25 to Life Review

February 2nd, 2006 | By Administrator

Purchase 25 to Life for PS2…
Purchase 25 to Life for XBOX…
Visit 25 to Life’s site for more info…

It’s here, the game that caused all the controversy over the last year, the game that’s been causing all the hype 25 to life from Eidos. With all the talk about this game I had high expectations, so I was more than excited when I received my copy… So I started right away, now to begin with I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t quite get used to the controls and was getting frustrated, but id say that happens with all games… the graphics were above average but nothing mind blowing although the movie clips and some levels were pretty impressive, of course that would vary between the XBOX and PS2 systems. The game surely has its share of violence, blood and all, earning it a mature ESRB rating, we love it! Although one thing I felt about the story line was the forced feeling to make the game have a "urban" or ghetto if you will vibe to it, not overall just in the dialect this tends not to stand out so much when you get further into the game play. On the games behalf as bad as my initial impression was once I started playing I was pretty into it and couldn’t put it down, which in turn is probably why I beat it within a day. Not that it was a breeze, I played on normal difficulty and found my self doing certain levels repeatedly… the game has a good ability to keep things fresh, none of the levels are a like and you switch characters several times in between Freeze the main character, Detective Lester Williams who’s working to track you down and Shaun Calderon leader of the 22nd street D-Boys once a good friend who’s now turned on you… if I had to choose id say freeze is my favorite character based on his role in the game… Another good aspect of the game is the sound track, with tracks from Tech N9ne, Blaze ya Dead Homie, Esham, ABK, Lavel, UTP Playas, 2Pac, Shyne… and that’s just to name a few the tracks are all hot and defiantly keep your adrenaline pumping. I’ve read a few reviews about the game here and there, most of which were negative toward the single player mode if not the whole game, im going to disagree while it wasn’t a new GTA or anything it was still fun and defiantly a good game. I’ve heard although I haven’t been able to test it just yet that the multi player mode is the best feature of the game… so if that’s your thing get your friends together and battle it out in 25 to life. Im going to give this game a over all rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, make sure you pick it up and see what all the hypes been about…
[rate 3.5]

Birdman Busted on Weapons, Fraudulent License charges

February 2nd, 2006 | By Administrator

Cash Money Records founder and rapper Brian ?Birdman? Williams was arrested Sunday (Jan. 29) on weapons and fraudulent driver?s license charges.

The 36-year-old music mogul was charged with carrying a concealed firearm; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; unlawful use of a license by presenting another person?s driver’s license; possession of a fraudulent license; and failure to have vehicle registration.

The alleged incident occurred at 3:28 a.m., when Miami Beach police officer Kevin Millan said he spotted a maroon Maserati ”parked in the right lane of traffic” on South Pointe Drive. Millan?s police report further stated that the vehicle had no tag and a covered vehicle identification number.

Williams told Millan he owned the Maserati and that his license and paperwork were inside the car, according to the report.

?After opening the glove compartment, [the] defendant reached across to driver’s side,? Millan stated. ?While doing so, he removed a .40 cal. glock semi-auto pistol from his waist band with his right hand and dropped it to driver’s floor board?.[The] gun [was] loaded with eight rounds.?

Police said Williams had three ID cards and two driver?s licenses from Louisiana under the names Brian Williams, with a birthdate of Feb. 15, 1975, and Thomas Corey, with a birthdate of Feb. 15, 1969.

In addition, Williams told officers his real name was Brian Christile Williams, born in 1969.

The report also stated that Williams told police he recently purchased the Maserati in Los Angeles, but ”it has no tag and has not been registered.” H e also said he had a prior felony conviction.

Williams? attorney, Andr? Crenshaw, stated that the allegations against his client are untrue. ?There are some conflicting stories as to his possession of a handgun,? said Crenshaw. “[Williams] denies saying that he has a felony conviction. He never made that statement.?

Williams, who is out on $18,000 bond, could not be reached for comment Tuesday (Jan. 31).

