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You are currently viewing the archive for January 2009.

Posted in Nelson
Posted by Patrick
Nelson is no longer a Bad Boy Records artist, I've confirmed with a source at the label. No further details were given.

Posted by Patrick
Video Static reports that a video for "Letter to B.I.G." has been shot. The director is Va$tie and the production company is Triggerhappy. The Smoking Section has some behind the scenes photos.

Update: Just to be clear, this report isn't new, it's from January 19. A version of the video did leak online, but no official version has been released, as of yet.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
There's a supposedly new T.I. track that was "leaked" in the last day or so called "Better Than This." Some websites are saying that this track was produced by Diddy. Adding credence to this claim is that, on the track, T.I. shouts out Diddy and/or Bad Boy several times.

Curious, I reached out to someone at the label and they told me that the track was not produced by Diddy, but by Richard "Younglord" Frierson, formerly one of The Hitmen. The track is also a "few years" old.

Speculation on my part, but listening to it closely, I get the feeling that this may have been a reference vocal. Or, at least the first verse and maybe the third. A reference vocal is when one artist performs the track, how it should flow, how words should be formed, etc. for another artist, as a suggestion of how the song should be structured.

The reason I say this is because of the Diddy/Bad Boy shout outs and the fact that T.I. raps, "why, 'cause their name ain't Diddy like this," on the first chorus. Thinking about it, a few years ago might place it around the time where Diddy was working on "Press Play." Frierson produced the lead single to the album, "Come to Me." We know that T.I. was working with Diddy on the album and recorded in the booth, thanks to a YouTube clip on the Bad Boy Records channel. While he did write on "Wanna Move," which was featured on the album, perhaps this was something that they worked on, as well.

Via Theo.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
As we reported on Thursday, Diddy released a video where he talked about Lil' Kim's displeasure with her portrayal in "Notorious." In the video, he says:

"The only thing that I can say about the movie, that was great from their relationship, is that he really respected her as an artist, as an MC and was into her like that. All the other extra stuff - it was a movie. And Kim will have her chance, her own movie will come out there. Give Kim her chance. Don't believe what you saw in the movie; it wasn't only about that. She was with us, that was our queen. She'll always be the queen. She got every right to feel that way. The movie is really about B.I.G. Don't focus on none of our parts; focus on B.I.G. as the man."

The emphasis is mine. People are taking "Don't believe what you saw in the movie" as sort of condemnation of the movie's accuracy, but the line that follows it is a qualifying statement. With this sort of movie, some of it isn't going to be true. That's just the way it is - it is based, for the most part, on memories and, in some cases, second hand memories, stories that one person told another. And in those cases, they didn't even get the whole story. So, it's probably mostly true, but it's not all true.

And the same goes for Kim's part. Some of it, a lot of it... may be true, but it wasn't only what Kim was about - it wasn't the whole story of Lil' Kim because this wasn't a Lil' Kim movie, it was a Biggie movie. That's what was said in the video. MTV News' Jayson Rodriguez nails it, in his report, saying that "Puff and D-Roc agree that Kim's portrayal in the movie was incomplete." That's exactly what I take away from this.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Tom Patti, a glass artist based out of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts on Wednesday, claiming that the plastic bottle mount that holds the Sean John Unforgivable fragrance bottle is in violation of his copyrighted work, a pair of glass sculptures that he produced in the 1980s.

This, according to Jonathan Saltzman of the Boston Globe, who notes the lawsuits defendants as Diddy and the supposed designers of the holder, James Gager and Johan Liden. Saltzman sought comment from all three, with Diddy's rep offering no comment and the designers being unreachable.

In a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Springfield Wednesday, Tom Patti, 65, contends that the cologne's packaging - the bottle fits inside an attractive ridged plastic cradle - is a ripoff of two copyrighted tabletop glass sculptures he created in the early 1980s called "Compacted Gray With Clear and Ribs'' and ``Modulated Solar Airframe.''

"A couple of years ago, my phone started ringing," the glass artist said yesterday in a phone interview. "Everywhere I went, people started congratulating me on the success of my fragrance container. I didn't know what they were talking about. Eventually, I realized that Combs had replicated my work."

The article features a side by side comparison of the Unforgivable holder and one of the sculptures and, to be honest, I see where there is a similarity, but only in vague ways that would not imply any sort of infringement or, perhaps, even influence. You can't trademark "gray box with lines" and if I put the two boxes side by side, that is the only similarity I see. Check out Patti's work and now look at the Sean John bottle holder.

The Sean John cradle is different in that the lines themselves are noticeably different. They are also on all sides and the bottle does not have the bulge that appears in the Patti sculpture. The Sean John bottle also has a different level of translucence and is more open ended.

For a legally minded opinion, I spoke with Jonathan Bailey, a copyright and plagiarism consultant who authors PlagiarismToday, a blog aimed at discussing and analyzing news and issues related to plagiarism and copyright infringement. I co-host the Copyright 2.0 Show alongside Jonathan.

"Though I agree that there are some similarities between the two products. I feel that there are more than enough differences to distinguish them and the similarities most likely can not be copyrighted at all," he said. "I sympathize with the sculptor in that he feels his work was misused, but I think the law is against him on this one. Typically, on these types of derivative work cases, I tend to "bet" on it not being a derivative as the bar for these things is set pretty high and it's a hard measure to meet on the best of cases."

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick
Here is the press release from the futon critic:

DREAMS ARE IN JEOPARDY AS "MAKING THE BAND 4" RETURNS WITH A NEW EPISODES AND NEW STRUGGLES PREMIERING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, AT 9:00PM ET/PT

Fans Can Catch Up on the Drama from Last Season with the "Making the Band Launch Special" on Thursday, February 5th at 9:00PM (ET/PT)

New York, NY, January 29, 2009 "Making The Band 4" picks right back up where it ended, with Danity Kane shattered and Day 26 determined to not suffer the same fate. The extended season premieres on February 12th, at 9:00PM (ET/PT) and the new episodes will kick off with the viewers getting a look at what's in store for the future of Danity Kane, Day26 and Donnie Klang. On Thursday, February 5th at 9:00PM (ET/PT) "Damaged: A Making The Band Special" recaps the last season with commentary from the people who lived through the turbulent third season.

In season 3 of "Making the Band 4" Diddy's heated relationship with Aubrey was brought to a head, ultimately leading to the decision that Danity Kane needed to move on without Aubrey. The stormy season finale also featured the emotional exit of D. Woods. Now that the destiny of Danity Kane is uncertain, Diddy will have to work his magic once again to put the pieces back together.

With the fate of Danity Kane up in the air, the new installments will focus on the guys of Bad Boy Entertainment Day26. The guys are determined to not follow in the tainted footsteps of their label mates and will work tirelessly to ensure a successful future for the group as they work on their sophomore album. But will the explosive personalities of certain group members make taking their careers to the next level difficult?

Fans will also follow the long road to success that Donnie Klang has traveled. Though his album release was met with poor sales, Donnie is determined to do whatever it takes to achieve his dream.

"Damaged: A Making the Band Special" will take a look at all of the drama that took place during the previous season. Fans of the show, media experts and members of the cast will dish about the events that led up to the explosive season ender and what we can look forward to in the new season. Viewers will also be treated to a special look at the upcoming season.

The full season of MTV's "Making The Band 4, Season 3" ranked #1 in its time period (Tue/9-10pm) among F12-34 across all cable and reached over 49 million total viewers (P2+) with over 25 million viewers from our P12-34 core demographic. The "Making The Band 4, Season 3" finale on October 7th posted a 2.1 rating and ranked #1 in its time period among F12-34 across all cable competition.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
According to a bulletin from her MySpace, Janelle Monae will be performing in West Hollywood, CA on February 7 at Skybar at Mondrian. It's located at 8440 Sunset Boulevard. To RSVP or book a table, e-mail skybarla [at] morganshotelgroup [dot] com.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Dawn Richard has broken the silence on the Danity Kane situation, speaking to MTV News' Jocelyn Vena.

She revealed that all five girls were invited back to the new season of Making the Band 4, to see if something could be worked out. Of the five, only Dawn and Aundrea Fimbres showed.

"As of right now, [Danity Kane doesn't exist]," Dawn Richard told MTV News on Wednesday (January 28). "It's devastating for me."

