Entertainment Ball

The rise of the Femcees!

2011-12-14T01:03:00.000-08:00

Over the last year or so female rappers also known as femcees have staked their claim for recognition in a male dominated genre. many have come out spitting some of the hottest bars you would ever hear.

Before the remedies revolution, Weird MC had set the pace with her "Allen Avenue" single and Album. she was raw and energetic but not too lyrical then, not too long after that she absconded to the UK and not much was heard from her in terms of joints until she returned with "Ijo ya". After that the game became male dominated for a long time. the likes of the SWATROOT, Ruggedman, Mode nine, Trybesmen,Terry da Rapman, Overdose,Sauce kid too over the game and killed the femcees shine.El dee gave us a break in 2001 with his Da Trybe crew. Da Trybe birthed two Femcees with mad mic skills: Sasha and Blaise. Blaise spat with so much ferocity on "Oya"the competition burnt to nothin! she stood out among the guys on that track but sasha hugged the headlnes after that, with her "Emi le gon" single. This kick started the Femcee revolution although her first album dint drop til two years later. the two femecees from Da Trybe still remain very relevant in the game today.After Sasha and Blasie female rappers have joined the femmecee revolution the like of kemistry, bouqui, kel, Zee, Eva, Muna have seized the moment. Kel and Bouqui have released ground breaking albums. I feel Kel's album didn't get the rating it deserved.The release of i no send you Male and female version by the suspect is a testament to the growth of Femcees in Naija. Popular opinion has it that the Femcees version killed the male version. All the ladies were on point like the were standing on a full stop. it also shows that the babes are ready to take over like genetic engineers. Blaise has sparkled on sever guest appearances and her handful of singles notably braggin rights with freestyle, Lasan, I no send u. Zee killed the game with her current single Mic Check, Eva's I don did it is Subliminal. Muna has been on top on her cameo appearances especially Lagos party remix. we also have under ground femcees like Mischief spitting real tight.After analysis based on lyrical content and delivery i present my fav Femcees!

Blaise

Blaise remains the hottest rapper in Nigeria male of female!her punchline are delicious are her delivery is sharp and awesome. not many mcs can hold a candle to her.Her recent appearance in the BET cipher has donenothing more than re-establish her as the best of the best. She iscurrently working and re-working on her highly anticipated album…tightening up loose ends while balancing tons and tons of featurerequests and compeering gigs.

Zee

Zee is a crazy lyricist.Since coming on the radar in 2010, Zee has been pretty busy making a name for herself. She has worked with a number of notable acts and appeared on some massive hits such as Tha Suspect’s Tuaile which also features Shank, Ill bliss and Young milz. Thanks to the success of that single, Tha Suspect brought her back for I No Send You (Remix) which also turned out to be a success and favorite. I believe with time she will match Blaise delivery for delivery. The year 2011 has seen her rise in popularity with artistes queuing to have her spit some wity bars on their track.
she has advanced in delivery and concept since her 2007 single 'come get with me' and is now one of the top rated femcess in Naija. The cross River femcee has a hot single mic check brimming with puchlines as she wastes (waists) (w)rappers like iro. As a Result of her rising profile she was selected for the BET Africa Cypher word has it that she was only out rhymed by the God -lyricist him self Mode nine (hope to see them collabo some day!). 2012 is the year she explodes on the Naija HIP hop scene. Watch out cos Zee is off the chain like a missing locket!
Muna

The ex beauty queen first appeared on Terry tha rapman’s track PH girl, were she dropped an ok verse. . She then appeared on a collaboration with Banky W on his Lagos Party remix. On Dipp's good girl remix she brought the fire in her with a fiery verse that got the industry noticing her. she has an energetic style that is at the same time mild. Her lyrics can be very raw and suggestive, a reminder of the lil Kim of back in the days but she undoubtedly a tight lyricist.
Eva

Eva released her first ever studio recording with the help of Tha Suspect early 2009 and titled it 'I dey Play'. The song which was done over the popular 'a millie' instrumental by Lil Wayne went on to become a fan favorite and received aiplay on radios, gaining for Eva a maximum level of recognition. Eva Alordiah a Delta state beauty has a teaming fan base that includes yours sincerly. She has worked on several collabos including the award winning remix of 'Owo ati Swagger' alongside Gino, Terry tha Rapman and the Late Dagrin. Her style is sassy,raw and direct. on her recently released "GIGO EP" she flirted with several styles but didn't come out as sharply as expected. I felt or her immense talent she could have done beter on the project. she didn't put her great lyrical ability on the front burner. The track "relentless" is an example of her lyrical prowess.
Kel

kelechi Ohia is one Femcee that took the industry with so much ferocity and energy. her bars on Illbliss's u go wound were mad. He follow up single "WA Wa alright' was amazing. She spat many ill bars on her debut album "The Investment" which won her critical claim. Alyhough i feel the album didnt get the credits its deserved. I heard her verse for the Tha Suspect's "I no send u" it was crazy and i onder why it didnt make the final cut.

black star mixtape ft mode nine

2011-02-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

The Black Star Line Mixtape Vol 1 is here, Join The Black Star Line.com to listen/download it.

me as santa

2011-02-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

eminem and mariah

2010-02-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Isn't it quite funny that Eminem's hottest battle is against a pop diva? Even the battle against Ray Benzino didnt take this shape. Since eminem came up with the Revelation that he had an affair with mariah , the pair have been slinging mud at each other. The feud between Mariah Carey and Eminem dates back to 2001 when the pair apparently discussed working together on music for Carey's Charmbracelet album. No music ever did come after the discussions, but reports did surface that the pair were dating. In 2002 in an interview he gave to Rolling Stone Eminem did discuss the rumors and stated, "There's truth to that. But on the whole personal level, I'm not really feeling it. I just don't like her as a person." In December 2002 around the release of Charmbracelet, Mariah Carey appeared on Larry King Live and said, "I hung out with him, I spoke to him on the phone. I think I was probably with him a total of four times. And I don't consider that dating someone".

Eminem's May 2002 album The Eminem Show includes a song "Superman" that Eminem has stated is in part about his relationship with Mariah Carey. It includes the lines, "What you tryin' to be, my new wife? What you Mariah?" Reportedly, Mariah Carey responded in her own way musically with the song "Clown" from Charmbracelet. Her words included, "You don't want the world to know that you're just a puppet show, and the little boy inside often sits at home alone and cries."

In May 2003 the battle raged again through statements given to New York newspapers. An associate of Eminem told the New York Post that the rapper had saved a number of extensive voicemails from Mariah Carey and planned to possibly use them in a song. They were described as "weird and graphic" and included Mariah Carey speaking in "a baby voice." Mariah Carey fired back through the New York Daily News saying, "I don't know what the hell he's doing. It's a little excessive. Doesn't it seem a little bit girly? Like we're in a catfight." She also managed to explain, "I have little voices. I do things like that that are fun and games."

Despite a period of quiet, the battle between Mariah Carey and Eminem did not come to an end. In 2006 Eminem took to the airwaves of his Shade 45 Sirius Satellite Radio station to discuss the matter again. This time he said, "Yes, me and Mariah did have a relationship for about a good six, seven months...I wasn't really into what she was into. Our personalities collided. She's a diva, and I'm a little more regular, I guess."

Mariah Carey married actor and rapper Nick Cannon in April 2008. This introduced a third character into the feud. In May 2009, Eminem's long-awaited four years in the making album Relapse was released. It included the song "Bagpipes from Baghdad" that explicitly addresses both Cannon and Carey. Eminem muses about what happened in his relationship with Mariah Carey and he threatens her new husband. Nick Cannon responded with an extensive blog entry. In the post he referred to Eminem as "Slim Lamey" and said, "So, Miss Marshall, I'm going to make you wish you never spoke my name and regret the ungodly things you said about my wife." Eminem later admitted in an interview his lyrics were harsh and he just wished the couple well.

