UNCUT Magazine

BEYONCE, BLIGE, LEGEND WIN TOP SOUL TRAIN AWARDS

Apparently, there is such a thing as award show fatigue.

Its latest victim, the Soul Train Music Awards, took place over the weekend without much pre-show hype and with very little of the award recipients in attendance.

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson was in the house to receive her pre-announced Entertainer of the Year honor, but eight of the 10 winners in major categories were no-shows – including Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, John Legend and Gnarls Barkley.

The press room at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium was also a virtual ghost town, as many of the celebs who showed up to Saturday’s ceremony did not come backstage for interviews, including Hudson, and fellow Soul Train honorees Jermaine Dupri and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. But, the “Chicken Noodle Soup” duo, Webstar and Young B, came back to discuss their prize for Best Dance Cut.

Understandably, Ronald Isley avoided reporters following his performance in tribute to James Brown, who was finally laid to rest Saturday after two months of court battles over his estate. Isley is about to begin his 37 months in federal prison for tax evasion. In perhaps his last televised outing of the next three years, he and his brothers won the best album (group) award for "Baby Makin' Music."

Beyonce, who picked up a best single (female) trophy for her song “Irreplaceable,” was busy in New York shooting a commercial for Samsung cell phones. An appearance at the ceremony would’ve been awkward anyway, as her former Destiny’s Child bandmate, LeToya Luckett, was hosting the show with Omarion.

Getting back to the press room action, one of the celebs who did visit was comedienne/actress Kym Whitley, accompanied by two male contest winners that she poked fun at. But that was before EUR's Lee Bailey asked her to reflect on her friend, the late Gerald Levert.

At that point, Whitley became visibly overcome with emotion and went to on deliver a moving tribute to the late singer as she recalled that it was Levert who brought her LA for the first time and to of all places, the Soul Train Awards.

The 21st annual Soul Train Music Awards will be broadcast in national syndication from March 17 through March 24. Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST R&B/SOUL SINGLE, FEMALE
"Irreplaceable" - Beyonce
BEST R&B/SOUL SINGLE, MALE
"Save Room" - John Legend
BEST R&B/SOUL SINGLE, GROUP, BAND OR DUO
"Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
BEST R&B/SOUL ALBUM, FEMALE
"The Breakthrough" - Mary J. Blige
BEST R&B/SOUL ALBUM, MALE
"Unpredictable" - Jamie Foxx
BEST R&B/SOUL ALBUM, GROUP, BAND OR DUO
"Baby Makin' Music" - The Isley Brothers, featuring Ronald Isley
BEST R&B/SOUL OR RAP, NEW ARTIST
"Sexy Love" - Ne-Yo
BEST R&B/SOUL OR RAP MUSIC VIDEO
"Show Me What You Got" - Jay-Z
BEST R&B/SOUL OR RAP DANCE CUT
"Chicken Noodle Soup" - Webstar & Young B featuring the Voice of Harlem
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM
"Songs for the Storm, Volume 1" - Kirk Franklin
OUTSTANDING CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
Jermaine Dupri
OUTSTANDING CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN SONGWRITING
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Hudson

It's Offical, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff Sentenced To Life In Jail

Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff was officially sentenced on Friday (March 9) to life in prison without any chance of parole for his conviction in February 2007.

As previously reported, McGriff will be spending the rest of his life behind bars because of racketeering charges, narcotics trafficking and conspiring to murder aspiring Queens rapper E-Money Bags and a former associate Troy Singleton.

Following Supreme's conviction, a jury in Brooklyn federal court was unable to reach an undisputed verdict regarding the death penalty, prosecutors said. As a result of the deadlocked deliberations, McGriff faced an obligatory sentence of life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf stated that after serving a jail sentence on a previous conviction, McGriff established another violent organization and again became involved in a variety of criminal acts including racketeering; drug trafficking, homicide and money laundering. McGriff's new organization trafficked in wholesale quantities of heroin and cocaine from New York as far south as North Carolina, prosecutors said.

"He devoted the better part of two decades to gangs, drug trafficking and violence, treating his prior sentences as mere interruptions in his pursuit of a life of crime," Mauskopf.stated.

