This past week, excerpts of Toshitaka Kondo’s September XXL coverstory on Young Jeezy leaked (via the homie Karen Civil)….revealing Jeezy’s harsh words about his former-musical-collaborator, DJ Drama. When asked about his relationship with the Gangsta Grillz DJ, Jeezy says:
“…He’s a cornball. You made millions off my mixtapes, to the point where the fuckin’ feds scooped you up for bootlegging. I never even made the money he made off of Trap or Die or Tha Streets Iz Watchin, because they were selling and distributing them and making money.
I’m not hating. But we will never do a mixtape together. I didn’t charge that nigga for [contributing a verse to the song “5000 Ones,” on Drama’s official Atlantic Records debut]. But then when I need [a tape for one of my artists], and you want to charge me $20,000?… I’ll slap the shit out of Drama. He knows that. He wasn’t loyal…”
This is hardly the first indication of beef between Jeezy and Drama. From onstage statements to altercations between Jeezy’s CTE crew and Drama’s Aphilliates crew (at the Notorious film premiere, and at DJ Trauma’s birthday party), the tension has bubbled over with increasing intensity.
But in response to Jeezy’s quotes, DJ Drama reached out to categorically deny the claim that he charged Jeezy for mixtape projects….
DJ DRAMA’s statement:
“After reading Jeezy’s unprovoked insults in that XXL article, it seems like the guy’s pretty emotional if u ask me! Maybe he’s dealing wit some things in his career, I don’t know. He did an interview a few months back with Elliot Wilson on RapRadar. and said the total opposite! He was talkin bout, “Drams the homie and we may work together again, etc.” Now I’ve never spoken on our issues because I believe grown man business is just that, and running to the media to whine is not my thing.
But more importantly, his statement about me trying to charge him $20k for a mixtape is a BOLD FACE LIE. I never charged Jeezy for nothin’. I did two Slick Pulla tapes (4th Ward Day, Election Day) for free and a Bloodraw tape (The Indictment Papers) for free. Anything Jeezy ever needed from me, I did without hesitation. He doesn’t want to deal with the real reason why he’s mad.
The tension between us actually started when I deejayed his USDA release party (FOR FREE) and I played a Gucci Mane record. He stormed out of his own party and didn’t speak to me for about 2-3 months. Me, being a DJ, I was just rockin’ the crowd and giving the people what they had been requesting. I don’t get involved in that other stuff.
I could go deeper into his angry reaction to me working with Gucci but, again, I’m a stand-up guy. I’m loyal to those who are loyal to me. I’m not even thinkin bout Jeezy. Why all the tough talk to the DJ who doesn’t say nothin’ about him? Jeezy didn’t say nothin’ tough when rappers dissed him like Pimp C.
I was shocked by his cowardly attempt to try to slander my name in the upcoming XXL article. And what’s the most shocking is to see him side with the FEDs in my arrest! Wow, since when did that become gangster?!? I’m chillin, never said nothin’ negative about dude. Check his character…or better yet, ask those around him that he’s done dirty. Ask the folks who ain’t with him anymore, like Coach K, Twin, his former security Big Sam, or my homie Roccett…
We doin’ our thing over here. I’m workin on albums, Gangsta Grillz Vol 3., traveling the world and celebrating success! And I’m still the Mixtape President!”
LOL, nothing beats a Ghostface stage rant….I was twittering this from my lil corner behind a speaker onstage last night….but luckily DJNessNYc was with me, and caught the “jewels.” “rap music today is bulls–t. Its bulls–t. This s–t makes no f–kin’ sense, B….radio is f–kin up. I hear the same s–t every 5 minutes. When I came in with Wu Tang. We had to be swordsmen. We had to be very lyrical…my ginsu knife had to be very sharp, nowadays, these n—as is pulling out butter knives.”
(“dont ever put a bright light on me….gimme colors. I love colors” LOL!)
