American Idol favorite Melinda Doolittle is back with the first single “It’s Your Love” off of her debut solo album, Coming Back to You, which hits stores February 3, 2009
“It’s Your Love” Audio Streams:
Bio:
Poised to become this generation’s ambassador of R&B and soul, Melinda Doolittle will release her hotly-anticipated debut solo album, Coming Back to You, on Hi Fi Recordings in January 2009. Featuring production by Grammy-nominated producer Mike Mangini (Joss Stone, Run DMC, The Jonas Brothers), Melinda’s debut solo album is an R&B tour de force that combines the fiery electricity of Tina Turner’s early years with the slick production and lush instrumentation of today’s pop-soul renaissance.
Recorded with a team of live musicians in Nashville and New York City, Coming Back to You displays Melinda’s extraordinary talent and versatility as a vocalist and sees her seamlessly transcend genres as she combines R&B, soul, blues, jazz and funk to create a sound all her own. From the first note, Melinda reaches back into a rich pool of musical influences and carries the torch of the greats – Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle – into the musical landscape of today.
“I’m so excited to be using live instruments and to be singing music that really paints a picture,” said Melinda. “I knew my task was to just go in the studio and be me and the music would take care of the rest.”
“Melinda is a hugely talented vocalist and performer, and we are honored to be the home of her debut album,” commented Hi Fi Recordings Chairman/CEO John Hecker. John Titta, President/COO of Hi Fi Recordings, also noted, “Melinda’s album is one of the most exciting that we’ve heard in years – a throwback to the classic soul albums of the 70’s with a modern twist that will undoubtedly capture the ear of today’s music fan. We can’t wait for everyone to hear what she can do.”
Melinda’s undeniable talent has resulted in a timeless collection of 13 songs that will take listeners on a journey from the blues clubs of Louisiana to the churches of Mississippi, to the piano bars of New York City and back. From the first horn blasts of “Declaration of Love,” listeners will feel a driving pulse and unstoppable energy that is reminiscent of Tina Turner’s iconic hits, while “Coming Back to You” and “Wonderful” feature Melinda’s silky voice wrapped around the smooth, sleek sounds of classic R&B. Melinda commands the emotional storytelling and funky delivery of the blues in “Dust My Broom” and “Walkin’ Blues”, and her impeccably artful and expressive voice has never been more on display than on the beautifully lush ballad “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” and the stripped down jazzy melody of “Wonder Why.”
A skilled and accomplished performer who perfected her craft as a backup singer for some of the biggest names in R&B, gospel and soul, including Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans and Jonny Lang, Melinda became a household name as a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. She was immediately recognized as one of the most talented performers in the show’s history and won over millions of fans and critics alike with her powerhouse vocal performances, engaging personality and now-classic renditions of songs like “My Funny Valentine,” “I’m a Woman” and “Nutbush City Limits.” The New York Times called her a “phenomenally gifted, stylistically adroit…Gladys Knight-Tina Turner hybrid…[who] brings a compelling honesty to every phrase she sings.” Eventually finishing in third place, Melinda finally entered the studio in 2008 to record the debut album that the world was waiting for.
As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. But sometimes being patient in the rap game can lead to obscurity. Q, the first artist signed to Tag Records and Island Def Jam, landed one the most exciting new artist deals in recent history thanks to his tireless determination to be at the forefront of the music industry. With the backing of Procter & Gamble (the Fortune 500 consumer goods corporation behind Tag Body Spray) and Island Def Jam, the rapper born Kareem Savage will have a steady stream of marketing dollars for his yet-to-be titled debut album, which is expected out later this year.
“I’ll be featured in every Tag commercial and every magazine ad,” says Q. “I’m filming a MTV Diary right now. Being a new artist out of nowhere doing and MTV Diary? That doesn’t happen! They’re in the studio with me filming the making of my album.”
Check out the lead single:
Q Da Kid - ‘On A Mission’ ft Jermaine Dupri
While the majority of the country may be meeting Q for the first time thanks to an incredible amount of instant exposure, New York City rap fans have been acquainted with the Brooklyn-born MC for quite some time. In the late ‘90s, Q dropped out of Kingsborough College to pursue a career in the music industry. He was offered a deal with Violator Records along with fellow Brooklyn rappers Red Café and Gravy. The trio called themselves Da Franchise, a name they came up with in high school.
During their stint at Violator, Da Franchise was featured on multiple mixtapes and both Violator compilations. Even though their work was well received, the group was never given the opportunity to release their own album. “We were signed for like three years but they wasn’t really trying to push forward,” says Q. “We were just stuck on the label and they didn’t know what to do with us. I was the first person to branch off and leave.”
