Author Archives: UnRated Magazine

Second Annual Epic Summer Hip-Hop Tour Under The Influence of Music Starring Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky

The second annual Under The Influence of Music Tour will hit the road this summer, starring two of the most dynamic and exciting performers in music, Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky. The expanded, 20-city epic hip-hop trek will also feature special guests B.o.B., Trinidad Jame$, Joey Bada$$ & Pro Era and Berner, with performances by Chevy Woods and Smoke DZA.

The Live Nation-produced tour is set to begin on July 17 ^th in the San Francisco Bay Area at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View and will culminate on August 11 ^th at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center.

“Last year’s Under the Influence Tour was such a blast, that we decided to double the number of dates and take the tour to even more of our fans across the country,” said tour founder Wiz Khalifa. Last year’s Under the Influence Tour was a major success, making stops at 10 Live Nation amphitheatres around the country and averaging more than 17,000 tickets per show.

“I’m looking forward to getting out on the road with Wiz,” said A$AP Rocky. “We’ve talked a lot about doing this and I’m excited that it’s finally come together. This is going to be the biggest party of the summer.”

$15 Early Bird tickets will be available from the start of the tour presale through Sunday, April 28 ^th at 10PM local time, additional fees may apply, quantities limited.

Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning on Saturday, April 27 ^th at www.livenation.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Beginning today, fans can click here or visit http://on.fb.me/XUtLV6 to RSVP for early access to presale tickets available on April 25 ^th. Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, April 23 ^rd at 10AM local time through Citi’s Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com. VIP Packages are available at VIPNation.com.

Live Nation mobile app users will have access to presale tickets beginning April 26 ^th. Mobile users can text “LNAPP” or 404040 to download the Live Nation mobile app (available for iOS and Android).

Both Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky have massive live followings. Wiz has played more than 400 shows since the beginning of 2010 with major tours including “Deal or No Deal,” “Campus Consciousness,” “Rolling Papers” as well as last summer’s “UTIOM” tour. His latest album, O.N.I.F.C. debuted at Number Two on the charts and the single “Let It Go,” featuring Akon is currently making its way up the charts. Khalifa has released three albums previously including Show and Prove (2006), Deal or No Deal (2009) and Rolling Papers (2011). Khalifa’s megahit single from Rolling Papers, “Black and Yellow,” has sold over 4 Million copies to date.

With the announcement of the “Under The Influence Tour,” Wiz Khalifa is proud to announce The Influence Club – The Official Wiz Khalifa Tour Club. The Influence Club will offer you access to ticket presales and VIP packages before the general public and tons of exclusive content from EACH AND EVERY SHOW of Wiz’s upcoming tour! Simply click the ‘Influence Club” link on the wizkhalifa.com home page to get started.

A$AP Rocky announced his global arrival in a major way earlier this year when his highly anticipated debut album LONG.LIVE.A$AP entered at the Number One spot on Billboard’s Top 200, Hip-Hop Albums, R&B Albums and Digital Albums chart. The album entered the charts Top 10 in 24 countries around the world. Currently a special guest on Rihanna’s “Diamonds World Tour,” Rocky’s take-no-prisoners live set has been galvanizing audiences from coast-to-coast.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC TOUR

DATE	CITY	VENUE
Wed, Jul 17*	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Thu, Jul 18	Irvine, CA	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri, Jul 19	Chula Vista, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Sun, Jul 21	Albuquerque, NM	Isleta Amphitheater
Tue, Jul 23**	Denver, CO	Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Thu, July 25	Austin, TX	Austin 360 Amphitheatre
Fri, July 26	Houston, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun, July 28	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion
Tue, July 30	Chicago, IL	First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Wed, July 31	Detroit, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre
Thu, Aug 1	Washington, DC	Jiffy Lube Live
Fri, Aug 2	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat, Aug 3	Pittsburgh, PA	First Niagara Pavilion
Sun, Aug 4	Indianapolis, IN	Klipsch Music Center
Tue, Aug 6	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Wed, Aug 7+	Boston, MA	Comcast Center
Thu, Aug 8	Hartford, CT	Comcast Theatre
Fri, Aug 9	Montreal	Parc Jean Drapeau
Sat, Aug 10	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Sun, Aug 11	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center

*Trinidad James will not be appearing on the Bay Area date.
**Tickets for Denver show go on sale on Saturday, May 11^th.
+Ticket on sale date for Boston, to be determined.

