Archive » Industry & Culture

This page contains 63 entries posted under the "Industry & Culture" category.

Get Ready For The King Of Pop On A Can Of Pop

Using the passing of a deceased legend and making a quick buck seems to be a running trend as of late. By now you've most likely heard the news that Pepsi would be featuring Michael Jackson's image on its cans...

SoulBounce | 05/04/2012 at 2:15 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Gettin' Down With The 'Kings,' As Crowned By Borbay

On Wednesday night, after a glut of media coverage and unanimously positive reviews, artist Borbay closed the showing of his #KingsOfHipHop show at Publicis Modem in NYC. His collection depicts the seven arguably most successful hip-hop artists working today, wryly...

Remi | 10/06/2011 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Get Down & Go 'Downtown' With Aloe Blacc

Wine is fine, but liquor is quicker, and many a liquor brand have been quick to align themselves with cool artists du jour these days. The latest to find himself front and center of a sponsorship is soul man Aloe...

Butta | 08/10/2011 at 4:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

A Closer Look At 'Oversouling'

Last Friday I wrote a short response to Huffington Post contributor John Eskow's article "Christina Aguilera and the Hideous Cult of Oversouling," asking fellow SoulBouncers for thoughts on the issues it raised about race and vocal grandstanding in pop music....

Ro | 02/18/2011 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Move Over Auto-Tune, Singing Robots Are The Future

Apparently groups like Milli Vanilli and Black Box were only preparing the stage for robots to take over the music world when they brought to our attention how easy it is to fake people out with lip-synching. I mean, we...

Moon | 11/18/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Get Ready To 'Experience' Michael Jackson Even More

I have never played "Guitar Hero," and I haven't played a video game since I defeated King Hippo in Mike Tyson's "Punch-Out!" back in the day. But when I saw the commercial for "Michael Jackson The Experience" online yesterday, I...

ill Mami | 09/16/2010 at 12:45 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Kia Australia Gets 'The Message' Entirely Wrong

Oh, Kia Australia. While this might not be anything comparable to what your fellow countrymen pulled when some of them chose to perform the Jackson 5 in blackface, this isn't exactly helping the bridge between our cultures get any closer....

ill Mami | 08/16/2010 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Janelle Monáe Sorta Denies Being Gay, Embraces Robosexuality

Apparently there are rumblings that beloved weirdo and self-processed "alien from outer space" Janelle Monáe bats for the girls. I'd never heard the rumor myself nor had it once ever crossed my mind that she might date women, but apparently...

huny | 07/08/2010 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Janelle Monáe Brings The Technicolor In This Coke Ad

When Janelle Monáe was rhyming about wishing that people would stop asking her to change her clothes, she was definitely talking about me. I know that her black-and-white color palette is her signature currently, just like Erykah's headwraps made those less...

ill Mami | 07/07/2010 at 1:15 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Hopefully David Banner's Gatorade Ad Helps More Ears 'Evolve'

I have long been complaining about modern R&B's male singers not being something I'm used to. As in men who sound like men. Gruff, sometimes guttural, church-raised voices whose secular side can sometimes coax women out of underthings covering nether...

ill Mami | 05/10/2010 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Mary J. Blige Cuts Ribbon On Foundation Building, Shows Ongoing Support For Women

If you are like me and your hope for more woman-positivity in pop music and culture is virtually non-existent then this story is one for you. Yesterday, Mary J. Blige opened the doors on the Foundation For the Advancement of...

Ro | 10/30/2009 at 2:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

The Good New Days

Do you remember the good old days of music? Depending on your age, that era may vary. My parents nurtured my young ears with the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. In the '80s, I walked the...

Fave | 10/22/2009 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Nobody's Watching Rockwell Or His Potential For Royalties

The New York Post wrote up a heartwarming tale of how Berry Gordy's own son has been stiffed by Motown (technically Jobete, a subsidiary of Motown Industries). If you are capable of reading words, seeing sights and hearing sounds it's...

