How powerful can a guy be in a sweater? Drake’s new video “Headlines,” which premiered yesterday, goes a long way towards answering that question. The clip is a departure for Drake, whose previous videos largely, for better or for worse, eschewed well-worn rap-video tropes. “Headlines,” however, fits the gangster-boss mold to a tee. The introspective shots familiar from previous Drake videos are gone, aside from a shot in a high-rise’s glass elevator, in which may as well be Gordon Gecko. Elsewhere, Drake smokes a cigar (and yes, rocks a sweater) at the head of a dinner table, his all-male entourage arrayed around him. The sequence attempts to subvert what’s often been read as an unintentional Cosby Show reference into something more like Rutger Hauer in Surviving The Game.
Most notably, the video takes place in Toronto. In fact, parts of the video are shot at the Rogers Center (formerly, the SkyDome)—including a shot of its roof retracting and several of the title of Drake’s upcoming album (October 24th’s Take Care) on the JumboTron. The clip gambles that Drake’s Canadian background can be used as an asset rather than a liability. In other words, rather than responding to those who would take shots at parts of his image, he’s used them as essential elements of a “Boss”-type video. That sort of unapologetic reimagining doesn’t often fly in hip-hop culture, but when it has worked, it’s been crucial in reaching iconic status (think Tupac). “Headlines” is hardly Tupac-level, but it’s much more successful than we’d have anticipated.
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Enrique Iglesias Premieres Cameo-Filled, Behind The Music-Inspired Video
Enrique Iglesias is reissuing Euphoria with a DVD and bonus tracks, including the single “I Like How It Feels”—which would be a run-of-the-mill tour video if not for the famous friends featured. But wait—it’s in a sort of flashback, behind-the-scenes style, and features a bit of footage from 1979. Call us narcissistic, but this feels inspired by his July 31 episode of Behind The Music!
Wilco And Blink-182: Rock Dads With New Albums
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco talks to Brian Hiatt about “dad-rock” in Men’s Journal. All three members of Blink-182 mention parenthood in individual interviews with Andy Greene for Rolling Stone. Speaking of which, Mark Hoppus is one of the punk-rock fathers documented in the upcoming film The Other F Word, which now has a trailer. (P.S. Billboard reports that both Wilco’s and Blink 182′s new albums are predicted to debut in the top ten next week.)
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You Oughta Know alums Foster The People will have another feather in their cap on October 8 when they appear on that night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Ben Stiller. We doubt they will get quite the camp-out that the season premiere got, but considering the reception they’ve gotten at festivals all summer, who knows? NBC announced the booking yesterday, also confirming that the following week’s episode would be hosted by Anna Faris and feature music from Drake. We wonder whether Young Money’s sometime actor will make any sketch appearances. He doesn’t exactly seem the type, but then again, neither did Lady Gaga. Good luck to October’s Very Own and especially to Mark Foster and co.!
50 Cent Changes His Movie’s Name After Chinua Achebe Protests
50 Cent‘s new movie just got a namechange thanks to a critically lauded Nigerian novelist. Chinua Achebe, author of 1958′s English-language riposte to Joseph Conrad, Things Fall Apart, threatened legal action against 50 Cent, whose new film has the same name, and turned down a $1 million settlement offer. Considering that the idiom comes from a Yeats poem, the novelist’s case isn’t necessarily that strong, but “Got sued by Chinua Achebe” is probably not something 50 Cent wants on his resume, so the movie is now titled All Things Fall Apart. (Sidenote: Does this mean Achebe is a Roots fan?) [The Guardian]
Kelly Clarkson, Florence And The Machine Album Details Surface
Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger has a tracklisting (and at Popdust, Katherine St. Asaph speculates which tracks might correspond with which leaked demos). Florence & The Machine also have an official tracklisting and album art for sophomore album Ceremonials, and second track “Shake It Out” has apparently leaked.
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While NYC residents are relieved to have been spared the worst of Hurricane Irene (we’re thinking of you, Vermont), I must admit to shallow disappointment in her pulling a robbery on my social life this weekend. Forced to stay indoors, I was able to spend some time with Lil Wayne’s recently-leaked Tha Carter IV while suffering through meteorologists and weather anchors overusing words like “hunker [down]” and “pounding [wind and rain],” wanting to throw a thesaurus at my television. After closing the MTV VMAs last night, the New Orleans native, who is unfortunately all too familiar with hurricanes, officially dropped his ninth solo album digitally before running off to host an after-party that coincided with Tha Carter IV’s release.
Because it’s dropping in such close proximity to Jay-Z and Kanye’s Watch The Throne, Tha Carter IV is a an easy target for direct comparisons. Wayne is a one-man show, and despite having a bushel of features (from the likes of Andre 3000, Nas, Bun B, and Bob Rick Ross), facing off against Jay and Kanye’s well-marketed collaboration LP certainly isn’t apples to apples, but the pot will inevitably be stirred! One of the songs on Tha Carter IV contains a verse directed at Jay-Z and talks about kidnapping newly pregnant Beyoncé, so speculations were high that some sort of altercation would occur at the VMAs last night. Likely retaliation for Hov’s “baby money” verse on “H.A.M.” back in January, Wayne’s verse on the C4 track, entitled “It’s Good” (also featuring Jadakiss and Drake), sounds like it’s just come to term; the passion in Wayne’s voice and use of verbs in the present tense suggest it was recorded many months ago, not recently. That, mixed with the fact that Jay didn’t respond publicly last night, might mean it’s water under the bridge.
