Never shy about expressing himself, the multi-Grammy winner went on an 86-tweet bender in the space of about three hours ending Thursday, according to his verified account on the micro-blogging site.

West wrote about everything from his late mother to his goal of reshaping the American school system, as well as his aspiration as a future design dervish to “pick up where Steve Jobs left off.”

“I just wanted to share what’s been on my mind,” he wrote near the end of his flurry, which received prominent coverage in US entertainment media.

West wrote at length about his new company — named Donda after his mother, who died in 2007 — saying its goal is to “make products and experiences that people want and can afford.”

The firm aims “to help simplify and esthetically improve everything we see hear, touch, taste and feel,” West tweeted.

It also will allow him to “dream of, create, advertise and produce products driven equally by emotional want and utilitarian need.”

West’s messages dropped names like Michael Jackson and director Spike Jonze as well as fellow hip-hop tycoons Jay-Z and Dr Dre.

But his sometimes grammatically-challenged tweets mostly focused on his new company and its potential global impact.

“We need scientist and top world designers to directly affect governments,” he tweeted, adding that he was “assembling a team of architects, graphic designers, directors musicians, producers, AnRs, writers, publicist, social media experts… app guys, managers, car designers,” and others.

“We can collectively effect the world trough design. We need to pick up where steve jobs left off.”

He added: “We would also like to design the MTV awards,” without alluding to the fact that he disrupted its ceremony in 2009 by leaping onstage during an acceptance speech by budding superstar Taylor Swift, and grabbing the mic from her.

West sounded like he was well beyond that embarrassing episode, and is focusing his energies beyond even musical ventures like his multi-million-selling “Late Registration” and “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

“What good is fame and prestige if you can’t use it to help people,” he wrote.

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple,” he said, alluding to a famous quote attributed to Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw.

“But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”

source form: yahoo

Linh 3T is one of Vietnam’s most talented hip-hop dancers 

Linh, also known as Linh 3T, was ranked among the top four Asian dancers at the the large event, Redbull BC One 2011, told DTiNews that he pinned hope on a community of professional hip-hop dancers emerging after the recent competition Moscow in November.

Many people say that hip-hop dance has gone down hill since it was first introduced to Vietnam. What do you think about this?

I agree that the quality of hip-hop in Vietnam is declining. The industry has been saturated because of a lack of proper attention to professionalism. I highly appreciate the professionalism of competitions like the “Hanoi Jam All Style Battle”, where dancers have a real chance to compare their skills, which are judged other competent dancers. That’s the reason why I accepted to act as a member of the competition’s jury.

I was on the judge panel for the programme before I attended the Redbull BC One in Russia. The work of a judge is quite difficult. You have to, not only decide the winner, but provide some guidance for the younger dancers to develop their talents.

How has your life changed since you returned to Vietnam from the Redbull BC One 2011?

Since I came back to Vietnam from Russia, I’ve kept my initial goals. But I do have more friends than after the competition.

Many people think that you are the number one b-boy in the Vietnamese hip-hop scene after you were rated among top 16 b-boys in the world. Is that the reason why you left the Bigtoe crew to set up your own crew?

I do not think that I deserve to be ranked at number one. I’d like to send my gratitude to the audience who supported me. I and 20 other friends had plans to set up a new group before attending the competition in Russia. I didn’t leave Bigtoe because I’m “full of myself”.

I decided to set up the S.I.N.E or “Saying Is Not Enough” with the aim of devoting all my effort and ambition to dance and validating it as a form of art. When I’m done dancing myself, I plan to begin training the next generation.

What are your expectations for the Vietnamese hip-hop?

I think that any expectation for the whole community should be based individuals. For myself, I will try to become a role model for young dancers. I hope that this will, at least in part, help contribute to the development of a professional hip-hop community in Vietnam.

source form: dtinews

“You won’t find anything like this at any school,” said Shawndra Angel, a Hayward resident who battles Interstate 880 traffic weekly to bring her young children to the studio for voice and music lessons.

At first, the Unity Gathers Many Xperiences studio — or UGMX — looks like any Hollywood counterpart. Singers lay tracks with ultrathin microphones while audio engineers fine tune the recordings on glistening monitors. Over on the dance floor, a choreographer with crazy moves puts her charges through a grueling choreography until they almost drop.

But look closer at who’s there and why, and the studio begins to resemble a youth center on a social mission.

