Ah, yes… as I noted in my first “The 90s Loved The 80s” entry, there hasn’t been as much lifting of ’90s hits by the artists of this decade. Part of that, obviously, is due to how much those artists themselves were sampling from older music. But, there were a few quality remakes and whatnot that took place in the 2000s. Some of them were hot, like Carl Thomas & Faith Evans singing over The Firm’s “Phone Tap“. Others were eehhh, like Fabolous & Tamia recycling “So Into You“. But here are five that stood out the most to me over the last ten years…

Ashanti feat. Nas & Ja Rule “The Pledge (Remix)” (2002) X 2Pac “So Many Tears” (1995): During the summer that Ja and Nas both went into maniacal rants on the radio, Ashanti’s remix of “The Pledge” paid homage to one of my favorite ‘Pac records “So Many Tears”. Remember when Nas was supposed to be merging w/ Murder Inc. and forming a big movement? No? Yeah, me neither. Y’all niggas wanna see ‘Pac come back?!!

Mary J. Blige feat. Method Man “Love @ 1st Sight” (2003) X A Tribe Called Quest “Hot Sex” (1992) : MJB had a not-so-hot year when she got back with Puff and tried to bring back the old formula with the Love & Life album. I guess it was one of those things people ask for, but don’t really care for once it happens. Anyway, the album did happen to have a number of hot records on it, including this one. In keeping with the early-’90s energy, they utilized the track once known as A Tribe Called Quest’s “Hot Sex” from the Boomerang soundtrack.

Ludacris “Splash Waterfalls (Remix)” (2004) X Tony! Toni! Tone! “Whatever You Want” (1990): One of Luda’s many hits got the remix treatment with the help the Tonies’ “Whatever You Want”. How this one never got much play on the radio baffles me, especially when compared to the inferior album version. Still, the video version gave it some exposure, and Raphael n’nem prob’ly got a nice check, so all was not lost.

T.I. “Why You Wanna” (2006) X Crystal Waters “Gypsy Woman” (1991): The “La-da-dee-la-dee-dah” song returns 15 years after the fact, in the form of T.I.’s “Why You Wanna” from the King album. Who knew a song about a homeless woman could be a hit in the club not once, but twice? I’m sure a gang of producers prob’ly kicked themselves for not thinking to do this sooner. Is you happy?

Robin Thicke “Mrs. Sexy” (2009) X Eric B. & Rakim “Mahogany” (1990): If someone told you in ‘90 that the guy who plays Jason Seaver on Growing Pains had a son who’d someday do an almost word-for-word remake of Rakim’s “Mahogany”, would you have believed that? I had my suspicions about this one prior to hearing it, but the singer Rob really pulled this shit off. Wow.

There they go… and NOW… a special announcement. Since those who read, comment, and lurk DLT90s enjoyed the first Dirty 30 so much, I’ll be dropping another one on Thursday morning as my final entry of  the year. This one will be 30 joints from the 2000s. After that, things get back to normal around here with the usual ’90s madness. Stay tuned…

-D!

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It has been some time since Ja Rule last released an album. His last album, 2004’s R.U.L.E., was a critical and platinum success. The album was a great rebound from his previous release, which was plagued by his many feuds with other rappers. After years of dominating the game, Ja Rule had struggled and overcame.

The next year, Ja Rule had gotten back to work on another album that would have been released in 2005, had things gone according to plans. Things did not go as planned and Ja’s label, Murder Inc. was under a federal investigation. Since they were being investigated, Def Jam dropped the label from their deal, leaving them all alone.

Since the label’s head, Irv Gotti, was caught up in the trial, he could not focus on working on a new Ja Rule album. Plus, with no label willing to distribute Murder Inc. Records, a new Ja Rule album would not be coming out anytime soon. Towards the end of 2005, Irv Gotti and Murder Inc. were cleared of all charges.

In 2006, Ja Rule resurfaced on an appearance with the rest of the hip hop community on a remix to The Game’s hit single, “One Blood.” Their collaboration led to an alliance between the two rappers that remain strong. In 2007, The Game worked with Ja Rule on his expected comeback album, The Mirror.

While the album was never released, those who heard it said that it was easily the best album that Ja Rule had ever created. On this album, he made the hardcore songs that built his early fan base, he touched down on some of the issues surrounding him, and he still made the songs that he was famous for. The only problem was the fact that the audience remembered him as the guy that no one liked, so no one requested his music.

Due to the fact that his album went unreleased, Murder Inc.’s deal with Universal Records lapsed and the label is currently looking for a new deal. While the label is waiting, Ja Rule is recording a new album. Initially, he announced a triple disc album, Venni Vetti Vecci 2010, but it is unclear if he is still going to release an album of that intensity.

