Global Music Group Acquires Death Row Assets

Global Music Group, a Tennessee-based independent label, has acquired Death Row Records and could release a new Tupac Shakur album this year.

Susan Berg, the label’s owner, purchased the historic hip-hop label for $25 million yesterday (June 25), beating out companies like Warner Music Group and EverGreen Copyrights.

“Everybody’s excited,” a spokesperson for Global Music Group tells Billboard.com.

Marion “Suge” Knight founded Death Row Records in 1991 and soon reached a blistering peak with releases by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur. However after years of financial mismanagement, Death Row was put into receivership when Knight filed bankruptcy in the wake of a $107 million judgment he was ordered to pay to label co-founder Lydia Harris.

As a result, Death Row was available for auction starting Tuesday.

In February, Billboard.com reported that the majority of the company’s assets appeared to be those of Shakur — both master recordings and compositions — including previously unreleased recordings. However, sorting through the assets to determine what rights Death Row holds in masters and publishing may be a challenge, as approval rights for future uses of Shakur’s works still must go through EverGreen and Shakur’s heir.

“If they’re smart they’d be calling me soon,” says David Schulhof, EverGreen’s co-CEO. “We approve all uses. They can’t do anything with the catalog without us.”

Schulhof says EverGreen did not purchase Death Row because it’s a hornet’s nest of unpaid bills, including claims by countless songwriters who never received royalties.

“Honestly, it became too expensive,” says Schulhof. “Whether Death Row still has to pay those songwriters or not as a function of law or whether the court wiped that out is not clear. Global Music Group may wake up and have a nasty surprise.”

However, Schulhof says Global now owns at least several albums worth of Shakur music and it’s not implausible for the independent to release a posthumous album this year.

Source: Billboard

After much anticipation ‘In The Shadow of an Icon’ From Thug Life Army Records Will Be In Stores Tuesday January 15th.

Grassroots record label Thug Life Army Records is set to re-arrange the urban hip hop landscape with the release of their highly anticipated hip hop project ‘In The Shadow of an Icon’.

In stores January 15th nationwide, ‘In The Shadow of an Icon’ is a unique project putting artists from all across the nation together for a meaningful message filled CD, built on the ‘thought process’ of the late hip hop and rap icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac). The project contains no music by Tupac (2Pac), but it does reveal artists who grew out of the ‘shadow’ of the hip hop Icon

As we see the urban hip hop musical landscape infiltrated by corporate hip hop and what seems to be so much music with out a meaning, this unique project focuses on the ‘real’ things going on in the streets and in the lives of many in hip hop culture.

Hip hop icon Tupac Shakur was more than a rap artist. He was also a poet, an activist, a reporter and yes a teacher. The artists put forth on this unique project have all learned and have crafted their skills out of the ‘shadow’ of the teacher Tupac Shakur; they too have re-taken the place of ‘street reporter’ to enlighten, spread the news and/or deliver true street messages in their rhymes.

This project, from Thug Life Army Records, distributed by Fontana/Universal/AMG, was released to all the major digital download sites in mid December and is available now for online download also.

Here is the track list for ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’

Track list for ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’
Disc One
1.) Boo Kapone - KNOWLEDGE
2.) Concrete Souljahs - Walk wit me
3.) allfrumtha i - Everywhere I Go (good and evil)
4.) SUPe – The System
5.) Hustle Creed - We Live and We Die
6.) Purple Lounge “H.O.P.E”
7.) Nolan – PEOPLE
8.) 1223 - Wish I Knew
9.) Jasiri X and Franchise - 2 Pacs More
Producer: Paradise Gray (X Clan) and GM3
10.) Page 1 - Fallen
11.) Ebony Burks – Choice
12.) G Luv - Revelation
13.) FAME – Next 2 Kin
14.) U.N.D feat. Teeka – Understand
15.) binky mack - Conflict Of Interest

Disc Two
1.) Kemo the Blaxican - Breathe
2.) Celly Cel - No Tomorrow
3.) Dolo - So Much Drama
4.) Qwiccshott - Never
5.) Sammy B feat Big Dee – No Half Steppin
6.) 3RDegree – Broken Home
7.) allfrumtha i - Me & My Dawg
8.) K – Loron – Speed of Life
9.) Concrete Souljahs - Related to the Undergroud
10.) Tommy Danger - Run for Cover
11.) Wize-Fool – DANGEROUS FREE THINKER
12.) binky mack - Taken Over
13.) Malign20 - Hopes and Dreams
14.) Queen Josie - Young Men of Today (Spoken Word)

The project has been endorsed by many including the Hip Hop Association, The Hip Hop Congress, The Black Coffee Channel, and many others.

Tupac - The Best Of 2PAC (Double Disc) - In Stores 12/4 - Amaru / Universal

– Part 1: Thug and THE BEST OF 2PAC – Part 2: Life, the 2 CDs are retrospective collections showing the complex creativity of this lyrical genius. 2PAC is the top-selling rap artist of all time. His force was evident during the height of his popularity in the Nineties, but his influence as the voice of the streets continues to echo today throughout urban culture. He has become an eternal icon of youthful brilliance and rebellion with an immeasurable impact on each new generation.

