goodbye bloglines, er, maybe

not like it's the most recent news in the world, but goole has an rss reader @ www.google.com/reader/. every time i turn around, their adding some new tool to their suite. web domination coming soon i suppose.

i haven't yet given up using the bloglines, just b/c it makes so much sense. but when both firefox and safari enable me to save rss feeds, and of course i do, i think i'm on the verge of overkill and experiencing serious bouts of information overload - just for the sake of being a tech tool nerd who wants to try everything under the sun to figure out which is more intuitive for the way i work and think.

come to think of it, the google mobile rss reader might be more interesting to write about. but since i don't use a regular cell phone, i guess i won't be testing it.

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rappers wanna be just like jesus

kanye west on the cover of rolling stone

murda mase: crucified for the hood - 10 years of hate

nasir jones - carry the cross

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feeding my mixtape fiending

As you may have already read, I've got a penchant for audio searches. And of course I definitely have a love of music. In fact, I'm doing all I can to load up the 180 GB I've partitioned on my 250 GB capacity Lacie Firewire 400 for music. Though I've probably purchased and collected more than enough CDs over the years to fill up the entire device sometimes I'm just not really into ripping discs, which makes digital ready audio a priority for me.

For a long time I wasn't one to mess with BitTorrent, leaving that kind of p2p networking with PC users where it belonged. That was until I found Transmission. Sure I know, there's a BitTorrent client for Mac users, but I pride myself on going against the grain.

Since using Transmission, I've developed a proclivity for searching for mixtapes and UK releases. But with many of the Torrent search engines, it's not always so easy to find exactly what you're looking for, or you have to deal with multiple popups and popunders.

Well, I've come across the ultimate mixtape search tool that satisfies my cravings just fine.

MixtapeTorrent.com, the home of HOT Mixtape Downloads, Hip-Hop News & More, is all I could ever ask for. In fact, I was so impressed with the site, I added it to my bloglines feeds and even spent a good portion of time trying to develop a firefox search engine plugin for it. I failed at that attempt miserably, and ended up creating a Rollyo Mozilla Firefox Custom Search Engine plugin for it instead.

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powerbook TV anyone

I spend a lot of time tooling around with gadgets, code, and most especially looking for ways to trick out my mac. My latest project, though I'm stil in the research phase, is turning my powerbook into a TV. While TV Tuner Cards have been available for PCs for what seems like forever, availability for Mac has been only in recent years.

eye TV ez

EyeTV EZ USB 2.0 TV Receiver from Elgato Systems was first announced at Apple Expo in September 2005. It's one of the simplest ways to watch TV on your Mac. It's basically analog TV tuner.

It looks simple enough to set up, and a cable-ready 125 channel TV tuner from TerraTec. Just this month, Macworld rated it 4 stars.

eyeTV 200

And while eyeTV ez is simply a TV watching adapter, it's sister, acts more as a DVR, and of course requires more processing power (500 MHz or faster). eyeTV software offers iPod support.

myTV.PVR

myTV.PVR from eskapelabs, turns your Mac into TIVO. Released in October 2005, the hardware features features a 125-channel cable-ready TV tuner, FM stereo radio tuner, stereo audio and composite and S-Video inputs.

This USB Tuner also requires a lot of power (500MHz or faster), but doesn't require much HD space (3GB).

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black jesus on film

No this isn't the blackface jesus that you've been reading about on blogs. This is about the black jesus of the South African film, Son of Man which premieres on Sunday at the U.S. Sundance Festival in Utah.

From Reuters, UK: "Billed as the world's first black Jesus movie, "Son of Man" portrays Christ as a modern African revolutionary and aims to shatter the Western image of a placid saviour with fair hair and blue eyes."

The movie has also been reported to present a political theme as opposed to a religous one. "The important thing about the message of Christ was that it is universal. It doesn't matter what he looked like," said the film's director, Mark Dornford-May.

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cam'ron ain't got no love for jay-z

Jay-Z is going to have to come out of retirement for this one. This Writer Not A Biter bit has been floating around the webs for some time now, but never has a nother MC put his co-sign on it. That is until now. Cam'ron is taking steady aim at Hov.

Listen to the track, " Swagger Jacker (Biter not a Writer)," courtesy of hiphopgame.com.

And...

Cam'ron Pens Jay-Z Dis Track via Vibe.com. With the track Cam'ron Jay-Z dis song - "You Gotta Love It Beyonce." This is mad heated - and sounds like it's written on behalf of Dame.

