ProHipHop: Hip Hop Marketing & Business News

Want To Get Famous? Mount a Guerrilla Attack on Gizmodo!

Now's your chance to get famous in the blogosphere and possibly beyond if you've been working on that one without success.

Whatever you think about Gizmodo's pranks at CES, there's a lot of attention right now on a crew who's only used to dealing with oddball programmers who got lucky, tech bloggers, bourgeois presenters and venture capitalists, know what I mean?

Somebody with a hard core approach and a keen eye for the legal details could now mount a nonviolent, legal, offline guerrilla attack on the Gizmodo crew and get a lot of attention and support.

They've removed any reason to be hands off so they're very vulnerable right now.

Just take some time to analyze the legal implications of whatever you do and take into account the possibility that Denton will sue if he's seriously embarrassed.

The people that support Gizmodo can't really say anything at that point without getting all mucked up in the details which they're currently able to skirt by laughing.

The people that are angry at Gizmodo will, at worst, shake their heads at your childish response but some of them will say, Gizmodo had it coming!

All who know will find it difficult not to write about you.

GET FAMOUS!  DISRUPT THE GIZMODO CREW!

This feels better.  Getting moralistic about pranks isn't my usual path, though I haven't fronted about any of my opinions, I'm just working through the implications at the moment.

But leveraging the positioning of other pranksters is something about which I know quite a bit.  And that too can be a community service if done correctly.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
CES: Gizmodo Staffer Permanently Banned, More to Follow

CES: Gizmodo Staffer Permanently Banned, More to Follow

Though the Internets Celebrities' VH1 Hip Hop Honors Episode may have gotten them banned from this and other events, we may never really know, since hip hop biz is mad covert!

But the Gizmodo crew at CES were seriously messing with people's money by shutting down their flat screen displays at a major, expensive to attend event.

As a result, a permanent ban on CES attendance has been placed on one Gizmodo staffer and there may be "additional sanctions against Gizmodo and Gawker Media" according to an official statement from CES organizers.

On the Flip Side:
It must have been a really fun prank.  Certainly the IC guys had fun.   So I guess it's a matter of what kind of access you want going forward.  I'm focusing more on bridge building and how to maintain a sharp critique while still being a useful community resource at the moment, which is a lot of darn work, but I definitely understand the pull to shake things up at these events.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Want To Get Famous? Mount a Guerrilla Attack on Gizmodo!

Photos from National Portrait Gallery's Hip Hop Portraiture Show for Your Web Use

Mule by Jefferson Pinder

8 mm film transferred to digital video, 2006
Jefferson Pinder, courtesy of G Fine Art; © Jefferson Pinder

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery got caught by surprise when they discovered hip hop bloggers posting hi-resolution images from the upcoming RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture show.

I spoke with NPG's Bethany Bentley who told me that they did not intend for the hi-res images to go online due to agreements with artists.  But they are happy to send out lo-res images for folks that will use them to publicize the show.  The truth is they haven't gotten this online response before so it's part of their learning curve.

I want to say that Ms. Bentley was very open and straightforward and she also gave me permission to post all the photos below in lo-res, web ready form and let people know that you can download them from here for use on your site as long as you do the two following things:
1) credit the artist
2) link to the show

Here's the link to the NPG site for RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture: http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize/visit.html

If you do pick these up here, I'd love a link back but the main thing is to give the artists and the National Portrait Gallery props.  I think if bloggers, in particular, work with such institutions when we can, it will lead to us getting more cool stuff in the long run.

To contact Bethany Bentley:
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
+1-202-633-8293

LL Cool J By Kehinde Wiley

Oil on canvas, 2005
LL Cool J; © Kehinde Wiley

Dilated Peoples, DJ Babu, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five by Kehinde Wiley

Oil on canvas, 2005
Collection Glenn Fuhrman, New York; © Kehinde Wiley

Erykah Badu, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

Ice T by Kehinde Wiley

Oil on canvas, 2005
Private Collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery; © Kehinde Wiley

Jean Grae, Coachella, Indio, CA by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

KRS One, Paramount, Santa Fe, NM by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

Jurassic 5, Akil, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

The Pharcyde, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM by David Scheinbaum

Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum

Recognize! Mural by Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp

Montana spray paint on Sintra panel, 2007
Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp; photograph by Mark Gulezian

Over at Hip Hop Press:
RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture Opens Feb. 8 at the National Portrait Gallery

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop & Contemporary Portraiture @ Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery

New York Magazine's Sneaker Shop Guide

New York Magazine has a guide to local sneaker shops.

Via Different Kitchen.

Del the Funky Homosapien Drops Bubble Pop Single from Eleventh Hour

Del the Funky Homosapien - Eleventh Hour

Del the Funky Homosapien has dropped Bubble Pop off his upcoming album Eleventh Hour due March 11th from Definitive Jux.

