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New Updates - Archive for December, 2006
Few of the content pages have been updated, one of the pages is currently still being worked which the addition of the “Cameos & B-Sides” page. This helps organize the site better which include Guest Appearences, Compilations, upcoming Singles page & upcoming Unreleased page. Last part of the update includes the details about having a new board for Nas Daily, I made a poll which I want to see if people would be interested enough in a new board for the site. If enough people are interested, I will make a new one with a variety of updates.
Click Here To Vote
Carry On Tradition Interview - Archive for December, 2006
Nas’ mission isn’t over. Hip Hop is Dead has moved appriximately 355,000 units according to SoundScan and blessed him with his third Number One album in the 12 years since many of us pulled the plastic off Illmatic. Fans and critics still talk about whether or not the genre is actually deceased, which has offered a healthy amount of self-examination. AllHiphop.com chatted with Nas about the state of affairs, some of the reactions to Hip Hop is Dead and even engaged in answering some of the rumors surrounding his own life.
AllHipHop.com: First of all, you’re projected to do some pretty big numbers. How do you feel about that?
Nas: I don’t like to hear that. I just like to hear that people is likin’ it, and I don’t wanna know what it is [selling]; I don’t care. I just want people to like it, yo.
AllHipHop.com: A lot of people are considering [Hip Hop is Dead] a classic – within the best two or three albums of your career. How do you assess it?
Nas: Um…man. With each record, I don’t…I can’t…I don’t know what it is or how it is until at least a year. I’m like that. That’s not just me, that’s everybody. I need to hear they stuff [and I can] kind of get a sense of it. Then, a year later, I put that joint in, and just get stuff from it; I like doing that. It’s just a whole new day, yo. As far as the other s**t, the other s**t was the other s**t; it’s a new time and day.
AllHipHop.com: You started a lot of debate, at the grassroots level and even in the industry level. Do you still feel Hip-Hop is dead?
Nas: To me, right now, yeah, it’s what I’m feelin’. It’s like politics, how we say “Vote or Die”, but vote for who? What does voting do? How do you count a vote? Who are we voting for, and why are they good? Another thing is we don’t know anything about politics in my neighborhood where I’m from. I hardly know politics, I’m 33. I hardly know, you see what I’m sayin’? With Hip-Hop, it’s the same way. We know it has power, we know what it’s supposed to mean, but we don’t really know what it’s about. Maybe I can say “Hip-Hop is dead” and make dudes who didn’t really know what it’s about want to know more. I just told ‘em on TRL, they asked “How do you resurrect it?” I said [that] all of us, if we love it, if we care about it, if we have really respect for what other n***as have done, and respect [to] where we can move on from there…and just… ‘cause we’re too hard on each other. We’re too hard on each other ‘cause we’re all scrambling to be number one. Battling is the essence of Hip-Hop, but it’s gone too far ‘cause kids don’t care. That’s why I’m thinkin’ about these days, like Hip-Hop is dead for so many reasons. That’s why I did the album like that.
AllHipHop.com: You’re only 33, but in terms of the industry, you’re a veteran. Some of your critics, like a Jim Jones, are in the same bracket as you, but you’ve always seemed to come with an older perspective…
Nas: I’ve always felt like that. See, the OGs in New York, we all grew up wantin’ to be like that, to follow the style of the grown man. Somewhere down the line, that got cut short, which is why there has been a lack of direction or creativity lately on the New York side, ‘cause we’ve been havin’ fun just doin’ everybody else. But New York can do that. For them, they know the rules and they don’t feel like they’re cut from that cloth. So they’re trying to push themselves in there and disregard the cloth altogether. Or what’s really hood, they disregard that ‘cause they don’t feel adequate. But they are. They have to stop puttin’ Nas up on a pedestal so much. These guys are…these guys are doing it. Even if your first album doesn’t have the critical acclaim, or you haven’t done anything dope on the rhyme side, you can get there. It doesn’t mean you have to be there automatically, you know? I think that’s their frustration.
AllHipHop.com: At your birthday party, you had Joeski Love. You’ve always been about the old school, why?
Nas: Joeski Love! [Laughs] I think it’s “each one teach one,” and more than that, I grew up on that – on that song [“TK”]. I went to the movies with my moms and saw [Pee Wee’s Big Adventure], I remember the animated show on television, I remember Joeski Love. So these were the records that I’m excited about. I never knew how much that record sold, I didn’t even know what record label it was on – I probably did back then as a fan, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that song was crazy, and he captured a moment. That’s what I like about those guys. But I also talk about the old school guys too, ‘cause they’re not exempt from being criticized. So I get at the old school n***as – not all the old school n***as, but some of the old school n***as, I get at the bitter ones. And I get at the new n***as who are too arrogant. That’s how I carry on tradition. I love them ‘cause they are the pioneers. They made me wanna rap.
