(AllHipHop News) Atlanta rapper Lil Scrappy joined the week-long conversation about Beck winning the Grammy for “Album Of The Year.” In an interview with DJ Smallz Eyes, the star of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta shared his thoughts on the Grammys treatment of African-American artists.
“I’m not prejudice at all, but it’s crazy how – it’s like they make us prejudice,” said Scrappy. “They make us prejudice with their moves that they make. And when I say ‘they,’ I mean the White people that’s in charge.”
The “Head Bussa” rhymer went on to add he feels the Grammys are supposed to be rewarded to the performer that is popular across demographics. He cites the Country Music Awards and the MTV Awards as showcases that are specific to one genre. For Scrappy, Beyoncé’s overall global appeal is the reason her self-titled album should have beaten Beck’s Morning Phase.
“Everybody knows Beyoncé. Beyoncé just came off a world tour. This idiot never did a world tour, and if he had we didn’t know it,” Scrappy stated. “Black people know, white people know about Beyoncé. Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, everybody knows about Beyoncé. This a**hole, f**king idiot – I call him an idiot cause I would have gave it to Beyoncé like, ‘Look I enjoy my music, but I’m gonna give this to her.'”
Scrappy sees the Grammy snubs as an insult. He believes the reason the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gives “their people” the awards is because Black artists are making money despite not being recognized by the Grammy voters.
Tyga took to Twitter and shared the former friends/labelmates should just meet up and catch the fade:
Photo: TheShadeRoom
But was it really a sneak diss tho? Anywho, the tweet has since been deleted and hopefully the former homies don’t run in to each other anytime soon, obviously catching a fade is inevitable for Tyga at this point.
Revolt TV and Verizon have joined forces in order to bring an unforgettable concert experience to the upcoming NBA All Star weekend by bringing some of the biggest names in music together on Friday night (February 13) for “Above the Rim.” Hosted by The Breakfast Club’s own radio personality Angela Yee, the event will feature special performances by Raekwon, Tiara Thomas, Elle Varner, Justine Skye, Bridget Kelly and Timothy Bloom. Sounds will be provided by DJ Skee, Mick and Questlove.
Additional celebrity attendees to include, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Steph Curry, Victor Cruz, Cam Newton, Estelle, Jordin Sparks, Lance Gross, Colin Kaepernick, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nene Leakes, the cast of “Fresh off the Boat” and more.
The concert will be held at Stage 48 and is expected to be one of the highlights of the weekend, as the event will mix musical performances with compelling stories of NBA athletes and their connections to music an technology. Uniting Verizon’s use of innovative technology with the revolutionary brand that is REVOLT, Verizon will create an immersive atmosphere that not only connects with consumers’ passion for music, but amplifies this epic music moment.
Follow the conversation and share information about the event by using hashtags #PotentialOfUs for Verizon and #AllBlackEverything for REVOLT TV.
Only a few hours after releasing a short film, Drake has crashed the internet with his long awaited If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late tape. Take a listen to the Lil Wayne assisted “Used To” below or check it out in full via iTunes.
Yeezy Season is here! Kanye west helped kick off NYFW with the unveiling of his long awaited collaborative line with Adidas Originals at Skylight Clarkson Sq earlier today in New York City. The front row was star studded with fashion icons Anna Wintour, Alexander Wang, Russell Simmons , Rihanna and more. Beyoncé, Jay Z,Kim Kardashian and North West also held down the front row. Models paraded down the runway wearing Ye’s signature style as of lately: military inspired wear, from sweaters to flights jackets, and a barely colorful palette that included hues of green, grey, and well of course, black. Mr. West used the opportunity to not only debut his fashion visions for the upcoming season, but also debut a new track with Sia & Vic Mensa – titled “Wolves.” Yeezy loves fatigues, shield vests, bohemian knits and flowing jackets. Also in attendance were Diddy, Kris and Kendall Jenner, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, A$AP Ferg and more.
Check out Kanye’s Adidas Original Collection in the video below:
Also check out more photos from the runway. Photos by Kevin Mazur / Contributor, Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff
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Check out Diddy, Pusha T, and A$AP Ferg checking out Kanye’s show below via XXL.
As the Sauce Twinz continue to splash across Texas and beyond, fellow Houston emcee Roosh Williams has drafted his own version of their infectious single “2 Legited 2 Quited,” with a fresh track titled “Roo Legited 2 Quit It.” Up next for the artist is a collaboration with Texas legend Scarface in anticipation of his upcoming album, Unorthodox.
