Hosted by Grammy-nominated rapper Fat Joe, the BET Hip Hop Awards kicked off Tuesday night, and fans got a chance to see some of the biggest names in the genre perform their hottest hits. Amid the awards and acceptance speeches, Tuesday’s show saw some impressive performances from artists including Kodak Black, GloRilla, Bleu, French Montana, Pusha T and many more.
The I Am Hip Hop Award recipient, Trina — described as “the most consistent female rapper of all time” in 2012 by Xxl and honored by Billboard as one of their “31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop” in 2014 — delivered an emotional acceptance speech that was one of the most inspiring moments of the night.
While one of the biggest special surprises of the evening came from the founder of Loud Records, Steve Rifkind, who made an appearance to introduce a star-studded number featuring Lil’ Flip, Dead Prez, Fat Joe, Mobb Deep with Lil’ Kim,...
The I Am Hip Hop Award recipient, Trina — described as “the most consistent female rapper of all time” in 2012 by Xxl and honored by Billboard as one of their “31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop” in 2014 — delivered an emotional acceptance speech that was one of the most inspiring moments of the night.
While one of the biggest special surprises of the evening came from the founder of Loud Records, Steve Rifkind, who made an appearance to introduce a star-studded number featuring Lil’ Flip, Dead Prez, Fat Joe, Mobb Deep with Lil’ Kim,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Singer-songwriter and radio host Estelle may have been born in the UK, but she has a special affinity for one distinctly American holiday: Juneteenth. "I just think it's a beautiful celebration of Blackness, and it's in the middle of Black Music Month, too," she told Popsugar. That's why she's marking the occasion with Estelle's Juneteenth Special at 1 p.m. on Apple Music Hits on June 19. And the day before, she'll be joined by DJ Mannie Fresh for a special Black Music Month mix on The Estelle Show. "I think of Stevie Wonder, I think of Lauryn Hill, I think of Jay-Z, I think of Nina Simone. These artists, through the ages, have spoken about freedom in all its facets," Estelle said. "And I'm looking forward to our show with one of the most prolific producers and DJs, Mannie Fresh, giving us all we need to get into the vibes."
Estelle...
Estelle...
- 6/17/2021
- by Lindsay Miller
- Popsugar.com
“The Masked Singer” finale on May 26 will be a battle between the three celebrities who are disguised as the Black Swan, Chameleon and Piglet. Of this trio of talent, the most entertaining is the contestant hidden inside the Chameleon costume. From the sound and style of his singing, the clues he gave in his videos and his conversations with the four judges we are sure we know the real name of the Chameleon. Keep reading if you dare for all of “The Masked Singer” spoilers for the season 5 finale.
From his debut in Week 2, when the Chameleon ruled the stage with his electrifying cover of “Ride wit Me” by Nelly, we’ve been certain that he was a professional rapper. We became even more sure as the weeks went on and he nailed each successive appearance capped off by his show-stopping performance of “Oh Boy” by Cam’ron featuring Juelz Santana on the May 19 semifinal.
From his debut in Week 2, when the Chameleon ruled the stage with his electrifying cover of “Ride wit Me” by Nelly, we’ve been certain that he was a professional rapper. We became even more sure as the weeks went on and he nailed each successive appearance capped off by his show-stopping performance of “Oh Boy” by Cam’ron featuring Juelz Santana on the May 19 semifinal.
- 5/26/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
“The Masked Singer” season five winner will be revealed on the May 26 finale. The final three celebrity contestants in the fight for the Golden Mask are disguised as the Black Swan, Chameleon and Piglet. Over the course of the first 10 episodes, the rest of the 14 contenders were unmasked. The most recent of these was eliminated on the May 19 semi-final when the Yeti was revealed to be rapper Omarion.
We had figured out the real name of the last of these four Wild Cards before this big reveal by rewatching all of Yeti’s previous performances and clues videos. Now we’ve turned our attention to the final three contestants still in the hunt for the Golden Mask. And we are sure that we know their real names.
Keep reading for all “The Masked Singer” spoilers for the finale, as we offer up our best guesses of the true identities of...
We had figured out the real name of the last of these four Wild Cards before this big reveal by rewatching all of Yeti’s previous performances and clues videos. Now we’ve turned our attention to the final three contestants still in the hunt for the Golden Mask. And we are sure that we know their real names.
Keep reading for all “The Masked Singer” spoilers for the finale, as we offer up our best guesses of the true identities of...
- 5/26/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
At last, the final three contestants of “The Masked Singer’s” Spring 2021 cycle have been named: Black Swan, Piglet and Chameleon. But who will go on to join the show’s ever-growing winner’s list? Ahead of Wednesday’s Season 5 finale, let’s take a look at Gold Derby’s racetrack odds for all three finalists. Our odds are based on the combined predictions of “Tms” fans like You who’ve been making their picks throughout the year. There’s still time to have your say before the fifth season ends — it’s fun and easy to make your own predictions.
SEELeAnn Rimes returns to ‘The Masked Singer’ as guest panelist in Season 5 finale
So who will win “The Masked Singer” Season 5? The finale odds (see below) currently favor Black Swan in first place, with Piglet in the runner-up position and Chameleon down in third. Take a peek:
1. Black Swan...
SEELeAnn Rimes returns to ‘The Masked Singer’ as guest panelist in Season 5 finale
So who will win “The Masked Singer” Season 5? The finale odds (see below) currently favor Black Swan in first place, with Piglet in the runner-up position and Chameleon down in third. Take a peek:
1. Black Swan...
- 5/26/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The Chameleon rapped his way into the quarter-finals of “The Masked Singer” on May 12 with his rollicking version of “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” on the Week 8 episode. He won over the judges on May 5 with his red-hot performance of this song made famous by Busta Rhymes, who had contended on season 4 of the show as the Dragon. While the Dragon was ousted in his first appearance, the Chameleon could go all the way and win season 5.
