It's another sad day within the publishing and Hip Hop and RnB scene, one of the leading US Urban music magazines, Vibe Magazine, founded by Quincy Jones in 1993, shut its doors today after 16 years in the business.
The closure was announced today on Twitter, as is most gossip, before it was officially announced to the world, and both fellow journalists and bloggers both Stateside and over here in the UK expressed their sadness in the magazine's closure. Staff were not aware that the magazine would be shutting down until this afternoon. The only magazine's now left in the US that cater to Hip Hop and RnB music are The Source and XXL. Not too sure how long either of these magazines will still be on newsstands in this current economic climate.
With the final Vibe cover featuring The Dream and his fiance Christina Milian partially naked, that will NOT be available to buy the editor-in-chief, Danyel Smith, gave this announcement:
"On behalf the VIBE CONTENT staff (the best in this business), it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today. We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It’s a tragic week in overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine’s sixteenth anniversary, it’s a sad day for music, for hip hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you. " Danyel Smith the former Chief Content Officer VIBE Media Group & Editor in Chief, VIBE
With the closing of Vibe, journalists Stateside and especially over here in the UK are wondering what will happen to the exposure of 'Urban' artists and music. I for one will miss Vibe Magazine, I loved reading their latest issues especially on my flights from JFK back to London.
For those that do not know about Play Dot Clothing as they say 'GET TO KNOW'
I had the chance to sit down with one of labels founders Kwasi Boateng recently to find out how it all came together!
Who are the founders of Play Dot Clothing? Kwasi Boateng & Annan Johnathan.
When was the label established? December 2007
Describe your clothing in just three words? Fun, diverse & unique
What sets your label apart from others currently on the scene? The clours we tend to use are very vibrant and very eye catching. We also have a lengthy cap, t-shirt and jumper combination line and obviously our character logo.
What are your plans for the future? We are currently working on making our clothing a worldwide brand, similar to what New Era has done with their products. Coming from the UK we want to open more doors and reach out to influential figures who we can work alongside to take Play Dot to that next level. Until that time we will be extending new line which is called 'Skits' and just continuing to get the Play Dot name on as many lips as possible!
How can people contact you? Facebook- 'Play Dot Apparel' also 'www.myspace.com/playdotapparel'
Play Dot are definitely doing their thing, MAKE SURE YOU SUPPORT THE UK!!! Check out the links below more more info!
As we're all still trying to get over the initial shock of MJ's death, SocialWriters want to share with you all our favourite Micheal Jackson songs that we love:
Karlito Starr
I think as much as I don't really have a favourite MJ track, and the album 'Bad' changed my life musically, I;d have to say 'Rock With You' is a stand out song in my life because I cant really describe that good feeling that comes over me just hearing the horns and violin intro. Seeing a pre-surgery Mike honestly enjoying what he was doing at the time (in the video) was a beautiful thing to see! Also the fact that the song was released in 1979 before I was born just shows how good Micheal's music was because it never lost quality over the years so even kids born in years 2000+ can appreciate and love hos music too!
KCB
I've got loads of MJ songs that I love and just cant get enough of, but if I had to choose it would be 'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough'. When I hear this song in a club I have to dance, and I pull out some old school moves in 5 inch heels....I think it's the base in the beginning. There's just something about this song that makes me happy and want to dance every time I hear it. Also I love when Chris Tucker sings this song in 'Rush Hour', cracks me up every time I watch it!
RVB
'Bad' because the man moonwalking on skates in the video is SICK!!
REA
'Dirty Diana' Its rock type vibe is tenacious, its pulsating and J's vocals bring the track to life, you could almost paint the picture of this bad a** chick called Diana that's got all the guys going crazy for her. It also showcases Michael's versatility as an artist, shows that he can do the pop stuff, do it well, and switch it up and do rock as well.
Had to add in the video for 'Remember The Time' because the dance routine is serious.....If you can do the dance (like KCB can) you're BIG in the game!
Justin Timberlake was in London yesterday to launch his new clothing range William Rast, with a fashion show at the Selfridges' flagship store in Oxford Street.
The label consists of swedish designers Johan and Marcella Lindeberg, Justin's childhood best friend, Trace Ayala and of course Justin himself.
The brand has gained wide recognition since its debut at New York Fashion week last September and is held in very high regard by many fashion insiders.
