Jay-Z Causes Death of a Dynasty?

HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK CALLS FOR UNPRECEDENTED YOUTH VOTER TURNOUT ON SUPER TUESTDAY; PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES RESPOND TO OPEN LETTER

On the eve of Super Tuesday, Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) call for a massive, unprecedented young voters turnout across America. Recent polls show that young voters are poised to be the determining factor in the twenty-two states that will be holding Presidential primary elections tomorrow. Since 2003, HSAN has been a national leader in youth voter education, registration and mobilization. Its’ Hip-Hop Team Vote program has enabled and encouraged millions of young voters to participate in the electoral process.

Russell Simmons, Chairman of HSAN stated, “The 2008 Presidential Election is the most important of our lifetime. I am so proud that young voters are already weighing in, in record numbers. But tomorrow, on Super Tuesday, it is now clear that young voters will make the critical difference. That is why today we are using every single resource at our disposal via radio, television, Global Grind and the internet to mobilize the consciousness and the actions of young people to ensure their voice is heard tomorrow.”

On January 17, 2008, Russell Simmons, Deepak Chopra and Dr. Benjamin Chavis addressed an Open Letter to all of the Presidential candidates, both Democrat and Republican, that focused on issues that are important to young, progressive and independent voters. Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton have responded to the Open Letter. Full candidates responses to the Open Letter are available on www.hsan.org.

The campaign office of Senator Barack Obama sent to HSAN Obama’s policy statements on the inclusiveness of American democracy, on responding to the challenges of global warming, eliminating poverty, ending the Iraq war and on the importance of Dr. King’s philosophy on the ‘beloved community.’ Senator Obama responded by stating, “Rising poverty is one of the most serious issues facing America today, and I believe that inserting simplistic tag lines or one-dimensional goals are unlikely to be helpful in meeting this challenge. As President, I will build off of my life experiences as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer and elected official to make poverty eradication a top goal of my administration.”

Valeisha Butterfield, HSAN Executive Director, affirmed “As a young voter, I am profoundly aware of the historic opportunity and responsibility that my generation has today. HSAN will work with other national organizations as well as grassroots leaders to maximize our impact.”

Senator Clinton responded in part by saying, “You know, as do Americans throughout our country, that the stakes in this election couldn’t be higher. We face enormous challenges – our economy is sliding into a recession, middle-class families are struggling to make ends meet, our schools are failing our children, and we have a war to end and alliances to rebuild all around the world. The next President must be ready to solve these problems from day one.”

Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of HSAN, emphasized, “This is one of the greatest hours in the evolution of hip-hop culture. The music, the fashion, the lifestyle and now the unprecedented civic engagement that translates into millions of new voters is what makes hip-hop the most significant phenomenon in the 2008 election. Hip-hop transcends race and ethnicity and provides a unifying spirit and action to transform America.”

A recent Time magazine poll that focused on 18-29 year old potential voters showed that, in the last 8 years, there has been a dramatic shift in young people paying attention to the presidential campaigns. In 2000, only 13% of 18-29 year olds were paying attention; in 2004 that increased to 42% and in 2008, it has increased to 74%!

Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
Founded in 2001, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network is dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the well-being of at-risk youth throughout the United States. HSAN is the largest non-profit, worldwide coalition of hip-hop artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents, and youth leaders united in the belief that Hip-Hop is an enormously influential agent for positive social change which must be responsibly and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and injustice.

Global Grind
Global Grind is the source for today’s media that matters to the hip-hop community. It’s the global view of all the content that is relevant in the hip-hop community. Global Grind invites users to discover and collect what’s important to them and share it with the masses. Find out what others are grinding, submit and gather interesting content, and invite friends to the community to interact through photos, videos, stories, and live chat rooms.

ROBERT DE NIRO AND CURTIS “50 CENT” JACKSON TO STAR ON COVER OF VIBE MAGAZINE’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE

Academy Award®-winning actor Robert De Niro and Hip Hop mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson have come together in an exclusive interview for VIBE magazine’s special Hollywood Issue – on newsstands Feb. 5th.  The two speak exclusively to VIBE about their roles in the upcoming movie Righteous Kill – due in theaters this Fall.  The acting duo share some behind-the-scene moments and discuss the new friendship shared between these two megastars. 

In this month’s cover story, De Niro grants a rare interview to Editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith.  He discusses being a legendary Hollywood gangster, as well as his relationship with 50 Cent.  “Curtis, he’s…he’s got good instincts,” Mr. De Niro tells VIBE when asked what advice he would give to the superstar about acting.  50 Cent goes on to talk about his admiration for De Niro’s work.  “I grew up watching his movies…One of my favorites was Goodfellas.  I could watch that over and over.  He was amazing.”

