Kudos to Waka Flocka for taking a stand…

After catching the news that the University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity had chanted disturbing racist slurs, Waka Flocka has canceled his upcoming performance at the school.

“I must say I’m disgusted and disappointed in the actions of the SAE fraternity at University of Oklahoma and I will be canceling my scheduled performance for them next month,” Flocka said in an Instagram photo. “Racism is something I will not tolerate.”

ABC news reports that the university has since severed “all and affiliations” with the fraternity.

Multi-platinum G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings artist Big Sean captures the first #1 album of his career as DARK SKY PARADISE (released February 24th) enters Soundscan in the top spot on first week sales of over 172,000 copies.

Critics have hailed DARK SKY PARADISE as Sean’s best album to date. “By many lengths his best album,” said Pitchfork. The New York Times agreed “…on his third and best album, he is more human than ever before.” Billboard raved “with sterling wordplay and a consistent melancholy vibe, the Detroit native took all the tension, the highs and lows, and laid it out on wax, compiling the strongest project of his career.”

“It’s a great day for all of us at Def Jam and G.O.O.D. Music to be able to share in Big Sean’s first #1 album achievement,” said Steve Bartels, CEO, Def Jam Recordings. “Hard work, great artistry and an incredible all-around team effort melded together to bring ‘Dark Sky Paradise’ to the top. Congratulations to the team on all their effort and a special thank you to Big Sean for delivering a great body of work.”

Kanye West forecasted the achievement with a tweet from London to his 10+ million followers as news travelled overseas: “So proud of my family Big Sean for his first number 1 album!!!! #Goodmusic!!!!”

DARK SKY PARADISE achieved maximum thrust in the week leading up to the album release, as Big Sean held an unprecedented four of the Top 10 songs on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap chart: “One Man Can Change The World” (featuring Kanye West and John Legend) and “Win Some, Lose Some”at #1 and #2 respectively, which joined the RIAA platinum certified “I Don’t F**k With You” featuring E-40 (#1 Rap, #1 R&B, Top 10 pop, with over 2.2 million Spotify streams), and “Blessings (Extended)” featuring Drake and Kanye West.

Big Sean celebrated his new album’s arrival with a performance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a panel discussion appearance on Comedy Central’s The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. Last week, Sean and his team chartered a private jet for a whirlwind 24-hour run through New York, Atlanta, his hometown Detroit, and Los Angeles, bringing MTV News and Complex along for the ride:

http://www.mtv.com/news/2088423/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-private-jet/

http://www.complex.com/music/2015/02/big-sean-dark-sky-paradise-above-the-clouds-documentary

The highly-anticipated video for “Blessings” made its premiere with VEVO: http://vevo.ly/D1VA1C

Later this month, Sean will begin touring in support of DARK SKY PARADISE:

3/22: Tampa, FL/ Firestone

4/3: Providence, RI / Lupos Heartbreak Hotel

4/19: Columbus OH/ Newport Music Hall

4/22: Sayerville, NJ/ Starland

4/30: Richmond, VA: The National

5/6: Clifton Park, NY/ Upstate Concert Hall

5/15: Salt Lake City, UT

5/16: Las Vegas, NV Rock in Rio

5/21: Kansas City, MO

5/23: Milwaukee, WI/ The Eagle Ballroom

Forest Hills Drive Tour with J. Cole:

7/12 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre

7/14 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

7/17 – San Diego, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre

7/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center

7/21 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

7/24 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

7/26 – Indianapolis, IN – Klipsch Music Center

7/28 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

7/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion

7/31 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center

8/3 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

8/4 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

8/6 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center

8/7 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

8/8 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre

8/9 – Washington DC – Jiffy Lube Live

8/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

8/12 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

8/13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

8/15 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

8/16 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

8/18 – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre

8/21 -Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

8/22 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater

8/23 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion

8/25 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

8/29 – Fayetteville, NC – Crown Complex

www.uknowbigsean.com

http://smarturl.it/BigSeanApp

@The Basement

79 Poplar Street
Atlanta GA, 30303

Maybach Music Group/Atlantic Records artist Wale eagerly announces details of his highly anticipated new album, “THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING,” which arrives everywhere on March 31st. The album’s new single, “The Matrimony (feat. Usher) – which Entertainment Weekly called “a pretty spectacular hip-hop ballad” – premiered earlier this week via a blockbuster partnership with iHeart Media, where the song was played on all iHeart media urban mainstream stations and their websites, every hour on the hour. “The Matrimony (feat. Usher)” is now available at all DSPs (http://smarturl.it/WMatrimony) & streaming at http://youtu.be/A0PUGSh0GUU. The album also includes the recent hit single, “The Body (feat. Jeremih),” which peaked at #2 on Mediabase’s Urban chart. That song’s companion video clip is fast approaching 3 million individual page views at http://youtu.be/zQMMI8itli8.

