• The Brutality of The Bard: 2Pac, Dethklok and More Celebrate 'Talk Like Shakespeare Day'

    Happy "Talk Like Shakespeare Day" to all of our favorite readers and theatre geeks. We at Music Times tend to write more about Broadway musicals, or the occasional opera based on one of William Shakespeare's works, versus the stage plays themselves (you know...we write about music). There's no denying that the legendary playwright has had an impact on music with his words...in the most brutal way possible. For all of his poetry, the Bard turned out enough gritty one-liners that would have made Robocop a Best Picture nominee without removing any of the bloodshed. Take heed as 2Pac, Iced Earth and more demonstrate how "talk like Shakespeare" means "talk like a badass."

  • Tupac Biopic: John Singleton Leaves to Make Own Film

    Director John Singleton announced yesterday, April 8, that he would not be working on Morgan Creek's biopic of Tupac Shakur. Instead, the filmmaker has decided to go off on his own and create a project about the life of one of the world's greatest rappers. Carl Franklin will replace Singleton for the Morgan Creek biopic, 'Billboard' noted.

  • Murder Is the Leading Cause of Death Among Rappers: Study

    A new study conducted by a professor at the University of Sydney has found that murder is the leading cause of death among rap artists. Dianna Theadora Kenny looked at the deaths of 13,000 artists from all genres, finding that murder accounted for about 50 percent of the deaths among hip-hop performers. The study was released yesterday, March 25, on the 18th anniversary of The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Life After Death,' Vibe noted.

  • Lou Reed Says He Never Actually Liked The Beatles

    PBS series "Blank on Blank" recently shared a lost interview involving Velvet Underground mastermind Lou Reed. The singer threw shade at two famous bands -- The Doors and The Beatles -- revealing that he thought the former was "stupid" and the latter was "garbage." The lively chat took place in 1986 between him and music executive Joe Smith.

  • Snoop Dogg, Trey Songz and YG Slam the Grammys for Not Nominating Artists That Best Represent Rap and Hip-Hop

    The 2015 Grammy Awards drew some tough critics. Kanye West led the charge, storming the stage when Beck won the the award for Album of the Year over Beyoncé and going on a rant after the show. Most of the rap and hip-hop community felt let down this year and they weren't afraid to post online about it. Snoop Dogg was particularly upset, citing the fact that some of the genre's greats have less wins then Macklemore. YG and Trey Songz joined in, but they were arguing on a personal level.

  • Suge Knight's Bail Is Revoked: Death Row Records CEO Will Appear in Court Tuesday

    The $2.2 million bail initially set for hip-hop mogul Suge Knight has been revoked, Billboard notes. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department considers the former Death Row Records CEO a flight risk after charging him for allegedly murdering a man in a hit-and-run incident last week. The department also cited his criminal past and the possibility of him being a flight risk.

  • Unreleased Tupac Interview From Just Before Death Surfaces: 'Changes' Rapper Was 'In Midst Of War'

    The saga of Tupac and his game-changing career has been very well documented from birth to his untimely and still unsolved murder. Shakur is treasured as one of the greatest rappers to ever live and he was taken from the earth in his prime in Las Vegas at the of 25. A recent interview with the rapper and actor that took place just 18 days before his death has surfaced on a Tupac message board. It takes place on the set of the movie "Gang Related," which he was set to star in alongside Jim Belushi. During the 20-minute interview, Tupac discussed his work in the film, where his name came from and much more.

  • Tupac Shakur Movie to Begin Production in 2015;, Casting Yet to Be Announced but Due to Shoot during June

    Looks like shooting on a Tupac Shakur biopic will finally begin rolling later this year, as producer Randall Emmett told Collider that the film is ready to begin shooting in June. Plans originally set the film to begin shooting during early 2011 before a lawsuit brought things to a halt: Production company Morgan Creek and Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, traded lawsuits debating whether a deal had been agreed upon or not. After a settlement was reached, Ajeni got some creative control as one of the film's executive producers.

  • Suge Knight Praises Lil Wayne, Threatens Drake in Interview

    Suge Knight had an interesting interview recently with TMZ in which he discussed his New Year's resolutions, Lil Wayne and Drake. He also mentioned Tupac Shakur. The video is a little unsettling considering the former Death Row Records CEO seems to be making some threats. Hopefully, Suge was just joking, but he does not strike me as one who likes to laugh. Suge is sporting a festive sweater in the video below, puffing on his signature cigar. The most surprising part of the interview is that the Black Kapital Records head would even talk to TMZ — which has caught him in some unflattering moments before. But he does, and the results are chilling. "I'm gonna make sure everybody gets their justice," he says after a brief pause. "It's a year for getting even." He does not elaborate on that, but it probably has something to do with Suge getting shot at Chris Brown's pre-VMA party in August. But he said it was not important who shot him, so who knows? "I don't think that's really important, who pulled the trigger and who I seen pulled the trigger," Knight told TMZ in a previous interview. "I think that I'm doing extremely well. I'm happy to be doing well and whatever happens, happens." When asked about a recent Tupac documentary, Suge urges real fans of the rapper to start asking questions and "be more aggressive."

  • Classic Hip-Hop Formats Playing Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and Snoop Dogg Are Saving Commercial Radio Stations

    Commercial radio is suffering. Satellite and streaming options that link directly to mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular because of the diversity and lack of commercial interruptions. According to The New York Times, one format is incredibly hot right now - classic hip-hop. Stations championing Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and Snoop Dogg are sprouting up all over the country. Radio One, Cummulus Media and iHeartMedia are all jumping at the opportunity.

  • The Best Selling Hip-Hop Albums of All Time: Eminem, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G...Who's No. 1?

    Thirty years ago on this day Run-D.M.C. were rewarded for its high sales, as its self-titled first album became the first hip-hop album in history to earn "Gold" status-which indicates more than 100,000 copies sold-nine months after its release. Hip-hop has come a long way in terms of styles and popularity in those 30 years, so the group's first album is far from the highest sellers in the genre anymore.
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