Underground Info

**FM98 WJLB IS PROVIDING DIRECTION FOR DETROIT HIP HOP**

Saturday nights at 9pm, WJLB presents the "What's Next on the Menu" radio show hosted by MC Serch, KJ Holiday, the Spin Doctor Kim James, and DJ DDT - with the help of TJ the Trouble Man. They don't just PLAY the local unsigned music, they give tips and inside stuff in the music biz. The 1st week, KJ gave tips on what to do when approaching radio, and approaching major labels. Also, KJ & Serch gave tips on what to do if you're gonna stay independant... This past Saturday, Serch gave in-depth tips on publishing, and how he made the sweet deal for Nas! So please tune on to 97.9 FM on Saturday nights for "What's Next onthe Menu" so we can actually make this attempt to play local music on the radio a huge success. If they get positive feedback on the show, they will be able to extend it to more than an hour show.

Due to communication difficulties we apologize about the long delay of this Month’s update!!!

International Urban Music Festival

On August 31^st, Robert Illo performed in Windsor Canada and boy was this a interesting trip.

First of all, Illo does not like going to Canada!!! He always gets harassed by customs every time he goes over there. This time was pretty cool though they gave us no problems and we went over there and let them know who the non-fictional humble guy really is!

We had a ball! Illo performed the new single “All on the line”; off the up an coming album Non-fictional Tales of a Humble Man!!! The album is scheduled to hit stores shelves everywhere this January 2004.

We got a chance to do a little networking and also came up on some of the BEST greens ever!!!  But that’s another story. (smile)

Illo was invited back to Canada by CJAM FM 91.5. I believe it was they would Like to get a interview live on air with the humble man himself. Look for pictures from the show to be posted soon!!!

We also caught Illo blazing one with boogie man from Gangsta Boogi records. There’s no telling what might come out of that. Also Illo would like to Shout Out Tandem, DET Boyz, and T Baby, amongst others who were out there doing

There Thang...

A WEEK WITH ILLO

Well as you know we Summer-jammed it up last Saturday. Monday was a very productive day for Illo he managed to go to 2 different studios and get some songs done. We got a chance to network with what seems to be a great guy and business man by the name of Walt over at Deal Wit It. Productions. This is where Illo dropped the solo joint (Ya Nada) for the up and coming Jacking For Beats Mixtape produced by  DJ Action Jackson, also known as Shakespeare the Great from the Dead Poet Society.

Illo also recorded a new joint (All On The Line) at his home studio with his long time producer Good-D of Nu-House Records. Another deep hit coming soon. Also look forward to both new tracks to be posted to the website within the next week or two.

Now lets talk briefly about the fireworks. We watched "The Works" from Illo's apartment along with his daughter. Illo felt as if the fireworks were not like they used to be. Don't get us wrong we love all the lights and big banging noises but it seem like it was all over in 10 minutes. The good thing was, Illo got to see his first fireworks with his second daughter. Well look forward to all types of pics from chilling with Smiley to Korona; Ms Murdah; King Gordy; Ms Monae; Luco Brasso; interviews from the new movie coming soon (Detroit Gone Wild). Just stay tuned to see who Illo is networking with next! It could be you!!!

JAMMIN' @ SUMMERJAM 2003

Well, well, well let’s talk about Summer Jam; boy was it off the hook. Now lets see who held the torch the highest, in other words who ripped it up the most or had the crowd the hypest!!! Well Bonecrusher was OK. He got the crowd a little hype. Monica did not have much luck with the crowd but Illo liked her. BG came out and did his thug thizzle! But no one had it live like Lil John and the Eastside Boyz!!! Of course all the Detroit talent ripped it up but the way things were set up you really couldn’t outshine the out-of-towners. But you know us we
don't care if we get outshined; we will just beat up the competition Detroit style (example: Trick Daddy).

Speaking of getting beat up, there were quite a few fights out there! The interesting thing was there was more female fights then anything! Bras flying and titties shining! Ohhh boyyy!!! (Smile)

But we caught up with Illo taking pics with Detroit notables and underground legends like, Luco Brasso, Monie Love, the Ms Monae Super Models, Mz Korona, a few actors from the late night hit show SwitchplayTV, it almost seems like everyone networks with Illo. Probably because he is such a humble guy always on a positive mission!!!   Illo got a chance to perform afterwards, we saw him having a interview with the director of the new movie coming soon called Detroit gone wild, can't wait to see what comes out of that...

Well that was the overview, look forward to the up an coming underground info when Illo goes to the Detroit fireworks and also a few shows coming soon, check Network Central for time and location!!!  Holla!