Hallie and Charles Angel wrote and recorded their first song there. Titled “I’ve Been Waiting for You,” it’s a short, upbeat number dedicated to their father, who is doing hard time in prison. Hallie is 8. Charles is 6.

“Whenever I come here, I think it’s a miracle,” Hallie said recently at the studio. “I get to sing. I get to play piano. I get to write songs. It’s a whole different world.” Charles, especially, was having a hard time dealing with their father’s absence, getting into fights at school, failing tests and losing interest. Desperate for help, Angel enrolled them in a hip hop studio she had heard about from a corner store owner, and crossed her finger’s they wouldn’t throw Charles out after the first week.

“He was uncontrollable,” said Mike Robinson, the studio’s founder and director. “But about two months in, he started to get it.”

The boy settled down at home and school. As Angel put it, “UGMX is saving my babies!”

That’s not exactly how Robinson planned the business.

Growing up black in Las Vegas and San Jose in the 1980s, he favored Madonna and Ted Nugent and rappers Curtis Blow and Run DMC, threw in Latin sounds for good measure and dreamed of becoming a famous DJ some day.

“My older brother, Johnnie, kept telling me not to give up my day job if I tried,” Robinson said. “He was right.”

Robinson instead built a successful landscape sprinkler business in San Jose before moving into the lucrative telephone card business. But the day jobs eventually didn’t do it for him. Still in his 30s, he traded a six-figure salary to open a risky “artist development company.”

The idea was to train young blacks and other youths for careers in hip hop, a genre that blends rap with R&B and had by then dethroned rock ‘n’ roll for the youth market. At Robinson’s studio, they would study voice, song writing, audio engineering, dance, event promotions, fashion modeling and more. But finding hip hop students wouldn’t be easy. The talent was there, but kids were learning hip hop on their own.

“Most schools don’t teach hip hop,” Robinson said.

So he started hosting music and dance parties for teenagers and young adults in warehouses, where he passed out promotional fliers. The strategy worked, maybe too well. While dozens of students signed up for lessons, the parties began to attract people more interested in making trouble than music. When someone pulled a knife at the last party three years ago, Robinson yanked the power cord.

“That’s when we decided to stop them and concentrate on the positive message of music, building up the studio and live performances,” Robinson said. “This wasn’t ever about gangsta rap. We don’t allow the N-word or the B-word in our studio. We’re about teaching respect, responsibility and community.”

Robinson says the studio averages 300 to 500 youths a month, but the studio basically breaks even. Working-class families can afford only so many $40 voice or $50 choreography sessions, and hardly anyone buys the deluxe package for $800 a month. To stay afloat, Robinson hires professional instructors willing to work for a fraction of their usual fees and he counts on relatives to help manage the studio.

“I’ve worked with lots of professional artists who make a lot of money and behave so badly,” said Diamond Max, an audio engineer who teaches digital mastering. “At this point in my career, I’d rather work with these kids for nothing. This is how I give back to the community.” Early on, the studio caught the attention of the nonprofit African American Community Service Agency in San Jose.

“Basically, we were working with the same kids,” board member Walter Wilson said. “They are the magnet. They’re keeping kids off the streets, out of jail, off drugs and they’re teaching them the values of self-respect and responsibility.”

The studio and agency have become partners. The nonprofit community group serves as fiscal agent when UGMX looks for charitable donations for sending student performers to community events, including the city’s annual Christmas in the Park festival. In exchange, the agency sends youths from its educational and social programs to learn hip hop at the studio.

JD Cuaresma embodies the studio’s professional and social missions as well as any student. He explained how, as a Filipino hip hop fan in a suburban middle school, he was bullied for being a “wannabe” gang member.

“I was on the verge of suicide,” JD said at the studio. “I had to get out.”

Instead of attending a regular high school, he earned a degree from an online school by age 16 and studied song writing, saxophone and piano at UGMX.

He completed 18 original songs in two years and cut a CD at the studio, learning how to engineer the recordings at the same time. Studio manager Johnnie Robinson, Mike’s brother and business partner, said the youngster has enough talent to break into the big time.

