Rap Magazine Puts R&B Star on Its Cover

Despite the anticipation of a number of rap albums being released this summer, the so-called "Bible of Hip Hop Music, Culture and Politics" has head-scratchingly awarded the cover of its "Summer Issue" issue to an R&B star, solidifying the notion that Hiphop publications are completely out of touch with its readership.

You might have heard that Jay-Z & Kanye have an album coming out. Well, the same goes for Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 and Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun. Hell, even DJ Khaled and Lil' Wayne. But somehow Bonsu Thompson came to the conclusion that the singer Chris Brown was more deserving of The Source's cover than a number of relevant rap acts.

The Source tries to justify Brown's placement on the cover by referencing "his progression as an artist as he dabbles into rap," but he is still an R&B artist who is known more for his singing and especially dancing than for some hot 16s.

And while I agree that most everybody deserves a chance at redemption, and while I acknowledge that Chris Brown does indeed rap at times on his latest album (which isn't half bad), I definitely do NOT agree that a Hiphop magazine is the appropriate forum for this type of coverage.

I especially do not care that this is, according to The Source, Chris Brown's first magazine interview in over a year. The fact still remains that he is not, nor will be ever be, a rapper, which to me means he simply is not worthy of being on the cover of any of its issues.

The one and ONLY exception to that rule is Mary J Blige, who's nickname -- The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul -- was bestowed to her by Diddy, another member of Hiphop royalty. Blige not only rhymed on her classic debut album (that was chock full of classic breaks and beats that are now standards in both Hiphop and R&B), but was also responsible for introducing the LOX to Diddy. So without Mary, one could make a persuasive argument that the world never would have been exposed to Jadakiss, one of the most consistent and greatest rappers to ever touch a microphone. That alone right there gives Mary (and Brook Lynn) an irrevocable lifetime membership to the Hiphop Nation.

I thought that Benzino's departure would restore The Source's journalistic integrity, but the truth is that under the leadership of Dave Mays the magazine provided a much more comprehensive coverage of Hiphop, regardless of any controversy or allegations of misconduct.

Hiphop Remains Mostly Mum on Japan Tsunami

With such an exorbitant amount of revenue being generated from Hiphop music, and especially with rappers now earning more than they ever have, I find it pretty surprising that Hiphoppers as a group haven't done more to come to Japan's aid in the wake of this month's tsunami.

Apparently Linkin Park has a new song available for download with proceeds going to a relief fund, but what about real and actual rappers? Where are they during this time of need?

Let's start with Pharrell, who has made a ton of money with the help of Japanese designer and musician Nigo and his rap group the Teriyaki Boyz, even going so far as to open a clothing store in Tokyo (full of attire designed by Nigo) before helping Nigo open up his own stores in New York City and Los Angeles (now closed) for his Bape/Bathing Ape brand.

To date, the most Pharrell has done is issue through one of his Web sites a brief statement that lets readers know he is "devastated" before wishing Japan the best of luck, or "God's speed," as he put it. That's a pretty weak move considering all the money his clothing lines -- designed by Nigo -- have made from Japanese support.

Not to be outdone, 50 Cent tweeted some insensitive jokes in the hours after news broke about the tsunami before begrudgingly apologizing. However, Vitamin Water money notwithstanding, 50 has yet to make a donation that is not in the form of cruel humor.

Ironically, Nicki Minaj (who calls herself the Harajuku Barbie, a reference to the Tokyo neighborhood of the same name known for its outrageous and colorful style and fashion) is participating in a digital album being released by Universal Music Group to raise funds for the victims of the tsunami. While Universal is home to a long list of rappers, none besides Nicki have been confirmed for the album.

Pete Rock and DJ Premier were just touring Japan this past summer, and DJ Spinna regularly deejays there, but still there has been no indication that any of the turntablists/producers are doing anything to give back to the country that supports them by inviting them to perform.

It is possible that the above mentioned artists (and more) have indeed done more than talk about it, but it would be nice to confirm that the Hiphop artists who we have all helped get filthy rich do indeed care about their Japanese fans enough to make a sizeable donation for earthquake/tsunami relief and aid.

Sandra Bullock gave a full million dollars, which obviously goes above and beyond the call of duty, but it also shows that these donations (which are tax write-offs, another incentive for the wealthy) are but a small percentage of these celebrities’ wealth.

