Check out images from Kanye West's new video for his single "Paranoid" feat. Mr. Hudson off 808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! The video stars Def Jam Recordings' very own Rihanna!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out footage of Jay-Z and Eminem performing their hit "Renegade" off The Blueprint LIVE last night at the DJ Hero video game event at The Wiltern in California!

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for the latest Roc-A-Fella mobile updates.

Jadakiss talks to MTV about his upcoming tour with Cam'ron and working on getting him and Kanye West on the remix to his single "Who's Real".

THE LAST KISS In Stores Now! Go cop that!
Text JADAKISS to 66937 for Jadakiss updates!

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Kanye West featured in Mercury Records' Mr. Hudson video for his single "Supernova" featuring Kanye West.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Go get your copy.

Text KANYE to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Jay-Z returns in 2009 for 5 special shows in Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
 
Tickets for these events will be available via an exclusive fan pre-sale beginning Wednesday May 13th at 12 noon local venue time.  Click here for tickets: http://jayz.tickets.musictoday.com
 
Stay tuned to your favorite Jay-Z news source for a big announcement coming soon.
 
Dates:
 
July 3rd, 2009 - Pearl Concert Theater - Las Vegas, NV
July 4th, 2009 – Pearl Concert Theater - Las Vegas, NV
July 7th, 2009 - Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island - Chicago, IL
July 10th, 2009 - Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT
July 12th, 2009 - Chastain Park Amphitheatre- Atlanta, GA

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

www.roc4life.com

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

Check out some vintage performance footage from 1997 of Jay-Z performing at The Apollo Theater in Harlem.

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

www.roc4life.com

6608 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028

Doors open at 9PM. Event ends at 2AM.
Media check in 8:30PM. Red Carpet 9PM to 11PM.
Open vodka bar from 9PM to 10PM.
Free Sushi from 10PM to 11PM.
Dress code: Trendy. No baggy jeans or sports attire.
Enter through the back parking log off Schrader Blvd.
3rd Floor and Rooftop VIP.
FREE SHOW. First served. 21+ w/ ID only.
http://www.myspace.com/hiphop

THE LAST KISS In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

California! Don't miss Jadakiss on the West Coast this Monday - Wednesday signing copies of THE LAST KISS at the following locations...

Tuesday, April 28th
5:00 PM
Midnight Records
2867 S Robertson Blvd
LA, CA 90034
For more info call: (310) 839-9455
 

Wednesday, April 29th
Dimple Records
Sacramento
2433 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
For more info call: (916) 925-2600
 
Thursday, April 30th
Rasputin Music
2401 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley Ca 94704
For more info call: (510) 548-1964

Space and time is limited so hurry! Ah-haaaa!

THE LAST KISS In Stores Now! Get your copy.
Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

CLICK HERE to check out the world premiere of Kanye West's new video "Amazing" featuring Young Jeezy on Rocafella.com Now!

808's & Heartbreaks in stores NOW! Go get your copy if you haven't!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out this new promo for www.roc4life.com featuring Jay-Z's new single "Brooklyn We Go Hard".

Check out www.roc4life.com and sign up now.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone.

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Go get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out some vintage footage of Kanye West working on his album "College Dropout" with Jay-Z in the studio.

808's & Heartbreak IN STORES NOW and of course College Dropout In Stores Now as well!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out Jay-Z on the cover of this month's Cigar Aficionado Magazine!

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates on your mobile.

Follow Roc-A-Fella on Twitter for all Jay-Z Updates! (www.twitter.com/roc_a_fella)

Check out these brand new video stills from Kanye West's new video shoot for his latest single "Amazing" featuring Young Jeezy off 808's & Heartbreak!

Via Kanye West's blog which you can check out at www.kanyewest.com/blog.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Go cop that if you haven't.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out this clip of Beanie Sigel freestyling in the hood!

THE SOLUTION In Stores Now! Go Cop That!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Beanie Sigel ringtone.

Check out behind the scenes footage from the making of 88-Key's video for "Viagra (Stay Up)" featuring Kanye West.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Go get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out this pretty cool new fan video for Kanye West's single "Street Lights" off of 808's & Heartbreak.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Go get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Jadakiss talks with MTV News about the upcoming LOX Album and possibly getting back with Diddy for the release. Also touches on the subject of touring this summer, possibly with Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.

THE LAST KISS In Stores Now! Go get your copy if you haven't!
Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Don't miss Jadakiss' FREE Myspace Release show TONIGHT at Highline Ballroom in New York City. Guaranteed admission up until 8:30PM.

Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 414-5994

www.myspace.com/jadakiss

THE LAST KISS In Stores Now! Go get your copy.
Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Don't miss Jadakiss' in store events. Jadakiss will be signing autographs at...

Thursday April 9th 4:00 PM
Basement Mix Records
439 Crescent St
Brooklyn, NY  11208
347.663.5124 For More Details

THE LAST KISS In Stores NOW! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out footage of The-Dream performing "Walking On The Moon" with Kanye West at his Myspace release show.

LOVE VS. MONEY In Stores Now! Go get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out this video featuing Beanie Sigel talking about his son putting him on to Nascar and Racing.

THE SOLUTION In Stores Now! Get your copy!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Beanie Sigel ringtone and updates.

Check out footage of the making of Kanye West's Complex Magazine cover photo shoot!

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Go out and get Jadakiss' new album THE LAST KISS which hits stores TODAY!

Click Here to purchase your copy on iTunes.

Also, come chat with Jadakiss LIVE today at 5PM on www.jadakiss.com, Jada will be answering all your questions LIVE.

Click here to keep submitting your questions for Jadakiss now!

And New York fans, don't forget to come check Jadakiss out at Best Buy on Fordham Road in The Bronx TODAY at 7PM where he'll be signing copies of his new album.

www.jadakiss.com

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Check out Jadakiss performing "Pain & Torture" off THE LAST KISS Live at Sirius Satellite Radio!

THE LAST KISS In Stores Tomorrow! Make sure you get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Don't miss Jadakiss' in store events. Jadakiss will be signing autographs at the following locations...

Tuesday April 7th 7:00 PM
Best Buy
400 E. Fordham Rd
The Bronx, NY
718.329.8788 For More Details
 
Thursday April 9th 4:00 PM
Basement Mix Records
439 Crescent St
Brooklyn, NY  11208
347.663.5124 For More Details

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

www.jadakiss.com

Jadakiss talks about when he was arrested, inviting Notorious B.I.G. to his birthday party, recording "Reservoir Dogs", and more!

THE LAST KISS In Stores TOMORROW! Cop That!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Check out some previously before unreleased footage from Jay-Z's MTV Unplugged performance where he performs "Somebody's Girl".

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

Check out this short documentary on the madness behind Kanye West's new Nike sneaker the "Air Yeezy".

What do you guys think about them? Let us know in the comments.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and update.

Check out previously unreleased footage from Jay-Z's MTV Unplugged episode where he performs "Don't You Know".

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z Ringtone and updates.

Click here to check out outtakes of Kanye West's Air Yeezy interview with Complex and Nike's Mark Smith.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

The Rocawear Pop Shop is in NY and now is your chance to purchase exclusive Rocawear product and experience this beautiful store.  Enjoy the Rocawear lifestyle and be a part of this unique experience. Be sure to tell a friend and come out the Rocawear Pop Shop! See more info below:
 
April 3rd
Ganesvort Hotel
NY, NY
11am-2pm
 
April 3rd
Ganesvort Hotel
NY, NY
10pm-2am
 
April 4th
Ganesvort Hotel
Manhattan, NY
10pm-2am
 
April 5th
Ganesvort Hotel
Manhattan, NY
10am-12am
 
April 6th -18th
Atlantic Yard
Brooklyn, NY
10am-9pm

www.rocawear.com

Check out this MTV commercial spot for The Last Kiss documentary airing on THIS SUNDAY April 5th at 4PM during Sucker Free Sunday on MTV2.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out some vintage footage of Jay-Z performing "Renegade" off The Blueprint album that never made the original airing of MTV's Unplugged episode.

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

Call Jadakiss at 571-730-5420! Jada breaks down every track on THE LAST KISS!

THE LAST KISS IN STORES APRIL 7TH! COP THAT!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Jadakiss on the cover of the new issue of The Source Magazine! Available on newstands everywhere! Get your copy.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Jadakiss' new interview with Jessie Maguire.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Jadakiss sits down with iHipHop to discuss The Last Kiss features and production. Jada also touches on how he is a security-less artist, and “hip-hop is hip-hop, I just don’t like it when people take it for granted, and try and make it something else”. Finally Jada lets us know about his new show on BET looking for a new DJ, and how he is going to make the contestants do some “P. Diddy shit.”

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out this MTV commercial spot for The Last Kiss documentary airing on April 5th during Sucker Free Sunday on MTV2.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Jadakiss' new interview with Oomp Camp TV.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Make sure you cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Listen to THE LAST KISS in it's entirety on Jadakiss' Imeem Profile NOW! Before it hits stores!

www.imeem.com/jadakiss

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop That!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out footage of Jadakiss backstage with Jay-Z and Lebron James before a show and peforming "Things I've Been Through" off THE LAST KISS Live at Sirius Satellite Radio!

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Make sure you cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Jadakiss talking about THE LAST KISS, his myspace, being on Twitter and his online presence on this album.

Follow Jada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/therealkiss
Follow Jada on Myspace at www.myspace.com/jadakiss
Follow Jada on Imeem at www.imeem.com/jadakiss

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Make sure you cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Jadakiss' interview with Thisis50.com talking about his upcoming album, his past beef with 50 Cent and more.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out behind the scenes footage from the "Respect My Conglomerate" Video shoot featuring Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Lil Wayne and more!

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Check out Kanye West & 88-Keys on E!'s Daily 10 show backstage on the set of their video for "Stay Up (Viagra)".

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

The Most Access sits down with Jadakiss, and asked Jada how it feels to be considered one of the best in the game, but not see the financial success of others who don’t have the same skill level.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

CLICK HERE to follow Roc-A-Fella on Twitter! Get updates on all your favorite Roc-A-Fella artists as they happen!

Text ROC to 66937 for updates on your mobile.

Jadakiss is back at it lol, with more jokes for his bus driver while on tour. Check it out.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that.

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone & updates

www.jadakiss.com

Check out this MTV commercial spot for The Last Kiss documentary airing on April 5th during Sucker Free Sunday on MTV2.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

CLICK HERE to purchase Jadakiss' new single "Death Wish" featuring Lil Wayne on iTunes NOW!

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop That!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Roc-A-Fella artist Kanye West & Def Jam artist Ne-Yo in Keri Hilson's new music video for "Knock You Down" featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now!

Year Of The Gentleman In Stores Now!

www.kanyewest.com/blog

www.yearofthegentleman.com

Check out Jadakiss going in on Power 99FM in Philly.

"The Last Kiss is a CD in gatorade form that's gonna put the electrolites back in the game."- Jadakiss

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop That!

www.jadakiss.com

Check out the two clips above of Jadakiss & Styles P performing at SXSW at the Fader fort as they run through a bunch of their classic joints.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 to for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Click here to check out Kanye West's new Nike sneaker the "Air Yeezy" featured on complex.com. Kanye sits down and explains the process of making the sneaker from picking out designs and materials to the final product.

Click here to check out the complex.com "Air Yeezy" photo gallery.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone & updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out the April/May cover of Complex Magazine, featuring Kanye West. The cover was created by music video director Chris Milk.

Click here to check out the full story feature on Complex's website.

Click Here to watch video from the making of the cover.

Click here to check out the photo gallery for the cover story.

Click here to check out behind the scenes pictures from the making of the Complex cover on Kanye's blog.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text KANYE to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out footage of Jadakiss on his tour bus messing with his tour driver on their way to the next performance.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop That!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Check out the clip above as Jadakiss talks his preference of ladies and more.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Click Here to watch Kanye West's new video featuring Kid Cudi "Welcome To Heartbreak" on Rocafella.com now!

808's & Heartbreak available In Stores Now! Get your copy if you haven't!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

CLICK HERE to purchase Jadakiss' new single "Letter to B.I.G." on iTunes now.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out another clip of Kanye West on the Wake Up Show with Sway & Tech talking about his new Louis Vuitton "Don" sneaker line and fashion.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out this MTV commercial spot for The Last Kiss documentary airing on April 5th during Sucker Free Sunday on MTV2.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out footage of Beanie Sigel freestyling at Max B's house.

THE SOLUTION In Stores Now! Get your copy!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Beanie Sigel ringtone and updates.

Check out footage of Jadakiss on the set of DJ Pro-Style's "Do The Hercules" video shoot.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Get your copy!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Kanye West in 88-Keys' new music video for "Stay Up".

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Kanye West ringtone and updates.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

Philly! Join Jadakiss as he previews new tracks off his upcoming album 'The Last Kiss' at Phenomenal Records on Friday, March 13th from 4:30-5:30PM!

Phenomenal Records
1432 Cecil B Moore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19121
(215) 763-3606

The first 50 people to pre-order their copy of 'The Last Kiss' will receive a limited edition T-shirt courtesy of Roc-A-Wear. For more details contact store.

Text JADAKISS to 66937 to join our mobile list.

www.jadakiss.com/cms

Jadakiss talks with MTV news about his recent additions to THE LAST KISS before it hits stores on April 7th!

Make sure you all go out and cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out Kanye West in costume on the set of 88-Keys' video shoot for "Stay Up" (Viagra).

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy.

Text ROC to 66937 to join our mobile list.

www.kanyewest.com/blog

Check out footage of Jadakiss on his tour bus as he finds a couple of uninvited guests roaming around lol.

THE LAST KISS In Stores April 7th! Cop that!

Text JADAKISS to 66937 for a free Jadakiss ringtone and updates.

www.jadakiss.com

Check out footage of Kanye West performing "Heartless" on American Idol last night.

808's & Heartbreak In Stores Now! Get your copy if you haven't!

Text ROC to 66937 to join our mobile list and get a free Kanye West ringtone!

www.kanyewest.com/blog

CLICK HERE to read this months feature in Best Life magazine on Jay-Z and his Secrets for Personal Success.

THE BLUEPRINT III Coming Soon!

Text ROC to 66937 for a free Jay-Z ringtone and updates.

* Rocawear founder and cultural icon Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter to continue as chief creative officer

* Iconix and Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter to enter into separate equal joint venture to explore additional brand development opportunities using the Iconix model

Iconix Brand Group, Inc., today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the brand Rocawear. The purchase price will be $204 million in cash with contingent payments of an additional $35 million of Iconix stock based upon the brand surpassing certain pre-determined performance thresholds over the next three to five years. Rocawear is a leading lifestyle apparel brand sold through better department and specialty stores with annual retail sales of over $700 million. Rocawear co-founder Jay-Z will be in charge of all product development, marketing and licensing for Rocawear. Jay-Z's senior management team in licensing, marketing and product development will also join Iconix. He will retain his stake in the operating company that manufactures all of the Rocawear men's apparel and his two partners in that business, Alex Bize and Norton Cher, will continue to run that company and enter into a long-term license agreement with Iconix for the core young men's apparel category. Iconix is forecasting that the Rocawear brand will generate approximately $43 million in royalty revenue in its first twelve months under the Iconix umbrella.

As part of the transaction, Iconix will also enter into a separate equal joint venture with Shawn Carter to establish a new brand management and licensing company that will identify brands to be acquired and/or developed across a broad spectrum of consumer product categories using the Iconix model. The first brand will involve Jay-Z and will be an eponymous luxury brand called "Shawn Carter Collection" which will debut in 2008.

Neil Cole, Chairman and CEO of Iconix Brand Group commented, "This is the largest acquisition Iconix has made and Rocawear is a brand that is increasing in market share and has extraordinary potential for growth. The leadership team is already in place to fulfill our mission and we will maintain complete continuity within the business by having Jay and his team in charge of all product development, licensing and marketing. Jay and his partners in the operating company that manufactures all of the Rocawear men's apparel, Alex Bize and Norton Cher, will become our licensee for the core business. Iconix will add talent and resources that I believe will help make Rocawear a billion dollar global brand. This acquisition will be transformative for Iconix in terms of its scale, the diversification it brings to our portfolio of brands as well as having someone as talented as Jay-Z joining our company and the many synergies that could bring."

Shawn Carter, co-founder of Rocawear, commented, "Iconix is pioneering a new brand management model and by combining Rocawear with their platform, my team and I can focus on our strengths in design and lifestyle marketing." Carter added, "I'm also looking forward to working with Neil Cole and the Iconix organization on other brand development opportunities."

The purchase price for the acquisition will be paid by Iconix in cash from proceeds of a loan made to the Company by one or more affiliates of Lehman Brothers Inc. The acquisition is anticipated to close in March 2007 and is subject to customary closing conditions including clearance under the Hart- Scott-Rodino Anti Trust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended.

Iconix Brand Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ICON - News) owns, licenses and markets a growing portfolio of consumer brands including CANDIE'S (R), BONGO (R), BADGLEY MISCHKA (R), JOE BOXER (R) RAMPAGE (R), MUDD (R), LONDON FOG (R), MOSSIMO (R) and OCEAN PACIFIC (R). The Company has also entered into definitive agreements to purchase the brands DANSKIN (R) and ROCAWEAR (R). The Company licenses it brands to a network of leading retailers and manufacturers that touch every major segment of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in both the U.S. and around the world. Iconix, through its in-house advertising, promotion and public relations agency, markets its brands to continually drive greater consumer awareness and equity.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements that are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward looking statements that involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainty regarding the results of the Company's acquisition of additional licenses, continued market acceptance of current products and the ability to successfully develop and market new products particularly in light of rapidly changing fashion trends, the impact of supply and manufacturing constraints or difficulties relating to the Company's licensees' dependence on foreign manufacturers and suppliers, uncertainties relating to customer plans and commitments, the ability of licensees to successfully market and sell branded products, competition, uncertainties relating to economic conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, the ability to hire and retain key personnel, the ability to obtain capital if required, the risks of litigation and regulatory proceedings, the risks of uncertainty of trademark protection, the uncertainty of marketing and licensing acquired trademarks and other risks detailed in the Company's SEC filings. The words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "confident," "project," provide "guidance" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made.

Congratulations to JAY-Z for his nomination for the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards!

JAY-Z is nominated for BEST MALE ARTIST VIDEO for "SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT"

The AMVAs will be held on April 29 in Sydney, Australia.

Kanye West just remixed Fall Out Boy's smash hit single "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race."

Listen to the remix now!

Buy it now from the Island/DefJam Digital Store!

Congratulations to Jay-Z for being nominated for the Michael Jackson Award for Best R&B / Soul or Rap Music Video for the "Show Me What you Got" video at the 2007 Soul Train Awards!

The Soul Train Awards air LIVE from Los Angeles on March 10th. Check Local Listings.

Kanye West has confirmed recent reports that he is in the early stages of production on a television series - a collaboration with acclaimed producer/director Larry Charles - but adamantly states the project is not a “reality show.”

“I wouldn’t do something as cliché as a reality show,” said West. “At least give me the credit for being more creative than that.”

“For the last couple of years, Larry, Rick and I have been developing this pilot. It’s a situational half-hour comedy. It’s fictional, and loosely based on my life. Maybe this will give me the opportunity to spazz out at the Emmys one day."

Stay tuned for more on Kanye West…

REEBOK S. CARTER SD FOOTBALL CLEATS FOR MEN WILL BE PLACED IN THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME TO COMMEMORATE LARRY JOHNSON SETTING AN NFL RECORD WITH 416 CARRIES

JAY-Z's Reebok S. Carter Football Cleats For Men are about to run into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. After Kansas City Chiefs star Running Back Larry Johnson set the NFL record for carries in a season and rushed for 1750 yards in consecutive seasons, it was announced that Johnson's cleats, S. Carter's, will be displayed in the Pro Football Hall Of Famein Canton, Ohio.

In the Chiefs 35-30 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Johnson rushed for 138 yards on 33 carries, giving him an NFL-record 416 carries this season. This season's 1,789 yards also smashed the team record of 1,750, which he set last year in only nine starts. In addition, the two-time Pro Bowler topped the 100-yard mark for the 11th time this year, topping his previous Chiefs franchise record of 10, which he established last season.

The S. Carter Cleat, also worn by Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys, was part of the line developed by JAY-Z's deal with Reebok, which began in 2001 and ended last year.

The Rbk S. Carter Collection, which was the first sports apparel partnership ever with a non-athlete, offers men's, women's and children athletic footwear.

Check out DJ Clue’s MTV2 special airing tonight at 11pm and tomorrow at 2am!!

Get an exclusive advance listen to DJ Clue's THE PROFESSIONAL PART 3 only on Rocafella.com!

Click here to listen!

Congratulations to JAY-Z on his two nominations at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards!

JAY-Z
* Best Rap /Sung Collaboration - "Deja Vu" w/Beyonce"
* Best R&B Song - Deja Vu" w/Beyonce

The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

BARBARA WALTERS NAMES JAY-Z ONE OF THE "10 MOST FASCINATING PEOPLE OF 2006"

NEW SINGLE "LOST ONE" IS # 1 MOST ADDED AT RADIO

JAY-Z has scored his ninth # 1 entry on Billboard's Top 200 album chart with the release of KINGDOM COME. His newest chart topping debut ties him with the Rolling Stones for most # 1 albums behind the Beatles (19) and Elvis Presley (10). Released on Tuesday, November 21st, KINGDOM COME was the top selling disc, across the board, moving 680,000 copies in its first week.

KINGDOM COME is JAY-Z's 7th consecutive solo album (VOL. 2 - HARD KNOCK LIFE, VOL. 3 - LIFE AND TIMES OF S. CARTER, DYNASTY, BLUEPRINT, BLUEPRINT 2, BLACK ALBUM) and his 9th studio release (COLLISION COURSE w/ Linkin Park and UNFINISHED BUSINESS w/ R. Kelly) to debut at #1 on the Billboard Album chart. Over the course of his 10 year career, this is JAY-Z's biggest first week debut, outpacing his previous best, the 2000 release of DYNASTY, which scanned 557,789 first week. It is also the highest debut by a hip hop artist in over a year. KINGDOM COME has already shipped 2 million copies to date.

KINGDOM COME was propelled to the top spot after an unprecedented campaign which included a stellar performance at the recent American Music Awards, shutting down Hollywood Boulevard for a LIVE w/ Jimmy Kimmel concert in front of 10,000 fans, the unprecedented "Hangar Tour," which took JAY-Z to seven cities for seven performances in 24 hours, a GQ "Man Of The Year" cover. For the 1st time a music video debuted on ESPN's Monday Night Football, for the album's lead single, "Show Me What You Got and JAY-Z became the #1 on-demand artist ever on Clear Channel Radio, with 600,000 plays in one week on more than 220 station websites.

KINGDOM COME's newest single, "Lost One" was recently the # 1 most added song on Urban radio and the video to the much talked about track, directed by Anthony Mandler, will debut today, Monday, December 4th on MTV.

Coming up, JAY-Z will be featured on the ABC program: "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006," on December 12th at 10:00pm (EST).

The release of KINGDOM COME came on the heels of JAY-Z's "Global Express" tour in which he performed in over 20 countries on four continents in two months. While on tour, JAY-Z joined forces with the United Nations and MTV in the Water For Life campaign with the mission to raise awareness on the world's water crisis. His journeys were chronicled in the documentary Diary Of JAY-Z: Water For Life.

Since the release of his first album in 1996, Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter has come to personify the new "American Dream" for millions the world over. Named President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, in 2005, he is the founder and chairman of Rocawear, co-owner of the NJ Nets, co-owner of the 40/40 sports clubs and co-owner of skin care and beauty line Carol's Daughter. In addition, he continues his philanthropic work through his Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. Over his career, the multiple award winner has sold over 40 million albums and sold out arenas the world over.