The two star in Overture Films’ Righteous Kill, alongside Al Pacino, as a pair of veteran New York City police detectives on the trail of a vigilante serial killer in this psychological thriller directed by Jon Avnet.

Shot in January by celebrity photographer Jake Chessum at New York City’s famed Milk Studios, the magazine’s exclusive photos are styled by veteran VIBE Fashion Director Memsor Kamarake.  De Niro is in Giorgio Armani and 50 Cent in head-to-toe Tom Ford.

This special issue features a collectible flipbook design with two unique cover photos.

De Niro on whether he’ll ever get tired of being famous for playing gangsters: “Those characters are more exciting.  People like to watch and identify with them in some ways.  It’s a fantasy.”

50 Cent on De Niro: “I get a chance to feel normal when I’m around Robert.  His celebrity is so strong that I get a chance to feel like a normal person for a little bit.  People get nervous around him.”

50 Cent on his son: “My son is excited.  He thinks I’m a superhero…It’s impossible for him to miss me, because if he went through his regular day, there’d be references to me around, whether it’s music or when he goes to school and his school knows 50 Cent is his dad.”

50 Cent on whether it’s okay to play a gangster: “Actors are imitating life.  That exists.  People who don’t actually follow the rules.  So for an actor to create a project to show people what actually happens, that’s cool.”

De Niro on whether it’s okay to play a gangster: “Movies are like dreams, an expression of people’s subconscious, what they feel, what they would want to do but wouldn’t do…And we all know the difference between reality and fiction.”

This month’s issue also includes VIBE’s first-ever “green” pages.  This 10-page special section takes a look at the green movement through developments in conservation, urban planning, the auto industry, technology, fashion and even home décor.  From introducing environmentally friendly gadgets and cars to suggesting simple methods for conserving energy, VIBE invites readers to get involved with saving our environment.

The March issue also features a special tribute to the classic styles of Ralph Lauren and the designer’s 40th Anniversary spring collection.

ABOUT VIBE:

VIBE Media Group, an affiliate of The Wicks Group of Companies, L.L.C., is a leading music/lifestyle media company that publishes the award-winning VIBE magazine, the preeminent brand in urban and music culture, which was founded by Quincy Jones in 1993, now celebrating its 15 Anniversary-year.  Additional VIBE Media Group properties include Vibe.com; Comcast’s VIBE video-on-demand channel; The VIBE Awards; the wireless content service mVibe; and VIBE Books, which published The New York Times bestseller, Tupac Shakur.

Jamie Foxx Presents Vol. 4

CodeBlack Entertainment, America’s premier source for quality urban films, will release the fourth edition of the highly anticipated comedy showcase “Jamie Foxx Presents America’s Funniest Comics Vol. 4” DVD.

 

Filmed at Atlanta’s prestigious annual Urban International Comedy Arts Festival, this comedic work will be delivered to audiences nationally by Oscar winning, Golden Globe and Grammy nominated performer Jamie Foxx and Cedric the Entertainer.

 

The fourth volume of the wildly successful comedy series presented by Jamie Foxx, this DVD not only features the flair of two of today’s most established comedic talents, but has enabled them to exercise their credibility to bestow recognition upon the emerging comedic talent of tomorrow, bringing four of the hottest up and coming stand-up comedians into the spotlight. It features comedian BET Comic View’s Keisha Hunt, funny man John Austin, veteran California comedienne Melanie Camacho, Def Comedy Jam Alum Marvin Dixon and many more. Subsequent volumes are slated for release in June of 2008.

 

The DVD is the fourth release in a multi-volume DVD series and will be available at major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Blockbuster.

 

The Hip Hop Cosign Endorses Senator Hillary Clinton

Monday, 04 February 2008

I can safely say that when Bill Clinton was in office for 8 years, we, as minorities, thrived at a level that was never seen before! More Black millionaires were created during that time and there were no complaints from the black community, specifically in the entertainment and sports field. We all showed some significant positive progress and it gave us more hope for ourselves that hadn’t been seen since the mighty civil rights era. Unemployment was at an all time low, welfare reform gave people hope instead of having them look at a bleak life for years to come. More jobs were created. We touted Bill Clinton as our first Black president and with good reason as we felt he felt our plight and vibed with us so we accepted him like we accepted no other president before him. Even gave him props for getting an office in Harlem when he could have gone glitzy and gotten an office in midtown or even up in White Plains, closer to where he and his family resided.

