Day 8 Updates On Jimmy Henchman' Cocaine Trafficking Trial

Jimmy Henchman's case is getting scarier everyday; it is almost like the Feds want this man in Jail by all means. The funny thing in the whole situation to me is that all the people testifying against him are past associates that are in jail facing 20 years or life. I don't think they are credible enough. It is a known fact that the Feds always work out a bargain with criminals that are ready to bring other people down...as long as they get a reduced sentence.


Anyway, read the Day 8 updates below-


 The eighth day of testimony continued today (May 29) in the federal cocaine distribution trial of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond.

Today, a former Czar Entertainment employee named Tony Martin took the stand to testify for prosecutors.
Tony Martin, who folded his hands to pray during testimony, claimed that Rosemond admitted to various illegal activities during his association with Czar Entertainment.

According to Martin’s testimony, he was sucked into the drug ring, without knowing what was actually inside of the music cases, which contained kilograms of cocaine, in addition to millions in drug money.
“Truthfully, since I didn’t have access to the cases or the keys, I thought nothing would ever happened to me,” Tony Martin told the jurors. “I didn’t think I would be prosecuted.”

Martin claimed that after years of shipping or picking up cases, it wasn’t until August 2010, that he finally saw what was being shipped.

He recounted an alleged meeting at an apartment Rosemond owned in Harlem, where he saw the mogul stuffing large amounts of cash into a backpack.

“There was a bunch of money out. He kept putting money in backpacks. He asked me to take it to the London hotel. I kept my cool and said, ‘Damn, this is a lot of money.’ He told me to drop it off to Khalil [Abdullah], so I did.”

Today, the government focused on Rosemond’s business relationships with the Reverend Al Sharpton, Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere, and Mike Tyson.

Tony Martin testified that Jimmy Rosemond became close with Rev. Al Sharpton shortly after a 2007 incident in which an associate of 50 Cent and Tony Yayo struck Rosemond’s son.

The incident occurred at the height of Game and Rosemond’s feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit.

“His son was harmed, so Jimmy was a space in his life where he didn’t want to get in trouble. So he took the political route to protect his son,” Tony Martin said.

According to Martin, Rosemond was an executive producer on an unreleased show for Rev. Sharpton that would have featured the political commentator/activist as a judge on his own TV show.

Rosemond allegedly paid for a number of Rev. Sharpton’s expenses, including plane fare, hotel bills and other costs associated with producing the show, which was never released.

Rosemond also invested money into two Fatburgers with Queen Latifah in 2007, the movie “The Cookout 2″  and attempted to resolve a civil lawsuit between Mike Tyson and Don King, who Martin said only dealt in cash.

Tony Martin claimed that Rosemond, who allegedly  invested hundreds-of-thousands into the projects, lost money on the deals, although he made his $250,000 investment back on “The Cook Out 2,” when it was licensed to BET for $1 million dollars.

Like the other witnesses the prosecution has produced, on cross-examination, Tony Martin admitted to meeting with prosecutors at least 11 times, in preparation for testimony.

Rosemond’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, raised a number of questions about Martin’s credibility, in addition to his motives for testifying against Rosemond.

Despite presenting himself as an innocent, unknowing participant, Martin is facing 20 years in prison for his role in drug distribution operation.

He has also signed a cooperation agreement as well, which could help him get a drastically reduced sentence.

But Shargel noted that Tony Martin was not a credible witness.

Shargel revealed that Tony Martin lied to prosecutors after he signed his Proffer Agreement and gave information to the government.

Gerald Shargel noted that Martin actually lied to a judge while he was under oath and embellished his educational credentials.

Tony Martin also admitted to never seeing any of Czar Entertainment’s books, to speak credibly  about the business’ profits or losses.

Despite being caught in a lie under oath as recent as last Thursday, Martin, who managed Game, Trillville, and Mario Winans for Czar Entertainment, still has his agreement in place.

Meek Mill' Speaks on Working With Nas, and Possibly Getting Nicki Minaj on His Album

Meek Mills is MMG's Golden Boy right now, and Rick Ross is giving him all the creativity space he needs to craft his debut album, Dreams & Nightmares, which is dues out late summer. He recently dropped his free mixtape, Dreamchasers, which went on to get 3,000,000 downloads in less than 3 days. I think it is safe to say he has a growing fan-base. And he would def get a go ahead to release his album. The album already has one sure guest appearance with Nas on a track called Maybach Curtains, and he wants to get Nicki  Minaj also on the album.


Read what he had to say about working on the album below-

"Nas is one of the best rappers ever. Just having him in the studio, that's a big thing to me. I grew up listening to this guy. I came and I played the beat for him and he liked my music, so we just vibed out," he said, explaining that the feeling of his unfinished songs will dictate guest features on 'Dreams & Nightmares'. "If I have a song that sounds like it fits Nicki [Minaj] the best or it fits T.I. the best, that's the people I would sort of lean towards getting on them songs. But it depends on how the songs fit the person." (Billboard)

Top 10 Rap Songs on Billboard Chart

Below are the top selling rap songs on the billboard chart for this week-

10. Starships- Nicki Minaj

9.  Wild Ones- Flo Rida feat Sia

8.  Faded- Tyga feat Lil Wayne

7.  Mercy- Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz

6.  Take Care- Drake feat Rihanna

5.  Up! LoveRance feat IamSu and Skipper or 50 Cent

4.  The Motto- Drake feat Lil Wayne


3.  Cahin' Out- Ca$hOut

2.  Leave You Alone- Young Jeezy feat Ne-Yo

1.  Drank In My Cup- Kirko Bangz

Rap Albums on Billboard Chart

Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is still the highest selling rap album on the chart for this week; it sold 18,000 copies this week, to now total at 493,000. Her album is now just 7,000 copies from getting a Gold Plaque.


B.O.B's Strange Clouds is up next, with 13,000 copies sold, and now at 130,000 total. Take Care from Drake sold 9,400 copies this week, and now is at 1,753,000. EL-P's Cancer 4 Cure album made its debut on the chart this week, selling 6,600 after one week in stores.


Future's Pluto album is now at total of 92,000 copies sold so far, with 6,100 copies sold this week. 5.600 copies of Tyga's Careless World album was sold this week, and is now at a total of 233,000. Lil Wayne is back on the chart with his Tha Carter 4 album, and it sold 4,400. The album is now at a total of 2,144,000.


Killer Mike's R.A.P Music sold 2,800 copies, and is now at a two week total of 8,100. Kriz Kaliko's Kickin' & Screamin' album sold 2,400 copies this week, and now totals at 12,000. Paranormal from Prozak sold 2,200, and is now at a total of 10,000.

4th Week Sales of B.O.B's "Strange Clouds" Album

B.O.B's Strange Clouds album has been out a full week now, and in its 4th week in stores, it sold 13,000 copies. The album is now at a total of 130,000 copies sold in 4 weeks. This are domestic numbers...amount sold in the U.S alone.