It did not take long for the next move in the ongoing feud between Mariah Carey and Eminem. Mariah Carey's single "Obsessed" appeared in June 2009. Despite protesting from Nick Cannon, it seems blatantly obvious that the song is mostly in response to the ongoing conflict with Eminem. Among Mariah Carey's disses in song were the lines, "You a mom and pop, I'm a corporation, I'm the press conference, you a conversation." To drive home the point that it is about Eminem, Mariah Carey appeared dressed as a man in trademark Eminem clothing. The song became a genuine hit single by debuting at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Eminem's response came July 30, 2009 with the release of the song "The Warning." Beginning with, ""Only reason I dissed you in the first place is because you denied seeing me. Now I'm pissed off," Eminem set down the most extensive details and threats yet. He spells out explicit details about an alleged encounter with Carey as well as making threats to release saved voice mails and photos. The initial response to Eminem's latest has been a twitter post from Nick Cannon using Biblical quotes to imply Eminem will ultimately have to answer to God.

How this beef pans out? Only God can tell!

how to blow.

2010-02-09T04:11:00.000-08:00

As an artiste manager, i ve worked with a whole variety of artistes. The paramount question on the mind and liops of any undergroun or yet to blow artiste is, what do i do to hit the limelight? when i was promoting Timaya, he had those doubts too, but i told him believe in your self and he did that. today he is one of Nigeria's most renowned artiste. asides self belief, what other ingredients do artistes neeed to breeak into a saturated Nigerian market. This is aguide to upcoming artistes.
the first step is to detach your self from "market trends". Many naija guyz feel that jumping on the band wagon is a sure key to success. currently, mosy artistes i have spoken to want to do a Terry G. Hear them: "if a just do one track with terrg, i don blow be that!" they fail to realize that T>G has done over 100 tracks in the lasy year, but only about 10 are popular hits. every artiste or musician should know his or her forte and work on his/her strong points. you can work with any producer that is good, as long as u have a good song and concept. it does not have to be terrry g or id cabassa.
Artiste must avoid the local champion mentality, some of us are so tided to our local environment we forget there is a world out there! travel far and wide to promote your song(s). you do not give your CDs to radio stations only, give them to joints, saloons,shops and streeet djs.

2010 hot shots

2010-02-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

yo show biz folks, been a while. there are loads of entertainment gists for 2010. so keeep it locked on namselicious' e- ball. the grammmy just went down and Beyonce rocked it. pink was awesome.

The greatest Naija rap album: Malcom IX ;the lost sessions

2009-05-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

In this mixtape (the first ever in Nigeria), Mode makes rap seem too easy. His word play is very incisive, no wonder he says he is not a rapper but a lyrisist. since this album dropped in 2004, no other rap album in Nigeria has matched the lyrical quality of this joint not even nine himself.

From elbow room to 150 bars he has the listener locked down like underground prisoners. He treads a path no Nigerian rapper has dared;raw,direct and hard core. HE'S SO UNDERGROUND THE DEVIL BE LIKE WHO'S DOWN THERE,but it still burnt up more stores than fires engulfing markets.

419 state of mind was an absolute charmer,headz was a delight while orisuna bsaement freesytle killed us all. i wonder when we will have a rnother rap album of this quality.

Inside out

2009-05-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

congrats, my lad you are now a father

doctor places a parcel in my hands

nurse says "you can go in now"

pacing the corridor like a lost chick

i moved in the direction of pointing fingers

voices around calmed me down

Where is she

i bursted into the clinic like a wild bull

flung myself of the reeving bike in a swing

screaming directions as we tore through the streets

i jumped on the closest bike

i jetted out soon as the news hit my ear

neighbours told me, my girl started getting kicks

i just got back from my trip

as i journeyed home my mind went back

my girl decided to keep the kid

i had told her to get rid of it

she told me she was pregnant

down the months we rocked after some bottles of rum

which is where the story began

Elbow room - Mode nine

2009-05-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Verse 1
My train of thought run you over when you on my trackMeaning I’m serving you off the court with what I spatAnd I dare you not to put the beef back on the meat rackYa weak black roasting acting like you rawYou’re an Alby imposter cos you’re not SureWhile I’m on point like I’m sitting on the Score boardSwinging war swords, slashing up all you wack guysRap wise, I wear you out like running up a hillFatigue is not the issue you get tired by 4 wheels I have no elastic limit I won’t yield I got the game sealed controlling it ma foot on the peddleBeefing show promoters who always try to meddle Like floating particles in pure water we won’t settle The lead’ll pierce flesh I executed the mind hit Rewind it heads do that whenever I spit Without there fingers in my toilet they feeling my shit

Verse 2
I emerge from the mist a lyricist with the urgeTo start a movement so you real heads convergeSo we can purge the Industry like we fed em laxativeCash flow only real rappers will see Stacks of it Relax a bit. I know ya feeling edgy cos you rime biteYou got the lemon and the torch I got the lime lightRead the sign rite before you battle M.O.D Cos when I’m done I ma sign right on your P.O.PI’m on T.O.P bite me en suffer indigestion You are not objective like multipleChoice questions you by ass Like ya patronizing hoesI’m killing foes leave them fucked up like free showsLike ill Bliss en “em I’m a thorough bred breedAnd theirs a need for you to take your leave like theNeighborhood dope man selling wet weed stay like jodeciAnd stand the risk of getting jet li’ed

Verse3
I don’t knock about or barge in so called me major interferenceI come to make mc’s mum like one of my parents My appearance at a show got ma foes dartingCos they make me laugh hard like 30mins of MartinI’m making more headlines than cornroles and partainsWhile you be puffing shit gas like greedy people fartingMost times when I’m done with it ya scared of starting I put ma heart in the game blood plus my soul Like a surgical transplant, my lyrics and my flow Get me more hugs than skillful soccer players, scoring goalsI’m hungry like snoop in the deep cover of death rowSo I eat rappers like they made of egg rollsKeeping it real types always have to learn to let goI keep it real for me not cos one young punk said so My manifestos first line says I rock im the head of state here to leave you in a state of shock

Naija's top 10 all tyme rap songs

2009-05-23T15:03:00.002-07:00

hello folks, here is a throw down of what i think are the greatest naija rap hits. i know there are many underground hits out there, but this is based on what i ve heard.

Elbow room - Mode nine

This is undoubutably the greatest rap song from Nigeria. This song brought modey back to the lime light. A certain Callen took the chorus that still baffles people till today. Mode nine was simply phenominal on this joint, the lead single from the best rap album in naija so far : Malcom ix. Every line on this track is a punchline!

Youngman -Trybesmen and Dare

Without frestyle the duo of Eldee and KB rip this track lyrically. The lyrics of the song are brilliant and still relevant today.'arts and sports are universal. originated only for dispersal".

Peace or war - Ruggedman

This is ruggedy at his best, you could feel the venom in his voice. Smarting from the negative press he was receiving for Ehen, hhe drops peace or war to silence the critics and get the crown fro Eedris. Love him or hate him it's peace or war.

Numero uno - Trybesmen

"WE cant be no 10". This is one of the best trybesmen joint. the lyrics are awesome and the flow is round the bend.

Bug-a-long. - OD

Od sets this joint ablaze with his ill flow, was not a main stream hit, but it held a lot of water underground.

Mode nineQUEST FREESTYLE -

This is raw delivery, full of witty punchlines and energy. mode nine rips this track with 3 32 bar verses. he is coming tru clear road,listen to his punchlines.