DJ CLUE? BACK IN ACTION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL, Part 3, NEW ROC-A-FELLA/DEF JAM ALBUM SET FOR DECEMBER 19th RELEASE

"LIKE THIS," FIRST SINGLE PICK, FEATURES KANYE WEST & FABOLOUS, NEWEST ADDITION TO MIGHTY DEF JAM ROSTER

Top-ranking guest list on Part 3 includes Juelz Santana, the Game, Mobb Deep, Beanie Sigel, Snoop Dogg, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Mike Jones and Paul Wall, Fat Joe, M.O.P., and others!

After a way-too-long six year break between official album releases on the Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam label, mixtape impresario and Desert Storm mogul DJ Clue? returns on December 19th with the arrival of THE PROFESSIONAL, Part 3, the long-awaited sequel to the all-star-studded The Professional, Pt. 2 (released February 2001).

If it were possible to outdo the guest-list on Pt. 2, then THE PROFESSIONAL, Part 3 has done it - with the Who's Who of hip-hop's A-list, starting with "Like This." The album's first single pick, co-written and produced by fellow Def Jam artist Kanye West, features Kanye and Fabolous, the newest Def Jam mega-signing. Brooklyn-born Fabolous has been the core artist on DJ Clue's Desert Storm imprint for his two albums in 2003 (the RIAA platinum Street Dreams) and 2004 (Real Talk, certified gold). His upcoming Def Jam album debut, From Nothing To Something, will drop in early 2007.

DJ Clue? exercises his craft as a producer on a hefty six tracks of Part 3, starting with "Middle Figure U" featuring Camron and Juelz Santana, then "It Was All Good A Week Ago" (Part 1 featuring Mario Winans and Part 2 featuring the Game and Mario), followed by "I Really Wanna Know You" featuring Jagged Edge and Fabolous; "The Gold" featuring Mobb Deep; "Liberty Bell" featuring Beanie Sigel and Cassidy; and the album's closing track, "Da Animal" featuring Stylez P.

And the guest list doesn't stop there - that's just the beginning. There's Snoop Dogg on "Almost Fucked" (produced by Lt Hutton); Young Jeezy and Juelz Santana on "Fuck Off" (produced by Develop); Lil Wayne, Ransom, and Rick Ross on "Da Scene" (produced by Doughboyz); Jadakiss on "Ugly" (produced by Swizz Beatz); Mike Jones and Paul Wall on "Grill & Woman" (produced by Chops); Fat Joe and Remy Ma on "U Don't Wanna" (produced By Baby Paul); and M.O.P. on "NY Giant" (produced by the Heat Makerz).

It was nearly a decade ago that Jamaica, Queens, NYC native DJ Clue? (Ernesto Shaw) made the transition from the burgeoning mixtape industry to the major label domain of Def Jam Recordings with his first over-the-counter release, The Professional (1997). His parallel career as a New York vj and dj - first on MTV's "Direct Effect," then on radio station Hot 97, and later on Power 105 - combined with his imaginative remixing skills gained him access to the hottest new tracks from hip-hop and pop's most important names.

The Professional (which hit #3 on the R&B chart and #26 on the pop side) spun off a pair of Top 40 tracks, "It's On" and "Ruff Ryders Anthem," and was eventually certified RIAA platinum. DJ Clue Presents: Backstage: A Hard Knock Life (released in 2000) documented the touring that accompanied his pal Jay-Z's multi-platinum album. The Professional, Part 2 was first released in December 2000, propelled by the hit single "Back 2 Life 2001," featuring Mary J. Blige and Jadakiss. The album also featured new exclusive music from hip-hop notables Jay-Z, Eminem, DMX, Snoop, Foxy Brown, Method Man, Li'l Kim, Busta Rhymes, Miami natives Trick Daddy and Trina, and many others.

Fly to New York and immerse yourself in the life of Jay-Z...Glimpse inside the life of the music mogul with a tour of the Def Jam offices. Continue to live the dream by being chauffuered around NYC in an escalade and hitting the hitting the hot spots of your favorite hip hop superstar. MTV will set you up with premiere tickets to a NJ Nets game, and an incredible dinner for two at Ciprianis. You'll also be hooked up with Rocawear gear , signed S. Carter sneakers and a personalized Jay-Z platinum album. The road to superstardom starts by entering the contest. So click here for your chance to win!

MTV's cameras followed JAY-Z while he was on his "Global Express" tour bringing awareness to the global water crisis. See what MTV's cameras caught by tuning in at these times:

MTV Monday, November 27, 2006 8:00:00 PM
MTV Tr3s Saturday, December 09, 2006 7:00:00 PM
MTV Tr3s Sunday, December 10, 2006 4:30:00 PM
MTV Tr3s Tuesday, December 12, 2006 2:30:00 AM
MTV Tr3s Saturday, December 16, 2006 11:00:00 AM

Don’t miss JAY-Z featuring Nas, Fabolous, Memphis Bleek, UGK, Pharrell, Timbaland & Just Blaze performing LIVE on BET’s 106 & Park tonight at 6:00pm!!

AOL MUSIC LIVE! TEAMS WITH JAY-Z FOR CHARITY BENEFIT CONCERT BRINGING "H 2 THE IZZO" TO FANS GLOBALLY, CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF JAY-Z'S "KINGDOM COME"

Show to Benefit PlayPumps International and Raise Awareness to Help Bring Clean Water to Over 1 Billion People

AOL Music LIVE! (www.aolmusic.com) today announced it will broadcast a special live "H 2 the IzzO" charity concert with multiplatinum recording artist Jay-Z to further raise awareness for the PlayPumps International initiative. The event will take place on Friday, November 24, at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City and will be broadcast globally online by AOL Music LIVE! Tickets for the show will be available to fans on Tuesday, November 21st at 9:00am (EST) through Ticketmaster.

The "H 2 the IzzO" concert benefiting PlayPumps International will be broadcast live and exclusively on AOL Music LIVE! for free beginning at 10:00pm ET. Fans will be able to watch the show live on AOL, and will be able to see the concert on demand after the show ends.

PlayPumps International is a nonprofit collaborative that enables individuals, governments, foundations and companies to donate PlayPump™ water systems to rural communities and schools. The PlayPump™ system draws clean water while children play on a merry-go-round - as the children play, water flows into a storage tank and is easily accessed with the turn of a tap. For more information about PlayPumps International, check out www.playpumps.org.

"The "H 2 the IzzO" benefit concert is going to be a high-energy experience," said Jay-Z, who is also CEO and President of Def Jam Recordings. "Having AOL Music LIVE! broadcasting it to fans live and on demand around the world is a remarkable thing -¬ not just because of the new album but because we have a chance to help raise awareness of a very serious problem for more than 1 billion people."

"We were thrilled to work with Jay-Z at Live 8, and ever since we have been trying to find the right opportunity to once again bring the full power of Jay-Z's music and message to fans online," said Jack Isquith, Executive Producer of AOL Music LIVE! "We are proud to partner with Jay-Z to broadcast the 'H 2 the IzzO' charity concert on AOL, as we see this broadcast as the perfect marriage of a great artist, a needed cause and the force of the Web."

AOL Music LIVE! is the popular concert series, featuring some of the biggest names in music performing for live and on-demand broadcasts, available at www.aolmusic.com. Previous AOL Music LIVE! events include the historic Live 8, as well as individual performances by some of the world's biggest stars including Kanye West, Green Day, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Usher, Nelly, My Chemical Romance, Avril Lavigne, Foo Fighters and Josh Groban, among others.

In addition to the AOL Music LIVE! benefit concert, AOL Music has several offerings available for Jay-Z fans including an exclusive sit-down interview with the multiple Grammy Award winner and a pre-release AOL Music Listening Party on Monday, November 20, showcasing his highly anticipated album, Kingdom Come.

About AOL
AOL is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services, runs the country's largest Internet access business and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., AOL LLC is based in Dulles, Virginia. AOL and its subsidiaries also have operations in Europe, Canada and Asia. Learn more at AOL.com.

Don't miss JAY-Z on the Ellen Show today on the NBC network! Check your local listings for time!

JAY-Z will also be participating in the American Music Awards, airing tonight, November 21st, at 8pm EST!

What more can we say? Go cop the brand new album from JAY-Z, KINGDOM COM available for sale now on Rocafella.com!

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW!

Check out JAY-Z appearing on BET’s 106 and Park today at 6:00pm where his video “Lost One” premieres as the V.I.Peak of the day!!

Also, don’t miss MTV’s Suckerfree special airing today at 7:00pm where they will feature JAY-Z at the 40/40 club in Atlantic City!!

Formula BMW Attracts Growing Interest From Major Celebrities Looking For An Exciting Way To Support Their Favorite Causes.

TAOW Productions today announced that six time Grammy award winning producer/rapper Kanye West will be sponsoring a race car in the Formula BMW World Finals held November 24th-26thth in Valencia, Spain. West's car will showcase the Bear Mascot featured on his album covers, along with the logo of two of the star's favorite charities; the Kanye West Foundation and the United Nations World Food Program.

"The ability to make a positive difference in the world has always been a dream of mine, and Kanye West Foundation is the realization of that dream," said West. "To be able to spread the word about both the Kanye West Foundation and the UN World Food Program in such an exciting setting is particularly gratifying.

West is just one of the celebrities entering a car in the competition in Valencia. Former NFL quarterback and host of FOX Sports Network's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, Rodney Peete, will also be sponsoring a Formula BMW racecar in the competition in an effort to support the United Nations World Food Program.

"Open wheeled racing has the potential in America to be what it is to the rest of the world. It is my hope that the program will not only raise awareness for great causes, but also assist in the development of the next great Formula 1 champion," said Scott Taylor, president of TAOW Productions. "We are quite excited to have both Kanye and Rodney support our efforts of using this platform to spread the word about these charitable organizations."

The Kanye West Formula BMW USA car will be driven by Philip Major, a 17-year-old driver from Ottawa, Ontario. Major was recently chosen as the Motorsport Club of Ottawa Novice driver of the year and awarded the Dewar Trophy. He will be joining the AIM Autosport team for the World Finals. Philip Major's website is www.majorspeed.com

The Formula BMW World Finals is a competition between the best drivers from the world's regional Formula BMW series. The second annual event is being held November 24th-26th in Valencia, Spain and will include 38 drivers from 18 countries. www.formulabmwusa.com

Rocafella.com Blog Contest winner Eskay, of NahRight.com reports on JAY-Z's NYC stop on the Hangar Tour!

I just caught the New York installment of JAY's Hangar Tour on Pier 54 at the Westside Highway and 14th Street. The performance was predictably bananas, as is any show JAY gives in his hometown, even though it was the shortest hip hop show I've ever seen in my life. of course that's somewhat understandable, seeing as JAY was in the process of making history. As far as I know, this show was the only one of the 7 that was held outdoors. In the Northeast. In November. Near a river.

What I'm trying to say is, it started to get pretty damn cold out there. It didn't help that JAY was running about 20-30 minutes or so behind schedule either. But this is New York, and it's JAY we're talking about, so you could have had us out there for hours with 20 below temperatures and the crowd would have been live. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but you get what I'm saying.

So as I'm standing there shivering, I start wondering how in the hell they were gonna get JAY and his entourage onto the pier smoothly, seeing as it was packed with fans and an MTV crew there to record the proceedings for a special broadcast. Was he going to parachute in from a helicopter? Emerge from the Hudson River in a submarine? Beam down from the G5 on some Captain Kirk sh*t?

Actually they brought motorcade right up the side of the pier through a specially cleared lane that I had failed to notice on the way in. Not bad, but the submarine thing would have been hotter. Maybe next time.

JAY's DJ for the day, Green Lantern took the stage and started spinning some records while the sound and lighting people made sure everything was straight. When JAY finally took the stage it was pure pandemonium. I've seen JAY perform live before, but never in such a small setting. It was crazy to see how that infectious energy just poured off the stage into the audience.

Hov set it off with the title track from the new album and then launched into a couple of his proven crowd movers: "Public Service Announcement" and "You Don't Know." He followed those up with "30 Something," also from the new album, and although only me and about 6 or 7 other people knew the words, it got a damn good reception from the crowd. JAY continued with a couple holder hits, "Jigga My Nigga," and "H To The Izzo," then he let the crowd get their own taste of the spotlight. After spitting a couple of bars of "Big Pimpin," JAY fell back and watched as the crowd spit his entire verse acapella.

Next up was "I Just Wanna Love You", which does it every time, followed by his current single "Show Me What You Got." I have to admit that this song is probably one of my least favorite from KC, but man it sounds so much better when it's being performed live. That huge Just Blaze sound translates really well on a stage. JAY ended the show with "Encore," took a couple of pictures on stage and got his Kaiser Soze on, off to Chicago. It was a great show, JAY gave the world class performance his fans have to come to expect, and inched one city closer to making history.

Pre-Order the most anticipated album of the year, JAY-Z's KINGDOM COME on Rocafella.com!

Click here to buy!

JAY-Z PREPARES UNPRECEDENTED RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM KINGDOM COME

"HANGAR TOUR" HITS 7 CITIES IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS

PERFORMANCE ON THE 2006 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (ABC)

JOINS EXCLUSIVE LIST OF GQ'S "MEN OF THE YEAR"

The countdown has begun to Tuesday, November 21st and the release of JAY-Z's 2-disc deluxe set, KINGDOM COME, his first solo studio album since his retirement in 2003.

On Saturday, November 18th, in celebration of the release, JAY-Z will touch down and perform 30 minute shows in seven cities within 24 hours. As part of a very unique promotion 2 lucky winners in each city will get a chance to join the entourage and continue the "Hangar Tour" journey on JAY-Z's private jet.

JAY-Z's "Hangar Tour," presented by Cingular, will kick off in Atlanta at 6am for the 1st of seven shows in less than 24 hours. Touching down in Atlanta, Philadelphia, DC, New Jersey, Chicago, Los Angeles and ending in Las Vegas, JAY-Z will perform 30 minute sets and take 2 lucky winners from each show on the G3 to continue the nationwide trip. MTV will have exclusive coverage of shows in DC, New Jersey and Chicago and MTV correspondent, Sway, will bring "behind the scenes" highlights from the plane, backstage and everything in between. Fans will be able to get updates all day on MTV and online at MTV.com and, additionally, MTV will air a half-hour special highlighting the tour at 4:00pm EST on Sunday, November 19th.

On release date of KINGDOM COME, Tuesday, November 21st, JAY-Z will make his debut primetime performance of the smash single, "SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT" on the 2006 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS broadcast (ABC).

JAY-Z has also just joined the exclusive list of GQ Magazine's "Men Of The Year." Shot by Terry Richardson, the December cover will hit stands on JAY-Z's release date, Tuesday, November 21st.

The release of KINGDOM COME is hot on the heels of JAY-Z's Global Express Tour. The tour hit over 20 countries on 4 continents. While on tour, JAY-Z participated in the Water For Life campaign in conjunction with the UN and MTV with the mission to raise awareness on the world's water crisis. His trip was documented by MTV News and the program, Diary of JAY-Z: Water for Life will air on Friday, November 24th on MTV. In Tanzania and Nigeria, JAY-Z christened 2 of the first of 10 pumps he is sponsoring in the region.

Stay tuned for more Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter news.

Don't miss JAY-Z and Kanye West in the premiere of Johnny Cash's new video "God's Gonna Cut You Down" on MTV TOMORROW, November 9th, at 11PM. For more information go to mtv.com.

Don't miss JAY-Z and Kanye West in the premiere of Johnny Cash's new video "God's Gonna Cut You Down" on MTV TOMORROW, November 9th, at 11PM. For more information go to mtv.com.

CLICK HERE to pre-order the iTunes Deluxe edition of JAY-Z's comeback album, KINGDOM COME featuring the joints that have been blowing up radio stations worldwide, "Show Me What You Got" and "Kingdom Come." As a bonus with your pre-order, you'll get the "Show Me What You Got" video, and the pre-order iTunes EXCLUSIVE bonus track, "44 Fours."

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER KINGDOM COME NOW!!!!!]]> 102771 Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=102675

Don’t miss JAY-Z’s Video “Show Me What You Got” Premiering on Monday 10/16 on MTV’s TRL at 3:30pm!!!

ALSO, Premiering on MTV’s Suckerfree at 7PM on Monday 10/16!!

In response to the cancellation of his upcoming concert in Shanghai, JAY-Z has issued the following statement:

"I look forward to rescheduling my concert date in Shanghai. This world tour has been a life changing experience and it has only been made better by touching the fans that I am seeing for the first time."

We were gonna let you guys hear this next week, but it's too good to keep under wraps. Rocafella.com proudly presents the brand new single from JAY-Z, "Show Me What You Got."

CLICK HERE to listen!

As part of JAY-Z's voyage to bring awareness of the world water crisis, he is building 10 PlayPumps in Africa. Each PlayPump can be named, but JAY-Z is having a bit of a hard time coming up with a name.

Email us with your suggestions!

Get the latest on JAY-Z's mission to bring awareness to the world water crisis as he travels around the world on his world tour. Log on to WaterForLife.mtv.com to read his tour diary and see photos of JAY-Z and crew on the road!

Hova's gearing up for his upcoming world tour that's hitting up cities all over the globe. Check out some of the stops scheduled, and start making your travel plans now!

September 9 - Krakow, Poland (Coca Cola SW Live Festival)
September 10 - Bratislava, Slovakia (Incheba)
September 15 - Amsterdam, Netherlands (Heinekien)
September 16 - Mannheim, Germany (Maimarkthalle)
September 17 - Istanbul, Turkey (Refresh The Venue)
September 19 - Athens, Greece (Olympic Arena)
September 21 - Manchester, UK (MEN Arena)
September 22 - Glasgow, UK (SECC)
September 23 - Birmingham, UK (NIA)
September 24 - London, UK (Wembley Arena)
September 26 - Dublin, Ireland (The Point)
September 27 - London, UK (Royal Albert Hall)
September 29 - Paris, France (Zenith)
September 30 - Milan, Italy (Fiera di Milano) (MTV Event)
October 04 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Diamond Jubilee)
October 06 - Accra, Ghana (Accra Conference Center)
October 07 - Lagos, Nigeria (Ocean View)
October 09 - Luanda, Angola (Cine Karl Max)
October 11 - Cape Town, South Africa (Belleville Velodrome)
October 13 - Durban, South Africa (ABSA Stadium Outer Fields)
October 14 - Johannesburg, South Africa (Coca Cola Dome)
October 18 - Bangkok, Thailand (BEC Tero Hall)
October 20 - Seoul, Korea (Olympic Gymnasium)
October 21 - Taipei, Taiwan (Taipei Dome)
October 23 - Shanghai, China (Hong Kou Stadium)
October 25 - Sydney, Australia (Entertainment Centre)
October 26 - Brisbane, Australia (Entertainment Centre)
October 28 - Melbourne, Australia (Rod Laver Arena)

Congratulations to IDJ for receiving the following nominations for the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards 2006 !!!

The MOBO Awards 2006 is set to be one of the most exciting shows in its 11-year history. For the first time ever the event will be broadcast LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall on September 26th, 2006.

Best Song In Association with Galaxy
Beyonce f/ JAY-Z "Deja Vu"

Best International Male
JAY-Z
Kanye West

Best Video in Association with MTV Base
Beyonce f/ JAY-Z "Deja Vu"

Best Hip-Hop
Kanye West

** For a full list of the nominations check out www.mobo.com**

Congratulations to IDJ for receiving the following nominations for the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards 2006 !!!

The MOBO Awards 2006 is set to be one of the most exciting shows in its 11-year history. For the first time ever the event will be broadcast LIVE from the Royal Albert Hall on September 26th, 2006.

Best Song In Association with Galaxy
Beyonce f/ JAY-Z "Deja Vu"

Best International Male
JAY-Z
Kanye West

Best Video in Association with MTV Base
Beyonce f/ JAY-Z "Deja Vu"

Best Hip-Hop
Kanye West

** For a full list of the nominations check out www.mobo.com**

Jayreem hails from Philadelphia, PA and is one of the many registered members of Rocafella.com! He's an MC that you can catch spitting lyrics on the Rocafella forums, which is accessible only to site members.

Check out Jayreem's profile and send him a message!

As a registered member, Jayreem has access to not only the forums, but the chatrooms and gets special updates on Roc-A-Fella Records artists, amongst other great things. Sign up now and get these perks and more for yourself!

The nominees for the MTV Video Music Awards were recently announced and your boy Kanye West is up for two awards:

Best Male Video "Gold Digger"
Best Hip Hop Video "Gold Digger"

FASHION ROCKS™… AGAIN!

CONDÉ NAST MEDIA GROUP PRESENTS THIRD ANNUAL LIVE CONCERT AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

MUSIC AND STYLE ICON ELTON JOHN TO CURATE AND PERFORM

Musical performances by Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, The Black Eyed Peas, Daddy Yankee, Jamie Foxx, Nelly Furtado, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Scissor Sisters and Kanye West, among other top recording artists: Two Hour Special to air September 8, 2006 on CBS

FASHION ROCKS™ returns for a third time with a live concert on September 7, 2006 at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. A collision of style and sound, the star-studded fashion and music spectacular will kick off Fashion Week with a nationally televised special celebrating the relationship between fashion and music to air on the CBS Television Network, Friday, September 8, 2006 (9:00-11:00, ET/PT); Proceeds from the show will benefit the Elton John AIDS foundation.

Music and style icon Elton John joins the production as curator; bringing his inimitable sense of fashion and legendary musical genius to the show with unexpected artist pairings and an homage to classic songs by today’s freshest talent.

“We are delighted to have Elton curating the show,” said Richard D. Beckman, president of Condé Nast Media Group and an executive producer of the evening’s production. “He’s always been an outrageous fashion icon and one of the greatest musical artists of all time. He’s the epitome of what the show’s all about.”

The concert also boasts performances by Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, The Black Eyed Peas, Daddy Yankee, Jamie Foxx, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Nelly Furtado, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Scissor Sisters and Kanye West, along with other top recording artists.

Fashion industry powerhouse KCD, known for its work with designers such as Calvin Klein, Versace and Marc Jacobs, will produce fashion segments for the show; pairing the height of design with the world’s hottest models in sizzling presentations full of surprises.

“Fashion and music have always been inextricably linked,” said Beckman. “People will never forget the day the Beatles walked off the plane; David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, John Travolta strutting in Saturday Night Fever or Madonna as the “material girl.” You can’t think about Hip-Hop without visualizing its style along with the beat. Today, the worlds of fashion and music are merging faster then ever, with multiple artists including Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and JAY-Z, capitalizing on this synergy by launching fashion lines of their own. Fashion Rocks™ celebrates this unique marriage and promises to be one of the most exciting shows of the year.”

Executive producers of Fashion Rocks are Anthony Eaton, executive director and president of Tall Pony Productions and Richard D. Beckman, president of Condé Nast Media Group. Anthony Eaton has produced videos that have won GRAMMY® Awards, Cable Aces, NAACP Awards, and numerous film festival honors.

Fans looking for insider information on Fashion Rocks can log on to fashionrocks06.com beginning July 5, 2006 for up to the minute talent updates, fashion and beauty editorials, blogs, contests, and much, much more.

Fashion Rocks™ is sponsored by four key advertisers including Chevrolet, Cingular, Citi and L’Oreal Paris.

The Condé Nast Media Group, a unit of Condé Nast Publications, includes corporate sales, marketing, interactive and direct sales efforts for all of Condé Nast’s consumer magazines and websites. The Condé Nast Media Group is recognized as an industry leader for its creation and execution of large-scale, integrated, multi-platform advertising programs and events.

CONGRATS to KANYE WEST on his award for BEST COLLABORATION with Jamie Foxx on "Gold Digger" at last nights BET Awards!

JAY-Z: Whats up everybody!! Welcome. I'm still hung over from the high of last night so I might be a little slow, so bear with me

wajihah: How long did it take you to write Reasonable Doubt?