For more information please visit: LiveNation.com, theinfluencetour.com, WizKhalifa.com and asvpxrocky.com Join the conversation at #TheInfluenceTour.

Second Annual Epic Summer Hip-Hop Tour Under The Influence of Music Starring Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky

$15 Early Bird tickets will be available from the start of the tour presale through Sunday, April 28 ^th at 10PM local time, additional fees may apply, quantities limited.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC TOUR

DATE	CITY	VENUE
Wed, Jul 17*	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Thu, Jul 18	Irvine, CA	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri, Jul 19	Chula Vista, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Sun, Jul 21	Albuquerque, NM	Isleta Amphitheater
Tue, Jul 23**	Denver, CO	Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Thu, July 25	Austin, TX	Austin 360 Amphitheatre
Fri, July 26	Houston, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun, July 28	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion
Tue, July 30	Chicago, IL	First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Wed, July 31	Detroit, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre
Thu, Aug 1	Washington, DC	Jiffy Lube Live
Fri, Aug 2	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat, Aug 3	Pittsburgh, PA	First Niagara Pavilion
Sun, Aug 4	Indianapolis, IN	Klipsch Music Center
Tue, Aug 6	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Wed, Aug 7+	Boston, MA	Comcast Center
Thu, Aug 8	Hartford, CT	Comcast Theatre
Fri, Aug 9	Montreal	Parc Jean Drapeau
Sat, Aug 10	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Sun, Aug 11	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center

*Trinidad James will not be appearing on the Bay Area date.
**Tickets for Denver show go on sale on Saturday, May 11^th.
+Ticket on sale date for Boston, to be determined.

For more information please visit: LiveNation.com, theinfluencetour.com, WizKhalifa.com and asvpxrocky.com Join the conversation at #TheInfluenceTour.

Beyonce And Nine Inch Nails Headline ‘Budweiser Made In America’ Music Festival In Philadelphia Labor Day Weekend

Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Budweiser and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Live Nation announced the line-up of the 2013 “Budweiser Made In America” music festival. Following last year’s groundbreaking inaugural concert, the two-day festival features some of today’s most diverse live performers. The blockbuster line-up was unveiled on April 10^th via an exclusive Spotify playlist, http://spoti.fi/10SBoYP. Complete ticket purchasing and presale information is listed below.

As he did in 2012, JAY Z has curated an explosive roster of talent, which includes headliners Nine Inch Nails, Beyonce as well as A$ap Rocky, Nero and Haim along with more than 30 others who represent excellence, artistry and the American spirit. Performers will appear across three stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1.

“Last year Pearl Jam, Miike Snow, Gary Clarke Jr., Odd Future, Skrillex and Janelle Monae killed,” commented JAY Z. “This year, we have Nine Inch Nails, Beyonce, Empire of the Sun, Kendrick Lamar and deadmau5. This festival is all about experiencing great music and performances as a family. I can’t wait to get back to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, see some stage diving, walk through the crowds, drink a little and rock out again.”

Musical acts confirmed to perform are:
Beyonce, Nine Inch Nails, Queens Of The Stone Age, deadmau5, Phoenix, Calvin Harris, Empire Of The Sun, Imagine Dragons, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Miguel, Public Enemy, Solange, 2 Chainz, The Gaslight Anthem, A$ap Rocky, Walk The Moon, Nero, Feed Me, Porter Robinson, Wolfgang Gartner, Fitz & The Tantrums, Emile Sande, Haim, Schoolboy Q, AB Soul, GTA, Robert Delong, Redlight, Mord Fustang, Alunageorge, Jay Rock, Jesse Rose and TJR.

