New York, NY (November 16, 2007) – In case you missed it, Jay-Z tied Elvis Presley for second all-time in No. 1 Billboard album debuts this week, as “American Gangster” shot to the top of the charts with total sales of 425,000.

Hovito’s 10th No. 1 debut tied him with the King, and leaves him chasing only The Beatles, who have 19 No. 1 album debuts.  Esteemed company for the Brooklyn boy no one thought much of at the outset of his career.  For those not in the know, “American Gangster” is music inspired from the film of the same name starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.  Both album and movie have seen rave reviews from critics and fans; one has to wonder if we’ll see Jay-Z at the Oscars as a guest and then again as a winner at the Grammy’s…

Also making their respective debuts was Chris Brown’s “Exclusive” and Cassidy’s “B.A.R.S. (The Barry Adrian Reese Story).”  Taking No. 4 and No. 10 respectively, each artist has hit singles that should buoy their albums in the coming weeks.

For analysis of the rest of the Billboard 200 and the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, get over to SOHH.com and see what Lauren Carter had to say.

New York, NY (November 14, 2007) – In the wake of Danger Mouse’s “The Grey Album,” the mash-up gained serious prestige, with DJ’s everywhere getting in on the act.  Well, after a tireless search, Angela Watercutter at Wired.com thinks she’s found the next great blend.

“Created by UK artist Bullion, it’s a spacey blend of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the beats of hip-hop producer J Dilla,” she writes on her blog.  While I’m not a huge fan of the Beach Boys, I do enjoy the islands, so anything to transport me back there is tolerable.  However, with backbeats from Dilla, I’m expecting this to be a fucking vacation!!

Download it here, or go to Bullion’s MySpace here.

Oh, and props to both Wired and Radio Edit for links on the Chessboxing article.  Check out both, they’re always worth the read.

New York, NY (November 14, 2007) – When we first heard the old man utter “The game of chess, is like a swordfight” on 36 Chambers, no one at the time would expect it to become a reality.  Well, whether it was the graphic novel “Equator Cold,” the Wu Tang Clan or some other genius, chessboxing is actually here.

First brought to the public spectacle in 2003, it has seen slow but gradual support build in European countries.  Just last week, an American by the name of David “Double D” Depto lost to
German Frank Stoldt, aka “ANTI TERROR,” by Queen to G7.  Incredible.  Here’s a snippet of the recap at the official site for The World Chess Boxing Organization:

…”A 37 year-old policeman (named) Frank Stoldt, a.k.a. “ANTI TERROR,” from Berlin won the first Light-Heavyweight World Championship title in chessboxing after defeating American David “Double D” Depto at the Berlin Tape Club yesterday. After a grueling battle, a checkmate in round seven produced a clear victor.

“The event, which took place in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 1200 fans in the sold-out storage depot of the Tape Club, also included a number of other matches: chess boxers of the Chess Boxing Club Berlin (CBCB), Sascha Wandkowsky and Sebastian Bauersfeld won the undercard fights against the competition from Cologne…”

Check out the official article from the BBC News here, and get in-depth with the Mystery of Chess Boxing at Wikipedia here.

New York, NY (November 14, 2007) – As the world continues to push forward and stretch the limits of technology, we’re all rushing to catch up.  Most of America’s younger generation has a handle on the rapidly changing World Wide Web, but those that have the power now are seeking ways to stave off the young-buck advance to stay ahead of the curve.

As music continues to be at the forefront of the digital revolution, or at least as it’s most visible and universal example, hip hop is part of the group pushing things further. BusinessWeek is featuring a slideshow that shows how some of hip hop’s biggest superstars have invested time, money and hope into social networks.

One of the cats on the list is MC Hammer, and his new site DanceJam.com.  Read more about that here.  You’ll also get a little insight into Dame Dash’s exclusive social network site, Block Savvy.  Just another example of how hip hop culture is more than the music it plays.  If only everyone understood that…

New York, NY (November 14, 2007) – All around the world, from London to the Bay, you’ll be able to get your dance on and compete for top billing thanks to the one and only, MC Hammer.

DanceJam.com is a new social network portal dedicated to dance videos and dance culture.  It will feature, according to Hammer, both premium videos and user-generated offerings.  Scheduled to launch November 12, 2007, at this writing, the site is not yet open to the public.  Beta testing is currently underway for invitation only members; visit the site and sign-up with an active email address to their mailing list and you might find an invite in your inbox.

The site features multiple aspects of the dancing culture, and is likely to integrate print content such as interviews and news in addition to the cornerstone video content.  Competitions will be a regular activity on the site, and could ultimately become a resource for video directors and talent scouts looking to find the next Ursher or JT. 

Mr. Can’t Touch This spent some time talking to BusinessWeek about the new venture and how different aspects of the site will function.  Notably, advertising is part of the plan.  The site will work to have “content and brand married together organically,” Hammer says.  His insight into advertising reveals evolving business models where advertisers no longer want to just be part of the background, but rather, be an active participant in making the engine run.  Sponsors will surely be attached to premium video content.

There are a million different avenues for the site to explore, from the latest dance trends associated with songs, to dance history, to music videos, to breaking, to ballet, to tap… the possibilities are endless.  Video, photos, news… maybe J-Lo gets down and bridges the gap from DanceJam.com to MTV?  Maybe ABC’s Dancing With The Stars shows up?  Who knows?  Bravo to Hammer and his investors (Rustic Canyon, Ron Conway, Michael Arrington, Alex Algard, Michael Tanne, Geoff Ralston, Alex Welch and Ariel Poler) for putting this together.

New York, NY (November 14, 2007) – This article is actually an older item, posted last week at TechCrunch.  It briefly discusses the new Facebook Advertising service, but more for our purposes, it delves a bit into Facebook music.

Many of you probably already have FB pages with your music on it.  However, with the announcement of FB Ads and the site officially turning its members into walking billboards (not unlike the New Era fitteds, iPods or dunks you already have on in the REAL world), another item of note slipped a bit more quietly under the radar. In the same way FB is allowing brands to get their own pages, stake their identity and market themselves through FB’s user population, musicians can now do the same thing.  However, with the popular application iLike already featuring close to 10 million members, which method is more worthwhile to you?

