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| Xzibit Drawing for Charity - Bid on it now! |
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Xzibit generously donated a "doodle" for a charity Internet auction on eBay. The auction started yesterday and continues through May 18.
Proceeds from the auction benefit NF, Inc., a national non-profit organization that supports families affected by Neurofibromatosis.
The auction is on eBay, you can view the auction here.
The auction started on May 8, and continues through this Sunday, May 18. Currently, Xzibit's Doodle is bidding for $79!
Xzibit is the hit-making rapper and hilarious host (for 7 seasons) of MTV's Pimp My Ride, a reality show that turns teens' junkyard-bound cars into dream cars. The show is now broadcast in over 40 countries and the market continues to grow.
He has guested in CSI: Miami and freestyled opposite Eminem in 8 Mile. Other film roles include XXX: State of the Union with fellow emcee Ice Cube, Derailed with Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, and Gridiron Gang with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He was also the voice of Chief Grizzly in the 2006 hit animated film Hoodwinked.
Xzibit and Amanda Peet will play FBI agents working alongside David Duchovny (Mulder) and Gillian Anderson (Scully) in The X-Files: I Want To Believe scheduled to be released in July 2008.
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 13 May |
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| Xzibit to feature in new Alkaholics DVD - WIN YOUR COPY OF LIVE FROM REHAB! |
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Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 18 April |
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| X-Files 2 - Xzibit mentioned in article, title of movie revealed |
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 The name of the new X-Files 2 movie has finally been revealed. Sources say the movie is entitled "X Files : I Want To Believe".
Xzibit's casting has also been discussed in a recent interview with the creators/writers of the movie, Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz.
"There are three actors new to the X-Files franchise who are said to have notable roles in the film, including Amanda Peet, rapper Xzibit and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. Spotnitz discussed each of these actors, explaining "Amanda Peet is an FBI agent, as is Xzibit. In Amanda Peet, we were looking for somebody who was Scully-like in a way – that intelligence, that intensity, that authority that Gillian Anderson naturally commands, so Amanda we thought, especially after seeing her in Studio 60 on television, we thought she was great for this role. Xzibit was just a discovery for us. We knew his music, but we didn't realize what a great actor he was. He's really fantastic. He's another FBI agent. I don't think you would picture him as an FBI agent normally. But he's really quite good."
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 18 April |
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| Tupac Shakur - In the Shadow of an Icon |
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While paying tribute to the late Tupac Shakur, In the Shadow of an Icon keeps its promise of showing fans that real hip-hop still exists, but you just have to know where to look. Thug Life Army Records has embarked on a monumental movement with this 2-Disc compilation CD, and has gone to great lengths to put together a distinctive album that fans all over the world can truly appreciate. The mission, a search throughout North America for bright and talented individuals who could use a helping-hand to get their music heard. The end result, a collection of the finest work the music industry has yet to hear.
The first thing I said to myself when hearing about this project was “Hey, it’s another tribute album for Pac. What could possibly be good about this one?” Well, it looks like I spoke too soon. Judging a book by its cover never really helped anyone to begin with, and in my findings, this 29-track compilation CD is filled with up and down-beat tracks that anyone can easily be bopping their head to, not to mention that the whole vibe of the album can be described as something out of the vaults of Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. The album also showcases a style of music that most 2Pac fans will recognize, while the music itself represents the same struggle in which 2Pac had fought hard for. There are a lot of talented artists on this album, and from the sound of it; I’m glad none of the artists give off too much of a mainstream feel to their music.
The last thing I want to hear is a compilation that doesn’t have good taste. A mixture of flavor and good rhythm should be present in any compilation, as it is in this one; to mix and match different styles of music, but to also keep the theme in focus. While the music on this album definitely hits all the right spots, nobody likes a f*ck in the ear, and I’m happy to say that In the Shadow of an Icon keeps to itself in that department.
There are a number of tracks that really stood out to me, among others: “We Live and We Die” by Hustle and Creed; the flow, sound style, the hooks, the whole shebang, it has all of the elements that could potentially be a classic hip-hop track in the making. Ebony Burks hits the high-notes in her song “Choice”, which clearly shows how this compilation chooses to explore the different styles of urban music, and not just one. It could be the fact that Ebony is the only female soloist on the album, or maybe it’s how wild the guitar is playing in the background, or maybe even how the beat is just so laid back and mellow. Whatever it is, it has my vote.
Coming from a fan who appreciates good music, I personally look at music as a way to express myself, especially when listening to music. How many of us really listen to what’s being said in a song and understand its message? Sometimes one may look towards music to trigger certain emotions, or a feeling, at that moment. It’s all about how you feel, so they say, and at times, this album responds to those feelings. Songs such as “Knowledge” by Boo Kapone, “Speed of Life” by K-Loron, “Breathe” by Kemo the Blaxican, to name a few, and the rather slept-on “No Half Steppin” by Big Dee and Sammy B, and “Revelation” by G-Luv are good examples of songs that express a feel of their own, and a whole different personality.
From beginning to end, this album has something to offer to everyone, especially to all of the urban listeners out there. What I like most about this album is that sound-value and quality isn’t compromised, and an original tone from a time where Hip-Hop and R&B was much richer in sound than it is today is ever-present. Any Bob or Joanne can produce a record in today’s day and age, but not many have aim to make a hit record that can preserve its flavor for even a few years down the road.
In his physical presence, 2Pac had accomplished what many say would take the average person a life-time to achieve, yet he did just that in a quarter of the human life span. In his absence, he will never be forgotten. In the Shadow of an Icon is an album that I recommend everyone should have in their CD collection. At first, I didn’t know where this was coming from, but now I do see where this is going. And that’s what is most important, is it not? To be able to see the big picture, before you even start painting it. I’m all for painting perfect pictures so I rate this album 4/5 stars for not giving me a good old fuck in the ear like some of the past tribute albums to Pac that are out there just to make a quick buck. Congratulations to Vice President RB Riddle and the rest of Thug Life Army Records for showing us that real hip-hop still exists, and on a job well done.
Visit www.TLARecords.com to order your copy today!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 18 April |
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| Win a copy of 'In The Shadow of an Icon'! |
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NOTE: COMPETITION ENDS WEDNESDAY APRIL 2ND.
Would you like to win yourself a free copy of 'In The Shadow Of An Icon - Volume 1'?
'In The Shadow of an Icon' is a unique project putting artists from all across the nation together for a meaningful message filled CD, built on the 'thought process' of the late hip hop and rap icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac). The project contains no music by Tupac (2Pac), but it does reveal artists who grew out of the 'shadow' of the hip hop Icon.
This competitioin has been brought to you by Thug Life Army Records and XzibitCentral.com.
We have 10 copies of 'In The Shadow of an Icon' to give away. To win yourself a copy click here to see the news article on XzibitCentral.com and answer this simple question:
What is the title of track #2 on CD1?
Click reply to this email to send your answer to webmaster@xzibitcentral.com along with your name and address and you will be in the running to win 1 of 10 free CD's!
Stay tuned to XzibitCentral.com for more giveaways in the very near future!
Justin - XzibitCentral.com founder
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 01 March |
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| Exclusive Interview w/ Hip Hop Mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight |
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On March 6th, a Federal judge will hear arguments by legendary Hip Hop Mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight and his attorney Dermot Givens on the legitimacy of a $130 million judgment against hip hop mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight.
Suge Knight calls the judgment fraudulent and plans to prove his case in court. To get the ‘real’ story on what was going on with the Harris lawsuit, the bankruptcy and with Suge; ThugLifeArmy.com reached out to one of hip hop’s most prolific legends Marion ‘Suge’ Knight for his side of all the false rumors and accusations being logged against him.