Press Release:
Del the Funky Homosapien Prepares for New Album on Def Jux

RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop & Contemporary Portraiture @ Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery

RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture

From the press release:
"LL Cool J, Erykah Badu, Common and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are just a few of the hip hop artists featured in paintings and photographs in 'RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture'"...

"The exhibition includes photographs by David Scheinbaum, paintings by Kehinde Wiley, video self-portraits by Jefferson Pinder and several works commissioned specifically for the show. Award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni has written an ode to hip hop that will be published in the accompanying booklet. Her poem, entitled "It's Not a Just Situation," will be graphically displayed in an exhibition gallery. Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist Shinique Smith will interpret the poem and create an installation in the same gallery that will include an audio component. Two Washington, D.C.-based graffiti artists -- Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp -- were commissioned to create four 20-foot-long murals that will be installed in the corridor that connects the galleries."

This should be a great show and a good reason for a road trip.  You've got lots of time cause it opens February 8th but doesn't close until October 6th.

It's always a good thing to see the Smithsonian, in this case their National Portrait Gallery, representing hip hop.  The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History announced in early 2006 that they were developing a major collection focused on hip hop called Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life and this show is more serious legitimation at a time when we really need it.

Official Site:
RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Photos from National Portrait Gallery's Hip Hop Portraiture Show for Your Web Use

Wooohah! Film/TV: Ice Cube's Comeback & A-Team, Diddy's Raisin in the Sun, Mos Def's Next Day Air, Marley Marl on The Vapors, Method Man Meets the Spartans

Ice Cube's next movie Comeback directed by former Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.

First look photos of Diddy in TV movie A Raisin in the Sun.

Mos Def's next film Next Day Air from the producers of Friday.

Marley Marl dismisses The Vapors casting rumors.

Ice Cube talks about possible role in upcoming A-Team movie.

The official movie poster to Method Man's Meet the Spartans.

Pete Rock Drops Multiple Tracks from NY's Finest

Pete Rock - NY's Finest

Pete Rock is expected to release NY's Finest, his first album in four years, on February 26th via Nature Sounds.

Multiple tracks are available for your listening pleasure:
We Roll featuring Jim Jones
Till I Retire
914 featuring Styles P and Sheek Louch

Press Release:
Legendary Hip Hop Producer Pete Rock Prepares for New Album

Official Site:
Pete Rock @ MySpace

Fantasy Land: Music Industry Crashes, Music Gets Better!

Seriously, I hate to be rude, but Slumping Record Sales Good for Real Hip Hop Artists?  That's crazy talk!

According to Charles Jones:
"This current recession in the hip hop economy will be a good thing if it runs off all the rappers and potential moguls who only got into the game for the money, hos and clothes. In fact, it seems like recently hip hop has retreated aesthetically and sentimentally back to the hood. Some of the biggest songs of the last half of 2007 like "Duffle Bag Boy" and "I'm So Hood" and even "Crank That" have been directly and definitively made for the hood."

"Artists are trying less to cross over into White America and more to gain their respect and notoriety from people who look like them. And that is a beautiful thing because hip hop first and foremost is a street culture and rap is street music. Maybe this will be the beginning of a new golden age one where the culture controls, exploits, and owns its image and therefore directly reaps the financial benefits."

This variation on the fantasy land argument that if there's no money to be made real artists will return to the forefront has little historical basis, at least, none of these people ever give historical examples and I don't know of any.

In this case, the idea that music for the hood will not be about stacking dollars when the basic idea is that the real hood is full of poor people who want to stack dollars is crazy talk that ignores the actual products coming out of the hood.

Didn't Mr. Jones pick up on the content of Duffle Bag Boy?  Sentimentality for the hood or for those big bags of money?

But even in situations where people aren't poor but don't emphasize money in their lives, you don't automatically get good art.  If you spend a lot of time in truly grassroots settings where people are making art for the love of it, you still get as much bad art as you do good, sometimes more.  I was in that space for many years.  I listened to a lot of stupid poems and lousy musicians in between the occasional worthy act and that was fine most of the time.

It wasn't about great art, it was about community.  And that made some not so great art quite meaningful but it didn't have anything to do with how much money other people were making through their art.  It had to do with our values and where we focused our energy.

We can't make change if we're disconnected from reality.  Come on, people!

Each Google Employee Generates $950k in Revenue

I'm not entirely antagonistic to the concept of surplus labor as I would have been in the 80s.  But at the end of this great little list of data bits taken from an Ad Age report on search marketing, we find this:

"Google hired 5,000 people in 2006, doubling their workforce, and on average Google generates $950,000 in revenue for each employee it has."

Between the Google millionaires, the Google old timers moving to hot young startups and the above bit of data, new hires at Google are probably starting to feel a little sick.

