Snoop Dogg Woes Viewers for “BUSH” Release Concert

Snoop Dogg kicked off his release party with an interview by Real 92.3. 

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.musictimes.com

All of the action took place right on the Honda Stage at the iHeart Radio Theatre. 

 

Accompanied by host Big Boy and featured artist on the thirteenth studio album Pharrell, they discussed the new album and even reflected on their past with one another. 

 

The D-O double G admits to Pharrell bringing out his more melodic side on this album, according to HipHopDX.com.

 

Artists Korupt, Warren G, and Pharrell of course accompanied him at his main event to bring a variety of tributes, premieres and throwbacks revealing a sultry feel to the atmosphere. 

 

His five-piece band aided him as songs off of his new album were played. Peaches and Cream, So High, and So Many Pros amoungst others from back in the day, such as Dr. Dre’s hit Lets Get High were performed. In honor of the late Tupac, a tribute was done by Warren Sapp with his hit 2 of Amerika’s Most Wanted! 

 

Snoop then finished off the event with the infamous "Who Am I" (What’s My Name).

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.okayplayer.com

Although this collaborative album with Pharrell is officially available to stream on Spotify, it’s never too late to get some background info on this project of the talented duo!

Check out BUSH CONVERSATIONS with Snoop and Pharrell here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9uO8Tpfr5E 

-Alexis J. Robinson 

@alexisjanaiformayor

Edited by: Dana P (E.I.C.) 

 

 

Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Making Huge Headlines

In Kendrick Lamar's still-young reign as one of hip-hop's leading voices, he's tackled institutionalized racism, black self-love, addiction and the evils of materialism. Kendrick Lamar shared the cover of his new album To Pimp A Butterfly on Instagram. It's bold, and it fits with everything Lamar has shared from the album, which is a bombshell of political and social criticism.

To Pimp a Butterfly was expected to drop on March 23, but K Lamar doesn’t play by the rules. 

The 16-track album opens with "Wesley's Theory," featuring George Clinton and Thundercat, and there's collabs with the likes of Bilal, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley and Rapsody. Lamar had already shared two new songs, "The Blacker the Berry" and "King Kunta," both of which appear on the album.

"To Pimp a Butterfly" tracklist

1. Wesley's Theory (feat. George Clinton & Thundercat)

2. For Free? (Interlude)

3. King Kunta

4. Institutionalized (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Snoop Dogg)

5. These Walls (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat)

6. U

7. Alright

8. For Sale? (Interlude)

9. Momma

10. Hood Politics

11. How Much a Dollar Cost (feat. James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley)

12. Complexion (A Zulu Love) [feat. Rapsody]

13. The Blacker the Berry

14. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)

15. i

16. Mortal Man

Kendrick Lamar is quickly becoming one of the most unique and influential rappers right now. His music conveys some of the most powerful messages that the music listeners have heard in a while. Although he is still a relatively new artist, he has made quite the mark in society, hiphop especially. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

A Summary of NBA All Star Weekend in NYC

The City had a huge weekend and was host to many events this very cold February weekend. There was the NBA All Star Weekend, Fashion Week, the star-studded Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and a huge concert full of hiphop heavyweights. What do these events have in common? Kanye West was at each one of them.

Image Credit: sandrarose.com 

The stars migrated from L.A. for the Grammys to New York for Fashion Week. On Thursday, Kanye West presented his first Yeezy collection with Adidas Originals, and all the big names were in attendance.

The front row was a who’s who of music and fashion elite including Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, Diddy, Cassie, 2 Chainz, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Pop queens Rihanna and Beyonce snapped a photo together backstage, while hip-hop moguls Jay Z and Diddy supported Kanye and his new collection.

Image Credit: hiphop-n-more.com

History was made on Thursday night when the East Coast and West Coast united for Hot 97’s “Tip-Off” concert hosted by Diddy and Snoop Dogg at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The star-studded event, which kicked off NBA All-Star Weekend, featured surprise guests, reunions, and plenty of nostalgia, bringing out guests such as Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Dr. Dre, T.I., Lil Kim, The Lox, Kanye West, Nas, and many more during an unforgettable live event.

