UG Rap Community

Today is the release date for the Hi-C re-releases for his first 2 albums "Skanless", (1991) and "Swing'n", (1993). They have been out of print for quite some time, but can be found again. Both albums come with bonus tracks, but all of those songs have been released before except for one song which is "Ph Ph" featuring & produced by Dj Quik. Please go out and buy those 2 albums if you like this song, they are definitely worth the money.

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Rapper Talib Kweli will unveil his sophomore album, "The Beautiful Struggle," Sept. 28 via Rawkus. First single "I Try" features Mary J. Blige, while other guests dropping in on the album include Res, Faith Evans, Kweli's Black Star colleague Mos Def and producers Just Blaze and Charlamagne.

"I Try" was helmed by ubiquitous producer Kanye West. He previously collaborated with Kweli on the single "Get By" from the latter's 2002 solo debut, "Quality," which debuted at No. 6 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and has sold 490,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The new album was previewed this spring by a mixtape of the same name, which sported guest turns from West, Common, Fabolous and comedian Dave Chappelle.

As previously reported, Kweli will support on the Beastie Boys' fall North American tour, which begins Sept. 9 at Red Rocks outside Denver. He will also perform Saturday (Sept. 4) as part of the Urban Music Festival in Toronto.

In other news, Mos Def has pushed the release of his long-in-the-works sophomore album, "The New Danger," from Sept. 28 to Oct. 12.

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YOU ONLY GOOD AS WHAT YOU COME UP AGAINST

Geto Boys member Willie D. said that a new, untitled album by the group was recently finished.

The new album features all three original group members and will be released before the end of the year.

"You know, I can’t let the cat out the bag, but the one thing I can say is that I’m very satisfied with it," Willie D. told AllHipHop.com. "The Geto Boys is essentially a business relationship. Aint no sense in getting out here and faking the s**t. One thing I cant stand it when mother f***ers get out here and say, 'Yeah, everything is beautiful and we ain’t gonna break up.' And they know that they have already split up. They lying to try and protect their image, their careers. They already might shoot videos with new members and s**t. It is what it is."

The Geto Boys started in 1989 and were one of the first groups from the South to find major success in Hip-Hop.

In addition to his business as a Geto Boy, the rapper recently moved to Baku, Azerbaijan, which is close to Baghdad in Iraq.

"Business opportunities made me move," Willie D. said. "I was messing with the real estate. The world is bigger than the United States and if there is an opportunity abroad, that’s where I am going."

While the opportunities for business were ripe, Willie D. said that doing business in the country was different than doing business in the United States.

"Things like making a phone call is a bitch," the rapper complained. "They charge you about $6 a minute and about $100 for two hours on the internet. The government takes all that money and squeezes out anybody that comes in. You can’t just come in there [and start a business]."

While it may be difficult to start a business in Azerbaijan, Willie D. did give some advice for aspiring business executives in the U.S.

"Our people need to find some real estate. Its way more stable than the music game. Cats keep taking all their street money and putting it in the rap game. Ninety-five percent of them are going to fail and lose all that they have. You gotta be a dumb mother f***er to fail in real estate. Real estate has a 91 percent success ratio."

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Lerne - und es werden dir Zweifel kommen.
Zweifle - und es werden dir Probleme kommen.
Stelle dich den Problemen - und es werden dir darüber Gedanken kommen.
Mache dir Gedanken - und du wirst Erkenntnis erlangen.

-Kaibara Ekiken-

Nervous Records: Comeback mit EPMD, Funk Flex, Shyheim...

Das 1991 gegründete Nervous Records Label kehrt zurück!

Das Label, welches vom Aufbau und Releases mit Rawkus & Duck Down zu vergleichen ist, wird in wenigen Wochen neue Sachen von EPMD, Funkmaster Flex, Shyheim und Posion Pen droppen.

In Aussicht stehen außerdem eine Compilation ("Nervous Reanimated") und eine PDM / Hit Squad Compilation.

Doch zunächst stehen diverse 12"es an, in der Übersicht:

Shyheim - 21st Century Crisis (out now!) (siehe Cover!)
Poison Pen - I'm f*ckin' you up (14.09.)
EPMD / PMD - Danger Zone (28.09.)



Mich überrascht die Poison Pen 12", hat der nicht seine letzte 12" noch über ein anderes Label veröffentlicht ?

Neues von Sadat X:

The Legendary Sadat X is recording his solo debut on Madd Records.
Though the album is currently untitled, it will have various features & beatz that will rip the concrete off the Streets!! Madd is going to be releasing a fun street joint from X before the end year. So keep your ear to the streetz and you know you’ll definitely be able to get them here at MaddRecords.com


Listen to Sadat's new single "Sombody's Wife" featuring Method Man & 24K produced by Mizchief Aka The Underdog. Set to be released October 2004.

