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"Rock City" is probably one of the most talented up & coming groups in the game right now. They have tremendous buzz & is slowly working their way to becoming bigger household names. In the following video you can see they maybe getting a little frustrated with where they are at the present time which is not uncommon for many artists waiting for their debut album to be released. Akon is actually schooling these brothaz that timing is everything in the entertainment industry & one false move can derail your career regardless of how much talent you have. I've interviewed Akon a few times many years ago before he became a household name & can recall the ups & downs Akon endured before getting to the place where he is at now. Akon is definitely speaking from experience when he tells the brothaz how things really are when you don't have any real support.  The best thing they can do is to continue to make good music, tour, do MANY interviews & overall stay relentless in their pursuit of success. 

Check out this video of Ludacris & 9th Wonder in the studio together laughing at the recent video of K-Ci & JoJo's flawed performance in Australia.  Hopefully 9th Wonder & Ludacris are working on a song together because just seeing them in the studio has us heavily anticipating a few hot joints.  We'll see come November 11th when Luda's album "Theatre Of The Mind" drops...

The "2 Live Stews" are probably the only commercial radio show that I listen to other than satellite radio. They can be heard on 790 the Zone from 1pm-4pm here in Atlanta, but they are also syndicated nationally. They have one of the most fun sports talk shows to listen to because it feels like I'm with my friends talking about everything from women to sports.  Check out this video from their television show where they discuss why brothaz date younger women.  It's pretty interesting & sounds like conversations I have with some of my friends on a regular basis.   

In case you may have missed it, check out this interview of R Kelly speaking about his recent trial in which he was found not guilty. One thing is for sure R Kelly, or some political or underworldly figures around him, must be really connected to get him off.  We've seen the actual videotape so our opinions are not going to change no matter what he says in some interview.  BET has the exclusive interview which makes political sense for R Kelly because he needs BET to continue to play his videos & promote his music. It also benefits the "Pied Piper" because BET has a history of not interviewing black entertainers well who've run afoul of the law.  They all run to BET because they never want to be grilled by the more mainstream media with tougher questions. For those of us who've seen the sex tape, this interview is actually hilarious.  

This past weekend Tommy Hilfiger made a special appearance at the Macy's store up at Lenox Square Mall. Tommy was there promoting and selling copies of his book Iconic America and signing autographs for hundreds of fans. His appearance coincided with Macy's 150th anniversary as a department store. It was a large turn out but one thing I noticed was there was hardly any people of color in the crowd. I thought it was rather funny because I remember when wearing Tommy Hifiger was staple in hip hop culture. In the early nineties Hip Hop artists such as Grand Puba and Q-tip not only mentioned Tommy in their lyrics, they were also sporting it as well. Back in 1994 I recall when Snoop Dogg perfomed on Saturday Night Live dressed from head to toe in Tommy Hilfiger exposing it to a national audience. That same year Tommy Hilfiger sales skyrocketed to over 90 million dollar in gross revenue. I'm sure yall have heard the rumors about Tommy not wanting to be associated with Hip Hop culture and selling his clothes at an astronomically high price so that people of color couldn't afford them. I dont know if this is true but I do know that the upstart of more urban clothing companies such as Phat Farm, Rocawear, and Sean Jean have caused Tommy lose his edge with the urban audience. Tommy Hilfiger had to close many of his specialty stores and his sales at department stores are half of what they were five years ago. Tommy maybe be still doing well (by the average person's standards), but it's crazy to see the how the lack of urban influence has greatly affected his sales. If Nelly is making millions in selling Apple Bottom jeans then other brothers can come up the same way. Tommy sorta paved the way.

Rakim showing why he's one of the greatest lyricists of all time

Raphael Saadiq's new album dropped yesterday....did you cop it? Peep the interview below

CNN gets pranked by two male Howard Stern employees supposedly kissing each other in the background of a live newscast.  The hilariousness starts around :42 seconds into the video below.....

"They should have never gave you n*ggaz money!  ---Dave Chappelle

It seems like our pro athletes in the ATL can't get enough of the strip clubs.  Ain't nothing wrong with it unless your clocked by some cop while speeding from Pin Ups, Magic City, Babes, or any other popular Candy Shop around the "A".   The latest athlete to get caught up last night was Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy.  He got hemmed up at 3:30am this morning on I-85 in his 2006 Range Rover after failing several field sobriety tests & registering a .141 which is more than the DUI limit of .08%.  The arresting officer stated that Lawyer first said he only had "one shot and a beer", but later told the officer that he drank "two shots and a beer."  The former New England Patriot probably never had a taste of the ATL strip club culture & just got caught up in Gwinnett County after having too much fun & one too many drinks.  