"You'll see me and Drea [Aundrea Fimbres] try and pick up the pieces on our own [on this season's show] — pieces that we didn't even make," she continued. "We didn't even break it and we're trying to sweep it up ourselves. Puff invited all the
girls to come back on this season and they chose not to. Only two of us showed up. That's fine if that's the choice.

In another portion of the interview, Dawn says that she wanted the original group. "Even if we weren't the best of friends, the business worked," she said. "That's how I felt." But, can a group have longevity if there is infighting?

"I thought we all came in this to be a part of it," she adds later. "Even with all the trials and tribulations, I thought the big common dream was - tunnel vision - was music. And I felt that maybe that's not everybody's heart. Like everybody else has maybe other goals and dreams that are maybe before that. And I'm OK with that, but I wish I would have known that because maybe I wouldn't have put everything into it."

Speaking of Diddy, Richard commented:

"I think he's devastated. I think he thought people would get over it 'cause he's a man," Richard said. "He's just confused. I think that's what makes him crazy the most. He's like, 'I'm the master of all of this, and they totally pulled the wool.' I think he's bitter and angry."

Dawn again denied rumors of a solo career, saying that she has just been writing. Though, she says, "... maybe there will be, if I stay true and keep hustling, because Puff only hangs with people who break their necks and bend over backwards for their craft. So, I don't even think he's on that tip, yet. He just wants to see how great I can be at what he tells me to be great at."

Dawn had similar messages in an interview with INSIDE BLACK HOLLYWOOD. Shannon recently taped an interview with PIX 11 TV in New York, but didn't mention that she hadn't attended Making the Band 4 filming. MTV News reports on that, as well.

MTV News has also posted several clips from Dawn's interview, online. You can check them out below:

» Read More


Posted by Patrick
Fox Searchlight has released some clip montages from "Notorious." If you are like me, and you no theater like you is carrying "Notorious" (the closest one to me is 61 miles away), you'll enjoy these.






Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
ABC News' Luchina Fisher reports on speculation that Joaquin Phoenix's reported foray into rap is a hoax. It cites an EW.com quote from an anonymous former co-worker who says that Phoenix told him this was so. Diddy was mentioned in the article, in this passage:

It's also possible that P. Diddy is in on the hoax. According to media reports, Diddy is producing Phoenix's rap album. At first his rep said she was unaware of his involvement but later she sent ABCNews.com an e-mail saying, "I cannot comment on this at this time."

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Human Nature Magazine has a politically centric feature on Diddy.

“I think one of the things we don’t do enough is take the time to enjoy certain things,” Combs told Human Nature. “I think we should enjoy the moment [of Obama being elected]. We’ve been through so much as a race, as a people, as a generation. We should take the time to be able to enjoy it now because the bar has been raised and we got to step our game up.”

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Check out the video below for a video blog from Diddy featuring D-Roc, a good friend of Biggie's who was recently released from prison.

Diddy speaks on Lil' Kim's displeasure with her portrayal in "Notorious." Basically, he says that there is more to Kim than what was shown in the movie.

"Don't believe what you saw in the movie," he said. "It wasn't just about that. She was with us. That was our queen, she'll always be the queen. She got every right to feel that way."

Toward the end of the video, Diddy and D-Roc riff on people who are making things up, without elaborating. "Let me tell you something," D-Roc said, gesturing toward Diddy. "This man right here don't owe nobody nothing."

"I owe my fans everything, man," Diddy added. "I love y'all, I appreciate y'all."

"That's right," D-Roc agreed. "That's the only people he owe."


I think this ranks as one of my favorite Diddy blogs. Good to see.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Notorious" and Biggie remain heavy on the charts while "Lost" continues it's slow, but steady growth.

Albums

The Billboard 200

9. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists (down from 4).

Billboard Comprehensive Albums

9. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists (down from 4).
125. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (up from 130).
150. "Life After Death" by The Notorious B.I.G. (up from 151).
154. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (down from 127).

Top Pop Catalog

14. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (up from 17).
22. "Life After Death" by The Notorious B.I.G. (a new high, up from 24).
24. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (down from 16).

Top Digital Albums

13. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists (down from 2).

» Read More


Posted in Ness
Posted by Patrick
According to his MySpace, Ness will be performing in Hyannis, MA on February 6 and Upper Darby, PA on February 7.

In Hyannis, he'll be performing at Pufferbellies, located at 183 Iyannough Road, Route 28. The show starts at 9:30 PM. It costs $20 and you have to be 18 or older. In Upper Darby, he'll be at Lounge 69 at 7049 Terminal Square. It's $15 (or more at the door). No show time or age requirement is mentioned. For more info, please see the fliers.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
rolling out has features with Gorilla Zoe and Russell "Block" Spencer, briefly discussing President Obama and the Inauguration.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
The video below shows Diddy working on a track in the studio. It sounds like the vocals on the track he's working on feature Dawn Richard of Danity Kane.


Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick
Following up on a previous report, the premiere for StarMaker, Diddy's newest reality show on MTV, has been pushed back to sometime in February, from it's original January 26 date, according to an official at the label.

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick
StarMaker will not be premiering on January 26, as had been reported previously. This is according to MTV's schedule. It is unclear, at this time, if the show has been pushed back, put on hiatus or something else.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
I just wanted to mention that the free music that is being offered when you pre-order "Dancing With the Devil" (read more about the book) from the book's website contains two tracks that Curry says were produced by Mario Winans. They are "Shysty" and "Lay Your Troubles Down."

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
"I'm a Lover," a new track from Cassie, is now in our audio player. Please let me know what you think about it, in the comments.

Update: In the comments, Laurel pointed out that the track playing as "I'm a Lover," was "Me & U." My apologies for this. It has now been corrected. Thanks, Laurel.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Our audio player has a new track from Elephant Man: "Balance Pon It."

Posted by Patrick
Jon Caramanica of The Scotsman has a nice feature on "Notorious."

When we meet at Frank White, a Brooklyn café named after one of Biggie's alter egos, Woolard, also known as the rapper Gravy, has his own explanation for the silence, gasps and tears he faced during his transformation into Biggie. "Some people couldn't stomach it," he says. "Puff (Sean Combs, who owns Bad Boy Records, Biggie's record label] couldn't stay around. He just couldn't take it. But I felt like that's my job. They were hurting, but I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to give you what you want." And also what a film like Notorious absolutely demands: an eerily credible re-creation of its protagonist. "If Biggie doesn't work, the movie doesn't work," says the film's director, George Tillman Jr. This week audiences and critics will get to decide if the efforts of Woolard and his many coaches have paid off, which would be a particularly impressive accomplishment given that the real Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace, died only 12 years ago – murdered in March 1997 in Los Angeles in a still unsolved drive-by shooting – and remains fresh in the minds of many.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
At the start of February, former Bad Boy rapper Mark Curry will release his tell all book, "Dancing With the Devil." From the book's site:

“Welcome to Bad Boy, where dreams come true,” Sean Combs said as we shook hands over lunch in March 1997. The record producer spent the next hour telling me how impressive my rapping skills were, how soon he planned to release my debut album, and that my personal wealth would soon be in the seven-figure range. Talk about smoke and mirror.

Today, after years of writing hit records for Combs, I am no closer to having my first album released by Bad Boy Entertainment than I was when we signed the contract. Combs cajoled, hoodwinked and bamboozled me for nearly a decade. In the end, which for me came in 2005, I realized that I had to leave the label and its illusions of wealth in order to save my career, my marriage, my mind and my soul.

Dancing with the Devil reveals startling new details about key events in the fast-paced, controversial, and sometimes deadly world of hip-hop music. In revealing the dark side of the industry, Curry hopes to provide a road map for reforms needed before more artist end up in poverty, in prison, or in the grave.

The full title is "Dancing With the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hiphop." I've heard whisperings of this before, but never anything I could actually report on. Now that there is something concrete, I have to mention it, even though there is a serious lack of credibility concerning this book. Let's start with the cover:


The shadow with horns is a nice touch, as is the ball and chain. Seriously? This cover is incredibly tacky and, to me, looks like the type of material that you'd see from a tabloid or a shock jock. You can't judge a book by it's cover... except when you can.