In between The Mirror and this new music, Ja Rule has ended his feud with DMX and he has made connections with many other hip hop stars, past and present. During his time away from the game, Ja Rule has kept an ear to the streets. His activity in the streets and his old neighborhood will be reflected on this new album. He is promising a sincere return to his old style on Venni Vetti Vecci.

There is no set release date for this new Ja Rule album, but plenty of music is expected from the former face of hip hop in 2010.

Download: N.O.R.E. f. DMX, Ja Rule & Yummy Bingham – Stay Flawless

DMX & ja Rule squashed the beef? WHERE WAS I?!

ok ok ok I think Im feeling this. Im all for DMX!!! N.O.R.E. is cool but I feel he felt a lil short. Dmx killed it and Ja Rule delivered. Interesting….

Russell Simmons granted Def Jam A&R, Irv Gotti his own label after he signed Jay-Z and DMX to a struggling Def Jam label. Behind their 1998 releases, the label received major profits and their artists were receiving regular radio rotation after years of obscurity. All of this was due to the fact that Irv Gotti signed these artists to the label.

The following year, Gotti began building his new label, named Murder Inc. Records. Aside from himself, Gotti added his brother, Chris Gotti, and Ja Rule as owners of the label. When Ja released his first album, it was promoted as the first release from Murder Inc. In the early years of the label, Ja Rule was the flagship artist.

By 2000, Ja Rule was the biggest rapper on the planet. Soon, his music sparked the success of Lil’ Mo, a singer for Elektra Records. Her collaborations with Ja Rule led to her music being popular. Sensing the success of Lil’ Mo, Irv Gotti soon signed Ashanti to Murder Inc. With her, Ja Rule was able to duplicate success, making her into one of R&B’s biggest female acts.

Over the years, Ja Rule has gone from being one of hip hop’s biggest stars to being one of hip hop’s commentators. While he has not retired, it is rare to hear new music from Ja Rule. Every year or so, he announces a new album, but he has not officially released an album since 2004. He has admitted that he is still working with Murder Inc., but he is no longer an artist.

When speaking of Murder Inc., Irv Gotti stated that he is rebuilding the label behind Newz. Gotti has said that Newz will be the label’s new star, but Ja Rule will still be a part of the label. Two months ago, Ja Rule said that he was never signed to the label. Instead, he was a part-owner of the label. With the way that the record industry is now, the way that labels sign artists is by getting other artists to recruit them.

The way that Murder Inc. is struggling, Irv Gotti needs someone out there reaching out to new artists. Given the influence that Ja Rule has, as a star, he may be chosen by Gotti to serve as an executive for Murder Inc. Earlier this year, Ja Rule hinted at the possibility of him doing something big.

Spotted @ 2dopeboyz

Download – N.O.R.E. – Stay Flawless f. DMX, Ja Rule & Yummy Bingham | Mediafire

DURRR DURR DURRR DURRRR DURRRR DURRRR MMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYKKKKKKKK BBBBBEEEEEEEEEEBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEE

1. DUHDUHDUHDUH DUHDUHDUHDUH. DUHDUHDUH.
2. DUHduh DUHduh DUH. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUH.
3. Hangover on DVD.
4. GGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH GGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.

Warmest regards,
MMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYKKKKKKKKKKK BBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAA

Ashanti seems to have a psycho stalker on her hands and the NYPD Authorities have nabbed that ass! Devar Hurd, of Indiana, has been sending lewd & explicit text messages to the singer & other female members of her family. Hurd, 31, began this sick game of “sexting” when he hit her mom- Tina Douglas- up first. Tina received messages from Hurd describing what he wanted to do to her in a sexual manner. He then began to text photos of his genitalia, and it basically went downhill from there. He also sent her mom a picture of Ashanti’s car, then went on to tell mom how he masturbates as he watches video of her performances. He even went as far as to suggest a group sex session between Ashanti, her mom, & younger sister Kenashia.

Hurd, described as a lower level record producer/engineer, is being held at Riker’s Island in lieu of $50,000 bail.

-”The BklynBandette”. Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant!

I have a crush on I’ve been knowing him since high school, he’s younger than me, personality= BOMB!!, he’s so freaking adorable & he koo as hell..i always thought he was a “good boy” & that i would corrupt him but he fooled the hell outta me LMFAO… I don’t usually have to compete with other females kuz i get what i want who i want & when i want (yes i’m spoiled haha) & man it’s hard kuz he got all the other females/groupies tryin to get his attention & i just want him to myself, But i’m willing to wait for him which is shocking kuz usually i just move on. & yes he’s a rapper & he tells me they just fans but i kick it with nothing but niggas & it’s just so much coochie that a guy will turn down before they give in ya know!!

these are the songs that go thru my head everytime i think about him lol…

hahaha i’m such a dork hahaha

And the drama continues…

So a couple weeks back, Tiffany Evans went in on Rihanna (via Twitter of course), slamming her new track Russian Roulette, tweeting: “Suicide Rate Gon Skyrocket” followed by a vent on devil worshipping celebrities (obviously throwing shots at RiRi).