We spotted this video over at Necole Bitchie's site & we have got to say that Janet Jackson must be a card carrying member of the "Freak Nasty" club....

Ludacris's new album "Theatre of The Mind" was initially scheduled to be released in October, but it appears that it's been pushed back to November 11th.  In the meantime check out this trailer to Ludacris's new song "Undisputed" featuring Floyd "Money" Mayweather.....

I've come to the realization that no matter how much you try to explain to someone what real hip hop is about they will never fully understand because they probably didn't grow up with it or just don't quite understand what hip hop is about.  As a true hip hop head I find it's better to not argue with fools.  Hip Hop as a culture is only about 36 years old so it's not really about being old in the game more so than the artform growing & expanding.  Other genres of music have been around for decades longer than rap music.  Older artists in the game can still rap, but just need to change their subject matter to adjust, but not just make the same kiddie music they were making in the past.  One example would be to look at how artists like Common have evolved.  In addition, the talent level in hip hop also needs to step up.  KRS-One once said that real artists "rely on talent & not marketing & promotion".  Check out this video below...Nelly doesn't realize that he disses himself in saying that the music is not for old artists, but last we checked Nelly is in his mid thirties.  It's also apparent that Nelly may now have beef with Ice-T....It's almost certain.  

Redman is scheduled to perform later tonight at the Loft over on West Peachtree Street tonight.  It's a free show sponsored by Scion, but you do have to RSVP at www.Scion.com/LiveMetro

Check out his video for "Pick It Up" which was filmed here in Atlanta during the time when he was living in ATL along with his homie Erick Sermon......

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Some of us go to church on a regular basis, some of us go to the mosque, & some of us are just spiritual beings devoid of following any particular religion. You can find God or your higher power in the words left by great individuals who may or may not be still with us. Focus on this quote for the rest of the week. Post it on your refrigerator, at the office, or even on your computer's screen saver. You may be surprised at how much it will get you through the week & even through the rest of your life. This weeks inspirational quote for the week comes from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.  Read it & be inspired to do the right thing.......

A man screaming "All Black People Must Die" runs down a black female bicyclist after his girlfriend leaves him for a black man. It's a rather unfortunate situation for the young lady who will never be same after this incident. The good news is that there will be plenty of Black Men in the jail who will be willing to make this guy their "Girlfriend". Lesson to racist white males who commit crimes against African Americans.....the brothaz run the jails. We're sure they were watching this newscast from the day rooms.

The hook to a classic hip hop song runs over & over saying "it's bigger than hip hop", & that statement couldn't be any more true as the brothers that ran the BMF in Atlanta recently found that it's definitely not ALLHIPHOP as they were sentenced yesterday.

Brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory were sentenced yesterday (September 12) to 30 years in prison, for running the cocaine organization known as The Black Mafia Family. Demetrius and Terry were apprehended in 2005 and indicted under the CCE (Continuing Criminal Enterprise) law, which like RICO charges carry life sentences. Under the federal prison system, there is no parole option. Seeking to avoid spending the rest of their natural lives in prison, the brothers pleaded guilty in November 2007 to the CCE charges and laundering drug money in hopes of serving the minimum 20 year sentence. However, evidence presented by prosecutors resulted in 30 year sentences for both men. BMF was founded by the brothers in Detroit during the late 1980s.  

DJ Rastaroot's "Face Off Friday" monthly event kicks off again tonight at club MJQ.  Roots is the road manager for Dwele & DJ for Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest.  He also reps the ATL as one of the hottest deejays on an international level as he frequently travels to spin at gigs all over the world on a regular basis.  MJQ is a spot we recommend for this evening as you may never know who may show up at anytime & grace the stage with Rastaroot. One of the best nights at MJQ, Root's "Face Off Fridays" provides a good mix of music that deviate from the same songs you hear on the regular radio everyday.  We recommend this spot because there isn't some bulls*t dress codes & crazy cover charge.  Just good vibes & good music really over at 736 Ponce De Leon Ave.   Don't take our word for it, just show up...or check out the video below to catch the vibe.  