Oya - Da trybe

A rap ballad from Eldee and his henchmen. This joint kick started the careers of Sasha.blaise,sid and co.

Dont hate - OD

The anger level on this song is so great i thing Od has to apologize! am not hating cos he is way too advanced.

IT,S ABOUT TO GEY UGLY! - Mode nine

Another classic from Mode nine's debut album.

Bragging rights. -Freestyle and Blaise

Free style delivers a fiery verse aided by blaise. He takes swipes at Eldee on this track.

nnews headlines

2009-05-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax
5.
Tiger Woods plays with own balls, Nike says
6.
Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
7.
Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years
8.
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
9.
Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years at Checkout Counter
10.
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
11.
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
12.
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
13.
Kicking Baby Considered to Be Healthy
14.
Never Withhold Herpes Infection from Loved One
15.
Stolen Painting Found by Tree
16.
Actual Headline: Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
17.
Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case
18.
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
19.
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
20.
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

OVERDOSE

2009-05-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

Full name: David Adoga

Other names: James Flames, Overdose (O-D), lyrical soldier, the verbal weapon holder

Weight: 84kgHow tall: 5ft 8inch

Most prized possessions: Hip-Hop gear/tapes, Rhyme-sheets

Favorite phrases: What!

Birth date: 14th of January 1980

Favorite colorz: Black, blue

Words: Do what you gotta do but remember, realness is the code. Always keep it tight and you’ll never go wrong. Word is bond!

Childhood ambition: Wanted to be James Bond

Place of birth: Kaduna/Nigeria

Favorite moments: when chilling

Favorite sports: soccer and basketball

Favorite food: Spaghetti and sauce plus chicken

Favorite artist; there are a whole lot of’em

Homiez 4 life: Grandson (Dlama Ezekiel), Shola Samuel (Veron), Itopa Yakubu, Alfred Atungu (six foot+), Hassanna Baba Ahmed, Sawula (The blast), Ayuba Tete (A.T)

Hobbies: doing whatever soothes me

Early influences: Notorious B.I.G, L.L Cool Jay, Tha Wutang Clan, Def Squad, Nas, Bahamadia.

What you are checking for now: Chino XL, Canibus, Juice, Planet Asia, Supernatural, Sticky Fingaz, Masta Ace, Talib Kweli, Punch Line and Words Worth, Last Emperor, Pharoahe Monch, Ras Kass, Glenn Lewis, Musiq Soul Child, JahiemHottest producers: DJ Hi Tech, Tha Diggie Doctor Dre, Preemo, Tone and Poke…

Been doing this thing (RAP) for a whole while. Wrote me ma first rhyme in December 1998. Started going for radio rap shows at K.D in January 1999, in that same year hooked up with Ill Jamil & Ruff and formed a group called the bomb squad, recorded a Demo in January 2000. First Joint was titled: The Squad Anthem and the second joint was called bounce to this, then I broke out.
Got Solo Dee’s (CEO PBT) number from Hilari Bakura (Flava) who was El Dee’s friend. Called and was aksed to bring my Demo, that was in 2001, and then tha word was on the street that Terry Tha Rapman got signed to PBT too. So I called him to find out what it was like, he told me it was all good. Brought ma tape for Solo 2 listen 2 then he offered me an opportunity 2 record stuff for an album.
Got introduced 2 real hip-hop in 1997, then I used to hang out at ma man Grandson’s joint, he and his big brother had a lot ‘a rap tapes and videos that we were always sampling.
Other things that you freak: Poem writing

OD has since left Paybacktyme, he pearched with Ostracon for a while and then disappeared for a while. While he was on a musical haitus, he worked as a presenter on rythm 94.7 abuja. He came back and made on Black solo's friday nite. He then dropped his debut album "Dont hate", which is no doubt a well worked rap attack album. He remains in the fore front of rap purity alongside mode nine.. He plans to release his sophomore set on X3 his new label.

Songs i am feeling.

2009-05-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Me lifestle (X-crew)

Here is a run down of 10 songs am feelng the most right now. apart from the no one song others are in no particular order.

No 1 - not the girl - Dare.

This song is simply killing me the rythm and the lyrics take me out of this world. i love the song so much that when i was asked to give a chorus in the church i was like :"you re not the girl i used to know", believe me!

No 2 - Halo -Beyonce.

The more i hate Beyoynce the more she trills me.Halo is a brilliant song that many people can relate to.

No 3- Blaze - MI

That short black boy called Jude A.K.A. Mr incredible abi na mic inovator just blazes this track with his cohorts. silky and smoothe. i love that part where he is like "u know me now usually i don't ...".

No 4 -Yankuluma - Timaya

Mama yankuluma (5 times). My boy just dey kill party with this track. I cant get that chorus out of my short term memory.

No 5 - shayo - Bigiano

THis song jusy bounces along carrying everybody along

No ^ - Hero - NAS.

The greatest rapper of all time shows us why he is the only hero of the rap game left. Brilliant delivery,classic Nas

No 7 - Magic spell - Silver Saddih

"magic spell on me, like voodoo" thats what this song does to me. I am suprised he didnt get a nomination for the just concluded Hiphop worl awards.you need to hear this song.

No 8 - Spasmodic- Terry d Rapman and Mode nine

Joe spasm and Mode deliver a witty and punchlines filled track, one of the best rap collabos from this part of the world. "it's that time of the month and am flowing all day,so i gat my pad always'". get it?

No 9 - Fiya burn- Mode nine

Mode delivers unbelieveably well in Ragga tongue. Mallam spicey murders the track.Tight.

No 10 - Ten Ten - Mo hits all stars

The mo hits crew are spot on even without their henchman D'Banj. i Love the playful nature of the song.

Well thats it folks my top ten songs, very difficul to pick. Others thst deserve mention are :

Banging - Ruggedman

Gbosibanga - Eldee

Death Blow - Mode nine

NASIR JONES

2009-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Nas was born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones in Long Island City, Queens, New York.[1][5] His father, Olu Dara, is a jazz trumpeter and his mother, Fannie Ann Jones, was a Postal Service worker. He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari Fret who assumes the alias Jungle. While his family lived in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Nas would play the trumpet on his home stoop at age four. His family moved to the Queensbridge Houses in the late 1970s.[6] Nas began writing rhymes at the age of nine.[7] His neighbor, Willy "Ill Will" Graham, influenced Nas's interest in hip hop by playing him records.[6] Nas' parents divorced in 1985,[6] and he dropped out of school in the eighth grade.[1] He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the 360° Lessons of the Nubian Islamic Hebrew scrolls, the Bible and the Qur'an.[8]
Despite dropping out of school, Nas developed a high degree of literacy that would later characterize his rhymes.

Career

As a teenager, Nas enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willy "Ill Will Graham" as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas.[9]
In 1991, Nas performed on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" concert, establishing himself as a teenage prodigy. In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut under the name of "Nasty Nas" on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead.[1] The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serch's solo album was released later in the year, Nas’ standout appearance on "Back to the Grill Again" only intensified interest. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim,[10] his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community.

1994: Illmatic
In 1994, Nas's debut album, Illmatic, was finally released. It was the first album awarded Five Mics from The Source.[11] It also featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S. and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara. The album spawned several hit singles: "The World Is Yours", "It Ain't Hard to Tell", and "One Love". Shaheem Reid of MTV News coined Illmatic as "the first classic LP" of 1994.[12] Nas performed the song "One on One" for the movie Street Fighter.[13] In 1995, Nas did guest performances on the albums Doe or Die by AZ, The Infamous by Mobb Deep, and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon.

