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2008-09-23T09:08:00.001-04:00

Were updating our site...Stay tuned!!!
Official Launch is Wed Sept. 24th

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Akon schools his talented new group Rock City on how the music industry works

2008-09-18T01:12:00.013-04:00

"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.

One of the main outlets new artists neglect is in doing more interviews with college radio stations. College radio is a way to get more shows at college campus's around the country thus putting a log on the fire in terms of buzz. In the 90's, many artists in urban music made stops at college radio stations & made connections with the schools for shows & events. Too many artists overlook these avenues & fail to see the success they may already be having on youtube, blogs, & other internet outlets. All the rest is simply timing from a business perspective. Do most record labels move slow or drop the ball on many projects? That's an emphatic YES, but as an artist it's your responsibility to ultimately take charge of your career & make the connections necessary to grow. Becoming a star in the hip hop game is a lot like running for President of the United States. You gotta get out there shaking hands & kissing babies. I've personally witnessed Ludacris, Kanye West, Akon, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, The Roots, & many others do it successfully. Check the following video & this should be an good lesson for up & coming artists who maybe signed to a major label about how things work. For artists that may not be signed to a major label or under a major artist it's best to do as much as you can on your own like Akon did when he first started out. I can vouch for Akon that he really didn't get any support back in the day & he's been in the game for far longer than you think. He's only been a "star" for a far shorter period of that time.

Ludacris & 9th Wonder laughing at K-Ci & JoJo

2008-09-17T21:12:00.003-04:00

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 discuss black men dating younger women

2008-09-17T17:51:00.006-04:00

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.

R.Kelly's interview regarding his previous trial. Says he's innocent, but we've seen the tape.

2008-09-17T17:10:00.008-04:00

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.

Tommy Hilfiger makes an appearance at Lenox & things have changed since the early 90's

2008-09-17T12:37:00.006-04:00

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.

Wednesday Classics: Mary J Blige & Rakim

2008-09-17T04:56:00.005-04:00

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

Mary J. Blige looking good & getting her rhyme on in a classic episode of Yo MTV Raps! What ever happened to Grand Puba?

Raphael Saadiq's new album is out now. Did you cop it? Video

2008-09-17T04:51:00.002-04:00

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

CNN gets "got" by two dudes wilding out behind a reporter during a live newscast

2008-09-16T21:29:00.003-04:00

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.....

Former Atlanta Hawk, Josh Howard, says he doesn't celebrate the National Anthem or "any of that sh*t"

2008-09-16T17:26:00.005-04:00

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

Wasup with these brothaz making big money in pro sports who make these dumb moves that will only serve to further separate them from their money. Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks was a recent participant of a charity flag football game for Allen Iverson not long ago. Josh was taped making some comments that's sure to get him traded, fined by the NBA, & further separated from his money. The former Atlanta Hawk player let it be known that he doesn't believe in the national anthem or Barack Obama in so many words. With so many people with video cameras recording your every move athletes need to be smarter in their decision making. Josh probably could have articulated his point better, but then again it was probably not the forum for it. It's not really about what he said as opposed to how it could affect his bread. The statement occurs around the 1:44 mark....

Atlanta falcon, Lawyer Milloy, arrested for DUI after speeding from Strip Club

2008-09-16T15:49:00.007-04:00

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.

Dayaam! Janet Jackson gets her freak on out in Oakland California

2008-09-16T14:50:00.002-04:00

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....

Kanye's video shoot pics featuring King Magazine cover girl Dollicia Bryan

2008-09-15T18:42:00.005-04:00

Our homie Jayforce did an interview with the lovely Dollicia Bryan around the time when she graced the cover of King Magazine a few months ago. She had mentioned that said she had some upcoming projects in the works that she wasn't at liberty to discuss, but it looks like we now have a confirmation of at least one of them. These are a few of the pics from the videoshoot of Kanye's new single "Love Lockdown" featuring Dollicia Bryan. Looks like Kanye is going for that "Jungle Love" theme.......

Ludacris works it out lyrically with Floyd Money Mayweather

2008-09-15T17:56:00.002-04:00

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.....

Nelly disses Ice-T over Soulja Boy....here we go again (sigh)

2008-09-15T17:25:00.005-04:00

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 to peform a free show tonight sponsored by Scion

2008-09-15T05:06:00.005-04:00

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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Show Update: In case you missed the show here's some video of what you missed.......

Sunday Morning Quotable for the week comes from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

2008-09-14T06:54:00.006-04:00

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.......

"Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular - but one must take it simply because it is right." ---Martin Luther King, Jr.

Angry white male runs over bicyclist with his car, because a black man stole his white girlfriend

2008-09-14T06:21:00.004-04:00

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.

BMF leaders get 30 years in federal prison with no chance of parole

2008-09-13T15:31:00.007-04:00

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.

