LOL...both Janet and Jermaine had me rolling. I must say, interesting choice for opening act.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri
R&B songstress Monica confirmed that her forthcoming LP 'Still Standing' will be hitting stores early 2009, during a recent message to her fans. The 28 year old star cites the fact that she is still in the studio working on the record as the reason for the delay. Labels: Monica
Your thoughts?
Labels: From The Vault
Enjoyable performance. Good stuff.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: Kelly Rowland
With rumours about Danity Kane becoming almost a weekly occurrence, their label head/mentor Diddy has issued a statement reaffirming that the band are very much still together. Check out the report via Contact Music: A spokesperson for SEAN COMBS has denied claims his pop girl group DANITY KANE is on the verge of a split to make way for the solo career of one of its members.Great to hear all is supposedly well 'in-house', but a third album already? I mean that has to be some kind of joke, right? 'Making The Band' aside, the promotion for their current effort 'Welcome To The Dollhouse' has been far from satisfactory - lengthy gaps between singles...poor single choice(s) (I vote 'no' for 'Bad Girl') etc. Whoever is running the show in their camp needs to get it together ASAP, as this is quickly descending into one shambles of a situation. SMH...
Combs has reportedly planned the break-out of 23-year-old Dawn Richard, causing tensions in the five-girl group.
A posting on a popular music website claims the hip-hop mogul "has been flying Dawn out from Baltimore to him for private meetings. And these meetings are preparing her to be the breakout star in a solo career. Apparently, Diddy believes she's the most talented of the group, and the girls are pissy because they disagree."
But Combs' Atlantic Records spokeswoman Cara Donatto has denied the rumours, insisting the girls "absolutely" get along.
She says: "At no point was Dawn flown anywhere to record solo or meet alone with Diddy. The girls are still very much together. They're going out to the (MTV) Video Music Awards together... and they're promoting their album Welcome to the Dollhouse and working on their third."
Labels: Danity Kane, Diddy
A new Pussycat Dolls cut said to be lifted from their forthcoming 'Doll Domination' LP, titled 'Whatcha Think About That', surfaced today. The Missy Elliott assisted track's main appeal (IMO) is the fact that for the first time since their debut another voice that isn't Nicole actually sings something which you can hear lol (Melody's ad-libs don't count). Labels: Missy Elliot, Pussycat Dolls
The undisputed King of Pop Michael Jackson turns 50 today. I know, time really does fly by..."Just have a little cake with my children and we'll probably watch some cartoons -- before getting right back to work.
Oh boy, that's a hard one," he said, before singling out "We Are the World," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller."
But Jackson was not content to rest on his laurels, saying, "I am still looking forward to doing a lot of great things."
He hopes to release new music and tour, though he doesn't have dates set.
"I am writing all the time," he said. "I love composing and the whole thing. But I am also raising my children and enjoying it and teaching them to ride bicycles and how to read. I love it."
Asked if he'd like his two sons and daughter to have the same sort of upbringing as him, he said he'd prefer to let them "enjoy their childhood as much as possible."
"I let them go to the arcade and go to the movies and do things," he said. "I want them to get to do the kind of things I didn't get to do. So, I fill them with a lot of enjoyment that way -- a lot of amusement. You know?
"I get pretty emotional when I see them having a wonderful time," he added, "when they are on a ride and they are screaming and they are happy. ... It makes me emotional, 'cause I see they are having a real good time."
Jackson said his kids "love music ... they are very much into the arts," but that, "I don't push them."
Labels: Michael Jackson
Awesome rendition!
Jen's self-titled debut hits stores September 30th.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: Jennifer Hudson
The Knowles ladies (Beyonce, Tina & Solange) stopped by The Early Show today to promote Solange's 'Sol-Angel & The Hadley Street Dreams' LP. A pretty interesting watch, I must say. Peep the performance of 'I Decided' below too:
Labels: Solange
Labels: Solange
R&B star Kelly Rowland really is doing her thing over here in Europe. Peep her new commercial for Nike's Human Race - the world’s biggest one-day running event - which takes place in many cities across the world simultaneously on August 31st. Rowland will also be performing at the Paris event.
Watches again: She was getting it!