Ro | 10/20/2009 at 4:45 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Burger King Got Back?

Back in '92 when Sir Mix-A-Lot dropped "Baby Got Back" it caused a minor controversy with some due to its provocative lyrics and asstastic video, which was banned from MTV for a spell. But what a difference 17 years makes....

Butta | 04/07/2009 at 3:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

A Sampling Of Hip Hop's Changing Times

Sampling has long been a debated aspect of Hip Hop, since many of the genre's detractors use sampling to discredit the music. To make the point that Hip Hop producers are creatively bankrupt and unoriginal they would point out the...

nOvaMatic | 03/09/2009 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Black Milk & Nicolay Discuss Their Craft

As any faithful reader of this site knows, I'm always on deck when it comes to Black Milk and Nicolay, two producers that made the biggest impression on me the past couple of years. It's always cool to revisit the...

nOvaMatic | 03/03/2009 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Estelle Lends Her 'Star' Power To Crystal Light

If you watched the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, then you may have seen a new Crystal Light commercial that featured the familiar vocals of Grammy winner Estelle. But the British R&B sensation wasn't just singing any old jingle. Estelle...

Butta | 02/11/2009 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Without Clive Davis How Will The Grammy Awards Fare?

Since Clive Davis recently stepped out from behind-the-scenes of the Grammy Awards this year, things are likely going to go differently. This year's nominations already caused speculation about just how influential Davis really was in nominee and award winner selection....

Ro | 02/04/2009 at 3:00 PM | Permalink

Why Is Everyone So Upset With DJs?

We've long considered the deejay an essential part of the Hip Hop tapestry, whether he was an actual group member spinning for the MCs, actually producing the records or debuting select tracks on mixtapes and radio stations and turning otherwise...

nOvaMatic | 02/04/2009 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

How Can the Music Industry Save Its Ass?

We understand, painfully, that the music industry is first and foremost a business. Art typically comes dead last in the traditional label structure. BBC News recently published a report entitled "Music Industry Scrambles for Cash," which basically points out that...

nOvaMatic | 01/21/2009 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Are Radio DJs Still Relevant?

Mixed up in all the giving of thanks last week was the giving of pink slips to two of New York's venerable radio mainstays: Vaughn Harper and Champaine of WBLS (107.5 FM). Harper was one of the originators of the...

Harlem | 12/01/2008 at 3:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

What? Billboard Isn't That Accurate? Get Out.

Though many people still listen to terrestrial radio, maybe even prefer to do so, it's clear that internet radio and social networking sites with music components have been on the rise for years now. Keeping this in mind, it's always...

Ro | 11/20/2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Stand Up! We're Not the Only Ones Disgusted with the Lack of Women in Hip-Hop

More and more, there is a rising sense of indignation about the lack of women in hip-hop that we at SoulBounce have been voicing for a while now. Over at Jezebel there is a post that raises the question "Doesn't...

Ro | 11/07/2008 at 6:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Billboard Honored 'Women In Music,' But Wait--

This past Friday, Billboard honored Women in Music with a special breakfast held at the Hotel St. Regis in New York. The Ciara "Women of the Year" nod spread across the Internet quickly, eliciting a fair amount of rage, confusion...

nOvaMatic | 10/27/2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Ain't No Payola in Freestyle, But There's Still A-Plenty in Commercial Radio!

Do you remember last year when the FCC and radio broadcasters agreed to abide by The Future of Music Coalition's "Rules of Engagement," which sought to end the dirty tactics associated with payola? Remember the way we all laughed and...

nOvaMatic | 10/24/2008 at 4:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Behold: The Mostly Awful 'American Music Award' Nominees!

