If you’ve been unlucky as me (and Esquire) then you’ve come across the newish McDonald’s Big Mac promotional campaign, incorporating tv & radio spots, with “remakes” of highly regarded tracks from Craig Mack and A Tribe Called Quest. I saw the commercial online a few days ago and although it was uncomfortable I chuckled and kept it moving. But today I had the displeasure of hearing the Check The Rhime version (you want fries with that? all the time yo! or some such nonsense) and I was thoroughly disappointed. At least the vid was somewhat minimalist, making use of the instrumental only, but the gall of re-writing lyrics! Ayoooo! So in order to help you direct your disappointment I sorta pinpointed the parties responsible: Artists & Brands LLC (Darkchild’s company), Burrell Communications (experts in engaging African Americans, their words, not mine), I.B. Fokuz (rapper), Nizm (rapper) & of course McDonalds (press contact).

As if you ain’t know, big fan of these cut n paste collages from Chopped. WTF does Seinfeld have to do with Biggie? Nothing, ’til now.

Exclusive: An inmate has come forward with possible confirmation of the man who murdered Biggie Smalls while implicating members of the Nation of Islam, including himself, in the cover-up.

Former Nation of Islam member, and currently incarcerated federal felon, Clayton Hill has confessed to his role as an accessory after the fact to the murder of The Notorious B.I.G.

After first contacting HipHopDX on June 8th, Hill disclosed to DX that in October of 2010 he met with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy DePodesta and two agents with the F.B.I.’s Domestic Terrorism Unit and revealed that in May of 1997, while acting under orders as an official with Muhammad Mosque #15 in Atlanta, Georgia, he took possession of a semi-automatic handgun from a fellow N.O.I. member from Los Angeles, California who introduced himself as Dawoud Muhammad.

INTRO BY BLACK PACINO

TREATMENT WRITTEN BY DETECTIVE WILLIAM COURTNEY

A can of worms was opened last week when prison inmate Dexter Issac, an associate of hip-hop mogul/gangster James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemon, claimed he was paid by Henchmen to rob Tupac at Quad Studios in 1994.

There is currently a nationwide manhunt for Jimmy Henchmen, who is wanted by the Feds for everything from cocaine distribution to murder.  Of course, Mr. Henchmen denies these charges.

With the skeletons of the 90′s resurfacing, now is an ideal time to revisit the story of another shadowy figure and Henchmen associate  involved in the Tupac case: Haitian Jack.  For the uninformed, Brooklyn’s own Haitian Jack  (pictured above with Tupac) is one of the most feared gangsters ever to walk the streets.  He basically strong-armed his way into the inner circles of both Biggie and Pac.

A detective by the name of William Courtney, who had intimate knowledge of Haitian Jack through his investigation, wrote a movie treatment about the infamous urban legend.  This treatment has been online for a while now but last night I read it for the first time and it totally blew my mind.  Not only is it a gripping story that held my interest from start to finish, it also intertwines many famous names and groundbreaking incidents.

Seems it was only available via PDF file with excerpts scattered throughout the internet.  But below the jump, you will find this document posted in its entirety.

Shit is deep, yo…

via @ByronCrawford

(AllHipHop News) A man has admitted to shooting rap star Tupac Shakur in 1994 after being paid $2,500 dollars by James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond in inside Manhattan's Quad Studios in November of 1994.

Dexter Isaac, a former friend of Rosemond, is an inmate currently serving life in prison for murder, robbery and other offenses. 

Isaac came forward Wednesday (June 15th) with the information on the eve of what would be Tupac's 40th birthday. 

He confessed to his involvement in the…(read more)

Adrien Brody reads the poetry of Charles Bukowski and Biggie Smalls at the Academy of American Poets at Lincoln Center, New York City. April 27th 2011.

Everybody has an opinion
about Biggie, Pac and why they died…

But only this guy rapped with BIG on Ready To die,
and only him would also make the trip to LA and work with Pac…

A day or so later a group of journalists were assembled to formally preview Life After Death in the presence of Big, Puffy, and the Bad Boy brass. Journalists can be pretty poker-faced, and no one in the room reacted to anything particularly strongly until “Kick In the Door” came on, which elicited unequivocal excitement (even from the Rolling Stone guys). “Mo Money Mo Problems” got the second biggest reaction, and that was largely due to friend and colleague Karen R. Good from Vibe literally getting up and dancing as vigorously and joyously as a person can dance while staying confined to a 2 ft. by 2 ft. square space in a crowded room of nerdy music journos. The Bad Boy people, of course, knew they had huge hits on their hands and were accordingly enthused. (I think BB exec Jeff Burrows may have actually orgasm-ed while singing along to “I’m Effin’ U Tonight” he was that hyped.)

One of last year’s records that gets the most burn around these here parts was released by Chopped Herring, who seem to already be scheming on a new project for 2011, but in the mean time they’ve released this bugged 10 minute, 700+ image collage mixed over “unreleased” instrumentals, some of which a few of you fiends might recognize, and acapellas from Kool Keith, Beastie Boys, Big L, Gravediggaz and Biggie Smalls.

