All Entries Tagged With: "Concerts"
Miguel Brings J. Cole Out for ‘Power Trip” Performance @ The Barclay Center
A while back we gave you the digs on Alicia Keys bringing Miguel along on her Set the World on Fire tour. Well during their stop at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center Miguel set the show even more on fire with a surprise during his performance.
During his set, Miguel brought rapper J.Cole out on the stage so the two could perform their recent collaboration “Power Trip”. The song is the first single from Cole’s upcoming album Born Sinner. Check out the fellas’ performance below.
Jamming!!!
Despite Health Scare Lil Wayne Releases New Album; Plans to Tour This Summer
Even though Lil Wayne has been a bit under the weather, that’s still not throwing a monkey wrench in his plans to let the show go on.
In addition to the Young Money head honcho releasing his tenth studio album, I Am Not a Human Being II, on Tuesday, he also plans to go on tour this summer.
Beginning in July, Lil Wayne will embark on part two of his America’s Most Wanted Music Festival. He is scheduled to hit 40 stops in a two month time frame with his first stop being on July 9th at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Birmingham, Alabama.
So far along for the ride he’s bringing Atlanta rappers T.I. and Future. Check out America’s Most Wanted Music Festival full tour schedule below.
7/9 — Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
7/10 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
7/12 — Atlanta, GA @Lakewood Amphitheatre
7/13 — Tampa, FL @ Live Nation Amphitheatre
7/14 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
7/16 — Pittsburgh, PA @ First Niagra Pavilion
7/17 — Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
71/9 — Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach
7/20 — Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/21 — Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion
7/23 — Bangor, ME @ Bangor Amphitheatre
7/24 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/26 — Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/27 — Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Pavilion
7/28 — Virginia Beach, VA @Farm Bureau Live
7/30 — Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake PAC
7/31 — Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
8/2 — Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
8/3 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC
8/4 — Boston, MA @ Comcast Theatre
8/6 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Pavilion
8/7 — Cleveland, OH @ Klipsch Amphitheatre
8/9 — Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
8/10 — Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/11 — St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8/13 — Indianapolis, IN @Klipsch Amphitheatre
8/14 — Memphis, TN @FedEx Forum
8/16 — Dallas, TX @ Gexa Pavilion
8/17 — Austin, TX @ Austin 360 Amphitheatre
8/18 — Houston, TX @ CWM Pavilion
8/20 — Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
8/21 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Center
8/23 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green
8/24 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
8/25 — Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Sky Pavilion
8/27 — San Diego, CA @ Sleep Train Arena
8/28 — Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Arena
8/30 — Oakland, CA @ Sleep Train Arena
8/31 — Las Vegas, NV @ Arena
9/1 — Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Stay tuned for more details as they emerge.
Rihanna’s Upcoming “777″ Tour Documentary
While Rihanna has already launched her Diamonds tour, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten about the 777 Tour she embarked on last year. The 777 tour in which she hit seven cities in seven days was to promote and in honor of her seventh album Unapologetic.
The traveling portion of the tour itself made several headlines considering she toured a little differently than normal. On this particular tour, she took along 200 guests that were comprised of 50 fans and 150 journalists and they all traveled on the same plane. Together they made stops in Mexico City, Toronto, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, London and New York.
Well not to leave the rest of the world out on all the goings of touring seven cities in seven with such a large group, Rihanna documented the whole thing. So get ready because in May Fox will premiere the documentary entitled “Rihanna 777” letting her fans in on it all.
“Rihanna 777” premieres on Monday, May 6th at 8pm [EST] on Fox.
Concert Promoter Says Nas Was a No-Show…Sues for $10 million
Concert promoter Patrick Allocco is going for the gusto when it comes to tapping into rapper Nas’ pockets. In a recently filed lawsuit by Allocco he is demanding that Nas pay up for being a no-show at a concert he paid him for which subsequently led to him being kidnapped.
Here’s how one side of the story goes…
Patrick Allocco alleges that Nas accepted his $300,000 payment to perform at a New Year’s Eve 2011 concert in Angola, Africa but was a no-show. As a result, Allocco claims he was then kidnapped and held captive by the promoters who gave him the money. He says during the 50 days in which he was held, he was beaten and threatened repeatedly. For his pain and suffering as well as his financial downfall, Allocco is asking for…$10 million.
We’re not sure of Nas’ take of it all, but this $10 million would be a heavy price to pay for a $300,000 gig is this turns out to be true. Either way, Nas will eventually have to respond to the lawsuit so we’ll be sure to keep you posted on how this all pans out.
