Civilized Talk

#CivilTV hit up a hollywood night club yesterday to catch up with Tank & Chris Brown for an exclusive behind The scenes look into their “Shots Fired” video. The song will be featured on Tank’s mixtape “High Piano Dreams.”

Our very own, the lovely Karen Civil recently sat down with MMG front-runner Meek Mill for an exclusive all access BTS interview. Opening up on tour, fresh on the stage, Meek Mill claims “fu** Reebok” in recognition of their decision to drop MMG President Rick Ross. Meek feels like brands as large as Reebok, take advantage of the popularity of urban culture music, make the money off of the rappers and then drop them when they aren’t worth anything. To read more and check out the entire interview, hit the jump!

Iggy Azalea sits down with Me to discuss her new deal with Island Def Jam, her relationship with TI, and what’s next for this budding superstar.

I caught up with Ray J for the newest installment of #CivilTV. We talked about about his controversial song “I Hit It First”, his relationship with his sister & rumored relationship with Teairra Mari.

Many of us have seen the growth in The Roots drummer, Questlove over the years. From the beginning of the Philly-born clan, to on stage with the likes of Jay-Z, Jill Scott, and others, to now being the resident musical director on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”, its a wonder how he has had such a valuable impact on Hip-Hop and music. Well now we will get a taste of his journey from his perspective, as Quest is preparing to release a memoir of his experiences and a different view on the study of pop culture called Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. For more info, hit the jump.

CivilTV caught up with the incomparable DJ Khaled to get the scoop on his upcoming album, ‘Suffering From Success‘, the addition of Vado to his We The Best roster, the A&R sound and process of Rick Ross’ album ‘Mastermind‘, and much more. Check out this exclusive jam-packed interview after the jump.

CivilTV caught up with Tyga over the weekend to get the scoop on his new single ‘For The Road‘, featuring Chris Brown. Tyga promises that this song is special for the ladies, with Valentine’s Day right about the corner, and also shares what else he may have up his sleeve. Can you wait to hear this track on the YMCMB rappers new project “Hotel California”? Check out this exclusive interview below!

CivilTV caught up with Future over the weekend to get the scoop on his new F.B.G.: The Movie LP, a possible mixtape with longtime collaborator Drake, and his label-mate Ciara. Check out this exclusive interview below, after the jump!

Earlier this week, KarenCivil.com debuted part 1 of 2 of an exclusive sit-down interview with Wiz Khalifa. In part 1 he discussed the backlash he’s received from his ‘O.N.I.F.C.‘ album cover and the delay behind his collaboration mixtape with Curren$y. Today, in part 2, he talks about his close friend Snoop Lion and also the Amber Rose feature we can expect on his album. Perhaps she’ll be the ‘O.B.I.F.C.’? Check out the video above!

Wiz Khalifa recently had a chance to catch up with CivilTV. He sat down to discuss the backlash he’s received from his ‘O.N.I.F.C.‘ album cover, the delay behind his collaboration mixtape with Curren$y, and even the expected remix to ‘Work Hard, Play Hard‘. Stay tuned for the release of part 2, which debuts later this week, on KarenCivil.com.

Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa have teamed up to create the visuals for the track Jet Life, the second single from Curren$y’s ‘The Stone Immaculate‘ album. Check out these exclusive behind-the-scenes images and video, brought to you by KarenCivil.com, and don’t miss this jet ***! Photos after the jump!

Karen Civil recently had a chance to catch up with Machine Gun Kelly, to discuss the “beef” with Interscope Records, the release and his thoughts of the single ‘Invincible‘, and making mends with Yelawolf. Although he may be a wild boy, who says he can’t have a good side? Hit the jump to check out the video and what MGK had to say.

Mr. Freebandz himself, Future, recently had a chance to sit down with Karen Civil to do a CivilTV session, where he discusses working with Kanye West and Diplo, the current beef battle between Drake and Pusha T, and his upcoming performances for Rock The Bells 2012. With this album ‘Pluto‘ already in stores, Future has been keeping a steady buzz, which is creating excitement for his upcoming work.

