Gritty. Raw. Confident.  All three of those equate to Invincible. She is a commando on the microphone and this up-coming release with Detroit power-house producer, Waajeed is nothing less than HOT. Detroit Summer was premiered as an exclusive on Hot 97 with Peter Rosenburg.  Thankfully something else on YouTube about Detroit other than “It’s So Cold in the D”.

All jokes aside, this track knocks and takes me back to a day in hip hop where the lyrics were as equally important as the track itself.  Detroit Summer paints a picture with sound. It is a perfect blend of  Invincible’s lyrics and Waajeed’s beat. There is a reason why I f*$ks with my man Waajeed and this track is one of those reasons.

We have all heard newscasters tell stories on/about Detroit; corruption, desolation. We surely remember Kilpatrick and will not forget little Aiyana Jones.

“A block party unites in spots where the shots are fired.”

Even in that desolation and destruction there is a community. Invincible and Waajeed “represent the future” of “urban renewal” in the hot Detroit Summer.

I am with Invincible when she asks:

“When did freedom ever come about from askin’ a Pharoah?”

This track is a first hand account of life in the ‘D’, from what it is, to the road of what it could be. The Detroit Summer single drops August 10th. Stay tuned for a full-length album from Invincible and Waajeed to be released in 2011.

With increasing regularity, music has become the key vehicle which we use to discover culture. Music provides a soundtrack and is the expression of the souls of those moved by culture to express to the world how a particular movement affects the universe. Until the moment The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” played on a brand new cable television network called Music Television on August 1, 1981, the message and concept of music actually being culture could be seen as crazy fallacy or dream sequence. But, as of February 8, 2010, that dream is now a reality as Music Television is now simply, MTV. In removing the concept of just televising music from their logo, it represents the shift into a new paradigm of music culture.

MTV’s assimilation of music into culture has been a slow yet logical process. The channel began as a primarily new wave and metal station, as those genres had their fingers on the pulse of video technology and were more than ready. Then, with Michael Jackson getting involved, the station was inclusive of black people and African-American expressions of culture as well, going so far as to launch Yo! MTV Raps which came to give shape, thrust and definition to just how hip hop music fit into global culture. Grungle, dance (remember the “Wubba Wubba Wubba” of “Downtown” Julie Brown on Club MTV), electronica and the bling era all were covered by MTV with expert skill, and ALL co-opted into the global mainstream. In retrospect regarding the news of the last week, the videos were not just ever music to the channel, they were inroads into branding the universe as a whole. In making music synthesize with culture and ultimately controlling it, MTV has easily become the most powerful media vehicle of all time.

The video is now an unnecessary medium for the network. They have channels not available on basic cable, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and MTV Tr3s, alongside sister channel VH1′s VH1 Classic, and sister channel BET’s BET on Jazz if you miss the videos. But for the mainstream, MTV has sliced out the middle man, and instead of using videos, uses agenda pushing original TV shows almost perpetually filled with background music. Twelve electro laden music videos are brightly colored snippets of people that are trapped within 3-5 minute blocks of expression. Jersey Shore minus commercials is 42 minutes of advancing the look, feel, stereotypes and appeal of a very popular and current genre of music, and a very potent force of culture.

Where MTV once had to pore through videos of non-mainstreamed artists to advance new musical visions, the universal blogosphere has strip mined and over-processed the search for new and relevant music to the point where MTV has no need to work, and can instead check Pitchfork, The Couch Sessions, Cream Team, Gorilla vs. Bear, Nah Right, The Smoking Section or any great number of outlets, and in processing the last ten posts, can have a fair assessment of where music is headed, and the music loving populace doesn’t need to see the videos on the network, because, well, they’re already plastered there.

