"Representing the city of Lansing, MI...Ward Skillz is a LYRICAL HOT SHOT, who defines the difference between "HIP HOP" and RAP! Catch up with him: twitter.com @wardskillz .... collabs/booking: featuresforwardskillz@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
INDIE ARTIST SHOWCASE: WARD SKILLLZ MIDWEST LYRICAL GIANT
Creative Expressions by Meggatron Jones...Look for T-Shirt Collection/Art Exhibit coming soon!!!
What Meggatron does when he's on bored! Add that to Infamous' diabolical thought pattern and you got a "another odd yet cool song!"
Kanye West Readies New Blog Launch, "It Should Be Up This Week"
Grammy-winning rapper Kanye West has announced plans to launch a new blog this week.
Click here to find out more!
While not offering many details, Yeezy said fans could anticipate a new site launch any day.
"I've been working really hard on this new blog," Ye wrote in a KanyeUniversecity blog posting, "and I'm really excited about it. It should be up this week!" (Kanye West's Blog)
Ye gave fans the inside scoop of a new site launching after an initial posting last month.
"Sorry for the slow posting," Ye wrote on his current blog Sunday (January 10) evening. "I've been working on a whole new blog for the past few months now. It's very close to completion." (Kanye West's Blog)
Last December, the rapper appeared at a Kid Cudi concert and voiced his thoughts on the rap industry.
"I had to get up out this motherf*cker for a second," Ye told the crowd. "I love the game so much and I'm so passionate about it that I just can't take this sh*t sometimes. And if they take everything away from me it wouldn't f*cking matter. Artists be too concerned about their well-being sometimes. Artists be too scared to stand up for something. They scared to lose they f*cking house or they scared to lose their record deal. I sold my soul to the devil, I know it's a crappy deal/At least it came with a few toys like a Happy Meal." (Miss Info TV)
He was recently crowned one of the top ten producers over the past ten years.
Hot 100 Producers: 1. The Neptunes 2. Timbaland 3. Kanye West 4. Scott Storch 5. Will.i.am 6. Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith 7. Stargate 8. Bryant-Michael Cox 9. Jermaine Dupri 10. Dr. Luke (Billboard Biz)
No further details on Kanye West's new blog launch have been revealed as of now.
Lil Wayne Bids Farewell "IM OUT THIS B&%$#!"
Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne bid a final farewell to his fans last night as he prepares to begin his one-year jail sentence today.
Click here to find out more!
Speaking through a UStream video, Wayne thanked his followers for their support.
"I'm out this b*tch," he said. "To all my fans, my real fans, I really, really, really truly love you. I love you with all of me, for real. I'll probably be loving everything else because I love you so much. Thank you from the bottom [of my heart]. Do not forget about me 'cause I will forever think about you, and I cannot wait for you to see me again. I'm out." (UStream)
Retired NYPD detective Derrick Parker has analyzed what Wayne's stint behind bars would likely consist of.
"Lil Wayne is gonna be OK," Parker said in an interview. "While he's in jail, it's a matter of fact they may not put him with the general population because of who he is and his popularity. They might lock him down and let him come out with a supervisor and stuff like that [when he's] in the main area -- but he's definitely going to be treated differently...Wayne is from the streets, from the Magnolia Houses in New Orleans, so I'm sure those guys have been in jail or locked up at some point. So being in prison is no big deal to them." (MTV)
LADY GAGA queen of the DIGITAL WORLD!!!
Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga -- who graduated from Manhattan's Convent of the Sacred Heart School, attended NYU for a bit and, in the past year or so, has captivated us with "outfits that make her look like a refugee from a sci-fi film" -- will open the Grammys Sunday doing a piano duet with elder rock statesman Elton John, John Jurgensen reports.
Perhaps our fascination with a performer who has framed her face in what looked like a bird's nest tells us more about us than about her -- "us" meaning the new audience of digital-savvy consumers used to downloading free streams of music. Gaga is a case study in how to succeed in the new environment, according to Jurgensen, having figured out how to balance digital giveaways with the clout of having a major label behind her.
"She is a product of a new kind of recording contract which goes beyond just selling records to encompass everything from touring, merchandise -- even her make-up deal," he writes. But, as Alice Cooper knowingly observes, Gaga's antics work only because "she can really sing."