There was a time when hip-hop collectives ruled the world. Diggin’ In The Crates Crew, Wu-Tang Clan, The Diplomats, and more, found power in the combination of all its members’ talents. Each group offered a different interpretation on how hip-hop should sound. It would seem that this mentality is not lost on the current generation. G.O.O.D Music, Maybach Music Group (MMG), and YMCMB all have albums releasing in the summer. While these are all notable releases, it would be an underestimation to neglect mention of Black Hippy, composed of West Coast rappers Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock.

Mac Miller, the number one most dope knuckle head, spent some time catching up with Karen Civil in Los Angeles to discuss his next moves. With the amazing success of his previous mixtape, Macadelic, and his current DEW You campaign with Mountain Dew, the young genius shares some news about his next project, Pink Slime. Check out the video above!

Karen Civil had the chance to catch up with everyone’s favorite Coke Boy, French Montana, in Los Angeles to discuss his debut album, Excuse My French, working with artists The-Weekend and Travis Barker, and being apart of the historic MMG Press Conference. Check out the video above!

Maybach Music Group‘s latest signee, Omarion, recently caught up with Karen Civil in the heart of Los Angeles to discuss his upcoming ventures and what the future holds for him. From his newest label deal, a B2K reunion, and his newest tattoo, ‘Maybach O’ is sure make a great comeback. Check out the video above.

Last week in Los Angeles, CA, Curren$y held a listening session for his upcoming album The Stoned Immaculate at Diamond Supply. Drawing a huge crowd that had the store packed, Karen Civil managed to get the one and only exclusive interview where the Jet Life general discusses the making of the album, unexpected collaborations that his fans can look forward to, his relationship with the Cash Money team and Lil’ Wayne, and more. Debuting on KarmaloopTV, this is the first a new new series to come so check out the interview above and stay tuned for more. Expected The Stoned Immaculate in stores on June 5th.

The man known as Quincy Hanley – better known to the Hip-Hop world as Schoolboy Q – is seeing his name grow exponentially it seems with each song release. And where, on the surface, it may possibly appear it has spawned overnight, the growth and maturity of Q is something that’s been in the works for quite some time. In present day terms, he’s apart of one of the game’s most powerful and respected up and coming crews in Black Hippy/Top Dawg Entertainment. Where fellow members Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar saw solo recognition (and continue to), Q’s time to shine is evolving as he establishes himself as a highly productive member of the team as well as creative and innovative solo artist.

The TDE affiliation rings bells, yet Schoolboy’s connection with Tyga and the G.E.D. movement is where his career saw his roots planted. And prior to that, the material for Q’s music was cultivated on the streets of Los Angeles which involved a role in its infamous gang banging culture, as he noted in  a 2012 Complex interview.. Using music as an escape from the streets and the dead end it affords so many who flirt with its temporary treasures, Schoolboy’s catalog kicked off with 2008′s Schoolboy Turned Hustla – he attended several colleges before ultimately dropping out – followed by Gangsta & Soul some 10 months later. By the time he released Setbacks in January of 2011, the sharpness in his flow and natural adaptation to his style of music was becoming more apparent. Schoolboy sounded focused and more importantly, he was sounding comfortable. Fans were beginning to catch notice to as his brand of music began standing on its own feet as opposed to those around him.

The momentum had reached such a peak that by the time his most recent project dropped, Habits And Contradictions, it received widespread coverage and acclaim from blogs and publications alike. With Q and his entire camp continuing to sharpen their crafts, the possibility of him not even being near his peak is a beautiful possibility, but also a scary realization for the rest of the game. It’s either rapping or back to the streets. And Q’s just too damn good to ever let that happen.

Must Read: Black Hippy: A View From The Center

Living in Los Angeles, one of te staple music capitals of the world, you always hear of in demand and respected artists. A name I’ve heard since making the move out West has been  Nipsey Hussle.

Neighborhood Nip is the latest guest on our “Civilized Talk” series because then news that surrounds him. From shocking more than a few people who believed he was signing with Rick Ross’ MMG only to sign with DJ Skee, to what the word “marathon” actually means to him and several other topics, Nipsey sheds light on everything you wanted to know.

