RIHANNA TO SING AT INAUGURATION BALL December 22, 2008

 

Rihanna will be in Washington D.C. next month with hundreds of other celebrities who are taking part in various inaugural balls following the swearing in of Barack Obama.

 

       The pop star will headline the Recording Industry Association of America’s Presidential Inauguration Charity Ball, to benefit Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

 

       Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America, tells People.com: “We could not be happier that Rihanna will be performing at the Inauguration charity ball to benefit Feeding America.       

       “Rihanna’s involvement will help raise awareness about the prevalence of hunger in America and help bring more aid to the 36 million Americans who do not always know where they will find their next meal.”       

       Elsewhere on the night of Jan 20, Sting will be performing at the Creative Coalition ball, while Kanye West is said to be in talks to perform for the Impact Film Fund, according to People.com.

Common Sells Over 81K, EPMD’s Comeback Fails To Chart In The Top 200 December 17, 2008

Chi-town vet Common just missed the top 10 on his debut week on the Billboard 200, while label boss Kanye is steadily on pace to reach platinum status.

According to the Nielsen SoundScan, Com’s 8th studio album, Universal Mind Control, landed at the number 12 spot, selling around 81,700 copies in its first week. The 16 year vet opted for a more party vibe with this record, working extensively with The Neptunes and OutKast producer Mr DJ. UMC features appearances by G.O.O.D. music leader Kanye West and Cee Lo Green, among others.

With his third week on the charts, the Louis Vuitton Don’s latest release, 808’s & Heartbreak is inching its way to platinum status. After officially going gold last week, Ye now sits on 719,900 albums sold. Standing 6 seats up from his associate Common, the super producer/rapper sold 126,800 discs this week.

On his second week on the charts, hip-hop hookman extraordinaire Akon drops from the number 7 position to number 18, selling 63,000 copies of his new album, Freedom. The Senegalese-born singer has sold a total of 173,900 CDs so far.

Failing to make it on the top 200 this week is We Mean Business, the comeback disc by hip-hop legends EPMD. Bay Area heavyweights Keak Da Sneak and San Quinn’s collabo CD, Welcome To Scokland, also failed to make the charts.

Next week look for new releases by Soulja Boy and Plies to debut in the top 10.

KANYE, LIL WAYNE TOP TIME’S 2008 LISTS December 16, 2008

 

Time Magazine has revealed that Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” and Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” are respectively its top single and album of 2008.      

      Below are the publication’s reasons for selecting the two artists as the year’s best.

 

“Love Lockdown” 

• Singing in an Auto-Tuned monotone with little regard for melody, West sounds ghostly as he recounts his romantic failures in brutal detail. Just when “Love Lockdown” seems too brittle to sustain itself, humanity arrives in the form of an army of Japanese taiko drums. At first it sounds like pop-guns going off, but the drumming gets faster, warmer, wilder, and matched against West’s distant vocals “Love Lockdown” turns into a dance song about misery — far closer to “Love Will Tear Us Apart” than any hip-hop ancestor. It’s easily the most interesting pop experiment this year, and, if you grant its premise and stick with it, also the best.

 

“Tha Carter III”

• “Tha Carter III” is beyond sprawling, but its lack of discipline is also its point. It’s a pop showcase for Dwayne Carter, the very peculiar cough syrup-swilling New Orleans rapper who swears he improvises all of his rhymes. Whether he really does is anybody’s guess, but amid all the Auto-Tuned vocals and effects — no rapper enjoys hearing his own voice distorted more — are shrewd commercial choices (the No. 1 hit “Lollipop,” the Jay-Z duet “Mr. Carter”) and extended periods of verse that take rap back to its essence: talking. On “DontGetIt,” over a sample of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” Wayne tells a 10-minute life story that meanders into an indictment of drug laws and an out-of-nowhere slam of Al Sharpton. The words are smart, but the delivery — just behind the beat, in a voice that sounds like Miles Davis lecturing on Robitussin — is hypnotic.

BEYONCE’S ‘LADIES’ TOPS ROLLING STONE POLL December 15, 2008

 

Beyonce Knowles’s current No. 1 song “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” has been named the Best Single of 2008 in a new poll from Rolling Stone magazine.

 

       The publication’s “Singles of the Year” tally features Santogold’s “LES Artistes” at No. 2, Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” at No 5, “American Boy” from Estelle feat. Kanye West at No. 7 and T.I.’s “No Matter What’ at No. 10.       

       Beyonce’s husband, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, also made the list at No. 22 with “Swagga Like Us,” a collaboration with T.I., West and Lil Wayne.      

