Back in January I posted a commentary about the stupidity of Max B’s lawyer, Gerald M. Saluti, who had recently posted a Youtube video (which has since been removed, but still resides on OnSmash.com) responding to internet gossip regarding the rapper’s murder trial (see Max B Needs to Fire His Lawyer).
Well, the murder trial is now upon us, and Mr.Saluti is at it again. Rather than focusing on how to discredit eyewitness testimony implicating the rapper in the case, Saluti has chosen to take his case to Twitter to taunt Max B’s ex-girlfriend, Gina Conway, who he refers to as “the devil” in his tweets.
Today, illseed of allhiphop.com rumors fame elaborated on additional tweets allegedly made by Max B’s lawyer:
closing statements are today…then we will be wavy…lol
Max B closing argument is gonna be tuesday! Come on fans, support ur boy, facing life in prison X 3! Bout to beat his case and take over!
that’s crazy, I just finished a murder case in nyc, they suck, beatem all day, good luck to ur man
already memorized the files, blew that b***h gina up on court today, not guilty on its way, watch
missed u today in court, I killed that b***h!
While I was able to find Saluti’s Twitter profile, I wasn’t able to find these specific tweets. I suspect, as was the case with the Youtube video, Saluti may have decided that this conduct wasn’t the best way to defend his client, but hasn’t fully grasped the idea that just because you delete something on the internet doesn’t mean it no longer exists.
A verdict is expected in the case today and while I won’t say that an unfavorable verdict for his client should lie on Saluti’s shoulders, I do believe this guy should switch professions as he is desperately seeking stardom and doing so at the expense of his clients.
I’m guessing if a guilty verdict is delivered, Saluti will present his case for appeal via a dis track aimed at Gina Conway.
The man killed during a high-profile shooting at the Beverley Center in Beverley Hills, California today was Atlanta rapper Dolla, sources have confirmed with AllHipHop.com.
Dolla, born Roderick Anthony Burton II, hailed from East Atlanta and Los Angeles. He was signed to Akon’s Konvict Muzik imprint.
The rapper was shot and killed shortly after 3:00 PM near the La Cienga Boulevard entrance, after a fight between a group of individuals broke out.
Witnesses report that a woman was seen firing a handgun. Another source said a male suspect was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight.
Dolla was originally a member of Hip-Hop group Da Razkals Cru, before he landed a gig for Sean “Diddy” Combs as a model for Sean John.
Dolla had gained a buzz via his track “Who The Heck Is That?” which featured T-Pain and Tay Dizm.
The rapper was reportedly working on his debut solo album titled a Dolla & A Dream.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Words cannot describe how much I love this blog (and all blogs for that matter). Besides serving as my soap box to stand on when I want to make a statement, the blog has been a great tool for constructing relationships with like-minded individuals who understand that much of what I write is more than bitching and moaning about a broken industry; it’s a call to action for those that believe we can change the industry.
This week I had the pleasure of being introduced to Julie C. and Shamako Noble of the Hip-Hop Congress who found their way to my Hip-Hop Stimulus Plan. We didn’t miss a beat in getting the ball rolling on bringing more heads to the table that I believe will help elaborate on the ideas I’ve outlined, while also bringing great ideas of their own to ultimately reform the hip-hop industry. I’ve even been appointed as the Media and Technology: Economic Policy Adviser for the organization– a title I absolutely love especially because of my future ambitions in politics.
Just to give my loyal reader(s) a little background; me and the Hip-Hop Congress go way back. In fact, it’s not much of an understatement to say that I owe my career to this organization.
When I started attending Ohio University back in 2003, I arrived to a campus with no hip-hop scene. Nothing. There were plenty of hip-hop fans on campus. There were also plenty of MCs, DJs, B-Boys and B-Girls and graffiti writers in the area as well. But aside from 2 bars on campus (out of about 30) that hosted live DJs, outlets for live hip-hop performances were scarce. I was a recent transplant to this rural campus, coming from a year spent in Los Angeles, and was not accustomed to a scene with so little to offer hip-hop fans.
