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DeLorean #BGA Ft. Curtis Snow – Breathe
Keith Hunnid “Lebron”
Ludacris Hosts “Fast & Furious” Fun Day in ATL.
April 2nd, Ludacris invited out celebrity friends and fans to the Andretti Indoor race track for a fun-filled race around the track to decide who was really “fast & furious” in Atlanta. With celebrity teams headed up by Big Boi, T-Boz & Chilli, and Luda himself.
The event brought out hundreds of fans who watched the races and played games to celebrate the upcoming release of the sixth installment of Fast & Furious, Fast 6. Since the debut of the trailer for the film during Super Bowl XLVII, anticipation has been building for the Memorial Day weekend release.
AllHipHop.com was there to check out the fast paced action and to see who would be crowned Atlanta’s Fast & Furious. Here’s a hint… he’s in the movie.
And check out the trailer for Fast 6, in theaters May 24.
Listen: Dawn Richard and Eve Team Up for “Northern Lights”
Singer Dawn Richard has been on the move since the release of her debut solo album Goldenheart.
Now, she’s back with her latest, “Northern Lights”, and has called on rapper Eve, for the remix.
Dawn appears on Eve’s upcoming album Lip Lock on a yet to be released single titled “Keep Me From You”.
#FreshHeat: Cassow Ft. Danny Brown “Oh Lord”
Napoleon Da Legend Ft. Spit Gemz “Truth Serum”
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Inks Partnership with Universal Music Group
(AllHipHop News) Marcy projects bred rapper turned mogul, Jay-Z, has entered into a multi-year, worldwide partnership with his Roc Nation music label and Universal Music Group.
Under the new deal, Jay-Z will bring his Roc Nation artists, including Rihanna, and will operate as a standalone label within the UMG family, effective immediately.
Several other labels, including Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, made moves to try to lock down Jay-Z and the Roc Nation imprint although Jay-Z ultimately picked UMG for an undisclosed amount.
“We are looking forward to working with Lucian and the incredible team he’s assembled at Universal. We would like to applaud Lucian for collaborating with us to strike a new age deal. This agreement presents a unique opportunity for Roc Nation’s artists-being able to continue to operate as an independent label with the strength, power and reach of the best major. I look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with UMG. It feels good to be home.” Jay-Z said in a statement to the press.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, sources say Warner executive Lyor Cohen made a play for Jay-Z as part of a deal that would sign the Brooklyn bred mogul to his own firm.
Jay-Z’s signing to the world’s largest music company, led by Lucian Grainge, comes on the heels of Jay-Z allowing his last long-term recording contract with Universal’s Def Jam to expire.
In making the announcement, Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, said, “In just five years, Roc Nation has established itself as one of the most successful brands in music with a reputation for developing some of today¹s most influential and popular talent. Not only does this agreement provide a dynamic platform for Roc Nation’s exciting emerging artists, it extends our relationship with the extraordinary Rihanna and represents a homecoming for JAY Z-a brilliant artist and entrepreneur, who has been a creative cornerstone of our company. All of us at UMG are thrilled that JAY and Roc Nation chose UMG as their partners, knowing we will support their artists with a level of resources, expertise and passion that is simply unmatched in the industry.”
Founded in 2008, Roc Nation is a full-service entertainment company, inclusive of artist, songwriter, producer and engineer management; music publishing; touring & merchandising; film & television; new business ventures; and a music label.
More news as details emerge.
Suga Free & Pimpin’ Young Ft. Nate Dogg “15 Minutes to 5”
Sonnie Carson #BGA “Get By Freestyle”
Smoke DZA #BGA “Wolf Pack”
Kanye West Hit With RICO/Copyright Infringement For Sampling Same Song Multiple Times
(AllHipHop News) Chicago rapper Kanye West and a number of record labels are the subject of a new copyright/RICO lawsuit, over the continued usage of a 1974 sample.
The rap star is being sued by Trena Steward and Lorenzo Pryor, who are the owners of the copyright for the song “Bumpin’ Bus Stop.”
The song was originally recorded by the siblings’ father, David Pryor of the music group Thunder & Lightning.
David Pryor died from various health conditions, in May 2006.
The brother and sister are suing for millions of dollars in damages, claiming Kanye illegally used a portion of the tune in his hit single “Gold Digger.”
