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Gorilla Zoe's "Got to Go Ham" has been posted for listening over at AllHipHop.com. Check it out.
AllHipHop.com has a new track from Yung LA called "Gotta Get My Money." It features TC, B.G., Bun B and Gorilla Zoe.
A remix to Mario's "Thinking About You" has leaked online and features a verse and adlibs from Diddy. When a full, high quality version of it is available for listening, I'll post an update.
Thanks Theo.
In the short clip below, Diddy simply announces that the Bad Boy/Interscope era has begun. He's joined, in the clip, by Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine and President of Sales & Marketing Steve Berman. The Game, another Interscope artist, pops in briefly.
Tai Saint Louis and Nolan Strong at AllHopHop.com have a brief interview with Diddy, talking about his move to Interscope.
I had started some previous business relationships with Jimmy Iovine, Sean Diddy Combs told AllHipHop.com. We had a great chemistry with each other. When I sat down with Julie [Greenwald, Atlantic COO] and told them that I had an interest to go sign with Jimmy and they didnt make it rough for me. Lyor [Cohen, WMG Chairman] and Julie were nice enough to let me get my [Bad Boy] name. I was able to take the name over to Interscope and to still in stay in business with them. I am not abandoning any of my artists over there, I still have that imprint. But all my future recordings, including my recording contract, that will be at Interscope Records.
This gives the impression that all artists currently signed to Bad Boy will remain so, but any albums they release will go through Bad Boy/Atlantic Records. Any artists that are signed from this point forward will be put out through Bad Boy/Interscope.
In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Diddy announced that he's been working with Dr. Dre on the creation of "Diddy Beats," which will be audio ear buds; and "Diddy Beatbox," an iPod speaker base system. Beats by Dr. Dre, the high quality headphones, were created through a partnership between Monster, Dr. Dre and Interscope Chariman Jimmy Iovine.
A couple of "Last Train to Paris" notes. Diddy told Ryan Seacrest that "Last Train to Paris" is coming in March.
Secondly, in the press release announcing the Bad Boy/Interscope deal, it was mentioned that Rage would be directing the "Love Come Down" music video, which is supposed to be shot or have been shot this week.
Interscope has issued a press release announcing the signing of Sean "Diddy" Combs, as Combs himself revealed today.
The signing is not only of Diddy the recording artist, but the deal gives Combs a Bad Boy imprint under the Interscope label family. His future artist signings will be to Bad Boy/Interscope, but the current Bad Boy artists and catalog will remain at Atlantic/Warner Music.
"My previous catalog; I'm still in business with Atlantic Records and I appreciate those guys letting me make a smooth transition and also giving the opportunity to keep my name," Diddy said during an interview with Ryan Seacrest. "That was very important to me. You know, Lyor Cohen, he let me keep my name and I was able to have my name go with me over to Interscope Records, so it'll be Bad Boy/Interscope."
"Puff is a rare person in the music industry today, that can move the culture in many areas - fashion, TV, music - as well as making records," Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine said in the press release. "Whenever a free agent like him comes along, which is rare, you grab him."
"I am excited to be partnering with Jimmy Iovine and the Interscope Records family on all my future music ventures which include my career as a recording artist and upcoming record label," Diddy added. "With this new deal, I look forward to signing music's next great superstars to the label and continuing the legacy of making great music at my new home. This is the beginning of a new musical era for Bad Boy."
Check out the full press release below.
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Updating a previous story, Diddy posted the following on Twitter:
Its official: The BADBOY/INTERSCOPE Era has begun!!!! Let's make some HITS people! Daddys Home! Its a new day! BADBOY 4 Life!! Let's get it!
This would seem to indicate that Diddy will not leave Bad Boy at Warner/Atlantic. But, questions remain. Hopefully more details will be forthcoming.
Update: In a second message, he mentioned that he just saw the promotional CD for "Love Come Down" by Dirty Money and it reads "Bad Boy/Interscope." "The 1st one!," he says.
According to Bad Boy A&R Daniel "Skid" Mitchell, Robert Curry of Day26 will be featured on a new song from former "Making the Band 4" contestant DeAngelo Redman. It'll be released on Redman's ReverbNation page tomorrow at 12 PM. The time zone is unclear, but ET is likely.
A few days ago, we mentioned a Billboard report that indicated that Diddy would be leaving Warner/Atlantic Records, but that the Bad Boy roster would remain. At the time, I said that this created more questions than it answered. Well, Diddy jumped on Hot 97 and spoke with DJ Absolut last weekend and, though he referenced the situation, he basically revealed nothing.
Absolut asked him: "We want to know about this new Bad Boy exclusive distributor. What's going on with that?"
"Yeah, that's why I'm out in L.A. right now," Diddy answered. "'Bout to wait for this ink to dry, so like Monday or Tuesday. Definitely big shout out to Atlantic Records, [Michael Kyser] and Julie [Greenwald] and Kevin [Liles] and all them. We had a nice run; time for a change for me just in general and a fresh start for Bad Boy in general and I'm still involved with Day26 and Janelle Monae and [Cassie] and all of the acts that I have over there, but I get to get a fresh start in my new situation."
You'll notice that no label was mentioned beyond Atlantic. The rumors are Interscope, of course, but that hasn't been confirmed.
MTV has released the following teaser for the seventh episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker," airing next Sunday at 10:00 PM ET. He talks about a new assignment that the group has - songwriting. He's written a track that he felt would be good for all of them to write to.
Because Liz Davis and David Bennett were the worst last night, he says, they get the opportunity to pick the team that will write with them.
Back in July, we reported that Red Cafe would be a guest on Mack 10's new album, "Soft White." At that time, the album was slated for an August 25 release. It has been pushed back to September 29 and is available for pre-order. The track listing has been released and Red Cafe will be featured with Akon on "Clack Clack." You can listen to a snippet on Amazon.com.