Nas Shrugs Off Kelis Arrest, Gets His 'Greedy On' With Tour, New Album

Nas has already had an active 2007. He's still releasing singles from Hip Hop Is Dead, he's hitting the road for a 26-date tour and he's planning to release his next album in the summer or fall.
But there's one part of the year he'd rather just forget. His wife, singer Kelis, was arrested a couple of weeks ago in Miami after shouting at undercover police officers. Nas simply shrugged the incident off with a chuckle.

"It's a lot of sh-- out there circulating about her that she finds pretty funny," the MC said Thursday. "It'll be cleared up soon."

Nas is escaping the drama by getting back in the studio this week, and this time all bets are off. If you can't keep up with his lyrical content, that's on you.

"I'm looking forward to having a summer or fall release," Nas said. "But summer, that's the time of the year I wanna crack it open. I'm having such a good time. Like I said years ago, it's about having fun now. I'm having such a good time, and with the music, I've gotten ahead of myself. I'm just trying to share that with the people now. Because the way I've been feeling after I did [Hip Hop Is Dead], I wanted it to flow a lot freer. I had to get some sh-- off my chest about hip-hop being dead. I know I was gonna be over n---as' heads with the title, so I didn't want to just leave n---as and they couldn't catch up. Now I don't care if they don't catch up. I don't care. I'm all the way gone. When I do this next sh--, I'm outta here. I'm not holding back on this one.
"I did what I had to do," he added. "I'm free with it. I've got the fame, I've had the paper for over a decade. I got the love. A n---a is just flying free and having a bunch of fun. I'm getting my greedy on this year and having a ball. I'm getting my greedy on in a good way, though. I'm having fun. I'm like, 'Could it get any better?' In life, you got ups and downs. I'm enjoying the ups."

Nas' transition to the next album is definitely not going to be a swift one. He said he's not done with Hip Hop Is Dead yet. There are still a few songs that he wants to get a big look before he closes it out.

"We're getting ready to shoot the next video now," he said. "I got two directors working on two songs. I don't know which [song] is coming first, so I don't want to say what's coming first, but it's 'Black Republican' and 'Hustlers.' It's looking good. It's looking larger than life. It feels good. I'm probably going to get another single after the next two. 'Cause usually I drop two singles and I'm out of your face until the next album. But I'm getting so many requests to release so many different singles, so I'm gonna try to give this one life before the next one comes out. You gonna probably see a flurry of sh-- right before the next album, just so I got it all off on this album."


Esco will hit the road in the next few weeks in support of Hip Hop Is Dead and his whole legacy. He'll be by himself, so he says there will be plenty of time to run through his catalog on the One Man, One Mic, One Night Tour. "My underground hits are way stronger than all my singles have ever been," he said. "But I never been able to [perform] them all because my singles would pull in a certain crowd that only wanted to hear the singles. This type of show is mainly about my street hits — my 'hood anthems.

"I just picked good times to go out in the past," he added about previous outings. "But it's been a long time since I did a long, extensive run. It was time to get my weight up on a run this year. The sh-- is different because the way I'm laying it out is different. I've had a format with the way I laid it out for a long time, but I'm switching it up. So since I'm one of the guys that's lucky enough to have a serious catalog, you have to give the people what they haven't heard in years. It could really be their sh--. It could be the song that they played at their man's funeral or their man's wedding. Just songs to take you back. That's the type of records I'm trying to pull out."

Nas' tour starts March 31 in Pittsburgh and ends May 3 in San Francisco. Also coming this year is the MTV reality show "Mr. and Mrs. Jones," which will feature the legendary MC and Kelis.


Suge Knight Wants To Close Up Shop At Death Row?

The death of a dynasty may be coming real soon, and that dynasty is Death Row Records.

According to NYPost.com, 42-year-old Marion "Suge" Knight said in a recent interview with Page Six that he's ready to close up shop at the label he founded in 1991 after making two visits to the City of Refuge Church, near his hometown of Compton, California.

