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Tuesday, April 29, 2014
The Dream Releases 'Black' in Light Of Sterling Scandal (@TheKingDream)
The Dream has released a powerful single after the NBA banned Donald Sterling from the league.
"Black" paints the story of oppression in the world with images of protests in Ukraine, Occupy Wall Street and the Civil Rights Movement.
Dream's video shows images of racism in sports with photos of Sterling and the Clippers silent protest against Sterling over his racist comments.
The singer includes a statement at the end of the video that reads, "Black isn't just a color, black isn't just a race anymore, it's a feeling and a place from which one feels isolated by the world of the governing elite."
He also included in the description, "Classism is the new racism."
Check out the video above.
VladTV's Top 25 Tatted Up Vixens
While it's understood that tattoos are an acquired taste, it can't be denied that the tattoo culture has taken over much of mainstream America. Just flip on your TV and you'll see any number of shows about the daily lives of gallery owners. Go to a concert and you'll likely see your favorite rapper's body adorned with ink. Yes, while it isn't for everybody, there is an appreciation for this form of body art that refuses to go unrecognized.
Here we recognize some of the most beautiful women who've chosen to make their bodies living art, with sexy tatts that are not only pleasing to the eye but continue to put the tattoo industry in the spotlight.
We've compiled our top 25. Did we get it right? Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
Ashanti Flaunts Thick Bikini Body Poolside in Miami (@ashanti)
This weekend former Murder Inc mami Ashanti hit up the pool in sunny Miami to get a gorgeous glowing tan while relaxing with friends in not one, but two sexy bikinis, and she was kind enough to share the sexy candids via Instagram.
Peep the golden girl above.
Donald Sterling Banned From NBA, Instagram Goes Ham With Memes (@laclippers)
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's investigation regarding allegations of making racist remarks has just come to an end, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver concluded that it was indeed Sterling on the tape and that he is officially banned from the NBA in all regards.
The news spread on social media like wild fire and as usual, Twitter and Instagram had a field day.
Check out some of the most hilarious memes above.
50 Cent Takes His Blue Lamborghini Out for a Ride in New York (@50Cent)
The anticipation of warm weather in New York has everyone - including 50 Cent - pulling out the nice toys.
The rapper was seen in Soho over the weekend riding around in his Blue Lamborghini Murcielago. Riding shotgun was the gorgeous model Tatted up Holly.
Holly is his rumored girlfriend and featured in the music video for the rapper's latest single "Smoke." She also happens to take the #1 spot on our list of Top 25 Tatted Up Vixens.
Take a look at his ride above.
'This Is Hot 97′ Season 1, Episode 5 Recap: Cipha Sounds Is Obsessed With Ricki Lake, Ebro Has a Secret Girlfriend
This week, in the world of our favorite hip-hop sitcom, ‘This Is Hot 97,’ Angie Martinez goes car shopping at Funkmaster Flex’s warehouse full of Big Blocks and Chevelles, Ebro is on the hush about a relationship and Cipha Sounds stalks Ricki Lake, sort of.
As usual, the Hot 97 misadventures begin at a daily staff meeting, also known as, “Where the hell is Flex?” This particular morning, Angie shares with the group that she’s car shopping in addition to experiencing the annoyances that come with it, like when a car dealer realizes she’s from Hot 97 and offers less than appropriate wheels. “I don’t want a purple Range Rover with spinners!” yells the Voice of New York.
Funkmaster Flex over-enthusiastically offers to help Angie on her car hunt because he’s “the car king.” Upon the duo’s arrival to Flex’s garage space full of Chevelles, it appears his digs are comparable to ‘Fast & Furious’ movie set. Any moment and you can peep Michelle Rodriguez working on one of the cars or Vin Diesel doing doughnuts in the parking lot.
Flex gets carried away peddling these speed demons on Angie leaving her to think he’s nuts. “Flex is clearly a crazy person and on his own planet and thinks that I should be in some sort of old-school Dr. Dre video,” she says.
It doesn’t stop there. Flex gets in the driver’s seat of one of his classic cars to show Angie what the machine can do. Flex does a doughnut (surprisingly not the edible kind) and spins round and round, burning rubber. Poor Angie, all she wants is something reliable to drop her son off at basketball practice, but no, Flex wants to pretend she’s Jordana Brewster.
It turns out that Flex really is a knight in shining armor. The DJ comes through in the end, very much like he did last week for Macklemore’s 1st birthday party, and got a car dealer to show up with a black mini SUV. It’s what Angie was searching for. In celebration, Angie asks Flex to drive one of the Chevelles for some giggles and they ride off into the sunset together, but not before Angie attempts a doughnut.
We also find out that old man Ebro has a lady in his life. Who is she? We don’t know. But what we do know is that she wears perfume and glitter. How do we know that? Well, at the staff meeting, Karlie Hustle calls him out on the glitter that appears on his beard. Ebro is like any red-blooded American man — the less pressure in relationship, the better. Therefore, he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s “booed” up. Apparently, prematurely announcing a relationship in the radio business has resulted in splits.
Later on in the day, we find out Ebro’s new girl also likes lotion and faux-fur infinity scarves. Laura Stylez and Karlie find a suspect unlabeled bag with what appears to be gifts. Ebro squashes the speculation — or so he thinks — by donning the piece of faux-fur himself, all day long. It doesn’t really look that strange, but according to Karlie, he’s being strangled by a giant dread.
Outside of the studio, one of his co-workers takes an Instagram photo of Ebro rocking the infinity scarf and it goes viral. Still, even Drewski clowns the boss when Ebro declares the look is not “street.” “I’m on these streets and that is not in the street,” he shares. The only thing that makes sense to Drewski is either Ebro lost a bet or he “must be hanging out with Pharrell and them.”