Now all of a sudden, some folks have forgotten about the good times we had a little more than 8 years ago before the evil George Bush took over the country and placed us back on the war front and has driven the economy down and gas prices up. A recession is on the way (if it isn’t here yet) and everything is going up EXCEPT our salaries and it is time for a change. I’ve said and written it before, the country (at least for minorities) is always better when there is a Democrat in the Oval Office. We need to make sure that whoever is nominated by the Democrats gets 100% support for anyone who has had enough of how the country has been ‘led’.

 

With that being said, The Industry Cosign (OK, BIG CED, but it sounds just as good as The New York Times or any other publication giving an endorsement) is throwing its support behind Senator Hillary Clinton. I enjoyed those 8 years when Bill was in office and trust that times will again be fruitful with another Clinton in office. Nothing has changed my mind when it comes to Senator Barack Obama. And I don’t care how many people are saying that I am not supporting my own by voting for Hillary. Where were all of you 4 years ago when Reverend Al Sharpton was running? It wasn’t an argument then, especially amongst the ones who state that Blacks should always be behind each other, but yet, none of you were around when Sharpton was running because if you were, then Sharpton would have made a bigger impact and garnered more votes based on the logic you feed me when it comes to ‘supporting’ my own. What happened to being able to decide on who I feel is the better candidate?

I’ve said it before and will continue to say it. Barack is an excellent speaker and motivator. If I am interested in hearing a sermon or being energized to get back on my feet, I will make sure I find out where he is speaking. But, unlike a majority of you who may be reading this, I’ve watched the debates, read the newspapers and have done my research. Telling me all of Hillary’s faults doesn’t change the fact that I still don’t believe he is ready! Or better yet, I just feel Hillary is better equipped right now. They are so similar in a lot of what they propose that I can’t vote for him simply because he is a Black man. I honestly feel if Obama wasn’t Black, the support wouldn’t be as great as it is.  And based on his wife blatantly saying that we Blacks who don’t support him don’t get it, just offends me, so I am using that against him!  J

Well, I welcome ALL comments as I await and anticipate the venom that will come my way but if you have no legitimate response, also keep in mind that spewing negative comments will only keep me amused and prove my point! I also know that, just like we all don’t agree on a lot of things, keep in mind that this may be one of them and if I am wrong, then I can admit so but keep in mind that me supporting Hillary doesn’t mean I do not like or support my own!

Where the Hell is Diddy During this Historic Election? by Davey D

I’ve spent the better part of this month on the road reporting on the presidential primaries. I attended the debates in South Carolina and two weeks before that I spent a few days up in New Hampshire. As we near February 5th’s super Tuesday I will be down in LA which will compliment my forays in Washington DC for George Bush’s last State of the Union speech and in the New York area where I attempted to get a pulse as to how things will unfold.

I been following elections since 1984 when Jesse Jackson made his historic bid and I have to be honest, the enthusiasm I get from people wherever I travel on many levels eclipses the feelings that Jackson brought to the forefront. History is in the making, with the strong possibility of us having our first woman or African American president. Whether you agree with the politics of Senator’s Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Congressman Ron Paul or any of the other candidates, this race has peaked a heck of a lot of interests amongst those who normally wouldn’t be voting. This is particularly true among young adults. The so called MTV/Hip Hop generation has been out in extraordinary high numbers. Whoever said young people are apolitical have not attended a Barack Obama rally. As we go into the 2008 election cycle political discussion has found a comfortable place amongst the young.

When I attended the South Carolina debates I saw pop culture icons all up in the building including comedians Dave Chappell, Cornel West, and Chris Tucker who sat in the row across the aisle form me. There were singers from American Idol as well as sports figures and of course members of Washington DC based Hip Hop Caucus Later that week BET was out and about as was Sway from MTV. Even during the State of the Union, BET was up in the building doing interviews with popular Congress people including members like Sheila Jackson Lee and members of the recently formed 30 Something club which has amongst its membership young congress people who are dedicated to bringing forth issues that resonate with young adults.

If that’s not enough we have the League of Young Voters distributing Voter Guides in a number of Super Tuesday cities. Russell Simmons and the Hip Hop Summit Action Network recently penned a widely read Open Letter to all the presidential candidates asking them address key issues that pertain to young adults including ‘ending poverty, embracing diversity and ending global warming. He and HSAN recently teamed up with actress Rosario Dawson and her Vote Latino project to help bridge alliance between Black and Brown communities while simultaneously bringing attention to key issues impacting our respective communities.

