Archives

Online Exclusives Archives for July 2007

MY ALBUM'S OUT: Keith Murray

July 31, 2007

Nobody knows the real Keith Murray - he says so himself. According to the Long Island-bred Def Squad emcee, unfortunate circumstances- from label disputes to jail time - compromised his sound and passion on every one of his albums. But with Rap-murr-phobia, released today, the tables have turned. On a new independent label, Koch Entertainment, Murray has found the freedom to drop an album unbound by commercial standards and formulas. With Rap-murr-phobia, Murray's goal was to target his core audience - who he believes to be real hip hop heads - and he enlisted the talents of Erick Sermon, Mike City and German beatmaker Shuko. Keith Murray: his album's out. ... (read more)

Yung Joc's "Hustlenomics 101"

July 30, 2007

Yung Joc blogs live every week from Screamfest. First post: introducing HUSTLENOMICS: Yo it's your boy Joc. Man, I want to let the world know, for the supporters, I want to thank you. For the naysayers, I would to say thank as well. You inspire me to work harder to prove you wrong.This new album, Hustlenomics is my second gift to the world and I put a lot of time and thought into to make sure I satisfy the fans.... (read more)

Rihanna's "Umbrella": Wartime Pop Song?

July 24, 2007

You can't walk down a street without running into someone - whether preteen, grandma, or hot dog vendor - singing some part of Rihanna's "Umbrella." Aloud. And loud. Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh. And so it goes. The single's had an interminable presence since it debuted less than four months ago, as it's hovered at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for no less than 14 weeks. Its ebullient hook and strong emotion also helped redefine Young Ms. Fenty into a bona fide, larger-than-life pop vixen - Little Miss Sunshine, as it were. But "Umbrella" was not initially meant as a love note from Rihanna to her man-friends. "Umbrella" scribe Terius Nash, aka the Dream, wrote it as a wartime lullaby, for his people who are stationed in Iraq. ... (read more)

DJ Mars: Live from the Ne-Yo Tour

July 19, 2007

Ne-Yo's American tour ends in New Orleans. DJ Mars reports: Out of respect, I had to visit the Lower 9th Ward - not so much to see the ruins of Hurricane Katrina but to remind myself of the majesty of the people. The word "return" seemed to be paired with the Essence Festival, yet it is so relevant to the feeling of the families and people that are still being ignored. The cultural celebration is very much alive, yet fighting for an existence that is threatened by some Fortune 500 companies who see no more than fertile land that can be turned for profit. Know that Donald Trump has a huge Trump sign planted on empty lots of land. It made me reflect on the road life. Without the energy of the crowd, there is no performance. New Orleans needs the energy of the tourists, party-goers and the everyday people alike - so the famous gospel song says, "They need you to survive." ... (read more)

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From the Blogs

zentronix d+h

Yesterday, the Democrats worked hard to link Barack Obama's speech to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at the 1963 March on Washington. On the floor (read more)
zentronix d+h

Republican presidential nominee John McCain has tapped Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee. Alaska has been a safely red sta (read more)
zentronix d+h

Wednesday was the day that the party and its discontents decided to party. At highly exclusive big-donor events, the Black Eyed Peas and Fergie rock (read more)
The Nappy Diatribe

As much as I wanted this Democratic Convention to be all about Barack Obama, there were early indicators that every underlying storyline this week wou (read more)