These two separate CDs also show us why anyone listening to the breadth of his work knows that behind the laconic delivery lies a vision. 2PAC’s uncanny ability enabled him to represent the disenfranchised he hoped to galvanize with his philosophy of T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. (which stood for “The Hatred U Give Lil Infants F***s Everybody”). “I didn’t create the thug life. I diagnosed it,” Tupac stated.

Each album contains one previously unreleased recording and one new remix along with nine classic tracks. Each album is available in edited and explicit versions. The collections were assembled with the assistance of his mother, Afeni Shakur, who is also the executive producer of the albums. The CDs represent different key phases of 2PAC’s evolution and shows how his talent hit a high note right from the start and never wavered.

THE BEST OF 2PAC – Part 1: Thug features the previously unreleased “Resist the Temptation” and a fresh mix of “Dear Mama,” featuring Anthony Hamilton, whose original Grammy-nominated version went Platinum and charted Top 10 Pop and #1 Rap. Also included are “Trapped” (2PAC’s debut single), the Grammy-nominated “California Love” (with Dr. Dre), the double Platinum, #1 Pop/#1 Rap, Grammy-nominated “How Do U Want It” with K-CI & JoJo, and Top 10 Rap “So Many Tears.” The remaining tracks are “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” “Hail Mary,” “Changes,” and “Unconditional Love.”

THE BEST OF 2PAC – Part 2: Life highlights the previously unreleased recording of “Dopefiend’s Diner” featuring 2PAC using a vocal sample of the melody line of “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega in addition to the acoustic remix of “Thugz Mansion” featuring all three verses by 2PAC. The album also brings together the Top 5 Rap “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and Gold, Top 15 Pop/#2 Rap “Keep Ya Head Up.” The tracklisting adds “Definition of a Thug Nigga,” “When I Get Free,” “Until the End of Time” (RP Remix), “Never Call You Bitch Again,” “They Don’t Give a Fuck About Us,” “Still Ballin” (Nitty Remix) and “Ghetto Gospel.”

Thug Life Army Records to Release In The Shadow of an Icon 12/14

One of a Kind Hip Hop Project ‘In The Shadow of an Icon’ to be Released on digital download sites 12/14 and in stores nationwide January 15th 2008.

The latest project from Thug Life Army Records is titled ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’. It is a collaboration of artists who all learned and grew out of the words and teachings of the late hip hop Icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac). Thug Life Army Records is a division of Star Sound Group International based in Hollywood, California.

The album will be distributed thru Fontana/Universal/AMG on Thug Life Army Records. The album will be available for digital download on Itunes, Umusic and all other download sources December 14th. In stores nationwide January 15th 2008

The project contains no music by Tupac (2Pac), but it does reveal artists who grew out of the shadow of the hip hop Icon.

As Tupac did in his short life, Thug Life Army Records looked for hip hop and rap artists who could use a ‘hand up’ to get their talent noticed. The VP of Thug Life Army Records, RB says “We hope this project will do just that. Our hope is this project will bring ‘light’ to those artists who have participated out of love for Tupac and what they learned from his lyrics. Hip Hop is not ‘Dead’ as many people believe; most people are just not looking in the right places.”

When asked about the direction the music takes in the CD, RB explains “The various sides and teachings of the ‘man’, Tupac Amaru Shakur are represented on this CD - from his street side, to his political side, to his deep inner self. A total look is taken at the course Tupac had traveled in his short life. A picture of Tupac’s life is a picture of many of our lives. His up’s and down’s are roads many of us have shared along the way. That is why Tupac gained the respect of almost everyone in the hip hop community - we could feel his pain and joys, as he felt ours. His words and teachings remain relevant today because the situation has not changed since Pac first started exposing the real truth of hood life, and the artists on this project continue with

Pac’s message of ‘keeping it real’ thru real talk. No spinning rims or drinking in the club, just solid true about the reality of being raised in a society that does not understand you or your situation.”

“Violence has touched many in this country, not only the hip hop community. This is not only a requiem for the life of Tupac and for all the fallen ‘souljahs’ who have died needlessly or have found themselves in situations they cannot control, but it also emphasizes why the lyrics that Tupac spit and the knowledge he put forth is still relevant today; because nothing has really changed over the last 11 years since Tupac was murdered, and the artists on this project came together to put out a hip hop album with a ‘meaningful message’.”

With over 25 different artists participating in the project, there are many backgrounds and each artist has their own region where they rep from and their own experiences in life.

The official ‘leak’ song titled ‘Speed of Life’ by K-Loron, was released on MySpace HERE. This is the first single off the album. It along with the second single ‘We Live and We Die’ by Hustle Creed are being serviced to radio nationwide. Everyone who has heard the tracks by K-Loron and Hustle Creed are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the full project.

Here is the track list for ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’ and more information can be found HEREor on the Thug Life Army Records web site HERE.