But at least they're working!

Singles: Flo Rida's Low #1, Soulja Boy #10

Flo Rida's Low featuring T-Pain enters its third week at the top of the Hot 100 singles chart while Soulja Boy's Crank That (Soulja Boy) enters its 14th nonconsecutive week in the top 10.

Top 10 Singles on the Hot 100:

1. Flo Rida - Low feat. T-Pain
2. Alicia Keys - No One
3. Timbaland - Apologize feat. OneRepublic
4. Chris Brown - Kiss Kiss feat. T-Pain
5. Fergie - Clumsy
6. Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
7. Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
8. Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
9. Sara Bareilles - Love Song
10. Soulja Boy - Crank That (Soulja Boy)

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Yahhh! Soulja Boy to Rule '08

Crank That (Soulja Boy): Over 3 Million Downloads; Souljaboytellem.com: Over 650k Sold

Soulja Boy's Crank That (Soulja Boy) has passed 3 million downloads.

If you're into numbers:
"Grammy nominated for Best Rap Song and the #1 song on the Hot 100 chart for seven weeks, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" has also sold more than 3,000,000 ringtones and its music video has been viewed an incredible 28,000,000 times on YouTube. In addition, the instructional dance video has been viewed 22,000,000 times and the video for the single "Soulja Girl" (featuring I-15) 11,000,000 times. Not surprisingly then, his website is also the #1 most viewed artist site on the Web, with more than 1,000,000 unique hits per month. His MySpace page has recorded 27,000,000 profile views and 31,000,000 audio streams."

On the album tip:
"With his debut album, Souljaboytellem.com (ColliPark Music/Interscope Records), rocketing past its gold certification -- having sold more than 658,000 copies to date -- Soulja Boy is the biggest selling new hip-hop or R&B artist of 2007."

Wait a minute!  Isn't it common knowledge that Soulja Boy is only a singles artist?

Reality.  It really messes with your fixed assumptions, don't it?

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Yahhh! Soulja Boy to Rule '08
To Understand Soulja Boy's Success Go Beyond the Web

Snoop Dogg: Snoopermarkets Grocery Stores, Rich & Infamous Clothing, Pet Care Products

In the midst of a discussion with Snoop Dogg about his current musical activities, Shaheem Reid drops a great nugget for ProHipHop:
"In 2008, Snoop wants to introduce a new clothing line called 'Rich and Infamous,' a brand of pet-care products and a chain of grocery stores called 'Snoopermarkets.'"

If he's planning to launch a line of pet-care products, then I'm guessing that his dog toys and apparel must be doing ok.

I'm getting the feeling that those folks who thought Snoop Dogg was overextended when he launched the pet line are missing the magic of Snoop though I admit to having questions of my own from time to time.

Key problem with Snoopermarkets concept:
Isn't Snoop gang affiliated?  Can I hear you say DRIVE BY?

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Hip Hop Handcuffs: Paul Wall's Iced Out Cuffs, Snoop Dogg's Vinyl Petcuffs

Marketing & Merch: Soulja Boy's Yahhh! T-shirts

Soulja Boy Yahhh! T

Soulja Boy brings the marketing and merchandising pain with Yahhh! t-shirts for women and men.

Via Wooohah!.

Related Soulja Boy Marketing Coverage:
YET ANOTHER REASON WHY SOULJA BOY IS A GENIUS
Soulja Boy: Hear 'Em Out

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Yahhh! Soulja Boy to Rule '08

AllHipHop's illseed Seeks Sidekick, May Launch Rumor Site

It feels kind of strange taking news about a rumor column writer from their own column but these are strange times.

AllHipHop's illseed, king of the rumor factory, is seeking a cohort in rumor crimes:
If you remember back a ways back I had the homey Freeze Fiyah helping me out with the rumors. Freezy was cool, but he has moved on. With that said, thing I want somebody to offer a fresh voice here in the rumors like back then. I mean, if you are nice with your rumors, can write better than me, holla at me and put "Rumors Sidekick" in the subject. I am not leaning to men or women, but I think a female could balance out my mania.

If you've got rumor game, depending on how the money works, this could be an incredible opportunity: ahhrumors@gmail.com

He also mentioned in a section joking about leaving AllHipHop that he might just start his own site anyway.

I mention that because it's a really smart idea whether he's serious or not.  The last time I knew anybody with insider info that was sharing* I was told that AllHipHop's Rumors column was the biggest focus of traffic after the Community.  Launching as a separate site makes a lot of sense.

Now, if AllHipHop takes what is now a rumor column and builds it out to a full rumor department, rather than launching a separate site, and it does what I think it can do, then AllHipHop is about to twist the knife and maybe help put some more magazine editors out of work.

*[it's been awhile for me to have a contact with allhiphop insider info.  but think what I could do if I had more than the occasional inside tip.  i've done some nice things just poking around on the web and following up whatever comes along, you know?]

