Another sadly cheap-looking video from Donell Jones for a decent song from his forthcoming album – he will be performing his new single “Love Like This” on the Mo’Nique Show this Monday.

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Exciting theatre news! Anyone planning a visit to New York later this year should check this out… “Unchain My Heart, the Ray Charles Musical is scheduled to begin preview performances on Broadway on Oct. 8 and open on Nov. 7, the lead producer, Stuart Benjamin, said on Thursday. It will be directed by Sheldon Epps with a book by Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of “Topdog/Underdog,” according to the New York Times.

“The musical, which had a developmental production at Pasadena Playhouse under the title “Ray Charles Live!” in 2007, imagines Charles, at his last live recording session, where stories from his life pour out and mix with his best-known hits that will be featured in the show.

A spokeswoman for the production said that “Unchain My Heart” represents the first musical book-writing effort by Ms. Parks, whose plays also include “Venus,” “In the Blood” and her newest, “The Book of Grace,” which is now in preview performances at the Public Theater.

Mr. Benjamin, who worked with Charles for years and produced the Academy Award-winning film “Ray,” said the production would run at a Shubert Organization theater to be announced later.”

[Source: New York Times x BBC]

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More French move action in this latest video from Hip Hop’s ‘conscious coochie monster’, Blu. Plus a free mixtape to download below to acquaint yourself with more Blu, including rousing cool-out anthem, “Mars Remix” [track 7].

dapsNpounds.net Presents: 19 previously un-taped tracks [APPROVED BY BLU]:

Visit aonn.bandcamp.com to download the mixtape/view full track list.

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New song from rising UK vocalist Selah celebrating womanhood – in aid of last week’s International Women’s Day. “We came up with the idea for a female anthem with Davinche, because there hadn’t really been anything like that before. That’s generally a male thing, so it makes a change,” she says.

“Sadie and Mz Bratt being two prominent females in the scene were perfect for the song. We got in the studio along with Wretch 32 to help us put the song together. We didn’t want it to be your typical ‘girl power’ song. It was purposely written in the style of a rap, to give it more sass and attitude – that’s where Wretch got to work his magic.”

Selah online: @SuperstarSelah | MySpace

London-born Barbados-raised acoustic soul from Elisa Caleb with her new music video for “The Wind”, featuring Mark Hole, taken from her debut album Carry Me Home.

Written by Jo Caleb. Directed by Colin Rogal & Jo Caleb.

elisacaleb.com

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Sumit over at The Hip Hop Chronicle put some excellent questions to founder and chairman of Loud Records and SRC Records, Steve Rifkin, earlier this month, covering topics including his first meeting with Havoc, trying to sign Jay-Z, signing the Wu-Tang Clan and smoking with Tupac.

“Firstly I got him to break down the Duck Seazon lyrics where RZA says ‘Steve Rifkind must be sniffin’,” says The Hip Hop Chronicle. “We then get onto speaking about Steve’s first encounters with artists. He explains how Havoc lit up a blunt and caused a fire alarm during their first meet. Steve talks about the first time he met Melanie Fiona and thought her manager was ‘breath-takingly beautiful’.

“Dame Dash as a 16 year old was a ‘cocky motherfucker’. He came into Steve’s office shouting and screaming with his cousin. Then Steve tells me two stories about how he threw a chair out of the window and was escorted out of the building in handcuffs over a Wu Tang record and how he almost had a fight with a label President because they wouldn’t sign Jay-Z.”

“Steve Rifkind recounts the time when he signed the Wu Tang Clan. They performed ‘Protect Your Neck’ and then a random intern runs into the room saying, ‘That’s that shit!’.  Steve also talks about the time when Tupac stayed at his house in L.A. and how they used to smoke together. And finally (with some help, thanks Shane!), Steve tells me the time when he broke his nose playing basketball and while on the way to the hospital, he was told to listen to 3 Akon records, which he loved and decided he had to sign him.”

Props to TheHipHopChronicle

“A “Humdrum Town” can mean different things to different people.  For some, it’s the middle of nowhere.  For others, it’s New York City.  And for Theophilus London, it’s where he spent the majority of his young adulthood, in a subdivision in the Poconos.

“So when we asked him where he’d most like to perform the single, the answer was obvious—no less than fifty feet from the house where he grew up, where his dad had prepared a tray of snacks and made everybody take off their shoes so that they wouldn’t dirty the carpet.

“If that’s humdrum, then so be it.  We already took you on a boat ride with Amazing Baby.  Now prepare yourself for a spooky ride down a country road with a party pit stop in the middle of the woods.” - FaderTV

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A brand new mixtape fresh from the G.O.O.D. Music camp by ‘The World Famous Tony Williams’, background singer for Kanye West. The World Famous Tony Williams: Finding Dakota Grey, offers a 27-deep collection of original music, covers and remixes. Good song, good voices. A pretty solid body of work!