Two tours focusing on the election and its intersection with Hip Hop and youth culture are set to start. They include the ‘Hip Hop For President‘ tour put together by longtime activist Rosa Clemente and includes artists like M-1 of dead prez, Rebel Diaz and former Green Party Presidential candidate Jared Ball. They will use this tour as a vehicle to bring attention to issues like; Holding elected officials accountable, avoiding the trappings of ‘Vote or Die’and uniting Black and Brown communities.

Author Bakiri Kitwana is also putting on a Hip Hop and Politics tour starting this spring which will include a number of scholars along with popular icons like Cousin Jeff of BET.

With all that being said, one of the glaring omissions from all this has been Sean ‘P-Diddy’ Combs. For the life of me I can’t figure out why the guy who sold lots of t-shirts, started an organization called Citizen Change and coined the catchy phrase ‘Vote or Die’ has been MIA. I’m not raising this question to be funny or make light of things or even as a criticism, but its one of concern and deep curiosity. Why has Diddy been absent from the hoopla surrounding an election that may go down in history?

If you recall in 2004, Diddy was everywhere. He was on Oprah, he was on CNN, he was on the campaign trail sparking rallies that drew hundreds and thousands of youth in numerous cities. Many activist and politicos cringed when Diddy showed up. They accused his ‘Vote or Die’ campaign as being nothing but a marketing ploy. Others felt that by showing up on the campaign trail he was taking away from the important issues the candidates needed to discuss. Republicans felt like Diddy was a Democratic shield, while Democrats felt like his ‘non partisan’ Vote or Die message was actually inspiring GOP youth to go the polls.

Although his Citizen Change was non partisan, there are a few of us who recall him standing on stage at a Rock the Vote Lippert Awards ceremony in Los Angeles where he was being honored in February of 2004. There he promised to do everything he could in his power to ‘Kick Bushes ass out of office’. It was bold claim that drew loud applause and made RTV organizers nervous because of their non profit status which forbid them advocating for a candidate. You can peep that speech by listen here:

http://odeo.com/audio/333433/view

At that time Diddy aware of the discomfort he was causing publicly apologized to organizers and re-asserted his claim to get Bush out of office. He then followed up with a short speech about how Bush was ruining the lives of mothers who’s sons were killed in an misguided war. He ended by saying he was gonna see to it that Bush was kicked out of office.

When I saw Diddy about 4 months later he had launched Citizen Change and was distancing himself from those remarks by insisting he was non partisan. When I pressed him he became stern and repeated his non partisan status like a mantra. After the November 2004 election Diddy was and remains silent when it came to politics. I’m still trying to figure out what happened.

We know he caught all sorts of heat after the 2004 election. Most notably from talk show pundits like like MSNBC’s Chris Mathews and Fox News’Sean Hannity who both crucified and mocked Diddy. They asserted that the youth vote he sought to deliver did not turn out in high numbers and and as a result he failed to get Bush out of office.

The truth of the matter is that high numbers of young voters did come out. Organizations like CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) bore this out. When Diddy kicked off Citizen Change he said he wanted to get 20 million young voters to the polls. His figures were in synch with other youth oriented organizations. Close to 21 million showed up. As for the youth vote failing to get Bush out of office, that was an unfair charge because when the actual numbers came back you find that out of all the demographics within the Democratic party it was the youth vote that actually voted in the majority for then presidential candidate John Kerry. It was everyone else who failed to deliver.

Diddy along with the dozen or so youth/Hip Hop organizations like National Hip Hop Political Convention, League of Pissed Off Voters, Hip Hop Congress, Punk Voter, Hip Hop Summit Action Network, Rock the Vote, Black Youth Vote, and Rap the Vote just to name a few had succeeded in getting people out to the polls and more importantly, helped normalize political discourse in circles where it was often shunned. In the case of Diddy, he went the extra yard and did some behind the scenes good work when he purchased a polling company. That aspect didn’t get too much mainstream play, but it was indeed a power move.

According to Democratic strategist Celinda Lake who owns of one of the nations premier polling companies, Diddy did some good work in terms of gathering data and polling underserved urban communities. During our recent interview here in Washington DC, she pointed out that he was making headway with his company before he stopped. The information was shedding light that could later politically empower those communities. Like me, she too could not figure out why Citizen Change closed down and Diddy of all people wasn’t out and about during this historic election season. After all he’s not touring or promoting an album. You don’t think he could’ve made some noise at the very least selling Obama or Hillary shirts?

I’ve not been able to get an answer as to where and why he disappeared off the political landscape. Everytime I see him at a function his time to answer questions are limited and restricted. The recent stories that came out around his last album ‘Press Play’ didn’t address that issue except in one instant where he said he vaguely suggested that he was going to return.