Hoping to write his own destiny, Q moved to Miami in 1997 and recorded a demo with super producers Cool & Dre. He was introduced to a bevy of industry bigwigs and even offered a deal with one of the country’s most notorious heavyweights. “I met up with Mike Tyson and he was starting a label and he wanted me to be his first artist,” says Q, “but I was not trying to be back in the same situation as Violator so I went into the studio by myself and just kept recording more and more songs.”
During his four year stay in the Sunshine State, Q became a mainstay in the M.I.A. club scene known for his spontaneous live performances. He would team up with DJs like Khaled and Irie and kick live freestyles over whatever record was a hit at the time. After building a name for himself in Miami, Q decided to pack up and head to Atlanta in 2001, which was quickly becoming a hip-hop hotbed.
Once he settled in ATL, Q befriended DJ Shakim who was Bow Wow’s DJ and an associate of Jermaine Dupri’s. Shakim was impressed by Q’s lyrical prowess and the innovative freestyles he tacked onto the end of popular records. Before long, Shakim was playing Q’s homemade remixes in Atlanta’s hottest clubs. “Shakim kept telling me, ‘Yo, I’ve been hollering at JD and we’ve been having conversations about you,’” says Q. “Then one day I was in the club and I heard Shakim call me to the DJ booth. When I got there JD was in there. He was like, ‘What are you doing with yourself?’ I was like, ‘Trying to get it, here’s my number.’ He called me the next morning and I went into the studio with him the same night.”
In the summer of 2006, Q signed with So So Def/Virgin and appeared on a number of songs with A-list artists including, Fabolous’ “Make Me Better,” featuring Ne-Yo, “No One” by Alicia Keys, “Fine” by Mary J. Blige, and “Can’t Help But Wait” by Trey Songz. When Jermaine Dupri was named an executive at Island in early 2007, Q wasn’t sure how he would fit into JD’s new situation. “While he was getting established in the [Def Jam] building he kept telling me, ‘Be patient, I got you,’” says Q. “He told me that for a good year and a half straight. Then he called me one day and was like, ‘I might have a situation that would be good for you.’ We sat down and that’s when he told me about the Tag deal. He said it would be a good look for me and that I deserved it because I grind hard for what I want and that’s what the whole brand is about.”
Dubbing himself “The new breed of hip-hop,” Q is now ready to take over. With production on his debut album so far from No I.D. and Jermaine Dupri, Q promises his first LP will be a proper introduction to exactly who he is and what he stands for. “When I really put it together, I could be in the category of Rakim, Nas and Jay-Z,” he says. “Most rappers just be in the streets talking about selling drugs and stuff like that. I’m more into telling my story. Big was someone who was into telling his story, ‘Pac was a person who told his story, Jay is a person who tells his story.”
Thanks to the help of Jermaine Dupri, Q will not only get to rap about the world as he sees it, but he will also get to rap over the contagious club bangers executive producer JD is known and loved for. “JD told me, ‘Don’t stop grinding and being the person that you are,’” says Q. “’Just like you were determined to meet me and it took a minute to get it going and you was always in the studio, don’t stop now that you’ve got a deal. Just act like you ain’t got it. Stay hungry and be consistent.’ I told him, ‘Dawg, I’m gonna make you proud.’”
Q Da Kid
Debut Album Coming December 2008
TAG Records / Island Def Jam
www.tagrecords.com
www.myspace.com/qdakid19
50 Cent exploded onto the music scene with his blockbuster debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. Now he’s set to deliver his fourth major label album, Before I Self Destruct (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), on December 9, 2008.
For the explosive Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent returned to working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem as he did on his first album. But Before I Self Destruct is more than an album. The package also includes a DVD with an original, gritty, feature-length movie he wrote, directed and starred in. 50 Cent proves with Before I Self Destruct that no one on the hip-hop scene is more aggressive about putting the street on stage.
With Dr. Dre and Eminem each producing and guesting on tracks, and led by the club-friendly first single, “Get Up,” produced by Scott Storch, Before I Self Destruct is darker and harder than last year’s Curtis. 50 Cent wrote much of the album while he, as Curtis Jackson, was also penning the 90-minute film of the same name that would be his directorial debut.
The film Before I Self Destruct is a coming of age story about an inner city youth raised by a hardworking single mother. When his dream of becoming a basketball player fails to materialize, he finds himself employed in a supermarket. After his mother is tragically gunned down, Clarence (played by Jackson) is consumed by revenge and takes up a life of crime in order to support his younger brother.
“My film captures the harsh realities that reflect so many communities today. There will be some who will greatly identify with the characters and the situations presented and then there will be others who may be shocked at the struggles that go on in the inner city,” states 50 Cent. “I made the film for both groups.”
