the chal banz blog

I need a new Drake avatar Drake had Twitter on fire last night when he released a slew of new songs that dissed Kid Cudi and Pusha T. In one of the songs Drake calls an unnamed Pusha T a "studio drug dealer" or something along those lines. Drake also calls out Kid Cudi by making reference to Kid Cudi's former album title, "man on the moon". People felt that Drake was being insensitive to Kid Cudi since he is currently in rehab. Just months ago Kid Cudi called Drake and Kanye West out. So now Drake is responding two months later, maybe because it took him two months to write the response or his ghostwriter wrote it. Who knows?  Foxy Brown threw shade at Remy Ma and Lil' Kim after the picture of Nicki Minaj bowing down to Lauryn Hill made the rounds. Foxy posted a screenshot of the picture and in the caption Foxy states that Nicki has shown love to Lauryn Hill and herself(Foxy Brown) and if she hasn't shown respect to you(Lil' Kim) then your no...

Banks choked. Hey all! I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately. I haven't forgotten about you all. I have just been busy with life. I do have some updates for you today though. Yay! Enjoy! I was on Facebook and I saw Azealia Banks post a few statuses as she typically does.Well one status in particular caught my attention. She mentioned how she attended actor, Russell Crowe(movie: "Gladitor") hotel suite and that she was choked up and called a "nigger" by Russell. She went on to say that she's very depressed and low right now. It's really unfortunate that, that something like that went down. :( Lord help these racist people! Last night, music streaming service Tidal held a concert with Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé. There was a lot of performances and many shocking moments. One of the most talked about moments was Beyoncé addressing the crowd about voting as well as her ripping out her earring and bleeding during her per...

More Janet baby news: Janet Jackson's ex-husband, James Debarge has come out claiming that he believes Janet has a secret child from him. He says he was recently contacted by an unnamed woman claiming to be his child. He goes on to say that the woman in question says she was adopted and her adoptive parent(s) revealed on his or her deathbed the revelation that she was birthed by Janet, allegedly. Rumor of Janet having a secret child and passing it off to her older sister, Rebbie have ran rampant over the years. But the interesting thing about this rumor is it is one that hasn't seemed to go away. It wouldn't be totally shocking if Janet did have a child already because she is known to be very private and we find out things about her years later, like her marriages, the fact that she was blind at one and countless other things. I don't know what to believe to be honest. I always believe there is some truth to a rumor. Maybe she was pregnant and miscarried. Who knows!?...

Azealia Banks is headed to the big screen in the feature film, "It Doesn't Have To Rhyme" previously known as "Coco". The film stars Banks as a up and coming rapper who enrolls in college and when she's not easily accepted by her peers, she discovers her love for slam poetry. Jill Scott costars as Azealia's teacher as well as Common who stars as a mentor. RZA directs the film which starts production this week. Me being an Azealia fan I'm already sold on this and will be looking forward to it when its released. Another release I'm looking forward to is the upcoming album from Frank Ocean titled "Boys Don't Cry Part 1: States". It turns out that Frank created a new Soundcloud account with the new album title but purposely left it empty though a tracklisting has been revealed. No word on when we will hear the new music but I'm guessing its pretty soon. Nowadays we are seeing more and more artists drop music unannounced choosing t...

I been slipping y'all then again there is just a lot of news. Better late than never I guess anyway here goes some more music news you might of missed or already knew. DIVORCE WHO?: Keyshia Cole was on the receiving end of a nasty joke. The singer received divorce papers from someone pretending to be her husband Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. Daniel responded saying he believed in the sanctity of marriage and he doesn't plan on sending off any divorce papers. Enough said. Though I think its a pretty cruel joke to pull, someone went as far as to conjure up divorce papers believingly to fool the public and Keyshia. HILL STREET BLUES: Lauryn Hill threw a concert in Chicago and she had to tell a fan off. The fan was upset because Lauryn was an hour late. I'm not sure what Lauryn said to the angered fan but I'm sure it only upset the fan more and made them look a plum fool in the process. Though I can understand the fan's frustration but artists are always late when ...

Any news is good news.  Greetings! Before I even get into the news I have, I'll refer to this post as the Diva Edition. I touch on several R&B Divas and what's going down with them all. Now R&B Divas Atlanta is back on and popping. The first episode featured a fiery exchange between stars Monifah and KeKe Crazy Wyatt. As we can see there is plenty of drama on the show but there is also drama brewing behind the scenes. Star, Syleena Johnson is speaking out against former star and creator Faith Evans. Late last year the R&B Divas compilation album was nominated for Best R&B Album. But instead of the R&B Divas cast being nominated, Faith Evans was the only one recognized for the nomination. The controversy will be explored on the new season of R&B Divas Atlanta . Syleena insinuates that since Faith sits on the Grammy committee its possible that Faith slighted the group on purpose or it could of went over her head. What do you think? Do you think Fai...

