There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. Besides, if at first you do succeed, try something harder. The Jewelry Man.telling you to laugh at your problems; everybody else does. In "Guess who's having the worst week ever" news, the Bad Boy homey Cassie is having such a rough time in the press this week, that the I'm rich bi*ch homey Diddy has come to her aid while addressing her inexperience. Oh really EbenGregory.does this mean your gonna be showing that uncut version of Cassie's "Me & U" video? Yes. And now...the drama. Cassie has been the center of unflattering attention after a terrible performance on BET's 106 & Park, a controversial interview at Hot 97 and a uncut version of "Me & U" that features Cassie singing in her bra and panties, pulling a man's pants down and getting videotaped Paris Hilton style. And now.point counterpoint. Here's Cassie in a statement to EbenGregory on addressing her performance on 106 & Park: I am aware that my live performances have been pretty bad.no excuses, I'm still getting over stage fright. Here's spin-doctor Diddy to MTV on Cassie's performance on 106 & Park: She had her first television performance, and she had an all right performance. You could hear the nervousness in her voice. And to be honest, I kind of smiled at it, because it made me really appreciate what I really love about her: She's a regular person. Here's Cassie in a statement to EbenGregory on addressing the controversial interview on Hot 97 where she rated several male recording artists - including Ne-Yo, Bow Wow, Omarion and T.I. - on a scale of 1-10 for sexiness: Bow and Omarion are great guys and it was wrong of me to talk about them on air. I had no bad intentions with what I said on them. The rate from 1 to 10 was BS. It didn't mean anything to me. None of them were right if I had really thought them through, but how would you feel if you were on live radio with Flex? Uh.I don't know, but let's get to that uncut video.tell me about that. Here's Cassie in a statement to EbenGregory on addressing the controversial uncut "Me & U" video: I personally don't feel that I need to talk about this "unofficial video" again (right now). But quickly, it was a bad look that got leaked on the Internet. No, I DID NOT leak it.I don't care for that video, I never have cared for it. And lastly, here's Diddy to MTV on whether or not he'll be handling Cassie with a long spoon: She'll get over it. She's going to have to. That's part of being a recording artist, and sometimes it takes time. I don't care how many performances it is, I'm going to be with her until she gets it right. That's nice.like clicking on this link to see the uncut video of Cassie playing a rousing game of Behind the Green Door. And never mind the jewelry; let's check out video.
Click here to Watch EbenGregory - Diddy Addresses Cassie's Bad Week
It's a slow day for news, I mean really slow. Having said that, please excuse me while I digress to reporting on Benzino again.
Benzino is the 2006 mad rapper.
Why is he so mad, you ask? Probably because he just received Ozone Magazine's coveted Most Successful Extortionist Award. And what does one do to receive such an honor? Read all about it here.
Now comes the funny. After learning of his award, he had a few choice words for Ozone Magazine's owner, Julia Beverly. In fact, he left her a couple nasty voice messages that included language like "slut monkey" and "prostitute cracker man b***h." Yikes!
You can listen for yourself here, but I must warn you, Benzino uses choice words not to be heard by virgin ears.
Here's some jewelry being dropped by EbenGregory on Benzino's crazy voicemails: Benzino's like Carl Thomas, Emotional.
Click here to Watch EbenGregory - Ozone Magazine Crowns Benzino Most Successful Extortionist
Check out the Audio interview at: http://www.blastro.com/player/juelzsantanainterview.html
Blastro: Can you tell me a little bit about what it was like working with Jay- Z at Def Jam?
Juelz Santana: It was pretty much no different than my last album. I pretty much did what I had to do. It wasn't like no different. I did my album and I handed it in. I did everything I wanted to do. It was just like may last album, we were on Def Jam Roc-A-Fella my last album. He's the CEO over there, so it wasn't like a big transition. It wasn't like Jay- Z is in the studio with me; you know what I'm sayin'. It was like the same thing. I did what I had to do. Actually I was kind of more workin with "LA' Reid, but he's the president he still is involved.
Blastro: What are some things Def Jam has done differently this time around to promote your CD?
Juelz Santana: I just think they look at me as a lot more of a priority.
Blastro: Who's featured on the new album?