Friday, January 22, 2010
Jay-Z ft. Rihanna, The Edge & Bono – Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) Produced By Swizz Beatz
100% of proceeds from the sale of the Hope For Haiti Now album and any of its individual live performance tracks will go to Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam America, Partners In Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, and Yéle Haiti Foundation. 100% of proceeds from the sale of the individual studio track, “Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour),” featuring Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, and Rihanna, will benefit Partners In Health.
MIXTAPE WATCH: Drake Heartbreak Drake 4
*NEW MUSIC
http://www.datpiff.com/Drake__Heartbreak_Drake_4.m92307.html
MGMT's Congratulations: Fuzz, Dancing And Russian Surfing In 2010 The group returns with a new album this year, but without any single releases.
It's hard to believe that Oracular Spectacular, the breakout album from Brooklyn psychedelic dance duo MGMT, originally came out way back in 2007, simply because it still remains inescapable today. Andrew Van Wyngarden and Ben Goldwasser have spent the past few years riding the wave of their infectious, fuzzy grooves to platinum success, and the irresistibility of the smash singles "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" has brought them major spots on high-profile festivals, a pair of Grammy nominations and praise from bloggers and soccer moms alike. So what will the pair do for an encore? It's called Congratulations and, according to Van Wyngarden, it's in the can and waiting to be unleashed on the masses (which will be sometime in the spring).
"It's definitely going to shock people," Van Wyngarden told Spin. "In a weird way, it's like a soul record."
The group promises that it will be a more complete album — in fact, they are so confident in its existence as a whole that they won't be releasing any singles from it. "There definitely isn't a 'Time To Pretend' or a 'Kids' on the album," Goldwasser told NME. "We'd rather people hear the whole album as an album and see what tracks jump out rather than the ones that get played on the radio."
Like Oracular Spectacular, the new album got a healthy dose of production help from David Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, OK Go), and this time around they brought in Spacemen 3 co-founder Pete Kember, who will no doubt lend even more fuzz and exploration to the proceedings.
As for the lyrics, there are plenty more explorations of the psyche (and the chemical effects thereof), but there's also a healthy bit on surfing. In Brooklyn? "When we were making the first record, I didn't surf," Van Wyngarden told Spin. "But for whatever reason, I was dreaming about waves and surfing for about a year straight — so that made it into the lyrics and the imagery of the record. Then about a year ago, when we were recording Congratulations in Malibu, I started surfing. It's definitely a theme. There's one song called 'Siberian Breaks' and it's about 12 minutes long. The general theme is about surfing in the Arctic Circle by Russia."
All that, and you can dance to it? Sounds like a recipe for spaced-out, head-nodding greatness, which is why we think Congratulations will be one of the key rock releases of 2010.
It's Rock Week at MTV News, and to celebrate, we're taking a look at some of the most-anticipated new albums and bands of 2010. Stay tuned all week for more!
Beyonce Kills Her Alter Ego, "I Don't Need Sasha Fierce Anymore"
Grammy-winning singer Beyonce has announced that she no longer needs to rely on her artistic alter ego, "Sasha Fierce."
In addition to speaking on her past split personality, Beyonce addressed one day having a child with husband and rapper Jay-Z.
"The thing that's interesting is I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown," she said in an interview, "and I'm now able to merge the two. I want people to see me. I want people to see who I am...I always say, 'I don't want to lose my curves,' I like firm curves. You can never do enough squats, you can never do enough sit-ups. But as far as losing too much weight or building too much muscle -- I like for women to look feminine...I definitely want to have a child, but I know from my nephew it's a lot. I hope that those things will just happen naturally. I still haven't had time to relax." (Allure Magazine)
The singer recently said she wanted to take some time off from the recording studio.
"It's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries,"Beyonce, 28, said in an interview. "I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again...I've always worked hard, but I feel like I worked harder this past year than I have since I was just starting out. I just had all these great opportunities." (USA Today)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MIXTAPE WATCH: Kid Cudi - Nasa Music 2: Space Dreams Mixtape Hosted by Mixtape Evolution @ DatPiff.com
Waka Flocka Flame SHOT multiple times in Robbery Attempt! (I JUST GAVE HIM PROPS THE OTHER DAY)
Gucci Mane's So Icey recording artist Juaquin "Waka Flocka Flame" Malphurs has reportedly been shot multiple times in Georgia today.
