The Boombox Music Blog

Pitbull Talks New Album, Says 'Microphone Is a Lie Detector'

Steve Baltin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:15:00 EST

RCA Pitbull may be a rap artist, but the dude is a rock star. He embraces the life and attitude that come with that title. As would be expected from other reports, when the BoomBox meets with the Miami native at Hollywood's trendy W Hotel to discuss his new album, 'Planet Pit,' he is nattily dressed as always, there is a gorgeous, stylish woman sitting in the room with him and, while he is always friendly and welcoming, he is real. There's proof when he stops repeatedly during the interview to allow background noise from motorcycles passing by on Hollywood Blvd. to cease and when someone slams the door to the room while he is answering questions, he mutters under his breath in Spanish. And like great rock stars he doesn't shy away from success. Pitbull admits he wants the title "Mr. Worldwide," and based on the critical acclaim he's received for 'Planet Pit,' in which he collaborates with the likes of Ne-Yo, Marc Anthony, T-Pain, Afrojack, Chris Brown and Enrique Iglesias, the Cuban entertainer isn't having a hard time amassing a global following. He's well on his way, considering his current smash, 'Give Me Everything' -- the song has sold over 2 million copies and is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart -- has hit the top of the charts in countries like Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. The Miami native, who rose to fame as a battle rapper, sat down on camera and let loose about his star power, the '80s rock bands he drew inspiration from, what his dream planet would be like and solid advice from the likes of Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell and Lil' Jon. For Pitbull, his world is a lively one. ...

Watch Pitbull's Interview With the BoomBox

What would you do if you had your own planet?

I think everything that has to do with Planet Pit would be a lot of global warming. It'd be real hot, a lot of beautiful, exotic women, a lot of enjoyment, entertainment and escaping. So therefore the planet that I'd be running would be easy to run because everybody would be happy.

I like the fact you have that rock star mentality and you have fun with your music. Are there people you looked up to as rock stars?

Definitely as part of growing up in the '80s, I seen a lot of the rock bands and the rock shows, whether it was the big hair spray, Def Leppard and Poison, you had the U2, they didn't have the hair like that. I think they were the ones really living it up, Guns 'N' Roses, so yeah, you seen a lot of that. They didn't care in their system, but they did what they loved, and we live in a different music business now where I think a lot of people are cookie cutter, or they try to develop this, but they can't. A star is a star, a guy who's got charisma has got charisma.

As far as myself, I do what I love, I say what I mean and what I just try to do is make sure that fans and everybody watching, when they finish watching an interview go, "I like that guy 'cause he speaks from the heart." And I have an incredible instinct where I say I do rock star-type things, but I' m just very cautious, especially in this day and age. Rock stars could get away with a lot before. There wasn't a Twitter or Facebook, it wasn't as real time as it is now. Catch one of your rock stars messing up a hotel room or pissing from a balcony or whatever they used to do and watch how quick that hits the world.

So no messing up hotel rooms?

I am into messing up hotel rooms, but in a different way, not like rock stars do.

Was there a moment early on where you realized you could do what you want musically and people were responding?

As far as the music industry and they're trying to tell me what I needed to be doing or shouldn't be doing, I never listened, never cared. I come from an independent mind state, I've been bred by Luther Campbell, which was 2 Live Crew, and he was definitely a blueprint in the independent game. We make the label move, big difference, independent mentality, TVT [Records] told me a lot of that also, Lil' Jon taught me.

As far as ourselves, we've constantly been surviving, learning and therefore there's no cookie cutter here. I've always done what I wanted to do and always here for constructive criticism. It's not like someone that has an ego and I won't work and listen to ideas, no way, shape or form. But when someone told me, "Why don't you just do it like they're doing it?" 'cause I'm not them at the end of the day. I started wearing the suits and the clothes that were more fitted and they said, "Why are you doing this?" I said, "I've always wanted to do it." And look at now, [there's] skinny jeans and Vans. Only thing is the jeans are still on the a-- [laughs], just a lot tighter. When people go right, I like to go left cause one way or another, at a certain point in time, you'll see it come full circle, 'cause it always does. It happens in fashion, happens in music, happens in movies, happens in everything that has to do with art, one way or another.

What were you looking for in the collaborators on the album?

As far as the collaborations on the album, I wasn't looking to work with all these folks to be honest with you. This happened kind of on its own. There was a plan, didn't pan out, but it did in a weird way. But the thing is when you line up an album with all this music, you're looking for people to jump on it, the people hear the music and go, "Oh, man, yeah, definitely want to be involved in this, one way or another." A lot of folks just sent me music and I think that with 'Planet Pit' we did exactly what we wanted to do, which was put together an album full of hits. And I wanted to tap into everybody's world to create our own.

Talk about the live show; is it more stripped down or will there be a big production?

For right now, a stripped-down show. As far as massive production, I'm not a big fan of that; I'm a big fan of giving [fans] the artist, giving them entertainment. When they leave, they go, "That guy loves what he does and I believe everything he's saying." To me, the microphone's a lie detector. A lot of people got great records, when you see them live, you go, "What was that?" No matter what bells and whistles they brought with them. At the end of the day you're the focal point; they look at you and they gotta leave loving you. Will we add production to the tour we're gonna be on with Enrique Iglesias and Prince Royce? Absolutely, but it's nothing where it's gonna take from the music. The music is what drives this, drives the public and drives the show. But I guarantee you go to a show and you'll leave going, "Whoa. How does he stay up there an hour and a half doing that?" I'm still an old-school believer of the artist and the band bringing the music to the public.

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Jennifer Hudson Rediscovers Herself With 'I Remember Me'

Steve Baltin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:45:00 EST

Joseph Llanes, AOL After belting out her new tracks live in AOL Music's Beverly Hills studios, the multi-talented Jennifer Hudson sat down to talk about everything from recording her deeply personal new album 'I Remember Me', to working with the inspirational Alicia Keys, to how she's handling the media attention surrounding her new image after a dramatic 80-pound weight loss. ...

How did the performance feel to you?

It was fun. I love sitting around and just singing.

Were there any of the songs that you either hadn't done yet that just felt amazing or were different than you expected them to be?

All the songs are in a different place for me. I feel closer to 'I Remember Me' right now. That, to me, is me telling my story. Or 'Angel,' it's so uplifting, so fun and again I'm still getting more used to it but we're getting to know each other.

It's been a few years between albums, so does this almost feel like a new beginning to you, musically?

I really do feel like a new artist again in every way. I feel like I'm discovering a new me and getting to know myself personally, image-wise and musically. And all of that together is a lot to take in for one person. I feel like you just wake up and you're like, "Where am I at right now? Where am I?" So I'm rediscovering myself as a whole.

In the writing of 'I Remember Me,' was there anything that surprised you that you rediscovered?

Sometimes I find it difficult to express [myself] and that's where it came from with 'I Remember Me,' it was the best way for me to be able to put myself out there as far as my emotions, my thoughts and where I feel like I am in life right now. Because a lot of people ask like, "How does she feel about this?" and they want to know what's in my head and that was the best way I could put it into words. So, again, that's another reason why the song is so close to me, it's like telling my story.

Read Full Interview
Watch Jennifer Hudson's Live Sessions Performance of 'Where You At'

Watch Jennifer Hudson at Sessions

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Cali Swag District to Teach 'The Dunkie' at Rookie All-Star Game

Steve Baltin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:45:00 EST

David Becker, WireImage Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin has plenty of moves. He's been a one-man highlight reel this season, dominating ESPN 'SportsCenter' and viral sports sites with his jaw-dropping dunks, but Cali Swag District -- the four-man operation behind the 'Teach Me How to Dougie' dance craze -- believe they can teach Griffin some additional moves, when they perform at the Rookie All-Star Game this weekend. "We're gonna teach him how to dunk and 'Dougie,' he gonna 'Dunkie,'" Cali Swag's C-Smoove tells The BoomBox. And the crew is willing to go the extra mile to help Griffin win the Slam Dunk Contest. "He's gonna jump over me," adds M-Bone. ...

