His second album, Voodoo, released in 2000, marked the end of the burgeoning “neo-Soul” era in the ’90s that included Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, and Erykah Badu.

In January 2012, when a viral video began swirling around the Internet of D’Angelo performing in Sweden, interest picked up with questions reveling in “Is D’Angelo back?!”

In the June issue of GQ, D’Angelo tells all about his troubles, and he reveals why he had to fall back from the industry, details about his battle with drug addiction, and how growing up in church affected him.

Check the full GQ interview here, and ladies, while you wait for the new D’Angelo music, go ahead and reminisce on some of the old:

As a solo artist, his first single “Trouble” debuted in September 2011, and it also came with a video featuring J.Cole. Known for his collaborations with artists including Ciara, Drake, Ne-Yo, and Trey Song, Maejor is hard at work on his debut album.

Keep an eye on this guy.

With a meshed sound that began in the ’80s and creeped into the ’90s with platinum-selling artists like LL Cool J and Heavy D, R&B saw its rise to popularity as singers found their way on rap songs.

AllHipHop.com gets into a time machine and goes back to when rap music began to incorporate a bit of soul into their tracks.

LL Cool J – “Doin’ It”:
The original smooth-talking, lip-licking dude. He made it cool for rap dudes to have feelings.

Method Man & Mary J. Blige – “You’re All I Need”:
If you’ve never experienced thug love, this song might not strike a chord. For those who have, this song means everything to the struggle.

The Fugees – “Ready Or Not”:
Arguably, one of the first groups to popularize the infusing of hard rap lyrics with a soft, singing side. Wyclef and Pras held us down with hard-hitting lyrics, and Lauryn Hill completed the set with a soft, raspy, yet commanding voice that made us pay attention.

Heavy D & The Boyz featuring Aaron Hall – “Now That We Found Love”:
Before P. Diddy’s surge, the late Heavy D was the guy who made Hip-Hop fun! It was all about having a good time, and positive energy. On this one, he teamed up with Guy’s Aaron Hall, one of the dapper dudes of the era. Heavy’s missed.

Ja Rule featuring J. Lo – “I’m Real (Remix)“
The #1 man in the year 2001, Ja Rule (and Murda Inc) ran the Billboard charts in the early 2000′s, with majority of the tracks including R&B. On every hook, there was a singer, whether it was Ashanti, Lil Mo, or Christina Milian.

Kanye West featuring Syleena Johnson – “All Falls Down”:
When the Kanye West-produced “Izzo” by Jay-Z was released, we know whoever created that beat, had soul. We were right. From his College Dropout debut, Kanye had a love with R&B soul, a love for singers who could make you feel warm again. Maybe that’s why John Legend became G.O.O.D.

The mash-up of rap and R&B is a given these days. But, what are some of your favorite Hip-Hop and R&B collaborations?

Check out the video from the up-and-coming R&B sensation below:

Follow Kevin McCall on Twitter (@kevinmccall).

AllHipHop.com had a chance to chop it up with Wingo about his solo debut, and he gave us first dibs on Jagged Edge’s upcoming eighth studio album. On the release of his first mixtape, an excited Wingo reveals:

“I’m just giving them a ‘lil piece of Wingo! Still doing the whole Jagged Edge thing. I’m gonna be Jagged Edge forever. That has paved the way for a lot of stuff. I’ve been doing a lot of music of that for the past couple of years. I’ve signed a couple of artists to my record label, younger cats who are very talented. At the end of the day, it’s time to put it out. It’s not gone do no good in that Mac! [laughs].”

Life of the Party chronicles the life of Wingo, who admits he hasn’t picked a single yet, because he values the opinions of his fans:

“Every time someone goes out with me and hangs out with me, they really enjoy themselves. That’s why I named it Life of the Party. I haven’t even picked a single yet, I want the DJs and the fans to let me know what’s hot and what’s not. Those are the opinions I really trust. I think everything I do is awesome [laughs], but everybody’s not going to like everything that you do.”

Platinum-selling R&B group Jagged Edge saw their biggest selling album in 2000 with J.E. Heartbreak, and they’re in talks to release a sequel. Wingo exclusively revealed to us what they’re working on:

“We’re getting ready to work on the eighth album for Jagged Edge. The twins want to do J.E. Heartbreak 2; that’s our biggest selling record to this day. Only way that would make sense is if we go back to the roots. Go back to who did the first J.E. Heartbreak. Bryan Cox, Jermaine Dupri.”

So, there is hope in a huge Jagged Edge reunion! Until then, enjoy the sounds of Wingo, one who has always held us down on many of our favorite Jagged Edge tracks. Who can forget the runs at end of “Let’s Get Married”? Just saying.

Check out the tracklist for Life of The Party and see the download link below:

1. Keep It Cool (Intro)
2. Bust It Down (Feat. Gucci Mane) [Prod. By Midnite Black]
3. Film A Movie [Prod. By King David]
4. Girls In My Pocket (Feat. K.C)
5. Take A Load Off [Prod. By King David]
6. Turn Up The Radio (Feat. Treyon)
7. Irrestiable (Feat. Lil Will) [Prod. By King David]
8. Mohawk Shawdy (RIP) (Vontae Of WMB)
9. Too Many Girls [Prod. By King David]
10. Video Girl (Feat. Trap Boiz & Roc De Carlo) [Prod. By King David]
11. Gangsta Boo (Feat. C-Bone & K.C) [Prod. By K.C]
12. X’s (Feat. WildMoney Boiz)
13. Out Of Love [Prod. By Midnite Black]
14. Ain’t No Lovin’ Tonight
15. My Own 12 Play [Prod. By King David]
16. Computer Love Song (Feat. Bossman) [Prod. By Burcast]
17. Model For Me [Prod. By King David]
18. Movie Star [Prod. By Burcast]
19. Ain’t Givin’ Up (Feat. B.I.G)
20. Like Us (Feat. Charlay & K.C) [Prod. By Dj Wiz]

Download Wingo’s Life of The Party here.

AllHipHop.com caught up with Emanny, and he talks his new game plan, working with Joe Budden and Jadakiss and reintroducing himself to the game.

“Some of the records most might know me for are “Hold You Down” and “Cuz We Paid” by Jadakiss, “One Last Time” by Emilio Rojas and “All Of Me” and “Dreamerz” by Joe Budden, but my debut project [Songs About HER] is what I want people who have no clue who I am to base me off of, and also a way of reintroducing myself to people who are aware of my work.”

Not just a performer, Emanny is an all-around musician, operating as a vocalist, songwriter, and arranger. Not just singing songs, Emanny reveals this project is more than just music, it’s personal:

“This project will give people insight to who I am personally as well, being that the music is based off my life experiences with loving and living.”

On working with Jadakiss, Emanny reveals it’s the best thing that’s happened in his career, saying:

“It’s been one of the most reassuring things to have happen in my career so far. When a guy who has hits, worked with the best in the business and has lasted this long, and keeps himself relevant calls upon and believes in my talents, it only lets me know that my gift is truly appreciated, and that I’m viewed to be equally as talented and promising as any other big name in the game.

“Jadakiss is a living legend, and for him to not only see the potential in me and my music, but to also want to be a part of it and invest in my gift, is a blessing,” he added.

Songs About HER drops May 23 on www.emannymusic.com.

The song, written and produced by Rico Love, is slated to appear on Mari’s upcoming sophomore album. We think she’s on to something. Maybe Keri Hilson and Letoya Luckett should get back on their jobs! Just saying.

While speaking with MTV, Dupri revealed: “This is the first time in a long time where an artist actually becomes a star by being on MTV,” referring to Leah Labelle whose video for “Sexify” first appeared on MTV.com.

AllHipHop.com caught up with Meelah to talk new music, working with her partner, Musiq Soulchild, and why 702 just couldn’t seem to “get it together”:

AllHipHop.com: What’s been going on?

Meelah: Life has been going on since 702′s last album, which was in 2003, which I cannot believe was almost 10 years ago. We all just kind of went our own ways and did our own things, and I chose to keep hustling at this music thing. I ended up working with other artists, doing featured backgrounds, writing. I took a break to have a child, who just turned three. I have a son, so I’m a mommy now, but all the while I was definitely still in and out of the music industry. Just more-so behind the scenes. I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to still be able to have that as my livelihood. Now, I’m ready to get back out there; I’m so ready to get back in front where I feel I belong, and do my thing. I’ve been in the studio currently recording solo material, and it’s really coming along great, I’m super excited.

AllHipHop.com: Why did you decide now. It’s been about 16 years since 702′s debut, almost 10 years since the last album. Why now?

Meelah: I feel like the industry has definitely changed immensely since 702 was first introduced on the scene. I think there’s just such a great opportunity these days, with social media and technology and iTunes. All this new stuff that allows you as an artist to just really get out there, promote yourself and do your thing. Why not take advantage? Also, because I really strongly feel in my heart, it’s just wide open. There’s a lane for R&B music, or R&B soul artists who are true vocalists. Those of us that came up in the game when it wasn’t about imagery. It wasn’t about selling sex. It wasn’t about getting raunchy and just having to be naked as a female artist. It was really about the music and the vocals. I’m a vocalist, I’m a singer, I’m a true singer. I’ve always been heavily into great music, great singing, as a child. I’ve always loved that, even before 702. The love of music has always been my passion. I just don’t feel right just sitting down on it. I feel like it’s a God-given gift and blessing, and I feel like it’s my purpose to keep it going.

AllHipHop.com: Right, so you think we haven’t heard the best of Meelah?

Meelah: Absolutely not! I think what you heard was a very young, gifted, but very green Meelah that was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of something that was great. I do feel that there’s even greater to come. I know that there’s even greater to come. I definitely feel like the world has yet to see Meelah at her full potential.

AllHipHop.com: Now, when “Where My Girls At?” came out, Destiny’s Child was out, Total was out, K-Ci & JoJo – it was a good time. And then all of a sudden, things stopped. Even though “Where My Girls At?” was the hottest track.

Meelah: Yeah. “Where My Girls At?” was huge. It was on the Top 100 for like 40-plus weeks; it did a special job. Unfortunately, after “Where My Girls At?”, I feel like MoTown dropped the ball. [laughs]. Straight up. I don’t know what happened. It was just like a lack of promotion after that. Because “Where My Girls At?” was doing so well and great on its own, the label just got excited, and I guess they were expecting the momentum to just continue, but we still needed that support. It didn’t happen for us that way. They released “You Don’t Know” as the second single. That song had auto-tune on it, so, we did the whole auto-tune thing before it even became..