According to reports, the shooting took place at an Atlanta gas station.
Gucci Mane understudy and author behind the smash hit "O Let's Do It," Waka Flocka, was reportedly injured in a shooting earlier today. While stopping at a gas station off Old National Highway in Atlanta, Flocka was approached by unknown men at gunpoint and was told to hand over his chain. After refusing to give up his jewelry, the suspects fired shots in the direction of Waka Flocka hitting him twice. More details to come. UPDATE: Label confirmed exclusively to KarenCivil.com these accounts are true. (Karen Civil)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hardest ROCK video by a Rapper: Waka Flocka Flame "O Let's Do it" POW!
So you want to know how a Jones Boyz show will go down huh? Mute this video and watch it drunk LOL....POW! Probably won't catch Flames album in our playlist, but this SONG, is POW! (IN THE CLUB)
Gorillaz 'frontman' Murdoc starts tweeting about new album
Gorillaz (Infamous FAV) are currently mixing their new album, their 'frontman' Murdoc Nuccals has revealed via Twitter.
Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn's cartoon creations are set to release their third album 'Plastic Beach' in March, and according to the group's 'spiritual leader', the record is nearing completion.
"Urrp!! Just finished mixing new Gorillaz track with er….‘My ARSE’!. Sounds pretty good…Can’t wait to play it," Murdoc wrote on Twitter.com/MurdocGorillaz, adding that he was planning to use the mircoblogging site to announce his return to the world.
"Oh yeah, Gorillaz fans. I’m far, far, far away. On a big piece of plastic floating in the middle of nowhere. Just so you know," he explained. "Album almost finished. Drinks being mastered. Isolation kicking in. Bucket of Propofol to help me sleep. Happy 2010!!"
"FEEL GOOD INC" CLASSIC!
Avril Lavigne Rocks “Alice in Wonderland” Soundtrack
It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year, and “Alice in Wonderland” looks to be bringing a stellar soundtrack along with it. Among the artists involved is punk-rock pop star Avril Lavigne, who’s song “Alice Underground” is the lead single. In addition to Ms. Lavigne, the soundtrack, titled Almost Alice, will also feature the All-American Rejects, Owl City, Shinedown, Metro Station, and All Time Low.
“Alice in Wonderland,” starring Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway is set to hit theaters all over America on March 5th, 2010.
Just in case you missed the Golden Globes "Jones Boyz" SALUTE...The AGELESS "Ms. Berry, Ms. Berry!" POW! POW! POW!
Giving all the guys plenty of eye candy, Halle Berry was spotted living it up at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards tonight (January 17). The “Monster’s Ball” babe showed off her voluptuous figure in a very low-cut cleavage-baring dress as she took the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to present an award. (Ladies we know you all LOVE her as well, for those of you who don't: "Don't Let None of this BOTHER you!" POW!
Ageless wonder Favre passes Vikings past Cowboys
This is why Brett Favre said he was coming back. And back he is — maybe better than ever.
Four — count ’em, four — touchdown passes from Minnesota’s 40-year-old quarterback put the Vikings within a game of the Super Bowl with a 34-3 rout of the Dallas Cowboys to advance to the NFC championship Sunday.
The Vikings (13-4) will take on the Saints next Sunday at New Orleans, with the winner going to the NFL title game — Favre’s season-long goal and the reason he came out of retirement for a second straight season
M.I.A. Teams With Blaqstarr, Verizon Workers for Summer Disc
When Rolling Stone’s Brian Hiatt chatted with global party-starter M.I.A. for our decade-end issue, the 34-year-old singer revealed that after five months of work, she was putting finishing touches on her follow-up to Kala, due this summer. She did much of the recording with producer Blaqstarr, who she says “simply makes music that sounds good, and I needed that. I definitely needed to come to music on this album, to make music. I don’t want it to be gimmicky or silly or hipstery.”
Saying she wants the album to be “honest,” M.I.A. admitted the globe-trotting she did recording Kala had a large impact on that album’s lyrics as well as sound. “The last album, I didn’t actually sit anywhere long enough for it to really be in my life and to really think about it. Now I’m putting out my next album, and the world has changed. I came up talking shit about Bush, and it’s great that it’s changed, but I don’t know how much it’s changed, and I’m exploring that.
