Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley & Nas Live In Oakland, CA Concert Recap

As reported by By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune

It worked.

Many believed the pairing of controversial rapper Nas and reggae star Damian "Junior Gong" Marley had potential. Yet, only a true Pollyanna, one with little experience in these types of cross-genre collaborations, could've predicted that the results would turn out as satisfying as what was witnessed on Tuesday night at the Fox Theater.

It was especially impressive given that this co-headlining tour, which features both men onstage at the same time, is only the fourth date on the trek, yet the duo has already managed to strike a near seamless blend of hip-hop and reggae. It's probably safe to say that the 36-year-old rapper and the 31-year-old son of Bob Marley put in plenty of rehearsal time.

The Fox (on Tuesday, May 25) show sold out only one day before the event, yet there were dozens of people trying to buy tickets outside the venue. Scalpers were having a field day, demanding (and getting) nearly four times the original ticket price of $39.50.

Late but urgent demand for tickets is standard operating procedure for these two genres. Also credit the recent release of the duo's album, "Distant Relatives," which hit stores last week.

The 2,800 people who managed to score seats — a colorful mix of hip-hop fans in heavy sports gear, wannabe Rastafarians wearing Marley shirts and other music lovers — were sure glad they did.

After a few opening acts — including a DJ that went on so long I nearly got carpal tunnel simply from watching the guy work — Marley and Nas took the stage 45 minutes late and delivered a nearly two-hour set of mostly killer tunes.



Junior Gong, sporting a bundle of dreadlocks that hung below his knees, and Nas, looking sharp in dark sunglasses and a black Oakland A's cap, nicely blended their distinctive voices as they rocked out, accompanied by a nine-piece band, plus (at times) two dancers and (always) a tenacious dude waving a huge Jamaican flag.

Marley, a three-time Grammy winner best known musically for his 2005 smash single "Welcome to Jamrock," provided plenty of sun-splashed moments on the microphone. His sweet delivery found an unlikely complement in Nas' harder-edged, often quite dark raps. Together, they drove home a sense of urgency to "Africa Must Wake Up," "Leaders" and "Dispear."

Nas — who proclaimed that "Hip Hop is Dead" with the title of his 2006 album, then went on to do everything in his power to prove himself wrong — had some deliriously good solo moments. The tongue twisters he delivered in such tracks as "Hate Me Now" and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)," showed why he's considered such a force in hip-hop.

The duo closed out the main set with a tremendous take on "Welcome to Jamrock," then put an exclamation point on the evening with an uplifting encore of Bob Marley's great "Could You Be Loved."

Nas and Junior Gong might be "Distant Relatives," but this is one family get-together that hip-hop and reggae fans won't want to miss.

Photos:
Oakland Tribune

(video courtesy of Always Hustle)

Nas & Damian Marley 'Distant Relatives' NYC Album Release Party Concert Recap

report courtesy of XXL

Nas and Damian Marley celebrated today’s release of their ambitious rap-meets-reggae album, Distant Relatives, with a performance last night (Monday, May 17) at a sold-out Highline Ballroom in New York City.

DJ Green Lantern set the mood by spinning numerous reggae classics before the duo fittingly walked out around 10:15 p.m. to “As We Enter,” the opener from their LP. Minutes later, Nas was still acquainting himself with the new material as he read the lyrics for “Friends” off of his phone, while the backing band—complete with hand drummers—captivated the audience.

“Nah Mean” proved the perfect segue into the first of the QB rapper’s solo sets. Ending with the line, “So now I do rapping, it pays,” God’s Son then dipped into his first hip-hop classic of the night, “Nas Is Like,” with both Green Lantern scratching and the ensemble on their respective instruments. And during “If I Ruled The World,” he slipped in a quick tribute to the recently departed Guru, singing, “My man Guru… walked right up to the sun” during the song’s refrain.

In between tracks, Nas reminded the crowd, “Hip-hop and reggae been related since the early days,” shouting out DJ Kool Herc and his Jamaican heritage. The legendary DJ later joined him onstage during his second solo set after Marley had worked the crowd up with “Move,” his body-long dreadlocks flying around throughout.

