Fact is Chris the reality is all the NYC rappers like nas ,Jada ,the lox,dip set etc....will do songs with game for 1 reason and 1 reason only and its because of his beef with 50 an you know it.I think its pathetic...look at what game did immediatly after he beefed with 50 a song with sheek that aint get cleared.He does songs with Charlie Baltimore.....Chris its real weak and pathetic.Game throws a verse on body ya self by nas and on the kiss yo ass goodby remix he throwing more hate.I am really disappointed with the extreme hate NYC MCs have for 50.I love hiphop and to see the majority of my fav rappers UNITE just to dethrone 50 really gets on my fukking nerves and makes me lose respect for them(jada and Fat Joe to be specific.

I remember the 90's as the decade of collaborations. I was the music buyer at a ma & pa music store...man that was FUN!! I am from Portland, OR so I am speaking (from a music perspective) as far as what was selling there...and the bay (or the yay area) was coming out with project after project of collabos where the more names they could get on that CD the better. If a local could get a big name on their song...that guaranteed recognition in the game...Even the crips and bloods had a CD and they were BANGIN on wax fo' real.

I see how this is great from a business perspective, but I guess as a consumer we like the battle raps and the beefs between rappers...let's face it, we the people are sick and like to see schoolyard fights. We liked the days of gathering in a circle for beat boxing contests and seeing someone become the champ, who ever heard of a beat boxing quartet?

Even though there is room for everybody, doesn't beefin' sell? Lil' Flip and TI, 50 vs. The Game (so sad), etc. etc...If Kool Moe Dee came out with a battle rap against LL after all this time, you don't think it would be HOT?! Hey, what happened to that dude?

TO THE CHE DUDE AYO FAM YOU A WILD DICK RIDER EVERYTHING THAT 50 is going through WITH THEM RAPPERS WAS KIND OF BROUGHT ON BY HIMSELF. I AM NOT SIDING WITH GAME CAUSE HE IS A DICKHEAD BUT DO YOU EXPECT A GUY NOT TO SAY SOMETHING BACK TO YOU IN WANNA OF HIS SONGZ WHEN JUST 5 YEARZ AGO YOU WAS SAYING THAT "THE REALIEST NIGGAZ COME FROM YONKERS" COME ON ....
CHRIS I REALLY FEEL YOUR COMMENT ON HELPING EACH OTHER OUT CAUSE IN THIS GAME A LOT OF OUR OWN WAONT HELP EACH OTHER OUT. WE DO INDEED HATE ON AND GET JEALOUS OF EACH OTHER AND THAT SHIT IS WACK...

YOUNGHARLEM INC.

Just a note...gotta represent:

As a woman, there can be even more hateration out there for us. Imagine that. Men gotta become more ready to accept direction from women. Specifically, those who know what the heck they are talking about. Like me:) I have had several encounters with hater dudes who try to come into a project saying they want to help and then they get a big rush of testosterone and try to take me back to the 50's with some ol' Father Knows Best type of mentality. I don't know if that's just the hater town I was in or if the sickness is more widespread than that, but yeah, they need to stop drinkin haterade.

I'm done venting.

To the youngharlem INC. dude.....1st of all you can stop useing caps it implys you are yelling and second just cause I have a different opinion from you pertaining to 50 does not mean I am a dikkrider but I listed factual collaboes that happened on the stregtht of Games resentment for being kicked out of g unit.G unot clothing huh you dont think game is going over board?Nas himself said that if he was not beefing with 50 he might not have done that fake make up with the man who fucked his baby moms...oh and Young Harlem when he said hardest n1ggas out come from Yonkers he was talking about DMX not those guys from the suburbs of the BX.

westsyyyyyyyyyyde!!:) just had to let that out.

I think the media is feeding into this whole 50 vs. The Game thang...what other hug you know gets televised like that?

Before we know it, the whole east vs. west will start again and it'll be Biggie vs. Pac the sequel. Y'all calm down.

