Five years after signing with konvict Records/Interscop under Akon, along eight mix taps and a string of hits written and released for the albums of other hot artists like, songwriter/performer duo R. City aka Rock City are ready share their own stuff.
While the guys have been busy making hits for stars like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, R. Kelly and Akon, a R. City aka Rock City album was not forthcoming, causing them to launch a very public campaign they gallantly called PTFAO (Put The F**cking Album Out) to make the industry aware of their plight.
Finally, in March 2011, after two years of campaigning, Akon met with the duo and offered them the option of remaining with the label and working towards dropping an album or being released from their contract.
Grateful as they were to Akon for the opportunities offered to them, the guys snatched the chance of finally gaining their freedom and are now officially free agents, able to PTFAO.
R. City aka Rock City's debut album, Free At Last, is set to drop later this summer on their own label, Rebelution Records.
Immediately upon leaving that meeting with Akon, R. City aka Rock City's manager, Ray Daniels, called long-time friend Wendy Day, who has made a name for herself assisting artists with the release of their own projects. Within five hours, the team was strategizing the drop of the album.
"We On," the first single from Free At Last, was serviced to mix show last week and is already at over 30 spins a week. With its unmistakable bounce, expect the song to make its way to every club DJ's playlist nationwided within weeks.
These guys have all the ingredients for stardom. They are already proven songwriters. Their live show is second to none. All they wanted was a chance. Now that they are 'free at last,' the sky is the limit and there's not a dark cloud in sight!
Be sure to listen to R. City aka Rock City's tracks "We On" and "Dark Cloud" right here!
Listen to R. City aka Rock City - We On
Listen to R. City aka Rock City - Dark Cloud
Lady Gaga's "Born This Way - Country Road Version" is available now on iTunes, with a portion of the proceeds from sales on the track to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
First released March 24th as a gift to her fans, overwhelming praise for the recording - marked by over 1,000,000 YouTube views in its first few days of release - has prompted Lady Gaga to release the track officially.
Produced by Lady Gaga and Fernando Garibay, the country mix was recently recorded while on tour and features new Lady Gaga vocals and added guitar and harmonica. The original version of "Born This Way" became the fastest song in history to reach sales of 1,000,000 copies and secured six consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, starting with its debut February 11th.
Born This Way is scheduled for release on May 23rd with Gaga slated to kick off the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series by performing on their outdoor stage May 27th.
Get your country on and purchase Lady Gaga's "Born This Way - Country Road Version" on iTunes now!
The Time (the dirty bit) - first single from the upcoming Black Eyed Peas album, The Beginning, due out November 30.
The song is going to be officially released in 2weeks...but I put it out early on dipdive for all the black eyed peas fans...
will.i.am
The Jonas Brothers show off their eclectic taste in music with this exclusive video playlist!
"Chopped N Skrewed" feat. Ludacris
Few people can accurately say they've changed the course of music; count T-Pain among that short list. His bright, polished arrangements have become the in-demand sound across genres, and his scene-stealing vocal performances are among the most coveted in music. Since bursting on the scene in 2005, T-Pain has been awarded a Grammy, produced and written a plethora of chart-topping and platinum-selling singles, garnered "Songwriter of the Year" and "Producer of the Year" honors at the BMI Urban Awards and earned a BET Award. So it should come as little surprise that the musical maestro's tremendous, self-produced third album, THR33 RINGZ, stands as a sonic odyssey brimming with innovation.
The distinctive spelling used for the album title may not hold any significance, but the meaning behind the name carries weight. "It came from people telling me that I'm running the game, that I'm the ringleader of the game," T-Pain says humbly. "That's where the whole circus imagery came from. I started putting it together with the idea that the circus is just like the music industry. You've got your different acts, all of the different animals, etc."
THR33 RINGZ is quite the musical journey, complete with highs and lows, smash singles and unexpected twists. Lead single "Can't Believe It" is already enjoying heavy radio and video exposure. Aided by sprinkly keys and T-Pain's trademark vocoder, he and guest Lil Wayne talk about spoiling their respective ladies in the song. There's good reason T-Pain's music often connects with and speaks to women. He had plenty of training dealing with the fairer sex.
"When I was in school, I would sit and talk to a lot of girls," T-Pain recalls. "I would listen to what they would talk about, what they want. I would try to understand the passions of a woman. That's where my concepts come from. That's how you know if people can relate to your songs. If you've heard the same elements of a story over and over again, you know there are millions of people going through this."
Since his schoolroom listening sessions, T-Pain has kept his ears open. In fact, listening to several sob stories inspired "Therapy," a tune where T-Pain and Kanye West talk about women who need to get themselves together. T-Pain then details relationships with negative energy on "Chopped & Screwed" a track that features Ludacris. But T-Pain's music isn't all about drama. He also listens to his friends when they gush about a special someone. The party track "Freeze," for instance, grew out of conversation T-Pain had with Chris Brown. Brown, who also appears on the high-energy song, was telling T-Pain how he finds women that can dance particularly attractive.
Of course T-Pain's long-time fans know that he especially appreciates women who dance in strip clubs. But he knows from first-hand experience how men often fall victim to DJs who switch songs up too quickly when they've just paid for a lap dance. Hence, the five-minute plus "Long Lap Dance." "In Florida, strippers charge for lap dances by the song," T-Pain explains. "If you just so happen to ask a girl for a lap dance in the middle of a song and the DJ cuts it off, you still have to pay the full price. So I just made a long song, so whenever you ask for it, you should be good. And the DJs know that they can't cut it off, "cause then it wouldn't be the "Long Lap Dance' song."
