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So Tyrese was on Wendy Williams recently to promote his new book How To Get Out Of Your Own Way and said that it’s expected for men to cheat and I happen to somewhat agree with him but substitute “excepted” with accepted. The reason being and as Tyrese partly expressed and as I’ve stated for nearly half my life is that when men cheat they are labeled a ladies man, a player, Playboy’s, Romeo’s etc., all positive connotations. However when women cheat they’re labeled whores, ho’s, hookers, scandalous, nasty etc. all negative associations. Why the double standard you ask? Well because society accepts men who cheat due to history, religion, culture, chauvinism & polygamy and when you have acceptance you have expectancy.

You know I really should repent because it completely escaped my mind that one of the Gods of rap left us some 14 years ago today. But with that reminder came a very abrupt epiphany: When Pac and Biggie died, the proverbial bar of rap music was systematically and dramatically lowered year after year. What’s left is a genre that is just a heartless, gutless, caricature of itself and devoid of creativity and inspiration. The law of the land seems to be record company rule number 4080, which is accepted, tolerated, and aboded by strictly by so many artists who acquiesce to the parameters of the tight suits that have milked the art form for all that’s it worth. Even the respective factions of the aforementioned fallen G.O.A.Ts have tried to recreate the magic that once was only to cash in on the only remaining element of a the true last golden era of rap with recycled content made current with contemporary artists who couldn’t even sit in the same studio let alone lay down a track with these cats. So with that being said, here we are. The contemporary artists of Biggie and Pacs era, the Jay Zs‘, Nas‘, Scarfaces, etc, are aging and, though they can still hold their own amongst the new school quite effortlessly, their style is now dubbed “old school” because it is considered boring and, well, just has to much content to hold anyone’s attention these days which is a shame.

So that’s the past. The present is artists like Lil Wayne and his YMCMB camp and Kanye and his G.O.O.D. Music clan, and honestly I think the latter is more capable of recreating some of that “old-time” magic. Then, *sigh*, there is the future(or the lack thereof) of the genre. I saw the XXL Freshman Class of this year, and all I can say is: Be afraid, be very afraid. The most buzz-garnering artist at this juncture is the Left Coast’s own Lil B, whose rising star is in itself a perplexing enigma to me given the fact I came up during the Pac and Biggie era and really don’t have a clue as to what the f*ck all the fuss is about( No thank you, Based god, I think I’ll pass). So, in summation, I will say this about the state of rap music: If rap music was a human being, it would be the equivalent of a once perfectly healthy star athlete who is now dealing with a potentially fatal cancerous disease with no symptoms. On the surface everything is fine, but eventually the sh*t will hit the fan and before we know it, he’ll be in I.C.U about to flat-line thinking “What the hell happened?” Anyone got any ideas for some preemptive chemotherapy?

- Romano Gold

A year ago today the earthquake in Haiti decimated an island and it’s people with no remorse. A reported 230,000 died and over a million are left with out a home. I myself lost aunts, uncles, cousins and was left heartbroken like so many others including those who had no direct relation to Haitians but that of humanity. Nearly $6 billion world wide has been raised and yet the conditions have not changed. Rubble still make up most of whats left of the islands landscape and dead bodies still rot underneath. All this makes you wonder in anger what the hell is going on?! Why is it after an inconceivable amount of money has been raised something as simple as providing proper & sufficient food, shelter, medical attention, and just over all better living conditions have not been made. I wish I had the answers but unfortunately I don’t. It’s hard trying to come up with a solution when you’re completely out the loop and the problem is in the hands of an already corrupt bureaucracy overseeing something as problematic as NPO’s and Haiti’s own corrupt government which I should add was given nearly $400M to re-establish some kind of bureaucracy of their own in the aftermath of this carnage. How can I even tell those who wish to help where to send money when I’m reporting the money is not reaching the people. But what I can tell you is that my people is resilient, strong and one of deep faith and we will overcome. We have no choice. However if you wish to help please use your best judgment and do some research. Rapper and friend Cormega went to Haiti himself as some of you remember and spoke highly of doctorswithoutborders.org who many in Haiti told him were doing a lot for the people. You can also decide for yourself which reputable charitable organizations to choose from here, but remember money not goods is always best. Regardless I just wanna thank those who’ve done what they could to help even if it was just a prayer. God knows we need em. Thanks for allowing me to vent a bit. Luh ya. - ICE

Well here we are at the end of what turned out to be turning point of sorts in the ongoing battle of style vs. substance in the rap game as far as music. As disappointing as the last couple of years have been, now we see some artists are actually bringing something substantial to the table amidst a cornucopia of bullsh!t. So as we reflect on the standouts this year, I’ll take a moment to expound on what I found to be the best album and mixtape respectively. With respect to albums, no other album set the streets on fire like Ricky Rozay’s Teflon Don. He easily gets my vote as the album of the year like many others have concurred already. I’ll be the first to admit I was never the biggest Ross listener, but the sheer quality of the music alone won me over, and while his background may be shrowed with controversy as to the validity of his street cred or lack thereof, at the end the day it’s about who’s putting out the hottest sh!t which he definitely did do this year.

