Featured Gallery Music Wu-Tang Is For The Children… and Everyone Else

January 18, 2012 - 10:53 am

Though Kanye West’s notorious bum rushing of the VMA stage in 2009 will go down in the pantheon of bizarre award show moments, it still plays second fiddle to the granddaddy of all podium-jackings. Next month marks the 14-year anniversary of O.D.B.’s proclamation to a stunned Shawn Colvin and an international Grammy contingent that, regardless of how you saw it, Wu-Tang was the best. Let me repeat that. Fourteen years ago this happened, and the full-length that lost the Best Rap Album award (to Puffy no less) was Wu-Tang Forever, far from their best work. But who’s laughing now? Who’s managed to singlehandedly keep the spirit of posse cut alive in an era of me-first rappers who myopically extol the virtues of popping bottles and not much else? The Wu. That’s who.

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Music Tuesday Newsday: New Releases from Ghostface Killah, Keyshia Cole and Duran Duran

December 21, 2010 - 6:28 pm

DD's Return to Rio

…and Jamie Foxx…and screamo act Asking Alexandria. So it’s a particularly schizoid week as far as genres go — but most of the buzz is around Keyshia Cole’s Calling All Hearts, especially with Kanye and Missy helping her out behind the production board; Duran Duran’s latest is supposed to be a grand return to the days of Rio; and with Apollo Kids, Ghostface gives us his strongest and most acclaimed album in years.

If you’re looking for something completely different, the new Coen Brothers film True Grit has a soundtrack out, performed entirely by Carter Burwell, and the guy is already getting Oscar buzz after winning the Chicago Film Critics’ award for best score.

Avant – The Letter

Keyshia Cole – Calling All Hearts

Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now

Jamie Foxx - Best Night Of My Life

Ghostface Killah – The Apollo Kids

Hex Hector – Allura

Asking Alexandria – Stand Up and Scream

Keri Hilson – No Boys Allowed

David Banner & 9th Wonder – Death Of A Pop Star

Level 3:16 – Level 3:16

Carter Burwell – True Grit Soundtrack

Featured Music Road to 8 Mile: Eminem Judges The Red Bull EmSee National Freestyle Battle

August 30, 2010 - 12:44 pm

It seemed as though every hip hop fan in Detroit made his or her way down to St. Andrews Hall last night to witness the National Championship of the most talked about emcee battle of the summer —Red Bull EmSee: The  Road to 8 Mile.  When judges Eminem, Mr. Porter and The Alchemist named 18-year old hometown favorite FowL as the national winner,  the crowd of over 1,000 fans went bananas.  Hip hop legends Bun B, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Xhibit were among the VIPs that came out to support.

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Featured Music Red Bull Big Tune Winner Frank Dukes Records with Ghostface Killah

August 11, 2010 - 2:25 pm

This year’s Red Bull Big Tune competition brought together hip-hop giant Ghostface Killah and up-and-coming producer/beat maker Adam Feeney a.k.a. Frank Dukes  for a recording session in Red Bull’s $6,000,000 Santa Monica studio.  Dukes, whose name is a Jean-Claude Van Damme / Blood Sport reference, is an all-business personality.  Seeming comfortable in the studio, he is meticulous, well spoken, and purposeful. His focus and tenacity were tested by fire when Dukes lost in the 2008 big tune finals to Chicago native C-Sick.  Undaunted and eager to set the record straight, Dukes returned in 2009 to unleash his wrath on Detroit, winning the national producers competition and earning him the opportunity to work with the MC of his choice.

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