After quickly securing valuable contacts with international coke suppliers, the organization grew to a nationwide criminal conspiracy within a few years. The group began to draw unwanted attention from federal agents in 2003 once they established a high-profile operation in Atlanta, where they erected billboards, held lavish parties, created DVDs, and boasted of their connections with rappers Young Jeezy and Fabolous. Also notable in the organization’s downfall was Meech’s involvement in a brazen 2003 shootout in the Buckhead nightclub section of Atlanta that left two men dead, including Sean “Diddy” Combs’ bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones.

In 2005, agents raided several key BMF operations in Georgia, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, and California. To date, those raids have resulted in over 150 indictments of BMF members or associates, effectively dismantling the drug empire. According to authorities, these convictions of BMF’s top members end a 15 year investigation into the Black Mafia Family’s criminal enterprise. At their peak, Demetrius (age 40) and Terry (age 38) Flenory are estimated to have controlled a cocaine empire worth $270 million.

DJ Rastaroot's "FACE OFF FRIDAY" returns tonight at Club MJQ

2008-09-12T20:30:00.007-04:00

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.

Young Jeezy's new R&B artist "London" set to blow next on CTE

2008-09-12T13:03:00.007-04:00

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.

Gucci Mane's probation revoked & he's sent back to jail for a year

2008-09-12T12:39:00.008-04:00

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.

T.I.'s "otha baby motha" wants more money for child support

2008-09-11T20:01:00.007-04:00

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.

UPDATE: T.I. Responds...

"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?

2008-09-11T18:18:00.003-04:00

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

Kanye West gets into a scuffle with the paparazzi at L.A. Airport (Video)

2008-09-11T16:20:00.009-04:00

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

Snoop Dogg documentary to cover steering kids away from gangs

2008-09-11T02:22:00.003-04:00

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 exposes Eddie Winslow & speaks on Lil Wayne

2008-09-11T01:41:00.004-04:00

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.

Official video for Q-Tip's new single "Gettin' Up"

2008-09-11T00:30:00.004-04:00

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".

Young Jeezy sells over 250,000 copies of his new album & gets "new" by saying "F*ck DJ Drama"

2008-09-10T16:33:00.013-04:00

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:

Vince Young maybe leading a double life, but we don't think he's crazy

2008-09-10T16:19:00.006-04:00

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. performing at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival (Video)

2008-09-10T16:00:00.002-04:00

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

Katt Williams to host the BET Hip Hop Awards when it returns to Atlanta in October

2008-09-10T14:56:00.004-04:00

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.

DJ Black Daniels drops new soulful mixtape called "The Art of Foreplay"

2008-09-10T13:30:00.008-04:00

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.

Under the moniker Chadwick Sexington, Esq., DJ Black Daniels proudly presents the latest in his "Music For 2" series of bedroom mixes for lovers, aptly titled "The Art Of Foreplay"

Please enjoy the music and feel free the share. My only suggestions to you are to listen to this with someone special, and of course, take your time.

Download Links:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/18530420527d3657/

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=04ESQBCM

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin used to "rock the mic" as a sportscaster

2008-09-10T03:45:00.012-04:00

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.

Who wants a VP of the free world that looks good, but can't deliver? Well maybe not the in the way you're thinking in the above picture, but there are many issues this country faces that we can't take for granted. We're not sure how or why John McCain made her his choice for potential VP because she appears to have less experience than she did in her former sportscasting gig. It's still Obama '08 for us....

Reverend Jeremiah Wright accused of having an affair with 37 year old married bust it baby

2008-09-10T02:35:00.005-04:00

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."

Lauryn Hill "The World Is A Hustle" (Unreleased song)

2008-09-09T08:16:00.005-04:00

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 a superhero...and she could get "served"...repeatedly

2008-09-09T05:23:00.007-04:00

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

She's got US Open! Hallelujah Word to Billy Sunday

We think we need to tell Andre 3000 that he's wack!

2008-09-09T05:08:00.003-04:00

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.

Ludacris's "Luda Day Weekend" Video Recap

2008-09-09T04:58:00.005-04:00

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.

Kimbo Slice gives NFL football star LaDanian Tomlinson the Hood N*gga workout

2008-09-08T15:23:00.006-04:00

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

The "I Got A Job Comedy Knockout" Tour

2008-09-08T06:28:00.007-04:00

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:

Alleged father of Bristol Palin's unborn child says Sarah Palin doesnt want world to know he's black

2008-09-07T03:30:00.004-04:00

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.

Bernie Mac & Samuel Jackson star in "Soul Men" movie trailier

2008-09-07T02:59:00.002-04:00

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.