For Kendrick Lamar, the future couldn’t appear brighter. At least until he drops new music that makes you question how he manages to out do himself. It’s safe to say K Dot is one of the games premiere lyricists, regardless of tenure, which is the exactly reason Drake made sure the Compton native was apart of his Club Paradise Tour which is going on now.

Kendrick and I crossed paths once again at the video shoot for Game’s “The City” so it was only right I threw a few questions his direction, all of which he was more than willing to  answer. We first dive into his head scratching omission from MTV’s Hottest MC’s List.

Last Night in Los Angeles,  WE TV held a private dinner with the Braxton Family to preview tonights new episode of “Braxton Family Values” and give media a chance to have one on one time with your favorite sisters. Tamar, Trina, Towanda, Traci and mom “Miss E” were their usual gorgeous selves as they dished on their upcoming Braxtons album (featuring Miss E?), Miss Evelyn’s recent engagement, Tamar and Vince’s spin-off, and Trina and Towanda’s marriage drama. Toni was absent, however WE tv president Kim Martin read a statement from the R&B diva, explaining that she’d checked herself into a hospital due to a lupus flare-up, but that she was ok.

I got a chance to chat with Tamar Braxton about rumors of a rift between her and Toni as well as speak on the health state of her husband Vince.

Trina Braxton, whose  husband Gabe Solis, set the net was on fire a few weeks back, after an “alleged” women he was cheating on his wife with uploaded a very personal skype video of Gabe discussing his marriage and “pleasing” himself.” Trina sets the record start about them being separated and how she deals with the negative black lash from blogs & press.

Make sure you tune into “Braxton Family Values” tonight on We TV at 9pm EST!

T.I. & Tiny hit the Big Apple last night for the premiere screening of their upcoming reality documentary ‘The Family Hustle’ held at the Yotel hotel. Set to air this coming Monday, December 5 at 9 p.m on VH1, the documentary will give us a sneak peak into the life of T.I as he balances his family alongside his career.

“Tameka and I have a strong, loving family,” said T.I. “In this family documentary, you will see the challenges of raising children while balancing a career. It’s like a lot of families, only our home is in the spotlight.”

If there’s one thing Tip knows well, it’s how to hustle.

By now, you know the name and more than likely have heard the music and formed some sort of opinion from doing so. ASAP Rocky is one of the more talked about rappers in the game for a variety of reasons. He’s a mysterious, yet easily accessible artist and one who has never hid his true influences. Last week, the Harlemite became the newest MC to grace our “Civilized Talk” series. The entire conversation was engaging, informative and one that lasted much longer than what’s seen above. That being said, he opened up about a variety of subjects that ranged from:

– The thoughts that run through his head when he hears other dub as “the future of New York rap.”

– The most important lesson has afforded him this year.

– The importance that the entire ASAP crew receives the type of love and recognition he is right now.

Visit the official homepage of the ASAP movement by clicking here and be sure to download his latest tape Live.Love.A$AP.

Last week underground legend Tech N9ne and I sat down to discuss his mainstream notoriety, BET Cypher, Lex Luger Production and much more! Be sure to be on the look out for that and check out his new album Welcome To Strangeland when it drops November 8. Pre-order the LP here.

Come September 20, Young Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 103 will hit stores, culminating a three year journey from his last LP. During that time, talk of Jeezy falling off, several mixtapes, one very important signing and a perceived “beef” with Rick Ross have surrounded his name. The Snowman sat down with me to answer some questions. We spoke about the highly anticipated tracks featuring Drake and Jay-Z and the other with Andre 3000. Both are for the same song, “I Do,” but Jizzle explains the thought process of having two completely different songs instead of grouping all three guests on one track.

He also opens up about the biggest difference between the industry in 2011 as opposed to when The Recession dropped. Lastly, the topic of Freddie Gibbs arose. Jeezy explains why that signing was so vital to CTE and how Freddie’s own prowess in the studio has channeled an added intensity for him.

In the place where it never rains supposedly (Southern California), Karen and Diggy Simmons linked up for what proves to be the latest edition to the Civilized Talk series. Fresh off a B.E.T. Awards Pre-show performance and his single already in rotation, the two spoke about a list of topics including:

– The Nas and Lupe Fiasco comparisons and how it affects him both in and out of the booth

– A grade for his B.E.T. performance

– How much his family has input on the recording of his forthcoming debut album

– Reactions to how the public has received the single “Copy & Paste” and what to expect from the second single

– Will there ever be a Run’s House reunion?