Nas Speaks on Marriage With Kelis

Nas has never really been the type to be let people into his private place, and that has always intrigued people. But when he went through his divorce with Kelis, the public got a fair share of his "business". Since he and ex-wife Kelis separated a couple of years back, he hasn't really spoken on the matter. But, he got with Complex Magazine for their June Cover, and he spilled the beans.

Read more below-


On when he knew his relationship with Kelis was over
There was a point where we were trying to hold onto a relationship that was finished. She was pregnant and in the studio while we were recording Distant Relatives, and he would move when the music would come on. That was a great feeling for me, just to have that feeling of family. It ended around the time the record was being done.

There were times when it didn’t bother me, and there were times when it bothered me a lot. There were times when I was thinking, ‘Damn. I had this shit all planned out, and now I’ve failed’. That was hard on me, because I don’t like to fail at anything. Accepting that I failed at this relationship—and it was public—messed me up. You ask yourself, ‘How could that person be so cold’? And I’m sure she felt the same way about me. It was ugly.





On whether he knew they weren’t going to make it as a couple
Yeah, but it was a problem I was attracted to. It was rock and roll. I saw Kelis as Courtney Love—but I also saw her as a mahogany queen. I saw us as a beautiful thing. I saw us as inspiration. People weren’t seeing hip-hop artists get married. A lot of people came at me crazy. But I think overall, we were inspiring people to love.


There was a lot that was thrown at her that she couldn’t handle. Like I was saying earlier, there’s a lot that I could tell my kids, but they’ve got to fish it out for themselves. Every night, she was in bed with Harvard. She was sleeping with Harvard. She had all the answers, but I needed something more from her, that she either wasn’t ready or didn’t know how to provide. Plus, she is younger than me and she hadn’t seen all the things I had seen. She was on her journey, I was on mine. In the beginning, I said, “There’s parts of this that might not work,” but there was a beautiful part of it, too. For the most part, I had a great time being married. It was amazing. She’s an amazing woman.



On  Kelis dissing him publicly
She did. Over Twitter [...] the response was not good. There were bad tweets. She was angry. She was lashing out at anyone—and anyone she would lash out at, people automatically thought she was talking about me. My daughter would be calling me, like, “Dad. I’m on my way to school, and they’re talking about you on the radio.” My daughter wanted to tweet back and sh-t, and I told her to take the high road. It was ugly.



On their relationship now
It’s a lot better.





On whether he gets to see his son
That side is not great yet, but it’s working toward being that way. She’s a new mom. I’m busy and she’s busy. From what I see, she’s being a good mom, and it’s working toward a great place. There was a time when I couldn’t see him at all. It was terrible when the divorce was fresh.





On whether he hated her at any point
No. I got to a point where I was like, “Did she always hate me?” and “Did she ever love me at all?” I’ve got to admit, I did feel like that. But she did love me.


[...] A lot of divorces are bad because a woman is just being vindictive. She’s not after the money, she just wants you to hurt the way she was hurt.





On the money he lost in the divorce
It’s f-cked up when money’s involved in divorce. And I don’t give a f-ck. I can’t take it with me, so someone can take the money. Anyone that I’m married to, if I give you my life, I give you my heart, I love you—my money is nothing. You can have it all. It’s just sad that when you’re dealing with love and life and marriage, that marriage is a contract. It’s a business deal. That messes people up.



On whether he ever sees himself getting married again
Not right now. I’m enjoying life and looking at each day like, “This is beautiful.” I’m having a good time. I’m not going to bring anybody in to mess that up. You come around looking like you’re going to mess this good time up, you’re out of here—fast. [Laughs.] I’m not sacrificing my happiness for nobody and their drama. No way.




On his new track titled ‘Daughter’ and how guilty he feels sometimes
This is the first time I’m dealing with a teenage daughter, and it blows me away. I don’t know that you’re ever prepared to be a parent. Once you become one, that’s your responsibility. It’s more like me talking to myself, about how I could have been there a lot more. I beat myself up for not being the best I could be. I would ask her: “Am I a cool dad?” or “Am I a good dad? Did I f-ck up?” And she would say, “Nah, you’re good.” That’s important to me because I started as a teen. I was around 19 when her mother was pregnant. My daughter means a lot to me. It’s just a record that came from the heart. (necolebitche.com)

8th Week Sales of Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Album

Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded album sold 18,000 copies in its 8th week, and is now at a total of 493,000 copies sold domestically. That is just 7,000 copies short of a Gold plaque, which she will surely get next week.

Her "Starships" and "Right By My Side" video get constant play on MTV, so, this album will keep selling for the next couple of weeks. I wish her all the best...it's a long way to Platinum from here, but i know she can get there.

Kendrick Lamar Gives His Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage

T.I, Jay-Z and Will Smith are a few rappers that have come out to openly speak on the recent stance that Barack Obama took towards Same Sex marriage; they were also in support, or at least didn't have a problem with it. Now, Kendrick Lamar also speaks on it, and says he really doesn't care-



"I don’t give a f--k about people doing what they gotta do. That’s your lifestyle, you dig what I’m saying?" he said. "People gonna be they own individuals and have they own worlds and I can’t knock it."


Kendrick said he would no more knock someone for not sharing his sexual orientation than he would for not sharing his religious beliefs.


"If you didn’t believe in Jesus I can’t knock you for not [believing], you got your own beliefs and your own morals. I can’t help the way you was born if you was gay. And I can’t change that so do what you gotta do to be happy

Jimmy Henchman Cocaine Trafficking Case- Day 6 Updates

Jimmy Henchman's Cocaine Trafficking case has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and i think things are getting worse for him. Read the day 6 updates below-

The sixth day of testimony continued in the Federal drug trial of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond, in Brooklyn, New York today (May 22).


Rosemond is accused of masterminding a $10 million-per-year cocaine operation, that imported hundreds of kilos of cocaine per week into New York.


Prosecutors claim that millions in cash was laundered through various companies controlled by Rosemond.
Today in court, testimony continued from a variety of prosecution witnesses.


The case agent assigned to the Rosemond investigation, Marc Van Driessche, testified today.
Agent Van Driessche investigated Rosemond starting in 2008, until his arrest in June 21, 2011, at a W Hotel after a month-long, nationwide manhunt.


Since then, Rosemond has met with authorities nine different times in an attempt to reach a cooperation agreement with the government.


After his arrest, Rosemond’s first meeting with prosecutors took place on October 4, 2011.
Agent Van Driessche said he attended a meeting with two prosecutors, agents, and an attorney representing Rosemond.


It was during this session that Rosemond admitted that he was a co-conspirator in the cocaine case.
During his first meeting with authorities, Rosemond admitted that he e-mailed an associate named Jason Williams on an encrypted Blackberry, so the pair could pick up “one of them things.”


Later, the two men went to an auto body shop in Newark, New Jersey, where an illegal trap was being fitted on to a black Dodge charger.


Rosemond picked up the charger and went to the LeFrak Housing Projects in Queens, where he received up a kilo of cocaine.


He then met with an associate named Winston “Winnie” Harris, who had already began cooperating with the DEA and was wearing a wire, with agents listening in.


