On March 8th, Melky Jean (Wyclef's sister) will release her new album, Care For Haiti. "Better" is the album's debut single and all proceeds will go to CARE (a non-profit organization providing aid to Haiti for more than 50 years).
- uhkeem
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On March 8th, Melky Jean (Wyclef's sister) will release her new album, Care For Haiti. "Better" is the album's debut single and all proceeds will go to CARE (a non-profit organization providing aid to Haiti for more than 50 years).
- uhkeem
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Britney's back! This is the first single from her forthcoming album (due in March) and there's already a ton of hate going around right now regarding this song. But her hardcore fans seem to enjoy it. I have no strong opinion yet until I hear it thumpin' in the club.
However, it is now a record-breaking single setting a new one-day precedent for a #1 single on iTunes within only hours of its release.
Do you like???
- uhkeem
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Jay-Z is doing it big over at Roc Nation! He has a number of female singers on his label so some will thrive and others will fail. This talented young lady deserves her time to shine though. "Good Girl" is the second single from her forthcoming album (no release date yet). What do you think???
Check out this excerpt from her official bio...
With all of the stars that fill our sky, there are very few that shine as bright as Star Roc/Roc Nation's newest signee, Alexis Jordan. With flowing red hair, just as vibrant as her personality, 18 year-old Alexis possesses an emotive, awe-inspiring voice that is packed with a power strong enough to brighten our entire world. "I only sing songs that are from my heart," says the singer/songwriter compassionate young woman whose music promotes positivity and self-respect. "Because if I can't feel it, it's not going to come out right" she adds.
Just an FYI from wikipedia about the Freemasons...
Freemasons are a dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small (who is also one half of the house production duo Phats & Small) and James Wiltshire (who also works with Phats & Small under the alias 'Jimmy Gomez').
Her 1st single/video below called "Happiness"...
This was her big break...
- uhkeem
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What artist isn't a Prince AND Michael Jackson fan??? Songstress Corrine Bailey Rae covered a handful of her favorite love songs of all time for The Love EP to be released digitally on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th). Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover" is just a taste of what's to come.
See Corrine's comments below (courtesy of SoulCulture.co.uk) concerning each track...
‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’
I met Prince in London at his gigs at the O2 and he gave me loads of encouragement. I was amazed by the gig but even more impressed by the aftershow he did in a small venue where he tore up on the guitar and played other people’s songs too. This is one of my favourite Prince songs and gives me the chance to sing the kind of sexy, rhythmical music I love but never seem to write. Getting the chance to do this song was a dream.
‘Low Red Moon’
Belly were one of the prime influences on my first band Helen, where we had a real indie/DIY ethic. I was addicted to their album ‘Star’ as a teenager and learnt loads about guitar playing just listening to them. They made me realise the most important thing in music was to express yourself and get your ideas across, without worrying about playing like a virtuoso. We had such fun playing this song, it’s like an aggressive 60′s science-fiction soundtrack.
‘Is This Love?’
My mum was the Bob Marley fan in our house which I loved, because although my father is Caribbean, he didn’t much care for reggae. Little examples like this meant I grew up learning that you could be yourself and never had to be a cliché because of your ethnicity. And Bob Marley is such an incredible songwriter, which means you can approach his songs in so many ways. I wanted to put ‘Is This Love?’ into 6/8 and bring the tempo back to underline the poignancy of the lyric, and then Steve Brown arranged the piano part into something reminiscent of Carole King or Aretha Franklin’s gospel-soul piano style, which gave it a whole extra level. When guitarist John McCallum added in this Hendrix/Curtis Mayfield sound, it brought in a whole American doo-wop dimension too. So it’s like a whole bunch of my favourite influences in one beautiful song.
‘My Love’
I first heard ‘My Love’ at an event for Paul McCartney at the White House, where I was invited to play. A string section played the song and I was struck by the fragility of that ascending melody on “My love does it good”. I was also really touched by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney’s relationship; their mutual respect and the fact they had known each other so long. When we recorded this song the harmonies and keyboards were definitely influenced by Stevie’s sound.
‘Que Sera Sera’ (live)
‘Que Sera Sera’ is a song we have been closing our gigs with all over the world. I love Sly and the Family Stone’s version, how he takes what feels like a nursery rhyme in Doris Day’s lovely hands and turns it into a philosophical outcry, declaiming “The future’s not ours to see”. Sometimes I attack this lyric angrily, sometimes I’m all peaceful and surrendered to it. What an amazing song. We recorded this super-long version in Washington D.C one night when the magic in the air meant we didn’t want to get off stage. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed playing it.
- uhkeem
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Official Press Release
Universal Motown artist Erykah Badu, best known for her eccentric style and cerebral music, has announced that she will be joining theEvent for a full set prior to Prince's performance.
