The Weeknd reveals the artwork for his debut album, Kiss Land which is set to hit the stores on August 27.
SNEAK PEEK: Justin Timberlake – Take Back The Night
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The first visual from JT’s upcoming The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2 (due September 30th), is in the works….above are some pics from the shoot.
IN THE STUDIO: Freddie Gibbs & Mike Dean
Freddie Gibbs and Mike Dean recently hit an undisclosed studio to work on some undisclosed music. Look for that coming soon. – FSD
Lil’ Kim A Reported No-Show For Lovebox Performance
Lil Kim did not turn up to her set on time.
— lovebox (@lovebox_mama) July 21, 2013
Story developing, but for whatever reason, Lil’ Kim inexplicably blew off the Lovebox Festival…..Lizzie Grubman has only recently expressed that the circumstances were out of her control, with little else. Hopefully we’ll find out what happened soon.
Michael Holman Announces Plans For Graffiti Rock’s 30th Anniversary
Graffiti Rock creator Michael Holman has turned to Kickstarter to move two films forward — Graffiti Rock, The 30th Anniversary Edition and Graffiti Rock: The Untold Story — in lieu of his famous brand turning 30. Interested in donating? Head over here.
RECAP: Chris Brown’s Charity Event In Compton
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Chris Brown gave out Reeboks for the second time this month (he was in Crenshaw doing the same thing a couple of weeks ago), hosting an event in Roy Campanella Park in Compton, CA that brought out community youth leaders, government officials and law enforcement alike — Trayvon Martin was not lost on the day as well. You can check out a few pics from what went down above.
Kanye West Wants You To Know…
I open the debate… The 2nd verse of New Slaves is the best rap verse of all time….meaning … OF ALL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF RAP MUSIC, PERIOD
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) July 20, 2013
It wouldn’t even be right if he didn’t feel that way. Listen and decide for yourself, if you haven’t already.
Rae Dawn Chong Calls Oprah A ‘Field Nigger’, Releases Video Response Shortly After
I’ve been avoiding this one, simply because of how sad it is in the first place, but alas, here you go (from TMZ):
Oprah Winfrey’s former “Color Purple” co-star Rae Dawn Chong just UNLOADED on the talk show queen — claiming O is a self-centered fat “biotch” who would have been a “field n**ger” back in the slave days.
Rae Dawn — who’s part black — appeared on “Matty P’s Radio Happy Hour” and talked about how her personal relationship with O went from good to really REALLY bad back in the 80s (audio above).
RDC says Oprah was “lovely” to her back on the set of Purple in 1985 … but when Rae moved on to her next movie, “Commando,” that’s when she says O became “a total biotch.”
“I starred in Commando. And she just wasn’t having me. She’s competitive. She didn’t like me. She just wasn’t having me.”
It’s clear, Rae doesn’t like O either — ’cause for the next several minutes of the interview, she ranted on and on about how much she hates Winfrey — and stooped so low, she even took shots at her appearance and invoked slave imagery.
Following this, Rae Dawn Chong released a response video (to save face without apologizing, apparently), which you can check out below as well (courtesy of TMZ):
Jeymes Samuel (The Bullitts) Speaks On Jay Electronica’s Upcoming Album
Frequent Jay Elect-collaborator Jeymes Samuel throws his two cents in the pot for his homie’s upcoming (and very long-awaited) album….from NME:
Samuel is one of the producers on the Jay-Z-signed rapper’s debut release. Speaking to NME, the English artist said: “Honestly, it’s in the last stages of recording. It’s just tinkering. Just putting the final… you know when a builder builds a house? And when he’s finished the walls he gives them one little brush over, like a once over? And then the album will be done.”
Signed by Jay Z to Roc Nation in 2010, Jay Electronica tweeted, “ok, now it’s my turn,” hours after Jay Z released his latest album ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’. Samuel explained: “His album is amazing, it’s remarkable. It is the perfect… It goes hand in hand with ‘Yeezus’ and ‘Magna Carta…’. They go hand in hand… Also, also… It’s weird how Jay Z is intricately involved with all of us, but all the albums sound so different.”
