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Lil Scrappy to debut “Addicted to Money” featuring Ludacris on Hip Hop Enquirer

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Atlanta – September 18th, 2009

We have just received word that DTP’s rapper Lil Scrappy will be releasing his highly anticipated music video “Addicted to Money” featuring Ludacris this week. Our friends over at Branded PR has shared with us a sneak peak of the video and has promised to send us exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot as well as the full video very soon. So guys and gals enjoy the teaser for now!

Updated: Check out full video of “Addicted to Money” as promised:

Special thanks to Tahira Wright, Ivory Weens, and the entire DTP family for providing us the exclusive!a

BOY’S 911 CALL SAVES DAD’S LIFE – A show and tell story for sure!

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September 22, 2009
Seminole County, Florida
HHE Staff

911 tape graphic

A six year old Florida boy is hailed as a hero by his family for saving the life of his dad. When Brenden Williams could not wake his dad up to play a video game with him he immediately took action by picking up the phone and calling 9-1-1.

Warning: Parents please try this at home!

Brenden Williams made a life-saving phone call when he couldn’t get his father to wake up. His father suffers from diabetes and had low blood sugar.

Operator: Have you ever dialed 911 before?
Brenden: No.
Operator: No? This is your first time?
Brenden: Yes.
Operator: Did you dial 911 because your daddy was in trouble?
Brenden: Yes.
Brenden said he just wanted his dad to wake up so they could play a game.

###
Source: MSN

VH1 HIP HOP HONORS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN NEW YORK CITY – HONORS DEF JAM RECORDS

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September 23, 2009
HHE Staff

tracyMorgan

Check out images from this evenings VH1 Hip Hop Honors below:

Every year VH1 tips the hat to rap’s musical, political, and cultural impact with Hip Hop Honors, and our 2009 show keeps that approach alive by saluting the incredible legacy of Def Jam records. It airs on VH1 on Tuesday, October 13, at 9 pm ET/PT. Tracy Morgan is this year’s host

LEGENDARY DJ GRAND MASTER ROC RAIDA HAS PASSED

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September 27th, 2009

By: Brittany Somerset, Senior Contributing Writer
Hip Hop Enquirer

Grand Master Roc Raida: May 17, 1972 – Sept. 19, 2009
RocRaida

Anthony “Grand Master Roc Raida” Williams was born in Harlem New York on May 17th, 1972 to Brenda Williams-Bolling & William “Tony” He was educated through the NYC Public School System.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: STARS COME OUT TO HELP ATLANTA FLOOD VICTIMS

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For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Dasha Ware
Marketing Director
Hip Hop Enquirer, Inc.
E-mail: info@HipHopEnquirer.com
Web site: www.HipHopEnquirer.com

PRESS RELEASE

Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, & V-103 Join Forces For A Very unique Collaborative Charity event

“Charity Celebrity Bowling Tournament to raise funds for Atlanta’s flood victims.”

October 1, 2009: Atlanta, GA – Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, & V-103 will join forces for a very unique collaborative charity event entitled, “Jermaine Dupri & Nelly Charity Bowling Tournament” to raise funds for victims involved in the Atlanta flooding which took place September 18th 2009, due to the continuous rainfall in the Chattahoochee River rising to the highest levels since Buford Dam was built. Several counties were affected throughout northern Georgia, most of them in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area. Hundreds of people were rescued by boat from their homes, and at least ten people died, mostly in their cars by driving where water crossed the road. Initial damages from around the state were estimated at $250 million.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: ASHLEY “AJ” JEWELL, EX-FIANCE’ TO REAL HOUSEWIVES STAR MURDERED AT HIS ATLANTA STRIP CLUB

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AJ_HEADSHOT1

Aj was very much in love with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burress and having a romantic relationship with Ms. Jones was far fetch according to our sources. In fact, AJ really didn’t want Veronica Jones around The Body Tap Strip Club but went along with it because she held the liquor license to the club stated our well placed source.