We’ve been convinced of the real identity of the Chameleon since he made his debut in Week 1 singing “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly. We went back and took another look at that performance as well as his others on the show to date: “21 Questions” by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg (Week 4); “Hip Hop” by Dead Prez (Week 5); and “Regulate” by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg (Week 7). And we rewatched all of his clues videos.
We’ve been convinced of the real identity of the Chameleon since he made his debut in Week 1 singing “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly. We went back and took another look at that performance as well as his others on the show to date: “21 Questions” by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg (Week 4); “Hip Hop” by Dead Prez (Week 5); and “Regulate” by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg (Week 7). And we rewatched all of his clues videos.
- 5/12/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
As Season 5 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer” heads toward its conclusion at the end of the month, Variety has the scoop on the guest panelists and show formats for the final three episodes.
On Wednesday, the “Spicy 6” episode saw actor/singer Tyrese Gibson unmasked as the Robopine. When “The Masked Singer” returns next week on May 12, the quarter finals will feature comedian Rob Riggle (“Holey Moley”) as a guest panelist, alongside regular panelists Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke.
The following week, on May 19, the semi-finals will feature guest panelist Darius Rucker — that’s right, the Hootie and the Blowfish singer will join in on the guessing game. Also in that episode, the show’s mysterious “Cluedle-Doo” will be revealed.
New this season is the masked celebrity “Cluedle-Doo,” who has been offering additional hints about each contestant. Last week was the first reveal toward Cluedle-Doo...
On Wednesday, the “Spicy 6” episode saw actor/singer Tyrese Gibson unmasked as the Robopine. When “The Masked Singer” returns next week on May 12, the quarter finals will feature comedian Rob Riggle (“Holey Moley”) as a guest panelist, alongside regular panelists Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke.
The following week, on May 19, the semi-finals will feature guest panelist Darius Rucker — that’s right, the Hootie and the Blowfish singer will join in on the guessing game. Also in that episode, the show’s mysterious “Cluedle-Doo” will be revealed.
New this season is the masked celebrity “Cluedle-Doo,” who has been offering additional hints about each contestant. Last week was the first reveal toward Cluedle-Doo...
- 5/7/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
“The Masked Singer” season 5 is coming off a double elimination on April 21 that saw two celebrities — Crab (Bobby Brown) and Seashell (Tamera Mowry)– sent home. That leaves just six contenders for the Golden Mask. The Super 6 will be featured in the special sing-along episode on April 28 before the competition resumes on May 6.
Of the half dozen stars still in the hunt, our favorite is the Chameleon, who rocked the house in Week 7 with “Regulate” by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg. The four judges love him too. But they are way off with their guesses that he is G-Eazy, Machine Gun Kelly, Kyrie Irving or Waka Flocka Flame.
We’ve reviewed both his individual clues and the collective ones about the celebrities competing on season 5 of “The Masked Singer.” And we rewatched all of his appearances including “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly (Week 1), “21 Questions” by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg (Week...
Of the half dozen stars still in the hunt, our favorite is the Chameleon, who rocked the house in Week 7 with “Regulate” by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg. The four judges love him too. But they are way off with their guesses that he is G-Eazy, Machine Gun Kelly, Kyrie Irving or Waka Flocka Flame.
We’ve reviewed both his individual clues and the collective ones about the celebrities competing on season 5 of “The Masked Singer.” And we rewatched all of his appearances including “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly (Week 1), “21 Questions” by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg (Week...
- 4/28/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
We knew this day would come.
Wednesday’s The Masked Singer marked the end of a short but enjoyable era: It was the final episode for which Niecy Nash was guest host. And I’m going to miss her. She was fun, funny and, as far as I know, unencumbered by recent controversies.
More from TVLineLast Man Standing Sets Xl Series FinaleFox Sets Summer Dates: Lego Masters, Beat Shazam, Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns, Fantasy Island Reboot and MorePaula Deen Joins MasterChef as One of Season 11's Culinary Legends
This week’s unmasked contestant also happened to be the wild card that was introduced this week.
Wednesday’s The Masked Singer marked the end of a short but enjoyable era: It was the final episode for which Niecy Nash was guest host. And I’m going to miss her. She was fun, funny and, as far as I know, unencumbered by recent controversies.
More from TVLineLast Man Standing Sets Xl Series FinaleFox Sets Summer Dates: Lego Masters, Beat Shazam, Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns, Fantasy Island Reboot and MorePaula Deen Joins MasterChef as One of Season 11's Culinary Legends
This week’s unmasked contestant also happened to be the wild card that was introduced this week.
- 4/8/2021
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Producer J. Period has tapped Andra Day and hip-hop stalwarts Dead Prez for a politically charged new video for their song, “See the Light.”
The clip opens with a string of sprawling city skyline shots to accompany the song’s spare piano intro before jumping to a sequence in which Day broadcasts the song’s potent chorus. Elsewhere, Dead Prez MCs stic.man and M-1 spit revolutionary verses in a vast warehouse filled with others ready to join their cause.
