the chal banz blog

Jay-Z's much anticipated album, "4:44" was released last night via streaming service TIDAL(which Jay-Z co-owns). Cellular phone service Sprint offered its current customers and future customers 6 free months if they signed up for TIDAL. Jay-Z famously scored a deal with Sprint which helped house the album. The response to the Jay-Z's new album has been overwhelming to say the least. Here's what I know(and read considering I haven't heard the album yet). No I.D. produced the album. Jay-Z name checks(and disses) Kanye West, Solange, Eric Benet(actress Halle Berry's ex-husbad), OJ Simpson(song: "The Story of OJ" and I'm assuming it references the football athlete), Future, Diddy, etc. Jay shockingly opens up about his marriage with Beyoncé(involving infidelity, stillborns, egos, children etc.). The album is currently being celebrated via social media and beyond. It is a welcome return for the New York emcee! In other music news...Socialite and...

Things got a little too real for R&B singer Kehlani. The singer attempted to take her life yesterday after news spread about her relationship via social media. She is currently recovering in the hospital and many people have send prayers her way. Let's pray for a speedy recovery for the Grammy nominated star. Faith Evans has revealed that she plans to release a duets album with Biggie. She also revealed that a hologram featuring the late rapper is in the works. How do you all feel about a duets album between Faith and Biggie? Lil' Wayne is suing Universal Music Group, the parent label to Cash Money. Wayne alleges that Universal owes him money for profit he brought to the company through Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and Drake. Wayne has been in a long battle with Cash Money for money owed to him as well. Universal is being sued for $40 million dollars. Do you think Lil' Wayne will see some money? Well that's all the stories I have for today! Thanks for reading!

Faith Evans is poised to release new music this year and while we wait on that; Faith must answer to a judge due to a lawsuit stemming from her ex-husband; Biggie's estate. Read more below as well as stories on Patti LaBelle's 'American Idol' rant and Vivian Green's return to music. As of Tuesday February 24, 2010, the law offices of Lowe Law, P.C., in Los Angeles, have moved forward with a lawsuit against Faith Evans, RocDarling, and the Estate of Christopher “Notorious B.I.G” Wallace, with claims of “Breach of Contract” by their clients Kaushi Entertainment LLC and Dro-Entertainment Inc. The lawsuit seeks over a million dollars and punitive damages. Rest assure, this isn't an East-West thing, it's a Money thing. In the complaint filed yesterday by Lowe Law, Kaushi and Dro-Entertainment claim that en-route to producing a documentary on the late great Notorious B.I.G, defendant RocDarling failed to comply with a written agreement made with the companies, in ...

The Game has started to annoy me at a very alarming rate. He can be so wishy washy. One minute he's battling against 50[Cent] then kissing his ass. Now with this Jay-Z and Beyonce thing, this is starting to become a publicity stunt on both rappers part. Music Biz: Lil' Kim Clashes With Faith Evans! Rapper Lil' Kim has brushed off allegations she clashed with Faith Evans during mutual pal Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Independence Day celebrations last weekend. The two women became sworn enemies in the 1990s when they both became romantically involved with Notorious B.I.G. The late rap icon wed Evans and went on to have a child with her, while Kim became his mistress. Relations between the pair have remained frosty since Biggie's murder in 1997 - and their feud returned to headlines in January with the release of the Notorious biopic, which Kim claimed portrayed her in a "negative" light. The stars reportedly reignited the fight once more when they both a...

The hits and videos keep a coming from Beyonce's "I Am...Sasha Fierce" album. The latest video, "Sweet Dreams" is said to be released on July 9. Here you can get a 32 second clip of the video. From the little clip, I feel like I will like this video. Check it out! Music Biz: The Game Disses Jay-Z! Compton, California rapper The Game has sparked controversy in rap circles, after a performance in Bordeaux, France, last night (July 5), where he called out Jay-Z. The rapper, flanked by two members of his entourage, stormed onto the stage during his performance at the Le 4 Sans, where he immediately took aim at Jay-Z, one of rap’s biggest stars. "I’ma tell you like this. I don’t care what a n***a say. This is how I am coming out today. F**k Jay-Z. Straight up. And if you don’t like that, I am pretty sure you can find an exit some where. This is a Blackwall Street party. We sayin’ f**k Jay-Z." The Game’s scathing diss to Jay-Z comes just days after the Brook...

