F.L.Y.’s (Fast Life Yungstaz) beat gets you moving from the start! Enter to win your own copy!
“Head Of My Class” YouTube video stream
“Head Of My Class” feat. Chris Brown audio stream
Scooter Smiff Widget:
http://www.scootersmiff.com
Baltimore-born and bred Scooter Smiff, 13, might do it all—dance, rap, write, choreograph and act—but he says that he’s just a “regular kid.” But “regular” he is not; his first taste of the big time came at age five (5) when he performed on Showtime at the Apollo and where he met B2K. As J-Boog from the group watched Scooter perform he was amazed and when the time was right he sent for an eight (8) year-old Scooter to record in Los Angeles. Scooter’s career began and his entire family moved to Los Angeles six (6) months later.
But the big turning point in his career came when Scooter Smiff met R&B superstar Chris Brown. “I met Chris through my friend Miles who went to the Debbie Allen Dance Academy with me. Miles was already a dancer for Chris when Chris was looking for a 2nd kid for his Grammy performance, he introduced us and the he rest is history,” states the smiling teen-ager.
Without an audition, Scooter Smiff was quickly signed on to perform on the Grammy Awards with Chris and soon-there-after went on to dance and rap on Chris’ recent year-long “Up Close and Personal” tour (2007/2008) which featured Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, Lil Mama, and Sean Kingston. He also performed in Chris’ “Kiss Kiss” and “Wall To Wall” videos and was speedily signed to Interscope Records via Chris’ label CBE Records.
“I was in the rehearsal studio with Chris when he decided to go on my Myspace page. When he went on, he couldn’t believe what he saw! My mom put up a video of me rapping but I never told ‘him’ I was a rapper,” exclaims Scooter. “He loved it so much he took me to Interscope Records and I was signed by Jimmy Iovine on the spot!” Interscope Records quickly paid for a studio to be put on Scooter’s tour bus so the teen sensation could record his debut album and not miss a beat on tour.
Not surprisingly, internet rumors began flying that Scooter is really Chris’ little brother, but Scooter took the time to correct that personally on his Myspace page (www.myspace.com/scootersmiff) and countless blogs. Scooter says with a smile, “Chris has been like a big brother to me and I love him, but he is not really my brother!”
To set up the release, Scooter Smiff has whetted fan’s musical appetites with buzz releases of the title track “Head Of My Class,” featuring Chris Brown and “Fresh To Def.” With producers as diversified as Swizz Beatz, Eric Hudson, and Polow Da Don working on the debut release of Head Of My Class, it promises to be the ultimate tour-de-force for the urban teen music set.
If working on a new CD and the recent 52-city “Up Close and Personal” Chris Brown tour were not enough, Scooter Smiff is also an accomplished actor who played Daniel on the third season of the hit show Lost and makes his dramatic feature flick debut with Gardens Of The Night (opposite John Malkovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Tom Arnold and Evan Ross), where he plays a abused child named Young Donnie, will be hitting screens in the Winter.
And before you ask the question Scooter Smiff gets accosted with by fans the most, let’s let Scooter himself set the record straight: “I am called Scooter because of my grandma—when I was little, I couldn’t crawl, I just scooted, so she nicknamed me Scooter and it stuck!”
Scooter Smiff hopes to be doing a tour of his own around the release of Head of My Class and says he will also be hooking up again with Chris Brown on the road at some point.
One thing’s for certain—this Scooter Smiff is built for both speed and skill!
Scooter Smiff MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/scootersmiff
DM Stith will release his debut EP recording, CURTAIN SPEECH, next week (Dec 9). Critics at home and abroad are already talking about Stith, a recent signee to Asthmatic Kitty Records: Pitchfork, TheFader.com, Time Out London, Les Inrocks and others have praised this first bit of music from Stith.