JAY-Z: That was the one album that was written from the time I was born until 1996 (from the time i started rapping, like 9 years old).

whitemike009: Jay -- i dont think anyone has ever shut down MSG and Radio City like you did -- how do you compare performing in those two Venues? How long until you shut down The Park? Carnegie Hall?

JAY-Z: Playing The Garden was more of a life long dream. Radio City was a step for hip-hop culture to take a person that's rapping the lyrics that are on REASONABLE DOUBT juxtaposed with a 50 piece orchestra. They're a whole different vibe, but each was equally as satisfying and historic. Carnegie hall here we come!

JFB web miss: Why are you doing an international tour?

JAY-Z: First, I really wanted to visit a lot of places I hadn't been. Why not go there and bring the music people have been listening to for 10 years and let them experience that and then see how they react to the music?

greeneyesmami06: What's your favorite part of your job?

JAY-Z: I guess working alongside new artists in the case of Rihanna. That was a year or so process. She came in really green to the industry, and to see her grow and actually become a superstar or to see how big Kanye has gotten is just great.

JDSmallz: Any news on Foxy Brown?

JAY-Z: Foxy Brown has completely recovered and got her hearing back. She will be back in the studio next month

mainy_org:Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

JAY-Z: That's hard to say. There are so many opportunities out there, but with every move I make, I always have the culture in mind--so whatever I do is going to open doors for the next generation

drush: Will you put your performace at the Radio City Music Hall on DVD? If so, when?

JAY-Z: Well, we taped it, but we're going to see what it looks like first and make a decision from there

thewatcherbk: What made you decide to do the tracks in reverse order this weekend?

JAY-Z: I think some of the most powerful tracks were in the beginning, but I wanted to start reflective; it's a night that's not only about that album, but about a time period. That's why I wanted to start in a reflective mode

irish*cutie: In your own opinion, what was the highlight of your concert last night?

JAY-Z: I believe that everyone thought Mary was going to come out, who couldn't be there because she's working on her tour, and then when Beyonce came out people went crazy. (And of course the overtime when we got into some other material).

JAY-Z: People's fascination with beef and how beef sells is what makes it continue. When the people let artists know that they are fed up with it, it will obviously have to stop.

NAVIN: What song on Reasonable Doubt is your favorite?

JAY-Z: It's tough because I love the album so much, but the highlights would be: "Can I Live," "D'evils," and "Dead Presidents".

True: Will you appear on Nas' Def Jam debut Hip Hop Is Dead?

JAY-Z: Absolutely!

Bey-Z: Have you shot the video for "Deja Vu" yet?

JAY-Z: Yeah, we shot it last Wednesday in Louisiana,

youngnic21: When is the new Freeway album dropping?

JAY-Z: September

shizzawn2: Did you ever think that you would become as big as you are today?

JAY-Z: To answer the question, there was no way to predict the places that hip-hop has taken me. I always knew I would be successful, but I didn't know to what level.

niloyoung: What made you decide to do the 44 four's? And can we get it on the radio?

JAY-Z: It's on Hot 97 right now! They're playing the bootleg version. I believe at the time I did 22 2's i thought it was clever. I felt like I had to out-clever the cleverness. How clever is that?

Cap: Who`s your favorite producer at the moment?

JAY-Z: Dr. Dre--the all time greatest. Also, Rick Rubin is highly favored and very prolific

MoMoneyMoProblems99: What new Def Jam artists are you excited about?

JAY-Z: That's going to be tough because I don't want to offend anybody.

ninasamone: You are so silly, I love how you stay down to earth....what keeps you grounded?

JAY-Z: LOL... the boxing game on X-Box very relaxing and keeps you grounded

mc2da: Who's coming with you on the UK tour?

JAY-Z: It's a global tour. I hope to have The Roots on some dates and maybe Rihanna and Ne-Yo. We'll see...

Kappachin023: Since you and Beyonce have such a great chemistry together on record, have you thought about a Bonnie and Clyde album... maybe Jay and B. together for like 16 tracks?

JAY-Z: The last time I tried that it ended with horrrible results... don't think I'll be trying that again. Can anybody say "Best of Both Worlds"?

mouse717: In the Hustlin' Remix, was the verse you said your response to Cam? And whats happened since?

JAY-Z: My verse is really, and always has been, about current affairs and things I like to do... LOL

trueblue27: Are the Young Gunz and Memphis Bleek back in studio working on new albums?

JAY-Z: Young Chris is working on a solo album as well as Bleek.

jerseyshere14: My favorite part of Saturday's show was when you put the mic down let the audience handle the lyrics, so as an artist, how does it feel to have your work LOVED by so many people?

JAY-Z: It's an indescribable feeling to know that you created something out of thin air that's so tangible... and people feel so strongly about it, that they know it verbatim.

KiaNicole: What do you most want to be remembered as?

JAY-Z: As a good person, hard worker, rebel, and I'm working on some other things...

phenomenalwoman@comcast.net: Have you ever been in front of a crowd that did not respond to you?

JAY-Z: Can anybody say Puff Daddy world tour? LOL

arballer2005: How was it when you met Bill Gates?

JAY-Z: The guy is so inteligent; it's very humbling. The funny thing about that meeting is that they tried to prep our meeting--meaning they asked me what I was going to talk to him about, and naturally I said 'Is someone in there prepping him how to speak to me?' But when I got in there, he was cool. The first question he asked me was about Def Jam, which was real cool.

SOHH: Did you think reach out to Jaz-O or Nas to join you on stage last night

JAY-Z: Yeah, I did, but he (Jaz-O) continued to air out things in public. So I figured, what's the sense? He's still holding onto baggage. And as far as Nas, we already did that at the I Declare War show.

aj52pub1: Jay, which video did you enjoy making most?

JAY-Z: Big Pimpin'. I don't know why... wink wink.

pauliez: Does the infamous Jay Z life ever get old?

JAY-Z: Yeah, when you're eating and theres a camera lens on your spaghetti.

youngnic21: Is it true that Big L was primed to join the Roc when he died?

JAY-Z: Yeah, he had just made a record called "Ebonics" a week before he passed. We were going to sign him the following week.

Cap: When's the last time you wrote a verse down?

JAY-Z: The 2nd verse of "Can I Live"

rome23513: What's your best memory of B.I.G?

JAY-Z: There are so many memories that I have about him. He was just so charismatic, and such a likeable guy.

monylove41: Do you still get nervous when you get on stage?

JAY-Z: Last night, when i got in the car before the stage opened. They had to cover it with this black thing so you couldn't see the car off the side of the stage, and it was pitch black. It was taking a little long, so my mouth was getting dry and I didn't think I was going to be able to start the first verse...LOL

CaliLove19: "Only dudes movin units: Em, Pimp Juice and Us" now that you and Eminem have taken a step back -- where do you see The Game and the whole industry going?

JAY-Z: You know, I believe that the game moves in cycles, and I believe there will be another wave of superstars to move the game forward. If I had to name one person I would have to say Lupe is making the most creative, different new music. It's fresh!

mah: What the best part of being JAY-Z?

JAY-Z: Last night's performance, when everyone sang the whole album word for word--that didn't suck.

Big_A: Why do you think New York is no longer on top?

JAY-Z: Because the game has to move in cycles, and everyone gets their chance. That's the beauty of hip-hop.

manatarms: Who's the rookie of the year?

JAY-Z: Lil' Wayne for sure

rome23513: When is Jeezy's next album dropping?

JAY-Z: September... watch out for a record called "Bury Me A G". Incredible!

Goddegree: How do you decide who gets on Rocafella or on Def Jam?

JAY-Z: Out of all fairness, it's supposed to go back on forth. One Def Jam, one Rocafella. But because I'm a fair guy at heart, if someone really wants to be on Def Jam, it's cool, or vice versa.

Spox: What do You Think about Dj Premier vs Christina Aguilera or Scott Storch vs Paris Hilton Collabos?

JAY-Z: I think its cool when genres of music mix. It's hard to put things in a box that way. It just has to be good

manman1981: Do you plan on signing anymore big name artists?

JAY-Z: Well, we just signed Fabolous. So i mean of course we'd love to have all the big name artists we can get without poaching.

Litoilladel: How angry were you with the whole Cristal being anti-Hip-Hop?

JAY-Z: I'm angry with anybody who we support and is not absolutely 100% thrilled for us to endorse their products without being paid.

donjean82: As a CEO, who do you think is your biggest competition in the game?

JAY-Z: I would have to say Jimmy Iovine, because not only is he a brilliant marketer and business man, but we was also a producer. He can speak from an artists' level also, so it's difficult.

pauliez: Whose idea was it to put the orchestra into the concert?

JAY-Z: Everything is my idea... mine! mine! mine! Nah, it was a collective decision. John Meneilly and Quest were involved.

shanene77: How would would you rate Bush as a president?

JAY-Z: The worst in my memory. Insert Kanye Quote here.

texashg85: You said on Hot 97 that you wanted the "Reasonable Doubt Purists" to be in the audience last night. Do you think you achieved what you wanted?

JAY-Z: Absolutely. I saw females singing the whole album the entire time. It was unbelieveable. And that was a pretty hard, male oriented album.

youngnic21: "George Bush doesn't care about Black people" where were you at the time and what was your reaction?

JAY-Z: I didn't acutally see it live some one sent me the tape, so I heard about it first. When I saw his face and how nervous and revved up he was, I was proud of him. He spoke from the heart.

brandon-j: How is it like owning an NBA Team, how challenging is it?

JAY-Z: The only challenge I would say is having to make time to schedule board meetings, but everything else is sweet--and beyond a dream come true.

BKOfficial55: What are the chances of you opening the Nets' New Arena with a concert? Would Performing in BK outshine filling up MSG?

JAY-Z: That's an incredible idea... you should get paid for those thoughts.

youngnic21: Will there ever be any more JAY-Z/Sauce Money collabs in the future?

JAY-Z: It was great performing with him last night, so that could be possible.

djjohnbe: How did you get involved with HP --- what do you think that commercial meant for Hip-Hop?

JAY-Z: I think it was another form of acceptance from a high level company. They reached out to me through Steve Stoute.

Bey-Z: What's the most important part of your life right now??

JAY-Z: Not to sound corny like 'saving the world', but making sure I represent us and the culture in a positive way, and pushing myself into doors that would not normally let us in--and then leaving them the f*** open.

JAY-Z: That's about it... I had a great time chatting with you guys.

In case you missed your 1 minute window to purchase tickets to see JAY-Z's sold out concert this Sunday at Radio City Music Hall, he is giving a sneak peek to friends, family and making a limited number of tickets available to the public. Billed as a Special Preview Rehearsal Performance of Sunday's Radio City date, a limited number of tickets for a Saturday show go on sale through Ticketmaster Friday, June 23rd at 5:00 pm. The show is at Nokia Theater in Times Square on June 24th at 8:30 pm. JAY-Z is slated to perform his first album REASONABLE DOUBT, in its entirety with musical direction by the Roots Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson on both nights.

Mark June 26th down on your calendars, as JAY-Z will be returning to the Roc-A-Fella chat room to talk directly to YOU! Start coming up with some good questions now, and keep in mind that Hov's already legendary show at Radio City Music Hall will be taking place the night before!

The chat will begin approximately at 7pm EST, and is only open to registered members of rocafella.com. Not a registered member? Sign up here for free!

Kanye West's COLLEGE DROPOUT VIDEO ANTHOLOGY DVD was recently certified Gold by the RIAA! The DVD features all of the videos from Kanye's debut album, including all of the versions of "Jesus Walks," making it a must-have in everyone's DVD collection!

Cultural icon Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter will be featured in a 60-second TV ad tonight during the NBA Finals as part of HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again” marketing campaign.

The spot, which makes its global debut during the June 8 game on ABC (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT), will focus on the multiple facets of JAY-Z’s professional and personal life that are enhanced by computer technology. These include mixing music and discovering new talent as a record company president and chief executive officer, sharing vacation photos, reviewing the design of new arena plans for Brooklyn, N.Y., planning the itinerary for an upcoming world tour, and reviewing his retirement portfolio.

HP is investing several hundred million dollars in this first-ever global marketing campaign for its Personal Systems Group. Launched in the United States on May 9, the TV and web elements of the campaign feature celebrities, noteworthy business people and other recognizable figures revealing how their PCs are personal to them through the content they keep on their systems.

JAY-Z first became interested in HP computers after seeing the impact they have on students involved in the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund. The fund was created in 2003 and is spearheaded by JAY-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter, to provide disadvantaged youth, non-traditional high school graduates, GED recipients, and those who have been formerly incarcerated an opportunity to fulfill their desire to attend college.

In addition to JAY-Z, U.S. Olympic gold medalist and professional snowboarder Shaun White has participated in the campaign. Additional personalities will be made public in the coming weeks, with the ads and original, behind-the-scenes online extras available in the “Viewing Room” at www.hp.com/personal.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2006, HP revenue totaled $88.9 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com

ROC LA FAMILIA & HECTOR BAMBINO ‘EL FATHER’ PRESENT LOS ROMPE DISCOTEKAS SET FOR JUNE 20TH RELEASE ON ROC LA FAMILIA / DEF JAM

HOT NEW SINGLE “HERE WE GO YO” FEATURES JAY-Z aka “EL PRESIDENTE”

Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Hector Bambino “El Father” kicks in the door with his debut album on Roc La Familia – the new wordl music enterprise from JAY-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records. His new joint, Roc La Familia & Hector Bambino "El Father" Present Los Rompe Discotekas, is destined to shake up the urban world on and off la isla when it hits the streets on June 20, 2006. The album features heavyweights from both the reggaeton and hip-hop worlds. Notable guests, including Don Omar, Wisin Y Yandel, Fat Joe, Memphis Bleek, Alexis Y Fido, YOMO, Freeway, add a new dimension to “El Father’s” patented rapid-fire delivery and infectious beats. The first single, “Here We Go Yo,” sets it off with a special appearance from rap icon, JAY-Z aka “El Presidente,” who makes his own state of la union address on the track by proclaiming his alliance with Bambino: “Young Hov in the place to be…Hector Bambino is running with me…R.O.C. is the family…R.O.C. is the family.”

"Hector Bambino represents the ideal behind Roc La Famlilia,” says Def Jam President & CEO Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter. “Roc La Familia exists because world music has evolved, it now blends contemporary styles such as hip-hop, rock and electronica with traditional and roots music. Hector blends genres and brings real stories and messages to the listener. His huge following and his passion for the music made us immediately realize that this is the right first release for Roc La Familia and we are in business with the right artist."

Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Hector Bambino “El Father” has been a leader in the burgeoning reggaeton movement since his teens. Although he is still in his 20s, Hector has had an extensive music career. During the mid 90´s Hector came to fame as part of the duet Hector and Tito; they won a Billboard Latin Music Award and became the first reggaeton artists to sell out a stadium in Puerto Rico. Their success paved the way to commercial success for artists such as Tego Calderon, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Wisin y Yandel. In 2005 Hector El Bambino debuted as a solo artist in Pasto, Colombia, in front of 60,000 fans. Many of his songs became big hits across Latin America and the U.S, including “Noche de Travesuras”, “Los Rompe Discotecas”, “Vamos pa la calle”, “Noche de Terror” and “Mirandonos”. Last year, “El Father” signed an agreement with hip-hop superstar JAY-Z whose belief in the movement is sure to provide him with the kind of worldwide stage his talent deserves.

Hector Bambino “El Father” was recently honored with a 2006 Latin Billboard Award in the new category, “Reggaeton Song of the Year,” for his featured appearance on the song, “Mayor Que Yo” by Baby Ranks from the Mas Flow Vol.2 compilation album from Luny Tunes. Also featured on the tracks were Daddy Yankee, Tonny Tun Tun and Winsin Y Yandel.

ABOUT ROC LA FAMILIA: Roc La Familia is an extension of Roc-A-Fella Records and headquartered in New York. Roc La Familia will feature a broad array of artists encompassing such musical genres as Latin hip-hop, reggae, reggaeton, pop, rock and more. The first two superstar releases from the label will come from famed artists Hector Bambino “El Father” (Roc La Familia & Hector Bambino “El Father” Present Los Rompe Discotekas--June 20, 2006) and N.O.R.E (N.O.R.E. Y La Familia…Ya Tu Sabe—July 18, 2006).

Hector Bambino "El Father" won a Latin Billboard Award in the new category of Best Reggaeton Song of the Year for the single "Mayor Que Yo" featuring Hector, Baby Ranks, Daddy Yankee, Tonny Tun Tun, Winsin y Yandel! Hector was nominated in a total of four categories!

Freeway will be hitting up MTV's DFX soon with Whoo Kid and Lloyd Banks! He'll be performing a song from Whoo Kid's latest mixtape! The episode is tentatively scheduled to air on May 16th! Don't miss it!

Check out the new video by N.O.R.E. "Mas Maiz" premiering as the NEW JOINT of the DAY TONIGHT at 6pm EST on 106& Park!!

JAY-Z: Welcome everybody to the monthly chat. I'm very honored to sit down and chat with you guys. Let's have an open dialog. Holla at ya boy!

Tha Show:Just in case you become the world's richest person, what other philanthropic things would you do with your wealth?

JAY-Z:Wow... The greatest example of philanthropy I see is Bill Gates. He gives away one billion dollars a year. I would love to set a number and make sure I live by that number each year.... that number to give away.

benhillshawty: How do I get my music to you?

JAY-Z:There's many ways you can get your music to me.First off the address to the record company is on the back of the CDs.The second is to create a buzz for yourself and I'll come find you.

NAVIN:Yo Jay what's your favorite movie?

JAY-Z:It's split between Godfather II and True Romance.

EsqMrs:Okay can you tell us anything about Foxy's situation....album etc.

JAY-Z:Foxy's surgery was a success. She's in recovery now.

JPoloEnT:JAY-Z, Any plans to open a 40/40 in L.A.?

JAY-Z:Yeah. Me and Magic are planning on opening one. We're looking for real estate now.

Abbyserena:What are you thoughts about the music industry today and how it evolved to something new and great?

JAY-Z:Today its in a bit of a struggle because of all the challenges we face within the digital world. But as long as we keep pushing the envelope creatively, we'll survive this and be around forever. Music is forever.

steeldiplomat86: Hey Jay, how as the experience of having your mother on your last album?

JAY-Z:It was a beautiful thing. It was actually her birthday. I just told her to meet me at the studio. I didn't tell her why. Then afterwards we went out and had a wonderful time.

OmarDaOne:Jay, do you think you'd ever do a song with Lauryn Hill?

JAY-Z:I respect her as an artist. I love her. If the opportunity ever presented itself, yes!

juss_lyke_jigga:Jay can you tell us about Fabolous signing to Def Jam?

JAY-Z:Yeah. It's a Brooklyn thing. Street Family!!!!!!!!!!

Johnnie_Black:Who's your favourite rapper alive Jay?

JAY-Z: Right now, I don't have a favorite rapper, but right now I'm listening to Lil' Wayne and T.I.

Spox:What is your opinion on those milions of "colorful" remixes of The Black Album on the net ??

JAY-Z:I love it. I encourage creativity in any form. I believe it gave a longer life to The Black Album.

roc_army:What you think about Lupe Fiasco?

JAY-Z:I think he's one of the most creative new guys in the game right now.

kianicole:Which artist are you most excited about on Def Jam?

JAY-Z:That wouldn't be fair! But I guess Rick Ross because of his major buzz on the streets. But there's too many to really name.

Suha:What's up, "Sir Hova of Brooklyn!" How did it feel to perform with Paul McCartney?

JAY-Z:I can't say it was a dream come true because I could never imagine being on stage with a Beatle, but it was a dream, and an honor.Top of the mornin' to ya.

ROC THE MIC:Could you tell us about Free's project?

JAY-Z:Freeway's project is coming along great. He's about 75% done, 50's done his part, and now next week me and Freeway are going to the studio to close out the album.

This:Do you listen the demos that you recieve?? ?? ??

JAY-Z: No... it's impossible. I listen to artists that have some sort of buzz on them or ones that my A&R staff find. I have the biggest A&R staff in the business. This company is creatively driven

Guest:Do you ever go to the Marcy Projects?

JAY-Z:Of course. It's my home

]]> 101687 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 22:00:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101689 designedbymo:Whats the latest on "Your favorite hue"

JAY-Z:We're actually in the process of getting it submitted to the pantone chart. It's absolutely going to be an official color.

Guest: What's Shyne's situation at Def Jam?

JAY-Z:Shyne is a boss in his own right, so whatever he's ready to do when he gets home, we're going to accomodate him.

M.:Do you like the new "Roc-a-Florida" (Slip n' Slide) artists being on Def Jam?

JAY-Z:I'm excited about the partnership with Ted Lucas and the first act coming out is Rick Ross with his major record and the buzz he has. We're all excited about it.

eddymac:What was your favorite album? Besides Reasonable Doubt.

JAY-Z:The Chronic, Paid In Full, Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall", Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the key of life", U2 "The Joshua Tree", Lauryn HIll "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" and of course, Biggie's second album.I know I'm gonna get a lot of flack, but I like the second one better. Sorry.

This: How did you find Ne-Yo?? ?? ??

JAY-Z: A young lady by the name of Tina Davis was thinking about signing him. This is before I was at Def Jam in the role I'm in now. She asked me to listen to him, and I gave her a bunch of thoughts over the blackberry about what I thought about each song. Then I didn't hear about it for a couple of months.I guess she signed it with LA and when I came in as President, I asked "Where's the guy, Ne-Yo." Then myself, Ty-Ty, Jay Brown, along with LA and everybody worked on the project.

jiggamanfan06:Are the Nets still moving to Brooklyn?

JAY-Z:YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hazard304:Going back would you ever change any album or record you have done?

JAY-Z:I would change Volume 1. It was so close to being a classic with songs like Streets is Watchin, Where I'm From, You Must Love Me, Lucky Me, etc...I think I ruined it with two or three records.

BigAB1789:Are you proud of your job at Def Jam so far?

JAY-Z:I would rate myself a solid B. We actually had a fantastic year as far as all the numbers go. We ended the year at #2 market share overall. A solid B

Rahulinho:What is your favourite track on The Black Album, (mine is "Threat")

JAY-Z:Encore and PSA. It's a tie.

C.Friday:What would you like to change in your life?

JAY-Z:I wanna get up later and go to sleep earlier

actionkeisha:Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

JAY-Z:On the beach. heh

Suha:What's your favorite place to go and relax.

JAY-Z:Can't really say. If I do, it's gonna get really crowded, then I won't be relaxing

kholla: Are you looking forward to working with Nas?

JAY-Z:Yeah, I think it'll be historic. very interesting. Just an incredible creative process. His lyricism/song making abilities coupled with my songwriting/lyricism abilities should be a great combination.

dds43210:What is the hardest thing you've come across in your time at Def Jam

JAY-Z:Just the routine of doing the same thing over again. There's a meeting every Wednesday. I have a meeting every monday.

jiji:How do you think Rihanna is coping right now..being young and quite new to the biz..what have you taught her?

JAY-Z: To be honest with you... she's working too hard. I almost feel bad. I signed her 9 months ago. She's going on her second album which comes out april 25th (shameless plug). She's had 3 top 10 singles in a row and had a worldwide platinum album (500,000 US and 500,000 outside the US). She needs a vacation!

designeroner:Have you been working with anybody from Roc La Familia. Yes, Tru-life. We have a NORE reggaeton album coming out and a Hector Bambino compilation coming out and Aztek.

Rahulinho: Have you peeped Jin's "F*ck JAY-Z" track?

JAY-Z: It's clever.]]> 101689 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:03:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101690 Johnnie_Black:Jay did anybody ever told you that you couldn't rap? Tried to put you down?

JAY-Z:All the time.If you're gonna make it in this business, you gotta have a strong belief in yourself. For every two people that love you, there's gonna be two people that hate you.

martini:Who do you think is the greatest producer around now? and who is your favourite to work with??

