Mos Def has announced that he will be retiring his name in 2011 and changing it to Yasiin. M os says he will not be offended if you walk up to him and call him by his original rap name because it is the name he has built for years. At least he didn’t change it to “Swag” like Diddy! It should be noted that Mos Def is a Muslim so the name change may have had something to do with his religion. Erykah Badu & Lauryn Hill “Rock The Bells” [PHOTOS] Mos Def Signs To Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music Mos Def’s Wife Takes It Off
Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu shined at this year’s “Rock The Bells” concert in NYC! Mos Def, The Wu Tang Clan and Nas also made appearances. Rock The Bells took place on Governer’s Island this year. Erykah Badu’s Coachella Performance [VIDEO] Lauryn Hill A Nightmare? Being Sued For Verbal Abuse Check out photos and video below:
Mobb Deep, Slaughterhouse, Erykah Badu and more revisit classic material for a day of hip-hop celebration on New York stop. By Rob Markman Nas at Rock The Bells Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — Thousands of rap fans gathered in hip-hop’s birth city for a daylong celebration of the genre’s classics. Nas , Lauryn Hill , Erykah Badu and Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon and Ghostface Killah all performed at the Rock the Bells 2011 festival on Governor’s Island in New York City on Saturday (September 3). The musical tour was comprised of four stages, including the main Rock the Bells stage, the Wu-inspired 36 Chambers stage and the underground-themed Paid Dues stage. More than 20 acts, including Mobb Deep, Slaughterhouse, Black Moon, Big K.R.I.T., the Immortal Technique and GZA, performed, with some dedicating their sets to their own classic albums; others devoted their shows to just a gang of fan-favorites. The festivities kicked off at approximately 2 p.m. ET, and started off slow. Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA fumbled through his 1995 sophomore album, Liquid Swords, as concertgoers ping-ponged back and forth between stages. Cypress Hill ran through selections from their Black Sunday LP. Marijuana anthems like “I Wanna Get High” and “Hits From the Bong” set the tone for a smoke-filled set that mixed equal parts rap, rock and Latin soul. Mobb Deep didn’t disappoint. Although they were advertised to perform only their 1995 breakout album, The Infamous, the Queens, New York, duo did so much more. In addition to tracks like “Shook Ones Pt. II,” “Survival of the Fittest” and “Give Up the Goods,” the Mobb dove into their catalog of street bangers, including “G.O.D. Pt. III” and “Quiet Storm,” as well. MTV Jams’ 2011 Fab 5 inductee Big K.R.I.T. found his set overlapping with that of the Mobb’s Havoc and Prodigy, but he was still able to draw a sizable crowd on the Paid Dues stage. The gatherers bounced energetically to Southern-fried selections like “Glass House” and “Country Sh–,” proving that it wasn’t just a day for rap veterans. After drawing fan criticism about her previous live shows, Lauryn Hill promised at the beginning of her set to perform the songs from her The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album as they were recorded. Unfortunately, the plan was thrown out the window pretty quickly as she rapped to a ridiculously sped-up version of “Lost Ones.” In fact, many of Ms. Hill’s classics were performed quite differently from how fans may have remembered. Still, she did thrill audiences with almost-flawless renditions of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and “To Zion.” There was also a Fugees reunion of sorts when Pras joined his former partner to rock “Ready or Not,” but the warring Wyclef was nowhere to be found. Before Hill could finish her set, Raekwon and Ghostface took to the 36 Chambers stage on the other side of the field. They opened with “Striving for Perfection,” the opening skit from Rae’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … , and then tore into “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” “Criminology” and “Ice Cream.” It was a ’90s-era dream come true, but unfortunately hip-hop’s faithful were forced to choose, because halfway through Rae and Ghost’s set, the night’s headliner Nas, started his show on the main stage. At around 10:30 p.m., the crowd gathered at Nas’ stage, which was decorated with props made to mirror his native Queensbridge, New York, housing project. There was a backdrop with buildings, a real lamppost, project benches and a gate that stood as the entrance. It was 17 years ago that Nasir Jones dropped his highly regarded debut, Illmatic, and on Saturday night he maneuvered through the 10-track masterpiece starting with its opener, “Genesis.” With DJ Premier backing him, Nas rapped the words to “N.Y. State of Mind” and “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” with a ferocity that recalled the young MC in 1994. Nas did, at times, depart from the Illmatic theme, treating his day-one fans to something special. First, he brought out MC Serch to perform their 1992 underground banger “Back to the Grill.” Next up, he invited Joe Fatal, Akinyele and Large Professor to do “Live at the Barbeque,” the 1991 song that gave Nas his rap debut. From there, it was a full-on party as the Braveheart MC did his new single “Nasty,” invited Lauryn back out for their collabo “If I Ruled the World” and closed with the hyped-up “Made Ya Look.” Before he left closed out the night, Nas shouted, “I love you New York City,” and it was apparent that NYC loves him back. Did you catch the Rock the Bells tour this year? Tell us your thoughts! Related Artists Nas Wu-Tang Clan Raekwon The Fugees Lauryn Hill
