JumpinJack AJ

I had to go with the tour. It's tough to rank them, but until I know more about the direction of the album, the tour has me the most excited. To see JJ+FP do a show and potentially meet them excites me more than an album that might have questionable involvement from Kanye West, Drake, and Calvin Harris.

JJ+FP has always been in their own circle. They are cool with so many people, but it's hard to see them as part of one of those legendary Hip-Hop tours. That's what I'd prefer though. LL Cool J would be the perfect act to tie in with. Public Enemy would be another, but some of their lyrics might be a bit too much for the majority of the pull that JJ+FP will likely get. When the emcee in the group is also one of the biggest movie stars in the world who's TV show is still in syndication, it's going to have a very mixed audience. The Hip-Hop heads will likely be a smaller portion of the audience. Regardless of how it turns out, it'll be great. I imagine it'll be a lot like the live set they they did around Lost + Found and Hitch. You don't go on tour for the first time since the 90's and choose "I'm Looking For The One" over "Miami." I'd actually prefer that, but we gotta be realistic.

The tour is gonna be so dope, but I wouldn't expect anything crazy when it comes to the set list. They toured some with their albums from the 80's, but that's it. The 'Prince is too big for big liberties to be taken with the set list. I predict a balanced mix of JJ+FP and solo Will Smith hits, with some tiny surprises here and there. I predict a good lighting set up and a small crew of dancers. Will they tour alone, or with an opening act? I feel that FP has too much mass appeal for them to tour with old school legends. That's what I'd prefer, but, but I don't expect most of the audience members to appreciate acts like Slick Rick to take on the first set. At the same time, any new acts would be a weird mix. While FP's kids have performed, I don't know if they'd be the best fit to open. Plus they don't frequently perform. I wonder if they'll have VIP meet and greets. I normally don't purchase over priced merchandise at concerts, but if they come up with something cool, I'd totally do it. I can't wait for more information.

The JJ+FP tour is BIG NEWS. We already knew he's recorded a good bit of material for his next album and that he was selective with he's done so far. We also knew Bad Boys 3 was on its way. He's not saying too much here that should be a surprise to any big fan (on this board), but it feels so darn good hearing him say it all..lol. I like the optimism and fire in his voice as he discusses new music and how he's experimenting. While it sounds like he won't be dropping an album as soon as we'd hope, considering they just released that remix, it's good to know he's made the commitment to music. He wouldn't have elaborated they way he did if he wasn't sure it was coming. There's more confidence in this interview compared to the early ones of him working with Kanye and Drake when they first occurred. I like that this interview is full of a few of his traditional inspirational quotes in life and work ethic. It's surprising that Bad Boys 3 could come as soon as it is. I suppose they are much further in development than we expected. Even though Men In Black 3 turned out great, hopefully they won't be shooting Bad Boys 3 while the script is still being worked on. Lastly, this tour is going to be dope. I love that it's finally happening. I believe the guys are going to have an amazing time....just as much as the fans are. Their catalog is going to be revisited and rediscovered by thousands, if not millions because of this. Perhaps it'll lead to a full-on JJ+FP album. I can't wait for the dates, I'll see as many shows that are reasonably close.

CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS - Too Late Simply Christopher (2015) http://singersroom.com/content/2015-10-05/RB-Veteran-Christopher-Williams-Drops-New-Single-Too-Late/ Another 90's legend returns. If you remember the R&B singer who was formally on Uptown Records (then Giant), you can peep the new song at the link above.

He may have cussed on other records, but other than "U Saw My Blinker," it was edited. I don't care to hear him do it. It's not that it personally bugs me much, it's that he's spent 30 years saying how truly intelligent people don't use that kind of language to express themselves. It is hypocritical. For those expecting lyrics that can be played in front of the entire family, he is a staple. He's known for that by millions. I don't want to see him throw that away, nor to a I wanna hear an album by the 'Prince that's littered with lazy, common, foul language. Look at the comments in the news articles, social media, and YouTube, there are a significant amount of people who are quoting his lyrics, his previous interview quotes, and even Eminem's line from "The Real Slim Shady."

