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Public Enemy Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of ‘Fear of A Black Planet’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Public Enemy will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic album Fear of a Black Planet on Thursday (April 1) at the University of Iowa. The event is part of the University of Iowa’s ongoing exhibit “Two Turntables and a Microphone: Hip-Hop Contexts featuring Harry Allen‘s ‘Part of the Permanent Record: Photos from the Previous Century.”The exhibit is a collection 26 large photographs being displayed by journalist and Public Enemy affiliate, the “Media Assassin,” Harry Allen. On Thursday, Public Enemy Harry Allen and Bomb Squad members Hank and Keith Shocklee will attend classes at the university, conduct interviews with student radio.Also, the group will host a Q&A about Fear of A Black Planet, which turns 20-years-old this Spring. The Fear of A Black Planet 20th Anniversary Celebration is takes place April 1st at The University of Iowa and is free and open to the public. Harry Allen’s “Two Turntables and a Microphone: Hip-Hop Context” exhibit opened on Sunday (March 27) and remains at the University until June 27. In May, Public Enemy will launch their 71st tour on outings throughout  North America, Europe, Africa Canada and Australia. Tour dates are listed below: 21 WINNEPEG – BURTON CUMMINGS THEATRE 22 SASKATOON – ODEON EVENTS CENTER ( 24 CALGARY – THE WHISKEY25 EDMONTON – EDMONTON EVENT CENTRE26-Travel -27 VANCOUVER – COMMODORE BALLROOM28-TBD 29 SEATTLE MARKET – SASQUATCH – CONFIRMED30 CHILLICOTHE ILLINOIS (CHICAGO MARKET)– 2010 SUMMER CAMP festivalWWW.SUMMERCAMPFESTIVAL.COMJUNE 2010JUNE 25 – MILWAUKEE / MILWAUKEE SUMMERFESTJUNE 26 – CHICAGO / CONGRESS BALLROOMJUNE 27 – CLEVELAND / HOUSE OF BLUESJUNE 28 – GREEN BAY / ONEIDA CASINOAugust 20106 WINDSOR – festival7 TORONTO Collingwood –festival8 MONTREAL 9- TBD 10 TBD 11- TBD 12 TBD Boston13 Washington dc 930 CLUB14 Philadelphia/ TROCODERO15 NEW YORK – central parkSEPTEMBER 201011 TBDTBD SOUTHEAST ATLANTAOCTOBER 2010TBD West Coast 5 date runNOVEMBER 20101-15 TBD Europe run DECEMBER 2010TBD 20-27 SOUTH AFRICATHUR 30 DEC – FALLS FESTIVAL,VICTORIAFRI 31 DEC – FALLS FESTIVAL,TASMANIASAT 1 JAN – FIELD DAY,SYDNEYWED 5 JAN – SUNSET SOUNDS,BRISBANE

Solar To Clear His Name; Rappers Nephew Chastised For Statements

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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(AllHipHop News) Producer Solar is planning to clear his name in regards to allegations that he was allegedly preventing family members from seeing Guru, after the legendary emcee suffered a heart attack in February. Guru and Solar are planning to release official documents that will confirm and verify his statements regarding Guru’s health. The pair said the documents will refute allegations by Guru’s nephew  Justin Nicholas-Elam Ruff., who released video statements in March, claiming that Solar was blocking family members’ access to the rapper. Guru’s son is also in the crosshairs. According to reps for Guru, he and his nephew Justin Elam are not that close and that Justin was “using Guru’s name to advance his selfish needs and has no right to use the brand Guru or Gangstarr in any way, shape or form, on YouTube or anywhere else.””It is more than obvious that certain disgruntled people from Guru’s past are trying to use this tragic situation to settle a score with Guru and myself for whatever reason which is shameful,” Solar told AllHipHop.com in a statement. Meanwhile, Guru continues to recover. Recent MRI test results have been encouraging, reps for the rapper told AllHipHop.com.

The Science of Reintroduction: Why Monica’s Still Standing

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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Editor’s note: The

views expressed inside this editorial aren’t necessarily the views of

AllHipHop.com or its employees.When reviewing Billboard’s Top 10 R&B and Hip-Hop chart (the week of April 3, 2010) something jumped out at me right away – the number of artists on it who have been out 5 years or more. From Timbaland to Usher to Ludacris to Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz and Alicia Keys, eight out of the ten spots are filled by veterans of the game.

But none of them are as impressive in their showing than Monica, who has the # 1 single – ‘Everything To Me.’

Don’t get me wrong, of the 10 chart toppers Usher and Mary J. Blige are legends who have perfected this, but if you really want to get a good education in an important marketing lesson – reintroducing yourself to multiple audience segments – Monica is today’s case study.

