Ludacris And DJ Khaled At Atlanta Braves Post-Game Performance

Ludacris' post-game appearance and performance was part of Civil Rights Game week sponsored by Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves on Saturday May 14th.

Photo Link:
Getty Images

Lauryn Hill: Another Late On Stage Appearance Yet Again

via WENN / Canoe

Lauryn Hill has angered her fans for the second time in a month, after keeping an audience waiting for three hours at a comeback concert and changing her songs beyond recognition.

The reclusive singer was due to take to the stage in Atlanta, Georgia at 9pm (ET) on Friday night, but she didn't begin her performance until midnight.

And the crowd at the Center Stage venue was unimpressed when Hill finally began her set - the singer reportedly declared she was tired of "playing the same music night after night" and performed several unfamiliar versions of her hit songs.

One fan told the Sandrarose.com blog, "Nobody could participate because NOBODY knew the music! Everybody was looking around like 'What Song Is This?'

"It was new music completely. The lyrics were the same, but you had to be on ecstasy to follow the music!... Everybody just stood there with their arms folded. It was a waste of money, and a waste of time. If she did another show in Atlanta, no one would come!"

A number of fans booed, while others walked out, according to the unnamed audience member, who adds, "They didn't walk out - they stomped out!"

Last month, Hill, who is touring small venues across the U.S. as part of her musical comeback, annoyed concert-goers at a show in New York by keeping fans waiting for almost four hours and telling them she was "worth the wait".

Big K.R.I.T. & Smoke DZA New Year's Eve Show In Atlanta

via Cinematic TV / The Smokers Club

Photos from the show courtesy of Sinfamous:
Flickr

Cee Lo Green Signs With Family Tree/Primary Wave Talent Management

via hits daily double

Cee Lo Green has inked with N.Y.-based Family Tree/Primary Wave Talent Management, the company helmed by veteran artist manager Michael “Blue” Williams. The full-service marketing division will play a key role in all future Green ventures, including the release of his upcoming solo album, The Lady Killer, in stores Nov. 9 on Atlantic Records. The album features the current hit single and viral phenomenon, “F*ck You,” which has garnered over 13 million plays on YouTube, racking up #1 chart positions across Europe. Williams has worked with such acts as Outkast, Macy Gray, Donnell Jones and Monica. Family Tree/Primary Wave Talent Management’s roster includes Cody Simpson, Kanye West discovery Big Sean and the Trio Lords and Lady.

Music Producer Bangladesh Profiled In The L.A. Times

photo courtesy of Brandon Wiggins / L.A. Times

Bangladesh has his sights set on “changing the game.” And he plans on doing this with a few unexpected muses.

Recently named one of six top urban producers at this year's BMI Urban Music Awards, the Atlanta-based beatmaker, whose birth name is Shondrae Crawford, has been slowly rising to prominence over the last decade by being the sonic mastermind behind songs from such artists as Ludacris, Ciara, Kelis, Missy Elliott, Usher, R. Kelly and Beyoncé -– he was responsible for the latter's most recent singles, “Diva” and “Video Phone.”

Crawford recently produced songs for Ne-Yo, Nelly and the Game -- and even a handful of beats for the new "Def Jam Rapstar" video game -– but it’s the upcoming work for a few divas that has him most excited: He is prepping to tackle projects from Beyoncé, Ke$ha and Brandy.

The producer was brought on board to work on Ke$ha’s follow-up album to “Animal” after meeting songwriter-producer Dr. Luke through a mutual friend. He said Luke, who’s penned hits for Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Britney Spears and his protégé Ke$ha, doesn’t want him to compromise his urban flair for the pop world.