The ATLstatus team caught up with Young Jeezy's new R&B artist "London" during his photoshoot.  London has a few joints circulating among the deejays on the mixtapes & on the radio right now for Jeezy's CTE label called "One 2 Many" & "Sometimes".  The upcoming album is to be released on Universal/Motown records.  Check out this video of him explaining how he went from being homeless to getting his current buzz building right now.  

Radric Davis, better known in the ATL as rapper "Gucci Mane" was sent back to jail this morning after having his probation revoked.  At the probation hearing this morning he admitted to his parole officer that he smoked weed & had taken "X" pills.  In addition it was revealed that he didn't serve enough community service hours as he only completed 25 of the 650 required hours.  Gucci Mane also received a DUI & weed possession charge earlier this summer.  The judge sent him back to jail this morning & he is now required to serve an entire year.

It appears T.I.'s "otha baby motha" has recently sued the Bankhead representer for more child support. Lashon Dixon, 29, says she's been receiving $2,000 a month for their two boys ages 7 & 8. The woman claims that she & T.I. have known each other since they were teenagers & dated before he was the current superstar that he is now. Dixon states that she is having a hard time caring for their sons with the current amount of child support she's been receiving. Dixon said she wants a court to order a stipend that is equal to the rapper's current success. Of course many of you may already know that T.I. also has two sons with his fiancee, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, of the defunct R&B group Xscape. T.I. & Tiny also had a daughter who died shortly after childbirth back in 2007.

"To clarify the recent reports, in addition to the $2000 per month I pay in cash to Lashon Dixon, the mother of my sons Domani and Messiah, I also pay for their private schooling, medical insurance, clothing, food, gifts, birthdays and extracurricular activities. Their extra-curricular activities have included football, basketball, baseball, acting lessons, summer camp, and any other activities that they express a desire to be involved in that will contribute to them leading balanced lives and developing into well rounded individuals. I have also made an attempt to help Lashon with additional payments that have included a down payment to purchase her home, purchase of an automobile for her transportation and other financial obligations."

Check out this Erykah Badu Interview....Okayplayer?

Kanye West was recently arrested after a scuffle with the paparazzi in the L.A.X. airport according to various news reports including the LA Times.  Kanye West and his road manager Don Crowley were arrested this morning at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of felony vandalism after they confronted two paparazzi and smashed the men's cameras, authorities said. The incident took place about 7:50 a.m. outside the passenger security screening area in Terminal 4, said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.  Initial reports said the incident involved "a commercial photographer, 'paparazzi' " and a camera worth more than $10,000, according to Castles. Kanye recently posted bail & was released, but check out some of the video of what happened.  "Damn these niggaz got me, I hate these niggaz more than the nazi's"-Kanye West

Check out this upcoming Snoop Dogg documentary which focuses on steering kids away from gangs.  It follows Snoop's story from the streets to prison & the young kids who are currently caught up in the juvenile prison system. 

Karrine "Superhead" Steffans goes on the web & exposes Darius McCrary better known to yall as Eddie Winslow from the tv show "Family Matters".  At one point they were a couple & the word was they had planned to marry. Things have changed & now she's moving to Atlanta. Check out the second video in which she also mentions Lil Wayne in not the best terms.

Check out the "Official" video for Q-Tip's new single "Gettin Up". Personally I enjoyed the black & white live performance version better, but this is still creative nonetheless.  The album is supposed to drop November 4th so be on the lookout for "The Renaissance".

We don't know what's going on behind the scenes lately between artists & deejays, but it wasn't too long ago when Lil Wayne dissed DJ Drama & now after selling over 250,000 copies of his new album Young Jeezy goes in on DJ Drama in NYC!  Are the artists getting mad at deejays that help push their music on mixtapes or was there something more personal going on between DJ Drama & Young Jeezy? We don't know but check out the video because it's ONSMASH!

The statements fly around the 8:18 mark in the video:

Recently the sports media has been reporting that Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young has been having some dual personality or mental health issues recently.  The implication is that he's unable to handle the pressures of the NFL & all the responsibilties that come with it.  We wonder if the pressure gets heavy when he gets up under center to take a snap on every play. Either way hopefully he'll get better physically & mentally(if that's even true), but this pic we found over at Blogxilla may explain what kinda of pressures he's under lately.  

