If it wasn't clear before, it is now: the RIAA cares absolutely nothing about its artists or their music. This was made abundantly apparent last night on local Atlanta TV station FOX5, when news correspondent Stacey Elgin reported that DJ Drama and Don Cannon were arrested for "making and selling 'illegal CDs.'"
A SWAT team raided the popular mixtape DJs' Walker Street studio and confiscated at least 50,000 CDs, computers, recording equipment, money, bank statements, and cars. 17 people were detained, but Drama and Cannon were both arrested. Saying the RIAA had investigated the business for a while before the raid, RIAA representative Matthew Kilgo expressed eyebrow-raised amazement at the two's Gangsta Grillz franchise: "These guys are actively advertising online. They've got a website that they're advertising from. That's where you place your order, and that's how the orders are shipped out."
Wait, they have a website?!! Criminals!
Kilgo also pointed out that some unnamed statistics show that "up to 900% profit can be made just from the resale of counterfeit CDs," and it's great that Kilgo is so focused on the facts, except for the little one that Drama and Cannon aren't just copying T.I. and Lil Wayne albums onto cheap CD-Rs.
Gangsta Grillz mixtapes are in such high demand because of their focus on exclusive content, and since artists often use them as promotional tools for their official albums, record labels usually condone-- if not outright encourage-- them.
Adding insult to injury, Fulton County police officer Major E. A. Platt said, "In this case, we didn't find drugs or weapons, but it's not uncommon for us to find other contraband when we execute a search warrant."
Ah, okay, so you didn't find any of those things, but since "it's not uncommon" to find them in similar raids, you might as well have found them? WTF!!
Elgin ended her hard-hitting report by saying, "Authorities tells us this is a big problem in Atlanta, because Atlanta is known as the hub for the Southeast. They say anytime anybody wants a CD, they know they can find it in Atlanta."
Hey, hold on a second, maybe this whole thing is one big joke. I mean, that couldn't be serious. Right, RIAA? Right?
Ganstagrillz.com is currently "shut down and under investigation," but you can email Matthew Kilgo with your thoughts and feelings about his raid at MKilgo@RIAA.com.
James Brown is making one last stop at the Apollo today, his body lying in repose at the historic Harlem theatre where Brown made his debut in 1956, where he so often performed over the years, where he recorded one of his most memorable albums, and where thousand of mourning fans came to today to pay their respects.
Brown died on Monday, Christmas Day, after being admitted to an Atlanta, Georgia, hospital with pneumonia. He was 73
Brown's close friend, the Reverend Al Sharpton, said it was going to be "a royal day in Harlem" as the Apollo stop begins three days of wakes and memorial services for the soul legend. Brown's body, prepared in a Georgia funeral parlor, had to be transported overnight to Harlem by van after missing the last flight out last night, Sharpton rode along with his friend's last remains. "He never missed the Apollo," Sharpton said. "If we ride all night, that's fine."
Apparently, Dr. Dre has settled on a time frame to release his highly anticipated album, Detox.
In a video clip in circulation on the Internet that features Dre, the producer and his protégé Bishop Lamont reveal that the album will be released in September of 2007.
The clip is a mere 31 seconds long, but Bishop Lamont states, "You see this man right here, we gonna do shameless promotion - Detox [in] September. This is not make believe."
The pair are in a recording studio and the camera pans to show some of the sophisticated equipment. Dre and Lamont share a couple crass jokes before the clip finishes.
Fans have waited several years for an announcement such as this.
While there are no confirmations why the album has taken so long, many speculate that Detox's tracks have gone to the likes of Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and The Game, who have all benefited from the productions of the incomparable beat maestro.
The album was initially announced around 2002, planned for 2004 and people have been waiting since.
Even The Game, one of Dre's affiliates quipped, "I might just put out Detox myself" on "Compton" from Doctor's Advocate.
The album boast appearances, production and assistance from several top artists like Eminem and producers like Kon Artis, Nottz, Mahogany, and Hi-Tek.
Dr. Dre's last album 2001, came in 1999 and was a phenomenon on a pop level as well as amidst the Hip-Hop community.
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