Later, the pair rejoined for “Strong Will Continue,” after which Nas’ revealing third verse was met with the loudest applause of the evening. “Hate Me Now” followed poignantly before Esco once again went solo for “One Mic,” supported only by a djembe.

Marley returned for “Welcome to Jamrock,” and the duo then performed their first collaboration, 2005’s “Road To Zion.” “Africa Must Wake Up,” the last track on Distant Relatives, closed out the nearly 2-hour show.

“Thank you for rocking with us on this music journey, this experience,” Nas signed off, with Damian by his side.

more photo links and show coverage here:
Brooklyn Vegan
Vibe
Wire Image
WENN Photo
Dino Perrucci Photography

(video courtesy of SoulAfrodisiac)

Kelis 'Flesh Tone' Album Preview

Track by track preview via Showing Out

Intro
With ominous electronic wretches, the album intro casually begins with groggy synths that kick into a mid-tempo groove. Kelis soon enters the fold with her icy coos, singing about a lover who’s stolen her heart. “You draw me in / Every time I think I’m free you win / Just like a sin / When I know it’s wrong, but still begin,” she crows over pattering drum beats. “It’s you / I can’t run, I can’t run to you / It’s true / I give up, I give up on you.” The intro plays for a solid three-and-a-half minutes before Kelis’ digitized voice disaffectedly states, “We control the dance floor,” segueing into the next track.

22nd Century (prod. by Freeschool)
One of the few songs that leaked from the project ahead of its intended release, “22nd Century” is a future-disco track based on hypnotic repetition, driven by subtle harmonic flourishes and a buzzing drone that shadows Kelis’ alto voice. “Welcome to the 22nd century / Everybody’s dancing / ‘Cause we are the stars,” she sings, lost in the electronic whirl. Just after the track culminates with a synthetic climax, “22nd Century” flips into an ’80s-esque denouement complete with throbbing percussion and tinny piano chords, melding into the subsequent track.

4th of July (Fireworks) (prod. by DJ Ammo)
The piano chords are chopped into a cut-and-paste mosaic driven by a steady club rhythm, with Kelis singing to a lover about how, in spite of thinking she was better off alone, she actually can’t get enough of her man. The track is a little more musically aggressive than the rest of the tracks on the album, tailored more towards the dance floor than most other cuts. Like the rest of the tracks on Flesh Tone, “4th of July” boasts another segue at its tail end, melting into “Home” with a strobe-like mosaic of synthesizers.

Home
“Your love is blinding / I’m already home / The lights are shining / I’m already home,” Kelis sings at the beginning of this aurally appetizing number. Again, she sings about being intoxicated by a romantic interest while mingling with the thumping, trance-inspired track. “I can be a mess / I’m reckless and it shows / But with you I close my eyes and let you take control.” Pitch-correction never sounded so good. “Home” turns into something more sinister at its completion before fading with the sound of a thwacking gong.



Acapella (prod. by David Guetta)
The album’s lead single. If you haven’t yet heard it and don’t know what you’re in for on this release, head over to watch the video here and get acquainted with this blistery dance track.

Scream (prod. by David Guetta)
This one is guaranteed to cut up the club. Beginning with a relatively bare (at least by the album’s standards) melody, “Scream” starts with Kelis singing, “Been running in place for such a long time / Stuck in a race in the wrong line / When it all came down on me,” adding, “And I haven’t had faith in such a long time” before the track bursts into a glitterbomb of whistling synths. Soon, one of the album’s high points arrives, with Kelis doing her best impersonation of “Vogue” as she disconnectedly chants:
“You’ll ne-ver know / If you don’t let it out / You have enough / They’ll call your bluff / You can’t back down, lost in a crowd / You’ve won the right to scream and shout / They’ll talk about you’ve lost your cool / There is no point, who makes the rules? / So let’s get to it / Now you’ll do it / Break out / Scream and shout.”
The track continues with a few more singing moments and another “Vogue”-like patch before giving way to “Emancipate” with the sonic bending of an atonal siren.