Ebro finally caves in and spills the beans to Laura and Karlie after they almost make him wear lip gloss they found in his office. Basically it won’t stay a secret for long since even Laura confesses she’s probably going to tell everyone. The only thing public at this point is Ebro wearing the infinity scarf thanks to the Instagram post earlier. When he walks out of his office later that day, he finds Jadakiss and The Lox outside all wearing infinity scarves playing craps. Obviously Ebro is the tastemaker to look out for.
Last week, Cipha’s practical joke of letting Rosenberg think he was going to be killed by Maino has Rosenberg seeking revenge on Cipha. It turns out that Cipha has a thing for the ’90′s talk show host Ricki Lake — and her legs. Rosenberg has been seeing this girl at the coffee cart — “Ricki Fake” — outside the studio offices donning a red coat that looks very much like the ex-talk show host. Cipha gets excited.
A couple of hours later, Rosenberg asks Cipha, “Who do you most want to sleep with in the world?” The answer is the real kicker: “Nancy Sinatra. She came from Frank. So that’s the closest I’ll ever get to Frank.” That’s not why Rosenberg was asking though. He’s setting Cipha up to embarrass himself. So Rosenberg proceeds to push Cipha to step up and be heroic and do everything in his power to run into Ricki Lake.
The job is done. In order to ensure he sees “Ricki Fake,” Cipha asks everyone and their mother if they want coffee like some college intern. Thirty coffee runs later, Cipha is amped and has the shakes like he’s in the Betty Ford Clinic. Finally, Rosenberg gives Cipha the 411 that Ricki is downstairs at the coffee cart at that very moment. Cipha runs (or some variation of running) downstairs. As soon as he gets to the line, he taps Ricki’s shoulder, and realizes it’s not the real Ricki. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were someone I was allowed to have sex with,” Cipha states. Smooth. He still tries to pick her up but she listens to NPR, so it doesn’t work out.
Watch next week when Summer Jam plans are revealed, a poker game featuring Stevie J and Joseline from ‘Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta’ goes down and Miss Info ends up on a blind date with Action Bronson. Don’t miss out!
Mariah Carey Wears Lingerie and Pearls for Wonderland Magazine Cover
Mariah Carey is bejeweled and sexy on the cover of Wonderland magazine’s Summer 2014 issue. The image is not far off from the racy photos she posts on her Instagram page, but beautiful nonetheless.
The R&B songbird looks seductive in all-black lingerie by Agent Provocateur and matching silk jacket by Roberto Cavalli. She’s also holding a wine glass and white pearls. Pour it up! Pour it Up!
Along with the photo, the tagline asks, “Why you so obsessed with me?”
Uh, hello? Because you’re Mariah Carey, one of the greatest R&B singers in music history.
That aside, controversial photographer Terry Richardson shot the cover for the magazine, which hits newsstands next week.
“Excited to be on the cover of @wonderlandmag, out this Friday in the UK and worldwide next week!” Carey tweeted to her Lambs (aka her fans).
The Wonderland cover comes as Mimi’s earns her 17th No. 1 song on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart with her latest single, ‘You’re Mine (Eternal).’
Carey is also set to release her new album in five years, which is still untitled.
To Mariah Carey and her glamorous Wonderland cover, we say, “Cheers!”
Jimmy Fallon, Emma Stone in Lip-Synch Battle Featuring Songs by Iggy Azalea, DJ Khaled [VIDEO]
Actress Emma Stone knows her hip-hop. At least she does when it comes to a lip-synching competition.
On Monday night’s (April 29) airing of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,’ the redheaded star of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2′ gave arguably one of the best TV lip-synching performances ever, and if you missed it this is how the epic battle went down.
Fallon started things off by mouthing the lyrics to Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy,’ which was pretty impressive despite the former ‘Saturday Night Live’ actor botching a few words. After that, Stone grabbed the mic and went right into Blues Traveler’s 1994 cut ‘Hook.’
Not only did she land every word precisely — including the parts where the lyrics are delivered quickly — her facial expressions and contrived levels of emotion fit the song perfectly. At that moment, Stone was clearly ahead in the battle.
For his second go, Fallon lip-synched the words to the 1983 tune ‘Mr. Roboto,’ which of course made it necessary for him to break out the robot dance, making his performance that much more comical.
However, Stone stole the show and closed out the competition by doing a seamless rendition of DJ Khaled‘s ‘All I Do Is Win.’ Between nailing the hook and Ludacris’ verse, some might wonder if she practiced beforehand or if she rocks Khaled’s music regularly.
Either way, the slender actress was the clear winner of the competition. Even Fallon thought so. “That was the best one that has ever been done on the show,” he admitted. “Emma Stone [is] the winner right now. Clear, clear, clear winner.”
Exclusive! Bishop Don Juan Releases Photo With V. Stiviano (@DaBishopDonJuan)
It looks like Bishop Don Juan and Donald Sterling have something in common.
The Bishop Don "Magic" Juan released an undated photo with the LA Clippers owner's alleged mistress, V. Stiviano.
Juan also posted another photo of Sterling on his Instagram page claiming that the two hung out with Sterling in the past. He captioned the photo, "The chick brought the racism clippers owner to the Honeycomb. I gave him beer udigg. Hating on the wring magic jaccck u hea me 333!!!"
Stiviano is currently in the middle of a court battle with Donald Sterling's wife. Rochelle Sterling has accused Stiviano of embezzling millions of dollars in gifts that were paid for by Rochelle and Donald's joint bank account.
Stiviano is also being blamed as the one who leaked audio of Sterling spewing racist comments about the Clippers and his disgust for black people.
Take a look at the photos above.
Jason Derulo Performs 'Trumpets' With Dance Crew [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
“My favorite performances were always people that put on a show, not just actually singing the song but actually making the song come to life with either theatrics or some kind of dance,” Jason Derulo tells The Boombox as he sits comfortably inside Avatar Studios in New York City. Leave it to the bona fide hitmaker (‘Whatcha Say’ and ‘The Other Side’ to name a few) to follow in the footsteps of the same artists who inspired him and do just that when he hits the stage.
