Hazel-E has found love in Katt Williams.
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Saturday, December 6, 2014
Unarmed Black Man Killed by Cop in Phoenix Sparks New Protests
It looks like the tension between police and the citizens of the United States won't be mellowing out any time soon, for just days after the Staten Island grand jury decided not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for killing Eric Garner, another unarmed Black man has been killed in Phoenix, Arizona.
Wu-Tang Clan Sends Urgent Message in 'A Better Tomorrow' Video
The Wu-Tang Clan has dropped a powerful video for ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ their socially conscious track from their latest album of the same name. The clip is especially timely given the nationwide protests following the non-indictments of police officers in the Mike Brown and Eric Garner cases.
The video features soundbites from President Obama speaking on race relations in America and footage from nationwide demonstrations for equal justice. We see people from Ferguson, Mo., to Los Angeles, to Seattle and New York holding their hands up and carrying signs that read, “Black Lives Matter” and “Police are to Serve & Protect Not Shot & Kill.”
Not only is the video important, but the Wu track itself samples Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ poignant song, ”Wake Up Everybody,’ which makes it even more timely.
At the end of the video, a list of victim’s names of police violence scrolls across the screen.
When Questlove urged artists to make songs with a message, several artists have heed the call including Kxng Crooked (aka Crooked I) and Alicia Keys.
Let’s hope this trend continues.
Gudda Gudda Comes for Pusha T on Twitter After Lil Wayne Drama (@IamGuddaGudda @PushaT)
Young Money's Gudda Gudda isn't thrilled at Pusha T's comments on Lil Wayne's drama with Baby.
Chris Brown Confirms Breakup With Karrueche at Cali Christmas (@ChrisBrown @Karrueche)
It looks like the honeymoon is over for Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran.
YG Delivers DJ Mustard-Produced Banger '2015 Flow'
After receiving news that his debut album, My Krazy Life,’ wasn’t nominated for a Grammy award, YG could have easily took to social media to complain. Fortunately, he didn’t and decided to leak new music instead.
The Bompton rhymer released (via the L.A. Leakers) the keyboard-driven ’2015 Flow,’ which was produced by DJ Mustard, who was also snubbed by the Grammy voters in the Producer of the Year category.
On the song, the West Coast rapper puts his story-telling skills on the back burner and spits in-your-face-rhymes that contain a nice mixture of strong one-liners and staunch bravado.
“It’s that Silicon Valley flow, I got that sun dance vision n—-s ain’t know / Got damn, I got album of the year still three packs in / Imagine how these wack rappers feel I’ve been killin’ n—-s all year / Bill, me and them white folks names got something in common, bills I got ‘em / I’ve been at rich houses, I’ve been to rich hills / The home got that Tommy, know that’s something that he’ll feel,” he spits.
YG’s ’2015 Flow’ will appear on the soundtrack to YG’s short film ‘Blame It On The Streets,’ which debuts on Dec 15.
Listen To YG’s ’2015 Flow’
See 15 Artists That Are Older Than You Think
Exclusive! Scarface: If Mike Was White, Would They Indict? (@BrotherMob)
Amid all of the civil and racial tension that has come to a boiling point in our nation due to the numerous Black men being killed by law enforcement officials, VladTV managed to lock in an exclusive interview with Scarface who shared his thoughts on the drama unfolding.
Beanie Sigel Recovering at Hospital After Being Shot in New Jersey
Rapper Beanie Sigel is currently on the mend after being shot in the back during an altercation on Friday (Dec. 5). The 40-year-old rhymer is out of surgery and is currently recuperating at a hospital in Pleasantville, N.J.
According to the Associated Press, Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, is now conscious and police are attempting to speak with him to get some details on the tragic incident.
Sigel’s lawyer, Fortunato Perri Jr., said the shooting may be the result of a family dispute, as investigators are also speaking to the rapper’s relatives. Fortunato also added that Sigel wasn’t the intended target of the shooter and he was shot right after taking his children to a day care center.
