Jadakiss

Jadakiss Reveals Biggie’s Strict Rule About Compliments

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Though we’ve received a documentary and a biopic about Biggie Smalls, much of the information surrounding his actual character relies on word-of-mouth stories from those who were close to him. During a recent interview with The Starting Five podcast, Jadakiss recalled Biggie’s humility during recording sessions. Apparently, the late Brooklyn legend refused to allow anyone to compliment him on his craft. “We had this thing where we couldn’t talk about each other’s craft or we couldn’t say how dope we were to each other,” Jadakiss explained.

The Yonkers wordsmith explained Biggie didn’t really even want to talk about rap on most occasions. Despite being the Greatest Rapper, B.I.G didn’t necessarily want to divulge their crafts outside of the booth. “[Biggie was] like, ‘Let’s talk about anything else except that.’ He was super down to earth. I mean, unbelievably down to earth,” he said. From there, Jadakiss detailed the vibe in the studio, which often led to Biggie offering a drink to whoever entered the space.

Jadakiss Recalls Biggie’ The Bartender’s Humility

Naturally, alcohol would flow through the studio sessions but Jadakiss explained that Biggie was usually the one to try and play bartender. “You could come into his session, he always wanted to make you a drink, he thought he was a bartender. ‘Playboy, you drinking?’ He wanted to make your drink for you, not like tell somebody, ‘Cease, make him a drink!’” Jadakiss recalled. “He’d get the ice, get the stirrers, all that. He’d wanna make you a Malibu, so he was just extra golden.”

Jadakiss went into more detail about his interactions with Biggie including the intel and advice he provided the LOX before they inked a deal with Bad Boy. Though he acknowledged that Puff had a tendency to be persistent, he told Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch that the Bad Boy founder knew how to turn them into household names. “He gave us a lot of knowledge on Puff [Daddy], like, ‘He’s gonna get on your nerves, but he’s gonna make you a star,” Jadakiss recalled. “He’s gonna make you do some stuff you don’t want, but you gon’ be good at the end. Just trust me.’” Check the full episode out above. 

[Via]

UnitedMasters Announce Jadakiss To Headline “Earn Your Masters” Event At SXSW

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Screen Shot 2023 03 15 at 10.03.51 AM

UnitedMasters, Ally, and Earn Your Leisure have come together to create the Earn Your Masters (EYM) for SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin, Texas on March 17th. The event will fuel financial literacy in educating the next generation of creators and people who are traditionally underserved by financial institutions. To activate this mission, UnitedMasters and Earn Your Leisure will provide a unique experience for attendees combining education, music, and entertainment. EYM is a content and pop-up experience that will focus on art, finance, and the opportunities they create for young musicians and creators. 

Spokespersons of the event include: Rashad Bilal, Co-Founder of Earn Your Leisure, Troy Millings, Co-Founder of Earn Your Leisure, Erica Hughes, Multicultural Marketing Director at Ally, and Chaucer Barnes, Chief Marketing Officer at UnitedMasters, Inc. The talent includes headliner Jadakiss; along with emerging acts: Liana Banks, $hyfromdrate, BigXthaPlug, and the TBD open call winner! The daytime programming from 2pm to 5:50pm that will give guests access to free group mentoring sessions from industry experts on the most important topics for artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs in art and music – leading to nighttime performances that start at 6:30pm and finish out at 10pm.The day before this all-day conference and show, Intuit will also present “The Break Through” featuring LaRussell. 

UnitedMasters is a digital music distribution and artist services company founded in 2017 by Steve Stoute. The company provides independent artists with tools and resources to distribute their music to major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, as well as access to data analytics and marketing support. Through the United Masters platform, artists can maintain full ownership of their music and earn a higher percentage of revenue from streams and sales. UM also provides opportunities for artists to collaborate with major brands and gain exposure through partnerships. 

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Jim Jones Wants A ‘Verzuz’ Rematch After Dipset Got Smoked By The Lox

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The status of Verzuz, the brainchild of powerhouse producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, is currently up in the air. However, that hasn’t stopped legacy acts and fans alike from creating their fantasy onstage battles online or in interviews. In fact, Wiz Khalifa, 21 Savage, and Jermaine Dupri are just a few of the musicians that are open to the idea of putting up their discography to compete against another musical opponent. However, there’s a former participant that is looking to redeem themselves in a second face-off.