Juelz Santana: Sizzla, of course, gotta give a shout out to him. He's a reggae artist, like Bob Marley right now. He's crazy, you know what I mean. Of course Cam, Jim Jones, the Diplomats.I got Jeezy on the album, and I got Lil' Wayne on the album.
Blastro: That was my next question: Are you working on a next album with Jeezy and Lil' Wayne?
Juelz Santana: Me and Jeezy are working on a project together called "The Best of Both of Us'
Blastro: What kind of feedback are you getting from "There It Go' and "Mic Chec'?
Juelz Santana: Aw man, they got me where I am at right now. This buzz is goin' on. They got this frenzy so it's beautiful. "Mic Chec' was like the perfect warm up record to sing. It was a back to basics, pure hip hop record. Everybody loves that record, from the old skool age, to young dudes, to females; anybody who likes hip hop will like that record. The "Whistle' record is tearin' the clubs up; it's tearin' the radio up. Everybody loves it. The ladies love it. My dudes love it because they can relate to it. They got me hollerin at the chicks. It's all good. I got all my street records; my mix tape is out there. That album is killin', killin', killin' the streets right now.
Blastro: So about your mix tapes, do you actually make money off those or do you use them as a tool to get your name out?
Juelz Santana: I use it as a tool man, that is why I appreciate it if everybody would go out and buy my album. My mixtape, I feel like I put out enough music on the streets. I don't get nothing back off my mixtapes. I just look at that as a tool, and a way to market myself and always keep myself out there. It's how I made my living and my career. Just getting to the point I'm at. Feedin' the streets, bubblin' the streets up. Cause the streets are going to talk.
Like despite what gets played on the radios, what gets played in peoples' car. I mean, when you are not listening to the radio, stuff like that counts. I made it to where I have been real effective in that area so, I'm going to continue to do it
Blastro: I understand that you paid for the video "Mic Check' out of your pocket. Can you tell me a little bit about why it went that way? Usually the label will cover the cost of that.
Juelz Santana: It was pretty much, like I said, the reason for me staying at Def Jam was because I wanted to be a priority at a major label. I felt like they definitely had the machine and everything to put behind me.if I was a priority. So I didn't feel like I was a priority at that time. I was kind of lost in the big system. Def Jam is a big system. You can get lost. I knew my street credibility was always effective. My last album everybody still wanted Juelz Santana, they knew what it was. But I didn't know if the people in the building really understood. I knew I had 160 songs, I knew it was crazy. But the label didn't know that. I had to get that attention, and get them focused on me. I didn't wait for them. I didn't wait for them to say "alright this is the record here, we gonna run with this'. I put it out. I let the people talk. The radio picked it up. I worked it all by myself
Blastro: That's a bold move to do that.
Juelz Santana: I actually paid for two more videos out of my pocket, which you'll see on my DVD, when you get the album. It's for a video called "Shottas' which I got with Cam and Sizzla. I paid for that video out of my pocket. And a song I got with me, Jeezy, and Lil' Wayne called "Make It Work for U. That song, I paid for out of my pocket and that video, I paid for out of my pocket. And that will definitely be on the album and advanced DVD, special addition.
Blastro: What really happened when Cam' Ron got shot? What were your thoughts on that?
Juelz Santana: It is what it is. You've got people who hate it anyway. We don't know what the real reason was or what the real motive was for what happened. We can't really pinpoint anything. The bottom line is you got haters everywhere. You've got people always trying to come up. It's a dirty game out there. It's not something we want to happen. We come from the streets so we know what's out there. This is something you look at as a learning experience. It has nothing to do with D.C., that could've happened anywhere, it could happen in Harlem. They could run up in your crib, try to take what's yours. It could've happened anywhere.
Blastro: Do you guys think you all are going have more security?
Juelz Santana: Nah, nothing like that. The situation was real unorthodox, the way it happened. We can't really pinpoint the way anything happened. We just have to always be on point, and that's it. Who was it got shot? Was it Kennedy, who got shot right in front of everybody? He got shot in his head, The President. How many people did he have around him? It could happen anywhere. So the bottom line is, if there is someone that really wants to get you and they are that determined, it's gonna happen, no matter how many security guards you got. A nigga can come out with an AK 47 and shoot all the security and you. It is what it is, and I know niggas who play like that. When you know niggas who play like that you've got to expect that there are other niggas out there who play like that, who you might NOT know, and might be against you. Enough said. It is what it is baby.
