Tag Archives: rap

T.I. Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Jail

T.I. may soon join the ranks of rappers such as DMX, Lil’ Kim, 50 Cent, Biggie Smalls, and many others who have served time in jail. T.I., who calls himself the King of the South, was sentenced to one year and one day (366 days) in a Georgia prison. The sentencing is a result of T.I.’s plea bargaining a deal for his 2007 felony weapons charge. (This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.) Just four hours before the BET Hip-Hop Awards show on October 13, 2007, T.I. was arrested in an Atlanta parking lot after he allegedly … Continue reading →

Death Row Records Auctioned Off

Death Row Records, made famous by such acts as Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, has been sold at an auction. Founded in 1991, it was one of rap’s best-known labels, which sold tens of millions of albums in the early 90s when Tupac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop were just getting their start in the music industry. However, owner Marion “Suge” Knight had gotten in trouble with debt and mismanagement of the label, which forced the auction. By the late 90s, his most famous acts had left the label. However, as owner of the original master recordings, Death Row … Continue reading →

Highs and Lows of Stardom

He’s an award-winning actor, a world-famous comedian, and an accomplished author and now the legendary Bill Cosby is adding another line to his resume—recording artist. The 70-year-old actor is just a few weeks away from releasing his first hip-hop album, but don’t expect to hear The Cosby Show star to rap on any of the tracks. The advocate of higher education has long claimed rap has a “negative” influence on society and didn’t want to taint his album with a sound that he says is “profane for no reason.” The actor’s new CD, Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency, … Continue reading →

Rapper to Wed in Jail

Michele and I have blogged about a lot of celebrity weddings. There was the over the top wedding of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker in Paris. There was the extravagant wedding of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban down under. And just this past week, there was the low key wedding of Beyonce and Jay-Z at his Tribeca penthouse apartment. But, I don’t think either of us have blogged about a wedding in prison – until now! Rapper Remy Ma (real name Remy Smith) is a Grammy nominated recording artist who just happens to be sitting in Rikers Island jail for … Continue reading →

Big Girls Unite

Years ago the rap artist Sir Mix-A-Lot had a hit with the song “I Like Big Butts.” It was an ode to females who had large behinds. The song’s lyrics included phrases that applauded women who didn’t feel the need to loose weight in their “trunks.” Looking back, I could definitely see why some in the music industry, particularly the ones associated with Sir Mix-A-Lot’s record label, said the song helped boost the self-esteem of women who would ordinarily be ostracized for carrying extra weight in their backsides. Fast forward to 2007 and another song is getting the same recognition … Continue reading →

Sexual Song Lyrics and Early Sexual Activity Linked

Does the music that your teen listens to affect their sexual behavior? According to a study recently reported in the August 2006 issue of Pediatrics the answer is yes. The study, done by the Rand Corporation in conjunction with the University of California, links the exposure to degrading sexually explicit lyrics to early sexual activity in teenagers. Researchers conducted telephone interviews with about 1,000 youth over a three-year period. They evaluated the music that each teen listened to as well as 18 other behaviors known to be linked to sexual behavior. Researchers found that “teens who reported they listened to … Continue reading →