Black Rob

Black Rob Calls Post-Prison Material 'A Testament' To His Longevity

11 Jun 2010 06:52:05 EDT

'I can come home and do it again,' the onetime Bad Boy MC tells Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid

The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive

Black Rob makes no excuses. He knows his career as an MC could have been more successful than it has been, but when asked where the blame should fall, he points the finger at the man in the mirror. Rob was forced to take a four-year hiatus from the rap game when he went to prison in 2006 on grand larceny charges.

Back in 2004, Black Rob stole some jewelry from a fellow guest at the On the Avenue Hotel in Manhattan, and he was caught on tape. Rob says it was a move he regretted almost as soon as he made it.

As far as his decade-plus stint on Diddy's Bad Boy records, Rob (real name Robert Ross) admitted his attention wasn't where it was supposed to be. He's only delivered two albums, 1999's critically acclaimed Life Story — which spawned the classic "Whoa!" — and 2005's The Black Rob Report.

"I'mma tell you like this," Rob told Mixtape Daily. "I'm blaming myself for that. I wasn't focused. I was running around wild-style. I'm out of town. I'm [telling my label]: 'I'm never coming back to New York.' I didn't have the work ethic that I have right now. If I had the work ethic that I have right now, I'd probably be 10 albums deep. But things happen. We not gonna cry over it. One thing I do know is that the two albums I did put out, they solidified my name and a brand. Therefore, I can come home and do it again. Those two albums left the door wide-open. Like, 'B.R. is nasty. He can come right back.' Not too many people can do what I'm doing right now. Come back home after doing four joints, five joints and pop off again," the rapper said, referring to his time behind bars. "This is a testament right now."

Rob was released from prison in May and he's already recorded more than 25 songs. The Spanish Harlem native says he does three tracks a day now. His new street CD is dropping within the next couple of weeks.

"We got the mixtape Game Tested, Street Approved," he said. "We gonna do five volumes of that. Five is always power in [principles of] mathematics. We gonna do five of those and crush 'em with that. Then we got the album, probably not this year, but the beginning of next year, second quarter or something. Name of the album is Losing's Not an Option. This is what we do. So this is the big words for the day: 'Losing's not an option.' "

Blacko has already released several songs to the Net and the street in advance of the mixtape.

" 'Ventilation,' basically it speaks for itself," Rob said. "I'm venting. I said some things on there. People might feel some kind of way or put the shoe on their foot. But at this point, we don't care who feels some kind of way. It's talking about cats in the street, as well as cats in the industry. 'New York,' that joint is an old classic. I did that record when I was on my way to prison. It was fitting for me to do a type of record like that because when you in prison, all you think about is New York. 'I'm going in, I'mma do this time and come home.' 'Shake a Leg' is just me on my B.S. Showing rhyme skills and talking about real stuff as usual."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc.

Related Videos

Mixtape Daily: Black Rob, Royce Da 5'9, The LOX, Rick Ross, Raekwon

Related Artists

Black Rob

Mixtape Daily: Black Rob, Royce Da 5'9, The LOX, Rick Ross, Raekwon

07 Jun 2010 18:29:20 EDT

Check out the latest news on the mixtape circuit.
By

Related Artists

For The Record: Quick News On Three 6 Mafia, Paris Hilton, Black Rob, Gorillaz, Paula Abdul, Avenged Sevenfold & More

30 Mar 2006 17:49:00 EST

Oscar winners make music with heiress; Rob sentenced to up to seven years; Gorillaz make 'mobile musical adventure.'
By MTV News staff report

Three 6 Mafia have discovered another perk of winning an Oscar: it's brought them a lot closer to Paris Hilton. The Memphis, Tennessee, duo's Juicy J told hometown newspaper Commercial Appeal that he and partner DJ Paul were in the studio with Hilton on Tuesday working on a song for her upcoming debut album. "We let her listen to a dance track and she really liked it and plans to record it tonight," Houston told the paper Tuesday. ...

Bad Boy Records rapper Black Rob (born Robert Ross) was sentenced to up to seven years in jail for grand larceny Thursday (March 30) in New York. Rob was picked up on a fugitive warrant February 24 after skipping out on an agreement to turn himself in January 24 to begin serving a two-to-six-year sentence on the charges. A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney's office said the rapper was given the maximum sentence on the charge due to his flight. He will begin serving immediately. ...