1996–1998: It Was Written and The Firm
Columbia Records began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics, such as that of The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Tone and Poke of Trackmasters, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" using the same sample as Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me base track and a remix with R. Kelly were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. It Was Written featured the debut of The Firm, a super group consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also expanded on Nas Escobar persona, who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Scarface protagonist Tony Montana, was more about his life as a teenager in the projects.[1]
Signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, The Firm began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip hop singles "dissing" Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. [2]Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and didn't live to the high sales expectation despite being certified platinum, and the members of the super group went their separate ways.
During this period, Nas was one of five rappers (the others being B-Real, Dr.Dre, KRS-One and RBX) in the hip hop supergroup Group Therapy, who appeared on the song "East Coast/West Coast Killas" from Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath.[14] In 1998, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly.[1]

1999–2000: I Am… and Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album, to be entitled I Am…The Autobiography; he intended it as the middle ground between Illmatic and It Was Written, with each track detailing a part of his life.[1] The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, "Nas Is Like." It was produced by DJ Premier and contained vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell." Music critic M.F. DiBella noticed that Nas also covered "politics, the state of hip-hop, Y2K, race, and religion with his own unique perspective" in the album besides autobiographical lyrics.[15] Much of the LP was leaked into MP3 format onto the Internet and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.[16]
The second single for I Am… was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, which was used as an example by Nas' critics of him moving towards commercial themes. The video featured Nas and Combs being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; after the video was completed, Combs requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV. Within minutes of the broadcast, Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.[16]
Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am… under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, Nas decided to record an entire new album for the 1999 release of Nastradamus. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, "You Owe Me."[1] It was produced by Timbaland and featured R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am… to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.[17]
In 2000, QB's Finest was released on Nas's Ill Will Records.[1] QB's Finest is a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge projects, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Capone, the Bravehearts, Tragedy Khadafi, Millennium Thug and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shanté, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001," which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge."[18]

2001: Nas vs. Jay-Z and Stillmatic
After trading subliminal criticisms on various songs, freestyles and mixtape appearances, the highly publicized feud rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z became widely known to the public in 2001.[1] Jay-Z, in his song "Takeover", criticized Nas by calling him "fake" and his career "lame".[19] Nas responded with "Ether," in which he compared Jay-Z to such characters as J.J. Evans from the sitcom Good Times and cigarette company mascot Joe Camel. The song was included on Nas's fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001.[20] Stillmatic debuted at number five on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A Gun" and "One Mic."
In response to "Ether", Jay-Z released the song "Supa Ugly", which Hot 97 radio host Angie Martinez premiered on December 11, 2001.[19] In the song, Jay-Z explicitly boasts about having an affair with Nas's girlfriend, Carmen Bryan.[21] New York City hip-hop radio station Hot 97 issued a poll asking listeners which rapper made the better diss song; Nas won with 52% while Jay-Z got 48% of the votes.[22]
By October 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas's song "The World Is Yours". The two also collaborated on a song called, "Black Republican" which can be found on Nas's album, Hip Hop Is Dead. They then collaborated again on a song called, "Success" from Jay-Z's album American Gangster. [23]

2002–2005: God's Son and Street's Disciple
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album including its lead single, "Made You Look" which utilized a pitched down sample of the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache". The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts despite widespread internet bootlegging.[24] Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe gave it four stars and The Source gave it four mics. The second single, "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Für Elise", became Nas's biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas's mother, who died of cancer in 2002, including "Dance". In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from Korn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP. Also in 2003, a live performance in New York City, featuring Ludacris, Jadakiss, and Darryl McDaniels (of Run-D.M.C. fame), was released on DVD as Made You Look: God's Son Live.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These Are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant and O. J. Simpson of not setting good examples for the children who look up to them and neglecting their heritage and background. The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases.[1]
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill).

2006: Hip Hop Is Dead
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Def Jam, emphasizing collaboration over competition with former rival Jay-Z.[1] Nas's original title for his next album was Hip Hop Is Dead...The N[25] (shortened to Hip Hop Is Dead), though the UK release features a bonus track at the end called "The N." The album featured production from will.i.am, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, and NBA All Star Chris Webber, as well as longtime Nas collaborators L.E.S. and Salaam Remi and newcomer Wyldfyer. A street single named "Where Y'all At" was released in June 2006. It was produced by Salaam Remi[26], and contained a sample from Nas "Made You Look,"[27] but it did not make the final cut for Hip Hop Is Dead.[28]

The title record and first single was produced by will.i.am, and contains the same melodic sample ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida") as Nas' 2004 single "Thief's Theme." The album debuted on Def Jam and Nas new imprint at that label, The Jones Experience, at number one on the Billboard 200 charts, selling 355,000 copies—Nas's third number one album, along with It Was Written and I Am….[29] A music video for "Can't Forget About You" premiered on February 5, 2007, the song featuring Chrisette Michele and sampling Nat King Cole's song "Unforgettable". [30] Another video, Hustlers, featuring The Game, would follow. [31] Also, Nas has stated in an interview with MTV that a video for "Black Republican" featuring Jay-Z is also underway. A reality series on MTV entitled Me and Mrs. Jones will feature the lives of Nas and Kelis, with Vibe magazine has reported that the show will premiere in 2008.[32]
The title of the album generated controversy, as many fans and artists (particularly those of Southern origin) began to debate over the actual state of rap music's vitality. With this album, Nas became an unofficial leader of the "Hip Hop Is Dead" movement. Ghostface Killah, on his album Fishscale seemed to agree with Nas and cited Southern crunk and snap music as the primary reasons for why hip-hop was "dead". Many Southern acts, such as rappers Big Boi from Outkast, Lil Boosie, T.I., Young Jeezy, Dem Franchize Boyz, and D4L took offense to the title, taking it to be directed at their region in particular.[33]. However, southern rapper André 3000 from Outkast said in a interview that hip-hop is "dying".
Nas worked on a song called "Shine On 'Em" for the film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, which opened in US theaters on December 8, 2006. His song "Thief's Theme" was featured in one of the scenes in the Academy Award-winning movie The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese.[34]

2007: Bill O'Reilly/Virginia Tech controversy and Greatest Hits

Nas performed at a free concert for the Virginia Tech student body and faculty on September 6, 2007. Nas was joined by John Mayer, Phil Vassar, and Dave Matthews Band.[35] When announced that Nas was to perform, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News Channel denounced the concert and called for the removal of the rapper citing "violent" lyrics on songs including "Shoot 'Em Up", "Got Urself A Gun", and "Made You Look". During his Talking Points Memo segment for August 15, 2007, an argument erupted in which O'Reilly claimed that it was not only Nas's lyrical content that made him inappropriate for the event, citing the gun conviction on Nas's criminal record. In the midst of his debate with author Bakari Kitwana ("The Hip Hop Generation"), who defended Nas, claiming that Fox News had "cherry picked" select fragments of the songs to make their case, O'Reilly shouted, "Even in his personal life, man, he's got a conviction for weapons, all right? He's got a weapons conviction, sir! On his sheet! This is a school that had a mass murderer with a pistol gunning down people—this guy has got a conviction for weapons, and you say he's appropriate? Come on!" O'Reilly repeated the claim another four times before cutting the segment short.[36]
On September 6, 2007, during his set at "A Concert for Virginia Tech," Nas twice referred to Bill O'Reilly as "a chump," prompting loud cheers by members of the crowd. About two weeks later, Nas was interviewed by Shaheem Reid of MTV News, where he criticized O'Reilly, calling him uncivilized and willing to go to extremes for publicity.[37]
Responding to O'Reilly, Nas, in an interview with MTV News, said:[38]
He doesn't understand the younger generation. He deals with the past. The people he represents are Republican, older, a generation that has nothing to do with the reality of what's happening now with my generation. ... He's not really on my radar. People like him are supposed to be taught and people like me are supposed to let niggas like him know. I don't take him serious. His shit is all about getting ratings or whatever. I wouldn't honor anything Bill O'Reilly has to say. It just shows you what bloodsuckers do: They abuse something like the Virginia Tech [tragedy] for show ratings. You can't talk to a person like that.
Nas's former label, Columbia Records, released his Greatest Hits album in November. This compilation features 14 songs: 12 from his seven first studio LPs under the label and two newly recorded songs. One of the new tracks, "Less Than an Hour," features Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley. The track is a new take on the theme of the hugely successful Rush Hour film trilogy starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and appears on the Rush Hour 3 soundtrack as well.[39] The other new track, "Surviving the Times," contains biographical lyrics about Nas's career and features production by Chris Webber.