Here's What Jermaine Dupri Remembers About His First Collaboration With Mariah CareyJD celebrates 20-year anniversary of Mimi's Daydream album. By Latifah MuhammadPosted: 10/03/2015 09:00 AM EDTThe date was October 3, 1995. Mariah Carey just released Daydream, a follow-up to Merry Christmas, the wildly successful 1994 holiday LP, which gave us one of the most popular Christmas songs in history. At that point in her career, Carey could’ve very well continued on the pop route, but with Daydream, she took a detour. Carey wanted a different sound from her older work, so she teamed with a young Atlanta producer named Jermaine Dupri. In the early ‘90s fellow Columbia Records artists, Kriss Kross and Xscape, made Dupri a buzzing talent in hip hop and R&B. With Carey, he created a space somewhere between both genres. If you ask Dupri, it was Carey who spearheaded a merger of hip hop and R&B that’s commonplace today. The So So Def label head co-wrote and produced two songs on Daydream, “Long Ago,“ and “Always Be My Baby.” The latter pivoted Carey into a special club, with Whitney Houston and Madonna for the most chart-topping singles by a female artist. In 1995, Mariah Carey became a certified megastar. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Daydream, BET.com turned the clock back with Dupri, to the first time he worked with Carey. BET.com: How did you and Mariah first connect? Jermaine Dupri: Through Columbia Records, that’s where So So Def was, Kris Kross was on Columbia Records so the success of Kris Kross fueled me meeting the No. 1 artist on Columbia. [Sony Music chairman] Tommy Mottola and the CEO [of Columbia Records] felt like I was the hottest producer at the time. Mariah was at the beginning of pop music merging with hip hop, and putting robotic pop on top of 808s and everything that you hear right now. She was the birth of that. It was all her idea, going in the studio with me. Did you two have instant chemistry? I wouldn’t say it was “instant” because I don’t think we really even knew what it was because “Always Be My Baby” was the third single on this album, it wasn’t like people were jumping out the window saying “This is the first single!” I thought I made some cool songs, and I was happy my records made albums, but when you’re coming up as a producer, if you don’t get a first or second single, you feel like you still got a lot more work to do. For me, I didn’t feel like I had accomplished too much of anything. We worked with each other but the fact that I didn’t get the first or second single…even with two songs that I did [on Daydream], I felt like I didn’t really do what I was supposed to do. Did you feel like you had something to prove? Nah, I don’t think so. [“Always Be My Baby”] that’s probably one of my biggest least-known works. It just sounds like a traditional pop, R&B type of record. None of the inspiration for the song came from a rap record, it was what I would’ve done on Xscape’s record or something like that. If anything, that’s what I was mimicking, something I would give Xscape, that’s what she liked. How did you guys come up with concept for “Always Be My Baby”? Our studio sessions were like from 9 in the morning ’til 5:30 in the afternoon. It would cut off at that point, Tommy would pick her up everyday and they would go to dinner. This was so different from anything I had ever seen in my life — ever. I had never been in the studio in the morning, for nobody, that’s one. And two, it’s cold shut-off, like no matter where you are in making the record, by 6 o’clock she had to leave. I was from an era where you stayed in the studio ’til the song is finished, so how does a person come in the studio and leave by dinner time? It was a weird experience for me, but the whole song actually came from Mariah. I don’t recall having any writing influence in that song, as far as lyrically. That was all her, and I think, like I said just because of the timing and the dynamic