Monthly Archives: July 2012

Donate To Homeless Youth For Free Tix To Common/Virgin Mobile Show In Chicago

Virgin Mobile has partnered with the City of Chicago, The Night Ministry and the Common Ground Foundation to help homeless youth in Chicago. Be part of their cause, and come visit their new retail locations with a $20 donation – in exchange they’ll give you a ticket to see Chicago native COMMON perform live!
Tickets are available at the following location and times:

Virgin Mobile Flagship

2562-64 N. Clark St.

Saturday, 7/21 12-4PM (CT)

Sunday, 7/22 12-4PM (CT)

Can’t make it to the Flagship Store? Tickets are also available by clicking here. All proceeds benefit The Night Ministry of Chicago that works to provide housing, healthcare and human connection to members of our community struggling with poverty or homelessness. VIP goodies may be available for some lucky customers, so keep your eyes and ears open! Visit our hot, new locations in your neighborhood to upgrade your phone, check on your account, browse new devices, and high five our employees. Click here to find one near you!

*No purchase necessary, donation is required. Ticket quantities are limited. Cost per ticket: $20 donation to The Night Ministry. Max ticket quantity per person: 2. Must be 18 or older.

NBC’s Popular Design Competition Series ‘Fashion Star’ Announces Casting Cities

NBC’s popular reality competition series “Fashion Star” is kicking-off its search for the 12 best innovative designers for its second season. Casting calls will begin in seven major U.S. cities – Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and Miami beginning June 30 in Los Angeles and continuing into July to discover the next big brand in fashion.

The series gives designers the chance to win a multi-million dollar contract to launch their own collections in three of America’s largest retailers. In its premiere season, the show crowned Kara Laricks the first winner of “Fashion Star.” Laricks wowed mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos and won more than $6 million in collection deals with Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and H&M. Her clothes are currently on sale at those retailers.

Season 2 casting call locations and dates are listed below (all times local):

Los Angeles

Saturday, June 30

FIDM – Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

New York

Saturday, July 14

TRYP Times Square South

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Dallas

Sunday, July 15

Macy’s – Northpark Center

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Atlanta

Saturday, July 21

Macy’s – Perimeter Mall

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

San Francisco

Saturday, July 21

Macy’s- Union Square

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Chicago

Sunday, July 22

Macy’s – State Street

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Miami

Saturday, July 28

Macy’s – Downtown

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Additional open call information, including what to bring and how to audition is available at: www.FASHIONSTARCASTING.com, on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FashionStarCasting and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FashionStar_NBC.

“Fashion Star” puts contestants to the test each week to see how they react in a variety of real-world scenarios to determine who has the vision and desire to build a fashion empire and achieve their dream. With top experts as their guides and mentors throughout the process, designers will have to be as aware of the business aspect of fashion as they are of creativity.

To further benefit designers, the series allows viewers at home to buy the winning designs each week, adding an exciting twist to fashion competitions. In the end, one designer will successfully combine fashion and business to become the next “Fashion Star” and win a multi-million dollar prize to exclusively sell their entire fashion line in three of the biggest retailers in the world.

Jennifer Hudson Performs at 2012 Taste of Chicago

Chicago’s sweetheart Jennifer Hudson kick off the 32nd Annual Taste of Chicago this year in Grant Park on Wednesday July 11th.

Hudson, introduced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, commanded the stage dressed in short shorts and a black leather top and performed hits “We Gon’ Fight and “and “No One Gonna Love You”. Hudson also covered hits by Aretha Franklin and the late Whitney Huston.

The incredible performance helped downplay the lack luster attendance due to the city’s decision to sell tickets for this year’s performances that have usually been free. R&B newcomer Luke James opened for Hudson.

Sir Michael Rocks Readies Forthcoming LP Lap of Lux Due Out Aug. 2nd

Sir Michael Rocks, who the New Yorker once called “full of energy and immediately watchable,” is preparing to release his forthcoming street album, Lap of Lux, through One Off Entertainment on August 2nd. To celebrate the upcoming release, Rocks will be performing on July 21st in his hometown of Chicago at Reggie’s Rock Club.

Coming on the heels of a prolific 2011, where he dropped three solo mixtapes (The Rocks Report, Premier Politics, Premier Politics 1.5), and a 45-city tour with Mac Miller in the first half of 2012, Rocks displays an advanced and mature sound throughout Lap of Lux. Producers on the collection include Cardo (Taylor Gang), Hit-Boy and J.Hill (Chief Keef) as well as his partner in The Cool Kids, Chuck Inglish while features include Casey Veggies, Mac Miller and more.