In an exclusive interview with ThugLifeArmy.com, the hip hop mogul explains his position on the case and has provided some evidence to back up his claims. In a rare action, Suge Knight is defending himself.
In the phone interview with RB of ThugLifeArmy.com, Suge Knight also clears up some other misconceptions that have been put out as news. One being that he is finished with ‘Tha Row’ or that he is ready to ‘bury Death Row’. This is not the case, according to Suge Knight.
The hip hop mogul gives a good history lesson on the Michael “Harry O” Harris and Lydia Harris situation. He also touches on Jimmy Iovine, the legal system, past artists that he has helped and a lot more including some thoughts on Britney Spears. He also states his views on Time Warner and the bid they are making for his infamous hip hop / rap label.
Suge Knight also touches on Tupac (2Pac) and Suge also talks about Tupac’s work ethic and what hip hop and rap is missing today. Suge says he would never put anyone on a track with Tupac (2Pac) that Pac would have never allowed on a song with him.
This is an exclusive talk, ‘real talk’ with a true hip hop legend, Marion ‘Suge’ Knight; touching many things; but the main important focus is the fraudulent Harris lawsuit. Suge Knight has provided the documents below, so everyone can see what is happening. Like Suge says “if this can happen to me then it can happen to you”.
Enjoy this rare glimpse of a true hip hop icon Marion Suge Knight and make sure you look at the evidence and hit us up at Administrator(at)ThugLifeArmy.com with feedback.
If this judgment is overturned, then this will relinquish the hip hop mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight and Death Row Records from the present bankruptcy preceding and Death Row Records will be back for all the fans of true hip hop.
ThugLifeArmy.com interview with Suge Knight – HERE
Phone call Between Michael Harris and Officials from San Quentin - HERE
1st Settlement Agreement.pdf - HERE
2nd Settlement Agreement.pdf - HERE
Check to Lydia Harris
Lydia Harris Notice of Settlement
Source: ThugLifeArmy.com
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 16 February |
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| New Xzibit Blog: Im in Canada,and its f*ckin FREEZING! |
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The following is taken from Xzibit's latest blog to his fans. The blog is at http://www.xzibit.com/blog.
Man where do I start,
I apologize for the long time between blogs, so I will make this a good one. After I finished the movie in New Orleans I went back to LA and took a second to regroup and reset for the new year. I had a kick back new years eve at my crib, had a bunch of people over and brought it in with family. The club scene in LAis cooked and burnt up so that was NOT an option. Jokes and food and lots and lots of henessy went around and it was a great evening. Let me rewind the tape a little and tell you about my hair cut. One day I got up and took my braids down and was about to make the call to get it re braided I looked in the mirror and put the phone down and picked up the clippers. I cut my hair myself to a little afro. I gotta tell you after Icut it and took a shower I felt preety fuckin good. After 10 years of braids I felt like it was time. Now after that I got a call from my agents about a Oliver Stone movie named "Pinkville" and there was a part that would be good for me, I got the script and loved it. I went in to read for Oliver 2times beforeI got the offer, I was hyped to travel and do a war film with Oliver Stone because he knows that world so vividly. Well 2 days before we are supposed to get on the plane, I get the call that the movie had been put on hold because of the writers strike. Even though the script had been complete, changes were requested on some of the dialouge and you cant do that wthout writers, everyone agreed and stood on the side of the writers and supported the decision. I got a call a few days later about the new X FILES movie being directed by Chris Carter and he heard I was coming in and flew down to meet me and watch me read. I meet Chris and talked to him about music. I was shocked to see he had heard the song I did "YEAR 2000" where I mention the X FILES in the 3rd verse. He was very direct and nice to deal with, a little while later I got the call to pack my bags for Canada. So here I am writing to all my folks in a ski resort 3hours from Vancouver, Its beautiful but cold. like 15 below 0 cold,.....and Im standing it it.........in a suit........welcome to hollywood. LOL. All bullshit aside I am having a great time. David Ducovnny, Amanda Peet, Billy Conolly and Gillan Anderson are very cool and great people to work with. The whole crew for that matter are some of the best people you can find, I mean its brick out side and these folks are our out there setting up lights and setting up cameras and shit, hours before they yell ACTION. They deserve every penny they get. I wont be back to LAtill March so I gotta good news flash for you when I get home, I will holla back at you guys asap.....thanks for stoppin in!!! If you wanna see what I look like in the film go XZIBIT.COM its on the main page...........
"ITS NOT HOW GOOD YOU ARE, ITS HOW BAD YOU WANT IT"
xXx
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 29 January |
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| Unique Hip Hop CD 'In The Shadow of an Icon' Hits Stores 1-15-08 |
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 Grassroots record label Thug Life Army Records is set to re-arrange the urban hip hop landscape with the release of their highly anticipated hip hop project 'In The Shadow of an Icon' to hit stores January 15th 2008.
Hollywood, Calif. (Billboard Publicity Wire) January 14, 2008 -- Grassroots record label Thug Life Army Records is set to re-arrange the urban hip hop landscape with the release of their highly anticipated hip hop project 'In The Shadow of an Icon'.
In stores January 15th nationwide, 'In The Shadow of an Icon' is a unique project putting artists from all across the nation together for a meaningful message filled CD, built on the 'thought process' of the late hip hop and rap icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac). The project contains no music by Tupac (2Pac), but it does reveal artists who grew out of the 'shadow' of the hip hop Icon
As we see the urban hip hop musical landscape infiltrated by corporate hip hop and what seems to be so much music with out a meaning, this unique project from Thug Life Army Records focuses on the 'real' things going on in the streets and in the lives of many in hip hop culture.
Hip Hop icon Tupac Shakur was more than a rap artist. He was also a poet, an activist, a reporter and yes a teacher. The artists put forth on this unique project have all learned and have crafted their skills out of the 'shadow' of the teacher Tupac Shakur; they too have re-taken the place of 'street reporter' to enlighten, spread the news and/or deliver true street messages in their rhymes.
This project, from Thug Life Army Records, distributed by Fontana/AMG/Universal/, was released to all the major digital download sites in mid December and is available now for on line download.
If your local record source does not have the CD ask them to order it and if your local radio station is not playing tracks from 'In The Shadow of an Icon' please request that they do. Support of this album will show that Hip Hop is not Dead, people are just not looking in the right places for it.
When asked about the direction the music takes in the CD, RB explains "The various sides and teachings of the 'man', Tupac Amaru Shakur are represented on this CD - from his street side, to his political side, to his deep inner self. A total look is taken at the course Tupac had traveled in his short life. A picture of Tupac's life is a picture of many of our lives. His up's and down's are roads many of us have shared along the way. That is why Tupac gained the respect of almost everyone in the hip hop community - we could feel his pain and joys, as he felt ours. His words and teachings remain relevant today because the situation has not changed since Pac first started exposing the real truth of hood life, and the artists on this project continue with Pac's message of 'keeping it real' thru real talk. No spinning rims or drinking in the club, just solid true about the reality of being raised in a society that does not understand you or your situation."
"Violence has touched many in this country, not only the hip hop community. This is not only a requiem for the life of Tupac and for all the fallen 'souljahs' who have died needlessly or have found themselves in situations they cannot control, but it also emphasizes why the lyrics that Tupac spit and the knowledge he put forth is still relevant today; because nothing has really changed over the last 11 years since Tupac was murdered, and the artists on this project came together to put out a hip hop album with a 'meaningful message'."
