Photo Credits: Raphael Sustina
Month: June 2009
Just In: Chris Brown and Rihanna in Court
Chris Brown pleads guilty to felony assault…
According to Yahoo! news, Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna and the two were ordered to stay away from each other, in a deal that keeps the singer out of prison but requires him to clean up graffiti or roadside trash.Brown’s plea to a felony charge will subject him to substantial scrutiny by probation officials, and the judge’s order puts the kibosh on any short-term prospects for reconciliation with his pop diva girlfriend as well.
The guilty plea came before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start. The hearing had been billed for weeks as a public face-off between the pair, with Rihanna set to testify against her one-time boyfriend.
Instead, Brown averted the potentially damaging meeting by entering a plea that will subject him to probation for the next five years as well as force him to perform six months of community service.
Mark Geragos, Brown‘s lawyer, said the plea represented the singer taking responsibility for his actions — which included beating, choking and biting Rihanna during a fight early Feb. 8, according to police.
After Brown left the courtroom, Rihanna entered and was addressed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, who explained to the Barbados-born singer that she had issued a stay-away order.
Rihanna had not been seeking such an order, but the judge imposed one anyway. The order requires that Brown and Rihanna stay at least 50 yards from each, except at industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.
The judge also told Rihanna it’s not a one-way order — and that she, too, shouldn’t get any closer to Brown than the order allows.
“This is a kid who’s never been in trouble before,” Geragos said after the hearing. “He embraces this as chance to get the message out that domestic violence will not be tolerated. He wants to get his life back on track.”
Brown will be formally sentenced on Aug. 5.
Schnegg accepted Brown‘s plea, but expressed some concerns because Brown is not a California resident. She said Brown likely will be allowed to do his service in his home state of Virginia, but she didn’t want him to spend his time at churches or community centers.
Instead, Schnegg ordered Brown to get his hands dirty by doing work equivalent to what he would do in California — clean up grafitti or roadside trash.
She also said he’ll have to return to California every three months and attend domestic violence counseling.
Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, said the terms were in line with what others receive when they are charged with similar crimes and have no prior criminal history.
Brown spoke softly throughout the hearing as he waived his rights and told the judge he understood the gravity of his plea.
“I think it’s commendable you took responsibility for your conduct,” Schnegg told Brown.
She said she hoped “the terms and conditions of your probation will have some meaning.”
Rihanna spoke briefly, too, telling Schnegg she understood the terms of the stay-away order and that after Brown‘s sentencing she might ask for its terms to be loosened.
Rihanna, 21, recorded one of 2007’s most popular songs with “Umbrella” and has numerous other hits. Her looks have made her a cover girl for magazines, as well as a pitchwoman for Cover Girl cosmetics.
The deal provides an end to a case that sparked intense media interest and severe backlash against Brown. Sponsors and radio stations dropped him, and the singer had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including a performance at the Grammys.
The singer once known for his squeaky-clean image now has a substantial blemish on his record. Brown, 20, rose to fame after the 2005 hit “Run It!” He was nominated for a Grammy for “No Air” with Jordin Sparks and named Billboard‘s top artist in 2008.
Intense media coverage led to Rihanna being identified as Brown‘s victim mere hours after the attack. Within weeks, a photo of the singer and model’s bruised and battered face was posted on celebrity gossip site TMZ.
The posting sparked an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department into whether one of its own officers leaked the photo to the Web site. Brown‘s attorney unsuccessfully argued the leak hurt Brown and that he should be granted access to LAPD’s investigative files.
Brown recently proclaimed in a video posted to YouTube that he was “not a monster.”
Even after Monday’s hearing, lawyers for Brown and Rihanna refused to discuss the status of the pair’s relationship.
Brown was arrested hours after police say he hit and threatened Rihanna after leaving a pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles. He was later charged with felony assault likely to produce great bodily harm and making criminal threats.
If convicted, the singer faced sentences ranging up to nearly five years in prison.
After an inital retreat from the public eye, both musicians have gradually appeared in public more frequently. Lately they have been photographed separately, including at a National Basketball Association finals game between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.