Emancipate
Naked piano chords ring in “Emanicpate” before Kelis states, “Let me tell you what love is / It’s when you meet each other halfway” over jabbing synthesizers. A little on the repetitive side, “Emancipate” is a feel-good anthem, with Kelis encouraging listeners to let life’s woes roll off their shoulders. “Look in your own mirror and know who you are / Live your life accordingly, the troubles on your arm / And it’s good baby / You’ve done good baby,” she sings, chanting on the chorus, “Emancipate yourself!” The track ends with a mechanical, punching assortment of discordant drums and buzzes that finish off with a ringing melody line.

Brave
A shiny bassline set the tone for “Brave,” where Kelis sings in a digitized tone about what could easily be interpreted as a reference to her marriage to Nas. “I’m not ashamed of winning / But it wasn’t that way in the beginning / It was this way, it was kiss me / Come kick me, and diss me / I had to give it up / Now it’s away, a different a feeling / You took my soul, I had to steal it back,” she sings on this electroclash number, which plays like a rain-streaked version of a Ratatat composition. This is her perseverance anthem, singing at the end, “Now I’m super strong!”

Song for the Baby
Undoubtedly the brightest song on the album, “Song for the Baby” is dedicated to none other than her newborn baby Knight, who can be seen clinging to her back at the end of the video for “Acapella.” Trumpet blares punctuate a muffled piano line before launching into a sprightly club banger, with Kelis singing, “So I’m writing this letter to you baby / Just like my mother told me / She always said say yes before you say no and say maybe / See, I’ll never sugarcoat any life lessons for you / ‘Cause I want to make you equipped for the best.” “I’ll love you more than you’ll ever know,” she warmly coos on the chorus. “With you, love never dies.” Endearing and optimistic, “Song for the Baby” is unabashedly honest and heartwarming.

Carefree American (Bonus)
Powered by acoustic guitars and 808 handclaps, Kelis gets sardonically patriotic on this bonus track, on which she sings, “Ahh / I’m just a carefree American / Big house, big cars.” Kind of a crowded track, “Carefree American” thrives off of twinkling sound effects, popping snares and a burning bass, with Kelis encouraging listeners to “Take a load off / Watch some TV / Enjoy cable / I think it’s for free / She wants to have everything.” Cheeky lyrics aside, the song is a perfect candidate for a summertime anthem.

Nas And Damian Marley 'Distant Relatives' Album Preview

Track by track preview via Rap-Up

1. “As We Enter”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Damian and Nas enter with a bang over a quick hip-hop tempo. Drums, keys, and percussion carry the banner. The two kings rule with an iron fist over the jumping beat, threatening death to all crimes after dropping a little bit of Swahili on the gentry: “Habari gani?/ Mzuri sana (How are you?/ Very well).”

2. “Deadly Equation (Tribal War)” featuring K’Naan
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

The duo explains that scattering natives from the motherland has broken people up into warring sectors. The song has a jungle-like, Lion King feel to it, which features a tribe of hollow drums. While Nas describes the separation anxiety from the “real” home, K’Naan breaks down how brothers end up fighting against brothers, and Damian ties it in by describing the battles over land and gang colors, not with old-fashioned “knuckle” or “kung fu” fighting, but by drive-bys, missles, and shuttles.

3. “Strong Will Continue”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Damian shines in the beginning of this song about survival of the fittest and creating your own destiny, but Nas has a trick up his sleeve. Electric guitar, bass, and cello support Damian’s strong warning: “Now you’re starring in your own movie/ Playing by the role you choose.” After a long interlude, Nas jumps in with a surprise verse, explaining his candid thoughts about his ex-wife Kelis. This track will give fans of the Queensbridge MC some answers they’ve been waiting to hear.

4. “Leaders” featuring Stephen Marley
Produced by Stephen Marley

This song is one of the more laggard on the album, synthesized to be a non-danceable slow jam. Nas vaguely describes the characteristics of who he believes is a leader: “Jake hate him/ Snakes could not violate him/ Pimps memorize his lines verbatim/ He reps NY, yo/ Gives C-notes to winos.” Jr. Gong says he wants to be like his leader who he treats “as a father,” and wants to grow up to be just like him.

