We have a particular penchant for technological devices that don’t look as such. And plain plastic is all but absent from the Orée Pebble 2, which instead is crafted from solid wood or marble, beautiful materials with unique audio properties that pair perfectly with the 5W loudspeaker and microphone built into the unit. On top of playing music and answering phone calls, it also boasts an induction charger that tops up your Qi-compatible device or smartphone within a Qi case – like Orée’s Power Sleeve – just by setting it atop Pebble 2.
Who Is Jordan Morris?
Born in London, England on August 12th 1994, 19-Year Old Jordan Dominic Morris was destined for great things from the very beginning.
Growing up in the 90's, Jordan was exposed to a world of infectious Pop anthems and soul-filled R&B music. "I use to want to be in the Backstreet Boys." He admits with a smile "I loved the boy band Blue, at the same time I was listening to Beyonce, Craig David and Justin Timberlake. In my house the music was always turned up".
Recognizing he had the chops for singing, Jordan Morris continued to develop his craft by entering as many local talent shows and competitions as he could. By age 15, he realized that his silky smooth vocals were a quick way to impress the girls and this alone kept him singing.
The influences of the urban North West London scene would soon become apparent in his artistry and he became a regular performer at open mics and underground performances throughout London, winning the favor and support of major UK industry players like Jamal Edwards of SBTV and producers Zay-D.
Jordan went on to record music with UK recording artist 'Faith SFX', building on his knowledge of music, he fell in love with the sounds of artists like Lemar, Robin Thicke, Brian McKnight and Justin Timberlake. "I just want to be the best artist I can be, I've been inspired by so many talented people from all over the world and I feel like I owe it to anyone who supports me on my journey to simply make them feel something when they listen to my music".
In May 2013, Jordan signed a management contract with Jareiq 'JQ' Kabara, President, Creative Director at The LDN Agency. Impressed by Jordan’s artistic tenacity, JQ partnered with Music Producer Sasha Farhadian and Business Executive Azos L. Rashid to create independent label ‘IQMG’ ultimately signing Jordan Morris as their flagship artist.
With many exciting plans in the pipeline for Jordan Morris, 2014 looks to be a year of great success for the #TeamJM movement.
Who Is EMA?
Erika M. Anderson, better known by her stage name EMA, is an American singer and songwriter from South Dakota. Originally the lead singer of drone-folk band Gowns, she released her debut album Little Sketches on Tape in 2010 on Night People, an independent music label founded by former Raccoo-oo-oon member Shawn Reed. In 2011 EMA released her second album Past Life Martyred Saints, which received positive reviews from Pitchfork Media, Drowned in Sound, and the NME. After releasing her debut album, EMA was named "New Band of the Day" by The Guardian and "Artist to Watch" by Rolling Stone. In 2011 she performed "Endless, Nameless" for Spin's twentieth anniversary tribute to Nirvana's album Nevermind. Her song "The Grey Ship" was used on an episode of Adult Swim's Off the Air.
She has been heavily blogged about and was described by Yahoo! News as one of the most blogged artist of the week. This was calculated using an aggregator of 1000 music blogs.
A new album, The Future's Void, was released in 2014.
Anderson played guitar for the experimental rock project Amps for Christ until the early 2000s. In 2006, she shaped the noise-folk band Gowns with The Mae Shi member and then-boyfriend Ezra Buchla. The duo, along with the former drummer of The Mae Shi, Corey Fogel, relocated to San Francisco, California. After holding recording sessions in Anderson's home in South Dakota, the group released its first record, Red State, in 2007. After the record's release, Jacob Felix Heule and Aaron Davis became additions to the band, with Heule replacing Fogel as drummer and Davis becoming the group's bassist. Gowns continued to tour and record, releasing its third and final album, Broken Bones, in 2009.
Videos : Nicki Minaj : Pills N Potions (Lyric Video)
Videos : Nicki Minaj : Pills N Potions (Lyric Video)
Nicki Minaj finally unleashed the single “Pills N Potions” from her anticipated third album last week, and she followed that with an accompanying lyric video this weekend.
The clip features the full lyrics to The Pink Print single (maybe she was just tired of everyone misquoting her), along with some still shots of, well…pills and alcoholic potions.
According to Nicki’s tweet another lyric video will follow shortly — because, if you’re gonna do it, might as well do it big.
“Pills N Potions” has continued to climb the charts since it was released, and Nicki has continued to share her successes via Instagram, even posting snapshots of the positive reviews that she’s received.
No release date for been announced for The Pink Pink as yet, but in the meantime there’s plenty to look forward to — including the official video for “Pills N Potions.” If the teaser video is any indication fo what’s to come, this one will probably be a big hit.
Albums : Mariah Carey : Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse
Albums : Mariah Carey : Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse
Listen To Mariah Carey : Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse
Diva Mariah Carey is heading for her 17th top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart -- but the No. 1 slot will likely elude the singer.
Carey's new effort, "Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse," could sell around 55,000 to 60,000 copies in the week ending June 1 (according to industry forecasters), for a possible start at No. 3. That would mark Carey's lowest sales debut for a non-holiday studio album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. Her previous low came when 1991's "Emotions" launched at No. 4 with 156,000, according to SoundScan. (Carey has tallied six No. 1 albums, between 1991 and 2008.)
"Chanteuse" was released on May 27 by Def Jam Records -- nearly five years after her last non-holiday studio album, 2009's "Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel." (This is her longest gap between studio projects.)
"Chanteuse" was tentatively earmarked for a release in March of 2013, but was then pushed to July 23, then to May 6, 2014, and finally May 27. The promotion for the new set arguably started in August of 2012 with the release of the single "Triumphant (Get 'Em)," a song which does not appear on "Chanteuse."
The new album's most recent charting single, "You're Mine (Eternal)," spent one week on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 88 on the March 1-dated chart. The set previously logged a No. 15 hit with "#Beautiful," featuring Miguel, in June 2013. Comparably, the "Memoirs" album launched with the No. 7-peaking single "Obsessed." (Carey holds the mark for the most Hot 100 No. 1s, 18, among soloists. Among all acts, only the Beatles, with 20, have more.)
