50 Gets Pushed Back to the Future

50 Cent’s New Album Gets Pushed Back to the Future- An editorial
AMW !.e. Talent: DJ single Handed
July 20, 2007

Fans of the infamous marketing and money machine known as rapper 50 Cent will have to wait just a little bit longer (again) for the release of his new album. Originally scheduled for a Labor Day release, the album entitled Curtis is now being pushed back a week due to the holiday weekend. Even after being pushed back several times already,a representative from 50’s camp commented that the “decision was made to push the release one week so that it is available everywhere at 10 am on (the) day of the release.”

The new album is rife with super-producers such as Dr. Dre and Timbaland and includes guest appearances from Eminem, Akon, and Mary J. Blige. I’ve listened to two tracks off the album already. If those give any indication of what’s in store, then we should expect typical 50 Cent.

I just hope that typical 50 Cent includes at least one or two legitimate club hits. Between “I Get Money” and “She Wants It,” he certainly doesn’t have one yet.

“I Get Money” cleverly samples “I get money, money I got” from Audio Two’s 1988 rap hit “Top Billin’.” The drums have been shamelessly jacked from Cassidy’s hit “I’m a Hustla” and remain virtually unchanged for this track. 50 raps about the money he has and the things that money has gotten him. It will at least get radio burn.

“She Wants It” features a satisfactory Justin Timberlake performance on the hook, 50 rapping about women again (a by-product of the money he’s got), and the weakest production that I have ever heard from Timbaland. I never ever thought I’d hear a sub-par, “blah” sounding beat emerge from his studios. I was wrong, so I’ll strap on my ice skates and traverse through Hell frozen over.

According to an interview in XXL, 50 thinks that he can still sell eight million records. His previous two albums have sold tens of millions worldwide. Too bad he’s now selling product in a marketplace where having a gold record is the new platinum. I also anticipate rap artists being signed to five and six ringtone deals due to extreme decline in album sales.

Unless he can once again completely monopolize the market (saturate is not a strong enough word to describe what happened when the G Unit brand first hit the map), who knows if he’ll be able to sell 800K, let alone eight million? With the seemingly imminent dissolution of the G Unit camp, we’ll see how relevant 50 still remains in the game, and largely on his own.

Even if he’s never successful again, at least he got rich and didn’t have to die trying.

Black British Music Crisis

Black British Music Crisis
AMW !.e. Talent: Andrea White
July 19, 2007

There seems to be an interesting debate stewing after the live showing of the Concert for Diana held in Wembley Stadium in Northwest London, in honor of Princess Diana who passed in a tragic accident ten years ago. The concert given by her two sons, William and Harry, had over 20 live performers, half of these coming from the U.S. including Puffy, Kanye West, and Pharrell. It was shown on every continent, except Antarctica. Though I did not watch the entire musical dedication, I did hear that Corinne Bailey Rae made an appearance, which was rumored to be a last-minute attraction. Also, Corrine does not appear on the official website as a featured artist www.concertfordiana.com.

Apparently the absence or lack of Black British artists during the Concert for Diana is being used as somewhat of a tool to show the world that there is a lack of respect for Black British music artists. Kwaku, founder of the Black Music Congress, which is a forum for highlighting British black music issues, networking, and a pathway to music industry education, has written a published letter to the two princes to express his concern. Though the letter is not harsh, he has stated that it may have been in oversight on the royal family’s part that no black British artists were included, and that he urges them to include these artists in any of their future events. According to Kwaku, “Britain is not short of well-known black artists. Artists such as Beverley Knight Lemar, Sway, Seal, Sade, Jamelia, Maxi Priest, Courtney Pine, and many more that have profiles comparable to many of the featured artists on the said bills.” I don’t know about you but I would trade one Sade song for Joss Stone’s entire performance any day.

One major problem according to Kwaku is that the traditional record companies have not invested the money and time in to black music artists, and they have certainly not developed any ideas on how to turn black artist into global-selling artists. There is at least one British record company that has examined its A&R development in order to develop black talent; however these artists are mostly signed to short-term deals because the expectation for the artists is usually low due to its confinement to the ‘urban’ genre. And without any global expectations, there are usually no resources to further develop these black artists.