It’s’ only natural that a number of Asian celebrities are doing their part.

Lady Gaga has gone the creative route, designing bracelets and selling them on her Web site to raise money for the victims, already tallying $1.5 million.

Ne-Yo performed in Japan after the tsunami hit, meeting with fans. While it is assumed the concert proceeds went to support the victims, all Ne-Yo said for sure that he was doing was spreading love through music, which is still admirable because at the very least it helps keep the spirits up of those who were in attendance.

Hell, teenager Demi Lovato (who I know for sure has less money than Dr. Dre, Eminem and Jay-Z – who, coincidentally,have all done nothing to help) has given $1 million.

Speaking of Jiggaman -- also known as the man who once rapped “I put dollars on mine, ask Columbine, when the twin towers fell I was the first in line” -- he has been conspicuously absent from the conversation of what celebrities have done in the wake of this disaster.

Jay-Z, the man who Forbes magazine last August crowned as “Hip-Hop’s Cash King,” earned $63 million in the previous 12 months. Yet, Jay still has yet to make any type of donation to Japan.

Diddy, who is arguably the most financially secure of all Hiphop-related artists, at least took to Twitter to express himself and his concerns for Japan, imploring his fans and followers to send text messages to the Red Cross, which will help generate funds for relief.

But Jay, who isn’t on Twitter, didn’t even issue a statement or anything that would lead us to believe he has an ounce of concern for the tsunami victims.

NaS is experiencing some financial hardships right now, so I will give him a pass for not helping. But again, a simple statement or open letter to a media outlet could inspire his fans to do something. You wonder why more influential, popular rappers don’t do the same.

These are but a small sampling of rappers and Hiphoppers who could and should be doing more to support our fellow humans during this time of hardship. We say 911 is a joke but then we turn around and don’t do anything to help expedite emergency aid to those who are in immediate need it help. Ironic, to say the least.

Japan has been doing for years now more for Hiphop than most Americans do for it, helping to keep all four elements alive through still actively practicing deejaying with vinyl and breakdancing/b-boying. We already know that Japan has always been on the forefront when it comes to art and specifically their genre of Anime, but they are active participants in the graffiti culture, as well, a phenomenon that isn’t as celebrated as the other three elements.

Considering all the Japanese people have done to help keep Hiphop alive, it’s ironic that we Hiphoppers aren’t doing more to help keep the Japanese alive. Literally.

Japan's faithfulness to Hiphop culture has never been questioned. It's a shame the opposite isn't also true and the favor is not being returned.

Industry Rule #4081: The Bad Boy Curse Lives On

As is true with life, two things are certain in Hiphop: death and taxes. Only with Hiphop, those two things don’t necessarily come in that order. Especially if you’re an artist who gets involved with Bad Boy Records.

The latest example of the oft-cited malignancy known as a Bad Boy Records contract is still being sorted out, but the short of it is that a former Bad Boy rapper is currently being held without bail for admitting to a 17-year old homicide.

In regard to the careers of artists affiliated with Bad Boy, what happened to this rapper is more of a tradition than it is coincidence. History has more than proven this theory to be law time and time again.

Glaring instances of the career-killing decision of aligning oneself with Bad Boy Records begin with the infamous City College charity basketball game stampede, continue with the murders of 2Pac and Biggie, and is expected to thrive well beyond this latest episode.

Ma$e left rapping altogether in favor of manning the pulpit in a move that seemingly depicted Puffy in a Lucifer-like light, only for Pastor Mason Betha to descend back into the same money- and sex-hungry lifestyle he once practiced before his preaching of the very opposite.

When the smoke cleared, Ma$e ended up losing most if not all of his fans in his series of hypocritical, head-scratching moves that have somehow sustained an Atlanta-based ministry and congregation. But his rapping career – which it seemed he was still trying to salvage – is all but dead.

The LOX mounted a heavily publicized campaign to leave Bad Boy Records after they disagreed with Puffy’s direction for the group, which was originally formed based on hardcore rhymes and street ethics but had been transformed into Hip-pop music complete with the infamous shiny suits accompanied by the familiar, watered down themes of money and sex that that Puffy helped make popular.

The LOX got their wish and was granted their release, but not after Puff made off like a bandit with the rights to their individual and group publishing. Hence, the aforementioned taxes.