ChristopherJohn was eliminated on tonight's episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker." He sang "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder. He and Liz Davis were among the bottom 2, with Diddy electing to keep Davis at the house. The top 3 that were singled out as the first to be safe were Monet Monico, Melody Angel and Lauriana Mae. Check out his entry at the MTV Remote Control Blog for more on what he's been up to since he left the show.
Check out the Y98 interview of Todd Sarvies from "P. Diddy's StarMaker." Starvies talks about the show's format and says he'd be the first rock act signed to Bad Boy if he wins. Actually, Bad Boy has previous signed a rock act - the group fuzzbubble.
On a bulletin sent from his MySpace, Yung Joc posted a link to a free download of "Faucet" (explicit) by Hotstylz featuring Joc. The song samples SWV's "Rain."
On Twitter, Diddy posted a scan of his November 2009 Ebony magazine cover.
Earlier this month we mentioned a Vibe report that indicated that Diddy would sign with Interscope Records. Just Diddy. At the time, I was incredulous that he would not take the whole label with him, wherever he went.
But, Billboard is reporting that, according to a spokesperson, Diddy will leave his record deal with Warner Music Group/Atlantic Records, accepting a new deal that is already in place. The spokesperson would not confirm who the new deal was with.
"Now that the term of the Warner deal has ended, I have elected to accept an opportunity to move my recording career and future label venture to another company," they quote Diddy as saying, in a statement.
The emphasis is mine. Recording career and future label venture? Is the future label venture bringing Bad Boy to someone else? Or is it a new label altogether? Remember, earlier this week, we reported remarks from music producer Damon Thomas who said he had a joint venture label deal with Interscope and Diddy (the video has since been removed).
This statement raises more questions than it answers. Namely:
1. Is it possible that "Last Train to Paris" may not be released on Bad Boy? That seems unlikely. Maybe he just didn't want Warner distributing his album and promoting it. But, if that's the case, it gives the appearance that it isn't good enough for Diddy, but it is good enough for his artists, which isn't a good perception to create.
2. If Bad Boy is remaining under Warner/Atlantic, what will Mr. Combs' role be at the company? Will he continue to sign acts and release albums under Bad Boy/Warner/Atlantic?
3. What does he mean when he refers to a "future label venture?" Is this a new joint venture for Bad Boy or a new label that he will be heading?
I am sure that, in time, all will be answered. But, right now, there is a lot of uncertainty.
Via ForeverPDiddy.
The Sean John blog has scans from Diddy's cover appearance in the Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 issue of Vs Magazine. Their website has more - just click on the picture of Diddy on the homepage.
When the "Last Train to Paris" lyric book was first released, it included:
"Strobe Lights"
"Uptown"
"Change"
"If You Wanna Go (5th Ave.)"
"Lifted"
"My Heart"
"On -N- On -N- On"
"Playing God"
"Private Entertainer"
"Roller Coaster"
"Sade"
"Show Em How to Move (Love Come Down)"
"Someone to Love Me"
"Voices"
It was then updated with all of these tracks being removed, replaced by a single track: "Angels."
It was updated shortly thereafter and this meant that "Strobe Lights" was added back. Today, I noticed that it was updated again. Here are the tracks now:
"Cry for Me"
"Strobe Lights"
"Angels"
"Make Love to You"
"Someone to Love Me"
According to James Cruz, the former Nationals Promotions Director at Bad Boy, Diddy/Dirty Money are shooting the video for "Someone to Love Me" today in Los Angeles. He says that the video for "Love Come Down" will be next week.
You may recall that this track was included in the "Last Train to Paris" lyric book when it was first released. After being removed, it has now returned.
Day26 has joined BET's 106 & Park Live Tour, according to a Bad Boy issued press release. The tour will also feature Trey Songz and Mario. Here are the dates:
9/29 - Los Angeles, CA (House of Blues)
9/30 - Anaheim, CA (House of Blues)
10/5 - Houston, TX (House of Blues)
10/6 - Dallas, TX (House of Blues)
10/8 - New Orleans, LA (House of Blues)
10/9 - Atlanta, GA (Tabernacle)
10/12 - Charlotte, NC (Filmore)
10/14 - Baltimore, MD (Main Stage @ Sonar)
10/15 - Cleveland, OH (House of Blues)
10/16 - St. Louis, MO (The Pageant)
10/19 - Chicago, IL (House of Blues)
10/20 - Detroit, MI (House of Blues)
10/21 - Indianapolis, IN (Egyptian Room at Murat)
Check out the video below to hear "On the Shelf" by Aasim (you end up missing parts of it because of the spoken parts that play over the song at times). In the song, he talks about his life at Bad Boy and the perception that people may have about it from the outside.
Thanks Theo.
Over at Rosenberg Radio, radio host Peter Rosenberg posted a video clip of him talking with Diddy during a break from his show. Diddy talks about underground music and his love of Raekwon, Mos Def and Jay Electronica. It's a cool clip, so check it out below.
Via Amadeus.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. Day26's "So Good," Dirty Money's "Angels" and Cassie's "Let's Get Crazy" all make incremental gains while Dirty Money's "Love Come Down" makes it's first chart debut.
Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
81. "Don't Feed Da Animals" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 58).
Songs
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
5. "So Good" by Day26 (a new high, up from 11).
17. "Angels" by Dirty Money (up from 18).
21. "Love Come Down" by Dirty Money (debut).
Rhythmic Top 40
33. "Let's Get Crazy" by Cassie (a new high, up from 34).
Our audio player has a new song from Gorilla Zoe, "Where It's At" featuring Rich Boy and Gucci Mane.
Red Cafe is featured on a new single from R&B singer Pure called "Sample." Listen to it on Pure's MySpace.