KING GORDY TO RELEASE HOT NEW SOLO ALBUM JUNE 24TH!

Yes, on June 24th, the debut album from this wild ass muthafucka from Detroit known as King Gordy called "The Entity" will be in stores. The album released on the newly re-launched WEB Entertainment (original home of Eminem) featuring the first single "The Pain", produced by Eminem, and more music co-written by Eminem, Luis Resto, Mark The 45 King, and The Bass
Brothers.

Download King Gordy "The Pain" MP3

Just to show you how smart the people at WEB are, they hired  K-Fresh to head up all the online promo for King Gordy and "The Entity" album. Right now, on the Internet front, they are working on a final version of www.kinggordy.com that should be launching next week with all sorts of goodies. Also, for online promotions, created a King Gordy E-Team Site to help spread the word at kinggordy.rensoul.com. Please visit these sites along with www.networkwithillo.com to see how you can help out with spreading the word on King Gordy, whether it's posting audio or news on your own sites, posting info on message boards, or whatever.

FAT KILLAH MARV WON INTRODUCES THE "CRASH OUT"

You heard it here first. The newest mixtape joint from Marv Won of the Fat Killahz called "Crash Out!!!" produced by Waajeed of the Bling 47 Group. Marv Won has been previously seen on the extra battle scenes of the 8 Mile DVD and made it to the quarterfinals of the MTV Rap battles, as well as rippin mics at the Lush Lounge in Hamtramck among other places. So enjoy!!

NAS, JAGGED EDGE TO DO ANTI-GUN P.S.A.'S

Nas and R&B group members Jagged Edge have signed on to promote antigun P.S.A.'s for the state of Connecticut, as part of the Bush Administration's Project Safe Neighborhoods.

The project aims at getting guns off the streets of neighborhoods plagued by violence. During the first year, there was a 30 percent increase in federal firearm indictments in Connecticut alone, according to the Kevin O'Conner, the state's U.S. attorney. Transit buses will carry antigun messages throughout the state's major cities. People are also being asked to dial 211, a hotline designed to answer various questions about guns.

Officials in New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Hartford said they were pleased with the results of the program last year and O'Conner said that $650,000 has been earmarked to take the message outside of the four cities. "We're working together like we never have been before," O'Connor said at a press conference. "The collaboration is unprecedented, and the resources are
unprecedented."

ROBERT ILLO ROCKS THE CROWD AT THE URBAN TALENT SHOWCASE

Well another venture for ILLO as he performs at the Urban Talent Showcase. The show kicked off at about 9:30 and of course Illo was late. (smile)

It was a much older crowd which is good for ILLO considering he appeals to older crowds. There were about 7 acts and Robert Illo was the last to perform. The panel of judges included such notables as Detroit City Councilperson Sharon McPhail,  SMILEY (a local female Detroit heart-throb that broke into the industry with the hit song and video Smiley But I'm Not Friendly). We caught ILLO taking a picture with Smiley (coming soon)! You can also see Smiley on Comcast Detroit Channel 72  for Smiley's Showcase where she invited ILLO to drop by sometimes. She said she loves Detroit talent and would love to display it nationwide. Also on the panel was  Marv One of the Phat Killas. Marv One was also seen in the extra scenes of the very popular movie 8 mile starring Eminem,  Obie Trice,  MZ KORONA, King Gordy, Nijeri Earth,  and a host of other Detroit rappers that are personally cool with ILLO.

Everything seemed to be going smooth, it was a nice setting,  good food (free food!!!),  free beer, not to mention it was b.y.o.b. The only flaws we noticed in the show was there were no categories. It was like putting singers against rappers, dancers against poets. The way it was set up you would think you were attending a high school talent show, way beneath something ILLO should have attended although with a heart the size of Robert Illo's, he performed just for the love of it. After a stellar performance came much applause. Turns out ILLO was the only rapper there and all the competition was doing other things like poetry, dancing, or singing. The winner was a singer and she looked real nice might I add!!! (smile) ILLO proudly congratulated  her and went on being humble as usual. A lot of people throughout the night came to shake ILLO's hand and told him they loved his show and to keep up the good work.

Questions, Comments, Concerns, e-mail it straight to Robert Illo!

