Oprah Isn't The Only One Feeding A Nation

The Kids favorite girl is at it again with another way to help out the nation. Beyonce has partnered up with the Show Your Helping Hand™ hunger relief initiative and General Mills Hamburger Helper® to help Feeding America™ deliver more than 3.5 million meals to local food banks.

There are several ways YOU can help:

• Bring non-perishable groceries to U.S. concert tour stops

• Make a donation online at ShowYourHelpingHand.com or text the word “SHOW” to 90999 to donate $5

• Enter codes from specially marked packages of Hamburger Helper at ShowYourHelpingHand.com which will generate a cash donation


-Christopher Nic.

Mr. Neo Soul

2009 is the year for comebacks. From Ginuwine to Whitney Houston, and now neo-soul singer Maxwell. He finally decides to come out of hiding and gives true fans what we have been waiting for. It's been a surprisingly eight years since he released his album "NOW", and now comes "BLACKsummer'snight" the first album in a trilogy of albums. "Black SUMMERS' Night" will be released in 2010 and "Black Summers' NIGHT" in 2011. Maxwell sticks to his signature sound of funk, jazz and blues and sings like his life is depending on it. The album only have nine tracks, but they are some of the best tracks, like an orgasm to the ears. His first single, the beautiful "Pretty Wings" is like a lullaby, which Maxwell sings in his lovely falsetto voice and puts you to sleep---in a good way! But the tracks that take the cake are "Playing Possum" and "Fist Full Of Tears". On "Playing Possum" he pleads "I'll be very still/Step down to my heart and mend this broken/if only you'd wake up from your constant possum playing." Well said. The album ends with "Phoenix Rise", a track with no words, just instruments. Drums, guitars and horns. The perfect way to end the first of three from Maxwell!

Click here to listen.

And go get the album when it hits stores and online July 7th!!

Get In. Coming Soon...

I'm so excited!!!!! AHHH! :)


-Christopher Nic.

Jay-Z Lays Down The Law

Jay-Z is like a big rap bully. When he gets fed up with something, he makes an instructional song and expects everyone to do as he says. First he wanted everyone to get their grown man on and wear button ups instead of jerseys, then he subliminally dissed skinny jeans trying to force everyone to wear his baggy Rocawear jeans, now he's single handedly putting an end to autotunes. Everyone has been making a fuss about Death of Autotunes (which is a good song, but I don't think he snapped) so let's see how all the T-Pains, Lil Wayne's, and Rob Brows react to this demand.

Ya Big Bully.

-Doni W.

The Potential

Track List:
01. The Potential*
02. Awesome
03. Stop Accusing*
04. Where Am I*
05. Diddy Bop*
06. Tyzilla*
07. How Would You Like*
08. Dad's Letter*
09. Every Girl
10. Slow It Down*
11. Cut My Check**
12. My Glory
13. RIP Dolla*
14. All Love
15. BET Freestyle (Bonus Track)

* indicates DOPE!
** indicates Christopher Nic. Fave

So yeah, cop that.


-Christopher Nic.

Somewhere Over The Border: J.R. Richy!

The music industry is going to have a lot on their hands with this cat. From the T. Dot (Toronto, Canada), we have J.R. Richy, an up and coming rap artist that has already started to make a name for himself up north and plans on taking the States along with the world by storm! His dope lyrics compliment his style so good that there would be no reason to pass up an opportunity to let you all in on the inside scoop of J.R. Richy. I'm pretty sure we ended music week off right with this one. Check it out!

LL: How long have you been rapping? (If there is a story behind it, don't be afraid to tell us lol)

JR: I started yesterday actually, *Laughs*. Not really though... wouldn’t that of been dope though ? *Laughs Again* I started rapping in grade school cause I wanted to impress this girl that sat two seats in front of me. *Sigh*...She didn’t even like rap music. I was better off becoming the next Bee Gee or something. It’s funny though, if I had knew she didn’t like rap music back then I’d be a Punk Rocker right now, f’real.

LL: Do you think that the music in Toronto is much different than here in the States?

