Keyshia Cole & Chrisette Michele are hitting the road in March, and they want you to be a part of it (because if not, Michelle Williams wins). Dates are below.
March 28: Westbury Theater, Westbury, NY
March 29: Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
March 30: Warner Theater, Washington, DC
April 2: Orpheum, Boston, MA
April 4: Beacon Theater, New York, NY
April 5: Oakdale Theater, Wallingford, CT
April 6: Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ
April 7: Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
April 9: Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
April 11: Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI
April 12: State Theater, Cleveland, OH
April 13: Star Theater, Merrillville, IL
April 14: Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
April 16: Verizon. Dallas, TX
April 18: Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, AZ
April 19: Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
April 20: Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA
April 21: Fox Theater, Oakland, CA
Lil Wayne and Birdman’s label Cash Money Records is in the hot seat over allegations it illegally used a sample from a 70s song in one of Bow Wow’s recent tracks.
The septuagenarian behind the lawsuit is Robert Poindexter from the 70s band The Persuaders.
Poindexter claims Cash Money sampled his band’s song “Love Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)” and illegally lifted the tune in Bow Wow’s 2010 track “Still Ballin.”
As for “Love Gonna Pack Up (and Walk Out)” — the song was recorded in 1972 and reached the top of the charts … and Poindexter says neither Cash Money nor Bow Wow ever obtained permission to sample it.
Poindexter claims he reached out to Cash Money for an answer, and was redirected to Bow Wow’s attorneys, who then directed him back to Cash Money … which is why Cash Money’s currently in his crosshairs.
Poindexter wants $600,000 in punitive damages, plus interest. Cash Money has yet to respond to the suit. We reached out to the label for comment — so far, no word back.
Jay-z & JT is not only headlining London’s Wireless Festival on July 12 and 13, they also officially announced their Legends Of The Summer tour. No dates yet, just the venues.
Earlier this month, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis track “Wing$” was licensed in a commercial for the NBA All-Star break. The placement received some backlash Macklemore responded to the “sellout” accusations last night on his website. Some people will never be pleased.
Over the past couple days, I’ve read numerous tweets and a couple articles about the use of our song “Wings” as the intro for the 2013 NBA All Star Game. While most people were congratulatory over the television appearance, it seemed like there were a fair amount of people that were quick to throw out the good, old-fashioned “sellout” statement. The bigger our profile gets, the more I’m getting use to the phrase and the “purists” who toss it around so liberally. But I figured I should probably break it down from my perspective to let you know where I stand.
The song “Wings” is about the pursuit of identity through the means of consumerism. The attempt is to dissect our infatuation and attachment to logos, labels, brands and the fleeting happiness that is intrinsically linked to the almighty power of the purchase. The subject I use in the song is shoes, but its aim is to paint a broader picture of being a consumer and tracing the lineage back to my first memory of retail infused desire.
I love the NBA. Always have, ever since I was a little kid. When we got offered the TNT All Star game intro it was a no-brainer. I showed up that day to a middle school gym in LA and as I was reading the script I was informed that they re-arranged the structure of the song. I didn’t know prior to that day that my lyrics were going to be edited. But to be 100% honest with you, I didn’t really care once I learned that they were. The only thing that I was a little “ehhhh” about was the last bar. But I put it on the ethics scale, and the last bar alteration wasn’t outweighing the potential reach that I saw in doing the video.
In any licensing deal they are going to edit your music. A 4 minute song does not fit into a 30 second movie trailer. Lyrics have to get cut in order for the trailer/ad to make sense with what the company is promoting. And a song about consumerism doesn’t fit into an NBA All Star Game intro without some tailoring. There is a story telling aspect of Wings that chronicles loving basketball, being a kid and wanting to be like Jordan. That’s the side that the NBA wanted to use. Makes sense. Probably doesn’t make sense for them to use the part that’s breaking down our obsession with the shoes that 90% of the players in the NBA wear, right?
The All Star game intro was seen by millions of people on Sunday who had no idea who we were. My thinking was, if they liked the song they will go and listen to the full version. Those who hear the original song in its entirety will get the core of what gives the song depth. Some might even buy it and become real fans. And guess what version they get? Not the TNT chopped up edit, but the full one.
In my stripped down definition, selling out is compromising your artistic integrity for money/fame. In my heart I can tell you that my personal artistic integrity remained completely intact over the weekend. TNT used our song. They’re still my words. They picked the parts that fit their ad campaign, and visually matched it to us performing, threw in a highlight reel of crazy dunks and had a bunch of kids singing the hook in a gym. Word. I’m all for that. If you take away the consumerism cautionary core of Wings, a story still remains. And that story is one that I’m still proud of, and it’s dope to me that it’s relatable enough for TNT to want to use it.