MTV has harnessed the power of television. In removing the name “Music Television,” it merely means that they are embracing the totality of a cultural shift they created. From sympathizing people to the AIDS virus with the case of Pedro Zamorra on the Real World, to increasing voter registration with “Choose or Lose,” to Real Life, Road Rules, Made, My Super Sweet 16, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, and let’s not forget on a larger scale the Video Music Awards (yep, pretty much only known now as the VMAs) that made Taylor Swift a household name and yes, MTV Films, MTV has found how to create the ultimate 1:1 relationship between music and life. Music is always a VERY present part of these cultural impacting manuevers, and in all reality, if it weren’t for the music videos at the start giving the parameters upon which culture could be defined, then MTV would have no vacuum to fill.

An evolution has occurred. MTV as Music Television grew from the same movement and theory that saw art patronize and develop music. Andy Warholand the Velvet Underground. Malcolm McLaren and the Sex Pistols. MTV and the entire universe. In synthesizing the raw matter of pop cultural expression in music video into cross cultural megalomania, the channel either deserves praise of hatred. But, no matter where they fall on your radar of emotion, respect is due. MTV has done something frightening, ridiculous and truly awe inspiring. “I want my MTV!” Well now you can’t escape it. Thirty years later, problem solved.

Unfortunately though, Facebook’s music leaves much to be desired. A quick look at Cee Lo’s music page shows that obvious pitfalls that a Facebook music site creates. Facebook has always been pretty stringent in its design standards, which is both good and bad. It’s great to be able to view someone’s profile without obtrusive images or music getting in the way. However, while Facebook works on a personal level, it completely fails from a music marketing standpoint. Case in point, compare the images of Cee-Lo’s (of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkey) Facebook page versus his MySpace page.

MySpace

Facebook

The close minded nature of Facebook design severely limits any fan of Cee-Lo to truly connect with him. Yes, there is a music player, which is highly intuitive and although simplistic, is better and less buggy than the one found on MySpace. However, there are several severe things that will hamper Facebook’s effort. Where are the blogs? Blogging has opened up a new avenue for fans to interact with their favorite artists. Where would you be without Phonte’s rants or Questlove’s recounts of police brutality? Facebook is highly known for its lack of blogging tools, so its no surprise that music artists won’t be able to blog as well. What about a calendar of shows, video, etc? They’re all lacking from Facebook.

Say what you will about MySpace, but its common sense interactive features put it miles ahead of Facebook in terms of music marketing. Facebook may gain some headway if reports of its deal with Apple’s iTunes comes true, but MySpace still looks to be the king of online music marketing for months to come.

this is intended for all of you lowly puppets who sit in your big offices in big buildings that will soon be out of business & thus, forced to hold vacant memories of an industry that once was . this is for all of the big wigs in suits & ties who sit at the head of the conference room table with creative opinions as empty as the “music” they force down the throats of the now bored & uninspired creative consumers . this is for all the idle assistants who only work hard enough to get their names on the grammy party lists, or whose only existence remains obsolete if he/she can’t get into the hot new band’s hollywood show debut . this is for the borderline retarded a&r guy who should in fact abandon his dreams of changing the failing record industry to become a highly paid talent scout at a modeling agency . this is definitely for all the marketing low lives who fail to avidly push great talent because the world’s fave reality slut randomly decided one day while botoxing her armpits that she wants to be a rockstar .

I agree with every single point of what she’s saying. The industry is shooting itself in the foot every day. Record sales for 2007 are at an all time low, and 2008 doesn’t seem much brighter. Ms. Davey doesn’t say whether the group was dropped from their label (like previous rumors) but its looking more possible by the day. From the looks of it, their act is pretty much just sitting on the shelf in a back room never to see the light of day. I called their major label deal as a bad idea from day one. They should join Spank Rock and Gnarls Barkley at Downtown Recordings cause they seem like the only label that can market left-field Black artists properly. Or better yet, screw the labels and go completely independent.

The complete entry after the jump. (props to Boogie Tonight via email)

read this out loud !

this is intended for all of you lowly puppets who sit in your big offices in big buildings that will soon be out of business & thus, forced to hold vacant memories of an industry that once was . this is for all of the big wigs in suits & ties who sit at the head of the conference room table with creative opinions as empty as the “music” they force down the throats of the now bored & uninspired creative consumers . this is for all the idle assistants who only work hard enough to get their names on the grammy party lists, or whose only existence remains obsolete if he/she can’t get into the hot new band’s hollywood show debut . this is for the borderline retarded a&r guy who should in fact abandon his dreams of changing the failing record industry to become a highly paid talent scout at a modeling agency . this is definitely for all the marketing low lives who fail to avidly push great talent because the world’s fave reality slut randomly decided one day while botoxing her armpits that she wants to be a rockstar .

yes .
this open letter is for all of you .
come feast your eyes upon the truth behind your insolence for 5 minutes , if you even have your job for that much longer.

your blatant lack of respect & worship for the oldest & dearest artform has brought a once thriving & artistic industry to a grinding halt . your willingness to believe that the world wide web has killed the consumers’ thirst for new & exciting talent is wildly ignorant & safe . you would like to feed into this stupidity because you are too lazy to stand behind substance ; you’d rather take the low & easy road than take the time to nurture true talent . you’d rather tirelessly feed us the same carbon copied , lip synching , sex dripping , faux punk “i got my entire outfit from hot topic” rocker , buffoonishly ghetto “are they even speaking english?” hip hop , “same old same” sound from song to song type image & force us to believe that this is all the world’s artists have to offer . you’d rather watch your company stocks & yearly record sales severely plummet than take strong initiative to fix the current problem . you’d rather see hundreds of employees laid off & out of work during the holidays because you’re too afraid to stand up for something new & different . you’re content with creating a 1-hit wonder society , where any idiot with anything shockingly catchy can enjoy a sorry 15 minutes of fame & a future segment on vh1′s “biggest 1-hit wonders of 08″ extravaganza .

where is the new generation of legends ?

beyonce & alicia keys are old shoe ins . r kelly , sure , but his personal dramas easily overshadow his genius . radiohead & outkast comes to mind , & then i draw a big blank .

the latest thrill in music has been an over abundance of great dancers with mediocre voices , albums , singles , concert ticket sales , etc . thank god the internet allows every joe blow in the universe a free forum to overexpose every little thing , especially mediocre celebrities . thank god for online music forums , such as myspace . artists are able to directly connect with the people & expose themselves & their art to everyone everywhere at the click of a button . myspace proves that music can no longer fit into a box . long gone are the days of urban vs pop vs alternative radio . gwen stefani had hit songs for years on the pop & alt charts , but she records a song written by pharrell & she’s instantly on top of the urban charts as well . this new r&b dance pop music crosses over to white kids & that kelly clarkson “since you’ve been gone” song was smeared across the lips of many a young black girl last year . m i a is all over the indie alternative stations , & lets not even get started on gnarls barkeley .

all signs point to the obvious : true music consumers right now are a ) young , & b) smart . young kids are able to point & click their way to every new trend . they arguably have short attention spans & they want to be in on what’s cool & personable to them . when madonna emerged in the ’80s you had tons of girls around the world imitating her every move & style down to the mole . kurt cobain turned grunge commercial when he was exposed to millions of kids who felt like society’s outsiders looking in . hip-hop has been a huge influence on mainstream culture since the early ’80s because of it’s relativity . kids have not changed . young people are not mindless robots who like what you tell them to like with no opinions . the youth are always looking to be enthralled .

they want to be entertained . they want to feel as though they are a part of something that will be written about , studied , & revered 20 years later . they , like all of us old & young alike , want to be inspired . when i was a kid i saw prince prance around on stage & dazzle people with his art & i felt inspired to do the same thing . why are you music industry idiots attempting to tell us that we don’t want to be touched ? why are you trying to rob us of new musical experiences ? will there ever be another motown 25 / michael jackson moonwalk experience ? will we never again hear a single like queen’s “bohemian rhapsody” on the radio because the hook isn’t catchy enough ? will we never see another band like the talking heads & joy division or parliament ? will there never be another artist to rival frank zappa ? will we be forced to hear different versions of the same dumb song on every single radio station every 5 minutes simply because the record label had enough money to pay off the station manager ? are we still supposed to care about mtv when there are hardly any videos in rotation ? do i even need to mention b e t or v h 1 ? are any of the classic record industry outlets working these days ? as of late it seems that artists are independently breaking ground with their own efforts . songs are being licensed for national commercials from artists’ myspace pages & personal websites . ellen degeneres has been known to book musical guests from videos seen on youtube , & as i aforementioned , gnarls barkeley not only created a new genre , but they also won grammy awards for an album that was recorded in home studios & released through an indie label .