Droppin Science: Greatest Samples From The Blue Note Lab

Droppin Science - Greatest Samples From The Blue Note Lab

Blue Note Records is releasing Droppin Science: Greatest Samples From The Blue Note Lab on February 12th:
"a unique collection of the legendary label's classic late 60s through mid-70s jazz-funk tracks, all of which have featured prominently as samples in some of the greatest hip hop cuts of the late 80s, 90s and beyond...All of these original Blue Note tracks have been compiled for the first time on Droppin' Science, which Blue Note will release as a 10-track CD, a 13-track digital album and vinyl LP, as well as individual ring-tunes that are based on the exact sampled loop..."

"Taking the name from a cut off of Marley Marl's 1988 LP In Control Vol. 1, Blue Note's VP of A&R Eli Wolf conceived the Droppin' Science project as a way to connect what he calls the "golden age of hip hop" to the now classic jazz-funk tracks recorded for Blue Note during the late 60s through mid-70s. Selecting from over 25 Blue Note tracks, Wolf has assembled the best of the best from the Blue Note sampleography..."

TRACKLISTING and SAMPLEOGRAPHY

1. Lou Donaldson "It's Your Thing" – Originally on the album Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969).
Brand Nubian "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down" (Elektra)
De La Soul "Bitties In The BK Lounge" (Tommy Boy)
Lox "Get This $" (Bad Boy/Arista)
Real Live "Day You Die" (Pirate/Big Beat)
Madonna "I'd Rather Be Your Lover" (Warner Bros.)

2. Ronnie Foster "Mystic Brew" – Originally on the album Two Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972).
A Tribe Called Quest "Electric Relaxation" (Jive)
Rell "Real Love" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
E.T.A. "Ayia Napa" (Flex)

3. Donald Byrd "Think Twice" – Originally on the album Stepping into Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1974).
A Tribe Called Quest "Footprints" (Jive)
Main Source "Lookin At The Front Door" (Wild Pitch)
De La Soul "Simply Havin" (Tommy Boy)
DJ Krush "Big City Lover" (Instinct)
J Dilla "Think Twice" (BBE)

4. David Axelrod/David McCullum "The Edge" – Originally on the album Music: A Bit More of Me (Capitol, 1968).
Dr. Dre "The Next Episode" (Aftermath/Interscope)

5. Jack McDuff "Oblighetto" – Originally on the album Moon Rappin' (Blue Note, 1969).
A Tribe Called Quest "Scenario" (Jive)
J Dilla "Oblighetto Remix" (Blue Note)

6. Joe Williams "Get Out Of My Life Woman" – Originally on the album Presenting Joe Williams and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (Solid State, 1966).
Kool G Rap "Ill Street Blues" (Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros.)
Biz Markie "Funk Is Back" (Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros.)
Cadillac Tah "You Loose" (Def Jam)
Jill Scott "Brotha" (Hidden Beach)

7. Grant Green "Down Here On The Ground" – Originally on the album Alive! (Blue Note, 1970).
A Tribe Called Quest "Vibes & Stuff" (Jive)
Madonna "Forbidden Love" (Boy Toy/Warner Bros.)

8. Lonnie Smith "Spinnin Wheel" – Originally on the album Drives (Blue Note, 1970).
A Tribe Called Quest "Can I Kick It" (Jive)
Pete Rock And C.L. Smooth "Act Like You Know" (Elektra)
Brian Austin Green "Didn't Have A Clue" (Yam Yum Entertainment)

9. Jeremy Steig "Howling For Judy" – Originally on the album Legwork (Solid State, 1970).
Beastie Boys "Get It Together" (Capitol)

10. Lou Donaldson "Who's Makin Love (To Your Old Lady)" Originally on the album Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969).
Biggie Smalls "One More Chance" Remix. (Bad Boy)
Marley Marl & Craig G "Droppin Science" (Cold Chillin"/Warner Bros)
Mary J. Blige "Everyday It Rains" (Def Jams)

BONUS TRACKS (Digital album and LP version)

11. Ronnie Laws "Tidal Wave" Originally on the album Pressure Sensitive (Blue Note, 1975).
Black Moon "Who Got The Props" (Nervous)
Jackson 5 "I Want You Back (Remix)" (Motown)

12. Monk Higgins "Little Green Apples" – Originally on the album Extra Soul Perception (Solid State, 1969).
Gangstarr "Code Of The Streets" (Chrysalis/EMI)

13. Donald Byrd "Wind Parade" – Originally on the album Places and Spaces (Blue Note, 1975).
Black Moon "Buck Em Down" (Nervous)
2 Pac "Definition of A Thug n*gga" (Columbia Pictures/Sony) and (Amaru/Interscope/Jive)
2 Pac "Late Night" (Interscope)
Organized Confusion "Stray Bullet" (Hollywood)

Phoenix On the Come Up: Northpole, Hot Rod, Juice

The Phoenix New Times has an extended piece by Niki D'Andrea on the Phoenix hip hop scene focused on Northpole and his upcoming Disturbing Tha Peace release but also digging into the history and some of the other rappers on the rise such as Hot Rod (G-Unit) and Juice (Black Wall Street).