And...

hardcore's thoughtful the greatest biter of all time post

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webjay acquired by yahoo

Lately - my audio search habits have steered me away from Google and Yahoo. That is since I became addicted to Altavista's audio search, bloggdigger's media search, ourmedia, and torrentz.

And while, podzinger's podcast search tool, looks interesting, what's been holding my attention most has been weebjay's integration with blogdigger. This integration entails - "Blogdigger’s syndicated content aggregation platform indexes new additions to Webjay’s playlists as they are updated, allowing Webjay’s users to quickly find audio or video by keyword search. Search results from Blogdigger will direct users back to Webjay’s site, helping them discover new media content." And: "Blogdigger will utilize Webjay’s PlayThisPage technology to enable users of its Media Search to quickly and easily create a playlist to listen or view and save media search results."

But now that Yahoo has acquired the company, I'm not sure what will happen. In a Yahoo! Music Blog post from Jan. 9, Ian C Rogers welcomes Webjay to the Yahoo Music Family. One thing is for sure, playlists are going to become an essential part of Yahoo! Music.

With Google going after Apple and Microsoft, with its video store play, and then after traditional media with the purchase of dMarc Broadcasting, a radio advertising company, it's safe to assume that audio and video are becoming major businesses in the online world.

One thing is certain, neither old media or new media are disappearing anytime soon. Their marriages are inevitable though. While new media may have the technology, in most cases old media has the content and in many cases it also still has the eyeballs. It's going to be very interesting to watch how the battles between Yahoo and Google play out, but it's also going to be interesting to watch how the battle between Apple and Microsoft play out. All of these companies are vying for entry into our lifestyles, to get closer to us, and find better ways to sell us things that match our interests.

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outkast's idlewild

have you seen the trailer yet?

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weekly tracks & charts: the lupe fiasco edition

he's definitely the future...

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BET Getting Animated

As The Bible of Hip-Hop pointed out the other day the future of BET programming will be animated. They've brought in someone behind Adult Swim's Boondocks to make sure they've got game.

They're also starting to lineup more original programming and have released their 2006 schedule. As far as we can tell, Jamie Foxx and In Loving Color will continue to run.

Here's the season lineup:

SEASON OF THE TIGER follows the real life drama surrounding the struggle for excellence through the lives of five members of Grambling State University's legendary 225-member "Mighty Tiger Marching Band" and the GSU football team. The 'Greatest Show on Earth' is redefined when the winningest football team in history and their famous marching band take the field. For the kids it's a long, tough road that leads to game day each week and they'll do whatever it takes to be the best and win. As in the movies "Drumline" and "Friday Night Lights," the glory is hard-earned, whether it means taking hits on the football field or enduring grueling practice sessions for the band.

LIL' KIM: COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN, chronicles the last two weeks of freedom for the now-incarcerated rapper Lil' Kim, who is paying the ultimate price for "staying true to the game." Edmonds Entertainment is allowed full-camera access to reveal the Queen Bee's dizzying final days of freedom as her entourage struggles to keep up appearances and she emotionally prepares to serve hard time.

COLLEGE HILL, is back with a fresh new look and even more drama than ever. BET partners again with Edmonds Entertainment on production of the series, in its third season. The new cast of season three turns up the heat at HBCU Virginia State University where tempers fly, tears flow, and secrets are revealed as eight college students struggle to live under one roof. From the camaraderie of Homecoming celebrations and sexy hot tub scenes, to break-ups and an emotional visit to Rosa Parks' funeral - emotions and conflicts are at an all-time high.

MEET THE FAITH charts a new course for Sunday talk shows showcasing what happens when religious leaders from mosques, synagogues, chapels and mega-churches gather in a non-religious forum to challenge the day's hottest topics. Award-winning journalist Carlos Watson of CNN fame moderates, mediates and referees this spirited discussion of multicultural hot-button issues. Without a doubt, this blending of cultures and belief systems will both clash and concur as panelists sort out the news and headlines of the week on Sunday mornings.

BET will once again present its annual CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL, hosted by the multi-dimensional Steve Harvey. Taped at LA's historic Wilshire Ebell Theatre, CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL will unite the brightest gospel stars of this generation and secular artists with gospel roots for an evening of uplifting and inspirational music. CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL premieres on February 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

In April, SPRING BLING brings fever to the beach with sizzling hip-hop performances, blazing hot beachwear, and fun in the sun premiering on Thursday, April 13. Then RIP THE RUNWAY, produced in partnership with Cossette Productions, takes viewers on a virtual stroll down the catwalk in the fashion capitol of the world, New York City, to bring the hottest trends in urban fashion and music to television.

