The video for Gucci Mane’s 1st official single ‘Spotlight’, featuring Usher, premiered today. I’m really not understanding the hoo-harr around Gucci, if I’m to be entirely, hence my sole thought watching this was ‘Why is Usher in this?’. Still, not a bad video. Look out for cameos by Nicki Minaj and Eddie Murphy’s eldest daughter Bria Murphy, who plays the lead female.
Gucci’s debut album ‘The State vs. Radric Davis’ hits stores December 8th.
Chris Brown’s label Jive today announced that the R&B sensation’s forthcoming effort ‘Graffiti’ will now be released a week earlier. Therefore, instead of arriving in stores December 15th, the set will now be available December 8th.
Instead of competing with the likes of Alicia Keys and Lil’ Wayne, the 20 year old will now apparently go head to head with Usher, whose new LP ‘Raymond vs. Raymond’ is said to be hitting stores…you guessed it…December 8th. Should be real interesting!
The force that is Lady GaGa made an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park yesterday to promote her much anticipated ‘The Fame Monster’ LP. GaGa, real name Stefani Geranotta, chatted it up with Terrance and Rocsi about the re-release, working with Beyonce, finding herself as a person, her struggles and so much more.
A great interview, I must say; one which really drove home the fact that behind the eccentricity and wacky outfits, a very intelligent and sane (lol) woman lays. Check outs parts 1, 2 and 3 below:
The video for Rihanna’s ‘Wait Your Turn’ single premiered moments ago. Getting straight to the point, the Anthony Mandler directed video is a recession-budget bore. Seriously though, what is the hype about with this chick?
Disclaimer: For those who stay posing the question ‘why do you post about her then..?’; like her or loathe her, there is obviously mass interest in Ms. Fenty, hence her featuring here. It’s kinda-sorta common logic 😉
That said, I really, really struggle to understand how – when matched up against her industry contemporaries (see: Beyonce, Lady GaGa and co) – Ms. Fenty seems like anything other than severely out of her league. I mean really there is no competition at all…
In a recent interview with ‘Glamour Magazine’, singer Rihanna discusses several issues in her life including domestic violence, her style and her upcoming album, ‘Rated R’. The starlet will be honored by ‘Glamour’ with the title of ‘Glamour Woman of the Year’ next week at a ceremony in New York City. Peep excerpts from the interview below:
On the leaked photo of her battered face:
It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody. I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it’s my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women.
On the aftermath:
It has taught me so much. I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like, What, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can’t go back home?My friends and family have been extremely supportive, and everyone has been there for me. But at some point you are there alone. It’s a lonely place to be—no one can understand. That’s when you get close to God.
On domestic violence:
Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.
On her image change:
In the first two years of my career, there were a lot of restraints on what I could do. I couldn’t wear certain colors of lipstick, like bright pink, dark pink or red; [my lips] had to be natural. Eventually, I stopped communicating with certain people at the label, and did exactly what I wanted to do. And that was to cut my hair, dye it black, change my clothes, change my sound. Really to just express myself.
On her new album ‘Rated R’:
I was involved in a lot of the writing. I put everything I’ve wanted to say for the past eight months into my music. The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good. I would not change anything about it. Even if people don’t love it, I made exactly the piece of art that I wanted to make. It’s super fearless—which is exactly how I feel right now. I am in a really good place.
I have grown up a lot since my last album. It [represents] exactly where I am at right now.
It’s encouraging to see that she is brave enough to discuss the occurrences of the recent months with such honesty and integrity without sounding bitter. I am quite thankful that she kept her life on track. I gained more respect for after reading this and understand her a lot more as a person.
Tidbit: Does anyone else think that her comments about becoming Britney Spears could also apply to her music as well? Just a thought…
Wow, it really does seem like Rihanna overload today. Just as a the official tracklist of her ‘Rated R’ LP was unveiled, a new cut from the album, the Young Jeezy assisted ‘Hard’ surfaced. Is it any good though?
Admittedly this is perhaps the best track I’ve heard from the album thus far. Saying that, that’s not particularly a difficult feat to achieve. Sticking to its good points, though, the beat goes hard (no pun intended) and Ms. Fenty’s swagger (however unjustified that is is) rides the production quite effortlessly during the verses – in the process making her irritatingly nasal vocals (on the repetitive and lyrically empty chorus) that much more tolerable this go round. Why wasn’t this the first single?
Rihanna has revealed the official tracklist for her eagerly (by some) anticipated LP ‘Rated R’. Due to hit stores November 23rd, the album boasts collaborations with will.i.am, Young Jeezy and Slash. Peep the tracklist below:
1. “Mad House”
2. “Wait Your Turn”
3. “Hard” feat. Young Jeezy
4. “Stupid in Love”
5. “ROCKSTAR 101″ feat. Slash
6. “Russian Roulette”
7. “Fire Bomb”
8. “Rude Boy”
9. “Photographs” feat. will.i.am
10. “G4L”
11. “Te Amo”
12. “Cold Case Love”
13. “The Last Song”
While this reads quite compellingly, I would bet good money on the material being sub-par – if ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Wait Your Turn’ are anything to go by. I mean it says a hell of a lot when both the first and second singles are average at best (and I stress, ‘at best’); surely these are supposed to be what sells the album in the first place, right? Though Ms. Fenty’s piercing billy-goat bleats left me reaching for the ear-plugs, its hard to deny the production on her cuts were top notch. Now, everything just seems a mess.
