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Bizzy Bone Becoming The Latest Rap-To-Metal Crossover

Posted 7/23/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


After years of hits, trials and tribulations, Cleveland's own Bone Thugs-N-Harmony have managed to retain a hardcore following in the hip-hop world. Now it appears as though one of its key players is trying to branch out. Bizzy Bone has signed on to the roster of Sumerian Records, a small Washington, D.C.-based imprint known best for hardcore and post-hardcore bands like Asking Alexandria, Veil of Maya and the Faceless. Bizzy is about to release his latest album Crossroads 2010 (a reference to his group's 1996 smash hit "Tha Crossroads") via the label, and the album is a fusion of rap and rock styles featuring a number of players from the Sumerian roster contributing music. (You can check out samples of the music at Bizzy's official MySpace page.)

Bizzy Bone isn't the first rapper to dip his toe into the world of hard rock and metal. What other hip-hop denizens have made the journey into the world of guitars? Glad you asked!

Run-DMC
Two years before Rev Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay teamed up with the men of Aerosmith for the genre-bending re-creation of "Walk This Way," the trio dropped "Rock Box," which appeared on their 1984 self-titled debut. "Rock Box" not only had a ton of heavy riffage care of Eddie Martinez (who worked with David Lee Roth and Meat Loaf) but was also the first rap video ever played on MTV.

Ice-T
Perhaps the first rapper to ever completely cross over into the metal world, Ice-T made the transition from stone cold pimp to in-your-face power player. "Cop Killer," from Body Count's debut album, remains the blueprint all other rap-rock crossovers followed later.

Beastie Boys
New York's favorite sons have always managed to keep one foot in everybody's old school, be it straight hip-hop or savage hardcore. Read More...

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Happy Birthday, Flavor Flav: Wake-Up Video

Posted 3/16/10 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


The giant clock around Flavor Flav's neck says it is Tuesday, March 16, which also means that it is his birthday. The Public Enemy member, reality TV star and Sprint spokesman (born William Drayton, Jr.) turns 51 years old today.

Flav first grabbed the attention of the hip-hop community as the colorful tag-team partner of Chuck D in Public Enemy. With his signature sunglasses and giant clock necklaces (which only got bigger over time), Flav was often thought of as the whimsical yin to Chuck's politically-minded yang. Over time, Flav's reputation as an MC diminished a bit, but while he was never as good a rapper as Chuck, Flav still had underrated skills. His work on the first three PE albums (1987's Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1988's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990's Fear of a Black Planet) is stunning at times, but he really came into his own in the live setting. One of the first great touring hip-hop acts, Public Enemy knew exactly how to work a crowd and provide entertainment while delivering their high-minded message, and much of that came from Flav. He was a bit of a court jester, but a profoundly important one. He turned the role of the hype man into an art form all its own, and he remains the best of all time.

In recent years, Flav has become something of a media fixture, starring in a handful of reality shows (including the dating show "Flavor of Love") and was the subject of a "Comedy Central Roast" back in 2007. But he never forgets his bread and butter, and if he ever needs to remind himself of his own importance and skill, all he needs to do is check out this performance of "Don't Believe the Hype."

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Diddy Celebrates His 40th Birthday

Posted 11/4/09 2:12 pm EST by in Music


If you happen to pass by Sean Combs, be sure to wish him a happy birthday, as the man better known as Diddy turns 40 years old today. While it's bizarre to think if Diddy as a guy in the depths of middle age, it's also odd to think that he isn't older. Diddy has been such a dominant, ubiquitous force in pop culture since the '90s that it's almost as if he has always been with us. There have been countless highs (smash hits like "It's All About the Benjamins," "I'll Be Missing You" and "Bad Boy for Life") and devastating lows (most notably the death of his friend the Notorious B.I.G.), but he has certainly changed the face of hip-hop and gave rise to the idea of diversification among pop stars. He's dabbled in fashion, fragrances, restaurants and alcohol, and his empire is constantly expanding.