While they hope to meet Kobe Bryant and LeBron James this weekend too, the group's Yung has different dreams. "I want to meet the Laker Girls, every Laker Girl, in the locker room," he jokes.

NBA All-Star Weekend marks the third consecutive big weekend for Cali Swag District, following an appearance in Dallas during Super Bowl weekend and a Grammy Week gig with the Black Eyed Peas at their annual Peapod Benefit. Cali Swag, who hail from Inglewood, Calif, are loving the schedule and making the most of being part of these events.

"We're young and it's something a lot of people our age don't get to do," C-Smoove says. "For us to get the opportunity and chance to do it is so crazy. We get excited every time we come to something like this."

The crazy ride keeps coming for the group, as they head out on tour. "We're about to start a tour with Nelly starting March 1," C-Smoove says of the Blizzards tour kicking off next month in South Dakota. "We got a lot of stuff on our plate, we just need a big old fork so we can eat it all up."

Watch Cali Swag District's 'Teach Me How to Dougie'

Common Shares 'Ghetto Dreams' With Nas on New Album

Steve Baltin — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:45:00 EST

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Common will release his ninth studio album, 'The Dreamer, The Believer,' in 2011, and he tells TheBoomBox it will pair him with one of hip-hop's elite. "I have a remix already for a song I have called 'Ghetto Dreams.' It has Nas on it," Common reveals. Still, don't expect a ton of collaborations on the album, as Common prefers to speak on his own musically. "When somebody buys an album they're looking to hear you," he says. "They're buying your album for you or a song that they love that you do, and you have to be able to stand on your own." But, as we've already mentioned, Common doesn't always stand alone, especially if there's a cause behind it. The Chicago-bred rapper recently teamed with fellow Chicagoans Jennifer Hudson and Lupe Fiasco on the No-ID produced 'We Can Do It Now,' a song commissioned for the Gatorade-fueled series, 'Replay,' where athletes get a chance for a do over on the biggest game of their career. Season three found two Chi-town high schools -- Bloom Township and Brother Rice -- revisiting a state playoff game from a decade ago. ...

For Common, a high school basketball player who still loves to hit the court, being around sports was a thrill. "I love sports so much, so anything I can do revolving around sports, especially basketball or football, I'm there," he says. "I felt honored and inspired to be working with Jennifer and Lupe. It was a win, win-win, win."

Watch Common, Lupe Fiasco & Jennfer Hudson's 'We Can Do It Now'

Monica 'Shocked' by Grammy Nomination

Steve Baltin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST

Jason Merritt/Getty Images After the 'Grammy Nominations Concert Live!' at Los Angeles' Club Nokia last night, some of the nominees gathered in the back to meet with the press and discuss their nods. One of those was Best R&B Album and Best R&B Female Vocal Performance nominee Monica, who admitted to the gathered throng she was in disbelief at the honor. "I'm still in shock. You know they don't tell you until you come up from the back so I really was here in support of a lot of other people. I'm a part of the Grammy board, and I was not expecting anything," she said of her surprise nomination for 'Still Standing.' For the one-time teen star, now a mother of two, she has a whole different perspective on what recognition like this means. "I have not been a part of the Grammys as far as being nominated since 1999, so at 16 years old I didn't understand what it means," she said. "Now, at 30, I'm just in shock that I'm even being considered and being nominated with some of the people that are in the category as well. So it's just an honor, but I can't lie, it's still sinking in. I haven't really digested any of it just yet." ...

The honor is especially satisfying to her as well because of what the album means. "Still Standing,' to me, is something I used to always say to myself: Stand on your own two feet, don't allow things to just overtake you and consume you because things at one point were just that bad," she said. "But after taking some time off from the industry, giving birth to both my children, who are now five and three, I just look at life as a confirmation that you can make it through anything. So 'Still Standing' was just that and I wanted other girls, especially younger ones, to feel empowered by it."

She confesses that trying to put a positive message out there she didn't know how it would be received. "I never expected to be here at this point with that type of album that was more about inspiration and pulling through. I just didn't know exactly where I would fit," she says. "But I knew those were the types of messages I wanted to send."

Cee Lo Green Ready to Give Grammys Another Shot

Steve Baltin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST

Michael Buckner, WireImage Of all of this year's Grammy nominations one of the most surprising was Cee Lo Green making it into the prestigious Record and Song of the Year categories for his hit, 'F--- You,' or the song otherwise known as 'Forget You,' as the Grammy committee addresses it for censorship reasons. It is unquestionably a great song, but even Green admitted backstage to reporters the song was never supposed to be a hit. "It wasn't meant to be a radio song initially," he said. "It was meant to be something with flair and first impression and it really took on a life of its own and so I had no idea it would become what it is today." What it is today is a legitimate contender for Grammy history, but given the Grammys are a family friendly show he might have to clean it up for the telecast if he's asked to perform. That's okay with him. "At this point this is a privilege to perform either of the versions," he says. They're all alternatives and they're all equally great. Of course I prefer the original, I'm an adult, I prefer adult entertainment, but just about everybody will be watching the Grammys so I'll do the one that's appropriate for everyone, which is probably the cleaner one." ...

That cleaner one moved further into pop culture recently when Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow performed it on the hit show 'Glee.' "I was pleasantly surprised and I was impressed," he said of the performance. "I had no idea she was a vocalist. She did a great job."

Despite the fact many feel Cee Lo got robbed not winning Record of the Year in 2007 for Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy,' the track picked by many as the best song of the decade -- and even he confessed backstage, "I felt like we truly deserved that Record of the Year" -- he has fond memories of that year. "The Gnarls Barkley performance was a very monumental and historic performance in my life and I would feel very gratified to do it again," he said. But he does have a message for voters this time. "

Will.I.Am and Nicki Minaj, 'Check It Out' -- Behind the Scenes

Steve Baltin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST

TheBoomBox.com Will.I.Am and Nicki Minaj hit a Los Angeles soundstage this past weekend to film the video for 'Check It Out,' which the two first premiered at the MTV Music Video Awards pre-show. The track will appear on Minaj's debut album 'Pink Friday,' due in November. "We're manipulating time and doing crazy things," Will told The BoomBox of the Japanese anime-inspired video. "The subject matter of the song is check out whatever it is you try and let fools know. This is like, "check my style out," so we like rocking crazy different styles in the video performance." if(typeof AOLVP_cfg==='undefined')AOLVP_cfg=[];AOLVP_cfg.push({id:'AOLVP_us_621112359001','codever':0.1,'autoload':false,'autoplay':false,'playerid':'61371447001','videoid':'621112359001','publisherid':1612833736,'playertype':'pageload','width':476,'height':357,'videotitle':'Test','bgcolor':''}); ...

The duo's first time collaborating with each other lead to some mutual admiration. "Will.I.Am is someone in music that people really would kill to work with," Minaj told The BoomBox of Will. "He's one of those people that's like you have artists and you have fashionistas and then you have Will.I.Am. It's like every time I would tell people I'm working with Will.I.Am they would get super excited. His brand is a very trustworthy brand."

Though Minaj is the newcomer in the duo, Will was just as effusive in his praise for his 'Check It Out' partner, especially cause it got him cool points with both his family and a Black Eyes Peas band mate. "When I went home and I told my sister, 'Work is solid with Minaj.' She's like, 'What? You know how I love Miss Nicki Minaj. That is dope," he said. Fellow BEP bandmate also channels the love for Minaj. "Apl has a crush on Nicki," he says laughing. "He got all shy and when we was at the studio, you should have seen him, he got all shy."

Eminem, Rihanna Fire Up Stage in L.A.

Steve Baltin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:45:00 EST

When rarely Eminem performs live -- only two other U.S. shows are scheduled for the Detroit rapper in 2010 -- it's an event in and of itself. But, as headliner for Activision's E3 video game conference kick-off party at L.A.'s Staples Center last night, there was no denying the Detroit rapper would bring it. Taking the stage just before midnight, after performances from N.E.R.D., Usher, Jane's Addiction, Chris Cornell, Em got a buildup worthy of stadiums, as a large video screen synced his music to an extended sequence from Activisions's November release, 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops.' On the huge screen the game looked like an animated 'Apocalypse Now' and suitably worked the crowd into a hype that turned into a full frenzy as pyrotechnic flames and explosions shot into the Staples Center air with every gun shot fired on the screen. ...

