Crib Notes

It’s hard out here for an entertainment blogger.

Just ask Gyant of SOHH.com, who posted a rant yesterday claiming that Young Jeezy’s security jacked up his photographer Wednesday at the Tabernacle. The Atlanta-based rapper’s local concert coincided with the release of his third solo joint, The Recession. (Read CL’s feature on the new release.)

Apparently, Gyant was especially flabbergasted by the treatment considering how “cool” he’s been to Young Jeezy, CTE, and the rest of the industry’s corporate thugs:

Let’s be crystal clear on one thing artists, record executives and promoters; if we are as ‘cool’ as you claim to be then it’s only natural that I’d expect you to look out for me and whomever is in my company when I’m at your event –especially if I’m an invited media outlet. …

Don’t get it twisted, I am not some wet behind the ears journalist who will take whatever you give me. I’ve pounded the pavement for almost 5 years in Atlanta. I’ve covered everything and I have probably covered it twice. I’ve turned blind eyes on your scandals [sometimes] and sometimes I even bite my tongue or put down my keyboard when all your business gets spilled out on Front Street.

I’m no rookie and I expect to be treated accordingly. Putting it plainly, I want/demand my respect!

Read the full blog here.

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Four years ago, the Boston Globe ran a story that exposed the darker side of hitting the lottery jackpot. As expected, most achieved instant popularity as they spent winnings on expensive cars and lavish vacations. But many also shared an overwhelming sense of isolation as distant relatives came out of the woodwork seeking financial gain.

Psychologists call it sudden-wealth syndrome. Hip-hop refers to it as the Biggie Smalls theory: Mo’ money, mo’ problems.

“When I come home,” Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy states via phone, “I have to deal with my family and friends. These are people I’ve been knowing that are going through real hard times. You can’t save everybody; It’s just real, especially when you come from [equally hard times].”

And you thought he was all about clubbin’ with Usher.

It’s not your fault, though. Cats like Jeezy have built careers spitting hot 16s about cool cars and buying out bars. No other genre of music has created a wider gap between the fantasy it depicts and the reality lived by its fan base. Mainstream rappers have painted such lavish images of themselves that it’s hard to distinguish the truth.

Read the rest of this article here. 

(Photo courtesy Def Jam)

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First Congressman John Lewis, now rapper Young Jeezy.

In the August issue of Vibe magazine, Young Jeezy is quoted in the cover story as saying, “No disrespect to Barack, but I fuck with John McCain.”

Turns out, he meant to say the opposite. At least, that’s what he’s saying now in a classic what-had-happened-was moment. He’s even posted a YouTube video statement to clarify his position, saying “somewhere down the line my words got misconstrued.”

In the video, he wears a shirt printed with the words, “My president is black,” and aligns himself with the Democrat party, saying “I represent the streets, the struggle. I represent Democrats.”

In a not-so-ironic twist, his upcoming CD scheduled for release this summer, is titled The Recession. The high cost of gas is just one of the topics he plans to address.

The quote in question came after Jeezy met Senator McCain in May on the set of Saturday Night Live where they briefly shook hands. McCain was hosting the show and Jeezy was there performing “Love in this Club” with Usher. In the YouTube video posted last week, Jeezy disses McCain while addressing Senator Obama with the cool moniker, “Barack-O.”

Whether it’s a pure publicity stunt or a genuine flub Young Jeezy wanted to correct, it shows how much of a pop phenomenon Obama has become that a rapper of Jeezy’s commercial caliber would go so far to align himself with a presidential candidate.

But here’s something I can’t help but wonder: Can the support of a rapper like Young Jeezy — who’s been alleged to have ties to the BMF drug syndicate and nicknamed himself ‘the Snowman’ (hint, hint) earlier in his career — do more harm to Obama’s campaign than good? Or will the dope boy constituency be politically ignited to vote en masse, thereby countering those who might otherwise be offended?

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