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Neako “LVLGODMLR”
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LA The Darkman Ft. S Class Sonny “Everything”
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Dollarmentary Ft. Treach “Rap Professors” P###. by Vinny Idol
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Exclusive: Songwriter Sues Over B.o.B’s#### Single “Airplanes”
(AllHipHop News) A songwriter has filed a lawsuit against a production duo who claimed sole responsibility for producing B.o.B.’s#### single “Airplanes.”
Christine Dominguez filed a lawsuit against Jeremy Dussolliet (Kinetics) and Tim Sommers (One Love), who produce under the name Kinetics & One Love.
The lawsuit, which was filed January 23 in United States District Court of New York, claims that Dominguez co-wrote the smash single, but received no credit and was cut out of all royalties.
According to the lawsuit, in September of 2008, Kinetics & One Love asked Dominguez to create a melody and other musical contributions for two unfinished recordings called “Airplanes.”
Dominguez claims that Kinetics & One Love e-mailed her an unfinished version of the track and she recorded her contributions to the sound recordings.
The lawsuit claims that Dominguez created the melody and the chorus for “Airplanes,” including background vocals, countermelodies and other contributions.
“In a transparent effort to keep all the credit and earnings for themselves despite Dominguez’ substantial contribution to the joint work, defendants omitted her from the listing as the author of “Airplanes” on the 2010 release and elsewhere. Nor have defendants accounted to Dominguez for revenues derived, either from the 2010 release, or any other source.”
Dominguez claims that the pair thanked her and gave her credit for her contribution to the song on an obscure, 2009 CD Kinetics & One Love: Fading Back to Normal, which contained an alternate version of the song.
In 2010, the producers authorized the release of two versions of “Airplanes,” which was on B.o.B.’s#### album B.o.B. Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray.
A remixed version of the track also featured superstar rapper Eminem.
The lawsuit claims that the Dominguez and Kinetics & One Love could not reach an agreement regarding her appropriate share of the revenues, as joint authors of the song.
Dominguez is suing for unfair competition, unjust enrichment, copyright infringement, and failure to account for revenues derived from sampling or other use of the song.
Dominguez is seeking revenues derived from CDs, digital sales, ringtones, ringbacks and other sources of potential income from “Airplanes.”
B.o.B. is not named in the lawsuit, just the producers.
Check out the lawsuit below:
Hip-Hop Band ¡MAYDAY! Prepare For Release Of Strange Music Debut, “Take Me To Your Leader”
(AllHipHop News) Following the recent announcement that Strange Music group ¡MAYDAY! would be hitting the road with Tech N9ne and Machine Gun Kelly on the 90 shows in 99 days “Hostile Takeover Tour“, they have also revealed information regarding their new album, Take Me To Your Leader.
The Hip-Hop band, which hails from Miami, is gearing up for the March 27th release of their first album under Tech N9ne’s Strange Music imprint. ¡MAYDAY!, one of the more unique groups to break out within the genre in quite a while, is comprised of members Wrekonize, Plex Luthor, Gianni Cash, L.T. Hopkins, and NonMS.
Artists like Tech N9ne, Murs, Ace Hood, Dead Prez, Krizz Kaliko, and more are slated to appear on Take Me To Your Leader.
Along with a date and album title being announced, the group has also dropped a new single, “Death March,” as well as a teaser for the album which you can see below.
DMX Rushed To Hospital With Food Poisoning
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop star DMX was rushed to the hospital with food poisoning last night (January 25).
TMZ.com reports that the rapper boarding a plane from Miami, en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, last night and became violently ill.
When the plane landed in Charlotte, DMX hopped in a limo and was rushed to Gastonia Memorial Hospital, just outside of Charlotte.
The rapper spent four hours in the emergency room receiving treatment, before he was sent home.
DMX told TMZ.com that he had eaten some bad shrimp in Miami, just before leaving his baby’s mother’s house.
He is expected to make a full recovery.
DD172 Co-Founder McKenzie Eddy Releases Video For “Windmills” Featuring GLC
You may not recognize her name, yet, but you will. McKenzie Eddy is the co-founder, alongside music mogul Dame Dash and Raquel Horn, of the media collective known as DD172.