David Alan Grier Signs “Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth” at Bookends

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David Alan Grier Book Signing

David Alan releases his first book “Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth”. From growing up in Detroit, where he marched as a ten-year-old with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama, where he narrowly avoided the Purple Tunnel of Doom but still saw nothing, David Alan Grier examines how he and America have changed for the better and the funnier.

The book explains the true meaning of the “Magical Negro”; recalls the formative episodes from his life, including being rejected by the Black Panthers at their headquarters door, turning down the initial offer to work on In Living Color, and for the first time ever sneaks you backstage at Dancing with the Stars, where he exposes the inner workings of the show. Grier unabashedly muses on politics, culture, and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timeless, hilarious, and revelatory memoir and look at all things Barack.

Photos: Wire Image

Mr. Magic – Hip Hop Radio Legend Dies at 53 – R.I.P.

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October 4th, 2009 – Atlanta

mrmagicspanMr. Magic died on the morning of October 2, 2009 of a Heart Attack. Mr. Magic, real name John Rivas was one of the most important figures in the world of hip-hop radio. He is credited with launching and hosting the first all-rap radio show in the US first appearing in 1983 on WBLS-FM in New York City. Disco and funk were then fading, and rap was emerging as a rebellious new art form in the streets, housing projects and parks of New York City.  Magic’s show featured Marley Marl as the DJ and Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams as the show’s co-producer. Magic’s reign on the New York City airwaves lasted six years and was instrumental in broadening the scope and power of hip-hop music. 

Mr. Magic gathered a sort of hip-hop collective that included artists like Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne and Kool G Rap, and was called the Juice Crew. (Mr. Magic was Sir Juice.) Red Alert was affiliated with a rap group called Boogie Down Productions. The two sides staged elaborate battles, recording songs as insults to respond to taunts from the other side. The exchanges were wildly popular, on and off the air.

During the mid-80s there was a rivalry between Mr. Magic and Kool DJ Red Alert, who hosted a weekly show on WRKS-FM. The feud also played out between proxy rap groups, the Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions. Mr. Magic was separated from his wife, Lisa Rivas and has lefted behind his sons John Jr. and Jabar, and his daughter, Domonique Rivas.

Mr. Magic – Magic’s Message (1984)

SOUL TRAIN AWARDS COMES TO ATLANTA – CHECK OUT THE RED CARPET PHOTOS

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Taraji_P._Henson

An A-list of stars descended upon Atlanta this evening to honor a select few who has paved the way for some of today’s musical performers. The evening was hosted by academy award-winning movie stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Special honors were given to R & B’s legends Chaka Khan and Charlie Wilson.

charlie_wilson_approved

There was definitely no shortage of talent at this year’s Soul Train Awards show. The event was attended by: Brian McKnight, Keith Sweat, Chrisette Michelle, Tommy Davidson (who was disguised as Bootsy Collins), The real Bootsiy Collins & wife Patti, Estelle, Kandi Burress, Rasheeda, Derek Blanks, Angie Stone, Ryan Leslie, Chico Debarge were just some of a few who hit the carpet this evening. Special shouts out to Kenard Kibbs & his partners at Centric, BET Networks as well as the entire team at Hip Hop Enquirer magazine for doing such a wonderful job in covering this spectacular event.

kash_fubuAdLetterboard

Video interviews by our lovely host Kash Howard will be available shortly so check later in the day.

Reel Players in the Game

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KobeBryant

Kobe Bryant says basketball is two things: communication and execution. Now ask Spike Lee about Kobe Bryant, and he’ll say his basketball IQ is parallel to the genius of Albert Einstein.

Lee’s candid documentary, Kobe Doin’ Work: A Game in the Life of Kobe Bryant, takes a closer look into the elements of Kobe’s game. Lee clings a mike to The Los Angeles Lakers MVP and shadows him the entire Apr. 3, 2008 game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers are the 2007-08 season’s fourth highest-scoring NBA team. Puttin’ about 108 points on the board per game, The Lakers are also the highest-scoring Lakers squad in 18 years. The heat is on as the Lakers work to get the best record in the Western Conference upon winning this game.