Diddy’s all-star lineup of guests included Busta Rhymes, Jermaine Dupri, and Kanye West, who performed “Can’t Tell Me Nothing." Black Rob guested on “Whoa!” and Diddy reunited R&B group 112, who performed their 2001 hit “Peaches & Cream” and the Notorious B.I.G. tribute “I’ll Be Missing You,” backed by Faith Evans and a choir. Nas hit the stage for “Hate Me Now” and “Made You Look,” while Naughty by Nature served their classics “O.P.P.” and “Hip Hop Hooray.”  Snoop Dogg brought out Dr. Dre for “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang." Then T.I who performed “About the Money.” The crowd went crazy when Lil’ Kim and The Lox  performed “Money, Power & Respect” and “It’s All About the Benjamins,” and Diddy’s son Christian Combs filled in for Ma$e on “Been Around the World.”

Other guests included Big Sean, Keyshia Cole, Doug E. Fresh, 2 Chainz, French Montana, A$AP Ferg, O.T. Genasis, Troy Ave, and ILoveMakonnen.

Image Credit: nba-events.com

It was NBA All-Star weekend, but it seemed as if all the stars in the celeb world were taking part in the swanky dinners, posh parties and concerts before Sunday's big game.

 

Official All-Star events, like Friday's celebrity game and Saturday's skills competition, attracted Rihanna, Kevin Hart, Mo'ne Davis and Floyd Mayweather, but other events had star power, too.

On Friday night, Nas and Drake gave a concert that featured Kanye West, while James held court at a dinner thrown at the Italian eatery Carbone by Beats. Farther away, All-Star John Wall had his own dinner at STK with Luc Belaire, where he mingled with guests, including rapper Pusha T and actress Keke Palmer.

On Saturday afternoon, Derek Jeter gathered his former Yankee teammate C.C. Sabathia, quarterback Russell Wilson, and others to discuss the launch of his after-career venture, the Players Tribune, a digital media company designed to give athletes a platform to tell their own stories; a late night launch party followed with a performance from rapper Common.

Sunday's game attracted some big-name musical talent, including a performance by Christina Aguilera and Nas before the start of the action. Among those attending the game was former President Bill Clinton, who sat with former NBA basketball player Dikembe Mutombo. Others seen at the game include film director Spike Lee and comedian Chris Tucker.

Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj provided the halftime entertainment, while Tamia sang the Canadian national anthem and Queen Latifah performed an acoustic version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Russell Westbrook with his 3s, dunks, and swagger, was perfect for the All-Star Game. The Hawks played best when they were together, sharing the ball and making plays. LeBron James  had 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. However, much like the weather in New York, Carmello Anthony was frozen this weekend.  

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @ChristineeeeO

Dr. Dre Finds His Latest Rap Protege In Texas

Image Credit: hiphopdx.com

​

There's no denying that Dr. Dre has possibly one of the best ears for new talent. He has signed hiphop icons like Snoop Dogg and Eminem,  but Dr. Dre has another asset to show off. The multi-millionaire entrepreneur, co-founder of N.W.A and hiphop mastermind has found a new protege; 23-year-old Garland, Texas native Justin Mohrle.

It turns out the newcomer in 2012 released 21: Live Forever, a free mixtape under the name Love, JT, which apparently was "highly regarded among Dallas hip-hop fans" but fell through the cracks.

Mohrle was then introduced to Dr. Dre through former Death Row Records artist (and fellow Texan) The D.O.C. who, as part of a team, produced a demo EP on the new artist to pitch to Dr. Dre. Mohrle reportedly signed a 360-degree deal with D.O.C.'s entertainment company Silverback.