In conjunction with their five-night Demon Days Live stint at the Apollo Theater in New York April 2-6, the Gorillaz are ushering in "a mobile musical adventure." By simply using their Motorola phones at the shows, fans will be able to download exclusive Gorillaz wallpapers, animation and a demo of an unreleased mobile game starring the animated stars. 'Rillaz mastermind Damon Albarn and a host of friends will perform the band's platinum-plus Demon Days in its entirety at the gigs. ...

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows wouldn't be happier if he had scored a date with Jenna Jameson. This summer the band will join its heroes from Guns N' Roses and Metallica during a string of 10 shows in Europe. The jaunt begins June 3 in Nürburgring, Germany, at the Rock Am Ring Festival and concludes in Paris June 20. Avenged will play right before Metallica at three of the shows and will be the main support for Guns for two others. ... Two weeks after joining the surviving members of Alice in Chains onstage at a tribute to Heart for VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live!," Phil Anselmo hooked up with Alice guitarist Jerry Cantrell, Avenged Sevenfold drummer the Rev and cover band Metal Skool to perform Pantera's "Walk" Monday night at Hollywood's Key Club. Cantrell also joined the band for Alice's "Man in the Box." ...

Working with fellow "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell may look like it's tough for Paula Abdul, but the singer/choreographer has signed a deal to continue with the popular show for the next three years, according to The Associated Press. Abdul, the "Idol" judge who always finds something nice to say about each of the performers, said in a statement that the contestants "truly inspire and amaze me each week. Of course, I also look forward to putting Simon in his place for years to come." ...

Ruben Studdard — who took home the "American Idol" title at the conclusion of the show's second season — is doing his part to help teenagers step off the streets and into the music industry. The AP reports that Studdard is creating an after-school program called the Music Alternative Project, which seeks to steer kids away from gangs by teaching them the ins and outs of the biz, from songwriting and production to mixing and marketing. An estimated 100 students from across Alabama will be enrolled each year in free after-school music courses. The project will also provide weekend instruction and activities during the summer months. Birmingham's Audiostate 55 Recording Studios will serve as the program's home base. Henry Panion, a music professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will act as director of the project, and Studdard has expressed interest in teaching some of the courses. ...

Johnny Cash's 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood will be auctioned off in Florida Friday as part of the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Event. Jet-black with black leather interior (of course), the sedan has logged 50,000 miles and, except for a two-year-old paint job and rebuilt transmission, boasts all original parts. Full documentation, including the Tennessee title and tags that prove Cash's ownership, are included in the sale. ... World Wrestling Entertainment will use Danko Jones' "Baby Hates Me" as the opening music for WrestleMania 22. The big event is scheduled for Sunday in Chicago. ...

Sunny indie rockers the Concretes have one busy spring planned. They release their new album, In Colour, Tuesday. And as April albums apparently bring May tours, their three-week North American stint in support of the LP begins May 4 in Toronto and ends May 24 in San Diego. ... Ex-Unicorns members Nick Diamonds and J'aime Tambeur, now known as the Islands, set out on their first headlining tour in April. Fresh off a run of live shows with Metric, the duo plan to hit venues across North America with their opening act Why?. The Islands' debut album, Return to the Sea, — which features contributions from Canadian scenesters from bands including Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade — hits U.S. stores Tuesday.

03.29.06

Shakira might have said that she's lucky her breasts are "small and humble" in "Whenever, Wherever," but there was a time when she considered getting breast-augmentation surgery because she was unhappy with her body, the singer reveals in the next issue of Teen People. The magazine's latest cover star also said that wasn't the only plastic surgery she looked into. "I considered ... all kinds of things. 'Maybe my eyebrows should be higher. Maybe my lips should be bigger.' " Eventually Shakira came to accept herself, despite all the insecurities. "I'm actually shy; I've just learned to hide it." But her hips don't lie — and her dancing reveals more skin than she sometimes would like to show. "It's not my hobby to show my belly! The moves I do when I perform require it. People of America, I want you to know that I wear clothes once in a while!" ...