---------------- Now playing: Gucci Mane - Stoopid via FoxyTunes

The name Rasheeda may not resonate with many but she is not a new female rapper by any means. Rasheeda burst onto the scene in 2000 with her debut, "Dirty South". Rasheeda is best described as a mixture of other southern female rappers such as Khia and Trina. What's the difference? Well she possesses the materialism often heard in Trina's lyrics. She combines a lot of the ghetto sleaze you hear in Khia's rhymes(that's of course if you listen to her). I'm not sure where this song(video) is from but obviously Rasheeda has a new album in the works. Music Biz: Faith Evans, still promoting and talking about Biggie since the release of "Notorious" on DVD sits and talks with Jenny Boom. The interview comes in two parts. Click here for part 1 and click here for part 2. ---------------- Now playing: elektric red - so good via FoxyTunes

Audio: 50 Cent - Try Me Newly leaked track! Disses Rick Ross, Foxy Brown, and Lil' Wayne! It's safe to say 50 is up to his old tricks again. Still fishing for a hit? 50's new album, "Before I Self Destruct"(something he already did) will be in stores sometime this Spring. Audio: Trey Songz - Day N Nite Newly leaked track! Trey is still sounding like R. Kelly. I'm not liking this song at all. I'm really hoping his new album is as good as his last one. Video: Jazmine Sullivan - Road To The Grammy's Five-time Grammy nominee prepares for her possible sweep at the Grammy's! Check it out! "Lions, Tigers, and Bears" is like one of my favorite songs right now too! Music Biz: Biggie's Mother, Voletta Wallace On Lil' Kim! Voletta Wallace is getting tired of Lil Kim talking greasy about Notorious. And in a recent interview with Hip-Hop Weekly she’s letting it be known. “She felt the character we chose for her was ‘too dark,’ ” Wallace told t...

In My Own Words: Happy New Year everyone! I forgot to mention it in my very first post of the new year(which you can see below). I hope everyone had a great holiday and will fulfill all their New Year's resolutions(of course if you made them). I made a few for myself. I don't usually like to though because these are things I should already be doing anyway. With the new Biggie movie opening in a week or two, Lil' Kim has come out swinging! Apparently the rap diva is upset about her portrayal in the movie(or lack of involvement). Kim sums up that the movie is all Mrs. Wallace(Big's mother) and Faith's[Evans] side of the story. Kim is also upset about Naturi(formerly of 3LW) portraying her. This is not surprising. Anytime a biopic is made, someone is upset about how their portrayed on film. Video: Notorious Behind The Scenes Get an exclusive preview of the movie that everyone is talking about! In theaters January 16. A friend of mine says what's the point of seeing...

Video: Beyonce - The Way We Were Live Kennedy Center Honors Barbra Streisand! Audio: Bobby Valentino - Hands On Me Newly leaked track. New album, "The Rebirth" due early 2009. Out of all the songs leaked from Bobby V in the last few months, this sounds the most decent in my opinion. Prior to that I wasn't too flattered with what I heard. A lot of the songs sounded like they were recorded years ago and theyprobably were. Audio: J. Holiday - Fall Newly leaked track. New album due in stores early 2009. Music Biz: DMX Arrested! Embattled rapper DMX faces at least 90 days in jail after pleading guilty on Tuesday to drug, theft and animal cruelty charges, Arizona prosecutors said.The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded to three felony charges and one misdemeanor count in Maricopa County Superior Court under a deal to settle three criminal cases against him. He also agreed not to own any animals or posses firearms.Simmons, 38, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30...

She does it again! Beyonce has graced yet another cover of a magazine; this time JET. Of course this picture is her actual album cover("I Am..Sasha Fierce")but in color. Audio: Swizz Beats feat Lil' Wayne - Up In This Club New track! Music Biz: Notorious B.I.G. Soundtrack Unveiled! Some of Notorious B.I.G.'s greatest hits and early, little-known recordings fill out the soundtrack to "Notorious," the forthcoming biopic about the legendary Brooklyn rapper. Slated for release on January 13 on Bad Boy/ Atlantic, the soundtrack features hit singles that endeared Biggie to the masses as well as some of his demos, appearances from his family and brand-new records some of his closest peers, including Jay-Z and Jadakiss. (The movie is slated for release January 16 through Fox Searchlight Pictures.) "Notorious" soundtrack track listing, according to Bad Boy Records: 1. "Notorious Thugs" (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) 2. "Hypnotize" 3. ...