Patti Labelle recently sat down with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN for a recent episode of Drink Champs. During the interview, the music legend shared her earliest memories of interacting with hip hop.
“I guess it was 2Pac” LaBelle said before being reminded of her collaboration with Big Daddy Kane “Feels Like Another One.”
“But I started moving to ‘California Love,’” Labelle said to the podcast hosts. “That’s when I started to Crip Walk,” she added.
"That's When I Started Learning To Crip Walk" Patti Labelle On Tupac And Being Shocked When Biggie Mentioned Her In The Song 'Just Playing (Dreams)' pic.twitter.com/l1kYlJE4DR
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 31, 2022
DJ EFN then asked LaBelle if she ever met Pac to which she responded “No, never.” N.O.R.E then asked her if she had ever met Biggie to wich she also responded “No, but Biggie had a song about Patti,” referencing the song “Just Playing (Dreams)” where Big raps “I’d probably go to jail for f*cking Patti LaBelle.”
During the interview LaBelle also spoke on her relationship with Jazmine Sullivan, admitting that at one point she thought the Heaux Tales artist hated her.
“I thought Jazmine Sullivan hated me. Let me say something, last week, she made my heart pound, hard. She called me,” LaBelle said. “The same gentleman, Marquese, who made this outfit and the outfit that I wore for Essence last couple weeks ago, he’s good friends with Jazmine. And so, he said ‘Jazmine and I always used to talk about who’s coming to Patti LaBelle’s party first? You or me?’”
In one of the many great lines from Canibus’ “Second Round K.O.,” the lyrics, “the greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th” in honor of the late Biggie Smalls AKAThe Notorious B.I.G. still stirs the soul. On Twitter, fans are gathering in remembering the great Brooklyn rapper on the anniversary of his death.
The great East vs. West Coast rap war drew serious lines in the sand that were crossed mostly via songs and lyrical digs between the coastal rivals. With Tupac “2Pac” Shakur and Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace as the biggest names involved in the rift, their violent deaths just months apart has long been seen as the result of the barbs and jabs thrown.
Biggie Smalls was just 24 years old and at the peak of his fame when drive-by shooters in Los Angeles, Calif. fired down on his vehicle with one of the bullets fatally wounding him. Prior to the shooting, Biggie, who was on a promotional tour for his album Life After Death, mentioned in an interview that he feared for his safety in the wake of 2Pac’s September 1996 death, hiring security detail to accompany him on his visits out west.
The losses of Biggie and Pac are still felt by many of their contemporaries and the younger generation who have heard this familiar tale told time and again via documentaries, films, and barbershop chatter. And even in the 21st Century, talented rappers are still victims of senseless killings in the name of jealousy, gang rivalry, and sadly for the sheer violence of it all.
The Notorious B.I.G. and his musical contributions will live on as evidenced by the outpouring of love he’s receiving online today. We’ve got some of those reactions below.
Early this morning, ScHoolboy Q released his first solo music in nearly three years. Following 2016’s Grammy-nominated The Blank Face LP, “Numb Numb Juice” marks a loud and proud return. Groovy Q wasted no time with the visuals to the song, which clocks in at less than 2:00 in length. The single is produced by an ensemble including Hykeem Carter, DJ Fu, as well as Nez & Rio. In the video, Q pays homage to the late 1990s Hype Williams-era visuals. He offers his best recreation of The Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy’s “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” set. With the shiny red suits and the backdrop that many on social media have compared to the inside of a cheese grater, Q delivers his bars with a close associate. He raps to the camera with flare. He pauses to dance, smile, and flail his arms, just like the Bad Boy family, Missy Elliott, Will Smith, and so many others did in the late ’90s. Common & Hype Williams Release a Visually Stunning Short Film for Kingdom (Video) Other sets in the Dave Free-directed video include an elaborate mansion with a pool. In a robe, the Los Angeles, California MC dances as he lives the good life on the property. Sequences also include a glow-in-the-dark homage to Hype’s Belly feature film (and references to its characters, played by Tyler, The Creator no less). Other scenes find Q counting big bills, orchestrating martial arts on a helipad, and rolling down red paint on the highway. Early on, he also smokes up as a guest on The Joe Rogan Podcast. ScHoolboy Q is having the most fun as he ramps up for an anticipated fifth album. Back in 2016, Nas used Belly as an inspiration in the video for DJ Khaled’s “Nas Album Done.”
From three different cities, three respected MCs come together to do damage. Brooklyn, New York’s, Los Angeles, California’s Rakaa Iriscience, and Lawrence, Massachusetts’ REKS unite on the “To The Fullest” video. With the lyricists’ respective styles weaving seamlessly throughout their delivery, this arrangement lives up to its name. The song is part of the Because We Live It campaign, with the track produced by 12 Finger Dan, and cuts by Stevie Drumz.
