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Kanye’s Redemption Keri Hilson is back and says ‘No Boys Allowed’
Spotlight : Importance of education in our community
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CONTENTS Kanye West
back better than ever
Keri Hilson’s new attitude
Top Artists of 2010 Spotlight: Importance of Education
Top New Artists of 2010 tt By Bill Lamb, About.com Guide
10
year old Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, emerged late in the year with the ultracatchy single "Whip My Hair." She sounded like a pint-sized version of Rihanna and had energy to run circles around older, more mature artists. Shortly after release "Whip My Hair" landed at #2 on the iTunes digital sales chart.
B.o.B. gained some attention in rap circles from music off two early EPs, but it was his major label single debut “Nothin’ On You” that brought B.o.B. hordes of appreciative fans. It was not long after “Nothin’ On You” began its descent off the chart before another massive hit “Airplanes” appeared. Both singles were tremendously
British R&B singer Taio Cruz made his breakthrough at home in 2008 with the release of the album Departure. However, it was the release of his second album Rokstarr in the US in early 2010 that made a successful Atlantic crossing. The debut single "Break Your Heart" rolled to #1 and it was followed quickly by a second #1 smash "Dynamite." Rokstarr was a top 10 album hit in the US when it was released in June 2010.
Top New Artists of 2010 tt
aided by the hooks provided by featured artists. On “Nothin’ On You “ it was the sweet voice of Bruno Mars, while “Airplanes” benefits from the somewhat more vulnerable sound of Hayley Williams from Paramore. These huge hits were followed by the single “Magic” featuring Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. It was a third top 10 hit.
Top New Artists of 2010 tt
A
lthough her debut album Pink Friday was not due until late November, rapper Nicki Minaj propelled herself on to the Billboard Hot 100 a jaw-dropping 14 times in 2010 as either lead or featured artist. Her biggest solo hit thus far is "Your Love" which peaked at #14.
Keri Hilson Wants Men to Pay At
By Diana Levine
K
eri Hilson catches the eye of a male front desk clerk as she walks through the lobby of the Ink48 Hotel in New York City. The hotel employee may as well stop daydreaming right there, for Hilson's sophomore album is called 'No Boys Allowed.' Despite the reference, the Decatur, Ga. native promises she's not trying to alienate her male fans. She just wants a few in the pack to recognize that women deserve more than to be toyed with. "We don't want boys, we want men," Keri tells The BoomBox of her album's name. "I want [men] to understand that you should listen and understand how women really think and feel about you. Even if you are younger, it's just basically no bulls--- allowed." The 27-year-old singer, noted for her ability to transform her voice from sex kitten ('Turnin' Me On') to soulful ('Breaking Point'), goes by Miss Keri Baby but she'd rather act as a lyrical Superwoman for ladies, young and old. "I really want to empower girls," she reveals. "I do music that makes them feel strong enough to get out of a bad situation at times, makes them feel better about their outer appearance [and] at the same time I want to teach young girls that it's OK to be pretty or feel cute, but have a little soul. Let there be a little
intellect behind that. Get good grades, finish school, aspire to do great things as opposed to just shopping and wearing makeup and putting on heels and letting
“My songs come from very personal places..� that be all there is to you." Singles like 'Pretty Girl Rock,' produced by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, showcase the blond bombshell's attempt at uniting women over their shared beauty rather than the jealousy that drives them apart. Keri's self-love anthem is a prime example of addressing topics that many females deal with, much like a Bei Maejor and Boi-1da-jointly produced track set to appear on her forthcoming opus. "There's this song on my album called 'Buyou,'" Keri states. "I wanted to talk
ttention to ‘No Boys Allowed’
R&B singer Keri Hilson
