Polow Da Don Receives Billboard's R&B and Hip Hop Producer Of The Year

Polow Da Don looks like a kid who got straight A's and the stunning teacher Keri Hilson hands Polow's Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Producer Of The Year award.

Photo link:
Film Magic

Eminem: Ross Ain't The Boss In 'Teflon Don's' First Week Sales

Despite early chart predictions, Rick Ross 'Teflon Don' didn't make the cut for that #1 spot on Billboard's album chart. In this week's Nielsen/Souncscan numbers, Teflon pulled in 176,000, while Em's Recovery sold with a stronger with 187,000. Leave it to Eminem's continued staying power of the 'Recovery' now its 5 consecutive week at #1.

Street Sweeper Social Club Perform M.I.A. 'Paper Planes' Cover Song At SXSW 2010

Tom Morello (fr. Rage Against The Machine) & The Coup's Boots Riley aka Street Sweeper Social Club performed the Billboard Magazine showcase at SXSW Austin TX Saturday, March 20.

more fan shot video below.



(video courtesy of truth about music & hard rock chick)

Game Billboard Magazine Interview

Billboard: What does the album title mean?

Game: It was a title Pharrell and I came up with. It was like where I am at in my career. My last album felt like it might've been my last album, but it turned out not to be. So, this album is the rededication -- to myself and to what I care about, like my friends, my family, my city, my hood, my genre and rap.

Billboard: How did you link up with Williams for this album?

Game: We worked together one day, and that one day turned to 30 days, and those 30 days turned to 60, and then those 60 developed into a friendship. We both prejudged each other, but once we met, we realized although we come from different places and different situations, we were kind of the same in different aspects of life. Now, our relationship is bigger than music. We have life conversations about bettering ourselves, and we've become good friends. We realized that aside from being musicians, we are brothers in this thing we call hip-hop.

Billboard: Dr. Dre produced two tracks for this album so far. How does it feel to work with him again?

Game: Dre and I have always been on the same team, I've just been too wild for him at times. He's older and legendary and he's been through enough drama in his career and doesn't have to jump into my drama. So, I understood that and why he pulled back.

Billboard: You recently got the words "Star Trak," the name of Williams' label, tattooed on your arm. Are you signed to him now?

Game: No. I'm Black Wall Street all day, but considering all he's done for me -- he saved my career -- I'm riding for Star Trak too. I hold dear anything that helps elevate me and my life and my career and helps me take care of my family. I'll be in debt to him forever for what he's done for me. I appreciate him and I would never go to such extremes as to get a tattoo if it didn't deserve it.

Billboard: 50 Cent, your former label president and arch enemy, released an album recently that sold only 160,000 copies in its opening week. What are your thoughts on that?

Game: It didn't do the numbers he expected, but he should try harder next time. Some sell a million, others do 50. For him to do everything he's done and start beef with other rappers like Rick Ross and draw media attention to himself in that way but only sell 10 more thousand than Ross means people aren't buying into the bulls--t anymore.

Billboard: You're still wrapping up this album. Are there any surprises you've got up your sleeve?

Game: I'm trying to get (Interscope co-founder and chairman) Jimmy Iovine to throw me in the studio with Lady Gaga. She's a rebel, and I go against the grain every day, so, if it happens, it'll be monumental for the state of music. (source)

Mary J. Blige Takes A Moment To Speak With Billboard About Upcoming Album

Billboard: What was your mind-set when you began working on "Stronger?"

Mary J. Blige: I always say that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I honestly believe that. And I'm the type of celebrity who can't not talk about the trials I've been through. No matter how successful you become, you always end up finding out there's something in you that needs to be purged. You hit a valley, another trial. It hurts so bad that you have to go through something like this again.

