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@KareemTaylor, Author at AllHipHop

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Kareem Taylor

K. Michelle Goes Through It All, So You Won’t Have To

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Thank you, K. Michelle. For being the older sister who went through it all, just so we wouldn’t have to. Luckily for us, she’s put it all on wax in her record label debut, Rebellious Soul (Atlantic). But as her single “V.S.O.P” sits on the digital Top 10 R&B charts, it’s not just Michelle’s talent for singing that’s got her this far. Undoubtedly, it’s the Memphis native’s standout performance on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. She’s been called aggressive, overly sensitive and at times, unlikable, but at the end of every episode you still forgive and hug it out with her. Because that’s big sis. And largely, that’s part of her appeal. No matter how much real talk she delivers, she still reminds you that you two are more alike than different. In the first season, Michelle comes clean on her personal battle with domestic violence which immediately caused a stir amongst her fellow cast members and viewers. And while women singers like Alicia Keys are currently ruling the charts with sweet tunes like “Fire We Make”, Michelle makes you think about the other reality: If you have the nerve to screw her over, she might literally set your house on fire. Rebellious Soul is K. Michelle’s testament. Throughout are tales including hard truths on “My Life”, love making on the R. Kelly-assisted “Pay My Bills” and a vulgar interlude that includes lyrics we one day have to explain to the innocent ears of our sons and daughters. K. Michelle’s debut album represents an underserved genre of R&B and her voice is much appreciated. Over the last five years, K. Michelle bubbled under the radar releasing four popular mixtapes, built her loyal fan base and famously broke up with her boyfriend on the radio. It was in 2009, though, where a breakout of sorts happened when Michelle posted a YouTube video singing an A Cappella version of an original track titled “Where They Do That At”. The next year, she appeared in a video alongside her mentor R. Kelly on a remix of “Echo”, a song off his Untitled album. In the video, R. Kelly prophetizes her future saying: “If she takes off on this, she’ll take off on something else. That’s just how it goes.” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5y9Q5CmWYg&w=560&h=315] She signed with Jive Records and released three singles including “Fallin” and “How Many Times”, both of which charted but never gained steam. She left the label. In the summer of 2012, things started to take off. Michelle joined the cast of LHHATL television series. The opportunity, with millions watching, allowed her to share the story she’s been sharing for years. The early adopter fans loved her more, while newcomers joined in on the intriguing singer’s tales. Today, Michelle garners comparisons to the most successful of the “blue collar blues” in this generation, Keyshia Cole. While the comparisons are expected, we must remember Cole’s first three albums went platinum or better, complete with Grammy nods. What’s now left to see with K. Michelle is if people are willing to buy what she’s selling. In a time where entertainers like Jay-Z and Miguel must utilize non-traditional platforms to popularize their music, K. Michelle (and Tamar Braxton) should be noted as a beacon of example for reality TV stars looking to share their music. While Rebellious Soul stays true to what we know about K. Michelle, it doesn’t pack a huge load of ambition. It’s just the blues. But one thing is for sure, in a few years, we’ll still be talking about this album and every story that came with it.

WATCH: Luke James Gives Sneak Peak of “Oh God”, Featuring Hit-Boy

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Luke James just doesn’t stop working! The guess is he’s taken a break as the opener of the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour to give us his latest offering “Oh God” featuring producer/rapper Hit-Boy. “Oh God” appears on James’ digital album, Whispers in the Dark. His upcoming debut album, Made to Love, features work from Danja, Salaam Remi, John Legend, Claude Kelly, The Runners, Hit-Boy and Wale. Check out the video below: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6BQ1tm4woE&w=560&h=315] Are you excited for the full video? Vote below! [polldaddy poll=7312102]

CodeBlack: Jeff Clanagan Shares His Rise from Hip Hop Concert Promoter to One of Hollywood’s Most Powerful Producers

