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JEAN GRAE, JEANIUS IN STORES TODAY!!!
By The BlastMasters | July 8, 2008
Jean Grae’s album Jeanius hits stores today!!! Heres a little taste of what you can expect from the full album.
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DIGIWAXX NEWS 7.08.08
By The BlastMasters | July 8, 2008
7-08-08
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
Trina Denies Another Taped Young Buck Convo
With Young Buck and G-Unit gearing up for the next volley of diss records, Trina finds her name unexpectedly thrown into the fray.
On thisis50.com, rap star 50 Cent claimed that Trina has in her possession another taped phone conversation with Young Buck.
Warner Music Shares Drop On Weak Industry Data
Warner Music Group Corp.’s shares dropped on Monday after an analyst said an industry decline in music sales seems to have accelerated in the first half of 2008.
Its stock lost 46 cents, or 6.5%, to $6.63 in afternoon trading. The shares have traded between $4.57 and $15.71 during the past 52 weeks.
Top Female Rappers Unite To Form ‘FEM Movement’
Four of the most recognizable - and possibly most underrated - female rappers in recent years are being united by a new project that aims to renew the female emcee’s presence in commercial Hip-Hop.
Babs Bunny, Lady Luck, Amil, and the Lady of Rage have come together to create the Females Earning Money, or FEM Movement.
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY NEWS
No Numbers Game: 7digital Says MP3s Booming
London-based 7digital pointed to major percentage-based sales gains on Monday, thanks to a shift towards MP3s. But solid numbers were missing from the show-and-tell, a suspicious scorecard.
XM+Sirius Pre-Merger Drama Just Keeps Intensifying
Some marriages don’t last. Others have trouble getting started. And in the case of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, a flashy merger proposal has unfortunately become bogged in bureaucracy.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Rapper Sues Biggie Documentary Producers for $5 Million
William Troy McCune, a New York rapper in the late 80’s and early 90’s, is suing the producers of Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life for $5 million.
In the suit, McCune alleges the producers included footage of him battling Brooklyn legend Notorious B.I.G. without his permission.
TOUR/RELEASE NEWS
Ice Cube Launching International Tour
West Coast Hip-Hop legend Ice Cube is gearing up to bring his hardcore rap style to fans with an upcoming international and US tour.
The overseas outing, which kicks off July 11 in Leipzig, Germany, will land in 11 cities, before coming stateside August 21 for the beginning of the US leg of the tour, which kicks off in Seattle.
Timbaland Reschedules Australian Tour
Producer Timbaland has canceled his “Shock Value” tour of Australia and New Zealand, AllHipHop.com has learned.
According to reports, Timbaland, born Tim Mosley, was scheduled to play three dates with Keri Hilson and Flo Rida next week in Australia during his first visit to the country.
MISC. NEWS
Nate Dogg Charged With Multiple Felonies
Hit-making singer Nate Dogg’s legal drama continues to mount as multiple felony charges were made against the entertainer that include stalking his estranged wife.
The rapper was charged with two felony counts related to a June 23 incident in which the crooner allegedly chased his 38-year-old girlfriend down the 405 freeway in Los Angeles while allegedly threatening to kill her.
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DIGIWAXX NEWS 7.07.08
By The BlastMasters | July 7, 2008
7-07-08
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
Soulja Boy, Ice-T Feud Officially Over
Over the past few months, teen sensation Soulja Boy had been embroiled in verbal spats with veteran MC’s the GZA and Ice-T.
However, the young rapper found unlikely support in two superstars: 50 Cent and Kanye West.
EPMD To Headline 11th Black August Concert
Legendary rap duo EPMD will hit the stage for a worthwhile cause at this year’s Black August benefit concert.
The 11th annual event, which will take place at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Nokia Theater in New York City, is geared toward assisting and supporting political prisoners.
Eminem Sued Over Bathroom Brawl
A Michigan man filed a lawsuit against rapper Eminem on Thursday (Jul 3), seeking $25,000 in damages, the Detroit News reports.
Miad Jarbou’s assault and battery suit stems from an encounter with Em nearly two years ago in a Detroit strip club.
EMI Confirms Leoni-Sceti Hire, Hands Steps Aside
Guy Hands has added the final touches to his sweeping restructuring of EMI with the appointment of Elio Leoni-Sceti at the helm of its recorded music division.
Exclusive: Kidz Bop Taps Kingston
For the first time, an edition of the best-selling children’s music series Kidz Bop will feature an established artist in the project’s marketing efforts, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY NEWS
MasterCard Campaign Offers Free UMG Downloads
MasterCard this week launched a campaign with an extensive music component.
As part of a new campaign dubbed “Roots of Rock” from New York ad agency McCann-Erickson the credit card maker is offering MasterCard holders free downloads from the entire Universal Music Group catalog from priceless.com.