The rumor mill and speculations have run the gauntlet with some asserting that he was running out of money and that Citizen Change was just another unnecessary added expense. Others have noted that he was extremely embarrassed by the assessment put upon on by media pundits who claimed he failed. Many have written Diddy off and said that he was never fully committed and that he simply got bored with politics and moved on. That would be an interesting turn of events considering that Diddy prior to the 2004 election had involved himself in the 2002 New York gubenatorial race where NY was set to have its first African American governor Carl McCall. Back then Diddy was all up on the radio and was pretty firm in saying that being politically involved was important not just for him but for his kids who he wanted to set an example for…

Still others have theorized that he may have been shut down by folks in power who didn’t like him stirring things up and rocking the boat. Keep in mind he did find himself under federal investigation not too long after the investigation. His organization’s non profit status came into question as he was accused of campaigning for Kerry.

What’s interesting is that we never saw similar investigations launched to see just how non partisan many of those conservative evangelical churches were. Nor did we see investigations launched at some of the churches that came out in support of Bush when he took a stand against gay marriage. Am I the only one that remembers all those Black preachers who lined up and cheesed for the camera and said Bush was the man to get behind?

Say what you will, but I’ve always wondered if Diddy had been victim to backroom Karl Rove-like tactics where some holding considerable political power shut him down by bringing up un-publicized questionable behavior that he may have been attached to within the music business. Maybe there was a threat to bring this too light if he didn’t chill on the political tip. And if by chance something insidious like that took place it would have more to do with his ability to ‘effectively’ mobilize the masses and change the power dynamics. Folks who run things aren’t always willing to sit back and let that happen without a fight. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time things like this have happened.

In any case Diddy or no Diddy, 2008 will be an exciting year with hopefully a record number of young adults coming to the poll. People are obviously inspired by Obama ,and Clinton, but popular artists like Timbaland, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Rhymefest and others are publicly weighing in and sharing their opinions. We seen songs put out by local Bay Area artists like Kev Choice http://www.myspace.com/kevchoice and D’Labrie www.myspace.com/dlabriemusic praising Obama. They follow in the footsteps of Rappin’ 4Tay who in 2004 put out a song for Dennis Kucinich. The recent online passionate public debate/spat between Lupe (Clinton) and Rhymefest (Obama) is an indication that politics is here to stay amongst the generation we once wrote off.

Who is Hip Hop’s Greatest Producer? Dilla, Dre or Primo?

Who is the Greatest Producer of All-time?
By Davey D

So the other night I had this interesting and compelling discussion about who is the greatest producer of all-time within Hip Hop. The discussion started off with me noting how often deejays in the middle of a party will change up the music and pay a musical tribute to the late J-Dilla.

There’s no denying the immense contributions this man who is often dubbed ‘your producer’s favorite producer’ has had within Hip Hop. From his group Slum Village to Common to Busta Rhymes to Tribe Called Quest to De La Soul to Pharcyde and beyond, J-Dilla is a giant and will forever be considered one of the greatest to ever touch the boards.

With that being said, the question that arose during our discussion was, ‘Is J-Dilla the greatest’? How does his body of work compare to fellow producers Dr Dre and DJ Premier who for years have been lauded as the very very best?

I mean when you look at Dr Dre and just the work and impact he had from his production with his first group World Class Wrecking Crew on up to NWA to his own land mark solo albums ‘The Chronic’ and ‘2001′, there’s no way you can even mention Dilla in the same sentence.

If you add the production he did with artists ranging from 2Pac to Eminem to 50 and beyond, its simply staggering. J-Dilla may be a king but Dre is a God. That’s how the argument started to unfold. It continued with the assertion that anyone who put Dilla on par with Dre was just too young and thus wasn’t able to fully appreciate all that Dre did.

The counter to that argument was that some of Dilla’s best work came out at a time when Dre was also at his height and that it was fair to weigh the two producers side by side.

Adding fuel to this discussion was the type of impact and respect DJ Premier has garnered. He may not have spawned the same number of mega platinum hits as Dre, but his influence is undeniable especially amongst artists that are considered underground.

Premier touched everyone and when he laced them with beats things usually turned out for the better. Up until people started taking note of J-Dilla Dre and Primo were always mentioned in the same breath and considered two sides to the same proverbial production coin. From Gang Starr to to Freddy Fox to Jay-Z to Nas to Christina Aguiluerra and way too many to name, Primo has and will always be the the God equivalent to Dre

With all that being said lets take a hypothetical situation. Let’s say you are an artist ready to put out what you hope to be a landmark album that will stand the test of time through the ages. You’re budget and label politics only allow you to mess with one producer. Who do you roll with Dre? J-Dila? or Premier? Are there pros and cons when looking at their work? For example, one of the arguments made is that J-Dilla was constantly evolving. The more he did the better he got and that if he was still alive he would’ve continued taking music to new heights.