2008: Nigger
On October 12, 2007, Nas announced that his new album would be called Nigger. Both left wing commentators, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and the conservative leaning Fox News were outraged; Jackson called on entertainers to stop using the epithet after comedian Michael Richards used it onstage in late 2006.[40] Controversy escalated as the album's impending release date drew nearer, going as far as to spark rumors that Def Jam was planning to drop Nas unless he changed the title.[41] Additionally, Fort Greene, Brooklyn assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries requested New York's Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to withdraw $84 million from the state pension fund that has been invested into Universal and its parent company, Vivendi, if the album's title was not changed. On the opposite side of the spectrum, many of the most famous names in the entertainment industry expressed a sense of trust in Nas for using the racial epithet as the title of his full-length EP.[42][43][44] In an interview with Angie Martinez, a host on New York's Hot 97, Nas stated that the issue had been raised as high up as the United States Congress. [45]
Nas' management worried that the album would not be sold by chain stores such as Wal-Mart, thus limiting its distribution.[46] On May 19, 2008, Nas decided to forgo an album title.[47] He went on to say in a statement:
“
It's important to me that this album gets to the fans. It's been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it.[48]
”
"Hero", the lead single from the album, was released on June 6, 2008, featuring R&B singer Keri Hilson and produced by Polow da Don. In the US, "Hero" reached number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 87 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and it peaked at number 39 on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart.[49] Released on July 15, 2008, Untitled is Nas' second album with Def Jam, in conjunction with his own imprint, The Jones Experience. It features production from Polow da Don, stic.man of Dead Prez, Mark Ronson, Cool and Dre, DJ Green Lantern, Salaam Remi, DJ Toomp and more. Guest appearances include The Game, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, The Last Poets, Busta Rhymes and Tupac Amaru Shakur.
On July 2, 2008, Fila announced that Nas had signed a shoe deal, his second to date. Nas will promote the sneakers in magazines and wear them at concerts. Fila also plans on having Nas release a second sneaker with 1980s-oriented style during the 2008 holiday season. [50]
Responding to Jesse Jackson's remarks and use of the word "nigger" on July 6, 2008 regarding President Barack Obama, Nas, in an interview with MTV News, said:[51]
I think Jesse Jackson's the biggest player hater. His time is up. All you old niggas' time is up. We heard your voice, we saw your marching, we heard your sermons. We don't want to hear that shit no more. It's a new day. It's a new voice. I'm here now. We don't need Jesse; I'm here. I got this. We the voice now. It's no more Jesse. Sorry. Good bye. You ain't helping nobody in the 'hood and that's the bottom line. Goodbye, Jesse. Bye!
In an interview with MTV News in July 2008, Nas speculated that he might release two albums—one produced by DJ Premier and another by Dr. Dre—simultaneously the same day.[52] Nas will also be featured on the upcoming albums Detox by Dr. Dre [53] and The Recession by Young Jeezy.[54]
On July 16, 2008, Nas performed "Hero" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The following week, on July 23, he appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss his opinion of Bill O'Reilly and the Fox News Channel. Nas accused the latter of bias against the African-American community and re-challenged O'Reilly to a debate. During the appearance Nas sat on boxes of more than 625,000 signatures gathered by online advocacy organization Color of Change in support of a petition accusing Fox of race-baiting and fear-mongering.[55] At the end of the show Nas performed the song "Sly Fox" off his new album, to affirm his criticism of Fox News. Nas is currently touring in "Rock The Bells."[56] Nas was also awarded 'Emcee of the Year' in the HipHopDX 2008 Awards for his latest solo effort, the quality of his appearances on other albums and was described as having "become an artist who thrives off of reinvention and going against the system."[57]

2009: Distant Relatives with Damian Marley
At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Nas confirmed that that he was collaborating on an album with reggae musician Damian Marley which is expected to be released in Spring 2009, with a special edition expected to be available exclusively through Best Buy or Target. A portion of the profit is planned to go towards building a school in Africa.[58] He went on to say that it was "too early to tell the title or anything like that".[59] The Los Angeles Times reported that the album would be titled Distant Relatives.[60]

Personal life
In 1994, Nas' ex-fiancée Carmen Bryan gave birth to their daughter, Destiny. Bryan allegedly had sexual relationships with Jay-Z and Allen Iverson, after she and Nas split up.[61][62][63] He also briefly dated Mary J. Blige.[62] In 2005, Nas married R&B singer Kelis in Atlanta after a two-year relationship.[64][65] The couple is expecting their first child together, a son, in 2009.[66] On April 30, 2009, a spokesperson confirmed that Kelis filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[67][68]

HIPHOPWORLD AWADS 2009

2009-05-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

The Hip Hop World Awards, one of Nigeria's most recognized music awards held yesterday Saturday, May 16 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. It delivered all that was promised,the stage design, lighting and other effects were faboulous. Here is a run down of how it went down.

Best R&B / Best Pop Album - Gongo aso by 9ice
Best Street Hip Hop - 'O4kasibe' by DJ Zeez
Best Rap Album - ' Talk About It' by MI
Best Rap Single - 'Kini Big Deal' by Naeto C
Best Lyricist on the roll - Modenine for 'Nine

Best Reggae and Dancehall Album - 'The Gift and the Grace' by Timaya
Best Female Vocal performance - Omawunmi
Best Male Vocal performance - Banky W for 'Don't Break My Heart'
Best Hip Hop World Revelation - MI
Next Rated Act - Omawumi
Best Collaboration - J Martins, Timaya and P-Square for Good or Bad
Best Music Video - P-Square's 'Roll It'by Jude Okoye
Best Recording of the Year - 'For Mitchell' by Etcetetra
Producer of the year - ID Cabasa (Gongo Aso)
Album of the Year - Gongo aso by 9ice
Song of the Year - Gongo aso.

9ice was the biggest winner on the nite with 3 headies! I am really happy for omawumi, she has so much talent and boldness. i feel mode nine deseved to win the rap album of the year, may be they didnt want to fuel the "beef" with ruggedy. I dont know how and why Naeto c's Kini big deal got best rap single.

What is entertainment?

2009-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

it is quite frustrating these days, that one can't get ant quality entertainment from anywhere. Most entertainers in all fields, have succumed to the commercial mentality pervaading the world these days. in the music world, especially in Naija you can't find any genre of music other than popo or dance hall. I remember that styl plus used to do some brilliant RnB in the past but now i cant understand what they are doing. This so called commercial era is killing fine musical talent, or how do you explain how D' banj selling nore records than ecetera a world class singer? Tight rappers like mode nine,OD,MI and others are forced into hybriding their music into something i cant classify.other artistes are forced out of their genres. The public ears are not helping matters, the Nigerian public is highly unintellectual and this hampers their ability to appreciate music. Salvage is an up coming reggea artiste,with brilliant vocals that i am marketing. Any time i play his music, the complain i hear is "make this guy try do party track". it's comments like these that made me quite rap and show biz. True talents are dying. Naija movies are even worse,so i dont even watch them.