“Budweiser has a decades-long history of celebrating great American music,” said Paul Chibe, Vice President of U.S Marketing at Anheuser-Busch. “A music festival is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together, so we’re thrilled that once again the incomparable JAY Z and United Way have joined us to ensure that Budweiser Made in America brings a world-class line-up of music to Philadelphia this Labor Day Weekend.”

This concert will benefit United Ways in Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Lancaster County, PA. A primary goal of this music festival is to have a positive impact on the communities involved. As a result of this concert, the money invested into these communities will positively impact the education, income and health of the most vulnerable and most needy citizens in these regions.

As a result of last year’s Budweiser Made in America festival, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey is investing more than $350,000 into education and talent development initiatives to enhance cradle-to-career education that ensures all students graduate high school college- or career-ready and equips individuals with the job skills and training they need to secure work that provides a family-sustaining income.

The festival also enabled United Way of Lancaster County to invest an additional $100,000 in programs and services that support learning success across the education continuum.

“The debut of the Budweiser Made In America festival last year was a huge event for music fans from all over the Northeast,” said Mark Campana Co President of North American Concerts, Live Nation. “The two-day festival will once again feature an incredible and diverse roster with Beyonce, Nine Inch Nails, deadmau5 and so much more. The beautiful location of the Ben Franklin Parkway combined the wonderful spirit of Philadelphia creates a once-in-a-lifetime festival experience that no music fan can miss.”

“Once again, I am thrilled to announce that the Budweiser Made in America Festival has chosen Philadelphia as its home,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Last year’s event, hosted on the historic and dynamic cultural corridor of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, was a huge success, significantly impacting our local economy. The City of Philadelphia is excited to welcome back JAY Z and Made in America.”

Described as “veritable music lover’s paradise over Labor Day weekend,” the 2012 “Budweiser Made In America” music festival featured 28 performers including JAY Z, Pearl Jam, D’Angelo, Afrojack, Jill Scott, Run DMC, Odd Future, Skrillex and Passion Pit. In its debut, the festival received rave reviews, with press such as the Philadelphia Inquirer noting, “There was no arguing with Made in America’s ability to put on a diverse set of musical acts…the fest…worked as a uniquely urban, impressively varied draw for a multiracial millennial generation crowd.”

Spotify is the official digital music sponsor for the Budweiser Made in America Festival and will be presenting exclusive content and producing exclusive on-site activations.

The Budweiser Made In America Festival art features a work from the acclaimed American artist, Richard Prince. The piece used is called “Untitled (The Velvets).” It was created in 2007 and is collage and acrylic on canvas.

“Budweiser Made in America” also will be available for consumers around the country to watch via live streaming. Details will be announced at a later date.

TICKET PURCHASING INFORMATION

Two-day festival passes are available for $150.00 with tickets going on sale to the general public on April 17th at Ticketmaster.com. The festival will offer a special early bird presale price of $99.50 for all tickets purchased through any presale offer listed below. Presale tickets are limited and available while supplies last.

American Express and Budweiser Facebook presales begin Wednesday, April 10th.

Use any American Express® Card to purchase tickets before the general public Wednesday, April 10th at 12 PM ET through Sunday, April 14th at 10 PM ET
Fans can visit Budweiser’s Facebook page for early access to tickets from Wednesday, April 10th at 1 PM ET through Thursday, April 11th at 1am ET

Budweiser Made In America Facebook presale begins Monday, April 15 ^th.

Fans can RSVP to the Made in America Facebook presale by clicking here or visiting http://bit.ly/MIAFest_RSVP for access to presale tickets beginning Monday, April 15th at 10am EST through Tuesday, April 16th at 10 PM ET.

Kendrick Lamar Announces good kid, m.A.A.d. city World Tour Dates

Kendrick Lamar, the acclaimed Top Dawg Entertainment artist, is taking his gold, #1 R&B/Hip-Hop good kid, m.A.A.d city album on the road across America and around the globe with the good kid, m.A.A.d city World Tour. Hot on the heels of his 30+ performance Verge Campus Tour which kicked off March 29 and runs through mid-May, the good kid, m.A.A.d city World Tour launches May 21st and spans 16 U.S. dates from coast to coast plus 30 festivals in more than a dozen European countries and Japan. Accompanying Lamar on all of the good kid, m.A.A.d city World Tour U.S. dates will be ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock.