In a recent interview with Big Boy Radio, Rihanna took the opportunity to get some ish off her chest. When asked by Big Boy (the host), if she could “turn off” one famous person with a remote control, who would it be?, she responded:

Tiffany Evans. She’s just mouthing off for no reason actin’ like she knows me. The whole devil worshipping thing, she put out this whole statement…

Oh, Tila Tequila! Scrap Tiffany Evans! Hell yes. Same thing . I don’t like when people talk about me and don’t know me and don’t know what they’re sayin’ and sound stupid. I saw her [Tila] backstage at the AMA’s one year… [laughs] She was just standing there with a drink in her hand, even though she doesn’t drink she had a drink in her hand, whatever.

Oh dear. Click here for Tiffany’s diss tweet.

And if you’re unsure as to why Rihanna’s poppin’ off on that hoe of the century, Tila Tequila, hop on over to a post I wrote back in April, where Tila dissed the Bajan singer. But for now [deep breath] here’s Tila’s response to Rihanna’s radio interview:

Wow, I’m sorry girlfriend, but you were cool until u decided to open up your mouth about me so I have no choice.  Everyone in the entertainment industry knows, you just do not fuck with Tila Tequila and think you can get away with it!  Even Perez Hilton knows that(that’s another inside story I have about him & myself, but I will post about that in another blog).

So everyone, yes…..that is the HUGE SECRET our prestine, perfect little Princess RiRi, the “IDOL” has been hiding from the media.   A very close source of mine, who works in the same legal camp as Rihanna, has told me that the reason why Rihanna wasn’t speaking out about the CHRIS BROWN incident is because there was a catch 22 in it.  Rihanna has herpes, and….well……I don’t wanna put anyone else on blast, but Rihanna has herpes and gave someone else herpes that she had slept with.

My sources are very legit, and they work in Rihanna’s legal camp, and that is how I know! SO RIHANNA HAS HERPES, STD’S & WAS SCARED TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT CUZ SHE DIDN’T WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT SHE HAS HERPES AND INFECTED SOMEONE ELSE WITH IT! BAD RIHANNA!

So while you cascade around town, acting like yo shit don’t stink, and leading the media and your fans into thinking that you are a strong woman, and idol, well….it’s a shame you had to trick them into thinking you are, because truth is, you’re ruining other people’s lives, infecting people with your STD’s, and walking around getting praised and loving the sympathy, when really, in real life you are just a major bitch who could give 2 shits about your fans and all the people who have been supporting you! Including myself!

Wow! You can read more here. And I leave you with a random pic of Tila and Ja Rule [remember him? lol] taken a few weeks back (which I’ve been tempted to delete from my files on several ocassions), followed by shots of Rihanna’s performance from the free Myspace- sponsored show in NYC yesterday...

Hoping for the day when Rihanna fixes that damn ginger headpiece!

It seems there was a point this decade where if you had enough heat, money, and we’re a gravel voiced hip-hop artist studios were doing everything the could to get you into a movie with the master of box-office disaster the great Steven Seagal. So we’ve decide to list the three best rappers Mr. Seagal did a film with this decade, enjoy.

3. Ja Rule in Half Past Dead

Ja Rule resembles a rhyme spouting keebler elf, so of course when you think of someone that’s begging to be paired with a out of shape 6′5 Judo master you have to go with him.

Seriously, words cannot describe the level of acting in this movie…hell just watch

One can only hope the Academy see’s fit to one day correct their snub of Mr. Rule. Though, and I’m quoting some one here “be careful what you say about Ja Rule – he may have to holler at his crime partners, turn it up, get fast and furious and leave you half past dead.”

2. Treach

We can forgive these transgressions, because we remain down with O.P.P.

1. DMX

Number 1 on the list because someone thought putting this crazy son of a bitch in a movie with the world’s craziest son of a bitch (we’re referring to Anthony “I was in The Departed” Anderson) was a good idea.

Seriously this movie made $50 million at the box-office, America you suck.

This is the Midweek Thowback post, each Wednesday I will be going back, wayyy back in time and finding those songs that we all grew to know and love, have fun:

*EDIT* – If it says embedding disabled please click the Watch on YouTube link.

Michael Jackson | I’ll Be There (Pepsi Dangerous Shortfilms Version) (1992)

New Kids On The Block | If You Go Away (1992)

Take That | Pray (199 )

Jay-Z Ft Amil & Ja Rule | Can I Get A… (1998)

Mel B Ft Missy Elliott | I Want You Back (1998)

]]> http://iknews.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/ja-rule-ft-lil-mo-put-it-on-me-music-video-www-iamaprofashional-com/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:00:23 +0000 bkellime http://iknews.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/ja-rule-ft-lil-mo-put-it-on-me-music-video-www-iamaprofashional-com/ http://gasface.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/jam-master-jay-2/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:12:55 +0000 Gasface http://gasface.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/jam-master-jay-2/

“Jam Master Jay, the D.J. who provided beats and scratches to the rap group Run-DMC’s groundbreaking records,
was shot and killed on October 30 (2002) at a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, the authorities said.