JR: Nah, not really… I think the one major difference is the fact that Canadian Hip-Hop isn’t as universal as it should be, or as it could be. It’s not reaching out to enough people around the globe. I’m trying to build a brand in Toronto, it’s all about branding & making people believers… To be successful you have to have a team to support & represent you, it’s impossible to do it on your own. On top of all that, we never really had a spokesperson to properly represent our culture until just recently. As a matter of fact, document my next sentence; throw some quotations around it… whatever. They’re so many talented & passionate artists under 21 in Toronto that by 2015 they’re going to have no choice but to give the industry to us.



LL: Seeing as though Drake is a native of Toronto, what would you say to someone who said you we're following in his footsteps?

JR: Well, I’m from the New School of Canadian Hip-Hop, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t in some way, or another, influenced by him. I’ve been following him for years & I think he’s extremely talented. If following in his footsteps means breaking into the American market successfully then yeah, you could say I’m on his trail. I’m almost certainly at the beginning but whatever; I’m on the trail nonetheless. The thing that the general public doesn’t understand is, as an artist, there is no one on this earth that I try to imitate. What I’ve done is I’ve pinpointed a certain quality trait that I admire from certain artists & that is what I try to emulate with my own twist to it. For example, Kanye’s Passion, Drake’s Honesty... Kid Cudi’s Heart, so on & so forth, the list goes on. I think the idea of, ‘Thinking Outside of the Box’ almost died & that would’ve been terrible for Hip-Hop music on a universal level.

LL: What do you think of the word 'swag'?

JR: LOL! Swag.. I’d say *bleep* swag but, that would just backfire, lol.

LL: Who do you think stands out in the music industry now? & why?

JR: I can think of 3 artists, Drake, Kid Cudi, & Jay-Z. Drake because he’s in the greatest position any unsigned artist can be in. Kid Cudi because he’s so different they might have to give him his own genre. *Laughs* And Jay because he might’ve single handedly killed the presence of autotune in Hip-Hop... maybe, I doubt it though.



LL: Anything you want to let your fans and our readers know?

JR: Yeah, Follow Me On Twitter B*tches. *Laughs*

P.S. ..I Appreciate All The Love I Receive From Home & From Across The Border, Honestly, I Do It For Y’all, Look Out For My New Shxt, You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet !

Peace & Much Love To You,

Richy!


You can check out J.R.'s music at:
MySpace
Twitter
Blogger
& for all you crackberry addicts, his BBM Pin is 31EDB07D.

-Christopher Nic.

You Know Big Sean

So, lets say you had a dream to be a superstar music artist and THE hottest artist out took you under his wing signed you to his label and introduced your music to the world. That'll be crazy right?? Well in Big Sean's case dreams really do come true. While in his hometown, Detroit, Big Sean got the opportunity to rap for Mr. Kanye West and Ye told him right then that he would sign him. But let's not just give Kanye too much credit. Sean has an undeniable talent, and it was only a matter of time before he got his foot in the door. Somehow in between traveling and performances we got a hold to Sean to pick his brain a little bit. And because I'm just that good to you, I'll let you see what he had to say.

DW: Ok, so I don't want to ask you the typical "How does it feel to be signed to G.O.O.D Music" question because I'm sure it's amazing. But I would like to know do you feel a lot of pressure to live up to the creativity of Kanye and your label mates (Common, John Legend, Mr. Bentley)?

BS: It's a dream come true to be on GOOD Music. Kanye was one of my favorite artist so for him to sign me, let alone acknowledge me is insane. I feel no pressure though, because you got to accept that when your on a team like GOOD, you're on there for a reason.

DW: True. So, what's your definition of success?

BS: When you can look at your life and feel accomplished, happy, and satisfied! I think success is measured not by money, but more so happiness.

DW: Being from Detroit, do you think it makes a difference where your from when trying to get into the music industry or can you really make it from anywhere?

BS:I think it makes a big difference! You can make it out of anywhere, but I feel like some places are harder then others. There are some cities who support artists who get opportunities to be radio, get signed, etc. And some cities where everybody in the city thinks they can do a better job themselves and therefore hate on the artist. Sometimes that can make or break somebody. It also depends on what type of artist you are too.

DW:Has there been a specific moment where you had to stop and take it all in and realize how blessed you are? Like fans noticing you on the street, or a special performance, or traveling to different places?

