Pages tagged “jay z”

Coldplay fans almost have to consider themselves spoiled rotten, given the band's announcement of a new EP just months after its latest, Viva La Vida. Chris Martin and crew have finally locked in a release date for said EP, Prospekt's March: Nov. 25. And that's not all: just two weeks prior, on Nov. 10, the band will digitally release a four-track version of its Viva La Vida song "Lost!," including one remix featuring Jay-Z.

It's turning out to be quite the season for hip-hop lovers. T.I.'s Paper Trail was released Tuesday, Missy Elliott's much-delayed Block Party will (hopefully) finally hit Nov. 11, Kanye West has moved up his new album to "sometime in November," 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct debuts Dec. 9, and now Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 record is rumored to drop Dec. 2.

VH1 just announced the “100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs Ever!!!” and the list isn’t terrible. It’s actually pretty good. They have Public Enemy's “Fight The Power” in the right place (# 1), they identified the best Notorious B.I.G. song (“Juicy”) and, apart from the egregious inclusion of Coolio (at #38 with the horrendous “Gangsta’s Paradise”), they don’t have a lot of embarrassing inclusions.

But they did forget some amazing tracks.

Here, in 10 words or less, we make the case for the 10 best hip-hop songs VH1 forgot. They may not trump “Fight They Power,” but they’re all better than anything Coolio could ever dream of.

The end of the year just got a whole lot more interesting. Surprising fans and critics alike, word has leaked that Kanye West is allegedly preparing to release his fourth album in December. In fact, a lead single, entitled "Love Lockdown," will supposedly hit iTunes sometime next week (perhaps as early as Monday).

[Above: Kanye West and Jay-Z at Miami's American Airlines Arena in March]

Since the most recent preview of Jay-Z's new post-"retirement" project came at a Kanye West concert last week, it's not too surprising that news comes today, via hip-hop producer Mick Boogie, that West has been confirmed as head producer for "most, if not all" of the tracks on the forthcoming Blueprint 3 album.

Update: Something Jay-Z is good at: rap battles. Something Jay-Z is terrible at: retirement.

Those two worlds collided (kind of like that Jay-Z/R. Kelly album, only without the pepper spray and lawsuits) Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden when the Jigga Man was brought out as a special guest to close Kanye's West's Glow In The Dark Tour.

Dr. Dre has not had an album this millennium.

Since Dre's Chronic follow-up 2001 (which, against the rules of logic, actually came out in 1999), the world's population has risen by approximately 80 million people, and assumedly at least half of these people have released a mixtape with a Lil Wayne feature by now.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that U2 has signed a 12-year deal with Live Nation, rapper Jay-Z and the behemoth concert promoters have announced they're working on an agreement of their own.

Hova plans to leave his longtime label home at Def Jam, The New York Times reports, for a staggering $150 million contract with Live Nation. He was president of the Universal Music Group subsidiary for three years before he stepped down last year, and is obligated to record one last album for the label before departing. His Live Nation deal is the most comprehensive so far, and could encompass several aspects of his career, from touring and merchandising to image licensing, publishing and sponsorships. It will also most likely finance his own label and management firm.

Madonna was the first artist to sign with Live Nation, and did so in October, to the tune of $120 million over 10 years. The success of this business model in the current environment of faltering record sales (especially for these particular artists) has yet to reveal itself.

Jay-Z's busy right now on his "Heart of the City Tour" with Mary J. Blige, culminating in three back-to-back dates at New York's Madison Square Garden. His most recent record, American Gangster, released last year on Roc-A-Fella Records, has sold a million copies.

He's heading to the heart of these cities:

April
5 - Greensboro, N.C @ Greensboro Coliseum
6 - Washington D.C. @ Verizon Center
8 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Philips Arena
9 - New Orleans, La. @ New Orleans Arena
10 - Houston, Texas @ Toyota Center
12 - Dallas, Texas @ Superpages.com Center
15 - Irvine, Calif. @ Verizon Wireless Center
16 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Bowl
18 - Irvine, Calif. @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
19 - Las Vegas, Nev. @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
19 - Las Vegas, Nev. @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
20 - Oakland, Calif. @ Oracle Arena
25 - Detroit, Mich. @ Palace at Auburn Hills

May
2 - New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
6 - New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
7 - New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden

Related links:
LiveNation.com
Jay-Z on MySpace
RocAFella.com

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Now that the Oscars are over, it's time to reflect on the new season that's apparently upon us. Lawsuit season! It's that time of year, folks, and it's either sue or be sued. Yesterday, it was announced that the Foo Fighters had filed suit with Marvel Comics for allegedly using two of their songs without permission in a trailer for an upcoming television series.