J. Period co-produced “See the Light” with DJ Khalil, and...
The clip opens with a string of sprawling city skyline shots to accompany the song’s spare piano intro before jumping to a sequence in which Day broadcasts the song’s potent chorus. Elsewhere, Dead Prez MCs stic.man and M-1 spit revolutionary verses in a vast warehouse filled with others ready to join their cause.
J. Period co-produced “See the Light” with DJ Khalil, and...
- 6/14/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
These days, legal weed is the new fall foliage: a rare and special plant that requires a few hours journey to experience. But not every Apple Store-inspired dispensary or overdesigned pre-roll pack is worth the trip. Laws are so strict in most places that cannabis social spaces — like a bar but for pot — are few and far between. Still, some innovative entrepreneurs are conceiving of a future where marijuana integrates into our weekend fun as seamlessly as alcohol does now. Here are the ultimate destinations for the cannabis tourist.
Green Hop
Portland,...
Green Hop
Portland,...
- 5/11/2019
- by Amanda Chicago Lewis
- Rollingstone.com
For anyone that has taken the liberty of either following or creeping Veld’s Instagram page, it’s unlikely they could have missed the collective demand of unhappy attendees. Of Veld’s roughly 50,000 guests, at least 500 have taken to social media to continually voice their opinions.
Peppered with defamations towards the organizing team – Ink Entertainment – the unified ransom amongst irate fans is their entitlement to at least a partial refund; Veld festivalgoers showed up for two 12-hour days of music and received only a cumulative 18 hours. Though the final echoes of Veld 2015 ended on a bitter note, not everything about it was out-of-tune – if anyone besides me was sober enough to remember, Veld 2015 had its moments.
Arriving just in time for a hard-hitting afternoon set by none other than The Chainsmokers, the media entrance to the grounds immediately thrust me stage right into a crowd already almost halfway through a weekend of getting weird.
Peppered with defamations towards the organizing team – Ink Entertainment – the unified ransom amongst irate fans is their entitlement to at least a partial refund; Veld festivalgoers showed up for two 12-hour days of music and received only a cumulative 18 hours. Though the final echoes of Veld 2015 ended on a bitter note, not everything about it was out-of-tune – if anyone besides me was sober enough to remember, Veld 2015 had its moments.
Arriving just in time for a hard-hitting afternoon set by none other than The Chainsmokers, the media entrance to the grounds immediately thrust me stage right into a crowd already almost halfway through a weekend of getting weird.
- 8/5/2015
- by Adrian Muir
- We Got This Covered
Chuckie Campbell is a rapper from Buffalo, NY. I don’t know much about Buffalo, but everything I’ve ever heard about bills it as a total dump. I don’t think it’s one of those cities that’s on anyone’s list of places to visit. Out of that kind of city (which I believe is responsible for Buffalo wings) comes the kind of hip hop artist who can finally wash that ugly Eminem-tinted taste out of mouths.
I make that connection because Campbell, like Eminem, is white. Unlike Eminem, Campbell speaks to social issues as opposed to personal ones, which is a nice departure from some of the traditional hip-hop we might all be accustomed to. I can hear a distinct Dead Prez vibe to Campbell’s lyrics, which is a huge thing for me, as I love Dead Prez. He’s also compared to Macklemore and Nas,...
I make that connection because Campbell, like Eminem, is white. Unlike Eminem, Campbell speaks to social issues as opposed to personal ones, which is a nice departure from some of the traditional hip-hop we might all be accustomed to. I can hear a distinct Dead Prez vibe to Campbell’s lyrics, which is a huge thing for me, as I love Dead Prez. He’s also compared to Macklemore and Nas,...
- 1/12/2014
- by Robert Ottone
- JustPressPlay.net
Fuse, the national music television network of The Madison Square Garden Company, today announced that it will air a one-hour special dedicated to the highly controversial trial and verdict of the Trayvon Martin case on Friday, July 26 at 8pm Et. Fuse News Special: The Ballad of Trayvon Martin will explore how the music world has responded to the famed case and it’s divisive outcome. What are artists saying about the verdict? Tune-in as Fuse News anchors Matte Babel and Alexa Chung sit down with Wyclef Jean, Fat Joe, Raekwon, Lester Chambers, and others about these topics. The show will also include a panel discussion with M1 from Dead Prez, Michael Skolnik, John Reed and Shaheem Reid as well...
- 7/25/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Jason Orr is a passionate man, personally tasked with preserving soul music for the masses. His documentary about the movement he and so many other creatives are devoted to upholding, FunkJazz Kafé, has been documented by Orr into the moving documentary FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade (The Story Of A Movement), which makes its New York debut at the 3rd annual New Voices in Black Cinema, the four-day film festival produced by ActNow Foundation in association with BAMcinematek in Brooklyn. With appearances in the movie by a plethora of talent including Jill Scott, Cee Lo Green, Roy Ayers, Raphael Saadiq, George Clinton, Stic.Man of Dead Prez, Caron...
- 2/13/2013
- by Curtis Caesar John
- ShadowAndAct
Anchor Bay Entertainment have reissued director Marc Levin's 1999 comedy, "Whiteboyz" on DVD, starring Danny Hoch, Piper Perabo, Fat Joe, Dead Prez, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Dash Mihok and Snoop Dogg :
"...welcome to Iowa, where the corn grows tall, the kids hang at the mall and homegrown white boy 'Flip Dogg' raps, 'Whassup with that?' Flip’s struggle to keep it real in his boring Midwestern ’hood ultimately takes him and his crew on a road trip to the projects of Chicago, where he discovers it ain’t all good when he disses some reallife gangstas..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Whiteboyz"...