According to a press release issued by the company, Janelle Monae has joined Kia Motors' The Soul Collective and is highlighted on the music section on their site. Check out a video clip below.
The page mentions that on September 28, a free .mp3 of Monae's latest song will be made available on their site.
As part of his MusicLeak Mondays, Donnie Klang has released "Prisoner of Love," which you can listen to below. At the end of the clip, you'll see what appears to be an album title "Welcome to Heartbreak." This is followed by an assertion that the album is coming in 2010.
Back in January, we reported that Massachusetts based glass artist Tom Patti had filed a copyright infringement suit against Diddy and designers James Gager and Johan Liden over the casing of the Sean John Unforgivable fragrance.
Well, court proceedings have begun and Stephanie Berry of The Republican has the story.
One of the more noteworthy revelations is the fact that Patti offered a "settlement" which would allow him to claim one third of the wholesale sales, which seems ludicrously high and skin to saying that the inspiration that Patti's designs allegedly provided were directly responsible for at least half of all sales, when you consider that wholesale numbers would not include expenses in development, marketing and elsewhere.
Defensive lawyer Barbara A. Solomon, representing Diddy, called the offer "ridiculous" and said that Unforgivable "hasn't made a dime," which is an interesting assertion. It also seems like an odd one. I've e-mailed Ms. Solomon in an effort to verify this statement.
"I think theyre looking at a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that does not exist," Solomon also said, according to Berry. The trial has not yet been given a date.
On Twitter, Diddy shared a scan of the cover of BlackBook Magazine that he's featured on.
In February and April, we revealed and discussed the DJ Hell and Diddy collaboration "The DJ," included on Hell's "Teufelswerk" album.
Longtime Diddy collaborator Felix Da Housecat, who last worked with Diddy on the "Lectro Black" mixtape, has come out with harsh criticism for Hell, accusing him of plagiarism. The vocals used on "The DJ," Felix says, were taken from a session that he had with Diddy and while Hell may have permission from Diddy, he did not seek permission from Felix.
inthemix says that Felix gave Hell a CD featuring unreleased outtakes from his sessions with Diddy. Felix was then surprised to hear these recordings used by Hell, without any prior notice. To prove that it was his recording, Felix gave the vocal track to Boppernation, allowing them to make it available for free download. The track posted is supposedly the unedited version of the session used for "The DJ." In it, you can hear Diddy shout out Felix. These shouts have been removed from Hell's "The DJ."
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BlackBook has a preview of their upcoming feature on Diddy, which includes a photo spread and an interview.
Jacqueline Hlavenka of the News Transcript has an interview with Lauriana Mae of "P. Diddy's StarMaker."
Over on the redcafetv YouTube channel, a video was posted featuring Diddy, Red Cafe, music producers Rob Holladay and Damon Thomas and others in a private jet on their way to Las Vegas for the last Saturday's boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez.
The video features two potentially newsworthy, though unverified bits of information. First, Diddy refers to Holladay as the "newest member of The Hitmen." Holladay produced Dirty Money's "Love Come Down" and "half" of the "Last Train to Paris" album, according to Diddy. Technically, members of The Hitmen are signed to Bad Boy as producer management - however, it has been used previously to refer to producers who were not signed to Bad Boy. I'm attempting to confirm this story with Holladay on Twitter.
During the video, Diddy introduces Damon Thomas, formerly of The Underdogs. When Diddy urges Thomas to tell the camera about his label, Thomas says "the new label's The Pentagon. I'm doing it with Interscope and Puff." Diddy then says that he's been trying to work with Thomas "for years, years."
"So, everything's coming up full circle right now," Diddy continues. "Very, very, very happy- this guy's a beast." It sure sounds like they're working together. And the mention of Interscope will only fuel rumor that Diddy is taking Bad Boy over there, as well.
Speaking to QDEEZY.COM, Kid Cudi revealed that he got a job at Wendy's at age 15 so that he could buy Sean John. He thinks he was the first to rock Sean John in his high school.
Via Sean John.
Robert Curry of Day26 is featured on a new track from Ginette Claudette called "My Bad." Listen to it on her MySpace.
Janelle Monae's MySpace has a scan from Elle magazine, who has featured Janelle Monae as their "muse of the moment."
The nominees for the 2009 BET Hip-Hop Awards were just released and Diddy has picked up a nomination in the "Hustler of the Year" category. Also nominated were Drake, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne and Kanye West. The show will air on BET on Tuesday, October 27 at 8 PM ET.
MTV has released a teaser from next Sunday's episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker." The clip consists of Johnny Wright speaking to the contestants via telephone, informing them that there will be no more guys and girls performing in separate weeks - from this point forward, everyone will perform.
MTV has released deleted scenes from last night's episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker."
In the first clip, David Bennett talks about the experience of singing an original song on the show. He was the first artist to do so.
The second clip features a visit from Lauriana Mae's sister after Mae's triumphant performance on episode 4.
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On tonight's episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker," Jordan Battiste was eliminated after a performance of "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. He gave a gracious exit speech. In the end, it was between him and Omotayo Riley. Todd Sarvies and David Bennett were called the top performers of the night.
The competition is now down to 8 contestants and there will be no more guy and girl separation. It'll be everyone for themselves.
the ride has an interview with Melody Angel of "P. Diddy's StarMaker."
On September 16, Donnie Klang performed at Cain Luxe in New York City. Check out the clip below to see him performing shortened versions of "Hurt That Body" and "Take You There."
AllHipHop.com has "American Dream" by The Game. The third verse on the song sounds like it was written for Diddy. One can only speculate, at this point. That said, it's a cool track and I like the production on it - I would like to see this as an actual collaboration.
Thanks Theo.