Whilst fashion experts were mingling to the taste of Vitamin water and Ciroc vodka, Dizzee Rascal and singer/songwriter, V.V Brown were in the front row chatting away in good spirits.
The two came and left together, could this be the latest celebrity relationship on the horizon, if it is remember who told you first!
"Always knew that I could figure/How to get these label heads to offer them good figures" Drake - 'Ignant Shit'
And Drake was damn sure right about that! After the record label battle between Atlantic Records, Interscope and Universal, Drake has made his decision and decided to sign with Universal Motown, who seems to be offering him the most money.
The announcement which hasn't been made official yet, but was leaked on the net, sees the Canadian rapper/singer/actor under the same record company as his affiliates Lil' Wayne and Young Money.
At least the speculation has come to an end, but was it the right choice? We all know Atlantic Records has got the best marketing department, hence why Hov has allowed their marketing department to market the 'Blueprint 3'
I'm looking forward to hearing Drake's debut album, hopefully sometime this year would be nice!
In this credit crunch climate we're living in, this post may just come in handy for some extra cash......
The Royal Mint, who are the people who design our British coins, have accidentally released a batch of 20p coins that don't have the date featured on both sides of the coin. Between 50,000 and 200,000 of the coins were minted with a new 'tails' design on one side and the older 'heads' image on the other.
The Royal mint are offering £50, yes £50 which is £49.80 more than what you can buy with 20p (lol), to the first 10,000 people who register their rare 20p coins.
Nick Hart of the London Mint Office dealership said: "We believe this extremely rare error will certainly get the public looking at the coins in their pockets again and noticing the excellent new designs launched by the Royal Mint last year on our coinage."
People, get to looking in your pockets, purses, bags, sofa.....you could make a lot of money. I'm sure I had one of these coins the other day, but I spent it...oh well
In what was rumoured to be a show in tribute of the great Michael Jackson, the BET Awards 2009 was boring.....very boring.....they should've let Chris Brown perform his MJ tribute, but they axed him lastmin.com.......
The night started off with a mediocre performance by New Edition, singing a medley of Jackson 5 hits, such as 'I Want You Back' and 'ABC'. Hosted by funny man Jamie Foxx, who opened the show donning a red leather jacket and sequined glove, Micheal Jackson style.
The host then moonwalked across the stage and had the crowd laughing throughout the show.
Keri Hilson channeled her inner Micheal Jackson by dressing up in clothing that resembled MJ's 'Bad' outfit in her performances of 'Turning Me Off' and 'Knock You Down'. She even tried to add a few MJ dance moves to her performance, which really didn't work. Ne-Yo gave a powerful rendition of Jackson's 'Lady In My Life', which was one of the best tributes to MJ given at the show.
Jamie Foxx, then gave his performance of his club hit, 'Blame It', featuring T-Pain and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg (who didn't rap, but 'Drop It Like It's Hot was mixed into 'Blame It'), and Travis Barker on the drums, who gave a great performance.
Queen Bey gave a sweet performance of 'Ave Maria' and 'Angel', but it was a shame that she didn't give a rendition of an MJ song - she would've given it the justice it deserved! Ciara sang MJ's 'Heal The World' donning some MJ clobber; she looked real good, but sounded bad "real bad, real bad Micheal Jackson".
Ne-Yo, once again, returned to the stage - oh did I forget to mention he was donning his bald head ALL night, no hats in any performance! - with a medley of his favourite stars, such as Keith Sweat, Guy and Bel BivDevoe, which was a great performance.
Jay Z had everybody bopping away, and even had his wife Beyonce singing along to his new single, 'Death Of Autotune' - Great performance!
Ladies favourite Maxwell sang his new single, 'Pretty Wings' and hot newcomer, Drake, alongside with Lil' Wayne, Baby and Young Money, gave one of the most driest performances ever, particularly because Drake sat through the whole of his performance due to injuring his Achilles Heel.
Janet Jackson made an emotionalappearance towards the end of the show, on the behalf of the Jackson family, which made everybody shed a tear, just to thank everybody for their support. Her emotions were a stark contrast to her fathers', Joe Jackson, who was also at the awards show, smiling, laughing and plugging his new record label, even though his son only died 3 days ago......