"...welcome to Iowa, where the corn grows tall, the kids hang at the mall and homegrown white boy 'Flip Dogg' raps, 'Whassup with that?' Flip’s struggle to keep it real in his boring Midwestern ’hood ultimately takes him and his crew on a road trip to the projects of Chicago, where he discovers it ain’t all good when he disses some reallife gangstas..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Whiteboyz"...
- 8/7/2012
- by M. Stevens
- SneakPeek
You wanted it, you got it. Whatever you think of this weekend's outrageous found footage party movie "Project X" there is no denying that the filmmakers provided a serious playlist to accompany the debauchery on screen. And while 13 of those songs were collected for the official soundtrack that was released earlier this week, we've heard from more than a few readers that they want to know every song that was featured in the film. Well, we've tracked down that list and here it is: all the music that rocked your eardrums in "Project X."
And really, there is something here for everybody. For people looking for straight up party bangers there are more than a few options, but for stuffier folks who like their music to be critically approved and maybe slightly more underground, bands like The xx, Four Tet, Amon Tobin, Animal Collective and LCD Soundsystem are all featured.
And really, there is something here for everybody. For people looking for straight up party bangers there are more than a few options, but for stuffier folks who like their music to be critically approved and maybe slightly more underground, bands like The xx, Four Tet, Amon Tobin, Animal Collective and LCD Soundsystem are all featured.
- 3/3/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
After the massive success of both The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Alice in Wonderland, it's no surprise that Disney is continuing to pursue new movies based on fairy tales and theme park rides. Just as last week was coming to a close, we received updates on two previously announced projects that fit into both of these categories. The first, Maleficent, is yet another live-action take on a classic fairy tale, this one based on Sleeping Beauty but told from the perspective of the story's villain, the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil." Angelina Jolie is currently attached to star. The other project, currently untitled, is an action adventure film based on their popular Matterhorn roller coaster from Disneyland. Disney has reportedly hired two filmmakers for the projects, and in both cases, they are first-time feature film directors looking to make a name for themselves. According to Deadline, Maleficent will be directed by Robert Stromberg,...
- 1/9/2012
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Musician and artist, Justin Bua, has put together a coffee table book titled Legends of Hip-Hop in which he explores the link between vegan diets and hip-hop culture.
“I think being vegan is the ultimate expression of hip-hop," Bua said.
In the book, he takes a look at hip-hop moguls like Russell Simmons, Krs-One and Dead Prez.
”‘Let’s change the way we eat, change the way we live, change the way we treat each other,’” the book reads, quoting Tupac's posthumous single, Changes. “Let’s change the way we eat? He was talking about going vegan.”
Bua also says the connection between veganism and hip-hop has been increasing for years.
“I think being vegan is the ultimate expression of hip-hop," Bua said.
In the book, he takes a look at hip-hop moguls like Russell Simmons, Krs-One and Dead Prez.
”‘Let’s change the way we eat, change the way we live, change the way we treat each other,’” the book reads, quoting Tupac's posthumous single, Changes. “Let’s change the way we eat? He was talking about going vegan.”
Bua also says the connection between veganism and hip-hop has been increasing for years.
- 11/17/2011
- by rnazarali
- Foodista
'When I was in Haiti, I made a promise that I'mma do something different,' Cormega tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman
Cormega
Photo: Getty Images
Relief efforts in the aftermath of Haiti's 2010 earthquake have seemingly died down, but Queens rapper Cormega is still doing his part. On May 18 the onetime member of Nas' supergroup the Firm will release his single "I Made a Difference" on iTunes and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Sean Penn's J/P Hro charity. The song features 'Mega, Redman, Lil Fame from M.O.P., Steele from Smif-n-Wessun, Stic.man from Dead Prez and vocalist Maya Azucena.
It was a June 2010 trip to Haiti with fellow rappers Styles P and the Immortal Technique that gave 'Mega his original inspiration to take action. "My motivation was to make a difference, because a lot of people, they stumble upon things or information and they speak upon it,...
By Rob Markman
Cormega
Photo: Getty Images
Relief efforts in the aftermath of Haiti's 2010 earthquake have seemingly died down, but Queens rapper Cormega is still doing his part. On May 18 the onetime member of Nas' supergroup the Firm will release his single "I Made a Difference" on iTunes and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Sean Penn's J/P Hro charity. The song features 'Mega, Redman, Lil Fame from M.O.P., Steele from Smif-n-Wessun, Stic.man from Dead Prez and vocalist Maya Azucena.
It was a June 2010 trip to Haiti with fellow rappers Styles P and the Immortal Technique that gave 'Mega his original inspiration to take action. "My motivation was to make a difference, because a lot of people, they stumble upon things or information and they speak upon it,...
- 5/5/2011
- MTV Music News
There's a brilliant moment in the underrated, relatively obscure film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, where Keenan Ivory Wayans sees Bernie Casey walking with a band of musicians behind him, and asks him who they are. Casey looks at him like he's an idiot and claims, "They're my theme music. Every hero's got to have some." After the film's big, ridiculous climax, Wayans has bought into it, and walks off with his own band in tow -- the wonderful 90's funk/rock/ska band Fishbone, no less.*
And it's true. Music is a critical part of film, and I don't just mean the score. I love a perfectly placed song in a movie -- there are plenty of movies with good soundtracks, but rarely is the placement of those songs as well thought-out. That's the part that I find myself obsessing over.
