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| Posted: 09 Jan 2009 12:04 AM CST Greetings: Olivia, here at PDG Public Relations. I have noticed that you have embedded JUMZ new video for his track "Im A Problem" on your site. Thank you for the support. I'd like for you to receive exclusively JUMZ Press Kit for your review. I have also added the zshare link for GrandMasterFlash's new track with Q-Tip, JUMZ and Kel Spencer "Shine All Day" Let me know what you think (JUMZ is also available for interviews). Any questions, please feel free to ask. Regards, Olivia Dikambi Media & Public Relations (646) 641 4521 1221 Avenue of The Americas New York, NY 10021 olivia@pdgpr.com www.pdgpr.com |
| Posted: 08 Jan 2009 06:13 PM CST NAACP Image Awards Nominate Kanye, Beyoncé, Common And Others January 8th, 2009 | Author: Salima Koroma Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson were among the top nominees for the NAACP Image Awards, which were announced this Wednesday. Beyoncé earned six nods including outstanding artist, album, and music video for "Single Ladies." J-Hud received the most nods, with seven nominations. Notable Hip Hop nominees include Kanye West whose 808's & Heartbreak is up for Outstanding Album, will.i.am with "Yes We Can," competing for two awards, and Common, who is nominated for Outstanding Male Artist. Sean "Diddy" Combs was also nominated for his work in the made for TV film, A Raisin in the Sun, while The Wire goes up against Grey's Anatomy for Outstanding Drama Series. In addition, the NAACP announced that Def Jam co-founder and prominent businessman Russell Simmons will receive the prestigious Vanguard award for his participation in raising awareness of racial and social issues. The 40th annual awards ceremony, which honors outstanding people of color in various aspects of media including film, television, music, and literature, is scheduled to air on Thursday, February 12 on Fox from 8:00-10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Listed below are all Hip Hop and R&B nominees. Outstanding New Artist: Anthony David Estelle Jazmine Sullivan Jennifer Hudson Leona Lewis Outstanding Male Artist: Chris Brown Common Jamie Foxx John Legend will.i.am Outstanding Female Artist: Alicia Keys Beyoncé Jennifer Hudson Mariah Carey Rihanna Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: Anthony David & India.Arie Estelle feat. Kanye West Jennifer Hudson feat. Fantasia Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown Natalie Cole & Nat "King" Cole Outstanding Music Video: "If I Were A Boy" – Beyoncé "Single Ladies" – Beyoncé "Spotlight" – Jennifer Hudson "Superwoman" – Alicia Keys "Yes We Can" – will.i.am Outstanding Song: "Greenlight" – John Legend "Single Ladies" – Beyoncé "Spotlight" – Jennifer Hudson "Superwoman" – Alicia Keys "Yes We Can" – will.i.am Outstanding Album: Beyoncé – I Am...Sasha Fierce Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson Kanye West – 808's & Heartbreak Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman Seal – Soul Outstanding Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy House Lincoln Heights The Unit The Wire |
| Auto Tune Maker Cashes In On Hip Hop Trends Posted: 08 Jan 2009 06:08 PM CST Two months after introducing their Auto-Tune EFX software plug-in to the market in a limited rollout, Antares has decided to make the technology more globally accessible. In a statement released yesterday, the company acknowledged that their product was "made wildly popular by T-Pain, Kanye West, Cher, and many other artists in virtually every genre of popular music." The plug-in sells at a retail price of $129, yet has turned yielded significant returns for the likes of T-Pain, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. To date, T-Pain's Thr33 Ringz [click to read] has sold 430,118 units, while West's Auto-Tune opus, 808's & Heartbreak [click to read] is certified platinum with 1,094,859 units sold. Recent Auto-Tune convert, Lil Wayne leads the pack with 2,900,412 copies sold of Tha Carter III [click to read]. When addressing the impact of Hip Hop on his product, Antares' VP of Marketing, Marco Alpert was effusive in his praise of T-Pain and Kanye. "Both T-Pain and Kanye West have released new albums on which they make extensive use of the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect and brought even more media attention to it," Alpert said. "As a result, we're extremely pleased to expand the distribution of Auto-Tune EFX to our entire dealer base, making it possible for musicians around the world to have an affordable, easy-to-use tool for basic pitch correction and the Auto-Tune Vocal Effect." |
