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Jay-Z To Partner With Billionaire Boys Club, Not A ‘Takeover’ » RapFix

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:45:18 +0000

Is Jay-Z attempting to be the boss of all bosses or what? Just days before he and Kanye West will attempt to shock the world with their joint album Watch The Throne, the Brooklyn bomber made headlines earlier today (August 3) after reports that the Roc Nation mogul has purchased an old friend’s clothing label – and what a fitting purchase it would have been for Jay-Z. GQ reported earlier today that Jay-Z’s Rocawear fashion brand is now in ownership of licensing Neptunes producer Pharrell Williams’ Billionaire Boys Club clothing brand and will now oversee the manufacturing and distribution of the high end street wear product. GQ further reported that sources say that this isn’t a total coup for Jay as he’ll work in partnership with Pharrell to continue building the BBC brand. Jay-Z quickly cleared up the facts and calls the pairing between he and Pharrell a "partnering" and not a purchase via his Twitter account.Jay-Z and Pharrell, frequent collaborators in the past musically, and their new venture is interesting as a lot of artist-led clothing labels have not flourished as well as Rocawear and Diddy’s Sean John. It also marks a new era for street wear brands as those labels come and go with the rapidly changing tastes of the consumers. With Jay-Z’s strong business savvy and Pharrell’s next level sense of style, this new link should insure that Billionaire Boys Club will survive in the rough seas of street wear fashion.Perhaps Jay-Z’s “Change Clothes” track he rocked with Pharrell and the Neptunes back in 2003 was a bit of foreshadowing from Hova.What do you think of Jay-Z purchasing the rights to Billionaire Boys Club? Do you think it will be successful? Tweet to us at @MTVRapFix or leave us a comment below.

Diego Loyzaga admits having a dad like Cesar Montano is a tough act to follow

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:30:42 +0000

"Lagpas pressure po. Anong word ang lagpas pressure? Yun yung feeling ko po," says Diego Loyzaga about having an award-winning dad like Cesar Montano Noel Orsal Diego Loyzaga admits having a dad like Cesar Montano is a tough act to follow Rommel Placente Thursday, August 25, 2011 02:19 PM Bago pinasok ng baguhang young actor na si Diego Loyzaga ang showbiz ay binigyan daw muna siya ng advice para sa kanyang career ng inang si Teresa Loyzaga, dating aktres at singer. Sobrang dami nga raw ng advice nito sa kanya. "Isang book ito. Isang makapal na book na parang novel ito!"natatawang sabi ni Diego nang makausap siya ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at iba pang press sa presscon ng Growing Up, ang bagong teen-oriented show ng ABS-CBN. Anong hindi niya malilimutan na advice ng kanyang mommy? "A, yung be careful lang po. Paano ko ba sasabihin ito? Basta ang sabi niya po, mag-ingat ako. "Kasi, kung ako raw po ay hindi umiinom [ng alak], tapos may kasama akong mga barkda na umiinom, kung may makakakita raw, iisipin na umiinom din ako. Ganyan, ganyan. "Lahat ng pinagdaanan ni Mommy nung nasa showbiz pa siya, lahat 'yan sinabi niya sa akin. "At sinabi niya, 'Huwag mong gawin ito. 'Ako natuto na ako rito. Ngayon, ikaw, it's your turn naman,'" sabi pa raw ng kanyang mommy. "Pero, of course naman, as ano, hindi naman ako hard-headed as a child. "Pero, of course naman as a teenager, I say to her, 'Mom naman... I mean, we all go through this, di ba? So, dapat ako rin maranasan ko in my own way.' "'Alam ko na sinasabi mo sa akin. Pero naman, kahit ilang beses mong ulit-ulitin sa akin, hindi pa rin ano... maiiwasan. Pagdadaanan ko pa rin. So, parang ano [tanggapin na natin].' "Pero salamat na lang at binibigyan niya ako ng advice. At araw-araw itong advice na ito. "Siguradong pag-check ko ng phone ko mamaya, 'Ano, kamusta na? Ano, sumagot ka ba ng tama?' Ganyan, ganyan. "Ganyan po talaga yung mommy ko po. She's always checking on me. So every day, laging may advice. "Hindi ko na maisip kung anong mero'n sa book na yun na puwede kong sabihin dito. "Lahat na po, buong buhay ko may advice siya po." BIG EXPECTATION. Ang daddy ni Diego na si Cesar Montano ay isang award-winning actor. Hindi na nga mabilang ang acting trophies na natanggap nito. Dahil anak siya ni Cesar, hindi maiiwasang i-compare siya rito. May pressure ba kapag ikinukumpara siya sa kanyang ama? "Lagpas pressure po. Anong word ang lagpas pressure? Yun yung feeling ko po!" natatawang sagot ni Diego "Kapag tinatanong po ako, 'Ano ba ang mga talents mo? Yung mommy mo marunong kumanta. Marunong ka bang kumanta?' Join us on Facebook Get showbiz news anytime, anywhere on your mobile! Just key in PEP ON and send to 4627. Available to all Sun, Globe, and Smart subscribers.

