What's upper? I can't believe it but according to the news, Los Angeles has had more rain than my hometown of Seattle here in 2005. It is raining like crazy outside as I write this weeks column. Yup, I'm staying home cause fools out here can not drive in the rain!...

Big props goes out to the new Def Jam & their new promo staff, Theo, Splif & Blue Steel for sponsoring last weeks Rap Attack Conference Call. I was a lil' worried during Def Jam's transition but since Jay-Z's taken over, I've noticed a big improvement with the relationship between Def Jam & my Rap Attack dj's. This label is truly showing College Radio love as they did last Thursday as both Memphis Bleek & Young Gunz made a surprise visit with our dj's on the call. Peep this, Memphis Bleek's new joint "Like That" (RAF) is pure fiya & a HIT record. Produced by Swizz Beats, do not sleep on this record. Young Gunz has a new joint droppin' "Set It Off" & these kats are truly reppin' their hometown of Philly...

Our boy D. Wright, aka Darrell "Nickle Dee" Wright is officially on Jive Records payroll & promotions staff! Congratulations. This kat deserves this big break. You can reach out to Darrell online at: DARRELL.WRIGHT@SONYBMG.COM or at (212) 824-1876...

Interscope Records is back in effect with our Rap Attack dj's. Rene Castillo will be taking over Interscope's College Radio Dept. in their New York offices. You can reach Rene online at: Raynae00@aol.com - his 2 Way at: raynae@tmo.blackberry.net - wk: (212) 841-8115 - cell: (347) 581-0203...

Harlem, NY's got artist R. Walker buzzin' on the underground with his debut single "Everyday Thangs" (Side Block Music Inc.). Stay tuned...

D.V. Alias Khrst is making a strong comeback in the '05 with his new single "U Can't Run" b/w Calm Down (Dynazte Ent). This joint comes correct & will get a lot of 1's & 2's droppin' their needles on this. Coming soon...

My boys at Tres Records are puttin' their ish on the Hip-Hop map with their new releases by: Bloquera, Giant Panda & the phat new single by Thes Ones & Raashan Ahmad "Doin It." Expect big things comin' at you on Tres Records. For more info to get laced with the phat vinyl call (213) 382-7949...

Koch Records has got some serious heat goin' on with their new releases by The Bone Brothers "Hip-Hop Baby," Capone featuring Mr. Vegas "Under Mi Sensi" and AZ & Nas "Serious!" Show my boy Sean Rock love by playin' his joints aiight. To get laced, you can holla at Sean online at: sean.rock@kochent.com or call (212) 353-8800...

That Prefuse 73 featuring Ghostface "HideYaFace" (Warp), the EL-P Mix is growing quickly on me! Peep this ish...

Something new & different on the spittin' tip can be found on Yin Yang Twins new single "Wait (The Whisper Song)" on TVT. When I say whisper, I do mean whisper! You gotta drop this on your TT's!...

St. Louis rapper Dutch Jackson is poppin off and is catching the Midwest by storm. He new single, "Blow Your Back Out" is currently available for spins in your market! If you'd like a copy of the single, hit up Adrian "40 Grand" Lipsey online at: adrianlipsey2000@hotmail.com or you can call him at (314)517-8100. Dutch is available for interviews, drops, and freestyles. Product servicing available via request...

Fat Lip is available now do radio interviews, drops & freestyles. So if you want to book him for your show for a phone interview, contact Ty-C at (310) 925-2116. Now remember if you'd like to get drops &/or freestyles from Fat Lip hit up Ty-C with your name, station call letters, mailing address, phone #'s & what you want said to: tycamp2004@aol.com. Fat Lip's new joint "Today's Your Day (WhaChaGonDu)" features Chali 2NA (Delicious Vinyl) & is already gettin' early mixtape support & startin' to buzz early with our radio panel...

If anyone wants drops or an interview with Jae Millz & Cory Gunz, hit up Corporate Ken over at Universal Records at (212) 373-0793 or online at: Kenneth.Darpoh@umusic.com. Both artists will be hittin' the road & will be appearing : 2/26 - Raleigh, 2/27- Charlotte, 2/28 - Greensboro, 3/1 - Columbia, 3/2 - Columbia, 3/3 - Atlanta and 3/4 - Atlanta

Philly's in the house as Suspens Recording will shipping this week the latest Kar-Lethal Brigante' " I'm In Da Hood" to my Rap Attack DJ panel. Also dropping soon is Kar-Lethal's new vinyl featuring "All Da $ In Da World" b/w "Hey Mommie" & "Ways Of A Pimp." This is some real Philly gangsta ish & if this up your alley & you need to get laced, holla at my homegirl Mii Mii at (215) 317-3825 or online at: miimii@suspensrecording.com...