Lil Wayne loves the white paparazzi, but not the black ones

2008-09-05T20:03:00.009-04:00

As more Hip Hop and R&B artists crossover to pop status in the entertainment world, it's inevitable that they will be approached by the paparazzi. The organizations that usually pay for the exclusive pictures & video of your favorite artists are reaching out more to black & latino photographers to get those exclusives. We're in a recession right now so you know that as long as there are brothaz out of a job, they'll probably pick up a camera to score a few exclusives. Many brothaz have felonies & don't have an easy time finding a good job so it's understandable for a brotha to do something positive instead of going back to the negative lifestyle they may have just left. Check out the video below as a black photographer gets his white counterpart to have lil Wayne sign some "lollipops" for him, but Lil Wayne proceeds to diss the guy who is only trying to make a living. The photographer in the video disses Lil Wayne back by asking him about an unfortunate situation that occurred in Los Angeles. (see previous post) The photographer may not have scored the exclusive, but at least he can sell the autographed lollipops on ebay for a nice amount of money.

Akon mushes a female off of a platform during a concert overseas

2008-09-04T20:37:00.003-04:00

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.

Young Buck, Ice Cube, Mos Def & many other rappers are "Number One With A Bullet"

2008-09-04T05:19:00.007-04:00

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.

2008-09-04T02:23:00.000-04:00

Young Jeezy performs at the Tabernacle not on CTE time, but CP time

2008-09-04T01:50:00.004-04:00

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.

Indian reality show gets to "Bitch Slapping"

2008-09-03T23:54:00.007-04:00

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!

The Game's new album "L.A.X." features a song re-igniting rumors that Jesse Jackson was involved in MLK's death

2008-09-03T20:33:00.008-04:00

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.

West Coast rapper, The Game, recently re-ignited a good deal of interest into some of those stories & rumors with a song on his new album called "Letter To The King" featuring Nas. With Jesse Jackson's recent diss of Barack Obama caught on Fox News threatening to "cut his nuts off", the public disapproval & backlash from recording artists was expected. What wasn't expected from many people was rap artist The Game's theory that Jesse Jackson had something to do with Dr. King's death. Although we've heard people call game 'stupid' or an "idiot" for making those claims, it appears that "The Game" has been hearing or reading about these same accusations as well. Shouts out to Illseed & check out these videos from Chicago native Steve Cokely who breaks down the claim with plenty of references & evidence. Very interesting indeed....

Last night V-103 held their "R&B SPOTLIGHT SOUL SESSIONS"

2008-09-03T01:40:00.005-04:00

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.

Hillary Clinton disses Bill Clinton opting for an Obama kiss instead. Check Video

2008-09-02T14:26:00.003-04:00

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.

Despite Island/Def Jam issuing a statement that Jermaine Dupri will not lose his post as label prez, the comedy continues

2008-09-02T06:54:00.003-04:00

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

Unofficial Video for T.I.'s "Swagger Like Us" track featuring Kanye, Lil Wayne, & Jay-Z

2008-09-02T05:47:00.004-04:00

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

DRAGON CON TAKES OVER THE ATL

2008-09-01T18:49:00.002-04:00

Atlanta emcee "Stat Quo" seeks to regain some momentum in effort to release his first album

2008-09-01T06:09:00.007-04:00

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" clowns Republican Candidate John McCain & his choice for running mate

2008-08-31T21:40:00.006-04:00

"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....

BarberShop Talk: Virginia rapper "Skillz" offers some good insight why music is suffering & lack of new talent developing

2008-08-29T19:20:00.009-04:00

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.

Since most of us are deejays we find that we often have to search for good music & then put other people onto it especially if its worthwhile. After having this discussion again with a few fellas outside of Rocky's Barbershop in Buckhead on the corner of Piedmont & Sydney Marcus Blvd (Waddup Rocky!), I remembered a recent youtube video that pretty much hits the nail on the head as to one of the reasons why the music game is sort of messed up. Instantly I was reminded of this video with talented lyricist "Skillz" who has been representing for Virginia for years as an artist & ghostwriter for a host of big names. Check out what he has to say in this video as he has a discussion with a few friends why the music indusrty is sorta out of wack. We can't say we disagree with him & his observations.....

The Dream flips Young Jeezy track with an R&B freestyle video

2008-08-29T15:40:00.003-04:00

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin implies agents supporting John McCain's presidential campaign caused Russian war with Georgia

2008-08-29T10:58:00.002-04:00

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.....

Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention

2008-08-29T02:39:00.003-04:00

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....

Hot 107.9 FM to bring in comedian Ricky Smiley, but releasing the A-Team Morning Show

2008-08-28T18:04:00.007-04:00

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.

It's rumored by columnist Rodney Ho that Rashan will do mid-days & Searcy will go back to doing late afternoons but there is no word as to the directions of the remaining crew members & current air personalities currently holding those shifts.

Rickey Smiley's morning show is owned by Radio One & is currently broadcast in over 20 markets including Dallas & Miami.

Suge Knight arrest video caught from TV helicopter camera

2008-08-28T13:31:00.001-04:00

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

Raphael Saadiq's new album taking it back to 60's soul. Check out the album sampler!

2008-08-28T08:16:00.005-04:00

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".