Dr Dre in recent days has not lived up to his stellar reputation. For example, the production he did on Busta Rhyme’s last album was actually kind of weak compared to what he’s done in years past.

Primo was accused of having the same sound. So while he’s dope as a producer, if you stick with him for an entire album, he would bore you to death with that same boom bap sound.

The counter to that is that Primo has always been diversified and that if you really take time to think about it, he’s done so much that he’s often overlooked. For example, Premier has laced artists like N’Dea Davenport, Craig David and D’Angelo. He’s blessed everyone from KRS to Mos Def. Primo is monster and anyone short changing him is simply not a real Hip Hop head.

So there’s the 64 thousand dollar question.. Who is Hip Hop’s greatest producer, J-Dilla, Dr Dre or DJ Premier or should we have expanded the list to include people like Rza, Kanye West, The Neptunes, Timbaland and DJ Quik?

Please drop us a line, add to the blog and state your case.. May the battles begin!

Watch Jay-Z and the Roc-A-Fella Family!

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151 Wooster: Fab 5 Freddy

 Miz Metro

Miz Metro links up with Fab 5 Freddy to discuss the direction of Hip-Hop, Wild Style, graffiti and much more.

Fab 5 Freddy on the direction Hip-Hop is going: “In America there’s so much of a commercial, watered down, “lets just get the money” vibe, but when you go to every other country around the world – all over Europe, all over Asia, all over Africa – people take up this culture to give themselves a voice.”

—

MM: How did you come to write on this wall? When did you first visit 151 Wooster?

F5F: This woman Edit DeAK who’s house this was, a really noted art critic told me “come and paint on the walls” – she just let it happen – when right outside people were like, “Ugh, that’s horrible. Get those guys out of here.” She was able to see things that now many people see and understand. Now they use this style of painting to represent hip, young, cool – the music does the same thing, you know about that. It was something I definitely saw was a lot bigger then it was, but I had no idea 25 years later I’d be standing here in-front of this wall dropping this history like we uncovered some secret tomb.

MM: Looking at all of this, how does it make you feel?

F5F: It feels great, when I saw all this and got wind of it, it just made me think about what point I was at, and all the other things that I was about to do. So now 20-plus years later it’s like the preverbal mark on the wall… The thing I like about seeing it is a lot of people would look at this and try to say “I like when you do the big colorful things, but I don’t like it when it’s all the scribbles” – but I like that too. On the more artistic side, I was the urban nerdy kid who hung out in the museums, I was on the street corners doing my thing but I knew about Jackson Pollack, I knew about Franz Kline, so I was seeing how abstract painters are inspired by the calligraphic history of it all… The interconnected craziness turns it into a whole thing like what you have here [pointing to The 151 Wooster Mural], which really represents the wild energy of it all from that period.

MM: Is it significant that “Wild Style” is actually written on the wall?

F5F: Yeah, well there was a crew named Wild Style, wild style was actually a style of graffiti – of the really interconnected pieces… Charlie [Ahearn] and I named our movie “Wild Style” – the first film on Hip Hop culture to really speak so broadly to specifically that style of work.

MM: Looking back on all this I’m curious to know how you feel about hip hop and the culture it is today. On MTV, you hosted the first international show that really brought hip hop around the world. Now it’s a phenomenon in all these other countries. How do you feel about that?

F5F: I feel great about it, I’m very much so still a part of it. Today I produced a show for VH1 called “Hip Hop Honors”… As a producer of the show I was honored, along with Charlie Ahearn, for producing and being a part of the film “Wild Style”. I’m really happy to see the culture go beyond my wildest dreams, or imaginations of where it could go. It’s a great thing to see people in different countries, from different places and different spaces being a part of this interesting culture. It’s really great.

MM: It seems like everything that you were a part of putting out there into the mainstream was very positive. How do you feel about the different directions that Hip Hop has taken?

F5F: In general the good parts of Hip Hop are still probably the most important, and I’m not just being biased. I think it’s probably the most important cultural force that’s emerged, without question, in the last 100 years because it continues to thrive and grow in every aspect… In America there’s so much of a commercial, watered down, “lets just get the money” vibe, but when you go to every other country around the world – all over Europe, all over Asia, all over Africa – people take up this culture to give themselves a voice. They don’t have outlets to media that we have, the outlet to galleries, so people have picked up these forms to express themselves in ways that are really beyond comprehension. There’s nothing really that you can compare to what goes on with people picking up spray paint, and grabbing the microphone, scratching some records to kind of make a sound, and giving people a vibe that they mean something. That’s the important thing about [Hip Hop] to me.

