Get professional, Nas tells promoters after failed St. John's gig
U.S. rapper Nas laid the blame for his no-show at a St. John's-area gig on the Canadian promoters, who left him unpaid hours before the start of a St. John's-area gig.
Nas refused to take the stage Thursday night at an arena in Torbay, just north of St. John's, after promoters informed him they did not have enough money to pay his $47,000 fee.
Fans rebelled when local promoter ODC — which is blaming a Halifax company for failing to come up with its share of Nas's payment — told them Nas would not perform, with the police arresting several rowdy fans.
In a message posted this weekend to the hip-hop site Global Grind, the New York rapper fired back at the promoters who lured him to make the trip.
"Bad business is bad business," Nas wrote. "Now, I don't usually leave my crib unless all the business is handled first. But I love my fans in Canada so I said cool. But of course it wasn't cool."
Nas cooled his heels at the bar at St. John's International Airport after he was informed there wasn't enough money to pay him. He wrote that the promoters also cancelled the hotel rooms for his party.
"So we what we had to do and did was get up out of there. But to all of Canada make sure u know I roll with ya hard!" Nas wrote. "It's all love."
Craig Cantwell of ODC Productions told CBC News that the company paid Nas about half of his fee, and thought that Lux Entertainment of Halifax had paid the rest. Instead, he learned that the money was not available. As well, Cantwell said that Lux even failed to procure return air tickets for the show's opening act, Canadian hip-star Kardinal Offishall.
Nas said he had little time for what happened.
"My advice to wannabe promoters anywhere they are [is to] take business serious," he wrote.
"Learn about being professional. Always. It's very important to be real with people. Don't continue to pull these 1950-style ways of doin' business. It's wack."
Jay-Z and Eminem spin a musical game out of 'DJ Hero'
The upcoming DJ Hero video game just landed two heavy hitters as MCs: Jay-Z and Eminem.
Both rappers are bringing their music to the newest offshoot of Activision's successful $2 billion Guitar Hero franchise. The game, played with a turntable-shaped controller, is due out this fall for PlayStation 3, PS2, Xbox 360 and Wii (no price or rating yet).
A special edition comes with the rappers' new greatest-hits CDs, possibly including previously unreleased tracks, plus an advanced version of the controller, a DJ stand and metal traveling case. Jay-Z and Eminem will serve as consultants to Activision and the game's developer, FreeStyleGames.
The complete list of tracks the rappers are providing is still being worked out. Jay-Z plans on including Izzo (H.O.V.A.) and Dirt Off Your Shoulder for sure. Also possible: tracks from his in-the-works Blueprint 3 album. "I have a ton of content, I just need the pipeline," he says. "I love the freedom of (DJ Hero). I could wake up tomorrow morning with the idea for a song and call the guys at Activision and start working on getting it out."
Eminem is more cryptic about his contributions. "I don't want to give away any surprises yet," he says in an e-mail interview. "DJ Hero will include my music, and I'll be providing additional material as downloadable content by the end of the year."
Players use the features on the game's controller — a rotating record platter, sampling buttons, an effects dial and a cross fader — to match streams of song tracks, create effects and add personal touches to score points.
"You actually get lost doing it," says Jay-Z, who has played the game. It creates "a DJ's universe," he says.
In addition to single-DJ action, two players can compete or play cooperatively. Special mixes will let players use the Guitar Hero controller. The game spans hip-hop, electronica, R&B, soul and pop/rock with songs by 50 Cent, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Blondie, N.E.R.D., Gorillaz and David Bowie. Superstar DJs such as DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip and DJ AM will contribute, too.
"You are going to get over 100 songs from 80 artists and 80 brand-new mixes that have never been heard before, including one with Eminem and Jay-Z (together)," says Guitar Hero president and CEO Dan Rosensweig.
"This is a game I can see myself actually playing," Eminem says. "DJ'ing is fundamental to rap music, so it's a great fit."