Raphael Saadiq "The Way It Is" Album Sampler (ATLSTATUS.COM)

1. Love That Girl
2. Staying In Love
3. Oh Girl
4. Big Easy

ATLSTATUS DOWNLOAD:

"The Way It Is" Album Sampler

Suge Knight arrested for domestic dispute & booked on assault & drug charges

2008-08-27T16:56:00.006-04:00

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.

New video from "Common" featuring Pharrell called "Announcement" in High Defininition. But why isn't his label releasing it?

2008-08-27T15:42:00.008-04:00

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.

Young Jeezy drops new video for upcoming album The Recession due Tuesday Sept 2nd

2008-08-27T14:51:00.002-04:00

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. teams up with Rihanna for "Livin Your Life" track on the Paper Trail album

2008-08-27T12:22:00.006-04:00

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

Ludacris kicks off his 2008 "Ludaday Weekend" featuring multiple events this weekend! Check the itinerary!

2008-08-27T08:27:00.006-04:00

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

T.I. & Maino perform at Club Crucial with no concern for their 'haters"

2008-08-27T02:42:00.012-04:00

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...

Flashback: Rosie Perez says she met Spike Lee at a "Booty Contest' he organized & tried to holla at her

2008-08-27T01:53:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-08-27T00:37:00.006-04:00

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

Q-Tip's "Unofficial" video for his single "Gettin Up" from his upcoming album "The Renaissance"

2008-08-27T00:14:00.005-04:00

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?

Good Morning ATLANTA!

2008-08-26T02:57:00.004-04:00

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!

Yung Berg beaten & robbed of his chain in Detroit. One of the "alleged" attackers poses with the chain

2008-08-25T20:50:00.011-04:00

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....

The dude was beaten & robbed of his "transformers" chain while on a promotional visit to Detroit. Necole Bitchie first broke the info over the weekend & gave the rundown. Being that she used to do radio in Detroit, she had the inside info on what went down. Check out what she had to say in the "Affiliated Linx" column to the right of this page.

How to deal with people whose actions could be perceived as racist

2008-08-25T18:52:00.006-04:00

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.

Maxwell to release new album "Black Summer's Night" & touring for the first time in six years

2008-08-25T14:01:00.002-04:00

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

ATL resident T-Pain drops new mixtape "Pree Ringz" in preparation for his upcoming album "Thr33 Ringz"

2008-08-25T13:54:00.004-04:00

It's not hard to see that T-Pain is one of the few artists today that has got the game ONSMASH. He dropped a new mixtape to called "Pree Ringz" that you can download from the link below! It's all in support for his upcoming album "Thr33 Ringz" which he explains as what best describes the music industry today.

"The Thr33 Ringz concept is 'cause the industry is just like a circus," he explained. "You got the strong men, tattooed dudes, bearded ladies, elephants, tigers, and all kinds of dumb crap."

This would also explain this most recent obsession with wearing top hats in videos & live performances. "I got the most number 1's..... "I'm not just saying that. It's really on the charts. I got 11 number ones [in one year]. In the history of time, The Beatles got 13. So if I woulda got two more in that year I woulda beat The Beatles. That's why I'm the ringleader."

Download T-Pain's new mixtape "Pree Ringz"

01. Intro (Feat. DJ Khaled)
02. What U Need
03. Cocky (Feat. DJ Khaled)
04. Somebody Tell Em
05. I Know (Feat. Young Cash)
06. Like I Outta
07. Don't Stop The Party (Feat. Young Cash)
08. Freakin' (Feat. Tay Dizm & Gorilla Zoe)
09. This Dat Shit
10. Got To Go
11. Reborn
12. Ain't No Love (Feat. Young Cash)
13. Up & Down
14. I'm Madd (Feat. Tay Dizm)
15. Superman (Feat. DJ Khaled)
16. Dig That
17. Young Cash - I'm A Freak (Feat. T-Pain)
18. Nappy Boy Or Die (Feat. Young Cash)
19. Let's Go
20. We Got Love
21. Tha Truth (Outro)

DOWNLOAD: T-PAIN - PREE RINGZ MIXTAPE
http://sharebee.com/7d5baba8

Jodeci Reunion tour turns out to be a disaster in Austraila

2008-08-25T04:32:00.004-04:00

Apparently there was supposed to be some type of "Jodeci Renunion Tour" that was to kick off in Sydney, Austraila. Sounds janky if you ask me. As a person who travels to other countries fairly often, I've noticed that it's not uncommon for some artists that are no longer popular here in the United States to take gigs overseas to make a quick buck. Nowadays you could say a quick "Euro" because the dollar ain't worth much these days. The people of Austraila got jerked over the weekend when the so-called "Jodeci Reunion Tour" only produced a possible crackhead & a drunk onstage. Devante Swing & Mr. Dalvin were no where in sight. K-Ci & JoJo were the only members that appeared on stage for the performance & at one point during the show JoJo passes out drunk on stage while K-Ci keeps singing like Tyrone Biggums. The video is rather sad & funny all at once. Crack is wack!

