I woke up this morning and decided to check the news just like any other day. I was still blinking away the sleep when up popped a post from that Nate Dogg has passed away at the age of 41.
While the cause of his passing is still yet unknown, we here at 4080 wanted to take the chance to pay a small tribute to him.
While Nate hasn’t released much since 2008, much of that can be attributed to his health problems in recent years. Nate Dogg suffered two strokes back in 2007/2008. Regardless of his modern day output, the man was a huge influence on hip hop. It seemed more and more that Nate’s biggest strength was the skill he brought to his collaborations. Even if his success as a solo artist was not as high as hoped, his efforts as a featured guest on numerous songs really added something special to the mix.
Don’t believe me? Remember his turn on Warren G’s Regulators?
He’s done work with everyone from Mos Def to 50 Cent, and did so with the same skill and style that made him famous. Even if you don’t love the work he’s done, he’s been a big part of some massive, massive hits. I mean, Ludacris’ Area Codes isn’t exactly what I want in my headphones, but you can’t doubt that the song blew up.
Rest In Peace, Nate Dogg. You had a hell of a career.
I hesitate with posting things like this until they are truly confirmed, but this one really caught me off guard.
According to (a website that has been pretty reliable in the past) Eyedea, one half of Eyedea and Abilities, has passed away.
The details of what happened, at this point, are speculation. says
“It is with great pain and sadness that I tell you my son Mikey (Eyedea) has passed away,” Averill wrote on Facebook.
The cause of death for Eydea remains unknown and his mother requested privacy.
“At this time we kindly request your respect and our privacy as we process this devastating loss. On behalf of Mikey’s family, close friends and fans, thank you.”
I don’t know what to say exactly other then the fact that this quite tragic. Eyedea, while not exactly a huge commercial success, was an imaginative and creative artist. The music that he and Abilities made together was original and helped put Rhymesayers on the map.
A little over a month ago, we reported that Guru had slipped into a coma. This awful news was followed up positively when claimed they had a source saying that Guru had successful surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.
Unfortunately that was not true. Apparently, Guru had been suffering from cancer for some time, and never made it out of the hospital. After two months, he passed away.
This is an unimaginable loss for hip hop. Guru was an inspiration to many and made some of the most fundamental hip hop tracks of all time. Him and Premier were, in my opinion, some of the biggest influences on why I got into hip hop. To lose Guru is a tragedy.
And yet, even something like this couldn’t happen simply. Guru’s business partner Solar has released a statement and a letter purportedly written by Guru. The statement reads:
“The world has lost one of the best MCs and hip-hop icons of all-time – my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru. Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle. This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.”
So far, that seems okay. It’s grieving and sad, but pays tribute. However, is also reporting that there may be a darker side to things.
Solar went on to tend to the rapper as he fell ill, seemingly controlling the flow of information and access to Guru. Many of his family members complained that they were denied their right to see him.
That is a horrifying proposition, and one I hope is not true or at least was medically necessary. I couldn’t imagine being denied my right to see a loved one in their last days. For Solar’s sake, I hope this was exaggerated.
The letter Solar released a letter that he says was written by Guru has raised a considerable amount of controversy. Read the :
I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.
I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.
My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.
I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.
When I read this, I was honestly caught off guard. While I knew Guru and Premier hadn’t exactly been hanging out all the time, I never thought things had gone this far. Besides, it doesn’t exactly seem like something someone would write on their deathbed. I don’t see why, now, Guru would want to castigate Prem so publicly after having been silent. It just…seems weird.
Twitter is aflame with allegations of forgery. .
But he’s not the only one. ?uestlove’s suspicious as well.
Other seem to be feeling the same way, considering this tweet by MissInfo has been retweeted by more than 20 others.
It’s a horrific way to imagine the end of your life. Guru’s passing should be celebrated in the sense that we should mourn his passing but be ever so proud of his achievements and his contributions to hip hop. Between Jazzmatazz and Gang Starr, Guru was a tremendous influence and a talented wordsmith and artist.
To use his passing for personal gain, or to mar his passing with accusations does him a disservice. I want the truth to come out, but more importantly I want his family to know that at the minimum, I care that he passed. That he meant something to me, although I never met him.
R.I.P Guru. Here’s a track of you at the birth of your son.
So that Definitive Jux Records, the amazing indie hip hop label, is going on an indefinite “hiatus”. To make matters worse, El-P is stepping down.
While it’s true that they’re not exactly over, they’re also not planning on releasing any new music on physical media. Hopefully this still means some digital distribution, and may actually lower their operating costs a lot. However, it also means that a lot of dope hip hop will no longer be found on vinyl.
Despite assurances that Def Jux isn’t shutting down and is just changing, you can almost hear the sadness in the Pitchfork article. It reads more like a eulogy than a news piece, but I completely agree with the author.