Following Wale’s co-headlined show with J. Cole at the House Of Blues in Los Angeles, I had a chance to speak with the man who recently made news with his signing to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group imprint. He was still very much excited from hitting the stage for what proved to be an electric performance and was very open when talking about a variety of topics including: the entire process of  signing to MMG and when it actually became realistic possibility, the biggest difference fans will be able to see from his MMG debut in comparison to Attention Deficit, the biggest change he has seen in himself since making his new move public and much more.

Fefe Dobson released her new album Joy on November 30. Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with the Canadian songstress for the newest episode of “Civilized Talk.”

Dobson opened up in regards to a wide variety of topics including:

- Insight to the writing/recording process behind Joy

- How she knew it was time to release a new project after going four years since her last

- How she maintains her integrity as an artist and not confirms to trends

-  Where she gets her sense of pride and individuality from

- If she feel as if she opened doors for other Canadian artists (i.e. Justin Beiber, Drake, Melanie Fiona, etc.)

- If we can expect any Hip-Hop collaborations in the future in light of the “Stuttering (Remix)” with Pusha T

- How the transition her move to Los Angeles has been

Here is the full interview of my recent sit down with entrepreneur extraordinaire Terry Kennedy. Last week, TK cleared the air and gave his stance on his falling out with Curren$y and breakup with Angela Simmons. He also shed light on:

- His reaction on how his show Being Terry Kennedy is being received

- A scene which didn’t make the show he wishes did

- The biggest change of companies embracing skater culture over the years

- The harder endeavor: fashion or music

- The chances he gets his own video game a la Shaun White and Tony Hawk

- If his nickname Bam Magera gave him still sticks (“Compton Ass Terry“)

Be sure to catch Terry Kennedy airing Tuesdays on BET at 10 p.m. Also make sure you follow TK on Twitter and Facebook.

I had the chance to kick it with Terry Kennedy while he was out here on the East Coast.  During a promotional run for his album Pilot Talk in July, Curren$y spoke with XXL on a wide variety of issues including his falling out with Kennedy. According to Spitta, the fallout happened due to TK copyrighting the name Fly Society without his knowing. Due to Curren$y’s influence on the Internet being one of the highest of of any rapper, many took his side in he and Kennedy’s disagreement.

That same Internet backlash resulted after his public break up with Angela Simmons. TK spoke with me on how that negative portrayal in both situations affected him and and was able to explain his side of the events.  The conversation concluded with his show and how important it has been to him. With all the stories and rumors floating around, Being Terry Kennedy (which airs Tuesdays at 10) allows him to do just that – showcase the “real” him.

It’s not everyday an understudy stands side-by-side to artist who put him/her on. For whatever reasons, it has never presented itself as a regularity in rap. But it does happen on occasions, see Waka Flocka Flame, for example. While he may or may not be on the level as his Brick Squad cohort Gucci Mane, it’d be hard to say New York native/ATL trapper hasn’t created a lane for himself. Granted, it is a controversial one ranging from the quality of his lyrics to image his music unabatedly speaks on. Yet and still, it’s him. Waka Flocka Flame.

The other day I had the moment to sit down with the man who is preparing to his debut project Flockaveli on October 5.  What you see in the music is what you see in real life. No faking, no fronting, none of that. He’s just a guy who is enjoying his time in the spotlight and trying to make as much money as he can before the attention fades away. Our list of topics included:

* His updated relationship with Gucci Mane

* What it’s like having his mother as his manager as opposed to a “regular” manager

To see the tracklist for Waka’s upcoming album, head over to Rap Radar.

