By: Hot Gossip Girl Looks like while the cats away the Def Jam Princess and Jay may just have to play. Jay was present at the Nets game last night with home boy or life Ty Ty and the Bajan Beyonce Rihanna. And just as we thought all was calm and serene in the romance where Hip-Hop and R&B collide. No I am sure they are just hanging out like friends do.

By: Hot Gossip Gal How long ago did these two break up again? Someone remind me. This track is making the rounds on the Internet. Its a lil better than the video that was circulating of Trina before she made a name for herself the other week, which showed just how bad a b**ch Trina can be. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Walt Disney Pictures has announced that they will producing a family comedy starring Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone called College Road Trip. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the story centers on a young woman (Symone) with ambitious public-defender dreams who goes on a road trip to visit potential universities with her father (Lawrence), an overprotective cop. Production is set to begin this summer. Symone recently won a couple of NAACP Image Awards, one for “Best Children’s Program” for “That’s So Raven” and for “Outstanding Performance in a Children’s Program” for “That’s So Raven.” Raven is also scheduled to drop a new album sometime this year.

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno As the awards season starts to die down, there are a few more organizations wanting to give out recognition. The nominations for the Annual Urban Music Awards were announced over the weekend and be held at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom on July 7, 2007. These awards were originally launched in the U.K. in 2003 and are totally voted on by the public. They recognize not only the artists and the music but also radio stations and personalities along with TV shows, entrepreneurs and video chicks. Here are the nominations (to vote, check out: URBAN MUSIC AWARDS Artist of the Year Chamillionaire John Legend Nas Nelly Furtado Papoose Best Album Akon – Konvicted Bobby Valentino – Special Occasion Ciara – The Evolution Diddy – Press Play Lupe Fiasco – Food Nas – Hiphop Is Dead Best Collaboration 2007 Birdman feat. Lil’ Wayne – Stutin Like My Daddy Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J Blige, Missy, Papoose Diidy feat. Keyshia Cole – Last Night Fat Joe feat. Lil’ Wayne – Make It Rain Ludacris feat. Mary J Blige – Runaway Love Best Entrepreneur Jimmy ‘Henchmen’ Rosemond Micheal ‘Blue’ Willams Russell Simmons Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Timbaland Best Female Group Cherish Danity Kane Floetry The Pussycat Dolls Best Gospel Act Alan Jackson Ce Ce Winans Kirk Franklin Mary Mary Patti Labelle Best Hip-Hop Act 2007 Chamillionaire Jim Jones Nas Papoose The Game TI Best International Latino Act Daddy Yankee Hector Bambino RBD Shakira Best International Reggae Act Beenie Man Busy Signal Sean Paul Sizzla Stephen and Damien Marley Best Male group Gnarls Barkley Outkast Pretty Ricky The Black Eyed Peas Ying Yang Twins Best Music Video Cassie – Long Way to Go Jay Z – Lost Ones Kelis – Bossy Ne-Yo – Sexy Love Rihanna – Unfaithful Best Neo Soul Act Corrine Bailey Rae Floetry India Arie Musiq Soulchild Best Newcomer 2007 Chamillionaire Corrine Bailey Rae Lady Sovereign One Chance Rhymefest Best R&B Act Beyonce Ciara Justin Timberlake Kelis Rihanna Best Radio Station Hot 97 ( New York ) Hot 99.3 ( Austin , Texas ) Power 106 ( Los Angeles ) Q 104.7 ( Ventura XM Raw 66 (Satellite Radio) Best TV Show Dave Chappelle – The Dave Chappelle Show Ice T – Ice T’s Rap School Nick Cannon – Wild and Out X-Zibit – Pimp My Ride Best US Radio DJ Angie Martinez Cipha Sounds Fatman Scoop Funkmaster Flex Kay Slay Best Video Model/Dancer Gloria Verez Melyssa Ford Tanya (From Tony Yayo Video) Most Inspiring Act 2007 Beyonce Diddy Lupe Fiasco

