New York, NY (February 29, 2008) – Alicia Keys vaulted her way past Brit import Amy Winehouse this week, settling back in at #2 on the Billboard 200, but the sexy songstress still fell short of surfer/singer Jack Johnson for the top spot.
Michael Jackson’s re-issue “Thriller 25” technically sold more that Keys’ “As I Am,” but MJ’s latest has been deemed a Catalog by Billboard and therefore does not factor into current weekly tabulations; for the record, Jacko moved 54,500 copies, while Keys scanned 50,600 (she’s now up to 3.15 million after 15 weeks, people). Her smash single “No One” is still Top 5 on the Billboard 100, and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” is at #14, steadily gaining ground as the lower half of the Top 10 begins to realign itself.
The insanely talented Winehouse Trainwreck slides down one spot to #3 this week, moving 46,000 copies of her Grammy-winning “Back To Black.” Gaining some new fans with her emotional, captivating performance that night, Wino now sees her 50-week total at 1.7 million. Behind her, the Queen of Hip-hop & Soul Music Mary J. Blige is holding it down at #9, moving another 34,900 of “Growing Pains.” The perennially platinum Blige has a 10-week total of 1.3 million, and should see that figure maintain it’s steady course as she kicks off her tour with Jay-Z.
Speaking of the Jigga Man, son finally took his critically acclaimed, themed “American Gangster” album past the platinum mark this period, his 16th week. That acclaim hasn’t translated to sales, however; the album has been mired outside of the Top 50 for most of 2008. Jim Jones’ “Harlem’s American Gangster” did not fare well it it’s debut either, moving a slight 22,000, setting in at #24. The not-so-subtle jab at Jay-Z (and Dame Dash’s scathing intro) apparently didn’t sway opinions of the consumer, and you’ve gotta wonder what the next move is for DipSet…
But hold up, pump the brakes… skipping backwards a bit, Keyshia Cole finds herself at #12 this week, scanning another 29,900 copies of “Just Like You.” After 22 weeks, her sophomore LP sits at a comfortable total of 1.2 million. Chris Brown follows right behind Coles at #13 with “Exclusive,” also his sophomore effort. While son hasn’t been able to supplant Flo Rida at #1 on the Billboard 100, the Young Boy has #2 on lock, as “With You” continues it’s baby-makin reign all over the U.S. “Kiss, Kiss” of course is still hot at #29 and “No Air,” Brown’s rousing duet with Jordin Sparks, continues to climb the charts, this week up ten spots to #13. He moved 29,400 copies of “Exclusive” this sales period, giving him a 13-week total of 1.3 million. Wall 2 wall…
You heard it here first, folks – Lupe Fiasco, who’s seen his Mathew Santos-assisted banger “Superstar” get heavy spins on Top 40 radio (z100 here in NYC, the biggest radio station in the country, is LOVING that song right now) and debuted “Paris, Tokyo” on Leno the other night, is in for a BIG spring and summer. The Windy City-alum moved 19,500 of his second LP, “The Cool,” giving him a 10-week total of 358,900, a figure that will surely go up as he reaches more and more fans on Kanye’s “Glow In The Dark” tour. If he could just shut his mouth and rap, I’d be his biggest fan.
Black Eyed Pea Fergie moved more records this week, her hit single “Clumsy” tripping the rest of the Billboard Hot 100 up at #17. “The Dutchess” scanned 18,700 copies this week, good for a 75-week (yes, that’s almost a year and a half) total of 3.5 million records. Who would have thought “My Humps” would generate so much interest. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
The-Dream continued rolling, climbing ten spots to #46 this week, selling another 18,400 copies of his debut album, “Love/Hate.” In 11 weeks, duke has amassed a sales total of 244,500. Coming off song-writing hits for J. Holiday (“Bed”) and Rihanna (“Umbrella” – with that Garage Band drum loop), Dream was a true bright spot for Def Jam in 2007 and looks to continue that this year. Aha, I’d be lazy if I didn’t segue that into a mention that Rihanna and her “Good Girl Gone Bad” album dropped in at #38 this week, those lovely legs pushing another 18,400 copies off the shelf (more “Shut Up & Drive” videos please). The Caribbean shortie has a total of 1.08 million in her 38th week. And the aforementioned J. Holiday climbed back up into the Top 50 at #49, selling 15,500 copies of “Back of My ‘Lac,” good for a 21 week total of 539,900.