Sometimes a little feminine touch can do wonders to a masculine look. La La Vazquez Anthony showed up to Kimmy Cakes Welcome To New York wedding celebration last night wearing this sheer tux shirt with trousers. Meanwhile Erykah Badu was spotted shopping in Toronto rocking a menswear inspired look as well. Both ladies look pretty stylish right? More photos of them both below: WENN
The UNCF’s “An Evening Of Stars” brought out some of black entertainment’s best singers and actors last night (August 14) for it’s 33rd annual gala. Jill Scott & Erykah Badu performed while Tatyana Ali presented and Keke Palmer attended. The televised program serves as national public service announcement campaign aiming to helping to raise money for college scholarships. Jill Scott Considers Open Relationships, Chilli Shuts Her Down Jill Scott & Anthony Hamilton Are “So In Love” [NEW VIDEO]
Dave Chappelle’s Block Party in 2004 will go down as one of the coolest outdoor concert experiences of the last ten years. R&B star Jill Scott was one of the featured performers and tore down the stage with Erykah Badu during a rendition of “You Got Me.” Now if you watch footage from the movie (released in 2006) Jill was very pleasant and easy going back stage, even with her pimple named “Herbert”. But in a recent interview with TheHuffingtonPost she admitted that being back stage wasn’t all fun for her. MR : You’re in a certain Dave Chappelle’s Block Party flick. That must have been fun. JS : That was not fun for me. It was a great experience, however it wasn’t fun. The only reason I say that is I typically work a certain kind of way. There were so many people and so much energy that it was hard for me to find a space to just be for a moment, straight from a crowd of people to the stage, which is not normally what I do. I remember being thoroughly exhausted when that was over, but very proud of the outcome. I still watch it now and then and I think, “Wow, what a great experience.” READ FULL INTERVIEW AT HUFFINGTONPOST.COM RELATED POSTS: You Voted: Jill Scott Represents Black Music in 2011! Jill Scott Debuts At Number 1 On Billboard 200 Jill Scott’s “Womanifesto” [RHYME OF THE WEEK]
If men can do it, how come women can’t? Lil Wayne can have a billion baby mommas, so how come a female can’t have multiple baby daddies? Well here are some ladies that have had some daddies in their lives and they’re not ashamed to admit it!
If men can do it, how come women can’t? Lil Wayne can have a billion baby mommas, so how come a female can’t have multiple baby daddies? Well here are some ladies that have had some daddies in their lives and they’re not ashamed to admit it!
Well isn’t this precious! First daughter Malia Obama has gotten her first kiss, and President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are basking in the afterglow, sources say. “It’s a big moment for anyone’s daughter,” a White House insider told The ENQUIRER. “Barack and Michelle nod a lot as Malia updates them on her feelings, but only grandma is getting the whole story.” Michelle’s mom, Marian Robinson, got the breaking news that Malia – who turned 13 on July 4 – went from holding hands to sneaking a noontime kiss with a 13-year-old classmate at the elite Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., say pals. “Marian knew to take Malia’s lunch-break kiss very seriously,” the insider noted. “It’s a sweet event in her young life. Now Barack and Michelle can’t stop smiling.” And when a smitten Malia reportedly confided to her grandmother that she wished her “boyfriend” could have joined them on their June 13 VIP tour of Universal Studios, her grandmother quickly offered advice, sources say. “Marian explained to Malia the graceful, young-lady way to show feelings,” another close source revealed. “She advised Malia to slow down about wanting her crush to attend all their White House swimming and bowling parties. “She suggested that a better idea was to ask her parents if she could invite her ‘friend’ over on her birthday, and she gently told Malia that introducing a young man who’s just 13 as ‘my boyfriend’ might make him feel awkward.” Now her mother and grandmother are working behind the scenes to guide Malia through her teen years, sources say. Awwww, look at lil Malia getting her little teenage love affair on. Source
This precious little girl, who carries the weight of a planet’s name on her shoulders, is the daughter of two very creative, albeit slightly weird, artists. Like her, her older brother and sister’s daddies are also rappers… Did that give it away? This is Erykah Badu and Jay Electronica’s daughter Mars, who turned two in February. Wonder what Seven and Puma look like these days…