Throw in several additional U.S. festivals–SUNFEST in West Palm Beach, FL (May 5), Sweetlife Festival in Columbia, MD (May 11), Sungod Festival in La Jolla, CA (May 17), Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL (May 18), Governors Ball Music Festival at Randall’s Island, NY (June 8), Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN (June 16), Firefly Music Festival in Dover, DE (June 22), Del Mar Fair in San Diego, CA (June 28), Kanrocksas Music Festival in Kansas City, KS (June 29) and Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL (August 3)–and Lamar will be one of the busiest rappers performing this year.

Lamar’s debut major label album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope), released October 22, 2012, debuted at #1 on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts and #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Date	City	Venue
May 5	West Palm Beach, FL	SUNFEST *
11	Columbia, MD	Sweetlife Festival*
17	La Jolla, CA	Sungod Festival*
18	Gulf Shores, AL	Hangout Festival*
22	Las Vegas, NV	Cosmopolitan
23	Salt Lake City, UT	The Great Saltair
29	Portland, ME	The Waterfront At Ocean Gateway
30	Albany, NY	Armory
Jun 1	Junction, VT	Champion Valley Exposition
3	Belle Vernon, PA	Ice Garden
4	Cleveland, OH	Jacob Pavilion at Nautica
5	Detroit, MI	Chene Park
6	Indianapolis, IN	Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn
8	Randall’s Island, NY	Govenors Ball*
10	Baton Rouge, LA	Baton Rouge River Center
11	Houston, TX	Reliant Arena
12	Grand Prairie, TX	Verizon Theatre
13	New Braunfels, TX	Whitewater Amphitheatre
16	Manchester, TN	Bonnaroo*
19	St. Augustine, FL	St. Augustine Amphitheatre
20	Atlanta, GA	The Tabernacle
21	Simpsonville, SC	Charter Amphitheatre
22	Dover, DE	Firefly Music Festival*
23	Raleigh, NC	Red Hat Amphitheatre
26	Mesa, AZ	Mesa Amphitheatre
28	San Diego, CA	Del Mar Fair*
29	Kansas City, KS	Kanrocksas*
29	Los Angeles, CA	BET Experience
Jul 3	Gdynia, PL	Heineken Open’er Festival
4	Roskilde, DK	Roskilde Festival
5	Zurich, SE	Touch the Lake Festival
6	Haachtsesteenweg, BE	Rock Werchter Festival
7	Arras, FR	Main Square Festival
8	Birmingham, UK	Academy
9	Manchester, UK	Apollo
10	Leeds, UK	Academy
11	Grafenhainichen, DE	Splash Festival
12	Kinross-shire, UK	T in the Park Festival
13	London, UK	Wireless Festival
14	Rotterdam, NL	North Sea Jazz Festival
17	Montreaux, CH	Montreaux Jazz Festival
18	Molde, NO	Molde Jazz Festival
19	Tonsberg, NO	Slottsfjell
20	Pori, FI	Pori Jazz Festival
27	Naeba, JP	Fuji Rock Festival
Aug 2	Toronto, CA	Sound Academy
3	Chicago, IL	Lollapalooza*
4	Montreal, CA	Osheaga Music Festival
8	Oslo, NO	Oya Festival
9	Helsinki, FI	Flow Festival
10	Gothenburg, SE	Way Out West
15	Hasselt, BE	Pukkelpop Festival
16	Biddinghuizen, NL	Lowlands Festival
17	Chelmsford, UK	V Festival
18	South Staffordshire, UK	V Festival
20	Glasgow, UK	Bellahouston Park
22	Paris, FR	Stade de France
23	Paris, FR	Rock En Seine Festival
24	Hradec Kralove, CZ	Hip Hop Kemp Festival

* Denotes Festival

GET. BEYONCE. NOW.

