I vote for TOZ as the most gangsta~
"Every Saturday 'Rap Attack,' Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ..." — Notorious B.I.G., "Juicy"Biggie immortalized him in rhyme, but by the time the Brooklyn MC name-checked Mr. Magic on 1994's Ready to Die, the DJ was already a living legend. It was confirmed today that Mr. Magic passed away after suffering a heart attack. (At press time it was unknown how old he was.)Magic, born John Rivas, was a pioneer in hip-hop and made his mark as the first DJ to host a mixshow hour on commercial radio, which was revolutionary in the early 1980s but as common as a rap CD with a "Parental Advisory" sticker on it today. Back in 1982 when Mr. Magic, along with Marley Marl as his DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as co-producer, kick-started "Rap Attack," the program's launch was arguably as significant to music history as when the Moonman planted the MTV flag in outer space."Rap Attack" was a cultural touchstone fondly remembered by countless rappers, breakdancers, journalists and fans who were transfixed by the early sounds of hip-hop transmitted through their speakers by Mr. Magic.Aside from the musical nods ("Juicy" and Whodini's "Magic's Wand"), Magic was also known for his part in the watershed battle between the Juice Crew — founded by Marley Marl and featuring Big Daddy Kane, Craig G. and Kool G Rap — and KRS-One's Boogie Down Productions.The Bronx collective allegedly first heard the Juice Crew's MC Shan track "The Bridge," an ode thought to be proclaiming hip-hop's start in Queens, while pushing their demo to Magic. After feeling snubbed by Magic, who was affiliated with the Juice Crew, BDP fired back with the classic tracks "The Bridge is Over" and "South Bronx." The tracks were spun heavily by Magic rival Red Alert, fueling the memorable "Bridge Wars" that lasted throughout the '80s.In the '90s, tensions between the camps subsided and Mr. Magic began receiving acclaim as DJs like Funkmaster Flex ascended from mixshow spinners into prime-time talents.This afternoon, Hot 97's Mister Cee dedicated his mixshow hour to Mr. Magic's memory, and on Twitter thousands of condolences have been posted by everyone from Talib Kweli to Styles P.DJ Premier perhaps said it best when he blogged about the mixshow icon."He was known for his direct and sarcastic attitude on the air," he wrote. "And every artist wanted his approval when it came to breaking new records."He was hip-hop's Walter Cronkite and a respected voice gone far too soon. May his wand rest in peace.
The RZA, the Abbot of the Wu-Tang Clan and hip-hop culture’s most dynamic genius, imparts the lessons he’s learned on the journey that’s taken him from the Staten Island projects to international superstar, all along the way a devout student of knowledge in every form he’s found it—on the streets, in religion, in martial arts, in chess, in popular culture. Part chronicle of an extraordinary life and part spiritual and philosophical discourse, The Tao of Wu is a nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation —an engaging, seeking book that will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.The legions of Wu-Tang fans are accustomed to this heady mix—their obsession with the band’s puzzlelike lyrics and elaborate mythology has propelled the group through fifteen years of dazzling, multiplatform success. In his 2005 bestseller The Wu-Tang Manual, the RZA provided the barest glimpse of how that mythology worked. In The Tao of Wu, he takes us deep inside the complex sense of wisdom and spirituality that has been at the core of his commercial and creative success.The book is built around major moments in the RZA’s life when he was faced with a dramatic turning point, either bad (a potential prison sentence) or good (a record deal that could pull his family out of poverty), and the lessons he took from each experience. His points of view are always surprising and provocative, and reveal a profound, genuine, and abiding wisdom—consistently tempered with humor and peppered with unique, colloquial phraseology. It is a spiritual memoir as the world has never seen before, and will never see again.The book can be pre-ordered through the Penguin Books website for $25 USD, with an official release scheduled for October 15th, 2009.
Public Enemy 'ask fans to fund new LP'Tuesday, October 6 2009, 3:46pm EDTPublic Enemy are reportedly asking fans to help fund the recording of their latest album. According to NME, the rap collective have signed a deal with fan-funding engine SellaBand, and are hoping to raise $250,000 (£157,000) in individual payments of $25 (£15) in order to record and release the as-yet-untitled album. In return, fans who invest in the album will receive a share in the revenue of the album, as well as a numbered copy of it. Speaking about the deal in a statement, Public Enemy's Chuck D praised SellaBand's business model."SellaBand's financial engine model goes about restructuring the music business in reverse," he explained. "It starts with fans first, then the artists create from there. The music business is built on searching for fans and this is a brand new way for acts to create a new album with fans first, already on board." Public Enemy are the first high-profile band to sign a deal with SellaBand, which is based in Amsterdam. Under the deal, they will retain complete ownership of the album, and can also choose how fans are rewarded for funding them.
