Alius Magazine

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Rihanna x Where Have You Been (BTS Video)

RiRi shoots a video for her new single off Talk That Talk called Where Have You Been. Check it out after the jump.............

I know many of my Alius readers can imagine me chuckling in delight as I am typing this post, but I assure you all that is not the case. Despite my very public disputes with fellow members of the Alius staff and also Nicki lovers on Twitter and Facebook, I am actually saddened by the thought of Ms. Minaj even considering quitting the game. Regardless of how I feel about her lyrical talent, she represents a very marginalized group of women in the music business, the female emcee. Minaj has undisputed star quality and great business sense so what is prompting her to even entertain the idea of resigning from her glittery hip hop reign?

To begin with and for those of you who don't follow Minaj's every move, last week the Barbie princess deactivated her Twitter account, releasing over 11 million followers and leaving a good portion of the hip hop masses very disappointed. Her reason for this? Apparently, one of her fan sites, Nicki Daily, leaked music from her latest album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," and after exchanging some pointed words with a few of her angry Barbz and Kenz in relation to the leak, she decided to leave Twitter for good, calling a certain group of followers "very mean."

Following her Twitter departure, Nicki gave an interview with UK radio host, Tim Westwood where she candidly discusses the strains the music business has placed on her. It seems that Ms. Minaj feels that she should have received a greater amount of appreciation for her latest album. Juggling between accents (the first, Britsh and the second, her rendition of rapper and labelmate, Lil Wayne), Minaj commented to Westwood: "This is my fourth mixtape really. You know what I'm saying. The Kid did it like that so she could feed her fans. But really, now the Kid is thinking maybe she should leave the game."

Tsk tsk, the fame may finally be taking a toll on our favorite hip hop doll. I actually feel sorry for Nicki though. Underneath all the neon spandex, multi-colored wigs and heavy eye make-up is just a girl who wants to be respected for her work and her dedication to music. Why can't we just love her for that? It definitely wouldn't be smart for her to leave now though. Regardless of how much appreciation Nicki felt she deserved for "Roman Reloaded", the album still sold over 253,000 copies, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200. Not to mention the fact that she is still loved EVERYWHERE, especially here in Detroit where she shut down Club Pandemonium at capacity after her concert last April.

Let's all pray for her....and in the meantime, check out excerpts from her interview with Westwood at timwestwoodtv on YouTube.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Taylor Gang Covers The Source

Wiz, Juicy, Chevy and Lola grace the front of the hip hop rag, which will be on newsstands May 8th.

Wiz Khalifa x Work Hard, Play Hard (prod. Stargate & Benny Blanco)

Here goes the Stargate and Benny Blanco-produced first single from Wiz Khalifa’s forthcoming sophomore effort O.N.I.F.C. (Only Nigga In First Class) out August 28. Check it out after the jump.......

"This spring, Complex and Dr. Pepper embarked on an adventure like no other: a road trip hitting 23 American musical hubs, from cities with timeless musical heritage to festivals drawing fans from around the world.

The first destination for the One of a Kind Music Access bus was Indio, California, home of the Coachella Festival, which annually showcases musical legends alongside the hottest industry newcomers. This year, rapper Kendrick Lamar shared a line-up with some of the greatest musicians of all time (living or dead), and you can check out his experience in the video above."

Check it out after the jump......

Living in Detroit, most natives know firsthand what talent, potential and accomplishments our city holds, but of course, we're biased (LOL!). That's why it is so unbelievably great and gratifying when someone outside of the city realizes what we have to offer. In reading Vibe magazine this past week, I came across their "25 Most Important Cities in Hip Hop" article. I automatically assumed that we would fall somewhere near the end of the list only because it seems like the media is often reluctant to give Detroit any shine. However, guess where our fair city ranked??? NUMBER 8!!!

Not only was Detroit in the top 10 most important cities in hip hop, Vibe gave us a rave review mentioning Detroit born and bred artists such as Eminem, Big Sean, J Dilla, Royce Da 5’9”, Slum Village, Danny Brown, and Black Milk. Vibe also gave mention to Detroit's deep hip hop roots, stemming from the origin of Motown and its' many contributions to music from all over the globe, and to top it all off, the article concluded commenting "it’s easy to see that the coldest hip-hop lives in the D." In my opinion, this fact alone should have put us in the number one spot, but you know they had to give that to NYC. Other cities on the list were Pittsburgh, Houston, Kansas City, and Chicago, and there were even a few foreign cities that made it, including Amsterdam (Netherlands) and London (England).

For Vibe's full list of the "25 Most Important Cities in Hip Hop," visit http://www.vibe.com/photo-galleries/represent-25-most-important-cities-hip-hop?page=20#node-title, and congratulations Detroit on making the cut!!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Jet Life: Direct Flight Tour Documentary Day 1 Video

Check out after the jump day one of the Jet Life: Direct Flight Tour Documentary with Curren$y, Styles P, Smoke DZA, Young Roddy & Trademark, Fiend and Cornerboy P during their stop in Houston, Texas.......

The supergroup unveils their latest music video which was filmed during SXSW and features cameos from Eminem, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Big Sean, MC Hammer, A$AP Rocky, Victor Cruz and more. Welcome to: OUR HOUSE scheduled for June 12th. Check it out after the jump........

It's that time again, Detroiters! Leading ladies, Melody Fresh and June Bug along with promoting powerhouses, You Love It Entertainment and The Firm have come together again to put on their second talent showcase of this year entitled "Mic Check." The event will take place tomorrow, April 24, 2012 at Marilyn's on Monroe (419 Monroe St.). Doors will open at 8:30 p.m., and performances will begin at 9:15 p.m. Interested patrons can purchase tickets in advance and at the door for $10. However, after 10:00 pm, ticket prices will increase to $15 so make sure you get there early!

With sounds by DJ Syncere, this event is sure to place some of Detroit's most promising talent in the limelight. There will be performances by artists, dancers, and comedians including Stretch Money, Rena Wright, G. Paige, Yung Blaz, and Audacity. Also, new to the talent showcase this time around is the "I Got Bars" freestyle battle which is sure to shed some light on the city's best lyricists. There will be drink specials all night and maybe even an appearance or two by some of your favorite Detroit artists who have made a name for themselves nationally.

Alius Magazine will definitely be in the building, and we hope to see you all there!!