LL COOL J wows the ladies at a not so secret show sponsored by V-103

2008-08-23T22:00:00.013-04:00

Def Jam artists "Karina" & "LL CooL J" performed a free show for listeners of V-103 on Friday Night. With rapper, actor, & movie star "LL CooL J" as the obvious headliner, it all went down at Center Stage on West Peachtree Street to a enthusiasticly large & mostly female audience. Newcomer "Karina" was rather impressive debuting as a young up & coming singer on Def Jam records at only 17 years of age. The girl can sing in seven different languages & also plays the piano. Of course she didn't sing in all seven of those languages last night, but she still did her thing nonetheless. Overwhelmingly the person everyone wanted to see was clearly Mr. James Todd Smith. LL ran through a number of songs in his lengthy catalog to the screams of the various girls & women in attendance at the event. We could have sworn that we even saw grandmothers in there wanting to lick LL's lips. We also noticed WSB news reporter Jaquitta Williams at times try to even hold her own composure during the show, but she also fell victim to the excitement & energy in the place as the muscular hip hop veteran performed. Most of the brothaz like us who grew up on LL miss the more lyrical side of James Todd Smith as his music in this later part of his career has been more geared to the ladies. It's not exactly cool to be driving up the block blasting LL's new single "Baby" featuring The Dream without getting a number of stares from people thinking you're "Fugazi". It's a good song, but not something most dudes would ride to. LL released a great mixtape he dropped earlier this year with DJ KaySlay that made successful attempts to draw back in some of his male listeners. We asked LL if he was going to continue to drop more mixtapes for his male fans that want less "lovey dovey" fair, but more raw or edgier material. LL stated because of the mixtape he had some ideas to further take advantage of it's success.

"You know man I thought of that because of the response on the mixtape. I was thinking of incorporating a number of the mixtape songs into some of my shows" said LL COOL J. LL did indeed perform a new song that night which sounded similar to 50 Cent's "I Get Money", called "You Better Watch me." Much later in the evening long after we had left the venue, we were in the car listening to DJ Premier's satellite radio show on Sirius satellite channel 40 when the same song debuted on the air. It was definitely a song we felt comfortable with while driving down the street banging out the car stereo system. Regardless, LL is definitely a legend even if he cannot get many of his male fans back on board and no one can take that legendary status away from him.

Download "Baby" by LL Cool J featuring Dream

Check out LL performing his new single "You Better Watch me" off of his upcoming album entitled "Exit 13"

Barack Obama choses Joe Biden as his Democratic running mate for VP

2008-08-23T12:33:00.003-04:00

Barack Obama choses Joe Biden as his Democratic running mate for V.P.

John Legend & Andre 3000 get the "Green Light" for new video

2008-08-22T15:46:00.007-04:00

John Legend links up with Andre 3000 for his new single called "Green Light". This joint is a little more uptempo than most of John Legend's past work & sounds very hot. This joint could get the "Green Light" to be a global hit. Peep the video

Download "GreenLIght" by John Legend featuring Andre 3000

ATL female rapper places restraining order on Shaquille Oneal for stalking her

2008-08-22T14:01:00.005-04:00

According to the AJC, an Atlanta woman has taken out a restraining order on Shaquille Oneal. Alexis Miller, 23, alleges that O'neal 36, threatened to ruin her rap career when she ended an intimate relationship with him just last month. Miller is an independent artist going by the name "Maryjane" & has a 19 month-old son. The terms of the restraining order instruct Shaq to not contact or come within 200 yards of the singer who lives in Fulton County.

With Shaq rumored to be reconciling things with his estranged wife, it's possible "Maryjane" didn't like the "taste" of that situation. We guess she trying to do without Shaq like Kobe...

Kim Porter leaving the Red Star Soul Show on Wednesday looking for a working man in Atlanta?

2008-08-22T12:22:00.004-04:00

Heineken held their Red Star Soul Series here in Atlanta Wednesday night featuring performances by writer turned singer Bryan Michael Cox, British Soul sensation Estelle, & Lyfe Jennings. Look who we ran into last night after the show was over. It was none other than the former model turned Diddy baby momma the beautiful Kim Porter. Diddy's baby momma was looking good as she boarded into her big black truck. Damn this woman had two kids not too long ago & still looks good. Now that's a MILF. If Sean Combs don't want ya, we'll take ya baby! We don't have Sean Combs dollars, but we'll do ya right (Wink)

Da Brat gets 3 years in state prison

2008-08-22T12:04:00.006-04:00

Former ATL resident Da Brat just got sentenced to 3 years in state prison for hitting an employee of Jermaine Dupri's Studio 72 with a rum bottle. Da Brat, whose real name is Shawntae Harris, was also sentenced to seven years probation & 200 hours of community service. The incident happened at a Halloween party at Jermaine Dupri's Studio 72 on October 31st of 2007. As she was being led out of the courtroom she said "I Love Y'all as her relatives responded back "We Love you, too".

