Archive for January, 2006
On the heels of its farewell tour and album, Destiny’s Child will perform live for the final time when it sings the National Anthem before the 2006 National Basketball Association All-Star Game. The contest will take place Feb. 19 in Houston and will be broadcast live by TNT.
Destiny’s Child’s members are already busy with solo projects. As previously reported, Beyonce Knowles will be seen this month in the remake of “The Pink Panther” and is hoping to begin work on a new album this summer. Kelly Rowland has penciled in a June 13 release for her sophomore solo set, while Michelle Williams’ next project is expected sometime this summer.
January 31st, 2006
Cassidy, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault last week in Philadelphia, is planning to return to the studio with producer Swizz Beatz after serving out his prison term. In the meantime, the rapper’s label, Full Surface/J, will on Feb. 28 release the single “Cassidy (The Anthem).”
The cut will be available as a master ringtone Jan. 31 through all carriers, and the digital single will be offered for download on Feb. 14.
Cassidy, born Barry Reese, was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months after being found guilty of negligence for providing the guns that killed Desmond Hawkins and wounded two of his companions. The rapper has been in prison since June 2005.
“Cassidy (The Anthem” is drawn from his 2005 sophomore album, “I’m A Hustla,” which peaked at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 253,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album was released just weeks after Cassidy was charged with murder.
“While I am pleased that I was cleared of the murder charges, my satisfaction is not long-lasting, because of the death of someone who I considered to be my friend, Des Hawkins,” says Cassidy. Adds Swizz Beats, “When Cassidy gets out, do not expect us to promote this situation as a cocky and violent situation, but as a blessed situation.”
technorati tags: Cassidy, Swizz Beatz
January 31st, 2006
R&B vocalist/songwriter Gene McFadden, best known as half of the Philly soul duo McFadden & Whitehead, died Friday (Jan. 27) of cancer at his home in Philadelphia. He was 56.
As teenagers, McFadden and John Whitehead, who was fatally shot in May 2004, formed the Epsilons. Discovered by Otis Redding, the pair went on to become a successful songwriting and performing duo at seminal soul music label Philadelphia International Records.
The best known of their songs, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy award. The duo also wrote several hits performed by others, including the O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers” and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “Wake Up Everybody.”
“Their talent was indispensable and their music capabilities were uniquely flexible,” said Philadelphia International founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in a statement. “Not only could they write sensational singles but they could write amazing album songs, too. As artists and producers we admired them in the studio. As songwriters, we appreciated them for sharing our commitment to creating lyrics of motivation and strength for people around the globe to enjoy.”
January 30th, 2006
Jan. 28, 2006 — In his song “Jesus Walks,” Kanye West sang, “God, show me the way” — but critics wonder what showed him the way toward the latest cover of “Rolling Stone” magazine, on which he poses as Jesus Christ.
“Bad PR showed him the way to this cover,” comedian Mo Rocca joked on “Good Morning America Weekend Edition.” “Yet, here I am talking about it on network TV.”
Rolling Stone said the West cover was meant to be artistic and wasn’t meant to offend any group.
Memorable Magazine Covers
But West has drawn fire. Even so, he is not the first celebrity to pose in a way that makes people’s jaws drop.
Few can forget the 1991 Vanity Fair cover with a pregnant Demi Moore.
“In comparison with a lot of her film acting, it’s a lot more lifelike, a lot less stiff,” Rocca said.
More recently, country act The Dixie Chicks posed nude on a 2003 cover of Entertainment Weekly in a protest against criticism they received for bashing President Bush.
In another classic cover, John Lennon and Yoko Ono posed nude for Rolling Stone.
The story behind a cover picture also can be used to sell magazines. When the cast of “Desperate Housewives” shot a cover for the May 2005 issue of Vanity Fair cover, there was a cat fight among the actresses about who would pose where. In that case, the spin machine took hold and pushed the buzz about what happened behind the scenes.
Going Too Far?
Magazines are only one tool celebrities have used to court controversy recently, of course, and West may be a case in point. At a Katrina relief benefit last year, he drew fire for saying, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
But magazine covers have to grab the readers at the newsstand, perhaps accounting for their rich history of pushing the envelope. But is there such a thing as going to far?
