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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Tupac's last interview





Tupac Amaru Shakur was an inspiration to millions.

While  2Pac was most famous for his rap career,  he was also a gifted actor, poet and thoughtful while outspoken advocate for the poor and the overlooked in America. During his life, he produced an immense amount of artistic work, which included studio albums, major Hollywood feature films, and published works.  He was most prolific in the music industry, selling over 75 million albums. 2Pac’s unapologetic lyrics were relevant, important, and reflective of the hard lives led by many. His music earned attention and respect through a poetic style that embraced street vocabulary while being innovative. Today, 2Pac is still considered by many to be one of the biggest influences on modern hip-hop.


Source: 2Pac.com

Tupac's last interview (Part 1 of 4)






Tupac's last interview  (Part 2 of 4)





Tupac's last interview  (Part 3 of 4)






Tupac's last interview  (Part 4 of 4)




Chi-Ali Released From Prison



Source: Hip-Hop Wired

Chi-Ali was arrested in 2001 after being on the run for a little over a year for shooting and killing Sean Raymond, the brother of his then girlfriend, back in 2000.  He served almost a full 12 years out of his 14-year sentence for second-degree murder, and he has finally been freed at 36-years-old.  The rap veterans still have love for the throwback hip hop MC, who in the early 90's was the youngest member of the Native Tongue collective.  He was recently seen with Fat Joe and Lil Wayne on the set of Fat Joe's "Yellow Tape" video shoot.

Summer Madness 2 Full Battle: Loaded Lux vs Calicoe



Source: VladTV

This highly anticipated Summer Madness 2 battle between the rap vet Loaded Lux and young up-and-comer Calicoe, surpassed the hype that followed it to the battle event at Webster Hall in Manhattan weeks ago.  Calicoe came out strong in the first round, and remained solid throughout the battle with constant bars.  Even though Loaded Lux had a hick-up in the first round, he managed to pick up steam in the second and third round, and captivated the crowd with his "preacher at a funeral" style of rapping.  The Instagram picture Lux released of Calicoe in the end was truly a low blow, but the bars he spit also contained a really deep meaning behind them if you listen closely.

Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks, Q-Tip and other hip hop figures were present at this epic event supporting the many battlers putting on a show full of pure bars.
Make sure to watch the full battle throughout.  Who do you think won, Loaded Lux, or Calicoe?

Tupac Shakur, Still A Cultural Force 16 Years After His Death




Source: Rapfix.Mtv.com



It's been 16 years since Tupac Shakur died on September 13, 1996, at the age of 25, and this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival only reinforced the fact that the West Coast rapper has become a mythical figure--not solely for hip-hop diehards, but in the history of popular culture. Pac's hologram, appearing alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to perform in the California desert, was alarming to some fans and a welcome sight to others, but whatever your stance, it's clear that Pac has left more than a lasting impression.

Tupac's 1996 shooting and death was the final act in a life often overshadowed by drama and controversy. On September 7, 1996, after attending a Mike Tyson heavyweight championship fight in Las Vegas (and then getting into a fight himself afterwards), the rap star was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting. It wasn't the first time the enigmatic street poet came under fire. On November 30, 1994, Shakur was shot five times and, like a mythical urban superhero, checked himself out of the hospital against the doctor's orders, living to tell his tales through rap.

Through his music, storied acting career and overall public persona, Tupac Shakur had proved resilient, so his fans held hope that he would survive the 1996 attack that left him hospitalized for six days. But this time would be different. On Friday September 13, 1996, Tupac Amaru Shakur died due to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. Authorities have yet to find his killer.

Born to two Black Panthers, Tupac understood poverty and black struggle, and he wasn't afraid to express it through his music. As intelligent, profound and articulate as he was in song, 'Pac also remained relatable, controversial and contradictory. So while tracks like "Brenda's Got a Baby," "Keep Ya Head Up" and "Dear Mama" were made to uplift, fiery anthems like "Hit 'Em Up," "Ambitionz Az a Ridah" and "Against All Odds" stood as chest-pounding, testosterone-filled thug anthems. Other hits like "I Get Around," "How Do U Want It" and "Toss It Up" celebrated Tupac's flirtatious side.