The victim in the incident was a waitress at the club who had to be hospitalized after being struck with the rum bottle & has suffered severe & permanent facial scarring.

Ne-Yo "Miss Independent" video starring Gabrielle Union, Lauren London, & Keri Hilson

2008-08-22T04:59:00.007-04:00

For all the ladies trying to make their way in the world without doing all the "favors", check out this new video by ATL's own "Ne-Yo" called "Misss Independent" from his upcoming album "Year of the Gentleman". Fellas there's some eye candy in this video. Peep the ATL resident's game...the video & the song is hot.

Former Source Magazine Editor, Kim Osorio, pens book alleging sexual encounters with 50 Cent & Nas. 50 Cent says now she's a "star"

2008-08-21T18:17:00.006-04:00

It seems like Karrine Steffans has opened the floodgates for women to release these tell all books about their time with various male celebrities. It's one thing coming from self admitted groupies & hangers-on, but to come from women who wish to be respected in their professions it's a definite black eye especially for women of color struggling to be taken seriously. Former Editor-in-Chief, Kim Osorio, has written a new "tell all" book alleging she had sexual flings with 50 Cent & Nas among other statements found in her memoirs. Osorio's statements may give other women a black eye in the game, but 50 Cent brazenly says her black eye comes from his "balls" smacking her. (Ouch!)

"I messed with Kim a while ago, she licked on my balls before the deal...when they weren't worth much. She licked my balls once & now she's a star. I got some advise for all aspiring women journalists, it may not make the best sellers list, but lick my balls and you are on the road to the riches!"

MTV's the Parker Report talks about Atlanta's rise in Hip Hop

2008-08-21T15:50:00.002-04:00

Jermaine Dupri loses his restaurant & rumored to be losing his job as label executive

2008-08-21T15:16:00.006-04:00

After his Buckhead restaurant closed recently leaving former employees without pay for a number of weeks, it's rumored that Jermaine Dupri maybe out of his executive gig at Island Def Jam. According to a number of street & many online sources there's word that the little man is falling on more hard times. It's been a rough year so far for Jermaine Dupri from his recent beef with many deejays such as Greg Street, his club Studio 72 not really taking off as a consistently popular nightspot, his Cafe Dupri restaurant payroll issues & subsequent closing and now it's rumored that he's to be relieved from his post at Island records in the very near future. In April, Jermaine Dupri had teamed with Tag deodorant spray to help jumpstart their new record label Tag Records that was to be distributed through Island Def Jam.

The Game has Bow Wow's mom's number & The Game's bus driver even disses Bow Wow! Too hilarious!

2008-08-21T05:32:00.006-04:00

We tried to avoid posting the back & forth online videos of the so-called "$100,000 dollar Madden challenge" that Bow Wow issued to The Game before feelings get hurt, but damn this recent video of The Game going at Bow Wow was just too funny. Yeah it's ignorant as hell, but what makes it even funnier is that The Game's bus driver also gets in on the act! LMAO!

Young Jeezy & Nas drop "My President Is Black" collaborative track

2008-08-20T14:07:00.006-04:00

ATL residents Young Jeezy & Nas both dropped a new joint that's to appear on Jeezy's upcoming album "The Recession". Check out this joint below called "My President Is Black". Fitting we'd put this joint up now considering that in a few hours Barack Obama is scheduled to announce his VP choice.

Download "My President Is Black"

Things Done Changed: Could free corporate sponsored concerts & music become the norm?

2008-08-20T13:48:00.010-04:00

Last night in Atlanta there were two big shows going down that drew large turnouts in terms of the number of people & the demographics of those attending. Samsung & AT&T sponsored Nelly's performance at the Tabernacle Tuesday night & it was packed as hell. People were elbow to elbow like sardines to see Nelly perform from his catalog of hit records. He was also assisted with surprise performances from perceived friends in the music business such as Jermaine Dupri & ATL's own Goodie M.O.B. who reunited on the stage for the first time in years. One thing that was clearly evident is that you could see Nelly's demographic range was rather wide in terms of his fanbase. There were women there in there 20s, 30s, & even 40s attending the show. Some of these women were single & some came with dates with us assuming they could have been married or in a relationship. There were surprisingly a lot of guys there that appeared to be big fans of Nelly as well. Not sure if they fit the gay or bi-sexual demographic but many of them were snapping pictures of Nelly as if it was Sanaa Lathan naked on the stage. To a corporate sponsor or advertiser that's a plus because the gay community tends to have more disposable income & spending power. (Pausing to search "Nelly" in Dictionary)

Several blocks north of the Tabernacle there was also a free show sponsored by Scion, the car company who's parent company is Toyota. They've been running a number of Scion sponsored free performances in Atlanta for a few years now bringing in artists like Slick Rick, Wu-Tang, Brand Nubian, Nice & Smooth & many other hip hop artists both old & new. Last night's show featured southern lyricist Bun B as the headliner which brought a number of fans in a particular demographic that would lean more southern in terms of regional tastes but range in age anywhere from 21-40 & mostly male. It's new territory for the sponsors in some respects, but even more so from the fans who will come to expect every show to be free & more of the same. Sort of like a Pandora's box worth of free music & concerts that someone has to pay for. These corporate sponsored events could also prove to be very tricky for the artists in a number of ways because the artist's actions could ruffle the feathers of the corporate big wigs who write the checks.

