VH1 is known for music programming and reality television; however, that will soon change as the network makes its bold, first attempt at a scripted film,”Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story.” The long awaited film will take viewers on a ride from the group members’ beginnings, to their meteoric rise to the top of the music charts in the 1990s and beyond.

Hip-hop artist and television personality Lil Mama will have the honor of portraying the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. Lil Mama emerged onto the scene in 2007 with her infectious hit single “Lip Gloss” from her “VYP: Voice of the Young People” album. The song attained a Gold certification from the RIAA in 2008, while the album went on to sell 19, 000 copies in its first week and 66,000 copies thereafter. Lil Mama then began serving as a judge on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew“ in 2008 at the age of 19. This will be her first film.

Keke Palmer has been chosen to portray Rozunda “Chili” Thomas. Unlike Lil Mama, Palmer is not new to the film industry. The 19-year-old has appeared in films alongside Laurence Fishburne (‘Akeelah and the Bee’), Tyler Perry (‘Madea’s Family Reunion’), Ice Cube (‘The Longshots’) and Dolly Parton (‘Joyful Noise’), among others. Of her new role, Palmer tells the Daily News, “I’m excited to be a part of this amazing project portraying one of the members of such an iconic group that inspired my passion for music.”

Drew Sidora will round out the cast as Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. Sidora’s most notable roles are as Lucy Avila in ‘Step Up’, alongside Channing Tatum, and as herself on “The Game”, a television series. When the news first broke of her involvement in the biopic, Sidora took to her twitter account to thank her fans and share a few encouraging words. “Be sure to always believe in yourself. Never give up! Stay optimistic and persistent and amazing things will come into play!”

Though some TLC fans have expressed doubts that the ladies will be able to pull off their portrayals, VH1’s Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production is confident that the project will be a success. “With this cast, we are thrilled with the talent assembled both in front of and behind the cameras,” he said. “TLC are truly music pioneers and this movie is a fantastic way to expand our scripted push by combining our audience’s passion for music with their love of story. We know our viewers will be eager to go beyond the headlines and into the surprisingly personal, never before told stories of these groundbreaking women.”

TLC’s surviving members, Thomas and Watkins, will serve as the film’s executive producers.

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WQHT (97.1 FM, “Hot 97″) is an American radio station in New York City that primarily plays mainstream urban hits, with a few pop-leaning titles on occasion. It is a famous radio station in the hip-hop community across the country, and it is also known for the drama and controversies that occur surrounding its staff and guests. And this past weekend wasn’t any different.

On Sunday evening at hip-hop’s biggest concert the Hot 97 Summer Jam Concert, just hours before she was slated to perform, Nicki Minaj pulled from performing along with Lil Wayne – the president of her label Cash Money Records. The reason? Lil Wayne was angered by disparaging comments made by Hot 97 morning host Peter Rosenberg about Minaj’s song ‘Starships’ in which he suggested that the song was not “real hip-hop.”

“I know there’s some chicks here waiting to sing ‘Starships’ later. I’m not talking to y’all right now,” he said. “F— that bullsh-t. I’m here to talk about real hip-hop sh-t.”

After hearing that, Lil Wayne then canceled Minaj’s performance in a tweet: ”Young Money ain’t doing summer jam,” he tweeted, referring to his rap crew, which includes Minaj who also tweeted: ”I go above and beyond for my fans. But won’t ever go against wayne’s word. What he says, goes,” she tweeted.

In another tweet, Minaj hanked other cities for hosting her: ”I’d like to thank the staff @ philly & boston summer jams for treating their guests w/respect! Had a blast,” she tweeted.

Rosenberg, the self-described “Jewish Johnny Carson,” tweeted: “Tonight just got interesting.”

Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex then backed Rosenberg during the concert, taunting Minaj for recent weaker sales. ”You don’t go gold. It’s all your fault,” he said. “I’m dedicated to tearing you down.”

On Monday night, Minaj called in to the station to explain her decison to pull out of the concert which turned into an hour long heated debate with DJ Funkmaster Flex. Minaj apologized to her fans and promised them a free concert in the New York area this summer. She then made it clear that she had been deeply offended by Rosenberg’s comments.

“When you want our team to come to your show, treat us with respect,” she said. “And that’s all we’re asking.” Later she added: “When you disrespect Nicki Minaj, you’re disrespecting my fans. I don’t have a problem with anyone saying what they have to say to me. But don’t make fans feel inferior in any way for their personal taste in music.”

Minaj also felt that he had singled her out because she’s a woman.

“If that’s not some bitch-ass s**t – for this person to single out the only female on the bill, I’m holding it down for women,” Minaj said. “I respect men who are real men, but if all you do is take shots at women.”

Talking to the morning show crew at the rival hip-hop radio station Power 105.1 Minaj stated that she wasn’t even going to perform ‘Starships.’

“After all this has been said and done, I wasn’t gonna do ‘Starships’ and I think people know that,” she told the crew, The Breakfast Club. “I’m way smarter than that. I know what people wanted to see…It was horrible timing. It was in bad taste.”

