New Functions

Effective January 2nd, 2003 J-Live, of Triple Threat Productions Inc, and Coup D'Etat Entertainment LLC have ended their year long relationship.

In 2002, the partnership released the critically acclaimed "All Of The Above." J, whose career has endured through mergers and bankruptcies, is enthusiastic about the future. J had this to say. "My plan was and still is to release my next album, "The Hear After" this Fall and my main concern is to produce the best product I can. I am very much pleased with the commercial success of "All of The Above" as well as "The Best Part" and there is no reason for me to think "The Hear After" won"t be another step up for me as an artist and a businessman."

Wes Jackson, J's manager and co-executive producer of "All Of The Above" and "The Best Part", had this to add. "I and Seven Heads have had the pleasure of working with J for the past 8 years and in that time we have been through many deals, good and bad. J is without a doubt, one of the top independent artists as a producer, arranger and Mcee. And we have been fortunate enough to sell a record or two over the years, so his commercial viability is at its highest point. I look forward to this next step."

	Cribs Meets Cars as The New TNN Teams With Top DJ Funkmaster - Sun Mar 9th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	NEW YORK, NY /PRNewswire/ -- Top hip hop DJ and car enthusiast Funkmaster Flex will take viewers inside the world of car culture and celebrity in The Funkmaster Flex Show, a new series to premiere on The New TNN later this year, it was announced today by Kevin Kay, Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, The New TNN. Kay also announced that the network has greenlit a new comedy/reality series titled Crash Test, where guys compete to see who is the ultimate party crasher. Both series are scheduled to join the New TNN's lineup this Fall. "We are on an exciting new trajectory with the network," said Kay. "We think these two new projects target our new male positioning, especially with our men's lifestyle and car culture programming. " Dubbed the "evangelist " of hip hop car culture by the New York Times, top hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex takes viewers into his exclusive world of car culture and celebrity. The Funkmaster Flex Show takes test drives with the hottest celebs, musicians and athletes. The series will feature the most popular car shows in the country as well as the latest in auto customizing -- cutting edge parts from engines to audio systems. Flex founded Team Baurtwell, the highest profile custom-car club around with members like Shaquille O'Neil, and musicians Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot. He writes an authoritative automotive column for two of hip hop's most read publications -- the Source and Mobile Entertainment magazine. The number one hip hop DJ in NY, Flex is also one of the most sought after live DJ's in the country and has produced and compiled five gold-selling albums, featuring Jay Z, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. Under their Red Moxie banner, Funkmaster Flex and Emmy nominated Producer Monica Taylor (Live with Regis and Kathy Lee) and film and TV Producer Lashan Browning serve as executive producers of the series. TNN has ordered 6 episodes.

	Ice Cube Hits Back At Samuel L Jackson And Word Is Ras Kass Is On The Run - Sat Mar 1st, 2003 by *Anthony*


	With last years comments from Samuel L. Jackson on rappers turning actors and that they have no place in the industry, Ice Cube has finally decided to retaliate on wax. Ice Cube apparently takes shots at Jackson on the track titled "Light's Out" and also attacks the Reverend Jesse Jackson after his comments on the "Fuck Jesse Jackson" scene from Ice Cube's hit movie, "Barbershop". "Light's Out" will feature on the forthcoming compilation titled "Ghetto, Gutta & Gangster", which is due in May. According to the recent Davey D newsletter, Ras Kass is currently evading Los Angeles police. Ras Kass was supposed to turn up for sentencing on January 12th over a DUI offence, his third one apparently and begin a 9 month mandatory sentence. However, similar to Keith Murray's little runaway, Ras Kass has left Los Angeles and is believed to have fled to New York in order escape his sentence. Ras Kass, who was set to drop his third album, "Golden Chyld" in April may yet see the release of his the new album delayed further due to these recent events.

	Hi-Tek Productions And Tony "Hi-Tek" Cottrell To Produce Midwest Talent Search - Sat Feb 22nd, 2003 by *Anthony*


	On March 1, 2003 at 8 p.m. the Cincinnati Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio will host a panel of judges including executives from Def Jam and MCA Records. Open to contestants hailing from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and throughout the Midwest, this talent search is the first of it's kind and the biggest talent search to ever target the region. Open to Hip Hop, R&B, and other genres of music, the vocalist competition will provide the first-place contestant with an opportunity to produce a professional recording "demo"; with a runner-up receiving one-day use of Teklab Recording Studios in Cincinnati, OH. "I want to give back to these Midwest communities," explains Hi-Tek, "and there are basically not a lot of good outlets for Midwestern talent." The winner of the competition will get much more than a demo – he or she will have the opportunity to conceptualize and develop their own unique sound working directly with Hi-Tek. Hi-Tek's accomplishments as a member of Reflection Eternal (with Talib Kweli) lead up to recognition as one of Hip Hop's best new producers; only to blossom into a full-length LP of his own (on MCA Records) and a production company, Hi-Tek Productions. He's also known for his artist development, as evidenced by female vocalist Jonelle, whom he cultivated from the voice on the hit "Round and Round" to a full-fledged recording artist with an upcoming Hi-Tek Productions/Def Jam debut LP. Hi-Tek's success triggered fans and media alike to focus on the Midwest in general, and Cincinnati in particular, as a hotbed of talent. Promotion and advertisements on radio and television networks (including BET and MTV) will ensure that all eyes are on the Cincinnati Convention Center on Saturday, March 1st. We invite your media coverage of the event. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss, or to list a journalist and/or photographer for coverage. Interviews with HI-TEK will be available upon request.

