Monthly Archives: January 2012

Gym Class Heroes, B.o.B and More to Perform at Vh1’s Pepsi Superbowl Fan Jam

VH1, Pepsi and the NFL are bridging the gap between football and music with another year of VH1’s “Pepsi Superbowl Fan Jam.” Taking place at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds, this year’s sold-out concert extravaganza will pay tribute to the All-American sport of football and its 46th Super Bowl, with performances by Gym Class Heroes, B.o.B and The All-American Rejects, among other special guest appearances and performances. Carrie Keagan and Jason Dundas from VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz Live” will host the night’s festivities, which will not only include spectacular live performances but will feature candid interviews and appearances from many of the NFL’s biggest players. VH1’s “Pepsi Superbowl Fan Jam” will air live on VH1 on Thursday, February 2 at 9 PM.*

Gym Class Heroes, with frontman Travie McCoy , kick off the night as they perform some of their biggest hits and songs from their new album “The Papercut Chronicles II,” including a guest performance by Adam Levine on the hit song “Stereo Hearts.” Neon Hitch will join the group on their current single “Ass Back Home.”

Fresh off of five Grammy nominations for his debut album, and preparing to launch the follow-up album “Strange Clouds” this Spring, B.o.B will also take the stage, as will The All-American Rejects, who, after selling more than 4 million albums and 16 million singles worldwide, are set to release their fourth studio album, “Kids In The Street” which will also be released Spring 2012.

All of the performances from VH1’s “Pepsi Superbowl Fan Jam” will be available online at fanjam.vh1.com following the on-air premiere on February 2.

Film Review: The Grey

By Sommer Thornton

Liam Neeson (Taken) comes out the gate in 2012 in director Joe Carnahan’s new survival drama, “The Grey.” Liam Neeson stars as John, a brawny member of an Alaska oil drilling team, who is so plagued by his wife’s death he’s near suicide. But John and his crew soon meet immeasurable disaster when their plane crashes in the arctic. The survivors soon learn that in no man’s land, they are governed only by the laws of the wild, and John emerges as the “alpha”. The men must seek shelter, hunt, and evade multiple packs of wolves, whose territory they’ve invaded.

It wasn’t just the dense Alaskan landscape, but the compelling point of view shots of the plane crash and of the survivors in their most perilous moments that puts the viewer in the axis of terror. For some reason, John is never a pretentious hero. Yet he risks his life to save as many of his comrades as he can- probably because he understood that in the wild, there is survival in numbers. As the numbers of his crew dwindle John goes from survival to hero, to cursing God- and begging to be saved.

Liam Neeson is the usual valiant character with a heart, as he was in many of his earlier films. What makes this film worth seeing isn’t the “happy ending”. It’s truly the work of the editor, sound designer, and the cinematographer that make this movie great. At every moment the reverberating growl of the menacing wolves atop the sound of John and the men’s feet crunching backward in the snow mixed with the crackle of the fire immerses the viewer in the wild arctic tundra. I say, go see this movie and think happy thoughts after. The Grey comes out nationwide in theaters January 27, 2012.

Get to know New Artist Luke James

The highly anticipated debut solo work from one of today’s most talked about artists who has yet to release an album is sure not to disappoint fans and critics alike. Luke’s FREE pre-album release of #LUKE will be followed by the full-length release of Luke James’ debut solo album, Made to Love, in 2012.

Packed with interesting breaks and tempo shifts, lead single, “I Want You,” beautifully showcases Luke James’ pure, arresting falsetto. But it is tracks like the haunting “Signs of Rain,” dance influenced “Powerless,” and vocally-layered “Made To Love” on #LUKE that truly illustrate hisdiversity and mastery of the R&B genre.#LUKE pulsates with infectious, hip-hop-influenced beats that perfectly complement Luke James’ outstanding R&B-grounded vocals, and it is this foundation in technique, creativity and god-given talent that is poised to situate this rising star as the one to watch on the R&B / Pop scene.

Having already charmed critics from coast to coast, like being named Hip Hollywood’s October 2011 “Artist of the Month,” one of AOL’s The Boombox’s “Top 15 Artists to Watch” and being asked to headline Give Back Hollywood / VH1 Save The Music Foundation’s Pre MTV VMA benefit, Luke James wrapped up his multi-city opening gig on Robin Thicke’s “Love After War” tour in Philadelphia on December 29, 2011. Luke James’ growing celebrity fan base includes Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Estelle and none other than Beyoncé, who selected him for a featured role in her “Run the World” video, and Melanie Fiona, who featured him as her boyfriend in her “4 A.M.” music video. Luke James is also the co-writer of Chris Brown’s “Crawl” and has penned songs for Justin Bieber (“That Should Be Me”), Michael Bolton, and Britney Spears (“Kill The Lights”), among others. #LUKE pre-album available now
http://www.datpiff.com/Luke-James-luke-mixtape.296101.html 

Connect with Luke James at:  www.whoislukejames.com, www.facebook.com/whoislukejames and www.twitter.com/whoislukejames.