One of the standouts on the 15 track offering is “You Know What” produced by the in demand Hit-Boy (G.O.O.D. Music). The song features a playful beat with Rocks rhyming differently than fans might be used to. He explains, “I feel like I couldn’t have done this on one of my group projects, or even my earlier solo projects because it’s a new sound that I’ve never really dealt with. I’ve got a real rapid-fire flow on there. This is something new that I’ve just stepped into.”

Another banger on Lap Of Lux is “Reservations.” Produced by Cardo (Taylor Gang), Rocks reminds fans of his rap skills and his easy delivery and story telling ability is showcased on this mid-tempo song. Not forgetting where he came from, Rocks teams up with his partner Chuck Inglish for “Good Sushi,” a Cool Kids sound with a 2012 spin on it.

Sir Michael Rocks Lap Of Lux will be available Physically and Digitally on 8-2-2-012. DL link to the first leak, “Now You Do,” from Sir Michael Rocks Lap Of Lux is included here: http://soundcloud.com/macmediapromo/sir-michael-rocks-now-you-do

Tracklisting and credits for Sir Michael Rocks Lap Of Lux LP:

1.) “Now You Do” (produced by Flosstradamus)

2.) “GED” f/ Tris J (produced by J. Hill)

3.) “They Hate It” (produced by Papi Beats)

4.) “Take It To The Floor” (produced by Papi Beats)

5.) “Reservations” (produced by Cardo)

6.) “NWO” (produced by Flosstradamus)

7.) “Great” f Casey Veggies & Mac Miller (produced by Cardo)

8.) “Good Sushi” (produced by Chuck Inglish)

9.) “In The Loop” (produced by Polyester)

10.) “The Best” f/ Tris J & Shorty K (produced by Mano)

11.) “Connect”f/ Mano (produced by Cardo)

12.) “Can’t Hide It” f/ Rockie Fresh (produced by J. Hill & iamLpeezy)

13.) “If It Ain’t Foreign” (produced by Tye Hill)

14.) “You Know What” (produced by Hitboy)

15.) “The Clique” f/ Casey Veggies & Tris J (produced by The Freshman)

MURS Discusses Homophobia, Bullying & Teen Suicide in New Video Animal Style

Cali emcee Murs presents the Hobostewd-directed music video for “Animal Style”, the Embassy-produced track from his recent BluRoc release Love & Rockets Volume 1: The Transformation.

“Animal Style is a song I did for many reasons,” Murs explains. “The first was to be an advocate for people close to me who are out, and those who have yet to come out. It’s also a love song, which is nothing new for me. But with this one I wanted to challenge the listener to ask themselves: Is the love shared by two people of the same gender, really that different than the love I have for my partner of the opposite sex? And finally, I just felt it was crucial for some of us in the hip hop community to speak up on the issues of teen suicide, bullying, and the overall anti-homosexual sentiment that exist within hip hop culture.

I felt so strongly about these issues and this song that I had to do a video that would command some attention, even if it makes some viewers uncomfortable. Even if it came at the cost of my own comfort.”

Red Bull BC One, the Premier B-Boy Competition, returns to Chicago July 21st

On July 21 in Chicago, North America’s top b-boys will face off during the Red Bull BC One North American qualifier at the historic Aragon Entertainment Center. Throughout four rounds of 1-on-1 battles, the competition will feature b-boys that have paved their way to the highest platform of breakdancing: Red Bull BC One. 16 b-boys will fight for the chance to represent North America in the ultimate battle at the world finals later this year in Rio.

B-boys will display their styles reflecting their regional backgrounds. With West Coast power moves meeting the freezing styles of the East, Chicago fans of this complex dance style will not be disappointed. At the end, only one of the 16 competitors will emerge with the right to call himself the best b-boy in North America. In addition to bragging rights, the victor will earn the chance to represent North America at the Red Bull BC One World Finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this December. The qualifier in Chicago will be held at the Aragon Entertainment Center on Saturday, July 21 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are $10 for General Admission on the floor and the balcony, and can be purchased at the Aragon box office or online at aragon.com. Red Bull BC One is an all ages event, with free admission for those 12 and under. More information on the event can be found at www.redbullbcone.com.

B-boy Ronnie, the Las Vegas breaker who won the 2007 Red Bull BC One Finals in South Africa, knows something about the importance of the United States qualifiers. He will join b-boys Float and Machine to judge the Chicago event. Looking ahead, Ronnie said, “To win something this big in America will mean so much. All the b-boys are training for this like it’s the Red Bull BC One Finals. Whoever wins this, it’s going to be a big deal.”