Minaj also said she was disappointed because she had a Summer Jam set planned that included surprise performances from Brooklyn’s Foxy Brown and Harlem’s Cam’ron.

“We had an amazing, amazing show, and that was the only disappointing thing,” she said.

Fellow Summer Jam performers Nas and Lauryn Hill slid into the headliner spot and, according to Rolling Stone, pulled together an impressive set that included the Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and “If I Ruled the World.” As rumors surfaced claiming that Hill was invited to Summer Jam as Minaj’s guest and therefore shouldn’t have performed, Hill took to Twitter to clarify the situation and to support Minaj’s decision not to perform.

“No disrespect to Nicki, but I need to clear up an inaccuracy,” she wrote. “I was not scheduled to be a special guest on her set at Summer Jam, I was invited by Nas to perform with him.

“I don’t have details on exactly what transpired between the station and the artists, but I do support artists standing by their beliefs, and walking with integrity. We have to find a better way to commercially exploit music, while giving artists their proper respect.

“This cannot be done while taking their contributions for granted, or trying to control the scope of their growth and power through threats and fear tactics. We can do better than this, there is a better way, or else ‘we’ (the proverbial we) find ourselves in danger of being hypocrites!!!”

As for the Hot 97 staff, Rosenberg refused to apologize for his remarks stating, “There is a get me to apologize movement, to which I can say, I’m absolutely not apologizing, because I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said on Monday evening. “I’m not going to change my stand because I’m at Summer Jam. I’ve been saying it for six months.”

While DJ Funkmaster Flex admitted that Rosenberg didn’t pick the right time and place to say that, he also faulted Lil Wayne for asking Ms. Minaj and the other artists on his label to boycott the show, thus depriving Ms. Minaj’s fans of a chance to see her.

The station’s program director Ebro Darden also appeared on one of the station’s morning shows on Tuesday to make it clear that he stood by Mr. Rosenberg. He said though Minaj’s records were not popular, the station had supported Ms. Minaj for years because she hails from Queens. However, he believes that Rosenberg had a right to disagree with her foray into pop music with ‘Starships’.

“That’s a hip-hop show,” he said referring to Summer Jam. “When artists want to go out and make songs for other formats, that’s their prerogative, but that doesn’t mean our hosts have to like it. It was not a direct shot at her, at her personality, at her as a woman — there was no sexual reference, there was no disrespect…It’s a real hip-hop stage, and in real hip-hop, things get said.”

Image Courtesy of   Nicki Minaj

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New York, U.S.A. – Multifaceted hip-hop recording artist Shalone premieres new music video for “People”, the lead single off mixtape See Me Coming released December of 2011. Directed by Court Dunn and featuring Emilio Rojas, the feel good melodic track brings a refreshing sound to hip-hop. MTV Networks also recently added “It’s Just Music ” by Queens rapper Grafh into rotation on MTV Jams on which Shalone is featured alongside Slaughterhouse’s Joe Budden.

However, getting to MTV was not an easy road. Growing up in one of the most notorious parts of Jamaica, Shalone migrated to the U.S. at the age of 12 and has never lost sight of his vision since. In 2001, he landed on the chorus of “Truth About Me” off Petey Pablo’s debut album The Diary of A Sinner 1st Entry.

He went on to do features with rappers Noreaga, Grafh, Bun B, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Mussolini (Syke) from the Outlaws. In late 2008, Shalone released his first single “Ain’t Like We,” which received over 600 radio spins across the U.S. and had the opportunity to open for T.I., Young Jeezy and Ludacris. In 2011 he released another radio banger, “Liar”, featuring Universal Music songstress Shontelle.

“I’m bringing the freedom of music, bringing that spirit back. That’s what makes me different. Most rappers are too insecure to take a risk. I’ve been everywhere and I’ll always have that reflected in my music,” Shalone says.

Having put himself in a position to make an impact on music this year and beyond, Shalone is back with a new EP entitled “ Selfish.” True to the name, the project will have 7 songs, no features and take listeners from the streets to the club and everywhere in between, truly showcasing Shalone’s artistic range. Look out for “ Selfish” due out this summer.

Watch “People” – Shalone feat. Emilio Rojas http://youtu.be/txWZtPr2RPs

Watch “It’s Just Must” – Grafh feat. Joe Budden & Shalone http://on.mtv.com/IVKQj6

www.shalonemusic.com  | www.twitter.com/shalone  | www.facebook.com/shalone

Image Courtesy of   http://www.shalonemusic.com/

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It has been 20 years since the L.A. Riots, the four days of unrest, looting and rage that paralyzed Los Angeles and sent racial shockwaves throughout the country.

After decades of racial tension in South Central Los Angeles, VH1′s Emmy Award-winning “VH1 Rock Docs” franchise explores the connection between the violence manifested on the streets during the 1992 riots and the rage expressed in Hip Hop by NWA, Dr. Dre, Ice T, and Ice Cube among others with VH1′s “UPRISING: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots” premiering Tuesday, May 1 at 9PM ET/PT on VH1.