5. “Friends”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

“Good friend better than pocket money” is an old Jamaican proverb, and it does well to describe this tune’s sense of camaraderie. Over a slow, tribal beat, Nas iterates how male friends have a sense of understanding, with “No question/ No jealousies…no female tendencies,” while Damian values loyalty: “Your real friends are there for all the wins and losses!”

6. “Count Your Blessings”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

All that’s needed is a full band and a soul, electric-funk guitar to build upon a newfound Marvin Gaye spirit, but Bob Marley’s values are channeled through Damian’s tears of joy: “I got love and assurance/ I’ve got new health insurance/ I’ve got strength and endurance/ So I count my blessings!” Nas shouts out his blessings—the birth of his first son on 7/21/09—and calms all troubled spirits that aspire to be him, but don’t have the means: “There can only be one Nas, yo!” is his shrugging retort.

7. “Dispear”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Sounding like a warrior version of “Stand by Me,” this tune plays on the words “despair” and “this spear” in war. While Damian breaks down its use on the battlefield (“This spear nah make friends”), Nas gets back to survival tactics: “Must survive anyhow you have to/ Despair, desperation/ But I have no fear/ When I hold this spear.” The sound effect of a spear hitting its target can be heard throughout the song.

8. “Land of Promise” featuring Dennis Brown
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

A mid-tempo groove combined with a heavy reggae bass guitar are the underlying components to Damian and Nas’ take on what the promised land would be if it were in Africa. The two imply that Africa would surely be a first-world country had they not been robbed of their people and goods. “Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard… Somalia like New York,” Jr. Gong ponders on the track.

9. “In His Own Words” featuring Stephen Marley
Produced by Stephen Marley

Keyboards and a strong guitar support this track in which Nas claims allegiance to whatever God it is that has helped him through the rough days of being a G, and Damian keeps Jah on the forefront because “Jah nah raffle dream.”

10. “Nah Mean”
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

More contemporary reggae holds together a lighter track, which features heavy patois wordplay. Damian boasts that he is more gangster than the Gambino family and that his pockets are “green like Spirulene,” while Nas wishes all the violence would stop: “Don’t want to see another soldier drop.”

11. “Wisdom”
Produced by Stephen Marley

This song is of a slow tempo, and takes a sample from Mali duo Amadou & Mariam called “Sabali.” Damian pillages over the injustices of the world, like having the ability to fly to the moon and still not being able to “feed starving tummies.” Nas breaks free from the injustice, saying people can try to hold him back, but he has “a real big spirit.”

12. “My Generation” featuring Lil Wayne
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

This is arguably the “We Are the World” of the album. The young choirs of L.A.’s Sunny Brae Elementary School and Oakwood School provide the background vocals as Damian, Nas, and Lil Wayne lift up the youth with their verses. Damian praises his generation for staying the course, rhyming, “Because we rising up despite of the economy/ And then we a star the show like the astronomy/ And how we keep on breaking through is an anomaly.” Nas proves that we can break generational curses, while Lil Wayne rhymes that “change starts with the man in the mirror.” Multiple versions of the song will be released, including one with Joss Stone.

13. “Africa Must Wake Up” featuring K’Naan
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Strings over a reggae beat parlay an ode to Africa as Damian portrays, “Yesterday we were kings/ Can you tell the young ones who we are today?” The cry for help is strengthened by Nas, who pleads for disease and AIDS to fade, and K’Naan sings in Somali: “Oo daacad niinki damcay/ Waadinka dooxee (When one attempts to tell the truth, aren’t you the ones to cut him down? The ancestors will surely be stirred).”

14. “Ancient People” featuring Junior Reid (Bonus Track)
Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

Nas And Damian Marley Listening Session At The Digiwaxx Offices NYC

Held yesterday (Thursday, April 1) at the Digiwaxx offices in New York City, Nas & Damian 'Jr.' Gong' Marley took part in a Q&A listening session for their upcoming album 'Distant Relatives.'

Photo links for the event:
Getty Images
Wire image

Kelis - 'Acapella' (video)

Kelis Flesh Tone on will.i.am Music Group/Interscope arriving soon!