T.I. recently performed in Seattle to thousands of enthusiatic fans....

The B.E.T. Hip Hop awards return to "Black Hollywood" on October 18th. Yeah that's right the "ATL" will serve as the host city while comedian Katt Williams returns for the third time as the host of the show next month. The show will be taped at the Atlanta Civic Center & will air on BET at 8pm on October 23rd. The ATL status crew covered the red carpet & show last year so we'll be back at it again to cover all the happenings. There doesn't appear to be a year without some sort of controversy or something to talk about as it was just last year that T.I. was arrested for trying to purchase some military style gats right before the awards. Alot can happen in a year...ask T.I., new album "Paper Trail" on the way.

Katt Williams did a good job as host even though he's faced a few issues with gun charges himself. Making his own "Paper Trail", Katt recently concluded his "Pimpin Pimpin' tour which raked in over $17 Million in ticket sales. He plans to release a DVD on November 11th.

Atlanta's own DJ Black Daniels has dropped some really hot mixtapes in the past & returns with a new one called "The Art Of Foreplay". One thing about Black Daniels's mixtapes is that they are always very soulful & he does a great job of introducing you to artists & tracks that you may have never heard before.  You can tell that he definitely has an appreciation for the music because DJ Black Daniels' definitely does a good job setting the moods.  Click on the pic for the complete tracklisting. 

Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin used to be a sportscaster under her maiden name of Sarah Heath before she eventually went on to become the Governor of Alaska.  We're positive even her former news colleagues are surprised she even got a job as an intern at the television station.  Then again there are many reporters who suck lacking any real knowledge about any topic but they were hired because they may look good on television.  (Rent the movie "Broadcast News")  The problem is still rampant today in the media & even in the music industry with female singers who have the look, but no real talent.  

After almost singlehandedly derailing Barack Obama's chances for the highest office in the United States, it appears the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is involved in another scandal that's ruined his snow bunny's marriage & quite possibly his own.

Thirty seven year old Elizabeth Payne claims she had a hot & heavy sexual affair with Reverend Wright which cost her her marriage & eventually her job once the word got out. Rev Wright's alleged bust it baby also adds that her husband dumped her when he found out. Check out some excerpts from the NY Post:

"I was involved with Rev. Wright, and that's why I lost my job and why my husband divorced me," Payne said. She also goes on to say that fellow churchgoers "found out about the affair in the spring."

Payne's husband, Fred Payne, 64, said he learned of the affair in late February, when he discovered e-mails between his wife and Wright.

"There must have been about 80 of them, back and forth," he said. "Wright said things like he was going to leave his wife for Elizabeth."

Wright has been married to his second wife, Ramah, for more than 20 years.

The preacher reportedly wooed Ramah away from her first husband in the 1980s, when the couple came to marriage counseling at Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

After discovering he had been cuckolded, Fred Payne, who had married Elizabeth in October 2006, headed straight for divorce court.

"I was downright mad about this bull- - - -," said Fred, who said he is "in the oil and gas business," belongs to a hunting club and makes his own bullets in his garage.

"People wouldn't be happy to know that my wife was sleeping with a black man."

Check out this unreleased joint from Lauryn Hill called "The World Is A Hustle

Download "The World Is A Hustle" by Lauryn Hill

Serena Williams is definitely a superhero.................& she could get it.  repeatedly

Rap music is definitely in a slump & in many ways the guys who are actually good don't really want to rap anymore while the artists who are mediocre or flat out suck are taking up too much space.  We're about to start a petition to get people to believe that Andre 3000 is wack!  Yell it from the mountain tops of Stone Mountain Georgia to the top of the Empire State building!  Andre 3000 we think you're wack wack wack wiggedy wiggedy wack!!  Check the video & you'll understand why we're gonna start a petition to get fans everywhere to say Andre 3000 is wack! By the way Andre, many people up north were not hating on Outkast like that for the record.  A few haters in any audience or region always stand out.  

In case you missed all the events that went down during the Labor day...ahem "Luda Day"  weekend in Atlanta...here's a video recap hosted by ya bwoy Ludacris.  Luda recently announced that he's thinking of retiring from hip hop, but we think that's a bad idea. Once you put that word in the air like that it's pretty hard to come back if you get the urge to rap again. It's best for artists thinking of "retiring" to just be quiet about it & simply fade from the scene for a minute just in case you change your mind.  