Some of it is focused on rappers in the scene who want to stay unified or, at least, get along, even folks like Juice and Hot Rod.  That's a good look for Phoenix if they can pull it off.  I think it would be cool if Arizona could bring some peace into the game.

Facebook President Hoax & the Limits of Journalism

TechCrunch has a great account of the Facebook President hoax which sucked in the French mainstream media like they were entertainment writers taking hip hop money claims at face value.

This story actually goes beyond what I was explaining recently to my youngest bro about the limitations of journalists' education and how that undermines mainstream media coverage.

The short version:
Working journalists typically cover a range of topics that far exceed their education and there is typically little time to make up for that lack of education so they then rely on a limited research system of checks and balances that results in deeply flawed coverage of most topics.

What's amazing in this case is that many major French news outlets didn't even bother to fact check combining insufficient knowledge with misuse of insufficient research methods.

This is quite relevant to ProHipHop because a number of false hip hop business claims that I've participated in exposing have gotten widespread transmission in the media after people saw something and passed it along cause it sounded good to them.  What's sad is that MSM journalists have been an integral part of this process and, when questioned, almost always have an explanation of how their methodology makes it ok even when they've obviously misled the public.

Albums: Radiohead's In Rainbows No. 1 in US/UK

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Radiohead's In Rainbows, probably the most discussed rock album on hip hop blogs in 2007, takes the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart soon after taking the top spot in the UK.

Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200:

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. Alicia Keys - As I Am
3. Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains
4. Now That's What I Call Music 26
5. Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift
6. Chris Brown - Exclusive
7. Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits
8. Soundtrack - Juno
9. Colbie Caillat - Coco
10. The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden

On a personal note:
One of my New Year's resolutions was to listen to more albums in 2008.  I tried listening to a streaming version of In Rainbows.  After the fourth song I was so incredibly bored that I just shut it off.

That's one of those reasons I don't do album reviews anymore.  It requires listening to whole albums no matter how much I personally feel they suck and then playing the debased role of music critic.

I just don't see the appeal in my doing that.

NY Times & the swift chancellor report:
Radiohead Finds Sales, Even After Downloads
The NY Times misses the point on the Radiohead physical sales figures

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
In Rainbows: Radiohead's New Album Pricing Induces Blogger Visions of a Beautiful New World

Barack Obama Chooses Tricky Hip Hop Strategy

The problem with saying that you love hip hop but have issues with some of it is that there are a huge number of people out there who don't get what you mean about there being a positive side.

I'm glad Obama wants to work with rappers to reach youth and that he doesn't embrace hip hop unquestioningly but I really wonder whether or not saying good things about hip hop when you're running for President of the United States is a smart move.

If you haven't been a white man trying to explain to other white people what's up with hip hop, you may not realize just how treacherous this can be.  Since coming back to Raleigh where I mainly know white people, I have to say that I have yet to meet one white person over 30 who has a clue that rap can be anything other than potty-mouthed, sexist baby raps or violent nonsense that seems to be bringing the deadly chaos of the hood to the seemingly peaceful suburbs.

I still know people who say rap is neither music nor art.  If you're worried about white people who say they'll vote for a black man but might not when the moment comes, think about this how this is going to work on their subconscious, not to mention their everyday awareness.

[Especially if Yahhh! Madness strikes the people.]

By the way:
I've had two close middle-aged white male friends whose wives turned them away from the N-word in a way none of their activist friends could.  Guess what they've been using to justify occasionally bringing it back?  Rap music, of course.

Best of luck, Obama.

Over at Hip Hop Press:
HipHopSodaShop Hosts Barak Obama's Team for the New Hampshire Primary Presidential Returns

Yahhh! Soulja Boy to Rule '08

You didn't like all those Crank Dat videos?  Well what are you going to do when every other teenager and wanna be teenager you encounter goes "Yahhh!"

School teachers are going to have a sucky 2008 with this one as Soulja Boy continues to hack consciousness and invade our daily lives.

It's a good thing for Mr. Poole [R.I.P.] that this kind of music didn't exist back when he was directing our church choirs.  We'd have been making him much madder with "Yahhh!" than we ever could with our silly behavior.

And that's part of how you move beyond worrying about record sales and becoming a highly monetizable phenomenon.  You enter not only the lives of your fans but the lives of your haters.

Check it at Writer's Block Media.