“If you get too arrogant, sometimes people gun for you & and that’s not good for business,” said Steven Rubenstein of Rubenstein Public Relations. “That said, if you are never edgy and keep it milquetoast, people aren’t going to keep looking at you.”
So where’s the balance? Rocca described the formula for the perfect cover shot.
“The perfect magazine cover,” he said, is “one part religion, one part politics, two parts naked.
“No,” he corrected himself, “three parts naked.”
Watch video
technorati tags: Kanye West, Jesus Walks, Rolling Stone, Jesus Christ, Kanye West as Jesus Christ
January 29th, 2006
50 Cent’s new single “Hustlers Ambition” will be released on the 30th of January 2006.
Hustlers Ambition is a single taken from 50 Cent’s motion picture Get Rich or Die Tryin’ soundtrack. Watch 50 Cent - Hustlers Ambition Music Video Clip
Hustler’s Ambition is the second single from the album following Window Shopper and is typical of the soundtrack. Using old-school 70’s soul samples coupled with 50’s knack for writing the catchiest choruses in hip hop Hustler’s is released 30 January. Elsewhere on the album, Dr Dre produces two tracks (Talk About Me and When It Rains It Pours) and all of G Unit appear – Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Spider Loc, Olivia, Ma$e & Tony Yayo as well as Nate Dogg. - Contact Music reports!
technorati tags: Hustlers Ambition, 50 cent, Get rich or die tryin’, soundtrack
January 27th, 2006
I know this isn’t something new, but I came across it some minutes ago while I was surfing around, and I just couldn’t get it out of my head. So I decided to let my mind flow on this page;-)
As reported on Contact Music on 1. November 2005, 50 Cent (the -leader and member of G-Unit) turned his back on Kanye West and the Afro-American community, by clearly supporting George Bush.
Kanye West had accused George W. Bush of racism concerning the Katrina Hurricane tragedy. But 50 Cent doesn’t seem to agree with his fellow hip-hop star Kanye West. 50 Cent believes there was nothing that we could have done to prevent the damage and other effects caused by Katrina. In fact he also believes it was beyond president Bush’s control.
Fifty Cent said : “The New Orleans disaster was meant to happen. It was an act of God.”I think people responded to it the best way they can.”What KANYE WEST was saying, I don’t know where that came from.”
Please let me know what you think or thought about 50 Cents statements by leaving a comment below.
technorati tags: George Bush, Kanye West, 50 cent, fifty cent, 50-cent
January 26th, 2006
It’s like Shaq and Kobe moving next door to each other, or George Bush and Al Gore going on a fishing trip together. After years of verbal jousting followed by a shocking public truce, bitter rivals Jay-Z and Nas have sealed their peace with a recording deal.
According to The New York Times, the long-rumored deal bringing Nas to the Jay-Z-led Def Jam Recordings label has been completed, turning the former foes into business partners. Though Sony and Def Jam representatives would not comment on the story, the Times quoted unnamed sources describing a scheme that would have Nas’ longtime label, Sony Music, and Def Jam split the profits, or any losses, from Nas’ next two albums.
The Times reports that Jay-Z has agreed to have his label pay the cost of producing and marketing the albums and then divide the profits with Sony after expenses are recovered. The labels will work together to plan and execute the marketing campaigns for the records. The deal pays Nas around $3 million, including a recording budget, for each of the two albums, and has a clause providing for two additional albums for Def Jam.
The deal comes three months after the rappers staged one of the most surprising public truces in the history of hip-hop and sets the stage for Nas’ next album to potentially include the first significant collaboration between the two rap legends (see “Jay-Z And Nas Put Beef To Sleep In Onstage Show Of Unity”).
On October 27, Jay-Z headlined the Power 105.1 “Powerhouse 2005: Operation Takeover” show at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, dubbing his portion of the gig “I Declare War” (see ” ‘I Declare War!’ Jay-Z Says He’s Going To Air Some Rappers Out Onstage”). But instead of blasting his rival as expected — and as he did four years earlier at a Hot 97 concert that kicked off his beef with Nas — Jigga announced, “All that beef sh– is done, we had our fun. … Let’s get this money,” and called Nas onstage to perform with him.