Not only did she help found the creative conglomerate, Eddy is also the president of BluRoc records, a label that released the last two albums from producer Ski Beatz, as well as 2009’s critically acclaimed Blackroc project which featured rappers Ludacris, Curren$y, Mos Def, and Jim Jones, along with singer Nicole Wray and more, collaborating with Grammy Award-winning duo The Black Keys.
Eddy, who is “not just a businesswoman, but also a musician by night,” has been steadily putting out music videos since the Summer 2011 release of her third album, Young Platinum. The album boasted appearances from such artists as Murs, GLC, Cam’ron, Vado, and a slew of others.
In her latest music video, “Windmills” which features GLC, the duo stroll through Chicago during some downtime from a past tour.
Check out the Evan Brockett directed video for McKenzie Eddy’s “Windmills” below:
Exclusive – Dice Raw’s Time Travel: From Child Prodigy to Rootsology
Dice Raw is an enigma. He’s got that rare quality of showing brilliance, while staying just zany enough to retain his personable human qualities. In conversation, he keeps you on your toes – intriguing and funny, then serious and informative in the next instant. You never know what you’ll get, but you’ll likely never forget being around him.
Philadelphia’s Dice Raw is a rapper, a singer/songwriter, a storyteller, a comedian, and one of the long-standing affiliates of the legendary Roots Crew. Along with band founders Black Thought and ?uestlove, the lyrical machete-spitting Dice has helped to create a classic sound that has taken the bunch far beyond their harsh streets of Philadelphia. You can still hear it on cerebral, melody-laced songs like “Lighthouse” – that familiar flow and voice inflection at the end of lines that lets you know it’s a Dice Raw/Roots song.
But, if you examine closely, Dice Raw’s journey along with the band has been somewhat mysterious to onlookers over the years. Where does he fit in? Is he a real member of the band? Does he rotate freely off and on the Roots roster when the spirit moves him? With such a world-class association, why is he – as he puts it – “The Greatest Rapper Never?”
To understand the funny and personable, but seemingly music-obsessed, Dice Raw, one must travel back with him to the early 1990s, when his life was moving much faster than other kids his age. As he tells it, a series of meetings and mutual associates (including Bell Biv Devoe?) led him to The Roots, but his creativity and agile flow has kept him there over the years. AllHipHop.com braved the cold this past weekend to travel to Philadelphia’s legendary Larry Gold Studios (where The Roots, Jill Scott, Dice Raw, and other big-name Philly artists have all recorded) to hear Dice Raw’s fascinating coming-of-age tale:
Shot/edited by Dave Jacobs
Our interview with Dice Raw is just getting started, Check back for part two, where he slices and dices The Roots’ undun album competition!
Social Media Madness: Trick or Tweet
I don’t think it’s a secret that in the last five to 10 years, social media has opened up access to celebrities and media personalities like never before. MySpace allowed us the amazing ability to “speak” to our favorites and actually get replies back! How gratifying it was the first time you sent someone that you truly enjoyed a message, and they responded!
The trend continued on through Facebook to a degree, but especially through Twitter. Twitter has allowed for celebs to be open and vulnerable with their fans in a way that they have never been previously. This should be a great thing for us all right? I thought so, too, but not so fast.
Apparently, there is a price that celebs are paying for this access. I’m not talking about the clowns who tattoo food on their faces after a drunken weekend binge, or who marry hookers from an after party only to get it annulled two weeks later. They kind of have what they get coming to them for living foolishly in the public eye. I mean people that are not guilty of doing anything more than living their lives and minding their own business, only to find this new access to them a problem.
There is a phenomenon going on in social media and it needs to be addressed. This practice of calling legends within Hip-Hop/R&B out and berating them publicly, in order to gain some type of notoriety for one’s own self is beyond disrespectful…it is, in fact, foolish.
If you are on Twitter, and you start tweeting foul names and terms to someone who has actually done something to earn respect among their followers, just to gain more followers for yourself, then you should probably spend some quality time on a couch with a therapist, figuring out where you are going wrong in life.