One persistent criticism that you hear of Diddy and Bad Boy, at times of idle chatter, is his and the label's business dealings with artists, specifically the fairness of these dealings. I've long maintained, time and time again, that Bad Boy is no different from any other label - that artists take the best deals laid in front of them and that Diddy is, in large part, a victim of his own success as a known executive. His business is simply good business and the idea of a "paperwork gangster" is an absurdest reality where actually taking care of your business is seen as an evil or bad thing.
He is the public face of the company and an easy target. If you have something negative to say about him, you'll be given a platform. Especially in this day and age. Generally speaking, he's maintained relative silence about these comments and, to be honest, that's a good move. Why should Diddy need to respond to a random former artist who would be known by nobody if Diddy hadn't signed him in the first place? Still, it was good to hear him talk about these claims in an interview with Shade 45's Angela Yee.
"One of the things I want to say, I'm gonna make sure I make clear on this promo tour is I haven't had no more issues than Def Jam has had with artists, that Jay has had with artists, that whoever has had," he told Yee, when asked about his issues with former artists. "Every label - this is a cycle that we have. It comes with the game, people. I make my money, I gets busy. I don't have to take from nobody, jerk up nobody, give nobody a bad contract. I'm a very intelligent cat. And I love to work. Nobody gave me nothing. I gets busy."
"It's unfair when people are doing analysis - on 'what happened to this person? that person?'," he continued. "Yo, they did two, three albums. That's the usual bid on the island. And then the money changes and you got the vultures that come after your artists, be putting venom in their ear. And then, I'm usually just cool with it. OK, you think that the grass is greener over there? Go with it. But, I haven't had no problems."
He was then asked, by Yee, if his celebrity, if his visibility and accessibility as an executive lead to these public claims of wrong doing. "Yeah, I think people relate Bad Boy to one person," he answered. "I think that's been the problem. People tried to be counting the cat's paper and trying to just assume things that would go on. When it's attributed to a white corporation, everything's all good. But, then, when it's to a person, we do have a responsibility for each other because we come from the same place, which I agree with. But then, in this game, people just be flipping. I've let some people go, 'cause they asked. If you ask that question, you don't want to be here at Bad Boy 'cause you may think you can get some money elsewhere, I'm not gonna be begging you to stay. I'm not about to be fighting with you about it."
Diddy stopped by The Ed Lover Show earlier this week and the audio is available on their website. They have video, as well. There is a lot of good stuff in the interviews. A few highlights:
He's washed his hands of the Yung Joc situation. It's between Russell "Block" Spencer and Joc.
He said that he plans to put together another girl group.
He's talked to Mase and Mase apologized to him for the things that happened in the past. He said that there is or was money that Mase owed him (into the 7 figures), so they had to work it out.
He talked about the rapping skills of his sons Quincy and Christian and Biggie's son, C.J. Wallace. He praised them all and said Christian was "nice."
He's talked to Shyne recently, just talking on a personal level. Not about his career.
His hilarious recounting of the Kanye West and Lil' Mama stage invasions at the MTV VMAs.
There's some more, but those are some of the highlights. Definitely listen to the full interview.
The video below features Diddy talking about the concept of "Last Train to Paris" during a listening party for the album. Someone at the end of his talk imitates Lil' Mama, when she crashed the stage during Jay-Z's performance at the MTV VMAs and the crowd has a laugh.
Just a few days ago, we had a preview. Now, we've got the actual track. Check out our audio player for "Let's Get Crazy (Party Rock Remix)" by Cassie featuring Akon and LMFAO.
Talking to MTV, Raekwon discussed the rumor that Diddy wanted to sign him and Ghostface Killah to Bad Boy, way back when. Check it out below.
To sum it up, Diddy was at a Ghost and Rae show and they supposedly ran into someone who was working security for Diddy. This person told them that Diddy was talking about how he wanted to sign them. There's more in the article, as well, regarding Diddy hosting his album release party and how it came about.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. Day26's "So Good" makes it's first appearance on any chart as "Let's Get Crazy" moves up.
Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
58. "Don't Feed Da Animals" by Gorilla Zoe (up from 72).
Top Rap Albums
25. "Don't Feed Da Animels" by Gorilla Zoe (re-entry).
Songs
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
11. "So Good" by Day26 (debut).
18. "Angels" by Dirty Money (down from 14).
Rhythmic Top 40
34. "Let's Get Crazy" by Cassie (a new high, up from 38).
Red Cafe assembled his Shakedown affiliates Lore'L and Ross Fortune to put his own spin on Jay-Z's "Run This Town." Check it out in our audio player.
Vibe is reporting that Diddy has signed to Interscope Records. The details in their articles are very, very scarce. Vibe is reporting the info care of a source at Interscope.
Surely, if Diddy was going to go under the Interscope umbrella, it would be all of Bad Boy going and not just Diddy. This could potentially explain the delayed release of "Last Train to Paris." Until we hear more, this news should be taken with a grain of salt.
A request for comment from Bad Boy was not immediately returned.
On his Twitter, Willie Taylor of Day26 confirmed that the recently leaked nude pictures claiming to be of the singer are him. In three Twitter messages, he acknowledged the situation, explained how it happened and apologized to fans.
So I see that haters just wont leave me alone! The pics that r roaming the net r pics that were sent to my wife in the form of a email!! ... Im not home alot and that was a way we kept the excitement in our relationship, some hater hacked her email and tried to share my privacy ... with the world!! Im So sorry to all my fans, ya'll know me better then that!!!
Just as with the Cassie story, it troubles me to have to report this, but if you are a Day26 fan, you will find out and you may as well find out here, so you can hear Willie's side and not be exposed to the pictures without warning. My thoughts on the Cassie article are similar to the ones I feel now.
