Call ’em what you want: contagious, infectious, soulful, whatever. If you can appreciate good beats, you probably know Brooklyn’s DJ Scratch. He’s been dropping them for decades.

On this day, the international DJ and beat doctor is sharing his knowledge and love of the music that’s given him so much with the world. It is ScratchVision, an online platform curated and cut by Scratch broadcasting to far corners of the globe. Class is in session.

To know Scratch and appreciate his journey you have to come here. You can’t romanticize the place. Typically the projects are synonymous with abject poverty, unemployment and crime. Most of its true. What you don’t hear enough about is the beautiful souls that call it home.

It was here and places like Albany Houses that music became the escape for a generation of young people. The sound was raw, unapologetic and often times an open diary about life in the struggle. They called it hip hop.

As the story goes, times were tough. Another long and hot summer without much to do until Albany Days, a yearly community get together, and it included a DJ competition for the kids. So a 12-year-old known only as “Junior” at the time entered as the man he wanted to be, writing “DJ SCRATCH” on the signup sheet.

There were 4 core components of the movement: B-boys, MC’s, Graffiti Artists and DJs — and he wanted a piece of it.

His world would never be the same. Jay Z, Biggie — Let me back up — Jam Master J, Run DMC,
Hit Records. Banging Beats. The world over. From, well, the ‘hood.

The seeds for Scratch Vision were planted on the road — Germany to Japan, Miami to Madrid — now, Scratch is offering a resource: to teach, educate, preserve, if you will, the sound of his childhood.

The world has changed since the early 1980s. Scratch has found a way to embrace the new technology and also remain true to his roots. Dropping beats. Dropping knowledge.

Will Smith is ready to get jiggy with it again… he has been working on new music… and now news that he will tour with Jazzy Jeff at some point…

Smith said he never had a chance to tour because of the success of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched in 1990….

Kanye added Chicago rapper HXLT… formerly Hollywood Holt… to G.O.O.D. Music roster… and now the rapper releases the video for ‘Live to Death’….

‘Live and Death’ is the first track off his forthcoming debut LP for G.O.O.D./Def Jam…

From the ‘Wire’ to ‘The Breaks’ and in between an album that should have gotten more notoriety… Wilds hopes to gain some attention of viewers who have so far slept on his many talents…

According to Billboard… The VH1 original movie follows the journey of three friends Nikki (Afton Williamson), David (David Call) and DeeVee (Wilds) as they pursue their love of hip-hop and try to rise above the tough streets of 1990 New York City and make their mark in the music biz.

The film is inspired by Dan Charnas’ book entitled The Big Payback, a narrative history of the hip-hop business, and its written, directed and executive produced by Seith Mann (The Wire, The Walking Dead, Homeland)

According to Billboard…. The lawyer for the heir of an Egyptian composer who sued rapper Jay Z over the hit song “Big Pimpin'” says he will appeal a ruling dismissing the case before it went to a jury.

Billboard Con’t… Attorney Pete Ross says he believes the decision Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder is “completely wrong.”

Attorneys for Jay Z and producer Timbaland say they are pleased with the ruling. Neither man attended Wednesday’s hearing.

The Game “Don’t Trip” Ft….

ICE CUBE x DR. DRE x will.I.am

Going For Mixshow Airplay Now!!

THE GAME

NEW ALBUMS:

“THE DOCUMENTARY 2”

&

“THE DOCUMENTARY 2.5”

AVAILABLE ONLINE & IN STORES NOW!!

#SoulTrainAwards
Soul Train Awards to Air on Centric and BET, November 29^th at 8PM ET

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CENTRIC announced that the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 will be hosted by the incomparable singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. The hippest trip led by the illest chick will celebrate soul music’s R&B legends alongside the next wave of talented artists. Filmed November 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, the SOUL TRAIN AWARDS will air on CENTRIC and BET on November 29^th, 2015 at 8PM ET.

Musical luminaries being honored at the show include Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, who will receive the Legend Award and Jill Scott who will accept the first-ever Lady of Soul Award. These icons are being recognized for their longstanding presence in the industry and influence on the world of music past and present. R&B legend and record producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds has won 11 Grammy Awards and written and produced 26 No. 1 R&B hits. His new album, Return of the Tender Lover, will be released December 4th. A torchbearer of R&B music, Jill is a 3x Grammy Award-winner who has also established herself as a critically acclaimed actress as well as a New York Times bestselling poet.

The SOUL TRAIN AWARDS will feature an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances and viewers can expect special appearances by some of the brightest stars in entertainment. The event annually showcases Soul Train’s influence on the history of music and dance from the 70s to today.

Another fun addition for visitors to look forward to is the full SOUL TRAIN WEEKEND November 5-7. Packages are on sale now on Ticketmaster.com, starting at $800. Individual tickets can be purchased for the Centric Presents Soul Train Awards at Orleans Arena (orleansarena.com) and the Soul Train Weekend Concert featuring R. Kelly with special guest Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds (Ticketmaster.com). General admission tickets to the Soul Train Weekend Late Night Party at LIGHT nightclub will be available at a later date to be announced. Additional information and ticketing can be found at SoulTrainWeekend.com.

The SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015 is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Executive Producers of the network telecast are as follows: Debra Lee, Stephen Hill, Connie Orlando and Lynne Harris Taylor from BET; and Jesse Collins from Jesse Collins Entertainment. Erykah Badu is an Associate Producer.

For show information, please visit BET.com/SoulTrain, the official site for SOUL TRAIN AWARDS 2015.

About CENTRIC

Centric is the only multi-platform lifestyle brand designed to boldly celebrate the diverse and beautiful world of Black women. A 24-hour music and entertainment channel, Centric has its finger on the pulse of an ever-changing beat and delivers compelling content that reflects, inspires and addresses the unique perspectives of Black women.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

About Soul Train Holdings

SOUL TRAIN HOLDINGS, LLC was formed in May 2008 and is owned by InterMedia Partners and a partnership between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Ron Burkle’s investment firm, The Yucaipa Companies. The iconic franchise and catalog consists of more than 1,100 episodes and 40 specials from Don Cornelius Productions, Inc. Soul Train is the longest running, first-run, nationally syndicated music program in television history. During its 35-year run, the show featured lasting innovations such as the Soul Train line and the legendary sign off “Love, Peace and Soul.” At the heart of the show was Don Cornelius, the dancers and influential artists such as James Brown, Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Prince, Run D.M.C. and Destiny’s Child.

About the Orleans Arena

The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities and the 2014 recipient of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. In addition, the Orleans Arena is one of only a handful of arenas in the United States to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is part of the largest company in Nevada to achieve SHARP Certification for commitments to safe venue operations. According to Venues Today magazine, the Orleans Arena, which hosts more than 200 events each year, consistently ranks in the Top 10 for ticket sales in the United States and internationally among venues of similar size. These events include nationally touring concerts, NCAA basketball conference tournaments, family shows, motorsports and other unique events. For more information, call 702-365-7469 or visit www.OrleansArena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).

Source: CENTRIC

Flavor Flav, 56, has had his trial for misdemeanor driving under the influence, speeding and cocaine charges stemming from a vehicle stop last May in Las Vegas postponed to Feb. 8 2016… 911 is not a joke in this town…