Kanye West At Today's Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival With Q-Tip And His Tribe

Performing A Tribe Called Quest classic 'Award Tour' during Q-Tip's set with some assistance from Kanye West.



(video courtesy of ulloa84)

Lupe Fiasco Gets Acquainted Live At New Orleans Jazz Fest 2011

Lupe played the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival yesterday Friday May 6th. Video up above features Lupe and his band mates performing "Hip Hop Saved My Life." Read the concert recap below.

As reported by Doug MacCash at The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2011 Congo Square fans were swept up Friday afternoon by Lupe Fiasco's brand of hand-made hip hop.
But before going on, I want to thank the friendly Fiasco fans who helped me out with the song titles and other facts during the fast-paced show. At this stage of life, I prefer covering acts that I've never seen before over the old standbys. Trouble is, I don't always know the details.

Not that you had to know much to be charmed by Fiasco's generally upbeat musings, carefully wrought tunes and frenetic stage antics. For the first 15 minutes of the show, the lithe singer was in constant motion, seemingly being propelled around the stage by the sonic waves of his highly skilled band.



My Congo Square colleagues agreed that the stylish keyboards, slashing guitar, theatrical drumming and melodic vocals of Fiasco's backing band was more musical than many rap acts. There was no DJ, no thundering bass line. In songs such as "Superstar" (view video performance above) and "The Show Goes On," the refrains were almost as slinky as something from The Commodores.



One of my favorite segments of the performance was when Fiasco issued the string of tongue-twisting staccato syllables in tribute to his hometown Chicago: "I'm-from-a-city-in-the Midwest-the-best-city-in-the-whole-wide-world." In another song, I loved his pantomime of skateboarding to the refrain: "kick, push, coast." (view video performance above) And near the end of the show, he comically pretended to play a little bee bop trumpet (using his voice to imitate the horn), just to prove that rappers really can play instruments.



Read the full story HERE

Photo links:
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Flickr (courtesy of Chris Schwegler)

(video courtesy of makaksaleOpa and 12barbershop)

Lil Wayne I Am Still Music Los Angeles, CA Tour Stop

Lil Wayne I Am Still Music continues to march through the good ol USA. The L.A. stop was delayed by one day because of the L.A. Kings hockey teams' playoff dates. Travis Barker, Rick Ross, Porcelain, Nicki Minaj along with Wayne, all brought their "A" game to the Staples Center on Friday, April 22nd.

L.A. Times concert review:
Live Review: Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj at the Staples Center

Photo links:
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Getty Images

"I Am Still Music" tour dates:
Tue 04/26/11 - Sacramento, CA - Power Balance Pavilion
Wed 04/27/11 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Thu 04/28/11 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Fri 04/29/11 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

(video courtesy of jonasfaningoleta, hicksflicks and Rap Up TV)

Diddy Dirty Money Live Concert In NYC

Lloyd, Tyga, Ashanti, Ja Rule and even Faith Evans came out to perform at Hammerstein Ballroom with Diddy Dirty Money on Friday, April 22nd.

Rolling Stone concert review:
Diddy Brings Nostalgia Back to New York

Photo Links:
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Diddy Dirty Money Coming Home tour dates:
Tue 04/26/11 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
Thu 04/28/11 - Jacksonville, FL - Plush
Fri 04/29/11 - Melbourne, FL - Levelz
Sat 04/30/11 - Saint Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
Sun 05/01/11 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues
Fri 05/06/11 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
Sat 05/07/11 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia
Sun 05/08/11 - Anaheim, CA - City National Grove Of Anaheim
Tue 05/10/11 - Chandler, AZ Wild Horse Pass Casino
Thu 05/12/11 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Sat 05/14/11 - Kansas City, MO - The Midland By AMC
Sun 05/15/11 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant

(video courtesy of TheMeeshSquad, AndyvsDDAC and MrKiidArmani )

Swizz Beatz Plays Live In Honor Of The Girls With Ruff Ryder Eve

Swizzy did it for all the girls, well sort of as he put together a rawkus set at Webster Hall in NYC to premiere a new song Dance Like A White Girl off his upcoming album Haute Couture with Ruff Ryder EVE.

Photo link below
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(video courtesy of J'Nell)

WAX At The Viper Room - April 7th, 2011 Concert Recap

I had the privilege to check out up and coming artist WAX live at the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA on Thursday April 7th, 2011.

WAX has been making some noise on L.A. scene for some time now with his latest mixtape Scrublife hosted by DJ Skee and most recently landing a record deal with Island/ Def Jam.

Coming from Orange County and considering the Southern California freeways around rush hour, the traffic can be unpredictable. To my relief, I arrived at the club an hour early, as a line was already 50 people deep and had wrapped around the building. As the night progressed, the club began to turn people away because the Viper Room was at over capacity, completely SOLD OUT! This was a mark of a good sign.