AllHipHop.com: Right! Before T-Pain was out…

Meelah: Yeah! Before it became this infamous it-thing of the millenium. Actually, that song was huge overseas. Every time I travel overseas, people always mention that record. They love that record over in London. They dropped “You Don’t Know” second, we did a video for it, but there was no proper support. Things just kind of unraveled, slowly but surely. We even had a third single, but by that time it was completely dead.

AllHipHop.com: Had y’all broken up at that point?

Meelah: No, this was still the second album, we were still together, but the label had kind’ve fallen off in terms of in terms of living up to their end of the bargain. I’ll be honest, internally, we started going through some things as a group. That never helps anything. By this time, we were on a high, but we just didn’t know what happened with all those other singles. We just took a little break, a two-year break, and then we went back in and then we came back with another record. It took some time, but we came back out with a third album.

AllHipHop.com: Star?

Meelah: Yeah. Star, which pretty much bombed before it even came out.

AllHipHop.com: Noooo.

Meelah: There was definitely no support for that one. That one had zero support whatsoever, no promotion, no marketing, nothing, hardly. Very minimal.

AllHipHop.com: And that became the last record.

Meelah: We had some issues after the second album. We had some business issues, managerial issues, that we couldn’t agree on that ultimately led to our demise. There had already been some underlying issues amongst us, within the group. There was a lot of animosity and a lot of tension, and I think eventually those things got the best of us and we kind’ve just took its toll. We didn’t really talk about them much, but when we did, it just went in a direction that was never positive. It became toxic.

We were so young, we’ve been doing this together for years. We were growing up together, becoming young ladies together, we experienced our adolescence together. We missed senior prom. We were really still kids. Unfortunately, I don’t think the maturity level was there in terms of knowing how to deal with certain situations and it just went left. I ended up leaving the group because I just didn’t want to deal with any more of the drama. I felt like it wasn’t healthy for me to stay there, I felt like it didn’t make sense for me to be some place where I didn’t feel wanted, and I wasn’t happy. My sanity and my happiness made more sense than to stick around somewhere that was just dangerously negative.

AllHipHop.com: And when y’all left, we got 3LW.

Meelah: I know! Trust me, I saw it honey! [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: It’s pretty interesting, reflecting on it. That’s how it happened, really.

Meelah: I take that as a compliment. 3LW, they were cute. It definitely seemed as though there was a little group that tried to emulate 702. I look at it like they were paying respects. Naturi Naughton is doing her thing now, and it’s so awesome. It’s funny how things happen. After we had all our beef and all our drama, we were women enough to try again. I was approached by MoTown and the girls, and I said okay.

AllHipHop.com: Is it possible to get a 702 reunion one day? SWV just came back out, so we’re not giving up on girl groups.

Meelah: I feel like right now that’s not the space that I’m in, because my going back to do that third album, for me, was such a sacrifice. For me, that was the reunion. We went through a lot. I went through a lot. Times have changed. I’m sure we’re all in a way more positive space; we have no beef anymore. I love the girls, we’re cool and all, but I’m definitely in a different place and space in my life. Never say never, so who knows. I know the fans would love it. I think it’ll be a great album, I don’t know if it will be an enjoyable experience. [laughs] Sometimes, you’re better off as friends, than business partners.

AllHipHop.com: Now that you’re working on a new project, are you working with the same producers? Can we expect a Missy Elliot to come back and work with you in the studio?

Meelah: I have gotten back in the studio with Missy, but it wasn’t for my project. It was for some other things we were working on, so I hope, because we’re still in contact with each other, so I’m hoping she’ll bless me with something. We have great chemistry in the studio. I’m definitely reaching back out to all of those producers that I worked with in 702.

For me, it would an honor to go back in with like Pharell, Missy and Timbaland, and different people that we worked with, but I’m kind of just like starting over, to be real with you. Everything is new. I’m looking ahead of me. It would be great to go back with those that gave us hits, but I’m working with new people. I’m working with Musiq Soulchild of course, I’m working with Stevie J. I’m working with some up and coming producers out here in Atlanta, that are young, hungry and ambitious. It’s not even about the name. I’m working with people that are super excited about working with me and we have a great working relationship and we’re coming up with some awesome material.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve gotta let me in on you and Musiq Soulchild.

Meelah: Well, we’ve been together for three years.

AllHipHop.com: How did you guys end up deciding to work together? He just came out with an album last year. Do you see your music having that type of sound?

Meelah: It’s a new sound for sure. He has his lane; I know a lot of people are reaching for a Musiq Soulchild sound, but this guy is so versatile. As a producer, he’s not afraid to try different things and push the envelope, and do the unexpected. Great thing is, we started some stuff that is really cool. He’s such a musical dude – no pun with his name [laughs]. The song “Your Love” is just something we experimented with, just to do something together and see what we would come up with. That’s definitely a departure from what would be expected from my background and his. We do have those classic R&B songs, soulful songs. So, to say it would be a Neo-Soul sound, not really. We’re just trying to do quality, good songs. Songs that make you feel good.

Follow Meelah on Twitter (@ItsMeelah).

In 2011, Jhené released her first official mixtape, entitled Sailing Soul(s), a mixtape she reveals was her shot at the image-driven entertainment industry.

AllHipHop.com had a chance to chat with Jhené, and she dishes on her time with the Chris Stokes’ era, B2K, and her latest deal with No I.D.:

AllHipHop.com: I need to know how to pronounce your last name. I have no idea.

Jhené Aiko: It’s actually my middle name, and it’s Aiko. [I-e-ko].

AllHipHop.com: Awesome. I’ve been trying to pronounce it for like four years now.

Jhené Aiko: [laughs] I know! Everybody! They say Echo! I understand what they’re trying to say.

AllHipHop.com:Word is on the block that you signed with Def Jam. What’s happening?

Jhené Aiko: I signed with No I.D.’s label, Artium, which is a label under Def Jam. I’ve been recording just as much as possible. I write the majority of my music, so I really just like to take my time with the whole process. Just because anything forced just wouldn’t be right. I’m pretty deep into recording. I just need to get the right batch of songs together.

AllHipHop.com: How did you two link up?

Jhené Aiko: I have a friend that I’ve known for some time, and he’s worked at different labels for a while, interning and everything. Whoever he was working with, he would kind of put me in their ear. He started working with No I.D. His name is Noah Preston, and he just called me and my manager saying, “No I.D. wants to sit down with you and have a meeting.” We kind’ve thought it was about production; we didn’t really know that it was for the whole deal situation.

At the time, I was kind of skeptical about doing any deal with any label, but because he’s a creative person, he’s a producer, so he doesn’t have the same attitude as a label executive. He’s really about being creative, and about the art of it. It just felt really good, and it still does. It feels more like a partnership than “This is my boss!” type of thing.

AllHipHop.com: Why’d you feel hesitant at first?

Jhené Aiko: I was signed when I was 12, 13 to Sony/Epic, and it was just not a good experience for me, because I was so young, too. They could tell me how to dress; they were telling me what songs to sing and what image to have, and all that. It wasn’t a pleasurable experience. I just wanted to make sure that this time they know that I know who I am. I’m not a child anymore, so I’m going to have input in all aspects of my career. Really, they have to follow my lead, because I’m not one of those people that’s okay with just doing what people tell me to do, and just go on with whatever they think is right.

AllHipHop.com: And I did want to talk about that, too – your younger years, when you first got into the game, Chris Stokes, and that whole era of when people started to first find out about who Jhene was. How did you first link up with Chris Stokes and that whole camp?

Jhené Aiko: I’m the youngest of five. My older sisters did a lot of dancing since they were like five. They’ve always been into entertainment. My oldest sister was actually in their first video, in the “Da Munchies” video.

AllHipHop.com: Munchies? Oh, Immature!

Jhené Aiko: Yeah, she was in Immature’s first video, which was “Da Munchies”.

AllHipHop.com: That’s taking it back!

Jhené Aiko: Yeah! So, since then Chris approached my mom about working with my sisters, in a group, and they started working in different groups that he had. They were actually signed to MCA when they were real young, in a group called ‘Girl’. My family was around him, I was probably five or six when I first met him. I was always around him, and I was just sing just because my older sisters were singing. I just did the same thing. Whatever they were doing, I would just copy them.

One day, he heard me sing and was like, “Okay, well, when you’re old enough, let’s work with you!” I was into school and all that, and I was just like, “Yeah, whatever.” And when he did the deal with B2K, it was like a piggy back deal, like “Okay, well he signed them, I’ll also throw in her!” It was kind of like a thing that I didn’t really have to work for. They didn’t really showcase me or anything. It was that kind of deal. They didn’t really care. It was a good experience. I’m definitely glad that I didn’t pop, because it was totally not me. I wasn’t even an artist yet. I was just a 13-year-old.

AllHipHop.com: What did you learn from that situation?

Jhené Aiko: I learned what I won’t do in a situation, as far as with the label being able to just control your life.

AllHipHop.com: You don’t like that aspect?

Jhené Aiko: Not at all. I have an authority problem. Every individual is like you’re own boss, I feel like. Especially with being creative and being an artist, it’s like how can you really call yourself an artist if you are just following directions and being told what to sing and how to dress and really not being you. I was on the “Scream Tour 3″. I hosted it, opened and all of that. That was a really good experience to just get over stage fright and get used to being in front of a lot of people.

I have a daughter, she’s three. I would tell her to wait until she’s 18 to really start pursuing a career in entertainment if she wanted to, because I just learned that being a young teenage girl, especially going through the regular teenage girl stuff while you’re trying to be an entertainment, and you have label people telling you, “You need to clear up your acne!”, stuff that you’re already going to go through. It’s magnified. And, you shouldn’t have to worry about that. You just be going to school and being a kid.

AllHipHop.com: Why’d you decide to leave T.U.G.?

