Latin Alternative Explosion: Probable or Inevitable?

Categories: pondering
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Sicilia Wolf
Latin Alternative Songstress Carla Morrison

The music is great and the demographics are there for the taking, so is it only a matter of time before a Latin Alternative explosion occurs Stateside? Producer and songwriter Desmond Child weighed in with his opinion in a recent Al Borde piece. As someone who has worked with the likes of Aerosmith and helped orchestrate Ricky Martin's crossover success, he says:
Back in the late '90s with Ricky and the whole Latin explosion, we saw Latin artists transcend into a new market. Now we have a new generation of urban artist who are doing the same thing and are coming up with a new flavor of hip-hop and Latin dance hall music, such as Wisin y Yandel. So I think there could definitely be a Latin Alternative explosion as well.
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Philip Anschutz: The Billionaire Who Puts the 'A' in AEG

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Two years ago today, the single "This is It" by Michael Jackson was released in forward promotion of the concert documentary of the same name. The film gave audiences a glimpse into the King of Pop's comeback tour, and went on to become the highest grossing ever in its genre. Jackson's death, which til now dominates our TV sets via Dr. Conrad Murray's trial, made concert promoter AEG more of a household name than it already was. But how many people know what the "A" in the acronym stands for? More >>

Kreayshawn, V-Nasty and the N-Word Controversy

Categories: Hip-Hop, pondering
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It was way back in 1995 when none other than KRS-One himself rapped in the DJ Premiere-produced "MCs Act Like They Don't Know" that "Now we got white kids callin' themselves niggas!" Fast forward 16 years later, a Colombia Records deal for white rapper Kreayshawn has put the issue on the forefront and it's not going away anytime soon. I've tried my best to ignore the entirety of the whole "Gucci, Gucci"-propelled phenomenon--I've been too busy bumpin' the Queens of the Mic compilation album anyway--but after torturing myself recently by listening to a commercial hip-hop radio station spin the single on a Top 5 countdown, it's nearly inescapable.
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Top 10 Singles of 2011--So Far

Categories: pondering
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We just gave you the top 10 best albums of the year so far--now revel in the best singles!

Obviously, Adele is in there, but guess who else gets a mention? Plus, do you agree with our choices? Put your own picks in the comments!
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10 Acts Nirvana's 'Nevermind' Made Irrelevant

Categories: pondering
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Wow, so Nirvana's Nevermind celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Released in September 1991, the album was the first grunge set that went to the No. 1 slot on Billboard's U.S. sales chart. It has since sold more than 30 million albums.

To celebrate, Universal Music Enterprises announced that they're cashing in on the anniversary by releasing a 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition of Nevermind, out on September 20. The CDs will include previously unreleased recordings, rarities, b-sides, BBC radio appearances, alternative mixes, rare live recordings and an unreleased concert in its entirety on DVD.

This whole anniversary got me thinking--I still remember the first time I ever heard Nevermind, on TAPE--and how as a 13-year-old, my taste changed from hair metal to grunge, immediately, and let me to the path of indie rock fandom forever. (My cousin, same age as I was, says Dr. Dre did the same for him, and subsequently ditched his Warrant CDs for anything gangsta rap. How about that for musical forks in the road?)

In keeping with the whole theme of musical paradigm shifts, here's a list of bands that never had a hit after Nirvana's Nevermind took over the American psyche.
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Is a Sober Lil Wayne a Good Thing?

Categories: pondering
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Little Wayne emerged from Rikers Island late last year. Now, owing to the terms of his probation, he must lay off drugs and liquor for three years or return to prison. And, by all accounts, he's kept kosher. 



And yet something doesn't quite sit right. For the man who once composed a love song to his purple drank, this is roughly the equivalent of stripping Bill Gates of his keyboard, or Wonder Woman of her bracelets. 



On "6'7"," the first single since he returned (and slated for his much-anticipated upcoming album Tha Carter IV), his rapping is crisper and quicker, his voice has lost some of its raspy edge, and his lyrics are obviously more considered. 



But is this what we want? 

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Did a Corrupt Cop Kill Notorious B.I.G.? (and Four Other Rock Star Conspiracy Theories)

Categories: pondering
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Conspiracy theories regarding Notorious B.I.G.'s death have been floating around ever since the 1997 shooting of Christopher Wallace. But now that the Freedom of Information Act gives us access to his FBI files (read them here), the internetz is buzzing with previously unknown details--such as ballistics evidence that further link former LAPD officer David Mack to the murder. Obviously, this is all old news to Biggie die-hards, but for conspiracy enthusiasts everywhere, chalk it up to another surreptitious plot swirling around fame and fortune. After the list, a few of the wildest conspiracy theories involving John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Tupac, Jimi Hendrix and more.
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Lupe Fiasco, Lasers and Artistic Freedom

Categories: pondering
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lupefiasco.com
Lupe Fiasco's Lasers, one of the most embattled albums in recent hip-hop history, finally finds its way to shelves and digital downloads today. It took a fan-organized protest dubbed "Fiasco Friday" back in October to force Atlantic Records to preemptively announce a release date for the rapper's third studio album. Without it, the 12-track collection might have never seen the light of day.
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Why is Lil Wayne a Genius? We Explain His Appeal (Plus, His New Video for 'Six Foot Seven Foot!')

Categories: pondering
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www.myspace.com/lilwayne
Lil Wayne is a genius, and not simply because he spends seven days a week in the studio, recording some of the most lyrically intricate, metaphor-laced verses in the history of the rap game off the top of his head, no pen, no pad. More >>

Did an Enjambre Cover Influence the Coachella-Bound Caifanes Reunion?

Categories: pondering
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Elizabeth Hernandez
Now that Coachella's three-day musical lineup has been officially released, it's confirmed that reunion performances will include Mexican rock legends Caifanes. No more speculation is necessary (and really, it was a no-brainer), with the band set to take the stage in Indio on April 15 as a semi-top billing just days after participating in Mexico City's Vive Latino Festival. The reported smoothing-out of a tension-filled 15-year hiatus between guitarist Alejandro Marcovich and singer Saúl Hernández has made the two concerts possible.More >>
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