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Beyoncé Reveals Details Behind New Self-Titled Album

Beyoncé Directors’ Screening

Beyoncé is opening up about some of the intimate details behind her new self-titled album.

At a release party and directors' screening for the album at the School of Visual Arts Theater Saturday in New York City, the superstar singer arrived looking stunning in a body-hugging black mini dress and matching over-the-knee black peep toe boots. 
The various directors from the 17 music videos on the visual album were in attendance, as were fans who won a radio contest to be there.

After guests at the event viewed all of the videos, the "Grown Woman" singer headed to the stage to answer questions via Instagram, and revealed some special details about how the album came together.

 

During the social networking interview, Beyoncé said she wrote the treatments for most of the videos and handpicked the directors.

The 32-year-old stunning songbird also dished on why she decided to be so open about her relationship with her hubby Jay Z on the album, saying it was because of motherhood--that it is "something that changes you" and that she is comfortable in her own skin.

As for what Beyoncé wants fans to take away from the album, she said, "Own your imperfections and all the things that make you interesting."

And she has one main thing in mind when she's putting on a show.

PHOTOS: Beyoncé holds private album release party at Dave & Buster's in Times Square
"The biggest goal is having happiness…when people come to my shows, I want them to leave there feeling like there is hope," she went on.
Beyoncé said she wanted her album to be a surprise as a gift to her fans and thanked her team for keeping it under wraps, adding she was "nervous because this was a huge risk."

For fans wondering where the nickname "Yonce" came from on the album, the star said singer-producer The-Dream came up with the moniker, adding that it happened while Justin Timberlake was in the studio beating on a bucket, making beats.

In terms of her personal goals, she said she wants to be a "powerhouse" and follow in the footsteps of Madonna.

Humbling words from the singer who has already achieved superstar "powerhouse" status in her own right.

John Singleton, Russell Simmons Team for Miami-Set Club Drama at HBO

The Oscar-nominated "Boyz n the Hood" multihyphenate will write the script and executive produce "Club Life: Miami." 

The Oscar-nominated Boyz n the Hood writer-director-producer is developing drama Club Life: Miami with Russell Simmons at HBO, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Club Life: Miami is set against the South Beach club scene and follows a reformed criminal who moves to Miami and gains a new lease on life as he embraces the vibrant, youthful and transgressive world. Singleton will write and executive produce the project. Simmons also is on board to executive produce Club Life via his overall deal with the premium cable network.

PHOTOS: 40 Years of HBO

The sale marks the second for Simmons at HBO; he most recently set up an untitled drama from 12 Years a Slave's Steve McQueen and World War Z scribe Matthew Michael Carnahan about a young African-American man with a mysterious past as he experiences life in New York high society.

Singleton is best known for Boyz n the Hood, for which he earned Academy Award nominations for directing and the original screenplay. His credits include Shaft, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Baby Boy and Four Brothers. He's repped by WME, Trevor Engelson at Underground and Steve Barnes. Simmons, who inked his HBO pact in May, is repped by CAA.

Club Life comes as premium cabler Starz is readying Power, a New York-set nightclub drama series from executive producer 50 Cent that will premiere in 2014.

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Beastie Boys Fans Petition To Name Manhattan Intersection After Group

Brooklyn, New York resident LeRoy McCarthy has started a petition to name the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets in Manhattan after the Beastie Boys, as per dnainfo.com. 

That intersection was featured on the cover art of the Beastie Boys’ 1989 album, Paul’s Boutique.

"I think the Beastie Boys represent New York in a certain way," said LeRoy McCarthy, 46, according to dnainfo.com. "They grew up here. They are New Yorkers.”

McCarthy says he has nearly 20 signatures and that he wants to give his proposal to Community Board 3 soon, dnainfo.com says. 

Earlier this year, McCarthy launched a petition to have the intersection of St. James Place and Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York to be co-named Christopher Wallace Way to honor The Notorious B.I.G. 

A Queens intersection was named "Run-DMC JMJ Way” in 2009 after Run DMC and its DJ, Jam Master Jay.

McCarthy says he wants to see a Rap act recognized in every borough, the dnainfo story says. McCarthy is looking into honor the Wu-Tang Clan in the Park Hill neighborhood of the group's native Staten Island.

Eminem & Kanye West Decline NFL Owners Performance Request

NFL owners turn down the multi-million dollar price tag performances of Eminem and Kanye West for their annual NFL Owners Party.

A $2 million price tag is apparently too much for NFL owners, as they declined both Eminem and Kanye West's counter offers to perform for them at their annual NFL Owners Party.

According to TMZ, Eminem requested upwards of $2 million for a performance at the event. Kanye West agreed to do the performance as well, however his bill was over $1 million, plus numerous other requests that would undoubtedly cost more money.

After turning down the price tags of both rap superstars, the owners called Janelle Monae, who only requested $150,000 for her performance and thus was selected to be the party's musical entertainment.
The NFL Owners Party is held every year prior to the Super Bowl. Approximately 1,500 people are reported attend the party annually.

Three 6 Mafia Founding Member Dies at 40

UPDATE Lord Infamous "passed away in his sleep from a heart attack," DJ Paul told THR.

Lord Infamous, a founding member of rap group Three 6 Mafia, died on Friday evening. He was 40. The artist, whose birth name was Ricky Dunigan, passed away during a visit at his mother's house in Memphis. 