When we hear from him next, he'll likely be known as Justin Night, seeing as Justin Timberlake has JT on lock. But only time will tell if his career will be more like Kendrick Lamar than Stat Quo's. 

Look out for this young star on the rise!  

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Melissa Howe, Playboy Playmate & Hip Hop video vixen.

Image Credit: Melissa Howe's official Twitter (@MelissaHowe1990)

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Melissa Howe, who is one half of the Howe Twins, calls into HipHop ShortStop to talk about her career as a Hip Hop music video vixen, and Playboy Playmate! This British hottie, who resides in Los Angeles, has appeared in videos for Snoop Dogg, & 50 Cent. She has also played a small part in a movie scene with Wiz Khalifa. 

Due to some technical difficulties, we were unable to do a Skype video interview. But not to worry!  We were able to pick up audio & have gathered some HOT photos of Melissa with her twin sister, as well as photos of her with multiple celebrities! 

Listen to her cute little British accent as you will also hear her talk about "420," partying at the Playboy Mansion with P Diddy & Chris Brown (just to name a few), and much more!

BET Announces 2014 Hip Hop Awards Nominees

Image Credit: BET Networks (BET.com)

Who's got next up in the cypher? It's time to hold it down for the real emcees! On September 4, BET revealed the list and nominees for their 2014 Hip Hop Awards. From the look of things, the Young Money brother and sister duo will be taking over the scene. Drake leads the pack with eight nominations while Nicki Minaj follows behind him with five. Jay Z , Pharrell, and Future  each racked up six nominations a piece. But what really caught my eye is the fierce competition between Drizzy, Future, Iggy Azalea, Wiz Khalifa and YG for the "People's Champ Award." With all those heavy-hitters in one category, I can only imagine who's going to come out on top.

You can check out who takes home the goldon October 14 at 8/7c  when the legendary Snoop Dogg returns to the big screen as the host of the event. 

Check out all the awards and nominees in its entirety below: 

Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake – “Worst Behavior,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX – “Fancy,” J. Cole f/ TLC – “Crooked Smile,” Nicki Minaj – “Pills N Potions” & Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz.”

Best Collabo, Duo or Group: Eminem f/ Rihanna – “The Monster,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Jay Z f/ Justin Timberlake – “Holy Grail,” ScHoolboy Q f/ BJ The Chicago Kid – “Studio” & YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta.”

Best Live Performer: Drake, Jay Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar & T.I.

Lyricist of the Year: Drake, Eminem, J. Cole, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar & Nicki Minaj.

Video Director of the Year: Benny Boom, Chris Robinson, Director X, Dre Films & Hype Williams

DJ of the Year: DJ Drama, DJ Envy, DJ Khaled, DJ Mustard & DJ Scream.

Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard, Drumma Boy, Hit-Boy, Mike WiLL Made It, Pharrell & Timbaland.

MVP of the Year: DJ Mustard, Drake, Future, Jay Z & Nicki Minaj.

Track of the Year: “Cut Her Off (Remix)” – Produced by Will-A-Fool (K Camp f/ Lil Boosie, YG & Too $hort), “Move That Doh” – Produced by Mike WiLL Made It (Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino), “My Hitta” – Produced by DJ Mustard (YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan), “Studio” – Produced by Swiff D (ScHoolboy Q f/ BJ The Chicago Kid) & “Worst Behavior” – Produced by DJ Dahi (Drake).

Album of the Year: Drake – Nothing Was the Same, Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Future – Honest, Rick Ross – Mastermind, ScHoolboy Q – Oxymoron & Yo Gotti – I Am.

Who Blew Up Award: Iggy Azalea, Migos, Rich Homie Quan, ScHoolboy Q, YG & Young Thug.

Hustler of the Year: Dr. Dre, Drake, Jay Z, Rick Ross & T.I.

Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style): A$AP Rocky, Jay Z, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj & Young Thug.