OBIE, DMX, EMINEM DOING THE MIXTAPE CIRCUIT

Obie Trice is featured on two track for the upcoming "Soul Assassins Mixtape Vol. 1,” from none other than DJ Muggs. The songs are called “We All Die Someday” which feature 50 Cent, Eminem and Lloyd Banks.  And a solo joint entitled "Make It 8 Miles"
Also DMX and Eminem are recording tracks together. The track is entitled, “Go to Sleep,” and feature Obie Trice. The song, produced by Eminem, is featured on the Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack.

THE 50 - JA FIGHT CONTINUES!!!

Rapper Ja Rule is fuelling his furious war of words with 50 Cent by claiming the In Da Club hitmaker and his mentor Eminem are running from him after dissing him on record and in interviews.

Ja and 50 have been tussling ever since the rap newcomer lashed out at the Murder Inc. star in his hit Your Life's On the Line.

And after two altercations, in which Ja Rule claims he came out on top, the rapper feels sure 50 Cent and his handlers are trying to steer clear of more trouble by avoiding events where they're likely to meet up.

Ja tells urban magazine XXL that he thinks his rap nemesis is running scared after he beat him up with a pal's crutch and allegedly put him in hospital.

Ja Rule fumes, "We've been in the same city, same spot, supposed to be in the same places - have not seen him. Grammy Awards, no 50. Number one album in America, hottest rapper, and you're not at the Grammy Awards?

"Your man Eminem's performing, takes an award, and you're not there? You don't come and take your seat, Em? You stay in the back the whole fucking time.

"I wasn't supposed to do nothing but slap you nigga, you should've took your seat. You can take a slap. I was waiting. Confrontation, nigga - show your face. Talk about it, be about it."

WHY DO WE LOVE GANGSTAS???

three short months, rapper 50 Cent has gone from "who?" to "wow!", selling four million albums and appearing on three of the 10 most-heard songs on the radio this week. He may be new to the mainstream but he is only the latest -- and surely not the last -- in a long line of rappers who have gangstered their way to mass appeal.

The New York City MC's life story -- he has been a drug dealer, has been shot nine times and often wears bulletproof vests -- seems to be as important a part of his idol status as such seemingly inescapable hits as "In Da Club" and "21 Questions."

That places him squarely in a hip- hop tradition that has endured in a volatile music scene in which one-hit wonders and short-lived trends replace each other in quick succession. Artists such as N.W.A., Ice-T, the Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Master P, the Cash Money Millionaires, Jay-Z and Ja Rule have made the thug life the predominant theme in hip hop over the past dozen years. Songs flaunting ostentatious wealth and street violence have provided the soundtrack for a generation.

Why has gangsta rap remained wildly popular with inner-city, suburban and rural fans alike for so long? Stars such as 50 Cent give fans a window into a life they'll probably never know, a vicarious walk on the wild side and a chance to be down with what's cool, to "keep it real."

50 Cent said in February, "I think I'm an inspiration because I'm from the bottom and people know I'm from there so if he can do it, I can do it." He told Vibe, "Mainstream America can look at me and say, 'That's the mentality of a young man from the 'hood.' That's where I come from, and that's what I am. My experiences make me who I am today."

Other rappers, in explaining gangsta's attractions, emphasize its swagger and glamour. The thugs on record and in videos tend to be rules-breaking winners with plenty of loot and available hotties.

Manny Fresh of the Big Tymers, one of the Cash Money acts who made "bling-bling" part of everyday language, says thugs move through life with an air of confidence many would like to emulate.

"Bad boys always win in everything," says Fresh, who has produced hits for labelmates Juvenile, B.C., Lil' Wayne, Baby and the Hot Boys. "It's like a Hollywood story. The girl always wants to be with the bad boy because your parents always tell you not to."

Motown president Kedar Massenberg says thugs are alluring on several levels. They give women a feeling of security and protection despite the air of danger involved. Kids (and many adults) have embraced the look -- skullcaps, sagging pants, oversized shirts, walking boots -- which has been promoted through ever-proliferating lines of hip-hop clothing such as Roc-A-Wear, Sean John and Phat Farm, many owned by rappers and their labels.

An equally important point for Massenberg: The music sells because it feeds into a long-standing fixation with shady characters in general. "There just happens to be a lot more people who are caught up in the thug image than are caught up in a Will Smith image," Massenberg says. "America was built on scandals and when you try to be too squeaky-clean, it never sells."

Ron Gilyard, executive vice-president for urban music at Interscope Records, says this music has the same outsider's appeal that make gangster films like The Godfather and Scarface so popular over the long term.