Towards the end of my first year I ran into a couple of guys at a bar who caught my attention because one of them was drumming a beat on top of the bar while another was freestyling from a bar stool (why he had drum sticks at the bar is still a mystery). I introduced myself and let them know of my background as a DJ. They immediately put a flier in my hand letting me know about this organization called Hip-Hop Congress, which they were in the process of organizing a local chapter for on campus.
The following Sunday I attended one of the first organizational meetings for the chapter. I was amazed by the diversity of the people at this meeting. You had people that looked like hippies, skaters, nerds and pretty much any other label you can imagine, but these people were all there because of their love for hip-hop culture. These were the people I had been looking for.
Packed House at the MC Battle
It didn’t take long before this collective we formed became quite influential on campus. We started by hosting weekly MC battles (see Monday Night Sound Clash 10-20-03), but were soon hosting hip-hop events all over town that embraced the various elements of hip-hop culture and examined a lot of social issues that pertained to hip-hop. While we were diligently working on building outlets for live performances, we spent just as much time educating people about hip-hop culture. We definitely weren’t doing the type of work most people would expect from a bunch of hip-hop heads.
As the scene formed, I found myself taking on more roles within the local hip-hop circuit. I was no longer just a DJ, but an event promoter, record label liaison and the worst nightmare of anyone who wanted to oppose this movement we were creating. I also started working with a few artists to assist with their marketing, both on campus and on a national scale. Soon, these things were consuming so much of my time I had to reduce my course load just to handle all the work I was doing on the side. It was at this point that I realized that this hip-hop stuff wasn’t just a hobby or interest of mine; it was my life.
We continued building that scene right up until the day I graduated and the Ohio University Hip-Hop Congress is continuing to build on that groundwork to this day. I still get excited every time I get an invite on Facebook to a hip-hop show on campus or read stories about the work that the organization is doing on campus.
Here are a couple of links to stories that were written about our work in forming the OU Hip-Hop Congress Chapter and below is a video I recently spotted on Fake Shore Drive from the Chi-Town Beatdown event hosted by the UIC Chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress.
Representing: (ie, V-103, Aphilliates, etc.) Element 9 Hip-Hop
Years DJing: I started DJing back in 1997, but have been more centered on the business end of the music industry since 2006. I’m planning to step out of retirement very soon…
Who gave you your break into the industry?
I wouldn’t be anywhere without the help of Tony “X Allah” Franklin from Nublud Management in Cleveland.
Genre(s) of music you specialize in: Hip-Hop
What has been your career highlight thus far?
In less than 3 years I have gone from being an intern at a major record label to a Grammy nominated music publisher and to working marketing campaigns with some of the biggest names in the music industry.
What advice do you have for the DJ’s that have been grinding for a while who haven’t “sparked” or gotten their break?
Make sure you are always focusing on what separates you from the competition. Find your niche and spend equal amounts of time sharpening your skills and marketing yourself. Nobody becomes an overnight success as a DJ.
What advice would you give an independent artist who’s trying to get in the “game”?
1) The team around you is going to be the key to your success. 2) If you’re going to work in the business, learn the business. 3) Keep your expectations realistic and have lots of patience.
With music continuously moving toward a digital/internet based way consumers get their music, what do you do as a DJ to stay up with the times in order to remain relevant?
I visit as many blog sites as I can every day. Not just music blogs, I try to stay on top of technology, business and news blogs too. I stay ahead by constantly knowing what’s going on in the world.
What is your definition of a DJ/Record Breaker?
A real record breaker is someone who hears a record and becomes legitimately excited by the opportunity to introduce to his/her audience a track that is likely to be a hit.
Have you broken any records and if so, who / which song(s)?
I had a lot to do with Soulja Boy breaking out. I’ve contributed to the success of many records that have gone on to be hits, but my work in getting airplay for Soulja Boy while he was still unsigned was one of the most challenging and also most rewarding experiences of my career.
If there was 1 thing you could change about the music industry today, what would that be?
To put it simply, there needs to be more youth in the label offices and the industry has to be open-minded about the change this youthful leadership will bring.