Class is something that a lot of people think they have, but sadly, they do not. Attacking people and calling them a “has been” or “irrelevant” only proves to those who encounter the “social media thugs” that they are classless, tacky, and flat-out thirsty for attention. If these people want “fame,” they should do something worthy of applause. Maliciously ambushing someone who has already done something to make people cheer for them, does not qualify anyone for a virtual pat on the back. Actually, it deserves the opposite.
With that said, people need to quit rewarding these cowardly idiots with their follows, cyber friendships, or whatever else you are able to give a total stranger that is “thuggin” from behind a computer screen. This makes you complicit in the act, and possibly just as corny in the end. There should be no reward for going out of your way to make someone else feel bad about being themselves. Giving those people your vote of confidence won’t make you any more popular or desirable. It just means you co-sign trashy behavior.
And while we are on the subject of popularity, let me be clear about one thing. If you are out of high school, and you are maligning someone with a famous name in order to fix that thing within you that is still sad because you were not a “cool kid” in school, again, I recommend calling a great therapist or Maury because there is help out there for folks like you.
However, dissing someone who has contributed to society in some way, will not and does not make you cool. It won’t take you back to try outs and make you quarterback or head cheerleader. All it does is make you look like a virtual cornball that is dying for someone, anyone to notice your existence. I implore you, find something else to get attention, and leave those who have done something positive alone to enjoy the praise they have actually earned.
I normally wouldn’t call out names, but I have recently seen someone who I find to be one of the kindest souls I have ever had the blessing of knowing being called out in this horrifying way, and it was simply the last straw for me, as it upsets me to no end. Anyone who has seen the A Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest, has had the distinct pleasure of getting to know more about ATCQ member, Jarobi White, via the film.
In the documentary, the viewer is able to see what kind of genuine person Jarobi is. This is observed through his friendships he has maintained for over 20 years within his group. I can honestly say that Jarobi is that same kind of person off the big screen. He makes me laugh harder than my asthma can stand on most occasions, and is so humble that he will probably kill me for writing his name in this editorial in the first place!
But that aside, I think it’s time to stand up to the grown up versions of cyber bullying. I realize that people give up certain rights to their anonymity when they are in the public eye, but sometimes enough is enough. And, when people target personalities for their own selfish gain, it needs to be called out. No one should be penalized for trying to keep us all entertained! Show people the respect they deserve and have earned.
Good manners are free, and being polite costs you nothing. It’s something we need a lot more of.
Skyyhook is CEO/FOUNDER/General Manager of Skyyhook Radio and a contributor for AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SkyyhookRadio).
Mixtape Review: Kirko Bangz’ “The Progression 2: A Young Texas Playa”
Rating: 7/10
Kirko Bangz is the type of artist that some people may not truly appreciate until hindsight becomes a factor. The young rapper with the heavy Texas influence may sound like a poor man’s Drake to the casual listener; he relies on Autotune heavily, and he’s not exactly the best singer you’ll hear this year. However, there’s something authentic about his style that cannot be ignored.
With acts like A$AP Rocky and the aforementioned Drake biting the formula that’s made Texas stand out, it’s refreshing to hear someone from the new generation of artists attempt to snatch it back. With his ability to craft songs, write hooks, and mold potent melodies (evidenced by the two singles he helmed that broke into heavy radio rotation, “What Yo Name Iz” in early 2011, and currently “Drank In My Cup”), Bangz has the growing fan-base to eventually make the leap. With his latest mixtape, The Progression 2, he plans to do just that.
That Texas presence is felt throughout the entire project; from the slow beats to the screw effect, Bangz uses all of them heavily, but doesn’t overdo it (which has been an issue with others that “bite” the style). “Knowmtalmbout” features Paul Wall and is by far one of the standout songs, due to how perfectly it encompasses the feel of TP2. There are other notable tracks as well; “Ugly B**ches” has Bangz almost scolding himself for the “mistakes” he’s made with unattractive females, “Play Me” has that “Houstatlantavegas” feel (but more raw), and his “Drank In My Cup” single still sounds solid enough to be placed on an album somewhere soon.