Executive produced and narrated by Hip Hop legend Snoop Dogg and directed by Mark Ford , “UPRISING: Hip Hop and The L.A. Riots” tells the story of the most destructive riot in American history and is scored by some of the most iconic and controversial hip hop tracks of all time, such as NWA’s “F Tha Police” and Body Count’s “Cop Killer.”

With definitive first-hand accounts and exclusive rare footage that was locked away and hasn’t been seen until now, the documentary gives an inside look at the four fiery days that left 53 people dead and over 12,000 arrested, ”UPRISING” is told through the diverse perspective of the rappers, musicians, police officers and victims who lived through the landmark L.A. Riots in April, 1992.

Viewers will also witness never-before-heard stories from well known figures and Hip Hop artists who were affected by or actual participants in the riots, including: Rodney King, Arsenio Hall, Ice T, Professor Todd Boyd (USC), Connie Rice (Civil Rights attorney), John Singleton, Too Short, KRS-One, Nas and Henry Watson (one of the “LA Four” convicted of beating Reginald Denny) and many more.

After making its successful debut and receiving rave reviews at the SXSW Film Festival this past March “UPRISING: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots,” puts a searing spotlight on race relations, revisits Hip Hop’s warning of what was to come and documents the turbulent days of the riot with first hand accounts from residents that were caught in the cross hairs.

VH1′s Emmy Award-winning Rock Docs are feature-length documentaries that tell unique stories of artists and music from a wide range of genres, styles and musical perspectives. ”UPRISING: Hip Hop and the LA Riots” is executive produced by Mark Ford  and Kevin Lopez for Creature Films and executive produced by Brad Abramson, Stephen Mintz, Shelly Tatro and Jeff Olde for VH1.

About Creature Films: Creature Films (www.creaturefilms.net) is a full service television and film production company and one of the leading producers of music driven entertainment. The company is owned and run by Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez. Together, they’ve produced over a hundred hours of television, with credits that include MTV’s Laguna Beach and Taking the Stage, VH1′s Behind the Musicand Bravo’s Kandi Factory.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

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Like a roller coaster, music has its ups and downs, changing frequently over the years and swapping artists, styles and flows like a game of blackjack. At its peak, it has catchy hooks, memorable lines and underlying messages to back up the crafty wordplay. Yet at its worst, it’s nothing more than words and sounds placed together in somewhat of a harmony.

No underlying messages. No catchy hooks. Yet, in the midst of being bombarded by music by hip hop icons like Drake, Rick Ross, J. Cole and the countless other entities dominating today’s music world, one under-the-radar name stood out unlike any other.

Nineteen-year-old Nicholas “Nick” Carter Green from Chicago, Illinois has grabbed the hip-hop world by the horns, combining his creative wordplay with  clever punchlines, smooth beats and a flow that embodies the prototypical upper-echelon rapper. I had a chance to catch up with Green and pick his brain about his recent success as of late.

“As far as I can remember, I had a love for that spotlight and all the attention and power that came with,” Green said. “We’re WorldStar famous now! It can only get better from here!”

Green’s recent hit off of his mixtape “XIX” hauled in over 5 million views on WorldStarHipHop.com, one of, if not the biggest portals for prospective, amateur and professional hip hop artists out there. You can check out his Remix to Drake’s hit, “Headlines,” here.

Green has released over 15 mixtapes and has been writing music since the tender age of nine years old. “Rise To Power”, “The.Other.Carter”, “Showcase”, “Mr. Carter” and “The Sampler” are just a few mixtapes the young artist has under his belt.

“I released about a thousand copies of that mixtape ["No Sleeping CD"] and I still didn’t think it was going to blow up like it did,” Green laughed. “I mean, everything changed when it dropped. People I had never met in my life either knew my name or knew I was the kid on the cover of the No Sleeping CD.”

Nick Carter Green has adopted the mantra “Music. Money. Love & Life” to persevere throughout any obstacles and push him to achieve his lifetime goal of climbing atop the rap game, a goal that he’s on pace to crack at any moment. Being featured on WorldStarHipHop and having his music played on DJ Timbuck2′s Go ILL radio show, Green is on the fast track to hip hop super-stardom.

The ceiling for the young artist is nowhere in sight, and the future looks incredibly bright for years to come. Combining his overflowing talent with his dedication to his passion, Nick Carter Green will be a household name in the near future. “Four songs a day. No more, no less.” he told me.

“I just wanted to push myself… to see if I could still have quantity, without jeopardizing the quality of it all. It’s that type of work ethic that’ll help me achieve my goal.”

NCG recently signed a contract with Indie Label, Zuma Records, so keep your ears open when you’re listening to the radio. You never know who might pop up.

You can download his latest mixtape, “XIX,” here.

You can also follow him on twitter: @NickCarterGreen .

