Petey Pablo speaks on J. Cole, Timbaland, New Album, and Suge Knight

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Ten years ago, North Carolina was excited, as they were finally being placed on the hip hop map. The first rapper to represent North Carolina was Petey Pablo. Following two albums, which spawned two memorable anthems, "Raise Up" and "Freek-a-leek," Petey Pablo disappeared.

Ten years later, North Carolina is again excited, as a new rapper is coming through. J. Cole turned heads when Jay-Z signed him. In less than a week, he will release his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. With J. Cole ready to take the world by storm, Petey Pablo is far from done.

Petey Pablo has launched his own record label and is determined to return to the forefront of the rap game. The launch of Carolina Music Group comes after his stint with Jive and Death Row Records. With J. Cole currently in the headlines and all over the television screens, Petey Pablo is proud. Last year, when J. Cole performed at A&T's Homecoming in Greensboro, North Carolina, Petey Pablo was his surprise guest, coming out in a helicopter. Petey Pablo said he was surprised the college kids remembered his "Raise Up" single from many years ago.

Aside from his performance with J. Cole, Petey Pablo said the two rappers have also discussed collaborating. Petey Pablo confirmed the two rappers are working on some classic material. Continuing to speak on J. Cole, Petey Pablo said he has paid homage to him several times, as the original rapper to put North Carolina on the map. Petey Pablo also paid his respects to J. Cole, saying he follows his movement and Jay-Z's Roc Nation movement. Currently, Petey Pablo is working with Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" producer, Timbaland, on his upcoming album, A&R: Anticipated Recordings?.

Early in his career, Petey Pablo worked with Timbaland. After all these years, Petey Pablo said the two stayed in contact and now Chris Brown is working with him. Petey Pablo said he wanted to do his own thing, while Timbaland continued to build his career and a family. During this time, Petey Pablo linked up with Death Row Records. Timbaland grew very concerned when Petey Pablo began working with Suge Knight and his company. Petey Pablo told him the late Pimp C advised him to leave Jive Records, but despite the lack of promotion, he still had a gold album and a hit single.

Contrary to what many believed, Petey Pablo said he was never signed to Death Row. However, he admitted to being friends with Suge Knight and hanging out with him. Aside from friendship, there was nothing going on between Death Row Records and Petey Pablo. When asked what happened between he and Suge Knight, Petey Pablo said they simply grew apart, much like between he and Timbaland a few years prior.

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Interscope Records speaks on Jimmy Henchman rumors

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Interscope Records is no stranger to controversy. When the label was founded, they struggled to gain footing. It was not until they began distributing Death Row Records when they began experiencing tremendous success. This success came at a price, as Death Row was the most-controversial record label in history.

Because of their affiliation with Death Row, Interscope Records lost its own distribution with Atlantic Records. For a short period of time, the label was distributed by Priority Records. However, for the past fourteen years, Interscope Records has had a home as the integral part of Interscope-Geffen-A&M of the Universal Music Group.

Over the years, Interscope Records has branched out from simply hip hop to various genres. Among the biggest artists signed to the label, however, is Game. Throughout his career, Game has been managed by James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond. This summer, Rosemond was brought up on drug charges, running a nationwide cocaine ring.

Jimmy Henchman has had close ties with Interscope Records, and a number of their artists, for a number of years. Recently, more of Henchman's organization was exposed and it was revealed he was running his operation through the offices of Interscope Records. The United States Attorney Office cleared Interscope, their parent company, UMG, and their employees of any involvement in Henchman's drug ring. While the case with Henchman will continue, Interscope Records will not face any investigation.

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Jewell talks Tupac Shakur's death and Dr. Dre's sexuality

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

During the mid-1990s, Jewell was close to reaching superstardom as a member of Death Row Records. However, the death of the label's star, Tupac Shakur, and the departure of Dr. Dre led to the demise of the label. In the years since then, Jewell has been raising her family.

However, Jewell is releasing an upcoming tell-all book, called My Blood, My Sweat, and My Tears. The book will come along with an album of the same name. Still, her Death Row debut album is in the works, also. Yesterday, Jewell gave an exclusive interview to HipHopDX.com and she opened up on a number of topics.