I would understand the “Macklemore sold out” complaints more if we matched Wings to a shoe commercial. That would be blatant irony, it would completely contradict the song and would appear as a sell out move. But an NBA commercial? The NBA has very little to do with what Wings was really about. The songs subject is about shoes, but the guts of the record are about consumer culture. Is the NBA tied up in this culture and related in some way? Of course. All companies selling a product are. But this is the result of American culture. Does the NBA happen to fall under the capitalist umbrella? Absolutely. But it’s no different than the brands you’re currently wearing, the company that manufactured the couch that you’re sitting on or the computer/phone you’re staring into while reading this.
If there was any trace of irony by Wings being one of the official songs of the 2013 All Star Game, that’s great. That means that we won. The song about consumerism was embraced on a national level, and played to the entire country of sports fans that tuned in. More people download the song, got the truth (the actual/full song) and we converted strangers that didn’t know who we were into fans. If that’s selling out to you, word. But to me that’s nothing but an all around win.
On March 9th, Justin will hit ‘Saturday Night Live’ to both host and perform in a bid to push the project.
However, in what he hope teaches his contemporaries a thing or two about promoting a project properly, he is scheduled to perform on ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon‘ every day of the week, for a stint beginning on March 11th and ending on the 15th.
All this, to leave no promotional stone unturned before the launch of the project- which is set for release on the 19th.
Platinum-selling rapper Ja Rule has left an upstate New York prison after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession, but is heading straight into federal custody in a tax case.
U.S. Marshals escorted the 36-year-old out of Mid-State Correctional Facility at 9:30 Thursday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear where he’ll serve time in the tax case.
The rapper, who had been in protective custody because of his celebrity, has some time remaining on a 28-month sentence for tax evasion.
His lawyer says Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, may have less than six months left and may be eligible for a halfway house.
An order to pay $1.1 million in back taxes is one of the main reasons he wants to get back to work.
Sooooooooo I was reading up on some fashion and I was delighted to see that Sony is now moving the new PS4 gaming console into high-gear. Spotted on High Snobiety…..you can check out some pics below as well. No clue on when it’s dropping (though if we look hard enough there might be some news on that as well)…
According to lead system architect Mark Cerny, the PS4 has been in development for at least five years.
As far as specs, Cerny said it runs on x86 architecture, a “highly enhanced” PC GPU (with “almost 2 teraflops of performance,” he added), an unknown amount of local HDD storage, and 8GB of GDDR5 system memory. Cerny next unveiled the next gen console’s controller, the DualShock 4. The controller features a touchpad, a light bar, and what looks like rubberized grips. Otherwise, it basically looks like a DualShock 3 with some added bells and whistles.
Due to extreme demand, Beyonce has added a few new dates to her upcoming tour in London & Manchester. I can hear you all rejoicing (at least the ones who don’t yet have tickets). Check out the dates below….also, O2 gets some special privileges as seen by the above updated promo.
Beyonce ‘Mrs Carter Show’ UK & Ireland Tour Dates
Apr 26th – Birmingham LG Arena
Apr 27th – Birmingham LG Arena
Apr 29th – London O2 Arena
Apr 30th – London O2 Arena
May 1st – London O2 Arena
May 3rd – London O2 Arena
May 4th – London O2 Arena – NEW DATE
May 5th – London O2 Arena – NEW DATE
May 7th – Manchester Arena
May 8th – Manchester Arena
May 9th – Manchester Arena – NEW DATE
May 11th – Dublin The O2
May 12th – Dublin The O2
Big Sean has announced a his European tour for February and March, kicking off on Saturday at Munich, Germany. This will be Big Sean’s first time traveling to Germany. Check out the dates below and head over to Big Sean’s website for ticket info.
Turk’s comeback project drops on February 22nd. I certainly look forward to seeing how the mixtape is going to turn out.
1. All U Hear
2. Blame It On The System feat. Gunplay
3. For The Hood feat. Calico Jonez
4. Uptown feat. UNLV
5. Rack Attack
6. Definition Of Real feat. Emani & Lil Lody
7. Zip It Remix ft The Hot Boys (Lil Wayne, B.G. & Juvenile)
8. Thank Me
9. Reunited Wit Da Block ft Gudda Gudda
10. I’m Still Here feat. B.G.
11. Reckless
12. Everything
13. Fast Life feat. Juvenile
14. Closer To The Dream feat. Christian Radke
15. Man In My City feat. Dee1, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile
June 13th – 16th will bring another one of the many festivals that will be much talked about this summer, and after one look at the acts involved we can see why. Check out the list below.