With over 25 different artists participating in the project, there are many backgrounds and each artist has their own region where they rep from and their own experiences in life.
Here is the track list for 'In the Shadow of an Icon'
Track list for 'In the Shadow of an Icon'
Disc One
1.) Boo Kapone - KNOWLEDGE
2.) Concrete Souljahs - Walk wit me
3.) allfrumtha i - Everywhere I Go (good and evil)
4.) SUPe - The System
5.) Hustle Creed - We Live and We Die
6.) Purple Lounge "H.O.P.E"
7.) Nolan - PEOPLE
8.) 1223 - Wish I Knew
9.) Jasiri X and Franchise - 2 Pacs More
Producer: Paradise Gray (X Clan) and GM3
10.) Page 1 - Fallen
11.) Ebony Burks - Choice
12.) G Luv - Revelation
13.) FAME - Next 2 Kin
14.) U.N.D feat. Teeka - Understand
15.) binky mack - Conflict Of Interest
Disc Two
1.) Kemo the Blaxican - Breathe
2.) Celly Cel - No Tomorrow
3.) Dolo - So Much Drama
4.) Qwiccshott - Never
5.) Sammy B feat Big Dee - No Half Steppin
6.) 3RDegree - Broken Home
7.) allfrumtha i - Me & My Dawg
8.) K - Loron - Speed of Life
9.) Concrete Souljahs - Related to the Undergroud
10.) Tommy Danger - Run for Cover
11.) Wize-Fool - DANGEROUS FREE THINKER
12.) binky mack - Taken Over
13.) Malign20 - Hopes and Dreams
14.) Queen Josie - Young Men of Today (Spoken Word)
Keep up with all the updates on this project at:
Web Site - http://thuglifearmyrecords.com
And on MySpace at - http://www.myspace.com/intheshadowofanicon
and http://www.myspace.com/thuglifearmyrecords
Press Contact
RB Riddle
Cell - 513-673-3144
For radio mp3's and/or a press promo copies of the album for review or banners to help promote this project on your site please contact RB Riddle or Thug Life Army Records at Info @ ThugLifeArmyRecords.com
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 17 January |
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| Galpin builds special Warriors in Pink Mustang for charity |
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One Lucky Contestant Will Win a One-of-a-Kind Galpinized® Warriors in Pink Mustang from Ford and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
VAN NUYS, CA – To raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), home of MTV's Pimp My Ride, has created a one-of-a-kind Warriors in Pink Mustang for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The Galpinized® Mustang will be given away as the grand prize in the Warriors in Pink Mustang Sweepstakes.
"We are honored to be part of the Race for the Cure," said Beau Boeckmann, president and chief designer of Galpin Auto Sports. "We hope this Galpinized® Warriors in Pink Mustang will draw attention to the fight against breast cancer."
The one-of-a-kind Warriors in Pink Mustang convertible features custom pink rally stripes over black paint with the Warriors in Pink intricate logo hand painted on the back. Pink headlight splitters, a custom grill and spoiler add to the eye catching effect. GAS also dropped the Warrior Mustang with lowered sport suspension and matching twenty-inch pink and black wheels. Other additions include a Kenwood navigation system with a 7-inch touch screen and Bluetooth capability and an iPod adapter. Plush pink suede seats with breast cancer awareness ribbon details on the headrest give this Pink Warrior a softer side, while a 200 hp V6 engine adds more muscle than ever to the fight. Signature Mustang pony badging over pink breast cancer awareness ribbons complete the Race for the Cure theme.
The winner of the GAS Pink Mustang will be randomly selected from the eligible entries received through the Ford Cares website. To enter the sweepstakes visit www.fordcares.com before December 31, 2007, complete the online entry form with the required contact information and submit the completed entry as directed. Every entry raises awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
About Galpin Auto Sports (G.A.S.)
Galpin Auto Sports, located at 15600 Roscoe Blvd. in Van Nuys offers customizing and personalizing services on all new and pre-owned vehicles including collector and classic cars. For more information on Galpin Auto Sports' unique products and services, please contact G.A.S. General Manager, Steve McCord (smccord@galpin.com), at (877)-GO-GAS-GO or visit the website at www.galpinautosports.com. G.A.S. is part of the Galpin Motors family of dealers including nine quality automobile brands. For additional information on Galpin Motors contact General Manager Brian Allan, 818-922-3606/ ballan@gogalpin.com, visit the dealer showrooms at 15500 and 15505 Roscoe Blvd. or visit the company website at www.galpin.com.
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 31 December |
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| Dr. Dre Wins "Up In Smoke" Tour DVD Lawsuit |
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 Dr. Dre has won the invasion of privacy lawsuit filed against him over a videotaped conversation that was featured on his "Up In Smoke" tour DVD.
Judge John A. Murphy dismissed the $3 billion lawsuit filed by three former City of Detroit employees ruling that there was no reason to believe their recorded conversation was private noting that the conversation took place in a room with an open door in which at least one city employee had entered and exited without difficulty.
"Under the circumstances," the judge wrote, "the plaintiffs could not have a reasonable expectation of privacy."
In July 2000, authorities prohibited Dre from broadcasting a video during his "Up In Smoke" tour stops in Detroit and Auburn Hills citing obscenity laws. Dre countered the decision with a $25 million dollar lawsuit against the city of Detroit claiming his First Amendment rights were being violated by banning the video.
Dre was then hit with a $3 billion lawsuit in December 2000 following the release of the tour DVD as Greg Bowens, a spokesman for then-Mayor Dennis Archer, then-police spokeswoman Paula Bridges and then-police Commander Gary Brown claimed their conversation with producers asking them not to show the video, which contained nudity and a gunfight, to the audience at the concert had been illegally recorded during a show at The Joe Louis Arena in July 2000.
The footage was released on the "Up In Smoke Tour" DVD showcasing one of the biggest and most successful Hip-Hop tours of all-time featuring performances from Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Ice Cube.
Glenn Oliver, attorney for the former city officials, said he plans to appeal the decision claiming the cameras were hidden during their conversation.
In related news, Dr. Dre is said to be working on his long-delayed "Detox" album, which is currently scheduled for a June 2008 release.
Source: http://www.hiphopgalaxy.com
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 13 December |
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| ‘In The Shadow of an Icon' Hits Download Sites Early |
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The highly anticipated Hip Hop album, to be released January 15th by Thug Life Army Records, a division of Star Sound Group International based in Hollywood, California;- In The Shadow of an Icon , has seen an early digital release on all the major music download sites.
Itunes, Rhapsody and the rest have the unique hip hop album up now for download, 2 weeks before its expected release to download sites.
This exceptional hip hop project is aimed to show that hip hop is not ‘dead', but that people are just not looking in the right places. ‘In the Shadow of an Icon' is a collaboration of artists who all learned and grew out of the words and teachings of the late hip hop Icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac).
Bringing hip hop, rap and R&B artists from across the nation and Canada together, to showcase some of the best under rated talent that the hip hop genre has to offer, this project has been talked about from coast to coast because so many different areas of the country have got involved in it.
The album is being distributed thru Fontana/Universal/AMG on *Thug Life Army Records.
