JumpinJack AJ

I must say, I have crazy respect for these two. Everyone forgets that this topic is tied closely to Hip-Hop culture, which SHOULD be the fire behind the music...a fire that has been nearly dead for a long time. Their presence and support is a reminder of what Hip-Hop is.... Q-Tip And Macklemore Hit The Front Lines In Protest Of Ferguson Decision Iyana Robertson Posted November 25, 2014 The failure of the Ferguson grand jury to indict Darren Wilson in the killing of Mike Brown last night (Nov. 24) brought about emotional reactions across the Internet and in the nation’s streets. As a slew celebrities took to their social network accounts with solidarity, support, condolences and urges for peace, Q-Tip and Macklemore got up and got out. Q-Tip was vocal on his Twitter account following the Ferguson decision. Noting a lack of “value for black life,” the rapper expressed his discontent online, but took his stance a step further. Hitting the streets of New York City, The Abstract led protesters in a chant of “Whose streets? Our streets” (above). SEE ALSO: #Ferguson Critics Roundtable: Is Hip-Hop Doing Enough? Also taking to Twitter was Macklemore. Bashing the Ferguson decision as one that “protects white supremacy,” the Seattle-bred rapper turned words into action as well. He hit the streets of his city to join protesters. http://www.vibe.com/article/q-tip-macklemore-ferguson-protests?utm_source=sc-fb&utm_medium=ref&utm_campaign=Ferguson

I'm a fan of Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande. I can't say I follow Bette Midler, but I recognize her as a legend (even though she did that horrible cover of TLC's "Waterfalls"). I actually like the point she's making though... Bette Midler Says Ariana Grande Looks 'Ridiculous' Trying to Be Sexy By Katie Atkinson | November 24, 2014 9:04 PM EST Ariana Grande performs onstage at the 2014 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on November 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. 'You don't have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead,' Midler says in U.K. interview. So what did Bette Midler think about those AMAs on Sunday night? According to a new interview with the U.K.'s Telegraph, she probably didn't think too highly of it -- not with all the sheer outfits, booty rubbing and a double dose of Ariana Grande performances. Bette Midler Scores Fifth Straight Decade of Top 10 Debuts Let's hear what Bette had to say: "It's always surprising to see someone like Ariana Grande with that silly high voice, a very wholesome voice, slithering around on a couch looking so ridiculous. I mean, it's silly beyond belief and I don't know who's telling her to do it. I wish they'd stop. But it's not my business, I'm not her mother. Or her manager. Maybe they tell them that's what you've got to do. Sex sells. Sex has always sold." From the sound of it, Midler wouldn't be too fond of Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea's "Booty" video and AMA performance either. "Apparently people really like to pretend they're having sex," she said. "They really like to slap each other's butts. I mean, don't ask me. It's beyond me. I'm too old. I don't know what the end game is going to be. I don't know where you go from all that sex in your 20s. I don't know how you sustain it." She capped her diatribe off with this bit of advice: "Trust your talent. You don't have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead. You really don't." http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6327695/ariana-grande-bette-midler-whore-telegraph?facebook_20141125

I like it. I just hope the album dips into some more soul, or a fuller sound. The auto tune at the beginning of Romeo's verse is a little annoying, but doesn't last long. If anything, I know Brakes will be happy to hear this.

Premiere: Immature 'Let Me Find Out' VIBE Posted November 24, 2014 VIBE.com presents the world premiere of Immature's (Marques "Batman" Houston) (Jerome "Romeo" Jones) and (Kelton "LDB" Kessee) new single, "Let Me Find Out." The group is back in full force and plans to work on a new album and tour in the near future. "We wanted to give our fans and new comers a few free songs in 2014 to hear our new direction and sound. The first one is called "Let Me Find Out" produced by T Black The Hitmaker. We are so excited to bring our dedicated fans a tour and album." --Immature. http://www.vibe.com/article/premiere-immature-let-me-find-out?utm_source=sc-fb&utm_medium=ref&utm_campaign=Immature

RAMPAGE + BILLY LAWRENCE - Take It To The Streets Scout's Honor By Way of Blood (1997) This album was one of my favs back in the day. It was time to dust it off...

JOHN REUBEN - Miserable Exaggeration Word of Mouth (2007)

What? I thought the show was doing well?

TLC - Baby-Baby-Baby Crazy Sexy Hit: The Very Best of TLC 2007 (1992)

Yeah, I mostly thought the Biggie Duets album was horrible, but I remember loving the one with Faith. Faith isn't one of those artists who's like "Rihanna's hot right now, I'll make music that sounds like her's," so I'm sure this'll be good.

Agreed. If I had to rank the best R-N-B/Soul female group of all time, it'd be En Vogue. The voices and they way they blend are perfect. Back up with their looks and style...they have the total package. They just can't all get on the same page.

Considering she'll be "working on it." It'll be her piecing together his raps with her music. I wasn't a huge Bad Boy fan (other than Craig Mack, Faith, and Total), but when I look back on the brand, I like the nostalgia. It'd be nice if she nods back to the sound of 90's R&B and Hip-Hop for the project...and include Puffy, if he can pull it off.

Faith Evans Announces Duet Album With The Notorious B.I.G November 18, 2014 by Tanay Hudson (@NYStateofMind2) After the release of her sixth album, Incomparable, Faith Evans will be headed back to the studio for a special collaboration. In an interview with HipHollywood, the “Love Like This” singer revealed that she is planning to release a duet album with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G. The potential title of the project is The King and I. The former Bad Boy singer says this is something she has been thinking about doing for many years. “I finally got all my ducks in a row to make it happen,” she said. When asked what kind of tone the album will have she replied, “Think Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole.” Faith hopes to drop the album next year. Check a video with an interview about it here: http://allhiphop.com/2014/11/18/faith-evans-notorious-big-duet-album/ ----------------------------------------------------- I was never a huge Notorious B.I.G. fan, but I've always been a big fan of Faith's. This has my interest.