Lauryn Hill Sends A Message From Prison
This is from her Tumblr page:
Ms. Hill has received a lot mail, and would like to let everyone know that she is doing well. She also asked me to pass along this message:
“I have known since very young to look for the purpose and lesson in everything, including the trials. Although it has taken some adjustment, I cannot deny the favor I have encountered while in here, and general warm reception from a community of people who despite their circumstances, have found unique ways to make the best of them. Thank you for the letters of concern and well wishes that I receive in the mail every day. Although I may not be able to write everyone back, please know that they have been received, read, acknowledged, and appreciated. With Love back, MLH”
Ms. Hill would like to thank the following people for their words of encouragement and support:
Jessica Lucas, Victoria, BC
Debbie J. Duncan, AL
Bessie Williams, Henderson, NC
King Solemon Kamali, Santa Clara, CA
Jahi, Oakland, CA
Candice Hughes, Las Vegas, NV
Cherisse Pittman, Alpine, AL
Joshua Curry, Benton, AR
Ana Rodriguez, Cranston, RI
Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, New Haven, CT
Naty Marrufo, Seaside, CA
Re Grace, Lake Forest, CA
Carter Grant, New York, NY
David Cruz, Hartford, CT
Terryl Lee Elder, Jr., Ansonia, CT
Sundiata Sadiq, Ossining, NY
Daisy, Tannersville, PA
Jerald Miller, New York, NY
Sister Souljah, New York, NY
Heidi Salcedo, Bethel, CT
Devon Young, Newark, NJ
Ralph Mitchell/Carthage Financial Group, Quincy, MA
Patrick Lanary, New York, NY
Tomeka Ramocan, Burlington, NJ
Birk Paluzzi, Elmwood Park, IL
Ms. Kirema Colbert, Hartford, CT
Derek Singletary, Astoria, NY
Steven Marcus, North Hollywood, CA
Rashad Hawkins, Alpharetta, GA
Diane L. Martin, Philadelphia, PA
Shareen Arroyo, Charlotte, NC
Mr. Daniel Aguilar, Brownsville, TX
Nadisha Postell, Bronx, NY
Claudia Bruno, Los Gatos, CA
Ms. Mamie Scott, Reading, PA
Maurad Ouazine, France
Robert D. Boyd, Maricopa, AZ
Aframerican Bookstore, Omaha, NE
Dr. Cynthia Chapman
Kanye West Is Now Under Investigation For Attacking Paparazzi At LAX
From People:
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation after West allegedly attacked videographer Daniel Ramos outside Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.
The altercation, caught on camera and posted on TMZ, took place after Ramos filmed the rapper and asked him questions as he walked out of the airport to a waiting car.
At one point in the video, an irritated West, 36, breaks his silence and accuses the paparazzo of trying to provoke him. “You’re trying to get me in trouble so I have to pay you, like, $250,000,” West says in the footage. He then appears to lunge at Ramos.
President Obama: “Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me 35 Years Ago.” (Video)
UPDATE: Video of the speech added above.
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From NBC News:
President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at the White House Friday to discuss African Americans’ reaction to last weekend’s verdict in the George Zimmerman case, saying that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.”
He also suggested that the outcome of the case could have been different if Martin were white.
“If a white male teen would have been involved in this scenario,” he said, “both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.”
The nation’s first black president, Obama said that it is impossible for the African-American community to not view the Martin case without filtering it through a long history of racial discrimination.
“The African-American community is looking at this through a set of experiences and history that doesn’t go away,” he said.
Obama said that, before he was elected to the Senate, he was also profiled in department stores and viewed suspiciously on the street.
The president also nodded to the Justice Department investigation to see whether it makes sense to bring federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman. But he also urged state and local officials to review their own procedures to see how to improve their law enforcement practices.
He also called for a review of so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws, a central issue in the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin.
“If Trayvon Martin was of age and was armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk?” Obama asked. “If the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we should examine those laws.”
And though Obama sidestepped the idea of demanding a new, national conversation on race — and while he said that racism was far from eliminated — the president ended on an upbeat moment, expressing his view that race relations are “getting better.”
“We’re becoming a more perfect union,” he said. “Not a perfect union, but a more perfect union.”
UPDATE: Kanye West Post-2009 VMAs Rant Revealed
UPDATE: P!nk has since responded, and not in the way you might think.
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Someone recorded Kanye while he ate with associates at the Corner Bistro in NYC on the night of the awards in 2009 where he goes off about Taylor Swift, P!nk’s performance, and his verse on Run This Town. Check out a portion of a transcript below; you can listen to the audio on Gawker).
