Mar 15

Delicious Vinyl Co-Founder Matt Dike’s Cause Of Death Disclosed

Although Delicious Vinyl released news of co-founder Matt Dike’s death publicly on Tuesday (March 13), Dike is confirmed to have passed away in January. According to The Los Angeles Times, he died from complications related to salivary gland cancer.

Dike’s brother, Lane, confirmed he succumbed to the illness mid-January at the age of 56, although Delicious Vinyl’s obituary suggested he was 55.

In addition to co-founding the iconic Hip Hop imprint, Dike was a key player in the Beastie Boys’ 1989 classic, Paul’s Boutique. He also reportedly co-produced Romeo and Master Rhyme’s “Crackerjack,” the first N.W.A diss track, and backed up Ice-T as a club DJ at the beginning of Ice’s career.

Dike left sole ownership of the Los Angeles-based label to his partner Mike Ross in 1992 but not before he created his own undeniable legacy.

Read more about Dike’s contributions below.

(The original version of this article was published on March 13, 2018 and can be found below.)

Matt Dike, producer and co-founder of the iconic Los Angeles Hip Hop label Delicious Vinyl, passed away on Tuesday (March 13). According to a press release on the label’s website, Dike died at his home after a brief illness. He was 55.

Dike established Delicious Vinyl in 1987 with fellow co-founder Mike Ross. He produced timeless hits for everyone from the Beastie Boys to Tone-Loc. The latter’s single, “Wild Thing,” went on to sell over two million copies. Tone-Loc’s platinum follow-up “Funky Cold Medina” and Young MC’s hit “Bust A Move” solidified the imprint’s legacy.

Most notably, Dike lent his sampling skills to Beastie Boys’ sophomore album, Paul’s Boutique, which was produced in his apartment with production assistance from The Dust Brothers. The album is lauded for being almost completely sample-based with the exception of Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D’s voices. Although it was initially considered a flop by Capitol Records’ standards, it has since gone double platinum and is considered one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time.

Although Dike left Delicious Vinyl in 1992, giving sole ownership to Ross, he left an indelible mark on Hip Hop forever. The logo itself has become iconic and the music Dike left behind marks a permanent chapter in the Hip Hop history books.

Dike is survived by his brother, sister and nephew.

Tributes have started to come in on social media, including one from Questlove who regretted never being able to meet him.

“imo his crowning achievement was as one of the producers for one of THE greatest timeless hip hop albums ever #PaulsBoutique,” The Roots drummer wrote on Instagram. “It simply gets better with time (will be 30 years old in 2 years) it took 10 years to go double platinum and was considered a flop at the time of its release. But EVERY creative agrees that this album was not only @beastieboysofficial finest hour —but one of hip hop’s finest hours as well.”

Dog. This is crazy. So upset I never got to meet up/chat w #MattDike. Proprietor of @deliciousvinyl records. Creator of some of the most timeless fratty party hip hop ever (“Wild Thing” “Funky Cold Medina””Bust A Move”). Signing some stellar artists that were out of the norm at the time: #BrandNewHeavies #MellowManAce #ThePharcyde) but man, imo his crowning achievement was as one of the producers for one of THE greatest timeless hip hop albums ever #PaulsBoutique. It simply gets better with time (will be 30 years old in 2 years) it took 10 years to go double platinum and was considered a flop at the time of its release. But EVERY creative agrees that this album was not only @beastieboysofficial finest hour —but one of hip hop’s finest hours as well. It was my dream to nerd out and ask him ( the dust brothers too) about how they defied the laws of sampling gravity made some of the most groundbreaking work ever. Rest In Beats.

A post shared by Questlove Gomez (@questlove) on Mar 13, 2018 at 3:36pm PDT

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46211/title.delicious-vinyl-co-founder-matt-dike-has-died

Mar 14

Countdown To HipHopDX At SXSW: Larry June

Larry June comes from a family of musicians, but he specifically credits his cousin — a rapper who was signed by the legendary Too Short — as his reason for pursuing music as a career. June released his first mixtape at the age of 16 without any formal training then spent years building his name in the Bay Area scene. After touring with artists such as Post Malone and Asher Roth, June was able to land a deal with Warner Bros. Records. With this platform, June’s presence has only grown.

HipHopDX spoke to June, who recently dropped his You’re Doing Good EP, ahead of his performance at SXSW to learn more about him.

Have you performed at SXSW before? If so, what makes this year different than previous ones?

Yes. I just put out my best project and travel is being paid for me … off the Bitcoin.

What are you most excited about performing at the festival?

I’m excited to interact with my core fans, new fans and making new ones. We must stay healthy.