"I hear alot of complaints about hip hop being compared to wrestling because we see former rap battle combatants joining forces."

Rappers get compared to the wwf because they start these phoney beefs not because they end them.

I'm sure Chris is not looking for mud slinging here. Especially about Game. Game had one of the most "complete" albums in a minute. But the direction he is taking his hate for G Unit is not the right one. I don't really want to go into it, so I'll just leave it at that.

But Chris-It is good to see you up on the 'net like this. Although I'm an engineer that is white, I've had an intimate look into hip hop culture and black culture. Your sentiment regarding execs rings of a bigger problem of 'do for self'. I was recently working with a legendary artist. He was a black panther back in the day. He talked about back then his community was more organized and unified. But today everyone seems to be tearing down progress that has been made for years. I'm wondering if money is the root? But again, this is territory that is not necessarily mine, so I degress.

I've got this page bookmarked so I look forward to your wisdom!

Hey che once again u make no sense 50 was talking about the lox the are from yonkers asshole... WHAT DO YOU MEAN NAS DIDN'T MAKE UP WITH JAY FOR 50 ... HE DID IT TO END THE IMMATURE BULLSHITTT... AND YA MAN 50 WASD ON THE QUEENSBRIDGE ALBUM SAYING ON THE HOOK THAT HE REP QB COME ON KNOW YOUR HISTORY /... I DON'T DISLIKE 50 at ALL BUT I FEEL THAT HE CREATES SITUTATIONS THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED..

YOUNGHARLEM INC
OZONE MAGAZINE.

It is what it is. Chris Lighty, you spittin that real talk. Gotta Love It. Dallas, Texas in the building.

www.cwcrecords.com
www.citywideonline.net

WASSUP CHRIS. I MET U A COUPLE TIMES UP AT VIOLATER. I USE TO MANAGE K.T. AND HAD A GROUP CALLED DUSK 'TIL DAWN ON MY INDIE LABEL. I NOW OWN A INDIE RECORD STORE IN BOSTON. TOP NOTCH ENT. & RECORDS(LIL PLUG!!) BUT I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ABOUT WHY NY HIP HOP IS LOSING ON THE CHARTS. AS I SAW FIRST HAND WHILE SHOPPING ARTIST BACK IN 1999-2002. NY WAS NOT LETTING ANYONE ELSE EAT. I SAW EXECUTIVE AFTER EXECUTIVE SIGNING FAMILY MEMBERS , FRIENDS AND CIRCLE OF FRIENDS INSTEAD OF REAL TALENT. WE ALL KNOW NY IS THE HOME OF THE EGO, BUT NY WAS ALSO HOME OF REAL GOOD HIP HOP.I REMBER SITTING WITH YA BROTHER MIKE AND LISTENING TO FRANCHISE AND EVERYONE SAYING (AROUND THE OFFICE) THIS IS THE GROUP THAT'S GOING TO BLOW, BUT I'M LIKE YA SELF A REAL HIP HOP VETERAN AND I SAID NOPE THEY DON'T HAVE IT. EVERYONE WAS SO GASSED UP AND SURPRISED THAT I WASN'T CAUGHT UP IN THE HYPE BUT THAT'S IT IM NOT INTO THE HYPE IM INTO THE MUSIC.I DON'T KNOW I'M JUST VENTING BUT I SEEN IT COMING AND IT FEELS GOOD THAT SOMEONE HAD TO CHECK HIP-HOP SO THAT HIP HOP COULD CHECK ITSELF, FEEL ME?!! YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST STAR'S IN MUSIC AND YOU CAN BRING HIP HOP BACK TO IT'S ROOTS THE RIGHT WAY.50 STARTED WITH GOOD HIP HOP AND MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THAT IN HIS HEAD.EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE CHECKED AND APPRECIATE WHAT THIS THING CALLED HIP HOP HAS DONE FOR ALL US YOUNG BLACK MEN WHO MAKE OUR LIVING OFF OF THIS MUSIC WE LOVE. ONE!!

