(AllHipHop News) Atlanta-based Hip-Hop artist B.o.B. is co-signing what Ubisoft Entertainment says is “the first authentic Hip-Hop game for dance.”
In the video game, participants of The Hip-Hop Dance Experience can dance to popular songs with original moves designed by Hip-Hop chore0graphers.
Gamers can move to original moves and trigger lavish visual effects, while users can customize their avatars, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Chris Brown, and more.
Earlier today at the Ubisoft Entertainment’s office in Los Angeles, rappers T.I., B.o.B. entertained a group of journalists who previewed The Hip-Hop Dance Experience.
At a recent event at Gary’s Penthouse in New York City, Ubisoft gathered a group of music industry figures, who received a first-look at the new game.
DJ J Period provided the sounds for the evening, which was hosted by Angela Yee from Power 105’s Breakfast Club and Hot 97 personality Miss Info.
Grammy-nominated neo-soul singer Musiq Soulchild is making a return to New York City in a big way this November, as he headlines the much talked about music showcase “R&B Spotlight” at the famed SOB’s nightclub.
The Philly singer, with hits including “Love”, “Halfcrazy”, and “SoBeautiful”, became an author this past summer when he released his relationship book entitled 143: Love According to Musiq.
“R&B Spotlight” comes full circle at SOB’s on Sunday, November 18 at 8PM and will also feature performances from Robert Hatcher, Suzy Q, Maad Moiselle, Unique Zayas, and Gaetano Dinardi.
Here’s a look back at year 2000 when Musiq first came on the music scene:
Fresh out of Philadelphia’s thriving music scene comes the group Ground Up. The trio consisting of two MCs – Malakai and Azar – with producer Bij Lincs has released 11 mixtapes since 2008. Their latest project, Supernatural, features Action Bronson, as well as fellow Illadelph rappers Chill Moody and Reef the Lost Cauze.
Ground Up is currently embarking on their Happy Hour Tour, which spans the East and Northeast Coasts. They were recently booked for SXSW, which goes down in March 2013. There’s no question that this Hip-Hop group’s buzz, which started locally and on the Internet, is growing as they introduce themselves to audiences while touring the world.
AllHipHop.com: It was Method Man that said Wu-Tang formed like Voltron and the GZA was the head. Can you guys comment on how Ground Up formed?
Azar: Malakai and myself, we met at Temple’s orientation in 2008. I had known Bij Lincs, our producer, since grade school. So, after I met Malakai, we decided to start making this music sh*t like a full-time job.
Bij was actually going to school out in Santa Monica. He would send us beats from California, and we would just write our *sses off trying to make something special. The second we all got in the same room together, it was like the sh*t was meant to be.
AllHipHop.com: With the do-it-yourself approach that you guys take to music, you have a lot of friends playing important roles in different areas of the business. I’m curious to know what some of the benefits have been to working with your friends.
Azar: We take a lot of pride in being independent and self-sustaining. We have this great relationship where, I think, a lot of our friends believe in our dreams more than we do sometimes. We couldn’t do it without them, they drive us.
Bij Lincs: I feel like we opened a lot of opportunity for our friends – letting them do what they want to do to make us happy, but to make themselves happy also. We opened that door to the life that they’re very happy to have. It keeps us together for the rest of our lives I feel. If we can stick together the whole way through, I think we’ll have a very happy and successful life.
AllHipHop.com: You guys toured Europe with another Philly MC, Reef the Lost Cauze. Help to visualize what that journey was like.
Malakai: We did a couple shows out in Amsterdam. When we began rapping, we used to play a lot of basement parties, where it’s nasty and muggy, everybody’s sweating cause it’s hot as f*ck. And actually, when we went out to Amsterdam, the first show we did was in the basement of a clothing store. It was an awesome spot, and it reminded me how we are a long way from Philadelphia right now, and that the world is a lot bigger than I even imagined. And even though we’ve had a lot of success, we have a long way to go.
