R. Kelly Performs At The 2010 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremonies

In case you missed it today, R. Kelly performed the song “Sign of a Victory” with the Soweto Spiritual Singers at the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Photo links:
Getty Images
Rex Features

R.Kelly - 'Echo' (video)

R. Kelly untitled on Jive/Zomba in stores now.

Roy Hamilton III: SoJones Interviews R N B Music Producer

SoJones: Where do you get your inspiration from to start producing?

Roy Hamilton: Well for me I grew up listening to a lot of hip hop and rap music, rock, soul music…inspirations from Al Green to Aerosmith. A lot of different kinds of music and different things inspire me. I come from a musical family. My Grandfather was a singer in the 50’s and 60’s, his name is Roy Hamilton and you know, it’s just in my blood to do this. and I just found myself at around 14 years old having a serious interest in producing tracks and DJ’ing and just getting into it. So it was really organic the way it happened.

SoJones: In your career you’ve done so much. Not to discredit anyone you worked with but working with Michael Jackson for the song “Shout”, that kinda got my attention. What was it like working with MJ?

Roy Hamilton: It was a great experience to work with Michael in two ways. One: It pretty much desensitized me to the whole thing about artists and being starstruck. Another great thing about Michael was his passion with what he did and in the studio when a track comes on, how he moves and gets into it, you know he’s just amazing to watch and work with in the studio. You know he’s Michael! One of the best ever in history.

SoJones: Right now, the single “Number 1″ is doing well on the charts. Being under the tutelage of R. Kelly for so long what was the most important thing he taught you?

Roy Hamilton: He taught me to work hard. To be aggressive and work hard and that you gotta seize the moment. He was the guy that I saw at 17 years old coming into the studio at 11 o’clock at night and not leaving till 8 o’clock or 9 in the morning just working. Sometimes not getting out till noon the next day. So at an early age I learned that. And I was always a hard worker myself before I got signed; I kept working two jobs in the summer time but working with him it showed me that that kind of work ethic is not only acceptable it’s what it takes to become the best and make it to the top. It’s not for everyone, it’s for the strong!

SoJones: Concerning your micro-mixtape venture “The International”, how will this upcoming mixtape be different than what others like DJ Drama are putting out with huge rap stars?

Roy Hamilton: Well a micro mixtape is a lot different than your conventional mixtape in the fact that most mixtapes are filled with records and things and a lot of it, you don’t remember any of it. I just decided to take my best four tunes, shoot four music videos to them, and make something small (micro), and release it. That way you can put out more quality vs. quantity. It’s something I came up with and DJ Whoo Kid loved the idea and he decided to endorse it and I’m gonna be the person to kind of spearhead micro-mixtapes, and micro albums and things where you do less. It’s about doing less and giving people more for their money and giving the listener or viewer an experience as opposed to throwing all this stuff at them at once.

Read the full interview here:
SoJones - Hitmaker Roy Hamilton III Speaks With SoJones

Learn more about Roy Hamilton here:
royhamiltoniii.com

Los Angeles Times 2009's Top Hip Hop Songs About Booze

“Crack a Bottle” – Eminem featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent

“So crack a bottle / Let your body waddle / Don’t act like a snobby model / You just hit the Lotto,” Em sing-raps on the chorus of this party track. The operative thinking here conflates sobriety with snootiness and getting wasted with winning a lottery jackpot.



“Blame It” – Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain

“Blame it on the Goose, got ya feelin’ loose / Blame it on the 'trón, catch me in a zone / Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol,” Foxx sings with no small amount of added Auto-tune attitude in this boudoir jam that was all but inescapable on Top 40 radio earlier this year. Yes, he is talking about Grey Goose and Patrón. But later in the song, he lays bare his reasoning: by continuing to fill a potential love interest’s cup, she’s more likely to lose her inhibitions – “Fill another cup up / Feelin’ on your butt what?”



“Crazy Night” – R. Kelly featuring R. City

“This Hennessy got me,” R. Kelly croons on the lead cut from his latest album, “Untitled.” Then he gets to the chorus: “If you’re drinkin’ what I’m drinkin’, put your hands up in the sky / If you’re thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, you’ll say, 'What a crazy night!' ” But R’s consumption hardly stops there. In the song, he also brags of a “thousand dollar” bar tab, concluding, “I need another shot of that Bacardi” -- recklessly ignoring the inevitability of a hangover such booze mixing will provoke.



