Puffy and Mase Detail The Making of 'Can't Nobody Hold Me Down'

I can never forget this song. The day after I played the role of the bestman at my cousin's wedding two years ago, we drove around with this song on repeat, drinking a bottle of Hennessy. This was one of those songs that made me fall in-love with that Mase and Puffy combo when I was a teenager. Hell, even my Dad, in his fifties at the time would always bump the song in his Benz 200. The song was so different and futuristic for that time (mid 90s). In a recent Complex TV special, attention was put on the song (Can't Nobody Hold Me Down; off Puffy's No Way Out album), and they got Mase and Puff Daddy to talk on how the song came about. By the way, the song was sampled from a Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five's track titled The Message.

Below is what Puff said about the song.

“I knew I liked the record. I knew I had produced a lot of hit records, but I didn’t have nothing with my voice on it. So, in the grand scheme of things it was the experiment that turned into a legendary formula...It was one of my favorite songs growing up, but I felt like I could put like a twist on it,” he added, while speaking on Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five's "The Message.” “I felt like it was a sample because of the tempo and the speed of it. It wasn’t really played in the clubs a lot. And it wasn’t really something that—It was something that everybody knew. There was an opportunity to put a new flip on it…And this was during the time of course when sampling—when everybody was sampling and looking for the hottest sample.”





And below is what Mase had to say about the making of the song.







“That record was Ice Cube’s record. So, when I heard it I was thinking ‘What are we doing? This is Ice Cube beat.’ And at that point we had already had beef with the West Coast. So, I was thinking ‘Why are we doing this beat again? This is not gon’ be good’…It took me literally like two weeks to figure out exactly what he wanted. Like I would hit it here and there and then I would tell him certain things. He would go ‘No, that’s not it.’ He said ‘Let me see where you’re going with it.’ And the first line he’d be like ‘No, that’s not it.’ And I would think ‘You didn’t hear the rest of it.’ He’s like ‘I heard the first line.’ I was like ‘You didn’t hear the next bar. The next bar is crazy.’ He was like ‘But you’re setting it up. Instead of just coming out with it.’ So, I would write a dope verse and think it’s for me. And he was like ‘No, I wanna say the verse you were gonna say for you.’ And then at that point I realized working with him I’m gonna have to go over the top cause the verse I think’s for me may be his verse.”




Hahaha! Mase was doing double work...writing for himself and then for Puffy. Loon took over that job after Mase left the rap scene. And a couple of rappers took over after Loon left Bad Boy Records. 

Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne Soon to be Working Together Again

Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne are two people I love to hear on a track together. They had a couple of songs together back in the late 2000s, and they were even supposedly working on a collabo album (I Can't Feel My Face), which never came to fruition. But Vibe recently caught-up with Juelz Santana during the video shoot for Billboard Bitch (a song by Avian feat. Dipset), and Juelz spoke on possibly working with Lil Wayne again pretty soon. 








"Wayne told me to come out to L.A. I'm definitely looking forward to going out there and getting some things done. I don't know what those things exactly are going to be yet."










Let's see what comes out of this in the next couple of months. I really would love to hear a Santana/Wayne collabo track on Tha Carter 5.

New Music: Say Dat Then (Slaughterhouse)

Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5'9, and Joe Budden, collective known as Slaughterhouse dropped a new jam for their fans today. The song is titled Say Dat Then, and it is from their upcoming House Gang mixtape. Watch out for that in a couple of days. On this particular track, Royce and Joe Budden killed it.

Download the song here- Say Dat Then

New Music: Irregular Heartbeat (50 Cent feat. Jadakiss and Kidd Kidd)

This is the song I have been waiting on from 50 Cent's Animal Ambition album. Irregular Heartbeat features Jadakiss and Kidd Kidd. Jadakiss never disappoints. Check out the track below. By the way, the album drops next month...June 3rd to be precise.

Download the song here- Irregular Heartbeat

New Music: Believe Me (Lil Wayne feat. Drake)

Lil Wayne has dropped his new single, Believe Me, which features Drake, and is the first single off his upcoming Tha Carter 5 album. Really dope song. I love Weezy's first verse. Listen to the song below.

Download the song here- Lil Wayne feat. Drake...Believe Me

50 Cent Not Happy With Rick Ross and Diddy Remaking a Biggie Classic

It appears that 50 Cent's hate for Rick Ross is still on, and their beef will be to infinity and beyond. Ross just dropped his sixth album, Mastermind, and there is a song on their titled Nobody (feat. French Montana and Diddy), which is a remake of Biggie's classic 1997 song, You're Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You). During his recent interview on Hot Power 105.1 FM's The Breakfast Club Show, 50 let the world know that he is not too happy with Puffy's decision in remaking the Biggie classic.