Radio Host Angie Martinez announced that Damon Dash and Jay-Z have nothing to do with the Roc anymore since they sold Roc-A-Fella to Island/Def Jam.
No word yet on the amount of the transaction as well as the future of the Roc roster.
Roc-A-Fella had just signed N.O.R.E (who ironically had just left Def Jam) and offered a deal to Grafh's label, Blackhand.

kein R.O.C. mehr dabei machten die paar gute signings. naja def jam werden die meisten vieleicht nicht gehen. Beanie Sigel sollte zu Shyne signen und die 2 mit Styles P nen album bringen

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YOU ONLY GOOD AS WHAT YOU COME UP AGAINST

After announcing September release dates, Mos Def's New Danger and De La Soul's The Grind Date have both been pushed back two weeks into October.

While a lead single has yet to be released, Mos' "Love, Sex & Money" recently leaked on the Internet. After being pushed back from September 28, New Danger will literally be Mos Def's first LP in five years. Ironically, his new album will be released on the same date as his freshman solo effort, Black On Both Sides, which was released on October 12, 1999. Meanwhile, De La Soul's The Grind Date has been pushed back from September 21 to October 5.

In related news, Mos is scheduled to return to the stage by appearing in The 24-Hour plays written by Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), Julia Jordan (Boy, St. Scarlet) and others. The 24-Hour plays regroup actors, designers and playwrights the eve of the performance. The writers then have to come up with a 10-minute play. The production must handout the scripts, cast the actors, go through rehearsal and act out the play within 24 hours.

Mos Def's New Danger hits stores on October 12 and De La Soul's The Grind Date drops on October 5.

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Adisa Banjoko, a pioneering journalist from the Bay, has taken his skills as a scribe and applied it to his first published book, "Lyrical Swords Vol. 1: Hip Hop and Politics in the Mix.” Incidentally, the book will be released on Election Day November 2.

The book is an anthology of essays and interviews with some of Hip-Hop’s more renown personalities including rap mogul/activist Russell Simmons, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Everlast, Martial Arts Legend Royce Gracie, rapper/activist Paris, Mystic, Dilated Peoples’ Rakaa, Encore and others.

As a 10-year veteran, Banjoko has honed his talents as a writer and a political analyst as well.

Of his rearing, he said, “I was raised in my early days politically by my parents. In my young adult years, I was raised politically by Panthers, rebellious artists, political activists and urban educators in my world. This book is a cliff note of that journey."

Over the course of his career, Banjoko’s work has appeared in The Source, The Harvard Hip Hop Archive, XXL, VIBE, Daveyd.com, Rapstation.com, and he is a frequent contributor to AllHipHop.com as well.

The self-proclaimed “The Bishop of Hip Hop” recently challenged KRS-One to a public debate, one which the Blast Master declined to accept. Similarly, he claims his “One Mic” radio show, was so politically charged that he was given the pink slip from Icicle Networks.

“I knew I was doing something right, when they booted us,” Banjoko stated of his show where he interviewed Al Sharpton, Warren G, Jackie O, Paris, MC Lyte, Daz Dillenger, T-La Rock and others.

With “Lyrical Swords,” he wants to demonstrate that there are enormous issues at hand for the Hip-Hop community.

“I'm trying to get the young people of the world to arm themselves mentally and politically. On November 2nd after you go to the polls, vote for yourself and get 'Lyrical Swords.’ I'm gonna be touring the continental U.S. the next few months,” he said. “Wherever people are getting boxed outta the game by these snakes and fakes, I'm gonna be handing out these swords to liberate minds."


For more info, go to LyricalSwords.com

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Lerne - und es werden dir Zweifel kommen.
Zweifle - und es werden dir Probleme kommen.
Stelle dich den Problemen - und es werden dir darüber Gedanken kommen.
Mache dir Gedanken - und du wirst Erkenntnis erlangen.

-Kaibara Ekiken-

With all the detailed rumors and facts of SpiderLoc being with G-Unit for the last cpl of days, it could now be easily described official! If ya'll didnt catch last night on BET, Young Buck gave his quote "Wanna give a shout out to my boy and newest member from G-Unit Spider from The Westcoast"... This is infact enough to have all the deatails legit.

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I-20, who is known for his connection with Ludacris and Distrubing The Peace (DTP), is preparing the release of his debut solo album, titled Self Explanatory, this September. Even though he is currently in heavy rotation via Houston's "I Like That" remix, I-20 believes that his voice helps people indentify him.

With a distinctly deep voice, I-20 can be easily recoginized on any track. And he agrees that it is a positive thing.

"I think when there is anything that is distinct about you, it’s a good way to get your name known and for people to recognize you." I-20 told BallerStatus.net. "People know that it's you when they hear it, and they get excited when you are on a record. It can be a trademark thing."

His trademark flow and delivery is how people can usually tell it's him, but I-20 doesn't want his voice to be what defines him in the game today.

"I'm glad people recognize it (his voice), but I don't want that to be what defines me," says I-20. "My hard work, my work ethic, my lyrics, my passion, a number of things [is what defines me]. I just feel that everything that I feel about my music is able to come across in the music. I want people to feel that."