Beyonce and Pepsi take the ultimate trip down memory lane, only to realize the excitement of the moment is NOW in a new global advertising campaign unveiled today. The creative collaboration, mutually developed by Beyonce and Pepsi as part of the previously announced global partnership, will debut at 9:00am EDT/2:00pm GMT in a special digital premiere on www.youtube.com/pepsi, followed by airings in more than 70 countries worldwide beginning on April 4 th. The spot, which will be seen by more than a billion people, also features “Grown Woman,” an infectious new track from Beyonce.

The global partnership is the next iteration of Pepsi’s “Live for Now” brand spirit, which encourages fans to embrace the NOW and be at the epicenter of, and helping to define, pop culture – a mindset shared by both Beyonce and Pepsi. It is also the current cornerstone of Pepsi’s breakthrough, global music strategy which supports emerging, rising and iconic stars alike by providing them with truly global reach, promotional support and innovative resources, such as “The Pepsi Opening Act” platform, and offers fans extraordinary, unforgettable music and experiences.

The spot entitled “Mirrors”, one of the first creative collaboration elements of the partnership, sees Beyonce’s most iconic personalities from her past – including “Bootylicious” Beyonce, “Sasha Fierce” and “Crazy in Love” Beyonce – go head-to-head in a dance-off in a mirrored studio. As it progresses, Beyonce recreates her most memorable moves before being inspired to create a fresh, never-before-seen routine. “Mirrors” chronicles Beyonce’s realization that all these experiences and personas helped her become who she is NOW, much like the story of a “Grown Woman” – the perfect visual embodiment of the “Live For Now” brand ethos.

“I had so much fun collaborating on this campaign with Pepsi. I got to re-live some of my favourite past characters and looks. It was the first time I saw those costumes in years and it was very emotional,” says Beyonce. “I’m proud of those moments and they all connect in some way and have helped me evolve into who I am today.”

Beyonce and Pepsi enjoy a long-standing relationship that goes back more than a decade and includes groundbreaking, international campaigns in which she starred alongside Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham, P!nk and Britney Spears. Beyonce was intimately involved in every aspect of the creative development of this campaign – from the storyline to the overall styling and selection of which ‘Beyonce’s’ best bring to life the journey she has been on, to become who she is NOW.

“There isn’t an artist that embodies what it means to “Live for Now” more than Beyonce. She is a true trendsetter and is at the epicenter of pop culture today, and we couldn’t have asked for a better creative partner to bring our shared visions to life. While this advertising is the first phase of our wide-ranging collaboration, we are also co-developing ways to engage fans around the upcoming “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour,” and incubating a lot of other cool creative content together to entertain our fans, create indelible moments and continue to shape pop culture,” said Brad Jakeman, President, Pepsi Global Beverages Group.

“As one of the first markets to showcase the commercial, we are continuing our Super Bowl Halftime Show momentum and storyline with Beyonce in a way that only Pepsi could deliver – by infusing a pop culture icon, never before heard or seen musical content, and the excitement of NOW,” said Simon Lowden, CMO, Beverages, PepsiCo. “We are also anxious to announce some exciting consumer engagement opportunities around the “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” which will debut here in the United States in late June in Los Angeles.”

“Mirrors” was shot in New Jersey (USA), directed by Jake Nava who has collaborated with Beyonce on numerous projects including the indelible “Crazy in Love” video and filmed by Oscar award-winning cameraman Claudio Miranda. For more information visit www.pepsi.com, Beyonce.com.

In Memoriam: Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

UnRated Urban joins the film community and world in expressing sorrow of the death of film critic Roger Ebert. Chaz Ebert issued the following statement Thursday about the passing of her husband, Roger Ebert, a day after he celebrated 46 years as a film critic: “I am devastated by the loss of my love, Roger — my husband, my friend, my confidante and oh-so-brilliant partner of over 20 years. He fought a courageous fight. I’ve lost the love of my life and the world has lost a visionary and a creative and generous spirit who touched so many people all over the world. We had a lovely, lovely life together, more beautiful and epic than a movie. It had its highs and the lows, but was always experienced with good humor, grace and a deep abiding love for each other.

