Tag Archives: electronica

Ryan Phillippe On Drake, Jay-Z And His Hip-Hop Aspirations

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’ve grown up a hip-hop head since I was mad young,’ ‘MacGruber’ star says. By Eric Ditzian Ryan Phillippe Photo: MTV News At first it seemed like a joke. Ryan Phillippe appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in a sketch called “Hip-Hop Kids” that had him challenging a grizzly bear to a rap battle. “The only thing that bear is going to eat is my rhymes!” he boasted. But maybe he wasn’t just playing around with the world of hip-hop. In an interview published weeks after his “SNL” gig, the 35-year-old actor claimed he’s a seriously gifted rapper. “I rap really well,” he told Women’s Health, of all people. “I can sound like Lil Wayne or Ludacris. I’m dead serious…I can spit!” [ Really? This was something MTV News had to investigate, and we got the chance when Phillippe was promoting his upcoming action-comedy, “MacGruber.” Does he really harbor hip-hop aspirations? “True,” he said. “I would like to, at some point, produce an artist down the line. It’s always been a passion of mine. I’ve grown up a hip-hop head since I was mad young.” So who’s he listening to these days to get inspiration for the day he heads into the recording studio with an up-and-coming lyricist? Turns out Phillippe just checked out one of hip-hop’s hottest acts when he made his way to Drake’s sold-out show at Los Angeles’ Club Nokia earlier this week. “[H]e was amazing,” Phillippe said. “Not only was it Drake, but he brought out Nicki Minaj. Birdman came out and Tyga and Soulja Boy.” “There’s this guy Jay Electronica that I’m really into right now,” he added, going on to name-check some of his other favorite artists. “Jay-Z. Biggie. All of ’em, everybody, the whole gang!” Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘MacGruber’ Related Artists Drake Jay-Z

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Damon Dash Resurrects Roc-A-Fella To Start A ‘Positive Movement’

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Re-launched label’s first release will be Curren$y’s Pilot Talk, in Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid Curren$y and Dame Dash Photo: MTV News Executive Decisions: Dame Dash When Damon Dash pulled a Roc-A-Fella chain out of his vault several months ago and presented it to Curren$y, it was just a celebration of their friendship. Now, the chain means much more. Dash is resurrecting Roc-A-Fella Records and plans to make Curren$y’s Pilot Talk the label’s first new release on June 15. “I think we just having fun, really,” said Dash, sitting in his office at DD172 next to Curren$y. “[Curren$y] inspired me to dust off the chains. We brought ’em out for kicks, just ’cause we could. Then we was like, ‘F— it, let’s put it out through Roc-A-Fella.’ It was really more something he wanted to do. Basically, ’cause we havin’ such a good time, and the opportunity’s there, we was like, ‘Why not?’ ” “What that means, what that shows me, is that dude thinks as highly of me as I do him,” Curren$y said about releasing an LP on the label Dash co-founded with Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke in the mid-1990s. “I know what’s behind that. We all know and the fans know what that represented at the height of it. The aesthetic of it.” Dash said he hadn’t been having “fun” in music since he, Jay and Biggs dissolved their partnership several years ago. But meeting and working with artists such as Curren$y and Jay Electronica who come through his DD172 facility brought the old feelings back. “The funny thing is, people don’t know that Roc-A-Fella wasn’t meant to sell records,” Dame said. “It was meant to show the respect and the honor amongst each other as friends. It was a friendship thing. That’s what people liked. It’s what made Roc-A-Fella appealing. It’s odd, because I f— with [Curren$y]. I kinda like him. When I met him, I wasn’t as familiar with his music. My nephews and Sean O’Connell put me up on him. I liked him as a friend. Then I start seeing he’s super nice with the rhymes, then I started seeing his influence. It’s similar to the way we felt back in those days. It’s working out.” The last album to come out on Roc-A-Fella was Jadakiss’ The Last Kiss in April 2009. The label had been under Jay-Z’s sole custody since the breakup of Hov, Biggs and Dash. “Def Jam or Universal bought the brand. I think the ‘beef’ [with us and Jay-Z] was that Jay made it clear he didn’t want me or Biggs to be a part of it. That’s really where it was at. Now that he doesn’t work for Def Jam anymore, he doesn’t have the right to use the name. So there’s no reason for us not to use it. It’s there, and it’s a brand that’s not being used. So I was like, ‘I’ll take it.’ It always meant something to me.” Dash said he and Curren$y are pushing a positive message about friendship and evolution. “It’s a way more positive movement,” he added about the label’s new incarnation. “It’s what I wanted Roc-A-Fella, what I thought it should be 10 years after I started it.” Dash said he secured the new deal through L.A. Reid and Def Jam, which will serve as a distributor for his records. After Curren$y’s album, the next project coming off Roc-A-Fella will be Ski Beatz’s 24 Hour Karate School mixtape. Reps for Jay-Z were not reached for comment by press time. What do you think about Dame Dash bringing Roc-A-Fella back? Let us know in the comments! For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Jadakiss Related Artists Dame Dash