Blastro: What is the 1-888-DIPSET7 Hotline?
Juelz Santana: That's the hotline. We're giving away 10,000 dollars on my album. You now find out "What the Game's Been Missing'. It's really to promote everything that Juelz has got comin' up. Everything I'm doin', where I'm going to be at. I pretty much update every week. When you call you can find out what's going on with Juelz Santana; where I'm going to be at, stuff like that. Like I said, you can find out more information on how you can win 10,000 dollars, if you really want to win that 10,000 dollars. " Blastro: So I think you've got a movie in the works, "The Killa Season"
Juelz Santana: Yeah "The Killa Season', I am co-starring in that. It's coming out in February, Valentine's Day.
Blastro: Who's putting that out?
Juelz Santana: I don't know who is putting out the movie; I've actually got to find out.
Blastro: We look forward to that.
Juelz Santana: I usually pay for the movie to get shot, so actually right now I think we are about to get a real big distribution for the movie. I know that the album will be coming out on.records
Blastro: I know you got your hands in some clothing. I know you are a sponsor for Lot 29. Blastro's going to be running a contest to win some of that gear and a signed album of yours and a poster or two. We are pretty excited about that. I think you have a clothing company coming up called Z-Line?
Juelz Santana: Yes, clothing line, called the Z- Line, right now. Called Vengeance and then we will have the couture line called the Z-Line.
Blastro: What kind of style is that going to be? I know that Lot 29 has the Warner Bros. characters and stuff like that. Is this going to be a little different than that?
Juelz Santana: Yes, a lot different. It's going to be all sorts of fly. We are stickin' to one scripts, there;s all sorts of flyness.
Cruna Interview: http://www.blastro.com/audio/Blastro-Cruna-Interview.mp3 Cruna Video: http://www.blastro.com/player/crunatakemehigher.html?artist=Cruna
Cruna: The gift to sing. He also gave me other gifts with it, ya know. He gave me the gift to be able to look at life, write it down on paper, and then present it in song. So I take no credit in that. Its, its been goin' on since I was born. He gave it to me. The gospel true we know is we worked hard. We just traveled the country with all other southern Gospel groups . Takes on everybody, everybody you can imagine who came down south in the Gospel field. We've done just about everything. We've sang with them in our churches. From there there to the streets because I wanted the ends. I was chasin the Jones. I love, I was lovin' seein' these cats with the fresh clothes and the fresh cars and, you know, and I used to glorify that, so that led me to jail. From, you know, but that's not somethin I glorify. What I do glorify is that I got outta jail and I'm standin' on my own two feet and look at where I am now.
B: Was there anything in jail, a particular incident, or anything that really changed your mind about life or that has given you inspiration to do the things you are doing now?
C: Yeah my business partner and CEO of Crosstracks Entertainment, my best friend, Jasper Howard. He had just got Crosstracks up and runnin' and then had got locked back up himself, you know, and came back and he was like "look man.." and I was writin' songs and producin' my own songs while I was in there because they did let us have certain music equipment, you know. So I was honin' my skills anyway, but he might have gave me the light. He showed me that there was a light in hell that I could get to, ya know. Like nobody saw past those walls except him. That was very influential in what I'm doin' right now.
B: In the next couple of years, where do you want to take this?
C: I want, by the next couple of years..I want "A Hustler's Love Story"- the book, "A Hustler's Love Story"- the movie, the next coming album. I want success man you know. I can't front. This is what I into this for that, you know. This is what I want, ya know. You know, I want everything the Warner Bros. got to offer to give to me. Everything I can utilize, I want to do though.
B: How did you get the nickname "Cruna"?
C: It's not a nickname. Cruna means singer. So I can't call that a nickname because that is really what I do. I'm not a pro two artist. I'm an actual R&B artist. What you hear on CD is what you hear live, you know. That's why my name is Cruna. I want them to hear exactly what I just told you. People need to understand that R&B has not been anywhere. Its been here. Its still here. Its gonna continue. We just live in a rap world right now, but these next years are gonna be very big for R&B because you have artists like Cruna, Life Jennings, John Legend, Fantasia, and other artists that you see that can actually sing instead of using these props when they come to perform.
B: Yeah, I totally agree. I totally agree.
C: But I want people to know.
B: Much respect for that.