By: The HipHop Journalist Music is not just a love to future super producer, JR Rotem, it is his life, literally. Having worked with some of the staples of both the R&B and Hip-Hop scenes, he has definitely made sure the world is familiar with his name. Linking up with producer manager, Zach Katz, JR gives crackspace.com some insight on what an aspiring producer should be taking into consideration when it comes to getting those beats heard by the right ears. Talking education of the college variety and of the street variety, JR Rotem gives us a little insight to just the way he sees things. He gives it up on what decade he favours when it comes to sampling and inspiration and if strategic planning was part of his plan to ensure his name was linked to the biggest names in the game. Now there seems to be an over abundance of artists and producers, would you agree that it’s hard to find good management…you know we have all these artists and producers but not all of them are being represented correctly? Yes and no I think that quality management is definitely hard to find, I think very, very good quality is hard to find in any field. Top quality consistent producers are hard to find as well as artist management so I would agree with you. Management is more lacking than any other part of the industry. You are represented by Zach Katz. I mean he is the most infamous manager there is out there for producers, how did you hook up with him and how did you get his attention? I hooked up with Zach through ironically a mutual friend Evan Bogart, who is the writer that is signed now to mine and Zach’s publishing company. He introduced me to Zach when I first got to LA or shortly after and I just started loosely artificially working with him he was helping me with tracks you know telling me you should do this you should do that and sending the stuff out and things like that. I started to see that what he was telling me was helping out, like we were actually starting to sell tracks to people by the combination of his musical input and also his connections. So we really started proving to each other what we could do for each other, he was showing me what he could do and I was at the same time working really hard showing him what I could do. So we impressed each other and then we started working with each other on a more exclusive basis and the business relationship grew to what it is which is completely exclusive management, I’m pretty much the sole producer on his plate Did you feel as you were coming up as a producer in the early days that you needed a manager? Yes, I always thought that I needed a manager, especially because some people start out in this game with a lot of connections and know how and stuff like that they just kinda need somebody to manage their business a little bit. I moved here with literally zero connections so when I started in this industry I knew no-one and didn’t really know the way things worked. I had the musical talent and stuff but still needed input to make commercially viable beats, so for me it was completely necessary. More so than for others to really to have someone to guide me, who had been in the industry and help me get to where I needed to get to with a lot of hard work and stuff like that. For me it was a definite I always knew that I wanted a manager I just wanted a good one that could really make stuff happen for me If you were to give advice to someone on the come up trying to get beats heard it would be better to get a manager than trying to do it themselves? I think definitely if you’re trying to get to a higher level I think it is necessary, there are some people who don’t need a manager, but to me it’s like those people are on a high high level that already have a company and everybody knows about them. But you know me personally, I definitely rely on my manager As you’ve said before you have a mutual understanding a mutual respect with Zach, you actually have a business together correct? Yes, correct How is the company coming along as I know when we have spoken before you were adamant that you were going to search for the people that fir right, rather than wasting time? We are still looking but I think we’ve found a few that we’re looking at more seriously than we were before. I cannot say that we’ve moved full speed ahead like we haven’t signed an artist we’re being very selective, we are closer to it I would say When you look back to 10 years ago there were nowhere near as many producers as there are now, do you think that’s why you have to be more selective because you have so much choice now? I think it’s a personal thing for us, I’m not looking for… there are some producers who are more interested in signing a bunch of artists, you know that kind of company rather than doing tracks and producing for other artists. For me personally I’m most focused on making hot music for established artists at this point in my career. So for us to take on an artist it really has to be the right one; where as for other producers who might want to balance the two you know like they want to divide their time and make tracks for other people but also have a bunch of artists signed to them and that kind of thing that might be what they want to do. But for us I think our selectiveness is a function and a result of the way I look at my own career Strategic planning is making a come back it would appear. Do you believe that good things come to those who wait? I don’t know if it’s to those who wait, you definitely need patience, but I think that for me what I feel is really the thing that I can do what has worked is to stay positive and have faith and work hard. Beyond that the rest is really out of your control, so yes it definitely takes a while. If you really want to be in this game for a long time and have longevity and do things then yes you need patience, sometimes you can have something that happens really, really quickly but to me to be consistent and to have lasting success it’s not something that happens over night. You know I’ve been playing piano since I was 5 years old and I’ve been doing music in one form or another since that time. When I was younger it was playing classical and composing and then as a jazz pianist and composing like that and performing and I was always doing this type of thing in one form or another so it’s all of a sudden doing it for a living. There was never any doubt in your mind that this wasn’t what you wanted to do, you’ve always been dead set on doing what you’re doing now? Basically yes, it was. I thought it was going to be different things at different times but it was always music. There was a point where I thought I wanted to be a film scorer you know compose music for movies and that still something I could see myself doing down the road and that’s why I went to Berkley College of Music originally. But instead I ended up studying jazz and became a jazz pianist and for a while I thought that’s what I wanted to do so I went full force into that. Then I wanted to move into production, so I moved into production and now I feel like that’s really really what I wanted to do. But yes ever since a young age I knew I was going to be doing music in one form or another, you know I knew I was going to go to Berkley College of Music since I was in high school (junior high) and I basically always knew I was going to do music. On to music, I’m just going to pull out one track, because I’m English, and because I was around to