West coast rap icon Ice-T has decided to stop bad mouthing teen hip-hop sensations on YouTube and do something about the state of our favorite musical genre. Iceberg is starting his own label. The Law & Order: SVU detective plans on readying a digitally-based label through EMI to bring artists that have a more “classic” sound into mainstream exposure.

Ice-T, who has been a very vocal opponent of today’s “bubblegum pop” sound in rap music, has already claimed to  have an artist from Los Angeles, a group called Certified from Washington State, another group named Born Twice from Houston and an emcee from New York, signed to his still unnamed label.

As reported last week, New York DJ Funkmaster Flex declared that he was boycotting any and all artists signed to Interscope Records and would not spin any of their records/songs on his program. The higher ups at Hot 97 had something else to say about it.

“We’ve never held back on a whole label’s music,” said Ebro Darden, program director at Hot 97, in an interview with the New York Daily News. “And we won’t. We’ve got good relationships with labels…We had to muzzle Flex…People know a lot of what he says is showmanship, but that went too far.”

Showmanship is one thing, but having your boss say you needed to be muzzled is pretty rough and quite another. I hope for Flex’s sake there isn’t any additional blowback from Interscope or anyone else over this – that might be a little idealistic though.

Wendell Tucker, a Chicago native and gradutate of Southern Illinois and Chicago State Universities, has taken hip-hop and put it on stage. Basing his play off of Common’s “I Used To Love H.E.R.,” Tucker has utilized the personification of hip-hop as a woman and played off of how money and fame influences her direction. Read the rest of this entry »

In a rare display of “sticking it to the man,” legendary New York DJ Funkmaster Flex threatened to ban all Interscope artists from his Hot 97 show due to the label mismanaging their music and influence. Flex went on about trying to start a movement with his actions and even called out 50 Cent to walk away from his deal with Interscope.

Sounds like Mr. Hot 97 has gotten pretty hot and bothered about the direction the industry has been taking and decided that he was going to carry the banner for change. The hip-hop Obama? Not quite but if he does stick to his word there will be no Detox or Relapse in the rotation while the Funkmaster is spinning.

-Paul Wall Get Money, Stay True cover

-Jay-Z’s baby mama?

-Timbaland rides with Hillary Clinton.

-Radio station frees Bobby Brown.

-Beanie Sigel talks new album, Jay, Dame, etc.

-David Banner says he has a phenomenal album. Don’t they all say that?

-JustBlaze TV: Jean Nelson is Mad. There’s a Hov/Saigon collabo-teaser at the beginning of the clip.

-Hip-hop is dying a slow and painful death. Haven’t we been down this route before?

-Nas maps out his spring tour, which kicks off in Cleveland a month from today.

-VH1 Classic to air Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

-Like I rightly predicted, the RIAA is now going after bloggers.

::Cover art for Flip’s upcoming LP, I Need Mine, due out March 27

-Prefixmag interviews lyricist extraordinaire, Rich Boy. I keed! I keed!!

-2007 SXSW Hip-Hop Schedule.

-Ski Beatz: Don’t call it a comeback.

-Hip-Hop Rumors: Jay-Z and Dame Dash collaboration?

-Breaking NEWS!! Rap is a vehicle for social change.

-Winning muslim hearts with Eminem.

-Fabolous trades in Weezy for Jeezy.

-50 Cent’s baby mama out to get more than 50 cents.

-Snoop and Diddy to play under the “stupidest” name ever.

-Health scare at Beyonce’s Sports Illustrated bash.

-Can’t make this up.

::Video: Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony – I Tried

-Understandably, Ludacris asks for privacy after dad’s death.

-Who knew Mariah Carey was a Bone Thugs stan?

-“Sensitive thugs, you all need hugs.” ^(c)S.Carter

-“The only crime I’m guilty of is being a young black woman,” Foxy Brown.

-Good to hear that James Brown will finally rest in peace.

-Dick Cheney heard “boom!”, ran to shelter.

-Ray-J hooks up with Lil Kim.

- Devin asked to wait till March 20th to Inhale.

-Wu-Tang join forces with Rage Against the Machine.

-Complete list of Oscar winners.

-The Source and Ebony are among the 51 Best Magazines of all time, according to Goodmagazine.com.

-Gaming League Showdown: Just Blaze vs. Ne-Yo

-Tim Hardaway sued for skipping mortgage and car wash rent payments.

-Beyonce cries over J-Hud’s Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

-Justin Combs’ security team fired over that controversial lapdance.

-Pictures from the Oscars.

-Imagine this happening in the U.S.?

-Rap Meets Rock: Looking for the Emo Connection.

-Timbaland at Wrestlemania?

-FameCast, an American Idol-style competition needs your votes.

-My condolences go out to Ludacris on the death of his father.