The Rap Up

The Rap Up Has Moved

2007-07-30T08:13:00.000-05:00

Same sh*t, different toilet. Join us at the new url, http://therapup.net.
All my blog family, please reset your url to: therapup.net

Pimp C Sets the Record Straight

2007-07-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

Pimp C had the internet going nuts the other day when he bodied Atlanta in the August issue of Ozone. ATL's 107.9 reached out to the Pimp to find out why he's so mad. The interview is long and Pimp C is screaming on top of his lungs, so I'll sum it up for you:

-His statements are right but you may have heard it wrong
-Atlanta is not part of the south
-Atlanta is the gay capital of the US
-Pimp C is a man
-Pimp C is speaking on behalf of Pimp C, not UGK
-Crunk rappers should mail lifetime royalty checks to Three Six Mafia

And all this is coming from the guy who just worked with OutKast on "Int'l Players Anthem," labeled Young Jeezy "one of the realest n***as," and dubbed T.I. "King of the South."

I have to agree with the Pimp on one thing though: I flew to ATL for the last BET Hip-Hop Awards and had to adjust my watch to eastern daylight time.

Video: Chamillionaire's Hip-Hop Police/Evening News

2007-07-26T13:54:00.000-05:00

Chamillionaire - Hip-Hop Police

Chamillionaire - Evening News

Cham got 99 problems but Bob O'Wildy ain't one.

In the 9-minute 2-part clip, Koopa plays three different characters: Hal Sharpless (hip-hop cop), Bob O'Wildy (news anchor), and Cashus Burns (reporter). Slick Rick will be in on the fun, playing Detective Jeffrey Jackson. They dropped plenty of clues with all those names, but I'm not too sure about Cashus Burns.

One thing, "When did BET start playing music videos again?"

Cuban Linx 7-26-07

2007-07-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

::Deelishis - Rumpshaker video. (I watched it on mute. I recommend you do the same.)

-For as low as $100 you can buy your own Mr. Porter beats. I wonder if he does layaway and/or installment payment plans. [Grandgood]

-5 most disappointing albums of 2007 (so far). [Street Census]

-Nicolay speaks on a number of interesting issues, including his upcoming collaborative LP with Kay of the Foundation. [Boo Goo Doo Boom]

-Little Brother - The Getback cover art/tracklist. Don't they look like they're high on EPMD? [Nah Right]

-Trilla: New joint from Ricky Rawwws tha baws. [Discobelle]

-The 2007 Houston Press Music Awards is now ready to take your votes. [Houston Press]

Video: Can't Tell Me Nothing (Zach Galifianakis Remix)

2007-07-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

No, Kanye didn't grow a beard, that's comedian Zachary Galifianakis acting a fool.

And here's the official remix of "Can't Tell Me Nothing," featuring Jeezy who just seems to have gained some extra bionic powers off of Saigon's "hottest MC" comment:

Kanye ft. Jeezy - "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Remix)

Monster Music

2007-07-25T00:24:00.000-05:00

Remove whatever's in your system right now and replace it with Monster Maker. Then kick back and enjoy the best 40 minutes of your life. Obvious hyperboles aside, I haven't felt this good about a rap record since Louis Logic unleashed Misery Loves Comedy.

C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey manage to cram some of the fiercest cutting edge hip-hop music of the year into 12 songs. Best of all, the album's brief run time leaves little room for redundancy. So, even if you end up not liking Monster Maker at all (trust me, some of you won't), you would've only wasted 40 minutes, as opposed to, say, the 1.2 hours I squandered on that new Turf Talk album.

Cuban Linx: 7-24-07

2007-07-24T09:33:00.000-05:00

::History in the making: D-Nice documents Jonnathan Mannion's photo session with Chamillionaire for the cover of The Source. [D-Nice]

-I've been meaning to spotlight Blitz for a very long time now. Thankfully, Ian has relieved me of that duty. This kid is the illest MC you've never heard of. [Different Kitchen]

-Quote of the Day: "He was a good little mama's boy, and now he sings about guns and busting caps...Now [that] Supreme's away, I guess he needs a gun." - Cop who arrested Ja Rule yesterday. [NY Daily News]

-Cee-Lo expands his hustle, acquires rare Jimi Hendrix catalog. [NME]

-Afeni Shakur takes on Suge Knight. What took her so long? [Prohiphop]

-Smoking Section chats up Sean Kingston. [TSS]

-The Roc is still alive. [Straight Bangin']

-Stop the rumors. Nas is still grinding at the Black Oasis. In fact, he's said to be working on his 9th album as we speak. [Ill Seed]

"Y'all should all get lynched"

2007-07-23T14:14:00.000-05:00

While Al Sharpton was busy burying the N-word, six teenagers in Louisiana were facing various murder charges over a school fight.