The D.J., whose real name was Jason Mizell, 37, was in a lounge in the second-floor studio with another man when two men entered, apparently after being buzzed in, around 7:30 p.m., the police said.
They shot Mr. Mizell once in the head and the other man once in the arm, then fled, the authorities said, leaving no immediate explanation for the killing.

Mr. Mizell died at the scene, the police said. The other shooting victim, Urieco Rincon, 25, was in stable condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital.
Robert Brown, an employee of the studio, on Merrick Boulevard near Jamaica Avenue, above a restaurant and a check-cashing store, said that Mr. Mizell was taking a break from producing a record by a group called Rusty Waters when the attack occurred. The police said there were at least four other people in the studio, but no one else was in the lounge.
Outside the studio on the commercial strip of Merrick Boulevard, a large crowd quickly formed in the cold rain, crying and comforting one another and occasionally lashing out in anger. Some of them were rap royalty.
”These are our Beatles,” Chuck D, the founder of Public Enemy, said of Run-DMC, adding that Mr. Mizell had given him his first break in the music business.
One of Mr. Mizell’s three children, a teenage son, arrived in tears.
In the 1980’s, Run-DMC was the first rap group to become a household name, and Mr. Mizell’s deft, playful manipulations of the turntables, a process known as scratching, were an essential part of their sound. Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) were the declamatory voices of the band, but they always described Run-DMC as an equal partnership between the three of them.
On stage, Mr. Mizell’s pinpoint juggling of beats and records made Run-DMC one of the rap’s most exciting live acts.
When a drumbeat on a vinyl record is scratched back and forth under a needle, it makes a sort of percussive swishing sound. The first scratches the average pop music fan ever heard were Mr. Mizell’s, said Bill Adler, author of ”Tougher than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC.”
”The true sound of hip-hop made its way to America through Run-DMC’s records,” Mr. Adler said, ”and Jay could take a lot of credit for that.’‘
Run-DMC notched rap’s first platinum album, ”Raising Hell,” in 1986 and the biggest hit from that record, a remake of Aerosmith’s hard-rock anthem ”Walk This Way,” was the first hugely successful marriage of rap and rock, styles that many had e believed were antithetical. Today, they are deeply intertwined.
For most of its history, rap has been criticized for promoting violence, and several rappers who sang the praises of the gangster life, including Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., were murdered. But Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay, all middle-class natives of Hollis, Queens, a mile or so from where Mr. Mizell was shot, created rap with a social conscience, urging listeners (between boasts) to stay in school, fight prejudice and respect one another.
Mr. Mizell himself was a subject of many of the band’s rhymes. In the song ”Jam Master Jay” from the band’s first record, they rapped, ” ‘Behind the turntables is where he stands / Then there is the movement of his hands / So when asked who’s the best, y’all should say: / ‘Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay’ ”
When Run-DMC broke up temporarily in the late 1980’s, Mr. Mizell started his own label, Jam Master Jay Records, which signed the highly successful group Onyx.
Run-DMC had gotten back together and had just finished a tour with Aerosmith and Kid Rock. Ms. Miller, the publicist, said that Mr. Mizell and Mr. McDaniels had been scheduled to perform tonight in Washington at a Washington Wizards basketball game. Mr. McDaniels told MTV News over the summer that the band was planning a new record and tour to mark its 20th anniversary.
As the police pulled away from the scene last night, leaving only fans and loved ones, a 27-year-old aspiring rapper named Dezo Chase tried to make sense of what had happened.
”I rhyme myself because of Run-DMC,” he said. ”I grew up on Run-DMC. A part of our history is gone. This was hip-hop history and they took it away tonight.”
An S.U.V. slowly drove by, blasting the song ”Jam Master Jay.” ”We can either come out here and celebrate the violence and the death or we can celebrate the memory of the music,” Mr. Chase said. ”The music is timeless.”
(Source: Andy Newman, New York Times)

For this new month, I’m changing the titling system on Molly’s Mixtape. To me, the dating system just didn’t make sense anymore. And by dating system, I’m referring to putting the date at the top of these posts, not about my romantic adventures. However, a case could be made for that as well.

Anyway, the point is, I’m going to title it what made my day. Seems like I probably should have thought of that in the first place. Especially since I’ve known for a long time now that WordPress automatically time stamps my posts anyway. So, you all know I’m lying when I say I post by midnight, when really it’s 2 in the morning.

