andPOP » R&B

Two Men Arrested For Joss Stone Murder Plot

Christian Allaire — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:08:21 +0000

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Two men have been arrested for an apparent Joss Stone murder plot, reports CTV.

The two were found near the home of R&B singer Joss Stone in Cullompton, southwest England, on suspicion of conspiracy to rob and murder.

Police officials say the men were aged 30 and 33, and were arrested Tuesday after residents reported a suspicious-looking vehicle.

The men “had in their possession information relating to an individual in the Cullompton area and items which lead us to suspect that they may have intended to commit a criminal offense,” says Detective Inspector Steve Parker.

Stone’s publicist says she was apparently aware of the arrests and is being updated by the police. Police did not confirm that Stone was at home when the incident occurred.

The Sun newspaper claims, although not confirmed by officials, that the men had swords, rope, a body bag, and maps and aerial photos of Stone’s property.

The men are currently in custody. This is a scary story, especially if what the men had is true – a body bag? aerial photos? That’s a whole other level of stalking. Glad she’s okay.

Beyonce Addresses Album Leak

Christian Allaire — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:17:59 +0000

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Beyonce has addressed her fans in regards to her album leaking in its entirety yesterday, reports Billboard.

The singer’s album, ’4,’ was leaked two weeks before it’s scheduled date of July 28. While Beyonce isn’t happy, she is thanking her fans for the positive feedback she’s been receiving.

Beyoncé took to her official Facebook today to address the leak:

“My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans. When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs.”

The album comes out July 28 and Target stores will carry an exclusive version of the album with extra tracks.

According to my Twitter feed last night, the feedback wasn’t all positive. Many say the album is a little dull, and nothing compared to her lead single ‘Run The World (Girls).’ I don’t really support leaked albums, so I’ll wait for the official one before judging.

Chris Brown Leads BET Awards Nominations

Christian Allaire — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:39:24 +0000

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Chris Brown is the top contender at the BET awards this year with six nominations, reports Billboard.

Brown is up for best male R&B artist, viewer’s choice and video of the year for ‘Look at Me Now.’ He’s also nominated twice in the best collaboration category for his No. 1 hits ‘Deuces,’ featuring Tyga and Kevin McCall, and ‘Look at Me Now,’ with Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne.

Brown is also getting recognition for his acting, as he is nominated for best actor for his role in the heist thriller ‘Takers.’

Lil Wayne is nominated five times, three of them coming from his guest appearance on Brown’s ‘Look at Me Now.’

Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna are up for four awards each as well. Alicia Keys will perform and comedian Kevin Hart will host the award show. It airs live on June 26 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Wow, can we call this a Chris Brown comeback? I personally still think he’s a douchebag, but Rihanna-related-events aside, I guess his music is pretty good. We’ll have to tune in to see how many awards he actually wins. I know he deserves to deal with the consequences of his actions, but its good to see him on some sort of path to recovery, both career-wise and personal-wise.

Beyonce Names Her New Album ’4′

Christian Allaire — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:20:12 +0000

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Beyoncé has revealed the name of her upcoming album: “4.”

In an exclusive interview with Billboard, the music star says that the album’s title was inspired by her fans.

“Everywhere I look, I see them calling it ’4,’” she explains. “I had a whole other name and concept, but I keep seeing that the fans love the name ’4,’ and I think it would be a really nice thing to let them name the record.”

The number four also holds personal significance for Beyoncé, and not just because her latest studio album will be her fourth as a solo artist. “We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me,” she says. “It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date.”

Beyoncé, who will also be honored with the Billboard Millennium Award at the Billboard Music Awards on May 22, says that her early inspiration for the album came from Afrobeat music pioneer Fela Kuti.

“I recorded more than 60 songs: everything I ever wanted to try, I just did it. I started off being inspired by Fela Kuti. I actually worked with the band from “Fela!” [the hit Broadway musical based on his life] for a couple of days…what I learned most from Fela was artistic freedom: he just felt the spirit.”

Beyonce’s albums always bring-it to the table, so I’m excited for it. Her songs just have a universal appeal that gets everyone moving, so I have a feeling it will also be a huge success. The album is slated for a June release.

New Beyonce: ‘Run The World’

Christian Allaire — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:50:35 +0000

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Beyonce has released her newest single, called ‘Run The World (Girls),’ and it’s nothing short of fire.

Much like her single ‘Single Ladies,’ the song is a female anthem with heavy dance beats. I can see this being a smash hit… actually, it’s already on its way!

My only critique is that the song is a little repetitive… we get it Beyonce, you run the world. You don’t have to shout it over and over for four minutes. Whatever, it has a good beat and catchy chorus, so I’ll forgive her this time around. Return of Queen Beyonce!

Take a listen below, and let us know what you think!

Jazmine Sullivan Likes Jordan’s Eyelashes

andPOP Staff — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:32:11 +0000

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So there is no two ways about it – we made a mess out of this interview. And it’s nothing to do with Jazmine – she was pretty awesome. Here’s how we screwed it up:

1. Initially we almost turned down the interview because we weren’t familiar with her music. Than we found out she was huge and amazing.

2. Thanks to Rob Ostfield the audio is really bad and the camera work is so so.

3. Although we filmed this interview a while ago, we forgot to edit it until now.

andPOP fails on this one. However Jazmine did like Jordan’s eyelashes. So we did do something right

R&B Star, D’Angelo, Allegedly Asked for $40 Blow Job

Sam Rashid — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:12:41 +0000

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D’Angelo, R&B star, was looking for some mouth love but ended up getting booked by an undercover cop, reports CHARTattack.

D’Angelo, best known for his video “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” where he appears completely naked, allegedly asked a woman for a $40 blow job.

The woman to provide the $40 dollar mouth love was an undercover cop, and arrested D’Angelo on the spot, charging him with solicitation.

Later, when searching D’Angelo’s car (real name Michael Archer), police found $12,000. So, there was a lowball definitely going on, with that $40 offer.

Now, D’Angelo has been released from jail.

The R&B star has since pleaded not guilty to the solicitation charges and plans to contest the allegations made against him, according to a recent post on his MySpace.

D’Angelo has been working on a follow-up record to his 2000’s Voodoo, but has had minimal success because of legal problems occurring over the past couple of years. The new record is expected to be released sometime this summer. But then again, who really knows.

All-4-One Bringing Back R&B With No Regrets

Michael Levine — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:32:15 +0000

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It’s been 13 years since All-4-One’s peak popularity in the 1990′s- winning at the 1995 Grammy Awards and having their hit single I Swear certified by the ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) as one of the greatest love songs of the 20th century.

But now on the verge of resurfacing to the music industry and releasing their most successfully expected album to-date No Regrets on September 15, the four-man R&B band is ready to bring back a piece of work that caters to all.

“This record is a lot more exciting,” singer Jamie Jones tells andPOP. “We had a ton more leeway in the production and the writing, and just having the opportunity to make the record we wanted to make.”

“When we we’re making it, we agreed that regardless of the reception, we’re proud of it, and we’re happy with this body of work.”

Adds singer Delious Kennedy, “If we fail, we would like to fail because of what we did -our choices- and not because of the decisions of a record company.”

Now signed with Peak Records/Concord Music Group, the band formally dubbed as “The Dukes Of R&B” filled the the rave-reviewed sixth studio project with “multiple albums in one,” says Jones. Picture every last drop of R&B musical energy in their blood, squeezed into a final compilation- representing their entire careers.

“We went ahead and tried to make a record of a little bit of everything we are. We’re old school, we’re new school, R&B, Pop. So this is the first record in our opinion that really encompasses all the different styles that we are over our whole career. There’s gonna be a bit of everything for all our fans.”

At the peak of the album, according to Jones, is an heavy R&B sound like My Child. While I Love That Girl brings a Mo-Town vibe, and Perfect shows a bit more of the new-age sound. But a special track this time around is When I Needed An Angel, which was written after the band teamed up with Donate Life America- a foundation that tries to get more people to sign up as organ donors.

Says Jones, “Their concept really inspired us. It’s always fun to sing and do what you wrote, but even better when you have a message to say.”

Compared to previous albums, fellow singer Tony Borowiak admits there’s not one song he didn’t like. “There’s songs on our last albums where I just wanted to skip over, but there’s not a single song like that this time, I enjoy every single one. I think that’s the thing that everyone’s gonna see.”

During their first two studio albums All-4-One (1994) and And the Music Speaks (1995), the band coasted through fame with their hit singles I Can Love You Like That, which was Grammy Award nominated, and I Swear, which was Grammy Award winning- and also rode the no. one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven straight weeks in a row.