“I just want to be real, whatever that is,” she adds. “Even if my songs are shit, and if I have flaws and if I’m confused, if I offend people or if I don’t offend people, I might try to work it out in public, just so you know that it’s OK to think, that thinking’s not a dirty word.”
M.I.A. promises different-sounding beats and both singing and rapping on the as-yet-untitled disc, noting, “I just stopped singing on the last one because I put more emphasis into production, so I was more about making beats and sang less on my last album.”
The new tracks include “I Fight the Ones That Fight Me” and “I’m Down Like Your Internet Connection,” which actually features Filipino Verizon workers singing the hook. “I was having issues with my cable and wireless, and I was on the phone [with tech support] for three hours, and I thought, ‘Maybe this needs to be part of my music, could you just learn these lyrics and sing it down the phone to me?’ Ten phone calls later, I have Internet that sticks and a song.”
Saturday, January 16, 2010
JONES BOYZ....ON THE VERGE OF SOMETHING "GREAT"
Welcome to the "coffee shop" of the anti-stars, three cousins who make up the collective "Jones Boyz." The group consists of Megatron M Jones, Ambitious Jones, and Infamous Marlon. All three share the initials "MJ" and like other noteworthy MJ's (Michael Jordan & Michael Jackson) each is driven by an unearthly desire to be the BEST @ what he does! Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI the three have defeated tough odds for young men of color in the blood thirsty streets of the city they call home. All cool, charismatic, Jones Boyz, share a passion for "fresh ink" (tattoos), unique fashion, diverse music, and defying gravity! The Jones Boyz christian themselves as the "products of premium DNA" refusing to be categorized. "Our style is JONES, our look is JONES, and our sound, definitely, JONES!" (iNFaMoUs MaRLoN). Rock with the Jones Boyz....POW! (POPULAR ALTERNATIVE....MUSIC, STYLE, CULTURE)
Who is "MGMT" the group praised by everybody from Hov to Drake! Watch the "Electric Feel" Video!
Based in Brooklyn, New York City, this US band comprises Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. The duo met at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and formed MGMT aka the Management in 2002, initially as a vehicle for their experiments with synthesizers and drum machines. Over time the experiments morphed into a full-blown project. The Time To Pretend EP was released on the independent Cantora Records label at the start of 2005, and revealed the duo's penchant for both early Flaming Lips-style psychedelic pop and retro new wave stylings. After graduating from Wesleyan, the duo toured in support of the EP and relocated to New York after signing a contract with Columbia Records. Their debut album was recorded with the Flaming Lips' producer David Fridmann, and released digitally in October 2007 (and via conventional means at the start of the following year). The playful Oracular Spectacular blended healthy doses of glam rock and new wave with psychedelia and acid folk, with Fridmann's superb production helping making sense of the duo's sometimes overreaching ambition.
Eminem Crowned Biggest-Selling Artist In Past 10 Years, Sold Over 32 Mil Albums
Grammy-winning rapper Eminem has sold more than 32 million albums over the past ten years making him the biggest-selling artist of the decade.
According to a Nielsen Soundscan report, Eminem has dominated album sales for the past decade despite only releasing three solo albums.
Em sold more than 32.2 million albums in the 2000s, edging out the Beatles to claim the title of top-selling artist. The Beatles ended up with the decade's best-selling album (they sold nearly 11.5 million copies of 2000's greatest-hits comp 1,) besting the likes of 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached (11.1 million copies sold) and Norah Jones' Come Away With Me, (10.5 million). Eminem was the only artist to place two albums on the list; his The Marshall Mathers LP and Eminem Show records landed at #4 and 5, selling 10.2 million and 9.8 million copies, respectively. Interestingly, of the top 10 albums of the decade, the most recently released is Usher's Confessions, which came out in 2004. (MTV)
Reports earlier this fall showed Em out-selling rappers Jay-Z and Nelly.
1. Eminem, 31,127,000. First charted: 1999. Eminem, 36, is the top male artist and the top rap artist so far in this decade. His 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP is his best-seller. It has sold 10,178,000 copies. 7. Nelly, 21,206,000. First charted: 2000. Nelly, 34, is the #1 new artist to emerge in this decade, edging out Linkin Park. He's also the #1 African American artist, edging out Jay-Z, and the #2 rap artist. Nelly's 2000 debut, Country Grammar, is his best-selling album. It has sold 8,454,000 copies. 10. Jay-Z, 19,379,000. First charted: 1996. Jay-Z, 39, is the #3 rap artist of the decade. 2003's The Black Album is his best-selling album of this decade. It has sold 3,338,000 copies. Jay-Z was the #152 album-selling act of the '90s. (Yahoo News)
His marketing strategy behind the 2009 comeback album Relapse was previously released to the media.