BS: All the time. I'm as blessed as I want to be. as an artist and as a perfectionist I can say I'm nowhere near where I want to be at in my career, but I can say it's coming. I'm one of the most blessed people in the world though. It's hard work though.

DW: So where do you draw inspiration from?

BS: I get inspiration from other artist, sometimes regular people, sometimes certain situations. All sorts of different things give me inspiration. I don't think inspiration will ever not be there, no matter what, it's like air. Sometimes you just don't even recognize inspiration in situations, but it's always there.

DW: When did you decide to make a career out of music? And what would you be doing if you were not doing music?

BS: I decided I wanted to do music when I was about 9 or so. If I wasn't doing music I would probably be in school trying to get my life together and figure out what I want to do.

DW: Do you plan on venturing out into other areas? (clothing line, acting, reality series?)

BS: Yeah, I'm a hell of a actor. lol. Seriously my mother was a professional actress for a very short part of her life but she was extremely good. She had to quit because she had me and my brother, and my dad wasn't around too much. I actually made a song about it on my album where I explain her story. Kanye produced it and is featured on it too.

Source Magazine

DW: Is there anything about the music industry that upsets you?

BS: A million and one things. You got to be made for this shit, or it will kill you. I can't get too much into that though. Labels can be your friend, and they can also be your enemy sometimes.

DW: As your fame grows, what do you want to avoid as a celebrity?

BS:Just a bad reputation. But I'm a cool person and I keep it real, so I think I'll be good. I want to avoid all the dirty hoes too. Send the pretty, clean, cool ones my way though, lol.

DW: Lol, I can understand wanting to avoid that. So what's next for Big Sean?

BS:Finally Famous the Album. Crazy! Got Kanye, Dream, Pharrell, etc. It's going to be something to remember. I promise. I'm also releasing a mixtape with 10 deep too that's going to be dope as hell. A good intro warm up for the album. Whatever I can get my hands on.

To learn more about Big Sean head over to UknowBigSean.com

-Doni W.

Tell The DJ To Put It On Repeat!

Music helps most of us get through the day, especially us here at the LLM office. Lately, we've been on our Electrik Red x Keri Hilson high. But now I have my favorite song for the next week or so....or whenever Doni starts to turn her music up louder than mines, lol. It's 25 To Life by JoJo. The song was originally recorded by Marsha Ambrosius, member of Floetry but JoJo sings it MUCH better, if you ask me. Listen for yourself.



I'll love this song forever...or until she comes out with her next song, then I'll love that one just as much. :)


-Christopher Nic.

Mariah Comes For Eminem

Mariah Cannon-Carey has released her single Obsessed this week. Word 'round town is that the track is about rapper, Eminem who seems to always make it his personal mission to bash Carey any chance he gets. Here's a little snippet of what single producer, The Dream had to say about it.

"...and remember The-Dream told you first. So you can start that up right now. Mariah Carey has a record, and somebody’s going to be very upset. I said that.”

Let's see how long it takes Slim Shady to retaliate, lol.


-Christopher Nic.

Needing Something To Do Next Tuesday?

Ashley Tisdale has been posting Twitter updates around the clock asking where YOU want her to come and preview her new album "Guilty Pleasure." Due to popular demand, they have set up a "Guilty Pleasure" in-store listening party in Salt Lake City on June 23rd. Here are the details:

June 23, 2009 - 6:00 pm
Wal-mart Supercenter
11328 SO Jordan Gateway Rd
South Jordan, UT 84095

This is also the release date of Ashley's single "It's Alright, It's OK" in Wal-mart stores, so come celebrate and meet Ashley! Invite all your friends and come listen to "Guilty Pleasure".


-Christopher Nic.

"Everything I Throw Up, Blow Up"

They could've cut it after Ye's verse. No shade Bey.


-Christopher Nic.

Pop Queen: Krysta Youngs

Sugar and Spice, but most of all nice, Krysta Youngs is a force to be reckoned with. I had the pleasure of seeing this pop goddess perform one night at the loft... and I was hooked! There's only a few artist who lay their heart on the stage when they perform, and Krysta is one of them. Dancing, interacting with the crowd, laying on stage... I was amazed. Flint bred (of course, we're the best) but now a Boston resident, Krysta gives Madonna, Gwen, and Avril a run for their money, so check out our interview.

LL: Where do you draw the most inspiration?

KY: From my experiences. I know it sounds cliche but writing music is like giving advice. Unless you've been through it you can't really talk about it.

LL: What does music mean to you?

KY: Freedom. No matter what happens in my life music brings me back to my center. It puts things in perspective and it's the times that I'm away from it that I really realize how much I need it in my life.

LL: How would you imagine your life without music?

KY: I can't! Life without music would be like losing an arm or a leg. It's become such a part of who I am I would seriously feel like I was missing a limb.

LL: How do you want people to feel when they hear your music?

KY: It's not so much the "what" that I'm concerned with. I just want people to feel something.

LL: How much influence do you think music has on people?

KY: Music is one of the most influential art forms there is because you're pairing sound with words. Basically you're killing two birds with one stone and if done right music can change the world...or at least some one's world.

To learn more about Ms. Krysta Youngs visit her myspace and follow her on twitter

-Doni W.

Another Mixtape For That A**!

2 of the hottest artist out now. Nuff said. Get into it. NOW!!! Thanks. :)


-Christopher Nic.

A True Lyricist: Jon Connor

Finding a rapper who really spits with substance is like finding a needle in a haystack.

So LLM would never pass up the chance to feature one of these rare species and snag an exclusive interview with artist Jon Connor (born Jon Kevin Freeman Jr. - pronounced "Yon"). This artist/producer/song writer & Co-CEO of Avie Squad Records knew what he wanted and started going for his dreams at a young age. At 10 years old, Connor began producing and song crafting. As a freshman in high school, he began selling his own mixtapes out of his school backpack and out of the trunk of his mothers car with the help of his older sister. The Calling Pt. 1 served as Connor's official introduction to the world, as it gained him national notoriety (VH1.com, rapcapital.com, planeturban, Urbanology magazine etc.) and a loyal fan base. And it only got better from there. The release of The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming hit hard! It even gained Connor exposure on XXL.com along with other up and coming artists. Check out Liv Lux's one on one session with the lyrical genius, himself.

LL: Tell me about your vision when you and your team first decided to start AV ENT.

JC: Man, its crazy to even think back that far! (laughing) Because Jason Monk and I created All Varsity when we were 12 years old. But I think the vision is the same now as it was then, to be the best at what we do, you know? To just make great music no matter the genre. You know myself, Jason, Mateen we all share the same vision to be the best in the world and I believe thats why we've been blessed with so many different opportunities and progressive situations.The ultimate goal is for All Varsity Entertainment to be mentioned in the same light as the Roc-a-fellas, the CashMoneys and the Def Jams.


LL: I have a copy of The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming and I play it all the time. I'm pretty sure you do to, lol, but are there any other artists that you listen to regularly?

JC: (laughing) I appreciate the love...you know that's a tough one because I go through phases. I listen to everything. I might have a month where I only listen to alternative music or just two weeks of just hip hop or two weeks of techno. So at this particular time in my music cycle its Coldplay "Viva La Vida", Pastor Troy "We Ready I declare War", Eminem "Relapse" and Kenna "Make sure they see my face". But you know its constantly changing, who knows what I'll be listening to on a regular by next week.

LL: Where do you get a lot of your inspiration from?

JC: I get my inspiration from everything. Life is constant inspiration. You know the things you see, the people you meet, the conversations you have, the places you go... its crazy i look at a bird flying as inspiration you know Lebron hitting the three with one second left is inspiration.



LL: If you could do a collaboration with any artist, who would it be?

JC: Oooh, just one? There's so many... but if I can only pick one it would have to be Timbaland. I just have so much respect for him as a producer and as one of the greatest musical minds of our time, I know he would bring the very best out of me as an artist.

LL: Are there any future endeavors you got planned? I mean, I'm pretty
sure there are lol...so just inform us!

JC: As far as upcoming projects, I have two all original albums that I'm working on, "The Calling Pt.2: The B Side and "Salvation" along with a few mixtape projects to promote the albums. Towards the end of the summer I'm heading out west to do a couple promo tours... as an artist I'm trying to be everywhere!


Check em out on his MySpace page. You won't be disappointed!


-Christopher Nic.

What The Game's Been Missing..Seriously.

