Hot Off The Presses: Eminem, Kanye West, Beyonce, Daddy Yankee & More
Published: Friday - September 12, 2008
Words by BallerStatus News Staff
Eminem (Photo: Interscope)
Eminem is slated to make a rare appearance on his own Sirius Satellite station, Shade 45, for an interview about the 20th anniversary of indie record label Delicious Vinyl, reports Vibe.com. The rapper be joined by Delicious Vinyl co-founder Mike Ross The Los Angeles based label, founded in 1987, is known for signing legendary West Coast artists The Pharcyde and Masta Ace, whom Eminem has touted for years as being one of his greatest influences. "There were others before me," Eminem said in the September issue of Vibe, "but in a sense, I blew the door open for people of other nationalities to actually do this." Check out Shade45.com for more details. ...
Kanye West was released on $20,000 bail Thursday morning (September 11) after being arrested at the LAX American Airlines terminal on felony vandalism charges for an incident between himself, his bodyguard, and members of the paparrazzi. West and his road manager, Don Crowley, got into an altercation with a photographer and videographer while waiting for a flight to Honolulu. The paparazzi started snapping photos, an altercation ensued, and the cameras of both men were damaged by West and Crowley. He arrived in Hawaii later that day, and responded to the incident via his official blog, "We back in the lab!!! I'm cool with the paparazzi. This guy wasn't cool. I gotta work now ... I'll rant later." ...
New information about Beyonce's yet-to-be-titled third solo album emerged this week. Justin Timberlake is expected to appear on the LP, revealed to reporters that he was scheduled for a studio session with the singer this week. Sean Garrett says he'll also be on the record. Beyoncé is said to have co-wrote or co-produced all the material on the album, which the label says comprises "her most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date." Two tracks from the album, "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies," will be released in advance of the LP on October 7, according to the label. A video for an unnamed song was filmed in New York on Thursday. The album is slated for release on November 18. ...
Although his decision to publicly endorse Republican presidential nominee John McCain has garnered some criticism by shocked members of the hip-hop community, reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee stands by his decision. Fat Joe called him "a sellout" for the endorsement and offered to debate with him about his choice, but Daddy Yankee doesn't care what Fat Joe, or anybody else thinks. "I don't care who I piss off," Yankee told the New York Post recently. "This is about my ideals, not about making friends. Senator McCain is the kind of man whose promises you can actually believe in." According to the musician, he likes McCain's "stance on immigration reform, that he works across party lines to help immigrants, that he agreed to take a look and help the dire situation of aid to the veterans of Puerto Rico." But when asked if he'd has or would ever consider Democratic candidate Barack Obama -- who is widely popular within the hip-hop community -- Daddy Yankee responded "never -- not for a minute." ...
Disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges against Kelis, stemming from a March 2007 arrest in Miami, were dropped recently, citing "racial profiling" in the matter. The singer was arrested after Miami Beach police -- posing as prostitutes -- say Kelis began harassing them, shouting racial obscentities at two female officers. In a statement from her lawyer, Kelis says she was "protected by her constitutional civil right to speech," and now plans to bring forth a civil suit against the Miami Beach Police for "violation of her civil rights and unlawful arrest." "Racial profiling is a very serious matter. Unfortunately, most victims learn to deal with this form of harassment in their daily lives because they feel that they don't have a voice or because they're not able to absorb the costs to legally fight it in court. I hope that this sheds light on the fact that wearing a uniform and carrying a badge does not allow you to act above the law," Kelis says regarding the incident. ...
E-40 has announced that he will release The Ball Street Journal on October 28. The album is the follow-up to 2006's gold-certified album, My Ghetto Report Card. The new album features guest appearances by Shawty Lo, Snoop Dogg, The Game, and Ice-T, among others, while also featuring several Lil-Jon produced songs. "The Ball Street Journal traces everything from the beginning to now," E-40 says. "I've been through hard times and I've been through good times. It's like a discography of how my life has been. I touch on a lot of different topics on this album." ... Brand Nubian's Sadat X is slated to return with a brand new solo album in early November titled Generation X. It features appearances by Twanie Ranks and Thirstin Howl III, and will hit stores digitally on September 30, followed by an actual in-store date November 4. ...
Billboard released a list of the top charting hip-hop and R&B songs of all time on Thursday, in celebration of its 50-year history. The list was compiled by Billboard's tracking of the popularity of songs based on sales and number of radio plays. Mariah Carey landed at no. 2 with "We Belong Together," Usher's Yeah!" was at no. 4, while Flo Rida's "Low" nabbed no. 8. Later down the chart, Kanye West is seen at no. 17 with "Gold Digger," Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was at no. 28, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" came in at no. 46, while Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat" landed at no. 48, and 50 Cent's "In Da Club" landed at no. 50. The full list can be viewed at Billboard.com. ...
Editorials & Columns Soulstice From France Blog #3: Day 4 Embarking on a 9-show winter tour in Europe, one of my goals was just making it through the tour without getting sick. ... full story
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