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Kevin Hart is on fire these days, but that doesn’t mean the funny-man is doing all of the hard work by himself. He’s got a team, led by Codeblack Entertainment’s Jeff Clanagan – a man who got his start as one of Hip Hop’s first concert promoters, and later, Master P’s No Limit Films. In the last decade, Clanagan has been behind some of black comedy’s most successful specials – including those from Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Epps and Steve Harvey. As Hart’s new film Let Me Explain hits theaters, New York City radio show “Pillow Talk with Kareem The Dream” caught up with Jeff to talk the new film, to find out more about how Clanagan got his start in the game and how others can get started, too. Here’s a few snippets from the show: Jeff Clanagan his relationship with Kevin Hart: “Our role is we produce the film with Kevin, we’ve been involved since the inception. Everything from the documentary segment in the film that shows him when he travels overseas. I was on the road with him in Canada, I was on the road with him in Europe, so we’re his producing partner. We not only just distribute and market stuff, but we also co-produce with Kevin.” “I don’t want to put out any numbers, but obviously the last one “Laugh at My Pain”, did really good business. We’re expecting a large turn out. We’re taking a chance with the Fourth of July weekend, which is the biggest weekend of the year, but we’re programming it. Kevin’s hot, and the time is right, I think we’re going to do exceptionally well.” Jeff on his new partnership with one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, Lionsgate: “In the past, Codeblack has been primarily focused on the DVD market, and home video market. Our new partnership and relationship with Lionsgate now moves us in a whole other direction where we now focus on theatrical movies. We’re going to do less movies, but higher quality movies. Whether it be through an acquisition or production, you’ll see our business start to change and we’ll start doing a lot more theatrical. Up until this point, there’s never really been an African American company or division at any of the major studios. The timing was perfect for me to make this move because it now puts me in a position where I’m inside the studio, where I can focus and provide outlets for filmmakers, directors, producers and writers. I can focus on making movies for our market.” On how he got his start in the business: “I was a concert promoter for 15 years. I actually started promoting parties while I was in high school. From the entrepreneur standpoint, I’ve always worked to achieve what I wanted. In the ’80s I was one of the first Hip Hop promoters. I did the first NWA tour. I did Def Jam tours, Ready for the World, Def Comedy. If you know anything about live event promotion, as a concert promoter, you got to wear ten hats. You’ve got to book and negotiate groups, the marketing, street teams. From that standpoint, I developed a lot of skills by necessity. I wanted to get into the film industry, so I used all my music relationships, and I started doing music videos. That’s how I learned how to produce and I pulled a film director, who was in film school at Berkeley, and I started managing him. His name is Dave Meyers, who went on to be a very big music video director, and now a big commercial director. From there, I went on to run Master P’s company, No Limit Films, when he was blazing hot. We were the first ones to do the independent movies and the distribution, all in one.” For the full interview, listen here or below (Jeff starts at 37:25): [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/99511928″ params=”auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=ff7700″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] KEVIN HART: LET ME EXPLAIN – Film Clip “Guy Code” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdqF46XIahY&w=560&h=315]

Bobby V Apologizes For His Music: "I've Been Doing People Injustice!"

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

I’ve been “chasing the radio more than I’ve been chasing the minds and hearts of the people”, admits singer Bobby V. He’s back and out on the move promoting his latest single “Back to Love” off the new EP Peach Moon. Five albums in, and “Slow Down” singer Bobby V is trying something different. In a new video, the singer claims “I feel like I’ve been doing people injustice”, when referring to his past music. He feels its time to get back to the roots, and as you’ll see in this video, Mr. V is actually playing the piano. Peep the video and hear the new song below: Video: Bobby V Talks “Back To Love” Single + Making “Peach Moon EP [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_zSnbb3IvM&w=560&h=315] Sound: Back to Love [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/92055144″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Peach Moon is set for a summer release.