With his music being largely based on real-world encounters, it makes sense that T-Pain recorded "Reality Show," a tune that details some of his wild experiences. "At certain times, everybody's like, "I need my own reality show because the stuff I'm going through is crazy,'" T-Pain says with a laugh. "I don't know why you'd want the world to see everything you're going through, but nobody's done a reality show song yet."
Reality shows are filled with drama, and T-Pain's existence is no different. When he gets angry, T-Pain is likely to end up rapping, as is the case on "Ring Leader Man," "Karaoke" with DJ Khaled, and the title track. "If I'm upset, then it's going to be a rap day," T-Pain says with a chuckle. "I make music depending on what mood I'm in. If I'm pissed off, I can't get on there and talk about love."
Even though T-Pain sometimes finds himself in an angry mood, he remains grounded because of his wife and children. His family is also the inspiration for THR33 RINGZ song "Keep Going." This acoustic tune stands as a testament to T-Pain's dedication to his family. "I want to make sure that my kids live a good life," he says. "I don't want them to have to figure out the hard way what a food stamp is. I've slept in cars. I went through a lot in my life and I'm going to make sure that if somebody's life is in my hands that they're not going to have to go through that."
Indeed, T-Pain can speak from that perspective because he knows what it is like to struggle. His Tallahassee, Florida hometown was lacking music industry opportunities and connections, so the man born Faheem Najm chose the T-Pain moniker to signify his plight. He taught himself how to make music, write songs and record music.
In 2003, T-Pain's sly remake of Akon's "Locked Up" caught the attention of music industry insiders, and the independent release of his "I'm Sprung" single led to a contract with Jive/Zomba.
T-Pain's use of the vocoder made his music stand out, and his prolific, high-quality output turned him into one of music's most oft-imitated and in-demand producers, singers and collaborators. His first two albums, 2006's Rappa Ternt Sanga and 2007's Epiphany, have been certified gold, thanks to hit singles such as "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" and "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')." He has also collaborated with Kanye West ("Good Life"), Chris Brown ("Kiss, Kiss"), Flo Rida ("Low"), Plies ("Shawty"), and Bow Wow ("Outta My System") for platinum singles.
Now, as T-Pain gains more control over his artistry, expect him to continue expanding his sonic and creative reach as a singer-songwriter-rapper-producer. After all, he knows the key to long-term success in the music industry is evolution. "You've got to be different and keep it consistent at the same time, which is super-hard to do," T-Pain says. "I come different every time and that's what people look for, what they expect."
And with THR33 RINGZ, the world expects nothing less than another magical musical adventure from T-Pain. Expectation achieved.
"Go Girl" feat. T-Pain
With the release of their banging Def Jam/So So Def debut single "Booty Music," the multiracial R&B quartet Git Fresh has transformed the hotness of their hometown Fort Lauderdale into scorching grooves. "Our song 'Booty Music' was one of the tracks we recorded when we were between labels," says primary producer Rudy. Along with Sly, Brent (Penny) and Mike (Mike Easy), the group has been together for ten years. "Though I do most of the production, all group members contribute to the lyrics and vocal arrangements. We are own worst critics, so we have no problems trashing a song if it isn't up to par."
Originally formed when all the boys were still teenagers singing at local talent shows and performing at parties around the state, Git Fresh is far from another prefab boy band. "With the exception of Sly, we all went to the Dillard Performing Arts High School, and have been working together for years," explains Mike. "As a unit, we love working together."
Formerly signed to Jive Records, the group once called DeepSide changed their name soon after splitting with the label. "This is our new beginning, and Git Fresh is as energetic as we've always been," Mike finishes.
Indeed, that energy can be heard in the electro bounce of "Booty Music," a hypnotic dance track that is bound to be the song of the summer. "We recorded that song down in Atlanta, and somehow it leaked to a few stations," says Rudy. "At the time we were parting with Jive, and being courted by other labels, and 'Booty Music' became our official calling card."
Def Jam President LA Reid was one of Git Fresh's many fans. After the fellows auditioned in LA's plush New York office (which was also the day after Rudy buried his grandfather), R&B's premier music man knew he had made the right choice. "Though there were other labels were interested in us, we signed to Def Jam because we thought they were more artist driven," recalls Sly. "Git Fresh felt at home from the moment we walked through the door."
Having formed their own production company called The Studio Monkeys, the group immediately retreated back home to begin recording their upcoming disc. "We have been honing our skills for a long time," explains Penny. "It was as if we put ourselves in boot camp. In our early days it was rough, but we stuck together through negative energy and hard times."
Citing various artists from El DeBarge to Jodeci, Elton John to The Temptations as aural influences, Git Fresh works from a harmonic paint palate of many colors to create their impressionistic soul. So, while the group can wild out on party jams "Booty Music" and "Naked," the can also slow down the pace on joints like "Cheaters" and "Blow Me A Kiss."
Smiling, Penny says, "As a group, we're just so excited about where our music is going. Though we make slamming club records, we also like making ballads that give us the opportunity to show heartfelt emotions." One soulful standout includes "This Right Here." "Our sound represents all that is culturally diverse in music."
With so many, "just alright" singers, songwriters and producers littering the R&B landscape, the time is right for Git Fresh to get ahead.
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