More Nas & RZA Live In Hawaii Video Footage

(video courtesy of Light Sleepers, Shinji Designs & juschokum)

Related:
Nas Live In Hawaii & RZA Gets In On The Action To Perform A Wu-Tang Classic

Nas Live In Hawaii & RZA Gets In On The Action To Perform A Wu-Tang Classic

At last night's (Friday March 19) Nas concert at the Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu, Hawaii, RZA came out of nowhere as a special guest to perform the Wu-Tang classic "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing to F**k Wit." According to the concert promoter's twitter post Kanye West & DJ Qbert were also in attendance.

Although the flyer below says DJ Green Lantern was DJing during Nas set, Boston native Statik Seletah stepped in for Lantern for this show.

more fan shot footage below.





(video courtesy of InZaneRascaL, juschokum & matt higa)

More Nas And Damian Marley Performance Footage From SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

By Jenni Jones at Austin 360 / Austin Statesman

Related:
Nas And Damian Marley Performance At SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

Nas And Damian Marley Performance At SXSW 2010 Austin, TX

via Entertainment Weekly

Rumors fly faster than pedicabs on the streets of Austin during South by Southwest, and the first one was a doozy: the Black Eyed Peas were doing a surprise set at the Levi’s/Fader Fort at sundown! No, wait — it’s Justin Timberlake! Hold on — my pedicab driver just told me it’s Radiohead! Run!

After booking it under I-35 to the sprawling Levi’s/Fader (Wednesday, March 17) complex — an outpost of swag and corrugated metal where one can (and many people do) stay and play all day long, enjoying sets from bands, DJs, and what looked to be a nearly endless supply of Budweiser — I discovered our mystery guest was Nas, with new bestie Damian Marley, in town supporting Distant Relatives, their album-length collaboration (tentatively scheduled for a May 18 release, though it was also scheduled to come out last year). They’ve got great chemistry — Marley’s able to trill his classic reggae voice at the exact same speed Nas raps — and as they weave together hip-hop and the Marley family legacy (samples of “One Love” and “Exodus”), it’s more compelling than it reads on paper. “Made You Look” (with much crowd participation on the “Brave hearts!” chorus) bled into Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock” (“Out in the streets, they call it murrrrrrder!” the crowd called out). The backing band’s female dancers and joyous conga player bounced energy back to the fired-up fans. “This feels like a family reunion out here, Austin, Texas!” crowed Nas.

The short set wrapped up with two blazing collabos: New track “Strong Will Continue,” a passionate exhortation in which Marley asks, “Do ya have it in ya?”; and a lighter-and-cell-phone-fueled rip through “Road to Zion,” the song that sparked their partnership back in 2005. They killed both — but it wasn’t enough for the L/FF kids, who booed heartily when the lights came on and security kicked them out. Still, it was only 8pm on St. Patty’s Day in Austin on the first night of SXSW. There’s a lot of party left, rock kiddos. Don’t you fret.

Photos:
Getty Images 1
Getty Images 2
Film Magic
Flickr - Pooneh Ghana photos



(vdeio footage courtesy of crunchyMunchkin1 & Billboard)

Nas and Damian Marley Add Lil Wayne & Reggae Great Dennis Brown On 'Distant Relatives' Tracklist

via XXL

Last night (Wednesday, March 10), XXLMag.com previewed the collaborative project from Nas and Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, and it seems as if is the long awaited album is almost ready to see the light of day.

The disc, set to come out through Universal Republic in either May or June, features cameos from Lil Wayne, Joss Stone, K’NAAN and Jamaican music legend Dennis Brown, as well as a bonus track with Junior Reid. All 14-songs, which were dedicated to the hoods in America and Africa, were produced by Marley, who seamlessly merges the worlds of hip-hop and reggae.

Distant Relatives singles, “Strong Will Continue” and “As We Enter,” have already made their way online.

Nas and Damian previously worked together on “Road to Zion” for Marley’s 2005 solo effort, Welcome to Jamrock.

