On this date at the turn of the millennium, Brooklyn-based revolutionary duo dead prez released their conceptually advanced Let’s Get Free LP on Loud Records.
Founded in the late 90s by Brand Nubian member Lord Jamar, stic and M1 changed the perception of conscious rap, touching on pragmatic socio-political issues in their content without sacrificing the lyrical prowess of genuine emcees. With production exclusively by Lord Jamar and stic, Let’s Get Free gives an unprecedented viewpoint of the Black experience in modern times with a twist of revolutionary get back. Tracks like “They Schools”, “Psychology” and “Behind Enemy Lines” address the social ills of today, while songs like “Mind Sex”, “Be Healthy” and “Discipline” use pragmatic approaches in an attempt to curb common negative connotations in the hood.
Both commercially and critically successful, Let’s Get Free is a two decade old reminder of the innate purpose of Hip shop culture; to enlighten, empower and uplift. Salute to stic, M-1 and the rest of the RBG crew for giving us such an important part of Hip Hop history!
Fivio Foreign stepped onto the Grammys red carpet looking fresh to death, decked out in all pink and even matching pink shades. But this isn’t his first stroll down the legendary award show, the “Big Drip” rapper was nominated last year for his feature on Kanye West’s album Donda, which held its place for Album of the Year. The song “City of Gods” features himself alongside Alicia Keys, a fan favorite from the project.
This year, however, Fivio walked down the carpet nominated for yet another Grammy. This time, it’s his collaboration with Mary J. Blige on Good Morning Gorgeous, which was a contender for Album of the Year. The two worked on “On Top,” a huge moment as both hail from New York.
The Source had the pleasure of speaking with Fivio Foreign on the red carpet, asking him about his collaboration with Nicki Minaj on “We Go Up.”
How are you doing?
I’m doing good. I’m just chillin’. I’m staying blessed. I’m happy to slip through the cracks and make it here. Word.
Check out the pink, who styled you today?
Come on man, my homegirl Jenna. She be hooking me up. I told her I don’t want to go suited and booted or nothing like that, but I still want to keep it classy. She’s like yo, do it like that.
Was this inspired by Cam’Ron / Dipset at all?
You know, I love big bro Cam’Ron. So I could say yeah.
Second Grammy nomination, how does it feel?
I got nominated last year. I’m just blessed, ain’t gon’ lie. Coming from where come from, n*ggas ain’t making it this far. So I snuck little cracks on them, I’m chillin’.
What are you going to do if you win?
Probably drink some Casamigos. [laughs]
Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years this year. What does Hip-Hop mean to you?
Shit, Hip-Hop means everything. When I was growing up and coming outside, it molded me. Taught me how to move and live, dress and feel. It almost means everything to me.
Do you have a favorite artist right now?
Right now, I’m fucking with me. I only listen to me. Drill music!
“We Go Up” is such a banger. How was it working with Nicki Minaj on that?
I ain’t gon’ lie, I was surprised that she was gonna let me rock out like that. I was just so happy she let me rock out, shout out to Nicki.
That verse from her was crazy. Did you feel pressure?
Hell yeah. She had sent me the beat and she had rapped the verse to me, like “Yo, da-da-da.” I’m like “yo, you went crazy!” I just finished up, did what I did and sent it back. When she put it tougher and sent me the finished product, I’m like damn! Crazy. Legend, big sis!
This particular passage takes us on a journey all the way back to February 7, 1980, when The Sugarhill Gang, comprised of Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien, and the late Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson – all of whom hailing from Englewood, New Jersey – dropped their self-titled debut album, Sugarhill Gang, which is widely regarded as the very first full-length Hip Hop album to ever be released.
Distributed via Sugar Hill Records – founded by husband and wife Joe and Sylvia Robinson along with Milton Malden – and at 39:17 in length, the project featured six records, including “Rapper’s Delight.” Ranked No. 251 on Rolling Stone Magazine‘s “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list, while not exactly the first track to feature rapping – Fatback Band‘s “King Tim III (Personality Jock),” released six months prior, is actually credited for such – “Rapper’s Delight” is however typically considered to be the first song that popularized Hip Hop, and was also the first to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
On this day in Hip Hop history we recognize and remember the birth of one of the most prolific producers in the game. James Yancey, better know as J Dilla, was born today [February 7] in 1974.
J Dilla was the first born of four children to a Detroit family rooted in creativity. His mother was an opera singer and his father a jazz bassist. According to his mother, Dilla could “match pitch perfect harmony” at two months old. Dilla started collecting vinyls at the young age of two and would spend a lot of his free time spinning records at the park. It can be said that J Dilla’s “career” began after he transferred high schools from Davis Aerospace Technical High School to Detroit Pershing High School. At Detroit Pershing, he met fellow members of Slum Village,T3 and Baatin. During the rest of his teenage years, Dilla spent the majority of his time alone in his basement perfecting his craft.
In 1992, J Dilla met experienced Detroit musician Amp Fiddler who let Dilla use his MPC for the first time. In 1995, J Dilla and MC Phat Kat formed the first rap group from Detroit to get signed to a major label, 1st Down. The record deal with Payday Records ended after one single when the label folded.
In 1996, Dilla officially formed Slum Village with his longtime friends T3 and Baatin and recorded their debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 1. The album, released in 1997, gained a lot of support from Hip Hop fans everywhere and the attention of Q-Tip, who was quick to call the group a successor of A Tribe Called Quest.
Throughout the 90s, J Dilla was known as a huge prospect in Hip Hop. He gained the public’s attention with his singles and remixes of records by Janet Jackson, Pharcyde, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes. Although Dilla rose to stardom with these remixes, he was rarely given singular credit. Instead the production team of The Ummah, a collective including Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, and Raphael Saadiq, often received the credit.