While Eminem hasn't relied exclusively on Twitter to get the word out, the effort has produced some impressive results. According to Compete, Eminem.com reached 113,868 unique visitors during April, while the most popular of his tweets -- which linked to TheRelapse.com on May 7 -- reached at least 41,704 people within just one week, according to an analysis of data provided to AdAge by Tweetreach. And data provided by Native Digital, the start-up behind music-buzz tracker We Are Hunted, suggest that Eminem was the most-talked-about artist on Twitter last week, the week before the album's release. (Ad Age)
Despite his decade success, the rapper had his first-week sales record broken by Scottish singer Susan Boyle last week.
Scottish singer Susan Boyle, known for appearing on "Britain's Got Talent" reality show, has debuted atop the charts at I Dreamed a Dream secured the number one spot this week. The international star's debut has sold 700,800 after one week in stores. Eminem's Relapse scanned 608,000 units in the week ending May 24. (Sales Wrap)
MYSTIKAL FINALLY FREE!!!
Former No Limit Records artist Mystikal has reportedly been released from prison this week after serving six years on a sex-based charge.
Speaking in an interview, the rapper announced his release from prison.
"I'm back! I'm still tryin' to feel this reality," he said in a radio interview. "It still almost feels like a dream. Six years off the scene, for most rappers it'd be over with. Man, it's gon' be the beginning for me and I'm finna get my reparations." (Rap-Up)
He also added that he is taking a more positive approach to life.
"It was tough. I took it in stride," he said of his situation. "For a while, it felt like, I was gone so long...I'm back and I love y'all and I missed y'all, and I want to send out appreciation for all the fans...I'm going to be doing a lot of positive things." (BET)
Mystikal began serving his time roughly six years ago.
Friday, January 15, 2010
ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK....HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORK?
Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with over 350 million users.
Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004, initially as an exclusive network for Harvard students. It was a huge hit: in 2 weeks, half of the schools in the Boston area began demanding a Facebook network. Zuckerberg immediately recruited his friends Dustin Moskowitz and Chris Hughes to help build Facebook, and within four months, Facebook added 30 more college networks.
The original idea for the term Facebook came from Zuckerberg’s high school (Phillips Exeter Academy). The Exeter Face Book was passed around to every student as a way for students to get to know their classmates for the following year. It was a physical paper book until Zuckerberg brought it to the internet.
With this success, Zuckerberg, Moskowitz and Hughes moved out to Palo Alto for the summer and rented a sublet. A few weeks later, Zuckerberg ran into the former cofounder of Napster, Sean Parker. Parker soon moved in to Zuckerberg’s apartment and they began working together. Parker provided the introduction to their first investor, Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and managing partner of The Founders Fund. Thiel invested $500,000 into Facebook.
With millions more users, Friendster attempted to acquire the company for $10 million in mid 2004. Facebook turned down the offer and subsequently received $12.7 million in funding from Accel Partners, at a valuation of around $100 million. Facebook continued to grow, opening up to high school students in September 2005 and adding an immensely popular photo sharing feature the next month. The next spring, Facebook received $25 million in funding from Greylock Partners and Meritech Capital, as well as previous investors Accel Partners and Peter Thiel. The pre-money valuation for this deal was about $525 million. Facebook subsequently opened up to work networks, eventually amassing over 20,000 work networks. Finally in September 2006, Facebook opened to anyone with an email address.
In the summer of 2006, Yahoo attempted to acquire the company for $1 billion dollars. Reports actually indicated that Zuckerberg made a verbal agreement to sell Facebook to Yahoo. A few days later when Yahoo’s stock price took a dive, the offer was lowered to $800 million and Zuckerberg walked away from the deal. Yahoo later offered $1 billion again, this time Zuckerberg turned Yahoo down and earned instant notoriety as the “kid” who turned down a billion. This was not the first time Zuckerberg turned down an acquisition offer; Viacom had previously unsuccessfully attempted to acquire the company for $750 million in March, 2006.