Photos taken & edited by Bully of REBELIPHOTO@GMAIL.COM

Since its start, we’ve had a lot of quality “Civilized Talk” segments from Lil Boosie to Freddie Gibbs to Clipse and Fabolous. My most recent one with Lloyd Banks, however, may be the best installment yet. Shot in HD quality, the self PLK (Punchline King) took time out of his busy schedule to grant us quite the entertaining interview, including some of the thought process behind his new album, The Hunger For More 2.
- The decision to make this The Hunger For More 2

- If he feels he’s at a starting point all over again in his career

- Given the way things played out, if he ever wishes G-Unit would have stayed with their original three members

- The chances he drops another Mo’ Money In The Bank mixtape with Whoo Kid

- His three of his favorite freestyles he’s ever did

- His realistic expectations for this album given today’s industry

- If he’ll be equally as active on Twitter as 50 Cent

- His comments on Young Buck being officially off G-Unit

- The transition gone from on Interscope to

- His advice to his brother (and fellow rapper) Lou V

- If we can expect him to go back to the aggressive “punchline” rapstyle

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Sean Garrett who recently released The Inkwell hosted by DJ Green Lantern. Here’s what we chopped it up about his new lp, the transition from songwriter to artist to his first LP Turbo 919

To the general public, their have always been two sides of Fabolous - the mixtape Fab and the album Fab. While locking down hits with his last album (“Throw It In The Bag,” “Throw It In The Bag (remix)” and “It’s My Time”), it has been Loso’s There Is No Competition mixtape series with DJ Drama which have had people talking the most as of late. The first is considered one of the best releases of his career and the second installment sold Def Jam to make a retail release out of it and sell it in stores.

The Funeral Service EP is set to hit shelves September 6 and will feature a handful of new songs and new production. Yours truly was able to snag the funeral director (again) for a few moments to open up about the project. Fab speaks on:

- Given the state of the industry, if he now prefers EP’s and official mixtapes to promote his music

- The idea to make it an EP

- How big of a part does he think Vado plays in NY’s renaissance

- What song he wishes he could have taken from the tape and added it to the EP and why

- If this EP will alter the way he creates his next album

- Twitter

- Joe Budden fiasco

Flashback: Civilized Talk: Fabolous – “The Buried Edition” | Civilized Talk: Fabolous – “The Buried Edition (pt. II)”

Photography by Kameelah Sudlow / Video by D Eyez Production

Today is a big day for Wale. His highly anticipated More About Nothing mixtape drops in a little less than two hours. More “importantly” than that, we have the latest edition of “Civilized Talk” which features the face of D.C. Hip-Hop. Recorded last week, the near three minute clip shows Mr. Folarin opens up about:

- Why he took a sabbatical from Twitter

- Why he decided to record another mixtape in the same vein as one that is considered his best recording

- His personal favorite from the tape

The tape drops at noon eastern time today, but in case you have not seen the covers and tracklisting, hit the jump.

Shayna D from Sirius Radio has something going here. Her “Diva Lounge” event is something that could potentially go on for years. The purpose of the event is to bring women who are making moves in the business world to connect and network. At their most recent meeting held last week at Honey Lounge in NYC, Jean Grae was honored for her accomplishments in the field of Hip-Hop and a pioneer and trailblazer for female MC’s.

The talented lyricist was gracious enough to be the next installment in our “Civilized Talk” series. Grae spoke her mind on:

• The femcee landscape as a whole
• The Nicki Minaj/Lil Kim fiasco
• Where she sees female MC’s heading in the future.

As a FYI, look for Jean to be performing alongside Talib Kweli this Sunday at Brooklyn Bowl. Her new album Cake Or Death is on the way and be sure to keep up with her on Twitter and her personal blog.

Photos taken by photographer Techie / Video by D’s EyeZ Productions

In case you weren’t paying attention, Surf Club’s own Chase N. Cashe spent a few days in New York last week. He even served as one of the judges on BET’s 106 & Park. On his last day in the Big Apple, I caught up with the platinum selling producer for the latest entry in our Civilized Talk series. Chase, who is never one to bite his tongue, opened up on a lot of subjects including:

• His relationship with the other members of Surf Club
• The advice Questlove gave Hit Boy when they were in the studio recently
• His reaction to Drake’s shout out in “9 A.M. In Dallas”
• How grateful he is that Surf Club were the producers tapped for the first Lil Wayne and Eminem collaboration, “Drop The World”
• His thoughts on Kanye’s “Power”

Be sure to follow Chase on Twitter and check out Surf Club’s official website.