Live Nation’s Perez Bounces Into NBA Digital Role
Bryan Perez, former CEO of Live Global Digital at Live Nation, has left that post to head up NBA Digital for the National Basketball Assn.
Perez will be reporting to David Levy, president of Turner Sports, and Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner and COO of the NBA. Earlier this year, Turner and the NBA announced a partnership to jointly manage the NBA’s digital businesses.
TOUR/RELEASE NEWS
Another Inevitable: Upcoming Nas Album Starts Leaking
The upcoming album from Nas, an untitled release, is now freely available on the net. The development is hardly a surprise, and follows a string of high-profile leaks involving Usher, Lil Wayne, and Coldplay. Songs first started leaking last week, and the complete collection can now be pulled from BitTorrent in a matter of minutes.
Bushwick Bill Dropping Gospel Album
Rapper Bushwick Bill, a member of the controversial, legendary Southern rap group The Geto Boys, is set to release his sixth solo album, with an unexpected twist.
Testimony of Redemption, which Bushwick hopes to release later this year, will be his first foray into Gospel Rap.
MISC. NEWS
Brawl Erupts at Missy B-Day Party
Missy Elliott’s joyous 37th birthday party at the NYC Marquee nightclub was interrupted by a wild brawl involving former Making the Band choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson and makeup artist Deborah Padilla.
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS (BRUNCH EDITION)
By The BlastMasters | July 3, 2008
2Pac - California Love
(morning pic via JESSE K) Sphere: Related Content
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NE-YO FT. BANGLADESH “A MILLI” (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
By The BlastMasters | July 3, 2008
You may have heard Ne-Yo murdered the track but did you know they actually shot a video?!?! Check it out!!!
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DIGIWAXX NEWS 7.03.08
By The BlastMasters | July 3, 2008
7-03-08
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
July Already? Album Sales Keep Sinking In ‘08
Album sales in the United States took a serious bath during the first half of this year, according to figures supplied by Nielsen Soundscan. Aggregated physical and digital albums dropped a significant 11 percent during the period, another discouraging data point for a beleaguered business. In total, the recording industry shifted 204.6 million units during the first half, down from 229.8 million during the comparable, year-ago period.
Nas Explains Fila Deal
On the eve of the release of his highly anticipated and controversial tenth album, Queensbridge rapper Nas has inked a one-of-a-kind partnership with Fila.
Michael Jackson Cameo Shocks Akon Songwriter
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Claude Kelly wrote the recently leaked Akon song “Hold My Hand” featuring Michael Jackson, but he confesses hearing the legendary singer’s voice on the track the first time was a total surprise to him.
Mid-Year Sales Report: Top Sellers, Market Share And More
At the mid-point of 2008, U.S. album sales stand at an 11% decline when compared to the same period a year ago. Though not as precipitous a drop as the one recorded in the first half of 2007 (15.1%), this year’s first half tally is 204.6 million units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s compared to 229.8 million units scanned in the first six months of 2007.
DMX Arrested Again - In Arizona
Rapper DMX was arrested today (July 2) as he exited an airplane in Arizona, as he was returning home from a trip from Miami, Florida, where he was also arrested - twice.
Jeezy: ‘McCain Comments Misconstrued’
Young Jeezy has clarified his political views, after he expressed support for John McCain, after meeting the presidential hopeful during a May performance on Saturday Night Live, with crooner Usher.
Jay-Z and 40/40 Club Hit with Class-Action Lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit against Jay-Z and his 40/40 Club has been approved by a New York City judge.
The New York Post reports that the plaintiff, former employee Celeste Williams, is claiming the club did not pay minimum wage or compensate for overtime hours.
RZA Addresses Criticism from Wu-Tang Members
After nearly a year of public discontent being expressed from Wu Tang members such as U-God and Raekwon, the RZA has decided to clarify his position in these disputes.
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY NEWS
MySpace Music: When Will It Finally Appear?
When will the heavily-hyped MySpace Music finally hit the airwaves? The initiative, first splashed in April, now appears months away. One source pointed to a continuing chief executive search, while another referenced a missing deal with fourth major EMI Music Group.
Life After iTunes? Neil Young Wants Digital Superiority
What’s wrong with iTunes Store downloads? Talk to an audiophile, or an ultra-serious music fan, and the response is usually the same. The critics point to a format that lacks the warm lows, crisp highs, and commanding fidelity of more sophisticated alternatives, even at higher-end bitrates.
MasterCard Campaign Offers Free UMG Downloads
MasterCard this week launched a campaign with an extensive music component.
As part of a new campaign dubbed “Roots of Rock” from New York ad agency McCann-Erickson the credit card maker is offering MasterCard holders free downloads from the entire Universal Music Group catalog from pricesless.com.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
What Is Facebook Worth?
