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The city of San Francisco stars opposite Locksmith in this visual off The Green Box which drops May 7th on www.IAMLOCK.com. The video is directed by Locksmith & Brian Storm.
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After releasing two of the best R&B and Hip Hop albums of 2012 respectively, Miguel and Kendrick Lamar wouldn't seem cocky if they assumed they have their fields covered.
The two L.A. artists land on the cover of Vibe's 2013 "Big List" Issue.
Check out an excerpt of their cover story written by John Kennedy and their photo shoot with Steven Geomillion and Dennis Leupold below.
VIBE: First off, congrats on being dubbed musical geniuses of the current generation. Had you two met before the shoot?
MIGUEL: I never met Kendrick before this.
KENDRICK LAMAR: Even though we're both from L.A., we never met.
Wow, really?
MIGUEL: [Laughs] He's just joking around. We got to work before and chopped it up for a quick second. As much as I love the fact that we get to be on the cover, it's cool when it's people that you really fuck with and you're a fan of.
KENDRICK: Definitely, and it makes it easier when we do get back into the studio together. Because in the last couple of years I've [learned] you can't really jump in a studio with everybody 'cause the energy is not there. To vibe with someone on a personal level makes the music sound so much better.
What was your first impression of each other’s music?
KENDRICK: First time I heard Miguel, it was a video actually. What was the first video on BET?
MIGUEL: If it was the one with J. Cole, then that's "All I Want Is You."
KENDRICK: It was the joint before that, early in the game. Whatever it was, it was dope. Something new, something fresh. When I found out that he's from the town, that made him even more official 'cause we don't get too many vocalists getting light and love on the actual talent.
MIGUEL: I gotta say that Section.80 tape was it. What I liked most is the perspective. There's a song where Kendrick is like—I'm gonna f*ck up the lyrics—How do you talk about money, religion and street life all at the same time. I know I f*cked it up, Kendrick. My bad, bro.
KENDRICK: Nah, you good. Exactly. That's it.
MIGUEL: I just like that it's an honest perspective. Sometimes you listen to MCs and you're like, This shit sounds cool, the verse and the cadence or whatever, but when you look at the artist, it just doesn't translate. I don't get that from Kendrick. Younger artists, we're all striving to be ourselves. He's one of the best examples of that.
KENDRICK: Likewise. As far as Miguel, one thing I said these past couple of years, from an R&B perspective, I always felt like it's been missing the depth of actually telling a story. Everything on the radio has been cliché. But when you get a body of work like Miguel's, you hear actual intricate details and lines where it's not just saying, Come here girl, blah blah blah.
MIGUEL: [Laughs]
KENDRICK: You're hearing the steps to get there. And that's the part of R&B that's been missing for a long time. To actually hear somebody new doing it and taking pride in such intricate details that make the song that much better, it makes you wanna ride to it all day. I come from that world of oldies and gangster rap. My pops probably played more R&B and vocalists in the house than gangster rap, so I always listened for lyrics and the shit that make the women feel good. Once they like it, you know the dudes gon' follow it right after, so you gotta be up on your shit.
You’re both carrying the torch as the leaders of the new generation. How do you define musical genius?
KENDRICK: Somebody that don't really have any boundaries, that's not confined to the traditional structure of a song or traditional sounds. When you listen to "Adorn," it feels like he's not even trying to structure a radio joint. He just felt the music, felt the instrumentation and wrote the track.
MIGUEL: Good looks, bro. My favorite artists always took whatever they loved out of music and made it their own. It was their take on it. Kendrick is one of those people where I can hear Ice Cube's first two albums' influence. I get the street edge, but then I hear like the poetic player, smoothness, creativity and smart street savvy of Andre onAquemini. That juxtaposition is what I hear in Kendrick, but it's his own take. If you listen to my shit, you're gonna hear Prince, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin or a little bit of the Beatles. That's where I'm pulling from.
Some of the most genius artists have thrived when taking chances and innovating. How important is that? Does that set up for the inevitable dud?
KENDRICK: That's the chance you gotta take. Who knew when Jay-Z sampled Annie that it would blow up? That could've been a disaster; you wouldn't even be speaking about Jay-Z right now. But that was a chance he was willing to take. 808s & Heartbreak could've ruined Kanye, but he did it so smooth and different, it just felt right. And that's one of his greatest albums. He wasn't really rapping on it, but that was a chance he took to be ahead of the game. Those are genius minds. And that's good for the culture of hip-hop, to know that we have people in the game before us that are willing to explore. It gives me a little more confidence in what I'm doing when I think back on all the emcees that have done that.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken artistically? One that went over surprisingly well and one that might’ve gone over people’s heads?
MIGUEL: Sh*t, well this whole album—overall it doesn't sound like any other R&B album that's been put out in the past decade. The only album I would say sounds as alternative would be A Beautiful World by Robin Thicke, and that was like 2003. Since then, I haven't heard a commercial album sound as alternative as this one. Including those psychedelic influences for R&B was a huge risk. I honestly was nervous to put it out. I remember having a conversation with Mark, my A&R, like, "Man, I don't know if they're gonna get this sh*t. It may be bad." And he was like, "I love the album." And I love it, too; I'll be proud of it when I'm 80, because I know what I was going through when I was writing, producing and creating it. It's really cool to get attention from outlets that never really paid attention to me or my music before this album. On the opposite end, risks that I didn't even know I was taking—I look back on photos [from All I Want Is You] and the way I was dressed is not something I'd do again. If anything, when you do take risks, you become either more confident because you're going to be criticized and speculated, and those conversations are gonna cross you and you're either sure of yourself and what you believe in or you're torn down.
KENDRICK: I definitely agree. Making good kid, m.A.A.d city was a risk in itself. The idea of a concept record has been lost for a long time—will that translate to 16-year-old kids in high school rather than the super energetic joint on the radio? I definitely had that in the back of my mind when I was creating this album. But having that thought process gave me confidence in knowing that ain't nothin' new under the sun. By me doing this, it can be fresh and something new to the kids that are not used to a record that has skits intertwined within the songs and a whole album breakdown. Overall, what I talk about in my music is another huge risk. When you think of the West Coast, you immediately think of crazy-type street credibility. To come from that place but not glorify it is a challenge in itself.
To read the rest of the cover story head over to Vibe.
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Snoop Dogg a.k.a. Snoop Lion recently stated that the hip hop community would not support an openly gay rapper because the culture is all about masculinity. In Snoop's opinion Frank Ocean was accepted because he's a singer.
"Frank Ocean ain't no rapper. He's a singer. It's acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don't know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine," the rapper told The Guardian. "It's like a football team. You can't be in a locker room full of motherf*cking tough-a$$ dudes, then all of a sudden say, 'Hey, man, I like you.' You know, that's going to be tough."
This morning Hot 97's Ebro said that fans are already supporting gay rappers, they just don't know it.
"We're probably supporting a gay rapper right now," Ebro said. "Based on the number of gay Americans there are that we know about, odds are are that one of these rappers is probably gay."
What do you think about Ebro's comments? Is Snoop right? Would the hip hop community turn their backs on a gay rapper?
Poll
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Wu Tang Clan and The Roots together on the same stage? It can only happen on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa and Killah Priest lit the stage up yesterday with a performance of "I Declare War" off of Ghostface's upcoming album, Twelve Reasons to Die.
The project will be available on April 16th. You can pre-order your copy now from iTunes.
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Roc Nation artist J. Cole will be delivering his sophomore album titled Born Sinner this summer. He made the announcement last night via his Twitter page.
The lead single off of the project is the Miguel-assisted "Power Trip."
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2013 XXL Freshman class member Schoolboy Q steps up to the plate for an a capella freestyle. A new freestyle by each emcee on the list will be released daily until April 19th. After that there will be three cyphers starting on April 22nd.
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Young Jeezy recruits an all-star lineup of West Coast legends for the G-Mix of his hit song "R.I.P." Big Snoop Dogg, Too Short and E-40 Fonzerelli all lend vocals to this remix. The original version appears on Jeezy's mixtape, It's Tha World.
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J. Cole releases the official music video for "Power Trip" featuring Miguel. The single is off of Cole's upcoming sophomore album, Born Sinner. Cole announced the project will be released on June 25th.
The family of late actor Michael Clarke Duncan think something fishy may have taken place regarding his will in the months leading up to his death.
Duncan's sister, Judy, has hired a lawyer to investigate the circumstances that led up to him changing his will. And to find out if his fiancee, Omarosa Manigault, had anything to do with it.
In April 2012 Duncan made Omarosa the main beneficiary of his will. His family doesn't think the "Green Mile" actor was in his right state of mind at the time. They claim that as early as December 2011 he began to show signs that he was ill by slurring his words and stumbling around, reports TMZ.
Judy claims Omarosa became fixated on her brother's money after he suffered a heart attack in July 2012, heightening the family's suspicions of her. Duncan was subsequently placed on life support. He passed away on September 3, 2012 at the age of 54.
Duncan's family is also angry because Omarosa has sold many of his possessions without their knowledge including his "Green Mile" director's chair, awards, cars and watches.
Omarosa made a statement to TMZ accusing Judy of being the one who is after Duncan's money.
"I don't control the estate or the finances and Judy knows it. If you saw all of her emails and texts to me you would see that she is just trying to get money from me, and threatened going to press if I did not give it to her and that is a crime!"
