E-40

Drake And Tyga's Bay Area Sound Gets 'Love' From E-40

05 Apr 2012 13:47:55 EDT

'That's Bay Area-influenced, but they give it up,' Forty tells 'RapFix Live' of 'The Motto' and 'Rack City.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

There's no question that Bay Area artists have set a number of hip-hop trends. From their slang to their sounds, the rap community in Oakland, San Francisco, Vallejo and other surrounding California cities has contributed quite a bit — even if credit is not always given.

"Right now, we got 'The Motto,' we got 'Rack City' — hit records, smash hits," E-40 said of Drake's and Tyga's respective singles when he appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live." "Across the board, they killin' 'em. That's Bay Area-influenced, but they give it up. You know Tyga, Drake, it's all love."

Tyga's "Rack City" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year, while Drake's "The Motto" reached #15. Both songs feature a deep rolling bass line and crisp drum tracks, a beat style popularized by Bay Area artists, including E-40's "Function" single and LoveRance's "Up!"

Drake, who hails from Toronto, and Tyga, who is from L.A., have credited the Bay with pioneering the sound. Drizzy even shot his video for "The Motto" in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and featured local ambassadors like E-40 and Mistah F.A.B. in the clip.

Forty Water is happy to see his hometown getting its sonic just due but also remarks that there is some resistance in the industry to Bay Area artists. That's why local artists haven't fully capitalized off of their own ingenuity, he argued.

E-40 believes local Bay Area rappers have plenty of songs like "Rack City," but he takes nothing away from the YMCMB spitter. "No disrespect to Tyga, he doin' his job. He got the platform; he spit good game on there," Forty said. "The lyrics got a lot to do with it too, it wasn't just the beat. The man showed up."

Do you hear the Bay influence in today's music? Let us know in the comments!

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E-40 Drops 'Unlimited Music' With Three Albums In One Week

04 Apr 2012 22:04:47 EDT

'That's all I do, studios are my life,' E-40 tells 'RapFix Live' about The Block Brochure collection.
By Rob Markman

E-40 loves to rap — why else would he drop three albums in a single day? Last week, Forty Fonzarelli released The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil in three parts, as three separate albums. It may seem like an unorthodox strategy for some, but for the Bay Area rap legend, the decision was quite simple.

"I'm independent now and it's like, hey, I got unlimited music," E-40 explained when he appeared on "RapFix Live" on Wednesday. "That's all I do, studios are my life. I have a passion for this, this is what I really want to do."

Forty is definitely a keen businessman as well. His strides in the independent market earned him the nickname Charlie Hustle, but for the ambassador of the Bay, it isn't all about the money. "I don't care if I hit the lottery and hit $500 million, I just know that at the end of the day, I'ma make music for myself and my fans," he said.

In 1998, when he was signed to Jive Records, E-40 dropped the double CD The Element of Surprise, around the same time acts like Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were dropping their first double discs. While the idea of dropping that much music at once was still new to rap artists, E-40 always had his eyes set for more. "I used to tell Jive all the time, why we gotta wait a year to put out an album?" he remembered.

Now that he doesn't have to adhere to a major-label release schedule, E-Fizzle has been on a tear. Since 2010, he has released seven albums. Each volume of The Block Brochure boasts 20 songs if you count all the bonus tracks; that's 60 tracks in total. Not only did Forty feature today's hottest MCs like 2 Chainz, Dorrough and Kendrick Lamar, he also reached out to some old-time Bay Area favorites like B-Legit, Hieroglyphics and Too $hort.

What do you think of E-40's The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil trilogy? Tell us in the comments.

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E-40 And Bumpy Knuckles Set To Kick Game On 'RapFix Live'

02 Apr 2012 17:32:28 EDT

Catch Forty Water and Freddy Foxxx on the next 'RapFix Live,' Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.
By Rob Markman

Who hustles harder than E-40? Over the past two years alone, the Bay Area MC has dropped seven LPs. His most recent came in a trilogy, The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil, which was released as three separate albums last week.

Now, to celebrate, Forty will join host Sway on Wednesday's "RapFix Live" at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com.

The Vallejo, California, MC got his start as part of the Click but later signed a deal with Jive and dropped his major-label debut, In a Major Way, in 1995. 40 has since emerged as a cultural ambassador celebrated for not only his music, but his business acumen and knack for introducing unique and catchy hip-hop slang to the world.