Live and learn. Or, belly up to the bar. Which is a new phrase I learned today and I will now use constantly and out of context.

The point is, as you can see from the title, I came home from watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show with some friends to find Erica folding clothes and listening to Mariah Carey’s Butterfly album. We discussed how that’s her best album by far and will brook no arguments otherwise. That led to listening to Brandy’s Never Say Never album with the all-time great song “Have You Ever” that gets me every time. Anyway, we ended up spending quite a bit of time thinking of the great songs of our lives and most came from this era of R&B. City High, Mya, Mary J. Blige, Ja Rule collaborations. Don’t hate on that last one, you know you liked “Rainy Days” too.

So, if you would like to reminisce as well, or somehow missed these songs, please jam along.

In case you and your friend want to learn the two parts and sing duets at karaoke. Or debate who you think won the fight: Brandy and Monica- The Boy Is Mine

Wyclef Jean f. Claudette Ortiz- Two Wrongs. Yes, that is the girl from City High.

So, of course, we have to include City High- What Would You Do? “Caramel” by them is also a great song and made me proud to be 5′5″.

Remember when these girls were famous for this? 3LW- No M0re (Baby Imma Do It Right).

For all you haters, Ja Rule f. Mary J. Blige- Rainy Dayz.

Congrats for the #1 hit, and props, but best NY Anthem ever? Let's not get carried away...

King Eljay - I really can’t believe this is an issue. I mean, the more I think about it the more I really can’t believe that people are debating this.

I understand people have to make a debate out of some things, like hoping Jay-Z responds to Beanie (nope), or wanting Young Berg to commit suicide (nope again), or even wanting Chris Brown to never advance in his career because of the teeth marks he left in his last mistake (once again…no dice), and that’s fine. If people aren’t talking about it, then it’s not important, and that should be an indicator for something.

Whatever it is.

But this topic that’s been brought to my attention… literally makes me laugh out loud. People are actually debating and saying that Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” is the NEW New York Anthem, replacing ALL other anthems that have come before it. I’m as unbiased as it gets, and I love when hip-hop even makes strides of becoming timeless but SERIOUSLY, this is where I have to call shenanigans.

Or BS. Whatever it is.

I got my reasons though, so hear me out. Firstly, New York is the birthplace of hip-hop. Because of THIS FACT ALONE, there are ALWAYS New York anthems being put out seasonally. It’s been that way since I first started listening to music. From the Hi-Tek track with Jadakiss and Papoose to the Ja Rule track with Fat Joe and (surprise, surprise) Jadakiss, there’s always tracks like these.

YES. I said it. I like Ja Rule's "New York, New York" anthem (which featured Fat Joe and Jadakiss) better than this song. I like the Hi-Tek track "Where It Started At (New York)" more than all of them.

By the way, I like BOTH of those tracks better than the Jay-Z one.

Secondly, when you make an anthem, I think the person’s character comes into play somewhat. I think of the two people in “Empire State of Mind” and I think of FOOD.

Seriously.

When I think of Jay-Z, I think of Beans, as in Beanie Sigel and how he and Jay fell out. When I think of Alicia Keys, I think of the HomeWrecker burger that Hardees used to have a couple of years back. Ironically, I think she had Swizz Beatz on her- no, I mean, I think IT had Swiss Cheese on it. I could be wrong.

However… I’m actually going to go a different route. If you checked the link up top to hiphopstateofmind.com, you see Rhymestyle posted a question about who had the best anthem or something (complete with nice interactive poll, yay).

Pretty much it asked… was it Jay-Z or Frank Sinatra?

Now personally, I can’t get upset at your decision on what you personally like better. I’m not saying that you’re wrong at all. I’m just saying that as a whole, in order to become an anthem for a city, you have to consider all of the facts and aspects there.

The Big Band and the Sinatra-style of music is pretty much still intact and appeals to a broader sense of people. One of my friends pointed out today in a conversation that it’s survived since the 1920s, and hip-hop hasn’t even been around that long to even compete as far as timelessness. As much as I love hip-hop, I have to agree. Hip-Hop has a long way to go before the term timeless comes into play.

I can't bring myself to say that Jay's new "anthem" is better than Frank Sinatra's. At least I can play Frank's version around my nephews and not have to explain what the phrase "Ride her like a bus route" means...

Secondly, if you look at how Big Bang/Sinatra-style music has passed on through the generations, it’s pretty much identical. It’s been a graceful transition. Hip-Hop however hasn’t had that graceful transition. There was a period where rap and hip-hop (arguably) split into two separate entities, rap beefs came into play, originality left the genre altogether for a time, pop began to infect it (but pop infects EVERY genre, so that’s a given) and some people even say it’s dead right now (which is dead wrong, but that’s another J.O.K.E.).