Do you plan on watching other performances? Which ones are you most likely to see?

I definitely plan on watching other performances. I just gotta look at the schedule and see who is performing.

What’s been the best and/or worst part of preparing for the performances?

Not having enough mojitos around.

What was your first show outside your hometown and what was the best memory of it?

A3C in Atlanta … TM88, OG Maco and me going crazy on stage and seeing the fans react and go nuts too.

What was your first paid gig?

I threw my first show in San Jose. Sold it out. 300+ very healthy fans packed at a hole-in-the-wall venue in San Jose.

What was the best article you’ve ever read in HipHopDX? Did you agree or disagree with it?

I really like this article. Very organic.

What’s one unique fact that you want your fans to know about you?

Although I have a deep infatuation with oranges, I love my mangos too.

Check out Larry June at DX’s Rap Rising showcase at SXSW on March 16 at The Parish.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46208/title.countdown-to-hiphopdx-at-sxsw-larry-june

Mar 14

Judge Green-Lights The Gaslamp Killer’s Defamation Suit

Los Angeles, CA – William Bensussen, better known by his stage moniker The Gaslamp Killer, was accused of rape via Twitter last November. Two women — Chelsea Tadros and RaeAn Medina — said the former Low End Theory regular sexually assaulted them both in 2013, something Bensussen adamantly denied. Subsequently, he filed a defamation suit against his accusers, which included Tadros’ boyfriend, Jack Wagner.

Now, a Los Angeles judge has ruled the suit can move forward. According to a press release, Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell “finalized a tentative ruling rejecting a motion by the woman, Chelsea Tadros, for the entertainer’s suit to be thrown out because it infringed on her right to free speech.”

Tadros’ attorneys argued her allegations on Twitter were opinions that are protected by the First Amendment, and that as long as she believed she was drugged and raped, she should be dropped from the suit. But O’Donnell ruled that her allegations “should be treated as facts.”

The jury will be able to decide if the evidence presented by Bensussen proves or disprove she lied.

“This ruling is huge,” Bensussen’s attorney Parag Amin said in the press release. “Of all the legal hurdles my client faced in bringing this lawsuit, this motion was the toughest to overcome. Because Bensussen is a public figure, the bar was extremely high. We had to show the Court that Tadros’ statements were most probably false and were most probably made with actual malice before we got to take any depositions or conduct any discovery.”

He added, “Now we look forward to our day in court, where my client can finally clear his name from Tadros’ fabricated and vile allegations.”

The judge primarily based her decision on the sworn declarations Bensussen filed from third-party eyewitnesses, Peter Rosen and Christopher Salguero, who were present before and during the alleged incident.

A toxicologist also reviewed Tadros’ account and gave a sworn statement saying Tadros’ statement was “virtually impossible” because it was inconsistent with the effects of any known date-rape drug.

Medina and Wagner were both dropped from the suit.

(The original version of this article was published on November 13, 2017 and can be found below.)

All hell broke loose for The Gaslamp Killer last month when the West Coast DJ/producer was accused of raping two women. One of the alleged victims, Chelsea Tadros, initially came forward on Twitter with claims GLK (real name William Bensussen) had forced himself on her and a friend in 2013, and all three had non-consensual sex. The friend was later identified as RaeAn Medina.

Now, GLK is fighting back with a defamation lawsuit filed against Tadros, Medina and Tadros’ boyfriend, Jack Wagner. The suit was filed on Monday (November 13) for “falsely and maliciously” accusing GLK of drugging and raping them.

GLK’s attorney Parag Amin explained in a press release, “These false and despicable allegations have sabotaged Mr. Bensussen’s career, upended his personal life, and led to the cancellation of his shows. Mr. Bensussen is seeking to restore his good name the right way – through a court of law, where people must testify under oath and there is accountability for false statements.”

Following the accusations, GLK was dropped from several festival appearances. Low End Theory, the weekly experimental Hip Hop club night he helped establish at The Airliner in Los Angeles, also promptly parted ways with the longtime musician.

Flying Lotus, another staple of the Low End Theory scene, even came under fire when he appeared to defend GLK during one of his sets, but he quickly issued an apology for any “insensitive” comments he made.

GLK maintains his innocence and insists the act was consensual.

Check out part of the court docs below.

Screen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.36.13 PMScreen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.36.13 PM
Screen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.33.40 PMScreen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.33.40 PM

 

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.45185/title.the-gaslamp-killer-files-defamation-suit-against-alleged-rape-victims

Mar 14

Did 21 Savage & Amber Rose Call It Quits?

