News: XXL FRESHMEN CLASS LIVE x NYC & LA

XXL Unveils The Freshmen Live 2015 Show Dates In New York At The Best Buy Theatre And In Los Angeles At Club Nokia

NEW YORK, NY – June 15, 2015 – XXL has unveiled the most anticipated hip-hop magazine cover: the eighth annual XXL Freshman Class featuring 10 of the country’s hottest up-and-coming hip-hop artists; Fetty Wap (New Jersey), DeJ Loaf (Detroit), Vince Staples (Long Beach), Raury (Atlanta), GoldLink (DMV), Tink (Chicago), Shy Glizzy (DC/DMV), K Camp (Atlanta), OG Maco (Atlanta), and Kidd Kidd (New Orleans).  Today, XXL launches the first in a series of 10 Freshmen freestyles and then three cyphers, hosted by world-famous DJ Drama.

Fans will have the opportunity to view the freestyle sessions from each of the 2015 XXL Freshmen at xxlmag.com. XXL will also feature group and solo interviews with the Freshmen on a wide range of topics plus a ton of behind-the-scenes content.

“We work hard to determine who is going to be an XXL Freshman and are very excited with our 2015 selections,” says Vanessa Satten, Editor-In-Chief of XXL. “The XXL Freshman Class is important to hip-hop as it offers a huge platform to new artists we believe are on their way to stardom. Many of hip-hop’s current stars were XXL Freshmen, including Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Macklemore, Big Sean, YG, French Montana, Kid Ink, Future, August Alsina, Boosie Badazz, and more. We are very proud of all of our Freshmen and wish everyone who made it, and also those artists who were not selected, the best of luck in their career. We’ll be watching.”

The magazine will be on newsstands everywhere June 30. The XXL Freshmen will perform live in New York City at the Best Buy Theatre on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 and at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, on Monday, July 13, 2015.  Tickets are available at http://www.bestbuytheater.com/ and http://www.clubnokia.com/ for each respective show.

​SEE FETTY W​AP Kick-OFF XXL's FREESTYLE SESSION BELOW:

​http://freshmen.xxlmag.com/fetty-wap/#photogallery-1=1

***Thanks to Li'Mari' (Echoing Soundz) for sending***

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News: Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr Partners with MC Lyte On Groundbreaking New Book

LOS ANGELES (January, 2015) -- Civil Rights Leader Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Hip Hop Icon MC Lyte have joined forces with the penning of FUSION: Bridging the Gap Between Civil Rights and Hip Hop (www.fusionthemovement.com),  which spawned from a private conversation about social justice between the two icons last summer. This captivating dialogue examines how the Civil Rights Movement helped with the emergence of Hip Hop and how Hip Hop continues to help the survival of the Civil Rights Movement - with a rare focus on the roles women played throughout this unique era. Misogyny, the evolution of gender roles in the movement towards justice and equality, and the pervasiveness of music on Black culture and its global impact are discussed with the effervescence of two great leaders who are passionate about the continued advancement of peoples of color around the globe.  A portion of the proceeds from FUSION benefit #EducateOurMen, the signature education initiative of Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, where Dr. Chavis and MC Lyte serve as Sr. Advisory Board Member and Chairman/Founder, respectively (www.educateourmen.info).

"FUSION and my partnership with Dr. Chavis allow me to continue to lead my generation in delivering positive images and messages about our continued efforts to achieve justice and equality, while providing access to higher education, mentorship and tools for social responsibility," said MC Lyte.

"Working with MC Lyte to publish FUSION will help to stimulate more constructive and progressive dialogue, as well as direct social action, to achieve freedom, justice and and equality for all while highlighting the positive transformative attributes of hip-hop culture and the ongoing Civil Rights Movement," said Dr. Chavis.

The interdependence of the Civil Rights Movement to Hip Hop is unquestionable; hence FUSION uncovers unknown historical stories that show the FUSION of these worlds.  FUSION is that rare conversation turned to life - with an interpersonal look at two worlds: Civil Rights & Hip Hop, colliding in a riveting dialogue between two historic and lyrical leaders.  Books can be purchased on Amazon and at   fusionthemovement.com.