Rapper turned mogul Jay-Z continues to grow his Roc Nation entertainment empire by adding to the kingdom, including the recent announcement that it will now expand into film and television, in addition to it’s recent foray into sports management via Roc Nation Sports. Creating a partnership with Three Six Group, the newly formed Three Six Entertainment group will focus on managing writers, actors, directors and more.
The brands have paired David Ungerand Mark Gillepsie (Three Six Group) as co-CEO’s in the endeavor. “We will now expand to meet the need for international talent in the areas of film and television. The phenomenal growth and cross-over from international territories and ancillary businesses has transformed the way we service our clients globally. It is a natural fit for us to partner with David,” explained Gillepsie.
As Bobbi Kristina Browncontinues to fight for her life inside of Emory University Hospital, live-in boyfriend Nick Gordon is now reportedly fighting for the right to visit her, after being banned by her family from seeing her as she remains on life support. Acting as a mediator between the family and Gordon, Brown’s cousin Jerod Brown recently sat down with an Atlanta NBC affiliate to speak on the matter to reveal, ““He’s taking legal action in that matter to get visits to see Krissy right now. I’m in contact with Nick. To be honest with you, Nick is feeling very emotional right now behind all of this. He’s pretty torn about about what’s going on.”
Since being found unresponsive in a bathtub, the condition of the 21-year-old has been left to much speculation, causing the family to speak out about the conflicting media reports. Though it was widely circulated that she would be taken off of life support on the three year anniversary of her mother Whitney Houston’s death (February 11,) this of course turned out to be false as well.
Regarding Gordon, Brown also told the TV station, “We sit down and talk about things he wants my family to know and what he would love for Krissy to know, and that is that he loves her and is just waiting for her to wake up.”
Speaking for himself however, Gordon has finally released his own statement via his lawyers explaining “In response to reports that Nick Gordon is taking legal action, he would like it to be clear, he is not. Mr Gordon’s only concern is the recovery of Bobbi Kristina. He remains in constant prayer for his companion and he hopes to be reunited with her soon. Despite the incredible public interest, we ask and hope this request can be resolved privately by Mr. Gordon and the family.”
During a New York City fashion show designed to debut the Yeezy 750 Boost, his first collaboration with Adidas, emcee Kanye West also debuted a new track from his seventh and currently unnamed studio album. Produced by Cashmere Cat, the single finds West teaming up with Sia and fellow Chicago artist Vic Mensa.
Captured by a fan during the event, the single comes on the heels of the Sir Paul McCartney assisted “Only One” and Rihanna’s “FourFiveSeconds” which also features McCartney and West. Though the album has no name or release date, at least Ye is keeping the heat coming.
Kanye West has been the topic of conversation following his recent Grammy rant regarding Beck’s win over Beyoncé for Album of the Year. Now the singer’s lead touring guitarist, Bibi McGill, has weighed in with a rant of her own regarding the incident. Taking to her Facebook account, McGill claims that both Bey and Hov have distanced themselves from Ye in recent years. Though the post has since been deleted, it’s fueled the fire for those who claim there’s a growing rift between them. Take a look at the original post below:
Rapper Lottery Lee says the idea for his second single, “Hey Lover”, came about when he was at the water park and saw a beautiful woman wrap a towel around herself, which is where the first line of the hook, “hey lover, can I be your cover” came from. After hearing it, Young Noble from Tupac Outlawz suggested having R&B singer Lloyd on the hook. Lee stated, “Big ups to Lloyd for completing it in almost less than a day and to Young Noble for setting it up and making it happen.”
Take a listen to the track below.
AllHipHop caught up with Lottery Lee to talk about his career, songwriting, inspirations and more. Check out the interview below.
Your latest single also has a veteran R&B singer on the hook; it seems like someone likes R&B and is trying to bring back a feel good vibe. What was it like to work with Lloyd?
Young Noble from The Outlawz said what about Lloyd. I’ve always been a fan of Lloyd so I wanted to work with people I’m a fan of. Lloyd was one of those talented artists that could take whatever I gave him and put his own spin on it.
This record has a feel good vibe. What are some of your “feel good” classics from the past?
“Trade It All” by Jagged Edge and Fabolous. Whenever you here that record people always can relate; it can always be played. The Game Ft. Lloyd “Hello”. Justin Bieber Ft. Boyz II Men “Fa La La” I miss records like that. Records like that are timeless and have to come back. Right now it seems like the game is so one sided with the stuff it seems people have to talk about, but won’t make the record last…. like drugs and stuff.