Most people will see this book and won't know who Mark Curry is and maybe that's the point. Here's a formula that has been repeated many times over: 1. Sign to a record label with a highly visible CEO. 2. Become unhappy. 3. Leave. 4. Say bad things about aforementioned visible CEO. 5. People WILL write about you and you WILL get attention. Or, hey, just skip all five steps, pass go, collect $200 and just say something bad about Diddy's business practices - it's the cool thing to do, like peeing your pants! ("Billy Madison" reference, for those that haven't seen that movie). So, if that's the aim, the idea is that people will give him attention through the project. Like I'm doing here. It bugs me that I am participating in it, but I have to because I wouldn't be doing my job, otherwise, and maybe that is what Curry is banking on.

The only reason pretty much anyone knows who Mark Curry is... is because of Diddy. The only reason Mark Curry has any experiences to write a book about is... because of Diddy. The only reason anyone will buy this book is... because of Diddy. Really, Diddy is featured more on his own website than he is. A story like Curry's, one of not releasing an album, not achieving any solo success, is not unique. It's the norm. Most artists who sign to labels do not achieve solo success. That's just the way it is.

But, what strikes me the most is Curry's bio, which features a grossly exaggerated statement of the role Curry had in Diddy's success, going so far as complete untruth. It says, "He wrote most of Diddy’s first hit singles... He wrote many of the hits that made Sean “Puffy” Combs one of the richest men alive." No way. Unless Curry is going to claim that he didn't receive proper credit on some songs, these statements are both tremendously inaccurate. I've reviewed the liner notes for all 5 of Diddy's albums. Here are the songs that Curry is credited on as a co-writer (not the only writer, but as a co-writer):

» Read More


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
MTV News' Jayson Rodriguez reports on the welcome home party thrown at Imperial in New York City on Thursday night. Diddy was in the house, along with Swizz Beats, members of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. and more. Good to see.

On a related note, D-Roc's production company, RocDarling Films, has a new Biggie documentary coming out on January 27 called "Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon.". You can find out a little more on the film's website. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

Posted in Black Rob
Posted by Patrick
As a follow up to the excerpt they released earlier this month, you can now read XXLmag.com's full interview with Black Rob. In it, B.R. explains how he is still loyal to Bad Boy and cool with Diddy, though he is unsure of his situation. Once he gets out, he says he'll figure out what is going on at Bad Boy, but either way, he plans to get back to recording.

Rob has issues to work out, though. In the interview, he admits to being addicted to the adrenaline caused by "robbing people, or getting on the mic doing it or fighting somebody," calling it "better than any drug I ever had." Very scary. Damaging to his career, but more importantly, to his freedom. The interview closes with:

XXL: Are you still on Bad Boy?

BR: Man I have no idea. I haven’t heard from these dudes, they might’ve took me off the Bad Boy website or whatever but I haven’t heard from anyone telling me what the deal is. So until I get a piece of paper saying that I’m no longer a Bad Boy artist, I’m still reppin’ that flag. I’m a team player man. We talking about the streets and how we do in the streets, if I got a problem with you fam I’ma come to you and tell you I got a problem with you. I’m not gonna go to the [media], I’m not gonna go to Summer Jam and bug out [Note from Patrick: Back during the first dispute between The Lox and Diddy, one of the heights of tension was when The Lox performed at Summer Jam in their "Let The Lox Go" t-shirts.], I’ma handle it on a street level. “Ayo Puff let me holla at you.” I’m not gonna do the other thing. I’m on Bad Boy. I can be number two, I’m not trying to be the king; at the end of the day the king gets the throne.

XXL: What’s the plan when you get out?

BR: Alright. Me personally, from the horses mouth, this is the last run for me. I have to stay focused and I’m gonna. Now when I couple my experiences of being in the game and its pitfalls, I don’t wanna come back to prison, it’s a wrap. I got the right people behind me, the people who got love for Rob Ross, f*** Black Rob the artist, I got love for Rob Ross. They gonna push me to my full potential and put the machine behind me, something that the labels don’t do. I just need to get home and see what’s really goin on at Bad Boy. There are a lot of labels that I know is gonna grab me.

The problem is, it's hard to believe him at this point. Don't get me wrong, I like Rob a lot, as an artist and I like how he handled himself in this interview, but can you really invest money behind him into a new project? If Bad Boy does it, I'll be right in line to buy the album, but if they don't... you can't blame them. It's sad, but Rob is kind of ill right now. I hope he gets better and gets back on track.

Via Benjamin Chesna.

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick

More drama...

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Our audio player features two new songs from Elephant Man, "God Bless" and "Wine Up Pon Mi." "God Bless" uses the instrumental from Kanye West's current hit, "Heartless," with Elephant Man mirroring West's sound in parts.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
The purported The Lox diss can now be heard in our audio player. Again, I dig the track, but anyone suggesting it's aimed at The Lox is just speculating. In any case, I am trying to see if I can find out anything else about the track.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
As you may recall, Yung Joc was featured on the album version of Bobby Valentino's "Beep." The song has now been given the remix treatment, with Ludacris, Lil' Wayne and Lil' Kim added to the track (although there is also a version without Luda, too). Listen at DJbooth.net.


Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
At the start of this month, I reported that Yung Joc had joined T-Pain for the remix to Jamie Foxx's "Blame It." There is now an "Extended Remix" and, in addition to Joc and Pain, it features N.O.R.E., Busta Rhymes, Freeway and Lil' Wayne.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
According to a message from her Twitter profile, Jordan McCoy's next single will be "I Decide." This is a cover of a Lindsay Lohan song of the same title, released in August of 2004 on the soundtrack for "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement". It was written and executive produced by Diane Warren and produced by Peter Stengaard for Studio D Productions.

Via BBB reader Adam at idolforums.com, who doesn't really like the single choice and, as such, is no longer a professional Jordan McCoy fan. Kidding! :)

Posted by Patrick

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle has an interview with Jamal Woolard (whose stage name, as a rapper, is Gravy), focused mostly on "Notorious." But, he also slips this in:

His debut album, God Willin’, is still in the works and is expected to feature collaborations with Foxy Brown, Mary J. Blige and Diddy. But right now, Woolard has high hopes for his Notorious debut — and future.

The man plays Biggie and now has Diddy on his album? I could see that as being both really cool and eerie.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick

In addition to the album details revealed in his new bio, a review of Gorilla Zoe's "Don't Feed Da Animals" in XXL Magazine provides us with some additional information. It mentions:

"Talk Back" featuring Roxy Reynolds
"I Got It" (produced by Drumma Boy)
"Helluva Life"
"Hood Clap"

Add this with what we already know:

"Man I"
"Money I Spend" (produced by The Runners)
"Lost"
"Dope Boy"

And you are likely seeing a majority of the final track listing. I would also think that it would be likely that "Waddle" and "On The Corner" would make the album. Speculation on my part, but other potential tracks would include "I'm Dumb" and the remix to "Lost."

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Head over to DJbooth.net for a new remix of "Lost" featuring Jim Jones. There are some slight differences (like the audio track dropping at the end of Wayne's verse), but it's basically the same track as the already released remix that had just Wayne (listen), but with a heavily distorted Jim Jones. Gorilla Zoe has the opening verse, Jones takes the second spot and then Wayne's verse is moved to third, replacing Zoe's original third verse.

Posted by Patrick

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
Jawn Murray of Black Voices reports that Mario Winans, and his longtime girlfriend Joy, wed on January 10 in New Jersey. Congratulations to the two of them.

Posted by Patrick
Edwin Ortiz of HipHopDX relays a story told to him by Michael Keith, formerly of 112. Keith described how Biggie used his clout (at the time) to ensure that the group got to perform the entire length of their show at an event, when the promoter was aiming to cut it short.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Check out the promotion video below, for the National CARES Mentoring Movement. Diddy appears in the clip, at the :20, :25 and :42 second marks.


Via The Celebrity Truth.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick

MTV News' Jayson Rodriguez also has a quick quote from Diddy, who was interviewed (jokingly) by Jay-Z, who was doing some reporting for the HOT 97 radio station, based out of New York City.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Usmagazine.com reports that Diddy is featured, among with many others, in a video pledging service to President Obama. The video was put together by Katalyst Media, which was founded by Ashton Kutcher, a friend of Diddy's. Watch it below. Diddy appears at 2:30, 3:43 and 4:01.


The video is in promotion of usaservice.org, a website aimed at encourages citizens to participate in community service initiatives.