What do you think of the commercial?
Labels: Kelly Rowland
Yes, the post's title may seem somewhat OTT, yet it's warranted all the same. Despite none of Mariah Carey's 'E=MC²' singles performing well - aside from 'Touch My Body' (which I still maintain only charted so high because of the hype from her 'Mimi' LP), 'I'm That Chick' has been chosen as the album's 4th single and will be going for radio adds on September 2nd.Labels: Mariah Carey
Body On Me
Decent performances, I guess. Randomness, I know, but Ashanti's dancers were getting it during 'Good Good'...lol.
Solange
Rapper as made Billboard chart history this week with the first single from his forthcoming 'Paper Trail LP, 'Whatever You Like' :T.I. establishes the mark for biggest jump to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, as "Whatever You Like" soars 71-1 in its third week on the list.
A No. 1 opening on Hot Digital Songs with debut-week sales of 205,000 downloads is the cause for the record-setting Hot 100 move, which surpasses the 64-1 jump taken by Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" in May 2007.
"Like" is the rapper's first No. 1 as a lead artist (he was featured on Justin Timberlake's 2006 chart-topper, "My Love") and his opening-week digital sum is the best by a rap track since Nielsen SoundScan began compiling download data in 2003. {Source}
Conratualtions to ol' Clifford. Having released a bevy of more deserving singles, though, I would have preferred the likes of 'Bring Em' Out' and 'What You Know' to have achieved the same success. Anyway, enough of my lil' rant...a #1 is a #1. More power to him...
Labels: T.I
Teairra Marí recently spoke to KING magazine about former label-mate Rihanna's comments about her last year. Check out an excerpt from Marí's feature below:
Teairra took offense to some comments Rihanna made to Atlanta’s Peach magazine regarding her dismissal from the Roc. Rihanna said, “You have to be good to people. I could very easily say its all karma…”Ouch. I can't say I disagree with her...
“They asked her how she felt playing second fiddle to me, which I never felt [she was]. She had the number-one song in the country on Hot 100; I didn’t, so she couldn’t be playing second fiddle to me. When I heard that I was upset, like, ‘Why would she ever go there? Keep my name out your mouth, sweetie.” {Source}
Labels: Teairra Marí
Labels: Solange
With The Game's latest effort 'L.A.X having finally hit stores this week, the Compton-bred rapper performed current single 'Dope Boys', along with Travis Barker, on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show last night. The track is one of my favourites from the LP, so it's good to see it being done justice live. Good stuff.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: The Game
Word has it superstar siblings Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson will appear on stage together for the first time in 13 years at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards on September 7th: Although Britney shot promos for the VMAs, we're told the real gold is Michael Jackson. Sources close to the awards tell us MTV honchos have been working OT to get Jacko to reappear at the awards.With Michael's 50th birthday just days away, a high profile appearance at the show really isn't far-fetched. Here's hoping they do in fact appear.
We're told a deal is as good as sealed to have MJ present an award with sister Janet. {Source}
Labels: Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson
It's been, somewhat, of a slow news 1. It's Like That (Sam's Single Pick #5)
2. We Belong Together (Sam's Single Pick #1)
3. Shake It Off 4. Mine Again
5. Say Somethin'(ft. Snoop Dogg)
6. Stay The Night
7. Get Your Number (ft. Jermaine Dupri)
8. One And Only (ft. Twista)
9. Circles
10. Your Girl (Sam's Single Pick #4)
11. I Wish You Knew
12. To The Floor (ft. Nelly)
13. Joy Ride
14. Fly Like A Bird (Sam's Single Pick #3)
15. Sprung
16. Don't Forget About Us
17. Makin' It Last All Night (What It Do) (ft. Jermaine Dupri)
18. So Lonely (ft. Twista) (Sam's Single Pick #2)
19. We Belong Together (Remix) (ft. Jadakiss & Styles P)
Your picks?
Labels: Control Freak
With Solange's new LP 'Sol-Angel & The Hadley Street Dreams' out in stores this week, Ms. Knowles stopped by The Late Show with David Letterman last night to perform current single 'Sandcastle Disco'. Some of the 'interesting' choreography aside, it was a pretty good performance.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: Solange
In all fairness to Nelly, the video was an age ago. I mean, come on now...people need to let it go already IMO...