I'm not going to link to the pictures, and any links posted in the comments will be deleted, as well any comments by people indicating they have seen them. At the end of the day, if you want to find them, you can. But, you're just not going to do it here, as we try to maintain a relatively work friendly environment, as much as possible. Just because I have to acknowledge this story doesn't mean we'll be acting as a point of distribution. Thank you, in advance, for respecting that.
According to various reports, Diddy was involved in a verbal dispute with a New York cop while exiting an MTV Video Music Awards after party on Sunday night. The accounts I've read indicate that Diddy was exiting a club and there was a crowd and the cops were trying to clear it out. I decided to wait for more information to be available before posting something about it. The biggest piece of information was a video released by TMZ. Check it out (warning: vulgar language):
First things first: we don't know what happened before or after this clip, so that should be kept in mind. But, judging from the clip, it was a chaotic situation and, when you throw humans into that sort of situation, chaotic things happen. The man in the passenger side of the car Diddy was next to looked a lot like Doug E. Fresh. I think the cop acted inappropriately, specifically in following and trying to make a point with Diddy, "I don't give a f*** who you are." There's no need for that. Once Diddy, as a citizen, walked away, that should have been the end of it. But, once the cop said that, Diddy shouted back "I don't give a f*** who you are either, motherf*****" and, honestly, I can't blame him. The cop was being a little abusive and, though the average citizen probably can't get away with telling off an abusive cop - if you are in a position where you can, it's not like you simply have to take the abuse and walk away.
In a radio interview (listen below), Diddy discussed the incident. "He was in plain clothes," Diddy said. "I didn't know he was an officer. Things were a little aggressive for me, which I'm not really used to. I said my piece, he said his piece and we kept it moving." He called it "just a little understanding" and said that he and the officer "worked it out."
The NYPD told TMZ that the officer was not in plain clothes. But, if you look in the clip, at the 0:16 mark, you'll see the officer has a New York Yankees logo on his shirt. As far as I know, the New York Yankees logo is not part of the NYPD uniform.
On the Bad Boy Records YouTube channel, some unreleased "Making His Band" footage has been posted. It shows the contestants in the house during an earthquake and Jason and Jaila having an intense discussion about... well... "being real." Warning: some content not suitable for all audiences.
Troy Rogers of The Deadbolt has an interview with Marina Chello.
THE DEADBOLT: Now that you've tasted a bit of fame, is it everything you expected or is it still too early to tell?
CHELLO: [laughs] It's too early to tell. It's definitely too early to tell. Right now I'm just working to try to perfect the album. I write more and I try to sing live more and rehearse. I haven't really felt that yet, because it's mostly working and working the sidelines and going on the radio and all of that other stuff. So hopefully sometime I'll be able to answer that question for you [laughs].
The Ride has an interview with Liz Davis of "P. Diddy's StarMaker."
As a 6th grader living in Hoover, AL, Liz took her karaoke machine to a soundproof room in her house and began working on her craft in earnest. When she felt she was ready to move her act from the room to the stage, Liz signed up for a talent show. The song she sang wasBlue by LeeAnn Rhimes. Liz had even taught herself to yodel exactly like Rhimes. I wasnt coming out of that room until I perfected the song, Liz laughed. She blew everybody away including her mother and father who had no idea their daughter had such talent. Her mom, who videotaped the performance on her camcorder, became Lizs biggest fan. She took me to talent shows everywhere..[I started singing] and I havent stopped.
For this week's MusicLeak Monday, Donnie Klang posted "Say I Ain't Right." Listen to it below. Back when Donnie was first signed, I noted that "Say I Ain't Right" was one of the track in his MySpace audio player. Fans commenting on the video at YouTube are saying that this is a remixed version.
Over on Dawn Richard's MySpace, you can now listen to "Do It" in the audio player. The call-out at the start of the track indicates that it may have been produced by Oddz.N.Endz.
On September 4, Diddy posted a Twitter message with a download link to the DJ Rob Dinero remix of "Love Come Down." Check it out.
On Diddy's Twitter, he posted a link to the video below, calling it a preview of LMFAO's remix of Cassie's "Let's Get Crazy."
Just as they did last year, Sean John designed the jackets given to the 2009 inductees of the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, reports NBA.com's John Schuhmann.
MTV's Shaheem Reid reports that "Last Train to Paris" has been pushed back to 2010. In August, Hip Hop Weekly reported (via DROStreetteam09) that the album had been pushed back to 2010 and that they would release a four song, four video EP in October. At the time, Bad Boy would not confirm or deny the story.
MTV News talked with both Diddy and Jay-Z on the topic of longevity. The video below has most of their quotes, but the text feature on their site has a bit more from Diddy.
According to a press release, Janelle Monae is among the honorees at the 2009 Black Girls Rock! Awards. They will be taking place on October 17 at the The New York Times Center in New York, NY. You can purchase tickets online.
At the 2009 BMI Urban Awards, George Clinton was presented with the BMI Icon Award. One of the performers who paid tribute to him on stage was Janelle Monae, who performed her own rendition of Clinton's "Flashlight."
Cassie's Twitter shared a free download link for the remix to DJ Webstar's "BFF," which features Cassie and Young Deon. Download now.
In the clip below from XXL, Q-Tip talks about giving Biggie beats. He also mentions listening to what he refers to as the original "Nasty Boy," that he thinks featured a sample of Prince's "Kiss" that couldn't be cleared.
Thanks Theo.
Diddy joined Jay-Z on stage at tonight's "Jay-Z: Live at Madison Square Garden: Answer the Call" benefit concert that was broadcast on Fuse.tv. If you missed it, Fuze's Jay-Z Answer the Call blog has pictures of Diddy, Jay, Kanye West and Memphis Bleek together and of just Diddy and Jay.
Because of his appearance, "Diddy" was a trending topic on Twitter this evening for a period.