Historical Releases: The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz

Guru - The Best Of Guru's Jazzmatazz

Virgin/EMI is releasing The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz, 18 tracks off three volumes plus bonus tracks, on February 12th.

Here's the tracklist:

  The Best Of Guru's Jazzmatazz (CD & Digital Album)
  1.   No Time To Play (with D.C. Lee and Ronnie Jordan)
  2.   Trust Me (with N'Dea Davenport)
  3.   Slicker Than Most (with Gary Barnacle)
  4.   Down The Backstreets (with Lonnie Liston Smith)
  5.   Sights In The City (with Courtney Pine and Carleen Anderson)
  6.   Loungin' (with Donald Byrd)
  7.   Respect The Architect (with Ramsey Lewis and Bahamadia)
  8.   Watch What You Say (with Chaka Khan and Branford Marsalis)
  9.   Lost Souls (with Jamiroquai)
  10.  Choice Of Weapons (with D.C. Lee, Gus da Vigilante and Courtney Pine)
  11.  Looking Through The Darkness (with Mica Paris)
  12.  Keep Your Worries (with Angie Stone)
  13.  Supa Love (with Kelis)
  14.  Lift Your Fist (with The Roots)
  15.  Plenty (with Erykah Badu)
  BONUS TRACKS
  16.  Choices (with N'dea Davenport & Bobbi Humphrey) -- from the Once In
       The Life soundtrack
  17.  Loungin' (Jazz Not Jazz Mix) -- remix by Smash
  18.  Respect The Architect (Buckwild Remix) -- remix by Buckwild

I titled this Historical Releases not just because this is an important part of hip hop history but because this is a good time to reassess Guru's work.  Hip hop's going through a major transition and it would be good to see Guru reinserted in mainstream conversations that typically exclude such approaches.

Dave Mays & Benzino to Launch MONSTA Magazine

Latisha Simmons aka MahoganyGirl checks in on Dave Mays and Benzino's response to Elliott Wilson's firing and mentions some news I've missed, the Weekly Hip Hop lads are launching a new magazine called MONSTA next month.

Apparently Dasun Allah, former Source EIC and writer for the Star & Buc Wild Morning Show, is also involved with the development of MONSTA.

Rumor: Def Jam $100 Million in Debt, Needs Hits Now!

MahoganyGirl has been informed that Def Jam is in serious financial trouble:

"Sources says the founding Hip Hop label is almost 100 million in the hole. 100 Mill son! The insider says Def Jam needs some BIG selling records ASAP to start decreasing the labels debt."

Looks like Jay-Z got out just in time.

Ice Cube & DJ Pooh, UVNTV.com & Wack Press Releases

So Ice Cube and DJ Pooh founded an Internet video site and all ProHipHop could say was Hip Hop @ CES: Ice Cube & DJ Pooh Promote UVNTV.com without any mention of ownership?

I make it a point not to harass publicists unduly but when one of the top pr firms in the hip hop game puts out a press release that manages to bury what I consider a major story, I think it's worth pointing out.  And, yes, this is partly annoyance at getting scooped by other bloggers after I'd already posted.

Check this UVNTV.com press release headline:
Hip Hop Icon and Entertainment Mogul, Ice Cube and Legendary DJ Pooh Leverage Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 to Launch the Web's First Real-Time Television Network UVNTV.com

The headline is ambiguous.  We know these guys aren't programmers and we regularly see releases with headlines like Chuck D and DMC Launch Beyond.fm that do not refer in any way to company ownership or executive status.  It's not a good headline for other reasons as well but the details should be cleared up in the first few lines of the release.

But the press release for UVNTV.com's only line relevant to ownership is the first line:
Hip hop icon, entertainment mogul Ice Cube and legendary DJ Pooh announced today the launch of the world's first real-time streaming television network online, UVNTV.com (U View Network Television).

That's it.  No direct statement that they are the founders, no backstory or founding tale and no information about who else might be involved in the company.  Not a good look.

But USA Today got the full story.  Guess they skipped the press release.

On the plus side, this is a nice boost for Microsoft's Silverlight product.

Bun B Joins SXSW Lineup, More To Come

Bun B will appear at the SXSW Music Festival.

Expect more such announcements ahead as Matt Gonzala digs in.

Trailer: Diddy in Raisin In The Sun

Trailer for Raisin In The Sun

Via Real Talk NY.

Eminem Hospitalized for Pneumonia Complications

TMZ reports that Eminem's publicist told them:

"Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia. He has since been released and is doing well recovering at home."

TMZ is also claiming that Eminem was "taken to a Detroit-area hospital for a serious heart condition and severe pneumonia. Sources tell TMZ Em's weight has ballooned to over 200 lbs."

Anybody seen any recent pics or videos of Eminem?

I think a fat Elvis type show starring Eminem would be really awesome except for the bad health part.  Don't they both have a history of pill-popping and stealing musical styles from black people?