WAX's tribe included hip hop lovers, skaters, hipsters and all serious music people in the know. Even Hollywood was represented with actors Breckin Meyer and Mario Van Peebles in attendance. Confirmed - All that were present knew things were about to jump off with an exclusive live performance with WAX!



WAX didn't waste any time as he hit the stage performing RED the lead track off of his Scrublife mixtape (see video atop), then diving into the mercurial track Music and Liquor complete with an infectious spaghetti western whistle accompaniment provided by DJ Zoe on the 1s and 2s (see video above).

The audience ate up WAX's lyrical prose and energy as if it was biblical mana, intense.



WAX showed that he was not just a rapper and broke out his newly purchased six-string acoustic guitar, then he proceeded to tear into some Sublime-esque rhymes and rhythms. His first solo acoustic treat, She Used To Be Mine. Yeah the song is crass and crude, but robust with humor of the horror finding out your girlfriend (now WAX's ex-girlfriend) is leading a secret porn life with a 9 piece Salsa band.



With its Weezer song-along like sensibilities, WAX searches for heartbreak no more with the ditty No More Love Songs.

WAX had more musical tricks up his sleeve. His live band Dat Azz and ever faithful female back-up singers' the 2-Lips, WAX approached another epoch of his live set that blended every modern musical hybrid you can think of, done ala WAX style. Take a view and listen below.







I can easily see WAX on the Warp Tour as a break out artist, easy. Now let's get Kevin Lyman on the phone immediately and get this kid on.

WAX's musical content consists of music, broken relationships, anger, Kush, alcohol, good times with your bro's, lady friends and neighbors, but not exclusively in that order and not limited to either. From WAX's 40+ min performance, you get the sense he's edging for more new song writing and live adventures, guaranteed. And with the Cali lifestyle backdrop intact we almost wished we could live in WAX's world all-day, everyday. Amen to dat.



More info on and to download WAX's Scrublife mixtape hosted by DJ Skee HERE

Black Eyed Peas At Their Pea Pod Foundation Benefit Concert in Hollywood

7th Annual Peapod Foundation Benefit Concert with The Black Eyed Peas took place at the Music Box in Hollywood, CA Thursday, February 10th. Celebrities in attendance included Bobby Brown, Ciara, David Arquette, Kathy Griffin, JoJo and among others. Besides the BEP as the headliners, John Legend, LMFAO, Cali Swag District and Mix Master Mike held their own as the night's other performers.

Photo links from the event:
Wire Image 1
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Wire Image 3
Getty Images
Film Magic
Rex Features
PR Photos
Star Traks Photo
WENN Photo

More red carpet video coverage at Pop Candies TV.

(video courtesy of jumpman5923)

Usher At (BELVEDERE)RED Vodka Special Edition Bottle Concert In Hollywood, CA

Usher performed a private show to launch the new (BELVEDERE)RED Vodka Special Edition Bottle Thursday, February 10th at the Avalon in Hollywood. Celebrities on hand included Mark Ronson, Dallas Austin, LeToya Luckett, Tocarra Jones, Mya, Melyssa Ford, Brandon T Jackson, Anthony Hamilton, Estelle, Adrienne Bailon, Jay Sean and of course brawler Jamie Foxx.

Photo links from the event:
Red Carpet -
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Film Magic
Rex Features
Getty Images
Patrick McMullan
WENN Photo
Concert -
Getty Images
Wire Image - Concert
Patrick McMullan

(video courtesy of MelissaJoSong)

A Celebration Of The Evolution Of Hip-Hop Grammy Event Coverage

The 13th Annual GRAMMY Foundation Music Preservation Project pulled out all the stops with a who's who in hip hop featuring performances by Naughty By Nature, Paul Wall, MC Lyte, Everlast and others took place Thursday, February 10th at Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, CA.

Photo links from the event:
Film Magic
PR Photos
Rex Features

Cee-Lo Green Performs His Hits At A One Off Show In San Diego, CA

Cee Lo Green performed live at FLUXX Live nightclub in San Diego, CA Thursday 2.10.2011 and the crowd ate it up.

Photo link:
Flickr - Owl and Bear

(video courtesy of rosey928 and BiondaSD)

Mann: Beluga Heights Artist Live Performance of 'Buzzin' in Hollywood

Mann - "Buzzin" Live @ KeyClub 01-26-2011

Featuring cameo's from JR Rotem, DJ Quik & Shawn Chrystopher

Slaughterhouse NYC Performance

Photo links:
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(video courtesy of Dallas Penn)

Bun B Performs UGK's 'One Day' In Houston, TX

A bonfide UGK track which Bun B performed at Fitzgerald's in Houston, TX - Saturday, Jan 29th 2011. R.I.P. Pimp C.