They we’re often coined as a “Boy-Band,” along with groups like Boyz II Men. But the guys see themselves as more old school than that.

“Before boy-bands came out we were just a musical group,” explains Jones. “But all of a sudden at one point, people just started saying we’re a boyband. We are a singing group man, and we’ve always been from day one. When The Temptations and New Edition and guys like that came out, they we’re just singing groups.”

But following label rifts, the band took a downward spiral turn and fell into a musical limbo, releasing three albums in 1999, 2001 and 2004- which didn’t attract much popularity at all. Since then the band resorted to the international scene, performing in South East Asia for a while, in cities such as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and Shanghai.

Though, don’t think there was any need for ice breakers after stepping into the studio after all those years.

“It’s still feels pretty normal,” says Borowiak. “We just went into the studio and had the same chemistry with each other, we’re great friends.”

The band had the fortunate opportunity of showcasing the single My Child in a world premiere performance in Las Vegas early in the summer. The result? A standing ovation.

“Truthfully it was one of those things where we just couldn’t wait to get back in the swing of things,” says Kennedy. “It was a great reception and singing the harmonies of the chords felt really good.”

And with post-release aspirations consisting of reintroducing themselves to the world, Jones sums up what we can expect from the group who’ve been gone for way too long. “You’re gonna see a different four individuals,” says Jones, “as far as mature and relaxed individuals- not stressed. You’re gonna see that we just had a great time putting together this record overall.”

“We know we still have the ability to make something special.”

Teenage Triple Threat Mishon Sets Eyes On The Prize

Emma Renda — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:40:44 +0000

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It’s not unusual for an actor to release an album, or a musician to star in movies and television. What’s rare is to do both before the age of 16. (And to be a pretty hot dancer, to boot.)

Mishon just became legal to drive in the United States, but he has already starred in three seasons of ABC’s Lincoln Heights and is releasing his second LP, The Yearbook, this fall.

With a two singles circulating the airwaves, “Excuse Me, Mama” and “Just a Kiss,” attention is flying fast and heavy at the budding triple threat. Mishon was taken under the wing of producer extraordinaire Vincent Herbert, who signed the young R&B singer to his new label Streamline Records, a joint venture with Interscope. Herbert, known for working with major pop stars such as Lady GaGa, Destiny’s Child and Toni Braxton, produced The Yearbook alongside Mishon.

“It’s reassuring to know that someone like that is behind you,” Mishon says. “It’s great being around him, he works hard.”

Mishon is no stranger to hard work himself. He has been living the abstract life of a teen pop star since he was 9, when he was picked up by Dynasty Records, which released his first album, Still Mishon, in 2004.

But before Mishon had the chance to settle into his career as a musician, he was cast in a lead role on ABC’s Lincoln Heights. After three seasons playing the kid brother to the leading character, Mishon signed on for another two seasons and is currently on set filming in Los Angeles, incidentally his hometown.

Although television was his first big break into the mainstream, Mishon’s focus lies in music.

“I definitely realized singing first,” Mishon says. “I’ve been singing ever since I was a baby, actually. I’ve been moulding my craft ever since [singing to Dynasty]. It’s been a blessing to have the experience I’ve had so far.”

Citing influences such as Michael Jackson and Usher, Mishon’s calling card has become his R&B ballads like “Excuse Me, Mama.”

“That song was basically about being chivalrous,” Mishon says of the song that details a young guy in a shopping mall swooning over a beautiful girl. Instead of approaching her directly, Mishon sings about being a gentleman and asking her mother’s permission. “Like I could say, ‘Excuse me, mama. Hey, you’re daughter is fine, can I get her number?’”

The song was written by Dwight Watson a.k.a. King Pin, an up-and-coming writer in the biz, according to Mishon. But Mishon has also written songs about his personal experiences, such as another ballad “Sidelines,” which he performed on Lincoln Heights as part of their prom episode.

“It speaks about me liking a girl and she knows it, but she has me on the sideline just waiting for her,” Mishon says. So what happened? “We got together but we broke up like a week later,” he says, with a laugh.