Jhené Aiko: It was only really about two and a half years when I was signed. They start dragging their feet, and I just really wanted to finish school. I called my mom, and I was like I want to sit down with everybody and just tell them that I want a release. A new president came to Epic, and she was not familiar with me. She kept putting me off, and I was like is there any way we can just get released? They weren’t going to drop me or anything; they were just going to shelve me. I knew what was happening. I was like let’s just get a release from all these people so I can just be in school. I just started doing music on my own with the producers I had met while I was signed. I was actually not with T.U.G. for that long.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve developed this fan base of folks who love you! Right?

Jhené Aiko: Yeah, I guess. [laughs]

AllHipHop.com: After that situation, you started making your own music, and how were you able to connect with your fans, garner those amount of people when you didn’t put out an album?

Jhené Aiko: The Internet is a crazy, amazing thing. I was home schooled, so I was always at home a lot, and just writing or staring at the wall. For me, that was just a great outlet to just write and be able to post things when MySpace got big. Then I started recording with my laptop on Garageband. Then I started experimenting with making my own beats. I would put the songs on MySpace and have them for download, and it was more of just a hobby. But there were still people there from the B2K days, and when I started really writing my own music, people were like “Oh okay. This is tight!”

I worked with a few producers that let me post their music also. It just kept people interested. I’ve always been big on the Internet, as far as just expressing myself, sharing poems, I had a blogspot where I would just post poems. I think that anytime a person is just transparent and just wants to themselves, and share what they’ve been through, then other people gravitate to it, because we all want to relate to each other and connect.

AllHipHop.com: How’d you end up linking with Kendrick Lamar?

Jhené Aiko: L.A. is a small place, especially if you do entertainment. A friend of mine ending up part of his management, and they heard the Drake, July thing that had leaked. He called me up like “I have an artist named Kendrick Lamar, he’s really dope, I think you guys are on the same tip and I think you guys should work together.” I hadn’t heard of him yet and my friend at the time had been listening to him. Then I felt blown away because I hadn’t really been listening to new music, even now I still just listen to ’90s music, or when I find an album that I love I just listen to that, I’m still stuck on things from like two, three years ago. We went in and immediately just vibed, and that song came out effortlessly, we just finished it really fast.

AllHipHop.com: Do you care about the mainstream, commercial fame?

Jhené Aiko: Honestly, I don’t. Of course, with a major label, there’s bigger outlets that I can be exposed to, but I’m just like I just don’t know if my music will translate to the people that listen to the mainstream. They’re going to want to see me do different things and more things. Even as a person, I’m just lowkey. I don’t really like going to the club, I don’t really like to do a lot. I’m lazy. [laughs] It could become mainstream, but it would have to be in a weird way. I’m not concerned with putting out this album and having it sell 10 million copies. I know that my fans are going to buy it, and they’re going to like it, and that’s all that matters.

AllHipHop.com: Who are you working with? You got No I.D., so I don’t know if you need to work with anybody else, but, are you?

Jhené Aiko: [laughs] One of the things with being with a label is I have so many more options with who I want to work with, and it’s gets a little overwhelming because I’m usually the type where it doesn’t matter whose beat it is. I got some tracks with people that work with The Weeknd, which are crazy dope. I got some beats from A$AP Rocky’s producer. Key Wayne, who is one of Big Sean’s producers. I just recorded some stuff to his track. It’s a lot. Whoever I tell them I want to work with, they’re like “Yeah! Here’s some tracks!” That part is a little overwhelming because I’m not used to having so much to work with. I’m like “Okay, wait a minute, let me get some subjects to write about!”

AllHipHop.com: Who else are you looking to work with?

Jhené Aiko: I really want to work with Pharell. I know he’s like super busy, though, so I would understand if that doesn’t happen. I think he has that sound. I really want to work with Kid Cudi. I know he produces a little bit, but he’s just so tight to me. I really want to work with with Drake’s producer, 40. He has that sound that I was always try to explain to people, and it would start off like that, and all this music would come in, and I’ll be like, “Noooo! I just want it be nice and mellow.” Now, No I.D. is going to do some stuff from scratch with me.

AllHipHop.com: When should we expect an album?

Jhené Aiko: As soon as possible. Of course, it’s different now with a label. I can’t just record a song and put it out like “New music! Download it now!”, which is killing me because I’m so spontaneous like that. I feel like when a song is hot, and I just recorded it, the momentum, I just want everybody to hear it. I understand there’s a contract involved now, so I can’t really do that. Definitely, they’re on the same page as me. They want to do everything as soon as possible, without rushing it. I’m pretty deep into the project. I feel like every song right now is a keeper. If they agree with me, then we should we done and have something released by the end of the summer, which is what I’m really pushing for, fingers crossed. If not, it’s definitely going to be worth the wait, because I really take my time with it. Not that I’m trying to compete with Sailing Souls, but I know that musically I’ve grown since then. It will be made clear in this album.

AllHipHop.com: What do you have to say to your fans?

Jhené Aiko: Right now, I would like to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for just connecting with the music and for having an open mind. I know I’m not the mainstream girl, I’m not the video vixen looking. There’s a lot of things that are not what you’re seeing now. I find it brave of my fans to stick up for me. It’s like a cult following, and sometimes I have to tell people on Twitter, “Don’t attack someone because they say they’re not a fan of me. That’s just their opinion of me.” I appreciate that because that means that they’re real true fans, and that they really are connected to me and my music.

I also want to thank everyone for being patient, especially in the internet age everybody wants everything fast. They want even the R&B singers to put out stuff like they’re rappers. I think a lot of my fans do understand that I like to take my time and make it right and all that. I definitely will stay on this path that I’m on. They don’t have to worry about me coming with a techno. I might be able to put something smooth on a techno beat, but it will still be me. I’ll never compromise. They’re always going to see me.

The video features singer and “Love & Hip Hop” star, Olivia, and Day 26 leading man, Willie Taylor.

In our recent interview, Q reveals that filming this video in New York City brought back memories of the “Puffy” days.

Watch the video for “Show You How” below: 

Today, as a singer, rapper, producer, and writer, this quadruple threat is now working on his debut album, and recently released its first single, “Naked”, featuring Big Sean. AllHipHop.com sat down with McCall to find out about his solo project, his Chris Brown-directed visual for “Naked”, and to learn more about his upbringing in Watts, California. McCall even touches on whether or not the song “Deuces” was written with Rihanna in mind:

In our interview, McCall reveals, “There’s been a void in it [R&B], and the ladies are asking for it, so I’m gonna give them what they want.

“I’m going to be that guy. I’m that guy. I’ll say it.”

McCall’s debut single, “Naked”, featuring Big Sean is available now on iTunes.

In the visual, Parker teams up with Willie from Day 26 and Olivia, singer and cast member of “Love & Hip Hop”.

THE MANual hits stores and online in Summer 2012.

With over 35 million albums sold, the usually, innovative 45-year-old singer has found himself mimicking the sounds of today. In his latest effort, it sounds like a Drake summertime song. Just saying.

What’s your take?

Recently, we had a chance to chat with Q about his new single “Show You How”, why he’s giving the ladies what they want, and how he appreciates his time with 112, but thinks it’s time for something new!

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got the new single. “Show You How”. What’s happening with that? This is your first project, though?

Q Parker: Yeah, this is my first solo record. The title of it is called The MANual, the lead single is “Show You How”. We’re moving up the charts. We just shot the video a week and a half ago in New York. The leading lady was played by Olivia, and the “other guy” in the video was Willie from Day 26…shot by G Visuals and Randy from the Fat Cats in Brooklyn and Times Square. I’m just excited with the response that I’ve been getting over the blogs, and just from the programmers, man, it’s just really been a great response, so I’m just grinding it out. I’m from the Old School where we actually get out there and roll the sleeves up and do a lot of the leg work ourselves. Just on the campaign, trying to build awareness, and get the most that we can get out of the record.

AllHipHop.com: Right, is it totally independent? Is this your label?

Q Parker: The way I did it, I have a unique set up. I signed myself to my production company, New Fam Entertainment, and I took my company and did a partnership with Malaco Records. And Malaco is an independent, but they operate as a major, with all the staffing machine and everything. Ideally, it was the best situation for me. For somebody that’s been in the game for almost 15 years, I surely did not want to go back into the major sifting. I would have if that was the last resort, but I wasn’t really in favor of the 360 deals and the kind of deals they’re really giving artists these days. The fact that I was able to do this partnership, it’s a whole new respect for it, because not only am I sitting across the table as an artist, but I’m a business partner. I get to make a lot of the decisions. We colloborate on certain decisions. It’s just a good look for me and my company.

AllHipHop.com: It must be something about New York that made you come here and shoot the video.

Q Parker: Well, of course you know how the process goes. When you pick up the phone, and you send it out to all the directors, and they draw up the treatment and we’ll exchange ideas, and we were talking about it, it just made more sense for us to go back up to New York. What was so crazy about the video – my very first video that I’ve ever been to was the Faith Evans and B.I.G. “One More Chance” Remix, which was shot in Brooklyn. My video was shot in Brooklyn. And the very first video that I was a part of which was the “Only You” Remix with B.I.G. and Mase and Puff and all that, it was in Times Square. I have a scene in my video that’s in Times Square. It was the perfect place to do the video. Plus, Olivia is in New York. It just made the most sense. Take the whole thing up to New York. The video is crazy. I can’t wait for it to be released.

AllHipHop.com: Did that bring back memories from the Bad Boy days?

Q Parker: Aww man, it reminded me so much of the Bad Boy days. Being in Times Square, it’s almost like we were on the same block that we were on when we did the “Only You” video, and I could just see Big, Mase, and Puff, and the other guys, and Total. Faith came down. It was very nostalgic. But it just kind of gave me a sense of “Okay, you know what? It’s official. I’m officially doing this as a solo artist!” And it’s just amazing, man, I’m enjoying the ride.

AllHipHop.com: So, you like being solo more than in a group like with 112?

Q Parker: It’s not so much of if I like one more than the other, because those are my guys. We came into this game together in high school. Don’t get me wrong, I love performing with my guys. I love sharing this whole movement and everything that we’ve shared. I will tell you this. As a solo artist, I’m a competitor, and I love challenges, and being a solo artist has brought to me a lot of different challenges that I’m looking forward to overcoming. I’m looking forward to seeing how far and how well I’m going to be able to take this solo mission, but I enjoy being in the spotlight. I enjoy allowing people to get to know who Q Parker is, and not just Q from 112. Being able to just share my story, and my whole journey going from a member of a successful group as 112, to now being a solo artist.