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Jay Electronica, Diddy Debut ‘The Ghost Of Christopher Wallace’

Posted on April 30, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Song inspired by late rapper Notorious B.I.G. features his former producer and friend. By Jayson Rodriguez Jay Electronica Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images Invoking the Notorious B.I.G. ‘s name in rhyme can be overwhelming for any MC, but upstart MC Jay Electronica took the challenge in stride. The New Orleans rapper released a new track on Friday (April 30) boldly titled “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace.” The song even features the iconic late rapper’s old producer and friend Diddy, who’s up to his old ad-libbing antics on the track. But Jay Elect said the song was meant to inspire a mood more than serve as a tribute to the slain rap superstar. “I like a lot of the music that’s out [now], but I don’t get excited like I used to get about rap music,” he told Shade 45 morning host Angela Yee. “More often than not when I click on new music and it feels good and I like it, it can be good, it can be great, but I don’t necessarily get that feeling I used to get. I just think when Big was around, that time period when people used to rhyme, it was more than just the rhyme and the skill, it was the spirit of the person that you could tap in to. I really wanted to invoke that energy.” The rapper said he recruited the song’s producer, Quincey Tones, via Twitter and offered Diddy a sneak peek of the song. The Bad Boy Records mogul approved of the track and offered to hop onboard. “Fasten your seatbelts,” Diddy whispers after Jay’s rap: “All aboard, it’s the last train, Soul train/ A bottle of Ciroc will turn a private jet to Soul Plane/ Put your seats back and trays down and feet up, ’cause we about to heat up.” In the track, still unfinished according to the rapper’s manager, Jay Electronica continues his trend of literary references in rhyme, as he name-checks “War and Peace” author Leo Tolstoy as well as Dostoyevsky. “The flow’s so Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoy, half oyster, half shrimp, fully dressed po-boy,” he raps. Jay Electronica is currently working on a number of projects, including a collaborative effort with Nas and another with Mos Def and Curren$y. What do you think about Jay Electronica’s “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace”? Let us know in the comments. Related Photos Remembering The Notorious B.I.G.

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Lupe Fiasco Reaches Out To Jay Electronica, Explains Jay-Z Comment