AAR’s

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:30:41 +0000

The Association of American Railroads says it is suing the federal government for giving Amtrak the “authority to promulgate binding rules governing the conduct of its contractual partners, the freight railroads.” Such authority, bestowed to Amtrak by Congress, gives the national railroad passenger carrier an unfair political hammer, hampering host freight railroads due to its “historically poor record of on-time performance and (a) chronic inability to generate revenue sufficient to cover its operating costs,” AAR says. AAR is challenging the constitutionality of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), which gives Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration the power to “jointly ... develop new or improve existing metrics and minimum standards for measuring the performance and service quality of intercity passenger train operations.”Pro-Amtrak advocates note PRIAA, signed into law by President George W. Bush, intended to address Amtrak’s on-time performance issues which (the advocates charge) were exacerbated by freight railroad hosts giving Amtrak short shrift as a tenant and failing to comply with the spirit—and sometimes the letter—of earlier law. AAR says the metrics and standards section of PRIAA establishes performance standards for Amtrak, but relies heavily on “Conductor Delay Reports” as evidence for determining whether the railroads are at fault for Amtrak's missing its marks.  If an Amtrak train falls below 80 percent of the on-time standard for two consecutive calendar quarters, the Surface Transportation Board can investigate Amtrak or the host freight railroad. The Board may order the host rail carrier to pay damages to Amtrak.  Amtrak owns most of the Northeast Corridor, as well as NEC offshoots such as the Keystone Corridor in Pennsylvania and its New Haven-to-Springfield route in Connecticut and Massachusetts, along with other short stretches of right-of-way in New York State and in Michigan. But the vast majority of its route structure operates over freight railroad rights-of-way, with Class I railroads hosting most of the network.AAR, representing the freight roads, say PRIIA is “unconstitutional because it improperly delegates lawmaking and rulemaking authority to a private company.”AAR’s suit names the Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo. AAR is represented by Thomas Dupree Jr. with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and by its house counsel Louis Warchot. Amtrak, an AAR member itself, appears not to have been named as a defendant.

Time flies: As traffic rises, a parking plaza remains unusable – The Express Tribune

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:15:14 +0000

A file photo of the incomplete parking plaza. PHOTO: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE All the roads leading to Raja Bazaar, which remain overcrowded on routine days, are choked daily, as the number of shoppers in city markets continues to increase.On the other hand, the RDA has still not opened the six-storey parking plaza near Fawara Chowk, which would help ease traffic congestion on the narrow roads in the old markets of the city.The RDA had announced that Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif would inaugurate the Rs180 million parking plaza on August 14.“There are different wagon stops in Raja Bazaar. Public transport and private cars parked on both sides of these busy roads have been main cause of long queues of traffic on Liaqat, Jinnah, and City Saddar roads,” said a traffic warden on Sunday, as he futilely tried to bring order to the traffic flow at Fawara Chowk.The traffic official said that if the parking plaza was made functional, the pressure on the main roads would be greatly reduced.It was in May last year that the RDA started work on the parking plaza, which will be able to accommodate over 600 vehicles upon completion; it was due to be opened in July this year.Later, the RDA said the Punjab chief minister would inaugurate it on August 14, but this plan was also scrapped as the competent authority was unable to complete work on the parking facility.Parking Plaza Project Director Muhammad Akram Soban said that only the final touches on the facility remained and the majority of construction work had already been completed.Soban noted that the RDA had paid Rs120 million to the contractor for the construction of plaza on 4.5 kanals, while the remaining sum has yet to be paid.The project director said the exact time frame for the completion of the project was 15 months and its final deadline was October 31; he added that they would be able to open the facility before the deadline.The official said that delays in passing the annual RDA budget for this fiscal year meant that the contractor had to wait for money to pay for project components, which is what caused the delay.Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2011.