During last week's "RapFix Live," Sway sat down with rap icon Nas and covered his career from his 1994 debut until now, and you can expect a similar analysis of E-Fizzle's storied career as well.

Sway will also explore the creative process behind 40's groundbreaking Block Brochure release. In total, the three combined albums feature 60 songs and boast cameos from Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz, Tech N9ne, T-Pain and Kendrick Lamar.

Long Island, New York, MC Bumpy Knuckles will also make an appearance on the show. Bumpy, who also records under the name Freddie Foxxx, recently dropped Kolexxxion, a collaborative album with legendary producer DJ Premier. This isn't the first time the two have worked together: Foxxx was a staple in Primo and Guru's Gang Starr Foundation and made an unforgettable performance on Gang Starr's 1998 underground classic cut "The Militia."

Catch E-40 and Bumpy Knuckles on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for the artists @MTVRapFix!

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E-40 Comments On Denver Club Shooting

30 Dec 2008 12:47:00 EST

'E-40 and [his] camp are unable to control the poor and tragic choices that other adults choose to make,' rapper's manager says.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Bay Area rapper E-40 is emphatically denying any involvement or affiliation with the shooting incident that occurred outside a Denver nightclub following his performance over the weekend. 40 and his manager, Chaz Hayes, issued a statement to MTV News on Monday night stating the rapper's innocence.

"E-40 and [his] management want to state unequivocally that E-40 and his camp were uninvolved in the unfortunate incident at Club Vinyl in Denver on Dec. 27, 2008," the message read. "Neither E-40 nor anyone traveling with him was in the venue at the time. In fact, E-40 had concluded his performance and [had] been back in the hotel room."

According to multiple reports, five people were wounded on the night in question, when an unidentified gunman fired shots into a crowd as patrons were leaving the venue. 9 News in Denver reported that the shooting occurred at approximately 2 a.m. with close to 100 concertgoers outside the premises. One of the victims is believed to be listed in critical condition.

A witness to the shootings told the Rocky Mountain News that bouts of violence and police presence are common at Club Vinyl. At least six incidents have been reported to authorities in the last six months stemming from activity at Club Vinyl.

Although the normally low-key rapper's name is now linked to the unfortunate events in Denver, as of press time, E-40 has not been questioned by police. His management said there were no signs during his time in Colorado that would have forecast this tragic turn of events.

"During his time at the venue, and in fact during the trip to Denver as a whole, [E-40] encountered nothing but love and gave nothing but love back," Hayes said in an e-mail. "E-40 had a crowd-pleasing and peaceful show. While he certainly regrets that this incident took place, E-40 and [his] camp are unable to control the poor and tragic choices that other adults choose to make."

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Five Wounded In Shootout Outside E-40 Show In Denver

29 Dec 2008 11:05:00 EST

One victim in critical condition as police search for suspects.
By Gil Kaufman

Denver police are still searching for suspects in a shooting spree early Saturday morning outside a club show by Bay Area rapper E-40 that left five people injured. One of the victims was still listed in critical condition on Sunday.

According to 9 News in Denver, the shootings occurred outside Club Vinyl in the downtown area just before 2 a.m. Approximately 100 people were standing outside the venue when shots rang out. Witnesses reported that the gunmen ran away after shooting into the crowd. The incident occurred as the club was closing and concertgoers were leaving, with bullets flying "everywhere," according to a security guard at a nearby hotel, which was also hit with gunfire, according to the Denver Post. One witness told KWGN News that he saw 50 or 60 patrons "running for their lives," and while police wouldn't say what triggered the incident, the eyewitness said he saw three men with guns and a knife chasing and firing at three other men. Another witness, who works at the hotel that was hit by bullets, told the Rocky Mountain News that police are at Club Vinyl three to five times a week and that fights are common at the nightspot. Police said they believe some of the victims were leaving the club at the time of the shootings, but it was unclear if all five had attended the concert. As of Sunday, no arrests had been made in the shootings, and a spokesperson for the Denver Police Department could not be reached for comment on Monday (December 29) morning for additional details.

