As far as Michael Rapaport is concerned, Q-Tip can stick it in his ear. The actor and filmmaker tells us he's given up trying to get the cotton-swab cognomen-ed leader of A Tribe Called Quest on board for the hotly anticipated documentary he's made about the seminal hip-hop group.
Rapaport's film, "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," opens here and in Los Angeles on July 8, but you won't see Q-Tip promoting the picture.
The highly respected rapper, producer and NYC deejay (real name: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) is the only member of Tribe not to endorse the film. Though speculation persists that he'll eventually relent, Rapaport says he's "completely done" trying to reason with the rapper.
"I'm not reaching out to him anymore about this," Rapaport says.
The Grammy-nominated Q-Tip, who a spokesman described as "tense about the documentary," has snubbed the film because of creative differences that arose between him and Rapaport.
Things became so contentious during production that Rapaport says the group threatened him with legal action.
"The movie version Q-Tip thinks should be coming out would be going straight to DVD," Rapaport says.
"Spike Lee would have told A Tribe Called Quest to kiss his f-ing ass and take a f-ing walk," the filmmaker adds. "I appeased them, worked with them, tried to hear their point of view on things."
Not that it made a difference. Although the group's three other members – Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White – have gotten behind the film and appeared together at the L.A. Film Festival, where the picture won the Audience Award for Best Documentary, Q-Tip stayed home.
Rapaport also claims Q-Tip tried to defame him and his producers after the rapper insisted this past winter that certain scenes be removed from the film before it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
The director says he refused to capitulate. "You're not Jay-Z, you're not Kanye West," Rapaport says.
The filmmaker says he now has no relationship with Q-Tip and is bothered by the controversy, but refuses to apologize for anything.
"I intended to make an independently produced documentary about my favorite group, and that's what I did," Rapaport said. "The reason I made the movie was out of a good place. And I was fair."
Q-Tip declined repeated requests for comment.
STORY BY: NY DAILY NEWS / GATECEASHER
Frank DiGiacomo: fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
Carson Griffith: cgriffith@nydailynews.com
Adam Caparell: acaparell@nydailynews.com
New Article: Michael Rapaport Done "Completely Done Appeasing" Q-Tip After Rapper Disses Documentary
New Article: XXL‘s ’90s Slang-tionary
XXL Magazine reminisces on some of the 1990s’ most popular slang. Word up!
Believe it or not, there was a time when calling yourself “Big Willie” or “jiggy” was cool. That time was the 1990s. The ’90s are widely regarded as the golden age of hip-hop. But while reminiscing on the decade during ’90s week, it dawned on us that it may also be the golden age of language. Don’t front, you know you used to spell fat with the “ph.” But for those who forgot, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and collect our favorite sayings of the ’90s. Word up.—Calvin Stovall
B
bangin’ | ba ng-in |
noun [ trans. ]
1: of extraordinary quality
2: attractive or desirable
EXAMPLE
“God damn, backyard’s bangin’ like a Benzie/If I was jiggy, you’d be spotted like Spuds McKenzie”
– Ghostface Killah, “Ice Cream” (1995)
big willie | big ˈwilē |
noun
1: someone with a lot of money and luxury goods, usually acquired through hustling; one with extravagant taste and a penchant for flaunting their wealth.
EXAMPLE
“The crew is lampin’ Big Willie-style/Check the chip-toothed smile, plus I profile wild.”
– Nas, “The World is Yours”
bling | ˈbli NG |
noun
1: jewelry made primarily of platinum or diamonds; characterized by distinct gleam emitted when hit by light
EXAMPLE
“All day my phone ringin’ bling bling bling/Can see my earring from a mile bling bling.”
– B.G., “Bling, Bling”
‘bout it | bout IT |
adj
1: showing dedication; all about a particular topic or action
2: to be thorough in handling one’s business
3: down for any and everything
4: intrepidness; not showing fear
EXAMPLE
“Cause I’m bout it, I mean I’m rowdy/I hang with these killasthat everyone talk about.”
– Master P, “Bout it, Bout it”
C
cheddar | ˈ ch edər |
noun
1: currency; money, usually cash.
EXAMPLE
“See it’s all about the cheddar, nobody do it better/Going back to Cali, strictly for the weather.”
– The Notorious B.I.G., “Going Back to Cali”
chillaxin’ | chill axe N |
verb
1: to chill and relax at the same time.
EXAMPLE
I’m just chillaxin’
coolio | cool IE oh |
adjective
1: remarkably cool or fresh
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The name of 1990’s rapper Coolio of “Gangsta’s Paradise” fame.
cream | krēm |
noun
1: currency, usually signaling substantial, long-term wealth
EXAMPLE
“Cash rules everything around me/CREAM! Get the money, dolla dolla bill y’all.” – Method
– Method Man, “C.R.E.A.M.”
