Justin Timberlake’s sixth release from solo bow “FutureSex/LoveSounds” has earned props as the first time that six tracks from one release have hit the top 40 since Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” more than 15 years ago. With Beyoncé now stripped onto “Until the End of Time,” it’s quite likely JT will score the tenacious set’s fourth No. 1—which has already catapulted into the top five at R&B.
The meandering song is clearly a tribute to Prince, with its soul-soaked guitar-driven shuffle and funkified production—think “I Would Die 4 U” on Xanax. While Timberlake’s vocals are smoothed out to near anonymity, as usual, he employs recognizable falsetto amid layers of appreciably creamy harmonies.
It’s Beyoncé, however, that really fuels the passion of the track, with her loosest vocal performance since “Listen” from “Dreamgirls”—and Timberlake is wise enough to sprawl her vocal across the song so that it commands the lead. The mantra here: unstoppable.
Jay-Z, that one-time retired now very much back-with-a-vengeance rapper who holds as arm candy that divalicious diva herself Beyonce Knowles formerly of Destiny’s Child before she broke free into a solo career, is going on tour and you had better believe that you are not going to want to miss out on seeing him perform live!
Highlights of this mega-brand performer’s touring schedule include gigs at such locales as the House of Blues in both West Hollywood, California on November 6 and in Chicago, Illinois on November 7 and Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, Maryland on November 9 as well as Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York on November 11, and the Fillmore - TLA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 12.
You had better believe that you are not going to want to miss out on this chance to see this rapper-entity do his thing live so get yourself tickets today.
Twenty-two-year-old Trey Songz is an underrated young R&B talent with lackluster first-album sales, despite an armful of quality singles. The launch single from his sophomore self-titled effort, “Can’t Help but Wait,” exposes his maturity and hunger to achieve the notoriety he deserves. With magnificent production from the European duo with soul, StarGate, and co-writing sorcery from Johnta Austin, Songz pours out his emotions for a woman that he is trying to convince to leave an abusive relationship—and if you pay close attention, there also are a couple of clues on how to give a lady the respect she deserves.
This time around, there should be no reason why Songz need “Wait” to find the level of fame he deserves. Oh yes till his fame shoots up and he becomes a household name you can at least support this rising star by purchasing or listening to his singles, come on let support the talent in this country.
R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo just proved how much of a pimp he is as he walked out of opera a few days ago with several beautiful girls on his arm. And ever the crowd-pleaser, he decided to please them all at once by buying all the roses that the neighborhood flower lady was selling. And you know that made her day too.
While Ne-Yo was buying roses, other vendors bombarded him wanting to sell him CDs or to take his picture. The singer remained quite the gentleman by not only buying what they were selling but doing the impromptu photo op as well.
I guess his model-like ladies got him in a good mood.
I dislike all this feuding when there is so much more to think about. We have a war going on and president who has no clue of what he is doing. With the money you all have should invest in putting music back in schools. You are role models for not just the young but everyone. Step back and stop thinking about self. In the dope game it is said, “There is a lot of money for all of us.” Greed is the problem. Can’t we all get along anymore? The war is not against one another it is those who did the 911 attacks. Get your mind in the swing of things. We all have little people looking at our behavior, what message are you sending them? It is time to grow and take a stand as adults. Ridiculous, but this was going to happen, all long Kanye and Curtis have been saying that who will be outselling whom. And now the game has just begun.
Chris Brown and Rihanna’s collaborative performance can easily be labeled as the best performance of the night from the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
If Rihanna’s massive hit ‘Umbrella’ wasn’t enough to bring the house down, then maybe you would settle for Chris’ smooth dances moves. From dancing to his songs ‘Wall to Wall’ and ‘Kiss Kiss’ to an inspired homage to Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
When asked about what he thought of the performance, Justin Timberlake said “Nobody likes to be reminded that they’re getting older. And whatever Chris Brown just did reminded me of how I’m getting older – ’cause damn. It’s just exciting to see.”
R&B hot stuff Chris Brown is a big fan of Akon. And I do mean big. The singer even goes as far as copying Akon’s famous dance and hump incident with a fan at his New York City concert over the weekend. The difference, Chris’ dance partner was legal and she’s quite heftier than Akon’s skinny little 15-year old. He’s a mighty strong man then. And a big sport too. Must stop the puns.
Anyway, Chris shared the stage with reggae sensation Elephant Man at ‘On Da Reggae Tip’ which was sponsored by the New York City radio station Hot 97.
