One of these things is NOT like the other. One of these things just… doesn’t belong.

At first I was pretty sure this was an April Fools joke… but they are seemingly dead serious. It looks as if the queen of ‘Bow Down’ is going to attempt to cover the legendary Amy Winehouse title track from her last album and masterwork, Back To Black for the upcoming Great Gatsby movie. For now, I am decidedly neutral to the situation – I am more eager to hear that Andre 3000 has to offer this collaboration than Beyonce. I will say this. Some artists work should just be left alone after the artist dies. This might be one of those situations. I also worry that people are more interested in capitalizing of Amy’s death than they are the quality and message of her music… but we’ll see how that goes.

Anyways, check the Vibe swipe and tell me your thoughts.

Time to throw another party: Beyoncé and Andre 3000 are reunited and it feels so great.

The music mavens will be collaborating for a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” for the upcoming flick The Great Gatsby, E! News reports.

It makes sense given that Mrs. Carter’s husband/ rap mogul Jay-Z is taking the helm of the movie’s soundtrack.

“It’s a very different take on ‘Back to Black,’” a record company rep said of the duo, who shared space on wax for Bey’s 2011 jam “Party.”

The Baz Luhrman-directed adaptation, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire, will be making its world premiere at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival on May 15.

Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur, Dave M. Benett/ Getty Images

Brought to my attention by a friend who was searching for something like Amy’s sound without Amy’s unfortunate drama… My jaw hit the floor when I played some of her key tracks on YouTube. When I say this chick sounds like Amy… I mean she sounds EXACTLY. like. Amy. Her voice is almost ridiculous. While the retro sound is not that hard to reproduce with the right band, it is much harder to replicate the vocal tone of an artist without sounding like you’re trying. Not only does she make it sound effortless, it’s surprisingly genuine. Its almost uncanny to a certain extent. She’s not TRYING to sound like Amy…. she just… does.

The only negative feedback/critique I’ve heard thus far is that she can sound TOO MUCH like Amy Winehouse. As in CopyCat syndrome. The tattoos (they were there beforehand though), the hair… some would attempt to call her more of a “tribute band” than an individual artist, and  I can understand that. There are some tracks that sound like they were inspired (lifted some would say?) directly from Amy’s Back To Black project, that is true. However, maybe its just the music fanboy in me, maybe I’m just hyped to see where it goes, or maybe it’s just the fact that I miss Amy a lot that makes me give LaTasha a pass on all of that, for now. What I do hope to see is LaTasha slowly develop her own unique sound and focus… which I am sure she is doing as we speak… and I’m sure she will be fine.

For now, you check out some of her tracks on YouTube, and tell me what you think.

Her take on the reggae sound with ‘On The Left Hand Side’

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Check out her use of ‘My Girl’ on her track ‘Crazy’

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‘Look At Me Now’:

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…and ‘Win Her Heart’ which is basically Amy’s ‘He Can Only Hold Her’ in a slightly different tempo.

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So whats your take on it?
If you like, start digging through her Facebook Fanpage and her Twitter. I’m sure there is more to come.

Welp, that official something came in the form of Yasiin/Mannie’s first release “Black Jesus” which dropped on Easter (I see what you did there). The track features that classic New Orleans drum pattern from Mannie and ‘get the party started’ lyrics from our friend Yasiin. I have no qualms with this track at all, other than it being to short. What I am hearing however is the classic music snob reply of “Yasiin MosDef isnt rapping about anything on this track.”

To that I have to say gently… shut the entire fuck up. 90% of your favorite rappers are never rapping about ANYTHING of any quality on their tracks, and yet… Lil Wayne and Rick Ross are still a thing. Even if they are rapping about something, you probably aren’t listening to content. So why can’t YasiinMos have a party track for himself? Even when he doesnt have astounding lyrical content, he still sounds better than whatever you’re listening to. We have to allow artists room and space to grow with things. This is just the first track off an album where I’m sure Yasiin will be going hard. Just enjoy the party for now.

Anyways, take a listen to the soundcloud link, check out the video (look at Dee-1 chillin in the background!) and enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After 7 years of radio silence, music study, extensive touring and artistic exploration, louis logic will follow up 2006′s collaborative record with J.J. Brown, “Misery Loves Comedy”, with his first self-produced album on progressive indie label Fake Four Inc. Titled louis logic “Look On The Blight Side”, it’s a rap record written in an indie pop singer/songwriter style completely sample free, with original arrangements written and played by Louis. This dark collection of songs gives fans a revealing look into his long journey of self discovery. Louis takes to the road beginning in late winter of 2013 to start sharing songs from the new album live in preparation for his summer release. Check out the first shared song from the album, “A Day Late And A Dollar Short” at www.fakefourinc.com now.

