Backbeat: Afropunk Festival Roars Back With Erykah Badu, Mos Def, TV On The Radio

Around this time last year, Matthew Morgan, managing director of Afropunk LLC, thought the Afropunk Festival he dreamed up eight years ago was over for good.

"I remember it was a Wednesday, and I wanted to put my head on my desk, fall asleep, and wake up in about two weeks." The nightmare from which Morgan couldn't awake was Hurricane Irene, which hit New York the weekend of the festival and forced the city government to pull permits for the event, slated to take place in Brooklyn's Commodore Barry Park. "It was kind of a relief," Morgan admitted. "And then we went home and cried for a month."

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Even though Morgan has faced an "uphill battle" and an "ongoing struggle" since that fateful Wednesday, the Afropunk Festival returned for a successful eighth run in nine years this past weekend, thanks in part to the support of a diverse array sponsors including Heineken, Nike, VitaminWater, KIND Healthy Snacks, WNYC, Moleskine, The Fader, and The Village Voice.

Totally Biased screenwriter and stand-up comic Hari Kondabolu poses with his brother, Das Racist's Ashok "Dap" Kondabolu, and a friend. (Photo: Harley Oliver Brown)

Everything went so well, in fact, that Girlie Action's Aleix Martinez said event staff had to turn away 2,000 people on Saturday who tried to catch at least part of this year's exceptional lineup, which included Erykah Badu and The Cannabinoids, Janelle Monae, TV On The Radio, Toro Y Moi, Reggie Watts, Gym Class Heroes, Das Racist, Spank Rock, and Flatbush Zombies. That's not to mention a few surprises, including guests: On Saturday night at the Red Stage, some of Action Bronson's crew including Meyhem Lauren and Despot joined Das Racist onstage for a bawdy, bass-heavy rendition of "Rooftop." Across the park, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) showed up later that night to join Badu onstage for "Love Of My Life." And on Sunday, Pharrell introduced Janelle Monae -- and probably single-handedly shut down the VIP area -- who pleasantly surprised with a pitch-perfect cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".

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Morgan got his start in the music industry at Set It Off Management, where he worked with artists like Santigold, Chuck Treece, Alicia Keys, and Cree Summer, artists that "didn't fit in any particular box." After finding success as a songwriter on hits like Christina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" and Siara's "Oh," Morgan realized, "It just wasn't fulfilling. And then these kids came along, you know -- scraggly, couldn't get a record deal because no one wanted to sign them. Nobody cared what they were doing, really. They were releasing their own material. It was really exciting." When SonyWorks dropped Summer because Morgan "didn't know how to market a black rock chick," he took matters into his own hands.

Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) kicks back before Erykah Badu with an elated Victor "Kool A.D." Vasquez of Das Racist and a gentleman who chose to remain unidentified. (Photo: Harley Oliver Brown)

"We figured, there are at least 50 of us, there must be a couple thousand. If we can connect the dots and create an audience for ourselves, then we can be independent. This was before indie was fashionable." So he hooked up with director James Spooner for his seminal 2002 film "Afro-punk", which took Toronto Film Festival by storm. Though neither had marketed a film before, Morgan and Spooner used the press it generated to create an online message board where like-minded people could meet each other at film screenings.

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Since 2003, the Afropunk Festival has gone through almost as many lives as it has years. Live performances were introduced alongside screenings at the Brooklyn Art Museum, but that was short-lived once attendees started moshing in the museum's cafe. Then Morgan wanted to host a week-long festival like SXSW or CMJ until Ian MacKaye ( Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains) convinced him that hosting shows at 21+ clubs was antithetical to the spirit of punk. So after several more years, including another stint at BAM, Morgan arrived at his basic mission statement: "Music, art, BMX, skate." For him, Afropunk isn't a genre, it was "a fashion expression, music, it was a movement."

Cerebral Ballzy frontman Honor Titus (third from left) takes a breather backstage with photographer Julian Gilbert (far left) and his entourage. (Photo: Harley Oliver Brown)

Morgan's vision was reflected in this year's iteration, which featured the largest street skate competition in New York City, Nike Battle for the Streets, whose participants defied gravity a little too well above the heads of the Red Stage crowd. Below the aeronautics, Brooklyn Rhapsody Custom Bike Show showcased hand-built Harleys (and the odd bulldog wearing a denim vest or girls dancing in string bikinis). On the other side of the stage, the acrid smell of spray paint preceded the art wall, where celebrated visual artists like Coby Kennedy, See One, and Rob Fokused painstakingly built a mural over the course of the weekend.

Despite Morgan's almost preternatural ingenuity, perseverance, and ability to bring people together, he can still find himself at a loss for words when explaining his festival. "The purpose was to get these kids to experience something they wouldn't normally experience. When you come, you'll see and you'll feel... You can't explain."

The Holy Book! U.S. Soliders Punished

Six Army soldiers and three Marines stationed at a base in Afghanistan received administrative punishments for the burning of the Holy Koran earlier this year.

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As reported by the Associated Press:

The soldiers were disciplined for the mistaken burning of Qurans earlier this year at a U.S. base in Afghanistan, and the Marines were punished for their participation in a video that showed them urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents.

Discipline against a Navy sailor in the Quran burnings was dismissed, and the Marine Corps said that it will announce discipline against additional Marines in the urination case at a later date.

U.S. military leaders widely condemned the incidents, which were both revealed earlier this year. The Quran burning triggered riots in the street and retribution killings, including two U.S. troops who were shot by an Afghan soldier and two U.S. military advisers who were gunned down at their desks at the Interior Ministry.

The exact punishments were not disclosed, but administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay, or a letter in their file.

They could also stall any future advancement and end their military careers.