But neither has been able to shake the stigma of the court case and return to their usual jobs — making music.
The logistics of Brown‘s sentence may make it difficult to get back to his job.
“It amounts to a very sweaty house arrest,” said Loyola University Law School Professor Stan Goldman, who was in the courtroom. “You have to have the discipline to show up several times a week. How many times will this interfere with a record date or an appearance?”
Source: Yahoo! News
Photos below from their appearance in court…
Photo credits: MTV via Getty Images
“Your thoughts?”
Ad Xpress: Usher Got Milk Ad
Usher is back on the market, and looking good on his “Got Milk” ad.
AceShowbiz, says Usher manages to draw more attention as he is featured on the new advertising campaign of “Got Milk?”. The ad, which sees him donning a milk mustache in what looks like a recording studio, was shot in Las Vegas and coincided with the occasion during when he was recording his new album.
Usher says:“You’ve got to do things like win Oscars and Grammys ….. but you’re nothing if you don’t have a milk ad! I pour my heart into music. How do I stay in tune? With milk. The protein and nutrients in low fat milk help me build muscle and stay fit. So eat right, exercise and grab a glass of ice-cold milk. Now that’s chill.”
“Your thoughts on his ad?”
Touring It Up: Beyonce’ Kicks Off Her Summer Stateside Tour Plus More
Kicking off her Stateside touring efforts, Beyonce Knowles took the stage for a Father’s Day performance at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night (June 21).
Running through the lineup of songs during the two-hour “I Am…” show, the “Sasha Fierce” songstress treated her NYC fans to a special surprise – as her hip-hop mogul hubby Jay-Z stepped out to perform in a duet of “Crazy in Love”.
In related news, recent rumors have told that Beyonce‘s dad, Matthew Knowles, is trying to get former Destiny’s Child member Letoya Luckett booted from this coming weekend’s BET Awards show due to long-standing tension.
Of the rumors, Luckett told press: “It saddens me a little. Because our situation happened close to 10 years ago, and I think as we all know Bey is a very, very, very, talented artist, and I think that we both have our own lanes and fan base, and I don’t see why I would have to be one of the ones picked out of the entire crew of females that will be hitting the stage that night. There are so many other female artists performin’ that night and I think we all deserve to have a chance at that stage.”
Beyonce Pictures…
Enjoy the pictures of Beyonce Knowles (and Jay-Z) performing at Madison Square Garden (June 21).
Photo Credit: SplashNewsOnline.com, Getty Images
“What are your thoughts on Beyonce’s performance with her man Jay-Z and also on what Matthew Knowles is trying to do to Letoya Luckett?”
Exclusive: Chris Louis Interview and his spin on Drake’s song “Best I Ever Had”
Chris Louis, is by far one of my favorite rising stars, since the moment I heard his music on myspace, it caught my attention. Something in his voice sounded to me like he would be the next hottest artist out there. Now let me just tell you this interview has been a long time coming, since the official launch of the magazine on myspace.
We have stuck around and stood by his side as a friend, as well as an artist. We have seen the progress and success in his music. Let me just say he is not only “Carolina’s Finest”, but also born and raised in Upstate, NY. So here it is the first official Jnel & J. interview.
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Jnel & J.: Chris Louis, It says in your bio that you not only perform, you write and produce as well as engineer. It’s a diverse listing… is there any particular aspect you prefer? If so, why?
Chris Louis: I prefer writing and producing my own songs. Nothing better than that honestly. I love to write and have written since forever. It’s just the whole process from beginning to end that I enjoy, so that actually involves all three I listed.
Performing, I never really have in front of a huge audience so I’m going to refrain from making any comments on that just yet. I’ll be sure to hit you up though whenever I get my second interview! Hopefully by then ill have something to share haha.
J&J.: What made you get into music?
CL: It’s funny you ask that because I feel like nothing ever “made” me. Like some people will say a certain artist inspired them to get into music. Or they hear a song on the radio they really like when they were young and wanted to be just like that person, but I honestly was never like that growing up. I feel like it was always just a part of me, the art that is; writing and than eventually producing. I’ve always been big into art and took art courses through out high school and then music was the next step. I felt like I could always express myself better through music than I could art. I just never had the means to perform or record.
