Jay-Z And Eminem Added To Oxegen Festival

While Jay-Z continues making his rounds with Jeezy and Trey Songz on his Blueprint III tour, he’s added yet another festival to his summer tour schedule.

As previously reported, Jay is already scheduled to headline three festivals; California’s Coachella Festival in April, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival in June and London’s Wireless Festival in July.

In between those dates Jay will travel overseas to Ireland for their annual Oxegen Festival. Joining him this year at Oxegen will be his fellow renegade Eminem.

Eminem will return to the country for the first time in six years with his D12 family and a live band. His last visit to the country was in 2004 during a sold out performance.

Along with Em and Jay, the three day fest will feature performances from The Black Eyed Peas, The Prodigy, Stereophonics, David Guetta and John Mayer.

In related news Eminem and D12 will also headline three more European tour dates, the T in the Park in Scotland as well as Switzerland’s OpenairFrauenfeld.

Speaking on his upcoming European tour dates, Em has released a statement saying,

““I’m excited to get back to Europe to rock some shows. The crowds there are always big, crazy and dedicated…it’s going to be great to feel that energy again.”

[Via http://hiphopwired.com]

Funny People

Funny People (2009)

★★ / ★★★★

“Funny People,” written and directed by Judd Apatow, stars a bunch of funny people: Adam Sandler as a senior comedian who discovers that he has a fatal disease, Seth Rogen as an aspiring comedian who Sandler hires to write jokes for him, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman as Rogen’s flatmates, Leslie Mann as Sandler’s ex-lover and Eric Bana as Mann’s unfaithful husband. Unfortunately, the material was not as funny as I expected it to be. In fact, it was quite serious because the lead character was obviously depressed because of his doomed fate. There were a few jokes with chuckling from here and there but there were no laugh-out-loud funny moments as they were in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” or “Knocked Up.” If Apatow was aiming for some sort of a dark comedy because it did (or was supposed to) have jokes about death, then I believe it completely failed on that level. I had major problems with Sandler’s character because I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel sorry for him. Not for one second did I feel bad for him because he was a jerk even to those who obviously cared for him. When his character finally met up with Mann after years of not seeing each other, he fell in love with her all over again but I didn’t buy it. After all, how could a guy who didn’t value himself and his friendships value some kind of a romantic relationship (and a flimsy one at that)? The film wasn’t logical and it should have been because this picture was supposed to be for adults. I was more interested in the angle regarding what it took to be a successful comedian instead of Sandler’s so-called plight. I enjoyed the cameos from Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick, Charles Fleischer, Eminem, Ray Romano, and others. With such a brilliant cast who are very funny in other movies, this film failed to take risks. Instead it featured one contrived and sometimes uncomfortable moments on top of one another. If it weren’t for the breathers (such as the cameos) that had nothing to do with the drama in the character’s depressing lives, I would have been harsher with this picture. If you’re a fan of any of the names mentioned, then by all means, see it. However, I warn you to not expect too much because it doesn’t have enough meat to carry a two-hour-and-thirty-minute feature.

[Via http://franzpatrick.com]

Kid Cudi MEGAPOST!

Kid Cudi has grown from strength to strength in the past few months after Crookers’ huge re-work of his debut single Day ‘n’ Night and the release of his debut album Man On The Moon. Recently he put out his second mixtape inspiringly titled The Demo Tape and has since then been the biggest thing on the blogosphere since! Here’s some tracks to check out if you haven’t already.

MP3: Kid Cudi – Do It Alone

MP3: Kid Cudi – Follow Me

MP3: Kid Cudi – I Hear The Calling (Produced by Eminem)

MP3: Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness (Feat. MGMT)

MP3: Kid Cudi – Highs ‘n’ Lows (Produced by Dot Da Genius)

MP3: Dan Black (Feat. Kid Cudi) – Symphonies (Remix)

MP3: David Guetta (Feat. Kid Cudi) – Memories

Buy:

Kid Cudi on iTunes

Enjoy!

Graham

[Via http://blindfun.wordpress.com]

The Alchemist Talks "Relapse 2"

Off the heels of his Grammy performance of “Forever” with Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake and Travis Barker, XXLMag had the chance to chop it up with The Alchemist about Em’s highly anticipated new disc, Relapse 2.

While the disc does not have a release date as of press time, ALC says Em is hard at work in the studio with DJ Khalil. The West Coast beatsmith has had a big year, producing standout joints for Drake (“Fear”), Clipse (“Kinda Like a Big Deal”) and Slaughterhouse (“Cuckoo”).

“Khalil—who I think is like the best producer right now to me—he had been sending records to Em for a while that wasn’t like, they weren’t like clicking in,” Alchemist told XXL. “Em knew he was dope but they haven’t found the right one. And I think they found a couple joints now… the joints they have are crazy. I can’t say 100 percent [that he made the album], but I have heard at least two joints Khalil did and they’re fuckin’ stupid.”

Al, who serves as the Detroit lyricist’s tour DJ, revealed that he has yet to score a beat on Em’s project. “I’m starting to be around Em and the camp more,” he said, “especially finishing these albums. Factor in Em’s sober now, it’s like that’s my man, we chop it up a lot more now…it’s like little by little I’m figuring out what I have to do to create a sound that would be Alchemist/Eminem. I didn’t get it yet.”