AllHipHop.com: There are rumors about you signing Royce Da 5’9 to your label. Is that true?
Nas: I would like to. [Pause] I would like to.
AllHipHop.com: Have you guys been talking?
Nas: Not as of yet.
AllHipHop.com: Where did this start coming up from?
Nas: I think he’s nice. [Pause] It was just some thoughts I said out loud.
AllHipHop.com: Ludacris had a shirt at the BET Awards that said something to the effect of “Hip-Hop’s Not Dead, It Just Moved Down South.” How do you feel about that statement?
Nas: I love it. That’s what this is all about. That lets me know we’re alive here, that’s what this Hip-Hop community is breathin’; they care about it, and they love it. It’s him responding to my cause. It’s his reaction to my action. I’m just excited that he responded.
AllHipHop.com: This album is getting a lot of four and five ratings. Do you feel like you’re resurrecting Hip-Hop?
Nas: Nope. I think I just like it so much – love it so much, that I have this relationship with it that’s odd. It’s like everybody else does. Jeezy has a relationship with it. Everybody has a strong relationship with it and they don’t know how to deal with it. It’s like a n***a hates to say “I love you” to his woman ‘cause it makes you feel soft, most of the time – some guys don’t. It’s the same way with Hip-Hop. We don’t say we love it but we do, ‘cause a lot of the street rappers don’t have that clientele. I used to not like the purists, but then I realized I was a purist myself, you know what I’m sayin’? It’s just that relationship, man.
AllHipHop.com: Just Ice is one of my favorite rappers of all times. You once told Funkmaster Flex a story about Just Ice…
Nas: Just Ice is one of the original Gs, man. He’s somebody who was on the radio when I was a kid, man. His s**t was tight, from the Filas to the Gucci hats to the glasses, he was just somebody I admired. There was a story about him: he got real hood years ago. I don’t wanna keep building on it, but it was just somethin’ I remember. You just remember certain s**t.
AllHipHop.com: Last question. It’s a funny one. My friend wanted me to ask you, with this album, what kind of youth pills are you taking?
Nas: [Laughs] Ay man, I don’t understand how this is happening, dude. I guess when you get older, you gotta eat wiser. You can’t eat late at night. You can’t eat all the stuff that you love. I love fried chicken, but I can’t eat it as often as I used to. You can’t drink like you used to; you can’t smoke like you used to. You gotta exercise your heart, gotta get your blood circulating. This is the normal s**t you think about when you get older; the s**t you’re supposed to do.
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Hip Hop Is Dead No. 1 On The Billboard 200 - Archive for December, 2006
Nas scores his third No. 1 on The Billboard 200 this week with his eighth studio set, “Hip Hop Is Dead.” The Def Jam effort moved 355,000 copies last week in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The rapper’s last effort, “Street’s Disciple,” peaked at No. 5 on the chart. Nas’ two other sets to take the summit were 1999’s “I Am… The Autobiography” and 1996’s “It Was Written.”
Following closely behind, the soundtrack to Disney’s “Hannah Montana” climbs 3-2 in its ninth week on the chart with 349,000, a 28% sales boost. The Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group/EMI/Universal/Zomba hits compilation “NOW 23″ also moves up, 4-3, with 313,000 (+33%).
Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts” (Arista/Arista Nashville) ascends 6-4 in its 58th week on the chart, moving 292,000 with a 47% surge. Sliding up 8-5, the Beatles’ “Love” (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol) shifted 282,000, a sales increase of 58%.
Bow Wow’s “The Price of Fame” (Columbia) enters the chart at No. 6 with 262,000. It is the rapper’s third-best charting week, as his 2003 effort “Unleashed” and 2005’s “Wanted” both debuted at No. 3.
Josh Groban’s “Awake” (143/Reprise) is down 5-7 despite a 15% increase to 255,000 while Daughtry’s self-titled RCA debut falls 7-8 despite a 38% boost at 250,000.
Justin Timberlake’s Jive album “FutureSex/LoveSounds” re-enters the top tier, rocketing 22-9 with a 98% sales increase to 230,000. Akon’s “Konvicted” zooms 16-10 on a 60% increase to 227,000.
During the week leading up to Christmas, few other new titles were released. Among the top debuts are RBD’s “Rebels” (EMI Televisa), which opened at No. 40 with 94,000, and Trick Daddy’s “Back by Thug Demand” (Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic), which bowed at No. 48 on sales of 87,000.
