On the last episode of Club Shay Shay, cultural critic Shannon Sharpe interviewed Love And Hip Hop star Mendeecees Harris, who spoke very openly about his days as a drug trafficker.
Harris told a shocking story about where he once gave his drug connect his mother, Judy Harris’ location in order to secure a large amount of cocaine on consignment.
“But, I got some crazy stories about…you know. I remember one time I was dealing with a connect, and this gonna sound horrible, but I put my mom up for collateral,” adding, “I was getting a bunch of keys, and they was like, ‘Well, you gotta show me where your mom live at, ’cause if you run off on this, we can’t afford for you to run off.’ And I was like, I didn’t have no intentions of running off, so I was like, ‘All right I’ll show you.’ And I took ’em. And she had no idea, and I took ’em.”
According to several confirmed reports, Texas rapper Maxo Cream has turned himself into authorities over a 2016 RICO case, citing that he wouldn’t “break”.
Kream, whose real name is Emekwanem Ogugua Biosah Jr., posted a caption alongside a mugshot of himself saying, “Been dealing with this Rico s**t since 2016. I beat all the felony Charges but gotta handle sum light s**t. I’ll never bend break or fold S/o all my fans ima brb.”
Back in 2016, Maxo Kream and members of the Kream Klicc gang were arrested on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
TheSource.com will update this story as more details develop about his case.
On this day in 1973, the seemingly ageless producer, singer, rapper, author, designer, creative director, and label head Pharrell Williams was born 48 years ago. His music has touched the hearts and minds of literally billions of people, his humanitarian efforts have helped toward preserving the planet for the next generation to enjoy, and his actions to promote happiness and equality have helped move society in a positive direction.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia to Pharaoh and Carolyn Williams. He is the eldest of three sons. His love for music and art started at a young age. He met the other half of the legendary production duo The Neptunes, Chad Hugo, at band camp in the seventh grade. Pharrell at the time played the piano and the drums and Hugo played the tenor saxophone. In the early 90s, Pharrell and Hugo formed the group The Neptunes and signed with Teddy Riley of Interscope Records upon graduating high school.
Success began to come in 1993 when Pharrell met fellow Virginia rappers Clipse. The rap duo signed to Artista Records under Pharrell’s Star Trak Entertainment. In 1994 Pharrell and Chad Hugo officially established themselves at The Neptunes and produced part of Blackstreet’s self-titled album. By the 2000s the Neptunes had a name for themselves and in 2001 got their first international #1 hit with Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
That same year Pharrell, Hugo, and Shae Haley released their first album as the group N*E*R*D titled In Search of… in Europe, where the first Kelis album, produced by The Neptunes, had its best reception. After realizing that the album sounded much like their other work, the group decided to reproduce the album with Spymob. In 2002 the re-release of the album came with amazing reception and Pharrell was named Producer of the Year by Billboard and The Source.
In 2003 The Neptunes released their only album The Neptunes Present…Clones which was a compilation of songs and remixes by Pharrell and Hugo. The album featured Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, ODB, Kelis, and Nas and debuted #1 on the Billboard 200. It also claimed the #1 spot on the UK R&B Albums chart and the Dutch MegaChart.
The next year N*E*R*D released their second album Fly or Die which was more popular than the first. It had a very positive international reception. That same year Pharrell received two Grammy awards, one for Producer of the Year and a second for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Justin Timberlake’s Justified album. He also put out the hit single “Drop It Like It’s Hot” that year with Snoop Dogg, which was Pharrell’s first #1 single in the US.
In 2006, Pharrell released his first solo album. In My Mind was released on July 25 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart where it peaked. The album is full of hits with artists likeKanye West, Gwen Stefani, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and more.
Over the next few years, Pharrell continued to produce hit songs as well as build his fashion empire with his brands Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM. His work with a designer and BAPE founder Nigo helped him to rise to prominence in the early 2000s as a streetwear designer. His popularity grew as a designer was almost simultaneous with his growth as an artist.
During the 2010’s Pharrell has continued to have a creative influence. His 2013 single “Happy” from his second album Girl has become the international anthem for happiness around the world and can be considered his most popular record. This decade he has also begun hisi am Other campaign which is a multimedia creative collective and record label that serves as the overarching brand over his many endeavors including: Billionaire Boys Club, ICECREAM, Bionic Yarn and the Youtube channel that launched as i Am Other’s founding platform. Most recently, Pharrell can be seen as a host of the popular TV show, The Voice. He has also just been named the creative director of the well established denim brand G-Star Raw.
Pharrell’s has become synonymous with Hip Hop and his brand is one that has inspired many in the generations under and above him. On behalf of everyone here at The Source we’d like to wish Pharrell Williams a happy born day, may he see many more years of success.
It has been reported that famed actor Leonardo DiCaprio took the stand and testified against The Fugees member Pras Michel who is accused of participating in a global campaign-finance conspiracy.