| Asher Roth Helps Subdue Passenger That Claims To Have A Bomb! Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:55 PM CST LOS ANGELES -- A 45-year-old Kentucky man was in custody today after allegedly claiming he had a bomb aboard a flight at LAX that had just arrived from Atlanta. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said Lawrence Jackson, or Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, made the threat aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 110 after the jet had landed Wednesday. The plane touched down just before 10:30 a.m. and as it was taxiing "at some point he lunged for one of the doors." Eimiller said. Several passengers tackled the man and he was bound with plastic devices, Eimiller said. One of those passengers was a member of a hip-hop band from Atlanta. Chris Llewellyn, who plays bass and guitar in Asher Roth's band, says he heard a male flight attendant in the rear galley yell, "Help me, help me!" "We were all sitting in our seats," Llewellyn said. "My boys had their headphones on. I turned around and got up and ran to the back of the plane." He said six other passengers also ran to help. "The suspect was yelling, 'Don't come near me, I have a bomb, I have a bomb!' " Llewellyn said. Passengers had him cornered in the back of the plane when he suddenly lunged for the rear emergency exit door. "We all jumped him," the guitarist said. "He was struggling hardcore. I was holding down his arm. Somebody had a foot on his head. Everyone was holding down a different body part. He was going nuts. I was telling him to chill because he's not going anyplace." At that point, the plane was on the ground and a flight attendant had retrieved a restraining kit. From the ground the suspect asked, "What am I being charged with?" Someone answered, "Assaulting a flight attendant." "He flipped out over that," Llewellyn said. "Then they rolled him over and put the cuffs on him." The band was flying to Los Angeles to perform on Carson Daly's late-night TV show. Johnson is now being held pending psychological evaluation. "He did not have a bomb on his person," but his bags and the airplane were searched, Eimiller said. FBI agents and Los Angeles Airport Police were handling the investigation. The plane had 271 passengers aboard, Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said from Atlanta. |
| Jumz Ft Troublesome "Im A Problem" Video Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:52 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| "Notorious" Red Carpet Movie Premier Posted: 08 Jan 2009 04:31 PM CST NEW YORK — The only person missing from the world premiere of "Notorious" Wednesday night in New York was Biggie himself. You could almost imagine the late icon cracking up as he watched some of the more humorous parts of his life on the big screen. The audience definitely did. Walking down the aisle in the main theater of the AMC Lincoln Square was almost like going to an award show. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are over there. Nas is right here. Busta Rhymes is a few rows up. Fabolous, DJ Clue, Ciara, Jadakiss, Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons, members of "The Wire" cast and, of course, the cast of "Notorious." All were in the building, along with Big's circle of the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Faith Evans, Big's managers, Voletta Wallace and Diddy. Lil' Kim, who recently blasted Biggie's mom and widow in an interview with Hip-Hop Weekly, was noticeably absent. As the movie played, it was evident the filmmakers devised the right path to touch the audience's emotions. The laughs were loud, people were dancing in their seats during the performance scenes, and — whoa ... We all know the great tragedy that is the death of Christopher Wallace/ Frank White/ Biggie/ Big Poppa. When that last chapter of his life came up, you could see eyes getting glassy and some downright dripping with tears. What a ride. "I loved it," Jadakiss said in the lobby. Diddy was one of the last to leave the theater after the screening, and in the lobby, he mingled with his peers and took pictures with fans. He had a pleased smile on his face. The general consensus was that the film surpassed expectations. The hip-hop community has a winner. After the screening, everyone headed to the Roseland Ballroom for the afterparty, where DJs kept acts like Guy, New Edition and even George Michael in rotation throughout the night. "Faith" was played, and Faith Evans got on the mic. After shouting out a myriad of Big's friends, Evans asked, "Where's Brooklyn at? Y'all in this muthaf---a? Y'all came to party with B.I.G.? Say, 'Yeah!' F--- that, say, 'Yeah!' Let's do it like New York ni--as know how to do it!" Just then, the DJ dropped "Party and Bullsh--." Faith came back later and told the story of how "Hypnotize" was repeatedly played at the Vibe party Biggie attended before his murder. The DJ threw that on for the people at Roseland. And you know a good time is being had by all when you see Omar from "The Wire" (Michael K. Williams) dancing in front of the stage. "Ha! Sicker than your average ... " |
| The Homegirl Shanell Rocking Out With Lil Wayne Singing" Lolipop" Live Posted: 08 Jan 2009 03:45 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Beats By Dr. Dre Tour Headphones A Good Buy Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:40 PM CST  Monster Cable's Beats By Dr. Dre collaboration with the legendary producer caused a lot of chatter when they were released last year, receiving almost all positive feedback across the board for their headphones' sound quality. Now, the company are rolling out their travel, earbud version called the Tour. We received an advance pair of the Beats By Dr. Dre Tour earbuds for review, and we were pretty impressed to say the least. WHAT'S IN THE BOX Beats By Dr. Dre Tour in-ear headphones Carrying pouch DESIGN The Tour earbuds are probably some of the most stylish, or coolest looking, headphones on the market today. They