There has been some speculation recently about what is being called an “internal Facebook” valuation – a value the company has assigned to its own common stock that is dramatically lower than the $15 billion valuation set so publicly last year by Microsoft’s investment.
Google-Yahoo Partnership: Justice Is Looking Closer
The Justice Department’s antitrust division has begun issuing civil subpoenas as it probes further into whether a planned Google-Yahoo partnership in search advertising is anticompetitive, a person close to a company that received a subpoena confirmed on Wednesday.
TOUR/ ALBUM RELEASE NEWS
Palestinian Group Urges Snoop to Cancel Israel Performance
In the midst of continued violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has released a statement condemning Snoop Dogg’s scheduled September 18 performance in the Jewish state.
Glastonbury Shines On, Retailers Say
Glastonbury Festival may have closed its gates on another edition, but the goodwill from this year’s June 27-29 event continues to flow at the tills.
Jay-Z’s firework on the main Pyramid Stage has translated into a huge sales rises at retail. According to a sales survey reported today by market-leading U.K. music and entertainment retailer HMV, Jay-Z’s headline set underpinned a near 480% rise in sales of his set, “The Black Album” (Island Def Jam), while up to five of his previous singles releases are set to re-enter the Official U.K. Singles Charts.
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CITYSOL 2008!
By The BlastMasters | July 2, 2008
This past weekend DIGIWAXX presented their SOLAR HEAT STAGE @ CITYSOL 2008!
For the first time ever, CitySol and Solar1 had the greatest in indie hip-hop grace their stage. With projected rain all three days of the festival we lucked out with only two storms on Saturday and amazing performances by A-OK!, DJ GetLive, Tanya Morgan, and Blitz The Ambassador showcasing that hip-hop in fact is GREEN, vibrant, fresh, ripe, and full of life. Peep the flicks & check in for some video content via TANYA MORGAN!
Shout outs to the great peoples over at Solar1, Pauline, Dina, & Chris
& an extra shout out to Candace over at OKP for coming out in the rain!
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SKILLZ STOPS BY DIGIWAXX
By The BlastMasters | July 2, 2008
In this Photo Digiwaxx Media CEO Corey “CL” Llewellyn (Left) and rapper Skillz (right)
The notorious rapper Skillz stopped through at Digiwaxx Media to give the staff a preview of his forthcoming album, Million Dollar Back Pack. The album is set to drop on the 22nd of this month on Big Kidz Entertainment/Koch. Digiwaxx sat down for a little Q&A with Skillz about his project. Check out what he had to say.
Digiwaxx: What can the fans that know you for freestyles and end of the year rap up expect from this new album?
Skillz: You can expect everything that you’ve come to know me for just packaged in a LP format. I’m so much more than freestyles and Rap Up’s, hard core fans know that. I’m a hip hop head to the death, I just haven’t dropped an album in awhile but this is a Skillz album to the core, it embodies everything that I stand for.
Digiwaxx: What type of preparation did you put into this album and how do you think it is different then what you’ve done in the past?
Skillz: I toured a lot so that’s why it took so long but I’ve grown as a mc and as a man so that will reflect on this album.
Digiwaxx: What are the singles off your album?
Skillz: The first official single is “So Far, So Good” feat. Common & the remix with Talib Kweli is on the way.
Digiwaxx: What are you top five songs of all time?
Skillz: 1. Run DMC “Walk This Way” 2. NWA - “Fck The Police” 3. KRSOne- The Bridge Is Over” 4. 2 Pac “Keep Ya Head Up” 5. B.I.G. -One More Chance” remix
For more info on Skillz, check out:
www.myspace.com/skillz
www.okayplayer.com/skillz
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. (BRUNCH EDITION)
By The BlastMasters | July 2, 2008
Freak Nasty - Da Dip
(morning pic via Carron)
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DIGIWAXX NEWS 7.02.08
By The BlastMasters | July 2, 2008
7-02-08
MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS
Soulja Boy Signs Deal With Yums Shoes
Atlanta rap star Soulja Boy Tell’em is elevating his success with a newly signed sneaker and apparel contract with Collipark Music/Interscope Records and Yums Shoes.
Lil Wayne Launches Halo Champagne
Lil Wayne has partnered with Milestone Brands and French grower Voirin-Jumeh, to create his own brand of champagne.
Busta Lends Gym Class Heroes A Hand On New LP
Alternative Hip-Hop group Gym Class Heroes have announced the date of their third album, titled The Quilt.
The album is the follow up to the Geneva, New York group’s album As Cruel as School Children, which has been certified gold and contained the group’s No.1 single, “Cupid’s Chokehold/Breakfast In America.”
Pharrell Gets Revolutionary Tattoo Surgery
With a new album a successful tour, and flourishing fashion presence, producer Pharrell Williams is gettin’ his grown man on and starting with a clean slate…quite literally.