Rescuers rush toward Irene to lend a hand

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:45:14 +0000

As Hurricane Irene cut a slow and deadly path on Saturday, Pennsylvania rescuers raced toward the devastation, waiting only to learn which communities would most need their help. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the eastern and central parts of the state. Forecasters predicted up to 12 inches of rain in Philadelphia. In Harrisburg, Gov. Tom Corbett declared a statewide disaster emergency, which authorizes local governments and state agencies to use resources and personnel as necessary. The governor placed 1,500 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard on alert. Irene has left at least eight people dead, including two children. The storm knocked out power to more than 1 million customers and sparked fears of major flooding in areas including Philadelphia saturated from record-setting August rains. "Crazy. Intense," said Doug Wydra, a Johnstown native and 2002 Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate who watched the hurricane pass over his house in Virginia Beach. "It's really, really windy and blowing a lot of debris around." Six members of the Fayette County Water Rescue and Hazardous Materials Response Team 900 headed east yesterday morning, public information officer Susan Griffith said. "They're just outside Philadelphia, waiting in the rain," Griffith said last night. "They're checking equipment, watching weather reports, monitoring the news. They're making themselves aware of areas they may be going into." The volunteers spent the night at the Montgomery County Fire Academy. American Red Cross Southwestern PA chapter volunteers Tom and Cheryl Fleet hauled 1,920 self-heating meals for victims from Downtown to a staging area in Reading, Berks County. "Once the dust settles and we can see where need is, they'll be deployed," said Red Cross spokesman Brian Knavish. "But we don't know where the full scope of the disaster will be yet." "We've been trained to do what is needed," added Tom Fleet, of West Salem, Mercer County. Members of Region 13 Task Force, a group of emergency personnel from Western Pennsylvania, staged in Harrisburg; firefighters from New Brighton and Beaver Falls in Beaver County went to the Philadelphia area to help with swift-water rescues. Deployment is a delicate balancing act, said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Ruth Miller. Officials must anticipate which spots most need help from rescuers, and assure that enough crews stay behind to cover Western Pennsylvania in the event of an unrelated emergency, she said. "Residents should not be concerned that help will not be there because (emergency personnel) are in other parts of the state," Miller said. Rescue efforts in hurricane-stricken areas could take days or weeks, officials said. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission lowered the speed limit to 45 mph on eastern stretches of the highway due to poor road conditions. The 45 mph speed limit is in place for the east-west mainline from the Valley Forge Interchange east to the Delaware River Bridge Toll Plaza and on the Northeastern Extension from the Mid-County Interchange north to the Lansdale Interchange. The turnpike closed the Virginia Drive E-ZPass-Only Interchange because of flooding. Motorists can get information by calling 1-866-976-8747. Irene made landfall at 7:30 a.m. yesterday near Cape Lookout, N.C. When the eye passed the state's Outer Banks, it brought 85 mph winds, thick sheets of charcoal-colored rain, and a 4- to 9-foot coastal storm surge topped by battering waves. Throughout the day, the hurricane shot bands of rain 300 miles from its center, with some downpours reaching west of Altoona. Most of Western Pennsylvania escaped damaging winds and heavy rain. The deaths included an 11-year-old boy in Virginia who was killed when a tree crashed through his roof and a North Carolina child who died in a crash at an intersection where traffic lights were out. About 9,000 flights were canceled, including 3,000 yesterday, airline officials said. More than a dozen flights to or from Pittsburgh International Airport were canceled. Shipping businesses, including FedEx and UPS, said the storms were affecting deliveries along the East Coast. Greyhound suspended bus service between Richmond, Va., and Boston. Amtrak canceled trains in the Northeast for today. McKeesport native Lauren Ward decided not to evacuate her first-floor South Philadelphia apartment. "We're not as close to the river, so we hope we don't get any flooding," said Ward, 30, who weathered the storm with her fiance. "But it's a big unknown. I've never been through a hurricane." Evacuations were ordered in low-lying areas of the Philadelphia suburbs of Darby and Chester, and city residents in flood-prone areas were urged to leave. Even before Irene's anticipated deluge, Philadelphia had seen its rainiest month ever with 13.61 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The old record of 13.07 inches was set in September 1999, mostly owing to Hurricane Floyd. Some residents rushed back to Philadelphia before the storm. Andrew Martel and Cheryl Soltis ditched their honeymoon in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., and fled to Charlottesville, Va., where they spent Friday night among other evacuees listening to barking dogs in a pet-friendly hotel instead of the crashing surf of the Outer Banks. "It's been a really odd week," said Soltis, 30, originally from White Oak. "Who goes on a honeymoon and has an earthquake and hurricane in the same week?" Despite the hurricane's strength, Irene failed to impress everyone. Darrell Speirs, a native of Hopewell, Beaver County, who now lives in Philadelphia, said Facebook has been flooded with Hurricane Irene Party announcements. "I have the blinds on my front windows open, so we can watch the world blow away," Speirs said. Copyright 2011 Tribune Review Publishing CompanyAll Rights ReservedWire News provided by