Now let’s take a look at the heavily overpopulated mixtape realm of music and see what we found this year. Many mixtapes were solid and worth mentioning. Off the top of my head, Jeezy’s TOD2, Fabolous’ TINC2: Funeral Service, Ross’ Albert Anastasia LP, Jada’s The Champ is Here pt III, and Joe Budden’s Mood Muzik 4: Turn 4 The Worst standout amongst others. However, my choice for favorite is a momentarily virtually unknown artist out of Mississippi by the name of Big K.R.I.T. with his magnum opus Krit Wuz Here. Now I know a lot of you are asking “who the hell is that n!gga?”, but trust me when I say he’s one of the biggest artists down south or anywhere the world has yet to know. Here’s a guy who produces, mixes, composes hooks, AND flows( very well might I add) over his OWN sh!t. Needless to say, I was blown away by what I heard and for that he gets my nod. So those are my pics for this year, but I leave the question open to all: what was your favorite(s) this year? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Gone.

- Romano Gold

So I’m making my daily rounds earlier this week on the web and stopped on WSHH. I see they have a titan-sized video player with Keri Hilson’s newest song with the man of the hour Ricky Rozay. At first it just seemed like the usual with a few less articles of clothing, but then it takes a much more explicit turn. Now I’m not squeamish by any means(the sh!t did look and sound good), yet the only thing that troubled me is why at this point in her career would she decide to make such a drastic move and risk alienating the very fanbase she worked so hard to build in these last few years? I saw the neo-feminist, I-am-woman-hear-me-moan rebuttal she made with Perez Hilton and I get it. She’s a freak from the DEC who likes it when her man beats it up on a regular basis. Understood. Had she let that be known from the get-go, however, would she have the same amount of exposure and relevancy?

In summation, what we have here is a beautiful, young lady who tried to make music in the same vein as her much more successful counterpart Beyonce – sexy and edgy but holds back just enough to maintain at least a modicum of class. In her attempt of doing so she was written off as obviously talented but otherwise banal and lackluster. This video might be the defibrillator to an artist whose buzz was otherwise fading, but was purposely jumping off the ladder of top, borderline classy R&B artists to hop on the stripper pole really worth it? Remember, the same prepubescent girls who did the “Pretty Girl Rock” are the same ones who will be thrusting their crotches in front of the computer screen now. To quote her on Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday track, “It’s a dirty job, but sometimes you gotta take one for the team” Makes you wonder if by “team” did she mean her record label? Food for thought, you do the dishes. – Romano Gold

After seeing the rare pics of Jay Z and his old friends (great post by the way ICE) and reading the question that punctuated the post, I got to thinking about something. So we know that Jigga has severed ties with virtually everyone with whom he came up- his one-time mentor who brought him in the rap game Jaz-O, his once bff and co-CEO Dame Dash, his partner in crime and fellow Marcy street runner Dehaven Irby, and hell pretty much everyone on the Roc-A-Fella roster just to name a few. So I have to wonder: If Biggie was still alive, would him and Jigga still be on the up-and-up, or would their relationship be yet another burnt bridge on Jay’s journey to fame and fortune? Would they be bffs, distant friends, enemies, frenemies…? What do y’all think?
- Romano Gold

Clifford has found himself in a very sticky situation. Now he has to stand in front of the same judge that gave him what I call the “Hail Mary sentence” which was ultimately 7 months for an array of firearms that would put almost any other dude away for the rest of their natural lives. He’s facing three charges all of which could put him at risk for violating his probation, the latest of which is testing positive for opiates found in codeine which more than likely was in the triple-stacked styrofoam cups found in his Maybach the night of his arrest. My question is when the judge asks “So Mr. Harris why exactly did you fail this drug test?” Is there any thing he can say to get him out of it or is he just royally f*cked at this point *pun intended*? What say you all?

