I personally thought that this was a complete joke, but there has been some recent chatter about T.I. replacing Julie Greenwald as the President of Atlantic Records. When MTV asked the rapper about it, he said, “It’s among the realm of possibilities”. What the heck? I have mad love for T.I. but I highly doubt that Atlantic Records is considering a “jail bird” to takeover as the head moncho.
A business exec told me that he thinks of consulting firms a bit like Charlie Sheen thinks about prostitutes. When I asked him to explain, he said that when Sheen was being sentenced for using a prostitute, the judge asked him why a man like him would have to pay for sex. And Sheen reportedly replied: “I don’t pay them for sex. I pay them to leave.” The exec went on to explain that he prefers hiring business consulting firms that also do their jobs and then leave.
I’m repelled, but fascinated, by Sheen’s reasoning.
This story got me thinking about the demand for non-relational contracting. Ian MacNeil, my former colleague at Northwestern, was famous for claiming that most contracting is “relational” — or extends the duty to perform contracts through time and repeated transactions. But Sheen’s (possibly apocryphal) quotation has me thinking that there may be contexts in which people would pay a premium to avoid a relationship.
Some people may at times prefer A.T.M.’s to tellers in part because they don’t want to speak to tellers. Some people may prefer Merry Maids to a regular housekeeper (or may prefer to be absent when the cleaning is done). Or some people may prefer buying at Amazon.com in part because of the lack of human contact.
Indeed, what’s scariest to me as a professor is that part of the student demand for “distance learning” may come from students who don’t want to have relationships with their teachers.
A rising demand for non-relational contracting seems of a piece with Robert Putnam’s depressing Bowling Alone thesis that we are becoming increasingly disconnected from family, friends, and neighbors. I remember the day when you might have had a conversation with the person sitting next to you on an airplane. Nowadays, if you say more than a perfunctory hello when you initially sit down, you are trespassing into your seatmate’s personal space.
Of course, there are other ways to spin the demand for non-relational contracting. Restricting and regulating our contractual relationships allows us to control and concentrate our limited relationship energy on those people who matter most to us. Surely this is sometimes the case. But conserving our limited relationship energy may backfire. Our capacity to interact with others may atrophy if it goes unused.
Moreover, some of us may be healthiest and happiest when we interact with a variety of people on a variety of levels; it may not be good for us to concentrate all of our social energy on the most intense or important relationships in our lives.
I worry that there’s too much Charlie Sheen in the modern condition. Part of my revulsion is in the glimmer of self-recognition.
50 Cent continued his Rick Ross bashing media tour by appearing on Miami’s Power 96 radio station First 50 says that Rick Ross doesn’t have the money he says he does stating “I have artists who have more money then Rick Ross’ continuing, “He’s a fraud… I feel like there is something wrong from a hip hop prospective for you to be a part of law enforcement and totally write your career that you are the biggest drug dealer in Miami”
When asked if he is scared the beef with Rick Ross could escalate to the level of Biggie and Tupac, 50 replied “In all honesty, if he went far enough for me to be agitated from my end, that could happen to him.” When asked if he would ever diss or attack anyone if they didn’t go at him first 50 said no, of course not, saying “it would make absolutely no sense.” 50 says the beef is part of hip-hop and if he didn’t respond to Ross “then that would mean I’m saying I’m bigger then the actual artform. That I’m not willing to compete as a hip-hop artist.” In the latest interview, 50 talked about dealing with his problems himself unlike Jay-Z saying Jigga “brought artists around him to deal with altercations instead of him having to deal with them. When he had issues with Jadakiss, it was Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss because he put someone in front of him. When he had issues with Cam’ron, he had Tru Life smack Cam’ron”
ALFAMEGA
When you look up the word “goon” in the rap dictionary, you’ll find those now-infamous pictures of T.I.’s Grand Hustle muscle Alfamega spazzin’ out on Shawty Lo’s crew at last year’s Dirty Awards. In those photos, especially the one where he’s smiling as he tussles with an overmatched cop, you can tell that Alfamega was having a good time; he shrugged-off a blast of pepper spray to the face like it was spearmint Binaca. With a lead-fisted shot to the dome, Mega left a Shawty Lo associate snoozing on the floor during T.I. and Grand Hustle’s performance at the Awards show.
The televised incident may earn him another bid in the bing, but his commissary should be stacked for a job well done. Aspiring rappers take note: It doesn’t matter how well you rhyme, how many chicks you bag and how much jewelry you rock. Your crew isn’t complete without a ninja like Mega in the stable.