“The energy you give to me, that’s what I’m gonna give back to you….’cause once you look like y’all looking soggy, y’all take my powers away…y’all my duracell…“
And Wide Awake Death Row is releasing a remastered Dr. Dre Chronic album, to be called The Chronic Re-lit and From the Vault on Sept 1….adding 7 unreleased songs recorded “around the same time as the Chronic.” (Word? Please let there be some unearthed Danny Boy x Jewel duet ; )
Lara Lavi spoke to Spate Mag, and it definitely sounds like she’s very well versed in the history of the Death Row and the industry overall….But more interesting was the revelation that Lavi is trying to make amends with Death Row’s “marquee” artists….and even offering reparations royalties. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Lavi says that Death Row has renewed ties with Afeni Shakur and the Tupac Shakur estate…. so they’re putting out 13 new Pac songs on his 2010 birthday. (is that where these new Pac songs are coming from?)
Lavi also says: “It should be instructive to the other artists that we actually are putting our money where our mouths are…but with the other artists we’re meeting with a lot of resistance…the challenge is, because of the sins of the prior management…how do you rebuild with them when there’s so much distrust?…I was joking around that I was gonna print out giant Ed-McMahon-sized checks and for the first royalty we were gonna go around with a camera and deliver them to everyone’s door…These guys have never received a royalty check and that makes them angry, and I understand that… As the head of this company, all I can do is behave appropriately. And not behave like the previous guy….”
(Lavi with Death Row’s new senior v.p. John Payne, spotted here)
listen to the Lara Lavi x Spate interview, and read more highlights…. after the jump…
Mikey: In the midst of this recession, Diesel sponsored an extravagant concert that featured The Roots, Clipse w/ Kanye West, and Drake just to name a few. Complete with lasers and absurd lighting, the European clothing powerhouse boosted spirits with free booze and some dope Hip Hop music. The rumors were rampant on the internets today about who would show up… but check out the pandemonium that ensued when Mr. West graced the stage with his presence.
tonite, after my friends at Three21Media and Rik Cordero and Nancy Mitchell are premiering their indie film “Inside a Change” at the Latino Film Festival…I already copped tickets but there’s also a party later tonite at Stay will I’ll be going to….(it’ll be a busy night because Ghost is also previewing his “Wizard of Poetry” album, and the Clipse will be performing at the Diesel party at Webster Hall…but that’s what sensible shoes are for : )
And in conjunction with the film, Three21Media put together a mixtape featuring all the artists who are part of the family: Joell Ortiz, The Kickdrums, Saigon, Royce da 5’9″, Novel, Consequence and more…
Whoo Hoo! Last week, I went on my first “foodie dinner” with Andrew and Chris from the foodblog ImmaculateInfatuation and singer/beautyexpert Heather Park ….ImmaculateInfat posts new NYC-area reviews daily and they hit all the ballyhooed hotspots…which is perfect for folks like me who treat every meal like its my last (I pre-research everything, its pathetic) but what’s key is that Andrew and Chris go past hype to the bottom line: should I eat here?
Personally, I lean towards tiny, ethnic haunts. I’ll eat anything served out the side of a truck. Also, I have a fear of franchises and laminated menus that have more than 8 pages….so the boys suggested Macao Trading Co., in Tribeca, which, like its namesake, Macau a/k/a the Las Vegas of Asia, is a blend of Chinese and Portuguese influences….
“First of all, Macao is a huge scene … everyone in the house is either on an early in the game date, or starting off their night before they hit Pink Elephant. Second, the place is essentially a theme restaurant. There must have been a yard sale after the last Indiana Jones movie and the owners of Macao cleaned out every prop that Planet Hollywood didn’t already scoop up. I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised to see a monkey in a shriner’s hat come out and bus the table….”
NOTE: the ImmaculateInfatuation boys noticed that there were lots of tables with 1 guy and 3 or more girls…..Me and Heather noticed that some of these combos looked like they were mail-ordered.
Def Jam revealed today that they intend on re-packaging 2001’s Blueprint album, along with 2002’s Blueprint 2 as one, to coincide with his Blueprint 3 release…
Retailers will display the combined album package at a reported discounted price, furthering Jay’s overall catalog scans with Def Jam. The work (titled The Blueprint Collection) will also include a collector’s item poster.
*rubs chin*
If you are Jay-Z….are you happy about this?
UNRELATED/RELATED:
this is the kind of “news reporting” on major outlets (in this case, Fox News) that is just suspect…..They’re reporting that Hov is writing “a tell-all” book? Including juicy deets on Mrs. Beyonce Carter. Oh, really? See the clip after the jump… (more…)
