50 Cent Talk Unreleased Work with Kanye West, Swizz Beatz

The G-Unit general talks his collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell that would make his fans "bug out on."

50 Cent recently talked to Vibe Magazine about his as-of-yet untitled fifth studio album. After putting his electronica-influenced experimental album Black Magic on pause, Fiddy said that he has been looking in his back catalogue to previously unreleased tracks that featured production from super-producers like will.i.am, Swizz Beatz, Pharrell, Polow Da Don and his former rival Kanye West. Although he says such work may have been too left field at the time, he now feels that his fans would "...bug out on" these previously unreleased tracks.

"I’ve gone in the studio with Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz and Polow Da Don," said the Queens emcee. "I wanted to see if they could provide a new creative direction that would send me somewhere I would never go. We made some good music, but at the time the songs were not what I felt like I should present...I don’t think people were ready for that. I think my audience wanted to just hear a good record and have a good time. They didn’t want to hear anything that was so complex that they had to think about what I was actually saying to them. I got records in the house that the fans would bug out on." (Vibe.com)         by Sean Ryon

"Power" Producer Wants 1-On-1 Session With Nicki Minaj

Kanye West's "Power" producer, Symbolyc One (S1), recently hit up SOHH and expressed his interest in contributing to Nicki Minaj's upcoming Pink Friday album.

According to S1, Minaj was formally introduced to him with the help of Yeezy.

"Nicki Minaj, I would love to work with her," S1 told SOHH. "I actually connected with her already through Kanye. Kanye introduced us but, musically, I haven't been able to do anything for her or give anything to her. Hopefully I can make Nicki Minaj's album...When I'm doing joints with specific artists, I'm always doing joints that I wanna do but usually with each individual artist, they have their own vision so I would definitely want to do something that's new because Nicki Minaj, she's very talented. She has the capabilities to do pretty much anything she wants to do lyrically and vocally. So I would really like to do some joints based around her abilities and really, the sky's the limit with her. So I would just want to push the bar, push the envelope and really do some crazy stuff." (SOHH)

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

Jim Jonsin Argues "Lollipop" vs "A Milli"

When it comes to what propelled the pop ascent of yesterday's birthday boy Lil Wayne, there are two inarguably key tracks that played a part, The Carter III's "A Milli" and "Lollipop." But when it comes to The Greatest Hip-Hop Song of the VIBE Era, arguments are encouraged and ties are rejected. As proven by "Lollipop"'s power producer, Jim Jonsin, who believes Wayne's most successful single to date should've beat out "A Milli"'s placement in the bracket. Here he makes his arguement and also talks about not getting paid for his work on "Lollipop."

ON "LOLLIPOP" VS. "A MILLI"

"Compared to [Lil Wayne] and Cash Money Records’ whole career, 'Lollipop' stands above anything they’ve ever had. Honestly, 'A Milli' doesn’t even compare. No disrespect to the song, but 'Lollipop,' was phenomenal," Jonsin says. "Lil Wayne was on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine after that record. 'Lollipop' is a much better song [and] clearly blew him up."

ON STILL TRYING TO GET PAID FOR "LOLLIPOP"

'We’re still trying to get paid. Clearly, I don’t understand what the issue is. They sold the record, they’ve collected the checks, they’ve even gotten huge advances, they’re buying Bugattis, and spending all kinds of money. But the producers and people that created the songs are not getting paid. And so we’re going through some things now in hopes that it gets fixed. That thing was like the most downloaded song in history, so pay the people who made it. It’s not your record, it’s our record."

BOB JAMES INTERVIEW CREATOR OF NAUTILUS

Q-Tip & Kanye West To Produce On Jay-Z's Follow Up To Blueprint 3.

While there has been no official word on when Jay-Z's next album will drop, we have at least gotten an insiders' peek at who will be producing music for it.

Q-Tip revealed to XXL that both he and Kanye West will be putting in work on the project.

"Kanye and I are gonna continue to work together. We’re doing some stuff for Jay-Z’s new album that’s coming out in the spring, and then after Jay’s thing I’m gonna start recording my new album…Kanye should be working on that, too," Q-Tip said.