JAY-Z:It's a toss up between Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre for the greatest producer. Right now, I think Kanye is the best out now and my favorite to work with, although I have a great time with Timbaland and Pharrell

Hazard304: What is your process for making a song when first getting the beat?

JAY-Z: I try to figure out what the song is saying and what emotion does it convey. That's the first thing I think about.

shamarr: How do you stay so grounded, fam? What keeps you so chill? How do you stay so focused?

JAY-Z:Wow, that's a great question. I guess because success or money don't change you. It enhances who you already were. Since I was already cool, I'm super duper duper cool. Hahahahaha...and really modest.

Rahulinho:What was the first thing you bought after your first check in this buisness

JAY-Z: You must not know too much about the rap business. Hahah. "Waitin on royalties..." Ghostface said.

platinumdiva:If you could work with any artist (dead or alive) that you have NOT worked with, who would it be? (male or female)

JAY-Z:Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, etc... It goes on forever.

tmontana:Jay, I just got meat suace on my pants. What should I do?

JAY-Z:Hahahahahahahahaha.

JPoloEnT:How do you feel about acting? Any plans for any movies in the future?

JAY-Z:Yeah... I hope to eventually get around to that.

Birdie06: How would you describe the rap game in this time period?

JAY-Z: It feels like it's waiting on the next movement, the next generation of stars.

pharell360:What are your thoughts about Fishscale that faces a great start ?

JAY-Z:I think it's one of the most creative albums in hip-hop in a long time. It's Ghost at his best. We had a strong debut.

kianicole:What's your favorite city to perform in besides your hometown NY?

JAY-Z:It's between Philly and Virginia.

milman:Did u start free stylin before u started writing?

JAY-Z: No... I started writing first.

T: So Jay, what's your favorite track off College Dropout?

JAY-Z:Spaceship and Two Words

dee-jay06:What made you start your own record label?

JAY-Z:I couldn't get a record deal.

Suha:So what was today's meeting about?

JAY-Z:Just the radio, video, and marketing pictures on about 20 artists.

Spox:Do you remember your first concert (really first :) ) ?

JAY-Z:I didn't go to concerts until I was in the music business.

EsqMrs: You're at dinner with 5 people (dead or alive) to ask about life, love, and their experiences. Who would those 5 be?

JAY-Z:Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Martin, Malcolm, Muhammad Ali

cartiercutie:How do we really know that its you?

JAY-Z:Put your phone number up. I'll call you back

JAY-Z:Hold on. I'm making a phone call.

Hazard304:Who's your favorite comedian of all-time?

JAY-Z:Richard Pryor followed close by Robin Harris and early Eddie Murphy.

cartiercutie: He really did just call me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAY-Z:Told you so! God Bless you too! Tell your brother to send his cd to the address on the back of any Def Jam cd.]]> 101690 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:02:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101691 heemph1:What's your favorite Studio moment?

JAY-Z:When I was going to shoot Parkin Lot Pimpin for the Dynasty album. I went over to see Pharrell. It was Friday and I was scheduled to shoot the video on Monday in LA. We made "Give It To Me" in 20 minutes. If you notice, there's a yellow car in front of the house for no reason. That was supposed to be in Parkin' Lot Pimpin, but it was too late to send it back

legs1981: Do you sometimes wish to leave all the responsibilities behind and be the regular boy from Brooklyn again?

JAY-Z:No, I don't have those dreams. I'm still a regular guy

sexylibra:What is your favorite bowl of cereal?

JAY-Z:It used to be Crunch berries, now it's just Frosted Flakes.

jiji:Can you give me some of your money??????????

JAY-Z:Yeah. All you have to do is go in the studio for 7 months, pour your heart out, and then put it out and listen to people say how much you suck. Wake up at 6 in the morning, do morning shows, where they talk about how wack you are, and then..... maybe.

platinumdiva:When you finaly get "free time" what do you do? (Besides chat with us!! LOL)

JAY-Z:Hahaha... play Playstation. boxing, football, and basketball games on playstation or go to Nets games

wajihah:Jay, why was Blueprint 2: called The Gift & The Curse.. what's the curse??

JAY-Z: Like I said earlier, for every two people that love you, there are two people that hate you. It's like the Kobe commercial.

actionkeisha: Thank you for the tickets, when will you give out more Nets tickets?

JAY-Z: Stay tuned...

OmarDaOne: Did your mom ever spank you as a kid?

JAY-Z: Of course! I'm from Marcy Projects.

Birdie06:Whats your emberassing moments?

JAY-Z: I came out to LA one time on the Hard Knock Life tour and I wore a different jersey for each city. The Rams used to be in LA but they're in St. Louis now.I wore the Rams jersey and didn't realize they moved.

platinumdiva: Do you like the whole "Dirty South" movement?

JAY-Z:I think everyone gets their chance to shine in hip-hop. It started in the east, then went to west, then came back to the east. Then the south had their say with Outkast early on. I think everyone gets their chance. It's a great thing.

brooklyngirl718: I like your style who is your best designer and why?

JAY-Z: Ralph Lauren. he sells more than clothes. It's a lifestyle, a culture.

Birdie06: What was your first job ever?

JAY-Z: This is my first job ever. If we don't count being CEO of Roc-A-Fella, this is my first real official job

heemph1: Is it true that you have a personal hot wings chef that you travel with?

JAY-Z: I have a personal chef... I don't know about the hot wings part.

heemph1: How does it feel when you read the paper or you read a internet article and they know every move you make, and every thing you do.

JAY-Z:That's part of the gift and the curse. You use the internet and the paper for promotion letting people know you have an album coming out and things like that. And then sometimes there's false reporting... and sometimes its real. You gotta deal with it. It's part of the game.

Spox: What kind of music do you respect most (besides HipHop of course) ??

JAY-Z: Rock. Hip-hop is the new rock. the rebellious voice of a new generation.

jiggamanfan06: Do you like being rich and famous or would you rather just be rich

JAY-Z: I'd much rather just be rich. haha. You got a job for me?]]> 101691 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:01:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101692 chrishon12: How did you and Foxy meet up?

JAY-Z:I asked Clark Kent. I had a song that required a female rapper and I asked him about Foxy. He happened to know her and he hooked it up. That song was "Ain't No Nigga" by the way.

bayjean: When did Kanye do that "Impossible" song?

JAY-Z: When he was on tour. No, wait. He recorded the song for Twista.

Tatiana24:Whats the story behind Song Cry? That's one of my favorite songs in the whole world.

JAY-Z: It's a gumbo of different stories

almz_street: Do you and Russell Simmons do yoga together?

JAY-Z: I haven't made it that far as a person yet.Give me a couple of years. LOL

OmarDaOne:Do you ever feel insecure?

JAY-Z: No. I never had problems with insecurity.

jiggamanfan06:What do you prefer: the Phantom or the Maybach?

JAY-Z:The Maybach because of the comfort. You can stretch out. It's like a first class airplane seat.

urb1_online:How did you end up making that deal with "Carol's Daughter"?

JAY-Z:That was through Steve Stoute. He had met the lady who started it out of her kitchen making it in her pots. He asked me if i wanted to be involved. Me, Will Smith, Jada, Tommy Motolla. we all invested in it.

wajihah:How does your mum view your success?

JAY-Z: She's a proud mom. She was happy I could ride a bike when I was 4 years old. You can judge how much she loves me from that. She's just a proud mom.

actionkeisha: Would you open the 40/40 club overseas?

JAY-Z: I actually have a deal to open 3 over in China.

steeldiplomat86: Can you see yourself doing a reality show, similar 2 Dame's? do u plan to?

JAY-Z: No.

C.Friday: When was the last time you actually drove a car by yourself?

JAY-Z: After the Garden I had a meeting the next day and my assistant forgot to call a car. I actually took a cab there, and I had someone meet me with a car and I drove back.

BigAB1789: Do you hate when people ask you about Beyonce? by the way How is she?

JAY-Z: Not when it's clever like that. She's doing fine!

kittycat4503: Will your house ever be on MTV Cribs?

JAY-Z: No reality shows for the kid!

steeldiplomat86: What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done to see or be near u?

JAY-Z: I don't want to give anybody any ideas.

pharell360: Would you have ever thought in the past to be in your position today?

JAY-Z: Not in a zillion years.

janipooh: HOV! I ditched ART to talk to you, but I'm a little late. Do you ever get to spend time with your niece and nephews?

JAY-Z: Yeah. Actually, they come over my house for brunch on saturdays. Although they missed a couple of saturdays lately.

sexylibra: Whats your favorite home cooked meal?

JAY-Z:Anything my grandmom made. Especially her banana pudding

bayjean: Are you ever gonna do a song with Prince?

JAY-Z: That could still happen

dee-jay06: What do you love the most in this world?

JAY-Z:My family.

dee-jay06: How was it working with Linkin Park.

JAY-Z: It was fresh. They're very creative. Extremely good guys. I think the album came out incredible

vikesh_solanki: Which businessmen do you look up to?

JAY-Z: Bob Johnson. He created something for the culture and then was able to cash out at something like $3 billion. And Berry Gordy

platinumdiva: How long does it take the average rapper, singer to produce a CD?

JAY-Z: It's really a wide range.It can take from a month to sometimes five years. I made 9 songs for The Blueprint in one weekend and I kept them all.

kianicole: What's one thing people would be suprised to know about you?

JAY-Z: I'm really short. LOL. That was a joke. I'm not really short. My attempt at humor. I'm 6'2. Ok guys. I'll see you next month. Some of your questions were better than the ones I get from magazine writers. I enjoy chatting with y'all. HOLLA AT YA BOY!]]> 101692 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:00:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101504 With the postponement of U2's remaining Vertigo '06 Tour dates due to the illness of an immediate family member of one of the band - Kanye West - who was scheduled to support U2 on their Australian and New Zealand dates - has announced that his 'Touch The Sky Tour' will continue on and will play his scheduled dates in those countries. "Of course my prayers are with U2 and their families at this time, and I'm sure their fans share that sentiment with me, " said West from Paris, France, where his tour touches down tonight."It's been an incredible experience touring with U2. They are a truly special band, a great organization, and their fans are the best in the world."

Kanye West's 'Touch The Sky Tour'

3.16 Auckland, New Zealand St. James
3.20 Brisbane, Australia Convention Center
3.23 Melbourne, Australia Festival Hall
3.26 Sydney, Australia Hordern Pavilion
3.29 Adelaide, Australia Thebarton
4.02 Sydney, Australia Opera House
4.05 Yokohama, Japan Blitz
4.06 Tokyo, Japan Studio Coast
4.09 Honolulu, HI Blaisdell Arena

Statement from U2: U2's Vertigo '06: Final 10 Dates Postponed. [March 8th 2006]
It is with great regret that The Next Adventure announces the postponement of the final ten dates of U2's Vertigo '06 tour.
This action is unavoidable due to the illness of an immediate family member of one of the band.
The affected dates are listed below.
'Any fan of U2 will realise that this decision has not been taken lightly', said TNA President Arthur Fogel. 'We will announce further details as soon as we have them.'
The affected shows - which are all sold out - are:
March 17th & 18th, Ericcson Stadium AUCKLAND; 21st, Queensland Sports & Athletics Centre BRISBANE; 24TH & 25TH, Telstra Dome, MELBOURNE; 28th, AAMI Stadium ADELAIDE; 31st & 1st Apr, Telstra Stadium, SYDNEY; 4th, Nissan Stadium YOKOHAMA; 8th Aloha Stadium, HONOLULU.]]> 101504 Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:20:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101402

Don't Miss Kanye West performing on MTV's Wild 'N Out tonight at 10pm!

The Nets are looking for a new theme song. You can be the one to write and record it. Just head over to www.whosnextonline.com and upload your original theme. The winner will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet JAY-Z, perform your theme live at a Nets game, and record the winning song at Baseline Studios II!

Don't miss this highly anticipated, historical moment in television history as MTV's Sway conducts the very first candid, up close & personal interview with two of Hip-Hop's modern day icons: JAY-Z & Nas

TONIGHT!! FEBRUARY 16TH on MTV at 11pm EST!

You don't want to miss this!!!!!

Thanks to all of you who came out to the JAY-Z chat yesterday. There were so many of you there, that our servers decided to go on break for a bit. We thank you for your patience, and for all of your great questions. Unfortunately we couldn't get to them all, but we got as many in as we could!

Guest: Besides dead presidents - what is your fav song done by you?

JAY-Z: Can I Live and D'Evils.

PrincessCarter: when is the album coming out. we need it. please jay. please. I can't stand hiphop anymore. I've been a strong supporter since 1997. And I can't live without my fix. Please.

JAY-Z: i don't know at this time about doing a new album. although im itching to do one. well see. and thank you. i need a fix too.

biggkam: Also, what's the status of Beanie Sigel? Is he still signed to Rocafella, or is he straight Def Jam?

JAY-Z: we're working out a situation where beans can do his own label, but right now he's signed to roc-a-fella

Mittens: Not too long ago, you were rumoured to be taking over Arsenal Football Club in England. Have you still got interested in taking over a Premiership club? As you'd do well at Manchester City.

JAY-Z: we were in preliminary talks but nothings done yet

sistap: What happened to Amil?

JAY-Z: being in the music business is hard work, not always glamour and glitz. you know it's early mornings and late nights, and not everyone is cut out for it

greeneyesmami06: when is bleek's next album?

JAY-Z: he's working on some stuff now, but he's doing a clothing line, and possible movie right now

actionkeisha: what do you like to do on your days off?

JAY-Z: what days off?? haaaa. 'jay every day no days off' trivia question for yall what song is that from?

tyaangel: what kind of advice would you give to an aspiring singer/rapper?

JAY-Z: you have to believe strongly in yourself b/c in this business until you have a buzz everybody treats you like shit, and you gotta be prepared to work hard

DAfranchiseJR: what do u think about AZ, prolly the most underrated rapper in the game today?

JAY-Z: i think talib is underrated. black thought is underrated. up until his last album common was underrated. i think AZ is pretty good

Young_Nebz: i wanted to know what was going on wit Freeway and this talk about him being with G-Unit?

JAY-Z: freeway is on roc-a-fella. him and 50 spoke and talked about doing some work together but he is on roc-a-fella

Tawana: How do you handle negative vibes towards you from other artists?

JAY-Z: thats not something i have to deal with.. that's their problem. my problem is doing me, staying positive, making history

roclachica: Mr. President of Def Jam do you feel more pressure than you did being an artist?

JAY-Z: its not really pressure its just a challenge, and i welcome all challenges

jordany: are you excited about Ne-Yo ?

JAY-Z: very excited about ne-yo we're about to have the no. 1 single in the country with so sick, and could possibly have the #1 album when it comes out 2/28 (shameless plug)

joannaw09: How did ti feel to make history at Madison Square

JAY-Z: one of the milestone moments in my career, and you gotta remember that the black album had just came and everybody was singing every word off the album, and the fact that it sold out in 15 minutes

]]> 101360 Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:30:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101361 tyaangel: how do you feel about people downloading your songs and albums?

JAY-Z: i feel that if you love a person and their work, you should purchase it b/c they put their blood sweat and tears in it

Reese: Whats the hardest thing you've faced in this career so far, or had faced? In life too

JAY-Z: to be really real with everybody in here, my nephew passing. personally and professionally i learn from mistakes, so it's no big deal. great question

Villian54: How do you feel about R.Kelly? do you have a buff with him?

JAY-Z: i don't have beef with him but he is suing me so we're not friends... haaa

carter02b: What did you learn from the whole Damon Dash situation and selling of the ROC?

JAY-Z: people grow and sometimes they grow together and sometimes they grow apart

Young Indian MC - ROC LA FAMILIA: Was there ever a point in your career when you just wanted to stop rapping, before the retirement, before Vol. 1?

JAY-Z: to be honest with you, in my delusional mind, i thought i would make 1 album and cross over to the executive side. but you know when you love something it's hard to just walk away. besides i was the only artist at the time on roc-a-fella

hustleallday: Jay, first off I would like to say thank you for constantly inspiring me throughout many times in my life. My question is what personally inspires you day after day to keep on striving to be the best at everything that you do?

JAY-Z: im inspired by winners.... i don't hate to lose i love to win. and thank you

Trix2007: How different would the rap game be if Biggie was still here?

JAY-Z: i think we would've made the commission album, so that would have been special. as far as the rap game there is no telling. he coulda got 10 times better or he coulda got worn out by the pressures of success. i would like to believe he wouldve gotten better and the game wouldve gotten better

orre: Have you ever had a "normal" job, like mailman?

JAY-Z: i've never had a normal job unfortunately or fortunately... who knows. i remember rap pages did a thing,'what if,' i worked at KFC or something like that and people believed it was real

MizRoc: Any movies in your future?

JAY-Z: maybe. i had a couple meetings last about doing a whole roc films division that went great. im so busy with the music i don't know when i'll get around to that. we were supposed to go from 5 to 6 but b/c of our technical difficulties we're gonna go for an extra 15 minutes. send in some good questions while you still have the chance

sistap: With the opening of your clubs,owning a basketball team, and running a label, how do you relax?

JAY-Z: i vacation twice a year. i play a lot of madden

Be: Whats Going On With Foxy Brown?

JAY-Z: she just had a operation out in LA, and hopefully within the next couple weeks her hearing will slowly start to come back

Foog: Will you be featured on Big L's new project?

JAY-Z: are they doing a new big l project? this is the first i'm hearing of it

Spox: What about The "Black Book" ??

JAY-Z: i have the book. i haven't even read it yet. im having anxiety about reading it so at this time i can't put it out

melissa: whos your fav old school rapper?

JAY-Z: rakim and kane and g rap

LILLT: are you working on any new sing to to defjam

JAY-Z: of course everyday i'm hustling... we just signed rick ross and slip and slide

]]> 101361 Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:28:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101362
nyqguru: how do u feel about the passing of Jay Dee and how well did u know dude

JAY-Z: i didn't know him personally i was a fan of his work from afar. i was talking to ahmir from the roots the other day about him and he told me he was the producers' producers' producer and they had made a song dedicated to him before he passed and we're going to put that out in honor of him... may he rest in peace

Roclafam: what is your biggest regret?

JAY-Z: the sunshine video.... haaaaaaa

Tre186: How bout you sign Mike Jackson to DefJam or better yet THE ROC

JAY-Z: what!!!!!

sistap: why didn't you like the sunshine video?

JAY-Z: b/c i wasn't doing me i was trying to follow what was hot at the time. i just made reasonable doubt. it didn't sell what i thought it should sell but i didn't realize the foundation that it laid for me to be the artist that i am today

Reepo: Whats The best decision you've made in your career??

JAY-Z: having ownership in the team i play for, roc-a-fella

orre: What's the story about the Roots on def jam

JAY-Z: ive always had a friendship with ahmir. weve done a lot of work... unplugged, different concerts. i just felt that he was the one to lead that whole def jam movement. he led the movement that was considered to be 'neo-soul'. i hate that word but you know what i mean

tymezgs: jay what do you look for in a artist

JAY-Z: something that's gonna move the culture forward. something that rings honest. something that leaves a legacy. hot ass song. a complete album. a superstar. people don't buy songs they buy into artists

JAY-ZBLUE: what do 400mil look like?

JAY-Z: haaaa..... having the baby will change your life. whether you have 1million or a billion dollars like oprah. your life doesn't change much. had a great time chatting with yall and i look forward to doing it again next month... back to the hustle

]]> 101362 Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:27:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101357

JAY-Z will be in the Roc-A-Fella chat room today to answer your questions! Don't forget to log in at 5pm EST! The chat will be held in the "Roc Forum" room.

The chat room is only available to registered members of rocafella.com. Registration is fast, free, and easy! Register now and have your question answered by JAY-Z!!!]]> 101357 Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:40:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101319

Congratulations to the Roc's own Kanye West for taking home awards in these categories:

- Best Rap Solo Performance "Gold Digger"
- Best Rap Song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
- Best Rap Album LATE REGISTRATION

"This has been a tremendous year of growth and achievement for the artists of Island Def Jam Music Group," said Mr. Reid. "Across a wide spectrum of music - pop, R&B, rap, rock, and alternative fields - we have much to be proud of and thankful for. Congratulations to all the nominated artists who will always continue to be the lifeblood of IDJ."

This year's 48th annual Grammy Awards, broadcast worldwide, included live performances by Mariah Carey ("We Belong Together," with full gospel church choir), Kanye West ("Gold Digger," co-starring his partner on the hit single, Jamie Foxx), and JAY-Z with Linkin Park ("Numb/Encore").

Congratulations to the Roc's own JAY-Z taking home an award in this category:

- Best Rap Song Collaboration "Numb/Encore" (with Linkin Park)

"This has been a tremendous year of growth and achievement for the artists of Island Def Jam Music Group," said Mr. Reid. "Across a wide spectrum of music - pop, R&B, rap, rock, and alternative fields - we have much to be proud of and thankful for. Congratulations to all the nominated artists who will always continue to be the lifeblood of IDJ."

This year's 48th annual Grammy Awards, broadcast worldwide, included live performances by Mariah Carey ("We Belong Together," with full gospel church choir), Kanye West ("Gold Digger," co-starring his partner on the hit single, Jamie Foxx), and JAY-Z with Linkin Park ("Numb/Encore").

Congratulations to the Roc's own JAY-Z and Kanye West for taking home awards in these categories:

Kanye West:
- Best Rap Solo Performance "Gold Digger"
- Best Rap Song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
- Best Rap Album LATE REGISTRATION

JAY-Z:
- Best Rap Song Collaboration "Numb/Encore" (with Linkin Park)

"This has been a tremendous year of growth and achievement for the artists of Island Def Jam Music Group," said Mr. Reid. "Across a wide spectrum of music - pop, R&B, rap, rock, and alternative fields - we have much to be proud of and thankful for. Congratulations to all the nominated artists who will always continue to be the lifeblood of IDJ."

This year's 48th annual Grammy Awards, broadcast worldwide, included live performances by Mariah Carey ("We Belong Together," with full gospel church choir), Kanye West ("Gold Digger," co-starring his partner on the hit single, Jamie Foxx), and JAY-Z with Linkin Park ("Numb/Encore").

Download a sneak preview of the video here!

It's January in Connecticut, and although a few hundred people are all seeing the same thing, none of them can believe their eyes: JAY-Z and Nas — the two men who once engaged in arguably the greatest lyrical battle of all time— are standing together on top of the world. Figuratively, anyway.

Read the rest of MTV.com's preview of their exclusive interview with JAY-Z and Nas airing TONIGHT, February 8th, on MTV at 7pm EST!

Check out a few pictures from that night in Connecticut in the Roc-A-Fella gallery!

Check out BET for Mariah Carey & Kanye West as they discuss their Grammy Nominations on "Setting the Record Straight" tonight at 9pm!

Kanye West topped the annual Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll for 2005 garnering the awards for best album (LATE REGISTRATION) and best single ("Gold Digger")

Check out the results of the poll at the Village Voice's website!

• Album of the Year - Late Registration
• Record of the Year - "Gold Digger"
• Best Rap Solo Performance - "Gold Digger"
• Best Rap Song Collaboration - 'They Say" w/ Common & John Legend
• Best Rap Song - "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"
• Best Rap Album - Late Registration
• Album of the Year (producer credit) - Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi
• R&B Song (producer credit) - Alicia Keys' "Unbreakable"

The nominees for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were announced this morning, and we're happy to announce that three Def Jam artists have been nominated for awards!!!

Kanye West

• Album of the Year - Late Registration
• Record of the Year - "Gold Digger"
• Best Rap Solo Performance - "Gold Digger"
• Best Rap Song Collaboration - "They Say" w/Common & John Legend
• Best Rap Song - "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"
• Best Rap Album - Late Registration
• Album of the Year (producer credit) - Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi
• R&B Song (producer credit) - Alicia Keys' "Unbreakable"

Ludacris

• Best Rap Solo Performance - "Number One Spot"

JAY-Z

• Best Rap Song Collaboration - "Numb/Encore" w/Linkin Park

Check out Teairra Mari in Teen People's Special Beauty Issue as she tries out a couple of new looks!