Hmm, I better stop before this hole gets any deeper!

Update:
Shaheem Reid notes that Eminem's last public appearance was over the phone on September 12th when he called Hot 97's Angie Martinez during a visit by 50 Cent.

Hip Hop @ CES: will.i.am Joins Yoko Ono to Introduce the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

will.i.am, Yoko Ono, Natasha Bedingfield, Pat Monahan

Yoko Ono was joined at CES by will.i.am, Natasha Bedingfield and Pat Monahan to present the new version of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus that comes equipped with:
"two studio environments which are each powered by a high-end Apple Mac Pro loaded with Ableton Live, Logic Studio, Final Cut Studio and Sibelius music notation software, supplemented by an Apple XServe and XRAID system which facilitates high-bandwidth HD multimedia production and storage."

The bus is a nonprofit project intended to:
"provide students with free hands-on opportunities to make music, produce video projects, and shoot digital photos in the mobile recording studios. The Lennon Bus also has an illustrious history as a hit maker, with chart topping singles from The Black Eyed Peas and Fergie recorded on board."

The project was created by Executive Director Brian Rothschild and music manager David Sonenberg:
"with the focus originally on providing programs in songwriting and audio production. The program has expanded to include video production, and the new Bus goes even further with the addition of Sony HD video solutions, Mackie 5.1 surround sound monitor systems and Apogee's high-definition digital audio converters. Also new for '08 is an on-board Chromatte booth from Reflecmedia, as well as Bogen Imaging's full line of grip equipment, tripods, filters, and accessories."

You can check the official site of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus for school touring dates.

It's no surprise that lots of sponsors wanted in on this:
"The Bus, a 501(c)(3) venture, is made possible through the generosity of sponsors including Maxell Corporation, Apple, NAMM, Roland, Godin Guitars, Edirol by Roland, Sibelius, Audio-Technica, Sonicbids, Digidesign, Aphex Systems, Sony, Musician's Friend, Neutrik, Glyph Technologies, Ampeg, Ableton, Mackie, Crate, Apogee, Disc Makers, Smart Technologies, Antares, Bogen Imaging, IK Multimedia, McDSP, SKB, Ultimate Support, PureVolume.com, Planet Waves, Spectrasonics, Music Player Network, Native Instruments, and Boss."

[Photo by Don Henderson]

Hip Hop @ CES: Ice Cube & DJ Pooh Promote UVNTV.com

Ice Cube and DJ Pooh are helping announce today the soft launch of UVNTV.com in its beta stage.

It's unclear if they're more deeply involved.

UVNTV.com is a broadband Internet television social network powered by Microsoft's Silverlight 1.0 that appears to feature hip hop related content.

Update:
Turns out Ice Cube and DJ Pooh are UVNTV.com founders!  My response to the wack press release is linked below.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Ice Cube & DJ Pooh, UVNTV.com & Wack Press Releases

Matt Gonzala on the Passing of O.G. Style

Matt Gonzala remembers O.G. Style who passed on January 3rd.

He follows with an even more personal statement that expresses some of his feelings about the industry and also about artists who make a living without getting all the shine:

"Maybe a feature on the unhearalded legends of rap who somehow always kept a career is in order. K-Rino, C-Bo, Young Bleed, half the Bay, Point Blank, Bobo Luchiano, Psycho Drama, E.C. Illa, man there's just so many. SO MANY artists who have lived on beyond the hype. Artists who have paid mortgages for their entire adult lives without the help of the Source, XXL, Vibe or Clear Channel (or Clear Channels equally evil cousins). Maybe it's time to shine light on some of these other living artists outside of the blogs and Murder Dog."

Prediction: Elliott Wilson Will Return Via TV

ProHipHop predicts that Elliott Wilson will return to the game via a television deal of some sort.  Just wanted to put that on the record.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Goodbye Old Yeller: Elliott Wilson Fired From XXL

Vanessa Satten: Interim Editor-in-Chief at XXL

I was looking up some info about Vanessa Satten, reported to be XXL's interim Editor-in-Chief, and I'd totally forgotten that she's already revealed her cluelessness about bloggers:
XXL's Big Web Plans from Deputy Editor Vanessa Satten

Nevertheless, I want to wish Ms. Satten the best of luck as she takes over, for however long, at a publication that appears to be facing some real problems.  I'm sure she's just the woman for the job.

Best of luck, Vanessa!

XXL 100th Issue Cover Features Nas

Nas on the Cover of XXL's 100th Issue, March 2008

As XXL prepares to releases its 100th issue featuring Nas, let's all pause to remember Elliott Wilson.

Goodbye Old Yeller: Elliott Wilson Fired From XXL

Both AllHipHop and SOHH are reporting that XXL head blogger and Editor-in-Chief Elliott Wilson has been canned for unknown reasons and that Vanessa Satten is the interim EIC.