IN GENERAL A LOT OF CATS OUTSIDE THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE INDUSTRY AND BUISNESS AS A WHOLE LACK UNDRSTANDING AS TO THE VARIOUS EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE HIP HOP ARENA. 50 AGRESSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD PARTICULAR RAP CATS STEMS FROM THEIR FRATERNIZATION WITH CATS STREET/INDUSTRY LINKED THAT ATTEMTED TO SMOKE HIM AND MAYBE HIS MOMS. FUCK STREET CODE ALL IS FAIR IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT/FOR YOU /ME OR 50 INCLUDIND DRY SNITCHING AND ANYTHING ELSE TO GET AT CATS WHO TRIED TO SMOKE I.

LIGHTY/ CAN SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE KEYSHIA COLE /OLIVIA G UNIT STATUS?

I would like to just say that this is a wonderful site and has my fav singers on it. And people need more contacts like an email address and a postal add.

Me again. It feels good to get this out of my system even if nobody is reading it;)It's Sunday and I guess I'm preaching.

Whoever tried to smoke WHOEVER...hip hop artists are not exempt from finding peace and forgiveness in their hearts and not perpetuating the B.S. They need to be thankful for the miracle that they are still alive and have been able to prosper despite what their enemies tried to do to them. I understand the anger, but can it be redirected?

1985: So my daddy was "killed" by a convicted dope dealer who shot him up with heroin. At the age of 10, I wanted to KILL the BI@TCH! At that young, tender age, my heart filled up with HATE & BITTERNESS. But does that mean 21 years later I still have a right to go seek revenge on her or her family or anyone who associates with her? Only if it would help my career, I guess...Time to LET GO and let GOD...and base album sales on GOOD MUSIC and not all the personal drama if you ask me...which no one has of course:)

It's time we get to the root of the problems in our communities and past the commercial sensantionalism. I guess maybe this whole collective healing is not on our hip hop to do list and I need to take my "hippy" idealism somewhere else. Reality is we're existing within and feeding into a capitalistic society which has always thrived off of blood, sweat and tears...dividing and conquering our families.

In this industry, if it's a culture that is going to be built by us for us (BUFU haha)we really don't want to have to deal constantly with the glass ceilings that we already have to face in mainstream corporate America. Once empowered, let's make sure we don't carry on our "master's" plantation culture against our own peoples.

Anyway, Mr. Lighty, it's good to see you have a woman there working as President of the company, that's beautiful and inspiring for me to see.

The number one rule is no principles.
50 is an exceptional talent,but he is not playing with any principals. The number one problem with Black Executives and most black people,in general,we are to EMOTIONAL. We allow our decisions to be affected by our Hate,Jeasoulsy,Envy and lust. Hip-Hop is DEAD,the only idea living is "The Bottom Line".

There is NO BEEF , just business strategies

RAP music is a business & the people that feed into the drama are being laughed at by 50 and everybody else making DOUGH . . .

even Chris knows that you guys are falling for the okey doke

Of course you have idiots that go overboard . . but you have those people in every business

If you can give your family a great quality of life does anything else really matter? . . . . . . .
. . . . Hell No, My Son need braces , My GrandMama Sick & that BAPE hoodie with the Crystals look GOOD with Gucci shoes

btw
The way I Talk, Walk & Speak comes from the Streets Where HipHop Came from HIPHOP is Forever

RAP MUSIC comes from corporations and its time is limited

Ayo! Hip-Hop music isn't dead...it will never die! Its the "Rap Industry" that is a mess with beefs and uninspired releases.

Hip-Hop, real hip-hop, is alive and well on labels like Def Jux, Rhymesayer, Waxplotation, 6 Hole, AAB, etc.

