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Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Let me make up for my mistake on "Rock Star" by offering Jordan McCoy fans this bit of exclusive news.

Jordan will be in New York next week to film a reality show pilot with Diddy. The promotional angle of the show, if it is picked up, would be to help launch Jordan's upcoming debut album. The show does not have a title, but it is something that we'll probably be hearing more about soon.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Mark Jacobson at New York Magazine has an interview with former New York drug kingpins Frank Lucas (the film "American Gangster" is based on his life) and Nicky Barnes. In it, Diddy and his father, Melvin Combs, are mentioned.

MJ: Did you ever think there’d be this whole hip-hop thing? You guys are both mentioned in a million rap songs.

FL: Call them songs? When I came along, we had singing. They might make up songs about me, but I don’t have to like them.

MJ: What about you, Nick? You’re like a hip-hop folk hero.

NB: I never thought anything like this would happen. When hip-hop first started, everybody—I mean the music entrepreneurs—predicted that hip-hop would be dead in five years. They said, “Those m*****f****** ain’t gonna make no money.” But hip-hop rolled along, and look what they’re doing now. They got Jay-Z, Damon Dash, Kanye West, 50 Cent. These guys are doing something legitimate.

FL: At least Nick knows the names. I don’t know none of them. I know Puffy Combs, because of his father.

NB: Oh, Melvin! Melvin Combs.

FL: Melvin used to be at my house a couple of times a week. I’m proud to see Melvin’s son like that.

Via whudat.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Since there seems to be some interest in "Rock Star", the song that was featured on MTV's The Hills on Monday night, I thought I'd post a little bit more on it.

First, the song is not slated for her album as I had said. I thought it was, but that was incorrect. Sorry for the confusion. However, I have been told that the song may turn up as a bonus track to her album for the U.K. release or in some other country.

For those curious, the song was produced by Howie Hersh, Nick Terranova, Jana Bent and Charissa Saverio with vocal production by Kyle Kelso and Mike Shimshack. It was recorded at the SoHo Dungeon, NYC.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
EW.com spoke with Diddy on the creation of the Diddy/The Hitmen tracks for "American Gangster".

SEAN ''DIDDY'' COMBS (producer; CEO, Bad Boy): When I heard he may make another album, I was like, ''You need to let me executive-produce that album! Even Ali had a coach. Jordan had a coach. That's what I do best!'' ...

DIDDY: We have competed with each other over the years. But I was like, ''I still want to be involved in the project.'' He told me he had the concept of blaxploitation with a contemporary sound. I said, ''I got a bunch of those [beats].'' ...

DIDDY: After working with Biggie [the late rapper Christopher ''The Notorious B.I.G.'' Wallace], Mary J. Blige, and Faith Evans, there wasn't a lot of artists who inspired me to put time in and really grind out in the studio. [But Jay and I] were just two artists in there, and the vibes just fit. He must have finished four songs in a weekend's time. ...

DIDDY: He writes in his head. You'll hear grunts and ''Woo!'' — like he's impressed by what he's writing. Of course you're watching; you feel a little left out, like, ''Let me hear what you're saying!'' But he keeps writing, then he goes into a [recording] booth. It's almost like Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, just looking at the equation and solving the problem. The only person I've ever seen write like that is Biggie. I definitely feel like the spirit of Big got up in him on this album.

That third quote probably has some relation to the idea of getting Diddy back in the booth. Perhaps he's just not motivated enough to dedicate time to working on tracks for most artists.

Via whudat.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
BallerStatus.com has an interview with Conrad Dimanche. It's a solid interview and well worth a read as the interviewer

BallerStatus.com: It seems like a lot of Bad Boy artists like Black Rob, Shyne, and G-Dep have had hard times making follow up albums -- due to obstacles like catching a case. Is it frustrating to build up an artist only to see their fire fizzle out from inescapable consequences?

Conrad Dimanche: It is frustrating because honestly, it's a lot of work to build em up to that point. It is what it is, that's life. It's not every artist -- there are the guys that manage to keep their heads straight.

BallerStatus.com: Bad Boy is often referred to as "the Shelf" because it seems as if there has been a pattern of signing artists and not doing much with them like eight year veteran Cheri Dennis. Why is that?

Conrad Dimanche: We don't have that many artists signed at this moment. 20 artists isn't a lot for any record label. Some people get signed and things don't work out, but I think we're doing pretty good as far as our ratio of artist we put out against other labels and the success we have with our projects. As far as albums that come out, we always go gold or platinum. And Sean, Mr. Combs, is always under the microscope, so we have to put out quality product.

Posted in Babs
Posted by Patrick
According to a message posted by her publicist on her MySpace, Babs is in the hospital and had kidney surgery this morning. Here's to a speedy recovery.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
As noted in the trailer for the film, Danity Kane will be featured on the soundtrack to "Step Up 2 the Streets", in theaters February 14, 2008.

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
Watch below for the trailer to the upcoming movie, "Step Up 2 the Streets". It's due in theaters on Feburary 14, 2008 and stars Cassie.


Via SOHH.com.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
According to Jordan McCoy's MySpace, "Rock Star" was featured on MTV's The Hills last night.

Edit: The song isn't on her album (mistake on my part, sorry), but read this post for more on the song.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
From AllHipHop.com's Rumors section:

So, Jigga Man has officially pushed “Blue Magic” into BonusCut Land and made “Roc Boys” the second single with the video that he just shot. According to Syn City, the vid features Diddy, Cassie, Nas, Mariah, Memph Bleek, Uncle Murda, Freeway, Beanie, Just and a bunch of other people ... The video was shot in the 40/40 Club and that’s all folks.

Via Theo in the forums.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Yung Joc will be attending the Atlanta Hip-Hop Summit. The subject will be financial empowerment.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
Good news for Cheri Dennis fans: her album will be digitally released on November 13 (of this year!) Her album will be a "first of it's kind" release, according to a Bad Boy representative.

More details are yet to come, but what is known is that it will be released on iTunes on November 13, but it will not be dropped onto CD until February 26.

I've got something else for you, too. A title. The album is set to be called "In and Out of Love".

Also, don't forget, if you'd like to ask Cheri a question, let us know.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
I've confirmed that "We Invented the Remix II" and "Press Play Remixes" remain two independent projects and not combined as I thought they may have been. But, it's really a question of when (and even if - I repeat, if) they will be released at all. "We Invented the Remix II" has been officially pushed off the December 18 date and is without a new release date.

"Just Watch Me" is in a similar place - it has been pushed off of it's January 15 release date and has not been assigned a new date.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
It's over a week hold, but I just noticed the HHNLive.com interview with Sean C. and LV. It's a good read.

JR: What was Jay’s reason for putting you on 6 tracks?

SC: You know we was forming the Hitmen situation. He was like this is the album that we can kind of bring it back. You know put that stamp back on it. So Puff hit us up and was like I’m going to work with Jay and I want him to do some joints with ya'll. This was like a month ago.

LV: This album moved real fast.

SC: Yea. Puff was like I want to do some joints with ya'll. Send me joints and I’m going to send them to Jay. And then that’s how it happens. We were in the studio chillin. Puff called Jay. Told him he has to come over here now. Jay got there in like 15 minutes flat. You know so that’s how it went down. You know Puff comes in and he adds his thoughts and stuff. You know his little thing of making records bigger. You may think he doesn’t do anything but he does do something. He definitely comes in. We might have something and he’ll say a certain thing. Like we need to put this there, or maybe call a certain musician to come in and direct him and it might make the record a lot bigger then we thought it would be. He produces it. You know a producer is just not someone who hits the drum machine or whatever. He comes in and orchestrates. He’s a conductor. We give him his props on that because a lot of people don’t.