Def Jux had a massive impact on the sound of indie rap. El-P’s squalid, discordant production, which in many ways defined the label’s sound, marked a huge departure from the dusky boom-bap of the label’s underground rap predecessors. You can hear its echoes in much of the past decade’s underground rap. And Def Jux was also the rare record label that had an identity beyond whatever artists happened to be signed to the label at any given time. The label’s records were elaborately designed and packaged, and its artists tended to group together on package tours. I’ve heard club crowds chant the label’s name, a true rarity for any record label in any genre. El’s statement could mark the end of an era.
It’s a sad day for the label that once brought us RJD2, Mr. Lif, Del, Aesop Rock, Chin Chin, and a pile of others.
Here’s hoping that something good comes of this, and no matter form they choose, as long as they put out killer hip hop, 4080 Records will keep supporting them.
So…in the law school world hip hop is not that crazy a thing. There’s a lot of amateur tracks and mashups, trying to make a good impression. But Andrew Black over at the law school at the University of Windsor (in Canada) has been making some serious waves. After interviews on the CBC and some other media outlets, and plus re-posts on tons of sites (including Maclean’s magazine and some law blogs), this thing is really taking off.
Considering how much I’m not down with Pharell, I can honestly say this is the best use of this beat I’ve heard so far.
, the news website of (LYVEF) - an American organization dedicated to empowering ”young people nationwide to participate in the democratic process” – has launched a new “online intiative” to educate urban youth about the importance of the . According to a press release, the campaign will feature
a viral video PSA series hosted by (Core DJs, Star Trak’s Chester French) … [that] will enable each featured interview (sic) to give their own spin on why the 2010 Census is important to them, as well as the neighborhoods they reside in and come from, in order to reach young voters in an organic and impactful way on such a meaningful issue.
The campaign has also released a free mixtape, with cuts from , , , , and more. Atlhough I haven’t listened to it yet, the album’s lineup and message has certainly piqued my curiosity, and I’m looking forward to giving it a spin. Click , courtesy of . And scroll down to see the tracklist.
Regardless of the quality of the mixtape or the ‘viral’ PSA, it’s great to see an organization try to raise the profile of the census among young people. The census is massively important because it informs public policy and spending at all levels of government. Indeed, since government spending is often , it is absolutely critical that policy makers have an accurate understanding of the population and demographics of a given community or neighbourhood. Inaccurate census results can for social programs, education and other government services. As the LYVEF press release notes:
“The Census is so important. It decides how trillions of dollars will be spent in our community … Every 10 years young people don’t get counted because they don’t understand how important this process is. We are going make sure this doesn’t happen. We are going to meet young people where they are at, and make sure they understand how important this process is to their future.”
Numbers Don’t Lie: The Mixtape
1. Shakes Don’t Lie
2. State of Emergency – Toki Wright
3. Dollar And A Dream – J. Cole
4. Exhibit A – Jay Electronica
5. Problems In The Hood – Miss Nana
6. Wonder Why – Chip The Ripper
7. Everybody’s Nobody – XV
8. Shakes Break
9. Daisy – IB3
10. Dealings – Jay Electronica
11. Ayo – Melanie Fiona
12. I’m Beaming – Lupe Fiasco
13. Where Were You – Drake
14. One For The Money – Mr.Finley
15. All About That Money – Gucci Mane, Rick Ross
16. Numbers Don’t Lie – Yo Gotti, Lil Wayne
17. Certified Gangstas 2 – Game, Jim Jones
18. Crazy Since The 80’s – Wiz Khalifa
19. I Keep On – Joe Budden
20. Wyclef Broadcast
21. Jimmy Outro
Yesterday, we posted that had rather surreptitiously shut down several popular music blogs. Today, is reporting that Blogger has issued a in its defence. In the statement, the Google-owned service explains its policy for enforcing the (the American copyright law), noting that when it receives multiple DMCA complaints about the same blog, and has “no indication that the offending content is being used in an authorized manner,” they will remove the blog (italics mine).
In other words, the burden of proof is on the blogger. The statement goes on to say that
“Inevitably, we occasionally receive DMCA complaints even though the blogger does have the legal right to link to the music in question. Whether this is the result of miscommunication by staff at the record label, or confusion over which MP3s are “official,” it happens. If this happens to you, it is imperative that you file a DMCA counter-claim so we know you have the right to the music in question. Otherwise, if we receive multiple DMCA complaints for your blog, this could very well constitute repeat offenses, compelling us to take action.”
Fortunately, the DMCA seems fairly stringent and requires a lot of specific information, ostensibly preventing anyone from shutting down a blog they don’t like by sending off an accusatory email or two to Blogger. And what’s more, Blogger’s (according to the statement) is to notify blog owners of any complaints made against them and to reset the offending post to ‘draft’ status, allowing them to remove the infringing content.