Bangz isn’t the most lyrical rapper you’ll hear, but he’s perfectly comfortable behind a microphone. Although he’s not content heavy, there are several instances where his lyrics pack more of a punch due to the conversational style he takes within the verse. It may not be “Lupe Fiasco” lyrical, but it more than gets the point across, with the best example being present all throughout “Trill Young N*gga,” most notably the last verse:
“I couldn’t wait to meet these famous people /
But now I feel like them people be the lamest people /
They be fightin’ for reality and fighting reality /
The shows, and ho*s wear gold without a salary /
I guess it’s all good, everything is all good /
Private school n*ggas get the pass to act all hood /
N*ggas never seen or passed through our hood /
But they can act like it? Sh** it’s all good… /
The project is a mix of original songs and re-imagined (remixed) tracks, from Drake’s “Crew Love” (“The Crew”) to DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One” (“Say Hello”). For the most part, Bangz does a good job of making them his own while blending his original music through the playlist. The result is an almost-seamless mixtape that isn’t for everyone, but hogs its Southern lane with a type of quality that could easily place Kirko Bangz in the category with new up-and-comers. As long as he continues with his progression (no pun intended) and shows that he’s more than radio-friendly, he could get there much sooner than later.
Hip-Hop Rumor: G.O.O.D. Music’s First Single “Lamborghini, Murci” To Feature Kanye West, Big Sean And Pusha T!!
More Luxury Rap Coming At Ya!
We already know that Frank Ocean, Mannie Fresh, Jay Electronica, and Marsha Ambrosius will be contributing to the highly anticipated G.O.O.D. Music compilation, thanks to tons of recently leaked photos from the recording sessions in London.
Now, word is coming through the grapevine that the album’s first single is ready to go, is titled “Lamborghini, Murci,” and will feature Kanye West, Big Sean and Pusha T. Read below:
“A source close to Def Jam has informed me that the tentative first single from the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation is to be “Lamborghini, Murci.” The track, which was produced by Phoenix-based producer Lifted, is set to feature Kanye West, Pusha T and Big Sean. No word on when this is to drop, but I’ve heard it’s a monster.” –FSD
Spring can’t get here soon enough!!
The Hip-Hop Response To President Obama’s 2012 State Of The Union Address
“The State of the Union is getting stronger, and we’ve come too far to turn back.”
-President Barack Obama
The president’s State of the Union Address was delivered as most of his spoken outings – remarkably eloquently.
But, beyond the quality of the speech were some serious issues at this pivotal moment in history.
Before the American people, he outlined where we are as a nation, as well as where he would like to see us go as an “America built to last.” President Obama then perused through a proverbial smorgasbord of issues ranging from higher taxes for the wealthy to the mortgage crisis to the energy crisis to education.
At the Barack Talk event Tuesday night, a group of progressives and over 35,000 viewers delved into POTUS’s issues, as well as those that were not represented by the president as he spoke before the partly-hostile Congress. Civic engagement, voter suppression, The Occupy Movement, new laws making abortions difficult, and other matters like felons’ rights were largely overlooked.
The president also didn’t talk about how one out of seven people in American live below the poverty line, or how one in four children live in impoverished conditions. Google that, America. Better yet, click here.
Voter suppression is real, and it would have served the president well to address this egregious trend to the American people Tuesday. In many instances, these suppressed voters are the very people that helped elect him. According to alternet.org, there are seven ways that otherwise eligible voters are being prevented from participating in the electoral process. One simple tactic is to make it harder to present basic identification at the polls. (Click here for the remaining six ways that voters are being suppressed.)
“There’s never been a better time for nation building…” – President Barack Obama
The president is right.
There has never been a better time for nation building. Greg Watkins and I built AllHipHop from nothing. No funding. No family bankroll. It was simply an idea from a pair of guys who decided to work together. Shortly after the company’s inception, the country spiraled into recession. These were some of the leanest years of my life. No insurance. Very little income. I mean, at one point, I walked around with glass embedded in my foot, because it was easier to deal with that than the cost of a doctor with no insurance.
But, Greg and I were scrappy and excited by the possibilities before us.