EXCELLENT POINT/BLACK PEOPLE ARE TOO EMOTIONAL.HOWEVER,WE NEED TO BEGIN TO APPLY A MATHEMATICAL/BOTTOM LINE THOUGHT PROCESS TO ALL INTERACTIONS IF POWER AND WEALTH ARE TO BE ACQUIRED BY OUR PEOPLE. THE SEMANTICS UTILIZED TO DIVIDE HIP HOP OR RAP AS SOME CALL IT IS IN ITSELF AN EXAMPLE EMOTIONAL/NON BOTTOM LINE THINKING THAT KEEPS US FROM UNIFYING.EVERY SIGNED ACT REQUIRES A MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT FROM A CORP. INTO A REGULAR CAT FROM SOMEWHERE WHO CLAIMS HE'S HOT.SO CALLED HIP HOP ARTISTS W/NO DEAL RETAIN ANGER AT THOSE WHO HAVE DEALS AND CREATE DIVISION BY LABELING THEM RAP ARTIST. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE FROM THE TWO IS ONES ABILITY TO STRUCTURE SONGS WITH THE APPLICATION OF RYTHYM, MELODY AND A HOOK.SOMETHING THAT THE MAJORITY OF EAST COAST ARTIST LACK MINUS A THE FEW WE KNOW OF.WEST COAST AND SOUTHERN ARTIST GREW UP UNDER THE TRUE APPLICATION OF THESE PRINCIPALS WHEREAS THE EAST COAST CAT GREW UP UNDER THE SAMPLE AND DRUM MACHINE. THE BIG FOUR DISTRIBUTORS HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUISNESS FOREVER AND THEY KNOW THIS THAT IS WHY THEY CHOSE AT TIMES WISELY WHERE THEY PUT A MILLLION DOLLARS.

@ che: i have witnessed the beatbox quartet. it was nice!

@C. Lighty, I am glad you have decided to get into this blog game. I will promote your blog on my site http://superloverhotline.com

I only ask that you clear the air relating to the "stregnth" of the source power 30 list...

Chris,
As You know there are always rules. It is how you work the rules to get what you want done.
Street Rules 101!
1. Believe in yourself
2. Have faith in your abilities
3. Sound self confidence
4. No one is unchangable
5. Become receptive to the game.
6. Keep every thing hot.
" A man is great not because he has not failed; a man is great because failure hasn't stopped him."

Excellent Proverb/A Man Is Great Because Failure Has Not Stopped Him....Never Fear The Outcome..Take The Calculated Risk...

The problem with rap music today is simply poor management. Ever since the big quick money has entered the picture the quality of it has diminished. You have rap artists today that in no way would they have a deal back in the 90's where you needed real lyrical skills to get a deal. Now all you need is a catchy hook and a drum beat. The radio is runned by people who do not know good rap music from their noses. The D.J's have been bought off by the mixtape game. You have incredible unsigned artist like MERGE(www.myspace.com/merge05)...shameless plug.
Who as far as im concern is the truth and yet you can't get his musical bangers played without someone sticking their hands out. All you have to do is listen to the radio and my point is clear. The R&B game is so watered downed that I can't tell the real Usher from all the clones. We need to get back to the music. You can't compare the quality of rap music in the 90's the watered down garbage of today. Again check out www.myspace.com/merge05 to listen to what Im talking about. Unless labels start investing in quality artists like MERGE rap music doesn't stand a chance.

HATE
IS
PREVALENT

HOWEVER
OPEN TO
PPROSPECTS

"They are helping others either get a second chance or giving an opportunity that the generation before wasn't able to do."

Mr. Lighty, its 2006 and I finally decided to post. Mad props to the real OG in the game who literally came up from the underground (before it was named that) and runs business in true old school tradition.

Thats why True HipHop DJ cats like myself (the over 30 crew) are still holding on to this artform.

I know it must make you vomit to hear all of this dirty south garbage when you are a child of the golden age.