After moving 15,600 copies of his debut, “souljaboytellem.com,” Soulja Boy sees his 21-week total now at 799,400. He’s at #47 on the Billboard 200, ahead of both Jay-Z and Kanye West. And just about every other rapper out there. Thankfully, we know chart position is not ALWAYS directly related to skills. WTF.
Last week we mentioned the releases of Janet Jackson, Erykah Badu, Webbie, Shawty Lo and Cheri Dennis. Be on the look for their splash next week. Til then… * ahem * we’ll be watching.
New York, NY (February 28, 2008) – From Allhiphop.com:
…”The self-proclaimed best rapper alive did it again for fans at the Newark Symphony Hall in Newark, NJ on Sunday night (2/24/08). In town for a court date stemming from a July arrest, Weezy decided he’d make the most of his time here by doing a charitable concert, with proceeds going to the city’s "Stop Shooting" campaign.”
Below is a video of Weezy performing at the show. In the discussion at AHH, some of the kids/white girls who went said his energy was good; and from everything I’ve heard, he does put on an exciting show. However, independent of whether or not I’m a fan, this performance borders more along the lines of Britney Spears than a hip hop show. Son was rarely actually rapping his words (at least in this clip) and seemed to be doing a lot of dancing/odd gyrating around. What hooks me about an emcee is if they can perform without a backing vocal track (I’m a fan of Skillz for life after seeing him shut it down at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival last summer); and maybe in an arena or larger venue like Newark it’s a different story. Either way, Weezy clearly has his own ideas about how a hip hop show should come off live and isn’t taking questions about his methods. And I suppose in that regard, he deserves his props.
However, there still is one problem that I think has to be addressed: dudes pants. I was in NYC on Tuesday when it was raining (and I mean pouring), and I saw some idiot walking around bow-legged to keep his pants up while his boxers got soaked. About five minutes later I saw another dude apparently embracing the same issue, this time actually stopping to adjust his belt so he could show off what appeared to be a flannel set of Joes. From a straight stand-point, it was obscene, but from a practical stand-point, I just didn’t get it. I understand people make, and will continue to make, fashion choices that, in my opinion, are retarded and leave them open for certain questions… but when summer comes, honestly… is swamp ass really going to be a good look? Seriously, what the fuck, people…
New York, NY (February 28, 2008) – Twanie Ranks comes from Duck Down Records by way of the Boot Camp Clik and Bristal is a former member of Bad Boy Entertainment as part of the Junior Mafia. We interviewed Twanie awhile back about his upcoming project with Bristal entitled “Get. Money. Never. Rest.”
We also mentioned his upcoming NY-to-Jamaica project called “Bomb Squad Live” that will feature Twanie Ranks, Bristal, Young Bezzel, T-Blue and Joe Larocca from Live B.I.G. Music Group as well as Beenie Man, Cutty Ranks, Capleton and Collie Buddz. I’ve heard a few of the tracks and they’re pretty fucking crazy.
This is the debut single from Bris and Twanie’s debut, and it’s entitled “Worldwide.” It features the bravado you’d expect from some of Brooklyn’s finest, but it also captures that soulful, warm hip-hop sound associated with the early 90’s, giving it a modern tweak. You can download the track here.
And check out their video for “Don’t Push Me” below.
New York, NY (February 28, 2008) – Lu paid a visit to Leno the other night and effectively killed it with this performance of “Paris, Tokyo,” his next single. While it’s a little bit longer than your average single at four-plus minutes, it’s got a really smooth, souled out groove and I think it might have the sing-along appeal to crack the Billboard Top 10. Might have saved it for this summer, but who knows, it could linger through the spring and catch fire later on.
Aha and peep how Leno pronounces his name. Comedy. Peace to Nah Right for the heads up.
New York, NY (February 26, 2008) – Maybe hip hop is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. is featuring a new exhibit called “Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture.” It will be on display through October 2008, and is the first exhibit in Smithsonian history to examine the influence of hip hop music and style on American art and culture, according to The Telegram (shout out!). Read more:
…”This exhibition features images of hip hop stars by 7 artists who have explored the hip hop phenomenon. Since its inception in the 1970s, hip hop has been arguably the most influential and popular musical form in America. Its popularity extends beyond the urban centers where it was born and pervades youth culture throughout the world.
