50 cent

Music News You Can Use: SXSW, Kanye Woes, Incubus Comeback

Friday, March 20th, 2009

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SXSW Music underway … Eager music fans and performers alike have begun their invasion of the SXSW music festival in Wednesday, and the overwhelming abudance of music has been accompanied by none other than tweets. Since 2007, Twitter and Austin festival have become an unlikely (yet powerful) match of community and interaction, helping those solo loners make friends quickly while helping the SXSW vets find the most crackin’ parties. To view some of the diverse crowds from this year’s fest so far, check here.

Kanye West charged not once, not twice … But three times for misdemeanors stemming from the LAX incident in September 2008 where he went buck wild on TMZ paparazzi. Kanye will be arraigned April 14 on the counts of battery, vandalism, and grand theft charged by the Los Angeles City Attorney. If convicted for all three charges, the 808s and Heartbreak rapper could face up to two-and-a-half years in prison. That just might make him as hard as T.I.

Incu-who? … Four years after their latest release Light Grenades, alt-rock band Incubus is back and has announced a greatest hits set and an accompanying tour for the summer. The two-disc release, Moments and Melodies, is slated to drop on June 16 and will include memorable songs like “Megalomaniac,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Nice To Know You,” while also featuring news songs “Black Heart Inertia” and “Midnight Swim.” The tour, which lasts seven weeks, kicks off July 9 in San Diego.

Fiddy and FOB-by… Fall Out Boy and 50 Cent are embarking on a tag-team tour this summer — enough to make any hipster, indie rocker, or plain ol’ pop hater gouge their eyes out. The rapper and pop-punk group will link up for the first time on April 14 for their “Believers Never Die” stint. But, like most of us “snooty” music appreciators, their own fans aren’t happy about the unlikely affair. One Fall Out Boy fan wrote, “I would rather eat my own crap literally than listen to 50 Cent.” You’re not the only one, dude.

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Music News You Can Use: Praiseworthy Artists vs. The Not-So Legit

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

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Now that’s what I call soul … Beyonce will be performing alongside soulful singers Al Green, Maxwell, and CeCe Winans at the 15th annual Essence Music Festival. The ceremony, which takes place July 3-5 in New Orleans, is also known for its inspirational emphasis on black empowerment, and will feature additional appearances from John Legend, Ne-Yo, and En Vogue. There will also be a gospel tribute to legendary pastor and well-known entrepreneur TD Jakes.

Lil Wayne and rock music a good idea? … That will be for you to judge, as the rap phenom has announced his release of a rock album, tentatively scheduled to drop on April 7. Miami producers Infamous and Drew Correa are expected to be working with Weezy for most of the songs, and his latest song “Prom Queen” will be released via MySpace. Wayne has told Billboard in the past that he learned how to play guitar. Really?

Kanye’s got somethin’ to say to Fiddy’s beef … By complimenting him? West says that he is a big fan of 50 Cent, and is disappointed (at most) at the “iconic” NY rapper’s rambunctious wordplay. We reported on 50’s diss last week, and because of West’s reaction, I am fully convinced that these MCs have officially wrung the towel dry on rap feuds. Face it, 2Pac and Biggie were clearly better at it.

RIP Billy P. … Legendary southern rockers Lynard Skynard have lost pianist Billy Powell Wednesday night at his home near Jacksonville, FL. The band are canceling upcoming shows and have directed fans for more updates through their Web site. Powell, who survived a fatal plane crash with his band mates in 1977, was 56.

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Music News You Can Use: Pop Tarts and Humiliating Music Hilarity

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

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Doubt no longer … After weeks of rumors and hints, Gwen Stefani and the dudes from No Doubt have officially announced that they are reuniting with a summer tour, with Paramore as their “Special Guests,” if they can call them that. While most fans think of the pop-punkers as noobs to the scene, some No Doubt diehards aren’t afraid to say that the kids will probably garner more sales than Gwen and company. Tickets to be on sale soon.

I’ll give you something ridiculous to ponder over … Katy Perry and celibacy? Well, at least that what she says. After a surprisingly short-lived relationship with Gym Class Heroes’ frontman Travis McCoy, the pseudo girl-kisser says that the only lip-locking this year will be with her cat, Kitty Purry (clever one). When MTV asked about her breakup with Travie, she took the opportunity to talk about her tour instead. Looks like homeboy got the short end of the stick this time around.

50 beefs it up … 50 Cent is giving Weezy and West a verbal run for their money, hitting them with disses on interviews and live performances. While promoting his new album Before I Self Destruct, 50 called into a radio station, dissing Lil’ Wayne as a “junkie” and calling Kanye’s latest an “R&B album.” Cough, publicity feud, cough.

