Look on any music chart these days and you can’t help but notice Atlanta’s strong presence. Usher, OutKast, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and Dallas Austin are just a few of the mega-talents who call the Peachtree State their home. It’s certainly no surprise that up and coming artists of all ages and backgrounds find […]
Daron Jones isn’t the sole voice of 112, but he is the man behind some of their most romantic love songs. “Only You,” “Love Me,” “Hot & Wet” and “My Mistakes” among many others, were penned and produced by Jones with heartfelt, sensual lyrics and melodies. He co-wrote and produced “I Should Have Cheated” by […]
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it is not unusual for music’s premier balladeers to hit a stage near you to perform all your favorite love songs. Singles and couples alike often include attending a performance as part of their romantic repertoire in celebration of the season. It was no surprise when B.B. King’s in […]
The slew of new R&B artists that are hitting the airwaves is no coincidence. The record labels have picked up the change in urban music consumers, and the teen market is ready to embrace something other than Hip-Hop. Chances are that when Def Jam recording artist Ne-Yo dropped his first single “Stay” in Fall 2005, […]
Hip-Hop has many roots. The genre gets its soul from the blues, its edge from the streets and its rhythm from the Motherland – but the artistic side comes from poetry. Anyone who is a fan of both Hip-Hop and poetry holds the name Ursula Rucker in reverence. Her haunting and poignant rhymes closed out […]
Ellington “Fuji” Jordan has been making music for years with legendary artists, and is still continuing to grow in his craft. He co-wrote the song, “I’d Rather Go Blind”, which has been recorded by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, B.B. King, The Noel Redding Band and Rod Stewart to name a few. He was also […]
Grammy award-winning songstress Yolanda Adams has been astounding people around the world for years with her compassionate, soulful voice. Contrary to what some might think, Yolanda’s phenomenal success has contributed to some decline in optimism throughout the Gospel music industry. Her unique style and unyielding presence have transcended the boundaries between mainstream music and Gospel. […]
Long before MTV began adding their names in the credits, and before programs like Making the Video hit the airwaves, music video directors have been equally anonymous to the janitor who cleaned up on set. Times have changed, and with more attention shifting to the talent behind the camera, music video directors have become celebrities […]
AHHA: Speaking of eccentric, the recent Korn video “Twisted Transistor” has Snoop, Xzibit, Li’l John, and David Banner portrayed as members of the band. It’s quite a different take on the notion of meshing Rock with Rap. Dave: Yeah, I’ve experienced the eclecticness in music and universality of it all and I think that’s where […]
If Alicia Keys ever decided to infuse dance music with her R&B style, she would probably morph into something close to Latrice Barnett. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Latrice is an accomplished instrumentalist and plays a number of instruments including saxophone, bass, cello and the flute. She also pens her own lyrics and […]
Anthony Hamilton’s music sounds like it could be emanating from some off-road juke joint in the heart of Georgia – a place smoldering with fried catfish, collard greens and enough Southern drawl to make any Yankee fall in love with the ambience. His old soul sound has been interplayed with some of the hottest Hip-Hop […]
By now, even your grandmother can fluently sing along to “Gasolina”. When a fateful injury left Raymond Ayala unable to play professional baseball, he never dreamt he would later dominate urban Latin music. After falling in love with Hip-Hop on his native island of Puerto Rico, Daddy Yankee emerged to become a frontrunner in the […]
It is rare that you come across a group of entertainers that consists of singers, choreographers, actors, rappers and dancers all together. The Amount Boyz has managed to break the mold of stereotypical boy bands with their amazing combination of talent. Although the group has been around for nearly ten years, they are still categorized […]
Let’s get this straight. Mary J. Blige didn’t ask for drama. No one wants to deal with drama and the pain that comes along with it. And she certainly didn’t ask for, or expect, seven Vibe covers, the title ‘Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’, three Grammy Awards or 727,000 albums sold in her first week and […]
Best R&B Artist Mariah Carey– Mariah showed us her fire in 2005, a whopping 15 years after her solo debut album dropped. Not only did she come with pure heat on her songs and videos, at 35-years-old she looks better than ever and still sounds like an angel. The beauty of Mariah’s success this time […]
From the moment we heard Goapele in the intimate barbershop scene from the movie Honey, it was obvious that the Bay Area songstress was destined for great things. Whether it’s blessing a track from one of her Hieroglyphics crew affiliates, or soothing our soul with her refreshing voice, Goapele is a welcomed force in music. […]
Tony Hussle is hoping the sexiest, freakiest thing you want to do is buy his debut album – Sexy Freaky, Electric. As the album title suggests, Hussle’s music is a blend of old school Funk, new school sex appeal and the electricity of Rock n’ Roll. With song like “She’s A Virgin, Too” and “Your […]
We don’t know what Chris Rock was thinking when he titled his new show Everybody Hates Chris, but America is loving the Rock family right now. Tony Rock may be the lesser-known brother, but don’t think of him as some Tito Jackson, background player standing behind Chris Rock. Rock has been a stand-up comedian for […]
Big Lez. The name resonates with Hip-Hop lovers reared in the 1990’s on the visual crack called Black Entertainment Television. Along with Joe Clair, Leslie “Big Lez” Segar put a personable face on the rap videos that millions watched. Although it seemed like her ascent started with BET, Big Lez had already built a rock-solid […]
AHHA: You hosted/co-hosted Rap City for a long time back in the day. What where some of your memories from that period of time? How was it for you? Did you encounter some of those issues like sexism and things like that? Big Lez: BET was an interesting experience for me. I came to BET […]