Nas and Damian 'Distant Relatives' official track listing below:

01. As We Enter
02. Tribal War ft. K’NAAN
03. Strong Will Continue
04. Leaders
05. Wisdom (Sabali)
06. Count Your Blessings
07. Disappear
08. The Promised Land ft. Dennis Brown
09. Nah Mean
10. Angola (Friends)
11. My Generation ft. Lil Wayne and Joss Stone
12. Africa Must Wake Up ft. K’NAAN
13. BONUS TRACK Ancient People ft. Junior Reid
+
"In His Own Word" will also be included on the album

Kelis 'Acapella' Live Debut Performance In Miami, FL

Kelis, best known for enjoying bringing the boys to the yard, was the guest star at Club LIV in Miami, FL Wednesday, February 10.

Kelis accompanied by DJ Skeet Skeet and a live drummer debuted her new song 'Acapella' produced by David Guetta from her up coming album 'Fleshtones.'

Photo links from the event here:
Rex Features
Star Trak Photos
NBC Miami

(video courtesy of appollomsays)

Nas & Goodie Mob Live In Miami, FL Concert Recap

Photo courtesy of Manny Hernandez / Miami New Times

As reported by Esther Park at the Miami New Times

Mayday!, Goodie Mob, and Nas at The Arsht Center Miami FL - Friday, February 5, 2010

The Arsht Center was definitely up late that Friday evening as the show was pushed back to a start time of 10:30 p.m. to accommodate the heavy-loaded BET Haiti benefit concert at the nearby AAA. Nevertheless, the crowd quickly staggered in and filled up the center's Knight Concert Hall, where they were greeted with a 20-minute opening set by local hip-hop supergroup MayDay. With an actual band set-up, Mayday truly gave a stellar performance as Plex took his beat-making skills to the keyboards, and MC Wrekonize and Bernie rhymed and sang their hearts out.

Immediately following Mayday's opening set, it was no surprise that clearly, a good portion of the audience came out just to see the next group in the flesh. Goodie Mob, the first hip-hop group to come out of Atlanta and to coin the phrase "Dirty South," has been in an unofficial hiatus for well over a decade. But finally, after much gossip and hip-hop pseudo-beef, this year marks the group's long-awaited reunion tour.



All four original members, Big Gipp, T-Mo, Khujo, and Cee-Lo Green (better known now as the other half of Gnarls Barkley) took the stage in full glory. The crowd went crazy as they performed an over-the-top, energy-filled 40-minute set filled with all their classics like "Soul Food," "Dirty South," "They Don't Dance No Mo", and of course, the era-specific 1995 hit "Cell Therapy." Laced throughout were also some entertaining segues like a 2 Live Crew tribute that got the crowd of more than a thousand screaming, "Heeeyyy, we want some pu******y!" Cee-Lo also did an emotional a cappella version of his Top 40 single with Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy," that had everyone singing along.



With such an intense set by such a legendary group, everyone was curious as to see how Nas was going to top this one. As the audience chanted "We want Nas," the concert hall's lights went black, only to illuminate DJ Green Lantern as he dropped the first beat . In walked the legend himself, proclaiming "Hip-hop is dead," before launching into the song of the same name. The banging guitar riff from the Will.I.Am-produced track shook the floor as Nas recited the lines that he'll "roll into every station and wreck the DJ!"



The ultimate lyricist then went straight into his classic songs from his debut album, Illmatic. From "New York State of Mind," to "Life's a Bitch," to "The World is Yours," every hip-hop head was seen mouthing each syllable, word for word. Midway into the Illmatic set, as Nas finished up "One Love," in walks Mr. One Love himself, Damian "Junior Gong" Marley. It was no surprise as these two have been working heavily on their joint album, Distant Relatives, that's set to drop next month.



The audience was blessed to hear two new singles off the album, "As We Enter" and "Only the Strong," both evoking great chemistry onstage. As Nas took a short breather, Damian took over and invited his older brother and mentor, Stephen Marley, to the stage. They in turn did a quickie version of Damian's hit single "The Mission" as well as his bumboclout money-maker "Welcome to Jamrock."



Then the brothers acknowledged the time, literally -- several minutes past midnight, it was now February 6 and their father's birthday. As Bob Marley's song "One Love" filtered through the hall, everyone shot up their lighters and the scent of sensimillia was inescapable. The Damian-Nas combo ended with their song "Road to Zion" that had everyone singing along the chorus: "Got to keep on walking on the road to Zion."



