HRS News

Ok, if you thought Jay-Z wasn’t really retiring from recording… you were right.

It’s recently been revealed that Hova’s in the studio right now working on a new album with none other than Timbaland. Timbaland says he’s pretty much bored with hip-hop (dude, we feel ya) and is also working on Justin Timberlake’s next set. In fact, Tim say’s Jay-Z’s is the only rap album he’ll even touch this year.

According to Allhiphop.com, he told BBC’s 1xtra “Hip-Hop is too easy for me. I’ve got to do something that’s challenging. The only thing I got coming out is Jay-Z. I’m not trying to do anything new. I’m trying to do pop. I’m trying to bring Top 40 into the hood.”

Hmmmm… sorta sounds like The Black Eyed Peas and their anti-rap sentiment.

“Today’s hip-hop is just angry, negative music that just makes black people look bad.” Will.I.Am recently said.

And before everyone starts jumping down BEP’s throats, they should remember they held down the hip-hop underground for many years before they turned pop, so forget the Red Hot Chile Peppers who I respected until this dumb-ass comment.  Isn’t it interesting that some of hip-hop’s most innovative artists, including Andre 3000 insist on pimping music outside of rap?

Despite all the unfortunate controversy surrounding the Atlanta supergroup lately, Outkast is moving forward with their movie Idlewild set to open August 25.

“Mighty O,” the Organized Noize-produced lead track from the soundtrack, finds Dré and Big Boi rhyming together on a track for the first time in six years, since their 2000 set, Stankonia. Also featured is the Big Boi solo track “Morris Brown” featuring Scar and Sleepy Brown) which boasts Eddie Ellis conducting the Morris Brown College Band.

The soundtrack takes the term “old school” to another level as it draws from the sounds of the 1930′s and mixes swing, blues and hip-hop.

As of press time, the album is also slated to include: “The Train” (featuring Scar and Sleepy Brown), co-written by Dré and Big Boi and produced by Big Boi for Boom Boom Room Produc¬tions; “In Your Dreams” (featuring Scar and Janelle Monae, co-written by Dré, pro¬duced by Organized Noize); and “Don’t Chu Worry ‘Bout Me (Idlewild Blues),” written and produced by Dré). Titles are subject to change; the final album sequence will be announced in the weeks ahead.

About the movie: Three days after the release of the album, Universal Pictures and HBO Films will drop Idlewild, a Mosaic Media Group and Forensic Films Production starring Antwan Patton and André Benjamin in their first movie together. (They have acted separately, Big Boi in ATL, and Dré in Be Cool and Four Brothers.)

Set amidst the backdrop of a 1930s rural Georgia speakeasy known as The Church, the musical follows lifelong friends Percival (Dré), the club’s piano player, and Rooster (Big Boi), the club’s lead performer and manager, through intersecting stories of love and ambition, in a story fueled by non-stop action, music and showstopping dance numbers.

Idlewild was written and directed by award-winner Bryan Barber (making his feature film debut as a director), a prolific video director over the past four years and close collaborator with OutKast on “Hey Ya,” “The Way You Move,” “The Whole World,” and other clips. Dance sequences were choreographed by three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle.

The UK-born singer/songwriter whose influences include Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, Jill Scott and Hole (Courtney Love’s band) has been compared to Billie Holiday and critically acclaimed to the nth degree with her self-titled debut, released June 2006.

Combining soul and pop sensibilities with jazzy vocal stylings and an indescribable onstage innocence, the lanky vocalist is humble when painting a picture of her music.

“[It's] a little bit of everything: it’s chilled out, acoustic, kooky, atmospheric and soulful,” she says. “I’d also be tempted to say it comes from a very organic place, but that would sound pretentious, so I won’t.”