Before his scheduled performance at the Loft, Bun B was spotted arriving at the Samsung show to the delight of true fans who recognized him there, but it may not fly over well with Scion once word gets out about it. This is the internet age with camera phones & text messages so once people saw "Bun B" at the Samsung show a lot of people who got word that Bun B was at the Tabernacle went & abandoned their trek to The Loft & headed to the Tabernacle thinking he was going to perform there instead. I received several messages about it as well from a few people who didn't quite make up their mind as to which event to attend. To the average fan they may be thinking ".....why should I go see Bun B when I can go see Nelly, Goodie MOB, Bun B & everyone else at the Tabernacle?" Despite the potential for disaster in that respect, the Bun B show at the Loft managed to turn out a decent crowd. If the corporate sponsor was a large radio entity like Radio One & the artist showed up at another rival station's event on the same day around the same time it could have been rather costly for the artist politically in terms of future radio airplay & exposure through interviews.

Another local example of corporations buying into a built in audience for more lifestyle marketing success involves the popular "Art, Beats, & Lyrics" event that started in Atlanta a few years ago. The event now has expanded to many other cities throughout the U.S. & the admission is free, while Jack Daniels also plugs their product throughout the event.
www.jackdaniels.com/abl

Shifting from alcohol to caffeine, Starbucks even gives away free music in their stores every Tuesday in their featured artist of the week program. I've walked in to find cards at the register offering a free download of various artists such as new soul artist "Ledisi" among others. As our country drifts more into a recession many people simply do not have the additional cash to spend for concerts & even music.

The point is that I've noticed that many people, at least here in Atlanta, have become so accustomed to getting into the concerts free that I've heard people scoff at paying to see an artist for anything more than $20. Most brothaz & sistahs would rather spend that $20 on some drinks at the bar or for gas on the way home. It's rather ironic because we've witnessed people pay $100 to get into a club with the wrong dress code, but refuse to pay more than $20 to see a good concert. Maybe impressing some females by paying to skip the line is more important to that person's ego. (Shrugs shoulders). We wouldn't be surprised to see in 5 years that more than 80% of all of the big concerts that come to town are sponsored by larger corporations depending on the particular demographics they are trying to reach to sell their products.

Things Done Changed

Hip Hop Icon "DJ Red Alert" celebrating 25 years in radio

2008-08-19T16:31:00.002-04:00

Hip Hop icon DJ Red Alert will be celebrating 25 years on radio! The NY native & now ATL resident has been putting it down for hip hop for an even longer period of time & is still as humble as ever despite his legendary status in the music industry & hip hop culture. There have been countless times where we've met artists & so-called celebrity deejays with heads larger than Mount Rushmore when they've only been in the game for 14 minutes & 15 seconds. Most of us here at ATLSTATUS just aren't "Hollywood" & we really are just working people. DJ Red Alert has thrived on that same work ethic while avoiding the "Hollywood" label through his humbleness & talent. There are some artists & deejays that we just don't go out of our way to greet, but it's that everyday warm personality over the years that continuously commands our respect & appreciation for DJ Red Alert. There are too many countless stories we could repeat about the greatness of DJ Red Alert, but we'll continue to salute him as we approach October as it marks his significant benchmark in entertainment. You can catch DJ Red Alert on Sirius Satellite radio Channel 43 "Backspin" & locally in Atlanta on Grown Folks radio 102.5 FM on Sunday nights from 7pm-10pm. Uncle Red we salute you!

MILK & Cookies: Hoopz returns on the cover of KING magazine

2008-08-19T04:04:00.005-04:00

After gaining notoriety from appearing as "Flava's Choice" on the debut season of the "Flavor Of Love" show, Nicole Deannae Alexander, better known as "Hoopz" has been relatively quiet in the entertainment world as of late. It seemed not that long ago that the Detroit native was getting paid to host many parties around the country & was a fixture at various events following the show's conclusion.

Hoopz has been conspicuously absent from that world for a minute until resurfacing on this October issue of KING magazine. At least the fellas can read the articles to find out what she's been up to.........well not really. Who cares what she's been up to, let's just see the rest of the pics.