       View Rolling Stone’s entire “Singles of the Year” list here.

IS KANYE REALLY TRYING TO BE A FASHION INTERN? December 15, 2008

 

Rumors of Kanye West deciding to put his music career on hold to study fashion design in Europe are picking up steam.

 

      The rapper/producer, who is currently designing his own line called Pastelle, has reportedly decided to move to London to take on an apprenticeship at a design house.

 

       A source tells Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper: “He’s applying at Louis Vuitton, Raf Simmons and others. Everyone is surprised at just how seriously Kanye is taking his fashion dream. He is always in the front rows during the Paris and Milan fashion weeks. He absolutely loves London and wants to absorb the fashion over here.”

 

       The reports were first generated by the following quote attributed to West: “I’m going to go and take an internship and just do something that’s like completely normal and just rap on the weekends or something.”

SHERRI SHEPHERD SEARCHING FOR ‘SNL’S’ BLACKNESS December 15, 2008

 

Maya Rudolph’s return guest spot and Kenan Thompson’s role in a digital short were the lone African American appearances on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend – other than musical guest Kanye West. 

 

       New York’s African American governor David Patterson was played by Fred Armisen, a cast member of Venezuelan, German and Japanese heritage who also plays President-elect Barack Obama.     

       Of the 90 or so actors to grace the “SNL” stage since its 1975 premiere, only eight have been African-American. And that’s an issue for “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd.

 

       In an AOL interview, she points out that there aren’t even enough African-Americans for a proper skit of her ABC daytime show. While Thompson portrays co-host Whoopi Goldberg, Shepherd’s character is simply left out of the sketch.      

       “Couldn’t they have gotten Maya Rudolph to play me?” Shepherd asked. “She is so awesome! They need more black people in their cast!”       

       “I agree with her,” Baron Vaughn, a black comic, told the New York Daily News. Diversity “doesn’t seem to be something that interests them.”       

       “Plenty of black people that I know have been on ‘SNL,’ and they haven’t been utilized to the best of their abilities. As much as I love Fred Armisen, there needs to be someone who can do a better Barack [Obama],” Vaughn added.      

       Harlan Halper, co-owner of Comix comedy club, told the Daily News: “Fred has done an admirable job, but they should try to address this issue with renewed diversity by looking for comedians who would play the role of Barack, but go way beyond that.”

 

       A spokesperson for “SNL” said: “Casting is an ongoing process at the show. We are constantly looking for new people. We’ve been auditioning every couple of months or so, and we’ve seen numerous African-American performers and continue to look.”

KANYE’S ‘HEARTBREAK’ DEBUTS ON TOP December 5, 2008

 

Kanye West scored his third straight No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 as “808s & Heartbreak” debuts in the top slot above contenders “Chinese Democracy,” the long-awaited return of Guns N’ Roses, and a surge from Taylor Swift’s “Fearless.”      

        West’s Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam set moved 450,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the artist’s lowest debut sales frame since his first album, “The College Dropout,” bowed with 441,000 in 2004.      

       His last release, “Graduation,” began with 957,000 at No. 1 last year, while sophomore set “Late Registration” checked in with 860,000 at No. 1 in 2005.

 

       Swift’s “Fearless” and GNR’s “Chinese Democracy” are No. 2 and 3 respectively, followed by Beyonce’s “I Am … Sasha Fierce” (Music World/Columbia), which drops 1-4 in its second week with 257,000.       

       Ludacris debuts at No. 5 with “Theater of the Mind” (DTP/Def Jam) at 213,000. It’s the first time one of the rapper’s albums debuted anywhere but No. 1 since 2001’s “Word of Mouf” bowed and peaked at No. 3.       

       Meanwhile, Beyonce’s track “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” has become the singer’s fifth solo No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart – one more than she scored as a member of Destiny’s Child.      

       The single climbs one notch to the top, swapping places with T.I.’s “Live Your Life.” Another Beyonce song, “If I Were a Boy,” held at No. 3, and another former T.I. chart-topper, “Whatever You Like,” held at No. 4. Newcomer Lady GaGa’s “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’Donis rose two places to No. 5.

 

       Top debut honors went to Kanye West’s “See You in My Nightmares” featuring Lil Wayne, which started at No. 21.

LIL WAYNE COPS SEVEN GRAMMY NOMS December 4, 2008

To say Lil Wayne is having a big year is an understatement. And to underscore how big a year he’s having, Wednesday evening the diminutive rapper from New Orleans was nominated for a whopping 8 Grammys, including album of he year for “Tha Carter III.” Rock band Cold Play was close behind, scoring seven nods.