…“Well,” writes TechCrunch author Erick Schonfeld, “it turns out that iLike does not care which page artists choose to call their home.  Any widget on the iLike artist page – popular songs, upcoming concerts, the iCast blog, even the iLike button – can be plopped into a Facebook artist page (also known as a canvas page).  And every link in each of those widgets takes you back to the Facebook application pages that iLike controls.

“This is not an unintended consequence.  I asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg yesterday about the potential here for Facebook to be competing with its own app developers.  He responded, ‘What is the effect on app developers if we are making it possible for bands to have music pages?  It increases distribution because your app can be on that page.’”

So wise, he is.  With the announcement of FB Ads and the subsequent FB music pages, iLike also announced the launch of the Universal Artist Dashboard.   The general idea is that iLike becomes a one-stop informational depot where you can dump your latest news, songs, tour info, merch, blog entries, etc. and it will blast it out across the associated sites in it’s network (assuming you have a profile there, I would think).  With it’s partnership in Google’s OpenSocial, the networks to be included are MySpace, Bebo, Ning, Hi5, Orkut and in iGoogle web widgets.  It’s an exciting time for the artist with so many outlets, but one reader on TC, Bruce Warila, had this to say:

…”I think building a network of “friends” within a branded ecosystem is overrated. If you make great music, real friends will find your own site and you will be the beneficiary of the traffic.

Once again, some of these new tools are great, but think wisely about how you use them and your time. Setting up a quick profile and using these sites to drive traffic to your own blog/site is my 2007.11 recommendation.”

My suggestion would be to go the iLike route for now, and focus on that.  But don’t neglect your Facebook page.  And remember, like the comment above says, you always want people back at YOUR OWN destination.  Use the tools at your disposal to figure out how to do it.

New York, NY (November 12, 2007) – We’ve been talking about it for weeks on the site, and now it looks like there is finally some proof of concept.  Industry heads are cautiously revisiting the long-lost strategy of artist development, squarely placing this return to the past on a long-overdue re-tooled business model.  Dubbed “360 deals,” the idea is not completely revolutionary, but it has the potential to change the way record companies make their money.

As it is, 360 in hip hop is a term that’s practically a founding pillar of the culture.  But while it’s meaning to us is clear, the powers that be have taken the term and monetized it’s concept.  From NY Times writer, Jeff Leeds:

…”Commonly known as “multiple rights” or “360” deals, the new pacts emerged in an early iteration with the deal that Robbie Williams, the British pop singer signed with EMI in 2002. They are now used by all the major record labels, and even a few independents.  Madonna has been the most prominent artist to sign on (her recent $120 million deal with the concert promoter Live Nation allows it to share in her future earnings), but the majority of these new deals are made with unknown acts.

“It’s not possible to tabulate the number of acts working under 360 deals, but worldwide, record labels share in the earnings with such diverse acts as Lordi, a Finnish metal band which has its own soft drink and credit card, and Camila, a Mexican pop trio that has been drawing big crowds to its concerts. In the United States, Interscope Records benefits from the marketing spin-offs from the Pussycat Dolls, including a Dolls-theme nightclub in Las Vegas…”

It’s an interesting strategy, and on the surface it seems fair.  “Artists share not just revenue from their album sales,” Leeds writes, “but concert, merchandise and other earnings with their label in exchange for more comprehensive career support.”  While it’s any band’s dream to develop under the watchful eye of professionals and groom their chops by playing live shows, connecting with fans, the danger inherent is that the artist can never be guaranteed to hit it big.  In sharing more with the label, from that standpoint, the artist has more to lose now than ever before, especially in an instant-information age where opinions can be levied so quickly.

On how hip hop could fair in the new marketplace:

…”Rap acts, for example, might lose out, since their recordings can be expensive to produce and very few become touring successes. On the other hand, rappers can attract lucrative endorsements for products from sneakers to computers to soft drinks; many have started apparel lines. With an eye to a piece of that potential revenue, Atlantic recently signed the Brooklyn rapper Maino to a 360-style pact.”

Leeds gets more depth, and it’s well worth the read.  Click here to view the article in its entirety.

New York, NY (November 11, 2007) – As most sneaker heads will tell you, Reebok has seen its share of ups and downs over the years.  I’m a fan of their classic line (plain and simple), but anymore, kids want the splashy colors and ill designs to compliment the rest of their gear, searching for that perfect way to embody their own unique sense of style.  Customization has proven to be the answer.

Recently, Reebok commissioned world-renowned graphic designer and MIT Media Labs professor John Maeda to design a limited-edition sneaker that would define Maeda’s philosophy: “Simplicity = Sanity.”  Taking into account his own design credo and the desires of today’s market place for the unexpected, Maeda has come up with a sneaker that seamlessly blends the two concepts. 

Drawing inspiration from the math and science he and his MIT brethren use to make the world move, The Timetanium, a swirling, unpredictable mash of brilliant yellows and greens with stark black separated by smooth, fading grey lines and traditional white is surely going to be up for Sneaker of the Year.  Shout out to the Wildedge GTX and Nash Money’s Air Max 360/Visvim FBT mash-up, but to me this is the definition of eye-candy and complete wearability. 

The shoe officially drops this week, November 13. Click here for the full article and some of the eye-popping color photos.  Only 100 pairs will be produced, so you’ll have to dig deep to find them.

New York, NY (November 8, 2007) - Professionally known as Miss Dade County, Gigglez was first introduced to us as a Round 2 Winner in Bracket B of Loud.com’s $100,000 search for the next great hip hop star.  After doing a little bit of digging, however, it’s clear she’s been on the grind for a minute.  Hailing from Miami, FL, Miss Dade is affiliated with Trina, and has logged studio time with super-producers Cool & Dre and Tha Otherz.  An exceptional modeling career has given her the opportunity to work in videos alongside Trick Daddy, T.I., Chris Brown, David Banner and The Clipse (among many others), but we wanted to get a little bit beyond the swagger and find out more about the person.  She chatted with us via telephone about her struggles growing up, current successes and how she was able to overcome those early childhood hardships to become an incredibly focused and intelligent, 19-year-old budding superstar.

Loud.com:  So what’s poppin, lady, what’s up in Miami?