Meanwhile, yesterday, The New York Observer reported that Clive Campbell, a Brooklyn-based activist (and incidentally not DJ Kool Herc, as was initially reported) has named none other than Jay-Z (née Sean Carter) himself alongside developer Brett Ratner and Barclays Bank in a rather byzantine lawsuit.

Let's take it from the top.

Carter, a co-owner of the New York Nets, has been a major supporter of a proposed $4 billion basketball arena that Ratner has been working to develop in Brooklyn for the team. The controversy began last year when Barclays Bank won the naming rights to the stadium. Barclays, a subsidiary of Barclays PLC, was named after former bank partners Alexander and David Barclay in the 17th century. In 1944, a book was published entitled Capitalism and Slavery, which made the claim that the bank had been founded using profits gained from the slave trade. The book also claimed that the David Barclay associated with the bank and a Quaker slave trader also named David Barclay were one and the same.

The bank quickly refuted the allegations, claiming that the two men were distinct entities, and Barclay the slave trader had no connection whatsoever with the bank. Later that year further allegations were made, which claimed that the bank indirectly played a role in 125 slave trading voyages, which the bank again denied, stating that former partner David Barclay not only wasn't a slave trader, he was an abolitionist and would never have been involved in the slave trade.

(Did you keep up with all that?)

Now, activist Campbell has filed a suit, which claims that the three named defendants “profited from the African Slave Trade and continue to profit from these gains, through a conspiracy dating back hundreds of years and continue to date to oppress Black people, enslave them, unlawfully deport them to all corners of the Earth.” He's suing them for slavery reparations at the tune of a cool $5 billion.

There's no word from Jay's camp on what his next move will be in response to this growing controversy, but he might want to take note of the following. Regardless of whether Barclays was in fact involved with the slave trade hundreds of years ago, some quick research on the company reveals plenty of other, shall we say, questionable ties with everything from apartheid to Nazism to Robert Mugabe.

Not familiar with Mugabe? Oh, he was only named the seventh worst dictator in the world in 2007 by Parade magazine. And in 2006? Well, he was number four then.

Related links:
AtlanticYards.com
Barclays.co.uk
BBC News: Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe strongman

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From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

Main Entry: retired
Function: adjective

1 : secluded
2 : withdrawn from one's position or occupation : having concluded one's working or professional career

If artists understood the meaning of that word, the past few years might have gone like this: in 2003, Jay-Z announces his retirement and plays his final show at Madison Square Garden. He ceases to make studio albums, leaving a large void in the world of mainstream hip-hop. He marries longtime girlfriend Beyoncé Knowles, and together they have a baby. As soon as the baby can talk, it collaborates with Young Jeezy, Bow Wow and Lil Wayne. Backed by Def Jam, the album goes triple platinum, and makes Yung Z-Knowles the richest three-year-old in the known universe.

However, since dear old Hova (along with many of his professional peers) stubbornly refuses to obey the proper definition of the word, the past five years went more like this:

Jay-Z announces his retirement, plays Madison Square Garden and becomes CEO of Def Jam. He does rather unpredictable side projects with the likes of Linkin Park and jams on stage with Phish. He also executive produces Fort Minor's debut album. In late 2005, he headlines the annual festival of NYC radio station Power 105.1, and publicly ends his rivalry with Nas. Rumors swirl that he and Beyoncé have broken up, all of which are later proven false. In 2006, he releases Kingdom Come, and is named the number one greatest MC of all time by MTV. Just under a year later, releases yet another album, entitled American Gangster, inspired by the Oscar-nominated film of same name. He gets engaged to Beyoncé.

