January 20, 2006
what if there was no hip hop?
Imagine no culture, no music, no clothing, no style, no Russell Simmons, no Lyor Cohen, no Jay-Z, no 50 Cent, no BDP, no Talib Kweli, no Dr Dre.
Imagine no Busta Rhymes, no Missy, no Bad Boy, no Def Jam, no Rocafella, no Violator.
Imagine no FUBU, no Sean John, no Rocawear, no G-Unit no S dots, no hip-hop.
Imagine no Kevin Liles, no Jermaine Dupri, no Sean Carter, no young african-americans taking the music business by storm.
Imagine how far we have come and all the opportunities we have received due to hip-hop and now imagine if we didnt have it.
Imagine how bad it would be but how great it is, and if we take it seriously we can make it even better.
I wanted to push a little so everyone can see we do have it good and we just can't always complain on how bad it is in hip-hop.
Imagine how the guys at the Source feel after building that brand and just letting it go awry! The power is in our hands as long as we dont abuse it!
Thats all folks.
Posted by chrislighty at 06:56 AM | Comments (23)
January 12, 2006
The first rule in the music business is there are no rules.
I am back from houston after seeing UGK and while traveling with my comrades we talked about how the music business truly has no rules.
The fact that houston is hot isnt the amazing thing or that UGK is even more relevant now than when they were signed.The fact is you just can't call the next hot spot,is it miami,chicago,cleveland?
I don't know but what i do know is you have to let the cream rise to the top and in hip hop everyone gets there turn to burn.As an artist sometimes you have to hope your starting the movement or you can catch that wave at the right time to bring your perspective or cities perspective to the forefront.
I hear alot of complaints about hip hop being compared to wrestling because we see former rap battle combatants joining forces.This is good for hip hop,we arent in ancient rome and the ones complaining need to go and watch gladiator if they want to see some blood because you wont see it here fortunately.I feel like the rappers in position that are putting on other rappers are doing a good thing. They are helping others either get a second chance or giving an opportunity that the generation before wasnt able to do.Do we get mad when our favorite nba/nfl/mlba teams trade someone?Yes but we respect it as a business and hope for a better team.Lets hope for some better exciting teams from the recent trades in the past year of hip hop.
The one rule we need to apply among all black executives is "Work together and stop hating on one another".I will be the first to admit that this rule is a tough rule to apply when people walk around acting like jerks but for the general public we have to raise a helping hand to all black executives in position because if not him/her than who?
I am not saying be like "Jesus" and turn the other cheek because cats in this business will run you over with their bentleys on the way to the jet and say "damn was that chris i just ran over?Oh well,lets keep it moving.What I am saying is everytime a black executive fails we all take a step back so instead of throwing a stone,throw some assistance and if you cant do that because your ridiculous than look in the mirror and ask yourself whats wrong? Ask your mother for a hug!
I wish everyone the best even you "E thugs" out there online you guys are hilarious!!!
One.
Posted by chrislighty at 09:16 PM | Comments (33)
January 07, 2006
It's Just Hip-Hop
Soooo! Now, that we've jumped out of the window, it's now time to calmly go back into the building and say hi to the security, jump on the elevator, and head back to work. I am excited about hip-hop. What are you excited about?
50 and I got into a debate over his Mobb Deep singles, which by the way, are fire! The UGK are reunited again and I am going to see them next Friday. This is exciting stuff. We are prepping for a new movie starring 50 and a big name actor. I'm currently recording my next Violator album. Big Rod, who happens to be one of my best friends, came to see me today and we chopped it up for a few. You gotta love it when one of your closest friends stops by just to check on you and to see what's up. We are now grown men with families, careers, and mortgages. That's a far cry from the Bronx River Housing Projects, but that too is hip-hop. We also talked about how old we think DJ Red Alert is. That man raised us so it's obvious that he's much older than we are but I couldn't tell you if he's 40 or 400! But, what I can tell you is that he is hip-hop!
My day had me calling everyone from Lyor Cohen, who has yet to return my call, to L.A. Reid, who picked a player up immediately. Thanks L.A. for that clearance. That's hip-hop! We have a lot of exciting things happening at Violator for 06. Lil Scrappy has a hot album being executive produced by 50 and Lil Jon. Missy is coming back out! Shit, my man LL Cool J has some heat coming! That's hip-hop!
Hip-hop is the only business that allows the urban youth to have a voice, have fun, and make a living. Rejoice in the fact that there's an option. We all can't flow like Jay-Z, write hooks like 50, or sing like Mary, but I'll be damned if you can't carry a DJ's record case, sweep up around the office, or intern until you are blue in the face. Hip-hop is the only business where you can, as my friend Kevin Liles put it, go from "intern to president". You don't always have to have a college education to go from rags to riches. Hip-hop is our generations dream and we should live it to the max! That is hip-hop, and hip-hop is you!
Posted by chrislighty at 12:48 PM | Comments (41)
January 05, 2006
DAMN, I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GO IN, BUT NOT THIS EARLY!
Someone just sent me the Power 30 of the "Sauce" (Source) magazine and it is obvious that the "Sauce" is still on that drug they have been on for the last few years. Now, is it me or are they on fucking crack with this list? This is the worst list yet! I can't even stress "me" not being on it because as you can see, my show isn't stopping. I am fresh off of vacation from Anguilla with my family and friends, and ready for the New Year.
Let's start with the obvious. I have no love for Irv and don't care that he got off. But, does winning a case make you "hot?" Does his publishing company get a refund from the government for fucking up his paper? The nigga brought it on himself and I think it's fucking CRAZY to see him above my main man 50, Jimmy I. or Jay-Z. And where the hell is Todd Moskowitz and the Asylum crew, who just put Houston back on the map by exposing us to some good music from Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and the legendary Bun B.
Do we take it for granted when someone breaks three artists in one year? Shit, I didn't do that last year. Did you? Oh I forgot, let's just lump it up under Warner/Atlantic. Come on! The brand of the "Sauce" is so fucking tainted and this continues the hypocrisy and takes it to new heights. The mag is now no different than OK magazine or The Enquirer.
Posted by chrislighty at 10:02 PM | Comments (60)
January 04, 2006
2006 and we are still here...
Happy New Year! I woke up this morning at 6:45 a.m. feeling like I was preparing for an exam. I was trying to figure out what to open my blog with, that also makes sense for hip-hop. Then I realized that it's my 20th anniversary in the music business. Even though I hate to date myself, and I know hip-hop is definitely a young sport, I realized early in my career that the key to longevity was about evolving and staying current. That being said, it's 20 years of making money in the music business and working with the best people in the world. 20 years in the music business is like 100 years in a normal life.
It's also the anniversary of what I define as the blueprint of my life, Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions. The Criminal Minded album, DJ Scott La Rock, DJ Red Alert, Lyor Cohen, and Russell Simmons are a few of the reasons why I am able to tell people that I am the exception and not the rule. If you strive to exceed at anything in life, whether it's music, sports, or any other profession, you must be willing to give 110 percent and be willing to go further if necessary because no one is going to let you stroll in, grab the money, and walk out. Lotto is right when they say you have to be in it to win it. They just forgot to inform you to keep playing because they don't know when you'll win! I am here to tell you to keep playing and reach for the stars.
My blog will certainly entertain you. I have enough stories and have no problems calling people out. Fasten your seatbelt; this is going to be an interesting year!
Posted by chrislighty at 10:34 AM | Comments (53)