boast a flat shiny black earbud, showcasing the Beats By Drer silver red logo, and a thick, flat, and very durable cable in a red color as well. While the design looks attractive, one of the gripes right off the bat is the long earpieces. The buds stick out farer than most in-ear headphones on the market. They worked fine for our reviewer, but with a measurement of a full inch from end to end, some consumers may find the size of the earpiece uncomfortable, especially if they're not comfortable with sticking things deep into their ear canal. To combat that problem, Monster includes five sets of silicone eartips (three sizes of standard and two sizes of triple flange), to fit an individual's needs. They all seem larger than normal though. Despite possible fitting problems, you could argue that style makes up for it. Its unique design will definitely add a little swag to your personal media devices, and it also comes along with a cool looking hard-sided zippered case, showcasing an embossed Beats By Dre logo, for storing and protecting your pricey headphones. THE GOOD AS mentioned, the stylish design is one of the Beats By Dr. Dre Tour's most appealing aspects. But it also offers quality sound as well. The in-ear headphones offer an impressively crisp high end sound, with musical genres such hip-hop, electronic, and pop being the best listening choices. THE BAD While the high end sounds are crisp, the mids and lows aren't as impressive as its full-sized counterpart. The bass isn't a total bust though, it's there and shines through at a much better quality than any of your run of the mill in-ear options. The mids aren't as rich as we'd like either, but again, for earbuds, you can't miss with these. In addition to those minor gripes, the price may also steer away some would be buyers. At $149, the Beats By Dr. Dre Tour headphones aren't cheap. You may even be able to purchase other headphones almost close to the quality of the Beats By Dre Tours, but probably not as pleasing to the eye though. THE VERDICT The Beats By Dr. Dre Tour in-ear headphones are top notch. Despite the minor gripes in our review, we were thoroughly impressed with the quality and look of the new addition to the Beats By Dr. Dre line. With an appealing to the eye look, and an above average quality in sound, the Beats By Dr. Dre Tour headphones are a great buy. If the $149 price tag doesn't scare you, then the headphones will definitely get your iPod swag up. |
| Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:32 PM CST Advice For Pacman: Stay In The House!!! IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys have released Adam "Pacman" Jones, and a team source told ESPN's Ed Werder that the move was made after the team learned of new allegations against the troubled cornerback from his time with the Titans. Pacman Jones Jones Jones' release came after "Outside the Lines" reporter John Barr contacted the NFL, the Cowboys and Jones' attorneys about a piece scheduled to air Sunday in which three Atlanta-area men allege that Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them two months after the football player was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in 2007. The June 2007 shooting occurred outside a suburban Atlanta strip club. One of the shooting victims told "Outside the Lines" that he had a dispute with Jones inside the strip club and that not long after he and the two others left the club, a hail of bullets struck their car. The NFL knew about that incident, but charges were never brought against anyone because the victims did not see the shooter. Mosley: Bad risk With a two-line press release Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys ended their relationship with cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones. The laughter you're hearing is coming from the Tennessee Titans' practice facility, Matt Mosley writes. Blog • Atlanta incident "Outside the Lines" obtained information that police, investigating a separate Atlanta-area case, had been told by an informant that Jones ordered the June 2007 shooting following his dispute with one of the men. Police have said that while the case remains open, they are not actively investigating. Jones denied the report and told the Dallas Morning News: "It will be a lawsuit in a week against ESPN. That's stupid. It's so stupid I have no more comments." The Cowboys traded for Jones before the season even though he had been suspended in 2007 because of a series of off-field incidents. Jones, expected to give the Cowboys a boost on defense and special teams, had no interceptions and averaged just 4.6 yards per punt return. "Surprised? Yeah, I was surprised," Jones said of the release, according to the Dallas Morning News. "All I can do is keep working hard, keep my nose clean and hope for the best." Jones missed six games this season for violating the league's player conduct policy after an Oct. 7 scuffle with a team bodyguard at a Dallas hotel. He missed a seventh game with an injury. The 25-year-old Jones spent part of his time away from football taking part in an alcohol rehabilitation program. "He was surprised, and I think he was obviously somewhat hurt," Worrick Robinson, Jones' agent, said of the decision. "At the same time, he understands the business behind what is happening here." Robinson said he did not think Jones' suspension was a factor in the Cowboys' decision to release the cornerback. "We don't have any reason to believe at this point that that off-the-field incident had anything to do with the team's decision today," Robinson said. "I know there was certainly a lot of bad that came out of that situation, but there was some good that came out of that situation as well." Jones' attorney added he expects the cornerback will be back with some team in 2009. "He is young. He has a lot of ability and he is eager to get back on the field," Robinson said. Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple declined to comment on the team's decision and said owner Jerry Jones was unavailable. Coach Wade Phillips and linebacker Greg Ellis, who is the team's representative to the players' union, did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league would not comment on the ESPN report or the Cowboys' release of Jones. "We do not comment on player transactions by our teams. And we have no other comment to offer on this matter," Aiello said Thursday. The Cowboys traded for Jones despite the cornerback's suspension for the 2007 season after multiple off-field incidents while with the Titans. He was given another chance and cleared to play in 2008 by commissioner Roger Goodell. When Jones was traded to Dallas in April, Tennessee received a fourth-round draft pick. The Titans were also supposed to get a sixth-rounder next year, but because Jones was suspended again, Dallas will instead receive a fifth-round pick in 2009. Before coming to Dallas, Jones was arrested six times and involved in 12 instances requiring police intervention after Tennessee drafted him in the first round in 2005. According to the Dallas Morning News, Jones said he plans to remain in the area and workout at friend Deion Sanders' Prime U camp next week. "If I beat myself up, who will take care of me?" Jones said, according to the report. "Football means a lot to me, but it's not everything. It's not like I'm taking it pretty good. I love me some me." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Talib Kweli Speaks On Relationship with Warner Bros Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:19 PM CST After recent reports of rapper Talib Kweli and record label Warner Bros. falling out with one another, the label has now spoken on the new business relationship between the two. Despite early reports claiming Kweli was dropped, the Brooklyn, New York-bred emcee recently hit up Allhiphop to debunk rumors that claimed that Warner will no longer work any of his artists. "My label Blacksmith is no longer distributed by Warner Brothers, which means they will not put out Blacksmith future projects," Kweli told AllHipHop.com. "I still have a deal to put out Talib Kweli and Reflection Eternal thru Blacksmith/WBR. No longer having the exclusive distribution to Kweli's Blacksmith Music label, Billboard reports the mega music company will still maintain a first right to turn down any Blacksmith acts. A Warner spokesperson says the company has the option to release music from Blacksmith artists such as Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady and singer Anjulie. Kweli himself is still signed to Warner Bros. as a solo artist and is currently wrapping his upcoming duet album with producer Hi-Tek, "Reflection Eternal: Train of Thought II." The set is due sometime this year. On Talib Kweli's first major album Black Star, he rapped with Mos Def. That record was released on the underground Rawkus Records in 1998. |
| Kanye West Moves To #3 On The Charts, Goes Platinum Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:13 PM CST Grammy winning singer Beyonce continues to showcase her raw talent as I Am...Sasha Fierce remained at No. 2. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Beyonce's third album sold 76,900 units and has pushed an impressive 1,535,800 discs after seven weeks on shelves. Kanye West's 808's & Heartbreak moved up two spots to No. 3 selling 70,900 copies of his latest effort. After a month and a half on stores shelves, Ye's new disc stands at 1,094,900 sold units. Keyshia Cole's A Different Me remained at No. 7 with 53,600 pieces sold. With three weeks under her belt, Cole's new album has officially been certified gold, with 502,200 scanned discs. Academy Award winning singer Jamie Foxx's Intuition moved up a notch securing No. 8 this week selling 44,600 discs. After three weeks in stores, Foxx's new album rests at 414,500. Konvict Muzik label head Akon received a position boost this week, moving up five spots to No. 11 as Freedom sold 36,700 copies. With five weeks in the books, Akon's third album has sold 350,300 units. Self-proclaimed "King of the South" T.I.'s Paper Trail advanced two spots to No. 13 with 32,200 units sold. After 14 weeks in stores, Tip's sixth solo project rests at 1,554,300. Ludacris's Theater of the Mind also received a steady boost moving 17 spots upward to No. 14. with 31,300 scanned units. After six weeks, Luda's latest album has sold 470,400. Southern rapper Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III moved up 13 positions to No. 19 selling 26,000. Selling the most units out of 2008 and sitting on store shelves for the past 30 weeks, Weezy's new album sits at 2,900,400. Florida-bred emcee Plies' Da REAList flew up 16 spots