Unlike most artists just coming out, I-20 didn't get a long list of top producers to handle his beats, instead he worked with people that wanted to work with him.

"I wanted to work with producers and people that wanted to work with me," I-20 said of his production list. "Not A-list producers who would give me a track and not even know who I was. I wanted to work with producers who had interest in working with me."

Some of the producers he chose are Salaam Remi, the Heatmakerz, Hotrunner and Lil' Jon. Guest appearances will include Devin The Dude, Bone Crusher, Styles P, Sheek Louch and members of the DTP crew.

Self Explanatory is slated to hit store shelves on September 24th.

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Fat Joe wird am 23.11.2004 sein neues Album Things of that Nature veröffentlichen, die Produktionen haben Timbaland, Scott Storch Cool & Dre, Swizz Beatz und R. Kelly beigesteuert, die erste Single wird der Track Victim sein.

A who’s who of celebrities and sports stars will participate in the 2nd Annual Break! Celebrity Pool Tournament on Tuesday in New York City. Taking place at Slate Restaurant Bar & Billiards on Tuesday September 14, such celebs as Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, Russell Simmons, BET’s Founder Bob Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Lil Kim and others will compete for an all expense an all expense paid trip to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and to raise money for the Free4Life Foundation. Free, host of BET’s 106 & Park, founded the Free4Life Foundation in 2002.

A lawsuit was filed against members of 213 and TVT Records claiming copyright infringement, related to their latest album 213 The Hardway. The suit was filed by MZZ LLC and states that the album infringed on copyrights owned by legendary producer DJ Battlecat.

Master P and The New No Limit have renewed their partnership with Koch Records. Koch will continue to promote, market and distribute all of the new New No Limit releases. Records being released under the new deal include: Based On A True Story by Silkk The Shocker, RomeoLand, by Lil' Romeo, TRU’s The Truth (featuring Master P., Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder) and Master P.’s 11th album, The Ghetto Bill Gates.

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Lerne - und es werden dir Zweifel kommen.
Zweifle - und es werden dir Probleme kommen.
Stelle dich den Problemen - und es werden dir darüber Gedanken kommen.
Mache dir Gedanken - und du wirst Erkenntnis erlangen.

-Kaibara Ekiken-

Its finally here, Al Kapone & Mr Sche "Showdown" the album is set to hit stores October 19th. The album features the hit single "You Dont Want No Drama Boy" & "M Town Luv". Its been a long time coming check samples of the tracks below as well as snippets for the album!

http://www.rnb-connection.com/music/alscheone.mp3
http://www.rnb-connection.com/music/alschetwo.mp3
http://www.rnb-connection.com/music/alschethree.mp3

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Yungster lives!! yea its been awhile but he is back on the grind and ready to drop his new solo The Return Of The Yung Don Dada, after some big success on Lil Troys first single Wanna Be A Baller, and his own album on Epic in which he had the hit "Knocking Pictures Off Da Wall" , a lot of fans have been in anticapation for a new one, the album is set to be released sometime next year.

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I try to make event records," says Lil Jon, talking from his car on the way home from Stankonia, the studio made famous by his Atlanta hip-hop brethren OutKast. Crunk Juice, his second album with the East Side Boyz, due November 16th, has to be a pretty big event if it's going to live up to Jon's recent successes.

Besides "Get Low," the inescapable grimy club anthem from his 2003 album, Kings of Crunk, in the past eighteen months Jon has produced monster hits for YoungBloodz ("Damn!") and Usher ("Yeah") and has seen comedian Dave Chappelle turn his trademark exclamations ("OK!" "Yeaaah!") into national catchphrases.

Jon says the fame is getting hard to handle. "I appreciate the people showing me love," says the thirty-two-year-old rapper-producer. "But that shit can definitely get annoying, people screaming, 'What?!' at you all fuckin' day. They don't understand that you can't be crunk all the time."

That said, Jon had no intention of changing things up on Crunk Juice. Relocating from his Atlanta hometown to Miami Beach for three months, Jon rented a waterfront mansion that had a studio built into it. "We could work twenty-four hours a day," he says. "If I wanted to get up and do a beat, I did." Nights were spent soaking in the city's club scene. "The clubs in Miami are diverse - white, black, Cuban. You can't make the kind of records I make without going to the club."

The album's raucous first single, "What You Gonna Do?," features call-and-response taunts by Jon and East Side compadres Big Sam and Lil Bo over a haunting synth hook and mechanical beats. The second single, "Role Call," alternates Jon's gravelly roar with Ice Cube's clipped flow as synths whistle and dance around them and a piano adds a low, creepy menace.

The disc will also feature a mess of guest vocalists: R. Kelly and Ludacris on "In This Club"; T.I., Nas, Jadakiss and Ice Cube on "Grand Finale"; Snoop, Nate Dogg, Usher, Jamie Foxx and OutKast on other tracks. But Jon promises he hasn't gotten sucked too deeply into the celebrity vortex. "We understand the importance of showing our core fans that we're still the same people," he says. "Even though we've had commercial success, we're the same crunk motherfuckers."

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