Philly did it again.... next up andy!
A New Movement.............
According to the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System, almost every month this year about 30 lives have been taken due to homicide. The goal of this campaign is to help ease the pain of the families affected. Also, to provide a positive alternative to lower crime in this city. The Founder of Ballers Convention states, " My campaign serves a purpose which is to assist in decreasing the violence in Philadelphia and its surrounding areas." Garry Mills, believes "In order to bring violence to an end [in Philadelphia] we all must dig up our grass roots. Provide an outlet that these kids already know and love, basketball". Mills would boast of being one of the Philadelphia Public league's best ball players in its history, therefore he can tell of the positive affects that the game could have on one's life. Basketball proved to bring out his leadership skills at a young age which later nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit. Thereafter, being the brains of Ballers Convention and other entrepreneurial endeavors. This campaign is planned to attract many people with that same spirit and love for basketball.
At the young age of 25, Mills has dedicated his life to this project of violence prevention through the outlet of sports, entertainment and entrepreneurship via Ballers Convention. His believes his life's mission is to be a positive role model to all young men and women specifically in the Philadelphia and West Oak Lane areas.
Ballers Convention is a basketball marketing/event planning company focused on preventing violence and promoting positive lifestyles. It creates brand experiences for consumers through fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment objectives; established with the commitment to bringing a fresh and innovative experience to all who attend our events. We are dedicated to catering to the entertainment needs of young adults, young professional, and entrepreneurs. In our brief existence, we have established a presence in the city of Philadelphia and its surrounding areas.
Ballers Convention encourages families to gather during the holidays and replace "weapons of mass destruction" with basketballs. Replace hate with innovative and progressive ideas for the future.
To purchase a t-shirt,sweatshirt,or to add exposure to this campaign,please feel free to contact:
Garry Mills (267)357-9090 or via e-mail ballers_convention@hotmail.com
Thank you for your support!!
In CONSEQUENCE NEWS..................
This week, Queens rapper Consequence inked a deal with Universal/Motown Records and now he's preparing to release his sophomore album which will be executive produced by Kanye West and Q-Tip. blogger caught up with the Cons to discuss the upcoming LP.Consequence recently inked a deal with Sylvia Rhone, the head of Universal/Motown. The G.O.O.D. Music rapper's deal with Sony/BMG soured shortly after the release of his debut, Don't Quit Your Day Job.
Cons continued to promote the album on his own and that caught the attention of Rhone who happened to sign Cons to his first deal with Elektra Records many years ago.
Now he's hard at work on his follow-up which is aptly titled, You Win Some, You Lose Some.
"Day Job came out, I got it out on Sony but the first week was slow--You win some, you lose some," he said. "I couldn't get my first single played on MTV--You lose some. But the "Good the Bad and the Ugly" makes it to TRL--You win some. I think that's the perfect title for this album."
The new album, which is expected to drop during the summer of 2009 will be co-executive produced by two long time Consequene associates, Q-Tip and Kanye West.
"That's something that Consequence wanted and Kanye and I spoke and we were with it," Q-Tip told blogger. "I think our roles will be the administrators of the heat. [Kanye's] cool. That's my man. We'll work seperately and together. We'll collaborate."
According to Consequence, West was very excited about prospect of swapping loops with Q-Tip. "For Kanye, even with him being a mega star, it's still a high for him to do it because he's a Tribe fan. He loves Tribe."
Consequence told blogger that having Q-Tip and Ye onboard fufills his need for big name features though he did hint at a possible appearance by Jay-Z. Consequence battled Jigga in a game of Connect four during one of the first episodes of his Cons TV internet series.
"I may reach out to a couple of friends that I played Connect Four with," he laughed.
Though Consequence has built a tremendous amount of buzz on the internet by blogging and releasing viral video clips, he's well aware that online views don't necessarily translate to sales.
"What the internet does is heighten your odds but at the end of the day you still gotta make a great record," he said. "Shit, I hope I get a record sale for every hit I got on Cons TV. That means I'll go triple platinum. But if [it] has the effect of 5-10% [increase in sales] then that puts me in a better positiion retail wise than I was last album.