	Mos Def & Russell Simmons Speak Out in Anti-War TV Ads - Sat Feb 15th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Russell Simmons, the legendary co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and Mos Def, a highly respected rapper and actor, are starring in anti-war television ads that begin broadcasting tomorrow. The two thirty second spots, one featuring Mr. Simmons and the other featuring Mos Def, will run on cable systems that carry MTV, BET and CNN in New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. In them, the celebrities insist that President Bush's rush to war against Iraq is premature, that Saddam Hussein is being successfully contained by United Nation's inspections, and that the enormous amount of money now pledged for war would be far better spent on such basic human necessities as food, health care, and education for those who now lack them. Mr. Simmons is hip-hop's most prominent figure. In a career that stretches back to the late ‘70s, he has distinguished himself as the creator of Def Jam Recordings, "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam," the Phat Farm fashion brand, Broadway's "Def Poetry Jam," and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. The Brooklyn-born Mos Def maintains an estimable dual career as a rapper and an actor. In the last five years, he has recorded rap albums under his own name, with his partner Talib Kweli in a group called Black Star, and alongside such earlier legends as De La Soul. As an actor, he followed small but memorable film roles in "Bamboozled" and "Monster's Ball," with a starring role on Broadway in "Top Dog/Under Dog." He was also the host of "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam" on HBO. Produced in New York by Danny Schechter of Global Vision, the television spots are the latest in a series of anti-war ads sponsored by Ben Cohen's True Majority organization. The actresses Susan Sarandon and Janeane Garofalo were featured in the earlier spots. Mr. Cohen is the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

	Currently Hiring Staff - Wed Feb 12th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Because I can not work on this site by myself and get it updated regularly, I have decided to hire staff. You must answer yes to most of these questions: Have you got a good knowledge of HTML? Do you have a previous website? (Just to check out your website skills) Are you willling to work for free? :p Are you willing to work on the site at least 3 days a week So you if you can answer to yes to most of these questions, please email me or by clicking on STAFF in the navigation bar. Thanks for your co-operation.

	8 Mile Hits DVD and VHS On March 18 - Sun Feb 9th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Multi-Grammy- winning, best-selling multi-platinum recording artist Eminem burns up the screen with "an undeniably charismatic performance" (Christy Lemire, Associated Press), in director Curtis Hanson's ("L.A. Confidential," "Wonder Boys") searing "8 MILE," coming to DVD and video March 18, 2003, from Universal Studios Home Video. The DVD will include Academy Award(R)-winner Hanson's groundbreaking critically acclaimed film, along with additional bonus features created specially for Eminem fans by Universal Studios Home Video. The DVD version is priced at $26.98 (S.R.P.) and $19.95 (M.A.P.). The VHS version is priced for rental. The order close for the DVD is February 11, 2003. The order close for the rental VHS is February 25, 2003.

	Breakdance, Hip Hop Top Sites - Sun Feb 2nd, 2003 by *Anthony*


	I have just added a new section to my site and I hope it will be very successful and get me many more hits. It is called Age of Rap Top Sites which is under Interactive. You may add your site to this list and get hundreds of votes. So please take the time to add your site to the list and watch your hits rise like wild.

	Method Man Album News - Sun Feb 2nd, 2003 by *Anthony*


	It is finally looking like that Wu-Tang Clan member, Method Man has managed to get up off his ass and record his new album. "Tical 0: The Prequel" has been on the cards since December 1999, but has been on constant delay ever since. Speaking to MTV, Meth has blamed the delays on his wild lifestyle and it took him a while to finally get focused and start recording that third album. A DefJam insider has said that the album is sounding hot, so don't let the fact that P.Diddy is helping produce this album put you off. We are now finally beginning to hear track names being mentioned. Expect tracks suck as "Rodeo" (ft. Ludacris), "Afterparty" (ft. Ghostface Killah), "Reasons" and "The Turn", which features Raekwon to all appear on the new album. Production will come from mainly inside the Wu camp, but don't be surprised if we see some outside production also. Meth hopes to stay focused on his recording duties and has claimed that the album will drop in the Spring (yes, Spring of 2003). A few weeks ago, we were told that the album may hit stores as early as March 25th, but with Def Jam's busy schedule and Meth's unreliability when it comes down to release dates, expect that date to change.

	Slower Progress - Fri Jan 31th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Hi there everyone. We haven't been able to update our site often anymore because of back-to-school. So we might update our site only about 2 or 3 times a week. So please stay tuned to the site and enjoy it and we'll update the news when ever we can and we promise that we will. Thanks for your co-operation!