The 4th Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago’s Hip-Hop Arts

Over 2,000 people attended WBEZ’s Winter Block Party last year, and this year’s all day FREE Party will again feature a street art and graffiti gallery, a film screening, a literary event, breakdancing exhibitions, the Emcee Olympics, the Hip-Hop Barbershop, live painting by Ruben Aguirre, music all afternoon by some of Chicago’s best DJs, and more from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Metro (3730 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL).

First held in January 2009, this all-ages, all-city celebration of Chicago’s new and emerging artists of the hip-hop generation is truly a chance for everybody from anywhere to experience the breadth and style, multiple elements and forms of the hip-hop arts.

The 2012 culminating event: “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” beginning at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Legendary Brickheadz.

View the 2012 street art and graffiti gallery exhibition, curated by Believe Inn & Kevin Coval and featuring: Chris Silva, Lauren Feece, Krista Franklin, Ruben Aguirre, Kane One, Angela Davis Fegan, Justus Roe a.k.a djwhitelightning, Brett Whitacre, Stephen Flemister, Anthony Lewellen, Cove, Dustin Harris, Greg Penrice, Jourdan Gullet, Mario “Zore” Gonzalez Jr., Melon, Nerd, Peter Kepha, Robert Stevenson, Sam Kirk, Solo, Statik, Stef G, Roper Fuentes, B-Boy B, Qutress Trevino, and Trixter.

Shop the marketplace featuring Haymarkert Books and The Silver Room, along with works by participating visual artists. A complete Catalog of works-for-sale will be available at the door.

Listen to the sounds of the Vocalo DJ Collective – bringing  music & the art of mixing & scratching back to the radio – showcasing Chicago DJs Pumpin Pete, Big Once, Trancid, Charlie, and Jesse De La Pena.  Hosted by Vocalo’s Luis Perez and Dirty (formally of Liquid Soul).

1pm: FILM SCREENING (free – limited seating available): “The People Speak” is a film inspired by Howard Zinn’s books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Narrated by acclaimed historian Howard Zinn, and using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, this documentary feature film gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice. Click here to view the trailer.

3pm: “WORD: ACROSS GENERATIONS” (free – limited seating available): Listen in as some of the most prolific and profound poets in Chicago come together to perform their work and participate in a collective conversation about the power of words.  Featuring Roger Bonair-Agard, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who is a veteran of the spoken-word scene and a two-time National Poetry Slam Champion. His most recent book of poems is Gully. Bonair-Agard will be joined by Chance, one of Chicago’s emerging hip hop talents, and Fatima Warner, a hip hop artist from Chicago’s South Side and a member of DatSkat. This event is a production of The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, which aims to foster debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Click here for more information about The Public Square.

4pm: “All-City 3-on-3” Prelims (free) – it was the most popular event of the Party last year, so we’ve moved it to the main stage and tripled the action: see some of Chicago’s best breakdancing crews in this head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle, hosted by Legendary Brickheadz. The top 8 squads will advance to the Semi-Finals/Finals, which will be held at 8pm (see below). Winning Squad gets a $1,000 cash prize! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP YOUR CREW FOR THE COMPETITION or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating dancers who do not advance to the Semi-Finals will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.

4:30pm: EMCEE OLYMPICS (free – limited seating available): Hosted by Urbanized Music‘s Amina and Coolout, Founders of Chicago’s Hip-Hop Heritage Month, the Emcee Olympics is a NOT a traditional battle – rather it is a competition testing ALL the skills an emcee should have: freestyle, bar writing, crowd participation, and more. Emcees need to prepare a 16 bar verse AND a whole song (bring a beat for your song or we will provide one for you), AND be prepared to engage in several skill challenges. No homophobic, sexist or racist language. Winning Emcee gets two hours professional recording time at the WBEZ Performance Studio. Elevate! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP or sign up on-site beginning at 1pm. *PLEASE NOTE: All participating emcees will receive a complimentary ticket to “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” at 8PM.

This year’s main event “Legends of the BodyRock: An All-City 3-on-3” will begin at 8pm (doors at 7:30pm). This retrospective on the history of breakdancing in Chicago will include feature interviews and archive footage, live guests, and the semi-final and final rounds of a live head-to-head “3 on 3” dance battle hosted by Brickheadz.