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'SNL' Star Andy Samberg Recruits T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones For New Album

11 Dec 2008 12:51:00 EST

'Ji-- in My Pants' will be first single from Lonely Island's Incredibad.
By Gil Kaufman

It takes a lot of, um, guts, to name your first single "Ji-- in My Pants." But that's the plan for the unabashedly raunchy debut album from Lonely Island, the three-man musical wrecking crew led by "Saturday Night Live" It Boy Andy Samberg and his writing buddies, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The disc, Incredibad, is due out on February 10 and will feature some help from an impressive roster of heavy hitters, including T-Pain, Norah Jones, Jack Black, E-40, the Strokes' singer Julian Casablancas and, of course, Justin Timberlake.

With a mix of songs made famous in digital shorts on "SNL" over the years — including the Emmy-winning Timberlake collaboration "Di-- in a Box," as well as "Lazy Sunday" (co-starring Chris Parnell) and the Natalie Portman-assisted "Natalie Raps" — the album is meant to make you laugh, but Samberg said he wouldn't mind if you nod your head to it a bit too.

"We definitely wanted it to be a classic comedy album, but also one you put on more than once," Samberg told MTV News. "We've gone out of our way to make it musically pleasing. We started on a few songs that were not funny enough, for us, but they sounded pretty cool. And the bottom line for the project was, 'Is it going to be funny first and music second?' I think it's 95 percent music, and we hope people would throw it on and bump it."

The trio, who've been posting NSFW songs and videos on TheLonelyIsland.com for years, shared a home in Encino, California, over the summer and collaborated on the 14 tracks. Samberg said Universal Republic Records had been after the troupe to do an album since the "Lazy Sunday" digital short dropped on "SNL" in 2005. And, as Samberg told MTV News in 2006, the friends always did want to make an album.

"We finally had the free time to do it this summer," he said. Though some of the "SNL" songs have become instant classics, Samberg thinks there's an added value to the ones that never appeared on the show "because Jorma and Akiva aren't castmembers, and our songs normally require three dudes with very specific rap skills."

Though he was skimpy with the details, not wanting to ruin the surprise, Samberg did reveal that the album is heavy on hip-hop beats but has some of the signature new-wave goodness of songs like "Space Olympics" and the island vibes of "Ras Trent."

"Jorma makes a lot of the beats, but because we knew we had a set amount of time on this, we asked for any and all beats we could get," Samberg said. That resulted in a combination of homebrewed rhythms and professional help from reggae legends Sly & Robbie on "Ras Trent," as well as a few beats from Jurassic 5 turntable master DJ Nu-Mark and underground producer/DJ J-Zone, who has worked with everyone from Gnarls Barkley to Biz Markie and Pete Rock.

Samberg said he's particularly proud of the thump on the first single, "Ji-- in My Pants," which made its debut on the show last week with cameos from a mop-wielding Timberlake, checkout girl Jamie-Lynn Sigler and club hottie Molly Sims. "When I first heard that beat, it sounded like a Timbaland beat," Samberg said. "My first reference was a Missy Elliott club jam, and then we threw some generic Euro Brit dudes on top, because, to be honest, we don't have the chops to crush a Timbaland beat." The video, which features Taccone rapping alongside Samberg, was shot a week before the current "SNL" seasons started, and Samberg said he had "no intentions" of the Universal-funded clip making it onto the show, but once it played in dress rehearsal, the reaction demanded that it make it on air.

While Samberg admitted the three have an affinity for dirty jokes that end somewhere south of the equator, he said they tried not to make the album all locker-room humor. "I would hope that isn't our theme, but it was getting harder and harder to deny," Samberg said. "When we did 'Di-- in a Box' — and that's what most people know us for — it's an uphill battle from there."

Samberg promised that the album's T-Pain song, "I'm on a Boat," is "straight hip-hop," while the Jack Black tune, "Sax Man," finds the Tenacious D frontman singing his heart out. He also revealed that mellow torch singer Norah Jones (who appears on the tune "Dream Girl") is a "goofy girl" who loves comedy, and his normally dour buddy Casablancas shows some comedy chops that might surprise on "Boombox."

The record is also slated to feature Bay Area hip-hop legend E-40 on the song "Santana DVX," as well as the songs "Who Said We're Wack," "Punch You in the Jeans," "We Like Sportz," "Shrooms" and the "SNL" classic "Iran So Far" with Maroon 5's Adam Levine. There will also be an accompanying DVD, but Samberg said he couldn't talk about what would be on it yet because the terms are still being negotiated.

Samberg would love to take the show on the road, but for now, given his hectic schedule, that remains to be seen. "Some of us are more anxious to do it than others," he said.

