Contineing Music Awareness Week (Cool kids)

Name: Cool kids
Occupation: hip hop/Backpacker/rocker
Genre: hip-hop,skater, 80's Hip Hop in 21st Century
Contemporaries: Pharell
Compares: Lupe Fiasco,Star Trax,Clipse,The Pac



When the Cool Kids posted the video "Black Mags," on their MySpace page this fall, they were hoping to do for bikes what Lupe Fiasco's "Kick Push" did for skateboards. "Not everybody can relate to skateboarding, because it's hard to do," says the retro-rap duo's Chuck, 23, who broke his ankle doing skater tricks last year. "But everybody rides bikes." Since "Black Mags" debuted, the Cool Kids have gone from an underground sensation in their native Chicago to the hottest ticket at New York's CMJ festival, where they played with A-trak (Kanye West's DJ) and wowed Warner Music Group CEO Lyor Cohen.From their rope chains to their spare, bass-heavy beats, Chuck and Mikey bring a knowing wink to the style of Eighties heroes like Eric B and EPMD. Their anthem, "88," redo's a track from from Nas' "Made You Look" the duo sounds like music for the soul while also sounding refeshed and new to the ears of the hustla earning its boast of being "the black Beastie Boys." of the 21st century you can also catch them in commericals rock'n to the tunes of the black Mags track

*shout out to Rolling Stone Magazine for the Co-Ed*

Contineing Music Awareness Week (Fiona Apple)

Name: Fiona Apple
Occupation: Singer/Songwriter
Genre: Rock/Pop: Adult Alternative.
Contemporaries: Alanis Morissette
Followers: Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, and Sara Bareilles

"All along, I really wanted each song to be its own little world," says Fiona Apple. "Every song that I write, I feel like I'm in a different world. And with this album, because it's been such a long period of time, I didn't want everything to sound one particular way."

It's been a long and tangled road for Apple's stunning, intricate new album, Extraordinary Machine. But over the course of six years, multiple producers, business struggles, and life changes, she has maintained a clear sense of her musical vision-and returned with a collection of songs that reconfirms her place as one of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation. From the fragile music-hall lilt of the title track to the rollicking "Better Version of Me," from the fever intensity of "Not About Love" to the dreamy melancholy of "Oh Sailor," Extraordinary Machine reveals an artist with a sprawling, hard-fought range of emotions about love and identity, and with the musical palette to express them all. These are complicated songs for complicated sentiments.


The key that unlocked the project's final sessions was the arrival of producer Mike Elizondo. Best known as Dr. Dre's right-hand music man, Elizondo is also an in-demand session bassist who has played with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Ry Cooder-he had even contributed to When the Pawn.... Elizondo had already presented some rough treatments for the new songs before the leak threw things out of kilter. "When he came in and played some of these skeletal tracks," Apple says, "I remember I was so excited, I called my dad. It made me feel so inspired. And I just know when things are right-I knew, this is how it's supposed to be, and finally it can happen the way it's supposed to happen."


"I've had a surprisingly Zen feeling about this whole thing," she says. "I kind of always knew that it would work out somehow."

Here is one of Apple's Videos: Shadow Boxer.

Lupe Fiasco released The Cool tour dates!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lupe Fiasco announced new tour dates in support of the new album, starting with New Years in Vegas:

12.31.07
Rio 3121 - Las Vegas, NV

01.13.08
The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA

01.14.08
House of Blues - Anaheim, CA

01.15.08
Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA

01.17.08
House of Blues - Los Angeles, CA

01.18.08
House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV

01.19.08
Sunshine Theatre - Albuquerque, NM

01.20.08
Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO

01.22.08
Emo's - Austin, TX

01.23.08
House of Blues - Dallas, TX

01.25.08
The Roxy - Atlanta, GA

01.27.08
Sonar - Baltimore, MD

01.28.08
The Norva - Norfolk, VA

01.30.08
9:30 Club - Washington, DC

01.31.08
The Fillmore at the TLA - Philadelphia, PA

02.01.08
Stuart Seigel Center - Richmond, VA

02.02.08
Nokia Theatre - New York, NY

03.01.08
Yale University - New Haven, CT

03.25.08
Great Hall - Fredericksburg, VA

Jay-Z To Step Down As Def Jam President


December 24, 2007, 5:10 PM ET
Ayala Ben-Yehuda, L.A.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will step down as Def Jam Records president when his contract expires this year, he and Universal Music Group announced today (Dec. 24). The rapper will continue to record for Roc-A-Fella, the label he co-founded in 1996, which is part of the Universal-distributed Island Def Jam Music Group.

In a statement announcing his departure, Jay-Z acknowledged the artists and executives he had worked with during his three years as label president, including IDJ chairman/CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid.

He added, "It's time for me to take on new challenges. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to build upon the Def Jam legacy, helping to move the company into a new era of artistic success."

Reid stated, "Jay made it clear to us that he feels the time has come to take on different challenges in his life. While we regret his decision to move on, we certainly respect it ... While he will continue to be one of our signature artists, he will nonetheless be missed in this executive capacity."

In an interview earlier this month with Billboard, Jay-Z said any decision about his future with Def Jam would not be "about money." It's really about trying to invest in the future, trying to invest in maybe coming up with a new model. Because going in hard making records with artists and throwing those records into a system that's flawed is not exciting for me."

"It's not the music; people ingest music the same way. It's just that the model of selling CDs has changed," he continued. "So doing things the typical way is not in the best interests of anyone and not exciting for me. My whole thing is, how do we invest in the future? If everyone is committed to doing that, then I'm sure there's a deal to be made."

Real Talk With Lupe Fiasco

(Buy Now)

Lupe Fiasco has just released his highly anticipated sophomore LP, “The Cool.” He sat down with RealTalkNY to discuss the concepts and characters in the new album. He gave us insight the process of creating ideas for songs and lyrics. He talked about inspirations for such songs as, “Dumb It Down,” & “Superstar,” and spoke on how they relate to his life. Lupe goes on to mention his planned retirement after his next album, his work on CRS(w/ Kanye & Pharrell) and comparisons to Nas. Take a look into the mind of the man who has arguably dropped the best rap album of 2007.

Hosted by: Joy Daily
Camera Work by: AJ & Nigel Degraff
Produced by: Nigel Degraff

Related Post:
Lupe Fiasco Talks About His New Clothing Brand, “Fall Of Rome”
Lupe Fiasco Speaks On Why He Doesn’t Spit Gangsta Lyrics
Album Review: Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
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Part 1: The Cool’s Concepts, Characters & Inspirations
Part 2: Creative Process, Retirement, CRS & Nas Comparisons

John Lennon The Great

John Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English rock musician who gained worldwide fame as one of the founders of The Beatles. In his solo career, Lennon wrote and recorded songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". he is referenced pleny of times in some lupe fiasco verses "Fresh john Lennon chucks" well here they are