Back to just Nas again, it was time for more hits: "If I Ruled the World," "I Can," "Made You Look," "Hate Me Now," you name it, he rapped it. It was clear that his fans were out in full force; the room looked like a lyric-reciting army. And just like that, he was off. He thanked the crowd, thanked Miami, thanked Damian for coming through, thanked Goodie Mob for reuniting and, as Jay-Z would say, he was "onto the next one."

(video courtesy of Kris Martin, manolletes & itsjewels1)

Bonnaroo: Jay-Z Headlines Jay Electronica, Damian Marley & Nas Make Appearances At Multi-Genre Festival

via Rolling Stone

After weeks of speculation, it was revealed that Jay-Z would be among the headliners at the (June 10-13) 2010 fest. Hova will also headline at the Coachella festival in April. Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder and Kings of Leon were also named Bonnaroo headliners. Phoenix were the first band to “officially” announce they’ll be performing Bonnaroo, with Weezer coming in a close second. Jeff Beck, Jeff Fogerty, OK Go, Martin Medeski & Wood and the Avett Brothers also confirmed they’ll be on hand.

Complete Bonnaroo 2010 line-up below, of interest in bold:

Dave Matthews Band
Kings of Leon
Stevie Wonder
Jay-Z
Tenacious D
Weezer
The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform “Dark Side of the Moon”
The Dead Weather
Damian Marley & Nas
Phoenix
Norah Jones
Michael Franti & Spearhead
John Fogerty
Regina Spektor
Jimmy Cliff
LCD Soundsystem
The Avett Brothers
Thievery Corporation
Rise Against
Tori Amos
The National
Zac Brown Band
Les Claypool
John Prine
The Black Keys
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
Jeff Beck
Dropkick Murphys
She & Him
Against Me!
The Disco Biscuits
Daryl Hall & Chromeo
Jamey Johnson
Clutch
Bassnectar
Kid Cudi
Baaba Maal
Kris Kristofferson
Medeski Martin & Wood
The xx
GWAR
Dan Deacon Ensemble
Tinariwen
Wale
Deadmau5
The Melvins
Gaslight Anthem
Miike Snow
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dr. Dog
They Might Be Giants
Punch Brothers
Isis
Blitzen Trapper
Blues Traveler
Miranda Lambert
Calexico
OK Go
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Martin Sexton
Lotus
Baroness
Dave Rawlings Machine
Mayer Hawthorne and the County
Japandroids
Jay Electronica
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Ingrid Michaelson
The Dodos
Manchester Orchestra
The Temper Trap
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Tokyo Police Club
The Entrance Band
Local Natives
Brandi Carlile
Mumford & Sons
Rebelution
Diane Birch
Monte Montgomery
Julia Nunes
The Postelles
Lucero
Here We Go Magic
Hot Rize
Neon Indian
B.O.B
Needtobreathe

More info about Bonnaroo 2010 Here:
Bonnaroo 2010

Nas Interview With 944 Magazine, Schedules Show With Goodie Mob In Miami

944: Let's get into this. Your collaboration with Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, is coming out next month, right? I know it's a nod to Africa, but do you want to tell folks how the idea for the LP actually came about?

Nas: It was the music, man. It was the music.

944: You guys first collaborated on the Welcome to Jamrock’s “Road to Zion.” Is that what inspired you to do a whole LP?

Nas: Yeah, yeah. It started as an EP and then we just didn't stop recording.

944: How long were you in the studio altogether?

Nas: We started last year. So it’d be off and on.

944: Whenever you had some time?

Nas: Yeah.

944: You did some “Rock The Bells” shows last summer, right? Are you going to take this back out on tour?

Nas: Definitely. Last year was like warm-up. We got to headline “Rock The Bells” and it was like a complete warm-up with just feeling out, testing some of the songs. Not even tested, just did a few new tracks. So we were just getting ready.

944: That's great. What do you think are the advantages of teaming up with somebody that is out of the hip hop realm?