Although those times were tough, they built character and prepared us for the next recession, the worst since the Great Depression. Moreover, we continued to see opportunity amid the chaos, remaining steadfast and optimistic. Our collective eyes no longer seen through rose-colored lenses.
“Built to last…”
Obama addressed the wave of general American skepticism in his address as well, which seemed to be a subliminal acknowledgment of The Occupy Movement. This also spoke to the youth community we call Hip-Hop, as I only know an idealistic few that have any faith in the government to help them achieve the “American Dream,” as we’ve been reared to believe in.
But a dream is just that. We’re dealing with reality. Right?
We’ve got to remember that the president runs the nation[s], but he does not control our local communities. We’ve looked at and criticized the president keenly, but we’ve got to do the same for ourselves. In the last three to four years, what have we done? African Americans, for the first time since the Civil Rights Movement, will not see positive economic progress as a group.
We continue to see our own shortcomings and yet, we look to Washington D.C. to fix these societal matters. Obama may create policy and reform in areas such as education, but it is up to us to make sure our children strive to be great students and successful citizens. The president can inspire the next generation, but he won’t be able to guide them all through their journeys and trials. We will.
Yes, we have to do what we must for ourselves, and there are people doing that. We need more. That is not optional.
By the same token, it is also time to continuously hold our elected officials accountable, as they continue to be servants of the people. For us to become even more apathetic and further disengaged only defeats our own cause.
There are a number of ways that you can take action. Contact your local government and push them to activate the necessary change in your community. It can be something as simple as a bad pothole. Mentor a child and help guide them into adulthood. Educate them and yourself, because with education, many of the ills we face resolve themselves. Volunteer. Complain. Write. Tweet. Inspire. Empower.
Do something.
And be vigilant.
Mia X’s Fool-Proof Baked Macaroni & “I’m RICH, B*tch” Cupcakes
Let’s face it! Dry *ss, not enough cheese in the macaroni is the f*cking worst, baby!
Well, picture this. It’s not gonna happen to you again. My grandma used to tell us if somebody has they taste buds set on some good macaroni, and they get that bland, hard, dry bullsh*t, they gonna be .38-hot! She always made sure the macaroni was on point.
We love cheese, and macaroni is so dope with a variety of cheeses, and that’s just how we do it…beau coup cheese, cream, butter, and flavor.
So, this baked macaroni is not for anyone watching their weight. This is for everyone who feels like, ‘F*ck it, and I brought my appetite.’
Now, Mamaw would melt the different cheeses and make her sauce from scratch. She did everything from scratch, but I like to take shortcuts and GPS my way through the kitchen. I’m a modern/old fashion girl on the move. I’m often running late, but I still like to wow people with my food.
So if you’re ready to make the bomb Baked Mac & Cheese, then roll with me, baby, ’cause we about to make it happen.
Step 1 – Make ya groceries:
1 16-ounce package of macaroni
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of mild cheddar
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder or plain mustard
1 jar of Ragu three-cheese sauce
1 jar of Cheez Whiz
large saucepan
baking pan
Step 2 – Make ‘Ya Mac & Cheese:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil macaroni according to package directions. Tweek the boiling water by adding 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Once pasta is boiled to tender, drain the water, saving 1 cup, and DO NOT rinse the macaroni.
Cut half of your butter into blocks and place them into your baking pan. Pour hot macaroni into the pan and add your milk, cream, water saved from boiling the pasta, cheese sauce, mustard powder, and Cheez Whiz.
Stir evenly. Once the Cheez Whiz and sauce is is evenly distributed throughout the macaroni, salt and pepper to taste. Add your cups of mozzarella and mild cheddar cheeses and evenly work them through the macaroni.
Top macaroni with sharp cheddar and use the remaining half of the butter, cut into blocks, to top your sharp cheddar. Bake 15 minutes or until slightly golden on top.
I’m RICH, B*tch Cupcakes
These cupcakes are the perfect “adult treats”. They’re so good, one bite will make you say B*TCH!!!!
They are also so rich in flavor, you’ll feel like a trust fund baby…lol! I’ve been creating adult drinks and sweet treats for a little while, and I decided to share this one with you.