LV: Because they just don’t want to, you know when n***** deserve props.

Posted in Ciroc
Posted by Patrick
AdvertisingAge has a write up on the Ciroc deal, including a quick interview with Diddy.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
With everything that Diddy's done, it can be easy to forget that he has an incredible production pedigree - one that very few people can touch. Production was the first thing that really brought him acclaim and, along with his handpicked team of producers, he created a sound that led to impressive sales and that I've always enjoyed. One of the marks of a Bad Boy album was always the in house production - something that was true from the very beginning all the way into the mid 2000s, where Bad Boy production would dominate most albums that were released.

But, something happened in 2004. It's hard to know what, but the production of albums changed. Mase came back and, instead of embracing what had made him known, decided to hand Bad Boy an album produced by a group of people that hadn't worked on any Bad Boy album ever released - and haven't worked on any since.

Since then, we've had "One Love", "Bad Boy's R&B Hits", "Boyz N Da Hood", "B5", "The Black Rob Report", "Duets: The Final Chapter", "New Joc City", "Cassie", "Danity Kane", "Christian Daniel", "Press Play", "Greatest Hits", "Ridin High", "Hustlenomics", "Don't Talk, Just Listen", "Welcome to the Zoo" and "Back Up N Da Chevy". The result? Much, much too little in the way of new material produced by Diddy and The Hitmen.

The albums from Boyz N Da Hood, Yung Joc, Christian Daniel and Gorilla Zoe featured no Bad Boy production at all while most others featured no more than a track or two. And, coincidentally, most of the albums I liked, as a whole, were the ones that featured more in house production - not less.

Even beyond producing Bad Boy albums, Combs used to frequently produce for other people. Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Usher, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, SWV, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, MC Lyte and many, many others. And let's not forget about the remixes - there are so many awesome Bad Boy remixes out there.

Somehow, they got away from this. Somehow, Diddy got away from production. Why? A decision to focus on other ventures seems a likely cause. Perhaps he simply became burnt out and needed a break. Whatever it was, I've noticed that my personal liking of the music that is being created has gone down as the level of Bad Boy production has, generally speaking. (Of the albums listed above, excluding the compilations of mostly already released material, I liked "One Love", "Duets: The Final Chapter", "Danity Kane" and "Press Play" as complete albums).

Are these days simply over? Though I've held out hope, it seems like it could very well be going that way. However, the recent news of Diddy getting back into the booth for Jay-Z and Nas have made me think that maybe, just maybe, he might be shifting back. Is it just him helping out a couple legendary buddies? Or, is there something more? Could we see a return to Bad Boy's roots?

A strong start to this could be the upcoming "We Invented the Remix II" and Mario Winans' projects that almost certainly guarantee to be produced in majority by Diddy and The Hitmen (past and present). Likewise, Cheri Dennis' album seems to be one that may fall into that category, reportedly having tracks produced by Diddy and Buckwild. It also seems like the type of album that Mario Winans would be producing on.

It would be great to see Diddy get back in the booth for Aasim and LOS and churn out albums produced in house with an eye on the formulas that created The Hitmen produced albums of the past. Who knows what will happen, but Diddy getting into the booth can only mean good things and his work on the upcoming Jay-Z and Nas albums lends some hope to the belief that it could happen.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
First, it was Jay-Z. Now, Nas becomes the second hip hop heavyweight that Diddy is getting back into the booth for, according to NobodySmiling.com.

[Nas] also mentioned that the LP is two weeks from completion, and will feature production by DJ Toomp, Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, and long-time collaborator Salaam Remi who was behind “Made You Look” and “Thief’s Theme.”

Via Wikipedia.

Posted in Ciroc
Posted by Patrick
Watch below for footage from the Ciroc vodka press conference.


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
According to the Bad Boy Publishing MySpace, Carmen Cameron has been added to the Bad Boy Publishing roster. Discovered by Jack Knight, she contributed to "Exclusive (No Excuses)" by the Making the Band 4 guys and has also contributed to several songs on Mario Winans' upcoming album. Check out her MySpace for more.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
XXLmag.com has the producer credits for "American Gangster". Previously, it had been reported that Diddy and The Hitmen were responsible for 6 tracks on the album, but we only had 5 track titles.

It's called "American Dreamin'" and, like the other 5 tracks, it's produced by Diddy and LV & Sean C. But, what makes this track different from the others is that Mario Winans receives a co-producer credit.

"American Gangster" will be in stores on November 6.

Via Wikipedia.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Mikey Fresh did a video interview with Diddy. Watch it below. He talks about Ciroc, drinking responsibly, American Gangster, Nas and current Bad Boy projects, among other things.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Via Theo in the forums via AllHipHop.com.

Posted in Los
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it at the LOS MySpace.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Watch it here.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard 200 chart:

88. "Welcome to the Zoo" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 80).
144. "Hustlenomics" by Yung Joc (down from 136).
153. "Back Up N Da Chevy" by Boyz N Da Hood (down from 100).

And the Hot 100 chart:

38. "Hood Figga" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 41).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
CBS in New York was at the vodka announcement today and asked Diddy about the allegation made by Steven Acevedo - namely, that Diddy had punched him. Among other things, here's what he said to say:

"I'm a human being. I'm gonna get into an argument sometimes. I didn't punch anybody. There's nothing more to say to it than that." ...

"I don't fight over girls."

Posted in Ciroc
Posted by Patrick
Diddy has signed a deal with Diageo, reportedly the largest wine, beer and spirits company in the world, to develop the Ciroc vodka brand. According to the release, Diddy (and Sean Combs Enterprises) will now make all brand management decisions for Ciroc and, in return, will have a stake in future profits.

It's a multi-year deal with a 50/50 split of profits and, depending on how the brand performs, it could generate over a $100 million dollars for Diddy.

Diddy: "It is an honor and a privilege for me to partner with Diageo on this venture. I pride myself on the company I keep and will only work with the best. My extensive track record as a brand builder ranges from cultivating music careers and creating a lifestyle fashion brand, to launching two signature fragrances and producing a hit television show -- all of which have given me the necessary skills needed to establish a luxury brand. I am confident that this alliance with Ciroc will be a success."

The AP has more. Diddy told the AP: "It is not an endorsement deal. This is something that will have my daily attention."

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Listen to this track, from Elephant Man's forthcoming Bad Boy debut, "Let's Get Physical", in our audio player to the right.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
AllHipHop.com has an interview with Jackie Long, where he discusses his relationship with Diddy.

AllHipHop.com: You have a personal relationship with Diddy. How did that come about?

Jackie Long: I don’t know. You know how we were just talking about being around the right people, and choosing your friends? I was always the guy that kind of stayed to myself. I would see Diddy all the time, and we’d speak. And I would walk away feeling like a little a** kid, like, “That’s Puffy.” [Laughs] But then it was like, we’re all the same people. Like, the first time he called me, I don’t even know how he got the number, but he called me up and was like, “Yo! N***a, this Diddy! I thought I was the hardest person to get a hold of.” He invited me some place, and it’s been a few years now and we’ve been real close every since. Like his home is my home. He’s a good dude to be around and learn from. He’s a very smart dude and I look up to him a lot.