Diddy introduced a select few to the next phase of Bad Boy Records Tuesday night in New York. Sean Combs held a small party at his Daddy's House studio and previewed music by newcomers Cheri Dennis and Yung Joc and veterans 8Ball and MJG. ... Jack White is preparing to unleash his brand-new band, the Raconteurs, on America — for one night, at least. On April 7, the band — which also features Detroit songwriter Brendan Benson and two-thirds of Cincinnati garage-rockers the Greenhornes — will play its first-ever U.S. gig at Irving Plaza in New York. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon via Ticketmaster.com. The Rac's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, is due in stores May 16. ...

Nick Lachey has decided on a title and release date for his second album: What's Left of Me, due May 9. The title is the same as the first single, which recently hit the airwaves. ... Paul Wall has titled his fall release Ain't No 401K for a Hustla. Wall is also set to appear alongside Lil' Keke on The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 compilation, due in August. ... Pimp-C will release a DVD documenting his experiences being incarcerated during the Houston boom in 2005 and what has happened after his recent release. "Pimpalation: Return of the Trill," hosted by MTV News' Sway, is due April 11 and will be followed by a CD called Pimpalation on June 13. ... Foo Fighters will be featured in a pair of episodes of "The West Wing." The shows will air Sunday and April 9 at 8 p.m. on NBC. ... Notorious B.I.G.'s family will receive $1.1 million from the city of Los Angeles after the City Council on Wednesday approved the amount U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper awarded in January. The money covers the family's legal expenses in a civil trial that was ruled a mistrial last year when it was discovered that the Los Angeles Police Department withheld statements that linked two rogue LAPD officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez, to the rapper's shooting. ...

Could it really be over so soon? That's what former Howard Stern listeners across the East Coast and Midwest might have been asking themselves Wednesday morning (March 29) when they turned on their radios to find Stern replacement David Lee Roth absent. Yes, preliminary numbers for Roth have not been promising, but a CBS Radio spokesperson denied reports that the former Van Halen singer had been canned just three months into his gig, saying the motor-mouthed morning man was simply taking a few days off to travel back to New York after broadcasting from Miami Beach Monday and Tuesday. Roth is expected to be back on the air Friday. ... Elsewhere on the dial, Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett has attacked Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 after he was recently fired as host of the station's morning show. In a statement released by his publicist, Barrett said he was fired for expressing his dislike on air for a Morrissey song the station was spinning and for an unauthorized pro-choice conversation he had with a caller. Indie General Manager Dawn Girocco responded by saying Dicky was not as committed to the show as he needed to be. ...

After complaints and a lawsuit earlier this year from a Louisiana man, Apple Computer released a software update Wednesday that allows iPod owners to set a maximum volume on their players. The free download works with Nanos and fifth-generation models that play video, and it also allows parents to set a volume limit on their child's iPod and lock it with a special code. The free update is available at apple.com/ipod/download. ... On Monday a judge ordered Michael J

Related Artists

Three 6 Mafia

Paula Abdul

Black Rob

Avenged Sevenfold

Gorillaz

For The Record: Quick News On Paris Hilton, Bobby Brown, Yellowcard, Daddy Yankee, Red Hot Chili Peppers & More

07 Mar 2006 18:13:00 EST

Razzies name Paris Worst Supporting Actress; Brown arrested for misdemeanors; Yellowcard add dates.
By MTV News staff report