I’m RICH, B*tch cupcakes are not for the calorie stalkers. AND, I call them an “adult treat” because they are laced with alcohol, and I’ve been told are a perfect flirty aphrodisiac.
To get your mind and mood right, click my music link below so you can be JAMN while baking, and make sure you follow me on Twitter (@TheRealMiaX), join my #TeamWhipDemPots clique, and be on the look out for my forthcoming cookbook/memoir/CD/DVD, Things My Grandma Told Me, Things My Grandma Showed Me.
[Check out Mia X’s single, “When I Grow”:]
Step 1 – What You Need to Proceed:
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 1/2 cup of your favorite Rum
2 large eggs
4 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of baking cocoa
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Caramel topping sauce
4 Heath bars, crushed
Cupcake pans and liners
Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz of soft cream cheese
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2tablespoons of rum
Step 2 – Make It Happen:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a saucepan, bring your rum to a boil. Stir in butter and sugar until butter melts; let cool. Add in vanilla and eggs mix well and set aside.
Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, if you dont have a stand mixer.
Add your rum butter and sugar mix to the bowl, and mix together thouroughly. I like to use a 8-oz. plastic cup to pour batter into cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
Bake 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Allow your cupcakes to completly cool.
In another bowl, mix your soft cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and rum until smooth and creamy.
Frost or pipe the top of your cooled cupcakes. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with crushed heath bars.
Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Team Up with Simon Cowell To Launch New DJ Competition
Billboard is reporting that Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith are partnering up with Sony Pictures Television and “American Idol” creator, Simon Cowell, to launch a reality-based competition show to discover and crown the world’s next great DJ.
Cowell’s Syco Entertainment announced the partnership today (January 25) with the Smiths’ Overbrook Entertainment to develop the live show that will be broadcast internationally. “Syco, Overbrook, and Sony Pictures Television will be unveiling their U.S. and U.K. broadcast partners for the project” soon.
In a statement released by Cowell, he said, “We have been working on this show for over a year, and we wanted to partner with the right people. As soon as I met Jada and Miguel from Overbrook, I knew they would be our ideal partners. DJs are the new rock stars; it feels like the right time to make this show.”
“This show will comb the world to find a new breed of talent,” Pinkett-Smith added. “I am happy to be creating it alongside Simon Cowell, the Sony team, and my partner Miguel Melendez, on behalf of the Overbrook family.”
Currently, there is no official announcement on what channel the competition will be broadcast on or when it will hit the air.
Ski Beatz Reveals Artwork and Tracklist For New “24 Hour Karate School” Album
(AllHipHop News) Less than a week after announcing an upcoming collaboration LP with Freddie Gibbs, producer Ski Beatz has revealed the artwork and tracklist for his new album, 24 Hour Karate School: Twilight.
The new entry in Ski’s 24 Hour Karate School series boasts 11 tracks featuring the likes of Ski’s frequent collaborators like Curren$y, Stalley, Mikey Rocks, Trademark Da Skydiver, Smoke DZA, Tabi Bonney, Murs, Mac Miller, Nicole Wray, and more!
Ski Beatz’s 24 Hour Karate School: Twilight is currently scheduled for release on February 14.
Check out the artwork, tracklist, and video for the track “Fly By” featuring Curren$y below:
- Didit4thegreen (Feat. Da$h & Retch)
- Fly By (Feat. Curren$y)
- Heaven Is (Feat. C Plus)
- Gentlemen’s Quarterly (Feat. Stalley)
- Living It Up (Feat. Mikey Rocks & Trademark Da Skydiver)
- Fly High (Feat. Smoke DZA & Terri Walker)
- Hip-Hop & Love (Feat. Tabi Bonney & Murs)
- City Lights (Feat. Najee)
- On (Feat. Sam Adams & Olamide Faison)
- Time Goes (Feat. Mac Miller)
- Thank God (Feat. Rugz D. Bewler & Nicole Wray)
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/35196971]
Pakistan Looks to Ban Hip-Hop Within Educational Institutions
(AllHipHop News) Yesterday (January 24), Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly adopted five resolutions of the public’s interest, including a ban on objectionable music concerts at public and private educational institutions, a ban that includes Hip-Hop music.