On another note, the person who actually got me to record was a friend of mine from New Jersey, Ian Thatcher (T. Knibbs), who heard of me and knew I had talent producing and mixing. I sent him a track I recorded one day and he was like, “Who is the guy rapping over your beat?” and when I told him it was me he damn near did a back flip. I don’t think he believed it was me, the first couple of times I told him, but after the next couple tracks we did together it was a done deal. I actually still think I’m more popular in Jersey thanks to him than I am here in Carolina.
J&J.: In your influence section on MySpace, you have a picture of a man in a baseball uniform and say “My Grandfather”. How did he influence your life?
CL: My grandfather is such a humble man, I didn’t know a lot of things about him except he had to quit playing due to a back injury he suffered. You basically have to force everything out of him about his short-lived baseball career and he passed on a lot of big opportunities in his life to lead a more normal life. One that he felt he would enjoy more. Even though he didn’t go chasing big dreams like most people would do. He went after what he wanted in life not what someone told him he should do.
J&J.: You seem to have a large list of musical influences on your page. Who are the ones who have influenced you the most and why?
CL: That’s so hard of a question because I take a little bit of something from all of my influences. Anywhere from Nas to Nirvana to Sizzla. Whether it be the lyrical content or the imagery or even the way a song is composed. Its hard to narrow it down, but I must say Nas in general has always been my biggest influences hands down just due to the fact that his words are very powerful and the way he uses metaphors is amazing to me. He always motivated me almost as standard to one-day reach.
J&J.: In your blog, you have a post called “My Life: the Soundtrack”. Can you tell me why you chose some of the songs you did?
CL: Wow. This is going to take awhile. Well, Opening credits are A.T.C.Q. – Find a Way. I have to start my life soundtrack off with a classic song everyone can kick back n relate to. Well the 80’s babies raised in the 90’s at least. I felt like that would be a solid choice as my opening song.
Average day is Sizzla – Just One of Those Days. Title says it right there. I love reggae and especially love Sizzla, the lyrics to that song the melody I could listen to it a hundred times over and I may have even listened to it a hundred times over at one point in time.
In love, Aaliyah – One in a Million: That song to me epitomizes love. I may not have ever been in love before but the feeling that song gives you when you hear the words, her voice, and that beat. I don’t care what Timbaland produced in his career from there on out! Hands down that was the best song he will ever make. A lot of emotion in that song.
Flashback I had to choose Nas – Memory Lane. It just brings me back to growing up, the upbeat melody and everything about it reminds me of the park back home in upstate New York where I grew up. Anything from the 90’s reminds me really, but not as much as this track does.
My party song is 2pac – how do you want it. That song is timeless, every spring break we would throw that on the mixtape/cd and play it at the beach or whatever. It never gets old and it just makes you want to party, love life, whatever. That’s what its all about isn’t it?
J&J.: Who is your dream collaboration?
CL: Nas, I may give up a kidney for that actually.
J&J.: It says on your space that you’re also a graphic designer. What made you get into that?
CL: Like I said earlier, art has always been my niche. I grew up being the kid that could draw really good haha. I enjoyed doing it my whole life till I went to college and it was more a pain in the ass than anything and that’s when I started focusing more on music than art. Like I said I still love design but music comes first by far.
J&J.: What do you think of the state of R&B and Rap today?
CL: Well better than ever popularity wise, quality wise not so bad. I’m not one of those people who try to claim that all music sucks today though because it really doesn’t. We just seem to reminisce on all the great classics we grew up with and times change and so does music. A lot of hip hop heads are in love with the 90’s don’t get me wrong I prefer almost all of the music from that time period myself. You have to realize though, there was horrible music then too. That’s where all those one hit wonders come from, or not even. I’m sure there are plenty of artists we have completely forgotten about from that time period because they were so horrible!
J&J.: Have you got any special appearances coming up soon?