During preacher Noel Jones sermon, he talked about letting "the past go, and move forward to the future." Two weeks later, Knight heard T.D. Jakes, who was visiting from Texas, say, "You can't keep living in the past. God gives you a chance to move on."

After hearing the eerily similar messages, he felt it was a message directed toward him.

"They talked about the same thing, and it felt like they were talking straight to me," Suge Knight told Page Six. "I don't want to be tied up with this for years. I want to move on with my life in a more positive direction.

"Over the past few years, the Death Row Record founder has been in a legal battle in bankruptcy court since Lydia Harris won a $106 million judgment against Death Row in March of 2005, after she claimed that her imprisoned husband and alleged drug kingpin, Michael "Harry-O" Harris, helped start the label by providing Knight with the seed money, entitling them to 50% ownership.

Although Knight says he gave Lydia a $1 million several years ago, she sued again "once the money ran out."

In July of 2006, a federal judge ordered a bankruptcy trustee to takeover Death Row Recordsbut wanted knight to keep operating it under Chapter 11 reorganization. He now wants to liquidate his publishing rights, pay off the creditors, and end his Death Row troubles.

"I want to take care of the creditors. I'm saying I don't want to keep living in the past, with the negativity," Knight said. "We shouldn't be constantly feeding negative energy to these kids," he said. "You can get rich with the devil's money, but you can only be happy with God's money."

Kody "Monster" Scott Apprehended In Los Angeles

Police arrested Kody "Monster" Scott on Wednesday (Mar. 7) after police received an anonymous tip that the author and alleged gang member was in a South Los Angeles neighborhood.

Scott, also known as Sanyika Shakur, authored Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member from prison, which detailed his life as a child and young adult growing up in Los Angeles as an Eight-Tray Crips gang member.

Police believe Scott, who converted to Islam and denounced his violent ways, has maintained his ties to the Eight Tray Crips since being released from prison in 1995.

He served four years in state prison for armed robbery and possession of an AK-47.

An arrest warrant was issued for Scott on Dec. 15, after he allegedly struck an associate in the face and took his car. He was also wanted as a material witness in a homicide case.

According to the Associated Press, police converged on a home and after about 30 minutes, Scott showed up riding a bicycle and wearing a disguise.

He tried to escape, but soon gave up without a fight, because the area had been tightly secured by police officers.

"Scott has a reputation for running and fighting," Detective Bill Mixer said. "We went to great lengths to contain the area and safeguard the neighborhood."

Scott's book has moved over 300,000 copies since its initial release in 1993. The book was also reprinted in 2004.

The book never impressed Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who told reporters he read the book shortly after taking over the Los Angeles Police Department in Y.

"I didn't like his book, and I didn't like him," Bratton said. "Now we got to put him back behind bars again."

Ja Rule shows 'em Style with new song

It seems the Hollis rapper has learned his lesson with "Style On Em" going back to his roots; concerned more with being entertaining than hardcore.

Check out "Style On Em,"
Ja's comeback album, The Mirror, comes out June 26th.Click here to download.










Bobby Valentino Addresses Album Delay

As DTP Soul crooner, Bobby Valentino prepares Special Occasion, he and Ludacris got together to address the project's repeated delays and what fans can expect from the sophomore release.

Originally slated for release in October 2006, Special Occasion was first pushed back to February '07. After several of the tracks leaked to the Internet, fans thought the album would never officially come to fruition.

"Because of the success of my debut album, and the love for my fans, I wanted to take my time with this new album Special Occasion. So in the meantime, I put out a couple of songs that I knew weren't going on the album on my myspace & mixtapes to give to my fans," says Bobby about the misconception his official album leaked. "This was just a little something for them to ride to until the album is released."

"His new material shows even more growth and maturity and the songs that where leaked to internet were a tease compared to what he has on album," Ludacris said, listing "Let 'Em Go," "Anonymous" and "Home Is Where U Belong" as his favorite tracks from Bobby's forthcoming CD.

According to Bobby, fans can rest assured that, "Special Occasion consists of brand new songs. It will feature cameos by DTP leader Ludacris, Shareefa and Fabolous, and production by Tim & Bob, Timbaland, Dre & Vidal, Brian Cox and Rodney Jerkins."