Best Hip Hop Online Site: AllHipHop.com,Complex.com, HotNewHipHop.com,NecoleBitchie.com, RapRadar.com &WorldStarHipHop.com

Best Club Banger: Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh” (Produced by Mike WiLL Made It), K Camp f/ Lil Boosie, YG & Too $hort – “Cut Her Off” (Remix) (Produced by Will-A-Fool), Migos – “Fight Night” (Produced by Stack Boy Twaun), Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz” (Produced by Detail), YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta” (Produced by DJ Mustard) &Young Thug – “Stoner” (Produced by Dun Deal).

Best Mixtape: Action Bronson – Blue Chips 2, Fabolous – The Soul Tape 3, Migos – No Label 2, Rich Homie Quan – I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In & Wiz Khalifa – 28 Grams.

Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse: B.o.B – “Paranoid” (Ty Dolla $ign f/ B.o.B), B.o.B – “Up Down” (Do This All Day) (T-Pain f/ B.o.B), Drake – “Who Do You Love” (YG f/ Drake), Kendrick Lamar – “Control” (Big Sean f/ Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica) & Pharrell – “Move That Doh” (Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino)

Impact Track: Common f/ Vince Staples – “Kingdom,” Lecrae – “Nuthin,” Lupe Fiasco – “Mission,” The Roots f/ Patty Cash – “Never” & Talib Kweli f/ Abby Dobson – “State of Grace”

People’s Champ Award: Drake – “Worst Behavior,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX – “Fancy,” Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz”  & YG f/ Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta” (Remix)

— Brittany C. Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

1998; The Greatest Year In Hip Hop History

by:: Frantz Paul 

There have been a lot of special years in hip-hop history. The two that have always stuck out for me were 1994 and 1998. I had a good debate with two hip-hop aficionados on why I felt 1998 was bigger than 1994 for hip-hop. They both felt 1994 was better do to the quality of debut classics that were released from Hip-Hop legends like Nas, the Notorious B.I.G and Outkast. It’s hard to argue ’94 wasn’t a great year because I have it second. But for me, from albums, to movements, to musical industry impact, to shifting of landscapes from one coast to another, 1998 was the greatest year in Hip Hop history.

A Changing Of The Guard…

Prior to 1998, the Hip Hop industry had no guidance. There wasn’t one specific location that could stake a claim as the place where Hip-Hop was king; and in Hip-Hop, a place like this is necessary. Here’s why, Hip-hop is a verbal gladiators sport. It thrives on competition and bragging rights. From 1994-1996 hip-hop was ruled by theWest Coast with an iron fist. Between Death Row records and their two brilliant young artist Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, the production of DazDillinger, Mel Man and the legendary Dr. Dre, the West Coast was a goliath. It seemed people were scared of what Suge Knight was capable of doing if anyone attacked the West Coast Empire. There were other acts like West Side connection putting out music adding the mystique that was west coast rap. But slowly but surely, the west coast began losing its grip. The king of the west coast rap scene Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, Dr. Dre had enough of the terrible working relationship he had with Suge Knight so he left, and Snoop managed to find his way to Master P’s No Limit Record label. Once Death Row’s and the West Coast’s reign was over, there was no dominant area of the country. Rappers would just rep their towns and put out music. But in 1998, that all changed drastically. The birthplace of hip-hop, New York City, started putting out more than just music to rep their city; it was more than that. They were putting out albums and doing certain things to cement that year as the one in which every hip-hop fan during that era would bookmark as the greatest year in the genre’s history. 