As one of the four elements of hip-hop—along with MCing, DJing and graffiti—b-boying has thrived in Chicago, a city with undisputed hip-hop cred. The ballroom inside of the Aragon Entertainment Center is one of the Windy City’s most storied cultural landmarks and a legendary dance venue, will serve as the arena for a day of battles that will help shape the future of b-boying. Skeme Richards, who serves as the DJ for the legendary Rock Steady Crew, will provide music for the night and hosting the event is RAKAA, representing the Dilated Peoples, the Rock Steady Crew, and UZN.

The 16 competing b-boys include: Ken Fury (New York City), Domkey (Philadelphia), Ronnie Ruen (Los Angeles), Villn (Sacramento), Tata (Brooklyn), Evol (Chicago), Nasty Nate (Houston), Fléau (Canada), Mijo (Milwaukee), MN Joe (St. Paul), Bebo(Brockton), Prada G (Los Angeles), Mig 187 (Las Vegas), Omen (Homestead), Stripes (Tampa), and Kid Cruz (Denver).

Going back to the 1970s, b-boy competitions centered around 1-on-1 battles. In the last 15 years, however, crew competitions have become more popular. Red Bull BC One takes breaking back to its roots by keeping the focus on 1-on-1 contests. Since its birth in 2004, the Red Bull BC One has become the premiere competition in the world of B-Boying. While the competition has consistently attracted the best in the world, in 2011 the event series opened up to give any B-Boys the chance to compete through a multi layered global qualification phase. For this great season, Red Bull BC One was voted best B-Boy Event 2011 at the World of Dance Awards.

This year, there will be over 60 Cyphers, local qualification events in countries as far and wide as Algeria, Italy, Bolivia and Taiwan. Winners of those Cyphers will get the chance to compete in one of six continental qualifiers in an attempt to reach the World Final, which will be held in December 2012.

Tickets for the Chicago event: general admission / balcony – $10 at http://win.gs/rbbc1chitix. For more information, visit www.redbullbcone.com

Murs & Whole Wheat Bread are The Invincibles

Cali emcee Murs and Florida punk rock band Whole Wheat Bread are The Invincibles, presenting their six-song collaboration record, along with the music video for their track “I-10”. Murs first met the the Jacksonville punk legends on the 2003 Warped Tour. Years later they reconnected through mutual friend Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes.

They recorded some songs for Murs’ 2008 Warner Bros. release Murs For President. Red tape kept the songs shelved, but Murs and WWB felt there was a definite vibe worth further development. In fall 2009 they proclaimed themselves the Invincibles and began recording. This EP contains 6 songs from that period. Other songs may surface. Murs recently dropped visuals for “Epic Salutations”, from his recent album Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation, produced entirely by Ski Beatz, the producer behind classic records for Jay-Z, Mos Def and more.

Murs’ most recent release is Yumiko: Curse Of The Merch Girl, his album and graphic novel collaboration with Josh Blaylock. He recently curated Through The Mic, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s first-ever hip-hop concert series, and this year’s installment of his annual Paid Dues festival featured Wu-Tang Clan, Odd Future, Kendrick Lamar and many more.

Download now here: http://www.audiomack.com/album/murs/murs-whole-wheat-bread-are-the-invincibles

Keyshia Cole Is Back With New Single “Enough Of No Love”

R&B sensation Keyshia Cole marked her return to the marketplace with the radio premiere and digital release of “Enough Of No Love,” the first single from the platinum-selling, Grammy nominated R&B singer’s upcoming album. The street edge that shot Keyshia to the top of the charts also returns with a vengeance, with “Enough Of No Love” featuring Lil Wayne. The single debuted July 2^nd across Clear Channel’s network of 22 Urban stations, playing at the top of every hour from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Additionally, the single is now available for purchase and streaming at digital retailers.

The single will be supported by a video directed by Benny Boom, who helmed the video to her #1 platinum hit “Let It Go,” as well as clips for Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, P. Diddy, 50 Cent, Kelly Rowland and many others. “Enough Of No Love” was written by Keyshia and Redd Stylez, and produced by Harmony.

Keyshia’s powerful and passionate new album, Woman To Woman (Geffen Records), is set for release later this year. The making of Woman To Woman will be featured in “Keyshia & Daniel: Family First,” a six-part reality series premiering October 9th on BET. Her critically acclaimed BET reality series “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” was the #1 most-watched series in the network’s history during its three-season run from 2006-2008.