The 7 artists include: David Scheinbaum, who has taken photographs of hip hop artists since 2000 both in concert and off stage, including such celebrated groups as Public Enemy, Blackalicious, Pharcyde, De La Soul, and Jurassic-5; Kehinde Wiley, who has done portraits of such hip hop artists as L. L. Cool J and Ice T, each based on a famous European or American painting from the 17th through 19th centuries; Nikki Giovanni, who wrote a poem, which is transcribed onto walls by artist Shinique Smith; and two graffiti artists based in D.C. who created 4 portrait murals for an installation, which also includes Jefferson Pinder’s 3 video self-portraits.”
Wow! All the pix are in flash and I wish I could post them here. Not sure how the Smithsonian feels about video cameras, but that gallery would make sick setting for a video…
New York, NY (February 26, 2008) – This song makes me proud to be a hip hop fan. Soaring violins. Warm, dirty drums. Soulful chorus. Easy, laid back emcee. Chill bumps for days.
New York, NY (February 26, 2008) – Legendary producer Pete Rock dropped an album today called “NY’s Finest.” You can read a review for it at Crate Kings here. In the meantime, check out PR on MTVu.com’s new show The Lab. Direct from Fat Beats in NYC, the show, he says, is “less about the bling and snap, and is dedicated to the true heads that support independent artists with a pure vision of hip hop." A lot of great indie videos here… Check out the god’s intro where he breaks down his own journey into hip hop:
His video for “Til I Retire/Best Believe” is below. HIP HOP!!
New York, NY (February 26, 2008) – Jay-Z, real estate developer Bruce Ratner and Barclays Bank have all been named in a $5 billion lawsuit filed by Brooklyn-based activist Clive Campbell, The Observer reported on Monday. The reason? Campbell asserts that African-Americans are owed reparations from Barclays in accordance with profits that were earned, he says, off of money from a lucrative slave trade.
The Observer’s summation of the issue at hand:
…”Mr. Ratner, Jay-Z, and Barclay’s are all linked through the $4 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, for which Mr. Ratner plans to build a Frank Gehry-designed basketball arena for the Nets and more than 6,000 apartments. Jay-Z, a partial owner of the Nets, has been a major supporter of the project, appearing at press conferences to tout its merits. Barclays owns the naming rights to the arena, and has been accused of having links with the slave trade—an accusation the bank denies.
In the claim, Mr. Campbell said that Mr. Ratner and Jay-Z worked “in concert” with Barclays, and “profited from the African Slave Trade and continue to profit from these gains, through a conspiracy dating back hundreds of years and continue to date to oppress Black people, enslave them, unlawfully deport them to all corners of the Earth.””
Barclay’s has disputed their links to the slave trade, but certain research suggests they were tied directly to it through a series of mergers. This post comes from Norman Oder at the Atlantic Yards Report, a watchdog blog keeping tabs on the project. It’s an older post, but it contains a detailed account of how deeply Barclay’s pockets were invested in slavery. Read:
…”I (Oder) had criticized the (NY) Times for apparently confusing a general criticism — regarding Barclays’ apparent reliance on profits from the slave trade — with a blanket denial of direct involvement. Yesterday, the Times in essence acknowledged that a more subtle analysis was required, publishing an article that quoted an expert.
Under the headline ‘Barclays Arena Deal Raises a Reputed Link to Slavery,’ the article stated:
Peter Truell, a spokesman for Barclays, said, “Claims that Barclays was founded on the profits of slavery are untrue.”
…“Indeed, David Barclay, who was a partner in one of the primary Quaker banks in the 1770s that eventually merged to form Barclays, was opposed to slavery,” Mr. Truell added.
…Christopher Leslie Brown, a Rutgers history professor and an expert on the early British Empire, said in an interview that the Barclay family were slave owners, but minor ones.
Mr. Brown, who is black and the author of the 2006 book “Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism,” said, “The point I would make about these banks, like Barclays, is that much of the wealth generated in the 18th century came either directly or indirectly out of either the slave trade or plantations” in Virginia, Jamaica and Barbados.
He added, “This game of ‘gotcha!’ — pointing out this particular bank had relationships with slave traders or slaveholders — gets a little bit silly because all banks did. Barclays is not unusual in being connected to the history of slavery, nor is it unusually innocent.”