“He was surprised Winston didn’t have the money, but he instructed Jason to handover a kilo of cocaine anyway,” agent Van Driessche testified.


Rosemond said that when he returned, he noticed police entering into his building, so he fled.
In the Proffer Agreement, Rosemond said he later he received a call from someone in Jamaica, who revealed that Winston Harris had been cooperating with authorities.


Rosemond put “two and two together” and fled Brooklyn for the Gowanus Housing Projects, where he spent the night in a staircase hiding from authorities.


Rosemond then made it to a hotel in Brooklyn, borrowed a white BMW from a family member, and traveled to Virginia, where he met up with Jason Williams.


Later in the evening, Rosemond said he traveled to Miami alone by train, where he had his housekeeper to remove $25,000 in cash.


“We didn’t know what happened to the defendant after police entered his apartment in New York,” agent Van Driessche testified.


In the Proffer Agreement, Rosemond also acknowledged he was aware of the $1.2 million stashed in a music crate at Smash Studios, which was going to be delivered to criminal associates in California.
According to agent Van Driessche, Rosemond admitted that in 2010 alone, two associates in the conspiracy provided him almost 500 kilos of cocaine.


He also admitted that he gave a connect named Lamont Bennett $300,000 in cash to settle a cocaine debt.
Van Driessche testified that Rosemond complained that he was going to be forced to sell one kilo at a time, until his money was back up, since he lost hundreds-of-thousands due to seizures of packages.
Rosemond’s publicist issued an official statement to AllHipHop.com about the testimony today:


“As an official publicist for Jimmy for many years, I’ve been listening in on the trial,” Rosemond’s publicist, Sabrina Stowe de Fernandez, told AllHipHop.com. “Since day one, his defense attorney admitted that Jimmy apparently lied during proffering sessions. The prosecutors took the deal off the table and is basically trying to bring those lies into the case as evidence.”

Top 20 Best Selling Rap Albums of All Time

Below are the top 20 best selling rap/hip hop albums of all time. Due to inefficiency of data collection out of the country, this list consist of U.S sales alone.



20. 50 Cent- The Masacre (2003)- 5.2 million copies sold

19.  Eminem- Encore (2004)- 5.3 million copies sold

18. Snoop Dogg- DoggyStyle (1993)- 5.4 million copies sold.

17. Outkast- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)- 5.5 million copies sold.

16. Fugees- The Score (1996)- 6 million copies sold.

15. Nelly- Nellyville (2002)- 6.5 million copies sold.

14. Vanilla Ice- To The Extreme (1990)- 7.0 copies sold.

13. Puff Daddy and The Family- No Way Out (1997)- 7.1 million copies sold.

12. Dr Dre- 2001 (Chronic 2001)- 7.2 million copies sold.

11. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)- 8.0 million copies sold.

10. 50 Cent- Get Rich or Die Trying (2003)- 8.2 million copies sold

9.  Nelly- Country Grammar (2000)- 8.5 million copies sold.

8.  Will Smith- Big Willie Styles (1997)- 9 million copies sold.

7.  Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill (1986)- 9.2 million copies sold.

6.  2Pac-All Eyez on Me (1995)- 9.5 million copies

5.  Eminem- Eminem Show (2002)- 9.6 million copies sold.

4.  The Notorious B.I.G- Life After death (1997)- 10 million copies sold

3.  MC Hammer- Hammer Please Don't Hurt 'Em (1990)- 10 million copies

2.  2Pac- Greatest Hits (1998)- 10.2 million copies sold.

1.  Eminem- The Marshall Marthers LP (2000)- 10.6 million copies sold.


WOW! What an eye opening list. Back when Hammer was popping, i knew he was successful, but i didn't know he was this successful. I guess back then, people didn't really care about album sales. But now, people are so keen on knowing what this rapper or that rapper's album sold; and then use that to judge the quality of the album.


Eminem is just in another lane when it comes to album sales, and i don't think anyone can touch him right now. Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album was the fastest selling album back in 1993, when it sold 800, 000 copies in its first week...Eminem beat that record in 2000 when his The Marshall Mathers LP sold 1.7 million copies in its first week out. That record still stands till today.


Most of the albums on the list are from the 90s, and early 00s. I guess illegal downloads on the internet have really hurt album sales.

First Week Sales Prediction of Big K.R.I.T's Live From The Underground

Three singles have been dropped from Big K.R.I.T's album, Live From The Underground, and they have enjoyed their fair share of radio airplay. Watching his career, and the type of people he appeals to, he is not the type to do it big with singles; he is the type to do it big with actual full length album. He is one of the few upcoming rappers from the south that i can actually take time to listen to. I would predict it would sell between 60-90k.




In recent times, there are few rappers that crack that 200k mark, and this is going to be Big K.R.I.T's first album out, so people would still be skeptical about getting it. But, the core fan-base he has built over the years would definitely go out and support him. I think if he sells 70k first week, it would be cool. He can then build on it. By the way, the album drops next week, June 5th.

Check out the tracklist below-

1. LFU300MA (Intro)
2. Live From The Underground
3. Cool 3 Be Southern
4. I Got This
5. Money On The Floor feat. 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz
6. What U Mean feat. Ludacris
7. My Sub (Pt. 2: The Jackin’)
8. Don’t Let Me Down
9. Porchlight feat. Anthony Hamilton
10. Pull Up feat. Big Sant & Bun B
11. Yeah Dats Me
12. Hydroplaning feat. Devin The Dude
13. If I Fall feat. Melanie Fiona
14. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
15. Praying Man feat. B.B. King
16. Live From The Underground (Reprise) feat. Ms. Linnie

Jimmy Henchman's Son Speaks on Father's Situation

Jimmy "henchman" Rosemond, Czar Entertainment boss has been on trial for the last couple of weeks on a cocaine trafficking case. Although the majority believe Jimmy is guilty, his son believes otherwise. Check out what the son had to say below-


The son of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond recently sat down with AllHipHop.com to discuss his father’s cocaine trial, which is currently taking place in Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York.
Rosemond Jr., who celebrated a birthday over the holiday weekend, remains optimistic and convinced of his father’s innocence.




James Rosemond, Sr., who managed acts like Sean Kingston, Game, Mike Tyson, Akon, and others, is facing a life sentence for allegedly masterminding a $10 million-a-year cocaine operation.
“I am blessed to celebrate another year, but at the same time my heart is heavy,” James “Lil Henchman” Rosemond told AllHipHop.com. “If I had one wish, it would be to have my father free and home with me and my little sisters.”

The elder Rosemond was arrested in June 2011 on cocaine distribution charges, after a 30-day, nationwide manhunt.

“It’s been a year since we have had to hear lie after lie about my dad, but mind you all, I know the truth because I lived with him,” added Lil Hench, who has attended each day of testimony since the trial began on May 14.

Although his father is charged with serious crimes, Lil Henchman said that his dad raised him well and helped him better his life.

“I am who I am today because of my dad. I am enrolled in college because of my dad,” Lil Hench told AllHipHop.com.