AllHipHop.com: What’s so special about now, compared to a 2007, or 2008? Why 2012?

Q Parker: It’s just timing. I started this whole solo mission in 2010. I’ve been going through so many meetings with different labels, and they’re saying, “I like what you’re doing, man, but what about 112?” or “Here’s a deal that we want to present to you,” and me not feeling like it’s what I rightfully deserve. The timing was just perfect. I say that because the president of Malaco, Lionel Ridenour, and Lionel was an executive at Arista, and when we were signed to Arista, it was distributed through Arista, so we have a relationship. He knows me. He knows what I’m about. I know who he is. I know what he’s about. He knows my work ethic. I know his. It’s just like the perfect timing. I say this everybody. Had I come out when I thought I was ready, it wouldn’t of been right. The fact that I had to utilize and exercise patience, it ended up turning out in my favor because, I got the best deal that I know was out there for me, and it’s a great partnership with Malaco and I do believe that 2012 was the perfect timing for me and I’m starting to see the results of my patience now.

AllHipHop.com: Why’d you decide to call the album, The MANual? Is this our definitive guide to being a man?

Q Parker: There you go! If you notice, the way we spelled it – we capitalized ‘MAN’ and lowercased ‘ual.’ The reason behind that is, you guys have watched us grow up. We started at 15 years old. You watched us grow from teenagers to men. Well, I felt like, as a solo artist, I needed for everybody to get to know who Q Parker, the man, was. Not Q Parker from 112. Just how I’ve matured as an artist, as a songwriter, as a performer, producer, and as a man in general. And really let you guys in on who that person is. A lot of the music I wrote, so I’m letting you in on who I am. Then you add the other part to it, to make it ‘MANual’.

I just feel like my music is a how-to guide to women. I feel like women need to know that chivalry ain’t dead, and there are still some gentlemen out here, that there is a correct way that a woman should be treated. And again, this is just my opinion on how I feel like a woman should be treated, and I want to let these women know that there’s a way that you should make these guys treat you. Case and point, my first single is entitled “Show You How”, and it’s just my take on being the man on the outside witnessing a friend of yours, whether it be a girl, or from a girl’s perspective, her watching a male friend of hers being in a relationship and just settle. A couple of the lines in the song say, “It’s a shame that you settle for less,” and if given a chance, I can really show you how to be loved. There’s a right way to be loved, and how to be treated. It’s definitely in my opinion, a how-to guide, like a manual.

AllHipHop.com: I guess that’s your Southern hospitality coming out?

Q Parker: Of course, I’m an ATL-born, bred, Southern gentlemen. I’m a romantic at heart, and I make my music for women, and I believe that women need a go-to-guy. They need a guy, a male artist, that’s making music for them. Forget trying to be in the club, forget trying to pop bottles, but just really sing and croon, for the women. They’re lacking that. Too many times, as R&B artists, our main focus is what’s going on the other side within the Hip-Hop industry. We have to go get this rapper and be in the club, put them up in the VIP and all that kind of stuff, whereas, we’re leaving these women still wanting more from male artists. I took all that into consideration and I said, “You know what? I’m going to be their go-to-guy.” When they hear my records, they know it’s going to be designed specifically for them.

AllHipHop.com: Are you working with any of the producers in Atlanta? Tank?

Q Parker: Some of the producers that are on the album are Chuck Harmony, who did a lot of the Ne-Yo, Chrisette Michelle records, Ivan and Carvin out of Philadelphia, they did a lot of the Jaheim, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild. I had Warren Campbell, who’s married to Erica of Mary Mary; he’s a great producer, won Grammys and all those other things. I need to just write a list, because every time I answer this question, I forget. J Q, Kedrick D, Cristyle Crystal Johnson.

As it relates to collaborations, I wanted to keep that limited, because as a solo artist, especially coming from a group, I wanted everybody to really be able to digest Q Parker and not be dumbed down because there’s too many features. A lot of times when artists have so many features on their album, it negates their ability to shine, or have the focus solely on them. I opted to just only have two features. I have one with my sister, Faith Evans. I have an interlude with Crystal Johnson, and I’m working on the last record on the album, a duet with Willie from Day 26. I may do a remix or something like that, but as far as the original versions on the album, there will just only be those.

AllHipHop.com: We actually had a chance to speak with Slim a few weeks ago, and Dawn Richard from Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money. We always ask how’s life after Bad Boy, or life after Diddy. Some folks sign, and then they leave the label, or they’re dropped from the label, and we never hear from them again. For you, how is life after Bad Boy?

Q Parker: Life after Bad Boy was an introduction to Def Jam. We still released two records on Def Jam. Even after Def Jam and even being Q Parker, life after Diddy, I respect him, and I’ll always credit him and be indebted to him for the simple fact that he gave me and my group an opportunity. Four boys from the projects of Atlanta that just wanted to fulfill their dream. He gave us an opportunity. I can say that I learned a lot just being on Bad Boy, and I say that whether it’s the result of something positive or something negative. I just learned a lot.

Me as a businessman, the things I went through at Bad Boy, it prepared me to be in the position that I’m in right now. Being the owner of my own production company. Doing a partnership with a major label such as Malaco. At the end of the day, I would just say it prepared me for what I’m going through now, because dealing with Puffy ain’t a piece of cake. It has its moments, and we had plenty of them doing three albums and selling a whole lot of records. But at the end of the day life after Puffy really just prepared me. I learned, and I matured. I matured as a businessman and I matured as a recording artist. If you can survive Diddy School, yo, you’re ready for it!

AllHipHop.com: We spoke to Slim, and he gave us no hope for a 112 reunion. You got some hope for us?

Q Parker: Well, I look at this way. We’re all currently doing our own individual things, but there has been talks amongst the four of us about possibly doing some overseas dates. That’s a start. It starts there. It may trinkle over to the U.S, and who knows? From that, we may do another album. I don’t know anybody in their right mind that can just say there will ‘never,’ and use the word so strongly and say ‘never,’ because I just don’t believe that. I believe that in the right timing, and in the right situation, and if we’re all in like-mind, and like-spirit and everything, and one accord, there can be another 112 album. You’ll never hear me say never. I’ll never close that door because that’s our brand. We worked too hard for that brand to just say…never.

AllHipHop.com: When can expect Q Parker’s The MANual?

Q Parker: The MANual will have a summer release.

AllHipHop.com: Any more singles on the way?

Q Parker: Definitely! Right now, we’re still working the lead single “Show You How”. My mission is to at least release about two to three singles before the album is released, because I really want people to know that they’re going to get their monies worth. Too often, we spend $15, and the album isn’t worth it, because there’s only maybe one or two songs on there that you like. I believe that if I release solid enough singles, that will give people the mindset to believe, “You know what? It’s worth me spending my hard earned money to go and buy this album.”

AllHipHop.com: Anything the people need to know?

Q Parker: Follow me on Twitter (@QParker112), Facebook is QParkMusic. My YouTube channel is QParkerSings. I have a fitness calendar out right now. It’s QParkerFitnessCalendar.com and I encourage everybody out there to go out and get it. It’s not just eye candy for the ladies, but it’s some great nutritional facts in there, some great tools that can aid everybody into becoming more health conscious. Partial proceeds of the calendar go towards the American Cancer Society. It’s for a great cause. Definitely get one of those as well.

As his love interest, Kelly Rowland plays the role perfectly, and it seems like there might be actual chemistry happening in the video. Sorta reminds us of the love that Usher and Chili shared in the video for his 2001 #1 hit, “U Got It Bad”.

 Trey Songz’ Chapter V is slated to hit stores this summer.

The song, which has been released on iTunes, gained popularity after McKnight tweeted the home video just last week.

You can view the official video here.

Singer Kevin McCall lets the cameras behind the scenes to catch his workout session before the shooting of the video for his first single, “Naked”. And it seems he’s got muscle on the mic and in the gym, too.

“Naked” features G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean, while the video is directed by a multi-talented Chris Brown.

Follow Kevin McCall on Twitter (@KevinMcCall).

“Tristate of Mind”, the first original Classical, Hip-Hop score ever written, is described as an organic musical canvas with life as the muse. The most culturally relevant composition to date, spanning centuries of symphonic influences. A new archetype of sound and format.

The breakthrough work, “Tristate of Mind”, is by music producer/multi-instrumentalist, Tristate, former producer for Warner Music Group artist, Outasight, and Maybach Music Group artist, Stalley.

Says Tristate of his unorthodox musical mash-up, “I composed ‘Tristate of Mind’ by pushing myself creatively to a place I’ve never been in order to uniquely contribute to music culture and music’s future. I pushed myself so that maybe our culture, humanity itself, may do the same. Something dies in us in the absence of true creativity and innovation.”

The score’s cover artwork (pictured above) was painted by Alex Andreyev of St. Petersburg, Russia, and features brilliant operatic vocals sung by Nicole Yazolino of Berlin, Germany, making the album an international work of art. “Tristate of Mind” was mixed by Grammy nominated engineer Ariel Burojow and mastered by Grammy award winning engineer Ricardo Gutierrez.

To learn more about “Tristate of Mind,” click HERE. Watch a live orchestra performance of “Flebile” and “Schwungvoll” featuring MeLo-X from the Webster Hall Grand Ballroom in New York City below:

Adding an additional layer of excitement, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart was designated as the president of A&R; his brother, Mark Stewart, was named EVP of A&R operations. On April 10, 2012, the label released one of its first major projects: a soundtrack to the comedy film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s “Act Like A Woman, Think Like A Man”. For this particular release, “Tricky” served as executive producer.

Considering the massive success of the original New York Times bestselling non-fiction text, the pressure was on to match the literary predecessors accomplishments visually – and sonically, with original music for its motion picture soundtrack. In both respects, the mission was soundly accomplished – and the Think Like a Man soundtrack is worthy of residence in the penthouse suite of Billboard’s top albums chart.

To be expected, the compilation includes songs from a few veteran acts:

Inclusions of this sort are to be expected. However, the real gems – and the album’s best-kept secrets – belong to a group of young, aspiring talents. My favorites include: Marcus Canty (“Won’t Make A Fool Out of You”), Quadron (“Baby Be Mine”), RaVaughn (“Same Old Bullsh*t”), and Brandon Hines (“Fire”). Each performance is executed with perfection. Songwriting credits are attributed to Canty and Hines on their respective tracks, too.