Label-mates Sufjan Stevens and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond contribute to the song “Around the Lion Legs,” which is available here to download:
DM Stith - “Around the Lion Legs” (right click, save as)
Bio:
David Stith comes from a musical family: his father is a college wind ensemble director and former church choir director; his grandfather is professor emeritus in the music department at Cornell University; his mother is a pianist; his sisters sing opera, play piano, tap dance, play timpani and are excellent soft ball players. David Stith grew up dreading the family ensemble’s appearances in church, preferring instead to draw mazes on the blank sides of church bulletins during services. In fifth grade, a harrowing performance of Phantom of the Opera at a school assembly (accompanied by his mother on piano) nearly turned him off to music for good. He started a noise band in high school, called Starchild (or Starchildren, or The Pool –they never did quite decide); but they preferred painting their guitars over playing them. David wrote a lot of bad poetry during this time.
In college, David attempted writing a novel and a children’s book, illustrating his work with original woodcut prints. His pursuit of writing and illustration brought him from Rochester to Brooklyn, where he took up work as a graphic designer. While in Brooklyn, David befriended Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), and soon after began facilitating, in small technical ways, the recording of her album Bring Me The Workhorse. This, in turn, spurred David to begin writing and recording songs of his own. It was a casual, private affair. He spent countless days stored away in his bedroom, sketching folk songs with epic electronic gestures, a rekindling of passions for his first familial love: music.
David completed his first catalog of songs for an album called Ichabod and Apple, written and recorded in the first month of his song-writing experiments. Since then, he has set out to record his first album with Asthmatic Kitty, available sometime next year.
It was no grand injunction that encouraged David to return to music. He writes songs for the same reasons he enjoys a good conversation: it’s just natural. His songs come out of a knock-about life, pressed by the urge to overcome insecurities, to probe questions, to revisit dreams and visions.
Check DM Stith out online:
http://www.myspace.com/dmstith
#
30 seconds… 30 million… seems like an appropriate number! Virgin records are not happy with Jared Leto and his band saying they failed to deliver on their agreed upon contract of 3 albums. Read more from CNN:
Hardcore fans of 30 Seconds to Mars aren’t the only ones who want more of the band’s music. Virgin Records has sued the group for $30 million, saying it has failed to deliver.
Virgin Records sued the band and front man Jared Leto in Los Angeles on Friday, claiming they refused to deliver three albums as required by its contract.
The band’s last album, “A Beautiful Lie,” was released in 2005.
A publicist for Leto, an actor who starred in the film “Requiem for a Dream” and the TV show “My So-Called Life,” did not return a message Friday.
According to the lawsuit, the band “repudiated” a 1999 contract in July.
Despite the absence of a new album, the band’s hit “From Yesterday” was deemed one of 2007’s Top 10 “Hot Modern Rock Songs” by Billboard magazine.
Jack’s Mannequin may not be releasing their sophomore album until September 30th, but their new EP, The Ghost Overground, is available on iTunes now. The 4-song EP features “The Resolution” and “Bloodshot,” two new songs off of The Glass Passenger. Additionally, it includes older tracks “Holiday From Real” (live from SIR) and “Kill The Messenger” (live from Rock Xentral). Catch the band on tour now with Paramore.
Yung Ralph - Look Like Money (Video)
Yung Ralph - Look Like Money (Audio)
“Most Unexpected is the perfect name for my album.
Cause every move I make is completely unexpected.”
Atlanta is the center of the southern rap universe and due to the renaissance that has taken place, it has become harder for newcomers to get a toehold. It’s a cutthroat business that quickly separates the would-be rappers from the will-be artists.
Yung Ralph has already made a name for himself on the back of his wildly successful single, “Look Like Money.” A motivating track with a catchy hook and chorus, “Look Like Money” is not only a club banger but also a popular ring tone that is quickly becoming more than just a regional hit.
But don’t think Yung Ralph’s story will begin or end with “Look Like Money.”