K. Michelle and Sevyn Streeter( I Like It ) are going on tour together. Sadly I don't have any info on their tour but I'm sure you can find it on here if you look it up. I guess I'm simply being lazy. In the meantime Sevyn will release an upcoming EP that features Chris Brown. If your unfamiliar with Sevyn Streeter, she's put the pen to many hit songs that you hear on the radio. She's working with artists such as Fantasia, Brandy, and Chris Brown. K. Michelle, as we know will star in a new season of Love & Hip Hop New York (home to her Atlantic Records label) and recently broke up with her boyfriend who impregnated her ex-girlfriend. Ouch! I'm sure we'll be hearing about this betrayal in future K. Michelle recordings. On a lighter note, Lauryn Hill is out of prison. The singer/rapper recently released a new song Consumerism . I'm not sure if the song sounds like anything or was it just released to fill a contract with Sony Records. Who knows? Your gu...

Hey everybody! I will call this particular blog today "The Female Rap Edition". All the stories below deal with female rappers who are currently in the news. I start with one of my favorite new rappers Azealia Banks who is back after a long sabbatical from Twitter. She announced yesterday that her next single is titled ATM JAM featuring Pharrell. Azealia herself has tweeted lyrics to the song awhile back and she mentioned that Pharrell was on her album, her debut Broke With Expensive Taste due later this year. Since Yung Rapunxel was more of an underground single maybe ATM JAM will be more commercial. There is no release date but look for the song to debut in the coming weeks. Lauryn Hill has been back in the news but not necessarily for the best reasons unless you count her new single Neurotic Society . The song is the first release since Lauryn Hill renewed her record deal at Sony Records. Aside from the new music its been no secret that Lauryn has been in and out of cou...

Hello all! I hope you all are enjoying your day. Of course I have some music news for you. I have a lot of news actually and this blog post is a little lengthy. I warn you now. Read below for info on Lauryn Hill, Fantasia's idea for her new single, and Mariah Carey's latest musical hookup. It's all here and a lot more. Lauryn Hill is back in the news for her tax evasion charges. The singer/rapper recently appeared in court and is now due back on May 6. It has been revealed that Lauryn just signed a million dollar deal with Sony Records. To those who have been waiting for Lauryn Hill to put out new music may finally get their wish. Don't hold your breath though. Fantasia's new album The Side Effects Of You is in stores today. The album features the single Lose To Win which Fantasia recently performed on American Idol . The album's next single Without Me features Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott. Fantasia wants Missy Elliott to direct the video. Will that happen? ...

Lauryn Hill just pled guilty to a major federal crime ... admitting she intentionally failed to file several tax returns in the past decade -- and now the former Fugees singer faces 3 years in prison. Hill pled guilty today to three counts of failure to file tax returns for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 -- when she earned more than $1.8 million. When the judge asked if Hill "intentionally and willingly" failed to file the returns, she replied, "Yes." In addition to the 3 years behind bars, Hill could be smacked with $75,000 in fines. Hill was released on $150,000 bail. Her sentencing hearing is set for November.   http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/29/lauryn-hill-guilty-failure-to-file-tax-returns-prison/

New York's famed Hot97 Summer Jam 2012 is probably going down in history as one of the more controversial shows. With Nicki Minaj and Young Money ousting themselves from the festivities others have spoken out including Funkmaster Flex and now Ms. Lauryn Hill. Read below to learn what the reclusive star had to say:    No disrespect to Nicki, but I need to clear up an inaccuracy. I was not scheduled to be a special guest on her set at Summer Jam, I was invited by Nas to perform with him. I don't have details on exactly what transpired between the station and the artists, but I do support artists standing by their beliefs, and walking with integrity. We have to find a better way to commercially exploit music, while giving artists their proper respect. This cannot be done while taking their contributions for granted, or trying to control the scope of their growth and power through threats and fear tactics. We can do better than this, there is a better way, or else ...

After a series of questionable tweets and criticism from fans; Nicki Minaj has deleted her twitter page. She is not the first act to do so so but the close interaction with fans and non-fans can be jarring for anyone particularly someone of a celebrity status. Maybe in a few weeks Nicki may change her mind and make a new twitter page. Nicki had 11 million followers on twitter. I know she didn't think those 11 million people were all gonna rush out and buy her album in the first week. Sales of her new album; "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" debuted at #1 with 253K units. It's a 125K difference from her debut; "Pink Friday" released in November of 2010. Monica will release; "Without You" as the next single from her "New Life" album. Overall this will be Monica's 4th single released from this album more than she received on her last album; 2010's "Still Standing". The song is already topping the iTunes charts and that's a ...

It doesn't come as a surprise to me that Nicki Minaj wanted the ever reclusive; Lauryn Hill on her new album; "Roman Reloaded" in stores and online now! I mean Lauryn is many people's dream collaborator so like I said its not surprising. Find out what Nicki Minaj had to say about her female counterparts past and present as well as landing Nas on her album! Nicki Minaj collaborated with everyone from Nas to Beenie Man on her star-studded album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, but there was one elusive artist she was unable to land. The “Starships” hitmaker revealed that she wanted Lauryn Hill on “Champion,” the hip-hop-heavy cut off her sophomore set featuring Nas, Drake, and Young Jeezy. “I wanted to get her on ‘Champion’,” she told Funkmaster Flex. “That would have been crazy, right? She was my fave.” While the two have yet to meet, Nicki has nothing but respect for the Fugees frontwoman. “Lauryn to me was the goddess,” she continued. “I’d love to meet her. I’m ...