Adding to all this, “THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING” is now available for pre-order via Wale’s official web store by visiting: http://smarturl.it/TAANBundle. Fans who purchase this special pre-order bundle will receive a one-of-a-kind Wale snapback as well as a copy of “THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING,” which will be paired with exclusive artwork, designed by Sue Tsai that is only available online upon purchasing this pre-order bundle. Wale himself will soon unveil two additional album covers, which will be available at physical retailers, when the album is released on March 31st.

“THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING” sees Wale continuing his famed “ABOUT NOTHING” mixtape trilogy with his most eclectic, entertaining, and extraordinary album to date. As its title suggests, the album sees the GRAMMY®-nominated rapper continuing to express the inspiration of his favorite TV show, Seinfeld – a relationship that has since blossomed into a real life friendship between Wale and Jerry Seinfeld himself. The legendary comedian is prominently featured on “THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING,” contributing skits and segments which fuel Wale’s one-of-a-kind raps. The two superstars recently sat down at New York City’s Remedy Diner for an exclusive cover feature in the December 2014/January 2015 issue of Complex (www.complex.com/covers/wale-seinfeld-interview-2014-cover-story)

* * *

Wale is of course one of the most idiosyncratic talents in hip-hop history. The Washington, DC-based rapper began unleashing his distinctive mixtapes in 2005, ultimately releasing his debut album, “ATTENTION DEFECIT,” in 2009. He signed with Maybach Music Group in 2011 and soon unveiled his breakthrough second album, “AMBITION.” Highlighted by such singles as the RIAA gold certified “Lotus Flower Bomb (Feat. Miguel),” the album debuted at #1 on both Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” and “Top Rap Albums” charts while also entering at #2 on the overall Billboard “Top 200 Albums” chart. High profile appearances on a variety of MMG releases followed, including label founder Rick Ross’ RIAA gold certified, GRAMMY®-nominated “GOD FORGIVE, I DON’T,” as well as all three volumes of the massively popular “MMG PRESENTS: SELF MADE” series.

The rapper’s third studio album, “THE GIFTED,” was released in June 2013 and proved a milestone, exploding to the #1 spot on the Billboard “Top 200 Albums” chart after its first week of release. What’s more, the album’s lead single, “Bad (Feat. Tiara Thomas),” achieved RIAA platinum certification for sales in excess of 1 million after ascending to the upper reaches of Billboard’s “Hot 100” – Wale’s highest charting hit single thus far.

For more information on Wale, visit www.walemusic.com, www.facebook.com/waleofficial, https://twitter.com/Wale, www.youtube.com/user/walemusic, & http://instagram.com/wale.

March 23rd 2015 is the official release date for Kendrick Lamar’s second album…

On Friday afternoon (Mar. 6), the rapper posted an iTunes link to Twitter that is a placeholder link for a new album, with a $14.99 pre-order button. As of now, the link leads to a “Digital Booklet – TBD” item, with no artwork and “[Untitled]” where the album title would be.

The comeback continues for Missy… Since the Super Bowl… she’s been busy… and now the news of her Essence Festival debut when the annual event returns to New Orleans on July 2-5.  The event this year was already set to be spectacular… But… now with Usher and Missy… you better go get that flight booked and hotel reservation held…

Essence is one of the better events the country has to offer… And with a roster that includes… Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Common, Kevin Hart and Erykah Badu…. I’m sure this year will not disappoint…  Hosting the festival weekend will be comedians Nephew Tommy from the Steve Harvey Morning Show and Luenell.

Additional information is available on Essence.com/festival.

