Real Music People

Vibe magazine, the urban music magazine which was founded by producer Quincy Jones back in 1993 will be closing, as reported by Daily Finance. Danyel Smith, the editor in chief of Vibe commented on the closing, saying “On behalf the Vibe Content staff (the best in this business), it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today. We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It’s a tragic week in overall, but as the doors of Vibe Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine’s sixteenth anniversary, it’s a sad day for music, for hip hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the Vibe brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you.”

Beyonce and her mother, Tina Knowles, are launching a new junior label, Sasha Fierce for Dereon, to capitalize on back to school fashion. The collection, which is inspired by the singer’s alter ego, includes sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewellery. Some items include a one shoulder dress, black bodysuit, fake leather jacket with oversized collar, leggings and destructed jeans with mesh and lace details lining the ripped material. Why you would want those things in your closet, I have no idea. Tina commented on the new line saying it is “edgier and trendier and reflects Sasha Fierce’s daring and outgoing attitude.”
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Rihanna’s rumored boyfriend, Drake, has just scored big time by getting a record deal with Young Money and Universal Republic. A lot of record labels were trying to sign him but he ended up going with Lil Wayne’s label for a cool $3 million. The rapper’s debut album ‘Thank Me Later’ is slated for a late 2009 release and features collaborations with Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Drake will also be supporting Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy this summer on their Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival tour. He’s shaping up to be one of the hottest commodities of the year.

Michael Jackson had two albums in the works at the time of his death, Billboard magazine has reported.

The singer was collaborating on a pop album with singer-songwriters Claude Kelly and Akon, and another collection of classics.

Kelly said: “He was the King of Pop, the biggest to ever do it, and the one thing you never lose - whether known by the whole world or just 10 people - is your love for music. That never goes away and it never went away for him amidst his troubles.”

Akon (pictured) said: “My fans are still there. They still love me. They’re alive … His kids are like his first priority, and they had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most incredible show for his kids.”

Jackson was also working on an instrumental album, collaborating with composer David Michael Frank. “He had two demos of two pieces he’d written, but they weren’t complete,” Frank reportedly told Billboard.

“For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords - I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music.”

Further compositions were also in the pipeline, a jazz track among them. “He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece,” said Frank, who hopes the Jackson family will decide to record the music as a “tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry”.

Meanwhile, Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am earlier this week said Jackson had recordings of new songs the pair had worked on together. “He had all the hard drives because I didn’t want to be responsible for that.”

Source: Splash News

Reports are saying that Michael Jackson’s final rehearsal the night before his death may be released as a posthumous album. The rehearsal, which included a spectacular display of dancers, musicians and aerial performers for the late King of Pop’s London O2 residency, was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and was recorded in HD on several different cameras with the sound digitally recorded as well. While the singer had missed several of the scheduled rehearsals before, he made it to the final one the night before he died. AEG Live could lose millions over the cancelled shows but the release of Michael’s final evening could compensate for the loss as fans rush to get some memorabilia.

A Michael Jackson spam storm has infiltrated websites around the world.

In Sydney, cyber-criminals hacked into a web server that services Beatz Radio, a weekly dance music show on FM 99.3. The hackers allegedly used the site to host a file claiming to provide previously unseen videos and pictures of Jackson.

The file was in fact a password-stealing trojan. Links to a fake YouTube clip were then sprayed out across the world as part of an e-mail spam campaign that sought to exploit the outpouring of grief after Jackson’s death last week.

Beatz Radio chief Tim Little had no idea what had happened until he was contacted by the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team. It informed him some security groups and search engines had blacklisted his site, he said. He has now removed the malware.

“Our site has been hacked twice and it has only just gone live today,” Little said. “The first time it got hacked they actually put pictures of dead babies and it was all in Turkish, which was quite concerning - but luckily the site wasn’t open to the public.”

Jay Liew, security researcher at WebSense security labs in the US, which discovered the Australian link in the Jackson spam campaign, said cases of innocent websites being hijacked by cyber-criminals were frighteningly common.

“If you’re an independent radio station … you wouldn’t have a huge budget to manage your security, so unless you’re really technical and know how to lock down your server, you’re susceptible to all these attacks from bad guys,” Liew said.

Coolio has reached a plea deal and has avoided some jail time. The has-been rapper was arrested back in March for possession of crack cocaine at LAX Airport. He was also arrested last June for traffic violation charges and having an outstanding warrant. He has pleaded guilty to felony cocaine possession in a deal that requires him to spend 18 months in rehab. Coolio can request for the case to be dismissed if he successfully completes the program. He is due back in court on September 28th for a progress report.

Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, T.I.’s fiancée, and Antonia “Toya” Carter, Lil Wayne’s former wife, will be joining forces for a new reality show on Black Entertainment Television called “Tiny & Toya”. Toya said the following about the upcoming show: “We’re trying to create our own identity. We’re letting people know what we’re really all about. We’re trying to get our businesses up and running and just having fun — the way we live life for ourselves.” Yes, and what better place to find yourself than on public television, right? I’m sure Toya and Tiny will find this to be a most revelating experience at the end of which they will both feel like renewed human beings… or at least that’s what they are most likely going to say.

Quincy Jones, the producer of Michael Jackson’s legendary ‘Thriller’ album has released a statement regarding the death of the pop singer. Quincy said “I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80’s. To this day, the music we created together on “Off The Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”

The elaborate ‘Dome Project’ was the last video ever shot by Jackson, whose career feature many of the most important videos in pop history.

Jackson had key scenes set in a cemetery to remind fans of his pioneering 1983 video for his hit Thriller.

But now the video - expected to be ready for screening next month - will instead have a spooky, emotional impact for fans as Jackson is scene in the cemetery.

Asked about the video, Jackson’s close friend Miko Brando said: “True.”

Asked when the video would be released, Miko - the son of late acting legend Marlon Brando - said: “That’s a good question. We’d love to see that. I would think soon, hopefully.”

The video was produced by Robb Wagner and filmed a Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film Gone With the Wind.

The cemetery scenes are one of four sets in the video.

Besides the cemetery, one set featured an oversized portrait of Jackson in his Thriller werewolf costume, another was a jungle, and the fourth a construction site.

Source: Splash News

Kanye West will be happy the weather forecast is sun for the UK’s Wireless Festival, his protege Mr Hudson has revealed.

The rapper’s British protege Mr Hudson, 28, said that Kanye, 32, is not a fan of the rain.

He said: “I’m so pleased that it’s looking to be a warm sunny day as Kanye can’t cope with rain. If it drizzles he would be calling it a thunderstorm and be like: ‘Man it’s so cold.’ It’s quite funny.”

The star, whose real name is Ben Hudson, joined Kanye for a bike trip around Amsterdam recently.

He added: “I rode in front while Kanye rode behind rapping and thinking up new ideas. It started to drizzle and he just kept moaning: ‘Hudson, it’s so wet and cold.’

“He ended up being distracted by expensive designer shops we rode past so he insisted we gave up and went in there instead.”

But despite having worked with Kanye and R&B star Estelle, Hudson admitted he hasn’t been flashing the cash.

He said: “I followed Kanye around the shops while he splashed out. I don’t want to tempt fate by going crazy with money, especially as it’s not really mine to spend.

“At the minute I’ll stick to window shopping.”

Source: Splash News

Full winners list of 2009 BET AwardsFull winners list of 2009 BET Awards:

* Video of the Year: Beyonce Knowles - “Single Ladies ”
* Best Male R&B Artist: Ne-Yo
* Best Female R&B Artist: Beyonce Knowles
* Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Lil Wayne
* Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: M.I.A.
* Best Group: DAY26
* Best New Artist: Keri Hilson
* Viewer’s Choice: T.I. feat. Rihanna - “Live Your Life”
* Best Collaboration: Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain - “Blame It”
* Video Director of the Year: Benny Boom
* Centric Award: Jazmine Sullivan
* Best Gospel Artist: Mary Mary
* Best Actor: Will Smith
* Best Actress: Taraji P. Henson
* Best Male Athlete: LeBron James
* Best Female Athlete: Serena Williams
* Humanitarian Award: Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean
* Lifetime Achievement Award: The O’Jays

Janet Jackson joined the stars of hip-hop, RnB and soul in paying emotional tributes to the King Of Pop at the BET Awards in Los Angeles last night.

In her first public appearance since her brother’s death, Janet thanked fans around the world for their outpouring of support.

The Black Entertainment Television Awards show held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was completely overhauled and turned into a tribute to the King Of Pop in just three days.

Janet said: “My entire family wanted to be here tonight but it was just to painful. So they elected me to speak to you.

“To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. He will forever live in all of our hearts.”

“On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much.”

Jamie Foxx kicked off the event with a moonwalking tribute to Michael Jackson.

He said: “No need to be sad tonight. We want to celebrate this black man, he belonged to us and we shared him with everyone else.

“They talk about how he looks in the media but it don’t make a difference what he looked like.

“It was all about what he sounded like. It didn’t make a difference what his nose looked like – I liked the old nose, I liked the new nose. I loved the Afro and I loved the jerry curls.”

Stars including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Sean Diddy Combs, Tyra Banks, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Queen Latifah all offered condolences to the Jackson family as they performed on the show.