AllHipHop.com: Okay, so about this You Tube clip y'all have on the net…

Jackie Long: [laughs] Man, he called me up as I was leaving the set of The Comebacks and said he was at the Jimmy Kimmel and for me to come through. So I went through. We were chillin’, and then I took my hat off. He was like, “N***a, what in the hell is up with your head?” He didn’t even say hi or nothing, [he] just went straight for my hairline. But see, me and him are always talking about each other, doing what boys do. That was a good day. He got me that day with the forehead. It’s cool! You got me on that one Diddy. I got you on the next one.

The video that he's referencing is this one:


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Adam Buckman of the New York Post gives Diddy some solid praise for his efforts in the upcoming film adaptation of "A Raisin in the Sun", coming to ABC on February 25.

This three-hour TV movie version of the revered play - starring the music-industry and entrepreneur sometimes known as Diddy but here known as Sean Combs - is so rewarding that it figures to be the cultural high point of the current TV season. ...

It's not only the quality of the acting either, though the performances are top drawer. That includes Combs, a man who in real life is richer than King Midas, but in "Raisin" plays a poor chauffeur in 1950s Chicago. "Money is life," he tells his mother (Rashad), three words freighted with meaning when they come out of the mouth of someone so famously well-off.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
You can listen to this song on the Cherri V MySpace.

Posted in Los
Posted by Patrick
Listen on his MySpace.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Yo! Raps Magazine has an interview with Gorilla Zoe.

Any favorite tracks?

My favorite tracks (are) ‘Money Man,’ ‘Battle Field,’ (and) ‘Last Time I Checked.’

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy will be at Stone Rose tomorrow around noon to announce a new business venture with a publicly traded company. No word on who that company is (that's part of the announcement, hence why it's not being revealed prior).

Posted by Patrick
One of the first articles that was posted here at Bad Boy Blog was about a court case revolving around an uncleared sample used on the song "Ready to Die". The case was appealed and a judge rules on October 17 to uphold the initial decision, according to AllHipHop.com.

Later in 2006, a new version of the album "Ready to Die" with this, and another sample removed, was released.

The article notes that the judge found that the publishing company, Bridgeport, is entitled to 25% of the new copyright to the song and that both parties are expected to negotiate, so that the song can be re-released.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
The Herald Sun reports that, according to a source, Diddy has been mentioned as a possible attendee of the Spring Racing Carnival, a large horse racing event held in Australia.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
NobodySmiling.com and ThickOnline.com have interviews with Yung Joc.

Nobodysmiling.com : Can you tell some cats how hard it is to get to the point where you at?

Yung Joc : Hard as Superman knee-caps!

heh.

Via Yung Joc's MySpace.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it at the Cozi Music MySpace. Diddy has 2 verses on it. I believe this was under consideration for the single release, but in the end, they opted for Yung Joc and Gorilla Zoe, of course. Initial reaction: not bad. Not great.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
Mario Winans second Bad Boy album - and third album overall - has been pushed back from December 4, 2007 to June 2008. Can't say I didn't see it coming, but I am looking forward to the album.

Posted in B5
Posted by Patrick
B5 will be shooting a video for what will be their second single - "In My Bedroom" - before the end of this month, according to the label.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Gorilla Zoe will be shooting a video for "Tryna Make a Jug" next week, according to Bad Boy.

Posted by Patrick
On October 25 at 11:00 AM, a wax figure of The Notorious B.I.G. will be unveiled at Madame Tussauds New York. Ms. Wallace will be on hand for the festivities, which will feature 23 Brooklyn High School of the Arts students singing "I'll Be Missing You" and "I'll Fly Away".

The Biggie likeness is dressed in a white three pice suit with a white hat and white shoes and stands with one hand on a gold and wood cane. To make the figure, the artists carefully reviewed hundreds of photos and hours of video to ensure it's accuracy.

It will have it's own room on the ninth floor. When you approach it, you are able to break multi-colored rays of light that will then cue a Biggie song to play.

Madame Tussauds is located 234 West 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
This was posted about a week ago, but I missed it, apparently. Watch below.


Via Theo in the forums.

Posted in Bad Boy Blog
Posted by Patrick
Are you a soda drinker? If so, please check out SodaRatings.com, a sister site of Bad Boy Blog. At SodaRatings.com, you can rate your favorite sodas with your ratings being featured on your own personal profile. You can also get favorite soda images (like mine, below) which you can place on your website, blog, MySpace, community signature and more. So, if you are a soda drinker, please give it a look.

SodaRatings.com

Thank you for reading.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
Watch below.


Via Theo in the forums.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it at AllHipHop.com. Joc has a verse and Diddy is on ad libs.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on The Billboard 200 chart:

80. "Welcome to the Zoe" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 50).
100. "Back Up N Da Chevy" by Boyz N Da Hood (down from 51).
136. "Hustlenomics" by Yung Joc (down from 114).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
This week, "Hood Figga" by Gorilla Zoe is up to a new high of 41 from 45.

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick
Here's the press release:

A BRAND NEW SEASON OF "RUN'S HOUSE" PROMISES
AN IMPRESSIVE ACTING DEBUT, A HOT NEW RAP GROUP,
AND EXCITING NEWS THAT COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES,
MAKING WAY FOR A NEW BEGINNING
AND A VERY DIFFERENT RUN'S HOUSE!
"RUN'S HOUSE" PREMIERES ON MTV THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AT 10:00PM (ET/PT)

The Premiere Episode Of "Run's House" Available For Free On iTunes October 23rd. Full Episodes Also Available on MTV On Demand.

New York, NY, October 8, 2007 – The doors are once again open to whose house…? "Run's House"! Rev Run is back to illustrate how funny the reality of a growing family can be. This season the Simmons family invites MTV cameras and fans into the house during a summer of mad cap fun and surprises that are not to be missed! Season 4 of "Run's House" begins, Thursday, October 25th at 10:00PM (ET/PT). Immediately following, watch aspiring singers and dancers vie for boy band stardom on the premiere of MTV's reality series "Making Menudo," at 10:30PM (ET/PT).

At "Run's House" the laughs, drama and excitement never seem to end. Rev. Run, (Joseph Simmons of Run-DMC), and his wife Justine continue to manage a very bustling household and keep the lives of their 5 children as normal as possible amid the extravagance of their surroundings. With the entire family back together again under one roof, life in the Simmons house is anything but normal. This season Rev. Run and Justine make a major decision on adopting a new baby and life for them may never be the same again. Eldest sibling, Vanessa, 24, lands her first acting role on the day-time soap opera "Guiding Light" and finds that perfecting her craft is harder work than she thought. Angela, 20, sets her sights on expanding her current magazine insert into a bona-fide celebrity driven fashion/entertainment magazine. JoJo, 18, deals with everything from graduating high school, to hustling for a record deal, to developing deeper relationships with his dad and Uncle Russell (music/fashion mogul Russell Simmons). As the coolest tween-ager on television, Diggy, 12, is fast becoming a ladies man but Rev. Run manages to keep him grounded. And Russy, 11, might just be ready to cast his love for video games aside for a new interest – girls! With its unique hip hop royalty lifestyle rooted in grounded family values "Run's House" is the ultimate destination for laughable and lovable family entertainment.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Here are the dates, from Diddy's MySpace:

Venue: Love Nightclub, 1350 Okie Street, NE Washington DC 20002

Date: Friday October 19. Doors open at 6pm. Hosted by Diddy and 93.9 WKYS

Date: Saturday October 20. Doors open at 8pm. Hosted by Diddy and Big Tigger from 95.5 WPGC

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it on her MySpace.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Two pieces of news to report today on the Diddy/Steven Acevedo assault case. First, MTV brought together a couple legal experts to weigh in on where they see this going.