So Brown’s statement suggests that Truell’s denial goes too far; Barclays did in fact gain from the slave trade. However, Brown also suggested that singling out Barclays is unfair. (I wrote it was a company — not unlike some others — with some serious skeletons in its closet.)”
I’m not sure what the history of reparations litigation actually is, but this case seems to be standing on one strong leg and one weak leg. Dr. Brown’s opinion on the topic is really what’s at the crux of the issue. How a judge will interpret that, I couldn’t say. It will be interesting to see if the usual suspects get involved (ala Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc.). If that’s the case, you can bet you’ll be seeing it on CNN within the week. This is a link to a NY Times article about the area’s development, and this to the slideshow. BROOKLYYYYYYYYN!!!!
New York, NY (February 25, 2008) – This event is actually happening Tuesday, February 26th, so it’s too late to get in (and expensive – tix were $900), but it doesn’t matter; what you really want is the information on this page.
Scroll down to see the executives who are speaking and dig a little bit into their companies and background. See what you can find out about them, and if there are opportunities available to get in touch for a possible informational interview, advice session and/or guidance that might help surface your own brand, product or artist. While there’s a 99% chance these suits won’t listen to your demo, if you approach them with respect and intelligence, they might be open to at least pointing you in the right direction.
The panelists and their companies provide services that can give you an idea of the avenues you need to succeed in the digital space, and the discussion topics can help with that, too. Check the first one:
1:45pm – 2:45pm
PANEL 1: The State of the Digital Union
This panel of industry experts will discuss the hot button issues of day, including the debate over digital music pricing, ad-supported music models, online and mobile music product offerings and business models, next generation devices and the future of digital rights management. What is the current state of the online and mobile music markets and where is the industry heading?
Panelists
Brad Duea, President, Napster
Greg Scholl, CEO, The Orchard
Mike Rich, SVP & GM, AOL Entertainment and AOL Black Voices
David Del Beccaro, Founder & President, Music Choice
Ted Mico, Head of Digital, Interscope Geffen A&M
Glenn Otis Brown, Strategic Partner Developer, YouTube
Moderator: Ted Cohen, Managing Partner, TAG Strategic / Chairman, MEF Americas
There will most likely be literature across the web in the next few days concerning the outcome of this conference. Keep your eyes open for any postings and get to reading any analysis you can get your hands on; it will keep you up on the latest trends in the industry. I’ll do my best to corral some things for you here as I see them, but it’s best if you find some links on your own and apply them to your own mission statements and initiatives.
Of course, if you ARE in the city and feel you can talk the talk without sounding like an idiot, you could always go and wait for these people to come out of the museum and try to get an audience with them… who knows, maybe they’ll be in a talkative mood. Chances are they won’t, but ahh – you gotta risk perchance to dream. Word.
New York, NY (February 2008) – Harlem, stand up!! The second nominated song of the evening, “Raise It Up” is from the movie “August Rush.” The film was well-received my the critics, but unfortunately seemed to slip under the mainstream radar.
The first video below is from the Oscars, the second from the actual movie. The highly smashable Keri Russell sets the stage: a choir is singing in a Harlem church about the painful realities of existence and what it takes to sustain the dream for a better life. Note one of the featured soloists, 11-year-old Jamia Simone Nash. She kilt it. Czec:
August Rush “Raise It Up” From The Oscars
August Rush “Raise It Up” Movie Clip
For more on the awards given in the music category (“Raise It Up” didn’t win, FYI), go here.
New York, NY (February 25, 2008) – TIME Magazine recently caught up with Diddy and put a few questions to him from fans and readers. Some were pretty good. My favorite:
TIME: What factor makes a record a sure hit? —Jefferson Doronio-Balila, Manila
DIDDY: Melody. When you hear a Beatles’ melody or Marvin Gaye, it changes everything around you. You ever see those commercials where somebody’s someplace and then the whole room changes? Melody does that.
The link above has the video, audio podcast and additional photos from the entire experience. Incidentally, I was just watching The Puffed One as Walter Lee on ABC’s television version of “A Raisin In The Sun.” I only caught a few minutes of it, but he seemed to be doing OK. He’s at his best here, tho…
New York, NY (February 25, 2008) – Check out the latest track from the almighty Roots Crew, “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction), as heard at Allhiphop.com.