Sexy singer Ciara is featured on the cover of Rap-Up magazine’s Summer 2009 issue. The 23-year old R&B star discusses the comparisons with Beyonce, rumors of dating 50 Cent and her tour mate Britney Spears. When it comes to being compared with Beyonce, she said “I know what work I put in to what I do and I know where I get my inspiration from and it’s definitely not the references that they put up on the Internet. People live for it. Negative energy travels faster than positive energy. Whoever it was, for them to dig deep down and find all those references, that’s ridiculous.” When asked about Britney, Ciara said “Everything about Britney makes you like her. I feel like she’s a star. She’s got that energy that’s just magnetic. She just glows. It’s not just one thing about her that makes her cool.”

One day you could be a nobody. The next day you could be on American Idol. And then all of a sudden, you find yourself starring in ‘Dreamgirls’. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about Jennifer Hudson. I’m actually talking about Syesha Mercado. Sources are saying that the season seven Idol alum has been cast in the upcoming international tour of ‘Dreamgirls’ the play, landing the role of Deena Jones, which was played by Beyonce in the movie. Could ‘Dreamgirls’ prove to be the big break that another American Idol has been looking for? If it worked for Jennifer, there’s no saying that it wouldn’t work for Syesha.

The most anticipated series of the fall just landed itself a diva for a story arc, though it wasn’t the exact diva everyone was hoping for. The producers of the new Fox show ‘Glee’ were looking to fill the role of a no-nonsense girls’ choir director from a rival school. The first choice was none other than the highly awaited comeback queen Whitney Houston. However, the singer turned it down due to her schedule. Next in line to fill the spot was R&B singer/rapper Eve. It should prove to be a good move for her as the show has already snagged a slew of other names to guest star including Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Groban.

Chris Brown is nothing but an epic coward as a plea bargain has been accepted in the assault case against the douche bag of a singer. The plea deal will require him to spend 180 days in a labor domestic violence program and get five years probation for felony assault. If he violates the probation in any way, he’ll get four years in prison. Rihanna appeared in court but did not have to testify as the plea deal was already made. The judge also asked her if she wanted to have a restraining order in place but she opted not to. Both the court and Rihanna are too lenient.

It seems that yet another rapper has brought honor to his kind by getting involved in a violent crime and ending up for trial. It seems that Tru Life and with his younger brother were involved in the lethal stabbing of a man in New York. Tru Life pleaded not guilty and is currently being held without bail. His brother surrender a day after. The rapper’s lawyer of course claims his client is innocent and will no doubt do everything in his power to prove it. So it seems that the saga of the rappers continues and Tru Life is doing his best to write his own verse in the monumental epic.

The rapper and actress has recently managed to come to terms with her weight issues due to the fact she found out that she is a role model for young girls. Queen Latifah related the following story about a limo driver’s daughter who wants to sing but has image issues: “She saw me perform on TV and I inspired her to sing again. She saw me and my appearance and my success and the great job I did. This was a 12-year-old kid whose dream had been halted by negative comments, but she saw me deliver a knock-out performance and it made her believe she could become successful too.” Well, it seems Queen Latifah is actually doing some good with her celebrity image, unlike many others one could name. Sadly, such occurrences seem to be as seldom as dewdrops in the desert.

The mother of Michael Jackson’s two children is reportedly poised to take full control of them in the wake of the superstar’s death.

Debbie Rowe was understood to have given up her parental rights to Paris and Michael Joseph Jr. after a custody battle in 2005, saying the music legend was a great father.

But it’s now emerged that a technicality during the court proceedings meant that she never officially handed over those rights.

It comes despite widespread speculation that Jackson’s mother Katherine would take custody of the pair.

According to TMZ.com, retired Judge Stephen Lachs, who presided over the hearing, had initially ruled that Rowe’s rights were terminated.

However, he later reversed this decision because the American nurse had not undergone a parental fitness investigation.

Lance Spiegel, the lawyer who represented Jackson, told the website that legally, the Department of Children and Family Services must conduct such an inquiry before a person can have their parental rights terminated.

It means that under California law, Rowe is now presumed to be the person who will get custody of Michael Jnr, 12 and Paris, 11.

The only way she can be denied custody is if a court determines that this would be “detrimental to the children”.

It’s reported that Rowe intends to apply for custody, although she is likely to have a fight on her hands.

If a bid is successful, she is expected to receive hefty child support payments from the tragic musician’s estate.

Jackson, who died aged 50 on Thursday, also has a third child, Prince “Blanket” Michael II, who was born via a surrogate mother.