On the night Tupac Shakur died, both Jewell and Suge Knight's sister had dreams of the rapper's death. While Tupac and Suge were already in Las Vegas, Jewell and the rest of the crew were expected to soon follow. Tupac had actually called Jewell, while in Las Vegas, and promised he would record a song with her when he got back from Vegas.

Jewell said she had a dream in which Tupac was shot in Las Vegas. Because of this, she begged both Tupac and Suge Knight not to go. She told them about the dream and Tupac laughed it off, saying she was "trippin" and left with Suge Knight. Jewell begged Suge Knight to stay home and watch the Mike Tyson fight at his house, but he refused and went to Las Vegas. Swithcing gears, Jewell also spoke on the rumors about hitmaker, Dr. Dre, being gay. While she did not say, she pointed out the outfit he wore in his first group.

While she said she was not trying to ruin Dr. Dre, Jewell said she was coming clean about her entire situation with Death Row Records. Jewell said the things she wrote about Dr. Dre in the book, she saw with her own eyes. When writing a book certain things cannot be left out and Jewell said she could not overlook something like that.

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YGD Top Dogg speaks on Death Row issues and New Album, "Renegade"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Suge Knight fought to keep his Death Row empire on top, following the departure of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, along with the death of Tupac Shakur. Quickly, Knight began working on the "second generation" of Death Row. The new label was centered on YGD Top Dogg.

Because of his appearance and lyrical flow, YGD Top Dogg was mistaken as Snoop Dogg numerous times. Recently, the former Death Row star spoke with HipHopDX.com about his time with the label. In addition to his time with the label, he also spoke on his new music.

YGD Top Dogg said he linked up with Death Row Records when he met a man named Ron. Ron was both an actual artist and barber for Death Row. One day, Ron handed in the demo from YGD Top Dogg to J-Flexx and Flexx sent it to Suge Knight. The first YGD Top Dogg song under Death Row was the Biggie-diss, "Going Back to Cali."

When asked about the song, YGD Top Dogg did not deny the song being a diss to The Notorious B.I.G. and the entire Bad Boy crew. With the song being recorded after B.I.G.'s death, YGD Top Dogg explained why he recorded the track. YGD Top Dogg said he did the track because he was fresh into the game and he was hungry. Due to both his youth and his hunger, YGD Top Dogg said he did not give a fuck about feelings, family, and others' opinions.

Looking back on the song, older and wiser, YGD Top Dogg said he does not regret the song coming out because he learned from his mistakes. Recording during the most dangerous time in hip hop, Top Dogg said he was glad nothing bigger came from the situation. YGD Top Dogg did say things got a little heated on the streets, from time-to-time, because of his Death Row affiliation. But, for the most part, Death Row commanded so much respect on the streets, no one bothered him.

YGD Top Dogg also spoke on his issues with Snoop Dogg. Many felt as if he was on Death Row to fill the shoes of Tha Doggfather. The two rappers exchanged a number of disses, but only met, personally, a couple of times. However, the two met at a club and talked a little bit. Days later, Snoop Dogg covered The Source and had negative things to say about Top Dogg. It was after that when Top Dogg really began laying into the original Dogg, but he thinks the statements were written before he spoke with Snoop.

After years of waiting, YGD Top Dogg is finally working on his own album. He said he never even came close to releasing an album on Death Row. The reason he did not release an album on Death Row was because he was still in developmental phase. All of the singles released were never a part of anything bigger, all he ever did was release singles. But, his Renegade album will feature tracks Top Dogg produced and composed.

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Suge Knight goes at Diddy and talks Tupac Shakur legacy

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

During the 1990s, Suge Knight was on top of the world. His record label, Death Row Records, was making hit records. Even though the label was independent, they still managed to sell millions of albums.

However, by the mid-1990s, Sean Combs had launched his own label, Bad Boy Records. In the eyes of many, Bad Boy Records was the East Coast counterpart of Death Row. Because of this, there was immediate friction between Knight and Combs.

Following the deaths of Tupac and Biggie, Suge Knight and Diddy have gone through a number of changes. Diddy rose to become one of the top businessmen in the world. Suge Knight, on the other hand, has lost everything and is fighting criminal charges.

Recently, Suge Knight was caught in the street and he was asked several questions. Knight informed the people he was working on a number of movies. Suge Knight said some movies would be actual films and others would be documentaries. Due to his persona, Suge Knight said he is not like other people in the game who snitch to stay free, like Buffy (Tupac's nickname for Sean Combs).

