Centric & The Grammy Foundation partnered over Soul Train Awards Weekend to bring A Grammy Career Day to Andre Agassi High School. Grammy Career day is a national outreach program that provides insight to high school students about careers that are available in the music industry and direction on how to prepare for them. Grammy Career Day provides an opportunity for students to interact with professionals representing a wide range of careers. Top music professionals, drawn from members of The Recording Academy and the industry participate in the program. Grammy Career Day reaches more than 3,000 students annually.
For the latest installment, The Grammy Foundation partnered with Soul Train and Centric to produce a Career Day in Las Vegas, the host city of the 2015 Soul Train Awards. The Soul Train- Grammy Foundation entertainment panel featured guest speakers Wanda Coriano ( VP Music Video Promotion at Capitol Music Group), Richard Gay (Executive VP, Strategy and Operations BET Networks), Vivian Green (Recording Artist), and Kwame Holland (President/ CEO-Make Noise LLC). Each of the panelist chronicled their career journeys and explained to the students that the road to success may not always be an easy one but it will be worth it. They also shared anecdotes about some of their trials and tribulations as well as some of their most rewarding career moments, encouraging the students to never give up on the pursuit of their dreams!
With his new Atlanta based label CKMG and partnership with A1 Promotions, Coalition’s own DJ Shawtyrock creates a new stripper anthem “On My Mind” with assistance from TK N Cash & Que. This melodic and catchy record will have you singing along after the first verse. DJ Shawtyrock along with several other Coalition DJ’s have been responsible for breaking some of your favorite rappers including: Future, Ca$h Out, Migos, 2 Chainz, K Camp and several other Atlanta recording artists. Take a listen below!
After being premiered yesterday on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio Show, Watch The Duck share new single “Stretch 2-3-4” featuring and produced by Pharrell Williams, from their forthcoming EP, The Trojan Horse, due outNovember 20th. Pre-order now on iTunes!
With Drag-On’s latest track John Gotti featuring Joe Young still gaining alot of buzz and being spun on the radio, the two waste no time dropping some more FIRE! They decided to drop a 2 track project “The Package” as well as a new freestyle over Meek Mill’s“Check”. Also Drag just got through releasing part 13 of his Freestyle Cyphers adressing his relationship with DMX. Drag-On & Joe Young has been raising eyebrows with their collaborative efforts which lead to the assumption that there is more in the works.
Yet another publication has come under fire for one of it’s “Greatest Of All Time” lists. It seems like publications and television programs such as VH1’s “Greatest” lists fall short and receive much backlash sometimes. Hip Hop fans have been letting the two authors of Billboard’s “10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time” article, Steven J. Horowitz and Alex Gale, have it. These lists are all subjective, and there are plenty of rappers that were omitted from this list. It’s debatable about which ones should’ve made the cut. The snub that has outraged rap fans the most is the omission of Tupac Shakur. To be honest, it would’ve been disrespectful to have him at No. 10, but to leave him off the list completely is absurd! This leads me to believe that Billboard may have done this on purpose to spark controversy and get those hits up. Surely they did most of this list to get people talking. Who would you add and remove from Billboard’s list?
10. Lil Wayne
9. Kendrick Lamar
8. Ghostface Killah
7. Lauryn Hill
6. Andre 3000
5. Nas
4. Rakim
3. Eminem
2. Jay Z
1. The Notorious B.I.G.
Where is that Wingstop money? Rumor has it that Rick Ross, Lira Galore, and his crew were recently flying with American Airlines, however the entourage was split up. A gate agent for American Airlines claims Rick Ross flew first class and everyone else including Lira sat in coach. Dang Rozay not only put Lira in coach, he also had her in a middle seat. This isn’t all that uncommon as it is surprising. We’ve actually seen plenty of your favorite rapper’s favorite rappers flying coach.