Such amazing talent will be the key to Epic Records “takeover” – and “makeover” – of the contemporary R&B landscape. On February 14, 2012, Billboard.biz announced that Sylvia Rhone will be launching her own label under the Epic Records umbrella. With in-house access to the professional guidance and dedicated mentorship of esteemed industry veterans, like L.A. Reid and Sylvia Rhone, this group of aspiring artists will undoubtedly be pushed – and expected – to maximize their full potential.

I am particularly excited about Brandon Hines, who recently released a video to his very own non-soundtrack single: “Yes You Are.” The song and accompanying video treatment are simply marvelous.

Viewers of the 2011 edition of The X Factor may also remember Marcus Canty from his dynamic cover of Boyz II Men’s “Song for Mama” – featuring an emotional on-screen moment with his mother.

Time and time again, through unparalleled artistic development techniques under their watch, L.A. Reid and Sylvia Rhone have produced – in their respective careers – a musical legacy of Midas-like proportions with sustainable acts over the years: Reid (TLC, Usher and Outkast) and Rhone (Drake, Lil’ Wayne and Erykah Badu). Expect nothing subpar from this Epic “dynamic duo.”

Think Like A Man is in theaters now. For more of Clayton Perry’s “views” and interviews, browse his “digital archive” – www.claytonperry.com - and follow him on Twitter (@crperry84).

Check out Ri-Ri’s new visual below:

In 2007, Atlanta-based R&B crooner Ray Lavender released one of the year’s most popular singles “Girl Got A Girlfriend”, and even featured a remix with Red Cafe and Fabolous. A second single was released; however, an album never materialized, even though he was signed to Akon’s Kon Live Music imprint.

Lavender admits, “I didn’t have my stuff together. I just knew how to sing, and I had some hits. You can sing all day and be talented all day, but if you don’t have the proper people in line, then it can mess your whole career up. I don’t see me coming in [with] “Girl Got A Girlfriend”, and I’m out.”

AllHipHop.com caught up with Lavender in New York City to discuss the real reason why his album was shelved, comparisons to his former labelmate T-Pain and their auto-tuning, and the scoop behind his latest buzz single and video, “Tequila”:

Follow Ray Lavender on Twitter (@DaRealRayL).

We’ve seen our fair share of influential R&B groups – from the early days of the Jackson 5, to DeBarge, to Jodeci, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Guy, New Edition, Boyz II Men, and the ’90s era with Shai, H-Town, Soul 4 Real, Blackstreet, Dru Hill, 112, Jagged Edge, and a host of others. As we neared the 2000s, more groups appeared, but this generation didn’t seem to fare as well as their predecessors. And, many a good group flew under the radar.

After a recent conversation with Slim from 112, wer’e left thinking that it seems like R&B groups just can’t seem to stay together, forever. Someone has to go solo. Someone isn’t happy with management. Someone came up on the short end of the money stick.

Here’s our list of five R&B Groups we wish would’ve stayed around just a little bit longer:

RUFF ENDZ
Who can forget the two dudes who proclaimed “No more shopping sprees!”? Nicknames? Davinch and Chi. In 2000, they released their debut album, Love Crimes. Their most popular single, “No More”, appeared on this album, peaking at # 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group released their final album in 2010, appropriately titled, The Final Chapter. Drat. They could actually harmonize.

IDEAL
They released just one album, but their hit single “Get Gone” had us relating to the story – which encouraged us to move on from those that have caused ruckus within our life. The eponymous album reached gold status. Sheesh! What happened to them?

NO QUESTION
The summer of 1999. That’s when a little-known Philadelphia-bred R&B quartet, No Question, came on the scene. Comprised of Damon Core, Dante Massey, Tommy Blackwell, and Nicholas Johnson, they released their biggest hit to date, “I Don’t Care”. The song stressed the importance of trusting your gut instinct, and ignoring what the outsiders say, when it comes to who you have love for. The group toured with such acts as Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child. Again. What happened to them?

PROPHET JONES
Once touted as “the 21st Century Jodeci” by University Records president, Haqq Islam, the guy who signed them, this quartet found their single “Lifetime” at #1 on BET’s 106th & Park. A year before, Jagged Edge released their most successful song to date “Let’s Get Married”, and I’m so sure we needed another group to follow up. Prophet Jones was that group. After this single, however, we never heard much from Prophet Jones afterwards. While Jagged Edge marched on for a little longer.

ATL
With R. Kelly & Jazze Pha producing your debut album, is it even possible to lose? The youngest of this list, ATL is a group straight out of the dirty-dirty, Atlanta, Georgia. In 2003, Will, Tré, L-Rock and Danger came on the scene with The ATL Project, which spawned two singles “Calling All Girls” and “Make It Up With Love”. The album, however, was released internationally, but never released in the U.S.

A NEW DAY (26?)

The “boy band” art form, however, has not totally died out. Groups like Day 26, Hamilton Park (pictured at top), and even the little guys, Mindless Behavior, are prying open the doors of R&B to give us that feeling of “Group Goodness” we all love. Check out a current hit below from Day 26 – “Have You Made Love Lately?” (Well, have you?)

Do you have an R&B group you’d like to see get back together for one more album?

In addition to Gabrielle Union, Omari Hardwick, Tika Sumpter, BJ Britt, Lisa Vidal and Richard Roundtree round out the cast of the new TV series.

Mara Brock Akil and Husband Salim Akil

19-year-old Alsina sings so convincingly that he almost makes you believe that, no matter how emotionally attached you are to your boo, it’s not love after all. Steadily building buzz over the past few weeks, Alsina told us he doesn’t have a regular teenager’s life admitting:

“I do this singing sh*t for real, man. I do it. I take pride in it. Like I told you, this is all I know how to do, so, I focus on this sh*t. This is my life. I don’t have a regular 19-year-old’s life. I do music all day, every day. I perfect my craft, all day, every day.”

If you missed our latest interview with August Alsina, click here.

Tank’s fifth album on Atlantic Records, This Is How I Feel, hits stores and online May 8.

We’re not sure what to think – or that Brian even needs to go here (with an “adult mixtape”) at this point in his illustrious career.

The good news is this. Brian McKnight is back in the studio after 2011′s Just Me.

Not just R&B, the competition features groups like Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. Similar to NCAA’s March Madness, the competition pairs off the bands, and as they win, you move on to pair off with another winning group, until there is one final winner.

We spoke to Slim from 112 earlier today (April 23), and here’s what he had to say:

“Right now, they’ve got us paired up with LFO. To pair us off with LFO, no disrespect to them, I’m pretty sure they’re a talented group, but, Naw man, naw! [laughter] So, I’m reaching out to our fans. We’ve put too much hard work into this. Right now, this is crazy. It’s 78% to 21%. How? All of our 112 fans, I’m pretty sure you like one of us in the group. I think we should beat these guys.”

In 1997, Bad Boy’s112 won a Grammy for “Best Rap Performance by A Duo Or Group,” for featuring in the song “I’ll Be Missing You” with Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. They have released five albums, with their final being 2005′s Pleasure & Pain, and its Billboard charting single, “U Already Know.”

Round-one voting closes on this Thursday at noon ET. Vote now at MTV.com.

Promo photos feature the two in ’90s-like clothing. Pictured above is a pose and photo, that looks very similar to a popular photo technique popularized in the early ’90′s. While it brings back a feeling of nostalgia, for future’s sake, we hope THEESatisfaction can figure out a way to marry their genre-bending music, with an innovative look. They’re almost there, the nail is in the wood, they just need a hammer to make it stick.

As writers and producers, they both compose their material, and describe their genre-bending sounds as “funk-psychedelic feminista sci-fi epics”. Signed to Sub Pop Records, this duo provides quite an interesting listen, and you can only do nothing but wait to see what’s next up their really long sleeves.

Check out their new album, awE naturalE, here.

AllHipHop.com dug up some more video from SXSW 2012. Watch a high-quality, live performance of Miguel’s “That I Do”, a single from his Art Dealer Chic Vol.1 EP:

Miguel – That I Do SxSW from Miguel on Vimeo.

Miguel’s Art Dealer Chic Vol.3 drops on April 27. Follow him on Twitter (@MiguelUnlimited) or visit artdealerchic.com.

Tank has been hard at work the last few weeks, releasing his Diary of A Mad Man mixtape, filming a video for its single “Underrated”, and even releasing a song with Chris Brown, titled “Lonely”. Looks like Tank isn’t letting anyone else in his crooning lane in his quest to be the General of R&B.

Tank’s fifth album, This Is How I Feel, is due on May 8.

This is Cossom’s follow up to his 2009 EP, and he’s not holding anything back on this one. The project features 10 tracks, along with production from his new boss, Danja. Yes, he’s signed with Danja, most notable for his work with Timbaland, who has now ventured out on his own to create N.A.R.S. Records.

He may not yet be a household name, but you definitely know his work. His biggest writing hit to date has been Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo, but you’ll also hear his talents on records featuring Chris Brown, Pusha T, Rick Ross, and Akon, to name a few.

Download Kevin Cossom’s Hook vs. Bridge II mixtape here.

For over a quarter century, soul singer Raphael Saadiq has been on the music scene. Saadiq began his career as a member of legendary R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! in 1988, when they first arrived on the scene. It was just two years later when they scored their first Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with ”Feels Good”.

Saadiq later branched out and went solo, first appearing on the Higher Learning soundtrack in 1995, with “Ask Of You.” A few years later, he released his first solo album, 2002′s Instant Vintage. In 2011, Saadiq released his highest charting album on the Billboard 200, Stone Rollin’. The album spawned three singles, “Radio”, “Good Man” and “Stone Rollin’”. Who can forget the moving, you-must-watch-this, visual that accompanied the “Good Man” single?

Most recently, Saadiq headlined a tour that boasted performances at Austin’s South By Southwest Music + Film Interactive Festival and Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Now, he’s joining Lenny Kravitz on his European and North American Tours.

The full “TIME 100″ list and related tributes appear in the April 30 issue of TIME, available on newsstands on today and now at time.com/time100.