- Romano Gold

While news of this new diss track is spreading across the net like wildfire, I wanna pose another hypothetical situation. Obviously, this is a not-so-cleverly concocted scheme by newly reunited Dipset founders Joppy Jo and Capo to heat up the buzz around the Dipset reunion which is, at this point, as hot as ice. So what if Jigga and Ye(yeah right) got together for a rebuttal to this track? The fact that Kanye is actually engaging in battle would be shock value at best, but would that give him any street cred at all or just alienate his multi-faceted fan base? Would Jay come at them full throttle or just hit ‘em with a few subliminal jabs which has become his current method of handling beefs? Thoughts? – Romano Gold

Sidebar – Who can ever consider Jimmy or Cam a threat after this?

Last night Ludacris kicked off his annual Ludaday Weekend here in the ATL by throwing a little dinner shindig at his restaurant Straits and then followed it up with an after party at Echelon 3000 with appearances from his artist Lil’ Scrappy, and NBA Champ Ron Artest among others. The dinner/afterparty is not the issue at hand, however. What is important to notice here is that we have a rapper/CEO who is at the top of his game and has managed to steer clear of the many legal pitfalls that keep so many rappers nowadays stagnant and from reaching their full potential as businessmen.

Here’s a guy who has never caught a gun charge, drug charge, or even been blasted on the internet by a groupie for a sexual mishap, all of which are the norm presently. Not only did he appear in the top 10 of the “Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings“ list raking in $16 million this year, but he does what seems to be a rarity amongst rappers these days: He’s actually staying out of trouble. Wow, what a foreign concept. Luda is the shining example of a hardworking, professional person in the Hip-Hop industry that can build a multi-million dollar company and be a force to be reckoned with in corporate America, not just the butt of their jokes. Oh yeah, btw, while a growing trend amongst rappers is to pick strippers and otherwise less-than-classy females as their wifeys, he has Eudoxie (seen above), a stunning University of Miami Med student from Africa who is fluent in French ( oh yeah he knows how to pick ‘em). So Luda, on behalf of all the people like myself who are tired of all these rappers who are just flat out f*ckin up, I salute you, a fellow ATLien.

Go head Shawty – Romano Gold

Because of the fact that T.I. is still on probation, his P.O. told him to come back to the A for the time being after he and his wife Tiny posted bail. Even his lawyer admits he never saw this coming and that TIP is at the mercy of his P.O. now. After serving only 7 months for an arsenal of firearms that would put most men away for the majority of their natural lives only to possibly violate his probation after recently just getting off of house arrest, what do you think will happen to Mr. Harris?
- Romano Gold

So in this short clip we see D-O-Double-Gizzle and Swizzy working on the sequel to the classic “Doggystyle”. We seem to be in an era in rap when the glory days are gone and the only way to salvage them is to try to duplicate the success of an album that brought an artist to legendary status or a position of dominance in his/her craft. There are the “Blueprint” sequels Jigga cranked out, the “Stillmatic” gem Nas gave us almost ten years ago, and the brilliant “OB4CL2″ from the Chef just to name a few.

Though most of the aforementioned were successful continuations of a previous opus, I have to wonder will this lead to diluted versions of great music from desperate artists who need to reestablish themselves as relevant. Are these sequels good for the art as a whole or do rappers need to leave it alone and let their works remain classic without tarnishing them with a newer lackluster sequel of the same name? Thoughts? - Romano Gold

Ok so I can’t lie: I fed into this whole Illuminati frenzy all over the internet, but lately I’ve taken a step back from an analytical standpoint and made some very interesting observations. Above all, this cloak-and-dagger, elitist group that may or may not exist is creating a schism particularly in the black community. What’s happening is the most affluent black people who are the most visible (actors, rappers, singers, hell even the President), are being discriminated against by members of their own race who are in a lower socioeconomic level. This is evident in the hip-hop industry more now than ever before to the point that Jay-Z has made it a point to address it in his most recent songs with Rick Ross and Usher.

Whether this secret society exists or not is neither here nor there. What is important is to recognize that this type of intra-racism has the potential to be very dangerous. It’s as if the most successful black people in this country are being penalized by their own people for the very thing they’ve worked so diligently to attain. So if someone can create a theory that hip-hop titans like Diddy, Jay Z, Kanye West, and the like are rich and powerful because the pledged their loyalty to a community of devil-worshipping idolaters, then I can create a theory that this obsession with Illuminati is dividing an entire race by segregating the most famous and wealthy from everyone else with a negative stereotype. So the next time you see one of those hyperbolic conspiracy theories on youtube you should ask yourself: What’s the real “New World Order“? Is it Illuminati or is it self destruction? Tabernacle. – Romano Gold