BET AWARDS '06 relocates to the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, as BET celebrates its 6th year of honoring outstanding achievement in music, entertainment and sports with a star-studded "live" telecast. The most-watched awards program among African-American viewers, this year's show will again be the hottest ticket in Black Hollywood, with glitzy red carpet arrivals, explosive show performances and riveting tributes by the hottest names in entertainment.

Here's what they've released to the press about animation and new executives...

Entertainment President Reginald Hudlin Hires Three Top Executives
In Newly-Created Posts, Including the Network's First-Ever Animation Exec

LOS ANGELES (January 10, 2006) - BET President of Entertainment Reginald Hudlin continues to shape the management structure of BET's programming division with the second wave of executive hires. Hudlin, who has only been in his post since July, has now brought aboard a trio of new senior executives as part of a strategy to expand BET's original programming. Among those new hires is an executive to execute Hudlin's plans for developing a first-ever animation production arm for BET.

Denys Cowan, most recently Producer and Supervising Director for Sony Television Animation on the Boondocks series for Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" programming block, joins BET as Senior Vice President for Animation, under a newly-structured BET Entertainment Group. A 15-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Cowan was also the chief creative force behind the Static Shock animated series from Warner Brothers Animation that earned him consecutive Emmy Award nominations from 2001-2003. In addition to developing animated series for the channel, Cowan's responsibilities include creating animated product for the home video market as well as online and wireless.

"Denys took Static Shock, a comic book character he co-created, and turned it into a hit series for Kids' WB and the Cartoon Network," said Hudlin. "He was also incredibly instrumental in making the Boondocks a hit. He's a team player who knows how to make it happen."

Also joining the BET Entertainment Group are Byron Phillips as Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Darrell Walker as Executive Vice President for Business Affairs. The addition of Phillips and Walker help to solidify Hudlin's strategy to continue strengthening BET's relationships to the Hollywood entertainment community. All three of the new executives will report to Hudlin in BET's Los Angeles office.

Phillips will lead original programming development, strategic planning, and overall business development. Prior to joining BET, Phillips was founder and CEO of AHM Entertainment, an integrated branded entertainment and marketing solutions company with past clientele that includes Pepsi, Walt Disney, EA sports, Universal Gaming, EMI and Warner Bros Records. Phillips was also partners with Reggie Hudlin in the Television and Feature Film production company, HudPhilms. He holds a Bachelors Degree from UCLA, along with a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University.

"Branded entertainment will be a growing part of BET's programming mix, and Byron's experience in that arena will be invaluable" says Hudlin. "He's also the first creative executive at BET with major record label experience, so he'll play a large role in expanding our working relationship with our music business partners. We've been working together for a while, so he's very attuned to my programming tastes."

Walker comes to BET from Mandalay Pictures, where he was formerly Executive Vice President for Business and Legal Affairs. His 15-plus years of deal making experience include tenure with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Columbia Pictures as a senior Business Affairs executive. Walker's new role for BET is serving as the head business affairs executive on BET Entertainment Group projects and negotiations. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Stanford University Law School; received his Masters Degree from The Queen's College, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar; and earned a Bachelors Degree from Whittier College.

"Darrell is a total class act that is respected all over town. I've been on the other side of the desk with him at Sony and at Mandalay and I can say firsthand no matter how tough the negotiation is, he's always fair," Hudlin said.

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links for 1.11.06

In online parodies...

• If The Biggie Duets Were A Movie takes inspiration from Weekend at Bernie's.

• The Constipation of Mimi Live pokes fun at Mariah's weight and makes her look larger than life.
  

In news...

• There may be hope for the gay rapper after all. Cable Network LOGO and Sony Music have teamed up to create a gay record label. Music Label Formed to Push Gay Artists. That reminds me, whatever happened to Cashaun's record deal with Kimora?

• Speaking of Kimora Lee Simmons, Gawker has an image of the cover of her book, Fabulosity: What It Is And How To Get It up. It's a hot cover. But what is Fabulosity?

