As hype machines and pre-recorded vocals support the careers of a few R&B newcomers, Sevyn Streeter continues on in her bid for world domination with a voice, style and sound soaked in authenticity.

So, as to celebrate her journey thus far, the good people over at ‘Rolling Out’ magazine welcomed the singer to its pages recently, teaming up with her to shoot a spread that celebrates her work as a songwriter, her skill as an artist and the talent she praises mentor Chris Brown for introducing to the world.

Press play for behind the scenes footage from her shoot below!

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Showing up to Urban Contemporary‘s party with new music today is Adrian Marcel, heating things up with new mix tape ‘Weak after Next.‘

Executive produced by Raphael Saadiq, the 19 track release is the follow-up to the singer’s 2013 release ‘7 Days of the Weak‘, one of the many launching pads that have pushed this budding superstar to ‘BET’– sized new heights!

On the hunt for an artist whose talent lives up to their hype?

Meet Marcel after the jump!!

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Two new Jhene Aiko numbers await your first listen this morning!

Yes, gliding to iTunes playlists across the globe hand in hand are ‘The Pressure’ and the Common-led ‘Black Majik‘. The first, released to support her debut album ‘Souled Out’, and the latter unleashed in aid of Common’s ‘Nobody’s Smiling’, set for release on Tuesday.

Ready to play!

‘Black’ ‘Pressure’ below…

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It looks like it took an act of MAGIC! to end the reign of Australian rapstress Iggy Azalea‘s ‘Fancy’ atop the Hot 100.

Helping the ‘Bounce’ beauty bounce right into the history books as “longest reign at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 by a female rap artist” and “first female in history (of any genre) to see her first two charting singles hold the #1 and #2 spot simultaneously), it certainly served no shortage of status cementation.

Alas, all good things must come to an end.  As its Rita Ora-assisted followup ‘Black Widow’ continues its climb up the tally, tuck in below to see whose ‘Rude’ hit put a not-so-kind halt to ‘Fancy’s tenure atop the Hot 100 and what other movers and shakers could be next in line to lead:

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It’s official! Nicole Scherzinger is an Epic artist.

As reported at the top of the year, the Pop chanteuse signed a lucrative deal with Sony Music, which included worldwide distribution for her upcoming new album.

And while it was confirmed in January that the former Pussycat Doll had inked an agreement with Sony’s RCA UK for the European release of the Tricky Stewart and The Dream helmed LP, her American predicament remained a mystery until today.

The conundrum ended this evening, though, when Epic Records (another Sony imprint) and its head L.A Reid tweeted the following…

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With a host of new names vying for chart glory, Tinashe has emerged as one of the most magnetic.

The R&B belle has one of the year’s most resonating singles in ‘2 On’, which has brewed the perfect storm of buzz for its parent album ‘Aquarius’ (due September).

Still, the question remains: who is Tinashe?

The folk over at The Fader have teamed with Sonos to find out. Together they tapped the stage blazer for their ‘At Home With’ series.

This episode sees the 21-year-old invite the cameras into her La Cresenta, California home – which she still lives in with her parents and siblings.  

Peep the video below…

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Linda Perry has penned classics for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and Pink. However, it’s doubtful the legendary songwriter will be receiving a call from Beyonce anytime soon.

For, while doing the press rounds to promote her new VH1 show, ‘The Linda Perry Project’, the 4-Non Blonds star served up choice words about the ‘Drunk In Love’ diva’s songwriting — or alleged lack-thereof.

Full story below…

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So you’re in your car listening to your favourite station and a cut you’ve never heard before comes on.

You’re not sure how you feel about it at first, but throughout your journey the same cut comes on over and over and over again.

Before you know it you’re singing along to lyrics with the wind in your hair and its infectious melody seared in your brain.

A familiar scene? It is? Ok, now take that scene and multiply by say…a million. A million people listening to the same cut on a few hundred stations over and over and over again. 

The end result? A smash hit single and a barrage of accolades thrown at the artist behind it.

“I had no idea it’d do so well!”

Unfortunately, said accolades soon lose their sheen when the truth behind the song’s success emerges.

Why Iggy Azalea‘s ‘Fancy’ has now been placed under scrutiny?

Find out below…

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Two years.

Indeed, that’s how long it’s been since soulful crooner Frank Ocean set sail with his game-changing debut ‘Channel Orange’.

Now, after tending to his team (and by “tending” we mean replacing), the New Orleans native is hard at work at his eagerly awaited sophomore album.

And while no release date has been set in stone (or pencil), a new snap of the singer in The Church Studios in London has surfaced.

Posted by Grammy-winning producer Om’Mas Keiththe on Instagram, pic was paired with the caption:

well that was an awesome week in the studio with my brother… the smiles say it all. #frankocean the genius.

Buzzed? We are.

In large part, it’s due to the qualitative slice of quality that was ‘Channel Orange’. It showcased Ocean’s lyrical, vocal, and storytelling skillset in a stellar way. Hence, we’re eager to see what he plans to bring to the table artistically this go round.

From a commercial standpoint, it’ll be uber interesting to see how the media mass handle another Ocean album. After all, it was only following his truth-baring “letter” that countless outlets jumped on his bandwagon. With two years having passed and the titillation of his “reveal” already milked in earnest by the media, will he still be pegged a hot commodity? If the material is as on-point as we believe it will be, then we sure hope so!

Your thoughts?

It’s that time of year again!

The MTV Video Music Awards 2014 are set to celebrate the successes of the music’s biggest movers and shakers over the last 12 months.

Airing live from The Forum in Los Angeles on August 24th, the show will also play host to performances from the likes of Usher, Ariana Grande, and 5 Seconds Of Summer.

Who’s up for coveted Moonmen this year? Wonder no more, because the nominations for the 31st annual MTV Video Music Awards awaits below…

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Despite burying the beef with former foe Chris Brown, it appears Drake isn’t ditching the digs when it comes to another rival.

During his stint as host during last night’s ESPY Awards, the rapper used his opening segment to take aim at Hip-Hop’s apparent new punching bag Macklemore.

The ‘Same Love’ MC has inadvertently come under intense scrutiny from the Urban community after controversially sweeping the board at the Grammy Awards and taking home the top Rap honors in the process. Heat only intensified when Macklemore (in reference to his ‘Best Rap Album’ win) went on to proclaim that Kenrick Lamar deserved the gong instead – a move Drizzy dragged him for at the time.

Fast forward six months, and it appears Drake isn’t done with the digs.

What did he say during his skit? Find out below…

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Drizzy and Breezy may have caused a stir when photos of them working in the studio hit the net days ago, but that stir turned into commotion tonight when Grammy-winning Urban stars Drake and Chris Brown put beef in their rearview and co-starred in a skit featured at the 2014 ESPYs.

Setting Twitter alight, the hilarious skit sees the two go from busting bottles to busting stitches (with laughter) from their tongue-in-cheek take on their squashed beef and “celebrity woes”.

Did you miss it?  It awaits below:

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