That would be his dream, JD said, but for now, “I honestly don’t know where I’d be without this place.”

source form: mercurynews

Listen album “Beautiful Sky  - Asitaka ”, enjoy high quality music and sharing emotions with friends.

source from: nhacso

Listen album “Six Month At Outside Stairs  - O.N.O (Tha Blue Herb)”, enjoy high quality music and sharing emotions with friends.

source from: nhacso

Listen album “The Woman In Black ”, enjoy high quality music and sharing emotions with friends

source from: nhacso

Hip-Hop Legend & 90′s G-Funk Pioneer Nate Dogg Passes on Tuesday March 15th.. Much Respect to tha Dogg!! His music touched us all in the culture.. Instead of hearing it from us we are going to share a few quotes from those in hip-hop closest to Nate Dogg. Rest in Power!

Snoop Dogg:

“We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met”

“I love u buddy luv. U will always b wit me 4ever n a day u put the g n g funk u put the 1 n 213 n u put yo stamp on evrybdy u ever didit wit”

Kurupt:

Man cuzz.We lost some1 very dear ta our hearts and soul. NATE DOGG. I luv u cuzz. U will be missed greatly.Nate dogg raised me.I luv u cuzz

Daz Dillinger:

R.I.P. TO MY HOMEBOY NATE DOGG DPGC DOGG POUND GANGSTA 4 LIFE

Xzbit:

“We love you Nate Dogg, it’s never going to be the same.”

Ludacris:

“There is a certain void in hip hop’s heart that can never be filled. Glad we got to make history together.

The Game:

“I lost a friend. Been here before. Tears. Memories. One day someone will lose ‘US’ as well. LIVING until that day comes is our only option.”

source from: hip-hop

San Francisco Show @ the Warfield!

MOVING TARGET: EXTENDED INTIMATE PLAYDATE SERIES
12 CITY SERIES SET TO KICK OFF ON MARCH 16th IN ORLANDO, FL
ANNOUNCES @MSHILLMVNGTRGT AS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR NEWS, HIGHLIGHTS AND UPDATES FOR THE SERIES

The legendary GRAMMY Award winning MC, vocalist, producer and songwriter, Ms. Lauryn Hill, has announced dates for her Moving Target: Extended Intimate Playdate Series. The series will kick off in Orlando, FL on March 16thand hit 12 cities across the country including sets at Miami’s Jazz in the Gardens Festival on March 19th, this year’s Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 15th and then wrapping at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 7th (full routing below). More dates to be announced in the coming weeks. In addition, Ms. Hill has also announced the creation of @MsHillMvngTrgt on Twitter as the definitive source for news, highlights and updates for the Moving Target Series as well as a place for her to communicate directly with her supporters.
Of these playdates Ms. Hill says, “One of the benefits of playing venues smaller than the ones I’m used to allows me the opportunity to not only reconnect with my supporters but to expose them to a portion of the musical journey I’ve been on which the world for the most part has not had access to. I’ve never shied away from being musically adventurous, nor am I known for being a lightweight when it comes to lyrical content or musical exploration. These more intimate playdates afford me the time to perform for listeners who haven’t heard from me over the past several years or have been misinformed by the inaccuracies in some media coverage, many of which I might add, I find very amusing. Getting back out there to perform is a lot like resuming a strenuous sport after having been away from it for a while, but eventually the muscle-memory kicks in and each day brings progressive strength. It’s an exciting and REAL process which these audiences will get to witness.”

Ms. Hill recently ended a set of dates last month playing venues predominantly on the Eastern half of the country, which included performances at the Sundance Festival in Park City Utah and an exclusive party held during Fashion Week celebrating the opening of Alexander Wang’s New York City Flagship store. Ms. Hill has been performing an innovative set list of classic material, evolved but faithful to the rigor, soulfulness and power of the original music from her iconic and groundbreaking solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as well as classic Fugee numbers and a few covers honoring some of the music that Ms. Hill grew up influenced by.

OFFICIAL LIST OF DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
3/16 Orlando, FL House of Blues
3/19 Miami, FL Jazz in the Gardens Festival
3/23 Tampa, FL The Ritz
3/26 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
3/30 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
4/3 Oahu, HI Aloha Tower
4/9 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Hall
4/12 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
4/15 Indio, CA Coachella Music and Arts Festival
4/18 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
4/23 Denver, CO The Fillmore
5/7 New Orleans, LA Jazz and Heritage Festival

For more information, please visit @MsHillMvngTrgt

Praise for Ms. Lauryn Hill’s 2011 Tour:

“Hill sounded fantastic. She’s probably the best female singer-rapper of all time (sorry, Nicki!), switching between Nina Simone-style soul incantations and limber Caribbean-inflected rhymes with ease.”
Rolling Stone