One sour note for Facebook has been the controversy with social network ConnectU. The founders of ConnectU, former classmates of Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard, allege that Zuckerberg stole their original source code for Facebook. The ordeal has gone to court, and has now been resolved.
Notwithstanding this lingering controversy, Facebook’s growth in the fall of 2007 was staggering. Over 1 million new users signed up every week, 200,000 daily, totaling over 50 million active users. Facebook received 40 billion page views a month. Long gone were the days of Facebook as a social network for college students. 11% of users are over the age of 35, and the fastest growing demographic is users over 30. Facebook has also seen huge growth internationally; 15% of the user base is in Canada. Facebook users’ passion, or addiction, to the site is unparalleled: more than half use the product every single day and users spend an average of 19 minutes a day on Facebook. Facebook is 6th most trafficked site in the US and top photo sharing site with 4.1 billion photos uploaded.
Based on these types of numbers, Microsoft invested $240 million into Facebook for 1.6 percent of the company in October 2007. This meant a valuation of over $15 billion, making Facebook the 5th most valuable US Internet company, yet with only $150 million in annual revenue. Many explained Microsoft’s decision as being solely driven by the desire to outbid Google.
Facebook’s competitors include MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, LinkedIn, Tagged, Hi5, Piczo, and Open Social.
Blink-182 release Haiti Charity Suport T-Shirt....POW!!!
Blink 182 Haiti T-Shirt with all proceeds going to The Red Cross. This item will start shipping on January 22nd.
http://gomerch.com/interface/body.php?module=store&id=59
Jay-Z In Interview Magazine, Speaks On Kanye-Taylor Swift Incident
JAY-Z: I think it’s a bunch of people who don’t know anything about rap, and have probably never even heard a Kanye West album, are doing the nominating, and they say, “Kanye West. I know that name. That’s the guy who made the comments about the president that time! He’s nominated!” That’s how the process works, and I think that’s part of Kanye’s frustration. Me, I look at it for what it is. But Kanye is so passionate about it. I mean, the guy shot three “Jesus Walks” videos. Three. Two of them he shot with his own money just so he could get it right. He really cares about it. And then, back to the original point, his passion kicks in and he takes things too far . . . He doesn’t realize that that girl, Taylor Swift, is just like him. That was her moment. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t do anything. It’s not her awards show. So he just did the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time.
Nike – Blazer High Premium – Selvage Denim
The above Blazer High started to drop in international doors last month but have slowly started to hit US base retailers now so look out for them at your local Nike dealers. The raw selvage denim is two-toned in a darker and lighter version with contrast stitching to mimic that of premium denim. Also notice the brown Nike emblem on the heel that mimics the hem stitch on a fresh pair of jeans. Other details include the white and red selvage piping (also seen in the picture on the jean cuffs) and a Levis-esque Nike tag in white and red. The black sole, swoosh, and heel box all provide just enough contrast to make these Blazers some highly-anticipated sneakers! POW!
Marcus Troy x Nike Bespoke Air Force 1 ($820)
I had the opportunity to used only NEW MATERIALS and colours which had recently arrived in studio. The premium materials I used were Kevlar, Waterproof Denim, Rubberized Leather, Turquoise Suede, metallic silver patent leather and Loopwheeler cotton.
via Marcus Troy
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wyclef Jean Raises $1 Million In Aid For Haiti
So far, Wyclef Jean's nonprofit organization, Yele Haiti, has raised over $1 million for the victims of Tuesday's devastating earthquake from mobile donations alone. With a series of urgent tweets, an appearance on CNN and the help of his famous friends the singer has mobilized a massive effort on behalf of his homeland, imploring followers to text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to the effort.
According to Albe Angel, CEO of Miami-based Give on the Go, the mobile-communications company working with Yele Haiti to coordinate donations, the organization has raised over $1 million for relief efforts since the earthquake. Yele's goal is to up that figure to $1 million a day as part of the SMS fundraising drive.
"Since the disaster occurred around 5 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday and [by] midnight [Wednesday] we cleared $1 million," said Angel, whose company provides the technology that allows mobile users to make an automatic $5 donation. Give on the Go has announced that 100 percent of the donations raised will go directly to Yele Haiti. More than 200,000 people have donated to the cause, and Angel said he thinks it's possible that the $1 million-per-day goal could be reached, given the volume of donations that have been coming in. "These types of donations really were spawned by the [2004] tsunami relief effort, and the $1 million that Yele has raised already is a watershed event."