Not ironically, while there have been numerous albums released featuring the three rappers that comprise the group, there has yet to be a new album released under the LOX name since 2000. Hence, the aforementioned death.

All three rappers remain relevant and for the most part successful, but the days of the LOX as a group are pretty much over with. Another casualty of Bad Boy Records.

And the list quite literally goes on and on.

Rapper Shyne, who found himself defending his boss by shooting a gun at the alleged offenders of Puff’s famed ego, was ironically left to defend himself when the case went to trial and Puff did everything to separate himself (and his multi-million dollar defense team) from Shyne.

A decade later, Shyne is living in Homeland Security-imposed exile in his native Belize as a devout Hasidic Jew, all but confirming the death of his recording career despite signing a lucrative contract with Def Jam almost a year ago.

To be sure, none of this is coincidence.

Loon, another former Bad Boy rapper, is now a converted Muslim decrying his experience in the music industry -- an experience that began with Ma$e and ended with Bad Boy Records. Death.

In the meantime, Puff has severed all ties with most if not all of the folks who helped get him the hit-making reputation – including and especially many artists and groups who were once signed to Bad Boy -- that he still has to this day. As a result, those same artists are still reeling from not being associated with Puff. Further irony considering it was this same association with Puff that once helped them attain the success they no longer enjoy. More death.

Puff also ventured into the reality television business, creating contests for both an R&B and a rap group, with the winners of each being “awarded” with Bad Boy recording contracts. And while there was some success in the short term, these two groups are no longer together. However, each member of each group is still under contract to Puff and Bad Boy, which means any and every time they attempt to release new music, Puff gets a [large] percentage. Taxes.

Two exceptions to this rule are Mary J Blige and Usher, both of whom are the recipients of Puff’s guidance during the inception of their careers. Despite a few non-Bad Boy related setbacks, each have emerged relatively unscathed with their careers well intact to this day.

However, the other, overwhelming evidence is more than enough to support the idea that involving one’s career with Diddy will probably mean bad news in the long run.

Yet and still, after all of these disasters for bad Boy signees, popular and successful artists are seemingly not deterred one bit and continue to align themselves with Puff.

Ironically, Rick Ross -- who is currently being managed by Diddy -- willingly boarded the Bad Boy bus just months after it was made public that he was formerly a corrections officer (Hiphop’s cardinal sin that is on par with rule nombre uno) despite five straight years of him touting a false, felonious, cocaine distributing past. So even though he dodged a career-threatening bullet, Ross still decided that letting Puffy guide his career was the best thing for him. So far, the results have been undeniable. But as we see with G-Dep, the statute of limitations does not apply to being involved with Bad Boy Records.

Jay Electronica most likely looked toward Bad Boy's past when deciding his own future by signing with Roc Nation and Jay-Z after months of being courted by Puff, which included recording a song with him.

When he was spurned, Puff showed his true colors by igniting a Twitter war of words against Jay Electronica with claims of being led on. But as history shows, Electronica most likely made the right move by removing Bad Boy from the equation.

In the end, Puff wins. His net worth stays on the rise and he is more and more successful each year [in non music-related ventures], but the fact that in 2010 Bad Boy's main artist is Diddy himself speaks volumes as to the priorities for Bad Boy Records.

Posthumous Albums Thrive on Controversy

As soon as The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in Las Vegas, bereavement quickly gave way to the anticipation of the release of his second and what seemed sure to be his final studio album.

But two years later when the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy unveiled Born Again -- the album that followed Life After Death and was filled with recycled lyrics used completely out of context in “new” songs that featured artists BIG never even knew -- fans were both immediately interested and skeptical.

But because the insatiable hunger from fans for more Biggie regardless of the circumstances propelled the album to debut at number one on the Billboard charts, Puff was able to use the album’s success to fend off any criticism surrounding the details of the album’s production.

Diddy has since released an even more implausible album credited to BIG which again features [many of the same] dated Biggie rhymes with random rappers and singers who never had the chance to make BIG's acquaintance.

Fast forward 11 years and it’s déjà vu all over again.

Only this time it’s Teddy Riley and not Puff Daddy trying to justify using a dead man’s vocals as a means for financial gain.

In particular, it has been alleged that the album employs the services of Michael Jackson vocal impostors to fill in the glaring vocal void left from Jackson's untimely death.