"He passed away in his sleep from a heart attack," his half-brother, Three 6 Mafia member DJ Paul, told The Hollywood Reporter by phone. "He said he was tired, he wanted to sleep. He sat down at the kitchen table, put his head in his arms to lay down ... to get some sleep."

His mother had left the house for several hours and when she returned she found the rapper dead at the table. Paul learned the news after calls Saturday morning from the rapper's mother and girlfriend. 

"He'll be remembered as a legend, everybody knew him as a legend, an icon," Paul told THR. "This year was going to make our twenty-fourth year rapping together. His music, our music that we made together, was truly before its time." 

Three 6 Mafia recorded albums such as Mystic Stylez (1995) and When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (2000). In 2006, DJ Paul along with Juicy J (Jordan Houston) won an Oscar for best original song for the Hustle & Flow soundtrack title "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." 

The original members of the group reformed for a reunion project, Da Mafia 6ix, that resulted in the album 6ix Commandments. The group was getting ready for a show next week outside of Memphis. "He got a chance to see the group back together like he wanted to and be back in the studio with everybody and be back making music like he always liked to do," Paul recounted. 

Exclusive: DJ Paul's publicist confirms Lord Infamous' death after Gangsta Boo tweets about the Three 6 Mafia member's passing.

According to DJ Paul's and Da Mafia 6ix publicist Dove Clark, Three 6 Mafia member Lord Infamous passed away last night (December 20) at his mother's home in Memphis.

"He did pass away at his mothers house last night in Memphis," Clark said during an exclusive interview with HipHopDX. "The cause of death is unknown. We're actually trying to figure out how he died and that is all the information we currently have."

Three 6 groupmate Gangsta Boo also tweeted about the matter, calling the death a "tragedy."

"Rest in Peace Lord Infamous," she said via the social media site. "Please respect the family and dear friends during this tragedy."

Raider Klan headman SpaceGhostPurrp, who appeared on Three 6 Mafia offshoot group, Da Mafia Six's latest release, 6ix Commandments, relayed his thoughts over Twitter about Infamous' death.

"R.I.P. Uncle Lord Infamous," Purrp said. "Y'all stay blessed man #RIPUncleScarecrow."

Lord Infamous was one of the founding members of Three 6 Mafia. Along with Juicy J and DJ Paul, Infamous appeared on all of the group's early releases and would release his debut solo effort, Lord Of Terror, in 1994, which preceded the group's breakthrough independent release, 1995's Mystic Stylez. He was the younger half-brother of DJ Paul and also participated in creating 6ix Commandments, which was released last month.

[ Music Info ] What is an A&R?

Guest blog post from Josh Hayward

First an announcement: On top of mixing/producing I have become an A&R (Artist and Repertoire) by joining up with Palace Music Group Digital Distribution because they offer excellent services for prices that don’t break the bank and all services benefit the artist because they are non-binding and non-exclusive. In other words I can also help you get out there on top of making you sound great with the guarantee that you can keep your music and do whatever you wish with it.

An A&R is pretty much a talent scout. We will come out to your shows and watch you live and if we like you we’ll approach you and eventually give you a business card. Alternatively you’ll seek US out through other means like your network.

What are we looking for?
Unique, established acts with original music (sonic quality matters, so have great sounding mixes/masters!) and a great image. In previous posts related to music marketing I expressed how important branding and image are, this is yet another reason to have your brand established and consistent throughout social media and more traditional promotional means.

Essentially we’re looking for those who are serious about their music careers. So what makes someone “serious”?

• Are you investing in yourself monetarily?
• Do you show professionalism?
• Are you playing shows regularly?
• Do you have a good social media following?

These things are important because it shows drive, draw and demand. How can we tell if you’re investing in yourself?:

• Do you have quality album art?
• Does your website look good and have content?
• Does your music sound professionally mixed and mastered?
• Do you have a merch table?
• Do you have business cards?
• Do you get flaky at the mention of spending money?

All of these things tell us a lot about you, talking with you tells us more about where you wish to go with your career. Some are happy being a regional/local act and that’s perfectly fine, they’re still being successful and shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to make money with their music. Does this stuff cost money for you? Of course, you won’t get anywhere for free.
Labels don’t always handle distribution for acts, they will use the particular distribution company the artist currently has unless specified otherwise and negotiations take place so it’s best to establish yourself with a distribution company in the first place.

You don’t necessarily want a label taking control of everything about your music career because you just might lose it or you could be stuck on a label giving you a great royalty rate, yet giving you zero exposure/sales (happens frequently) which does you/your group NO GOOD, so it’s highly recommended to take distribution into your own hands and use labels for marketing juice for the most part.

Social media followings are important for obvious reasons, it shows your marketing strategies are working and that people are spreading the word about you. It means you’ve got your brand and marketing down.
A&Rs can help you and help doesn’t always mean free, so never turn down an opportunity should he/she present themselves before you. Make the effort to call back and talk, see what they can do for you, chances are it will be a LOT and if you end up not doing anything you at least have a great connection you can pass others along to and come back to when you’re ready.

Be weary of those who make guarantees that you’ll become a huge star they’re generally lying through their teeth. Not a lot of people can guarantee stardom or label acceptance but what CAN be guaranteed is driving your success in the proper direction by continued growth of sales and exposure which is what labels want to see in the first place. You can’t achieve that without distribution and proper marketing.

As a mix engineer and production expert I obviously take an A&R position a step further as I know what labels are looking for and can give you what they want, marketing knowledge puts me ahead of the pack as well, so in reality, I can do quite a lot to help you gain exposure. The rest is up to you! Have a budget!