According to the lawsuit, Kanye and various labels engaged in a 15-year “illegal copyright infringement scheme and criminal enterprise involving the unauthorized, willful sampling of plaintiffs original copyrighted music on a massive scale.”
Other record label’s named in the lawsuit include: Roc-a-Fella Records, Bad Boy Records, Stones Throw Records, Bomb Hip-Hop Records, Autumn Games, Activision, Caroline Distribution and The Island Def Jam Music Group.
Check out a copy of the lawsuit below:
Kris Warren “Blow”
#AlternativePick: 2 Am Club Ft. Kid Ink “Fire”
Joie 13 Ft. Killer Mike “IBM”
Nature – Rock Like This (Produced By Skammadix)
CuzOH! Black Ft. Wordsmith “Emergency Funk Broadcast” (Produced by Strada)
BJ The Chicago Kid Says He & Kendrick Lamar Are Like ‘R. Kelly and Jay-Z’ [VIDEO]
R&B singer and recent Motown Records signee, BJ The Chicago Kid, is buzzing with his latest track “Good Luv’n”.
AllHipHop.com caught up with the singer and he talks his upcoming debut album and says he and Kendrick Lamar are like “Kells and Jay”.
Peep the interview:
NEW MUSIC: “Good Luv’n” by BJ The Chicago Kid
Jaden Smith Drops New “Shakespeare” Video
(AllHipHop News) Jaden Smith is taking big steps to escape the shadow of his Grammy winning father’s music career. One of those recent strides for the actor/dancer/rapper is the release of the video for his latest single “Shakespeare.”
“Shakespeare” is the second visual Jaden has dropped over the last few weeks. On March 25th, the rap scion uploaded the “Hello” video on his official YouTube channel. Both clips were directed by Moises Arias who is best well-known for starring on the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana.
“Hello” appeared on Jaden’s debut mixtape The Cool Cafe: The Cool Tape Vol.1 released last October. Since that date he has filmed several videos from the project including “The Coolest” and “Find You Somewhere” featuring AcE and his little sister Willow.
At this point, Jaden has become a veteran of video-making, but the “Shakespeare” video stands out from his previous visuals because of its stylish, avant-garde treatment.
Despite the recent focus on the music, the young triple threat entertainer is not giving up on his acting career just yet. Jaden stars with his dad, Will Smith, in the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan-directed feature film After Earth set for release on June 7th. This will be first time the two family members will appear in a movie together since 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness.
Watch the video for “Shakespeare” and a trailer for After Earth below.
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R&B Singer August Alsina Talks Working With The Dream, Preps Def Jam Debut
With a buzzing single and a hunger for more, R&B singer August Alsina bravely takes on New York City for the first time.
The singer, who’s drawn comparisons to Trey Songz and Lloyd, is buzzing from his latest release “I Luv This Sh*t”, featuring Trinidad James. In less than a month, the video has reached nearly 900,000 views on YouTube.
The day after Alsina’s first performance in New York City, the singer meet with AHH in the lobby of his hotel.
In our interview, Alsina talks his affiliation with The Dream and his Radio Killa Records, his upcoming mixtape The Product 2 and shares the story of how he and Trinidad James linked up before they had record deals.
AllHipHop.com: You’re in New York City. How do you feel right now?
August Alsina: I’m chillin’ man. New York is cool. It’s very fast. Everything moves fast out here. We just did the show last night, and New York is one of the toughest crowds but we made it through. We did it and there was an applause and there were no boos. We did what we had to do.
AHH: The spotlight came on you last night because you serenaded Angela Yee from Power 105.1.
Alsina: That’s me putting the spotlight on myself. I didn’t know those people were going to be there. I saw everybody in the front row and why not put her on? As artists, we put ourself out there to be judged so let me give you something to judge me by and to remember me by. Plus, Angie is a beautiful woman, so why not sing to her?
AHH: I was standing next to a girl who wasn’t sold on August Alsina yet, but as soon as you went into the crowd, she was sold.
Alsina: Of course. As a new n*gga, people don’t know what to expect. Everybody is on the fence when they see you in the first place. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion.
When you first meet somebody, just as a human being, the way the mind works – m***********s don’t want to like a n*gga in the first place. But it’s up to me, to do my job and show you that this is what I do. At the end of the day, if you f*ck with me, you f*ck with me. If you don’t, you don’t. I’m not here for you to like me.