Father-to-be Usher is hoping his pregnant wife Tameka Foster gives birth to a boy because he’s got his heart set on a male name for the unborn child Usher. The R&B singer was born Usher Raymond and, if the unborn baby is a boy, he’s hoping to continue a family tradition by passing on his name to another generation. What if he has a girl will he still like to continue with the family tradition and call the girl Usher? Family traditions are nice to follow but only they are in tune with the times we live in. Sons are good but I am of the belief that daughters are better than sons and I would like to have a single child and a daughter only not a son. And the one thing we all should have in our hearts is that we have a healthy baby and that is the biggest blessing one can ask for.
R&B star Amerie has appealed to fans to appreciate her for her talent and not just her stunning looks. The 1 Thing hit maker, famed for performing in mini skirts or tiny shorts, is keen to win fans over with her records alone because she insists it is her music which differentiates her from her peers. Looks can be deceptive cos they are usually done by the make man or the grooming team, so people just get fantasized by those pics appearing on the cover pages of magazines and elsewhere. Voice and singing talents are something others cannot make and create for you, you either have it or you don’t. Some chaps in the music industry fool people by releasing their albums with another person’s voice and their picture on the label. Once on stage they can be seen lip singing the song. Ooooh! “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful…” Party less work harder and once you master your talents, people will start admiring you for the music part as well.
Blues singer Etta James is in stable condition in a Los Angeles hospital, suffering from complications following abdominal surgery, her manager said on Wednesday.
The 69-year-old rock ‘n’ roll pioneer was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, following the mid-June surgery, Lupe De Leon wrote in an email to Reuters.
James hopes to be well enough by the end of August to join blues icon B.B. King and soul veteran Al Green on a tour that began in Florida on Tuesday.
“If it had been left solely up to her, she would have checked herself out of the hospital and started the tour regardless of her delicate health,” De Leon said. “However, her doctor advised that were she to do so, it would put her at very great risk.”
R&B singer Chaka Khan is substituting for James on the tour.
James helped pioneer rock ‘n’ roll in the mid-1950s with tunes such as “The Wallflower” and “Good Rockin’ Daddy.” She diversified into mainstream blues, soul and R&B during the 1960s, after signing with Chess Records. The three-time Grammy winner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and remains an active recording artist.
R&B singer Usher is attempting to shut down one of his most popular fan sites UsherForever.com, according to reports. The Burn hitmaker is currently in discussions with lawyers to prepare a legal attempt to close down the fan site, run by Erika Jackson. Usher recently sent an open letter to fans via America’s People magazine, declaring, “Some media and bloggers have been totally intrusive, they have misconstrued aspects of my personal life and, because of this, my ‘true’ fans are not sure about what is fact and what is fiction. Blog sites are run so as to air views of fans and shutting the site down means that Usher has no respect and love for his fans and don’t care a damn for their opinion. I personally would read the story and his views before I would make any of my comments. Hope he retracts his wish and lets the site continue. This will in any case not do any good to him, coz there are other sites where fans could air their views and it’s not going change their opinion.
Bobby Brown has spoken of his fear that he maybe killed by al-Qaeda on his upcoming tour of Australia.
The faded R&B star is due to play the first in a series of shows Down Under on Thursday, with a gig in Melbourne.
However, he admits to being concerned that Osama bin Laden wants him dead, following claims the infamous terrorist is obsessed with Brown’s former wife Whitney Houston.
Sudanese writer Kola Boof recently claimed that he was amongst the main targets on bin Laden’s hit-list, prompting Brown to ramp up security for the new dates.
“Come on, if anybody is threatened by al-Qaeda they’d take it seriously,” Brown told an Australian radio show.
“I figure if bin Laden wants me, and everybody is looking for him, it probably won’t happen. But if he wants to try and find me for something so stupid, he can do what he wants.
“I have to leave it in the hands of my higher power,” insisted Bobby, who is now divorced from Houston.
Ashanti’s video “Switch” is the first video which portrays couple Ashanti and Nelly together. Ashanti has made this album “Switch” all on her own without any help from anybody. As previously her albums were produced by Irv Gotti. Ashanti is really happy handling this album by herself. Ashanti says “With this album, I’m taking the lead with everything. I’m steering my own ship. I’m doing everything on my own. I have a label that I’m developing under Universal as well. It’s just a big year for me — I feel really, really excited about the album. Now just because the two are close and have release their first music video together it doesn’t mean that the two are a couple. Means like if anyone was in another person’s company they would make a couple. Well all need a support staff that can help guide us in the murky waters of the music industry and Nelly is just being nice enough to act for her as her support staff, as might not be able to afford one yet. Yeah, all you are absolutely right she needs a support staff.
R&B star Rihanna has topped the UK charts for a ninth week with her single Umbrella, matching a record for the longest run at number one this decade. The Barbados singer held off Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, who’s Big Girls Don’t Cry went up six to number two. Rihanna has equaled the run of Gnarls Barkley with the song Crazy last year.