The Music, The Movements, The Bravado…

Looking back at it now, two rap lines from the same artist, Jay-Z, epitomized 1998; and both had their significance as to what the year epitomized and why it was so impactful. The first line was from his legendary collaboration with an aggressive newcomer from Yonkers, New York named DMX. On Jay-Z’s 1998 album Volume 2…Hard Knock Life, the two joined forces on the banger “Money, Cash, Hoes” which was produced by up and coming super producer Swiss Beats. In that song, Jay rapped, “What’s the dealings/It’s like New York’s been soft ever since Snoop came through and crushed the buildings/I’m tryna restore the feelings.” It didn’t seem like much on first listen, but Jigga was letting the world know exactly what was transpiring in 1998. Unity. For years New York City was rife with civil wars between Big and Nas, or Big and Rae, or whoever it may be. If there’s no unity, then there is no common goal for the betterment of a goal. On Hov’s album 1998 album, he had New Yorkers like DMX and the LOX helping him join in on his chart-topping epic. The same went for DMX’s 1998 debut It’s Dark and Hell is Hot. X had his own features like Maseand the LOX callabo with him. New York was doing things together, and for the most part they were doing this out of love for music. Of course Nas and Jay weren’t close at the time, and underneath all the camaraderie in the city there were little tensions brewing between Queens Bridge and Roc –A- Fella and Terror Squad, but the music was so transcendent in that year that New York just kept pushing to see how far they could go. The late great Big Pun dropped his debut album Capital Punishment that year and just added to assault that New York rhyme spitters were delivering. Then there were other albums from underground legends Tribe Called Quest who gave us The Love Movement, Black Star dropped their debut “Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star”, Gang Starr dropped their legendary Moment of Truth album, and there were countless other great records that year. New York was killing it, but it wasn’t just New York City. Between the Ruff Ryders movement, the Roc-A-Fella movement, and the Terror Squad movement, NYC hip-hop was taking control. But regardless of what was happening in the Big Apple, there were other regions and cities doing it big for 1998 as well.

It Was Bigger Than Just New York… 

As much good as New York was doing in 1998, the South was putting out some amazing material. And yes, it was amazing in case any fellow New Yorkerswant to scoff at that. Two Southern albums dropped in 1998 that were Landmark records. Juvenile’s 400Degreez and Outkast’s Aquemini. If someone plays “Rosa Parks” fromAquemini right now, it still rings off like the first time it was ever played.Aquemini was a Tour de Force and it got “5 mics” in The Source Magazine when getting 5 mics actually meant something special. And then there was 400Degreez in all its Southern bass heavy New Orleans drawl greatness. Even now in 2014, my friends and I will just come out of nowhere and say “You see me, I eat sleep shit and talk rap, you see that ‘98 Mercedes on TV I bought that, I had some felony charges I fought that” and “If I ain’t a Hot Boy then whaddya call that?” from his single “400 Degreez.” While New York was working together to bring the hip-hop crown to the east coast, the South was embroiled in the beginnings of their own Civil War between Juvenile’s Cash Money Records and Master P’s legendary south label No Limit Records. Juvenile’s album put Cash Money on the map and shined light on the South in a year where New York was having its ultimate re-birth. Aquemini and 400 Degreez were two of the best albums that years and are regarded as classics now as well theyshould be. But there is one more place, or one more entity, or rather, there’s one Queen I haven’t mentioned in this entire piece and she deserves a section all her own.

The Greatest Female Rapper To Ever Grace A Microphone Is Here…

1998 year was not a year only dominated by male rappers from New York and the South. On the contrary, one woman jumped into the fray and cemented herself as the greatest femalerapper of all-time, and her name is Lauryn Hill. L-Boogie from the Fugeesdropped her classic album TheMiseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, and she let the world know she was bigger than just the beautiful rapper/singer from the Fugees. Her album was the showcase of a woman who was bigger than hip-hop, bigger than R n B music. Lauryn’s debut mixed rap, with doo-wop from the 50’s and 60’s and soul from the 70’s to create a masterpiece. From tracks like “Zion”, to “Doo-Wop,” and my favorite Lauryn record of all-time “Everything is Everything”, L-Boogie took us into a world bigger than what we saw on the Fugees 1996 classic The Score. This was all Ms. Hill, all by her talented lonesome in a game dominated by her male counterparts. Every bar Lauryn spit on The Miseducation is a quotable, and every note the Goddess sang gave you goosebumps. There is no female MC in history that can come close to Lauryn’s bars for me, and I mean that with all due respect to other greats like MC Lyte, Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. Lauryn won 5 Grammy awards for her debut solo album and it was nothing less than she deserved. All Hail the Queen.