Despite his infrequent touring in recent years, Eminem remains one of music's most compelling live figures, delivering his rhymes with an authority and passion that keep all eyes riveted on him. However, one of the half-hour set's high points came when he let his guard down, thanking his fans for "sticking with me all these years while I got my head straight," before dedicating a rambunctious 'Not Afraid.' He wasn't done with the surprises though, imploring Southern California to make some noise for Rihanna.

She joined him onstage for the new album's 'Love the Way You Lie,' a stellar version that ended with them sharing a hug. After thanking the crowd and briefly exiting the stage, the rapper, backed by Travis Barker on drums throughout, made the Staples Center figuratively explode with a ferocious 'Lose Yourself' that then literally exploded at the end with gold confetti streaming from the rafters. It was the kind of performance that makes you hope there are a lot more in his future.

Eminem will take the stage next with Jay-Z, when the two rap stars co-headline concerts at Detroit's Comerica Park on Sept. 2 and New York City's Yankee Stadium on Sept. 13.

Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest Join Rock the Bells Lineup

Steve Baltin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:15:00 EST

The Boombox ran into Guerilla Union head Chang Weisberg this weekend in Los Angeles and he promised a "stupid" announcement this week for Rock the Bells, the traveling hip-hip music festival that promises classic hip-hop albums in their entirety from its lineup this year. Damn, did he deliver. Joining the Wu-Tang Clan performing 'Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers' and the other previously announced headliners for RTB this summer is first time RTB performer Snoop Dogg, performing 'Doggy Style,' with special guests Warren G., Tha Dogg Pound, Lady of Rage and RBX, A Tribe Called Quest doing 'Midnight Marauders' in its entirety, and DJ Premier doing a tribute to his Gang Starr partner, the late Guru. Lauryn Hill will be a special guest for RTB stops in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. She, as of press time, is not scheduled for the San Francisco date. ...

The appearance of Hill, the ex-Fugees singer who has been an enigma since taking over mainstream pop with her 'Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' album, adds a great deal of the event factor to the festival, similar to Rage Against the Machine's appearance at RTB in 2007. Her sporadic and often controversial appearances in public have made her a lightning rod for curiosity and when it was rumored the singer would join the RTB lineup the blogsphere blew up with reports and interest.

But for true hip-hop fans the show will be about much more than Hill, as the chance to see Wu-Tang and Tribe perform full albums from start to finish, not to mention Snoop, make this not just one of the biggest hip-hop tours of the year, but a rival in talent for any traveling package out in 2010.

Rock the Bells tour dates:
8/21: NOS Events Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
8/22: Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.
8/28: Governer's Island, New York City, N.Y.
8/29: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Washington D.C.

Watch Snoop Dogg Live on Sessions

GZA Says 'Liquid Swords 2' Due This Fall

Steve Baltin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:45:00 EST

This year marks the 15th anniversary of GZA's 'Liquid Swords' -- one of the most successful solo albums ever released by a Wu-Tang Clan member. 'Liquid Swords' was a musical blockbuster that went platinum and earned massive critical acclaim. And, like cinematic blockbusters, a sequel is on the way. This leaves us with two questions: How soon exactly? "Fall," GZA tells The Boombox of when 'Liquid Swords 2' will be released. And, how many songs has he done so far? "None," he says laughing. "I work fast." ...

Though he hasn't started, he can give a preview. "It's still in its early stages, I can't tell you much about it other than telling stories, great music, great concepts, kung-fu dialogue, you can expect that," he says. "Maybe not a lot of the action part, but expect the kung-fu dialogue, expect the gritty, the witty, unpredictable talent. Expect a great album."

If that sounds like a lot to get accomplished just over the summer, RZA, 'Liquid Swords' producer, assures us the sequel is priority in the Wu-Tang family. "Me and the GZA have decided and confirmed and have started working on 'Liquid Swords 2' and that'll be probably the only album that I will work on for the rest of this year. I'm definitely gonna be focused on 'Liquid Swords 2,' The Return of the Shadowboxer for the GZA."

That's good enough word for us.

RZA Looking to Take '36 Chambers' to Broadway

Steve Baltin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:45:00 EST

When Wu-Tang Clan perform 'Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers' in its entirety this summer at Rock the Bells, the crew will be trudging territory usually reserved for rock bands. But Wu-Tang Clan's RZA isn't satisfied there. The producer/rapper wants to invade Broadway, another art form usually reserved for rock albums like The Who's 'Tommy' and Green Day's 'American Idiot' at present. "I thought about doing '36 Chambers.' I dreamed I can do it on Broadway cause I make my albums like movies," RZA tells The Boombox. "People been talking to me about a lot of things. I got people reaching out to me about Carnegie Hall. I make movies now, so I get more access. It's still in the dream world, but a lot of my dreams have come true and I'm working on this one, baby." In fact, he's so confident it can and will happen RZA even has a timeline in mind. "I think in five years it could be done, actually," he says. ...

He cites the invitation to Carnegie Hall as proof of how far Wu-Tang Clan is traveling. "I've been invited to Carnegie Hall for this year. I turned it down because I'm not ready yet," he says. But he is obviously very flattered by the request. "I told them give me another year, but it's a dream and I'll look forward to making it happen."

As for what he might do at the venerable hall, maybe '36 Chambers.' "I was thinking about doing '36 Chambers' because I can combine art and film. With that album I know how to do it," he says. "That album is like a movie for me, it's a map also. It means a lot for the music, but it means so much more."

Rock the Bells Recruits Wu-Tang Clan, Slick Rick and Rakim for Full Album Sets

Steve Baltin — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:15:00 EST

As has been the tradition for the previous two years, Rock the Bells organizers Guerilla Union and this year's headliners gathered at Los Angeles' Key Club to unfurl plans for hip-hop's biggest festival. The 2010 press conference, followed as always by a live show with several of the acts, found Guerilla Union head Chang Wesiberg flanked at a podium by the Wu-Tang Clan's GZA and RZA, DJ Muggs, and The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club's Boots Riley, to announce the details for the 2010 edition. And the big news, revealed initially in a freestyle rap by RTB host Supernatural, the festival will feature four classic hip-hop albums performed in their entirety -- Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Rakim's 'Paid In Full,' KRS-One's 'Criminal Minded,' and Slick Rick's 'The Adventures of Slick Rick.' Though GZA has been performing 'Liquid Swords' from start to finish in recent years, the idea of full album routes is usually reserved for rock acts. "You get it when Pink Floyd or Roger Waters says, 'We're gonna do 'Dark Side Of The Moon' or 'The Wall,' whatever,'" Weisberg told The BoomBox. "Rock acts, you get it and they go on." But he's now finding at least initially that fans and other artists are already very excited about the prospects of hip-hop albums being played in full live. "Every person I spoke to goes, 'So, what other albums? Oh my god. We're inspired now. Why didn't you pick 'Doggystyle' with Snoop or what about Dre, 'Chronic,' can you pull that off?," Weisberg says. "That's what's important. The four albums that we announced today set a very high bar for quality and opened up a lane that is just not existing anywhere else right now." ...

For RZA it was the idea of doing '36 Chambers' that excited him. "When Chang was like, 'Let's do 36 Chambers,' I was like, 'S---, I always wanted to do it.' That was one of the reasons, like he said, he didn't have to twist my arm for that," RZA told The BoomBox after the conference. It also allowed the Wu-Tang to bring a different feel to this year's RTB performance. "We did Rock The Bells a couple of times and I don't want to be like the old dick at the party," he says. "But we never did a theme like that, so that makes we want to be there at Rock the Bells, makes you want to perform, and then to see what the other artists is doing makes it extra special for me."

Other acts joining RTB this year include Street Sweeper Social Club, Murs and 9th Wonder, DJ Muggs and Ill Bill, Wiz Khalifa, Clipse, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Trick, Brother Ali, Big Sean and Yelawolf.

