Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s widow is not happy with plans to use her husband’s image in hologram form. Apparently, the Rock The Bells festival has been discussing the possibility of resurrecting ODB on stage by creating a hologram of the late Wu-Tang rapper, who passed away in 2004. The late rapper’s widow, Icelene Jones, is far from happy with the fact that the hologram has been discussed by the annual festival’s organizers without consulting her on the subject.

Veteran Hip-Hop group Wu-Tang Clan is preparing to release a new album titled Legendary Weapons that will be released next month.

The new, 14-track album features guest appearances from each original Wu-Tang Clan member, along with a number of respected rappers.

According to a press release, Legendary Weapons features a throwback sound that has been inspired by Kung-Fu imagery, a long running theme in Wu-Tang Clan’s album releases.

In addition to Wu-Tang Clan group members Ghostface, Raekwon, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, U-God and The RZA, Legendary Weapons also features verses from AZ, M.O.P., Trife Diesel, Killa Sin, Termanology and others.

Legendary Weapons is due in stores on July 26th.

Tracklisting is below:

1. Start the Show (feat. Raekwon and RZA)

2. Laced Cheeba (feat. Ghostface, Sean Price and Trife Diesel)

3. Diesel Fluid (feat. Method Man, Trife Diesel and Cappadonna)

4. Played By The Game

5. The Black Diamonds (feat. Ghostface, Roc Marciano and Killa Sin)

6. Legendary Weapons (Ghostface, AZ and M.O.P.)

7. Never Feel This Pain (feat. Inspectah Deck, U-God and Tre Williams)

8. Angels Got Wings

9. Drunk Tongue (feat. Killa Sin)

10. 225 Rounds (feat. U-God, Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth and RZA)

11. Meteor Hammer (feat. Ghostface, Action Bronson and Termanology)

12. Live Through Death

13. Only the Rugged Survive (feat. RZA)

14. Outro

Source

Busta Rhymes is back with a new album and mindset adding on to his multi-platinum career. The Brooklyn emcee wouldn’t reveal the name of the album, but said it would be along the lines of When Disaster Strikes, The Coming, Extinction Level Event, Anarchy and Genesis.

Scoffing at the notion of retirement, Busta had a breakout year doing features, most notably Jay-Z and Kanye West’s H.A.M and Nicki Minaj’s Roman’s Revenge.

“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.” Busta remarked whenever someone mentions him retiring. The 39-year-old rapper has seen and done it all since entering the game in 1991:

Death Row Record’s dominance over the industry; how Biggie, Nas and Wu-Tang Clan revived New York; the untimely deaths of Biggie and Tupac; the South’s dominance; the rise of underground artists like Wiz Khalifa. Through it all Busta still remained relevant releasing hit-after-hit, selling millions of records and collaborating with the biggest names in the industry.

He promises to give fans some new flavor as well as some of the old rapid-fire-flow Busta is known for. “I’m really taking my time with this one,” Busta says of his new, untitled release. “I’m going into this one different than the last album. I don’t want to start talking about producers and album titles just yet because I don’t want to spoil anything. But you know I’m going to come out with that good sh*t . I promise you that. I’ve been in the business for a minute and I still have a hunger for it. I’m not going to stop until the people tell me to.”

Meanwhile, he’s enjoying his #1 single Look At Me Now featuring Chris Brown and Lil Wayne and the growing buzz from Welcome To My Hood with DJ Khaled. Both tracks will appear on his new album, which he says is 90% done.

Busta isn’t going anywhere anytime soon let alone retiring. “This is my sh*t. I am back in a space where I can talk about the things I love to talk about and touch on things people are a little uncomfortable talking about and really expose the truths, and do it in a way where it’s so extremely entertaining. I feel supreme right now,” stated Busta Rhymes.

His album is slated to be released in September.

Posted: Wednesday – July 22, 2009

Wu-Tang’s RZA is set to deliver his second book, this time focusing on the elements on spirituality and philosophy.

Entitled The Tao of Wu, the book details RZA‘s own personal journey to enlightenment.

By utilizing Hip-Hop lyrics, autobiographical anecdotes, and parables, the RZA explains how he was simultaneously inspired by Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Bruce Lee, and Islam.

The Abbott frames his philosophy under seven “Pillars of Wisdom,” which represent seven “key turning points in his life” that he hopes to impart on his readers.

The number 7 is symbolic in itself, representing consciousness in numerology, and considered a divine number in several faiths such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

According to the text’s publisher Riverhead Books, The Tao of Wu is a deeper reflection on the brief philosophical glimpses read in 2004’s The Wu-Tang Manual.

As the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, the RZA has been responsible for the group’s creative direction since their classic 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Over the past decade, he has expanded his talents to acting (American Gangster) and film score composing (Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2).

His last studio album was 2008’s Digi Snacks. The Tao of Wu will be available on October 20, with a retail price of $25.95.

Source: Allhiphop.com

Posted: Wednesday – July 15, 2009

Ghostface Killah has become the latest in a growing line of rapper-turned-published-authors.

The Wu-Tang Clan lyricist is gearing up for the release of his literary debut, due out on July 29.

The illustrated novel, titled Cell Block Z, recounts the tale of a fictional boxer, Cole Dennis, which is simply Ghost’s birth name in reverse.

Living in an unspecified future city “being held hostage to chaos and terror,” Dennis, a heavyweight contender, is considered a hero to most, until he is framed for a brutal murder.

Upon entering a futuristic super-prison, the main character finds himself at the center of a sinister plot to turn convicts into killing machines.

While the plans to control Dennis don’t pan out, he is transformed into a “towering engine of destruction,” determined to fight for his life.

He renames himself Ghostface Killah as he faces the most daunting opponent of his life.

The book, co-authored by Marlon Chapman and Shauna Garr, and illustrated by Chris Walker, is not the only new project Ghostface has in the works for 2009.

Def Jam announced Monday (June 13) that the seasoned rapper’s 10th career album and his sixth for the label, will be released in September.

The Wizard of Poetry promises to be quite different from Ghost’s previous offerings.

The album is being described as “an R&B-influenced rap album.”

On July 22, Ghostface will begin promoting his new album when he embarks on the Foot Print in Hip-Hop Tour with Wu-Tang brethren Method Man and his longtime partner in rhyme Redman.

The 21-city tour, which also serves to promote Red & Meth’s Blackout 2, kicks off in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Foot Print in Hip-Hop Tour runs through August 16, when it will wrap at San Francisco’s Mezzanine.

Source: Allhiphop.com