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/NickCarterGreen

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The 8th annual Rock the Bells festival will come to New York City on September 3rd, showcasing some of hip hop’s most popular musicians. Just in time for Labor Day weekend, heavy hitters in the hip hop industry will be performing on Governors Island for a jam packed concert.

Over 30 performers will be in attendance on four different stages across the island. The hip hop festival will surely bring together music lovers with an exciting and energizing way to end the summer. A-list acts including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas and Erykah Badu will be headlining Rock the Bells. With unique set lists, these hip hop musicians will be performing their internationally known albums in its entirety.

Ms. Lauryn Hill is set to perform her most famous songs from “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” which is sure to please the audience. Her album has gone platinum several times, also receiving five Grammy awards including Best New Artist and Album of the Year. Hill’s 1998 album put her on the map and has had an outpour of loyal fans since.

Erykah Badu is set to perform her album entitled “Baduizm.” Often referred to as the Queen of Neo-Soul, Badu’sperformance of her 1997 album will bring fans back to the days of her hit singles, including the famous “On & On.”

Badu’s albums have reached platinum, and she has won a Grammy award for her collaboration with Jill Scott on “You Got Me.” Through her neo-soul songs, she is known to incorporate her emotions, thoughts, and politics into her lyrics.

For his Rock the Bells performance, Nas will light up the stage with his debut album, “Illmatic.” The album was released in 1994, but is still considered to be one of the best of his career. Popular singles include “One Love” and “The World is Yours.” Nas has released over a dozen studio and compilation albums, making him a prominent rapper in the hip hop industry.

The rapper will have special guests AZ, Pete Rock and DJ Premier join him during his performance. Other famous musicians to take the stage include Cypress Hill, Common, Mobb Deep, Raekwon and Ghostface, Immortal Technique, and Doom.

Mos Def and Talib Kweli join forces as Black Star as well. The list of acts to take the stage on Governors Island is long and still growing, with more performers to be announced. Surprise guests are also on the lineup, leaving the audience with a surprise feeling.

Rock the Bells is a festival that has toured around the country, promoting the music and culture of hip hop. The tour is presented by Boost Mobile, powered by Blackberry and in association with GUERILLA UNION.  General admission tickets for the Governors Island concert are $99. For VIP access to the show, tickets are available at $199.

The VIP access includes opportunities to meet the musicians, two drink tickets, a Rock the Bells shirt, poster, backpack, and credentials. Along with its stop in New York City, the Rock the Bells tour will be making its way to three other cities across the country.

Having already performed in Los Angeles on August 20th, Rock the Bells kicked off its first show at the San Manuel Amphitheater. August 27th’s show was  in San Francisco at Shoreline Amphitheater, and the final Rock the Bells concert will be in Boston on September 10.

Governors Island will be buzzing with excitement for the full day performances of hip hop’s finest artists.

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Jflo was ranked number one at the 2011 American Beatbox Championship, which was held in New York City on August 13 and 14. It was a two day event that spanned Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Brooklyn’s Nova Bar Garden & Lounge was the location for the August 13 event and the Grand Finals were held on August 14 in the heart of New York City.

Le Poisson Rouge, a venue in the West Village, hosted the evening as it turned into a beatbox extravaganza. The annual event showcased rising stars in the beatboxing world, who are able to use their own vocal percussionist talents to energize the audience.

The Grand Finals featured legendary musicians and world renowned beatboxers, including Swiss Chris, KRNFX, Colin Dean’s Roots and Grooves, and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy. Rahzel from The Roots and Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples were two popular icons who headlined a post celebration concert.

Lovers of music and the art form of beatboxing gathered in Le Poisson Rouge for a night of vocal wonderment, as the top beatboxers from around the United States battled for the title of 2011 American Beatbox Champion.

Beatboxing is a type of percussion that is heavily influenced by hip hop culture. As in the majority of hip hop music, the strong presence of drums, rhythms, and beats, are characteristic of the music. Beatboxers are able to make the sounds of the heavy drums and bass by only using their vocals.

Aside from mimicking the sounds of beats, many beatboxers also sing and create the distinct sounds of other instruments in their performances. The founders of the World Beatbox Association, including Chesney Snow, Kenny Muhammad, and Jim Wilde, are all prominent figures in the beatboxing world.

With their passion and dedication to the art in mind, they created an organization where beatboxers on the international level can come together to share their talents through battles and performances.

The unique talents of beatboxers can be seen through the first three rounds of the competition, which were all done by video submission. The national scale of the competition allowed beatboxers from around the country to upload their videos onto the internet for judging. The categories for the online video submission were solo performance, covers, and backing a vocal.

The different types of beatboxing highlights the competitors skills in various ways. The judges were able to score the contestants based on their technical skill, musicality, creativity, and how original each performance was.

Judges of the online rounds included the three founders of the World Beatbox Association, along with guest judges and world renowned beatboxers Masai Electro for the solo round, Tim Barsky for the backing a vocal round, and Fat Tony for the covers round.

Out of all the competitors vying for the title, only the top 16 were invited to New York City for the Grand Finals.