CL: Wow! Where do I begin? DigitalGrinder.net is featuring me next month as their featured artist. T. Knibbs is opening for Jedi Mind Tricks up in jersey on July 4th so I might try and get up there for that so we can perform a few of our popular songs together like Little Black Dress. After that it is very possible the two of us may have a short campaign overseas in Europe if everything goes as planned. Then towards the end of the summer I’m hoping, and I stress HOPING, to get my solo album released on iTunes and Rhapsody.
J&J.: What inspires you to write a song?
CL: Life, emotion, beauty, almost anything you can think of really. Sometimes I will hear a sample from a song that will inspire me. Turn it into a song of my own and write to it. Any little thing can inspire me to write.
J&J.: What’s one song you wish you had written and why?
CL: Almost ANY Musiq Soulchild song. If I could sing like him and was an R&B artist. I swear I’d write the songs pretty much exactly the same way he does. I swear sometimes I feel like he stole thoughts from my head and put them to paper and made a song out of it. Sometimes I will listen to a song of his and just be amazed. He is the only artist I can really say I have ever been like damn I really wish I had wrote these songs.
And I’m going to give you a follow up question. Even though it’s about love and I’m for the most part always single and I also told you I never experienced a real love in my life like that. This song to me is what I think myself and most people imagine it to be like and if it really exists like that. That’s powerful to me and speaks to me on a level that I would like to experience if it does truly exist. It’s almost like a fantasy like… wow…if that could only be. The song puts me in a whole different place. (Thought I’d clear that up!)
J&J.: What is your favorite track that you produced yourself?
CL: Damn… that’s like asking to pick a favorite child! That’s not fair… but I’d say “Dream” or “Can I Dream” I have a lot more popular tracks like “Little Black Dress” and even “She Said”.
J&J.: So what’s the reasoning behind choosing that particular song?
CL: Well it was the first time I got in the studio with my buddy and guitarist Nick Allen. He knew I produced and made music but didn’t know exactly what I could do. When he finally saw the possibilities he was like a little kid in a candy store and soon we both couldn’t believe our ears. We just kept layering guitars and he would play chords until I like them and id be like “that right there… lets use that” and we would throw it in the mix. Serious it was like magic haha. He just seemed like he knew what to play and knew what I wanted to hear and I layered the tracks with the drums he actually programmed and felt like I did pretty much nothing. On the other hand he felt like I did everything. Guess it was a perfect match.
J&J.: Now is this one of the songs that will be featured on your solo debut?
CL: Yea I actually have a few versions of it, one being around 3 minutes the other almost being twice as long which will most likely make the album.
J&J.: Do you prefer to be in the studio or on stage?
CL: Studio as of right now, I’m sure as I get more shows though it may have a chance of changing. I love creating though.
J&J.: Any idea of when we might be seeing the album or a few singles on iTunes?
CL: Not quite yet, this project has been my “baby” so to speak for a while now. I just want things to be perfect with this being my first album, but I am shooting for a digital release this summer if all goes as planned.
J&J.: So the album, lets hear what it really is all about. Give me a rundown if you could on what we all should expect when we hear the first song.
CL: This album is called Diamond and I use the line “there are many faces to a diamond” and that basically means that you are going to get a lot of looks on this album. There are so many sides of a diamond, you can look at it in so many ways and the same goes for people, love, life, and any situation. That’s how these songs are and the album in general. I’m sticking to my genre of Lyrical, progressive, hip-hop but you are going to hear influences from a good amount of genres.
J&J.: Sounds pretty interesting, I’ve heard a few songs off your myspace and I must say I believe almost anyone could really relate to what you say in them.
CL: Yea I mean that’s what a lot of people have told me too. They tell me if they wrote and made songs they would most likely have said it the same way I did or that’s exactly how they feel and I love getting feedback like that.
J&J.: Yeah I bet, I mean it is true though. The subject matter and lyrics seems to captivate a great deal of people.
CL: Well thanks, but like I said I draw from experience and I’m human just like anyone else walking this earth so its most likely that I’m not the only one feeling the same way you know?