Carey will likely be blocked from the No. 1 slot on next week's Billboard 200 chart by two holdover titles in their second week: Coldplay's "Ghost Stories" and Brantley Gilbert's "Just As I Am."
"Ghost Stories" blasted in at No. 1 with the year's biggest debut -- 383,000 sold in the week ending May 25, while Gilbert started at No. 2 with 211,000. The two albums might sell, respectively, 80,000 and 65,000 in their second weeks.
After Carey, look for Austin Mahone to arrive with the second-highest debut, as his first album, "The Secret," could start at No. 5 with around 40,000 to 45,000. (Right above him could be the resilient "Frozen" soundtrack, which could finish the week at No. 4.)
The third (and possibly final) debut in next week's top 10 might come from Crowder's "Neon Steeple," which could sell around 20,000 to 25,000. The album is the first solo release from David Crowder, who had previously fronted the David Crowder Band. That group notched 10 entries on the Billboard 200 between 2003 and 2013, going as high as No. 2 in 2012 with "Give Us Rest."
On SoundScan's Building chart (below), Coldplay and Carey are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking -- reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.
As for the rest of the top 10 on the Building Chart: Mahone's "The Secret" is No. 3, followed by Gilbert at No. 4 and the "Frozen" soundtrack at No. 5. The "Now 50" compilation is No. 6, with Michael Jackson's "Xscape" at No. 7. The Black Keys' former No. 1 "Turn Blue" is No. 8, while Cher Lloyd's "Sorry I'm Late" and Royksopp and Robyn's "Do It Again" is No. 10. (The latter two titles might not sell enough to finish within the top 10 of the official Billboard 200 chart.)
Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse Review
Forget about the ridiculous title, botched rollout and highly questionable cover art. Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse is an incredibly solid LP that makes much more sense as a complete body of work than the long trail of mystifying buzz singles would have you believe. It’s a concept album of sorts, a loving stroll through the history of R&B — from the Motown era to the ‘90s, with detours through disco and early hip-hop. The emphasis is on real instruments (as opposed to samples and synths), which gives Mariah Carey‘s precious pipes room to shine.Sounds pretty good, right? Well, it mostly is but The Elusive Chanteuse is also one of the great diva’s least accessible albums. With the exception of current single “Thirsty” and Wale-assisted bop “You Don’t Know What To Do”, there are no bright, sparkly pop moments for radio to latch on to and the album’s backwards-glancing production occasionally comes across as more dated than nostalgic. It doesn’t help that most of the songs are sprawling mid-tempo grooves or ballads, which will, no doubt, resonate with fans of the golden age of R&B but cause others to tune out.
So where does that leave you? With an album that takes time to seep under your skin. There’s little instant gratification but, if you’re patient, the songs become richer and deeper with each listen. Take “The Art Of Letting Go”. The LP’s former title track (it’s now relegated to the deluxe edition) sounded like a wordy, tune-less mess when it came and went in late 2013. In context, however, the rambling Darkchild-produced mantra really comes into its own and, now, I can’t imagine a Mimi playlist without it.
Not that every song takes six months to appreciate. “#Beautiful” is still the breeziest piece of retro-R&B flavored pop to hit the airwaves in recent memory and it sounds right at home among Motown-referencing gems like the silky smooth “Make It Look Good” and smoky piano ballad “Cry” — a song that capture’s the 44-year-old’s voice at full flight. Her instrument hasn’t sounded this strong, versatile and nuanced in at least a decade.
Mariah also finds fertile creative ground by revisiting the ‘70s. She has been dipping into disco since “Fantasy” but never as faithfully as the roller rink-ready “Meteorite” and above-mentioned “You Don’t Know What To Do”, which starts off as a slow jam before transforming into a Donna Summer-worthy floorfiller complete with lashings of strings. Both songs are hugely enjoyable and strangely on-trend given the genre’s revival thanks to Daft Punk and Justin Timberlake. As far as future singles go, either one of these is a pretty safe bet.
Speaking of hits, “Thirsty” is one of the few cuts that sounds very much of the here and now with its sassy, meme-spawning lyrics and catchy hooks. It’s exceedingly cute and lightens up the sometimes heavy-going set. The Hit-Boy-produced party anthem certainly fares a lot better than the other contemporary R&B song “Faded”, which sounds like something Mike Will Made-It rescued from Bangerz. That’s not a compliment.
An absolute must-hear is Mimi’s surprising cover of George Michael’s 1988 chart-topper “One More Try”. It’s simultaneously faithful to the original and completely her own. (Keep your fingers crossed that they perform a duet version one of these days). Another unexpected delight is Fabolous-assisted jam “Money”. It’s pays homage to the ‘90s without sounding like a museum relic — a fate that unfortunately befalls cuts like “Dedicated”, “Camouflage”, “You’re Mine (Eternal)” and Dem Babies-featuring “Supernatural”.
Best Song That Wasn’t The Single: “Meteorite” or “You Don’t Know What To Do” followed by “One More Try”.
Full Disclosure: This is a huge improvement on Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel but nothing on the LP matches the genius of “Standing O”.
News : Hear A ‘Fancy’ Mashup Of Iggy Azalea & Reba McEntire That Totally Works
News : Hear A ‘Fancy’ Mashup Of Iggy Azalea & Reba McEntire That Totally Works
What if Iggy Azalea didn’t ask Charli XCX to sing the hook on her song, “Fancy” but offered it up to Reba McEntire instead?
Thanks to the Internet gods, we have our answer with a one-of-a-kind mash-up of Azalea’s “Fancy” and McEntire’s cover of Bobbie Gentry’s song of the same name off her 1990 album, Rumor Has It.
Related: Interview: Iggy Azalea On Fame, ‘Fancy’ and the Unattractively Talented
In theory this shouldn’t work (of course, we say that about most successful mashups), but Azalea’s swagger apparently knows no bounds. Even with fiddles ablazing, Azalea still manages to convince us that she is the I-G-G-Y, name in bold, southern twang and all.
