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BLACK MUSIC MONTH: “The Planet Rocks” When Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and Hip-Hop Collide

It’s “Black Music Month!” And while it may not sound okay to some folks to call music ‘Black’ or ‘White’ or ‘in-between,’ there are definitely historical and cultural roots to today’s beloved music genres. Black Music Month is a time to celebrate the music of a people born out of struggle and raised into triumph. It emerged from the swamps and plantations of the South, the steel mills and railroads of the North, and everywhere Black people have been in this country.

Most Black Music is derived from the rhythms of Africa, and in America, it mashed with other sounds to create the rhythmic pulses of most modern, Pop music.

From Hip-Hop’s inception, the musical art form has been ever-expanding and groundbreaking in every facet possible. Breaking boundaries across different socio-economic walks of life and cultures, from the inner city to the suburbs, from the U.S. to overseas, Hip-Hop has stretched its tentacles to nearly every crevice of the earth.

Jumping across genres as well, Hip-Hop has notably expanded to electronic dance music (EDM), getting its foot in the dual genre of electronic-Hip-Hop in its early years. Some of the earliest Hip-Hop acts had a profound grasp on how to utilize synths and electronic drum-making machines, giving Hip-Hop fans a taste of the European club sound that groups like Kraftwerk perfected.

Now, some groups are making millions and getting played on Pop music stations across the country, jumping from Hip-Hop only stations to stations that play a wider variety of music. Others are making glitch-type beats and performing at the renowned EDM based Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Check out some of AllHipHop.com’s top EDM/Hip-Hop artists and tracks watch, as Hip-Hop makes the experimental jump to EDM:

Black Eyed Peas – With production from will.i.am that is unmatched, this group has sold more albums than 99% of most Hip-Hop acts today. From sold out arenas, to songs that remain on your local pop station, BEP has left an indelible mark on the game. Fergie even made the Kanye album.

“Boom Boom Pow”

Flo Rida – Dude is paid. All the haters gotta move to the side when he pulls up in the Bugatti. Honestly, what can you say when he is winning like this? He is probably one of the greatest selling Hip-Hop artists from Miami, aside from Rick Ross and Pitbull, and is the go-to guy for today’s EDM/Hip-Hop mash-ups. Either way, it’s pretty dope to be mentioned in the same tax bracket as those dudes and he is constantly on tour.

“Wild Ones”

Pitbull – From Dr. Pepper to a whole host of other promotions, this Cuban-American artist bred in Miami is knocking down every door imaginable. Remember when Pit was on MTV’s “Super Sweet 16” after that girl paid stupid dough for him to perform? Yeah…. Umm, he’s getting way more than than right now.

2 Live Crew – These dudes were in serious trouble with the government, and almost couldn’t even put out their music due to its lewd and sexual nature. Things went all they way to the Supreme Court, and the group actually won a big victory for Hip-Hop and our freedom of speech. We owe them our gratitude for sure. BUT, if you REALLY listen to the sounds they incorporated, you will be impressed by the fact that they fully incorporated synths and 808s on their fast-paced beats that were just on the verge of house and techno music.

“Pop That Coochie”

Afrika Bambaatta and Soul Sonic Force – “Searching for the Perfect Beat”…need we go any further? Afrika possibly had one of the best songs ever in this genre. Def groundbreaking and one of breakdancers’ favorite tracks to get down to – let us never forget “Planet Rock”. These dudes are LEGENDS. Get out of the room if you can’t get down to this. You don’t like Hip-Hop.

“Planet Rock”

Nicki Minaj – Well, we just had to put her on this list after Rosenberg called out that pop radio-friendly “Starships” track for lacking the gritty elements enjoyed by Hip-Hop traditionalists. Let’s be real – her music has a lot of electronic sounding instruments, and it’s geared towards a younger generation that is in synch with the electro music of this era.

Kid Cudi – For all Cudi’s antics over the years, you have to give him credit for not being scared to break boundaries with his music. From changing his voice on Kanye’s 808’s and Heartbreaks to the “Day N Night” track, which has been remade into dub step, and the very popular “Crookers” remix, Cudi is pumping out electronic Hip-Hop infused with psychedelics. , fans await his Indicud album, we can only expect it to get more trippy after the recently-released WZRD project, an experimental rock album that did pretty well on both Rock and Hip-Hop charts.

“Day N’ Night (Crookers Remix)”

Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz – How can we not consider Crunk music as part of this dance and electro Hip-Hop sounding music? With Jon’s use of synths and the such to create a whole new genre, he is now performing at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, one of the largest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals in the world. His DJ’ing and creation of more EDM styles of music has to be recognized. This guy is performing worldwide with this style of music.

Kanye West – Starting out chopping soul samples, to including glitch sounds in his most recent Watch The Throne project with Jay-Z, Kanye has expanded the minds of Hip-Hop producers far beyond what many thought was possible. Then you have 808s and Heartbreaks. That whole album was nearly an electronic experiment with auto-tune. Although it was a bit somber, one could say that it definitely took Kanye’s fans into the electronic realm of music. And, we’ll remember the “Stronger” collaboration with Daft Punk as one of electronic music’s greatest modern day hat tricks.