John Legend “Blames” Kanye West for His Album Delay, Plus Talks Nudity in Latest Video

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

It’s been four years since 9-time Grammy Award-winning singer John Legend has released a solo project, but this summer Legend plans to release his fourth and “best” complete works. Love in the Future, John Legend’s upcoming album is led by the single “Who Do We Think We Are” featuring Rick Ross, and is accompanied by a racy and controversial music video. While promoting his latest video for the single, Legend chopped it up with AHH on the racy visual, his current relationship with longtime producer Kanye West and why you shouldn’t blame his fiance for his absence from releasing a solo album. The video just came out for “Who Do We Think We Are”, how do you feel? Things are good. I’m feeling good. A lot of watchers are saying the video is distasteful and criticizing for naked women. What’s your concept behind it? We wanted to create something that was beautiful, tasteful, artistic, cinematic. Dacadent, sexy. People don’t want to watch the nude version, then watch the edited version. VIDEO: “Who Do We Think We Are” [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTWlbTVFBSo&w=560&h=315] It matches up that you haven’t released an album since you got into a relationship with your now fiance. What type of love are you experiencing that you completely stopped putting out solo albums? She must really be putting it down! [laughs] You can’t blame her for my delay! I’ve normally done two years between each album. I did an album with the Roots in 2010. It’s not that big of a delay. I blame myself and Kanye more than anybody. We spent a little more time on it this time. We actually put a little more time into getting it exactly how we want it, making sure production is exactly right. Our standards are high and for us to meet them we had to put in a little more effort. Interesting. What’s your relationship like with Kanye these days? It’s great. On Evolver, he was the least involved and on Wake Up! with The Roots, he wasn’t involved. But when it comes to my solo albums, the album he’s most involved with is this new album. Even though we always worked together, we worked closer on this one. Do you have a favorite song from your new album? We did great work on “Made to Love”. I had written a song and Kanye wanted to work on the beat some more. He made it into this beautiful awesome track. That was showing the value of him as a colloborater. There was news when I said Kanye doesn’t make a lot of beats anymore. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Maybe somebody will come in with a beat or an idea, but his job is to take something good and turn into great, as a producer. He helped shape the sound of the album. One of our readers wonder where you go for writing inspiration. I write in the studio. I’m pretty prolific in the studio. I don’t write at home, because I feelt like I’ll get more done when I go to work. If I’m home, I feel like it will be too loose. You just did the Yahoo! On The Road show with Ryan Leslie in New York City. Are you a fan? I’ve known Ryan for a long time. He’s a great creator, producer and artist. Ive known him when we were both not famous. There was a co-worker of mine that went to Harvard with him. He wouldn’t stop talking about him. It was when I worked in the community at a non profit. So you’ve always worked in the community. You’ve definitely become very outspoken on controversial topics like education reform. Do you ever see yourself running for political office? Hell no. In college, I studied English and African American studies. I’ve always been involved in giving minorities more opportunities before my career took off. Now, I’m in a position to have more impact. With more influence and resouces, I’m able to do more. I have no desire for a political office. I have impact in the way I want to. I respect people that do it, but it’s not for me. What else should we know about your upcoming album? The album is my best one yet, I feel really good about it. It’s a powerful piece of work.

Fantasia Slams Critics, Singer Reveals “True” Meaning Behind New Album

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Following this past Tuesday release of Side Effects of You, Fantasia’s fourth album, the singer reveals in a video her personal triumph in putting the album together. In this new personal video, Fantasia reveals that some songs were so personal, she had to ask people to leave the studio while she recorded. Fantasia, whose public image came under scrutiny earlier this year when a 10-year-old picture was used on a magazine cover, has always found a way to overcome her battles. Is Fantasia winning? Check out the video: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z8VUguBcY0&w=560&h=315]

