J. Cole Shockhound Feature Interview

Jay Electronica Performance Live At The Key Club, West Hollywood Show Recap

Last night, I had the privilege to check out Jay Electronica performing live in West Hollywood, California at the Key Club. Back in April, I witnessed Jay on the Paid Dues Festival concert stop, but was looking forward to a more intimate show that a smaller venue provides. I arrived at the club at 11:30 pm and security checked me relatively quick, as most people were in the club already. With no lines to worry about, I got in and worked my way up to a good vantage point to witness Jay's well reputed show. The club was packed to the brill and the crowd was ready for whatever Jay was going to throw their way, lyrically and spiritually. Yes, this was hip hop church and the parishioners were more than ready to receive Jay's sermon.

Jay arrived on stage and started with the Just Blaze produced track 'Dear Moleskine' (view below)



Current Los Angeles Clippers and former Hornets' NBA player Baron Davis was in the VIP section within a mere foot from me. Baron and his crew were evenly placed and had a bird's eye view of Jay Electronica's on stage performance. Jay mention that Baron was in the building several times, as well.



Then Jay broke out a new song that he didn't perform per se, but gave the crowd a brief taste. Jay let everyone know that he would unleash this new diddy on his Birthday, September 19th. (view above)



Then the real action started as Jay invited everyone on stage while he performed 'Exibit A', 'Exibit C' and other tracks. A bold move on Jay's behalf, but the audience loved it. (view at top, above and below)



After Jay jumped into the crowd performing his last song, it seemed like he turned into hip hop's version of Harry Houdini because 'poof' all of the sudden he was gone - which abruptly concluded the show. The show clocked in around 45 min. I wouldn't necessarily say I was short changed by the short set. As with a professional act as Jay Electronica comes, what also comes with it is the hype builder component too, by leaving us wanting more. And we certainly did.

Check out another fan xIgnantx, who was also at the show photo link:
Flickr

Black Milk 'Album Of The Year' L.A. Times Review

** Black Milk Album of the Year on Fat Beats out next Tuesday! **

When you call your fourth full-length "Album of the Year," you're asking to be evaluated on the toughest metric possible. And indeed, the new album from Fat Beats-signed Detroit production wunderkind Black Milk plays out like a legacy bid -- an attempt to place him on the all-time A-List alongside his legendary production predecessors: Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and the acknowledged Motor City messiah J Dilla.

Comparisons to the late James Yancey have accompanied Milk since the first half of the last decade, when he became one of Slum Village's go-to producers in the wake of Dilla's departure. Often branded Dilla's rightful heir, the 27-year-old born Curtis Cross has certainly inherited his knack for knocking off-kilter drums and turning soul samples spectral. And like Dilla, Milk's production prowess outstrips his rhyme skills.

Which is not to say that Milk is lackluster on the microphone, but merely limited. His voice and flow are above average, and he nimbly hurdles through the tricky measures of his zig-zagging beats. But while often witty, his battle-rap boasts rarely transcend the underground tropes that have endured for a decade-plus (i.e. elliptical raps about being good at rapping). The chief exception is "Distortion," a poignant meditation on death that reveals Milk's capabilities when inspired. Yet when the topic shifts to pro forma love jams ("Oh Girl" "Over Again"), his neo-soul tinged sounds intuitively shift away from his strengths (adamantine production that distills the thrashing cold and steel wool-rugged feel of Detroit).

With very few notable exceptions, most of hip-hop's greatest albums produced by rapper/producer hybrids have either come in groups (Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Slum Village, EPMD) or solo albums that featured a guest rapper on nearly every track ("The Chronic"). Rightfully cited as Detroit's best producer, Milk has his pick of any MC adjacent to the Great Lakes. And when he chooses to tap his contacts as on the Elzhi and Royce Da 5'9-featured "Deadly Medley" and the Danny Brown-aided, "Black and Brown," the results live up to his lofty aspirations.

But too often, he seems in love with his own genius, letting instrumental codas ramble on into bloated prog territory, with three of the album's 13 tracks clocking in or beyond the 5-1/2-minute mark. "Album of the Year" is a good record -- Milk is far too talented to turn in anything subpar. Yet it isn't the career-defining masterpiece that the Detroit disciples that litter the underground had hoped for. Then again, settling for album of the month isn't too shabby. (source)

John Legend Live Performance At Grand Central Terminal NYC

In front of throngs of surprised New Yorkers passing through Grand Central Terminal today (Tuesday the 7th), Grammy award-winning artist John Legend gave an exclusive performance inside a replica of the new Courtyard by Marriott lobby. The singer/songwriter’s performance kicked off a two month long initiative designed to bring the new lobby concept to more travelers across the U.S. The ubiquitous brand is unveiling “lobby zones” just like the one in Grand Central in three major U.S. airports in Atlanta, Chicago and Denver on September 15.

