Search This Blog

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Nicki Minaj Leaves American Idol




Rapper Nicki Minaj followed Mariah Carey's lead on Thursday afternoon, announcing via Twitter, "Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn't trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!!!"

Randy Jackson had previously announced his exit from the show, leaving only Keith Urban who has yet to confirm whether he'll be participating in season 13 of the Fox show. 



The series just wrapped its 12th year on May 16, but by season's end, there didn't seem to be much left to celebrate. The season closer, during which Candice Glover and Kree Harrison faced off for the crown (Glover won), was down more than 40 percent in viewers from the previous year and was the show's lowest rated finale ever.

A little over a week later, Fox president of alternative programming Mike Darnell announced that he was leaving the company.

Mariah Carey is leaving American Idol



Our friends at THR tell us The singer made it official on Thursday afternoon with a tweet that read, "W/ global success of “#Beautiful” (#1 in 30+ countries so far) @MariahCarey confirms world tour & says goodbye 2 Idol." The message was promptly re-tweeted by Carey's longtime PR firm, PMK-BNC.

Asked for further comment, a representative for the singer points to a "jam-packed" scheduled that includes, "putting the finishing touches on her much anticipated forthcoming album, headlining the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular and appearing in Lee Daniel's The Butler, opening in August." The film's cast also includes Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz.

Carey will also embark on a world tour that kicks off this October in Asia.

The singer's exit from the Fox show had been much speculated. No further announcements have been made regarding Idol's future judging panel, although alum Jennifer Hudson is said to be negotiating for a seat at the season 13 table.

A statement released by production partners Fox and FremantleMedia reads, “Mariah Carey is a true global icon -- one of the most accomplished artists on the planet - and we feel extremely fortunate that she was able to bring her wisdom and experience to the American Idol contestants this season. We know she will remain an inspiration to Idol hopefuls for many seasons to come.”
 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Changes at MTV!

By:  Lesley Goldberg



MTV's current executive vp programming and head of production will segue from the Viacom-owned cable network to Turner's truTV, where he'll serve as president and head of programming.



"Chris Linn did an extraordinary job overseeing so many shows and intricate productions at MTV, and he will truly be missed. He managed the volume with great skill, the challenges with poise, and always led with a passionate voice and perspective," MTV programming president Susanne Daniels said in a statement Tuesday. "He’s a magnificent executive and we wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his career."



Added Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin: "Chris brings to truTV a remarkable track record of success highlighted by some of the most pop-culturally relevant and engaging series on television. With his proven ability to reach and understand the young-adult audience, Chris has successfully developed shows that evolve beyond the television screen to become full-fledged phenomena. Chris has the strategic vision and energy to take truTV forward in the next phase of the network's brand evolution, as it continues to grow competitively in the unscripted arena. I'm thrilled to have him on board."



Linn, who was ranked No. 13 on The Hollywood Reporter's 2012 Reality Power List, first joined MTV in 2004 and was promoted to exec vp and head of production in November 2010. There, he developed Jersey Shore and its spinoff Snooki & JWOW, as well as current unscripted series including The Real World, Catfish and several others.



In his new role, Linn will be responsible for all programming on truTV, marketing, digital initiatives and strategic planning. He'll be based in New York and report to Koonin.



MTV, meanwhile, tapped Lauren Dolgen as head of West Coast reality programming and executive vp series development. Dolgen, who was head of West Coast reality and senior vp series development, will now oversee the creation and development of MTV's West Coast-based reality fare including Teen Mom 2, Ridiculousness and Teen Mom 3, as well as the next cycle of The Real World. Based in Santa Monica, she reports to Daniels.



"I have worked with many talented television executives, but Lauren’s ability to tap into such a vast array of characters, formats and narratives is truly extraordinary," Daniels said of the executive who developed Buckwild. “From mining the antics of a group of hysterical pranksters with Jackass, to producing one of the most exciting music and dance competition shows with Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew, to developing the honest, bittersweet stories of teenagers navigating parenthood in Teen Mom 2, Lauren’s influence can be felt across MTV. Her sensibility resonates with our audience, with just the right blend of outrageousness and heart. Producers love to work with her, and I’m very much looking forward to working with her in this new role."