NBA play offs

2009-05-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets came up with one more stunning victory to set up a final showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. Aaron Brooks scored 26 points, Luis Scola added 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the scrappy, undermanned Rockets pushed the top-seeded Lakers to the brink in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 95-80 win in Game 6 on Thursday night.
Reserve Carl Landry scored 15 as the Rockets built another huge lead in the first half, then fought off a Lakers rally to force Game 7 on Sunday at the Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant scored 32 and Pau Gasol added 14 for Los Angeles, which lost for only the third time in the last 18 games when it has a chance to close out a series.
The Lakers have one more opportunity to finish off Houston, but they probably didn't expect to need it, three games after Yao Ming exited the series with a broken left foot.
"We still have no chance," Brooks said with a huge smile. "We'll keep playing, though."
The winner will play the Denver Nuggets, who finished off Dallas on Wednesday night and now have a few extra days to rest.
Ron Artest pumped his fist and Scola embraced Brooks near midcourt as the final buzzer sounded and the Lakers walked off the court with their heads down.
Los Angeles won Game 5 by 40 points, matching Houston's worst playoff loss.
The Rockets came out dominant instead of demoralized on Thursday night. They put together a near carbon copy of the first half of Game 4, when they seemed to hit every open shot, smothered the Lakers on defense and built an 18-point halftime lead.
Bryant missed a halfcourt shot at the halftime buzzer in this one and angrily shook his head as he stormed off the court. The Rockets led 52-36 at the break — one basket shy of the halftime score in Game 4.
On Sunday, Houston stretched its lead to 29 and cruised to a 99-87 win. This time, the Lakers made a game of it, opening the second half with a 16-2 spurt.
But Landry converted a three-point play to break the Lakers' momentum and Brooks sank a 3-pointer to help Houston rebuild its lead.
The Rockets hit their last eight shots in the third quarter and took a 75-65 lead to the fourth. Landry drove down the lane for a one-handed dunk with 6:56 left to put Houston up 81-71 and Bryant checked in after a long rest.
But Bryant missed four of his next six shots and Brooks scored eight points over the next five minutes to secure another surprise over the Western Conference's top seed.
"We got active again against Kobe. He's going to make some shots. We toughed it out in the fourth quarter," Brooks said.
The Lakers outrebounded Houston 45-39, but the Rockets scored 40 points in the paint and held Los Angeles to 36 percent shooting (30-for-84). The Lakers went only 5-for-23 from 3-point range.
Houston opened the game with a 17-1 burst, electrifying another red-clad capacity crowd at the Toyota Center.
Bryant made the Lakers' first field goal near the 6-minute mark, but Scola put in another short jumper to make it 19-3 — one point better than Houston's opening run in Game 4.
Artest got a nice pass from Chuck Hayes and muscled inside for a layup to make it 21-3. The Lakers missed 14 of 20 shots in the quarter and trailed 27-15.
Shane Battier and Artest sank 3-pointers early in the second quarter, another good sign for Houston. The Rockets made 10 3-pointers in their Game 4 victory, but only five in Game 5.
Von Wafer, averaging only 6.6 points in the series, sank a 3 with 5:51 left in the half to put Houston ahead 42-25 and force Lakers coach Phil Jackson to use a timeout.
But Houston stayed in control and Bryant's frustration boiled over near the 2-minute mark.
With Artest blanketing him near midcourt, Bryant appeared to shove Artest and earned a technical foul. The temperamental Artest, ejected from Games 2 and 3, ran away to avoid a confrontation and Brooks sank the free throw for a 47-31 Houston lead.
Notes:@ The Rockets have won 11 of their last 12 home games. ... The team winning after the first quarter has won all 12 of Houston's postseason games. ... Artest missed Thursday morning's shootaround with an illness, but Houston coach Rick Adelman said an hour before the game that Artest felt fine. ... The Lakers are 30-4 all-time in seven-game series when they have a 3-2 lead.

Rockets force deciding NBA game with Lakers AFP
Underdog Rockets dominate Lakers to force decider Reuters

mr timaya

2009-05-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

Born Inetimi odon in the then River state, Timaya has risen to be one of Nigeria's top acts. His style consists of simple lyrics delivered at fast pace with tremendious intensity and energy. His debut album, True Story, flipped the script of mainstream naija music. He literally blew up from no where.

Timaya stared out as Pompous in Port - Harcourt in the early nineties. his early musical influences where mainly reagee the main music then. Due to his he passion for music his parents sent him to Lagos to stay with his elder sister Idubamo Fekumo. He was then sent to Ikeja Gramma school to continue his studies. He continued to be a rebel for music there,but his sister's heavy hands was there to guide him.

Along the line he hooked up with UDX an emerging rap group, and did a track on their album with them. His raw energy could be felt even at that young age. He was also working with Eedris underground at the time. He was a frequent face at his mangoro estate residence. At the Kennis music Easter festival 2004,he was a back up singer on stage for Eedris. After his secondary education, he heaaded back to the Niger Delta and continued to follow his passion.

He re-emerged in Lagos in 2006 as Timaya, with a renewed fire. After his liason with Danny Wilson and Basorge T jnr failed, Wisdom came to the rescue and ensured that he finished his job with K solo at the sound bakery. Before then he had taken part in many talent hunt competitions in Port harcourt and Bayelsa.

He hooked up with Namse Udosen AKA menthol x,who helped in the production of Pomporo, ahit track on the album. He also helped in promoting in Album at the initial stage in Cross river and Akwa Ibom states. The rest they say is history.

His second album has received rave reviews and is not doing badly on the charts. Timaya is the most sort after artist for colabo and that dosen't come cheap. On stage he is also a delight to watch, recently at the star trek in orlu he killed the crowed by bringing them back to life with his energy. Keep it Timaya.

Preview

2009-05-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

so much is going on in the underground. BOIZ ARE NOT RESTING. I was the the studio to do a track last week with TY an upcoming naija r n B SINGER. I LACED 8 BARS cool floe on the track titled love back. the joint is sure to be a hit.

Tumas an underground singer who claims to be a friend of Timaya has just recorded a track aimed at Timaya. the song relies heavyly on the beats of Timaya's Yankuluma.

How to make a Naija hit song

2009-05-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

I ve been studying the music scene for a while now and i have been involved in several projects of great proportions (timaya's first album, kc presh, pasto goody to name a few). Added to the fact that i am a roving music reporter, i guess i can be sid to an authority in the game, abi! Many budding artistes have come up to me and are like "menthol, how do i hit the lime light?" So i have come up with a time testable formula. check it out :

step 1
Get Terry G to produce a dance hall like beat for you no matter the genre of music you play.
Step 2
make sure terry g also takes the chorus and he shouts "free me now!" in the back ground.
step 3
feature timaya on on verse where he chants "Dem mama, dem papa" and dem other family members" about 50 times. also get him to make some religious chants.
step 4
Bootleg the track with djays and alaba boiz
step 5
do a remix featuring M.I

hiphopworld awards update

2009-05-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

The hiphopworld awards, Nigeria's finest event comes up on the 16th of may, that's no news, right. it is moving to Abuja this year, thats no news either , abi. well a theme song was recorded a while ago, as we all know, featuring MI, Kel, Eldee and Banky W:"how much do u want it". Ok, a video has been shot for the track. the videoo was shot at the Teslim Balogun Stadium boxing gym, in Lagos. it was directed by Kemi Adetiba, who is one of the hosts of the show.

the theme is a boxing duel with a prize to die for. Ty bello was handy with the lights. Looks like it's gonna be a tight picture.Banky missed the original shoot due to flight problems but did his thing later.

All artistes are excited about the awards, that has proven to be a true revolution in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Kudos to Ayo Animashaun and the headz.