If you missed the show, like I did, they will be rebroadcasting it on Sunday at 5 PM ET.
MTV has released a trio of videos that feature Diddy in promotion of this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards in New York City.
In the first clip, Diddy joins a host of celebrities in discussing the allure of hosting the show in New York.
For this next clip, MTV asked a number of people who would take home more awards: Kanye West or Eminem (both are nominated for four). Diddy predicted Kanye would.
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MTV News has a report from Tuesday night's release party for Raekwon's new album, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II." The party was hosted by Diddy. Raekwon recently talked about his relationship with Diddy and the respect that he has for the Bad Boy CEO.
Details are sparse, but a tweet from Diddy linked to the Fashion Week Bingo page where you can download two bingo playing cards.
You are trying to spot the people and scenes listed, post them on TwitPic and tweet them with the #nyfwbingo hash tag. If you get 5 in a row, you tweet the tag and the word "BINGO" and you can win unmentioned prizes and VIP passes to Fashion Week events. It's unclear if you actually have to be in New York during Fashion Week to play, or not - it's certainly possible to spot several of these items if you live far away. But, it could just be for people actually in the city this week.
Fashion Week started today and runs through September 17.
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today. "Angels" and "Let's Get Crazy" make their debuts.
Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
72. "Don't Feed Da Animals" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 71).
Songs
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles
14. "Angels" by Dirty Money (debut).
Rhythmic Top 40
38. "Let's Get Crazy" by Cassie (debut).
MTV has released a pair of preview clips for "Making His Band," which has moved to Saturday's at 9 PM ET.
The first clip shows Diddy making a surprise visit to the contestant's house, while the second shows Diddy taking control of a rehearsal session with Laurie Ann Gibson, while she protests. Dawn Richard and Kalenna crack up in the background.
Earlier today, I mentioned a video of Diddy and Vogue magazine Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, in which Diddy mentioned there would be music, drinks and, most importantly, shopping at the Sean John store on 5th Avenue in New York City for Fashion's Night Out. The Sean John blog has details on this, including a giveaway and the ability to donate any old Sean John item to receive 30% off a new Sean John item.
In an interview with MTV's Sway Calloway, Diddy discussed the possibility of Mase returning to Bad Boy. The rapper has recently resurfaced online and has patched things up with Cam'Ron and Jim Jones, even releasing a track called "Get It' with the former. Diddy says Mase reached out to just tell him to keep an eye on him and what he's doing. Check out the clip:
Right now, though, Diddy says that he's not really looking to sign anything new and is instead looking to focus on Janelle Monae's upcoming album, Cassie's "Electro Love" and his own "Last Train to Paris."
Shaheem Reid wrote on MTV.com that if Mase did come back to Bad Boy and The Lox do the same, that Bad Boy would have one of the "one of the strongest hip-hop rosters in the game," when considering the current roster, as well. Diddy, The Lox, Mase, Aasim, Red Cafe, Ness, Gorilla Zoe, Yung Joc (yes, I know he wants to leave), Boyz N Da Hood and, perhaps, Black Rob - his situation is unclear - counting rappers only.
It is somewhat unlikely that either of those things will happen - let alone both. But, you never know. Personally, I was a huge, huge Mase fan way back when. The combination of Mase and Diddy is what made me a Bad Boy fan. I had a poster of Mase on my wall. I supported his retirement. Yes, he left Diddy and Bad Boy in the lurch, but I won't argue with God or happiness.
When he came back for "Welcome Back," I was really happy and loved the album. But, then I read an interview where he did where he blamed Diddy for the content of the album, which I saw nothing wrong with, even though he's the one who handed the album to Diddy, reportedly. And then, of course, you had all the G-Unit stuff. In so many words, Mase let me down as a fan and I got sick of the decisions he was making. But, I love what he did while he was at Bad Boy and I listen to it to this day. And I'm open to a new Mase album, certainly.
If Mase comes back, as I said when discussing The Lox, I only want him back if he's actually back. Not handing Diddy a finished album, but going back to the process that created "Harlem World" and even "Double Up." I don't want to hear him rapping about needing "Diddy percent" to come back - whatever that means. After all that has transpired and his at times lack of reliability when it came to promoting his records, I'm surprised he would be expecting much above "standard percent." But, then again, it could just be a throwaway line.
Sam Roberts at The New York Times reports on the release of The New York City 400, a list of 400 people "who have helped define New York CIty for the past four centuries," according to the museum. It was put together in honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's entrance into New York Harbor. Here's Diddy's entry:
Sean "Diddy" Combs (1969- )
Rapper, producer, actor, fashion designer, and businessman who used his success in the music industry as a platform to launch Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide in the 1990s, which oversees his other entrepreneurial ventures.
In the video below, Diddy and Vogue magazine Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour discuss Fashion's Night Out, which takes place on Thursday, September 10. From 6 PM through 11 (later in some cases) 800 New York City fashion retailers will be open in hopes of boosting sales in support of the city's fashion industry ( watch the Diddy featured public service announcement).
For her latest Acoustic Tuesday, Jordan McCoy decided to cover Jason DeRulo's "Watcha Say." Check it out below.
Here it is: the music video premiere of "Angels" by Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G. It was directed by Hype Williams, the man behind the videos for "Big Poppa" (with Diddy), "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Hate Me Now" and plenty others.
SOHH.com has an interview with Raekwon focusing on his relationship with Diddy and the respect that he has for the Bad Boy CEO.
"My relationship with Diddy is fine, you know," he said. "It always been cool. That brother, you know what I mean, I got a lot of respect for him, just as being a business man, just as being a man, you know?"