Last week, I presented you with a glimpse into that obsession,...
And it's true. Music is a critical part of film, and I don't just mean the score. I love a perfectly placed song in a movie -- there are plenty of movies with good soundtracks, but rarely is the placement of those songs as well thought-out. That's the part that I find myself obsessing over.
Last week, I presented you with a glimpse into that obsession,...
- 2/11/2011
- by TK
I could write a book about how great Parks and Recreation season 2 was, and how stupid it was for NBC to bump season 3 to mid-season, and how incredibly funny season 3 (of which I have now seen seven--seven!--episodes) is going to be. I could write a book because I feel That passionately about Parks and Recreation as one of the best (best written, best acted and, perhaps most important of all, best at making you feel gosh-darn good) comedies on TV right now, and I want everyone in the world to agree with me if they don't already. I want George Washington to look down from heaven and think, "Oh no, my one regret for having created America instead of living in America's future is that I was dead before I got a chance to watch Parks and Recreation." I honestly want that. I want George Washington's ghost to be jealous of Us.
- 1/19/2011
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
Veteran journalist Dream Hampton spotlights benefit concert for political prisoners.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Talib Kweli (file)
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage
New York — Chris Rock, Talib Kweli and Dead Prez's M-1 were among the attendees of veteran journalist Dream Hampton's screening Thursday night for her documentary "Black August: A Hip-Hop Benefit Concert."
The event, held at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, showcased the yearly tribute concert that has hosted performers such as Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Common, Dead Prez and David Banner in New York and South Africa.
In her film, Hampton features concert footage and interviews with a slew of activists.
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in Brooklyn powers the concerts each year, and in her doc, Hampton seeks to spotlight issues like police brutality and racial injustice. The concert series and the film seek to address awareness about political prisoners, including Mutulu Shakur, the stepfather of late rap star Tupac Shakur.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Talib Kweli (file)
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage
New York — Chris Rock, Talib Kweli and Dead Prez's M-1 were among the attendees of veteran journalist Dream Hampton's screening Thursday night for her documentary "Black August: A Hip-Hop Benefit Concert."
The event, held at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, showcased the yearly tribute concert that has hosted performers such as Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Common, Dead Prez and David Banner in New York and South Africa.
In her film, Hampton features concert footage and interviews with a slew of activists.
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in Brooklyn powers the concerts each year, and in her doc, Hampton seeks to spotlight issues like police brutality and racial injustice. The concert series and the film seek to address awareness about political prisoners, including Mutulu Shakur, the stepfather of late rap star Tupac Shakur.
- 8/27/2010
- MTV Movie News
Veteran journalist Dream Hampton spotlights benefit concert for political prisoners.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Talib Kweli (file)
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage
New York — Chris Rock, Talib Kweli and Dead Prez's M-1 were among the attendees of veteran journalist Dream Hampton's screening Thursday night for her documentary "Black August: A Hip-Hop Benefit Concert."
The event, held at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, showcased the yearly tribute concert that has hosted performers such as Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Common, Dead Prez and David Banner in New York and South Africa.
In her film, Hampton features concert footage and interviews with a slew of activists.
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in Brooklyn powers the concerts each year, and in her doc, Hampton seeks to spotlight issues like police brutality and racial injustice. The concert series and the film seek to address awareness about political prisoners, including Mutulu Shakur, the stepfather of late rap star Tupac Shakur.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Talib Kweli (file)
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage
New York — Chris Rock, Talib Kweli and Dead Prez's M-1 were among the attendees of veteran journalist Dream Hampton's screening Thursday night for her documentary "Black August: A Hip-Hop Benefit Concert."
The event, held at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, showcased the yearly tribute concert that has hosted performers such as Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Common, Dead Prez and David Banner in New York and South Africa.
In her film, Hampton features concert footage and interviews with a slew of activists.
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in Brooklyn powers the concerts each year, and in her doc, Hampton seeks to spotlight issues like police brutality and racial injustice. The concert series and the film seek to address awareness about political prisoners, including Mutulu Shakur, the stepfather of late rap star Tupac Shakur.
- 8/27/2010
- MTV Music News
'Just to honor him was great,' Drizzy tells Mixtape Daily of Mj.
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Kelly Marino
Drake
Photo: MTV News
Celebrity Favorites: Drake
Dp still keep it crunk up!
"Drake borrowed the style — they took it right back. They did their thing," DJ Drama told Mixtape Daily on Monday. He was explaining why Dead Prez wanted to freestyle on the 23-year-old's "Over" on their new tape Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz.
"The guys go in on a lot of records," Drama said. "The hits, as well as some obscure joints. They had to go in on 'Over.' "
The mixtape came out Tuesday and borrows from the title of their 2004 LP, Revolutionary but Gangsta
A few months back, while on the set of his "Over" video, Drake told MTV News he was a fan of M1 and Stic.Man.
"I also do this thing in...
By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Kelly Marino
Drake
Photo: MTV News
Celebrity Favorites: Drake
Dp still keep it crunk up!
"Drake borrowed the style — they took it right back. They did their thing," DJ Drama told Mixtape Daily on Monday. He was explaining why Dead Prez wanted to freestyle on the 23-year-old's "Over" on their new tape Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz.