For Nas’ thoughts on working with Jay-Z, see the feature “Nas: Major Figure.”
— Gil Kaufman
January 23rd, 2006
Juvenile recently spent four days shooting a music video for his single, “Get Ya Hustle On/What’s Happenin’” in his hometown of New Orleans. Written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the single is the second from the rapper’s first UTP/Atlantic album, “Reality Check,” due March 7. The first cut released to radio, “Rodeo,” reached No. 23 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Juvenile, whose home was destroyed in the storm, was the first music artist permitted to film in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward since Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast last September, according to Atlantic.
Directed by Ben Mor, the video features footage of streets that were flooded after Katrina hit. The introduction reads, “This is a tribute to those who died in the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm may have passed, but for thousands the struggle is just beginning.”
Juvenile is also putting together a documentary that details Katrina’s effects on poor neighborhoods in New Orleans and reflects on the government’s slow response time to the crisis.
“Juvenile recently spent four days shooting a music video for his single, “Get Ya Hustle On/What’s Happenin’” in his hometown of New Orleans. Written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the single is the second from the rapper’s first UTP/Atlantic album, “Reality Check,” due March 7. The first cut released to radio, “Rodeo,” reached No. 23 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Juvenile, whose home was destroyed in the storm, was the first music artist permitted to film in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward since Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast last September, according to Atlantic.
Directed by Ben Mor, the video features footage of streets that were flooded after Katrina hit. The introduction reads, “This is a tribute to those who died in the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm may have passed, but for thousands the struggle is just beginning.”
Juvenile is also putting together a documentary that details Katrina’s effects on poor neighborhoods in New Orleans and reflects on the government’s slow response time to the crisis.
January 20th, 2006
Contemporary urban stars Nelly, John Legend and Jamie Foxx will appear alongside a host of Motown legends at Motown Music Fest, to be held Feb. 4 at Detroit’s Masonic Temple, the day before the National Football League’s Super Bowl XL.
Among the Motown acts set to perform at the event are the Four Tops, the Miracles, the Contours, the Dramatics, the Former Ladies of the Supremes, Freda Payne, Brenda Holloway, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the Velvelettes and Paul Hill. The house band will feature members of Motown’s legendary Funk Brothers.
Two separate shows will be held on Feb. 4; tickets range from $93 to $1,000 and are available through Ticketmaster. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Detroit’s Kronk Recreation Center. The night before, Masonic Temple will host the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, featuring Patti LaBelle, the Clark Sisters, Mary Mary and Hezekiah Walker.
As previously reported, a number of other high-profile music events are on tap in conjunction with the Super Bowl at Detroit’s Ford Field. As part of Bud Bowl, Snoop Dogg and 3 Doors Down will perform Feb. 3-4 at Club 1620, a specially created climate-controlled staging area inside the Motor City’s open-air Tiger Stadium.
On the day of the game, Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville will perform the National Anthem, backed by pianist Dr. John. John Legend and Joss Stone will join Stevie Wonder on stage at the pre-game show, while the Rolling Stones will play at halftime.
“The network is worried what we’re going to do,” Stones frontman Mick Jagger said from the stage last night (Jan. 18) at New York’s Madison Square Garden. “[So] I’m going to show both my t*,” he added, referring to Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 halftime show.
January 20th, 2006
Ashlee Simpson’s husky, tuff-girl brand of music stands in stark contrast to her public image as a half-witted diva in training. But even without the tabloid fodder, she remains the day’s most contrived pop star, unconvincing in a live setting and a seeming puppet of her writers and videoclip directors. Latest single “L.O.V.E.” sets a new low, with its grating sing-songy rap and daffy inference of street cred. The repetitive chant of the chorus and Simpson’s affected hand-waving intonation prove once and for all that she is perhaps the whitest girl on the planet. The “Underground Mix” featuring Missy Elliott only stands to make Simpson’s performance all the more incongruous.
L.O.V.E.
ASHLEE SIMPSON
Producer(s): John Shanks
Genre: POP
Label: Geffen (CD promo)
January 20th, 2006
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