Six African-American kids at Jena High School, Louisiana were arrested last year after an altercation between white students and black students. A white student suffered a concussion and multiple bruises from the fight. According to various sources, the six black kids were consequently charged with second-degree attempted murder. Kinda harsh for a school fight, in my non-lawyerly opinion. Here's the ridiculous part though: one of them has already been convicted and will probably face up to 22 years in prison.

The whole saga stemmed from a tree in the schoolyard where only white students sat. Next thing you know, three nooses are hanging from that tree on some prank sh*t. A couple days after the nooses were hung, I gather, the entire black student community held an impromptu protest, crowding underneath the tree during lunch hour. The DA dismissed the nooses as "youthful stunt."

It's "prank" when white students are involved, but it's "crime" when black kids are involved?

I don't care what race you are, this issue deserves attention from the hip-hop community. Too bad, Russell is busy with yoga lessons. And Al has his perm and Beyonce to worry about.

Imagine if Malcolm and Martin had blogs back then...

Ice Water feat. Busta Rhymes & Raekwon - Do it Big

2007-07-23T09:25:00.000-05:00

Can you smell what the Chef is cooking? (Pt. 2)

Ice Water feat. Busta Rhymes & Raekwon - Do it Big
This is the official lead single from Ice Water's Polluted Water LP, due out August 28th. Between this and that Hip-Hop Tribute track, I'm already sold on Rae's weed carriers.

Skyzoo - Corner Store Classic Mixtape

2007-07-21T13:42:00.001-05:00

Skyzoo - Corner Store Classic mixtape

Skyzoo is the truth. Sharp narratives, grit, wit, pizzazz...the whole package. Hell, my copy of the Cloud 9 album is still getting major spin and it's been out since September 2006.

Shoutout to Mick Boogie for the heads up.

[Link via fwmj]

Chamillionaire Complex Q&A

2007-07-21T00:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know how this interview managed to slip past me but it's definitely worth a read. He talks about the concept behind Ultimate Victory, his ringtone hustle, vibing with Lloyd for 3 hours (pause), and beefs in hip-hop.

Complex: Who do you think’s pushing the “beef” envelope in rap nowadays?

Chamillionaire: Well, I mean the corporations really just do it because they make money off it. They’re gonna make money off it, they’re gonna keep on doing whatever’s making them money, but it’s not them, it’s the actual artists that are sitting there arguing over nonsense and don't even realize it. People are like, ‘Oh, well we got to do this to sell records.’ Or people kind of make up little beef and arguments because they think it brings more hype. But if you look at it nowadays, they're not really even selling records like that. That doesn’t really help you sell records. It might get you a little more exposure, but it still doesn’t sell the records. The music just got to be that. You can’t really fool the audience. I don't really see too many beefs that are something real serious. If you get to the real source of the problem, it’s really just little childhood stuff. Like I said, people always want to think that it’s the end of the world until somebody dies and then they go back and look at the source at why they was beefing and be like, ‘Man you know what, this was a dumb argument.’ But they realize later after somebody done lost their life.

[Full Interview]

Rizoh Recommends These Shows:

2007-07-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

It's Friday and I'm in a good mood, so I'm going to play Concert Calendar today and point you to some shows worth checking out for the weekend and beyond:

Soulbrotha at The Grab, Houston on 7/21
If you know anything about The Rap Up's own Soulbrotha, then you know you're guaranteed a swell time at this event. Show kicks off at 9 pm. (See above flyer for details)

Smif N Wessun and Dead Prez at Red Hook, Brooklyn on 7/24:
The is also part of City Parks Summer Showcase. Red Hook is located on 155 Bay Street, BK, NY. Show starts at 7 pm.

Scarface and Black Moon at the Canal Room on 7/26 (FREE show & drinks)
The Canal Room is situated at 285 West Broadway @ Canal Street. The event is hosted by MTV's own Sway, BET's DJ Kelly G. DJ Evil Dee of Black Moon will be spinning all night long.
Sean Price and Uncle Ralph McDaniels will be in attendance.
Head over to Duck Down to RSVP

Big Things Poppin' on 7/21, hosted by Shaquille O'neal at Hush, Houston
Hush is located at 15625 Katy Freeway. $10 cover before 10: 30 pm.