“Stronger”

LMFAO – Related to Barry Gordy and wild as all hell, these dudes possess some of the most hype music there is today, and it’s hard not to put them in the Hip-Hop category after seeing them rap their a##es off at SXSW a few years back. These guys are outta here, and prob aren’t coming back to earth anytime soon. Check the amount of YouTube views they are getting. It’s somewhere in the hundreds of millions, oh, and they like to rap, too.

Outkast – Outkast made this list due to some of the music they put out towards the end of their run in the early 2000s. Stankonia in and of itself was very electronic in nature, with songs like the mind-blowing “B.O.B”. Andre and Big Boi have never been ones to shy away from pushing their music to different place, and “B.O.B.” showed that.

“B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)”

WE KNOW THERE ARE LOTS MORE EXAMPLES, BUT WE CAN’T POSSIBLY LIST THEM ALL! SHARE YOUR OWN BELOW! HAPPY BLACK MUSIC MONTH! Don’t forget to check out “We Got The Jazz”: AllHipHop.com’s Top 5 to Mash-up Rap With Abstract, along with a great “Black Music Month Book Notes” column to help get your historical Hip-Hop weight up!

Hip-Hop Rumors: Who Are Jay-Z And Beyonce Bringing To The BET Awards?

BET has confirmed that superstar couple Jay-Z and Beyonce will attend the 2012 BET Awards this weekend in Los Angeles. This is huge news, considering neither Jay or Bey have been at a BET Awards in years. Well, Beyonce gave them exclusive concert footage from her performance in London last year, but she was not actually even in the country.

So what could be bigger than Bey and Jay attending the awards? BLUE IVY CARTER!

According to MediaTakeout, Blue Ivy Carter will be making her first public appearance with Hip-Hop’s royal couple. How do they know this? “A rock solid snitch” has told them that Beyonce has arranged for EXTRA SECURITY to attend the Awards show with her daughter. Beyonce wants to ensure that no DRAMA gets anywhere near her or her daughter.

Bey and Blue will have at least 5 SECURITY GUARDS around them at ALL TIMES. Way to play it safe. Are you excited to see what Blue Ivy looks like now?

AllHipHop Spotlight: Louie V Mob Featuring Master P

Master P performed in St. Louis for HOT 104 Super Jam. Master P comes on stage and introduces the newest line up from No Limit Forever Records Louie V Mob. AllHipHop.com would like to introduce Romeo, Eastwood, Miss Chee, Bengie B, T.E.C and T-Bo also known as the Louie V Mob.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm90gNqqn_k

Daily Word: Go Beyond Limitations!! (The Flea in a Jar Story)

Happy Friday, my relentless and persistent!

Welcome to the day that you soar past your limitations, and fly high towards your dreams and
aspirations! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to going beyond any limitations!

I heard a story yesterday that immediately inspired me…. It was the story of a flea in a jar….. Naturally, fleas can jump up to 15 feet. So, if you placed a flea in a jar, it would have no
problem getting out. But if you placed a flea in a jar with a lid on it, the flea would of course begin to jump, repeatedly hitting his head on the lid while trying to escape. After about 20 minutes, the flea would begin to learn that it cannot escape, and stop jumping as high as it did to begin with, to stop him from hitting his head on the lid.

Once he becomes used to the fact that he can’t escape, if you remove the lid, the flea will continue to jump at the same height, never escaping the jar. Since the flea BELIEVES he cannot escape the jar, he stops trying. Because of the experience with hitting his head every time he tried to escape, he never even bothers to look up to see that the lid is no longer there. This is what sometimes happens in life! We are naturally made to be great, to soar with excellence…
but as life keeps smacking us in the head, we become weary and stop trying to reach our greatness! We impose limitations on what we are able to do and call it “reality.”

Go Beyond Limitations! No matter how many times it takes, it’s always too early to quit! Realize that you are meant to fly, so under no circumstances is it OK to give up that right! You may be dealt with obstacles and temporary setbacks, but always remember that they are only temporary! No one or nothing can ever hold you back from what is truly yours!! Take flight and take what you deserve!!
-Ash’Cash

“Simply pushing harder within the old boundaries will not do.” -Karl Weick

“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” -Les Brown

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” -Robert Fritz

“Life’s only limitations are those you set upon yourself, for as long as you strive hard enough anything is achievable.” -Chad Williams

“The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible.” -Arthur C. Clarke

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.” -Denis Waitley

“Don’t tell me the sky is the limit; there are footprints on the moon!” -Unknown

“Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.” -James Cook

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Dres Of Black Sheep Stars In Movie “FiGHT, DANCE, SiNG”

(AllHipHop News) Rap veteran Dres of Black Sheep is set to star in a new online movie debuting online today (June 29).

The rapper will star in “FiGHT DANCE SiNG,”which is centered around the life of New York City man named Junie Lachman.

According to a synopsis for the movie, Junie is tired of surviving day-to-day, and finds his release through Capoeira, which combines dance and music with martial arts.

The flick was written and directed by Will Smith’s Mentee and former on-set assistant, Kamal Robinson.

Additionally, FiGHT DANCE SiNG’s Hip-Hop soundtrack was produced by the Equinox.

Check out the movie at FightDanceSing.com