STR8NYC.COM » News Bites

STR8 COMEDY: DIDDY TAKES BAD BOY TEAM TO CHARM SCHOOL!

LexAve — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:10:03 +0000

If you want to work for Diddy these days, you best to leave all the hood antics at the door. Diddy wants employees that know how to act or rather know to conduct themselves in a professional manner w/grace & elegance not like some hoodrat trick that don’t know no better. Word is Diddy is tired of his Bad Boy employees acting like damn fools that’s he giving them some training.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has hired an etiquette coach to teach his Bad Boy staff how to hold wine glasses and chopsticks, among other social niceties. The music mogul recently tapped Dawn Bryan to give staff at his Manhattan-based Bad Boy Records a course on proper dining etiquette, business protocol in foreign countries and other rules of conduct. Bryan, the author of “The Art and Etiquette of Gift Giving,” calls herself an “international protocol expert.” She recently taught Combs’ cohorts lessons including use of dinnerware at formal events, how to hold chopsticks and how to present a business card in Japan, guidance on giving business gifts and how to choose wine, hold a wine glass and eat caviar. A rep for Bad Boy said the lessons were part of a series of training sessions for employees at the company’s Midtown offices that are “a protocol for new hires.”
Glad to see Diddy really cares how his employees and company is perceived by money making honchos. It’s a damn shame the rest of the music industry is loaded with hood folks that need some serious home training and professionalism 101 lessons. Believe me…I’ve dealt with many of them and it’s a damn shame. #imjustsayin As for whether or not the Bad Boy staff will be converted in Diddy’s “Charm School”…I give it two weeks.

Follow @lexave @Str8NYC
Via NY Post

JIM JONES SUED BY VIDEO CHICKS…

J'More — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:14:33 +0000

Looks like the Capo, Jim Jones is in some serious hot water! According to the NY Daily News, the Harlem rapper is being sued by two chicks from Houston, Samantha Stotts and Sharie Johnson, who appear in his new “Summer Time” video for making them look like “hoes” on camera. Apparently, the two chicks were chillin’ in South Beach, when Jimmy and his goons began filming them as they were running around half-naked on the beach. According to them, they had no idea their ta-tas would end up on the Internet for the world to see.

“It makes me look like I’m a ho. They made us look very risqué,” Stotts said. “That’s not my personality.”

The video which was posted on YouTube, garnered more than 30,000 views before being pulled down yesterday for violating the site’s “policy on nudity or sexual content”.

“I don’t have a problem with rap-video girls,” Johnson said. “But I never wanted to do this. It just makes it not fun for people to go to Miami. If I ever go to Miami again, I’m never, ever going to be topless again.”

So, they really thought Jimmy and his crew were just filming them for their own enjoyment when they had bottles of champagne, stacks of cash and strippers on deck? Give me a break!

STR8 SNITCHIN’: KID CUDI WHITE BOY WASTED!

Cola Janneti — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:51:48 +0000

It looks like someone need to be added to the Celebrity Rehab list. In this hilarious clip, a totally trashed Kid Cudi can be viewed being carried/dragged/schlopped back to his car, where he is inserted in the back seat and then neatly folded in half — no kidding!! Kid Cudi is really taking his newfound persona as a rapper turned rocker a bit too literal. Chill homey!

STR8 COVER: NICKI MINAJ “PINK FRIDAY”

Cola Janneti — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:16:53 +0000

The hottest female rapper in the game right now, Nicki Minaj, reveals her inner Barbie on the cover of her debut album, Pink Friday. Word is Pink Friday is now set to drop November 22nd instead of November 23rd.

Thoughts on album cover? Very cute…

STR8 COVER: KANYE WEST “MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY”

Cola Janneti — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:57:23 +0000

Kanye lets loose of the unanimously the most bizarre album covers in hip hop history via twitter the other day.. “Banned in the USA!!! They tried to play me fam! They don’t want me chilling on the couch with my phoenix!” KanYeezy tweeted before posting the controversial artwork illustrated by artist George Condo. “In all honesty … I really don’t be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers #Kanyeshrug!” he added. “I wanna sell albums but not at the expense of my true creativity.”

What do you think of the cover?!
Sidebar: Will CAPS-LOCK Kanye make a comeback via twitter?…#imisstheoldkanye

LIL WAYNE DEBUTS AT #2 + LAST WORDS FROM JAIL…

Cola Janneti — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:38:27 +0000

Despite being incarcerated, according to HitsDailyDouble Lil Wayne will debuts at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 108,791 copies this week. The LP, which was originally a EP, will resurface October 12th physically in stores. *Clap for him*

In other Weezy news, earlier today he issued his “last” words to his fans in a letter…

Hello world. Time is ticking and I’m counting every second. Because of my new limitations, this unfortunately has to be my last letter. I don’t think people truly understand how much their thoughts and well wishes have helped me through this time in my life. Not everyone is as lucky as I am and it humbles me daily. You would be amazed what positivity can do in a negative environment. I’m going to miss reading about your lives. I’m going to miss looking at the pictures. They were the highlight of my days aside from speaking with my kids. Don’t stress over this in 27 days, the ride starts again.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who is supporting I Am Not A Human Being. It amazes me each time people go out and support my music. I’ll always be in debt to you for that. Keep rocking your “Free Weezy” tees and rocking out to my music. Trust me when I say this is almost over. I love you. I’ll continue to pray for all of you. Just keep doing the same for me. Via AHH

He also issued his last words via his twitter account…

So there you have it folks…until next time.