Everything’s great, man, I feel real good right now.  I am in a spot with my music that’s just… it’s hard to put into words.  I feel very blessed to be working with some of the people I have at this point in my career.  It’s a great feeling to be focused on my music because that’s where I get the most enjoyment, day in, day out.  Not everyone can do that, so it’s nice to have that in my life right now. 

Loud.com:  Miami is a dope town.  You get out to the Grove or Mansion or any of that, is that your scene?

Yeah, I’m definitely out and about.  It’s actually been raining the past few days, though, the thunder has been crazy.  I got a mango tree in my yard and it got split in the storm.  But I mean, I love my city, they show me love here.  The beach, the club scene is really good, whether it’s the Grove, or downtown.  It’s good people all over, whatever they’re into.  They got this new spot called Karu NY, it’s pretty cool.

Loud.com:  Ok, ok.  So how did you break into music?

I used to work for Po Boy Entertainment as an assistant in the studio. That’s where my “professional beginnings” really started, I guess.  They knew I did music and I recorded a few songs over there.  They actually blessed me with my name, Miss Dade County. 

Loud.com:  Ah, aiight.  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to call you… Gigglez, Deanna, Dee… you got more names than, like, Method Man.

(Laughs)  Yeah, you know.  AP Gigglez was just something I used to rock under, kind of a street name, and I sort of put that up on the site for whatever reason.  But Miss Dade County is my actual stage name, yes. 

And it was a good look on their part, Po Boy were very good to me.  They tried helping me out a little bit, like, it was all good.  But I was still an assistant there, you know, so I still had a job to do.  As time went on and I got more into recording, it basically came to a point where I had to leave and go out on my own and network, though.  But, yeah, I was able to meet some of the current producers that I’m working with now through Po Boy.

Loud.com: There aren’t many female emcees on the site.  What’s that like, to sort of be singled out from the male emcees…

There are good girl emcees on Loud.com.  But I know of more girls down here in Miami that I’m trying to get on.  Like, we’re always trying to be doin the Ladies Stand-up thing, trying to make it happen for them.  I think for females it’s always going to be hard, and right now, there doesn’t seem to be too many options and avenues we have to go down.  And you don’t want people that sound the same or are repetitive.  But as far as Loud.com, I think that’s why I stood out to Steve.  My swagger is different.

Loud.com: Tell me about Trina and how you guys linked up.

I hooked up with her through a producer I was working with, C-O from Tha Otherz.  He’s such a good dude!  He was playin one of my records at his crib and Trina happened to be there, heard it, and said she wanted to get with me.  So I met up with her, we got in the studio, and the rest is history.  The single is done, it’s called “Just A Girl.”  We ship to radio soon.  We have an all-female group called Pretty Money, it’s Trina, myself and my homegirl Nisha.  I think our real strength is that we all bring something different to the table.  (laughs)  Like I said, I’m pretty excited right now, I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such creative people.

Loud.com: You heard Foxy’s new joint? 

I have not heard Foxy’s new joint, no.  I’ve been on the road with everyone and grindin my own music, out to clubs, distributing, talking about Loud, so I don’t get into the radio as much as I’d like.

Loud.com:  Word, understandable.  Any thoughts on Lauren Hill or Eve or any other female emcees that have left their mark on people’s minds?  Like, did you list them as influences in your music or were you not brought up on them…

As far as Lauren or Eve, Foxy, anybody that did it, Missy included too, they all inspire me.  I mean, Missy, she is very high on the list.  She just came out so different, that’s what I like about her.  She’s an idol to me, she would start off a track screamin and with weird voices!  Her swagger is ridiculous.  She’s a real entertainer.  You leave a show of hers and it’s like you gotta go back to see her right that minute.  She’s left a huge imprint on me. 

Trina is like ‘WOW,’ though.  She’s always, ALWAYS been there for me.  She’s given me hope, she’s from the same place as me, she tells me all the time that I can do this for real.  It’s like, she pushes me, telling me not to worry about the lack of money and that you can come from nothing, and I love her for that.  She calls me her protégé!

Loud.com:  That’s real cool, it’s good to hear you talk about the people that came before you like that.  So lets rewind a bit.  Your bio on your MySpace says growing up was rough.  What kind of things were you seeing and hearing?

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Scarface,” that’s what my life was like as a little kid.  My parents were in a situation where they did what they had to do to take care of us.  There were points in time when we had everything and points in time when we had nothing. 

My father is an incredible musician, so I grew up as a studio baby, knowing what it was like to see an artist have everything and then have nothing.  All the politics and the meetings and the papers and the lawyers… it made me open my mind more to the business aspect of music, learn more about it and be an artist that can handle everything.  In his situation, he’s done a lot of great music and written for people but doesn’t have all the credit he deserves.  So because of that, we lived poor.  There wasn’t a lot of money, we got by on food stamps and welfare.  Drugs were around.  My brother was involved in gangs, I was almost shot a few times, it was just a hard lifestyle.  People look at me and might think I’m pretty or whatever, but they have no clue what I’ve gone through on an emotional level. 

Loud.com:  How did that affect you?

It’s definitely made me stronger as a person.  If I hadn’t seen that, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.  Some people might have seen it and taken the easy way out, you know, having like suicidal thoughts or whatever.  I believe that you struggle and it’s so important that you see the positive side of things, because everything happens for a reason.  Today it makes me push harder.  I have goals and I want to accomplish them. 

Loud.com:  Is there a specific moment that you look to, like when you think of quitting or whatever, something that you hold close that gives you that extra push from somewhere within?

There was a moment where my mother came home crying one time, and I didn’t know what was wrong.  We were going through a lot of hard times then.  My parents were together but they had split up and all that.  I was about 10 years old, and, like, I was really skinny when I was a kid, active, tall, all that.  But someone had like, went to my mom saying something that they thought I was a crack baby, telling my Mom that all us kids were no good, that our family wasn’t anything, we were just worthless people.  She broke down and couldn’t understand how someone could say something like that just because of how we were living at that point.

I love my mother, she’s always been a very strong person… and I will NEVER, EVER let anybody disrespect my mom like that again by making her feel bad, like she made children that wouldn’t accomplish anything.  I live my life everyday with the intention of taking care of my family and close friends and making her proud of me with everything I do.

