This song took over the radio airwaves for a split second but I could never find out the name of this artist. The singer/lyricist hailing all the way from Gary, Indiana, K'LA, finally released the video to her debut single "All Your Love," sung over Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley's '99 classic tune "Turn Your Lights Down Low." Now that we can put a face to the name or voice I should say, this can boost K'LA's downloads for her debut mixtape titled, "The Coldest Winter Ever," which includes 14 tracks along with the lead single 'All Your Love.' Check out the video and support K'LA's mixtape available on Datpiff.com.
The ongoing beef between rappers Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim needs to be put to rest and according to rapper Eve, she agrees. When asked about the feud between the two MC's, Eve suggested that Kim returns to the game bigger and better.
“I need her to stop. If I was Kim’s friend, I’d be like, yo. Because she’s Kim, period. So she never has to feed. She shouldn’t,” she told BBC Radio 1Xtra. “It’s bad. It’s not a good look. If I was her friend, I’d tell her, yo, just come back bigger and better. The best way to get at people is to do you better than you’ve ever done you. So that’s it.”
She also gave props to Nicki for holding it down for the ladies in the rap game.
“I love it. You know, it’s definitely a nice group of females that’s out representing, but because I come from hip-hop, I need more females in hip-hop,” she continued. “Nicki definitely is holding the flag down, and a lot of people be wanting me to hate just because that’s how girls supposed to do in hip-hop, but I’m loving everything she does. But we need more females, man. There’s too much testosterone in the hip-hop game.”
Eve revealed her new single off her delayed Lip Lock album titled, "Mama's In The Kitchen" featuring producer Swizz Beatz will release in the next few weeks. The Pitbull in a Skirt is working with not only Swizzy but noted she's working with Salaam Remi and is only five songs away from completing the album.
“I did another record called ‘Mama’s in the Kitchen’ with Swizz that is ridiculous. In the next couple of weeks, I’ma let this burn for a minute and then I’m going to drop that record,” she said.
“I’m working with Salaam Remi, who if you know music, Salaam is major, major, major,” she said. “I went in with MSTRKRFT, I don’t know if people know who MSTRKRFT are, I went in with them. I’m busy. I got like five more records to do and then I’m done with the record.”
It seems as if Ja Rule and long time enemy 50 Cent have decided to leave the past in the past and move on from their elementary feuds according to Ja. Their beef recently reignited with an exchange of words on Twitter, but Ja Rule claims he no longer has any ill will towards 50 Cent.
"It’s resolved now. I’m cool. We ain’t beefing no more,” he told the.LIFE Files. While he may not feel a ways towards Fif, don’t expect a duet. “We’ll never collaborate. That’s just what it is. You don’t have to be at war with somebody, but it’s also kind of like U.S. and another country that they may not get along with. We don’t gotta go to war, but we’re not friends either. But we can coincide inside of a world. He’s doing him, and he’s not thinking about me, and I’m doing me and I’m not thinking about him.”
He expressed regret over a recent Twitter war, explaining that he was embarrassed by his actions. “I was a little ashamed of myself to be even involved with that. because I’m like, yo, I’m 35 years old and I’m on Twitter beef? That’s not something I want to entertain, but I’m a man first, so I’m reading shit like him sending Tweets and little things about me,” he continued. “Like, damn, nigga, what’s the problem man? We’ve been through that. It’s over. We done that. It was just that. It was a spur of the moment thing.”
Ja continued by stating that he got angry because he let 50 get under his skin. “I was just mad at the moment because I couldn’t believe that he was still engaging me. Like, nigga, you still beefing with me? You still want to beef with me, nigga? I’m done with that. You got what you wanted out this business. You made you some money. You blew up, you did your thing. Enjoy. And I’m enjoying life. It’s not even that serious. And people are tired of it, I’m tired of it, and I don’t want to talk about it no more. I don’t want people to ask me about it no more.”