When asked about the direction the music takes in the CD, Thug Life Army Records Vice President RB explains 'The various sides and teachings of the ‘man', Tupac Amaru Shakur are represented on this CD - from his street side, to his political side, to his deep inner self. A total look is taken at the course Tupac had traveled in his short life. A picture of Tupac's life is a picture of many of our lives. His up's and down's are roads many of us have shared along the way. That is why Tupac gained the respect of almost everyone in the hip hop community - we could feel his pain and joys, as he felt ours. His words and teachings remain relevant today because the situation has not changed since 2Pac first started exposing the real truth of hood life, and the artists on this project continue with Pac's message of ‘keeping it real' thru real talk. No spinning rims or drinking in the club, just solid true about the reality of being raised in a society that does not understand you or your situation.-
Check your favorite download spot to hear samples and download or more information can be found at Web Site – www.thuglifearmyrecords.com
And on MySpace at - www.myspace.com/intheshadowofanicon
and www.myspace.com/thuglifearmyrecords
Press Contact
RB Riddle
ThugLifeArmyrecords@gmail.com
Cell - 513-673-3144
For radio mp3's and/or a press promo copies of the album for review or banners to help promote this project on your site please contact RB Riddle or Thug Life Army Records at Info@ThugLifeArmyRecords.com
Artist interview request can also be honored.
*Thug Life Army Records is a division of Star Sound Group International based in Hollywood, California.
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 12 December |
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| Pictures of Xzibit On The Set of X-Files 2 Movie |
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| Xzibit Lands Role In New 'X-Files' Movie |
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Mulder and Scully are about to get pimped out and then some.
Xzibit, the hit-making rapper and hilarious host of MTV's Pimp My Ride, will join Amanda Peet and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly in key supporting roles for the upcoming X-Files movie.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Xzibit and Peet will play FBI agents working alongside David Duchovny's Fox "Spooky" Mulder and Gillian Anderson's Dana Scully in the second film based on Fox's hugely popular sci-fi series.
No word on Connolly's role. A rep for Fox declined to provide any information on the threesome's characters, and details of the plot remain a closely guarded secret.
What we do know is that unlike the first X-Files feature in 1998, the new film will avoid the series' abstruse mythology and instead work as a standalone installment about some kind of supernatural mystery.
X-Files creator Chris Carter will direct the film from a script he wrote with series writer and executive producer Frank Spotnitz.
Talk of another X-Files movie has been ongoing since the 1998 release grossed more than $189 million worldwide. But the project stalled as Carter and Fox engaged in lengthy litigation over residuals from the show's syndication sales.
The two sides settled earlier this year, clearing the way for the new chapter.
Aside from his seven-season sojourn on Pimp My Ride, Xzibit has guested in CSI: Miami and freestyled opposite Eminem in 8 Mile. More recent film roles include XXX: State of the Union with fellow emcee Ice Cube, Derailed with Clive Owen and Gridiron Gang with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Xzibit had been set to star opposite Bruce Willis and Woody Harrelson in Pinkville, Oliver Stone's drama about the My Lai Massacre. But that picture was shelved due to the writers' strike, allowing Xzibit to fit the X-Files sequel into his schedule.
Known for her roles in The Whole Nine Yards and NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Peet currently stars opposite John Cusack in the New Line drama Martian Child. She also recently agreed to headline the drama Real Men Cry with Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo.
Connolly had a memorable turn as Uncle Morty in 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Other film credits include White Oleander, The Last Samurai and the voice of McSquizzy in last year's Open Season.
The still-untitled X-Files film is due to begin shooting later this month in Vancouver and hits theaters July 25, 2008.
Source: E! News
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 09 December |
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| West Coast Customs at Exclusive CarShow SEMA, in Las Vegas |
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SpellCasters Showcase, www.spellcasters.com, brings viewers worldwide a special treat… West Coast Customs, the crew made famous on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, at the industry exclusive SEMA show in fabulous Las Vegas, NV. Viewers get an inside look at the West Coast Customs Experience, an interactive, hands-on customizing workshop presented at this year’s show. Meet key members of the crew and get a look around the event featuring the best in custom cars from around the world.
SpellCasters Showcase gives viewers a ticket to this event that most would otherwise be excluded from. "We are continually providing unique and unusual entertainment for our audience!" says SpellCasters President M. "Hep" Sylvanus. "Where the best viewers can hope for from traditional TV coverage is a thirty second sound byte, SpellCasters is free from the time restraints the limit traditional TV!"
"SpellCasters is happening!" states WCC owner and CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus, "They always give us better video coverage than we can hope to get from traditional TV! Our fans love it, it really allows them to get ‘inside the shop’ with us, and it certainly is invaluable when promoting our new Street Customs show Thursdays on TLC!"
"Ryan and his ‘soldiers’ are terrific," responds Hep, "they give us complete access to everything going on with their shop and don’t hold back. We’re happy to put our network to effective use helping promote their new show. Its a win-win deal!"
West Coast Customs has become one of the top custom shops in the world, due in no small part to the success of MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Helping launch WCC’s latest TLC project, SpellCasters has again established the network as a leader in alternative programming.
SpellCasters Showcase is available on the Web at www.spellcasters.com
Source: www.spellcasters.com
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 25 November |
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| New User Art Image: Xzibit Wallpaper |
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We've just added a new Xzibit wallpaper to the User Art section on XzibitCentral.com! A big thanks for Simon from Sweden for sending us the wallpaper!
Below is what the wallpaper looks like:
If you like it just click on the image and download the full version at the bottom of that page!
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 18 November |
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| New Xzibit Film 'Pinkville' on hold due to strike |
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The Oliver Stone-directed "Pinkville" has become the second major film casualty of the writer’s strike.
United Artists has halted plans to begin production in early December in Southeast Asia, sources said.
The studio agreed to finance and distribute the drama about the investigation of the Mai Lai massacre in 1968. The film was to star Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Xzibit, Michael Pitt and Toby Jones. The budget was under $40 million and the cast and crew were preparing to leave for Thailand when the plug was pulled Friday.
The reason for the plug pull was the inability for Stone and screenwriter Mikko Alanne to hone the script any further because both are members of the WGA. Before Stone won Oscars for directing "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July," he won an Oscar in 1979 for writing "Midnight Express." He is a filmmaker accustomed to making changes throughout production, and that is simply not an option given the strike.
It is unclear whether UA will revive the film for a quick re-start, the way that Sony will certainly do for its "Da Vinci Code" sequel "Angels & Demons." Pictures that lose momentum are often hard-pressed to regain it, as casts go off to other projects. And after underwhelming returns for "Lions for Lambs," some felt it conceivable that UA won’t mind a hiatus from wartime-set films.
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 18 November |
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| Xzibit joins Oliver Stone's 'Pinkville' - Xzibit to star alongside Bruce Willis |
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Rapper Xzibit is pursuing his dreams of an acting career by joining acclaimed director Oliver Stone for “Pinkville.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the rapper and star of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” show has signed to star alongside Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson in the drama about the 1968 My Lai Massacre.
It was almost four decades ago that more than 500 people, most of these women, children and the elderly, were killed by U.S. soldiers, during the Vietnam War.
United Artists is distributing. Production is set to begin next year. The script has been penned by Mikko Alanne.
Xzibit, whose real name is Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, will reportedly play a soldier who is convinced he carried out his orders in a moral way, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Xzibit is currently shooting “American Inquisition,” with Alfre Woodard, Anthony Mackie, Charles Dutton and Tim Blake Nelson.
Xzibit, 33, has been making appearances in movies since the late 1990s. His credits include the Lee Tamahori-directed “XXX: State of the Union,” starring Ice Cube and Willem Dafoe; “Derailed,” which starred Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston and Vincent Cassel; and “Gridiron Gang,” where he starred alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Xzibit became the host of TV show “Pimp My ride” in 2004. His career as a rapper has been successful; he has sold more than 3 million records, including “Restless,” released in 2000, which sold more than 2 million. His latest studio effort is 2006’s “Full Circle.”