Unlimited

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My e-mail is:

Kandi Burruss Apologizes To Notorious Big

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candy

When Kandi Burruss reveals, during a recent telephone interview, that her favorite expletive is “mother*ucker,” it’s almost too cute to bear. As if we really needed another reason to root for the Atlanta native, come to find out she likes to cuss up a storm, too.

“My mouth is bad sometimes,” she says, smiling through the phone. “I have to wash it out with soap. Luckily y’all don’t get to see that ’cause you can’t really say bad language on TV.”

Gotcha! – OZONE MAGAZINE’s JULIA BEVERLY ACCUSED OF SCAMMING RAP ARTISTS

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julia_beverly
Click photo to read full story

Ozone Magazine’s controversial publisher Julia Beverly has found herself in the news again and this time it has little to do with her magazine. We had learned several months ago through Julia Beverly that she also operate a “booking agency” in addition to running her magazine which seemed like it might have been a conflict at first but then I thought to myself..the economy is bad right now and the magazine print game aint doing too well so I guess a gal is gotta eat right?

 Apparently JB was attempting to “broker” a deal supposedly on behalf of imprisoned rapper Lil Boosie. Here’s where it gets sketchy..a potential “customer contacts JB about acquiring a track from Lil Boosie for the sum of $7,500.00 When the artist inquired about the song being cleared through the label JB all but insured him that would not be an issue unless it “blew up”. The individual then wanted to know what would be required to actually insure the music would be cleared and supposedly she quoted him another price of $15,000.00 which would cover the cost for clearing the song. How is she able to guarantee clearance of a song from a major label artist is beyond me? Check out the email exchanges between JB and her potential victim client below.

The music industry is known to be a cutthroat business where shady characters are always attempting to cash in on the dreams of aspiring artists. There have been stories of artist exploitation that date back almost as far as the business itself. From bad contracts to fake show promoters, the industry is full of scams. Given the current climate of the business, it is no surprise that maintaining integrity is low on the priority list for some in the music industry and many are resorting to some pretty deceitful tactics in order to make a buck.

My colleague George forwarded me a copy of an email exchange that took place between him and Julia Beverly, who heads Ozone Magazine, a popular hip-hop publication that primarily focuses on artists from the South and West Coast. George was responding to a Twitter post Beverly had made stating that she was acting as the middle-man for any artist looking to feature a verse from Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie on one of their records.

This news struck me as odd because I know Lil Boosie to be an artist on the roster of Asylum Records, as I worked promotion for one of his albums a few years back when I interned at the label. The rapper was recently sentenced to a 2 year prison term for a drug possession charge, so I figured the label may be liquidating his material in order to cash in before he begins his term.

As I read the initial email exchange, I was astounded by the scandalous nature of the transaction Beverly was attempting to broker.

From: George

Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 19:18:19 -0500

To: <jb@agencytwelve.com>

Subject: Boosie verse

Hello, 

I saw on Julia Beverley’s twitter that Boosie has verses for sale. I’d like to know what the prices are. 

Thank you
George

This was her response:

On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 9:28 PM, <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

He’s looking for around $7k+ cash. This week only. He has several prerecorded verses already done. Price does not include label clearance. 

This would actually appear to be a pretty good deal for an upcoming artist, given that Lil Boosie has a pretty descent sales record and a loyal following throughout Louisiana and some other Southern markets. The real problem is that she overtly revealed that this price does not include label clearance, meaning she was attempting to sell verses that could be used on a track, but ran the risk of being shut down at any time by the label if they were to catch wind of the existence of these records.

The exchange continued:

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 3:08 PM

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I have the cash ready to go. What’s going to be involved in getting label clearance? I plan on pushing the track to radio. 

