Bun B Says That He Wanted A Quintessential Solo Album In "Trill O.G."

Bun B Says That He Wanted A Quintessential Solo Album In "Trill O.G."


by Jake Paine



posted August 12, 2010 at 10:04PM MST

Exclusive: The Trill O.G. tells DX's cameras that Rap-A-Lot Records purchasing a studio helped him take a year to create his latest LP.



Last month, HipHopDX went to Universal Fontana offices to get an early listen to Bun B's Trill O.G., and speak on-camera to the Rap icon. During the listening session of what became the album released August 3rd, Bun B explained that he devoted a year to making this project. Asked about that rare opportunity in 2010, Bun B explained the patient creation, and its affect on the album's overall sound and polish. "[Trill O.G.] was a lot easier than [II Trill to make. With] this album, we had the time. [Trill] was a neccessity, [II Trill], I felt like I needed to do something to take my mind off of what was going on," said Bun, referring to the 2008 death of his UGK partner Pimp C. "This one, we had the time and the ability to sit back and make a great album. That's what we wanted to do - I wanted to try to make a great album. I didn't feel like I made the quintessential Bun B album. I felt that the potential was there, and the ability was there, but it was about locking in and getting it done."



With a #4 debut on the Top 200, Trill O.G. has garnered praise from numerous publications, and finds the Port Arthur, Texas emcee sharing the microphone with the likes of Gucci Mane, Twista, and posthumous verses from Pimp C and 2Pac.



Beyond just wanting his most memorable and developed album to date, Bun said that his legendary label's improvements allowed for a more relaxed, more focused artistic process. "We now have an in-house studio at Rap-A-Lot [Records], so it wasn't so much about getting time, and getting in and getting stuff recorded. We could go every day at any time and record for as long as we wanted to," revealed Bun. "That really helped, having that kind of freedom. Not that it took us all day, everyday to record it, but just that when we felt it, we could do it. If we were there and we weren't feeling it, we'd just shut it down and not have to worry about [that] we bought a block [of studio time], and wasting money or time or whatever."







Within the album trilogy, Bun B was asked about the evolution of Trill O.G. With new sounds and styles on the album courtesy of Drake, DJ Premier and T-Pain, Bun states that it was more about growing as an artist and pleasing core fans than attracting new audiences. "At the end of the day, we're partying over here. At the end of the day, we're not trying to throw away any old fans or anybody that's been down just to get somebody else that may want to be down."



Trill O.G. is in stores now.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11940/title.bun-b-says-that-he-wanted-a-quintessential-solo-album-in-trill-og

Jay-Z Teams Up With Nike & USA Basketball

Jay-Z Teams Up With Nike & USA Basketball


by Andres Vasquez



posted August 11, 2010 at 9:58AM MST

Jigga to perform at Radio City Music Hall for a USA Basketball related event before readying his All Black Everything Air Force Ones collection.



Jay-Z is preparing for an August 12 performance for Nike, which will have Hova on stage at New York's Radio City Music Hall. This performance, part of the World Basketball Festival, will follow a showcase with finalists for the 2010 USA Basketball World Championship Team. The inaugural World Basketball Festival will be brought together by Converse, Jordan Brand and Nike. As one might expect, Jay will also work with Nike on his own All Black Everything collection of limited edition Air Force 1's, which will gain inspiration from the World Basketball Festival.



"We're excited to bring together the international prestige of Jay-Z and the USA Team on stage at famed Radio City Music Hall to open the first World Basketball Festival. This will be a historic night," Trevor Edwards, Nike VP Global Brand and Category Management noted in a press release. "We're also honored to collaborate with Jay-Z on limited edition Air Force 1's that celebrate the countries participating in this inaugural event."



Tickets for this event have been given to community groups and charitable organizations. Others can purchase tickets through New York's Hot 97, Footlocker and more. More ticket information can be found on the World Basketball Festival Facebook page, where the entire event will be streaming live. Highlights of the event will be available on NBA's official site, as well as USA Basketball's official page.