Your thoughts?
Labels: Nelly
Recently, 'Slow Dance', a new cut from Keri Hilson's hotly anticipated album 'In A Perfect World' surfaced. Produced by Polow Da Don (and co-written by Justin Timberlake), it comes as no surprise, then, that the song bares slight resemblance to Ciara's 'Promise' - also produced by the Atlanta hit-maker.Labels: Keri Hilson
Kanye really is really churning out these videos from his 'Graduation' LP; so much so that I'm starting to think he's funding them out of pocket. Anyway, the latest for 'Good Morning', which you can view above, is pretty cool.
What do you think of the video?
Labels: Kanye West
As the September 30th release of T.I.'s 'Paper Trail' LP draws nearer, his collabo with Rihanna from the set has surfaced. Bizarrely, the track, which is titled 'Live Your Life', samples 'Dragostea din tei' by Moldovan group O-Zone (you'll likely recognize it when you hear it lol). That said, with T.I. as on-form as ever and Rihanna doing her thing on the good, yet lyrically redundant hook, this song surprisingly works.
In what comes as very saddening news, Dr Dre's 20 year old son has been found dead, according to reports: The son of legendary rap producer Dr Dre has been found dead at his home in Woodland Hills on Saturday morning.Condolences to Dr Dre and his family, in what is no doubt a deeply troubling time. {Source}
Andre Young Jr., 20, was unresponsive when his mother went to check on him around 10 A.M., calling 911 to alert paramedics.
Young’s cause of death is pending completion of a toxicology report.
His father, Andre Young Sr, is better known to the world as “Dr. Dre”, an award winning producer who shot to fame as a pioneer of the influential gangsta rap group NWA, and becoming co-owner of West Coast record label Death Row records.
Later, he became popular for his discovery and production for white rap artist Eminem.
Labels: Dr Dre
Solange's sophomore album 'Sol-Angel & The Hadley Street Dreams' hit stores today.Labels: Solange
Labels: T-Pain
Labels: RandomNess
Today marks 7 years since the tragic passing R&B star Aaliyah. As I am sure many of you know, at the tender age of 22, Aaliyah died in a plane accident in the Bahamas - an accident that claimed the life of 7 of her friends and workers. Rest In Peace
Labels: Aaliyah
R&B crooners K-Ci & JoJo showed exactly why not to touch drugs at a recent show in Sydney, Australia. Peep the clip above, as well as a fan report (via Perez Hilton below):
So last night some friends and I went to see a Jodeci "reunion tour" at the Enmore theater in Sydney. Mate, the whole thing was a disaster. First, one of the guys (Devante I think) didn't even show up, so it became a K-ci and JoJo concert. JoJo came on stage and right away you could tell he was messed right up- he kept forgetting the words to songs and just was a general weirdo. But then, after about 40 minutes into the "show" he decided to sit right down on the floor. His brother, the other crackhead K-ci was trying his best to carry the show on his own. By far, the best part of the evening was when JoJo walked off stage for about 5 minutes, then came back out to sing "All My Life"- and PASSED OUT mid song. His brother told the audience that they were tired after their 24-hour flight and that JoJo had gotten dizzy.
Sad.
Labels: K-Ci and JoJo
With Brandy's 'comeback' single 'Right Here (Departed)' heating up the airwaves, a snippet of, what is said to be, the 2nd single from her forthcoming 'Human' LP has surfaced. Produced by Hit Boy, 'First N' Luv' isn't really sounding like the follow-up I'd been expecting.LISTEN: 'First N' Luv' (Snippet)
Labels: Brandy
I was discussing with a friend recently; as Whitney's appeal has never been centered around sex or provocativeness - ala the Janet's and Madonna's (who are great in their own rights), she has proven that by simply dropping great tracks such as this, she need not compromise her trademark style to appeal to the masses - they had no choice but to listen. A good position to be in with her 'comeback' album on the horizon.
Your thoughts?