Additionally, Kimberly Rach and Andrew Portnoy will now serve as co-heads of production at MTV. Portnoy is based in New York, while Rach is in Santa Monica. The duo will split east/west coast production responsibilities for all of MTV's programming, including scripted, reality, pilots and specials. Both report to Daniels.



"Andy and Kimberly have been integral in running one of the most aggressive television production slates in television," Daniels said. “They make a great team and are well poised to lead MTV's productions moving forward as we continue to build MTV’s eclectic programming schedule."



Rach has overseen production on series including Teen Wolf, Awkward and Beavis and Butt-head; Portnoy has worked on Jersey Shore, 16 & Pregnant and The Show With Vinny, among others.

Kevin Crown aka Natural Born Club Killa Releases Mixtape for 2013!




The Natural Born Club Killa (NBCK), Kevin Crown has been busy creating a work of art for not just the Caribbean community, but for everyone who loves Reggae music. His newest 2K13 Dancehall mixtape is extremely raw and uncut and is hosted by the very funny Jamaican duo Twins of Twins.

Kevin Crown stated, “The collaboration with Twins of Twins is not the first one. They appeared on my mixtape back in 2009 called The Future. As far as comedy goes today, they are extremely funny and being that we have a long time friendship they get me and how I put music together. The twins were definitely the only ones I had in mind for hosting my mixtape!” 



The mixtape entitled: The Show part 1, features current club bangers with hot new music coupled with a few Kevin Crown exclusives. Put all this with hilarious commentary from a host of characters brought to life by the twins of twins you have ONE HOT CD! There is no simple way to describe this mixtape, other than it definitely shows why Kevin Crown is titled the Natural Born Club Killa. You don’t need to skip any songs, and the introduction to new music was strategically placed, that make it seems as if it is a current hit. There is no other mixtape that makes you feel like you are in one of those good basement parties with no A/C. It’s that good! Enough talking check it out for yourself.


About Kevin Crown, NBCK
ONE MAN, ONE SHOW, ONE DJ… Kevin Crown
They say promoters are responsible for bringing the crowd, but in NYC there’s one DJ that brings the crowd and kills clubs! He invites you into his world through music, and takes you on a never ending journey until the cops come knocking. To experience a Kevin Crown show is like experiencing a natural high as he sends shock waves through your body with the beats that pulsates the speakers wherever he makes an appearance. Kevin Crown is the future. His diverse knowledge allows him to play just about anywhere for anyone. From heating up concert arenas, to making things unpredictable for Jamie Foxx, and keeping the Wayans Brothers entertained, he is one of New York City’s most requested DJ. He is leading the pack of young DJs making it kind of hard to catch up. He dares to be different by bringing is energy, style, and comical attitude to his parties. You can call him Kevin or you can call him Kevin Crown, but the name he most likes to be called for obvious reasons is “Natural Born Club Killa.”

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Toronto - New York - Florida Reggae Playlist




L3 Radio Playlist – For the Week Ending May 19th, 2013
Our show is officially broadcast from 10am to 1pm EST on:  1430 AM  / Vybz 103.9 FM / 95.3 FM / 99.3 FM / 91.7 FM / and Online via:  www.radioregent.com – Toronto / www.irievibesradiodetroit.com – Detroit / www.daflavaradio.com – Atlanta / www.TonySoul.com - Ft. Lauderdale / www.NoyzRadio.com - New York / www.Reggae4Us.com - The UK / www.reggaeradiovibes.co.uk - The UK / www.siixteen.com - The UK / www.basslinemuzik.com – Tampa / www.buyakaradio.com - Colombia