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Tags: Music, Tech N9ne, Bun B, Rick Ross, Cory Gunz, Drake, Jadakiss, Andre 3000, John Legend, Lil Wayne, Nas, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyonce
Aaliyah’s mystique was transcendental even before she tragically passed ten years ago today, so it’s not surprising that the impression she left and music she made continues to cause a rippling impact on music culture. For fans, her music was the backdrop to their lives, scoring everything from fun-filled rooftop dance parties to the moments when boots were knocked. Her peers in the music industry held her in the highest of regards, and those close to her have, for years, commented on her spirit’s ability to penetrate and inspire.
Having never met R&B’s trail-blazing beauty, Young Money’s Drake tweeted to Aaliyah just last night, nodding at his belief that she is, like an angel, actively guiding him through his career. But Drake is certainly not alone in sending messages out into the ether to celebrate the late singer; in an era where grieving is often done in a public forum, we’re lucky to be privy to a layer of digital mourning that, before social media, we may not have experienced. We’ll be adding to this post throughout the day, so take a look at the tweets and iconic photos below from the likes of close collaborators like Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and more. And please, by all means, feel free to share your memories and tweets of Aaliyah with us in the comments as well.
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Tags: Music, R.I.P., Twitter, La La, Drake, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Ciara
Remember when Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty was an innocent girl standing underneath an umbrella, before she was hollering at a “Rude Boy” to join her in some “S&M” on her “California King Bed”? Yeah, our memories of those days are getting fuzzier, too, especially if the rumors of a new Rihanna/J. Cole sex tape are true!
“We have seen it and we do not know what we are going to do with it yet,” said a rep from the Hustler empire told Radar Online. Odd J. Cole didn’t mention it when he played us his album last week, but the 26-year-old protege of Jay-Z will certainly benefit from this tabloid circus since Cole World: The Sideline Story drops next month.
Rihanna is, unfortunately, no stranger to scandal, accustomed to fending off rumors of secretly dating mentor Jay-Z and canoodling with Drake, not to mention having to endure the embarrassment caused when naked photos she sent to then-boyfriend Chris Brown were leaked. Like many stars in the public eye, the Barbadian pop star wears a target on her back for this kind of negative attention, and her music, as we jokingly alluded to in the beginning of this post, might make it easier to assume that the sex tape exists. But in all fairness, just because her songs can be boldly sexual in nature doesn’t mean we should jump to conclusions, even when taking into account that the Roc Nation-managed artists have toured together and are known to be friendly. Developing!
Hustler Insist They Have a Rihanna and J-Cole Sex Tape [Radar]
The Force is strong with J. Cole. I first witnessed this during a performance in a small auditorium at New York University’s Kimmel Center in August of ’09, when tangible sincerity radiated off of Jay-Z’s first Roc Nation signee and alleged protégé. I’d become familiar with his mixtapes prior to the show and, like the NYU students, curious industry onlookers, and countless others who weren’t present, had started to believe in the young Jedi’s potential to herd hip-hop into the next golden era.
Fast forward to last night at Roc The Mic Studios in Manhattan where a tiny group of music writers gathered in the very same room where Cole recorded his “A Star Is Born” verse for Hov’s Blueprint 3, where Beyoncé and her husband (no pressure!) stood by watching. It was the second of two intimate listening sessions for the North Carolina-bred rapper/producer’s first full-length album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, and (Jermaine) Cole was present to walk us through the sixteen tracks and single skit on his highly-anticipated September 27th release. Less nervous than he was for the first group of critics because the ice had now been broken, he made the disclaimer that he wouldn’t play songs we’d already heard (including Drake-featured “In The Morning,” the album’s first single “Workout,” or the song that got him signed, “Lights Please”), but we’d get to hear everything else. While song titles and the track order may still change before Cole turns-in the final product, Jay-Z has already dubbed Cole World a “classic.”
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Two Tracks From Black and White America Leak
The Lenny Kravitz tracks “Boongie Drop” and “Sunflower” likely hit the web early because they feature Jay-Z and Drake, respectively. Black and White America will be released August 30. [Billboard]
Will Smith Comeback Album May Be In The Works
Producer La Mar “Mars” Edwards tells XXL that he’s working not only on a Will Smith album, but also with T.I. and with Ashanti. [XXL]
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Drake does it. Trey does it. Why can’t Breezy do it too? After releasing his “Real Hip Hop Sh*t” viral video series, it seems Chris Brown is continuing his crusade to head in a more-rapping, less-singing direction on his new mixtape, Boy in Detention. When the R&B singer first tried his hand at the skill that is a very distant cousin of his native genre, the track was met with mixed reviews. Then, in June, he came with a second installment of the series, spitting verses about his appreciation of female affection.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and Brown released “#3″ and “#4″ of the series’ clips, respectively and consecutively, this time backed by beats from well-respected hip hop producer 9th Wonder. After his hugely successful Today Show performance, you’d think Brown would be in good spirits, but content-wise, those two tracks were a bit more aggro than the first two. Addressing his many critics, both old and new, “Real Hip Hop Sh*t #3″ specifically called out TMZ, and many people speculated that both songs were also cross-examining negative comments from Fox News’ O’Reilly Factorcoverage from NBC’s concert.
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