The night before "Crash" scored the Academy Award for best picture, the 26th annual Golden Raspberry Awards — prizes that no one in the movie business vies for — were handed out. The biggest Razzie "winner" was "Dirty Love," written by and starring Jenny McCarthy. The film took trophies for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay; McCarthy was named Worst Actress, and ex-husband John Asher took the prize for Worst Director. Rob Schneider scored Worst Actor for "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo," while Hayden Christensen was named Worst Supporting Actor for "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." Paris Hilton's work in "House of Wax" was recognized with a Worst Supporting Actress Razzie; Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman were named the Worst Screen Couple for their roles in "Bewitched"; "Son of the Mask" took the award for Worst Remake or Sequel; and Tom Cruise and fiancee Katie Holmes were named Most Tiresome Tabloid Target. ...
Bobby Brown was arrested in Webster, Massachusetts, Friday on misdemeanor charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and having an uninsured trailer, The Associated Press reports. The minor violations, which date back 14 years, were noticed when a police officer conducted a routine warrant check. The 37-year-old singer was released on a $40 bond after being held for about an hour. ... Gordon Parks, a writer, musician, photographer and director best known for helming the movie "Shaft," died Tuesday (March 7) at the age of 93, according to the AP. As a photojournalist, Parks shot for such publications as Life magazine, though his most famous image — 1942's "American Gothic," showing a female black janitor holding a broom and a mop in front of the American flag — came while he was documenting life in America alongside such legendary shooters as Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans at the U.S. Farm Security Administration. His first film, "The Learning Tree," came in 1969 and was based on one of his own novels. "Shaft," an iconic detective drama now referenced in countless hip-hop songs and eventually remade with Samuel L. Jackson, followed two years later. ...
Former Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge has settled on a release date and title for the debut album by his new band Angels & Airwaves — well, almost. According to a spokesperson for A&A's label, Geffen Records, the record is tentatively titled We Don't Need to Whisper but will most definitely be in stores May 16. ... That same day brings the debut album from the Raconteurs, the retro-leaning project featuring the White Stripes' Jack White, singer/songwriter Brendan Benson and two members of the Greenhornes. Their album is called Broken Boy Soldiers and features 10 tracks, including "Hands," "Intimate Secretary" and "Blue Veins." The first single from the album, "Steady as She Goes," is available on a limited-edition seven-inch starting Tuesday. ... Yellowcard have added several shows to their Virgin College Mega Tour, including stops in San Diego (April 18), Salt Lake City (April 21) and Wichita, Kansas (April 24). New Capitol labelmates Mae are opening. ... The Red Hot Chili Peppers have unveiled the album art for their forthcoming double LP, Stadium Arcadium, on their Web site. The Chilis have also posted a teaser trailer for Arcadium — featuring a snippet from the disc's first single, "Dani California" — as well as a 30-second downloadable "Dani" ring tone. Stadium Arcadium lands in stores May 9. ...
Pearl Jam have revealed the track list for their upcoming self-titled LP, which is scheduled to drop May 2. Thirteen cuts, including "Life Wasted," "Marker in the Sand" and "Wasted Reprise," will appear on the LP. The first single, "World Wide Suicide," has been posted to the band's bootleg site. ... Bad Boy rapper Black Rob (born Robert Ross) remains in the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey, after authorities picked him up on a fugitive warrant on February 24. Manhattan district attorney's office spokesperson Edison Alban said the MC — who had agreed to turn himself in January 24 to begin serving a two-to-six-year prison sentence on a felony charge for possession of stolen property — is awaiting a date for an extradition hearing. ... Daddy Yankee is the latest artist to partner with Reebok. His shoe and apparel line launch Wednesday. ... Elton John's annual AIDS Foundation Oscar party raised $2.9 million for the fight against HIV — almost triple the amount from a year ago, according to a spokesperson for the event. John Legend performed and sang a duet with John on "Ordinary People" and "Rocket Man." ... For one week, Sirius Satellite Radio is devoting an entire station to the music of Pink Floyd and guitarist David Gilmour. Classic rock channel the Vault started the Gilmour marathon Monday, just in time for Tuesday (March 7)'s release of the guitarist's third solo album, On an Island, his first studio outing in more than two decades. ...
A woman is being held without bond on a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of former Jackson 5 drummer Johnny Jackson, who was found dead in his home in Gary, Indiana, on Wednesday. Yolanda Davis, 44, told police that she stabbed Jackson, 54, with a steak knife when he lunged at her during a fight, according to The Associated Press. Davis could face up to 65 years in prison if she is convicted. ... Paul Rachman's documentary "American Hardcore," a film that recounts the evolution of America's hardcore punk movement from 1980 to 1986, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, according to Reuters. The movie, which screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival and will be featured at this month's South by Southwest Film Festival, includes concert footage featuring Black Flag, Bad Brains, Jerry's Kids, Suicidal Tendencies and Wasted Youth. Inspired by Steven Blush's book "American Hardcore: A Tribal History," the documentary is expected to hit theaters this fall. ...
Overcast, an influential, erstwhile Massachusetts metal band that counted among its members Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio and Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair, will regroup after eight years apart for a special appearance at this year's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, set for April 28-30 in Worcester, Massachusetts. According to the band's Web site, it will also return to a recording studio in May to breathe new life into more than 10 classic Overcast tunes and record two previously unreleased cuts, all of which will appear on the forthcoming Reborn to Kill Again. Killswitch guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (who has produced LPs for Unearth and Underoath) will helm the project. There's no word yet on when the disc will surface, but discussions with several labels are ongoing. ... Political punkers Anti-Flag have teamed up with U.S. Representative Jim McDermott, a Democrat from Washington state, to urge congressional leaders to fund a study on the use of depleted uranium as munitions. The band released a new song, "Depleted Uranium Is a War Crime," through the After Downing Street coalition's Web site. According to the band, the song is a critique on the military's use of the deadly chemical "without studying its long-lasting and detrimental effects to humanity." The cut will appear on the group's forthcoming For Blood and Empire LP, which is due March 21. ...
Saliva will perform at this year's Elvis Presley Festival, which is set for June 2-4 in Tupelo, Mississippi. According to The Associated Press, rockabilly, country and gospel acts the Dempseys, Cowboy Mouth, Jeff Bates, Travis LeDoyt, Chris Cagle, Chely Wright and the Landmarks join Presley's backing vocalists the Jordanaires in the lineup for the eighth annual event. ... Murderdolls frontman Wednesday 13 has entered a North Carolina recording studio, where he's started tracking the follow-up to last year's Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying, and the Dead. He's written more than 30 tracks for his sophomore solo outing so far, including "Buried With Children," "My Home Sweet Homicide" and "Morgue Than Words." Wednesday 13 will be producing the effort, which could surface in late spring. Wednesday's also recorded two covers ("Burn the Flames" by Roky Erickson and Motörhead's "R.A.M.O.N.E.S."), but it's not clear whether either track will appear on the as-yet-untitled LP. ... A federal judge has ordered Rod Stewart to hand over more than $3 million to a Las Vegas casino where the singer was supposed to perform in late December 2000. Stewart canceled the gig, claiming he was unable to sing due to a recent throat surgery, and the Rio Hotel and Casino filed a breach-of-contract suit to recoup to the $2 million advance the singer was paid. According to The Associated Press, Stewart was ordered to cough up an additional $153,483 in contempt-of-court sanctions and legal costs for withholding information from attorneys representing Harrah's Entertainment before the start of last year's trial. The court also awarded Harrah's more than $1 million in interest, penalties, and related legal expenses. ...
03.06.2006
Mariah Carey and John Legend were the big winners at the 20th annual Soul Train Music Awards Saturday, each taking two prizes. Carey scored a best album award for The Emancipation of Mimi and best single honors for "We Belong Together," while Legend took the be

