Tinashe‘s latest single may be named ‘Flame,’ but the singer is looking to extinguish the desires of an overexcited fan.

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Industry analysts have already indicated DJ Khaled‘s latest star-studded album, ‘Grateful,’ is a shoo-in for the top spot on next week’s charts, but it appears the ‘We the Best’ beau is looking to beef up its final first week sales figures by lifting a slew of new visuals in its support.

As its Rihanna-led number ‘Wild Thoughts’ is set to roar into the top 5 on this week’s Billboard charts, Khaled is undoubtedly hoping its follow-ups – ‘It’s Secured’ & ‘On Everything’ – will follow suit.  Tapping rapper Travis Scott to feature on both, Nas tags along on ‘Secured’ while chart-toppers Big Sean and Rick Ross assist on ‘Everything.’

Curious what the quartet of hip hop heavyweights cooked up?  See the videos inside:

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TNT’s newest dramedy centers around Niecy Nash (“Desna Simms”) as the leader of a fiesty and (at times) catty group of Floridian manicurists who are using their nail salon to assist as a money laundering front for a neighboring clinic.

The series, which also stars Emmy winner Karrueche Tran, won rave reviews from critics in pre-screens. Yet, when it made its debut on June 11th, viewership figures didn’t exactly match that fanfare.

‘Claws’ Series Premiere Ratings = 1.18 million

The numbers, though far from blockbuster, are fair given a number of circumstances:

• It’s in line with a number of other TNT original programming premiere figures from the past year
• It had to contend with major rating draws like ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ and ‘NHL Playoffs’
• The show’s already given viewers a “sneak preview” during a previously aired NBA game

With all things considered, the show is off to a solid start.  Next week’s ratings will be a good determinant of how well it was or wasn’t able to sustain viewers.

Your thoughts?

Tinashe‘s narrative has been one of the more puzzling among artists who’ve had buzz over the last few years.

Her inaugural set, ‘Aquarius,’ made quite the splash on Urban charts in mid-2014 thanks to its DJ Mustard-produced hit, ‘2 On.’ Yet, despite nabbing one of that summer’s biggest anthems, the ‘Joyride’ singer turned left and since then has seemingly had her eyes set on seeing her name scribbled on pop charts.

The pursuit – which has seen the ‘All Hands on Deck’ singer try her hand at everything from EDM to emo-pop and collaborate with the likes of some of music’s biggest names (see:  Chris Brown, Britney Spears, and Nick Jonas) – has admittedly proven futile.  As such, even though she’s 3 years in the game, many still consider her a “new” or “buzzing” artist.

Tinashe believes she has the answer to that:  colorism and racism in the industry.  Recently taking to The Guardian, she discussed what she believes is the industry’s take on black women:

“There are hundreds of [male] rappers that all look the same, that sound the same, but if you’re a black woman, you’re either Beyoncé or Rihanna. It’s very, very strange.

[There was Ciara, but] it felt like they almost had to sacrifice someone because there wasn’t enough room, which isn’t true. Ciara’s an amazing artist, Beyoncé’s an amazing artist, Rihanna’s an amazing artist, and they’re all very different!”

“There’s colourism involved in the black community, which is very apparent,” she says carefully. “It’s about trying to find a balance where I’m a mixed woman, and sometimes I feel like I don’t fully fit into the black community; they don’t fully accept me, even though I see myself as a black woman. That disconnect is confusing sometimes.”

Tinashe says all the separation and setbacks with her music have been discouraging, but have never completely broken her spirit.

“It’s definitely been discouraging, and I have days where I’m less confident, but at the end I know that I’m going to get to where I need to go.”

“There’s doubt that seeps in, there’s self-deprecation, because you look to someone to blame and you can’t blame anyone but yourself, but I’ve never, ever thought, ‘I’m going to work in a mall.’”

Has Tinashe’s success narrative been impacted by the black community ‘not accepting’ her?

Weigh In!

The wait for Tinashe‘s much delayed sophomore album has been anything but a ‘Joyride’ for fans of the singer.

Talk of the set’s arrival dates back to 2015. Yet, what has followed has been a succession of “lead” singles that have ultimately led to incessant push-backs. So much so that its current status is quite the conundrum.

However, in a new interview with The Guardian, the ‘Flame’ belter provided an update. One we’re not sure will be entirely thrilling for fans but is an update nonetheless.

She told the British publication:

“Things haven’t always gone according to my original plan, but that’s life, and things change.”

It’s not like it’s sitting in a vault locked up, it’s always getting better and improving. I plan on doing a solid few more months recording then hopefully getting it out this year.”

She also addressed rampant rumors that Rihanna had pouched the actual track ‘Joyride’ in the midst of the delays. Interestingly she verified the speculation. She said:

Yeah, that’s true. But I don’t know if it was personally Rihanna, like, ‘I’m taking that from Tinashe.’ I don’t think that’s how it worked. But it’s back now.”

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It’s unfortunate that there still seems to be so much uncertainty surrounding the set.

Without being privy to the specifics of the drama, our primary observation is the lack of consistency in the sound of the songs released thus far.