Beyonce takes timeout for the Billboard Music Awards Q&A to discuss her new female empowerment single, "Run the World (Girls)," revealing the title to the new album "4," and the creative process behind the new album. Bey also gives details on her decision to part ways with father-manager Matthew Knowles. Read the excerpts below:
The new single, "Run the World (Girls)," is a very bold statement for you. It's definitely riskier than something a bit more...simple. I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras -- things that typically don't go together -- to create a new sound. I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That's how I've gotten to where I am.
The new album is called "4." Aside from this being your fourth solo album, what significance does that number hold? We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me. It's the day I was born. My mother's birthday, and a lot of my friends' birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date.
How did the creative process begin with the new body of work? I recorded more than 60 songs: everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by [Afrobeat music pioneer] Fela Kuti. I actually worked with the band from "Fela!" [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days, just to get the feel for the soul and heart of his music; it's so sexy, and has a great groove you get lost in. I loved his drums, all the horns, how everything was on the one. What I learned most from Fela was artistic freedom: he just felt the spirit. I also found a lot of inspiration in '90s R&B, Earth, Wind & Fire, DeBarge, Lionel Richie, Teena Marie... I listened to a lot of Jackson 5 and New Edition, but also Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Prince. Add in my hip-hop influences, and you can hear how broad it is. I also gave myself more freedom to really belt out some songs, and bring soul singing back: I used a lot of the brassiness and grittiness in my voice that people hear in my live performances, but not necessarily on my records.
This is your first record that you've made without your father managing you. What sort of options opened up that may be different than before? It's not that anything bad happened between us. My family has my support always, and they support me, but when you've been working with the same people for 15 years, it's natural to eventually have your own ideas. I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they're on their own: at this point, I'm taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I'm able to do things my way. We were at a point where we'd learned so much from each other, and now it's exciting for me to do this on my own and hire my own team. I've started managing myself.
It' apparent Omarion has a new style and is ready for a new start, "We on to the next, we on to the fresh" in his own words.
In this video O talks about his current mixtape 'The Awakening' Hosted by DJ Drama, his opposition to releasing a mixtape over an official project and working with Red Cafe, Method Man and YG. O also discuss his new beginning, the new team, his inspiration for fashion (Pharrell, Kanye & Lupe Fiasco)along with his top 5 female artists..guess who?
The tailored look actually suits him. Gucci loafers, chic!
The 2011 SESAC Awards held at the Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building in Manhattan took place on Wednesday (May 11) with major songwriter RicoLove taking home an award for Songwriter of The Year.
Other artists were in attendance from Swizz Beatz, Chrisette Michele, songwriters Bryan-Michael Cox who wrote Monica's 'Love All Over Me' and Angela Hunte (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys 'Empire State of Mind') along with Universal Motown head Slyvia Rhone, Glassnote's Daniel Glass.
Rico Love, the man behind recognized hits like Usher's "There Goes My Baby", Diddy-Dirty Money's "Hello Good Morning," and Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams" received honors from Rhone calling him
"a consummate music man - and I'm not talking about an average guy. He writes those sexy, sultry, make-me-wanna-have-a-baby song." Rhone also revealed Rico's current hit written for Kelly Rowland, "Motivation" is another Love chart-topper of hers.
Without Usher maybe we wouldn't have known the Love we know today. During Love's acceptance speech, he thanked Jesus, his parents, management, friends and family and of course Usher for granting him the opportunity to launch his songwriting career. Love did just that with the single "Throwback" from Usher's massive-selling 2004 LP "Confessions."
Big Sean's weekend recap #17 brings you behind the scenes as he tours from Maryland to Atlanta, Albany to Buffalo. Watch as Sean moves the crowd with an unexpected surprise, his mother! Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Tinie Tempaha and Lil B show love.
The 'Rule' is back and gearing up for his highly anticipated, "P.ain I.s Love 2" album set to release on June 7th. Watch Ja Rule in the studio as he works on new music with super producer 7 Aurelius!
"I Do It" produced by No I.D. and The Legendary Traxter is the second release off Big Sean's upcoming debut album, "Finally Famous: The Album" set to release on June 21st off the Def Jam/Good Music imprint. Are you feeling this track?