“That’s the main thing I have to get across in this bio,” says Yung Ralph. “It’s about more than one hit single. “Look Like Money” is a great song for me and I appreciate all of the doors it’s been able to open. But I have much more to offer this industry.”
Yung Ralph’s story begins on Cleveland Avenue and Jonesboro Road in Atlanta. His family didn’t have much in the way of material things, but there was a lot of love and respect.
“I watched my mom work really hard,” says Yung Ralph. “She took good care of us. But of course, I always wanted more.”
Yung Ralph’s neighborhood was a rough one. And as a young man, he learned a lot just by watching the world outside his window.
“I saw a lot of folks get locked up. But I was still intrigued by what I saw in the streets,” he explains. “My mom would go to work and I’m sneaking out to see what’s going on. As much as there was drama in my ‘hood, we stuck together too.”
In high school, Yung Ralph had one foot in the streets and one foot in his books. He graduated from high school but freely admits that education wasn’t always his top priority.
“By high school, I had been exposed to a lot. I made it out. But there were a lot of other things going on around me that held my attention.”
One of those things was hip-hop music. His major influences were the legendary Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
“Those two really struck me,” Ralph explains. “They said a lot of things I wanted to say and did it well. They both had a big effect on me.”
At the age of seventeen, the idea of rapping came to Yung Ralph rather abruptly.
“I’d always listened to hip-hop. Always. But one day, I was listening to music out on my front porch with my friend Sabias. And something just clicked. I told him I wanted to write a rap song.”
Ralph’s friend laughed him off. But Ralph still went inside and began crafting the lyrics to his first song—about a woman he was dating at the time.
After an hour, Ralph went back outside and shared his new song with his friend.
“He couldn’t believe I was serious. But something just clicked right there and I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
As Ralph continued to practice writing rhymes, he began to reach out to people he knew who were peripherally involved in the music business. One friend was in a local group that had filmed two videos. Another friend was starting a local label. Still another was managing acts. Ralph became determined to build relationships.
“I visited every radio station, called back every person I introduced myself to. I didn’t care if I was at the car wash or the grocery store, I made sure people knew my name and listened to my music.”
His sheer determination slowly began to pay off. He joined Stay Down Productions, a loose collaboration of artists, and eventually a few of the songs he began recording received airplay on stations like 95.5 The Beat. In time, he hooked up with Money Maker Records and began to seriously record and perform.
By the time his first single, “Look Like Money,” was released, Yung Ralph had created a name for himself and the song immediately took off.
But now it’s time to dig a bit deeper into Yung Ralph’s style—evidenced by the tracks on his album, Most Unexpected.
One of the album highlights is “I Work Hard,” an honest testament to his work ethic. Over a soulful old-school sample, Ralph’s gruff voice explains how he managed to keep his eye on the prize in a life of obstacles and goals.
“I kick it with the OGs and listen to the oldies/I work so hard I think I deserve a trophy,” he raps on the chorus. It’s a sentiment that many people can relate to, which is exactly what Ralph wants.
“I make music for everybody. I want everyone from grandmothers to the kids in the street to be able to relate to something in my music.”
Yung Ralph’s lyrics are not all about the rough times. On the hilarious “Charlie Brown,” he takes the muffled voices of the adults on the Peanuts cartoon and transforms it into an innovative backing track and chorus. The production is expert—with guitars and a tight baseline that complement Ralph’s lyrics.
“My Hood,” is a sonic trip through Yung Ralph’s Atlanta. It’s a place where mothers worry endlessly about their children, a place where single unwed teenagers struggle and adolescent boys often give in to the lure of the streets.
“I have to be honest about my ‘hood,” says Ralph. “Things happen sometimes that are real hard to deal with. I can’t sugarcoat it. I gotta tell it just the way I see it.”
His brutal honesty is refreshing. While many rappers focus on the materialistic aspects of hip-hop culture, Yung Ralph maintains balance.