And lastly, and most importantly… rap anthems come a dime a dozen. Congrats to Jay-Z getting his first official #1 hit with the single, but even still I don’t see what sets this apart from other New York anthems.

I’ve said this earlier, but until someone explains to me what about this one makes it stand out from the other two I mentioned above and what makes it stand above Frank Sinatra’s classic song (you know, the one that STILL gets heavy burn after the Yankees win a game in their stadium? The one that doesn’t contain profanity? The one that doesn’t talk about girls being taken advantage of?) , then I’m thinking that overall, to each his own opinion, but no.

But by all means, if you can explain the other side of the coin, please do.

Whatever that is.

Later.

Congrats for the #1 hit, and props, but best NY Anthem ever? Let's not get carried away...

(check RhymeStyle’s poll question HERE if you’re interested.

Ok, on to the J.O.K.E….)

King Eljay – I really can’t believe this is an issue. I mean, the more I think about it the more I really can’t believe that people are debating this.

I understand people have to make a debate out of some things, like hoping Jay-Z responds to Beanie (nope), or wanting Young Berg to commit suicide (nope again), or even wanting Chris Brown to never advance in his career because of the teeth marks he left in his last mistake (once again…no dice), and that’s fine. If people aren’t talking about it, then it’s not important, and that should be an indicator for something.

Whatever it is.

But this topic that’s been brought to my attention… literally makes me laugh out loud. People are actually debating and saying that Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” is the NEW New York Anthem, replacing ALL other anthems that have come before it. I’m as unbiased as it gets, and I love when hip-hop even makes strides of becoming timeless but SERIOUSLY, this is where I have to call shenanigans.

Or BS. Whatever it is.

I got my reasons though, so hear me out. Firstly, New York is the birthplace of hip-hop. Because of THIS FACT ALONE, there are ALWAYS New York anthems being put out seasonally. It’s been that way since I first started listening to music. From the Hi-Tek track with Jadakiss and Papoose to the Ja Rule track with Fat Joe and (surprise, surprise) Jadakiss, there’s always tracks like these.

YES. I said it. I like Ja Rule's "New York, New York" anthem (which featured Fat Joe and Jadakiss) better than this song. I like the Hi-Tek track "Where It Started At (New York)" more than all of them.

By the way, I like BOTH of those tracks better than the Jay-Z one.

Secondly, when you make an anthem, I think the person’s character comes into play somewhat. I think of the two people in “Empire State of Mind” and I think of FOOD.

Seriously.

When I think of Jay-Z, I think of Beans, as in Beanie Sigel and how he and Jay fell out. When I think of Alicia Keys, I think of the HomeWrecker burger that Hardees used to have a couple of years back. Ironically, I think she had Swizz Beatz on her- no, I mean, I think IT had Swiss Cheese on it. I could be wrong.

However… I’m actually going to go a different route. If you checked the link up top to hiphopstateofmind.com, you see Rhymestyle posted a question about who had the best anthem or something (complete with nice interactive poll, yay).

Pretty much it asked… was it Jay-Z or Frank Sinatra?

Now personally, I can’t get upset at your decision on what you personally like better. I’m not saying that you’re wrong at all. I’m just saying that as a whole, in order to become an anthem for a city, you have to consider all of the facts and aspects there.

The Big Band and the Sinatra-style of music is pretty much still intact and appeals to a broader sense of people. One of my friends pointed out today in a conversation that it’s survived since the 1920s, and hip-hop hasn’t even been around that long to even compete as far as timelessness. As much as I love hip-hop, I have to agree. Hip-Hop has a long way to go before the term timeless comes into play.

I can't bring myself to say that Jay's new "anthem" is better than Frank Sinatra's. At least I can play Frank's version around my nephews and not have to explain what the phrase "Ride her like a bus route" means...

Secondly, if you look at how Big Bang/Sinatra-style music has passed on through the generations, it’s pretty much identical. It’s been a graceful transition. Hip-Hop however hasn’t had that graceful transition. There was a period where rap and hip-hop (arguably) split into two separate entities, rap beefs came into play, originality left the genre altogether for a time, pop began to infect it (but pop infects EVERY genre, so that’s a given) and some people even say it’s dead right now (which is dead wrong, but that’s another J.O.K.E.).

And lastly, and most importantly… rap anthems come a dime a dozen. Congrats to Jay-Z getting his first official #1 hit with the single, but even still I don’t see what sets this apart from other New York anthems.

I’ve said this earlier, but until someone explains to me what about this one makes it stand out from the other two I mentioned above and what makes it stand above Frank Sinatra’s classic song (you know, the one that STILL gets heavy burn after the Yankees win a game in their stadium? The one that doesn’t contain profanity? The one that doesn’t talk about girls being taken advantage of?) , then I’m thinking that overall, to each his own opinion, but no.

But by all means, if you can explain the other side of the coin, please do.

Whatever that is.