People just won’t let Ja Rule live or be great. Despite his contribution to Hip Hop, he is still on the receiving end of jokes about his beef with 50 Cent, his opinions in his interviews, and the decline in his career. Earlier this year he stated that he won the first round in his beef with 50 Cent. Many didn’t agree with that. Ja Rule said something on The Breakfast Club not too long ago that made us go hmmmmmm,
“No one said Drake is like Tupac. They kind of say Drake is like Ja Rule,” he said.
Do you see the Ja Rule influence in Drake? Ja must be referring to his “singing” and rapping sound/style. Did anyone get bodied by singing n- Ja?
Method Man and Redman’s How High was released 14 years ago and the sequel is in the works. Unfortunately, Redman says fans will have to wait another two years before it’s released.
“How High 2 is not going to drop until at least 2017,” he told XXL. “The writers are still writing the script. Just looking at it time wise and being realistic about it -by the time we shoot it, get it edited, color corrected, that’s going to be a year or so, so yeah about 2017.”
New York hip-hop collective, Fame School, releases mixtape, Fame School & Friends vol. 1, featuring Manolo Rose, French Montana, Maino, Memphis Bleek, Dave East, Tray Pizzy, Mike Zombie, Black Dave, Big Bz, Bizzy Crook, Nitty Scott and more.
Besides joining forces for their upcoming joint mixtape, Ape Sh!t, Mike WiLL Made It and Future will be linking up to give back to their hometown this Thanksgiving. According to a press release, Future’s FreeWishes foundation and Mike’s Making Wishes Matter foundation will be hosting a children’s coat drive and Thanksgiving dinners for seniors in Atlanta.
The third annual Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Dinner takes place on Nov. 21st at different YMCA locations across Atlanta. Attendees can enjoy a night of dining and dancing and will also be given a dinner to take home. The Community Coat Drive will take place on Dec. 20th where children will be gifted with toys, brand new coats and other winter items.
Rich Homie Quan is out here getting it in! Recently he said that women aren’t loyal and “these h*es are for everybody.” His baby mama wasted no time pointing out the hypocrisy and reminding him that he is actually the one sleeping with everyone. In his song “Numbers” RHQ says he didn’t know he was related to the woman but he “hit” (had sex with) his cousin. Does Rich Homie Quan get a pass because he didn’t know he was related to the woman, or do you think he really did know, and he just didn’t care? A few fans commented saying that this kind of thing is common in the south. Those from the south is this common down south?! We hope not. Well… Kevin Gates was sleeping with his cousin too. Oh my.
Kendrick Lamar recently wrapped up his intimate eight-city tour, the “King Kunta Groove Sessions.” During the stop in Dallas, K. Dot told the crowd of 3,000 that “this might be the last time [he] performs To Pimp A Butterfly.” This has led to much speculation that fans won’t be able to see him perform hits like “Alright” or “King Kunta” again anytime soon. Complex caught up with one of his frequent collaborators and one of TPAB‘s producers Terrace Martin and discussed the likeliness of the album ever being performed again.
“We didn’t do that album for popular culture,” Martin said. “We did that album for people who have no way out. We did that album for people who can’t even afford to go to the shows. We did an album for people who need hope. You don’t prostitute that.”
Martin also spoke on rumors that Kendrick may be releasing another album soon. He said they haven’t hopped in the studio yet but they are “just studying, playing Sly Stone records, Miles Davis…”
Jonn Hart adds Kid Ink to his new single “New Chick” that originally only featured 50 Cent. Produced by Sham. He is working on a upcoming EP set to be released in 2016. Look out for a lot of new things coming for Jonn Hart in the near future.
Footage from the altercation Busta Rhymes had at NYC’s Steel Gym back in August has been released.
In the clip, Bussa Buss is seen in a heated exchange with an employee. Things take a nasty turn when Busta throws a protein shake and knocks over a monitor. The man is taken away but Busta refuses to leave and is still arguing.
After the incident, he was arrested for assault and later pleaded guilty to second degree harassment. The Brooklyn native also agreed to anger management classes to avoid jail time. He was also fined $420.