Nas Reacts To James Brown’s Death - Archive for December, 2006
“I had the opportunity to meet him and present a award to him this year. … I spoke in front of hundreds in his honor,” Nas explained of his introduction to Brown, whose indelible funk breaks have formed the backbone of hundreds of hip-hop tunes over the years. “I looked directly at him. He smiled while I told him how I used his music with mine and how much he’s done for us and how I love him. I’m lucky to have had that moment, shook his hand. He was pure greatness.”
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Nas Plays New York, Reunites With Cormega & Foxy Brown - Archive for December, 2006
Nas played to a pair of sold out crowds and treated fans to a holiday surprise to those in attendance at New York’s Nokia Theater last night (Dec. 23).
In support of Nas’ Hip-Hop Is Dead, Foxy Brown and longtime friend Cormega joined the the rapper on stage for a spirited performance of “Affirmative Action,” one of the standout songs on The Firm’s 1997 album.
“It was powerful feeling, especially the reaction from the crowd,” Cormega told AllHipHop.com. The special guests were met with glee of the raucous fans.
The Firm, a short-lived supergroup backed by Dr. Dre, Steve Stoute and The Trackmasters, consisted of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown and Nature. Cormega refused to sign in with the rest of the group for business and personal reasons.
Cormega was the centerpiece of Nas’ 1994 hit “One Love,” but the two grew into a beef over the years. Cormega and Nas traded lyrical bars dissing each other, but those days are apparently behind them.
“We had our differences, but me and Nas knew each other before Hip-Hop. This wasn’t the first time I spoke with Nas, we’d been talking, but the world didn’t know it.,” the New York native continued. “We’ve taken lyrical shots at each other, but it’s a New Year, and it was just time for us to publicly squash the beef.”
Cormega’s work continues on the musical front.
“I’m dropping a mixtape within the next three months featuring Large Professor, Styles P, and others. All the songs are exclusively for the mixtape, none of them will be on the next solo album, which is called The Inevitable.”
As for the concert pessimists that speculated the reunion with Nas and Foxy was just for the show, Cormega said, “If it wasn’t sincere, I would not have been there.”
Source: Click Here
Nas’ Ex Carmen Bryan Hit With Plagiarism Lawsuit - Archive for December, 2006
While rapper Nas is riding a wave of success with his new album Hip-Hop Is Dead, the rapper’s former girlfriend Carmen Bryan has been hit with a lawsuit over her salacious, tell-all book It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal–a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All.
In a lawsuit filed in Columbus, Ohio Federal Court, Tannell Davis claims to have written the book, which originally had a working title of Sex, Drugs and Hip-Hop…Oh, and Did I Mention Love?”
Bryan, who did stints at Def Jam and Capitol Records, also shares a daughter with Nas.
The 272-page-book tells Bryan’s life story and her role in a vicious feud between Nas and rapper Jay-Z and her affair with both rappers as well as other trysts.
Bryan details a secret affair she had with Nas’ one-time rival Jay-Z and claims she was the inspiration behind a number of hit records written by Jay-Z, including “Give It To Me, “Is That Yo Chick” and others.
The lawsuit alleges that Davis originally wrote and copyrighted Sex, Drugs and Hip-Hop…Oh, and Did I Mention Love? and that Bryan plagiarized the original version and sold the new version to Simon & Schuster under the new titled It’s No Secret.
In a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, Nas shared his views on the book, which hit stores in November.
“In this game, ya moms can come out and write a rhyme about you,” Nas told AllHipHop.com about the book. “It is what it is, what can you do? People are going to write books. I hope it’s a best seller. I hope she can buy twelve Bentleys off of it. Get out of my pockets and do her thing. I don’t respect when people jump out of their shirt; lose their shirt to cause controversy and stuff like that. That’s a different world. I’m staying out of it.”
Davis seeks an undisclosed amount in damages.
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Nas Projected To Sell Over 300k, No Jeezy Beef - Archive for December, 2006
Although Nas is expected to land atop the charts next week, the rapper isn’t overly concerned with the sales of Hip-Hop Is Dead, his new album.
“I just like to hear that people are liking it and I don’t [need] to know what [the sales numbers] are. I don’t care,” the rapper told AllHipHop.com after leaving a promotional date on MTV’s TRL video countdown show.
After its release on Tuesday, the album is expected to push between 300,000 to 325,000, according to industry staple Hits Magazine.
The music industry trade site is also expecting Hip-Hop Is Dead to debut at the top of the Billboard Top 200 Albums charts.
Nas’ Def Jam label mate Young Jeezy, whose new album The Inspiration debuted at No. 1 this week, apparently didn’t agree with Nas’ assertion that Hip-Hop has met its demise.
After an interview with rapper-turned-radio host Monie Love, he let his views known.
