The Roots & John Varvatos

Menswear designer John Varvatos (fans include Common, Zac Efron and NBA star Chris Bosh) has chosen super cool group The Roots to front its Fall advertising campaign.

Common wearing John Varvatos

“I’ve been a huge fan of The Roots for years,” said Varvatos of the Philly based band that have won four Grammy’s for their jazz-influenced approach to hip-hop. “They are one of the most innovative musical forces on the planet.”

We're sure it doesn't hurt that stylistically they already look great!

A bonus from the Fall campaign was an impromptu jam on the tarmac that was captured with one camera and in one take which will be featured on the John Varvatos website from tomorrow. Looks like the relationship between fashion and music, which we highlighted in this post, continues to get stronger.

Watch The Roots for John Varvatos video here. It’s over 8 minutes long but the music is great so most definitely worth it.

Alicia Keys Re-releases ‘Songs in A Minor’

Can you believe it’s ten years since Alicia Keys brought out her debut album ‘Songs In A Minor’? We remember 2001 like it was yesterday!

The original multi platinum album is now available in Deluxe and Collector's Edition featuring previously unreleased ‘A Woman's Worth’ remix featuring Nas; ‘Juiciest’ mix tape version; ‘Fallin’ the Ali soundtrack version and new track ‘Typewriter’.

The Collector's Edition comes with a documentary of brand new interviews with Keys and other album collaborators reflecting on the making of ‘Songs in A Minor’. For those of you who like to keep it old school, for the first time a vinyl version of the album is also available.

Alicia in W Magazine wearing Alexander McQueen.

Alicia said: "It's incredibly surreal for me to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Songs In A Minor. Looking back on the journey, I'm truly moved by my fans and friends who've been with me and have supported me throughout my career. This album is possibly the most precious to me, as your first album only happens once, so Songs In A Minor will always hold a special place in my life that's filled with amazing memories. I'm so proud that the songs are still being enjoyed around the world, and I'm crazy excited to share, through the 10th Anniversary Edition, songs never heard before, and even more of my debut album with you."

Beyonce's New Album

Bey’s new album 4 - recorded between Spring 2009 and Spring 2010 while she took time away from the spotlight and engaged in what she describes as ‘simple things’ like listening to music – is available today.

The title of the album was due to be something else but due to pressure from her fans – a persistent lot who took to Facebook and Twitter to get her to change it – the album is simply called 4 which signifies her fourth solo offering and the day of her birth.

Watch the album's lead single ‘Run The World (Girls)’ here.



Filmed in Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert over three days in April, the Francis Lawrence-directed video has a cast of over 200 dancers, a menagerie of exotic animals and Beyonce as the leader of an army of women. In true Beyonce style there’s lots of hair whipping, gyrating and stomping.

She pulled something of a fashion coup though as is wearing pieces from just about everybody! Gareth Pugh, Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier. We could go on!

‘Run The World (Girls’) has had trillions of views on You Tube already and we predict the album will be in the Top 5 this weekend, maybe even number 1. At the risk of facing the wrath of the army of Beyonce’s fans, we think the tracks from 4 that were leaked on the internet were OK, not great, just OK.

Beyonce was the first woman since 1989 to headline at Glastonbury. She sang a bevy of hits including crowd pleaser Single Ladies/Put A Ring On It. Watch the video here.

We Want to Go!

Really wish we lived in the US right now!

Look at this line up for just one day at the Essence Music Festival being held in New Orleans this coming July:

Friday 1st July : Usher, Charlie Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Boyz II Men, Macy Gray, Dwele, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle, Mint Condition, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Tank, Miguel, Noel Gourdin, Mavis Staples and Irma Thomas.

Can you imagine how great that is going to be?!

It’s gets worse (for us) – on Saturday you have Kanye West, Jill Scott and Chaka Khan and on Sunday Mary J Blige, New Edition, Trey Songz and Kelly Price. A mix of old and new school!

 

If you live in the States or just happen to be passing through New Orleans in July, visit www.essencemusicfestival.com for ticket information.

And when you’re putting your lighter up and swaying to the beat, think of us!

Behind the Muses: W Magazine

An interesting article in W Magazine on the relationship between music and fashion.

Kanye West & Rodarte

Featuring Esperanza Spalding & Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein, Janelle Monae & Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel, Kanye West & Rodarte and Donatella Versace and M.I.A, the article looks at how the designer found inspiration in the musician and his/her music.

Janelle Monae & Karl Lagerfeld

Esperanza Spalding & Francisco Costa

M.I.A. & Donatella Versace

See the full spread and read the rest of the article here. 

Classic Tupac Albums to be Available in Digital Form

Yesterday, Tupac Amaru Shakur, the biggest selling rap/hip-hop artist in history with more than 75 million albums sold worldwide would have celebrated his 40th birthday. On 5th July, five 2Pac albums including his first three solo albums will be issued in digital format for the first time.

Journalist  Sal Manna interviewed 2Pac and wrote the press biographies for many of his albums during his lifetime. Sal penned the following tribute which until today was unpublished:

"Tupac never strayed from one message: Be somebody. No matter the obstacles, be somebody and be proud. It was a message that 2Pac represented for everyone, no matter their race, creed or colour ... In the end, too much has been made of his dying and not enough of his living. His death was the tragedy, not his life. Today, it is in his work, in his art, that 2Pac still lives."

2010 was the first year that 2Pac failed to make it onto Forbes’ list of hip-hop’s living Cash Kings. His estate also just missed earning enough to feature on Forbes’ list of top-earning dead celebs (winner was Michael Jackson who made a ridiculous $275 million last year!)

Although 2Pac sold over 75 million albums worldwide,
7 of his 11 platinum albums were released after his death and despite having over 150 unreleased songs in his arsenal, time has caught up with him and there’s not much fresh material left. That said, his estate made over
$3 million last year and the digital re-release of these classic Pac albums should boost his earnings and up his rank on Forbes’ list for next year. Life after death indeed.

Delays Possible for Lauryn Hill’s Second Album

Sad face for us but happy face for her – Lauryn Hill told fans at a music festival in Detroit on Saturday that she is expecting baby number 6. Rumours were circulating the web that she was about to release her second album as she had made a few appearances at music festivals recently, but she quashed those when she told fans she was taking time off to give birth.

See the baby bump?

She had joked that she was ‘the most fertile woman in America’ when discussing the 5 children she has with Rohan Marley (is 5 really that many?) but it looks like we’ll have to wait that little bit longer for a follow up to her fantastic debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (which we still have on heavy rotation).

Congratulations Lauryn!

Hip Hop’s High Earners

Forbes magazine released their annual list of the 20 top earners in Hip Hop last year. With combined earnings of over $220 million in the top ten alone, it’s plain to see that the global economic meltdown and the changes in the way we purchase our music (why buy an album when you can download the few tracks you actually like) did little to stifle their ability to rake in the almighty dollar.

As we reported in this post on high earning supermodels, the key to longevity is simple. Diversify! Why do one thing when you can do 5?



1. Jay Z

Shawn Carter brought home $63 million last year thanks to his album The Blueprint 3 and subsequent tour, investment in nightclub 40/40 and his stake in the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He boasted in hit Oh My God ‘What you call money, I pay more in taxes’ – he wasn’t kidding! Only our number 2 earned more than his tax bill! Still, he can’t get too big for his boots – wifey Beyonce earned more than him with $87 million.
Their joint income is just more than the GDP of Kiribati, a small island in the Pacific.

2. Diddy (or Puffy or P Diddy or whichever moniker he’s using now)

Sean John made a respectable $30 million thanks to his clothing line, Bad Boy Records and album Last Train to Paris. Movie appearances mean that figure stands to rise in 2011.

3. Akon - $21M

Senegalese-American Aliuane Thiam pulled in $21m from Konvict Clothing, his Pepsi soccer ad campaign and record label Kon Live which is home to cash cow Lady Gaga. Touring was a money spinner as will be new album Stadium Music.

4. Lil Wayne

Not even prison could stop Dwayne Carter. Before being sentenced in March he released album Rebirth, toured and made various guest appearances. Will be able to spend his $20 million soon.

5. Dr Dre

Despite not putting out any new material in 2010, Andre Young still earned $17 million from rights to classics like The Chronic, his Beats by Dr Dre headphones and executive producing Eminem’s The Recovery.







Looks like hip hop is one area that brown skinned men are successfully monopolising. And monetising!

See the full list here.

Are You The Next Great Female MC?

An unrecognisable Lil' Kim

S&H Public Relations have launched a campaign to try and find the next great female rapper but are having a hard time finding one who isn’t fixated on themes of sex and over the top materialism. The search was due to end on April 15 but due to lack of what they consider to be style, substance and character, they have pushed the deadline back to May 15.

Co-founder Sebastien Elkouby said: "These rappers think that the only way to compete in this industry is to sell sex. In a way, they're correct if all they're interested in is 15 minutes of fame. But what we're looking for is someone who has what it takes to make a long-term impact."


Citing Lauryn Hill as an example, S&H is looking for an artist who has the potential to be the voice of a generation. Elkouby adds, "Regardless of Lauryn's personal struggles over the years, the bar she set when she was at her peak still applies to what a rapper can be today.” (In our humble opinion, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of the best début albums we have ever heard.)

We wholeheartedly agree – too many rappers, both male and female only seem to talk about sex, cash and cars - surely there are other subjects? If you are an unsigned female artist with genuine talent, visit the S&H website and click on Talent Search.

The beautiful and inimitable Lauryn Hill

One Love Peace Festival

The life and work of music icon (the word is horrendously overused but genuinely applies here) Bob Marley is to be honoured at the One Love Peace Festival at Wembley Arena on July 31st 2011. The original One Love Peace Concert was held in Kingston, Jamaica in 1978 to try to foster peace between warring factions in Kingston’s inner city areas.

Political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga join hands at the original One Love concert.








The last One Love Peace Festival was held in 1991 at the now-called Linford Christie Stadium in the UK with an attendance of over 15,000 with many being turned away for health and safety reasons.

This year performers include Shaggy, Gyptian, Busta Rhymes, Ky-mani Marley, Sean Paul, John Holt (one for the Mums!) and Aswad (one for the Dads!).

Tickets start at £35 (not including booking fee) and are available now.

http://theonelovefestival.info/

MTV’s Ones to Watch in 2011

According to MTV, these are some of the acts tipped to be big in 2011:

Willow Smith – daughter of Will and Jada, her debut single ‘Whip My Hair’ was a massive Internet hit Stateside (and an anthem for the ever growing natural hair movement in the US) which resulted in her being signed to Roc Nation (think Jay Z, Rihanna). Not bad for a 10 year old!
 

Willow Smith

Labrinth – a British rapper, singer-songwriter and producer signed to Simon Cowell's Syco music label. We wonder how they’ll handle him among ‘artists’ like Westlife, Susan Boyle and Joe McElderry! He tasted success after his collaboration with Tinie Tempah on 'Pass Out' and his following #2 hit 'Frisky'. His debut album should be released later this year.

Labrinth

Wretch 32 - a grime MC and rapper from North London. He is part of The Movement made up of himself, Ghetto, Scorcher and Devlin. Pretty impressed that he’s sold in excess of 8,000 CDs in independent outlets alone.

Wretch 32

Emile Sande - Aberdeen born Emeli has two top 10 singles under her belt after collaborating with Chipmunk on 'Diamond Rings' and with Wiley on 'Never Be Your Woman' (loved her on that). She releases her debut album later this year.

Emile Sande