about how it's not cool to mooch off your woman. It's not manly, it's very boylike. I don't want to take care of my man. I do buy my own things. You are doing nothing for me, you are taking from me and that's not a good situation. Buy you a phone, buy you a car. It's like saying, 'Come correct or don't come at all.'" While Keri has collaborated with distinguished singers and rappers in the past -- Keyshia Cole, Kanye West, Akon, Lil Wayne -- 'No Boys Allowed' will feature fewer cameos in order for her to create a "defining sound." Producers such as Timbaland and Polow da Don will undoubtedly have a presence, yet Keri's mum about the select few who will croon or spit a 16 beside her. "There are a certain couple of characters who I think can help tell my story on 'No Boys Allowed,'" she says while tapping her leopard-decorated fingernails on her leg. "I won't say who they are, but they exist and they are great and I'm fans of them. There will be a couple but they will be there for a reason. You have to handpick who gets your vision." The commander of her own musical enterprise, Keri acts with great precision when it comes to all aspects of her career, down to how she'll appear on a red carpet. Before the cheerful chanteuse enters a fitting with Armani Exchange
to select a dress for an upcoming film premiere, she elaborates on what many people may not realize: despite her work with other songwriters and producers, the material she lays claim to is veracious. "My songs come from very personal places and it puts me in a very vulnerable state to where, while I'm writing, I'm like, 'Do I really want the world to know this? Is this gonna cause me trouble with this person? Are they gonna know that this song is about them?'" Keri admits. "For me, there was a little stress in creating this album because I dug a little deeper than I did on my first album, ['In a Perfect World...']. I was able to talk about the truth about certain things that I am dealing with."
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KANYE’S KANYES’ NEW IMAGE By Michael Howard Over a year ago it happened. Mr. West went on the VMA stage and decided to uncrown America's sweetheart Taylor Swift as Best Female Video. He said R&B diva Beyonce deserved it more. While we may not be able to argue with him about who deserved the VMA nod, we can all agree that moment was selfish and even mean to a new artist. At any rate that VMA debacle sent Kanye into a bad place in the public's perception of him. At first Kanye was just looked at as the outspoken, confident, and maybe a little arrogant rapper. But after that moment he was seen as those things, and maybe worse. West will be releasing a new album and with a new record comes a new image for this charttopping rapper. During a recent concert in Singapore West apologized to fans for letting them down. "I'm so sorry to y'all, everyone one of y'all that had to fight for my name/ Everyone of y'all a year ago that I made feel ashamed," he rapped in a freestyle. "I am the one to blame, and the people that I let down, I wanna tell you, right here, right now that I'm a new man and understand my position of power." West's first single "Power" which is gaining momentum on urban radio and is currently on the Billboard charts, is the answer to all his naysayers. West directly and indirectly addresses some of the situations that happened this year. He say's "No one man should have all that... power". West has finally began to understand that he has the power to influence an entire generation. His fashion, music, and lifestyle is closely watched by all. West
recently joined Twitter and here is what he said: RT @ kanyewest I will be a better man, friend, role model, citizen, blogger, tweeter, artist, creator, giver, thinker, motivator and person. IFEELTHEGLOW Mr. West we thank you for realizing that you must live up to your true calling as a role model that doesn't just succeed on the charts, but in life as well as a good person. Kanye
R
REDEMPTION ALBUM REVIEW BY MICHAEL DENSLOW COS BLOG
Hip-hop fans are a tough bunch to please. New artists are maligned for not sounding like the old ones, but there is no crime greater than “biting” those who’ve come before. In short, to be considered great an artist needs to sound like they were around in ’88, but not sound like anyone who was around in ’88. Rappers are applauded for being “real”, but what this reality encompasses is never explicitly stated. In a genre and a culture that expects its great artists to submit to a vague set of ideological rules, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Kanye West fits into the pantheon of hip-hop royalty. Kanye breaks plenty of rules on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The album is composed of nineminute rap epics that don’t adhere to traditional verse-chorus-verse guidelines. False endings give way to noodling instrumental outros. But perhaps the rule Kanye violates the most flagrantly is also the biggest recipe for disaster: Don’t sound like you are setting out to make the greatest album of all time. This is the most certain way to start ringing the “realness” alarm bells. Yet he somehow pulls it off, and he does it by backing up all the swagger and hype with an album that may actually be that good. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is hands-down the most ambitious mainstream rap album ever made. It also may be the best produced. Everything here sparkles and nothing is out of place. It probably wasn’t by design, but the very title of the album spits in the face of the goofy “real” concept. Album opener “Dark Fantasy” kicks off with a spoken word intro from Nicki Minaj, whose talking voice is almost as interesting as her rapping voice. As soon as her voice dies down it gives way to a maelstrom of strings, horns, synths and percussion that does not give way until the final moments of Gil Scott-Heron’s outraged rant on “Who Will Survive in America”. “Runaway”, the album’s emotional center, debuted at this year’s VMA’s, where it served as a subtle retort to Taylor Swift’s condescending and much hyped “I-Forgive-Kanye” moment. Kanye is one of the great innovators of the
sung-rap-song movement that has dominated urban radio the last few years, but here he takes it to new extremes. Built on a heartbreakingly lonely piano loop, the song finds Kanye bemoaning his personality flaws and features a tight verse from Clipse MC Pusha T. But what sets it apart is the false ending. Well past the five minute mark the music gives way, only to return with that same piano loop and Kanye West going bananas with his vocoder for about four minutes. Just as ambitious is “All of the Lights”. Kanye turns the posse track formula on its head by bringing together (deep breath) Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, John Legend, The-Dream, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Ryan Leslie, Charlie Wilson, Tony Williams, and Elly Jackson over an epic horn-driven track, creating a “Where’s Waldo” for music nerds. But instead of devolving into a bloated mess or a cheesy celebrity sing-along, Kanye’s production turns it into an epic sing-along, more arena-rock than hip-hop. But “All of the Lights” is just the tip of the guest artist iceberg. The album could be fairly credited to Kanye and Friends, with the star of the show finding the most flattering use for all of them. You’ve already heard it a thousand times, but it bears repeating that Nicki Minaj delivers the best verse of the year on “Monster”. A fuzzed-out Raekwon verse is one of the highlights of “Gorgeous” and nobody can bellow the words “fucking ridiculous” in quite the same way as his Wu-Tang brother RZA on “So Appalled”. John Legend’s soulful vocals and piano set a nice backdrop to Chris Rock’s jokes on “Blame Game”. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver lends his voice to both “Monster” and the frantic album closer “Lost in the World”. West’s emotion is yet another factor that has set him apart from so many of his peers. In a genre obsessed with being hard and keeping your feelings inside, he has shown that it is ok to let them out once in a while and his example has been followed throughout the genre, most notably by Drake. Tracks such as “Blame Game” and “So Appalled” find an introspective Kanye reflecting on the same subject matter that defined 808’s and Hearbreak: the trappings of fame and fortune and how they relate to his humanity. It is almost incomprehensible how Kanye West is able to pull off such an ambitious project to such near-perfect results. Every point that seems set up for failure is another opportunity for Kanye to prove his mastery. The track order is flawless. The biggest hurdle West faces here is following up the emotionally draining “Runaway”, and once again he is up to the task with “Hell of a Life”, an upbeat head banger with an “Iron Man” inspired hook and a good helping of that Kanye wit. With the staggering production it’s easy to forget that Kanye is also a pretty decent rapper. Perhaps the only thing that keeps him out of those redundant “greatest rapper” discussions is the fact that, well, he’s never been a great rapper. He has always possessed sharp wit and complex lyrical themes, but even his biggest fans are not going to argue that he has a flow that deserves to be mentioned in the same paragraph with guys like Jay-Z and Rakim. While Kanye seems to have honed his skills a bit since the release of Graduation – his last rap album – it’s unlikely that anything here is going to change anyone’s mind on that matter. Still, a thorough listen reveals that Kanye’s wordplay is often deceptively complex, such as on a creative double name-drop of Leona Lewis and Kings of Leon on “Dark Fantasy”. There is no question that this album is a game changer.