Rock the Bells kicks off this year in San Bernardino, California on August 21, heads to San Francisco August 22, then onto Governor's Island in New York August 28 before wrapping up in Washington, D.C. August 29. For ticket on-sales and lineups per city visit Guerillaunion.net.

N.E.R.D. Ready to Rock the Summer With 'Hot n Fun'

Steve Baltin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:15:00 EST

Sometimes it pays to be surfing the Web rather than working. The BoomBox was messing around this morning and we just happened to find the first official hit of summer, the final version of N.E.R.D.'s long-awaited new single, 'Hot n Fun,' featuring Nelly Furtado on vocals. Built to pump in the clubs with a self-described "hypnotizing bass-line" and a heavy electro feel, the song has much higher aspirations. "This is stadium music, 50,000 at a time," N.E.R.D. proclaim on the breathy and sultry chorus of 'Hot n Fun.' "It's a new day, people don't want to think no more. They just wanna feel, they wanna let go," N.E.R.D. sing. And Pharrell Williams, as always, knows exactly how to give the what the people want they want right now. Check out the new song after the jump. ...

Maxwell and Roberta Flack Talk Future Collaborations

Steve Baltin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST

One of the unquestioned highlights of Grammy night was the pairing of two generations of soul sensations, as Grammy-winner Maxwell teamed up with one of the genre's biggest stars of the '70s, Roberta Flack. Later that evening, in the Grammy print room Maxwell had high praise for his duet partner, calling her voice "a national monument," and saying, "She needs to get back out there and teach people how to sing again." That admiration is very mutual. "In this particular situation there's a very strong musical reason why we work well together," Flack told the BoomBox backstage at the awards show. "And that's always rewarding because sometimes you can work with people who are really talented and moving, but the musical connection is so different that you really have to work hard to find that little core thing that you both share. But we're both very passionate about melody." ...

Having found this musical rapport, the two are talking about taking it beyond a one-night televised show. "I wanna do brand new songs. That's what Maxwell and I were talking about," Flack says. "He said, 'What are we gonna do? We should take this on the road.'" And she concurs. "I said, 'If you write, I'll write.' So we're gonna write and we'll see what we come up with."

The 72-year-old soul legend's last studio album was 1995's 'Roberta,' and even she admits she is open to a duets album, but hits a block. "I'm sort of like the queen of R&B duets," Flack says, noting her work with Donny Hathaway, Peabo Bryson and several others. "So I think that I would certainly consider that if someone come up with a plan. But I'm thinking, 'How can you top Maxwell? How can you top Luther [Vandross]? How can you top Donny?' What would I do?"

Keri Hilson Wants to See Kanye and Taylor Duet at Grammys

Steve Baltin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Keri Hilson might be nominated for the Grammy Awards' Best New Artist, but she has taken a long road as both an artist and behind the scenes force to be a "new" star. "People would not imagine, they think I just came onto the scene and we treat my project very much like a baby, but yeah, there are so many years of my story, that I would love people to understand it is a journey," Hilson told the BoomBox when she visited L.A. high school students at the University of Southern California campus as part of Grammy Career Day. Hilson got to the Grammys by being open to learning, so when she sat on a panel at USC with Jimmy Jam, Anthony Hamilton, and others, it was as much an education for her as for the students. "Sometimes your method is very different from that of your neighbor and so I would listen to Anthony Hamilton or Jimmy Jam or Danja or Eric Galan, to their experiences and how they go about their process and that's a learning experience," she says. "I'm sitting up there like, 'Oh, maybe I can try that. That's something that would allow me to expand my horizons.' It's important that you are always learning, that you're never just stagnant and complacent." ...

But while she makes a point of continuing both her educations and that of students, frequently contributing to these educational days, "You've got to give back," she says, she's definitely getting in some play time this Grammy weekend. "I wonder who all is coming out. I'm always excited to see a Gaga performance, but everyone," she says.

Hilson has a little sense of humor when asked what pairing she'd like to see this year. "This year, I would say Kanye and Taylor Swift would've made a perfect collaboration, you would never expect that," she says. Uh, no. But it would be interesting.

Grammys 2010

Ludacris to Host Cognac Parties at Super Bowl

Steve Baltin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST

Although the Super Bowl's official kick off takes place on Feb. 7, America's biggest ball game is more of a week-long celebration wrangling in athletes, media and celebrities alike. Count Ludacris among the many heading down to Miami's South Beach next month. The rapper/actor/entrepreneur is planning on doing his part by giving his new cognac, Conjure, a big push. "We actually rented out this lavish mansion in Miami Beach and we're calling it the House of Conjure. We're going to be throwing a series of exclusive events from Feb. 3 to Feb. 8," Luda tells The BoomBox. "It's just the perfect place. We want friends and people that are in town to just relax and enjoy all the house festivities." It's also perfect timing. This March Luda's cognac will roll out in Los Angeles and New York and expand to the rest of the nation later in the spring. Luda is psyched as this was more than just a vanity project for him. "I would say definitely winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album, being in an Oscar-winning film, 'Crash,' the birth of my daughter, signing my first record contract, and Conjure Cognac -- those are the five," he says of his personal career highlights. ...

Luda even traveled to Cognac, France to help create the liquor. "Anybody who drinks cognac, they understand that at the end of the day the smoother it is, the more aged it is, the smoother and the finer it tastes," he says, himself a proud cognac drinker since he turned 21. "I looked for, when you talk about a great blend, something that hits the palate and is smooth going down the throat."

Cognac, parties, South Beach and the Super Bowl sounds like a dream week to us. And for Luda, you can throw in the fact the Who are performing at half-time of the game. Yes, he is psyched about that. "I've never met any members, but I'm definitely excited to check them out," he says. "I always need great motivation and I like all genres of music so I can't wait."

Ludacris Says Madonna Is His Dream Duet Partner

Steve Baltin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:30:00 EST

Ludacris' forthcoming album, 'Battle of the Sexes,' is a chance for both men and women to be heard. "I have a couple of guest appearances from different female MCs and female entertainers and a lot of the subject matter has to do with relationships from a male perspective and female perspective," he tells The BoomBox. "There's never been an album where you kind of get that and that's what I was going for. So that's really what 'Battle of the Sexes' is all about." Ludacris does confirm that Monica and Lil' Kim are among the women on there, but he doesn't want to give away too much info yet. "That's the surprise, my friend. I wish I could tell you," he says when asked about some other names. Okay, we can respect that, we're down to be surprised. But he does give away a couple that aren't on there, including his top choice. And who is his number one female duet partner? "Madonna, but I can tell you that has not happened yet," he says. "Maybe one day soon." Another one that hasn't happened would be his daughter's top choice. "My daughter is eight years old and I'm forced to listen to Miley Cyrus' 'Party in the U.S.A.' all the time," he says. So he'd score a lot of cool points if he can pull off that meeting. "She hasn't met Miley, but maybe I can make that happen sooner or later." He did however impress his daughter with another of her heroes. "She loves Ciara," he notes. Whether that means Ciara is on the record we'll have to wait until March 9 to find out. ...

Keri Hilson Talks Grammy Nomination, Shows Support for Kanye West

Steve Baltin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST

Wednesday night (Dec. 2) at the 'Grammy Nominations Live!' telecast Taylor Swift, who took home eight nominations, was one of the most talked about artists in the press room backstage. Conversely, one Kanye West, who had a pretty good night himself with six nods, didn't come up much. But one artist offered her support for West, even if she knew it might not be popular. "Somebody might hate me for this, but I have to say Kanye West was up there," Keri Hilson told the press when asked for her favorite albums of 2009. West was in some pretty good company as Hilson said she's also rooting for "my label mate Lady Gaga" and the Black Eyed Peas. But Hilson did have a hard time concentrating on others. "All I can think about is myself right now," she said laughing. ...

And with good reason. She gathered two nominamtions herself, including one for the very prestigious Best New Artist. "I did have a feeling tonight would be a good night," she said, drawing on the BEP theme of the night. How did she find out about the nods? "My manager showed me on a text message she received just as the show was ending."

