First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a number of celebrities on Monday (June 15) at the White House, during the first annual White House Music Series. Mrs. Obama, and the Marsalis’ (Ellis, Branford and noted Hip-Hop critic Wynton Marsalis) spoke to over 150 music students from New Orleans and Washington D.C. During her speech, Mrs. Obama described Jazz as "America's indigenous art form" and revealed what kind of music her children, Sasha, 10 and Malia 8, would be exposed to. “I brought my own family with me today, because I want to keep them alive and aware of all kinds of music, other than hip-hop. So it's just -- it's so important for me to have you here that I brought them here as well."
Lil Wayne has signed on to endorse a new line of cigars named "Bogey Blunts." The blunts come with no tobacco, so smokers fill the blunt with their own tobacco, or in most cases, marijuana. The packaging will come with Lil Wayne’s image on the cover. Wayne is not the first rapper to have his own line of blunts. There is currently a line featuring Notorious B.I.G. and over the years, several other rappers, including Jadakiss, have made attempts to enter the lucrative market.
Rick Ross will take part in a new concert series launching in Phoenix, Arizona titled Pontiac Live. The series, which kicks off July 17 at the Phoenix Amphitheater, was created by the Pontiac Downtown Development Authority. Rick Ross and crew will hit the stage on July 24, while several other notable acts are scheduled throughout the event, which ends in September. Confirmed artists include En Vogue, Bell Biv Devoe, Chuck Berry, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Cindy Lauper, Michael McDonald, Snoop Dogg and others.
The Black Eyed Peas’ new album The E.N.D. debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, moving an impressive 304,000 units its first week in stores. The sales figures marks the best opening week ever for the Peas, who topped their 2005 release Monkey Business, which moved 291,000 unites. The Black Eyed Peas’ latest single "I Gotta Feeling" is currently sitting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, right behind their own #1 single, "Boom Boom Pow," which has held the top slot for 11 weeks in a row.