of it, I’d adjust. I was coming from staying up all night then I’d be in the studio at like 9 in the morning. I think we made the track and I might’ve fallen asleep [laughs] because I was adjusting to the time [constraints]. So Tommy Mottola slowed down the process? It aided to the process because we made “Always Be My Baby.” All it did was create what was to come after that. It feels like I’ve known Mariah my whole life, that [album] was the beginning. It wasn’t a bad thing that he was doing that. I think it was like, we didn’t get a chance to get as creatively close as we should have on the project, but we got close enough to know that when we work together it’s gonna always be something special. How did working with Mariah change your career? It made me rich [laughs]. People were only looking at the things I did with Kris Kross and Xscape. I didn’t talk on the [“Always Be My Baby”] record, so it didn’t jump out to people that that was my song. It solidified me as the No. 1 producer at Columbia Records, I can say that. It made my relationship with the label really become A-1. I had a hit record with their No. 1 artist, I could do whatever the f**k I wanted. It made bringing out Da Brat easier, bringing out the next artist I brought out, everything just became easier. What do you think gave Mariah staying power? The songs, a great song is like respect. Respect don’t go nowhere. “Hot” goes somewhere, but when people respect you, that respect will last as long as people can tell the story of how the respect was even gained. Songs that I didn’t have anything to do with, I hear people saying that same stuff. “So many of the songs, got me through life, I was depressed, I wanted to kill myself and I listened to this song…” So many different songs that she’s written I hear her fans tell stories like this. She’s just a phenomenal songwriter. I think that came from, again, Tommy Mottola being married to her, and her not being able to get out in the mix, doing nothing else but music. It made her this incredible songwriter. How do you feel about today's R&B ? I think R&B is in such a bad space, as far as the confidence level of people making R&B music, people actually fear singing about stuff that makes sense. They feel like no one’s gonna’ listen if they make a record that’s saying something, and that they’re actually singing. R&B is completely gone, as far as I’m concerned. Is there a way to fix it? It’s gonna take the people that really sing, an artist like Mariah Carey. When she first came out, I’m not sure that anyone said “You’re gonna’ be the biggest artist on the label… the biggest artist in the world.” I’m sure Tommy said it but, in that day and time, people used to go and listen to people sing. The fact that they could sing incredibly, was all it took, and from there we gotta’ find these great songs. Like Whitney Houston, Clive Davis used to sit around and say “All I gotta do is give her incredible songs, send me incredible music.” Nowadays they’re not even looking for that type of artist. We have to let songbirds into this world. I don’t know the last time I’ve heard somebody say “songbird,” Christina Aguilera maybe. When her album first came out she was compared to Mariah, people were saying she’s a songbird, but I haven’t really seen any, especially not urban [artists], in a long time. Besides Mariah, Janet Jackson made a comeback, what do you think of her new music? I think Janet’s record was cool. I haven’t heard anymore songs off her album, but I think that the song she put out feels like it could be an early Janet Jackson song. It feels like, if you’re a fan of Janet Jackson, you shouldn’t be mad about that record. With Mariah, I have a different opinion about whatever she makes because I feel like she has so much respect, that she could be the person that could get people back into singing, if she wanted to. BET.com is your No. 1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.