For more on The Roots, get over to their Wiki, MySpace and of course, Home Page. Below is a live version of their most well-known single, “You Got Me.” It features the original intended artist on the hook, Jill Scott (the label made them put Badu on it, as the story goes), but sounds nothing like the original track. This is hip hop music.
New York, NY (February 22, 2008) – Yes, Yes… check the embedded freshness and then your True School gem at the bottom.
Rick Ross & T-Pain – “Boss”
Trivia: Who has the bigger titties?
Jin – “Open Letter To Obama”
It’s hard to take someone serious if they admit they don’t know politics… but Jin does a good job here of at least touching on certain topics, avoiding the vagueness most rappers who “drop knowledge” often fall victim to.
Bottom-line: make an informed decision when you pick your candidate. Don’t buy into the hype of one or the other because everyone else is doing it, or because Jin or Will.i.am has a song. Each party, Democrat and Republican, has an agenda, each side will promise change and each side will appeal to a particular ethos to get your vote. Ask yourself which candidate is going to do right by you and has the experience and track record of backing up what they say they can do. Spend a couple hours a week catching up on the debates, primaries and commentary that’s floating around. Don’t walk to the polls blindly.
Prodigy at G4: Freestyle 101
Interesting convo, talks about battling Nas and Cormega.
Talib Kweli – Hostile Gospel Pt. 1
One of the best tracks off of “Eardrum.” Video is ridic…
Jadakiss – “Welcome To The Roc”
Low budget but effective. If I’m catching the metaphor right, the chorus is pretty ironic. Spin it backwards: “White collar criminals love…”
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”
My favorite song of all-time and in my Top 5 for videos.
New York, NY (February 22, 2008) – For the last three years, this hip-hop inspired speaking troupe has brought Town Hall-style meetings to scores of cities across the country with a simple goal: to facilitate local discussions on changing demographics, economies and social trends that concern the hip hop generation.
Rap Sessions: Community Dialogues on Hip-Hop serves as a virtual community center to debate the above-stated issues to affect change. By coming together as a community, their website says, “we can best identify solutions to the crises of our time.” For 2008, they plan on exploring the significance of the hip-hop vote, with the theme Hip-Hop and the Presidential Election of 2008.
Rap Sessions is the first national tour of its kind, and past participating institutions include Princeton University, Brown University, University of California - Berkeley, Vanderbilt University, University of California - Los Angeles and the University of Chicago, among others.
Shout out to HiphopDX for the info. Here’s the announced tour dates:
March
11th; Boston, MA
12th; Fairfield, CT
25th; Bethlehem, PA
April
3rd ; San Francisco, CA
5th; Chicago, IL
8th; San Luis Obispo, CA
9th; Los Angeles, CA
18th; Milwaukee, WI
19th; Madison, WI
29th; Marquette, MI
The panel for the 2008 Tour is scheduled to include Executive Director, author and former Source magazine editor-in-chief Bakari Kitwana, author and activist William Upski Wimsatt, BET’s Jeff Johnson, and dead prez’s M-1.
New York, NY (February 22, 2008) – Some people certainly think so. The dapper dundadda of Universal Records has made a living by gambling on artists that no one thought could sell, and while he’s had his fair share of misses, he’s been on an incredible hot streak of late. One of my favorite (and least politically correct) sites Hits Daily Double has the science. Peep game (you may have to drop them your email to view the article).
A little background: Lipman, along with brother Avery, founded Republic Records in 1995. To date, the label has mined platinum and gold hits with such artists as Chumbawamba, Godsmack, Lil’ Troy and the Bloodhound Gang. New releases include alternative rockers Oleander, and international hitmakers Eiffel 65.
Prior to joining Universal, Lipman served as National Director of Promotion for Atlantic Records, where he worked with artists including Hootie & The Blowfish and Collective Soul. Formerly, Lipman served as EMI Records West Coast Regional Promotion Director, working with such platinum artists as Jon Secada and Arrested Development.
He ascended to president of Universal in 2000.
"Being a part of Universal from the beginning has been one of the most personally rewarding and professionally fulfilling experiences of my career," added Lipman. "I cannot thank Doug and Mel enough for their generous support and confidence; and working closely with them continues to be a tremendous education and a constant source of inspiration.
“Under their leadership, Universal has emerged as a vibrant and musically diverse company, with a spirited and competitive staff. I am looking forward to building further upon that winning energy by positioning Universal for even greater success. We are only just beginning to realize the possibilities of what we can accomplish." (source: MySpace)
Some of his more notable successes right now include Amy Winehouse, Jack Johnson, Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat. It looks like he needs to add some hip hop to that resume… any takers?