“Shots” – LMFAO featuring Lil Jon

Jägerbombs, lemon drops, Jello shots and kamikazes as well as premium liquors such as Ciroc Vodka and the rappers’ de facto favorite (judging by its ubiquity in hip-hop songs since 2006) Patrón tequila all get a shout-out on this Crunk-inflected club-banger. Even if the song’s “we came to party” ethos is hardly groundbreaking, its hook remains unforgettable: Lil Jon hoarsely screaming the word “shots!” 16 times in a row.



“Maldito Alcohol” – Pitbull

Reggaeton was no stranger to hip-hop’s reigning dipsomania. Exhibit A: Boriquan rapper Pitbull spitting lyrics (in Spanish) such as “I don’t want water / I want a drink”. . . “Damn alcohol, sweet torment / Give me a drink on the rocks.”



“One More Drink” – Ludacris

An unapologetic ode to putting on one’s “beer goggles,” “One More Drink’s” narrative drama revolves around the ramifications of Luda having that proverbial one too many. Drunk driving and bedding ugly women ensues: “Surrendered to the woman / And her bringin’ me home / Because she looked better / Every shot of Patrón.”



“I’m So Gone (Patrón)” – Chamillionaire featuring Bobby Valentino

Chamilly and Bobby Valentino go for the obvious couplet here, rhyming “I’m poppin’ bottles of Patrón” with “all night long.” For the rapper, it’s clear that alcohol provides a palliative for his worldly concerns. “I’mma wash my problems away,” Chamillionaire raps. “Tonight I need a drank.” R&B Lothario Valentino, meanwhile, announces that he doesn’t usually drink but admits he’s “gone” -- read: wasted -- from drinking a mixture of tequila and rose wine.



“Wasted” – Gucci Mane

“Party, party, party, let’s all get wasted,” the rapper exhorts on this hit single. “Shake it for me baby girl, do it butt naked / I’m so wasted, she so wasted / Tell the bartender send me 20 more cases.” The discrete charms of this hit single don’t end with the incontrovertible logic of its chorus, however. Mane also presumes the intoxication of certain notorious pop divas, mentioning that the booze has got him “geeking like Whitney and Britney.”



“Patrón Tequila” – the Paradiso Girls featuring Lil Jon

We can all agree that Crunkmeister Lil Jon was the man behind this year’s most unabashedly pro-booze music. On this paean to rap’s preferred tipple, though, the Paradiso Girls make vocal a silken threat: “By the end of the night, I’mma have you drunk and throwin’ up.”

(source)

Diddy, R. Kelly Each Pay A Visit To Miami

via the Miami Herald

This holiday weekend, two of R&B and hip-hop's biggest names chose Miami as their party destination.

Part-time Star Island resident Diddy, known for throwing famous white parties, hosted a black party on Friday at Mansion in honor of the biggest holiday shopping day of the year.



Hmm, we wonder what the hip-hop star wants for Christmas?

Perhaps love is on his wish list.

The handsome actor/singer generously posed for pics with several eager ladies before heading out around 3 a.m. But his weekend didn't stop there.

The party boy attended R. Kelly's concert Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center. The concert was part of Kelly's Ladies Make Some Noise tour.



At the show, the sexy crooner gave fans a sneak peek of songs from his new album, Untitled (in stores Tuesday). But most ladies seemed more into his older hits, including I'm a Flirt and Bump N Grind.

Diddy tweeted about his friend's performance, ``At rkelly concert in miami! He's rippin this s--- down!!!!''

Kelly later hosted an album release party at Karu & Y where ladies tried to sneak into the VIP section to get up close to the Chicago native. However, the Down Low singer kept to himself, shying away from reporters and cameramen on the red carpet.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs party photos:
Rex Features 1
Rex Features 2
Star Traks Photo 1
Star Traks Photo 2

R.Kelly Miami concert photos:
WENN Photo

Your Favorite Rapper's Give Away Turkeys For Thanksgiving Holiday Rundown

Whether it's for an artist promotion or just to do a good deed for the community, it's always refreshing to hear these stories and redeems Hip Hop just for a moment.

Links provided.