Trey Songz Announces ‘Chapter V World Tour’
To add the icing on the cake of the success of his most recent album, Chapter V, Trey Songz says he’s taking his show on the road. By way of the ‘Chapter V World Tour’, Trey is about to give his fans the live version of it all.
“As I enter this next chapter of my life, what better way than to celebrate with the very people who have made me who I am today; MY FANS and my Angels. They are continuously there for me and as we embark on the ‘Chapter V World Tour,’ I plan on giving them the experience of a lifetime,” Trey said about the tour.
Now if you’re excited about the tour alone, you might as well get even more excited because he’s bringing chart toppers Miguel and Elle Varner along with him. While the two won’t be joining him when he takes he tour overseas, they will be in the building for every stop he makes in the U.S. About his decision to bring those particular two along, Trey said, “I can’t think of anyone else I would rather share my stage with, than two artists who are at the forefront of our genre, Miguel and Elle Varner. We’re moving R&B forward and I look forward to touching so many cities and countries over the coming months.”
Elle and Miguel shared their excitement and appreciation for the opportunity as well. Here’s what they said…
Elle Varner
“I’m thankful that Trey has given me this opportunity and I am so excited to be on a tour with two of the dopest artists in R&B. As the only lady on the tour, I’ll be sure to keep the boys in line!”
Miguel
“The juxtaposition of sounds and styles between the three of us gives this bill a great dynamic. It’s an amazing opportunity to educate our audiences about the different sides of R&B, which is my favorite part.”
The trio will make their first stop right here in the ‘A’ on November 17th at the Fox Theater. There is no doubt that this will be truly an entertaining show. Check out the rest of the tour dates below…
Trey Songz – “Chapter V World Tour”
Nov. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theater
Nov. 18 – Baton Rouge, LA – River Center
Nov. 21 – Las Vegas, NV – Orleans Arena
Nov. 23 – Oakland, CA – Coliseum
Nov. 24 – San Diego, CA – Sports Arena
Nov. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theater (L.A. Live)
Nov. 30 – Saginaw, MI – Dow Events Center
Dec. 1 – Chicago, IL – Arie Crown Theatre
Dec. 2 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Theater
Dec. 5 – New York, NY – Theatre at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 7 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
Dec. 8 – Nashville, TN – Municipal Auditorium
Dec. 9 – St. Louis, MO – Fox Theater
Dec. 13 – Washington, D.C. – Constitution Hall
Dec. 14 – Charlotte, NC – Bojangles Coliseum
Dec. 15 – Hampton, VA – Coliseum
Dec. 16 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
Dec. 27 – New Orleans, LA – UNO Lakefront Arena
Dec. 28 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena
Dec. 29 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
Dec. 30 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre
Dec. 31 – Houston, TX – Reliant Arena
Jan. 5 – Stockholm, Sweden – Annexet
Jan. 6 – Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene
Jan. 7 – Copenhagen, Denmark – VEGA
Jan. 9 – Hamburg, Germany – GroBe Freiheit
Jan. 10 – Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
Jan. 12 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinenhalle
Jan. 13 – Mannheim, Germany – Maimarkt Club
Jan. 14 – Munich, Germany – Tonhalle
Jan. 17 – Lyon, France – Le Transbordeur
Jan. 18 – Toulouse, France – Le Bikini
Jan. 20 – Marseille, France – Le Dome
Jan. 23 – Paris, France – Zenith
Jan. 24 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
Jan. 25 – Amsterdam, Holland – Heineken Music Hall
Jan. 26 – Amsterdam, Holland – Heineken Music Hall
Jan. 28 – Birmingham, UK – LG Arena
Jan. 29 – Bristol, UK – Colston Hall
Jan. 30 – London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
Jan. 31 – London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
Feb. 1 – London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
Feb. 2 – London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
Feb. 4 – Manchester, UK – Apollo
Feb. 5 – Glasgow, UK – Academy
Feb. 6 – Glasgow, UK – Academy
Go to www.treysongz.com for ticket information.