Later.

The rap game had become easy to Ja Rule in 2002. He had come to realize that everything that he touched would turn to gold. One of Rule’s videos featured Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, because of that Whitney’s album sold and Brown returned to the public eye because of their “Thug Lovin’” collaboration. On his 2002 album, The Last Temptation, Rule said he may leave rap.

At the time, he was on top of the rap world. There was nothing more for Ja Rule to prove. His 2002 album is considered the worst in his entire career. There is nothing wrong with the music besides the fact that he did not put much effort into it. He was more focused on doing movies and promoting his brand. But, some of the tracks on the album featured elements of rock music. Had he put more effort into that, he could have been on to something.

The next year, 50 Cent fully emerged and Ja Rule had to shift his focus to killing that buzz. As hard as he tried, his team still lost. But, Rule recently revealed that he was indeed growing tired of hip hop. He blames that on the sound of The Last Temptation, but he said if the 50 Cent feud had never gotten as big as it did, he would have recorded a rock-inspired album and released it in 2003.

But, once he was baited by 50 Cent, he felt the need to come forth with a hardcore album like Blood In My Eye. Had 50 Cent never came onto the scene and ended Ja Rule’s run the way that he had, Rule would have come with the rock album. If this had happened, what would Lil Wayne be doing right now?

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Author: Sincerely Nina
Posted on 24hourhiphop.com

Synopsis: Legendary hip-hop DJ Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, is gunned down in his Queens studio. Security tapes of the incident mysteriously disappear, the five witnesses are uncooperative and no one is talking…until now. ‘2 Turntables And A Microphone’ documents the investigation of the unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, RUN- DMC’s groundbreaking DJ and producer, deftly revealing the history of hip-hop and mainstream rap along the way. Exclusive, candid interviews with 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Russell Simmons, RUN-DMC and more offer insight into Jam Master Jay’s life – including information that could finally help police solve the murder that shook the music world to its core.

This DVD will be in stores December 1, 2009

To Preorder This DVD Checkout:

http://www.amazon.com/Turntables-Microphone-Life-Death-Master/dp/B002C39T14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1259007071&sr=8-1

Checkout the Official Trailer Below:

 

 

No one has ever had a career quite like Ja Rule’s. Starting in 1995, Ja Rule was an underground rapper from Hollis, Queens trying to make it. Along the way, he met a man named Irving Lorenzo that was willing to help him make it big. Before long, he was introduced to Jay-Z and DMX. Together, these three men would own hip hop.

Already a bit of a star, Jay-Z rose to become rap’s most dominant force and DMX also rose to stardom. One year later, Ja would do the same. Many thought that Ja was simply a part of either Jay-Z or DMX’s camp, but few knew that he was the captain of his own team for Irv Gotti and Murder Inc. Records.

In 1999, he released his debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci. The album was known for its honesty. It told of Ja Rule’s life in poverty. On the disc, he spoke of wanting a better life for his daughter, he wanted success, and he wanted to be loved. Those are qualities that everyone wants, but never before had anyone said it the way that he did.

Because of his honesty, Ja Rule became a darling amongst hardcore rap fans. He was known for the emotion put behind his records. With little promotion, his album was able to sell 1 million copies. It was clear that Rule was destined for greatness. In 2000, he released his next album, Rule 3:36. The album was a sharp turn from his pleas of success to pop music.

While Ja Rule had captivated the streets on his debut album, music from his sophomore release made him a consistent top ten artist. Along the way, Ja seemed to forget about his lyrical ability to focus more on simple lyrics and harmonizing. For a while, the formula worked, but his die hard fans wanted badly for him to return to his roots.

For his fourth album, The Last Temptation, Ja Rule promised just that. The only problem was, he did not deliver on that promise. Instead, he offered more of the same type of music and it backfired on him. His album still managed to go platinum, but the sales stalled. His songs still hit the top ten, but they did not stay there for long.

On top of all of that, Ja Rule’s reign at the top was abruptly ended by 50 Cent. He came out with a hardcore style that Rule had possessed only four years prior. Not only was he hardcore, he did not like Ja Rule, or anyone associated with Murder Inc. It turned out the people who financed Ja were behind a plot to kill him. Because of that, he felt the need to ruin Rule’s career.

Finally willing to listen to his fans, just a little late, Ja Rule released Blood In My Eye. The album was a direct response to all of the disses from 50 Cent and his people. The album would end up being the lowest-selling album of his career, but it still managed to certify at gold. Plus, a hit even came off of the album with “Clap Back.” Rule went hard for the album, but it was too late.

In 2004, Ja Rule decided to mix the best of each element into R.U.L.E. This new formula proved successful when Rule scored a top five hit with “Wonderful,” a collaboration with Ashanti and R. Kelly. His next single was “New York,” which featured popular New York rappers, Fat Joe and Jadakiss. That single rebuilt Ja’s street credibility.