Wyclef is not the only celebrity who has stepped up to aid the cause. The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, founded by Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt, has pledged $1 million to the emergency medical operations of Doctors Without Borders.
"It is incredibly horrible to see a catastrophe of this size hit a people who have been suffering from extreme poverty, violence and unrest for so many decades," Jolie said in a statement on Wednesday.
Relief efforts have spawned Facebook and Twitter users to take action, and a number of other celebrities have joined in the fight to send urgently needed supplies to the impoverished Caribbean nation, including Alyssa Milano, Olivia Wilde, LL Cool J, Jessica Alba, Demi Moore and Joel and Benji Madden.
On Thursday, President Obama pledged $100 million in aid from the U.S. The United Nations also announced that $10 million would go to relief efforts in Haiti, while the World Bank pledged $100 million.
Welcome back KING magazine....POW!
If this is what reincarnation is about, KING makes the prospect seem sweet. Rosa Acosta on the cover the once-dead mag’s comeback issue. Click to enlarge or just right click > save as and you’ve got your new desktop wallpaper. POW!
MIXTAPE of the Month: Bow Wow - Greenlight 2 Mixtape Hosted by DJ Ill Will, DJ Rockstar @ DatPiff.com
Alicia Keys Stays In Top 5, Mary J. Blige Proves Her Strength & Black Eyed Peas' Energy Never Dies
In this week's Sales Wrap, newcomer Ke$ha makes her way atop the charts, Alicia Keys finds more freedom in the Top 5, Mary J. Blige stays strong, Black Eyed Peas keep up their energy and Snoop Dogg returns to the charts.
Music newcomer Ke$ha made her debut onto the charts this week as Animal secured No. 1. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the singer's new album has sold 152,000 records after one week.
Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys' Element of Freedom moved down one notch to No. 4 with 61,900. After a month on shelves, the singer's fourth solo album has moved 841,000 copies to date.
R&B singer Mary J. Blige's Stronger also slipped a spot to No. 5 with 46,800. Headed into her fourth week, the singer's latest effort has sold 440,800 copies.
Pop group Black Eyed Peas' E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) remained at No. 8 with 35,900. Going hard after 31 weeks, the group's new album stands at 1,822,800 records.
R&B singer Rihanna's Rated R album received a three-spot boost to No. 11 with 27,400. With seven weeks under her belt, RiRi's new album has been certified gold with 526,000 records.
Lil Wayne's Young Money compilation, We Are Young Money, slipped one spot to No. 13 with 26,000. After three weeks, the album has sold 211,700 copies.
Slim Shady Records' head honcho Eminem's Relapse: Refill dropped three spots to No. 16 with 24,500. Moving into his 35th week, Em's new album stands at 1,759,800 scanned discs.
Rap mogul Jay-Z's The Blueprint III slid one spot up to No. 22 with 18,700. After 18 weeks, Hov's new album has moved 1,533,400 records.
Michael Jackson's This Is It compilation disc dropped one slot to No. 23 with 17,800. Headed into his third month, the late singer's album has moved 1,304,800 units.
R&B singer Robin Thicke's Sex Therapy slipped three spots down to No. 24 with 17,200. After a month in stores, the singer's new album has sold 227,000 records.
Grammy-winning singer Beyonce's I Am...Sasha Fierce received a nine-slot boost to No. 32 with 12,900. After 60 weeks, the singer's latest effort has sold 2,671,700 copies.
Michael Jackson's Number Ones slipped two slots to No. 35 with 12,300. After 55 weeks, the late singer's compilation discs has moved 4,075,900 copies.
R&B singer Trey Songz's Ready moved up six positions to No. 37 with 12,200. Headed into his 20th week, the singer's new album rests at 450,700 records.
Incarcerated rapper Gucci Mane's State Vs. Radric Davis fell three spots to No. 38 with 12,100. After five weeks on the charts, the rapper's new album rests at 203,200 copies.
R&B singer Chris Brown's Graffiti moved down six slots to No. 43 with 10,700. After five weeks, the singer's new album has sold 243,600 copies.