Teacher-turned-rapper Random aka Mega Ran‘s journey into music has taken him farther down the rabbit hole than ever imagined, with extensive tours, and releases coming at rapid fire rates. After turning heads with video game projects “Forever Famicom” with K-Murdock (2010) and “Black Materia” with Lost Perception (2011, 2012), 2013 sees Ran at his most active; releasing monthly challenge EP’s with DJ DN3, as well as touring both coasts furiously. Ran is working on a mixtape, a book and video game soundtracking for several indie titles, as well as setting up a Sega tribute album for the end of the year. Hear the new EP “Time and Space: Eternalism” atmegaranmusic.com now.

Tour Dates:

3/2 @ The Compound (House Party Show check sites for address) Richmond, VA

3/3 @ That’s How I Beat Shaq, Virginia Beach, VA

3/5 @ Conundrum, West Columbia, SC

3/7 @ Smoke and Barrel Tavern, Fayetteville, AR

3/8 @ Lola’s, Ft. Worth, TX

3/9 @ Yeti, Tulsa, OK

SXSW:

3/12 @ Spiderhouse Outdoor Stage – The Day Shift Meet & Greet, Austin, TX

3/13 @ Laugh Lounge at Austin Java – The Doozers Showcase, Austin, TX

3/14 @ Dive – Scratched Vinyl Showcase, Austin, TX

3/14 @ 512 Rooftop – Fake Four Inc. Showcase, Austin, TX

3/15 @ Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA

3/16 The Feed & Seed, Lafayette, LA

3/17 @ Taste, Orlando, FL

3/18 @ Black Flower, Raleigh, NC

3/20 @ Bohemian Cafe, Baltimore, MA

3/21 @ Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA

3/22 @ PAX East, Boston, MA (several appearances)

3/26 @ The Black Shire, London, ON

3/27 @ Comet Bar, Cincinnati, OH

3/29 @ Shadow Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA

3/30 @ Singers Karaoke Club, Solvay, NY (early show)

3/31 @ TBA, Ithaca, NY

www.megaran.com

www.twitter.com/megaran

www.teacherrapperhero.com

www.facebook.com/megaranmusic

http://randomhiphop.proboards.com

In short, I need you to listen to this album.
I need YOU to listen to this song.

why pretend
that this
isn’t happening
when this is the way I feel

nothing in that we
don’t want
and my feelings wont disappear

on a plane window
looking down at you

all the same can’t compete
with the thought of everything to lose

picture the moment you felt the same way
and I’ll picture the moment that I let go

hold it for a moment dont throw it away
oh the love thats between us has
grown so close

sometimes
sometimes it’s hard to breathe

sometimes
its hard to think about anything but you baby

picture the moment you felt the same way
and I’ll picture the moment that I let go

hold it for a moment dont throw it away
oh the love thats between us has
grown so close

all this time I’ve been wanting you
now’s the time I’ll be loving you

this right here baby is all I know
yes its all I know

you and I together, love
take your time, take it slow…

_______

Its like hes in my head or something.
This whole album is perfect.
Go give it a listen.

*Updated
So yeah.
Then Jose slides through, lets me know the lyrics I posted are wrong, and hits me with the link to the FULL LYRIC BOOK FOR THE ALBUM.
The lyrics have been corrected.

ITS SO HARD TO CONTROL THE FANBOY RIGHT NOW.

Follow him on twitter, as he is absolutely awesome.

I really dont know whats going on with this myself, I just thought I would post this here for good posterity, in hopes of finding out more.
We will see, and I will post more if this actually becomes a thing.

Update:
SoulCulture has the dirt on this, if this is actually happening -

Kanye West has been keeping annoyingly quiet about his latest project, and as we’ve been waiting patiently for a solo album from the rapper since his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2010 release, anticipation has recently hit fever pitch, with this latest ‘leak’ giving us hope of an LP coming soon. A screenshot of what looks like an album name and tracklist has been circling online from an ‘unknown’ source.

