The straight dope on what's going on in Hip-Hop, Media and Entertainment

Jun 26, 2005

Method Man is set to expand his filmography this year with guest appearances on the hit TV show, CSI, this follows successful guest appearances on Oz and The Wire, amongst other shows. Meth also told StreetHop.com that he and Redman had begun work on How High 2, the sequel to 2001's hit stoner comedy.

"We're working on How High part 2 right now," Method Man told StreetHop.com today, "My mans writing it, the same guy that plugged me into those CSI episodes, Dustin [Abraham], he's writing the second How High, he wrote the first one."

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After surrendering to authorities in Philadelphia on Friday, where he was wanted for murder, Cassidy spent the weekend in a medium-security prison, where it's expected he'll remain for the foreseeable future.

A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said it's likely Cassidy's detainment at Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility will continue until, and throughout, his trial.

Like all new inmates at the facility, Cassidy underwent an admissions and diagnostics process that includes classification; orientation; medical examination; issuance of an inmate handbook, clothing and personal care items; and a social-service assessment.

At a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, it's expected that prosecutors will present any evidence they've collected against Cassidy to a judge, who will then rule on whether the state has enough to hold the rapper for trial; the prosecution could even call medical examiners and eyewitnesses in to provide pretrial testimony.

Police claim Cassidy and two other men, armed with .45 and .40 caliber handguns, 9 mm pistols, AK-47 assault rifles and 7.62 mm rifles, fired on three unarmed men during an argument behind a house in the rapper's northwest Philadelphia neighborhood, killing one of them — 22-year-old Desmond Hawkins. The other two victims were treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds and released.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of one of the other alleged shooters. The identity of the third gunmen is not known.

Cassidy's second album, I'm a Hustla, is due June 28.

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“I can’t f**k wit y’all niggas right now,” says 25-year-old rapper Joe Budden to some friends who’ve called in during our interview. The artist, who will release his much-anticipated sophomore effort The Growth on June 26th, has just been informed that his car has been sold – apparently without his knowledge. Budden, however, doesn’t seem to be fazed by this revelation, at least not for the moment. Right now he’s focused on the task at hand.

Hailed as the “next 50 Cent” by MTV in the summer of 2003, focus helped Joe Budden emerge from New York’s crowded mixtape scene with immense street credibility and a made-for-summer hit single (“Pump It Up”). Def Jam Records quickly snatched up the talented young freestyle king and the Jersey City native soon found himself caught up in a whirlwind of girls, glitz and gargantuan egos. “I was 22 when I got signed and I [had fun],” readily admits Budden whose steamy relationship with infamous video girl/model Gloria Velez made headlines after the rapper publicly confessed to performing oral sex on her. “It’s been exciting, but it’s also been strenuous and exhausting.”

While being suddenly thrust into the glamorous world of a rap star provided Joe with plenty of access to the fairer sex, it also landed him in the crosshairs of rival emcees. A seemingly harmless line about “fake gangstas” on DJ Clue’s mixtape, Thee American Idol, ignited a much-publicized war of words with The Game. While the feud appears to have been nothing more than another publicity stunt contrived by the minds at G-Unit headquarters, Budden doesn’t see “rap beef” as a bad thing – as long as it stays on the record. “I think it’s cool, but I don’t think ni**as know how to do it,” says Budden, who in the early stages of his own young career lobbed a few verbal jabs at future boss, Jay-Z. “Ni**as is beefing to sell records,” says Budden. “It’s all promotion. Pretty soon ni**as will be planning to kill somebody before they album come out just to get a buzz.”

It’s somewhat ironic that the rapper’s first significant beef would be with a member of the crew headed by 50 Cent – the man whose success Def Jam desperately wanted Budden to mimic. Like 50, he had been setting New York’s mixtape circuit on fire with his laser sharp freestyles and had garnered a substantial street following. Unlike 50, he hadn’t made enemies at nearly every record label in the city, which made it possible for Budden to land a deal with industry giant Def Jam. It looked like a guaranteed recipe for success that would catapult Joe Budden into the stratosphere of Hip-Hop’s elite.