The all-time record for consecutive weeks at the top of the singles chart is held by Bryan Adams with Everything I Do, which achieved 16 weeks in 1991. Records apart the success should be celebrated and she should aim higher with her next single whenever she plans to release one. Being from the land of Bob Marley, music is the way of life in the Caribbean whether it’s a cricket match or while partying they just love their music.
50 Cent’s new album, “Curtis,” has been pushed back another week, from September 4 to September 11, according to Interscope, which declined to give a reason for the move.
“Curtis” originally was slated for a June 26 release but was pushed back in late May.
Two singles from the project have met with little success on radio. “Amusement Park” peaked at No. 36 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and is No. 57 in its ninth week there, while “Straight to the Bank” peaked at No. 30 and has since fallen off the chart.
Another new song, “I Get Money,” debuted in early July at No. 75.
“Curtis,” which is the follow-up to 2005’s “The Massacre,” features production from Dr. Dre, Eminem and Timbaland, plus guest turns by Eminem, Akon, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls.
Beyonce takes a step away from being in the spotlight as she showed two different types of support. One was a friendly one and another a concerned one.
Beyonce showed up to the ‘Ms. Kelly’ album release party of her Destiny’s Child pal Kelly Rowland at club Homes in New York City. She went for simple style (as simple as she can get) in a pair of hip-hugging jeans and peep-toe shoes.
She also paid a visit to two people that got injured when pyrotechnics went awry at her concert in St. Louis Sunday night. The pyro meant for the stage accidentally spilled into the front row. She arrived at the hospital after the show and spent 45 minutes there making sure that the 2 injured concert-goers were fine.
R&B star Mya fears she’s following in her mother’s footsteps by dating serial cheaters. The singer reveals her mum, Theresa Harrison, stayed with Mya’s cheating father for 10 years after she first discovered her husband’s infidelities. Why Mya is sharing this, maybe it will help other women to drop a no good man and examine yourself to see if you are attracting certain type of men that do not fit your standards and change yourself. You know you cant change the man, no matter how much sex you give him, if he’s a trash with no moral values, that he may eventually bring you some sexual transmitted disease. You have to ascertain how much sex you are having and how much risk you want to take as a cost for the fun. Surely she too is having huge amounts of sex and fears that she may have already contracted a sexually transmitted disease so now she doesn’t wanna risk another partner.
Missy Elliot just celebrated her 36th birthday so I first want to wish a ‘Happy Birthday’ to Miss Misdemeanor. She celebrated at Hamptons nightclub DUNE where celebrities and friends like Queen Latifah, Samantha Cole and Rozondo ‘Chilli’ Thomas helped Missy get her groove on.
There was even some sort of red carpet event as people started arriving for the party so you know that it was pretty star-studded. And hey, the girl does have a lot of pull from producing lots of hits for a lot of hip-hop and R&B artists as well as recording hits of her own.
I just can’t believe that she’s only 36. I swear she had to be older than that!
Rihanna is certainly turning out to be the music industry’s ‘it’ girl. She rocked the red carpet for the 2007 BET Awards on Tuesday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
Sporting a white form-fitting strapless dress and bouncy curls, the 19-year old R&B singer, along with Chris Brown, presented Jennifer Hudson with the Best Actress Award.
Speaking of Chris Brown, he recently made a remix of Rihanna’s uber catchy song ‘Umbrella’. He entitled it ‘Cinderella’ with the chorus going as ‘you can be my Cinderella ella ella ella ey ey ey’.
Apparently, he was one of many that couldn’t get the song out of his head.
Beyonce Knowles first showed off her glam figure in a glitzy hip-hugging silver gown by Dolce & Gabbana at the 2007 BET Awards. The show was held at LA’s Shrine Auditorium on Tuesday.
Later on in the night, she performed a rendition of ‘Get Me Bodied’ wearing a gold space outfit which was later stripped off to show a $100,000 gold Balenciaga leggings and matching bra top.
The bootylicious singer won the awards for video of the year for ‘Irreplaceable’ and best female artist.
Kanye West is playing it strong and in order to succeed with a tour promoting the soon to be released new LP (“Graduation”). He stated that he will work with choreographer-director Jamie King, made famous by working with superstars like Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Prince, Britney Spears, Shakira and Mariah Carey. Kanye West said for MTV that:
“I’m working with Jamie King. I saw the last Madonna concert — he did the last Madonna concerts and so I’ve been sitting down vibing with him, cause I want to bring the level of entertainment up another level. At the end of the day, regardless of the he said/she said, regardless of whatever sh– I talk, whatever sh– anybody else talks — come to the show and have a good time.”
No tour dates have been confirmed but as I see Kanye West he is ready for a bang. Whenever the rapper drops something he does it big and we all know that.