With your passion for songwriting who all have you written for?
Mostly artists that I’m working around, but I would love to work with Lyfe Jennings and anyone. I want to write in all genres. If I can write in any genre I feel like I have more value. I’d say I’d like to work with Taylor Swift.
What’s missing from the Hip Hop and R&B genres currently?
Quality. Quality is not what’s in the game anymore. People feel like after the Soulja Boy era the door was opened for garbage to come in. I don’t think he was the cause, but I feel like it’s too easy to make a way in. People can put out anything, and certain artists are putting out music that lacks quality, but they are popular right now. I hope we can bring quality back.
We are getting a lot of complaints that everything in Hip Hop sounds just alike. How would you describe your sound? What separates you from others?
I want to try to bring back the old feel. I don’t want to fall in the lane of what people are doing now. If you don’t have a DJ Mustard or Mike Will beat “it’s not hot.” That actually shouldn’t be the case. I want to be able to take anyone’s beat or any rhythm and turn it into something. With my sound I hope to be able to flip any type of sound into a good record.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
Boyz II Men, Babyface, Johnta Austin. Pretty much anyone who I listened to. Like Tony! Tone! Toni. Anyone who was in their own lane. My favorite rapper is Jadakiss, Fabolous is another one and Cassidy. The east coast comes with a lot of lyrically talented cats. West Coast Pac and E-40 are respected by everyone.
What’s your favorite era of music?
Right before it came to this era. Right before the turn up music. However I’m looking forward to what Atlanta brings. Atlanta every summer comes out with a classic summer record. Y.C. Cash Out, Migos, Rich Homie Quan. I like that Atlanta can always give you something that can go with every year.
What’s next for Lottery Lee?
Pretty much just trying to get more records with people I’m a fan of. I’m trying to work with as many artists as I can and put out as much music as I can.
Mistro lets you know that he’s the “Head Honcho” when it comes to being the plug. This track here not only showcase his lyrics, but Mistro also produces the track and complements the new that Mi$tro recently inked a deal IMG. More on the way from this kid here.
Cleveland has a lot of talent that getting noticed over the last year, maybe it has to do with the fact that Lebron is back. This Cleveland rapper named Loot drops the track, “What I Stand For” that was produced by Yung Coke. His Swear 2 Squad mixtape is on the way.
Hip-Hop comes in all shapes, sizes and colors, always has, always will. And in the year 2015, with a mix of rock, blues and country in his flow, a southern rhyme slinger named Jellyroll has managed to bring a bit more size, a little more color and a good amount of size into the big picture. With the new Whiskey Sessions EP on the way, the Antioch TN native took a trip up to Times-Square sat with AHH’s MrMecc and chopped it up on racial profiling, the naked cowboy and everything in between. Check the technique.
(AllHipHop News) Drake joins his Young Money counterpart Nicki Minaj by releasing a short film over the last few months. Drizzy’s new Jungle features childhood home video, news clips, and footage of the Toronto native running through the city with his crew.
There is even a scene of a young Drake rapping the words of the Fugees’ “Ready Or Not.” The 14-minute movie was directed by Karim Huu Do.
“S**t’s just crazy,” says Drake in the opening moments of the film. “The whole energy out here is just changing.”
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” wrote science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in Profiles of the Future. The very idea that man has the capability to record sound would have been seen as magical just two centuries ago.
Since that time, sound recording devices have evolved from the phonautograph to the iPhone, and the method in which we listen to our favorite tunes has advanced rapidly in the span of just two generations.
In the late 1980’s consumers changed their music buying habits from purchasing cassette tapes to compact discs. Then in the 2000’s consumers shifted from picking up CDs at the store to downloading MP3s on their computer. As society arrives in the middle of the Twenty-Tens, it appears consumers are done with downloading and have decided simply streaming music is the way to go.
Of course listeners now have numerous platforms to access streaming, but SoundCloud has become the preferred space for many music lovers. The 8-year-old Berlin-based website now reaches over 300 million people worldwide and topped 175 million monthly unique listeners in 2014. But in reality, SoundCloud is more than just a streaming site – it’s an open community.
“I think that’s the great thing about SoundCloud. It’s a platform where anyone can open an account and upload content,” says Megan West, Director of Content Relations at SoundCloud. “It’s this ecosystem where everyone has the ability to create and get their content out there to the masses.”