During the course of the interview, he was asked if he still had a problem Diddy, and he said...

"You know? I'm good. We're good. Some of his choices though...it made me scratch my head, like the Biggie references with the music. Because, you know, we'll be here longer. Our work will be here longer than we will. You know what I'm saying? But...like, like for me, even if someone comes that's lyrical, that's cool, and all that different shit, I would kinda stay away from trying to make him That (Biggie), for that new culture, like the new...I get it what he trying to do, but I would try to preserve those people that were iconic in the past, instead of trying to...You know?" 

I get what 50 is trying to say, but if he looks at the bigger picture, then he would understand that remake wasn't forced...it fit perfectly into the picture that Ross, French and Diddy were trying to paint. The problem a lot of people have with the song is that they feel Ross doesn't have the rights, and shouldn't remake any Biggie song. But if they took time to listen to the whole album, and see how everything flows into each other, then they would understand that remake. It wasn't like Diddy and Ross set out to remake a Biggie song for the album. But, after Ross was almost assassinated on his own Birthday last year, they were sitting in the studio, and were thinking of how to turn that situation into something good...into something creative that would tell the story of Ross's real life situation, and that's when they came up with the idea. 

A Lil Boosie/50 Cent Song in the Works

Apparently, before Lil Boosie went to jail in 2009, he and 50 Cent had linked up to do a song together, but they never got to finish it. Now that Boosie is a few weeks out of jail and HOT, it is only right they put finishing touches to the song and bang it out. The G Unit general said Boosie tried to get in touch with him immediately he got out of jail, but that he was too busy at the time. He added that he would find time this week to return Boosie's call. This were 50's word during a recent VIBE interview.





"Boosie had an idea that we were doing together and I'm not sure if I ever got back his vocals on it. Because right after, he was charged with murder and then that shit just got out of hand. I got to get up with him. He tried to reach out to me as soon as he got out but I was travelling and had so much shit going on. I'll give him a call this week. I haven't had a chance to finish [the song] but possibly you can hear something from me and Lil Boosie." (VIBE)

New Music: Thorns & Horns (Lupe Fiasco feat. Ab-Soul)

Well, it's like two weeks old, but it is still new to me. Very lovely combination...Thorns & Horns: Lupe Fiasco feat. Ab-Soul.

Download the song here- Thorns & Horns

Song Lyrics- The Language (Drake)

Below is the lyrics of Drake's The Language song...his diss track to kendrick Lamar off his 'Nothing Was The Same' album. Read between the lines.

[Verse 1:]
Yeah. (Young Money)
Yeah yeah.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah yeah.
Yeah yeah.
Look look.
I don't know why they been lying but yo shit is not that inspiring
Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement
Fuck any nigga that's talkin' that shit just to get a reaction
Fuck goin' platinum, I looked at my wrist and it's already platinum
I am the kid with the motor mouth
I am the one you should worry about
I don't know who you're referring to, who is this nigga you heard about?
Someone just talking that bullshit, man, someone just gave you the run-around
Niggas downplaying the money but that's what you do when the money down
I don't waste time putting money down
I just go straight to who got it and buy it in cash
Pussy so good that you gotta come see me on tour and you gotta fly in first class
This has been years in the making, it's all for the city
They know I come right every summer, Cash Money Records forever
I'm always big timing, bitch, I came up right under Stunna
You know it

[Hook:]
Jealousy in the air tonight, I could tell
I will never understand that but oh well
Bein' ready is real, I don't know about you
She just wanna smoke and fuck, I said, "Girl, that's all that we do."
Okay, now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Bein' ready is real, I don't know about you
She just want to smoke and fuck, I said, "Girl, that's all that we do."