Hosted by Natasha Von Castle and Frazah Selection

Lover’s Rock Segment:
Da’Ville:  All You Need in a Friend
Kashief Lindo – Try My Love
Ammoye – Baby It’s You
Bryan Art – Speed Limit
Anthony Que – Rastaman House
Sophia Squire ft. Richie Ras – Love Can’t Pay the Bills
Cali P – Fire Burning (Dubplate)
Dennis Brown – If You Want Me
Gappy Ranks ft. Exco Levi – Everything Is Gonna Be Alright
Kes – Can’t Wait
Jessie James – Me She Love
OMI – Fireworks
*Special Cut:  L’Unique – Girl You Got Me Open
Marcia Griffiths ft. Beres Hammond – Live On
Stephen Souza – Is There a Place

Dancehall Segment:

Call in interview with Leftside Dr. Evil (background music:  Coffee in My Cup ft. Gina Savage / Gorilla Foot / Tuck in Yuh Belly / Body Flip ft. Sean Paul)

*3 The Hard Way from Cham:  Sell Out / Lawless / Clip
Kranium – Nobody Has to Know
Tiwony – Smoke It
Kutlass – Step Up in Life
Ninjaman – Gweh
General Degree ft. Hawkeye, Lady G – Nuttin Fih Nuttin
Leftside Dr. Evil – Naughty
Konshens – Stop Sign
Tune in Crew – Remix
Busy Signal – Bumaye

International Dancehall Superstar Khago Signs with US Based Concepts Artist Group




Khago, was off the island for 2-Week Northeast tour to promote new single “Road Dawg,” announces signing with new management team, Concepts Artists Group, to handle all management decisions and booking for his live appearances. Khago gained worldwide acclaim for his universal friendship anthem “Nah Sellout Mi Friend Dem,” along with the smash hit "Blood Ah Boil" and underground hits like “Caan Cool Caan Quench” and "Tax."

Ricardo Gayle aka Khago is a Jamaican music superstar with a unique sound that fuses the hard hitting rhythms of dancehall with the traditional cultural sound of reggae, announces this week his new management team, Concepts Artist Group (CAG), to handle all his management interests and bookings for his live appearances. Concepts Artists Group is a full Management company encompassing Artists Management, Bookings & Appearances, Touring, Merchandising Management, Label Distribution, and Consulting Services. CAG embraces the trend of one stop artist management where all of the artist’s interests are strategically aligned under one roof by aggressively pursuing smart and innovative music concepts, touring and performance schedules, and merchandising opportunities that will allow Khago to grow as an international artist and to better connect his brand with fans across the globe. 



The value of reggae artist’s intellectual property has declined significantly in the age of digital distribution and file sharing. Khago is determined not to lose control over his intellectual property rights and music. “Every song I write, artist I collaborate with, producer I work with, venue I play, promoter I work with, all these decisions including when I tour and what songs I perform, I want my own management to be in charge of that whole decision making process to insure that those decisions are all being made with my best interest in mind both as an entertainer, artist, and musician,” says Khago while taking pictures and signing autographs for fans during his recent 2-week Northeast run to promote his latest single “Road Dawg.”

On the road through May 6th, Khago made stops in New England for two shows with Boston’s Hot97Boston starting in the vacation town of Yarmouth, Cape Cod-Massachusetts before continuing on to Boston-Massachusetts where he visited the Boston Marathon Bombing site on the one week observance of the terrorist attack to deliver flowers to the memorial site on behalf of the people of Jamaica. Khago then headed to New York City for a show in Brooklyn with New York powerhouse radio station, Power 105.1 and DJ Norie before trekking to the Midwest for selected shows in Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis.

“I could not come to the United States and not visit the Boston Marathon memorial site to show solidarity with the people of Boston and to let them know that all of Jamaica stood with them during these difficult times” says Khago. Khago went on to say “Boston is a very special place for me and other Jamaican artists.” “As one of the biggest reggae markets in America, Boston was one of the first places to embrace “Nah Sellout Mi Friend Dem” which became my first crossover hit that allowed the rest of America to know who Khago is, so my love for Boston is genuine and personal.”