Today, the illustrious and world famous DJ Kid Capri celebrates his 56th birthday!
David Anthony Love Jr. aka Kid Capri has had one of the most successful careers in Hip-Hop history. As a pioneer in the mixtape game, Capri has inspired generations of rappers thus creating an imprint in the game that few can measure up to. He’s worked with an army of OG’s including KRS-1, Heavy D, and Slick Rick. He’s also worked with game-changers like Jay Z, Ghostface Killah, Styles P, and Big L. Capri was also the sole DJ on HBO’s long-running, Def Comedy Jam, which recently hosted its 25th Anniversary to which the Brooklyn-born/Bronx-raised DJ served as the honorary man on the 1s and 2s.
The new generation of Hip Hop wouldn’t be where it is without Capri blazing the trail.. The Prime Minister of mixtapes set the standard for every upcoming rapper or producer that wanted to put their music out there for the public. He was and still is one of the game’s original influencers.
On this date in 2000, the Hip Hop community was both shocked and saddened by the untimely death of lyrical giant Christopher “Big Pun” Rios. As the premiere artist for Fat Joe’s Terror Squad, Pun became the first Latino Hip Hop artist to go platinum and discovered TS’ First Lady, Remy Ma.
Pun is regarded as one of the game’s best lyricists to ever do it, or as he is aptly described, one of the best “dead or alive”. His only two full-length releases, Capital Punishment and Yeeahhh Baby, are considered classic albums among true Hip Hop aficionados and continue to get radio play on his smash singles “I’m Not A Player” and the posthumous “It’s So Hard”.
Rest In Peace to Pun and sincere condolences to the Rios family from the entire Mind Squad.
On this date in 2003, 50 Cent released his second and most critically acclaimed album to date Get Rich Or Die Tryin on Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
After his street-certified buzz from his Guess Who’s Back mixtape, a meeting with Eminem eventually turned into a million-dollar deal on Dr. Dre and Em’s Shady/Aftermath imprint. With the album executive produced by Dre and Fif, this project became probably the most anticipated release of any debut Hip-Hop album of the new millennium.
Debuting at the pole position on Billboard 200, GRODT sold almost 900K units its first week and is now certified 6x platinum. The commercial success of the album in terms of radio and video plays as well the movie that launched starring 50 Cent with the same title helped earn the album a Grammy nod in 2004.
Some of the album’s forerunning singles include the ever-popular “In Da Club,” “21 Questions” featuring the late Nate Dogg, and “P.I.M.P.,” which became an international hit.
Salute to 50, Dre, Em, and the entire G-Unit for this timeless piece of Hip-Hop history!
Today marks what would be the 28th birthday of a young man by the name of Trayvon Martin, that not only in the United States but the rest of the world came to know because he chose to defend himself against his assailant George Zimmerman and his life was taken as a result.
George Zimmerman claimed that he saw Trayvon leaving a store and that he looked suspicious, so he decided to follow him. After following him, a physical altercation transpired between the two of them and an unarmed Trayvon took a bullet to his chest and died on the scene. Trayvon died two weeks after his 17th birthday on February 26, 2012. As for Zimmerman, he received was a jury acquittal for second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in July 2013.
Trayvon didn’t get the chance to tell his parents goodbye, attend prom, or pretty much any of the things that are enjoyed by teenagers. His parents Sabrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have to live with the burden that their child did not receive any justice for what happened to him.
Almost nine years after his untimely death, Trayvon Martin’s legacy in the fight for human and civil rights for Black people in America is everlasting. His name still stands among the victims of gun violence by rogue police officers and overzealous citizens that came after him such as Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless others.
24 years ago on this date, a 23 year old Guinean immigrant named Amadou Diallo was murdered by four plain clothes NYPD police officers in his hallway after they unloaded 41 shots into Diallo in front of his Bronx apartment. The haphazard officers hit Diallo with only 19 shots; less than half of what was discharged from their weapons.
All four the officers involved were cleared of any wrongdoing after a mixed jury in the Empire State’s capital city acquitted the officers. Claiming the impossibility of a fair trial in NYC, an appellate court ordered that that the trial be switched to Albany. Amadou’s family filed federal and state charges of wrongful death and civil rights violations in 2001, which resulted in a $3 million dollar settlement from the city.
Interestingly enough, the Justice Department decided that Diallo’s civil rights were not violated.
Artists such as Immortal Technique and Wyclef Jean have referenced the tragedy in their songs, which became one of the most pivotal cases in the fight against police brutality.
Deaths at the hands of law enforcement such as George Floyd, Botham Jean, Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor will always be a reminder that the challenge of injustice against Black and Brown people must be confronted.
On this date in 1976, rapper, actor and entrepreneur Cameron Giles, also known as Cam’ron, was born in New York City.
Following the break up of Harlem-based group Children Of The Corn, Cam’ron and childhood friend Mason Betha embarked on solo careers, with Cam releasing his debut solo album Confessions Of Fire, while Mase put out the platinum-selling Bad Boy powered Harlem World LP.
In 2001, Cam’s career took a sharp turn for the better when he signed with Roc-A-Fella Records and released his third and best-received album Come Home With Me. Following the success of the album, Cam debuted his talents as an actor and screenwriter when he appeared in the Roc-A-Fella Films Paid In Full, Paper Soldiers, Death Of A Dynasty, and State Property 2.
Currently, Cam is working on the second installment of his Purple Haze series while still working on other solo and Dipset endeavors.
