Jay-Z and Kanye West have sampled the late great Otis Redding’s classic Try A Little Tenderness on the track titled ‘Otis’, taken from their highly anticipated collaboration album Watch The Throne.
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A Jay-Z and Kanye collaboration hits the Internet and people lose their minds. They love it – “it’s fire” they scream. But in my opinion Otis is far from “fire”. It’s just borderline OK and nothing to write home about.
Last week I posted the news that UK artist Skepta’s new single Dare To Dream had been removed from YouTube and passed on to golden boy Eminem by Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine (Click HERE to read all about it).
And since then it’s been revealed just how this all went down.
After “Dare to Dream” was put up on YouTube one of its early listeners was Jimmy Iovine, founder of Interscope records. Recognizing quality, Iovine had plans in his mind for Skepta’s track so, with help from parent company Universal, they had YouTube remove the song on copyright grounds.
Armed with cash Interscope then approached Boy Better Known, a group and record label founded in 2005 by Skepta and the team behind Dare to Dream.
Skepta
So that CRETIN Iovine arranged for the single to be removed from YouTube and they placed a fraudulent “copyright complaint” notice in its place without even having the decency to contact Skepta first with a request to buy the single. What would have happened if Skepta had refused to sell?
The sheer arrogance and blatant abuse of the DMCA vehicle by Iovine is just sickening.
This is why I wouldn’t last five minutes as an artist. I would be in prison right now. My crime - smashing an unscrupulous music executive’s face in.
Listen to Skepta Dare To Dream below.
Also click HERE to read’Universal Music accused of using fraudulent DMCA notices as a negotiating tactic in licensing music from other labels’.
MC Harvey and Mista Brown have teamed up with Reggae star Gyptian on the new single Hot Gyal.
I don’t think this collaboration works. Mista Brown and Harvey don’t really bring that much to the track. They just look and sound like your average run of the mill UK rapper in 2011 - dull!
Gyptian without a doubt steals the show here. I would even go as far as saying that the single should just feature Gyptian.
On June 27th ChildLine is launching Final Verse in partnership with SBTV, a competition supported by Devlin, the UK’s latest crossover grime talent. Final Verse offers young performers the opportunity to record the final verse to Teardrops, an uncompleted track written and recorded by Devlin.
This is the first time 22 year old Devlin, who has just finished his sell-out UK tour, has officially supported a charity and the winner of this ChildLine competition will record their original lyrics in a studio, meet Devlin and feature in the music video to Teardrops. The final track and video will feature on SBTV (the UK’s most popular online youth broadcaster).
Devlin, who has featured on singles alongside Tinie Tempah, and Tinchy Stryder, has written and recorded the first two verses of the track and is now looking for aspiring MCs and lyricists to upload their Final Verse to www.FinalVerse.co.uk and complete Teardrops.
All approved entrants will be able to view their entry on a dedicated YouTube channel, and they will also receive a link to their very own personalised copy of the Teardrops music video featuring their uploaded performance, which they can share with friends and family online. YouTube views and ‘likes’ of entries will influence the final shortlist.
The winner will be picked from a shortlist of 20 entries by a panel made up from the world of UK music, including Devlin; Jamal Edwards aka SB, founder of SBTV; and Ben Scarr, A&R guy for Island Records who signed both Tinchy Stryder and Devlin.
The aim of Final Verse is similar to that of the Spit It Out competition, to let young people know that ChildLine cares about what matters to them and talking about your problems is the first step towards solving them.
To check out Devlin performing Teardrops, visit www.FinalVerse.co.uk and upload your entry to be in with a chance to feature on the track!
Yesterday morning I came across ”up and coming” UK artist Rob Dem via Twitter and judging by our rather brief conversation the man clearly has issues. I responded to a tweet that somebody sent directly to me, and then up popped “singer” Rob Dem aka @BowEThree with this random remark,
And then went on to abuse some of my other black female followers, calling them “fat ugly hoes”.
I found this nutter highly amusing and laughed even harder when he then swiftly deleted both remarks from his Twitter timeline . I am only sorry I didn’t get the chance to screen shot them before deletion, because they both would have made good Mad News ‘quotes of the day’. LOL.
Oh and by the way Rob Dem is black man. hahahahahahaha *shaking my head*
Anyway I mentioned above that old Rob here is a “singer” and you all know how I just love to feature new talent on Mad News, so check out his music below.
Click HEREto listen and check out those harmonies.
He must have paid a fortune to receive clearance to reuse those samples…
Randy R.C. Connor is apparently a choreographer to the stars. He claims to have worked with Britney Spears, P. Diddy Combs, Prince, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, and Jay-Z.
Old man Murdoch, Murdoch Jr and Rebekah Brooks faced the Commons culture committee today over the ongoing phone hacking scandal, and more or less denied all knowledge of any wrongdoing within News International.
Then a protester got up, walked over to 80-year-old Rupert and attacked him with a plate of shaving foam. Watch the footage below and check out Rupert’s wife Wendy Deng (in the pink jacket) who jumped up to defend her husband like a true “ride or die” chick (haha).
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Where was the security????
Anyway the attacker is apparently a comedian called Jonnie Marbles, and before he threw a plate full of shaving foam in to Rupert’s face the ‘funny man’ tweeted this,
It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat— Jonnie Marbles (@JonnieMarbles) July 19, 2011
“Hackgate” has everything, Crime, Drama, Power, Intrigue and now shaving foam.
Rupert and James Murdoch face questions from the Commons culture committee on News International’s role in the phone-hacking scandal, starting at 1430 BST.
Ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to be questioned from 1530 BST.
The former manager of singer Jessie J is claiming that he is entitled to 20 percent of her earnings for life.
Raymond Stevenson of record label Art 19 who discovered Jessie 8 years ago told The Evening Standard,
“We took her round to major record labels, they weren’t sure and didn’t quite get it. It took a while to get the record labels’ ears and we eventually took her America to speak to executives out there.
“Five years is a long time to develop someone and I’m glad she is reaping the rewards of what we have done.
“What we do is a lot more holistic than just singing, it is about self-discovery. It is about getting the person to be the best they can be and project great vocals and emotions.”
Stevenson added that the 20 percent deal appears in a management contract drawn up when he started working with the singer, and that Universal Republic and Crown Management, who are now looking after the 23-year-old, have accepted its terms, although neither party was available for comment when contacted today. Click HERE to read more…
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20 percent for life? Oh dear, oh dear! I wonder if Universal Republic and Crown Management intend on actually honouring the contract, or are they in the process of instructing their top-notch lawyers to find a loop-hole in the contract?