NEWSBREAK
SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION & MINORITIES
By Michael Howard Education is the hugest economic issue right now in America. Improving education for minority children is very important if we want to see the economy grow in the coming years, as blacks, and Hispanics will become the majority in the next few decades. Studies have shown that education and the correlation between how much one earns is significant. The more education you have the more money you make. With studies already showing that African-American professionals are still earning lower salaries then their white counterparts it is becoming increasingly important for blacks to excell. President Obama spoke at Urban League’s annaual convention in DC last week and his main focus on improving education policy. The President has not had much time to properly focus on education, with his work on healthcare and trying to improve the economy. Obama will implement “Race to the Top” education grants beginning this school year. These grants will go to many of the nations public schools that serve minority students. Over 4 billion dollars will be given to these schools in hopes to help pay for quality teachers and resources. This is a first step in the process but more needs to be done to ensure that education for minority school children is improved.
BLACKS & HIV By Phil Wilson CEO of Black Aids Institute Next June will mark 30 years since the first AIDS cases were diagnosed in this country. The moment brings not only an opportunity for reflection, but also for a renewed commitment from each of us to do our part to finally end the spread of this disease.No matter how you look at it, through the lens of gender, sexual orientation, age, class, level of education or region of the country, Black people bear the brunt of the AIDS epidemic in America today. Those are the facts Thankfully, a growing number of organizations that recognize that ending AIDS is a year-long effort are slowly joining the effort. Today in America, there's a beginning of a new era of engagement on HIV/AIDS. Now, 30 years later, the country is engaged again — with a national HIV/ AIDS strategy, new scientific breakthroughs, and possibly a renewed sense of hope that, someday, we will be Greater Than AIDS. I believe we — as individuals, as a community, as a nation, as a family — can be GREATER than AIDS. Last year, the Black AIDS Institute, together with our partners at the Kaiser Family Foundation, launched a national effort to mobilize Americans in response to HIV. Greater Than AIDS is about the role that each of us can play, including getting informed, getting tested, getting treated, and getting involved. By acting together, we can be Greater than AIDS. · # Thanks to a new partnership with Walgreens, today in America, 1.6 million people walking past the country's largest digital billboard at One Times Square in New York City will see HIV prevention messages from Greater Than AIDS, Walgreens, the country's largest drug store chain is teaming up with us to distribute HIV/AIDS informational resources and specialized HIV-related services at selected Walgreens pharmacies. And, next June, we will be implementing a special "HIV Take Action Month" to mobilize customers in the lead up to National HIV Testing Day. # Today in America, five of the most important magazines that reach Black communities are working together to distribute HIV-related information to readers. The December issues of ESSENCE, EBONY, VIBE, UPTOWN, and HIV PLUS Magazines all feature full-page ads from our Deciding Moments series — and most of these publications include extended coverage on HIV/AIDS. # Today in America, more than 5,500 outdoor and transit advertisements in 30 markets carry the Greater Than AIDS message, more than 100 urban and gospel radio stations are airing Greater Than AIDS PSAs and engaging audiences in extended programming and promotions on HIV/ AIDS and related issues. Three major television networks — FOX, NBC, and CBS — have begun airing Greater Than AIDS television PSAs to inform audiences and break the silence of this disease. And. . . ·Today in America, 152 people will become infected with HIV. Half of them will be Black., 2/3 of the new HIV cases among women will be black,, 70 percent of the new HIV cases among youth will be black. That's why our resolve to end AIDS must not end today. Every day, in both large and small ways, whether we realize it or not, we experience deciding moments that maintain the status quo, move us backwards or propel us forward toward our goal of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our communities. Far too many of us continue to turn a blind eye or wait for someone else to solve this problem. Action is greater than apathy. There are some incredible individuals and institutions who demonstrate what it means to be Greater Than AIDS. Their stories — indeed, their Deciding Moments — challenge us to take action. There are no innocent bystanders in the fight against AIDS. What you decide to do or not to do makes a difference. Every deciding moment matters.
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