Video Pick: Case-Shook Up

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The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards was an event filled with memorable performances and ridiculous costumes. Singer/actress Mylie Cyrus hosted the ceremony and wasn’t shy about admitting that her prior VMA appearances proved she was unqualified for the hosting gig (her performance with singer Robin Thicke was referenced throughout the night). Rapper Nicki Minaj opened the show with “Trini Dem Girls” and “The Night Is Still Young”. Minaj performed a duet with Taylor Swift “Bad Blood”, as a way of quashing the beef between the two after calling Swift out earlier in the evening. “Bad Blood” took home an award for Video of the Year. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis kept the ceremony going with a live recreation of their new “Downtown” clip. They were joined by hip hop veterans Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee along with Foxy Shazam singer Eric Nally. Hostess Mylie Cyrus didn’t harp on the past long. The pop star presented a silly skit about the creative team behind her Instagram account. Nicki Minaj took home the award for Best Hip Hop Video for “Anaconda”. The night also featured performances from The Weeknd, Tori Kelly, Pharrell and a collaboration between Twenty One Pilots and A$AP Rocky. Still, the night belonged to rapper Kanye West, who shared the Best Video With a Social Message with Big Sean and John Legend “One Man Can Change The World”. West ended his acceptance speech with announcing a presidential run in 2020.

Flashback Friday: Johnnie Taylor- Who’s Making Love

Nicknamed the Philosopher of Soul, Johnnie Taylor’s career spanned 46 years and covered gospel, blues, rhythm & blues and soul. Born Johnnie Harrison Taylor on May 3, 1934, in Crawfordsville AR, he began his career singing gospel. Taylor moved with his grandmother to Kansas City MO at age ten and later joined the gospel quartet the Melody Kings as a teenager. The group occasionally opened for gospel group the Soul Stirrers, whose lead singer Sam Cooke befriended Taylor. In 1953, Taylor moved to Chicago where he joined the Five Echoes, with whom he made his first recordings for the Veejay label. Shortly afterward, he began singing with the Highway QCs, a long running, popular gospel group that included singers Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls. The QCs made their recording debut with the single “Somewhere To Lay My Head”, which made the group a top gospel attraction. In 1957, Taylor was chosen to replace Sam Cooke in the Soul Stirrers. He later left the group after a car accident that killed a young girl in 1960. In 1966, Taylor signed with Stax Records in Memphis TN. Among his early singles for the label are “Somebody’s Sleeping In My Bed” and “I Had A Dream”. In 1968, Taylor had his first major pop crossover success with the single “Who’s Making Love”, a funk/soul song that eventually went number one R&B and number five pop. Subsequent hits with Stax include “Take Care Of Your Homework”, “Jody’s Got Your Girl And Gone”, “Cheaper To Keep Her” and “I Believe In You (You Believe In Me)”. After Stax filed for bankruptcy, Taylor signed with CBS/Columbia Records. His first album for the label, “Eargasm”, contained the hit single “Disco Lady”, which went number one on both the pop and R&B charts and became the first single to ever be certified platinum, selling over two million copies. In 1982, Taylor signed with Beverly Glen Records where he released the album “What About My Love”. In 1984, he signed with Malaco Records, becoming the label’s most popular artist. He released several albums for the label with “Gotta Get The Groove Back” being his final for the label in 1999. While living in Duncanville TX, a suburb of Dallas, Taylor suffered a heart attack at his home. He died at Charleton Methodist Hospital on May 31,2001.

In Memorandum: Michael Joseph Jackson 1958-2009

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Fans of rapper Young buck needn’t worry. He’s not heading back to prison. The G-Unit member was caught trying to use someone else’s urine in an attempt to pass a random drug test. He could have faced five years in prison for the stunt, which is unacceptable. Thankfully, a judge showed sympathy and suggested he enter rehab instead. He must complete a drug treatment program, 100 hours of community service and pay a $7,500 fine. Hopefully, he’ll get his life back on track when that’s over. Tomorrow marks what would have been singer Michael Jackson’s 57th birthday. With his brothers and on his own, Jackson scored several hits and went on to revolutionize music videos in the 1980s. As a performer, he was a force of nature that could not be denied. He has gone on to influence a new generation of singers and the music he left behind will live on. May Michael Joseph Jackson rest in paradise.

Video Pick: Jason Derulo- Cheyenne

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August 25, 2015, marked fourteen years since the death of R&B singer Aaliyah. To commemorate that date, fans and peers of the late singer took to social media to share their admiration of her talent. One of the most notable was singer Janet Jackson. The singer posted a handwritten note detailing the bond the two shared. Aaliyah’s admiration for Ms. Jackson is not secret. She mentioned the legendary singer as a musical influence during an interview with talk show host Rose O’Donnell. Aaliyah also expressed a desire to collaborate with Jackson. Although no collaboration ever saw the light of day, Ms. Jackson dedicated her single “Come Back To Me” to the late singer during a concert a few years back. No Limit Records mogul Master P stopped by radio show the Breakfast Club to discuss his  upcoming film “Ice Cream Man: King Of The South”. While it seems like perfect timing for the film’s release with “Straight Outta Compton” still number one at the box office, the rap mogul says he won’t hide anything when telling his come-up narrative. The film will be executive produced by Master P’s son Romeo and be produced by his in-house team from No Limit Forever. The film will be released in 2016. Singers Chris Brown and Rita Ora collaborated on the single “Body On Me” for her upcoming album. Now, the two have enlisted the services of rapper Fetty Wap for the remix. While the original version of the song was an R&B ballad, the remix is an uptempo record with Fetty Wap fitting in with the concept and theme. Hopefully, the single will do well.

Video Pick- Chrisette Michelle- A Couple Of Forevers

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It’s official. The inaugural Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival was a box office smash. The event drew a record crowd of over 40,000 fans across it’s weekend, with 23,000 visiting the show at Jones Beach in New York yesterday (August 23) to see performances from Kygo, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and special guest Justin Bieber. Organizers are calling the event an overwhelming success in it’s debut year. Across it’s two days, the event drew a huge crowd that turned out to view performances by The Weeknd, Axwell Ingrosso, Lil Wayne, Jason Derulo, Fetty Wap, Little Mix, X Ambassadors, New Politics, Tori Kelly, Party Thieves, ZZ Ward, Lights and Kiesza and many more. The concert shattered single day attendance records at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, with more than 17,000 fans filling the site. The event was produced by Live Nation. Rapper The Doc suffered an injury nearly twenty years ago when his vocal chords were damaged in a car accident. Now, it appears that he’s ready for a comeback. The Doc made a name for himself by contributing to seminal rap group N.W.A’s debut album “Straight Outta Compton” and rapper Eazy E’s debut album “Eazy Duz It”. He released his debut album “No One Can Do It Better” in 1989. It’s the only album in his catalog to go platinum. In 1996, six years after the accident that severed his vocal chords, he released “Helter Skelter” and released “Deuce” in 2003. He posted some tweets indicating that his voice may be back. Although there’s no indication that there’s any new music coming, it’s a great sign that he’s recording again. He also mentioned rappers Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, whom he enjoys.  It’s great to see him back. According to studio estimates, the N.W.A biopic, “Straight Outta Compton”, maintained it’s number top spot at the box office, earning 26. 8 million in ticket sales. The film distributed by Universal Pictures continues to dominate over other August releases that characterize the dog days of summer in Hollywood. The film has now earned 111.5 million in two weeks and continues to draw both male and female theater goers, despite renewed charges of misogyny in N.W.A’s lyrics and the film’s overlooking of Dr. Dre’s abuse of women.

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After much criticism that the film “Straight Outta Compton” doesn’t address rap group N.W.A’s misogyny and treatment of women, rapper/producer Dr. Dre released a statement to the New York Times apologizing to the women he beat years ago. Although he didn’t mention anyone in particular, he stated, “Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing all I can so that I never resemble that man again.” He added: “I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that that it has forever impacted all of our lives.” Apple, where the rapper/producer works as a top executive, released a statement supporting Dre. In 1991, it was reported that hip hop journalist Dee Barnes was assaulted by the rapper in a nightclub. She wrote a piece for Gawker titled “What’s Missing From Straight Outta Compton: Me and the Other  Women Dr. Dre Beat Up” that has been viewed over 1.7 million times. Although a scene depicting the incident was filmed, it was removed.