Tag Archives: rock-the-bells

Mobb Deep’s Ninth Album ‘Monumental’ For Duo

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We got a lot of music ready to go,’ Prodigy tells MTV News of upcoming self-titled LP. By Rob Markman Mobb Deep Photo: MTV News Mobb Deep are free agents no longer. On Friday, the Queens, New York, rap duo announced their new deal with Sony’s RED Distribution. Under the terms, RED will distribute Havoc and Prodigy’s Infamous Records, where they’ll drop their self-titled album (their ninth), with Infamous Records functioning much like an independent. “The way we structured it is as a distribution deal basically, so we run our own label, Infamous, and we gotta do the daily ins and outs of everything. We gotta handle all the record company business and they get it in the stores for us, basically,” Prodigy told MTV News backstage at Rock the Bells in New York City on Saturday. “It’s been a long time coming,” Havoc added. “We’ve been in the game for a minute and the object of the game is to control your own business.” While allowing the veteran street-hop group to be their own bosses, the deal with Sony also puts Mobb Deep closer to their legacy. After the duo dropped their debut album on 4th and B’way in 1993, the Mobb signed with Loud Records, the Steve Rifkind-helmed label eventually absorbed by Sony. “Sony RED is a good company; they basically own our catalog anyway because when Loud sold the company, they sold it to Sony,” Prodigy clarified. “So they own all of our albums, basically. When we sat down with them, they basically were like, ‘We’d love to do this, we got your catalog anyway.’ ” For their upcoming LP Mobb Deep, the group aims to continue to build on that catalog, which already features such highly regarded albums as Murda Muzik and The Infamous, M-O-B-B’s sophomore album. The pair performed their second LP in full during Rock the Bells. Although the deal was just announced, P revealed that he and Hav have been working on the album since he was released from jail in March for gun possession. “Right now, it’s just a monumental thing for us, you know, it’s been a long time coming. We’re excited about it. We got a lot of music ready to go, we’ve been working on this Mobb album since I got home,” P said. “Everything is just up to par, the production — from Hav’s production to our lyrics to all the ideas from videos to everything — we’re just really ready to go and get things started.” As of now, there is no official release date for the Mobb Deep album. Related Artists Mobb Deep

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Lauryn Hill Set To Perform String Of East Coast Concerts

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Lauryn Hill Set To Perform String Of East Coast Concerts

The reclusive singer will hit the stage for stops in Boston, New York and Miami beginning December 20. By Rebecca Thomas Lauryn Hill Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images Lauryn Hill is inching closer to a comeback. At this summer’s Rock the Bells, the reclusive raptress emerged for four tour stops, giving front-to-back performances of her classic debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, almost a dozen years to the day after its release. Now, L-Boogie is set to meet her hungry public again with a grip of shows along the East Coast. According to Brooklyn Vegan , Hill will hit Boston, New York, and Miami for a string of shows beginning December 20. She’ll make stops at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg at the end of the month, and the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on New Year’s Day. The “Ex-Factor” singer will then resume the jaunt in the spring with a pair of performances in the Magic City as part of Miami’s Jazz in the Gardens Festival. Tickets for the first trio of shows went on sale on Friday (December 10); no additional dates have been announced. At this summer’s Rock the Bells, Hill chuckled when we asked her about a due date for fresh material, but told MTV News, “We’re getting closer. That’s all I can say.” The ex-Fugees frontwoman, who became something of a voice for a generation of pre-millennium girls drawn to her cerebral brand of rap&B, shunned the limelight not long after the jaw-dropping success of her debut. But in August, she remarked that the industry had changed in recent years, adding that she was feeling sparked by how eclectic music in the age of MP3s was sounding. “You got a lot of young talent out there,” Hill observed. “Because we don’t necessarily have the same sort of industry complex that used to exist, people don’t always give, I want to say, proper respect to. But they’re doing it in a really kind of unusual, unique and hard-core way.” Lauryn Hill tour dates, according to Brooklyn Vegan:

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Lauryn Hill Set To Perform String Of East Coast Concerts

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Lauryn Hill Set To Perform String Of East Coast Concerts