Earlier this week DJ Drama was in New York shooting the video for his new single "Oh My" featuring Fabolous and Wiz Khalifa off his Gangsta Grillz 3: The Album. Check out the photos from the video set courtesy of Nigel D.
While Kelly Rowland's hit new single, "Motivation" featuring Lil Wayne sits at #6 on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop Charts, DJ Enuff sat down with Ms. Rowland to discuss partnering up with Wayne and being able to transition across several music genres. She also wishes that Chris Brown's "Beautiful People" was her record after hearing it for the first time and says her famous female friends (Beyonce, Serena, Lala, etc) all exhibit that 'hustle spirit' in which she loves the most.
On branching off into Dance music
I remember starting the process of the record and it was when I just worked with David Guetta and everybody’s like “Oh, she’s doing dance music.” I was like “Oh, God here we go.” You try one thing out and then they put you immediately in a category and for me that’s not what music is about. I loved it. It was a movement for me, it was also an opportunity to broaden an audience as well. [I'm not trying to stay there] but I’m also not trying to escape from there either. It’s a blessing to be able to do both.
I can go do a record with [Lil] Wayne and go do a record with David and it just makes you an artist. It makes you a true artist and I think that’s what I appreciate. Even with what Chris Brown has done with his record. One of my favorite songs on my playlist right now is “Beautiful People.” I love that record and when I heard it, I was pissed that it wasn’t mine because it gave me the same feeling I felt when I did “When Love Takes Over.” That was such a beautiful feeling and I was so happy for Chris because then he flipped on another record and it’s “Look at the Now.” All this crazy swagger and I’m like “I love you boo-boo!”
On David Guetta & Popularity of Euro Pop
It’s just really cool because I have to give credit when credit is due. I’m so happy that David and I got a chance to collaborate. I was the first artist in America to try that. It hasn’t been done in a minute, it was me, Will i am and Akon that worked with David first, now everybody is like “Oh yeah, let’s work together.” I’m not mad at that, at all because I think that it makes you ahead of the game.
On Motivation
I’m really excited about the record. I think the most beautiful thing about the record is that it happened so organically in the studio with Jim Johnson, Rico Love…I told Rico I wanted a sexy record and he was like on his cool sh*t in the studio. I was like “Oh, my God!” It just felt good. After I recorded it, I listened to it in the truck. I live in Miami and I was riding around Miami and said “Gosh, I could hear somebody on it” and immediately Wayne jumped in my head. I hadn’t worked with Wayne since forever, since “Soldier.” Two days later I went to a [Miami] Heat game and what do you know, Wayne was there. I was like “Dude, we need to talk.” I got a chance to meet up with him, we talked and hung out in the studio. I was kind of organic how it happened. He told me, “I listen to the record all day, today. I’m like “Perfect.” I’m glad he loved it, that’s great coming from another peer. So, when he sent it back to me I just screamed the whole time.
On her celebrity friends
I’ve been friends with Serena [Williams] for almost eight years. Lala [Vazquez] I’ve known since the beginning of my career actually. I remember when she interviewed Destiny’s Child and then we had mutual friends and we stayed friends and we’ve been friends for a long time.
I’m proud of every female in my life, from Beyonce, Michelle, Solange, Angie, Rena, Lala, all of them. I think what I love the most about them all is that hustle spirit. I think that it becomes infectious in your group.
Big Sean talks with DealWithNoDeal on getting signed with no buzz, his admiration for Notorious B.I.G and Tupac, upcoming 'Finally Famous' album (June 21) , his first attempt at rap and more!
Jay-Z, the Brooklyn Marcy projects native announced in January the release of a collaborative album 'Watch The Throne' with his protege turned peer Kanye West. In a recent interview with Delta Sky magazine, Jay gives reasons for the delay. Jigga-man also talks success, rumors of being a part of a secret society and empathizing with the less fortunate.
On Why He Hasn’t Been Putting Out As Much Music
Success takes you away from the music. Before success, there weren’t interviews or photo shoots, it was just everyday studio. Now it’s a big thing to get in the studio. It’s like a process just to get there. And once
I’m there, I have to dial into an emotion.”