I’m here for you to like my music and enjoy what I do. That’s what is so crazy about being an artist and trying to be the perfect artist and still remain yourself. As a man, I don’t give a f*ck if you like me or not. I’ve never been the person to try to impress the next n*gga.
In my mind, I’m cool and if you don’t like me, that means you’re lame and you’re not cool. At the end of the day, she enjoyed it and that’s what it’s all about. I don’t mind that, in the beginning, you’re like: “I don’t know, I still gotta see.”
AHH: You have a face tattoo. What’s it say?
Alsina: Self Made.
AHH: Self Made on your face, but you’re an R&B singer. There are singers like Miguel and Frank Ocean who are representing a new kind of R&B. You’re kind of rough around the edges. Do you feel like this image works for you?
Alsina: Do I feel like me works for me? Of course, because it’s me. There’s nothing else that I can do. If I tried to do something else, it wouldn’t me. I’m all about being upfront. Ain’t no sugar coating or beating around the bush. What you see is what you get. I just put that in my music. Why try to change and dress some sh*t up?
VIDEO: August Alsina Performs in NYC
AHH: Around 2004, Lloyd made his debut from Murder Inc. He came out with a hard image, he was a thug from the Southside of Atlanta and he succeeded with that. You both worked on “Sucka (Remix)”, is he a mentor to you?
Alsina: That’s my n*gga. That’s my brother. Anybody who’s been doing something longer than you’ve done it, is a teacher. It might not be conscious teaching. It’s an unconscious thing. Just by watching the movements and what people are doing. Of course, I learn a lot from anybody I’m around that’s been doing this longer than I’ve doing it.
AHH: What led to the Trinidad James record, “I Luv This S###”?
Alsina: That’s when the show turned up last night, when “I Luv This S###” came on. That shows me that record is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. The show didn’t only turn up because it sounded good, but it turnt up because n*ggas was like “Oh! That’s that kid. That’s him!”. You got to put a face with the music.
I had the song for about six months before Trinidad even got on it. Me and Trinidad got mutual friends outside the industry at the same tattoo shop and they’ve been trying to connect us. Long before I had a deal or he had a deal, they just wanted us to do music. They’ve been bumping our music in the tattoo shop. Eventually, we connected and exchanged numbers.
VIDEO: “I Luv This Sh*t” by August Alsina
AHH: Is this the first single off an upcoming debut album?
Alsina: What’s crazy is at first this was supposed to be a “buzz single”, but when we saw the response to it, we decided to go full throttle with it. It’s a great record and it’s a real record.
AHH: You’re signed to Def Jam and you have a very close relationship with Radio Killa. It seems like The Dream is sponsoring August Alsina.
Alsina: [laughs] He said sponsoring! Dream is my n*gga and he’s also an A&R at Def Jam. He knows what he’s doing and he has experience. We already got in the studio and we’re going to get in the studio some more, but we do have a track together. I don’t know when it’s dropping.
AHH: How do you feel about the state of R&B right now?
Alsina: Everybody always saying R&B is in a bad place. After last night, I honestly don’t feel that way. It was very talented n*ggas in the building.
AHH: Who’s on your iPod right now? Be honest if it’s just The Product.
Alsina: Believe that, I listen to a lot of myself but I don’t get too caught up into myself. I listen to a lot of rap. Jeezy, Pac, Mike, Chris Brown, Frank. Last night, me and Luke James chopped it up and I think it’s a beautiful thing what we got going on for New Orleans. From Frank to Luke, it’s just special.
New Orleans is in a f*cked up place and it’s special to see people coming out of New Orleans. You show n*ggas that’s there that it’s possible to do anything. It’s a bigger world than just New Orleans and what we know.
We so caught up into ourselves and into our culture, and New Orleans is all we know. It’s a beautiful thing what we’re doing.
“Get Ya Money” by August Alsina
AHH: What do you want 2013 to say about August Alsina?
Alsina: We’re just getting started. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m cocked and loaded. We got some sh*t in the chambers which means we’re ready to shoot. I know I want it to be filled with blessings and success, of course. But I’m not that type of guy to say if I can see myself here this year, or next year. I live off of faith in God alone.
Wherever God wants me to be in life and in my career, that’s where I’ll be. I would’ve never thought that I would be here a year ago.
AHH: Last question. Is your real name August Alsina?
Alsina: August Anthony Alsina.
Photo Credit: Meredith Truax & Leny Behar
Listen to our FULL Interview with August Alsina: