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Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Update (10/12/2011): This DVD was originally supposed to be a part of the "Rage Pack," so the real news here was that MGK had split the DVD off of the package to it's own release.

Following the release of the "RagePack" CD/DVD this fall, Machine Gun Kelly will release a "Half Naked and Almost Famous" DVD. This will come before he releases his debut album. He announced this on his Facebook this evening.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Diddy and Jimmy Iovine will both serve as Executive Editors on "Culo," the upcoming book of photos and artwork from Raphael Mazzucco, which pays tribute to the female bottom. According to the book's website, culo, in Italian, translates to "Buttocks, bottom." The book is set for a November 22 release and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com.

Below, check out the cover and a video preview (which is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 18).

Book Cover: "Culo" by  Raphael Mazzucco (Executive Editors: Diddy and Jimmy Iovine)


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
This evening, former Bad Boy A&R Daniel "Skid" Mitchell shared a screen capture of his iTunes player on Twitter, showing that he was listening to Aasim's upcoming mixtape, "The Money Pit, Pt. 3."

"This is the definition of hip-hop at it's best," he said. "39 minutes of quality."

In the capture, a listing of tracks, which or may or may not be final, is included as well as a couple of featured guests. Here is what we can make out:

1. "The Notorious Intro"
2. "The Message"
3. "Ghetto Black Music"
4. "I Don't Know"
5. "Fell in Love" featuring Anthony Hamilton
6. "DMX Interlude"
7. "Southside Dreamin'"
8. "Comin from Where I'm From" featuring...
9. "I Wanna Be With U" featuring Antho... (which might be Anthony Hamilton)
10. "Walk On By"
11. "Never"
12. "Fly Together" featuring Ryan Leslie and... (probably The Notorious B.I.G.)

The mixtape is set for release on September 5.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
On August 26, Aasim released his latest mixtape, "We Invented the Remix," which is hosted by DJ Far. It features three unreleased tracks - a freestyle over DJ Khaled's "I'm On One" and the rapper's takes on Drake's "Marvin's Room" and Swizz Beatz's "Everyday (Coolin')."

You can download it at DatPiff and listen and check out the cover and track listing below.



"We Invented the Remix" Mixtape by Aasim (Front Cover)

» Read More


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
According to a message on Cherie Cherokee's Twitter, which was retweeted by Aasim, the rapper has produced a song for her titled "You Are Love." You can listen to a preview below.


Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
CassieVerse.org reports that Cassie will cover the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Idoll Magazine.

Thanks CassieArmy for the tip.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
According to Capricorn Clark, Machine Gun Kelly is shooting a video today with Colin Tilley, who directed Mary J. Blige's "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" and Dirty Money's "Yesterday and "Your Love." Video Static reports that the song is "Stereo."

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums

22. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (re-entry).

Singles

Hot Dance Club Play

30. "A** on the Floor" by Dirty Money (a new high, up from 36).

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Red Cafe's new single, "Fly Together," has just premiered on the rapper's official SoundCloud profile. The song, which was produced by Ryan Leslie, features Leslie and Rick Ross. Listen below and check out the single cover, as well.



"Fly Together" by Red Cafe featuring Ryan Leslie and Rick Ross

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
According to a tweet from Diddy, Aasim will release a new mixtape on August 26, titled "We Invented the Remix." A collaboration with DJ Far, it will be available for free download through DatPiff.

Aasim will follow with the release of "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" on September 5.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Last week, Machine Gun Kelly was arrested following a flash mob that he led SouthPark Shopping Mall in Strongsville, OH. According to police, he refused their order to step down from a table in the mall's food court.

According to a report by StrongsvillePatch's Debbie Palmer, he will not need to appear in court because he was charged with a minor misdemeanor which is waiverable.

Palmer quotes Detective Lt. John Janowski as saying that MGK can simply pay his fine. He has the option to appear in court and pay it, or contest the charge, if he so chooses. On Twitter, the rapper has already shared his decision, saying that he will not appear.

Via OnTheRedCarpet.com.

Posted by Patrick
Earlier this week, we reported on the news that clothing label Supreme would release a t-shirt featuring the baby photo that appeared on the cover of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" album.

According to SoulCulture's Aamir Yaqub, they will also release a key chain with the same image.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Janelle Monae's official store has a new product: the "J & B Tour" t-shirt, featuring the artwork for the tour that Mars and Monae co-headlined.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Fox News Latino reports that reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel would like to collaborate with Diddy for their next album.

Posted in Ciroc
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, Ray J tweeted about a "new Ciroc campaign." One of these messages was retweeted by the Ciroc Twitter account.

Today, on their YouTube channel, Ciroc released the video below, following Ray J as he promotes his new single.


Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Back in July, it was revealed that Red Cafe would be among the rappers appearing during Urban Wrestling Federation events.

According to a press release, the UWF will release a mixtape on September 25, hosted by DJ Self. Red Cafe will be featured in the mixtape, which will be available for free download via their website.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
According to a press release, Mario Winans will be among those honored at the BMI Awards on August 26.

They will be honoring all songwriters who had a song reach #1 on the Billboard R&B, Hip-Hop and Rap charts. "Can't Be Friends" by Trey Songz, which Winans co-wrote and produced, hit #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Posted by Patrick
According to a report by Global Grind, clothing label Supreme will be release a Biggie influenced t-shirt as part of their new Autumn/Winter 2011 line.

They have a picture of the shirt, which is black with the photo featured front and center. According to the Supreme website, the Autumn/Winter 2011 line will be available in their New York and Los Angeles stores on August 27, their Japan store on August 27 and September 22 at their new London store.

In addition, their online shop will re-open on September 1.

In March, 18 year old Keithroy Yearwood stepped forward and revealed himself as the baby gracing the cover of The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
At a recent promotional event, Kelly Rowland talked about what the Sean John Empress fragrance stands for, to her. In July, she agreed to endorse the new fragrance for women. Watch below.


Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
"Sinkin," a record by Willie Taylor of Day26, recently appeared online. On Twitter, Willie Taylor acknowledged some kind words about the song, but said that "somebody leaked that record."

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Red Cafe has released a visual for "Keep it 500," from his mixtape, "Above the Cloudz" (free download). Watch below.


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
In the flash mob video he released, following his arrest for disorderly conduct, Machine Gun Kelly previewed a new song, "Wild Boy." On Twitter, he mentioned that the song would be "coming soon."

The song samples the rapper's verse from Juicy J's "In Hale."


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
On Saturday, Machine Gun Kelly led a flash mob at the SouthPark Shopping Mall in Strongsville, OH. Subsequently, he and members of his crew, were arrested for disorderly conduct. Reuters reports that, in a statement, police said he was arrested after he failed to step down from a table he was standing on. He was released from prison the same day.

Via his YouTube page, he released a video accounting of the episode. Watch below.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
GameFocus reports that a solo version of Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" will be included on the soundtrack for the upcoming "Just Dance 3" video game.

"Just Dance 3" will be released on October 11 for the Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii consoles.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
YouKnowIGotSoul has an interview with Kalenna of Dirty Money. She discusses her solo ventures and the prospects of a second Dirty Money album.

YKIGS: Now that Dirty Money has released the album and toured, do you see yourself doing another album as part of Dirty Money? Would you do another album if asked?

Kalenna: We recorded so many songs that Puff could put out another album if he desires. If asked to go back into the studio with them to record more, I most definitely would say yes.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
This September, the first annual Ohio Hip-Hop Awards will be held in Columbus, Ohio. The nominees have been announced and Machine Gun Kelly received nods in 5 categories.

MGK is nominated for Best Mixtape Artist, Best Mixtape ("Lace Up"), Best Male Artist, Single of the Year ("Cleveland" featuring Dubo) and Best Live Performance. You can vote once per day on their website.

Via The Other Paper.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today.

Singles

Hot Dance Club Play

36. "A** on the Floor" by Dirty Money (a new high, up from 42).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
In April, Fred The Godson released "Daddy Gettin' Money," which featured Diddy on the hook.

The record is getting a second part, thanks to the brand new "Gettin' Money Part II," which keeps some of Diddy's vocals, but adds new verses from Fred The Godson, Meek Mill and Cory Gunz and new production from Prinzly of Street Fabulous.

"Gettin' Money Part II" by Fred The Godson featuring Diddy, Meek Mill and Cory Gunz

You can listen and download the track below, care of Street Fabolous.


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Red Cafe is preparing to release his first single, "Fly Together," featuring Ryan Leslie and Rick Ross. With Red's blessing, Aasim has released his own take on the track, keeping Leslie's vocals and adding a spoken word outro from The Notorious B.I.G.

The song will be featured on Aasim's "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" mixtape, which is set for a September 5 release. Listen and download below.

Edit: The embed code from Aasim's SoundCloud page has been removed, due to a request from Bad Boy Records.

Posted in Zac Posen
Posted by Patrick
Earlier this month, we learned that Zac Posen planned to open the first boutique shop for his Z Spoke line.

In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Posen shared some additional details about the project.

According to Racked NY and contactmusic.com, Posen said that the store's design "has a film noir quality" and "feels like something that has potentially been there for some time."

Among the store's unique features will be a library curated by Michael Gallegher, who previously owned Gallegher's bookstore on E. 12th Street. It will feature rare and vintage books.

The Z Spoke retail store is set to open on August 25 and is located on the corner of 14th and Washington.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Apparel company Young & Reckless has released a pair of Machine Gun Kelly/Lace Up t-shirts, priced at $24 each. Lace Up Baseball, inspired by the look of the Lace Up baseball jersey that MGK has been wearing, is currently sold out. But, more are on the way, according to the product page.

Lace Up Reckless, the other shirt, is currently in stock.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Last week, Machine Gun Kelly performed at the Red Bulletin/X GAMES Athlete After Party. Before the show, he was given a Lace Up baseball jersey by skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Check out the clips below.



Via Sheckler Mania.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Good*Fella Media has an interview with Red Cafe, talking about his upcoming album and why New York hip-hop isn't dominating like it used to.

He makes an interesting point in saying that, when New York was on top, rappers were being produced. There were great producers producing albums. Now, those producers made money and can command more money and they don't want to work with the new acts as much. Of course, they now have other opportunities and may no longer be able to producer albums due to other endeavors. Diddy being a great example of this.


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Aasim has released the visual for "The Message," which will be featured on his new mixtape, "The Money Pit, Pt. 3." It was shot and edited by him.


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, MGK mentioned that he was featured in a 6 page spread in the latest issue of Urban Ink.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Complex has a long interview with Machine Gun Kelly, covering numerous topics, including his love for Cleveland, women, his fans and more.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
YouKnowIGotSoul has an interview with Bad Boy producer Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson, discussing some of his previous works and how he came to be represented by Bad Boy.

YKIGS: Talk to me about the Hitmen since you’re a current member with Bad Boy. We’ve had a chance to actually interview a bunch of the original members like Chucky Thompson, Stevie J., J-Dub and others. Tell us your story about you originally became a part of the crew.

Amadeus: When I started, I actually got a chance to meet Deric “D-Dot” Angelette who was one of the original Hitmen and we bonded immediately. He obviously saw something special in me as a producer and kinda mentored me. He always wanted to hear my tracks and what I was doing so he could critique them and give me whatever I needed to know in order to improve what I was doing and what I was creating. So I always had an in. One thing about me is I knew the importance of relationships and I knew the importance and the power of knowing people that are connected. I was always in label meetings and finding ways to find contacts and I wasn’t scared or ashamed to reach out to people and let people know what I did and try to meet up with them. I got into Bad Boy with D-Dot and got a chance to meet Harve Pierre back in the day and Conrad who was the A&R and got to hang around Puff for a little bit. Not too close, but I was in the mix. Everybody was pretty much familiar with who I was since I had always submitted music to them and I was always on their radar. When an opportunity presented itself in regard to me needing producer management, we all sat down and figured it out and everybody was comfortable and happy with it. So I signed on the dotted line and became a Bad Boy Hitmen. So it was just history after that.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
ThisIs50 has an interview with Machine Gun Kelly, focusing on his upcoming releases and his signing with Bad Boy. In the clip, he reveals that the deal is worth over a million dollars.

Interesting, he talks about the belief that Diddy has mistreated artists and says that Diddy told him that his legacy is "in a f***** up place right now." Would he try to change MGK? "I never told The Lox to put on the shiny suits," he apparently said.


Via The Source.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
On Twitter, Aasim mentioned that he had shot a visual for "The Message," a track he recently previewed with a behind the scenes clip. The song will be featured on his upcoming mixtape, "The Money Pit, Pt. 3."

Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
Late last year, Cassie opened an account on blogging service Tumblr, located at canuhearme.tumblr.com. The first I'd heard of it was on her Twitter stream today. Fair warning, there is some content that is intended for adult audiences.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
ThisIs50 has an interview with Red Cafe, discussing his upcoming album and whether he prefers Biggie or 2Pac.


Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" is featured in a new back to school commercial from Kmart, extolling on how the retailer has "got the look."

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
In the clip below, Aasim is working on "The Message," a song that will be featured on his upcoming mixtape, "The Money Pit, Pt. 3," which is set for a September 5 release.


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
In an interview with DJBooth, Machine Gun Kelly revealed that, this fall, he plans to release a CD/DVD package called "RagePack." The CD will include 5-8 songs while the DVD will be titled "Half Naked and Almost Famous." In addition, he said that his album is 98% done.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
According to Aasim's Facebook page, he has set a release date for his upcoming mixtape, "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" (watch the trailer). It will be released on September 5.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
In an interview with TheMaskedGorilla, Machine Gun Kelly revealed some of the collaborations on his upcoming debut album. He has been in the studio with punk rock band Good Charlotte, singer Mike Posner and rapper Lil' B.

He described the Good Charlotte record as "electro, kind of dubstep," and also talked about his background and the label bidding war for his services. The clip, which you can watch below, appears to have been recorded before he officially signed with Bad Boy.


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released today.

Singles

Hot Dance Club Play

42. "A** on the Floor" by Dirty Money (a new high, up from 46).

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Mobile electronics company HTC has acquired a majority stake in Beats Electronics, according to a report by Carl Bagh of the International Business Times.

Beats Electronics is the parent company of the Beats by Dr. Dre line, which includes the Diddybeats in-ear headphones. HTC paid $300 million for the 51% stake.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Care of Sound Carta's Twitter, BushwickBK reports that Red Cafe will be featured on the rapper's upcoming mixtape, which is set for an August 28 release.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Recently, Janelle Monae was named to Vanity Fair's 72nd annual International Best-Dressed List.

Her official website has the mini-profile that was included in the magazine for the feature.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Forbes has released the 2011 edition of their annual list of the biggest earners in hip-hop. Diddy is ranked second for the second year in a row, earning an estimated $35 million - a gain of $5 million from the previous year.

Jay-Z took the top spot with $37 million, having earned $68 million on the 2010 list. Following Diddy are Kanye West with $16 million, Lil' Wayne and Birdman with $15 million and Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre with $14 million. 50 Cent earned $6 million.

In March, Forbes crowned Diddy as the wealthiest hip-hop artist with a total net worth of $475 million.

While some artists have fluctuated, Diddy and Jay-Z have been the model of consistency, when it comes to how they have ranked on the Forbes Cash Kings list, now in it's fifth year. Here are the top 5 artists from each year:

» Read More


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
In an interview with DJ Cosmic Kev, of Philadelphia's Power99, Rick Ross and Meek Mill hinted that Diddy may appear on the remix to Meek Mill's "I'm a Boss," alongside Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz and Birdman. Ross also referenced a music video that was to be shot on July 30, directed by Benny Boom. Watch below.


Via CHAMP MAGAZINE.

Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Aasim has released the trailer for his upcoming "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" mixtape. According to the clip, which you can watch below, the mixtape was produced and mixed by Aasim. No release date has been given.


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
Back in May, Aasim announced on Twitter he was giving up rap and was "no longer a Bad Boy artist."

Weeks later, he announced that he was bad and he has released numerous tracks since then and, just last week, said that his "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" mixtape was "almost done."

On Twitter today, Diddy posted a list of current Bad Boy artists for people to follow and Aasim was on the list, alongside Janelle Monae, Machine Gun Kelly, Cassie and Red Cafe.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Phillip Mlynar of the Village Voice talks with Machine Gun Kelly about his signing to Bad Boy Records.

Posted in Zac Posen
Posted by Patrick
Women's Wear Daily reports, according to sources, that Z Spoke will open it's first boutique this month in New York City.

The store, which is set to open on August 25, is said to be located on Washington Street, in between the 13th and 14th Streets.

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
XXLmag.com asked Machine Gun Kelly about usage of the N word and whether or not it'd ever come out of his mouth. The question was asked specifically in reference to V-Nasty, a white female rapper who is affiliated with Kreayshawn, who does use the word and has defended her use of it.

"It's a wrap on me using that word," he said. "Not where I'm from. F*** that. I love my hood stripes. I wear my hood stripes proud. I don't want them taken from me. Only N word I’m using is ninja. Ninjas and ... napalm... and nasal spray... and narcissist... nipples. Those are the only N words I’m using. Nipple is my favorite N word."

"Good question," he continued. "That's a very good question. That's a constroversial question. That's such a sketchy question. I feel odd even saying the word, 'the N word,' on camera. 'Cause it's so f****** touchy. That's crazy. F*** that. I mean, my daughter's black, too. My whole team, with the exception of my manager, or one of my managers, is black. It's a subject you just kinda grow up and respect. I wouldn't really touch it. You know, I can joke all I want to. I wouldn't touch that s***, though.”

Watch the full video on XXLmag.com.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Following part 1 of his interview with Vibe, part 2 has been published. He was also recently interviewed by The Boombox.

In the interviews, the rapper shares details about how he's reached this point in his career, including his various label deals and solo and group undertakings. I found this passage from the Vibe interview interesting:

Was it a no-brainer to sign with Puff?

Yeah, definitely, because I'm a different kind of guy from his other artists. People are always like you shouldn't f*** with him, like don't do it, don't do it, like don't go in that door Jack.

Honestly did you hear a lot of that?

Hell yeah. C'mon. I know you hear it. It's not no bulls***. People have their perceptions of people but they don't know them. They just know what other people say and another person's situation, but you don't really know that other person's situation because he ain't telling you everything. There are other people that might approach their situation different when it comes to something like this. I don't think they maximize every opportunity Puff gave to them. Puff gave these motherf****** platinum albums, hit records, and I just don't think these motherf****** were ready to be their own men. They just wanted to be Puff's little men. That's where the problem was. They weren't prepared to take the wheel and drive and it's like "Nah I'm cool in the backseat or the shotgun seat. I'll let him drive." If they give you the opportunity and usher you to the front, go, go, go, you got to go. His knees might be hurting. I can get you here, but now it's your time.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Diddy is among the group of fashion experts and designers who will provide tips through 30 second clips featured on Macy's Backstage Pass.

These clips are accessed through the scanning of QR codes, most commonly through a mobile device. Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Rachel Roy, Jessica Simpson and Martha Stewart will also be participating in the campaign. QR codes will be featured in Macy's stores, print campaigns and online.

In the clips below, check out a promo spot for Backstage Pass and a Sean John flavored tip from Diddy.




Posted in Day26
Posted by Patrick
In July, Robert Curry of Day26 released his own version of Kelly Rowland's "Motivation." Listen below, care of his Twitter profile.


Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Red Cafe's official site has pictures from the set of the music video shoot for "The Realest" featuring Fabolous. The original cut also featured Lloyd Banks, but there are no pictures that include Banks.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released on Thursday.

Bad Boy's lone position this week is the Hot Dance Club Play chart debut of Dirty Money's "A** on the Floor," likely pushed by the release of the dance remixes EP for the song.

Singles

Hot Dance Club Play

46. "A** on the Floor" by Dirty Money (debut).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released on July 28. The delay in reporting is due to Billboard.biz's recent downtime. Sorry for the delay.

One interesting note: Diddy's "I'll Be Missing You" made a return to the charts, perhaps spurned on by tragedy in Norway and the loss of singer Amy Winehouse.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

73. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 65).

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums

20. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (down from 18).

Singles

Rap Digital Songs

46. "I'll Be Missing You" by Diddy (re-entry).
49. "Coming Home" by Dirty Money (down from 34).

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Here are Bad Boy's positions on the most recent Billboard U.S. album and single charts, released on July 21. The delay in reporting is due to Billboard.biz's recent downtime. Sorry for the delay.

Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums

65. "Last Train to Paris" by Dirty Money (down from 62).

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums

18. "Greatest Hits" by The Notorious B.I.G. (up from 21).