"One of the things that has been important in hip hop has been gangster films," agrees Bakari Kitwana, author of the books The Rap on Gangsta Rap and The Hip Hop Generation: The Crisis in American Culture. "I think we've developed an appetite for this kind of thing in America." He adds that 2Pac (Tupac Shakur), the murdered early-'90s star who has several posthumous releases to his credit, played an important role in institutionalizing the thug image through films such as Juice. The charismatic rap star -- who had the words Thug Life tattooed on his chiselled abdomen -- became a model that "other people picked up and took to the next level."

Gilyard agrees that much of the urban rap audience can identify more with rappers, who may have come from circumstances similar to their own, than movie stars.

"Hip hop has always been the voice of the poor and disenfranchised," he says. "It has always spoken for a segment that didn't have anybody making music for them. 50 Cent might dress like his core audience and he might live like them and do the same things. And it crosses colour lines. There are a bunch of poor white kids who can look at Eminem and say, 'Ah, that's me.'"

While the thug image can bring popularity, it also comes with a price. Society seems to take a harsher view of rap stars and their companies than it does, say, of pop/rock's bad boys or country music's outlaws. Both Murder Inc. (home of Ja Rule and Ashanti) and Tha Row (formerly Death Row) have been subjects of criminal investigations. And rappers, particularly in New York, have long complained about being profiled and unfairly targeted by police.

"For some reason, they don't take a rock star as serious as a hip-hop artist because they think hip hop is based on anger and they think (rappers) are liable to do anything," Massenberg says.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of very real violence that has erupted around artists. The 2002 murder of Jam Master Jay of pioneering band Run-DMC is just one of several unsolved slayings over the years. The two biggest stars of the 1990s -- 2Pac and Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) -- were killed months apart after they'd engaged in a high-profile spat.

Record labels have profited from glamourizing violent images and rivalries.

Throughout the '90s to the present day, the gangsta formula has been a lucrative one for labels. 50 Cent's four million album sales and top 10 success with a combined CD/DVD that contains just three new songs has come during the industry's worst slump in more than a decade.

As Massenberg says, "Marketing is about finding out who your core audience is and distributing to them." And that core audience clearly has not lost its ardour for gangsta.

WHO'S ON TV NOW!!!

This week Killer Mike, Ashanti, Eminem, 50 Cent and Loon make appearances on the small screen. First up is Grammy Award winner Killer Mike who will be on Last Call With Carson Daly on June 4th. June 7th, Murder Mami Ashanti will be on Last Call on June 7th. Bad Boy Loon and Tamia will be promoting their new singles on Soul Train this weekend.

The most entertaining music event promises to be The MTV Movie Awards, airing on June 5th at 9pm. This year, Eminem walks away with Best Male Performance and Breakthrough Male awards for his movie, "8-Mile".

Eminem pre-taped two messages.

"I heard Puffy would be there and I chickened out," he told the audience of his absence.

During his acceptance speech, Eminem jokingly took a jab at Mariah Carey, who he's had a recent run-in with allegedly over old voicemail messages from her that he'd been saving. "I can't believe I beat Mariah [Carey] for 'Glitter,' Em says sarcastically.

However, 8 Mile couldn't snatch the Best Movie award from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" flick. Queen Latifah's performance in Chicago lost to Kirsten Bunst who played Mary Jane in Spiderman while Jennifer Garner's appearance in Daredevil beat Eve's 'Barbershop' performance. Some highlights of the event are the acceptance speeches from Yoda (Episode II) and a performance by 50 Cent.

NEW YORK'S HOT 97 CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SUMMERJAM!!!

It's 50 Cent/Eminem mania as New York radio station Hot97 counts down to Summerjam X next week. And with less than 5 days to the mega show, tickets to see the Shady/Aftermath bad guys in tandem are being scalped on Ebay at prices up to $2,000.

On June 3rd, Hot 97 will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of its popular concert, Summer Jam, at Giants Stadium. The headliner, Eminem, will make his one and only NY performance before heading overseas for his European tour. 50 Cent is freshly buzzed off his nationwide promo tour which generated mega press. The prospect of the two super acts appearing together for the first time in such a large venue has fans in a tizzy -- auctioning off tickets to the show at prices as high as $2,000 for coveted front section seats.

Previously held in smaller arenas, Hot97's one-upping the competition this year by holding the event at Giants Stadium which holds more than 80,000 fans. Giants is loud -- featuring 1568 speakers putting out over 65,000 watts of sound. Summerjam's previous venue, the Continental Airlines arena, held a mere 20,000.