Oh well, I imagine this will be re-released 500 times, with 100 singles until it does what the label hopes it will – sell respectable numbers. Mind you I find it quite ironic that the fellow in the post below is getting more positive feedback for his material than Ms. Fenty. And ‘No’, I’m not condoning anything, I’m just saying…
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In other Rihanna news, get ready for a full on Ms. Fenty media assault starting this week. Interestingly, the video for ‘Wait Your Turn’ premieres tomorrow, the same day ‘Russian Roulette’ becomes available on iTunes. The previously announced appearances on Good Morning America and 20/20, take place on Thursday and Friday respectively. Lastly, the video for the record’s official lead single ‘Russian Roulette’ is set to debut….FRIDAY (THE) 13th November. {She really ain’t helping ease ‘those’ rumours is she?}
The hotly anticipated video for 50 Cent’s ‘Baby By Me’, starring Kelly Rowland and Ne-Yo premièred literally minutes ago…literally. Directed by Chris Robinson, the clip sees the G-Unit general envision Ms. Kelly being ‘his’.
Our take on the video? It’s great! It features an engaging plot, looks like $$$ were spent on it (unlike some of today’s credit crunch clips) and Ms. Kelly looks stunning. What’s more, for as so-so as 50’s recent material has been, I’m really feeling this song, something its accompanying video will serve to intensify. Good stuff.
Tidbit: I can only imagine the rumours that will fly after this vid. Whether true or otherwise, as they say, any publicity is good publicity!
The 2nd single to be lifted from Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ LP, ‘Wait Your Turn’ surfaced LITERALLY moments ago. Surprisingly, the Chase & Status produced cut isn’t nearly as bad as the initial clip indicated. Dare I say, I’m actually feeling this (yes, you read right!).
While, in no way (at all) does this warrant the unnecessary hype surrounding her project (no way, no how), the swagger Ms. Fenty channels on this one, really compliments the gritty, hard-knocking production. Perhaps most notable is her thick Bajan accent on the verses – which actually gives the track a layer of authenticity, as she sounds comfortable and not as forced or strained as she usually does. Listening to this kinda makes me wonder why her team went with the dryness that is ‘Russian Roulette’. Can’t wait to see her perform this live… 🙂
It has been confirmed today that Rihanna will ‘break her long silence’ next week. The ‘Umbrella’ singer will that day be making an appearance on Good Morning America on Thursday (November 5th), followed by a major interview on 20/20 the next day (November 6th). It’s expected that she will for the first time address the Chris Brown incident. Peep ABC’s promo clip for Ms. Fenty’s return above.
While there is no doubt I’ll be tuning into this, I can’t help but question the timing of it all. She and her team decide now is the right time for her to ‘break her silence’ when she has a record coming out in a few weeks. Yes, it’s all business, but it looks real suspect. Real suspect…
Young rapper Soulja Boy Tell’em will ironically feature on both Chris Brown and Rihanna’s upcoming LP’s. Rihanna’s album, ‘Rated R’, hits stores on November 23rd and Brown’s ‘Graffiti’ will be released on December 15th. Here what Soulja Boy had to say about his contributions to both projects:
“With this particular project [it was] like, ‘Whoa!’ because it was like, ‘Yo, I need you to do something for Rihanna’s album. You got 11 hours. Go,” Soulja Boy said about the last-minute call to work on an unspecified track from Rihanna’s upcoming Rated R disc.
“It was like, ‘What?’ ” The challenge, he said, was how to cook up some verses that would help make a #1 hit in such a short time. Luckily, he had plenty of experience with working fast, thanks to the 30 minutes he said it took him to write his breakthrough hit, “Crank That.”The pressure was not as intense when he got the call to guest on a track from Rihanna’s ex, Brown. “I got nothing but love for Chris, that’s my homeboy,” said Soulja of the singer, whose Graffiti will be his first release since his assault on Rihanna in February. “He called me up and he was like, ‘Yo, I need you on this song for my album. Will you come through?’ ”
The answer, of course, was yes — and the result is a tune titled “She’s Bad.”
“My approach to it was, if me and Chris Brown ever did a song together it got to be the best song ever,” he said. “When people hear it, it gotta be automatic, be in all the kids’ heads, all the girls definitely gotta love it, all the females gotta love it. That was my approach to it. I was just thinking, ‘What is the slickest lines I could say to a female to make them fall in love with this record?”
If there is one thing that this boy has is work ethic. He really gets his name out there and stays on his grind. If only he applied this same zeal to developing quality material for himself, he could become one of Hip-Hop’s heavyweights instead of being known as the ‘Ringtone King’. That’s a damn shame.
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