There are, however, seldom any guarantees in life except death and taxes.

Despite the backing of a corporate machine and blistering instrumentals provided by platinum producer Just Blaze, Budden’s self-titled debut failed to meet critical or sales expectations. Emerging differences with the label prompted him to consider jumping ship to Roc-A-Fella before Jigga took the top spot at Def Jam. Now that he has someone up in the executive suite that “understands,” Budden is no longer considering a label change. “I’m not too caught up in the numbers game right now,” the rapper says of concerns about his record sales. His main focus as of right now is to develop as an artist.

“They [Def Jam] knew this would be a work in progress when they signed me.”

The music-buying public will finally get a chance to see how much Joe Budden’s work has progressed on The Growth. While the Scott Storch-produced “Gangsta Party” featuring Nate Dogg will serve as the album’s first single, Budden points to tracks like “Candy Tangerine Man,” “For A Reason,” and “Mental Piano” as evidence of his artistic maturity on The Growth. “It’s not so introspective,” says the rapper. “But I’m open and candid on lots of issues -- like child molestation.”

Joe Budden has been extremely candid and open about his displeasure with the timing of The Growth’s release, which he wanted moved back to mid-August to allow for fine tuning. He was also less than enthused about the album’s first single, preferring a track by Timbaland. Struggles for creative control and how to best market a project are common in the recording industry, but they can greatly intensify when involving an artist who’s passionate about his craft, as Budden seems to be, and a company venerated for producing platinum (not gold) rap stars. Again, fortunately for Joe Budden, the label’s new president knows a thing or two about being slept on the first time around.

Everything in life is created by pressure. When under pressure, the key to performing is focus. The pressure’s on Joe Budden to perform this jumpoff. You better believe he’s focused.

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Fans might have been surprised when Destiny's Child announced last week that they're splitting after their U.S. tour — but the girls say that the news was something they had planned even as they were making their fifth and final album. "It's not a coincidence that the album is called Destiny Fulfilled," BeyoncĂ© Knowles revealed.

Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams talked about the different directions they wanted to take with their various solo projects — musical and otherwise — while they were in the studio, and realized that they could never really pursue those interests and remain a group, too. "What if something comes up and it falls right on a tour date?" Rowland pointed out. So they ultimately came to the decision that if they were to break up, they should do it while they were on top — and more importantly, while they were still friends (see "Destiny's Child Announce Split").

"It's not our last record because one of us wants to go solo, or because we don't get along or because we don't like each other anymore, or because of cattiness," Knowles said. "It's because it's the end of this chapter in our lives. We've been doing this for 14 years now, and our destinies have been fulfilled."

"All great things come to an end," Rowland added. "Destiny's Child is more than just us being on stage or in the studio. We genuinely love each other and I'm going to see their kids, and their kids' kids, and they're going to see my kids. I love these girls."

While they don't have any immediate plans to collaborate, they hope to continue working together in new guises — such as popping up on each other's solo albums, or starring in a Broadway play together.

For now, though, Williams will be heard singing a remake of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" in Gap's new fall ads, and hopes to eventually open a day spa and do a bath-and-body product line. Rowland, who's showcasing her indie romantic comedy "The Seat Filler" on select dates of the DC tour, wants to audition for more acting roles. And Knowles, who will record a soundtrack single for her "Pink Panther" film in the fall, said she plans to start rehearsing in December for her role as Deena in the big-screen remake of the musical "Dreamgirls," which will shoot from January through April.

"I've been dreaming about this role," she said. "I can't even talk about it, I'm so excited. Finally, I have a role that has so many layers — it's dramatic, it's funny, I play her young, I play her older. You see the journey of her growing up, and it's really emotional. It's perfect. It's a real part. I get to act, and I don't think I've ever really done that yet." In the meantime, there will be more Destiny's Child via a live DVD they plan to film on the Atlanta stop of the tour, and a best-of album is in the works.

As for a possible reunion down the road, Beyoncé said, "Who knows? We're still very young, and it's not smart to say 'never.' It's not the end."