“Apparently, there was a struggle of some type, which led to Mr. Grant being shot and that is all we have at this point,” said Pleasantville Police Chief Jose Ruiz.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sigel has been on the receiving end of gun fire. In 2006, he took several bullets to the arm in a robbery attempt, and in 2005, he was acquitted for attempted murder for allegedly shooting Terrence Speller two years prior.
See 20 Rappers’ Real Names Revealed
Lil Wayne Reportedly Addresses Tweets at VICE Bash in NY (@LilTunechi @Birdman5Star)
Lil Wayne has reportedly spoken out about his drama with Cash Money at VICE''s 20th anniversary party in Brooklyn last night.
Beanie Sigel Recovering at Hospital After Being Shot in New Jersey
Rapper Beanie Sigel is currently on the mend after being shot in the back during an altercation on Friday (Dec. 5). The 40-year-old rhymer is out of surgery and is currently recovering at a hospital in Pleasantville, N.J.
According to the Associated Press, Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant, is now conscious and police are attempting to speak with him to get some details on the tragic incident.
Sigel’s lawyer, Fortunato Perri Jr., said the shooting may be the result of a family dispute, as investigators are also speaking to the rapper’s relatives. Fortunato also added that Sigel wasn’t the intended target of the shooter and he was shot right after taking his children to a day care center.
“Apparently, there was a struggle of some type, which led to Mr. Grant being shot and that is all we have at this point,” said Pleasantville Police Chief Jose Ruiz.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sigel has been on the receiving end of gun fire. In 2006, he took several bullets to the arm in a robbery attempt, and in 2005, he was acquitted for attempted murder for allegedly shooting Terrence Speller two years prior.
See 20 Rappers’ Real Names Revealed
Exclusive! Ar-Ab: Cassidy Has to Modernize His Bars to Beat Dizaster (@ArAb_TGOP @MRDIZASTER)
Ar-Ab spoke with VladTV about the upcoming "Ether" battle between Cassidy vs.
Exclusive! Conceited: If Cassidy Raps Music Bars, It'll Be Quiet for Him (@ConceitedNYC @MRDIZASTER)
Conceited shared his opinions on the many battles featured on the "Ether" card in this clip from his exclusive interview with VladTV Battle Rap Journalist Michael Hughes.
Chris Brown Calls Karreuche Tran a Bitch, Announces He's Single [VIDEO]
Well, it looks like it’s official. Chris Brown is indeed a single man. At Power 106′s Cali Christmas concert in Los Angeles on Friday (Dec. 5), the ‘New Flame’ singer not only announced that he and longtime girlfriend Karrueche Tran broke up, but he had some choice words for her.
“How many single ladies we got in here tonight?” he asked, making the female portion of the crowd scream in delight. “Well, I’m single too. F— that bitch.”
Breezy’s harsh words may be surprising to some after Tran confirmed her single status on Twitter before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. “Looks Like I’m a single lady again,” she tweeted.
But something must of went extremely wrong for Brown to spew venom at her and then performed the scathing track ‘Loyal’ at the concert last night.
Tran had some bitter words for the singer too and indicated it was her that ended things, not Brown.
“N—-s be in they feelings when you break up with them lol,” she wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see if this sparks further back and forth tweets, or if we’ll see some sort of public reconciliation between the two. Stay tuned, because this story looks like it’s going to have multiple chapters.
See 10 Hip-Hop Couples That Didn’t Last
A$AP Ferg Starts 'Dope Walk' Movement [VIDEO]
Move over Bobby Shmurda! Rapper A$AP Ferg has started a new dance craze that’s catching on in social media. It’s called the ‘Dope Walk,’ which is from the song of the same name on his latest mixtape, ‘Ferg Forever.’
On the song, the Harlem rhymer describes the dance as a gangsta lean rapping, “Now I’m on my gangsta lean like a dope fiend / My walk meaner than Cara Delevingne’s.”
Ferg also adds, “Check out my walk because it’s so amazing / Nothing like Bobby Shmurda’s but I congratulate him / More like a gangsta lean, let’s get this picture painted.”
