The recent commercial success of rapper Wiz Khalifa has taken him to new heights in the hip-hip world. His most recent single, “Black and Yellow,” landed him a No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list and has attracted the attention of hip-hop heavyweights like Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg and Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia.
Wiz‘s most recent work, “Cabin Fever”, is a nine track mixtape which features the witty rhymes of Wiz along with up-and-comer Big Sean, Trae Tha Truth and Juicy J. Compared to his older work, “Cabin Fever” is a far cry from his past mixtapes – the production seems to be repetitive, the lyrics are dumbed down and the good ol’ money, cars, clothes montage keeps repeating itself throughout the tape.
Regardless of the slight downfalls of the tape, it serves its purpose as being the prequel to Wiz‘s major label debut, ‘Rolling Papers’, which is scheduled to release on March 29 of Atlantic Records.
“Cabin Fever” starts off with the airy sounding “Phone Numbers” that features the boastful rhymes of Big Sean along with a verse from Trae The Truth. Big Sean effortlessly steals the spotlight on the song and makes it one of the best tracks on the tape. Wiz bounces back on the title track “Cabin Fever”, which has been surfacing around the Internet for about a year now. The eerie feel of the piano driven song sets the pace for the rest of the tape.
The tag team of Wiz and Big Sean shows up again on “GangBang,” – a track that doesn’t really showcase any of Wiz‘s lyrical prowess but makes for a great party record or something to play in the car with a sub-woofer. “WTF” and “Homicide” are other noticeable standouts on the tape and leave the listener yearning for the release of a full-length studio album from Wiz.
Whether it’s because of his absurd amount of tattoos or his widely known Twitter account, after a long stretch of being labeled an underground rapper, Wiz has finally found the formula for commercial success. Even though older fans of his music might argue that his sound is changing and his music won’t ever sound the same again, Wiz provides his fans with what they’ve been waiting for: new music.
Chrisette Michele is not happy with a certain Miami reppin’ rapper she’s done some collabos with named Rick Ross. What did he do to upset her you ask? Welllll, Wednesday night at the Soul Train Awards he threw a hissy fit and stormed out because he lost “Best Hip Hop Song” went to Eminem.
Michelle was so put off by Ross’ exit that she felt the need to “denounce” him, and hip-hop in general, on her blog:
If this is the way hip hop is then I denounce it. This is not about ego. This is about what I can bring to the world. My life is for the people. I live to give.
It’s my desire to bring life and freedom light and love everywhere I go. Upward mobility in the brown skinned community. Who stands off at an award show because they don’t win? An award is winning at being as “stuck in a category” as possible. Congratulations to all the trophy holders who won at being the most like every one else.
I could have sworn hip hop was on the come up. But apparently rapping is about venting, bashing, chauvinistic pigging, and EGO. Not cool. Don’t LET me start rapping. They say…I’m ecclectic. I’m underrated. I’m different. Well If I win an award it’s because I paved a way. Every award I’ve won was new in it’s category. You know why? Because I’m amazing at being my damn self.
Grammy – best alternative R&B song Centric award – Soul Approved Etc Have u even heard of those categories? Nope. But guess what? You ain’t never seen another me. And u never will. No ego here. Why? Because it’s none needed. My award is waking up every morning and CAKING off of what I believe in by the grace of God.
Maybe I’ll call my 4th album “winners : just like every body else” maybe not. I pray with every song I sing Im singing from the bottom of my heart. If all we want is an award for telling our truths, then we really have no true reason. This isn’t a competition. This is a stage for self expression and I’m grateful for the opportunity to live on it. I’d sing even if nobody sang along.
-from the bottom of my disappointed heart. Hip Hop… Man up. I wanted to be supportive but I can’t understand you. I believed in you… But apparently you’re so high you can’t even see what the world needs
Is all hip hop like that? Absolutely not! But some of it certainly is. Let me spit a few bars. I’m not that kinda hip hop. I rep hip hop too. But not that kinda ego trippin foolery.
Chrisette Michele – the girl on that Aston Martin Music record…
Spread love.
Check out their track below…
LISTEN: Rick Ross ft. Drake & Chrisette Michele – “Aston Martin Music”
Keri Hilson gives us a history lesson in her new video for “Pretty Girl Rock”, off her upcoming album ‘No Boys Allowed’. Miss Keri Baby kicks off the vid taking a cue from Josephine Baker in 20s regalia, and soon Hilson goes flows throughout the decades, fashioning herself as Diana Ross, Janet Jackson decked out in her utilitarian wear in “Rhythm Nation” and TLC’s T-Boz in the group’s silk pajamas-sporting “Creep” vid.