Three 6 Mafia Gets Oscar Nod

February 1st, 2006 | By Administrator

The 78th Academy Awards were announced Monday (Jan. 30) in Beverly Hills, California and Hip-Hop received a fair share of nods, some expected and others surprising.

Three 6 Mafia, mostly known for an underground sensibility, was nominated for an Original song Oscar for their Terrence Howard-executed song “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp? from Hustle & Flow.

Hustle & Flow is a film that centers on a Memphis, Tennessee pimp that turns to rap music in an attempt to escape the street life.

“We [are] just happy as hell,” DJ Paul told AllHipHop.com. “We knew they said it might be nominated, but we didn’t think it would be. It’s good to find out it’s true.”

DJ Paul said he was honored to part of a legacy of Memphis history in the music business. “This is just a step further to the roads of Hollywood that we’ve been traveling since our first movie, Choices I.”

Others nominated for an Original Song Oscar include “In The Deep” from Crash and “Travelin’ Thru” from Transamerica.

The Academy also nominated Terrence Howard for Best Performance for his role in the film Hustle & Flow.

Howard faces hefty competition from Heath Ledger, star of the year’s most nominated film Brokeback Mountain, Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote and David Strathairn in Good Night and Good Luck.

Ludacris, who stars in Hustle & Flow, also has a role in the movie Crash, which was nominated for Best Picture by the Oscar committee. Luda and the cast of Crash received a Screen Actors Guild Award Sunday for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

The Academy Awards air live on Sunday (Mar. 5) at the Kodak Theatre and will be televised by the ABC Television Network.

Lil’ Flip/Sony BMG Music Found Guilty Of Copyright Infringement.

January 30th, 2006 | By Administrator

A jury in Houston Federal Court has found rapper Lil’ Flip and Sony BMG Music Entertainment guilty of willful copyright infringement.

Lil’ Flip (real name Wesley Eric Weston) was sued in Nov. 2004 for alleged unauthorized use of three melodies on his major label debut, Undaground Legend.

The lawsuit, filed in Federal Court in the Southern District of Texas, claimed that the melodies were the creation of Tommy L. Granville, a songwriter and music producer based out of Shreveport, Louisiana.

The jury verdict found that Suckafree Records, Lil’ Flip, his manager Estelle Douglass Hobbs, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Columbia Records, Loud Records, Lucky Publishing and Hobbs Publishing willfully violated the copyrighted music of Tommy Granville, when the Defendants included it on Lil’ Flip’s platinum-selling CD, Undaground Legend.

The lawsuit sought $1.5 million in damages and an unspecified amount for alleged willful infringement of Granville’s copyrights.

The Houston jury awarded Granville $150,000, the maximum statutory damages under the law.

Magistrate Judge Stacy also fined Sony $12,000 for their failure to adhere to the court’s orders to turn over financial documents.

“We’re very pleased that the jury agreed that Tommy Granville’s music was illegally taken by these Defendants,” Scott Hemingway, attorney for the plaintiff, told AllHipHop.com. “Sony is one of the world’s biggest enforcers of its copyright rights and it files 1000’s of copyright infringement lawsuits against Internet file-sharers to protect its rights. It is nice to see the jury tell Sony and the other Defendants that they should respect the copyrights of others the same way they want their own copyright rights respected.”

In a separate action in Sept. 2004, NamCo America sued the same set of defendants for copyright infringement over Lil’ Flip’s hit song, “Game Over.”

In that lawsuit filed in US District Court, Southern District of New York, Namco alleged that their copyright was infringed upon when sounds from the game “Pac-Man” and “Ms. Pac-Man” were included on “Game Over” and its remix.

That suit was settled prior to going to trial.

Koch Announces Release Date For Album By Scarface & The Product

January 30th, 2006 | By Administrator

Scarface and rap duo the Product have teamed with Koch to release One Hunnid, the debut album from Scarface’s new venture, The Underground Railroad Movement.

The Product features Bay Area rapper Will Hen and Jackson Mississippi native Young Malice.