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Everybody thinks because you’re black and you’re from the ‘hood, you wanna be Jay-Z,’ Lu tells Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by James Montgomery Lupe Fiasco Photo: Atlantic Celebrity Favorites Please respect our exclusive game. Just a couple of weeks ago, we told you how one of the underground’s favorites, Jay Electronica, said he wanted to make an album with Lupe Fiasco . He also said he wanted to go in on projects with Nas, Mos Def and a slew of others, but who’s counting? On Wednesday night in Manhattan, Lupe popped up on the red carpet for the MTV documentary “Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro,” which airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. Not only did Lu say he was down with collaborating with Jay, he’s initiating things. “I reached out to him a couple of days ago with some real serious ideas,” Lupe said. ” ‘Let’s put a program together. Something that works out and makes sense for the both of us.’ He’s a very talented MC. One of the few MCs that I actually listen to what they’re saying. I don’t listen to 98 percent of the rappers out there. But he’s one of the MCs I listen to and I’m inspired to do so. A collaboration is in the works.” Lupe also clarified the comments he made to TheAge.com , when he said he did not want to be like Jay-Z. “There’s a misunderstanding with my fanbase,” The Age quoted him as saying. ”People [at Warner] feel they know my fans more than I do. They want me to step out of my comfort zone and step into theirs. I don’t have necessarily the celebrity success they want me to have, but it’s more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That’s a success to me. I don’t want to be Jay-Z and be worth $400 million and perform on every awards show. It’s getting in touch with somebody who needs to improve their self-esteem as opposed to driving a Bentley and putting some chains on.” Lupe told us he didn’t mean any malice toward Jigga but was speaking up for individuality. “Jay-Z’s a personal friend of mine. [He] executive-produced my first album,” Fiasco said. “[My comments were] just an example using him of how people rate success. There’s an idea of the status quo that every rapper wants to be Jay-Z. Nah. Every rapper does not want to be Jay-Z. Every rapper don’t wanna be Kanye West. Everybody don’t wanna be Lil Wayne. They wanna be who they are. … You’re a fool trying to chase that success down and manage it like that. I always look at my success as further than a dollar sign, further than record sales. … Everybody thinks because you’re black and you’re from the ‘hood, you wanna be Jay-Z. There’s kids who wanna be astrophysicists and don’t care about rap. That should be OK. You should be OK just being you, working your regular job and being happy. That’s why I made that statement. I felt it need to be said.” Don’t miss “Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro,” airing Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. And find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the “Summit on the Summit” Web site . For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: T-Pain, Jay Electronica, Notorious

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T-Pain Says Lil Wayne’s Jail Time Put T-Wayne Album On Hold

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that,’ he tells Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid T-Wayne Photo: Young Money The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive Despite naysayers’ talk that the duet album between T-Pain and Lil Wayne will never happen, Mr. Pain says the project is very much still alive, just on hold. “The T-Wayne album, we’re actually gonna wait until he gets out,” Pain said about Weezy’s jail time . “He has so much going on. He has Rebirth out right now. I don’t wanna interrupt that. We just gonna wait until he gets out to really get in on that. We recorded a bunch of songs. But, right now, it’s time for him and his personal sh–. We definitely got an album’s worth of material, but it’s only an album’s worth. It’s nothing to pick from. We just got an album. We can put out whatever we feel like and say, ‘Hey, this is T-Wayne’s album,’ or we can actually try to make it good. Like we’re actually trying to make an album and say, ‘This is the good T-Wayne album.’ Rather than just record 12 songs and say, ‘Here you go, mutha—-as! I know you want it. You gonna buy it anyway, just ’cause you think it’s good.’ ” Pain, who always has a joke up his sleeve or in his top hat, had a lighthearted response when asked what he thought of his supergroup teammate having to go to prison. “It happens, man,” the singer said. “People go to jail. That’s something he’s gotta go through. I’m happy it’s not f—ing 10 years. That’s just something that’s going on. I know his commissary [prison store] is ridiculous. He’s got so much money in his commissary. You think Baby is gonna let him sit up in there and eat Doritos? Wayne got [his food] coming with steaks. … I know what’s going on there. “Young Money is still there also. He’s in the studio 24/7,” Pain added. “It’s gonna be like Tupac. You still gonna get 1,000 songs from Wayne. You ain’t gonna miss nothing. It’s gonna be like he never went to jail. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna put out a gang of songs. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna do a ‘Free Lil Wayne’ campaign. That’s how it goes.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Jay Electronica, Notorious, B.I.G., Tyga

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‘American Idol’ Castoff Haeley Vaughn Says Miley Cyrus Is An ‘Icon’