Via Jocelyn Vena.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released yesterday. Biggie is all over the place this week, thanks to the release of "Notorious." Congratulations to everyone involved. Meanwhile, Gorilla Zoe's "Lost" continues to gain ground, moving to 89 on the Hot 100.

Albums

The Billboard 200

4. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists ("Hot Shot Debut").

Billboard Comprehensive Albums

4. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists ("Hot Shot Debut").
127. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
130. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
151. "Life After Death" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).

Top Pop Catalog

16. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. ("Hot Shot Debut").
17. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
24. "Life After Death" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry, a new high).

Top Digital Albums

2. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists (debut).

Top Soundtracks

1. "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture" by Various Artists (debut).

» Read More


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Bad Boy has released a new bio for Gorilla Zoe, in anticipation of his album being released in March. In it, the album is referred to as "Don't Feed Da Animals," rather than "Don't Feed the Animals," so I guess that's the title. It also mentions "Man I" and "Money I Spend," as tracks that will be featured. "Money I Spend" was produced by The Runners. Here is the full bio:

» Read More


Posted by Patrick
Bad Boy has announced that "Notorious: Music From and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture," will enter The Billboard 200 at #4, selling 43,000 copies in it's first week. From the press release:

Bad Boy Records’ “NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” has made a remarkable chart entry, arriving on the Billboard 200 at #4, with sales of 43,000 – the week’s top debut. What’s more, the musical companion to the blockbuster Fox Searchlight motion picture has arrived at #1 on the “Top Rap Albums” tally, and #2 on both the “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” and “Top Digital Albums” charts. ...

“NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” has drawn extensive critical praise. “There are just a few great soundtracks out there,” noted the New York Post. “The music for A Clockwork Orange is one, and the record supporting The Big Chill is another. Add this rap record to that small list.” Newsday declared the album to be “a first-rate reminder of the greatness of the Notorious B.I.G.,” while the Baltimore Examiner called it “a must-have.” The Philadelphia Inquirer summed it up: “Anyone who needs to be clued in as to what made the Notorious B.I.G. a great rapper can get that schooling here.”

Posted by Patrick
From a press release issued yesterday by Bad Boy:

NOTORIOUS has also proven a true cinematic event, grossing $23.4 million in its first four days in release. The film opened January 16th in 1,638 locations with the highest per screen of all films in release - $14,286.

Posted by Patrick
Continuing the "Remembering Biggie" promotional web video series for "Notorious" and the soundtrack to the film, new videos featuring Juelz Santana, Lamar Odom and Un Kasa have been released.

Juelz Santana


Lamar Odom


Un Kasa


Posted by Patrick
Rapping over the instrumental from Jadakiss' "Letter to B.I.G.," Lil' Cease has written his own letter. You can listen to it at XXLmag.com. Instead of Faith Evans, it features a male voice singing, but it is unclear who this is. At the end of the track, Cease says that Busta Rhymes inspired him to do the track, which features an overall positive message. I don't like it as much as Jadakiss', but it's still enjoyable.

Via BBB reader Theo.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
BBB reader Theo mentioned that some websites have been posting an old Diddy track called "F*** Y'all N*****" as a "new" leak and saying that it was supposedly a diss aimed at The Lox, it was produced by Kanye West and written by Shyne. This is all kind of funny to me and it is also news to me.

This is not a new "leak." This track was leaked years ago, on a mixtape and quite possibly elsewhere before that. I first heard it years ago. I like it, it's a cool track. Aimed at The Lox? Eh... not that I would say. Nothing specifically is said to them, so you can only guess. He does mention them in the song, but it is in the context of other people talking about him, where he says:

You wanna see me get notorious without Biggie
See me without The Lox, say I ain't jiggy
See me without Mase, say I ain't pretty

Produced by Kanye West? Written by Shyne? I can only wonder: where did this come from? I'm interested to know the source of this information because this has never been said before, to my knowledge, so I'd like to know who leaked an already leaked track and then claimed this. Right now, I regard this all as untrue rumor. I e-mailed someone at Bad Boy to see what they could find out and I'll report back if there is anything to say.

As an aside, Clinton Sparks took the verses from this track in order to release "Run This City," from his first album, "Maybe You Been Brainwashed." But, the verses came from "F*** Y'all N*****," and not the other way around.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Ness
Posted by Patrick

Via Theo.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
I'm sure this was rather obvious at this point, but just in case anyone was looking out for it, there will be no Janelle Monae album released on Tuesday, January 20. It is unclear what the release date of her full length LP album will be, at this point. As always, we'll stay on top of it and will report when we hear something.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Our audio player has a new track from Elephant Man, "Swagga (Show Dem)."

Posted by Patrick

Posted by Patrick

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Adam Tschorn of the Los Angeles Times has a fragrance and fashion centric interview with Diddy.

Were you involved in the design of the bottle as well?

Yeah, I wanted it to be this very sleek, modern, architectural design, a beautiful, regal piece of glass that would sit on a very futuristic king's mantle.

Is this for a different customer than Unforgivable? Or a different occasion?

It's definitely designed for [when you're wearing] your tuxedo and when you're cleaning up well.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
News24 reports that Diddy will join Whitney Houston and Jazmine Sullivan on the slate for Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 7.

Posted in Bad Boy
Posted by Patrick
Joy Sewing of The Houston Chronicle has a great interview with Derek Luke. Probably the best part isn't in the text version, but in the extra audio clips featured on the lower left hand of the site.

In one, Luke shares what Diddy told him about the Bad Boy company name and how it came about. "It was inspired by this vision he had about these school children in New York, crossing the street," Luke said. "It was one little kid pointing his finger and looking at something totally different, start going opposite of where the other kids were going. They called him a "bad boy" and he says, that's where I got the vision for Bad Boy 'cause it was the kid, he was a bad boy, but he was really pointing somewhere else 'cause he was trying to go against the grain." In the very next clip, he also has an interesting story about Diddy having to leave the set because of the film hitting him a little too hard.

Posted by Patrick
As reported at the top of the year, Lil' Kim is not happy with how she is portrayed in the new "Notorious" movie, despite the fact that she hadn't seen the film before making the remarks. The screenplay for the movie was co-written by Cheo Hodari Coker and Reggie Rock Bythewood. Now, speaking to MTV News, the two writers have come out in defense of the film, including a possible explanation.\

"When I was brought onto the project, I requested to speak with Kim," Bythewood told MTV News on Saturday via e-mail. "Once I was granted access, I was blown away by the two-hour phone interview [we had]. She is a complex person. She is a sister with a lot of vulnerability and a lot of strength. Much of what she told me went directly into my next draft. Unfortunately, she was slipped a draft that was written before our conversation. She was angry at the producers and I did not get to speak with her again." ...

"Some of what I wrote about Kim did not make it in the final version of the script," he wrote. "Those decisions were made not just by me but by the studio, director and producers. In a film like this, it is hard to put everything in. However, my aim was to present a real-life human being beyond the icon we know. Biggie did right by her at times. He also did her wrong at times. In spite of that, there was deep love and caring between them. Though Lil Kim has been victimized at times, she has never remained a victim. I think director George Tillman and Naturi Naughton, who plays Lil Kim, did a great job revealing that."

Posted in Marina Chello
Posted by Patrick
On his blog, mix engineer Ken Lewis shares some Marina Chello album details. Lewis says that he has been hired to mix her entire album.

At this stage, they have mixed four songs. Lewis identifies her first two singles as "What's Done is Done" and "Sideline." Although he is not certain, Lewis believes that the former was produced by Mario Winans and Harve Pierre and was written by Adam Messenger and Naseri. He also says that she has a "few songs" produced by Surefire Music Group.

Posted by Patrick
MTV News has a video feature, really a series of videos, highlighting some of the trademarks of The Notorious B.I.G. - things and places that are often or, at least, sometimes tied to him. Shaheem Reid, Lil' Cease, Jamal Woolard, Voletta Wallace and Diddy all participate. Unfortunately, two of the videos (The Country House and The Rolex Watch) do not work. Here are the rest:

Intro


The Jesus Piece


The Religious Tattoo

» Read More


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
From MTV News' Shaheem Reid:

While a return to Bad Boy Entertainment as an artist doesn't seem likely at this point (Evans left in 2004 to go to Capital and release 2005's The First Lady), Faith will be in the studio with Diddy.