J Dilla Foundation Launches 'So Far To Go' International Art Contest

The J Dilla Foundation has announced "So Far To Go," a new international art contest thats designed to celebrate the life of the legendary producer, born James Dewitt Yancy.

The non-profit, which is run by J Dilla's mother Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancy, has teamed with La Famiglia and 323East to create original designs to celebrate the life of J Dilla, who died on February 10th, 2006 from the incurable disease, Lupus.

Contestants can upload their original designs to the new website Art4Dilla.com, where users will vote for the winning design.

“The J Dilla Foundation seeks to be a staple in the movement for progressive music

education," Ma Dukes told AllHipHop.com. "We also hope to be leaders in the efforts to enhance and develop arts programs in urban communities.”

The winner of the So Far To Go art contest will have his or her design produced as a poster, along with limited edition Giclee prints, signed by the winning artist and Ma Dukes herself.

Proceeds will be donated to the J Dilla Foundation and fund their ongoing programs.

EA-Ski: The Legacy, Dr. Dre and His New "Maschine"

Few figures in Hip-Hop can boast a career that spans over a couple of generations. With one hit wonders and trendy gimmicks in and out faster than a car wash, it’s hard to maintain a resemblance of any career.

Such is not the case with E.A. Ski. Ski has been a staple in Oakland, California for over 20 years. He has produced hits for artist such as Too Short, Spice 1, Ice-T, Ice Cube, and a host of others. Ski’s production talents are not limited to Hip-Hop. He recently teamed up with actor Danny Glover and won an award for his short film “No Problems” at the 13th Okanagan International Film Festival.

With Business booming and a packed schedule, Ski took the time out with AllHipHop.com to discuss his secret to longevity, fighting the shadow of Dr. Dre, and the "Maschine" by Native Instruments (click here for more info), his new choice in production equipment.

AllHipHop.com: What’s going on out there on the West Coast?

EA Ski: It's a nice day out here in Cali man. The sun is shining bright so you know it's lookin' real good.

AllHipHop.com: My first experience with your music came through the early Spice 1 albums. I'm from the East Coast though. So how does it feel to know your music influenced many people on the other coast?

EA Ski: That's always been the goal. Being from the West Coast we looked up to the East Coast. I grew up on East Coast music and I'm a fan of East Coast music. Being in the music game, that was always my goal to be able to make something that could move everywhere.

AllHipHop.com: You've been in the game about two decades. What do you attribute to your success and longevity?

EA Ski: Not being stubborn, and always knowing that you can be better. You can reinvent and make new stuff. A lot of older producers and rappers get stuck in a time zone. They feel like older is better. I'm not saying that I didn't like a lot of the older stuff because I do. But as times change, what are you still going to record on ADAT when you got Pro Tools, and Logic, and Reason? You have to adapt. You can learn from the youngsters as well as learn from the older generation. I'm always learning, listening, and staying relevant to what's going on.

AllHipHop.com: Even though you have decades under your belt, you've still managed to stay under the radar. Is that by design?

EA Ski: For me it's kind of both. When I was going to put out full products, I got caught in transitions with labels. I was signed to Columbia, I was signed to Priority, I was signed to a lot of labels that merged. It allowed me to go into the lab and put out stuff here and there and go under the radar. I figured that, until I'm able to drop a full length project the way I want to, on a scale that I would do it, I would do it that way instead of over-saturating the market.

AllHipHop.com: Sometimes I feel that Dr. Dre's dominance put a shadow over many West Coast producers. Do you feel that you may have gotten caught up in that?

EA Ski: That's a real interesting question. I think Dre was so instrumental in being able to make a record that was so powerful on the West coast that it did overshadow a lot of people. I don't necessarily think that was a bad thing. I just think that it raised the bar so high that it made you have to go into the lab and figure out what your thing was. A lot of people tried to follow Dre's format and by the time they followed it, it was old. You can't keep on having the high pitched sound and he's already done that. People have to understand that Dre had a great team around him. He has a label and a lot of West Coast cats are independent. When you think about independent you have to work a little harder. Dre programmed so many people, and had so many people, and he had so much dope music, you had to be on point for people to say you were a dope producer. To get on that radar like Dre, you gotta come with it, and I like that.