Check out the video after the jump….
Music In Ya Ear!: Keri Hilson – “Pretty Girl Rock”:
“The video is cute, but not my favorite. I think it should’ve looked much more tough, she looks to dainty in this video. What are your thoughts on this video?”
Kanye West announced the official album title on Tuesday morning (October 5) via his Twitter. The name has been floating around for some time in various rumor reports and blog postings, but in the shorter iteration of ‘Dark Twisted Fantasy’.
“The first song on the album is called “Dark Fantasy” produced by the RZA, co-produced by me and No I.D.” West added. “I ain’t letting no leaks have any [effect] on my song choices… “All of the Lights” is the next single, but wait till y’all hear the final!”
On Monday, West also confirmed the album’s release date, November 22. The project will arrive a day before Nicki Minaj‘s debut, ‘Pink Friday,’ and a number of other albums getting a jumpstart on the holiday shopping season.
The first two singles from ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ have already been released, “Power” and “Runaway,” featuring Pusha T.
Another track scheduled to appear on the project, “Lost in the World,” leaked online last week, leading West to announce he was canceling his weekly free “G.O.O.D. Fridays” music offering. But by Friday night, he recanted and delivered the sartorial “Christian Dior Denim Flow,” featuring John Legend, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Lloyd Banks and Ryan Leslie.
On Tuesday, West also assured fans of the G.O.O.D offerings that some of those songs would be included on the album too.
In other news….
Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’ London Screening Was A ‘Mad Event’
After showing ‘surreal’ film, West stuck around for two hours of Q&A, MTV UK reporter says. Kanye West invited a very select group of about 100 journalists and bloggers to the Wednesday-night London screening of his 35-minute art film for the song “Runaway.” Among them was MTV UK reporter Tom Thorogood, who got on the phone on Thursday morning (October 7) to talk about the typically over-the-top audience with the Louis Vuitton Don.
“It was a mad event,” Thorogood said of the screening, which included a rambling two-hour Q&A session during which West took any and all questions about the film and his upcoming albums. “Halfway through, an American guy from his label asked for one last question and just as the person asked it, Kanye said, ‘Why is this the last question?’ and said he was happy to talk as long as people wanted him to.”
Thorogood said there are perhaps only two dozen words spoken in the “ambitious … great looking” 35-minute art movie, whose narrative he described as “very loose and abstract.” If anything, he suspected it could be chopped up into five separate mind-bending music videos, though it only uses heavily altered snippets of West‘s music that are quite different from the versions of such songs as “Monster,” “Runaway” and the Bon Iver-sampling “Lost in the World” that fans have heard so far.
“It opens with shots of Kanye in a sports car and slow motion shots of deer and then you see a huge explosion and you see he’s crashed into the Phoenix,” said Thorogood of the other star of the film, model Selita Ebanks, who plays the Phoenix and who has been seen on ‘Ye’s arm at events lately. “He picks her up in his arms and walks away from the car which explodes behind him.” The title of the film then flashes on the screen and the first voice you hear is a snippet of Nicki Minaj‘s English-accented rhyme from “Monster.”
In another scene, Thorogood said you hear a brief bit of “Power,” which Kanye taps out on the same kind of MPC drum machine he played on both the VMAs and on “Saturday Night Live.” The three- to four-minute bit features Ebanks silently dancing around West as the song plays. “It was quite clear that [the movie is about] what he said about this before being about his story … a representation of his career,” Thorogood said.
And in a setup cued to the new song “Lights” that is likely to be the most iconic of the film, Thorogood said Kanye (a.k.a. “Griffin”) and the Phoenix watch as a marching band stomps across the screen carrying a giant, somewhat flimsy-looking papier-mâché model of Michael Jackson‘s head.
“With the passing of Michael Jackson, I feel a responsibility to bring things to our generation that can inspire and bring real culture to pop culture,” West told the audience in London about the film shot over four grueling days in Prague last month. “I want to use my power in a proper way.”
In another pivotal scene, West and the Phoenix arrive for a formal dinner at a huge table and are given weird looks by their fellow diners, one of whom asks, “Why didn’t you leave the monkey in the zoo?”
Thorogood said the film had French subtitles for the sparse dialogue, which were likely a holdover from Tuesday night’s screening in Paris, since West said the version he showed in London was still a rough cut. Among the other new songs featured in the movie is one called “Blame Game,” which contains a healthy sample of the melancholy piano groove in cult electronic musician Aphex Twin‘s 2001 song “Avril 14th,” as well as vocals from frequent ‘Ye collaborator John Legend, which the rapper said may or may not make the final cut of the album.