2007 Rock the Bells Tour
This year's RTB is a 13-city tour featuring the avant garde of hip-hop: Rakim, Wu-Tang, UGK, EPMD, etc. Consult the Rock the Bells listings for dates and venues.

Cuban Linx 7-20-07

2007-07-20T10:55:00.000-05:00

(Photo by: Ivan)

-Sample and Example: Common and Paul Simon [Hip-Hop Is Read]

-Apparently, Curtis doesn't want to share the spotlight with Kanye. He wants Hov to pushback Ye's album. I think one of these guys will just have to swallow their pride and back the f*ck down. Better yet, they need to go ahead and slug it out and let consumers decide. Isn't it sad enough that they're dropping on 9/11 (of all dates)? [About]

-Top 7 MCs who never released a solo album. [Street Census]

-Jim Jones comments on Cam'ron beef, says he'd like to collaborate with 50 Cent and Nas, but never Jay-Z. [MTV]

-Suge Knight is a biter. No, I mean literally. [Nah Right]

-The 199-Day Check In: Music of the Half Year. [Straight Bangin']

-Trouble seems to follow D'Angelo around everywhere he goes. Maybe he'll harvest enough inspiration from all these arrests to deliver another classic. [Stereohyped]

-The O'Reilly Factor blames Michael Vick's dog fighting controversy on 'gangsta rap'. DMX and Jay-Z are specifically fingered (pause) for their contribution to dog-fighting culture. [GooTube]

Video: Diddy - Through the Pain

2007-07-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

It's been 9 months since Press Play hit the shelves, yet Diddy can't stop, won't stop caking off that album. "Through the Pain" is the fourth single and fifth video from PP. Now, you know damn well that Aasim can only hope for a $50 video budget when his album drops. (Sorry, were you saying something about Black Rob?)

Cuban Linx 7-19-07

2007-07-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

::DTP - Celebrity Chick

-Khia: The Project's Next Top Model. Almost cracked my neck and my back laughing at these photos. [Bossip]

-Music industry continues its assault on journalists/people willing to pay for its product. [Idolator]

-Pepsi's DJ Battle/show at S.O.B. looks like one hell of a good show. [Miss Info]

-Let's get armored vehicles for Iraq. [Prohiphop]

-Don Imus returns to radio, with a black, female co-host as his sidekick. [Hip-Hop Crunch]

-Yes, it's true. Graduation will now be released on September 11, same date as Curtis. Uh-oh. [Reliable Sources]

-Internet Celebrities' How to Attend an Outdoor Concert. [Internet Celebrities]

-The folks att Bump-Mag have some super-official pics from Vida Guerra's Bedroom Party. Whatever that is. [Bump]

Kanye Fires Back at Beanie Sigel

2007-07-19T07:52:00.000-05:00

(Pic via Complex)

Exactly two months ago, Beans called out Kanye and Pharrell on their fashion sense. In true Angie Martinez style, the issue was fully addressed during Kanye's latest Hot 97 interview. He repeatedly orders them to turn down the music while speaking on the issue, so you know this really hit him in the bone. But to his credit, 'Ye keeps his response funny without necessarily fanning the fire that Beans instigated. He wins again.

Listen up: Kanye Speaks on Beanie's comments
(The interview starts around the 2-minute mark.)

More?
Miss Info has the rest of the interview, including Ye's in-studio freestyle.

Cover Art: Kanye West's Pre-Graduation

2007-07-19T00:43:00.000-05:00

~~This, according to Amazon.com, is the official Graduation cover art.~~

Update: Def Jam has just confirmed to me that this is only a temp cover. I'll keep you posted...

Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 3

2007-07-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

The King of Free Mixtapes That Actually Bang returns with his latest installment in the Mixtape Messiah series. This one finds Koopa rocking hard-body beats like "Big Things Poppin'," "I Get Money," "International Players Anthem (I Choose U)," and--believe it or not--"Stronger." Enjoy.