When I say reintroduction, I don’t mean the kind of superficial reinvention of physical appearance which is running rampant like a plague. You know what I mean – why so many female entertainers are bowing to the pressure to change their already stunning looks to resemble Beyonce. Come on, let’s talk about it for a minute.

I’m not dreaming and neither are you – just study the evolution of the styling visible on the album covers of Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole and Shakira, for example, and shots of Jennifer Lopez (http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:CkNWrsH8vVQhRM:http://www.alphanista.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/jenniferlopez.jpg) and you’ll join me in believing that there is a conspiracy of conformity at work. I just shook my head recently when I saw a photo of Tyra Banks in the Financial Times looking just like Mrs. Shawn Carter.

Now, certainly on the morning commute, or lunch break, in any major city (I personally nominate D.C.’s L’Enfant Plaza Metro station at noon) one can find countless women more beautiful than Beyonce, but I must bear witness – with so many already gorgeous women in the industry wanting to look like her – H.O.V. was on to something when he informed us years ago, ‘I got the baddest girl in the game rocking my chain!’

No, with our beloved Monica, the art of reintroduction is on a much higher and deeper plane than hair blonding, making your facial cheeks fuller, and eyes appear larger than they are. You see, not only has Monica had life-changing experiences – tragedy and children – that really have made her ‘new,’ the not yet 30 something artist understands the demographics of the game, saying recently to The Edmonton Journal, “Well, when I say ’90s, that’s when I was introduced to the world. I use that particular era, because there was a certain freeness to me then – when I didn’t know about all the politics, when I didn’t see all these other things around me, that when you cross over into the 25-area that you start to see. So I had to take myself back to that place, to that very neutral place where I didn’t think about anything but the music.”

Ah, a woman after my own heart! Check my recent AllHipHop.com Hip-Hoppreneur ™ commentary, ‘The 17 Year Old: The God of Rap,’ to see more of the importance of Monica’s insights on crossing over into the ’25-area,’ while still being relevant to the other ‘youth.’ It is important to understand that Monica is doing so well these days because she identified a way to genuinely connect with a younger audience without trying to hide the fact that she is obviously now older than them. And she is doing it on multiple platforms with a reality show on BET that has been the key to ‘rebranding’ her with a younger audience (note the show and her new album share the same title). She comes across now as the ‘Big Sister’ to a mass of teenage girls and under-25 somethings of today – and perfectly aged, having to update a few things but still able to easily speak their language. Remember, she came out at age 14 (the same as Usher) and then went through the same experiences that life brings to all of us. She can speak with the perspective of celebrity and reality. That alone makes her relatively unique. Many of us would be surprised to know how many artists are simply unable to relate to the masses on a real-life level.

In talent, appearance, style, life experience, and maturity, Monica, absorbs four ‘generations’ of artistry – represented by Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole and Rihanna- better than anyone. And we must thank her for doing it all while being herself – discontinuing the Puffy-influenced dance moves she brought to us in the 1996 ‘Ain’t Nobody’ video, which distracted us from another great moment in Treach-flow for the ladies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTjTNoAov2U&feature=related).

What makes Monica’s reintroduction (yes I’m trying to forget her 2006 The Makings of Me and 2003’s After The Storm) a stroke of genius is that she is not trying to be styled as some kind of OG of the R&B-Rap era – seeking the acceptance of her peers and primarily concerned with appealing to the generation that grew up on her music in the 90s. No, Monica already has that, so she reaches for the under 25 audience of today who like her sound and look, as is, and can appreciate her maturity and her ability to deliver a message in a non-preachy way. She comes across as relevant, credible and thoughtful – the anti-thesis of the self-devaluation and reckless emotionalism currently masquerading as female R&B music. If you listen to her album carefully, Standing Still, in that context, it’s really quite impressive what she accomplishes – admitting imperfections, and ‘negative’ or ‘inappropriate’ passing moods and thoughts without groveling in them and while encouraging people to grow.

It’s the 2010 soft sell version of being a role model and I like it – an artist who specializes in relationship-music that is more about one’s self concept, values, and finding love, not just hot sex, demoralizing gender wars (all men are dogs/b—- ain’t ish), and vanity. With songs like ‘Believing In Me,’ ‘Superman,’ ‘Still Standing’ and ‘Mirror’ on her new album, Monica makes music that contributes – something young ladies, couples, families, and communities can appreciate and dialogue over without compromising who they are or feeling defensive.