“Of course I’m going to talk about money and the things I want in this world,” he explains. “But that’s not all I’m about. I’m bringing all the details of my world to my music.”
When asked for one word that defines who Yung Ralph is, he doesn’t hesitate for one second.
“I’m universal—just like the label I’m signed to.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7329323.stm
MySpace in online music project
Networking site MySpace is to launch an online music service in partnership with three major music companies.
The new service MySpace Music is being launched with Universal Music, Sony BMG Music and Warner Music.
Users of the new service will be able to listen to music and watch music videos free of charge, while paying a fee to download music.
The website will also make money from advertising and selling merchandise like ring tones and concert tickets.
However, the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The one major record firm excluded from the partnership was EMI.
The new music service is seen as a possible competitor to Apple iTunes Music Store, which has dominated the digital music market.
The music industry has been concerned about a lack of competition for iTunes in the digital music market.
Music firms see a new entrant in the music download market as a positive change.
“This gives a great new lease of life for the download market,” said Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG president of global digital business.
Page last updated at 17:19 GMT, Thursday, 3 April 2008 18:19 UK
MARIAH CAREY’s “TOUCH MY BODY” – – HER 18th #1 SINGLE !!!
HISTORIC NEW BILLBOARD HOT 100 SINGLES CHART RECORD – SURPASSES ELVIS PRESLEY’s 17 #1’s – FIRST HIT FROM NEW ALBUM, E=MC²
“Touch My Body” nets record-setting 286,000 debut week on Billboard hot digital songs chart – Hot 100 Airplay radio audience passes 115 million – pre-orders underway for E=MC², as customers receive “Touch My Body” instantly with pre-order at iTunes
SAVE THE DATES:
• April 9th: Mariah joins all-star international cast on FOX’s second annual Emmy-winning “IDOL Gives Back” two-hour charitable tv special
• April 14th: Mariah special guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show
• April 15th: E=MC² new album arrives in stores
• April 16th: Mariah performs on “American Idol” as musical mentor to finalists
(April 2, 2008 – New York, NY) International superstar Mariah Carey reaches a once-in-a-lifetime career achievement as her current single “Touch My Body” goes to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week and becomes her 18th career #1 hit – surpassing one of the most enduring chart records in Billboard Hot 100 history, Elvis Presley’s 17 #1’s. Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles’ all-time high of 20 #1 hits.
“Touch My Body” takes over #1 with an all-time record-setting 286,000 debut week at #1 on the Billboard hot digital songs chart, and a Hot 100 Airplay radio audience now over 115 million. The video, directed by feature filmmaker Brett Ratner, and featuring a cameo by Jack McBrayer (30 Rock’s Kenneth Parcell), stays at #1 on the Yahoo Music Video Chart, Yahoo Launchcast and AOL. And Mariah’s widget has been viewed over 4.26 million times!
“Touch My Body” is the first smash from Mariah’s highly anticipated hot new album E=MC², arriving in stores April 15th. Pre-orders are now underway for E=MC², with iTunes customers receiving “Touch My Body” instantly with their pre-order.
“Touch My Body” was one of two songs Mariah performed last month on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (show to be re-run on May 3rd). Last week, Mariah gave a special performance of “Touch My Body” and “We Belong Together” after the third season premiere of the MTV reality series, “The Hills.” The episode set a year-to-date record as the highest rated telecast on cable tv, with 5 million viewers tuning in.
On April 9th, Mariah will join an all-star cast for the second annual “IDOL Gives Back” two-hour tv special, a music celebration raising awareness and benefiting various U.S. and international charities. The first special raised $76 million last year, and won a prestigious Governor’s Emmy Award.
On Monday, April 14th, Mariah will appear as special guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, preceding the E=MC² album release day on the 15th. The next night, April 16th, Mariah will perform on “American Idol” after serving as musical mentor to that week’s finalists.