Suge Knight said all of the people who did Tupac wrong, while he was alive, will be exposed. While he is not a snitch, Suge Knight promised to expose all of the wrongdoers.

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Dr. Dre wins lawsuit against Death Row Records over "The Chronic"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Over twenty years ago, Dr. Dre put together the album that solidified the hip hop scene on the West Coast. Had it not been for The Chronic, the movement of Death Row may have never started. The album has been hailed by most as one of the best records of all-time.

Dr. Dre has been in court over it for the past several years. Dre filed a lawsuit against Suge Knight and Death Row, claiming he had no rights to distribute the album. The judge dropped the previous case, but Dre filed another lawsuit against the new owners.

For three years, Dr. Dre has been battling the new owners over the digital sales of The Chronic. Yesterday, Dr. Dre received good news, regarding his case. Dre won and is now entitled to 100% of digital sales of his 1992 debut, The Chronic.

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Wiz Khalifa said Snoop Dogg told him to Boss Up

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Early in his career, Wiz Khalifa has found a mentor in the legendary hip hopper, Snoop Dogg. Snoop is hoping to provide a source of guidance for Wiz that he did not have. In many ways, Snoop Dogg carved his own path through the game.

Snoop Dogg's career began on Death Row Records. There were only a few artists associated with the label who were over 25 years of age. Surrounded by violence and controversy, Snoop Dogg left the label in 1998.

Wiz Khalifa makes a different type of music and is under a less stressful label situation. Still, Snoop Dogg has been providing advice for the newcomer. Khalifa said Snoop told him there was no one way to make it in the game.

The prized advice from Snoop Dogg to Wiz Khalifa was to "continue to do what you're doing."

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Suge Knight's truck impounded Mogul Hitchhikes

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Things continue to get worse for Suge Knight, as he tries to hang on to his fortune. In the 1990s, Suge Knight made millions through his ownership of Death Row Records. But, his bullying tactics soon left him the only member of the label. After years of trying to rebuild the former powerhouse, he lost it in bankruptcy.

Suge Knight has attempted to launch new businesses after losing his trademark. However, his reputation has left people unwilling to work with him. Still, Knight has had a few minor successes. Last year, the hip hop pioneer was arrested in Los Angeles after running from the police.

Nearly one year later, Knight's truck was impounded in Los Angeles after being pulled over by the police. It turned out that Knight was driving with a suspended license. Upon discovering Knight driving on a suspended license, the police took his vehicle. Left stranded, Suge Knight asked a nearby woman to take him home and she agreed to.

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The D.O.C. talks Dr. Dre split, Ruthless Records, and Death Row

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Last month, The D.O.C. shocked fans when he revealed he would no longer be working with Dr. Dre. Throughout his career, Dr. Dre has gone through many changes. The one person who has been with him the entire time has been The D.O.C.

Recently, The D.O.C. spoke with HipHopDX.com and was more in-depth about the split. D.O.C. revealed he was working on a documentary that will discuss Ruthless Records, Death Row Records, and Aftermath Entertainment.

The D.O.C. said the documentaries in the past only tell some of what really went on behind closed doors. Other insiders have not told the full story because it benefits them to keep quiet. But, The D.O.C. now has nothing to lose, so he is going to talk.

Not only did he discuss his documentary, but The D.O.C. also explained why the NWA documentary has yet to come. He said the members of NWA really do not like each other and could not get along long enough to put together a bio-pic for their legendary group. But, The D.O.C. knows enough, on his own, to put out a documentary about everything that went on around him, including NWA.

After holding his tongue for years, The D.O.C. is opening up on everything. He said without him, Dr. Dre would not be the legend he is today. The D.O.C. went on to say Death Row was his original idea and that he included Suge Knight, who was only one of his friends, not a bodyguard. But, he got into a car accident and it limited his ability to help, but he still helped Dr. Dre get off Ruthless Records and start Death Row.

The only reason The D.O.C. did not prosper was because his head was at the wrong place. While he claimed to put in the most work and most of the money, his lack of focus caused him to miss out. But, everyone else involved with Death Row made millions upon millions. Eazy-E even made major profits because of Death Row Records' success.