When the 24-year-old singer, who just released his newly reissued third album, ‘Talk Dirty,’ steps out under the bright lights, the result is far from banal. A typical show includes Derulo hitting high notes while leaping into the air, never once losing momentum. He glides around the stage showing off dance moves that most men in his same age bracket couldn’t pull off, all while delivering mid-tempo fare with hooks that stay locked in your brain long after the first listen. Take ‘Trumpets’ for instance, an effort Derulo penned to showcase how his lady (most likely his real live love Jordin Sparks) sounds off the brass instruments whenever he’s with her.
For The Boombox’s Off the Record series, Jason Derulo breaks out into ‘Trumpets’ with the support of his all-male dance crew. Watch Mr. Yours Truly get down to the symphonies in his head.
Next: Watch Jason Derulo Perform 'Wiggle' Live
A Brief History of Rappers Singing
Future is hip-hop’s intergalactic rap singer supreme. The ATLien’s knack of switching up rapping for slipping into a strain of off-kilter, Auto-Tune-tweaked singing has seen him emerge as a pop culture phenomenon. The guest assists on his latest album, ‘Honest,’ pay testament to his status, as uber-stars Pharrell, Kanye West, Andre 3000 and Drake all pass through to salute his presumably blunt smoke-blackened lungs.
While Future’s blurring of rapping and singing has taken him to superstardom, he’s hip-hop’s current omega symbol of the trilling brigade, not its alpha point. A conservative take on hip-hop’s genesis might have steely MCs spitting braggadocio raps over savvily-sourced breakbeats, but even a cursory exploration of Old School hip-hop tapes reveals an enthusiastic embrace of the idea of rappers flirting with singing from day one.
The Beginning: 1979-1990
Before hip-hop scored its inaugural official vinyl release in 1979 with the Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight,’ pioneering crews like the Cold Crush Brothers and the Furious Five took glee in rapping in a harmonized and highly-melodic manner during carefully choreographed live routines.
This trend continued with the first wave of formal rap releases: The Disco Four’s upbeat ‘Move To The Groove‘ (1980) features the Harlem clique segueing into a snatch of ’70s rock outfit Wild Cherry’s ‘Play That Funky Music,’ before closing the song out in terms that dabble in sing-song nursery rhyming; Disco Dave and the Force of the Five MC (later the Crash Crew) claimed a party-starter with ‘High Power Rap,’ a joyful exercise in rap harmony with bonus kazoo. (The song was later homaged by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest on ‘Sh. Fe. MCs,’ but more on Q-Tip’s warbling later.)
From the same era, the Masterdon Committee’s ’82 electro workout ‘Funkbox Party‘ is a mellifluous call-and-response jam. Archived footage from a performance at the Savoy Manor club in the Bronx a year later captures the group homaging Gladys Knight and Sly and the Family Stone songs.
That night the Savoy also played host to a fresh-faced beat-boxer named Doug E. Fresh who would help usher in hip-hop’s fabled golden era in tandem with a cocksure rapper calling himself Slick Rick. The impromptu duo’s breakthrough, double whammy moment of ‘The Show’ and ‘La-Di-Da-Di‘ showcased Rick’s audacious take on singing, which he parsed in a mock British twang for added theatrics. The former MC Ricky D’s take on Sukiyaki’s ‘Taste Of Honey‘ was soon bested by a falsetto rendition of ‘Walk On By’ in the perky ‘Mona Lisa.’
The Golden Era also spawned one of hip-hop’s fiercest rap collectives, Marley Marl’s The Juice Crew — whose ranks included hip-hop’s formative in-house crooner, TJ Swann. Most notably, Swanny’s vocals pepped up MC Shan’s 1987 crossover moment ‘Left Me Lonely,’ plus Biz Markie’s chunk ‘o funk ‘Nobody Beats The Biz’ and his ode to the Brooklyn retail scene ‘Albee Square Mall.’ Then it was the turn of the Biz himself to solidify his position as hip-hop’s most beloved clown prince by trailblazing the art of rappers singing terribly with his karaoke-friendly heartbreak rap ballad ‘Just A Friend.’ (Another gem in Biz’s vault his team-up with the Beastie Boys for a cover of Elton John’s ‘Bennie And The Jets.’)
While Biz was holding down the cartoonish side of hip-hop’s golden era, he was flanked by rap’s self-proclaimed teacher, KRS-One. As head of the Boogie Down Productions posse, KRS’s pioneering ‘Criminal Minded’ movement was also infused with the emcee breaking into standards by Billy Joel and The Beatles while engaging in the incendiary Bridge Wars with the Juice Crew. But the Blastmaster’s finest contribution to the art of bizarre rap singing is channeling ‘Ebony and Ivory’ to spark his firearm-running commentary ‘100 Guns.’ With hindsight, an album of Biz and KRS singing classic rock hits was an overlooked opportunity.
Born Into The ’90s: 1990-1999
With the cusp of the ’90s, a stylistic singing divide emerged in the rap world. On the West Coast, Snoop’s lilting sing-song manner owed more of a debt to Slick Rick than gangsta rap icon Eazy-E’s propensity to guffaw through profane versions of p-funk classics. The Doggfather also helped bring through the baritone brilliance of Nate Dogg — a TJ Swann for the gangsta rap generation. In the Midwest, Eazy’s new-found charges Bone Thugs ‘n’ Harmony were courting acclaim for a mellifluous, harmonized style of rap, with the Bone boys’ vocals recorded in an intricately layered fashion. This was the slick and radio-ready facet of rap singing.