For sneaker heads, news of the All Black Everything collection has been well received. Nike donated the shoes to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation and the Foundation partnered with eBay for a charity auction. The collection will feature five uniquely designed pairs of new Airs (only two of each will be created) and one hundred percent of the funds raised will go towards the cause. The charity auction will start on August 12, when fans can begin their bidding.



Basketball fans can catch the US in an exhibition game against France on August 15 at Madison Square Garden. This exhibition game is only the start for the USA team as they prepare for the 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey, which will start on August 28.

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11923/title.jay-z-teams-up-with-nike-usa-basketball

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/8/2010

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/8/2010


by Allen Jacobs



posted August 11, 2010 at 6:20AM MST

Bun B's third independent solo crushes the charts and expectations, Fat Joe falls 85 units, while Drake and Usher can expect to hit the million mark this month.



Eminem's Recovery was thought to maybe get #1 back. The Aftermath release did not, as Arcade Fire's latest outsold it by 4,000 units.



One of this year's true surprises came courtesy of UGK's Bun B. The Port Arthur, Texas' emcee's third solo album, Trill O.G. debuted at #4. Bun's album is the first since moving his Rap-A-Lot Records distribution from Asylum to Universal Fontana. The third in the "Trill" series features appearances from Drake, Gucci Mane and posthumous verses from 2Pac and Pimp C, while production is handled by DJ Premier, Boi-1da and veteran UGK producer Steve Below. For an independent project, Bun's Top 5 debut and 40,000 in sales are one of the more shocking Rap chart performances this year.



Rick Ross was a spot behind Bun, inching towards 300,000 units moved of his acclaimed Teflon Don. The Def Jam rapper's fourth official album features work from veterans such as No I.D., DJ Clark Kent and Cee-Lo. Drake's Thank Me Later fell to #8, as four Rap releases occupied the Top 10. Drake's official debut is expected to reach the million mark in two weeks, though a strong next week could achieve that feat early.







Usher's Raymond v. Raymond appeared at #17. The veteran Pop entertainer's "divorce album" is marching its way to a platinum plaque for Mr. Raymond and his longtime backer, LaFace Records. The album will feature two deluxe/additional material releases this month.





* Please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandth.



Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

2

Eminem

Recovery

152,000

1,980,000



4

Bun B

Trill O.G.

41,000

41,000



5

Rick Ross

Teflon Don

39,000

279,000



8

Drake

Thank Me Later

31,000

946,000



17

Usher

Raymond V. Raymond

16,000

990,000



Outkast's Big Boi slid to #36. His critically-acclaimed Def Jam debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty features artists such as T.I., Gucci Mane and Too Short, with production from Organized Noize, Scott Storch and Lil Jon. The Roots' acclaimed How I Got Over is nearly parallel to Big Boi. This other Def Jam release features extended Roots family Dice Raw, Truck North and others, in addition to Blu, Phonte and Peedi Peedi.



Tech N9ne's The Gates Mixed Plate went a Top 15 debut to #89. The Gates Mixed Plate features Glasses Malone, Devin The Dude and Jay Rock, among others, as yesterday the rapper announced a fall tour with Malone, Rock and E-40.



Fat Joe fell out of the Top 100 with The Darkside Volume 1, a total of 85 units. The release marks Joe's debut with E1 Entertainment, and features work with DJ Premier, Just Blaze and Too Short. The darker-themed album has critics comparing it to Joe's first three albums. Despite the strong praises, the work's sales have become an object of ridicule from Joe's nemesis, 50 Cent.







Former Young Money and No Limit Records artist Curren$y hung on to the bottom of the charts with his Def Jam-distributed Pilot Talk. Produced by Reasonable Doubt architect Ski Beatz, and featuring Mos Def and Jay Electronica, the New Orleans emcee is sitting just over 20,000 units overall.



Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

36

Big Boi

Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

10,000

130,000



62

The Roots

How I Got Over

6,400

120,000



89

Tech N9ne Collabos

The Gates Mixed Plate

5,000

22,000



112

Fat Joe

The Darkside Volume 1

4,100

16,000



193

Curren$y

Pilot Talk

2,500

22,000

From HipHopDX.com
 
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11921/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-8-8-2010

Fake Drake Manager Swindles Promoters, Sued For $27K

News: Fake Drake Manager Swindles Promoters, Sued For $27K


Tuesday, Aug 10, 2010 3:10PM



Written by Biz Jones

A man who allegedly posed as the manager of rap star Drake is reportedly being sued for $27,000 by a company called Eagles Entertainment Inc.