Hilson admitted to being overwhelmed by the honors. "I'm still kind of flustered, tearing on the inside, trying not to ruin my makeup kind of thing," she said. "It's really been a year of many dreams come true for me. This is the crème de la crème so far."

Maxwell Calls His Six Grammy Nominations 'Surreal'

Steve Baltin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST

Maxwell has already had an impressive comeback year in 2009. The R&B crooner unleashed 'Blacksummer's Night,' his first album in eight years, which brought the smooth singer back to the top of the charts. And that comeback just got a lot bigger. Maxwell, who paid tribute to Michael Jackson at this year's Grammy Nominations telecast by performing 'The Lady in My Life,' a cover off Jackson's 'Thriller,' took home six nominations. "This is very surreal to me," he told the press room. "I've been gone eight years, throwing out my trash, buying my milk, living my life. To have this kind of reception, I feel like I've already won. If nothing comes of it it's really been truly the cherry on top of the cake. I'm grateful beyond belief." For him the time away was a chance to just live a normal life. "When your life becomes so ridiculously fantastic that you can't actually speak to the person who gets up every morning to do a nine to five, that's when you have a problem," he said of what he took from his time away. And the success of the album cements what he wanted to do with the new record. "My dream was to express and relay my emotions to people so that they could feel relatable to me on some level," he says. And having done that, he has a promise. "But I won't be going away anymore." ...

Drake Used to Dream About a Grammy Nomination

Steve Baltin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST

Of all of the nominees for this year's Grammy Awards maybe the most surprising was Toronto native Drake, who told the press backstage, "This all started with friends." Sure, the young MC is admittedly one of 2009's biggest success stories with 'Best I Ever Had,' a single off his 'So Far Gone' mixtape, nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song. But the surprise factor is that his debut album isn't even out yet. According to the MC, it's scheduled for March release as of now and he's still working on it. "It's gonna be an amazing ride this year," he says. Asked if he was the first artist to ever be nominated before his album came out, Drake smiled and replied, "I think we're looking into that. We're not sure, but that would definitely be an honor." Turns out it's more than an honor, it's literally a dream come true. "I can honestly say there was a period in my life where I was in high school when I used to have trouble going to sleep at early hours cause I used to sit there thinking about hearing my name called at a Grammy Nominations press conference or something like that," he said. "That's honest, for real. Today is a special moment in my life." ...

Jurassic 5's Chali 2na Breaks Free on 'Fish Out of Water'

Steve Baltin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

In the current music biz artists are getting dropped as fast as record sales are falling. One artist though is quite happy to be free of his major label. "I'm just happy to be free, man. I feel like I just got out of jail," an elated Chali 2na tells the BoomBox of being off Interscope, the home for Jurassic 5 for many years. After two years of trying to, as he puts it, "get loose," 2na did just that. And the reason he's so happy to be away from the label that dropped Jurassic 5 prior to the band's breakup is 'Fish out of Water,' his solo debut, which is due in mid-June. "The crazy part about this whole experience is I started commissioning 'Fish out of Water' about five years ago," he says. "For the longest time I've been holding onto it, but it's gonna feel even better to get it off my chest." ...

He'll have a chance to share this summer when he heads out as part of the Rock the Bells fest, along with some friends from the album. "It's a trip," he says. "A lot of people who guest appear on my album are actually on this tour; Damian Marley is on my album, Talib Kweli is on my album, Elzhi, from Slum Village, is on my album. So to be able to actually do those songs is something I'm really looking forward to."

Does that mean there will be some collaborations on RTB? "I told Damien, 'Dude, come on, we gotta work it.' He's like, 'Alright, no problem.'"Another guest on the album heading out on RTB is Talib Kweli, who helps kicks the festivities off for what is a big celebration for 2na. "I have a single called 'Lock S--- Down' to get the ball rolling, and Talib came and laced it for me," 2na says. "It was cool, just some real rap s---, but it's really feel good party kind of stuff."

Raekwon Taps Dr. Dre, Pete Rock for 'Cuban Linx 2'

Steve Baltin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST

When you put on the biggest hip-hop tour of the year you get some perks, like being among the first to hear Raekwon's highly anticipated 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2,' due this year. "He had a lot of music that he came and played in our office and honestly it's amazing," Rock the Bells organizer Chang Weisberg tells The BoomBox. "'Cuban Linx,' a lot of people think the sequel can never touch the original. This sequel is honestly better; sonically, dynamically, lyrically, cause he worked with different producers. You're going to hear a Raekwon that you haven't heard maybe on the previous record." Standing right there alongside Weisberg as the promoter gushes on 'Cuban Linx 2,' Raekwon seems totally confident with the hype, as he should be when he has the likes of Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Marley Marl, the late J. Dilla, and more handling the beats. "When we did the first album, RZA, he's a classic within himself, but I knew there was something more that we needed to make 'Cuban Linx 2,'" Raekwon says. ...

Making the task of finding beats that much easier, Rae just turned to his friends. "Now a lot of the producers that I named are big fans of the first one and they felt like that was a challenge to be a part of the second one," he says. "My thing is if you fit the bill of what I'm trying to deliver it's all good. It just happened to be that I had a lot of good friends that's like, 'Yo, I want in.'"

With all of those new hands involved does that mean the album will be drastically different than its predecessor? No. "At the end of the day we didn't try to bite the first one," Rae says. "We just tried to add onto the first one with the second one."

Top 20 Albums of All Time

Tech N9ne Has Strong Words for 'L.A. Times' Lip-Syncing Diss

Steve Baltin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

Tech N9ne has become one of hip hop's biggest live acts, a reputation he prides himself on. So the Kansas City rapper did not take kindly to a recent 'L.A. Times' review of the Southern California 'Paid Dues' show, where the writer said, "It appeared that N9ne was lip-syncing." Well, at the Rock the Bells press conference last night, N9ne had some strong words for the writer, Jeff Weiss. "I do what I do for the love of my three children, they're the biggest tech N9ne fans I know," he said. "All my life I have put all my energy into doing a wonderful show, a hardcore show, I push until I lose my voice. And I say every word and for somebody to say, 'He appeared to be lip-syncing because it sounded so clear.' To me, if I'm trying to use Paid Dues as a vehicle get on Rock the Bells he would've ruined it, which would in turn would've ruined money I make for my children, which makes me really, really upset. I'm out here to impress people, to get to the other plateau. This is the other plateau, thank god I made after somebody said something stupid about me that a lot of people knew was bulls--- because something like that, I take it personally." ...

But a very upset N9ne wasn't done. "When it comes to Tech N9ne you say s--- that you know. And what he said was speculation: 'It appeared that he was lip-syncing.' No, you can't say Tech N9ne and Milli Vanilli in the same sentence," N9ne said. "I can't sell out all these shows and people keep coming back if I was just cheating them with lip-syncing. So to Jeff Weiss, no I didn't appreciate it and I don't appreciate it. Tech N9ne works very hard. So hopefully he'll come to another show and he'll give me a f---ing apology because I deserve it."

On the Scene

Rapper Soulja Boy arrives at Nickelodeon's 2009 Kids' Choice Awards at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on March 28, 2009 in Westwood, California.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Actress/singer/rapper Queen Latifah celebrates her 39th birthday with friends and family at SIR Studios in Hollywood. Los Angeles, CA - (03/28/09)

Michael, startraksphoto.com

The Dream and Fabolous perform "Rockin' That Thang" alongside a model wearing "Oath of Style" during BET's Rip the Runway 2009 at the Hammerstein Ballroom on February 21, 2009 in New York City.

Frank Micelotta, Getty Images

Singer will.i.am and rapper T-Pain speak during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Singer Akon sighting on January 24, 2009 in London, England.

Niki Nikolova , FilmMagic

Young Jeezy and T.I. attend the Hip Hop Summit Action Network Inaugural Ball at the Harman Center for the Arts on January 19, 2009 in Washington, DC.

Johnny Nunez, WireImage

Jamal Woolard and actress Antonique Smith pose for pics at the premiere of the 'Notorious' film.