Maxine Jones On En Vogue: "I Can't Work With Those Chicks"; Calls Dawn Robinson "Looney" Find channel in my area Maxine Jones On En Vogue: "I Can't Work With Those Chicks"; Calls Dawn Robinson "Looney" The estranged member of the hit R&B quartet talks betrayal, her financial status, group in-fighting, and why she will never work with the ladies again Justin Dwayne Joseph Posted: 11/17/2014 04:20 PM EST If you were holding on to the dream of a reunion of the original members of En Vogue---Give It Up, Turn It Loose. The past few years have been a rocky road for the once platinum selling R&B quartet: Two members were dismissed, management issues plagued the group, and a verdict was handed down in a lawsuit that left two members stripped of their rights to use the group's name professionally. In an interview with Juicy Magazine, ex-member Maxine Jones, 52, is speaking out against her former groupmates Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron---who are currently touring as a trio using the group's moniker alongside new member Rhona Bennett---and Dawn Robinson ("She's Looney"). ON LOSING THE RIGHT TO USE THE EN VOGUE NAME TO HER FORMER GROUP MATES, CINDY HERRON AND TERRY ELLIS: “It’s been difficult, and it’s been difficult mainly because I feel like all the years I spent there and what I helped to build – you know, 30 million records sold – and what my input…and to just have nothing to show for it. For a long time…it’s been two-and-a-half, going on three-years now since this whole thing happened, but I was mostly angry for most of that time. It’s not until this year really that I totally embraced the idea of putting it behind me and starting out on my own and starting from scratch. Before that, my mind was in the mode that I’m still in a group, I’m not giving up, I’m going to get some more girls, and I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to be in this En Vogue too. I am a third, I own a third, [and I] own a right to use the name too. That’s how it was originally – that trademark has my name on it too in the Library of Congress. My name is on that trademark, and so that was the thing. It was a big deal to me to first of all, to be forced out, and then my intellectual property to be taken away from me. It just really, honestly, pissed me off.” ON APPEALING THE DECISION THAT STRIPPED HER OF THE RIGHT TO USE THE EN VOGUE NAME: “The battle is not over because they’ve won with an arbitrator, and to me, the whole hearing was not fair, unfair to me totally, and so I’m appealing it. Now my case is going before the appellate. The appellate has viewed it and decided it’s worthy of them ruling on. So that’s where it is right now. I’m not giving up --- It’s my legacy. I’ve put in the time, I’ve put in the work, I’ve earned the right, and I’m not giving it up easy.” ON FEELING BETRAYED BY CINDY AND TERRY: “Yeah, I totally feel betrayed by them, and I feel like what they did to me, I wouldn’t have expected it from them, and I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing that to them, so I’m hurt. At first I was very, very hurt, and then it went to anger, and it’s still a little bit of all of that there. Before I felt like it was paralyzing – I felt devastated, but not anymore. I’m able to move forward, and I’m grateful for that. ON DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT MANAGEMENT AND THE GROUP BEING DOOMED FROM THE START: “It’s a bigger issue [than management]…The problem, is really one of the girls had been screwing around with one of the producers. We were put together by two producers [Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy], and Terry started sleeping with one of the guys almost from the beginning, and that just kind of devastated us. We were never a unit. When we were re-negotiating our contracts and trying to make it better for ourselves, I remember just going to him and telling him that I made my decision, I was going to stick with the group. And I’ll never forget what he told me because it’s just so true, and it’s still true to this day. He said to me: ‘You are no f*cking group! Can’t you see that? ...Dawn is crazy, she’s all over the place…Cindy don’t have a damn clue, and I got your partner Terry in my back pocket. How you going to call yourself a group when I got your partners, she’s supposed to be your partner Max, and she’s in my back pocket. I’m trying to tell you Max, you’re just going to be left ass out.’ And that’s the dynamic of this group, that’s always been the dynamic. I’m always the one that’s the easily replaceable one. HER FINANCIAL STATUS WHEN SHE LEFT EN VOGUE: “When I officially left the group, it wasn’t bad at that point, but it certainly got bad because of course I had no income. It got bad once I lost the arbitrator’s ruling because it totally stopped me from working. Before that, it wasn’t bad because just like Terry and Cindy were going out and calling themselves the whole group, I was doing the same thing, and nobody had a problem. It’s the name, you know, that name and what we built. The reputation behind it, and nobody cared really. As long as they could use that name, it was going to draw the fans out, you know. Once the arbitrator’s ruling came, it just totally stopped me from being able to go out using the name En Vogue, and they said I couldn’t have the name En Vogue, I had to say ‘formerly of’. Terry, Cindy, and their attorneys, anytime a promoter tried to book me and even say Maxine Jones, formerly of En Vogue, they were intimidating them, and telling them they were going to be sued just by having the name En Vogue in the caption. It basically scared away anyone who wanted to hire me.” ON THE UPCOMING LIFETIME MOVIE, AN EN VOGUE CHRISTMAS: “Yeah I heard about it. I think it’s wack, and then I saw the trailer… I don’t like it when I’m watching them, I don’t. I don’t because I feel like they’ve calling themselves En Vogue, and they’re not. They’re on Lifetime, and it’s supposed to be, an En Vogue reunion. It’s two of them there, and what, you think you can just get somebody off the street and call it a freakin’ reunion? I don’t think so.” “It’s not a reunion that’s for sure. I don’t know what it is, and to me, it doesn’t make them look good, and that’s why I don’t mind doing these interviews because to me, I just want everybody to know it’s just Terry and Cindy and some other chick [bennett, pictured above R). ON DAWN ROBINSON BEING “LOONEY”: “I have tried everything in my power to work with Dawn ’cause she’s talented and beautiful – there’s not a question about that, but the girl is looney. That’s what I’ll say about it, okay. And I’m not trying anymore, I’m done. That’s never going to happen either again.” ON THE POSSIBILITY OF HER REUNITING WITH THE LADIES: “There’s no way. I can’t work alongside those chicks and they tried to see to it that I ended up with zero, with nothing, and totally devastated. No. I will not stand alongside those girls and get on stage with them, no.” (Photo: C Brandon/Redferns/Getty Images) http://www.centrictv.com/music/articles/2014/11/17/maxine-jones-on-en-vogue-i-can-t-work-with-those-chicks-calls-dawn-robinson-looney.html

NICK LACHEY - Falling Slowly Soundtrack of My Life (2014)

For those who are interested in checking it out, her album recently dropped. Her vocals soar. The production is soulful, yet a little experimental. I haven't gotten the album yet, but based on the preview, I can live without it for a little while. I prefer her work with Jeff. http://www.amazon.com/Calling-Merna/dp/B00OR24VFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1416248904&sr=1-1&keywords=merna

SHADY RECORDS - CXVPHER (2014) http://www.vevo.com/watch/eminem/Vevo-Presents-Shady-CXVPHER/USUV71402764 Lyrics, lyrics, lyrics. I must say, I wanted Royce and Joe Budden to come harder.

MC Lyte has dropped songs here and there over the years, and I'm hoping an album is on the way, but I wanted to share her new one. The sound isn't what I was expecting, but the energy and flava of the song is so nice that I'm not mad at it at all. Plus, Lil' Mama is stepping her game up.