From: “Julia Beverly”

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:41:11 -0500

To: George

Subject: RE: Boosie verse

You would probably have to pay the label another $5-7k to get it cleared. Honestly, the clearance isn’t generally a major issue unless the song blows up and/or you get a deal with a major label.. so if that happens, it’ll be a good problem to have. 

At this point, I became curious as to what exactly was going on here. I could not believe that someone of Beverly’s standing in the industry was attempting to dupe someone with such little remorse. I began to throw some suggestions to my colleague and attempt to clarify the clearance issue, as I thought this was being treated somewhat lightly.

From: George

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:10:27 -0500

To: Julia Beverly<jb@agencytwelve.com>

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Cool i’m worried about the label clearance and i’m going to try and find a link to [Asylum Records Executive] to see what he says it’s gonna cost me.  

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 10:11 PM, <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

It would go thru trill not [Asylum Records Executive]. With label clearance its gonna be like $15k.  

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:24 PM

To: jb@agencytwelve.com

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Would i need to wire you the 15K and you will handle the clearance and can i expect some love from Ozone when the record drops? 

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

Yes, we would send you an invoice and take care of getting the paperwork signed. It can sometimes take several weeks to get the paperwork but we can get the verse done right away. This is going through my booking agency, Agency Twelve, so technically it doesn’t have anything to do with Ozone, but we could probably at least post the record on the Ozonemag.com site when it’s done. 

This was definitely an interesting turn of events. What started off as a $7K deal with no label clearance involved had become an easy deal to broker for $15K that would include the proper paperwork to make the record legal. How did that happen so quickly? I told him to get some clarification.

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:43 PM

To: Julia Beverly
Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I’m a little confused. Do i pay you once the paperwork is completed? Otherwise how can I be certain I have a legal clearance? 

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

We will have a contract/invoice in place to make sure that your funds are safe. I am waiting for the label to confirm the price with clearance. 

Wait a minute. An hour ago she was ready to take $15K and was assuring a full clearance. Now she was waiting for the label to confirm the price? I would hope most would walk away from the deal long before this, but clearly this was too interesting to not continue pushing. I actually believed she had to know that George was not serious at this point, as it took almost an entire day before she responded with the “confirmation” he was waiting for.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 7:38 PM, Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

Please do NOT forward this link, here are the verses that are available for $7-8k. Just spoke to the label and they said that clearance would NOT be an option at this point. 

The message included a link with the 8 verses she was trying to sell available to download. All were tagged with a voiceover shouting “Bad Ass Entertainment” over top, which is a common precaution used mostly for records delivered to DJs that labels do not want leaked.

What confused me about this message was the fact that she was boldly stating that the label would not clear the record under any circumstances. Knowing this information and having addressed George’s previous concerns, you would think the deal would be dead at this point. My guess is that she believed by dangling the verses in front of George, he would forget his previous inhibitions about making this deal and decide to move forward under her original guidance by not worrying about clearing the record with the label.

George continued to play ball with her, but made sure to reiterate his concerns about making this a legal record. I told him to express his desire to make this happen and to even give some information on his own budget, as I knew this would give her an idea of what he was working with.

From: George

Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:50 PM

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I really love two of the verses actually love them but i’m putting 30K into radio promotion but i’m worried that my record will get shut down. So if the label can’t clear it i’m going to have to find another artist. 

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 12:27 AM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

They’re going to get me a definite price on the clearance tomorrow. What’s the most you’re willing to pay total, including label clearance? And which two verses did you like.. 

In case you’re having trouble following this. We started with a verse that was going to cost $7K with no label clearance. Then she was able to provide a full clearance for $15K. But then after speaking with the label, no clearance was going to be available under any circumstances. Now, after mentioning that he had $30K for radio promotion, the option to get this record cleared was back on the table, but Beverly was intent on finding out how much she could shake him down for.