Over on the East Coast though, a motley coterie of ’90s rappers were paying more of a debt to Biz’s off-key crooning as they coined some of the most spectacularly atrocious singing ever released under the auspice of hip-hop. The ex-Brand Nubian lead figure Grand Puba can be counted as a pioneer of the movement, not least by going toe-to-toe with Mary J. Blige on ‘What’s The 411′ and ‘Check It Out.’ Puba’s ‘Reel To Reel’ album also ends with the peculiar psych-soul-styled ‘Baby, What’s Your Name?’
One-upping Puba in the god awful wailing stakes, Def Jam’s forgotten trio Cru dropped the underrated ‘Da Dirty 30′ album in 1997, which included some top notch terrible trilling from group member The Mighty Ha. His brusque brogue can be heard running through a smorgasbord of classic hits on ‘Lisa Lipps,’ including another Beatles connection with a few far-from-emotive lines from ‘Yesterday.’
While the late, great and endearingly unhinged Ol’ Dirty Bastard was also fond of channeling his inner karaoke singer, the finest moment of ’90s New York vocal butchery comes from the Notorious BIG with ‘Playa Hater.’ It’s a song that plots the tipping point of where something so horrendous becomes almost adorable. (Puff, of course, also insists on grabbing the mic before the song’s been put out of its misery.)
The Millennium (Singing) Bug: 2000-2009
As the ’90s ticked over to the noughties , rappers began to get serious about their singing again. Maybe inspired by hip-hop’s increasing mainstream takeover, Q-Tip decided that merely emceeing wasn’t enough for his creative whims so he put his vocal lessons to work with the at-the-time unreleased ‘Kamal The Abstract’ project. The outcome? Songs like ‘Barely In Love,’ which suggest the Abstract Poet harbored adult contemporary radio ambitions.
While Tip’s solo sojourn was shelved by his label, Outkast’s Andre 3000 was experiencing increasing returns on his melodic chops. The success of his hook duties on ‘Ms. Jackson’ prompted a full-on change to an all-singing and occasionally-rapping superstar come the time of Outkast’s fractious ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ project. The retro-pop appeal of ‘Hey Ya’ became the mega-hit, but the hook to ‘Roses’ veers closer to ‘Dre’s rap roots.
Proving that thugs could trill too, foes 50 Cent and Ja Rule both embraced the fantasy of holding down their own hooks. While Ja eyed poppier climes, Fif flexed his menacing mushed brogue to brooding effect on ‘Many Men.’
Buoyed by the success of his Dungeon Family cohort Andre 3000, the Goodie Mob’s Cee-lo similarly shifted over from rapping to singing and scored a future wedding reception smash with the Dangermouse-crafted ‘Crazy.’ The oh-so-tortured soul of Kanye West also took a cue from Andre’s lead and decided to sing his way through his ’808s and Heartbreak’ project — although if a bunch of golden era rappers had deigned to interpolate the Beatles, ‘Ye’s karaoke repertoire seemed to cull from synth-based ’80s sounds, as with the Tears For Fears-referencing ‘Coldest Winter.’
Drake Season: 2008 – Now
Then came Drake, an upstart Canadian who was unabashedly boasting about his talent for both singing and rapping. Or rapping and singing. The two in Drizzy’s mind were interchangeable means of expression, as proved with 2009′s break-through ‘Best I Ever Had,’ which fused cocksure crooning with even more arrogant rap boasts. Drake’s rise to stardom was a signifier of the times. Hip-hop’s old school pioneers embellished their routines with harmonies for theatrical effect on the live circuit, while the emcees that followed broke out into song while keeping tongues firmly in cheek — but there’s nothing quirky about Drake meshing spitting with singing. Future builds on Drake’s multi-tasking brashness: He may be infatuated with visions of outer-space and celestial climes, but his music is also very funkily linked to hip-hop’s roots. Next step: A Future and Drizzy-commandeered update of ‘Funk Box Party,’ please.
Donald Sterling Banned From NBA for Life! Details Inside (@laclippers)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference on Tuesday to address the leaked audio recording of Clippers owner Donald Sterling's racist remarks, and has officially banned Sterling from the NBA. Details of the ban are included below:
- Banned from NBA for life. Includes ban from all games, practices and contact with players.
- $2.5 million fine to be donated to anti-discrimination organizations.
- Silver is working with other owners to force sale of team, subject to 3/4 vote to remove him. Process to begin immediately.
- Doesn't matter if comments were shared in private, they were made public and reflective of his views.
- Investigation included several interviews concluded last night.
- Sterling now admits it's his voice and expressed no regrets.
- Decision was made solely on this incident, not past offenses.
- Silver spoke with several players before the decision was made, and believes they will be satisfied with the outcome.
More details as they are released.
A Brief History of Rappers Singing
Future is hip-hop’s intergalactic rap singer supreme. The ATLien’s knack of switching up rapping for slipping into a strain of off-kilter, Auto-Tune-tweaked singing has seen him emerge as a pop culture phenomenon. The guest assists on his latest album, ‘Honest,’ pay testament to his status, as uber-stars Pharrell, Kanye West, Andre 3000 and Drake all pass through to salute his presumably blunt smoke-blackened lungs.
While Future’s blurring of rapping and singing has taken him to superstardom, he’s hip-hop’s current omega symbol of the trilling brigade, not its alpha point. A conservative take on hip-hop’s genesis might have steely MCs spitting braggadocio raps over savvily-sourced breakbeats, but even a cursory exploration of Old School hip-hop tapes reveals an enthusiastic embrace of the idea of rappers flirting with singing from day one.
The Beginning: 1979-1990
Before hip-hop scored its inaugural official vinyl release in 1979 with the Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight,’ pioneering crews like the Cold Crush Brothers and the Furious Five took glee in rapping in a harmonized and highly-melodic manner during carefully choreographed live routines.