“Roger was a beloved husband, stepfather to Sonia and Jay, and grandfather to Raven, Emil, Mark and Joseph. Just yesterday he was saying how his grandchildren were “the best things in my life.” He was happy and radiating satisfaction over the outpouring of responses to his blog about his 46th year as a film critic. But he was also getting tired of his fight with cancer, and said if this takes him, he has lived a great and full life.

“We were getting ready to go home today for hospice care, when he looked at us, smiled, and passed away. No struggle, no pain, just a quiet, dignified transition. “We are touched by all the kindness and the outpouring of love we’ve received. And I want to echo what Roger said in his last blog, thank you for going on this journey with us.”

The American Film Institute also issued a statement: “Roger Ebert championed the art of the moving image,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale, “and by the courage of his personal example demonstrated how much movies matter.”

Ebert chaired the AFI AWARDS jury of critics, filmmakers and scholars who selected the year’s 10 best films in 2004. “He held the gavel that day with the same enthusiasm for excellence that made his voice a force in American popular culture,” said Gazzale.

Ebert wrote BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970) for director Russ Meyer and then made his mark as a national critic on television with SNEAK PREVIEWS and AT THE MOVIES, often sharing the screen with Gene Siskel or other film critics and offering a thumbs-up or down assessment of both major studio releases and smaller independent films. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1975. In recent years, he inspired the film community by continuing to review films on his blog in spite of his courageous fight against cancer.

On behalf of all of us who love the movies – thumbs up, Roger – for a life well lived and our heart-felt thanks for all the gifts you will continue to give us as time goes by,” said Gazzale.

Photo from Roger Ebert website

Video: Murs, “What Up Tho”

Murs and 9th Wonder present the Hobostewd-directed music video for “What Up Tho”, a cut from their new album The Final Adventure, out now.

Adventure is Murs and 9th’s final album together. The iTunes edition include two bonus tracks, while the iTunes deluxe version includes the bonus tracks and all of the instrumentals.

Murs recently released This Generation, his collaboration album with Cali rapper Fashawn, both currently on the road together for a series of US shows.

LL COOL J Brings AUTHENTIC Music Back On April 30, 2013

Two-time Grammy^®-winning recording artist, LL COOL J, will release his 14^th studio Album, AUTHENTIC, on April 30, 2013 on 429 Records/The Savoy Label Group. The multi-platinum artist returned to the studio and kicked the volume up to create a powerful new album that came from his true passion for music and would speak to his fans. AUTHENTIC is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and iTunes.

AUTHENTIC features a diverse and wide array of legendary and new artists that underscores the Album’s roots of being born out of the true love for music, including Brad Paisley, Bootsy Collins, Chuck D, Charlie Wilson, Eddie Van Halen, Earth, Wind & Fire, Monica, Snoop Dogg, Seal, Travis Barker and many more. Collectively these artists have achieved tremendous success in music, including many Grammy^® Awards, multi-platinum albums, American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Billboard Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and nominations, NAACP Awards, and Country Music Awards, among many other accolades.

“With AUTHENTIC, I wanted to work on a project that showed my genuine love for all music,” LL says. “Collaborating with these myriad of artists was an amazing experience and this album got me back to my roots and is for the fans across all generations who love real music too.”

Celebrating his 30^th year in music, AUTHENTIC features the iconic rapper in his element. The album is anchored by LL’s expressive attitude where his sensitive side is as present as his slicing lyrical switchblades. AUTHENTIC comes to life with rock-hip-hop anthems, crazy club jams, tender tracks, personal tributes, and hard-hitting commentary addressing the current hip-hop climate.

Fans have gotten an early taste of the musically diverse and genre defying AUTHENTIC with the release of the Album tracks “We Came To Party” featuring Snoop Dogg & Fatman Scoop and “We’re The Greatest” featuring Eddie Van Halen and Travis Barker, a thunderous rock/rap anthem which includes symbolic lyrics, frenetic, over the top guitar licks played with reckless abandon and solid drum beats.