West introduced the film to his London audience by saying, ” ‘Purple Rain,’ [Pink Floyd’s] ‘The Wall,’ Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ — I wanted to do a modern version of that.” He also said that about “90 percent” of the music featured in the film appears on his upcoming fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, due out on November 22.
Plus….
Kanye West Adds M.I.A., La Roux And Alicia Keys To Album, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,’ which might also feature Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Mos Def and Santigold.
It was the court of the Crimson King (remember the red suit at the VMAs?) on Wednesday in London as Kanye West spoke to a select group of journalists and bloggers about his upcoming “Runaway” mini-movie and accompanying album, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,’ due out November 22.
In addition to screening the nearly wordless, trippy fantasia on the high prices of fame and individuality, ‘Ye also dropped some information on a number of the collaborators he’s got lined up for the album. According to our colleague Tom Thorogood of MTV UK, during a rambling two-hour Q&A session, West mentioned that he’s been in the studio with everyone from Alicia Keys to M.I.A., Kid Cudi, Mos Def and Santigold working on tracks for Fantasy.
He also confirmed that Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon is “all over” the album, a fact we already learned when a demo of “Lost in the World” recently leaked, which features re-recorded vocals from the BI track “Woods.” The pair reportedly recorded at least nine tracks together, and West has said Vernon is slated to appear on multiple songs.
Among the other new tracks featured in the movie is “Blame Game,” which contains a healthy sample of the melancholy piano groove in cult electronic musician Aphex Twin’s 2001 song “Avril 14th,” as well as vocals from frequent ‘Ye collaborator John Legend, which may or may not make the album’s final cut. Other collaborators who’ve dropped in on sessions include Wu-Tang mastermind RZA and hip-hop icon Pete Rock.
NME also reports that West said the album could feature vocals from La Roux‘s flame-haired frontwoman, Elly Jackson, as well as Chicago hip-hop don producer No ID.
‘Ye also said he’s traveling back to France soon — he debuted the film there Tuesday — to finish work on his mini-album with Jay-Z, ‘Watch the Throne’.
And, in typically epic Kanye fashion, the Chicago MC said he’s planning a spectacular live show for the “Fantasy tour”, which he wants to wind up in front of the Egyptian pyramids. Unfortunately, he told the crowd, they’re not available until April.
Which Kanye collabo are you most excited about?
Listen to Kanye West ft. Drake – “All Of The Lights (Ghetto University)” below….
Nicki Minaj doesn’t even have an album out yet, but she was one of the biggest winners at the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards, which were taped on Saturday, October 2 in Atlanta for an upcoming broadcast. The Young Money rapper took home Rookie of the Year, People’s Champ, and Made You Look (style) awards,MTV News reports.
Fitted to kill in a black dominatrix-like outfit, NYC-ish blond bob hairdo, pink nails and lipstick, Minaj grabbed her awards and “ran.” Minaj made sure to thank her “Barbies” as she accepted the award for “Favorite By Fans.”
“Last year, I was here in anticipation of the cypher,” she told the crowd, referring to the artist rap freestyles that run in between the award presentations and performances. “Now I’m here in anticipation of my debut. [‘Pink Friday’, set for release November 23.]
“I’m paving the way for girls,” she continued. “I wanna thank all the girls of hip-hop.”
Jay-Z, who was not in attendance at the awards, was also able to bag three awards. Tied Minaj’s award total, taking home trophies in the categories of Perfect Combo (Alicia Keys duet “Empire State of Mind”), CD of the Year, and Best Live Performer. Other awards went to Rick Ross(Club Banger of the Year and Track of the Year for producer Lex Luger, both for “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)”), Salt-N-Pepa(I Am Hip-Hop), Diddy (Hustler), Swizz Beatz(Producer of the Year), and DJ Khaled(Best DJ).
Now let me remind you, the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards kicked off on quite the high note as Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, and Diddy opened with “B.M.F.,” one of the year’s biggest hits. To the surprise of those in the audience Ross‘ set then segued into an unexpected performance from MC Hammer, who danced frantically with a group of dancers as he performed ‘2 Legit 2 Quit.’
The 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards welcomed a number of newcomer’s including Alabama’s own Yelawolf who performed alongside Big Boi for their hit song “You Ain’t No DJ.”
“I feel overwhelmed, you know, coming out with Big Boi from OutKast and doing our record. I never thought it would lead to here, but I’m taking it in. I’m happy and I’m honored to be a part of it,” Yelawolf explained to The BoomBox.