to No. 20 with 24,700 copies sold. After three weeks of availability, the disc has pushed 192,100 units. R&B hottie Rihanna'sGood Girl Gone Bad moved forward by 8 spots landing at No. 21 also with 24,700. With an astounding 83 weeks on store shelves, the singer's latest project has sold 2,258,200. Ne-Yo's Year of the Gentleman continues to perform well on the charts moving up 9 spots to No. 31 with 21,100 discs sold. After 16 weeks, the singer's third project rests at 796,600. Anthony Hamilton's Point of it All moved up one spot to No. 38 with 18,800 scanned copies. With three weeks under his belt, Anthony's latest solo project has sold a total of 197,600 units. Common's Universal Mind Control returned within the Top 50 moving up 11 spots to No. 40 with 17,300 sold copies. The Chi-town emcee's new album now stands at 166,400 completing its first full month in stores. T-Pain's Thr33 Ringz moved up two spots to No. 41 selling 17,300. After two weeks of availability, Pain's new album rests at 430,100. Wrapping up the Top 50 this week is John Legend's Evolver which dropped one position to No. 45 with 15,700 scanned copies. The R&B singer's third album rests at 466,400 after ten weeks in stores. |
| Jermaine Dupri Out As Head Of Islands Urban Division Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:08 PM CST Atlanta-based producer Jermaine Dupri's tenure as President of Island Records Urban Music has come to an end. A formal announcement of his departure from the position, which he has held for nearly two years, may come as early as Thursday (Jan 8). Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the situation confirmed to AllHipHop.com that Dupri has in fact been terminated effective immediately. The Island Records Urban Division was created within the Island Def Jam Music Group a short time prior to Dupri's hiring in February 2007. In the position, he oversaw the label's entire urban music operations, reporting directly to label Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid and Steve Bartells, President of Island Music and COO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. Having enjoyed tremendous success with Island Records songbird Mariah Carey on The Emancipation of Mimi, Dupri's duties also included providing production for the Music Group's entire roster. In April 2008, Island/Def Jam announced the creation of TAG Records, a new venture with Procter & Gamble's TAG brand to be helmed by Dupri. The partnership created a new marketing module that allowed for new talent, like So So Def/TAG artist Q, to be cross-promoted in conjunction with TAG body sprays through print, television, radio, and digital advertising. No word on how Dupri's departure will affect TAG Records, nor the roster of artists on So So Def, which has been distributed through Island Urban since 2007. |
| Timbaland Denies 1st Quarter "Shock Value 2" Album Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:06 PM CST Timbaland has confirmed that while there will be a follow-up to the platinum 2007 album Shock Value, fans should not expect the super producer's third studio offering anytime soon. In recent weeks, tracklistings and alleged song collaborations have littered the internet, prompting Timbaland to clarify the anticipated album's current status. "Man, I'm so in demand that people are making up albums just to try and keep up with me," Timbaland joked. "What people are reading out there is nonsense. I'm only just starting to think about Shock Value 2, just recording and putting some ideas together, so there are definitely no song titles, release date, or any other news related to the album." The album's delay is largely due to the massive amount of work the producer completed in 2008. In just 12 months, Timbaland has worked extensively with Madonna, Keri Hilson, Brandy, Flo Rida, Jennifer Hudson, Pussycat Dolls, and various other acts spanning all genres of music. The Virginia native has also mapped out much of 2009 with upcoming collaborations with former protégé Ginuwine, 50 Cent, Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Letoya Luckett. Even with his demanding workload, Timbaland promises fans to expect the album when the time is right. "When Shock Value 2 finally does finally exist in the real world, everybody's gonna hear it from me," he added. To date, the first Shock Value album has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide on the strength of the #1 singles "The Way I Are" and "Apologize." Timbaland's latest project is production for Chris Cornell's forthcoming Scream album, due out in the Spring. |
| Check out this story on Vibe.com: The Kanye West VIBE Cover Posted: 08 Jan 2009 01:50 PM CST Hello, Your friend mrtic@yahoo.com considered the following article on Vibe.com interesting and wanted to send it to you. The Kanye West VIBE Cover It's finally here! A look at Yeezy's first solo VIBE cover Read more at http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/01/the_kanye_west_vibe_cover/ -- |
| Off The Subject (But Not Really) WTF!!! Protest Over BART Shooting Turns Violent Posted: 08 Jan 2009 03:22 PM CST This Is The The End Result In Police Brutality! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Jan 2009 12:39 PM CST This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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