But people are people, and you will have to go through things as long as you live on planet Earth. When you go through these situations, it's what you learn about yourself that gets you out of them as well as the responsibility you take about that particular lesson. And once you come out of that, you're definitely a stronger individual than you were before. The strength in that is learning how to forgive and move on. That's a serious lesson. As is learning how to love yourself even more to another level, where you don't expect or need anybody to make you feel good about yourself. That's why I named the album "Stronger." That's what I had to learn from this trial I was in, another self-love trial.

Billboard: Was there anything in particular that set this trial in motion?

Blige: I don't want to go into any details about that. But I do have days when I'll run around like my life is over. And what makes me happy is when I can come out of those situations feeling like I've learned something.

Read the full interview here:
Billboard - Singer Blige feels "Stronger" with each challenge

50 Cent: Fudging the Numbers?

Hits Daily Double rumor mill section posted yesterday Monday, November 9.

With 50 Cent’s new album, Before I Self Destruct, available digitally starting today, in advance of the actual album in-stores on Nov. 16, SoundScan has already confirmed it will combine downloads and physical sales when the release debuts on the chart of Nov. 24. That leaves some to question whether the other big releases of that week, including John Mayer, Norah Jones and Idol winner Kris Allen, will follow suit. The only previous time Billboard did something similar was with Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy album. Expect plenty of carping about the seeming inconsistency of the music industry bible’s decision.

(Wasn't Guns N' Roses first album called 'Appetite For Destruction?', just saying.)

Related:
Will 50 Cent 'Before I Self Destruct' Get Pushed Up?
50 Cent: Screening Movies, Selling His Fragrance & Music

Wyclef Uses Branding, Partnerships and Music For Charitable Organization

Wyclef Jean unveiled a new charitable partnership with clothing and footwear company Timberland today (Sept. 24) during an Advertising Week Q&A session conducted by Billboard editorial director Bill Werde at the Times Center in New York.

For every pair of Timberland boots sold, $2 will be donated to Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation, which will help aid reforestation in that country. "I really think that we're going to sell a whole lot of boots and I really think we're going plant a whole lot of trees in Haiti," Jean said during the afternoon session.

Jean touched on a number of other topics during the Q&A, including his next planned releases, upcoming deals with other mega-brands and the work he's doing to help Haitian students through his foundation.

A day earlier, the artist attended the Clinton Global Initiative in New York -- spearheaded by former President Bill Clinton -- to discuss college scholarships for Haitian students in need.

Additionally, Jean will be the new face of Western Union for the next 16 months. The partnership launches Nov. 2 at an event in Times Square. Tomorrow (Sept. 25), he will join Avril Lavigne and Brad Paisley for a commercial shoot for upcoming T-Mobile television spots. "A deal like T-Mobile brings the brand of Wyclef Jean and makes it relevant," Jean said.

Despite his busy schedule with branding opportunities and charity work, Jean is releasing a mix tape on Nov. 12, and he premiered two tracks at the panel. One of the tracks, "Suicide Love," features Eve, who joined Jean onstage at Billboard's Amp'D Up Advertising Week kickoff event on Monday (Sept. 21) at the Nokia Theater, which Jean headlined. Jean will release a self-titled album in March.

Photos from the press conference/Q&A:
Getty Images

Article:
billboard.biz

Jay-Z & The Beatles Take Over This Week's Charts

Not since the mash up of Jay-Z and The Beatles bootlegged Grey Album collection or when Jay-Z wore a John Lennon t-shirt while winning the 2006 Grammy, have we seen this pairing so close together.

Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon also reaped the benefits of this superstar collision which sold respectively.

Here's the breakdown:

Jay-Z - 'The Blueprint 3' 476K
The Beatles - Total On All Remastered Editions 626K
Raekwon - 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2' 68K

This Past Week's Sales Overview Articles:
Billboard
Hip Hop DX
Digital Music News
Hits Daily Double

Joe Budden & Saigon Ready Their Fall 2009 Amalgam Digital Releases

According to Billboard, Joe Budden and Saigon are planning releases for September and October seperately through hip hop indie label Amalgam Digital.