CONVERSE Inc. announces the global launch of “Made by you” – a landmark brand campaign celebrating fans of the brand who have been expressing themselves and their creativity in Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers for nearly 100 years. For the Spring 2015 campaign, Converse scoured the globe to collect beloved and distinctly personal Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers, each of which tells a story of transformation from blank canvas to self-portrait of their owner.

“‘Made by you’ originated from a simple human truth – we all want to be our true, authentic self in this world,” said Ian Stewart, Vice President of Global Marketing. “Fans of Chuck Taylor are the ones who have made Chuck Taylor an iconic badge of creative self-expression. It’s time we celebrated them.”

“Made by you“ is a global celebration highlighting Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, the only sneaker defined by those who wear them. Converse has curated a collection of Chuck Taylor All Star portraits, showcasing endless diversity and self-expression of individuals past and present who choose to wear Chuck Taylor All Star – from musicians to artists, skaters to fashionistas, the known to the unknown. Their portraits offer a contemporary lens into the distinctly unique worlds they inhabit.

Portraits collected from the likes of international icons like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Futura, Jefferson Hack, Sayo Yoshida, Kate Lanphear and Glenn O’Brien will be featured alongside portraits from everyday Chuck Taylor All Star wearers, and used in global exhibitions, which will turn the city streets of New York to Shanghai to Rio into art galleries. Additionally, the “Made by you” campaign seeks to highlight the unique creative spirit of local communities and subcultures with hyper-local portrait exhibitions celebrating the diversity of self-expression inherent in cultural neighborhoods throughout the world.

“Made by you” is a true celebration of creative individuals, their stories and their sneakers. Whether they are hand painted, covered in mud or worn out with holes, each Chuck Taylor All Star portrait tells a deeply personal story of the transformation from a white, black, red or navy sneaker into a remarkable piece of art. However worn, customized, modified or pristine, the portraits demonstrate the vast potential of an ultimate blank canvas.

Since its debut in 1917, the Chuck Taylor All Star has become one of the world’s most legendary and iconic sneakers. Fans, artists and musicians first adopted the ubiquitous Chuck Taylor All Star as a rebellious badge of creativity. “Made by you” not only celebrates the people who have made the Chuck Taylor more than a sneaker, but also seeks to unleash their continued creative expression around the globe.

“Made by you” is a multi-channel global campaign and includes activations from the streets and stores to online and in social media, including launch exhibitions in New York City, London, Beijing, and Mexico City, as well as offering consumers the ability to participate at a host of pop-up portrait studios at Converse retail locations and events around the world.

About Converse

Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as “America’s Original Sports Company”™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor® All Star® shoe, the Jack Purcell® shoe and the One Star® shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men’s, women’s and children’s footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 87 company-owned retail locations in the U.S.

Breyon Prescott has been named Head of Urban A&R, Epic Records, it was announced by L.A. Reid, Chairman/CEO, Epic Records. In his new role, Mr. Prescott will be responsible for identifying, developing and nurturing new and existing talent for the label in addition to managing the urban A&R team. Under the new partnership, Mr. Prescott will bring his Chameleon Entertainment imprint to the label.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Breyon to Epic Records. His instincts, relationships and ability to deliver the hits are a perfect match for our A&R team,” said Mr. Reid. “I’m especially proud of Breyon for spearheading the revival of iconic R&B group Jodeci… the guys have delivered an incredible album.”

“After 20 years in this industry, I am honored to work with one of the last, true “record men” who undeniably has the best ears in the business,” says Mr. Prescott. “I am continually impressed by LA’s leadership and ability to stay passionate for his craft, in spite of all his groundbreaking success. We have some incredible music on deck for 2015 and I’m looking forward to having many more banner years at Epic.”

Mr. Prescott has had a very successful career in music over the past decade. His credits include numerous #1 and Grammy Award-winning singles as well as serving as A&R executive, producer and executive producer on multi-platinum projects with Jamie Foxx, Drake, Kanye West, D’Angelo, Angie Stone and Brandy to name a few. As President/CEO of Chameleon Entertainment, Mr. Prescott continues to executive produce the latest Jamie Foxx project which is set for a December release, along with managing acts such as Nikki Williams and Brandy. He has held joint ventures with RCA and J Records under the tutelage of Clive Davis and Peter Edge and most recently with Def Jam.

SOURCE Epic Records