We previously posted about his tour announcement aaaaaaand now we get his tour dates, and he’s headed EVERYWHERE. Check out the slew of dates below.
North America:
June 22: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
June 24: Philadelphia, Penn. (Wells Fargo Center)
June 26: Boston, Mass. (TD Garden)
June 27: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
June 29: New York, N.Y. (Barclays Center)
July 1: Newark, N.J. (Prudential Center)
July 2: Pittsburgh, Penn. (Consol Energy Center)
July 3: Toronto (Molson Amphitheatre)
July 5: Montreal (Bell Centre)
July 10: Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)
July 11: Detroit, Mich. (The Palace of Auburn Hills)
July 13: Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
July 14: Minneapolis, Minn. (Xcel Energy)
July 17: Calgary, Alb. (Scotiabank Saddledome)
July 18: Edmonton, Alb. (Rexall Place)
July 20: Vancouver, B.C. (Rogers Arena)
July 21: Seattle, Wash. (Key Arena)
July 22: Portland, Oreg. (Rose Garden Arena)
July 24: Sacramento, Calif. (Sleep Train Arena)
July 25: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
July 27: Los Angeles, Calif. (Staples Center)
July 30: San Diego, Calif. (Valley View Casino Center)
July 31: Phoenix, Ariz. (US Airways Arena)
Aug. 2: Salt Lake City, Utah (Maverik Center)
Aug. 3: Las Vegas, Nev. (MGM Grand)
Aug. 5: Denver, Colo. (Red Rocks Amphitheater)
Aug. 8: St. Louis, Mo. (Scottrade Center)
Aug. 9: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Aug. 10: Oklahoma City, Okla. (Chesapeake Energy Arena)
Aug. 12: Dallas, Tex. (American Airlines Center)
Aug. 14: Austin, Tex. (Frank Erwin Center)
Aug. 15: Houston, Tex. (Toyota Center)
Aug. 17: Nashville, Tenn. (Bridgestone Arena)
Aug. 18: Louisville, Kent. (KFC Yum! Center)
Aug. 19: Indianapolis, Ind. (Bankers Life Fieldhouse)
Aug. 21: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)
Aug. 22: Atlanta, Ga. (Philips Arena)
Aug: 28: Tampa, Fla. (St. Pete Times Forum)
Aug. 30: Miami, Fla. (American Airlines Arena)
Sept. 1: San Juan, P.R. (Coliseo de Puerto Rico)
Beyonce is itching to add a son to her family, but let’s hope her daughter, Blue Ivy, treats him better than Beyonce treats her own brother!
Alex Wright tells Star that she is the mother of a baby boy fathered by Beyonce’s dad, Mathew Knowles, when he was still married to Beyonce’s mother Tina.
Sources say Beyonce was so furious about her father’s affair, she refuses to meet her little brother. But Mathew’s relationship with the tot, named Nixon, isn’t much better.
“We had an 18 month relationship. We were in love and even lived together,” Wright tells Star. “But four months into my pregnancy, he decided he couldn’t do it – and since our son’s birth, he has tried to deny Nixon full child support. This isn’t about the money. It’s about accountability, education and providing Nixon a secure life.”
The estate of Tupac Shakur is being placed in the hands of Jampol Artist Management and the late rapper’s mother indicates there is more music to be released.
Shakur’s mother, Afeni Shakur, head of his estate and founder of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, said in a statement, “I believe it is our responsibility to make sure that Tupac’s entire body of work is made available for his fans. My son left many incomplete pieces and even more unfinished ideas. Using the blueprints he gave us, I am committed to fulfilling this duty.”
Tom Whalley, the label executive who signed Shakur to his first record deal, will be working with Jampol Artist Management on music projects.
Jampol Artist Management will oversee licensing, apparel and other ventures in all media, worldwide, as it relates to Shakur’s music, film, name and likeness.
JAM founder and president Jeffrey Jampol is adding Shakur to a roster that already includes the Doors, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Peter Tosh and Henry Mancini. He consults the estate of Michael Jackson.
“It’s our responsibility — and our privilege — to ensure that new generations of fans experience the power of Tupac’s music, his ideas and his storytelling,” Jampol said in a statement.
Afeni Shakur noted Jampol “will find innovative ways to continue to keep his music, his message, and his legacy alive.”