I just read a great analysis of the current state of the music industry that John Mellencamp wrote for HuffPo. While it doesn’t surprise me that many of the problems affecting hip-hop are common across all genres, it really opens my eyes to how widespread the problems with this industry are when we’re all basically saying the same thing regardless of age, genre or years of tenure in the business.
Here’s a few excerpts that really stood out to me, but I suggest reading the entire article to get the full analysis.
On the corporate influence in the music business:
Reagan’s much-vaunted trickle-down theory said that wealth tricked down to the masses from the elite at the top. Now we’ve found out that this is patently untrue — the current economic collapse reflects this self-serving folly. The same holds for music. It doesn’t trickle down; it percolates up from the artists, from word of mouth, from the streets and rises up to the general populace. Constrained by the workings of SoundScan/BDS, music now came from the top and was rammed down people’s throats.
On the creation of the CD:
The CD, it should be noted, was born out of greed. It was devised to prop up record sales on the expectation of people replenishing their record collections with CDs of albums they had already purchased. They used to call this “planned obsolesce” in the car business. Sound quality was supposed to be one of the big selling points for CDs but, as we know, it wasn’t very good at all. It was just another con, a get-rich-quick scheme, a monumental hoax perpetrated on the music consuming public.
On success in the modern industry:
Sadly, these days, it’s really a matter of “every man for himself.” In terms of possibilities, we are but an echo of what we once were. Of course, the artist does not want to “sell out to The Man.” Left with no real choice except that business model of greed and the bean counting mentality that Reagan propagated and the country embraced, there is only “The Man” to deal with. There is no street for the music to rise up from. There is no time for the music to develop in a natural way that we can all embrace when it ripens and matures. That’s why the general public doesn’t really care. It’s not that the people don’t still love music; of course they do. It’s just the way it is presented to them that ignores their humanity.
I don’t really understand what this thing does, but I want one.
About Nextbeat
What is Nextbeat?
Nextbeat is a fully integrated professional DJ system, incorporating intuitive touch sensor controls and innovative live performance functions. Its wireless portable control unit enables performers to move free from the main device, resulting in more dynamic and energetic live performances, contrasting to the traditional style of DJs performing inside booths. nextbeat is not just a revolutionary interface, it is an instrument. DJs can create new, original, and intuitive music through playing nextbeat.
Which audio formats are supported?
Nextbeat supports digital formats such as MP3, WAV and AIFF, AAC-LC.
Is it necessary to connect nextbeat to a PC or a Mac to play the music?
No, Nextbeat is a stand-alone DJ device.
How do you transfer music into nextbeat?
Transfer your favorite sounds – by track or by music folder – into a Compact Flash card by a simple drag and drop.
Do you need to have two nextbeat to perform as a professional DJ?
One single nextbeat is offering you the performing features of two digital turntables, one mixer, one effector and one sampler.
Does it connect to the Internet?
No, it does not connect directly to the Internet.
How do you perform when you remove the portable unit?
Many functions required to perform is featured in the portable unit. By removing the portable unit, you can move around freely so you feel more of a connection with the audience.
What is the size and weight of the product?
It is a 30cm X 30cm record jacket size and weighs approximately 2.7kg.
Who is it targeted at?
Nextbeat is designed for professional DJs.
Did you get any feedback from professional DJs?
As Wacom we take a proactive approach to understand and meet out customers’ needs. International professional DJs are participating with the nextbeat design and development. Reactions from DJs have been very positive. Based on their comments and suggestions, we are working on implementing their wish list to make nextbeat even better.
THERE ARE NO MORE ROC-STARS!!!
Maybe the world is balancing out.
Finally the leader of the free world is cooler than any musician/artist.
- The Broke Mogul
This quote was pulled from a funny review of the abomination that Kanye apparently pulled on American Idol this week (which I’ve yet to watch because I want to keep loving Kanye).
I’m not sure who the Broke Mogul is, although his profile says he’s the Music Supervisor for Entourage in which case I think we have a mutual friend, but check out his whole review on the Kanye performance. It had me
Earlier this week I wrote another criticism of the plan set forth by Jim Griffin and the ISP based file-sharing service that is being developed by his company, Choruss (see Dear Jim Griffin (and the Scoundrels of Choruss)). If you followed the comments on the post or my twitter feed, you probably noticed that Mr.Griffin was very quick to respond to my criticism and extended an offer to meet to discuss Choruss. I was quick to accept this invitation and about 24 hours after my original post went up, we were sitting down at the lovely Mexico Lindo restaurant on Manhattan’s East Side discussing my concerns with the Choruss plan.