While SoundCloud is well-known for both major label musicians and up-and-coming performers using the site to deliver music, the platform is also home to other types of audio content such as podcasts, audiobooks, and interviews. The company refers to its content providers as “creators,” signifying the artistic power is in the hands of the individuals that upload the material. SoundCloud just serves as the conduit for the creators to reach the public.
Soul superstar D’Angelo recently returned to the music scene with a new album after a 14 year hiatus. Even though the site was not around when he dropped his last project, the singer-songwriter used SoundCloud to introduce the Black Messiah track “Sugah Daddy.” Fellow R&B crooner Miguel shocked fans as well when he uploaded his surprise 3-track EP to SoundCloud in December.
“D’Angelo is one great example. Miguel also recently uploaded his last EP,” West points out. “In terms of just trying to get in front of an audience, we see a lot of artists – whether big or small – coming to the platform because of the community that’s there and the ability to get their music where their fans are.”
A social media tie-in allows creators and followers to quickly share content across networks like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Google Plus. The new Twitter Audio Card makes it possible to experience SoundCloud directly on the Twitter application. Users can even dock the audio card and listen to the music as they continue to read other tweets.
The Soundcloud embed feature provides the ability to place content on outside websites, and with the smartphone app users can upload files as well as stream music directly from mobile devices. Users can also repost the material from their favorite creators to their own SoundCloud timeline.
It all comes together to establish an online network reminiscent of real life friend interactions. No matter the technology used to distribute the music, word-of-mouth has always been the most effective promotional tactic.
“One of the things I get really excited about with music – and I think we all do – is the idea that when you find something that really speaks to you, you want to tell somebody about it,” adds West. “One of the beauties of Soundcloud is that you can do that. And not only within the Soundcloud community, but you can use the tools to spread it and interact with the platform through social media.”
[graph via Music Business World]While SoundCloud was originally favored by EDM acts, Hip Hop has fully embraced the platform. In fact, rap enthusiasts have gone all in on the concept of streaming in lieu of buying albums. Rap and R&B combined to be the most popular music on streaming services. The two genres made up 28.5% of American streaming consumption in 2014.
“In terms of the popularity of the genre and the way that people are engaged with Hip Hop is sort of a precursor to what we’re going to see for genres across the board,” states West. “For us, that’s something that we see to be true too. The popularity of Hip Hop on our platform has definitely grown.”
Hip Hop stars like Drake often turn to SoundCloud to drop new songs. The Young Money representative nearly broke the Internet in ‘14 when he posted the loosie tracks “0 To 100/The Catch Up” and “6 God.” As of press time, the two songs have over 54 million plays combined on SoundCloud.
In August, Big Sean celebrated joining Jay Z’s Roc Nation management company and the launch of the “Big Sean Metro Attitude” Adidas Originals sneakers by releasing four new songs on SoundCloud. One of those cuts was “I Don’t F**k With You.” The single went on to be a Top 20 hit on the Hot 100 and reach Number 1 on three other charts.
It appears clear the public has made the move toward streaming, but the concern for some industry insiders is the matter of revenue. SoundCloud has announced it is rolling out a subscription service later this year, but setting up licensing agreements with record labels has been an issue for the company in the past.
SoundCloud pursued its first licensing deals with record labels in 2013. The company reportedly reached a deal with Warner Music last fall under its new “Premier Partners” program. The current invite-only option includes unlimited storage, access to premium stats, and dedicated support. Premier Partners will be extending to other SoundCloud creators over time.
“[Premier Partners is] our opportunity – as we continue to evolve the platform – to be able to develop a meaningful advertising business that really creates a benefit for everyone in our ecosystem. At this point, we’re really at the beginning stage with the launch in the fall of last year,” explains West. “It definitely brings benefits to us and our content creators. It’s also making Soundcloud sustainable long-term.”
The financial sector is taking notice of SoundCloud’s potential durability. Fast Company has already named the service one of the “Most Innovative Companies of 2015.” As the epicenter of more than a quarter billion creative composers and devoted listeners wed with a reported $150 million in new financing, SoundCloud looks to be a dominant force in the audio-sharing business for years to come.
Little Simz + JMSN + Romiti
Twelve hours of content is posted to SoundCloud every minute, and emerging artists including Little Simz, JMSN, and Romiti are grabbing the attention of a global audience via the platform. The music world and beyond is undoubtedly falling under the spell of SoundCloud.
West sums up the magic of her community-based company, “We’re providing a platform of tools and services that artists can use. There’s really no limit to what you can do. Other than being limited by your own creativity.”
