Oooh Yes! Hot new single from Jazmine Sullivan entitled Holding You Down, which is slated to be released on her upcoming album.
Oooh Yes! Hot new single from Jazmine Sullivan entitled Holding You Down, which is slated to be released on her upcoming album.
Last night Jennifer Hudson’s Behind the Music Episode last night. Check out some of the clips below from the segment.
NPR recently did a dope interview with Lauryn Hill where she discusses a host of things including on why she stopped making music, what it means to her to perform live, and being a mother. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
NPR: I ask her the question her fans have been asking each other for years: Why did you stop putting out music?
Lauryn Hill: “There were a number of different reasons,” she says. “But partly, the support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it. In fact, as musicians and artists, it’s important we have an environment — and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the [music] industry, that really nurtures these gifts. Oftentimes, the machine can overlook the need to take care of the people who produce the sounds that have a lot to do with the health and well-being of society, or at least some aspect of society. And it’s important that people be given the time that they need to go through, to grow, so that the consciousness level of the general public is properly affected.”
Click here to read the entire interview.
Diversity is key! I must say that this artist is one to have the elements of longevity. Ms. Avery Sunshine is a Philadelphia native who is a talented singer, songwriter, and pianist who is signed to Dome Records (based in the UK). Although she is rooted in Gospel, Avery also shows how versatile she is, especially in her debut self-titled album, as it spans across genres of Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and the lovely sounds of Soul. Avery’s sundry style is quite captivating as she sings about love and loss, the emotional ride you sometimes take because of it, and ultimately rediscovering oneself after dealing with the entire ordeal. I may also add that the live instrumentation displays the outstanding talent the musicians give as they compliment Avery quite well on this album.
As the album begins, Avery Sunshine orients us with such smoothness in “All in My Head” as she pretty much toils with insecurities and doubt with an upbeat twist. We all should be able to relate to this particular track as we often doubt our actions in our journey we call life. So she sheds light on the situation as there are times we fall victim to being our own worst enemy, “making a mountain out of a mole hill…” as she says. In her song, “I Got Sunshine”, I love how she shows her diversity as she sings about still having joy, even when it seems things just aren’t working right. “Perform” is a nice, smooth, sultry interlude that gives your ears a good healing while in relaxation. My personal favorite, “Ugly Part of Me”; Avery gives an ultimate showcase of her talent while she gives a clever but sincere apology to her lover. How can you not accept such an apology? This song really struck my soul as I gave it a listen. With the display of good arrangement, composition, songwriting, the sound of real soul music, combined with great vocals, these are the elements to making a song a “winner”. This song is heartfelt and full of honesty and is sure to be one that will catapult Avery on the music charts. Another song that is a heavy-hitter is “Today” as she pretty much runs off a list of problems starting with the baby-father who seems to be falling short of his duties, to car problems, that boss at work you can’t always deal with, and keeping your sanity through it all. “Blessin’ Me” is another favorite as Avery gives us her spin on a Gospel treasure.
Avery Sunshine’s album gets your attention as it shows her diverse musical style that’s sure to quench your thirst. This album gives a mellow, smooth sound with a nice groove. Avery Sunshine has produced an outstanding project and is one that you should not miss!
No official word as of yet but Andre Harell tweeted this past weekend while he visited Kanye to hear the new album. Kid Cudi is also scheduled to release his album, that same day.
It’s still early and of course we all know that album release dates change at anytime. I’m looking forward to both releases, especially Kanye’s. Let us know what you think.
I can’t remember when I began to watch the BET awards, but out of the many years, this was the best show yet! BET really outdid themselves this year, bringing the viewing audience amazing performances and tributes. Mr. West opened the show with his most talked about single, “Power.” Of course the crowd went crazy; this was Yeezy first award show since the MTV awards incident. There were other memorable performances (some good and some not so good.) B.o.B surprised us and brought out Eminem for the remix of his single, “Airplanes.” He also tried to convince us that Keyshia Cole would do better on the hook than Hayley Williams; I did not become a believer.
Chris Brown did one of the greatest tributes to his mentor, Michael Jackson. When “The Way You Make Me Feel” started to play and the curtains revealed CB, the most highest anticipation had set in. If anyone could do a MJ tribute, there was no question it would be Chris Brown. He could not get through “Man in the Mirror” without breaking down and his emotions were felt throughout the room, including mine! Very emotional tribute and Chris deserved the standing ovation he received from the audience.
Other performances included El Debarge, Tyrese, Diddy w/Dirty Money, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Drake, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Saap, Trey Songz, Monica, Deniece Williams, Usher, Ludacris, J Cole and much more.
Prince received the Lifetime Achievement Award with a tribute by Janelle Monae, Ezperanda Spalding, Alicia Keys and Patti LaBelle.
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Fantasia has a new video for her single, “Bittersweet.” The video features Devin Thomas as Fantasia’s love as she plays a singer in a nightclub. You can find this song on her new album, Back to Me due out July 27th.
Last night, Jay-z and Eminem shared the stage on Letterman. The performance took place on the rooftop of the Ed Sullivan building and was in front of a few selected guests. Jay and Em performed solo hits and their collabo together from The Blueprint, Renegade. Check it out and let us know what you think.
The Roots and John Legend are working on a collaborative album, titled “Wake Up!” . The album will be made up of classic songs that inspired their sound featuring soulful music from the 60’s and 70’s. “Our Generation” is the first single from the album which was originally done by Ernie Hines. “Wake Up!” has a scheduled release date of September 21.
Today marks a year since Michael Jackson passed and Billboard has put together a great tribute. Billboard chats with stars such as, Jason Derulo, Hanson, Janelle Monae, Lil’ Jon, Christina Aguilera and much more to remember the King. Enjoy and let us know your thoughts.
Check out this video of Ne-Yo remembering the time he met Michael and how his death affected him. The clip is brought to you by iheartradio.
I’ve always said this, “I don’t like Drake that much as a singer” and this performance on David Letterman proves why. Drake did his single, “Find Your Love” earlier this week. “Thank Me Later” in stores now.
Yesterday, 2Pac’s hit, “Dear Mama” was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Every year, songs that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” are chosen. The recordings are preserved at a facility in Culpeper, Virgina. Nominations were gathered by public submissions via online and from the National Recording Preservation Board members.
Previous hip hop honorees include Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5′s “The Message” and Public Enemy’s Fear of A Black Planet. 2Pac’s “Dear Mama” is the third hip hop song to receive this honor.