Akon & Ludacris - Akon And Ludacris Help Distribute 2000 Turkeys To Families In Need (myATL events)

Young Jeezy - Young Jeezy To Give Back On Thanksgiving With Turkey Dinners (Word of South)

R. Kelly - R. Kelly to Host Thanksgiving Feast for Soldiers (PR News Wire)

Cash Money - Cash Money Records to give away turkeys on Tuesday (New Orleans The Times-Picayune)

Gucci Mane - Gucci Mane & Company To Feed Those Less Fortunate For Thanksgiving (Hip Hop Wired)

Bun B - Bun B Teams Up With Boost Mobile For Holiday Food Drive (Keep It Trill)

Jay Rock - Rapper Jay Rock Set To Give Away Turkeys In His Watts Neighborhood (BallerStatus)

Trey Songz - Trey Songz Giving Away Turkeys In Viriginia For Thanksgiving (BallerStatus)

KRS One - KRS-One to Feed NYC Homeless on Thanksgiving (Boombox)

Trae Tha Truth - Trae Tha Truth Joins Texans’ Amobi Okoye And Councilman Peter Brown To Tackle Hunger 4 Thanksgiving (Music On Play)

Vaughn Anthony - Vaughn Anthony giving back with free holiday meal (Illinois - Springfield News)

DJ Drama - DJ Drama Leads Atlanta Turkey Drive For Needy Families (Keep It Trill)

R. Kelly In Concert At The Nokia Theatre Los Angeles Show Recap

As reported by Mikael Wood at the Los Angeles Times

Kelly boasts one of R&B's most expansive catalogs, and at the Nokia he seemed determined to showcase as much of that work as he could during his 90-minute set. That meant truncated versions of tracks like "Fiesta," "I'm a Flirt" and "You Remind Me of Something," the last of which inspired another stream-of-consciousness riff, this one about how the song put the singer in mind of "that old-school Kells."
"Y'all remember all them songs?" he asked, and for those that didn't he provided a helpful review.

Boiled down to a single verse or chorus, some of Kelly's tunes improved; he's not above belaboring a point, particularly when he starts trying to unpack the philosophy of a player. Others, though -- such as the effervescent "Ignition (Remix)" and "Strip for You," in which he made a delightful rhyme of the song's title and "switcheroo" -- felt unnecessarily hurried. He could (and should) have performed "Step in the Name of Love" for two or three times longer than he did.

After a while, Kelly halted the hit parade to address an issue he said he hadn't planned on mentioning. (Yeah, right.)

"This is my first tour since my court case," he said, referring to a heavily publicized 2008 trial in which he was acquitted of several child pornography charges. "And I'm still here!"

Read ore of the review here:
L.A. Times - Live review: R. Kelly at Nokia Theatre

Photos:
L.A. Times
Wire Image

R. Kelly "Ladies Make Some Noise Tour" dates:
Sat 11/07/09 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
Thu 11/12/09 - Indianapolis, IN - TBA
Sat 11/14/09 - Detroit, MI - TBA
Sun 11/15/09 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Theatre
Tue 11/17/09 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
Fri 11/20/09 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theatre
Sat 11/21/09 - Charlotte, NC - TBA
Sun 11/22/09 - Greensboro, NC - Special Events Center
Tue 11/24/09 - Washington, DC - TBA
Fri 11/27/09 - Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theater
Sat 11/28/09 - Miami, FL - Knight Concert Hall
Sun 11/29/09 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Fri 12/04/09 - Norfolk, VA - TBA
Sat 12/05/09 - Richmond, VA - TBA
Sun 12/06/09 - Cleveland, OH - Palace Theatre
Tue 12/08/09 - St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theatre

(video courtesy of Rap Up)

R. Kelly 'Untitled' Arrives December 1st

via press release

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Three-time Grammy winner R. Kelly is on the cusp of releasing his tenth studio album Untitled due in stores Dec. 1, with his latest single "Religious" hitting airwaves on the heels of his critically acclaimed U.S. tour.

Building the anticipation for the album are two back-to-back powerful singles. R. Kelly recently made music history with his current single "Number One" featuring Keri Hilson when the song became his 35th Top 10 single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. He has now surpassed Nat "King" Cole's record of having the most Top 10 hits on that chart, and Billboard further notes that "Kelly's climb places him sixth among male artists and ties him with Dinah Washington for eighth overall since the R&B chart was established in 1942."

"Number One" was the #1 most added record at urban radio upon its debut and reached #1 at VH1 Soul as the most played video on the network for two consecutive weeks, where it's still in high demand. The video is in heavy rotation on MTV Jams and FUSE's "#1 Countdown Hip Hop." "Number One" has already sold 215,000 copies, and is at #7 on the Billboard Urban Mainstream charts, attesting to the enduring popularity of the singer/songwriter/producer/musician. The second single, the stirring "Religious," will impact adult Urban AC radio on Oct. 20.

