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Posted 9/13/2008 11:40:30 PM by
NowStreaming
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LL Cool J has a lot on his mind.
After releasing his latest album, Exit 13, the living legend sat down with the Associated Press to discuss working with 50 Cent, Nas and Jay-Z departing Def Jam.
On 50: Working with 50 was inspiring. You have to realize I had no reason to be hungry. When you're the best at something for a long time, and you make albums in a couple months and they're still goi...
LL Cool J has a lot on his mind.
After releasing his latest album, Exit 13, the living legend sat down with the Associated Press to discuss working with 50 Cent, Nas and Jay-Z departing Def Jam.
On 50: Working with 50 was inspiring. You have to realize I had no reason to be hungry. When you're the best at something for a long time, and you make albums in a couple months and they're still going gold or selling a million records ... and you're making a living in films and stuff, it affects the music. But watching 50 crouch over that notebook and seeing him bounce back and forth in the studio, that inspired me and made me hungry again.
On Jay-Z impacting Exit 13: As far as him leaving, it's not really relevant because I was already working on my record anyway. It was nothing he would have been able to do to stop it. It would have been what it was going to be either way. And I don't think he would have wanted to stop it.
On 25 years in the rap game: I don't have a rap artist in front of me to look at to say, "OK, what do you do when you're in your 25th year of your rap career?" Because most of the guys that are my age, they've only been out for 12 years, or 13 or 14 years max. The guys that people call veterans in hip-hop are like new guys to me. Let's take a guy like Nas. I love Nas; I respect Nas. He's from Queens and I love him, but Nas is like a new cat to me. You know what I'm saying? It's incredible to me, but I respect him as a legend and I respect him as a man. ... I just to make hot records; I want to give people hot music, and I just have to lead the way.
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Posted 9/13/2008 11:39:28 PM by
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After a long hiatus from Hip Hop to pursue an acting career, Queen Latifah is preparing a return to the mic.
The “Ladies First” femcee collaborated with Dr. Dre and LL Cool J on the project. “They pretty much did the whole album,” she says in a recent interview. “My boy Kenny Flav did one track and I think might do two more. Missy [Elliott] and Swizz Beatz are the only two people I have left. ...
After a long hiatus from Hip Hop to pursue an acting career, Queen Latifah is preparing a return to the mic.
The “Ladies First” femcee collaborated with Dr. Dre and LL Cool J on the project. “They pretty much did the whole album,” she says in a recent interview. “My boy Kenny Flav did one track and I think might do two more. Missy [Elliott] and Swizz Beatz are the only two people I have left. But they’re mixing it right now.”
The untitled project is due out in December, but the Queen reveals that she almost went with a controversial title, The L Word, playing on rumors that she is a lesbian.
“Since people want to play games, I like to jab back sometimes just for fun,” she says of the concept, before adding, “but I’m like, ‘Nah, that’s too much energy wasted.’ ”
She also reveals that Ludacris helped write some tracks for the album, which will deal with relationships between people. “A lot of love on there,” she says. “People, dealing with people, how people do all kinds of things, but then you’re like, ‘You know what? They’re just people.’
“Just like the media,” she adds. “You read something in the paper and just when I start to get mad, I’m like, ‘You know what? They’re just people.’ People do stuff. People will let you down. They won’t be around, but hey they’re just people, what are you gonna do?”
With a December release date looming, Latifah says she’s not sure who’s on the album or what the final product will sound like.
“I did all my parts and then I went on vacation. So they put people on it while I was gone and they’ve been waiting to talk to me to surprise me,” she says of the album. “I’m actually supposed to talk to them and find out who the hell is on that damn album. I’m sure there is no one on there I don’t like.”
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Posted 9/13/2008 11:38:22 PM by
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Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter have introduced a new bill that would allow the Department of Justice to file civil lawsuits file-sharers and copyright infringers
"The protection of intellectual property is vital to our economy," Senator Leahy explained at a press conference. "The time has come to bolster the Federal effort to protect this most valuable and vulnerable property, to give...
Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter have introduced a new bill that would allow the Department of Justice to file civil lawsuits file-sharers and copyright infringers
"The protection of intellectual property is vital to our economy," Senator Leahy explained at a press conference. "The time has come to bolster the Federal effort to protect this most valuable and vulnerable property, to give law enforcement the resources and the tools it needs to combat piracy and counterfeiting, and to make sure that the many agencies that deal with intellectual property enforcement have the opportunity and the incentive to talk with each other, to coordinate their efforts, and to achieve the maximum effects for their efforts. This bill does just that."
The proposed bill entitled the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act has been welcomed by organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America. But has also been struck down by organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Digital Future Coalition who believe that they don't need the government's help with battling piracy.
In a letter addressed to the judiciary committee, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other organizations stated that, "The recording industry has threatened or filed over 30,000 lawsuits against individual consumers. There is absolutely no reason for the federal government to assume this private enforcement role."
As of recently, several acts have been created in the hopes of prosecuting copyright infringers.
In 2004, the Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004 also known as the Pirate Act was created to allow federal prosecutors to file civil lawsuits against alleged copyright infringers.
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Posted 8/22/2008 4:33:36 PM by
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50 Cent Rumored To Create Jewelry Line
Despite what some of his detractors may think of his music or his taste for rap beef, the purchasing power of 50 Cent is undeniable. His deals with Reebok, Ecko, Coca-Cola and Right Guard have landed him a spot as Hip Hop's reigning cash king [click to read]. Now Forbes reports 50 may expand his considerable fortune even more by moving into the jewelry ind...
50 Cent Rumored To Create Jewelry Line
Despite what some of his detractors may think of his music or his taste for rap beef, the purchasing power of 50 Cent is undeniable. His deals with Reebok, Ecko, Coca-Cola and Right Guard have landed him a spot as Hip Hop's reigning cash king [click to read]. Now Forbes reports 50 may expand his considerable fortune even more by moving into the jewelry industry. South Africa's Patrice Motsepe has been meeting with the G-Unit capo for over a year.
Motsepe owns African Rainbow Minerals Limited, a mining and minerals company with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. When 50 was spotted with Motsepe at one of his mines, he refused to directly address the rumors only stating that he was there for, "things that people wouldn't actually expect me to be involved in."
Both Forbes and Advertising Age speculate both men have designs on a joint venture to create a signature line of platinum jewelry bearing 50's name. 50's response? "I got a diverse portfolio."
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