Wilson Morales

Macy Gray enjoys a night out at the popular Bardot lounge on Sunset Boulevard. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIAMonday January 12 2009

David Tonnessen, PacificCoastNews.com

Lil Kim kicks it with music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Jim Jones performing live at the Hot 97 Holiday Bash at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on December 27, 2008.

David Atlas, Retna

Nas, Common, The Roots Lead Rock the Bells 2009 Lineup

Steve Baltin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST

In what has become a tradition, several of the acts who will be participating in this summer's 'Rock the Bells' tour got together in Southern California for a press conference that turned into a full-scale party. Supernatural got the celebratory aspect off with a ridiculous freestyle listing of every act on this summer's 10-city tour. How hot was it? So hot that the mighty KRS-One, one of the "hosts" for this year's RTB, couldn't stop talking about it 10 minutes later. But for everyone who gathered at the Key Club last night, being a fan is part of RTB. "I'm a fan of all these guys in here, what they're doing, they're bringing hip-hop where it needs to be," Raekwon told the BoomBox. And Tech N9ne was still in awe over his seat assignment in the press conference when he spoke to the Boombox. "This is crazy because I was actually sitting next to KRS-One," Tech said. "Being onstage with KRS, Raekwon, and Damian Marley and Nas, it's overwhelming, man. It's like validation that I've been doing the right thing all these years to be amongst all these wonderful people." ...

Also on this year's bill are Common, the Roots, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek), OutKast's Big Boi, reunions of House of Pain and Slum Village, Slaughterhouse, RZA, Sage Francis, and many more.

This year's trek seems some new faces to the RTB family, which has promoter Chang Weisberg very excited. "Really, the Roots, besides they played on those four Rage [Against the Machine] dates they haven't been on 'Rock the Bells' proper, so new record this summer, they can play the weekends, that's like the perfect storm," he says. "Common, really that's a no-brainer because he's never been a part of Rock the Bells officially. He's only guested on our shows."

And then there are those familiar faces, like Nas, back for his third year in a row. What keeps him coming back? "This is automatic," he says. "It's like the 'Distant Relatives' thing. It's a family thing."

Keri Hilson Plans to Keep Family Promise

Steve Baltin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST

Keri Hilson's debut album, 'In a Perfect World,' may be about to drop March 24, setting up the breakout songwriter to be a recording star in her own right. But despite having Lil Wayne on the single and a track she co-wrote with Justin Timberlake her family still isn't impressed yet. "I'm the black sheep of my family," she told a crowd of students at Grammy Career Day. "I'm the only one who didn't graduate." But talking to the Boombox at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party, a few days after Grammy Career Day, Hilson made a public plea to Emory University. "My degree was a theater degree, performance based, so I'm gonna go for the honorary if I can," she said. "I've been talking to the dean of the art school and Emory University, if you're reading this, I would love to get the honorary degree. I gotta get that piece of paper." ...

And she's serious. "But if not, I'll go back and do plays. I'll do plays at school and participate in the theater program as much as possible to get that degree."

Given her family's emphasis on schooling, will the honorary degree satisfy them? "Oh yeah, they'll go for it. That means it was worth their money," she says. "We got the piece of paper, that's what it's all about."

Black Eyed Peas Apl.De.Ap Returns to Stage for Peapod

Steve Baltin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:30:00 EST

The Black Eyed Peas' annual Peapod has become one of the hottest parties of Grammy week, with previous performances featuring the likes of James Brown, Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Pink, and more. And it's an event, which raises money for various charities, that led to the building of the Peas' Peapod Academy, a music school, in Los Angeles. So it always holds a special place for them. Still, no one expected the Peas' Apl.de.Ap (Allen Pinead Lindo) to join Fergie, Will.I.Am and Taboo at the event, which also featured Slash, Boyz II Men, Bell Biv Devoe, as well as the Peas, moved to the Conga Room. It was only two days ago that Lindo's 24-year-old brother was tragically murdered in their native Phillipines. But Lindo, who did not join his band mates on the red carpet, was there on stage last night, delivering the trademark energy and enthusiasm Peas' fans have come to expect from the group. ...

With its history and guests, the Peapod has created a lot of memories for the band, especially Taboo, who told Popeater earlier this week the Peapod directly influenced his wedding last year. "Last year when Boyz II Men sang 'On Bended Knee' it was for me personally the first time that I actually had got the opportunity to speak to them on a one on one basis and I said, 'Hey, I would love for you guys to sing at my wedding on July 12 next year,'" he said. "Because of the Peapod I was able to have Boyz II Men serenade me and my wife while we were dancing at our wedding."

But as Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman told Popeater before the show, the great memories are mutual. "It was at the Peapod [last year] where we started to get this next level of recognition for Boyz II Men," he said, referring to the hero's welcome the group received at the 2008 show. That response helped cement their return, which they say will now move forward with a new album. Given the Peas' role in their return and Will.I.Am being the hottest producer around at the moment might there be a match? "We would love to have him on the record," Stockman says.

Apl.De.Aps Brother Murdered

See the full list of 2009 Grammy winners here.

Ne-Yo Calls Grammy Nod 'Recognition of Versatility'

Steve Baltin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST

Ne-Yo isn't exaggerating when he says, "I'm definitely in great company," for his Album of the Year Grammy nod. The R&B star is nominated alongside Lil Wayne, Coldplay, Radiohead, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. To Ne-Yo it's a recognition of his versatility. "I kind of pride myself on my diversity and I'm part of the movement that's trying to erase the genres of music to where you eventually just have two, good music and bad music," he says. To him, the Grammy noms are a promising sign of that movement. "I think that we're definitely moving in that direction with the different groups of people that are nominated for Album of the Year." ...

Q-Tip Plans Election Night Celebration

Steve Baltin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been cautious about his poll lead, warning supporters not to presume anything. But one Barack believer is already planning the victory party. "I am doing a party in New York at a place called Santos where I usually spin at on Fridays, but I'm making it Tuesday," Q-Tip tells the Boombox. "So we're gonna have a huge screen, we're gonna watch Obama win, Apple is bringing in some computers, we're gonna be talking to people around the world from there, celebrating Obama's victory." The possible victory though isn't the only cause for partying, as Q-Tip is also releasing 'The Renaissance,' his first album of new material to make it to fans (two other albums never saw the light of day) in nine years. Between the two, it's a big day for Tip. But ironically, while he samples Obama on the track 'Shaka,' it wasn't intentional to release the album on Election Day. "Well, it wasn't deliberate. I didn't pick this day; the label, I guess, they picked it," he says. "I didn't even realize it was Election Day until later on." But he does appreciate the symmetry between the two events. And besides Tip's artistic rebirth on the new album and America's entering a new era, he sees definite similarities between himself and the possible Commander in Chief. ...

"A lot of the themes that I've been talking about on the record kind of speak to his ideology, which is where I think we have a lot of commonalities," he says. "We speak about the inclusiveness of all people, opportunity for everybody, feeling disenfranchised, feeling that you don't know who you are, and having to look deep within and soul search to gain your identity and not necessarily find it through others. I think that those are some of the things that are believable and why I feel so empathetic to him."

Campaignwatch 2008

Pearl Jam

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

James Taylor

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

Eminem

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Vampire Weekend

RD / Eckstein ,Retna

Graham Nash and David Crosby

Paul Hawthorne,Getty

Jennifer Hudson

Jason Merritt, FilmMagic, Getty

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

X17

Phil Lesh

C Flanigan, Getty

Kim and Kelley Deal (of The Breeders)

Karl Walter, Getty Images

Randy Randall and Dean Allen Spunt of No Age.