The top 16 online scores were unveiled in May 2011, sending front runners like sYgYzY, FriScO, and HeaveN to the championship round. Other favorites like Beat Rhino, The Orthobox, and Fitz were invited to New York City, along with Brian Bernstein, Jflo, SwiZZ, CWEST, audiotrak, DrC, Sung Lee, Musical Mammal, Track IX, and Von3s.

The Grand Finals compromised of one on one battles between the selected finalists, which produced an awe inspiring night of music with intense rhythms and beats.

Hailing from New York and winning the title in his home state, Jflo ranked in the middle of the leader board during the initial three online rounds, but jumped to the top of the finals with rhythmic beats and creativity. After rounds of battles and eliminations, Jflo was crowned the the 2011 American Beatbox Champion.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.americanbeatboxchampionships.com

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A lot of rappers and musicians talk of doing albums together but these albums never really materialize.  It’s understandable considering these artists are busy touring and taking care of their personal obligations to labels and other commitments that are not familiar to us all.

So you could understand why many were skeptical about Watch The Throne, an album being recorded by two rappers who have proclaimed themselves the greatest rappers alive.

After months of rumors, a song called H.A.M was released featuring both rappers; at that point I wasn’t sure whether to rejoice at the possibility of this actually happening or whether I should feel some disappointment about the song itself.  Now we are in late July and a track list has surfaced after a listening party in which Jay Z reportedly played several songs off the highly anticipated album.

Last week, a song titled “Otis” after the great Otis Redding was released, not sure if the song itself will be on the album or the bonus tracks added on, but both legends sounded hungry and in great lyrical form.

The album art also surfaced, a little later than most people expected given the fact that the album is scheduled to be released early august—august 8^th to be exact.  The cover is in line with an album being released by Kanye, in that it is very artistic, different, with a bit of royalty added on; it fits the title of the album, all that remains now is the music, the lyrics and the emotions behind them.

This album will be the first for both men together, Watch the Throne will be Jay Z’s return to recording since the classic Blue Print 3, his latest number 1 album; also Kanye’s return since his last effort, My Beautiful Dark Fantasy which was also a classic in the eyes of many.

Featuring on this album will be his wife Beyonce, who has just released her own number one album titled 4 and newcomer Frank Ocean who is being viewed as the heir apparent to the R&B Throne; it’s only fitting that he would be on this album with rap royalty.

This is definitely one of the most anticipated albums of the year without a traditional approach to being released; there is no video as of yet with us being only weeks away.  But then again, this is Jay Z and Kanye, how much promotion do they really need?

Music fans everywhere know about this album whether they are rap fans or not, name recognition will get them to the top of the music world alone, but only the music will keep them there.

We will find out in 2 weeks or so where this album will be ranked in comparison to their individual releases, after all, these two giants have no equals in the rap world or the music industry.

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Have you ever heard a song and flipped out wanting to know the artist and the song name? Hoping that you’ll remember it long enough so you can go home and download it as soon as you can ? Well, thats what it’s like for almost all people who have heard of Crystal Seth, and even myself.

Once a freshman at Pennsylvania State University Altoona campus I heard a cover to Airplanes by B.O.B at a frat party. I remember clearly everyone whispering in excitement who is this? And then followed that you heard  “He’s goes here?!”

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Penn., Seth Goldsmith (Crystal Seth) has been attending Pennsylvania State University since May 2009, and is now a junior at the main campus. The 20 year old still juggles his career in music while focusing on school. With three mixtapes out and over 80,000 views currently on his YouTube channel, Crystal Seth is anything but a amateur.

His most recent mixtape “Self Portrait” already has more than 700 downloads, and two music videos to go along with it. His mixtapes and songs are popular for everyone and anyone in any mood, or any place. parties, loudly in your car, or while doing homework in your dorm room, Crystal Seth is a college student’s new favorite artist from Pennsylvania State University all the way to the University of Massachusetts.

How did you first start getting into rapping?

I started rapping when I was 15. I was friends with Mac Miller and my friend’s older brother is [an] established Pittsburgh artist: Beedie. I spent more time with them and it became all the more clear to me that hip-hop was something I was interested in pursuing. I didn’t always think that I would be as indulged in it as I am now I just did it for fun. People along the way that have listened to me are the ones that have pushed me to take this more seriously, like my manager Eric Caplan.

Has the college experienced helped your career?

College has definitely helped me network my music locations that I wouldn’t be able to access being a resident of Pittsburgh, though I’d say the majority of my fan base still falls within the city of steel.

How do you balance school and music?

To be honest it is really difficult to balance school and music. For instance I achieved a 3.4 GPA the 1st semester of my sophomore year, in the second semester I was preparing for my debut mixtape ”Self Portrait” and with driving to New Jersey every weekend to record you struggle to stay organized and I definitely wasn’t on a good sleep schedule. Needless to say my GPA declined a little bit but nothing too serious, I was able to stay on top of my work load for the most part.

Where do you get inspiration for your lyrics?