» Read More


Posted in Cassie
Posted by Patrick
Cassie is featured on the cover of the August issue of STATUS Magazine. You can view the spread and accompanying interview on their website. In it, she reveals a new song, "Bang Bang, Mr. Valentine," which she says has a "cool out ska vibe."

Cassie Covers STATUS Magazine

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Buzzine has an interview with Big Boi. Once of the questions he's asked pertains to discovering Janelle Monae. In his answer, he also discusses the type of artist Monae is and predicts that she's "gonna be here for a long time."

SG: You just shot the new video for “Be Still” with Janelle Monae. Janelle is obviously signed to your label as well, on the album. How did the two of your first connect?

BB: Janelle was singing background for an artist I had signed named Scar, and she used to be around, stank on the edges, a cute little school girl, and I caught her at open mic night at Justin’s – P. Diddy’s soul food restaurant in Atlanta – and I heard her singing and I told her I had to have her. I brought her in and just really vibed with her for some years, until it was time for her to come out. She’s one of those artists that you don’t have to lead the way on; you don’t have to hold their hand, they’ve always got input. I like artists with vision. She’s definitely one of those, and she’s gonna be here for a long time.

In the accompanying video from the interview, this comes up at the 1:50 mark.


Posted in Aasim
Posted by Patrick
On Facebook, Aasim revealed that his "The Money Pit, Pt. 3" mixtape is "almost done." He had originally hoped to have it out in January.

Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
Last month, Diddy and Dirty Money performed at the Wembley Arena in London at the Orange RockCorps event. Orange RockCorps gives volunteers tickets to music concerts in exchange for time dedicated to serving the community. In the clip below, follow Diddy and the group behind the scenes as they arrive, perform and exit.


Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Vibe's MikeyFresh offers part 1 of an interview with Red Cafe.

In it, he discusses his upbringing, being in jail with rapper Cormega and the earlier stages of his career, before he ended up with Konvict or Bad Boy.

VIBE: Honestly, we’re starting simple. How did you get the name Red Café?

Red Café: Red is a name that I grew up with. My pops name was Red—my hair is red. When my hair used to be long; I had long braids. I was more like Little Red. That was a name I grew up with. Even my moms doesn’t call me by my government name, ever. Nobody really knows me as my real name, except in school, but even in school. You know how that goes. Café was a name that I acquired in the streets. That was my stamp. I was in the streets doing a lot of different things as far as supplying different…

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Machine Gun Kelly appeared on MTV.com's "RapFix Live" yesterday to discuss his signing with Bad Boy Records." Watch below.


The
text feature on MTV.com has some additional quotes from Diddy's taped appearance, as well.

Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Kelly Rowland visited Fox 5's "Good Day New York" program this morning to chat about her new album, a charitable effort with the Boys and Girls Club and her involvement with Sean John "Empress."

She discusses the fragrance at the 1:49 mark.


Posted in Sean John
Posted by Patrick
Sean John has released a trio of promotional clips for "Empress," the new fragrance for women from Sean John. Watch below.

Note: the third clip does not feature an audio track.



» Read More


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Diddy and Bad Boy's newest artist, Machine Gun Kelly, appeared on MTV's "RapFix Live" today.

The previously referenced announcement was that MGK had signed to Bad Boy.

Diddy taped a quick interview from Spain, where he is on a party tour promoting Ciroc. He called MGK "one of the best live performers to come out in a minute" and spoke about how he believes in artists more than he used to and part of that is letting them have some space. "Whether they succeed or fail, I think it's important to support the artist," he said."

"He will not be changing for Bad Boy," Diddy added. "He's gonna be him and true to his self."

MGK came on for a live, in person interview in the studio with Sway Calloway. He spit a short verse in honor of the day and talked about his journey. He revealed that his deal with Bad Boy is a 2 album deal and that the first album will come in the first quarter of 2012.

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Vanity Fair has a preview of their 72nd annual International Best-Dressed list. Included on the list? Janelle Monae.

Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
Diddy and Machine Gun Kelly will be appearing on "RapFix Live" today on MTV.com, starting at 4 PM ET. Watch below.


Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
AllHipHop.com and Rap-Up.com have some press release quotes from Diddy, Bad Boy President Harve Pierre and Machine Gun Kelly, regarding the rapper's newly announced signing to Bad Boy.