experience the 80’s …. Rhianna’s SOS features that Soft Cell sample. How impressionable were the 80’s on you? I would say I was very impressionable I think somehow I got that music into my head, you know the sounds, the chords just the type of vibes, it’s just kind a weird, usually I wasn’t into sampling to begin with. Even before, I was open to re-making and sampling a lot of my beats and my musical sensibility besides having a lot of classical and jazz pointers definitely had an 80’s vibe to them. People are really responding to it so with Rhiana’s SOS I actually did decided to sample… not much of it is a sample it’s more of a interpretation I replayed most of the stuff I got some 80’s keyboard at the time and replayed it… I just used some key vocal things from the original to give it a little bit of the original sound but yeah the 80’s sound is definitely is a big influence on me and even when I’m not sampling I have that sensibility in there it’s just kind of mixed in with the jazz and the classical What other 80’s music left an impression on you? Well I loved all the British stuff like Sting, Police and Thompson Twins and Eurythmics and all that kind of stuff like Tears for Fears I was very kind of big into that, when other people were listing more to a little bit more like glam rock whether it was like Guns n Roses and Nirvana and I was, I listened to hip hop too at that time but as for music I was never big on hard rock, I never really liked the sound of heavy guitars it never really felt that musical to me, where as the stuff that was coming more like you know the pop stuff was just cleaner sounding to me, the whole synth thing I was just very.. I just loved synthesizers I just love the sound and all that kind of stuff so I was more into that sound, I mean also a big influence on me was the Beatles and stuff like that, I think I always intended to write a things which were more musical, more chords more melodies not so much the heavy stuff. So that’s the part of the 80’s that’s in me that type of sound that’s really like…. Do you always have ideas for tracks in your head? Yeah I’m always coming across stuff in my head, like my brother will bring me samples or I’ll be on I-Tunes and I will always have quite a few things in my mind. You might listen to something and think wow I really want to flip that, sometimes it doesn’t come out the right way or you have to think about it in a different genre or you might have to flip it in a different way. When I hear something, ‘I think wow people are really going to respond to that.’ I think people, when they sample, people like to do it in different ways you have like a Kanye West who I think, when he samples, I think he probably likes to pick something that’s like very not so recognisable and kind of flip it in an even less recognisable way so that you don’t exactly know where it came from. You know other people do it like that too, for me my concept of sampling has been more… I like to take something that’s very, very familiar… I like to almost toy it up and be more obvious about and I like to sample because I feel like it’s the recognisable the familiarity factor that’s going to make it more of a hit for me…. ‘cause I can play classical jazz, so if I want to do something that’s original I can do that but for me sampling is more about taking a recognisable sound or vibe and era and kind of like updating it in an obvious way so people are like “oh shit I know that song” How was working with Paris Hilton as I know you worked with her? Paris was really cool to work with. Do you find some time to relax and chill out? Not too much to be honest with you; but I’m really passionate about my work so for the most part it doesn’t feel like work I like to do it non-stop. You know when things get a little chaotic and non-stop but for the most part I like to stay working You were born overseas weren’t you? I was actually born in South Africa, I lived in Canada but for the most part I grew up in the Bay Area, yeah the San Francisco Bay area that’s pretty much where I grew up. I went to school in Boston as I told you, The Berkley College of Music and then you know went back to the Bay Area and then shortly after that moved down to Los Angeles. Being that you are college educated how important do you think getting a degree or even some college education is in the music business? I think it kinda depends, I’ll be honest with you, yes I’m college educated but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that somebody go to music college. If you wanted to be a rapper, a producer, an engineer you know anything in the music industry and they just wholeheartedly wanted to do it I wouldn’t recommend that they go to college. I think that most of what you learn in music is more about being and seeing and trial and error and working with people and that kind of stuff so I can’t say that I would recommend to people go to college, especially not music college. I mean if you’re going to be a lawyer or a doctor you need to go to college you need a degree but you don’t need to for music and I don’t think that it is necessarily the best use of somebody’s time. Some people, some rappers just really frown upon education if it is of the college variety. The thing about rapping it’s kind of a weird thing, musicians, it’s a different thing than being an actor, there’s a certain credibility factor. On the one hand music is entertainment as a lot of people will tell you and it should not be a reflection, you shouldn’t say something in a rap and then go and do it, but at the same point there is a certain weird kind of reality thing especially with urban artists. Their credibility and where the come from and their story and how real they are it has a lot to do with how their fans perceive them and how they buy into them. so it’s kind of like a confusing thing, a 17 year old blonde white girl doesn’t necessarily need to have the same kind of credibility as a rapper but you know for one reason or another rap music is of the streets. Even people who are not from the streets, you know suburban people, they connect with it I think because it plays into a certain kind of primal thing, there’s a certain kind of energy and a survival to it and being bad and illegal type stuff and even the violence to it, and that’s part of the entertainment factor within the music. Unfortunately for the music to come off credible and real and feel believable the people who are making it and rapping about these things for the listener I think they really need to feel like this person actually went through this story and they’re not just saying it for no reason. So I think that’s where a lot of it ties in, I’m sure if rappers say a college degree’s good, they will be looked at differently. 50 Cent he’s a great example really, 50 cent is a genius musically period so he deserves all of his success and plus he’s a workaholic and he’s one of these people that I probably look up to most but one of the stories that was big when he got into the mainstream was the fact that he got shot 9 times; that was huge. I mean think about it if you ask someone “what to do you know about 50 Cent’s story” I guarantee you a chief factor in most people’s minds is that. So it’s kind of a weird thing you know, it’s just part of the music somehow. The street music that people are connecting to comes from the streets; it comes from living on the streets and having those kind of stories with that kind of music.