Multiple Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone’s recent work includes “World Trade Center,” released in 2006. The drama, based on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, was generally well received. It stars Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, and Maggie Gyllenhaal
Stone received an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay in 1978 for “Midnight Express” and two Academy Awards for directing “Platoon,” in 1986, and “Born on the Fourth of July,” in 1989.
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 13 November |
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| West Coast Customs live show and concert bringing RnB stars Omarion, Marques Houston, Lloyd and Blackstreet |
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 Dubai will witness one of the biggest RnB concerts of the year on Thursday, November 22 at Dubai Media City. With a line-up of the hottest RnB stars including Grammy nominee Omarion, Marques Houston, Lloyd, legendary Blackstreet and a special tribute to A-Class, get ready for an evening of ultimate RnB.
At 21 years old, with music, television, book publishing and movie credits under his belt, Omarion's growth, maturity and depth are showcased on his sophomore, Epic / Sony Urban, solo effort aptly titled, 21. Of the album concept he acknowledges, "everyone can relate because it's a memorable time. It's a universal topic. It's a celebration." The first single "Entourage," produced by Eric Hudson, blends O's memorable yet danceable chorus with catchy lyrics. The second single, "Icebox," produced by Timbaland, delivers dark engraining beats that draws listeners closer to Omarion's experience in a fading relationship and illustrates how he deals the challenges of the commitment. Fueled with passion and honesty, 21 has Omarion breaking out of the pop-teen idol mold and moving into his grown man status.
Inevitably, there comes a time in every boy's life when he realizes he's a man. For Marques Houston, that time is now. With his new album Veteran, he reveals his maturity to the world. Gone are the days of pop-laced tracks and catering to the teen crowd. He's moved on to the next phase of not only his music, but life. Houston sees Veteran not as a reinvention of himself but simply as whom he's become. "This album is going to set the tone for who I am truly as a man and as an artist," he says emphatically.
Houston has developed a knack for juggling multiple projects. Veteran is being released on his own T.U.G./Universal Motown Record label, which includes a roster of artists (Omarion, Mila J etc). He's also continued his acting career-he starred on his own television series Cuts for two seasons and co-starred with Omarion in the dance hit film You Got Served. And next year, he and Omarion will star in the horror flick Somebody Help Me produced by their company Rock Stars Entertainment.
For R&B singer Lloyd, the road to stardom has taken twists and turns, with high-speed chases and precise maneuvering. Today, the 21-year old singer/songwriter and businessman is in the driver's seat. He commands the open road and is headed straight for stardom. Singing came natural for Lloyd Polite, a native of New Orleans who grew up in Atlanta. "I knew how to sing before I learned how to talk and I knew how to dance before I learned how to walk". "It's just in my blood". For Lloyd, everyday is a new day and every time he revs up his engine. Known for his hit singles "Get Shawty" and "You", Lloyd is behind the wheel, navigating the dicey turns and averting the potholes with all the skill and finesse of a far more seasoned driver. Look for the new album in stores, "Street Love".
One of the top R&B vocal groups of the '90s, Blackstreet was founded by singer, producer, and new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley after the breakup of his seminal trio Guy. Riley's itch to get back in the performing arena resulted in the formation of Blackstreet in 1994, which included singers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joe Stonestreet in addition to Riley. On the strength of "Before I Let You Go," a Top Five hit on the R&B charts, Blackstreet was a platinum-selling hit even without much crossover exposure. Two more singles from the album, "Booti Call" and "Joy," were minor hits as well.
More specifically, it was the inescapable smash single "No Diggity," which featured special guest Dr. Dre, that put them over the top. "No Diggity" reigned for four weeks on top of the pop charts and won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group; it also pushed sales of Another Level past the four million mark. The follow-up single, "Don't Leave Me," was a decent-sized hit in 1997, and the group later made a guest appearance on Jay-Z's "The City Is Mine" and teamed with Mya and Mase for the hit "Take Me There" from the Rugrats soundtrack.
A-Class is a local group all set to create a niche for themselves in the urban music scene by performing their exclusive hip-hop and RnB tracks live. Having come together lately, the two members of A-Class instantly bonded together and realized that they could make their dreams come alive. Setting up on a journey which seemed cut out for them, they have finally made it in the industry. Tracks made by A-Class have created quite a stir in the industry, with their single ‘I like you'. Recently A-Class lost a member of their group, Shorty, to a fatal car crash, hence, this concert has been dedicated as a tribute to his grave loss.
The show is being brought to you by West Coast Customs, the creators of the hit TV show ‘Pimp My Ride'. Being a unique event on its own, doors will open at 12 noon giving the crowd an opportunity to come and have a look at the live car being modified by West Coast Customs on Stage and also see the competition cars. A gaming zone will be setup for game fanatics to enjoy with various other activities for the crowd to indulge themselves in. The concert will start from 7pm onwards. Tickets are now on sales and available at all Virgin Mega Store Outlets across the UAE, BoxofficeMe.com and Timeouttickets.com. For more information call the event hotline on 055-2136113.
Source: XzibitCentral.com Exclusive!
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 13 November |
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| Pimpin' Ken: Leisure Studies - AllHipHop.com feature article |
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Pimpin’ Ken is internationally known, nationally recognized and locally accepted. Try to keep up.
There is no denying that many people have been influenced by the lifestyle of pimps, even if unrealistically. Artists like Too Short, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, E-40, Ice T and even rap-rocker Kid Rock have used some type of pimp philosophy in their songs. Even in trying to make the word a “good” thing ala Nelly’s P.I.M.P. campaign (Positive Intellectual Motivated Person) or Xzibit’s playful Pimp My Ride TV show, the word pimp alone has carried a stigma of negativity that won’t soon fade.
Veteran “Pimpin’” Ken Ivey has more than made his mark in the game, and is now working on turning the tides on America’s perception of the pimp. From his early years motivating a bevy of hookers through disciplined thinking, tactical manipulation and positive reinforcement, Ken took his natural ability to motivate others to new heights. While garnering accolades for his achievements like “Mack Of The Year” from the Annual Player’s Ball, Ken was aligning himself with rappers, event producers and television professionals all in pursuit of a bigger dream. He was largely responsible for the classic HBO films Pimps Up, Ho’s Down and Pimpology Uncut, and appeared in various cult(ure) classics like American Pimp.
These days, Ken Ivy is a full-fledged business man with a film company, a radio show, regular public speaking engagements and a new book entitled Pimpology: The 48 Laws Of The Game. Although he’s not necessarily aspiring to be a superstar rapper, he has also partnered with UGK’s Pimp C for a new DVD and album. We spoke with Ken at great length about his projects, his past and his philosophies on life. Grab a seat, and get game.
AllHipHop.com: What are your new projects with the album and DVD about, and how are you marketing them?
Pimpin’ Ken: Actually it's a DVD with an album included, it's called The Best of Both Worlds Part 2. Pimp C is gonna generate some of the favorites that he has in the industry as well as myself, and we're gonna collaborate and bring those people on board. In particular people like Too Short, 50, whoever we can get to participate in the project. We're gonna reach out to all of my friends, such as my man B.G., Lil' Wayne, 50, Nelly, all of those guys. I'm gonna try to get them involved with the project, because the project is about people that lived the street life, the pimp life as well as people who rap. All of them converted and changed their lives and now they're merging and it's the best of both worlds. Basically The Best of Both Worlds is the rap game and the pimp game legitimately merging together to come to a head where people can see how both lifestyles [are] prosperous if you learn how to do it the right way.