The reclusive singer will hit the stage for stops in Boston, New York and Miami beginning December 20. By Rebecca Thomas Lauryn Hill Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images Lauryn Hill is inching closer to a comeback. At this summer’s Rock the Bells, the reclusive raptress emerged for four tour stops, giving front-to-back performances of her classic debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, almost a dozen years to the day after its release. Now, L-Boogie is set to meet her hungry public again with a grip of shows along the East Coast. According to Brooklyn Vegan , Hill will hit Boston, New York, and Miami for a string of shows beginning December 20. She’ll make stops at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg at the end of the month, and the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on New Year’s Day. The “Ex-Factor” singer will then resume the jaunt in the spring with a pair of performances in the Magic City as part of Miami’s Jazz in the Gardens Festival. Tickets for the first trio of shows went on sale on Friday (December 10); no additional dates have been announced. At this summer’s Rock the Bells, Hill chuckled when we asked her about a due date for fresh material, but told MTV News, “We’re getting closer. That’s all I can say.” The ex-Fugees frontwoman, who became something of a voice for a generation of pre-millennium girls drawn to her cerebral brand of rap&B, shunned the limelight not long after the jaw-dropping success of her debut. But in August, she remarked that the industry had changed in recent years, adding that she was feeling sparked by how eclectic music in the age of MP3s was sounding. “You got a lot of young talent out there,” Hill observed. “Because we don’t necessarily have the same sort of industry complex that used to exist, people don’t always give, I want to say, proper respect to. But they’re doing it in a really kind of unusual, unique and hard-core way.” Lauryn Hill tour dates, according to Brooklyn Vegan:

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Snoop Dogg Talks Being First ‘Rock Band’ Rapper

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I’m the first hip-hop rock star,’ he tells MTV News of his eight-song pack for the video game. By Kyle Anderson, with reporting by Sway Calloway and Matt Elias Snoop Dogg Photo: MTV News Even though he has been in the hip-hop game for nearly 20 years, Snoop Dogg still manages to tear down barriers and break records this deep into his career. Now, he has set yet another precedent in hip-hop history, becoming the first rapper to provide downloadable content for “Rock Band,” the video game that allows you to jump onstage with your favorite performer. “I do it all, man,” Snoop told MTV News’ Sway at last month’s Rock the Bells Tour kickoff . “I got some downloadable content with classic songs from Doggystyle, songs like ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot.’ You’ll be able to play along to the Snoop Dogg groove in a dramatic fashion, so you can feel like you’re a member of the Snoopadelics.” In addition to “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” the eight-song pack contains the smash singles “Beautiful,” “Sensual Seduction” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?,” as well as deeper cuts like “Ridin’ in My Chevy,” “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head,” “Tha Shiznit” and “That’s Tha Homie.” The package will be available for $13.49 (or 1,080 Microsoft Points, if that’s your game) and will also be available for individual purchase. Snoop, who describes himself as “an OG gamer,” is a big fan of the “Rock Band” approach and is happy to be part of a new tradition. “It brings it back to life again for those who may not have heard it, or those who may not even have been around when it was out,” Snoop said of the classic tunes getting new life via “Rock Band.” “It keeps that classic material rolling. I like when they do it with Metallica and Guns N’ Roses and the Beatles back to life. They’re educating the youth on that great music that was here years ago.” As for being the first rapper to penetrate the “Rock Band” market, it’s old hat for a living legend like Snoop. “I’m the first hip-hop rock star,” he declared. “The others, they do what they do, but they don’t do what I do.” For more on “Rock Band,” check out the Multiplayer blog , updated daily. Related Photos The Evolution Of: Snoop Dogg Related Artists Snoop Dogg

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Snoop Dogg Says Katy Perry Will Appear On His Next Album