And Reba, well, she doesn’t let us down either, lending back-up to Iggy as she takes down the self-righteous hypocrites. Reba is clearly a boss.
Azalea made history this week by doing the Beatles did nearly 50 years ago. According to Billboard, the rapper joins the Fab Four as the only acts to rank at Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously with their first two Hot 100 hits. Azalea currently holds the top spot with “Fancy,” off her recently released debut, The New Classic and takes the runner-up spot with Ariana Grande’s “Problem.”
Bella Thorne throws her hands up in the air like she just don’t care in her new “Call It Whatever” music video.
The fun new bubblegum song features pretty boy Garrison Lambert as her love interest as well as So You Think You Can Dance‘s Kent Boyd as one of the back-up dancers. “Call It Whatever” is the name of Bella‘s lead single from her upcoming album of the same name.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of
Bella Thorne
Bella can currently be seen on the silver screen in the comedy Blended starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.
P.S. Check out timestamp :51. There’s an accidental cameo featuring Just
Singles : Kaskade ft. Project 46 : Last Chance (Clockwork Remix)
Singles : Kaskade ft. Project 46 : Last Chance (Clockwork Remix)
Listen To Kaskade ft. Project 46 : Last Chance (Clockwork Remix)
Who Is Clockwork?
Los Angeles-born DJ/Producer Clockwork is no stranger to the world of electronic music. The young producer was one of the many 18 year olds circulating the dance music blogospehere with various bootleg remixes. But in 2011, armed with support and guidance from fellow young guns Felix Cartal and AutoErotique, Clockwork emerged from the throng of bedroom producers. His single “Squad Up” quickly caught the atten- tion of internationally renowned DJ, and Dim Mak chief, Steve Aoki. Aoki signed Clockwork immediately, making him the youngest artist ever signed to Dim Mak’s prolific roster. Since the signing, Clockwork has officially remixed work for artists across the dance music spectrum, from Steve Aoki to Dimitri Vegas. His bootleg remix of Avicii’s notori- ous big room anthem “Levels” reached over 80,000 plays on Soundcloud, 3 million views on Youtube, and garnered international radio play. Clockwork’s distinctive bass- heavy, big room sound has helped him gain support from the likes of Tiesto, Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, and everyone in between. And with a prolific propensity to create, a progressive production style, and a genuine love for the performance, Clockwork’s future is looking bright.
Who Is Common?
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (formerly Common Sense), is an American hip hop recording artist and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Common debuted in 1992, with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. In 2011, Common launched Think Common Entertainment, his own record label imprint and in the past has released music under various other labels such as Relativity, Geffen and GOOD Music, among others.
Common's first major-label album Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success. His first Grammy Awardwas in 2003, winning Best R&B Song for "Love of My Life", with Erykah Badu. Its popularity was matched by May 2005's Be, which was nominated for Best Rap Album, at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released on November 27, 2007.
Common has also initiated a burgeoning acting career, starring significant roles in such films as Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted,Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, and New Year's Eve. He also narrated the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. He currently stars as Elam Ferguson on the AMC western television series Hell on Wheels.
Hotel Ändra is a sophisticated, stylish downtown Seattle hotel, offering a boutique hotel atmosphere and first-class service. Step into Hotel Ändra's "Living Room" lobby and be transported from bustling Fourth Avenue to a charming space in the heart of downtown Seattle. Hotel Ändra is within walking distance of such iconic destinations as Pike Place Market, the Seattle waterfront, and downtown Seattle's thriving retail core. Boutique shops, luxury retailers, and some of Seattle's finest restaurants abound under the looming edifice of the famous Space Needle. Hotel Ändra is perfectly situated among hotels in downtown Seattle. Guests can engage in the quintessential Seattle experience and unwind in comfort and style.
Hotel Ändra's subtle Scandinavian decor features elements from acclaimed designers, as well as local Seattle and regional artisans. The lobby of our downtown Seattle hotel is intrinsically Pacific Northwest with rich maple bookcases and a stone mantle, surrounding a soothing fireplace. Our guest rooms echo the relaxed character of our lobby, offering an atmosphere of residential style with modern furniture and remarkable design. An oasis in the epiecenter of downtown Seattle, Hotel Ändra is unlike any other boutique hotels in downtown Seattle.
Hotel Ändra’s event spaces are perfect for receptions, press conferences, training sessions, luncheons, wedding rehearsal dinners, and corporate meetings. In all of downtown Seattle, our boutique hotel is unique for both business and leisure travelers, offering convenient access to downtown Seattle shopping, the business district and the city's foremost attractions.
Hotel Ändra guests recognize our friendly, efficient staff for its personal service with a distinctly Northwest attitude – warm, with just the right touch of cool – befitting the best downtown Seattle boutique hotels have to offer. Stylish and sophisticated, Hotel Ändra is downtown Seattle’s ultimate address for a premium boutique hotel stay.
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Address : 2000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 | Phone : (206) 448-8600
Who Is Swim Deep?
From humble beginnings come great things. For Swim Deep, their roots lie in chance meetings through part time jobs and in the clubs of their hometown of Birmingham. Fed up of stacking shelves in Morrisons , Austin Williams and Tom Higgins decided to stop chatting about music in the aisles of the supermarket and start making their own. Joined by their friend Wolfgang J Harte they made their way through a succession of “weirdo” drummers before eventually poaching Austin’s best friend Zach Robinson from local band Cajole Cajole.
“We played a gig with Cajole Cajole,” recalls Austin. “We thought it was a long shot but we’d just lost another drummer so we asked Zach if he wanted to join our band and he said yeah. That was one of the best things that happened, to be honest.”
A few months down the line, with more gigs under their collective belt and interest starting to grow, Wolfgang announced he was quitting the band. After continuing as a three piece for a while and experimenting with their live setup, Austin assumed the vacant position of frontman whilst they recruited Cavan McCarthy on bass.
