Chris Brown, who was nominated for four Billboard Music Awards this year, ‘Turns Up the Music’ on “Dancing With The Stars” Tuesday on ABC.

His new CD Fortune will be available on July 3rd.

Slick Rick (The Ruler)

The Fugees

I received this press release and thought I’d share it with you. Lisa Leone captures Hip Hop in a dope photo exhibition entitled, “THEN.”

Opening Friday, May 11th 2012, 7 – 11pm
RSVP: lisa_leone@hvw8.com

New photo exhibition documents hip-hop’s moments of truth.
Before hip-hop was an industry, it was a community.

THEN, a new solo show from photographer Lisa Leone, is a deeply personal portrayal of the last days of hip-hop’s innocence, of a culture caught between an intimate past and a global future.

Born in the Bronx and raised throughout New York City, Lisa Leone has been surrounded by hip-hop culture for virtually her entire life. By the late eighties, as a widely published photographer, she was in a unique position to capture a behind the-scenes perspective on the spirit of collaboration that fueled hip-hop’s early artistic triumphs. “To see a young Nas in the studio with Q-Tip, Premier and Large Professor was not only inspiring,” she reflects on one of the candid photos included in the show, “it is ‘the decisive moment’.”

THEN explores a series of such moments through the eyes of the young artists that would go on to become the hip-hop generation’s biggest stars: Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Run DMC, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Rosie Perez, the Roots, Queen Latifah and many others.

But these are not mere portraits. Each image captures a unique interaction between an individual and their environment, and is supported with text drawn from new interviews with the subjects themselves.

“It was still fresh and we, the generation of that movement, still dictated what it was and meant to us and not the mass media. MTV wasn’t calling the shots. We were still telling them what the rules were.”
– Rosie Perez

“THEN is a testament to the natural eye and passion of a real New Yorker, presented now through the collected three decades of her work and experience.” – Eric Haze

“No one…can fail to be moved by Lisa Leone’s evocative portraits of Hip Hop legends captured in the midst of their young lives…set in those moody South Bronx scenes of abandonment that was their home.” – Henry Chalfant, producer of “Style Wars”

With Support from A.D.D.Marketing, Museo Silver Rag, ICON and Vantage Process.

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery

661 N. Spaulding Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Inquiries: 323-655-4898 or Info@hvw8.com
www.hvw8.com

View full press release

Lisa Leone_Press_Release

A road that can’t be more than a few miles long has been in development for almost 20 years.

North Fulton drivers trying to get from Mansell Road to Windward Parkway know how annoying this can be; you can either drive through the cities, or get on GA-400 and pray that you will not be in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The new parkway can handle up to 30,000 cars per day and will likely be used by drivers trying to take a quick shortcut through the city without having to use GA-400.

Well, relief is here (allegedly) via the last stretch of paved road connecting Westside Parkway to Webb Bridge Road, which can take you straight to Windward. The road was completed yesterday and I’ll be using it this morning to see if it cuts down on my commute. Cross your fingers for me.

See ya when I see ya!

[Source]

Stop, drop
Shut ‘em down open up shop
Oh, no
That’s how Ruff Ryders roll

Ruff Ryder fans will be happy to know that DMX and the crew are reuniting and planning a reunion tour. For those of you who have forgotten, the crew included DMX, Swizz Beats, Eve, The L.O.X., Drag-On, and Murda-Mook. X is working on getting The L.O.X. and Eve on board to make the reunion complete.

“We are all family and we’re going to come back stronger than when we left … It’s going to take the nation by storm.”

We’ll see.

DMX has slowly crept back onto the scene. You can catch him on VH1’s Couple’s Therapy working on some issues with his wife.

[Source]

In 2008, William Balfour, was arrested for allegedly brutally murdering three of singer Jennifer Hudson’s family members. Balfour was charged with the murder of Jennifer’s nephew—her sister Julia’s 7-year-old son Julian—her brother, and her mom. The heinous crime was even more callous because Balfour was Jennifer’s brother-in-law who lashed-out because estranged wife Julia was dating another man.

Fast-forward four years, Balfour, 30, is requested to have his long hair cut and asking permission to change into civilian clothes for an upcoming trial. Balfour is likely trying to disassociate from the familiar mug shot photo (shown above). With a crime this monstrous, a simple change of clothing and a new hairstyle will not likely be his saving grace.

News outlets are wondering how her stardom will affect the trial; however, the attention should be on Balfour and the facts and not on Jennifer. The trial is set to begin on April 23rd.

[Source]

What do you get when you combine earth, wind, fire, a bull, a bird, and an avalanche? A slow motion eye-gasmic music video featuring Drake and Rihanna in a long-lasting embrace that they know will make men mad and girls envious.

Check them out in the new video for the title track, Take Care, off Drake’s latest CD of the same name.

Inspired by Gil Scott-Heron’s classic I’ll Take Care of You, Drake and his team put their own spin on the record by adding a 4/4 beat that picks up the pace and makes the song more interesting. Love the song and the video is entertaining.

Outside of the fact that it artistic, gold, and covered with daisies… something struck a chord with me but I couldn’t figure it out.

Now at the start of a terrible allergy season, I’ve put my finger on it. This chick should be sneezing her face off!

In a 15-day stand-off with Mother Nature, Atlantans are stocking up on a plethora of pills, liquids, and creams to soothe their relentless symptoms brought on by pollen and other allergens.

In my misery I feel more like this version of the bust.