Legend played one set, including “Wake Up Everybody” and “Ordinary People” inside the famed train station’s Vanderbilt Hall. As the crowd swelled, excited fans snapped photos on their cell phones, sharing the experience with their friends on social networks. To learn more about today’s kick off event, or to get more information about the airport lobby zones, guests can connect with Courtyard on the brand’s newly launched Facebook page, Twitter feed or blog, Courtyard Connections. (source)

See photo links of John Legend at this special performance in NYC:
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Wire Image
Film Magic
PR Photos

Why Album Come Out On Tuesday's, What's The Reasoning?

In case you wondered why, here are some reasons and theories as to why Tuesday are street dates for new releases in America.

via NPR

Honestly, no one seems to know for sure. It's more like a tradition with murky origins.

And it happens on Tuesday in the U.S. only — in the U.K. and France release dates are Mondays, in Germany it's Friday.

So if Tuesday isn't the universally accepted best day to offer new music to customers and there's no law or grand business wisdom about it, why does everyone put out albums on the same day?

One explanation is Billboard magazine, which publishes its charts on Wednesdays. If you release an album on a Tuesday, then you get the maximum seven days of sales counted toward your total (including a full weekend).

The other is inertia — distributors are all set up to shuttle stock out to stores over the weekend and on Mondays. Most only do runs a couple of times a week.

So "New Music Tuesdays" has seeped into popular culture.

We wanted clearer answers so we've been asking around this week — and everyone is giving us different answers. The one explanation people share is a hazy recollection of something happening before Billboard (so, pre-1950s). They just don't remember what that was.

From what we've heard, this is why every other day of the week doesn't work:

Monday: If stores are told to begin selling CDs on Mondays, distributors need to ship them by Sunday, and stores need to pay staff to unpack, inventory and stock over the weekend. That is a bummer. Also, Monday is a government holiday more than any other day of the week.

Wednesday: Stores and musicians can tell people the new CD is available to buy in the middle of the week, but it usually takes a bit for people to motivate themselves on over to their local record store. By Wednesday the week is almost over (I wish).

Thursday: For the reason above, Thursday is more too late.

Friday: Even more too late. But it is payday.

Saturday: It's harder to get press coverage that people see on the weekend.

Sunday: Who goes to record stores on Sunday?

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

Who, What, Where Weekly Photo Links 9/8

Pharrell Willams performs live at Fashion Night Kick Off concert in NYC.

This and more events in the form of photo links below.

Tuesday, September 7

Pharrell Williams performs live a Fashion Night Out NYC:
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John Legend at a special performance in NYC:
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Film Magic
PR Photos

Mario's Birthday party in NYC:
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Chris Brown & Jadakiss party in Miami, FL
Rex Features
Star Traks Photo

Monday, September 6

K'Naan performs live in London, England:
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Mary J. Blige performs live at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, WA:
Film Magic

Drake performs live at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, WA:
See coverage here

Cali Swag at Millions of Milkshakes in Culver City, CA:
WENN Photo

Sunday, September 5

Ludaday Weekend celebration Day 2 in Atlanta, GA:
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Busta Rhymes performs live in Las Vegas, NV:
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Bumbershoot Festival Day 2 with Jay Electronica and others in Seattle, WA:
Film Magic

Will.i.am, Omarion in Las Vegas, NV:
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PR Photos
WENN Photo

GZA performs live at All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, NY:
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Kelly Rowland performs live in Las Vegas, NV:
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Flo Rida, 'E-Class' Prince and others at the Best of the South Comedy Show in Miami, FL
WENN Photo

Saturday, September 4

Heineken Inspire event with Goodie Mob, Big Boi and others in Atlanta, GA:
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Ludaday Weekend celebration Day 1 in Atlanta, GA:
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs at Wet Republic in Las Vegas, NV:
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Film Magic
Rex Features
WENN Photo

KMEL Summer Jam 2010 with Drake, Jazmine Sullivan, E-40, Lloyd Banks, YG and others in Oakland CA:
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Friday, September 3

Wyclef Jean, Shaggy and Elephant Man perform live in NYC:
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PR Photos
WENN Photo

Chris Brown in Miami, FL:
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Film Magic
WENN Photo

Snoop in Miami, FL:
Star Traks Photo

Fabolous in Miami, FL
Star Traks Photo

Thursday, September 2

Eminem & Jay-Z 1st night in Detroit, MI:
See coverage here

Busta Rhymes performs in Miami, FL:
Star Traks Photo

2010 Ween Music Awards with Estelle, Kandi Burruss Letoya Luckett, Lyfe Jennings and others in NYC:
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Wire Image
Film Magic
Rex Features
Corbis Images
WENN Photo

Muscle Milk Social Studies college campus tour with Swayze, Lil Jon and more in Atlanta, GA:
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BJ Colemans 30th Birthday party with Kevin Liles and others in NYC:
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Wednesday, September 1

Justin Bieber concert backstage with Snoop, Usher, L.A. Reid and more at Madison Square Garden NYC:
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AZ and Cormega performs live at Santos Party House in NYC:
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Ne-Yo at Moet Champagne event in Atlanta, GA:
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Naugthy By Nature Smirnoff event in Detroit, MI:
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Mary J. Blige, The-Dream and others in NYC:
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Last week's
Who, What, Where Weekly Photo Links 9/1