• I guess Harper Collins thought the book idea was fab, b/c they definitely believe they know the market for good celebrity books. Just read Chapter 4 of Star Jones book, Shine: A Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey To Finding Love. And while you're at it, check out her "Is He The One?" Workshop @ AOL.
  

In blogs...

• Felicia Pride on Popmatters marriage with softskull press to publish books featuring popmatters essays.

• ill will has set up a poll to crown the king of ny. There's some interesting match ups in there, but right now Ghostface and Cam'ron are leading the way.

• ian's got his 2005 year-end wrap up : singles, and I'm noticing that he didn't actually number them. Does that really mean that Amerie's "1 Thing," and Ying Yang's "Wait" are his #1 and #2 respectively. That misogynistic "Wait" was a good party starter last year, innit?"

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sidekick III betta release soon

I'm a loyal sidekick user. For me it was gullier than a Black Berry and more intuitive for folks who used two-ways or handheld games. What made it sexier for me, was that I could use it with a Mac, especially once there was the Missing Sync For Hiptop for synching iCal and Adress Book. Yet, I'm losing a little love over how many youth have taken to the device now that the price is down. And the lack of Bluetooth is just so not hot, and so '05 — possibly even so '04. The BlackBerry 8700 Series (8700r and 8700c) is looking sweeter to me, even though it's only available on Rogers Wireless and Cingular. Even though every suit in NYC has a BB on the train. This device is quite impressive. But then again the new Palm Treo 700w is powered by Windows Mobile and plays music and videos. You'll probably get more bang for your buck there.

I've seen a few photos of what the prototype for Sidekick III looks like (including product map photos from gizmodo and engadget), and to be quite honest, the device doesn't look much different. The only thing I've heard that will make it serve its users better is the addition of bluetooth technology and that it will be audio and video enabled.

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apple unveils macbook pro

Of all the Apple announcements, the one that I find most interesting is the new Powerbook called MacBook Pro. Though for several reasons, I'd wait at least 6 months to a year before I'd think about purchasing one.

The first exciting thing about MacBook Pro, is that it's the first laptop to include Apple's Front Row and Remote. Now you can control your media from anywhere in the room while using your Apple laptop.

One of the major problems with Apple's laptop technology is that the machines are relatively slow, that is at least when compared with the computing power you can get with many PC laptops. The new Intel Core Duo boasts 1.83GHZ. Now we're getting lightning fast.

iChat's videoconferencing features when used with iSight has been a great feature for some time, but with MacBook Pro an iSight camera is built into the laptop. It'll be even easier to video blog.

iLife '06 builds upon iLife '05, but it's not just about photo organizing, making movies, music, or burning DVDs anymore. With '06 there is iWeb, a new tool that enables users to create web sites, podcasts, and blogs all from within the core components of iLife. iWeb features built-in templates for site and blog building, and creates RSS feeds for sites and podcasts. The podcats feeds can be automatically submitted for inclusion in iTunes Podcast library. There's full integration to bring any elements created or stored in Garage Band, iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, iMovie, into iWeb for publishing on your site.

As for other announcements made today:

I am not very interested in iWork '06. I wasn't interested in the last version that came with Tiger. I have found Keynote or Pages useful for any of the work I do, just because it is incompatible with any Adobe, Windows, or Macromedia products.

The iPod Radio Remote seems cool, but Griffin Technologies already has iFM that can also be used as a recording device.

Related Links:

• Macworld's Macworld Expo Live Keynote Coverage
  
• Wired's Gear Factor Blog post One More Thing... Introducing the MacBook Pro
  
• Cnet New.com's Live Blogging from Macworld
  

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top tracks jan 1 -8: the last.fm edition

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10 for '05: The Pazz N' Jop Edition

Every year the Village Voice asks music writers, critics, hopefuls, to vote for their top 10 albums of the year. Here's mine:

Your Pazz & Jop albums ballot was submitted as follows:

1. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm - Vice (10)
2. Common - Be - Geffen (10)
3. M.I.A. - Arular - XL (10)
4. Damian Marley - Welcome To Jamrock - Universal (10)
5. The Game - The Documentary - Aftermath (10)
6. Young Jeezy - Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 - Def Jam (10)
7. Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi - Island (10)
8. Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough - Geffen (10)
9. Gorillaz - Demon Days - Virgin (10)
10. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem - Capitol (10)

* I realize that I should have held off on Mary J. until 2006 b/c that's when the album will have it's largest impact.

Now this makes me want to dig up the ballots I entered in previous years.