I cannot for the life of me get a break as my eyes itch and burn red, my throat feels like I am trying to swallow a rug, and every few minutes it seems as if a swarm of red ants is tormenting every inch of my skin.

Welcome to my world, I am in allergy hell.

For those of you who are also experiencing the terrible sting of nature, check out the Top Five Allergy Mistakes from ABC NEWS:

Throwing Money at the Problem

There are hundreds of products on the market claiming to ease your allergy ailment, and some of them work well for different people. But if you find yourself bouncing from product to product with no relief, consider making an appointment with an allergy doctor, who might suggest allergy shots that can actually cure, not cover up, your allergy symptoms. No more late-night trips to the CVS! Nasal saline sprays or rinses, such as the Neti pot, also are invaluable to some people experiencing irritated sinuses. Just be sure not to overuse them.

Not Knowing Your Enemy

Sometimes people treat allergy symptoms without even knowing what they’re allergic to, or if they are suffering from true seasonal allergies. While hay fever is a prime culprit this time of year, other allergens can also cause symptoms. Many people think they only have seasonal allergies, but actually have them year-round. Find an allergy specialist who can help you figure out a treatment plan at AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.

Waiting ‘Til You Feel the Pain

If you do have allergies, ACAAI recommends taking medicine that has worked for you in the past before the season starts. Pay attention to the weather—as winter and spring merge, pollens and molds are released into the air.

Allowing Allergens into Your House

Once you find the cause (or causes) of your problem and the proper treatment, you should take steps to keep the allergens that agitate you out of your home. If you’re allergic to pollen, don’t keep your windows open all the time, and take a shower when you come in from the outdoors. Pollen counts are the highest around midday, so that’s also a good time to stay indoors.

Pigging Out on Problematic Produce

People who are allergic to pollen can also have oral allergy syndrome, which affects about a third of seasonal allergy sufferers. Your immune system sees a similarity between the proteins of pollen and those in some foods, and that can trigger a reaction. If you’re allergic to tree pollen, you may need to avoid apples, cherries, pears, apricots, kiwis, plums, or nuts.

For the full article click here.

Whitney Houston passed away today in the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. A group of people in her entourage was in her room and someone eventually found her face down in the bathtub. On this day, she was to perform at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party. Apparently, the party is still going on while Whitney’s body is still in the hotel. #nowords

Reports say the Brandy’s brother Ray J. tried to get into Whitney’s room but security turned him away. Later, Bobbi Kristina also tried to enter her mom’s suite but she too was turned away. Fan suspect drug use as the cause of death but the family claims that Whitney was cleaning up her act. Only an autopsy will tell.

What a sad day. When will our entertainers understand that drugs will only complicate and quickly end their existence? SMH

I reminisce

Whitney Houston played a big part in the soundtrack of my life. I remember listening to her music in high school, singing along to “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All.” As Whitney’s career advanced, her music continued to play an important role in my life. I remember watching her Grammy performance in 1987 with my mother, both of us singing along with the songstress. I remember commuting to college when she and Bobby got married and infusing their music into my collection.

People wondered why the two got together, but I was happy for them. They were defying the odds and it was their prerogative to live how they wanted to live. However, that euphoria was short-lived when the couple began showing up in the news for domestic violence and drug abuse. When Bobbi Kristina came into the world, I saw a happier Whitney. Light emanated from her when she would look at her daughter, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. Although I was listening to the couple’s music less, I watched the movies, wishing the two could pull it together and conquer their issues. Sadly their union ended in divorce, and Whitney’s life ended in tragedy just five years later.

Wells Fargo ATM machines were down this morning. After driving to several machines, customers in Roswell, GA gave up and opted to pay $3 in out-of-network fees to Bank of America and other local area banks.

Wells Fargo is one of the top four banks in America and its customers do not expect ATM outages. Even my employer sent out a notice stating, “The ATM is currently out of order. A service call has been placed to Wells Fargo; however, at this time there is no ETA as to when it will be repaired. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

A quick call to Wells Fargo customer service provided me with the following answer, “We are aware of this situation; however, our system shows that this has been taken care of already.”
However, the problem continued until approximately 2pm Eastern. Of course me being me, I had to send a little email asking for my $3 fee to be refunded due to the bank’s error. We’ll see what happens.

In a daunting, but loving task, Amy Winehouse’s family helped producers Mark Rosen and Salaam Remic select songs for a posthumous compilation of music from Amy Winehouse entitled Lioness: Hidden Treasures.

Amy’s dad, Mitch Winehouse, commented on the experience:

“We were fining it difficult to listen to Amy’s music, but we had to listen to it because if it wasn’t up to scratch we wouldn’t have allowed it to go out,” Mitch told Reuters in a recent interview.

“We weren’t pleasantly surprised. We were stunned at how wonderful the album is. (But) at the moment I can’t listen to it. In the years to come I will be able to and people have to make their own minds up.”

Amy’s God daughter, Dionne Bromfield, shares the last words of advice received from Amy about working in the music industry, “Always keep your feet on the ground keep your family and friends close to you.” Bromfield is a singer looking to expand to the U.S. market.

Although the album was leaked last month, the CD will be released on Monday, December, 6.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures Tracklist:

1. Our Day Will Come
2. Between The Cheats
3. Tears Dry [Explicit]
4. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
5. Like Smoke [Explicit]
6. Valerie
7. The Girl from Ipanema
8. Half Time [Explicit]
9. Wake Up Alone
10. Best Friends, Right?
11. Body And Soul
12. A Song For You