Friday, July 18, 2014

Farewell, Mr. Pace!



After a little more than a  2 years Michael Pace has Resigned From his Independent Assignment at PMG in an email dated 7/18/2014.



Mike Pace
PMG NEWS--Confirmed the news late on Friday, affirming in a statement by Palace Music Group's CEO Kamal Jabbar he expressed, "It has been a pleasure having Mr. Pace as one of our self-governing associates and we wish him success in his future undertakings. The company will miss his hard work; his strong determination and support".

Details of the resignation, were not available.

 Nevertheless, Pace had positive words for Jabbar's leadership during the transition, remarking that, "I am disappointed I have to step away from PMG at such an exciting time for the company, but it gives me great comfort to know that PMG is in such talented, trustworthy, honest and steady hands."

The following is an post left on Mr Pace's facebook page from the company

You have done a magnificent job in this independently contracted post. You devoted  your eloquence, your idealism, sound judgment, your determined drive and sparkling personality all combined with which made you superbly qualified for the task of conveying the true picture and purpose of this company independent entrepreneurship.  

Yours was an exacting independent assignment, requiring vigor, intelligence, understanding of music industry problems and a sympathy for the Indy artist.

We will miss your autonomous advice and counsel. However, we are glad you have decided to seek continuance of your music career.

We have enjoyed free-associating with you and your at liberty competent assistance.

I close, with a simple phrase: "On behalf of all of us Goodbye, and good luck!"

An interim replacement for Pace has not been named yet. PMG's board is scheduled to discuss the appointment of a new GM during its next board meeting.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

EXCLUSIVE//: The Hottest Hip Hop Mixtape from top upcoming artists. Fruits of My Labor (FOML)

Free Mix-Tape: Check out the Hottest Hip Hop Mix-tapes from $anta-Ana.


Julian Astaire (born 4/24/1987) p/k/a $anta-Ana or simply Ju, is an American rapper-songwriter and recording artist from Stockton, Ca. He is currently signed to his independent label, 2nd2None Records. He has 5 mix-tapes under his belt as a member of the group YNWG. In 2009 he stopped making music in order to further his education & he first received recognition with his debut solo mix-tape 'ILLegal Tape' which is now available since Feb. 2014. Since then he has released his second solo mix-tape on July 11, 2014 entitled 'Fruits Of My Labor'.  He grew up in Stockton Ca. listening to Hip-Hop music and is of African American and Filipino descent.

You can download the new mix-tape at:  http://ynwg.bandcamp.com/.

Fruits of My Labor (FOML)
$antana or $anta-Ana


ILLegal Tape (ILLTAPE)
$anta-Ana / $antana 
Executive Producer by Ju Astaire, Lyrics & Artwork (c) 2014 by Ju Astaire, Mixed & Mastered by Gee Money, Recorded at Studio A with 2nd2None Records. 

Discography

  • 'Fruits Of My Labor'
  • 'ILLegal Tape' 
Music so excellent I just took the time to download it: Fruits of My Labor

Birth name Julian Astaire
Born (born April 24, 1987) Stockton CA, United States
Origin Sacramento, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper
Years active 2007–present
Labels 2nd2None Records. (current)
Associated acts YNWG
 
BandCamp 

Bishop T.D. Jakes had longtime elder of church escorted out of the building by security



“The Sunday Morning Stick Up: What Your Pastor Doesn’t Want You To Know About Tithes.”.

By: Freelance Reporter Joan Ross, 
Email: joanross28@yahoo.com


first published and appeared first by and in Scandal Media. 

bishop td jakes 100Dallas–It was brought to my attention by a faithful reader of my Scandal Media that mega-pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes created quite a scene recently during a church service when he had a longtime elder of his church escorted out of the building by security for writing a tell-all book entitled:  “The Sunday Morning Stick Up: What Your Pastor Doesn’t Want You To Know About Tithes.”.   

Admittedly, I have not even read two words of the book but I can already tell that it’s filled with incriminating information about gospel pimps like Jakes and their money fleecing schemes.

The author of the book, Elder Davidlee Richardson, has been apart of the Potter’s House church for a number of years and has been apart of many non profit organizations–traveling the globe evangelizing. . Bishop Jakes is known to other ministers around the world as the “KING PIMP”, pimping members in the body of Christ out of their hard earned money Sunday after Sunday. Jakes has procured millions over the years with a plethora of money making gimmicks. He continues to pimp weak minded believers out money as often as possible.
During a normal service at the Potters House, it takes Jakes only 10 or 12 minutes to collect an offering from thousands of brainwashed followers, primarily, because he always has a story to share about a member receiving a miracle–normally before the money is procured.