Indeed, when listening to tracks such as ‘Super Love’ and ‘Flame,’ it appears the “plan” is to birth music’s next big “Pop girl.”

Yet, when sandwiching edgier, left-leaning offerings such as ‘Party Favors’ and the ‘Nightride’ mixtape between her Pop-ier releases, it becomes quite confusing to ascertain what her core proposition is.

Sure she’s incredibly versatile, but at such an early stage of her career that can actually be problematic in that it makes it hard to package her in a way that is both consistent and palatable to her eventual audience.

And while some will argue about the unfairness of artists being “boxed” or confined to lanes, the harsh reality is that that is quite literally “how it is” for the vast majority. Unfortunately.

Hopefully, Tinashe and her team hone in on the best positioning for her, stick to it, and achieve the success her talent deserves.

Your thoughts?

Nicki Minaj isn’t the only New Yorker on her way to rocking 2017 with a new album.

Five years removed from his last LP ‘Life is Good’ is her love interest Nas who has revealed that its follow-up is set to spin into retailers very soon.

In an interview with ‘The New York Times’ he was asked how far away he was from completing the project.

His response?

Two weeks. I always say I’m two weeks away from finishing.

He went on to add:

It’s like Frank Sinatra. I listen to him because he speaks to me. Frank’s thing is just speak about life, and it resonates with everyone. When I’m in here, I’m conscious of that.

A release date for Nasir’s 11th studio effort is yet to be announced.

Your thoughts?

Over 20 years after releasing their now-classic hit, ‘If I Ruled the World,’ Urban legends Nas & Lauryn Hill are teaming to rule North American box offices this fall.

The duo, who fans got to catch on select dates of the latter’s 2016 “MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling! Tour,” have opted to hit the road (sans Kehlani) on a month-long trek that will touch every corner of North America.  Kicking off September 7th in Chicago, the yet-titled tour will hit Houston, Miami, Toronto, Seattle, and a number of places in between before wrapping up in Vancouver on October 11th.

If you’re keen to find out when/if they’ll be touching down in your town, look below for dates:

Nas/Lauryn Hill Fall 2017 Tour

Sept. 7 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sept. 8 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Sept. 10 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sept. 12 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Sept. 14 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Sept. 15 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 20 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Sept. 22 – Miami, FL – Bayfront Park Amphitheater
Sept. 23 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
Sept. 27 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Sept. 28 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
Sept. 30 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater
Oct. 3 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
Oct. 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 7 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 10 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
Oct. 11 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum

Your thoughts?

Nicki Minaj’s promotional run for her forthcoming album saw her visit her pal Ellen DeGeneres to give the talkshow host’s viewers a fresh look into her life as it is today.

Once together, the girls discussed life, love, men, music, philanthropy…and Nas.

Did Nicki confirm that she is seeing the rapper on a romantic tip?

Watch below…

This interview was shot before last night’s terror attack in Manchester.

Your thoughts?

Live in London?

Love Tinashe?

You’re in luck. For following positive developments in her relationship with Sony Music Entertainment‘s British arm, the entertainer has announced the arrival of a brand new live show in the city!

? LONDON SHOW JUNE 29 ? tix on sale Friday pic.twitter.com/3FGlXu9IUK

— TINASHE (@Tinashe) May 16, 2017

Her new set ‘Joyride’ will impact the world on August 11th 2017.

Yet to take a spin on her ‘NightRide’?

Tracklist:

1. Lucid Dreaming
2. C’est La Vie
3. Sunburn
4. Binaural Test (interlude)
5. Sacrifices
6. Company
7. Soul Glitch
8. You Don’t Know Me
9. Spacetime
10. High Speed Chase (interlude)
11. Ride Of Your Life
12. Party Favors
13. You Can Stay Here Tonight (interlude)
14. Touch Pass
15. Ghetto Boy

Listen here!

Your thoughts?

‘Die Young’ sees Urban heavyweights Chris Brown and Nas join forces to tribute the late hip hop recording artist Chinx (who died in 2015 after a drive-by shooting).

Also paying homage to many other black men who have lost their lives due to acts of senseless violence, the tune’s hard-hitting content comes as a timely look at a very real problem.

Granted, ‘Young’ is not one of the 40 songs listed on Brown’s upcoming ‘Heartbreak on a Full Moon,’ but it’s still very much worth a listen.  Here it inside:

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It’s here!

Tinashe has unleashed the video for ‘Flame’ – the latest video to be lifted from her long awaited sophomore album ‘Joyride.’

The clip sees the 24-year-old flex her acting muscles as she plays out the narrative of a love story gone wrong.

Can the visual help ignite the track’s on the charts? Watch below and let us know…

A solid video for a solid song.

It remains to be seen, though, whether it’ll be enough to catapult Ms. Kachingwe to where she “should” be.

Your thoughts?

Odell Beckham, Amber Rose, Tinashe and Rita Ora stepped out at the Midnight Garden After Dark at the NYLON Estate last night to celebrate the latest chapter of the publication’s story.

Looking forward to Ora’s new album?

You’ll be pleased to learn that she’s building bops with Maroon 5′s hitmakers for the set.

Your thoughts?