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’m a really big fan of Disney and Disney Channel, so hopefully there’s something there that I can work on,’ she says. By Katie Byrne Haeley Vaughn Photo: Fox Haeley Vaughn’s smile was infectious, but her uneven singing left the “American Idol” judges (and fans) frustrated. After her shaky performance of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” Vaughn was eliminated Thursday, along with Jermaine Sellers , John Park and Michelle Delamor. Will the 16-year-old’s country/pop dreams still come true? We talked to the high-schooler from Fort Collins, Colorado, on Friday (March 5) to talk about that and more. Q : What did you think when Kara suggested you take a year to strengthen your vocal skills? A : I kind of agreed with her. I think that more experience and more time working on my vocals would be good. I think experience is always better, especially since I’m only 16 and this is the first big thing that I’ve done ever. I’ve never performed in front of millions of people before; I’ve never even performed in front of 100. I think it’s always good to get more experience and work on the things that I need to work on. Q : The contestants seem to be particularly nervous this year. Is the anxiety level really high? A : The first week was really tough. We were all super nervous and scared and worried about our song choice. The first week, we were all just freaking out and trying to pick the right songs and make sure America would like them. Nerves are always gonna play a huge factor in what we do on the show. Q : Why didn’t you sing any country songs during your first two semifinal performances? A : The songs I chose, I made them kind of pop/country. I wanted to not have to sing Martina McBride every week just because I wanted to be a country artist. When Carrie Underwood was on her season, she didn’t sing only country songs. She was very versatile, and she chose songs of a different genre and she made them fit her country style. And that was my whole thing that I did too. Q : Do you think the judges have been particularly rough this year? A : Simon was definitely really harsh this season. But, I mean, he has reason to be. … Sometimes he should soften the blow a little bit, but that’s Simon Cowell. He’s been like that for nine years. Q : Are you going to go back to school or focus on your career? A : I’m definitely gonna keep working on my career. I’m gonna keep singing. Hopefully, doors will open up for me. I’m a really big fan of Disney and Disney Channel, so hopefully there’s something there that I can work on. I’m just gonna keep working on my career and doing what I love to do. Q : What kind of career do you see yourself having? A : Miley Cyrus is one of my icons. Oh my gosh, I love her…. Country music is definitely my genre, pop/country. And playing my guitar is awesome. Yeah, if I were given the chance to do that, I would definitely jump on it. Q : Have you had a chance to talk to any “American Idol” alumni to get advice? A : I talked to Allison [Iraheta] for a bit when she came and she performed the first week. And she just told me to stay true to who I am and keep doing my thing and keep doing one genre of music and just be really strong and confident. Were you sad to see Haeley go? Do you think she should have performed some more country songs? Let us know below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances The ‘American Idol’ Season 9 Top 24 Related Artists Miley Cyrus

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Drake’s New Single ‘Over’ Is ‘Real Dope,’ According To DJs

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I love this record,’ DJ Khaled says. By Shaheem Reid Drake Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Although Drake has had a string of hits on radio and in the club, from his own “Best I Ever Had” to collaborations like “Forever” and “Say Something,” the pressure was on for the first official single from Thank Me Later to deliver. And, judging from the reaction he’s getting from some of hip-hop’s biggest tastemakers, Drizzy has another smash on his hands with “Over.” ” ‘Over’ is real dope,” DJ Statik Selektah said. “He could have chose to run with a soft, candy-coated record, but he didn’t. The beat is crazy. I’m looking forward to his album!” “I love this record,” DJ Khaled told MTV News. “It’s amazing! It’s special! Drake did it again! It’s a hit!” “I think Drake’s record is dope,” said host of MTV2’s “Sucker Free” and Power 105.1 on-air personality DJ Envy. “I know he had a lot of pressure and the world staring at him, but I think he delivered. He did it his way — outside the box. Drake’s song talks about how he’s dealing with his fame since coming on the scene last year. “On a couple of different levels, it’s not what you might think somebody would do,” DJ Green Lantern said. “Its not like, ‘Let me make “Best I Ever Had” Part 2.’ It’s an everybody type of record.” “I put him in the box with Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne — artists that love the craft,” Envy added. “As I’m listening [to the song], I’m like, ‘Yeah man. It’s dope,” Green Lantern said. “In the sense of the general straight-listener sense, it’s a catchy song. It’s a catchy song that will stick in your mind, be on repeat and connect to people. ‘I’m doing me.’ That was the first part that stuck out to me. The ‘hood is gonna love the ‘I’m doing me. I’m doing me.’ That’s the ‘hood right there.” Green says the record has ‘hood and pop appeal — it’s universal. “As Drake said before, the hipsters and the hood f—s with him, so his single has to be across the board. The Jay Electronica lovers f— with Drake and the Lil Wayne/Gucci Mane lovers f— with Drake, so his single has to go across the board. It’s not a lot of people that could do that. Technically, the beat is different too — it’s a sample. I’m like, ‘This sh– is dope.’ ” Related Artists Drake