Nas: It's all kinds, because they bring you into a world that you aren't too familiar with, and they weren't too familiar with you now. It's cool to meet new audiences and people, for both. There are big fans of his and big fans of mine. They are distant relatives too. They were already kind of knowing who we are and knowing what we do, so now we are just getting ourselves reintroduced. It's not so much of me going to his fans or him coming to mine. It's creating a new audience for us altogether.

944: That's cool. This is the first time you've collaborated for a whole LP, right? Do you see yourself doing this in the future with some other kind of people? Was the experience good?

Nas: If it feels right, 100%. Yeah.

944: It really is setting a new pace with things. It's not reggae, it's not hip hop. Like you said in another interview, “It's all new music.”

Nas: Right, absolutely. There was this African music in there, and it just provokes us to talk about things that have to deal with Africa. When you think of the world and natural disasters, Haiti, and Venezuela or India, or wherever, you think about what we're up against – who knows what the future holds? All the people and their small differences, over color of whatever or politics or Democrats, Republicans, the Tea Party crazy people… I'm starting to realize there's something greater than our small time differences. They fucking created that to bring us together. Some of it starts with just realizing where we're all from. If you don't like this person or that person. Check it out. Everywhere as far as we know, it started in Africa and we're all one family. So that was just a perfect theme for this record. We shared the same opinions about a lot of things.

944: You guys did a great job. But there hasn't been any new Nas solo stuff since 2008's record. You have some new stuff coming up?

Nas: Yeah. Defnitely. Right now, I just want to focus on this right here. I'm definitely coming after that. (source)

Also, Nas has schedule a one off show with Goodie Mob on Friday, February 5 in Miami, FL Super Bowl weekend.

For more info:
Nas & Goodie Mob - Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Salaam Remi: The Fugees & Nas Music Production Stories In 2 Recent Interviews

(video courtesy of Vibe)

First at the BMI "How I Wrote That Song" discussion panel that took place Saturday January 30 at the House of Blues in Hollywood during Grammy weekend. Salaam spoke on producing The Fugees' breakout record, "Fu-Gee-La".



Next...via Soul Culture

Versatile producer and long-time Nas collaborator Salaam Remi shares his thoughts on will.i.am using the very same (Iron Butterfly's) ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ and (the Incredible Bongo Band's) ‘Apache’ samples for the title track of Hip Hop Is Dead that Remi had used to create ‘Thief’s Theme’ and ‘Made You Look’ for Nas merely a few years earlier.

“On ‘Thief’s Theme’ I intended it to sound like the summer of 2004… We put the record out, I remember we took it up to Flex… But nobody said, ‘You know what, that record’s crazy’ – we didn’t get that feedback. We got, ‘Uh oh, what’s he doing?’” he says in the video below.

“When he (Nas) called me when Will had the track for ‘Hip Hop Is Dead’, he was like, “Um, you know, Will kinda did a track you gon’ laugh when you hear’.. Then when I heard it, I laughed, because that was the irony. Like, ‘Hip Hop is dead so I’ma choose the same beat that I used for ‘Made You Look’… and my last single and use it again, because it doesn’t make a difference what I come out with’. And it was kinda a part of his sarcasm.”

Nas Performance At 2010 Sundance Film Festival In Park City, UT

via Vibe

God Son is loved all over the world, even in the snow white mountains of Sundance where he gave a killer standing room only performance at Harry O's (Friday, January 22), even managing a "Utah State of Mind" remix. Ironically, right across the street at the Bing Lounge, Kelis performed to a smaller crowd.

PHOTOS:
LA.com
Film Magic

Nas & Damian Marley On DJ Khaled's 'Road To Victory' Pt. 2 Webseries

On Friday December 18, Nas, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley & DJ Khaled are seen here at Mansion in Miami, FL.

PHOTOS HERE:
Star Traks Photo
Rex Features

Nas & Damian Marley - 'Distant Relatives' on Island/Def Jam/Universal coming March 16, 2010.

Watch: Nas And Damian Marley At National Geographic Event Panel In DC

Watch live streaming video from distantrelatives at livestream.com

Damian Marley & Nas - 'Distant Relatives' thru Universal in-stores March 16, 2010.

Related:
Nas And Damian Marley Scheduled To Appear At National Geographic Event

John Lennon You Are Missed