Roger Kisby, Getty Images

T-Pain Hangs With Michael Jackson, Works on King of Pop's New Album

Steve Baltin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST

Having collaborated with everyone from Ludacris and Ciara to Chris Brown, T-Pain has worked with most of his peers. So who's left for him to work with? No one, he says. "I pretty much did it already. I did two pieces with Michael Jackson, so I'm pretty much done; my list is all checked off." And it looks like MJ's upcoming project will have T-Pain's touch. "I just worked on his new album," Pain says. "He actually invited me to his house. So I went to his house and it was pretty much that day where we just hung out ..." While the vocoder-laced singer/producer seems to be taking his success in stride, he admits that he never imagined he'd have a chance to collaborate with the King of Pop. "I never thought Michael Jackson would ever work with me. He actually sent for me, so that was kind of weird and cool at the same time." Being a big-time producer does have its benefits. Besides working with Jackson, Pain just returned from working with producer/rapper Kanye West. "I just went down to Hawaii with Kanye for four days and I came back making beats and songs like Kanye, like people can hear it." Of course, it's not as glamorous as it sounds. "I was working on his album, but it was all work," he says. "So all I saw was the hotel and the studio." ...

Lil' Wayne Takes Second Job With ESPN

Steve Baltin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST

Not content with being the hottest rapper on the planet, Lil' Wayne has taken on a side gig, as a blogger for ESPN. In this week's edition, his second post, Wayne lets everyone know this isn't a lark. "I got ESPN tattooed on my arm. I've had it for at least three months now, so that should show you how seriously I'm gonna take this," he writes. Wayne also shares some of his sports connections, revealing he got messages from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco and New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul. Wayne learned first hand what it means to have the proverbial power of the pen, now keyboard, as he took some flack from Paul. "My man Chris Paul called mad 'cause I didn't say nothing about him. He was kinda upset." Now, what does Wayne have on his mind this edition? Among his insights are that Brett Farve "Must have God's phone number cause he is superhuman...There's a reason he's my favorite player of all time," and he sees the Dodgers knocking the Cubs out of the NL playoffs, with new American Idol Manny Ramirez, the best hitter in the National League, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays going to the World Series. ...

And for those that want to keep up with Wayne's other gig, that music thing that sold over a million copies first week out this year, he wraps up the blog with an update on what's coming next for him. He's working on a mixed tape called 'Dedication 3,' which will be out soon. Then it'll be up on his website with 20 extra tracks for free.

But if that that music thing doesn't end up working out, Wayne now has something to fall back on. And we're already looking forward to reading his NBA predictions. Something tells us to expect some love for Chris Paul and the Hornets.

T-Pain Celebrates New Album With New Baby

Steve Baltin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST

This is an exciting time for T-Pain. First and foremost, the father of two tells the Boombox his wife is pregnant with their third child, to go with their four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son. And by the time baby number three is born, the collaborator extraordinaire may have another hit album on his hands. His latest effort, 'Thr33 Ringz,' features collaborations with Kanye West, Ludacris, Chris Brown, and more. "What people really know me for now is collaborations, so I decided to make an album pretty much full of collaborations," he says. "It's real good-feeling music, so I just made sure everybody brought their own flavor to my feel good music." Among the standout collaborations is 'Chopped and Screwed,' a David Lynch-esque song that messes around with Luda's vocals in a way Pain said even surprised him. "I didn't think 'Chopped and Screwed' was gonna come out like that at all, like ever," he says. "I've been wanting to do the 'Chopped and Screwed' song for like two years and just pushing it off. I'm glad I waited two years." ...

For fans looking for beefs, Pain is the wrong guy. He says seeing hat all of his peers are doing just inspires him. "It definitely gives me a push. I don't really see the celebrity of the person, I see the music they make and that really inspires me to make my music," he says. "It's really the music they make and I really remember everything that I go through and I mix it all together, which makes my genre of music."

Heavy D Reclaims His Birth Right

Steve Baltin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST

Rap veteran Heavy D came out of the New York scene in the mid-'80s, finding fame for such hits as 'Now That we Found Love' and 'Got me Waiting,' as well as rapping on Michael Jackson's 'Jam' and doing the theme to the hit show 'In Living Color.' But the MC was actually born in Jamaica, home of reggae. And now Heavy is embracing the music of his birth land. "I have a brand new reggae album coming out Sept. 30 called 'Vibes.' And it's just me going back to my roots, my birthright," he tells the Boombox. "I went back into the '60s and '70s without a lot of the ska kind of feel and just [got] that rawness with the drums and the beautiful imperfections I like to call them, just where people get in a room and you have five dollars to make your album and that was it. I reached out to a lot of wonderful musicians and I think we came out with something extremely special." ...

Having concentrated on his acting in recent years, 'Vibes' marks his first new studio album in nearly a decade. Why return with this album now? "It's just something I've been working on for quite some time, four or five years at least," he says. "I felt I got it to a place where it wouldn't be any better than it is."

Given his pride in 'Vibes,' he is looking forward to sharing it live. "Yes you will [see me on the road], in a big way, with a band and everything," he says. "That's what I'm excited about, being able to perform with a band."

There are a lot of great reggae fests around the world, but if he got to do his own with this album, he tells the BoomBox, it'd be a pretty amazing lineup. "If I could open up for the dream gig it would be Sting, Sade, UB40, and myself, cause that's kind of what this album represents, that level of reggae," he says. "And god bless Bob Marley."

Murs Runs for President

Steve Baltin — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:30:00 EST

After years of being one of the West Coast's best-kept secrets, underground favorite Murs is stepping into the spotlight in a major way, declaring his candidacy for the top office on his major label debut, 'Murs for President,' which features some of hip hop's finest, including Snoop Dogg and Will.I.Am. "I'm nervous to talk about it, but I've worked with everybody from DJ Quik to Snoop Dogg to Will.I.Am, Three 6 Mafia, 9th Wonder, Terrence Martin, Scoop de Ville," he tells the Boombox. Murs admits some anxiety about how his longtime fans will respond to his entry into collaborating with big-name stars. "I don't know how my fans are gonna react to some of the sounds," he says. "They're used to me and an old sampled record chopped up. We'll see what they think." ...

Still, anxiousness aside, Murs followed his own vision, including embracing his love of punk to record a cover of Rancid's 'Time Bomb.' He collaborated on the track with Florida-based punk band Whole Wheat Bread. "I saw them on Warped tour, man," he says of how he ended up working with them. "There's Dishashi [Lumumba-Kasongo] from Gym Class Heroes and other than that you don't see anymore black people playing guitars in young bands."

Ironically the track didn't even make the record, but it did lead to a new band for the rapper, called Invincible. "I don't even know if that's gonna see the light of day now. That was like the gateway drug; now we're doing crack," he says.

Of the new music he says, "As bad as it sounds it's rap-rock, but hopefully we can be respected and do it right. It's been tried and tried and tried and there's Linkin Park, and if anything I'm hoping to be the polar opposite, as successful, but a little more hip-hop than rock."

While his focus right now is on 'Murs for President,' he is excited about touring down the line as part of Invincible. "For me it all stems from my interest from doing anything with a live band; my energy on stage is more punk," he says. "I like jumping around, I like being loud, and now I have three motherf***ers to do it with on stage."

Fonzworth Bentley Unites Fellow 'Lovers of Uniquely Raw Style'

Steve Baltin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST

Fonzworth Bentley has come a long way from his days as Diddy's assistant. Author of 'How to Advance Your Swagger' and host of the hit MTV series 'From G's to Gents,' he's following in his former boss' footsteps in becoming a ubiquitous media presence. But the biggest evidence of just how far Bentley has come is 'Everybody,' the first single from his debut album, 'Cool Outrageous Lovers of Uniquely Raw Style.' The song marks the first collaboration between hip-hop giants Kanye West and OutKast's Andre 3000. How did Bentley accomplish this coup? "Kanye West and Andre 3000 are both very uninhibited artists; it was the first time they ever got an opportunity to work together, they're friends of mine and supporters, so that's why we were able to pull it off," Bentley tells the Boombox. ...It took some patience on Bentley's part to get them both. "For Andre I waited a good eight months before I actually got with him and played him any of the music and that was the first song I played him," Bentley recalls. "At that time he hadn't rapped since the 'Love Below' album and he's like, 'Let me get that 'Everybody' record.' I was like, 'You gonna sing on it?' He's like, 'No, I'm gonna rap on it.' He called me two months later and he's like, "Yo, I'm like 75 percent done with it." I let him have the space, he went in, I went in and picked up the post session right after and it's a pretty exciting moment."