[Verse 2:]
I'm about to roll one and light it and fuck it man, no one's invited
I gotta kill off the weak shit that's got all you niggas excited
I can't even listen, you whylin', I'd much rather sit here in silence
I send all my money to banks in the islands and eat with Italians, I do
People are funny; you don't even know 'bout the shit that I been through
I just want some head in a comfortable bed, it could all be so simple
Talkin' that shit with your back to me, just know it always get back to me
Come get your girl, she been here for three days and she way too attached to me
Hate when they get too attached to me
I gotta get on the bus and get back on the road
Get what I can out the country
And then I just get on the jet and go back to the cold
Can't even drive with the top off
Been workin' so hard on the album I missed the whole summer
I just might bring in some girls from Miami
To heat up the city and that's word to Stunna
You know it

[Hook:]
Jealousy in the air tonight, I could tell
I will never understand that but oh well
Bein' ready is real, I don't know about you
She just want to smoke and fuck, I said, "Girl, that's all that we do."
Okay, now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Now you're talkin' my language
Bein' ready is real, I don't know about you
She just want to smoke and fuck, I said, "Girl, that's all that we do."

[Outro: Birdman]
Famous ain't it?
You understand me?
Showtime, headlines
Big time, sunshine, tote nines
Bust mines, flat line, hard grind
High life, stay fly as jet time
Stunt nigga
Every time you see a nigga
Stunt nigga
Every time you see a nigga
Stunt nigga
Swag on head to feet nigga
Stunt nigga
I might just bring in some girls from Miami
To heat up the city and that's word to Stunna
You know it

http://www.azlyrics.com/

Throwback Song: Ether (Nas)

Listen and download one of the biggest diss songs in Hip Hop history, Ether by Nas. This is the Throwback song of the day.

Download here- Ether

Lyrics of Devil Is A Lie- Rick Ross feat. Jay Z

Below is the lyrics of Devil Is A Lie, one of the hits off Rick Ross's just released sixth album, Mastermind. The song features Jay Z.

[Intro: Rick Ross]
Masterminds! We gon' get this forever
You know whenever we link up, my nigga
They think this shit comes from outer space or something
Nigga, let’s get this money nigga
Masterminds: ROC, MMG! Jay, I got it, I got it

[Verse 1: Rick Ross]
Four stacks for the heels on my bitch feet
Car seats still smelling like 10 ki's
Tell a plug that I'm lookin' for increase
Wingstop, fat boy need a 10 piece
Say a nigga name and the car start
Nigga switching lane to lane like WalMart
Sippin Bordeaux out in Bordeaux
Hazard lights flashing on the four-door
Switch the Benzo for the Enzo
Back to the Benzo when the ends low
Switch my old bitch for my new bitch
Cause my new bitch something like a nympho
Fuck the game raw when I came in it
Getting money ever since I came in it
You couldn't stop me if you tried
Motherfucker cause the devil is a lie

[Hook: Rick Ross]
Big guns and big whips
Rich nigga talkin' big shit
Double cup, gold wrist
Double up on that blow, bitch
Two mil on that I-95
Bow your head cuz it's time to pay tithes
Opposition want me dead or alive
Motherfucker but the devil is a lie
The devil is a lie, bitch I'm the truth
The devil is a lie, bitch I'm the proof
The devil is a lie, the devil is a lie
Bitch I'm alive, the devil is a lie

[Verse 2: Rick Ross]
Two kings on the big screen
Niggas seen a 36 at 16
100k for the 16
Nigga's stick dirty but his dick clean
My money goin' on the deep end
Talkin' half a milli for the weekend
Contract like a nigga play defense
Curtains in the Maybach bitch peek in
Now the bitches wanna car hop
6 cribs for the cars in the car lot
Dope boys on the goal nigga
Went gold 6 times for a goal nigga
Black bottle and a bad bitch
Club all money where the cash is
Dubai I can do it like a sheikh
Top floor nigga Burj Khalifa

[Hook: Rick Ross & Jay-Z]

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Is it truth or it's fiction, is it truth or it's fiction
Is Hova atheist? I never fuck with True Religion
Am I down with the devil cuz my roof come up missin'
Is that Lucifer juice in that two cup he sippin'
That's D'usse baby welcome to the dark side
Coulda got black list for the crack shit
White jesus in my crock pot
I mix the shit with some soda
Now black jesus turn water to wine
And all I had to do was turn the stove up
East Coast, winnin' at life, nigga, cheat code
The hatin' is flagrant, hit your free throws
The devil try to hit me with the RICO, them black people
Devil want these niggas hate they own kind
Gotta be illuminati if a nigga shine
Oh we can't be a nigga if a nigga rich?
Oh we gotta be the devil that's some nigga shit
You seen what I did to the stop and frisk
Brooklyn on the Barney's like we own the bitch
Give the money to the hood, now we all win
Got that Barney's floor lookin like a VIM
Black hoodie, black skully
Bravado like Mavado, boy I'm that gully
Gettin white money but I'm still black
All these niggas claiming king but I'm still that
King Hova, Mansa Musa
Told my lot, the devil is a lie, I'm the truth ya

[Hook: Rick Ross & Jay-Z]

azlyrics.com

Tom Ford Comments on Jay Z Making a Song About His Fashion Line

Mr. Tom Ford (full name-Thomas Carlyle Ford), who uses his real name for his clothing line was interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live over the weekend. During the course of the interview, he was asked about his initial reaction to Tom Ford; a Jay Z song from last year. He said he liked the idea behind the song, and the fact that it was positive.