“It’s a new day and time. A lot of [new] cats feel touchy about the situation, because this is how they eat,” Jeezy said to Monie Love on on Philadelphia’s WPHI-FM 100.3. “As far as what [Nas] is saying [Hip-Hop is dead] - he’s trippin. It’s a new story. It’s a new movement. I cannot say that [Hip-Hop is dead].’”
Despite the tension, all is well between two Hip-Hop giants after they recently spoke.
“He called me. And it was just man to man. It is what it is. He lost his cool and I’ve done it before and we’ve got that right. But, its all about how you reconcile that and how quickly you do it. I respect that he called me,” Nas said.
Critics have been polarized about whether Hip-Hop truly needs a funeral, but Nas simply wants the dialogue to be positive and productive.
“The topic was meant for rappers to respond in all kinds of ways so this is what we all need,” he concluded.
Hip-Hop Is Dead is in stores now.
Source: Click Here
Currently Having Host Problems - Archive for December, 2006
Currently having host problems with the servers the site is hosted on which means Nas news will be delayed for about a week. We plan to get this fix as soon as possible.
Nas Memorializes Hip-Hop With Concert, Dinner And Party - Archive for December, 2006
Last night, it appeared that Nas attempted to memorialize and resuscitate Hip-Hop at the same time with the likes of Jay-Z, actor Tracy Morgan, Spike Lee, Chamillionaire, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule and numerous others that packed Manhattan’s club Capitale.
The Queenbridge-born rapper hosted an exclusive dinner affair and black tie party to celebrate the release of his new album Hip Hop Is Dead.
With a strictly enforced black and white dress code, party goers were
treated to a makeshift funeral home setting at Capitale, a former bank converted into a club.
In the night’s theme, a hearse was parked outside the revamped bank, as stars posed on the black carpet. As revelers walked in, they walked over the image of “Hip-Hop” outlined in chalk on the carpet. Caskets lined the inside of the area, wreaths adorned the stage and even faux crows loomed above the crowd. DJ Goldfinger manned the turntables with a live organist, violinist and drummer playing along with the records.
After making an entrance shortly after midnight, Nas addressed the crowd briefly and ad-libbed through a few of his classics before Hip-Hop legends Dana Dane, Greg Nice, Just-Ice, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Raheem, Monie Love, Joe Ski Love and others moved the crowd through performance.
Def Jam president Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Spike Lee, Chris Webber, Mark
Wahlberg, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and others attended the party.
Many continued to debate over whether or not Hip-Hop has truly met its demise.
“I would say Hip-Hop is dead, but it is quickly coming back to life,” Melle Mel told AllHipHop.com. “As long as there are people that understand the true meaning of Hip-Hop and are willing to fight for it the way we fought for it, then we are making the right steps to bring it back.”
Rapper Chamillionaire noted that the release of Nas’ album is one reason
why Hip-Hop is not dead.
“The actual culture might be hurting but the music is alive,” Chamillionaire noted.
Others concurred that the notion that the culture has expired is greatly exaggerated.
Teddy Ted of the Awesome Two said, “Well I think Hip-Hop needs a resurrection right now, I don’t know if it’s completely dead. It might be in a coma though. We need to hear a couple of things that we are not hearing right now to really bring it back.”
Earlier in the evening Nas and his closest family and friends, convened to celebrate with an exclusive dinner.
The event was held at Gin Lane in Manhattan and was graced by the likes of singer Mikki Howard, father Olu Dara, younger brother Kiane Dara, daughter Destiny, celebrity photogtapher Johnny Nunez, Marc Ecko, Stephen Hill and video host Rocsi of BET, DMX’s wife Tashara Simmons, D-Nice, and others like professional basketball player and producer Chris Webber.
Both Olu and Kiane Dara admitted that they were waiting for day of release to hear Hip-Hop Is Dead, and had only heard the album’s lead single thus far.
Just prior to dinner, Nas entered the dinner room draped in a black and red tuxedo surrounded by video cameras and photographers. The rapper eventually took his seat at the head of the table with wife Kelis, and the couple chatted with attendees through the evening. Party sponsor Hennessy Paradis even bestowed Nas with an exclusive bottle of their sprits in honor of his overall achievements in music.
With Hip-Hop Is Dead, hitting the shelves today, Nas could perhaps received another distinction, but spurning more people to take care of the culture.
Film maker Spike Lee told AllHipHop.com, “Hip-Hop is still alive through people like us.”
Before all of the upscale extravagance, Nas performed for rabid fans at Webster Hall, a popular venue in New York.
Hip-Hop Is Dead hit stores today.
Source: Click Here
Hip Hop Is Dead In Stores Now! - Archive for December, 2006
The highly anticipated album from Nas, Hip Hop Is Dead, is finally in stores now! Support Nas and get your copy today!
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