J&J.: Haha yes definitely, but it is interesting where you get the concepts and ideas for your songs. How do most of them come about?
CL: I tell everyone this… its basically a nonstop stream of thoughts and ideas that run through my head constantly and once one sticks out more than the rest… ill write down the idea and try to make a song out of it on the spot or later when I have time.
J&J.: So it really is just thoughts constantly streaming through your mind?
CL: Yea and I definitely wish I could turn it off, especially when I’m trying to sleep haha.
J&J.: Ok well since we are on the topic of your ideas and how your songs come about. Please do tell how you came up with “Evil Eyes”?
CL: Haha oh man! I have told a few people because they have asked me, and they just shook their heads n laughed cause they thought it was going to be something way deeper than it really was.
J&J.: I can just imagine, so I’m expecting it isn’t what I’m thinking? It’s not the typical I got this song idea from an ex girlfriend?
CL: Hahaha no, no, nooo and actually I wrote this entire song while I was happily dating someone!
J&J.: Umm so lets hear it?
CL: Honestly this story right here just explains how crazy my thought process is and how simple things can be triggered in my mind haha. I was looking at some photos of my friends. And there was just one photo of his friend who happened to be an attractive female, but she had this evil ass red glare in her eyes. And I was just like damn she’s beautiful but; you can see the evil in her eyes.
J&J.: Hahaha seriously now?
CL: Yea and then I came up with a melody and an old school beat I could clap too cause I wanted it to have that vibe. Then just did the doo-wop thing with the vocals in the background.
J&J.: That is a little hard to believe to be honest.
CL: Yea it really was simple as that. I’m weird like that haha. Then the rest is just creative writing really. It’s all in good fun to me, draw from experience or people you know, know of, or heard about.
J&J.: Where do you see yourself a few years from now?
CL: Hopefully, I’ll be wherever I need to be. Wherever or whatever God has planned for me trust that’s where I’ll be.
J&J.: What’s the most memorable thing a fan has said to you?
CL: Ahhh there is so much. I don’t like to call them fans really. I just see them as my friends, but around the time my favorite athlete Sean Taylor died. I had made a couple songs in his memory and so many of my friends wrote to me flooding my inbox of words of thanks and encouragement. That it actually brought tears to my eyes. It was such an emotional time anyway but I couldn’t believe some of the things I read most of the time. I actually ended up saving all of the emails in a document on my computer just so I could look back on it one day. I love my friends though everyone I meet even if I only speak to them once or twice they all impact me greatly.
J&J.: So sort of off topic are we still happily in a relationship? I’m sure the women would love to know?
CL: Well I am single but I have a lot on my plate right now. It would be unfair to any woman I was with right now. Considering everything that has happened within this past month even and the fact I may not even be in the same country or state.
J&J.: That’s true and respectable but at least there is hope for the single ladies out there!
CL: Hahaha yea yea, I’m also pretty young too so I’m good for now thank you.
J&J.: Yes you are and I must say it’s been a pleasure chatting with you Chris. Is there anything else you want to tell the readers?
CL: That’s pretty much it!! Check out my myspace at www.myspace.com/carolinasfinest and follow me on twitter people! www.twitter.com/thechrislouis. Other than that be on the look out for the new website and album this summer.
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Check out some more photos of Chris Louis below. Also make sure you download Chris Louis’ spin on Drake’s song “Best I Ever Had” free by clicking [Clean Version] or [Uncensored Version]. There’s also a video of him called, “Dreaming Reality”.
Here’s the video to his song, “Dreaming Reality”. This is his take on Lil Wayne’s “Prom Queen”….
“Make sure you leave a comment and let us know what you think of the song. I hope you enjoy it, I know I did”.
Hip-Hop News: Beastie Boys & Nas Demand Respect
According to NY Magazine, The Beastie Boys’ set at Bonnaroo this weekend didn’t exactly blow us away, but we’d still like to pass along a highlight so good it’s worth braving shaky fan footage for: the B-Boys premiering a new song featuring Nas — possibly titled “Too Many M.C.s” or “Let It Out” — with a live appearance from Mr. Nasir Jones himself. It’s not so much the performance that’s getting us geeked as just the fact that this song exists; as any Beasties fanatic worth his salt can tell you, this is only the second time in the crew’s career they’ve solicited verses from a prominent guest rapper. (The first was Q-Tip, on Ill Communication standout “Get It Together.”)