"I would certainly work with Puff," the Newark, New Jersey, native, who now lives in Los Angeles, explained. "Even on my last album, when I was sitting here recording, I made it a point to sit with him and play my joints. I respect his opinion. I let him know: 'I'm still the same girl who you asked to sign as soon as I got out of the booth.' We definitely will work together again. I'll be going in Daddy's house, like, 'Who's up in here working? Gimme some beats. I need some beats.' "

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter reports that retired actor Joaquin Phoenix has decided that he'd like to try his hand as a rap album. More interesting is that they say that the album will be produced by Diddy. Casey Affleck, a friend of Phoenix, will record his transition for a documentary.

Via Rolling Stone.

Posted by Patrick
As can be expected with the release of "Notorious,", there are a lot of cast and crew interviews that are now being released. Here are some of the ones that have caught my eye.

CinemeBlend.com interviews Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke and Voletta Wallace; Examiner.com has interviews with Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith and Naturi Naughton and Angela Bassett and Voletta Wallace; BallerStatus.com interviews George Tillman, Jr. and Jamal Woolard; SOHH.com interviews Naturi Naughton; and TheaterMania.com interviews Antonique Smith.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Steven Roberts of MTV News highlights the fact that the first MTV News of Barack Obama ever conducted was done by none other than Diddy. See a clip from the interview below.


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Gorilla Zoe's MySpace has scans from the rapper's feature in The Bristol Observer.

Posted by Patrick
Glenn Gamboa of Newsday, Matt Pais of Metromix Los Angeles and Roger Moore of the Oshkosh Northwestern have reviews of "Notorious." Overall, positive.

Posted by Patrick

Posted by Patrick
Ryan Seals of the Greensboro News Record reports that gunshots were fired at Grand 18 Four Seasons Station Theatre in Greensboro, NC, before a showing of "Notorious." A man was shot in the abdomen and 700 people are estimated to have been evacuated. The weird thing is that Jamal Woolard, who plays The Notorious B.I.G. in the film, was in attendance. Future showings of the film have been suspended "indefinitely."

Via BBB reader Brandan via /Film.

Posted by Patrick

The day is finally here. We've covered it every step of the away and today, "Notorious" finally makes it's theatrical debut. I can't wait to see it (though I may have to for a while!) But, once you've seen it, please come back to this entry and let us know what you thought! Either way, a big congratulations to everyone involved in the project.

Posted in Ciroc
Posted by Patrick
I thought that I would pass along this article that Ciroc released today, written by Jeffrey Best of Best Events. He provides 10 tips for entertaining guests at your home.

» Read More


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. It's a good week for Bad Boy as "Notorious" brings Biggie back and "Lost" finally breaks into the big chart, the Hot 100.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums

3. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (up from 13).
8. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (a new high, up from 20).
10. "Life After Death" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).

Songs

The Billboard Hot 100

93. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (debut).

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 39).

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay

37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 39).

Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles

25. "Letter to B.I.G." by Jadakiss (unchanged).

Hot Rap Tracks

10. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 11).

Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop

24. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 25).

Rhythmic Top 40

29. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 31).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Following up on parts 1 and 2, Diddy released the final two videos of the set of four released last night on DiddyTV. In the third, he talks about Biggie and 2Pac's relationship and in the fourth, he campaigns for "Notorious" to receive consideration for the major awards that are given to films. The final video says that part 5 is coming soon.




Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
As we reported earlier this evening, Diddy released parts 1 and 2 of a 4 part series on DiddyTV this evening, discussing Biggie's passing and how it affected it and how Biggie wasn't supposed to be in Los Angeles on the night he was killed, sharing a telephone conversation that the two shared. It's very deep, very interesting stuff. In some ways, it's tough to watch.




As an aside, in the second video, Diddy mentions how this could be "probably be in [his] book." It's unclear if there is a book upcoming. Personally, I think he was just speaking freely in a "that might happen some day" sort of fashion, rather than as any sort of definite project. Still, you never know.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
According to a source at the label, beginning at 8 PM ET tonight, DiddyTV will be posting video blogs from Diddy where he will discuss what happened in Los Angeles, 2Pac, Biggie's passing and more. Diddy has never really gone into great deal on these things, so it will be very interesting to watch. Four videos will be posted in all, throughout the night.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
In honor of the release of "Notorious," Jordan McCoy covered the Biggie tribute "I'll Be Missing You."


Posted by Patrick

Posted by Patrick
Here is the production information for the new tracks included on the "Notorious" soundtrack, as well as the executive producer credits.

Executive Producers: Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Voletta Wallace, Mark Pitts and The Notorious B.I.G.
Co-Executive Producers: Harve "Joe Hooker" Pierre, Faith Evans and Wayne Barrow.

"Brooklyn Go Hard"
Produced by Kanye West. Co-Produced by Plain Pat.

"Letter to B.I.G."
Produced by Needlz for Dry Rain Ent./Grindstone, Inc.

"One More Chance/The Legacy Remix"
Produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs for Bad Boy Entertainment, Inc. and Rashad Smith for Tumblin' Dice Productions, Inc.

"The Notorious Theme"
Composed by Danny Elfman.

"Microphone Murderer"
Produced by The Hitman DJ 50 Gran for OGB Productions. Associate Producer: DJ Mr. Cee.

"Guaranteed Raw"
Produced by The Hitman DJ 50 Gran for OGB Productions. Associate Producer: DJ Mr. Cee.

"Love No Ho"
Produced by The Hitman DJ 50 Gran for OGB Productions. Associate Producer: DJ Mr. Cee.

Posted by Patrick
In the iTunes store, if you click "Music" on the left menu and then "Celebrity Playlists" in "MORE in Music," you'll be able to select "The Cast From Notorious." On this page, you can see playlists provided by Derek Luke (who plays Diddy), Jamal Woolard (Biggie), Anthony Mackie (2Pac), Naturi Naughton (Lil' Kim), Antonique Smith (Faith Evans) and C.J. Wallace (young Biggie).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick

This video begins the "Diddy Biggie Blog" series on the NotoriousTV YouTube channel. It's unclear how long this series will last, but it is seemingly tied to the promotion of the film. Personally, I thought this was one of the more interesting video blogs that Diddy has done. Just the personal sentiment and, really, it's easy to emphasize with someone who is watching a tragedy like this, one that they were involved in, play out. I think that this is a film that will evoke a lot of sadness and no sadness will be greater than the sadness had by those who were close to him.

Posted by Patrick

Posted by Patrick
The soundtrack to "Notorious," the Biggie biopic due out this Friday, has been released on Bad Boy Records today. This album marks the second soundtrack that Bad Boy has released, following 2003's "Bad Boys II: The Soundtrack." Besides the standard retail version of the album, there is also a DVD exclusive at Target stores and a bonus iTunes version with music videos.

In addition to music from previously release Biggie albums, the soundtrack also features new music from Jay-Z (the lead single, "Brooklyn Go Hard," featuring Santogold) and Jadakiss ("Letter to B.I.G." featuring Faith Evans) and a remixed version of the Biggie classic, "One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)" that features Biggie's son, C.J., rapping alongside his father. Perhaps, though, the coolest thing about the release is the inclusion of Biggie's three track demo tape, with rough cuts titled "Microphone Murderer," "Guaranteed Raw" and "Love No Ho." You can listen to all of these tracks in our audio player.

Buy it on Amazon.com.

Here is the album's cover and track listing:

null


1. "Notorious Thugs" featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
2. "Hypnotize"
3. "Notorious" featuring Lil' Kim and Diddy
4. "Juicy"
5. "Party & Bulls***"
6. "Warning"
7. "One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)" featuring Faith Evans
8. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z featuring Santogold
9. "Letter to B.I.G." by Jadakiss featuring Faith Evans
10. "Kick in the Door"
11. "What's Beef"
12. "The World Is Filled" featuring Diddy and Too Short
13. "One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix)" featuring C.J. Wallace and Faith Evams
14. "The Notorious Theme" composed by Danny Elfman
15. "Microphone Murderer"
16. "Guaranteed Raw"
17. "Love No Ho"

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Jordan McCoy's debut EP album is available today. It's a digital only release, so there isn't a physical CD copy available. You'll only find it at online music sellers, like iTunes, Amazon.com and others. Here is the cover and track listing for the album:


1. "Next Ex Boyfriend"
2. "I Decide"
3. "Just Watch Me"
4. "I Get Weak"
5. "Rock N Roll Girl"

Related: video promos and song credits.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Elizabeth Dinh of WFTS-TV has the details on Diddy's three night Super Bowl party experience in Tampa, running from January 29 through 31.