I figured there was no need to take this any further and advised George to shut it down. Needless to say, Beverly was not happy about the idea that he did not believe this to be a smart business move.

From: George

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 09:49:54 -0500

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

You already told me that the label wasn’t going to clear it and this seems to be an illegitimate transaction. Now you’re asking me how much i’m willing to pay. I’m going to step away from this and go with another artist. Thank you 

She quickly followed up. Twice.

From: jb@agencytwelve.com

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:19:15 +0000

To: George

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Lol.. I do this all the time and even sent you the audio. I asked you to call me if it makes you more comfortable and I never heard from you. You don’t seem to understand how clearances work, but okay. 

From: jb@agencytwelve.com

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:29:56 +0000

To: George

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

As far as the label, I’m only relaying what they’re telling me. You should research who you’re speaking to before you start throwing around words like “illegitimate” and basically accusing me of trying to scam you. Kind of disrespectful. 

This is where the conversation ended. It’s funny that Beverly took offense to the idea that this transaction appeared to be a little fishy after flip-flopping on the clearance issue numerous times during the exchange. Additionally, she never asked him to call to discuss the deal and even if she had; how would that make this deal any more legitimate? The scary part is she claims to “do this all the time.”

Most people in the hip-hop industry who have ever worked with an independent artist know that promoting that artist properly is a high-stakes business. In order to gain radio airplay without major label backing requires independent artists to seek out and pay people that specialize in getting records on the radio. This will generally require an initial investment of at least $20K in order to see results. In this case, George has indicated he may be willing to drop $37K on a single record and with no remorse Beverly claims he won’t face any problems unless the song “blows up.”

Even more troublesome is the fact that she has no certainty of the actual cost to clear the record with the label and danced around the issue of clearance in an attempt to milk as much money from George as he was able to spend. The truth of the matter is she can’t quote a price because she’s setting up a deal with no boundaries. If George were to attempt to clear the record with the label prior to pushing it to radio, he’s at the mercy of the label and the chance would exist that they could flat out deny the clearance altogether causing him to waste $7K for the verse. His other option would be to take Beverly’s advice and go ahead with radio promotion without a clearance, at which point the label is free to step in at any time and demand an exorbitant fee for a clearance or threaten to send cease & desist letters to any radio station playing the record. Either way, George loses a lot more money than he intended to spend.

This is what has become of a once prosperous industry. Beverly has used her magazine to establish trust with aspiring artists only to turn around and abuse her position of power for her own personal gain. By offering these fly-by-night verses without clearances, she is selling false hope to the aspiring artists that loyally support her magazine each month. Rather than focusing on ways to improve the editorial content of her magazine, Beverly has decided to sink to the level of a two-bit scam artist under the impression that any allegations of shady business practices one could make will quickly be squashed through her control of her publication.

In this case, Beverly is not the only one to blame, as she is clearly in collusion with Lil Boosie in this endeavor. It’s impossible to tell who all stands to benefit from these crooked deals, but it is certainly not the aspiring artist who is just looking for an opportunity to further their career.

When discussing what transpired with Beverly with another colleague who works in the music industry he brought up the point; what if Boosie really needs that money? My response to him was that Boosie needs to have a bake sale. There is no excuse that makes it acceptable to prey off of the innocent people that support you and are just looking for the same opportunity you were given. Once you sign a record deal, you are bound by the clauses of that deal, and if you’re not confident you’re going to be able to support yourself through the earnings you make by signing that contract, then don’t sign it.

This is just one example of the many pitfalls an independent artist may encounter when trying to improve their career. It should serve as a warning that artists must be careful who they are doing business with, especially during these turbulent times in the industry, as it is clear that even those with established reputations in the industry are not above pouncing on an opportunity to take an artist’s hard-earned cash. It is always a wise decision to align yourself with knowledgeable people who can instruct you on the best moves to improve your career. A good manager or entertainment attorney will help protect you from falling victim to these types of scams and are definitely worth the cost especially when they can help you avoid wasting money by engaging in illegitimate business deals.