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Jay Electronica Praises Soulja Boy, Reveals Project With Nas

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘You can expect multiple projects this year,’ MC tells Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes Jay Electronica The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive The reception Jay Electronica has been getting from fans during his U.K. tour has been just as enthusiastic as his feedback Stateside. Fans and critics still love “Exhibit C” and some of Jay’s other underground gems. People are clamoring for the street CD Act II and the official LP Act III, and Jay said he’s going to deliver both of those projects and more this year. “It’s still Act II. Act III, the official album, which ‘Exhibit A’ and ‘Exhibit C’ are a part of [as well as] ‘Dear Moleskin,’ ” Jay said in Europe earlier this week. “Me and Mos [Def] have a project that we’re doing, me and Guilty Simpson have a project that we’re doing. I would like to do a project with Lupe — [Fiasco] we’re going to do a project at some point. Me and Nas have a project that we’re doing . I’m just trying. I’m in the process of working and connecting. I don’t really feel like a song or an album is the end-all, be-all to what we’re doing. “You can expect my album this year,” he added. “You can expect multiple projects this year. We’re going to do a lot this year.” Electronica is focused on responsibilities outside of rap, including raising a baby daughter with singer Erykah Badu. “Dealing with a lot personally, that not necessarily takes me away from my music, because it comes through in my music as well. But as a person trying to grow and figure out how to handle things, learn and be a man — all that’s a part of the process too. It’s hard to put a release date on those type of things when you’re factoring those things in.” The New Orleans native said that “Exhibit A” producer Just Blaze will produce 65 percent of his solo debut. Jay’s commanding mic presence and wordplay have captured the ears of many, and he said he has no choice but to come with sustaining lyrics like “I make the devil hit his knees and say, ‘To our father’ ” — he’s a product of his golden-era-of-rap influences. “The lyricism in my music — I come from a different era,” he explained. “I was born in ’76. I was raised in the ’80s. I’m an ’80s baby. LL Cool J was the first person that inspired me to rhyme. I have a lot of bragging in my rhymes. LL was my first enlightenment. If you would have asked me this two years ago, I would have said lyricism was lacking. Like somebody would say Soulja Boy … you would say he’s not a lyricist, right? If you took a poll and said, ‘Is Soulja Boy a lyricist?’ People would say no, right? But it’s not the words, it’s energy of what he does that’s the lyrics. It’s not the lyrics — the energy of it is the connector. The energy of it is greater than the words of it. In a sense, lyrics has been lacking in the contest of grammar and vocabulary, but the spirit and energy of it is never gone — or else the complete genre of hip-hop is gone.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Artists Nas Lupe Fiasco

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Jay Electronica Talks Upcoming Projects With Nas, Lupe Fiasco