"The guys go in on a lot of records," Drama said. "The hits, as well as some obscure joints. They had to go in on 'Over.' "
The mixtape came out Tuesday and borrows from the title of their 2004 LP, Revolutionary but Gangsta
A few months back, while on the set of his "Over" video, Drake told MTV News he was a fan of M1 and Stic.Man.
"I also do this thing in...
- 6/23/2010
- MTV Music News
'It's some heat on there, man,' Dram tells Mixtape Daily of Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz.
By Shaheem Reid
Dead Prez i>Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz</i> cover
Photo: Gangsta Grillz
Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables
Headliners: Dead Prez and DJ Drama
Mixtape: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz
Essential Info: The red, black and green forever! M-1 and Stic.Man of Dead Prez are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their classic debut, Let's Get Free, with a new mixtape in conjunction with DJ Drama. The street CD — which came out Tuesday (June 22) — also gives a nod to another classic of theirs, 2004's Revolutionary but Gangsta.
"The Dead Prez tape is called Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz," Drama said Saturday in Atlanta, backstage at Birthday Bash 15. "I jumped on it. I remember when Dead Prez first came out. I did an interview with them, [during the] old 'Soul in the Hole,' Loud Records day. It's...
By Shaheem Reid
Dead Prez i>Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz</i> cover
Photo: Gangsta Grillz
Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables
Headliners: Dead Prez and DJ Drama
Mixtape: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz
Essential Info: The red, black and green forever! M-1 and Stic.Man of Dead Prez are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their classic debut, Let's Get Free, with a new mixtape in conjunction with DJ Drama. The street CD — which came out Tuesday (June 22) — also gives a nod to another classic of theirs, 2004's Revolutionary but Gangsta.
"The Dead Prez tape is called Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz," Drama said Saturday in Atlanta, backstage at Birthday Bash 15. "I jumped on it. I remember when Dead Prez first came out. I did an interview with them, [during the] old 'Soul in the Hole,' Loud Records day. It's...
- 6/22/2010
- MTV Music News
'It's some heat on there, man,' Dram tells Mixtape Daily of Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz.
By Shaheem Reid
Dead Prez i>Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz</i> cover
Photo: Gangsta Grillz
Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables
Headliners: Dead Prez and DJ Drama
Mixtape: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz
Essential Info: The red, black and green forever! M-1 and Stic.Man of Dead Prez are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their classic debut, Let's Get Free, with a new mixtape in conjunction with DJ Drama. The street CD — which came out Tuesday (June 22) — also gives a nod to another classic of theirs, 2004's Revolutionary but Gangsta.
"The Dead Prez tape is called Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz," Drama said Saturday in Atlanta, backstage at Birthday Bash 15. "I jumped on it. I remember when Dead Prez first came out. I did an interview with them, [during the] old 'Soul in the Hole,' Loud Records day. It's...
By Shaheem Reid
Dead Prez i>Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz</i> cover
Photo: Gangsta Grillz
Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables
Headliners: Dead Prez and DJ Drama
Mixtape: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz
Essential Info: The red, black and green forever! M-1 and Stic.Man of Dead Prez are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their classic debut, Let's Get Free, with a new mixtape in conjunction with DJ Drama. The street CD — which came out Tuesday (June 22) — also gives a nod to another classic of theirs, 2004's Revolutionary but Gangsta.
"The Dead Prez tape is called Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz," Drama said Saturday in Atlanta, backstage at Birthday Bash 15. "I jumped on it. I remember when Dead Prez first came out. I did an interview with them, [during the] old 'Soul in the Hole,' Loud Records day. It's...
- 6/22/2010
- MTV Music News
I love hip hop. I love East Coast hip hop, I love West Coast hip hop. Few of my mornings pass without a soundtrack from the likes of Dead Prez, Mos Def or Lauryn Hill, as well as their UK counterparts - Akala, Foreign Beggars, Skinnyman etc. So, the prospect of a biopic detailing the all to brief life of one Notorious B.I.G (Christopher Wallace) with a healthy serving of Tupac, Lil Kim and Faith Evans thrown in, sounded like a 'gotta see' kinda movie. I am of course talking about Notorious - which has recently made it onto regulation rotation over at Sky Movies. For those of you that don't know, Notorious B.I.G was shot and killed in 1997 at the age of 24 amidst an on going East Vs West coast hip hop feud, which had already claimed the life of fellow rapper, Tupac Shakur. A true rags-to-riches story, Christopher...
- 3/7/2010
- by Salty Or Sweet
- t5m.com
What did you do on Sunday?
Well, if you were Jay-z or Beyoncé (or Beyoncé's sister Solange), then you braved the be-jorted masses in Brooklyn to check out Grizzly Bear's set down at the Williamsburg Waterfront.
Yes, that's right: In perhaps the summer's biggest fish-out-of-water moment (aside from Kanye at Nine Inch Nails last week) Jigga and B waded into the epicenter of Hipster Nation on Sunday, sending texters and Twitters into a veritable frenzy as they grooved to the hazy, lazy sounds of Grizzly Bear at the final JellyNYC Pool Party of 2009.
Perhaps fittingly, they wore their Bedford Avenue best (Jay in dark shades and a gingham shirt, Bey channeling her inner Debbie Gibson), and by all accounts — i.e. roughly 100,000 Tweets and a few shaky YouTube clips — they were really into the show, drinking booze out of plastic cups (just like us!) and bobbing their heads...
Well, if you were Jay-z or Beyoncé (or Beyoncé's sister Solange), then you braved the be-jorted masses in Brooklyn to check out Grizzly Bear's set down at the Williamsburg Waterfront.