Lil Henchman and Jimmy Henchman

“I have experienced different cultures and learned to give back because of my dad. I want to dedicate my birthday today with ‘Free James Rosemond’ and a birthday wish of him returning home to his family. Love you dad, and we are going to fight this fight!”

No Malice Sneaks Diss at Lil Wayne on Twitter

In light of the ongoing Pusha T/Drake and Lil Wayne beef, what we the listeners are waiting on is a reply from Pusha T. But his brother No Malice (Malice...One half of The Clipse)), who recently found God, used a few lines to go at Lil Wayne on twitter. After earlier saying he didn't want to have anything to do with any situation that doesn't glorify God, he had a change of heart for his brother's sake, and tweeted this- "Well I LOVE Pusha! That's my blood and I ain't never kiss em," he tweeted Saturday (May 26). (No Malice's Twitter)




In case you don't get it, this is a sneak diss at Lil Wayne for being caught on camera kissing Baby (Birdman) a couple of years ago. You can see the picture by your left. So, it is a full-fledged war right now, and it might develop into a YMCMB versus G.O.O.D Music artists war. There is a high possibility it might lead to this, as Kid Cudi (G.O.O.D Music) artist is already down with Pusha T no matter what. Check out his tweet to that note- "I love my nigga Pusha T, fuck anybody who feel different. We ain't ho's out here," he tweeted.

I guess this is a direct reply to Lil Wayne's tweet-  

This was the tweet Lil Wayne dropped hours after Pusha T dropped the Exodus 23:1 track which went at Drake with the lines below-

"Contract all f*cked up, I guess that means you're all f*cked up," Pusha raps, "You signed to one n*gga, that signed to another n*gga, that signed to three n*ggas, now that's bad luck." ("Exodus 23:1")




Let me run it from the top again...Pusha T dropped Exodus 23:1 last week and had some lines obviously going at Drake; Lil Wayne felt offended and drops a diss tweet, and he followed that with a full diss track called Ghoulish. Now, we are waiting on Pusha T to respond to that track. But, it is funny that in all these, Drake hasn't really said much. Apart from a couple of sneak disses at his recent shows, he hasn't dropped a track, and hasn't said much on tweeter. It's funny cos he was the one Pusha T was actually going at.
  

The Best Selling Rap Album of All Time

Hundreds of rap albums have dropped since the 70s, but just a few have gotten the Diamond certification by R.I.A.A. As of the time i am writing this article (May 29, 2012), only 5 albums have gotten that certification.If you didn't know, the Diamond Certication is the highest Certication issued by R.I.A.A, and it is issued to albums that sell more than 10 million copies. With that said, MC Hammer's 1990 album, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em; Eminen's The Marshall Marthers LP; The Notorious B.I.G's Life After Death, Tupac's All Eyez on Me and Outkast Speaker Boxxxx/The Love Below are the only rap albums that have received this certification.





Biggie, Tupac and Outkast cheated in my opinion. You know why i said that? Their albums were double disc, and R.I.A.A counts a double disc twice for one sale. So, originally, Biggie's Life After Death album, which was released in 1997 has sold 5 million copies to date, but because it is a double disc, it was certified diamond...10 million sold. But, anyway, it is not the best selling rap album of all time; Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP is the highest selling rap album of all time. I personally think it is the best album Eminem ever put out. But i have this debate with my friend all the time; he believes The Eminem Show is Eminem's best. I just think the The Marshal Marthers LP might not have had as much hits as The Eminem Show, but it sure didn't have any album fillers...Real Eminem fans know what i am talking about.



So, there you have it...The Marshall Mathers LP is the best selling rap album of all time, with 10,598,000 sold in the U.S alone, and over 20 million copies worldwide. This is not with any double album gimmick; this is just over one CD. And he is about to have another Diamond album with The Eminem Show, cos believe it or not, with every album Eminem releases, the old ones sell a couple more hundred thousand units. And The Eminem Show is already at over 9 million copies sold.

No I.D Speaks on Producing For Nas' Life Is Good Album

Nas is soon to release his 10th album, Life Is Good (July 17th), and one producer that is sure to produce majority of the tracks on the album is No I.D. According to him, along with "Daughters", he has recorded 10 full tracks with Nas so far for the album. I would say this is really cool, because No I.D is a seasoned vet in the production world, and he would def bring out the best in Nas without making him cross that border between creativity and wackness, but still make him appeal to the younger hip hop audience of today.


Check out his interview below-


Complex: Maximum respect. So you're from Chicago—Southside?
No I.D.: Southside.

Born and raised or Southern transplant?
Nah, nah. Born and raised.



Why do you think Chicago, in terms of hip-hop, was later to the game than most cities?
Chicago?

Yeah. When did hip-hop really pop in Chicago?
Technically when Common and Twista came out with those projects.

Before that it was a House-ruled city.
It was a hip-hop scene but really it was a small chosen few.

Right.
And it wasn’t breaking out of that region. But house music was the music of the city.

I remember visiting Chicago ten years ago and the ghetto techno was so advanced.
Yeah, that’s been in Chicago culture since really the beginning of House music.

Frankie Knuckles.
Absolutely.

The first thing I wanted to ask you about this new Nas project is: Who is Nas to hip-hop and who is he for you—cause I know you were a fan before you started working with him.
Absolutely. Well for me, first and foremost I’m a fan. Well with that being said, as great as he is, I always take everything from a perspective of I’m just a fan in general. What [Nas] is to hip-hop is a real true ambassador, a game changer. A staple for really standing for and believing who you are regardless of money... Damn, without him I don’t know if hip-hop would be where it is today.

He is one of the pillars.Absolutely.

What was the first project you worked with him on?
Actually it was a record. We had worked on the Nigger album. The first thing we worked on that came out was the song “Success” on American Gangster.

You did a lot more songs on this album. How many songs did you work on and can you tell me what was your mentality going in?
We worked on maybe ten songs, at minimum. It was an interesting thing because the first week of sessions—if we could have recorded those conversations... My engineer would be in sometimes and he would pull me to the side and be like “Yo, what y’all said to each other, and just that exchange of information should be in a museum.” Those conversations just were so important and damn near—you could put it in a movie. So it was all the information we were exchanging and me being a cat that when he was coming in music trying to establish what he was doing and me coming in at the same time trying to establish what I was doing... I would sometimes tell him something and he would be like, “Well I was there when this happened.” And Eric B would go there and so on and so forth. But it was all setting the stage for me to say, “Look I know they want to get something for the kids and the kids want this and that, but for me? I just want Nas.” That’s it. I don’t even have a calculation on what’s going on right now. Because the people that love Nas didn’t die. They didn’t disappear. They just want you to be you.




Right.
That was the premise of our discussions before work: Hey, I’m hear to provide a soundtrack to allow you to be you. No trying to reach these people and no trying to reach those people. Let’s just do what we do. So in that aspect, I felt like I had to let him lead and know me. Not just the music he’s heard from me so then after that we became friends so to speak...