Today I was watching that dikey chic on ESPN and a few morons criticize LeBron James for making a circus of this years free agency by announcing his decision in a one hour ESPN special tonight. As if he isn’t King James, hands down the best damn team player in all of sports today and second to Magic Johnson of all time. As if he isn’t arguably the best player in the NBA. As if ESPN themselves haven’t covered and aired his games since he was in high school at the tender age of 15. What was he supposed to do let out a public statement through his publicist? Or let me guess he should have Tweeted his decision. Mufuckaz this isn’t Chris “Avatar” Bosh, “this The Kang shawty!” *Tip voice*. In other words he’s supposed to do it big. Nigga he’s bigger than life (yours not mine). So what he roped a few teams around, that’s what all free agents do in every sport and even businessmen  in the financial & private sector. It’s called bargaining nitwits, you know have other teams thinking you’re going elsewhere in order to get you the most zeroes in the check, bonuses & perks etc. At least he didn’t waste his potential suitors money by having them fly him out on private jets eating shrimp a la carte to their cities meeting celebs, going to plays, paying for pussy and what the hell else they do. Nah he just had them come out to Cleveland the morning of and handle theirs. At least he didn’t walk in meeting camera crew in tow for a documentary he’s filming a la Avatar & Wade, nope just him his highschool buddy, “advisor” World Wide Wes and “agent” Leon Rose and manager Maverick Carter

Now that we’ve got that out the way let’s get down to the nitty, Chi-Town and my soon to be beloved Brooklyn Nets are out of the picture, allegedly. That leaves the Heat, Knicks & Cavs. In all moral honesty LeBron should stay in Cleveland since he’s reached the finals with them, is from there and considering how much the fans adore him. However, not happenin. The boy is already gone like Hov on BP3’s 11th track. Shit remember Bron Bron wore a NY Yankees hat to a Cleveland Indians game in the 2007 ALDS in Cleveland and a Dallas Cowboys shirt to a game against the Browns also in Cleveland, so morals and loyalty are out the window.  So that leaves the NY Knicks and the Miami Countyof Dade Wade’s Heat. If you ask me it makes more sense for a mega star like LeBron to carve his own niche with the Knicks than to be a major cog of a wheel driven by Dwayne Wade. Jordan, Magic, Bird, Shaq and of recent years Kobe created their legacies and didn’t team up to be a part of one. No shots KG.  All this to say I’m as baffled as ya’ll but my heart says the King is in an Empire State of Mind. Even Ochocinco thinks so. Holla. – ICE

Usually bout this time I’d be hitting ya’ll with a pic of the day but instead I thought I’d hit you with several accompanied by an overdue tribute. You see back in the day if you were a fly nigga part of your arsenal most likely consisted of some suede Puma Clydes, Shell Toe Adidas accessorized with fat laces that you would wet and iron to make even fatter (I’m giving away too much), Clarks, two-tone Lee’s (don’t get your patch snatched), V-Bombers & Sheepskins, suede fronts, Playboy & Benetton sweatshirts, a raccoon tails (a truly forgotten trend), Cazals, a four finger or a maybe a two finger high riser, Gucci links, ropes, or a herringbone (no bizmarks please) and your waves brushed sideways not forward (Brooklyn shit) tucked under a terry cloth Kangol bucket. But if you were a real fly nigga you got certain things custom. And to do that you had go to Dapper Dan’s on 125th in Harlem for your MCM, Gucci & Louis shit and The Might Shirt Kings in the Coliseum on 165th & Jamaica Ave in Jamaica, Queens for that other shit. That B-Boy shit.

The Shirt Kings consisting of founders Phade, King Kasheme (R.I.P) & Mighty Nike were born after graf artist Phade who was already selling slogan tees taught his airbrush technique to Kasheme and accomplished cartoonist Nike. The Queens trio’s graffiti inspired sweatshirts, t-shirts, jeans & jean jackets that would bare either an airbrushed cartoon character (Mickey Mouse, Tom & Jerry, Wiley Coyote etc.) or your likeness dipped in any of the aforementioned with a Benz 190E or an Audi 5000 in the backdrop for added flavor and became a must have among Queens locals  leaving the fledgling entrepreneurs no choice but to open up shop in the Coliseum Mall summer of ‘86.