Labels: From The Vault
The video for Cassie's new single 'Official Girl (ft. Lil' Wayne)' premiered on FN'MTV yesterday. Directed by Chris Robinson, the clip is a pretty engaging watch; Bad Boy evidently pumped quite a lot money into this move-esque effort. That said, I'm still not sold on the Danja produced song...just doesn't move me.
What do you think of the video?
Labels: Cassie
Rapper Da Brat has been sentenced to three years in prison for striking a waitress with a rum bottle at Jermaine Dupri's nightclub last year. Check out the report via Contact Music: A Superior Court Judge ruled on Friday (22Aug08) the hip-hop hitmaker - real name Shawntae Harris - will also serve seven years probation and 200 hours of community service for the incident in addition to her jail time.Pardon my bluntness, but good for her. No one is above the law; and as someone in the limelight you'd expect her to steer clear of such nonsense. SMH...
Harris, 34, was involved in the altercation at a Halloween party at Studio 72 nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, on 31 October 2007.
The pair were reported by police to have gotten into an altercation prior to the assault - resulting in the victim's hospitalisation and permanent facial scarring.
Harris entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault in the case.
According to reports, the rapper pleaded to her weeping family as she was led out of the courtroom, saying: "I love y'all."
Harris was previously convicted in 2000 for misdemeanor reckless conduct.
Labels: Da Brat
The video for John Legend's brand new single, the Andre 3000 assisted 'Green Light', premiered on Yahoo Music today. With the song having been in heavy rotation on UK radio as of of late, this one has really grown on me. The accompanying clip, though pretty unspectacular, does the song justice and serves as one of John's best visual offerings.
Legend's third studio album 'Evolver' is set to hit stores on October 28th.
What do you think of the video?
Labels: John Legend
R&B star Ne-Yo debuted the video for 'Miss Independent' - the 2nd single to be lifed from his upcoming LP 'Year of The Gentleman'-a few hours ago on the FN'MTV finale. The clip, which features cameos from Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson, Lauren London and Trey Songz, really brings to life the album's concept; something, if I'm to be honest, I was finding a little hard to grasp. Great song, even better video. Good stuff.
What do you think of the video?
Labels: Ne-Yo
Review up in a lil bit...
In the meanwhile...
What do you think of the song / video?
Labels: Terrence Howard
As previously reported, female music heavy-weights, including Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and Mariah Carey, came together to record 'Just Stand Up', in aid of the 'Stand Up To Cancer' campaign. The track itself, which I must say is pretty good, made its debut today on various US radio stations. You can listen to it below, as well as peep the full list of featured artists:Hit or Miss?
Labels: Ashanti, Beyonce, Ciara, Fergie, Keyshia Cole, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna
I really enjoyed this one. Great vocals from Jennifer, as usual, and the crowd participation made for a real good overall performance.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: Jennifer Hudson
Our friends over at SOHH are reporting that Jermaine Dupri's tenure as Head Of Def Jam Urban Division may be over already. Peep their report below: After several failed projects, which includes Janet Jackson’s Discipline, Mariah Carey’s E=MC2 and Johnta Austin's permanently shelved project it looks like the powers that be have had enough and JD’s time as head of Island Records' urban division has come to an end.Ouch.
I am being told that JD’s termination papers were being drafted this afternoon.
Labels: Jermaine Dupri
'It Chick' of the moment Rihanna has been confirmed as the latest performer at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The Bajan star will take to the stage at the September 7th show to perform current smash 'Disturbia'. {Source}Labels: Rihanna
Lil' Wayne features on the cover of the latest issue of XXL magazine. Interesting lol...Labels: Lil' Wayne
Labels: Cassie
I'd been trying to steer clear of this one for a few days, as no official source could be cited; however when reputable news agencies such as MTV and NME are picking it up, there may just be something to it. A very interesting article regarding 'it' girl of the moment Rihanna being 'broke' surfaced at the start of the week and has been gathering momentum since. Long, yet real insightful, I must say. Check it out: Rihanna's now ex-business manager Patricia Willliams has been recently fired as she recalls "for no good reason, all in ignorance" and is "livid" with Rihanna & her management company Rebel One's decision to axe her.Source or no source, much of this seems legit to me. I mean, what else can explain Rihanna seemingly having so much funds pumped into her as a 'brand' when she is far from a guaranteed album seller (which is where most label revenue comes from). Many an artist will tell you that the fantasy and reality of being in the music industry are very different; reading this back really reinforces that to me.