why should artists even seek major label deals ? they are completely outdated & obsolete . artists are sold the dream that talent can secure superstardom , but it becomes evident that labels only sign bands nowdays because of the band’s existing fanbase & record sales , or because they dig the artist’s look & want to cash in . they don’t want to develop the art . they don’t want the artist to express his/herself entirely . they just want the artist to comply with what will get the company a big monetary return . they sign you for millions , pimp you for pennies , then drop you a year later when the music they made you record & release is no longer relevant . you’re left on the streets unsigned & irrelevant & ready to infect the world with the music you’ve always wanted to make , but no one will take a chance on you due to your previous material . meanwhile , the label has already put white out over your signature on the slave deal & replaced it with a younger version of you . cold game , ain’t it ?

the age old model is failing . as an industry based on faithful consumers you have lost your connection with the people who matter most : the PEOPLE . you have yet to show them that you are with the changing times & able to adapt to something new . you are proving that you are too afraid to promote good music . you would rather let the monotonous drone of what is today’s music remain unbalanced by substance . you would rather watch more legendary artists abandon you for direct deals with itunes & touring companies . you would rather allow the internet to defeat what should be your life’s work . maybe you should excuse yourself from the next a&r meeting to go take a look in the bathroom mirror . stand there & ask yourself why you took this job , & when you realize it’s simply because you wanted to be cool & “in the mix” then return to the conference room , take that gun out of your pocket , & shoot yourself in the head in front of your coworkers so that you are made an example of . if you can in fact leave that conference room & look in the bathroom mirror with pride & hunger to break the monotony then head back into that conference room , jump on top of the table & read this manifesto .

this is a challenge .
we’re calling your bluff .
record labels are nothing but banks that give artists hi price loans in exchange for artistic control . put your money where your cocks are . go out on a limb & support real music for a change . find the line where the internet & the real world meet & infect more people with something magical . start building more legends . it’s almost too late . interscope is dead . def jam is next . motown who ? mca what ? warner , you’re not too far behind . the war sirens are ringing & you’re content with playing deaf & dumb .
we’re calling your bluff !
we’re here to reprogram how you & the rest of the world listen to music .
we can do this together , or you can stick to your own devices & peril in the process .
we are the people . we are the future . we are the present .
who are you ?

*******************************************************************

copy this , paste this , & repost it wherever you see fit . email it to those who you believe can benefit from somethin like this . this is from the heart in jerry maguire “who’s comin with me?” fashion . lets open our eyes , our ears , & our hearts . lets stop standin for the bullshit & start demandin these idiots to take charge & make change . substance has the right to be heard . support real shit & start takin it to the streets !

c’mon people .
it’s 2008 . diddy killed music in 94 . it’s time for some better shit .

pass it on . . .

TMZ is reporting this as well as Concrete Loop. What the hell is going on??

Update: Got this in my inbox from UGK’s record label:

It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad “Pimp C” Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records’ President and CEO Barry Weiss states: “We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I’ve known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family.”

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler’s father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper’s influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960′s Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard “Bun B” Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK “helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from OutKast to Lil Wayne.”

Bun B is not available for comment at this time.

http://www.turntablelab.com/vinyl/217/1061/28464.html

“The sixth release from the en fuego T&A Records comes courtesy of Baltimore’s own Dave Nada. If you don’t know Dave, he’s played in a bunch of hardcore bands around the Bmore/DC area, produced with one of the guys from Q & Not U under the name Rubber Bullets, and now holds it down as a resident at Taxlo with his DJ partner, Tittsworth. The six heavy Bmore remixes here not only feature some sick production from Mr. Nada, but also some original synth work(!) a la Blaqstarr or old Samir shit. A-side has the MC5 remix “Kick Out The Jams,” the Biggie-sampling “Where Brooklyn At” and the Queen / Ying Yang jumble “Fat Bottom Girl.” B-side wins, however, with remixes of Unk’s “Back It Up” and Screamin Jay Hawkins’ “Spell On You,” plus “Bonus Beats,” featuring crisp Bmore drums and some of that tasty synth.”

Dave Nada

COP THIS NOW PEOPLE AND SUPPORT A DOPE ARTIST, DJ, AND AWESOME PERSON FROM THE DC/MD/VA UREA

Paul Dateh – Violin Sampler

I never got Miri Ben Ari. Sure she was attractive. Sure, she could play violin, but honestly her only real true claim to fame is being backup strings for Kanye West and Twista. As much as she wants to claim that she’s the “Hip-Hop Violinist”, the album that bears that namesake failed to showcase what she does best–play violin.

Although it seems she was everywhere a couple of years ago, accompanying Kanye at every awards show and gala even West of the Mississippi. However not much has happened in the world of hip-hop violinists until now.

Yes, that’s right, we have hip-hop violin beef.

Apparently, Ms. Ben Ari and her people don’t like the term hip-hop violinist. Correction: she doesn’t like the term hip-hop violinist used by anyone other than her.

Her lawyers have been going down and trying to remove YouTube videos of anybody who describes themselves as a hip-hop violinist because Mrs. Ben Ari is officially the Hip-Hop Violinist. LA-based violinist Paul Dateh got the worse of it, getting a cease and desist letter and removal of 30 of his videos from YouTube, all for just being a violinist that specializes in hip-hop. Check out this MySpace page…this dude is good. But thanks to the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act), big name acts like Ben Ari have the muscle to take down the little guy, and personally I think that if Dateh had big name backing (er like Kanye West) Ben Ari’s 15 minutes would have been done a long time ago.

Granted, I understand that The Hip Hop Violinist is a trademark, but such trademark should be null and void. Dateh makes a good point–if Kanye trademarked “Hip-Hop Producer,” should he have the right to sue Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and the Dilla estate?

Marinate on that one.

No Fugees Reunion

According to your by Pras, the new Fugees reunion album ain’t happening:

“We went in the studio and recorded a couple records that were incredible. But, to put it nicely, it’s dead,” says Pras. “Me and Clef, we on the same page, but Lauryn [Hill] is in her zone, and I’m fed up with that sh*t. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give and she’s running on some b*llshit? I’m a fan of Lauryn’s but I can’t respect that.”

It’s sad that a group that once sold over 18 million albums in the day has come down to this. Even though the two “reunion” tracks sucked majorly and there were mixed reviews of their European tour, I would be first in line for a Fugees album. Personally, I think that Pras is jealous that Wyclef and Lauyrn have gone on to have solid careers while he was left in the underground. He is working on a documentary called Skid Row that opens in DC next month and he has a new solo album. But if he walked up behind you right now would you know who he was?

New Gnarls Barkley Album This Christmas?

When GB first came out Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse said that it would probably be a one off deal, a little side project. They also said that their name had nothign to do with Charles Barkley, which we now know simply ain’t true.

So yeah, they lie. Word is that Cee Lo and DM made about 11 million a piece from St. Elsewhere and that album went platinum. So of course when you’re making those kind of dollars there is bound to be a sequel (just like Shrek 3). Of course they won’t say anythign about the new album other than it being “two weeks to two months from completion,” and Danger Mouse got all pissy when he previewed a song for the media. They also said that they won’t promote the album at all. Didn’t I just mention that they lie? (initial hap tip: Rhythm Lab)

Spank Rock Signs to Downtown

Spank Rock. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Yoyoyoyo clocked the most spins on my iPod last year so you know where I stand in this debate. Of course I’m glad that they signed with Downtown Records last month. If you don’t know, Downtown Records is the home of Gnarls Barkley (above), and such indie bands as Art Brut and Cold War Kids, and has a US distribution deal with Atlantic Records. Unlike most majors they’re known for actually nurturing artists and I hear they give them a decent cut of the revenue as well (like Koch). Spank Rock isn’t for everyone, but in the right hands they could do big things.