Bun B Trill O.G. on Rap-A-Lot out now!

Drake Performs Live In The UK 1st Time 1st Date In Glasgow, Scotland

via the Independent Live at the 02 Jan. 4th, 2011.

"It's been one of the greatest experiences of my life, playing my first international show for you," said the Canadian actor-rapper Drake, towards the end of his set, before pointing out that unidentified timekeepers were warning that he had run over. "I waited my whole life for this," he said, "so if they wanna fine me, if they wanna penalise me, I don't care." It was only half-past ten, though, so there seemed little danger of his turning into a pumpkin.

Aubrey Drake Graham talks the talk, but there is an air of controlled professionalism just below the surface. This is not surprising, given that the 24-year-old Torontonian made his name as an actor, most notably in the teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. His latest role, as a No 1 album artist in the US and Canada with last year's Thank Me Later, has been played to perfection, featuring collaborations with Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Timbaland and Rihanna. (The last, "What's My Name?", provided his biggest hit.)

Possibly due to the postponement of planned UK dates around the time of its release, Thank Me Later was not so successful here. The positioning of this debut British tour so close to the New Year, then, suggests that Drake is keen to build a following before the release of his second album in the spring. This was a gig which made an impression. It was not always a good one, but it staked his claim as an arena-filling artist to watch in 2011.

His entrance, featuring a cool strut on to the stage under the amber glow of a video-screen sunrise and a modern take on the James Dean uniform of scruffy denims and black leather jacket, was designed to get his female fans onside. "Forever" and "Up All Night" were serviceable big-room hip-hop openers, giving way to a lazy, top-down r'n'b groove through "Unstoppable" (first line: "I'm Drizzy and I ain't perfect") and the staunch and heartfelt meditation on fame that is "The Resistance".

The show had been enjoyable, if not mindblowing, when a series of slips into tired rap orthodoxy threatened to derail things. "Successful" came with musings that it was all about the "money and the cars/ cars and the clothes/ the hos... especially the hos"; "Every Girl" featured the charming line "I just can't pick one so you can never say I'm choosy"; and "What's My Name?" was prefixed by a giggling, teenage-boy description of how Drake liked to "treat" a girl in bed.

Such sentiments sit somewhere between dumb and downright sleazy, and they cheapened the many highs of the show. "Bollywood Flow" and "Shut it Down", for example, exercised some of the futuristic electro nightclub glamour that fans of Kanye West will know, while the joyous "Best I Ever Had", and particularly a wonderful coda to "Miss Me" which saw Drake spend five minutes giving personal shout-outs to dozens of individuals in the crowd, were lovable and inclusive set pieces.

After that rebellious turn against whoever was tapping their watch in the wings, the anthemic "Over" cascaded through an array of positive lyrical messages, a mighty turn from the full backing band, flaring neon lights and a flash of fireworks at the finale. For a show which wasn't without its sour moments, it made for a sweet ending.

Drake J. Cole as special guest UK Dates:
Fri 01/07/11 - London, United Kingdon - HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Sat 01/08/11 - London, United Kingdom - HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Tue 01/11/11 - Manchester, United Kingdom - O2 Apollo Manchester
Fri 01/14/11 - Birmingham, United Kingdom - The NIA

(video courtesy of JodieOHanlon, BhoyMarkyB and CheyChez)

more video below.

Big Boi: Video From Tonight's Live Show In Paris

Outkast and Paris, this is definitely a combination that goes good together and Big Boi took full advantage of the French fandom at tonights' show (Friday, November 5th) at Elysée Montmartre performing tracks off his first solo album Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.

(video courtesy of Adrien Picard)

Travie McCoy Live In London, UK Concert Review

Travis McCoy & Bruno Mars performed at Kings College in London Monday, October 25th.

via Virgin.com

With his debut single ‘Just The Way You Are’ achieving the international number one status, it was no secret that Bruno Mars would be the icing on the cake when it was announced he would support Travie McCoy on his UK tour.



Opening with a well-manufactured rendition of ‘The Other Side’, the singer-songwriter was out to prove he was more than a one trick pony and not just the collaborator that we’ve grown to admire. Performing a number of musical gems including Michael Jackson’s ‘Billy Jean’, Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (view above) and an alternative remix of B.o.B’s ‘Nothin’ on You’, the American producer left the crowd with an explosion of lyrical fireworks as he serenaded them with “and when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while…”



From the piercing reception Travie McCoy received by just walking onstage, you’d have thought that Take That had announced a comeback with Robbie Williams - oh wait… that did happen. With inhumane frequencies penetrating the four walls of KCLSU, the American rapper kicked the evening off with a surprisingly popular performance of ‘Akidagain’ (view above), before unleashing a powerful performance of ‘Superbad’ where the vocalist sang what seemed to be a personal message on the direction he wants to head in life, “and this is the road of my life; so I’mma have a little fun, ride till I see the sun…”

Taking time out from performing with his band Gym Class Heroes, Travie McCoy made a conscious effort to lock eyes with his London-based followers, showing his appreciation of attending the last night of the UK tour. It was patently obvious that the hip-hop artist was confident and good with words, as he romantically schmoozed the females in the crowd showering them with a thousand compliments; and it worked.