Yes, that's right: In perhaps the summer's biggest fish-out-of-water moment (aside from Kanye at Nine Inch Nails last week) Jigga and B waded into the epicenter of Hipster Nation on Sunday, sending texters and Twitters into a veritable frenzy as they grooved to the hazy, lazy sounds of Grizzly Bear at the final JellyNYC Pool Party of 2009.
Perhaps fittingly, they wore their Bedford Avenue best (Jay in dark shades and a gingham shirt, Bey channeling her inner Debbie Gibson), and by all accounts — i.e. roughly 100,000 Tweets and a few shaky YouTube clips — they were really into the show, drinking booze out of plastic cups (just like us!) and bobbing their heads...
- 8/31/2009
- by James Montgomery
- MTV Newsroom
Save your money and spend some time outside enjoying NYC's best summer concerts, dance lessons and kayaking on the Hudson... all for the Price of a Movie or less! Citysol 2009: A Celebration of Urban Sustainability and Creativity Solar 1, NYC's green energy, arts and education center, presents Citysol, a celebration of urban sustainability and creativity in a mini music and arts festival. Acts will perform under a solar tent by Eco-Pioneer, who will also provide the site design with a tiki lounge, bar and bike area. Enjoy a day of Live Music, installation art, and exhibits created in the Habitat for Artists, a temporary, recycled-and-recyclable shed-as-art-studio by Simon Draper. Live performances include mixtape legend DJ Green Lantern, hip-hop activists Dead Prez, Brooklyn punk brothers So So Glos, hip-hop/soul artist Outasight, teen instrumental sensation Fiasco, and Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. Where: Solar 1 (S1), 2420 Fdr Drive, Service Road East...
- 7/8/2009
- TribecaFilm.com
Plus: Jadakiss working on new music with Cam'ron for joint tour; Dead Prez still looking out for the People, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid and Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes
Lil Wayne and Drake
Photo: Young Money
It's a new week — let's all get new money and make this history. Mixtape Daily keeps rolling. We're rammed with that killer content this week. Jadakiss reveals that he and Killa Cam have more tracks coming, and Drake tells us what it's like to roll with Lil Wayne.
Also, we have Dead Prez and Green Lantern come talking about their new collaboration. Funny story: When the Dpz came up for their interview, Red and Meth were up here at the same time. It was a dope hip-hop moment to see both groups show love and respect to one another, with no cameras running. Real, genuine saluting.
This Week's Main...
By Shaheem Reid and Jayson Rodriguez, with additional reporting by Rahman Dukes
Lil Wayne and Drake
Photo: Young Money
It's a new week — let's all get new money and make this history. Mixtape Daily keeps rolling. We're rammed with that killer content this week. Jadakiss reveals that he and Killa Cam have more tracks coming, and Drake tells us what it's like to roll with Lil Wayne.
Also, we have Dead Prez and Green Lantern come talking about their new collaboration. Funny story: When the Dpz came up for their interview, Red and Meth were up here at the same time. It was a dope hip-hop moment to see both groups show love and respect to one another, with no cameras running. Real, genuine saluting.
This Week's Main...
- 6/1/2009
- MTV Music News
Urban Stages' (Frances Hill, Founder/Artistic Director, Lauren Schmiedel, Managing Director) Developmental Program for Playwrights will present a workshop reading of Lyrics from Lockdown, The Ugly Side of Beauty by Byronn Bain and directed by Mei Ann Teo with set and lighting by Kristen Adams at Urban Stages (259 West 30th Street) on January 22-24 at 8Pm. This reading is Free to the public, for reservations please email urbanstages@gmail.com or call 212-695-5131. Urban Stages' Developmental Program for Playwrights is a year round program that allows playwrights in various stages of their careers the opportunity to mount a stage reading of their piece as part of Urban Stages dedication to developing new works with a diverse voice. Weaving together hip-hop, theater, spoken word, and song, Byronn Bain's Lyrics from Lockdown, The Ugly Side of Beauty takes a no hold barred journey that reveals how race and prisons, poverty and privilege,...
- 1/22/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Somewhere between the Dave Chappelle of comedy stardom and the Dave Chappelle of abrupt sabbaticals for contemplative stretches in Africa is the guy who experienced "the best single day of my career" when he threw a party for a few thousand friends and fans.
Inviting some of the most gifted and socially conscious hip-hop and R&B artists, he assembled his dream concert on a corner in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Director Michel Gondry chronicles the Sept. 18, 2004, event and its lead-up in this loose-limbed, funny and impassioned documentary.
For some fans of the comedian, this will be an introduction to many of the musical artists in the all-star lineup. But Mos Def, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and John Legend, among others, are draws in their own right, and "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" in Brooklyn should find reason to celebrate at the boxoffice.
Chappelle's sly comedy here arises more in situational riffs, rehearsals and backstage banter than in a stand-up format. The adventure begins in Ohio, where he lives (which in itself speaks volumes about his aversion to showbiz lifestyles). Days before the show, Chappelle offers random citizens and acquaintances -- among them a convenience-store owner and a couple of probation officers -- golden tickets to the party, providing a chartered bus ride to New York and hotel accommodations. True inspiration strikes when he invites the Central State University marching band to join the musical lineup.
Gondry intercuts Ohio scenes and preconcert New York sequences with the show itself. Passing through a street of Brooklyn townhouses, Chappelle delivers a megaphone-amped party invitation to "the Huxtables" of "Cosby Show" fame. He clowns with neighborhood kids, some of who attend the Bed-Stuy daycare center where Biggie Smalls went. Chappelle's ease with people and his natural way of drawing them out is a joy, as is his passion for the music.
