Rap Radar

This weekend, rumors swirled that Asher Roth was a homosexual. Clearing the air, Ash released this statement:

I hate to disappoint and take away the entertainment of it all but I am straight, not gay.  It’s disheartening to know such “news” on someone’s personal life can be portrayed as fact with no viable source.  This, to me, is an opportunity to expose our vulnerability to lies and manipulation through unprofessional and irresponsible news outlets, in which people consider TRUTH.  Further, someone’s sexual orientation should NEVER be big news, as it delivers a troubling message to children that they can’t be themselves without fear of judgment.  Race, creed, and sexual persuasion should not just be tolerated but understood and accepted.  It’s extremely disappointing that this topic would be used with the intention of being hurtful. We are near 2010….2010!! Yet race, sex and religion still play a major role in a hate driven society.  For the love of the future and humanity….let’s wake up.

Related: Who’s Asher Roth’s Brown Sugar?

Drama, the floor is yours:

After reading Jeezy’s unprovoked insults in that XXL article, it seems like the guy’s pretty emotional if u ask me! Maybe he’s dealing with some things in his career, I don’t know.  He did an interview a few months back with Elliott Wilson on rapradar.com and said the total opposite!  He was talkin bout, “Drams the homie and we may work together again, etc”.  Now I’ve never spoken on our issues because I believe grown man business is just that, and running to the media to whine is not my thing.

Most importantly, his statement about me trying to charge him $20k for a mixtape is a BOLD FACE LIE. I never charged Jeezy for nuthin’. I did 2 Slick Pulla tapes (4th Ward Day, Election Day)  for free and a Bloodraw tape (The Indictment Papers) for free. Anything Jeezy ever needed from me, I did without hesitation. He doesn’t want to deal with the real reason why he’s mad.

The tension between us actually started when I deejayed his USDA release party (FOR FREE) and I played a Gucci Mane record. He stormed out of his own party and didn’t speak to me for about 2-3 months. Me being a DJ, I was just rockin’ the crowd and giving the people what they had been requesting. I don’t get involved in that other stuff.

I could go deeper into his angry reaction to me working with Gucci but, again, I’m a stand-up guy. I’m loyal to those who are loyal to me. I’m not even thinkin bout Jeezy. Why all the tough talk to the dj who doesn’t say nothin to him but he doesn’t say nothin tough to the rappers that diss him like Pimp C?

I was shocked by his cowardly attempt to try to slander my name in the upcoming XXL article. And what’s the most shocking is to see him side with the FEDs in my arrest! Wow, since when did that become gangster?!? I’m chillin, never said nuthin’ negative about dude. Check his character…or better yet, ask those around him that he’s done dirty.

Ask the folks who ain’t with him anymore, like Coach K, Twin, his former security Big Sam, or my homie Roccett… We doin’ our thing over here. I’m workin on albums, Gangsta Grillz Vol 3., traveling the world and celebrating success! And I’m still the Mixtape President!

It’s been 24 month since Stack Bundles was murdered in the lobby of the Redfern Housing projects in Queens. Commemorating his passing, Karen Civil poured out a lil’ liquor with some of his Stacks’ closest colleagues and father, Raymond Elliott.

“I’ve been avoiding saying anything for interviews, but I’m proud of him. Really, really proud he was born with that gift, that light. All through his life, I knew he could do whatever he wanted to do,” said the elder Elliot. “He was my first born, my baby, a beautiful child who never had any ill will against anyone. I made a commitment to put the best album out I can for him.”

Chea!

I’m from Queens and didn’t even know this. Hometown FAIL. Lucky, Jesse Janson did and paid homage with a quick tribute. We rep our hood doofy, how ’bout you?!

Related: Queens Reigns Supreme

RR affiliate Justin Tinsley checks Maino’s clairvoyance six months later.

5. “Got a feeling that Cam, he gon’ pop back/ And Yung Berg still won’t get his chain back…”
Cam did pop back and at last check Berg’s chain was still on a nationwide tour.

6. “Cops gon’ still shoot us and get away again…”
 What makes this line even sadder is that I bet he didn’t see this happening to his best friend.

The homie Adam Aziz who once worked for Cliff’s StreetCred.com breaks down what the big homie needs to focus on during his time away.

5. WRITE

Countless rappers have written some of their most vivid, emotional and real lyrics while in prison including the late, great 2Pac Shakur. T.I. should throw himself into songwriting and let his feelings about his current position play out on paper…and then in the studio when he gets out. It’s going to be tough for T.I. to write anything resembling happy music while he’s locked behind the walls with people telling him when he eats and goes outside. Selfishly this should give T.I. fans some powerful lyrics once he’s released. Songs like “No Matter What” and “You Ain’t Missin’ Nothin’” were just a glimpse of how deep TIP could get.

Check full list at Broken Cool

Well, sorta. In an unpublished FADER interview, Pimp C dissed the writer that reviewed his album Pimpalation in XXL. Turns out that scribe was RR affiliate Paul “Gooch” Cantor.

“This new thing I got (Pimpalation) probably be out by the time this thing go to press. It’s a compilation record. I just read a review on it and the dude was talkin about it was too many people on the album—you dumb motherfucker, don’t you know it’s a compilation record? You stupid motherfucker, you don’t get compilation from Pimpalation? C’mon, man. It was XXL, too, I’ll go on and tell you, I don’t have the dude’s name right in front of me but he’s an asshole, you know what I mean. He gave the record a large but the motherfucker was like ‘I’m a guest artist on my own record.’ And motherfucker it’s a comp…you dumb motherfucker, how dumb can you get, man? Where do they find these people? Back in the day the people reviewing the albums was really fans of the music.“

Chuuch!

One of my favorite blogger/vloggers weighs in on Marshall Mathers’ love for polysyllabic words. You know who my partner is, but if you don’t like Relapse you’re lying to yourself. Ha! 

But I’ll let Billy Sunday DP tell it.

“Eminem’s latest album ‘Relapse’ is fantastic for it’s graphic gory content. This album is part of the great history of epic entertaining horror-core productions. This album is rap’s ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’. It is horrific, disgusting, profane, satirical and brilliant all at the same time. Lyrically, I consider this to be on a classic level. If the beats by Dr. Dre were swapped out for some of the dark production of DOOM, or more appropriately RZA, this album would be a certified classic. This drop though is to discuss the lyrical eminence of Eminem. A reader stated that this album was garbage. I don’t believe that reader listened to this album or if he did his ability to judge art is negligible.”

Read all about it.

See ya in the D next Tues. Ha! Confession: I never met Eminem. And I’m gonna try my best to keep it that way.

Coming off the resignation of former XXL Editor In Chief, Datwon Thomas; Erik Parker surveys the landscape of urban publications. 

“Thing is, the “urban” lifestyle space is still viable. But times are a changing. And the mighty brands like XXL, Vibe and The Source will survive the new media revolution but surely they won’t remain wholly in their present forms. Nor will we, the journalists who have displayed bylines in these mags, come out unchanged. ”

Spotted: Anslem Samuel

Despite my lack of appreciation for Dilla’s production, this is something everyone can rally behind. Dilla’s mom, Maureen Yancey, sat with scribe Hua Hsu and spoke on her son’s legacy.

“He was very unusual as a kid. The reason I say ‘unusual’ is because I

tolerance for the toys and the games: it would be back to the turntable.”

Spotted: rustymk2 via URB