“As she bobbed and weaved through the thickets of sound, it became clear that Hill had a firm grasp on bringing both the noise and the funk.”
Variety

“Several of the songs from ‘Miseducation’ were substantially reworked, but Ms. Hill’s energetic delivery enabled the crowd to find familiar segments to embrace…it seemed clear that she has renewed her enthusiasm for the music on which she built her reputation.”
The Wall Street Journal

About Ms. Lauryn Hill
Cited as one of the greatest female MCs of all time, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s prolific rhymes and powerful voice catapulted her into the public eye as a member of the Fugees, whose 1996 album The Score was certified six times platinum and took home two GRAMMY Awards for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and Best Rap Album. In 1998, Ms. Hill established herself as a creative force as a solo artist with her now classic debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The iconic work earned Ms. Hill a record-setting ten GRAMMY Award nominations, five of which she took home, including Best New Artist and Album of the Year. The album was also nominated in several categories at the NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Album, and Outstanding Song, where she was nominated for both “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and “A Rose Is Still A Rose.” The album has appeared on countless “Best Of” lists, including Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” SPIN’s “Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years,” Vibe’s “150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era,” and the Associated Press’ “10 Best Albums of the 1990s.” The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has sold 8 million copies worldwide. In 2002, she released MTV Unplugged No 2.0, a live album of her 2001 performance on MTV Unplugged, which was certified platinum four weeks after its release. Ms. Hill has also been recognized for her humanitarian efforts, receiving an Essence Award for her work including the 1996 founding of the Refugee Project.

CONTACT:
Press Here Publicity

Carleen Donovan
212-246-2640
carleen@pressherepublicity.com

Tour Press Inquiries:
Rachel Gomez
rachel@pressherepublicity.com

source from: hip-hop

The rapper’s name was not on the list of candidates who will run in the November 28th election to replace the country’s current president, Rene Preval.

“It is with a heavy heart that I tell you today that the board of elections in Haiti has disqualified me from my run for the presidency of the country,” Wyclef Jean said in a statement. “Though I disagree with the ruling, I respectfully accept the committee’s final decision.”

At issue for Wyclef Jean, 40, was his citizenship. The rapper/actor claimed he was eligible because he maintained dual residencies in Haiti and Saddle River, New Jersey.

Haiti’s provisional electoral council ruled that he was not eligible to hold the country’s highest office, because he did not meet the five-year residency requirement.

The rapper was one of 34 candidates scrutinized by the council, which only approved 19 candidates.

Despite the disappointment, the rapper vowed to continue his work to improve the conditions on the Caribbean nation, which was devastated by a 7.0 earthquake, which killed over 300,000 people and left millions of others displaced.

“There is no one who can tell me to stop my work in Haiti and there is no one who could,” Wyclef continued. “I think of my daughter, Angelina, and it makes me want to redouble my efforts to help give all the children in Haiti better days.”

source: allhiphop

Recently, the hate levels have risen faster than a wave in a Tsunami.

Why do the fans hate their own artists so badly? I don’t have all the answers, but I sure have a lot of observations. This strand of hate isn’t new, but it sure is pervasive as an epic epidemic. The hate in Hip-Hop began as external forces sought to extinguish rap. Then, as Hip-Hop music grew, there was an attempt to police itself. Acts like Too Short, The Luniz and later B.I.G. would call this “player hating,” because the haters were attempting to stop people from getting paid. These days, thanks to the internet, there’s a unique hate being spewed and I don’t mean “I just don’t like that person’s music.” I mean hate.

So, bear with me as I talk about Drake, a case study in this editorial. Just try to read this, because there is a message afterward that you may find more engaging. Fight through the hate.

I’ve seen the venomous loathing of Drake. Some people have valid remarks, but more often that not, the critiques are tarnished with unproductive comments. When he gave me his Top 5 Dead or Alive (Click here for that) and started to mention actor Leonardo DiCaprio, I tried to warn him about the backlash that would result.  (He knew too.) I’ve never been particularly fond of dude’s singing and clearly that material is for the ladies. Anybody with iTunes can adjust to that. As I hear it, when he flows, most current commercial rappers can’t see him. I mean, come on. Listen to the radio and you will know exactly what I mean. Joints like “9 Am Freestyle” are proof that he’s listening to the fans and proof that he can cater to whoever he wants, especially in a free environment like the internet. So Far Gone and Comeback Season – which were released before the wave of hate – are pretty much proof of his appeal to a broad spectrum.