On this expose, Tony steps to the forefront to play ringleader with a cast of featured artists including Dakota Grey; who has “referenced R&B vocals for Mariah Carey and Busta Rhymes [and] worked for Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Bebe Winans, Melanie Daniels, BilaL, Diddy and Jay-Z.

Tony Williams lays claim to his title for traveling the world over more than five times as the background vocalist for Kanye West – and having written, produced and performed the vocals on several of the hits he has performed on.

Tony has been featured on hits that include “Heartless” (Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreaks), “History” (Jay-Z – More Than A Game OST), “Flashing Lights” (Kanye West – Graduation) and “We Major” (Kanye West – Late Registration).

I would list some standout tracks but they’re all rocking. Load it up on your ipod and bump the whole thing.

DOWNLOAD: The World Famous Tony Williams – Finding Dakota Grey

Track list:

1. ‘Intro’
2. ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ ft. Dakota Grey
3. ‘Backstage Pass’
4. ‘NuSkyy TV interview’
5. ‘DJ Aktive Remix’
6. ‘Chicken Wings’ (skit)
7. ‘Amazing’ (Remix) ft. Kanye West
8. ‘Late Early’ ft. Al B. Back + Chop Chop
9. ‘Way I Like It’
10. ‘Flashlight’
11. ‘Dreamin Of Your Love’ (Parisian Remix) ft. Matt Moerdock
12. ‘You Know French’ (skit)
13. ‘Some Move Scene’
14. ‘I’m Not Mad’
15. ‘La la, La la’
16. ‘Been A Lot Of Places’ skit
17. ‘Linda Garota’
18. ‘No’ (skit)
19. ‘King Or The Fool’
20. ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ ft. Dakota Grey + mama Sol
21. ‘Nightmares’ (Official Remix) ft. Cello the Black Pearl + Tada
22. ‘Still Got Love’ ft. Chop Chop
23. ‘We Can Make A Hit’
24. ‘I Don’t Give A Shit’
25. ‘Pro Tools’ (skit)
26. ‘Double Back On This Love’
27. ‘A Star Is Born’ ft. Kanye West, Mama Sol + Prophetic

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Your favourite musical comedy duo from New Zealand are coming to a city near you this Spring! Flight Of The Conchords European Tour 2010 kicks off in Amsterdam on May 3rd.

I love their TV show to death, can’t wait to see how it translates on stage. Check out Jemaine’s bottomless lyrics in “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” from Flight Of The Conchords, Episode 3 of Series 1 (starring Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement).

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS 2010 EURO TOUR DATES

Dates with Kristen Schaal:

3rd May- Amsterdam, NL at Melkweg Max
4th May- Amsterdam, NL at Melkweg Max
5th May- Dublin, Ireland at Olympia
6th May- Dublin, Ireland at Olympia
10th May- Birmingham, UK at NIA
11th May- Manchester, UK at Apollo
12th May- Manchester, UK at Apollo
14th May- Glasgow, UK at SECC
15th May- Glasgow, UK at SECC

Dates with Arj Barker

16th May- London, UK at HMV Hammersmith Apollo
17th May- London, UK at HMV Hammersmith Apollo
20th May- Bergen, Norway at Grieghallen
22nd May- Oslo, Norway at Folkteatern
23rd May- Copenhagen, DK at Vega
24th May- Stockholm, Sweden at Cirkus

flightoftheconchords.co.nz

…And of course that oldschool classic, “Mutha Uckers”:

[ArtRocker]

The third episode in conscientious the Street Talk TV series which voices public opinions (STREET) whilst profiling innovators from different cultural facets (TALK). This time they take a look at public views on the impact of the recession in part one, then in part two highlight the work of acclaimed New York painter Jim Gaylord [whose painting Study (The Patriot + King Arthur + Conan the Barbarian) you can see above].

STREET |

Street | Talk explore the opinions of New Yorkers on how the global recession is affecting their city.

| TALK

Jim Gaylord can take you through three films with the stroke of his paint brush but it may take you a look or five, to notice the subtlety of his compositions. As a former film major, Gaylord’s works are influenced greatly by cinema; his works are composed of compounded details of film scenes which allows for a style that reaches into surrealism and conveys abstraction.

Jim’s accolades includes being a recipient of the NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) fellow- the organization that serves as the foundation and governmental regulator of art in New York and having his Nobody’s Perfect print as part of the MOMA collection

Represented by the Jeff Bailey Gallery in New York City, Jim’s work is currently on exhibit at Bergdorf Goodman in honour of BAM’s Silent Auction, to raise money for this non profit artistic institution, that has been a part of New York’s creative fiber since 1861. Recognized by several artistic institutions and with an admirable list of exhibitions, Gaylord is an innovative force, challenging our perspective.

[StreetTalk]