“We met Cavan on the dancefloor,” exalains Austin. “We were out one night and I didn’t like the look of him and he didn’t like the look of me. But after a few drinks and a couple of hours of being together, we got on. I knew he couldn’t play bass and he’s never played any instrument but we asked him to join the band because he loves music so much.”
With their new line up and the release of their debut single ‘King City’, Swim Deep cemented their place amongst bands like Splashh and fellow Brummies Peace as one of the UK’s most exciting new bands. Following exhilarating appearances at festivals such as The Great Escape, Tramlines and Beacons over the summer, they upped their stock further, announcing a deal with Chess Club/Sony RCA.
“I can’t believe the amount of times I used to lie in bed as a kid thinking “imagine if you were in a signed band.” But signing is such a small part of it,” Austin says cautiously. “If you get signed and you’ve got shit tunes, you’re fucked. It’s all about the songwriting for us and having as much fun as we can whilst we’re doing it. We want this as a lifelong thing - I want to do it until I’m old. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop writing music.”
Invited to join besuited indie giants Spector on their extensive UK tour, Swim Deep don’t look likely to be stopping any time soon. Once their stint on the road is complete, they head off to Brussels to record their debut album. Working with Charlie Hugall, the producer who lent his magic touch to second single ‘Honey’, the band are looking forward to the experience.
“It’s gonna be a real bonding thing for us, all being together,” says Austin. “Since we’ve been signed we’ve met all these new people and we all end up at different parties. I’m really looking forward to making the album. It’s the first album, it can only be made once”.
Having moved away from the raw, punkier sound of early demos like ‘Santa Maria’ and ‘Isla Vista’, the band are now moving in a more pop-orientated vein but with their edge still firmly in tact. “I’ve got a massive idea [how the album will sound] but I would never be able to explain it,” explains their leader. “We just want to write good songs really. ‘Honey’ is a great example of how I want it to sound though. Really bright and sunny, feelgood, funky and just real cool.”
Looking further into the future, Swim Deep’s ambitions are grand but - with their talents and confidence - attainable. “I want to be something original,” says the singer. “There’s bands like One Direction who shut down cities when they go there and they’re putting out fun songs but it’s not groundbreaking at all. I can’t see anything that compares to us.”
“I want to have a massive influence on pop music. Not to be the biggest band necessarily - that can come too if it’s the right time and place - but I want to be the most influential. I want to be a band that someone wants to jam with, that someone looks up to.”
With all the tools in place to achieve those goals, now it’s up to Swim Deep to live up to their early promise. Whatever happens, 2013 looks set to be a lot brighter with these boys around.
She’s done it again! J.Lo has just released a sexy new video for her single ‘First Love’ and she looks and sounds hotter than ever! Click to WATCH!
In this super-steamy new black and white video, Jennifer Lopez gets hot and heavy with gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana model David Gandy as she dances around the desert in some of her sexiest and most revealing get-ups ever! It’s no wonder this video is set in the desert because it is hot, hot, hot! Watch it right here and let us know if you love it as much as we do!
Jennifer Lopez’s ‘First Love’ Music Video: Her Sexy New Single
Jennifer Lopez, 44, debuted her new video on Entertainment Tonight on May 27 and we’ve been bumping it ever since! Not only does she look beyond ah-mazing in it — seriously, does this woman never age?? — but the song itself is also totally fun and infectious!
In the sizzling clip, Jennifer enjoys many a passionate embrace with a shirtless David, rolls around seductively in bed, and shows off that famous — and still flawless — booty in a revealing white leotard!
With its poppy synths, bubbly beat and catchy chorus, “First Love” is the perfect summer anthem! Way to go, J.Lo!
Jennifer Lopez’s Style In ‘First Love’ Video
The video also boasts some major fashion. Jennifer is shown rocking Carmen Steffens gold platform heels and a matching clutch, a skimpy Issa De’mar black bathing suit paired with a dramatic Alexander McQueen cape, and a stunning white bodysuit from American Apparel — hello, affordable! — among other equally amazing ensembles.
Nearly 20 years after declaring they’ve "got it goin' on," the Backstreet Boys are still in demand.
The boy band that graduated from teenage dreams to full-fledged adults without spiraling into obscurity (or worse) is packing arenas across the globe with its current “In a World Like This Tour," which began last year.
The tour marks the 20th anniversary of the group that, along with baby-faced rivals ’N Sync and 98 Degrees, dominated the charts worldwide during the boy band boom of the late 1990s -- and with 130 million albums sold, it's unlikely the Backstreet Boys will ever relinquish the title of best-selling boy band in history.
Both BSB and their fans have matured beyond the glory days of syrupy pop. The group's latest album, 2013’s “In a World Like This,” continues a blend of contemporary pop rock and R&B inflected harmonies and the stage show proves the guys -- in their 30s and 40s -- still have it goin’ on.
Ahead of their stop at the Forum on Thursday, Pop & Hiss caught up with member Brian Littrell to talk touring, reunions and how the group has kept it together.
This tour is massive. It must feel great to still be in such demand."
We’ve been all over the globe. We’re about to do our second European run in July. We’re doing our second [North American] run now. The fan response has been amazing. We started it as our 20th anniversary tour, and we’ve already been together 21 years now. The anniversary has come and gone but we’re still kicking.
What was it like marking 20 years in a genre that’s largely regarded as temporary?
A lot of times [with] groups like us you’re either the flavor of the month or you’re not. Your shelf life is really small -- two, maybe three, years. For us, it comes down to the music and the passion to keep at it. It’s a lot of fun to do what we do. It’s hard work, but at the same time it’s very rewarding. We’ve grown up with our fans. All of our fans are older now and they are bringing their kids to our shows now, so it’s a good feeling to still be around. I think that’s a testament to the music.
We’re a decade past the time when records regularly sold a million-plus copies in a week. How have you adapted to the changes in the industry?
I think we came out at a great time. We got together in '93, the big [pop] boom happened in '98-'99. Everything comes and goes, though. Music is like fashion. Sometimes bell-bottoms are in, sometimes they’re not. Saleswise, it’s a different climate. Music [really] lives on the Internet. A lot of the press want to look at the numbers because the music business is quite a bit of the numbers game. If you’re not selling as many units as you did years ago, they look at you almost as if you’re not a success.