The Conglomerate Ent. head recently sat down with Billboard and discussed the ordeal, saying that it was blown out of proportion by the media, police and gym employee.
“It was obvious that these were allegations that were not accurate,.” he said. “If they were accurate, the second-degree felony that I was charged with would not have been reduced to a violation, which is not even a criminal charge, and only a fine for $420 dollars, so I think that the results of the situation and the facts speak for themselves. I’m glad it’s over and behind me. At the end of the day, it wasn’t a big deal in the first place. The fact that it came to this point was a waste of a bunch of people’s time and energy but that’s the one thing I love about the truth. It’s undisputed, regardless what people say or do.”
Chance the Rapper has been recognized as a top Chitown rep. Chicago Magazine has crowned him as one of the four Chicagoans of the Year. The 22-year-old was honored as the Youth Whisperer due to his work with his city’s youth.
The “Angels” rapper has been committed to addressing the trigger-happy nature of his city during his young career. He started a social media campaign, #SaveChicago, to encourage young people to cease the violence during Memorial Day Weekend. Chano also partnered up with the Harold Washington Library Center to launch a series of open mic events for teens to showcase their poetry skills. He also hosted a free music festival, the Teens in the Park Fest, in June, geared towards those 21 and under. Chance also surprised students during the summer with trips to the local museums, the planetarium and aquarium.
Vocalist Sevyn Streeter has had an amazing 2015. Her song “How Bad Do You Want It” appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack, her EP Shoulda Been There, Pt. 1 broke into the Top 5 on the R&B chart, and her voice was featured on The Game’s critically acclaimed album The Documentary 2.5.
Sevyn [born Amber Streeter] recently continued her musical streak by releasing a remix to Bryson Tiller’s#### record “Don’t.”The Florida-born songstress provided a female perspective to the sultry R&B anthem about convincing a potential lover the grass really is greener on the other side.
As Ms. Streeter continues to ensure her future in the music business will be a bright one, AllHipHop.com caught up with the singer-songwriter to get her to reflect on some of the big moments from her past.
In “My Five Firsts,” Sevyn shares memories of her debut performance at a landmark venue in New York City, recording with frequent collaborator Chris Brown, being inspired by Aaliyah, and more.
My momma had me in this big, puffy, ugly silver dress. My hair was in these big old candy curls, and I was a little chubby chub. My cheeks looked like they were stuffed with food. It was so funny. [laughs]
At the end of the day, it was a legendary experience to be able to touch the same log as Michael Jackson, James Brown, and so many other greats. I still remember what that felt like all these years later. I will never forget that for the rest of my life.
First Time Hearing A Song You Wrote Played On The Radio
The first time hearing a song I wrote on the radio was [Chris Brown’s] “Yeah 3x.” I remember everybody kept telling me, “You ain’t heard it yet? We heard it in the car.” I was like, “No! I haven’t heard it yet!”
I remember I was pulling up to my manager’s house, and I turned on the radio. I literally caught the tail end of “Yeah 3x.” But just hearing those few little seconds was enough for me. I just sat in that car and said to myself, “Wow.” That’s another moment I will never forget.
First Time Recording With Chris Brown
The first time I recorded with him I was in my old group RichGirl. He had a writing session, and I asked if I could be a part of it. That night we ended up doing a song called “Smile & Wave.”
I remember just thinking, “I’m recording a song with Chris Brown. This is crazy.” I texted my mom the whole time with the play-by-play: “We just did this.” “He likes this part I came up with.” We were at a studio called Westlake.
First Time Winning A Grammy
Winning a Grammy for writing on [Chris Brown’s] F.A.M.E. was crazy. Honestly, we just wanted Chris to win so badly. That was his first Grammy, and my first Grammy as well. I remember watching him walk up on that stage. It didn’t really hit me at first. I was just so happy for him.