Now you can watch Sway, Tech & Rap Attack's own, DJ Revolution on the "Wake Up Show" for free! All you gotta do is have a Windows computer with a cable or dsl modem & you can watch the "Wake Up Show" 24/7. Log onto this link at: <http://www.nft-tv.com/clients/wakeupshowTV.zip>

Here is our new address for 2005 to send material for review, etc (vinyl & cd's)! Same address, just a new Ste. number:

 RapAttackLives.com

4750 Kester Avenue, Ste. 11

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Attn: Nasty-Nes

Rap Attack takes a "WHAT'S UPPER" look this week with:

DJ RIP (KBLR-NE): "Check out the new Vibe Magazine. Omaha, NE is featured in there and so am I!"...

Darin Gloe (TheHipHopStation.com): " Late Night Record Pool has just lauched a completely revamped website, the site contains charts, dj profiles, music, applications, feedback, Promotions, guestbooks and much much more. If you want to see how your record is doing or check feedback it is just a click away. Please go immediately and check out the premier website for one of the dopest pools around www.latenightrecordpool.com. Sign the Guestbook and tell us what you think. More music will be added and more DJ Profiles are being developed"...

DJ Solo (WECI-IN): "I finally moved and stuff and trying to catch up. I started school at Ivy Tech and that takes up 2 nights a week and child crisis which are everyday. That's just the skinny. On a radio note, we have all heard keep your music FCC compliant. We have some Hip-Hop Christian dj's at the station that was told by the staff to not pray on air, Earlham is a school of religion. How can ish like that go down.They had an all dj meeting, my boy H3o didn't show up to it so they took away some of his air time. Now here's is what is really f'd. I didn't go to it & nothing happened to me"...
 

Edgie Kokoski (WUNH-NH): “What’s Beef?/ Beef is when you need 2 gats to go to sleep…” - Notorious B.I.G. I beg to differ, Mr. Wallace. As of late, Hip-Hop beef has been conjured simply by vague battle rhymes and over-eager hip hop chat room & radio analysts who lust for fists to fly like Natural Light inspired fans at a hockey game. My latest gripe with hip hop music in general is the incessant search in any freestyle, any interview, or any video awards for sound bytes that could be attributed to one artist attacking another. The recent imaginary quarrels that come to mind mostly surround “The Game” who’s ascension to the top of the charts during a typically mediocre time of the music release year have thrust him into the spotlight as the guy to knock off the top shelf. No sooner does Ras Kass get out of prison and release one song, do people start picking it apart. Is he dissing Game? Who is he talking about? Why does Ras want beef with G-Unit? Even though Ras categorically denies leveling a shot at Game, the rumor mill churns. How mentally malnourished does a person have to be to think that Game is dissing Jay-Z when he EXPLICITLY states on his album that he respects Jay and does not harbor any ill feelings toward him? I think that the sad truth here is that the quality of the music has dipped to a level so bland and repetitive, that short lived incendiary diss records are all we have to cling to. I yearn for the days when artists would come out and either explicitly name the person in their song, or dedicate a whole record to the attack. It was all or nothing. Now we have freestyles and mixtape snippets peppered with these shy, stray lines that always provide a parachute of ambiguity should the artist decide that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to pester a sleeping dog after all. If you are an artist that wants to call out a peer, please make a “2^nd Round K.O.”, a “Bitch In Yoo”, or a “Hit ‘Em Up”. Otherwise, your silence would be appreciated"...

Nate Abney (WKDU-Philly): " Last week I had the extreme pleasure of meeting three or Hip Hop's biggest legends. The initial shock of seeing Busy B, Grandmaster Caz and Kool Herc walk through the doors of that place that I work at was crazy. I was frozen for a moment. Then when I acknowledged them what they do? Give me free tickets to their show at Grape Street Pub. The highlight had to be seeiing that Caz still has it on the mic, and actually talking to Kool Herc for about 20 minutes about Hip-Hop and how he started it all. I walked away with hope and knowing that true Hip-Hop still lives. But I didn't get any pictures(yeah I know that sucks)but Phillyhiphop.com will have them for sure from the annual phillyhiphop.com awards. It was a fun time had by all big ups to, B,Herc, Caz, Opal, Jax, Stef Tataz,Med,Baby Blak, Dom,Naam Brigade,MC Breeze,Session 31 and everybody else that repped at the Philly awards"...
 