Mixtape Messiah 3 Tracklist
1. Get Ya Burners Out
2 Money Already Made
3. Get on My Level
4. Livin Good
5. Its Just Pain
6. The Call
7. Nothin But Lies
8. Ima Playa Fasho
9 Roy Woods Jr. Skit
10. Failures Not an Option
11. Got a lot of options
12. See it in My Eyes
13 Don't Hurt 'Em Hammer
14. Roy Wood Jr. Skit
15. It's On
16. You A Dummy
17. Chamillionaire Speaks
18. Mo Scrilla
19. The Crowd Goes Wild
20. Makes Me Stronger
21. Chamillionaire Speaks
22. Rain (w/ Famous)

Download: Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 3
Bonus: Mixtape Messiah DVD
On the Web: Chamillionaire.com

Previously:
Chamillionaire - Mixtape Messiah 2

Video: David Banner ft. Akon, Weezy, Snoop - 9MM

2007-07-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

David Banner rounded up all the cameo kings on his speed dial and somehow managed to fit their egos on one screen.

Taken from The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Cuban Linx 7-18-07

2007-07-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

::Foxy Brown: "I'm Jay-Z's right-hand b*tch, I'm Nas' right-hand b*tch" (spotted via Complex)

-Remy Ma: "I didn't shoot my friend!" [MTV]

-The Smoking Section describes Kano's Home Sweet Home as lyrically earnest. [TSS]

-Xzibit fans, gather round and head over to xzibitcentral.com. [PR Inside]

-Michael Eric Dyson on hip-hop & politics, N-word, Don Imus, etc [Democracy Now]

-Hip-hop made me do it. [Boo Goo Doo Boom]

Pics from Chamillionaire's Ultimate Victory Party

2007-07-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Chamillionaire recently threw a listening party for his upcoming album, Ultimate Victory, out in New York. (Don't ask me why he didn't host one in H-town.) Apparently, they also presented him with a plaque for his 2005 debut, The Sound of Revenge, which has now moved an impressive 5.5 million units worldwide.

(From L - R): Coco & Ice T; Cham & Ice T; Cham & Sylvia Rhone

Cuban Linx 7-17-08

2007-07-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

::"Don't front on Houston" [via SmashTube]

-The Best of the First Half: Chris weighs two "best of" lists that I'm sure you'll easily recognize, while adding his own voice to the mix. He even throws up some mp3s to go. [Culture Bully]

-Ozone Music Editor (and one of my favorite bloggers) Randy Exclusive gets a new gig at HHNLive. [Writers Block]

-Hear this now: Copywrite - Waiting to Inhale (Produced by J Dilla) [zshare]

-Wyclef shatters your dreams of seeing a Fugees reunion, preps hip-hop-themed world album. Speaking of which, what's up with enlisting T.I. as co-executive producer on the album? Isn't that like Tony Yayo producing Dr. Dre's album? [CNA] [XXL]

-Why does Stylus keep dissing Dilla for being dead? [Oh Word]

Video: Hakeem schooling Yao Ming on a few ballin' tricks. [Chronicle]

-Can't make this sh*t up. [ NahRight]

Icewater + Remy Ma + Raekwon - Tell Me How U Like It

2007-07-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

Remy Ma: So much wig it'll blind ya eye

Icewater feat. Remy Ma and Raekwon - Tell Me How You Like It
Look who's cashing in on Remy Ma's sudden popularity. Taken from Icewater's Polluted Water, due out 8/28.

Do you like it?

Bonus Cuts:
Keith Murray - Hustle On
Snoop Dogg - It's the D.O.G. [Odub]

Cuban Linx 7-16-08

2007-07-16T11:02:00.000-05:00

::Weekly Hip-Hop Wrap-Up via Jumpoff.tv

-Apparently, more than 10,000 people have now indicated that they're eager and willing to be yelled at...by Diddy. [Diddy]

-And what's this I'm hearing about Jay-Z and Beyonce hooking up for a threesome with Steve Jobs? [Moli]

-Top 10 Hip-Hop Cover Songs by Non-Hip-Hop Artists. [Street Census]

-Is Kanye going with "The Good Life" as his next single? I thought this guy had a problem following trends. [Okayplayer]

-Remy Ma keeps it real in the streets, especially after eating pizza. [About]

Ja Rule + Lil Wayne = Uh Oh

2007-07-14T14:37:00.000-05:00

Ja Rule + Lil Wayne = Uh Oh

(*G-Unit Stans skip this part*)

It's good to see Ja "the original rap-singer" back on the scene. "Uh-Oh" is the first single from his new album, The Mirror, due out September 25 (Keep in mind: Curtis will now be released on 9/11). It's also featured on an upcoming Step Ya Game Up mixtape, available via Get A Buz.

Boo Boo could not be reached for comment at press time, as he was too busy soliciting a ghostwriter for his next dis song.

Photo via MTV