No Limit Records

TELEVISION 'Simpsons' Voices Want a Raise: No one is having a cow yet, but Fox executives do have a problem on their hands with the vocal cast of "The Simpsons," who are said to be seeking sizable raises for next season.

Since the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur in 1996 and the Notorious B.I.G. a year later, most high-profile rap acts have shown restraint when discussing the type of feuds that some observers feel were responsible for the two deaths. After a period of confrontation in both real life and on record leading up to the deaths, explicit threats by one rapper toward another have been rare on records.

The land of dreams. That's what Louis Armstrong called the festive and mystical New Orleans in his 1938 version of Spencer Williams' anthem "Basin Street Blues." The Crescent City is a rich musical locale whose tough streets have spawned musicians from Jelly Roll Morton to Armstrong himself, paving the way for what some consider the only truly American musical art forms--the blues and jazz.

TELEVISION 'Simpsons' Voices Want a Raise: No one is having a cow yet, but Fox executives do have a problem on their hands with the vocal cast of "The Simpsons," who are said to be seeking sizable raises for next season.

Since the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur in 1996 and the Notorious B.I.G. a year later, most high-profile rap acts have shown restraint when discussing the type of feuds that some observers feel were responsible for the two deaths. After a period of confrontation in both real life and on record leading up to the deaths, explicit threats by one rapper toward another have been rare on records.

A man who allegedly threatened rapper Master P for a year was arrested Wednesday in West Los Angeles, police said. Antwan Kevin Baker, 31, was arrested on suspicion of making threatening phone calls to Master P and his security guards, said Los Angeles Police Officer John Poland. Master P (a.k.a. Percy Miller) owns No Limit Records. Baker was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at LAPD's Pacific Division.

** 1/2 Fiend, "Street Life," No Limit/Priority. Known for high-voltage guest appearances on sets from the No Limit Records family, this New Orleans rapper delivers a largely rowdy, rock-tinged collection on his second Master P-backed album. Fiend's husky voice works well with the layered, undulating production backing him and his gritty street tales. Still, a little fat could have been trimmed from the 17-song release.

If gangsta rap is dead, as so many pop commentators suggest, no one has informed No Limit Records. The New Orleans-based label produces thug life parables with such single-mindedness that one wonders whether the numerous reworkings of reformed street hustler accounts are actually reflections of the infinite sadness of urban reality or merely shrewd commercialism. There are traces of both motivations at work in C-Murder's solo debut, which entered the national album charts at No. 3 this week.

Cronyism has overrun hip-hop to the extent that where you're from has become less important than whom you roll with. Today, survival-hungry rappers run in creative cliques, with several artists riding the popularity wave of one stellar peer. With notable exceptions--the Wu-Tang Clan's spinoffs and reunion double CD and Master P's entire No Limit Records roster--originality usually suffers and redundancy rules when like minds coalesce.

A man carried two loaded handguns through a security checkpoint at Louis Armstrong International Airport on Monday but was arrested after a random check before he boarded a flight to Los Angeles. FBI special agent Julian Gonzales said the semiautomatic handguns were found in the man's backpack at a Continental Airlines gate. The man, Carlos Stephens, 30, said he worked for No Limit Records and told investigators he needed the guns in his work, according to acting U.S. Atty. Jim Letten.

The land of dreams. That's what Louis Armstrong called the festive and mystical New Orleans in his 1938 version of Spencer Williams' anthem "Basin Street Blues." The Crescent City is a rich musical locale whose tough streets have spawned musicians from Jelly Roll Morton to Armstrong himself, paving the way for what some consider the only truly American musical art forms--the blues and jazz.

** MASTER P "MP Da Last Don" No Limit/Priority Master P and his No Limit Records seem to have popped up from nowhere. After releasing the direct-to-video film "I'm Bout It" last spring, P and his most famous phrase became integral parts of the hip-hop community. "Make Say Ugh," the biggest single from "Ghetto D," P's 1997 set, later became a radio and music video programming mainstay.

This member of the multi-platinum group TRU has long been a fixture of the No Limit Records empire. Unlike his labelmates, however, Master P's younger brother makes only token appearances on the majority of the company's releases. This low profile has made the New Orleans native with a voice that has been widely compared to 2Pac's one of No Limit's prime attractions.