About #EducateOurMen 

#EducateOurMen is the signature education initiative of Hip Hop Sisters Foundation that aims to support and develop males by providing academic scholarships to obtain baccalaureate degrees primarily from HBCU's; provide access to career and personal mentoring; and increase cultural education and social responsibility. Each year since its inception, Hip Hop Sisters Foundation has presented scholarships to advance the educational goals of youth during the Soul Train Music Awards.  Advisory board members include Faith Evans, Ledisi, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chilli, Russell Simmons, Cheryl "Salt" James, Malinda Williams, Lil Mama, Kelly Price, Fantasia, Nicci Gilbert, Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Michele Thornton, Valeisha Butterfield-Jones, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Kenny Lattimore, Melanie Fiona and Dr. Benjamin Chavis.  Join the Movement: www.hiphopsisters.org/news 

Source: Hip Hop Sisters Network

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News: Nas - Time is Illmatic at #A3Cfilm

A3C is proud to present a screening of the documentary Nas: Time is Illmatic followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers. The film covers the making of Nas' 1994 album Illmatic, often hailed as the greatest hip-hop album of all times, and the timeless themes that have kept both the album and Nas relevant for so many years.

After the film screening, we'll be joined by director One9, writer Erik Parker, and producer Martha Diaz for a discussion about the making of the film, the inspirations behind it, and on the scope and influence of Nas' Illmatic. 

Friday, Oct 10th at 3:00pm #A3Cfilm

A3C All-Access of VIP Pass Required [Buy Today]

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10th Annual A3C Festival | First Artist Announcement

We are only 3 Months away from the 10th Anniversary A3C Festival in Atlanta, GA!  2014 A3C will include 500+ performances from some of Hip-Hop’s most exciting and renowned artists & DJs from across the world.  Today, we start announcing our 2014 Artist line-up, featuring:

Black Thought w/ J. Period, The LOX (Jadakiss, Styles P & Sheek Louch), Scarface, Mystikal & Juvenile, Sean Price, Buck Shot, Smif N Wesson, Jarren Benton, Cyhi The Prynce, Project Pat, Prince Paul, Masta Ace, Cormega, Da Beatminerz and many more!

Black Thought (of The Roots) and J. Period will headline Okayplayer's 2nd Annual Best Block Party Ever!  The Best Block Party Ever is an all ages, block party on Sunday, Oct 12th that will close out the 10th Annual A3C Festival.  The annual block party invites A3C attendees and the city of Atlanta to the Old Fourth Ward district to enjoy art, food, drinks, games and some of Hip-Hop’s most iconic artists and DJs. 

A3C is also bringing the Duck Down BBQ to Atlanta.  Performances by Boot Camp Clik featuring Sean Price, Buck Shot, Smif N Wesson and many more!  The Duck Down BBQ will take place on Saturday, Oct 11th and will be hosted by Vashtie.

2014 A3C Festival Passes Available HERE

A3C has become a cultural institution and an incomparable platform to reach and interact with the tastemakers, organizations, brands and artists within the hip-hop community.  Activate your brand at the 10th Anniversary Showcase.  More Info HERE

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Nicki Minaj Calls Out Iggy Azalea at BET Awards

Nicki Minaj made some barbed comments during her acceptance speech for her fifth consecutive win as Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards Sunday night that appeared to be directed toward Iggy Azalea.

After quasi-plugging her upcoming album The Pink Print, Minaj said, "What I want the world to know about Nicki Minaj is, that when you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it." Then she gestured in a way that seemed like she was locking her mouth and mugged at the audience. As the audience cheered, she said, "No, no, no, no, no shade," and smiled at Lil Wayne. The comment about writing her own verses seemed to address rumors that Azalea, who was nominated in the same category as Minaj, employed ghostwriters like T.I., according to Gawker.

Minaj went on to tell a story about Lil Wayne making her perfect her verses in the studio. "I'm still one of the only MCs that's out here spitting metaphors and making you think," she said. "And I really don’t even care if I get my credit or if I don't."

Outside of her biting commentary, Minaj shared that she had a health scare that she did not report to the media. "The other day, literally – I didn't tell anyone this – I really thought I was about to die," she said. "Like I was saying my prayers to die. And I didn't even wanna call the ambulance because I thought, 'Well if I call the ambulance, it's gonna be on TMZ. And I would rather sit there and die...' And it made me realize, 'I don't care what anybody gotta say. I'ma do me.'"