MM: You mentioned that one of the main things asked by the press was “How long is this going to last?” Were you aware that this movement was something that was going to go beyond what was happening in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn?

F5F: To a certain extent I did… I knew the amount of kids throughout the city that were avidly into this but [in 1980] it was still a big secret to the rest of the country and the rest of the world… I knew that once people got a sense of it, got to see it, got to understand it – they would at least be able to appreciate it. [In the 1980's] if you were Black or Puerto Rican and you were wearing street cloths, whenever you would see [graffiti] images in the press it was negative, it was crime – like “these are the bad guys”…. I wanted to help make a film to see images of people that look like me that were doing something. That’s why, as a painter, my “Swan Song” on the subway system was an homage to Andy Warhol; I did a whole subway car painted with Campbell soup cans to let people know – “wow some of those kids that are doing those trains must know about art.” Warhol was somebody that I really admired as an artist… He redefined what an artist could be in this pop culture and I was very fascinated – myself, Jean-Michel, and Keith Haring were all thinking about that aggressively, talking about it, then doing our own thing based on that history.

Jailhouse Rock: Rock (Heltah Skeltah)

http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/410

ShaBe

Whenever a rapper is involved in a shooting, it is the media’s, thus, the public’s opinion that the industry individual(s) is assumed guilty as charged. The difficult pill to swallow is that in most all of those cases, the accused have been guilty as charged. With these odds, it makes it virtually impossible for the innocent to get a fair deal.

Jamal Bush aka Rock of the rap superduo Heltah Skeltah was released Thursday, January 24th on $125,000 bail from Rikers Island after being charged with attempted murder and assault against another Brooklyn man. It has been alleged that Rock and the victim were known pimps and the dispute that escalated into a shooting began over a prostitute.

Only days after being released on $125,000 bail, HHNLive.com sits down with Rock of Heltah Skeltah to discuss his impending murder charge, alleged gang ties, his up-coming projects, the day of his arrest and much more.

Rock on people calling him by his government name: “I don’t even know who the fuck you talkin’ about if you ain’t tell me another name, understand what I’m sayin’? I’m not Sean Price. Don’t call me by my government name. Fuck outta here!”

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HHNLive.com: What’s goin’ on, homie? Welcome home!

Rock: Good lookin’.What’s the word? Ya know, same ol’ shit.

HHNLive.com: The last time I saw you was in the Rhodes Music Building on 30th Street in the city when you was finishing up “The Last Stand” in the summer of ‘06. What have you been into since then?

Rock: Umm…a little bit of jail, a little bit of streets, little bit of studios, a few more countries and all that. Mostly studios and countries, though…touring and working on the new album, well the mixtape. The Rock solo shit. It’s called “Shell Shock” and it’s a beautiful monstrosity. It’ll be out next month.

HHNLive.com: What have you been doin’ for the past two days you’ve been home?

Rock: Workin’. It just took me away from my work. That’s what I been doin’…studios. You know me and Ruck got a new album comin’ out after the mixtape. The Shell Shock is just the beginning. You know D.I.R.T. is on the way.

HHNLive.com: When is your next hearing?

Rock: Sometime this month. Sometime between this and next month.

HHNLive.com: Because of your status as an artist, did they put a lot of stipulations on your bail?

Rock: Not many, but a few.

HHNLive.com: Can you still leave the country?

Rock: No.

HHNLive.com: Is that gonna cause a problem for you promoting the new album?

Rock: Of course it’s gonna cause a problem. You know how they love us overseas.

HHNLive.com: Tell me as much as you can about what happened on January 15th.

Rock: January 15? What day was that? Oh, that’s when I got locked up! That night I was in booking. I got knocked that morning. Niggas came to where I was at and snatched me. It was really no more no less. It is what it is. I seen these niggas…I could’ve ran, but why would I run? I looked right at these niggas like, ‘Somebody on this block did some shit.’ I looked right at them niggas and watched them come to me like, ‘What the fuck are they doin’ here?’ and opened the door for them. You understand what I’m sayin’? That’s basically what it was.

HHNLive.com: What even gave the D.A. grounds to issue the warrant?

