WUTANG/ KILLER BEES NEW FIRE! Check out a few joints from Wu-Tang and their Killer Bee Affiliates. Hip-hop needs to hear that Wu-Tang sound again. This is real hip hop folks!! LISTEN HERE
BEANS TO PLAY BIGGIE? Word on the street is that Philly rapper Beanie Sigel is on his G-R-I-N-D! He will be reading for the lead role...READ MORE AT RAPINDUSTRY.COM
HIP HOP'S DAILY DIRTY LAUNDRY Check out Video from Ludacris' Huge Birthday Bash in Vegas, ..plus...TI, Lil Wayne, and Jeezy celebrated their birthdays together at the "Untouchables" event in Atlanta, and is Former 106 & Park host Free aka Marie is signing to the Roc? , plus more...Click Here
To Keep up on all the latest Hip Hop-- Log On To RAPINDUSTRY.COM
WHO IS DAVID BANNER? Let's cut to the chase: David Banner is one of the most underappreciated rappers to emerge from below the Mason-Dixon Line in the last five years. Since his SRC/Universal debut Mississippi: The Album in 2003, many have been enthralled by Banner's obvious dedication to lyrical craft, roaring tracks and b-boy stance. Still, while past tracks like the cranked "Like a Pimp" from his debut to the electro-bounce of "Play" (Certified, 2005) has helped build a loyal fan base, with the release of The Greatest Story Ever Told this country boy is finally connecting on a larger scale.
Exposed to all kinds of music while growing up, Banner's musical palette is never lacking. From the funky head nod of the Akon-produced first single "Speaker" to the dark path of "Suicide Doors," featuring UGK to the textured grooves of "Cadillac On 22's Part II," David Banner proves he can do it all. "UGK, Sun-Ra and The Police all have had their influence on what you hear in my music," he laughs.
In 1999, as a member of the Mississippi rhyme duo Crooked Lettaz, Banner became part of the dirty south revolution, releasing the critically lauded and criminally slept-on Tommy Boy Records debut Grey Skies. A year later, Them Firewater Boys Vol. 1, his introduction as a soloist, saw Banner blazing through the underground; both XXL and Murder Dog named it one of the best albums of the year. Soon the major labels were knocking on Banner's door, sparking off a bidding-war. When legendary music executive Steve Rifkind (Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Big Pun) signed the self-contained Banner and his b.i.G.f.a.c.e. Entertainment imprint to Rifkind's SRC label, the music industry took notice.
Having recently released his first single, "Speaker," which features Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and producer Akon, it obvious that David Banner has concocted the perfect hip hop banger. "When people listen to my songs, I want them to consider them the soundtrack to their lives," David Banner declares. "I'm not just making songs for the moment; I'm creating material that I hope lasts in their minds forever.
"2006 was a difficult year for me," Banner continues. "So, for 2007 I wanted to come out celebrating. To me, "Speaker" is a celebration of hip-hop and what it can represent. Rap gets blamed for all the ills in the world today; I just wanted folks to know there is a lot of love in the music too."
In the last year, David Banner has also made the transition from the studio to the screen, having appeared in Black Snake Moan and the forthcoming movies This Christmas and Days of Wrath. "I started taking acting classes soon after "Like A Pimp' came out," Banner states. "Now, making movies is like my new love; it's hot to be able to go from one art form to the next."
A complex man who is both street-wise and book-smart, Banner has carried many burdens over the last few years. From working closely providing aid for Katrina victims (his foundation and concert Heal the Hood raised $500,000) to burying his father earlier this year, his heart has been heavy. "The world isn't a nice place. Often, my music was an outcry of my pain," he says. "But, a lot of my music has been too dark and depressing; right now I'm trying to bring some light into my life." The brightness of Banner's optimism blares brilliantly on the hypnotic "Get Like Me," a track that features collaborations with Young Joc, Jim Jones and Chris Brown.