Posted by Patrick
In addition to a normal version with a digital booklet, iTunes will be selling a bonus music videos version, which will include the videos for "Hold Ya Head," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Nasty Girl," "One More Chance" and "Spit Your Game." This version will go for $13.99, versus the normal version rate of $9.99.

Posted by Patrick
For those into movie scores, you can listen to a sample of "The Notorious Theme" by Danny Elfman at Amazon.com. The full version will be included on the film's soundtrack.

Posted by Patrick
Jawn Murray of Black Voices has an interview with Derek Luke on his role as Diddy in "Notorious."

What was the process like for you to play Sean Combs in this movie?

The process for me was some of the research and some of the flaws they had. I think talking to Ms. Combs, it felt like I was talking to my mom. She was kind of giving me who he was and the experiences in his life including the loss of his dad which made him more human. I heard more stories about him working for Uptown and under Andre Harrell, getting fired and what his reactions were. It just seemed more human than it was caricature. I watched Diddy on 'Making the Band,' but I don't know who Sean is and I wanted to find out. I had a couple of conversations with him and I wanted to find out why he was interested in thinking that perhaps I was the best person for the job. I didn't want to ask but I did. It just made the pursuit more human in that sense.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
The Associated Press reports that Diddy will be a presenter at the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards. They will air live tonight, January 11, at 8 PM ET on NBC.

Posted by Patrick

Cool clip. Check out the accompanying article on MTV, as well.

Posted by Patrick
This is pretty cool to watch. Definitely check it out. In the clip, Biggie clowns a bit on Red Hot Lover Tone and Lord Finesse. Warning: explicit content.


Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Hunter Pecunia revealed on her MySpace that she has decided to leave Dream. She did not provide any further information.

Meanwhile, Jordan McCoy's MySpace introduced a new member: Imaj. She joins McCoy, Danielle Keaton and Lindsay Taylor.

Posted in Black Rob
Posted by Patrick
XXLmag.com spoke with Black Rob from prison, asking him about his present situation with Bad Boy.

"I haven’t heard from these dudes," he told them. "They might’ve took me off the Bad Boy website or whatever but I haven’t heard from anyone telling me what the deal is. So until I get a piece of paper saying that I’m no longer a Bad Boy artist, I’m still reppin’ that flag. I’m a team player man."

Rob believes that he is approximately 90 days from release, but the XXLmag.com's Elan Mancini is careful to note that he has no official release date as of now.

Via Baller Status.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released last Thursday. "Lost" loses a bit, but Biggie is welcomed back to the charts and "Letter to B.I.G." shows up in one, too.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums

13. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
20. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (debut).

Songs

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles

2. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 1).

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

39. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 37).
100. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (down from 90)

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay

39. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 37).

Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles

25. "Letter to B.I.G." by Jadakiss (debut).

Hot Rap Tracks

11. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).
24. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (down from 20)

Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop

25. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 24).

Rhythmic Top 40

31. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 28).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
On their website, Best Buy has posted a track listing for "Energy God: The Very of Best Elephant Man." They refer to it as "Energy...The Very of Best Elephant Man," however. Here is the track listing:

#
1. Pon De River, Pon De Bank
2. Signal De Plane
3. Jook Gal [Remix]
4. Willie Bounce
5. Gully Creepa
6. Nuh Linga
7. Sweep
8. Elephant Message
9. Krazy
10. Bun Bad Mind
11. Genie Dance
12. Tall Up Tall Up
13. Rah Rah
14. Gangsta Roc
15. Bad Man A Bad Man
16. Shizzle Ma Nizzle
17. Egyptian Dance
18. Hot Girls (The Club)

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick
The nominees for The 40th NAACP Image Awards have been announced and "A Raisin in the Sun" picked up 7 nominations in 4 categories. They are as follows:

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
"A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Sean Combs – "A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)
Sean Patrick Thomas – "A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Audra McDonald – "A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)
Phylicia Rashad – "A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)
Sanaa Lathan – "A Raisin in The Sun" (ABC)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television)
Paris Qualles – "A Raisin In The Sun" (ABC)

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Posted by Patrick
Essence's Charreah Jackson has an interview with Voletta Wallace, relating to the theatrical release of "Notorious."

ESSENCE.COM: (Laughs.) Definitely. Is there something you discovered about your son and his legacy while watching the film?

WALLACE: (Laughs.) I gained strength from it. There were things about him that I never knew that I wanted to see for myself on film. I saw a side of my son that I heard of but I haven’t accepted. I’m angered by certain things, disappointed and shocked. So this film taught me tolerance and to be less critical. I would love to speak to Lil’ Kim, because I need to ask more about this love relationship because I really didn’t like the way he treated her and I’m praying that that’s not it. Only she can answer those questions. She’s a sweet girl and I didn’t think she deserved to be treated the way he treated her, if that’s the case.

Via A+E Interactive.

Posted in Bad Boy Films
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Marina Chello
Posted by Patrick
Marina Chello's MySpace has a pair of new tracks from the singer. They are "Sideline" and "What's Done is Done."

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Elephant Man's MySpace audio player has an audio promotion for "Energy God: The Very Best of Elephant Man."

Posted by Patrick
Biggie's MySpace blog shares some upcoming screening dates for "Notorious." Here they are:

Washington DC @ Landmark Theater (1/13)
Philadelphia @ Pearl Theater (1/13)
Detroit @ Ren Cen 4 (1/13)
Chicago @ AMC River East (1/12)
Miami @ South Beach 18 (1/12)
Baltimore @ Landmark Harbor East (1/13)
Atlanta @ AMC Fork & Screen Buckhead (1/13)
Dallas @ Angelika Film Center (1/12)
Houston @ Regal Edwards Marq*ECinema (1/12)
Los Angeles @ Arclight Hollywood (1/12)

Posted by Patrick
MTV News' Jayson Rodriguez reports from the after party for the premiere of "Notorious."

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Over on the Black Judah MySpace, you can listen to "Say Yeah," featuring Elephant Man. United Reggae reports that Elephant Man will appear on the "Roots World Order," the upcoming album from Black Judah, on the Teflonblood label. It's unlcear if "Say Yeah" is the appearance.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Janelle Monae will be performing in the Hip Hop 101: Music and Arts Festival in Los Angeles on February 21. You can get tickets on their website.

Via AHN.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
MTV News spoke with Aubrey O'Day about potential future involvement in "Making the Band." Here's a clip from the interview:


Posted by Patrick
Check out MTV's report from the "Notorious" premiere. A lot of people came out in support and video clips from the red carpet are included. They also have a photo gallery.

Posted by Patrick
MTV Newsroom's Shaheem Reid reports on Voletta and C.J. Wallace's opening of the NASDAQ stock exchange on Thursday (pictures are included).

Posted by Patrick
Access Hollywood talked with Derek Luke, about his work on "Notorious."

Posted by Patrick
The Notorious B.I.G.'s MySpace has scans from a great "Notorious" feature in the February issue of Vibe Magazine. Well worth reading.

Posted by Patrick
Last week, reports of a magazine interview indicated that Lil' Kim was unhappy with her portrayal in the "Notorious" movie." Faith Evans has responded, to MTV News.

Evans said the magazine informed her of the quotes. "I got four kids, and I definitely don't have time for this type of sh--," she noted. "It's just sad. I don't know Kim's story like that. The part of my life that she was a part of, that what was in my book. This movie is not relative to my book other than that there are certain things in there. This is not my movie. I didn't write the script. Any characters in the film had to agree for their life rights to be in the movie. I don't think I would have signed anything had I felt I was not portrayed properly. I think she had the opportunity to do that. I could be mistaken. I wasn't there.

"It's not like [the film's producers] are calling Faith to write something about somebody," Evans added. "It's based on a book that I think she participated in as well [Editor's note: 'Notorious' is based on the biography 'Unbelievable: The Life, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.,' by Cheo Hedari Coker.] I don't know what to say. I think that beyond myself, Ms. Wallace or whoever else she wants to blame, everyone who was around Big at that time has had some things to say about [her relationship with Biggie] in order for Cheo to even write the book. He interviewed pretty much all of us. She's sadly mistaken. I'm aware of what she has to say, and that's fine. I don't know what to say. God bless her."

