Rick Rubin – Nowness ‘Interview’ (@NOWNESS)

Rick Rubin: Music and Spirituality on Nowness.com.

Here’s what you don’t see everyday…..a Rick Rubin interview. And he’s still very much Rick Rubin….just older. From Nowness

Recording artist whisperer and all-around wizened sage Rick Rubin contemplates life and art on the stunning cliffs outside his Malibu residence in this short film by Alison Chernick. The mogul ruminates on living in harmony with nature, the importance of recreating its perfection in art, and the transcendental power of sound before leading us into a guided meditation, a practice he has followed since becoming fascinated with yogis as a teenager. His trademark beard, untouched since he was 23 years old, pays clear homage to their spiritual influence. The story of Rubin’s beginnings at Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons in 1984 from his New York University dorm room has become the stuff of legend. He has since become one of the most influential producers in the history of pop music, producing seminal hip-hop albums by artists such as LL Cool J, Run-D.M.C., and The Beastie Boys, with an unparalleled knack for genre-bending and critically acclaimed covers. He has also masterminded the late-career resurrection of a number of artists via American Recordings, exemplified by Johnny Cash’s victorious comeback. Add to that eight Grammy awards, being named one of Time’s most influential people in the world, and a co-presidency of Columbia Records, and Rubin has more than earned his magic reputation. “He is on a journey through the spiritual and creative wilderness,” says Chernick. “It’s transformative to witness.”

New Jay-Z (@S_C_) Record, ‘Holy Grail’, In Existence? (@DJNEPTUNE)

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Credit goes to D-Dot Omen on this one, but it appears that DJ Neptune may have a brand spankin’ new Jay-Z record in his possession. The question is, when is he (or somebody) going to give up the goods?

@AZEALIABANKS/@AngelHaze Twitter Beef Continues; @PerezHilton Gets Into The Mix

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As far as the Banks/Haze Twitter back-and-forth, you can go to their pages for that (their names are in the header)…..what is noteworthy is that Perez Hilton has jumped in, siding with Haze (you can check those Tweets too), and in one swift potentially career-ending move, the below happened:

Banks later tried to address the use of the slur (more than likely because it created a backlash), but the truth remains that you really have to know by now what that can do to your reputation. Smooth move.

Fleur (@FleurOfficial) – Turn The Lights On (Video)

Turn The Lights On is Fleur’s scorching follow up to her Cutline collaboration Broken Mirror. Produced and co-written by London based drum & bass producer James Pountney aka Culture Shock, Turn The Lights On mixes Culture Shock’s textured and melodic high octane beats with Fleur’s effervescent vocals and thoughtfully penned lyrics.

Turn The Lights On received its first exclusive play on Friction’s Radio 1 show and will be released on Strictly Rhythm Records on February 17th, 2013 with remixes from Prototypes and Patrick Hagenaar

Conor Maynard (@ConorMaynard) Talks Justin Bieber (@JustinBieber) Comparasions (@MTV)

From MTV, where you can check out the full editorial:

To add to the inevitable comparisons, like Bieber, Maynard has a music-industry insider — in this case Ne-Yo — helping get him to the top. But if you ask if he’s worried that people might confuse him with that other young singer, he has a number of reasons why he thinks he’ll be able to forge his own path.

“I don’t want to be the next anyone,” he told MTV News ahead of the release of his U.S. debut, Contrast. “I want to be the first Conor Maynard. I think I want to have a successful career that is unique in its own way.”

Sir Michael Rocks (@SirMichaelRocks) – @RiqReed/2dopeboyz Interview

Before the new year, I caught up with Sir Michael Rocks at UC Davis’ Mfalmefest (where I interviewed Curren$y and Pac Div) and although he wasn’t a performer, he was backstage where he gave me the rundown of some of his 2013 plans. Though he and Chuck Inglish are pursuing their solo careers, this short piece gives insight to how he’ll develop as an artist in 2013.