Produced by the man himself, who has stirred massive pots of musical gumbo for T.I. ("Rubberband Man") and Trick Daddy ("Thug Holiday"), Banner has constructed his most mackadelic track to date with "Get Like Me." "Chris Brown is like my little brother," Banner says. "It's been amazing for me to watch him grow as both an artist and a man. I knew from the beginning, that I wanted him on this track." But, what about the song's production? "I'm a real producer, not simply a beat-maker," he explains. "When I'm in the studio, I'm thinking beyond just samples, I'm trying to build something special. Unlike a lot of other people, I'm still a fan of music and it's that fan in me that I'm making music for."
Combining an old-school sensibility with new-school grooves, one of the standouts on The Greatest Story Ever Told is the amazing "Hold On." Revolutionary in its execution, this sweeping song has the cinematic appeal of a "70s blaxploitation flick playing down at the local movie theater. Yet, instead of getting caught-up in a web of blown-out afros and leather pimp coat clichés, Banner has a deeper tale to relate. Deep as quicksand and soulful as a steaming plate of catfish, "Hold On" is social commentary at it's finest. "A lot of rappers today don't tell stories," Banner comments, "but, on that track, I went through an entire lifetime. Nobody does that anymore."
David Banner has been busy perfecting his skills. "For me music is about honesty, pain and a willingness to cry as well as fight. As a rapper and producer, my goal is to unite with the audience, not trying to reign over them." Coming straight out of Jackson, Mississippi with a license to thrill, The Greatest Story Ever Told is a crowning achievement for a rapper whose moment of recognition has come. No longer on the outside looking in, David Banner is ready for his close-up.
NEW VIDEO: David Banner - "Speaker" featuring Akon, Lil' Wayne and Snoop Dogg
AUDIO: "Speaker" featuring Akon, Lil Wayne & Snoop Dogg
Check out the new mixtape from David Banner below: DOWNLOAD: David Banner - Spare Clips: The Mixtape (featuring Snoop Dogg, Akon, Lil' Wayne, Bun B, Lil Jon, T.I., Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Pimp C, E-40, Lil Boosie, Marcus, 8Ball, Yola): http://www.sendspace.com/file/azv8ws
A wise man (EbenGregory) once said that a fanatic is one who can't change her mind and won't change the subject. In another useless news report called THE JEWELRY REPORT, Superhead uses her new book to help Jaime Foxx, Mike Tyson and Whitney Houston move their personal business to Front Street.
Click here to Watch EbenGregory - Superhead Outs Jaime Foxx, Mike Tyson and Whitney Houston
RIHANNA releases a NEW single from Good Girl Gone Bad called 'Hate That I Love You' featuring NE-YO!
Click here to watch the video!
Let EbenGregory tell it, the ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree while holding hands, but apparently Jeezy and Keyshia Cole didn't get the memo. In another random episode of THE JEWELRY REPORT, Keyshia tells Jeezy, let the door hit ya, where the good Lord split ya. Two words: Lost Ones.
Click here to Watch EbenGregory - Keyshia Cole Calls Off Young Jeezy Engagement?
In EbenGregory's world, a jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. Whatever that's about. In another humdrum episode of THE JEWELRY REPORT, rapper the Game tells the Hip-Hop cops you won't get far after he beats police impersonation charges.
Click here to Watch EbenGregory - Game Beats Police Impersonation Charges
Change is good. Just ask Mya. The Grammy-winning multi-platinum artist is at a new place in her life and is rocking a groove that's deliciously grown, sexy and secure. Playful and passionate, tough but open, the changes Mya's gone through allow her to be the woman she is, right now.
Mya's fourth cd and her Universal Motown Record's debut is Liberation and it's the sound of a singer expressing herself with no limits. From aching ballads like "Life's Too Short" to the insistent, aggressive "Still A Woman" or the bumpin' no nonsense, "I Got That" featuring the Game, Liberation is Mya, unencumbered. "Liberation is a clean slate; my most expressive, vulnerable album," Mya says. "I'm putting my real experiences out there. On my first album I didn't know about love; I didn't even have a boy friend! Now what I'm bringing is definitely more realistic."
That funky resolve flavors "Lock U Down." Produced by Scott Storch and co-written (like all of Liberation's songs) by Mya, "Lock U Down" is a hip-shaking mission statement. "There's definitely a harder edge this time. The lyrics are less passive and more straight-to-the point. " Equally honest is "I Am" produced by Kwame. "That was one of the first songs we recorded, it's kind of therapy. If there's a theme on the album it's self- confidence that comes from my own personal experiences."