I was thinking a lot of things that most of you are. This is just a test. His album isn't likely in place yet at all. By test the EDM sound, he could be seeing if that's the route he wants to take. He's testing to see how many fans are going to back him this time. The average person who has heard it thinks it's his song. They don't realize that this is just a feature his has done for another artist. That's why I feel the experimental feature would have worked better if he already established the direction of the project with his own single or album. For those who are being more critical against the song, I don't think they'd be that way if we had a Fresh Prince single out there already. Since this is our first taste of him rhyming on a studio track in 10 years, there's bound to be many people closed-minded to it since it's not a Hip-Hop song.

This got me hype. Just earlier today I had a picture snapped of me. I was told to take a picture with something or doing something that represents you. I took a pic with a stack of vinyl on my lap. I pulled the JJ+FP "Ring My Bell" 12" from the stack as the picture was snapped. What else was I going to grab other than a single by my favorite group? I got home earlier today to see that countless announcements that the Fresh Prince spit a rap on a newly-released remix. I was already falling in love with Janet Jackson and Joss Stone's new albums, then this. My favorite emcee of all time, who has kept from releasing anything for 10 years was blasting on my speakers and the hype behind the song is off to a great start. Many of you were shocked, but I think everyone knows I'm the one who's never doubted he'd be back. Would it be appropriate to say "I told you so"? It may not be a Hip-Hop song. It may not be his own single, but I really like it. While it's not my typical taste in music, I find it musically interesting and original. The 'Prince is comfortable on the track and owns the song as if it were on his own album. I like a lot of lyrics too. I like that he's doing something unpredictable and trying something new. While Julie is the only person who pointed it out, I do find it a little in bad taste that he cussed on the record. On top of that, it was done in complete vain since doing so added nothing to the rhyme. While this board isn't chastising him, a lot of people in social media, YouTube, and commenters in the news articles are. He's always carried himself as an artist who doesn't compromise and stood up for the standard of not making his ability to say something by using common language. He's let a few people down. I hope that isn't a sign that he's going to continue to do so in his future music. Could hanging out with some of these sloppy, careless, commercial rappers be influencing him as an artist? Probably not, because I can't imagine Drake or Kanye doing a song like this. For his last few albums, FP has taken an approach to music where his surprises us after years of writing, recording, collaborating, and experimenting. Before Lost + Found, he did that feature on "Got To Be Real" with Mary J. Blige on the Sharktale soundtrack. He only lets a song drop if we can expect something the upcoming year. This is good news. His recent collaborators are the only thing I'm a little reluctant about. If he has done little to no work with Jeff, I'm a little worried about the direction and sound of the album. He's more experimental with his films right now, so he likely has the same approach to his music. Experimenting can lead to awesome things, or underwhelming things. I just don't want a weak album and then have to wait another 10 years for an album. As Julie pointed out, he changed his pictures on Facebook due to the attention he's getting for music. His profile pic is the one we've seen on his website in recent months. His cover photo is cool, but it looks like Kanye or Jaden dressed him, which is a little weird. Otherwise, the location and feel of the picture is dope. It shows he wants focus as an artist rather than a Hollywood star. Lastly, let's enjoy the fact that internet is buzzing. People love Will Smith and are gravitated to him. The attention the song is getting will at least make it a moderate hit. While I feel that a feature like this would be more valuable after his own single is released, let's embrace it and let him know we're here backing him. I've already downloaded it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fiesta-Remix-Bomba-Estéreo-Smith/dp/B015KQ2B5A/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1443839584&sr=8-13&keywords=bomba+estereo+remix

An update from De La Soul... Wassup folks! The checklist is shrinking and we're finally getting a glimpse of the finish line. It's obvious that we won't make our targeted September due date, but you can't rush the art. We're digging deep and exhausting every creative possibility we can to make music that'll be worth the wait. Album update: We recently had the Kickstarter backer, Dave Goldblatt, come in to record a skit for the album, and of course we have footage to share. We think his experience in front of a mic really helped for a great performance. Check out the clip of us in ATL, hanging out and getting the work done. The album is 98% recorded. Mixing is in process... Mastering and manufacturing will be next and the then BAM, you'll receive it. Thank you for your continued patience and continued support... now t's back on the grind. Peace, DLS

I find articles like this one weird. If it's a reboot (what's with this "revive" terminology?), why would they use the same actors? I feel that MIB could go on as-is for a long time with the right scripts, but if they are rebooting it, there's no reason to keep actors from the first set. On a separate note, the idea that was kicked around of having it crossover with 21 Jump Street is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Anyway, here's an article from BET. Men in Black to Go On Without Will Smith?Production underway and the actor hasn't signed on. By Evelyn DiazPosted: 09/26/2015 05:42 PM EDT Rumor has it that the Men in Black franchise is returning to theaters, but with one key component missing: Will Smith. Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, who produced the original and its two sequels, confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that a franchise revival is moving forward without him. “We’re in the middle of it. It’s very active,” Parkes said of the new installment, which is intended to be the first part of a second trilogy. Asked whether Smith will be involved, Parkes told THR, “Most likely, no." The original sci-fi comedy premiered in summer 1997 to huge success, grossing more than $250 million during its theatrical run, second only that year to Titanic. Smith returned for Men in Black II in 2002, which was commercially successful but critically hated. Ten years later, he signed up for MiB3, which became the most profitable film of the franchise thanks to robust international ticket sales. Despite the success of the trilogy (they are among Smith's biggest blockbusters ever), the actor isn't interested in coming back to the well, instead focusing on prestige projects like the Oscar-bait-y Concussion, due out this fall. Last year, the actor turned down the opportunity to star in Independence Day 2, the sequel to his highest-grossing film ever. It remains to be seen who will fill Smith's shoes and whether his partner in crimefighting Tommy Lee Jones will also bow out. It's hard to imagine the franchise without them, but if Star Wars can go on, so can Men in Black. BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music. http://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2015/09/26/men-in-black-without-will-smith.html

We knew it was coming. It's good to finally see a confirmation with a time frame of its release. I must say, I'm not sure if I want an album that's primarily Hip-Hop like the second one, or one with a mixture of Hip-Hop, R&B, and house like the first one. Depending on the kind of album it is, the collaborations I'd be hoping for would change. Regardless, I'd like to see the Fresh Prince, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Kel Spencer, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Floetry, BriaMarie, Kenny Lattimore, Run-DMC, Dayne Jordan, J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco, Tatyana Ali, A Tribe Called Quest, Biz Markie, and Rakim.