Rihanna recently met with Willliams to check on her accounting affairs and was shocked to see that almost all her money was missing. She instantly accused Willliams of "stealing her money."
"I'm a professional Business Manager, I have a staff of more than a dozen, I have worked for many high profile actors, musicians and multi-million dollar corporations. Why would I steal from Rihanna?" She continues, "I showed her all the paperwork and tried to explain to her the circumstances but she wouldn't listen. She called me all sorts of horrible names and stormed off. I now feel compelled to share with the world the background story as I will not allow my name to be slandered"
The Barbados born singer has had four back-to-back albums, including a re-release since her debut of "Pon De Replay" in 2005.
According to Willliams, Marc Jordan, manager and owner of Rebel One Management has been taking care of Rihanna's financial situation with her. "Def Jam doesn't fund Rihanna properly, so Marc uses the money Rihanna makes from third-party endorsements and from tours to fund her album and music videos." Since 2005, Rihanna has been sponsored by the likes of JC Penny, Samsung, Covergirl, Secret, Venus Breeze etc,. and has gone on two major tours, most recently label-mate Kanye West's "Glow in the Dark" Tour and with PussyCat Dolls across Europe.
"I don't want to disrespect Marc's name. He is a fantastic manager and genuinely believes in Rihanna. But he uses her money to fund her future projects because he believes he can break her in the world-market. Her album sales are not nearly as close to her single sales and he knows that if she is only known as a 'singles artist' she will only be as good as her last hit. Unfortunately, he didn't inform his client and I'm receiving the brunt of it."
Why is Def Jam lacking in funding support for there act? Why was so much money spent? How much exactly? Williams continues,
"Her record label Def Jam has put out 3 albums in a time span of 2 years. Alot of that was orchestrated through her management Rebel One. It was never Def Jam's intention to release so many albums back-to-back but Marc Jordan found loop holes and ways to make it happen.
A lot of the money Rihanna made through her endorsements between CoverGirl Cosmetics, Samsung.. Notice that majority of Rihanna's videos have a cell phone in it?"
"After the release of Rihanna and Teairra Mari, Def Jam had intention to drop both acts because their album sales were not successful. Her manager fought to get [S.O.S (Rescue Me)] and quickly tried to negotiate with as many companies as possible. Nike picked up the song and funded a video. This brought the hype back for Rihanna in the company's New York office. Majority of the official 'S.O.S' video was funded by Samsung because the record label was only willing to put up a small amount. Once 'S.O.S' picked up digitally and at radio, Def Jam agreed to fund the rest of her album. Jordan instantly got a video shot to 'Unfaithful' (he negotiated with video director Anthony Mandler to drop his price and would be given more videos from Rihanna in return). Then they shot 'We Ride' which was an extremely cheap video to create. 'Break It Off' was released as a third album, but again, Def Jam was unhappy with the sales of her album "A Girl Like Me" and refused to shoot a video. At this point Rihanna was opening up for the PussyCat Doll's in Europe. She was making 30,000 a show but she didn't see any of that money because it was needed to fund her next album." Which is now known to the greater public as a 'Good Girl Gone Bad'.
"The song "Umbrella" was found & Jordan fought again for Rihanna to have it. They shot the video, which CoverGirl funded half of, and the song became a success. When the record label had there meeting with Music Stores across the U.S to order her album for shipment, the number's weren't coming in the way that they expected. When the album's first week numbers came in at less than 150,000, the label was shocked. Def Jam's President LA Reid was livid! Umbrella was #1 for 11 weeks! Any other artist would have sold way more first week. T-Pain even did better in sales than her that week. Def Jam told Jordan they were no longer funding the album, so Jordan needed money again to pay for music videos 'Shut Up & Drive' and 'Dont Stop The Music'. Almost 250,000 was spent to have those videos created. Plus, an additional 120,000 to shoot 'Hate That I Love You'. Jordan was noticing that 'Dont Stop The Music' was picking up, so her persuaded the label to support it at radio in the U.S and the remaining singles, and they did."