One person that Em has been working a lot with is Just Blaze. Al gave XXL insight into their chemistry: “He clicked with Em,” he said. “It was really amazing, too. They really vibed and made some music, beyond like Just just sending him beats, it was nothing like that…I think it’s a perfect meshing of the two…If you could imagine what they could bring to the table at this point, it’s pretty close and maybe a little more.”

In fact, in ALC’s opinion, the whole album is a level above the first Relapse. “He’s doing things lyrically on this album that he hasn’t done before,” he shared. “The punchline game is really back.”

Link

[Via http://lunchboxbeats.com]

The Grammy Awards 2010 - Comments

This years Grammy Awards was without any surprises, the artist that were expected to win won, but not all of it was deserved.

Record of the Year

Winner: Kings of Leon – Use Somebody

In my opinion Kings of Leon did not deserve to win this award. Even though the song that made them big over in the US was a well crafted rock song that appealed to pop audiences. But the song that should’ve won is Beyoncés Halo, even though it’s not a personal favorite of mine i can’t turn a blind eye on the fact that it has had major crossover success all over the world and that it is still going strong today.

Album of the Year

Winner: Taylor Swift – Fearless

Taylor Swift winning this was hardly a shocker, and I would have to say that I think that it is well deserved.

Song of the Year

Winner: Beyoncé – Single Ladis (Put A Ring On It)

I have to say that Single Ladies is very overrated. The song of the year was definitely Poker Face, a song that solidified Lady Gaga as the up and coming star that she was and that received world-wide praise.

Best New Artist

Winner: Zac Brown Band

I did enjoy Zac Brown Band’s debut album and their country anthem Chicken Fried but I think that this award should have gone to Lady Gaga, but in the absence of her nomination it should have gone to MGMT. MGMT managed to achieve mainstream success with a sound that was both unique and distinctive.

Best Female Vocal Performance

Winner: Beyoncé – Halo

Well deserved. Nothing more to it.

Best pop vocal album

Winner: Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.

Did anyone actually like this album? I mean sure it has had some amazing singles but the album itself is absolutely dreadful. P!nk should’ve won with her hit album Funhouse.

Best Electronic/Dance Album

Winner: Lady Gaga – The Fame

Very well deserved.

Best Rock Song

Winner: Kings of Leon – Use Somebody

I would’ve like to have seen the song Sex On Fire by the same band win, but in it’s absence Use Somebody deserved to win.

Best Rock Album

Winner: Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown

It was a pretty good album all in all but I believe the award should have gone to Bruce Springsteen’s working on a dream rather than this album, or maybe Kings Of Leons Only By The Night.

Best Rap Album

Winner: Eminem – Relapse

Now this is just ridic. Eminems comeback album was far from being a masterpiece. I believe that Jay-Z should have won this award with his album The Blueprint III.

- For the love of pop

[Via http://fortheloveofpop.wordpress.com]

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Barbra Streisand & More To Take Part In A Re-Recording Of “We Are the World” To Benefit Haiti

Rolling Stone reports:

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Barbra Streisand are just a handful of the 100-plus stars scheduled to take part in a re-recording of “We Are the World” to benefit Haiti, producer RedOne told Rolling Stone yesterday at the Grammys. Other artists contributing to the new “We Are the World” — a remake of the 1985 USA for Africa charity single that was co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie — include Celine Dion, Fergie, Wyclef, Enrique Iglesias and more musicians who attended yesterday’s 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

“I’m so delighted and so happy to get a dream call from Quincy Jones and Randy Phillips and Lionel Richie,” RedOne told RS. “I know that Lionel Richie has been asked like 150-something times to redo ‘We Are the World’ and he said no to everything until this Haiti thing happened. The moment he saw that it happened he was like, OK, ‘We Are the World.’ And to be one of the people they called to have fresh input to the song, to help produce the song — I have no

words.”

According to RedOne, recording of the “We Are the World” remake will take place today in a Los Angeles studio. In addition to the all-star vocal talent, RedOne promises instrumentation from the likes of Orianthi (the guitarist for Michael Jackson’s This Is It show) and other big-name musicians. The AP reports Bono, Jason Mraz and Akon are also slated to appear on the track. “With music you want to help people feel something in a certain way, and this is something devastating that just happened and I am and we are the world,” RedOne said. “We’re going to be helping people that we don’t know. I have Haitian friends and stuff like that, but we’re going to be helping people that need help right now.”

[Via http://thehiphopconsultant.wordpress.com]

wayne x eminem x drake...2010 grammy performance

this needs to be spread around so more people see the FAKENESS that the Grammy’s have become!!

THE SINGLE most important performance of the night…they effed up the sound (yes they broadcasted it this way). in addition to that, whoever was the light technician that choreographed this was not real impressive to me…pretty obnoxious actually.

this performance was really beautiful and seemed to be a good dot of the “i” on the decade. i am just so completely fed up with the grammy’s. they are stuck in a broad “everyone likes what we think is pop” mindset. they are run by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences which “is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its makers.” which sort of makes sense to me as far as the voting…but what about who sets up the performances, and the presentation, and the production, and writing of the show?? they obviously spend more time on certain pop acts opposed to others. also, the indie music scene is rapidly growing (especially with younger people…the ones who care about “pop music”) and i suspect will soon reach the point where it is competing on an even ground with the majors. will the academy continue to ignore us as they do now?…that would be a major mistake imo if they do.

just some things to think about…

peace and evolve love.

[Via http://gravityjones.wordpress.com]