Loud.com:  Wow, that had to be a pretty traumatic thing.  I can’t imagine what kind of impact that would have on a kid growing up… I’m sorry, it seems like a pretty painful memory, the question wasn’t intended to get at it like that…

Nah, I mean… it’s just life, you know, you learn to deal with it.

Loud.com:  Word up.  I think as painful as talking about things like that can be, those kind of words help people connect with you even more on a personal level, and that gives fans a whole new perspective to your music.  It’s big of you to talk about.

Thank you.

Loud.com:  Aiight, so, lets move away from that.  I saw on your MySpace you have a video with Cool and Dre… What was is like being in the studio with them?

Oh, wow, I mean, that was incredible!  I think it was one of the best moments I’ve ever had in my life.  They were real cool, real nice to me, the way they tested me… it was all real!  They just wanted to prove to everyone it wasn’t faked or a game or set up, like I wasn’t really legit and didn’t deserve to be there.  It was kind of affirmation to me in a way.  I know I’ve busted my ass to be in the spot where I am.  They recognized that and it was a blessing to be in the studio with them.  They were like Loud, watch out, we might steal her!! 

But even on that end, I want people to know that Loud.com can’t be your only hustle!!  You can’t depend on one thing.  If you depend on one thing, and complain and all that, you won’t ever succeed. You’ll have a negative train of thought.  There’s got to be a whole movement behind you and it starts in the street and extends on-line, people really need to understand that.

Loud.com:  Where did the idea for Virtual Reality come from?

Oh, man… mainly because I never do things like that!  I was thinking to myself, like, ‘Yo, I gotta do something different for my fellas!’  I always hold it down for the ladies but I wanted to give the boys something they could get into. 

See, I listen to all types of music.  My father is a pianist, I grew up listening to Bach, Beethoven, hip hop, EVERYTHING.  I just heard the track and knew I wanted to flip it different.  Listening to the instrumental, I downloaded it and it sounded real trance-y!!  The producer was so left field with it, like it was the soundtrack to a video game.  Halo or Final Fantasy, something way out there.  I was like ‘Wow!  Let me do it like this.’ 

What’s funny is that, another reason I think I stand out, I don’t ever really mention anything overtly sexual in my rhymes.  I don’t like to talk about that stuff.  I just tried to get in touch with my feminine side on this joint though, like not cross the line, but be a bit creative and step out of my comfort zone.  I went in with the mindset of, ‘What if I was a video game?’

Loud.com: Fair enough.  So you just graduated high school… how do you think your state of mind differs from other 19 year olds right now?

According to what people tell me, I’m more mature and more focused than most people my age.  A lot of people who are established tell me things like, ‘Yo, when I was your age, I didn’t have it that way, I wasn’t hustling’ etcetera.  But especially as a female in my position, I have to be thinking ahead.  There are girls out here like me, there has to be.  But it’s just that I grind harder for my age, I’m focused.  I could be in the studio all day, all night, no sleep, I don’t care.  I love to work.  It’s what makes me happy.  I’m not trying to be in a relationship with anyone, I am about my business right now, I love to work because it’s fun.

Loud.com:  Being an attractive woman, was it harder to be taken seriously as an artist?  You started as a model for videos and all that…

Yeah, I mean, I worked for a modeling agency, for a minute, like over a year.  It kind of just jumped off, I didn’t think I was going to get so into it.  I had met these girls, one of them I got close with and she was modeling and told me I needed to get into it.  I didn’t look like anything I do now, so they sort of transformed me!  But yeah, I went to our first casting, met an agent.  But I always stayed on my music.  The deeper I got into it, the harder it was to be taken serious as an artist, though, you’re right. 

Loud.com:  Karrine Steffans has kind of left a dirty impression of industry girls in our minds, how were you able to do to get around that?

It’s a double edged sword.  It’s a positive thing, the way I look, but it’s negative too.  I just stay on my focus, that’s the only thing you can do.  When I meet those people and have those conversations, I make sure to let them know how serious I am.  They have no choice but to respect it.  I respond to their questions seriously, so if you’re serious about what you do, you have the skill, drive and all that, people see that and respect you.  I’m not going to walk into a room all giggly, I’m going to be real and on some, ‘aiight, lets talk.’  I don’t wear a lot of makeup when I hit the studio, either, I got sweats on and my hair pulled back.  I probably don’t look too hot, so, that probably helped a few times!  

Loud.com:  Ha, aiight.  That said, how sexy is too sexy for young girls today?  Are they being given a positive image to live up to?  With hip hop artists as the most visible artists today, who’s responsible for what kids are hearing, seeing and doing?  Is that something you think about in your music?

Man, those are tough questions.  I think things are a little too sexy today, and females don’t always get the respect they deserve.  But I think kids are going to listen to what they want.  It’s the beautiful part about music but also the kind of thing that can hurt you.  That’s what makes me different.  When I was young, I listened to Trina and heard what she was talking about, but in the end, it depends on the type of person you are. 

It’s something you have to understand.  I just wasn’t that type of kid.  I grew up around a bunch of boys, so I never really hung out with girls.  Guys saw me as their little sister, I chilled with like 20 guys, they all knew my mom, they took me places, looked out for me, and I mean, I saw what they did to some girls.  But that type of lifestyle never looked right for me.  They told me you might see this but don’t do it.  I basically took care of myself and never fell into it. 

For little kids, you know, that type of stuff, that’s why I do the type of music I do.  I can reach a lot of people that way.  I can go hard if I want to, make no mistake, but I want to have songs for everyone.  I want to have my commercial tracks that everyone can enjoy.  “Just A Girl” is a track everyone can spin.  It’s grown up and it’s cute, but it’s something that your 5-year-old could buy.  I’m not cursing heavy or talking about opening my legs to guys.  There’s an audience that wants the harder, more sexual stuff, and that’s fine.  But I want people to know there are other choices out there. 

Loud.com:  So is music your full-time gig or do you have something you’re doing on the side to keep your change up?  Do you still model?