“Touch My Body” was produced by Mariah Carey, C. “Tricky” Stewart, and fellow Island Def Jam artist The-Dream. Other guest producers joining Mariah on E=MC² include Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp, Stargate, Will I Am, Bryan Michael Cox, Nate “Danjahandz” Hills and James Poyser. The album is executive produced by Mariah Carey and Antonio “LA” Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.
The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² follows-up The Emancipation Of Mimi, Mariah’s worldwide 10 million selling #1 album, which generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), two #1 singles, and countless more honors during its 18-month stay on the charts. Released April 12, 2005, Mimi was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar. Soundscan’s biggest-selling album of the year, it brought total sales of Mariah’s albums, singles and videos to over 160 million worldwide, making her the top-selling female recording artist in history.
Mimi featured “We Belong Together” (Grammy winner for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song) and “Don’t Forget About Us,” Mariah’s 16th and 17th #1 singles respectively – which tied Elvis Presley’s 17 #1’s. “Touch My Body” now surpasses Elvis as Mariah’s 18th #1 hit, and positions her as the only active recording artist with the potential to surpass the Beatles’ all-time high of 20 #1 hits. “Touch My Body” also marks Mariah’s 78th cumulative career week at #1, as she closes the gap on Elvis Presley’s all-time high record of 80 weeks at #1.
As one of the best MCs in the world during the past decade, very few MCs have matched his longevity, especially within the last five years. There are only a handful of rap artists who can claim the commercial success and street credibility of the Terror Squad Don. Throughout his career, Joe has obviously been cut from the cloth of supreme mic holders. He’s held his own on songs with modern day legends such as Big Pun and Big L, the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Grand Puba and one of the greatest collection of Masters of Ceremonies to ever assemble, D.I.T.C. Fat Joe has sold over two million albums, discovered some of the best artist in the rap game (Big Pun, Remy Ma, etc.), been nominated for two Grammy awards, and has achieved commercial and critical success. Transitioning from his longstanding recording home Atlantic Records to his independent partnership with Imperial Records where his last LP, Me, Myself and I was released in 2006, Joe is extremely excited about his new role as an independent artist.
Still, the Bronx native feels he always gets slept on and addresses his feelings with his eighth album titled The Elephant in the Room, due in March.
Despite the title and Joe’s stance of getting his proper acknowledgement, The Elephant in the Room is far from a brooding LP. In fact, it’s more a celebration of Joey Crack’s abilities in the vocal booth as well as his unwavering love of hip-hop. His new LP delivers over-the-top smash hits we’re accustomed to like his current single with J. Holiday, “I Won’t Tell”, along with his brazen street corner serenades of warfare, vice and thug confrontations.
“Truthfully, I did this album in like a month and a half,” Joe revealed. “Serious talk, my album, every record has got a different flow, but I’m willing to say every flow on each verse is not like the last.” In total he banged out 28 tracks averaging almost a song a day. “When I first started making music early in my career, it was wack,” he laughs. “But from J.O.S.E. on, I stepped my game up. From ‘Lean Back’ on, I really stepped my game up. I’m a pro at this. I’ve been hot for 14 years. Hit records after hit records. It’s almost like I’m scared of not being hot. I love making hot music, I love people saying they love my sh%!.”
Joe’s new album was produced by an assembly of hit makers he helped usher into stardom, DJ Khaled, Cool and Dre, Street Runner and Scott Storch. Elephant in the Room starts off with a ferocious wakeup call, titled “The Fugitive.” “Headed for paradise, Carlos Brigante, jazz in the background, Harry Belafonte,’ he raps over the Street Runners ensnaring track. “See Gail in the clouds. / Look honey I’m comin’. / Different strokes, different folks, you guessed it Phillip Drumming.” Joe comments on his stunning intro, “I’m going crazy on there,” he said. “I like for people to get the album, open the plastic off the CD. I want them to be in the car with four dudes, take that CD out, hear that beat come in and pretty much wild out.”