Everyone Pushed Everyone Else To Be Great…

Earlier in the piece I said there were two Jay-Z lines that defined 1998, and Hovbasically prophesized what was happening…sort of. The second line from Jigga that defined that year in my opinion came from his hit single “It’s A Hard Knock Life.” The line that told me this was going to remain one of the greatest years ever was when he said, “I gave you Prophecy on my first joint, but y’all all lamed out/didn’t really appreciate it until the second one came out/so I stretched the game out/etched your name out/put Jigga on top/and dropped album non-stop for you nigga.” When you hear that line, it doesn’t seem like much. But after all these years and seeing at where Jay-Z is now on the musical landscape, he was telling us his master plan from that line. The man has dropped numerous #1 on the chart albums, he became King of Hip-Hop during this 1998 New York re-birth era, and he was telling the world “I gave you a classic with Reasonable Doubt, yet you decided to not pay attention.” Then once In My Lifetime volume 1 dropped, people started paying attention, and now with this record, I’m taking over.” Jay knew it from then, and hip-hop knew it. When he started his ascension to the thrown it was now “everyone catch up with what I’m doing.” And it worked perfectly. This created competition for everyone and gave the hip-hop community a target and person to try to dethrone. This was what the game lacked after the passing of B.I.G and Tupac. Once Jay said that, it was survival of the illest in Hip Hop. Amazing.

In mid-October in 1998, four of the six new albums that appeared in the Billboard top 10 were hip-hop albums. And in the same month Jay-Z, Outkastand Lauryn Hill occupied the top 3 spots on the charts. It was an unprecedented feat in hip-hop until that year.

I was there in 1998 to witness everything great that transpired that year. And for years I told myself one day I would put pen to paper to express my love, joy and admiration for all the artists and people who made 1998 the greatest year in hip-hop history. So to 1998, and all the people who made you the greatest year in hip-hop, I salute you. Hip Hop Stand Up!

Hip Hop IS Dead! Summer Jam recap:: Nas, 50 Cent, Drake, Nicki Minaj, & more.

I was going to attend Hot97 Summer Jam this year, as I've went the past 3 years & haven't really been disappointed. I ALMOST had tickets last minute, but unfortuneately, I got stuck home live streaming the concert. I sure am glad I didn't waste my hard earned money on this concert....

Sevyn Streeter opened up the main show following the "festival stage" pre show. I really like her, & maybe it's because she's never really performed in front of that many people in the NYC area, but I found her performance to be slightly boring. 

Things got even worse as Rosenberg got on stage & hyped up Action Bronson, who was a complete mess. Not sure what kinda drugs he was on, or how much he had to drink, but his ego appeared to be bigger then his gut. He was all over the place, between slurring, looking & sounding like shit, rocking a pair of sandles to later on, take them off and hop off stage to perform in the crowd. This guy literally wouldn't stop his performance, until he was told to stop. It seems as if he was trying to take over the show, and it appears as if he thought he was some kind of "big star." Absolutely horrific. 

I'm really not sure who exactly was next, either Troy Ave or Wiz Khalifa. Not really much of a fan of either 2, but Troy started out with what appeared to be, taking shots at Trinidad James, via a video of the jumbotron before he performed. Troy Ave did bring out T.I. as a surprise guest. Wiz Khalifa topped off his set with a surprise appearance from none other then the legendary SNOOP DOGG! Snoop surprised the crowd & performed "The Next Episode," followed by "Young, Wild and Free" with Wiz. 

The Roots followed up after Khalifa's set, if I'm not mistaken. First, they brought out none other then one of my personal favorite hip hop groups EVER, The Lox! The show in my opinion was majority pretty bad, until they came out & performed some of their classic joints. M.O.P. and Black Sheep were amongst The Roots other surprise guests. The crowd, however, didn't really seem to be interested much. But I'll get back to THAT part later.....