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

The ‘California Gurls’ pair will reunite for the upcoming Doggystyle 2: The Doggumentary. By Jayson Rodriguez Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ Getty Images Snoop Dogg is in a “let’s do it again” type of mood. The rapper announced plans to work with Katy Perry again after the pair’s “California Gurls” collaboration shot to the top of the iTunes singles chart this week. ( Perry’s album, Teenage Dream, also hit #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week.) “We’re trying to get together and do something on my new album … so [I’m] definitely in contact with her,” Snoop told OK! magazine about Perry. “She’s a sweet girl and I had fun making the record with her. Like I said, I’m looking forward to her being on my record as well.” The album in question is Doggystyle 2: The Doggumentary. Snoop announced he’s revisiting his classic debut album in a BubbleTweet video message sent over Swizz Beatz’s Twitter account. Snoop and Swizz were in a studio session and revealed they had recorded upwards of 18 new tracks together. “Man, this is big Snoop Dogg coming to you live from the studio somewhere,” Snoop said in the clip. “With Swizzle, and he just laced my boots up for my new record. He gave me some gangster sh–, some Crip sh–, some R&B sh–, some hip-hop sh–, some hard sh–, some mean sh–.” The Los Angeles lyricist then revealed the name of his next album before the clip cut off. Snoop’s Doggystyle was released in November 1993. The collection was produced by Dr. Dre and, along with Dre’s The Chronic, helped solidify the West Coast’s reign atop the hip-hop game. It still remains one of the best-selling debuts in hip-hop history. Last month, Snoop revisited his debut project as a part of this year’s Rock the Bells tour, which had performers playing seminal albums in their entirety. Also on the bill were Lauryn Hill ( The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ), A Tribe Called Quest ( Midnight Marauders ), KRS-One ( Criminal Minded ), Rakim ( Paid in Full ) and the Wu-Tang Clan ( Enter the Wu-Tang [36 Chambers] ). Related Photos Concept Art For Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ Related Artists Snoop Dogg Katy Perry

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Lauryn Hill Says She’s ‘Getting Closer’ To Releasing New Album

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The singer also praises the crop of ‘young talent’ who are unafraid to be ‘unique and hard-core.’ By Shaheem Reid Lauryn Hill Photo: MTV News Lauryn Hill was feeling jovial on Saturday at Governor’s Island in New York City. One of the main attractions on the lineup, Hill was making her second stop on the Rock the Bells Tour , where we grabbed the opportunity to ask her when she might release her first studio album since 1998. “We’re getting closer,” she said with a chuckle. “We’re getting closer. That’s all I can say.” One thing seems certain when she does drop the follow-up LP: There won’t be many, if any, collaborations. She has too much to express after being mostly gone for more than a decade. “I have respect for what people do,” Hill said. “I also like to hear the eclectics, I like to hear the mixture. There’s a lot of different creative energies out there right now. I respect the different sounds that I’m hearing. It’s been such a long time since I’ve gotten my voice and my ideas [out]. In terms of collaborations, that’s not even something I’ve been thinking about per se. I’m happy that people are still making music. That we still have a platform with which to make music. It’s gonna be interesting to see what the future holds.” When Hill thinks about the current musical landscape, the iconic MC/songstress said she realizes it’s very different from the ’90s, but that there is nothing wrong with that. “It’s a lot going on,” Hill said. “It’s interesting energy. It’s not what it was, it’s different. That doesn’t necessarily means it’s a bad thing — it’s a different thing. Just like any new opportunity, it’s ripe for a lot of different things. You got a lot of young talent out there. Because we don’t necessarily have the same sort of industry complex that used to exist, people don’t always give, I want to say, proper respect to. But they’re doing it in a really kind of unusual, unique and hard-core way. Because the system is not necessarily in place like it used to be.” Are you excited to hear Lauryn is working on new music? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Lauryn Hill Gets Fresh At Rock The Bells Related Artists Lauryn Hill

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Lauryn Hill Explains Updating Her Classics At Rock The Bells

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

‘I have to upgrade them a bit so that they’re still exciting and fresh and they’re new,’ she tells MTV News. By Shaheem Reid Lauryn Hill Photo: Taylor Hill/ Getty Images Of her four Rock the Bells Tour stops, Lauryn Hill hasn’t had one show exactly like any of the others. On Saturday in New York, she brought a host of celebs onstage — including Jay-Z and Beyonc

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Jay Hernandez Says He ‘Grew Up Watching’ ‘Takers’ Co-Star Matt Dillon

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

‘I’ve seen him in, I don’t even know how many films,’ Hernandez says. By Shaheem Reid Jay Hernandez Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images Actor Jay Hernandez didn’t get a chance to appear in too many scenes with the “bad guys” of the film “Takers.” His character, detective Eddie Hatcher, spends a considerable amount of time with his onscreen partner Jack Welles — played by Matt Dillon — trying to crack a bank-heist case. Hernandez says he had a ball working with Dillon, the O.G. of the ensemble cast, which also includes as the gang of Takers: T.I., Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, Chris Brown and Michael Ealy.