Related Artists

Yellowcard

Daddy Yankee

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Black Rob

Bad Boy Rapper Black Rob Detained On Fugitive Warrant

03 Mar 2006 14:52:00 EST

Rapper, MIA for more than a month, was picked up last week.
By Gil Kaufman

Bad Boy Records rapper Black Rob is in police custody after being picked up on a fugitive warrant February 24 in New Jersey.
The troubled MC (born Robert Ross) was due to turn himself in January 24 to serve time for a burglary charge from 2004 but never showed up. He was MIA until members of a federal task force caught him at an undisclosed location last week, according to a spokesperson for the rapper.
Rob was originally arrested at New York's On the Ave Hotel in November 2004 after a hotel security camera tape showed him leaving a female guest's room with her pocketbook (see "Rapper Black Rob Arrested For Burglary"). He was booked for burglary and criminal possession of stolen property.
According to the spokesperson, Rob pleaded guilty on November 15 to criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and was sentenced to two to six years in prison. He remained free on bail but did not show up as arranged on January 24, at which time a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. The rapper was not heard from until he was picked up by authorities.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney's office said there is no information on where Rob was found but confirmed that he was picked up by federal marshals. Spokesperson Edison Alban said at this point the DA's office isn't even sure where Rob is. "He's under the custody of the federal task force, and it seems as if he's in New Jersey, but we can't confirm what happened to him after the 24th," Alban said. "We're still trying to get more information."
Rob has to return to New York to be jailed on the original charge and could face an indeterminate amount of additional time and charges for jumping bail, according to Alban.
It wasn't Rob's first tangle with the law. In May 2000 he was arrested on gun-possession and drug charges when he pulled over his car to sign autographs for fans and was seen passing a 22-caliber handgun to his passenger (see "Black Rob Arrested On Weapon, Drug Charges"). In September 2004 he completed a six-month prison term for failure to pay child support. He has also been sidelined in recent years by a kidney ailment.
Rob released his second album, The Black Rob Report, in 2005.