We recently had the chance to chop it up with R&B’s new thug, New Orleans-bred crooner August Alsina. Now, the 19-year-old has released his all-new mixtape, The Product.

The DJ Scream-hosted mixtape is dedicated to Alsina’s older brother, who was gunned down in New Orleans on April 15, 2010. Inspired by the tragic events, Alsina began to seriously pursue a career in music. Now, he’s paired up with Atlanta’s Noon Time Unltd, and his impressive work ethic is not overlooked as the young MC has been very consistent, dropping new music and complimenting videos.

The 15-track DJ Scream-assisted mixtape features appearances by G.O.O.D Music’s CyHi the Prynce, Houston’s Trae Tha Truth, Atlanta’s own 2Win, and New Orleans female MC, 3D Na’tee. Though he does not yet have a feature with him, Alsina was able to score co-sign by New Orleans own Juvenile. In our interview just a few weeks ago, he even announced that he penned a yet-to-be released song with Mannie Fresh and Juvenile.

Just a word of advice – you must listen to “Ode To My Project Chicks”, a very creative R&B cover on Cash Money’s 2000 hit “Project Chick”. Trey Songz needs to get on his job – Alsina doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon!

Download August Alsina’s The Product here.

Follow August Alsina on Twitter (@AugustAlsina).

The inspiring video, directed by Yaro, features intimate home footage of Thornton in her younger days, performing at talent shows, and up until now, performing in state-of-the-art recording studios. The mixtape, P.O.Y.B.L., consists of 10 tracks that showcase Thornton’s vocal ability, while she touches on stories of love, music, and faith.

Download Melody’s free mixtape here.

Melody Thornton’s debut album Hit The Ground Running, is scheduled for release this year. For more info, visit  www.melodythornton.com.

This self-directed visual offers an intimate glimpse of Miguel as he takes control of the camera, giving us the hand-held experience. Looks like Miguel just wanted to have some fun on this one.

In 2011, Miguel earned a Grammy Nod for his help in crafting R&B crooner Jaheim’s “Finding My Way Back”. Is Miguel’s latest self-directed video adventure getting you excited for more?

In 2009, Tyler Perry took notice of Owen and gave him a role on TBS’ “House of Payne”. Now, on the heels of the release of his latest film role as “Bennett” in the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Owen doesn’t plan on slowing down. He also recently released his stand-up DVD, “True Story”, a project released as part of Shaq’s “All Star Comedy Jam” series.

AllHipHop.com got a chance to catch up with Owen, and he talks how he joined the Navy just to get into comedy, working on Think Like A Man with friend Kevin Hart and cast, and why he gives his all in his latest stand-up DVD, “True Story”.

AllHipHop.com: Before I get into what’s happening right now, I really want to know, before you did “Comic View”, did you really want to do comedy?

Gary Owen: That’s all I ever wanted to do, honestly. Even in high school, I wanted to be a comedian, but I didn’t how to become a comedian. I thought you had to start in L.A. For some reason, I didn’t know you could start locally at local comedy clubs. I thought in my mind, because I grew up in a small town, I thought you had to get to L.A, and that’s where everybody starts. I joined the Navy with the whole mindset of “I’ve gotta get to California!” They can get me to California and then when I get there, then I could start going to L.A. I went to bootcamp, and went to Washington D.C. for two years, and then the first chance I got to go to California, I got stationed in San Diego, and I was like “Sweet! That’s right by L.A.”

Soon as I got to San Diego, I start making phone calls up to L.A. I would get off work at like 4 or 5 o’clock and then drive up to L.A for 10:00 to 10:05 spot somewhere, and then I’d drive back – and I did that for about a year. Just open-micing in L.A, but people didn’t know I was from San Diego, making two hours up and two hours back. I just didn’t know you could do it in whatever town you’re in. You didn’t have to move to L.A.

AllHipHop.com: Where did you go for “Comic View”?

Gary Owen: We filmed in L.A. when I got the job. It’s funny. When I first went on “Comic View” as just a regular comic, I had only been doing stand up for probably six months, and then when they called me and said you’ve got the hosting job, I was like “Yo!” I had only been doing stand up for about a year at that point. It was like a big whirlwind honestly. I was doing it for a year, then all of a sudden I’m the host of “Comic View”.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think you’ve found your niche? When you first started out were you like “I don’t really know what my role is going to be…how will people perceive me in comedy?”

Gary Owen: What it was is, I was driving back and forth to L.A, then in the Navy, guys were telling me about spots in San Diego. You start talking to your buddies and telling them you’re going to L.A to do stand ups on the side and they tell you where you can go, little bars and hole-in-the-wall spots. I start doing all the black rooms, because I played basketball a lot, and most of the guys playing basketball was black guys, so they were telling me all the black spots to go to.

That’s when I start doing “Black comedy” so to speak. I just wanted to get on stage, I could care less where it was at. When I’d get to L.A, I was trying to do the mainstream rooms, but I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t get on stage. But, I could get on stage at the black group, real easy. Black groups, you just show up and have one comic vouch for you, and then they’ll give you five minutes. The reason I got into Black comedy before mainstream is because that’s the only place that I could get on stage on the regular.

AllHipHop.com: They showed you love before anyone else?

Gary Owen: Yeah, and until this day, it’s still like that. Mostly, look at the tours I’m on. I’m on the Shaquille O’neal tour, The Royal Comedy Tour. It is what it is.

AllHipHop.com: I think it’s perfect that you landed “House of Payne”. How did that happen?

Gary Owen: I was doing the Tom Joyner Morning Show a few years ago, and Tyler Perry came in to do just an interview. We just started talking on commercial break, and he said “I think I want to work with you on some stuff. I got some ideas.” I said alright and it wasn’t even two weeks later, I was in Atlanta filming. It was that quick. That’s how Tyler works. He doesn’t have to go through any red tape. He’s like the lowest and the highest common denominator. He was like “Yo! I like you, I want to bring you in.” And then I came in, did a table read with the rest of the cast, and he liked me, and the next week I was filming. It was fast with “House of Payne”.

AllHipHop.com: Do you like the sitcom stuff more than stand-up?

Gary Owen: I think it’s all natural progression. I think one hand feeds the other. I just like to work. You’ve got stand up on one hand and then sitcoms and movies are on the other hand. It all feeds itself. I always say the more people see me in movies and TV then it naturally helps my stand up fanbase because more will come out to see me when I’m on the road.

AllHipHop.com: How did you end up doing the Shaq “All Star Comedy Jam”?

Gary Owen: I opened up for Mike Epps, a couple years ago in Houston. That was a Saturday. It’s funny how stuff for me happens real quick. I’ll go months with nothing and then it happens real fast. Monday, they called and told me Mike was doing a new special called Live From The Nokia. It was on Showtime and Comedy Central. They said they want me to come in and do the show. I came and I did it and Jeff Clanagan, who’s the head of Code Black was there, who did the Mike Epps show, and that’s the first time they had seen me. They liked me and they called and ever since then I’ve been working with them.

AllHipHop.com: Have you met Shaq?
Gary Owen: Yeah. I’ve known Shaq for years. My wife used to work with him at TwIsm. When I first went to L.A, I knew Shaq. When he got to the Lakers, I was doing open mikes.

AllHipHop.com: Since you did Think Like A Man, I thought maybe Gary is starting to tackle the Atlanta market, with a lot of the film stuff that’s happening out there in TV.

Gary Owen: Well, we filmed Think Like A Man in L.A., Will Packer, who’s the producer, I’ve known him for a few years, and he saw me doing stand up in Atlanta at the Uptown Comedy Club, little over a year ago. Right after that he called, and was like “Hey, I got this part in Think Like A Man, I think you’ll be good for it.” It was that fast. No audition or nothing. He really went to bat for me at Sony and Screen Gems. They said “Alright, Will. If you say he’s good, then we’ll go with it.”

AllHipHop.com: Were you prepared?

Gary Owen: I was overly-prepared. When I found I got the part, I read that script so much, I knew everybody’s lines, not just mine. I wasn’t going to mess that up. Will’s track record is great. I don’t think he’s had a bad movie yet that didn’t make money. It just seemed to me like he’s real selective on the projects he picks. And the movie came out so good.

AllHipHop.com: How was it working with Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, all these folks?

Gary Owen: I’ve known Kevin for years. Comedy goes with fraternities. Me and Kevin were the late ’90s fraternity comics that made the trek to L.A. I’ve known Kevin for years. I knew Taraji, I knew Gabrielle, but everyone else was the first time. Everybody was cool, laid back. Honestly, every movie I’ve worked on I don’t have any horror stories. Sometimes, I hear people saying they can’t believe they worked with this guy, or this director. I never had anything. My whole thing is, come in, do your lines, and go home. It’s not that complicated if you look at like that.

AllHipHop.com: Straight up, simple?

Gary Owen: Yeah, come in, know your lines, and go home.

AllHipHop.com:Are you looking to write stuff for other people?

Gary Owen:I don’t want to write jokes for other people. No. I’ll write for myself.

AllHipHop.com: Like Kanye, keep the hottest beats for yourself?

Gary Owen: Yeah, I write for myself. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever written a joke down, in my life. I’m always like “If it’s funny, I’ll remember it.”

AllHipHop.com: That’s deep. Are you excited about your new stand-up special, “True Story”?

Gary Owen: Yeah. It came out really well. It’s funny when you do an hour special like that because you prepare and prepare, you get on the road, you hit comedy clubs, and the night of filming you’re like “Okay, I’m ready.” and then it’s so funny because the second stage, my opening joke, I don’t know what happened but it left my head. [laughter] It was fine, I had other jokes, but it was like, when I watched it back, I was like damn I forgot my first joke. It’s not like I walked on stage and said “Oh, I forgot it.” I just walked on stage and start going and doing another joke and was like “Damn, the joke that I’ve been opening with for six months, I just forgot to say it.”

Then, Floyd Mayweather walked into my show late halfway through, so I had to address it because he came in with like 40 people. Right there, that was another five or 10 minutes unexpected. You can prepare all you want, but the night of it’s never going to go like you think. As a comic, you’ve just gotta be prepared for that. I’m happy with it. It came out good, the crowd was into it, visually it’s attractive, I like the way it looks, it’s going to be on Showtime May 10th. For me to say it’s good, it’s one thing. It’s not up to me, the public has to say it’s good.