Second, Acevedo was in court yesterday for an unrelated matter. He is facing a misdemeanor charge of having a forged police placque in the window of his car. The article also notes that he displayed no "signs of wear" from the alledged assualt and that he has been in court a number of times, having sued the police department twice for abuse and faced drug charges, according to authorities.

Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
From Willie's MySpace:

Norfolk Midnight Madness

Show Time: Friday October 19, 2007 - 8:00 PM
Venue: Joseph Echols Hall
City: Norfolk
State: VA
Country: US
Zip Code: 23504
Cost: $8-10
Description: Norfolk Midnight Madness - The Norfolk State men’s and women’s basketball teams will host Midnight Madness with a performance by G-Unit Records recording artist Young Buck and the winners of MTV’s Making the Band 4.

Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for students with ID. Tickets can be purchased by calling (757) 823-9009 or logging onto https://tickets.nsu.edu. ...

Show Time: Saturday October 20, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Venue: Granard Middle School
Address: 815 W Rutledge Ave
City: Gaffney
State: South Carolina
Country: US
Zip Code: 29341
Cost:
Description: Will and Big Mike will be in the house!!!!!

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
Edit: We are now closed to questions. Thank you!

What would you like to ask Cheri Dennis? Assuming that I get enough interest in the interview, I'll most likely be able to set up an interview with her in the next few weeks and ask her your questions. Please feel free to suggest as many as you would like.

Thanks!

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
Here is the single cover for Cheri Dennis' "Portrait of Love":

null

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
From the New York Daily News:

Steven Acevedo "is not a vindictive, meanspirited individual," his lawyer Mark Heller said on Wednesday. "He is not motivated to propel Sean Combs into jail." ...

Heller said Acevedo was not out to make a quick buck.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
These have been out for a while but I wanted to mention it, anyway. We now have both the clean and dirty versions of the "Hood N****"/"Hood Figga" remix in our audio player. They are:

"Hood N**** (Remix)" by Gorilla Zoe featuring Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Big Boi, Young Jeezy and Block.
"Hood Figga (Remix)" by Gorilla Zoe featuring Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Yung Joc, Young Jeezy and Block.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
According to the Bad Boy MySpace, Gorilla Zoe is featured in the November 2007 issue of XXL Magazine. There is also an album review.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy lost in the Hustler of the Year category of the BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 to 50 Cent. They didn't even announce the award on the air. This leads me to believe that 50 was not there, but maybe he was. If he was - I didn't see him. I didn't see Diddy, either.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
According to Elephant Man's site, his album has now been pushed back to January 29.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
"Last Night" by Diddy featuring Keyshia Cole lost in the Best Collaboration category at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 to "International Player's Anthem" by UGK featuring OutKast.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Gorilla Zoe just performed "Hood Figga (Remix)" at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2007 preshow. Zoe had a solid performance, but Joc really phoned it in, which is a shame because I like his verse on the remix. He missed maybe half of his verse, allowing the backing track to play through. Even Zoe appeared a little surprised as he nudged Joc part way through the performance. Overall, it wasn't a bad performance, but it would have been a great performance if Joc would have killed it.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
The BET Hip Hop Awards preshow, featuring a performance from Gorilla Zoe, will be on from 6:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET, not from 5 to 7 as was previously reported. Sorry for the confusion.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Update: The preshow is on from 6:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET, not from 5 to 7.

According to the Boyz N Da Hood MySpace, Gorilla Zoe and Yung Joc will be performing "Hood Figga (Remix)" during the BET Hip Hop Awards preshow today between 5 and 7 PM ET on BET.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Despite various reports, Diddy did not pay the police a visit yesterday. His attorney had this to say:

"What is being reported in the media is inaccurate," the statement reads. "Mr. Combs is not going to be arrested today. We are hopeful that this matter will be resolved without the filing of any criminal charges, as this was a disagreement among acquaintances, not a criminal assault."

MTV also notes that a one of Diddy's publicists said that Diddy and Acevedo have known each other for 13 years and the dispute was not over a woman.

There had also been reports that Diddy and Acevedo had met and worked it out. This is also untrue, according to Acevedo's attorney, Mark Heller:

"That report is inaccurate," ... "As I understand [it], my client did not interface in any way, shape or form with Sean Combs [at Butter]. At this point, the altercation between Sean Combs and Steven Acevedo, which took place the other evening, has given rise to an extensive criminal investigation, and no civil proceedings have been initiated yet, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation and subsequent criminal prosecution, should one be initiated.

"[Acevedo] will seriously weigh his options, based on the outcome, but needless to say, it's certainly premature to presume that any resolution has been reached at this point, either in the criminal proceedings or in any civil arena,"

Nonetheless, Acevedo told the New York Post that he intends to fight Diddy.

Steven Acevedo, 31, told The Post that reports that he and Sean "Diddy" Combs had made up after meeting at the club Butter following their violent scuffle were not true and the gloves are still off.

"Definitely not," he said outside his Manhattan apartment, before slowly drawing his finger across his throat in a menacing gesture directed at the hip-hop mogul, who is a longtime acquaintance.

Via TMZ and Sixshot.com.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Dawn Richard from Danity Kane played on the New School team in the Hip Hop Honors 2007: Celebrity Hoops game. They defeated the Old Skool team, 63-55. You can watch clips and game action on VSPOT. Under "Hot Stuff", if you scroll to the bottom, you'll find it. At 1:22 on the 4th quarter clip, you can see her attempting a shot and getting blocked - the person who blocked was given a technical penalty after some lobbying and she proceeded to make a free throw. New School's Ray Lavender was named MVP.

Via Dawn's MySpace.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
"Table Dance" featuring T-Pain will be the second single off of "Back Up N Da Chevy", according to the October 20 issue of Billboard.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
The October 20 issue of Billboard reports that "Tryna Make a Jug" featuring Big Gee will be Gorilla Zoe's second single.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
The October 20 issue of Billboard features a small write up called "Hood Figures", which talks about Boyz N Da Hood and Gorilla Zoe and why Zoe's album solid more copies than the group's. They quote Block, "When you have a [regional] group like Boyz N Da Hood, you need that label machine to take it to different regions like Los Angeles and New York. Zoe taking off the way he did took much of the focus away from Boyz N Da Hood. There's only so much a label can focus on at a time." I'm not real sure about that, but he also points out that they were focused on Zoe because "Hood Figga" was getting more radio play than "Everybody Know Me". That is certainly true.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
I finally got my hands on the Circuit City and Best Buy editions of "Hustlenomics". Both of them have an ad insert for Rockport featuring Joc, one of their paid spokespersons. Circuit City's bonus track is called "Coloso" featuring Gorilla Zoe and Best Buy's bonus tracks are "Hold Up" featuring Durt Boy (also on the Japanese edition of "Hustlenomics") and "Do It" featuring Durt Boy. All 3 tracks were produced by Dana "Dee Jay Dana" Ramey.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Newsday is reporting that New York City police are looking to speak with Diddy today in regard to an alleged incident at a club in NYC, early Saturday. The New York Post, who has sources telling them that Combs will be charged with assault, has this:

Acevedo told cops that the pair got into an argument at the club around 3:30 a.m. and then briefly separated before starting to fight again.

Combs then clocked him twice in the face, busting his lip and bloodying his nose, Acevedo claims.