BEANIE SIGEL F*CKED HIS MONEY UP…

Cola Janneti — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:26:49 +0000

Dissing Jay-Z didn’t work, nor did linking up with 50 Cent ’cause now the tax man is after Beanie Sigel. The Philly rapper is charged with failing to file his taxes and reporting his gross income for three years! According to the Philadelphia’s District Court, Beanie didn’t pay taxes on $1.5 million from 2003-2005. DAMN!

If convicted, the former Roc Boy could spend three years in the pen. And according to his lawyer, Fortunato Perri Jr. he’s likely to plead guilty.

Whatever happened to hiring an accountant? Looks like Beanie needs to hit the studio quick! Wonder if homie 50 will lend him a couple thousands. Ha!

NAS GOES IN ON DEF JAM…”PUT MY SH*T OUT!”

Cola Janneti — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:27:40 +0000

Nas is requesting that Def Jam do one thing…just put his sh*t out! Looks like Def Jam is putting the God Son through the ringer and quite frankly he’s tired of it. Wouldn’t you be? The Queens rapper wants to give the people want they want and wants the bosses over at Def Jam to do the same.

Check out Nas’ well written letter below…

From: Nas
To: LA Reid, Steve Bartels, Steve Gawley, Michael Seltzer, Joseph Borrino, Chris Hicks
Subject: PUT MY S*** OUT!

Peace to all,

With all do respect to you all, Nas is NOBODY’s slave. This is not the 1800?s, respect me and I will respect you.

I won’t even tap dance around in an email, I will get right into it. People connect to the Artist @ the end of the day, they don’t connect with the executives. Honestly, nobody even cares what label puts out a great record, they care about who recorded it. Yet time and time again its the executives who always stand in the way of a creative artist’s dream and aspirations. You don’t help draw the truth from my deepest and most inner soul, you don’t even do a great job @ selling it. The #1 problem with DEF JAM is pretty simple and obvious, the executives think they are the stars. You aren’t…. not even close. As a matter of fact, you wish you were, but it didn’t work out so you took a desk job. To the consumer, I COME FIRST. Stop trying to deprive them! I have a fan base that dies for my music and a RAP label that doesn’t understand RAP. Pretty f***** up situation

This isn’t the 90?s though. Beefing with record labels is so 15 years ago. @ this point I just need you all to be very clear where I stand and how I feel about “my label.” I could go on twitter or hot 97 tomorrow and get 100,000 protesters @ your building but I choose to walk my own path my own way because since day one I have been my own man. I did business with Tommy Mottola and Donnie Einer, two of the most psycho dudes this business ever created. I worked well with them for one major reason……. they believed in me. The didn’t give a f*** about what any radio station or magazine said….those dudes had me.

Lost Tapes is a movement and a very important set up piece for my career as it stands. I started this over 5 years ago @ Columbia and nobody knew what it was or what it did but the label put it out as an LP and the fans went crazy for it and I single handlely built a new brand of rap albums. It’s smart and after 5 years it’s still a head of the game. This feels great and you not feeling what I’m feeling is disturbing. Don’t get in the way of my creativity. We are aligned with the stars here, this is a movement. There is a thing called KARMA that comes to haunt you when you tamper with the aligning stars. WE ARE GIVING THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. Stop throwing dog s*** on a MAGICAL moment.

You don’t get another Nas recording that doesn’t count against my deal….PERIOD! Keep your b******* $200,000.00 fund. Open the REAL budget. This is a New York pioneers ALBUM, there ain’t many of us. I am ready to drop in the 4th quarter. You don’t even have s*** coming out! Stop being your own worst enemy. Let’s get money!

-N.Jones

Now that’s gangsta!

Sidebar: LMAO @ the execs wanting to be stars! Why won’t they just let Nas be great?!

Is Nas wrong for airing out his label?

STR8 COVERS: LLOYD BANKS “HUNGER FOR MORE 2″

Cola Janneti — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:22:22 +0000

After launching lloydbanks.com, the PLK shows off the cover artwork for HFM2. Shout out to Slang Inc. What ya’ll think of it?

LexAve: Looks just like the first one…how creative?! Are people still checking for G-Unit anyway? #imjustsayin

STR8 GLOSSY: USHER COVERS VIBE MAGAZINE!

Cola Janneti — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:06:18 +0000

Check out Usher on the cover of Vibe’s October/November 2010 issue. Looks like is trying to re-invent his image and regain his sex symbol status to which he lost the minute he married Tameka Foster. Check out an excerpt from the Usher’s cover story with Clover Hope below:
On Raymond V Raymond being a career rebound
“I don’t think it was a rebound at all. Some people in my organization felt like it was a rebound, but for me it was business as usual. Were there hard times in the process? Absolutely. I think it was the first time that doubt was ever amongst the opinions. Like, Can he do it again? Is it possible that this can happen? When you have 15 years of a legacy built, it shouldn’t be questionable with one album.”

Now that Usher has managed his way on to top of the charts…he can’t help but wonder do you still find Usher sexy?