Related Artists

Black Rob

It's All About Ashlee: Simpson Scores Another #1 With I Am Me

26 Oct 2005 10:14:00 EDT

Singer earns second Billboard chart topper with second album.
By Chris Harris

Between the release of Ashlee Simpson's chart-topping debut — 2004's Autobiography — and I Am Me came the infamous "Saturday Night Live" lip-synch incident, an embarrassment that could have crippled her career. Though Simpson recovered from the mistake, new releases from legendary artists Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart made the run to #1 on the Billboard albums chart a tough one.
According to the latest SoundScan figures, Simpson pulled it off, claiming Billboard's blue ribbon for a second time. While Ashlee failed to repeat the sales of Autobiography (which sold over 398,000 to I Am Me's 220,000), she is two-for-two in the sibling-rivalry race. I Am Me trumps big sis Jessica's second disc, 2001's Irresistible, which landed at #6 with close to 120,000 copies sold. Jessica Simpson's 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, opened at #65 with sales of 45,000.
Ashlee Simpson's latest was one of six new discs to make the coveted top 10, and one of four to surface in the top five. Simpson's closest competitor, Stewart's Thanks for the Memory ... The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, racked up sales nearing 193,000 for a second-place finish. Country star Martina McBride's Timeless takes #3 with over 185,000 copies sold while R&B icon Wonder finishes at #5 with A Time to Love selling nearly 121,000 copies. The only repeat in the latest top five is All the Right Reasons from Canadian rockers Nickelback, which sold 132,000 copies to take #4.
UGK's Bun B goes the solo route — as cohort Pimp C deals with legal entanglements — with Trill, which debuts this week at #6 with sales of 117,000 and change. Right behind Trill is Depeche Mode's Playing the Angel, which sold 99,000 copies to come in at #7. The Black Eyed Peas fall four spots to #8 with Monkey Business, followed at #9 by last week's #1, Alicia Keys' Unplugged, which sold fewer than 83,000 copies, a 58 percent slip. Kanye West rounds out the top 10 with 78,000 copies of his Late Registration leaving stores.
Country singer/songwriter Billy Currington's Doin' Somethin' Right moved more than 54,000 units to open at #11. California rockers Thrice notched the highest-charting debut of their career with Vheissu's #15 finish — the result of 46,000 in sales. Contemporary jazz trumpeter Chris Botti's To Love Again opens at #18 with 44,000 copies sold.
There were several other debuts of note this week. Black Rob's The Black Rob Report opens at #40 with nearly 27,000 in sales.Bryan Adams' Anthology — which features a duet with Pamela Anderson — takes #65 with close to 17,000 scans. Punk troupe Mest hit #116 with sales of nearly 11,000 for their newest, Photographs. The soundtrack to "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland," featuring My Chemical Romance, Thrice, Fall Out Boy and others covering classic punk tunes, opens at #148 with nearly 8,000 copies sold. And the soundtrack for the Showtime series "Masters of Horror" — which includes contributions from Mudvayne, Shadows Fall, Thursday and Avenged Sevenfold — takes #161 with sales of 7,300 plus.
Check out the feature"Ashlee Simpson: Everybody Has Moments" for more on Simpson's latest album.

Related Artists

Ashlee Simpson

Rod Stewart

Martina McBride

Stevie Wonder

Depeche Mode

Rapper Black Rob Arrested For Burglary

23 Nov 2004 15:29:00 EST

MC is seen on hotel-security tape leaving a guest's room carrying a pocketbook.
By Alyssa Rashbaum