In 2004 Kanye was #1 and I voted for:

Amp Fiddler - Waltz of the Ghetto Fly
John Legend - Get Lifted
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Usher - Confessions
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Prince - Musicology
TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes Touch and Go
Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album
Gwen Stefani - Love.Angel.Music.Baby
Vybz Kartel - Up 2 Di Time

In 2003 Outkast was #1 and I voted for:

The White Stripes - Elephant
R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Buju Banton - Friends for Life
T.I. - Trap Muzik
Erykah Badu - Worldwide Underground
Roy Hargrove Presents The RH Factor
Anthony Hamilton - Comin' From Where I'm From
Spacek - Vintage Hi-Tech

In '02 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was #1 and I voted for:

Me'Shell Ndegeocello - Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
Nas - God's Son
Jazzanova - In Between
Scarface - The Fix
Various Artists - Verve Remixed
Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man in Babylon
The Roots - Phrenology
Jean Grae - Attack of the Attacking Things
Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Common - Electric Circus

In '01 the #1 was Bob Dylan - "Love and Theft" and I voted for:

Res - How I Do
Bilal - 1st Born Second
Red Star Sounds, Vol. 1
Jay-Z - Unplugged
Kardinal Offishall - Quest for Fire
Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me
Mystic - Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom
Femi Kuti - Fight to Win
Daft Punk - Discovery
Basement Jaxx - Rooty

(It's safe to say that my musical tastes are pretty consistent.)

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bloghopping 1.5.06 edition

• gary's brokeback boondock pondors the coming out/crossing over of Boondocks on Adult Swim

• tiffany says reappropriate's carnival of feminists issue is a must read. the topic: The Intersection of Race and Gender (all the links are bookmarked now)

• joe explains why MC Lyte's new song, "Wonder Years," is so hip-hop, and discussses the authenticity of the phrase "keeping it real"

• bob parks on the Jack Abramoff saga with a focus on Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi's handling of the situation

• del on Toronto-based pound's editor's new book "Enter The Babylon System" and the increasing number of hip-hop themed tomes on shelves

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i guess i should be ashamed

Felicia Pride and others have pointed me to this op-ed piece - Their Eyes Were Reading Smut in the NYT today written by Nick Chiles.

Chiles mentions this title, Legit Baller, in his article that trashes street lit, more than once. (You do notice whose blurb that is on the cover?)

To be quite honest I had a totally negative opinion of "street lit" until I interviewed several authors for a piece I wrote for VIBE back in 2004 called "Write Thurr." After that I came away with more mixed emotions, and not so set-in-stone emotions about what's good fiction and what isn't. About who should deem themselves a writer and who shouldn't. During my interviews for the piece, I met several erotica and street authors who were serious about the craft of writing. Some studying writing, editing, and publishing. Many just had to tell their personal stories that were related to street life, in hopes that others would not follow them.

Originally, my thoughts on "street lit" were that it was a lot like what the music industry had become. Whereas the abundance of hip-hop marketing and merchandising automatically made it seem as if the only musical genre that black folks cared to patronize was hip-hop. And not what hip-hop purists like to call hip-hop, but the kind of hip-hop that enabled say a Master P to sell so many records on his own that it warranted a record deal. These are the parallels. "Street lit" too started on the streets, out the trunks, etc. and is often compared to the works of Donald Goines.

When a Keni Jasper writes a street crimes story, or one related to hip-hop, or an Erica Kennedy writes a hip-hop lifestyle novel — neither are seen as writing smut.

Perhaps what Chiles is touching on though, in his desciption of how walking into the bookstore made him feel, is something akin to what VH1's Hip-Hop Videos: Sexploitation on the Set attempted to convey. The imagery on these "street lit" covers are just as graphically arresting as these videos are.

But mostly, Chiles is commenting on the direction that African-American literature is going in. Again, I'm reminded of hip-hop. I'm not saying that "street lit" shouldn't be there, but much like hip-hop, what is representative of African-American literature does need to be more broad and balanced. While everyone who just got out the pen is getting a six-figure publishing deal, what about the writers who have toiled at the craft for many years?

Apparently, my emotions about "street lit" are still mixed. As I write this post, I find myself unable to state a strong enough case for one position or the other. To sum up my feelings though, I can say that although I don't fully agree with Chiles' position (labeling all of the books about crime, the streets, or hip-hop that came out in the past 5 or so years as smut is totally unfair) I do get his point.