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Lil Jon Isn't A Rock Star Just Yet, But He's Keeping Busy With E-40, Extreme Athletes

07 Mar 2008 07:45:00 EST

'I really ain't never went nowhere,' hip-hop heavyweight says of long-delayed Crunk Rock album.
By Shaheem Reid

Like Snoop Dogg sings on "Sensual Seduction," Lil Jon's motto is "I'm gonna take my time."

The King of Crunk hasn't put out an album in four years. So many things have changed since then, like his recording home TVT going from having money to burn to being on the verge of folding (Jon had no comment on the label's status), but the Atlanta native insisted that he's in no rush to put anything out.

"Of course you're gonna miss being on that stage, having that record out," said Jon, who has been keeping busy DJing in clubs. "But I'm on the Pitbull record ['The Anthem'], which is all over the clubs crazy. I'm on the Felli Fel record ['Buck in Here'], which is crazy all over the clubs. If you go in any club, you're gonna hear my old records. Plus [DJs] take samples of my voice and put it on all them mash-ups. I really ain't never went nowhere."

Jon's next album, Crunk Rock, has taken him a lot longer than he originally planned (his legal issues with TVT over money didn't help speed up his process any), but he said he never thought of giving up the ambitious concept of the project: bringing crunk and rock and roll together for one project.

"I wanted to just give them what I set out to," he said. "People are expecting one thing from me, and I don't want to change the perception of what they are expecting. I didn't want to come out with no regular sh--, because my last two albums did 2.5 million copies. I wanna still bust them in the head and give them something incredible. Music now ... it's just not fresh. I want my sh-- to be fresh like in the '80s, when you was waiting on that new Nice & Smooth album. Or that new De La Soul album. I wanna have people hear these songs and be like, 'This is not that same old bullsh--. It's not just two singles, and the rest is trash.' "

Aside from Crunk Rock, Jon has been getting calls to work with Flo Rida and Pharrell Williams, and he just finished producing E-40's new album. E's street single, "Turf Drop," just hit the Net.

"It's gonna be another record to just totally showcase the Bay Area, the culture," Jon described of 40's new music. "We expect it to be #1. You have to always take care of your core fans. When it gets out there and people see the video, people are gonna be like, 'Oh, sh--, this is some other sh-- again. This is another part of what they told us in "Tell Me When to Go." ' We take care of the core market, then you'll see another single a couple months after that."

E-40, of course, is a staple of Jon's BME Click, which includes Trillville, Lil' Scrappy and new Asian artist Min. The charismatic beatman has also opened his arms to extreme athletes: Pro surfer Travis Mellem, skateboard gurus Greg Lutzka and Ryan Sheckler and snowboarders Danny Kass and Dingo are all down with Jon now.

"Me and the guys, some of us been cool for three or five years," Jon said. "We would see each other at different events. ... I used to skate in the late '80s. I always wanted to surf. I always wanted to get into skating.

"I just think that it feels better if we were all together," he added. "I don't want anything to be segregated. We all do our own thing but have one common goal to have fun in life and be happy. We got one common goal, we should be one crew. That's why we decided to bring all of us together. All my cats are top athletes, but they my homeboys too. We all support each other and really hang out. They are a part of the BME Click, and we have apparel that's hitting the market. We have a snowboarding glove that's hitting the market. We have the T-shirts and sweatshirts coming out. It's a lifestyle. Whatever you do, it's about having fun."

There is still no release date for Crunk Rock. E-40's album will be out later this year.

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Lil Jon's BME Click Charity Event

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R. Kelly Judge Allowing Forensics Expert To Testify; Plus Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Da Brat, T-Pain, Duane 'Dog' Chapman & More, In For The Record

02 Nov 2007 20:44:00 EDT

Jay taking over Sirius channel; Carey to perform at Glamour event; Da Brat released from jail on bond.
By MTV News staff

R. Kelly is about to hit the road for his upcoming "Double Up" tour, which starts November 14, but that doesn't mean his child-pornography case will be on hold for the duration of his trek. In a hearing on Friday (November 2), a Chicago judge ruled that forensics expert Dr. Sharon Cooper can testify at a hearing, to be held December 18, about the veracity of her methods to determine her claims that Kelly is the man on the sex tape. Cooper has claimed she could identify him through the veins visible on his hands, and the hearing will be used to determine whether that method is acceptable in the scientific community at large. Cooper will also testify about how she determined the age of the victim on the tape, whom prosecutors say was 14 years old at the time of the alleged taping. Kelly will be in between show dates in Sacramento, California, and Chicago, and thus able to attend the hearing. ...