Read The Full Story HERE

Artist Manager Michael 'Blue' Williams Interview

PMP Worldwide conducts a very open and candid interview with Family Tree artist manager Michael ‘Blue’ Williams who over the years has guided the careers of Monica, Donell Jones, Case, the mighty Outkast and is currently managing Big Sean. Mr. Williams discusses a wide variety of topics in this interview including, 360 deals, what it takes to be a good manager vs. being a dumb manager, Twiiter’s role in promoting an artist, quality control and more. Whether you’re a up and coming artist or a music business impresario, I highly recommend everyone read this interview.

read the full interview HERE

Sean Garrett Talks With American Songwriter Mag

AS: You’re earned the nick name of “The Pen.” Do you actually write with pen and paper?

SG: Generally I don’t. Generally I don’t write with paper, I just go in the booth and start singing and record. It’s very seldom that I’ll write with paper, but Jay-Z named me “the pen,” so sometimes I have to use the paper. [laughs]

AS: What’s your songwriting process is like?

SG: It’s a very emotional type of process, depending on what my mood was like at the time has a whole lot do with where I come from with the music. Most of the time I’m in a loving mood, but if I’m feeling aggressive, if people have been pissing me off, then I’m going to make up tempos and make people dance. I love to make people dance, it’s how I take the energy if somebody gets me a little upset, or if I feel challenged or something like that — then I go in and really take time to find a really incredible up tempo beat and make a really great up tempo club record. I take all the emotions of negativity and turn it into something positive.

AS: When you’re writing, what do you draw inspiration from?

SG: I draw from love, I draw from different people’s relationships, I draw from the things that I see. Sometimes it’s the things that I feel, and sometimes its the things that I think, and my songs are basically a perspective of something that I’ve seen and I give my opinion of it in the song.

AS: For your sophomore release, you’ve got this upcoming album, Courtesy Of.

SG: Courtesy Of is coming later on this year, right now we’re putting out my mixtape album which is called The Ink Well, it comes out and I’m really, really excited about it, it’s got a crazy amount of great features on it– Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Yo Gotti, Bun B, Soulja Boy, Fabolous, and it’s hosted by my man DJ Green Lantern, it’s ridiculous, so I’m really excited about that. The Courtesy Of album is on the way as well, coming later this year. I’ve got a lot coming out, I’m doing a lot internationally as well, so I’m really excited.

Read The Full Interview Here

Cee-Lo Green L.A. Photo Shoot

Young Jeezy Performs "Who Dat" In Detroit

Young Jeezy headed up to Detroit's Chene Park (Friday, July 30) to test the live waters as a headlining artist. Jay-Z BP3 Tour run was the last time Jeezy came thru Detroit in March of this year. Welcome back!

Photo Link:
Wire Image

(video courtesy of Street Dog 214)

B.o.B: Guardian UK Feature

'This is the gateway," says an animated Bobby Ray Simmons Jr, rearranging glasses of water on a table in a central London hotel to represent a portal. The rapper, already a veteran at 21, is trying to explain why his career to date has been defined by the tussle between his experimental inclinations and commercial realities, between going his own way and following the gangs/guns/girls crowd. And in so doing he is providing an object lesson in how hip-hop – once a music defined by its resistance to compromise – operates as an increasingly dysfunctional business in 2010.

"You have everybody filing in," he continues, marching a pepper pot and a salt cellar between the drinks to represent the rappers who are content to simply supply music to the mainstream market. "And it's easy, because it's just straight up-and-down, everybody followin' the format. But when you wanna do something different, you have to go all the way around …" At which point Simmons picks up his own drink – an Earl Grey Martini, rather than the rapper stereotype of Moët or brandy – and sweeps it to the left, around the side of the gateway.

"And a lot o' people don't wanna do that," he smiles. "They'd rather just go straight in, rather have a surefire way of makin' it as an artist. I kinda started that way, but it was like, 'Aargh! I just can't do it!' I can't. I can't conform, it's not in my nature. So it took me a long time."

Read the full feature here:
B.o.B - Guardian UK

Bei Maejor - 'Gamez' Ft. Keri Hilson

From his upcoming free mixtape, uʍop ǝpısdn (Upside Down), Bei Maejor gives a taste of what we expect with new music featuring Ms. Keri Hilson on the track 'Gamez.'