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Read album review 

VIDEO: “Like A Star” – Windows |Real |Quicktime

AUDIO: “Put Your Records On” Windows |Real

Henry Adaso over at SOHH Houston’s blog helps hip us to the sudden, and rather biased, controversy surrounding grills.
Seems like the local yokels in the Texas school district want to ban dental self expression. And while Adaso points out Paul Wall’s blinged-out grill, I remember seeing many “uncles” from waaaaay back in the day with a number of gold teeth, so why is this cultural tradition so “immoral” now? Because it’s been embraced by hip-hop culture. Right on, Henry.

And speaking of Paul Wall, this guy’s got his grind-tabulous fingers in so many pies, it was clear in our interview that they could take away his grill and he’ll still be paid. Ironically, the rapper is in Sierra Leone as part of VH1′s “Rock Doc” documentary chronicling how that country’s people have been sacrificed to fuel the diamond trade.

Photo courtesy Atlantic

Usher, who in 2005 announced he was taking a break from performing , has had his hand in a number of acting projects including film and television. Now he can add Broadway to his already impressive belt.

“This is a very exciting time in my career,” the 27-year-old said in a statement. “I have always admired Broadway actors for their showmanship, dedication and focus that goes into performing live on stage every night. Being on Broadway allows you to connect to audiences in a whole new way that’s different from music and movies.”

Read the whole story…

The Black Eyed Peas singer is finally dropping her solo joint, The Dutchess, scheduled for September release. Here’s the first single in two versions; “London Bridge (Oh Shhsh)” and “London Bridge (Oh Snap),” which is just the clean version.

The song was produced by Polow da Don who did Ludacris’ “Pimpin All Over the World” and of course the album will feature production by Will.i.a.m.

Fergie raps on this and doesn’t sing at all. Hmmmm….

Tell us what you think and if you want more, check out our audio/video pages. Photo: Interscope

Audio: “London Bridge (Oh Shhsh)” – Windows|Real

“London Bridge (Oh Snap)” – Windows|Real

Ladies break out the towels. “Come Touch Me” crooner Bobby Valentino is gearing up to return with his Disturbing Tha Peace sophomore set on September 1earing up 9. Special Occasion features the Rodney Jerkins-produced single “Turn the Page,” and additional production from Tim & Bob and Dre & Vidal. Valentino co-wrote most of the album’s tunes.

Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob) has joined with a host of artists such as Michael Franti & Spearhead and Panic! At The Disco for the soundtrack to the upcoming movie Snakes on a Plane. The set offers new and remixed tracks and should drop August 15.

And, finally, Seattle park visitors were terrorized by Juggalos wielding machetes. For all y’all that don’t know (or don’t care) groups such as the crazed looking rap/metal Insane Clown Posse have an enormous fan base that call themselves Juggalos. They wear clown makeup, but it’s not like happy Tommy the Clown make-up or clown dancing… oh noooo, it’s dark, evil, scary, goth-looking ish. Anyway, these dumb-asses stole people’s stuff and then beat them up anyway. WTF is wrong with our generation??

Photos: courtesy Disturbing Tha Peace and AP

His Purple Greatness, Prince, has pulled the plug on his website NPGMusicClub.com.

Started in 2001, the site blazed the trail by being an example of how independent artists could use the Internet to market their wares. Named after his New Power Generation backup band, the site offered fans a way to buy new music new music and other treats at a time when the artist formerly known as the Artist Formerly Known As Prince got disgusted with the record industry’s greed. The site, which won this year’s Special Achievement Webby Award, is now just a black, not purple, screen. Now that Prince is pimping the labels, it seems the site’s purpose has come to an end. “In its current form, there is a feeling that the NPGMC has gone as far as it can go,” a statement said. Oh well…

Kurtis Blow schooled us about “The Breaks” back in the day, and now, in the new millennium, he’s getting ready to take folks to Sunday school.

The hip-hop pioneer is bringing his popular church service to television. Titled “Hip Hop Church America,” the show witnesses Blow wearing the hats of host, DJ, MC and worship leader just as he has been for the past several years at Hood Memorial Church in Harlem.

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