One could argue this is just happenstance — rap groups in general aren’t too big on guest verses, seeing as there is only so much mike time to pass around for actual members. But we’ve always seen the B-Boys’ isolationist policy as a sly nod to the fact that — for reasons including their instrumental work, their genre experiments, and the color of their skin — they’ve never really been evaluated solely the merits of their skills as emcees: They’ve always been considered more of a critically acclaimed, one-off hip-hop curio rather than a collection of funny, highly skilled individual rappers. In case you haven’t been able to guess by now, we think that’s a bad thing. And the fact that they’ve recorded a song whose chorus includes the phrase “too many rappers and still not enough emcees” and features the implicit approval of one of the greatest rappers of all time leads us to believe they’re finally calling out for credit where credit is due. Heartwarming. (The clip below unfortunately just has a verse from Nas and Mike D, but we’re sure a leaked studio version can’t be that far behind.)
Check out the video of their performance below…
Special Props to NY Magazine/YouTube
Hip-Hop News: Eminem Talks New D12 Album
After a several year-long hiatus, Eminem has finally returned to satiate the thirst of his deprived fans with not one, but two albums—Relapse, which is in stores now, and Relapse 2 which is slated for release in late 2009.
His latest appearance was on BET’s Rap City with Big Tigger reposted by Rap Radar, where not only did he discuss his drug addictions and his multiple relapses, but he also confirmed that D12 will be releasing a third studio album: “…as far as the future of D12, we’re gonna be back in the studio soon.” He said that he felt his music now is the same as it would have been if Proof had still been around, because, “…I think that this is what Proof always wanted, you know, [for] me to go crazy again.”
With the murder of Proof, Eminem lost his original hype man, mentor and best friend but these days, you see fellow D12 member, Mr. Porter (formerly known as Kon Artis) on stage providing ad libs and hyping the crowd up in his place. Although he’s been focusing more on honing his skills as a producer than a lyricist, Mr. Porter shows that he hasn’t fallen off during the Rap City freestyle segment towards the end of the show along with Em and Tigger.
Despite many trials and tribulations faced by the “three-headed monster” (Eminem’s relapses, Dr. Dre’s loss of his son and G-Unit woes), Em says that he feels that they are still the most powerful dynasty in all of Hip Hop. This will certainly be tested very soon, as the world is expecting Relapse 2, Detox and Before I Self Destruct to drop within the year.
Although Eminem mainly talks about his multiple drug relapses that have occurred, his album Relapse is actually a double entender for his first drug relapse as well as the relapse of the Slim Shady persona, who is prominent throughout many of the tracks on the album. Relapse 2, due out later this year, is expected to follow the same concept.
Special Props to HipHopDX for the info via email
Music News: Raheem DeVaughn’s Free Mixtape
Self-proclaimed R&B hippie Neo-Soul Rock Star, Raheem DeVaughn, released his newest album on Monday (today), The Art of Noise. Taking inspiration from Barack Obama‘s inaugural message of reaching out during tough economic times, DeVaughn‘s mixtape is available free for download [here].
“These are difficult times we are living in and everyone is affected, directly or indirectly,” DeVaughn said in a statement. “We all know someone that has lost a job, a house, or simply struggling just to make ends meet. If we all do a little, no one has to do a lot.”
Although the 15 track mix CD project will be released through his newly launched record label, 368 Music Group, DeVaughn has expressed his belief that the entertainment industry has a responsibility to give something back to the fans.
“This current climate that we live in, affects me too. If my fans lose their jobs and their homes, and can’t put food on the table, they definitely cannot buy my music. They should not have to make that choice. Many of my fans tell me that they love me and I’ve always said that I love them back. This is my way of showing them that love. I want to show love to my fans by giving them the Raheem DeVaughn music that they want.”