On the “Watch The Throne” Delays
Ye is just in an extraordinary creative place — so much so that I need to get him to focus so we can finish this. But music is his refuge right now.
On Rumors that he is a part of a secret society
I may sound a little arrogant but I just think people can’t handle when somebody is successful. Something has gotta be wrong; you gotta be down with some higher power. And I guess when someone else is successful; it makes you feel like maybe you’re a failure. So it can’t be you, it has to be some other force.
On what influenced “Empire State Of Mind”
Where I am, it’s not typical. And my life is not typical for people from where I am from. [Empire State of Mind] is about this metaphorical, aspirational place that you can go and forget who you use to be. You know, to have this brand new start. And I haven’t said this before. I haven’t connected into those sort of emotions. I’m still trying to tap into them as a writer and human being.
On empathizing with the less fortunate
I wish I could have everyone change places for a day. I think that’s all it would take for everything to change. Empathy. It’s easy for me to empathize because I’ve really seen it. I’ve been there so I can never forget that. My job is to speak out and provide opportunity. Of course, [it feels good to be looked up to] and your ego tells you that you want more of that –but you don’t want too much of that. Fame is a super drug. I’ve seen so many people take it and just go the wrong route. I just try to stay quiet and not get caught up in all of the noise of what this means or what my brand means. Just try to remain, you know, a normal human being.
Since Hip-Hop singer NateDogg's passing on March 15, 2011 due to complications brought on by a series of strokes he suffered in 2007 and 2008, rapper and close friend WarrenG revealed that Nate had been working on gospel music at the end of his career.
"He was a child of God and he was raised in the church. He had just started work with Gospel groups," Warren G told HipHopDX."He was getting into Gospel music and there wasn't going to be no more 'I got hoes...' [Nate Dogg's chorus on Ludacris's 'Area Codes'] He was going to the church side of music. He brought people from the church to my studio and had them singing on one of my tracks. We didn't finish it."
Warren G plans to put out some of the many unreleased songs the two collaborated on, a way to continue building on to Nate Dogg's legacy, with a follow-up release of his upcoming EP featuring Nate, Game, Cee Lo, B.o.B., E-40 and DJ Quick.
As for the response to his previous tribute to Nate Dogg, Warren says the support has been overwhelming although some feedback hasn't been too polite.
"It's been overwhelming. Everybody has been loving it. I actually read a comment that some dude said. It kind of ticked me off. Some dude said, 'It took for your homeboy to die for you to make a classic record.' Why would you even say something like that? It's the dedication record. I do have a bunch of great records, and I'm still working. Give me a chance to work and put out music before you say something like that. I've been doing this. Me and Nate been doing this, we ain't changed. We still do the music."
Check out Warren G's tribute, 'This Is Dedicated To You' below:
Emily Bustamante from the new VH1 reality show, 'Love & Hip-Hop' sat down with Necole Bitchie to discuss her sketchy 9 year relationship with rapper Fabolous, how being on the show affects her daughter and if she'll be back for season 2. Emily also explains being stood up by Fab on a recent episode during a family photo shoot. Read the excerpts below:
On John the person vs. Fabolous the Rapper
My thing was, I been with Fab for so many years and from the beginning, before I had a child with him, I kinda played the background role. It was always this is his career and this is his persona and this is his image, and I respected it because at the end of the day that’s his brand and his brand is Fabulous this rapper – with all the swag and the money and the bling and the women. That’s his image, and it’s kinda like, where does a family fit into that image, are you rapping about that? Where does that come in? So, I kinda just left it alone. But the first time it affected me, I was listening to him on the radio, I said this before in another interview. I was driving and he was on Angie Martinez and Angie was like, “Are you single?” And he was like, “Like a dollar bill,” and my heart dropped. I was like, “Omg, this is real, this is John on the radio. I hear his voice, it wasn’t a rap song. It was actually him saying it out his mouth,” and I immediately texted him, and he was like don’t listen to the radio. That’s Fabulous trying to make it seem like this is his persona and why was I getting upset, and from there it was like, I accepted it so it continued on. And I didn’t realize it hurt so much until I had to talk about it on the show. I swept it under the rug and then when I actually had to talk about it, it was like, ‘Maybe this isn’t right.’ I think at the end of the day his real thing is he’s private. You don’t really hear a lot of them talking about their life. He’s like, ‘Listen this is my personal life. This is my home and my family I don’t want that in the public.’