At one point, Combs allegedly screamed at his foe, "I'll kill you, punk!"

Acevedo told police that one of Combs' goons lifted his shirt as if to signal that he had a gun.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Despite what has been reported, TMZ has what is apparently a court document indicating that Diddy will turn over pictures of the rings that he was wearing on the night of the alleged assault.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
That's the question posed in a thread at BadBoyForums.com. The 5 albums listed below are the next 5 albums slated to be released:

"Let's Get Physical" by Elephant Man.
"TBA" by Mario Winans.
"We Invented the Remix II" by TBA.
"Just Watch Me" by Jordan McCoy.
"TBA" by Cassie.

Post at BadBoyForums.com and let everyone know. I've posted my list there (ranked 1-5 in order of how much I am looking forward to them), as well.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
According to Cheri Dennis' MySpace, they are preparing for the "Portrait of Love" video. She notes that Diddy, Gorilla Zoe and Yung Joc will all be in the video.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it on her MySpace. It's from her upcoming debut album, "Just Watch Me".

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Harve Pierre has been promoted to President of Bad Boy Entertainment. Previously, he had been an Executive Vice President. As part of the promotion, he was given an ownership stake in the company. Furthermore, his Crazy Joint imprint will be distributed through Bad Boy/Atlantic. According to his MySpace, this distribution will begin in May 2008. The only artist that I know of that is signed to Crazy Joint, at this point, is Marina Chello.

Congrats to Mr. Pierre on the promotion.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
Cheri Dennis' debut album has been given a new release date. It's February 26, 2008.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
The video for the second single off "Hustlenomics", "Bottle Poppin", has been released.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
EW.com has some quotes from Diddy on working with Jay-Z on "American Gangster.

''The thing that I like about him is that he's so much not like Biggie — his style is so unique to Jay-Z. I definitely feel like on this album, the spirit of Big got up in him, though.''

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
The Los Angeles Times has more details (as well as a response from a Diddy representative) on the recent suit filed, claiming unauthorized use of Biggie recordings from 1994.

Sabatino's suit claims that Combs incorporated the exclusive rap recordings into Bad Boy's hit 1999 release "Born Again" and the film footage into a music video called "Dead Wrong" to promote the CD, which sold several million copies. Sabatino's suit says he will provide documentation to show that Combs put $2,000 into his prison account in 1999 and that Combs' sister, Keisha, visited him in jail and sent letters promising payment, the suit says. ...

"Nuisance lawsuits against celebrities are at an all-time high and the two filed this week are just additional examples of how people try to shake down Mr. Combs," a spokesman for Combs said Thursday. "The fact that one was filed by someone in jail, about things that supposedly happened 14 years ago, shows just how ridiculous it has gotten." ...

"Mr. Combs has successfully fought these lawsuits in the past and expects to do the same with these," the spokesman said.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Yung Joc is featured on the new single from R&B girl group Cherish. It's called "Killa" and was produced by Don Vito. This marks the second time that Joc has collaborated with Cherish, following the remix to "Do It To It". Listen to the track at Down-South.com.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Listen to it below. Note that this is not the same dance remix that had been previously posted to Diddy's MySpace.


Posted in B5
Posted by Patrick
B5 won the long running AOL Breakers competition. Final percentages were not released, but they topped rappers Plies and Hurricane Chris.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
Jody Breeze is featured on "Hey Playa", a song from Sho' Nuff rapper Willie Joe. The track also features Lloyd and Jazze Pha.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Elliott Wilson has quotes from Jay-Z, Diddy, Sean C. and LV on "Roc Boyz".

Sean “Puffy” Combs:
The “Roc Boys” is crazy. It’s one of them urgent tracks. We all love the tracks that Hov does that are urgent. That really as soon as the needle hits it it just takes you on a journey. As soon as the needle hits it, it just feels like you just driving non-stop. The way these horns is playing it’s just… It’s also a different sounding joint for Jay. But it’s not too much of a departure where you can’t recognize the flavor it.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
"Hood Figga" continues it's stready rise this week, up from 53 to 45 and a new high.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are the Bad Boy releases on the latest Billboard 200 chart:

50. "Welcome to the Zoo" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 18).
51. "Back Up N Da Chevy" by Boyz N Da Hood (debut).
114. "Hustlenomics" by Yung Joc (down from 95).

B5's "Don't Talk, Just Listen" has dropped off the charts.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Back in September, I reported that Gerard Rechnitzer, the man who filed an assault suit against Diddy, had filed a motion requesting pictures of Diddy's jewelry, in order to match up with the marks apparently left on his person. That motion has been denied, according to Sixshot.

According to Los Angeles' CBS, aside from denying Rechnitzer's request for photos of the rings, Judg e Robert L. Hess also turned down Rechnitzer's request for Diddy to answer to written questions relating to the incident.

Posted in B5
Posted by Patrick
The B5 Bahama Bash Cruise has been announced. If you've ever wanted to spend some time with B5 in a boat, this is your chance! From a bulletin on their MySpace:

It's official. We have 25 rooms reserved for anyone and everyone who wants to go on a bahama cruise with the B5! Here's a little more info:

Date: Feb 21-24
Departure Location: Port Canaveral (Orlando Florida)
Price: 300-500 dollars per person (not room) all inclusive (cruise fare, taxes and fees, prepaid gratuities, and inclusion in ALL group functions)
* 2 people per room.
*Travelling to: Nassau, Bahamas ...

Info about minors travelling alone:

How old do you have to be to travel alone?

Guests are required to be 21 years old (on embarkation day) to travel. Guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stateroom by a parent or guardian 25 or older. The exceptions Carnival will make to this policy are:

Married minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple is married. The couple must have proof of marriage at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union minor couple - The booking must be documented that the couple are legal Domestic Partners/Same-Sex Union. The couple must have legal proof of partnership/union at embarkation or they will be denied boarding without the benefit of a refund.

Guest ages will be verified at embarkation. Guests not conforming to this policy will be denied boarding and assessed a 100% cancellation penalty. NO exceptions will be made at embarkation.

The Group policy is slightly different because of stricter group terms and conditions including mandatory chaperones, damage deposits and other considerations.

HOWEVER, if given a letter of consent signed by both parents you may travel alone if above 18.

As part of B5’s Bahamas Bash GROUP, you will enjoy the following...

Special ID Badge showing your membership in B5's Bahamas Bash GROUP.

Plenty of photo opportunities.

Special “meet and greet” sessions.

A Chance to spend the entire day with your favorite artist.

Dining, Dancing, and MUCH more!

SHIP FACILITIES!

see: http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/Virtual_Tours_Sensation.aspx

note: our rates include the first room with two twin beds.

So, with this information.. those who feel they can commit to the trip must e-mail jessiembre10 [at] yahoo.ca with the following info:

Name
Email
Phone
Age
Number in group.
Brief description of your group: (me, my mom, and dad; me, my sister,
my
aunt and mom; etc...)
Are you IN?:

*We MUST have ATLEAST 50 people to make the trip happen. So please, talk with your parents. Remember, this is also an opportunity to meet other B5 fans and make amazing new friends! EVERYONE is welcome! Mom, aunts, uncles, grandma, sister, brother, friends... you name it.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
SOHH has an interview with LV on the tracks produced for "American Gangster". The article notes that they are responsible for 6 tracks - no word on what that sixth track is.

"I must say these songs are well produced because it's different things happening throughout the whole song," he explained. "The beat changes with [Jay's] emotion. I'm not just saying that because we produced them."