If your ears have been feining for some dope tunes, look no further! Senior at Duke University, Mike Posner & The Brain Trust is one of the hottest and highly anticipated new groups of the year. They have been able to grab the attention of every major record label around with the release of their mixtape A Matter of Time. They worked on the mixtape with industry know-it-all's DJ Benzi and Don Cannon which says a lot for this new group. We seem to always keep a MP & TBT track on the Liv Lux Radio. Mike is in the process recording a new mixtape while working on his debut album, The New Deal - planned to hit stores in 2010.

Download the mixtape on iTunes now!



-Christopher Nic.

Nivea & Lauren London Pregnant By Wayne??

Platinum selling rapper LiL Wayne's, (Dwayne Carter) hit song "Fillet Mignon" has seemingly become the epitome of his personal life. With catchy phrases as, "Well anyway I think your bionic and I don't think your beautiful I think your beyond it, " and "I will (expletive) the whole group baby I'ma groupie," its not hard to imagine that he has his fair share of flings in Hollywood.

In the midst of an alleged, soon to come, marriage to R & B artist Nivea allegations also surface that LiL Wayne not only wants to sing about doing everything in the industry but also do every girl in the industry, even those on the big screen. Rumors surfaced early June that Nivea is not the only one expecting LiL Wayne to father her child but also up and coming actress Lauren London.

Sources from starpulse.com say initially LiL Wayne and Lauren London "weren't happy" about the pregnancy but now are allegedly accepting the facts and have decided to raise the baby together but not live together. London is claimed to be 5 months pregnant with his child, according to examiner.com, and has turned down several movie projects bringing validity to the claim. So where does that leave Nivea?

Rumors have been surfacing that claim Nivea and LiL Wayne are together and will soon unite in matrimony and 'tie the knot'. If rumors are true LiL Wayne has put himself in quite a tough spot by actually living out the lyrics to his music. Nivea is rumored to be 2 months pregnant.

If the claims are correct LiL Wayne will double his child count bringing his Carter clan to 4. According to 24hourhiphop.com London was furious when she heard of the news concerning LiL Wayne and Nivea and is "assembling a legal team" to make things difficult for LiL Wayne. Claims have also been made that LiL Wayne wants nothing to do with an intimate level relationship with London.

So it seems that LiL Wayne is coming evermore close to his goal of, "(expletive-ing) every girl in the world," but he may not want to get too "comfortable" with this behavior because he could lose a few "milli" in the process.

Guest Writer,

-A.E. Kikes

Hip Hop Damaging America? Don't Believe the Hype

The propaganda surrounding the Hip-Hop community is unbelievable. This once underground genre has come to the forefront and has since been scrutinized by politicians, churches and social activists. Not to mention television networks such as the ever-so right winged Fox News. I believe that politicians, are blaming the Hip-Hop culture, for issues concerning the communities that they made promises to. Where the household failed in raising their children, they would like to blame Hip-Hop. And for the churches that seem to be losing congregations because people are hurting and looking for something to ease the pain rather than scripture, they all blame Hip Hop. I find this to be quite disturbing and I would like to try and dispel some of the negativity surrounding this culture, because believe it or not, it is not all bad, it has its positive and negative qualities as any other entity on the planet. The real problem here is not just BET or Hip Hop. The real problem is broader than any one TV network or one cultural phenomenon. Over time Hip Hop has evolved more than those DJ’s back in the Bronx could have ever imagined. This cultural phenomenon has turned ghetto-bred children, once thought of as a lost statistic into multimillionaires. This genre has evolved from political angst, fun-filled themes associated with the ‘hood, gangsta rap, intellectual rap, crunk music and all the way into mainstream. This genre once looked upon as one dimensional music for the child of the ghetto can no longer be looked at in that way. Hip Hop encompasses several attributes, however government and politicians, television personalities and communities alike are looking for someone, or something to blame for their plight and hip hop has become a major target. Hip Hop has become the scapegoat of things gone wrong in this society.