Yeah, I’m still modeling.  I just did the Chris Brown “Kiss, Kiss” video.  I don’t know if you saw it, but I was in the David Banner “Speaker/9 Millimeter” video, too.  Usually I only do videos if I get feature roles.  The latter video was kind of weird though, because all the girls were wearing neon glowing things, but I’m the main one in it.  I have on a red top and black shorts that you can see at one point.  I’m the girl that puts his hood on him (Banner).  

Loud.com:  What’s been the best part about your participation in Loud.com right now?

The publicity and the fact that I have a shot at getting to the finals!  It makes me really happy.  I’m trying to hold it down for the ladies, like, I’m the only girl!!  I’m overwhelmed, I’m just so happy about it.  I’m not signed or anything, like I work with Trina and I open for her at shows, she helps me focus and all that, lets me know what I need to be doing.  But I haven’t signed anything with anyone, so this contest might be the perfect avenue to figure out that part of my career.

Loud.com:  Any advice to people on the site trying to be noticed or recognized online? 

Get a Loud.com account and get your MySpace-game up.  That’s how I got most of my support.  I just finished overhauling my MySpace not too long ago, I had someone custom-design it for me. 

My secret weapon, though, was that I have a model MySpace page with thousands of friends.  I got at least 75% of those friends to go and vote for me on Loud.com  I had a lot of girls from my agency set up accounts and support me, too.  I’ve been blessed with a huge network of great people, so it was kind of like calling in a huge favor.

But really, you can’t underestimate word-of-mouth.  There’s a lot of ways to put out your music on-line.  Right now I have songs on 305music.com, 24hourhiphop.com, TJ’s DJ’s, all that.  The Internet is an incredible tool.  But you still gotta keep on your street grind, hit the clubs, flyers, whatever it takes.  Any artist these days needs to get on the computer because you can only do so much on your feet.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Loud.com:  So what’s up, any albums or mixtape’s in the works?

We’re working on a mixtape, the Pretty Money mixtape.  I’m not sure which DJ is hosting it yet, but that’s going to drop soon, I will be letting everyone know as it gets closer.

Loud.com:  Very cool.  I want to again thank you for taking out some time with us.  If there’s anything we didn’t get to address, the floor is yours.

I want to thank God and I want to let people know that if you have a dream or anything you want to accomplish, you can’t think about people hating.  You have to focus!!! Have that drive, that work ethic.  Trina told me once, that, if you don’t have a certain amount of haters by the end of the week, you ain’t doing something right.  (laughs)  I look at ‘em and laugh and keep it movin.  They don’t do nothing but give you free promotion.  Other than that, Miss Dade County in the building!

New York, NY (November 7, 2007) - In response to some users not being able to embed or see the widget, we re-upped it for you.  Go here to get the embed codes so you can stream the mixtape on your profiles!!  If you want to download the entire mixtape in a zip format, make sure you’re logged in and go to http://www.loud.com/feature/feature_wutangmix - it’s just that easy.

Here’s the Official Wu-Tang Clan 8 Diagrams Mixtape Tracklisting:

1) Intro feat. Method Man
2) Watch Ur Mouf (Wu-Tang Exclusive)
3) State Of Grace (Raekwon Exclusive)
4) Break That Break (Unreleased)
5) Wu Banga 101 Remix (Unreleased)
6) My Corner (Raekwon Exclusive)
7) Stick Me 4 My Riches (Wu-Tang Exclusive)
Thug World (Wu-Tang Exclusive)
9) Maxine Remix (Unreleased)
10) King Toast Queen (Unreleased)
11) Strawberries & Cream Remix
12) Weak Spot (Wu-Tang Exclusive)
13) Intoxicated feat Macy Gray (ODB Exclusive)
14) Crooklyn Dodgers (Ghostface Exclusive)
15) The “W” Remix (Unreleased)
16) Real Nillaz
17) Ghost Is Back
18) Don’t Go Breaking My Heart ODB feat Macy Gray
19) Violent Skit
20) Life Changes (Wu-Tang Exclusive)
21) Treez (Unreleased)
22) The Abduction
23) John 3:16
24) Good
25) Da Destroyer (Raekwon Freestyle)
26) Iron God Chamber
27) 4:20
28) Wise (Unreleased)
29) Presidential M.C. (Bonus Track - The Heart Gently Weeps)

New York, NY (November 7, 2007) – Info on Lala.com first hit PR newswires earlier this summer, and record execs everywhere took notice.  The man behind the site, entrepreneur and software guru Bill Nguyen, had a plan to give away free music, “betting that the chance (for users) to explore the sonic landscape will get listeners excited.”  Fans were excited, business folks were skeptical, and to a point, execs were horrified.  That someone would approach such a delicate issue by embracing the very element that was undermining the whole industry seemed unthinkable.

But as it breaks down, Nguyen’s business model isn’t unlike what Radiohead did.  Because while the particulars differ, the idea there is the same – let the people decide.  Wired Magazine caught up with Nguyen to talk about it’s impending launch this month.  From the author, Cliff Kuang:

…”Starting in November, according to Nguyen, Lala will offer unlimited on-demand streams of music from two of the four major labels (the company’s still negotiating with the other two). That music doesn’t come free to Lala — the company expects to pay more than $160 million in licensing fees to the labels over the first two years. Rhapsody has a similar arrangement, but it charges users a subscription fee of about $15 per month. Lala won’t charge users a penny. Instead, the company intends to recoup those costs through music sales. It hopes to pull in $120 million in the first two years, which works out to roughly $5 of revenue per user per month, Nguyen says. In addition to brokering trades among members, Lala will deal downloads, sell physical CDs, even hock vinyl — and he says more revenue streams are on the way.”

Designing the site to operate like a social networking was on purpose, too, Nguyen goes on to say in the article.  To be honest, all of this is a pretty ballsy move.  Indeed, sites like Pandora, Last.fm and even Rhapsody have used the discovery method to entice listeners, but no one has ever given EVERYTHING away for free.  As negotiations continue with the other two major labels, artists and CEO’s may do well getting onboard with Lala.com from jumpstreet, if only to be associated with the movement. 

As with any social network, the successful ones have to have a hook that people will believe in.  So as Nguyen moves forward, it will definitely be interesting to see how he presents this to the public (and the record execs wringing their hands in the background).  Having two huge labels riding shotgun will help initially, but there’s still major uncertainty attached.  If the move is for you, definitely explore ways to exploit this for your own artists or music. 