Tune in to BET tonight for a special appearance from Kanye on the special  S.O.S. - Saving Our Selves hurricane relief telethon tonight from 6 to 10PM EST. Other artists in attendance will include Teairra Mari, Juelz Santana, Patti LaBelle, Ludacris, Rihanna, 112 and Musiq. The Telethon will include special guest appearances and performances from some of the biggest artists in the world, all coming together in support of the victims of hurricane Katrina.

We at Roc-A-Fella encourage everyone out there to make any donation you can to the relief efforts. Every little bit helps, so please hit up organizations in your area, tune into the telethon tonight or visit the Red Cross site now to help out.

MTV2 $2 BILL CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS KANYE WEST WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

Special $2 Bill Concert Event To Support Victims Of Hurricane Katrina

Special VIP Tickets On Sale Wednesday, September 7th At 12pm At The Virgin Megastore On Sunset Blvd In Los Angeles, California MTV2's $2 Bill Show Featuring Kanye West & Special Guest To Air Sunday, September 18th at 10pm ET/7 pm PT

New York, NY (September 7, 2005) - MTV2 will present a very special edition of its popular $2 Bill Concert Series featuring Kanye West with special guests Paul Wall, Common and others. The concert will take place Saturday, September 10th at The Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, California. With general admittance tickets sold within minutes on September 6th, a remaining allotment of VIP tickets will now be sold with all proceeds donated to The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, America's Second Harvest and similar organizations in support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The VIP tickets will not only give fans entrance into the live $2 Bill show, but also into an exclusive sound check party and performance by Kanye and special guest Common as part of MTV Networks' "ReAct Now: Music & Relief" event. The $300 VIP tickets will go on sale Wednesday, September 7th at 12noon at The Virgin Megastore (8000 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA). Tickets can also be won by watching Time Warner Cable or by listening to Power 106 FM in Los Angeles and other select radio stations around the country.

MTV2's $2 Bill Concert with Kanye West and special guests will premiere on MTV2 on Sunday, September 18th at 10pm ET/7pm PT.

Kanyeezy is back with another hot online performance and this time the mastermind behind the brand new album that fans and critics from all over the world are calling the next classic hip-hop record is rocking the stage at Stripped Music.

During the show, Ye rocks through some of his recent bangers off of Late Registration and a some incredible exclusive content you won't get anywhere else on the Internet. Check out a brand new freestyle and watch the hottest producer in the game craft one of his signature masterpieces right in front of the camera! Trust us, this is one feature you definitely won't wanna miss.

You can watch the 30 second trailer now or hit up the Stripped site to download the entire performance.

This is it, people. The release date we've all been anxiously waiting for has finally arrived and Kanye West's brand new critically acclaimed album Late Registration has hit stores. If you're one of the few who hasn't already pre-ordered the album, then hustle on down to the record store ASAP and cop the hottest new record of the year, featuring the summer bangers "Diamonds From Sierra Leone", "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx, "Heard 'Em Say" featuring Adam Levine and a ton of next level music from the most innovative hip-hop superstar in the game.

The new album features 21 unbelievable tracks with guest appearances by JAY-Z, Cam'Ron, Common, Paul Wall, Jamie Foxx, The Game, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Nas, Brandy, Lupe Fiasco, Really Doe and, of course, the laugh-out-loud hilarious Bernie Mac.

Don't get caught sleeping - pick up your copy of Late Registration now!

The new album features 21 unbelievable tracks with guest appearances by JAY-Z, Cam'Ron, Common, Paul Wall, Jamie Foxx, The Game, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Nas, Brandy, Lupe Fiasco, Really Doe and, of course, the laugh-out-loud hilarious Bernie Mac.

Don't get caught sleeping - pick up your copy of Late Registration now!

It's looking more and more like nothing is impossible for Mr. West. Not only did Kanye give the hottest performance of the night yesterday at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards with the Jamie Foxx assisted "Gold Digger" - the Roc-A-Fella superstar also took home the award for Best Male Video for his College Dropout classic "Jesus Walks"!

With his highly anticipated new album Late Registration hitting stores tomorrow and his picture gracing this week's cover of TIME Magazine, Ye put really took it to the next level by winning a highly coveted video award for the kind of song that most so-called experts thought could never even make it to radio.

So from all of us here at Roc-A-Fella, we'd like to send our congratulations out to Kanye once again for doing the impossible! Keep on doing your thing, baby!

KANYE WEST'S LATE REGISTRATION SET FOR AUGUST 30TH RELEASE ON ROC-A-FELLA/DEF JAM

WEST GRACES THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE  AS MASSIVE ROLLOUT INCLUDES PERFORMANCES FOR VMA'S, GMA, OPRAH & NFL

NEW SINGLE "GOLD DIGGER" A SMASH OUT OF THE BOX

"...One of the better sounding rap records in history...widely expected to be the biggest-selling record of the year." - Time Magazine

"'Late Registration,' is the most dynamic and original album of the fall-maybe even the year." - Newsweek

"'Late Registration'...just might be this year's most eagerly anticipated album, in any genre." - New York Times

NEW YORK, NY - August 22, 2005 - Hard to believe, but Kanye West, the 28-year-old Grammy award-winning hip-hop superstar who this week graces the cover of Time Magazine and was named to that publication's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, is still fighting for his life. West - the perpetual underdog - is currently pitched in heated battle with the latest 800-pound gorilla in the corner: Himself.

"It's hard when people are depending on you to have an album that's not just good, but inspired," says West. "I mean, my music isn't just music - its medicine."

With Late Registration, set for an August 30 release on Roc-A-Fella Records, Dr. West has indeed delivered the medicine. And once again, he's done it the only way he knows how: with honesty, humor and his overwhelming conviction to prove himself by making great music.

Early reviews of Late Registration have been astounding, garnering perfect scores from the likes of  Rolling Stone (5 stars) and many more. West has been named #1 on Blender's HOT 100, and is featured on the cover of their September "Hot Issue." Throughout the month of August, Kanye has been on an extensive national promo tour, visiting radio stations and hosting listening sessions for the new album, to overwhelming response.

This month-long whirlwind of activity will soon culminate in Kanye's performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami this Sunday, August 28, and will launch an onslaught of television performances and promotional appearances throughout September including: an in-store appearance at Tower Records Lincoln Center in New York and the airing of an E! Network concert special on 8/30, an in-store appearance at Borders and an album release party in his native Chicago on 9/1, an outdoor performance for Good Morning America on 9/2, the launch of the NFL season with a live performance on ABC on 9/8, and the airing of a performance and interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show, also on 9/8. Several other major television appearances will be announced shortly.

"Gold Digger," Late Registration's second single and follow-up to the buzzworthy "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," is shooting up the charts just 2 weeks after it's release to radio, and has already reached #3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks. The Hype Williams-directed clip for "Gold Digger" was immediately added into heavy rotation at both MTV and BET, and has penetrated the Top 10 countdowns on both networks.

Late Registration is a big album in every sense of the word. Kanye's trademark sample-based production has expanded to include live instrumentation and lush arrangements, courtesy of renowned composer/producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Magnolia, Eternal Sunshine and more), who co-produced the album. West has always been an artist who challenges not only himself, but his audience and his fellow musicians with new ideas and new ways of expressing the joys and sorrows of life through music. Late Registration does just that as it takes listeners down avenues and alleyways filled with sound and vision.

With a line up of guests that includes JAY-Z, Nas, Jamie Foxx, Brandy, Paul Wall, Cam'ron, Adam Levine of Maroon Five and his longtime friend and collaborator John Legend - West has widened his scope since The College Dropout. There are new flavors and voices in the mix - most notably that of Brion -  but it's still 100% Kanye, still the voice of the underdog tackling the highs and lows of everyday life through pointed lyrics and emotionally charged music.

Eschewing cliché for reality, Late Registration addresses a litany of topics that range from the personal to the political and all that falls in between. The fist pumping "Crack Music", which features a one-line hook from the Game, looks at the effects of drugs on the black community and offers that at the end, "the music is medicine." A similar thread runs though "Addiction", a song that has West asking why it is that "everything that's supposed to be bad makes me feel so good?" On "Bring Me Down," Brandy gives a mournful voice to Kanye's barbed cynicisms as he raps "If you ever wanted to ever be anything, there'll always be somebody that'll shoot down any dream."

While tracks such as these show West's rage, he's not one to dwell on the negative. He'd rather examine it and turn it into something positive. This introspection finds its way onto tracks like his breezy and harmonious collaboration with Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine, "Heard 'Em Say", where the two stress the importance of being honest with yourself in a world that's anything but.

Kanye's not one to limit himself, and lets his humor shine through on tracks like "Drive Slow" featuring Paul Wall and the return of GLC, and "Gold Digger," his reunion with Jamie Foxx, a cautionary tale for those who confuse love with the love of somebody's wallet.

Throughout, Late Registration's sheer depth of musicality is what's most impressive. Dark and eerie at times, uplifting in others - tracks like "Touch The Sky" and "Celebration" come to mind - the album finds Kanye at once madly in love with hip-hop music, and fighting with it like a lover scorned - trying to push it's boundaries, to see how far it will go. A daunting task, indeed.

It seems as though West is more than up to the task.

With his highly anticipated sophomore album just around the corner, the Roc's own College Dropout has just wrapped up his second new video, "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx. Hip-hop video pioneer Hype Williams once again took it to a whole new level with the sexy, colorful, retro look brought to life by Kanye's indelible talent, Jamie's near perfect Ray Charles sound and some of that flashy 2005 goodness.

Check out the video now right here and don't forget to show your love by voting for "Gold Digger" on 106th and Park as much as possible. Also, make sure to reserve your copy of the brand new album Late Registration on iTunes now or pick it up in stores on August 30th.

Did you ever wish you knew more about the hottest MC/Producer doing it in hip-hop? Then you definitely need to check out the half hour MTV special running tonight at 10:30 starring the one and only College Dropout, Kanye West.

The All Eyes On: Kanye West special will let you know exactly what's up with Ye including the making of the new album Late Registration, and the whole background of how he got to become a household name. Kanye's story is definitely one that you won't wanna miss, so make sure to tune into MTV tonight at 10:30 and up your knowledge of an artist who ranks among the most talented and prolific geniuses ever to do it in this music thing.

The clock is ticking and the most highly anticipated hip-hop album of the summer is now only a few weeks away. Packed to the brim with future classics like "Gold Digger", "Crack Music" and "Drive Slow", Kanye's brand new album Late Registration is officially polished up and ready for you to pre-order on iTunes right now! There's also an added bonus for all you music fiends out there.

The Princess of the Roc, Teairra Mari is dropping an exclusive remix of her summer anthem "Make Her Feel Good" off of her debut album Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari, and she's giving it away for free to anyone who shows love early on and pre-orders Kanye's album from iTunes. So if you don't wanna wait to get your hands on the hottest album of the year or the exclusive Teairra remix, hit up Kanye's page at the iTunes Music Store now and reserve your download ASAP!

Chi-towns finest recently got it poppin on stage live in front of one of the largest audiences in the world... AOL Music! You can watch Kanye ripping through some of his classic gems like "Diamonds From Sierra Leone", "Jesus Walks" and "Gold Digger" from your computer right now by hitting up AOL Music and checking out the crazy new Sessions performances.

These exclusive videos are now in heavy rotation and feature brand new joints from his upcoming album Late Registration so make sure to stay ahead of the game and head on over to Kanye's music page at AOL ASAP!

The Princess Of The Roc will be taking over the 106th And Park couch all this week, guest hosting the hottest urban music countdown show on TV. Make sure you all tune in to BET every night at 6pm to catch Teairra Mari doing her thing in front of the live studio audience and don't forget to show your love by voting for her brand new video "No Daddy" as much as humanly possibly.

Let's all do our part and help get our favorite young star to the top of the countdown ASAP, preferably while she's hosting the show! Again, we appreciate all the love and support everyone's been showing since day one. Keep it coming cause it really does make all the difference!

The young Princess of the Roc debuted her hot new video last week and, as promised, we've added it to the site for everyone to check out. Just hit up Teairra'a Audio/Video page now and start playing "No Daddy" from your computer and, while you're at it, head on over to the 106th And Park voting site to help catapult her to the top of the countdown ASAP.

Check out the video for "No Daddy" here.

Vote for Teairra here.

We've got some big news for all you die hard fans of the Princess of the Roc. Teairra will be dropping by the set of TRL today at 2pm to give her fans a sneak peek of the brand new video for her latest hit "No Daddy". Fans from all over the globe have been going crazy over the track and asking non-stop about the hot new video, so if you wanna be the first to catch a glimpse of "No Daddy", make sure to tune in to MTV this afternoon!

And of course, remember to show some love and pick up that brand new album Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari in stores now!

The original Princess of the Roc has paid her dues, handled her business and has now officially released her incredible debut album Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari in stores right now. Fans have been feenin for this album for a minute now, and the response so far couldn't be better! You can even cop the album online if you just can't wait to get to your local record store.

We appreciate all the love and support from the fans out there. Let's keep it going and make sure everybody knows to pick up Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari ASAP!

Young Hov and Linkin' Park took out the competition in round one of the voting and now the stakes are even higher! Vote Now to show your love for the legendary MC and help make JAY-Z the Viewer's Choice at this year's Video Music Awards.

Just like before, voting ends tomorrow morning at 9am EST so let's all get on this as quick as possible. We'll keep you posted on the results and let you know when the next round starts, so keep checking back with rocafella.com for all the updates!

Roc-A-Fella fans have been going crazy over The Princess Of The Roc since she first dropped her old school hip-hop flavored single "Make Her Feel Good". With reactions ranging from simple fan letters to full blown artist web pages dedicated to the young starlet, there's no doubt that Teairra Mari is about to blow up in a major way. That means that when her debut album Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari hits stores this Tuesday, August 2nd, you better make sure to handle your b.i. bright and early and pick up your copy before the rest of the pack.

The new album features the club favorite "Make Her Feel Good", the explosive new single "No Daddy" and ten other hot tracks guaranteed to have you wildin' out in your jeep this summer.

Don't wanna wait in line for your copy of Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari? We got you covered. You can pre-order the CD online now!

The Princess Of The Roc is getting all kinds of love online these days thanks to all the support from you die hard fans out there. Now, as part of the Yahoo! Music's Who's Next? campaign, Teairra has taken over the web giant's stage for an exclusive online performance of her club favorite "Make Her Feel Good" that you just can't get anywhere else.

So hit up Yahoo! Music and while you're there, check out the exclusive online interview where she breaks down exactly how everything happened from hooking up with the Roc and meeting JAY-Z for the first time to her incredible new title and of course the debut album Roc-A-Fella Records Presents... Teairra Mari in stores August 2nd.

Get it all right here!

SHAWN "JAY-Z" CARTER AND DEF JAM EXPAND  WITH NEW LABEL

ROC LA FAMILIA

COLUMBIAN NECKTIE

(New York, New York, Monday, July 13, 2005) Further expanding on its world-renown brand and mandate to nurture artistic vision, Def Jam Recordings, the largest producer of urban music and a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company is launching Roc La Familia, it was announced today by Shawn Carter, President and CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings.

All artists signed to Roc La Familia, which will have its headquarters in New York, will receive marketing, sales and distribution support from Def Jam. Roc La Familia will feature a broad array of artists encompassing such musical genres as reggae, reggaetone, calypso, tribal and West Indian.  The first artist signed is Houston based Columbian rapper Aztek Escobar.

"Everybody talks about the world getting smaller, well we are doing something about it," stated Carter. "Roc La Familia will leverage the extensive resources of Def Jam to introduce fans to cultures that they would not normally be exposed. World Music has evolved as a genre, it now blends contemporary styles such as hip-hop, rock and electronica with traditional and roots music."

Additional Roc La Familia signings and releases will be announced shortly.

Attention News/Entertainment/Fashion Editors:

Rocawear and Urban Male Magazine (UMM), Canadas lifestyle and entertainment magazine for men, are thrilled to announce that the legendary JAY-Z will host Roc da Caribana, a high-octane music and fashion showcase on July 30, in the parking lot behind Montanas Cookhouse at 145 John Street in Toronto.  Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the open-air bash will feature a live concert with top recording artists from the Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam labels including the sensational Teairra Mari and Rihanna. Additionally, Little X, one of the industrys most influential directors will capture footage for the Rihannas new video and top DJs will be spinning red-hot tunes to keep the event pumping.  We are thrilled to announce this once in a lifetime event with JAY-Z one of the biggest musical and fashion icons in the world today, said Abbis Mahmoud, publisher of UMM. This event will bring together some of the most exciting performers in the world today in a party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.  In addition to the live concert stage, the event will feature Rocawear fashion showcases, an UMM model search, photo shoots and other non-stop entertainment.  On Friday, July 29, JAY-Z will host an ultra-exclusive party to launch Rocawears fall fashion line and inaugurate the new Rocawear Canada offices.  General admission tickets are $80.00 and can be purchased at www.umm.ca .

About JAY-Z

Since 1995, Shawn JAY-Z Carter has dominated the rap industry and set the trends for a generation.  Not just with an extensive catalog and talented artists and producers, but with a profitable brand that spawned a clothing line (Rocawear), films (Marcy Projects Productions, which co-produced last year's Fade to Black), a nightclub (40/40 Club) and a successful sneaker line (Reebok's S. Carter shoe collection).   Moreover, JAY-Z has founded two philanthropic organizations, including The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, and the annual JAY-Z Santa Claus   Toy Drive. With a string of multi-platinum albums, SRO concerts and more than 30 million albums sold worldwide on his Roc-A-Fella label, there are no thresholds that Shawn Carter has not crossed.

About Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records

Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records are homes to a multicultural and diverse family of artists that has become one of the most successful labels in the industry.  It encompasses artists from Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella, Roc La Familia, Russell Simmons Music Group, Disturbing Tha Peace and Damon Dash Music Group.  The roster boasts an array of talented artists including LL Cool J, Kanye West, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, DMX, Rihanna, Teairra Mari, Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Young Jeezy.

 -30- For further information or media accreditation, please contact: Naomi Strasser or Kyle MoffattAerial Communications(416) 787-6577

Teairra Mari isn't wasting any time blessing fans with another hot track for the clubs. With "Make Her Feel Good" steady in heavy rotation at radio and clubs all over the country, the Princess has just dropped her second single "No Daddy", a certified banger that DJ's everywhere are already going crazy over.

Of course, you don't have to wait to check out the hottest new tracks. We've got "No Daddy" up right here for you all to check out. Take a listen and don't be afraid to hit up those request lines to get Teairra Mari some burn on your favorite local stations!

The duo that turned "Slow Jamz" into a club anthem has hoooked up again for the brand new banger "Gold Diggers" off of the upcoming Late Registration album. Peep Jamie Foxx rockin' that Ray Charles sound to perfection with Kanye dropping some gems behind the boards and on the mic.

And of course, never one to keep his fans waiting for some hot new material, the College Dropout has already finished shooting a video for the track. Hip-hop video legend and director of the already classic "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" video Hype Williams took on the task. We'll keep ya posted, so keep checking back!

After watching, show some love for the Princess of the Roc by hitting up 106th and Park and voting "Make Her Feel Good" from Teairra Mari onto the countdown today!

It’s time to meet the Gunnerz, again.

MUSIC FOR RELIEF: REBUILDING SOUTH ASIA, a benefit concert with performances by No Doubt, Linkin Park with JAY-Z, Blink-182, Jurassic 5, Story Of The Year, The Crystal Method and Ozzy Osbourne with Camp Freddy will take place on February 18th at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. Proceeds will go through the Music For Relief organization to UNICEF and Habitat For Humanity programs for tsunami victims in the region.

A special pre-sale has been arranged so fans like you can purchase tickets before the general public. Just follow the link below beginning Wednesday, February 9 at 3:00 PM (Pacific Time) to purchase tickets. The password is "MFR" and there is an 4 ticket limit. The pre-sale ends on Friday the 11th at Noon.

General public onsale to take place on Friday, February 11th at 3:00 PM (Pacific Time)

Click here to access the pre-sale

LINKIN PARK WITH JAY-Z NO DOUBT, BLINK 182,  OZZY OSBOURNE WITH CAMP FREDDY, AND MANY MORE TO PERFORM TOGETHER  FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

KANYE WEST’S MARCH TO GRAMMY GLORY LEADS THROUGH SUPERBOWL, GETTING OUT OUR DREAMS MUSIC LABEL &
KANYE WEST FOUNDATION LAUNCH AND, OF COURSE, RECORDING STUDIO  

NEW YORK, NY – January 27, 2005 – Emerging from a rollercoaster ride of a year that saw multi-platinum success, a chorus of critical acclaim, sold-out crowds all over the world, and culminating in a sweeping, historic 10 Grammy nominations, one might just find some time to sit back and rest on their laurels. Just don’t tell that to Kanye West, who has just been announced to perform at the 47th annual Grammy Awards on February 13th in Los Angeles.

As his date with Grammy glory approaches – among West’s 10 nominations are Album Of The Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist – Kanye has thrown himself back into work as producer, video director, label head and artist. Speculation on various highly publicized collaborations aside, Kanye has been devoting a lot of studio time to friend and Getting Out Our Dreams Music signee Common, whose forthcoming album ‘Be’ is due this spring on Getting Out Our Dreams/Geffen. This month also saw the first release from Getting Out Our Dreams/Sony – John Legend’s brilliant Get Lifted – debut to overwhelming acclaim and sales success; Get Lifted currently #4 on the Billboard album charts. Kanye also took on the role of video director for Legend’s stark, beautiful ballad “Ordinary People.” John Legend is set to perform at the Getting Out Our Dream Music launch party in New York on February 7th and will join Kanye onstage at the Grammys.

On Thursday, February 3rd Kanye will join Outkast’s Big Boi in a Jacksonville, Florida concert kicking off the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Concert Series.  The three-night series, which provides NFL fans with a taste of the Super Bowl entertainment experience, will take place Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 3-5 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.  Portions of ticket sales will go to tsunami relief. West is no stranger to Super Bowl mayhem: last year, just days prior to the release of Dropout, he brought the house down at the New England Patriots victory party in Houston.

On February 10th - the one-year anniversary of the release of The College Dropout - Kanye will host a reception for the launch of the Kanye West Foundation, which is dedicated to combating the dropout problem in the nation’s schools with compelling music programs. “Loop Dreams, the first initiative of the Kanye West Foundation, is designed to support the fight to keep instruments in the schools, and to provide opportunities for ‘at-risk’ students to learn how to write and produce music while simultaneously improving their academic skills.” At the reception, Kanye will unveil a painting he commissioned from renowned artist Ernie Barns.
 
Throughout all this activity, Kanye has been hard at work on his next album, Late Registration, which is due later this year on Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam.

Don't miss a minute of high school basketball action and musical excitement on Sunday, January 15th at the Nike Super 6 presented by Foot Locker!

Hip-Hop stars Juelz Santana and Teairra Mari, along with Power 105's DJ Kut and Buc Wild from the Star and Buc Wild Morning Show are all scheduled To appear.

Come check out the next generation of College and Pro Hoops stars at the Nike Super 6!

Sunday - January 15th
*Grady vs. Boys & Girls (Boys) - 1:00 PM
*Murry Bergtraum vs. Christ the King (Girls) - 3:00 PM
*St. Patrick's vs. Rice (Boys) - 5:00 PM

Tickets are only $10 with a student ID!

For more ticket information, call Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171, www.thegarden.com, or visit The Garden Box Office.

Rock titans Linkin Park and Hov himself joined forces at West Hollywood's Roxy Theatre earlier this year for a very special live performance of mash-ups created in the studio combining JAY-Z's biggest hits and music from Linkin Park. If you weren't there there to witness this monumental moment, check out the video link below (mixing Linkin Park's "Numb" with JAY-Z’s "Encore"). A CD and DVD with live and studio versions of the mash-ups, COLLISION COURSE, hits stores 11/30.