Rapper Jim Jones, a proud member of the rap collective Dipset (comprised of Juelz Santana, Cam’Ron, and himself), wants a Verzuz rematch against rap titans The Lox (which is comprised of Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Jadakiss). Back in August 2021, the groups took the stage of Madison Square Garden, where The Lox was declared the evening’s victors unanimously. The landslide victory even birthed several memes and GIFs, which still flood around Black Twitter to this day.

Now that the pain of defeat stings a little less, Capo admitted to AllHipHop TV that, as a group, they could’ve done better. The “Back In My Prime” rapper was honest with the host revealing that they did not practice but if offered the chance to do it again, things would be different.

“I think we need proper respect of doing it in the Garden, the big Garden, with proper security, set up right so everybody have breathing room. Not using it as no excuse, but we need a rematch for the city. I’m puttin’ it out there. I’m puttin’ it out there like Rocky after he lost to Apollo Creed — And we gonna be ready like hot spaghetti,” said Jones.

The entertainer also had suggestions on how the rematch should be scored, saying, “Let’s score it like a boxing match. Let’s get the judges. Let’s make it live. Let the people vote live. Let’s do it right. Let’s really go for it.”

Watch the clip above.

Mary J. Blige & Pepsi Announce Second Annual Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit Dates

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Mary J. Blige Festival

Mary J. Blige and Pepsi announced the second annual Strength Of A Woman festival. The upcoming event will include an all-star lineup with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Summer Walker, and more. Mary J. Blige alongside soft drink company Pepsi announced the dates for the Strength Of A Woman festival and summit for May 11-14 […]

The post Mary J. Blige & Pepsi Announce Second Annual Strength Of A Woman Festival & Summit Dates appeared first on SOHH.com.

Hip-Hop Will Never Forget: Remembering The Notorious B.I.G. On The 26th Anniversary Of His Death

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Long Live Biggie

The Notorious B.I.G.,  a.k.a  Biggie, passed away 26 years ago, and since, the rap community has mourned. On the 26th anniversary of his death,  the tributes continue to pour in from every corner of hip-hop. The Greatest Rapper Of All Time The Notorious B. I.G. known as “Biggie” or “Big Papa” to others, was shot and […]

The post Hip-Hop Will Never Forget: Remembering The Notorious B.I.G. On The 26th Anniversary Of His Death appeared first on SOHH.com.

Jadakiss to Team with DJ Greg Street to Create ‘Kiss The South’ Mixtape

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Jadakiss Promotes Wellness Ahead of New Year: "Healthy Is Gangsta"

Jadakiss is getting back to the raps. Hopping on social media, Kiss and DJ Greg Street from V103 Atlanta announced the Kiss The South mixtape.

“Kiss The South, man. Jadakiss, Greg Street, I’mma come to the A, and I’ma stay here until we complete the joint,” Jadakiss said. “He know when it’s complete so I can’t leave until he say we got enough, Kiss, you good, let’s mix it, that’s what we gon’ do.”

Recently, on an episode of the, I AM ATHLETE podcast, D-Block frontman Jadakiss was asked about his well-known laugh that he blurts out before and after his unforgettable verses.

Jada said that the laugh was initially how he used to clear his throat in the booth before spitting out his verse. “My engineer, I think he’s from Croatia. Ruff Ryders introduced us to him, and he worked with us for years.” He added, “I was recording some verses, and my voice is so raspy sometimes, I’m clogged up, I would do that as a tension breaker to clear my throat and my voice before I’m about to do the verse.”

The MVP of The L.O.X. vs. Dipset battle said that the laugh was only supposed to be a one-time thing, and he never intended to keep it, but the engineer insisted that it sounded dope and just stuck. “So I do it, I get out to come hear the verse and he kept it! I’m like, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Nah, you gotta leave that.’ I’m like, ‘iight.’ So then I just started doing it and people started loving it!”

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Jadakiss Explains How He Developed His Signature Laugh

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Even those who aren’t privy to Jadakiss’ catalog can detect his iconic laugh from miles away. The LOX rapper’s signature laugh became just as part of his music as his bars. Over time, it felt as though a song from Jadakiss isn’t complete if he doesn’t drop the iconic laugh at some point. However, many have wondered how this iconic chuckle came to be. During a recent interview, Jadakiss explained that it was largely due to his engineer at the time, who insisted that he includes it in his records.

Jadakiss recently sat down with the I Am Athlete podcast where he reflected on signing with Ruff Ryders. He said that the laugh was actually a technique that he used to clear his voice before he records. Due to his gravelly tone, the laugh would often help him approach the record with a fresh set of vocal cords. “I was recording some verses and my voice is so raspy sometimes, I’m clogged up, I would do that as a tension breaker to clear my throat and my voice before I’m about to do the verse,” he said.