The musicians, too, bring a lot of feeling to this free event. Visionary cinematographer Ellen Kuras collaborated with Gondry on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and her intimate camerawork is essential to the emotional power of Jonathan Demme's performance film "Neil Young: Heart of Gold". She works her magic here. While the intimacy of "Heart" was all about the artist and his collaborators, "Block Party"'s crucial dynamics are the relationship between performers and audience. And Kuras' cameras don't miss the way the artists watch one another: West's appreciative smile when the marching band does its thing, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu admiring each other's sets and then generating some serious goddess power together, Chappelle grooving to all of it.
Bling is not on the menu. Hip-hop duo Dead Prez ("Would you rather have a Lexus or justice?") deliver one of the most powerful and politically engaged sets; as Chappelle points out, you're not likely to hear them on the radio. The concert culminates in a surprise reunion of the Fugees, in part Hill's creative solution to Columbia's not allowing her to perform her solo material at the event.
The filmmakers have captured the sense of a particular shared experience: the daylong concert, with its deepening emotion and electricity. The word "community" has become a cliche, but this party, both backstage and before the crowd, illustrates a specific sense of cultural community and the singular bliss of standing on a city street in late-summer rain for a once-in-a-lifetime concert.
DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY
Rogue Pictures A Rogue Pictures and Bob Yari Prods. presentation of a Pilot Boy/Kabuki Brothers Films production in association with Partizan Films
Credits:
Director: Michel Gondry
Producers: Dave Chappelle, Bob Yari, Mustafa Abuelhija, Julie Fong
Executive producers: Greg Manocherian, Doug Levine, Skot Bright
Director of photography: Ellen Kuras
Production designer: Lauri Faggioni
Concert music arranged and produced by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson
Co-producers: Robert Katz, Callum Greene
Editors: Sarah Flack, Jeff Buchanan
Cast:
Dave Chappelle, Kanye West, Mos Def, John Legend, Talib Kweli, the Fugees, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Common, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 102 minutes...
Inviting some of the most gifted and socially conscious hip-hop and R&B artists, he assembled his dream concert on a corner in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Director Michel Gondry chronicles the Sept. 18, 2004, event and its lead-up in this loose-limbed, funny and impassioned documentary.
For some fans of the comedian, this will be an introduction to many of the musical artists in the all-star lineup. But Mos Def, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and John Legend, among others, are draws in their own right, and "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" in Brooklyn should find reason to celebrate at the boxoffice.
Chappelle's sly comedy here arises more in situational riffs, rehearsals and backstage banter than in a stand-up format. The adventure begins in Ohio, where he lives (which in itself speaks volumes about his aversion to showbiz lifestyles). Days before the show, Chappelle offers random citizens and acquaintances -- among them a convenience-store owner and a couple of probation officers -- golden tickets to the party, providing a chartered bus ride to New York and hotel accommodations. True inspiration strikes when he invites the Central State University marching band to join the musical lineup.
Gondry intercuts Ohio scenes and preconcert New York sequences with the show itself. Passing through a street of Brooklyn townhouses, Chappelle delivers a megaphone-amped party invitation to "the Huxtables" of "Cosby Show" fame. He clowns with neighborhood kids, some of who attend the Bed-Stuy daycare center where Biggie Smalls went. Chappelle's ease with people and his natural way of drawing them out is a joy, as is his passion for the music.
The musicians, too, bring a lot of feeling to this free event. Visionary cinematographer Ellen Kuras collaborated with Gondry on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and her intimate camerawork is essential to the emotional power of Jonathan Demme's performance film "Neil Young: Heart of Gold". She works her magic here. While the intimacy of "Heart" was all about the artist and his collaborators, "Block Party"'s crucial dynamics are the relationship between performers and audience. And Kuras' cameras don't miss the way the artists watch one another: West's appreciative smile when the marching band does its thing, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu admiring each other's sets and then generating some serious goddess power together, Chappelle grooving to all of it.
Bling is not on the menu. Hip-hop duo Dead Prez ("Would you rather have a Lexus or justice?") deliver one of the most powerful and politically engaged sets; as Chappelle points out, you're not likely to hear them on the radio. The concert culminates in a surprise reunion of the Fugees, in part Hill's creative solution to Columbia's not allowing her to perform her solo material at the event.
The filmmakers have captured the sense of a particular shared experience: the daylong concert, with its deepening emotion and electricity. The word "community" has become a cliche, but this party, both backstage and before the crowd, illustrates a specific sense of cultural community and the singular bliss of standing on a city street in late-summer rain for a once-in-a-lifetime concert.
DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY
Rogue Pictures A Rogue Pictures and Bob Yari Prods. presentation of a Pilot Boy/Kabuki Brothers Films production in association with Partizan Films
Credits:
Director: Michel Gondry
Producers: Dave Chappelle, Bob Yari, Mustafa Abuelhija, Julie Fong
Executive producers: Greg Manocherian, Doug Levine, Skot Bright
Director of photography: Ellen Kuras
Production designer: Lauri Faggioni
Concert music arranged and produced by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson
Co-producers: Robert Katz, Callum Greene
Editors: Sarah Flack, Jeff Buchanan
Cast:
Dave Chappelle, Kanye West, Mos Def, John Legend, Talib Kweli, the Fugees, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Common, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 102 minutes...
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