The NFL season has officially kicked off last weekend & it definitely was filled with alot of great games that took place. The Falcons won with a great running game & Matt Ryan actually looked sharp. There were quite a number of injuries around the NFL from different players as well. Many of these injuries, like hamstring pulls, can be prevented if certain players worked out & conditioned properly in the offseason.  NFL star & San Diego Chargers RB LaDanian Tomlinson trained a little differently this offseason with a little help from the big man from Miami.  

Kimbo Slice gained notoriety largely through his various street fights captured on videocamera & uploaded on various websites.  He's moved up in the ranks from being just a beastly streetfighter to a professional MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter. You can tell from the many fights seen on the web that Kimbo Slice is a hardcore hood negro & even his workouts appear to be really HOOD too as he shows NFL running back LaDanian Tomlinson how he does it. ATL's Gorilla Zoe would be proud

Over the weekend the "I Got A Job Comedy Knockout Tour" took place up at Center Stage. The comedy show was hosted by former A-Team Morning show host "Griff" and featured a number of very funny comedians. The Atlanta show was also a celebration for the birthday of Tommy Ford, who is best known for his role as Tommy on the hit TV Show "Martin". The show also featured "K-Dubb" who is an ATL native and is one of the funniest up and coming comedians in the game. K-Dubb, who had been featured on the Bad Boys of Comedy Tour, had the crowd going crazy with his routine. The show also featured "Rodney Perry" who is one of the hosts of the tv show "Who's got Jokes." Rodney Perry was very energetic & all over the stage and ended his routine with one of the best MC Hammer impersonations I ever seen. Comedian "Pierre" who is also an ATL resident was in the building, but didnt actually perform even though his name was on the ticket. But they saved the best for last.....Tommy Davidson's routine was by far the funniest of all the comedians. I dont think he really even had a routine, it was like he improvised and was just coming up with material. His impersonations were so on point & the range of them was crazy as he imitated everyone imaginable. The "I Got A Job Comedy Knockout" Tour was funny and definetly worth checking out.

Check out the pics below so you can at least front like you were there:

It was announced that Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's teenage daughter was pregnant & the boyfriend was reported by the republican media to be a caucasian male from Alaska. Apparently some new video has surfaced from a young black male from Los Angeles who claims to be the real father. He says he believes their family doesn't want the world to know that he's the real father is because it would hurt Sarah Palin's political chances.

If you haven't been to the movies over the weekend you've probably missed the preview to the new movie starring Bernie Mack & Samuel Jackson.  The movie also features an appearance by Issac Hayes & it will be the last film ever released from Bernie Mack & Issac Hayes since their passing.  

ATL resident & platinum selling artist, Akon, may have another lawsuit on his hands after being caught on camera mushing some female off of a platform he was supposed to perform on.  Maybe it was an accident....



Then again....maybe it wasn't.

Many rap artists have been shot & may have faced some life threatening circumstances in those situations.  Check out the trailer to this new documentary giving some insight into the minds of some of the rap artists you listen to & their experiences from being shot. 

Young Jeezy dropped his new album "The Recession" on Tuesday & ATL fans packed the tabernacle to witness his first performance fresh off the new album's release. Despite the boos coming from the crowd prior to Young Jeezy taking the stage (he was over an hour & a half late), he still managed to please the hometown crowd with the assistance of his deejay (DJ Fahrenheit) and a live band.

DJ Fahrenheit showed the crowd how a real deejay gets down by stratching & displaying his skills at times through Young Jeezy's set. At one point during the performance Jeezy got to the crowd to say "Free Slick Pulla". In case you're scratching your head right now, it was rumored that his homie Slick Pulla had been locked up for a minute so the "Free Slick Pulla" chants orchestrated by Jeezy only confirmed the rumor. Jeezy's former "Boyz In the Hood" member, Jody Breeze, is also currently incarcerated as well. Overall the performance didn't feature any surprise guests or any celebrity types we noticed at the show, but Jeezy's homie "Bloodraw" was also there in support.

I've seen some situations where women have started fights or arguments with a man 2-3 times their size & keep coming.  Although you should never hit a woman this guys response to her appeared to be simply an involutary reaction.  If he was a bigger dude we're sure those other guys jumping in at the end wouldn't have gone as far to keep giving him the beat down.  Small or not, the average brotha in the street would have went to the car to get his strap.  Check out the video....."When an Indian Reality Show Goes Wrong!" Beeeeyotch Schlaaaaaap!