New York, NY (February 22, 2008) – TechCrunch is reporting that LaunchBoxDigital, a Washington, D.C.-based startup incubator (that is, they help other start-ups get their financial shit together) has completed it’s seed round of funding and is ready to take applications. From Michael Arrington:
…”LaunchBoxDigital says they’ll invest $15,000 - $30,000 in six to ten startups, in exchange for 4% to 8% of the equity. Founding teams must spend the summer in Washington D.C. to participate in a twelve week incubation program. Applications must be received by March 14, 2008.
The model is based on the much emulated Y Combinator, which has now funded dozens of startups. London based SeedCamp and Colorado based TechStars have nearly identical business models.”
So if you have a great idea and need some capital to get started, this would be the time to get your proposal together (How To Write a Winning Business Plan) and send it off. Get some…
New York, NY (February 22, 2008) – Well, it was bound to happen. Alicia Keys finally relinquished the top spot on the Billboard R&B Chart, passed over by surging British phenom/hot mess Amy Winehouse and her Grammy-winning record, “Back To Black.”
Wino shot up (pun intended) 22 spots, moving 115,300 copies to Keys’ 108,800 of “As I Am.” Keys easily vaulted over the triple platinum mark (her tally sits at 3,096,500), but Wino’s newly found chart-love is another example that people will shell out some dough for good music; especially music that’s been stamped with a Grammy seal of approval. I can’t say for sure that she was robbed of album of the year, but it’s good to see a nice batch of quality music at the top of the charts again.
The other big story this week was Billboard snubbing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller 25” from it’s rightfully earned #1 spot (source: NY Daily News). Despite selling over 167,000 copies, Billboard says the re-issue belongs on the Catalogue/Oldies Charts. Sony argued that while the album does contain original tracks, it features six remixes by artists like Akon, Kanye West and Fergie, a new song from Jackson and bonus DVD material. Billboard chart guru Geoff Mayfield spoke to the Daily News about it:
…"We were approached by Sony and Sony BMG to consider ‘Thriller 25′ as a current album. But we had to be consistent with hundreds, if not thousands, of reissues that have come to the market. There have actually been new issues of classic albums that include even more new material. We didn’t just make the decision on our own. We contacted major retailers (like Wal-Mart and Best Buy), and that was the consensus."
And so goes life for the King of Pop. However, things for The Queen of R&B, Mary J. Blige aren’t so bad. She only fell two spots this week to #9 on the Billboard 200, continuing to see success with her eighth album, “Growing Pains.” Despite the lack of a Top 25 single, she’s moved 1,225,600 albums in nine weeks, scanning 48,600 this last period. “Just Fine” is a solid, upbeat track, and while it’s not floundering, it is being shut out of the Top 10 by a crowded field. But that’s not a bad thing. Outside of Timbo’s “Apologize,” Fergie’s “Clumsy” (which I can’t stand) and a few others I haven’t heard yet, this is probably the first time I can remember saying with confidence that there’s some good fucking music in the Top 50. Of the songs charting, I’d spin 90% of them (that 10% is mostly the R&B joints, sorry).
As it turns out, the Grammy’s were good to a lot of people, even the ones that didn’t win. John Legend saw his “Live in Philadelphia” surge up Pop Rocks & Pepsi-style 50 spots to #12 after a performance with the aforementioned Fergie. Legend moved 40,400 copies for a five-week total of 123,700. Grammy-nominated Chris Brown is still going strong with his sophomore release “Exclusive,” scanning 39,700 copies this week for a 15-week total of 1,287,900 units. He still has the #2 single in America, “With You,” his duet with Jordin Sparks “No Air” moved up nine spots to #23 and his monster smash “Kiss, Kiss” with T-Pain is at #25. He’s also been linked to Rihanna (when she’s not being dogged by Jay-Z rumors), who saw success herself coming off a stunning Grammy performance. She bumped up 11 spots to #35, moving 26,900 copies of “Good Girl Gone Bad” for a 37-week platinum total of 1,060,300. And after offering one of the more touching performances of the evening, Kanye West saw his Grammy-winning Rap Album of The Year “Graduation” shoot up 24 spots to #40. Moving 22,600 copies this week, he surpassed the double platinum mark, landing at 2,005,800 after 23 weeks. Cuuuur-tiiiiiiisss…
Now, to backtrack a little bit, Keyshia Cole fell seven spots to No. 18 this week, scanning 37,700 copies of “Just Like You.” After 21 weeks, total sales of her sophomore LP sit comfortably at 1,168,900. And I’d be remised if I didn’t mention Fergie as well. Again. Still hustlin and workin on her fitness, The Black Eyed Peas starlet moved 29,300 copies of “The Dutchess” this period, good for a 74-week total of 3,449,900. I still hate all of her singles.