According to reports, the company was duped for a $9,000 deposit believing they were booking Drake for a show.



According to a complaint filed by Eagles Entertainment Inc. the defendant, Joey Turner Jr. impersonated Cortez Bryant to book the Canadian superstar rapper. Turner, who allegedly contacted Eagles Entertainment and misrepresented himself, claimed that he was Cortez Bryant in hopes to book the rapper for an upcoming show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He told Eagle Entertainment thatDrake's asking fee was $90,000 and collected a $9,000 deposit, for a show that was supposed to take place September 1st. "In making his statements the defendant knew that the statements and misrepresentations of defendant were in fact false and intentionally fraudulent," the lawsuit reads. (Hip Hop Wired)

Last February, Drake issued a statement regarding fake booking agents.



"It has been brought to my attention that false promoters and booking agents are illegally using my name and likeness to promote concerts and club appearances for their own financial gain. It is frustrating for me to hear that many of my fans, who like myself are innocent victims in these scams, have been misled due to the greed of these promoters. I apologize to any fan that has been a victim of these circumstances or feels let down by false advertising. Please be assured that my team and I take these matters seriously and are actively cooperating with authorities. I cannot thank my fans enough for supporting my music and all that I do." (Rap Radar)

In spring 2009, Drake made headlines after an unauthorized compilation of his music was released for retail sale via iTunes.



An unauthorized album called The Girls Love Drake, which features selections from the Toronto rapper's mixtape and other tracks, was released May 28th by a label called Canadian Money Entertainment and distributed by the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) on iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon. Drake's camp, which is still trying to clear the samples on So Far Gone and his two other mixtapes in hopes of selling them in stores, says it didn't authorize the release. If it hadn't been disqualified on the grounds that it wasn't confirmed as being an official album, The Girls Love Drake would have debuted this week at No. 101 on the Billboard 200, No. 16 on the Digital Albums chart and No. 1 on the Heatseekers tally. (Billboard)

One of Drake's managers, Al Branch, also addressed the album's national release.



"This is a straight bootleg, a scandal. We are behind promoting records at radio, but haven't sold it," Branch said in a statement. "iTunes position is that they are a store and they stock everything. They have a waiver and as long as people sign it and are responsible for the product they submit, then they go for it." (Statement)

No further details have been revealed as of now.

From SOHH.com
 
http://www.sohh.com/2010/08/fake_drake_manager_caught_for_tricking_p.html

Big Fase100 Criticizes Brother Game On Twitter

Big Fase100 Criticizes Brother Game On Twitter


by Sean Ryon



posted August 10, 2010 at 9:28AM MST

Game's brother Big Fase 100 takes to Twitter, claiming Game hasn't been helping his family financially and that he stole the 'Brake Lights' concept.



In a series of recent Tweets, Game's older brother Big Fase 100 recently attacked the Compton rapper. He says that Game stole the concept behind his recent Cool and Dre-produced, DJ Skee-hosted mixtape Brake Lights from a song of the same name that he and Big Chief made in 2009. He also Tweeted that he fathered Game's style, saying "I took a rib and created this mess."

Fase also claims that Game has been financially neglecting his family's financial needs. He even assailed his brother for writing a song about his sister's trials and tribulations without her blessing.

Game responded to his brother's attacks with Tweets of his own. He claimed that none of his family visited him while he was in the hospital after being shot.

From HipHopDX.com

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11908/title.big-fase100-criticizes-brother-game-on-twitter

will.I.am Named Director Of the Grammy Foundation

will.I.am Named Director Of the Grammy Foundation


Monday, August 09, 2010 12:25 PM 

By Mike Winslow

(AllHipHop News) The Black Eyed Peas' frontman will.I.am continues to make strides in the music industry and has been named to the board of the Grammy Foundation.