“We are very excited to work with Scarface and his [new] label Underground Railroad,” Alan Grunblatt, general manager and executive vice president of Koch, told AllHipHop.com, adding that Scarface is “one of the greatest rappers of all time.”

The rapper appears on almost 90 percent of the songs on One Hunnid, which boasts production by Tone Capone, John Bido, The Alchemist and Scarface himself.

The album is slated to hit stores Feb. 21.

Slip-N-Slide Allowed To Release Pitbull CD

January 28th, 2006 | By Administrator

A United States District Court Magistrate Judge recently granted a preliminary injunction to Slip-N-Slide Records that prohibits TVT Records from interfering with the distribution and/or release of Pitbull’s Welcome to the 305.

The two labels were embroiled in a legal battle over the release of Welcome to the 305, an album that contains material Pitbull recorded before signing with TVT.

In March 2005, TVT sent a letter to Slip-N-Slides distributors indicating that the sale of 305 violated TVT’s rights and that TVT would seek redress for violation of those rights.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Brown ruled that “TVT’s statement and letter that Slip-N-Slide’s actions in promoting and distributing 305, were a violation’s of TVT’s rights (under a contract with Pitbull), was a misrepresentation which was made with knowledge and was clearly intended to cause the recipients of the letters to not purchase 305.”

The Court further found that “Slip-N-Slide’s business relationships with it’s distributors had been damaged by the TVT letter.

Although Slip-N-Slide had already received 100,000 pre-orders of 305, they were unable to release the album because virtually every distributor that received the letter refused to sell it.”

The Slip-N-Slide recordings were tracked in 2001, before Pitbull signed to TVT.

Slip-N-Slide owner Ted Lucas claimed Pitbull signed over all rights to the recordings when they granted the rapper a release in 2003 to sign with TVT.

On the contrary, TVT President Steven Gottlieb said that Slip-N-Slide was exploiting the investment they had made to make Pitbull a worldwide star and that Pitbull told TVT to block the release.

S.C.C. Album Release Party

January 27th, 2006 | By Administrator

Fri, Jan 27th @ Club Shenanigans. This will be the OFFICIAL album release party for Both Sides Of The Track. This will also be B-Rock’s 19th Birthday Party. Club Shenanigans is located at 2377 N. Flannery Road on the corner of South Choctaw and North Flannery in Baton Rouge. Guest list includes T-Bo, Lil Witness, Box, Max, Sam I Am, Mookie, Howard M., Mike da Hustla, B, Clever, Lil Cali, Keely, STS Records, J-Dirty, Down Bad, Gauntlet Records, Dojah, Big Cheeze, LaTangela, Big Ro, Lil Dossey, Lil Mook, K-Slimm, D & D Design and more. A SPECIAL GUEST will also appear at the concert. Wright Studios will be in the building before, during and after the party recording footage for the next S.C.C. DVD. Doors open at 9PM; 18+ to get in, 21 to drink.

Master P Attracts Scorn And Support From “Dancing With The Stars”

January 24th, 2006 | By Administrator

Master P, music mogul, has been able to sell millions of albums, but the rapper?s presence on ABC?s ?Dancing With the Stars? has caused a firestorm of controversy because of his continued inclusion on the show.

The rapper, who admitted to limited dance skills, explained his position on ?The View? daytime talk show on Monday (Jan. 23).

?I never danced before in my life. I?m having fun, I?m still on the show and America likes what?s going on,? P explained.

But the New Orleans native also acknowledged his detractors.

?This is America, everybody is going to have an opinion. Everybody is gonna love you, everybody is gonna hate you. I?m just a country boy trying to dance. I?ve never danced a day in my life.?

The judges have berated Master P for his dancing and his refusal to conform to dance standards, but the rapper continues to be voted via the online poll component to the show.

Latoya West, who hosts a reality series TV blog at about.com, theorized that Master P?s fans are keeping the rapper in the running.