This trend continued with the first wave of formal rap releases: The Disco Four’s upbeat ‘Move To The Groove‘ (1980) features the Harlem clique segueing into a snatch of ’70s rock outfit Wild Cherry’s ‘Play That Funky Music,’ before closing the song out in terms that dabble in sing-song nursery rhyming; Disco Dave and the Force of the Five MC (later the Crash Crew) claimed a party-starter with ‘High Power Rap,’ a joyful exercise in rap harmony with bonus kazoo. (The song was later homaged by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest on ‘Sh. Fe. MCs,’ but more on Q-Tip’s warbling later.)
From the same era, the Masterdon Committee’s ’82 electro workout ‘Funkbox Party‘ is a mellifluous call-and-response jam. Archived footage from a performance at the Savoy Manor club in the Bronx a year later captures the group homaging Gladys Knight and Sly and the Family Stone songs.
That night the Savoy also played host to a fresh-faced beat-boxer named Doug E. Fresh who would help usher in hip-hop’s fabled golden era in tandem with a cocksure rapper calling himself Slick Rick. The impromptu duo’s breakthrough, double whammy moment of ‘The Show’ and ‘La-Di-Da-Di‘ showcased Rick’s audacious take on singing, which he parsed in a mock British twang for added theatrics. The former MC Ricky D’s take on Sukiyaki’s ‘Taste Of Honey‘ was soon bested by a falsetto rendition of ‘Walk On By’ in the perky ‘Mona Lisa.’
The Golden Era also spawned one of hip-hop’s fiercest rap collectives, Marley Marl’s The Juice Crew — whose ranks included hip-hop’s formative in-house crooner, TJ Swann. Most notably, Swanny’s vocals pepped up MC Shan’s 1987 crossover moment ‘Left Me Lonely,’ plus Biz Markie’s chunk ‘o funk ‘Nobody Beats The Biz’ and his ode to the Brooklyn retail scene ‘Albee Square Mall.’ Then it was the turn of the Biz himself to solidify his position as hip-hop’s most beloved clown prince by trailblazing the art of rappers singing terribly with his karaoke-friendly heartbreak rap ballad ‘Just A Friend.’ (Another gem in Biz’s vault his team-up with the Beastie Boys for a cover of Elton John’s ‘Bennie And The Jets.’)
While Biz was holding down the cartoonish side of hip-hop’s golden era, he was flanked by rap’s self-proclaimed teacher, KRS-One. As head of the Boogie Down Productions posse, KRS’s pioneering ‘Criminal Minded’ movement was also infused with the emcee breaking into standards by Billy Joel and The Beatles while engaging in the incendiary Bridge Wars with the Juice Crew. But the Blastmaster’s finest contribution to the art of bizarre rap singing is channeling ‘Ebony and Ivory’ to spark his firearm-running commentary ‘100 Guns.’ With hindsight, an album of Biz and KRS singing classic rock hits was an overlooked opportunity.
Born Into The ’90s: 1990-1999
With the cusp of the ’90s, a stylistic singing divide emerged in the rap world. On the West Coast, Snoop’s lilting sing-song manner owed more of a debt to Slick Rick than gangsta rap icon Eazy-E’s propensity to guffaw through profane versions of p-funk classics. The Doggfather also helped bring through the baritone brilliance of Nate Dogg — a TJ Swann for the gangsta rap generation. In the Midwest, Eazy’s new-found charges Bone Thugs ‘n’ Harmony were courting acclaim for a mellifluous, harmonized style of rap, with the Bone boys’ vocals recorded in an intricately layered fashion. This was the slick and radio-ready facet of rap singing.
Over on the East Coast though, a motley coterie of ’90s rappers were paying more of a debt to Biz’s off-key crooning as they coined some of the most spectacularly atrocious singing ever released under the auspice of hip-hop. The ex-Brand Nubian lead figure Grand Puba can be counted as a pioneer of the movement, not least by going toe-to-toe with Mary J. Blige on ‘What’s The 411′ and ‘Check It Out.’ Puba’s ‘Reel To Reel’ album also ends with the peculiar psych-soul-styled ‘Baby, What’s Your Name?’
One-upping Puba in the god awful wailing stakes, Def Jam’s forgotten trio Cru dropped the underrated ‘Da Dirty 30′ album in 1997, which included some top notch terrible trilling from group member The Mighty Ha. His brusque brogue can be heard running through a smorgasbord of classic hits on ‘Lisa Lipps,’ including another Beatles connection with a few far-from-emotive lines from ‘Yesterday.’
While the late, great and endearingly unhinged Ol’ Dirty Bastard was also fond of channeling his inner karaoke singer, the finest moment of ’90s New York vocal butchery comes from the Notorious BIG with ‘Playa Hater.’ It’s a song that plots the tipping point of where something so horrendous becomes almost adorable. (Puff, of course, also insists on grabbing the mic before the song’s been put out of its misery.)
The Millennium (Singing) Bug: 2000-2009
As the ’90s ticked over to the noughties , rappers began to get serious about their singing again. Maybe inspired by hip-hop’s increasing mainstream takeover, Q-Tip decided that merely emceeing wasn’t enough for his creative whims so he put his vocal lessons to work with the at-the-time unreleased ‘Kamal The Abstract’ project. The outcome? Songs like ‘Barely In Love,’ which suggest the Abstract Poet harbored adult contemporary radio ambitions.
While Tip’s solo sojourn was shelved by his label, Outkast’s Andre 3000 was experiencing increasing returns on his melodic chops. The success of his hook duties on ‘Ms. Jackson’ prompted a full-on change to an all-singing and occasionally-rapping superstar come the time of Outkast’s fractious ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ project. The retro-pop appeal of ‘Hey Ya’ became the mega-hit, but the hook to ‘Roses’ veers closer to ‘Dre’s rap roots.
Proving that thugs could trill too, foes 50 Cent and Ja Rule both embraced the fantasy of holding down their own hooks. While Ja eyed poppier climes, Fif flexed his menacing mushed brogue to brooding effect on ‘Many Men.’