“Well I know him, and he emailed me and said ‘I’m writing a song called “Tom Ford”’ and I didn’t know what to expect, but I trust him, he’s a great guy. And then I heard the song, I had to go on rap translator to sort of understand what it meant. The message is actually quite positive, he doesn’t do drugs he wears Tom Ford, that’s how he gets his high, so who doesn’t like that.”



Tom Ford is off Jay Z's twelfth album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. You can listen to it below.

Macklemore- White Privilege (Audio)

This song is from Macklemore's debut album (The Language of My World) which dropped in 2005, before he hooked up with his current producer, Ryan Lewis. I put this up because in recent times, people have made it seem like Macklemore is enjoying an overnight success which he got because he is white. Personally, I do not like his voice and delivery, but his lyrics are very intelligent, and they have made me overlook the parts of him I don't like. On this song, he explains white privilege in Hip Hop...he acknowledges it and gives props to the black people and their culture, but also says there is no reason why he shouldn't make hip hop music, as long as he is real about it. He doesn't rap about guns and drugs cos that was not part of his reality.

Download the track here- White Privilege

You can also check out the song lyrics here- White Privilege Song Lyrics

Olympic Gold Medalist (Jamie Anderson) Points to a Nas Song as Inspiration Behind Win

Jamie Anderson, a Gold Medal winner at the ongoing winter Olympics points to a Nas song as inspiration behind her win. During her recent interview on ABC, she was asked about her source of inspiration, and she said...

"It's Nas 'I Can.' It's just a very inspirational song to truly believe in yourself and know that you're capable of anything. If you work hard at it, you can. It's the truth." 

Jamie Anderson is a snowboarder, and that was the sport in which she won a Gold medal for at The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. It's nice to know that a Hip Hop song can actually inspire someone to do something positive. I wonder how she found the song, or if she heard it when it first came out. That song is 12 years old, and I don't think it still gets a lot of spins on radio. It really is an inspirational song, with enlightening lyrics. Check out some lyrics from the song below-

I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice...

Raekwon Speaks on Unreleased Jay Z Collaboration

Some time last year, just before Jay Z's 12th album, Magna Carta Holy Grail album dropped, a picture of him and Raekwon together in the studio hit the Internet. A lot of people couldn't wait to hear the end result of the studio time, but when the album dropped, there was no Rae on it. The Chef, in a recent interview on Montreality said they did record a track, but he doesn't know what happened to it. He also said maybe Jay Z wanted Ghostface on the track too, and it didn't happen, so he didn't put the track out.

"I guess he tucked it or whatever. And you know, I guess he got a plan or whatever. "I don't really know. You know what I mean? I just know that at the end of the day we still got things that we discussing that we gon' make happen. I don't know what happened with the record though, you know -- I don't know what happened cause I know I guess he wanted to have Starks on it too. You know how it is when you got your vision and you want it to be a certain way. It didn't come fully into fruition though, but it was still a lot of great love though." ("Montreality")

Raekwon is one Wu-Tang Clan member I have always liked; maybe because his style is very similar to Nas's style from the mid 90s...It Was Written era. I also like how he has managed to stay relevant all these years, without losing himself in all the new waves and styles out there. I would love to hear that mystery track...and it would make even more sense if Jay eventually gets Ghost on it.

50 Cent Working With The L.O.X on New Project

Former fores of 50 Cent were seen in the studio with him a couple of days ago. It has been about 4 years since they squashed their differences, but because of how crazy the beef was back then, it's still hard for me to believe they are really cool with each other right now. He is set to drop his last album with Interscope Records, Street King Immortal this year, but before that, he is currently working on another project, that would be closer to album material than mixtape material, and he has titled the project, Animal Ambition. No news on when it is set to drop, but he tweeted the pic you can see below, with the caption- Animal Ambition on the way. It's getting ready to get CRAZY#smsaudio, about 4 days ago. It is sure there will be a song with him, Jadakiss and Styles P on the on the album, considering the fact that they were in the studio together.