I’d rather just let the [inaudible] speak for itself. You know, it’s like, I was happy to be in a situation where people couldn’t say, oh, I was trying to promote my own song. For the times that I’ve, like, defended myself… [Tape break] I’m pushing the envelope! I wrote my fuckin’ ‘Run This Town’ verse for a fuckin’ month! When I heard Eminem’s verse on the Drake shit, I went back and rewrote my shit for two days. I canceled appointments to rewrite! I fuckin’ care! You know what I’m saying? And that’s what I’m saying. Because I did that, Taylor Swift cannot win over Beyoncé! Because I wrote my verse in two days, Taylor Swift cannot beat Beyoncé. As long as I’m alive! And if I’m alive, kill me then! Kill me then! As long as I’m alive, you gon’ have to deal with it. ‘Cause there ain’t gonna be no more motherfucking Elvises with no James Browns.
[A female voice asks, “Why are you so angry? What’s the anger?”] Because my mother got arrested for the fuckin’ sit-ins. My mother died for this fame shit! I moved to fuckin’ Hollywood chasing this shit. My mother died because of this shit. Fuck MTV.
It ain’t no love. What the fuck was Pink performing? Don’t nobody know that song. Pink performed twice! Two songs? How the fuck Pink perform two songs and I didn’t even get asked to perform “Heartless.” “Heartless” is the biggest song of the year! It had the most spins of the first quarter! I don’t know that Pink song! But I noticed that she’s pink! They put me in a fuckin’ room and [inaudible – maybe “projected it”].
[A male voice asks, “How the fuck did Eminem get the Best Hip-Hop song in 2008?”] Eminem won Best Video! Rap Video! Yo, when he wont that shit, I was so happy. I was so happy I [unclear – “ran all this shit,” maybe]. I said, “Nigga, I’m gon’ do this until y’all put a bullet in my head. I’m runnin’ up to y’all, put a…” [tape cuts].
Jhene Aiko In Complex (Video/Pics)
The very sexy Jhene Aiko has appeared in the recent issue of Complex for ‘Hot Complex’ section, where she takes dope pics (below) and answers a few questions. Above is a behind the scenes clip of the shoot.
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ARTWORK: Trae Tha Truth – I Am King (Mixtape)
Unfortunately, I don’t have a release date for this yet. Coming soon, I hope.
Kelly Rowland Appointed As Jaguar’s New Brand Ambassador
Kelly is stunting on them in real life, as she is now the new face of Jaguar, which means we will probably be seeing her in there new print ads and commercials. Definitely makes me want one now for sure.
South Africa Rejoices As Nelson Mandela Turns 95 (Video)
From BBC:
Nelson Mandela is spending his 95th birthday in hospital in Pretoria, as events take place around the world and in South Africa in his honour.
The former president and anti-apartheid leader has been critically ill with a recurring lung infection since 8 June.
South African President Jacob Zuma, who visited Mr Mandela in hospital, said he was “encouraged” by his progress.
South Africans have been urged to mark Mr Mandela’s 67 years of public service with 67 minutes of charitable acts.
“When I visited him today… I was able to say ‘happy birthday’ and he was able to smile,” Mr Zuma said in a statement.
“Mandela’s struggle for freedom and justice in our country and his values of promoting a fair, just and equitable world continues to inspire and motivate us,” he told a visiting EU delegation.
JAY Z Visits The (Real) Magna Carta
From TMZ:
Who’s bigger … Jay-Z or the Magna Carta — the historic document that eventually gave Americans “certain inalienable rights” — not his new album?
It’s a toss up, but yeah … Jigga paid his respects during a Sunday visit with the real-life Magna Carta — the 13th Century document written in England, and forced upon King John in order to provide liberties and justice for all … and stuff.
Jay-Z posed next to the MC in the Salisbury, England cathedral where it’s kept under lock and key.
Kanye West Attacks Another Photog, Paramedics On Scene
TMZ Reports:
Sources connected with the photog tell us, Kanye was on his way out of the airport when he went ballistic, attacking the paparazzo.
An eyewitness tells us, Kanye was leaving the terminal with a bodyguard and approximately five paparazzi surrounded him, snapping pictures. We’re told one photog was especially aggressive — not a TMZ photog — and probed Kanye with tons of questions.
We’re told Kanye told the man not to ask him questions, but he kept going — and Kanye attacked, attempting several punches, and the man fell down. Paramedics and police are currently on scene.