The finale of the show was performed by Ne-Yo (again) and Jamie Foxx with a duet of the Jackson 5 hit, 'I'll be There'.
The awards show was dire, and I know that BET only had 3 days to turn the whole show around with the news of Micheal Jackson's death, but they did okay, but could've done better.
Here's a list of all the winners on the night:
Best Male R&B Artist - Ne-Yo Best Female R&B Artist - Beyonce Best Group - Day 26 Best Gospel Artist - Mary Mary Best Female Hip Hop Artist - M.I.A. Best Male Hip Hop Artist - Lil Wayne Best New Artist - Keri Hilson Best Collaboration Jamie Foxx f/ T-Pain - Blame It Viewer's Choice T.I. f/ Rihanna - Live Your Life Video Director of the Year - Benny Boom Video of the Year Beyonce - Single Ladies Best Actress - Taraji P. Henson Best Actor - Will Smith Best Female Athlete - Serena Williams Best Male Athlete - LeBron James Centric Award - Jazmine Sullivan
Here's some performance, some of which I haven't mentioned
Yes, it's true! Michael Jackson, aka the King of Pop, has died at the age of 50!!
Michael collapsed in his LA home after not being able to breathe properly, where paramedics had to perform CPR on him. He suffered a cardiac arrest where he slipped into a coma and died today, June 25th 2009. He was pronouced dead at 21:26PM GMT time.
TMZ.com was the first to report the moonwalker's death, but it wasn't confirmed by the Press Association till about an hour after.
Michael's 'This Is It!' Tour was meant to begin July 13th, which is in 2 weeks time, and he sadly didn't even get to do a least one last show in the 02. There was loads of speculation that he wasn't going to be able to do the shows due to his health, and this speculation has been confirmed by his death.
One of the most successful stars in the world, this outstanding, talented black man inspired and paved the way for a huge amount of musicians. We all grew up watching and listening to Michael, and it's going to be sad to know that he'll no longer be around.
There will NEVER be another Michael Jackson!! Nobody will EVER be able to take his place, he's made his place in history and his legacy will be remembered FOREVER!!!
Social Writer's condolences and prayers go out to the Jackson family! We still can't believe he's gone!!
I understand 118 188 directory and Yellow Pages etc, but a mobile phone directory...
118 800 is the new mobile phone directory for UK mobile phone numbers. It allows people to get hold of somebody if they dont have the person's mobile number. 118 800 say they do not give out numbers, but simply connect people either through a phone call like 118 188, or by sending a text message to the person you want to talk to, giving them your contact details to call you back.
I think this directory is a breech of people's privacy! This means that somebody who you dont want to have your number can contact you, courtesy of this foolish directory. Next thing you know, you'll have stalkers on your line harrasing you!
You can make your number ex-directory if you visit 118 800's website, www.118800.co.uk, which I for one have done. I dont want some random person ringing me!!!
It is understood that a plea bargain has been made in the case Brown vs Fenty (Chris vs Rihanna)for the horrible attack on Rihanna in February.
As we all know Chris was charged with assault and could've faced up to four years in prison, but by pleading guilty he has gotten off lightly with a mere slap on the wrist. The 'Kiss Kiss' singer will have to complete five years of supervised probation and six months of community service. He must also have domestic abuse counselling and drop into court every three months. Not to forget he is now also a convicted felon.
He has also been ordered to stay 50 feet away from Rihanna for the next five years, except at public events where he must be 10 yards away from her. Rihanna has also supposedly been told not to contact Chris for five years.
I wonder if these two will ever rekindle their turbulent relationship?
The design for the memorial statue of the Crimean war heroine, Mary Seacole has been chosen...
The sculpture will be placed in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital in Central London, near Big Ben, towards the end of 2010 or early 2011. The statue will be a reminder of the 19th Century nurse.
Seacole, born in Jamaica, was voted the greatest Black Briton of all time in 2004. In 1894 she asked the War Office if she could be sent to Crimea to help the wounded soldiers. Her request was denied so she funded her own trip to Crimea where she cared for the injured and sick.
A few weeks ago we posted a video for the song 'Jerusalem' by MC Nobody, asking if anybody knew who MC Nobody was? (click here to read the blog post) Now all has been revealed that MC Nobody is non other than, Sway.