AllHipHop.com: Right. What was the original joke?

Gary Owen: It was something about Lean On Me and The Color Purple, and it just left my head. [laughter] I walked on stage and I think I saw some Mexicans in the front, and I didn’t talk about them, but I just started talking about Mexican people and I don’t know why it happend, but it just happened.

AllHipHop.com: I think that makes for the best comedy. On the spot.

Gary Owen: Yeah. I was telling my road manager, I was like “Dude. All this stuff I’m doing, hitting the road, and doing these jokes, and flip-flopping, you know, you try one joke early and you try it late, just to see if it works better at the beginning or end of your set.” I don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s why you almost got to be overly prepared. When they say you’ve got an hour special. You need to have like 90 minutes of material for the hour, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know the vibe of the crowd that night.

AllHipHop.com: I think sometimes we think everything is pre-produced. Like it’s very structured, and very organized, and when we watch the hour special so we don’t really know that what you guys are doing is real. This hour special is real, and you only got one time.

Gary Owen: Your agents and managers will always tell you: “Make sure your jokes play to the masses, not that area.” I filmed my special in Vegas. Don’t tailor your show to Vegas, but at the same time, as a comic we feed off the energy of the crowd. We gotta tailor somewhat to where we’re at. You want the crowd into it. When I’m on the road, every city I go to, I make sure I address that city first. I just give a little tid bit about the city. I could’ve read from the paper, name off a bad neighborhood or a nice restaurant, or something the whole crowd will know. They’re on your side at that point, that “Oh! He knows us a little bit.”

AllHipHop.com: Before we got off, I always thought that maybe you really didn’t have an African American wife. I always that maybe that was a gimmick. I was like “This guy cannot be serious!” But it’s true!

Gary Owen: [laughs] Naw, it’s not a gimmick. And people ask me that all the time “Is your wife really Black?”, and I’m like “I wouldn’t make that up.” And, the stories I tell are real stories. I’m not making these stories up. I’m to the point now when I do a true story, I was talking about introducing my wife to my family, what it was like, and my kids. Now, where I’m at, I’m actually talking about being married to her. My act now is in what I go through with her, and it’s not a racial thing, it’s more of a cultural thing.

You just have to see it now. Yeah, a lot of my stories are true, I’m adding a little bit on to make it funny, but I’m just talking about my life and how I see it because I really feel like I’m a fish out of water in my life, but I’m comfortable in the water if that makes sense. I’m really comfortable in my own skin, and I’m comfortable where I’m at in life. From everyone else’s perspective it’s like “GOD! I’m totally out of my element!” but I’m really not. Make sure everybody goes to see Think Like A Man on April 20, watch True Story” on May 10 on Showtime.

CONTEST: Gary Owen gave us three copies of his latest DVD special “True Story” and we’re giving them all away this weekend to three special winners! Tweet us a hilarious experience you’ve had in your life to @allhiphopcom, and use the hashtags #TrueStory and #AllHipHop, and we will choose the best three!

Facebook.com/GaryOwen
Twitter.com/GaryOwen

Check out her latest song and video combination, “It’s Whatever”:

In December 2011, Karina released a six-track EP, Trips to Venus. While it does seem like Karina could have done just a little bit more and presented a more cemented visual that helps us “believe” her, this is definitely a good start in the right direction.

Are you checking for Karina’s new music?

She’s independent now, releasing her music courtesy of Mudd Monkey Inc., but we’re sure she’ll be fielding calls from big wigs like L.A. Reid in just a few months to talk business (that might be going too far).

In the song, she proclaims “I gave my heart to you! I changed myself for you!”, as she insists her guy is just another “lesson learned.” Check out the video below:

This isn’t the first time Brown and Tank have collaborated to create a soulful thug’s masterpiece, as Brown joined him on 2011′s “Celebration (Remix)” and on “Foreplay”. It’s always a good listen when they team up. Check out the song HERE:

Tank’s This Is How I Feel album is due out soon.

It’s safe to say there’s something about Dawn. We won’t go too far, because She has yet to release her debut solo album Golden Heart, but we’ll say she’s on the right path. She’s garnered a fanbase – as noted with her Billboard Heatseekers charting. She can actually sing – if you’ve listened to the Armor On mixtape. Lastly, she can actually dance, as she’s been dancing since three years old – and even had a stint cheerleading in her hometown for the New Orleans Hornets.

AllHipHop.com caught up with Dawn while she was touring in New Orleans, and she speaks on being fearless, leaving Bad Boy Records, and the single and video for “Bombs” that has the nation paying attention!

AllHipHop.com:: You’ve got the #1 joint on iTunes, you’ve got a video on TV, social networks are going crazy. How are you feeling right now?

Dawn Richard: I feel good, I’m excited. They said we couldn’t do it, and I think as a small, independent team, with literally like four of us, to be able to reach number one! People fail to realize this is just an EP. We found out yesterday (April 5), we charted on Billboard at Number 4 for New Heatseekers Album. We’re at #25 overall for R&B. It’s just numbers that we didn’t even expect because we only sold it on iTunes. We haven’t even used any other media outlets like Rhapsody or Amazon.com, so it’s just a big thing right now, we’re excited.

AllHipHop.com: Right, are you guys looking to expand it to Amazon?

Dawn Richard: Yeah, we’re going to do it in the next three weeks, but because of how the numbers have done with not a lot, we’re trying to just milk it now. Now the ball is in our court, because we can actually leave it on iTunes. Right now it’s been like a week and we moved to number 3, now we’re back at number 2 on iTunes again. We haven’t even put that outlet out yet, so I think we will wait a couple of weeks and then do that and see how that does. That means that now we have leverage, you know?

AllHipHop.com: Yep! What makes you call it R&B, and not Pop?

Dawn Richard: I think people want to say Pop, because it’s moving, it’s progressive, like you never stop feeling like you want to dance. I think that’s something that makes people feel that it’s pop. R&B can be that, too. I think it’s just progressive. I call it R&B because the melodies are soulful. The background. In POP music, you don’t have three to four different background harmonies. Usually in Pop songs, there’s a two part harmony, most of it’s one track, it’s never the use of four to five different kind of melodies. When you start talking about musically doing that – that’s R&B. That’s soul music. I think it’s just done on a different vibe. People want to call it Pop because that 808 and that snare is driving you. Every time you listening to it, you want to move. So it makes you feel like it’s a dance record, or it’s techno or electronic music. But really – it isn’t. It’s all soul based. It’s just pushing the limit on what you consider soul to be. At the end of the day, my voice is still a R&B sound, regardless of what kind of track it’s on.

AllHipHop.com: You sound like you’re very technical, you’re talking about the snares. Are you a technical kind of musician?

Dawn Richard: I grew up on it, and my producer, Dru-Ski, is extremely talented. He plays the keys and that was one of the things I wanted to be. I wanted to be an artist that musicians love, as well as the people. That’s what separates you from just being a gimmick or being a true artist. I don’t have a design of what anyone else is, but for me, those things matter. The snare matters. I come from New Orleans and the drum and the snare drives everything. The second line of music we have, I want it to mimic the same feel that I get when I hear a live band. In the streets in New Orleans, I wanted people to feel the same way. They don’t call that Pop music, they call that soul. I think it’s just a different vibe.

From where I come from, we push things. The genres are kind of mashed together, that Afro-centric tribal type of sound is something that’s innate, it’s not something that’s Pop. I think Pop has copied that rhythm from Soul, if you think about it, that movement is African. That movement is tribal. That comes from the drum. Either genre of music is taking something from that soul. For me it’s important not to be technical but just being around musicians and wanting to have the same respect. The people love you, and you want the musicians and your peers to love you, too.

AllHipHop.com: Is that what inspired the “Bombs” video?

Dawn Richard When I first came out, I wanted to introduce people to me as an artist that had everything. At first, I wanted to introduce the ballads and the soul music, so that they know as a vocalist, if they needed for me to stand still and sing, they could see that I could do it. That, to me, is the hardest. An artist can dance around and jump and do all those things, but if you just want to get the record to be delivered, they want that too. I wanted to show the versatility, so I gave that kind of record first.

With “Bombs”, that was the “we have arrived” record, that was the record where I wanted people to see me as a dancer for the first time. Because I think people don’t even really know I dance, and that’s something that a lot of R&B artists – there’s few women doing that right now. There are few R&B artists that are singing soul music, then can give you four to five 8-counts on a record. That’s something that I was excited about because I felt like that’s where my base was. I started dancing, so, for “Bombs”, we wanted that to be the “we have arrived”, “we are coming”, and this is the introduction. It’s really another step for me as an artist.

AllHipHop.com: I heard through the grapevine that your mom owned a dance school?

Dawn Richard Right, that’s where I started! I started dancing before I was singing. I was two when my mom put the tights on me and said “Go!” and from that on I’ve been dancing. Even before “Making The Band”, I was dancing in the NBA for the Hornets. Dancing was always something that came naturally for me, so, that’s the part that I’ve been wanting to do for the longest. It’s the most exciting part and that’s where my roots are.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got to have a crazy workout regime.

Dawn Richard: I don’t. The workout regime is the art of dance. I like to push myself, so I’ll take different classes from modern, to ballet, to tap. I’ll just keep myself motivated in that. In L.A, I’m always at Debbie Reynolds. My best friend dances. I taught her when I was growing up and now she dances for me and she’s in the “Bombs” video, too. When she goes to class, I go too, just like a student. I think that’s what you have to be. You have to know that you have to be a student to this game. Learn, and take vocal classes, and make sure I’m good on that. I go to take dance classes to make sure that I’m as great of an artist that I can be.

AllHipHop.com: We know you’re not with Danity Kane. No more Diddy-Dirty Money. Now you’re totally solo. Some folks might look at that as, “She’s out there? What is she up to?,” but I think it’s great to come from that background and to have people rooting for you.

Dawn Richard: I think it’s fantastic!

AllHipHop.com: Because now they’re rooting for the underdog.

Dawn Richard: Right! And I think that’s great. But what I think what we’re doing, it’s just different. Even coming from two different groups, people know I’m really coming from two different genres. Danity Kane was Pop. Dirty Money was more Hip-Hop soul, and here we are R&B with the EP. I thought my tone wouldn’t be accepted, so I tried my best to try to figure it out because I didn’t know if they understood my tone and where I needed to be.