I read this earlier today and was a little bummed. On one hand, I feel MIB could have gone on for awhile, providing it was done right. At the same time, I suppose it was a good place to end it. I can't say I'll have too much of an interest in a reboot. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Men in Black Revival in Development Without Will SmithMen in BlackBy Spencer Perry ONSeptember 24, 2015 1 A new Men in Black trilogy is in development without star Will SmithSpeaking with The Hollywood Reporter, producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald revealed that a revival of the Men in Black franchise is in development at Sony Pictures “We’re in the middle of it. It’s very active,” Parkes revealed, confirming that Will Smith wasn’t a part of their discussions. “It will be reinvented as a trilogy,” MacDonald added. Last we heard about any developments regarding the franchise were talks of the upcoming 23 Jump Street, which would crossover the comedy series with the sci-fi franchise for a film poking fun at the idea of “cinematic universes.” Since then, writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have signed on for a number of other high profile projects, including the animated Spider-Man movie, The Flash movie, and a Han Solo movie. It’s unclear if that project is still moving forward or how it will interact with a proposed revival of the core series. Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, the first Men in Black was released in 1997 and went on to gross over $589 million worldwide. A follow-up was released in 2002, bringing in over $440 million worldwide, with a third debuting in theaters in 2012 and raking in over $620 million. Smith and Jones appeared in all three films, which were in turn all directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. The film series was originally based on the comics by Lowell Cunningham. http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/616567-men-in-black-revival-in-development-without-will-smith

A Tribe Called Quest Announce People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm Reissue The first in a series of reissuesBy Jeremy Gordonon September 22, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. EDT A Tribe Called Quest have announced plans for a 25th year anniversary reissue of their debut LP, 1990's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It's out on November 13 via Sony Legacy, and will be subsequently followed by reissues of their other albums. The reissue was remastered from the original tapes by Bob Power (D'Angelo, De La Soul). In addition to the original LP, it features remixes from modern rappers, which will be announced in the coming weeks. Below, you can watch a short trailer for the reissue. "I had this album in my head for years before I did it," Q-Tip said in a press release. "Looking at it overall, to see the thoughts of a 16 year old gain any kind of acknowledgement makes me feel like I have arrived... But to see it in this incarnation ... I'm humbled." Update 9/22 12:56 p.m. EST: Ali Shaheed Muhammad has offered his thoughts on the new album in a press release. "This album means a lot," he said. "It was the beginning of our careers; the beginning of our imprint; the beginning of seeing life the way we saw it, and being able to put it down in words and music." http://pitchfork.com/news/61302-a-tribe-called-quest-announce-peoples-instinctive-travels-and-the-paths-of-rhythm-reissue/

I listened to it online a few days ago. I like it a lot, but not quite as much as most of the older stuff. I will be picking it up though.

HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good job stalking, Julie. lol

I wonder if she was supposed to put that out there like that...lol

I remember reading about Masta Ace's involvement in Willennium years ago. From my understanding, it was much more limited than Kel Spencer's. The way he described it was exactly like I envisioned it. It was a collaborative effort amongst friends/peers.

This is the sound! This is so much better than those garbage beats he was settling for months ago. Looks like he's abandoning the crappy sound on most of the previous songs we've heard. Even the featured artists are dope.

SCARFACE w/ RUSH DAVIS - Steer Deeply Rooted (2015)

It's crazy to think how much life has changed since then. I remember being a kid and watching it and thinking it's the greatest thing on TV. It's crazy to be so much older and thinking the same thing. The images are kinda cool in that first article, but I hate what the artist did with "Will" and "Ashley."

Awesome. I don't care much for the upgrade to Blu-Ray, but maybe I'll see if someone gets it for me for Christmas...or if it's just reasonably priced.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN - Let's Get Lose E*Mo*tion (2015)

It was fun, but the new songs ruined it some. They aren't Hip-Hop and they aren't history.