Bij Lincs: I guess what I take out of it the most is that the fact when I started listening to Hip-Hop in ninth grade, and I wasn’t even making beats, one of the first Hip-Hop shows I went to was a Reef the Lost Cauze show with Outerspace and Jedi Mind Tricks. It was kinda crazy ’cause I was out in the crowd and little did I know that six years later, I was gonna be making songs with this guy. I kinda take that for granted sometimes. Even sharing the stage with him at the TLA (Theatre of Living Arts) was kind of a big thing to me.
AllHipHop.com: What’s the long-term goal for Ground Up?
Malakai: Well, we recently began a label of our own, Ground Up Sounds LLC. We got our business licenses and everything we need to work out that end. Our goal is to eventually be a complete functional label for our own sake and for other people. You don’t necessarily have to be independent forever. We’ve always been open to ideas of signing to a major label or whatever, but we recognized how much of this job we can do on our own or with our friends as we talked about. But really, the goal is to continue on the path that we’ve been on and to learn as we go along.
To hear more music and find out when Ground Up is touring in your city, visit:</strong> GroundUpSounds.com.
Stay up with the latest of Ground Up on Facebook and Twitter.
The Yardfather has been on a publicity run for his new album and has finally revealed the true origins of his beef with Prodigy from the legendary group Mobb Deep. Apparently, it all started from Roc-A-Fela artist, Tru Life, robbing Prodigy. Check out what he said below:
“The sh*t started with Tru Life. That sh*t wasn’t even my beef. Tru had robbed them n*ggas, and me and Tru like brothers, before rap. I came up with Tru. So when Tru got in the rap game, he was on some hood rule apply sh*t — Prodigy stole $15,000 from Tru Life. Not stole it, but he did a verse for him and went and did the same verse and took the money, and then went and did the same verse on some other sh*t. Tru was like, ‘Aight, give me another verse.’ Son kept ducking. They did what they did with that. I ended up guilty by association. They trying to say, you went on TV and burned our CDs. I didn’t burn CDs, I had a handful of CDs, I was like, all this sh*t is garbage to me. I wasn’t singling out Mobb Deep.”
(AllHipHop News) Just a few years ago, no one in the world knew what TheWeeknd looked like – with exception of YMCMB signee Drake and few friends and family members.
They also exclusively knew that the R&B crooning sensation was capable of putting together a body of work that is now being released today as, The Trilogy.
Set to be released on Republic/XO, The Trilogy is a remixed and remastered collection of last years mixtapes (House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence).
“thank you to all the fans that have been supporting from the beginning. “trilogy” was the ultimate test for all of us. utmost love. xo.” TheWeeknd said from his Twitter account @TheWeeknd.
The project also includes three remixed song and the recently released video for “The Zone” ft Drake, which can be exclusively purchased on on both iTunes and Amazon.
So, the streets are starting to talk and I’m thinking they may be on to something. Did you hear when Jay-Z said, “”Yeah, I’m talking ‘Ye/ Yeah, I’m talking Rih/ Yeah, I’m talking Bey’/ Ni**a, I’m talking me/ Yeah, I’m talking bossy/ I ain’t talking Kelis.” And a few weeks ago, Nas announced a dope New Year’s Eve Show for All of Hip-Hop. I’m going! And now, Jay-Z just announces that he is doing a show in BK on New Year’s with Coldplay. Talk about “big show.”
First of all, he disses Kelis, the main character in Nas’ new album, Life is Good. Clearly, he still cares about her based on that album. And then, Jay scoop slams her in song. Then, this blot out of Nas’s show. Somebody I know told me that these dudes are forever competitive even though they may not have beef. What do you think? Nas is working on his new album. Ether 2, anybody?
Rumor has it that DMX has landed a new big screen movie role about the infamous BMF drug cartel. The movie will be based on the lives of the founders of BMF, brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory, and Terry Flenory and is set to star DMX, Ving Rhames, and Laila Odom.
No word yet on what exact role DMX will have in the film, but we’re hearing whispers that he will definitely play one of the brothers. Do you think DMX can pull off playing Big Meech in the film?
The film, which has been titled Blame It On The Hustle, is scheduled to begin shooting in NYC next month.