But one has to wonder what esoteric information in that book, would make Pimp-daddy Jakes kick a long time Elder out of his church during a Sunday morning service.  Sense this incident, neither Jakes nor Elder Richardson has had any contact.

Scandal Media has also learned that Jakes is charging ministers/elders of his church $1,100 to attend a conference for two days so he can “pour into their lives.” Also, many of the ministers and elders don’t have the money to attend, and are taking out Payday Loans, and getting into debt just to be in the number and attend his events.  Many of his ministers have fell on hard times in the past, and asked the church for help and the answer has been “No.”

According to another friend who is a former staff member of The Potter’s House, Jakes charges any where from $55,000 to $100,000 to come preach at your church.  Plus a luxury hotel room, meals, and your church must be a certain size before he even agrees to fool with you. Half of the money is due up front, and then you must agree to give Jakes 50% of the offering raised that night.

Elder Richardson says Jakes has never been about the business of winning souls for Christ, but about making his pockets fatter. Anybody that’s in Jakes inner circle should never try to educate folks about tithe because you will be excoriated and jettisoned from his inner circle. People in these churches forget the love of God is free, and needs to start thinking for themselves.

Star Confronts Hot 97's Ebro Darden At Total Slaughter



"Let's run up on Ebro from Hot 97, he's been talking really greasy," Star says before approaching the radio host.


 by Jay Balfour 

Less than a month after a back-and-forth Twitter beef, radio personality Star of ‘Star and Bucwild’ confronted Ebro Darden at the Total Slaughter battle rap event on Saturday (July 12).

VladTV’s video of the incident shows Star again referencing Peter Rosenberg being slapped for comments made about Chuck D.

“Lets run up on Ebro from Hot 97, he’s been talking really greasy,” Star says in the video. “Lets see if he’s really about that life.”
  
When Star confirms that he called Ebro a snitch as well, Darden, who provided commentary at the event, says, “you’s a fucking liar, nigga.”
  
During the conversation, Star asks the radio host “why are you here right now?” given his record of disparaging battle rap to which Ebro replies that he “was invited and paid.”

Star also refers to Ebro’s on-hair co-host as “Rosenslob” before claiming he’s “gonna slap him in his mouth.” Erbo says he doesn’t “think [Star] would do that” before the former Hot 97 employee responds that “I would slap him dead in his mouth in front of you” and asks, “should I give you the slap?”

 In June, Star took to his Live & Direct platform to condemn Ebro’s fellow Hot 97 Morning Show host Peter Rosenberg for their treatment of Public Enemy rapper Chuck D. Following the on-air comments, Star also accused Ebro of helping build the case against Lil’ Kim that sent her to jail.

“The point is Chuck D is being shitted on,” Star said at the time. “Chuck D from Public Enemy. I’m not gonna say that he’s being shitted on by a culture vulture, culture robber. Mothafuck his lack of color.

Mothafuck his culture. It’s not about this. A little slob on Hot 97, with no ratings, is now taking a shit on Public Enemy. Chuck D to be exact. You niggas are gonna take this L too? Nobody’s gonna slap him in his mouth."

Evan Lipschutz Named Vice President A&R at Atlantic Records

Evan Lipschutz has been named VP A&R for Atlantic Records by executive vp/head of A&R Pete Ganbarg, to whom he’ll report while remaining based in Tampa, Fla.

Lipschutz joins Atlantic from Mercury/Island Records, where he spent the past six years, most recently as vp A&R, working closely with The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Neon Trees, Nick Jonas, Portishead, Parachute and Airborne Toxic Event, among many others.

Lipschutz began his music industry career in 2001 as an intern at Epic Records. Hired that same year to do A&R for Daylight/Epic, he went on to work with Good Charlotte, Phantom Planet, Shakira and Anastacia, among others. In 2009, Billboard named Lipschutz one of the “30 Under 30” most prominent young music executives.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Evan to the Atlantic A&R team,” said Ganbarg. “He’s one of the brightest, most intuitive young A&R guys in the field today. He’s got great ears and great instincts, with a fantastic track record of discovering and signing outstanding new talent, and A&R’ing some of the best records of the past decade. I’m looking forward to great things from Evan as part of the Atlantic family.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Atlantic Records team,” noted Lipschutz. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with this legendary label and this great group of music people. I hope to continue the tradition of great A&R and artist development that has made Atlantic the home to so many iconic artists over so many years.”
Lipschutz holds a BA degree from the Music Business program at New York University.

K. Michelle Defends Her Fake Butt


K. Michelle talks down to the haters via her Instagram account.

Having admitted repeatedly in the past that she has had some work done on her backside, R&B diva K. Michelle isn't one to shy away from surgery accusations. In fact, she meets them head on.