Evening things out in Top 50 is Snoop Dogg's Malice N Wonderland which re-entered the charts moving up seven slots to No. 44 with 10,500. After five weeks, Snoop's latest effort has sold 157,400 copies.
R&B Legend Teddy Pendergrass Passes Away At 59
R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass has passed away after a year-long battle with cancer at the age of 59.
According to reports, the singer passed away Wednesday (January 13).
Teddy Pendergrass, one of the most successful R&B singers of the 1970s and '80s, passed away yesterday after a battle with colon cancer. He was 59. Pendergrass was diagnosed with cancer last year and had a difficult time recovering from surgery; he died at Bryn Mawr Hospital outside of his native Philadelphia. (Rolling Stone)
The singer had break out fame in the 1970's.
Pendergrass broke out on his own in 1976, and became the first black male singer in history to record five consecutive multi-platinum albums. After playing to sold-out shows around the globe, tragedy struck in 1982 when he lost control of his Rolls-Royce and crashed on Wissahickon Drive, resulting in severe spinal chord damage and paralyzing him from the waist down. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Wyclef Jean Calls Out For Help In Haiti Disaster, "We Must Act Now"
Rapper Wyclef Jean has spoken out in light of this week's massive Haiti earthquake and asked for global help.
Speaking through a statement, Jean expressed the seriousness behind the disaster.
"Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake - and several very strong aftershocks - struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands 'ready to assist' the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible." (Statement)
United States President Barack Obama has also spoken on the disaster's aftermath.
The president offered "deep condolences and unwavering support of the American people" to the Haitian people, saying that the tragedy is "especially cruel and incomprehensible" in light of the hardship and suffering the country has endured in the past. He called reports and images of "collapsed hospitals, crumbled homes, and men and women carrying their injured neighbors" in the streets "truly heart wrenching." The president said the world is just beginning to learn the extent of the damage. (CBS News)
Updates from the disaster have been coming in through major news outlets.
Catholic Relief Services staff member Karel Zelenka provided this account via e-mail. "Damage incredible all around ... Some major buildings are gone -- the hotel Montana, the National Palace etc... People have been screaming and chanting all over the place ... It is a disaster of the century, we should be prepared for thousands and thousands of dead and injured." (CNN)
The earthquake took place Tuesday (January 12) afternoon.
The major earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday may lead to hundreds of millions of dollars of insured losses, risk assessor Eqecat said, an amount that could have been higher had underwriters loosened their standards. Eqecat indicated that insured buildings often must meet a higher standard and therefore may sustain less damage. However, the company said Haiti's magnitude 7.0 earthquake, whose epicenter was just 10 miles (16 km) from the capital of Port-au-Prince, "is very severe, and even well-designed buildings could expect damage from this event." (Reuters)
Beyonce & Jay-Z Earned $122 Mil, Become Highest-Earning Couple
Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z have earned the right to be called the highest-earning couple in Hollywood after pulling in over $122 million.
According to reports, their income ranges from 2008 to 2009.
Music duo Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles earned $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009, landing them atop the publication's annual Top-Earning Couples list in Hollywood for the second year in a row. The couple married quietly in 2008 and are responsible for everything from music ("Single Ladies" and "Empire State of Mind") to clothing lines, worldwide tours, and product endorsements (like American Express and Budweiser). (Entertainment Weekly)
This also marks their second straight year of earning the top spot.
Last year, Beyonce out-earned Jay-Z - bringing in $87m (£53.6m) to his $35m (£21.6m) - helped by chart hits like Singles Ladies and starring in film Obsessed. The couple also topped last year's list with earnings of $162m (£99.8m). (BBC News)
Celebrities couples like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith also topped the chart.
In a distant second place, with a combined $69 million, was Harrison Ford and girlfriend Calista Flockhart, most of that coming courtesy of Ford's $65 million paycheck for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Partners Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are third with a combined $55 million, thanks to "Wanted," starring Jolie, and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," starring Pitt. Rounding out the top five are married couples Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith ($48 million) and David and Victoria Beckham ($46 million). (Billboard)
Jay's marriage to Beyonce has been met with praise and ridicule in the hip-hop community.
"There's not another artist in New York City that generates more interest than 50 Cent," 50 said in an interview. "If we go international, Jay-Z is Beyonce's husband. He became more popular and relevant based on the work that Matthew [Knowles] made Beyonce do." (BET)
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