Tonight, Diddy will be hosting Raekwon's album release party in New York City. "It was an honor for him to want to be a part of it because I told him 'Yo, man, you the mayor of the city, B, you our Mayor Bloomberg regardless of what and it'd be a honor if you could be a part of it,'" Raekwon continued. "And I felt real good 'cause this brother coulda said 'I need seven zero's' or five zero's. But, when it's true friendship in a situation of what we're dealing with far as growing up in this business, that's all a part of being a real dude."
"Right now, we here for the game. We here for music, we here for the love of hip-hop - we really love it. You know what I mean? Puff is a real hip-hop head. I recognize that and I acknowledge that. He made a lot of people successful around him and, you know, for him to want to get down with something that I'm dealing with, that means a lot to the game. That means a lot to me. Word, I'm appreciative."
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released last Thursday. Sorry for the delay in getting these up - Billboard had a little trouble processing my subscription renewal.
Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
71. "Don't Feed Da Animals" by Gorilla Zoe (down from 58).
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums
19. "Ready to Die" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).
According to Diddy's Twitter, the music video for "Angels" by Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G. will premiere today online at 4 PM ET. There was a trailer released last week. Check it out below.
In a new interview with MTV News, Diddy discusses the direction of the music video for "Angels" and the risk he's taking with "Last Train to Paris." The article mentions that the video for "Angels" will be released today online.
Check out the clip below for some comments, and the full write-up for the rest.
Jackie and Martina of Emo Girl Talk have an audio interview with Christopherjohn from "P. Diddy's StarMaker." Check it out below.
Ernest A. Jasmin of The News Tribune reviews Janelle Monae's performance at the Bumbershoot festival. Let's just say that he enjoyed it.
"This set made more of an impression on me than any other. Sporting a pompadour big enough to make Little Richard jealous, the diminutive spitfire channeled him, Billie Holiday and Johnny Rotten during one of the most inspired, natural performances Ive seen in years," he wrote.
As part of his MusicLeak Mondays series, Donnie Klang has released "Stay Here Forever" online. The track is by Klang and Frankie B. Check it out below.
Check out a commercial that ran this summer to promote Ciroc and Lemonade as the "official drink of Summer." It's titled "Beachside."
MTV has released a sneak peak for episode five of "P. Diddy's StarMaker." The guys talk about the elimination. Christoperjohn says that he's staying out of the drama and the others agree. He says that Melody Angel and Angel Inez sat around and complained all day and now only one of them remains. Jordan Battiste is glad that that is over with. He says that Melody can't hang out with Monet Monico, Liz Davis or Lauriana Mae because "she talked too much s***" about them.
MTV has released three deleted scenes from episode four of "P. Diddy's StarMaker." They are featured below.
In the first clip, David Bennett and Todd Savries give Lauriana Mae some advice and a pep talk in advance of her performance.
In this next clip, Lauriana Mae is practicing "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, her song for the week.
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On tonight's episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker," Angel Inez was eliminated after her performance of Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." In the end, it was between her and Melody Angel and the judges decided to keep Melody.
Ms. Inez was the first eliminated contestant to exit in a less than gracious manner. She was the first to criticize another contestant during her exit speech, saying she felt everyone was great, except for Monet Monico.
She continued this sentiment in MTV Remote Control farewell blog entry, where she said that the "judges' mistake was not in letting me go - it was in keeping me on StarMaker long enough to get people's attention ... Now I'm unstoppable!" In the closing paragraph of the entry, she takes shots at the judges, saying that she proved Tamara Conniff wrong and that "it's gonna feel even better when I prove Rodney wrong!"
The "Last Train to Paris" lyric book, originally launched with 14 tracks and then updated to remove all 14 and add 1 more has updated once again. This time, "Strobe Lights," one of the original 14 included, is back with "Angels" the 15th track featured in the lyric book.
In the clip below, a number of celebrities, media personalities and others join together to wish Beyonce a happy birthday. This includes Diddy, who appears at the 1:06 mark.
In a series of messages posted on his Twitter account, Diddy put his support behind today's protests at Howard University, his alma mater. From the Washington Post:
About 350 students and union workers crowded the plaza outside Howard University's administration building Friday morning, protesting a long list of grievances including problems with on-campus housing, delays in financial aid payments and labor practices, and at one point threatening a sit-in before they were turned away from the building's doors.
Check out the video below for a snippet of a new song from Dream called "Insane." It starts at the 1:19 mark.
In the clip below, T-Pain introduces his new iPhone app, "I Am T-Pain" to a bunch of different artists, including Day26. The app allows you to sing with the assistance of autotune.
Via Vibe Magazine.
Check out the clip below for a preview of the fourth episode of "P. Diddy's StarMaker," which will air on Sunday, September 6 at 10 PM ET.
It features Melody Angel and Angel Inez discussing fellow contestant Monet Monico, wondering why she is receiving praise when they are not. Speaking of the rest of the contestants, Inez says, "I belong in this competition, but I don't belong with these people. Like I'm never surrounding myself with people like them."
The clip closes with Melody and Angel confidently predicting that they will remain in the competition as Angel says that "one of them is going to go home."
Clizbeats.com has a short interview with Marina Chello and Bad Boy President Harve Pierre who signed her to his Crazy Joint/Bad Boy imprint.
Jonathan Cunningham of Seattle Weekly has a nice feature on Janelle Monae. In it, she reveals that her next album, "Metropolis Suites II and III," is slated for Janaury and will feature a guest appearance by Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal. Cunningham also writes that Janelle "hints" that Gwen Stefani may make an appearance, as well. Check it out.
Day26 has teamed up with woman's shoe retailer Heels.com to launch the Eight2Six show line, starting with the Swaggaa Heel, available on their website. They go for $99.99 and you can get a 15% off coupon by following them on Twitter.
Via Daniel "Skid" Mitchell.
The "Last Train to Paris" lyric book that we reported on earlier has been drastically changed: all songs that were in it have been deleted. And "Angels" has been added, with it being the only track in the lyric book now.