DJ Yogi & D Cas (WRFG -Atlanta): " Thanks for supporting the Casual Conversations Show for almost 4 years. We celebrate our 4 year anniversary next  Wednesday. Currently we are the #1 mix show on WRFG and the #3 show on the entire station. We are asking for your help to move us into the #2 spot. All you have to do is click on the link below. Your help is greatly appreciated and we will continue to give you the hottest and best in radio. Thanks So Much for 4 great years in Radio. Casual Conversations web page: www.wrfg.org/features/shows/shows-desc.asp?showid=59. Tune in to WRFG 89.3FM in Atlanta Wednesdays 2am-6am for Casual Conversation with D_CAS & Dj Yogi. Studio 404-523-8989. You can also log on to www.wrfg.org for live webcast"...

DJ Menace (Mixtape-FL): " DJ Menace and Royal Dynasty Entertainment present: "Street Muzik Pt. 2." 2000 copies of Street Muzik pt. 2 will be distributed through out Florida, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey and the New England area. This marks DJ Menace 34th mixtape since 1998 and still going strong in the mixtape game!!! This mixtape will impact a variety of markets and will be distributed through out various Hip-Hop shows and events through out Florida, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey and The New England Area. This is a great opportunity for your label and artist to get exposure in different markets!!!!!!! Sponsorships are now availible if you which to get your label or artist involved in this major project
Packages:
($200) logo and/or web page on CD and cover
($500) logo and/or web page on cover, 2 tracks or freestyles on
mixtape
($1000) logo and/or web page on CD and cover, 3 tracks or freestyles on
mixtape
($1500) hosting mixtape
For more info, contact Menace here:
DJ Menace "Ft. Lauderdale's Finest"
Royal Dynasty Entertainment
954-261-1250 cell
DJMenace954@tmail.com
DJMenace954@aol.com
 

Splif (WKRB/Def Jam-NY): " Would you like to have Def Jam Promo materials visible at your campus events? (Posters, Album, Flats, Samplers, T-Shirts, etc.) If possible, please send me a list of HOT upcoming events. Follow The Format Below by providing me with the:

 Date  Theme of Event Location On Campus Approx. How Many Students Are You Expecting?

Email your request to: DefCollegeRadio@umusic.com...

DJ Toast (WRPI-NY): " The 16 Year Radio Anniversary Celebration for DJ Toast is scheduled for March 12, 2005! Last year's show made the "Best Of 2004" lists here by many music critics and publications.
---Toast's 16 Year Radio Anniversary---
------Saturday March 12, 2005----------
---------The Hudson Duster-------------
----------40 3rd Street ---------------
-------------Troy, NY------------------
---------------9pm---------------------
---------------$10---------------------
Sean Price aka Ruck from Heltah Skeltah (Duck Down, Boot Camp Clik)
with Rustee Juxx (Duck Down)
Bathgate (Supreme Clientele, Capital Gang)
German Luger (R.I.C.O. Ent, The Source Unsigned Hype)
El Gant (Nacirema)
Sev Statik (Tunnel Rats)
Shyste (Finer Arts)
Jake the Snake (Gang Green Records)
DJ Nate Da Great spinning classics & underground
First 50 people will get gift bags. I will be hitting up all you label folks for promotional materials and music to be included in these gift bags.
Please look out for me on this"...

IT'S BACK: EXCLUSIVE NEW RAP ATTACK OFFER: $50 SIDEKICK II - 2WAY DEAL:  I've got the exclusive hook up if you're lookin' to buy a "Sidekick II" 2 way. They normally retail for $300 plus. TMobile is offering our Rap Attack DJ's & affiliates (friends & readers of RapAttackLives.com & business associates) the following special:

$100.00 plus a $50.00 rebate ( $50.00 for the unit)

$39.00 monthly fee for cell & unlimited text messaging & online, etc.

Contact Alex Nguyen at (408) 310-3933 or online at: vtxguy4O8@yahoo.com.

Tell him Nasty-Nes from RapAttackLives.com sent you & save yourself up to $250 on a brand new "SIDEKICK II."

SHOUT OUT TIZIME: Happy Birthday to Jason-D from Cali's KHDC celebrating on February 21 & to Delaware's Lt. Dan celebrating on February 26. To my pare' reppin' the Bay Area & one of the kings of freestyle mixes & remixes, DJ Slammin' Sam (www.slammin.com).

PEACE, LOVE & HIP-HOP UNITY (God Bless & Isa Mahal),

Nasty-Nes

(Pinoy Pride4Life / John 3:16)