JAY-Z/Linkin Park - "Numb/Encore" (Video)

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Want more mash-ups? Watch MTV Ultimate Mash-Ups:

Wednesday, November 10, 10:30 p.m. Friday, November 12, 6:00 p.m.
Friday, November 12, 11:30 p.m. Saturday, November 13, 8:00 a.m.
Saturday, November 13, 2:00 p.m.
Monday, November 15, 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday, November 30, 7:00 a.m.

Did you get a chance to see JAY-Z's new film FADE TO BLACK opening weekend? The movie is in theaters now and the streets are talking about incredible in-studio footage of Jay at work in the studio with producers like Timbaland and Rick Rubin and classic footage of Jay's legendary performance at the Garden last year. Click here to see a list of theaters where the film is playing and check out feedback from other fans who've seen the movie below:

"I really enjoyed the documentary, Fade To Black. It was so amazing! It was just like being @ the concert and in the studios while Jay and the other producers were coming up w/ ideas to the phenomenal Black Album. . . I was so in awe that I went to see the movie twice. . ." - Sherell P.

"I saw the movie in Atlanta, GA. I loved it. . . It felt as if we were at the studio and the concert. Everyone was rapping along. Great job!" - Luke S.

"I enjoyed the movie a lot. The whole audience was reciting the lyrics along with JAY-Z. I think the best and most interesting parts were the behind the scenes of JAY-Z recording the Black album and showing the whole creative process." - Barbara C.

"First off, I would like to say that I am one of the biggest JAY-Z fans of all time! I live in Sacramento, California and I drove all the way to San Francisco just to see Fade to Black. . .Seeing the movie made me feel like I was right at the concert. I'm glad Jay put out Fade to Black because it gave us fans a first look on how each song was put together. You got to experience the world's greatest rapper doing what he does best and that's creating a historic album." - Krissy Rocafella

"Hey, I just wanted to let everyone know that if they a true Jay fan they gotta go see this movie man. At first I went only because it was Jay's movie I wasn't expecting it to be as hot as it was. Everyone who know Jay through his music and understand what the boy be talking about is going to love this movie. It was like being at the concert man, everyone in the theatre was singing along with Jay clapping like we was all at Madison Square Garden that night."- Myriam C.

FADE TO BLACK (Theatrical Trailer) VIDEO LINKS

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NEW YORK, October 26, 2004- The New Life Project (NLP) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to end homelessness in the U.S. by raising funds and awareness through innovative creative events and initiatives. On November 5, 2004 at 8pm, NLP will hold its Inaugural Concert at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom. A truly impressive array of musical talent are donating their services to support this worthy cause: Kanye West will be headlining the concert which will feature other notable artists including hip-hop star Common, R&B sensation Musiq and the dj acrobatics of The X-Ecutioners. This highly anticipated event will be host to a celebrated list of socially-conscious personalities in the worlds of entertainment, fashion and business. Larry David, Billy Crystal, Al Green, Kanye West, and Q-Tip are all members of the growing list of influential individuals who serve as honorary board members. AOL and Hot 97 radio are just two of the many promoters for this powerful night.

In keeping with NLP’s mission, the Inaugural Concert will be entertaining, educational and inspirational. Through it’s high-profile projects, this valiant organization will raise funds and awareness to address one of the toughest challenges facing America today: ending homelessness. Though the problem may seem vast, NLP will shatter the biggest myth about homelessness in America… That it’s inevitable.

… And the true beauty of The New Life Project is that it will achieve its goal of ending homelessness by using the talents of the very individuals it seeks to help. The creative skills and hard work of numerous homeless and formerly homeless contributors will be the driving force behind many of NLP’s projects. The New Life Project is not a hand out… It’s a way out.

All proceeds from the Inaugural Concert will benefit The New Life Project.

Check out these stark facts:

- Over the course of one year, one in every 100 Americans will experience homelessness

- One in 50 American children will be homeless this year

- At least 800,000 people are homeless each day; a total of 3-4 million people annually

- The problem is getting worse… But the solutions exist.

MEMBERS-ONLY EXCLUSIVE: WORLD PREMIERE OF JAY-Z AND R. KELLY'S NEW ALBUM UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON WWW.ROCAFELLA.COM

"Big Chips"
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"Break Up (That's All We Do)"
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"Don't Let Me Die"
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"Feelin' You In Stereo"
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"Mo' Money"
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"Pretty Girls"
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"She's Coming Home With Me"
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"Stop"
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"The Return (Remix)"
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Use the list below to find a theater near you playing JAY-Z's new film FADE TO BLACK featuring Jay's legendary farewell concert at Madison Square Garden and behind-the-scenes footage of the making of THE BLACK ALBUM.