By: Hot Gossip Gal So airing out Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone makes Dallas Austin who may have been smoking a lil too much of what he got caught with in Dubai last year, the man? Is the dude kidding me? I think he is just a lil mad that Joss Stone put his man(ager) on blast in a recent interview. But how Christina got dragged into all this to the extent that she did is beyond me…all I can say is wow. As a father of four and a husband..he really must have been in the doghouse after his confessional…of course if what he says is true.

By: Rizoh Cut Chemist’s exit was the smoking gun that signaled some internal rumbles within the Jurassic 5 camp. (Chali 2Na and Marc 7even later walked away from the group.) But who could’ve guessed that the west coast collective was headed for splitsville? Over the weekend, the crew announced on BBC-1xtra that they are to part ways after 14 years in the rap game. Their manager cited “musical differences” as the reason for the split. Zaakir (aka Soup) hinted at the breakup in an interview with Australia’s Gold Bust Bulletin a month before it was made official. “Some people may say it’s a creative thing, but I’m not buying it,” said Zaakir. “Some might say business, some might say merchandising, whatever, there’s some really stupid sh*t – some really childish things – happening.” J5 had been together since 1992. They garnered critical praise for their no frills musical style, obviously inspired by old school hip-hop. Their last album, 2006’s Feedback, peaked at No.15 on Billboard 200 and churned hits like “Red Hot” and “Work it Out.” I guess they couldn’t “Get It Together.”

By: Rizoh Search for a leader of a New York faction of the Bloods gang named Jared Gomez has led Federal Marshals to investigate Cam’ron and his Dipset crew. Since the 27-year old fugitive was spotted at a Dipset party last summer, the FBI has begun searching for any connections between the indicted drug dealer and Cam’s label, according to the New York Post. Gomes has been on the run since December 2005, when cops and federal agents busted a massive crack and gun-selling ring and nabbed 16 of its alleged members. A spokesman for Cam’ron reportedly told the Post that he “has nothing to do with anyone who is a fugitive.”

By: Hot Gossip Gal Gotta love Chris Rock for this one. This is what he had to say about America when it comes to choosing the 44th President of the United States of America. "It’s ready for a retarded president, why wouldn’t it be ready for an African American president?" I am still amazed that GW actually confesses to The Very Hungry Caterpillar being his fave book EVER. Not long to go until his back to riding horses and counting barrels of oil.