ATL resident Professor Griff of Public Enemy officially endorses Cynthia McKinney for President

2008-08-19T03:50:00.002-04:00

ATL resident Professor Griff of Public Enemy recently expressed his support for the former Dekalb County Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney for President. The former Dekalb County Congresswoman is the Green Party's nominee for U.S. President. On a sad note, Professor Griff recently lost his home to a fire prior to this video being recorded. Check out the video below to hear what he has to say about his choices & his concerns regarding the upcoming election.

DJ Khaled sounds like he can sell ice to an Eskimo & his new album "We Global" to non-believers. Hilarious Video!

2008-08-19T03:48:00.007-04:00

Most of the time record promoters can sometimes be like
DJ Khaled when pushing a record to various deejays around
the country. With so many albums due to be released in the
coming month, one of the most important markets to break a
record is definitely in Atlanta. Many of us deejays have been there
when speaking to an over the top record promoter who sounds
like he's trying to sell you a used car, but this video of DJ Khaled
pushing his record to a local Atlanta deejay is just hilarious.
It sounds like DJ Khaled could sell water to a whale & ice to
an eskimo. DJ Khaled has a new album called "We Global" that's
about to drop in September so he needs those multiple club & "BDS"
spins on the local radio stations. Sounds like somebody is about
to get a check, so as DJ Khaled says in the clip......
"Let's....Get... Moneeeeeeeeeey!" LMFAO!!

Download "Go Hard" by DJ Khaled Feat. Kanye West and T-Pain

Bun B does free show in Atlanta Tuesday Night

2008-08-18T17:36:00.004-04:00

Dirty South Legend & one half of the group UGK (rip Pimp C), Bun B arrives in Atlanta Tuesday August 19th for a free show at The Loft on W. Peachtree Street. Just RSVP to get on the list. We got you covered ATLSTATUS

www.scion.com/livemetro

Laurence Fishburne giving fans reasons to watch more television

2008-08-18T17:04:00.007-04:00

Laurence Fishburne is joining the cast of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation & is scheduled to be introduced on the show during the 9th episode this season. The Emmy & Tony award winner will play a forensics scientist with a secret on this tenth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. "I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of 'CSI,'" Fishburne said in a statement, adding that he looked forward to a "wonderful collaboration" with those involved in the series. Fishburne plays a college lecturer and former pathologist who is focused on why people commit acts of violence.

His character meets members of the "CSI" team during a murder investigation and ends up joining them. Fishburne, 47, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ike Turner in 1993's "What's Love Got to Do With It" and a Tony in 1992 for "Two Trains Running." He was a Tony nominee this year for the one-man show, "Thurgood," about Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. CSI begins it's new season on October 9th.

Estelle's new video minus Cee-Lo, but maybe he'll turn up at Opera on Wednesday

2008-08-18T16:24:00.004-04:00

Like we told yall in an earlier post, british songstress Estelle is performing Wednesday night at Club Opera. Check out her new video "Pretty Please" off of her debut album "Shine" featuring a few special guest appearances in the video. Although ATL's own Cee-Lo is on the song "Pretty Please" he doesn't appear in the video. Hopefully he'll make a surprise appearance at her Atlanta performance on Wednesday at Opera. Check out the clip below!

50 Cent bests Jay-Z as hip hop's top earner for 2008

2008-08-18T14:28:00.006-04:00

While Jay-Z rapped about his aspirations to eventually make "A Billi" in his freestyle over the popular "A Milli" track, 50 Cent seems to be winning the earnings race this year.

According to Forbes's "Hip Hop Cash Kings" list for 2008, 50 Cent surpassed Jay-Z this year grossing over $150 Million in the last 12 months. Fiddy's earnings come in large part from his ventures in his G-Unit clothing & records brands, video games, & his most talked about deal with Glaceu's VitaminWater which was brought by Coca-Cola for a reported 4.1 Billion dollars. It's reported that Fiddy also has a big deal on the table with the black South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe who's made his fortune in mining minerals such as gold & platinum.

Jay-Z didn't do too shabby this year finishing second in overall earnings for the past year with $82 million dollars. Jay-Z most notable business move made last year was his 10 year deal worth $150 Million with concert promoter Live Nation.

Sean Combs aka "Diddy" produced $35 Million in revenue last year due to the success in the premium vodka Ciroc & his Sean John clothing lines.

Even the producers slash rappers pulled a great payday over the course of last year as Kanye West grossed a reported $30 million dollars while Timbaland raked in $22 Million.

Completing the top 10 on Forbes' "Hip Hop Cash Kings 2008" are Pharrell Williams ($20 million), Swizz Beatz ($17 million), Snoop Dogg ($16 million), Dr. Dre ($15 million), and Ludacris ($14 million).

In addition to Ludacris, the ATL represented lovely with T.I. pulling in $13 million, Akon grossing $12 Million, Jermaine Dupri grossing $11 million, Lil John breaking the bank at $11 Million & Outkast pulling in $10 million last year.