The cause is unclear, but if you want to know the songs that were included earlier, please see our initial story.
Referring to it as "our lyric book for 'Last Train to Paris,'" a message on Diddy's Twitter page shared lttpdirtymoneylyricbook.com. At the URL, you're provided with a downloadable "Last Train to Paris" lyric book. Here are the tracks listed:
"Strobe Lights"
"Uptown"
"Change"
"If You Wanna Go (5th Ave.)"
"Lifted"
"My Heart"
"On -N- On -N- On"
"Playing God"
"Private Entertainer"
"Roller Coaster"
"Sade"
"Show Em How to Move (Love Come Down)"
"Someone to Love Me"
"Voices"
"Change" was the track that The Dream called "the best male record I've written" in February.
"My Heart" was produced by Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, as we reported in June.
FInally, if you happened to visit lasttraintoparis.com when it first launched, you hear a very small portion of "Lifted." Specifically, "call me Mr. Diddy."
This shouldn't be taken as a track listing as that wasn't suggested or confirmed. Note that "Angels" is not even included. Also, in some cases, these may not be the full, final lyrics for the songs. For example, Diddy's rap verses are not included in the lyrics for "Show Em How to Move (Love Come Down)."
In the clip below, Diddy introduces the new Dirty Money single "Angels" and explains the meaning behind the track, referencing friends and family who have passed away.
I can dig it.
Yung Joc is featured on a new track from FDM called "Let Me Holla." Mario Winans says a few words at the start of the track, which seems to indicate that he produced the track and that it was written, or co-written, by RL of Next. Check out the clip below of them working on the song - this includes an appearance by former Hitmen producer Steven "Stevie J" Jordan. It has potential, for sure.
Buzzine has an interview with Monet Monico of "P. Diddy's StarMaker."
Angela Zhu: How did you get on the show?
Monet Monico: I was doing a live chat, and one of my webmasters, Traci, told me that one of the casting people from the show saw me and wanted to know if I would like to audition. They set up a meeting for me. We went through a bunch of different processes, including going to New York and auditioning for Diddy himself! I guess they liked me, and Im happy to say I am a part of P.Diddys StarMaker!
Thanks Shannon Ozbun for the tip.
On his Twitter, Diddy shared the photo that will be used for the single cover for "Angels" by Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G. Check it out below (click to expand).
Here's the new preview/trailer for the upcoming Diddy/Dirty Money music video for "Angels." It's directed by Hype Williams. At the :32 mark, you can see a cameo by Aasim.
Earlier today, we premiered the two new singles from Dirty Money, "Angels (NYC Mix)" and "Love Come Down."
In so many words, the "NYC Mix" cuts out an intro from Diddy that's included in the mixshow version of the single. This version has now been added to our audio player.
Tracey DeLara has some behind the scenes footage from the shoot for the clip that plays at the start of every episode of "Making His Band." Check it out below.
Our audio player has the two new singles from Dirty Money, the collective featuring Diddy, Dawn Richard and Kalenna. As we reported in June, "Angels (NYC Mix)" features a Biggie vocal sample from "My Downfall" off of "Life After Death" with a beat sampled from Jay-Z's "Where I'm From."
The primary difference between the NYC mix of "Angels" and the regular version seems to be the removal of a 40-second intro to the track from Diddy. I hope to have this track up at some point. Update: Listen to it now.
Meanwhile, "Love Come Down" features a couple of rap verses from Diddy and samples Jay-Z vocals from "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" Check them out now and let me know what you think. I am loving them both.
Finally, here's a brand new promotional image of the group:
Right Celebrity has an audio interview with Marina Chello. Listen to it below.
Cassie's second single, "Let's Get Crazy" featuring Akon, is now available on iTunes and Amazon.com. Check out the single cover artwork below.
Imperial Mag has an interview with Dawn Richard.
Imperial: Dirty Money. For those who dont know, what is Dirty Money and how did it come about?
Dawn: Its a movement! Im excited about it. Ill keep it short and brief because, you know, I think, the best thing I can tell you guys is to get on the train. Its amazing, I can say, remember the experience when you went to your first concert, and you left feeling like you spiritually were fulfilled? You felt like, I can actually go on with a better life, like I want to be better because of the music that you just heard? I felt like that when I went to hear Prince. Thats how I feel about this music. I feel like it can change the way music is moving. It can change the way people dance! It can change their everything, their movement. Thats what I feel like Dirty Money is. And Im excited about that! ...
Imperial: How has it been working with Diddy on the project-its a little different from him looking in from the outside, youre actually all in a group now.
Dawn: Hes amazing! Like honestly! Ive never seen someone so in tuned with their brilliance, if that makes sense. He knows exactly his strategy, he knows what he wants, and hes a visionary. And I appreciate that about him. And its so fun to work with him because, there are days when youre like Yo, I dont think I can go on but he makes you push that extra mile. And because of that, you see greatness in yourself that you never thought you can see.
On Diddy's Twitter, he mentioned that he was working in the studio with Guy Gerber ( Discogs.com discography). "My dreams have now been fullfilled!!!," Diddy remarked.
On his Twitter, Diddy announced that the next episode of "Making His Band" will air on September 12 at 9 PM ET on MTV.
Via press release comes word that season 2 of "I Want to Work for Diddy" will premiere on November 2. Here's what it says about the show:
The economy may be in the tank but at least one person is still hiring... Diddy. The music mogul is back with a new batch of hopefuls vying to win one of the toughest yet most rewarding jobs in the business--P. Diddy's personal assistant. However, this isn't your average, run-of-the-mill hiring process. Through a rigorous series of physical, mental and entrepreneurial tests, one of hip-hop's most high profile CEO's will whittle down contestants until one proves themselves to be worthy of the title.
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