Quincy Jones, Aloe Blacc, and Kanye West

The above photo comes from crooner/MC Aloe Blacc's site and a benefit show that featured the three. So far, no indication that the trio will form a mega-trio, although if possible it will have to wait until Aloe Blacc returns from his current tour in the EU. Aloe Blacc spent Saturday night (6/25) playing Glastonbury in the UK alongside names like Radiohead, Pulp, Beyonce, and countless notable others. Check video of his performance below.

Aloe Blacc will spend the bulk of July touring overseas before heading back to the US to prep for a new batch of East Coast dates in early September. Those dates include a return to Highline Ballroom on September 2nd. Tickets are on sale.

In other news, Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint has landed a home at Def Jam which is part of Universal (which just lost Common to Warner Brothers).

Kanye's GOOD Music just released Big Sean's LP Finally Famous this week. What do you think of Big Sean? As Pitchfork pointed out, Flying Lotus is not a fan ("This Big Sean album is not sweet. I dunno why I try to like this stuff. I want my time back! same wack ass post drake cadence,talking about the same shit i heard in the last rap album i bought(nothing).more autotune.more snare repeat"). Flylo does however like the new Shabazz Palaces.

Speaking of Flying Lotus and Aloe Blacc, they both performed with the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble in LA in 2010. Pharoahe Monch performs with the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble in NYC in July 2011.

All Aloe tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Aloe Blacc scheduled more dates, GOOD Music joins Def Jam, Common joins Warner Brothers"

Kanye West at MoMa (more by Bao Nguyen)

"Heineken is giving fans in 8 select markets the chance to see a local G.O.O.D. Music performance as well as the grand prize of catching Kanye West in NYC on June 9th... If your city isn't listed, stay tuned for more chances, you aren't forgotten!"

So far the listed cities are Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington DC, and you can enter the sweepstakes at the Heineken site. No word on who from the G.O.O.D. family will play the dates/join Mr. West on stage in NYC.

Kanye West also plays a show with Kud Cudi as part of Summerfest in Milwaukee on June 30th. Kid Cudi also has dates coming up in Asbury Park, Brooklyn and elsewhere.

In related news, Cannes is happening and Kanye is there, as people couldn't help but notice: "Kanye West made a grand entrance in a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss sports coupe at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala held during the Cannes Film Festival in Cap d'Antibes, France. Only 75 of the limited edition cars are in production with an estimated price tag of $1.7 million. Yeezy pulled up in the bad boy looking like James Bond in a tuxedo and shades as passersby gawked. Inside the black-tie event, he rubbed shoulders with Naomi Campbell and Boy George. He is headed to Morocco next, where he will headline the Festival Mawazine."

words & photos by Faith-Ann Young

True - it was the worst kept secret and the most corporate plumping event of all of SXSW (if Kayne would have worn grillz sporting the The Levi's® logo, it would have completed his Levi's® outfit) - but that doesn't mean Saturday night's show at the Fader Fort wasn't one of the best (3/21). Kayne West acted like a grand circus ringmaster - introducing his whole G.O.O.D. record label crew including Consequence, GLC, and his prized diamond rapper all-star Kid Cudi. Then, just when you got sick of Kayne's world, in came fellow Chi-towner Common sweating out "Universal Mind Control." And then, like Mary Poppins on uppers, Kayne smiled and pulled out yet another prized gem from backstage: the gorgeous divine Erykah Badu (who is a Texas native and was wearing full-sequined silver pants- the combination of which got a hot scream from the crowd). To close out, like a big, super-talented brat pack, the entire G.O.O.D. crew came back on stage and danced around to songs from West's 808s. Whether you love him or hate him, Kayne sure knows how to party (or promote).

More pictures and the entire setlist below...

Continue reading "Kanye West, Common, Erykah Badu, Kid Cudi, Consequence & friends @ Fader Fort (SXSW 2009) - pics, setlist"

photos by Leia Jospe

Clipse's Pusha T & Wale

Wednesday night, in downtown Manhattan, Mark Ronson's Allido Records and Hot 97 hosted a show featuring Colin Munroe, Wale, and Kid CuDi at the Highline Ballroom. Hot 97 on air-personalities Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg took on hosting duties, lightening up the tense air between the sardine can-packed concertgoers....