Keyshia will also introduce “Enough Of No Love” on stage as she performs a handful of tour dates in July. Her journey from the streets of Oakland and an adopted family to achieving her dreams is a truly extraordinary and inspirational story. Since her 2005 platinum debut The Way It Is hit #6 Top Albums and #2 R&B/Hip-hop (with the Top 5s “I Should Have Cheated” and platinum “Love”), Keyshia has scored two #1 R&B/Hip-hop albums. 2007’s platinum Just Like You debuted #1 R&B/Hip-hop (#2 Top Albums), propelled by the #1s “Let It Go” featuring Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim, “I Remember” and “Heaven Sent.” The album garnered her four Grammy nominations, including for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album. In 2008, the gold A Different Me also debuted #1 R&B/Hip-hop and #2 overall, with the Top 5 “Trust” featuring Monica. 2010’s Calling All Hearts debuted #9 Top Albums and #5 R&B/Hip-hop.

BET To Launch The BET Experience at L.A. Live in June 2013

BET Networks has teamed up with AEG and L.A. Live to create and produce the first-ever BET Experience at L.A. Live and L.A. Live to create and produce the first-ever BET Experience at L.A. Live, taking place June 28, 29 and 30, 2013 as part of the BET Awards weekend activities. The 2013 BET Awards will be held on June 30 at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live at the center of the downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district for the first time.

The BET Experience at L.A. Live is a three day celebration of music, entertainment, and Black culture and will be the largest consumer event in BET Networks’ history. Each day, attendees at the BET Experience at L.A. Live will enjoy great performances, participate in TV show tapings, attend thought provoking seminars, interact with sponsor exhibits and connect with their favorite BET programs. Each night, attendees will have the opportunity to attend concerts in the world famous Staples Center featuring superstar iconic artists and party the night away in a variety of clubs and afterparties at L.A. LIVE.

Also for the first time, a limited number of exclusive early bird ticket packages for the three night Staples Center concert series will be available beginning Sunday, July 1st at 8:00 pm EDT / 5:00 pm PDT at www.betexperience.com. Packages start at $199, and are also offered at $299 and $399, each including 3-night passes to the concert series.

“We are thrilled to bring BET to life in such an exciting way for our audience. BET Networks is known for creating memorable stage moments and our partnership with AEG will allow us to create many once-in-a-lifetime moments at the BET Experience at L.A. Live for years to come,” said Debra Lee, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, BET Networks.

The Experience will feature:

Staples Center concert series: Three nights of megastar concerts will be hosted at Los Angeles’ most popular and award winning concert venue.
106 & Park Stage: 106 & Park, the number one music countdown show, brings the livest audience to Nokia Plaza L.A. Live for the weekend with free musical performances, new talent showcases and celebrity sightings.
Club Nokia concert series: The intimate concert venue will house the best in soul music and comedy for two nights.
Music Matters Stage: This free-to-the-public stage will showcase up-and-coming artists associated with the BET Music Matters which has introduced BET Awards show-stopping, Grammy® winning, chart-topping new talent to the world including Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambrosius, J. Cole, and Luke James.
Sponsor Expo and Fan Fest: A free, open-to-the-public festival, street fair and block party that invites guests to engage with their favorite BET shows and talent and their favorite brands through interactive exhibits, demonstrations and giveaways.
Personal Growth Sessions: BET Experience attendees can participate in uplifting and empowering seminars, panels, and workshops led by some of the most important and influential voices in the community. These sessions are free-with-registration.
Official BET Experience Afterparties: The hottest late-night parties featuring great DJ’s, celebrity appearances and much more!

More BET Experience attractions will be added and announcements coming throughout the next year. Consumers are encouraged to visit the website, www.betexperience.com to purchase tickets and get updates on talent, programming initiatives, contests, giveaways and more.

BET Awards 12 is #1 Awards Show on Cable, Drawing 7.4 Million Viewers

Live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 1st, BET Awards 12 kicked off with a bang when G.O.O.D. Music artists Kanye West , 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Pusha T exploded onto the stage for a medley of their hits “Mercy” and “Cold” before a one-of-a-kind freestyle from Kanye West that officially jumpstarted this year’s “Too Big To Miss” show. Box office superstar and BET Awards 12 host Samuel L. Jackson was joined on stage by award-winning director Spike Lee for a hilarious parody of “N***s in Paris” that had Jay-Z and Kanye West cracking up in the front row.