Schott Free, Matt Life & Lil’ Cease celebrated Big’s birthday today on Frozen Files on EVR. He would have turned 38 today on Friday, Peace to Capital P

Stream: Frozen Files Biggie Celebration w/ Lil’ Cease

It went down last night in NYC. Pete Rock producing new joints for Smif-N-Wessun, Kanye West and Camp Lo is dope. He also speaks on how the beat for Juicy came about and Q-Tip straight up jacking Jazz (We’ve Got) from him. Funny story of the night: Big Punisher eating a bag of onion rings while doing his verse for Verbal Murder in the booth. Somehow, I can picture that. RIP.

Download Noisemakers with Pete Rock 4.7.10 / audio

J.Period & “Uncle” Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box, The Bridge) bring Biggie back to life with the “March 9: Video Remix Collection”—a collection of exclusive B.I.G. remixes set to classic videos, in honor of the 13th Anniversary of B.I.G.’s untimely passing. “Flava in Ya Ear (March 9 Video Remix)” marks the first release, a club-shattering blend of old and new that begs the question: where would hip hop be if B.I.G. were still alive!?

DJ Doo Wop – The Last King of New York

8-Off wasn’t feeling that comment Hova done said about “it’s no biggie” or whateva.

Download Agallah – B.I.G (Brooklyn Is Gangsta) Freestyle / Jay-z Diss

1. Diddy Introduction
2. Bob Marley – Johnny Was
3. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Bob Marley – Hold Your Head
4. The Notorious B.I.G. – Dead Wrong
5. Al Green – I’m Glad You’re Mine
6. The Isley Brothers – Between The Sheets
7. The Notorious B.I.G. – Big Poppa
8. Supercat feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Dolly My Baby (Remix)
9. Herbie Hancock – Watermelon Man
10. The Notorious B.I.G. – Me And My Bitch (Live)
11. Zapp & Roger – Computer Love
12. Isaac Hayes – Walk On By
13. The Notorious B.I.G. – Warning
14. Edgar Winter – Dying To Live
15. The Notorious B.I.G. & 2 Pac – Runnin’
16. Diana Ross – Missing You
17. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. 112 – Miss U
18. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Method Man – The What
19. Junior M.A.F.I.A. feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Player’s Anthem (Remix)
20. Minnie Riperton – Memory Lane
21. Junior M.A.F.I.A. feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Get Money
22. Sylvia Striplin – You Cant Turn Me Away
23. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. R. Kelly – Loving You Tonight
24. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. 112 – Sky’s The Limit
25. Bobby Caldwell – My Flame
26. DeBarge – Stay With Me
27. The Notorious B.I.G. – One More Chance
28. Lou Donaldson – Who’s Making Love
29. Craig Mack feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J & Rampage – Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)
30. Les McCann – Valantra
31. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ten Crack Commandments
32. The Honey Drippers vs. R. Kelly – Impeach The President with My Body
33. The Notorious B.I.G. – Unbelievable
34. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You
35. The Notorious B.I.G. – Kick In The Door
36. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Diddy & Busta Rhymes – Victory
37. Bill Conti – Going The Distance
38. Black Heat – Something Extra
39. Lords Of The Underground – Chief Rocka
40. The Notorious B.I.G. – Machine Gun Funk
41. David Porter – The Masquerade Is Over
42. The Notorious B.I.G. – Who Shot Ya?
43. The Notorious B.I.G. – I Got A Story To Tell
44. Lil’ Kim – Crush On You
45. Jeff Lorber Fusion – Rain Dance
46. The Notorious B.I.G. – Gimme The Loot
47. James Brown – Coldblooded
48. James Brown – Blues & Pants
49. The Notorious B.I.G. – I’m Jus Playin’
50. Betty Wright – Clean Up Woman
51. Mary J. Blige feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Real Love
52. Total feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Can’t You See
53. James Brown – The Payback
54. Mtume – Juicy Fruit
55. The Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
56. The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize
57. Herb Alpert – Rise
58. Jay-Z feat. The Notorious B.I.G. – Brooklyn’s Finest
59. Ohio Players – Ecstacy
60. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Luke – Big Booty Hoes
61. Idris Muhammed – Crab Apple
62. Puff Daddy & The Family – It’s All About The Benjamins
63. The Jackson 5 – It’s Great To Be Here
64. Last Poets – When The Revolution Comes
65. The Notorious B.I.G. – Party & Bullshit
66. Deodato – Skatin’
67. The Notorious B.I.G. – Nasty Boy
68. Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
69. The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy & Mase – Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems
70. The Notorious B.I.G. – Going Back To Cali
71. Zapp & Roger – More Bounce To The Ounce
72. Diddy Outro

Link

Recorded at tonight’s Noisemakers show hosted by Peter Rosenberg. Raekwon touches on a multitude of topics like how Wu-Tang Clan started, the making of “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…,” how the mindset of keeping the production within the Clan early on may have been a detriment on later albums, Rza being almost Chinese, the turmoil within the Clan, their music’s penetration into white suburbia, the infamous Biggie skit and other things. All in all, the 90 minute interview + short impromptu performance was amazing.

Did I forget to mention that he previews a snippet off the new album “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II?” The track is called House of Flying Daggers and it’s produced by J-Dilla. And it’s dope! Hopefully, you listen to the whole interview to get at the track but if you’re a fiend like me, you’ll want to know that the preview is on Part 2 at the 31:30 mark. The new album is going to be crazy!

Download Noisemakers with Peter Rosenberg + Raekwon (Part 1 of 2)
Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

Download Noisemakers with Peter Rosenberg + Raekwon (Part 2 of 2)
Link 1, Link 2, Link 3