Although Mishon’s music personality is laden with charm and suave, his social life is a low-key one. Because of his packed schedule, Mishon is home-schooled by his mother, Shontay. The closest he ever got to the typical high school experience is on the set of Lincoln Heights, and though his career is something he would never sacrifice, he admits it isn’t easy to live at such an accelerated pace.

His closest friends are his parents, his summers are spent on tour or on set, and instead of going to his own prom, he is hiring himself out in a contest on his website for one lucky lady to win him as a date to their prom.

“I felt like prom is just a big thing for a lot of people,” Mishon says of the contest, which also includes a full shopping spree for the winner.

Increasing his visibility as the release date for The Yearbook approaches is paramount for the fledgling star, hence the contest and the blog and the Twitter account. Plans for a tour later this year are in the works, although no concrete details have been announced. Mishon is even a veteran on tour, as he hit the road last summer with BET’s Black College Tour with Chamillionaire.

“That was crazy, a lot of screaming girls,” Mishon says. “Being on stage and hearing people sing my songs, like ‘Excuse Me,’ the whole song all the way through, is pretty life-changing.”

His next tour will only mean bigger audiences and, well, more screaming girls if things keep up the way they’re going.

“I think over the past five or six years I’ve had ups and downs but I think that this time I’m really gonna do it,” Mishon says. “Like I say, I’ve got Interscope behind me working hard. It’s all about focus. As long as you stay focussed, you’ll reach your goal.

“I love music, I love to dance. It’s just in my heart, and if you love something, why not pursue it?”

Mary J. Blige Is Tyler Perry’s Leading Lady

Eva Lam — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:16:45 +0000

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Mary J. Blige may have sung “No More Drama” in her 2002 hit single, but she’s putting her acting skills to the test again in a new Tyler Perry film.

Billboard reports that the R&B singer has landed a starring role in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” based on Perry’s play of the same title.

Blige will play a nightclub manager opposite the already-cast Taraji P. Henson, who will play her good friend. As in the stage version, Perry will appear as his comedic alter ego, the bad-tempered grandmother Madea.

The movie, which Perry is also directing, has already begun filming in Atlanta and is slated for release in September.

“Bad” marks Blige’s first film role since the 2001 drama “Prison Song,” though she appeared on HBO’s “Entourage” in 2007.

The singer-songwriter is working on her ninth studio album, which is scheduled for release later this year. It will be the follow-up to her 2007 album, “Growing Pains,” which won a Grammy for best contemporary R&B album.

Chris Brown Accused Of Assault

Joelle Tomlinson — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:32:30 +0000

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In the midst of interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, celebrity wrangler Ryan Seacrest received word that Chris Brown is currently under investigation for an alleged assault. The 51st Grammy Awards Show is held in Los Angeles, California.

It was confirmed that Brown was present at the Clive Davis event last night with an unidentified woman. Another unidentified woman has accused Brown of assaulting on the way home from the party. There was an altercation, and the woman claims to have injuries. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the charges, but so far Brown has not been charged with anything.

Brown was supposed to perform at the Grammy’s Award Show, and it has been confirmed that he will not be attending. Brown’s girlfriend Rihanna will not attend the Grammy’s either. Brown has been nominated for two Grammy’s, and Rihanna has been nominated for three.

It is rumored that Justin Timberlake will replace Chris Brown on the stage for his performance.

Jennifer Hudson In The ‘Spotlight’ For 51st Grammy Awards

Joelle Tomlinson — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:36:30 +0000

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Jennifer Hudson has a lot on her mind. The 27-year-old singer is still recovering from the tragedy in her family while under the spotlight of the entertainment industry. Her personal life has been the horrifying story of celebrity news since October, but her professional life still manages to flourish. Hudson has been nominated for four awards tonight at the 51st Grammy Awards Show.

E! Online reports that the talented star feels blessed and honored to be among the nominees. “It’s been a childhood dream of mine to release an album, so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing. I’m extremely honored and humbled by the nominations,” Hudson said in a statement released by Arista Records.

Hudson performed Friday at the MusiCares tribute to Neil Diamond, and received the first standing ovation of the night. She sang a soulful rendition of the 1969 hit ‘Holly Holy’.

Hudson’s self-titled debut is nominated for R&B Album of the Year, while the tune “Spotlight” is a contender for best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Her fourth nomination is a shared one with American Idol buddy, Fantasia. They are in the running for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for their duet entitled “I’m His Only Woman.”