In honor of the untimely passing of music icon Whitney Houston, BET Awards 12 pulled together an unprecedented pairing of today’s divas, family members, friends, and cast mates for an emotional tribute that even brought BET Awards 12 double-winner Beyonce to tears. The incomparable Mariah Carey opened the In Memoriam celebration with a trio of stories, speaking about meeting her friend at the Grammys, working together on their Oscar-winning duet, “When You Believe” from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack and the last time they saw each other—laughing together in Paris in the fall.

Paying tribute to Whitney Houston’s undeniable gospel roots—both spiritually and vocally, Monica took to the stage to sing “I Love The Lord.” Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” duet partner, Brandy, lifted the mood with up-tempo favorites “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “I Want To Dance With Somebody.” Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother, sang “Where You Are,” a touching prelude to their mother’s performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Cissy Houston dedicated her performance to her late daughter and brought the audience to tears with her emotional rendition of the song. Cissy Houston’s performance was followed by a heartfelt and memory-filled account from Whitney’s “Waiting to Exhale” co-stars Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine. Chaka Khan helped the crowd—including Soulja Boy—dry their eyes with an upbeat performance of “I’m Every Woman” that got the already standing room only crowd dancing in celebration of the late singer’s life.

Other moving In Memoriam tributes included Valerie Simpson ‘s love-filled performance to her late husband, Nick Ashford , Chante Moore singing “Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls” to tribute Donna Summer , and special moments spotlighting the entertainment industry and world’s loss of Dick Clark, Hal Jackson, Heavy D, Etta James , Vesta, Robin Gibb , Don Cornelius , MCA, and Chuck Brown .

R&B crooner D’Angelo returned to the television stage for the first time in 12 years for a special medley of his sultry hit “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and a new track, “Sugar Daddy.” Actor, comedian and BET Awards 11 host, Kevin Hart, introduced a special performance from MMG featuring Rick Ross that showcased Wale, Rick Ross and DJ Sam’s “Bag of Money” and “So Sophisticated” before being joined by Meek Mill on “Black Magic.” Closing out the show were Tyga and Ca$h Out performing their hit “Rack City” and “Ca$hing Out.”

Other notable performances included Usher’s sensual single “Climax,” Nicki Minaj’s booty popping rendition of “Champion” and “Beez in the Trap” with 2 Chainz, Melanie Fiona ‘s “Wrong Side of a Love Song,” Chris Brown ‘s zombie ballet medley of “Don’t Wake Me Up” and “Turn Up The Music,” and BET Music Matters newcomers Charles Perry and Jannah Bell . BET’s Sunday Best judge Yolanda Adams , Season 4 winner Amber Bullock , Season 2 winner Y’Anna Crawley , and Season 2 1st runner-up Jessica Reedy also took to the stage for a crowd-pleasing rendition of The Clark Sisters’ hit, “You Brought the Sunshine.”

After a special tribute performance of their classics “Can’t Get Over You,” “Joy and Pain,” and “Happy Feelin’s” by Joe, Tyrese, and Faith Evans, respectively, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly were honored with the Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award by presenter Tyler Perry . Dr. Reverent Al Sharpton was honored by BET Networks Chairman/CEO Debra L. Lee with the Humanitarian Award presented by State Farm for his tireless work to bring justice to the underrepresented and marginalized. The BET Awards 12 Shine A Light recipients were David A. Boone and Vy Higginsen.

Representing the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s “Django,” and to present the trailer for their upcoming film, which co-stars BET Awards 12 host Samuel L. Jackson were “Scandal” star Kerry Washington and Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. Other BET Awards 12 presenters included Taraji P. Henson, Elle Varner, Cedric The Entertainer, Meagan Good, Laz Alonso, and many more.

In addition to all of these spectacular moments, the full list of BET Awards 12 winners are:

Best Female R&B Artist: Beyonce

Best Male R&B Artist: Chris Brown

Best Group: The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye West)

Best Collaboration: Wale featuring Miguel

Best Male Hip Hop Artist: Drake

Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj

Video of the Year: “Otis” The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) featuring Otis Redding

Video Director of the Year: Beyonce and Alan Ferguson

Best New Artist: Big Sean

Best Gospel: Yolanda Adams

Best Actress: Viola Davis

Best Actor: Kevin Hart

YoungStars Award: Diggy

Best Movie: The Help

Subway Sportswoman of the Year: Serena Williams

Subway Sportsman of the Year: Kevin Durant

Coca-Cola Viewers Choice Award: Mindless Behavior

Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown

Centric Award: Common

Best International Act: Africa: Sarkodie (Ghana) and Wizkid (Nigeria)

Best International Act: UK: Wrench 32

Photos from BET.com