His frequent collaborator and New Orleans running mate, Lil Wayne guest stars on the gloriously, gritty, “Crackhouse.” The next featured, young, artist is, Plies who guest stars on the rhythmically prosperous “Ain’t Saying Nothin,’” a call and response igniter produced by Cool and Dre which is going to have people dancing so hard the clubs might get condemned for a week. “Coca Baby” is a Danjahandz tooled Fat Joe theme song that’s going to wreak more havoc than the monster in “Cloverfield.”
The DJ Premier produced “That White” comes with a special endorsement. Joe makes a serious promise for true hip hop fans, “That’s Primo’s hardest beat since “Kick in the Door.” DJ Khaled helmed the beat for “Get it For Life” featuring new singer Pooh Bear. Extended T.S. family member Scott Storch gives his winning touch to “Preacher on a Sunday Morning.” Finally, bringing up the rear, “My Conscience” featuring KRS-1, produced by the Alchemist brings the killer blow! Some fans are already saying this is Fat Joe’s best album to date.
As he reaches his musical zenith, Joe still finds time to give back to the community, constantly donating to various organizations and schools in his Bronx neighborhood. He was recently honored for his mentorship of children of incarcerated parents and work with the program “In Arms Reach.” Fat Joe’s final prophetic quote, “2008 going into 2009, when we say ‘Happy New Year’, we’re gonna really celebrate. I’m going for all the marbles. Its gonna be my biggest year.” Indeed, the Elephant in the Room will take Fat Joe to the next level and make the world stand up and recognize the era of “Crillz Mania” has finally arrived.
EMI
Trina recently shot her video for “I Gotta Thang For You” Featuring Keyshia Cole. The video also features New York Jets Running Back Thomas Jones. Video Coming Soon!!!
Trina
Slip-N-Slide Records
“Still Da Baddest” In-Stores April 1st
http://www.myspace.com/Trinarockstarr
http://www.myspace.com/Trina
Trina feat. Keyshia Cole - I Gotta Thing For You
http://www.divshare.com/download/3993200-198
Trina Bio
Miami native Katrina Taylor better known as Trina debuted in 1998 on Slip-N-Slide label mate Trick Daddy’s “Nann,” and quickly became a household name in Hip-Hop. With female rappers from the South not making much noise back then, Trina earned national attention. Adding a Southern twist to the explicit style that rappers like Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown had blown up off; Trina easily became the queen of the South. But her first two albums, Platinum selling debut album “Da Baddest B***h” (2000) and Gold album “Diamond Princess” (2002) focused on the raw and raunchy style that made her famous, followed by another Gold album entitled “Glamorous Life” in 2005, now the world patiently awaits the release of her fourth solo album entitled “Still Da Baddest”.
Trina lived most of her life between Liberty City and later, in the upscale community of Pembroke Isle, FL. Despite her surroundings in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, Trina managed to do positive things with her life, and became a real estate agent. At that point of her life she did not expect to pursue a career in music, but slowly, everything changed around. A local Miami rapper named Trick Daddy was establishing his career in 1997 and saw the talent in her. When it was time to work on his new album, he gave Trina a chance to be featured on a track. In 1998, that track, “Nann N*gga”, ended up being the first single of his “www.thug.com” album. The single became a hit reaching No. 3 on the Rap Charts. Thanks to the success of the single, Trina gained popularity and got a deal with Slip-N-Side/ Atlantic Records.
In March of 2000, Trina’s debut album “Da Baddest B***H” was released. The album entered the Billboard Chart at No. 10. The album’s lead single, also titled “Da Baddest B***h”, put Trina on the map, claiming her spot as an up-and-coming rapper in the industry. The following single, “Pull Over”, became an even bigger success, the song brought attention to Trina’s voluptuous body, which got her plenty of recognition as a sex symbol. Trina had now become a household name and got a taste of success with her album selling more than 700,000 copies in the US.