Bad Boy recording artist Black Rob was arrested on Monday at a New York hotel for burglary and criminal possession of stolen property.
The rapper, whose real name is Robert Ross, was arrested at 11:45 a.m. at the On the Ave Hotel for entering and remaining in a hotel room, and removing jewelry from the room without authority, according to a police spokesperson. Ross's accomplice, Damien Ashmeade, was arrested at 3:50 p.m.
The rapper did not return calls for comment.
Ross was seen on a hotel-security tape checking doors on the hotel's 12th floor at around 4 a.m., according to The New York Post. He was also seen on the tape entering the room of a guest, Renu Vermani, and leaving with a pocketbook.
Vermani, a cardiologist visiting from Maryland, said that she was sleeping when the heist took place, but woke up to find $6,000 in David Yurman jewelry and $300 in cash missing, according to the Post.
Ross reportedly did not have the jewelry in his possession at the time of his arrest, but was convinced by police to call Ashmeade and have him bring the stolen goods to the station.
Ross, who last released an album in 1999, is planning to release a street album titled Bet on Black in December or January, followed by a double LP later in 2005.
The arrest is the latest in a series of legal and health-related difficulties for the rapper. In May of 2000, he was arrested on gun-possession and drug charges when he pulled over his car to sign autographs for fans and was seen passing a 22-caliber handgun to his passenger (see "Black Rob Arrested On Weapon, Drug Charges").
In September of this year, he completed a six-month prison term for failure to pay child support. He has also been sidelined in recent years by a kidney ailment (see "Mixtape Monday: Chingy Gets Mad At Nelly, Diddy Gets Mad At Haters").

Related Artists

Black Rob

Mixtape Monday: Beastie Boys Rap With Biggie; Beyonce Raps In The Projects

22 Oct 2004 20:43:00 EDT

Vote or Die! mixtapes are hitting the streets like locusts — but it's all part of Diddy's plan.
By Shaheem Reid

Related Artists

Beyoncé

Beastie Boys

Notorious B.I.G.

Diddy

Black Rob

Gorillaz, Black Rob Rarities Comped By The Automator

09 Jan 2002 07:55:00 EST

Wanna Buy a Monkey? spotlights Dan Nakamura's productions, pleasures.
By Jon Wiederhorn

Even after landing a platinum album with the group Gorillaz, producer Dan "the Automator" Nakamura is busily monkeying around with other projects.
On February 19, Nakamura will release the compilation LP Wanna Buy a Monkey? featuring a Gorillaz B-side titled "Latin Simone" along with other tracks by artists Nakamura has been involved with over the past 10 years.
"Probably the most interesting thing on this record is a song called 'Smoothness,' which is me and Black Rob," Nakamura said last week from his home in San Francisco. "Rob and me used to work together back in 1992, and this stuff has never, ever come out. No one has a copy of it. It was six or seven years before [Rob] was with Puffy, and about five years before I was starting to come out where people knew me. It's real hot, though — straight-up hip-hop, and it's real special to me."
Wanna Buy a Monkey? will also include Nakamura's remix of Air's "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi," the original version of which appears on the 1999 EP Premiers Symptomes, and "X-ecutioners (Theme) Song," his collaboration with the X-ecutioners for the turntablists' upcoming album, Built From Scratch. Also featured are songs by Lovage, his mood music group with former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton ("Stroker Ace") and a cut by his group Deltron 3030, which features Del the Funky Homosapien and turntablist Kid Koala ("Positive Contact").
In addition to songs Nakamura had a hand in, Wanna Buy a Monkey? includes tracks he likes, but had nothing to do with: RZA/Bobby Digital's "La Rhumba," Brand Nubian's "Rockin' It," Tortoise's "Seneca," Doves' "Firesuite," De La Soul's "Bionix," Dilated Peoples' "Clockwork," Masta Ace's "Don't Understand," Zero 7's "Destiny" and Jigmastas' "Don't Get It Twisted."
Nakamura has plenty of other things on his plate at the moment. In the coming year, he plans to finish producing tracks for the solo album by former Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha, which he refused to describe in any detail. "It's different than Rage stuff, but it's heavy," he said, adding that it's too early to tell when the record will be finished or even if the tracks he's worked on will make the album.
The producer will also work on the debut LP by Patton's new band, Peeping Tom, and start digging into a solo disc. He also hopes to start the next record by Gorillaz, who were nominated for a Best Rap Performance Grammy Award on Friday (see "U2, India.Arie Lead Grammy Pack").
"We've done work with Redman and D12 [in the meantime]," Nakamura said, "but we're really gonna try and get back in the studio next year and do our own thing."
Incidentally, Wanna Buy a Monkey? takes its name from a line in the movie "Cabin Boy," which starred Chris Elliott. An episode of Elliott's TV series "Get a Life" spawned the name of the Nakamura/Prince Paul collaboration Handsome Boy Modeling School and their respective aliases, Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell.
For a feature interview with Gorillaz, check out "Gorillaz: In The Cage."

