Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
hip hop dx (interview) Ques - Rap2k10
Featured on YoungLord’s (formerly of Bad Boy’s The Hitmen production team) 1999 solo debut album, Ques’ 16-year long résumé includes the personal milestones of appearing in commercials for Mountain Dew and Reebok and opening up for Hip Hop heavyweights like 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and The Notorious B.I.G. In recent years, the Bronx native has received accolades from DJ Envy and DJ Green Lantern for taking websites like iLike and imeem by storm, with critically acclaimed tracks such as “All My Soul” and “H.O.P.E.” Like its predecessors, Ques continues to attempt to push boundaries with his fourth album, RAP2K10.
Globally minded, the Haitian rapper’s discography boasts collaborations with popular international artists including Mexican Latin pop singer Pilar Montenegro and Jamaican Dancehall musician Elephant Man. RAP2K10 is no different, with its producers and artists’ geographical reach extending to Amsterdam, London, and Munich. In addition to receiving clearance to use vocals from Lady Gaga, M.I.A., and The-Dream, the project benefits from expert track arrangement by Built For This collaborator BlackOut, famously known for producing MIMS’ 2007 smash hit “This Is Why I’m Hot.” Ques says on “What I Do,” “Not an acrobat, but I can take an ill sample and flip it.” A man of his words, the project’s samples encompass the cinema’s The Mack (“Pimp Commandments”) as well as four decades and multiple genres of music including The Sylvers’ “Cry Of A Dreamer” (“Crowded World”), Brenda Russell’s “A Little Bit of Love” (“Uptown”), Roy Orbison’s “In The Real World” (“Dreamz”), and 30 Seconds To Mars’s “Kings And Queens” (“Stadium”).
Staying true to Ques' tradition of national pride, RAP2K10 wraps up with the seductive love story “French Game” and a remake of Haitian artist Jacques Sauveur Jean’s (a.k.a. Jackito) 2002 hit “Haiti Chérie (Oh Oh).” In addition, Ques is providing aid to the country’s horrific crisis by donating a portion of the album’s proceeds to the American Red Cross’ Haitian Relief and Development fund and Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation.
Ques’ “claim to fame” is his ability to encapsulate a myriad of emotions through vivacious, and often dark, conscious storytelling. However, he has recently leveraged this technique less and less. Although tracks like “Excuse Me Gangsta” loosely tap into this skill, 2008’s Greatest Sacrifice best captures his core competency. Moreover, Ques has since become somewhat of a walking contradiction. Despite being a long withstanding anti-conformity advocate, he has begun trading down his purist strategy for a commercially appealing, less differentiated approach. On “10,000 Tries,” Ques said, “If you can’t describe what you’re doing as a process, then you don’t know what you’re doing.” An artist losing sight of their greatest strength is not a process, but rather an abomination.
Parodied by RAP2K10’s I Robot themed album cover, Ques makes light of record labels’ comparisons of himself to Will Smith. However, the parody is fitting as the project’s lack of conceptual intimacy metaphorically equates to the cold soulless embrace of a steel-plated robot, further metamorphosed through his experimentation with Auto-Tune (“Not What You Think” and “This Club”). Despite interspersed creativity like back-and-forth rapping (“Far Away”) and a solid musical offering, the most groundbreaking thing about RAP2K10 is arguably its flash drive format.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Patti Labelle Goes In On American Idol Panel "Some Of The Judges, I Don't Think They're Qualified To Judge"
Fox's hit show American Idol took a couple shots this week from someone who knows what she is talking about.
R&B diva Patti Labelle told the Associated Press that the judging panel could use an overhaul.
"Some of the judges, I don't think they're qualified to even judge," she said in an interview Wednesday.
While she wasn't specific about one particular judge, her comments mirror what a lot of fans already think.
Idol added a fourth judge to the competition last year. A move that doesn't appear to have made a real difference in the quality of the show.
Paula Abdul, who was the only judge to have had a singing career before Kara DioGuardi was added, left the show before this season started.
Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres are in charge of finding this year's Idol.
Ms Labelle thinks they are out of line with some of their criticisms of the singers.
"The comments that were made, they could make you like wanna kill yourself," the 65-year-old singer said.
Her advice to anyone trying out for the show is "If you believe in yourself, just go for it. What do you have to lose? And when people tell you 'You can't,' you have to say, 'I can.'"
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson stars in "Things Fall Apart"
Rapper-turned-actor Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Randall Emmett have greenlit their next feature, "Things Fall Apart," through their Cheetah Vision Films banner with Jackson starring.
