some good news

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

Mobb Deep Sign to Jive Records for 10 Million - Posted 2/17/2003 by jayo
It's official - Mobb Deep signs to Jive Records with a 50/50 deal meaning whatever the record company makes, the mobb gets half!! and they got $10 million for signing with Jive. The Mobb is getting a good start to 2003. The new album should be out by the summer. March 2003 "xxl" magazine names mobb deep's new album as the 10th most anticipated album right now.

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Raekwon Finalizing Deal, 3rd Solo LP - Posted 2/17/2003 by jayo
 Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon has inked a multi album deal with IceWater, becoming Chief Creative Officer of the newly formed multimedia company. The company executives include members of Raekwon’s camp, along with top executives from Los Angeles based labels Vocab Records and Goodvibe Recordings.

IceWater’s first order of business is to drop Raekwon’s hotly anticipated third solo LP. IceWater is finalizing a major label deal with Universal Records.
According to Vocab and IceWater joint founder Eric "Big E" Hochstein, Raekwon’s next effort will be a banger.

"This record will be on some classic Cuban Linx shit and will put Rae back where he always deserved to be in hip-hop," Big E told AllHipHop.com. "We are planning to make this record a modern day classic which will have features from all of his brothers from the Clan, along with many more special surprise guests."

Big E also said IceWater plans to release additional projects which Raekwon likely will executive produce. Selected tracks have already been completed for Raekwon’s IceWater debut, which should hit stores in the second quarter of this year.

One of those joints is "Smith Bros," currently garnering spins on Hot 97 and other prominent radio outlets. While many listeners of this popular, promo only cut contend its title to be "Won't Stop," Big E confirms it’s "Smith Bros," named after the song’s production team. Big E expects the record to be commercially available on vinyl soon.

In other Raekwon news, the Chef will be featured on Vocab Records' debut full length, a producer LP from Philly’s Chops of Mountain Brothers fame.

Other guests on that effort include Bahamadia, Planet Asia, Talib Kweli, Grand Agent and Ras Kass. That album should hit store shelves in late April.

source: AllHipHop

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Biggie & Tupac DVD Now Available - Posted 2/17/2003 by jayo
 You would think that after all the documentaries, movies and specials done on Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. that there wouldn't be much else to say about them. The Nick Broomfield documentary Biggie & Tupac digs deeper than any other film about the murders of two of hip-hop's most prolific stars. Screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, Biggie & Tupac was critically acclaimed by critics worldwide. The film features never before seen footage of
Pac and Biggie plus interviews with Big's mom, Voletta Wallace, Lil Cease, former LAPD officer Russell Poole and a jailhouse interview with Suge Knight.

The documentary begins with a history of both emcees as Nick Broomfield travels to both Brooklyn and Baltimore to find old friends of Pac and Big. Broomfield finds himself getting ignored and other folks trying to sell him "unreleased Pac material". Later, Broomfield's ignorance to hip-hop and the life of Big and Pac (he calls Tupac "Tu-Pack") works to his advantage as he moves in and out buildings trying his hardest to find the truth about the murders. His interviews with a former LAPD officer reveals that there may have been a hit taken out on Biggie, while in another jailhouse interview, a man who calls himself "the bookkeeper" admits to moving money from Arizona to Los Angeles to assist in carrying out the hit on Big. He says that he was moving the money for former LAPD officer David Mack and Rafael Perez who worked closely with Suge Knight and Death Row Records.

The one thing that makes Biggie & Tupac so good, is the investigative reporter style the film brings. Broomfield is persistent in trying to get the facts and doesn't care what anyone thinks of it. He has that "crazy white boy" mentality that will run towards the fight in the middle of the street to find out what's going on instead of running away from it for safety. One example of it is when he is looking for Suge Knight inside Mule Creek State Prison. He's walking around the yard with a camera and microphone and when he finally sees Suge inside his cell block, he literally chases after him trying to introduce himself. The guy has guts! More than anything, the film raises more questions on the investigations of both murders.

Although Death Row, and Tupac's estate refused to allow licensing of any of their music, fans will be able to hear plenty of Big's music, plus some Gangstarr in the background. The bonus features include extra snippets of interviews and different types of background information on the people interviewed. Cop your copy today.