Tickets went on sale Saturday January 8, 2011 at 12:00 Noon CST at www.princedallas.com.
This all-inclusive soiree boasts music, art, food, spirits and more. Along with the rare performance by Prince and Erykah Badu, entertainment will include music from The Goss-Michael Foundation scholarship winners, guest DJ's, a silent auction, as well as additional special guests to be announced..
theEvent will be held in Downtown Dallas at the site formerly known as Reunion Arena on Reunion Boulevard in an exclusive custom designed climate-controlled performance tent.
Proceeds benefitting The Goss-Michael Foundation. "One of The Goss-Michael Foundation's missions has been to encourage the talents of young artists, both visual and performing, through our statewide high school scholarship programs. With the funds raised at this one-of-a-kind event, students will be able to reach for their dreams. Prince is an artist that hundreds of millions of people around the world admire. Our scholarship winners and all of us are honored that Prince has selected The Goss-Michael-Foundation as the beneficiary" says Joyce Goss of The Goss-Michael Foundation.
"Single Ticket $1500 Contribution" includes general admission, open bar and food stations.
"VIP Nest for Six $12,000 Contribution" includes VIP admission, reserved lounge style seating for six, dedicated server for drinks and food.
"Head Table for Ten $25,000 Contribution" includes VIP admission, plush stage side seating for 10 and dedicated server for food and bottle service.
Friday, February 4, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Stay Tuned to www.Twitter.com/theEventDallas
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE:
- uhkeem
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Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce a group exhibition of multimedia works featuring images of women and girls by artists including Ryan Bradley, Caleb Cole, Dru Donovan, Emile Hyperion Dubuisson, Maggy Rozycki Hiltner, Beth Hoeckel, Conor King, Carey Kirkella, Danelle Manthey, Pamela Murphy, Vanessa Prager, and Claire Stigliani, curated by Alyssa Menegat. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, January 13 from 6 to 8 pm.
Jenkins Johnson Gallery
521 West 26th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001
212-629-0707 fax. 212-629-4255
alyssa@jenkinsjohnsongallery.com
www.jenkinsjohnsongallery.com
Double Exposure: African Americans Before and Behind the Camera, showcases 90 vintage photographs from the Amistad Center for Art & Culture’s historical collection of art and artifacts with photo-based art by contemporary African-American artists. The exhibition Organized by the Amistad Center for Art and Culture at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of art in Hartford, CT, opens to the public at the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland on Thursday, January 20, 2011. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday January 19, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm. The exhibition will stay on view until Friday, March 11, 2011. The Gallery will be open two additional Saturdays, February 5 and February 26, 2011 from 11am - 4pm.Please Note: Entrance to the Driskell Center is through the set of doors under the Driskell Center sign.
Double Exposure, curated by guest curators Lisa Henry and Frank Mitchell, illuminates the persistent interplay between the past and the present in African American photography. The exhibition highlights and explores the African American experience by bringing together photographic works from the 19th and 20th centuries by artists who expressed the experience of race through the use of personal, cultural and historical images. The exhibit delves into the interconnected reality of the past and the present for African American photography as well as concepts of identity and memory through visually theorizing the shifting relationships between black cultural memory and contemporary photographic storytelling.
http://www.driskellcenter.umd.edu/
Miguel just dropped his second single "Sure Thing" from his debut album All I Want Is You. This guy offers something different to the world of R&B. He's eclectic enough to cross over to pop audiences, but can still entertain an urban audience as well. This is tough to do in music today.
Here's an excerpt from his official bio:
It doesn’t happen often. But every once in a while a young artist comes along who has the chops, vision, range and creative conviction to change the game. Miguel is among that chosen few.
Let’s start with his voice: The Los Angeles, California, native has one of those raw honey falsettos that oozes into your soul and stays there, even after the music stops. Billboard Magazine exclaims, Miguel, 24, “offers both the sweetness of Babyface and the passion of R. Kelly.” Yum.
Then there’s the power of Miguel’s pen. This Scorpio doesn’t just write lyrics. He paints aural portraits—of his loves, his heartbreaks and his kinky little fantasies. “To me, the best songs are the ones that show how vulnerable, how human we all are,” says Miguel. Penning Asher Roth’s “His Dream,” Mary J. Blige and Musiq’s “If U Leave,” and co-writing on Usher’s Raymond V Raymond album, Miguel says, “For me, writing is like making steak and potatoes into a Happy Meal—how do I work in that substance but keep you coming back for more?”