Buoyed by the success of his Dungeon Family cohort Andre 3000, the Goodie Mob’s Cee-lo similarly shifted over from rapping to singing and scored a future wedding reception smash with the Dangermouse-crafted ‘Crazy.’ The oh-so-tortured soul of Kanye West also took a cue from Andre’s lead and decided to sing his way through his ’808s and Heartbreak’ project — although if a bunch of golden era rappers had deigned to interpolate the Beatles, ‘Ye’s karaoke repertoire seemed to cull from synth-based ’80s sounds, as with the Tears For Fears-referencing ‘Coldest Winter.’
Drake Season: 2008 – Now
Then came Drake, an upstart Canadian who was unabashedly boasting about his talent for both singing and rapping. Or rapping and singing. The two in Drizzy’s mind were interchangeable means of expression, as proved with 2009′s break-through ‘Best I Ever Had,’ which fused cocksure crooning with even more arrogant rap boasts. Drake’s rise to stardom was a signifier of the times. Hip-hop’s old school pioneers embellished their routines with harmonies for theatrical effect on the live circuit, while the emcees that followed broke out into song while keeping tongues firmly in cheek — but there’s nothing quirky about Drake meshing spitting with singing. Future builds on Drake’s multi-tasking brashness: He may be infatuated with visions of outer-space and celestial climes, but his music is also very funkily linked to hip-hop’s roots. Next step: A Future and Drizzy-commandeered update of ‘Funk Box Party,’ please.
Trey Songz vs. Chris Brown — The Boombox Battle
The people have spoken and crowned Trey Songz the winner of The Boombox Battle this week. The singer’s new song ‘Na Na’ dominated the competition, beating Future’s ‘Move That Dope’ by taking a whopping 95.36 percent of the vote. This left the rapper with only 4.64 percent.
Trey’s big hit ‘Na Na’ quickly gets you hot and bothered as the R&B singer chronicles his steamy sessions in the bedroom. Produced by DJ Mustard, the track has been moving up the Billboard charts and has already been remixed with the help of Troy Ave.
“I’m feeling lucky tonight / When we leave this party you gon’ love me tonight,” he croons on the song, which will be featured on his sixth studio album, ‘Trigga.’
This week, fellow R&B singer Chris Brown takes on Trey with his latest track, ‘Loyal,’ featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga. The song details the issues men have with trusting women, claiming that the ladies are just in relationships for selfish reasons. There are few versions of the song but no matter which one you listen to, the track still begs the question whether or not these ladies are gold diggers.
“When a rich n—- want you / And your n—- can’t do nothing for ya / These hoes ain’t loyal,” Chris lays down on the hook.
Meanwhile, Lil Wayne opens the song, questioning if a significant other is with him because of his status. “I wasn’t born last night / I know these hoes ain’t right / But you was blowing up her phone last night / But she ain’t have her ringer nor her ring on last night, oh / N—-, that’s that nerve / Why give a bitch your heart / When she rather have a purse?” Weezy spits.
Who will dominate this week? Will Trey Songz’s ‘Na Na’ win? Or will Chris Brown’s ‘Loyal’ take The Boombox Battle crown? Vote for your favorite song in the poll below. Remember you can vote once per hour until the poll closes on Tues., May 6, at 10AM ET.
Listen to Trey Songz’s ‘Na Na’
Listen to Chris Brown’s ‘Loyal’ Feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga
Rules of The Boombox Battle
Two artists compete against each other each week. The triumphant artist goes on to compete in the next The Boombox Battle. If an artist wins four straight The Boombox Battles, the song will be honored in The Boombox Battle Hall of Fame.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to Get Married This Week?
Kanye West and fiancee Kim Kardashian may love the limelight but the superstar couple may just shock everyone by secretly getting married this week.
According to TMZ, the ‘Bound 2′ stars secured a special kind of marriage license, which isn’t only confidential but it also allows them to be married inside their home instead of a courthouse. Then, in about a month or so, they’ll throw a huge bash for family and friends to celebrate their nuptials.
For the past few weeks, West and Kardashian have been seen walking around Paris visiting different sites and monuments, and many believe they were searching for the ideal place to exchange vows. Kimye hit Paris’ Chateau Louis XIV, which is a replica of a classic 17th century palace, earlier this month. However, all of that may have been a ploy just to throw off nosy fans and the paparazzi.
Nothing stays a secret for too long when it comes to these two, as more news of their on-the-low-wedding (if they truly are getting married this week) will surely emerge.
Jason Derulo Performs 'Wiggle' in New York City Studio [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]
If there’s one thing to take away from Jason Derulo‘s songs like ‘Talk Dirty‘ and ‘Wiggle,’ it’s that the singer loves the female form. The 24-year-old calls special attention to a curvaceous lady’s behind on the latter track — a “big fat butt” as he calls it. While the lyrics featured in the song use more than a few creative ways to describe finely-shaped derrieres (“Your booty like two planets,” “Cadillac, Cadillac, pop that trunk,” “Patty cake, patty cake with no hands”), it’s the way he actually performs the track that catches attention.
Inside Avatar Studios in New York City, Derulo gets his wiggle on with an assist from four dancers as he performs the song, featured on his new album, ‘Talk Dirty.’ The Miami native skips the elaborate threads for a simple black tank top and jeans so he can display his footwork and skills appropriately. This is one dude who can dance.
Since he’s doing more than most singers in the music industry these days, the tattooed crooner is aware of his fellow competitors. But his sights are set closer to home. “I watch myself very closely,” Derulo tells The Boombox. “I’m always trying to compete with myself. I always wanna be better than I was yesterday. That’s what really keeps me on my toes. I’m not really looking to see what other people are doing. Matter fact, I actually like sometimes just not listening to the radio, not listening to what’s going on just so that what I’m creating is brand new, the experimentation is real.”