It is sad to see someone like Beverly, who I once respected for her ability to keep Ozone Magazine thriving during turbulent times for both the music industry and print publications, engaging in this sort of unscrupulous behavior. I still remain confident that better days are ahead for the music industry, but tough times is no excuse for abandoning integrity.

The music industry is known to be a cutthroat business where shady characters are always attempting to cash in on the dreams of aspiring artists. There have been stories of artist exploitation that date back almost as far as the business itself. From bad contracts to fake show promoters, the industry is full of scams. Given the current climate of the business, it is no surprise that maintaining integrity is low on the priority list for some in the music industry and many are resorting to some pretty deceitful tactics in order to make a buck.

My colleague George forwarded me a copy of an email exchange that took place between him and Julia Beverly, who heads Ozone Magazine, a popular hip-hop publication that primarily focuses on artists from the South and West Coast. George was responding to a Twitter post Beverly had made stating that she was acting as the middle-man for any artist looking to feature a verse from Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie on one of their records.

This news struck me as odd because I know Lil Boosie to be an artist on the roster of Asylum Records, as I worked promotion for one of his albums a few years back when I interned at the label. The rapper was recently sentenced to a 2 year prison term for a drug possession charge, so I figured the label may be liquidating his material in order to cash in before he begins his term.

As I read the initial email exchange, I was astounded by the scandalous nature of the transaction Beverly was attempting to broker.

From: George

Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 19:18:19 -0500

To: <jb@agencytwelve.com>

Subject: Boosie verse

Hello, 

I saw on Julia Beverley’s twitter that Boosie has verses for sale. I’d like to know what the prices are. 

Thank you
George

This was her response:

On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 9:28 PM, <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

He’s looking for around $7k+ cash. This week only. He has several prerecorded verses already done. Price does not include label clearance. 

This would actually appear to be a pretty good deal for an upcoming artist, given that Lil Boosie has a pretty descent sales record and a loyal following throughout Louisiana and some other Southern markets. The real problem is that she overtly revealed that this price does not include label clearance, meaning she was attempting to sell verses that could be used on a track, but ran the risk of being shut down at any time by the label if they were to catch wind of the existence of these records.

The exchange continued:

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 3:08 PM

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I have the cash ready to go. What’s going to be involved in getting label clearance? I plan on pushing the track to radio.

From: “Julia Beverly”

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:41:11 -0500

To: George

Subject: RE: Boosie verse

You would probably have to pay the label another $5-7k to get it cleared. Honestly, the clearance isn’t generally a major issue unless the song blows up and/or you get a deal with a major label.. so if that happens, it’ll be a good problem to have.

At this point, I became curious as to what exactly was going on here. I could not believe that someone of Beverly’s standing in the industry was attempting to dupe someone with such little remorse. I began to throw some suggestions to my colleague and attempt to clarify the clearance issue, as I thought this was being treated somewhat lightly.

From: George

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:10:27 -0500

To: Julia Beverly<jb@agencytwelve.com>

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Cool i’m worried about the label clearance and i’m going to try and find a link to [Asylum Records Executive] to see what he says it’s gonna cost me.

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 10:11 PM, <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

It would go thru trill not [Asylum Records Executive]. With label clearance its gonna be like $15k.

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:24 PM

To: jb@agencytwelve.com

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Would i need to wire you the 15K and you will handle the clearance and can i expect some love from Ozone when the record drops?

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

Yes, we would send you an invoice and take care of getting the paperwork signed. It can sometimes take several weeks to get the paperwork but we can get the verse done right away. This is going through my booking agency, Agency Twelve, so technically it doesn’t have anything to do with Ozone, but we could probably at least post the record on the Ozonemag.com site when it’s done.

This was definitely an interesting turn of events. What started off as a $7K deal with no label clearance involved had become an easy deal to broker for $15K that would include the proper paperwork to make the record legal. How did that happen so quickly? I told him to get some clarification.