	J-Live's Departure From Coup D'Etat Entertainment - Thu Jan 25th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Effective January 2nd, 2003 J-Live, of Triple Threat Productions Inc, and Coup D'Etat Entertainment LLC have ended their year long relationship. In 2002, the partnership released the critically acclaimed "All Of The Above." J, whose career has endured through mergers and bankruptcies, is enthusiastic about the future. J had this to say. "My plan was and still is to release my next album, "The Hear After" this Fall and my main concern is to produce the best product I can. I am very much pleased with the commercial success of "All of The Above" as well as "The Best Part" and there is no reason for me to think "The Hear After" won"t be another step up for me as an artist and a businessman." Wes Jackson, J's manager and co-executive producer of "All Of The Above" and "The Best Part", had this to add. "I and Seven Heads have had the pleasure of working with J for the past 8 years and in that time we have been through many deals, good and bad. J is without a doubt, one of the top independent artists as a producer, arranger and Mcee. And we have been fortunate enough to sell a record or two over the years, so his commercial viability is at its highest point. I look forward to this next step."

	Proof Of D12 Goes Searching 4 Jerry Garcia - Thu Jan 23rd, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Eminem is not the only Detroit celeb making his acting debut in the semi-autobiographic film, 8 Mile. Eminem's rhyme partner, PROOF, the only member of hip-hop group D12 to appear in the film plays Lil' Tic. If you've seen the film, Lil' Tic is the rapper who makes Rabbit (Eminem's character), choke in the MC battle. While Proof plays MC extraordinaire, Mekhi Phifer portrays Proof's real life persona in the film, which took in $54.5 million in its first week making it the second best opening ever for an R-Rated film. Fresh off the success of the 8 Mile film and soundtrack, PROOF has just completed a 6-song vinyl EP, Electric Coolaid - Acid Testing due out December 17, 2002. The EP which features MC Breed on the lead single, "One - Two" and Journalist and Mu on "Broken" will build momentum for his solo debut album titled, Searching 4 Jerry Garcia which features Eminem, D12 and Shady Record's new artist, Obie Trice. Proof aka Big Proof aka Derty Harry, an amazing freestyler and winner of Source Magazine's 1999 Freestyling Competition is one of Detroit's wildest wordsmith. Word got around about the new kid on the block and it was a matter of time before Proof, Detroit's most notorious MC and host of the emcee battles at Maurice Malones' Hip Hop Shop would meet the rapper who later become known to the world as Slim Shady. New to the local hip-hop scene, Proof pushed Eminem into the battles, creating the street buzz needed for Eminem to secure a record deal with Aftermath/Interscope Records. But Eminem would not travel the mile alone, the relationship developed at The Hip Hop Shop between Proof, Eminem, Kon Artis, Bizarre, Kuniva, and Swift laid the foundation for what became D12. Their multi-platinum album (nearly 4 million albums sold worldwide), Devil's Night, which spawned the controversial single "Purple Pills," was released on Eminem's Shady Records/Interscope imprint last year.

	Outcast Wants New Album 'To Make Love To Your Earlobe Through the Speaker - Mon Jan 20th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	OUTKAST have said they want their new album to "make love to your earlobe through the speaker"! Speaking at the American Music Awards, they explained that the double album 'Speakerbox/Love Hater' will basically be a solo album from both Big Boi and Andre 3000. "It's like two-for-one lapdance day at your local gentleman's club," Killer Mike, latest OutKast cohort enthused. Big Boi explained: "We're taking it back to the essence of just beats, rhymes and straight funk. We both produce and we both do every little part of the music, so when you at home in your own kitchen or at Stankonia [their studio] you're working at different vibes. From a production standpoint, you get more done in a shorter amount of time."

	New Page - Fri Jan 17th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	The 'Gamez' page is up and running. Some of the old games like Frogger and Pacman. But hey, you can't expect Age of Mythology to work on this crumby site. The poll page may be up, but it hasn't worked yet.

	Welcome Back - Thu Jan 16th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Welcome back, to the new and improved Age of Rap N R'n'B. As you can see, we've given the site another face lift, and it's a bit darker than the old one, but I am happy with the layout. I have made new navigation bar logos and a lot of thanks to my cousin, Adrian, for giving me the Graffiti Font. Laterz! ;-)

	New Functions - Fri Jan 17th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Many of the links work now and the poll is working. The new links that work are: Poll, Gamez, Hip Hop Lists, Download Sitez, Graffiti Fontz. A new section has been added for all you webmasters out there. A colour table, tips and ways of making money your own website!! How cool is that? And you guys who have a site already, I've added a link where you can apply for an award from our site. Just click on 'Apply for an Award.' And do our site a favour by VOTING. Our site might be falling on news behind because we don't have enough votes. This page is supposed to tell you about news but we don't have enough information. So please remember to Vote by clicking on VOTE 4 Us under the MAIN heading.

	Special Thanks - Fri Jan 17th, 2003 by *Anthony*


	Very special thanks to my friend Ye, for helping me and giving me tips for this site. If you would like some professional help, email him. So another special thanks to Ye.