He mentioned the conversations you and he had. He said the breadth of the conversation was so profound that the songs kinda came out of that energy.
Yeah. I feel like and I’m a person that gauges music by how it ages. Not just how it jumps out immediately on the charts. Probably my most respected record was “I Used to Love HER,” which didn’t jump out immediately but it ages so well it ends up on a lot of people’s top ten lists of all time. So when me and him get together we are trying to go there. We’re not trying to make the latest banger.

It is a long game.
Yeah, exactly.

So did you do “Daughters”? It seems a lot of the work seems drenched in the blues tradition.
Yeeah, I mean I’m into that. Absolutely being from Chicago and growing up around that kind of music—but for me it’s a certain emotion I want from my music. Like with him it’s like, we know you can rap, now let’s know you as a human being. Because he’s not the guy that‘s out. He’s not on TMZ. And when he comes out he has our attention, but now on this I was like, Let us in. And that’s where my music strength comes in, like when an artist opens up about something...

Right. Was there a particular sound you were looking for with this project?
Nothing pre-concieved. It was definitely not me sending Nas beats trying to get on his project.

[Laughs.]
This one record—we don’t know what we are going to call it, we just call it “The Train.” You know, I don’t even know if he knows how good he is when he puts his input in, but I was showing him what I do when I make music and it just so happened that we were having a conversation about Illmatic, and he was talking about the ideas he would have and he would just sit with the producers sometimes and share his ideas and I would start messing around with the beat—not necessarily that it would be something that I was going to put on the record, but I would just do what he is saying while he was talking. And so at one point he was like, “Man, it would be crazy if, like, a train came through and then the next thing you know a train appeared.” So songs would develop like that.


We would be watching movies, talking. That again, is where my strength as producer is. I honestly don’t really deal by sending people beats. I really deal as being someone who can pull something out of an artist that’s there. And you can’t pull something out of someone that you don’t know. So sometimes he’d be sitting there and we’re talking, I would just put the headphones on and start playing with the beat so by the next session I’d be like “I got that.”



How would you compare working with Nas to someone like Jay? Do you have the same approach with someone like Jay, in terms of drawing him out?

No. You can’t draw Jay out. Mainly because Nas would write multiple, incredible verses and not think that they are good enough. Jay knows what he wants in life pretty much. He’ll come with a song real fast. And that’s it. And Nas will write a whole song and be like “Nah, I don’t like that anymore.” And then write another three verses. Not with Jay. Jay won’t let you in his process.

What songs from the Nas cannon stuck with you or inspired you?
For me it was always about his first two albums. The affect that Illmatic had on us at that moment was serious. I know that this generation didn’t get that. They have to go back to hear that. Some people say don’t go backwards, go forward but I’m trying to make what I’m doing in music from back then and go forward with it.

Touch the ground, touch the foundation and then you jump.
Yeah absolutely. So for me that is his foundation. So I’m like let’s beat that if we can beat it. I know that’s a tough thing to propose, but aim for the stars, land on the moon.

Big K.R.I.T "Live From The Underground" Tracklist

Rapper, Big K.R.I.T is releasing his debut album (Live From The Underground) in a couple of days, and the tracklist just hit the net...you can check it out below. I think Big K.R..I.T is a link between the old and the new. I am not saying he has been around for a while, i just mean his style and the way he delivers it is reminiscent of old south rap, and his is future south rap. The album drops next week, June 5th to be precise.

1. LFU300MA (Intro)

2. Live From The Underground

3. Cool 3 Be Southern

4. I Got This

5. Money On The Floor  feat. 8Ball & MJG and 2 Chainz

6. What U Mean feat. Ludacris

7. My Sub (Pt. 2: The Jackin’)

8. Don’t Let Me Down

9. Porchlight feat. Anthony Hamilton

10. Pull Up feat. Big Sant & Bun B

11. Yeah Dats Me

12. Hydroplaning feat. Devin The Dude

13. If I Fall feat. Melanie Fiona

14. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

15. Praying Man feat. B.B. King

16. Live From The Underground (Reprise) feat. Ms. Linnie

Saigon Speaks on The Music Industry, and Rick Ross Issue

over the weekend, there was a lot of talk on what Saigon said about rappers like Big Sean, and Rick Ross, and how their music is degrading to the black community. He has said that his words were taking out of context, and that he contacted Rick Ross after the story went viral, and that he told him he didn't have any issue with him. But, he is still standing on his opinion on how some rappers lyrics are degrading to the black community.

You can read up what he said below-


While touring in Germany, Saigon has now responded by video, explaining his purpose in the states. The rapper began a seven-plus minute video admitting, "I'm getting a lot of backlash from being very outspoken."


Sai recalled his three-year-old daughter recently inquiring about a star rapper's name. "This is no disrespect to Nicki Minaj or whateva, but it's the fact that it's so sad that in America, through Hip Hop - something we created through our struggle as Black people, my three-year-old daughter is inquisitive about what a 'menage' is or what it means. Because mainstream America is making a lot of money off of sellin' sex."


Commenting on his relationship with Rick Ross, Saigon explained why he contacted the Miami, Florida-based rapper after the story published. "I don't know him-know him, but me and him have a rapport. So I went on Twitter and I @'ed him; I don't ever @ nobody," "I said, 'Look man, I got nothin' but respect for you. Do you. Feed your family. But I'm in my lane, so I gotta do what I gotta do regardless."


In the vlog, Sai clarified his point about who is behind the messages in mainstream Rap music. "It ain't just Rick Ross, first of all. It ain't even Rick Ross; Rick Ross is an artist. It's [Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment] Doug Morris. It's Universal Records. It's Sony Records. It's Radio One. It's Clear Channel. These [artists are] pawns. These people is pawns to the same people who enslaved us," he stated. Sony Red distributed Saigon's 2011 release, The Greatest Story Never Told, which was released through Suburban Noize Records.


The rapper also responded to crirticism he's faced since the story broke. "The people goin' against me right now more than anybody are my own people," Saigon said, believed to be referring to Black people. "Everybody else knows I'm right."


Before previewing his new single from his forthcoming album, "Rap Vs. Real," Saigon acknowledged his outspoken nature to be his purpose. "This is why I was put on this earth, man. I'm Malcolm X, yes. I'm Martin Luther King, yes. I'm Tupac, yes. So shoot me, try to assassinate my character, call me an idiot, do what you want. That shit don't matter, 'cause it's just getting started."



The fact is that "sex", "drugs" and "gangs" have been incorporated into rap music for as long as i remember, so it is not new. Name the rappers on most people's top 10 lists, and i will tell you that they have celebrated that lifestyle at one time or the other...Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie, Eminem, even Nas. So, if Saigon wants to go off like that, he needs to go all out. And i really don't think that would do any good. I spent time to listen to his music, and i can pick a lot of that in his music also. I just think he is bitter his career isn't popping like the rest. For example, on the matter of him having no valid judgement, read some lines from the track 8 of his The Greatest Story Never Told debut album which dropped last year-


I don't know where you be, but see I be where the birds at
She ask me buy her a drink, I get her some 'gnac
Then it's, c'mon baby, c'mon c'mon let's merk to the back
And way before my contract, I had hoes
Rappers claim that they had broads, but I doubt that they was bad broads
I'm feelin disrespected
If ev'rybody fuckin dimes, who got all these UGLY bitches pregnant?!