But that doesn’t explain why so many blogs were shut down so quickly and, apparently, without warning.
Several commentators are pointing to this incident as further proof of the ineffectiveness of the existing online copyright regime. As Techdirt ,
… there are two real issues here. First, is the ridiculous “left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing” aspect of record label lawyers sending out DMCA takedowns for content that its marketing department sent to the blogs on purpose. But second, and much more important, is the ridiculousness of the DMCA‘s notice-and-takedown provisions in its safe harbors. It’s a “guilty until you’re innocent” type of measure. It effectively forces Google into a position where it needs to take down the content, until a blogger goes through the confusing process of filing a counternotice.
The to this whole kerfuffle has been widespread and, often, intense. We’ll keep you abreast of any updates. Hopefully it gains enough steam to positively affect how intellectual property rights are regulated on the internet, leading eventually to a fairer and more transparent framework.
Earlier today, reported that , the venerable Google-owned blogging service, has shut down several music blogs, including , , and (none of which I have admittedly ever visited). Apparently, the free music offered on the blogs violated Blogger’s terms of services. As of about 11 a.m. PST, attempts to visit the blogs returned one-line ’Blog not found’ error messages.
The website has compiled several responses to the move, as well as a copy of an email sent from Blogger to I Rock Cleveland and the .
Obviously, this story is still unfolding. Whether or not it represents the opening salvos in a new crackdown on illegal music sharing remains to be seen, but hopefully it’s an aberration that won’t have any wider implications.
I know this is a bit of a dated post, being that the earthquake happened some time ago, but I thought I would take the opportunity to highlight some of the work being done, hype up some fundraising opportunities, and talk about the tight connection between hip hop and Haiti.
I’m sure most of you have heard about , the charity started by Wyclef Jean. He is probably one of the most prominent hip hop artists with direct Haiti ties, but certainly not the least. And yes, there has been a fair amount of with the organization, with some accusing it of misusing raised funds. Wyclef has strenuously denied these, and I believe him. Even if procedures were not followed to the letter, I do not believe there was any attempt at fraud or anything like that. And it’s hard to deny that Yele has been doing some good for people on the ground, so I’m more than willing to overlook minor transgressions (providing they were accidental and that they are not repeated).
Looking at other Haitian hip hop artists, you can remember former-Fugee Pras as well. Above that, you’ve got Trugoy from De La Soul, and, sadly, Tony Yayo.
Perhaps it’s because some fairly prominent rappers are Haitian, or perhaps it’s because of a professed affinity for a struggling black community, the hip hop community in North America has responded tremendously to the need for aid.
A bunch of hip hop artists supported Clooney’s telethon, which was heartwarming, entertaining, and informative. Though it’s funny to me that Kanye was specifically to be a part of George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti telethon. The argument was that he had repeatedly proven that that he was more interested in promoting himself and seemed to disregard the greater good. Now, I’m not going to say that I support this, but I’m not exactly going to advocate against this. Still, hate him or not, he does get attention, and bringing attention to Haiti is something I do support.
Better still, hip hop was clearly a major influence on the remake of We Are the World. Kanye got his moment by appearing here, as did Wyclef, Snoop Dogg, Drake, LL Cool J, will.i.am and others. What tripped me out the most is that Lil Wayne from the original We are the World.
[Update: Video is below]
Some key things to remember.
Feb 12 is the last day for the Canadian government to match donations. So hit up any of these listed charities for donations. Try or the . If you’re a texter: The Canadian Red Cross Society: Text REDCROSS to 30333 ($5); The Salvation Army in Canada: Text HAITI to 45678 ($5);UNICEF CANADA: Text GIVE to 45678 ($5).
In the US, the donations are conveniently consolidated by . Or text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts; text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.
This may not be something that really affects any of us, in the end, but I think it’s worth noting nonetheless. You may have noticed that we’ve embedded quite a few tracks from imeem over the years. It’s been a simple and convenient to showcase a whole variety of tracks.
But imeem isn’t gone. They were bought by MySpace for a rather low sum, and it seems like MySpace is intending on keeping some aspects of it.
In the coming weeks, our team will be working as quickly as possible to take aspects of imeem that users love and migrate them to MySpace Music. We’ll start that transition today by redirecting imeem users to MySpace Music to discover their favorite music. As quickly as possible, we’ll be working to offer users the imeem playlists they’ve created on MySpace Music.
At the minimum, maybe this means MySpace will finally allow embedding. It seems like a no-brainer to me. Use imeem technology to allow embedding of MySpace tracks. Since MySpace is basically only used by bands these days, it is a cheap, legal way to enhance the MySpace experience. It also allows blogs like ours an easier time promoting artists that we like.
Check the press release . (and no, it won’t actually be called MyImeem.)