The Hip-Hop Awards cypher’s proved yet again to be one of the highlights of the show with a number of artists taking part in this Hip-Hop Awards staple. Kanye West gave folks a taste of G.O.O.D. Music with a cypher that featured verses from himself, Common, Big Sean, Pusha T, and Cyhi Da Prynce.Ice Cube and Rev. Run kept it all in the family with a cypher that consisted of performances from Diggy Simmons, JoJo Simmons, OMG, and Doughboy.
More images from the performances below and after the cut.
This year’s 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards, hosted by Mike Epps, will air Oct. 12 at 8 P.M. on BET. Will you be tuning in? Which award categories are you most looking forward to seeing televised?
Her sophomore album saw Chrisette Michele having an ‘Epiphany’, but with her third offering, she’s ready to ‘Let Freedom Reign’. The Grammy-winning songstress is prepping for a November 30 release with the follow-up to her 2009 chart-topping album.
The bulk of the new material was comprised by Chuck Harmony and Chrisette, and boasts songs of triumph over love, loss, and freedom to love again. It has already spawned the first single “I’m A Star,” written by Ne-Yo and produced by Harmony—the same team behind her hit “Epiphany (I’m Leaving).”
Fans can add to their Chrisette collection when the feel-good track hits iTunes on October 5. Also look for her in Rick Ross’ video for “Aston Martin Music,” filmed last week in Miami with Drake.
Take a listen to both tracks below. The tracks are DOPE!!… LISTEN: Chrisette Michele – “I’m A Star” LISTEN: Rick Ross feat. Drake & Chrisette Michele – “Aston Martin Music”
According to some close media outlets, Kanye West had announced he would be giving out new music every Friday until Christmas in what he called, “Good Fridays”. Well he sure knows how to keep his word. Today he dropped a new record titled “Monster” featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver. He also announced today that he will be releasing a 5 song album with Jay-Z titled “Watch The Throne”.
Monster is a good track. Each artist gets their chance to shine in their own right, and the beat is Dope too. Nicki Minaj was bad ass on the track. Loved It!!
“Monster” – Kanye West ft. Jay-z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver
“Angels (Remix)” by Dirty Money featuring Rick Ross was released digitally back in February and can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon.com, among other outlets.
Music video by Diddy – Dirty Money and Rick Ross performing Angels (Remix)
Diddy and the fam are covering VIBE’s Aug/Sept JUICE Issue!
In the cover story titled “Table For One,” written by Editor-In-Chief, Jermaine Hall, Hip-Hop’s most affluent playboy shares his thoughts on regrettable interviews, Lil Kim vs. Nicki Minaj, regaining respect and more.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview…
Dr. Dre said that the last beat that floored him was “All About the Benjamins.” How does that make you feel?
It’s humbling. I was in the studio with Dre the other day. He started working on a record for me. Watching him as a producer is watching greatness. We had a lot of similar traits. It was like looking in the mirror. He would ask questions like, “How you feel about this?” People don’t really understand true producers want to know how you feel about things. We are some of the most observant people on the planet.
What happened during the Martin Bashir interview on Nightline?
There were times in the interview when I had to give him an ultimatum. The questions weren’t being handled the right way. In hindsight, when I saw him I shouldn’t had done the interview because I know the style of interview that he does . . . The whole thing about giving a Maybach to my son, that’s really like a racist question. You don’t ask White people what they buy their kids. And they buy ‘em Porsches and convertible Bentleys and it ain’t no question. It’s really a racist question and put things back in perspective with money and the way that people still look at you. And I’m not saying that consciously he’s a racist. But he probably don’t even realize that he would not ask Steve Jobs that. He would be like Steve Jobs has that money and that’s the gift his kid is supposed to get.
Are the comments from Lil’ Kim about Nicki disheartening?
When I heard her say what she said, it didn’t really affect me. I didn’t get mad at her or anything like that. I knew how she felt. I ain’t agree with it. But also I know the motivation. I know that people say, “Oh, he’s trying to get a new Lil’ Kim.” I guess people will see in time. Yeah, Nicki’s had flavored wigs on, but besides that it ain’t even the same approach to the writing.
Pick up the 15th JUICE ISSUE for more on his interview, on stands August 16th.
It’s here! Check out the hot new video from Diddy – Dirty Money, the latest project from Sean “Diddy” Combs in which he is joined by singer/songwriter Kalenna and former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard.
Rappers Rick Ross and T.I. also are featured on the track from Diddy – Dirty Money’s debut album‘Last Train To Paris’. The video was directed by Hype Williams, the talent behind such videos as Jay-Z‘s “Big Pimpin'” and Kanye West‘s “Gold Digger.”
After numerous obstacles, Diddy‘s long awaited ‘Last Train to Paris’ will finally hit stores June 29th.
JNEL & J. Magazine 