Ferg’s lyrics prompted Delevingne, who is a runway model, to challenge Fergstein to a walk-off on Instagram, and from there, it sparked a whole ‘Dope Walk’ movement.
As you see by the videos below, people are getting into the spirit of Ferg’s viral hit. Some are dancing around like a hyperactive dope fiend and others are mixing zombie movements and the dope walk together.
We don’t know if A$AP Ferg’s ‘Dope Walk’ is going to catch on like Shmurda’s Shmoney Dance, but for now, it’s a lot of fun to watch.
Who do you think did the ‘Dope Walk’ better — A$AP Ferg or Cara Delevingne? Tell us in the comments.
Stream A$AP Ferg’s ‘Ferg Forever’ Mixtape
See 20 Rappers’ Real Names Revealed
Man Connected to Beanie Sigel Shooting Taken In for Questioning (@beaniesigelsp)
A man in connection to the shooting of Beanie Sigel has been taken into questioning.
Watch Lifetime's Whitney Houston Biopic Trailer [VIDEO]
It seems the smoke is still clearing at the Lifetime network, after the horrible reviews its Aaliyah biopic received, but that didn’t stop executives from rolling out the trailer for their next TV biopic, ‘Whitney,’ which documents the career of the late R&B icon Whitney Houston.
In the one-minute clip, you’ll see actress and former ‘America’s Next Top Model’ star Yaya DaCosta playing the role of the beloved singer, and unlike actress Alexandra Shipp — who played Aaliyah — DaCosta actually looks a little like Houston.
The trailer doesn’t reveal too much of the story arc, but it does show some of the opulence the singer lived, as well as her struggles with drugs and her ex-husband Bobby Brown.
Veteran actress Angela Bassett directed the film, which does give it a little more legitimacy than they Aaliyah biopic, but that still doesn’t guarantee that’s its going to be high quality.
However, based on the eye-catching visuals of the clip, it does look like Bassett did a stellar job of directing. Hopefully, the movie’s screenwriter, Shem Bitterman, penned something that will satisfy not only the Houston family, but the singer’s dedicated fans. But it’s important to note that Houston’s mother, Cissy, said she would not be supporting the film at all.
Lifetime will air ‘Whitney’ on Jan. 17 at 8PM EST.
Five Best Songs From Kelis' 'Kaleidoscope' Album
The late ’90s was a fruitful period for emerging R&B talent. Countless new soloists and groups emerged on the scene as the music industry reached a fever pitch of success, enticing record labels to sign the next star talent. Among that crop was eclectic songstress Kelis.
Introduced to the industry as part of the Neptunes camp around 1998, Kelis inked a deal with Virgin Records, ultimately releasing her debut album, ‘Kaleidoscope,’ on Dec. 7, 1999. The artist, who possessed a unique fashion sense (Pharrell says she inspired him to think outside of the style box), rainbow-colored hair and spunky attitude, strayed from the traditional sounds of contemporary R&B and hip-hop soul on the effort.
Kelis decided to utilize the more futuristic soundbeds of mentors the Neptunes, who wrote and produced the album. The content was also far from standard fare, with conceptual songs such as ‘Mafia,’ ‘Game Show’ and ‘Mars’ serving as evidence of the singer’s willingness to experiment and take risks.
Far from a commercial success — the album sold a little more than 12,000 copies in its first week and a platinum plaque couldn’t be farther — ‘Kaleidoscope’ was a pretty solid offering. Singles like ‘Get Along With You’ and the in-your-face ‘Caught Out There’ have managed to stand the test of time, not to mention the memorable accompanying music videos that were mainstays on visual one-stops such as MTV, The Box and VH1, among others.
‘Kaleidoscope’ may not have caught fire in the U.S., but internationally it fared well, achieving gold certification in the U.K. with ‘Caught Out There’ and ‘Get Along With You’ both reaching the top 20 respectively. Charting in multiple countries — New Zealand, Sweden and Germany, to name a few — the release earned Kelis an international fan base that she would cultivate through future releases and touring.
Today, you can find small traces of her musical DNA in free-spirited artists ranging from Janelle Monae all the way to Willow Smith, from interesting style choices to unique vocal expression.