We’ve transcended different genres. I’ve literally been in every different genre and we’ve been successful in each way. Whether it was with the Pop, with the two platinum albums and #1 albums with Danity Kane. Whether it was with Dirty Money making a revolutionary album, where people like Grace Jones and all of those people on that album. And then EP doing the numbers that it’s doing, I think people are saying they want something new and refreshing. I just want to make sure that when it does come, I deliver.

AllHipHop.com: Were you scared at first?

Dawn Richard: I’m not scared. Never scared. I’m fearless in the fight. I’m the Devil’s advocate. It’s more like I always play both sides of the fence. I never look at it like “I’m going to be the greatest, you’re going to receive me, that’s it!” I always look at it like “I’ll be great, but then what if they don’t receive me, what’s our next plan?” I’m always looking at both sides of it. There was always the “What if they don’t? We have figure this out!” That’s learning from Puff. Puff, as a businessman, always looks at both sides of it. How will we lose here, how will we win. As a marketing person, you have to see it that way. I never look at it like it’s all just one-sided. I wasn’t scared, I just was business savvy about the way I had to go about it. It had to be strategic.

AllHipHop.com: And you spoke about Puff, so are you working with the same producers?

Dawn Richard: No. The EP was just one. For my album, it’s similar. It’s nobody that anyone knows. That’s the thing. That’s what makes it so brilliant. The EP had no features and no producers that anyone knew. I think that makes it even better, so people know now, there was no favors. No one helped me. It was all done by myself. There was no, “Oh, because this person is great they’re going to help me out.” Puff and Bad Boy were great for letting me go, but they let me go, and that was that. I’m appreciative of them because I asked for that release. I asked for him to see if I could fly, and he believed in me enough to let me go, and I’ll forever love him for that. But once they let you go, you have to figure it out on your own. We’ve proved that we can, by doing this.

AllHipHop.com: Are you looking at other major labels?

Dawn Richard: Yeah, we’re definitely are. Like I said the ball is in our court now. We can make the decision whether or not, it’s a good choice for us or not. Right now, we’re proving that as an independent team of four people, we can push forward. You’ve just got to work a little bit harder but if you love the craft and you put hard work into it, I think anything’s possible. Yeah, we’re definitely looking at labels but we’re also looking at the idea of us standing alone. The numbers (for the EP) were delivering with no one. It’s amazing for something that isn’t even an album.

AllHipHop.com: What about Dawn Richard on Roc Nation?

Dawn Richard: I love them. I think what they do is amazing. They’re a powerhouse. If the offer is right, that’s fantastic. I love what they’re doing with the females in the game. For us, the aesthetic is different because they have a plan of action that they’re doing. It’d be great to see if they did want to rock with us, what they would do with that.

AllHipHop.com: SWV just got back together after 15 years, with a new album coming out. Do you think we might be waiting that long for a Danity Kane joint?

Dawn Richard: I don’t think that would be too long to wait for that! I think that’d be kind of cool. I just think timing has to be right, and I always believe in delivering a product that is better than what you’ve already done. If you’re not exceeding what you’ve already given out, you shouldn’t do it because you shouldn’t damage something that was so great. For me, I want us to be great, but it has to be at the respect and level that the fans deserve.

AllHipHop.com: And you went to college in New Orleans, right? Did you join a sorority?

Dawn Richards: No, I didn’t, but everyone in my family is, but me. I was really into school. I was taking 21 and 18 hours each semester because I was in Marine Biology, so I didn’t have time for anything else.

AllHipHop.com: That was the passion before music?

Dawn Richard: Yeah, I was concentrating in Manatees and Dolphins. When I left, I had to make a choice – to stay in the city, or go far away. I moved into UNO to go to school, and I had to change my major because they didn’t have marine science, so I went into music marketing with a minor in marine science. That was a cool experience, that was just a choice that I made. I choose to go into music marketing at the end because I knew that I had choose music.

AllHipHop.com: And for someone who’s in that battle between Marine Biology versus what they really want to do, what do you say to somebody who really wants to pursue their dream?

Dawn Richard: You do what you love. I don’t have any advice, because at the end of the day, I had to fall to be here. Do what you love. Don’t do something for someone else, do it for you. When you get to the point when you realize your life is your life, because you don’t realize your life is all you have until you get a certain place, and you’re like “Okay, this is my life!” You want to make sure that it’s what you love because you’ll have that realization and then you’ll be trying to fight to go back to the place where you wanted to start. If you love something, go for that.

AllHipHop.com: And the Golden Heart Trilogy. It’s coming?

Dawn Richard: It’s coming! It’s actually done. It was done before the EP, but like I said, everything is strategic. It has to make sense. The sound was so innovative, we had to bring people to that space. You can’t just say, “Okay. Like me. I’m here.” You have to sell a product, you have to sell a brand. Just like you have commercials. You have to give people enough, so that they love you and then you go forward. I think that’s what we did with the EP, so it’s definitely ready to come!

AllHipHop.com: It seems like you’ve really been learning!

Dawn Richard: If I didn’t, shame on me!

AllHipHop.com: Right. And that might be the difference between some people who may have been in a group, and didn’t become as successful, or been with Bad Boy who may not have been as successful?

Dawn Richard: Yeah, well, I don’t blame Bad Boy. That’s the thing. They gave you an opportunity. A person can only give you a crack of a window. It’s up to you to open it all the way up, just break it. I’d just rather break it than try to pry it open and I think for me that’s why I never used an excuse. They gave me the tools, it’s up to me to figure it out.

AllHipHop.com: That’s it for me! Do you have anything that the folks need to know?

Dawn Richard: Yes, go get the EP. It’s on iTunes! It’s been really great because the hearts are making it so. Make sure you go on 106th & Park and vote for “Bombs”. That video is really dope. I’m really grateful for the choreography. Come see me on tour! I am on tour right now. Check out dawnrichard.tumblr.com to see the dates.

Follow Dawn Richard on Twitter (@DawnRichard) and visit her personal fan blog, www.dawnrichardblog.com.

Coko, Lelee, and Taj make up SWV (Sisters With Voices). And there’s no need for Auto-Tune here. For old and new fans alike, this is sure to please your ears, as the group reunites with the same stellar sound that made us fall in love back on their 1992 debut It’s About Time. The album went multi-platinum and spawned a string of Top 10 R&B hits, including “I’m So Into You”, “Right Here”, “Weak” and “You’re Always On My Mind”.

It’s not everyday that a successful R&B girl group from the ’90s reunites, releases music, and it actually sounds like quality material. Let’s enjoy this moment, please. What do you think about their latest sound?

I Missed Us is available everywhere on April 17.

His latest song and video off the album, Next Breath, sheds light on the tone of the latest effort. This is his follow-up to 2010’s Now or Never.

Does Tank have your attention yet?

Unlike its 1976 predecessor, which was set in 1950′s Harlem, the new film is set in Detroit, Michigan, in the 1960s Motown era. The film takes inspiration from real life group, The Supremes, which produced the iconic legend we know today as Diana Ross.

With music written by R. Kelly and appearances by Mike Epps, Derek Luke, Cee-Lo, and more, this film is sure to be a classic. Sparkle is scheduled for release this summer. Watch the trailer below:

AllHipHop.com had the chance to speak with director Neema Barnette and actress Sharon Leal on the making of the film, shedding light on real-life stories of missing Black children, and if Ms. Leal brought out her best acting chops when working with Blair Underwood and Pam Grier. Listen to the audio below:

With her film entirely financed, produced, promoted and distributed by African Americans, director Neema Barnette says, “Making this film, I wanted it show what we can do, in a multitude of ways. Not only to break that mold, but to give people like Codeblack, a platform for a really well-done film that they could be proud of that will hopefully open the market for independent Black distribution.”

This dramatic thriller is about a husband (Underwood) and wife (Leal) who find themselves in the midst of a crisis after their young daughter is kidnapped. The couple must race against time to find their child, who is believed to have been abducted by a serial killer who symbolically murders his victims “on the 7th day.” During their desperate search, a series of deep, dark, damaging secrets unveil a troubling past, putting the marriage and their futures in jeopardy. Watch the trailer below:

Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day hits theaters on April 13.

In our exclusive interview, the quirky songstress reveals, “I’ve been wanting to do a cover album for a long time, but they’ve always talked me out of it, because I guess cover albums have a stigma for something you do way later in life, or when you don’t have your own songs. We finally did it.”

The first single from Covered is “Smoke Two Joints”, a song originally written and performed by The Toyes in 1983.

Macy Gray is holding a contest! Video record yourself singing your best rendition of Macy’s “Sail” and put it on YouTube. The video with the most hits wins, and the winner will receive a call from Ms. Gray herself. Official details here.

Macy’s latest album, Covered, is available in stores and on iTunes here.

At 23 years old, Lavender was the first act signed to Akon’s KonLive Records via Geffen Records, now home of Pop-sensation Lady Gaga. Although Lavender’s debut album, X-Rayted, was never released by the label, he continues to work on new music.

Is Lavender’s new song hot or not?

Season Two of VH1′s “Love & Hip Hop” saw Detroit songstress, Teairra Mari, serve as a voice of reason in the midst of drama surrounding other cast members. She was also trying to find her own voice and prepare a new album after previous disappointing sales. Teairra Mari linked up with producer Rico Love – who also appeared on the show – and is now working on a new project.

Teairra Mari talked exclusively to Vibe.com about working with Rico Love, who she would like to collaborate with on her new album, and what it was like in the middle of the Erica Mena/Kimbella drama-fest on “Love & Hip Hop”.

Read the exclusive article here.

The series first appeared on R. Kelly’s seventh studio album, TP.3 Reloaded, with its first five chapters introducing us to the racy characters and their lies, sex, and betrayal. Now, with 22 new chapters, Kelly is returning with more entertainment for our eyes and ears.

R. Kelly has partnered with IFC on the new series, but let’s take a look back at where the unforgettable saga all began:

Source

During his recent trip to the South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas, The-Dream revealed that, not only is his new album scheduled to drop soon, he’s also been working with international singer Shakira.

The-Dream is currently canvassing the country on his “Kill The Lights” tour. His new studio album, Love IV, hits online and stores in Summer 2012.