I get inspiration for my lyrics from my life, where the creativity comes in isn’t just talking straight forward, you have to make your situation seem foreign to people but you also want them to relate to it. I’m also very inspired by other artists; listening to certain people may give me an idea or enlighten me to want to go and tackle something new. Whether it be lyrics, flow or song structure. I’m a big fan of the Pittsburgh hip hop scene; I listen to a lot of burgh music. I would advise any artist or even a fan to stay up on your local music, ignoring what your city has to say is like rooting for the away team.

Where do you see your career a year from now?

It’s hard to say where my career will be in a year, the hip-hop industry is so difficult to break into. I have a little buzz rolling right now and I’m hoping that it will continue to grow. I can, however, say with confidence that I will keep growing as a writer and as an artist. I’ve learned so much by just doing it, putting in the time and effort in music is the only way to grow. I plan to continue doing so, and the difference in my music since last year is like night and day; I believe it’ll be like that a year from now as well.

How would you describe your career right now?

My career now is fantastic. I think regardless of where this will take me I’ll always remember this period of my life. I’m hungry you know? I love making music, I love grinding and achieving new milestones. The team that I have is the best thing ever, we’re all very close and work well together. In terms of accomplishments I’d say opening for Wiz Khalifa, getting shows period and collaborating with some artists that I’ve known of since I was like 14. I’ve worked with people who have done tracks with Max B,  Mac Miller, and Juicy J. Not a lot of people can say that.

What’s your major? Are you going to continue with school as your career furthers?

I’m definitely going to stay in school, I’m a telecommunications major and my minor is music management. After I graduate I’m going to go to a school where I’ll be a credited music engineer after a six-month intensive in studio program, that’s sort of like my grad school.

Is there any advice you would give to artists that are trying to get their voice heard?

My advice to anyone trying to get music heard is don’t rush. Perfect your work, find your niche before you release something… be yourself or you will be laughed at. So focus on the music, with the Internet as its main supplier (mostly free) music gets consumed so quickly that if you put out a good project it won’t get overlooked, and if it does, you’ll know it, and that means you aren’t ready yet.

I still believe I’m not ready to blow up yet, I still have too much to learn. It’s a long process, it’s like sports, there’s a lot of good ball players in college, but if you aren’t a freak of nature and you can’t separate yourself from the next man, you wont make it.

If you havent heard of any of his music, you will soon. Crystal Seth’s talent is something worthwhile to look out for. You can download Seth’s music off of his facebook fan page ..www.facebook.com/CrystalSethAddicts or on youtube at www.youtube.com/crystalseth412.

The article Crystal Seth: An interview with Pittsburgh’s Upcoming Artist appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Tupac is one of the most respected rappers in hip-hop. He embedded his philosophical, political, and societal views in his raps.  As a young man, he knew he wanted to encourage change with his music from the very start. At the height of his career in 1994, he became the target of an assault and robbery at Quad Studios in New York. His assailants were never found, until a revelation appeared.

The shooting at Quad Studios had spurred the East and West Coast Hip hop rivalry. This contention had ultimately resulted in both Tupac’s and Biggie Small’s deaths. On June 15, 2011, one day before Tupac’s would-be 40th birthday, Dexter Isaac, an inmate for life at New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, confessed to assaulting Tupac Shakur at Quad Studios. Isaac had pointed the finger at Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond, founder of Czar Entertainment, and manager of artists like The Game and Sean Kingston. Isaac had confessed due feelings of hatred toward Rosemond and to make amends with Tupac and Biggie Smalls family. “I would like to give their mothers some closure. It’s about time that someone did…” Isaac continues on and tells Rosemond directly, “are you going to flip on Puffy when the feds get you? To save yourself like you have done in the past? Because that’s what a rat does.” The full disclosure is posted on Allhiphop.com.

Rosemond had hired Isaac, promising a 2,500 dollar pay off and whatever jewelry he stole from Tupac, except a diamond ring that Rosemond wanted for his girlfriend at the time. Rosemond is currently on the lam from government officials because of his involvement in a cocaine drug ring. Meanwhile, as police investigate Isaac’s claim, Rosemond’s lawyer shot back in Rosemond’s defense, saying that the allegations are false.

In the confession, Isaac says that he is bitter for keeping Rosemond’s secret for so long. “I have kept your secrets for years. You have never been arrested because of me, or anyone of our friends because of me…I have stayed silent in prison for the past thirteen years, doing a life sentence like a real soldier should, when you and everybody have turned your backs on me.” This fueled the fire for the confession. Isaac was beginning to feel betrayed by the fact that Rosemond had become a “…turncoat rat for the government.”

Some people, including Outlawz member E.D.I Mean, were not surprised by the confession. E.D.I. Mean had given an answer to why he thinks this on MTV News. “I just feel like it’s verification for what ‘Pac said because a lot of people felt when ‘Pac was saying what he was saying on Makaveli that he was out of line for saying that.” In short, Tupac had written raps about Rosemond being responsible for the attack.