NRC inspectors head to nuclear power plants in path of Irene

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:45:14 +0000

All of the plants are required to shut down their reactors ahead of predicted hurricane-force winds, the NRC said. STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe inspectors are sent to ensure the safety of the facilitiesThe plants have flood protection and watertight buildings for key componentsSome of the plants were also affected by Tuesday's earthquake (CNN) -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched additional inspectors to nuclear power plants along the East Coast to ensure the safety of those facilities in advance of Hurricane Irene, the agency said Friday. The inspectors were sent to plants "likely to be in the storm's path," including Brunswick near Southport, North Carolina; Surry in Surry, Virginia; Calvert Cliffs in Lusby, Maryland; Hope Creek/Salem in Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey; Oyster Creek in Forked River, New Jersey; Pilgrim in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Millstone in Waterford, Connecticut; Seabrook in Seabrook, New Hampshire; and Indian Point in Buchanan, New York, the NRC said in a press release. While currently operating at full power, all of the plants' procedures require that their reactors be shut down ahead of predicted hurricane-force winds, the agency said. Generators will provide backup power in the event of an outage. "All plants have flood protection above the predicted storm surge, and key components and systems also are housed in watertight buildings capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and flooding," the agency said. The approaching Hurricane Irene comes just days after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the East Coast and caused several power plants to issue an "unusual event" declaration, the lowest level of emergency notice. Some of those same plants are in the path of the storm, including Surry, Calvert Cliffs, Oyster Creek, Hope Creek and Salem. "NRC inspectors have verified that the plants have made the necessary preparations for Hurricane Irene," the NRC said.

Jay-Z and Kanye West To Perform at VMAs: Report

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:30:34 +0000

For those looking for another marquee performance to join Lady Gaga, Adele, Lil Wayne and more at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards tonight (Aug. 28), look no further than The Throne. Jay-Z and Kanye West, the co-creators of the nation's No. 1 album, "Watch The Throne," are reportedly joining the lineup of performers at the VMAs. According to E! Online, most of the MTV production team does not know exactly when the "surprise" performance by the hip-hop superstars will take place. One possibility is that Jay-Z and West join Jay's wife, Beyonce, onstage for her previously announced VMAs performance and run through "Lift Off," the uptempo "Watch The Throne" highlight that features Beyonce on the chorus. The VMAs' 10 Craziest Moments Jay-Z and Kanye West are each coming off memorable VMAs performances: at last year's ceremony, West, Pusha T and a gaggle of ballerinas triumphantly debuted the rapper's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" centerpiece, "Runaway." Meanwhile, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys brought the house down at New York's Radio City Music Hall at the 2009 VMAs with a performance of "Empire State of Mind," off the rapper's most recent album, "The Blueprint 3." Other confirmed performers for the 2011 VMAs include Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, Young the Giant and Pitbull, and tributes to Britney Spears and the late Amy Winehouse have also been announced. If Jay-Z and West do indeed take the stage at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles tonight, the performance will come exactly two months before the duo kicks off their joint tour behind "Watch The Throne" in Atlanta on Oct. 28. "Throne" Track-By-Track Review | History of a Bromance

Amber Rose Says She & Wiz Khalifa Will 'Get Married & Have Babies'

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:15:18 +0000

The relationship between rap star Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose seems to be getting a lot more serious than people first expected.The Pittsburgh rapper is just 23 -- he turns 24 in September -- but Amber is coming up on her 28th, and she's ready ... to be a mom, that is.In a recent interview with GlobalGrind.com, Rose dished on her devotion to Wiz ... and it runs deep. Marriage, she says definitely!"We're definitely going to get married and have babies," Amber said. "Not right now, because we're still busy and we still want to enjoy each other first. We want to go on vacation, travel and just enjoy each other company, but he's definitely the one."We're definitely going to lay it down and get it done."So, for the time being, it's official, the couple are in it for the long haul. However, when they plan to make it official is unknown.Below are a couple more quotes from the interview:Amber Rose On The Rumors and Lies: "Worst thing I read about myself, are the countless rumors that are just made up off the top of someone's head. They don't care about my life or my livelihood. They were just like 'Oh there’s nothing going on in the world, let's make up something about Amber, post it and everyone in the world believed it.'"Amber Rose On All The Attention: "I do not like attention at all. I don’t like to be out there. It seems like that because the paparazzi follows me and I’ll get photographed, but I’m always kind of like really low key and they just catch me. I always try to go another way so I’m not bothered or out there. I’m really shy."