They say hip-hop is a young man's game, though that's mostly because the art form itself is only about 30 years old. Still, there aren't a whole lot of artists who are aging as gracefully as Diddy is, though a handful of these 40-and-over elder statesmen join him. (Jay-Z enters the club in December.)

RZA
Age: 40
Early Career: Built grimy beats and rapped psychedelic nonsense alongside his Wu-Tang Clan brothers on the instant classic Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
Today: Spends equal time in the music world (mostly behind the decks) and the film world (where he both acts and provides scores for friends like Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino).
Read More...

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Behind The Scenes With Rick Ross, Ghostface And Ludacris At 'Hip-Hop Honors' Rehearsal

Posted 9/23/09 2:52 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


By Hillary Crosley

Who knew a record label started in a New York University dorm room could become so successful? Apparently Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. The two created Def Jam Records 25 years ago, and it's become one of hip-hop's premiere labels, housing some of the brightest stars, with Nas, LL Cool J, etc etc among the artists in its legendary catalogue. So it's no surprise that "VH1's Hip Hop Honors" is celebrating the storied label this year.

MTV News checked out the rehearsal for the big show, which tapes on Wednesday night (September 23) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and airs on October 13. For the third year in a row, Tracy Morgan will serve as host. Morgan's comedy skits appear between behind-the-scenes interviews with Jay-Z, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "LA" Reid, Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin and former Def Jam executives Lyor Cohen, Julie Greenwald and Kevin Liles.

Public Enemy, the Roots and Street Sweeper Social Club (comprised of Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and the Coup's Boots Riley) practiced for their performance first. Ashanti followed, reuniting for two jams with her longtime partner-in-crime Ja Rule. Rule looked and sounded just as he did in 2001. Ashanti even helped out Rule on one song, rapping his lyrics in a faux-gravely voice to a giggling set full of dancers.

Up next, Warren G and Trey Songz performed a remix of one of Warren's biggest hits (which we can't reveal). During their performance, Ghostface was sitting at a table taping a segment called "What Would Ghostface Do?" where MCs stop by and ask Ghost for advice. As he wrapped up a session with Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes, Ghost spotted Warren G and gave him a big hello. Meanwhile, Travis went back to hosting a VH1 trivia segment where all of the performers are quizzed on their Def Jam history. Who knows their hip-hop math? Let's just say that Rick Ross might be the subject's star pupil.

Back on the stage, Ludacris (who'd just gotten off a plane) hopped on stage with Southern rap legend Scarface for two cuts that you haven't heard in awhile. Read More...

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The Videos That Made Us Love Videos: The MTV Newsroom Poll

Posted 7/9/09 2:00 pm EST by in Newsroom Poll


Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

One of the recurring themes that came up during this week's Michael Jackson memorial was the idea that the video for "Thriller" was such a huge event that it not only made people love Jackson but love music videos as an art form. Everybody who works here at MTV News had that moment at one time or another — the one where music videos suddenly became the greatest thing in the universe, even if for a short time. Which brings up this week's poll question: What music video was the one that made you love music videos? Our responses are below, but make sure you add your own stories in the comments and at Your.MTV.com!

Rick Marshall
The first music video that really stuck in my head and turned me on to music videos was a-ha's "Take On Me." Sure, it's an easy pick given that MTV was playing the video over and over when it first aired, but I was 7 years old when I first saw Steve Barron's pencil-sketched, rotoscoped take on the song, and it's still one of my favorite videos. "Take On Me" was my first exposure to music videos that were more than just taped recordings of a band only differing from one another by lighting choices and camera angles. Given my current gig as editor of MTV's comic book and movie blog Splash Page, my early fascination with the video's mix of live action and animation probably offered a great indicator of where I'd end up a few decades later. Over the years, it's become apparent that appreciation for the "Take On Me" video is pretty much a common theme among comic book and animation geeks who grew up during the '80s. Between Barron moving on to direct the awesome 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film and more recently, a great riff on the video during an episode of "Family Guy," it doesn't seem like a coincidence that "Take On Me" was one of the first music videos I latched onto. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, it's a sign of geek cred.
Read More...