Rihanna Announces “Diamonds World Tour”
Rihanna is definitely making her rounds this year and is already making big plans for 2013. With a new album, new dance moves, her acting debut and a MTV Best Video of the Year award, just to name a few things, already under her belt for the year, the Barbados-born singer has announced that she will kick off 2013 with her “Diamonds World Tour”. The 27-stop tour will primarily be in support of her recently released “Talk That Talk” album with her first stop Buffalo, NY. Here’s of full list of her “Diamonds World Tour” dates…
03/08 – Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
03/10 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
03/12 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
03/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
03/17 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
03/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
03/21 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
03/22 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
03/24 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
03/25 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
03/27 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
03/30 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
04/01 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
04/03 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
04/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
04/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
04/11 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
04/12 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay
04/15 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
04/16 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
04/19 – Tampa, FL @ Tampa Bay Times Forum
04/20 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
04/22 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
04/29 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
05/02 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
05/04 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
Tickets go on sale September 14th here.
R. Kelly is ‘Feelin’ Single…Announces “Single Ladies” Tour
R&B Crooner R. Kelly is all over the radio talking about ‘Feelin’ Single’ and now it looks like the Pied Piper is ready to mingle with the single ladies. In support of his new album Write Me Back, Kelly is taking his show on the road announcing plans for his “Single Ladies Tour.”
The 23-stop tour takes flight October 13th at the Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina and makes is final stop December 7th at Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana. Check out the rest of the tour dates below…
“The Single Ladies” Tour
October 13. Township Auditorium – Columbia, SC
October 14. BJCC Concert Hall – Birmingham, AL
October 18. Fox Theater – Atlanta, GA
October 21. JL Knight Center – Miami, FL
October 23. Orpheum Theatre – Memphis, TN
October 25. Arie Crown Theatre – Chicago, IL
October 31. Paramount Theatre – Oakland, CA
November 2. Nokia Theater – Los Angeles, CA
November 7. Jones Hall – Houston, TX
November 8. Verizon Theatre – Grand Prairie, TX
November 10. Milwaukee Theater – Milwaukee, WI
November 11. P&G Theatre: The Aranoff – Cincinnati, OH
November 14. Palace Theater – Louisville, KY
November 15. Fox Theatre – St. Louis, MO
November 17. Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI
November 21. The Theater at Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
November 24. Constitution Hall – Washington, DC
November 27. Lyric Theater – Baltimore, MD
November 29. Tower Theater – Upper Darby, PA
November 30. Tower Theater – Upper Darby, PA
December 2. Veteran’s Memorial – Columbus, OH
December 6. State Theatre – Cleveland, OH
December 7. Star Plaza – Merrillville, IN
Run-DMC to Reunite @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
After calling it quits back in 2002 due to the loss of their beloved DJ, Jam Master, some have wondered if the surviving members of the infamous rap group Run-DMC would ever hit the stage again. Well it looks like Rev. Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) are about to break out their Adidas and do just that.
The two will reunite this fall at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. We’re pretty sure it’s safe to say that their blast from the past will include performances of some of their greatest hits such as “My Adidas”, “Walk This Way” and “It’s Like That”.
A full lineup of performers will be announced on July 12th. The festival will take place November 2-4.
This should truly be a treat for those who will be in attendance!
Beyonce Takeover Atlantic City’s Revel [Video + Photos]
After just giving birth to her first child five months ago, Beyonce shows us all that being a full-time mom and entertainer is possible.
The new Revel Resort, in Atlantic City, NJ, played host to one of the world’s top female entertainers. Beyonce fans from all over made the trek to A.C. to see with their own eyes why she’s considered one of the best to ever do it. The first show occured last night and video clips of Bey’s performances are now floating around. Thank goodness! Word on the street is that the tickets started off at $400/$500. So for those to cheap to pay that price, you can now catch a glimpse of the show on Youtube. But, of course, this is incomparable to actually seeing it live.
Check out Bey’s performances of “Halo (w/Whitney Houston intro)”, “Crazy In Love”, and “Put A Ring On It”:
Concert Review: Melanie Fiona @ The Loft 3/26/12 [ Live Performance ]
Photo Credit: Raymond Hagans/AJC
2 Chainz & Friends @ Center Stage [Movie Trailer]
On March 7, rapper 2 Chainz hit up his home town of Atlanta for a sold out concert at Center Stage. Now freshly signed to Def Jam, 2 Chainz continues to cultivate his movement with national tours, tv appearances, and banging mixtapes. Visually, he’s been one of the top indie artists to capture peak moments in his career and do it with a unique flair.
Well, he isn’t letting up on the viz-u-als. For this concert, he’s even created a mini-movie. I’m all of his fans will appreciate this.