Michel is on trial by himself, but the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy, Malaysian businessman Jho Low who allegedly stole billions of dollars from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, is still on the run.
DiCaprio was on the stand for about an hour, talking about his interactions with Low, who prosecutors said was introduced to the actor by Riza Aziz, the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Aziz has also been charged in the scandal.
DiCaprio then spoke about his dealings with Pras, which he testified was at a Fugees concert and adds that Pras possibly could have been an attendee at one of his family’s Thanksgiving dinners, but DiCaprio says that he’s not sure.
DiCaprio was asked to identify Pras in the courtroom, which led to Pras leaning back and waving at the actor.
Pras is accused of helping Low make donations to political campaigns with the stolen money through a series of fake donors and DiCaprio was asked to recall a conversation with Low about making a large contribution to the Democratic party.
DiCaprio explained, “It was a casual conversation about what party he was in support of, I told him what party I was in support of. And he told me that he, or he and a group, were going to make a significant contribution to the Democratic Party,” he said, noting the donation was around $20 million or $30 million. “I said ‘wow, that’s a lot of money.’”
DiCaprio spoke about Low offering to fund a movie for him after an extensive background check, DiCaprio’s team gave the actor the green light to make a deal with Low. This led to Low funding The Wolf of Wall Street, which led to DiCaprio shouting out Low while accepting a Golden Globe for “Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Film.”
On this date in 2009, “Yeezy, Yeezy Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman.”
The above line comes from music and fashion mogul Kanye West’s “Facts” track from his The Life Of Pablo LP, which was actually released in 2016. West landed a new deal with Adidas for his Yeezy brand, but the original sneaker was released by Nike seven years prior.
Four years later, West switched brands, With his Yeezy sneaker gaining the lion’s share of its popularity under the Adidas umbrella. Despite the long-promised line of Kanye-Nike collaborative products like the Air Yeezy II Red Octobers, Kanye is severed ties with the company after producing just two shoes in five years.
“I said, ‘Well I need royalties.’ It’s not even like I have a joint venture. At least give me some royalties. Michael Jordan has 5 percent and that business is $2 billion. He makes a $100 million dollars a year off of 5 percent royalties,” West said. “Nike told me, ‘We can’t give you royalties because you’re not a professional athlete.’ I told them, ‘I go to the Garden and play one-on-no one. I’m a performance athlete.’”
Unable to come to a compromise, Yeezus jumped ship and headed over to a competitor, Adidas. “The old me, without a daughter, would have taken the Nike deal because I just love Nikes so much,” Kanye said in his Angie Martinez Hot97 interview. “But the new me, with a daughter, takes the Adidas deal because I have royalties and I have to provide for my family.”
Earlier this week, Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba shockingly compared the Former President to late pop icon Tupac Shakur, but the “Thug Life” figure’s younger sister says that the comparison and absurd.
Set Shakur said in an interview with TMZ, “My brother was measured by his integrity, his principles and personal and collective responsibility,” while calling Habba’s comments “blasphemous”.
Set says that ‘Pac took responsibility during his 1994 rape trial, adding that Trump has shown no responsibility for what he’s being charged with.
Trump’s attorney asserts that Trump’s arrest would boost his numbers in the polls, similar to how ‘Pac’s record sales skyrocketed following his one year prison stint in an NYC prison. Habba made this comparison on the same day that Trump flew to NYC to be arrested and indicted on fraud charges. Set contends that Tupac’s popularity didn’t grow because of his incarceration, but instead because his fans “were able to measure him by his words and actions that aligned.”
Shakur says that Trump’s attorney maybe using his name to attract ‘Pac fans for support and she’s hopeful that their ploy has no impact.
West Coast producer and legendary Dogg Pound member Daz Dillinger spoke candidly during an interview for Homegrown Radio when Daz claimed that he once had to “strong arm” former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight for millions of dollars that he was owed for royalties.
At the 1:12:38 mark, Daz was asked what was the largest royalty check he’s ever received and he almost immediately replied, “like $2.3 [million], from Suge Knight.” He went on to say how he had to “strongarm” employees in the office including Knight, citing that he did all of this with a long screwdriver while high on mushrooms.
On April 4, 2009, Run-D.M.C. became the second rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who were inducted in 2007. This honor came well deserved after the illustrious career of the trio. Run-D.M.C. helped to build a musical cross culture as well as serve as the cornerstone artist of one Hip Hop most powerful empires, Def Jam Records. Run-D.M.C.’s brand is timeless and iconic and can be said to be one of the launching boards for Hip Hop culture as a whole.
From their music to their style, Run-D.M.C. has immortalized their image in music history. In honor of this crowning achievement, we have compiled a list of examples to prove as to why Run-D.M.C. is considered to be the icons that they are.