“Like ‘Wiggle,’ we’re actually using a recorder,” he continues. “You know, the recorder is that little flute-like instrument that we use in elementary school. That kind of stuff just comes purely from experimentation not from listening to nobody else.”
Take a look at Jason Derulo’s striking performance of the Ricky Reed-produced ‘Wiggle’ for The Boombox’s Off the Record series.
Next: Watch Jason Derulo Perform 'Talk Dirty' Live
Donald Sterling Banned From NBA for Life! Details Inside (@laclippers)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference on Tuesday to address the leaked audio recording of Clippers owner Donald Sterling's racist remarks, and has officially banned Sterling from the NBA. Details of the ban are included below:
- Banned from NBA for life. Includes ban from all games, practices and contact with players.
- $2.5 million fine to be donated to anti-discrimination organizations.
- Silver is working with other owners to force sale of team, subject to 3/4 vote to remove him. Process to begin immediately.
- Doesn't matter if comments were shared in private, they were made public and reflective of his views.
- Investigation included several interviews concluded last night.
- Sterling now admits it's his voice and expressed no regrets.
- Decision was made solely on this incident, not past offenses.
- Silver spoke with several players before the decision was made, and believes they will be satisfied with the outcome.
More details as they are released.
Rihanna Goes Topless for Lui Magazine [NSFW Photo]
We all know that Rihanna is uninhibited and loves to show off her slim, tattooed figure. But the R&B superstar is pushing the envelope with her titillating new cover for Lui magazine.
As you can see in the cover image above, shot by famed photographer Mario Sorrenti, the ‘Pour It Up’ singer is semi-nude except for a bucket hat, a gold body chain and bikini bottom. We must also mention the hardware piercing through RiRi’s nipples (which we had to edit to make a little more safe for work viewing).
Lui is a French adult entertainment magazine, roughly in the same league as Playboy except they allow full nudity on their covers. The editors at Playboy must be kicking themselves right now.
But that’s not all.
Rihanna also posted more nude photos from her shoot on her Instagram page. Unfortunately, she deleted them — most likely because Instagram doesn’t allow nude photos.
In one of the bootylicious photos, an oiled-up RiRi is sitting on a diving board wearing only a fishnet bikini bottom. “LUI. there was 1 rule to this shoot…TAN LINES!!!! Thank you,” she wrote in the caption.
If you want to see the rest of the now-deleted Instagram photos, click here.
Of course, we shouldn’t be so surprised by all of this. On Monday (April 28), Rihanna revealed some of her topless shots she did for Vogue Brazil.
What do you think of Rihanna’s Lui cover? Is it too much? Tell us in the comments below.
See Rihanna Topless on Lui Magazine
Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter V' Album Cover Revealed by Kobe Bryant?
According to Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, folks should prepare themselves for “Carter season.” The baller took to Instagram and Twitter to reveal a photo that could very well be the cover for Lil Wayne‘s new album, ‘Tha Carter V,’ which is obviously very much anticipated.
Kobe and Weezy have always had a friendship, with the MC even referencing the NBA player in some of his lyrics, so it makes complete sense that he’d help promote the project.
The posted image is a colossal sized letter V, which of course is the Roman numeral for No. 5, and besides having Cash Money and Young Money Records respective logos at the bottom, there isn’t much more to the rumored album cover.
Additionally, neither Wayne, Kobe or YMCMB have confirmed or denied that the image is for ‘Tha Carter V’ release, so it’s likely the 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard just posted it to get people excited. However, rap fans are already salivating for the LP, which is why the Instagram post received over 89,000 likes in just 17 hours.
Plus, Wayne said the album might be his last, which also raises the level of excitement.
Last month, in an interview with journalist Elliott Wilson, the Hot Boys alumn said he’s approaching ‘Tha Carter V’ like it’s the last full album he’ll do, which is why it feels so special. Fans will have to be a little more patient to hear just how special it is, since a release date still hasn’t been announced.
Big K.R.I.T. Spits Fiery Bars on 'Mt. Olympus'
Big K.R.I.T. is mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. The Mississippi rhymer spits fiery bars on his stirring new song, ‘Mt. Olympus.’
The self-produced tune boasts sweeping violins, a bass-heavy beat and twinkling keyboards. K.R.I.T. addresses such topics as Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Control’ verse to rappers biting the southern sound and the uninspired rap songs that permeate radio and the clubs.
“I ain’t got time / To watch out for chitlins, stay out my kitchen / The s— that I’m cookin’ ain’t mean for your kind / Crackin’ and bashin’ the s— out your spine / King with a crown, humble and tall / Tyrants never keep quiet, they’d rather be violent / So I’m beheading them all!” he raps.
K.R.I.T.’s passionate song is the kind of music that’s good for the soul. It’s a vast departure from the jazzy-soul track ‘Egyptian Cotton‘ he released in March.
‘Mt. Olympus’ is expected to appear on Big K.R.I.T.’s upcoming album, ‘Cadillactica,’ due this fall.
Listen to Big K.R.I.T.’s ‘MT. Olympus’
Queen of Curves: Nya Lee Puts Busty Chest on Full Display (@realnyalee)
Rapper and Love & Hip-Hop alum Nya Lee has one of the baddest bodies in the game, and recently took to Instagram to showcase her more than sexy physique, wearing tight short shorts and noting but what appears to be lace suspenders covering the girls. Needless to say they couldn't be contained.
Check out the dangerous curves above.
Is Kanye West Making a Three-Hour Spoken Word Album?
Rapper-producer Kanye West is reportedly recording a three-hour spoken word album that will feature his worldly opinions about the environment and his relationship with fiancee Kim Kardashian.
We know what you’re thinking: why is he torturing us?
Well, according to Contact Music, Yeezy loves to hear the sound of his own voice and wants his opinions on record.
