the chal banz blog

Solange has had enough! The "Cranes In The Sky" singer recently deleted her Twitter account amid the racial tension and fights in southern U.S.  Rapper MC Lyte(song: "Ruffneck") recently tied the knot in Jamaica. Many are surprised at the emcee's recent nuptials because it was believed that MC Lyte was gay(or bisexual). Congrats to MC Lyte and her husband! People have been talking about rapper Cardi B. and her choice words during a recent performance. Cardi B. said something along the lines of, people not really liking her but pretending to. Many felt that her words were aimed at Nicki Minaj. Cardi B. shot back denying the claim. Nicki Minaj even responded shutting down any talk of a rift. You know how people do? They have to pit the female rappers against one another as always. I think the fact that Cardi B. has a high charting single that's been compared to Nicki Minaj's highest charting single, "Anaconda", comparisons are likely? I...

Michelle Williams is back! The former Destiny's Child singer will release a new single If We Had Your Eyes on June 24. The song is the first single from her upcoming album which will be released through the eOne label. Recently friend Beyonce penned an intimate letter to Michelle praising her performance in theatre for her role in the show Fela! In Hip Hop News...Kanye Wests' new album Yeezus has leaked out after being prematurely available on a password only site. The album features appearances from Frank Ocean(on the first single: New Slaves ), Daft Punk(worked with Pharrell Williams), Kid Cudi, and Chief Keef. Yeezus will be available in stores on June 18. Early reaction the album(via Twitter) has been somewhat mixed from what I've seen so far. I personally don't have much interest in this album so I will probably just skip it altogether. Nelly is still trying to make that comeback he so desperately needs and he might be on the right track. The St. Louis rapper is...

A lot of you may be unfamiliar with Billy Lawrence but I'm not! She had a few minor hit singles on the R&B charts back in the day and this one may be a bit well known to some. This single was actually featured on the soundtrack to "Set It Off" starring Queen Latifah but also on Billy Lawrence's album, "Paradise". ---------------- Now playing: Billy Lawrence - Come On via FoxyTunes

Remember Beyonce's starring role in the movie, "The Fighting Temptations" where she played you guessed it...a singer! Well if you remember that you should remember this video which featured former BET "106 & Park" host Free who was moonlighting as a rapper at one point.

Not to discredit the influence MC Lyte has had beyond the 90s(in TV and the occasional guest rap appearances), MC Lyte's reigned in the late 80s and early 90s. She hit a bit of a dry spell in the mid 90s but resurfaced in the late 90s with a string of hits including 'Cold Rock A Party'. Featuring Diddy(Puff Daddy at the time) and Missy Elliot(two of the hottest rappers at the time), she couldn't go wrong. 'Cold Rock A Party' appeared on MC Lyte's 1996 album, 'Bad A I Wanna B'.

Have you ever noticed that the majority of musicians are from New York? If they aren't from New York, they are from California. Makes sense though. The states of New York and California are huge and are populated by many citizens. Not only are singers bred from New York so are a bevy of rappers; namely female rappers. The female rappers listed below are all from New York City. Foxy Brown No female in rap is more explicit than Foxy Brown! Though it can be debated that Lil' Kim is just as nasty if not nastier, Foxy always got the heat when it came to explicit lyrics. Lil' Kim Alongside Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim repped the city of New York with a self assured delivery that many would come to emulate. Not only that; Kim's sometimes bizarre style and even more bizarre looks are now industry legend. Nicki Minaj She is slowly becoming the new 'it' girl of rap. Three successful and well-received mixtapes('Playtime Is Over', 'Sucka Free', and 'Beam Me ...

Check out some new album covers from albums being released this month or next month. Stax Records debut! Streets June 9. Features hit single, "Cant Last A Day" featuring Faith Evans. Guests include MC Lyte. Warner Bros. debut! Streets June 23. Features hit single, "Last Chance". Guests include Brandy. Actress/Singer returns to music! Streets June 9. Features new single, "The Real Thing". Guests include Babyface. 8 years in the making! Streets July 7. Features hit single, "Pretty Wings". B.E.P. Reunites! Streets June 9. Features hit single, "Boom Pow Pow".