Plaques and radio smashes aside, ‘Kaleidoscope’ helped build a foundation for the Harlem, N.Y. native’s career — one that has been going strong for 15 years. While it isn’t regarded as a sure-shot classic, the LP still holds replay value, especially in this current landscape of music where R&B artists are showcasing their sonic creativity by the day.
As the 15th anniversary of ‘Kaleidoscope’ approaches, we take a look back at the five best selections from the singer’s debut.
The mid-tempo number 'No Turning Back' is immediately pleasing to the ears and serves as one of the quality offerings from the album. Produced and written by the Neptunes, the track sees Kelis singing about taking relationships head-on and not holding back when it comes to true love. With a beat powered by drums, kicks and peppered with vintage Pharrell ad libs, 'No Turning Back' gets our nod of approval.
4
'Ghetto Children'
Featuring Marc Dorsey & N.E.R.D.
Kelis delivers again on the uplifting 'Ghetto Children.' Co-written and produced by the Neptunes and containing elements of the Slick Rick classic 'Hey Young World,' the track has an upbeat feel with a positive message. This is conveyed by lyrics against domestic violence and championing education and self-love. Kelis does not underwhelm by any means, but this number is truly carried by guest vocalist Marc Dorsey, who delivers a show-stealing performance and makes the track his own. Toss in Pharrell's impressive Rick the Ruler impression for good measure and what you're left with is a dope record.
Guitar strings, frantic keys and crisp drums dominate the refreshing ode 'In the Morning.' Kelis, who helped pen the Neptunes-produced track, sings of a long-distance love affair filled with steamy hotel visits and frequent flier miles galore. Sonically refreshing and pleasing to the ear, this offering is deceptively infectious and good background music for a day of cleaning the crib or getting your two-step on.
With this opening, "Don't need no paper, don't need no pencils, don't need no love letters, 'cause I just wanna get along with you," Kelis kicks off the 'Kaleidoscope' standout, 'Get Along With You. Released as the third single from the album, the song features impressive songwriting and an array of indelible melodies that are the calling cards of a great R&B record. A hit on various video countdown shows due to the accompanying Paul Hunter, goth-inspired music video, but the effort failed to make a major dent on the Billboard charts at the time. Despite that, it's definitely a memorable track from that era that many music mavens are more than familiar with.
Released as the first single off 'Kaleidoscope,' 'Caught Out There' was an interesting introduction of Kelis to the listening public to say the least. While most R&B singers come with the tender approach, she shunned that route for a more confrontational approach. Making a song to "all the women out there that have been lied to by their men," Kelis sounds truly perturbed when crooning about all of her lovers dirty deeds. The chorus, which is basically her throwing a temper tantrum -- is unconventional as well, but gives the song some added realism. We've all wanted to just scream our lungs out at a significant other at one time and this track gives us license to. The cherry on the top is the hilarious Hype Williams-directed music video featuring the singer galvanizing an army of scorned lovers looking for blood. From the audio to the visuals, this offering is truly a tour-de-force -- and scared the hell out of every red-blooded male on earth.
Exclusive! Elle Varner: I Got Record Deal Less Than Year After Graduating (@ellevarner)
Elle Varner opened up to VladTV about getting a record deal less than a year after graduating, and adds that she "wanted it all," so she still went to college.
Exclusive! Souls of Mischief: We Knew 93 'til Infinity Was a Hit in Studio (@somhiero)
Souls of Mischief sat down with VladTV and discussed their big hit 93 'til Infinity, and revealed that they knew it was a hit before it was released.
Exclusive! Souls of Mischief: We Knew 93 'til Infinity Was Hit in Studio (@somhiero)
Souls of Mischief sat down with VladTV and discussed their big hit 93 'til Infinity, and revealed that they knew it was a hit before it was released.
Nicki Minaj Puts Massive Cleavage on Full Display for the 'Gram (@nickiminaj)
Nicki Minaj gifted fans with another dose of sexiness by uploading photos of her incredible body on Instagram.
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