UK SECC (Hall 4)
31 Dublin, Ireland The Point
APRIL
1 Dublin, Ireland The Point
2 Nottingham, UK Nottingham Arena
Stallone continue to say: "The story was like a modern-day noir written from the point of view of a Detective [Russell] Poole, who basically was railroaded out of the police department because the more he investigated, the dirtier the high rollers in city hall and police commissions and DA offices all appeared to be part of a conspiracy to squash this case. I don’t think it’ll ever be done because of the amount of lawsuits that would be filed."
In the ad for Twinings Tea, Stephen Fry (a British actor) is asked to name the artist playing on a pair of headphones. And he mentions that it's The Notorious B.I.G.
Hood Affairs TV has video from what appears to be a press gathering of some kind at the Warner Music offices. It's at least a few months old, since they mention their album is coming out in September, but it's still worth a look. Watch below.
XM Satellite Radio's Hot Import Nights (HIN) wraps up the 2006 season with its Miami event at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 5 p.m. to midnight. HIN, the nation's largest lifestyle custom car show, has packed convention centers around the nation all year, and will continue the trend in Miami with performances from Cassie and DJ Miss Lisa, hundreds of the nation's hottest customized and specialty cars and the crowning of Miss HIN 2007.
"Behind The Grind," an exclusive four-part web mini-series chronicling the making of a mixtape by upstart emcee H.D. and the advice he receives from established rappers and industry execs, premieres on SOHH today (December 6).
The series, which will feature appearances from The Game, Jim Jones, Fat Joe, Sean "Diddy" Combs...
Counterfeit goods are flooding the
Canadian market, harming legitimate retailers and manufacturers considerably;
forcing some to even go belly-up. Despite efforts to prosecute and charge the
perpetrators, the globally growing counterfeit trade is not easy to stop and
costs the Canadian apparel industry millions of dollars each year. The biggest
victim of counterfeit, however, is the consumer. Canadian consumers spend
their hard earned money on brands they like and trust, only to discover that
they were misled and what they have purchased is not authentic.
Sean John, the popular apparel designed by Hip Hop mogul Sean "Diddy"
Combs, is taking action against counterfeit apparel. Because of their
increasing number of knockoff t-shirts, tracksuits and denim, Sean John knows
better than anyone how accessible counterfeit clothing and accessories are at
flea markets, street corners, retail stores and internet sites nationwide.
Over a year ago, Multigroup (the distributor of Sean John in Canada) retained
legal and investigative services to crackdown on the problem. Since then, with
the aid of Canadian authorities, thousands of pieces of pirated Sean John were
seized. Yet, the battle is far from won.
For this reason, Sean John Canada is taking matters into their own hands.
Today marks Sean John Canada's anti-counterfeit campaign called "DON'T BUY A
LIE." The campaign responds to their copycat crisis by promoting and
generating awareness about what's real, what's not, and who's affected through
the Canadian media, celebrities, retailers and consumers. Visit
www.dontbuyalie.com.
"Puff is a multimillionaire, I'm a thousand-naire at that time, grinding," Chopper said. "I shot the ['I See You Lil' Daddy'] video and the remix with Lil Wayne and Jody Breeze without him even giving me an advance check. I did that thinking it was all love. [Then] Katrina hit, boom, took away my house, my mama's house, took away a lot of stuff from my family.
"When that happened, I didn't get no phone call [from Diddy] ... So at the end of the day, I felt played. That's why I wanted to disband myself from the Bad Boy situation."
Keesha Johnson, a spokesperson for Diddy, disputed Chopper's claims. She said Diddy promoted Chopper as the first breakout artist from Da Band and that Bad Boy and its distributor, Atlantic Records, funded both of Chopper's videos. ...
Diddy also responded to Chopper: "[He] is a former disgruntled artist of Bad Boy who obviously has an ax to grind. We wish him well in his future career," he said in a statement released to MTV News.
I don't really have anything to say. Is he telling the truth? Who knows. I see no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt. In any case, he has bigger fish to fry than to be doing this stuff. He's facing charges that could net him up to 90 years in prison, according to the article.
Dawn's MySpace mentioned that the video for "Ride For You" is premiering on TRL on 12/5, but Danity Kane's MySpace says 11 PM, which still doesn't match up with MTV's schedule. So, which is it? Who knows.
It's a few months old, but it's the first I've seen it, so I wanted to post it. LYFE SUX has a video of Aubrey in the studio with Conrad Dimanche recording parts of Show Stopper. Watch below.
Bad Boy has launched an internship program for college students. You can find out more at the Bad Boy MySpace.
The S.W.A.G.G.E.R. Internship Program was designed to enhance the work experience between students and the executives at Bad Boy Entertainment and Sean John Clothing. S.W.A.G.G.E.R. stands for Students Willing to Accept Gifts of Greatness Excellence and Responsibility.
Semi-Precious Offspring: Who'd a thunk that Sean "Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, P., Sean John" Combs would have trouble with names. But In Touch says Mr. McDiddylicious is in a tussle with longtime girlfriend Kim Porter over what to name their twin girls, due this month. The Diddster wants to name them Diamond and Ruby, but Kim is reportedly "horrified," preferring traditional names such as Grace and Emily. Relax, Kim, even if the Artist Formerly Known as J.Lo's Boyfriend does name the girls after his bling, he's sure to change their names every few months.
Wouldn't take it as being true, but I wanted to mention it, anyway.
