ALL THE HIP HOP NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
Federal prosecutors in Virginia have shut down the Swizz Beats-run file-sharing company MegaUpload.com and charged its founder and owner with violating piracy laws. The Feds say the company has cost copyright owners more than $500 million from bootlegged films, music and other content. Swizzy is not named in the indictment.
MegaUpload claims that it has been diligent in policing violators and responding to copyright-holder complaints. –Rahim Wright
New York, New York, January 25, 2012 – Dreadchild has announced his new EP, “The 7th Session” which will be out in February 2012 following the release of his three successful singles; “Official Documents,” featuring Fred the Godson and Aswad Mikal, “I Don’t Make Believe,” featuring Nature formerly of The Firm and “The Definition,” featuring Erika David.
What once seemed like a music genre that was clearly understood, hip-hop currently finds itself in a state of flux. In the days before hip-hop emerged as a global commercial force, a rhyme master named Dreadchild infused a dose of artistry into the musical movement through his innovative word play and slick rhymes. Dreadchild has dared to make hip-hop rhymes more complex and unpredictable, which he attributes to knowledge.
Dreadchild’s current single, “The Definition,” is in rotation on several top 40 stations in the southeast including Hot 97, Shade 45 and Power 105. His debut single, “I Don’t Make Believe” appeared at #2 on the Rapnetwork Record Breakers Top 40 and #5on the Rap Attack Charts. Within four months his music video for “I Don’t Make Believe” has reached more than 60K in online views. Dreadchild has worked with notable artists on a variety of features including Nature, Fred The Godson, Erika David, Jojo Pellegrino, Swigga da Don, Snake Ilz, Icadon and Aswad Mikal. He also has tracks produced by Ill Mind and Don Wil, which will be attributed to his upcoming freshman album The Ladder.
Dreadchild’s willingness to venture into musical territories, bringing back lyrical gems to incorporate the rooted hip-hop art form in today’s day and age, has been clear from the beginning.
www.knotzmusic.com.
Etta James, whose blend of blues, soul and jazz made her one of the most distinctive voices of the past half-century, has died after a struggle with leukemia. She was 73.
Best known for the 1961 hit single “At Last,” the L.A. native was one the signature voices of Chess Records. After starting with doo-wop vocal groups, she enjoyed her first solo first hit, “The Wallflower (Dance with Me Henry).” It went to number-two on the Billboard R&B chart in 1955, but was considered too provocative to cross over to pop radio. Held in high esteem by a wide range of artists, Etta was ranked number-22 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists.
Beyonce played a fictionalized version of James in the movie Cadillac Records, which was based on the history of the Chess label. But Marshall Chess strongly denied that his father and James ever had a sexual relationship.
A six-time Grammy winner, Etta James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. –Mike McCann
Rapper / producer John Hectic releases the first single from his forthcoming mixtape #DEALWIVIT – a bouncy club anthem featuring Marqus titled ‘Got Me Singing’.
Formally one half of London hip hop duo Double H (Hard Hitters), John Hectic has spent a majority of 2011 locked away in the studio, with two brand new solo projects lined up for digital release in 2012. Hectic is also busy running his own t-shirt line – ’9JABOI Clothing’ – and is currently the main face of AYO Clothing’s 9JA Fitted Hats, an entrepreneurial streak which has since seamlessly transcended into his musical endeavours.
Renowned for his witty, thought provoking wordplay and hard hitting production, this Cuban born, London raised, Nigerian artist / businessman is certainly a force to be reckoned with in 2012.
Check out the latest from Par-City and please consider posting and/or sharing.
Par-City’s “Be Out” Produced by Mr Flames
http://hulkshare.com/4zbnyjolp422
http://soundcloud.com/parcitizens/par-city-b-out#
Their new mixtape Civilized Sessions featuring Joe Budden, Mickey Factz, Esso, Panama received over 50,000 downloads within the first two weeks of its release! (new mixtape link after megaupload’s demise: http://minus.com/m2Zgpxv0l )
Follow them on Twitter: @GifTheGreat @WIllyDope
Rick Ross is adamant … he didn’t father a 3-year-old boy in Georgia to a destitute woman — despite a recent paternity suit filed against the rapper — and now, he wants to prove it … with a DNA test.
The paternity suit was filed in Broward County by Florida Department of Revenue — on behalf of 36-year-old Tyrisha Childers, who claims Ross knocked her up a few years ago … and still hasn’t paid a dime of child support.
According to the docs, Childers needs all the help she can get — with zero income apart from $694 a month in disability payments. Worse, Childers claims she has absolutely no money in the bank.
But Ross filed his own response soon after — claiming he never even slept with Childers … let alone got her pregnant … and he wants to prove it with a DNA test.
We’ve reached out to both Ross and Childers for comment — so far, no response.
Although details are still sketchy about the incident, Cory Gunz was arrested over the weekend after being found with a firearm in his knapsack. He was apparently walking around with a group of kids in the Bronx, when officers in the area searched him after getting a phone call to “look out.” “This is Cory’s first offense,” his father Peter tells MTV. “[But] they like to make an example out of rappers and people with any kind of celebrity to them.”
No word on if the rapper will face jail time just yet over the incident.
We’re not sure exactly what happened, but Machine Gun Kelly was arrested in Florida yesterday after his St. Petersburg tour stop and charged with disorderly conduct.
“Just spent my entire night in [a] Florida jail,” he tweeted about the incident. “[Stuff] escalated way too [quickly] last night.” His DJ Xplosive was hurt in the incident, but apparently was OK when he left the hospital, according to MGK’s tweets as well.
The rapper was taken in at about 4 a.m. and released a few hours later after posting $100 bond.If you’re looking to catch up with him soon, his next date is in Los Angeles on the 8th of February.
Just so you know – Peter Shakane is in NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH XL RECORDINGS… He thinks they are a good label and wishes they would sign him but that is as far as it goes. Peter passes on his apologies to anyone who got the wrong end of the stick – please don’t publish anything that says he is on XL Recordings or he will have to go back to prison. We were going to use the name XL Records, but we can’t. So we have made the domain redundant.
HIP HOP ARTIST ON THE RISE DREADCHILD ANNOUNCES DEBUT EP
New York, New York, January 25, 2012 – Dreadchild has announced his new EP, “The 7th Session” which will be out in February 2012 following the release of his three successful singles; “Official Documents,” featuring Fred the Godson and Aswad ...
Cee Lo Green’s Director’s Cut Concert for AllstateFanFest
Before you catch Cee Lo as he hits the stage with Madonna for the Super Bowl, see him in the Director's Cut of his show-stopping performance at the 2012 Allstate Fan Fest. The Director's Cut of the concert will go ...
John Hectic ft Marqus // Got Me Singing
Rapper / producer John Hectic releases the first single from his forthcoming mixtape #DEALWIVIT - a bouncy club anthem featuring Marqus titled 'Got Me Singing'.
Formally one half of London hip hop duo Double H (Hard Hitters), John Hectic has spent ...