The single is accompanied by a black-and-white filtered visual featuring boomboxes, graf’, and some dancing. The video introduces the track with a message emphasizing the importance of staying focused and being attentive in the name of creativity. With a white backdrop serving as the canvas, the contrast of the video not only focuses the viewer’s attention on the physical Hip-Hop elements of the vid’, but draws attention to the message the three MCs paint with the bristles of their bars.
REKS goes first. Ace follows, spitting, “Not too many can do it like yours truly / That’s ’cause when I do it, I gotta do it fully / I mean goin’ all out, no frontin’, no slackin’ / They can feel it in the crowd, from front into back’in / You’ve never seen a greater man / Like an instrument, my voice gets into it, and I play the band / I’m like a horn section, you wantin’ protection / ‘Cause I hit you with rhymes, no one’s an exception.” Rakaa closes things out.
#BonusBeat:Ambrosia For Heads‘ recent conversation with Masta Ace and Marco Polo in Brooklyn. This video and countless others are also available on AFH TV.
From three different cities, three respected MCs come together to do damage. Brooklyn, New York’s, Los Angeles, California’s Rakaa Iriscience, and Lawrence, Massachusetts’ REKS unite on the “To The Fullest” video. With the lyricists’ respective styles weaving seamlessly throughout their delivery, this arrangement lives up to its name. The song is part of the Because We Live It campaign, with the track produced by 12 Finger Dan, and cuts by Stevie Drumz.
The single is accompanied by a black-and-white filtered visual featuring boomboxes, graf’, and some dancing. The video introduces the track with a message emphasizing the importance of staying focused and being attentive in the name of creativity. With a white backdrop serving as the canvas, the contrast of the video not only focuses the viewer’s attention on the physical Hip-Hop elements of the vid’, but draws attention to the message the three MCs paint with the bristles of their bars.
REKS goes first. Ace follows, spitting, “Not too many can do it like yours truly / That’s ’cause when I do it, I gotta do it fully / I mean goin’ all out, no frontin’, no slackin’ / They can feel it in the crowd, from front into back’in / You’ve never seen a greater man / Like an instrument, my voice gets into it, and I play the band / I’m like a horn section, you wantin’ protection / ‘Cause I hit you with rhymes, no one’s an exception.” Rakaa closes things out.
#BonusBeat:Ambrosia For Heads‘ recent conversation with Masta Ace and Marco Polo in Brooklyn. This video and countless others are also available on AFH TV.
As has been the case throughout the last five years, Vic Mensa had a busy 2018. The Chicagoan showed no signs of slowing down or taking a pause this year, both in terms of making music and staying in some headlines. Mensa released Hooligans on Roc Nation. The eight-song release involves The Gap Band’s Uncle Charlie Wilson, Ty Dolla $ign, G Herbo, G-Eazy, and Mr. Hudson, as well as production from Travis Barker.
To promote this month’s release, Mensa made another freestyle appearance with the L.A. Leakers show at Power 106. As he has done in the past, Vic dropped some heavy bars with the moment, and addressed the most controversial part of his 2018. Rapping over Biggie’s “Spit Your Game” (as produced by Swizz Beatz), Vic kicks, “You know me, I’m spittin’ game / Talkin’ slick, 17 hollowtips / Catch clip like a Nikon / Clap it like I turn the lights on / Lights off, then I drive off in a white Porsche, leave white chalk / We don’t let bygones be bygones, we buy guns with extensions / Come get at me, f*ck commission, Twitter beef not litter me / Gucci shoes from Italy, Mike and Lebron 2-23 / In my Mary Jeans Knots in, I’ma die sinnin’, Lord willin’ / Save-a-hoe’s you Clark Kentin’ / Do or Die, I’m po’ pimpin’, do a suicide windows tinted / Buy a newer ride, blow dope in it.” The excerpt confronts Vic’s BET Hip Hop Awards freestyle, which sparked controversy for criticizing the slain XXXTentacion for allegedly abusing women with his mother in the audience for the video performance. Several of XXX’s associates threatened Vic, while figures including Charlamagne Tha God and Joe Budden called out Vic for the choice as well as the contradiction, given Vic’s admitted history with domestic abuse.