Admission is free from noon to 6:00 p.m.; 8 p.m. admission is $15/$12 for WBEZ members and $10 for students. For more information, visit www.wbez.org

M.O.P.’s Billy Danze Spearheads “Rap United Nations” (RUN) Movement

 “RUN” (Raps United Nation) is the brainchild of M.O.P.’s Billy Danze who throughout the course of his illustrious career and years of extensive international touring could not help but notice and acknowledge how many talented artists he met during his travels who simply lacked a platform to be heard. Who better then a fellow artist to spearhead the charge and give them that platform, as Billy explains “As an artist I understand the frustration.  There are so many artists out there that possess the talent of being able to produce and record good music. They are determined; they have the drive and dedication, but feel as if no one notices. I’ve seen and heard what’s out there from an artistic level.  These artists need to be heard and have a united voice. I am very passionate about giving them that opportunity and will do anything in my power to help those that really want to win.”

 The Music industry has undeniably changed and evolved and artists have been forced to either adapt with it, or go the way of the dinosaur. While the Internet and the proliferation of social media platforms are viable assets for new artists desperately looking for exposure, using those mediums alone is still equivalent to trying to “catch lighting in a bottle.” Billy Danze’s ambitious plans for “RUN” are to create an army of incredible artists from all corners of the globe and to unify and raise awareness for them by creating projects which are loud enough to be heard by the masses; as Billy details “my aim is to get every talented artist a deal. 

Support on a globalized scale is all an artist really needs or could ask for. I have contacted all my resources and they in return have done the same.  A vital key to success in this business is alliance; and I personally have a team in every corner of the world. We can build a team of thousands and support each other.”

There is no disputing the artistic contributions Billy Danze has contributed to the culture as a member of M.O.P., yet, while still in its early infancy, his greatest contribution may still lay in front of him as the founder of “RUN,” as he eloquently states “as a fellow artist, these projects will enable me to be a vital cog in a family of worthy artists that simply need a platform and a voice and to oversee that lends the potential to be the biggest accomplishment of my career.  From a business perspective, I believe “RUN” (Raps United Nation”) is a vehicle the industry is desperately lacking.  The way to find new talent is to go get it.  Industry executives no longer believe in the artist, or artist development, how can the industry grow if we don’t allow new artists to showcase their talent?”

For artists interested in becoming a part of the “RUN” (Raps United Nation) movement and its debut project “First Wave,” please view the links below to find out more information on how to submit music: www.rapsunitednation.com, https://twitter.com/#!/RapsUnited or http://www.facebook.com/RapsUnitedNation

The 2012 Essence Music Festival is “Celebrating The Power of Our Voice”

The 2012 Essence Musical Festival celebrates “The Power of Our Voice” during its 18th anniversary held in New Orleans July 6, 7 and 8. This year’s theme reflects the audiences’ turn to powerful voices—whether through song, the political arena or community organizing—for strength and inspiration during challenging times. The annual Festival promises to deliver a stellar line-up of musical artists as well as leading thinkers, authors, innovators and influencers who will empower and motivate the audience to make a difference in each of their communities The annual weekend of entertainment and empowerment will feature an unprecedented three days of cultural celebrations over the festive Fourth of July holiday weekend in the Crescent City.

“The theme of this year’s Essence Music Festival celebrates our most powerful voices. Whether it’s Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul commanding respect or Rep. Maxine Waters demanding better conditions for our community, these powerful voices resonate with our audience like no other,” said Michelle Ebanks, president, Essence Communications Inc. “As we all face a new reality in these critical times, we want to inspire our Festival-goers to leave this year’s Festival even more resilient and motivated so that they can be empowered to create change in their own communities.”

After another record-breaking year in 2011, this year’s line-up promises to be a weekend to remember. Stellar acts leading the list of artists set to perform at the legendary Louisiana Superdome include: Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Fantasia, Stephanie Mills, Charlie Wilson, Keyshia Cole, Ledisi, SWV, Dru Hill, Raheem DeVaughn, Estelle, Goapele, Vivian Green, Kindred the Family Soul, Luke James, Eric Roberson, The Stylistics, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Bridget Kelly, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, The Stooges Brass Band and Khris Royal & Dark Matter.

In addition, Essence will honor iconic singer Aretha Franklin with “The Power Award.” The Queen of Soul previously performed at the Festival in 1995 and 2005.