The American Music Awards have earned the distinction of being the most useless, vile, and insipid awards ceremony ever and the worst thing Dick Clark has ever brought upon us. Seriously, at least Grammy has the decency to be shady. AMA is...

nOvaMatic | 10/14/2008 at 3:09 PM | Comments () | Permalink

If the Super Producer is Dead, There May Be Hope for Us After All

Gooch over at XXL asked one of those rhetorical, seemingly non-threatening Hip Hop questions that tends to get people riled up. "Is the era of the super-producer over?" The one hit wonder has put the super producer out of business....

nOvaMatic | 10/10/2008 at 2:10 PM | Comments () | Permalink

If FemCees Weren't So Busy Being Cute, They'd Have a Job?

My inner feminist is in fight-mode right now because of a widely-circulated quote from an industry insider. We've spent the last few weeks lamenting the lack of female MCs in Hip Hop because, seriously, who else will? But the folks...

nOvaMatic | 10/03/2008 at 2:20 PM | Comments () | Permalink

How Many Mary J. Blige's Can You Fit In A Chevy?

Last night I was watching VH1's 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs countdown and during one of the commercial breaks I caught Mary J. Blige's newest commercial for Chevrolet. This time around MJB is riding around with her girls in a...

Butta | 09/30/2008 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Dear Music Industry, Try Harder

When Warner pulled Estelle's single "American Boy" from iTunes several weeks ago in a futile attempt to increase sales of the entire album, it only accentuated the music industry's desperation to return to the glory days of dictating to the...

Ro | 09/16/2008 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Solange's Sophomore Effort Struggles, Raises Larger Concerns

Oh, Solange. After uncomfortably watching her clumsily throw sass in frustration at that news anchor and then gazing in amazement at the response video she released soon after, it appeared as though the increasing momentum built by the debacle might...

Ro | 09/01/2008 at 1:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

POLL: Should Labels Take Responsibility For Leaks?

Welcome to the Internet, Music Industry. In recent weeks, T.I. and Chris Brown have cried foul over the leaking of upcoming material. These artists certainly have a right to be irritated, but there's almost never an attempt to hold their...

nOvaMatic | 08/27/2008 at 11:35 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Absolut Kanye

We now present to you a vision by Kanye West. In his Absolut World everyone wants to be him and all they have to do to achieve this feat is to plop two Alka Seltzer-like Be Kanye tablets into a...

Butta | 08/19/2008 at 5:05 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Forbes.com Distracts the Blogosphere for a Day

Not to begrudge the success of our Hip Hop brethren, but maybe it's time to have yet another discussion about Art vs. Commerce. As many of you know, Forbes released its list of Hip Hop's top earners for 2008. They...

nOvaMatic | 08/19/2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Radio One Bosses On the Come Up

The downward economic trends and the impact the Internet is having on the entertainment industry doesn't seem to bother Radio One CEO and President, Alfred Liggins III, one bit. The media conglomerate, founded by his mother, Cathy Hughes, has diversified...

SoulBounce | 05/29/2008 at 2:00 PM | Permalink

25 Things That Killed (and are Still Killing) Urban Music

In the midst of everyone's declarations that "Hip Hop is Dead" we somehow forgot the slow death that is spreading across all aspects of "urban" music, as the legacy of Soul and its close cousins has devolved into a writhing...

nOvaMatic | 04/22/2008 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Clive No Longer the HDIC (Head Davis in Charge?) of BMG

Clive Davis, we'll miss you. We'll miss your bi-yearly declarations that "This will be the year we put Whitney back on top!" We'll miss the unabashed Alicia Keysery with which you pepper your pontifications on American Idol. We'll also miss...

nOvaMatic | 04/18/2008 at 3:12 PM | Permalink

Oh No. The Soul Train Awards Have Been Cancelled. Bummer.

Looks like we won't be live-blogging this one. The 22nd Soul Train Music Awards are not happening this year, my people, for unspecified reasons. Now I have to spend the remainder of this entry trying to articulate my apathy at...

nOvaMatic | 04/16/2008 at 11:45 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Old School Rappers Selling Out...In A Good Way

Remember back in the day when MC Hammer was chastised for building his own media empire, complete with a cartoon in his likeness, a Pepsi endorsement, and enough money to employ his entourage that employed half of Oakland? Or...

ill Mami | 04/15/2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Did Pharrell Bite Peven Everett?