A double-threat, 'Pac went on to conquer Hollywood as well, beginning with a brief appearance in 1991's "Nothing But Trouble," starring Chevy Chase and Demi Moore. It was his 1992 role in the movie "Juice," however, that certified him a star. Playing the maniacal and villainous Bishop, 'Pac put his Thug Life persona on full display on the silver screen. He went on to land roles in films like "Poetic Justice" with Janet Jackson, "Above the Rim" and "Bullet," alongside Mickey Rourke.

In February 1995, the rapper/actor began serving a prison sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York after he was sentenced on a sexual abuse charge in a rape case he faced the previous year. When he released his third solo album, Me Against the World, a month later, 'Pac became the first artist to score a #1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart from behind bars.

Later that year, Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight posted bail pending Tupac's appeal and signed the rapper to his label, where he went on to release his first double LP All Eyez on Meand, under the alias Makaveli, his The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory(which came out months after his death). While he was creating what many agree was the best music of his career, this period in 'Pac's life was marked by the feud he ignited with the Notorious B.I.G. and Diddy's Bad Boy Records. B.I.G. was gunned down six months after Shakur, on March 9, 1997. While many speak of the two rap deaths in the same regard, there is no concrete evidence to link the two. B.I.G.'s murder is also unsolved.

After his death, Tupac's legacy lives, particularly with the eight posthumous albums that have been released, including a double-disc greatest hits collection. He has been immortalized in film, books and even college courses, as well as through the works of musicians who have come after him. Traces of 'Pac can be found in nearly almost every rapper from 50 Cent to T.I. Jay-Z, Eminem, Fabolous and Cam'ron have all sampled from Shakur, and non-rap artists like Justin Bieber have claimed to be fans.

In his death he has remained firmly rooted as a hip-hop legend, but at the same time his legend has surpassed musical genre. Tupac Shakur was more than a rapper or poet or a thespian; he is a motivator, an inspiration and an American classic — even in death.

Kanye Nominated for Almost Every BET Award




Source: Rhymes With Snitch

BET must want Kanye West to show up to the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards bad as hell. They nominated Yeezy for almost every award possible...!


There's only 19 awards to pass out but Kanye was nominated 17 times! In a couple categories he was nominated twice!

Instead of telling you which categories Kanye was nominated in, it's easier to just tell you the ones he wasn't! Kanye West was NOT nominated for Rookie of the Year, Mix Tape of the year, DJ of the Year, Best Hip Hop site or Best Featured Verse, but Two Chains is nominated for Best Featured Verse on Kanye West's Mecry!

Go here to see the nominations list.

Tune in for Kanye West night on BET October 9th at 8:00.

Rapper Webbie Arrested -- Accused of Kicking Woman Down Stairs 


Source: TMZ

Rapper Webbie has been arrested for battery and robbery -- after allegedly kicking a woman down a flight of stairs and filching $340 from her pocketbook ... but Web tells us, none of it's true.

According to a police report filed in Baton Rouge, LA, Webbie is accused of attacking a woman inside a Chase Suite Hotel early this morning after being banned from the premises -- kicking her down two sets of stairs before swiping her purse and stealing $340 in cash. The details surrounding the altercation are unclear.

According to the report, Webbie was arrested on the scene at approximately 2:30 AM.A rep for Webbie tells TMZ, the rapper met the woman behind the accusations at a party last night -- but he never attacked her, or stole her money. The rep admits Webbie took money from the woman's purse -- but insists the money is his ... and the woman in question had stolen it from him. The rep says Webbie -- who was released today on $9,000 bond -- plans to fight the accusations.

50 Cent Partners with Pacquiao, Is TMT Promotions Done?

50 Cent and Mayweather's bromance is over and done with.

Source: Rhymes With Snitch

 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather's arch nemesis, Manny Pacquiao, just formed a joint boxing promotions company.

 If you recall 50 and Floyd also formed a boxing promotions company, TMT Promotions, but um, TMT is done with, apparently.

 Manny's spokesman tells Boxing Scene

 “I think with 50 Cent, with his entertainment connections and his popularity there, combining that with Manny’s popularity and expertise in boxing – we can bring a new flavor to boxing – we can excite some young boxers and I think we can sign some top quality boxers. I spoke to 50 Cent tonight and confirmed that we’re going to go forward. Manny is coming here this weekend for other business, but we’re all excited about it. With 50’s influence in the music industry – we want to put a different flavor on the shows.”