On the heels of the release of LL’s new album, LL will tour this summer all across the country in support of AUTHENTIC. As a part of performing this summer, LL featuring DJ Z-Trip will headline “The Kings Of The Mic” Tour, joined by legendary Hip-Hop artists Ice Cube, Public Enemy and De La Soul. LL will kick-off touring May 23, 2003 in Tucson, AZ and wrap-up in Los Angeles, CA on July 7, 2013. For a full list of LL’s dates and cities, and to purchase tickets, visit here.

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Records flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums. The multi-platinum artist and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee is currently tied for third place for the most Billboard chart debuts by a rapper. For three decades, LL has continued to influence hip-hop with rap ballads that captivate generations of audiences. Since then, the veteran rapper has evolved his scope of work across entertainment appearing in numerous television and film roles, among many other projects.

AUTHENTIC was recorded in Los Angeles and is Executive Produced by LL COOL J and will be released as a joint venture by LL COOL J, Inc. and 429 Records. For more information, details and updates, visit www.LLCOOLJ.com, Facebook.com/LLCOOLJ, Twitter.com/LLCOOLJ and Twitter.com/TeamLLGoat.

AUTHENTIC TRACKLIST:

“Bath Salt”
“Not Leaving You Tonight” Feat. Fitz & The Tantrums with Eddie Van Halen
“New Love” Feat. Charlie Wilson
“We Came To Party” Feat. Snoop Dogg & Fatman Scoop
“Give Me Love” Feat. Seal
“Something About You” Feat. Charlie Wilson, Earth Wind & Fire and Melody Thornton
“Bartender Please” Feat. Snoop Dogg, Bootsy Collins & Travis Barker
“Whaddup” Feat. Chuck D, Travis Barker, Tom Morello and Z-Trip
“Between The Sheetz” Feat. Mickey Shiloh
“Closer” Feat. Monica
“Live For You” Feat. Brad Paisley
“We’re The Greatest” Feat. Eddie Van Halen & Travis Barker

LL COOL J TOUR DATES
5/23	Tucson, AZ	Ava Amphitheater
5/24	Las Vegas, NV	Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – The Joint
5/25	San Francisco, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre
5/26	Santa Barbara, CA	Santa Barbara Bowl
5/30	Minneapolis, MN	Target Center
5/31	Council Bluffs, IA	Harrah’s Hotel & Casino – Stir Cove
6/1	Saint Louis, MO	Scottrade Center
6/4	Atlanta, GA	Fox Theatre
6/6	St Petersburg, FL	Mahaffey Theater
6/7	St Augustine, FL	St. Augustine Amphitheatre
6/8	Orlando, FL	94.5 Block party
6/12	Baltimore, MD	Lyric Opera House
6/14	Simpsonville, SC	Charter Amphitheater at Heritage Park
6/15	Portsmouth, VA	nTELOS Wireless Pavilion
6/16	Durham, NC	Durham Performing Arts Center
6/18	Newark, NJ	New Jersey Performing Arts Center
6/19	Boston, MA	Bank of America Pavilion
6/20	New York, NY	Roseland Ballroom
6/22	Canandaigua, NY	Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
6/23	Mount Pleasant, MI	Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort – Outdoor
6/25	Cleveland, OH	Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
6/26	Clarkston, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre
6/27	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center
6/28	Milwaukee, WI	Summerfest
7/1	Grand Prairie, TX	Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
7/2	Austin, TX	Stubb’s Waller Creek Outdoor Amphitheater
7/3	Houston, TX	Bayou Music Center
7/5	New Orleans, LA	Essence Festival
7/7	Los Angeles, CA	The Greek Theatre

Keyshia Cole Announces Woman to Woman Tour

Multiplatinum-selling songstress Keyshia Cole (Geffen) is gearing up for an 18 city headlining tour, she announced today. Set to kick off this March, the Woman to Woman tour—named after her November 2012 album—will serve as a thank you to fans; all five of Cole’s albums have reached the Billboard Top 200’s top 10. The month-long tour will begin in Westbury, NY on March 28 and wrap in Cole’s hometown of Oakland on April 21.