...GOOD Music's latest signee and Kanye's new wonderboy, Kid Cudi, hit the stage next. Fresh off the plane from Australia, Mr. Solo Dolo definitely had all eyes on him. After killing mixtape bangers like "Down and Out" and "Man on the Moon," CuDi had one more surprise in store for the thirsty fans, as hometown hero Jim Jones joined the emcee for a performance of breakthrough single "Day 'n' Night," whipping the crowd to a fever pitch.

As Jay-Z and Leonardo DiCaprio entered the VIP room, Wale and his UCB band crept onstage. "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E." quickly re-energized the crowd, and Hov seemed thoroughly impressed as his goons deflected the attentions of male groupies. The lovely Chrisette Michele made her cameo as the DC heavy hitter rocked his Roots guest spot on the track "Rising Up". One half of the Clipse, Pusha T, also made an appearance for his verse on "Back in the Go-Go". The hipsters could barely contain themselves. In true Roc-A-Fella form, though, the night ended with Freeway and Young Chris storming the stage and making a convincing case for the dynasty to which they lay claim." [DJ Booth]

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Wale, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Chrisette Michele, Mark Ronson, Jim Jones & others @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - pics"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

As you would expect him to do at a showcase of rappers signed to his own GOOD Music label, Kanye West made an appearance at Knitting Factory in NYC last night (Sept 9). The whole show went: 88 Keys, Termanology, Big Sean, Mickey Factz, Kid Cudi, and then Consequence. Wale did some deejaying between sets. Kanye West came out during Consequence's set. They did "Gone" and "Flashing Lights" and a few of Consequence's songs. Then, as he's done before with his cousin Consequence, Q-Tip joined them on stage. Then Kid Cudi came back out and eventually pretty much everyone from the night was on stage by the end. As expected, people went nuts for Kanye.

In related news,

The release date and title for Kanye West's upcoming fourth solo album has been revealed.

According to a posting on Target's website, Kanye's album is titled 808's & Heartbreak and will be hitting stores on December 16th.

West performed a single from the album titled "Love Lockdown" at the MTV Video Music Awards this past weekend.

More pictures and video from Knitting Factory below....

Continue reading "Kanye West & Q-Tip joined Consequence & Kid Cudi @ the GOOD Music showcase @ Knitting Factory - pics & video"

"Kid Cudi and Hollywood Holt, two of the nation's noted up and coming MCs, will be combining their respective skills for a tour of North America that kicks off in Baltimore on Sept. 23 and wraps on Oct. 1st in San Francisco. Brooklyn based (by way of Cleveland) Kid Cudi stunned denizens of the underground with his Fool's Gold debut track "Day 'N' Nite" which became a club staple worldwide in 2008, leading to a slot performing on NYC's SummerStage Concert series alongside Fool's Gold label head A-Trak, Santogold, and Diplo. Hollywood Holt seems poised to take the mantle of hardest hustling man in the rap business. In under a year Holt has gone from playing at a local bowling alley to performing at Lollapalooza, sharing stages with such heavy hitters as Dizzee Rascal and Lupe Fiasco and having his Chocolate Industries debut video "Hollywood" premiered on Kanye West's blog."

The NYC date on that tour is September 24th at Love, but Kid Cudi is also playing a show tonight (Sept 9) @ Knitting Factory with some other friends of Kanye West. Black Bubblegum says:

GOOD Music (Kanye West's label) will clear the bench on Sept 9th when Consequence (the super duper guest star from A Tribe Called Quest's Beats Rhymes & Life), GLC (who first appeared on "Spaceship" from Kanye's College Dropout), Kid Cudi & Big Sean hit up the Knitting Factory. Tickets are still available.

All flyers and dates below....

Continue reading "Kid Cudi - a GOOD showcase tonight & Hollywood Holt tour "