The shooting took place on the night of November 30, 1994. Two men entered the lobby in army fatigues and shot Tupac five times. The bullets struck the rapper’s head, groin, arm and thigh. Shortly after, Tupac rushed to the hospital where he was stabilized and released the next day in a wheelchair. After the incident, Tupac became suspicious of Biggie Smalls and Sean “Puffy” Combs. He believed that they had set him up for the attack along with others such as Rosemond.

After fifteen years since the shooting, a confession has finally come out. The only problem is that it took too long for the revelation to come. The statute of limitations has already passed the deadline, so no one, even if the confession is true, can be prosecuted for the assault.

Many believe that with this new evidence it might just lead to figuring out who killed Tupac. Whatever happens, one thing is certain, Tupac Shakur made a difference with his music.  He made his mark on society, reached out to people and is looked up to as one of the best rap artists ever.  In the documentary Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel: The Life of an Outlaw, Tupac’s childhood friend and fellow rapper Ray Luv said, “I think Tupac’s alive, in a sense of, I can still feel him.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tupacamarushakur/

The article Tupac Shakur’s Shooter at Quad Studios Revealed appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

CNN.com is always a good news site to read about top stories in all categories. They are always up-to-date with journalists on-site and live videos. CNN tries to find stories from across the globe, so it is no surprise that they have a talk show, “Talk Asia” dedicated to all things Asia.

Broadcasted to nearly 280 million people around the world, CNN Talk Asia is a documentary-style interview-based half hour show that has spotlighted numerous large names; including Former President Bill Clinton, Lady Gaga, Jackie Chan, Roger Federer, as well as many Koreans, including Rain, Lee Byung Hyun, and Park Ji Sung. Epik High is the first Korean hip-hop group to be on the show.

On April 21, 2010, Korea’s very own hip-hop trio Epik High appeared on Talk Asia. Regarding this opportunity, member Tablo expressed, “I found it very cool that CNN had a keen interest in the depth and diversity of the Korean music scene—it is an honor for us to represent Korean hip-hop on such a huge worldwide stage.” The group conducted an interview with the show’s anchorwoman Anjali Rao, where they discussed their difficulties, success, and future ambitions. The half hour episode was very informative on the lives of the members of Epik High, as well as the music market, and answered some questions as to why the Korean music critics behave in the method they do. However, it is much easier to watch it yourself to receive the full message of the video.

Epik High, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz, debuted in 2003 with the album Map of the Human Soul, and gained popularity with the success of their consequent albums High Society and Swan Songs. The trio has released eight albums, their recent Epilogue released in March 2010. They are a Korean indie hip-hop group, who are currently on a break while members Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz are serving mandatory military service.

Epik High has been hit from every direction, from controversies to banning of their music, but none of that has stopped this group from creating music that has depth and truth behind it. Sure, most of their songs have been banned from Korean music market, but that just intensifies the urge to hear their music, and that is just what fans around the world have done. When Epilogue was released, it was ranked on the US iTunes Hip-hop Album Chart at #1, beating out performers such as Ludacris, Kayne West, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, and Black Eyed Peas. Yet, there are many anti-fans who tried their hardest to bring down Epik High, especially member Tablo.

In 2010, anti-fans claimed that Tablo falsified his graduation from Stanford University. Even with the diploma, friends at Stanford, and professors stating that Tablo did indeed go to the university and graduate, the anti-fans still claimed he had lied. After months of accusations and numerous actions, on October 8, 2010, the Korean police justified Tablo’s educational background, which finally shut down the controversy.

However, in the midst of these accusations, Epik High found themselves in another. A community café named “We Require the Truth from Tablo (TaJinYo) claimed that the group had plagiarized almost forty songs, and had even gone to the lengths of making YouTube videos with the Epik High songs alongside the “originals”. After a few months of these accusations, the claim had finally died down and the group was free.

Aside from the accusations that the anti-fans have claimed, Epik High has also had their songs banned from several channels. Some songs from their fourth album were banned due to issues dealing with sexual crimes, war, education, and religion. They have also had music videos banned due to the theme being suicide or containing violent scenes of torture.

Yet, it falls down to the same concept: ban an artist or their songs/music videos and people are that much more3 interested in the artist. So the bans actually increased Epik High’s popularity as one of the few groups to risk their careers and sing about such issues, as well as create such music videos like “Breakdown.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Epik-High/38911104963

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“I love music. The best thing of doing music is the people you get to meet and the opportunities you get to have to help people out. I’m grateful that we are able to do something that can benefit others.” These are the words of Simeon Lawrence, Jr. (“Young Sim”) talking about his Record Label Feel Good Music Coalition.

Feel Good Music Coalition, is a unique record label that tries to make a difference in regards to its music and production. In a personal interview, we had the pleasure to speak with Simeon, the CEO, Founder and Artist of the record label. Young Sim talked to us and gave us an inside look into his music production, the values and mission of the record label, along with some insight into the rest of the members forming the project.