?The platinum-selling rapper has countless fans out there who may be calling in to save him. I?m pretty sure he has more fans than last week?s eliminee, Giselle ?Who is she?? Fernandez. Dancing With the Stars may be more about popularity than Paso Dobles.?

While P said his whole family could dance, he said they too were perplexed at his dance floor maneuvers.

?They are like, ?Dad, what are you doing?? he admitted. ?Dancing? Judge Len Goodman told Master P. ?It?s time that you and this show parted.?

But, Goodman may have underestimated the voting power of Master P?s wide fan base and those galvanized by the negativity towards the rapper.

Members of AllHipHop.com?s Ill Community defended the rapper?s efforts on the message board.

IC member Da 404 Soulja posted, ?First off, I just want to give big ups to P and all the people that voted for him. If Master P ends up winning this, the White people are gonna start a riot and get P killed. I want to see P win this s**t!?

Master P?s supporters have even launched http://keep-p-dancing.com, a website dedicated to keeping the rapper on ?Dancing With the Stars.?

Fans of ?Dancing With the Stars? that posted on ABC?s web site weren?t as enthused at Master P?s endurance on the show.

?P has less rhythm than any White person that ever stepped on a dance floor and the show is supposing to be about dancing,? one ABC poster said. ?The joke is in all the people who continue to watch and support this competition that allows dancing to be judged by popularity and not talent. It?s a talent contest. I suggest we all just turn off ?Dancing With The Stars? and maybe they will come up with a better judging system.?

Master P responded to his detractors with positivity and a higher calling.

?I wanna show kids, ?Do something else wit your life, you don?t gotta [succumb to the streets]. I?ve never danced before. I grew up in the ghetto. I just want to show kids they can try something new. Most kids in these communities live until they?re 18 or 19. If I made it out, they can make it out. I want to show them some change.?

?Dancing With the Stars? airs on Thursday nights at 8 pm EST on ABC voting results air on Friday nights at 8 pm.

Juvenile Films Video In New Orleans’ Ravaged Ninth Ward

January 19th, 2006 | By Administrator

Juvenile recently wrapped a new, gritty video for “Get Ya Hustle On” that captures the continued desolation in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The rapper and New Orleans native is one of the first artists to be granted access to the lower Ninth Ward since a levee breach flooded the streets in the natural disaster.

The video, which is still in production, was shot over a four-day period in a documentary style.

“Get Ya Hustle On,” a politically charged song, criticized local and national governmental forces for neglecting the city’s poorest and disenfranchised.

“It?s more like out with the old, in with the new,” Juvenile said of the efforts to rebuild New Orleans. “Now you got [wealthy real estate barons] down there, buying up all the property – now it?s a big business venture. If you didn?t pay your taxes on your property – and half of the people weren?t able to pay taxes, you know – a lot of people lost their money for real.

While most of Reality Check, the rapper’s upcoming album, was recorded prior to the hurricane, he re-added songs like “Get Ya Hustle On” to address the plight of the victims.

The video, directed by Ben Mor, depicts three children that find masks of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Mayor Ray Nagin.

The opposing side of the masks says, “Help Is Coming.”

The beginning of the video says, “This is a tribute to those who died in the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm may have passed, but for thousands the struggle is just beginning.”

To view images from the shoot click this link.

For more insight on Juvenile’s views on Hurricane Katrina and the political controversy surrounding it, read Juvenile’s AllHipHop.com interview.

Juvenile’s UTP/Atlantic debut, Reality Check, is due on March 7.

Juvenile Arrested On Child Support Warrant

January 15th, 2006 | By Administrator

Rapper Juvenile was arrested before a performance in Ocala, Florida on a child support warrant on Friday (Jan. 13). The New Orleans born rapper was arrested on a writ of bodily attachment child support warrant and was taken into custody at The Ritz Hotel in Ocala. Juvenile, born Terius Gray, was released on his own recognizance that evening and performed at the Ghost House Night Club. In a separate October 2003 incident, an arrest warrant was issued for the rapper in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on charges of abandonment of a dependent child. Juvenile is preparing to release his latest album, Reality Check.