Without singing songs that are beneath her maturity level or profile as an artist, or attempting to look like Beyonce, Monica has found a sweet spot and formula that will not only work for Still Standing and future albums, but most importantly, for herself and the lives of those she is touching.

Let’s hope the industry and other artists are paying attention.

There’s money to be made along the path Monica is blazing.

Cedric Muhammad is a business consultant, political strategist, and monetary economist. He is also a former GM of Wu-Tang Management and a Member of the African Union’s First Congress of African Economists. He is author of the book, ‘The Entrepreneurial Secret’ (http://theEsecret.com/). He can be contacted via e-mail at: cedric(at)cmcap.com

Trina: Life in Marvelous Times

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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Leave it to Miami’s own Trina to christen herself a “Million Dollar Girl” in the midst of a recession. Talk about nerve. No surprise, since the sassy rap diva has been a firecracker since she emerged on the rap scene in 1999 with rapper Trick Daddy.  Since her “Nann” days, Trina has managed to gain a loyal fan base and remain relevant for over ten years, which is no easy feat in the ever-fickle music industry. Four albums later, the Slip-n-Slide Records princess readies her fifth release Amazin’ (May 4th) as well as her newest roles as a VH1 reality TV star and cosmetics mogul. Here Trina speaks to AllHipHop.com about Lady Gaga, working with Diddy and why 2010 (so far) has been her best year ever!

AllHipHop.com: Between your single Million Dollar Girl’s success, cross-promotion of Ciroc and your appearance on Luda’s “My Chick Bad” remix, 2010 has started off nice for you. Tell us about your new album Amazin’, your Vh1 reality show and your fragrance, cosmetic and sunglasses lines.

Trina: My album Amazin’ (in stores May 4th) is my baby. Monica is on the album twice. I worked with Lyfe Jennings, Keri Hilson, Diddy, Nicki Minaj, Lady Saw, Flo-Rida, Ross and Lil Wayne. My cosmetics line is lip wear and eyelashes and it’s a fun thing because I’m a girly girl. It [Amazin’ Cosmetics] wasn’t always in the works, [but] when the offer presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. The cosmetic line drops in May. It’s affordable and aimed at anyone who loves Trina and wants to be a part of what I’m about. My fragrance, Diamond Princess, was already in the works but I recently re-did the scent and packaging. The sunglasses collection was the last thing presented to me. I thought, “I love wearing shades, so why not?” So I saw them and glammed them up! Both the sunglasses and fragrance will drop fall 2010. Also, my reality show, The Baddest Chick, debuts on Vh1 very soon. It’s not your typical reality show; it shows me working with my business ventures and my artists [Pretty Money] plus my family. Family is so important to me, regardless of material success.

AllHipHop.com: Your track record is as follows: 10 years in the game, loyal fan base, have worked with Diddy & Missy Elliot and you cross-promote Ciroc liquor, your reality show and product lines. But do you ever still feel like fans and critics still don’t give you your full props?

Trina: Sometimes, but it’s part of the territory.  Even with the opportunities and projects that come my way you still have some people who are unsure. For those that are supportive of my journey I’m so appreciative for that. Maybe those that aren’t sold will eventually jump on the bandwagon. I’m so happy with who I am. I’m living my dream and I’m content with who I am. I’m confident and believe that my fans that have supported me all this time, they see the growth and the woman I’ve become. So many things have come my way that may have never come five years ago. But five years ago I probably wouldn’t have been ready to be in control, be a CEO of a company and represent these opportunities as well as I can. Sometimes, I think, ‘this can be so political’ but it is what it is. I’m so blessed and thankful for everything. I’m happy to be in a position to have a fifth album.

AllHipHop.com: Who are your Top 5 Rappers Dead or Alive?

Trina: Jay-Z, Wayne, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross and Biggie. I love Biggie; I grew up on Biggie. I got into Versace because of him. (Laughs)

AllHipHop.com: 2008”s Still Da Baddest debuted #1 on Billboard Rap’s chart but was your lowest-selling album, despite being critically-acclaimed. Based on that, is your game plan different for your new album Amazin’?    

Trina: This album challenges me, where I’m singing, there’s live instrumentation, different things. People don’t realize that when you’re on a label, they control most of the project. This time I had creative control of the album and this brought out the best in me. Amazin’ is a little different but I’m still Trina the person and that never changes. You just grow. I’m not the same person I was five years ago or ten years ago because I’ve experienced different things. Amazin’ is diverse. Those that have grown with me will understand how I’ve grown on this album. It’s easy to craft a hip-hop record in the studio but not as easy to do a cross-over record or a record where you challenge yourself.