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘You can expect multiple projects this year,’ MC tells Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes Jay Electronica The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive The reception Jay Electronica has been getting from fans during his U.K. tour has been just as enthusiastic as his feedback Stateside. Fans and critics still love “Exhibit C” and some of Jay’s other underground gems. People are clamoring for the street CD Act II and the official LP Act III, and Jay said he’s going to deliver both of those projects and more this year. “It’s still Act II. Act III, the official album, which ‘Exhibit A’ and ‘Exhibit C’ are a part of [as well as] ‘Dear Moleskin,’ ” Jay said in Europe earlier this week. “Me and Mos [Def] have a project that we’re doing, me and Guilty Simpson have a project that we’re doing. I would like to do a project with Lupe — [Fiasco] we’re going to do a project at some point. Me and Nas have a project that we’re doing . I’m just trying. I’m in the process of working and connecting. I don’t really feel like a song or an album is the end-all, be-all to what we’re doing. “You can expect my album this year,” he added. “You can expect multiple projects this year. We’re going to do a lot this year.” Electronica is focused on responsibilities outside of rap, including raising a baby daughter with singer Erykah Badu. “Dealing with a lot personally, that not necessarily takes me away from my music, because it comes through in my music as well. But as a person trying to grow and figure out how to handle things, learn and be a man — all that’s a part of the process too. It’s hard to put a release date on those type of things when you’re factoring those things in.” The New Orleans native said that “Exhibit A” producer Just Blaze will produce 65 percent of his solo debut. Jay’s commanding mic presence and wordplay have captured the ears of many, and he said he has no choice but to come with sustaining lyrics like “I make the devil hit his knees and say, ‘To our father’ ” — he’s a product of his golden-era-of-rap influences. “The lyricism in my music — I come from a different era,” he explained. “I was born in ’76. I was raised in the ’80s. I’m an ’80s baby. LL Cool J was the first person that inspired me to rhyme. I have a lot of bragging in my rhymes. LL was my first enlightenment. If you would have asked me this two years ago, I would have said lyricism was lacking. Like somebody would say Soulja Boy … you would say he’s not a lyricist, right? If you took a poll and said, ‘Is Soulja Boy a lyricist?’ People would say no, right? But it’s not the words, it’s energy of what he does that’s the lyrics. It’s not the lyrics — the energy of it is the connector. The energy of it is greater than the words of it. In a sense, lyrics has been lacking in the contest of grammar and vocabulary, but the spirit and energy of it is never gone — or else the complete genre of hip-hop is gone.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines .

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Capone-N-Noreaga Revisit The War Report Before Recording Sequel

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Busta Rhymes urged the duo to listen to the original, even though they had avoided it for years. Capone-N-Noreaga Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — Thanks to Busta Rhymes, Capone-N-Noreaga had to face the music. The Queens duo, friends for more than 20 years, decided they would make a sequel to their classic debut, The War Report, late last year. Upon hearing of the re-up, Busta — who guest-starred on the original album — called the group and told them before they went into production on part two, they had to listen to part one. “I’mma be honest: For years, I could never listen to The War Report, ” N.O.R.E. told MTV News. “It wasn’t because I wasn’t proud of it; it just brought up so much pain and so much hurt. To listen to it, I used to tear up. I used to think about Capone when he was gone [in jail]. I didn’t just lose a partner, I lost a best friend. It’s like not being able to use your right hand. When I listen to The War Report, it’s bugged out. I’m talking about years of not being able to listen to The War Report. When Busta said that, it was almost, like, painful: ‘Damn! I got to?’ But when I did it, I knew exactly what he was talking about. I had to go back into that style. It’s beyond the music; it’s the feeling, the tension that was built around it. We luckily captured it [on the new album].” Noreaga’s other half, Capone, also has his horror stories from the time the first War Report was made. “I really didn’t listen to the War Report album for a long time too,” Capone said. ” The War Report was a long time for me. Besides what he was going through and what I was going through, it was a lot of family stuff — losing my mother, getting shot. … During War Report, I had to go to jail. I was on the clock. I was on the studio-time clock and the judge clock. Every day, knowing I was getting closer and closer to going to jail, you feel like, ‘Why am I doing this? I’m about to go to jail. Nothing is promised to me. Why am I recording this?’ “Certain songs I sit back and listen and be like, ‘I gave 60 percent effort there. I gave 80 percent effort there. Damn, I could remember that day. I had to go to the hospital to get my bandage checked,’ ” Capone added. “I really didn’t like listening to War Report until Busta … gave us that talk. Like, ‘You have to. You have to.’ ” “I wanted Bus back as a fan,” Noreaga added. “I love when Bus calls: ‘Yo, you blacked on that Jay Electronica joint.’ I wasn’t getting those calls for a while.” The War Report 2 is slated for a June 15 release to coincide with the anniversary of the original. The first War Report came out June 17, 1997. Meanwhile, C-N-N just released a new single, “Thug Planet,” with Iman Thug. Related Artists Capone-N-Noreaga

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