The Trap: Straight From The Streets Every Friday This week features Jim Jones, Maino, Jae Millz, and Ralph McDaniels Click Here to view

By: Hot Gossip Gal After nearly drowning on Flavor of Love II it looks like New York, has found a trusted life vest….SILICONE. Here she is in all her glory in a spread for the up and coming Blender.

By: Rizoh As you know, Oprah Winfrey has been catching a lot of flack for building a state-of-the-art school for girls in South Africa. Singer/rapper Tyrese Gibson (aka Black Ty) has jumped to Oprah’s defense. “There is a staggering amount of millionaires and billionaires out in the world that do nothing to effect positive change within society,” said Tyrese. “The fact that Oprah Winfrey took a monumental step to create a school in South Africa for the betterment of African children rather then just speak of change is commendable. The bible says- ‘No good deed shall go unpunished,’ and there are many critics out in the world turning up negative stones to find a flaw in this wonderful gift donated to South Africa by Oprah Winfrey. I stand with Oprah in the fight for change and positive world reform and I hope that people realize there will always be struggle and without struggle there is no progression. Please leave her alone and let the blessings she is offering outshine the public scrutiny she is facing.” Tyrese is absolutely right on this one. Who gives anyone the right dictate to Oprah how to spend her hard-earned money? Here in the United States, we treasure good education and hopes of achieving the American Dream. Why then is it a problem when Oprah decides to give that same hope to impoverished kids in South Africa? I wonder if the same people who criticize Ms. Winfrey for spending her money on the betterment of lives would react if some stranger tells them exactly how they need to spend their money. Also, does this mean that Black Ty will soon get dissed by 50 Cent who’s made it clear several times that he’s no fan of Oprah’s?

By: Rizoh Stevie Wonder was honored for his “music, activism and leadership” with performing-rights organization ASCAP’s inaugural “American Troubadour Award” at a star-stuffed gala in Washington, D.C. The event took place in the Cannon House Office Building’s Caucus Room at Capitol Hill, with Democrats and Republicans in attendance. To pay proper tribute, ASCAP invited some musical notables to perform Wonder’s songs Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, Brian McKnight and Wyclef Jean were among the artists who delivered renditions of the crooner’s classic songs. Stevie colored the event by performing five songs, including “My Cherie Amour” and “Overjoyed.” Wonder also hooked up with Bennett for a rendition of their Grammy-winning hit, “For Once in My Life.” Stevie Wonder described music as a vehicle through which he can “be used to inspire and encourage,” and about songs being “part of a symphony that says to the leaders of the world, ‘Let’s end war.’ ”

By: Hot Gossip Gal Diddy is never going to marry this chick and I am tired of hearing people say that it is going to happen. The dude admitted that he likes to invite females to his dressing room when he is getting ready for a night out and put on some Marvin Gaye..hmmmm. Sounds like something a man who is eager to get married would do. Kim is probably elbow deep in dirty diapers at home while he is ‘getting it on.’ But anyhow Sean’s ex Latina Lover J-Lo talked about the way Kim Porter ran her mouth about her and her asset to Essence last year. In a recent interview Jen had this to say "I am not going to go there. Look, she knows what went on, I know what went on. And that is where we have to leave it. I am not going to discuss any of the details of that intimate relationship that I had with the public. It’s just not that necessary." Mature woman or what?

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno Believe it or not, Canibus has dropped seven albums since debuting in 1998 with Can-I-Bus. Even though it seems longer than a couple of years, Canibus’ last album Hip-Hop For Sale dropped in November 2005. Canibus now has announced his new album, For Whom the Beat Tolls, is set to drop in May. No tracklist has been announced but Canbus’ website, CANIBUSONLINE, said that there are 17 new tracks including the “greatest rhyme of all time ‘Poet Laureate Infinity,’” produced by DJ Premier. According to various fan websites, Canibus has been staying busy working on mixtapes and two other albums, including a sequel to Rip The Jacker. Apparently Canibus has also been working with everyone from one-time mentor to nemesis Wyclef Jean, Nas, MF Doom, Tyrese, Royce Da 5’9”, Mya and a bunch of other folks. We’ll believe it when we see it.