Read more of the article here:
Billboard

Saigon "Warning Shots 2" on Amalgam Digital in stores
September 29

Joe Budden "The Great Escape" on Amalgam Digital in stores October 13

Michael Jackson: One week sales Absolutely Staggering

According to Billboard based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, Michael Jackson sells 1.1 Million Albums In One Week.



Read the Billboard article here

Rakim announces "This Is Me Live From New York City" with long awaited-The Seventh Seal

Rakim has been out of the limelight for quite some time, but he is still highly revered from the golden age of hip hop and up to 2009 as a pioneer.

In this interview with Billboard's Gail King, Rakim sheds some light on how spirituality plays a role with the much anticipated "The Seventh Seal".

BB: What's the story behind the title, "The Seventh Seal"?

RAKIM: The seals are from the Bible- Revelations and the coming of the Apocalypse. But Islam, Judaism, Christianity: all have a version of the same events. The Lion of Judah breaks the seven seals one by one, each imparting knowledge and inflicting catastrophe, ending with seven trumpets announcing the end of Times. After the Apocalypse, God rises from the ashes to recreate the Kingdom, taking only the greatest elements from the past with them.

When you look at Hip-Hop, I want to do that: to spit fire and take our best from the ashes to build our kingdom; to recognize all the regional styles, conscious lyrics, the tracks, underground, mainstream, the way we treat each other. Lose the garbage and rebuild our scene. I've always tried to insert consciousness and spirituality in my records, interpreting the writings of all cultures and religions and how they apply to life in modern times.

BB: Does this album contain any material from the unreleased album you did with Dr. Dre or is it all new music?

RAKIM: No, that's locked down in the lab for now. This is me live from New York City, everything brand new.

Read more of the article here

Rakim "The Seventh Seal" is tentatively set for September 15

Fabolous talks Loso's Way

Fabolous recently talked with Billboard about his new upcoming "Loso's Way" release out July 27 on Desert Storm/Island Def Jam.

On his personal life:

"For a while it felt like my personal life was just my personal life," says Fabolous, born John Jackson. "But I started to feel more comfortable in my skin and with myself as a public figure, and I wanted to share more of my character with my fans. I also felt it could help my music too, especially this album."

On the correlation concept between "Loso's Way" and the 1993 Brian De Palma directed film "Carlito's Way":

"The concept of the album came from me watching 'Carlito's Way' and seeing how he was a guy who came from jail and wanted to do something bigger and better," he says. "I didn't come from jail, but I came from the hood, and in many ways I felt just like Carlito, because even though I'm still connected to the streets, I wanted to do bigger and better things too. There were a lot of parallels between his story and mine."

Read more of the Billboard story here

Michael Jackson product running low

As with every major music star that dies there is inevitably a run on product. Michael Jackson is no exception. Sony Music is scrambling to press up more product and get out all available stock to retailers, the ones that are still around.

(from Billboard Biz)
Michael Jackson is arguably the biggest star to die during the SoundScan era and its expected that his physical catalog, much like his digital sales, will receive a huge sales boost next week from his untimely death.

Retailers and Sony Music are anticipating the rush and working to ensure Jackson's catalog is available in stores. Sources at Sony tell Billboard that more than one million copies of his albums have been ordered by retail outlets around the country since last night. Employees at Sony's pressing plants in Pitman, N.J., and Terre Haute, Ind., are being told to plan on overtime work as the plants will be running over the weekend.

Read more of the article here

Read about the digital music demand for Micheal Jackson here

Eminem on track to sell in the mid 500,000 *update*

According to Hits Daily Double based on first day sales, 'Relapse' is projected to sell somewhere in the mid 500k range for the first week and is on track to be next week's number #1 album in the country.

*update* According to Billboard.com as of May 20, Em is now projected to sell up to 650K first week sales on 'Relapse'. Not bad.

(sources Hits Magazine Daily Double & Billboard.com)