Diddy: "MGK is a breath of fresh air. He's not just a star, he's a movement."

Pierre: "MGK is a great addition to the Bad Boy team. He speaks for a generation of kids who are just like him. Fans relate immediately to his lyrics, his flow and his energetic live performances."

MGK: "The moment we started the EST 19XX movement during the recording of the 'Lace Up' mixtape, I made a pledge to my fans to protect our brand and become the honest voice of our generation. We represent the underdogs, the outcast, the uncool. We are a true cult with a loud voice."

"We decided to partner with Bad Boy/Interscope because they understood our idea and the importance of keeping our integrity. They want to give us their resources to help share our vision with the rest of the world. This is not about mainstream success. EST 19XX represents a cultural shift, a worldwide revolution. Lace the F*@* Up!"

Posted in Janelle Monáe
Posted by Patrick
Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun-Times asked singer Sade what sort of music she listened to and she specifically mentioned Janelle Monae.

"I like Janelle Monae," she said. "I think she's sweet."

Posted in Machine Gun Kelly
Posted by Patrick
Following months of speculation, Machine Gun Kelly has now confirmed that he is signed to Bad Boy Records.

The deal appears to create a sublabel, EST 19XX, under Bad Boy/Interscope. "For those who haven't heard: my entire team (EST 19XX) has signed as a LABEL to Bad Boy/Interscope," he said on Twitter.

In the clip below, where MGK made the announcement and gives a little bit of a back story on his journey thus far, there is a picture of him and his crew, taken in 2008, outside of the Bad Boy offices.


Edit: Here is the re-uploaded video:

» Read More


Posted in Bad Boy Records
Posted by Patrick
YouKnowIGotSoul has an interview with producer Jeffrey "J-Dub" Walker. Their first question relates to Walker's signing with The Hitmen, Bad Boy's in-house production team.

Back in 1995, I came down here straight out of school. My homeboy was doing music in Detroit, he hooked up with some cats down in Atlanta and he was like “Come on man, let’s go down here and do this album,” so I came down and did the album. And then I hooked up with Noontime who had a group called Absolute (signed to Def Soul). I did their demo. Noontime shopped that demo to everybody: Def Jam, Sony and of course Bad Boy. When Diddy heard the demo, he immediately flew to Atlanta on a Friday and that Sunday I was in New York, and like Monday or Tuesday I was signed. So my career took off literally overnight, like I was sleeping on floors and doing demos to producing everybody’s music from Biggie to Total. The rest is history.

You can listen to the audio from the interview below.


Posted in Diddy/Dirty Money
Posted by Patrick
According to MTV.com's Rob Markman, Diddy will appear on "RapFix Live" to make some sort of announcement on Wednesday. The show starts at 4 PM ET and you can watch it on MTV.com.

Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
YouKnowIGotSoul has an interview with Mario Winans. In it, he discusses his upcoming third album, "My Purpose," the making of Diddy's "Thought You Said" and Tamia's "Mr. Cool," working with Diddy in the studio and more.

YKIGS: What about “Thought You Said” by Brandy and Diddy?

MW: Oh man that song. That track is a very special track to me. I was working on it in New York and it had kind of had a techno different type of feel to it. Brandy came in and it was a perfect fit for her. That was pretty much it, that song moved on really good. She’s phenomenal in the way she came in with her vocals and how unique the lyrics were to the record and she just nailed it.

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
Red Cafe has released the music video for "We Get It On" featuring Omarion. The clip, which was shot in May, also includes cameos from Fabolous and Busta Rhymes. Watch below.


Posted in Mario Winans
Posted by Patrick
Back in June, we reported that Mario Winans was planning to released a new album, "My Purpose," this year. Talking with Singersroom.com, he briefly discussed the project.

"I had been living a little differently than what my purpose is and that is really just to humbly serve others, to pray for others and to really be a good person and live the way I believe," he said. "From that, I was inspired to title my album that because those changes were going on in my life while I was working on the album."

Posted in Red Cafe
Posted by Patrick
During the month of August, Red Cafe will be listening to freestyles submitted to XXL via their new mobile app. He'll be rating and writing about some of the freestyles he listed to and his thoughts will be featured on The Break.