September 2003

American Music Awards - Posted by Denz on Monday, September 29 2003

Once again 50 and Em go head to head in two Catigories in this Year's American Music Awards; Favorite Male Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for “Get Rich or Die Tryin” & “8 Mile Soundtrack” Respectively. See who wins, Sunday Nov. 16th @ 8pm on ABC!

Rap Rivals Back - Posted by Denz on Friday, September 26 2003

Slain hip-hop rivals Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. are to feature together on a new track produced by Eminem. 'Running (Dying To Live)' is lifted from the upcoming 'Tupac: Resurrection' soundtrack and features both of the legendary rap stars rhyming over a piano, violin and bass-filled beat. The track samples Edgar Winters' 'Dying To Live' in its chorus and features the lyrics: "Why am I fighting to live/If I'm just living to fight?/Why am I trying to see/When there ain't nothing in sight?" According to MTV News, the 'Tupac: Resurrection' soundtrack will include additional new 2Pac songs that, "tell a chronological story of his life and career". The LP is released in the US on November 4, ten days before the documentary of the same name is previewed at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Mathers in Court - Posted by Denz on Monday, September 22 2003

Kim Mathers, the former wife of rap star Eminem, has appeared in a US court to face charges of cocaine possession. The 28-year-old waived her right to a preliminary hearing and is expected to stand trial next month when - if found guilty - she could face up to five years in jail. As previously reported, Mathers was arrested near her hometown of Detroit on June 10 after police found two bags of white powder in her Cadillac Escalade. District Court Judge Mark Fratarcangeli signed a warrant charging Mathers with possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license and unsafe driving near a stopped emergency vehicle. Mathers - mother to Eminem's daughter Hailie - was also arrested in July 2001 on felony cocaine possession, though charges were dropped five months later

Little Old Shady - Posted by Denz on Friday, September 19 2003

Eminem is facing legal action from a 70-year-old woman who claims he unlawfully sampled music written her late husband on the 1999 hit single, 'Guilty Conscience'. Los Angeles resident Harlene Stein claims Eminem's track features snippets from a 24-second piece entitled 'Pigs Go Home', written by her husband Ronald for the 1970 film, 'Getting Straight'. Producer Dr Dre, Eight Mile Style Music, Ain't Nuthin' Goin' on But Fu**in', Ensign Music Corporation, WB Music Corporation, Famous Music Corporation, Colgems-EMI Music Publishing Inc and Interscope Records are all named as co-defendants in the suit, filed last month in U.S. District Court. According to MTV, the liner notes for 'The Slim Shady LP' (on which 'Guilty Conscience' appears) refers to an "interpolation" of 'Pigs Go Home', but Ronald Stein is not credited as the song's composer. Harlene, who inherited her husband's estate following his death in 1998, has never received royalties for use of the song. Though the suit does not specify damages, it's thought they could amount to well over $3 million, with Stein seeking a cut of the profits made from the 7.1 million international sales of 'The Slim Shady LP'. In addition Stein is demanding substantial payments from sheet-music sales, publishing royalties and punitive damages. She also wants Interscope to stop distributing records containing the 'Pigs Go Home' sample and has asked for all existing copies to be recalled. Interscope Records have so far declined to comment on the matter.

Get Rich Part 2 - Posted by Denz on Thursday, September 11 2003

The first new material from 50 Cent will arrive at the end of the year with the G-Unit album, 'Beg For Mercy'. 50's G-Unit crew is made up of Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and the currently imprisoned Tony Yayo with all four sharing the microphone duties on the album. The Eminem and Dr Dre-signed star told MTV News that he is happy for the G-Unit release to be viewed by the public as the follow-up to his acclaimed debut, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. "I had to work extra hard on this album," he said. "Now I'm content with them calling this my second album. I think its good enough." Production on the record comes from both of the business overlords, Dr Dre and Eminem, along with more underground names like Alchemist, Emil and DJ Twinz. Young Buck delivered the sales pitch, saying: "Basically what you got from 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the same thing you can look forward to on the G-Unit album or maybe more. We got a lot of stuff in store."

Em's Golden Giveaway - Posted by Denz on Thursday, September 4 2003

Eminem is giving fans the opportunity to watch him record his new LP in a Willie Wonka-style golden ticket giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning, fans will need to buy the new album from Eminem protégé Obie Trice - three of the first 500,000 copies will contain the winning tickets. "We were working on this album and trying to come up with the craziest idea possible to help promote it," explained Em. "Everybody's always doing the same sh*t with their records," said Trice. "'Buy my album, get a DVD, get a free poster, get a piece of my toilet seat'. "F*ck that sh*t. When I was a kid I would have given a nut to win something like this." Trice, who has previously provided guest vocals on Eminem tracks including 'Drips' and 'Love Me', was signed to Shady Records after the rap superstar heard him freestyling through his car window. His debut album, 'Cheers', is released in the US on September 23. "I'm just happy to be here," Trice told Rolling Stone. "A lot of people where I'm from, they didn't make it. I'm cheers-ing my first album."