UNCLE MURDA
Like most Hip-Hop Goons, East New York’s Uncle Murda has dropped a slew of requisite mixtapes and has made the internet rounds, selling his street cred with the fervor of a presidential candidate. He was Jay-Z’s muscle at Roc-A-Fella and now he’s rumored to be signing with G-Unit to join the rent-a-thug ranks of Spider Loc and 40 Glocc. But Uncle Murda seems comfortable with his enforcer status and the man is downright entertaining. In a move of pure marketing genius (or foolishness, depending on your point-of-view,) he announced on citywide radio that he’s caught numerous bodies and even shot cops, inciting angry police officers to call up the station in protest. Murda was also filmed sucker-punching his longtime nemesis and fellow Brooklynite, Papoose.
After a bullet grazed his skull earlier this year, Murda posted a YouTube clip claiming that he nursed his wounds with “Kush and Hennessy.” Hopefully, the Kush was prescribed by a licensed physician.
TONY YAYO
Tony Yayo has dropped platinum albums, appeared on a number of G-Unit projects and has multi-millionaire 50 Cent for a best friend, so when it comes to being categorized as a Hip-Hop goon, he’s in a class by himself. His music is average at best, but the man’s thugged-out resume is impeccable. Jail time, gunplay, beatings, intimidation…it’s stellar. As for notable incidents, where do we begin? Jimmy Henchman, The Game’s one-time manager and sworn enemy of G-Unit, accused Tony Yayo and his cronies of slapping his teenage son (charges against Yayo were dropped when one of his minions admitted to the act).
When it comes to talking trash and provoking 50 Cent’s opponents, nobody does it like Yayo. Whether questioning Game’s sexuality, calling ex-associate Young Buck broke or charging that Ghostface didn’t write Supreme Clientele, Tony Yayo doesn’t bite his tongue. And the dude’s loyal too. Catch Yayo on 50 Cent’s new MTV reality-show, “The Money And The Power,” standing beside his boss, rocking a crispy tuxedo. He’s graduated up to Corporate Goon.
JUST ICE
An affiliate of Boogie Down Productions during their heyday, Fort Greene, Brooklyn gangster rapper Just-Ice (emphasis on “gangster”) is the granddaddy of Hip-Hop Goons. Plus, he made some classic songs to boot (“Latoya,” “Going Way Back”). No disrespect to Plies and his sophomore album’s title, but Just-Ice is truly “The Definition of Real.”
When KRS-One had beef with MC Shan after KRS’s classic 1987 diss record, “South Bronx,” it was a lone Just-Ice who allegedly visited Shan’s Queensbridge Projects with a shotgun in tow, looking for challengers. Unsurprisingly he found none. Just-Ice’s street cred is rock-solid and with an appearance on America’s Most Wanted under his belt, the man is due for a Lifetime Achievement award in the art of Goonery.
For the ATLien Stans..Tiffany Pollard is headed to the ‘A’. After getting her career launch from being on Flavor Flav's show, "New York" has has been in L.A.trying to prepare herself to be a serious actress. (Rolling my eyes twice!)
And to really jump start her career, Tiffany will be debuting in the Obie-award winning play ‘The Vagina Monologues.’
“It’s kind of a serious actress type thingy and that’s what I’m striving to be,” Pollard said. “I really want to lend my voice and let people see that I’m there and I’m focused and I want to be a part of it.”
For the Stans who just wanna see more T&A, take a JUMP!
via Dime Wars
50 CENT HAS WHAT?! MANNN…CALL IT OFF! PLEASE!
Look here. I don’t want to see anybody get ruined over this beef. I mean that. I really think Rick Ross is dope as an artist. But 50 Cent is just overdoing it right now. I am getting a rumor that 50 Cent has obtained the video of Rick Ross at his “graduation” from his corrections gig. I kid you not and the source of this information is somebody that has been dead on in the past. Oh boy.
Also, 50 Cent is reportedly looking to sign Jacki-O to G-Unit. No disrespect, but I don’t know why he would take it that far. I think he might just fly her into NY like the baby moms or something. Anyway, Jacki apparently has a story to tell. I wonder if Trick Daddy has something to say. He was rumored to be going to G-Unit a ways back anyway. I have seen that the South is very unified and I don’t know that we’ll be seeing too many people turn on Ross and side with 50. I could be wrong though.
RICK ROSS GETS WITH YOUNG BUCK TO GET 50 CENT??