AllHipHop.com: On your DVD, there are a lot of conversation about pimps who want to be rappers and rappers who portray the life of and want to be pimps. As someone who was involved in pimping over a period of time, how do you feel about rappers who glamorize pimping who were not involved in it but just claim to be a pimp?
Pimpin’ Ken: Coming from the perspective of the hood, I think it's a good thing. The reason why I say it is because it all ends up to one thing—making money. Now obviously if you never pimped and you rapped about it, it is to your best advantage to mention or get with a person that's either pimpin’ or has pimped and get their endorsement. That's what a lot of rappers don't do, they talk about pimpin’ but they don’t know nothin' about pimpin’. If you was smart, you’d do like 50 Cent, Jermaine Dupri, Too Short and Pimp C did. All of those guys got with me when they wanted to do something about pimpin’. They sit down, they talk to me and ask me if they were saying the right things, "Is this the proper way to approach the game?"
Except there's some guys out here that's rapping [about] pimpin’ but they never had any affiliation with pimpin’ so they use the word out of context and they're really just using the word as a fad because it sounds slick. But the proper thing to do is like a boxer, you train. You look at a tape of a boxer who's boxed before, he learns and enhances his skills. That's what the movie is all about, The Best of Both Worlds, we talk about rappers who portray pimps and pimps who portray to be rappers. Even the pimps, I'm not just gonna leave one side out, these guys need to get with rappers and learn how to produce, learn about publishing, learn what an escalation clause is and different rules of the game. Learn what mechanical rights are and so on and so forth, how to do 16 bars and what a hook is before they just get on tape and start rapping and don't know nothing about the rap game.
AllHipHop.com: Too Short was really a big catalyst of putting the mainstream on to the pimp game. Would you agree that there were certain rappers that influenced the rest of the rappers to speak on it?
Pimpin’ Ken: Too Short got a quote in the back of my book Pimpology: The 48 Laws Of The Game. He said, "Pimpin’ Ken taught me a lot, he represents real pimpin’". What Too Short was doing that a lot of rappers is not doing, Too Short was hanging out with guys like Sir Captain, Sir Charles, myself and Bishop Don Juan. He was actually getting the game from the players. See, Too Short comes from Oakland, California. The movie The Mack, which is one of the premier movies for pimps in the world was shot right there in Oakland. So those guys had a lot of influence on guys like Too Short, this was their reality. So when you hear him rapping about pimpin’ and San Pablo and all these different streets, he's talking about his reality. When you hear Master P talking about drugs, he's talking about his reality. Too Short actually grew up around this type of atmosphere and that's why Too Short loved and respected it so much.
As a matter of fact, he was one of the people that inspired me. He was one of the first guys to get in my movie Pimpology Uncut. In the movie he explains how he got into the game and how he ended up with his career rapping about the game. So Too Short to me is one of the authentic originators of this rapping about pimp stuff, along with Pimp C. Pimp C's name is Pimp C, his name's been Pimp C for over 20 years. These guys are what I call the pioneers of this pimp thing, you got a lot of Johnny Come Latelys
who try to act like they're about the game but if you want to look at the forefathers of this pimp rap stuff you got to look at Too Short and Pimp C.
AllHipHop.com: There are a lot of young guys who call themselves pimps and who try to get into the pimp game. Do you feel that rap music has influenced them getting into the pimp game more so than other pimps?
Pimpin’ Ken: I think the most influential person in getting people into the pimp game is myself. We did a movie called Pimps Up, Ho’s Down and we did the movie over 10 years ago. When the movie came out I was one of the first guys to step to the rappers and tell 'em "Hey man, y’all need to represent this pimpin’ like Too Short and Pimp C a little bit more. Y’all need to get the pimps in the videos." But all the time I had an ulterior motive, to build my name and become bigger so I can promote the game only to show people the game from another perspective.
A lot of people get a misconception; they think I'm talking about peddling flesh. Yeah we can peddle flesh all the time, we can sell a woman's body, that's the easiest thing in the world to do. If a woman likes you and she's already into that type of lifestyle she will pay you money all day. But to be able to go up into Simon & Schuster and get a quarter of a million dollars for a book when LL Cool J, Al Sharpton and a whole bunch of other people didn't do that...We go in there and talk to these people and we're actually pimping this book company out of all this money without pulling a gun or putting anybody out there to sell their body and destroying any families, yes that was one of the things that we were trying to do. We started that to influence people and to show these guys get your own label, be your own pimp. Don't let the record label pimp you, own your own publishing.
I didn't promote pimpin’ to downgrade women, because really the pimpin’ as we know it is over with. The guys can get mad at me if they want to, but pimpin’ is over with because women are hiding out. They're hiding on the internet, they get with you [and] get the game, they get on the internet and you never see them again. That's just the reality of the game, it's not like it used to be. Now if you want me to lie to you and say, "Okay well, we can do it like this, this is pimpin’ and this is how you break the chick," I'll do it if you buy it. You give me the money and I'll sell you whatever you wanna buy.
AllHipHop.com: So really you might say the digital age did to pimpin’ what it did to the music industry - it killed it because the girls can go on the net now, they don’t need to be on the streets anymore.
Pimpin’ Ken: Right, and that's one of the reasons women in my day could not ho on the streets without a pimp, because how you gonna be on the track with my hoes and you aint paying the pimp? So either you choose the pimp or you get the hell up off this track. Nowadays guys bring the women to the game and they say, "Okay baby here, we gonna hook you up with this site and that site," the chicks be on the site and then after they get the game they realize they can go to New York or go somewhere else and get away from this guy and do their own thing, then the guys never hear from 'em anymore. The internet messed the game up.
AllHipHop.com: Pimps Up, Ho’s Down you say you made that in the mid '90s… when did that first air?
Pimpin’ Ken: The first time it aired was in '97. Believe this, if you check the credits I was the one who was the consultant for that film. I put the whole thing together, Pimp Snooky, Big Lex, The Player's Ball - all that comes from me. A lot of people think that somebody else had a big influence, but the credits don't lie. It says "Consultant - Ken Ivey," my real name is Ken Ivey. I put this whole thing together, at the same time they were shooting their movie, I was shooting my movie too Pimpology Uncut. I been had a vision and a plan, we been working on this. But the movie was the number one documentary in the world, over 40 million people done viewed this movie. People love this movie, it's a cult classic.
AllHipHop.com: You definitely touched on a few things in your book about ways that people can apply “pimpology” to everyday life in things that they do, whether it be work or personal relationships etc. What do you think are the top three things that people can take from that book and use?
Pimpin’ Ken: First of all I want to let people know that you have to feel worth within yourself - you have to feel like you're worth something. My first law is “Purse First, A** Last,” and what that simply means is if you think I'm handsome, pay my ransom. If you want me to take a chance, give me my cash in advance. In life what is valuable is worth something, and things that are not valuable is not worth anything. You don't want to earn your price, you want to cost your price. You want people to pay automatically, if you're 50 Cent you want to get $150,000 a show, if you're Pimp C you want to get a million dollars a show. The reason why is you have put yourself in a certain position where you become valuable, so the first key thing is to become valuable.
The second thing is in becoming valuable remember: Prosperity over popularity. A lot of these rappers, they're popular but they don't have any money. My thing is get the money then become more popular, P. Diddy got rich then he became more popular. 50 Cent and Jay-Z are rich, they're more popular. They used their money and pimped them dollars to the point where no matter where they go it's an event, people wanna see and hear about these guys. They're always newsworthy but at the same time they're financially stable so therefore they are never embarrassed, they will never be embarrassed to be out in public because they know that they can wear whatever they want to wear. They got whatever everybody else got and it doesn't make a difference.