It seems like black people all over the world are constantly in a fight for something. Whether it’s rights, equal opportunity, war or famine, black human beings are constantly subjected to the need to fight for what seems like the basic essentials, which include recognition and respect. I do not think that there were any underlying goals of excluding black British artists, but I do think that it was important to use the concert to bring bigger issues to light. In 2007, we are still dealing with the notion that blacks are not viewed as worthy according to corporate and pop culture. Kwaku said in another letter to British music companies, “What is good for British black music is ultimately good for the British music industry.” I think the American music industry would say amen to that, and I can only hope that Europe can develop more Seals and Sades to share with the world.




Source: www.eurweb.com

Miss Jones: Literary Genius or Tired Tell-All??

Miss Jones: Literary Genius or Tired Tell-All
AMW !.e. Talent: Andrea M. White
July 15, 2007

On the threads and throughout internet chat rooms there is a fine line where women stand either, defending or blasting this new, somewhat disturbing, somewhat intriguing trend of urban tell-all books. Amidst the literary tales of Carrine Stephans and her disturbingly romantic accounts of sex and pain with some of the industries A and B-list rappers, and the non-fictitious exploits of Carmen Bryan with her baby’s dad and his sworn enemy, comes yet another tell-all book people have been buzzing about from Miss Jones, morning radio host on Hot 97 in New York.

The book is titled, “Have You Met Miss Jones? The Life and Loves of Radio's Most Controversial Diva.” In this memoir, Miss Jones shares aspects of her life and career with readers, including what everyone is talking about, her bedroom tale-tales with rapper Busta Rhymes, which includes some unwarranted details regarding his performance and his lack of interest after “it” was over. (If you want to know the specifics, Google it or go buy the book.) It also includes more information about her open disdain for Beyonce along with drama between Lil Kim, Biggie and Faith Evans from back-in-the-day. This memoir is mainly an account of her rise to radio stardom.

What is interesting in all the chat rooms and vent sessions is how divided women are on the subject of Miss Jones and all of the other women who have written tell-all books. With no surprise, many women are simply stating that these books are garbage and irrelevant. These women say that this is just another way for a gold-digger to “come up” and it’s an obvious display of lack of respect and plain old ho-ism. On the other side, there are many women that are defending these women and their tell-alls. These defenders believe for years men have had their way with women using and abusing them to get what they want. Some of the authors of these tell-alls have been the subject of hit songs and have been used as pawns in a game where everyone is gaining except that woman. These women believe that finally, this is a way where the woman has a voice where people can finally know the other side of the story.

I understand both points; however we need to ask ourselves what is the real agenda of Miss Jones. What is the purpose of an educated, successful, fairly intelligent radio personality adding this specific and rather boring sexual encounter to her so-called memoir? How does this brief story of her relationship or lack thereof, show what she had to go through to make it in the tough business of radio? With Carmen Bryan it seemed like people really wanted to know her side, since she has been publicly bashed, it seemed only fair for her to respond. But with Miss Jones, the “shock-jock,” why did we need to know about this minor detail of her life? I think we all know the answer, and at the end of the day Miss Jones knows also – sex sells, even the boring, lackluster, pointless kind described in her memoir. Radio is a tough business, especially NY radio, and to make it to where she has is impossible for most. Miss Jones has rarely used her position to promote anything positive. This minute detail has derailed any helpful advice or any positive statement she could give to those out there trying to figure out the dynamics of radio and its corporate culture. Miss Jones has been the subject of much negative controversy, and this newest ploy for attention really puts some stank on her success. Miss Jones may sell plenty of copies of her memoir, but her status as a pioneer of radio seems sad and tarnished.

Still Crazy (Legs) After All These Years

Rock Steady Crew – Still Crazy (Legs) After All These Years
AMW !.e Talent: DJ Single Handed
July 15, 2006

I love when I get the chance to write about what’s right in hip-hop instead of expressing my laundry list of what’s wrong with it. This month’s anniversary celebration of the Rock Steady Crew is my opportunity to do just that.

Three decades after its inception, the crew of “true school” hip-hop heads is still going strong. Their 30th anniversary celebration will include exhibitions of the four elements, including DJ and b-boy and b-girl battles as well as panel discussions, art shows, and parties galore. Most of the events will be taking place in Manhattan and the Bronx starting July 23, and a free concert featuring EPMD will happen Sunday, July 29 at 1 pm at Lincoln Park in Newark, NJ.

