The Roots bandleader and music historian Questlove will be putting his extensive knowledge of music to use when he co-teaches a course called “Classic Albums” at New York University.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is set to join forces with Universal Music Group’s Vice President of A&R Harry Weinger to teach the two-credit class at the prestigious Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The course is to begin at the beginning of the spring semester. Some of the albums to be studied are Michael Jackson‘s Off The Wall, Beastie Boys‘ Paul’s Boutique, and Aretha Franklin‘s Lady Soul, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
article by Jonathan Hailey via theurbandaily.com
Posts published in “Hip Hop/Rap”
Public Enemy, N.W.A., Rush, and Deep Purple are among the group of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They join returnees Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Kraftwerk among the 15 artists vying for entry.
The rapper turned actor/director’s feature film directorial debut, and one of the projects that made it on my fall 2012 list of films to see, The Man With The Iron Fists, will see a USA theatrical release on November 2. It stars RZA himself, Russell Crowe, Pam Grier, Lucy Liu and others; Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth served as producers on this $20 million project.
The rapper turned actor/director’s feature film directorial debut, and one of the projects that made it on my fall 2012 list of films to see, The Man With The Iron Fists, will see a USA theatrical release on November 2. It stars RZA himself, Russell Crowe, Pam Grier, Lucy Liu and others; Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth served as producers on this $20 million project.
Richard Perry/The New York Times
For many years, Jay-Z closed out his concerts with “Encore,” a soothing, triumphant number from “The Black Album,” which at the time of its release in 2003 was billed as something of a retirement. “From Marcy to Madison Square,” he rapped, sketching an arc that had taken him from a Brooklyn housing project to headlining the most symbolically important arena in the country.
That used to be enough, goal-wise, but no musician has reframed the potential for bucket-list completion and brand extension like Jay-Z, who in the past decade has consistently sought new ceilings to break through. That journey brought him to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday night, for the first show of a sold-out eight-night run in this new rusty bunker that will house the Brooklyn Nets, a team that he owns a small piece of, and for which he is the unofficial ambassador.
Lil Wayne is the new Elvis Presley when it comes to Billboard hits. The inimitable MC from New Orleans has just surpassed the king of rock in total number of songs to land on the Hot 100. “Celebration,” the latest single from Game, is the 109th song to make the chart with Wayne appearing as either a lead or featured artist. Presley’s record was 108 spanning between 1958 and 2003.
Lil Wayne is the new Elvis Presley when it comes to Billboard hits. The inimitable MC from New Orleans has just surpassed the king of rock in total number of songs to land on the Hot 100. “Celebration,” the latest single from Game, is the 109th song to make the chart with Wayne appearing as either a lead or featured artist. Presley’s record was 108 spanning between 1958 and 2003.
Swizz Beatz has yet another title added to his growing list of duties. The rapper, producer, songwriter, designer, and a bunch of other things has reportedly been appointed the global ambassador for New York’s public hospitals to raise awareness and boost funds for its medical centers.
50 Cent wants to help you get your body together in exchange for probably a little more than $20.
The rapper and soon-to-be hip-hop Billy Banks has partnered with publishing house Penguin Group USA to release the Formula 50: A 6-Week Total Body Transformation Plan.
Rapper 50 Cent is set to tell all about his top fitness tips in a new exercise book.
On the project, 50 was quoted saying:
“I had a strong desire to write this book because it is very important to me to help people make positive changes and take charge of their overall health. Formula 50 is a radical six week mind-body transformation plan geared to help readers develop mental toughness to achieve optimum results while offering a nutrition component.”
The book is scheduled to hit stores on Christmas Day.
article via theurbandaily.com
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons attends the after party for the Gucci, Cinema Society & the Film Foundation screening of ‘La Dolce Vita’ at the Top of The Standard Hotel on June 1, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Known around the globe as a hip-hop pioneer, Russell Simmons’ passion for breaking new talent, particularly among urban youth, is well-documented and well-respected. What largely flies under the radar, though, is his patronage of the arts in all forms, from the turntable to the easel, and his belief in the transformative effect that exposure to culture and having artistic outlets can have on the lives of urban youth.