Rapper Young Lyxx Takes It Up A Notch With Don Cannon-Hosted Mixtape

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Music

Atlanta-based rapper Young Lyxx has just released his highly anticipated mixtape, Lyxx Tape: Volume One, hosted by DJ Don Cannon. Young Lyxx, a San Diego-bred rapper, received notoriety in 2012 when he released California Dreamin Vol. 1 which featured the popular “Wow” featuring Rocky Diamonds. The video, simple in nature, was filmed in producer Polow Da Don’s house. Lyxx’s new 16-track mixtape sports features from Yung Joc, Travis Porter and Machine Gun Kelly. Download Lyxx Tape: Volume One here! 1. See U Later 2. Everywhere I Go 3. Real Nxggas 4. No Friends (feat. Sydne Renee) 5. In The Air (FEAT. K-MAJOR) 03:12 6. 20$ 50$ 100$ 7. Money x Clothes x Fancy Cars (Feat. Jae B) 8. On The Low (Feat. Jade) 9. Pop It 02:13 10. I Be (Feat. K-Major) 11. Like Me (Feat. K-Camp) 12. Only Way (Feat. BIA) 13. Take It Easy (FEAT. K-Major) 14. The Beginning 15. Bonus: Hella Dip (Feat. Yung Joc) 16. Bonus: Peep My Chi (Feat. Quez of Travis Porter & MGK) Latest Video: “The Beginning” by Young Lyxx [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/63325627 w=500&h=281] The Dark Room: Young Lyxx “the beginning” from 3 Little Digs on Vimeo.

Listen: Dawn Richard and Eve Team Up for “Northern Lights”

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Singer Dawn Richard has been on the move since the release of her debut solo album Goldenheart. Now, she’s back with her latest, “Northern Lights”, and has called on rapper Eve, for the remix. Dawn appears on Eve’s upcoming album Lip Lock on a yet to be released single titled “Keep Me From You”. [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/86975368″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Top 10 Soul Singers Who Never Got Their 15 Minutes

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Not all R&B singers are created equal. In the world of Rhythm and Blues, many singers come in and become Pop superstars like Usher, Rihanna, Beyoncé and R. Kelly. But sometimes, even when the music is good, it seems that some singers just can’t get a break. Not all singers are able to achieve mainstream success, and it can be attributed to legal battles, self esteem issues, laziness or just not being able to overcome industry politics. Here’s a look at R&B singers between the ’90s and today who never quite received their fifteen minutes of fame. 10. Link In 1998 and 1999, there were two R&B songs that lit up the Billboard charts: “My Body” by LSG and “Meeting in My Bedroom” by Silk. Both songs were written by Relativity Records singer Link. Due to his writing success, Link was rewarded a record deal and released his first single “Whatcha Gone Do?”, which became a mild hit. A song off the album, “Gimme Some” has become an underground sensation. As of March 2013, Link is planning a comeback and has released “Erotic“. Seems like some people are better off behind the scenes? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1WJBCVCeKo] 9. Sam Salter When you’ve got LaFace Records’ Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and L.A. Reid behind you, you’re in good hands, right? In 1997, Salter released his debut album It’s On Tonight, with the singles “After 12, Before 6” and “There You Are”. The singles became mildly popular, but failed to catch steam. The same year, Salter’s labelmate Usher released his sophomore album My Way which went on to sell 7 million copies and turned Usher into an R&B megastar. Though Salter hasn’t experienced mainstream success as a solo artist, he’s written songs for artists including Babyface, Destiny’s Child, Tyrese and Omarion. Salter got his start early, as part of a group with singer Robin Thicke. He left the group and partnered with producer and writer Laney Stewart, who now works with popular LA-based singer Alex Jacke. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLjag-Xo0n8] 8. KeKe Wyatt In 2000, KeKe Wyatt got her big break when she appeared on singer Avant’s debut album on a song titled “My First Love”. The duo worked so well together that Wyatt enlisted the help of Avant again on her Soul Sista debut for 2001’s “Nothing In This World”, a song that would prove to be Wyatt’s most popular to date. In 2013, KeKe Wyatt and Avant teamed up for “You & I”. Has KeKe Wyatt’s appearance on TV One’s R&B Divas help further her career? No one seems to like the attitude as she usually appears as a “crazy” character. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT0gbcq5xqI] 7. Tynisha Keli In 2007, Tynisha Keli made her debut with the single “I Wish You Loved Me“. Though released that year, the song made its way on the internet years before it was officially released as a single, eventually becoming an underground hit. In 2009, her debut album The Chronicles of Tk was released via Warnes Bros. Records and was a commercial failure, with less than 11,000 albums sold. In 2012, Keli surfaced again and released “Not Comin’ Back”, which failed to catch steam. Did Warner Bros. wait too long to capitalize on the success of Tynisha Keli’s independent movement? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hebz8ZEz0oI] 6. JoJo In 2004, singer JoJo released “Get Out (Leave)”, the first single off her debut album that pushed worldwide sales to 3,000,000. Two years later, she followed up with her sophomore album, The High Road, which didn’t fare as well as the first. In 2012, after a six year hiatus, JoJo returned with “Demonstrate”. The song, produced by Drake’s in-house producer Noah “40” Shebib, became popular on social networks but never gained any mainstream success. Later in the year, JoJo released her second mixtape, Agápē, to great response. What do you think is up with JoJo’s rocky rise to the top? Do you think European singers get flack for trying to do R&B? One thing is for sure – Homegirl can sing! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYPQOuDLU6s] 5. Brandon Hines Singer Brandon Hines appeared on YouTube in 2006, with a song called “10“. It was followed up with several covers which includes the popular 1-million viewed “Pretty Wings” Maxwell cover. The cover videos caught the attention of So So Def’s Jermaine Dupri who signed Hines to a deal. His first official single “Yes You Are” was released in 2012, but failed to garner mainstream interest. An album has yet to surface from this singer. Too much like Trey Songz? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwNlXx-U8C8] 4. Willie Mo. Jr. (formerly Pretty Willie) In 2001, St. Louis native Pretty Willie signed with Universal Records and released his debut album Enter The Life of Suella. The album was a commercial failure and did not chart, but in 2004, the singer developed a deep underground following when his song “Lay Your Body Down” was featured in the film Johnson Family Vacation. Today, Willie Mo has left the sex-filled music behind and chartered a different path as a gospel singer and motivational speaker. The gospel isn’t as good as his “Four Walls” bedroom jams, but we respect his change towards a man of faith. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi1N9ZeVmXY] 3. Teedra Moses Teedra Moses made her debut in 2004, with the critically acclaimed album Complex Simplicity. The album spawned two singles “Be Your Girl” and “You’ll Never Find (A Better Woman)” featuring Jadakiss. Though the album was a sales failure, Moses eventually independently released music via her social websites and garnered a cult-like following. In a 2012 interview, Moses revealed she was working on her sophomore album, as the first lady of Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Imprint. She soon released “Another LuvR” featuring Wale. The album has yet to surface. Could the brash mouth and not-made-for-tv image be the cause of Moses’ failure to become a commercial success? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL1x9XAkBS0] 2. Marcus Cooper (formerly Pleasure P) Considered an underground legend of R&B, Cooper got his start in 2005 as the stand-out singer of Hip Hop group Pretty Ricky.  In 2009, he released his solo debut The Introduction of Marcus Cooper […]

Has Robin Thicke Gone Too Far for Attention?

By: @KareemTaylorCategory: Alternatives

Singer Robin Thicke gets really raunchy in his latest video. Robin Thicke recently released his latest video for “Blurred Lines”, featuring T.I and Pharell. But it’s not a regular video you’ll see on TV. In fact, you’ll never see this on TV, as it’s filled with naked women including boobs and all. Done in a tasteful way, the video finds Thicke using his woman’s feet as a microphone. You think Paula Patton, his wife, is cool with this? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yekOCpdc6Hc&w=560&h=315] “Blurred Lines” is the first single off a currently untitled project.