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Rakim Recalls Epic Rap Battle That Never Was

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

‘We knew that people was trying to make us clash,’ the Paid in Full MC says of onetime beef with legendary Big Daddy Kane. By Shaheem Reid Big Daddy Kane and Rakim Photo: The Life Files Cornerstone Credentials: Rakim It’s probably the greatest rap battle that didn’t happen. Icon vs. Icon, the God vs. the Prince of Darkness: Rakim going mic to mic with Big Daddy Kane. Back in the late ’80s, fans were buzzing about whether the two New York legends would engage in an epic face-off, a matchup of perhaps the two best MCs in the game at the time. On “Set It Off” from 1988’s Long Live the Kane, Kane famously spit, “rap soloist, you don’t want none of this.” Of course, he rapped those lines during a period that saw Rakim ringing off crazy with “Eric B. Is President” from Paid in Full, which dropped in ’87. Ra had rapped, “And you know that I’m the soloist.” After hearing “Set It Off,” Rakim was prepared to retaliate with some rhymes on 1988’s sophomore LP, Follow the Leader. “Me and Kane, people always expected me and Kane to battle. ‘Yo, Ra, you and Kane need to do this. Boom, boom,’ ” Rakim recalled last Saturday when we caught up with him in San Bernardino, California, for the Rock the Bells kickoff. Ra performed the seminal Paid in Full from start to finish. “For the most part, it was love,” he added. “We knew that people was trying to make us clash. ‘Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em,’ I had wrote some of that for Kane because he did a joint before that I felt he was talking to me. I wrote ‘Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ [in response] and Eric B.’s brother, Ant Live, let Kane hear it. “They called me up like, ‘Nah, Ra, don’t let people gas it up and say I was talking about you,’ ” he continued. “So it was a couple of bars in ‘Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em’ that I took out because I spoke to Kane. … But he could’ve been lying. You know how it is, baby! Nah, love is love. A lot of people wanted it to happen — it would have been crazy. But big up to Kane, he always kept me on my toes, and I hope vice versa. And another brother: [Kool] G Rap. Those were my measuring sticks that I measured myself with. Big up for helping me keep my sword sharp.” The Rock the Bells Tour continues this weekend in New York City on Governor’s Island and ends its run on Sunday in Washington, D.C. In addition to Rakim, other hip-hop legends who’ll be on the main stage are KRS-One, Slick Rick, A Tribe Called Quest, the Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg . Hip-hop mainstays Wiz Khalifa, the Clipse and Yelawolf will hold court on the “Paid Dues” stage. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Chris Bosh, Wale, Fabolous

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Rakim Calls Rock The Bells Tour ‘A Blessing’

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I hope I’m around to see many more of these,’ he tells MTV News. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Sway Calloway Rakim Photo: MTV News With its mix of headlining veterans and upstart openers, the Rock the Bells Tour bridges the gap between classic and current hip-hop. That fact isn’t lost on Rakim , who is one of those vets on the bill, along with Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One and the Wu-Tang Clan. The New York MC talked to MTV News moments after stepping offstage during the San Bernardino, California, stop and opened up about performing his Paid in Full opus 23 years after its release. “For somebody that thinks he always has wordplay to fit the situation, there’s certain things for rap that I have no words for,” he said. “I been around since ’86, and to see that out there and be a part of this tour right here, it’s a blessing. I hope I’m around to see many more of these.” Paid in Full was a monumental release in hip-hop’s history. The 1987 project, billed under Eric B. and Rakim, heralded the rapper’s arrival, and his influence in the years after was immense. From Rakim’s lyrical command to his pregnant pauses, and every wrinkle in between, he rewrote the MC handbook with his debut. His goal was to be an original, and he wanted to mimic a jazz musician’s degree of skill with his verses. “As a young artist, especially in rap and at that time that I came out, originality was big,” Rakim said. “So in the back of your mind, you were always trying to come up with something to separate yourself from what was going on. I was heavily influenced by Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz, but I kind of wanted to take it somewhere else. “My thing was I loved music, I played music, I played the saxophone,” he continued. “So the little bit of music knowhow I had, I tried to implement that in every thing I did, from my style, my cadence, the way I tried to pause and stagnate it; that all came from John Coltrane and listening to jazz albums. Trying to rhyme like a jazz player.” Do you think Rakim succeeded in being a hip-hop original? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Rock The Bells: A Look Back Related Artists Rakim

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