Jay-Z suggests Gallagher collaborationTuesday, October 6 2009, 5:53am EDTJay-Z has said that he would be interested in collaborating with former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher. The 'Run This Town' rapper said that he has heard rumours about Noel Gallagher working with Snoop Dogg and proposed that he do something similar with Liam. "I hear Snoop Dogg might be teaming up with Noel," he told The Sun. "If that's the case then I would love to work with Liam. Their music is tight and I think we could blend our styles well."When I teamed up with Linkin Park nobody expected that to work but we made a massive success of it. The same could happen with Liam." He added: "When you have two artists like us in a room just throwing about ideas you come up with something brilliant fairly easily. I don't know what he is up to now but he can give me a call." Yesterday, the hip-hop star announced a one-off show at London's Alexandra Palace, which will take place on November 4.
Method Man charged with tax evasionTuesday, October 6 2009, 10:13am EDTUS rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man turned himself in to police yesterday morning, to be charged with tax evasion. The rapper, whose real name is Clifford Smith, reported to Staten Island police station. He is accused of failing to file or pay New York state income tax between 2004 and 2007 and owes an estimated $33,000 (£20,730) in arrears. District attorney Daniel Donovan said: "Taxes are the burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you are an 'average Joe' on the street or a high-profile rap artist."Failure to properly report and pay your taxes is a crime against all citizens and will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted. Because of the alleged action of people like Mr Smith, law-abiding citizens face higher taxes and reduced government services." Smith told the State Island Advance: "It’s a miscommunication that will be resolved in the near future." Previously, Smith blamed his tax issues on chronic marijuana use. "Myself, I'm a pothead," he told the New York Daily News in March. "It's no secret. Everyone knows that. I go on the road and forget everything else." Smith could now face up to four years in prison.
Not a diss of the list...knew I wasn't gonna make it ha!...but I'm using the fact that I wasn't on it as an excuse to just start wrecking shit on a frequent basis so by the time the next one comes out I'll be number 1,2,3,4 and 5...
Banhart to make album with GZA?It's a simple fact of life that when hip-hop artists make albums, there's bound to be at least a few guest appearances from very special friends and brothers. That's just the way it is. But rarely are collaborations inter-genre - which is exactly what we appear to have in this meeting of minds in GZA and Devendra Banhart. It's not too often that they are they this pant-stretchingly interesting, either. Earlier this week we saw the link-up of Mercer and Mouse but that is something which was on the cards already. This time it's a little more unexpected, though both are men who are no strangers to a bit of collaboration. In an interview with Paste Magazine, Banhart dropped the hint (or the bomb, more accurately), telling us that Wu-Tang member RZA heard the first track of Banhart's forthcoming What Will We Be, gave it to GZA and, some while later, the G-Man did a bit of freestylin' over the top, with amazing results.Yet, this relationship had already started to blossom somewhat. Banhart was working the 1s and 2s at Wu-Tang press agent Heathcliffe Berru's birthday party, at which GZA was also a guest. Some way later, GZA heard Banhart's stuff, liked it and got in touch with the man himself. GZA also turned up unexpectedly at a music festival, something which took Banhart a little by surprise. He said:"I played Coachella, and, lo and behold, I looked on the sidelines and there was GZA. I was stunned. So we hung out and talked — we talked about atomic energy and how the sun is powered. We talked about dark matter. Then I sent him my catalog [sic]. And he said 'Hey man, will you write some stuff? Let's write together.'"Dark matter? Plenty of that in GZA's career. He added:"[he] has shared his new writing with me and I’ve sent a couple sketches. With his new work I can tailor the sketches I already had. We’re at the beginning stages."All that, before dropping another explosion about how the way of the Wu really influenced him in days gone by:"Liquid Swords was my formative album," he says. "I mean, I love the GZA. Not everybody knows I'm a big fan of Wu-Tang. I started making music thanks to skate videos, and a big part of skateboarding at the time was hip-hop. The first thing I ever did with a printer was print out the Wu-Tang symbol—the W—and just glue it on my skateboard."So, though their mutual respect and the prospect of them working together is fairly clear, just what sort of material they'll produce is not. Rapping over folkish guitar lines and arrangements? Or some ROUGH BEATS backed by some ethereal whining? Or, perhaps, just something completely left-of-field like, I dunno, them covering the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. We can't rule anything out at this stage but we wait with a ridiculously high level of anticipation.