Instagram has caused some speculation about 21 Savage and Amber Rose’s relationship. Some very attentive fans across the internet noticed the pair unfollowed each other on the social media platform on Monday (March 12).

Though not officially confirming the split, later in the day, they also removed all photos they had together. Rose has denied the speculation, claiming the unfollowing was a mistake.

“We’re still together, I just unfollowed over 100 people though,” she told The Shade Room. “His unfollow was on accident — It’s back up now”.

Rose has often gushed about 21 Savage during their eight-month relationship. In a since-deleted Instagram post, she effusively praised the “Bank Account” rapper.

“I’m so thankful that God brought this amazing person in my life who genuinely has my back and is ready to ‘pull up’ to defend my honor by any means,” she wrote. “Maybe he’s just as broken as me and that’s why we’re perfect for each other but either way he’s not going anywhere and neither am I.”

21 Savage was very supportive of Rose’s SlutWalk campaign too, accompanying her to its third annual event in Los Angeles. The Epic Records artist faced backlash for his participation, including social media users mocking his “I”m A Hoe Too” sign.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46209/title.did-21-savage-amber-rose-call-it-quits

Mar 14

Judge Green-Lights The Gaslamp Killer’s Defamation Suit

Los Angeles, CA – William Bensussen, better known by his stage moniker The Gaslamp Killer, was accused of rape via Twitter last November. Two women — Chelsea Tadros and RaeAn Medina — said the former Low End Theory regular sexually assaulted them both in 2013, something Bensussen adamantly denied. Subsequently, he filed a defamation suit against his accusers, which included Tadros’ boyfriend, Jack Wagner.

Now, a Los Angeles judge has ruled the suit can move forward. According to a press release, Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell “finalized a tentative ruling rejecting a motion by the woman, Chelsea Tadros, for the entertainer’s suit to be thrown out because it infringed on her right to free speech.”

Tadros’ attorneys argued her allegations on Twitter were opinions that are protected by the First Amendment, and that as long as she believed she was drugged and raped, she should be dropped from the suit. But O’Donnell ruled that her allegations “should be treated as facts.”

The jury will be able to decide if the evidence presented by Bensussen proves or disprove she lied.

“This ruling is huge,” Bensussen’s attorney Parag Amin said in the press release. “Of all the legal hurdles my client faced in bringing this lawsuit, this motion was the toughest to overcome. Because Bensussen is a public figure, the bar was extremely high. We had to show the Court that Tadros’ statements were most probably false and were most probably made with actual malice before we got to take any depositions or conduct any discovery.”

He added, “Now we look forward to our day in court, where my client can finally clear his name from Tadros’ fabricated and vile allegations.”

The judge primarily based her decision on the sworn declarations Bensussen filed from third-party eyewitnesses, Peter Rosen and Christopher Salguero, who were present before and during the alleged incident.

A toxicologist also reviewed Tadros’ account and gave a sworn statement saying Tadros’ statement was “virtually impossible” because it was inconsistent with the effects of any known date-rape drug.

Medina and Wagner were both dropped from the suit.

(The original version of this article was published on November 13, 2017 and can be found below.)

All hell broke loose for The Gaslamp Killer last month when the West Coast DJ/producer was accused of raping two women. One of the alleged victims, Chelsea Tadros, initially came forward on Twitter with claims GLK (real name William Bensussen) had forced himself on her and a friend in 2013, and all three had non-consensual sex. The friend was later identified as RaeAn Medina.

Now, GLK is fighting back with a defamation lawsuit filed against Tadros, Medina and Tadros’ boyfriend, Jack Wagner. The suit was filed on Monday (November 13) for “falsely and maliciously” accusing GLK of drugging and raping them.

GLK’s attorney Parag Amin explained in a press release, “These false and despicable allegations have sabotaged Mr. Bensussen’s career, upended his personal life, and led to the cancellation of his shows. Mr. Bensussen is seeking to restore his good name the right way – through a court of law, where people must testify under oath and there is accountability for false statements.”

Following the accusations, GLK was dropped from several festival appearances. Low End Theory, the weekly experimental Hip Hop club night he helped establish at The Airliner in Los Angeles, also promptly parted ways with the longtime musician.

Flying Lotus, another staple of the Low End Theory scene, even came under fire when he appeared to defend GLK during one of his sets, but he quickly issued an apology for any “insensitive” comments he made.

GLK maintains his innocence and insists the act was consensual.

Check out part of the court docs below.

Screen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.36.13 PMScreen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.36.13 PM
Screen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.33.40 PMScreen Shot 2017-11-13 at 4.33.40 PM

 

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.45185/title.the-gaslamp-killer-files-defamation-suit-against-alleged-rape-victims