In the clip below Peven Everett does a side-by-side comparison of his "Party of the Year" to Britney's "Sugarfall", produced by Pharrell. Yes, the compositional similarities are glaring, but pay close attention to Peven's voiceover along with the imagery used...

nOvaMatic | 04/02/2008 at 11:14 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Gap Band, Chi-Lites 'Inappropriate' After 9/11 Attacks

When it comes to enterprises like Clear Channel and Wikimedia, who do you trust the most? So far, the alledged List of songs deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel Post-9/11 has received over 1,300 diggs, catapulting it into our inbox. The existence of...

nOvaMatic | 04/01/2008 at 11:10 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Are Flash Drive Albums The Wave of The Future?

After Erykah Badu's announcement that her soon-to-be-released New AmErykah is only the first of three albums she'll be releasing this year with the other two, Return of The Ankh and New AmErykah II, being released via USB flash drive,...

ill Mami | 02/07/2008 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

What Can We Expect Now That Harve 'Joe Hooker' Pierre is President of Bad Boy?

That's the burning question, at least in my mind. Harve Pierre has done everything at Bad Boy since probably about, oh, let's say, since Jesus was a boy. According to a widely circulated press release, "as President, he will oversee...

nOvaMatic | 01/31/2008 at 12:00 PM | Permalink

Better Fetch the Apple Core From the Recycle Bin

8 hours. 8 hours from midnight last night. That's how long it took for the highly anticipated music industry revolution to come to a grinding halt. Only 8 hours after Qtrax, the first free, purportedly legal, peer-to-peer system for the...

Shooter | 01/29/2008 at 11:45 AM | Comments () | Permalink

The Bite in the Apple Is About To Get Bigger

Either a desperate attempt to stabilize the record industry's crippled economy or a crafty RIAA-concocted, Dreamweaver-designed, peer-to-peer-disguised trap intended to seize mp3 embezzlers - you decide. But as of midnight tonight (EST), a new file-sharing program is being introduced to...

Shooter | 01/28/2008 at 10:15 AM | Comments () | Permalink

The (Former) Carter Administration May Just Lose One

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Douglas "Biggs" Ellison, CEO of Four Kings Productions, Inc. was suing Def Jam on the grounds that he discovered their latest diamond in the rough, soul chanteuse Chrisette Michele, he signed her to Four...

Shooter | 01/25/2008 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Gangsta Guilds: Grammys Targeted, Image Awards Spared

The Writers Guild of America is so gangsta. So far it looks like the Grammy Awards ceremony won't be shut down like the Golden Globes but there will be a picket. Ouch. What did Fergie ever do to you guys?...

nOvaMatic | 01/16/2008 at 10:30 AM | Comments () | Permalink

'Popular' was Supposed to Happen Today

As Van Hunt notes in his blog, today is the day that Popular should've dropped. 'Popular' is not on its way to the store. it is sitting in a box in my flat in LA, on 1/2 inch reels down...

nOvaMatic | 01/15/2008 at 11:45 AM | Comments () | Permalink

Miss Jack Davey: 'Why Should Artists Even Seek Major Label Deals?'

We aren't all fun and games here. If you've been reading SoulBounce for any length of time, then you're already aware of how real we keep it when the situation calls for it. But who to this point keeps it...

nOvaMatic | 01/11/2008 at 11:05 AM | Comments () | Permalink

What Really Goes on at the BET Offices

Since Butta and I were denied press creds to the BET Honors (and also because it's a slow news day) I present for you clips from the unaired Boondocks episode "Hunger Strike"."Huey takes a stand against cable network B.E.T. for...

nOvaMatic | 01/09/2008 at 11:36 AM | Comments () | Permalink

BREAKING!! The Record Industry Sucks Because of Overpaid Execs!