When I first moved to Atlanta I used to work on the Reverend Hosea Williams's television show called "Voice of The Crusader."  We used to do the show live & sometimes taped over at People TV & it was a pleasure working with the civil rights leader.  Reverend Hosea Williams was unafraid to speak his mind on many issues as he always made it clear that he was "unbossed & unbought" by any establishment.  I learned a good deal from my experiences with "Uncle Hosea" as he liked to be called.  The most important thing I get from talking with our older generation is hearing the stories that don't always get brought up in the media.  It's always interesting to hear the behind the scenes stories that went on back in the day especially during the civil rights movement.  

Devyne Stevens in association with V-103 presented the "R&B SPOTLIGHT SOUL SESSIONS" last night at Opera Nightclub on 1150 Peachtree St. Hosted by V-103's Frank Ski & artist Devyne Stevens, it featured performances from Keith Sweat, Ray Lavender, Keri Hilson, Monica, & Robin Thicke who served as the headliner for last nights party.

The evening contained a packed house of beautiful fans & notable celebs in the audience just taking in the event. Boris Kodjoe & his wife Nicole Ari Parker were spotted in attendance as well. Jazze Pha, Rocco, Q of 112, rounded out the other ATL representers in attendance before a surprise appearance from Ludacris during Monica's performance on stage.



Keith Sweat also had a few surprises by bringing out Gary "Lil G" Jenkins, the former lead singer of Silk during his set as well.
It was our first time actually seeing Robin Thicke perform live & at times we got the feeling that although he has some great soulful music, he appeared a little awkward during his performance. At times he appeared to be trying too hard to be to smooth with his movements & dancing, but nothing too dramatically crazy though. Overall it was a good evening, but don't let us tell you....just check the pictures & video below.

Seems like all the women in politics can't get enough of that Barack Obama love including Hillary Clinton.  Yes....Hillary Clinton (maybe subconsciously) disses her husband Bill Clinton while waiting for that kiss for Barack Obama.  Bill is such a "playa playa" we're sure he's not phased though but damn that's got to hurt to only kiss air. 

This is so funny we're not sure how we missed this....

Check out this Unofficial video for T.I.'s new single called "Swagger Like Us" featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Lil Wayne.  The video is rather hot & also proves that you don't have to be "Hype Williams" to turn out a creative project for the low low

We don't know what the hell is going on over there with Dr. Dre & his label Aftermath records because they had/have a wealth of artists on their label but consistently fail to ever release their artist's projects.  Atlanta's own "Stat Quo" is a talented lyricist who's currently signed to Aftermath records & appears to be patiently waiting his turn to release his first album.  Don't quote me, but we believe he's probably been signed to the label for over 5 years & his first album, "Statlanta", still hasn't been released.  Check out the video below from StatQuo called "Dear Summer" in which he lets fans know about where's he's come from & how things are at the moment.  Many deejays we know feel that "Stat Quo" hasn't pushed the envelope enough to make himself more of a priority over at Aftermath & Interscope.  At least this recent video appears to be a step back in the right direction.  He also needs to adopt a more aggressive grassroots approach because there are many people here in his hometown of Atlanta that still do not know who he is. 

"Ciroc Obama", better known to the world as Sean Combs, gets on the web & clowns Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain & his recent choice for a running mate for vice president Sarah Palin.  This clip sounds like Diddy aka Sean Combs may have once been a republican in much the same way that Charles Barkley was once a republican before leaving the party.  Check out what Mr. "Ciroc Obama" has to say....

We've heard this discussion over "50 eleven" times before in the barbershops & on the ball courts when the fellas get to talking about the state of the music industry & the lack of talented acts to come out as of late.  Personally we here at ATLSTATUS don't feel that there's a lack of talented artists these days, it's just that there really isn't many people out here really pushing them.

ATL's resident songwriter & hitmaker "The Dream",  puts on his R&B spin on Young Jeezy's popular single with a video....

Check out this video & you'll really see how deep things get with this current presidential election.  If you can remember Russia invaded Georgia recently, but Russian President Vladimir Putin says everything was orchestrated by U.S. agents supporting John McCain in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.  Wow!  Deeper than Atlantis.....