Here's an alternate pic... The Cast Of ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air’ Reunites On ‘Dancing With The Stars’ [PHOTO] Nov 11, 2014 By Danielle Young, Lifestyle Editor OMG! We totally hoped this would happen, considering Alfonso Ribeiro’s stellar performances on “Dancing With the Stars” every week: The Banks family reunited! Ribeiro’s on-screen siblings Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks) and Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks) showed up to support him on his journey on the show and they even brought Joseph Marcell, who played the Banks family’s beloved British butler and voice of reason, Geoffrey. Ribeiro told Us Weekly it was “really cool” to have his longtime friends there to watch him perform Monday night. “Joe’s [in] all the way from England,” he told Us Weekly. “Just having [all of] them here was wonderful. They’re family to me. They’ll always be family.” Ribeiro keeps in touch with most of his former TV family members. He told Us Weekly that he and Will Smith, the show’s main character, talk all the time. “We all have such love for each other. Will actually rapped a birthday wish to [my wife] while we were all in Trinidad at Carnival for her birthday! He flew into Trinidad and hung out with us and we had a party and he got up and did a birthday rap for her. That’s the kind of stuff we do for each other and it’s just love — and that love is forever.” Yes they all still get together, but don’t get your hopes up for a televised reunion. Ribeiro says, “I don’t think it would happen simply because we’ve lost James [Avery]. When James passed, he was the heart and the center of the show. I believe, for us, it was something we enjoyed in the past and we’ll let it stay there.” Ribeiro, who played the dancing, but mostly stick-in-the-mud Carlton Banks has been killing the competition on the dancing show. He is one of five of the last contestants and his stance shocks him. But it shouldn’t. http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/11/11/the-cast-of-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-reunites-on-dancing-with-the-stars/

Tupac Shakur's Foundation Is Gifting Us With New Music Soon Stacy-Ann Ellis Posted November 10, 2014 Even many years after his passing Tupac and his camp are making an impact on society. The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, founded in 1997 by his mom Afeni Shakur, is promising new tunes in the name of charity. Before you start thinking along the lines of an all-Pac-everything album, the promised new single—which will be available on 2pac.com for $.99—primarily features several hip hop stars and all sale proceeds will benefit the maintenance of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Kamil “Muszamil” Beale and Dame Grease are working with the foundation to not only push the single, but create a bonus mixtape with guest rappers for fans that download the song. Source: http://www.vibe.com/article/tupac-shakur-foundation-mixtape-fundraiser-2014?utm_source=sc-fb&utm_medium=ref&utm_campaign=Tupac

I heard this months ago...it's so good. The crazy thing is that Heavy D recorded a TON of Hip-Hop music between 2004 up until he started the reggae project. I've heard some of the songs and they are flawless. He also did a tone of remixes with artists like Brian McKnight that are hard to find or were never released. I wish they'd get that out. It's better than the work on his final album.

Heavy D was the coolest brother in Hip-Hop. He was incredibly versatile and multi-talented. There isn't anyone who didn't know Heavy D who didn't love him. He was one of my top favorite emcees ever since I was 11. His absence is felt constantly.

Whoa, I just hear the new T-Pain track and had to share it. I wanna say I lied T-Pain when he first came out. Around the time of this second album I started to view him as an artist who will make some catchy songs that I'd like, but nothing I'd take too serious due to the common subject matter and hit or miss production. However, his new song is DOPE. He's rapping without autotune and the lyrics are flawless. He was an emcee before he started singing and then using autotune, so this is kinda him taking things full circle. Even if you don't like him, I urge you to give this song a listen... http://www.audiomack.com/song/listenhiphopnow/t-pain-stoicville

This is crazy stuff; I love it! If anyone rips the audio, please send it my way.

He dropped another one called "You Already." His flow is tight, but the subject matter is stale, and while the production isn't bad, it's not really Hip-Hop...it's today's commercial urban sound. The guest artist adds nothing to the track. New Music: LL Cool J f/ Troy Ave – ‘You Already’ As he gears up for his album G.O.A.T. 2, LL Cool J keeps turning out songs for the streets. The hip-hop icon links with fellow New Yorker Troy Ave for “You Already.” LL declares himself the “new king of New York,” while Troy revives LL’s 1996 classic “Doin’ It” on the hook. LL has been working with Mavado, Murda Mook, Raekwon, and Jerry Wonda on the sequel to his 2000 album. “This album is mainly for the ni**as, it’s gritty,” he said. “This one is not for the ladies.” Earlier in the week, he dropped another song called “Break Your Face.” Listen to both tracks below.

To be honest, I'm completely indifferent towards her. I certainly don't consider her real Hip-Hop and I don't know how authentic her music is, representing her as a person. I can say that I don't despise her songs like I do Icky Minaj. I don't know how you can compare her to blackface though...lol