On Getting Stood Up By Fab During The Family Photo Shoot
The honest truth is, it wasn’t that he stood me up. I knew he wasn’t coming. Of course, I told him that I had the shoot and that the video cameras were gonna be there, but I knew from the jump that he wasn’t gonna be there so it wasn’t that I was waiting for him to show up and he just didn’t come. I don’t know if that’s how it came across, but he would never stand me up. He wouldn’t do that. And I do want to clarify that he’s a great father. Sometimes I think people took from that, that he was a bad father but he’s not. He’s a great father and he loves his son and there’s nothing that he wouldn’t do for him, but it was just one of those things where he was like, “That’s your thing, I have my thing. I’m not on reality TV. I don’t need a reality show.” He was like, “I’m not going on reality TV. I’m a rapper, I’ve been doing this for 12 years. I’m in the peak of my career and I’m not into the TV drama,” but he was right. In the beginning I was like you don’t know what you’re talking about, there’s not gonna be any drama. And he was totally right. He was like, “I’m telling you, Emily.” Every day I would come home and tell him about what happened and he was like, “I told you so. I told you this was gonna happen.”
On how the show affects her daughter
As far as my situation with Fab, she only sees John at home and like I said, he’s not the same person that everybody else in this world sees. He’s a good father, he’s a family man. People don’t realize that so she sees this man that she loves and he loves her back, and he treats her good and she doesn’t see that side of him so she hasn’t really been affected. So, for me to have done this show is like, I opened up this whole other thing that she didn’t’ really know about. She’s 13 and she’s growing up and I just hope that she can learn from my mistakes as well; don’t be like me, be better than me. She knows, we talk a lot and I usually don’t even allow her to watch reality TV, but she watched this one. It’s difficult for me to allow her to watch it but it’s my story and I just hope she learns from it.
On If The Luxuries Of the Relationship Is What Makes Her Stay
No, because I work. I have a job, and not only that, I have a child by this man so I won’t be—people are like, “She doesn’t want to leave him because of the money,” but I’m good regardless because he’s gonna have to support his son, so it wasn’t ever about money. It was about the fact that I’m a mother with two children and I felt like I failed in my first relationship with my daughter’s father, and I just didn’t want to do that again to my son because I know how it affected her, so that was the main reason, not wanting to fail. I was with Fab since I was 21-years-old. I didn’t know any better when I was 21, when I was a young girl. I didn’t know how to make a relationship work, but me now at 30-years-old, I’m like, I’ve invested the last 9 years of my life into this. This is not something that I just got pregnant and had a baby. This is my life for the last 9 years, so it was just very hard to come to a decision of whether I should stay or whether I should go because I was just stuck. And I don’t recommend that to nobody.
What’s one of the biggest misconceptions people have of you, and how do you plan to change that?
I guess the biggest misconception was from the show, from the character they created. It was that I was naïve and that I was weak, or I was dumb and didn’t know what was going on in my life; but the truth is, there’s nothing you could tell me that I didn’t already know. I knew what was going on in my life and I was fully aware of it but I was in denial. I knew what it was, and it may not have been right in my decision with how I reacted to it, but I knew what it was and a lot of people judge me for that. I just feel like it was my story. Everybody has a story, like I said. There are so many single mothers out here and each of them have a story and not everybody is on TV talking about it. I’m just one of them that’s out there and talks about it and was 100% honest and women ridiculed me for it. I’m like, ‘That’s the past.’ I promise there was so much editing and the power of editing is incredible. [Source: Necole Bitchie]
Who Run This? Beyonce! As fans wait patiently for the premiere of the new single 'Run The World (Girls)' they can get a sneak peak of what's to come in the teaser which released today on Bey's youtube account. Check out the teaser below:
