The Heineken Inspire Tour made a stop in the Nation’s Capital on Saturday with a star-studded event held at LOVE Nightclub. As the fifth stop on the tour’s schedule, Heineken brought along a new design known as the “STR Bottle” – an upscale aluminum bottle that when viewed under the black light of a bar or club illuminates to reveal a previously hidden design. Guests in attendance also had the opportunity to take home a screen-printed tee with the Heineken inspired design of their choosing, get funky on DJ Hero, have a mock Vibe cover shoot posing as a DJ, and drink all the Heineken varieties they wanted at the low price of Free99. For the social media piece, there was the Heineken Wisdom Wall that asked “What inspires you?”. Guests were able to text their inspirations via iPad or laptop and have them displayed on the Heineken Wisdom Wall through mobile access to Facebook.

Interscope artist Wale opens the performance portion of the event with “The MC” from his most recent project More About Nothing and the DMV anthem that never quite resonated ”Nike Boots”. Joining him on stage was his crooning partner in crime, Tre of UCB, who took many DMV natives and longtime residents back to 2005 with UCB’s “Sexy Lady”. The crowd was quickly taken on the musical evolution of Wale with “Dig Dug”, “Prettygirls”, and the current crowd favorite ”No Hands” featured on Wacka Flocka Flame’s debut album Flockaveli. He admitted to not knowing Wacka Flocka’s verse and freestyled over it emphatically: “I don’t know Wacka Flocka verse off top, so I’ma get into it when it get’s to my part”.

Clipse was the next act and wisely began their set with “Grindin’” and “Cot Damn” to grab the crowds attention but surprisingly went into a lesser known “Ride Around Shining” from Hell Hath No Fury. Re-up Gang member and the only remaining MC in the crew from Philly, Ab Liva was present to interject during his verses on “Cot Damn” and “Ride Around Shining”. After losing the audiences’ ear for a second, the VA Beach duo brought it all home with “I’m Good” and “Popular Demand”.

Making his third appearance in DC this past weekend was the headliner Rick Ross. The Teflon Don performed almost every hit he has had since Port of Miami but not necessarily in chronological order. The crowd was more than appreciative of his inclusion of earlier Ross cuts such as “Hustlin’” and “Boss” but rocked to Teflon Don features like “B.M.F.” and “Aston Martin Music” just the same. All throughout the event there was talk of a “special surprise guest” who was to perform that evening. Thanks to the always loved and hated social networking platform known as Twitter and a more than reliable Twitter pal mentioning her location in front of the venue, I used my noggin to figure out the special guest was none other than @fatbellybella aka Erykah Badu. The crowd was instantly set off into a frenzy when she appeared on stage. Upon her entrance and Ross’s exit, the two gave the audience a bit of “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)”. Badu even gave fans a small taste of “Honey” that was well-received as she made her exit from the stage shortly after.

DJs who are booked at these events provide talent that is often under-appreciated but it’s important and extremely necessary to big up a worthy mainstay in DC by way of Baltimore, MD – WKYS’s DJ Quicksilva. As the pre-show talent, Quicksilva showed much love to hip-hop and helped attendees revisit a time when being an indie rapper was really never viewed as a viable option by the masses and being considered mainstream meant you sold out. The featured DJ for the evening, D-Nice, did an excellent job of maintaining the interests of all in the crowd. He kicked the set off with a Diddy drop and implemented plenty of old school party DJ fundamentals and still moved a mostly 30 and under crowd. D-Nice’s set was a proper balance of current hip-hop and R&B favorites along with all the hip-hop songs you still unabashedly know word for word (i.e. – “I Got 5 On It”).

If ya missed it, ya missed it. Four years strong, the Heineken Experience moves on…

We all know that Rick Ross is winning but I’ve always thought that the paring of Rozay and Ms. Badu was an interesting combination. Somehow it’s pulled off here in this video from Creative Control. Not as Epic as the first video mind you, but entertaining in that weird sort of way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well Ms. E Badu has certainly been a prominent blog fixture over the past couple weeks,  leaking new songs here & there and displaying cryptic messages on her website  has definitely got her fans waiting and wanting much more.

And here it is: Erykah released her new video for Jump Up in the Air (Stay There) and it’s pretty much what I expected (or at least somewhat) from the prolific songstress. The is-it-or-isn’t-it her first single made its internet debut via her website on Friday and it tells Erykah’s ‘story’  in a crazy bugged out kaleidoscope format and also includes a guest appearance from Lil Wayne -who I heard shot nine other videos to keep us entertained while he’s ‘away’.

Her albubum, New Amerykah pt.2: Return of the Ankh is set to drop 3.30.2010 AD… (maybe)

Last week Erykah Badu released a new song with Lil Wayne which was thought to be her new single but turned out to be a web-only bonus track off her new album ‘New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)’.

The actual single is ‘Window Seat’ a song produced by she and James Poyser and set to hopefully put Erykah back on top of the R&B charts.

Very reminiscent of ‘old school E’  during her ‘On & On’ and ‘Next Lifetime’ era, Window seat provides a laid back beat coupled with Erykah’s sweet vocals and the results are quite nice.

Look for the album to drop March 30th.

The always mysterious E Badu finally let her fans here a taste of what’s to come off her next album a few days ago. The song, titled ‘Jump Up In The Air’ will (I guess) be the first single off of New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. The album has been pushed back a few times by her label and as of right now the release date is still somewhat questionable (her website has March 31st as the release date with the word ‘maybe’ underneath). But I’ve been missing my girl and I’m anxious to see what kind of ill/zany videos she’ll be coming out with this go-round because her past ones have definitely been memorable - to say the least.

Flashback Video  – Didn’t Cha Know

Various Artists
Dillanthology Vol 1

Is this a money grab?

That’s the only thing I could think of when I saw this Dillanthology CD arrive in my mailbox. Unlike most Dilla projects, which focus on rare and unreleased material, this latest Dilla compilation deals with tracks we already know, in a sort of “greatest hits” fashion. With all the controversy surrounding Jay Dee’s estate, especially with Ma Dukes who now has lupus, the same deadly disease that claimed her son.

Of course, any Dilla is better than no Dilla at all, and the tracks here are more than familiar to any hip-hop head. Tracks like the Pharcydes’ “Runnin’,” and “Drop,” are already in my collection multiple times, as well as Erykah Badu’s “Didn’t ya Know, and De La’s “Stakes Is High.” Even if I througly enjoyed hearing these songs again for the umpteenth time, and there are is one new (to me) track — the A.G./Aloe Blacc joint “Hip-Hop Quoatable,” there just isn’t enough here for me to justify a purchace.

But I have a feeling that ultimately this CD isn’t for me. It’s for people like my sister, who is familliar with most of the songs on the disc, but still asks me, “who’s Dilla?” It’s for people like my brother, who during a streak of sanity puts down his Soulja Boy CD and wants to listen to classic hip-hop. My only thought is with this CD, people will listen, realize that this is some of the finest hip-hop ever produced, google Dilla, and eventially donate to help Ma Dukes.

Tracklisting

1. The Pharcyde-Runnin’
2. Slum Village-Fall In Love
3. Common-The Light
4. Erykah Badu-Didn’t Cha Know
5. De La Soul-Stakes Is High
6. Busta Rhymes-Show Me What You Got
7. The Roots-Dynamite
8. A.G. feat. Aloe Blacc-Hip Hop Quotable
9. The Pharcyde-Drop
10. Amp Fiddler-I Believe In You
11. Steve Spacek-Dollar

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day until the end of the 2008. Today’s reader is Julian, who is one half of the DC-based duo Bullets over Romance.

Name: Julian
Location: Washington, DC

Album (No particular order)
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
The Cool Kids – The Bake Sale
The Knux – Remind Me in 3 Days
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah
Radiohead – In Rainbows

(Honorable mention) Guilty Simpson – Ode to The Ghetto

Song
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Erykah Badu – The Healer
Mayer Hawthorne – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out
Q-Tip – Gettin’ Up
MGMT – Electric Feel

This year, instead of just having me yap on about my Best of lists, I reached out to several of our readers to give their Top 5 of the best releases of the year. I’ll be profiling a new reader each day until the end of the 2008. Today’s reader is DJ O.S.U.M from Toronto, and you can hear him spin at the Swank Society every Wednesday from 3 -5 EST.

Name: DJ O.S.U.M.
Location: Toronto
Website: www.cantslowdown.net and www.swanksociety.com

Top 5:

Erykah Badu – Nu Amerykah
Nikolay & Kay – Time: Line
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Jazmine Sullivan – Fearless
Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind

I’ve never really been too keen on the indie band My Morning Jacket, but they’ve been going around to concerts covering Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” for their summer tours. Badu apparently got word of this, and decided to roll through one of their concerts in Dallas.

It takes sheer balls for an R&B singer to show up at a rock concert (not saying that she has any balls of the sort), but from the video she basically threw down in the only way Badu could do. Rap/Rock collabos are nothing new, but this one ranks near the top and to keep it real, it comes off better and more natural that that wack Jay-Z/Linkin Park collabo a few years ago. (via Radio Milwaulkee)

Also….I hate you.

The 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series convenes in Brooklyn’s Wingate Field and has a stellar lineup for FREE. In addition to Jill, Estelle, Erykah,as  Patti LaBelle, July 21st will feature a “mystery guest” which people are saying could either be Issac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, or even Prince!

Of COURSE this could only happen in New York. It’s worth taking the newly messed up Chinatown bus for this one tho.

July 14 – sweet summer soul w/ The O’Jays and The Manhattans with Gerald Alston & Blue Lovett
July 21 – “mystery night” – “a legend performs in Brooklyn”
July 28 – annual gospel night w/ Mary Mary, Tye Tribbett and Greater Anointing, and Ricky Dillard & New Generation
Aug 04 – an evening w/ Erykah Badu
Aug 11 – Jill Scott & Estelle
Aug 18 – Caribbean night w/ Beres Hammond, The Mighty Sparrow, and Bunji Garlin & Asylum
Aug 25 – an evening with Patti LaBelle

Wingate Field
Brooklyn Ave & Rutland Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11203

(props: Brooklyn Vegan)

Rising Down drops next week. Also, the Roots have teamed up with Erykah Badu and added more tour dates for you pleasure, including a two night stint in DC at DAR Constitution Hall.

The Roots Tour Dates

May 3 – Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
May 4 – House of Blues New Orleans, LA
May 4 – Fox Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Detroit, Michigan
May 6 – Sepsum at U of Montreal w/ Erykah Badu, Montreal, Quebec
May 8 – Orpheum w/ Erykah Badu, Boston, Massachusetts
May 9 – Radio City w/ Erykah Badu, New York, New York
May 10 – The Pier w/ Erykah Badu, Baltimore, Maryland
May 11 – Crocodile Rock (Roots Only), Allentown, Pennsylvania
May 14 – Constitution Hall w/ Erykah Badu, Washington. DC
May 15 – Constitution Hall w/ Erykah Badu , Washington. DC
May 16 – Chrysler Hall w/ Erykah Badu, Norfolk, Virginia
May 17 – Special Events Center w/ Erykah Badu, Greensboro, North Carolina
May 18- Landmark Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Richmond, Virginia
May 20 – Misner Park w Erykah Badu, Boca Raton, Florida
May 23 – Fox Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Atlanta, Georgia
May 24 – Summer Camp Festival (Roots Only), Chillicothe, Illinois
May 25 – UCLA Jazz & Reggae Festival (Roots Only), Los Angeles, California
May 27 – Andrew Jackson Hall w/ Erykah Badu, Nashville, Tennessee
May 29 – Fox Theater w/ Erykah Badu, St. Louis, Missouri
May 30 – Chicago Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Chicago, Illinois
May 31 – Chicago Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Chicago, Illinois
Jun 1 – Harrah’s Concil Bluff (Roots Only), Council Bluff, Iowa
Jun 2 – Fillmore Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Denver
Jun 4 – Cuthbert Amphitheater (Roots Only), Eugene, Oregon
Jun 5 – Marymoor Park w/ Erykah Badu, Seattle, Washington
Jun 7 – Festival Pier ROOTS PICNIC w/ Gnarls Barkley,Dap Kings,Santogold,The Cool Kids,Deerhoof,Diplo, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 8 – Paramount Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Oakland, California
Jun 10 – Humphrey’s Theater w/ Erykah Badu, San Diego, California
Jun 12 – Greek Theater w/ Erykah Badu, Los Angeles, California
Jun 13 – City Stages Festival (Roots Only), Birmingham, Alabama
Jun 14 – Mesa Ampitheater w/ Erykah Badu, Phoenix, Arizona
Jun 17 – Warehouse Live (Roots Only), Houston, Texas
Jun 18 – House of Blues (Roots Only), Dallas, Texas
Jun 19 – House of Blues (Roots Only), New Orleans, Louisiana
Jun 22 – Rochester Music Fest, Rochester, New York
Jul 4 -Summerfest 2008 (Roots Only), Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Erykah Badu
New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War

When I first heard the track “The Healer” on Erykah Badu’s 4th full length album, I thought that homegirl had lost it. Even though the track was set to a dope Madlib beat, and is probably the best head nodders in a long time, it sounded like a long winded rant by a crazy homeless woman. So after my initial excitement I asked myself….”has Erykah lost it? Is she pulling a Lauryn Hill on us?”

Ms. Badu hasn’t lost it. Although New Amerykah doesn’t measure up to her first CD and won’t come close to her greatest effort (Mama’s Gun), the Dallas, Texas songstress has managed to create some downright amazing R&B in a time when the genre has lost focus–with neo-soul all but dead, and young singers like Keysha Cole taking over radio. Badu has managed to find her niche in the world, and she shines on songs like, “Soldier,” “Honey (Bonus Track),” the sultry “Telephone,” and the introspective, “Me.”

You can tell that Badu has come of age on New Amerykah and has found her niche. On “Me,” one of the more personal tracks from this reclusive singer, she puts it all out in the open. With lyrics like “this year I turned 36/damn it seems it came so quick/my ass and legs have gotten thick yea/its all me” you can tell off the bat that she’s not trying to chase the current trends in R&B.

For over 10 years, Erykah Badu has been ahead of the curve for contemporary R&B, and on this album, she raises the bar even higher.