Give the guy gets serious props for stepping out and really being the first to challenge the revenue model in hopes to rebuild it fairly.  Well done.

Read the Wired article here.

Check out Lala.com and their mission here.

And, of course, get more from Techcrunch here.

New York, NY (November 7, 2007) – Having worked at a digital marketing company for a year and a half, I understand and appreciate the role of the mp3 blogger.  For the savvy music consumer (and yes, even the digital thief), mp3 blogs are the quickest, easiest way of checking out new artists and scoring a cache of dope tunes for the iPod. In today’s market, they represent the next evolution of the street team.

The folks at The Morning News wanted to go a bit deeper than artist promotion and free music, though, and get at the root of what drives the folks behind the posts and downloads.  There’s passion there, they found, but it’s not as anti-establishment as you’d think.  Serving their purpose as free-of-charge-enterprise promo machines aside, all six bloggers at the roundtable admitted doing it for the love, the ego and for the potential exposure they can give an artist.  Says Andrew Nosnitsky of Cocaine Blunts & Hip Hop Tapes (and the weekly radio show of the same name on WRGW):

…”First and foremost, I do it for the love.  There are tons of heads out there just as hungry about discovering new music as I am.  I know I would kill for a resource like my site (of course, cocaineblunts.com only posts mp3s I already have).  The response has been so positive, I feel like I’m almost obligated to keep it going. 

“It’s also great in terms of networking, not necessarily on a professional level, but it’s always fun when a journalist whose work I’ve been reading since high school emails me just to say they feel what I’ve been doing.  Plus, it’s good publicity for my radio show (but then again, I do that for no reason but the love, sooo…).  But mostly, I do it for the chicks.  Chicks love mp3 blogs.”

What makes this conversation important is that the authors are cracking the psychology and philosophy of the people responsible, in part, for the record industry’s business model falling apart in the way that it has.  Touching on why or why not the major labels choose to deal with mp3 blogs and artists seeking the exposure, Sean Michaels of Said the Gramophone:

…”The purpose of Said the Gramophone is to expose good songs to willing ears. If people like a song, I hope that they will buy the record or attend the show. Many, many do.  I think musicians (and even labels) are beginning to understand that sampling precedes purchase, (and) that it’s a way to learn about and fall in love with music. Most mp3 blogs aren’t trying to sabotage artists and record companies – to “give away songs for free” – but rather to support them, to applaud them, to make grassroots connections between good songs and the people who will enjoy (and then buy) them.

“There are human beings out there who will download and enjoy music without ever buying it. Some of these people cannot afford to buy all the CDs they want. Some can. When it comes to the latter, mp3 blogs aren’t much help: We don’t post more than a couple songs from a record, and we don’t keep those songs online for Googlers to hunt down. As for the former, however—the ones who choose to pay the rent rather than purchase the Miles Davis discography—I like to hope that most musicians would rather their songs be heard (and cherished) than not.”

But it’s their “taking the power back” attitude, so to speak, and putting the artist in the forefront that these (typically) unpaid would-be marketers sniff out great talent and splash it across their socially excepted channels willingly.  As a responsible handler, A&R, manager or artist, it would be wise to develop your own relationship with these people, as they might provide you the additional boost you need to get off the ground.

And while that seems pretty logical, it’s not easily accomplished.  As you’ll read, some of these guys have egos bigger than the traffic they drive, and stroking that ego can be a delicate dance.  Consistently good product helps, but finding the right person to speak to is key.  If you can get in with one particular blog and establish a good rapport with them, you have a better opportunity to have the people on their blogroll (blog friends) pick up you or your artists music, simply by association.  They can often help establish relationships for you.  But be savvy, be respectful and be consistent.  Often times, they have so much music to go through, pestering them isn’t a good look.  These guys read everything they get, and even if they’re backlogged, will eventually get around to it, their desire and thirst for music is THAT deep.  So don’t be pushy, but hit them up consistently enough to let them know you’re looking for some guidance. 

Aiight, so check out the article here.  Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack are the founding editors of The Morning News.  The article and it’s main points is not specific to hip hop, but rather, extends across the board for a healthy cross-section of the sub-industry.  It’s an excellent interview, unique topic and has some really great (albeit self-indulgent) answers from the panel.

New York, NY (November 7, 2007) – Diddy, known to police blotters as Sean Combs, will not face criminal charges on allegations stemming from an October 13 scrap in front of a SoHo nightspot, his legal rep announced Tuesday, November 6.

Combs’ attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement: "I’ve been informed by the Manhattan district attorney’s office that after a thorough investigation, they have made a decision not to authorize any arrests in connection with the incident involving Mr. Combs and Steven Acevedo on October 13. I want to commend the DA’s office and the New York City Police Department for conducting a thorough and very fair investigation into this incident and not allowing this private disagreement between two acquaintances to turn into a criminal charge."

For the entire article and an explanation of the events, get over to MTV.com.

Note to would-be moguls: you don’t have Diddy’s star-power yet; keep it laced and focus on the music.

New York, NY (November 6, 2007) – No one was sure what was going to happen when Radiohead announced that it would be selling it’s new album “In Rainbows” directly through their website as strictly a digital download.  Some thought it’s October 10th release would be a financial windfall for the band, with a dedicated fanbase showing up in droves to support the new business model.  Others were skeptical, though, placing little faith in people’s conscience to pay for music they knew they didn’t have to with the subsequent effect spelling death for the record industry.