Little Brother Interview: http://www.blastro.com/audio/LittleBrother.mp3 Little Brother Video: http://www.blastro.com/player/littlebrotherlovinit.html
Blastro: You guys are from Durham, North Carolina, right?
Little Brother: Correct
B: Your new album is the "Minstrel Show" and it came out on September 13th. How would you describe that album and your sound?
LB: Its actually, it's actually our second album, our first was "Amazing Lady". And I would describe our sound as you know it's a combination, its old skool, its um, I really don't like using that word but for the sake of, for the people who may have never heard of the Little Brother. It's a combination of old skool meets new skool. Our sound is like bridgin' the gap for all those listeners who may have never heard of The Tribe Called Quest or may have never heard of.
B: You guys have a bunch of dates in the South right now but I know you had a show opening up for The Roots at The Fillmore in San Francisco. I'm sure that show was unreal for you guys. How would you compare the crowds in the West to the crowds you are seein' in the South?
LB: Um for us, the crowds in the South, they haven't really been that exposed to Little Brother, so it was a little different, you know what I'm sayin', than in the South. Where as in the West coast, that's where our first independent label was based, out in the bay area and the East coast. Like our biggest markets are New York, L.A., and Chicago. So, of course, on the West coast, we get a lot of love on the West Coast. In the South, they haven't really been that exposed to us. Even though we're from North Carolina, we don't, it's not like your typical Southern artist. So, I mean, the reception was warm, ya know, but people still gettin' used to hearin' Little Brother in the South. You know what I'm sayin'.
B: So how did you guys first get into the music business and what was the, I guess, tipping point for you guys getting' started with the success?
LB: Well you know., he always, he's known all his life music was what he wanted to do...he's been doin' music since he was small. And myself, I've always been, you know, stayin' around music and enjoyin' music. As far as the group, we started together in 2001, and it was like the chemistry was there, ya know what Im sayin'. We had known each other for a while, and we'd been workin' with each other but the chemistry just seemed to really, really started takin' shape in 2001. And we went from there, just decided that try out, ya know what I'm sayin'. Tried workin' together, makin' a couple of songs together, and see where that take us. It took us into makin' our first album. And that, probably, I guess you could say, that was our tipping point when we made that first album.
B: So Blastro is a music video website. So I wanna ask you guys about your music video "Lovin It". Where did you shoot that and what was the concept behind the video?
LB: We shot that in New York, in Brooklyn, NY at this club called South Park. The whole concept behind the video was to show, basically, the breakdown of all the different stereotypes that people, you know, have; or misconceptions that people have with Little Brother. Everybody tried to label our music like always conscious, always this, always that. When, we just want everyone to know that its just good music, you know what I'm sayin', good music. You don't have to put a label or box on good music and so we had like all different stereotypes that people try to label us: the underground, the earthy. Then we had the other stereotypes like the icy or the gangsta' rapper or whatever. We kind of put 'em all in the club together. And the basic concept was showing everybody havin' a good time together. And showin' that you don't have to be a certain type of individual to enjoy Little Brother's music. Then show us havin' a good time, ya know, havin' in the club. Because a lot of people see us in the club and be like "Aww, Little Brother's in the club..aww what's goin' on?" I go to the club too, you know what I'm sayin. It showed all that. It accomplished all that in the video.
B: So you guys are on ABB Records with Dilated Peoples,., and Liquid Junkies. Do you know any of those guys, have relationships with them?
LB: Yeah, I know all of them. We did a show with Dilated before. Talked to Rocker and Baboo. Just saw Defari, actually, when he was out in L.A. a little while ago. We tryin' to see if we can get a Little Brother Dilated, a couple of shows poppin' off in 2006. ..I also talked to him for a little while. We talked when I was out there. You know, Ive had conversations with all of them, talked to all of them when I get a chance.
B: So I hear that you've been ending your show with an Al Green song. How do you think the crowd is responding to that?
LB: We don't end our shows with that song anymore. That was the past couple of years, we used to do that. But when we did, there was tremendous response from the crowd. Everybody enjoyed it, ya know. We just get everybody singin' along, man, havin' a good time.
B: Alright, this is almost the end. Is there anything else that you want people to know, you want me to tell people?
LB: You know, just thank you for supporting Little Brother, supportin' the movement, and continue to support the movement. And thank everybody.