Since we brought you the audio not too long ago, it’s only right that we bring you the video. Check out the video below, and be sure to give Ms. Varner a congratulatory shout….
…and if you’re like me and don’t check BET everyday, you can watch her interview from yesterday’s 106 & Park after the jump…
It’s safe to say that Mr. London has been a very busy man lately. Aside from his music and his new album, he’s set to drop a collaboration with fashion brand Cole Hann, The ‘Cole Haan Theophilus Blue Suede Buck,’ and is featured on the cover of the newest issue of Wax Poetics, along with soul + jazz legend Nina Simone.
Check out the details on the Cole Hann collaboration & Wax Poetics issue below…
Theophilus London has teamed up with classic American brand, Cole Haan, on a blue suede hard-bottom shoe. Check out the photos above.
The “Cole Haan Theophilus Blue Suede Buck” looks awesome and is the dress shoe to have this season. The collab comes complete with a 10″ vinyl of London’s cover of Nat King Cole’s “Calypso Blues.”
The navy uppers are made with nubuck suede from American cowhides, which means the shoe, offset with a bright blue outsole, is a quality hard-bottom — complete with gold embellishments to the eyets and cobble nails, and traditonal cobbling techniques like a “Gentleman’s Corner” to keep pant cuffs from catching the heel. The perforated leather lining and foam latex foot bed ensures that you can go sockless comfortably too. Swag.
Nina Simone had no filter. She spoke with candor about civil rights when many in her position didn’t dare. She sang about uncomfortable subjects and made sure her audiences understood what those songs were really about.
Setting the contemporary archetype for a breakthrough artist, Theophilus Lonon dropped three mixtapes before releasing any product for sale. Utilizing a mix of ’80s downtown art/music aesthetics and postmodern viral freedom, he put art ahead of commerce and gained fame without the help of a major label or marketing push.
After the jump, check out the invite for the Cole Hann shoe release event…
While the name might not yet be familiar, you may recognize the face from some of our past photoshoots. Elle has been on the grind for a minute, recording material for her new album that’s set to drop this year on J Records. Peep her first single, featuring fellow up-and-comer J. Cole below.
We may be biased, but it’s safe to say this isn’t the last you’ll hear of her…
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Download it here: Elle Varner feat. J Cole – “Only Wanna Give It To You”.
Ms. Fiona adds some Island flavor to her latest offering. This is off her The MF Mixtape, which is dropping soon. Check out the music below…
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Download it here: Melanie Fiona – “Like I Love You”.
…via.
For year, the island of Jamaica has been known as a hotbed of musical talent and innovation. This fact has not been lost on popular R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo who announced this week that he’s set to launch a new music label that will operate out of JA, Compound Island.
The Jamaica Observer caught up with Ne-Yo to get the story on the launch from the man himself. Check out and excerpt from their story below…
…Compound Island, he said, will give fresh talent from Jamaica a chance to showcase their skills through an online talent search.
Ne-Yo’s manager, Tishawn Gayle, in stating their reason for choosing Jamaica, said that it was the ideal location for Compound Island due to the country’s strong musical heritage and continued influence on contemporary music.
“We chose Jamaica because of its rich legacy of producing some of the world’s biggest recording artistes, be it in notoriety or album sales,” said Gayle.
He stated that Jamaica had a heavy influence on the music industry when it comes to setting trends and said his company was also about teaching the business of entertainment….
Check out their full feature here.: Ne-Yo offers hope for new J’can talent – Entertainment – JamaicaObserver.com.
For more on the story, check the video below…
Help our friends at Records Breakin’ Music help the people of Japan. See the info on their exclusive charity mix below…
Originally released as a promo only CD giveaway in celebration for the Hot Peas and Butta Tokyo party held in Japan back in September 2010 and mix by DJ Skeme Richards using all 7″ original vinyl records. Due to the recent events in Japan, Hot Peas and Butta has teamed up with Record Breakin’ Music to re-release this mix in the form of a download that includes the original artwork which can now be purchased. All proceeds will go to a charity to help the people of Japan deal with the unfortunate events that have struck them in the past few weeks.
We have kept the price of this download low and encourage everyone to support this cause. The people of Japan have supported Hip Hop, Funk, Soul, Rare Grooves and other musical genres that have originated in our country to the fullest. They need our support.
We thank you in advance for your contribution and we hope that you enjoy this mix as much as those in Japan have since getting their first taste of Hot Peas and Butta.
100% of the proceeds go toward the Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Fund via GlobalGiving.org
www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/
DJ Skeme Richards
The Elroy Jenkins
DJ Junior (Record Breakin’ Music)credits
released 20 March 2011
Conceived and mixed by DJ Skeme Richards
Artwork by Elroy Jenkins
To preview and download the mix, click here: Japan Exclusive mixed by DJ Skeme Richards | Recordbreakin.
Shouts to the homie DJ Junior and congrats on 5 years of music. Check out their 5th anniversary mix below…
In celebration of Record Breakin’s 5 year Anniversary we asked our friend dj lil’ dave to do a mix of tunes from the catalog as well some future gems that will be coming out on the label. So enjoy and spread the news!
Also be sure to pick up a copy of the Record Breakin’ 5 Year Anniversary compilation available at http://www.recordbreakin.com/rbm024.html and other fine retail outlets in physical cd or digital format.
Check out the track list after the jump…
I’ve actually meant to post this for some time, so ‘new’ can be taken with a grain of salt. That said, it’s great to see the strides that Mr. Forté has made since his release from prison. Evidence of this grown lies not only in his words, but in his music. Both put forth an air of maturity, and patience.
John sat down with the folks at MSN’s Groove Urban blog to talk freedom, the mystique of prison and new music. Check an excerpt of their conversation below…
…Groove: Is it liberating for you to be able to have those moments free of what the other side of the industry is doing?
John Forte: For me it’s been a question of experience. I’ve had the blessings as well as the curses that come with success at a young age. Ascending to great heights and falling to great depths have given me an amazing sense of perspective. I feel sorry in many cases for some of the newer artists who are beholden to what some of their handlers say or what their record labels think. I don’t have a master and I will not have a master. I’m not interested in signing a record deal, and even if I do I’ll sign it with past knowledge of what that means and what is important and what is not important. It’s not important for me to invest in…you can’t be buried with it, so materialism has its ups but it also has its down. For me personally, the happiness that I’ve earned has been from the one on one exchanges. or really being able to help people to help themselves. Part of the philosophy of the Acumen, the ethos is this is not about charity. Charity is dead. I’m not interested in giving something out or being given something. I want to empower people and I want to be empowered. That’s fair. So yes, it’s liberating to not have the pressures of the industry weighing on my back…
Check out the two-part interview here: The Re-Introduction of John Forte – Part One II The Re-Introduction of John Forte – Part Two.
A taste of his new music, including a live performance at NYC’s City Winery, is after the jump…
First I heard about Bruno Mars’ coke problem, then I heard this track on the way to my soccer game last night. A little bit of bad mixed with a little bit of good, that’s life isn’t it? On to the track…
Download here
Here is the new Estelle video for “Fall in Love” premiered today and was shot in Brooklyn (possibly the Forte Greene area), interestingly enough the track actually has two versions. First up the Estelle featuring Nas version…
and now the John Legend version….