The rapper/producer was named director of the Grammy Foundation, along with singer/songwriter Darryl Brown, Daniel Cherry of Anomaly and Michael Rapino, CEP of Live Nation.



The Grammy Foundation promotes the appreciation and advancement of recorded music on American Culture, by engaging the music industry and the general public around the world, about the value and importance of music and the arts.



The Grammy Foundation and Musicares are the two charities affiliated with The Recording Academy, the organization that hands out Grammy Awards each year.



"Now in their 21st year, both MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation are vibrant and mature nonprofit organizations," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Foundation, MusiCares, and The Recording Academy. "Our Board members reflect this core strength, and we look to them for creativity and stewardship as we continue our growth. The talent and vision of our Board members is truly inspiring, and we are very fortunate to have highly respected individuals working with us."



In related news, will.I.am will honored with BMI's President Award during the performance rights organization's annual Urban Awards, which takes place Friday, September 10th at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California.



will.I.am, who has won seven Grammy's, will be recognized for his influence on the entertainment industry. Past recipients include Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Taylor Swift and others.
 
From AllHipHop.com
 
mailto:http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/08/09/22328683.aspx

Dr. Dre Snubs Ice Cube On "I Am The West" Album, "He's Been M.I.A. For A Few Months & I Can't Wait"

News: Dr. Dre Snubs Ice Cube On "I Am The West" Album, "He's Been M.I.A. For A Few Months & I Can't Wait"


Monday, Aug 9, 2010 9:45AM



Written by Rosario Harper

Renowned producer Dr. Dre has reportedly passed on an opportunity to work with Former N.W.A partner Ice Cube for the rapper's upcoming I Am The West album.



Writing via his blog, Cube informed fans that his former N.W.A. member would no longer be featured on the project.



"I'm almost done with my record, I AM THE WEST. I've been mixing songs and dealing with paperwork all week and I'm down to my last 4 songs to mix. It's bangin'. I think we'll end up wit about 15 songs when it's all said and done and I'm real happy wit it. As a matter of fact, I'm in the Lench Mob Studios writing this blog right now. I'm going to Philly in the morning to promote Lottery Ticket. I get a lot of love in Philly...Go Mike Vick! Many asked about Dr. Dre working on my album. Negative, Dre has been M.I.A. for a few months now. I asked Snoop has he heard from him and he said, no. I can't wait. I gotta turn my sh*t in by Aug. 20th to make street date...Sept 28th. I'll keep you posted if anythang new develops." (Ice Cube)

Despite not linking with Dre for his album, Cube recently said he would be featured on the producer's upcoming Detox project.



"Dre is a master. What's cool about working with Dre is he stays the same. Everyone else change and trip, but I remember working with Dre back when we just in the garage. Just the two of us. And he works the same way. Don't come up with an empty palette, bring a lot of ideas to the plate...He's making a great record. I'm on it. I'm proud to be, I can't wait to get back to L.A. to get back in the studio with him. I'm trying to get a few tracks for my record I Am The West that's coming out..." (All Hip Hop)

Recent reports showed that the follow-up to 2008's Raw Footage was previously delayed to September 24th.



Ice Cube's first album in two years, I Am The West will no longer be a summer release. The N.W.A. alum's latest solo offering has appeared to have moved to September 24. The release is coming courtesy of Cube's own Lench Mob Records, also home to his Westside Connection partner, WC. (Hip Hop DX)

He recently revealed the underlying themes behind featured songs "Man vs. Machine" and "Hood Robbin."



"['Man Vs. Machine'] is talking about our obsessions with machinery and how it's taking over," he said in an interview. "Automation is taking over human beings in all our relevancy in this world. Pretty soon, machines are gonna take over and that's just real...['Hood Robbin'] is talking about how big corporations is now stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. It's a whole thing about the things we're going up against with housing and medical insurance ... just everything people are going through. Real sh** that ain't got nothing to do with money, cars, [and] all the sh** most rappers talk about." (Baller Status)
 
From SOHH.com
 
http://www.sohh.com/2010/08/dr_dre_misses_ice_cubes_i_am_the_west_de.html