Jay-Z has some Sirius radio plans — the hip-hop mogul is taking over the satellite station for a week starting Monday, The Associated Press reports. He will be in command of Hip-Hop Nation channel 40, playing songs from his albums as well as other artists of his choosing. The stint comes at an opportune time for Jay — his new album, American Gangster, hits stores Tuesday. Sirius will also play back across various programs on the channel a concert Jay-Z is set to perform at Chicago's House of Blues. ...

Mariah Carey will play at a Glamour ceremony honoring the magazine's 2007 Women of the Year. She will perform with the African Children's Choir at the event, to be held Monday at New York's Avery Fisher Hall. The related issue — which spotlights Jennifer Garner, Elizabeth Edwards, Toni Morrison and others — hits newsstands November 13. In other Mariah news, Elizabeth Arden announced on Friday an increase in first-quarter profits thanks to the singer's M by Mariah Carey perfume. The beauty-products company earned $350,000 on revenue of $271.8 million — a year before, the company lost $1.3 million on revenue of $254.8 million in the same quarter. Profits are expected to rise again next year. ...

Da Brat was released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond Thursday night, AP reports. The rapper (real name: Shawntae Harris) was involved in a serious physical altercation early Thursday morning at Jermaine Dupri's Atlanta nightclub, Studio 72. According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, police arrested her on felony aggravated-assault charges after she got into a heated confrontation with a waitress. Da Brat is said to have struck the waitress in the face with a bottle of rum, causing cuts on her face. The waitress was later taken to a local hospital for treatment. ... T-Pain had an uncomfortable experience on Friday when he was arrested in Florida on outstanding warrants, according to TMZ. The singer/rapper (real name: Faheem Najm) reportedly turned himself in to authorities at Leon County Jail, where he was charged with driving on a suspended license, and subsequently released on his own recognizance, without having to pay bail. According to TMZ, police saw T-Pain driving in Tallahassee in June and, after running his record, discovered that he had a suspended license. ...

Like Don Imus and others before him, Duane "Dog" Chapman's racially charged comments have resulted in his show being pulled from the airwaves — A&E yanked "Dog the Bounty Hunter" from its programming schedule on Friday. The channel's top-rated show is being pulled indefinitely, although it has not been canceled. At least two advertisers pulled away from the show on Thursday after a tape of a call between Chapman and his son Tucker — in which the TV star used the N-word repeatedly — surfaced on the National Enquirer's Web site the day before. Duane "Dog" Chapman's lawyer Brook Hart told AP Thursday that Tucker had taped the call and sold it to the tabloid for "a lot of money." ...

E-40 is turning 40! But the bash the Bay Area spitter is planning for November 15 at Las Vegas' Poetry Nightclub will serve as more than just a b-day celebration — E-40 will also be using the event to celebrate 20 years in the rap game and unveil his new beverage line, 40 Water. "Rapping brought me into the entertainment game; once I got in, my eyes got bigger," he said in a statement. "As a business man, I get the best of both worlds, and the privileges of working and reaping the benefits at the best time in my career." The star-studded party will also feature a sneak peek of his 2008 album, The Ball Street Journal, a yellow carpet and more. ...

When it comes to her spending money, Britney Spears always seems to be saying "Gimme More." Recently released court papers related to her custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline show that the singer drops serious coin on clothes and entertainment and doesn't save or invest any of her almost $737,000 in monthly income, according to AP. Among Spears' monthly expenses are $49,267 in mortgages for two houses; $16,000 for clothes; and $102,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacations. And even though she's a fast-food junkie, she also stated in her financial declarations that she drops $4,758 per month dining out. She also spends zero on education, while giving $500 a month in charitable contributions. Federline, meanwhile, gets $15,000 per month in child support and $20,000 in spousal support, with the latter ending on November 15. ... Don't believe Vanessa Hudgens? Just look at her feet. The "High School Musical" starlet has submitted her hospital birth certificate, which includes her baby footprints, along with a motion that seeks the dismissal of a suit brought on by her ex-attorney Brian Schall, according to "Access Hollywood." He claims Hudgens owes him $150,000 after he helped her earn more than $5 million by advancing Hudgens' funds for her recording and songwriting career. But Hudgens argues that she was too young to sign her contract — when she did so in October 2005, she was 16 years old. A hearing is set for December 5 in Los Angeles. ...