Download Gamez here.

Big Boi 'Sir Luscious Left Foot' Georgia In-Store Signing With Greg Street

Big Boi 'Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty' in-store signing took place at Best Buy in Lithonia, GA Thursday, July 8th.

Photo link:
PR Photo

Big Boi Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty on Island/Def Jam in-stores now.

Big Boi 'Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son Of Chico Dusty' Full Album Streaming Now

Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty on Island/Def Jam arrives July 6.

Listen to the full album stream on Big Boi's MySpace before it comes out:
Big Boi's MySpace

01. Feel Me (Intro)
02. Daddy Fat Sax
03. Turns Me On ft. Joi & Sleepy Brown
04. Follow Us ft. Vonnegutt
05. Shutterbugg ft. Cutty
06. General Patton
07. Tangerine ft. Khujo Goodie & T.I.
08. You Ain’t No DJ ft. Yelawolf
09. Hustle Blood ft. Jamie Foxx
10. Be Still ft. Janelle Monáe
11. For Yo Sorrows ft. Sam Chris, Too $hort & George Clinton
12. Night Night ft. B.o.B & Joi
13. Shine Blocks ft. Gucci Mane
14. The Train, Part II (Sir Luscious Left Foot Saves The Day) ft. Sam Chris
15. Back Up Plan

Big Boi ‘Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty’ Tracklist Posted Online

Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty on Island/Def Jam arrives July 6.

01. Feel Me (Intro)
02. Daddy Fat Sax
03. Turns Me On ft. Joi & Sleepy Brown
04. Follow Us ft. Vonnegutt
05. Shutterbugg ft. Cutty
06. General Patton
07. Tangerine ft. Khujo Goodie & T.I.
08. You Ain’t No DJ ft. Yelawolf
09. Hustle Blood ft. Jamie Foxx
10. Be Still ft. Janelle Monáe
11. For Yo Sorrows ft. Sam Chris, Too $hort & George Clinton
12. Night Night ft. B.o.B & Joi
13. Shine Blocks ft. Gucci Mane
14. The Train, Part II (Sir Luscious Left Foot Saves The Day) ft. Sam Chris
15. Back Up Plan

(as seen on Rap-Up)

Zaytoven: From Humble Beginnings To #1 Record Explained At BMI Industry Event

Zaytoven's first BMI check $25,000.

about the event via BMI

BMI presented Music 101- Building the Beat workshop with producer Zaytoven at Patchwerk Recording Studios on Tuesday, March 23. 15 producers were selected from over 200 submissions to be a part of the workshop in which Zaytoven discussed his climb in the music business, his production process and the inspiration behind several of his records. Out of the 15 producers at the workshop, the one with the most complete sound and best beat was chosen to go to dinner with Zaytoven and BMI’s Atlanta staff.

Killer Mike 'Ready Set Go' Ft. T.I.

Killer Mike 'Ready Set Go' Ft. T.I. produced by No. I.D. (Dirty)

Download HERE

Killer Mike Pledge Allegiance To The Grind 3 coming soon.

Big Boi Performs 'Shutterbug' At Microsoft Kin Concert In Atlanta

This all went down last night (Thursday, May 27) at the Shriner's Temple in Atlanta, part of a promotion Microsoft did for their new Kin 'social networking' smart phone. Yelawolf and Jay Electronica were also on the bill as support.

Read CNN's report about this show:
CNN - Big Boi Kin Phone Concert

Read Paste's review of the show:
Paste Magazine - Big Boi Kin Phone Concert

More photos here:
Creative Loafing
Getty images

(video couresy of Straight From the A)

Big Boi At The 'Sir Lucious Leftfoot' Paris, France Press Conference

Big Boi Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty on Island/Def Jam arrives July 6.

Lil Jon YRB TV Interview

Lil Jon Crunk Rock on Universal Republic arrives June 8.

T.I. - 'I'm Back' (video)

T.I. King Uncaged on Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records arrives August 17th.