Now, tell me this is not the same thing he is blaming other rappers of doing, but on a lower level. By the way, the name of the track is Come on Baby (Remix) featuring Jay-Z...isn't that ironic?

Saigon Disses Rick Ross...And Later Denies It

Last week, sohh.com put up a story, or more or less, a transcribed interview of Saigon where he went off on Rick Ross, and Big Sean. He went on about how their music is destroying the black community, and he asked why people support his music. After the story went viral, he went on twitter and denied it, saying that Rick Ross was one of the few people in the industry that reached out to him in the past, and that he would be stupid to go at Ross. That left people confused.

Then, yesterday, sohh.com, put up the full audio with Saigon's voice on it saying all the things he was denying. Before i go on, read what he said below-

"You can put all this sh*t on your site because I don't give a f*ck. I don't give a f*ck because at this point, I've made up my mind. I made up my mind that I'm taking a whole different approach. ... Rick Ross and all these n*ggas rapping about drug dealing, all the sh*t that f*cks up the black community, they're not gonna be able to make no money. I'm gonna shut all their money down. Why ya'll supportin' a n*gga that promotes the destruction of our community? Why are you doin' that? Why would you let this n*gga thrive and we don't know where our next jobs are coming from? He's rapping about selling kilos of cocaine and selling drugs. This is what he's about, this whole lifestyle saying he's so rich and he eats shrimp every night, and ya'll support this sh*t? and ya'll broke and poor and your family's about to get kicked out. That's our hit son! That's his hit. Nobody knows the words to this song, all they know is "ass, ass, ass, ass, ass, ass, ass" [background noises]. We don't care about "ass, ass, ass, ass," but this is the society we livin' in right now. So it's like alright." (SOHH)


And below are some of his the tweets he put up denying this-




"Haha never a dull moment with these Hip Hop sites. The sh*t n*ggas do for a headline. Ross is my n*gga and I never singled him out abt the," Sai tweeted May 25th.


"@rickyrozay Peace my N*gga, I have no idea where that bullsh*t on that website came from homie. U know its all love over here, alsways been"


"Regardless to what, Rozay is making some of the best music in Hip Hop and he came in with Hustling, would be stupid for me to speak on that"


"Om an outspoken person, ALways gonna speak my mind but @rickyrozay is my n*gga. Would be stupid for me to take a shot a n*gga I rocks with.." (Saigon's Twitter)


The "Yard Father" then went on to insinuate that he was the victim of a falsified story.
"Im used to this sh*t so it doesnt bother me anymore. i dont even pay attn to what other n*ggas doing anymore.. I stay in my lane.."


"I just hate the negative energy. I dont care abt what the next man is doing. Im on the other side of the world right now doing what I do"


"Ross is one of the few niggas who ever extended his hand to me before. Mad love for @rickyrozay so with that said. Its a dead issue. MRA" (Saigon's Twitter)


I think this is really bad for Sai's credibility...how can you say something, then deny it, and then people then get to find out that you actually said it. With that, everything he said no longer holds water. There are a lot of Rick Ross haters that are backing Saigon, but i am fully behind Ross with this one. Rick Ross makes beautiful music...soul music, and delivers a couple of 16 bars on it; that is how i see Ross. And no one can deny the fact that he makes good music. If he talks about how he eats shrimps every day, well, that's his lifestyle, and he has a right to say that. What is rap? What is Hip Hop anyway? It's expressing yourself the best way possible. Saigon is coming off as a hater...he definitely wont be saying this if he was successful with his brand of music. And he said Rick Ross is being a bad model with his music, but he forgets that's just entertainment. And its really funny, cos Saigon was arrested in 2008 for having a weapon in his car...he is the same person that fought Prodigy at a concert...so what example is his life to the black community?

Of cos people are poor, and broke and all that...and you want them to listen to you, when you want to keep reminding them of all the negative stuff. People have a choice for what they listen to, and if they chose to listen to Ross, maybe they need some motivation to aim for their own goals. Maybe they need some entertainment. Even with Nas and his educative lyrics, if he wasn't delivering it well, or if he wasn't a great story teller, maybe he wont have had some of the fans he had.

I haven't heard the full audio, but i heard he even dissed the Gay community also. Well, i don't know what he said, but you can check out the audio on sohh.com site

Maybach Music Group "Self Made Vol 2.

Rick Ross is building his empire one move at a time. He now has Omarion, Meek Mill, Wale and Stailey to his empire, and they are about to drop their new compilation. The album, Self Made Vol 2. will be dropping June 26th, and you can check out the tracklist and cover art below-





01. Gunplay, Stalley, Wale & Meek Mill - Power Circle f. Rick Ross & Kendrick Lamar
02. Meek Mill – Black Magic f. Rick Ross
03. Wale & Omarion - This Thing Of Ours f. Rick Ross & Nas
04. Rick Ross – All Birds f. French Montana
05. Wale & Meek Mill - Actin Up f. French Montana
06. Stalley – Fountain Of Youth f. Rick Ross & Nipsey Hu$$le
07. Wale – I Be Puttin’ On f. Wiz Khalifa, French Montana & Roscoe Dash
08. Wale & Stalley – The Zenith f. Rick Ross
09. Omarion & Wale - M.I.A.
10. Wale & Meek Mill – Bag Of Money f. Rick Ross & T-Pain
11. Omarion – Let’s Talk f. Rick Ross
12. Gunplay – Black On Black f. Ace Hood & Bun B
13. Stalley & Wale - FluorescentInk f. Rick Ross
14. Rick Ross – Bury Me A G f. T.I.

Pusha T Disses Drake...Lil Wayne Replies

2 Days ago, one half of The Clipse, Pusha T dropped a track, Exodus 23:1, which had some subliminal shots at Drake. Within 24 hours of the track landing online, Lil Wayne tweeted this- "Fuck Pusha T and anybody that love him". And within another 12 hours, Lil Wayne dropped a full length diss track aimed at Pusha T. You can listen to the track by clicking on this link- Ghoulish...And the lyrics are below-

Fuck Pusha T and anybody that love him / His head up his ass, I'ma have to head butt him / Gut him, Lil Tunechi shit, weak stomach / It's me, LT like when you heat butter / Ol' pussy in the pan, red is the flag," he raps. "It's real nigga talk, these niggas speechless / Cut off his arm and leg like I charge for my features / Hammer on my side like I work in construction."

What i am wondering is why Lil Wayne is the one dissing Pusha T when Pusha actually fired shots at Drake and not him. And i am wondering why the response was so fast. It is almost like this was pre-arranged. Its almost like they are fooling with us...like they sat down and planned it. I know Pusha had a little thing with Drake in the past, but this came out of nowhere. I guess this would serve as a promo for the upcoming GOOD Music album called Cruel Summer coming up.