*SHOCK* (Not!) It was quite easy to figure out that Sway was the balaclava-masked MC, but MC Nobody is not Sway's new alias or alter ego, as many people have started to assume. MC Nobody is actually a key character in the up-coming novel, 'Jerusalem' by acclaimed author, Patrick Neate.
Neate teamed up with Sway to create an innovative way to promote the book to a wider audience via cyberspace, and also to bring the character of 'MC Nobody' to life.
The book Jerusalem is an intricately woven tale of Englishness from many perspectives - young and old, black and white, urban and rural, British and African, past and present. Unfailingly relevant and politically astute, it is also a moving and witty take on contemporary identity that follows many of the themes of Neate's previous work. Indeed, several of the characters from Musungu Jim and the Whitbread winner, Twelve Bar Blues, reappear in Jerusalem.
The book Jerusalem is published by Penguin on the 2nd July 2009.
He has confirmed that he has been living apart from Tameka for nearly a year now, and Tameka has just been walking around, attending events like all was fine in the Raymond household, when it wasn't. Oh the denial.....
Tameka is said to be contesting the divorce, even though their divorce petition says that "there is no hope of reconciliation between them." Usher is seeking joint custody of his children.
The soon to be divorced couple are due at Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia on July 15th.
Well, I think everybody saw this coming a mile off. From the time your mum doesn't like your choice in who you marry, there's bound to be severe problems, especially when you're a 'mama's boy'!
They say don't fix something if it isn't broken...well Beyonce definitely isn't breaking the formula of having another black and white video...it seems to have worked in the past, not too sure if it works for this video though.
Mrs Carey drops her new single, 'Obsessed', on radios today Stateside.....
'Obsessed' is the first single to be taken from her forthcoming 12th studio album, 'Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel', which is due to be released August 25th.
The single is written and produced by Mariah, The Dream and Tricky Stewart, but it's not all that when you first have a listen, but it'll grow on you after you listen a few more times. It'll definitely sell units!
Afternoon Social Writers family, i came across some new music from the very talented Jojo and i had to share it with you!
Haven't heard much from the pint-sized star for some time now, but she is definitely coming back with a vengence. Although she is currently going through some label issues, her third studio album 'All I Want Is Everything' is ready to be released.
'25 To Life' is a very infectious track with a briliant twist on the chorus. Hopefully Jojo can sort out her labels woes sooner rather than later...
According to Fabolous, Kanye West is directing a music video for the man on everybody's lips, Drake.
The news broke about three hours ago on Fabolous' Twitter page. With Pastelle in the pipeline, Nike Air Yeezys selling out in stores, and the sneakers with Louis Vuitton, Kanye is definitely getting his entrepreneur on.
Could Ye’ be the next Hype Williams? What do you think?
Have a look at Tim Westwood's interview with the man of the moment, Tinchy Stryder on Westwood's crib sessions.
Looks like nothing's changed with Tim, he is still acting a fool, but on a more positive note, Stryder speaks about his upcoming album 'Catch 22', which is due to hit the stores in August, his new found success, and the definition of the word we hear so often but don't understand, FLEE!
There is yet another dance routine about to hit a rave near you..the Blackberry skank
Following on from the migraine skank, tribal man skank, jungle skank, head shoulders knees and toes, swine flu skank( the list is endless), the Blackberry skank even features that annoying sound you hear when you receive a email.
If you you're not on point with the latest skank, Miss London, the blackberry skank inventor will definitely show you how it's done.
Do you think these routine dances are getting out of hand? Let us know what you think?
p.s.Look out for the Eddie Cadi appearance in the video....
A host of stars have teamed up with H&M to promote and raise Aids awareness amoungst the young fashion concious.
Everyone from RiRi, Timbaland, Katy Perry, Cindy Lauper, Estelle, Tokyo Hotel and N.E.R.D to name a few are backing the campaign and have designed their own signature tees which are on sale now in all stores.
25% of the sales price (£9.99) will be donated towards H.I.V/AIDS education and prevention worldwide. It's for a very worthy cause and the tees are cool, i copped the N.E.R.D one so let's support the cause people!
New movie 'The Hangover' is out tonight and has been billed as 'The funniest film of the year'. I've seen the trailer a few times now and it does look quite funny!