Kanye has been out of the country since last week … when he laid down his now-infamous anti-pap rules, telling our photog NEVER TO TALK TO HIM EVER.
Loon Gets 14 Years In Prison; Responds To Sentence
Some time ago, Loon (now known as Amir Muhadith) was arrested for drug trafficking in North Carolina (he was actually apprehended in Belgium). Give or take a few things, we haven’t heard any more about it until today, when we learned that Loon has recieved a sentence of 14 years during judgement.
Police Find ‘Prison Room’ In Texas That Held Captives For 10 Years
UPDATE (AP):
Police Sgt. Steven Murdock says the men were homeless and may have been held so that a captor could cash checks the men were receiving. At least one of the men is a military veteran. It’s unclear whether the men were targeted for their Social Security payments or some other kind.
He says the men were malnourished and “almost invalids.” Three were taken to a hospital for treatment.
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From Huffington Post:
Police uncovered what they call a “prison room” in Texas where at least four victims were being held against their will.
Officers responded to the Houston home at 8:30 a.m. after a tip that four men, ages 79, 54, 74 and about 65 were being held captive in the garage, KTRK reports. When they arrived, the front door was nailed shut. Inside they found a trash-ridden room with no beds. The four victims were inside.
One of the victims says he’s been there for about 10 years, according to CNN. Three of the men couldn’t walk and were transported to a nearby hospital.
Three women and a suspect live in the house, and one person was taken into custody. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that person would face charges.
Details about the victims and their captivity were still hazy at press time. Police told some news sources that the men may have been homeless, and were lured to the house with beer and cigarettes in exchange for their Social Securty and Veteran’s Administration checks, FOX 4 reports.
One of the victims reportedly said he’d been staying in the house for six months, according to KTRK. He reportedly had no desire to leave, but said his living conditions were not good.
So Solid Crew Abruptly Dropped From This Year’s Lovebox Festival
Wow! This is very disappointing…..from BBC:
So Solid Crew will not be appearing at this year’s Lovebox Festival after being dropped from the line-up.
Organisers of the London event say the decision was “due to circumstances out of our control”.
However, in a series of tweets So Solid Crew rapper MC Harvey claimed the band was dropped because of pressure from another act on the line-up.
Sorry to everyone who has brought tickets to see us. Very disappointed we couldn’t give you guys a good show
“Yes #LoveBox is cancelled,” he said. “Another artist don’t want us on the same stage as them.”
The UK garage act had been due to perform at the three-day music event alongside acts including Wiley, Plan B, Tinchy Stryder and US rapper Lil Kim.
“Sorry to everyone who has brought tickets to see us,” MC Harvey added.
“Very disappointed we couldn’t give you guys a good show.”
A statement from the organisers dismissed the rapper’s claims about interference from another performer.
So Solid Crew, consisting of dancers, singers, rappers and producers, formed in 1998.
Justin Bieber Gets A New Tattoo
At this rate, Justin Bieber will be the new Pac in no time. I didn’t bother trying to figure out what it meant, but it should be worth noting that the kid now has a fucking eye coming from out of his inner elbow.
Rihanna Reveals Ads New ‘Rogue’ Fragrance
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You check out the ads above (which I’m sure you’ve already been doing). From WWD:
A shot from the advertising campaign for her new fall fragrance, Rogue, shows a contemplative-looking Rihanna with a half-shaved hairstyle and glowing skin. The campaign, which will appear in September, was photographed by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Mel Ottenberg at Highline Stages. With soft, smoky makeup by Lucia Pieroni and edgy hairdo by Yusef Williams, the ad is billed as a study in self expression and contrast. “People are always changing and evolving and with Rogue I wanted to switch it up to reflect who I am today,” said the currently blonde songbird. “I made it for all women, for every mood, because we all want to project our true selves.”
The Rogue scent, available in September at Macy’s, Dillard’s and Belk, is a “flirty, sensual Oriental” blend of lemon blossom, cyclamen, jasmine, rose, plum and suede over a musky base of woods, patchouli, vanilla and amber. Housed in a glass flacon with inverted spikes at the base, prices will range from $18 for a roller ball to $69 for a 4.2-oz. bottle. Limited-edition accessories — a stingray clutch, stingray leather zip-around bag and studded fashion bracelets, will be offered as gifts with purchase.