Before i forget, below are the lyrics from Pusha T's Exodus 23:1 which were aimed at Drake-


Over a ghostly beat, the G.O.O.D. Music signee takes square aim at Drizzy with lines including, "Beef is when you hide behind them other niggas / But they ain't killers, they ain't pullin' them triggers, fuck niggas."




He made reference to Drake's recording contract, most likely referring to the fact that he's signed to Lil Wayne, who is signed to Birdman whose label is housed under Universal Music. "Contract all fucked / Explain up I guess that means you all fucked up / You signed to one nigga that signed to another nigga that's signed to three niggas / Now that's bad luck," he raps. (hiphopdx.com)



Hahaha! I got to confess that does lines go in. I guess they really got to Wayne, that has to explain why he responded like that. Lil Wayne is signed to Birdman, who is signed to Universal. And Drake is signed to Lil Wayne. And then the other line about Drake hiding behind other niggers...like how he had to go at Common on a track that had French Montana and Rick Ross on it just to make it look real gangsta. I think Wayne just made this worse by going at Pusha T and not let Drake respond himself. And personally, i think Drake would have down a better job.


I think Lil Wayne is a wordsmith...good with the words and punchlines and all that, but i don't think he can hold his own in beef with Pusha T...the same way i think Jay-Z is one of the greatest, but he wouldn't have survived in a beef with Game. With this said, i think the next couple of weeks are going to be good for hip hop, cos Pusha T would definitely drop a reply to Wayne's track by next week...and it will def be heavy. Mark my words.

By  the way, this is the link to the Pusha T track- Exodus 23:1

Hip Hop Singles Digital Sale

It appears album sales seem to be dropping with each passing year in the Hip Hop scene, and rappers seem to be depending more on Singles sale and money from doing shows, so i decided to start updating on singles sales. Rappers release single songs from their albums as stand alone projects, and sell them on I-tunes, Amazon and other portal for downloading music. It seem hip hop listeners would rather buy a single song they like which cost about a dollar and some change, than put up 10 dollars or so for a whole album...i guess that is what it has come to.

Some rappers still sell huge with albums, but most rappers now depend on money from single sales. I can name 10 rappers off the top of my head that have singles that have sold a million copies or more, but have never done that with any of their albums.


With that said, i would like to mention Flo Rida as one of those. This man beats out any and every rapper when it comes to sales in the singles section...even Eminem doen'st come close to this guy. His Low single from 2007 has sold 6,000,000 copies. Virtually all his singles sell over 2 million copies individually...but he has never gone platinum with any of his 3 albums. This week, he is at the top selling spot of Hip Hop singles on the chart- his Wild Ones single, which features Sia sold 152,000 copies, and now totals at 2,286,000.


Pitbull's Back In Time single sold 100,000 copies this week, and now is at a total of 413,000. The smash single from Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz, Mercy sold 62,000 copies this week, and now totals at 606,000. 2 Chainz is up again, this time on his own track, where he features Drake called, No Lie, which sold 48,000, and now totals at 141,000.


Whiz Khalifa's Work Hard, Play Hard track sold 47,000 copies this week, and now is at a total of 336,000. B.O.B's So Good single, which recently went platinum sold 44,000 copies this week, and now is at a total of 1,094,000. Slaughterhouse just dropped the first single off their forth coming second album...the track is titled My Life and it features Cee-Lo Green- it sold 30,000 copies in its first week on I-Tunes. E.40 feat YG, IAmSu and Problem on a track called Function close off the chart, selling 8,100, and now total at 29,000.


Most of the tracks, as i earlier said, are sold for about a dollar, and with all the middle men in the mix, the artist probably get 10 cents out of each download. So, an artist would probably make 50,000 dollars out of a track that sales Gold (500,000 copies). I think that is not bad considering the fact that a lot of artist do that in a couple of weeks with their singles. Nicki Minaj's Starships song is not a rap song, that's why i didn't mention it above, but it sold 123,000 copies this week, and is at a total of 1,930,000, while her whole album (Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded) is at a total of 475,000.


 That is cool for her...that is almost 200,000 dollars off just one song, but at the risk of the whole album, because you can't tell me she didn't lose some of her core hip hop fans by making a song like that. I have no problem with the song, but she definitely wasn't trying to cater for her rap fans...she was trying to reach white teenage girls all around the world.

Jimmy Henchman Cocaine Trafficking Case- Day 6

Check out the day 6 updates on Jimmy Henchman's cocaine trafficking case below...in case you don't know, he is the Founder of Czar Entertainment, and one time manager of big artist like Brandy, Akon and Game.

The sixth day of testimony continued in the Federal drug trial of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond, in Brooklyn, New York today (May 22).

Rosemond is accused of masterminding a $10 million-per-year cocaine operation, that imported hundreds of kilos of cocaine per week into New York.

Prosecutors claim that millions in cash was laundered through various companies controlled by Rosemond.
Today in court, testimony continued from a variety of prosecution witnesses.

The case agent assigned to the Rosemond investigation, Marc Van Driessche, testified today.
Agent Van Driessche investigated Rosemond starting in 2008, until his arrest in June 21, 2011, at a W Hotel after a month-long, nationwide manhunt. Since then, Rosemond has met with authorities nine different times in an attempt to reach a cooperation agreement with the government.

After his arrest, Rosemond’s first meeting with prosecutors took place on October 4, 2011.
Agent Van Driessche said he attended a meeting with two prosecutors, agents, and an attorney representing Rosemond.

It was during this session that Rosemond admitted that he was a co-conspirator in the cocaine case.
During his first meeting with authorities, Rosemond admitted that he e-mailed an associate named Jason Williams on an encrypted Blackberry, so the pair could pick up “one of them things.”

Later, the two men went to an auto body shop in Newark, New Jersey, where an illegal trap was being fitted on to a black Dodge charger.

Rosemond picked up the charger and went to the LeFrak Housing Projects in Queens, where he received up a kilo of cocaine.

He then met with an associate named Winston “Winnie” Harris, who had already began cooperating with the DEA and was wearing a wire, with agents listening in.

“He was surprised Winston didn’t have the money, but he instructed Jason to handover a kilo of cocaine anyway,” agent Van Driessche testified.

Rosemond said that when he returned, he noticed police entering into his building, so he fled.
In the Proffer Agreement, Rosemond said he later he received a call from someone in Jamaica, who revealed that Winston Harris had been cooperating with authorities.

Rosemond put “two and two together” and fled Brooklyn for the Gowanus Housing Projects, where he spent the night in a staircase hiding from authorities.

Rosemond then made it to a hotel in Brooklyn, borrowed a white BMW from a family member, and traveled to Virginia, where he met up with Jason Williams.

Later in the evening, Rosemond said he traveled to Miami alone by train, where he had his housekeeper to remove $25,000 in cash.

“We didn’t know what happened to the defendant after police entered his apartment in New York,” agent Van Driessche testified.