Please give me a reason, as a grown man who is turning 27 next month, not to buy this.

And the Transformers movie is hands down the best movie I’ve seen all summer. If you’re an 80′s baby you owe it to yourself to go and see it.

Hope everybody had a good 4th of July cause I know I did, although it did involve biking back home at 1:00 AM tired and slightly intoxicated, but that’s a story for another day.

Wow. Pharoahe Monch only sold 12,000 copies of his album Desire. I shouldn’t be surprised I guess.

And more bad news for lovers of “real” music: Straight No Chaser is shutting its doors. The last issue will be printed in August.

But rap isn’t dead. Word is, T.I. sold 500,000 copies of T.I. vs. T.I.P. I heard the album was wack and the lead single wasn’t getting radio support, but I can’t really hate if the rumor is true.

DJ’s are you finding it harder and harder to break new tracks? Is the top 40 Force to strong to be rekon’d with??

After that Washington City Paper article, it seems everbody’s been talkin’ about the whole “cat call” phenomenon, but Jimi for his part has the best “male response” that you’re ever gonna read.

Did anyone see the Live Earth concerts this weekend? Seriously, is anybody going to start recycling just because the Black Eyed Peas told you to? And don’t look at me, I’ve been using mass transportation and those compact fluorescent light bulbs for 5 years now.

BYT has an interview with my homegirl, the Vagina Lady Alexyss Taylor.

I usually don’t talk about Akon on this blog cause I got sick and tired of his omnipresence a long time ago. Case in point: somehow my clock radio alarm got switched from buzz to radio mode this past week, so I hear this dude’s voice almost three times before I even get out of bed in the morning. But I digress…

Still, I must speak up for the dude because he’s getting a bum deal. If you didn’t know, Akon was spotted dry humping a 14 year old girl on stage in Trinidad. After the video surfaced on the Internet, Verizon Wireless pulled their sponsorship of Akon’s tour with Gwen Stefani and removed his top-selling ringtones from their service. After this money got pulled, Akon issued the following statement:

“I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I’ve caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert,” Akon said.

“It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience,” he said. “Somehow, that standard was not met.”

So first off, boo to Verizon for dropping their sponsorship. How in the hell are you gonna endorse somebody who has a song called “I Wanna F**k You” and then back away like you didn’t know what the hell this dude was about? But that’s corporate America for you. As for the girl, her parents are to blame for this one. If your scantly clad 14 year old girl is getting into clubs and dancing on stage with older men then you have your own problems to deal with.

So Akon, keep your head up. Just don’t wake me up with your whiny voice at 6 in the morning.

Another week, another rapper getting harrased by the authorities.

This time its Nas and Kelis who were rushed by security at a House of Blues in San Diego. Nas tells AllHipHop.com that:

We came to the club, all excited. Couldn’t wait to get here. [The tour venues] have been sold out every night. The energy from everybody has been crazy. Every time I come to San Diego, the energy’s crazy. [We] go to the the venue and they ain’t let me in. I was outside with my wife and they treated us like terrorists,” Nas said. “It was a little racist and we just don’t tolerate that. I just want everybody to know, don’t tolerate any form of racism.

So lets get this straight. It wasn’t like Nas and 50 of his boys were trying to bum rush a club. The dude was stopped and harassed at a venue where he was supposed to perform. It’s not as messed up as the Questlove incident, but still it shows the racism and ignorance that’s still prevalent in this country. This was the most interesting quote from the story:

“I said, ‘Do you treat Bon Jovi like this?’ They said, ‘No.’”

How messed up is that?? At least the racists at the House of Blues keep it real.
Because of the incident, Nas canceled the sold out show that night, which was the last stop on his Hip-Hop Is Dead tour.

(props to A Hot Mess)