After a chance meeting with Jam Master Jay (a pioneer on the turntables and the world of Hip Hop fashion) which led to him rocking one of their pieces, the world of Hip Hop took notice. Rappers like LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Biz Markie, Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, BDP, Ralph Mcdaniels, 3rd Bass, Malcolm Jamal Warner and Young Hova (literally) would soon follow suit and thus a fashion phenomenon was created. So in demand were The Shirt King’s pieces that they were featured on the cover of Audio Two’s first album What More Can I Say. and in videos like Bell Biv Devoe’s “She’s Dope” amongst others. Shit even I had a Shirt King joint, even though it was from Biz Markie’s store here in Brooklyn’s Albee Square Mall on Fulton and not a custom joint, it was still a King. – ICE

Big Daddy Kane

Jay-Z

Biz Markie

DJ Red Alert

Milk of Audio Two

DJ Mister Cee

Malcolm Jamal Warner

Uncle Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box

Flava Flav & Terminator X

Salt of Salt-N-Pepa

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The Jailhouse Rock & 52 Blocks Fighting Styles (Editorial)

Recently scientific studies have concluded that us dogs men actually have a reason and no longer an excuse when we are out there sniffin other poodles asses…it’s in the genes. No not like Ginuwine, I mean it’s genetics you know part of our DNA structure. A bunch of stink Swedish guys with cheesy teeth and clammy hands you know scientists) recently found a bonding chemical in some men that make it less likely to be monogamous then women. Now of course that doesn’t mean you should go shag that butta-face at your job that’s been giving you the googlies, get caught and tell your wife “But ICE said…” No it simply means we have to work harder at not falling prey to our temptations. Well at least I think. Somewhere DMX is thinking “why wasn’t this study done before I played himself?” Thoughts? – ICE

video via streetknowledge

Growing up in Brooklyn and spending quite a few weekends and a couple of short stints on Rikers, holding cells and the bookings, I’ve been involved in and seen many a fights that are far from your average. Taken from the Jailhouse 52 Blocks Razor Fighting documentary, the above video shows the fighting style of Jailhouse Rock, 52 Blocks and the “art” of handling a razor. Created in the late 60’s to early 70’s on Rikers Island, Jailhouse Rock or “Jailhouse” was a style mainly used by 5 Percenters from Brooklyn who were nice with their hands by using movement, rhythm, deception, footwork, feints, slips, ducks, blocks, interceptions and down right natural ability.

So Drizzy Drake calls himself runnin to Nicki Minaj’s rescue after Lil Kim got at her by saying, “I don’t give a fuck what Lil Kim are nobody else talkin bout, you (Nicki Minaj) the baddest chick to ever do this shit. Remember I said that!“ Yeah I know, like he’s built like that.  See Drake’s dumb ass either never got the memo or bumped his head and completely forgot who the fuck Lil Kim is. He must have forgot how Capone of Capone-N-Noreaga got shot at & one of his peoples popped in front of Hot 97 by Lil Kim’s ex-boyfriend Damien”D-Roc” Butler for lettin Foxy diss Kim on “Bang Bang”. He must have forgot how D-Roc also punched Ghostface in the face for comin at Kim sideways. He must have forgot how Maino fucked up Lil Cease for taking the stand against Kim over that same Hot 97 shooting. He must have forgot how Kim’s other ex World once shot at 50 Cent for runnin his mouth bout the Queen B and is now doin life in prison for murder. See I’m from Brooklyn and though she got several years on me I went to high school with Lil Kim, (Sarah J. Hale to be exact) and as sweet as her ass can be I done seen Kim get niggas in school fucked up cause they took her nice lil ass for play. Now I’m not saying Drake is gonna get touched for bumpin his gums, but neither did I think Capone, Ghost, Cease and 50 (nearly) would either. Wanna bumble with the Bee huh?! Get your weight up first shorty. – ICE

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Lil Kim Says Nikki Minaj Needs To Pay Homage & Show Respect (Video)

RZA responds to his comments about the south that offended Jay Electronica in stating that though he doesn’t recall specifically what was said, in using his family as an example, black people in the south have not evolved equally as black people up north. He mentioned the lack of education and drop out rate, unsanitary dietary practices like eating pork and a lack of  resources for books that can aide in the knowledge of self. I was born & raised in Brooklyn. I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. My English is fucked up at times as ya can clearly see from my typos and grammatical errors on my site. I was raised on pork and still eat it occasionally. For a short period of time my family was on welfare. I know of all the book stores and stands from Fulton Street Mall & Pitkin Ave. in Brooklyn to 125th St in Harlem and have yet to go & purchase not one piece of literature to give me knowledge of self. I’ve been to The Allah School of Medina on Livonia in Brownsville Brooklyn and the The Allah School of Mecca on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem many times and I’m still not a Five Percenter. I say all this to say what RZA ignorantly failed to mention is that these same things that he is accusing black southerners to being a victim of plague brothers & sisters in New York, other northern cities as well as all over the world.  The black race as a whole due to slavery, racism and our own issues hasn’t evolved as it should but despite all that has been taken away from us from our land, culture, identity, name, freedom and lives we (including those in the south) have made great strides. Hey RZA, instead of criticizing the 85, civilize em.  - ICE