Diddy Eyes Obama's Inauguration Day, Joins Cast Of Mega Stars Making The Trip
Hip-Hop mogul Diddy has become the latest artist to confirm his attendance at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration next month.
Hip-Hop mogul Diddy has become the latest artist to confirm his attendance at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration next month. According to Access Hollywood, the Bad Boy CEO will continue his support of the new president-elect revealing intentions for traveling to Washington, DC to attend the historic event. "If I don't have the best seat in the house, I'll be alright," Diddy told AH. "As long as I am there and around the people and able to witness my fellow Americans." Many celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce Knowles to Young Jeezy have confirmed their attendance. press recently spoke with Young Jeezy who revealed he would also be present. "We gonna walk with him," Jeezy told bloggers. "I'm gonna be there baby, I'm there. It's gonna be like a press concert, I'm in there, you know what I mean?" Obama's presidential inauguration will take place Tuesday, January 20 in Washington, DC. In related news, the TV series "A Raisin in the Sun," starring Diddy, has been nominated for a Golden Globe award. Nominated for "Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made For Television," the ABC series will compete against other nominees including HBO's "Recount" and "John Adams" plus PBS' "Cranford."
its crazy how Jay and Nas made a song called "Black Republicans" But when Obama hit the scene their direction shift........ Were they paid to promote?? post your thoughts
I’m The Illest Alive, Watch Me Prove It!
In your opinion, what was the best hip hop battle related quotable or statement ever made? I immediately thought about it a few weeks ago after viewing a video that’s probably one of the illest, (yeah I know I’m dating myself) hip hop moves in recent years. It was a stance and I mean that literally, taken by the only rapper who now has two songs in Billboards top 5. And what I’m referencing is just hip hop, which used to be bold, braggadocios, nut grabbing, chest thumping, declarations of “I’m nicer than you with this rap shit and no matter what, you can’t fuck with me!”With that in mind, let me ask: Did TI stand on top of the Bowen Homes projects sign in Bankhead? Is that the same Bowen Homes that my man Shawty Lo canvassed asking people “is Tip from Bankhead?” Did he began the video sitting in a lawn chair in front of Bowen Homes? Man, I don’t know what yall thought, but when I saw the What’s Up, What’s Happening video, I said “Oh My God!” That was bold (check), braggadocios (check), I think he grabbed his nuts (no homo)check and thumped his chest. And he definitely made a declaration to Shawty Lo that he’s nicer than him with this rap shit, no matter what. To me, that was hip hop. Which led me to think about some other “hip hop” moves over the years. I’m going to present those moves and hip hop quotable’s that I thought were cool, in no particular order. I’d like for you to do the same and join me as we reminisce about acts that ethered some, motivated others and utterly destroyed careers.
KRS One once rapped that “Manhattan keeps on making it, Brooklyn keeps on taking it, Bronx keeps creating it and Queens keeps on faking it!” That was a dis to MC Shan and his DJ Marley Marl, but he included the whole borough. That was hip hop!
Kool Moe Dee said, “I’m just gonna splatter and shatter his pipe dream. Make him feel the wrath, beat him and laugh. Then when I finish ‘em, I’m gonna ask him who’s the best? And if he don’t say Moe Dee, I’ll take my whip and make him call himself Toby.” That was tough, he even referenced Roots. But did you hear the rebuttal.
Uncle L a.k.a. LL Cool J a.k.a. Jack The Ripper started the song by saying, “milky and I’m back. My ace in the hole was this brand new track.” Which meant that he bated Moe Dee, he toyed with him like a young Cassius Clay. L went on to say, “here’s what my game is, kill is what my aim. A washed up rapper needs a wash up. My name is Jack The Ripper, King Hercules. Back for the payback, I must say that, I heard your new jam, I don’t play that. It aint loud enough punk, it aint hitting. This year you tried, next year you quitting.” He even used the title of Kool Moe Dee’s dis song How Ya Like Me Now in his own dis when he said, “how ya like me now, I’m getting busier, I’m double platinum watching you get dizzier.” He continued it with, “don’t let me hear you say I aint debonair. I’m better than any emcee out there!” Shots fired. That was hip hop!