Over the past few months, Minaj has been teasing The Pink Print, releasing a surreal video for the ballady "Pills N Potion" in early June. Although the album does not have an official release date, Minaj said at the award show that it would come out this year.

The award show also featured performances by Pharrell, Usher, Azalea, John Legend and Robin Thicke, who dedicated his new song "Forever Love" to estranged wife Paula Patton. "I miss you and I'm sorry," Thicke said, with the singer displaying a photo of the couple. Jay Z and Beyoncé closed out the show with a video performance of the remix to Beyonce's hit "Partition."



Source: Rolling Stone

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Lil Wayne Releasing 2 Albums This Year

Lil Wayne will release not one, but two solo studio albums this year. So much for those retirement plans.

The New Orleans-bred rapper revealed plans for a second album during his latest Weezy Wednesdays webisode. "This year, not only will I be dropping Tha Carter V, but I'm dropping two albums. Be looking forward to two albums, two albums from me because... I been out the game for a second," he said.

The extra LP became necessary after he realized the amount of material he recorded for Tha Carter V. But it won't stop there. Wayne also plans to release additional projects in 2015. "I went to work on Tha Carter V and I don't stop working, so it was either Tha Carter V gonna be 93 songs, or we're gonna have to figure this out. So what we said was, 'Alright, we're going to drop two albums this year, then we're going to probably end up dropping like seven next year," he said.

In other news, Weezy recently announced plans to head out on tour with Young Money label-mate Drake. The 31-city tour will kick off Aug. 8 and go through Cincinnati, Virginia Beach, Charlotte, Atlanta, Austin and Los Angeles before wrapping up Sept. 27 in Woodlands, Texas—with additional dates to come depending on ticket sales.

No release date has yet been revealed for Tha Carter V or the currently untitled second album.


Source: STACK.com

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BET, Louder Than Life Partner For 'Music Matters' Compilation Series

BET Networks and its new artist program Music Matters has partnered with Louder Than Life/Red Associated Labels to launch the new compilation album series, "BET Presents Music Matters Vol. 1." Featuring new music from Miguel, Big Sean, Mack Wilds, Melanie Fiona and The Internet, among others, the compilation will be released June 23 in support of the second annual BET Experience (June 27-29). The three-day music and lifestyle festival culminates with the BET Awards on June 29, hosted by Chris Rock.

Now available for pre-order at Amazon, the 15-track compilation sports a mix of established acts and rising stars. Music Matters is a multi-platform initiative that provides exposure for groundbreaking talent across BET and Centric, in addition to national tours and monthly showcases. Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Elle Varner, J. Cole and Marsha Ambrosius are a few of the artists that have been spotlighted by Music Matters.

Salaam Remi, who founded Louder Than Life last July and doubles as executive VP of A&R and production at Sony Music Entertainment, is the executive producer of the "BET Presents Music Matters" compilation album series. Collaborating with Remi is Kelly G, senior director of music programming for BET Networks.

Track Listing:

1. Marsha Ambrosius "Music Matters Theme" 
2. Miguel "Gravity"
3. Gabi Wilson "Prove"
4. Mack Wilds feat. Pusha T "My Crib" (Remix)
5. Adrian Marcel "It's a Man's World"
6. Bas feat. J. Cole and KQuick "Lit"
7. Big Sean "Memories"
8. The Internet "Dontcha"
9. Mali Music "Walking Shoes"
10. Chris Turner "Liquid Love"
11. Curtis Fields "Under the Covers"
12. Ashley Kimbrae "Touch" 
13. Elle Varner "Cold Case"
14. Melanie Fiona "Where It Counts"
15. Marsha Ambrosius "Friends and Lovers"

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Sir Mix-a-Lot Takes 'Baby Got Back' Classical With Seattle Symphony

Sir Mix-a-Lot's debut with the Seattle Symphony turned into a giant onstage party as dozens of women from the audience took the rapper up on his invitation to join him for a new orchestral arrangement of "Baby Got Back."