Is Bobby Brown out there dissing his ex-wife? The rumors are running like crazy that Whitney Houston’s good name was sullied by Bobby! Bobby apparently had way too much drinky drink one day. Seems like at a New Edition concert after party, the crowd started chanting Whitney’s name and Bobby didn’t like it. Whoo Whoo! Exactly what Bobby may have said have yet to be determined.
Here’s a union you don’t see every day; Termanology and Lil’ Fame (of M.O.P.) have teamed up to create Fizzyology, a clever blend of both of the artists’ styles, lyrical abilities, and literal names (hence the title, get it?). Crafted from the jump to resonate with Hip-Hop lovers, the entire LP is bathed in that raw, underground sound, making it a project that can easily slide under your radar if you’re not paying attention. With the likes of Busta Rhymes, Bun B, Freeway, Styles P, and more lending verses to help, however, Fizzyology pushes that real rap sound for the entire play that makes it difficult to ignore on any level.
The intro track, “After Midnight”, sets the tone out of the gate as Termanology goes right into the street narrative and lyricism that he’s been making his name known for, while Fame gives vintage verses with slick quips that sound straight out of the M.O.P. catalog, complete with the hyper ad-libs. The relentlessness never stops until nearing the back end of Fizzyology, even as the subject matter switches up. It’s on display, from the Bun B feature on “Hustler’s Ringtone”, to the M.O.P. reunion on “Crazy” ; even with those being the drawing point form pressing play, one of the true highlights of the entire project is the reflection track, “Family Ties”. As they rhyme about their past with their kin, it’s more of a revelation as to what both artists have been through and how it made them who they are, but not in a cliché way. There are other mellow tracks as well (“Pray For Me”, “Lil Ghetto Boy”), but this one stands out.
Although it was a legit move for each artist to have solo songs through Fizzyology, it’s hard to not wonder how Fame would’ve sounded on Term’s tracks and vice versa. Thankfully, the union is heard on most of the tracks here, and it makes for an enjoyable ride that flows pretty well, all things considered. If you’re one of those people complaining about the lack of rugged, raw Hip-Hop, you’d be remiss to miss this one. Fizzyology delivers, point blank.
Singer Omarion is back with one of his first visuals as a member of the Maybach Music Group imprint with his video for the popular “M.I.A” featuring rapper Wale.
In this new visual, Omarion shows us that he’s still got the moves that made him popular in the early to mid-’00s and croons about a past love that didn’t quite work out so well.
(AllHipHop News) Rapper Snoop Lion has partnered with Reed’s Ginger Brew and Causes.com to create “The Minds Garden Project” in Jamaica, which will help feed children in the country.
Snoop and John Paul Dejoria of Paul Mitchell and Patron Spirits have created “The Minds Garden Project,” which will provide residents with the tools and resources needed to grow their own food, including fruits and vegetables.
Snoop decided to create “The Minds Garden Project,” after several visits to Jamaica, while he recorded for his upcoming album Reincarnated.
“When I went to Jamaica we took time to visit these communities in Kingston, and I was deeply affected by the poverty and lack of good food available to the children,” Snoop Lion said. “No child should go hungry. After all the inspiration Jamaica had provided me, I felt compelled to create a program to give back to the community.”
“The Minds Garden Project” has already started working in Kingston, with locations in Trenchtown and Tivoli Gardens.
Snoop Lion and Reed’s Ginger Brew have launched an awareness campaign on Causes.com, which allows people to take “The Minds Garden Project” pledge and learn more about developing out gardens for organic food growth in their own community.
“We’ve been looking for a way to give back to Jamaica,” added Chris Reed. “Nothing is more basic than food in helping people help themselves. Snoop helping to educate the world on how to eat better, and encouraging communities to grow their own organic food — this is very positive change. We are also excited about rolling out this
project to many U.S. cities. My company has always tried to offer people better, healthier options when it comes to what they drink.”
According to Snoop, he will be bringing the project to the United States.
“This is just the start, we have some big plans to roll out Mind Gardens stateside in the year to come,” says Snoop Lion. “We can all do our part to help people eat healthier and live better. Bless up! Jah Rastafari!”
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