In the Proffer Agreement, Rosemond also acknowledged he was aware of the $1.2 million stashed in a music crate at Smash Studios, which was going to be delivered to criminal associates in California.
According to agent Van Driessche, Rosemond admitted that in 2010 alone, two associates in the conspiracy provided him almost 500 kilos of cocaine.

He also admitted that he gave a connect named Lamont Bennett $300,000 in cash to settle a cocaine debt.
Van Driessche testified that Rosemond complained that he was going to be forced to sell one kilo at a time, until his money was back up, since he lost hundreds-of-thousands due to seizures of packages.


Rosemond’s publicist issued an official statement to AllHipHop.com about the testimony today:
“As an official publicist for Jimmy for many years, I’ve been listening in on the trial,” Rosemond’s publicist, Sabrina Stowe de Fernandez, told AllHipHop.com. “Since day one, his defense attorney admitted that Jimmy apparently lied during proffering sessions. The prosecutors took the deal off the table and is basically trying to bring those lies into the case as evidence.”

Top 10 Rap Songs on Billboard Chart

Below are the top 10 rap songs on billboard chart-



10. Straships- Nicki Minaj

9.  Mercy- Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz

8.  Wild Ones- Flo Rida feat Sia

7.  Faded- Tyga feat Lil Wayne

6.  Cashin Out- Ca$hOut

5.  Take Care- Drake feat Rihanna

4.  The Motto- Drake feat Lil Wayne

3.  Up! LoveRance feat IamSu and Skipper or 50 Cent

2.  Leave You Alone- Young Jeezy feat Ne-Yo

1.  Drank In My Cup- Kirko Bangz

Rap Albums on Billboard Chart

Sorry this is coming late...i usually put this up on Wednesdays. Nicki MInaj recently dropped the video for her new single. Right By My Side, which features Chris Brown and a Cameo from Nas. I guess this was a great move, as there is a 3,000 increase in sales of her album from last week. Pink Frdiay: Roman Reloaded sold 21,000 copies, and is now at a total of 475,000 after 7 weeks in stores.






B.O.B's Strange Clouds album sold 16,000 copies this week, and now totals at 118,000 copies. Drake's Take Care album is at a total of 1,744,000, after selling 10,000 copies this week. Kriz Kaliko, one of the artists signed under Tech N9ne's label made his debut on the chart this week with his Kicking & Screamin album, which sold 9,500 copies after one week in stores.


Future's Pluto album sold 7,000 copies this week, and now totals at 86,000. Killer Mike is back on the scene with his R.A.P Music album debuting on the chart this week, and selling 5,300.  Jay-Z and Kanye West are still on the chart with their Wacth The Throne album which sold 3,500 copies this week, to now total at 1,432,000.



Ab-Soul's #ControlSystem album sold 3,400 copies in its second week on the chart, and now is at 7,700 sold so far. Trip Lee's The Good Life closes off the chart this week with 2,100 copies sold, and now at 33,000 total.

The Late 90s Era in Hip Hop

I chose to write about this era in Hip Hop because a lot of incredible music came out of it; a lot of rappers blew up and were at their peak at the time. The late 90s era is from 97-99. Jay-Z, DMX, Mase, Puffy (p.diddy),  Nas, Wyclef, Praz, Lauryn Hill, Timbaland & Magoo were at their peaks. It is just incredible that they all were selling at their peaks at this time, and they all had market for the kind of music they were making. Every rapper i mentioned above had one or more platinum selling albums between 97-99.






 DMX was all Hardcore, and he sold multi-platinum with all his releases. He released two albums in 1998, It's Dark And Hell is Hot, and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, and they both sold over 3 million copies individually . Although DMX's style was far different from what Mase was doing at the time, he appeared twice on Mase's debut album, Harlem World. Speaking of Mase, his dorminance was mostly during his partnering with Puffy between 97-98. I think they were an incredible duo. Puffy's No Way Out (97) and Forever (99), sold several platinums. No Way Out sold over 7 million copies worldwide.

Mase wasn't as hot with his second album, but  his first album, Harlem World was one of the best albums to drop in 1998, and it sold over 3 million copies in the U.S alone. At this same time was when Timbaland, Magoo and Missy were doing there thing. Around the same period also was when Wyclef, Praz, and Lauryn Hill were selling millions, and growing their Refugees Allstars brand. Wyclef's Carnival in 1997 sold over 5 million copies worldwide; Lauryn Hill's Miss Education of Lauryn Hill which sold over 7 million copies in the U.S alone: and Pras's debut album Ghetto Superstar, although His didn't sell like the rest of his crew members, he had a lot of hits on it.




Closing up the 90s, 99 had so many platinum selling rap albums. DMX dropped his best album in my opinion in this year. And Then There Was X is still X's best selling rap album till date, selling over 5 million copies. Nas dropped two albums in 1999, I Am and Nastradamus; and sold 2 million and 1.2 million respectively. Jay-Z was just coming off the success of 1998s Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (which sold 5 million copies), and dropped his 4th album, Vol. 3...Life and Times of S.Carter, which sold 3 million copies in the U.S.



A lot of new rap listeners don't know this, but this era (the late 90s) also saw the first rise in the Cash Money empire; but the front runners then were the Hot Boys which had Juvenile, Young Turk, B.G and Lil Wayne rolled up as a group. Of course, at the time, Juvenile was the real superstar in the group. His third album, 400 Degreez is still the highest selling rap album that Cash Money ever put out...selling over 4 million copies in the U.S alone.



The year also saw the birth of new breads like Ja Rule and Eminem; both of which, although not with similar styles, but making very different music from what people were used to. Ja Rule came with the hoarse DMX voice, but with a melodious feel to his style. And Eminem came with the story of his life, not ashamed to speak on being bullied and abused as a kid. They both saw their peaks in the early 00s, but i thought it was worth mentioning them in here. Ja Rule dropped his 2 million copies sold debut Venni Vetti Vecci in 1999, and Eminem dropped his 4 million copies sold The Slim Shady LP the same year.

Third Week Sales of B.O.B's Strange Clouds Album

B.O.B's Strangle Clouds album sold 16,000 copies in its third week, and is now at a total of 118,000 copies sold so far. Although the first two singles from the album, strange clouds, and so good have already gone platinum individually, i don't think the whole album will make it to that million copies mark. I think it might eventually make it to Gold.

T.I Says He Has no Problem With Same-Sex Marriage

In light of the recent support the President of America, Barack Obama showed towards Same-Sex marriage in the country, a lot of rappers have come forward to voice their opinions. Jay-Z and Will Smith have publicly come out to say they don't have a problem with Gay marriage, now T.I Speaks his mind on how he feels on the matter.

Check out Tips words below-


"Just to speak honestly and being frank, I don't care," Tip said about the ongoing political debate during an appearance Wednesday on "RapFix Live."








"I think that if a matter doesn't affect your daily life, you shouldn't take a hard stand on it,” he explained. “If it's not something that directly affects you, if it doesn't affect you, what difference does it make to you what other people are doing with their lives?"