And we can’t mention Uncle L and the battle without talking about Can-I-Bus. Do you remember when he said, “Well lemme tell you something, you might got more cash than me, but you aint got the skills to eat a nigga’s ass like me. And if you really want to show off, we can get it on. Live in front of the camera’s on your own sitcom. I’ll let you kick a verse, fuck it, I’ll let you kick ‘em all. I’ll even wait for the studio audience to applaud. Now watch me rip the tat from your arm, kick you in the groin, stick you for your Vanguard award in front of your mom, your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd born. Make your wife get on the horn and call Minister Farakahn. So he could persuade me to squash it. I say naw he started it. He forgot what a hardcore artist is.” Woo Wee!
Then the discord was deaded when L said, “you don’t want to borrow that, you want to idolize. And you don’t want to make me mad, nigga you wanna socialize.” Hey, hands down, the J on the back, behind the Cool without the A-Y is one of the best whoever done it! He is Hip Hop!
One of my favorites was when Pac said, “Mobb Deep wonder why nigga blowed them out. Next time grown folks talking nigga close your mouth” Whew! I don’t know what the Mobb did to Pac directly, if anything, but whatever they did, they shouldn’t of done it.
Whether you was riding with the West Coast or the East Coast at the time, you must admit that when Snoop kicked over the World Trade Center in the New York, New York video that the DPG shot on site, was hip hop at it’s best! Now those real gun shots that were reportedly fired at their trailers on the video shoot while on location in New York wasn’t hip hop at all. Instead, that was some ignorant street shit that could have cost someone their life. Shit like that is actually the detriment of hip hop, unfortunately. But let me not digress.
50 Cent entered the game locked, cocked and loaded with his song How To Rob in which he adamantly said, “the only excuse for being broke is being in jail.” He dissed everybody in the game. You’d have to pick your own favorite lines. However, for me, two of the most memorable and entertaining quotes was when he said, “I’d rob ODB, but that’d be a waste of time. Probably have to clap him, run and toss the nine.” He also said, “tell Sticky gimme the cash before I empty three. I’ll beat your ass like that white boy on MTV.” That whole song, line for line, was hip hop!
“I’m about a dollar. What the fuck is 50 Cent?”
“Nigga, you aint live it, you witnessed it from your folks pad. You scribbled in your notepad and created your life.”
“So yeah, I sampled your voice, you was using it wrong. You made it a hot line. I made it a hot song.”
“How’s niggas dissing me? I made it possible for niggas to make history. How is this possible? Please explain this shit to me? How is this logical? Have we forgot our history? Lets open our bibles. It’s like the disciples dissing Jesus becoming his rivals. Shunning the one thing that they owe their life to. You let that man hype you to go against your idol. Knowing good and goddamn well this what I do! Think I’m in the office, I lost my grind? That’s how kids become orphans. You lost your mind?”
“The only time you went plat, my chain was around your neck and that’s an actual fact.”
For the love of hip hop, I would have paid anything to witness a young L in his prime versus Jay. But since that’s impossible, I had to “settle” for Jay versus Nas. Please understand that I used the term “settle” facetiously.
First of all, in the song Ether, Nas returned the favor to Jay by using his own words and slogan, “I Will Not Lose.” And he meant it!
“My child, I’ve watched you grow up to be famous and now I smile like a proud dad, watching his only son that made it. Were you abused as a child, scared to smile, they called you ugly? Well, life is harsh, hug me, don’t reject me. Or make records to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly. In ‘88 you was getting chased to your building. Calling my crib and I aint even give you my number. All I did was gave you a style for you to run with. Smiling in my face, glad to break bread with the God.” Though there were certainly some personal underlying issues to ignite the rival, the result was definitely hip hop at its finest.
There are countless others and I know that I just scratched the surface. So I’d like for you to help me finish writing this piece by including your favorites in the comment section below. As I stated earlier, lets reminisce about the true essence of this artistic form, our beloved hip hop. What were some of your favorite battle related hip hop quotable’s or actions?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