When you look at our success now and our touring capabilities all over the globe, there’s no other artist that can do what we do, unless you’re Justin Timberlake or somebody super huge. To go all over Europe and China and Japan and Australia, we go everywhere. Those concert tickets don’t translate as record sales, but they still translate into an experience and it’s a number somewhere.
How long was the reunion with Kevin Richardson in the works?
He actually came to us when we were about to start the joint venture with New Kids on the Block [in 2011]. He saw all the press and he got excited. But fans knew we were four members at that time. We felt like it would be better for the fans' sake if it was an ace in the hole. He was ready to come back but we hadn’t recorded any new material [with him]. We felt like if he came back, we really needed to have everything new and a clean slate again. We spent a month in London recording and we wrote about 85% of "In A World Like This." It’s been a growing process, we’re not kids anymore. We’re all husbands and fathers. Life is different, but the fans still go crazy.
Were you surprised to see a boy band resurgence?
It’s all timing. Boy bands are like fads. Every 7, 8, 10 years there’s a new movement. There’s a new generation that wants that type of stuff. When we first came out … there wasn’t much pop on the radio unless you were Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. With One Direction and guys like that, they have great songs. They’re working with the same producers we worked with years ago. We’ll see how long they last, because you never know. But I hope they will be around for a while.
What’s next for the Backstreet Boys?
We finish this leg of the tour in late June, then we go to Europe. We’re doing our first shows in Israel, which we’ve never been. We put up a show there and it sold out in 30 minutes. The promoter asked us to do another one and that sold out in five minutes, so we are going to do three shows. We’re gonna lay low for the rest of the year and get back in the studio and see what comes for 2015. We don’t really stop and slow down too much, so we try to keep the wheels moving. We’ve also got a documentary coming out. It's basically the story of where Backstreet Boys came from and that’s coming out around September.
Can’t resist asking, how does the documentary tackle Lou Pearlman?
Well, we address that in the film. We talk about that. It’s funny because everybody knows his story. [Editor's note: Pearlman, the impresario of a number of successful boy bands, including Backstreet Boys, N Sync, LFO and O-Town, was convicted of pulling off one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history and in 2008 was sentenced to 25 years in prison]
He’s in the state pen for embezzling over $300 million. We’re doing OK. He’s the one that got greedy and messed up. It’s unfortunate. I wish it could have been another way, but greed gets the best of you. We do address that and talk about it in the film. It's deep. Our lives weren’t always happy-go-lucky.
"People have interpretations of what you're supposed to be like. If you're unattractive and overweight, you must have a great personality. If you're attractive, then you must not be the nicest person. People are always taken aback that I'm easygoing but not necessarily stupid."
Who is Mila Kunis?
Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. In 1991, at the age of seven, she moved from the Soviet Union to Los Angeles with her family. After being enrolled in acting classes as an after-school activity, she was soon discovered by an agent. She appeared in several television series and commercials, before acquiring her first significant role prior to her 15th birthday, playing Jackie Burkhart on the television series That '70s Show. In September 1999, she began voicing Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy.
Her breakout film role came in 2008, playing Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Subsequent film roles included Mona Sax in Max Payne, Solara in The Book of Eli, Jamie in Friends with Benefits, Lori in the comedy Ted, and Theodora in Oz the Great and Powerful. Her performance as Lily in Black Swan gained her worldwide accolades, including receiving the Premio Marcello Mastroianni for Best Young Actor or Actress at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, and nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
Hip-hop fans didn’t know what to expect when they pressed play on Game’s new R.E.D. Album. Would it be more like the DJBooth (un)approved Pu**y Fight or more like the DJBooth approved Pot of Gold? That question was resoundingly answered on the album’s opening song The City. Cool & Dre get cinematic, deep and dark on the beat, giving Game plenty of fuel to drop some of the most passionate and honest verses we’ve heard from him. (Yeah, I was one of those critics who said LAX was average). But perhaps more notable is City’s guest verse which gives rising west coast star Kendrick Lamar his most high-profile placement to date; and good lord does Kendrick make the most of his opportunity. While I’m sure we’ll see a wide range of opinions in the comments below, frankly, if you’re not impressed by this than nothing Game does could impress you. While City is one of its best offerings, the rest of the R.E.D. Album isn’t too far behind, so if you’re feeling the intensity on this one be sure to pick up a copy.
Events : USA : NV : Las Vegas : Electric Daisy Carnival 2014
News : USA : Nevada : Las Vegas : Electric Daisy Carnival 2014
Who tops the bill at this year's Electric Daisy Carnival? The newly released flyer for the Las Vegas mega-rave revealed that, as usual, "The Most Important Headliner of All" is a familiar one - "You."
That's not just flattery - it's long been an open secret that fans come for the heaving maw of fellow furry-booted peers more than any particular DJ. But for those actually watching the stages, this year's bill is packed with almost 200 EDC veterans, rising EDM stars and underground heroes.
The lineup for the Electric Daisy Carnival 2014 features Tiesto, Kaskade, Calvin Harris and more. Click to see the whole flyer. (Insomniac)
Afrojack, Alesso, Calvin Harris, Bassnectar, Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Avicii, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Tiesto, Arty, Knife Party and Kaskade are among the biggest names atop this year's bill, all of whom are favored alumni of the HARD/Insomniac/Coachella fest circuit of recent years.
The bill also includes a bevy of ascendant names, like teenage sensation Martin Garrix, Mat Zo, Dillon Francis and Eric Prydz; veterans like Paul Oakenfold, Green Velvet and Carl Cox; and some respectful nods at the underground like Jamie Jones, Damian Lazarus, Booka Shade, Art Department and Nicole Moudaber.
The festival takes place June 20-22 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. More than 400,000 fans are expected to attend over the three days. Tickets are sold out, but spend time at any pool party in any major Vegas hotel and you'll probably get a glimpse of a few of these names.
OK, the time has come, for me to review the most magical place on earth.