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Wake-Up Video: Public Enemy's 'Fight The Power'

Posted 7/2/09 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Today is historically a big day for speaking truth to power and stepping up to the man: July 2 was the day the Second Continental Congress resolved to sever ties with the British Empire (though obviously the Declaration of Independence wouldn't be signed until two days later, marking the Independence Day holiday). In 1777, Vermont became the first state in the U.S. to abolish slavery, and in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act that guarded against segregation. July 2 is a day for all kinds of revolution — in 1881, 20th President James Garfield was shot, leading to his death later that year.

In one of his finest speeches, Thomas Jefferson once said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." In honor of rising up to fight the power, enjoy Public Enemy's 1989 call to arms.

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Clocked By Flavor Flav: An MTV Staffer's Story

Posted 2/3/09 2:35 pm EST by in Flavor Flav


Flavor Flav

Something I never dreamed would occur happened to me yesterday: Flavor Flav clocked me on the nose with the clock he wears around his neck!

I was working at my desk, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I heard someone shouting, "I'm back MTV! I'm back! I'm back!" Seconds later Public Enemy/ "Flavor of Love" star Flavor Flav came prancing down the hallway in a multicolored fur coat with a small entourage, and blasted into the MTV Radio's lounge. Read More...

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It Takes A Nation of Hipsters: Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, No Age and More For Pitchfork Music Festival

Posted 3/10/08 5:15 pm EST by in For The Record


pe

The kids at hipster site Pitchfork announced the starter lineup for their annual music festival, to take place July 18-20 in Chicago's Union Park. In keeping with their "Don't Look Back" series, the festival will kick off on the first night with Public Enemy performing their seminal hit, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back. Other acts over the three days include LA noise duo, No Age, Deerhunter side-project Atlas Sound, New York's Animal Collective, and the most awesome psych-metal band around, Boris.

Tickets for the festival (one of our favorites) go on sale Wednesday, March 12. The lineup - with more artists to be announced in coming days, weeks, months:

Friday 18 July

Pitchfork and All Tomorrow's Parties Present "Don't Look Back"

Public Enemy performing It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back

Saturday 19 July

Animal Collective
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Dizzee Rascal
No Age
Atlas Sound
Fleet Foxes
and more

Sunday 20 July

Spiritualized
M. Ward
Boris
Extra Golden
El Guincho

and more

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For The Record (Hip-Hop Edition): News on Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, Bomb Squad

Posted 3/5/08 2:23 pm EST by in For The Record


Kanye connect four

· Kanye West was really serious about that Connect Four battle with Beyonce. TMZ says that the game is now part of his tour rider and must be provided backstage for all his shows on his upcoming Glow In The Dark tour.

· Attention SOHH, Pitchfork, and Billboard (and Reuters and NME and...): The new Gnarls Barkley video for "Run" has not been banned by MTV. It debuted on MTV.com and debuts on TRL Thursday. [UPDATED: This video totally needed some edits in the UK because it didn't pass their seizure test! But not here. It's good to go on both sides of the Atlantic!]

· We here in the hip-hop corner of the Newsroom have notoriously debated the Hottest MCs and the Greatest MCs of All-Time before. But we've always wanted to do a Greatest Producers of All-Time show, too. And if we did, the Bomb Squad would definitely be in the mix. Hank and Keith Shocklee are responsible for the dense, layered and noisy rhythms of the early Public Enemy albums, plus Ice Cube's first solo album, Amerikkka's Most Wanted, his best. (It's worth noting that obtuse sampling laws would probably prevent both albums from ever getting made today). Finally - FINALLY - they are working on their first solo album, plus a world tour. Some of the old-timers 'round the way are excited.

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