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Donnie J and Willie from Making the Band 4 will be performing at Congress Theatre in Chicago on October 17. Buy tickets online.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
If you go to the Sean John site, you can find pictures of the womens' line, featuring Cassie, Asia Nitollano, Lauren London and Diddy. Click "Womens" (the picture of Cassie) and then you will be offered a gallery option.

Posted in B5
Posted by Patrick
From their MySpace:

Oct 16 2007 7:30A - KCAQ Morning Show - Ventura, California
Oct 16 2007 9:00A - KVYB Morning Show - Ventura, California
Oct 16 2007 11:00A - KCAQ School Promotion - Los Angeles, California
Oct 16 2007 6:00P - KPWR Basketball Game @ Van Nuys High School - Los Angeles, California
Oct 17 2007 9:00A - Westchester High School Assembly w/ KDAY - Los Angeles, California
Oct 17 2007 1:30P - KPWR w/ Felli & Yesi Ortiz - Los Angeles, California
Oct 17 2007 5:00P - KKUU - Los Angeles, California
Oct 27 2007 8:00P - Schoolaid Concert Series - Ft. Myers, Florida
Nov 2 2007 8:00P - WJLB - Detroit, Michigan
Nov 3 2007 8:00P - WJLB - Detroit, Michigan
Nov 26 2007 8:00P - Dirty Awards - Atlanta, Georgia

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Listen at the Roc-A-Fella Records site.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, I mentioned that the iTunes tracklisting of Jay-Z's upcoming album, "American Gangster", featured the "I Get Money" remix. Jay-Z touched on this in an interview with AllHipHop.com, saying that he's undecided on it.

AllHipHop.com: The “I Get Money” remix is on there too, right?

Jay-Z: That was on there to make 12 records, but I don’t know if I’m gonna do that. I haven’t figured that one out yet. Triple Bar mitzvah.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Check out the Diddy video quiz on Alloy.com.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
MTV talked with producer LV, part of The Hitmen team that helped to create the sound of "American Gangster". MTV mentions the following tracks as Bad Boy productions: "Party Life", "Sweet", "No Hook", "Roc Boys" and "Pray".

[Jay-Z] got to work right away, and although Diddy and his producers weren't in the studio while he was laying his vocals and making hooks, the songs were definitely collaborations.

"As soon as I would finish a record, it seemed like Puff was here in minutes," Jay laughed.

"Jay would have the beats," LV elaborated. "He'd do the record, and he'd send it back to us. We'd fill in the blanks as far as making them full records. From having live horns, live strings, live drummers. This percussion dude, he was coming in with bottles, banging on bottles, just sprinkles of sh--. We went all out. We brought in musicians to bring it out. Jay probably just heard a sample and some drums. Once we got the vocals back, we brought in all the extra candy.

"The first record [we got back] was the record called 'Sweet,' ... When I heard it with Jay's rhymes, I was just like, 'Jesus Christ!' ... Puff was hyped. He'd come in the studio and start bugging out, getting everybody hyped. This is still going on right now. We're mixing records. Sometimes it'll take us three days to mix one record."

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Forbes has a write up on the best selling celebrity scents. Number 1? Unforgivable by Sean John with 2006 sales of $74.9 million.

They also feature Unforgivable Woman in their slide show of the fall's hottest celebrity scents.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
It's a good week to be Eric Wong, I guess. 5 days or so ago, it was announced that Wong, Bad Boy's Chief Marketing Officer, would be honored by Johnnie Walker. Today, another accolade as he will be honored by the Asian American Arts Alliance at a gala on October 16. From the press release:

Asian American Arts Alliance (Alliance), a non-profit organization based in New York City will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 with a gala entitled "GALAXXY" at the TriBeCa Rooftop. This silver anniversary marks a quarter century of commitment to helping hundreds of local Asian American artists and arts groups in the performing and visual arts to access more funding and visibility for their work. In commemorating this milestone year, the Alliance will honor three outstanding industry leaders who have made strides for Asian Americans in their respective fields.

"I'm honored to be recognized by the Alliance at their 25th anniversary event," says honoree Kal Penn. "Opportunities for artists are rare in any walk of life, so it's particularly encouraging to see the growth of the organization over the years, and their service to the community. Thank you for all of the support and for creating even more opportunities in the arts." Kal Penn is the most visible Asian American actor in Hollywood today with roles in The Namesake, Superman Returns, and the upcoming sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. The Alliance is also honoring: Eric Wong, Chief Marketing Officer of Bad Boy Entertainment and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Records, who has promoted top artists such as P. Diddy, Bon Jovi, and Mariah Carey; and Willa Kim, a world renowned costume designer for ballet, theatre, opera and television who has won numerous honors including Emmy, Tony, and Obie awards.

Cassie is listed as a presenter, as well. There are 3 honorees and 3 presenters. Presumably, Cassie could be presenting the honor to Wong.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
It must be National Sue Diddy Week. For the second time in the past 3 days or so, Diddy has been sued. This time, by a hip hop promoter. The AP has the story.

The lawsuit claimed James Waldon, 27, spoke to Combs in The Box and then one bodyguard punched him in the mouth, knocking him backward onto a table, and two others began hitting and kicking him continuously.

Waldon rolled off the table and was chased around the club by the bodyguards before escaping. The beating left Waldon with numerous injuries, including mouth and teeth problems, according to court papers.

He is suing for $5 million dollars.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy was on VH1 Hip Hop Honors last night. He presented the New Jack Swing portion, honoring Andre Harrell and Teddy Riley. He spoke of seeing Teddy Riley performing in Harlem in the 80s and the opportunity and knowledge that Andre Harrell gave him. After introducing the producers, he jumped into the box that Andre Harrell was sitting in and rocked with him during the performances. It looked like they were having a lot of fun.

On a related note, during Missy Elliott's portion of the show, she shouted off Puff for getting her out there when she was an unknown.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
AllHipHop.com has a write up on "American Gangster" featuring quotes from Jay-Z on Diddy/The Hitmen's involvement in the album.

Chronologically, ... Diddy ... was the second star to fall into alignment for Jay-Z. Now, things musically began to take shape in Daddy’s House...

Jay-Z explains, “When I saw the movie, I was thinking, ‘Maybe I should do it, maybe I should do it.’ Puff had called me and he’s always like, ‘Let me do an album, like executive produce the album.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m an executive my damn self. Stop talking to me like that.’” The room giggles again.

“I believe in Karma and all that ‘everything happens for a reason [stuff],’” he continues. “So, he called me like, ‘You gotta come to the studio. I never call you to come to the studio. You gotta come to the studio.’”

After finally meeting with Diddy, Jay-Z said he was also introduced to a cornucopia of beats that his Uptown counterpart and his former production team The Hit Men had crafted years ago. Oddly, Diddy didn’t even know that Jay-Z was contemplating an album, nor did he realize that he was about to lay the foundation for American Gangster’s rich 70’s soundscape.

“I go to the studio and he’s playing all these tracks. And it hit, the [70’s] time period. But, he didn’t know about it [the album]. I’m like, ‘What are you doing with all these tracks?’ He’s like, ‘I just don’t have anybody to give them to.’ I was like, ‘Let me get those and it really set the [tone for the album],’” Jay admits.

Diddy and friends would go on to produce “Roc Boys,” “Pray,” “No Hook,” among other joints. With a solid groundwork, both sonically and thematically, Jay quickly pulled in others.