At the beginning of the interview he told us about his background and roots. Young Sim was born in 1984 in Monrovia, Liberia. At the young age of 4, Simeon and his family left Liberia due to the civil war and ended up moving to United States. When asked about how this experience affected him as a person Simeon responded, “That is probably one of the most poignant experiences in my life as you know my character concerned.”

He explained how he and his family ended up moving to the US to seek political asylum. The Lawrence family found roots in Upper Darby (West Philadelphia), PA and restarted their whole life over from nothing. “Growing up as an urban kid and all of that just instilled me with the confidence that you can make something out of anything out of nothing,” Simeon said. “That was a very poignant experience in my life that shaped me as far as the man I am today.”

Growing up in Philadelphia, Young Sim fell in love with music and sounds. At the age of 7 while at Stonehurst Hills Elementary, Simeon began playing the Viola and continued until he graduated high school. “I don’t even know why I picked the Viola,” he said. “I just liked the sound and kept playing until I graduated. That really shaped my mind with how sounds are concerned. I fell in love with how sounds can set your emotions.” A lot of people don’t know that Simeon can still play the viola today. His label mates try to get him to pick it back up, but I have a feeling we won’t be seeing Young Sim with the viola in any videos any time soon. Listen to any of Young Sim’s tracks and you will hear his passion for music and different sounds and you’ll feel his emotion through your speakers.

When asked about the relation of his music and emotions Simeon replied, “For me music has the ability to take me to specific time periods. It has the ability to take me to specific settings. My beats are like the soundtrack of my life. How I feel is one of the first things I tackle in order to write a song.” Simeon’s passion for music and urban environment led him to the ever evolving world of hip hop.

“I was a victim of my circumstances,” he said chuckling. “When we came to the United States, we moved to West Philadelphia, and that’s a hot bed for hip hop. I grew up listening to Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and all the pioneers. And that was just the voice for our culture.” Simeon’s experiences, love of music and frustration with the corporate structure of the music industry led him to start his own label. “I was 17 when the idea came up,” Simeon said.

“I was frustrated that a lot of my friends were making good music, and they were being asked to cater to the executives, who think they know the culture and know what people want to hear. I am a big fan of putting the power right back in the hands of the people, and so the only way to do that is to do it from the ground up, revolutionary style. So I just figured, I am going to set my guidelines and how I feel about music, and anyone that wants to join me can”.

Once Young Sim went full steam ahead, he created the record label and decided to name it Feel Good Music Coalition. When asked about how the name came about, he laughs. “That’s a good question,” he said. “In hind sight, it came from the emotion of the music. People used to come up and say I can really feel what you’re saying in your music and it makes me feel good. Then I just started saying we make that feel good music. And then coalition is just because I am trying to build it into something bigger than myself. I want this movement entertainment company to outlive me.”

Feel Good Music Coalition is a unique hip hop record label and is not willing to stray from their definition of good music. They also differ from other hip-hop labels in the sense that they don’t curse or use sexual innuendo in any of the lyrics. “It is just something I am uncomfortable with,” Simeon said. “I got a mother who wouldn’t listen to my music if it was like that. I got a grandmother and I just take the responsibility as a person that feels responsible for his actions. I just refuse to do something that I wouldn’t feel comfortable having them listen to.” Some may think that being based in Utah, Feel Good Music would have a difficult time being embraced by the community, but that would be a misconception. Simeon told us, “The community has been great in embracing us. They appreciate good music. And the hip hop community in Utah itself can hold their own against any city in the United States.”

The team at Feel Good Music Coalition is large and growing. Simeon refers to them just as one big family that loves music. “We are always looking to add to the label. Right now we are focused on a lot of individual projects, but we are looking to put a compilation album for everyone to get to know the label.”

For those of you not familiar with Feel Good Music Coalition, you can check out their song “Teach Me How to Jimmer” track, which went viral a day after being released. “That was crazy,” Young Sim said. “That song definitely got us a lot of buzz here in Utah. Definit approached me to do the chorus. And it actually sat in my in box for a day. After I listened to it, I thought it had some potential. So I did the chorus and added a verse and the very next day we put it out and it went crazy.” I highly recommend picking up a copy of Young Sim’s “Audio Diary” available on iTunes.

There you will get a look into the label and some of his label mates such as Definit, another younger talent with an interesting story. So far, Feel Good Music has experienced some success but is has all come from hard work. Anyone that knows Simeon knows that he is really low key, but a workaholic. He is ether in the Studio, shooting a video or doing an interview every day.

Young Sim has a very positive outlook on life and knows it’s take a lot of hard work to be successful. He lives his life with the motto, “Progress is a process, period.” He believes life is supposed to be hard and it’s supposed to be fun. “I feel like take the opportunities that you have to succeed and don’t live for yourself. Don’t be selfish. Do what you can to help others, and you’ll have a much more enjoyable life.”

His main message would be if you have a dream, focus and do what you can independent what other say.” You check out Feel Good Music Coalition’s tracks, projects, events and upcoming shows on their site anytime: www.feelgoodmusiccoalition.com.

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