Bentley is very proud of not just the song and video, but its style. "We basically tapped into that Temptations vibe when they really tried to woo the lady," he says. "I think so many hip-hop videos, or videos in general, get misogynistic. And we're talking to the ladies, but there's a way to be creative and cool about it."

Bentley talked to the Boombox at the BMI Awards Salute to the Jacksons, but the event on his mind was the Democratic National Convention, which he had just attended. "I almost wasn't there and the co-chair to the DNC this year was Shirley Franklin, who's the mayor of Atlanta," Bentley says. "Her son called me the day before and said, 'Derrick, where are you gonna say you were thirty years from now?' And I just got my butt on a plane and got there." It was definitely worth the trip. "Let me just tell you, man, it was an experience just to be in that place on that day."

The Jacksons Reunite for BMI Honor

Steve Baltin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

The Jackson family, minus Jermaine and Michael Jackson, who was rumored to be attending, but clearly absent, reunited Thursday night (Sept 4) in L.A. as the family was honored by songwriting publishers BMI for their contribution to music. Janet Jackson was on hand to present the award to her brothers Randy, Marlon, Jackie, and Tito. Before the show, held at the Wilshire Theater, the foursome spoke to the BoomBox about the accolade. "We're very happy, very proud of this moment today," Jackie said. As part of the night's several acts, including Mario, Keri Hilson, and O.N.E. Asked about artists carrying on the Jackson 5 classic sound, Marlon said, "I hear it all the time on the radio, so that's a great thing to feel that we have so many artists today that enjoyed that music. That is the thread carried unto their musical abilities." Among those performing for the group was pop singer JoJo, who teamed with R&B crooner Lloyd for 'I'll be There.' Before taking the stage the singer admitted the thought of singing one of the group's biggest hits in front of the family prompted some anxious moments. "It's really nerve wracking, it's not something to be taken lightly. I know their dedication, their work ethic, and how much they put into each performance, so I'm gonna do my best," she told the Boombox. For many of the attendees the night was an occasion to be a fan. "I just got through meeting Jackie, Tito, and Randy and Jackie turned around and touched my shoulder again," Gnarls Barkley voice Cee-Lo told the Boombox. "That was kind of cool so hopefully I'll get a chance to bump back into them and talk to them a little bit longer. But this is their night, I'm just a fan, and I'm just wanting to be a part of it." ...

Jay-Z Following in Frank Sinatra's Shoes

Steve Baltin — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST

Jay-Z, who's been an actual chairman of the board, is now following in the footsteps of music's chairman. The hip-hop icon has been tapped to reopen the venerable Hollywood Palladium. And when Jay-Z takes the stage there October 15 he will be backed by a 12-piece band, just as Sinatra was when he first opened the doors of the venue back in 1940. "I'm honored to play such an iconic venue," Jay-Z said in a statement. "Just as Frank ushered in a golden era, I hope this opening will mark the beginning of a resurgence in generation defining live music." The selection of Jay-Z to usher in the Live Nation-run, remodeled venue, which over the years has hosted the likes of everybody from Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones to James Brown and Public Enemy, is also one of the first of many examples of the symmetry between Live Nation and artists signed to the all-inclusive 360 deals, as Jay-Z was among the first to jump on the trend, signing with the increasing prolific promoter in April of this year after leaving Def Jam. ...

Black Eyed Peas Share Stage With the Pharcyde at Rock the Bells L.A. Stop

Steve Baltin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EST

Since becoming superstars the Black Eyed Peas have played the Grammys and the Super Bowl, opened for the Rolling Stones, but on Saturday Will.I.Am, Taboo, and Apl.de.Ap went back to their roots during a surprise 40-minute set at the San Bernardino stop of the Rock the Bells International Festival. "It was like coming home," Apl told the Boombox as he hung around backstage before watching headliners A Tribe Called Quest. While Will quipped after the set, "It's fun to play in front of haters," he had to acknowledge the fans in front waving their hands during the closing 'That's the Joint, That's the Jam' and a freestyle rap that ended with a message for the haters, "Suck my **** (rhymes with rock)." Will told the Boombox it was the first time they'd gone back to their pre-Fergie days since the closing show of an Australian tour last year. RTB founder Chang Weisberg loved the symmetry of having the Peas share the stage with returning hometown heroes the Pharcyde. "It's bringing back the L.A. underground," he said. For Pharcyde, who received an appropriate welcome, this was the show. "This is the one we've been waiting for," Fatlip told the Boombox in the band's dressing room. Among the most memorable sets of the day was Nas, who delivered some powerful messages, including one about how he doesn't trust presidents, he trusts people. But he added, "We should give Obama a chance." After ending his set, he shouted out, "Rest in peace, Bernie Mac," in honor of the late comedian/actor, who passed away Saturday. ...

Check out The Pharcyde on tour
on TourTracker.com

Nas, Murs Talk Rock the Bells

Steve Baltin — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EST

Last summer's Rock the Bells moved the annual hip-hop festival into the national consciousness as the traveling package featured both the reunited Rage Against the Machine and the Wu-Tang Clan. Guerilla Union founder Chang Weisberg, who organizes the traveling festival, says he wanted this year's trek to have a different feel. "Last year was a really angst-driven, politically motivated type of feel," Weisberg says. "So this year, with the way things are going with the economy and people's heads and gas prices, we really wanted to try and provide something where people could get away from all the crap and have a good time." The artists that encapsulated that to him are headliners A Tribe Called Quest and reunited west coast ensemble Pharcyde. For Murs, a fellow member of the west coast family, having Pharcyde back together means the world to him. "In a time when the only thing on the west coast was gangster rap they created a space for someone like me, from the 'inner city,' or just a young black kid from a single parent home, to be able to be different, to be me, and let me know there was someone out there like me," he says. " They gave me a sense of belonging, a voice. I can't put into words how much the music meant to me. It was literally the soundtrack of my life." ...

RTB, as it's known, has always been known as a showcase for both the icons and young guns of hip hop. For an artist like Murs it provides him with an opportunity to share the stage with those he grew up admiring, something that moves him. "We did the press conference for Rock the Bells and I was literally almost in tears," he says, recalling the day the tour was announced. "To be up there with Pharcyde and Tribe, De La, it's like, 'Oh my god.' We're all excited to see each other every night, but I'm sure I'm a little more excited than they are to see them do their thing night after night. And just to be in the same area and be able to walk up to them and say, 'Good show,' it's gonna be awesome."

Like Murs, Nas is a returning act from last year. He says the mix of acts keeps him coming back. "I'm just really psyched," the Queensbride emcee says about being on this year's trek. "For a long time in hip-hop there's not been a tour on the level of this tour."

Check out Nas on tour
on TourTracker.com

Rick Ross Feels the Love for Birdman, Gets Love From BET

Steve Baltin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST

For some artists, performing at awards shows is just another gig. But not for Rick Ross, who's performing at the BET Awards with T-Pain. "That's something that's monumental to me, to be coming from the streets, to be grinding for 10 years and to be here now and able to put my qualities on display in front of everybody, that's special," he tells the BoomBox. "That's something the money can't do for you ... money can't buy." For Ross, who's still riding high off the chart-topping 'Trilla' disc, the highlights just keep coming. Next up is 'H,' his collaborative album with Birdman. As psyched as Ross was to be performing at BET it may pale in comparison for him to working with Birdman. "It was fun for us, the recording. Birdman's one of the few artists in the game that I admire and respect," Ross says. "When I think about southern music, southern hip-hop, Birdman's like the first name that comes to mind cause he comes from that golden era, that No Limit/Cash Money era, but he's still here, he's still on top of the game. And just for me to be in the studio with him and see his work habits after ten years of non-stop making records that's motivation. So when will fans get to hear the duo themselves? "You gonna hear a single like in the next month. We just chopping up the small details, it's gonna be a big release; it's a joint venture between Payback Music and Cash Money," he says. And as for what the first single might be, he says, "We just did a record with T-Pain on it and I think that's gonna be the first single." ...