Publishing Briefs: 2 Chainz/Reservoir, Flaming Lips/BMG Chrysalis, Imagem USA/Cantora

Reservoir Media Signs 2 Chainz

Reservoir Media has signed 2 Chainz to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal, which covers the current No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, "Based On a T.R.U. Story," as well as a catalog of about 200 songs.

According to the announcement, the deal was spearheaded by Reservoir senior VP of creative and business development (and former Def Jam exec) Faith Newman, who labels 2 Chainz as a career artist and a great live performer.  "He has already developed into a cultural tastemaker," Newman said in a statement. "He can easily expand into other ventures like acting or product endorsement.  His social media presence is pretty astounding; some days he averaged more than 300 new Twitter followers an hour."

For his part, 2 Chainz said in a statement, "The key to my success has been building a stellar team of hand-selected people with the skill and know-how to match my vision. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Reservoir's exceptional group of professionals."

BMG Chrysalis US Inks Flaming Lips, Who's on First? Productions
BMG Chrysalis US has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with the Flaming Lips.
The band, who has have recorded 14 studio albums, are currently at work on a new LP scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2013.

In another move, BMG Chrysalis has signed an exclusive, long-term publishing deal with Who's on First? Productions PR, Inc., a new independent film production company with a slate of approximately ten films either in development or set to go into production.

The company was founded by producer Mark Lipsky, who has been affiliated with the "Nutty Professor," "Coming To America," and "Beverly Hills Cop III"; and Robert Agueli, the company's CFO and a former principal at G.F. Tate & Co, a private equity firm.  The company will focus its development on the most popular genres - family films, horror films and teen comedies.

In a statement, Lipsky said, "We're excited to have BMG as our full service music partner, a partnership that will go a long way towards enhancing the music within our films as well as our soundtrack albums."

Imagem Music USA Partners With Cantora in Publishing Joint Venture
Imagem Music USA is partnering with Cantora, the label that helped launch Mgmt's career and also invests entertainment startup technologies, in a new publishing joint venture. As part of the deal, Imagem will provide publishing services and help develop songwriters and artists signed to the joint venture.

"We see a unique opportunity to use the team, reach and resources of Imagem Music as an invaluable early-stage tool for jump-starting artist careers," Cantora co-founder Will Griggs said in a statement. "The combination of their powerhouse worldwide presence and creative, hands-on ethos make them the ideal partner to instill Cantora's approach to artist development in the publishing world."

From Imagem's viewpoint, "This deal will allow us to get involved early in the development of the new artists [Cantora] consistently discover and nurture, and to help them build careers of longevity" Imagem Music creative coordinator Molly Seel said in a statement.

Reagan Gomez Stars In New Original Web Series 'Almost Home'

Reagan Gomez (as seen on The Parent 'Hood and The Cleveland Show) hits triple threat status as she writes, executive produces and stars in a new web series called Almost Home.

After the death of their mother, Lisa (Reagan) and DeJuan (played by DeJuan Turrentine) decide to live out their dreams and move to sunny California. Lisa quickly finds a job while DeJuan gives up engineering school to become a singer. All seems well till old troubles find them...mainly, Lisa’s abusive fiancé. She learns to embrace her stronger self, while DeJuan learns a little responsibility isn’t such a bad thing.

Also starring Wesley Jonathan, Denyce Lawton, Jackie Long, QU33N!, and DeWayne Turrentine. Directed by Matthew A Cherry. Co-Executive Produced by Al Thompson and Matthew A. Cherry.

From "American Idol" To Cash Money: Chris Richardson Talks About His Long Musical Journey

Cash Money Records is one of the most diverse record companies in the game. They have a hand in everything from rap to rock to R&B. 

And one of the most promising new acts they signed was none other than American Idol finalist Chris Richardson. 

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The singer already has been making noise this year, most noticeably with his appearance on "Far Away," off of Tyga's Careless World: Rise of the Last King album and his own track "Joy & Pain," which also features the "Rack City"-rapper. 

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The singer exclusively dropped off a video to GlobalGrind, which shows some cool behind the scenes footage of the "Joy & Pain" video.

In the clip, the singer also talks about hard work, how he got to American Idol and his future with Cash Money.

Speaking of Cash Money, the record label's CEO, Baby, talks about what he finds special about Chris in the second video.

'Motown: The Musical' to Open on Broadway in April

The Motown story is coming to Broadway next spring, with Brandon Victor Dixon playing the role of the trailblazing Detroit record label's founder Berry Gordy.

Gordy and fellow producers Kevin McCollum and Doug Morris announced Monday that "Motown: The Musical" will open April 14, 2013, at New York's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. They say preview performances will begin March 11.

Valisia LeKae has been cast in the other lead role as Supremes singer Diana Ross.

Dixon received a Tony nomination for his performance in "The Color Purple" and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for "The Scottsboro Boys."

LeKae has appeared in the Broadway musicals "The Book of Mormon," "Ragtime," 110 in the Shade" and "The Threepenny Opera."

Charles Randolph-Wright is directing the show.

Neil Armstrong, Dead At 82

We have learned that the very first man to step foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong has died at the age of 82 following complications after a cardiovascular procedure.

CBS News reports:

The family described him as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, and also as "a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job."
When Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, he fulfilled the goal that had been set by President John F. Kennedy just eight years earlier.

In an official statement with Nasa the Armstrong family says:

“We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.
Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.
Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati.
He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits.
As much as Neil cherished his privacy, he always appreciated the expressions of good will from people around the world and from all walks of life.
While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.
For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

On July 16, 1969, a giant Saturn V rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center, carrying the 38 year old Armstrong and his crewmate to make American history!

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Neil Armstrong will not be forgotten and his family and loved ones are in our prayers.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"

SOURCE: CBS & NASA