Crazy Hot Freestyle by Dr. Dre’s new prodigy.

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Antonio “L.A.” Reid couldn’t wait to talk about sitting next to Sarah Jessica Parker at a dinner party in the Hamptons recently.

“I gotta tell you this story,” the Cincinnati native says from his executive suite at Island Def Jam in New York. “It was just the most wonderful conversation, and I was so happy to finally meet someone else from Cincinnati that was in the entertainment business.”

One of the most powerful executives in the music industry and a triple Grammy-winner, he’s in his fourth year as chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group. The star-maker has discovered talents such as Usher, Avril Lavigne and OutKast. But Reid has not forgotten his Cincinnati roots. He flies into town every April to take his mother, who lives in Blue Ash, to dinner on her birthday.

Full Article Here 

PS: Guess he doesn’t know Vicarious is from Cincinnati…WHAT UP!

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(New York, NY) — Rapper and entrepreneur Jim Jones has signed a new deal with Columbia Records. This new deal is a partnership of sorts with KOCH Records.  KOCH will still be involved in marketing and radio promotion for Jones, and participate in revenue streams, while Columbia will oversee all aspects of his campaigns.

Jones will have the best of both worlds as the #1 Indie label and one of the most historic major labels team up with him on his upcoming album.

Jones has recorded three albums for KOCH Records: On My Way to Church (2004), Harlem: Diary of a Summer (2005), and Hustler’s P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) (2006).  Hustler’s P.O.M.E. recently was certified Gold, and spawned his smash hit, “We Fly High.”

KOCH Records President Bob Frank states, “Jim Jones is a superstar and this arrangement positions him in such a way as to maximize the strengths of the #1 Independent KOCH Records and the most storied and historic label in the history of the record business, Columbia Records.

We are thrilled to join forces with KOCH Records on behalf of Jim Jones.  We believe in his artistry and are excited about the future,” said Steve Barnett of Columbia Records.

“Jim Jones is the real deal,” added Hip Hop of Columbia Records.  “He has been in the game for a minute and is one of the best.”

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Originally the solo project of Wolf Parade member, Spencer Krug, Sunset Rubdown has developed into a solid indie-rock quartet. The band’s most significant addition has been Camilla Wynne Ingr (formerly of Pony Up!), whose high-toned vocals mesh well with the abrasive and sincere style of Krug’s. If this is a band that has flown under your radar, it’s time to check them out. Their only flaw is their greatest asset: a (sometimes) overwhelming amount of ingenuity and originality.

Random Spirit Lover: 7.5/10

Random Spirit Lover, Sunset’s third LP, is strong from start to finish. It’s a much more comprehendible album than anything they’ve put out in the past and the group has done a good job funneling their mass of creative juices into something sonically tangible. The opening track, “The Mending of the Gown,” is by far the album’s strongest track. The opening guitar rift perks your ears and is strong enough that when it disappears later in the song you still hear it in the back of your mind. Its upbeat melody brings out the best of Krug’s vocals that leaves plenty of room for Camilla’s vocals to blossom. Really, this track is about as good as it’s going to get for this band, with all members have important and enjoyable parts.

So, yeah, the album is strong. But as a huge Wolf Parade (as I can only assume most Sunset fans are), I can’t help but compare this project to Thom Yorke’s The Eraser. Like Krug, Yorke released his solo project in between Radiohead albums and it was good. It was real good. But at that point, I just wanted another fucking Radiohead album already! And it’s hard not to feel the same way about Sunset Rubdown. The albums better than good, but c’mon… just release the damn Wolf Parade album already. It’s been over 2 years already!

Key Tracks: (1) The Mending of the Gown, (5) Winged/Wicked Things, (8) For the Pier (and Dead Shimmering)

Live at Bowery Ballroom, NYC (10/9/07)

It’s hard to see a band that includes Spencer Krug and not be impressed. The guy may as well be the spokes-person for indie rock. He doesn’t stand out from anyone you’ve ever met and you probably wouldn’t guess he was in a band if he was in a lineup. But when he steps on the stage, it’s hard to take your eyes off him. And with the intriguing Camilla Wynne Ingr opposite him, the show is as visually entertaining as it is sonically.

Sunset Rubdown albums are relatively involved and consist of various instruments filling difference audible ranges. Bands with this style of recording generally leave one of two impressions on me when seen live: they either (1) fail to meet the expectations of their albums for lack of talent and/or band members on stage or (2) are able to pull off the album live giving you an impression of what the recording process was like. Sunset was definitely the later of the two. Seeing them live reveals how important each of the members are to the band (I never though a xylophone could be so important to so many songs… except maybe for Sigur Ros and Andrew Bird).

Written by Tarek

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