The N.E.R.D frontman and fashion trend setter revealed this week to Brittish Vogue that his tattoos no longer fit his lifestyle and so he is trying a revolutionary new tattoo removal procedure, which involves applying replicated skin over old body art.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club
According to the New York Post, A Manhattan judge has given the OK for a class-action lawsuit to be pursued against rapper Jay-Z and his 40/40 Nightclub, ordering them to submit the names of all employees over the last three years.
The suit was originated by Celeste Williams, a former waitress who claims the popular sports bar paid less than minimum wage and gave no additional money for overtime hours.
Diddy To Receive First Reginald F. Lewis Award
Sean “Diddy” Combs will be honored with the first Reginald F. Lewis Award on Sunday, July 6. The award will commemorate Lewis’ legacy as the first African-American billionaire.
“Mr. Combs, like my husband, came from humble beginnings and has become internationally successful,” said Loida Lewis, the wife of the late Reginald Lewis. “My husband was the Jackie Robinson of finance, he broke the ceiling. Now he’s inspiration to contemporary black business men and this event will bring awareness to his legacy.”
Kidz In The Hall Offered To Design Shoe For K-Swiss
Duck Down Records duo Kidz In The Hall announced this week to Chicago-based blog RubyHornet.com that they may be getting an endorsement from shoemaker K-Swiss. The veteran shoe company reportedly approached Naledge and Double O to design the “Go Ill” sneaker, a song title coming from their 2006 debut School Was My Hustle.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Run’s House Returns for Fifth Season
MTV has announced the renewal of the popular reality series Run’s House.
Now in its fifth season, the show will continue to chronicle the lives of the Simmons family.
Young Jeezy Joining Ice Cube In New Film
Rapper Young Jeezy is making his feature film debut in rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube’s latest comedy “Janky Promoters,” which is currently in production.
The Dimension Films project revolves around a pair of shady concert promoters (played by Ice Cube and Mike Epps) in over their heads. Young Jeezy plays the hip-hop artist at the center of the action.
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Making Music With Verizon Wireless
When most people think about music and mobile phones, Apple’s iPhone usually comes to mind. But other companies were hawking songs on mobile phones well before the iPhone existed.
Verizon Wireless has been doing it since 2006, when it launched VCast Music, a comprehensive mobile music service that allowed subscribers to download music to their phones.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
AT&T: No Strings iPhone = Extra $400
Want an iPhone without the two-year contract? For buyers in the United States, that will soon become a very pricey option. On Tuesday, AT&T pegged a no-strings-attached iPhone at $599 for the 8GB model, and $699 for the 16GB version.
The Xbox 360: Price Drops Ahead?
Microsoft could be dropping the price on its Xbox 360, according to information floating Tuesday. The console, a staunch competitor to the PlayStation 3, may shave $50 off of its tag ahead of the E3 mega-conference in Los Angeles.
TOUR/ALBUM NEWS
Thicke Says World Needs ‘Something Else’
Hoping to repeat the success of 2006’s “The Evolution of Robin Thicke,” the R&B singer/songwriter will release his third album, “Something Else,” on Sept. 9 via Star Trak/Interscope. The album’s first single, “Magic,” is currently No. 32 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Report: Live Nation Eyes Shakira Deal
Latin music pop star Shakira is in talks with concert promoter Live Nation for a contract that will include touring, merchandising and recording, according to people familiar with the talks.
MISC. NEWS
Forget About CDs; Starbucks Now Shutting Stores
Starbucks may be dialing down its commitment to CDs, but it is also closing many of the stores that sell them. The coffee giant, faced with an over-expansion, announced the upcoming closure of roughly 600 outlets in the United States. The slim-down affects approximately 8.5 percent of the broader total, and signals the end of a breakneck expansion. Roughly 20,000 employees will be affected by the move.
Young Jeezy Speaks About The Recession
Though “Recession” is the title for Young Jeezy’s third studio album due out this summer, it’s not the only one that he is concerned with.
Speaking on the effects of the recession draining our current economy on USDATV, Young Jeezy related his feelings to the streets and how what used to be attainable is now a mess. “You look at things that you bought at the time because everything was so good, and you say, ‘Damn I gotta have that or I gotta have this,’ and it’s all for another nigga to see. But, at the end of the day when you go home and you can’t deal with that shit cause you stressed and can’t pay your bills, it’s a whole ‘nother thing.”
The Source Magazine Relaunches
After years of turmoil as a result of the Dave Mays/Benzino era, The Source is finally looking to reclaim the throne in the magazine game. During the post-Mays/Benzino era, The Source has been looking to find financial footing while remaining competitive in the dwindling space of print magazines. It seems that they now have it.
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