Kid Ink Speaks on Working Relationship With Chris Brown

Fairly new on the scene, Kid Ink spoke on his working relationship with Chris Brown in a recent interview. The two artists are label mates (signed to RCA Records), but Ink says their relationship is deeper than just being label mates. He also details the making of their hit single, Main Chick.

“He already collabed with me when I was independent, but you know some independent things get under the rug. So we built a relationship just sending each other videos and just different stuff like that and in the city, because we live in LA…We built a cool relationship and when I hit him up through DM, I didn't have his number at the time, he was like book a session because, I was like,'You want me to send it through email or book a session', and he was like, 'Yo book a session. Like why would I do the email thing?' He only lives 15 minutes from me...You go to the crib and it's like six Lambos in front of the crib. Then you walk in and it's crazy. It's three tattoo artists on the wall tattooing. Chris was spray painting on the wall and it's crazy.” (DJ Whoo Kid Interview)

He later spoke more about the records they made together...

"I went home confident with the records we had. I did three records with Chris Brown that night, and we had three records left. We were going through so many different things trying to get this tracklist and he ended up putting it on his X Files EP, which was not the same version that I had on the album. He had the one he had from the original session. You know, I respect that, because that was just, it's a co-sign. I feel like it's just letting people know that he's not just rocking with me on some label stuff, even though we label mates. It's really like, I can hit him up, and go to the crib and chill and all that." (DJ Whoo Kid Interview)


Kid Ink dropped his second album, My Own Lane last week (January 7), and it did moderately well in the sales department...selling 50,000 copies after 7 days in stores.

Mariah Carey's 'Beautiful' Goes Platinum

It's good to see her going platinum with a single after being in the music industry for over 24 years. Mariah's Carey is working toward dropping her 11th album (The Art Of Letting Go) later this year, and the first single off the album, Beautiful just went Platinum (sold over a million copies). Mariah Carey actually had an accident while filming the video to the remix of Beautiful (which features Jeezy), that's why she is wearing the sling in the pic below. She was fatigued from long hours of work during the shoot, and fell of the stage...on cement. Doctors had to pop her dislocated shoulder back in place.

And below is a message to her fans...




“As I heal from my recent injuries,it was nice for Steve Bartels, president of IDJ to come by and celebrate the Platinum success of #Beautiful Thank you #lambily for having patience with me as I recover,I’ve never experienced any pain like this and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,lol yet true,L4L LYM”

Joell Ortiz Goes At Kendrick Lamar For Calling Himself The King Of New York

Before I write anything on this, I would like say that Kendrick Lamar is going to have a lot of shots fired his way in the next couple of weeks...or months. I hope he can handle all of it; okay, I know he can handle all of it. I guess this is what he always wanted. Okay, on to the actual news. Big Sean leaked a song off his up coming album titled Control, which features Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. And on Kendrick Lamar's verse, he spits some very controversial lines. Apart from calling himself the King Of New York (he is not even from the east), and disrespecting every rapper out there with that line, he also put himself in the same league as Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, and Andre 3000, and says that other new rappers are nothing but new rappers.




With words like that, of cos rappers will take it very personally. Okay, I missed out the part where he mentioned some of his peers (J.Cole, Big Krit, Wale, Pusha T, Meek mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electronica, Tyler, and Mac Miller), and said they were his homeboys, but that he is out to murder them all. Joell Ortiz found it disrespectful that kendrick would call himself the King Of New York when he is from the West, and also the fact that Kendrick didn't name him or his clique when he was mentioning who he considers the best, in which he puts his own name in there. Okay, before I go on and on, below are some lyrics from the Joell Ortiz response (Outta Control), and also the actual song.






"I ain't even gotta give this too much thought. Joell Oritz won every war that he ever fought/This ain't no different, I'm listening, you know the King of New York?/Lil' homie, you ain't the King of New York, you the next thing on my fork/The messenger with all those rings on that horse/Carrying kings heads until I kick you in your chest and you cough/And fall into a bottomless pit, homie, you know how many bodies that fit/When we met you said, 'It's an honor, man, the Yaowa can spit.' Maybe that's why you left me outta that sh*t/Maybe that's why the Slaughterhouse ain't get dissed/Or maybe I'm not on your radar, you feel you ain't got to acknowledge my clique"