Andrew Lipsman, a writer for Comscore.com, tackled the question and posed some interesting thoughts.  At the very least, the album provided a sound, albeit slightly flawed, case-study for future bands wanting to attempt something similar. Here’s the press release he refers to in the article.  It offers additional perspective; one of the more interesting responses is quoted here:

…“While the band, its fans and artists alike are celebrating what looks like a success for Radiohead’s bold move in releasing their new album using the ‘pay what you’d like’ model, I think everybody has overlooked one very important aspect of this, and it doesn’t bode well for the future of the music industry,” says Michael Laskow, CEO of TAXI, the world’s leading independent A&R (Artist and Repertoire) company. “Radiohead has been bankrolled by their former label for the last 15 years. They’ve built a fan base in the millions with their label, and now they’re able to cash in on that fan base with none of the income or profit going to the label this time around. That’s great for the band and for fans who paid less than they would under the old school model.  But at some point in the not too distant future, the music industry will run out of artists who have had major label support in helping them build a huge fan base. The question is: how will new artists be able to use this model in the future if they haven’t built a fan base in the millions in the years leading up to the release of their album under the pay what you’d like model?”…

Indeed, what new strategies and models are out there?  The person that answers that question will be hailed as a genius by the industry and a traitor by the fans.  Because as much as labels have won out in the past, satisfying that beast aiming to recoup loses will not be easy, with more bands and fans than ever clamoring to get over the juggernaut any way they can.  To make everyone happy, it’s going to take a joint effort between dynamic and forward-thinking business people and truly cutting-edge tech heads.

The most important point to concede, though, is that, in an age where the artist is winning in exposure but still struggling financially, there HAS to be a measure where the artist wins indefinitely, because without artists - there are no labels.  The time of labels, "making" an artist, is slowly becoming nothing more than a green paper memory.  The new business model MUST reflect that ideology, or you will continue to see piracy in a new, and evolved form.

New York, NY (November 6, 2007) – MTV recently commissioned the research group Social Technologies to unlock what makes the uber-important 12 – 24 demographic happy.  The results of their findings were surprising.

“The characteristic that will most shape their current and future pursuit of happiness may be a deep-seated pragmatism,” explains project manager Traci Stafford Croft, who traveled to three cities (Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Atlanta) with MTV’s staff to interview about five dozen 12–24 year olds. In the study’s next phase, the Associated Press surveyed another 1,200 youths to further flesh out the findings.

That common-sense attitude is an obtuse departure from generations before, which characteristically, were not so rational in their thought processes.  Today’s youthful consumer is clearly smarter and more informed (no time for being wary) of what’s being presented to them.  For musicians and artists, though, this could very-well translate as skepticism.  The current 12 – 24 demo, the report suggests, are savvy thinkers and have a grasp on the bigger picture a bit more than their predecessors.  Look no further for evidence on that than this:

…”My Life, My Time, My Way: Youth will take control of their own happiness.  91% said they have goals for the future (81% have career/work goals, 64% education, 62% family, 63% money, 48% travel, 17% sports, while 12% hope for fame).”

When presenting music and ideas to this generation, the biggest thing you are going to have to be is thorough.  Defining your music, product or artist in a solid, truthful way will have the biggest impact; any insufficiencies or half-truths probably will have your brand going the way of the dodo.  Be well-rounded in your approach and don’t try to fool anybody with the bells and whistles.  The next generation of music consumer is on, if not ahead, of the curve and will have a grip on technology.  Use that to your advantage, i.e. Soulja Boy, and look for alternative ways to make dynamic music appeal to this demographic in your marketing.

Founded in 1999 by futurist Tom Conger, Social Technologies has grown into a global firm with dozens of futurists, analysts, and consultants located around the world.  (They) focus on three practice areas (Foresight, Strategy, and Innovation), four service areas (Research, Consulting, Events, and Communications) and a growing suite of programs (Futures Consortium, Futures Expeditions, Futures Cooperative, and Futures University).  For more information, go here.

New York, NY (November 5, 2007) – Loud.com and the Wu-Tang Clan are whetting appetites for the Wu’s upcoming release with the "8 Diagrams" Mixtape and official mixtape widget. 

The legendary Wu-Tang Clan will release their latest album "8 Diagrams" on December 11th, 2007 through Loud/SRC Records.  The "8 Diagrams" mixtape is available for FREE download exclusively through Loud.com.  It features 29 tracks of new and unreleased Wu-Tang material. You can stream the full mixtape using the Loud.com "8 Diagrams" widget, which we’ve enabled you to embed into any MySpace or blog (feel free to pass along to other fans and friends).  Or, if you’d prefer to download it for yourself, you can login and download the full mixtape for free from Loud.com.

In case you missed it, check out RZA as he talks “The Heart Gently Weeps” here.

New York, NY (November 4, 2007) – Today’s fresh and fly info comes courtesy of Format Magazine.  It’s an ill spot for any and all Urban Fashion news, pics, video, etc.  Like I had to tell you.

Check out this Q&A with Greedy Genius, they do some dope stuff with their kicks.  Peep game:

…”In one of the hardest markets to penetrate, the Greedy Genius crew, have, within the past year, established themselves as one of the household names in sneakers. Utilizing the power of the Internet, and the needs of a trendsetting demographic for a new, original presence, Greedy Genius uses innovative materials, and designs to catch the eyes of the quickly growing streetwear market. After a successful year, including collaborations with Barney’s and placement in a Toyota ad spot, co-founder/creative director Mikhayel Tesfaye reflects and projects the future of Greedy Genius, with Format.

Format: What was the initial inspiration for Greedy Genius?
Mik: Independence. Freedom of expression that we created and produce ourselves as entrepreneurs. The meaning of Greedy Genius is the overwhelming desire to achieve success in whatever we do. That says it all right there…”

Good interview, sick pics also.  Also of note, One Anthem and Format have announced a design contest to get your art on their t-shirts.  The contest ends December 4th, so now is the time to kick the markers into gear.  Go here to find out about the prizes and how to enter the contest.

New York, NY (November 3, 2007) – Happy Hangovers, kids!!  It’s a gloomy Saturday in NY, but fear not.  Things will brighten exponentially tomorrow at 4pm.  Pats, Colts, people, need I say more?

But yeah, thanks to all for checking in, it’s a good look this morning/afternoon.  Right now, I’ve got your weekly dose of chart watching from Yo! Raps.  The site was slightly tweaked again in the last few weeks; it has a more stream-lined look and easier navigation now.  Shout out to Kai for all the hard work, he’s over in Germany doin it big.  They’ve got two pretty dope interviews up at the moment, one featuring David Banner talking about “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and the other, a lengthy convo about “B.A.R.S.” with Cassidy.

Here’s some info from the article:

…“Little Brother made their Billboard debut at No. 89. The duo, now 9th Wonder-less, have a long road ahead of them. The underground darlings pushed 9,500 copies of "Get Back" amidst mostly 4-star reviews. Houston emcee Trae debuted at No. 104 on the Billboard 200 with "Life Goes On," selling 7,500 copies.