As we continue, let us discuss Jay-Z, “real” Hip-Hop head. If you hate him, again..try to fight through it. There is a greater point at the end of this editorial that speaks to you.

There are the OG’s like Jay-Z, surviving the rigors of Hip-Hop for decades and they are not exempt from the hate. It seems like every other song Jay does is fending off  haters (“Haters” with Kanye is the first song that comes to mind.). But it doesn’t stop with these pop phenoms, it goes down well into the underground. Murs is one of the dopest artists in the underground and yet after reading comments on him, you would think he was Jay-Z. Hate.

Day in and day out, fans proclaim to hate everybody in some form or another. Obviously, not everybody but the loudest voices are those of the verbose hater. They hate B.o.B. and Drake for changing up. They hate on Jay-Z for not willingly giving up the crown. They hate Murs for not being more mainstream. They hate Soulja Boy for being wack lyrically. Nicki Minaj is too expressive and cartoonish. Rick Ross makes great music, but he was a C.O. I mean, the lists and the reasons go on and on and on endlessly.

But, here is a question: who do you love? I ask again…who do you love? WHO DO YOU LOVE?

Keep the answer to yourself for now.

Here is why hate is the new love.

Everybody you hate, you actually support his or her ascension. Everybody you say you love, they stay down with us close to home. They don’t sell as many records as the subjects of hate. Everybody was raving over Slaughterhouse last year and then they sold a paltry18,000 units their first week. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne are bigger than ever. Meanwhile, Big Boi, who has unquestionably one of the best albums of the year, sells under 65,000. He’s also one of our Hip-Hop heroes – an artistic, lyrical genius and one half of Outkast. Do you hate or love him?

Since coming in the game as a fan, my people have supported The Roots, Redman, Master P. Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep…the list is literally endless. I mean ENDLESS. We’d buy a TAPE ‘til it popped. Then buy a CD ‘til it scratched. Then buy another CD. Now, I buy at least two copies of my favorite rappers, clean and regular versions (LOL). But, when you talk about supporting, I am a fan of HIP-HOP so I can shout out Jean Grae (Dopes Femcee Ever!), my homey Murs, B. Rossi (one of our new Breeding Ground artists), Bun B (Classic!), Joe Budden (waiting for MM4), Talib (Don’t Sweat Bloggers!), Mitchy Slick (Triggeration Station), TiRon (MSTRD is crazy), Ras Kass (A.D.I.D.A.S. is a comeback indeed), Black Milk (Interview is coming)…the list remains endless.

So, again I ask. Who do you love? One of Lil B’s fans beat him up a few weeks ago. Then in the strangest move ever, he went back and apologized in a viral video, all the while expressing his love of dude. Really? So, is this the way you show adoration for somebody in Hip-Hop these days? Beat them up or dis them nonstop?  Now, Lil B is an even bigger star than before the beatdown. Strange.

If you look at the average hater, you notice they inadvertently support the ones they hate. They clearly listen to every song, they comment on every article and I would go so far as to say they probably buy/listen to the music in secrecy. They follow the online crowd even though their identities are generally shrouded in mystery. And when it’s all said and done, the artists you claim to love stay suffering. They don’t even get comments.

I love to champion the artists that are able to play the numbers game. This is a business and somebody has to go out there and sell units to convince these “shirts” that Hip-Hop is the viable, vibrant art form we know it is. We know these artists are dope even if they flop. So, I also champion the artists that aren’t able to play the numbers game the  way Drake and Jay-Z do.

Have you ever seen an unknown rapper talk endlessly about their haters?

They not only talk about them, they make songs about haters they don’t really have. Why is this?

It is simple. Hate is the new love and these people want all the hate they can muster, because it is a sign of your success in this era. These people don’t even have haters, but long for them like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. longed for unity among the races. Somewhere, Willie Lynch is laughing hysterically.

This hate is killing our Hip-Hop community. In the 90’s, everybody hated MC Hammer. In 2010, Rick Ross is “MC Hammer” (by his own admission). But, they didn’t stop MC Hammer in the 90’s. He overcame that and remains as active as ever. So, now everybody hates Rick Ross in 2010…how does that set him up?

Don’t answer that.

Just answer this:

Who do you love?

Who do you love?

Who do you love?

source: allhiphop