Before her concert performance in Montgomery, Alabama, K. Michelle posted a note to her Instagram account, dismissing haters who speak against her flaunting her backside. She writes:

I post the pictures and watch all the ugly chicks hate. We get it. You think my ass is fake, you think looking like spongebob is better. Understand this your man Loves it. My DM’s will hurt your feelings. Now carry on miserable. Go to sleep ugly and wake up ugly. Salute to my real chicks. I love y’all support!”

 
In other news, K. Michelle recently booked herself a a new VH1 reality series set to premiere on November 3. The show is said to shine some light on her life outside of music as a mother, businesswoman and girlfriend to basketball player Bobby Maze.

Tupac Musical 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' Meets Swift Demise on Broadway

By

After opening toDisastrous business and poor reviews June 19, the urban rap musical inspired by the lyrics and poetry of Tupac Shakur will close next Sunday.

"Holler if Ya Hear Me" Good Morning America
Cast on GMA
The 2014-15 Broadway season is barely underway, but it already has a major casualty that seems likely to earn a place among the legendary flops whose posters adorn the walls of theater-district hangout Joe Allen.
 
"Holler If Ya Hear Me," the non-biographical rap musical set in a tough inner-city neighborhood in the industrial Midwest, will have its final performance July 20, just a month after opening.


Assembled around the lyrics and poetry of murdered hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, the show began previews at the Palace Theatre on June 2, and officially opened June 19. Some insiders speculated that producers might pull the plug even before opening night given the alarmingly low audience turnout during previews.
The Palace is one of Broadway’s larger venues, with a prime position in the heart of Times Square and a standard seating capacity of roughly 1,700. However, the $8 million Holler production reconfigured the theater's orchestra section, downsizing by 600 seats, ostensibly to create a more intimate experience with a stadium-style view.

But even in that smaller house, the musical failed to fill seats. From the start, it posted catastrophically low numbers, never once reaching $200,000 during its six weeks on the boards.
Hit shows on Broadway now regularly gross more than $1 million a week, with blockbusters like "The Lion King" and "Wicked" often exceeding $2 million. And while the average ticket price for those top-sellers runs from $130 to $160, or as high as $190 on a smash like "The Book of Mormon," the average paid admission for "Holler" ranged from $24 to just under $45 at its highest, according to figures published by the Broadway League.

Critical response to the show was lukewarm. While many reviewers appreciated the attempt to stretch the jukebox musical format in new directions, going beyond the safe parameters of Baby Boomer hits, most found the story of racism, poverty, crime, violence, community and redemption mired in plot cliches and stock characters.

However, the show's fundamental problem for some critics was that Shakur's lyrics don't lend themselves to being contextualized in a traditional story-driven musical.

It was apparent from the outset that not only was the show's marketing not working, but also that producers had made a mistake in bypassing the developmental opportunities of an out-of-town tryout and the fine-tuning window of a longer preview period. Opening in June, when theatergoing momentum on Broadway tends to focus largely around the previous season's fresh crop of Tony winners, also appears to have hurt the show's chances.

"Holler If Ya Hear Me" has a book by Todd Kreidler, a frequent collaborator of the distinguished late playwright August Wilson. It was directed by Kenny Leon, hot off a Tony win for his staging of the sellout revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" with Denzel Washington. The cast is headed by Saul Williams, Christopher Jackson, Saycon Sengbloh and Tonya Pinkins.

Lead producers on the show are Eric L. Gold, a Broadway neophyte whose background is in Hollywood management and production (notably on a number of Wayans Brothers ventures), and South Korean theater promoter Chunsoo Shin. Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, represents the rapper's estate on the producing team.

"My hope is that a production of this caliber, powerful in its story telling, filled with great performances and exciting contemporary dance and music, will eventually receive the recognition it deserves," said Gold in a statement. "It saddens me that due to the financial burdens of Broadway, I was unable to sustain this production longer in order to give it time to bloom on Broadway. Tupac's urgent socially important insights and the audiences' nightly rousing standing ovations deserve to be experienced by the world." 

The musical will have played 17 previews and 38 regular performances by the time it closes. No plans for a tour or subsequent regional productions are in place at this stage.

Holler if Ya Hear Me will close July 20

 

Holler if Ya Hear Me, the Broadway musical inspired by the music and lyrics of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, will close July 20 following weeks of poor ticket sales and mixed reviews.

“It saddens me that due to the financial burdens of Broadway, I was unable to sustain this production longer in order to give it time to bloom on Broadway,” producer Eric L. Gold said in a statement. “Tupac’s urgent socially important insights and the audiences’ nightly rousing standing ovations deserve to be experienced by the world.”