Project's scheduled to begin five weeks of lensing in May in Michigan with Mario Van Peebles directing from a script by Jackson and Brian Miller. The film centers around a star football running back, played by Jackson, who faces a personal tragedy as well as his own mortality while in his senior year in college.
Emmett and Jackson will produce the film; Brandon Grimes and Scott Robinson are co-producing. Van Peebles, Lynn Whitfield, comedian Mike P and Steve Eastin will also star.
Cheetah Vision recently wrapped production of "The Gun," starring Val Kilmer, AnnaLynne McCord and Jackson. Film was shot in Michigan and co-produced by Emmett, Furla Films and Action Jackson Films.
Jackson and his Cheetah Vision company plan to co-finance and self-finance three to five pictures a year.
Jackson's rehearsing for a two-month international tour that kicks off Tuesday in Berlin, in support of his latest album, "Before I Self Destruct." He told Daily Variety he's attracted to the film biz because it offers a far bigger canvas for storytelling than music.
"You have 90 minutes and 120 pages, compared with three minutes for a song," he noted. "I've become very passionate about making films."
Emmett noted that Jackson is able to write a check for a film project that might not easily secure financing, such as "Things Fall Apart." "Fifty is in the process of losing 65 pounds" for the role, he added.
Jackson's film credits include "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," "Righteous Kill" and Joel Schumacher's "Twelve," which premiered at the Sundance fest as the closing-night film.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Marsha Ambrosius – Yours Sincerely
Track list:
1. Intro
2. Let Me Go
3. Put It On f. Angelique
4. She Don’t Matter
5. This Love f. Glenn Lewis
6. Storm
7. Glass
8. Take Care
download here: Yours Sincerely
Saturday, February 20, 2010
50 Cent / G-Unit Tour Dates
"Before I Self Destruct" Tour
February 23, 2010 - Berlin, Germany - C-Halle
February 25, 2010 - Paris, France - Zenith
February 26, 2010 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National
February 27, 2010 - Essen, Germany - Grunganhalle
February 28, 2010 - Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion
March 02, 2010 - Kosice, Slovakia – Steel Arena
March 03, 2010 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Tivoli Hall
March 04, 2010 - Frankfurt, Germany - Hugenottenhalle
March 05, 2010 - Prague, Czech Republic - Tesla Arena
March 08, 2010 - Helsinki, Finland - Old Ice Hall
March 11, 2010 - Bergen, Norway - Aulean
March 12, 2010 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
March 13, 2010 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Brondby Hallen
March 14, 2010 - Hamburg, Germany - The Docks
March 15, 2010 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Ahoy Hall
March 17, 2010 - Cairo, Egypt – Cairo Exhibition Fair Ground
March 19, 2010 - Birmingham, UK - NEC
March 20, 2010 - London, UK - Wembley Arena
March 21, 2010 - Dublin, Ireland - O2 Dublin
March 22, 2010 - Belfast, UK - Odyssey Arena
March 25, 2010 - Manchester, UK – Men Arena
March 27, 2010 - Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary Islands - Recinto Ferial de Tenerife
March 29, 2010 - Sicily, Italy - Palatapparello
March 31, 2010 - Skopje, Macedonia - Boris Trajkovski Arena
April 01, 2010 – Belgrade, Serbia – Belgrade Arena
April 03, 2010 - St Petersburg, Russia - New Arena
April 05, 2010 - Moscow, Russia - Olimpiski
April 06, 2010 - Warsaw, Poland - Torwar
Also, check out the official After Parties (more to come).
"Before I Self Destruct" Album available everywhere now!
Download on iTunes now!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
MFAO! Gary Coleman Explodes Into Rage When Asked About Domestic Violence Issues During TV Interview
Celebuzz: Gary Coleman sure packs a lot of rage into that tiny frame of his. The former Diff'rent Strokes actor, who was arrested on domestic-abuse charges in Utah last month, appeared in front of a panel on The Insider on Wednesday to address whether he does, in fact, have an abusive relationship with his wife Shannon Price.
Let's just say that his response didn't do much to dispel the notion that he's a hot-head who's prone to violent outbursts. Coleman went off on guest panelist Lisa Bloom, telling her, "You can go f*ck" yourself!" Then he growled, "F*ck all of you!" to the rest of the panel and stormed off the set. Check out the angry goodness in the video below:
courtesy of lukescorner.ning.com
Jinesis I'll Be (Gold Edition)
"I'll Be" represents me just being creatively free. Initially titled "I'll Be Jinesis", I changed it simply to "I'll be" to solidify that I talk through my music. The most apt representation of my person is my music. To further accentuate that state of freedom, this instrumental project is free for the listener. You're welcome.
-Jinesis
download here: Jinesis I'll Be (Gold Edition)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)