Affectionately known across the entire global market as the “Diamond Princess”, “The Baddest B***h” and any other name that pronounces and represents riches and royalty, Trina is most definitely a mark of distinction that is always looking for innovative creative ways to set her musical talent apart from other traditional female lyricist. ” I value inserting real life issues, into my music, my style represents real women’s struggles, and pleasures in relationships, break up’s and just the whole essence of being a women on a day- to day basis” states Trina.
Trina has been a prominent feature on numerous remixes and has released three solo albums and two mix tapes. When she first stepped on the scene, she caught the attention of the public by being provocative and vulgar. But like any human being, Trina’s music and personal life have been a constant evolution. Her last album, “Glamorest Life” which went Gold, included the Billboard top charting #3 single “Here We Go Again”, Ft. Kelly Rowland from the Grammy Award winning group Destiny’s Child. “I would say the beginning of my career was like a trial and error trying to find myself. I was speaking from the streets and life in general from people that I was around, she says. I always tried to let people know that, even from the first album, that what I say on record isn’t all me. It’s really a form of expression and life in general and just talking about what’s going on in the world that I have seen growing up in the inner city”.
Though she likes to “keep private life private” during interviews, Trina is comfortable talking about how her own personal experiences have inspired her writing. “I was in a relationship, and it was a good relationship, but something was just not right. No matter how much you put into it, no mater how much love you give, something can always go wrong. And that’s how the “Here We Go” Ft. Kelly Rowland came about. It’s from a real-life experience” states Trina.
Revealing her vulnerable side on songs like “Here We Go” Ft. Kelly Rowland helps Trina’s persona resonate with other females. As one of hip-hop’s most noticeable leading ladies, she’s determined to keep sisterhood amongst the women a priority. “There are only a handful of female artists, and there’s not really enough love and connection between us. We need to be supportive of each other: Guys can rap and promote gangbanging and violence and shooting up somebody’s mama, but if a girl says anything out of content, she is criticized. I just think women need to stick together a little more to be able to become just as successful as the guys in the industry.”
With a keen disposition on walking through the music industry making a historical name for herself, Trina has realized what an impact she has on young girls across the country, she always realized that a silent epidemic was plaguing their lives. “I travel a lot and I meet so many young girls and everyday life for them is a struggle. Everyday life for them is a different day of facing some sort of obstacle that they feel that can’t endure”. She has always been about empowering young females, so it was a no brainer that starting a non-profit organization to give back to the community was the next step for her career. And so the Diamond Doll Foundation was created in 2006 to fill the void that a lot of young girls have in their life. Trina feels that many young girls grow up without supporting parents and sometimes make life changing decisions that may not have been made if there was a proper support system in place. When asked about the overall theme and tone set for her newly developed foundation Trina states that, “Like a diamond, each female on this earth is precious and has a rare story to tell, but some don’t get the opportunity to shine, I want to help provide that opportunity”.
Throughout the past decade Trina has had the pleasure of gracing the covers of some of the top publications in the country, including three cover stories in KING Magazine, The Source, Smooth, XXL, Sister 2 Sister and most recently Ocean Drive just to name a few, helping her to build her name and her brand. For Trina, business is a priority. Aside from her music, she has other business ventures and is intent on building an empire to grow her brand. “I’m trying to make myself more of a business person this time around,” she says speaking more in-depth about her, Diamond Princess & new Diamond Doll fragrance, Pink Diamond Couture Clothing, and her future acting career.
But first, Trina is going to make sure that her music is right, which is why she is in such high demand as a featured guest artist. In between working on her fourth album entitled “Still Da Baddest”, she has kept herself busy by appearing on hit records. “I’m honored to do those guest appearances,” she says. “I’m a chick in the game who is working, and people will respect that. ” I came in the game as the “Baddest Chick” and I have “NO” intentions on resigning from my critically acclaimed title or handing down my crown.”
PLAY