 

     This year the announcements of the 51st Grammy nominations were made public within a new format. They were part of an hourlong live prime-time CBS concert special hosted by LL Cool J and Taylor Swift.

 

     While Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” was not regarded by critics as his greatest CD, it was the album that made him a pop superstar, thanks to massive hits like “Lollipop” and “A Milli,” noted AP writer Sandy Cohen. it also got a lot of attention because it was the only record this year to sell 1 million copies in its first week.

 

     Meanwhile, artist and songwriter/producer Ne-Yo didn’t do too badly either. When all was said and done, he wound up with six nominations for his “Year of the Gentleman.”

 

     “When I was putting it together, I was trying to do something that everybody could get into, as opposed to just my pop and R&B core group,” Ne-Yo said after the ceremony. “I was trying to do something that the world could enjoy and I think that the Grammy people paid attention to that.”

 

     Also nominated was new singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, who has drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill with her hit “I Need You Bad.” She scored an impressive five nominations.

     Other multiple nominees included Jay-z and Kanye West, who had six each.

 

     For a complete list of nominees, visit the Grammy Awards website: www.grammy.com.

 

     Normally the nominations are announced during a morning news conference. But because award shows in general are losing their edge, NARAS, the organization behind the Grammys and CBS decided to put on the prime-time event.

 

     The show kicked off with past Grammy winner Mariah Carey singing a song from her classic Christmas album, decked out in a short red minidress to give some holiday cheer. Held at the Nokia Theatre, the show also celebrated the Saturday opening of the new Grammy Museum next door.

 

     The Grammy Awards telecast itself will be held on CBS on Feb 8 from the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles next door to the Nokia Theater.

KANYE-PRODUCED JAY-Z SONG IN ‘NOTORIOUS’ December 3, 2008

 

Jay-Z’s new track “Brooklyn (We Go Hard),” produced by Kanye West and featuring Santogold, will be the first single off the soundtrack to “Notorious,” the forthcoming biopic of late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

 

      “Brooklyn, we go hard, we go hard,” Santo’s voice loops throughout the song, which leaked online Monday. “Cross that bridge face the consequence,” she also raps in a verse. [Scroll down to listen.] 

 

       “If a man tests my Stuy, I guarantee he won’t like my reply,” Jay cautions. “I’m a Brooklyn boy, I may take some getting used to.”

 

       The “Notorious” soundtrack will be released by Biggie’s former recording home, Bad Boy. Most of the performers and producers are still being confirmed.

 

      MTV.com is hearing talk of Biggie’s son, Christopher “CJ” Wallace Jr., recording a remake of his father’s classic “One More Chance.” According to the Web site, “The capacity of CJ’s participation is still unconfirmed by the label, but a source close to the Wallace family has told us he will be rapping with his dad. The young Wallace actually plays his father for a short while in the Biggie film.”

 

       The “Notorious” soundtrack is due in stores Jan. 13. The movie is slated for release Jan. 16 through Fox Searchlight Pictures.       

 

       Meanwhile, nine vintage Jay-Z videos went up Tuesday for mobile download on Thumbplay.com. The clips include “Blue Magic,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” “Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up),” “Excuse Me Miss,” “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me),” “I Know,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “Money, Cash, H**s” and “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is).”

 

“Brooklyn (We Go Hard)” – Jay-Z feat. Santogold (produced by Kanye West)

Is Kanye West Done With Rap? December 2, 2008

 

Is Kanye West quitting rap for good?

While the Louis Vutton Don never revealed plans to hang his mic up, word has apparently spread that he may do just that. Per a reporter who took part in West’s New Zealand Press Conference earlier this week, The Observer quotes Yeezy as saying, “hip-hop is over for me now.” West quickly discredited the quote and explained that  

“What does that mean,” West asked. “Hip-hop is over for me? I never said that.”

Per West, The Observer likely took the revelation that he didn’t listen to rap in his apartment, out of context.

“That quote is like so wrong,” West responded. ”I never said that. I still listen to hip-hop in my car. I listen to old Wu-Tang or something while I’m designing and stuff like that. I really don’t listen to new hip-hop albums that come out like that. I really don’t learn the lyrics the way I used to learn the lyrics when I was 18 years old and stuff like that. Even albums like Lil Wayne‘s album, which I love, I couldn’t recite the raps for you. I’m just not in that position. Maybe I’m just busy. It disturbs me that they paraphrase me.”