“He has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment,” said the source. “He’s forever recording his opinions on tape. He says he’s doing it for posterity and thought about turning them into a book or even donating them to a museum.”
This story is so hard to believe but anything is possible — it is Kanye we’re talking about here. Although we don’t think anyone wants to hear a three-hour album by any rapper let alone from Mr. West.
However, the ‘Bound 2′ rhymer does have some skills when it comes to spoken word. Check out Kanye West’s appearances on ‘Def Poetry Jam’ below.
Watch Kanye West Perform on ‘Def Poetry Jam’
Watch Kanye West Perform on ‘Def Poetry Jam’
North Carolina Woman Dies in Car Crash After Facebook Post About Pharrell's 'Happy'
A 32-year-old North Carolina woman was involved in a fatal car crash just seconds after she took to her Facebook page to tell everyone how wonderful Pharrell’s chart-topping song ‘Happy’ made her feel.
The driver, Courtney Ann Sanford, was killed in the tragic accident, which occurred last Thursday (April 24) during the morning commute. Sanford posted to Facebook while driving her vehicle and crossed the median, hitting a truck head-on.
“The Happy song makes me happy,” wrote Sanford on the social networking site. Merely one second later, the High Point, N.C., police department received a call about the crash.
“The Facebook text happened at 8:33AM,” Lt. Chris Weiser told a local Fox channel. “We got the call on the wreck at 8:34AM.”
Sanford was reportedly also taking selfies before the crash and although she was wearing a seat belt, she wasn’t wearing it correctly, police say.
Action Bronson Gives Sneak Peek at New Cooking Show [VIDEO]
Action Bronson is getting his grub on. The gourmet chef-turned-rapper has a new cooking show in the works, ‘F–k, That’s Delicious,’ which will appear on Vice’s cooking channel ‘Munchies.’
Currently, the robust MC is touring with Eminem on the Rapture tour, and in the show’s trailer, viewers can see Bronson stopping in various cities and countries, visiting restaurants, tasting all kinds of food and meeting the locals.
He also talks about his past life as a chef and how he developed a deep love for cooking and eating tasty dishes.
“People probably look at me and think ‘He’s not really like a cook or a chef,’” said the ‘Blue Chips’ rapper. “This is my life beforehand, so I can probably do all this s— with my eyes closed.”
The first episode of ‘F—, That’s Delicious’ will air in May.
DJ Mustard to Name Debut Album '10 Summers' (@DJMustard)
DJ Mustard is hoping to continue his reign over the charts with his debut album.
The producer behind the hit singles "Nana" (Trey Songz,) "R.I.P" (Young Jeezy,) and "Paranoid," (Ty Dolla $ign) announced on Twitter the name of his freshman offering.
"The title [of] my debut album is 10 Summers!!!" he tweeted Monday afternoon.
No word on a lead single or release date as of yet. The DJ is currently traveling throughout the country with YG for the 'My Krazy Life' Tour.
Source: rapradar.com
VladTV's Top 25 Tatted Up Vixens
While it's understood that tattoos are an acquired taste, it can't be denied that the tattoo culture has taken over much of mainstream America. Just flip on your TV and you'll see any number of shows about the daily lives of gallery owners. Go to a concert and you'll likely see your favorite rapper's body adorned with ink. Yes, while it isn't for everybody, there is an appreciation for this form of body art that refuses to go unrecognized.
Here we recognize some of the most beautiful women who've chosen to make their bodies living art, with sexy tatts that are not only pleasing to the eye but continue to put the tattoo industry in the spotlight.
We've compiled our top 25. Did we get it right? Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
Donald Sterling To V. Stiviano: 'How Can We Make This Go Away?'
Donald Sterling has reached out to his former mistress following the tapes heard all over the sports word.
According to TMZ , the owner of the LA Clippers asked V. Stiviano "How do we make this go away?" following the huge backlash from the Clippers, fans, and sponsors.
Sterling was instructed to talk to the model's lawyers regarding any kind of settlement deals.
The 31-year-old woman who also goes by Vanessa Maria Perez and Monica Gallegos has over 100 hours of audio that prove Sterling's dislike of African Americans and other minorities.
When asked why she had so many recorded videos, Stiviano says that she would often record their conversations because he would often forget what he was saying.
Other sources say that the model is shopping around for a book deal. Recently she tagged a photo on Instagram with the hastags #RandomHouse" and "#Simon&Schuster; two of the biggest publishing companies in the country.
Arsenio Hall Gets Even With Clippers Owner With #SterlingSelfie (@ArsenioHall)
On Monday night during The Arsenio Hall Show, the late night host urged fans to get even with Donald Sterling.
After hearing Sterling's comments towards African-Americans and his good friend Magic Johnson,Arsenio pulled out a cardboard cut-out of Sterling and took a selfie with it.
He convinced fans to do the same so they can stop getting mad and get even.
"If Donald Sterling was upset that his girlfriend was being Instagrammed with black people, imagine how upset he would be if there were pictures of HIM on Instagram with black people." he said.
Arsenio posted his photo with the hashtag 'Sterling Selfie' after making a joke about Ebony and Bigotry.
Check out the segment above
Twitter Critiques R. Kelly's Youthful Outfits (@RKelly)
R.Kelly's Black Panties tour is a hit with music lovers, but his choice of attire has left others less than pleased.
During his Montgomery, Ala. stop, the singer posted a photo Twitter with the caption, "2 Minutes before the show..Swag Meditation.. #KING"
The overload of gold in his outfit was an eyesore to some fans. The singer sported a bedazzled shirt with gold cuffs with gold shoes to match his jewelry.
Kel's youthful look has varied with bright colored hats, graphic tees and varsity jackets. With the singer hitting the big 5-0 soon, fans took to Twitter to dress more his age instead of a hypebeast.
Check out Twitter's reactions to Kells' outfit.
Do you think he should be dressing more his age?
Source: hiphopwired.com
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