"Something you really should not do, but since tonight is orchestral movements from the hood night, I'm going to leave some of this open if a couple of ladies would like to get up on the stage," Sir Mix told the crowd.

The rapper's appearance at Benaroya hall came about as part of the Seattle Symphony's Sonic Evolution series, which commissions new orchestral work inspired by Seattle's music icons. Gabriel Prokofiev, a London-based composer, DJ and producer (and grandson of the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev), orchestrated "Baby Got Back" as well as the 1988 track "Posse on Broadway."

"My aim with this new Sir-Mix-A-Lot inspired Orchestral work was to really get inside the musical mind of Sir Mix-A-Lot; to understand how his rhythms, textures, sounds and harmonies worked, and to create a contemporary orchestral composition that was true to the music of Sir-Mix-A-Lot," Prokofiev explained on his blog.

Prokofiev went on to describe how he tried to faithfully recreate Sir Mix-a-Lot's electronic arrangements using an orchestra, which required some unusual techniques as well as customized instruments. These included "an acoustic 'Scratcher' (made by scratching a credit card against a metal guiro), a 'jackdaw' (a friction drum that creates a frog like noise), bunches of bamboo cracking against the sides of drums, and various drums laden with chains and cymbals to create distorted drum and clap effects."


Source: Miriam Coleman (Rolling Stone)

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E-40 Will Release 4 Albums On July 15th

(Vallejo, CA) April, 2014 – At 1am this morning Earl Stevens aka E-40 took to Instagram and Twitter announcing he will release 4 new albums on July 15, 2014. While most of his friends, fans and family assumed he was completely submerged in his successful and profitable new wine venture (Earl Stevens Selections) he was secretly prepping for the ultimate album release. The Bay Area Ambassador plans to drop a quad effort entitled “Sharp On All 4 Corners” with each individual albums titled Corners 1,2,3 & 4. 

As also CEO of Earl Stevens Selections, E-40 continues to prove his seamless love for Hip-Hop. Doing what no other artist has ever done before, E-40 is relentless in his display of epic musical proportions.

Follow both @E40 and @EarlStevensSelections 

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AXS TV to Broadcast Second Weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

TO BROADCAST LIVE BOTH WEEKENDS

HOSTED BY JASON BENTLEY

LOS ANGELES, CA. (April 2014) – For the first time both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be broadcast live.  A complete lineup of artist performances will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jason Bentley, KCRW Music Director and host of the internationally-acclaimed show “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” will host Coachella’s 2014 broadcast on both YouTube and AXS TV conducting artist interviews and co-producing exclusive editorial segments each weekend.

The first weekend of Coachella, April 11, 12 and 13, will once again be streamed live by T-Mobile on YouTube at youtube.com/Coachella and Coachella.com. As presenting sponsor of the webcast, T-Mobile will provide fans the ability to experience a variety of curated content directly from their digital devices.  This includes live webcasts of select performances, artist interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and performance highlights. Fans will also be able to enjoy this content for weeks after the festival via on-demand video playback.

The second weekend, April 18, 19 and 20, will be broadcast live for the first time ever on AXS TV, television’s premier destination for live music festivals.  The television broadcast will feature 20 hours of live coverage including select performance footage and artist interviews. 

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Video: Lil Boosie Speaks Press Conference

A few days ago the international hood legend and rap artist Lil Boosie was released from prison, for those that missed it...here's video of the live press conference, moderated by The Breakfast Club's Angela Yee.

Via UStream TV


Video streaming by Ustream

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Schoolboy Q’s ‘Oxymoron’ Tops Charts

TDE artist Schoolboy Q is on top of the Billboard charts with an estimated 138,517 in first weeks sales of his album "Oxymoron"...Congrats to the Man of The Year!!!

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Scarface Says Smarten Up: "The Rap Sh*t's Sounding Stupider & Stupider"

Houston rap veteran the legendary Scarface recently shared his views on the state of hip-hop and why the rap game has lost its essence over the years.

Via SOHH:

Despite the widespread diversity from California's Odd Future to New York's A$AP Rocky, Face Mob explained his firm stance on the music biz.