In addition to the colossal music line-up, the audience can look forward to the annual Essence Empowerment Experience, which is free and open to the public at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Festival-goers will experience three full days of socio-political dialogue, health and wellness discussions and spiritual inspiration led by dynamic motivational speakers. The initial roster of leading authors, speakers and leaders include: Steve Harvey, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. Maxine Waters and Dr. Steve Perry . The weekend will culminate on Sunday with a rousing All-star Gospel tribute honoring gospel mega-stars Fred Hammond and Mary Mary.

In an effort to continue to give back to the New Orleans community, Essence will also partner with the City of New Orleans to benefit their initiatives focused on saving our youth.

Now in its 18th year, the ultimate destination for entertainment and inspiration hosted over 422,000 attendees last year. The festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture.  For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news visit www.essencemusicfestival.com. Join the Festival community: follow us on Twitter @essencemusic #EssenceFest and become a fan of 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival on Facebook.

 

Will Smith to Host Milestone 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards

World-renowned actor, producer and recording artist Will Smith (I Am Legend, The Pursuit of Happyness and the upcoming Men in Black III) will host Nickelodeon’s 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards , airing live on Saturday,March 31, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/tape delayed for West Coast) from the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles, California.  Smith, a ten-time Blimp Award winner, will be joined by Hollywood’s biggest stars in an unforgettable, special anniversary slimefest where kids rule. 

“How better to celebrate 25 years of Kids’ Choice Awards than with the biggest movie star in the world?” said Marjorie Cohn, President, Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon Group and an Executive Producer of the show.  “Will has enough KCA blimps at home to fill a room, having long been one of kids’ favorites.  He’s a larger than life presence who knows how to play big and we’re excited he’ll be taking the stage for the biggest, loudest, messiest spectacle in the show’s 25-year history.”

“The Kids’ Choice Awards are always the year’s liveliest, slimiest and most outrageous party for kids and teens,” said Will Smith. “I’m honored they wanted me to host this year so I can have a front row seat to take part in the fun.”

Two-time Academy-Award® nominee Smith recently finished filming Columbia Pictures’ Men in Black III, which will release on May 25, 2012. Up next, he will begin filming and producing One Thousand A.E. co-starring Jaden Smith.

Last year, Nickelodeon’s 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards, hosted by actor/comedian Jack Black, ranked as basic cable’s top telecast for the week (March 28, 2011–April 3, 2011) with 7.3 million total viewers. The show also ranked as the week’s top telecast with kids and tweens on all TV, averaging a 9.8/3.5 million K2-11, 12.7/2.7 million K6-11 and 11.7/2.5 million T9-14.  The star-studded telecast scored the most votes in the show’s history—a record 200 million (+70%, over 2010) votes were cast across Nick.com, Nick’s mobile site, a brand-new iPhone application and for the first time ever, an iPad-optimized site, TeenNick.com and Nick’s Facebook page.  Nick.com celebrated its highest trafficked day ever on April 2, earning 42 million page views (+9%) and reaching over 2.2 million visitors across its website, mobile and tablet sites (+14%).  Additionally, the audience for the live simulcast of Countdown to Kids’ Choice across these digital platforms posted double-digit increases (+39%) over the previous year.

Once again, kids will pick the winners and get tons of Kids’ Choice Awards content online and across multiple devices.  http://www.nick.com/KCA12 will serve as the official site for the Kids’ Choice Awards with nominee information, voting, videos, celebrity photos, news, and Orange Carpet and backstage webcasts.  Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards is more global than ever in 2012, seen in over 300 million households around the world.  Within hours of airing live in the United States and Canada, the show will roll out in additional international markets, providing kids around the world the opportunity to tune into their local Nickelodeon channel to enjoy the show faster than ever. 

 In many international markets, the 2012 KCAs will feature country-specific award categories and nominees, such as Nickelodeon Italia’s Favorite Star and Nickelodeon UK’s Favorite Show.  Voting for the 2012 KCAs will span over six continents across 15 localized voting sites, giving kids practically everywhere the chance to decide who takes home a coveted blimp.

Get Into the Ruckus with Premiere Episodes of “Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus”

JB Smoove brings the Ruckus to the stage as he reunites with Russell Simmons to host “Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus.”  The six half-hour episode series kicks off with two back-to-back episodes on Thursday, January 26 at 10:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central.

Simmons and Stan Lathan, the duo that created the genre-defining comedy show “Def Comedy Jam” and the previous Comedy Central hit “Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up At El Rey,” have once again joined forces for the stand-up series “Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus.”  Each episode features the ever-talented Smoove and new material from a mix of rising stars and long time favorite comics, with music by DJ Cassidy.  As a new added bonus, viewers will also see Smoove at his best – performing in filmed sketches woven into each episode.  Other comics appearing in the series filmed at the Edison Ballroom in New York City include: David Arnold, Mike Britt, Capone, Dov Davidoff, Nore Davis, Earthquake, Ian Edwards, Damn Fool, Kareem Green, Tiffany Haddish, Leslie Jones, Damien Lemon, Tony Roberts, Tony Rock, Owen Smith, Chris Spencer, Rob Stapleton, and Wil Sylvince.