On his forthcoming Untitled, R. Kelly returns to the streets and delivers an album with refreshing vitality. He joins forces with a crew of rising producers including Infinity, Lil Ronnie and Chris Henderson. In a departure from his signature approach of recording only in his native Chicago, Kelly recorded some of the material in Atlanta.

R. Kelly, has earned accolades for his studio work and his riveting live performances and the "Ladies Make Some Noise Tour" proves to be no exception: The Boston Herald describes the show as "widely enjoyable;" MTV.com declares, "[t]he magic is back;" and the Philadelphia Inquirer observes, "Teddy Pendergrass created the 'ladies' tour... [y]et soul-hop lover man R. Kelly gave TeddyBear a run for his money..."

R. Kelly's remarkable career spans decades filled with accomplishments and achievements. He has sold over 34 million records worldwide, released six No. 1 albums, twelve platinum-plus selling albums, eleven No. 1 singles, and 35 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. The Chicago native has released thirteen albums total including compilations and collaborations; and nine platinum-certified solo albums. He has collaborated and written songs for some of today's top musical icons from all genres including: Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Pussycat Dolls, Usher, Celine Dion and more.

R. Kelly "Ladies Make Some Noise Tour" dates:
Tue 10/20/09 - Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Music Hall
Thu 10/22/09 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
Fri 10/23/09 - Chattanooga, TN - Chattanooga Memorial Auditorium
Sat 10/24/09 - Charleston, SC - Gaillard Municipal Auditorium
Sun 10/25/09 - Augusta, GA - William B. Bell Auditorium
Tue 10/27/09 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall
Thu 10/29/09 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie
Fri 10/30/09 - Houston, TX - Reliant Arena @ Reliant Park
Sat 10/31/09 - New Orleans, LA - Lakefront Arena
Sun 11/01/09 - Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
Thu 11/05/09 - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
Fri 11/06/09 - Las Vegas, NV - Planet Hollywood Theatre
Sat 11/07/09 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
Thu 11/12/09 - Indianapolis, IN - TBA
Sat 11/14/09 - Detroit, MI - TBA
Sun 11/15/09 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Theatre
Tue 11/17/09 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
Fri 11/20/09 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theatre
Sat 11/21/09 - Charlotte, NC - TBA
Sun 11/22/09 - Greensboro, NC - Special Events Center
Tue 11/24/09 - Washington, DC - TBA
Fri 11/27/09 - Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theater
Sat 11/28/09 - Miami, FL - Knight Concert Hall
Sun 11/29/09 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Fri 12/04/09 - Norfolk, VA - TBA
Sat 12/05/09 - Richmond, VA - TBA
Sun 12/06/09 - Cleveland, OH - Palace Theatre
Tue 12/08/09 - St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theatre

Maxwell, Jamie Foxx & R.Kelly: Three High Profile R&B Concerts, One Night Show Recaps

All three of these concerts took place on Friday, October 16 in LA and NYC. Check out each shows' full coverage.

Maxwell at the Hollywood Bowl in California:



via L.A. Times

The soul singer known simply as Maxwell made a lot of demands on his audience Friday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

At one point, during a long improvised bit at the end of his version of “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush, he declared, “God made us to love,” and therefore, “I don’t care what you believe as long as you believe in something bigger than yourself.”

Later, he had the crowd sing an entire verse of his song “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” as he conducted happily from center stage.

Read more of the L.A. Times Maxwell concert review here:
L.A. Times - Maxwell at the Hollywood Bowl

Maxwell after show party photos:
Patrick McMullan

Jamie Foxx at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, CA:



Jamie Foxx concert photos:
Wire Image

R.Kelly at the WaMu Theatre Madison Square Garden NYC:

LIVE From Madison Square Garden...It's R. Kelly! from the.LIFE Files on Vimeo.

via MTV

Friday night's R. Kelly concert once again showed that the singer has mastered every area of live performance. Some women were literally climbing over barricades to dance in the aisle as Kelly closed with two of his signature records, "Step in the Name of Love" and "Happy People."

But Kelly could have closed with any of the many timeless hits that he's put out during the past 15 years. Much like Jay-Z or Mary J. Blige, Kells performs to audiences that obviously have their own personal relationships with the records and the music forever stamped in their hearts.

Read more of the MTV R.Kelly show review here:
MTV - R. Kelly Dazzles Crowd At New York Concert

R.Kelly concert photos:
Getty Images

(Maxwell video courtesy of wanichols)
(Jamie Foxx video courtesy of khoa112)
(R.Kelly video courtesy of the life files)