I told the producers, ‘I don’t want you to send me a record you think is ‘for Trina. I want to you to send me a record that you think I would never do.’ Everybody wants to do the “Pull Over”, the “Naan” and those records were fun but I’m at a different phase of my life. I turned down so many records because they were the same records from ten years ago that were still stuck in the ‘Trina Zone.’ With Amazin’ I worked with producers that understood my growth and wanted to see me in a different, esteemed light. I did the “Million Dollar Girl” record with Keri Hilson in mind but never imagined Diddy on the record. I gave it to Keri [Hilson] and somehow Diddy heard it. He loved it! I came back from overseas and heard the finished record and Diddy’s vocals were on there. I was excited. Diddy is the most amazing person I have ever collaborated with. He was calm, respectful and the video was a dream come true. People don’t understand how hard you work and how much you have to prove yourself. I’m talking about Amazin’ so much, but it’s just how I feel! I’m happy with the end result.

AllHipHop.com: How did your Lady Gaga record come about? Is that a new direction you’re headed in?

Trina: The Lady Gaga record was a song she wrote instead of a collabo. She was working with Jim Jonsin (produced Trina’s “Here We Go”, feat. Kelly Rowland) and the record was originally for her project. When they did the record Jim called my manager and said, “I have the perfect record for Trina.” This was before she [Lady Gaga] blew up, so I’m like, “Wait, who’s Lady Gaga?”  Jim’s like, “She’s a pop singer who’s gonna be huge.” I flew to Miami and I didn’t even care who she was; I loved the record. I immediately got in the studio, started writing my verse and it brought out the best in me. I’m so proud of this record because I was able to do something different and fun and I challenged myself to take a risk.

AllHipHop.com: You came into the game humble yet confident and you tend to build relationships instead of burn bridges with your rap peers, especially females. Is this a business move for Trina the rapper or just how Katrina, the person, truly is?

Trina: Whether it’s my friends from growing up or people I’ve met in the industry, that’s just how I am. Everybody I met in the industry embraced me from Lil’ Kim to Missy to Eve and Mary J. Blige, everybody. I always show that friendly side to women because I know how hard it is. Just to be a woman in this game, [because it is so male-dominated] it’s a fight, so we need to support each other. It’s a beautiful thing to have these relationships and be able to call other people and appear on each other’s projects. To have been doing it for over ten years, it’s a blessing.

“We don’t feed into gossip blogs and what rumors are being spread… We have a pact where we uplift each other and that’s what keeps my circle so strong.”

-Trina

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of making calls and calling shots, you now can add mogul to your list of accomplishments. What’s it like mentoring your rap/R&B group Pretty Money?

Trina: It’s exciting because Pretty Money is a girl movement of about five girls, two of them sing and about three of them rap. My company, DP Entertainment, will put out Pretty Money.  It’s insane the records we’ve put together! They remind me of myself when I was first on the road doing shows with Trick (Daddy) where I was like a firecracker onstage; so ready, every show to perform. Pretty Money is young, humble, they work hard and they go hard. For Pretty Money to admire and respect me, it’s a beautiful thing. They learn from me and it’s like a big family. Overall, I’m just trying to build my empire and re-invent my brand.

AllHipHop.com: Who are your Top 5 Rappers Dead or Alive?

Trina: Jay-Z, Wayne, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross and Biggie. I love Biggie; I grew up on Biggie. I got into Versace because of him. (Laughs)

 AllHipHop.com: On your twitter account, TRINA ROCKSTARR you often quote the inspirational website, The Daily Love. How important is staying stress-free to you?

Trina:  Dealing with stress is very important. Maston Kipp (Founder of The Daily Love) is a personal friend of mine and I’ve known him for many years.  It [stress] doesn’t go away. The people I keep in my circle, they uplift me. We don’t feed into gossip blogs and what rumors are being spread… We have a pact where we uplift each other and that’s what keeps my circle so strong. It’s so much stuff out here that will corrupt your confidence and I work too hard for that, so I block it out. I’m anti-negative. (Laughs)

 

Erykah Badu: New Amerykah 2: Return of the Ankh (Album Review)

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Alternatives
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Individuality is not something that’s celebrated in the music industry. Just turn on the radio for proof that conformity more often than not is championed. For the chosen few who refuse to let their talent become their artistic prisons, the road is sometimes paved with gold, and other times filled with ridicule and abuse. Erykah Badu has seen both sides of the game. She was celebrated for her breakthrough debut Baduizm, but then neatly shuffled into the box that was the media buzzword “Neo-Soul.” Critics on one hand praised the emotional honesty of her art, and at the same time questioned her personal relationship choices. Throughout it all, Badu has maintained the ability to stay true to vision, and that tradition continues on her latest effort New Amerykah Part Two ( Return of the Ankh) (Universal Motown).