Despite protests from former MJ collaborators, the new album was released today, receiving generally positive reviews from major media outlets, but also calling into question the ethics of the record business when it comes to releasing controversial [read: profitable] material.

Two main producers on the new "Michael" album have already gone on record to say that they are thinking about releasing more songs in this fashion, making it a very safe bet that this isn't the last "new music" we've heard from MJ.

Not ironically, Akon, one of the artists featured on the new Michael Jackson album, was also featured on BIG's Duets album.

Is Jay Electronica the Carlos Boozer of Rap?

Six years ago Carlos Boozer accepted a $68 million offer from the Utah Jazz, which came as a total and complete surprise to his then-current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Six years later, LeBron James spurned the same team via a grandiose, drawn out announcement on prime time television that once again broke the collective heart of Cavaliers' fans.

In both instances, the Cavaliers were seemingly caught off guard and not expecting to lose their star players under any circumstances.

And now, just a few weeks ago to every one's surprise, Jay Electronica did the equivalent in Hiphop by signing a record contract with Jay-Z's record company, Roc Nation.

Now, it is no surprise that Electronica would enter into a record deal. In fact, it is what his fans were hoping for so that his music would be distributed in a wider and more professional manner than random Internet "leaks" every now and then.

But now details are emerging that suggest Jay Electronica pulled a Carlos Boozer and surprised everyone including his closest adviser, Just Blaze, who most likely had hopes of signing him to his own Fort Knocks Entertainment imprint.

Just Blaze didn't go as far as Diddy did by expressing his outrage via Twitter for the world to see (although Diddy recently rebuffed that notion), but a new video has recently surfaced in which Just says that while he and Jay Electronica are "still cool, there's things that we gotta talk about."



Just doesn't go into great detail, but he does say he understands how Diddy feels, which lets on that Just himself probably does feel some sense of betrayal from Jay Electronica.

It almost seems as though Jay Electronica and Just Blaze had an unwritten, binding understanding or agreement that Jay would be signed through Just's company and then sign with a major label. But it looks as though Jay has eliminated the middle man and gone straight to the cash cow, Shawn Carter.

Electronica can't be blamed for his decision, considering most of what Jay-Z touches turns to platinum or better. But lately Jay's track record hasn't been so stellar, what with J Cole floundering in the underground and Willow Smith making the most noise of all the artists on the Roc Nation roster.

On the flip side, Just Blaze is notorious for his problems with securing record deals for his artists, and Jay Electronica probably wants to get his career moving and not be relegated to being an Internet artist.

And aside from Biggie, Diddy's track record with signing rappers to Bad Boy have been nothing short of disappointing, disastrous, and in some cases demented.

At least with Jay-Z, Electronica will ideally have ready access to the best of everything, including an upper tier production team that is not solely made up of Just Blaze, as well as a guarantee of worldwide distribution.

As with Boozer and LeBron, it seems that Jay Electronica went not only to the highest bidder, but also to the team that gave him the best chance of winning immediately, and he can't be faulted for that.

Nelly Agrees to Wear Puff's Underwear

OK, my disdain (I'm not a hater!) for Nelly is well documented on these pages.

But wowsers, he has just gone way too far for my likings right now.

I'll give him a pass for all his coonery.

I'll give him a pass for singing when he claims to be a rapper.

I'll give him a pass for making slow jams with R&B and Country music artists.

I'll even give him a pass for thinking he could disrespect the Blastmaster KRS-One.

But now, as we approach his complete irrelevance in the music industry, even after he was seen getting mushy with an ugly, dirty-looking, talentless Brit (no, not Amy) who is rumored to exchange sexual favors for music, he has pulled the most questionable move ever -- agreeing to model Sean Jean undergarments.

I know the greatest basketball player of all time models Hanes, and even David Beckham gets his model on with Calvin Klein, but those two are the very best that their respective sports have to offer. They get more than a pass because they are icons in their fields.

But I can't give Nelly a pass for this nonsense.

I mean Christ! Would you look at that picture? Imagine the print ads! It won't be long until the day we read about Nelly on Sunset Boulevard soliciting a hooker who is the proud owner of an Adam's apple.

Fueling the flames -- if you catch my drift -- is Puff's statement about the endorsement:

"To me, Nelly is the quintessential definition of the Sean John man."

Lest we forget how the American Heritage Dictionary defines the term "Nelly"...