After amending the original draft with the addition of word ‘objectionable’ before ‘music concerts,’ the House passed the resolution with a majority vote.
While other issues included stopping the waste of money obtained on loans from international financial institutions, curbing population growth, and passport issuance, Hip-Hop fans in Pakistan will face scrutiny for listening to the music oft deemed in poor taste and values.
Last year, the United States tried to use Hip-Hop as a form of diplomacy, as it brought the FEW Collective, a group from Chicago, to Islamabad, where they danced, rapped, and recited poetry to a Westernized, educated elite audience of young Pakistanis.
Things didn’t go as planned, however, as the Chicago group was detained by Pakistani authorities for a brief period of time, due to one member unknowingly taking photos of “sensitive installations” in the city of Rawalpindi, a garrison city home to the powerful army’s headquarters.
The performances were part of a long standing tradition of diplomacy through music via the State Department. In the late 1950’s, jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck toured Pakistan as part of the program, but Hip-Hop has had little breakthrough over the years as traditionalists oppose the new form of expression.
Despite the opposition, in Pakistan, traditional qawwali music and Hip-Hop have drawn many comparisons due to the complex nature of their vocals, and the improvisational component of the lyricism seen in both forms of music.
Hip-Hop artists have their work cut out for them in Pakistan, though, a country where a mere 12 percent of Pakistanis have a favorable opinion of the United States, according to a July poll by the Pew Research Center, while 73 percent have an unfavorable opinion and 16 percent don’t know according to a Reuters story last November.
The move to ban “objectionable” concerts comes amid an incident that left three students killed in a stampede at a concert in Lahore.
Grammy Nominee Bruno Mars Tops Global Digital Download Charts For 2011
Bruno Mars had one hell of a year. The Elektra recording artist topped 2011’s global IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) chart for the year’s best-selling digital singles.
Mars took the #1 and #2 spots with consecutive singles from his 25 times worldwide platinum selling debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.
The album’s first single, “Just the Way You Are,” landed at #1 with 12.5 million copies sold, while the song “Grenade” came in at #2 with 10.2 million copies sold. Meanwhile, the album’s third single, “The Lazy Song,” landed at #10 on the chart with 6.5 million copies sold, making Mars the first artist to have three tracks amongst the Top 10 digital singles in one year.
Currently, both Bruno Mars and his label, Elektra Records, are celebrating the singer’s fourth #1 single on the Billboard Top 40 chart with this song “It Will Rain” from last fall’s Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn: Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
To follow-up the enormous success he had last year, Mars, who garnered six nominations for the upcoming 54th Annual Grammy Awards, will perform at the high-profile ceremony taking place on February 12 in Los Angeles. The nominations include “Album of the Year,” “Song of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” “Best Pop Vocal Album,” and more.
Saigon Releases New Mixtape, “Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave”
(AllHipHop News) After releasing one of the best albums of 2011, The Greatest Story Never Told, Saigon is back and blessing fans with the third entry in his Warning Shots series, Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave.
The Just Blaze-presented, 19-track mixtape, which should hold fans over until Saigon’s next album drops, features production from the likes of Sire, Just Blaze, DJ Green Lantern, Red Spyda, Scram Jones, and even Saigon himself, who produced the project’s “Intro”.
Features on Warning Shots 3 come from Joe Budden, Javon Dais, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Quan, and Rough from The Good Guy Gang.
Download “Saigon – Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave” Now!
Exclusive Video: Waka Flocka Launches Anti-Bully Campaign in Atlanta
Last night (January 25), Atlanta based Hip-Hop artist Waka Flocka Flame and SEA Brand Clothing company launched a custom Brick Squad Monopoly snapback hat to support Waka Flocka’s new anti-bullying campaign.
The launch party was held at Wish Boutique in Little 5 Points to help bring awareness to the plague of children being bullied in schools across the country. Waka, who allowed his fans to choose a cause for him to support through his #WakaNewYear initiative, will donate 25 percent of all sales from the custom hat to The Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center.
AllHipHop.com sat down with Waka Flocka to speak to him about his feelings on bullying! Check the video: