Hip-Hop Media Training
  • I'm glad that Chris Brown finally issued a public apology for assaulting Rihanna. Yes, I know he released a public statement last February where he said he was sorry for what transpired. But "what transpired" is too vague when referring to a felony assault charge.

    He needed to release a direct video statement like the one that surfaced on TMZ Monday.

    It was in Chris' best interest to make as few comments as possible to prevent any further legal damage. As police officers say when reading a person his Miranda rights, "Anything you say can and will be used against you."

    Even though his silence contributed to the public speculation about the chain of events that occurred between Chris and Rihanna on February 8, it was a sacrifice worth making. As it stands now, next month Chris will be formally sentenced to serve 5 years of probation, 6 months of community labor, and to stay away from Rihanna.

    Chris is lucky he does not have to serve jail time.

    I actually feel much better after watching

    Read More »from Chris Brown Appears Genuinely Remorseful In Apology Video
  • LaToya Jackson's family tribute song "Home" will be releasedTuesday, July 28, on iTunes on the Universal Records distributed Ja-TailRecords and Bungalo Records.

    The song was originally recorded for LaToya's unreleased album"Starting Over." In the lyrics, LaToya reminisces about how much she misses allthe fun times she had growing up with her siblings.

    She sings, "Missing all the years we all shared at home,silly things we did, laughing from early dusk to dawn. I remember when we werealways best friends."

    In the heartfelt ballad, LaToya says she knows her brothersand sisters have busy lives, but she hopes they can spend more time together.

    "So don't you tell me you don't know what I'm feeling. And don'ttell me I'm just dreaming. Like mother always said, Your family will always bethere for you. It don't have to be this way. Let's make tomorrow a much muchbrighter day. Don't let this time between us slip away."

    Jeffre Phillips, Ja-Tail founder, told AP that LaToyaplanned to release

    Read More »from LaToya Jackson Tribute Song To Be Released
  • A clip of a previously unreleased Michael Jackson song hashit the net, and it feels eerie.

    In the song "A Place With No Name," the late King of Popsings about his desire to travel to a mysterious locale: "Take me to a placewithout no name."

    It is not clear when the song was recorded or if it isreferring to a heaven-like utopia or a remote getaway.

    The 25-second snippet obtained by TMZ is an interpolation ofAmerica'ssong "A Horse With No Name" that reached Number 1 on The Billboard Hot 100chart in 1972.

    Years ago, America'smanager reportedly approved Michael's "A Place With No Name."

    Jim Morey, America'scurrent manager who also represented Michael in the late '80s and early '90s,told TMZ that the band supported Michael's rendition. "The band was honored that Michaelchose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael'sfans to hear."

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    Read More »from Jackson Sings About Escapism On Previously Unreleased Song
  • I just watched Mariah's video for "Obsessed," the firstsingle from her new album, "Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel," due out on August25.

    Good job Mariah. This video is clever and funny. It is yourbest video yet.

    I especially like when your Eminem-like character gets hitby a bus. Bam. I didn't know youcould be so mean. I am impressed.

    Mariah's husband Nick Cannon said the song is not aboutEminem. "I don't think that she would take her time," Cannon told MTV. "My wifedoesn't beef. She's Mariah Carey. She's not beefin', she's a vegetarian."

    Nick Cannon is a good husband. He totally loves, supportsand defends his wife until the end.

    But come on. No believes that explanation. If we just lookat the video alone, it is a bit easier to pretend that it is not about Eminemwho took jabs at Mariah and Nick on the song "Bagpipes From Baghdad."

    Nick said the video was inspired by the movie "Mean Girls"which is apparently where Mariah borrowed the line, "Why are you so obsessedwith me?"

    In the video,

    Read More »from Mariah Turns “Mean Girl” In “Obsessed” Video
  • The public relations firm handling the press for Joe Jackson should be relieved of its services. Joe's publicity following the death of his iconic son Michael Jackson could not be worse.

    Just days after Michael's passing, Papa Joe made an appearance at the BET Awards and promoted his new record company when being interviewed about his son's death.

    Even though Joe clarified the following day that he was not attempting to capitalize on his son's demise, at best, he lacked media savvy.

    I am troubled by recent reports that Joe is planning to put Michael's children on tour next summer, billed as The Jackson 3.

    On Friday, ABC News aired an interview with Joe Jackson in which he discussed the potential entertainment careers of his late son's three children, Prince Michael, 12; Paris, 11; and Blanket (Prince Michael II), 7.

    "I keep watching Paris; she wants to do something," Joe explained. "Blanket, they say he can really dance."

    I can't fault Joe for directly answering Chris Connelly's

    Read More »from Joe Jackson Rumored To Tour Michael’s Kids
  • The build-up to the eventpromised to make it one of the biggest spectacles ever televised-but seeingMichael's brothers push his 24-karat gold casket down the aisle as achoir sang the gospel hymn "Soon and Very Soon" sent a message that thememorial would be treated as an intimate funeral even though there were some20,000 in attendance.

    Family, friends, and fansmemorialized Michael Jackson in a two-hour ceremony held at the StaplesCenter in downtown Los Angeles, officially settling any debateover whether he was truly the King of Pop. Despite the star-studded roster ofspeakers such as sister Janet, Mariah Carey, Usher, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer,Jennifer Hudson, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah,and Kobe Bryant, the tribute never came off as artificial. Instead, it was anoften-touchingly sincere celebration of life.

    Viewers were drawn with emotionwhen Jermaine Jackson took to the stage to perform his brother's favorite song,"Smile." The elder Jacksonwept as he

    Read More »from Michael Jackson Memorial Fit For A King
  • Whitney Houston is singing about life struggles on a new song "I Didn'tKnow My Own Strength" that is making its rounds online.

    Her label has not confirmed that the song will be the official first singlefrom her album, "I Look To You,"due out on September 1.

    On the song written by Diane Warren, Whitney discusses resurfacing after encounteringhard times. "I crashed down, I tumbled, but I did not crumble," shesings. "I got through all the pain. I didn't know my own strength."

    It is clear that Whitney is referring to the last several years of her life.Speculation about her drug abuse and tumultuous relationship with her bad boyex-husband Bobby Brown made her a tabloid fixture.

    The lyrics say that she has "survived" her "darkesthour," something she attributes to her faith.

    Considering all that she has been though and the public speculation, it is agood move for her to confront her obstacles in her music. It will help her fansreconnect and champion her return.

    The bigger question is

    Read More »from Whitney Houston’s ‘Strength’ Track Not Strong Enough
  • Eminem puts his controversial antics on the back-burner for the fourth singlefrom his "Relapse" album which has already sold more than 1 millioncopies since its May 19 release.

    The video for his new record "Beautiful" spotlights his hometownof Detroit. Itopens with a historical statement about the Michigan's national ranking during an economicpeak.

    "In 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 statesin Americathat collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP," the text read.

    On a second screen the message continued, "Detroit was the greatest manufacturing cityin the world."

    The 4-minute clip shows Eminem walking through various Michigan landmarksthat once thrived but are now impoverished--Beaux-Arts train station (MichiganCentral Station), the original Tiger Stadium, and the former Packard Motor CarCompany plant. Each of the now dilapidated structures were built prior to 1914.

    Ironically, the song lyrics are not about Detroit, but Eminem's battles with depressionduring his bout with an addiction for

    Read More »from Eminem Pays Homage To His ‘Beautiful’ City
  • The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Boyz II Men, and Polow Da Don teamed up to record a tribute to Michael Jackson, "Better On The Other Side."

    The Game provides the bulk of the lyrics, sharing personal experiences as a kid who grew listening to Michael's music. Chris Brown and Wayna Morris from Boyz II Men also offer lead vocals.

    They recorded this song immediately and released it Friday, June 26, the day following Michael's passing to cardiac arrest. It's a good track. You can feel the sincerity in each of the artists' vocals.

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    Read More »from The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy Record Michael Jackson Tribute Song
  • On the video front, I've been givingKanye props since "Through The Wire." I thought it was incrediblydope how he told the story of his near fatal car accident through video footageand photos of his recovery.

    He did it again with the video for"All Falls Down" featuring ageless beauty Stacey Dash as he rappedabout being shallow and navigated through the video without ever really beingon camera.

    When I got to the third version of"Jesus Walks," the one that has a modern day Jesus wearing a crown ofthorns, sandals and holy tunic, I stood up at my computer and applauded. 

    I have several more to add to thelist--"Flashing Lights," John Legend's "Ordinary People,"and my favorite "Touch The Sky."

    Though Kanye's ego bothers me, he isreally good at what he does.

    I just have one question, though: Whywould Kanye give Drake such a horrible video for "Best I Ever Had"? (See Craig Rosen's The New Now blog on Drake.)

    Consider this: Lil' Wayne, Jay-Z, Nas, and Eminem, among others,have gone on record to

    Read More »from Drake’s ‘Best’ Video Is Kanye’s Worst

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News for You

  • NYers furious over photos taken through windows

    NEW YORK (AP) — In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt, lying on his side as he takes a nap.

  • 'Iron Man 3' races past $1 billion dollar mark on monster foreign take

    By Todd Cunningham LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Iron Man 3" was soaring past $1 billion at the worldwide box office Thursday, in a display of world domination that would make one of Marvel's super villains proud. The box-office bounty - roughly $700 million from abroad and $300 million domestically - is a major triumph for Disney, which bet big on comic book superheroes when it bought Marvel Studios for $4 billion in 2009. And its decision to bring aboard a Chinese partner for "Iron Man 3" and focus the Disney marketing machine on the booming foreign market looks pretty good right now, too. ...

  • Denmark favorite to win Eurovision Song Contest

    MALMO, Sweden (AP) — An ethno-inspired flute and drum tune from Denmark is the bookmakers' favorite to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, which also features a bizarre opera pop number from Romania and an Armenian rock song written by the guitarist of Black Sabbath.

  • NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues

    NEW YORK (AP) — In one photo, a woman is on all fours, presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt, lying on his side as he takes a nap.

  • 'American Idol' finale draws record low ratings

    NEW YORK (AP) — Ratings for the "American Idol" finale plunged to a record low for the 12-year-old show.

  • NBC's 'The Voice' confirms Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton returning

    By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The gang's back together! NBC announced on Friday that pop diva Christina Aguilera and funk singer Cee Lo Green will be reuniting with pop star Adam Levine and country singer Blake Shelton for Season 5, as TheWrap was the first to report. The network also said that Shakira and Usher are set to return on Season 6, which will air in midseason 2014. ...

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