Check it out:
Source: Pesh/Livemixtapes.com
How Artists Should Entertain: Bilal @ 595 North, March 3, 2012 (Concert Review)
Arriving at the venue (595 North in Atlanta, Georgia), I noticed that a line formed outside. Walking up with my lovely date, I was really wondering just how good this show could be. The tickets themselves for general admission were fairly cheap ($15). I don’t know if it was because of the venue itself or that Bilal wanted to offer a show that was well worth the money. Still, the situation had me wondering about how all of this would play out.
Entering the scene, the smell of fried food, cannabis, and body oils enchanted my nostrils. I didn’t know whether to be ready to party, eat, or just chill out. With the DJ spinning African rhythms (via Fela Kuti), the mood was festive. The crowd was becoming denser as people came in. I even had a friend out of town come to the show just because he was in the city. It was safe to say that this was going to be the making of an interesting situation.
Now that I sit here the next day, I can give you reasons as to why this concert was a success beyond success.
1.) The lack of opening acts and the concentration of talent: There was only one opening act. The singer’s name is Kameron Corvet. It is safe to say that he did not disappoint. While he presently only has an EP out, he performed with a fever. Once he ended his three song set with his jam “F_ck Love”, I knew that the man had talent. I eventually bought his EP that was being sold. He has talent. THAT is how you open a show: with someone that is dope and gets the crowd open.
2.) Bilal is seen as a R&B deity: If you could have only paid attention to the crowd reaction when he got into his songs, you would understand. Bilal has pure crowd control. It was as if he was a shaman and the concert goers were entrapped in the gaze of mind controlling peyote. One woman was so enthralled she got on stage, talked in his ear, bought him a beer, and fell swiftly on her drunken arse. Now THAT is how you party!
3.) His songs resonate so much more effectively live: Bilal’s songs were meant to be performed live. Straight off of Airtight’s Revenge, he went into songs like “Restart” and “All Matter”. Many times, he was so in vibe with the music that he wasn’t even paying attention to the crowd. Yet, when he was, his hilarious antics and dramatic performances would ensue and delight us all. Bilal is a pure performer. Once I learned that fact, things only improved from there.
Yet, he was still amazing even performing his older material. His renditions of “Sometimes” and “When Will You Call” were just classic performances. Standing on tops of tables, yelling, screaming, and crooning in an animated fashion was the service of that nice. People were so entertained that all they could do is cheer, clap, and sing along. By the time he returned for his encore, the people were equally enthralled and wore out.
In the end, this was how a show was supposed to be: enchanting, riveting, and well worth the price of admission. There were no complaints about the show at all. Then again, how can there be? Bilal performed for practically two hours (give or take). He went through all of his hits, familiar and unfamiliar. He displayed his range. He even engaged in crowd interaction. We got all of this for $15 general admission? This was some of the best money spent.
Here’s some footage of Bilal performing “Lord Don’t Let It”:
Concert review written by contributing writer, Mark A. Harris, for STACKS Magazine.
Mary J. Blige Concert Review + “Conversations with MJB” Meet & Greet Update
This past Friday night I had the fortunate opportunity to attend Mary J. Blige’s My Life tour stop at the Tabernable in the ATL and let me just say my experience was surreal. Being the Mary fan that I am, it was nothing like catching her in her element live. Needless to say, she hit the stage jamming, opening the show with ‘Mary Jane (All Night Long)’. She continued wooing the crowd and kept us on a high while performing other hits from her first “My Life” album such as ‘Be Happy’, ‘You Gotta Believe’, ‘I Never Wanna Live Without You’ and ‘Be With You’,
After taking a quick break, the Queen of Hip Hop & Soul came back and continued the journey on to My Life II, singing her first two hit singles from the album, ‘25/8’, followed by “Mr Wrong”. The journey ended with Mary, her back-up dancers, and all who were in attendance jamming to ‘Family Affair’ from her “No More Drama” album. Overall the night was a blast and Mary gets an A+ in my book. As for highlights of the show, here’s the good, the better and the best parts.
The Good
The show was scheduled to start at 8 pm and a little after it did. Right at 8pm someone came on the loud speaker announcing that Mary would hit the stage in 10 minutes. Five minutes later I ran across her tweet “Showtime ATL”. Fourteen minutes into the hour the crowd began to chant “Mary, Mary, Mary” and as if to answer our call, she appeared in the spotlight at 8:15 getting her groove on as her fans then chanted “Go Mary, Go Mary, Go Mary”.
The Better
After taking a moment to briefly speak about her struggles and what a blessing it’s been to give another young lady the same opportunity she’s been afforded, Mary brought out her recently signed artist, 13-year-old Katlyn Nichol, to join her in singing ‘I’m Going Down’. Shortly after the song started with Mary singing the first few lines, she turned it over to Katlyn who after belting out the next few lines, got her props and a bow from Mary and was left to take the stage by herself. To our delightful surprise and just as Mary had warned us…she blew us away. Her charisma and performance power was amazing. It was almost as if Mary never left the stage. (Vid Below)
The Best
Being that this was her My Life concert, it goes without saying that she would perform one of her biggest hits to this day which shares the same name as the album. However her fans including myself unknowingly had a different plan. From the moment the first note drop, the crowd went wild. Mary managed to belt out the oohs, aahhs, and la-la la las, during the song’s opening chorus which the crowd softly sung. But from there the song was ours! From the first word of the first verse, the crowd raised their voices, put their all into it and without missing a beat, sung every single word leaving Mary no choice but to remove the mic from its stand and turn it toward the crowd. She did manage to get in a line or two during the following chorus but verse 2 was no different…we owned that one too. It was as if we all individually as well as collectively for that moment became Mary!
Mary J. Blige feat. Katlyn Nichol “I’m Going Down” @ The Tabernacle
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The following day, Bels got the chance to attend the event A Conversation with Mary J. Blige which was held at the W Hotel (Midtown) and sponsored by V-103 and State Farm. During the interview session, which was conducted by V-103’s Frank Ski, Mary discussed several songs off her new album ‘My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act I)’… and took questions from the audience. She also spoke about doing music for her fans, the importance of loving yourself first and her favorite southern food being fried chicken livers. Aside from the music, Mary also let it be known that she’s expanding her brand to the film industry and is currently working on some scripts and taking more acting classes with plans to release some projects in 2012.
While it wasn’t open to everyone, a pre-selected group of people did get the chance to actually meet and greet Mary. Check out part of Mary’s interview below.
If you haven’t already, please go purchase a copy of Mary’s new album ‘My Life II’. It will be well worth the dollars. 
Concert Review: Gilt City Presents Tinie Tempah
(August 3, 2011) –Tinie Tempah is a new star on the rise. Yet, so many people know very little about him. So, it came as a small shock when Gilt City hosted this concert event at The Loft in downtown Atlanta. So, after shifting through parking garages and finally settling for one that was a few strides away from the theatre, I finally made it to my destination. With my print out ticket, White Castles t-shirt, and my eager fandom all in tow, I chose the make the most of this concert.
I will say this: as short as the concert was, it was well worth it.
Tinie Tempah knew that he had to go through his string of “hits” and well known songs with a mixture of familiar vibes to keep the party going. Starting off the night was his song “Frisky” that had him hopping across the small stage. As the crowd recites “la la la la”, he went straight into saying “Frisky!”, giving all the viewers what they wanted: to be a full participant in the music themselves. Even in the Wiz Khalifa assisted “Till I’m Gone”, he even made sure that everything was involved and energetic. If one could gather anything, Tinie Tempah is a fan of his own music.
The smartest thing he did was to use familiar instrumentals to flip and rhyme over. Doing the popular thing, Tinie went in over the “Otis” instrumental. Yet, his take on it was pretty refreshing. The same can be said for his rendition of “Hustle Hard” minus Ace Hood and any other hood luminary that was featured. It is safe to say that Tinie wanted the crowd engaged at all costs.
Timing of the concert notwithstanding, Tinie Tempah came, saw, and conquered. Within his short set, he made sure the mixed crowd of young and old fans was attentive. Yet, I still feel he isn’t fully appreciated over in the States well enough. He still has some time to grab more attention. Thanks to Gilt City, however, Atlanta got a treat straight from the Union Jack.
Article written by Mark A. Harris, contributing writer for STACKS Magazine
Lauryn Hill Making a Stop in the ATL
In case you haven’t heard yet, one of our favorite Fugees is coming to Atlanta. Lauryn Hill is launching a 17-date tour on December 27th in New York and will make her stop in Atlanta on January 14th.
Hill will perform at Center Stage at 9 p.m. bringing back hits from her repitoire including hits from her soul-stirring album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”. Tickets are on sale now at www.centerstage-atlanta.com and Ticketmaster for $76.50.