And now, in his latest move to make it known to the world that he will not be held down by silly things like dictionaries, it's been announced that Jay-Z will headline the Glastonbury Festival, making him the first major hip-hop act to do so in the festival's long and storied history.

All of which likely makes the "retired" rapper busier than approximately 98% of the rest of show business.

For more on how to keep busy in retirement, have a look at this David Letterman clip, where Jay-Z discusses his not-really-farewell tour:

Related links:
Rocafella.com
Jay-Z on Myspace
GlastonburyFestivals.co.uk

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Jay-Z has joined a hallowed list that includes such venerable names as Melissa Etheridge, Lyle Lovett, and Matchbox 20. That’s right, H.O.V.A. has his own special on VH1’s Storytellers.

In conjunction with his new album, American Gangster, due out November 6, Jay’s Storytellers episode will air on November 8. He recorded the hour-long set at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, and was backed by a 12-piece band called the Roc Boys, which will also support him on his upcoming mini-tour (which is already sold out).

Tour dates:

Novemeber:
6 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ House of Blues
7 - Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues
9 - Baltimore, Md. @ Ram's Head Live!
11 - New York, N.Y. @ Hammerstein Ballroom
12 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Fillmore

Related links:
DefJam.com
VH1 Storytellers
Pre-order American Gangster here

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As we previously reported, watching the upcoming Ridley Scott film American Gangster injected Jay-Z with a heavy dose of inspiration. So heavy, that he built up the nerve to follow up last year's disappointing Kingdom Come with an album of new material based off of the film. Now Hova's added a smattering of tour dates in support of the record, where he'll reportedly rock only material from his new album.

American Gangster the film arrives Nov. 2, with the Jay-Z album of the same name dropping on Nov. 6. Keep in mind, the new Jay release is separate from the film's official soundtrack, which features work from the Staple Singers, Public Enemy, and Bobby Womack.

Here's the Jay-Z track listing:

1. Amen
2. Blue Magic
3. Untitled
4. Alright, Alright
5. You Don't Know
6. And the Winner Is
7. American Gangster
8. Welcome
9. Ignorant Shit
10. The Demise
11. I Get Money (Remix)

And those tour dates:

November
6 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ House of Blues
7 - Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues
9 - Baltimore, Md. @ Ram's Head
11 - New York, N.Y. @ Hammerstein Ballroom
12 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Fillmore

Related links:
AmericanGangster.net
Rockafella.com
YouTube: American Gangster trailer

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It turns out Jay-Z was unwittingly backing himself into a corner with all of those Michael Jordan analogies in his lyrics sheets throughout the years. Like #23, he came into the game underrated and overlooked, but quickly essayed a career of such technical and commercial dominance that people had to stand up and take notice. ast year's comeback release Kingdom Come, however, had that awkward feeling of Washington Wizards-era MJ: an unwanted and unnecessary return from an all-time great that threatened to tarnish his legacy.

On Nov. 6, Hova will try to break from the Jordan script he's constructed by taking inspiration from a script of another sort. The upcoming Ridley Scott film American Gangster, which portrays the rise of '70s Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas, evidently made a huge impact on ol' Hova. He aims to release a concept album of the same name, with many of the cuts inspired by specific scenes in the movie.

“It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story,” Jay told The New York Times.

Mr. Shawn Carter also saw a bit of himself in Denzel Washington's portrayal of Lucas: "The way he carried himself. The way he went about things. The way he wasn’t loud, but he was very strong."

Jay-Z's American Gangster album arrives in conjunction with the film's official soundtrack, which features a more "period" feel with tunes by Bobby Womack, Sam & Dave, and the Staple Singers. Jay also isn't the only hip-hop figure contributing to the film's marketing campaign. Rappers T.I., Common and the RZA all make guest appearances in the film. As the Times article mentions, producers hope this hip-hop crossover appeal brings in the younger crowd, since American Gangster cost over $100 million to put together.

Related Links:
Paste: Jars of Clay and Jay-Z - Turning Water into Hope
MJ/Jay-Z Mashup (YouTube)
JayZOnline.com (Fan Site)

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