“[Diddy’s tracks] pretty much set the foundation and [other producers] had to produce into the sound that was already there,” he said. ...

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
You can listen to "Is It You" by Cassie in our audio player. This song will be featured on the Step Up 2 soundtrack. I like the hook.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
Watch it here.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
From the AP:

Call him Daddy, not Diddy. Sean "Diddy" Combs has admitted to fathering a child with another woman while he was still dating Kim Porter. The 15-month-old girl named Chance is the hip-hop mogul's sixth child. Combs told the Daily News of New York that he's "committed to being a good father" to the girl, whose mother is an Atlanta woman named Sarah Chapman. "At first, I wasn't sure if this was my child," Diddy said. "Now that it has become clear she is, I will take care of her for the rest of her life."

I've talked about my feelings on this, but in the end, you have to move forward. I expected that he would do this. You can say what you want about having 5 kids with 3 different women, though it's not really anyone's business, but he doesn't neglect his kids.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
EURweb.com has details on Diddy's VH1 Hip Hop Honors appearance.

Sean "Diddy" Combs took the stage to introduce his mentor Andre Harrell, calling him the "Berry Gordy of his time." Also paying homage to Teddy Riley, Diddy dubs him the "first dude to rock the dark shades indoors," citing him as the "original best of both worlds in hip hop & R&B" and as one of the "greatest producers of all time."

Diddy's intro led into the New Jack Swing tribute, which began with Guy's hit single, "I Like" performed by Ne-Yo, and the Keith Sweat hit, "I Want Her" performed by T-Pain, all with the man himself, Teddy Riley on the keyboard. Kool Moe Dee popped on stage to rap his own New Jack Swing hit, "How You Like Me Now." Then, Riley grabbed the mic and performed his Blackstreet hit "No Diggity" and the Wreckx N Effect classic, "Rump Shaker."

The show airs tonight on VH1 and VH1 Soul at 10 PM ET.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Simon Vozick-Levinson has details on some of the Puffy/Hitmen produced tracks:

"Pray": American Gangster's first cut, one of several produced by none other than Sean "Diddy" Combs — whom Jay still calls "Puffy," harkening back to days long past when both were members of the late Notorious B.I.G.'s circle. "[The album] starts with a kid looking into the game," Jay explained. The beat slams ominously behind his scene-setting rhymes: "Mindstate of a gangster from the '40s/Meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy."

"No Hook": Another wide-screen Puff production, full of dark organ vibes, and more rhymes from an aspiring kingpin's perspective: "F---rich, let's get wealthy/Who else gon' feed we?" The mood is sneering, hungry, with Jay almost seeming to slip into his long-abandoned double-time flow at times.

"Roc Boys": "That's him at his height," Jay said of his persona in this song. "It's a celebration of the whole s---." Exultant horns burst out on the beat (Puffy again) as the rapper revels in a lifestyle funded by ill-gotten riches: "First of all, I wanna thank my connect/The most important person, with all due respect/...Think rosé/Think O.J./I get away with murder when I sling yey'." (The song also includes a reference to "black bar mitzvahs." Maybe that "L'chaim" was even more significant than I realized.)

This is really something to behold. This merges two things I've wanted to see for a while: 1. Diddy behind the boards more. 2. Diddy producing Jay-Z. I am definitely looking forward to his album.

Via Nah Right.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
The AP, cbs4.com and Sixshot have the story.

James Sabatino, a former consultant for Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment Inc., said he flew B.I.G. to Miami in 1994 to perform a show and record some music. The rapper ... recorded about 17 minutes of vocals, and the session was also captured on about 90 minutes of video footage.

It was understood that both belonged to Sabatino because he paid for the rapper's travel expenses and studio time, although a contract was never signed, according to the lawsuit.

Notorious B.I.G. was killed in 1997 ... Later that year, Combs agreed to buy the music and video footage from Sabatino for $200,000. Combs reportedly gave Sabatino a check for $25-thousand and promised the rest of the money in 60 days. Combs said the reason for the delay was because L.A. police had named Sabatino a person of interest in the rapper's death.

According to the lawsuit, Diddy worried about the public’s opinion if they found out his company had paid a large sum of money to a person of interest in Biggie’s murder.

Sabatino was later jailed on unrelated charges. He claims that everytime he attempted to get the money from Diddy, he was reportedly told it was coming soon.

Emphasis mine. Seems a little funny, but we'll see how it develops from here.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Wow, check this out. XXL's Elliott Wilson is reporting that "Puffy and the Hitmen", which he later quantifies as Puffy, Sean C. and LV, have 5 tracks on Jay-Z's November 6 release, "American Gangster". From the article:

Jay told me a funny story in the elevator on the way to get his first look at the Hype Williams-directed “Blue Magic” video. He said Puff would always bug him like, “N**** let me executive produce your next album.” Jay would basically be like, “What the f*** you talkin’ about? I’m a boss. And you’re a boss. That don’t even make any sense.” But finally Hova gave in and agreed to at least listen to what the Shiny Suit man had cookin’ in the stu. Surprisingly, he was blown away. ...

Just how Just Blaze’s work inspired the beginning of Kingdom Come, the Hitmen tracks built the foundation of American Gangster.

Very interesting. Read the article for more.

Via Nah Right (yeah, finding a bunch of stuff on there tonight).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
"Hate Me Now" featuring Diddy will be featured on the upcoming Nas "Greatest Hits" album, according to Nah Right. The album is due for a November 6 release.

Posted by Patrick
Frank White cafe, located at 936 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, opened yesterday. Doesn't seem to be officially tied with Biggie, based upon what I've read.

Via Nah Right via XXL.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are the Bad Boy songs on the latest Hot 100 chart:

53. "Hood Figga" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 56).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are the Bad Boy releases on the latest Billboard 200 chart:

18. "Welcome to the Zoo" by Gorilla Zoe (debut).
95. "Hustlenomics" by Yung Joc (down from 65).
163. "Don't Talk, Just Listen" by B5 (down from 95).

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
According to BallerStatus.com, Gorilla Zoe's "Welcome to the Zoo" debuted at 18, selling 35,200 copies.

Posted in B5
Posted by Patrick
B5 will be performing at the Germain Arena in Estero, FL on October 27, as part of the Journey's Academy School Aid Concert Series. The show, which features multiple performances (see the flier below), starts at 6:00 PM ET.

null


Via soccachic00 at the B5 forums.

Posted in Bad Boy
Posted by Patrick
According to the press release, Eric Wong (listed as the Chief Marketing Officer of Bad Boy Entertainment) has been named as one of the recipients of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label 35 Under 35 Award. A private event was held in New York last night to celebrate the occasion. Congratulations to Mr. Wong.

Posted in Bad Boy Blog
Posted by Patrick
The Release Production History page has been updated to be current with the release of "Back Up N Da Chevy". With the releases of "Hustlenomics", "Welcome to the Zoo" and, especially, "Back Up N Da Chevy" (where he produced 8 of 13 tracks), Dee Jay Dana has made a big move up the list and has now produced 15 tracks on Bad Boy releases, more than Easy Mo Bee, Carlos Broady and Younglord.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
The album insert for "Back Up N Da Chevy" features the same Sean John Eyewear ad as the last few release have had. On the other side, it has "Press Play", "Hustlenomics", "Don't Talk, Just Listen" and "Welcome to the Zoo" listed (with album cover pictures) as In Stores Now. Below Coming Soon, it lists Mario Winans, We Invented the Remix II, Jordan McCoy, Cheri Dennis and Cassie.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Bad Boy's lone position of the Hot 100 is Gorilla Zoe's "Hood Figga", which is up to a new high of 56.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on The Billboard 200:

65. "Hustlenomics" by Yung Joc (down from 30).
95. "Don't Talk, Just Listen" by B5 (down from 27).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
HipHopDX.com has an interview with Conrad Dimanche, Bad Boy's Senior A&R. There were a couple of answers that I found interesting, as they were similar to things that I've said.