There's even a cameo from the legend that is Iron Mike Tyson (who has put on a few pounds lately).
Check out the trailer below and if you go and see it let us know what you thought.
Pop Queen Madonna has won her battle to adopt 4 year old Malawian Chifundo 'Mercy' James. Judge's in the country's supreme court ruled that the singer could now have custody of the four year after originally turning down her adoption request on the grounds that she had not been a resident in the country for long enough.
The multi-millionaire who has set up a charity which, feeds, educates and provides medical care for the countries orphans is said to be thrilled and preparing to move the child to New York to be with her other children- Lourdes, 12, Rocco, eight, and three-year-old David.
I commend Madonna and the other Hollywood stars who want to make life better for some of these unprivileged child. I think the thing they should do now is look at kids in other thirdworld countries in the same situations instead of always going to the same places.
Time is of the essense is something T.I. couldn't agree with more, being as he has a lot of it on his side and what better way to spend his stint in jail than to bulk up for a bare all promotional picture for a PETA campaign.
In support of PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur", the Atlanta rapper has been approached by campaign officials to strip and reveal all like the day he was born after he is released from jail. News of PETA's interest in the currently incarserated rapper was published today on Giantmagazine.com and according to them:
"We're asking T.I. to use his fame and experiences to bare the truth about the fur industry by baring his skin" PETA executive Vice President Tracy Reiman stated.
It is thought that due to his affiliation with previous PETA campaign advocate and ex-convict, Martha Stewart, is how they came to approach him. T.I. has been trying to polish up his act of late and has even been involved in some community service, but the question is 'how polished is he willing to get?
Though Tip may have some thinking to do, speaking on behalf of all the ladies across the globe, we say....DO IT!
The former Pretty Ricky frontman goes it alone with his first solo effort'The Introduction Of Marcus Cooper'.
After leaving Pretty Ricky due to creative and management issues Pleasure releases a stellar 12 track disc that will please his old fans and draw in some new one's. The material is definitely geared towards a more mature audience but does not alienate.
His first two singles'Did You Wrong'&'Boyfriend #2' got a lot of exposure in the U.S but did not get a lot of play over here.
Tracks like'Under'(my personal stand-out track),'Gotta Have You'&'Birthday suit'willkeep the slow jam lovers happy, whilst the Yung Joc assisted'I'm a beast'and the excellent'Your Love'which uses a sample from Cheryl Lynn's 1983 soul classic'Encore'will definitely 'get a party started' as they say.
Much like Slim (of 112) and Lloyd, Pleasure has a very distinctive vocal tone, but he does display a varied singing range throughout the LP without straying far from his RnB with a pop appeal style.
With his homeboy Sexy Spec' prancing around in red Y fronts these days in internet videos it looks like Pleasure may have made the right move. Although the album won't change the world it's definitely worth a listen and more than good start.
There's no official UK release date yet but the album is available on import and online.
The Simmons family will be returning to our screens soon for the 6th series of Run's House. I'm so happy as this is one of my favourite shows, plus Angela & Vanessa aren't too bad on the eye either. Not sure when the show will premiere on UK MTV but we will keep you posted.
For those that don't know Ray J aka Brandy's lil' brother had a show called 'For The Love Of Ray J' which was along the lines of 'Flavor Of Love' and 'I Love New York' where a bunch of crazy females would compete for his affections on a weekly basis until only one was left.
Well, much like Flavor Flav and New York aka Tiffany, Ray J was unable to find love on his first series so he's planning another!
Hopefully the show will make it to UK shores sometime this year, from all accounts it was very saucy, explosive and entertaining.
Introducing Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and Seven as the new US girl group Rich Girl.
With Rich Harrison as the mastermind behind them, the man also responsble for Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love' and Amerie's 'One Thing', Rich Girl could quite possibly be a quadruplet force to be reckoned with in 'girl band land'.
Today swirling around the Internet is the story that there are no divorce papers being filed by the Raymond's......
It was only yesterday that we told you that there was a rumour going around that the couple were heading for a divorce, but there are sources coming out that state otherwise.
According to singersroom.com, Atlanta Journal Constitution went to Fulton County Court to look for the divorce papers and they came back empty handed. There were no papers or signatures that were related to divorce proceeding.