The third thing is keep your game on the low. What I mean by keeping your game on the low is don't let people know what you're thinking. That's the biggest mistake that people make, those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know. Once you open your mouth you remove all doubt and you let people know what you all about and that's not the key thing to do.
When you get my movie Pimpology, the name of my book is also Pimpology but at the end of my book I'm holding up a book called The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. People think I bit Robert Greene, but actually what I did was enhance Robert Greene because his book is nothing but a book of research. My book is a book of life, that's why I begin each chapter with life and it's an example of every aspect of my life. I let people know that I got this movie Pimpology and at the end of the movie I hold up the book. Why would I hold up Robert Greene's book The 48 Laws of Power? Power stands for Pimp Organized Working for Economic Rebirth, that's what I defined power as at the end of the movie. I knew that I was gonna do [my] book, but I had to subliminally put it in people's heads. That's the only way you can really get things, because life is a checker board and every individual is a life sized pawn. We got a few rooks, knights and pawns and kings but the ultimate goal is to checkmate your opponents. Like 50 Cent likes to say, "These negros playing checkers, I'm playing chess."
The book is very practical, it's very easy. Anybody with a fifth grade education can read the book. I didn't use a lot of big words because I didn't want to lose anybody but anybody with a Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Robert Greene or Dale Carnegie mentality can relate to it. So actually what I did was I took complex theories and used a simplistic approach to give the people who normally wouldn't read these books the same information that they would have got if they would have read these highly complex and intellectual books. I was able to do that because of my dual sides, being that I'm from the streets but yet I went to college and educated myself. I went to the University of Wisconsin, my first semester I made the Dean's list. I'm not a dummy but at the same time I'm still strictly about this hood thing too, but I'm not about it to the point where I'm gonna let it consume me. I'm gonna take it and turn a negative into a positive and that's what my book is about, taking the game and flipping it.
I wanna say one more thing, although there's a lot of pimpin’ [in my book] if you think you're gonna take it and become the next Pimpin’ Ken think again, because most of the guys I grew up with past the age of 40 is either on drugs, dead or in the penitentiary. If they're not dead, on drugs or in the penitentiary some of 'em I heard have full blown AIDS. The money is good, but there's a curse to this game and one of the curses is the penitentiary and of course AIDS. So if you're out there and you're barebacking them chicks and you're sending them out and one of the condoms break on one of those tricks, then you go and have sex with them and you get something you can't get rid of.
Also too for the young ladies out there that heard me say on the UGK album that I like the mighty whiteys and that I don’t like Black women, that is not true. When I'm making that statement actually what I'm saying is in my lifetime, in the business that I was in white women made more money than Black women. It's only entertainment, it's not to degrade Black women. I do not degrade Black women. As a matter of fact I don't even want to call you Black women… African-American women.
AllHipHop.com: What was it that made you finally decide to do something in the rap world other than just doing an intro or being a guest spot on somebody else's album? What inspired you to get a little more involved?
Pimpin’ Ken: Well, actually Pimp told me one day, "Ken, you gonna be a producer. You gonna produce all the albums, we gonna put your name on the thing and you gonna be the producer." I said, "Pimp, I don't know how to produce no albums." He said, "Neither do any of these other n***as either, they just put their name on it." [laughs] I was like, "I can't do that, but one thing I can do [since] I got good people skills, I can get with these guys and we can do real reality type things. My man Too Real For TV and Dope Man from ChronicCentral.net these guys is very instrumental in helping me capture this footage. So what we did was collaborate and come together, they had the expertise.
One thing about me and Pimp's relationship is that before Pimp C was this big ol' person that he is now, him and I were friends. I slept over his mother's house, I was one of the few people that went and visited him in prison. No disrespect to Bun, I love Bun B but I'm the first guy to put "Free Pimp C" on a CD, that was my CD it was called Boss Pimps by me, Trick Boss and John Doe.
Since he’s been home we’ve been together, he’s like a little brother of mine. He listens to me, I was the one who called Jeezy and told him, “Pimp don’t want no beef”. I was the one that told Pimp, “It aint worth it.” See people don’t know I talk to Too Short, Juvenile, a lot of these guys and people don’t know how much of a positive influence I have on these guys. Go to Youtube and type in my name and 50 Cent and you’ll see I’m talking to him about starting a business and doing something positive. I always think positive to these guys and people take my name Pimpin’ Ken and they take the negative out of it, but they don’t realize how much of an influence I’ve been on all of these young guys. I’m old enough to be some of these guys’ daddies and most of their big brothers. If you check the history and really sit down and talk to ‘em they will tell you that Pimpin’ Ken is a very intelligent man, he’s very positive and he always tells us the right thing to do. That’s why these guys love me, everybody wants to know how can all of the rappers like this guy?
Take Lil’ Jon for instance, Lil’ Jon didn’t even have a personality. People didn’t even know Lil’ Jon, we would walk in the club I said “Lil’ Jon, here’s a cup. I’m gonna bless you with this pimp cup” and you know what the pimp cup has done for Lil’ Jon, right? I’ve been influential in these guys’ lives for a long time, I’ve got over 12 years messing with rappers. Ice-T is my personal friend, he stopped everything he was doing and started promoting my book. He said, “Pimpin’ Ken wrote this book, this is the best book on earth about the game. This man really exhibits the game.” This is what Ice-T said, all the media was there, they watched and filmed and captured the moment. These guys love me because I’m the truth and I’m real, I never snitched on nobody.
I hope everybody understands that even though we’re under the auspices of pimpin’ we are not just trying to promote the game. The drug dealers and gangsters rap about their lifestyle, it’s a part of our culture. I can’t help it because I grew up in an environment where pimpin’ was flourishing. Milwaukee is a pimp town. Everybody in Milwaukee is either pimpin’ or they’re working in a factory or something, this is how I came up. I just happened to be one of the fortunate ones to take the game to the next level and get up out of the game and pimp the system. That’s what I’m trying to teach every young individual and even people who work everyday. I wanna teach you how not to be just a worker, I wanna teach you how to start your own AllHipHop, how to own your own magazine and publishing company.
Things that I put in the book can help an individual to get to that next level because it’s helped me get to that level. That’s all we’re trying to do, of course I have to use my previous experience and it’s a lot of pimpin’ in there. I say a woman not taking control and giving up control makes her a ho in the first place. Not wanting to take that control, that’s what makes you a ho in any given situation. Not wanting to take control over your destiny working in any particular field or endeavor is what makes you a ho. Unfortunately it’s a lot of hoes in corporate America, because Bill Gates didn’t invent nothing, I heard that Bill Gates stole that from three guys that worked for Apple and he was able to buy that Windows from them and take it and make billions of dollars off of it. Bill Gates is a pimp.
I was on the radio and they asked me who is the biggest pimp in politics, I said Hillary Clinton [laughs]. She’s from Arkansas but she’s the senator of New York, if that’s not pimpin’ what is it? How can she be a native of Arkansas and run against politicians that been in New York all their lives and they’re not the senators? Come on now, that’s big pimpin’. They tell me, “Who’s another pimp?” I said President Bush - he got all of our children and other people’s children over there fighting every day a war that we can’t win. You can not win a war with guerilla warfare because the rules of engagement don’t apply. How can we win the war when the war is unfair to our troops? But yet he don’t care, everyday he’s sending these troops out and he’s getting money and they’re getting oil and this is what it’s all about, or it’s all about construction and rebuilding and taking that money. All of these guys have defense stocks, when you have a war you’ve got to replace that weaponry, if you replace it somebody gotta build it. If you’re a part of the company that’s rebuilding it then you’re making more money, if you’re taking oil from people and Iraq got the third largest oil reserve in the world then you’re benefiting.