Drake Responds To Lil Wayne’s Jay-Z Dis

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:45:10 +0000

LOS ANGELES -- If there is a Lil Wayne/Jay-Z beef brewing, Drake isn't indulging.Although he is featured on Weezy's "It's Good" -- the leaked Carter IV track that finds Lil Tunechi throwing a subliminal shot in Hov's direction -- Drizzy downplayed any involvement."I just got a beat and did a verse over it," Drake told MTV News from the red carpet for the BMI Urban Awards in L.A. on Friday before he accepted the award for Songwriter of the Year. "Whatever any other individual has to say, you have to ask the man himself. I just did what I know how to do. I just got on a record. I heard the beat, did a verse and heard the final product."On the song, VMA nominee Wayne raps, "Talkin' 'bout Baby money? I got your Baby money/ Kidnap yo' bitch, get that how-much-you-love-your-lady money." To the casual listener, the line doesn't sound like much, but fanatics can connect the lyric directly to Jay-Z's jab on the Throne's "H.A.M."It all started in 2009 when Cash Money CEO Bryan "Baby" Williams objected to Jay-Z topping MTV News' Hottest MCs list for that year. "I don't think he the number one MC, in no kinda way," Baby said, casting the first stone. "Wayne is the best, he do the most and he make the most money. I don't think no n---a in the business make more money than us."It took a few years, but Hov returned fire at the top of this year when he and Kanye leaked their first Watch the Throne track, claiming not only that Birdman and Wayne weren't seeing Jay-Z-caliber bucks, but that financially, they couldn't even compare to his wife, Beyoncé. "I'm like, 'Really, half-a-billi?' N---a, really, you got Baby money/ Keep it real with n---as, n---as ain't got my lady money," Jay lyrically retorted.Wayne hinted at retaliation when he sat down with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway in March. "Me and my wit, given my wit, I would probably play off of it," Wayne explained. "But I wouldn't make it a competition, because actually, the subject that he's talking about in that line, I can't box with the God. I'd be the first one to tell you that, given my wit, and the type of person that I am, I'd capitalize and I'd play off of it. Yeah, I definitely would."And he definitely did. But when it comes to Weezy's response, in which he playfully threatened to kidnap Hov's lady and hold her for ransom, Drake didn't feel comfortable speaking for his YM mentor."At the end of the day, rap is an individual art," he said. "You express yourself and whatever you wanna say, you say it, so I guess that's a question for Wayne more than me."In an August 25 interview with Vibe magazine, Wayne cryptically responded to a question about potential fallout form his track. "I know there won't be any repercussions behind what I did," Weezy boldly said. "I know for a fact music is about perception. You can't do anything but perceive what you hear. I know that for a fact. So I can't ever be upset about someone's reaction."No word on whether Wayne will perform "It's Good" when he touches the VMA main stage on Sunday, but whatever happens, the YMCMB camp is promising a rock-star performance.What do you think of Lil Wayne and Jay-Z's lyrical beef? Will Hov respond? Tell us in the comments.The 28th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live Sunday, August 28, from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following the Selena Gomez-hosted pre-show at 8. See the list of nominees, revisit last year's highlights and vote for Best New Artist by visiting VMA.MTV.com.

Amber Rose Talks Future With Wiz Khalifa, “We’re Definitely Gonna Get Married And Have Babies”

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:30:30 +0000

amber rose » by Danielle Canada August 17, 2011, 14:38pm Amber Rose Wants To Marry Wiz KhalifaAmber Rose is speaking on her ongoing relationship with Wiz Khalifa and announcing plans to get married and have babies...eventually.As previously reported, Rose and the Taylor Gang head have been almost inseparable since declaring their love for one another early this year.Now Rose is speaking out on her relationship again, this time to Global Grind.The socialite tells GG that she's ready to take the next step with Khalifa and get married and have a baby.According to Rose when the time's right, they'll "lay it down and get it done.""I want to be a mom really bad. I really want babies. I'll be 28 in October and my maternal instinct is ready[...] We're definitely going to get married and have babies. Not right now because we're still busy and we still want to enjoy each other first. We want to go on vacation, travel and just enjoy each other company, but he's definitely the one. We're definitely going to lay it down and get it done."She also spoke out on the countless rumors she's heard about herself saying,"Worst thing I read about myself, are the countless rumors that are just made up off the top of someone's head. They don't care about my life or my livelihood. They were just like 'Oh there's nothing going on in the world, let's make up something about Amber, post it and everyone in the world believed it."