The Spice Girls unveiled a video for "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)," their first single in seven years, on TodayShow.com on Thursday. The racy video, which features the reunited squad shedding clothes, has since been making the rounds elsewhere. ... Jewel has recorded most of her LPs in Nashville over the years — but now she's ready for a full-on country affair, according to Billboard.com. The singer/songwriter recently signed a multi-album deal with Valory Music Company, a new Nashville indie label named in tribute to June Carter Cash (the country legend's birth name was Valerie June Carter). "I've been wanting to do this record my whole career, but my label was always scared of country music," Jewel said. "I've always had country songs on my records." Her yet-untitled new album will be produced by John Rich of Big & Rich. ...

Morrissey in '08? The singer's recent marathon stand at the Palladium in Hollywood was supposed to be his last sweep through the U.S. for the near future, but according to Billboard.com, his lawyer says Moz will be touring again early next year — and new music is on the way too. According to the magazine, Morrissey will sign a new deal with Sanctuary that will result in the release of a new studio album — to be produced by Jerry Finn, who helmed 2004's You Are the Quarry — and best-of collection next year. As for the tour, manager Merck Mercuriadis said Morrissey will "be back out in January. We'll take a short break and then start again in March." He didn't specify what cities are being considered. ...

Is Meat Loaf done? According to the U.K.'s Times Online, the rock singer announced that he was ending his career midway through a concert at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle on Wednesday. "I can no longer continue," he reportedly said as "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" began playing. "This is the last show I may ever do in my life." The concert ended, although it was later announced that the show had been canceled due to an illness. It's yet unclear whether Meat will still perform his scheduled Friday night show in Birmingham. According to Times Online, Meat's promoter spoke with the singer's doctor, who assured the promoter that Meat was exhausted and stressed. The newspaper also reports that his publicist chalked up the Wednesday incident to one of the singer's occasional blowouts. Meat Loaf's management did not return calls to MTV News as of press time. ... The Decemberists have canceled the rest of their Long and Short of It Tour after just two dates, due to an ongoing illness affecting an unnamed bandmember, according to the band's spokesperson. "One of our bandmembers has been ill for a while, but we thought all would be well in time for these tour dates," the group wrote in a statement. "After a couple shows, though, it has become clear that the illness is much worse than we had initially realized. We need to return home so our friend can mend. It saddens us to disappoint our fans. We hope everybody understands it is only because of an extreme situation that we had to cancel a tour we've all been excited about doing since the idea was originally hatched." There are no current plans to reschedule the tour. ...

Jack Osbourne, Jeff Buckley fan? Apparently so — Ozzy's son will MC the Jeff Buckley 10th Anniversary Tribute Concert being stage

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Jagged Edge Add 'More Spices To The Pot' With Hyphy Single

17 May 2006 06:00:00 EDT

ATL foursome's self-titled LP has usual slow jams with some new twists.
By Shaheem Reid

The ATL/ Bay Area hyphy connection is being carried on by, of all people, R&B crooners Jagged Edge.

The foursome is ready to release its next single, "Stunnas," which features Jermaine Dupri. E-40 trumpeted "stunna shades" in the Lil Jon-produced hyphy anthem "Tell Me When to Go," and the flashy glasses are a staple of the hyphy culture.

"Jagged kinda has a set fanbase," group member Richard Wingo said from Atlanta. "They know our sound. Whenever they hear a Jagged record, they know it. We try not to get too far from what we've done in the past, but we always try to add a little more spices to the pot. It's just something we haven't done in the past."

Besides "Stunnas," Jagged veer a little on their fifth album with the reggaetón song "So Amazing" with Voltio and on "Season's Change" with John Legend, which marks the first time the group has worked with an outside male singer.

For most of the LP, of course, Jagged Edge sing the ballads their fans have come to expect.

"I think the overall message from day one to now is that it's OK to feel these things, it's OK to say certain things," co-lead singer Brian Casey said. "It's OK to express yourself in a way that might not feel comfortable, and you can still be cool. 'Cause we're cool brothas. And if I have something to say to a young lady, I'mma say it. We know our formula, and we're not going to stray too far from what we've done before, but we sprinkle in our little nuances, and we'll be [in the game for a long time]."