EDC is not a rave. It's not a concert. I'm not even sure I'd call it a festival. It's an adventure, and an experience you'll never forget. Every year there are imperfections and hiccups with traffic, weather, etc, but none of that has ever taken away my love for EDC.
If you love EDM: The music here is unreal. Every artist brings their "A game" to put on an amazing set. I've discovered some of my favorite artists and new songs here, and heard music that will never be recorded or heard anywhere else (thanks Porter Robinson!) The lineup is incredible every year, so no matter who your favorites are, the majority of them are bound to be playing. The ones you haven't heard of yet are sometimes the best, so don't forget to wander from stage to stage considering you have 3 whole nights to do so.
If you love to dance: The amount of open space makes me so damn happy! If you get claustrophobic in clubs and big crowds like me, no need to worry at EDC! Every stage has ample room to get your groove on without the fear of an elbow to the face.
If you love pretty lights: (yes he will probably be there) But seriously, the light installations are UN. REAL. My personal favorite is the tunnel of color changing lights you can walk through (O M G). The monstrous daisies are also pretty incredible, and every year there's something new that's mind-alteringly beautiful.
If you love a good sunrise: One of the best parts of EDC is seeing the sunrise while listening to your favorite music. At first, you freak out when you realize it's new day, but then you bask in the glory of watching the sun come up while having the time of your life.
If you love PLUR: You will meet some truly amazing people at EDC. Some of them might seem "different" than you or who you're used to, but isn't that the beauty of it? If you keep an open mind you will be amazed at who you end up meeting and spending your weekend with. Trading kandi is fun! And don't forget, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet :)
Lastly, if you don't like any of those things, don't go to EDC. I hate to rant on the scene getting too "mainstream", but it's the reasons above that this event is so magical. If the music, beauty, and PLUR lifestyle don't do it for you, no need to attend.
EDC 2014 Lineup:
12th Planet | 3Lau | A-Trak | Above & Beyond | Adam Beyer | Adrenalinize | Afrojack | Alesso |Alex Kidd | Alex Metric | Alvaro | Andrew Rayel | Andy C | Angerfist | Armanni Reign | Armin Van Buuren | Art Department | Arty | Astarl Projection | Astrix Audio | AudioFreq | Avicii Axwell | Baggi Begovic | BassJackers | Bassnectar Becky | Hill Benny Benassi | Bingo Players | Bixel Boy | Blasterjaxx | Bones Booka | Shade live | Borgore | Branchez | Brennan Heart | Bro | Safari | Bryan Kearny | Caffeine | Calvin Harris | Calyx & TeeBee | Camo & Crooked | Carl Cox | Carnage | Cazzette | Cedric Gervais | Chocolate Puma | Chromeo | Claude Von Stroke | Clockwork | Coone Corey | Enemy Grizzly | D-Block & S-Te-Fan | Dada Life | Damina Lazarus | Dannic | Darksiderz | Darren Styles | Dash Berlin | Datsik | Dblcrssd | Deorro | Destroid | Destructo | Dillon Francis | Diplo | DirtyPhonics | DJ Dan | DJ Snake | Djemba Djemba | Dubfire | Dusky | DVBBS | Dyro | Eats Everything | Ed Rush | Eric Prydz | Eric Volta | Erizo | Etc!Etc! | Excision | Fallen | Fedde Le Grand | FherPlay | FireBeatz | Flosstradamus | Fury Gareth | Emery George | Fitzgerald | Gladiator | Green Velvet | GTA | Hardwell | Headhunterz | Henrik B Henry | Fong | I Am Legion | Indecent Noise | Infected | Mushroom DJ set Isaac | Jamie Jones | Jeremy Olander | Jimmy Edgar | John Digweed | Jordan Suckley | Julio Bashmore | Just Be Justin | Martin Kaskade | Kennedy Jones | Kill Frenzy | Kill The Noise | Knife Party | Kove | Krewella | Lady Faith | Laidback Luke | Le Youth | LNY TNZ | Loadstar | Loco Dice | LoudPvck |Luciano | Madeon | Magnosis | Martin Garrix | Mat ZO | Maya Jane Coles | MK Moti | Mr. Carmack | Mr. Oizo | Mystical Influence | Netsky | New World Punx | Nicole Moudaber | OliverOliver | Helden | Ookay | Optical | Orjan Nilsen | Paper Diamond | Party Favor | Paul Oakenfold | Paul Van Dyk | Pegboard Nerds | Plastic Plates | Prolix | Protohype | Quintino | R3hab | Sander Van Doorn | Saymyname | Sebastien Ingrosso | Seven Lions | Simon Patterson | Skream Slogun & Ioh Sluggers | Sniper | Steve Angello | Steve Aoki | Sub Focus | Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano | Syn Cole | Tatanka |Tchami | The Glitch Mob | The Matrinez Brothers | The Pitcher | The Prophet Tiesto | Tommie | Sunshine | Tommy Trash | Trent Cantrelle | Trippy Turtle | Two Fresh | Umek | Ummet Ozcan | W&W | Wax Motif | What So Not | Wilkinson | Yellow Claw | Zeds Dead
His single ‘Talk Dirty’ may have crossed the 3 million units sold barrier earlier this year, but it would seem Jason Derulo‘s latest effort ‘Wiggle’ is on course to give the steamy a cut a very serious run for its money this month, following the release of its official music video.
Featuring Snoop Dogg and boasting an appearance made by Ne-Yo, the streaming magnet touched down on planet Pop minutes ago, after the song rose four spots to #20 on this week’s ‘Billboard Hot 100‘!
Why ‘Dirty‘ should be threatened by its sizzling follow-up?
A sport watch under $600 that can withstand being run over by a tank–this is an apt description for the INOX by Victorinox, an ultra-solid watch that has been tested to the limits by the 130-year old Swiss company. Yes, the INOX does use a quartz movement, but there are just not that many watches that can be dropped onto concrete, blasted with corrosive liquids, or survive a sandstorm. And it accomplishes all of this, with 200m water resistance, while still keeping a cool, streamlined look. For these reasons, and perhaps also the fact that it could survive a rowdy bachelor party, the INOX by Victorinox gets our nod of approval.