Sales of Lupe Fiasco’s “The Cool” also jumped up this sales period, moving north 12 spots to No. 42 with a haul of 22,600. A friend copped the album and I’ve been bumping it (not burning it) for the last week – shit’s hot fire. “Little Weapon” is my favorite track thus far. He pours on the nerd a little too much at points, approaching Aesop Rock status… but AR does have his charms, so that’s not entirely a bad thing. Nine weeks into “The Cool,” Lu has pushed 339,400 copies.
The-Dream finally outsold J. Holiday (weekly, not overall). It’s interesting to note because while Dream penned Holiday’s hit “Bed,” he couldn’t seem to surpass his client until now. He charted this week at #46, moving 21,000 copies of his Def Jam debut, “Love/Hate.” His 10-week total is a solid 226,100. And rounding out the Top 50 is R&B crooner Jaheim with “Makings of A Man.” He dropped to No. 48 this week, moving 20,000 copies, giving him a nine-week total of 369,100.
Next week, there should be a grip of hot commodities vying for chart space. Janet Jackson headlines the pack with her latest, “Discipline,” while Erykah Badu returns from a four-year absence with “New Amerykah.” Also look for Shawty Lo’s debut “Units In The City;” if you care, the D4L member’s album has been available as a bootleg for awhile, although it’s missing five new tracks. Webbie will also drop “Savage Life 2;” his single “Independent” has impacted radio already and is actually sitting comfortably at #10 on the Billboard 100.
New York, NY (February 21, 2008) – Smoking Section, man, big shout out. Those dudes are always keep the newest, freshest, most random music-related crunkness on lock, Gotty does exceptional work over there.
Check out what the crew thought might be missing from the collection, and if you got cake, bid on the whole thing here. More about the collection:
…”From Thomas Edison to American Idol, this is the complete history of the music that shaped and defined five generations. Three million records and 300,000 CDs containing more than 6 million song titles, it’s the undisputed largest collection of recorded music in the world. About half of the recordings are new and never played, and every genre of 20th century music is represented. There are countless rare recordings worth hundreds, or even thousands of dollars each on the collectibles market. Organized and cataloged, the collection is meticulously maintained and housed in a climate-controlled warehouse. The estimated value of this amazing collection is more than $50 million.”
…”Time spent listening to online music radio grew 26% in 2007, with the segment logging 4.85 billion listening hours, according to a new report. AccuStream iMedia Research said total listening hours averaged 404.2 million a month last year. That includes time spent on subscription music services Napster, Yahoo Music and Rhapsody.
AOL’s Shoutcast was the top radio destination with 48.4% of the listening audience, followed by Clear Channel Online, Yahoo Music, AOL Radio Networks and Pandora. Internet music radio ad billings for audio ads more than tripled in 2007 to $80 million. The segment generated an additional $12 million-$15 million from video ads.
The report, "Net Music Radio 2007-2010: Listening Hour Analysis by Site and Brand," predicts that the segment could grow to $525 million in annual revenue once it fully matures. The report also found that online radio visibility has improved partly based on online efforts by traditional radio companies Clear Channel and Citadel Broadcasting.”
Thanks to Jennifer Netherby for this one.
I don’t do a lot of listening on-line other than WFAN (it doesn’t come in on the radio at the crib), but I can see how it makes sense. I’m sure that number jumps up even more when the phone companies get on board. Funny they mention Pandora in the study, though, I was under the impression they went out of business. I’ll have to dig into that one a little more. Stay tuned… eh heh heh.
New York, NY (February 21, 2008) – Rolling Stone Magazine caught up with T.I. at his home recently and chopped it up about his role in the crime drama “American Gangster,” Jay-Z and his upcoming album, “Paper Trail.” Read the entire interview here.