Jason's "School Of Rock" post , though speaking to today's music criticism, might equally be applied to today's literary criticism.

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fresh to def

i made these reptile & ostritch air force ones @ the nike ID studio

details:

sidewall color = sandalwood
tip material & color = sandalwood reptile
quarter material & color = white ostrich
eyestay material & color = chilli red inca
foxing material & color = sandalwood reptile
swoosh material & color = metallic gold inca
lace color = sulfur
stitch color = chilli red
outsole color = chilli red
sidewall stitching = chili red
accent color = metallic gold

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50 Cent's Cousin Says Rapper Doesn't Recognize Him

From The AP via MSNBC

ASSOCIATED PRESS – “MEET 50 CENT’S QUARTER – YOUNG RAPPER TWO FIVE ISN’T SMALL CHANGE”
By: Michael Feeney


The world knows his cousin, but he just wants people to recognize him. Two Five or 25 - real name Michael Francis - is the latest rapper to come out of Southside Jamaica, Queens. He just so happens to be the cousin of multi-platinum rapper 50 Cent.

While many would think having an older cousin who is on top of the rap game guarantees you instant success, think again. In fact, there have been reports in which 50 and his representatives have denied that the two are related.

The two are legitimate first cousins, said the 22-year-old prodigy, who says they grew up in the same house - their grandmother's. However, now the two cousins, who once ran the streets together and were so close that neighborhood friends referred to them as brothers, don't speak to one another.

It's been three or four years since their last conversation, said Two Five, who was given the name 25 Cent as teenager hanging around his cousin.

Two Five's flow may sound similar to 50, but he remains unsigned and is working on his debut project, which he will release independently some time next year if he isn't signed. He has also completed a DVD that takes you through his home in Queens and chronicles his dedication to making music. He has not seen 50's movie, nor does he have an interest to.

Though Two Five believes part of the reason 50 doesn't want to help him is because he doesn't want him to inherit his beef, he is determined to make it, even if it means he has to do it on his own.

AP: Do you consider 50 Cent to be a mentor to you?

Two Five: Yeah, he is. He will always be that. I don't look at dude as my big cousin, that's my brother. He raised me and did things for me when nobody else would, so I can't never turn my back on him for that.

AP: What's the relationship between you and 50 Cent right now?

Two Five: There is no relationship. I'm doing me and I'm handling my own business. I don't know how he feels, that's something somebody would have to ask him. My relationship with him, to my knowledge, is, stay on your side of the street, I'll stay on mine. I feel like I don't need him.

AP: What was the last conversation that you had with 50 Cent like?

Two Five: It was an argument. It was yelling and screaming. I think when people get a little money they really don't show their true colors. But when you get big money and you're in a different tax bracket, you start to feel yourself more than your supposed to, you get cocky.

AP: So you think he's gotten cocky and the money and all the success has changed him?

Two Five: I think he's lonely and bitter. I think he's that way because there is nobody around you to share your love with. You're making all that money just to have 15 security guards, two trucks and nobody around you that really cares for you. And when all your money is gone and there is nobody else there for you, you gotta come back to family and that's even if we'll accept you.

AP: Does 50 Cent give back to his family?

Two Five: Nah, he don't give back to his family not one bit. He's supposed to take care of my grandmother and my grandfather because they took care of him. I don't think he wants to put that situation out there. His whole excuse for not bringing me on is, "It's dangerous, people trying to hurt me, people trying to do that to me, and the closest thing to me is you." And that's true, but my whole thing is why you are bringing the camera crews around the same house you know your family is still in. All that money you got you can't help your family get out of the hood. Maybe not even me, but you do have cousins who have children and aunts who got bills. But you buying your homeboy a hundred thousand dollar chain.

AP: Is it true that 50 Cent is not acknowledging you as his cousin?

Two Five: I think it would be wise for him to try and prevent me from getting out because lyrically I am better than him. I think the best thing for him to do is to just not say anything about me, whether they acknowledge me or not I see you at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I still see you when you come to the house, whether you want the world to know or not. My whole thing with 50 is he just does stuff that makes him look like a hypocrite. In one article you'll say, "Yeah, that's my cousin. He's a fraud, he's this, he's that." Then in another article you'll say, "I don't know him." Then you'll say, "I don't break peace with nobody, it is what it is." But, yet you kissing Game on the cheek at a press conference. And you can't talk to your family?

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