Related Artists

Dan The Automator

Gorillaz

Black Rob

P. Diddy Heading To Atlantic City For Player's Ball

03 Oct 2001 20:12:00 EDT

Mogul performing at NY station fiesta; appearances from other Bad Boy stars likely.
By Shaheem Reid

New York's Hot 97 has taken the Notorious B.I.G. lyric "True playa for real/ Ask Puff Dad-dy" to heart. The media Goliath now known as P. Diddy will perform as part of the radio station's Player's Ball on November 8, Hot 97 (WQHT) announced.
A spokesperson for the mogul could confirm only P.D.'s participation at the event, though a Hot 97 spokesperson said Diddy will also bring Black Rob and G. Dep to perform at the show and wouldn't be surprised if more members of the Bad Boy family came along.
Taking place at the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Player's Ball is the latest step in Diddy's stage workout regimen. In September, he took everyone by surprise by performing "Bad Boy for Life" on top of an 18-wheel truck as part of his arrival at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (see "Britney, J. Lo, 'NSYNC Turn To Jungle, Ja Rule, Jacko For VMA Performances"). He also made an impromptu onstage appearance with 112 in August when they opened a New York date on Janet Jackson's All for You tour.
Of his scheduled appearances, he performed with other rap luminaries in a segment dedicated to hip-hop at MTV's 20th birthday party (see "MTV's B-Day Party: Stars From Aaliyah To ZZ Top Celebrate Channel's 20th") and rapped a two-song medley as part of the Source Awards show in Miami (see "P. Diddy, D12 Tape Performances For Source Awards"). He also broke out the bells and whistles for a full-scale concert in Jamaica as part of the Sashi Experience charity event (see "P. Diddy, Bad Boy Family Booked For Jamaican Charity Event"). All of those events took place in August as well.
Diddy laid down his game plan in late June, saying he would be popping up at clubs, small venues and surprise appearances to warm up for a tour he hopes to launch in January (see "It's A Beautiful Day In P. Diddy's Video 'Hood"). His last series of U.S. outings, the No Way Out tour, broke box-office records in 1997 and 1998.
Hot 97 said no acts outside of Diddy's camp are scheduled to be involved in the Player's Ball other than Funkmaster Flex, who will spin records throughout the night.
The Player's Ball is a swanky two-day, one-night fiesta where contest winners (who must be at least 21 years old) are put up in the Taj Mahal and given a pass to the evening's performance.
For fans who aren't able to cop free tickets from Hot 97, they go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster outlets.
For a feature interview with P. Diddy, check out "P. Diddy: All In The Family".

Related Artists

Diddy

Black Rob

G. Dep

Black Rob - Celebration

26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Celebration

Artist: Black Rob

Label: Duck Down Music, Inc.

Director:

Album: Carved in Stone

Black Rob - Star in da Hood

01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Star in da Hood

Artist: Black Rob

Label: Bad Boy

Director: Jonathan Mannion

Album: The Gershwin Connection

Black Rob

Black Rob Calls Post-Prison Material 'A Testament' To His Longevity

Mixtape Daily: Black Rob, Royce Da 5'9, The LOX, Rick Ross, Raekwon

For The Record: Quick News On Three 6 Mafia, Paris Hilton, Black Rob, Gorillaz, Paula Abdul, Avenged Sevenfold & More

For The Record: Quick News On Paris Hilton, Bobby Brown, Yellowcard, Daddy Yankee, Red Hot Chili Peppers & More

Bad Boy Rapper Black Rob Detained On Fugitive Warrant

It's All About Ashlee: Simpson Scores Another #1 With I Am Me

Rapper Black Rob Arrested For Burglary

Mixtape Monday: Beastie Boys Rap With Biggie; Beyonce Raps In The Projects

Gorillaz, Black Rob Rarities Comped By The Automator

P. Diddy Heading To Atlantic City For Player's Ball

Black Rob - Celebration

Black Rob - Star in da Hood