"Split Personality" EA-Ski and Dr. DreAllHipHop.com: Music is constantly evolving and so is the equipment producers use. I hear you're using the "Maschine" by Native Instruments now.


EA Ski: That done changed the whole game again.

AllHipHop.com: I'm hearing a lot of noise about some of the top named producers switching over to this sequencer. What is it that makes it special for you?

EA Ski: To be honest with you I didn't know what to think about it until I got it. The way the work flow is allows it to convert from hardware to software. The way the pads swing give you that MPC feel but it's next level. Words can't even describe how incredible this machine is. The sounds in there are incredible. It's a small machine that you can take with you. You can't take a MPC with you. You can't carry that big thing with you like that. You can take this machine, put it in your backpack, take it on a plane and make some of the coldest records.

AllHipHop.com: What records have you done using this?

EA Ski: My last almost 20 records I've done using this. I just won an award for my video "No Problems" I did on the Maschine. I've been going crazy. I did the new Ice Cube and it's like the Maschine is just incredible.

AllHipHop.com: When you mention that it can switch from hardware to software, explain to people what you mean by that.

EA Ski: The hardware of it is that you can hit the pads, but you can still see it in your software if you go into Logic or Pro Tools or whatever. But for those who like to hit the pads, you have the hardware. It allows you to do both things at once. I work in "stand alone." That’s when you run the machine by itself. But they have a feature called the "Drag and Drop" where once you finish that track, you can drag that right into your Pro Tools or Logic session. Then boom, the track is right in there with no delay. It's the most incredible thing that I've seen being in Hip-Hop. They (Native Instruments) really were thinking about how to make producers be able work in a comfortable fashion without losing a step.

AllHipHop.com: Well since you’re cranking out all this material with the Maschine, what can people keep their ears open for from you?

EA Ski: Well right now I have an artist named Locksmith and this kid is incredible. I'm working on Ice Cube's new album called I Am The West that's dope. I'm working on my solo album The Fifth Of Skithoven and I got a lot of great features with Tech Nine, Ice Cube, and B-Real from Cypress Hill.

Producer Lex Luger Talks Success, Work with Kanye, Rick Ross and Waka

Suffolk, Virginia producer, Lex Luger, who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia recently, took time to speak about his rise to success as a producer and some of his upcoming projects.

“I’m from Suffolk, VA,” Lex Luger told AllHipHop.com in a recent interview. “I met Waka off MySpace on the internet. I was sending him about 30 beats every few days and after a while he was like, ‘You’re my sound and I’m going to move you down here in four months’.”

After getting placements with Waka, Lex Luger started making beats for Gorilla Zoe, Lil Scrappy and others.

The 19-year-old producer, who was recently nominated for a BET Award, also created Waka's hit single “Hard in the Paint,” the second single off his album Flockavelli.

Lex Luger also produced Rick Ross' anthem “B.M.F.” and his newest single, “MC Hammer."

“Ross got a lot of songs, he got about 5 or 6 songs that we have done that he hasn’t even released yet," Lex Luger told AllHipHop.com. "I f**k with Ross that’s my homeboy. I will always work with and for him, know what I’m sayin?”

Lex recently worked with Kanye West. He explained Kanye’s work ethic as a producer.

“Kanye is a perfectionist, and he is really trying to take music to the next level and I understood that when I worked with him," Lex Luger told AllHipHop.com. "He wants to take music to the next level, as far as not falling into the sound of radio or any other sound of music, Kanye is always doing something different.”

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Cypress Hill, Apple Sued Over Sample On Classic Track

For the second time in less than a week, Hollywood, California-based company Drive-In Music has sued a popular Hip-Hop group for illegally using a portion of a copyright the company owns.

On September 10th, Drive-In filed a lawsuit against veteran Hip-Hop group Cypress Hill, and Apple, in the Central District Court of California.

Drive-In claiming the company sampled a portion of the song "Come on In" by rock group The Music Machine, without the proper permission.

"How I Could Just Kill a Man" was released in 1991 on Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album.

According to the lawsuit, Drive-In wasn't aware that Cypress Hill used a portion of "Come On In" and initiated the lawsuit, because copies of the song are still be sold on iTunes.