Summerjam X will also feature performances by NAS, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, Lil' Kim, Fabolous, The Clipse and Sean Paul. Summerjam has made national headlines in past years for the surprising events that have taken place onstage, including a Michael Jackson appearance, Jay-Z's dis to Nas and Prodigy and the Nas debacle last year when he was allegedly banned from performing a mock lynching on the stage. According to sources, Nas and Hot97 execs have since "worked out their relationship and put aside their differences." Nas will perform a set with no Jay-Z disses. 50 and Em will perform an extended set.

JA RULE ON HIATUS??? WE DON'T THINK SO!!!

Ja Rule's proposed six months away from the music biz has lasted a whole two weeks.

Murder Inc.'s biggest record seller resurfaced over the weekend via the mixtape circuit with a freestyle called "The Wrap," which features Tupac's one-time Outlawz clique member Fatal Hussein. No, the title isn't paying homage to one of your favorite MTV shows — it's referring to what Rule perceives to be the status of his foes' careers.

While Ja's wrath is contained to just one freestyle verse, the Queens native manages to once again throw a few barbs at 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes over the instrumental for Mobb Deep's "The Learning (Burn)." Rule also addresses a physical altercation between members of the Inc. and D12's Proof at a Miami strip club a few weeks ago and the accusation that federal agents are investigating his record company for laundering drug money.

"Plus the feds want us bad for cleaning cash," raps Ja, who orders 50 to "pull your skirt down" toward the end of the record. "But what cash is we cleansing?" he continues. "It's all about the Benjamins, what?/ If it's dirty then we rinsing it off."

Earlier this month in Miami, Murder Inc.'s head honcho, Irv Gotti, told MTV News that Ja was taking a six-month hiatus, explaining that after releasing a solo album every year since 1999 and becoming a fixture on radio and video airwaves, the fans may have been getting a little tired of Rule and needed a break. Gotti also revealed plans for a Rule double LP sometime in 2004. There is no further word on the status of that project.

In addition to working with the Outlawz, Fatal Hussein rapped alongside Tupac on various projects including 'All Eyez on Me' before dropping his solo debut, 'In the Line of Fire', in 1998 and going to jail in 1999. A free man for the past year and a half, Fatal is now signed to Rap-A-Lot Records and says that a joint venture of sorts is being brokered between Gotti and Rap-A-Lot CEO J. Prince to put out his next LP.

"We're doing this little deal with J. and Irv — they talking about a deal, I don't know how it's going down," Fatal said last month inside Black Child's Queens, New York, recording studio. "Before I got locked up in '99, Ja was my man. We used to hook up in the 'hood, I used to come to his shows. We've always been cool. When I came home we was speaking through a mutual friend. I knew all I had to do was see my dog and it was going to be back on."

Fatal also said that he was affronted when 50 Cent used Pac's vocals on "The Realest Killas," incorporating some of his former mentor's rhyme flows and lyrics on the "Hail Mary" freestyle.

"I feel it's a problem, playing with his lyrics like that," Fatal said of "The Realest Killas." "That needs to be addressed. I remember I heard it [and] they [were] trying to say that [Ja] is trying to sound like Pac when [50 is] dead on him. All you did was take 'Ambitionz Az a Ridah' and play it back, wrote a verse and took it to the lab and said 'I'mma be Pac now' and just try to say all this bullshit about Rule.

"I'm one of the Outlawz, so my opinion is going to be real critical," he continued. "That 'Hail Mary' was wack, total trash, no creativity. Why rap over certain stuff? You're not making it any doper. To me, it was a slap in the face to anybody that stood for something that Pac was holding down. It was a slap in the face to say you're repping Tupac. You're listening to his lyrics and putting his lyrics back on over his beats. You're not creating, you're biting. You didn't even know him. It's going to be some action taken. It's going to be some stuff coming out."

"The Wrap" can be found on Big Mike's Year of the Rookie Part 2 mixtape.

THA ROW GETS BLASTED!!!

The offices of Suge Knight's 'Death Row' record label were riddled with bullets Tuesday morning.

The shots were fired around 2:30 a.m. at Death Row's office on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, and police said they don't have any suspects yet. A security guard in the lobby said he ducked when he heard the gunfire and did not see who was shooting at the building.

Seven bullets shattered two glass doors and five tinted glass windows. No one was harmed. A spokesperson for the LAPD said they didn't have too many leads.

"We've got a lot of artists, like Crooked I, Eastwood and Kurupt, that are currently working on new albums," Knight said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "And because of the hype and media attention associated with these two projects, there have been a lot of girls flocking to them at the studio and at the clubs. The crime was probably committed by a jealous boyfriend or a jealous husband."

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