The album name is said to be Rich Black American, and seven songs from the album can be seen including “Perfect Bitch” which has already been long rumoured to be about his baby momma Kim Kardashian. Features can also be seen on the tracklist as we see familiar names like Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Pusha T, Big Sean andFlorence Welch making the cut, as well as electronic artist Skrillex who has previously spoken about working with the Chicago rapper.

Only time will tell whether the screenshot will amount to a real album, but I’m gonna go ahead and get excited about this. Peep the tracklist below.

Watch my girl rock the STADIUM right here….

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and check out her profile below. Just click this link to vote:

“You’re going to be doing something for a long time, so it might as well be something you love.” And after using the stage name Elle B since 2006, Lauren Ball, is ready for audiences to love what she’s doing without hiding any of her passion. Lauren donned the stage name Elle B back in 2006 when she began performing her original songs in LA nightclubs. She chose Elle B – a creative take on her initials – to distance herself from Lauryn Hill comparisons. But after years of performance experience and traveling the world, Lauren can no longer use the moniker, which she feels she’s outgrown. Saying, “I’m definitely more in my own skin and know who I am as a performer much more now. I really like to give an audience my all, and using “Elle” kind of veils that.” Particularly, it has been Lauren’s tenure as supporting vocalist for pop icon, Katy Perry since 2010 that finally brought her to that realization. Fusing influences from her classically-trained, vocalist-mother, and pop soul and funk influences such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Chaka Kahn Parliament, Donny Hathaway and Gladys Knight, Lauren provides stability and familiarity to popular music’s constantly evolving soundscape both on stage in front of thousands, or alone in a studio with just a microphone. “I’m drawn to the stage because it’s where I feel the most alive,” she says. However, Lauren credits cover bands with her biggest growth as a performer, saying “it was through cover bands that I realized I wasn’t singing just for myself. My relationship to the stage became very much about the audience, whereas before it was about what I wanted to give and what I wanted to project.” So by the time the audition for Katy came around Lauren was prepared and almost fearless, citing how she got the job. “Basically, I crashed the audition and pretended to know one of the management staff. I left with the gig and started the next day.” After 100s of hours on stage, Lauren Ball is working on a new album,Noire, produced by French Producer, Hardy Indiigo (of Madonna’s, Superstar). The sound has the flavor of pop soul and funk with driving percussion and futuristic inspiration. Lauren is proud to present herself to new and old audiences with the confidence of a seasoned performer and powerhouse vocalist. With Elle she felt she had to spell it out, but there’s no mistaking who Lauren is.

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Songwriter, performer, producer and R&B icon Anita Baker will perform her hit single “Lately” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at 11:35 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, marking the single’s television debut. “Lately” was recently nominated for “Best Traditional R&B Performance,” the 16th such Grammy Award nomination of her career.  Baker, 55, who was raised in Detroit, has won eight previous Grammys.

“Lately” is from Baker’s forthcoming album, “Only Forever,” due out 2013.  The much-anticipated album will be her first in eight years, and the single “Lately” instantly became the biggest release of her career, debuting at No. 10 on Billboard’s Urban AC Chart – the highest single debut of anyone in 15 years.

The success of “Lately,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart and sat atop the Jazz chart for five consecutive weeks, also put Baker in the record books. With her latest No. 1, she surpassed Whitney Houston for the longest span of number-one hits.   Houston’s record was 14 years; beginning with Baker’s first No. 1, 1994’s “Body & Soul” to 2005’s “How Does It Feel?” and up to “Lately,” she sets the new mark of 18 chart-topping years.

“Lately” was released digitally on August 7, 2012, and was produced by The Underdogs and executive-produced by Anita Baker and Don Was. Currently touring in support of “Only Forever,” Baker performed at Radio City Music Hall and sold out four shows in five days in late August, including the famed Hollywood Bowl.

Baker is an eight-time Grammy winner, with four platinum and two gold albums to her name.  She shot to fame with her classic album Rapture, and experienced critical and commercial success with subsequent albums “Giving You the Best I Got,” “Compositions,” “Rhythm of Love” and “My Everything.” She has also released a successful greatest hits (“The Best of Anita Baker”), holiday (“Christmas Fantasy”), and live album (“A Night of Rapture: Live”).

For more information, tour dates, and updates visit or follow Anita Baker at:

www.AnitaBaker.com
www.twitter.com/IAMANITABAKER
www.Facebook.com/AnitaBakerMusic

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