Just last week, Drive-In filed a lawsuit against the now-defunct Hip-Hop group, Leaders of the New School, which featured Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, Dinco D. and DJ Kut Monitor Milo.

In that lawsuit, Drive-In claimed that they were also unaware Busta Rhymes and company used a portion of a song they own titled "Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man," by Dyke And The Blazers.

Like the Leaders of the New School lawsuit, Drive-In claimed in the latest lawsuit, that they were unaware Cypress Hill sampled a portion of the songs.

Drive-In claims that the groups continue to profit illegally, by selling digital copies of the songs in question.

As with the Future Without A Past, Drive-In is seeking an injunction to halt any further sales of Cypress Hill's debut album, in addition to damages, and the impoundment of any existing copies.                                            

By Roman Wolfe

Zaytoven Releasing Producers Manual For New Artists

Producer and now published author Zaytoven recent spoke with AllHiphop.com about a new book he has coming out soon.


The Atlanta produced has worked with established artists like Gucci Mane, Plies, R. Kelly, and Keri Hilson. The new book will details what he has learned in the music business.

“The book is called from A to Zay and it’s a manual and autobiography for young and upcoming producers that may want to want follow in my shoes. Its really a way to show young producers the way to get in the game,” Zaytoven told AllHipHop.com.

Since he works mostly on his own, Zaytoven preached about the importance of selling music independently.

“Its mostly, the guys that I got in the game with such as JT [the Bigga Figga]. They were all independent in the Bay. That’s the game I was taught and having my own money, is what really where its at,” said Zaytoven.

The producer also spoke on his recent success, having just won a BMI Award for writing and producing the hit song "Papers" by Usher.

“Its big that I had an R&B song more so than a rap record,” a surprised Zaytoven commented on his recent BMI Award. “To win that award given that I am more so known for my rap music, is a blessing.”

Zaytoven has been wanting to step into the R&B world for a long time, since he grew up playing in churches on the organ and drums.

“Its something that I wanted to do early in my career, and its [his R&B song] is like the first song, that song, 'Papers'” that I did. The Usher album has gone platinum so that’s my first platinum record to hang.”

The producer is investing his money into a variety of businesses, including his label Familiar Territory, his company Zaytoven U.S.A., as well as a new barbershop.

“It’s another thing that I have been doing, cutting hair," Zaytoven said. "It became like a way to make money, I cut people on the basketball team where I went to school and now I got the shop and its natural for me to do that because I’ve always done that.”

Producer Bangladesh Puts Beef With Lil Wayne Aside Over Unpaid "A Milli" Beat To Work On Nicki Minaj's 'Pink Friday' Album

Earlier this year producer Bangladesh -- the man behind hits for the likes of Ludacris and Beyonce -- put Lil Wayne on blast for failing to pay his $500,000 production bill, but it seems that the two have settled their fiscal squabble. The BoomBox caught up with the Atlanta based producer, born Shondrae Crawford, who was singing a very different tune at the mention of Wayne.

"Everything is being worked out through the legal process," he told The BoomBox. "It's really out of his control honestly. I mean he don't run the label, he don't own the label -- he's just on the label. I just got an email from my attorney saying they're getting the exact number of what I'm owned and things will be taken care of. "

The whole disagreement between Wayne and Bangladesh started over the track 'A Millie' which appeared on his 2008 album 'Tha Carter III.' Bangladesh alleged that the popularity of the track propelled the album to sell over three million copies domestically. Proving that there are no hard feelings, Bangladesh plans to put together more beats for Wayne.

"[Young Money president] Mack Maine reached out to me not too long ago telling me Wayne wants some beats," he says. "It's specific beats that he wants. My thing is, long as this gets taken care of and we don't have any future problems everything will be worked out. It ain't the beef with Wayne it's just the whole label. I really never had too much of a relationship with Wayne, it was just more of a mutual friend type of thing. I guess [Mack Maine] talked to him from jail and he reached out to me telling me Nicki [Minaj] wanted something and, something I already did."

Hopefully, if these two do end up working together on Wayne's forthcoming 'Tha Carter IV,' they can work out a payment plan to avoid anymore problems

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Swizz Beatz Responds To Kanye's Statements About Him

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