Duncan left Judy $100,000 in his will.
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Lupe Fiasco was in the mood to scrap at his his recent show at the University of Cincinnati. After a fan threw a glow stick that hit him in the head, the Chicago rapper halted the show to issue a challenge.
“I know you're a jerk and that’s cool," Lupe said. "I know that you came here and you thought that I’ma get some shine real quick and throw some sh*t at Lupe and hit him in the face. But, let me remind you of something, okay?...You see this waist? This waist right here? There used to be four black belts around this waist. So listen. Everybody that wanna throw some sh*t, kindly step over to the side of the stage, and I’ll give you five minutes of fame here.”
Check out what happened below.
Spotted at Vibe
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Shawty Lo is grinding harder than ever promoting his latest mixtape, I'm Da Man 4. Today he releases two music videos off of the project for "Extra," produced by B. Weezy and "It's Been Real," produced by Zaytoven.
Directed by Chris Ferguson for GT Gilms
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"It's Been Real"
"Extra"
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Ransom is gearing up for the release of his latest mixtape, The Alternative. The New Jersey emcee decides to drop an official music video for "Arson," which will be on the project.
Directed by Whartonberg and Sonny Black. Edited by Ransom shot by BoB.
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With all of the bottle popping, rain making and molly ingesting going on in today's hip hop scene, the art of lyricism seems to be taking a backseat with the exception of a few artists.
Nitty Scott, MC is one of the new school artists who puts an emphasis on her lyrics and her fans appreciate it.
Nitty sits down with Okayplayer in their latest installment of Okayplayspace, She talks about getting her start as an emcee, making the move from Florida to New York City to make her dreams come true, her first performance and favorite places to do live shows.
Pt. 1
Pt. 2
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Off the success of the L.A Leakers mixtape First Round Draft Picks earlier in the year, the L.A. Leakers announce their next mixtape project! Leaks Of The Industry drops June 3rd and will be filled with nothing but HOT exclusives.
Talib Kweli teams up with Miguel for a track that is smooth and fresh titled "Come Here." The song is off of Talib's upcoming album Prisoner Of Conscious which is scheduled dropping on May 7th.
Styles P releases his new collaboration with D-Block partner in rhyme Jadakiss titled "Red Eye." The track will be featured on Styles' upcoming album, Float, produced entirely by Scram Jones. The project will be released on April 16th.
Jay-Z is taking his Roc Nation label to Universal.
Universal Music Group announced today that they have entered into a multi-year agreement with Jay's company. Jay has reportedly been shopping for a deal the past several months. UMG beat out Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group to secure the deal.
As part of the agreement, forthcoming albums from Jay, Rihanna, J. Cole and other artists under the imprint will be released through UMG worldwide, according to a press release
Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, stated, "In just five years, Roc Nation has established itself as one of the most successful brands in music with a reputation for developing some of today¹s most influential and popular talent. Not only does this agreement provide a dynamic platform for Roc Nation's exciting emerging artists, it extends our relationship with the extraordinary Rihanna and represents a homecoming for JAY Z-a brilliant artist and entrepreneur, who has been a creative cornerstone of our company. All of us at UMG are thrilled that JAY and Roc Nation chose UMG as their partners, knowing we will support their artists with a level of resources, expertise and passion that is simply unmatched in the industry."
In 1999, Jay left Def Jam/Universal. This new agreement brings the platinum selling rapper full circle.
"We are looking forward to working with Lucian and the incredible team he's assembled at Universal. We would like to applaud Lucian for collaborating with us to strike a new age deal. This agreement presents a unique opportunity for Roc Nation's artists-being able to continue to operate as an independent label with the strength, power and reach of the best major. I look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with UMG. It feels good to be home," Jay said in a statement.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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Over the weekend Ray J showed he could care less what anybody thinks about his music, especially former girlfriend Kim Kardashian and her current boyfriend Kanye West, when he released the song "I Hit It First."
Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg and Ebro think he violated because Kim is pregnant.
Ray called the station to defend himself.
"It's a song. It's not about that, it's a concept. People going way too deep," Ray said. "They just gotta keep it on the surface. I'm not trying to create no war. It's all love."
Check out Ray's conversation with Ebro and Peter then let us know what you think.
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Jaden Smith declares his intentions to stay on top of the gamne in his new music video for "Shakespeare." The 14-year old rapper/actor originally released the track last August.
Directed by Moises Arias
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More than 75,000 pans packed into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Sunday to watch Wrestlemania 29.
Diddy brought some hip hop flavor to the event by performing a medley of songs including "Victory," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "It's All About the Benjamins" and "Coming Home" featuring Skylar Grey.
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