Rapper T.I. said it best on BET’s special forum called: Hip Hop vs. America, when he stated, “America uses Hip-hop as an easy target to blame all of society’s problems on”. Hip hop did not invent sexism, violence, homophobia or materialism. If you listen to the language used by Former President Bush and people in our everyday lives, one would realize that all those things are as much a part of America’s fabric as baseball and apple pie. Still, that should not let hip hop off the hook. Hip hop may not have started violence, sexism, misogyny or homophobia, but it has amplified, and in many cases, glorified theses images. Some people pick on hip hop just because they do not like it. But many pick on hip hop because we want it to do better. We remember when the music of hip hop was connected to the streets, powerful and political and entertaining at the same time. And we worry that much of today's hip hop and rap has descended into something meaningless.

Guest Writer,
Tynee Sims

Smooth Operator: Nate Calloway

I don't know a single soul who doesn't like to hear the smooth sound of an amazing R & B singer. All the crazy runs and melodies just tugs at every one's heart and sucks them into the song even more. Well I must say, Mr. Nate Calloway is taking the R & B game to another level. Don't believe me??? Check this out...



Told ya! And if you thought that was good, the best is yet to come because I've had his myspace tracks on repeat constantly. Calloway not only sings like a dream, he's gifted with a pen as well. With Brian McKnight, Kenneth (Baby Face) Edmonds, and Tank as writing influences, he writes songs that focus on love and relationships (I'm that gets him extra points with the ladies!). So of course I couldn't introduce you to Nate Calloway and not get a few questions from him just for you, right? Check out our interview with him below.

LL: What inspires you the most?

NC: What inspires me the most is to know that I'll have a platform to display the gift that was birthed in my blood line... So many of my family is equally talented as me, but never had the opportunities I have to make it mainstream...

LL: Are you currently in a group or pursuing a solo career?

NC: I'm currently in a group right now... Been in the group for about a month actually... With 2 other guys... John Houston and J Drew Sheard (JDS)... JDS is already signed to Star Trak, Pharrell Williams' label, as a producer... Pharrell called him and told him he wanted to sign a group and wanted JDS to form it... JDS then called myself and John Houston... We plan to have the deal signed with Star Track before the year is out... Btw, other artists on Star Track include N.E.R.D., The Clipse, Robin Thicke to name a few.

LL: What void do you think you'll fill within the industry?

NC: The void that we'll fill in the industry is 1 that is definitely needed... We're gonna be a mixture of Rock/Pop/R&B... We're gonna be 3 young black men that represent an entire culture of talented individuals that don't fall into the category that people would profile us into... Just because we're black, with soulful voices, people will expect us to come into the industry like an R&B group, but we're far from it.

LL: What's the most satisfying part about music to you?

NC: The most satisfying part of music to me is melodies and chord variations... I'm from a church (gospel) background, so chord changes and melodic sequences really satisfies my ears...

LL: Who would you like to be compared to? and who would you hate to be compared to?

NC: I'd like us to be compared to any artists that made a difference in music... Any1 who did anything outside the box contrary to outside opinions and were successful at doing so...

LL: Who would you love to work with?

NC: There are so many artist we'd like to work with and am sure we'll get the opportunity to do such... Artist like Kanye West, Pharrell himself, Keri Hilson, Lupe Fiasco

LL: What would you like to avoid once you reach your desired level of success?

NC: Once I make it to the place where we've solidified our place in the industry, I'd like to avoid the negative lime light. I feel like I can touch the world, or who I come in contact with anyway, on so many levels, and negative light just brings the wrong type of energy towards that effort.

LL: Where would you be without music?

NC: Without music I'd probably be trying to get to the NBA lol... I have a strong passion for basketball outside of music.

Well I'm glad Nate isn't without music, I'm sure us music lovers would appreciate him much more than a basketball fan. If you want to hear more from Nate (and I know you do) follow him on twitter, add him on myspace, and subscribe on youtube.

-Doni W.

Heaven To My Ears

Thanks for the heads up iGNITE Magazine!


-Christopher Nic.

The Year Of The Girl Groups?

I guess the Fall of DK really has had an affect on a lot of us. It's given these girl groups a confidence to step their game up. There isn't much I can say on these young ladies, but click here to listen to their single "He Aint Wit Me Now (Tho)" I'm sure you'll hop on the Richgirl fan bandwagon. I'll save you a spot :)

Oh, & what's tea on ole' girl with the 2 and half inch slip-ins? Hehehe.

-Christopher Nic.