Yesterday, Jay-z signed himself and Roc Nation to a global publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. The signing comes four months after Jon Platt‘s move to the company. Hov had this to say about the deal below:
“The real meaning of success is being in the position to work with an individual you consider a friend. Jon Platt is such a person. He’s a man of extraordinary character as well as a remarkably talented executive with an ear for music and an eye for talent. It’s great to watch him grow to be one the best in the business.”
Says Jon:
“I first partnered with Jay in 1996, and it’s been thrilling to work with my friend over the past 16 years as he’s grown into one of the world’s best songwriters and become a global icon. At the same time, Roc Nation is one of the most dynamic and influential music companies around. It is home to an extraordinary collection of hit-makers, who are writing and producing many of today’s most popular songs and collaborating with the world’s most successful artists. I couldn’t be happier to continue my relationships with Jay and Roc Nation and build on our partnerships at Warner/Chappell.”
If you checked out K. Michelle recent Breakfast Club interview, you might’ve heard this quote, referring to her skipping out on a recent concert with also featuring Lyfe Jennings:
I was so wrong for that. Let me tell you. They were promoting me. They didn’t even have Lyfe Jennings on the flyers really. No one knew he was out of jail, so I get there and he [had told] them “No, she needs to open up for me.” It was a crowd of women and you were using my name and promoting me. I was like, “No, he’s going to go on first, he’s been in jail. I’ve been out here working and grinding, you been in jail!” I ended up saying I would go on but by then the promoters was like “No.” I made a lot of people pissed off in Tampa. I learned as an artist regardless of anything your fans come first. Just f—k it. Just go out there and sing and let them get up and leave after. I should have went on but I was like, “Damn, we didn’t know you was out, bruh.”
Lyfe then got on Twitter and pretty much ranted for a while:
Doesnt Kmichell relize that everytime she talks bad about Lyfe her fan base goes down…Next time u do an interview in NY go to their web site and see what their listeners are sayin about ur words on Lyfe..
But ima keep bein me and not say nothin negative. Cause i know once love and hiphop is over humbleness will b swift
What’s so funny is I get calls for shows with K and I turn em ALL down. And no one has went on without me.
And to any promoter: stop callin me i will not do a show with KMichelle on the bill. If shes involved i wont be. Dont need the drama.
Yaw dont be fooled by the musicians with 5 -600k followers cause they buyin them… #thirsty
They even got teams of inturns to comment good things on interview sites to make u think people really like them..#fake
Ima give yall the game on this biz foreal…
Thats why its kinda good people not buyin records nomore because ur only gonna buy who you love.
Musicans fake like they got alotta money cause they think yawll will wanna be apart of that. All those clothes cars and jewlery is rented.
They gettin at the most 100k (if that) in signing bonuses. 25k to the lawyer 20% to manager then 25% taxes = 40k to last a yr
Name 5 musicians that u still love that have been around 10yrs…
The latest involves K.Michelle and Mimi Faust. Earlier Tuesday, K.Michelle was on popular radio show ‘The Breakfast Club’, promoting her upcoming album. At one point during the interview, she gave her two cents on Mimi’s new boyfriend, Niko. Long story short (and you can watch the entire interview here), K.Michelle said that she thought Mimi’s boyfriend was ‘down low’.
Fast forward to later in the evening and an alleged altercation took place at K.Michelle’s show at NYC’s BB Kings. Here’s what an insider backstage told us. Mimi and Ariane Davis (another LHHA cast member) went to K.Michelle’s show, to support her. At some point, Mimi and K.Michelle exchanged words about what had been said earlier (about Mimi’s boyfriend) on the radio. Things got heated and allegedly, K.Michelle open-faced slapped Mimi and walked off. So what’s the real issue between K.Michelle and Mimi? Sources say that an ‘incident’ happened while they were filming recently. K.Michelle got into it with Niko, Mimi’s boyfriend (we’re not sure how the argument started), on the set of Niko’s video shoot (we’re told that K.Michelle was invited by Mimi). Words were exchanged and K.Michelle said some not-so-nice-sexual things about Niko, allegedly dropping the ‘F’ word a few times. We’re not sure what exactly was said by Niko. Anywho, K. Michelle felt that Mimi should have intervened. And from that point on, K. Michelle has felt like Mimi betrayed her, by not defending her at the video shoot, instead siding with her boyfriend. Fast forward to Tuesday night and apparently the tension got the best of the two, ending with K.Michelle slapping her. We don’t know who to believe, but stay tuned..as more info is sure to come out. #Ouch.