This years award will unite the trybes on stage for the first time in a decade.

ASA:brilliant,inspirimg and,unsexy!

2009-04-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

Asa was born in Paris, as Bukola Elemide 27 years ago. Her musical career has progressed in leaps and jumps since her flop at the 2002 edition of star quest, where the judges thought her not impressive enough. She defied the seeming failure and moved on with her career. The name Asa means “hawk”. In 2004 she hooked up with Janet, who became her friend and manager. Shortly after, the connection brought in prolific producer, Cobhams Asuquo and together with other talented artistes, she nestled with Questionmark Entertainment.

As Asa began to soar as an artiste, her music career became her utmost priority, “my guitar is my boy friend”, she told a popular magazine. She worked very hard on her debut album that was supposed to be released on the Questionmark imprint. But things turned sour between her and Kevin Luciano, the Q- mark boss. There were accusations and counter accusations; a split was the only way out apparently. Asa took off to Paris, where she hooked up with Naïve records, on whose platform she released her debut album “Asa” an eponym of herself in December, 2007. The album won critical acclaim both in Europe and Nigeria. In the words of James Silas of HWM, “it is sonorously rendered with a captivating aura that extends the thin line between a good and fairly delivered album”. She credits the production of the album to sound genius, Cobhams Asuquo, along side Benjamin Constant, Sebastian Viguier and Christophe Duporuy (not Duggary you football freaks!) who all gave their best to the ground breaking joint.

The album speaks directly to our consciousnesses. The jazzy instrumentals and the soulful singing are inspiration and lifting. We don’t have to go the 360 degrees to know that there is fire on the mountain, but no one knows tomorrow! Her love ballads, bring us from far away to see things fall down the drain, so let’s be careful when someone comes to say “I love you” or we could end up like “Bibanke”. At the end we are more in tune with what music is all about.

POST SCRIPT.

I watched her perform live at TINAPA on Easter Sunday and was left with locked jaws like tetanus. She had a full orchestra to back her up, very professional! I have never seen any Nigerian act with such a band before. Despite the distance from Calabar main town the hall was packed. I doff my hat for her.

ASA :BRILLIANT, INSPIRING AND UNSEXY!

2009-04-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

“There is fire on the mountain and nobody seems to be on the run”, this line from fire on the mountain, a single from her debut album summarizes her musical philosophy. Asa is a mix of shade Adu, Tracy Chapman and Erika Badu, combining a sultry voice and philosophical penning skills with an unconventional attractiveness. She defies all odds by diving into the Nigerian music mainstream without selling out! In a society where most ladies depend on baring it all to excel, Asa maintains decorum and still shines. She sings romance without obscenity and revolution without violence. Her lyrics are so conscious you can almost see them moving.

Asa was born in Paris, as Bukola Elemide 27 years ago. Her musical career has progressed in leaps and jumps since her flop at the 2002 edition of star quest, where the judges thought her not impressive enough. She defied the seeming failure and moved on with her career. The name Asa means “hawk”. In 2004 she hooked up with Janet, who became her friend and manager. Shortly after, the connection brought in prolific producer, Cobhams Asuquo and together with other talented artistes, she nestled with Questionmark Entertainment.

As Asa began to soar as an artiste, her music career became her utmost priority, “my guitar is my boy friend”, she told a popular magazine. She worked very hard on her debut album that was supposed to be released on the Questionmark imprint. But things turned sour between her and Kevin Luciano, the Q- mark boss. There were accusations and counter accusations; a split was the only way out apparently. Asa took off to Paris, where she hooked up with Naïve records, on whose platform she released her debut album “Asa” an eponym of herself in December, 2007. The album won critical acclaim both in Europe and Nigeria. In the words of James Silas of HWM, “it is sonorously rendered with a captivating aura that extends the thin line between a good and fairly delivered album”. She credits the production of the album to sound genius, Cobhams Asuquo, along side Benjamin Constant, Sebastian Viguier and Christophe Duporuy (not Duggary you football freaks!) who all gave their best to the ground breaking joint.

The album speaks directly to our consciousnesses. The jazzy instrumentals and the soulful singing are inspiration and lifting. We don’t have to go the 360 degrees to know that there is fire on the mountain, but no one knows tomorrow! Her love ballads, bring us from far away to see things fall down the drain, so let’s be careful when someone comes to say “I love you” or we could end up like “Bibanke”. At the end we are more in tune with what music is all about.

POST SCRIPT.
I watched her perform live at TINAPA on Easter Sunday and was left with locked jaws like tetanus. She had a full orchestra to back her up, very professional! I have never seen any Nigerian act with such a band before. Despite the distance from Calabar main town the hall was packed. I doff my hat for her.

crazy and witty

2009-04-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

to give us a breather here are some punchlines gathered from some internet research, many naija boiz need to take note. if u can't grab the jerk ask the nearest smart guy or go for an IQ test!

Those who have guinea pigs never have to throw out any vegetables.
3) If you wear a silly hat, everyone knows who you are.
4) No one likes a smartass
4') Especially another smartass.
4") Unless they have their own TV show, then they're a comic genius.
5) Arguing with a zealot is only slightly easier than tunneling through a mountain with your forehead.
6) Anyone capable of getting themselves elected president has shown that they should not be allowed to do the job. (Apologies to Douglas Adams)
7) Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. (Isaac Asmiov)
8) Right, because usually the compentent don't wait that long. (Jerry Pournelle)
9) Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, three times is an enemy action. (Ian Fleming, Goldfinger)
10) Never turn your back on a charging turtle.
11) Never get in a spitting contest with a llama.
12) Projectile vomiting rarely gets you a return invitation anywhere.
13) Never throw toilet paper on a bear.
14) Hyenas laugh becasue they know what's coming next.
15) Shooting yourself in the foot is actually a lot more fun than it sounds.
15') Shooting yourself in the foot is actually a lot less fun than nearly anything else.
16) Calling your mother and pretending to be an encyclopedia salesman doesn't go over too well.
17) The prime motivation for all human behavior is the need to feel superior to someone else.
18) He who laughs last should do so from a safe distance.
19) Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
20) The words "My" "Rash" "See" and "Wanna" don't go well together in a sentence.
21a) When given a choice, people will always do the dumbest thing under the circumstances.
21b) The IQ of a mob can be determined by taking the IQ of the dumbest member, and dividing by the number of members.
21c) Therefore: The larger the number of people, the stupider the resultant decisions and actions (congress anyone?)
22) Never ever go first.
23) When being stalked by an angry mob with raspberries, the first thing to do is to release a tiger. (Monty Python

The rugged man interview!

2009-04-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

An online interview a had with ruggedybaba not to long ago.

The name ruggedman is known nationwide and even abroad, how did you do it?

The name is everywhere because of God,the good music I make ,my hard work,consistency,my easy going,down to earth personality and the people that love and support my music.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?
Nothing really.I dont see them as challenges.I see them as things that have to be taken care of and I know how to make good music and hustle to promote my music.Maybe I can say being an artiste and running a record label Rugged Records and also owning the first clothing line by a Nigerian artriste called 20th Sept Wear.CHECK THEM OUT ON www.myspace.com/ruggedmannigerian

You are reputed to be one of the leading hip hop heads in Nigeria,how familiar are you with the universal hip hop movement?

I started listening to hip hop in 1989 till date.I know what I know what I need to know and what I need about hip hop.If you talk about hip hop movement,I will say I am more interested in Nigerias hip hop movement which I am glad to have been infront of with my Ehen track that revolutionised the Nigerian music industry.
Thats why I have loads of awards to my credit and have been nominated for 2008s KORA all Africa music awards for best hip hop.

Most musicians are guilty of trivializing sexuality and portraying women as objects of entertainment and sexual gratification.What is your take on this?