Will we get it back? Well thats up to you.

I will never play that shit. Yep I said it, I'm a nobody so I will do it for you.

Although we met almost a year ago (Yep, I'm that same dude that was in Radio Shack, who knew your entire history, its safe to say you remember me because in my opinion you can see geniune cats). I conversated with you during the height of the 50-Ja Rule controversy and I guess you forgot about the dude.

I'm still here waitin' for my 5 minutes of your time.

Me meeting you had mad a impact on my life.

I have so many ideas to change the game, but I dont trust anyone (thats my setback) to let people know.

You need to give me a holla on the low one day, and help a brother out.

5 Minutes never hurt any body.

You'll See.

Chris,by helping other you receive more in the long run,LIFE is crazy,you never know when God is going to bless you.Take time out for the people that Love you because what goes up must come down,THATS THE LAW!

Lighty, I'm the owner of a DVD magazine distributed in Canada. for our next issue we have a lot of fire power, including some represented by your management company. Now, I'm writing on this blog to let you know that we have secured an exclusive with Irv in which he thuroughly airs you out... Me being impartial, I want to give you an opportunity to comment on things in your own exclusive interview. I try not to take sides, and all the people that participates in the making of my DVD's know that. i just give them an outlet to speak their mind, and let the Canadian hip hop community know what's really good. If you're interested at all in answering back, or just talking about the position you play in hip hop please email me at rob.bent@showandprovedvd.com

As i eluded to before, I take no sides. I'm a brother on the come up. I do this cause I love the culture, and of course for the paper. i know you can relate. It is what it is..hope to hear from you soon.

Robert Bent
www.showandprovedvd.com

G-G-G-G-G-G-G-Unot. Fuck 50 cent. He came out hard and then turned into a pop singer. For people out there that like to listen to rap, why the fuck would you listen to 50 cent.

The posts about black people being too emotional bothered me. I don't think we are TOO emotional. That seemed kind of cold to me. I guess I tend to see it as being passionate about things.

I think we need to learn more about AXIOLOGY and that will tell us that (GENERALLY SPEAKING) culturally, Black people are more relationship oriented (much love) and people of European descent are more object oriented (materialistic). People from different continents tend to have different values such as Asians tend to be more group oriented.

Again, these are all generalizations and also since we are all in America, these values have blended as we have witnessed, but I think it's good to look at the big picture instead of just saying a group of people is TOO ANYTHING.

I do agree with AXIOLOGY! I was born in Suriname, South America, but grew up in Holland, yes they are materialistic,and sometimes cold, we are much warmer. But were still individuals!! I think this has a lot to do with, expressing art.

Monique Mijnals

Gotcha one of the best blogs no doubt.

SInce there are no rules I hope hitting you on this blog regarding our sitdown does not create a new rule... I spoke with you regarding P2P turning piracy's viral phenom and the social myspace culture phenom into profit for all your consolidated brands... That is what we do.... Getting a meeting with you is sincerely more diffiecult than the president... we have already met with him....

Seriously we have... and if you need anymore cred check my company name and the MgM VS Grokster case where we are cited by Justice Breyer as the future of P2P doing things right.

Hope you get back at me soon with a time... otherwise I will park myself outside the office with my assistants on all corners and wait.... no rules... the only rule...

SInce there are no rules I hope hitting you on this blog regarding our sitdown does not create a new rule... I spoke with you regarding P2P turning piracy's viral phenom and the social myspace culture phenom into profit for all your consolidated brands... That is what we do.... Getting a meeting with you is sincerely more diffiecult than the president... we have already met with him....

Seriously we have... and if you need anymore cred check my company name and the MgM VS Grokster case where we are cited by Justice Breyer as the future of P2P doing things right.

Hope you get back at me soon with a time... otherwise I will park myself outside the office with my assistants on all corners and wait.... no rules... the only rule...