"I feel like our music was dumbed down," Scarface said in an interview. "I feel like our generation is being dumbed down. And it starts with how we educate ourselves. At first, we knew what was going on in Compton by the music that we heard. We knew what was going on in Chicago by the music that we made. We knew what was going on in Houston by the music that was going on in Houston. Now, nobody don't give a f*ck. Everything sounds alike; they say the same thing." (XXL Mag)

The Geto Boys leader also noted how hip-hop had fallen behind other popular genres in intelligence.

"The rap sh*t [is] sounding stupider and stupider, and country music is sounding more brilliant, rock music is sounding more brilliant and alternative music is sounding way more brilliant," he says. "Sh*t sound good as f*ck. Everybody [in hip-hop] wants to turn up now; even in R&B. Who stole the soul? The soul is gone. Twenty-five years ago it was called soul, 30 years ago it was called soul. Then they turned it into rhythm and blues, R&B. What is it now? Is R&B gone too?" (XXL Mag)

Recently, Face made similar comments about hip-hop being dumbed down.

"I be looking at sh*t like a conspiracy. That's the way I feel about music," Face said in an interview. "You know what I mean? I feel like the powers that be are intentionally dumbing down our craft, man. I feel like they dumbing us down because the dumbest sh*t I ever heard is on the radio right now. Number one. Whatever number one is." ("Combat Jack Show")

Last year, fellow rap veteran Nas suggested the level of authenticity and realness no longer existed in hip-hop.

"I saw it come from the corner with the guys with the radios and dudes break dancing on the streets everywhere," Nas said when asked how hip-hop has changed. "Today, it's kind of lost integrity, it's lost its meaning, it's lost its love, which is why I made [2006's] Hip Hop Is Dead album. [What's dead?] The realness." ("Talk Stoop")

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Jim Jones’ $700,000 Vampire Life Problems Exposed

Dipset’s Jim Jones may have more serious things to think about than a Diplomats reunion as reports claim he is involved in a nasty and pricey battle over a vampire flick.

Reports Sohh:

Details of Capo’s unexpected legal woes surfaced online Friday (January 17).

Rapper Jim Jones sucked the life blood out of a vampire flick … and now the bitter investors have sued Jones claiming he lined his own pockets with the money that was supposed to be used for the movie. Short story … Jones was supposed to produce a movie called “Vampire Life III.” He was also going to provide the soundtrack for the movie. The investors plunked down $200,000 with high hopes … hopes that were dashed when Jones stopped returning their phone calls and emails. The investors were PISSED when they learned … Jones allegedly used some of the money to make mix tapes that were supposed to go in the movie but Jones was releasing them independently. (TMZ)

In order to correct the situation, Jones’ business investors want him to cough up big bucks.

The investors were doubly upset when they found out Jones allegedly used the rest of their seed money to produce and release a Vampire-Life clothing line that was supposed to be merchandising for the movie. Bottom line — the investors feel like they were had — the movie with a cool soundtrack and clothing line was a fiction … the only thing that was real was Jones using their money to profit from the music and the threads. The investors want $700K minimum. Calls to Jones were not returned. (TMZ)

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Revolt Network Still Not Available In Comcast Hometown

What's up with Diddy's Revolt Network not being available in Philly, the home of cable provider Comcast...

Via Deadline:

Revolt Network, which Sean Combs leads with MTV veteran Andy Schuon, is one of four minority-owned independent networks Comcast pledged to distribute as a condition of getting FCC approval of its NBCUniversal merger. And yet, since its October launch, Revolt has not been available in Comcast’s hometown, Philadelphia. Schoen told TV critics this morning they’re working on that. “People are noticing” he said of the omission.

“Have they given you a date?” a Philly TV critic asked.

Comcast had committed to launching Revolt “to a certain percentage of homes” in its digital basic tier and to roll it out “in more markets over time.” He noted the network is availabie in Seattle, the Bay area and Miami and in some smaller markets.

“We’re a fairly obvious market,” the Philly critic snarked.

He declined to say how many homes Revolt is available in because, he said when pressed, “I don’t think we’ve made it a practice.” Revolt CEO Keith Clinkscales had not got that memo and explained the network is now in 20 million home and hope it hits 26 million by the end of this year.

