Why be cotton, when you can be leather?

from Billboard.com

R&B star D’Angelo is making progress on his first studio album since 2000, which will likely be released early next year via J Records. The label purchased D’Angelo’s contract in 2005 from Virgin, which issued his first two studio albums.

For his as-yet-untitled J debut, D’Angelo has already collaborated with Raphael Saadiq and also plans to record with John Mayer, according to a source. A single may be out before the end of the year.

D’Angelo has largely fallen off the musical map since 2000’s “Voodoo,” which has sold 1.69 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its single “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100.

In recent years, the artist has endured a serious car accident and drug-related arrests. In lieu of new music of his own, he’s made sporadic guest appearances on albums by Common, Snoop Dogg and J Dilla.

On Tuesday (June 24), Virgin will release a CD/DVD retrospective, “The Best So Far…,” featuring hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.

When it rains it pours. First he got his ass beat, now he’s gotta deal with this shit. Suge is not having a good month. A judge ordered that all assets for Death Row Records must be sold on June 24. These assets include the rights to the recordings of Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. The starting bid is $24 million. Thats a pretty penny. I forgot that Death Row used to be the shit. He’s been sitting pretty on those residuals for a minute now. I wondered how he was able to live within his means for so long. I guess the well was running dry.

Wouldn’t that be crazy if Puffy bought Death Row?

Read more here.

Its no E.L.E. but I like it.

Photos of N.E.R.D. & co. putting the finishing touches on Common’s album in Chicago. Looks like it was a jolly holiday.

Source

Say it ain’t so. :( I won’t have it. I wont!

From Okayplayer.com

Jean Grae: The Jeanius Retires?

Some four years after a rough version of Jean Grae’s Jeanius album produced by 9th Wonder leaked to the internet, an official version has been released today by Blacksmith Music on iTunes. We caught up with Jean yesterday who is quoted as saying “someone please send me a copy of my album, I want to hear it.”  When asked about her retirement, Jean stated that the nail in the coffin came after reading this year’s line up for Rock The Bells.

“No sir.. I will not be at Rock The Bells. Some real amazing HIP HOP will be there.. The Pharcyde?? Man i’d love to see them again…red, meth, nas..you know.  Then.. there’s some questionable shit.. Hey man.. if this is what the kids are doing nowadays .. count me the fuck out, please…I knew I’d be counted out anyways.  I dunno.. Just the term “rock the bells” immediately sparks a real nostalgic feeling of culture and music for me .. you know? Doesn’t make me wanna do coke and put on real colorful clothes and jam out.. But hey.. that’s just me.”

It should be noted that Jean was a host at one of the original RTB events and received a late invitation to perform along side Kweli and Mos during last year’s tour but for no monetary compensation.  If she had accepted, she would have been the only female performer on the monster outint.  Considering this fact, and her tenure in the game, Jean felt the “opportunity” just didn’t add up enough for her to accept.  Never one to compromise her position, she declined. 

While Jean stands by her statement that she has retired (jokes of a farewell event were being tossed around, or maybe those weren’t jokes), she did reveal that in April she was in Miami to shoot a video with friend, winner of the 2006 Jean Grae Needs a DJ contest, DMC USA, Scribble Jam and Gong World Supremacy Champion, DJ I-Dee, for their song “Victory Fanfare.” The track is the first single off I-Dee’s upcoming album Solitude to be released on August 26th on Roc-Raida’s Adiar Cor label.  The album also features Royce Da 5′9″ and C-Rayz Walz, among others.

…read more here.

Source

A representative for Def Jam has confirmed to EW.com that hip-hop artist Nas has made an eleventh-hour decision to change the title of his new album from N—– to simply Nas. The Queens rapper sparked a heated debate last fall when he announced the provocative title for his upcoming ninth record, but last October, Island Def Jam Music Group chair Antonio “L.A.” Reid publicly denied widespread reports that label execs were uncomfortable with his decision. “We stand firmly behind and beside our artists with pride and with pleasure,” Reid told MTV News at the time. “Anything Nas wants to do, I completely stand beside him.”

But in an interview with MTV News last week, Nas suggested that he was facing renewed pressure: “Everybody is trying to stop the title…. Record stores are gonna have a problem in this day and time selling a record with that title. Who knows what’s gonna turn out and be on that title? Who knows what that title will be?” The politically-charged Nas is due in stores July 1. For more of Nas’ thoughts on his new music, check EW’s summer music preview coverage in print on Friday.

UPDATE: In a statement, Nas clarified that he considers his new album untitled, adding: “It’s important to me that this album gets to the fans. It’s been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that, creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. It’s that important. The streets have been waiting for this for a long time. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it.”

Check out his new single N.I.G.G.E.R.

All I can do is point and laugh at this chicanry.

Today, Remy Ma and Papoose were to wed at Riker’s Island in a jailhouse ceremony. Papoose’s gift to his bride-to-be: Freedom (or so he thought). He smuggled a handcuff key into the prison and the nuptials were abruptly called off. I don’t know what his plan was. Maybe he didn’t want to see his bride in chain. Understandable, but thats what happens when you marry a thug. Those are the breaks, fool! I know he didn’t think she was going to break out her out of jail with just a key. Thats some weird ass Beagle Boys shit to me. Read more here.

Via Press Release

Gnarls Barkley, the Grammy-winning, genre-wrecking partnership of artist/producer Danger Mouse and soul sensation Cee-Lo, will release their new album The Odd Couple a couple of weeks early.

Initially slated for an April 8th release, The Odd Couple will now be available at various online and physical music retailers across the week of March 18th.

“They felt the timing was right to just go for it,” said an unnamed spokesman for the band. “With the shifting seasons, furtive romantic entanglements and fierce college basketball rivalries, the latter half of March can be confusing. People need to be soothed and inspired now.”

The Odd Couple arrives in the wake of Gnarls Barkley’s international success with the 2006 LP St. Elsewhere. “Run,” the propulsive first single from The Odd Couple, is already a radio staple, and its inventive video is gaining worldwide attention for its absurd humor and its controversial effects.

Mint Condition is set to release their 9th album, e-Life, on May 6th through their own imprint, Cagebird Records. The album features appearances from Phonte, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, and Anthony Hamilton. So far, the album’s first single “Baby Boy, Baby Girl” has become the#1 added song at Urban Adult Contemporary radio stations. Even though the band is one member short (Keri Lewis amicably left the group), I still think they’ll come with it. Their 2005 release, Living the Luxury Brown, was definitely a keeper. Stay posted for a Mint Condition interview in the future.

Listen to new material from Mint Condition on their Myspace page.