After a lengthy discussion with Mr.Griffin, I still believe that the ISP-based file-sharing system being developed by Choruss has some pretty big questions that need to be answered and I am still very skeptical about the chances for long-term success with Choruss. Mr.Griffin is well-aware of the issues that exist with his plan and strongly believes the only way to get the answers that are needed is by experimenting with this service on the campuses of colleges and universities who wish to participate.
One principle of this plan, which was not made clear to me earlier, and certainly eases much of my concern is that it will be an opt-in service for students, rather than another charge automatically incurred in their tuition. If this is truly the case, I will not stand in opposition to a voluntary research project, as I believe that even if it were to fail, the information gathered and conclusions that could be drawn from such information will be valuable as we move forward in restructuring this industry.
Ultimately, the students at the schools that implement the service will decide whether or not this is a system that is going to work. I have a lot of faith in America’s college students and believe that if they feel what they’re paying for isn’t worth the money, they will be quick to make this clear. If this experiment leads to a break-through that will prove me wrong; I have no problem with that and will gladly insert my foot in my mouth as we all reap the benefits of a more prosperous industry.
Jim Griffin is definitely one of the good guys in this battle to bring the music industry into the 21st century. He’s got an impressive background in embracing new technology and is just as critical as the rest of us about the mistakes record labels have made in the digital age. I walked away from our meeting believing that he truly believes in what his company is developing and does not have any sort of evil agenda up his sleeve.
I’m looking forward to learning more about Choruss and what Mr.Griffin and his team are working on and will certainly take him up on his invitation to come check out their office and meet some of the other people who are working on this project.
This experience has been very inspiring to me, as I am beginning to gain hope that we can conquer the digital divide of the music industry as we continue to develop new ideas and share these innovations with our peers. I’m grateful that Mr.Griffin did not take my criticism personally and applaud his willingness to discuss my concerns.
This was also a great example of the power of citizen journalism and proves how influential these blogs can be in producing effective results.
I’m getting ready to make a big move and needed a paper shredder to safely remove the miles of documents that have accumulated in my office over the past few years. I thought it was a blessing when I got an email last week from Chase Bank notifying me that I had spent enough money using their debit card to have accumulated the proper amount of “reward points” needed for the Royal JS800 Paper Shredder. I immediately put in the order and it only took 5 days before the thing arrived.
I became frustrated with the paper shredder immediately. While these things have never worked exceptionally well for me, this thing was easily the worst of the worst. For every 5 minutes of shredding I was able to do, I spent about 10-20 minutes having to clear paper jams from the blades of the thing.
The icing on the cake with this piece of shit came 2 days after I received the product. As I was shredding papers awaiting my next jam, the back of the shredder started smoking and suddenly a ball of fire shot out the back of the thing. Luckily, I wasn’t injured, but it’s pretty easy to imagine that someone could have been.
As if this weren’t bad enough, when I placed a call to Royal’s Product Support Hotline, I was given the address of a Post Office Box in Summerset, New Jersey and instructed to write them a letter about my issue with this product, while being assured once my letter was received- Royal would be glad to replace the product. “Is there a phone number I can call?”, I asked the Product Support Rep. “No sir. No phone number. We have fax number for them. No phone.”, the operator replied. I asked for a supervisor, which this guy apparently didn’t have, so the CEO of the Royal Company who is also their only member of the Product Support Department was absolutely no help to me.
I’m still trying to figure out my next step with this, but I’m not a big fan of electronics blowing up in my face, so for now I’ll just make sure to give the company some really bad PR and hope that anyone considering buying anything from Royal will read this and reconsider.
Check the pictures below to see what a great product Royal has put on the market.
DandyID
AIM
Blogger
Digg
Facebook
Friendfeed
Hulu
Imeem
Linkedin
MySpace
Twitter
Vimeo
YouTube