Here is the rumor on the other side of the coin. I am hearing that Rick Ross might be making some big movies. We haven’t heard from Young Buck in quite some time. But I am hearing that Buck and Ross might be joining forces to go at 50 Cent. This is very scant information, but it makes sense. As far as I know, Buck is still signed to 50 and still very dope. He may not be getting out of that deal this way. Why not go for broke, eh?
Actor Terrence Howard is the early frontrunner to portray drug kingpin "Big Meech," in the upcoming film based on the Black Mafia Family. Meech headed the biggest black drug empire in U.S. history, grossing over $275 million dollars in a seven year period. Before his arrest, Meech would hit the strip clubs every Tuesday and make it rain on the girls, tossing $100,000 in the air. Meech could be spotted all over the ATL rolling in Lamborghini's and Ferrari's. He's currently serving a 30 year sentence in prison.
Oprah Winfrey won't be able to ignore 50 Cent any longer. According to a 'Top Earning African American Stars' list released by Forbes Magazine, 50 Cent comes in right behind the popular talk show queen.
The list, which appears as a video report published on January 29, 2009, by Forbes.com lists 50 Cent as the second top earning African American star. The report based its rankings on how much the stars raked in from June 2007 to June 2008.
According to Forbes, 50 raked in $150 million over the aforementioned period via his clothing line, music, video games and the purchase of his stake in Glaceau Vitamin Water by Coca Cola in 2007.
Expect to see 50 on the list in the future. The rapper recently launched a film company and has plans to launch his own line of dietary supplements.
50 is currently gearing up to release his fourth solo album Before I Self Destruct in March. The album will feature appearances from Eminem, Dr. Dre and G-Unit rappers Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo.
Watch the video report for the 'Top Earning African American Stars' [HERE]
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY! OH YEAH I DO.... 50 IS REALLY A BEAST... HOW DO YOU G TO WAR WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS 100 + MILLION DOLLARS TO WAR WITH... IT'S A NO WIN SITUATION.. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR BABY MOMS IS A DISLOYAL BIRD!
Chelsea aka Diznee is back with her electric smile and bang’n booty. Since my first post on Diznee, she has exploded like no other fresh face. It’s that nice girl with a pure sex body that wins the crowds. As Diznee says…
“I’m still the same sweet, innocent girl next door with green eyes and a big booty.” - Chelsea aka Diznee
She’s 19 years old and attending California State University Northiridge and not letting the game go to her head. Her five year goal is to be on network television. Hopefully that means more modeling features on the way.
JIM JONES SETS THE MAX B SITUATION STRAIGHT (EXCLUSIVELY FOR POLK DVD) CALLS MAX B USED BUBBLE GUM, SPEAKS ON DEAL WITH $20 MILLION DOLLAR DEAL WITH SONY , AND CLEARS UP RUMORS OF DAME DASH BEING BROKE.
Props Polk DVD
She looks amazing in this pic. Not only does the dress contours the shape of her body perfectly, but she kept it simple with just rocking a few accessories. Love it! Perfection!
Taraji was spotted @ the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards cocktail party.
We can’t wait until the Oscars!
-Stay Fly!
via: Stay Fly
Environmentalists are encouraged by President Barack Obama's focus this week on renewable energy and stricter emissions standards, although some economists are skeptical he can pull the country out of the recession while cleaning up the planet. full story
The Steelers pulled out a victory in Super Bowl XLIII, winning a sixth Super Bowl title. Pittsburgh snatched it away from the Arizona Cardinals in the final seconds of play to give the Steelers a thrilling 27-23 win
Lil Kim has made it clear she doesn’t like how she was portrayed in the “Notorious” Biggie Smalls biopic. Diddy is now backing her up saying “The only thing I can say about the movie that you may have got that was really great from their relationship was [Biggie Smalls] really respected her as an artist, as an emcee and was into her like that. All the extra stuff, you know, it’s a movie and Kim will have her chance. Her own movie will come out there, so yo, give Kim her chance. Don’t believe what you saw in the movie.” Kim has expressed her anger about the entire situation saying “This is truly Faith and Ms. Wallace’s movie. And Ms. Wallace is right, this isn’t a Lil’ Kim movie and it’s not about me. I didn’t want it to be about me, I wanted it to be REAL though. And that it is NOT. I take no part in this movie and have nothing to do with it.” Ms Wallace hit back saying “Do you know why the character was too dark for her? Because she’s a white woman trapped in a black woman’s body, and you can tell the world I said it, because those are Lil’ Kim’s words. She should be ashamed of herself.”
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