Among the battery of tests to which the INOX was subjected, it was run over by a tank–over concrete–not once, but twice. It survived, relatively unscathed, with the movement still fully functional and dial intact. The robustness of the watch is due to two main factors: a solid stainless steel monobloc case, beefy shoulders around the crown, and a slightly inset sapphire crystal which prevents it from taking broad impacts head-on. Additonally, the 12 hour indices are stamped from the dial, making them impossible to break off from an impact. An optional silicone bumper, with embossed numerals, adds another layer of protection against even more brutal environments.
Without a doubt, the case shape recalls the best of designs from Gerald Genta. However, beveled points along the bezel and more compact proportions prevent it from looking completely derivative. At 43mm, it’s by no means a small watch, and will certainly sit high on the wrist due to its thickness (particularly when using the silicone and nylon bumper). The watch comes in three dial colors, black, blue, and green, each with a matching (and comfortable) rubber strap.
While the movement is quartz, it’s not at all a surprise as this price point. The swiss-made Ronda 715 is simple and does what it’s supposed to do: keep accurate time. Ronda offers two different quality levels of this movement, with the swis-made model using 5 jewels and gold plating over the movement components.
The Victorinox INOX will launch later this year at a price of $525.
After nearly three weeks of waiting and speculation, Apple has officially announced the acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music in a $3 billion deal. Beats founders -- Interscope-Geffen-A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop producer Dr Dre -- will be joining Apple in executive roles not specified in the announcement. Billboard previously reported the likelihood of Iovine and Dre being made part of the Apple executive team at next week’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference in San Francisco.
The deal is expected to close by Sept. 30, the end of Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter.
Notably, the companies' press release leads with the purchase of the fledgling Beats Music streaming service -- the much larger, more established Beats Electronics is listed second.
News first broke on May 8 that Apple was closing in on what was then thought to be a $3.2 billion deal to purchase the company, founded in 2006 by Iovine and Dr Dre. In addition to manufacturing headphones and mobile speakers, Beats launched its own music streaming company this past January.
Even though Beats Music has struggled since its Jan. 21 launch, retaining fewer than 200,000 subscribers as of last month, according to sources, it is believed it could play a potent role in Apple’s gradual move away from downloads, which are on the decline, to on-demand streaming. With Apple’s market power -- more than 800 million credit cards on file and millions of devices around the world -- it could use Beats Music to finally make inroads into the growing streaming market.
The deal with Apple was expected to be confirmed within days of the first news reports but was pushed back several times from days to weeks. Sources have cited a number of reasons for the deal’s hold-up, ranging from an overvaluation, the deal leaking too early, to Apple’s embarrassment over Tyrese and Dr. Dre’s celebratory video as well as the complexity of the acquisition.
Apple was able to negotiate the price down to $3 billion from the earlier $3.2 billion estimate after completing its due diligence, said a person familiar with the talks.
The Carlyle Group, which reportedly invested $500 million in Beats last September, put Beats’ valuation at more than $1 billion.
Iovine and Dr Dre, who hold majority stakes in their company, are set to make hundreds of millions from the deal. Other substantial investors in Beats have included Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, which looks set to make over $500 million on its 14% stake in the company (worth $420 million plus dividends and other considerations).
“UMG’s singular relationship with Jimmy permitted his innovation to flourish,” said UMG CEO Lucian Grainge in a statement. “Together we created a once-in-a-generation opportunity that allowed Jimmy to maximize the use of his many talents.”
The deal represents Apple’s largest acquisition to date and CEO Tim Cook’s first big deal.
In late 2009, Apple acquired Lala.com, a site that offered ownership of individual web streams of songs. It eventually added a scan-and-match service, known as iTunes Match, that allows users to stream music from multiple devices via the cloud once they’ve demonstrated ownership of them, but has thus far allowed other companies to develop the subscription music market without launching a service of its own.
Beats, meanwhile, acquired subscription service MOG in 2012, and brought in former Topspin Media CEO Ian Rogers as its chief executive the following year to launch and lead the subscription service. Beats also acquired the associated company Topspin, a direct-to-fan marketing platform developer, earlier this year.
In its last earnings report, Apple reported $10.2 billion in profit on $45.6 billion in revenue for the quarter ending March 29, driven primarily by strong iPhone sales. Apple also sells Beats hardware in its Apple stores.
Who Is Vicetone?
Vicetone is a duo of producers and Disc Jockey 's Dutch formed by Ruben den Boer (born 22 January 1992) and Victor Pool (born July 9, 1992), both of them from the city of Groningen.They Currently occupy 60th in the list of the 100 best Disk Jockeys magazine DJ Mag as a new entry.
Both have been listeners of electronic music since childhood; Victor and Ruben met only at age 15, during school, in which both used to share your music tastes and listening to different songs. Influenced by artists like Tiesto , Eric Prydz and Swedish House Mafia , they later (being good friends) the idea of creating their issues themselves, something that interested them quite emergently. In early 2012 they began producing House music , Progressive House specifically. In the same year they signed with Monstercat , and they released their song Heartbeat by Collin McLaughlin which was very well received by their fans and listeners. To date they have made many remixes of world-renowned artists such as Adele , Calvin Harris , Maroon 5 , Zedd , Flo Rida , etc. In the month of July of 2013, they made presentations at Nothing Toulouse: North American Tour of Nicky Romero, where they performed acts of support to Dutch DJ in October were part of the Line-Up of ADE 2013, day 16 in Protocol Recordings Label Ni
ht, and in November of the same year accompanied the duo DJ's and Australian producers, Nervoon your tour # nacionNERVO in Mexico by Mexico City and Guadalajara .
Who Is Pentatonix?