Can't front.....the whole thing felt so inspiring it gave me goosebumps.  Especially with all those people there in support for turning things around in this country & for an even greater historical perspective.  Wished we could have been there in Denver, but we ultimately wish that Dr. King could have lived to see it.  Martin Luther King, Jr would be proud....

One of Atlanta's commercial rap radio stations, HOT 107.9 FM,  is releasing their morning show, the "A-Team", effective today.  Apparently they are to be replaced with comedian & syndicated morning radio show host Rickey Smiley.  More & more radio stations around the country are cutting their costs by bringing in syndicated programs.  It's due in large part to increased local radio competition, satellite radio, & less advertising revenue to keep these stations afloat.  Members of the "A-Team" Rashan Ali, Griff, Beyonce, Akini, & Emperor Searcy may be shuffling jobs within the station or may jump to other local stations altogether assuming they don't have any "non-compete" clauses in their contracts. 

Suge Knight's recent arrest in Las Vegas was caught by TV news cameras & was recently released...

Wow!! There really is a great deal of good music coming out in the month of September! Another album we're looking forward to will be a "classic" in more ways than one. Raphael Saadiq's new album "The Way I See It" is due for release on September 16th & is a sort of flash back to the past in terms of the lyrical & production flavor. As much as we hear people complain about the state of music today, it's refreshing to see Raphael Saadiq take this creative approach with his new album. There are quite a number of here today & gone tomorrow artists, but it's exciting to see someone like Raphael Saadiq show that he's a timeless artist in & of himself. Check out the album snippet below & remember it drops on September 16th. Supposedly there's also a song on the album that features a surprise Stevie Wonder solo on harmonica that should draw comparisons to the 1963 classic "Fingertips".  

According to TMZ, Marion "Suge" Knight was booked earlier this morning in Las Vegas. Check out what TMZ says...

Law enforcement tells us Suge allegedly attacked his girlfriend of three years early this morning. She claims he punched her in the back of the head while they were driving. She claims she tried getting out of the car, grabbed the steering wheel to cause an accident so someone would notice her peril.

The car struck the curb and stopped. She fled from the car and allegedly Suge chased her, caught her and that’s when the cops came.  Cops say they saw Suge kick the woman in the head and was wielding a knife in his hand.

Check out his new video from Common who is slated to also drop a new album in the coming months called "Invincible Summer".  This is a track featuring Pharell called "Announcement" which is directed by Lil X.  The clip is rather creative despite information from various sources that his label doesn't want it put out. 

The September rush is on with artists pushing their upcoming albums. Young Jeezy puts another promotional piece in the mix with his new video "Vacation" from his album dropping on Tuesday September 2nd. Right after most of y'all get back from (In a Jeezy voice) "Vacaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaation"!"

T.I. tapped Rihanna....not literally, but he gets her on a new song called "Livin Your Life" which is to be featured on his upcoming album "Paper Trail"

The song samples or interpolates an international club song that many people had parodied on youtube. Check out the video then listen to the T.I. track



Check it out!

ATLSTATUS DOWNLOAD:
Download "Livng Your Life by T.I. and Rihanna

Looking for all the ATLNIGHTSPOTS hosting the 2008 Ludaday Weekend? Check out itinerary below so you can get a jump on thangs! Have fun!

Thursday
The Kickoff Titled "The Preview" Will Be At A Private Location On Thursday August 28th. This Invitation Only Dinner Will Be Hosted By Chaka Zulu And Luda.

Friday
Ludacris, T-Pain And Friends Invite You To Have "One More Drink" At Esso On Friday.

Saturday
Saturday There Will Be An Outdoor Performance And Register To Vote Rally And Community Cookout Will Be At The Atlanta University Center With DTP, Compound Entertainment (Ne-Yo), Zone 4 (Polow), And More.
Saturday Night - Uptown Restaurant And Lounge With A Virgo Bash With Mario.

Sunday
Sunday There Will Be A Private Pool Party … Luda + Magic City Socialites + + Patron+ Red Bull = "Damn Why Wasn't I Invited",
Sunday Night There Will Be A Special Edition Of "The Chill Spot" Bowling At 300 Atlanta. Compound Entertainment, Zone 4 (Polow), Bryan Michael Cox's Crew, Floyd "Money" Mayweather And More,
Then Luda & Friends. Will Hold The Finale At Velvet Room.