The tour announcement continues an exciting run for the R&B diva. First, the Grammy-nominated artist bared her soul on Woman to Woman; an effort which earned her the #2 position on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The record was host to singles “Enough of No Love” and “Trust and Believe”; the first, a passionately belted up tempo track, with the latter serving as a confessional, yet catchy tale of broken trust.

In addition to the release of her fifth studio album, Cole also starred alongside husband Daniel Gibson in BET’s hit reality series “Keyshia & Daniel: Family First.” She’s slated to hit the Essence Festival stage for the fourth time this July.

Concert goers will also be treated to the sultry sounds of fellow crooner and special guest, Chrisette Michele .

Tickets on sale now. For more information, please visit: http://smarturl.it/KeyshiaColeTour

KEYSHIA COLE ITINERARY
Thursday, March 28	Westbury, NY	Westbury Theater
Friday, March 29	Norfolk, VA	Chrysler Hall
Saturday, March 30	Washington, DC	Warner Theater
Tuesday, April 2	Boston, MA	Orpheum
Thursday, April 4	New York, NY	Beacon Theater
Friday, April 5	Wallingford, CT	Oakdale Theater
Saturday, April 6	Atlantic City, NJ	Borgata
Sunday, April 7	Philadelphia, PA	Tower Theatre
Tuesday, April 9	Toronto, ON	Danforth Music Hall *
Thursday, April 11	Detroit, MI	Motor City Casino
Friday, April 12	Cleveland, OH	State Theater
Saturday, April 13	Merrillville, IN	Star Plaza Theater
Sunday, April 14	Indianapolis, IN	Murat Theatre
Tuesday, April 16	Dallas, TX	Verizon
Thursday, April 18	Phoenix, AZ	Celebrity Theater
Friday, April 19	Los Angeles, CA	Club Nokia
Saturday, April 20	San Diego, CA	Humphrey’s
Sunday, April 21	Oakland, CA	Fox Theater
* Chrisette Michelle will not be appearing on this date.

The Notorious B.I.G.’s Spirit Lives On In “House of Wallace” Animated Series

The Notorious B.I.G.‘s creative spirit has had an inspirational impact that is felt to this day throughout popular culture, including music, films, and the written word. That influence will continue to live on through Ossian Media’s brand new animated series, House of Wallace .

Featuring the rapper’s children – C.J. and T’yanna – as its main characters, the show will follow them in their dramatic journey as they attempt to keep his studio in Bedford-Stuyvesant / Brooklyn alive, despite numerous trials and tribulations.

As legend has it, B.I.G. built his own studio to consolidate creative control once his musical career began to flourish. Now, it serves as the inspiration for both the series’ name and its central storytelling locale. An international music conglomerate threatens to buy out the House of Wallace and replace it with a cookie cutter “entertainment factory”. However, C.J. and T’yanna stand up for its ‘Notorious heritage’ and the “real” music it represents, attempting to re-energize the studio and elevate it to the status of a modern hit-maker. The spirit of B.I.G. himself serves as a central character, appearing to the children in ethereal form to guide them through the adversities they face as they struggle to preserve their father’s labor of love.

Facing a hostile corporate takeover, C.J. and T’yanna are guided to invent a novel approach to creating alternative revenue streams – re-imagining their Dad’s studio as a ‘jingle house by day’, where some of the world’s greatest talents lend their voices and abilities to some of the world’s best-known brand names. By night they return to the studio to work on their own musical projects, all while being inspired by the association with Biggie’s studio sound. “Come to cut a multi-platinum new album, stay to record a hit commercial!” is the phrase they like to employ as a means of enticing these artists to participate in their fledgling jingle ‘side business’.

“It’s been 16 years since our Dad was murdered and we miss him dearly. … It is such an honor for us to be able to carry on his legacy, not only through his music but also by channeling him through our own creativity. This project, “House Of Wallace” is a great opportunity for us to bridge the gap between our parents who loved his music and the kids and young adults our ages, that were not around to really appreciate it,” says T’yanna and C.J. Wallace.