Posted by Patrick
You can listen to the entire soundtrack to "Notorious" on Biggie's MySpace, with the exception of Danny Elfman's "The Notorious Theme."

Posted by Patrick
Target stores will feature an exclusive version of the "Notorious" soundtrack, due out January 13. It will include a documentary DVD titled "Remembering Christopher Wallace," which will have never before seen, private interviews with Voletta Wallace, Biggie's mom, as well as his kids, T'Yanna and C.J. For more, check out the press release below.

» Read More


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy's Twitter revealed that he will be appearing on BET's 106 & Park today at 6 PM ET. Most likely, it has to do with "Notorious."

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Jordan McCoy had Imaj as a guest on for her most recently acoustic cover, Taylor Swift's "Breathe."


Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
Check out "Hood Rich" by Gorilla Zoe on his MySpace. It bears some similarities to "Hood Figga." Let me know what you think of it.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Bad Boy Blog reader Stephanie pointed me to the video interview below, where Aubrey O'Day says, "I'm working on my solo album right now. But, we don't know what's really gonna happen with the future of Danity Kane and Making the Band, so that's kind of still up in the air and, you know, while that's in the works, I'm definitely working on my solo album."


I don't know that I read much into this, but I thought that it was worth mentioning. With reality TV, you never know, but I would expect her to be out of the group because, personally, I don't feel that everything that happened on the last season of Making the Band was contrived for TV. But, we'll see.

Posted by Patrick
Jamal Woolard (who plays The Notorious B.I.G.) and Antonique Smith (who plays Faith Evans) spoke with SOHH.com about getting into character for their roles in "Notorious," which will be in theaters on January 16.

Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
Updating a report earlier today, I have confirmed that the release date for Day26's sophomore album is March 31, according to a source with knowledge of the schedule.

Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
Our audio player has a new track from Day26, titled "So Good." What do you think of it? Please let me know in the comments.

Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
In a bulletin sent from his MySpace, Willie of Day26 revealed that the next Day26 album is slated for a March 31 release. As far as I know, this is the first time that a specific day has been mentioned. I've reached out to the label for confirmation.

Posted by Patrick
Shaheem Reid and Jayson Rodriguez of MTV has a neat feature where they asked a number of DJs what tracks they would put on a Biggie dream mixtape, in honor of the upcoming release of "Notorious."

Reid also went on a tour of Brooklyn with Lil' Cease and Jamal Woolard, who plays Biggie in the film. Check out some clips from the tour below.




Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
From The Jamaica Observer's interview with Shaggy:

"I'm hoping Elephant Man wins. He's very excited about the nomination, and a win will mean more to him than to me," says Shaggy, who doesn't plan to attend the lavish ceremony in Los Angeles. "[The Grammy affair] doesn't hold that much significance to me anymore because I have seen it not being given to the right people at the right moment. It has lost its meaning for me, but it is still music's highest honour and you have to respect that," he adds, with a hint of finality in his voice.

Posted by Patrick
Newsweek's Allison Samuels has a review of "Notorious."

Though there was little surprise by the end—how could there be?—"Notorious,'' a movie about the life and death of rapper Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. Biggie), still managed to stun, unsettle and move me.

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Leighton Levy of the Jamaica Gleaner reports from Saturday's Shaggy charity concert in Jamaica. Sounds like it went well.

Dancing and deejaying from one side of the stage to the next, he had the crowd dancing, singing and laughing, especially when he asked for the lights to be shone on his face even though he was "not so cute". He even had a little boy come onstage and tried to learn his popular dance moves. However, the rhythmically challenged youth was unable to live up to expectations. After hugging the boy, a move that that drew 'aaaawwwws' from the audience, Elephant Man then said to him "Come offa mi stage." The audience laughed heartily.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
The Providence Journal has an interview with Graehme Field, who won an internship at Sean John.

Field said the internship at Sean John taught him a lot about the process of creating a fashion collection for the mass market, but it also taught him that New York gets much of its inspiration from Europe. That’s where he hopes to continue his studies, in a couture house in Paris or Milan.

Posted in Zac Posen
Posted by Patrick
From the press release:

The Fashion Scholarship Fund hasselected the eight Finalists for its Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Award and will announce the four Winners live at the 2009 FSF Geoffrey Beene Fashion Scholarship Dinner on January 7th at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel. Eachwinner will receive a $25,000 scholarship award.

The 8 finalists are presenting their Case Studies to FSF's Board of Governorin New York on January 5th and 6th and the 4 winners will be announced live on January 7th before hundreds of the industry's top professionals and advocates at the Geoffrey Beene Fashion Scholarship Dinner.

Hundreds of college students from around the country applied for the Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Award, which is considered the premier scholarship for students interested in fashion.

FSF is awarding an additional $400,000throughout the year to 80 students to further its commitment to cultivating exceptional students interested in fashion into the next generation of the industry's leaders. FSF has invited all eighty fashion scholars and 8 Finalists to attend the January 7th Dinner, with each being hosted by different FSF corporate sponsors.

Following the Awards presentation, FSF will honor Mindy Grossman (CEO, HSN, Inc.), Zac Posen (Fashion Designer), and Les Steiger(SVP GMM Men's, Macy's Central) for their outstanding contributions to the fashion industry. Iman (CEO, IMAN Cosmetics and IMAN Global Chic), Patricia Field (Award Winning Costume Designer and Stylist), and Ronny Wurtzburger (President, Peerless
Clothing) will present the awards respectively. Tim Gunn (Star of Bravo's "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style," mentor on "Project Runway" and CCO at Liz Claiborne Inc.) will host event.

Posted in Jordan McCoy
Posted by Patrick
Here's a promo video for Jordan McCoy's upcoming EP release:


As a bonus, here's one created by BBB reader Adam (tikiadam on YouTube), endorsed by Jordan:


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Wow, check this out for a serious blast from the past. I've never seen this before. It's a EPK (electronic press kit) for Mase's debut album, "Harlem World."


Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Our audio player has Yung Joc's latest: "Ooh Yeah" featuring Slim (of 112) and Hot Stylz.

Posted by Patrick
Black Star News has an interview with Edwin Freeman, who plays Mister Cee in "Notorious."

BSN: Have you ever met Mister Cee, and if so what advice did he give you that helped you portray him in "Notorious"?

EF: Prior to filming I didn’t have the privilege of meeting Mister Cee, but Derek "D-Dot" Angelettie, who is a good friend of Mister Cee, was on set every day to help me with my performance. He was there to help make sure that my portrayal of Mister Cee was authentic, having him on set really worked out for me.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Danity Kane's Dawn Richard is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Amour Creole. There are some pictures posted on the homepage of their website, as well.

Posted in Danity Kane
Posted by Patrick
Dawn Richard's MySpace has a new track: "Falls Away."

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Yesterday, the New York Post's Page Six (gossip section) reported quoted an "insider" as follows:

"It's hilarious. Sean Combs is trying to get four tickets to the inauguration. He's acting like it's a party at Bungalow 8, like they should just let him in. He's too cheap to pay and thinks he can just show up."

Diddy's publicist, Keesha Johnson, was quick to dismiss these reports to E! Online, saying:

"The story is ridiculous and untrue. Diddy was offered tickets by the Obama inaugural committee because of his work on the campaign trail with Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Kevin Liles. He never asked for tickets, and he was never asked to pay for them."

Diddy has a brief comment in the article, as well.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick

Update: The video has now been deleted. Probably for the best.

Bleh, this just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Let me explain why.

Some people are going to take this as some sort of shot at Diddy or Bad Boy. Maybe it is. Honestly, I'm not sure how to take it, other than to say that they shouldn't have done it.

When I interviewed Day26 last year, some of Que's comments rubbed me the wrong way because his sense of entitlement was a little misplaced. Sense of entitlement is an ugly thing, but when you are a member of a group that has just released it's first album, it's even worse. I get the same feeling here. Just because you would love to be on one of the video show countdowns doesn't mean you will be or should be and doesn't mean that it is anyone's "fault" but your own. There are a lot of artists out there that would love to be.

