Conde Nast Taps Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas For ‘Fashion Rocks’ Concert
Rappers Kanye West and The Black Eyed Peas will join an all-star cast of performers during Conde Nast Media Group’s ‘Fashion Rocks’ concert in September. West and The Peas will perform alongside a number of celebrity singers on September 7 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, to help raise AIDS awareness. Proceeds from […]
VIBE Gets New Owners
VIBE magazine was acquired yesterday (July 6) by The Wicks Group of Companies, L.L.C., a New York-based private equity firm. Although terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, it was revealed that former VIBE music editor Danyel Smith was named editor-in-chief. “I have always been a strong supporter and believer in the VIBE brand, and I […]
Reebok Teams With DJ Mick Boogie For New Series Of Mixtapes
Mixtape DJ Mick Boogie has hooked up with RBK/Reebok for a new series of mixtapes. The series, titled the RBK Artist Spotlight, will feature various RBK artists, including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco and Lil Wayne. Fiasco will grace the first edition of the series while promoting his new shoe, The OG. “I’m very […]
Management Company The Firm Launches Label After Success In Recorded Music Business
After experiencing success handling recording company functions for Ice Cube’s Lench Mob Records, artist management company The Firm has launched a new music company distributed by EMI. The Firm handled A&R, marketing, promotion and publicity for Ice Cube’s Laugh Now, Cry Later, which was self-financed by the rapper. The album, distributed by EMI, debuted top […]
Rocksteady Crew Celebrates 29th Anniversary
The Rock Steady Crew (RSC) is set to celebrate its 29th Anniversary later this month with four days of planned festivities. This years events include an underground celebrity basketball game, the 2nd Annual Spy Awards, an invitation-only B-Boy/B-Girl Battle, and free outdoor concert. The Rock Steady 29th Anniversary is expected to attract over 20,000 Hip-Hop […]
Will & Jada Pinkett Smith On Board ‘3rd Annual Charlie Mack Celebrity Weekend’
Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith will participate in Charles "Charlie Mack" Alston’s 3rd Annual Charlie Mack Celebrity Weekend, a series of charity events taking place in Smith and Mack’s hometown of Philadelphia July 21-23.Mack, a film producer and legendary Philadelphia promoter who has served as Smith’s long time aide, will donate a portion […]
BET Set To Debut DMX Reality Series ‘Soul Of A Man’
Fans of rapper DMX will get a glimpse into his life when his reality show DMX: Soul of a Man debuts on BET July 12. The reality series exposes the various trials and tribulations DMX, born Earl Simmons has experienced in his past, as well as his aspirations for the future. The show follows DMX […]
Method Man, Snoop Dogg Co-Sign Tyrese Gibson’s ‘Black-Ty’ Projects
R&B singer/actor Tyrese Gibson has found a well spring of support among some of rap’s elite with his rhyming alias Black-Ty. Gibson, who made his debut as Black-Ty June 25 at a recent performance in Los Angeles, is humbled by the fact his rap career is being co-signed by established Mc’s. “The way I look […]
Paul Wall To Throw Opening Pitch During Houston Astros Game
Houston rap star Paul Wall will realize a dream come true tonight (July 5), when he throws the first pitch during a face-off between the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs. The game takes place at the Astros’ home field, Minute Maid Park, where the rapper/producer will throw the first pitch of the game to […]
Mario Vazquez: Keep It Fresh
For the past few years, very few people shamelessly announced to the universe that American Idol was TiVod weekly. However, last year, during the 2005 American Idol semifinals, a then-unknown Mario Vazquez coaxed the closet fans to emerge from hiding. With curly hair, pensive eyes and a voice as smooth as caramel, Mario was undoubtedly […]
The Roots: Blood, Sweat, and No Tears
The Game Theory is defined as “An agent or person who is faced with a set of moves he can play and will form a strategy, to best respond to his environment.” Nobel Peace Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, the subject of the film A Beautiful Mind, developed this theory to calculate an actual formula to […]
Dante Ross: Dummy Smacks
T odays A&R not only eats off of the artists he signs, he can become a star in his own right. Jay-Z can shout out Lenny S as TI brings in DJ Drama to be the ears of Grand Hustle/Atlantic. However, in the formation of Hip-Hop as we know it, one of the most unmentioned […]
Dallas Austin Receives Pardon On Four Year Sentence, To Be Deported From Dubai
Grammy Award winning producer Dallas Austin has received a pardon for possession of cocaine for personal use by a Dubai court yesterday (July 3). Austin, 34, was convicted and sentenced to four years in a Dubai prison, where he had been incarcerated since May 19, when he was caught with 1.26 grams and five-and-a-half capsules […]
Table Tennis (Video Game)
Artist: Video Game ReviewTitle: Table Tennis (Video Game)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Bill Heinzelman When Rockstar Games (of Grand Theft Auto fame) announced plans to produce an X-Box 360 exclusive title, fans jumped for joy. Then they found out the game was based on ping pong, ahem, table tennis. While Forrest Gump is the “sports” […]
Mo’ Money In The Bank Part 4 (Mixtape)
Artist: Whoo Kid/Lloyd BanksTitle: Mo’ Money In The Bank Part 4 (Mixtape)Rating: 3 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Jamiyl “J Boogie” Samuels Lloyd Banks is still hungry for more. Having the release of his anticipated sophomore album The Rotten Apple delayed, Banks has kept busy by setting the table for his summer release with installments of his […]
Jazmine Sullivan: Gotta Get It
At the age of 19, Philly-bred musical prodigy and accomplished singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan already has six years of music industry experience under her belt. From singing with musical legend Stevie Wonder to writing some of radios hottest new songs, Sullivan is slowly but surely making a name for her self. Jazmine attended the Philadelphia Performing […]
Lil’ Kim Leaves Prison In Style
Rapper Lil’ Kim is now home from prison after being released early Monday (July 3) from a federal detention center. The MC, (born Kimberly Jones) carried a balloon and a bouquet of white roses as she walked out of the center at 6 a.m. wearing sunglasses and an all-white outfit. Jones got into a silver […]
CL Smooth Preparing New Album ‘American Me’
Rapper CL Smooth is ending a ten-year hiatus and releasing his highly anticipated solo album, American Me. The album, which drops on Shaman Work Recordings, features production by Arsonist of the Heatmakerz, Kaygee and Tramp of Divine Mill and newcomer Mike Loe. “ American Me is about misconceptions. It’s about the things people say, the […]
Men Fire Into Nightclub Crowd In Gainesville, Rapper Plies, Associates Arrested
Five men, including Slip-N-Slide rapper Plies were arrested in conjunction with a nightclub shooting early today (July 2) at a 238 West Nightclub in Gainesville, Florida. According to police Plies, of Fort Meyers and Baton Rouge, Louisiana rapper Lil’ Boosie were headlining a show at the club.As Plies and an entourage were performing, a dispute […]
Dallas Austin To Seek Pardon From Dubai’s Ruler
Multi-platinum producer Dallas Austin pleaded guilty to charges of possessing 1.26 grams of cocaine yesterday (June 1) into Dubai and will face sentencing in a United Arab Emirates court tomorrow (July 3).Austin, who appeared briefly in court in jeans and a white dress shirt, was accompanied by four attorneys, one of the UAE, one from […]