"It's going to always be that time when it's you and a young lady, or just you in a more mellow setting, and you don't want to hear hip-hop or rock and roll," Brian's twin, Brandon, added. "I think there will always be a lane for [those] who make [slow jams]."

Jagged Edge were in Atlanta to perform and sign autographs at a Best Buy. "Stunnas" isn't actually on Jagged's new CD; but if you buy the album, you can download the song off the group's Web site, JaggedEdge.net.

Jagged and Dupri are shooting a video for "Stunnas" in a couple of weeks, and there's a chance E-40 could appear on the remix.

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E-40 Gets Schooled As Teen 'Musical' Reclaims Billboard #1

22 Mar 2006 09:34:00 EST

Bay Area rapper opens at #3; bonus tracks put Fall Out Boy back in top 10.
By Chris Harris

After seemingly coming from out of nowhere just over two months ago, "High School Musical" has emerged as the surprise hit of 2006. The soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie debuted at #143 on Billboard's albums chart after selling 5,000 copies. The following week, it skyrocketed to the #58 spot, selling close to 13,000 copies — but the climb didn't end there.

For the past five weeks, the "High School Musical" phenomenon has made its home in the top 10, while big-name artists sit back and watch as tracks from the children's TV movie crush high-charting hopes. Four weeks ago, "High School Musical" hit #1 after selling 101,000 copies (see "What Is 'High School Musical' And How Did It Get To #1?"). Since then, the disc has hovered in the #2 and #3 spots. According to the latest SoundScan figures, the soundtrack will return to #1 on next week's Billboard chart after logging 142,000-plus scans last week. Total sales of the disc are currently at 811,000.

Not bad for a bunch of unknown teen actors in a film that fuses "Romeo and Juliet" with "Grease," shot on a $5 million budget.

While hip-hop legend E-40 made a strong play for Billboard brilliance with his latest, My Ghetto Report Card, the "Ambassador of the Bay" fell short of a #1 finish. Instead, the disc, which features contributions from Mike Jones, Juelz Santana, UGK and Too Short, debuts at #3 with sales of more than 94,000 — right behind Back to Bedlam, British crooner James Blunt's debut album, which hangs tight at #2 with 126,000 scans. Jay-Z find Ne-Yo climbs one spot to #4 with In My Own Words, which picked up close to 77,000 sales during its third week in stores. The previous chart's first place finisher, Juvenile's Reality Check, slips four to #5 after selling close to 75,000 units.

Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts racked up sales of more than 64,000 to earn a #6 spot. Matisyahu's Youth claims #7 with week-two scans of 58,000. The Legend of Johnny Cash comes in at #8 with 56,000 sales; the retrospective collection has sold nearly 1.5 million copies since its release in October.

A second helping of Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree, which has sold more than 2 million copies since its release, helped boost sales of the disc by 122 percent. The album was reissued last week with demo and bonus tracks along with a couple of remixes, and it leaps ahead 33 chart positions to #9 on sales nearing 52,000. Rounding out the top 10 for a second week is Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film "Curious George" from Jack Johnson and Friends, which picked up an additional 50,000 scans, pushing total sales past the half-million mark.

It was a sluggish week overall for debuts, with precious few outings actually breaching the top 200. Morph the Cat, the third solo outing from Donald Fagen — who, along with Walter Becker, are the masterminds behind Steely Dan — opens at #26 with 32,000 sales. The soundtrack to "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," featuring live performances from Mos Def, Big Daddy Kane and Erykah Badu, bows at #44 with sales of 21,000 and change. Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani's latest, Super Colossal, debuts at #86, selling nearly 12,000 copies, and Black Sabbath's Greatest Hits 1970-1978 — which hit stores the morning after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — comes in at #96 with sales of 11,000 plus.

Willie Nelson's You Don't Know Me debuts at #114 with over 9,000 units sold, and Nickelodeon Kids' Choice, Vol. 2, a compilation boasting contributions from Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Simple Plan and Ryan Cabrera, checks in at #125 with close to 9,000 in sales. NOFX's Never Trust a Hippy finishes at #186 with 5,000 scans.

Following his appearance last week on "American Idol," sales of Stevie Wonder's A Time to Love surged 89 percent, making it one of this week's biggest gainers. The record, which sold more than 5,000 copies, occupies the #183 slot, returning to the chart after being away for three weeks.

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