He says he'd like to meet the President (I'm going to assume he means President-Elect Obama), which would be one of the parts people will feel is directed at Diddy, who campaigned for Obama a bit. Lots of people would like to meet President-Elect Obama. Diddy has done some things with the President because he's Diddy, CEO of Bad Boy and Sean John, multi-platinum selling artist, award winner, actor, designer and so on. Que is a member of Day26, a group that has released one album. Let's not get it twisted here. I like Day26, I'm a fan of Day26. But, just because I'm a fan of Day26 doesn't mean I think they deserve the same level of attention as a megastar. Even if you believe that he's aiming that at Diddy, you also have to realize that Que is one year into this game. Diddy is about 20.

Unless you are Jay-Z, Diddy, Beyonce, etc. you generally have some downtime between albums and that is what they are at right now. It's already been reported that Day26's second album is in the works. On the MySpace of Hen Roc, Bad Boy's National Director of Mixshow/Club Promotions, a third Danity Kane album is listed as coming soon. What is likely is that the next season of Making the Band will see clarity on the Danity Kane group situation, we'll have a new lineup and new albums from Day26 and Danity Kane, and everyone will be happy again. People can get bored during breaks and boredom can lead to idle chatter like this video.

In summation: try not to read too much into this. Take a deep breath, laugh and move on. My hope is that they are joking. Otherwise, this is all very, very tacky and in poor taste. If they are serious about having to shake cans, not having money, etc. consider the insensitivity of that, especially, as there are countless number of people far worse off than them, that don't even have a place to live, let alone designer clothing and a laptop. For every major label artist, like Que or Dawn, there are a thousand others dying for that shot, who would love to be where they are - exactly where they are. Complaining about money, while you're in the situation they are in, given our current economic state... it's just not in the best of taste. It's a disappointing move.

Posted by Patrick

Via Brian Jacks.

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
Here's the video for "Save A Life," a new song from Shaggy that features Elephant Man, dedicated to raising money for the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Check out the Shaggy Makes a Difference Foundation website for more.


Via AceShowBiz.

Posted by Patrick
Kam Williams of AFRO has a movie centric interview with Naturi Naughton, who plays Lil' Kim in "Notorious".

KW: How did you prepare to play Lil’ Kim?

NN: I studied her––HARD. I watched her in videos, stage performances, behind the scenes footage and listened to her voice in radio interviews. I also read a lot of material that the director [George Tillman Jr.] gave me about Kim’s back-story. It helped to understand her struggles as a child growing up in Brooklyn. I even went to Brooklyn and spent time in her neighborhood. Talking to the guys from Junior Mafia, especially Lil’ Cease, helped me out a lot, too.

Later in the interview, Naughton shares her hope that Kim will be proud with her portrayal. If recent reports are to be believed, that isn't likely.

Posted by Patrick
Miles Bennett at Baller Status reports on Lil' Kim's interview in the latest issue of Hip Hop Weekly, where the rapper expresses her displeasure with the "Notorious" movie.

"I'm very disappointed in Faith," she said. "There's nothing Faith or Ms. Wallace could do to stop me from reppin' B.I.G. all day. I'm gonna always do that ... It's time for Ms. Wallace to be exposed."

Posted in Gorilla Zoe
Posted by Patrick
The DC Examiner has a short interview with Gorilla Zoe.

"I really don't want to make copycat music and that's what a lot of these artists are doing," he says. "I really don't want to do that. I refuse to do that. If I'm gonna build a fan base people have to like my music. I'm nobody else."

Via SOHH.com.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
With a new album on the way in February, SOHH.com has an interview with Case. The singer revealed that he had worked with Mario Winans on the set.

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Yung Joc has a new song out called "Poppin" that features singer Bobby Valentino. Joc was featured on Valentino's "Beep Beep" last year (watch the video).

Posted in Elephant Man
Posted by Patrick
The Jamaica Observer reports that Elephant Man will be featured on the upcoming album by Dashboard, which will be released by Truck Back Records.

Posted in Bad Boy Blog
Posted by Patrick
I use Last.fm to track my music listening history. It's a really cool site that can provide you with all sorts of data. For fun, I thought I'd take a look at the top Bad Boy artists and tracks, in my history, for the year 2008. This is based on the top 500 artists and top 500 tracks for the past 12 months, as that is all that Last.fm shows you.

Here are the top 25 most played tracks by or featuring a current or former Bad Boy artist:

1. "Take You There" by Donnie Klang featuring Diddy.
2. "Need A Wife" by Charlie Wilson featuring Diddy.
2. "Living in Pain" by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring 2Pac, Nas and Mary J. Blige.
4. "Hot & Wet (Remix)" by 112 featuring Chingy, Ludacris and Diddy.
4. "I Get Money (Forbes 1-2-3 Billion Dollar Remix) by 50 Cent featuring Diddy and Jay-Z.
6. "Hood Figga (Remix)" by Gorilla Zoe featuring Block, Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Yung Joc and Young Jeezy.
7. "Check Your Coat (Remix)" by O'Neal McKnight featuring Puff Daddy, Jermaine Dupri and Greg Nice.
8. "Through the Pain (She Told Me)" by Diddy featuring Mario Winans.
9. "Cheat on You" by Mase featuring Lil' Cease and Jay-Z.
9. "By Faith" by Diddy featuring Fred Hammond.
11. "Official Girl" by Cassie featuring Lil' Wayne.
11. "Damaged (Remix)" by Danity Kane featuring Fabolous.
11. "Get Buck in Here" by DJ Felli Fel featuring Diddy, Akon, Ludacris and Lil' Jon.
14. "We Fly High (Remix)" by Jim Jones featuring Diddy, T.I., Baby and Young Dro.
14. "Apologize (Remix)" by Timbaland featuring OneRepublic and Gorilla Zoe.
14. "Confessions" by 8 Ball & MJG featuring Poo Bear.
17. "Addiction" by Ryan Leslie featuring Cassie and Fabolous.
18. "Bad Girl" by Danity Kane featuring Missy Elliott.
18. "I Don't Wanna Know" by Mario Winans featuring Diddy and Enya.
20. "Got Me Going" by Day26.
21. "Goin Down Tonight (Remix)" by 112 featuring Diddy and Black Rob.
22. "Music For Love" by Mario featuring LOS.
22. "Erika Kane" by B5.
24. "When I Grow Up (Remix)" by Pussycat Dolls featuring Darkchild, Diddy, Lil' Wayne and Fatman Scoop.
25. "Through the Pain (Instrumental)" by Diddy featuring Mario Winans.
25. "30 Rocks" by 8 Ball & MJG featuring Diddy.
25. "Just One Night" by Cassie featuring Ryan Leslie.

» Read More


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Lost" is now just one spot out of the Hot 100. Could next week be the week that it finally breaks in?

Albums

Top Reggae Albums

11. "Let's Get Physical" by Elephant Man (down from 10).

Songs

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles

1. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 4).

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 35).
90. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (down from 61)

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay

37. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 35).

Hot Rap Tracks

11. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).
20. "Brooklyn Go Hard" by Jay-Z (up from 21)

Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop

24. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (unchanged).

Rhythmic Top 40

28. "Lost" by Gorilla Zoe (a new high, up from 32).

Posted in Yung Joc
Posted by Patrick
Yung Joc is featured on the new remix to Jamie Foxx's "Blame It". The track also features T-Pain. Listen to it at DJBooth.net.

Posted by Patrick
EURweb.com's Marie Moore spoke with Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, Angela Bassett and Voletta Wallace about "Notorious".

As would be expected with most parents, Ms. Wallace did not understand her son’s music either.

“There were days at home sometimes I heard things in the room. I called it noise [laughs]. I didn’t know what it was. I thought maybe the radio was playing something and then they would talk. One day he opened the door and he said to me, ‘Mom, we’re not making noise. That’s music. I said, ‘Oh my God. What kind of music is that? Mom, that’s called rap music. To me music was singing and he said, ‘Mom, I don’t sing, I rap!’ So over the years I tolerated the noise [laughs].”

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

Rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs moved into the Miami Beach oceanfront resort where [Cincinnati coach Brian] Kelly's Bearcats were staying, so Cincinnati moved out for their final night before taking on Virginia Tech in Thursday's Orange Bowl.

He also told The Cincinnati Enquirer:

“It’s just too much of a distraction. We have secured another hotel. If things go the way I’ve seen them go in that hotel after 12 o’clock, we’ll be in another hotel on New Year’s Eve.”

Via Chas Rich.