Having already released two albums under Jive Records, DeVaughn has been recognized for his smooth, soulful sound, and strong conscious messages, earning him two Grammy nominations and critical acclaim.
The Art of Noise is a prelude to his third album, The Love and War of MasterPeace, due out later this year.
Special Props to HipHopDX for the info via email
Hip-Hop News: Sticky Fingaz Clarifies Shooting Accident
Onyx member and actor Sticky Fingaz reached out to HipHopDX Monday to clarify reports by website TMZ.com, on a gun-related accident.
Reports from Sticky‘s Major Independents production company confirmed a “firearm mishap” while shooting the rapper’s directorial debut, A Day In The Life, bearing the tagline “one bullet leads to another.” Spokesman for the company told HipHopDX, “Last week when Sticky was showing off his baby Desert Eagle to a friend named Luce, the gun accidentally went off and shot Luce in the leg. The bullet shattered a bone in Luce‘s shin and he had to have surgery. He’s doing fine now, but the bullet is still lodged in his leg and he’s going back this week for a second opinion. No charges were filed and the two are still friends.”
Sticky Fingaz added to HipHopDX, “This incident was unfortunate , but could have been much worse. I’m just happy Luce is recovering and in good condition.”
Aside from directing A Day In The Life, Sticky also wrote and stars in the film which will be released July 7th by Major Independents and Lionsgate Films. It’s the first movie to be told entirely in rap and stars Omar Epps, Mekhi Phifer, Fredro Starr, Ray J, Michael Rapaport, Bokeem Woodbine, Faizon Love, Malinda Williams and host of others.
The soundtrack is out August 18th from Tommy Boy Records featuring music from the film and four all new songs from Sticky and Onyx. Look out for Onyx‘s The Black Rock Tour of the US and Canada starting July 9th.
Special Props to HipHopDX for the info via email
Dear Diary: Remy Ma’s Letter From Prison to her fans
Incarcerated rapper Remy Ma recently took the time to write a letter to her fans from prison.
Remy, a former member of the Terror Squad, was sentenced to eight years in prison over one year ago. The rapper was convicted of assualt, weapons possession and attempted coercion after an altercation that left Makeda Barnes Joseph shot.
Here is the letter, according to GlobalGrind.com:
“I always find myself thinking about what I was doing a year ago, two years ago, five years ago today. I never remember exactly where till I find myself imagining where I would be today. I rarely listen to the radio because it’s sort of depressing. Not being able to record is stressful not because I’m a rapper but because that was my way of venting and expressing myself. So I write a lot! So much that now I have a callous on my finger from holding a pen. I guess I got used to texting my rhymes!
I get a lot of fan mail and everyone asks me how I’m doing? I say fine, the way I see it I never imagined making it this far with my sanity. Not being able to go somewhere when you want, see your family when you want (on many occasions when you need to), can’t use the phone, take a shower, wear clothes, or even eat when you want – super aggravating. Whenever, which is almost everyday I get visits, a lot of kids ask for autographs. It’s something that I used to do almost everyday but now it actually feels weird, I really feel like an inmate. And as much as I hate to admit it, I really am an inmate. I mean, it kind of grows on you when certain people go out of there way to make you feel like that.
They have this program called YAP (Youth Assistance Program) they keep asking me to join. It’s a program that brings inner city kids to the prison to show them what it’s like to be incarcerated. I hear that every group asks about me but I’m a little hesitant to join. They think it will give the kids a reality check that this can happen to anyone. I however feel that it’ll be more of the kids wanting to see Remy Ma the rapper and because of that they won’t get that I’m actually in jail. So I’m still contemplating. If I figure out a way for them to actually get it, that this is really not a place you would ever want to be whether for 8 years, 8 months, or 8 minutes then I’ll do it.
Everyone in prison isn’t innocent but everyone in prison isn’t guilty. So whether you end up here on purpose or by accident, the pain you’re feeling is still the same. And I can quote a lot “gangsters” by saying that “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy…”
Forever Innocent,
Rem“
Special Props to HipHopDX for the info via email
JNEL & J. Magazine 