"Then came for the repackaging of her album 'Good Girl Gone Bad', which is called 'Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded', that entire project was funded through Rihanna's money. 'Take A Bow' was bought through her money, the video was created with her money and so is her most recent video and single 'Disturbia'. The label didn't even want to pay a dime for anything! Close to 750,000 was spent on those two songs alone. And now she expects to see money in her account?"
Williams states that Jordan, her publicist from well-respected public relations firm 42-West, Alicia Silverman has built alot of hype around Rihanna's name but the singer has only made "a little bit above a million" and "all of it was spent on making her as big as she is now. It's not my fault that she only has 20,000 to her name."
Labels: Rihanna
As reported, Brandy filmed the video for comeback single 'Right Here (Departed)' in Los Angeles this past weekend. Peep pics snapped on set above and below.
What's more the 28 year old songstress spoke with MTV about the video, reuniting with hitmaker Darkchild, launching her 'Human' LP on Oprah and more:
Brandy's people really are not playing this go round. Everyone and their mother knows Oprah usually equals sales...well most of the time lol. After less than a week since being unveiled, 'Right Here (Departed)' has debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B Chart at #70. November 11th couldn't come sooner...She has enlisted some hip-hop heavyweights, including director Little X (Usher’s “Yeah”), for the video and is reuniting with producer Rodney Jerkins for the first time in six years. Brandy insists she and Rodney have moved far beyond any past conflicts, saying, “The chemistry brought Rodney and I back together. It’s undeniable, it’s magical. … We are back, and I’m never leaving Rodney again.”
And if that weren’t enough, Human’s official launch will take place on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on November 10, the day before it drops. For Brandy, that day can’t come soon enough.
“It feels so great to be back on the scene,” she said. ” … I went through a struggle, and I really needed to get myself together and connect with my purpose, which is music. Music is all I know how to do, so to be on this set today, I feel really blessed for the second chance and for the opportunity … and for everybody here just showing me so much love and support. … It just feels good to be back, and I never want to leave again for that long!”
On the set, Ms. Norwood’s genuine excitement to be back must have been contagious, as both Jerkins and her brother Ray J showed up to make cameos in the video. “I canceled all my plans to be here in this video, because I know how important it is to her,” Ray J said.
Brandy said that her dedicated fans are the main priority: “I just really hope the world embraces me back, because I’m embracing them with my music. I made it for them.”
Labels: Brandy
It appears Janet Jackson is a very busy lady these days. In between releasing an album, preparing for a tour and recording a reality show, the superstar is set to launch a ladies lingerie line before the years end. Check out the report via Women's Wear Daily: The legendary hip-hop and R&B diva teamed with Bruno Schiavi, the Australian lingerie designer behind Dr. Rey's Shapewear line (named for "Dr. 90210" fixture Dr. Robert Rey), for her debut fashion duet. The 18-piece line is named after the hit single from Jackson's 1986 multiplatinum album "Control," is designed to be comfortable for a range of sizes - 32A to 44G, and is crafted of mostly satin and lace.It's good to see Janet expanding her profile in other fields. More power to her...
Items will be manufactured in China and will be in department stores by late this year or early 2009. Jackson and Schiavi are currently in negotiations with major chains to carry the line; U.S. stores will be revealed in coming months, with releases in Australia, Japan and Europe to follow.
Jackson said the combination of beauty and comfort was the primary driver for the designs, though affordability was also paramount. Price points for the bra and underwear pieces are all under $40.
"I hate when you've had on a bra all day long and you just can't wait to take it off - every woman has experienced that," she said. "A lot of lingerie tends to leave those marks and be uncomfortable. This line is about detail, fit and comfort as well as beauty and making women feel sexy."
Labels: Janet Jackson
R&B star Omarion recently spoke with MTV about a number of issues, including the B2K/Chris Stokes controversy, his departure from Sony and new recording home, Timbaland's Mosley Music Group. A lengthy, yet interesting read:On the Chris Stokes / B2K Controversy
"Really, my thing is, I talked to the cats (his ex bandmates), and it's sad what people will do when they're in the position of 'don't have,' " the singer said of his onetime group members Raz, Fizz and J-Boog. "People will say, 'Omarion is still out there and in the pubic. Omarion is still successful.' But they don't sit back and think, 'Why is Omarion able to get this opportunity? Why are they not getting this opportunity?' Fizz put a single out. They are a product of their karma. I can't talk in detail about what was done [on their parts], but a lot of wrongdoing was done. A lot of false statements — off-the-wall, disrespectful things. Not even on a dislike level. On a hurtful level.
