RapFix › D.L. Chandler

Jimmy Henchmen Facing Federal Gun Charges

Posted 9/26/11 5:50 pm EST by in Interviews, Music News

Beleaguered talent manager and alleged criminal mastermind James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemond has been the target of police officials after getting slammed with drug trafficking charges over the summer.

The co-owner of Czar Entertainment, which reportedly once managed the careers of singers Akon and Brandy and rapper The Game, now has to contend with additional charges after Drug Enforcement Administration officials seized firearms after conducting searches of his properties.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn indicted Rosemond with the additional gun charges after finding a Mac-11 sub-machine gun and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the searches. With a prior felony conviction already on his record, Jimmy Henchmen could face the mandatory minimum of 30 years for possession of the machine gun alone under federal law. Read More...

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Vesta Williams Passes Away

Posted 9/23/11 2:22 pm EST by in Music News, Things That Aren't Hip-Hop ... But Are

In an unfortunate bit of news for fans of longtime R&B diva Vesta Williams, the singer was found dead last night (September 22) in a Los Angeles hotel room. Although varying sources listed Vesta’s age as 48, in a 2010 interview with online series The Couch the Ohio native stated she was 53. While there has not been an official release from a medical examiner, police officials do not expect foul play. As news of Williams’ passing moved throughout daytime radio and the Web, fans and celebrities to took Twitter to remember and honor the singer. Read More...

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Common Speaks On White House Visit, Labels Nas Best Rapper

Posted 9/23/11 11:44 am EST by in Interviews, Music News

Early yesterday morning (September 22), popular rapper-actor Common graced the studios of MSNBC political daytime show Morning Joe to discuss his latest venture as an author and managed to drop a mild bombshell on the program when he announced his favorite rapper of all time. Sitting with the hosts, the charismatic Chicago native offered some background on his first memoir One Day It’ll All Makes Sense, named after the rapper’s third studio released in 1997.

However, the meat of the interview began to pick up steam when Common was asked to recall all of the fervor surrounding his visit to the White House as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Music Series earlier this year which became the center of heated political debate between the major parties. Read More...

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Will Diddy And Jay-Z Be First Hip-Hop Billionaires? Not So, Says Birdman

Posted 9/22/11 7:39 pm EST by in Interviews, Music News, Things That Aren't Hip-Hop ... But Are

In the high stakes battle for Hip Hop superiority, it appears that the two top money earners in the rap game – Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs respectively – are in a quiet duel to become the first billionaires by way of their shared industry.

With various streams of revenue flowing for both savvy businessmen, some unrelated to music, the potential is vast for both men according to a recent analysis from Forbes magazine. However, another Hip Hop mogul believes he and his team will eclipse Jay-Z and Diddy in the money race all in due time. Read More...

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Fans React To New Rihanna Single ‘We Found Love’

Posted 9/22/11 3:03 pm EST by in Interviews, Music News

Ahead of releasing her as-yet-untitled sixth studio album, Barbadian pop songstress Rihanna has teamed up with Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris for the LP's debut single “We Found Love." The hard charging and energetic track is easily geared for the clubs, employing Harris’ signature electronic dance-ready sound – as the bigness of the track meshes well with Rihanna’s confident vocals.

After hinting yesterday (September 21) via Twitter about the collaboration with Harris, the island beauty dropped the song this morning (September 22) and fans have chimed in with varying opinions of the track. Read More...

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Ne-Yo Engaged, Expecting New Child In October

Posted 9/20/11 1:50 am EST by in Interviews, Music News, Things That Aren't Hip-Hop ... But Are

Def Jam recording artist and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo recently just took another big personal step by getting engaged to the mother of his infant daughter Madilyn. Known for crafting the lyrics behind big hits for the likes of songstresses such as Beyoncé, Rihanna and Ciara along with his star turn on Pitbull’s global smash hit “Give Me Everything,” the 31-year-old Ne-Yo (born Shaffer Chimere Smith) will add another feather cap of fatherhood to his cap as he and his bride-to-be are expecting again.

Entertainment magazine US Weekly got the good news of Ne-Yo’s rapidly growing family confirmed by a rep for Monyetta Shaw, Ne-Yo’s fiancé. Ms. Shaw, Ne-Yo’s longtime beau, gave birth to the singer’s daughter back in November of 2010 – and an excited Ne-Yo could barely contain his joy back then. "She's healthy and happy. Feels like I'm in luv for the first time," tweeted a proud and happy Ne-Yo. "Welcoming that lil' girl to the world last night defined for me what 'willing to kill and die for' truly means. My world, my life, all hers.” Read More...

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Lil Wayne Found Inspiration In Legendary Rock Band Nirvana

Posted 9/19/11 5:33 pm EST by in Interviews, Music News

Rap and rock music have long been bedfellows ever since the early 80s with vaunted rap legends Run-D.M.C. (who collaborated with rock group Aerosmith on a cover of the band's track "Walk This Way) finding a way to merge the two separate but often equally rebellious styles into a brand new sound.

During the early days of music videos with rock ruling the charts, young listeners who were not necessarily fans or the target audiences of rockers latched on to some of the classic songs of the day. Iconic Seattle grunge/rock band Nirvana and their smash hit “Smells Like Teens Spirit” was one of those songs from the early 90s and an inspiration to one of Hip Hop’s biggest stars today. Read More...

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Dame Dash Has Illegal Alcohol Sales Charges Dropped

Posted 9/16/11 5:59 pm EST by in Things That Aren't Hip-Hop ... But Are

Although troubled business mogul Damon "Dame" Dash’s DD172 art space and warehouse has not been operational in the tony Tribeca neighborhood it occupied since June, the former Roc-A-Fella executive and his cohorts were slapped with six counts of storing and selling alcoholic beverages without a license – with charges dating back to November of 2010. On the afternoon September 7, New York City cops served the property with a court order and summons to address the illegal liquor sale charges. This past Wednesday (September 15), Dame Dash won a small victory after a New York City judge settled the charges. Read More...

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Wiz Khalifa Responds To Amber Rose Nude Photos

Posted 9/16/11 5:33 pm EST by in Interviews, Music News

Curvy blond bombshell Amber Rose has been a favorite photo target of rabid paparazzi ever since her relationship with former boyfriend Kanye West. The model and former stripper turned heads when she and popular Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa became an item, with the pair displaying their affection for one another openly as well. In the midst of their relationship, nude photos of Amber Rose began to hit the Web over the summer and again this week – and while Amber addressed the leak publicly back in June, Wiz has now chimed in with words about his girlfriend’s photos becoming the fodder of media discussion. Read More...

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Consequence Nabs 'Best Freestyle' Title, Lil Kim Wins 'Best Moment' Crown On RapFix Live

Posted 9/15/11 2:35 am EST by in Interviews, Music News, RapFix Live

Happy “RapFix Live” Day! Celebrating its one year anniversary today with a bevy of rap’s shining stars, the “cornerstone of Hip Hop” aired live today (September 14) at 4 p.m. ET as our host Sway held down the hosting duties with flair much as he has over the past 365 days. Today’s special edition of the best live Hip Hop show in the land featured Busta Rhymes protégé Reek Da Villain, G-Unit soldier Lloyd Banks, West Coast vets Tha Outlawz, Diplomat representative Jim Jones, Consequence and Maino.

In what amounted to a fight down to the wire, Queens and Brooklyn can claim victories tonight after rappers Consequence and Lil’ Kim and their respective fans helped pushed the veteran rappers ahead of some rather stiff competition. In two separate polls that you – the loyal RapFix fans – voted on, Cons to the Quence and the Queen Bee showed that the voice of the people still matter. Read More...

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