Last July, at Summer TV Press Tour 2013, Revolt founder Sean Combs said that if cable networks were unbundled and viewers got to decide what channels they’d hang on to, “You’d keep CNN – or you’d keep Fox if you were a Republican — you would keep ESPN and probably keep The Weather Channel” but “if it’s music you want and you are a millennial, you are homeless.”

“My mission,” Combs said, “is to get kids back to television.”

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Coinye: Rapper Kanye West strikes back at Yeezy-inspired cryptocurrency

Coinye seemed like such a good idea at the time...Kanye having a currency named after him, oh Yeezus!!!

Via Yahoo Finance:

Create a new digital currency, name it after rapper Kanye West and delight the online world with this clever, consumer-friendly take on the Bitcoin trend. And it appeared to be working as of last week, when the idea for the cryptocurrency “Coinye West” was first announced, complete with a cartoon version Kanye’s face on its logo and a currency “mining” program called “Gold Digger,” presumably inspired by West’s 2005 hit of the same name.

“We chose Kanye because of his trendsetting abilities and his originality,” the anonymous developers told PC World at the time. Coinye was set to launch on January 11.

Trouble is, nobody asked Kanye about all this, and on Monday his lawyers sent the Coinye developers a cease and desist letter, alleging copyright infringement and accusing the currency’s backers of attempting to profit off of West’s public image.

"Interviews with the founders of the Coinye West cryptocurrency leave no doubt that your clear intent is to trade upon the goodwill associated with the Kanye West mark and Mr. West's international fame and notoriety,” wrote Brad Rose with the law firm of Pryor Cashman LLP. “Consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Mr. West is the source of your services or is, at the very least, affiliated with, or has sponsored or endorsed the cryptocurrency.”

In response, the currency’s developers pushed Coinye out earlier than planned, on Tuesday. “We want to get this into the hands of the public – after all, it’s peer to peer and unstoppable,” they wrote on their site. But they also appear to be bowing to the legal pressure in some ways, updating their logo to look less Kanye-inspired (by adding a fish tail to the side of his head), changing the name of their currency from “Coinye West” to just “Coinye” and moving their website to a hosting service based in India.

Coinye is, of course, just the latest entrant in the rapidly-growing digital currency space. Buoyed by the success of Bitcoin – the original cryptocurrency that’s now valued at more than $840 per “coin” – the online marketplace now includes competitors like Litecoin, Peercoin, Ripple and Dogecoin, which was launched in December 2013 and features an image of a Shiba Inu dog on its virtual logo. According to The Guardian, there are now more than 60 of these digital peer-to-peer currencies available for online use.

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OutKast Reunion Plans Confirmed, Future & Andre 3000 Start Up Their "Benz"

Organized Noize producer Rico Wade has confirmed speculated Coachella plans for the reunion of the legendary duo OutKast.

Via Sohh:

According to Rico, Andre 3000 also has a collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper Future in the books.

Rico also happens to be Future’s older cousin, which is how Future ended up with “DUNGEON” tattooed on his right forearm and “FAMILY” on his left. “I put Future in the studio for the first time,” Rico explains, eager to shed light on his own under-recognized legacy. As we bide our time in the lobby, he affably spills the beans about unreleased Andre 3000 solo songs from a decade ago and his hopes to score Future a cameo during OutKast’s reunion sets at Coachella. Eventually he pulls out his iPhone and plays me a Future/Andre collaboration he produced called “Benz B*tch” that’s earmarked for Honest. It’s yet another side of Future and one rarely heard: brainy, libidinous space-age funk mined from Stankonia’s dankest caverns, an homage to his Dungeon Family roots. (Stereo Gum)

While details were scarce, a photo of Three Stacks and Future popped up online last month.

André has now been spotted with fellow Atlanta rapper Future. The picture was posted on Future’s Instagram, and once again André 3000 is keeping things interesting by throwing up the peace sign and smiling like a kid who just found out he was going to Disneyland for his birthday. As Future told Complex TV recently, his blood line with André and the Dungeon Family runs deep. The Auto-Tune crooner is the cousin of Rico Wade, a producer that shaped the Dungeon Family sound with his group Organized Noize. Future says he would sit in on recording sessions with OutKast when he was just a kid. This connection is a reunion of sorts for them. Hopefully some music comes out of it as well. (Complex)

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BlackBerry and singer Alicia Keys part ways

After 1 year Blackberry has decided to parts ways with recording artist Alicia Keys.