Rock Steady Crew president and renowned b-boy Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon wants the anniversary to “focus on all aspects that make Hip-Hop the social force that it is. This is about education and entertainment. With crew battles, hot DJs, panels, and live graffiti shows, our 30th promises to showcase everything Hip-Hop represents.”

I can only hope that there’s still an audience for it. With any luck, there’s as much of a “below the mainstream radar” following as there was when I first attended a Rock Steady Crew anniversary as a college freshman in 2000.

Concerts in Manhattan featuring Dead Prez, Gang Starr, M.O.P., and Tony Touch among others were the highlights of my experience that year. The b-boy and b-girl competitions were amazing to watch. I even got my first taste of Reggaeton before it hit the American mainstream as Ivy Queen, Daddy Yankee, and Mexicano 777 took the stage to perform their track off Tony Touch’s “Piecemaker” album.

I will, at the very least, attend the EPMD concert and see if there’s still a connection between me and the art form that gave me a voice in the first place. If not, I guess I’ll continue spitting my brand of disgruntled old man “music was so much better when I was your age” rhetoric. At least for as long as the upper management at AMWie tolerates it.

Source: Allhiphop.com

Speak On It, Mr. Cosby, Speak On It!

Speak On It, Mr. Cosby, Speak On It!
AMW !.e. Talent: DJ Single Handed
July 2, 2007

The iconic actor/comedian/advocate Bill Cosby has been extremely vocal about his dissatisfaction with the happenings in Philadelphia’s urban communities. He can often be found serving biting criticisms of the city’s residents, citing lack of responsibility on the part of parents and all community members as the cause of constant violence. In an article published on the grass roots web-based newsletter Free Republic, Cosby was quoted as saying "For me there is a time ... when we have to turn the mirror around…..Because for me it is almost analgesic to talk about what the white man is doing against us. And it keeps a person frozen in their seat, it keeps you frozen in your hole you're sitting in."

Cosby recently hosted a form at Temple University’s Center City Campus in downtown Philadelphia. He along with several professors addressed education students about violence in schools. He stressed the fact that anti-violence programs are necessary for not only the safety of the students but the teachers as well. The teacher retention rate is becoming much lower because they become frustrated and no longer feel like they can do their jobs.

Cosby’s poignant point of the night: "Programs are being pushed out because people don't care about the children. If they don't care about the children, then they don't care about the teachers."

I can’t possibly understand how people don’t care, but on the other hand, I do understand.

I can’t understand how people don’t care about the well-being of their own communities as well as others. Having the opportunity to get a good education is one of the central building blocks to a person’s success. It not only provides the knowledge needed to “get through life,” but also a sense of fulfillment necessary to instilling solid self-worth, which is an excellent antidote to violence.

Teachers, administrators, and all others in the education field should be our greatest, most important asset.

On the other hand, the fact that I can’t feel how all this affects me directly lessens the priority for me to spring into action and do something about this situation. I live in the suburbs of Philly and can easily go about my daily business since I only see what’s going on when I watch the 11:00 news. I know many others who have the same affliction.

I am a stereotypical Jew in some ways, which explains why I’m looking to get my master’s degree and teaching certification so that I can teach high school. The Jew would love to provide a good education for those who need it most right now. The other side of me worries about becoming just as frustrated and disillusioned as the current crop of teachers and eventually contributing to the attrition rate.

Only time will tell. Hopefully, I along with other current and future educators can put our idealistic goals where our mouths are.

Source: Eurweb.com

Freeman to Play Mandela!!!

Freeman to Play Mandela – Yess!!!
AMW !.e. Talent: Andrea M. White
July 2, 2007


Man, this HAS to be the most perfect casting role of all time. Oscar winner (and frankly one of the stars of one of my most favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption), Morgan Freeman will portray Nelson Mandela in a feature film, “The Human Factor,” based on a book of the same title written by John Carlin. Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment, announced that they will start film production in 2008.

Freeman stated that he has known the former President of South African and Nobel Peace Prize Winner for many years. Freeman says, “I am continually in awe of his enormous presence in the world. The opportunity to portray him in this film is a great honor.”

This is just truly exciting news; there is no one who can bring Mandela to the screen better than Freeman. Mandela’s story is powerful and sad at the same time. Mandela was the face of the anti-apartheid movement; he was also the leader of the African National Congress. Mandela led the struggle for equal opportunity and equal representation in government, and sympathizers of apartheid called this peaceful leader a terrorist and a communist. The courageous leader of equal rights was unfairly and unjustly sentenced to a twenty-seven year sentence (sidenote - The arrest was allegedly made possible because the CIA tipped off Mandela’s whereabouts.) After twenty-seven years behind a cell, he was released and succeeded at creating an anti-apartheid, democratic, equally represented government in South Africa. This is just a slight summary, but there are so many people that do not know the story and the shady details; it is important that this story is told. It is important that we Learn and Remember.

If you can’t tell already, I’m excited about this movie and there is no one else who could play this role other than Morgan Freeman. Everyone get on your knees and pray that this movie does not meet the long-awaited fate of Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis’ movie - (whassup Jesse L. Martin and Don Cheadle). Support Black Film and as always, It is important that we Learn and Remember!

Busta Rhymes Leads the New School Once Again

Busta Rhymes Leads the New School Once Again
AMW !.e. Talent: Dj single handed
July 1, 2007

Longevity in hip-hop is not something that artists can expect these days. The shelf-lives of rappers and songs have hit an extreme, attention deficit-induced low. There must be a prevalent “cash in now with a catchy single and then get the hell out” mentality, because there’s no other explanation for the increase in “here today, gone tomorrow” songs and artists.

Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes is out to shatter this conception by releasing his 86th (it’s really only his eighth, but I’m talking in present-day measurements) album. Celebrating his 17th year in the game, he’s working on a new album with no set release date. A recent article in Allhiphop.com claims the album is untitled at press time, but MTV.com published an article last November claiming the title to be Before Hell Freezes Over. That would certainly follow the themes of previous album titles such as Extinction Level Event, Genesis, and his most recent work The Big Bang.

The album will be released on Dr. Dre’s imprint, Interscope-distributed Aftermath Records, with production from the good doctor himself as well as Swizz Beatz among others. Swizz blessed Busta’s first single from the album, “Watch Ya Mouth.” I took a listen to it, and it should be an unquestionable banger. As inconsistent as Swizz has been in the past, he’s had a habit lately of making beats that would make the average person’s head fall off from nodding so hard. This song is no different, and Busta rides it with his usual smooth ferocity.

I hope to hear Busta Rhymes in true form when the album drops. I predict club hits, street joints for the more hardcore audience, and perhaps an apocalyptic theme or two. If I don’t get the same amazed feeling that I did when I first listened to “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” then I’ll settle for wilding-out to “Touch It”-type material.

Lil Wayne; our newest Reality Internet TV Star?

Lil Wayne; our newest Reality Internet TV Star
AMW !.e. Talent: Andrea M. White
July 2, 2007


I have to admit I am almost impressed with the promotion and marketing exploits of rapper Lil Wayne. As if we can’t get enough of him on just about every remix or guest star appearance on someone’s album, Lil Wayne continues to prove he can be ground-breaking at any level. According to Billboard.com, Wayne’s newest project is an online Reality Series titled, "Making the Next Hit! With Lil Wayne,"

In this series, Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records are in search of unsigned, unknown rappers, models, producers, singers, and comedians. There are 27, hour-long episodes produced by MC Busy Bee and Pit – known for the recent hit “Party Like a Rock Star” by Da Shop Boyz. Auditions are being held beginning August 12 in Philly followed by events in Atlanta, New Jersey and New York. At the end of the series they will select a winner that will have the opportunity to sign with Cash Money Records.

With more Lil Wayne news, his duet CD with Juelz Santana has been pushed back for reasons that were undisclosed. Their CD is set to be titled “I Can’t Feel My Face” and Lil Wayne promised that there should be a single out some time in July.

Last but not least, Wayne released a You Tube Official Announcement regarding the leaking of his up-and-coming album, “Tha Carter 3.” To prove that he’s no prisoner to piracy, Wayne will release the leaked tracks in a mixtape called “The Leak”, and will develop a bigger and better release in 2008 for “Tha Carter 3.”

Lil Wayne is becoming a lil monster in this industry and is really proving that he’s able to keep Cash Money alive for right now. I’m actually interested in seeing how the series “Making the Next Hit! With Lil Wayne," on TheNext.TV will perform. He could either take this reality show thing to the next level or make us cringe with embarrassment. Either way, the young rap star has the game on his back has definitely proved that he’s the one to watch.