From: George

Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 10:43 PM

To: Julia Beverly
Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I’m a little confused. Do i pay you once the paperwork is completed? Otherwise how can I be certain I have a legal clearance?

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

We will have a contract/invoice in place to make sure that your funds are safe. I am waiting for the label to confirm the price with clearance.

Wait a minute. An hour ago she was ready to take $15K and was assuring a full clearance. Now she was waiting for the label to confirm the price? I would hope most would walk away from the deal long before this, but clearly this was too interesting to not continue pushing. I actually believed she had to know that George was not serious at this point, as it took almost an entire day before she responded with the “confirmation” he was waiting for.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 7:38 PM, Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com> wrote:

Please do NOT forward this link, here are the verses that are available for $7-8k. Just spoke to the label and they said that clearance would NOT be an option at this point.

The message included a link with the 8 verses she was trying to sell available to download. All were tagged with a voiceover shouting “Bad Ass Entertainment” over top, which is a common precaution used mostly for records delivered to DJs that labels do not want leaked.

What confused me about this message was the fact that she was boldly stating that the label would not clear the record under any circumstances. Knowing this information and having addressed George’s previous concerns, you would think the deal would be dead at this point. My guess is that she believed by dangling the verses in front of George, he would forget his previous inhibitions about making this deal and decide to move forward under her original guidance by not worrying about clearing the record with the label.

George continued to play ball with her, but made sure to reiterate his concerns about making this a legal record. I told him to express his desire to make this happen and to even give some information on his own budget, as I knew this would give her an idea of what he was working with.

From: George

Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:50 PM

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

I really love two of the verses actually love them but i’m putting 30K into radio promotion but i’m worried that my record will get shut down. So if the label can’t clear it i’m going to have to find another artist.

From: Julia Beverly <jb@agencytwelve.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 12:27 AM
Subject: RE: Boosie verse
To: George

They’re going to get me a definite price on the clearance tomorrow. What’s the most you’re willing to pay total, including label clearance? And which two verses did you like..

In case you’re having trouble following this. We started with a verse that was going to cost $7K with no label clearance. Then she was able to provide a full clearance for $15K. But then after speaking with the label, no clearance was going to be available under any circumstances. Now, after mentioning that he had $30K for radio promotion, the option to get this record cleared was back on the table, but Beverly was intent on finding out how much she could shake him down for.

I figured there was no need to take this any further and advised George to shut it down. Needless to say, Beverly was not happy about the idea that he did not believe this to be a smart business move.

From: George

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 09:49:54 -0500

To: Julia Beverly

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

You already told me that the label wasn’t going to clear it and this seems to be an illegitimate transaction. Now you’re asking me how much i’m willing to pay. I’m going to step away from this and go with another artist. Thank you

She quickly followed up. Twice.

From: jb@agencytwelve.com

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:19:15 +0000

To: George

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

Lol.. I do this all the time and even sent you the audio. I asked you to call me if it makes you more comfortable and I never heard from you. You don’t seem to understand how clearances work, but okay.

From: jb@agencytwelve.com

Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:29:56 +0000

To: George

Subject: Re: Boosie verse

As far as the label, I’m only relaying what they’re telling me. You should research who you’re speaking to before you start throwing around words like “illegitimate” and basically accusing me of trying to scam you. Kind of disrespectful.

This is where the conversation ended. It’s funny that Beverly took offense to the idea that this transaction appeared to be a little fishy after flip-flopping on the clearance issue numerous times during the exchange. Additionally, she never asked him to call to discuss the deal and even if she had; how would that make this deal any more legitimate? The scary part is she claims to “do this all the time.”

Most people in the hip-hop industry who have ever worked with an independent artist know that promoting that artist properly is a high-stakes business. In order to gain radio airplay without major label backing requires independent artists to seek out and pay people that specialize in getting records on the radio. This will generally require an initial investment of at least $20K in order to see results. In this case, George has indicated he may be willing to drop $37K on a single record and with no remorse Beverly claims he won’t face any problems unless the song “blows up.”