Later in the freestyle, Vic makes another bold point. “One day ni**as best friends and the next day on some opp sh*t / BIG knew who shot Pac, Suge know who shot BIG / Good news they not dead, they still alive when I spit / Tell them ni**as I got this, Save Money and the Roc, b*tch.” The same year that Eminem addressed Puffy’s alleged involvement in Tupac’s 1996 murder in his “Killshot” diss aimed at MGK, Vic stirs the ’90s conspiracy theory pot with his declaration. History shows that no arrests were made in either Rap murder, just six months apart in late 1996 and early 1997.
Mensa closes his bars with fury. “F*ck police, f*ck the system / They p*ssy ni**as: gynecologists and obstetricians / That’s an observation, complications with my father so mind been racing / I was out of state when he go out of inpatient / Been patient I ain’t waiting no more, I’m taking the dough / Seven figures like a number with no area code / I did a shoe deal with Puma when I was 20 years old / I could market sneakers and still wouldn’t sell you my soul.” Mensa makes the moment count.
As has been the case throughout the last five years, Vic Mensa had a busy 2018. The Chicagoan showed no signs of slowing down or taking a pause this year, both in terms of making music and staying in some headlines. Mensa released Hooligans on Roc Nation. The eight-song release involves The Gap Band’s Uncle Charlie Wilson, Ty Dolla $ign, G Herbo, G-Eazy, and Mr. Hudson, as well as production from Travis Barker.
To promote this month’s release, Mensa made another freestyle appearance with the L.A. Leakers show at Power 106. As he has done in the past, Vic dropped some heavy bars with the moment, and addressed the most controversial part of his 2018. Rapping over Biggie’s “Spit Your Game” (as produced by Swizz Beatz), Vic kicks, “You know me, I’m spittin’ game / Talkin’ slick, 17 hollowtips / Catch clip like a Nikon / Clap it like I turn the lights on / Lights off, then I drive off in a white Porsche, leave white chalk / We don’t let bygones be bygones, we buy guns with extensions / Come get at me, f*ck commission, Twitter beef not litter me / Gucci shoes from Italy, Mike and Lebron 2-23 / In my Mary Jeans Knots in, I’ma die sinnin’, Lord willin’ / Save-a-hoe’s you Clark Kentin’ / Do or Die, I’m po’ pimpin’, do a suicide windows tinted / Buy a newer ride, blow dope in it.” The excerpt confronts Vic’s BET Hip Hop Awards freestyle, which sparked controversy for criticizing the slain XXXTentacion for allegedly abusing women with his mother in the audience for the video performance. Several of XXX’s associates threatened Vic, while figures including Charlamagne Tha God and Joe Budden called out Vic for the choice as well as the contradiction, given Vic’s admitted history with domestic abuse.
Later in the freestyle, Vic makes another bold point. “One day ni**as best friends and the next day on some opp sh*t / BIG knew who shot Pac, Suge know who shot BIG / Good news they not dead, they still alive when I spit / Tell them ni**as I got this, Save Money and the Roc, b*tch.” The same year that Eminem addressed Puffy’s alleged involvement in Tupac’s 1996 murder in his “Killshot” diss aimed at MGK, Vic stirs the ’90s conspiracy theory pot with his declaration. History shows that no arrests were made in either Rap murder, just six months apart in late 1996 and early 1997.
Mensa closes his bars with fury. “F*ck police, f*ck the system / They p*ssy ni**as: gynecologists and obstetricians / That’s an observation, complications with my father so mind been racing / I was out of state when he go out of inpatient / Been patient I ain’t waiting no more, I’m taking the dough / Seven figures like a number with no area code / I did a shoe deal with Puma when I was 20 years old / I could market sneakers and still wouldn’t sell you my soul.” Mensa makes the moment count.
JetBlue is the official aircraft of the Brooklyn Nets and the new Airbus A320 livery made its debut at JetBlue’s Hangar in New York City’s JFK International Airport. Dubbed “BK Blue,” has design flourishes that pay homage to the BK borough with nods to the streets, art and Hip-Hop. Dipped in the Nets black and white color scheme, the franchises logo is featured on the tail, the Brooklyn Bridge and their Barclays Center home is emblazoned on the body while “Spread Love” is featured on the underbelly.
At the unveiling, the Nets held a fashion show to properly unveil their Nike NBA City Edition uniforms and apparel. Each NBA squad gets a City Edition (i.e. the Timberwolves’ pays respect to the late Prince) and the Brooklyn’s pays due to rapper Biggie Smalls.
The uniform features a multi-color “Brooklyn Camo” pattern which clearly takes it cues from the Coogie sweaters Biggie loved to wear. In this case, the trim and piping is said to “represent the cultural diversity in the borough” per the Nets. True indeed.
Check out detailed images JetBlue’s Nets branded plane and their City Edition uniforms in the gallery.