Even though there's no sign of any divorce papers, it still doesn't rule out that the two are indeed separated, as it has been said that Tameka hasn't spoken to Usher in "days".
Freddyo.com has some reasons why Usher hasn't been wearing his wedding ring of lately:
"He does not wear his ring because it was lost while he was on tour - those are the facts.He does not wear his ring because it was lost while he was on tour - those are the facts."
This may be true, but I'm hearing that this Freddy dude is Tameka's friend.....SNM
I can't help but wonder, for a man so rich, why didn't he insure his wedding ring? He can buy brand new cars but he can't buy himself another wedding ring?
Come on, you know you want to sing it... (Pinch your nose...) "RETURN OF THE MACK, RETURN OF THE MACK.... BUT I DO, BUT I DO DO DO"...
After disappearing off the face of the earth Mark Morrison is back, but for all the wrong reasons!
Mr. Morrison was arrested on Monday 8th June for GBH on an unidentified male. He was taken to a local police station where he was charged and bailed to return at a later date.
Could this be the platform he needs to stage a return??? Time will tell.
I personally think this was Marks' best song and I'm not ashamed to admit it! ;o)
I told you it's gonna be a busy footballing summer!
Manchester United have accepted an £80 million bid for Christiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. Ronaldo has been playing kiss chase with Real for the last three summers and it now looks like he's going to get the move he has always secretly craved for.
It was only May when he said he wanted to stay at Man U, but I guess the Champions League loss to Barcelona was to be his last game in a Manchester United shirt!
By the looks of things Real Madrid are planning on regaining their dominance over the La Liga and world football by building the 'Galacticos' 1.0. With Kaka already acquired, Ronaldo on the way and rumours of David Villa from Valencia and Frank Ribbery from Bayern Munich also on their summer shopping list Real could most definitely be a force to be reckoned with next season!
I guess the recession doesn't exist in the footballing world.
The Bajan princess Rihanna will have to testify against her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown in court.
As I'm sure you all remember, Rihanna was allegedly attacked by Chris in February, (we all saw the picture of her battered face), now the two will go head to head in court June 22nd, after he pleaded not guilty.
Rihanna's lawyer has said that if the preliminary hearing goes ahead, RiRi will have to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
I for one want to see her testify against Chris in court...I, like most people, want to know exactly went down that night! I'm sure there's a whole lot more to the story than what has been told.
Oooooooh... I saw something yesterday but i didn't want to believe it. Then today I saw a lil' bit more and it's not looking good for Ush & Tameka.
It's rumoured that the couple have seperated and Usher will file for divorce within days. Ursh' was also sited out and about town with another woman without his wedding ring so, it's not looking good for the couple!
*Ushers reps later confirmed that the mystery woman was a product manager for Def Jam records who is working with one of Ushers artists.
I honestly hope this is just media propaganda, it would be a shame for another celebrity couple to hit splitsville.
***UPDATE***
More info is continuing to leak about Ushers marital status! Various media sources in the U.S have been trying to get information from the courthouse where divorce papers were 'supposedly' filed but have been told no such papers exist.
It's also been said that the couple have been seperated for over a year now but are on amicable terms for the well being of their two children.
Take a look at good ol' Soulja Boy on the Chelsea Lately show.
Whether you like Soulja Boy or not you can't deny the fact he has come a long way from that first video with that huge white tee that looked like it could fit him, his friends and all his Youtube followers and still have some space!
Four years before Britains Got Talent (BGT), Diversity were known as Swift Moves and took part in four battles at The Jump Off.
The Jump Off is a hip hop show which includes, rap battles, fashion shows, live performances and dance battles.
With a record of Won 2/Lost 2 here is a compilation of their best bits.
There is no Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden or Piers Morgan at the Jump Off, no red buzzers can stop you and there's no Ant n Dec to cushion you afterwards. The Jump Off is nutorious for it's tough, judgemental crowd and many pristine Judges have left saying "If you can perform at Jump Off, you can perform anywhere".
Hosted by Rap6 and Kymberlee Jay, Judges on the nights Diversity/Swift Moves battled included:Guru, Pretty Ricky, Inspectah Deck (Wu Tang), Jazzie B and Terri Walker
Brazilian football star Kaka has joined Real Madrid from AC Milan for a whopping £56 million Euro's on a six year contract.