"I used to rock with them dudes, and now when I see them, it's not like that," he added. "It's gotta be like, I look at you funny or you look at me funny. If somebody has done something to disrespect you as a man, I feel like I have to protect myself. So now when I see them, after everything that happened, how do I be nice? How do I be cool? I'm a spiritual dude, and a part of me is forgiving. But there is so much that has been done, you get tired of that. This whole next album, you'll see a whole new Omarion."
On Leaving Sony:
"I asked to be released," he said of the rumors that Sony dropped him. "A release is different from a drop. When an artist is dropped, usually they haven't brought any revenue to the company. As you know, I've been with that company for a long time, roughly over six years. Throughout B2K and my solo albums, revenue was still brought in. An artist like me could never get dropped. How did I get dropped and I still ended up in a great situation? Usually when you hear 'drop,' it means, 'Oh, he's over.' It's a wrap. It's unfortunate that stuff like that gets put out there. Everybody likes to associate — especially me being such a cool dude — with negative things. Are you kidding me?"
On Working With Timbaland / New Album:
"We're just picking each other's brains to see what can be done differently," he continued. "My energetic style and aggressiveness when I perform, I don't think that's necessarily been captured [for the length of] an album. I always felt like I had joints like 'Touch,' even 'Entourage,' where it's upbeat. But it hasn't been captured in an album. All these crazy new dances, all these different things I wanna do. When I look at my peers in the game, they capture the true essence of who they are. I kinda felt like throughout my career, I had just blots of that."
'Hmmm' at Omarion believing that the Chris Stokes allegations stemmed from jealousy and whatnot. Anyway...
He's undeniably talented, but he's yet to present much of substance on a solo tip, in my opinion. Evidently confident in his standing as an artist/performer, it'll be interesting to see if his latest venture propels him to the heights he, obviously, believes he can/should be achieving.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Omarion
I'm liking the look of this one. The movie hits theatres in the US on October 17th.
Will you be going to see 'The Secret Life Of Bees'?
Labels: Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah
With the season premiere of Making The Band 4 (season 3) kicking off tonight, the timing of this latest 'drama' among the ladies of Danity Kane is real apt.Your thoughts?
Labels: Danity Kane
music heavy-weights including Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Mary J. Blige have joined forces for a star-studded single called 'Just Stand Up'," benefiting the Stand Up to Cancer campaign. Check out the report via MTV below:The unprecedented gathering features vocals from Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. The tune is being produced by the powerhouse duo of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid, who are working together for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The song will be available for purchase exclusively on iTunes on September 2 and will get its TV premiere on September 5 during the live "Just Stand Up" special, which will air simultaneously and commercial-free on CBS, ABC and NBC. According to a press release announcing the project, the song was conceived by Reid, the chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group, after a meeting with the women behind the Stand Up to Cancer campaign.
It's great to see so many major names come together for a worthy cause.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Ashanti, Beyonce, Ciara, Fergie, Keyshia Cole, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna
Our friends over at Rap-Up.com have received official word on Ciara's much anticipated new single - the first from forthcoming LP 'Fantasy Ride'. Both produced and featuring T-Pain, 'Go Girl' will serve as the record's first release.Labels: Ciara
Kelly Rowland has hinted at that Destiny's Child may, in fact, record new material for a 'comeback tour' soon: Rowland has previously revealed the trio will make a stage a comeback next year.Granted there have been rumors for forever and a day about the ladies reuniting, it's interesting to note that the quote puts a 'when' rather than 'if' slant on the prospect of a comeback (of some sort). Despite their solo success and individual fan-bases, there is, evidently, still a massive demand for the return of the biggest selling female group of all time. Whether that demand is met will be interesting to see...
And now Rowland claims her former bandmates, Beyonce Knowles and Michelle Williams, are keen to produce some new tracks.