Video taping & edit provided by Dseyezproductions

It may lack the history of the Apollo, but the Highline Ballroom has seen quite a few memorable performances over the past few years. Last night was no exception.

A packed house jammed inside the Highline to see Malice and Pusha T tear down the stage – and they were not disappointed. Prior to the Thornton brothers hitting the stage, Charles Hamilton and XV warmed the audience up. After that, Clipse hit the stage to a thunderous applause. It was the set you’d normally expect from the Virginia lyricists – “Keys Open Doors,” “I’m Good,” “Kinda Like A Big Deal,” “Mr. Me Too” and what is a Clipse show without hearing “Grindin’” at least once. Fellow Re-Up Gang member Ab Liva would eventually join the two on stage.

Approximately midway through their set, the music stopped and to the crowd’s astonishment, “The champ is here!” began blaring through the venue’s speakers. Yonkers’ own, Jadakiss, came out and ran through a brief set which included one of his first hits “Knock Yourself Out.”

Afterwards, The Clipse took some time out to chop it up about a few topics pertinent at the moment. A few days ago Pusha announced that he and Malice would be working on solo album – so he offered more light on that revelation. Also, the two spoke on what life was like in their circle since the conviction of their manager Anthony “Geezy” Gonzales for drug trafficking who is currently serving 32 years in a Virginia prison. Till The Casket Drops is in stores now.

 

A continuation to Civilized Talk:  Fabulous “The Buried Edition”. We sat down at chopped up about what trends he would like to see die, what artist career resurrect  from the dead and what artist he toe tagged lyrically and much more.

Today, I went to a funeral service. A joyous and upbeat one at that. After weeks of push backs, 11th hour recordings and a few back and forth squabbles with DJ Drama on Twitter, their highly anticipated mixtape, There Is No Competition 2, was finally released. So here’s how the story goes…

I met up with Loso at the Ace Hotel in New York for the “funeral gathering.” You could tell he was really embodying the funeral aspect. While speaking with me, Fab was preparing his outfit for the occasion: an all black tailored Fendi suit. We chopped it about his own favorite eulogies (records) from the tape and which fads in Hip-Hop he’d like to see with a toe tag on them. At the same time, he also spoke on whose career he would like to see resurrected. He even goes on to say who he believes he bodied with this new tape.

DL: Fabolous & DJ Drama -” The Funeral Service: There Is No Competition 2″

 

It’s been awhile, but the newest edition of “Civilized Talk” finds us with one of 2010′s most promising acts, Gary, Indiana’s, Freddie Gibbs. By now, his story is known to most who follow his music. From signing to Interscope, to being shelved by Interscope, to being dropped by Interscope, to returning to the dark callings of the streets only to return to music…that’s Freddie’s musical life in a nutshell.

I recently had the chance to speak with Freddie on a pool of subjects including:

First, it was Young Chris. Then, Mike Posner. Now we have Trill Entertainment/Louisiana’s own, Lil’ Boosie. I recently caught up with the understudy of the late Pimp C where we chopped it up about:

*His new album, Superbad
*Working with Young Jeezy
*Who and what we can expect to see on the new album

Afterward, Boosie answered several questions from the audience at his listening session.

The next installment of Civilized Talk centers around Mike Posner. With the help of his band, The Brain Trust, the crew have been creating quite the buzz around their name. Recently, I had to a chance to chop it up with Posner regarding:

• His Don Cannon assisted mixtape, “A Matter of Time“
• What to expect from him now and in the future
• His parents feelings about him pursuing a career in music
• An awkward run-in with Cam’ron

Be sure to hit up Mike and The Brain Trust’s MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Recently, I had a chance to sit down with one half of the Young Gunz, Young Chris. It was a pleasure to sit down with Chris, who has been attacking his own solo career aggressively for quite some time now. He spoke candidly on:

• “The Network” mixtape hosted by Don Cannon
• His affiliation with Roc Nation
• His upcoming album
• His highly popular “30 verses, 30 days” campaign

Look for “Civilized Talk” to become a mainstay on the site. A big shout out to Young Chris for the opportunity.