However, the controversy surrounding his label, Murder Inc., still caused him, along with the entire label to be dropped from Def Jam. From there, a trial ensued, after Irv Gotti and his brother, Chris, beat the trial, in 2005, they began trying to rebuild the label. Late in 2006, they reached a deal with Universal Motown.

With a deal in place, Irv Gotti allowed Ja Rule to create his own imprint, Mpire Music Group. He also signed a new female R&B singer, Ashley Joi, and made her a part of a new girl group, Bettie Cage. On top of all of that, he was able to convince Lloyd to stay on the label and even promised to allow Ashanti more freedom on her project. Everything was in place for Gotti to make Ja Rule number one, again.

During the peak days of Murder Inc., Irv Gotti had a formula worked out. He would release records from his other artists, then gear up for a Ja Rule release in November. The first year of releasing new music was to be 2007 for Murder Inc. Lloyd’s album was the first in this deal, next was to be Ashanti, but she was pushed back.

In August, all of the attention was focused on Ja Rule. He was thrust back into the spotlight with appearances on BET and MTV. Along with that, he was doing interviews with many TV outlets and magazines. Then, he released “Uh Ohhh!” featuring Lil Wayne. With no promotion from either Universal or Murder Inc., the song did not make much of an impact. The next single, “Body,” featuring Ashley Joi, suffered the same fate.

His big comeback, The Mirror, was supposed to be released on November 13, 2007, but with no promotion from either of his labels, sales projections were low. It was then that Murder Inc. decided to push the album back until 2008. Had Ja Rule been properly promoted, he could have easily scored his first number one hit in six years with “Body.”

All he needed, then, was the proper promotion and he could have successfully released The Mirror. For those who heard the album, they all say that it was an extremely great album. If it had been released in relevant times, it would have sold very well with or without proper promotion.

Throughout the year of 2008, new music from Ja Rule leaked and many possible singles were exposed. None of these releases resulted in a new album. Because of that, the Universal deal lapsed with neither Murder Inc. nor Universal Motown turning a profit. Now, Ja is claiming to be off of the label, but still a close associate.

Ja Rule is ready to try his comeback one more time. This time, he is going at it without the help of Irv Gotti. He partnered with World Star Hip Hop and they helped him film his new video, “Father Forgive Me.” The planned third single from The Mirror will now be the lead single for his comeback triple disc, Venni Vetti Vecci 2010.

Next year, Ja Rule is promising to re-take the game. He made the same promise back in 2007. If he had been promoted in a proper manner, this may be his fourth new album since his hiatus instead of his “big return.” Will Ja Rule be able to do it this time?

During the summer of 2003, Ja Rule watched his entire world fall apart. He had been the most popular rapper in the game. No matter what he put out, he would get a hit out of it. To other artists, that became frustrating. So, when 50 Cent came out, he was able to take Ja’s fans and peers, alike.

Among those who worked with 50 Cent were some of Ja Rule’s closest people, at the time. Before 2003, Busta Rhymes and Ja Rule were friends. Busta had rapped on the remix to Rule’s “Holla Holla” and he appeared, alongside Ja in Missy Elliott’s “Get Your Freak On” video. Busta said that he and Ja would talk over the phone, from time to time.

In 2003, Busta Rhymes’ career was on a downslide. As a result, he had begun working with Dr. Dre. Working with Dr. Dre in 2003 meant that he also had to work with 50 Cent. Just looking for a hit, Busta Rhymes recorded with 50 Cent. Once Ja Rule found out about this, he dissed Busta Rhymes as if he were a part of the feud.

Because of that, Busta jumped in and sided with 50 Cent. He had planned to stay neutral in the feud, but the first shots were fired. Their feud became so bad that he and Ja Rule got into a physical altercation at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. All of this came after the two were once friends.

After 2005, Ja Rule vanished from the public eye and Busta Rhymes prepared to release The Big Bang. Once Ja Rule resurfaced, in 2007, he no longer harbored ill feelings towards Eminem, Dr. Dre, DMX, or Busta Rhymes. He collaborated with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre on a remix of Snoop’s “Imagine.” During this same time, he gave Dre and NWA props on his song, “Sunset.”

Late in 2007, Ja Rule and Busta Rhymes appeared in court, together. Given the fact that they were in court, there was not much time for the two rappers to talk. But, that has been two years ago. Since that time, Rule has reunited with DMX and taken a stage with Eminem. It was only for a short moment and was unplanned, but it happened.

A few years ago, Busta Rhymes said that hip hop beef was pointless, so he was no longer trying to be involved in it. Ja Rule has made similar statements. In the past few years, Busta has played a big hand in ending a lot of feuds, as opposed to starting them. It is because of that that he and Ja Rule have ended a feud that has lasted for almost seven years.