Special Occasion is due in stores on May 8.

Snoop Dogg Arrested In Sweden

Stockholm police arrested rap star Snoop Dogg and a woman in her early 20s early on Monday for suspected narcotics use, a police official said.

Snoop Dogg, 35, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, was detained at 1:25 a.m. and released nearly four hours later, duty sergeant Mats Brannlund of Ostermalm police said.

"He was arrested for use of narcotics. It's illegal in Sweden to use them, even to have it in your system," he said.

"You can see that a person indicates that he has used narcotics in looking at his eyes or his movements. (Police) suspected that he had taken drugs."Snoop Dogg played Stockholm's Globe Arena on Sunday and was due to play the Oslo Spektrum later on Monday with fellow rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs as part of a joint European tour. Oslo-based concert promoter Atomic Agency said Snoop Dogg was en route to the Norwegian capital.

Media representatives for the rapper were not immediately available for comment.

Brannlund said police took body samples from Snoop Dogg and the woman and sent these to a laboratory for tests. Results are due in two to three weeks and the rapper could face a fine if the tests confirm drug use.

Busta Rhymes Banned From Movie Set

Rapper Busta Rhymes was banned from a Manhattan movie set earlier this weekend by police.

Busta Rhymes, who was arrested by police last month for driving with a suspended license, was banned from the movie set due to security concerns police had over public safety.

''This is tremendously unfair to Busta, who has been nothing but professional during this project,'' said director Jeff Celentano in a statement released through his publicist. ''This is a bigger loss for the city of New York.''

The film Busta Rhymes was cast in, Order of Redemption, is a crime drama starring Academy Award nominee Tom Berenger.

The film will continue filming in Manhattan until early April even though Busta Rhymes will not be present for filming.

Aside from being arrested by police due to a suspended license, Rhymes has also upset police for his refusal to cooperate with police after his bodyguard was shot and killed on the set of the video shoot for his "Touch It (Remix)" single.

John Legend Builds Label; Hooks Up With Whitney, Jennifer Hudson

John Legend sang with British export Corinne Bailey Rae at the Grammys, and he's taking her on tour with him this spring. Now Legend is looking to the U.K. for an even bigger venture: a leadoff artist for his label, Home School.

The R&B singer has signed British MC Estelle to the imprint. "She's got a great album," Legend said from England recently. "We've already gotten close to finishing the album, and she's got some great material. Estelle is an extremely talented writer and performer, rapper and singer, all of that, and she's got a great ear. She really gets music, so I think she's going to do very well."Estelle's the first artist we've signed," Legend continued. "My younger brother, Vaughn Anthony, is also gonna get signed soon, and I got a couple of MCs that I'm working with as well. We're growing, and I'm just trying to find great talent and bring it to light.

It's a lot of fun."Legend, who says his friend Will.I.Am has been in the lab with Estelle, adds that the name of his imprint is a tribute to a part of his childhood. "I was homeschooled as a kid — my parents taught me and my brothers at home for a while," he explained. "The idea is having this home factory of making music, where there's attention to detail and an authenticity, a soulfulness, to it. There's an independent spirit to it. That's the reason for the name."

Back in the United States, Legend said he'll be putting pen to paper with some of the finest artists R&B has to offer. He and Alicia Keys have discussed working together again, and he has more concrete plans with two other powerful women."I'll be writing with Whitney Houston and Jennifer Hudson," Legend revealed. "You never know with those things — you see what happens. If it comes out hot, it will make the album. If not, then it will just be an experience."

"Heaven," the second single from Legend's Once Again album, is fading out, but Legend has his next offering ready to go." 'P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)' is the new single — it's a song about public displays of affection, which is kinda fun," the singer said. "It's a playful song, a romantic song, and we wanted the video to reflect that. We shot it down in Rio when I was there for a concert for New Year's Eve, and it just has a really cool vibe.

The cinematography reminds you of an old Italian film or something. It's kind of unironically romantic. It was a lot of fun to make, and I think it's one of my favorite videos I've done so far."

Legend's tour with Corinne Bailey Rae kicks off April 3 in Irvine, California, and ends in mid-May.