Monday
The Finale… On Monday, A Celebrity Softball Game Where Luda Will Coach The Team Featuring The Michael Jordan At Oglethorp University.
Tickets Are Booked And Reservations Confirmed… Invited Guests Include Tracy McGrady, Lauren London, Meagan Good, T-Pain, Damien Wilkins, Ray Allen, Polow Da Don, Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupree, Dallas Austin, Bryan Michael Cox, Gabrielle Union, Taraji Henson, Mario, Trey Songz, Ciara, Cee-Lo, Swizz Beats, Monica, A Few Very Legit Billionaire Guests And YOU! Keep Up With All The Updates On Hot 107.9, V-103

It's great & amazing the way the internet works.  You can attend an event & not worry to bring your camera & if there's more than three people in attendance with a camera phone or videocamera you can bet that it'll be up on the web in a few hours or less.  T.I. recently performed at his club over on Bankhead, Club Crucial, for the Hitmen Djs reunion.  He also brought along many of his Grand Hustle staff such as B.G, Alfamega & Young Dro with him.  After performing his single "What Up" addressing his haters he also brought out a guest from NY who has also been dealing with his own haters.  Brooklyn rapper "Maino" has been making noise with his new song "Hi Haters" which he also shot a video to the remix that also features T.I.  It's a good start for "Maino" considering the guy was locked up for 10 solid years before his recent success in the music industry. Shout out to Kaspa & the crew of the Hitmen Djs & their reunion... 

Check out this classic video of a young Rosie Perez when her career was just starting to pop off. The interesting tidbit of information in this old clip with Regis & Kathie Lee is that Rosie said Spike Lee was throwing a "Big Booty" contest & tried to holla at her. Rather ironic considering that Spike Lee is known for a lot of socially conscious films. Spike must of had plenty of these up & coming actresses on his casting couch back in the day hoping they'd "Do the Right Thing". I guess they don't call him "Spike" lee for nothing! Spike's a freeeeeak! LOL

Spike may turn you down for a quick picture as our boy Kaos from thekaoseffect was dissed by Spike Lee recently, but if you got a big ass & a cute face then you just may have a chance to get that picture.  Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied.....you may even land a part in the movie! LOL! 

Young Jeezy's album "The Recession" drops next Tuesday September 2nd & there appears to be some significant anticipation for it here in Atlanta. Here's one of the tracks featured on the album that people have been talking about since footage of Don Cannon & Young Jeezy working in the studio surfaced on the net.

Download "Circulate" by Young Jeezy

A Tribe Called Quest frontman, "Q-Tip", is gearing up to release his upcoming album "The Renaissance" & it appears the fans just can't wait. Check out this "UNOFFICIAL" video for Q-Tip's new single "Gettin Up". Despite it being an "unofficial" video it still comes out pretty good. Okayplayer?

We're positive we've seen this video before, but Kanye is re-releasing it with a few changes we believe.......A little something to go with your coffee & toast.  Good Morning!

By now many of you already know what happened with rap artist Yung Berg over the weekend.  In case you didn't, like to hear it? Well hear it go....

It's been a rough Monday & sometimes you have to deal with people who may act a certain way towards you.  Sometimes you just don't want to automatically assume that person or individuals at the job are racist if they happen to be of another color so you really have to sit down & think it all out.  Check my man Jay Smooth in this video on how to deal with people whose actions could be perceived as racist.  

Soul singer "Maxwell" is about to hit the road for the first time in six years. There was a point in time here in Atlanta when Maxwell had the ATL on lock with his soulful music. His shows here in the ATL brought out the ladies & good music with his band. From the reports, it appears that nothing has changed with the exception of Maxwell cutting his signature "blowed out" afro-like hairstyle. The North American tour is scheduled to begin in Boston on October 8th & making eventual stops in larger markets such as New York & Los Angeles. Maxwell makes his scheduled stop here in Atlanta on November 12th at the Atlanta Civic Center. Atlanta is a huge market for soul artists & fans so we're not surprised cities like ours & Philadelphia have stops scheduled on this tour. The whole tour is setting up the pending release of his upcoming album called "Black Summer's Night". This is the longest period of time since releasing any new material between projects. Maxwell's 1996 debut "Urban Hang Suite" set him up as a sex symbol in the soul music world & he followed that momentum with the subsequent release of "Embrya" in 1998 & "Now" in 2001. www.myspace.com/maxwell