Jadakiss’ Engineer Convinced Him To Keep Laugh

Jadakiss said his engineer,  Dragan ‘Chach’ Cacinovic, recorded him after they met through Ruff Ryders. However, when he let out one of his raspy laughs, Chach discovered a new sound that he needed to use in his music. “[I] never intended on him keeping it. So I do it, I get out to come hear the verse and he kept it!” he continued. “I’m like, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Nah, you gotta leave that.’ I’m like, ‘Aight.’ So then I just started doing it and people started loving it!”

There’s no doubt that Jadakiss’ laugh has formed a life of its own. The rapper said that even those that you wouldn’t suspect listen to hip-hop recognize him solely off of the laugh. “Aunties coming up to me in the morning, ‘Hey, ain’t you that boy who make that sound?’” he recounted. “Then it just became my signature trademark.” Check out the full interview above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments. 

[WATCH] Jadakiss Tells Where His Trademark Laugh Came From

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MTA Enlists Jadakiss to Voice COVID 19 Announcements for NYC Subways and Buses

Recently, on an episode of the I AM ATHLETE podcast, D-Block front man Jadakiss was asked about his well-known laugh that he blurts out before and after his unforgettable verses.

Jada said that the laugh was initially the way that he used to clear his throat in the booth before spitting out his verse. “My engineer, I think he’s from Croatia. Ruff Ryders introduced us to him, and he worked with us for years.” He added, “I was recording some verses and my voice is so raspy sometimes, I’m clogged up, I would do that as a tension breaker to clear my throat and my voice before I’m about to do the verse.”

The MVP of The L.O.X. vs. Dipset battle said that the laugh was only supposed to be a one time thing and he never intended on keeping it, but the engineer insisted that it sounded dope and it just stuck. “So I do it, I get out to come hear the verse and he kept it! I’m like, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Nah, you gotta leave that.’ I’m like, ‘iight.’ So then I just started doing it and people started loving it!”

The post [WATCH] Jadakiss Tells Where His Trademark Laugh Came From appeared first on The Source.

Jadakiss Believes Labels Should Be Held Responsible For Violent Lyrics

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The call for record labels to be held accountable for how they navigate artists’ careers is ongoing, and Jadakiss is speaking on how those executives move. There have been conversations about rappers being money-makers for labels after they’ve died. We’ve seen how bigwigs have capitalized on the deaths of our favorite artists. Contracts and deals have also been disparaged by entertainers stuck in loops of debt. Jadakiss recently visited the I Am Athlete podcast to share thoughts on labels taking a gamble on artists’ lives.

“[There was] a song about it, and it was able to get a lot of streams, and that became a thing with the whole Drill [scene],” the Rap icon said. “They actually going out, gettin’ active and doin’ stuff and then go into the studio and make a song about what they just did.” Drill music has been under a microscope from the public to politicians. Mayor Eric Adams even called for a ban on Drill as he lamented over the ongoing violence in New York City.

Labels Are Taking A Gamble

CLEVELAND, OH – FEBRUARY 20: Jadakiss attends All Star WKND Finale at Galleria at Erieview on February 20, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

“That sh*t get nipped in the bud as soon as it got created,” Jadakiss added. “But nobody’s going to these labels saying they wrong for this. We just blaming it on the kids. So, like my brother [Styles P] said, he don’t like to just put all the blame on these young artists because the radio stations are making them the top songs of the playlist. And the labels are still signing them.”

“They even got it—they puttin’ out life insurance on these young kids now.” Others were surprised at the revelation, but it’s been common for some time. “The labels. ‘Cause they gamblin’ on you to do something dumb, so they can profit after you die. So, this is getting ridiculous.” Rappers have complained about how labels move after one of their artists dies. Posthumous albums are quickly put together, and special edition merchandise is sold.

Vince Staples Said Similar Last Year

It was around this time last year when Vince Staples shared similar thoughts during an interview with Hot 97. “It’s money in it and they gonna keep selling it and we gonna keep perpetuating it and we gon’ be hurt when somebody dies,” said the Long Beach star. “I don’t necessarily know if they care. If they did, man the album ready in four weeks once you die. You get more press on the album after you die.

“When it comes to these systems, they look at you like, ‘Oh, you’re dead, now we got something to move with.’ To the people that’s running music: just treat these people with humanity. You’re worth something before you die.”

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