Another reason, The D.O.C. feels things did not work out for him was because Dr. Dre was not looking out for him the way he thought he would. D.O.C. said it does not mean Dr. Dre is a bad person, it is just the fact that Dr. Dre cannot be him when he is not in his right mind anymore than he could fill Dre's shoes. Because they are two different types of people, the situation cannot be reversed in his mind.

The documentary will cover the past twenty-plus years The D.O.C. has been in the game. This includes the time with NWA and Ruthless Records to the formation of Death Row Records and the launch of Dr. Dre's new label, Aftermath Entertainment. The D.O.C. claims he met Ezay-E soon after he moved to California and that he discovered Eazy-E was into devil worshipping.

Later, The D.O.C. said he discovered Eazy-E was only playing mind games with him. His reason for getting inside his head was because D.O.C. was so talented. The only way to have one up on The D.O.C. was to have him a little scared. Once The D.O.C. realized the game Eazy-E was playing with his mind, he was far from impressed.

The D.O.C. revealed he received a call from Dr. Dre when he was living in Dallas. He told him if he could move to California, they could all become rich. At the time, Dr. Dre wanted to be his DJ, but Eazy-E had released "Boyz N Da Hood" and the song took off. Despite having a hit record, Eazy-E did not even have a rap name yet.

When the single took off, NWA was started and everyone was rich. But, he did not realize Eazy-E was already getting over on the entire crew. D.O.C. claims Dr. Dre knew, but did not warn him until he was tired of it and ready to leave. The D.O.C. wanted to start a new label named Def Row, because he felt Dr. Dre was the Russell Simmons of the West Coast.

But, when they began signing artists, they assumed the label was called DeATH Row. Dr. Dre liked Death better than Def, thus ending The D.O.C.'s idea. He said Dr. Dre was too thug-minded, at the time, to catch on to the concept. In many ways, The D.O.C. feels the name of the label laid the ground work for all that would come ahead for them.

Even with all of the bad things that happened to him and others because of his affiliations, The D.O.C. said he holds no animosity towards Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, or Suge Knight. While he feels all of them have done him wrong, he said everything is in God's control, not his own control. In the end, things worked out the way it was planned by God and he cannot be upset with that.

However, The D.O.C. blames money, power, and greed on the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie.

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Snoop Dogg talks about his Days on Death Row

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Twenty years deep in the game, Snoop Dogg has a long story to tell, as he grew up in the spotlight. In his early twenties, he was involved in the biggest beef in hip hop history. Once the dust settled, Snoop Dogg sought to leave Death Row Records and record music in a less hostile environment.

Snoop Dogg was among the last members to leave Death Row, but he had wanted to leave sooner. Suge Knight, the founder of the label, forced Snoop Dogg to stay with the label. But, when Knight was sent to jail, Snoop left and joined No Limit Records. Even after getting out, Snoop Dogg often discusses his time with the label.

Recently, he explained how Suge Knight treated up-and-coming producers. Snoop Dogg explained how he met a young producer and used his beat for the Murder Was The Case album. Snoop used the beat, paid him $5,000 for the beat, and gave him the publishing rights. Suge Knight did not operate that way, instead he wanted Snoop to pay him $500 and take credit for the beat, himself, and get rid of him.

Snoop Dogg did not operate that way because he likes giving people chances to prove themselves.

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The D.O.C. ends affiliation with Dr. Dre

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

There have been many changes in Dr. Dre's career. His professional career began with Eazy-E on Ruthless Records. It was here where his production skills were discovered and made famous. Dr. Dre would also meet The D.O.C. during his time at Ruthless.

When Dr. Dre split from Ruthless Records, he and The D.O.C. teamed up with Suge Knight to launch Death Row Records. D.O.C. was responsible for most of Dre's lyrics on The Chronic. Dr. Dre has counted on The D.O.C. most of his career.

The D.O.C. began helping Dr. Dre with Detox when Dre announced he was completing the album. Now, with the album set to come out in a few months, The D.O.C. is shocked. Most of the material he has worked on will not be on the album.

Feeling dissed, The D.O.C. has gone public about their relationship. He said Dr. Dre must feel as if he cannot trust him anymore. Because of the apparent trust issue and all of his work removed from the album, D.O.C. decided not to do any more work for Detox. Not only is he done with Detox, but The D.O.C. is also done working with Dr. Dre.

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