I remember somebody saying to me, “You know that means you’re a Grammy award winning writer now.” I was like, “I get something too? Oh crap!” [laughs] It didn’t hit me until that moment when they said that. My eyes kind of jumped out of my head. It came as a surprise to me, but a great one.
First Time Seeing Aaliyah’s “One In A Million” Video
I don’t remember the first time hearing the song, but I definitely remember when the video came out. I loved that video. I was just feeling like I was lost in her world – this world where girls were just effortlessly cool. She wasn’t trying too hard. It was so smooth. That first introduction made me realize just being me was okay.
We all wanted to be like her, dress like her… I could go on-and-on about Aaliyah. Like I said, I wanted to be cool like her. She didn’t make it hard. It wasn’t like this unrealistic level of coolness. We could grab a pair of shades and throw on some clothes that our parents would approve of. It was really easy.
(AllHipHop News) After the success of Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith, it appears former One Direction member Zayn Malik is the next British singer to try his hand at R&B music. In a new interview with The Fader, Malik discussed leaving his Pop roots with 1D behind for a more urban sound.
According to the 22-year-old performer, the genre transition should not be seen as a surprise. Malik revealed he was never 100% behind the music he was forced to make as part of One Direction.
“There was never any room for me to experiment creatively in the band,” said Zayn. “If I would sing a hook or a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it would always be recorded 50 times until there was a straight version that was pop, generic as f*ck, so they could use that version.”
Malik is currently working with 37-year-old producer James “Malay” Ho on his debut solo album., Malay’s credits includes tracks with artists such as John Legend, Alicia Keys, Fantasia, and Jamie Foxx. He also worked extensively on the Grammy winning channel ORANGE album by Frank Ocean.
In fact, Ocean’s honest writing style is being viewed as sort of a template for the new tunes from Malik. His current vocal offerings are said to be more harmonious with The Weeknd or Miguel than anything created during his run with Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson.
“Would you listen to One Direction, sat at a party with your girl? I wouldn’t. To me, that’s not an insult, that’s me as a 22-year-old man,” added Zayn. “As much as I was in that band, and I loved everything that we did, that’s not music that I would listen to. I don’t think that’s an offensive statement to make. That’s just not who I am. If I was sat at a dinner date with a girl, I would play some cool sh*t, you know what I mean? I want to make music that I think is cool sh*t. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.”
The RCA recording artist already has a fan in 50 Cent – the rap star that also happened to have collaborated with Malay in the past. The G-Unit leader even suggested Zayn has the potential to follow in the prosperous footsteps of fellow boy bander-turned-solo act Justin Timberlake.
(AllHipHop News) English producer Mark Ronson has one of the biggest hits of 2015 with “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars. Ronson actually debuted the worldwide #1 single on Sway In The Morning, and he returned to the Shade 45 radio show to share some stories and thoughts on other music stars he has worked with during his career.
One of those performers was Jay Z. According to Ronson, he spoke to the Hip Hop legend during a deejaying gig for the The Dynasty: Roc La Familia release party in 2000.
“Jay comes up to me – and I don’t really know him that well. I thought he was definitely going to say, ‘Can you please never use one of my f*cking parties to hype up your record? Go back to playing some Roc-A-Fella,’” stated Ronson. “He says, ‘You did that beat right? When you do a remix, let me rhyme over it.’”
Apparently, Jay never returned Mark’s phone calls about the possible collaboration. But Ronson did get to work with Amy Winehouse. In fact, he played a big role in the late singer’s classic 2006 album Back To Black. The Brit Award winner was asked about the critically acclaimed documentary Amy which covered the rise and fall of the troubled artist.
“I think most people know the music’s pretty great, because when it came out it was really the thing that made people pay so much attention [to Winehouse],” said Ronson. “But toward the end, I think everyone might have forgot it, because everything became so much about the more ‘tabloidy’ stuff.”
He added, “She was a proper lyricist, and you see that in the film. It puts her back up on a pedestal. That’s what the director [Asif Kapadia] was saying. You remember she’s a f*cking brilliant talent.”