D
da bomb or bomb | da bäm |
noun
1: something of surprisingly exceptional quality
verb
1: to be explosively good; mind-blowing.
EXAMPLE
“The pussy was da bomb, had a nigga on sprung”
– Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
doe or dough | dō |
noun
1: currency; quick means of exchange
EXAMPLE
“Bitches get fucked on the roof when i ain’t got no hotel dough”
– Big L, “7 Minute Freestyle”
drop it like it’s hot | dräp it līk its hät |
verb
1: to drop one’s backside quickly to the rhythm of a song, catching it just before it touches the floor.
EXAMPLE
“After you back it up, then stop/Then wha, wha, what, drop drop it like it’s hot”
– Lil Wayne, “Back that Azz Up”
E
everything is everything | ‘evrē th i NG iz ‘evrē th i NG |
phrase
1: it’s all good; used to affirm or confirm that a situation is chill; all is right in the world.
EXAMPLE
“Everything is everything, what is meant to be will be”
– Lauryn Hill, “Everything is Everything”
G
groovy | ˈgroōvē |
adjective
1: cool; used to confirm that everything is OK; often uttered during the use of hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs.
EXAMPLE
“Groovy dude, not to prove to be rude/But this stuff is like what you might put on movie food.”
– MF DOOM, “Great Day”
H
holla back | ˈhälər bak |
verb
1: to reply in order to continue a correspondence with a friend or new acquaintance.
EXAMPLE
“It’s alright, you heard? It’s alright, holla back”
– Jay-Z “It’s Alright”
ADDITIONAL NOTES
officially died in 2005 after the release of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollback Girl”
hooty hoo | ‘hoō tee hu |
noun
1: call used by hustlers to signal the presence of police.
2: tribal utterance acknowledging a friend.
EXAMPLE
“One for the playas at the crib, dank and dranks/And two is for the sound, Hootie Hoo that I make”
– Big Boi, “Hootie Hoo”
J
jiggy | ‘jig-ee |
adj.
1: fly; dapper; exceptionally well-dressed and put together
EXAMPLE
“Let’s get the dough and stay real jiggy, uh huh/And sip the Cris and And sip the Cris’ and get pissy-pissy/Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!”
– Jay-Z, “Hard Knock Life”
K
keepin’ it real | kēp in it ‘rē(ə)l |
verb
1: the act of staying true to one’s self or upbringing
EXAMPLE
“Keepin’ it real, packin’ steel, getting’ high/’Cause life’s a bitch and then ya die.”
– AZ, “Life’s a Bitch”
L
live | liv |
1: full of energy; exciting; lively
2: real, authentic
EXAMPLE
“From Bedford Stuyvesant, the livest one/Representin’ BK to the fullest”
– The Notrious B.I.G., “Unbelievable”
M
maxin’ | maks‐in |
verb
1: to do a whole lot of nothing; relaxing without a care in the world.
EXAMPLE
“Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool and uh shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school.”
– The Fresh Prince, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song”
mo’ money, mo’ problems | mo ‘mənē mo ‘präbləms |
1: the eternal conundrum of success; the more money you get, the more problems you have.
EXAMPLE
“I don’t know what they want from me/It’s like the more money we come about, the more problems we see.”
– The Notorious B.I.G., “Mo Money, Mo Problems”
N
no diggity | nō dig-i-tee |
adj.
1: without a doubt; definite; used to show supreme confidence in something
EXAMPLE
“I like the players/No diggity, no doubt”
– Blackstreet, “No Diggity”
S
slammin’ | slam-in |
adj.
1: aggressively good; of a definitely superior quality
EXAMPLE
“My rap’s steady slammin’, I keep a heavy cannon/It’s a new sherrif in town, and it ain’t Reggie Hammond.”
– Big L, “Put it On”
sneaks | ‘snəks |
noun
1: from the root word sneakers
2: tennis shoes; kicks; gym shoes
EXAMPLE
“Freaks be movin’ in fly sneaks/two finger rings and gold teeth, and ain’t afraid to hold heat”
– Raekwon “Ice Cream”
P
phat | fat |
adj.
1: used to describe something of considerable thickness or girth, usually a part of the female anatomy;
2: describing something particularly fulfilling; robust; can refer to one’s wealth.
3: acronym for pretty hot and tempting.
Note: Not to be confused with “fat.”
EXAMPLE
“Long as my motherfuckin’ pockets was phat/I didn’t give a fuck where the bitch was at.”
– Dr. Dre, “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
W
word up | wərd əp |
adj.