Executive producers are Simmons and Lathan, Lathan directed the series, Colored TV produced the series and JoAnn Grigioni is the Executive In Charge Of Production for Comedy Central.

cc.com/ruckus will be the digital home for “Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus.”  The site will feature previews from upcoming episodes, highlights and sketches from past episodes as well as an exclusive digital series of video interviews of the cast members hosted by Tony Rock.  cc.com/ruckus will be the go-to-guide for information on Smoove, all of the featured comics and the series.

Previously, Smoove was the host of “Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey” and on Saturday, January 21 Smoove’s first one-hour Comedy Central original stand-up special, “JB Smoove: That’s How I Dooz It” will premiere at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.  He has also expanded his comedy footprint with the launch of www.TheRuckus.com, a comedy based website focused on original and branded comedy content.

Friday the 13th Gets Lucky With FEARnet’s Latest Sweepstakes

FEARnet.com, is passing around lucky charms on one of the unluckiest days of the year with its Friday the 13th Sweepstakes. Starting today through January 16, 2012 at 5 p.m. PT, movie fans can enter to win this luck-filled prize pack at FEARnet.com that would make even Jason Voorhees smile.   

FEARnet scares bad luck away, and will have fans feeling so lucky that they’ll no longer fear crossing paths with black cats, shattered mirrors, or walking under ladders.  The Friday the 13th pack includes: 

  • Sony Bravia Theater System
  • “Friday the 13th” (Extended Killer Kut) DVD
  • “Friday the 13th: The Ultimate Collection” (Parts I – VIII ) DVD with Jason’s Mask
  • “Freddy vs. Jason” DVD
  • “Jason Goes To Hell” DVD
  • “Jason X” DVD
  • FEARnet Swag

Fans can enter the Friday the 13th Sweepstakes starting today through January 16 at: http://www.fearnet.com/holidaysweepstakes. It is open to all residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older.  One entry per person per email address per day will be allowed. 

The Friday the 13th Sweepstakes is the latest addition to the list of amazing sweepstakes and giveaway events featured on FEARnet.com.  FEARnet also recently gave fans chances to win amazing prize packs with its Christmas Sweepstakes, and its trip giveaways to four of America’s most haunted cities including New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Essence Salutes 2012 GRAMMY®-Nominee Kelly Rowland & Music Industry Veteran Sylvia Rhone

Essence will celebrate 2012 GRAMMY® week with its 3rd annual ESSENCE Black Women in Music event honoring GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and rising icon Kelly Rowland and music industry veteran Sylvia Rhone on February 8, 2012 in Los Angeles.

The invitation-only, red-carpet event will bring out Hollywood’s elite to celebrate the accomplishments of the most influential movers and shakers in the music industry. The evening will feature an exclusive performance by Rowland and special guest GRAMMY® Award-winner Eve. The DJ for the evening will be the legendary MC Lyte—the first female solo rapper to ever be nominated for a GRAMMY®.

“We’ve watched Kelly Rowland for over a decade grow from a teenage sensation into an international superstar. Her talent, drive and remarkable creative force show what it truly means to be a young powerhouse in an ever-changing industry,” said ESSENCE editor-in-chief Constance C.R. White. “Kelly embodies the ‘soul’ of young Black women through her music and we are proud to salute her dynamic contributions.”

Rowland is a global multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-winning artist who has sold over 60 million albums worldwide. Entering the industry as a part of one the world’s largest girl groups of our time—Destiny’s Child—she eventually branched out into a thriving solo career. Rowland also broke into the film and television industry, appearing in sitcoms and several big-screen hits. Most recently, she joined the judging panel on the eighth series of the British reality television competition The X Factor. Rowland is currently nominated for a 2012 GRAMMY® for her platinum single Motivation featuring Lil Wayne from her third solo album, Here I Am.

Rhone has succeeded for more than three decades as one of the most influential female executives in the history of the music business. Most recently, she served as President of Universal Motown Records, overseeing a roster of breakthrough, best-selling artists, platinum, and multi-platinum artists, Missy Elliott, Kelly Rowland, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Keith Sweat, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Akon, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, MC Lyte and the legendary Stevie Wonder, among many others. Rhone has been honored with more than three dozen awards during her career, both from the music industry and the greater community.