Before I Self Destruct, both album and film, continues 50 Cent’s phenomenal rise from street culture hero to superstardom. 2003’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ sold 872,000 units in the first four days of its release, making it the fastest-selling debut disc in the SoundScan era (since 1991). The #1 Pop, #1 R&B/Hip-hop album was the biggest seller of 2003 and has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
2005’s The Massacre, again #1 Pop, #1 R&B/Hip-hop, was the second biggest-selling album of that year and has sold more than nine million copies worldwide. With the album’s “Candy Shop,” “Disco Inferno” and “How We Do,” 50 Cent became the first solo artist in Billboard history to have three singles in the Top 5 in the same week.
2007’s Curtis reached #2 Pop and #2 R&B/Hip-hop, selling more than five million copies worldwide. Three tracks reached the Top 40 of the Hot 100: “I Get Money,” “Ayo Technology” and “Straight To The Bank.” Time magazine named “I Get Money” one of “The 10 Best Songs of 2007.”
Thanks to Curtis, 50 Cent was honored as the year’s Best-Selling Hip-hop Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards. His music career has also been marked by an impressive 13 Grammy nominations, from Best New Artist to Best Rap Album.
In addition to his record label, G-Unit Records, 50 Cent has enjoyed enormous global success across a vast array of entrepreneurial ventures, including videogames, books, clothing, footwear, beverages, personal care products, automotive and more. He has also starred in a handful of films, including 2005’s semi-autobiographical Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s Righteous Kill and now Before I Self Destruct.
Check out the Trailer for the album:
Not sure about naming a tune after one of the best Beatles tunes of all time, but anyways…
Demi Lovato has a new single! Check out the track “Get Back,” a rocking song off of her debut album due out on September 23rd. Two Worlds features six songs co-written and co-produced by the Jonas Brothers, and the title track which was written for her best friend Selena Gomez. “Get Back” is available for download on iTunes now.
“Get Back” audio streams:
The guys of Menudo are keeping busy this summer and taking you along for the ride! Stay up-to-date with Chris, Carlos, Emmanuel, Monti and José on their Kyte channel where you can watch tons of cool videos of them performing, traveling on the road, and goofing off backstage. “Lost,” their smash summer single, is doing great at radio across the country and has broken 2,000 digital single sales a week.
The new incarnation of Menudo have officially arrived with their debut music video for “Lost,” the first single off their forthcoming album due out on September 9th. Carlos, Chris, Emmanuel, José and Monti run wild in style through an action packed hostage rescue mission in Los Angeles. The pulsating dance beats and urban pop flare of the track lay the perfect groundwork for the chase. Want to see more? Check out the behind-the-scenes look of the video.
“Lost” full video:
Behind the scenes of “Lost” video:
Ernie Halter also has an ongoing cover video series on YouTube.com (http://www.youtube.com/erniehalter), popular with his fans who submit requests on an ongoing basis. It was this, as much as Halter’s penchant for performing covers during his live shows, that prompted him to include three covers on the album: “Just Friends” (Musiq Soulchild), “Pretty Girl” (David Ryan Harris – a song that Halter wishes he had written himself and calls it “the most beautiful song ever”), and “Cyclone” (Baby Bash). Halter explains: “‘Cyclone’ is a hip-hop song, you hear it in clubs, and it’s not the kind of song you’d hear an acoustic songwriter singing. I basically flipped it – added some chords and arrangements that weren’t there, rather than just trying to copy it. There’s no skill in that. Incidentally, I noticed it was getting a lot of traffic on YouTube. One night, I was looking on MySpace and Baby Bash had written me a message there just to tell me he dug it. And I found out later that a radio station in Phoenix had picked up the song and had put it in rotation. People were telling me they heard it on the radio. I just decided have some fun with it.”
For an artist four albums, one dvd, a handful of live records into his career, having had songs placed in several prime time TV shows, (including the critically acclaimed ABC series, Brothers and Sisters and NBC’s Friday Night Lights) and having shared the stage with everyone from *NSYNC to Marc Anthony, Joss Stone to Chris Whitley, you would think Tony Lucca might be a household name by now. Instead, Lucca manages to stroll casually under the radar, patient though persistent and seemingly content with his place in today’s ever-evolving music business.
The formation of The Band of Heathens is as natural and organic as the music they create. In early spring 2006, the three principle songwriters, Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist, were sharing the bill every Wednesday night at the venerable Austin club Momo’s. Originally, it started as each songwriter performing his own set. But in a short time they started sharing the stage equally and collaborating on each other’s songs, with bassist Seth Whitney as the anchor of the rhythm section. The Wednesday night series was billed as “The Good Time Supper Club.” Largely improvised and unrehearsed, the shows quickly gained in popularity and word spread throughout Austin that if you wanted live music on Wednesday night, Momo’s was the place to be.
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