“Boston is the biggest college town in North America and traditionally has been the biggest supporters of reggae music since the days of Bob Marley & the Wailers until today. Boston consistently ranks in the top 5 US markets for reggae music sales. Boston has been a part of breaking many of dancehall’s biggest hits over the years like Tanto Metro & Devonte's “Everyone Falls In Love,” Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's “Welcome To Jamrock,” Sean Paul's “Gimme The Light,” ,” Beenie Man's “Who Am I,” and Gyptian “Hold You,” just to name a few. So, it was very important that someone from the reggae artists’ fraternity like Khago visited Boston to show back the support that historic city has shown reggae music over the years.” says music industry executive Cristy Barber.

Concepts Artist Group (CAG) is the brainchild of veteran music industry concert heavyweight Paul Parara and Ingenius Concepts, a New England firm specializing in live concert solutions and North America’s largest independent minority owned Concert Promotion Company as well as Live Nation joint venture partners. “I have known Khago since 2009 and I have seen few artists as committed and dedicated to pushing music as Khago” says Parara of CAG. “He possesses a natural talent and ability to communicate through music in ways few artists possess.” “We have taken the industry’s best practices and proven management principles and structured them in ways that will allow Khago to be the well rounded artist he wants to be, without boundaries, distractions, and limitations.” “Over the past few years in particular Khago has accomplished so much without any real structured management working exclusively on his behalf, so the sky is the limit for what to expect from him moving forward” said Parara.

Khago is a global artist and a global approach will be taken when making management decisions about his career. We have already enlisted Jerome Hamilton and Headline Entertainment to represent Khago’s booking and touring interests throughout the Caribbean on a nonexclusive basis along with similar agreements with other leading industry agents and representatives in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, South and Latin America.  Khago will have the best management support team of any reggae artists in the industry today.

Khago will be releasing his first official US mix-tape entitled “Road Dawg” in July 2013 and his debut album “Push Music” to follow in the fall of 2013. The mix tape and album will continue to move the pendulum of what a reggae-dancehall artist is supposed to sound like. Khago, who credits Mr. Vegas and Spragga Benz as two of his greatest influences in the music industry, will undoubtedly continue to captivate generation dancehall with the genre’s newest slangs and catch-phrases like “Slap Weh,” “Tun Up,” and “Clip Off,” while always showcasing versatility as he seamlessly flows between hard hitting dancehall rhythms and roots one drop beats. Khago’s manager, Paul Parara, of CAG had this to say about Khago’s new music, “For his freshman release it’s what industry insiders will call a game changer: his approach to music making is a return to the authentic reggae feel that stateside fans and reggae fans the world over have been yearning for from Jamaican based acts, it will usher in a return to dancehall’s origin as urban protest music, it will not only speak to those from the inner-cities, but struggling classes everywhere; his music is made from a perspective of someone from humble beginnings who speaks about a brighter tomorrow. Khago’s freshman mix tape and album will provide a soundtrack for today’s youth by letting them know that someone finally understands them and that they are not alone. Its music sent from the sky.” Parara also commented on what reggae fans should expect from Khago in the coming year, “in the future fans should expect Khago to continue to push music, push reggae music, push dancehall music, push good music, while becoming a superior brand on the cutting edge of an ever-changing music industry. He will emerge as Jamaica’s preeminent international music ambassador for a new generation of reggae fans.”

Watching Khago as he performed recently on Jamaica’s Magnum Kings & Queens nationally televised TV program, it was clear that despite all the controversies and management missteps that have plagued his career in recent years; that nowhere is he more at peace with himself than on a stage in front of his fans. As he flashes his trademark smile hidden beneath his signature baseball fitted as he addressed the audience and proudly accepted the mantle as Jamaica’s poor people success story, it was clear that at that moment, it marked a new chapter in a music career that will focus on just pushing music.