The album will be distributed thru Fontana/Universal/AMG on Thug Life Army Records. The album will be available for digital download on Itunes, Umusic and all other on line sources December 14th. In stores nationwide January 15th 2008

Track list for ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’

Disc One

1.) Boo Kapone - KNOWLEDGE
2.) Concrete Souljahs - Walk wit me
3.) allfrumtha i - Everywhere I Go (good and evil)
4.) SUPe – The System
5.) Hustle Creed - We Live and We Die
6.) Purple Lounge “H.O.P.E”
7.) Nolan – PEOPLE
8.) 1223 - Wish I Knew
9.) Jasiri X and Franchise - 2 Pacs More
Producer: Paradise Gray (X Clan) and GM3
10.) Page 1 - Fallen
11.) Ebony Burks – Choice
12.) G Luv - Revelation
13.) FAME – Next 2 Kin
14.) U.N.D feat. Teeka – Understand
15.) binky mack - Conflict Of Interest

Disc Two

1.) Kemo the Blaxican - Breathe
2.) Celly Cel - No Tomorrow
3.) Dolo - So Much Drama
4.) Qwiccshott - Never
5.) Sammy B feat Big Dee – No Half Steppin
6.) 3RDegree – Broken Home
7.) allfrumtha i - Me & My Dawg
8.) K – Loron – Speed of Life
9.) Concrete Souljahs - Related to the Underground
10.) Tommy Danger - Run for Cover
11.) Wize-Fool – DANGEROUS FREE THINKER
12.) binky mack - Taken Over
13.) Malign20 - Hopes and Dreams
14.) Queen Josie - Young Men of Today (Spoken Word)

More music from the late, great Tupac Shakur will be hitting the streets on December 4th on Amaru / Universal. The Best of 2Pac, his 9th posthumous release will be a double CD featuring familiar bangers like ‘So Many Tears’, ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’, and ‘Keep Ya Head Up.’ The album will also feature two previously unreleased tracks and two new remixes including ‘Dear Momma’, now featuring Anthony Hamilton. Advances ready mid-November, please let me know if you can confirm a review for your site.

THE BEST OF 2PAC - PT. 1: THUG
So Many Tears
Trapped
California Love - ORIGINAL MIX
How Do U Want It
I Ain’t Mad At Cha
2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
Hail Mary
Changes
Unconditional Love
Resist The Temptation – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Dear Mama featuring Anthony Hamilton – NEW MIX
TRACKLISTING SUBJECT TO CHANGE

THE BEST OF 2PAC - PT. 2: LIFE
Definition of a Thug Nigga
Brenda’s Got A Baby
Keep Ya Head Up
When I Get Free
Until The End Of Time - RP REMIX
Never Call You Bitch Again
They Don’t Give A Fuck About Us
Still Ballin - NITTY REMIX
Ghetto Gospel
Dopefiend’s Diner – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
Thugz Mansion ACOUSTIC REMIX – NEW REMIX
TRACKLISTING SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Tupac
The Best Of 2PAC (Double Disc)
In Stores 12/4
Amaru / Universal

written by Low Key

Tupac Shakur- the name means a whole lot these days. It carries more weight than almost any other Hip-Hop artist in history. He is looked at in so many different ways it is tough to actually grasp his legacy or figure out what to think of him. But one thing is for sure, while he was with us, 2pac was one of the most influential rappers in the history of the game.

Before his death, 2pac along with his fellow outlaw members put together different personas or alias from various historical figures, thus spawning the birth of Makaveli. This new persona 2pac displayed characterized a different side of 2pac, a side many emcees did not want to cross paths with. This new Makaveli side of Pac brought anger, vengeance, raw energy and a thug life image that was looked at as so real, no one would be able to duplicate it, even years after his death. After his tragic death, Deathrow decided to release 2pac’s first posthumous album, entitled, Makavlei “The 7 Day Theory”

Original Article

written by Low Key

Leave it up to the geniuses at Death Row Records to continue finding new ways to tarnish the legacy of 2pac even years after his death. With no new material coming out of the company they are forced to come up with even more extreme ways to release 2pac material just so they can make some money. This years disgrace to 2pac comes in the form of a remix album entitled the “Nu Mixx Klazzics”, where Death Row’s production team, Tha Row Hitters, try and remake 2pac’s classic material off of “All Eyez On Me” & “Makaveli”.

Original Article

written by Low Key

While he was here on this earth 2pac was one of the most influential, controversial, and hardest working artists in the Hip-Hop industry. This uncanny work ethic has lead to what seems like a never ending release of posthumous releases from 2pac. While some have been memorable such as the 2pac/Outlawz album, most have been lackluster such as his last album “Until The End Of Time”. The main problem with “Until The End Of Time” was the album’s production staff’s decision to remake most of 2pac’s unreleased material. Instead of releasing the exact material 2pac made when he was alive, they tried to cash in on a quick buck and liter the album with guest appearances, corny R&B hooks and worst of all new production that didn’t match anything like the original. While most prayed that this trend would not continue on this year’s edition of 2pac album’s entitled “Better Dayz” it has and to everybody’s disapproval it has gotten worse.

Original Article