The album begins with Badu embracing self-determination and rediscovering her identity on “20 Feet Tall.” The introduction features 9th Wonder’s using melodic, stabbing chords to accentuate Badu’s realization on her inner strength, and refusal to let a damaged relationship stifle her growth (“You built a wall/ A 20 foot wall/So I couldn’t see/But if I get off my knees/I might recall/I’m 20 feet tall.”).

It becomes a perfect sedway into “Window Seat,” the now much-discussed first-single due to the Dallas singer’s controversial video. The lyrics show the inner conflict many artists face in wanting to share their gifts, but also having the immense pressure of what fans and others expect of them (“You’re so demanding/Tell me what u want from me/Concluding/Concentrating on my music, lover, and my babies/Makes me wanna ask the lady for a ticket outta town”). As the video reflects, when an artist truly sheds all their masks and inhibitions, inevitably evolving, society and even their fans shun their expression. In turn, this can lead to an “assassination” of that unique voice, whether literal or through the media.

 

As previously heard on tracks like “Booty,” Erykah Badu has never shied away from the hedonistic and narcissistic elements of her psyche, but still manages to present normally frowned upon, natural human emotions as humorous and engaging. On “Turn Me Away (Get Munny),” producer Karriem Riggin supplies a funky, live instrumentation variation of Junior Mafia’s “Get Money.” Badu keeps the theme by crooning on her love and pursuit of currency.

The jam session, piano-led interlude “You Loving Me” ups the ante and plays with the listener’s mind by crafting what initially sounds like a celebratory ode into a scandalous manifesto (“You’re loving me/And I’m driving your Benz/you’re loving me/And I’m spending you ends/You’re Loving me/And I’m drinking your gin/You’re loving me/And I’m f###### your friends”).  Erykah herself chuckles at the ridiculous but highly possible scenario, breaking character and chiming in “that’s terrible, ain’t it?”

Ironically, New Amerykah Part 2’s production is more soulful and R&B-based that its predecessor despite retaining Hip-Hop producers in 9th Wonder, J Dilla, and Ta’Raach. That’s a credit to their ingenuity and Erykah’s versatility. Where 4th World War engaged and challenged listeners more on political and social levels (“Master Teacher,” “The Healer”), Return of the Ankh reflects Badu’s vulnerability when confronted with different aspects of love. “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long” shows her remaining stoic and understanding of her lover’s need to spend time working (think an upbeat, legal version of ‘Other Side of the Game”). Dilla’s signature, sample- layered production on “Love” accentuates Badu’s celebration of new-found love, which is marked by a fear of it being cheapened. (“I know I know I know you care for me/Because you can’t get away/Don’t play with me…do I look like a play thing?”).

The ubiquitous Eddie Kendrick’s “Intimate Friends” sample provides the backdrop for an aggressive Badu on “Fall in Love (Your Funeral).” She interpolates lines from B.I.G.’s “Warning” to make it clear not to violate her trust and the necessity of one raising their game to be with her (“Prepare to have your s### rearranged/The way I say…There’s going to be some slow singin’/A flower bringin’/If my burglar alarm start ringin’/See you don’t want to foul things up with me”).

The album concludes with the powerful, 10 minute track “Out of My Mind, Just Time.” Like “Green Eyes” off Mama’s Gun, the song is punctuated by several distinct melody and lyric transitions. Badu starts with a dirge-paced, bluesy mourn in the vein of Billie Holiday over a lover she was willing to sacrifice everything for (“I’m a recovery undercover over lover…I’d lie for me/And cry for you/Pop for you/Break for you…”). The next movement increases the tempo, and reflects Badu’s emotional state as she becomes more skittish about the situation, alternating between ecstasy and depression (“Could this be love me high?…I can’t feel/I am numb”). The final movement’s musicianship combines the previous movements for a moderate pace, and finds the songstress accepting her relationship as toxic (“F### this…I am so addicted I can’t quit…Easy to blame somebody else/But not this time”). It’s a brilliant end to an LP rife with genuine emotion and empathetic themes.     

Badu has been christened a “conscious” artist, which under the realms of Hip-Hop and R&B normally confines an artist to simply “positive” themes. But for Erykah, the term is better suited by its original meaning of simply being aware, as this LP like Baduizm and Mama’s Gun finds her touching on all aspects on her psyche. The difference between a good and a great artist is the latter is not afraid to make you uncomfortable, and challenge you with the ugliness, beauty, and reality of this world and ourselves. Erykah Badu continues to do that with her career, and has crafted a worthy successor to 4th World War.