Let’s talk about a real rapper … Actor Joaquin Phoenix is “embarking on a new path as a rapper,” as part of a documentary whipped up by Casey Affleck. The film will be focused on Phoenix’s new career, along with another actor and friend who, too, have decided to drop their day jobs for a more…street credible one? The album, according to Billboard, will be produced by Sean Combs.

No, really, where’s the real music? … In other, more substantial music news, Metallica, Run-DMC, and Jeff Beck are a few musicians who will be inducted into the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other notable artists include Fifties R&B vocal group Little Anthony and Sixties soul singer Bobby Womack. Run-DMC will be performing at the April 4th ceremony for the first time since Jam Master Jay’s death seven years ago.

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Daily News Roundup: Obama’s pooch and Clinton in the cabinet

Monday, November 17th, 2008

Hillary Rodham Clinton may be the next secretary of state. Obama’s team has begun to scour former president Bill Clinton’s financial ties for signs of conflict of interest, signaling to some Democratic insiders that the new administration is considering his wife for the cabinet post.

President-elect Barack Obama appeared on 60 Minutes yesterday to discuss the transition to the White House from both political and personal standpoints. He stressed the need to quickly assemble a national security team to prevent vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks during the transition, and he said it would be his job to restore confidence in the financial and consumer markets. Of course, he also had to address the issue of picking the presidential pooch. Also yesterday, Obama officially resigned from the U.S. Senate.

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Democratic National Convention protesters are being vindicated. Seven of the first nine defendants to face trial for participating in “anarchic demonstrations” have been cleared. One was convicted, and the other faces a retrial after the jury deadlocked. In all, 106 people were arrested in Denver on the opening night of the convention, and 50 of those eventually pleaded guilty. Defendants and their attorneys are calling the acquittals an embarrassment to Denver and are calling for the remaining cases to be dropped.

Dan Rather’s quest to clear himself may be paying off. The former CBS Evening News anchor had been pushed out after it came out that an investigation on 60 Minutes relied on false documents to show that President George W. Bush was given special treatment by theTexas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Rather has invested $2 million of his own money into a lawsuit against his former employer, and he has uncovered some documents that suggest CBS actively sought G.O.P.-approved panelists to investigate how it handled the Bush segment, apparently so the network could stop Republican criticism.

MTV’s Total Request Live had its final show on Sunday, but not without a three-hour star-jammed celebration featuring live performances by Beyoncé, Ludacris, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Backstreet Boys and 50 Cent. Many other stars attended. Eminem and Christina Aguilera called in their congratulations. The show spanned a decade and 2,500 episodes.

TRL – MTV Shows

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The Week in Gossip: Presidential Pup Fight

Friday, November 7th, 2008

When Obama let the cat out of the bag that he would follow through with his campaign promise to get the kiddies a new pup for the White House, all barking let loose. The Dog Whisperer weighed in, The New York Times had some suggestions, ABC News aired a search-for-the-First-Pup segment as part of its “election coverage,” and then—the pups themselves engaged in heavy duty campaign mudslinging and self-promotion. The week in gossip doesn’t get any juicier (or more catty) than this.

Oprah tells Brad Pitt who she thinks he should think he’s in love with. That’s right. The Queen Bee has spoken and she thinks Angelina Jolie is the love of Brad Pitt’s life. And Oprah is never wrong. (You know what this means, Jennifer Aniston—a lifetime of Johnny Douchebag for you!) Pitt reportedly told Oprah in an interview (set to air Nov. 18) that six kids ain’t enough. “It’s the greatest endeavor I’ve taken on,” he said, and went on to indicate that he’d like more. To which I say: STOP. THE. MADNESS. I believe the children are our future, but I also believe his kind of hotness needs to spend more time in front of a camera. Wearing the bare minimum. Am I wrong?

J.Hud says farewell. Funerals for Hudson’s deceased mother, brother and nephew were held at Chicago’s Apostolic Church on Monday. Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Clive Davis, “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino, and the mayor of Chicago were in attendance. It’s been two weeks since Hudson’s mother and brother were discovered dead and still no one has been charged. However, Hudson’s brother-in-law is still a “person of interest.”

Who is that on the cover of Vanity Fair? Your guess is as good as mine.

50 Cent + ol’ Bette Midler = For reals. Who would’ve thunk the two would ever share a headline, but here it is. Midler apparently hit up the rapper to collaborate with her on a community service project in Queens, New York. The project? A gangsta garden—w00t! w00t!

R.I.P. Sarah Palin, I mean Tina Fey, I mean . . . whoever the hell I mean. Or maybe I mean SNL. Fey announced that she’s retiring her Palin impersonation, which is a little hasty, if you ask me. With Palin stepping off of airliners in Alaska to crowds cheering “2012! 2012! 2012!”—methinks we’re gonna need something to laugh about come four years. Caribou Barbie’s candidacy is funny, but without Fey, it’s not that funny.

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