Via The Verge:


Less than a year after recording artist was hired to come on as the company's "global creative director." The partnership was unveiled at an event last January when the company launched its BlackBerry 10 OS. Keys was tapped to "inspire the future" of the company, which took years to ready a new platform to more readily compete with the burgeoning crop of smartphones and tablets from competitors like Google and Apple. In a statement to CTV News today, the company thanked Keys for her service, without going detail about what exactly she had done during her tenure.

Keys' hire was just the latest in a string of celebrity endorsements for tech companies, though came with some controversy. Prior to signing on with BlackBerry, Keys was an avid iPhone user, and had even developed an iOS app that let users add her image to their own photos. Just a month after signing on with BlackBerry, she sent out a tweet from her iPhone, something she later attributed to being hacked. She also walked away from a very active, and well-followed Instagram account, which at the time was only available on iOS and Android.

The end of the partnership comes as BlackBerry continues its attempt at a comeback. The beleaguered company tallied up billions in losses last year, while shedding executives like CEO Thorsten Heins, who left in November, and was quickly followed by other top executives. Attempts to take over the company have also been scrapped, including one from Mike Lazaridis, who co-founded the company and was its CEO, though more recently has been selling off millions of his shares in the company.

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Update: Montgomery Police Arrest Doe B’s Alleged Killer

Montgomery Police have made an arrest in the death of Kimberle Johnson and Glenn Thomas, better known as Grand Hustle artist Doe B.

Via VIBE:

The man you see pictured above is 25-year-old Jason McWilliams, and late yesterday he turned himself in to the MPD for Saturday's shooting. Investigations indicate that the shooting was the result of an ongoing dispute between Thomas and McWilliams. Johnson was pronounced dead on the scene, while Thomas was rushed to the hospital and later died from gunshot wounds.

After his arrest, McWilliams was transferred to the Montgomery County Detention facility where he is being held without bond. No further information is available at this time as police continue their investigation.

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Rapper Doe B killed in Alabama

The hip hop community is mourning another loss, that the Alabama native wordsmith and Grammy Winning rapper T.I.'s protégé , Doe B, who was also signed to the Hustle Gang imprint, was shot and killed last night.

Via CNN:

Bullets riddled a crowd at an Alabama nightclub over the weekend, according to police.

Rapper Doe B, 22, was killed, police said. So was Kimberle Johnson, 21. The barrage wounded six more people at the Centennial Hill Bar and Grill early Saturday.

Security guards at the club couldn't stop the shooting. Police are searching for suspects and asking for tips on Facebook to help them make arrests.

The mayor vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Doe B and gunshot wounds

Doe B was born Glenn Thomas, and is from Montgomery, his manager Frank White said.

Thomas had recently been on tour.

Colorful placards announcing his performances marked the path of his December concert rounds through his state and to Atlanta. He then returned to the club in his home town, where his life was taken.

It was not the first time he had been shot, Billboard Magazine reported. His eye was wounded in a previous shooting, and he wore an eye patch that had become his trademark.

On the cover of his new album Baby Jesus, a baby is pictured dressed like Doe B with the eye patch and with additional bullet wounds on the left arm.

Tough turf

The venue got a reputation with city officials after a shooting there last year, which local media reported. Back then it was called the Rose Supper Club, but it changed its name after the violence.

Some people vented their rage at the club over Doe B's killing Saturday in all caps on the venue's old, pre-name-change Facebook page.

"Y'all SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH MURDER," wrote Brandon King.

Montgomery's mayor shut the club down. The city had given Centennial Hill repeated warnings, Todd Strange said in a statement.

"I believe it is not a matter of 'if,' but 'when' the next tragic incident occurs at this business," he said. "That is unacceptable, and that is why we have ordered the business to be closed effective immediately."

Music of sorrow

Doe B's musician friends and compatriots poured out their hearts on Twitter.

"He was just getting started.... The future was so bright... I would have told you thank you. Rest in peace," manager White posted.

"Clubs keep lettin guns in the club as if that's not where we as artists work. We got families to go home to, f--- is wrong with y'all," said artist Machine Gun Kelly.

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