And just when James Brown Week was about to start!

Here's an interesting description of Mr. Wilson from SOHH:
Wilson made an infamous industry name for himself by penning scathing editorials which often took direct and personal shots at his former empolyee, competitors, internet sites, and artists.

I wonder how that affects one's job search?  In any case, a great man like Elliott Wilson will bounce back in no time.

Special thanks to Rizoh at The Rap Up and Maura at Idolator for filling me in on the news.

Previous ProHipHop Coverage:
Elliott Wilson: The Great Lion Brushes Off the Flies
Industry Pros Term Elliott Wilson's Back Cover Ad "Offensive" & an "Egregious Violation" of Ethics
XXL Editor "Goin' Nuts"?

CES: Tonium's Pacemaker Pocket-Sized DJ System

Pacemaker Pocket-Sized DJ System

I can't really evaluate the Pacemaker dj system but do I know there's not nearly enough gadget porn here at ProHipHop!

Gizmodo has a hard to decipher video demo from Tonium's CES booth but the Pacemaker site has more interesting stuff.

Official Sites:
Pacemaker
Tonium

[Photo courtesy PRNewsFoto/Tonium Laboratories]

Hip Hop @ CES: Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine were at CES yesterday introducing the new Beats by Dr. Dre headphones from Monster Cable.

Blogs Is Watching has links & pics:
Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones
Monster Cable x Dr. Dre x Jimmy Iovine (Interscope) Press Conference

Hip Hop @ CES: Chuck D & DMC Promote Beyond.FM & MediaStreet

Chuck D and DMC are helping launch Beyond.FM tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas as part of CES activities.

The press release also explains what else these guys will be up to as they promote Beyond.FM, a "destination to discover and purchase (for personal use) or license (for commercial use) music, music videos, photography and podcasts/radio programming", and its parent company MediaStreet:

"During CES, Chuck D and DMC will be on hand to sign autographs and discuss the revolutionary new Music Business Model of Beyond.fm at the Media Street Booth #37023 in South Hall 4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Also appearing for meet and greet and autographs is Grammy Award winning Dave Samuels (previously with Spyro Gyra, now Band leader for The Caribbean Jazz Project) and Steve Grisham from (Legends of the south) The Ghost Riders."

"They will also be showcasing MediaStreet's newest innovations in electronics that tie all of the legendary content together. MediaStreet award winning eMotion electronics will be on display including MP3/MP4/PM/DVD players as well as their latest line of Digital Photo/Art/Music frames."

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
MediaStreet Introduces Public Enemy Branded Portable Media Player

Hip Hop @ CES: Jay-Z Advises Bill Gates on Retirement

Bill Gates' Last Day at Microsoft

This video closed Bill Gates' keynote address Sunday night at CES, his last as a fulltimer at Microsoft.

Don't miss the Bill Gates' Big Pimpin' moment featuring Jay-Z.

Video via Blogs Is Watching.

CES: Beck's & Pandora Combine Beer & Music

Beck's beer and Pandora, a "personalized radio service, available anytime and anywhere on the PC, in the home and on mobile devices", have teamed up at CES:

"The Beck's and Pandora hospitality area, which will be located in the concierge center and is open to attendees 21 and older, will feature a happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. today through Wednesday. Laptops in the hospitality area will be tuned to Pandora's personalized music service. Pandora representatives will be on hand to walk listeners and members of the media through the music service...

Pandora also will be featuring a live game show today through Thursday in which CES attendees will answer music trivia questions and compete for prizes. The game show is a sneak preview of the new Musicmania video series that will premiere on Pandora in the spring. The games will be hosted by Kevin Seal, host of Pandora Presents..., a series of original videos and audio shows on Pandora."

Hip Hop @ CES: Supernatural Freestyles for Skullcandy

Rapper Supernatural performs at Skullcandy Booth during CES

Lots of hip hop present at the in-progress International CES, a trade show focusing on consumer electronics, and I'll be doing a series of posts on the event.

Supernatural's freestyles off audience supplied-objects are serious crowd pleasers and he works the crowd at CES for Skullcandy, an electronics company supplying headphones and mobile gear.

Skullcandy has a nice blog documenting their ongoing promotions with rock and rap artists including DJ A-Trak and DJ Skee and Ya Boy.

Be sure to check out the site graphics around the page border on Skullcandy's site.  Yeah, you've seen skulls and guns before but that's an interesting implementation with real style.

Turns out this is one of Supernatural's sidelines and you can check out the same act for Proofpoint at RSA 2007.

Hip Hop Album Releases for Jan. 2/8: Brown Boy, Grand Buffet, J.R., Sunspot Jonz, TLF, A Tribe Called Quest

J.R. - Life By Stereo

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