DX: I spoke to 8Ball & MJG a little while ago, and 8Ball told me that they didn’t really feel like they are a part of the Bad Boy family. How much family is there really in the industry?

CD: As far as Bad Boy, we’re definitely one big family. Of course every artist is always gonna want a great amount of attention, especially from Puff. You know, maybe that’s what I’m here for, what Harve [Pierre] is here for. Puff is the chairman, but he has other companies. So you’re gonna get that from artists sometimes, if maybe they feel like they didn’t get enough attention and it becomes a Puffy thing, but really there’s people in place. I was very involved in their project and I’m sure [8Ball] would agree to that. I’m not sure why he would say that. ...

DX: Address the critics that say Bad Boy has gotten away from real Hip Hop with artists like Danity Kane and the new solo artist Donny…

CD: What is that? Man! We’re a record company. What record company just wants to stay in one genre of music. It doesn’t make sense financially. It doesn’t make sense to limit yourself in terms of what kind of music you’re going to put out and what type of artist you’re going to sign. We gotta spread our wings and really grow as a company…which we’ve been doing.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
This song has been posted on Cheri's MySpace for a while now, but we now have it in our audio player. So, if you haven't given it a listen, consider this a reminder.

Posted in Cheri Dennis
Posted by Patrick
According to her MySpace, Cheri Dennis has returned from Paris, where she had a performance. She has posted some pictures on her MySpace.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
EURweb.com reports that Diddy and Yung Joc will be featured, alongside T.I., Young Dro, Twista and Willie the Kid, on the first single from DJ Drama's upcoming release, "Gangsta Grillz: The Album". It's called "5000 One's" and the article notes that a video is slated to be shot this month.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
HipHopDX.com has an interview with Gorilla Zoe. I thought this answer was funny because of how people make things out of nothing.

DX: You have a street record that is a diss toward the Shop Boyz (called Block Star with Yung Joc, Block and Big Gee)?
GZ: That's not a diss towards the Shop Boyz. We just hopped on the track.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
Here is press release that Bad Boy put out this evening:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 2, 2007

"EVERYBODY KNOW" BOYZ N DA HOOD ARE BACK;
ATL RAP CREW RETURNS WITH "BACK UP N DA CHEVY";
NEW ALBUM FEATURES SINGLE "EVERYBODY KNOW ME"
AND "WE READY (FEAT. YUNG JOC)";
SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE ICE CUBE, T-PAIN, RICK ROSS

Block Ent./Bad Boy South recording group Boyz N Da Hood has announced the release of their new album, "BACK UP N DA CHEVY." The ATL-based rap crew's eagerly awaited second collection - which features the banging hit single, "Everybody Know Me" - lands in stores and online today.

Handpicked and formed some three years ago by Block Ent. CEO Russell 'Block' Spencer, Boyz N Da Hood earned instant stripes for its raw-edged recasting of classic gangsta rap. "I wanted to create something aggressive and hard-hitting," says Block, "a group that could step up the game for the entire Block Ent. movement." Fuelled by the hit single, "Dem Boyz," the group's self-titled 2005 debut album - certified gold by the RIAA - immediately established Duke, Big Gee, and Jody Breeze as the South's most dangerous new group (original member Young Jeezy has since left the group and begun his own platinum-certified solo career).

The group's newest enlistee is the one-and-only Gorilla Zoe, who has made a name for himself in recent months via his featured role on Block Ent./Bad Boy South labelmate Yung Joc's hit single, "Coffee Shop," as well as on his own just-released Block Ent./Bad Boy South solo debut, "WELCOME TO THE ZOO" (which features the current smash single, "Hood Figga").

"Being in this situation is an honor," Zoe says. "I'm a fan of Boyz N Da Hood. I love the music, and I love the movement of Block Entertainment. I respect the slick talk of Jody Breeze. I respect the gutter of Big Gee, the OG qualities in the play-calling of Duke, and the boss status of Block."

"Everybody Know Me," the first single from "BACK UP N DA CHEVY," is currently blowing up at Urban radio outlets nationwide. The single was featured on the iTunes homepage upon its release earlier this year. In addition, the down-and-dirty album track, "Bite Down," is shaping up as one of the year's biggest street anthems.

"BACK UP N DA CHEVY" sees Boyz N Da Hood taking its cinematic street tales of guns, girls, and gangbanging to a whole new hardcore stratum. In addition to the aforementioned Yung Joc, the album is marked by guest appearances from a number of high-profile hip-hop luminaries, including T-Pain, Rick Ross, and the legendary Ice Cube. Among its producers are such top studio stars as Dee Jay Dana (Yung Joc, Gorilla Zoe) and Drumma Boy (Young Jeezy, Juvenile, Paul Wall).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Watch below. The clip features the performance of "Exclusive (No Excuses)" from the Making the Band 4 season finale. It features the Making the Band 4 guys, Donnie and 3 others that had yet to be cut at that point.


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
According to Willie's MySpace, he will be performing at Static Lounge on 634 Broadway in San Diego on October 11. Aubrey will be hosting,

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
iTunes has added a pre-order option for Jay-Z's upcoming album, "American Gangster". The tracklisting that they are showing includes, at track 11, "I Get Money (Remix)". It doesn't list any artists besides Jay-Z, but obviously the "I Get Money (Remix)" also had 50 Cent and Diddy. The album is slated for a November 6 release, so we'll know soon enough.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
The Circuit City bonus tracks for "Back Up N Da Chevy are "Stuntin'" and "Hood Laws". "Hood Laws" had been mentioned by Billboard in May as being featured on the album. It was later removed, but now resurfaces.

Posted in Boyz N Da Hood
Posted by Patrick
Today, Boyz N Da Hood has released their sophomore album, "Back Up N Da Chevy".

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The tracklisting is as follows:

1. "Everybody Know Me"
2. "Bite Down"
3. "Say What's On Your Mind"
4. "Nothing is Promised" featuring Yung Joc
5. "We Ready" featuring Yung Joc
6. "Choppa's" featuring Ice Cube
7. "Block Boyz" featuring T-Rok, Alfa Mega, Yung Joc and Durty
8. "We Ridin'"
9. "Paper" featuring Rick Ross
10. "Back Up N Da Chevy"
11. "Table Dance" featuring T-Pain
12. "We Thuggin'"
13. "No Haters Allowed"

In July, I reported on the official tracklisting that had been released to me. There is one difference between that one and this one - it's the absence of the Van Halen sampled "Jump". I was looking forward to hearing that, actually. Maybe they had some clearance issues.

You can pick up the album at Amazon.com.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Yung Joc has released his second web only video, "Getting to da Money" featuring Mike Carlito and Gorilla Zoe. Watch it here.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Jordan McCoy fan INSANE Adam from idolforums.com, created the following 2 videos parodying Chris Crocker, but applying it to the Fergie and Jordan issue over "Big Girls Don't Cry". As a warning, there is a little bit of inappropriate content.



Via XoX_Twiggy_XoX at idolforums.com.