Hip-hoppers will glitter at KeyArena festival
Expect plenty of gold chains jinglin' and diamonds bling blingin' at MTV's DFX "Jingle Ballers Jam" Tuesday at KeyArena.
The event features a platinum posse including hip-hop stars such as the Cash Money Millionaires, Lil' Kim, and Nelly.
Here's a little sample of these artists' flavor:
Cash Money Millionaires
They're straight outta the bayou, and their specialty is flaunting cash, spending money and living the life of young millionaires.
Fancy cars, shimmering diamonds, rump-shaking women, and of course, champagne and marijuana, are all part of the Cash Money realm.
In two years, Cash Money Records has lived up to its name by putting out several successful albums by Juvenile, B.G., Big Tymers, Lil' Wayne, and the Hot Boys--all of whom are expected to perform at Tuesday's concert.
Among their hit singles are the Big Tymers' "Get Your Roll On," Juvenile's "Back That (Thang) Up," Lil Wayne's "The Block is Hot," B.G.'s "Bling Bling" and the latest single, "Project Chick," which was a collaborative effort.
Lil' Kim
Meet the goddess of matriarchy.
Oh sure, the name sounds innocent, but one look at her album cover, and all innocence is lost. Aside from all the "ice" on her wrist, her wardrobe consists of a pair of blue jeans and a tattoo across her torso.
"How Many Licks," the second single off her sophomore album, features the robust vocals of Sisqo, the brain--or should we say the brawn--behind last summer's hit, "Thong Song."
This Brooklyn native is one of the most prominent female rappers in today's hip-hop industry.
Lil' Kim's platinum status is accompanied by the success of her own record label, appropriately titled Queen Bee Entertainment, which produced her platinum album, titled "The Notorious K.I.M.," and fellow Jingle Baller Lil' Cease's album, "The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo."
Nelly
Nelly has hip-hop fans all over the nation speaking in "Country Grammar." His debut album has already gone platinum five times, and enjoyed the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top R&B/hip-hop chart for seven weeks, before settling to its current position at 16.
Many of his songs reflect the rigorous environment in which he grew up. Gang violence, drugs and poor living conditions were all struggles he and his family faced. To get away from the dangerous streets, he took up baseball, where he also found success and almost turned pro.
But his passion for hip-hop overcame his athletic aspirations.
In addition to the success of the album, Nelly was selected best new artist of 2000 by Vibe Magazine and was also nominated for Billboard's best new artist award.
Also performing at the Jingle Baller Jam are Junior Mafia, R&B romantics Joe and Profyle, Trick Daddy, Kandi--the latest soloist to come out of R&B quartet Xscape--and Trina, a blossoming replica of Lil' Kim.
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