Next week, all eyes and ears will be directed at Jay-Z for "American Gangster." But with the various leaks hitting the net almost 2 weeks ago, that might not be a safe bet. Either way, "American Gangster" and Nas’ Greatest Hits album will surely boost sales in the industry’s Fourth Quarter…”

For the entire synopsis and analysis, go here.

New York, NY (November 2, 2007) – Ousted radio shock jock Don Imus will make his return to terrestrial radio in early December, according to information released yesterday by Citadel Broadcasting Corp.  New York-based WABC-AM and Imus reached an agreement to put Imus back behind the microphone on December 3rd to resume his morning show. 

Imus, known throughout his career for ruffling feathers and routinely falling off the fine line of politically incorrect and ignorant bias, was fired from his nationally syndicated radio show on CBS Radio and MSNBC after making racially charged remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team following Rutgers’ improbable run to the NCAAW Div I Finals.  The team ended up losing to Tennessee, but their achievement went overshadowed in the wake of the Imus fiasco.

The incident in April was one of many racially themed controversies this year, but it garnered more coverage than another high-profile case, The Jena 6.  Why, you ask?  On racism’s surface, the media saw a rich, white, national figure calling the Rutgers women “nappy-headed hoes,” and it provided a sexier scapegoat to make themselves feel better than a no-name principle and the faceless, white jury that failed Mychel Bell.  They had Imus cast out, vilified and smeared his rep for saying something any local shock jock could have said and no one would have batted an eyelash.  On it’s flipside, though, Jena 6 was about justice.  It was about our innocence, and it spoke to a deeper truth than Imus did because the words Imus used have become commonplace (although, maybe not in combination).  The actions in Jena 6 were something no one had seen on such a big stage for a long time.  It was too sensitive, too reprehensible to talk about with any seriousness.  But I’m almost inclined to believe that it was also such a heavy racial topic that it took too much energy for everyone to even think about.  And therein lies the problem.

The media seemed to believe that demeaning a girls basketball team with terms often used regularly in our favorite rap songs was more heinous than jailing a teen, setting the country back fifty years and stirring emotions that the general public haven’t wanted to deal with in their lifetimes.  But the fact is, they both carry the same weight.  You CAN NOT think one is worse than the other and expect to grow as a society because each scenario speaks to the same problem – perspective.

Perspectives are always heavy, and they’re always a tricky topic to discuss.  However, if there was any good that came out of the Imus incident, it’s that it DID get people talking.  For awhile.  By all accounts, though, both sides in both cases were and still are making arguments that, to their own, “make sense.”  Yet, if that’s the hard line rationale of where we have to start to fix the problem, how then, is racism different from a disagreement between Yankee fans over the virtues of Joe Torre vs. Joe Girardi?  For all the progress we’ve made towards equality, there is still an underlying prejudice that constantly rears its ugly head, and it’s a fear of letting go of the past to usher in the new.  One generation is hung up on Torre – the old school, cool guy, proven winning attitude, dropping comfortable rhetoric we’ve grown to accept as creed.  Girardi is the other side – hard-nosed, tell it like it is, young blood, excitable, informed, new school mentality mixed with true school philosophy.  But he’s not trusted because he is unproven.  Equality is not trusted because it’s never been lived.

Dog The Bounty Hunter’s recent comments about his son’s girlfriend and Michael Richard’s comedy club disaster are both deplorable, but part of that same conversation: interracial relationships and old, suppressed societal notions combing with new situations (love/stand-up comedy) and truth (unity/he stunk).  That said, though, we also have to ask how long can African Americans be given a pass on claiming prejudice and calling white people names because of history?  How long can the childish games and racial bias from ANY side continue?  Point blank, there can be no compromise, no loser, no one giving up a belief or a side or a perspective or an opinion on race because there needs to BE no opinion. 

Write this down – “There is no such thing as black and white; there are just assholes and good people.”  If everyone understood that, the names we have for each other would be irrelevant and we could look back at history and finally say, yeah, we actually DID learn something.  But because people often treat others disrespectfully based upon preconceived notions, we are at an impasse.  The day we get over it is when generations finally realize the opportunity they have in front of them to move forward.  Realizing it seems to take more foresight than anyone is willing to give, though.  Joe Torre vs. Joe Girardi takes precedence over Imus and Imus takes precedence over Jena 6.  Ask yourself this time – why?

I’d like to say let’s just fucking get right and make good music.  But even then, how and when we choose to resolve getting over ourselves is a tune that no one can seem to find. 

New York, NY (November 1, 2007) – There’s been a deluge of MySpace wannabe’s that have come and gone in the last two years.  While the names aren’t really worth mentioning here, their legacy is.  It’s through their failures that a new kind of industry has emerged – API.

Application programming interface, or API, “is a source code interface that an operating system or library provides to support requests for services to be made of it by computer programs.”  In other words, when you see different applications being built on Facebook, the Facebook API allowed developers to do that.  And it’s through that same idea that these next two ideas were born.

Flux.com, a transferable social network from MTV, and Google’s OpenSocial are both built around the idea of mobility and inter-accessibility.  Without delving too much into the technical points here, as that’s not my expertise, this technology will definitely be an important part of social networking in the future.  In brief, Flux “is a type of social network that allows users to create a universal profile across any website - MTV or otherwise - that has social-networking tools.”  OpenSocial is “a set of common APIs that application developers can use to create applications that work on any social networks (called “hosts”) that choose to participate.”

These will be likely prove to be crucial tools for keeping people connected.  In the case of artists, having the same information in the same format across multiple platforms creates identity and will help in refining searches.  While I am unsure of the specific limitations of each, I’d surmise that it would also give a brand or band’s tech geeks the opportunity to create transferable widgets or apps that can live on their homepage and be accessible at participating sites, creating real-time updates all in one spot for users of each different site.  It’s homogenous diversity in one place.  Hella nerdy, but pretty fucking cool.  Figuring out how exactly artists and companies will put this to use might just change the industry again.

Check out the article on Flux at Ad Age here.  Visit TechCrunch for more on OpenSocial here.