WOW! Beyoncé and Jay-Z are sharing their world in a way we’ve never seen before. The happy parents debuted photos of their newborn daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, and don’t even front…the baby is adorable : )
I also think it’s a nice change that the Carters eschewed the whole tabloid bidding war tackiness, instead choosing to post the photos on the Blue Ivy’s own tumblr page, lol. (Do you think tumblr had to come up off something though?)
Check out more super cute photos of hip hop’s first family: Jay-Z holding his daughter, close-ups of Blue Ivy’s face and more…
After the jump
T.I. and Tiny maybe expecting a new member to their big family soon. In episode nine titled “Baby Fever,” Tiny is flirting with the thought of having a baby. When she reveals what’s on her mind the family doesn’t seem to sit well with the idea.
The time is almost here. MTV’s set to unveil its annual “Hottest MCs List” soon, until then they’ve announced the 25 candidates that will be cut into a final list of ten. Starting next week we’ll find out #10-#6, with the top five coming on a special roundtable show on Sunday, February 19th at 10:30 p.m. EST on MTV2.
View the 25 candidates and Pharrelll gives MTV his pic for 2011’s ‘Hottest MC’ after the jump….
It’s the holiday season in the Harris household. In their new episode, “Tip Clause” and family get taught a valuable lesson in charity while performing a Christmas play for the less fortunate.
Where hip-hop and hockey meets. Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place served as host for the 59th annual NHL All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon, and they didn’t have to look far for entertainment. Drake made it to center ice to perform “Headlines” and “The Motto” during the exhibition game’s second intermission. Watch the performance from the nation’s capital above.
A$AP Rocky had one of his dreams come true for the new cover of Complex Magazine. Throughout the young Harlem rapper’s lyrics, there’s numerous references to fashion designers like Raf Simmons, Rick Owens, and one of his favorites Jeremy Scott. The hard working Complex crew plucked both Rocky and Scott to cover the Feb/March issue of their magazine. They discussed everything from the connection between hip-hop and fashion, childhood influences, their breakthrough moments, and more.
Complex: Why do you think hip-hop is so fascinated with fashion and vice versa? A: As black people it was our thing to show that we’re not living in poverty and that we can afford extravagant things—that kind of stuck with us. So when our great-grandparents were putting on their favorite outfits, it was to put on a front for the hard times. And hip-hop is a bunch of people that never had nothing. Fashion is just an expression. It’s an art. It expresses your taste. Good taste is important in hip-hop. I wake up saying I’m going to look the best I can and do what the fuck I want to do. And that’s what it’s all about. I don’t know if I articulated it good because I’m pretty high right now—and I have a lisp and I’m going to Mars right now.
J: [Laughs.] The thing is hip-hop is one of the only communities that really started its own trends.
A: Wow.
J: That’s why I’ve always been inspired by hip-hop artists, because they transform things—even just the jean, turning it around, inside out, sagging it—all these different things. Yes, of course we get little things from other music movements, but hip-hop has been like, Pow! It’s really inspiring and it’s the only new music that has come along in eons. Rock and roll has been around—it’s changing forms. But hip-hop is major.
I know I’m not the only one that’s ever wondered about one of the greatest one-hit wonders in hip-hop: Skee-Lo. His 1995 single and music video “I Wish” was one of the first rap music videos I can remember jumping around my house to. It was comedic, yet very relatable for people from all walks of life. This video, along with “Fantastic Voyage” and “Ain’t Nothing But A G Thang” will forever be engraved in my brain as some of my favorite rap videos of all time. However, unlike Coolio and Snoop, Skee-Lo was never able to follow up the success of his breakthrough single. He did find some gigs in acting and actually starred in a TV version of Dangerous Mindsand served as a MTV VJ on The Grind, but his music career was brought to a halt by the dealings of a shady label.
“I retired five months after it was released,” Skee-Lo says, drinking coffee at the Denny’s on Crenshaw and 37th, a few blocks from the home he shares with his wife and two children. “Not only did my label [Sunshine] take credit for producing ‘I Wish,’ they took all the profits. So I refused to shoot any more videos, promote or record music. I’m not their slave. I wasn’t working for free.”
The LA Times tracked Skee-Lo down for an update and some clarity on what really happened to his career. According to the interview, the rapper became so depressed after his label situation that he gave up on life and even contemplated suicide. It wasn’t until he got reacquainted with his faith in Islam that he was able to snap out of his funk and get his life back on track. Skee-Lo eventually went on to win back his publishing for “I Wish.” Currently, Skee-Lo receives royalties whenever the song is played or purchased.
Watch the original “I Wish” video and catch up Skee-Lo’s new projects after the jump…
After not-giving-a-cheesy-tabloid-her-first-interview since the birth of Blue Ivy Carter, rumors were buzzing that Beyonce would step out for her first public appearance since the birth….to support her hubby Jay-Z’s 40/40 club re-opening. So many red-carpet watchers were disappointed when Bey did not attend. It seems like a lot of us were caught up in in the hysteria. Mr. North pointed out that health-wise, it was probably too early for Beyonce to go anywhere. The club was still packed, though. Celebs like Warren Buffet, Spike Lee, Questlove and more all came out to show their support.
UPDATE 1/21/12:
One day after this grand opening party, the NYC Dept of Health reportedly swept in and shut down the newly renovated 40/40 Club for varying degrees of eww. Under the NYC restaurant rating system, if you score higher than 28, you get a C-Grade….
The 40/40 Club scored a 69.
Some of the violations sound mild, like “thermometer not used during cooking…”
But others like a refrigerator being kept at 60 degrees, bare-hand salsa mixing, and “inadequate personal cleanliness”!?!?
*dry heave*
More details….
And more photos from the opening…
after the jump… (more…)
It’s kind of a comeback….for the Grammy’s that is. After 7 years of rudderless, aimless, unmanned ceremony, the 2012 Grammy Awards will be hosted by LL Cool J. While most of us didn’t really notice, the awards have just used a stream of presenters and pre-presenters since 2005, when Queen Latifah was the last official host.
Does that mean that this year will be any less of a snore? Probably not. But LL is likeable, respected and mainstream enough to bridge all Grammy audiences.
Even though LL Cool J was part of the Grammy nomination show’s Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five tribute, his hosting gig probably has less to do with his status as a hip hop legend, and more to do with the fact that his TV show NCIS: Los Angeles helps to keep the old people network CBS on top of the ratings. The CBS is also the home of the Grammy telecast…which is also why the goth chick from NCISalways ends up awkwardly presenting an award.
But even if NARAS prefers Todd James, LL Cool J will always be hip hop, so it’s a win.
LL Cool J’s statement…and more Grammy details…
After the jump (more…)
Over a looped Shirley Bassey sample, watch as ASAP and Theophilus London work on their upcoming collaboration, “Big Spender.” There is no release date for the track yet, but judging by this preview, it’s going to be hot when it drops.
Catch Mr. London on his Tour de Roses (dates here) or alongside Drake and Wiz Khalifa at Sundance.