Mya's newfound strength stems from changes professionally and personally: because in many ways she is finally free to openly speak from her heart, soul and mind. After three successful cds at Interscope Records, Mya amicably left and, in 2005 signed with Universal Motown Records, where she says, "I feel that I've found home." She's also found home within herself. Last year, Mya also moved from California, where she'd lived since 2001 and relocated back to Washington, DC, where she grew up. The decision was based on an increasing sense that the business of music had muted Mya's passion for making music. "I just knew that I had to get back to my roots and rediscover what had made me excited in the first place. I have all this creative energy and all these ideas but LA it was too impersonal of a place to develop a real creative family. So I thought, "let me go back to DC; get creative and do what I love to do.'"
With that goal in mind Mya bought a house, enlisted her brother to build a studio, and began experimenting; laying down rudimentary tracks and learning how to engineer. By mid 2005 she'd put together a band and took them to the Caribbean and Africa to perform her hits and new material. "We had a great time. I was working with local, very talented people. Now I have a real team; crew, dancers, a band. DC hasn't really blown up like Atlanta, NYC or Miami. There's no real scene here but so much talent. My goal is to bring more recognition to my city that's so rich in culture."
Her drive didn't stop there. A long time advocate for young women and life long dancer and dance teacher, Mya established the Mya Arts Foundation, dedicated to providing the arts to DC's youth. Along with spearheading the foundation Mya taught dance; something she hadn't done since was 15.
In the midst of moving back home and nurturing her creative and charitable energies, Mya's world was turned upside down when her parents, who were both actively involved in her career, split up. The fall-out from the breakup took its toll on the then teenager. "I experienced a lot of transitions going through the tug of war of the divorce and dealing with my mother's breast cancer. I've been through a lot and it's taken years to heal. But alongside the new freedom I'm experiencing with my career, I also feel personally liberated from insecurities and fears I had in the past, and I'm closer to my family than ever before."
Born in Baltimore, MD Mya became a star at the 18 with 1998's Mya. The platinum cd, yielded three top 10 singles, "It's All About Me," "Movin' On" and "My First Night With You." She continued to shine when "Ghetto Superstar" and "Take Me There" (which appeared on the Bulworth and Rugrats soundtracks, respectively) also topped the charts. Mya's sophomore cd Fear of Flying ((2000) also went platinum and featured "Case of the Ex" and the "Best of Me." 2003's Moodring went gold and that same year she starred in the acclaimed film Chicago, earning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture. Since Chicago, Mya has appeared in several movies, including Havana Nights and Shall We Dance and is currently shooting Cover, directed by Bill Duke. She also just signed with the Ford Modeling Agency. Says Mya of her new creative outlet, "I'm just getting started in acting and I'm taking the time to study and learn enjoy it and be true to the craft. "
And you can hear that throughout Liberation's pulsating tracks that Mya's back and ready to work. Asked about the album's message and Mya answers," I started out in the industry as a young girl trying to find her way. I've definitely experienced my share of struggles and pain, but most of my experiences have taught me something great. The CD takes you on a journey of just that; it's a guide to why I'm liberated and how I got there."
Liberation is a whole new beginning.
Dallas, TX - New York based label Keeplock Entertainment Inc., home to Dallas MC Countri Boi have parted ways after just 3 months being signed with the nation's number one independent label. Reasons by the artists' camp are cited as a lack of label support which they felt would be detrimental to Countri Boi's burgeoning career. The two companies mutually parted ways after undisclosed incidents led to Keeplock Entertainment's request to negate their contract with TVT.
Several other label situations have already been offered to the camp, who have made Countri Boi aka King of the 'D' a featured artist at all of the recent Dallas industry events - Texas Summer Music Conference, Core DJ Retreat, Dallas etc. Countri Boi has already appeared on MTV's Sucker Free show and BET's Rap City as a result of those events and has also been featured in Vibe, Hip Hop Weekly, Ozone Magazine, The Dallas Post Tribune and many websites including AllHipHop.com and the Dr. Teeth directed video for the remix of his single "I'm a Boss / Hey" will be coming to a video show near you shortly.
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