Style
It goes without saying that Adidas in and of itself is one of the most popular active wear brands around. Rivaled only by the titans Nike and Puma, Adidas has grown to become a household name in both fitness attire and style. In its early stages, Adidas’ popularity in the Hip Hop community can be largely attributed to Run-D.M.C. Everywhere Run-D.M.C. went they could be seen in head-to-toe Adidas with a gold rope chain and a black top hat. From the jewelry to the full sweat suits to the fat laced, shell-toe low tops, Run, D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay were undoubtedly fly. Their love for the Adidas brand mixed with their popularity in music soon brought them sponsorship dollars and eventually their own signature sneakers. Without their influence, it would have probably been a while before any sneaker brand became so popular in Hip Hop.
Cross Over Appeal
In the past, there have many icons in Hip Hop who have been able to stand the test of time and make it to legend status. Few artists however have been able to retain their respect as a rapper while being able to cross over genres and appeal to a broader audience. Run-D.M.C.’s ability to seamlessly transition between a rock and rap fan base is one of their greatest attributes. The hit single Walk This Way Featuring fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Aerosmith was one of the first of it’s kind. The genius concept to have two of the biggest stars in their respective genres led to a new sense of community in music. Like never before artists hailing from different genres began to collaborate and Hip Hop had finally broken completely into the mainstream. This single and style of rapping broke open the door for current rappers today to expand their support basis across genres.
Influence
The editor of Allmusic wrote that,
“More than any other Hip-Hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music”.
It can and has been said that the group helped to move Hip Hop forward with the times. Their sound helped progress the genre out of that heavily funk and disco influenced sound and move toward a more hardcore style of rap. They helped the music transform from dance club-oriented songs like Kurtis Blow‘s “The Breaks” to more aggressive, hard-hitting tracks like their It’s Like That record. This transformation paved the way for the sounds the next generation of rappers such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Wu-Tang Clan. Outside of rap, artists like KoRN, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park all have styles similar to the one popularized by Run-D.M.C.
The career of this prolific group is instrumental piece of music history as a whole. Their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only proves that they are important to not only the genre that they concentrated in but were loved and admired by music lovers as a whole. Take some time out today to appreciate the career of one of the greatest music groups of all time.
On this day in 2000, the first posthumous L.P. to be released by the first “Latin to go platinum” entitled Yeeeah Baby was released on the Loud/Terror Squad imprint.
Christopher “Big Pun” Rios passed away just shy of two months before his sophomore L.P.’s release and anticipated success, which came on the heels of his debut album, Capital Punishment. With appearances from the entire Terror Squad and executive production by the T.S. general Fat Joe, the 16-track album showed Pun’s acute diversity in his lyricism and approach to song-making, which yielded some of the most memorable songs of his career. The album took longer to record because of Pun’s extreme obesity since his breathing problems couldn’t permit him to spit his custom, rapid-fire flow freely.
Some of the L.P.’s favorites are the Puerto Rican anthem “100%” with Terror Squad crooner Tony Sunshine on the hook, “New York Giants” featuring M.O.P., “Ms. Martin,” an ode to his protege Remy Ma and the touching single “It’s So Hard” featuring Donnell Jones.
Salute to Big Pun, Pun Jr., and the entire Terror Squad for this remarkable piece of Hip Hop History!
According to Shareef O’Neal, growing up with a celebrity dad has its ups and downs.
During a recent interview with Essence Magazine, Shareef O’Neal—current power forward for the NBA G League Ignite and second oldest son of Shaquille O’Neal—revealed that he and his siblings chose to keep the identity of their father a secret in order to shield them from being treated differently.
Shareef explained:
“The thing about me that not a lot of people know is nobody knew who my dad was at none of my schools until I was about 15 or 16 years old. All the parent-teacher conferences, it was just my mom who came. It was a set plan. We just kind of hid it so people didn’t treat us differently.”
“But when basketball season started coming around, people started filming the games. There was a small game, 8 o’clock in the morning, my dad came, and someone happened to film him. They posted it on YouTube, and that was it after that. Everyone knew.”
“I feel like being the son of an athlete of his caliber made me grow up a lot faster. I got to see things most young kids wouldn’t see. I got to be behind the scenes of the NBA life and that famous lifestyle.”
Shareef’s sister, Amirah O’Neal, added that growing up with Shaq as their father was “fun.”
“Growing up with my dad being Shaquille O’Neal was great. There were some good things as well as bad things, but due to the fact that I had two amazing parents growing up, paving my own and staying in my own lane has been pretty easy.”
The five O’Neal kids–Shareef, Amirah, Myles, Shaqir, and Me’arah recently came together for a campaign for Silk, rocking the iconic milk mustaches from the ’90s as a nod to their old dad.
Amirah shared her excitement of working on this campaign and paying homage to her father.
“Working on something so special like the Silk Nextmilk campaign along with my siblings was such a great experience. I had such a good time, and I’m so glad that my siblings and I had the chance to get together and pay homage to my dad’s ad.”