Vic Steffens of the Horizon Music Group has penned an open letter to the disingenuous suits of the music industry, pointing out five ways they can do their jobs and get the product back on track instead of sitting back...

nOvaMatic | 12/07/2007 at 2:37 PM | Permalink

Vikter Duplaix, Emily King and Ledisi are Up For Grammy Awards!

We were a little iffy about the American Music Award nominations (shame on you, America!), but a sampling of the Grammy noms looks like someone turned off the radio and opened their ears. But the "Best Rap Album" category looks...

nOvaMatic | 12/06/2007 at 1:26 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Okayplayer Music Award Nominations Announced

For the first time in its celebrated history, Okayplayer.com has started an awards program to honor artists that appeal to the OKP demographic. The 2007 Okayplayer Music Awards kicked off this week and voting is open through December 18th in...

Butta | 11/30/2007 at 11:00 AM | Permalink

James Brown's Legacy Explored at Princeton

One month shy of the one-year-anniversary of the Godfather of Soul's passing will be a conference at Princeton University discussing the cultural impact that James Brown had on music. "Aint That A Groove: The Legacy of James Brown" will...

ill Mami | 11/26/2007 at 1:00 PM | Permalink

Things That Infuriate Jill Scott

On the U.S.:"I think The States is disrespectful to other countries and they make too many assumptions about what is good and what is just. I don't appreciate the school system or the health care system- so many systems in...

nOvaMatic | 11/26/2007 at 12:07 PM | Permalink

Mary J. Works It In New iPod Ad

Does Mary J. Blige's new iPod ad featuring her second single "Work That" make anyone want to get up and strut their stuff, or is it just me?...

Butta | 11/20/2007 at 7:37 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Ideas for People With Too Much Play Money and No Sex Life

If you refuse to embrace the era of digital music distribution and want to clutter your home with another piece of unnecessary tech, then how about a device that plays CDs that double as vinyl records? Never mind that...

nOvaMatic | 11/07/2007 at 11:00 AM | Permalink

Halloween, Blackface & Beatdowns

Last month in LA was the re-release of the first "talkie" AKA motion picture with sound and was a historical event for some but not for me. Why? Because the title of this "talkie" is The Jazz Singer starring America's...

ill Mami | 11/01/2007 at 6:20 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Technology is So WOW

Ooh, if you're a Rhapsody subscriber you can now play your tunes through the TV, because that's the best place to play music, isn't it? [Wired]...

nOvaMatic | 10/09/2007 at 2:16 PM | Permalink

Our Work Has CLEARLY Just Begun

[Image: Edmunds]The ever-reliable Idolator has pointed to an article revealing the disturbing news that "Sixty-three percent of American adults listen to the radio every day, says a new survey from American Media Services. And the number among 25-34 adults is...

nOvaMatic | 09/21/2007 at 7:11 PM | Comments () | Permalink

BET Will Feel the Ire of Black Bloggers

At SoulBounce, we try to stay out of these topics as much as possible, but the current climate of urban music and popular culture have proven there's an issue that cannot be denied or glazed over. Via my handy-dandy Google...

nOvaMatic | 09/19/2007 at 7:31 PM | Comments () | Permalink

'Worksafe' is the New Black

A little late to the party on this one, but until SoulBounce has a dedicated DJ (hint hint, managing editor says "Apply!"), you can rest knowing that someone out there is addressing your daily worksafe music-listening needs.Soul-Tracks (which tends to...

nOvaMatic | 08/30/2007 at 5:52 PM | Permalink

XM and MySpace Team Up to Sift Through the Mediocrity

It was only a matter of time before those unsigned artists bombarding you with requests to listen to their latest "hot joint" were formally invited to do the same thing on a much larger scale. When MySpace first became popular,...

SoulBounce | 08/20/2007 at 12:00 PM | Permalink

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