Lauryn Hill speaks candidly about the thoughts, influences, and other things that went into making her 1998 album; "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill". I was reading someone say that Lauryn looked a little like Oprah and I see it too.

Lauryn Hill has added another member to her growing family. The former Fugee gave birth to a baby boy over the weekend. Hill, 36, welcomed a son with longtime boyfriend Rohan Marley on Saturday (July 23). The couple has five previous children together. According to Blackcelebkids.com, who first reported the news, the Grammy-winning singer “had a little scare because the baby came out the womb with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.” But mother and child are doing fine. “All is well now and everyone is happy,” adds the source. Hill first hinted at her pregnancy at one of her recent concerts. “I keep having these children. I don’t know if I’m the most fertile woman in America,” she joked during a Los Angeles gig. She wrote an open letter to her fans last month where she addressed her pregnancy and apologized for being late to her shows. She is scheduled to perform at the Rock the Bells Festival next month.

It's no secret that Kelly Rowland and Brandy are good friends. Kelly even appeared on Brandy's reality TV show on VH1. Now Kelly wants Bran and her to collaborate. I'm surprised they never have though but maybe we can hear that on either of their upcoming albums whenever their released. While we are all still waiting for a new Brandy album; Monica is pressing on with the release of her upcoming album; "New Life". While there is no cemented release date; the album's first single(according to Monica's twitter) is being mixed. The name of the single has not been revealed. It is rumored to feature Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott and is produced by Missy Elliott. Let's see how this turns out. This is already sounding like "Let It Go Part 2" with Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. Since Lauryn Hill announced her pregnancy with her sixth child, people are now speculating as to who's the father. Rumored father; Rohan Marley has taken to twitter confi...

After numerous pushbacks; Game is finally ready to release his oft-delayed album; "The R.E.D. Album". With that said the guest list has also been revealed which includes Trey Songz; Chris Brown; Wiz Khalifa; Dr. Dre; Pharrell; Snoop Dogg; and Drake. Sounds pretty star studded right? I just hope the music is just as good. T-Pain claims he won't be using auto-tune anymore; something that he is responsible for making popular. He claims that his new sound is "The T-Pain Effect" which we can all guess is something not too different from what he was doing. I'm sure there is no problem with him simply singing but we'll hear soon I imagine. Lauryn Hill is pregnant! This will be her sixth child! All those expecting or waiting for an album will have to wait even longer. Then again I don't see her releasing any album anytime soon anyway. I think people should just get used to her doing spot dates here and there for the time being. Congrats to Lauryn!

There was such a huge liking for Jazmine Sullivan's debut album, "Fearless" but I never really got into it. I did like the singles though. The album as a whole though didn't do it for me. Now Jazmine Sullivan is returning with a new album, "Love Me Back" which will be released on September 28. The album's first single, "Holdin' Me Down(Circles)" was produced by Missy Elliott. Another album to look forward to this fall is from Faith Evans. Her album, "Somethin' About Faith" will be in stores October 5. There has been a bit of confusion regarding her album's first single. The originally planned first single, "Way U Move" featuring Snoop Dogg went to radio and was later nixed. Soon it was revealed that the Mike City produced song, "Party" would be the first single. Now it has been revealed that a ballad, "Real Things" may in fact be the first single. Once it finally does become legit, I will be l...

Maintaining his innocence; Lil' Boosie's lawyer spoke out by simply stating that his client was "absolutely not guilty". The story goes Lil' Boosie hired a man to kill another man. The victim was shot dead in his home. Nicki Minaj has been confirmed to appear on the new Kanye West album; "Good Ass Job" in stores September 14. BET Vice President; Stephen G. Hill heard four tracks off the new album and gushed about the collaboration with Nicki. Kanye West recently appeared at the 2010 BET Awards where he performed his new single; "Power". There has a been a lot of talk about Lauryn Hill returning to the music scene. Recently Lauryn gave somewhat of an exclusive interview. She talked about not putting out music which she accounted for not having the proper support system. She also lamented at the fact that she has five children. She does feel however that it is time to get back out there and she is "getting excited again" about musi...

We all know Erykah Badu goes to the left when everyone else goes right. You will certainly see that in this video. The concept may be a bit awkward for some but the video is definitely worth watching for more reasons than one. Make sure you check it out! Erykah Badu's new album; "New Amerykah 2: Return Of The Ankh" will be in stores March 30. Music Biz: Ludacris Wanted Lauryn Hill For New Album! NEW YORK – Ludacris' latest album features a number of female rappers — but the Grammy-winner acknowledges there's one lady he really wanted to work with. "I think Lauryn Hill is like extremely talented and I can say I did try to do that, it just didn't work itself out," he says of the multiple Grammy-winning singer-rapper, whose only studio album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," has sold more than eight million units in the United States since its release in 1998. While the reclusive former Fugees performer didn't make it on "Batt...