Trey Songs was up next, & as usual, drove the girls crazy. He ended his set with his surprise guest, Ty Dolla Sign & performed "Paranoid" together, following Trey shouting out his incarcerated friend, Chris Brown, & performed Brown's new hit song, "Loyal." 

HIP HOP IS DEAD!

Nas came out next, and again, the crowd wasn't in it at all. He performed mostly songs from Illmatic. No energy what so ever. To make matters even worse, Nas brought out Meek Mill, followed by French Montana to completely take over his set. The crowd LOVED every minute of it & seemed to have livened up quite a bit. Very, very sad day for hip hop. Complete smack in the face & a HUGE amount of disrespect to Nas. I'm not sure who's idea this was, but Nas seemed to have no problems with it, as he was really into Meeks "lyrics," by singing along. Maybe it was all the Hennessey Nasir drank throughout the night, but never could I see this man,(who is the TRUE DEFINITION of REAL HIP HOP) actually respect and allow these guys ON STAGE WITH HIM. This literally hurt me. It was very sad to watch, however it made me very happy once again, that I didn't spend money to be there & actually witness this in person. 

After Meek & French finished their set, Nas brought out 50 Cent. 50 performed a couple classics as well as some new joints from his new album that dropped yesterday, Animal Ambition. He reunited G-Unit ON STAGE, bringing out Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and even Young Buck. He later on brought out Fabolous & performed their new remix to Fabs hit song, Cuffin Season. As this was happening, a little rowdiness appeared to be going on. It turns out there was some sort of a fight, which later was reported that Slowbucks, of SBOE, was robbed of his chain. A member of 50's security reportedly snuffed Slow, ripped off his chain, and 50 WORE IT the rest of the night! It seems as if 50 was trying to prolong his set, as he mentioned on the mic that Ebro (Hot97's executive producer) was "yelling at" him, only for 50 to reply saying that HE'S the boss when he's here! Whole lotta drama. 

Video footage of what went down can be seen here: http://youtu.be/lXwZy1VH4DM

Nicki Minaj was next, and I thought the LAST part of the concert. She put on a great performance, as she promised the crowd. She brought out Soulja Boy to perform their new single "Yass Bitch," then later brought out another surprise guest, as I would've bet my life that he was going to show up, none other then Drake. She got on the mic & said, "Drake, I don't fuck wit you no more!" He then came out to perform "Worst Behavior," as the crowd livened up a lot more! Nicki & Drake went on to perform their song featuring Lil Wayne,"Believe Me." Weezy came out for his verse, wearing a stupid face cover up, which he took off after a couple of seconds. Drake & Weezy also performed "Trophies." Their set ended with Nicki, Lil Wayne and Drake ALL sweating each other. Nicki Minaj even stated that "Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive!" LOL!!

This is where the show should've ended....

DJ Mustard followed Young Money's set & brought out a few guests. YG, Ty Dolla Sign & surprise guest, none other then YOUNG JEEZY performed their hit, "My Ni**a." 

At this point, I began to lose a little bit of interest, as I feel the show ran way too long, & was a bit all over the place. The show could've been put together a little bit better. Also, the sound system seemed to be an issue throughout the night, which pissed off a couple of the performers. 

You can find some YouTube videos from the concert, here; http://www.complex.com/music/2014/06/summer-jam-2014-performances 

Summer Jam has always been one of my favorite concerts to attend. You don't really seem to get much from other concerts put on by other radio stations. I think Hot97 has the MOST respect from a lot of artists, & others involved in the hip hop industry, and this is why Summer Jam is always a SPECIAL SHOW to me! It's always hard to top each year. This year was GOOD but it didn't beat last years SJ, that's for sure. 

By:: Dana P. (Blog Owner/Editor in Chief