That’s what my book is about – how tycoons and big corporate execs and all them pimp. How to pimp on a corporate level, how Pimpin’ Ken went in there a guy that’s been to prison, been in the streets all of his life, been shot, probably may have shot somebody…In any event a person of that statute who went through all of that, all of the prostitutes that I’ve been through, all of the arguments in the streets and the craps and the dice, then to sit down with these corporate executives at Simon & Schuster to make these people respect my mind and tell these people, “Look here, I know yall lookin’ for the funny suits and for the fish to be swimming through my heel like Huggy Bear. Everybody wants the crown but nobody wants to take the crown home, I’m not a crown. I’m a businessman and I want to do business with you.” They did not want to make this book in the fashion that it’s been printed, they wanted me to do some Black exploitation stuff.
They wanted me to write a book that was comparable to Iceberg Slim. I said “I am not Iceberg Slim, I never shot dope in my life.” Iceberg Slim was a dope fiend throughout the books, I never been a dope fiend. All I did was drive Cadillacs, Mercedes, foreign whips and foreign policies all over the world. I don’t have that experience, my experience has been one of success and this is what I wanna share with the young people. I flipped that negative into a positive and that’s the difference between me and Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines and all the rest of those guys out there who wrote books about the game. I respect all of them, I respect each and every one of my forefathers but I’m just saying to you my experience has not been the same as theirs. I don’t shoot drugs, I don’t get high, smoke weed or cigarettes, I don’t do none of that. So I can’t write from that perspective, but I have used my mind to get what I want so when I write, I write from a mental perspective.
I try to explain to people if you use these certain machinations and strategies, you can get anything you want. The main thing I want to leave with people is to always believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts, never doubt your beliefs and never believe your doubts. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins, whatever the mind believes it can conceive the mind can achieve. I’ve said it, meant it and I can represent it. There aint no used to, I know y’all say used to, used to was a rooster and back then was a hen, and I wanna say, “Ladies and gentlemen welcome, this is your man Pimpin’ Ken. Oh that rhymed, didn’t it?
Source: By Dove ~Sheepish Lordess of Chaos~ from AllHipHop.com. For more articles check out http://www.allhiphop.com
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 10 November |
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| Pimp My Ride: Pimp Your Ride? Drain Your Checkbook |
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LAS VEGAS — Mounting an iPod in the center of your steering wheel may seem like a convenient place to put it. But in the event of a hard frontal impact, one of two things is likely to happen: 1. Your air bag might not work anymore; 2. Your air bag will go ahead and deploy, but the front of your skull will thereafter have an iPod embedded in it, instead of a face. In either scenario, the outcome would not be pretty.
The steering-wheel-mounted iPod was but one of many new ideas, however hare-brained, shown at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show here in Sin City. With 2,200 new products on display, there are bound to be some head-scratchers mixed in with the lightbulb-lighters.
Personal favorites seen at this year’s SEMA show dealt mostly with creative, and quite possibly illegal, video mounting locations: a video screen that fits inside one’s license plate frame; a normal-appearing rearview mirror with a video screen hidden inside; and special wheels capable of projecting a video image on a gyro-leveled screen in their centers. YouTube for the gridlocked?
Each year, it seems custom wheels get bigger. Last year, a 30-inch wheel set the new standard; this year, 30-inchers were so prevalent as to almost seem passe. Important development: There are now 30-inch tires to put on them. Not so with this year’s bigger-must-be-better wheel champ: a 42-incher, displayed sans pneu (because street tires that big don’t exist) at the Lexani wheel booth. It was quickly dubbed the Double Dub.
“I wouldn’t want to drive on anything over 20 (inches), or 18 really,” said Rob Einaudi, webmaster at the enthusiast site CarDomain.com. The most-viewed video on Mr. Einaudi’s website right now is some guy doing burnouts in his donk, with 30-inch wheels. (Technically, it’s not a donk, but a “box,” but that’s another story.) Another donk owner/reader commented that when he tried burnouts, his engine blew because the wheels were too big and heavy. Final insult: The engine blew with such force, it ripped the transmission from its mounts; it fell out, dropping three feet to the ground. But I digress.
One of my favorite customized new cars at SEMA was at the outrageous DUB Wheels display, where there was a Mini convertible that had all the seats removed, save the driver’s seat (which was relocated to a central position). It was surrounded by at least seven LCD screens, a variety of other video displays, digital readouts and gauges, and an eardrum-puncturing surround-sound system featuring speakers the size of 55-gallon oil drums.
Certainly, vehicles like the Mini were just meant to entertain, mere flights of fancy. But if you wanted to drive one home, you could — because they are technically street-legal. Call me old-fashioned, but oughtn’t there be tougher laws to prevent driver distraction? Shouldn’t it be illegal, for instance, to apply eye makeup while driving? At least on an Interstate? No?
This year, SEMA handed out a number of awards for Best New Products in various genres. There were two double winners, whose products won awards in more than one category each. These notables were a combination trailer hitch and step made by Go Rhino! (why didn’t I think of that?), and a system of programmable gauges by PLX Devices, that could daisy-chain together as many as 32 gauges. Isn’t that more gauges than a car has in monitorable functions? Just wondering.
Other SEMA awards were given to the most “accessory-friendly” vehicles. Such an attribute is especially admired in this industry, which exists to offer (and profit from) a mind-boggling array of gee-whiz new products for vehicle owners hoping to improve upon stock configurations. The winners this year were the Nissan Titan (in the truck category), the Cadillac CTS (car), the Hummer H2 (S.U.V.), and in a new category the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (hybrid). Personally, I’d worry about voiding my warranty on any of these new vehicles, unless I was purchasing genuine manufacturer-offered accessories. Wink, wink.
For a contrarian view, CarDomain.com readers instead picked, for the second year in a row, the infinitely configurable Honda Civic as Most Mod Friendly Model. This would seem to suggest that more people are fed up with how the Civic comes from the factory than any other vehicle in the industry. A singular honor, to be sure.
Regardless of vehicle, what sorts of accessories are most likely to be installed? According to SEMA research, the most popular type of aftermarket products (with 51 percent of respondents) is to upgrade the stereo or add an entertainment system. This would include satellite radios, speakers and DVD players. But not CD players; those are deader than Marisa on “The O.C.” (which is also dead, come to think of it.)
Next, 42 percent said they are most likely to install cosmetic touches to the exterior like spoilers, fog lights, aerodynamic bodywork or grilles. Window tinting was next most popular (with 40 percent), followed by special tires (with 32 percent). One would presume, although SEMA’s research did not specifically mention them, that there would be an equal number of purchasers of custom wheels to go with those trick tires. But custom wheels were cited by only 22 percent of those surveyed. Quite a disconnect.
Maybe here’s a reason why custom tires and wheels ranked a little further down the list than might be expected: Money. I did a little research into just how much money we’re talking about, should you opt for the wildest, most extreme, out-there wheels and tires. An example (according to CustomWheelsDirect.com): 30-inch Mogul-style chrome from DUB Wheels, $2,250 per wheel. Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 315/30×30 — the tires you will need with those wheels — cost an additional $2,150, apiece.
A $17,600 tire and wheel package? No wonder a $300 stereo upgrade is more popular!
For my budget, I’ll opt for a rearview mirror-mounted $1.98 Pepe Le Pew air freshener.
Source: New York Times Online
Canberra, Australia - Reported by Justin on 07 November |
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