Even more troublesome is the fact that she has no certainty of the actual cost to clear the record with the label and danced around the issue of clearance in an attempt to milk as much money from George as he was able to spend. The truth of the matter is she can’t quote a price because she’s setting up a deal with no boundaries. If George were to attempt to clear the record with the label prior to pushing it to radio, he’s at the mercy of the label and the chance would exist that they could flat out deny the clearance altogether causing him to waste $7K for the verse. His other option would be to take Beverly’s advice and go ahead with radio promotion without a clearance, at which point the label is free to step in at any time and demand an exorbitant fee for a clearance or threaten to send cease & desist letters to any radio station playing the record. Either way, George loses a lot more money than he intended to spend.

This is what has become of a once prosperous industry. Beverly has used her magazine to establish trust with aspiring artists only to turn around and abuse her position of power for her own personal gain. By offering these fly-by-night verses without clearances, she is selling false hope to the aspiring artists that loyally support her magazine each month. Rather than focusing on ways to improve the editorial content of her magazine, Beverly has decided to sink to the level of a two-bit scam artist under the impression that any allegations of shady business practices one could make will quickly be squashed through her control of her publication.

In this case, Beverly is not the only one to blame, as she is clearly in collusion with Lil Boosie in this endeavor. It’s impossible to tell who all stands to benefit from these crooked deals, but it is certainly not the aspiring artist who is just looking for an opportunity to further their career.

When discussing what transpired with Beverly with another colleague who works in the music industry he brought up the point; what if Boosie really needs that money? My response to him was that Boosie needs to have a bake sale. There is no excuse that makes it acceptable to prey off of the innocent people that support you and are just looking for the same opportunity you were given. Once you sign a record deal, you are bound by the clauses of that deal, and if you’re not confident you’re going to be able to support yourself through the earnings you make by signing that contract, then don’t sign it.

This is just one example of the many pitfalls an independent artist may encounter when trying to improve their career. It should serve as a warning that artists must be careful who they are doing business with, especially during these turbulent times in the industry, as it is clear that even those with established reputations in the industry are not above pouncing on an opportunity to take an artist’s hard-earned cash. It is always a wise decision to align yourself with knowledgeable people who can instruct you on the best moves to improve your career. A good manager or entertainment attorney will help protect you from falling victim to these types of scams and are definitely worth the cost especially when they can help you avoid wasting money by engaging in illegitimate business deals.

It is sad to see someone like Beverly, who I once respected for her ability to keep Ozone Magazine thriving during turbulent times for both the music industry and print publications, engaging in this sort of unscrupulous behavior. I still remain confident that better days are ahead for the music industry, but tough times is no excuse for abandoning integrity.

HERE IS WHAT OTHERS HD TO SAY ABOUT THE MATTER:

Source: Explosive World

Editor’s note:

Please note: This is a gossip story and the views of the author are not neccessarily the views of the publication and as such should only be viewed for entertainment purposes. You the reader have the right to conduct your own independent investigation into the validiy and weight of the information contained herein.

GUESS MONEY CAN’T BUY RESPECT?

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Katt Williams is still wilding out. He went off yesterday about getting put out of the 4 Seasons Hotel in Atlanta after purchasing the Penthouse AND renting out seven rooms for seven nights. WTF?:

Williams, who was arrested Sunday night for allegedly breaking into a house in Coweta County, said at a Thursday night press conference that he was asked to leave the upscale on 14th Street after employees claimed he was causing a disturbance.

The comedian told 11Alive that he recently bought a penthouse at the Four Seasons hotel  and had rented seven rooms for seven nights.

“I haven’t been here 72 hours and I’m being kicked out of the Four Seasons even though I paid up front and in cash. I don’t understand,” Williams told a local TV station in Atlanta.