“Old School” don’t mean nothing…
One of my college alumni friends hooked me up with some free tickets to the Old School Hip Hop concert last Friday in Birmingham, AL. Although, I asked for backstage passes so I could cop a few interviews with the celebs, I ended up with only free tickets to get in the concert. I guess I can’t be picky with the hook-ups. So at first I thought, wow what a waste of time! But Biz Markie, Whodini, and MC Lyte slowly helped turn my frown upside down.
The show turned out to be pretty good. Even though the historical Boutwell Auditorium was not filled to capacity, the fans young and old were still crunk and enjoying every minute of the show.
I will tell you one thing…the old school mc’s still got it going on. And the one person that surprised the heck out of me was Big Daddy Kane. Check out this snippet of his performance!
You young rappers can learn a thing or two from this guy! Big Daddy Kane is in his late 40′s and can still dance, hit splits, and rhyme like he’s in a cypher with Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. Kudos goes out to the Smooth Operator!
*Thanks D-Nice for the tickets!
Ne-Yo wins lawsuit against R. Kelly
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
R&B singer, Ne-Yo, was recently awarded $700,320 in anticipated tour revenues by a Los Angeles superior court judge.
Earlier this year, he was dropped from the Double-Up tour in which R. Kelly and Ne-Yo were co-headliners. Ne-Yo was banned from touring after the media noticed that fans and critics preferred his live performance over R. Kelly’s. Apparently, R. Kelly and his team didn’t appreciate that. So after only two shows, Ne-Yo was dropped.
The lawsuit filed claimed that Ne-Yo was due to be paid $785,000 for the 25-date tour and was still owed $735,000. R. Kelly and his lawyers never responded to the case. So the courts ordered Rowe Entertainment to pay Ne-Yo and his touring company damages over the dispute.
Ne-Yo’s new album, Year of the Gentleman, is scheduled for release on September 15. (Source)
Exclusive: Bun B live @ The Loft
On August 19, Scion presented a showcase at The Loft with Bun B performing with a live band…for the FIRST time ever! Thanks Kaos Effect for the footage.
The Recap: Atlanta’s Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash
Young Jeezy and Kanye West – “I Put On”
I, Bels of STACKS Mag, was in the building Saturday night at Phillips Arena along with 20 thousand other screaming fans. Even though I didn’t have backstage access (unfortunately we waited to late to get on the media list), my seat was close enough to get a good look at the entire show. I attached the above video of Jeezy and Kanye because it was with out a doubt the best performance of the night. Please excuse the bass.:)
I must first say that I was surprised when the show started on time. Thank you Jesus for that!! The show lasted like 6 hours. So I was grateful that it started ASAP…because a sista was tired by the time Soulja Boy and T.I.(who closed the show) came out. But during the 4 or 5 hours my eyes were open, I can truly say that it was pretty good.
Check out my recap and pics…
No major stage props overbearing the artist themselves. Especially for Trina whose dancers brought out a silver box which was barely hidden with a white and silver curtain. It had me wondering if she was going to pop out of the box. But instead, we all were caught off guard when Trina stepped on stage from the side of the DJ booth. So what was the purpose of the silver box again????. Shawty L-O tried to make his grand entrance by showing a video clip with some crazy plot of him running from the Feds, then jumping off a building and magically appearing in the stadium hanging from the ceiling by rope like he’s MacGyver!!! LOL. That was hilarious. L-O also ended the show screaming out his number of convictions and arrest and then a digital image appeared on big screen declaring “A NEW KING IS NOW BORN”. Really?
No dress code at this shin dig. But then again 107.9 may have had a “no t-shirts allowed” policy because T.I, Young Jeezy, Plies, and even Gucci Mane all went shirtless. I guess Trina was trying to hang in there with the rest of the goons when the top of her dress kept having wardrobe malfunctions. She quickly let us know she was having a bad day. But that wasn’t too hard to figure out.
Lastly, no show-droppers were on stage. Showdroppers, is a term I made up for artist who drops the ball or come up short in their performance. Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane, L-O, Rocko, Trina, Plies, The Game (who gave it up for Fathers Day by passing the mic to some little boy on stage. The boy started rapping Game’s new joint and turned the house out. That was definitely a good look.), The Dream and Usher (whom Jeezy brought out as well), and T.I and other local acts all did a good job. No fights, no gun shots, just a bonafide CRUNKtastic show.
Plies
Young Jeezy and Kanye West
Monica and her boo Rocko
Richie Rich
(I heard his dad owns outlet malls all over the Southeast.)
Usher
T.I.
