Janelle Monae & M.I.A. Perform Hologram Duet (Video)

April 5, 2014 JUKEBOXDC Staff Videos No Comments  

From Rolling Stone:

M.I.A. and Janelle Monae performed two live duets last night – even though they were playing on opposite coasts. Aided by futuristic (and, let’s face it, terrifying) technology, hologram images of Monae (in Los Angeles) and M.I.A. (in New York) were beamed onto each other’s respective stages for a show-closing collab, set up by the folks at Audi as part their new A3 launch.

Now, thanks to a 30-second fan-shot video of the duo tackling M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls,” it’s clear the performance wasn’t some kind of sci-fi dream. The brief clip shows M.I.A. joined by Monae’s energetic hologram, which bounces around the stage and spits some hard-edged rhymes. According to a press release, the event marked “the first hologram performance with integrated video mapping” and utilized “3D projection mapping to add layered depth of field perception with animated graphic content.”

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Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae & More To Perform For NBA All-Star Weekend

February 9, 2014 JUKEBOXDC Staff News No Comments  

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Taken from the official press release on NBA’s website, where you can read more on each artist:

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that Oscar®-nominated musician Pharrell Williams, coming off of his multi-Grammy Award-winning night, will headline the “Entertainment Series presented by Sean John at Macy’s” during the 63rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16, at New Orleans Arena. The game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, ESPN Radio, and in 215 countries and territories in more than 47 languages.

Williams will make a grand entrance when he opens the NBA All-Star 2014 festivities with the only player introductions set in all of sports, featuring surprise musical guests. The electrifying performance will be followed by Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. who will perform the U.S. National Anthem and Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder who will perform the Canadian National Anthem.

At halftime, New Orleans native Trombone Shorty and his band Orleans Avenue will tip off the celebration of New Orleans-influenced music with performers including multiplatinum singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dr. John, Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist Gary Clark Jr. and the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, prior to the highly anticipated Sprite Slam Dunk Contest airing live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Grammy-nominated artist Kendrick Lamar will perform an exclusive medley of smash hits from his critically acclaimed albums.

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Janelle Monae To Perform At NFL Owners Super Bowl Party; Eminem & Kanye West Too Expensive

December 20, 2013 JUKEBOXDC Staff News No Comments  

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I’m in the right industry, wrong field. From TMZ:

Eminem got an offer he COULD refuse — an offer to sing at the NFL Owners Party during Super Bowl week that did not meet his price — $2 MILLION!

Sources connected to the party tell TMZ … reps from the event were looking for a headline act for the party that followed the dinner, which will be attended by 1,500 lucky folks. When Eminem’s agents laid out the financial terms, we’re told the owners group passed.

We’re also told the owners were interested in Kanye … but his fee was too high as well. As one source put it, “It was $1 million, plus plus plus a lot of other perks.”

In the end, we’re told the group settled on Janelle Monae, who’s going for a very reasonable $150K.

There will be a slew of singers performing at various events in NYC during Super Bowl week. We’re told DJs are the big thing … and the big ones are going for between $750K and $1 million.

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Janelle Monáe Feat. Miguel – PrimeTime (Video)

October 10, 2013 JUKEBOXDC Staff Videos No Comments  

Taken from The Electric Lady, out now.

PrimeTime is a love story based on the early adventures of Cindi Mayweather (Janelle Monáe) and her first love Joey Vice (Miguel.) The Emotion Picture gives a glimpse at Cindi’s humble beginnings as a “cyber-server” at the Electric Sheep nightclub, a syn bar serving high-class “show droids” to the rich and lonely in a dangerous section of Metropolis known as Slop City. Incidentally, the innovative cybersoul music played at the club directly impacted Cindi, and she began singing and performing her own innovative compositions a short time after quitting this assignment. In addition, Cindi became determined to change the public perception of what an electric lady could be, dream and aspire to after working in the dismal conditions at the club.

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