• Laidback Luke's Mixmash Records Responds to Beatport Takedown Of "S.A.X."

    Laidback Luke's record label, Mixmash Records, has been rocked with a scandal regarding promotion surrounding the latest release, 'Laidback Luke & Tujamo S.A.X.' The largest portal for electronic music, Beatport, removed the song from its store temporarily and re-added it shortly thereafter once the service deemed that Mixmash Records had violated Beatport's policies regarding chart eligibility. Mixmash Records has responded to the allegations of impropriety and denies any wrongdoing but the damage has been done.

  • 2 Chainz, Tyrese Gibson, Mýa Appear in Eric Bellinger's 'Focused on You' Music Video [WATCH]

    Los Angeles rapper Eric Bellinger has shared the music video for his Nas-sampling track "Focused on You" featuring 2 Chainz, which you can check out below. The Daniel CZ-directed clip finds Bellinger and 2 Chainz rapping in a mansion while some sort of business deal involving briefcases is going down out by the pool. Singer and actor Tyrese Gibson makes a cameo, and just in case he was not enough of an early 2000s throwback for you, R&B singer Mýa also makes an appearance as Bellinger's love interest — though she seems to be a bit of a forbidden love interest.You can check out Eric Bellinger's "Focused on You" video featuring 2 Chainz here, via MTV:

  • 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta's Stevie J Indicted for Owing Over $1 Million in Child Support

    "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta's" Stevie J is always in some kind of trouble, isn't he? Even on the rare occasions that he is behaving himself, he ends up embroiled in some sort of drama with his common-law wife, Joseline Hernandez. This time around though, his "Puerto Rican Princess" has nothing to do with the mess that he is in. Stevie is the kind of guy that thinks that paying his child support is optional, at least until today when he ended up indicted for non-payment!

  • Future Music Festival Reveals Top 10 Strangest Rider Requests

    Musicians are a weird bunch. As the son and nephew of professional musicians, the author can tell you that they can be eccentric individuals. When it comes to world touring musicians, their peculiarities come out even more with their habits on the road. No place better personifies this then an artist's rider request and Future Music Festival, the massive Australian and Asian multi-city festival, shared 10 of the most bizarre rider requests they have ever gotten. They range from the environmentally friendly to new outfits to bisexual goldfish. It is all too strange.

  • Twitch Launches Music Library: Video Game Streaming Service Unveils Label Partnerships with Skrillex's OWSLA, Steve Aoki's Dim Mak and More

    A video game streaming service has announced today, Jan. 15, that it is expanding into the music arena with a new Twitch Music section of its website. It will feature a growing library of music from approved publishers and labels and allow for artists to stream their own original music through the service. Twitch music, as of this writing, has 538 songs in its catalog and has deals with publishers like Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records, Skrillex's OWSLA, Flux Pavilion's Circus Records, Spinnin' Records and more. It is primarily EDM-focused for now, but in the site's FAQ, it clarifies that "our intention is to add music from all genres to our library."Twitch and the music community have been closely intertwined for some time now. Krewella unveiled their first song post-Kris Trindl, "Say Goodbye," through the service. Skrillex live streamed his OWSLA holiday party through the service in December. Several artists like deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Porter Robinson and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit have partnered with Twitch to live stream their own video game playing.Indie dance music label Monstercat has helped pave the way for the music library with a 24/7 music channel called Monstercat FM.

  • Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston Both Snubbed by Academy for Oscar Nominations

    Now Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie really do have something in common besides both being married to Brad Pitt at one point or another. This morning, both of them were snubbed by the Academy when it came time to announce the official 2015 Oscar nominations. Jolie was angling for Best Director for her (actually quite amazing) work on "Unbroken," while many believed that Aniston would be acknowledged for her work in "Cake."

  • Gwyneth Paltrow, Jimmy Fallon Perform Broadway Versions of Drake, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean Songs [WATCH]

    Gwyneth Paltrow proved she could sing during her stint on Glee and in the film Country Strong. She got back on the mic during her appearance on The Tonight Show alongside Jimmy Fallon, who was "playing" piano. The two teamed up to perform Broadway versions of popular rap songs, including Drake's "Started From The Bottom," Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" and Big Sean's "I Don't F**k With You." Fallon donned a smoking jacket and Paltrow sported a pink jumpsuit.

  • Stream 20-Year-Old Jay-Z Demos Recorded Before Hova's Debut Album 'Reasonable Doubt' [LISTEN]

    A recently unearthed collection of demos show off Jay-Z's genius prior to his 1996 debut "Reasonable Doubt." The 11 tracks are truly a special gift for any Hova fan since they show off his skills prior to becoming a multi-millionaire. Tracks like "What's in a Name?" and "Pass the Roc" were made by a 25-year-old lyrical mastermind hungry for a life beyond the streets.Mass Appeal discovered the demos, which feature a few guest spots by Sauce Money. What is most upsetting about the collection is that tons of record labels passed on the rapper after hearing the tracks. Wow. Listen to the compilation below."Jay-Z was never really a coke rapper. He was also never really the club rat, the jeweler's best friend or the menacing kingpin," "XXL" wrote about the demo collection. "What he was was a carefully constructed latticework of all those things, borrowing bits and pieces of other archetypes and putting them over the day's most forward production."

  • Action Bronson Freestyles for Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97 Over an Alchemist/Prodigy Beat [LISTEN]

    Action Bronson will release his second studio album, "Mr. Wonderful," in March. The rapper dropped his second single, "Actin Crazy," earlier this month and recently stopped by the Hot 97 studios to promote the effort. Instead of just talking about the album, Bronson showed off his rhyming skills by freestyling over an Alchemist/Prodigy beat titled "Keep It Thoro" for Funkmaster Flex and his crew.Bronson went off for four minutes, HotNewHipHop notes. Here is just a small sample of what the rapper came up with during the session:"I'm just tryna be the next George Foreman / Invent the new grill so Jadakiss can cook the base on it / I might take a s--t in some expensive jeans, I got expensive habits / My kids are mixed like Lenny Kravitz," he raps in the clip below. "It's not me rappin, it's the parrot / And if I punch you in the face, you'll never eat a motherf--kin' sandwich (Body!)."In December, Bronson revealed the official tracklist for "Mr. Wonderful," via Twitter. Check it out below:

  • Common Drops New Verse on Stacy Barthe's 'Live for Today' [LISTEN]

    Fresh off of his Golden Globe win — and as of this morning, Academy Award nomination — for his song "Glory" from the movie "Selma," Chicago rapper Common has dropped a new verse on Stacy Barthe's "Live for Today," which you can check out below. As its title implies, the song is about seizing the day and not waiting around for moments of greatness to come, with Common asking, "I know the world is changing / But I'm still in my mind, where the peace be?" The true highlight of the track, however, is Benny Cassette's excellent production, which is based around a killer bassline and some jazzy electric piano chords.You can check out Stacy Barthe's "Live for Today" featuring Common here, via "Hot New Hip-Hop":
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