McCoy’s backing band The Lazarus Project (featuring GCH drummer Matt McGinley) teased the crowd to the simple pluck of acoustic guitar that accompanies his summer sensation ‘Billionaire’. If that wasn’t enough, Bruno Mars returned to the stage to sing the euphoric chorus with 500 passionate fans as good-spirits reached an all time high.



It wasn’t all about sunshine and flowers though, as the Gym Class vocalist tore apart at the crowd with his emotionally heartfelt performance of ‘Don’t Pretend’ that contained a taste of bitterness within his lyrics, similar to that of Eminem’s old (and new) material, as he sang “open up my chest and you’ll see; a cold cavity where my heart used to be...”Ploughing through contagious performances of both ‘Need You’ and ‘After Midnight’ (view above) on either side of the encore, McCoy embellished the crowd by taking a trip down memory lane, performing a GCH favourite ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’ and leaving the audience on the verge of a mental breakdown as they celebrated the most monumental and emphatic finish possible.

Photos:
Getty Images

(video courtesy of kbvaghela)

TRUTHLiVE& Moe Green CMJ Performance

TRUTHLiVE & Moe Green's freestyle recorded at Southpaw in Brooklyn, NYC at one of many CMJ's festivities that happened this October.

(video courtesy of SF's Distortion 2 Static)

Jason Derulo Los Angeles Concert Recap

I had the privilege to check out Beluga Heights / Warner Bros. artist Jason Derulo live at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, CA on Monday, October 18th. It all came out of the blue very quickly, but I was prepared.

This past year has been a momentous year for Jason Derulo. While quietly releasing his debut album in 2010, Jason bursted on the scene with a vengeance spawning 3 chart topping hits and completing an impressive tour run with the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga as the coveted opening act.

I came into the show with no preconceived notions of what I was about to witness, which helps to keep matters at hand fresh. Little did I know, Jason unleashed a juggernaut of a live stage show.



As the lights went down and the fog rolled in, the anticipation at the House of Blues was on high. Jason came out in all black stage regalia and 'laser beams' on his finger tips. Then he proceeded to tear the premiere live spot on Sunset Strip down with "The Sky Is The Limit" and "Whatcha Say" his 1st chart smash with the Imogen Heap sample in place. It didn't let up from there. With his dancers and his superb back up band, Jason seduced the audience with his brand of music, swift dance moves, emotionally drenched songs and entrancing stage presence. Not quite Usher, not quite Justin Timberlake, only better - brand Jason Derulo I call it!

Check out more highlights from the show below.











In the middle of his set, Jason did his version of "Billie Jean" (view above) and J. Timberlake's "Sexy Back," the crowd ate it up. Later brought a girl from the crowd on stage and did a bump and grind sort of thing. The girl from the audience was tickled pink, to say the least.



Something is to be said about the opening act, fellow Beluga Heights artist Auburn. Auburn brought an unspecting surprise that you don't normally find in a opening act, full on entertainment! (view above) Judging by the audiences' reaction, Auburn is in good company on this tour and ready to break out into 'super' stardom. Look for Auburn soon to be taking over the charts and stages across the world very soon.

Special Thanks to K.S., Jennifer and all the fine folks at WMG / Warner Bros. / Beluga Heights who helped in arranging the show.

Be sure to catch Jason Derulo on tour while you can.

Dates below.

Fri 10/22/10 - Lawrenceville, NJ - Rider University
Sat 10/23/10 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Mon 10/25/10 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
Wed 10/27/10 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
Thu 10/28/10 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor

(video courtesy of AyumiPULP, distant sights & aznzondemand)

Diesel's 'Only The Brave' NYC Concert with Common, Big Sean, Vado And Others

From last night's Diesel's 'Only The Brave' NYC Concert with Common, Big Sean, Vado And Donnis.

Despite the room (Gotham Hall NYC) sounding cavernous, the footage looks like a great event.

Photo Links:
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PR Photos

(video footage courtesy of DJ Delz, DonjaiTV, Real Talk NY)

Ice Cube Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of BET At Hollywood & Highland Center

Photo links:
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Ice Cube I Am The West on Lynch Mob/EMI in-stores now!