Kaka will be paid more than £8 million a year, consolidating his position as the world's best-remunerated footballer.
Kaka, who will now be at the forefront of a new era of Galacticos, will inherit the No. 5 shirt once worn by Zinedine Zidane. Before this deal was done it was the Frenchman's transfer record from Juventus to Real of £47 million, from 2001, that has now been broken.
On his transfer Kaka said-
"Real Madrid intend to build a great team, with historic players such as Raul and Casillas. We will make history again, both in Spain and Europe. I guess the sport project is very good.
"Manchester City and Real Madrid are two different clubs with different situations. At that time (January), it was mid-season, I had a strong emotional impact due to the Italian fans requesting me to stay, and I decided to stay.
"Now another chance came up and AC Milan is in a big crisis (financially). For me, the sporting project (at Madrid) is interesting and will be an important boost to continue my career in the highest level."
I think it's amazing that in our current economic crisis deals like this can still be done!
The football transfer window opens officially on the 1st of July and I have the feeling it's going to be a very busy summer for many clubs with players going in and out to new pastures. Hopefully Arsenal can make some good additions to the current squad and get us back where we belong amoungst the fotballing worlds elite.
Word around blogland is that Poppa Knowles is not happy that ex DC member, Letoya Luckett, is scheduled to perform at the BET Awards and he is threatening to pull Bey' from the line-up if she isn't dropped!
C'mon on people, can't we all just get along??? We're talking about something that happened over nearly ten years ago now. I would love to see the original line-up of DC girls grace the stage together one day.
Looks like nobody is gonna steal Daddy's cash cow... I mean, Daddy's little girls' spotlight! The awards take place on Sunday June 28th in the U.S and should follow here on BET UK shortly after. Make sure you tune in to the show to find out what happens.
For those of you that do not know, I am a complete and utter sneaker, (trainers to us in the UK), freak!!
I saw these over at Kanyeuniversity.com and I had to share them with you all. Hopefully these will be easier to get a hold of than the Air Yeezy's (KCB i'm still waiting for the hook up???)
My future baby momma is back with a new single 'Why R U'
“Why R U” is the first track from her forthcoming debut Def Jam album, 'In Love & War'.
As much as I love Amerie both musically and visually, I hope she experiments with some new sounds and producers on this album as it seems like she is thinking 'if it isn't broke don't fix it' with her sound!
I'm feeling generous today so i've also included an Amerie flashback vid, Enjoy.
I'm absolutely loving this remix! I would say this is my new anthem but i don't like to brag...
Mr Songz has been displaying some rapping skills for a while as well. Looks like Drake isn't the only multi-talented artist in the industry. Let us know what you think???
No seriously, if you ever by chance happen to bump into the shrimp size rapper and are surprised to see him surrounded by children...don't be! Along side Lauren London, it is rumoured that Weezy has added another celebrity 'Baby Mamma' to his camp, singer, Nivea!
I guess having one woman pregnant with his child at any one time is just not enough for Wayne. The news of The Dream's ex boo's speculated pregnancy was posted today on Nicole Bitchie.com and though it has not yet been confirmed...this whole "is it or is it not a rumour?" bares resemblance to the Weezy and London saga, when news broke that she was carrying his child...need I say anymore?
If it is proven to be true,I guess Wayne will not stop until he "F**** every girl in the world"...Ladies take this as a word of warning!
We know London has become inundated with the number of Blackberrys around but have a look at the new iPhone 3G s. Although there isnt a confirmed date as to when it will hit the UK you can be sure that the new iPhone will be a hit.
The Cleveland Show is a half-hour animated series that follows everyones favorite soft-spoken neighbor, Cleveland Brown, as he settles down in Virginia with his high school sweetheart and her unruly kids.
Will this be as good as Family Guy? With no Stewie Grewin it might be difficult for lovers of FG to be pulled into Cleveland and his antics but we shall wait and see.
East London Grime MC, J2k, is finally putting himself out into the music world properly....
This July, the Roll Deep member will be putting out his solo LP 'Wake Up'. The lead single is called 'Danger', which is quite an infectious song, which looks tips to be a big hit!
Now considering the title of this song is 'Death OfAutotune (D.O.A.)' T-Pain coming out whilst Jay performs seems to be a bit of a contradiction but who are we to judge!