The way peoples features are different,thats how peoples characters and view on life is different.Some musicians sing about the life they live,while some make it up and sing about it.9ice does not smoke cigarettes,let alone weed but he sang a monster hit called Ganja man.Music is no longer just music,it is now a business.Musicians look for angles that will make them sell records and they get into it.Nowadays sex sells,so the ones that can do it capitalise on it and make money from it.

Can you do anything to change it, or is it necessary to help sell your records?

Its a way of life.We know its not right but its a thing of choice.Its either you are ok with or you are not.One party says its bad,but how do you say that to a musician who is making 4 million naira in a month off such a song?You really cant force people not to do certain things,that will be encroaching on their fundamental human rights.So the most we can do is add parental advisory tags on such cds so people that dont like such will be aware and not buy it.

Any special advice to the youths out there?

.To the youths I will first oall say thank you very much for your love and support for Ruggedman and his music.
Then be true,be real and most especially be you.There is nothing bad you do that you will not pay for.It might sound harsh but thats how life is.
Hard work and positive persistence pays off at the end of the day.

On the mode nine beef, he says he has no time for that. he wont reply because mode nine is trying to use him to sell on of those his "hardcore albums.

Ruggedman is not new to awards anymore,but he is really excited about a 2nd KORA awards nomination.His 1st album titled Thy Album Come got a KORA nomination in 2005,now his 2nd album Ruggedy Baba has been nominated again for Best Hip Hop group/act.Ruggedman is using this medium to reach out to his fans seeking their votes for the award.

KORA AWARDS 09 VOTE RUGGEDMAN FOR BEST HIP HOP ACT/GROUP True Ruggedy Baba peops its on officially o!!!! Vote Ruggedman for KORA.IN NIGERIA Text RUGGEDMAN-BEST HIP HOP OR GROUP TO 33320.OUTSIDE NIGERIA TXT RUGGEDMAN-BEST HIP HOP ACT/GROUP TO +248 984 000.

Ruggedy has stated that he is going to put out 3 new songs on radio soon and is currently in the studio putting finishing touches to the songs.
He has also stated that this album will be his last album because he intends to pay 100% attention to his record label Rugged Records and will soon unveil the artistes he has been working with and his clothing line 20th Sept Wear .

POST SCRIPT
i saw the video for "banging" a couple of days ago and it is the bomb. brilliant video.

silver saddih: albub review

2009-04-14T07:39:00.002-07:00

Album title: the bard
This is a brilliant delivery of R n B. the best by any Nigerian so far. his sonorous voice takes the listener on a trip to bliss. his lyrical ability is very deep, casting a magic spell on you like vodoo. With Cobhams on the boards the beats serenades the listener. Kadija shows how an artist can render beautifully even in a local dialect. after listening to this album , i wonder why it is not a mainstream hit.

what's beef?

2009-04-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

The rap game in Nigeria is heating up. For the first time in Nigeria’s rap history we have 5 real rappers in the mainstream. Gone are the days when wanna bes stole the show and fakers ran court.
Before ruggedman’s “Ehen pt 1” coup most tight rappers remained underground, there was an erroneous thought that rap was an American thing. Those who showed up were a bib joke, they took advantage of the ignorance of the popular media and force feed us whack stuff. I laugh when Eedris says he pioneered hip-hop in Nigeria. Rap and Hip-hop has always thrived, the problem was that the media then was straight – jacketed. Many cities like Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Calabar etc had an awesome amount of underground rappers doing their thing actively before the remedies emerged... Thanks to the media boom in Lagos.
Before Eedris and he remedies, there were the Black masqueraders. Ruff ,Rugged and raw, Def O Clan, Swatroot, KD world, Menthol X, Fada Kane, UDX etc who were doing some very tight stuffs. I remember I had my first Nigerian Rap mixtape way back in 1996. But thanks to Kenny and D one who controlled the pioneer private TV and radio stations the remedies blew. Those who knew better remained mum like one of my parents. Even when black face and ruff rugged and raw spat some tight bars on Tony Tetuila’s “Omode meta”, no one gave them props, rather Eedris’ reply on wakawekee MCs was given all the hype. That was the beginning of mainstream rap duels. If Ruff, Rugged and Raw had hit back with a track of theirs, they would have blown, they retreated, and so did their career.

Enter Ruggedman; ‘Ehen’ aimed deadly blows on mainstream heavy weights: Rasqui, Maintain and Eedris. Kenny and D one tried to fight back on behalf of their prize rapper, Eedris, but the rugged one put them to the sword with big bros. Vanquished Eedris stopped rapping.
Rugged ran the game alone; there was no contest, so he turned to the club and party.
The trybes men and their trybe cohorts impressed only to falter. Eldee and freestyle gave the impression of a show down, but abandoned it before it got anywhere. Ruggedman had no sparring partner.

Mode nine is in the building; African stand up! And give him elbow room. Nine’s sharp and witty lyrics got the industry talking. Starting from “its about to get ugly” you could tell he was made for battle.

Single after single, and two mix tapes, modey ripped tracks
and showed nothing but raw skill and hunger for battle. Tongues started wagging, journalists started writing, and ruggedman knew someone was breathing down his neck.
“Ruggedybaba” was seen as a subtle address to Mode nine. During media chats and celebrity hangouts, both rappers made veiled references to each others’ style. When Ruggedman’s full album dropped. Tracks like “watch me” and “to whom it may concern” were no doubt aimed even indirectly at Mode. Nine also jabbed back with tracks like “Toron Giwa”,”spectacular” and “not like you”. That’s what most cats think any way. The battle for superiority was brewing, for the first time in naija rap we had two real pugilists going for the crown, although they had only been shadow boxing so far.
When Mode nine dropped “Talking to you” sometime in 2008 the press jumped on it and scored it as a direct hit, I disagree. In his words he confirms this saying “talking to you… that track was a decoy”! But ruggedman had already responded with “banging”.. Mode nine came out smoking with Spartans and the delivered the death blow on “the paradigm shift album.
While we watch the battle unfold, other cats are out spiting fire.M I gave us a unique flavour, he is very lyrical. Terry the rap man has resurrected a career that was almost dead with a brilliantly delivered “The rapman begins” album. Rugged man’s name appeared on it. Even if it was in jest. OD is also out spitting fire, he too had thoughts on rugged. His album is one of the hardest core raps since Mode nine’s “Malcolm IX”.It seems the reign of Ruggedman is coming to an end, but never under rate the Baba.

To those cats out there screaming beef, they better shut up. The rap industry is getting lively and trading banter is part of the game. Beef is what you get when you kill a cow!

silver sounds

2009-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am back again. I ve just been listening to some new stuff from naija boiz, i wonder if they will ever improve. I heard one sheyman guy singing 'hoter than fire and am trying to figure out what he is all about. when asked what type of music he plays he replies : 'funky hiphop ragga'! what is that? Almost every artist in Naija wants to be hiphop by force. It is either Afro- hiphop or fuji hiphop or garbage hiphop. it is driving me crazy!

Naija bioz

2009-04-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Naija bioz are not taking it easy in the show biz industry. back in the days we used to watch wack videos for nice songs, nowadays we have tight videos for wack songs. most of the songs we listen to these days are potential headeachers.
What is the meaning of 'do me i do u' or "zanga". most songs we hear are just a beat and a chourus. someone just goes into the studio with no concept in mind and sings any trash. The funny thing is that Nigerians love it. this goes to show the level of music illiteracy of naija people.Those who know better are not smiling. in the coming months i feed you guys with the best and the worst of naija sounds.

welcome

2009-03-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

Human life is of the utmost value, it cannot be reduced to mere considerations of how useful or active a person is.