FADE TO BLACK (Theatrical Trailer) VIDEO LINKS

Windows Hi | Windows Lo | Real

Market	State	City	Theatre	Circuit
Atlanta	GA	Alpharetta	Mansell Crossing	AMC
Atlanta	GA	Atlanta	Magic Johnson	Loews
Atlanta	GA	Conyers	Conyers 16	Carmike
Atlanta	GA	Decatur	North Dekalb	AMC
Atlanta	GA	Lawrenceville	Colonial 18	AMC
Atlanta	GA	MEMBERS ONLY: Click here to register for pre-sale tickets for JAY-Z and R. Kelly. PLEASE NOTE that there is a different password for the login to the ticketing page than your login for www.rocafella.com! There is a very simple registration form and the password will be mailed to your email address when you register. Note: Tickets for the two dates listed below will go onsale this week. Los Angeles, CA - The Staples Center: PRE-SALE STARTS TODAY 10/20 AT 12:00 PM PST Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena- PRE-SALE STARTS TOMORROW 10/21 AT 10:00 PST NOTE: Limited quantities tickets may be still be available for the dates below:   Oct. 3rd Cleveland, OH - CSU   Oct. 5th Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena   Oct. 7th Washington, D.C. - MCI Center   Oct. 8th Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena   Oct. 9th Greensboro, NC - Coliseum   Oct. 10th Nashville, TN - Gaylord Center   Oct. 13th Dallas, TX - American Airlines Arena   Oct. 14th Oklahoma City, JAY-Z TO UNVEIL FEATURE FILM OF MYTHICAL MADISON SQUARE GARDEN EVENT AND RECORDING OF LEGENDARY BLACK ALBUM   Marcy Projects Productions & @radical.media Deliver   September 30, 2004, New York, NY – Legendary musical talent Shawn Carter, better known as JAY-Z, production company @radical.media and Paramount Classics are proud to announce the event film of the year and the ultimate hip hop experience, “Fade To Black.”  The film will be theatrically released by Paramount Classics on November 5, 2004.   “Fade To Black” chronicles the once-in-a-lifetime concert event of JAY-Z’s performance at Madison Square Garden in November 2003. Nearly one year later, fans and artists alike still reflect on this monumental musical night.  The event was a spectacular culmination of JAY-Z’s recording career prior to his self-proclaimed retirement from solo performing.  But this one night also defined a musical generation, showcasing the evolution and reach of the world’s most popular music genre.  Guest performers included JAY-Z’s closest friends and music industry colleagues: Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, R. Kelly, Foxy Brown, Pharrell, and ?uestlove and The Illadelphonics along with appearances by hip hop icons Damon Dash, Rick Rubin, Slick Rick, P. Diddy and many others.   The film is an intimate look at JAY-Z, revealing the multiple Grammy Award winning artist as never before. “Fade To Black” captures the stunning imagery of onstage performances, the entire hip hop family in backstage moments, and the soul-searching and dramatic process of creating the Black Album.  Viewers get the rare glimpse of JAY-Z’s creative process as he searches for inspiration, poetry, and perfection in his songs.  Narrated by JAY-Z, his account of the night takes on reflections of his entire musical career and his journey that led to this one astounding, fabled evening, rightfully called, “Fade To Black.”   “ I was on the biggest stage in the world, with some of the biggest stars in music, and we pulled off the perfect night. This was the ultimate dream growing up in Brooklyn. I went from Marcy to Madison Square.” Said JAY-Z   “This film captures the power and excitement of the on-stage performance and JAY-Z’s creation, commitment and dedication to his craft,” said Jon Kamen, @radical.media.    “Fade To Black,” a Shawn Carter film, is an @radical.media and Marcy Projects Productions. The film is Executive Produced by Shawn Carter, John Meneilly, Jon Kamen and Frank Scherma. Produced by Bob Ezrin, Rich Kleiman and Justin Wilkes.  Directed by Pat Paulson and Michael John Warren. ]]> 101145 Wed, 06 Oct 2004 13:30:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101144 Question: What can be expected on this tour?   JAY-Z:      A lot of energy, a lot of hit records, and, you know, just an overall good time. Forget what you’ve seen before. This is our arena right now. For the next two hours, two and a half hours: Let’s go. That’s our goal. We don’t care about nothin’ else but that. We’re here to give ‘em something they never seen before.   R. Kelly: It’s got to be like a classic rock concert —like the Rollin’ Stones would come through. Michael Jackson in his prime would come through.        Question: Why do you think that urban culture has such an effect on middle America?   JAY-Z: I believe that hip-hop is the new rock ‘n roll. Like back in the days we had James Dean with the t-shirt rolled up with the cigarettes and then, more recently, icons like Kurt Cobain? You know, I think hip-hop has replaced that. I think hip-hop is rock and roll right now. And in a couple of years we gonna look back and we’re gonna see that hip-hop really brought cultures together. Because you can’t teach racism in your house when your kid has a Snoop Doggy Dog poster on the wall. You know? As everyone knows, racism is taught in the home. You grow up into it. You have parents and they teach you, they teach you that. But if your favorite artist is Snoop it’s hard to teach racism in the home.     R. Kelly: Whether it’s hip-hop music, hip-hop R&B, all that stuff, it don’t have no color. It don’t have color. It’s for everybody, you know? And you’ll see that when you come to the concert. You’re gonna see just a rainbow of, of audience, you know? They’re out there just havin’ a good time and that’s what it’s all about.   Question: Who are you hoping to reach with this tour?   R. Kelly: I’m tryin’ to reach the same people tryin’ to reach me. That’s what it’s about.   JAY-Z: The most anxious people in the building, the people that really want those tickets, the people that ran out the quickest and got those tickets to be in that audience, that’s who we’re trying to reach. Because they’re the die-hard fans. They can’t miss it, they have to be there. You know? So we want to reach the people that feel our music and that feel us and that love us. Because when we get on stage we return that love. And that’s what we love to do. We’re performers, we love to perform our music in front of a live audience.   Question: With the election being so close, are you going express any political message in the concert?   JAY-Z: We pretty much stay away from politics but we do urge all young   people to go out there and vote. Because their voice does make a difference. Because we grew up in urban areas, you know? And we always grew up thinking that our voice didn’t make a difference, no matter who was in office, it never affected the ‘hood. But now we’re learning, as we grow older, that it does affect the   ‘hood when they start cutting back on school and things like that. And when you have forty people in one classroom, that’s affecting us and that’s affecting our ability to learn. So if you look in our school system as opposed to other people’s school system where the teacher has one-on-one attention, sixteen kids, maybe eight? When you can get that personal with a kid and you spend more time to talk to one kid, you know, you reach him better than when there’s thirty kids in one classroom. So it does affect us. And we have to change it.     Question: How do you take your each performance to the next level? How do you get whatever it is out of you?   JAY-Z: 101144 Wed, 06 Oct 2004 13:30:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101147 TICKETS FOR LOS ANGELES AND OAKLAND ON SALE THIS WEEK!! Members of www.rocafella.com will receive first shot at tix before the pre-sale is made available to the public. Click here and sign up to receive members only access and first shot at tickets to see JAY-Z and R. Kelly live in concert. Stay tuned to www.rocafella.com for more info about this exclusive offer. NON MEMBERS: Click here to register for the pre-sale. MEMBERS: please login to the site for more info. NEED HELP?  If you have any questions regarding ticket sales for THE BEST OF BOTH WORLD TOUR please contact info@concertmaps.com. For questions aboout members-only access to www.rocafella.com please contact  sitesupport@rocafella.com Note: Tickets for the three dates below will go onsale this week. Los Angeles, CA - The Staples Center: PRE-SALE STARTS TODAY 10/20 AT 12:00 PM PST Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena- PRE-SALE STARTS TOMORROW 10/21 AT 10:00 PST NOTE: Limited quantities tickets may be still be available for the dates below:   Oct. 3rd Cleveland, OH - CSU   Oct. 5th Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena   Oct. 7th Washington, D.C. - MCI Center   Oct. 8th Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena   Oct. 9th Greensboro, NC - Coliseum   Oct. 10th Nashville, TN - Gaylord Center &n]]> 101147 Tue, 05 Oct 2004 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101149 THE MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUM OF THE YEAR ACCOMPANIES THE MOST ANTICIPATED TOUR OF THE YEAR (September 20, 2004; New York, NY): On October 26th 2004, to coincide with the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS TOUR, reigning kings of R&B and Hip-Hop, R. Kelly and JAY-Z, will release worldwide UNFINSHED BUSINESS. The album features 11 previously unreleased songs and will feature special packaging including a linitcular cover featuring the artists’ faces. The album is being released on Jive/Roc-a-fella/Def Jam in the United States and Canada. It will be available on Jive/BMG everywhere else in the world. UNFINISHED BUSINESS is launching with the singles; "Big Chips" and "Don’t Let Me Die." Both singles will be added at radio on October 4th. September 29th will mark the opening night of "The Best Of Both Worlds," the most anticipated tour of 2004, when the multi-platinum duo of JAY-Z and R. Kelly join forces on stage for a 40-plus city tour. The consumer demand rose to unprecedented heights when fans were treated to a taste of the superstars’ on stage performance together at JAY-Z’s sold-out 2003 Madison Square Garden concert. The nation-wide tour will kick off in Chicago, Illinois and end November 28th in Phoenix, Arizona. JAY-Z has released 10 consecutive multi-platinum albums since 1996 and has sold over 33 million units. JAY-Z has been nominated for Grammy Awards, as well as Billboard Music Awards and Radio Music Awards. This year alone, JAY-Z won 4 MTV Video Music Awards for his groundbreaking video "99 Problems," was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by Prince Charles at the 1st Annual Prince’s Trust Urban Music Festival, received ASCAP’s Golden Note award for excellence in songwriting and has received 2 American Music Award nominations for his critically acclaimed Black Album. In addition to his success as a musical artist, JAY-Z has multiple businesses including 40/40 restaurants, Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-A-Wear and Roc-A-Fella Films. He is also responsible for the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund (scholarship fund for high school students in Brooklyn), The Annual JAY-Z Toy Drive and Team Roc. R.Kelly has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. In 1997, he won three Grammy Awards for his inspirational hit "I Believe I Can Fly" from the motion picture "Space Jam." In addition, he won Billboard Music Awards in several categories, including Hot 100 and R&B, in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2003. In 1999, R. Kelly won an American Music Award for R&B/Soul Favorite Male Artist, and in 2003 he won both a Vibe and a BET Award. Just last month, he won seven R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at the 5th annual Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards show. In addition, on August 27, 2004, R. Kelly won 3 BMI Awards for Urban Producer, Song and Most Performed Song of the Year for "Bump, Bump, Bump" and "Ignition." One of the most sought after songwriters and producers of this era, R. Kelly has written and/or produced for Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Kelly Price, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Joe, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, B2K, JAY-Z, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Cannon and Twista. ]]> 101149 Tue, 21 Sep 2004 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101150 JAY-Z and Outkast lead the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with six nods and five nods respectively. Jay's nominations come courtesy of his controversial "99 Problems" video. Earlier this year, the video was barred from daytime MTV programming because of its firey ending which depicted JAY-Z being gunned down in cold blood. The video was eventually added to rotation with an advisory message warning of the violent content. Fellow Roc-A-Fella Records artist Kanye West has been Video Music Awards nominations for his "All Falls Down" clip including Best Male Video, Best Hip-Hop Video, Best New Artist In A Video and Breakthrough Video. Changing the format of the VMA's for 2004, this year's festivities will be held at Miami's American Airlines Arena. There will also be no featured host for the evening. Thus far, Kanye West and Usher among others have been enlisted to perform. Other nominees include Lil Jon and Ludacris with Usher, Twista with Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas and Missy Elliott. The 2004 VMA's air on August 29th live from Miami's American Airline Arena.   ]]> 101150 Wed, 28 Jul 2004 14:00:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101190 KANYE WEST SCORES HIGH MARKS WITH MTV;   “ALL FALLS DOWN” CLIP NOMINATED FOR 4 VMAS AS ‘DROPOUT’ MARCHES TOWARD TRIPLE-PLATINUM & WEST PREPARES FOR USHER TREK   NEW YORK, NY – July 27, 2004 – Just as the three controversial, groundbreaking videos for Kanye West’s new anthem “Jesus Walks” have propelled the third single from his double-platinum debut The College Dropout to the top of the charts, MTV has honored his “All Falls Down” clip with 4 Video Music Awards nominations: Best Male Video, Best Hip-Hop Video, Best New Artist In A Video and Breakthrough Video.   Kanye, who won Best New Artist at the recent BET Awards and wowed audiences nationwide with a stunning performance of “Jesus Walks” to open the show, has been announced among the first crop of performers for the VMAs as well, set to be held in Miami’s American Airlines Arena on August 29th.   With guest appearances in 2 other categories – Best R&B Video for Brandy’s “Talk About Our Love” and the MTV2 Award for Twista’s “Slow Jamz” - Kanye joins the ranks of his friend, mentor and label chief JAY-Z, who topped all artists with 6 nominations for his “99 Problems” clip.   West will take a momentary break from his 2-month nationwide trek with Usher’s “The Truth Tour” to perform at the VMAs. The Truth Tour kicks off August 5th in Hampton, VA.   Stay tuned for more news on hip-hop’s favorite dropout, Kanye West…     ]]> 101190 Tue, 27 Jul 2004 18:30:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101191 Check out Kanye West & Twista's Sessions@AOL performance airing on FUSE this Friday 7/30 @ 4:30pm, Saturday 7/31 @ 2pm, 5pm & 10:30pm, Sunday 8/1 @ 3:30pm & 9pm and Monday, 8/2 @ 2:30pm! ]]> 101191 Mon, 26 Jul 2004 18:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101193 Source: MTV News NEW YORK — Kanye West doesn't do anything by half. At the Tribeca Cinemas Monday night, not only did he screen three different videos for the same song, "Jesus Walks," he let everyone know that money was a small price to pay to get his vision out there. "This is a song that is very important to me," West told the crowd before admitting he'd actually wanted to do five videos for the song. West had wanted Hype Williams to direct "Jesus Walks" but decided not to use the director because he'd heard that JAY-Z was thinking about using Hype for "99 Problems" (ultimately, that video was directed by Mark Romanek). Admitting to a bit of "big brother/little brother" competition with Hov, Kanye went with Michael Haussman for the first version of "Jesus Walks," budgeted at $600,000. In that version, West preaches to a congregation from an altar while angels guide three people, who are embroiled in life's strife, to church. Kanye wasn't satisfied with that clip and hit up label head Dame Dash for $500,000 to shoot another clip. The Chris Milk-helmed second version — probably the most visually riveting and undoubtedly the most controversial of the three — includes footage of drug dealers being pursued through the desert by cops, inmates on a chain gang tangling with guards, and a Ku Klux Klansman setting himself on fire while carrying a burning cross. The much less expensive final clip, the most comical of the three, was shot in one day, guerrilla-style, in Chicago and depicts Jesus following Kanye from his house through the 'hood and to church. It was co-directed by West with Coodie and Chike of Channel Zero. "All of them are groundbreaking," West said about the clips. "That song evokes so much emotion, and four minutes of imagery limits the ideas that you're supposed to give for the songs, so I had to do three. We're probably gonna put together a DVD [with all of them]." Even though the song and its videos will probably push West's debut, The College Dropout, past the 2 million sales mark, he'll be the first to tell you that he had to work to score the opening slot on this summer's Usher tour. "You know I be coming up on TV and be saying a bunch of arrogant sh-- or whatever," he said. "But I'll tell you right now, I had my manager call his mama, I had my mama call his mama — I called and begged to get on this tour, 'cause I needed to be on that. When I tell people that [I'm going to be on the tour], they be like 'Damn! That's gonna be the tour of the summer.' " The Chi-Town native's reaction was even less inhibited. "I was dancing around the house like in 'The Five Heartbeats,' when they first heard their song on the radio," he said. Fans can look forward to hearing a Kanye and Usher collaboration any day now: There's a remix of "Confessions, Pt. 2" on the radio and mixtapes that features Kanye, Twista and the incarcerated Shyne. Kanye teased a little bit of his verse. "Damn, how did you bring it up/ How did it you break it down/ Man, you at the clinic?" He paused for a moment — "Ah, I ain't gonna give you all that, man" — before continuing. "I remember old girl, mm-hmmm, we met her on tour/ I see your baby dance good as hell. It's yours!" The rapping producer has more than enough to keep his schedule filled through the end of the year. He wants to start on his next album, Late Registration, right after the Usher tour, and his clothing line, Mascott, may be hitting by the fall. "I don't want to give too much away, but all I'm gonna say is I am real serious," he said about the line. "I go in with the designers and sit with the cat and do the colors. It's not something I am just signing off [on]. I went to art school and I've got a love for clothes. I'm not just trying to make clothes as something to make money. I go to the Polo store or Tommy Hilfiger and I [feel there's] something I want that they don't have; that's what I try to design." Kanye also talked about his jewelry line, made in association with Jacob the Jeweler. "People got confused that it's a religious line," he clarified. "I'm coming up with all different types of jewelry pieces. I came into the store and I was tired of everything I saw. The last good Jesus piece that was made was the one Biggie bought out. It was time to innovate." —Shaheem Reid ]]> 101193 Thu, 22 Jul 2004 18:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101151 Source: MTV News JAY-Z has asked some of his lady friends to put their best foot forward and help kids go to college. JAY-Z and Reebok, his partner in the S. Carter shoe line, have solicited five celebrities to custom-design a pair of limited-edition women's S. Carter shoes that will be auctioned off next week. The five women include JAY-Z's special lady friend, Beyoncé, plus Queen Latifah, Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, model/actress Tyra Banks and actress Joy Bryant. The shoes are being auctioned off via Reebok's RBK Web site (www.rbk.com) from noon on July 19 until 10 p.m. on July 28, with all proceeds going to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to disadvantaged youth. For her design, Beyoncé settled on a simple white S. Carter shoe with pink and gray trim. Queen Latifah's shoe is even more minimalist: It simply bears her logo on the side of a plain white shoe. The other women opted for more colorful looks, like Fergie's red, white and deep-blue shoe with old-English-style letters along the side saying, "One World." - Joseph Patel   ]]> 101151 Mon, 19 Jul 2004 14:10:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101152 The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground This week's golden gem doesn't come courtesy of one of the mixtape masters like Kay Slay, Whoo Kid or Envy. It comes via DJ Clue's homeboy Don Juan DeMarco's Sh-- Like This Part III, and it's one of those beautiful summertime jams that's going to make the whole world shake once it gets out to the public. Oh, and did we mention it's a new cut from JAY-Z? Jay's people say the record, titled "Ignorant Sh--," was leaked and won't comment on whether there are plans to officially release it. Hov raps over a looped sample of the Isley Brothers' "In Between the Sheets," "I got that ignorant sh-- you like/ ... You like it, don't front." Later he even divulges his plans if he were ever elected president, saying, "This is S.C., CEO/ The next Lyor? No/ The next leader of the whole free world/ And the first thing I'mma do is free Sigel." Hov closes out the record showing some chivalry. "Heard they love it when I'm hard on hoes/ Said a G don't know bitch keys or security codes/ I agree my lady ain't no bitch/ She gets whatever I own/ So when you see her, understand that's me, n---a/ Understand I'm the same old G, n---a/ I understand the difference between a bitch and a B." — By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes   ]]> 101152 Mon, 19 Jul 2004 14:10:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101153 Source: Allhiphop.com The internet has been in a silent uproar over an alleged incident of JAY-Z striking a woman, but the speculation over a 3-second moving GIF image has been proven inaccurate. The image, which has been spread through the internet through websites, instant messenger transmissions and message boards, seems to show the image of JAY-Z assaulting a women considerably smaller than he is. JAY-Z responded to the charges though a Roc representative and categorically denied the accusations. The rep also clarified exactly where the scene came from. “The person in the video is an executive at Roc-A-Fella and a friend of JAY-Z’s. What you see in the video is a scene from ‘Back Stage,’” he said. ‘Back Stage’ is the 2000 movie that chronicled the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour, the roving show that featured JAY-Z, DMX, Method Man, Redman, The Roc and other popular rappers like Ja Rule. The female employee’s name is being withheld at the request of Roc-A-Fella. “Specifically, the scene is derived from Chapter 14: ‘Two Months Too Long,’” the Roc-A-Fella rep disclosed. “The context of the play fighting is the tour has gone on too long and she is making fun of JAY-Z and if you listen you hear her teasing [like] “Gimme elbow room, gimme elbow room, I’m the Jigga man.” Another source further detailed Jay’s relationship with the Roc executive. “She and Jay grew up together and play like that which is why no one of people watching look fazed by it,” the source said. “She still works for and with Jay.” “Once you know its [the executive] and you know her, it all makes sense, but for the average person, they are going to run with it.” In the scene, Jays-Z’s former mentor Jaz-O can be seen to the right with a semi-smile on his face as JAY-Z supposedly strikes the women. None of the others in the scene express dismay at the display either. According to the representative, JAY-Z and other sources, the pair is described as “life long friends,” even though the exact length of their relationship was undetermined. The Roc-A-Fella representative stated that the mainstream media has begun to call inquiring about the nature of the “video” hoping for some headlining news. “If Jay was beating up a female, it certainly wouldn’t appear in a movie put out by Roc-A-Fella,” the rep concluded. - Jigsaw   ]]> 101153 Thu, 01 Jul 2004 14:10:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101154 JAY-Z joined legendary jam-band Phish for 2 songs during a show at Coney Island in Brooklyn Friday night in the midst of the group's farewell summer tour. Jay joined the group for 2 songs, "99 Problems" and "Big Pimpin'". If you weren't there, no worries - just click here to listen to Jay perform "99 Problems" live and then click here to hear Jay perform "Big Pimpin"! ]]> 101154 Wed, 23 Jun 2004 14:20:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101194 "I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers, the way Kathie Lee needed Regis, that's the way I need Jesus.." - Kanye West ("Jesus Walks") Need a lil' Jesus in your life like Kanye West? Well, click the links below and be the first to see the online world premiere of Kanye West's new video "Jesus Walks" directed by Chris Milk! "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West Windows hi/windows lo/real hi   ]]> 101194 Mon, 21 Jun 2004 18:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101195 KANYE WEST TO BRING ‘THE TRUTH’ WITH USHER THIS SUMMER; HIP-HOP’S HEAD OF THE CLASS TAPPED FOR SIX WEEK CROSS-COUNTRY TREK, NOMINATED FOR 3 BET WARDS, DROPS THIRD SINGLE AND VIDEO, "JESUS WALKS" NEW YORK, NY – June 14, 2004 – It’s been a remarkable, triumphant and vindicating year for hip-hop’s man of the moment, Kanye West. In the first week in February, when West dropped his astonishing debut The College Dropout, he held three songs in the Billboard Top 20, including the #1 song in the country, "Slow Jamz." And while critics were heaping praise on advance copies of ‘Dropout,’ and his own unlikely smash "Through The Wire" was tearing up radio and the charts, West pressed forward with the ‘me against the world’ hunger of an unsigned artist, flaunting his notorious attitude to anyone who would listen, shining up the platinum chip on his shoulder. If Kanye seemed like a man with something to prove, it has been proven and then some. ‘Dropout’ sold upwards of 450,000 copies in it’s first week, debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts and has gone onto sell over 2 million copies worldwide. Kanye has become a phenomenon, gracing magazine covers, dominating MTV, BET and late night television, and selling out shows nationwide on his first-ever solo tour. West recently returned from Europe, where he performed on the BBC’s legendary Top Of The Pops, completed a whirlwind international press tour, and rocked packed crowds from London to Amsterdam to Colon. Now, Kanye has been tapped by ubiquitous chart-topper Usher as a special guest on his upcoming ‘The Truth’ national arena tour. Featuring both the hottest artist in hip-hop and the hottest artist in R&B, ‘The Truth Tour’ is guaranteed to be one of the biggest tours of the season. Kicking off in Hampton, VA on August 16th, ‘The Truth Tour’ will trek across the country for six weeks, hitting major venues like Los Angeles’ Staples Center and New York’s historic Madison Square Garden. Out on the road, Kanye will be highlighting the stunning, soulful third single from ‘Dropout,’ "Jesus Walks." Possibly one of the most meaningful rap songs to come along in years, "Jesus Walks," has struck a serious chord with fans all over the country, becoming one of the high-points in Kanye’s show. In the track’s final, now-infamous verse, a penitent Kanye searches his own faith and the stigmas attached to expressing it in song: I ain't here to argue about his facial features, Or here to convert atheists into believers I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers, The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need Jesus, So here go my single dog radio needs this They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus That means guns, sex, lies, videotapes, But if I talk about God my record won't get played, Huh? Well if this takes away from my spins Which will probably take away from my ends Then I hope this take away from my sins And bring the day that I'm dreaming ‘bout Next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out "Jesus Walks" The controversial new video for "Jesus Walks" is set to debut on BET and MTV within the next few weeks, and Kanye is scheduled to perform the song at the BET awards later this month. Kanye is nominated for three BET Awards, including "Best New Artist." Usher / Kanye West "The Truth Tour" dates: 8/5 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum 8/6 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena 8/7 - Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center 8/10 - Cleveland, OH @ CSU Convocation Center 8/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena 8/14 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center 8/20 - Washington, DC @ MCI Center 8/21 - E. Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena 8/25 - New Orleans, LA @ Superdome 8/26 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center 8/31 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 9/2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center 9/11 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills 9/15 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena 9/17 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Arena 9/18 - St. Louis, MO @ Savvis Center 9/19 - Kansas City, MO @ Kemper Arena 9/23 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena 9/24 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum 9/25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Arena 9/30 - Charlotte, NC @ Coliseum 10/1 - Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center 10/3 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena 10/7 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden   ]]> 101195 Wed, 16 Jun 2004 18:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101155 Source: SOHH.com by Carl Chery JAY-Z will be awarded the Golden Note award at ASCAP's (The American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers) 17th annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards later this month. Awards will be presented to songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most played R&B/Hip-Hop and Reggae songs and Jiggaman is scheduled to be honored with the Golden Note award for his song writing abilities. Other winners include Funk and R&B legend Rick James, who will be honored with ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award. 50 Cent, Kanye West, Mr. Cheeks, Erykah Badu and Raphael Saadiq among countless others are scheduled to attend the ceremony. ASCAP's 17th annual Rhythm And Soul Music Awards takes place at Beverly Hills' Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 28.   ]]> 101155 Tue, 15 Jun 2004 14:20:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101106 Source: SOHH.com After buzzing from countless mixtape appearances and cameos, Peedi Crakk's momentum was interrupted by an 8-month bid in the pen. Now, free and focused, Crakk speaks to SOHH.com about his new attitude, living with Dame Dash and the shady ways of Just Blaze. Since signing with Roc-A-Fella, most State Property members including Beanie Sigel and Young Gunz have had run-ins with the law. Yet, despite his recent bid for firearm possession, Crakk is confident he's ready to handle the transition from the streets to the fame. "I see it more clear now. I see the transition. It's a whole different world. It's not the hood and I'm not dealing with hoodlums," Crakk told SOHH.com via phone. "This is the business world and I'm dealing with business men so I had to change my whole attitude about sh!t." Crakk has now been free for roughly a month and a week. Since his release, he's been living at Dame Dash's crib in a sort of "Roc-A-Fella bootcamp" to get back on track. "It's been cool. Dame wanted to take more of an interest into me. It's like he feels kind of responsible for me now. He's like 'Crakk, you the next ni99a so I gotta get you right. I need you right here with me'," Peedi explained regarding moving in with Dash. "He took the next step forward and I've been flying all around the world with this ni99a for the past two weeks now. And now we're in New York and we're just staying at one of his condo joints, working on some sh!t. He just wants me right there. He wanna have his eyes on me." Whenever he's in the big apple, Crakk hits the lab to work on his album and make tons of mixtape material in the process. "I've been f#@$ing with my ni99a Nore a lot. Nore got a studio down here, I've been f#@$ing with him. He got his little ni99a Cardan from Harlem World. That's my ni99a, I just did a song with him," Crakk offered. "I've just been really lampin out. I ain't really lampin, lampin, like lazy lampin, but when I'm not working on a song or something, I'm just chilling back watching Dame or watching what's going on. I got to learn. I'm learning right now and I really wanna know this sh!t so when I do make this money I can keep it." Crakk claims to have 75% of his album done. While a release date has yet to be determined, he is scheduled to drop "I Gotta Have It" featuring Beanie Sigel next month. According to Crakk, the record's response will dictate his album's release date. And while he doesn't wish to team up with too many emcees, expect Noreaga to appear on his debut LP. "I like f#@$ing with Nore cause me and Nore got that same kind of twist, not exactly, but I think we attract the same type of crowd of ni99as and girls so I like working with Nore," Peedi revealed. "I wouldn't mind f#@$ing with Nore on the album cause I did a joint with Nore, but it ain't make the album cause this ni99a Just Blaze, this suck ass ni99a sold the beat. Just Blaze sold the beat on me so we couldn't use it. He sold it to Nick Cannon on some bullsh!t. It was out on the street. We leaked it but we just can't use it." Peedi Crakk and Beanie Sigel's "I Gotta Have It" single hits the streets in July. In the meantime, visit Peedi's audio/video section and listen to his new song "I'm Back". - Carl Chery     ]]> 101106 Thu, 10 Jun 2004 17:10:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101091 Source: Hiphopdx.com - Deniece Mason Kanye West will not only introduce his own sneaker line within the next coming months but the College Dropoutwill stay on the road as he joins up with Usher for The Truth Tour. Besides working on a new religious themed jewelry line that he is working on with famed jeweler Jacob the Jeweler, Kanye is also working on his own sneaker titled the Mascott Trainers. Although they are currently still in the planning stage, the shoe will be in stores later this year. The religious piece will be called the Grandma Jesus, a depiction of a black man. Although he has been on tour since early this year, Kanye will be joining Usher on what will become one of the biggest tours of the summer alongside Usher. Tentative Tour Dates Are: Aug. 5: Hampton, Va. (Hampton Coliseum) Aug. 6: Baltimore (1st Mariner Arena) Aug. 7: Raleigh, N.C. (RBC Center) Aug. 10: Cleveland (CSU Convocation Center) Aug. 13: Cincinnati (US Bank Arena) Aug. 14: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center) Aug. 20: Washington, D.C. (MCI Center) Aug. 21: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena) Aug. 25: New Orleans (Superdome) Aug. 26: Houston (Toyota Center) Aug. 31: Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Arena) Sept. 2: Los Angeles (Staples Center) Sept. 11: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills) Sept. 15: Dallas (American Airlines Arena) Sept. 17: Memphis (FedEx Arena) Sept. 18: St. Louis (Savvis Center) Sept. 19: Kansas City, Mo. (Kemper Arena) Sept. 23: Miami (American Airlines Arena) Sept. 24: Tampa, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum) Sept. 25: Jacksonville, Fla. (Jacksonville Arena) Sept. 30: Charlotte, N.C. (Coliseum) Oct. 1: Greenville, S.C. (Bi-Lo Center) Oct. 3: Atlanta (Philips Arena) Oct. 7: New York (Madison Square Garden) ]]> 101091 Wed, 09 Jun 2004 14:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101090 Source: MTV News Fans embraced Usher when he spilled his Confessions on his latest album. Now, he hopes they'll embrace the Truth just as warmly. The R&B superstar has announced plans for a summer road trip, the Truth Tour, which will bring his elaborate song-and-dance show to fans across the country. The Truth Tour kicks off on August 5 in Hampton, Virginia, and will wrap up on October 7 in New York. Usher's opening act will not be fellow Atlanta resident Big Boi. Last week, the Outkast MC teased fans with the idea that he could be joining the tour as the opening act, but according to Usher's management, Big Boi's involvement never extended beyond preliminary conversations. Instead, Usher will travel with the Louis Vuitton Don himself, Kanye West. The producer and rapper recently finished a headlining tour of his own in support of his recent debut, The College Dropout, and has a number of projects on the boil. The Truth Tour itinerary, according to a spokesperson for Usher: 8/5 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum 8/6 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena 8/7 - Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center 8/10 - Cleveland, OH @ CSU Convocation Center 8/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena 8/14 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center 8/20 - Washington, DC @ MCI Center 8/21 - E. Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena 8/25 - New Orleans, LA @ Superdome 8/26 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center 8/31 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena 9/2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center 9/11 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills 9/15 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena 9/17 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Arena 9/18 - St. Louis, MO @ Savvis Center 9/19 - Kansas City, MO @ Kemper Arena 9/23 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena 9/24 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum 9/25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Arena 9/30 - Charlotte, NC @ Coliseum 10/1 - Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center 10/3 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena 10/7 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden - Joseph Patel   ]]> 101090 Wed, 09 Jun 2004 14:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101089 Source: Eurweb.com (Jun. 8, 2004) *Kanye West is having a truly blessed year. He is set to hit the road with Usher and star his own clothing line ... among other things. West is launching Mascott, which will hit stores near the end of the year. In addition, the clothing line will be accompanied by Mascott Trainers-a line of sneakers. The Chicago native has finished designing the next piece in his collection of religious jewelry along with Jacob the Jeweler. The new piece will be called Grandma's Jesus and is the follow-up to his original Jesus piece, released in April, which is of a Caucasian Christ. Grandma's Jesus is a depiction of Jesus as a black man. West is also headed back out on tour this summer, but this time he's not hitting colleges, he's hitting arenas as an opening act on the Usher tour, which kicks off in August.   ]]> 101089 Wed, 09 Jun 2004 14:20:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101088 As one of the leaders of the gentleman's fashion movement, Kanye West has kept a Polo label on his chest like Superman does with his "S." But when West — who recently signed on to tour with Usher this summer — starts packing his bags to hit the road, he's probably going to be taking less Ralph Lauren to make room for his own clothes. West is launching a clothing line called Mascott, which will hit stores before the end of the year, according to West's rep. To top (or bottom) it off, he's also coming out with his own line of sneakers, called Mascott Trainers, which are currently in the design stage. Also coming up are two items with a prominent religious theme. First, Kanye has finished designing the next piece in the collection of religious-themed jewelry that he's putting out with Jacob the Jeweler. The new piece will be called Grandma's Jesus and is the follow-up to his original Jesus piece, released in April, which is of a Caucasian Christ. Grandma's Jesus is a depiction of Jesus as a black man. Second is the first of his two forthcoming singles: "Jesus Walks." The video for the song was directed by Chris Milk and is said to feature three plotlines. Also, on the remix tip, Lil Jon produced a remix of "Kanye's Workout" featuring Luke and Farnsworth Bentley. West is also headed back out on tour this summer, but this time he's not hitting colleges, he's hitting arenas as an opening act on the Usher tour, which kicks off in August. Finally, Mariah Carey has been hollering at the Chi-Town native about rustling some beats from him for her next album. — Shaheem Reid ]]> 101088 Fri, 04 Jun 2004 14:20:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101156 Use your copy of THE BLACK ALBUM to access an EXCLUSIVE director's cut of Jay's video for "99 Problems" by clicking here!]]> 101156 Mon, 24 May 2004 14:30:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101157 MEMBERS-ONLY EXCLUSIVE: WORLD PREMIERE OF JAY-Z'S NEW MIXTAPE: S. CARTER THE REMIX! With the release of the new S. Carter II hitting stores 5/28 and the new S. Carter Tennis Sneaker hitting stores 6/18, JAY-Z is also lacing us with a new mixtape entitled: S.CARTER THE REMIX. So you know www.rocafella.com is hitting you with another exclusive! Did we forget to mention this mixtape hasn't even hit the streets yet?! What more is there to say? Click the links below and listen to fire from ya boy Hov only available at www.rocafella.com ! 1. "99 Problems" - The Video windows hi/windows lo/real hi  2. "Flow" - Produced by Just Blaze, Charlamagn & Lenny S windows hi/windows lo/real hi 3. "P.S.A. Remix" - Produced by Just Blaze windows hi/windows lo/real hi 4. "Dec 4th Remix" - Produced by 9th Wonder windows hi/windows lo/real hi 5. "P Ditty Interlude" - Produced by Lenny S windows hi/windows lo/real hi 6. "Warm It Up Jay Freestyle" - Produced by Just Blaze windows hi/windows lo/real hi 7. "Michael Jordan/MSG Interlude" - Produced by Lenny S windows hi/windows lo/real hi 8. "Encore Remix" - Produced by Charlamagn windows hi/windows lo/real hi 9. "Hell Yeah Remix" With Dead Prez - Produced by Dead Prez windows hi/windows lo/real hi 10. "Looking @ My S Dots" - Produced by Sean "S Dot" Francis & Cuzin E windows hi/windows lo/real hi 11. "Moment Of Clarity Remix" - Produced by Just Blaze windows hi/windows lo/real hi 12. "99 Problems Remix" - Produced by Just Blaze windows hi/windows lo/real hi 13. "Where I'm From" feat Beanie Sigel - Produced by Green Lantern windows hi/windows lo/real hi 14. "Denzel Washington Interlude" - Produced by Lenny S windows hi/windows lo/real hi 15. "Allure Remix" - Produced by Just Blaze windows hi/windows lo/ 101157 Thu, 20 May 2004 14:30:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101087 Hip-hop's most famous college dropout rocks the charts. He buys his mom a new ride, claims Brit bit his video, and sells knives door to door. by C. Bottomley How much does Kanye West love his mom? Well, while doing this interview, the season's hottest rapper/producer is finalizing the purchase of a drop-top Mercedes-Benz CLK. It's 72 hours before Mother's Day, and he's going to surprise her with it - even wants a video camera to document her reaction. So forgive him if he's a little distracted. Time is obviously tight for West these days. After making a name by producing platinum hits for JAY-Z, Alicia Keys and Ludacris, everyone wants a piece of him. It's understandable: his singles, "Slow Jamz" and "Through the Wire," tied up the charts for months, and his celebrated debut The College Dropout went in at No. 2. And Kanye fever is just beginning. He's all over forthcoming records by Brandy and Jadakiss. The secret of West's success? He speeds up soul samples until Chaka Khan sounds like Minnie Mouse, and his often hilarious lyrics take on everything from the car crash that left his jaw wired shut ("Through the Wire") to his crappy summer job at the Gap ("Spaceship"). He even made a hit tune about Christ ("Jesus Walks") just because he could. It doesn't stop there, either. He's getting into jewelry, video production, and clothing design. Not bad for a guy who used to sell knives for a living. As West ran from the Benz dealership to a nearby restaurant, VH1 got to pick his brain about Britney Spears biting his ideas, autograph hounds stepping over the line, and what he'll be doing when his time is finally up. VH1: You spent years trying to make it as a rapper. Has the success of The College Dropout vindicated you? KW: Yeah. Definitely. But I'm not finished. I'm not done yet. VH1: What do you have left to prove? The "All Falls Down" video seems to be the only one on MTV - aside from Britney Spears' "Everything." KW: Yeah. Britney Spears' [video] is a knock-off of that, too. The one where she pulls up in a limo, gets out and walks through white hallways in slow motion? You don't think that's not a visual knockoff of "All Falls Down"? Tell me that first shot [in her video] is not the exact same shot. VH1: I'll take your word for it. Are people biting your musical style, too? KW: Hell yeah, they are! I can't name the tracks that are imitating me. That wouldn't help me at all. That would only hurt me. VH1: Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? KW: Yeah. And imitation is the sincerest form of stealing! I don't mind because I used to imitate [others], when I was trying to learn how to do it. I think it's a good way to learn how to do something. I studied music that I liked and then tried my best to emulate it. VH1: Do you remember looking at record sleeves to see who the producer was? KW: Hurby Luv Bug might have been one of the first producers that I was like, "Oh, that's a producer right there." Then Teddy Riley, Full Force. Those are a few that no one will ever [mention], right? VH1: What's the biggest difference between being behind the mixing desk and being behind the mic? KW: You're more recognized and you get more stuff for free. But then you get more people wanting stuff from you. Like just a few minutes ago a girl came up to me and asked for my autograph. I gave it to her, and she said, "Can you put my name on it?" She started spelling this really long name out. A lot of times, if I have a lot of autographs to do, I won't put names on it. I just put "It's the Roc," or my name. I said, "I'm just gonna do this," and gave it to her. She said, "You can't put my name on it?" I said, "Naw, I'm just gonna do that." Then she said, "Is this the way you sign your name?" For a minute I thought we were gonna have to call security. She's like, "You can't do this!" Then I called my security and he came over and escorted her out. She said, "F**k you! I don't even want your autograph." That just happened about ten minutes ago! VH1: On the album cover you're dressed as a high school mascot. Were you ever one? KW: No. I picked that picture for the album cover because you never really see a mascot with his head down. A mascot with his head down is like he's given up on school. We were just playing around. I didn't have that concept before I went in. I think God just helped me with that. When I looked at it, I said, "Yo, this is live right here. If I went in, I would buy this album even if I didn't know what it was just for the cover." And then the angels, the cherubs and everything? Angels definitely represent in my life. VH1: I heard you tried to design video games as a kid. KW: Well, I never finished them, because I ended up going to the music part of it and staying there. I wanted to do everything: I wanted to design the characters, design the backgrounds. I would be studying different things and trying to come up with a new idea. It didn't compare with the games that were out there, but I was trying my best. I got to draw all the characters, then try to redraw them in the computer. It was a very tedious for a seventh grader! [Laughs] VH1: Now that you're a success, everyone must want to help you implement all those ideas you have. KW:Yeah. Whatever I can do, I want to, because I have a lot of ideas. I have ideas for clothing designs, video directions, new song ideas, play ideas. I don't want to say everything I got an idea about and give it away before its time. VH1: You're getting into jewelry, too. KW: It's called Kanye West's jewelry. Basically, I use diamonds to color real pictures. That's the basic concept. So like if the hair is yellow, then I use yellow diamonds. If the hair is brown, I use the champagne-colored diamonds. Some pink diamonds are in the crown of the brown-skinned Jesus. Also, I'm using material that creates the idea of having real skin. VH1: What was the worst job you ever had outside of music? KW: I've always had pretty good jobs. My worst job was trying to sell knives – Cutco. You're supposed to sell them to people you know. My cousin Becky had the same job. She was way better at it than me. You had to carry around a lot of overpriced knives. I was a little bit embarrassed having to sell them to my friends, but I figured, my father's a salesman. I'll just try my best. VH1: If you had 24 hours left to live, how would you spend it? KW: Man, I don't know. I would probably try to spend a lot of time with my mother and my father, try to call all the people that I knew that I loved. Maybe ]]> 101087 Fri, 14 May 2004 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101086 Source: MTV News By: Joe D'Angelo When Maroon 5 decided it was time to expand their already substantial fanbase, they looked to the West. The band spent some time with superproducer du jour Kanye West in New York's Hit Factory studios on April 30 to create a hip-hop remix of their smash single, "This Love." The second single off Maroon 5's debut, Songs About Jane, which had already fallen on receptive ears in the pop and rock audiences, will be aimed at a more street-savvy crowd when the remix is serviced to urban radio outlets at the end of the month. While West was putting the finishing touches on the remix, Maroon 5 were in the studio Tuesday recording the song "Woman," for inclusion on the soundtrack to "Spider-Man 2."   ]]> 101086 Fri, 14 May 2004 13:20:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101111 Source: MTV News Roc-A-Fella Records is now saying that the remix of the Young Gunz track "Grown Man" may not be appearing on the soundtrack to "Catwoman" after all. The label is, however, mulling over plans to include the single on a retooling of the Gunz's Tough Luv LP. ... ]]> 101111 Thu, 13 May 2004 17:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101158 REEBOK AND JAY-Z REUNITE TO MAKE "S DOTS" TWICE AS NICE Reebok and Famed Entertainer Debut S. Carter II and S. Carter Tennis Lifestyle Footwear This Summer Canton, MA (May 11, 2004) – They’re baaaaaack… Reebok and JAY-Z return this summer with the highly anticipated evolution of the renowned S. Carter Collection by Rbk. After the shoe’s tremendously successful launch last spring, fans everywhere have been asking, "When’s part two dropping?" In response, Reebok introduces the S. Carter II, fusing all the elements fans loved about the original "S Dots" with a fresh, new twist. The S. Carter Tennis will also debut this summer, featuring a sleek new design. Due to high consumer demand, Reebok has moved up the launch date of the S. Carter II from June 11th to May 28th and the S. Carter Tennis from July 2nd to June 18th to provide fans with the "must-have shoes of the summer" even earlier. S. Carter II: Taking design cues from the original S. Carter, but delivering it with a twist, the S. Carter II puts aside the clean, sharp lines of its predecessor and features curved, arched lines throughout the upper. The silhouette also features polished leather accented with pop coloring and perfed accents. Hitting stores in white/green/red and white/navy/red colorways for men and white/carbon/orange and white/tan/pink colorways for women, these kicks will be available for a suggested retail price of $100. S. Carter Tennis: Taking its lead from old-school classic tennis shoes, the S. Carter Tennis features a retro look with clean lines and signature detailing. Dropping in white/royal/red, navy/white and black/green/red colorways for men and white/winery/navy and grey/bluelight/white colorways for women, the S. Carter Tennis shoe offers subtle accents of color at the sole and perfed detailing throughout the upper of the shoe. The S. Carter Tennis will hit stores for a suggested retail price of $80. JAY-Z has released nine consecutive platinum-plus albums in six years and has sold more than 20 million units. JAY-Z has been nominated for Grammy Awards, as well as Billboard Music Awards, Radio Music Awards and MTV Music Awards. JAY-Z has consistently topped Billboard's list as the #1 Rap Artist, #1 R&B Mainstream Artist and the #1 Crossover artist. Released in November 2003, JAY-Z’s "Black" album, purported to be his last, has consistently been listed in Billboard’s Top 20 category since its debut. Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of sports, fitness and casual footwear, apparel and equipment under the Reebok, Rockport and Greg Norman Brands, and footwear under the Polo Ralph Lauren Brand. Sales for 2003 totaled approximately $3.5 billion. Reebok can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.reebok.com.   ]]> 101158 Tue, 11 May 2004 14:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101159 Source: MTV News — Interview by Sway Calloway, with intro by Shaheem Reid JAY-Z is one of the few MCs who command such respect that people feel compelled to dissect everything he says or does. And when he announced last year that he was retiring, fans listened even more carefully to every word and every lyric, hoping to find a clue that he wasn't serious. Many thought they'd found a glimmer of hope in February when Kanye West released The College Dropout, which features Jay on "Never Let You Down": "Every fourth quarter, I like to Mike Jordan 'em/ #1 albums, what, I got like four of 'em/ More of them on the way/ The Eighth Wonder on the way/ Clear the way, I'm here to stay." You don't have to be Perry Mason to figure out that Jay is rapping about making a comeback, right? Well, maybe not. While visiting MTV News last week, Jay clarified himself, explaining that the song was actually done a couple of years ago and that the Eighth Wonder album he warned was coming was actually a reference to The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. A new album is still way off Jay's radar. He wants to drive that home so much, he gets killed off in his latest video, "99 Problems," a simplistic masterpiece that blends ghetto grit with abstract cinematography. Jigga isn't promoting violence or making some Tupac-like prophecy. Rather, he used his staged death as symbolism. Here Jay tells MTV News' Sway exactly what he was trying to convey with the video, addresses rumors that he's starting a record label with Warner Bros., and explains how Sean Carter is on Sean Combs' heels. Sway: "99 Problems" is a graphic video. You see everything from naked men in prison to pit bulls fighting, and at the end you're essentially being shot and killed. What made you decide to do that scene? JAY-Z: First of all, I want to say no rappers were harmed in the making of that video. ... I really just wanted to ... do powerful images in Brooklyn. The last two videos, I mean, they're cool, but I was pretty much just going through the motions. [This time] I was like, "Man, we can't shoot the same old thing." So I called Mark Romanek ... he's like the director's director. Every director is like, "Mark is the one." He's the best right now. Sway: What's some of the work he's done in the past? JAY-Z: He did Johnny Cash's "Hurt," did some work with Lenny Kravitz, the Michael Jackson joint ["Scream"] with him and Janet. ... I just really wanted him to shoot, like, where I'm from in Brooklyn and shoot the 'hood, but shoot it like art, not shoot just a bunch of dudes or a bunch of cars around it — shoot it like art. And shoot it powerful and strong. So that's basically what we came up with, but at the end, the whole [being] shot thing is just really symbolic to the whole retirement thing and putting the whole JAY-Z thing to rest. Sway: So is it comparable to when Prince went to the symbol? "JAY-Z" is officially dead now? JAY-Z: Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. We still in the street like, you know, "What up, JAY-Z?" It's all good. It ain't on that level. It's just like, you know, the artistry, I'm putting that down, to the side. ... It's just symbolic. It's artsy. Sway: It's some artsy stuff? JAY-Z: We trying to show the artsy side in hip-hop. Sway: OK, and that's a good thing, 'cause I think hip-hop has hit a wall in a lot of areas, especially with video making. But I heard that the symbolism also represented the death of JAY-Z and your retirement, so to speak, and the birth of Sean Carter as an artist. JAY-Z: That's been coming, you know, the whole time. People seen that coming, you know what I'm saying? But I don't want to get extreme with it where I'm in the paper like, "Don't call me JAY-Z no more." Sway: OK. You don't want to P. Diddy this one. JAY-Z: Nah, nah, that's Puff. You take that one, Puff. Sway: There's been so many rumors swirling about your retirement. There's been talk that you will come back as Sean Carter the artist, that we might see Sean Carter albums. JAY-Z: Yes. Sway: There's also talk that Sean Carter might have his own label with other artists. Do you want to speak on any of those things? JAY-Z: Yeah, everything's early, you know what I'm saying? But everything's about growth. Especially the album thing, it's too early. Like, my whole thing with moving on, like you said, I feel like I hit a wall. Like, I just didn't want to just go into the studio and just record music and put out an album just to make money, just to be doing it and going through the motions. I gotta be passionate about it, and I wasn't feeling that passion, so I put it down. I still feel the same way. I've still got a lot of other things to do. So that's a long way away, and as far as the label, I know I'm going to have to come back to music, 'cause it's my first love. And I know I love working with new artists and seeing them go through that transformation and putting out new artists and seeing a new guy blow up or whatever. I just don't know if that's this year or three years from now. Sway: OK, well I'll tell you what they're saying. JAY-Z: Yeah, yeah. I done heard everything, but you tell me. Sway: They're saying that you're signing a label deal with Warner Bros., that you're going to sign possibly Talib Kweli, Foxy Brown and maybe some other artists. JAY-Z: Well, I like those artists, so I don't know. Maybe next year, maybe three years, but we'll see. Sway: OK, OK. You're not saying no, but you're not saying yes. JAY-Z: Right. Sway: You did a record with Kanye West, "Never Let You Down," where you rap, "The Eighth Wonder on the way." I assume that's the title of an album? JAY-Z: Right. Sway: Is that still coming? What was that about? JAY-Z: What happened was that that song was done when I was recording Blueprint 2. I was going to name Blueprint 2 The Eighth Wonder. So I was saying, "The Eighth Wonder on the way." And if you notice, I say [I have] four #1 albums [in that song]. I have six. So it was before Blueprint went #1 and Black Album went #1, so that was done two years ago. Sway: That was an old lyric. All right ... Now, when you shot this video, it had to pass through your mind that with all these different graphic scenes, MTV would say, "No, absolutely not." Especially with the climate the way it is now. JAY-Z: First of all, Mark couldn't really care less about MTV. He doesn't. He's just straight whatever. I'm like, "Mark, come on. We have to [clean it up]." You know, I']]> 101159 Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101112 Courtesy of: Hiponline.com In spite of the appealing name, the Nicetown area of Philadelphia is not a pleasant place to grow up. It's a dangerous neighborhood full of drugs, gangs and poverty that drains the spirit out of nearly everyone who lives there. Which makes the story behind the Young Gunz moniker all the more astonishing. Despite the obvious violent allusions, according to Hanif 'Neef' Muhammad--who, along with partner Christopher Ries, comprise this up-and-coming rap duo--the term has more to do with basketball than the violence these childhood friends lived through as youngsters. We talk with Neef.I heard you were shooing a film.We doing a film called "Philly Streets AKA Street Property." We were up to like 5:30 in the morning. Is film something you want to get into? Yeah, we want to get into it all. We’ve got clothing in the making. We got liquor for the grown and sexy ladies. We started our own label; the first artist is my brother. You can’t just be a rapper and think you are going to make money. You make money from publishing and performing, but hip-hop has opened the door for us to make more money. Look at Rocawear, its made more money than Roc-A-Fella ever did. Do you ever talk to JAY-Z or Damon Dash and ask for advice? I tell them what I want to do. I come up with most of the ideas. I just watch the mistakes they made and move through it. When the album hit #3 on the charts… …I was happy. I love all the fans and the love we get—but I think we deserve it because we put in a lot of work on the record. Right now you have these ABC rappers out there selling a bunch of records and we are trying to bring real rap back to the game. How do you approach writing? We get the beats and go. We talk about whatever we are feeling. Whatever is going on that day. Like "Better Love" has that Luther Vandross sample—you ain’t going to talk about killing on that. You talk about the ladies and about what we are going through with them. Does it bother you that some fans think you guys just came from no where? When they get the album they should know we aren’t overnight success. If they are Roc-A-Fella fans then they know about us--some people are just finding out that we met Jay and Zane a year before we met Bennie Sigel. What artists would you tell kids they need to check in order to get some hip-hop education? JAY-Z of course, but Tupac, Biggie, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Kool G. Rap. I’m originally from Philly and I grew up on Schoolly D. He shot that "Parkside 5-2" video on my block. I grew up listening and watching him. He was the first gangster rapper; before N.W.A. Have you always dreamed of this? Yeah, I’ve been rapping since I was nine. I grew up in West Philly so we had the rappers. When I moved up to North Philly and met Chris they were surprised about how good I could rap. I grew up around Schoolly D., the Youngsters, Will Smith—I could walk to his crib from my house. Same high schools. Cool C., remember him? Yeah. Remember Glamorous Life? He’s doing time. My old-heads, that I grew up with, used to fight him. We’d go to the park and we’d see him. It’s like how the kids see me now, that’s how I’d see all of them. It’s a lot different today? I definitely see a difference now that I’m in the game. It’s much more business now. It probably was different back then. If it was hot it was hot. We had to put our career in our own hands and put out a mix-tape. + Charlie Craine Published: April.22.2004 ]]> 101112 Tue, 27 Apr 2004 17:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101160 Courtesy: MTV News NEW YORK — JAY-Z didn't have a moment to waste. A large group of media-types, industry executives and DJs had gathered at Tribeca Screening Room Thursday night for the debut of the uncut version of Jay's controversial new video for "99 Problems." But Hov had pressing business elsewhere. "I really have to go," said a smiling Jay, clad in a dark gray three-button suit, pink shirt and pink-and-gray tie. "I have a team in the playoffs." "Do your thing, pa, get that championship!" a supporter shouted back at him. But before Jay left for Madison Square Garden to see his New Jersey Nets beat the New York Knicks in the third game of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs, he spoke briefly about the video. Hov explained that he wasn’t really passionate about making his last two clips, "Change Clothes" and "Dirt off Your Shoulder," and that this time, he really wanted to get artistic and show an uglier, bleaker side of Brooklyn. "I said, 'I want to shoot a pissy wall,' " Jay said. "You know how a photographer can make a pissy wall look like art? That's what I wanted." Director Mark Romanek (Johnny Cash's "Hurt," Michael Jackson's "Scream") lived up to Hov's expectations: "99 Problems" is arguably Jay's most uncompromising and stark video to date. Featuring guest appearances from actor Vincent Gallo and Rick Rubin (the track's producer), the uncut version features lurid prison scenes, cockfighting, a funeral, and — most shocking — Jay getting riddled with bullets toward the clip's close. That scene drew a gasp from some members of the audience at the Tribeca. Jigga said he has already butted heads with MTV and BET about airing his clip and joked that he feels like Madonna when she went through her video controversies. MTV has agreed to play the clip with the scene of JAY-Z getting murdered at the end, but only after a airing a news piece that features Jay talking with Sway about his motivation for the provocative video. "99 Problems" makes its national debut on MTV2 Sunday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET on "Making the Video." It will air again on MTV Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. A transcript of Sway's interview with Jay will be on MTVNews.com Sunday. For more on JAY-Z, check out the feature "99 Problems, Hundreds Of Rumors." — Shaheem Reid ]]> 101160 Tue, 27 Apr 2004 14:40:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101161 Source: Eurweb.com (Apr. 26, 2004) *JAY-Z has really stepped into it this time. The rapper is preparing his new line of S. Carter shoes for Reebok. The sneaker producer is reportedly quite happy with the returns from Hova's first line in addition to kicks by 50 Cent. Reportedly, the S. Carter shoe outsells any shoes by Nike or Adidas. The S. Carter II, expected to retail at $80-$100, will hit the stores on June 11 and reportedly have a curvier look and new color schemes. Also, the Jigga will release another shoe, a retro style, on July 4, which will be available in a red/white/blue color scheme and red/black/green. ]]> 101161 Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101162 Source: Blackvibes.com Beyonce, JAY-Z Bring Glamour to Courtroom PHILADELPHIA - Pop diva Beyonce and her rap-star boyfriend JAY-Z brought glamour and glitz to a Philadelphia courtroom. The famous couple was in town Friday for the trial of Beanie Sigel, a rapper and protege of JAY-Z. Sigel faces attempted murder charges related to the shooting of Terrence Speller outside a West Philadelphia bar last summer. Beyonce, a singer and actor, drew plenty of stares from jurors and others when she appeared in the courtroom dressed in a white blouse and seersucker pants. She and JAY-Z giggled and chatted in a row of seats also occupied by Sigel's mother and fiance and Roc-A-Fella Records executive Damon Dash. After the jury was released for the weekend, Beyonce was swiftly escorted out a back door.   ]]> 101162 Sat, 24 Apr 2004 14:50:00 -0400 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101085 Kanye West has been chosen as emerging artist of the month on launch.com! Want to see Kanye West perform live? Click here to enter to win a trip for you and a friend to fly to meet Kanye in person and see him perform live in concert!   ]]> 101085 Thu, 11 Mar 2004 13:10:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101136 Prepare To Takeover: Hip Hop Icon JAY-Z And New York Knicks Star Jamal Crawford Team Up With Reebok To Launch The Latest Basketball Shoe From S. Carter Collection Reebok’s S. Carter Basketball Mid Footwear Line Hits Stores Nationwide on Friday, March 4th Canton, MA (March 3, 2005) – Bringing the fusion of hip hop culture to the feet of ballers across the country, Reebok has partnered with rap legend JAY-Z and New York Knicks standout Jamal Crawford to debut the latest performance basketball shoe from the S. Carter Collection. Marking a new era in basketball footwear, the S. Carter Basketball Mid launches on Friday, March 4th and will be worn on court by several NBA athletes, including Crawford and Denver Nuggets star Kenyon Martin during the 2004-05 season. The S. Carter Basketball Mid will be available in a black/white colorway for a suggested retail price of $85. Previous shoes in the S. Carter by Rbk lifestyle footwear collection including the S. Carter, S. Carter II and S. Carter Tennis, have been met with rave reviews. To support the launch of the S. Carter Basketball Mid, Reebok launched a 30-second commercial on March 2nd. The ad, which features JAY-Z and Crawford, is running on MTV, BET, ESPN, ABC, Comedy Central, Spike, Cartoon Network, Turner Networks, NBA Properties, G4 and Fuse. In the spot, JAY-Z gives his approval as elite basketball players display their passing and dunking skills in a futuristic environment. The S. Carter Basketball Mid will be available in leather with nubuck detailing. The shoe also features a herringbone, high abrasion outsole for traction and durability, a sculpted EVA midsole for lightweight comfort and ankle strap closure for support. Fans looking to learn more about the S. Carter Academy can do so by logging onto www.scarteracademy.com.   ]]> 101136 Thu, 04 Mar 2004 12:30:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101083 Written by: Carl Chery Kanye West was recently in the lab with D12 to work on their forthcoming D12 World. The Louis Vutton Don makes an appearance on soulster Dwele's "Hold On" remix which he also produced. ]]> 101083 Fri, 20 Feb 2004 12:50:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101082 ALLHIPHOP.COM REVIEWS: THE COLLEGE DROPOUT Artist: Kanye West Artist: Kanye West Title: The College Dropout Rating: ****1/2 Reviewed by: Robert De Gracia What does it take to legitimize an acclaimed producer in the release of his own rap album? To gain that respect, he must be more than just a notoriously good-bad singer, have an affiliation with the Roc-a-fella Family, and the reputation of having produced hits all over today’s charts. Thus the story begins for Kanye West’s debut project, The College Dropout, an album that leaps marginally beyond distinction in its endeavors at innovation; new pathways are now possible for both the conscious and street corner heads that previously didn’t know where this rap game was headed. Lyrically, West is simply more adept at MC warfare than other mic grabbing producers such as Mannie Fresh and Pete Rock. West introspectively waves at thematically diverse topics, tendered by a poetic flow that pays homage to his own innate hip-hop infatuation. West’s approach is simply cerebral; his verse remains in tempo, yet stays varied preventing monotony. His witty punchlines are slapstick, yet unabrasive. In addition, West appeals to a broad based listener group through The College Dropout’s guest artists, from Syleena Johnson’s soul gripping "All Falls Down," to Talib Kweli and Common on the bass heavy banger "Get Em High." To its advantage, the album is conceptually uncalculated, and simply impossible to trace along a straight line. From chick-chasing on BlackPlanet to religious identity conflict, The College Dropout runs threadfulls in obscurity; it grabs various elements frayed from far and wide, and composes them seamlessly into, yes, musical brilliance. "Spaceship," featuring GLC and Consequence (Tribe Called Quest fame) is one example of that. West wishes to "buy a spaceship and fly," a Kool Keith-esque UFO ode, accentuated by sci-fi photon and phaser kick patterns. "Slow Jamz", is another strange collaboration on the album. Not to be confused, the track is intelligently disguised as a lovey dovey classic ballad, astutely integrating three completely separate ingredients: a catchy Jamie Foxx R&B hook, fellow Chi-Town native Twista’s midwest 45 rpm flow, and finally a generic Nokia RingTone piano chord driven by kooky congo beats. "Got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson". This track is pure genius. "Through The Wire," revisits West’s physical and emotional struggle in the aftermath of surviving a near fatal car accident, a story told in a deep lisp as a consequence of a surgically implanted plate in his chin. Another notable track features Mos Def and Freeway alongside the Harlem Boys Choir assisting on the guitar heavy, "Two Words," as West manages to lyrically hold his own, reppin’ "til he fukkin dies," continually making references to his roots in Chicago. The College Dropout is a refreshing reminder of reaching success in hip-hop through humility and personality, proving that West is not just simply a producer anymore. And that is what today’s sound needs; a subtle aggression that concisely drives creativity in the right direction. If this album remains as a mere sampling of West’s inventiveness, then The College Dropout stands as a preface to the complexities of his musical saga and Roc-A-Fella can now flaunt its new summa cum laude recipient. What does it take to legitimize an acclaimed producer in the release of his own rap album? To gain that respect, he must be more than just a notoriously good-bad singer, have an affiliation with the Roc-a-fella Family, and the reputation of having produced hits all over today’s charts. Thus the story begins for Kanye West’s debut project, The College Dropout, an album that leaps marginally beyond distinction in its endeavors at innovation; new pathways are now possible for both the conscious and street corner heads that previously didn’t know where this rap game was headed. Lyrically, West is simply more adept at MC warfare than other mic grabbing producers such as Mannie Fresh and Pete Rock. West introspectively waves at thematically diverse topics, tendered by a poetic flow that pays homage to his own innate hip-hop infatuation. West’s approach is simply cerebral; his verse remains in tempo, yet stays varied preventing monotony. His witty punchlines are slapstick, yet unabrasive. In addition, West appeals to a broad based listener group through The College Dropout’s guest artists, from Syleena Johnson’s soul gripping "All Falls Down," to Talib Kweli and Common on the bass heavy banger "Get Em High." To its advantage, the album is conceptually uncalculated, and simply impossible to trace along a straight line. From chick-chasing on BlackPlanet to religious identity conflict, The College Dropout runs threadfulls in obscurity; it grabs various elements frayed from far and wide, and composes them seamlessly into, yes, musical brilliance. "Spaceship," featuring GLC and Consequence (Tribe Called Quest fame) is one example of that. West wishes to "buy a spaceship and fly," a Kool Keith-esque UFO ode, accentuated by sci-fi photon and phaser kick patterns. "Slow Jamz", is another strange collaboration on the album. Not to be confused, the track is intelligently disguised as a lovey dovey classic ballad, astutely integrating three completely separate ingredients: a catchy Jamie Foxx R&B hook, fellow Chi-Town native Twista’s midwest 45 rpm flow, and finally a generic Nokia RingTone piano chord driven by kooky congo beats. "Got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson". This track is pure genius. "Through The Wire," revisits West’s physical and emotional struggle in the aftermath of surviving a near fatal car accident, a story told in a deep lisp as a consequence of a surgically implanted plate in his chin. Another notable track features Mos Def and Freeway alongside the Harlem Boys Choir assisting on the guitar heavy, "Two Words," as West manages to lyrically hold his own, reppin’ "til he fukkin dies," continually making references to his roots in Chicago. The College Dropout is a refreshing reminder of reaching success in hip-hop through humility and personality, proving that West is not just simply a producer anymore. And that is what today’s sound needs; a subtle aggression that concisely drives creativity in the right direction. If this album remains as a mere sampling of West’s inventiveness, then The College Dropout stands as a preface to the complexities of his musical saga and Roc-A-Fella can now flaunt its new summa cum laude recipient. ]]> 101082 Thu, 19 Feb 2004 12:50:00 -0500 http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=101113 It's them Young Gunnas..Chris and Lil' Neefy! "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" put the Young Gunz on the map and now their debut album TOUGH LUV hits stores on February 24th! TOUGH LUV features the smash hit single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop (Remix)" feat. Chingy, "Friday Night", and their new hit single "No Better Love" feat. Rell. Be the first to listen to exclusive tracks off of TOUGH LUV by clicking the links below. This is only available at WWW.ROCAFELLA.COM, so go ahead and listen...you know you want to! TOUGH LUV ALBUM PREVIEW: 1. "Can't Stop, Won't Stop (Remix)" - Young Gunz feat. Chingy windows hi / windows lo /