She says, "We're so looking forward to working with each again and we just need to find a time in our diaries when we can get into the studio together."
The trio split up in 2005, with Rowland, Williams and Knowles all going on to forge successful solo careers. {Source}
Labels: Beyonce, Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams
Labels: Amy Winehouse
Bad Boy's five-piece Danity Kane pose it up in the latest issue of GQ magazine. Though the ladies all look pretty good, Dawn looks a little 'iffy in the face'. Is it just me or...?Labels: Danity Kane
Great to have Ms. Norwood back on the scene. The 'Right Here' video is set to premiere early September.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Brandy
Home-grown (and now International) star Estelle's video for new single 'Pretty Please' premiered today. Serving as the 4th release from her awesome sophomore effort 'Shine', the single's accompanying clip features appearances by Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day, Taraji Henson, Jackie Long and Malik Yoba.
Having gone to see Estelle live for the first time at London's Shepherds Bush Empire back in June, this was one of the many songs I came away humming. Great song for the summer. The vid is pretty good too.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Estelle
Ne-Yo recently posted a sneak peek of his brand new video 'Miss Independent' on his official blog - Year Of The Gentleman (which we are proudly affiliated with lol). The clip, which features cameos from Keri Hilson, Lauren London and Gabrielle Union, premieres on BET Access Granted on August 21st. Good stuff.
Your thoughts?
Labels: Ne-Yo
There is mounting speculation that Britney Spears will take to the stage at this year's MTV Video Music Awards to redeem herself after last-year's train wreck performance: Now, desperate to rebuild her career and recover fully from that nightmare period, 26-year-old Britney intends to bounce back at the scene of her humiliation.Without sounding a pessimist, I'm not sure this will be a good look for her. After last year's truly shambolic showing, the pressure will be on for her to deliver and every last aspect of thr performance will be dissected. That said, that will be the case whenever she returns to the stage. So...
Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music Group, said: “Everyone deserves a second or third chance, right?
“I’m not sure how we top Britney opening the show but we are working on it every minute of every day.”
Britney is already appearing in commercials previewing next month’s event at Paramount studios alongside Russell Brand, who will host the show.
A friend said last night: “She is as nervous as hell but at the same time itching to get back in front of the same audience where she screwed up so badly last time.“
It is the perfect platform for her to announce to her fans and the world that the dark days are behind her and she’s back on track with her life and her career. {Source}
Labels: Britney Spears
Undeterred by the latest pushback of her debut LP 'In A Perfect World' (now due October 7th), Keri Hilson recently performed at San Diego radio station Channel 933's AJ's Playhouse gig. Hilson performed a new cut from the album called 'Do It' - which from the sounds of it, samples LL Cool J's classic 'Doin' It'.
Though the crowd were deader than dead (why go to the show in the first place?), Keri done her thing. Is it me or did anyone else not think she was the choreography type? Nonetheless, good performance.
What do you think of the performance?
Labels: Keri Hilson
Rapper 50 Cent has topped Forbes magazine's 2008 list of Top 20 Earners In Hip-Hop, with a whopping fortune estimated at $150 Million. Check out the full list below:Interesting. The top part of the list was pretty much a cert; however, who knew Chamillionaire had it like that...Lil' Jon for that matter too.1. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson: $150 million
2. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter: $82 million
3. Sean “Diddy” Combs: $35 million
4. Kanye West: $30 million
5. Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley: $22 million
6. Pharrell Williams: $20 million
7. Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean: $17 million
8. Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus: $16 million
9. André “Dr. Dre” Young: $15 million
10. Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges: $14 million
11. Clifford “T.I.” Harris: $13 million (tie)
11. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter: $13 million (tie)
12. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers: $12 million (tie)
12. Lonnie “Common” Lynn Jr.: $12 million (tie)
12. Aliaune “Akon” Thiam: $12 million (tie)
13. Jermaine Dupri: $11 million (tie)
13. Jonathan “Lil Jon” Smith: $11 million (tie)
14. OutKast: $10 million (tie)
14. Hakeem “Chamillionaire” Seriki: $10 million (tie)
14. Jayceon “The Game” Taylor: $10 million (tie)
Labels: 50 Cent