With the album tracks on his ByStorm/Jive debut, All I Want Is You, Miguel certainly delivers. Through his longtime partnership with LA-based underground stalwarts Fisticuffs, and his visits with veteran boardsmen such as Salaam Remi and Dre & Vidal, Miguel has cooked up a truly genre-bending mélange of sounds. On the same platter, you’ll find traces of the Cali avant garde hip-hop he picked up from his high school homie Blu; the funk, electro and classic rock he borrowed from his crate-digging Mexican-American dad; and the big, rich harmonies of his African-American mom’s traditional soul.
“Overall, I call my style ‘eclectric,’” says the crooner who considers himself a mashup of Prince, Lenny Kravitz and Pharell Williams. “It’s edgy and it defies category, but it still reaches the people.”
- uhkeem
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Black Abstraction is the new group show at Harmony Hall Gallery in Ft. Washington, MD. The show will showcase the work of twelve amazing artists from DC, Maryland and Virginia exploring and expanding the boundaries of contemporary abstract art production. The show is curated by registrar, art journalist, private dealer and now curator Jarvis Dubois.
The exhibition opens to the public Monday, January 17. On January 22, 2011 the gallery will host an artist talk from 3:30 - 5p which will be followed immediately by the reception 5-7p Saturday, January 22.
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Check out this recent live performance of the Billy Joel classic "Just The Way You Are" sung by former J Records' recording artist Emily King. According to wikipedia, she is now a free agent and still performing! Emily came on the scene in 2007 with her East Side Story debut album. She wrote most of the material and also worked with legendary songwriter/producer Chucky Thompson on the album. However, it was released in the year of Alicia Keys. It wasn't going to work especially with the two of them on the same label. But it's good to see her still kickin' ass...
Also take a listen to two of my favorite tracks from Emily's debut album! "Colorblind" should have been the 1st single! :)
This one below is called "Never Be Lonely" and it's one of my favorite songs to come along in a long time! I have to OD here (lol) with the lyrics so you can understand how serious this song is...
Here I sit and wonder of a life that was
But some how that's gon away
This morning I woke to find my love had gone
For reasons he did not say
Funny how things are never what they seem
But oooooh can we go back to where we used to be?
Oh, if I could have yesterday
I'd make it so you never go away
And I would never be lonely
I'd give anything to hold you once again
I prayed that you could love me until the end
And I would never be lonely
Once we shared out world and anything I'd give
Simply to see you smile
This man was the center of my happiness
If only for a short while
Funny how things can change so easily
But oooooh can we go back to where we used be?
Oh, if I could have yesterday
I'd make it so you never go away
And I would never be lonely
I'd give anything to hold you once again
I prayed that you could love me until the end
And I would never be lonely
There was a time when I thought that love could never, never change
There was time when you'd hold me close
You'd take away my pain
Well how those days
What happen to forever?
Oh, if I could have yesterday
I'd make it so you never go away
And I would never be lonely
I'd give anything to hold you once again
I prayed that you could love me until the end
And I would never be lonely
Upcoming Shows
February 4th
92YTribeca w/ Jesse Boykins
$10 admission doors open 8
February 23rd
Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2)
196 Allen st. 9:15
www.rockwoodmusichall.com
- uhkeem
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I don't normally like to compare many artists, but they're the only two artists I've ever heard sing this song. It's Jennifer Hudson's version of The Color Purple on Broadway theme song "I'm Here" (performed at this year's Kennedy Center Honors celebration) versus Fantasia's personal touch on it.
Who owns it???
- uhkeem
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Shout out to Soul Culture TV in the U.K. for posting this Youtube vid! Marsha Ambrosius covers Teena Marie's "Yes Indeed" from her 1981 It Must Be Magic album. The song will appear on Marsha's forthcoming Late Nights & Early Mornings album. This is not a live performance, but instead a sneak preview into her album. She speaks briefly after the song about it being Teena-approved and one of her all-time favorite songs. Finally! - this album is coming to light after over a year of speculation!
Also, check out the original version below...
- uhkeem
]]>Above is Tiffany Evans' new music video for "I'll Be There" from her forthcoming Ms. Evans album. Below is where she came from. This post also includes her 2004 debut single "Let Me Be Your Angel" (a Stacy Lattisaw cover and please don't say 'who?' lol).
- uhkeem
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Remember when Lauryn walked away from her recording career back in '98? I'm not at all making comparisons. I want to point out some parallels. Jazmine Sullivan is the type of artist that creates from a place deeper than her pockets. Soon after the holidays, Jazmine tweeted that she is walking away from recording at this moment to find herself. Let's give her the same amount of respect we gave to Lauryn please. Yes - Jazmine has much more to accomplish, which all more of a reason for her to come back...when she is ready. During my recent interview with her, she mentioned that she has found love and I believed her. I also got the sense that she doesn't want to sacrifice her personal life for her career.
Just be patient, she'll return sooner than later. In the meantime, check out one of my favorite songs by her from her latest Love Me Back album out now! Interesting album title btw...
- uhkeem
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