Either way it's a hot performance and looks like it was a really good show.
Over the Hot 97 Summer Jam weekend Rapper ternt Sanger T-Pain thought the show would be a good opportunity to showcase his newest BLING!!!
According to T-Pain, The chain is 10lbs, 197 karats and cost a mere $410,000?!?!?
The story broke over at necolebitchie.com and she posted a few people's Twitter reactions-
leojeanette: What in the recession hell! He’s wearing my student loans around his neck…WELL OBVIOUSLY Mr.Pain dosnt need my $ or support…his next album is gona start with a Lime and end with a WIRE!
exclusivej: Yall broke ass n*ggas need to stop hatin on my big homie, and yes his “Mansion” is paid for…all 2.6 Mill…everything is taken cared of over here…His kids school cost more then yall hater’s college degree…COME ON SOMEBODY!!!
T-Pain responded by Twitting-
..Let’s celebrate the fact a black man can have things like this and still care for 3 kids and wife in a $6 million house with 32 cars. Oldest child 5 and already got 4 million in her own account. I don’t do dumb sh*t like this till I know the fams good. so don’t judge me from what I buy. Judge me from what I do. Cuz it’s so many artists that put themself before their family.
I don't know about you but i kinda like it in a weird way! What do you think of T-Pain's "BIG A** CHAIN"???
June is Black Music Month, for those of you that don't know.
One of the greatest record labels for black music is Atlantic Records. In honour of Black Music Month, have a look at what some of the artists on Atlanic Records had to say.
Video model Buffie The Body has been partying it up in London this week. The model who is most noted for her appearance in Tony Yayo's 'So Seductive' video was in London to promote the launch of Candy magazine.
Props to Mekz Graphix for the Images www.mekx.co.uk (Coming Soon) Source
The BNP (British National Party) have won their first seat in the European Parliament......
The poll in Yorkshire and Humber was won by the Conservatives, but the BNP managed to gain enough votes to win a seat, after winning more than 120,139 in the Yorkshire area.
This is the same party that are racists, and yet some people still vote for them??!! It has been said that some Sikh's voted for the BNP. Does somebody care to give me an explanation as to why, after they don't even want you in 'their' country! SMH!! I don't believe any explanation would even be valid! Are you people off your rockers or what?? What is this world seriously coming to?
Those 120,139 people wasted their votes, while how many other thousands of people didn't even bother to vote. If the citizens of this country don't use their right to vote, who knows what will happen in politics in the future!
If you didn't already know, Jay and Drake have been in the studio together working on each others' projects........
Jay's first radio single will be called 'Off That' and will feature Drake, which will be out sometime in July. This was released today on Twitter.
The album, 'Blueprint 3', is rumoured to be released September 11th, the eighth year anniversary of 'The Blueprint', and also 9/11. Kanye West has been confirmed as the producer of the album.
A friend of mine sent me a press release this morning for one of the most unusual artists you'll ever come across!
Introducing MC Nobody with his track 'Jerusalem'. Using a sample from William Blake's classic poem and putting it on a funky elektro beat this is a bare knuckle tale of poverty, unemployment and the everyday life struggles for those in the inner cities.
The track has been creating a buzz latley and now there are visuals to accompany the song. In this video MC Nobody and his crew kidnap the Queen and take her on a tour around London that only the other half see. Beginning to end, this video will have you in stitches as the Queen shops in Somerfields, has a pint down the pub, rides the London Underground, chills with the crew and watches the Eastenders omnibus.
The concept for the video is excellent and will definitely having you laughing out loud especially when the Queen takes pictures with the Somerfield employees.
A load of different names have been thrown in to the pot as to who is behind the balaclava including- Dizzee Rascal, Skepta, Ty, Pyrelli and Sway!
For all those true music heads out there it shouldn't be hard to work it out. Although there is not much information to accompany the artist and song I have a feeling this is just the beginning!
Make sure you check out the video and let us know who you think the masked man is???
Yesterday I told you how Jay is thinking about inking a deal with Atlantic in regards to his own record label. Today I have new news on another matter with Jay and Atlantic:
Jay-Z will be releasing his up-coming album, Blueprint 3, on Roc Nation, but with the marketing and promotional help from Atlantic Records.
The news broke out yesterday on Twitter. Click here to read more