1: Interjectional statement of the affirmative; shows that the user enthusiastically agrees with what was just said.
EXAMPLE
“Thug changes, and love changes/and best friends become strangers, word up”
– Nas “The Message”
Y
ya played yaself | yə plā ed ya self |
verb
1: To overstep one’s bounds, unintentionally embarrassing one’s self; to misjudge or underestimate an opponent based on delusions of grandeur.
EXAMPLE
“So put a quarter in your ass, ’cause ya played yaself”
– yaself” – Big Daddy Kane, “The Symphony”
New Video: Be You Artist Series Video
BE YOU Artist Series from Aldo Chang on Vimeo.
New Kicks: Nike Air Jordan 2011 / Q Flight
Once known as the Air Jordan 2011 Quick Flight, now there's a new name, release date, and five colorways of the speedy hoops shoe. Pronounced Air Jordan 2011 Q Flight, this silo sports a Fuse upper, patent leather toe box, and big branding. Zoom Air and Phylon combine for light, responsive cushioning for the quick player. Look for these five makeups to drop July 7th for $120.00.
New Event: Blank Label x Rotting Television Present "Be You" Artist Series
MISSION:
The BE YOU Artist Series is a grassroots campaign to creatively market talented emerging artists in the fields of art, music, fashion, film, and technology. BE YOU wants to educate and inspire our youth to strive for their dreams, especially in this “Do it Yourself” Generation.
DETAILS:
8pm-2am I 8pm-10pm Open Bar I $10 Admission
A portion of our proceeds will be donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization
RSVP: RSVP@RottingTV.com by June 21st.
SPONSORS:
Big Vision Empty Wallet
Bulldog Bikes
Urban Ink Magazine
UStream
Polished Penny
Munitio Headphones
Big Brothers BIg Sisters
BLANK LABEL
Blank Label was created based on a philosophy that branding is everything. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or an aspiring musician, a strong identity will take your talent to the next level. Andrew de Leon, a former Wall Street analyst turned entrepreneur founded Blank Label after consulting many of his friends who were artists for fun. In the fall of 2009, Blank Label, a multi-disciplinary agency with a focus in branding and management was born. Blank Label specializes in Web, Identity, Print, and Illustration. In addition, it’s also a management house for emerging artists with a focus in artist development, marketing and booking.
The essence of Blank Label is to create an identity for emerging brands, one that reflects their singularity, not a data point on a demographic. Blank Label markets their clients strategically, without shame and with no fear of loss. Unlike typical agencies, Blank Label has no restrictions and judgments. There will be no taboo, no cliché genre, no distinct style, and no fabrication of writing.
Blank Label offers a challenge for its clients: DO YOU. Living is more than just survival. If you have a passion to create, Blank Label wants you. If you’re a dreamer with paint beneath your dirty fingernails, Blank Label wants you. Nobody can DO YOU as well as you can.
Ultimately it’s all about our clients.
As our saying goes: “Your vision. We fill in the Blanks.”
(BLANKLABELNYC)I follow @blanklabelny
ROTTING TELEVISION
With a name intended for a T-Shirt Line, Rotting Television was created to push the envelope and embrace what is usually not seen on television. Being a “Trend-Setter since a Bed-Wetter,” Manny Toro boasts this same mantra for Rotting Television. Upon moving to New York City with 40 bucks in his pocket he found he did not have the budget to do much to enjoy “New York City” as portrayed on TV. Over the next few months, he realized there was an underlying code and culture in New York City. He began to attend many “free” entertainment industry parties, network with artists, attend exhibits, concerts and places even some New Yorkers didn’t know about.
With this new adventure at hand, he began a blog and named it after his favorite non-existent T-Shirt line. Once the first draft was up and running, blogging came easy. Within a year of realizing that people actually read his blog, Manny decided to take the site seriously. Enlisting Jessica Voltaire and Aimi Latore as part of the team, they created Rotting Television (RTV); the lifestyle website.
With the official launch in August of 2009, the team finally created a voice of the independent artist, in all respects with a hint of guilty pleasures. Focusing on all forms of entertainment, style, girls, art, design, and technology, Rotting Television sets trends that penetrate the masses months later. Quality content delivered quickly and quirky is what RTV does.
We hope you enjoy our site and welcome any questions or concerns you may possess. And remember, “Don’t Watch TV… Watch RTV!!!”
(ROTTINGTELEVISION.COM) I follow @rottingtv
New Gear: Silverstone Tourbillograph Full Black
Inspired by the legendary English raceway, Graham’s blacked out Tourbillograph mixes dark, shadowy looks with the complexity of an automatic tourbillon movement. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
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