YouTube Video
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Michael Jackson - Thriller

A man who was involved in a highway gun battle in Ohio that killed a member of T.I.’s entourage was sentenced recently to seventeen years. It seems that Padron Thomas testified against his brother who was responsible for the murder which occurred after a concert T.I. had in Cincinnati. In exchange for this testimony, Padron Thomas received a reduced sentence while his brother got the full sixty-six years. This was all happening back in 2006… another example of how fast-acting the justice system is. And strange that T.I. was probably involved in the whole process of statements, testimonials and whatnots. It’s apparently clear that rappers act as anti-catalysts for the justice process… or is it celebrities on a more general note?

R&B star Akon said Michael Jackson was “one of the healthiest guys” he’s ever met.

Despite widespread speculation over the pop superstar’s misuse of prescription drugs, the rapper said he was extremely health conscious.

Asked whether he thought Jackson, who died from a suspected heart attack, was physically up to the challenge of his upcoming tour, Akon told NBC’s Today Show: “From my experience with Mike he was one of the healthiest guys I’ve ever known.

“He was always very conscious about his diet, very conscious health-wise. For his age, he moved better than anyone I’ve known. His death came as a complete shock to me.”

Source: Splash News

The former King of Pop Michael Jackson has reportedly been rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack.

According to reports in the US, the singer collapsed at his home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles.

A 911 call was made from the house at 12.21pm on Thursday and paramedics raced to the scene.

TMZ.com claims ambulance staff administered CPR in the ambulance before taking the star to a nearby hospital.

An entourage of ten followed the ambulance in two SUVs, arriving at the hospital just after 1pm.

His mother is believed to be travelling from the family home just north of LA to be at his side.

Jacko was set to start performing a series of 50 concerts in the UK in July.

Whoever Kanye West is dating just got herself a serious wardrobe upgrade. It has been reported that the rapper and a member of his entourage rolled through the Deliciously Vintage women’s clothing store in Chicago last week and that Kanye spent over $5,000 on dresses and accessories. A source close to the situation says that the rapper was actually looking for inspiration pieces for a new clothing line that he’s launching. And when Kanye was asked if the clothes were for anyone special, he replied “Come on now, you know who it’s for!” It has also been reported that Kanye has gotten back together with stripper/model Amber Rose so they may be for her.

The singer has recently confessed the jealousy she harbors for the former Spice Girl’s toned stomach and she fears she will never reach that kind of physical acuteness. Kelly Rowland said: “I think Mel B looks so good, I really do. I’m trying to do more crunches so I can almost get a tummy like hers but I like rice and pasta and that’s the problem right there.” Right… and the obvious solution that seems to escape Kelly Rowland’s grasp over here is… no more rice and pasta? You got it! Hopefully Kelly Rowland will get it too… eventually.

Beyonce Knowles recently released another black and white music video for her song ‘Broken-Hearted Girl’. The track was originally supposed to be the sixth single from her ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’ album but it was replaced by ‘Sweet Dreams’ instead. The video will also be released on the DVD ‘Above and Beyonce: Dance Mixes’ which dropped in stores last week and sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. I wonder why they shelved this song instead when they already have a video for it. And how many songs is she planning to release from that album? It’s getting way too old. It’s not like she’s Rihanna who we can’t get tired off.

Rapper Lil’ Wayne is about to have a busy year – he’s reportedly expecting two new sons by two different women.

It’s claimed the Lollipop hip-hopper has fathered two babies, with singer Nivea Hamilton and model Lauren London.

And the performer – real name Dwayne Carter – is apparently set to marry Nivea in the next few months and also intends to help Lauren raise her baby.

The two new babies will bring Lil’ Wayne’s brood of children to four – he also has two children from a previous relationship.

rapper, lil wayne, babies, pregnant ,sons, nivea hamilton ,lauren london, lollipop ,hip-hop, daddy

Green Day has just premiered the video for their new single, “21 Guns,” exclusively on MySpace Music. The video was helmed by noted director Marc Webb, who has lensed clips for such artists as My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and All-American Rejects, and is making his feature film directorial debut in July with (500) Days of Summer.

“21 Guns” is the second single from the band’s latest album 21st Century Breakdown, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock, and Alternative charts, fueled by the Alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy.” 21st Century Breakdown, which Rolling Stone has called “a rock opera in which the rock always comes first,” also topped the charts in 24 countries including the UK, Canada, and Japan.

Over the past month, Green Day has continued to work with MySpace Music for the promotion of 21st Century Breakdown. During the week of the album’s release, they played an exclusive concert in New York City which was filmed for the site’s premiere online concert program, The List. The performance can now be seen on The List’s official MySpace profile.

This year’s show will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 9th, and air the next day, Monday, August 10th, on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Fans can vote for Green Day at http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/.

Green Day, which is singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool, are preparing to launch their first proper tour of the United States and Canada in more than three years. The tour runs from July 3rd through August 25th. Please visit http://www.greenday.com/ for more details.

“21 GUNS” VIDEO:
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http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=59213823