Rock: I don’t know about all of that and if I did, I’m not sure I could talk about all of that. A motherfucka said I did somethin’ and it is what it is. Anything further than that, I would feel like one of them stupid Smack DVD niggas. We ain’t gonna get into all of that. You understand what I’m sayin’? It is what it is. I got knocked, the fuckin’ charges are pending for attempted murder, niggas slanderin’ my motherfuckin’ name, I’m out on bail, now, watch me work.

HHNLive.com: So why are they accusing you of bein’ a pimp and all that?

Rock: If I could answer that, I might be able to answer something else. It is what it is. I can’t get into all that shit right there.

HHNLive.com: I feel you. So when can we expect the Shell Shock mixtape?

Rock: Shell Shock will be out next month.

HHNLive.com: Who you got on that?

Rock: I got Boot Camp on it. I got the long awaited appearance of the Rock Brothers on there. I got M.F.G. on it…Boot Camp, Mag Force, Rock Brothers.. I might have some guest appearances on there. I’ve done a lot of song wit’ a lot of dudes, but I ain’t been in contact wit’ a lot of dudes and…I ain’t get clearance from everybody yet. Whether I get clearance or not, it really don’t matter ’cause the monster man Rocko and I do fuck wit’ Rock Brothers and Boot Camp Clik, so you know the shit is gonna be off the chain regardless.

HHNLive.com: This whole situation with this case…did they come at you extra hard with more investigators[Hip Hop Police]?

Rock: The Hip Hop Police is a funny thing. They’re there, but I ain’t never have ‘em…it ain’t a taskforce of niggas wit’ “Hip Hop Police” on their vest. The police just is what they is. They come at you the way they come at you. Either they come at you as blue and whites, they come at you in plainclothes, or they come at you in suits and ties. You know what I’m sayin’?

HHNLive.com: I understand that, but did they come at you on some rap shit about other rappers or the industry in general?

Rock: Nah, they ain’t do no shit like that. They ain’t give a fuck about another rapper in my situation.

HHNLive.com: Do you pledge allegience or should I say associate yourself with the Blood (organization)?

Rock: Hell no, nigga! Nigga, I’m Decept to death. Everybody, the fans, the media, whoever it is that listens to my shit…whether you listen to it or whether you use it to judge me or whatever the fuck, you not even listenin’ to this shit! On “The Last Stand”, and everybody loved that album, I said very blatantly, ‘…even though I ride wit’ the red gettin’ my pop on, I’m a D-E-C-E-P-T icon..’ plain as day! I didn’t describe it, none of that. Everybody know that it’s all kinds of Blood and Crip shit out in New York and every place else, but I’m a D-E-C-E-P-T- icon, you understand what I’m sayin’? That’s what that is.

HHNLive.com: Nuff said. Being that you can’t get too much into the case, how much support or criticism have you gotten from people in your camp?

Rock: From people in my camp…people that’s a part of my circle know me, so that’s a non issue to them. They know me. You can describe a situation and I can tell you if one my niggas was there or not or if they was involved. You can describe a chick and I can tell you if my man likes her or not. I ain’t gotta see him or her. We know each other. What bothers them is the fact that this shit happened, that I got locked up and a motherfucka is slandering my name and all of that. It’s all support. It ain’t no criticism.

HHNLive.com: Why do you think somebody would even come wit’ some shit like that in the first place?

Rock: ‘Cause it’s haters in the world, you understand what I’m sayin’? That just is what it is. Niggas is bitches, niggas is haters, niggas is all kind of things that I don’t associate with. First of all, I don’t even do government names, so when a nigga comin’ at me talkin’ about this person and that, most of the time, I don’t even know who the fuck you talkin’ about if you ain’t tell me another name, understand what I’m sayin’? I’m not Sean Price. Don’t call me by my government name. Fuck outta here! You disrespecting me if you do that. Niggas talkin’ about, ‘Yeah, I know that nigga. I know Jamal.’ Fuck outta here! If anybody ever do that to you, then you know that that’s a nigga that doesn’t know me. He might of met me, he might of used to know me, but if you knew me, you would know that’s like feeding me motherfuckin’ shrimp and I’m allergic to shellfish! That’s besides the point. I’m not one of them niggas. Some of these niggas I don’t know. Some of these niggas I burnt back in the day on some rap shit. You never know. I’ve slapped niggas for comin’ at me wrong. Who the fuck knows who this nigga is? Just check me out in court. Give me a street name and I might know somethin’, but I don’t fuckin’ know these dudes. What I know is Shell Shock…The D.I.R.T. you know what I’m sayin’? Rock Brothers, Mag Force, B.C.C. That’s enough firepower to supply the whole East Coast.