Pentatonix is an American a cappella group of five vocalists, Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, originating from Arlington, Texas. The group won the third season of The Sing-Off on NBC in 2011, singing an a cappella arrangement of "Eye of the Tiger," which was originally performed by the band Survivor, as their victory song. Pentatonix won $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony. Their debut EP, PTX Vol. 1 (2012), charted at #14 on the Billboard 200 and their second release, PTX Vol. 2 (2013), debuted #10 on the Billboard 200 and #1 for Independent Albums. They have sold over 500,000 records.
Pentatonix began with three friends who grew up together: Kirstin "Kirstie" Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. Hearing of a local radio show hosting a competition to meet the cast of Glee, they arranged a trio version of "Telephone" and sent it in. Although they did not end up winning the competition, it sparked attention around their school, where the group began performing. After their version of "Telephone" gained attention on YouTube, they continued performing.
Scott Hoying and Kirstie Maldonado graduated from Martin High School in 2010. Hoying went off to the University of Southern California (USC) to pursue a bachelor's degree in Popular Music, while Maldonado pursued a Musical Theatre major at The University of Oklahoma. Grassi, the youngest member of the trio, was still in his senior year of high school. While at USC, Scott Hoying joined an a cappella group called SoCal VoCals. He found out about The Sing-Off from another member of the group, Ben Bram (also their arranger, producer, and sound engineer) and was encouraged to audition for the show. He persuaded Kirstie Maldonado and Mitch Grassi to join him, but the show required at least four members. Hoying met Avriel "Avi" Kaplan, a highly recognized vocal bass in the a cappella community, through a mutual friend and the trio found Kevin Olusola on YouTube, as one of his videos where he was beatboxing and playing his cello at the same time went viral (called "celloboxing".) Kevin graduated from Yale, Pre-Med, and also speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese after spending a year studying in China.
The group met the day before the auditions for the third season of The Sing-Off began. Mitch Grassi skipped his high school graduation ceremony in order to arrive on time for the auditions. They successfully auditioned for the show and eventually went on to win the title for 2011 (season three).
Pentatonix, as suggested by Scott Hoying, is named after the pentatonic scale, a musical scale or mode with five notes per octave. The group believed that the scale's five notes matched their membership. They replaced the last letter with an x to make it more appealing. The quintet derives its influences from pop, dubstep, electro, reggae and hip-hop.
Who Is Eric B. & Rakim?
Hailing from Long Island, New York, the duo were referred to by the journalist Tom Terrell of NPR as "the most influential DJ/MC combo in contemporary pop music period," while the editors of About.com ranked them as No. 3 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time. They were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, although they did not make the final selection.
Barrier was born and raised in the Elmhurst section of Queens, New York. He played trumpet and drums throughout high school, and later switched to experimenting with turntables prior to graduation. The newly dubbed "Eric B." soon began DJing for radio station WBLS in New York City, including WBLS' promotional events around the city. Barrier wound up meeting Alvin Toney, a promoter based in Queens. Eric B. had been looking for rappers and Toney recommended he use Freddie Foxxx, a Long Island MC. Toney took Eric B. to Foxxx's home, but Foxxx was not there. Toney suggested another option: Rakim. recalled in 2008, "Toney was like 'I got another dude, he nice too - this dude got a smooth, laid-back style.' So he takes me to Rakim's house and we start talking." Griffin, from Wyandanch, had began writing rhymes as a teenager and had taken the name "Rakim" as a result of his conversion to The Nation of Gods and Earths. Eric B. borrowed records from Rakim's brother, Stevie Blass Griffin (who worked at a plant pressing bootleg albums) and began cutting them in the basement for Rakim, who was down there drinking a beer and relaxing. Said Eric B., "I took Fonda Rae's "Over Like A Fat Rat" and said 'This is the bass line I'm going to use for this record.' Rakim spit the beer all over the wall and thought it was the funniest shit in the world. I told Rakim, just like you laughing now you going to be laughing all the way to the bank and be a millionaire one day because of this record."
Eric B. & Rakim decided to record together and came under the tutelage of Marley Marl, and there exists some controversy over who actually produced their landmark first single, 1986s "Eric B. Is President" — which was built on the Fonda Rea bass line sample. Eric B. told Allhiphop.com, "I took the records to Marley Marl's house in Queensbridge and paid Marley Marl to be the engineer. Marley got paid. That's why he's not a producer; that's why he is not getting publishing. I brought the music. I just couldn't work the equipment because that's not what I did..."
The duo recorded its debut album, Paid in Full, at Power Play Studios in New York. About his approach to writing the album, Rakim later said, " used to write my rhymes in the studio and go right into the booth and read them. When I hear my first album today I hear myself reading my rhymes - but I'm my worst critic. That's what I hear, though - because that's what it was. I'd go into the studio, put the beat down, write the song in like an hour, and go into the booth and read it from the paper..." In 1987, 4th & B'way Records issued the album. After the success of "Eric B. is President," which more often than not is additionally addressed as "Eric B "For" President", because of a mistake made when signing the original recording to licensing company - Cool Tempo/Chrysalis Records (UK), the album climbed into the Top Ten on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Eric B. would later admit that the album was rushed. "The reason Paid In Full is so short is because we stood in the studio for damn-near a week. The whole album came together in a week. Listen to the lyrics on it and listen to how short they are. That's because Rakim wrote it right there and we'd been in the studio like for a whole forty-eight hours trying to get the album finished. We basically did the album in a week." Marley Marl also stated to Allhiphop.com that Marley's cousin, Queensbridge rapper MC Shan, was an assistant engineer on sessions for some tracks, including the single "My Melody," though Eric B. denies this. MTV listed the album as the greatest in hip hop history: 'When Paid in Full was released in 1987, Eric B. and Rakim left a mushroom cloud over the hip-hop community. The album was captivating, profound, innovative and instantly influential. MCs like Run-DMC, Chuck D and KRS-One had been leaping on the mic shouting with energy and irreverence, but Rakim took a methodical approach to his microphone fiending. He had a slow flow, and every line was blunt, mesmeric. And Eric B. had an ear for picking out loops and samples drenched with soul and turned out to be a trailblazer for producers in the coming years.' On the heels of the albums' success, the duo signed a deal with MCA.
Follow the Leader, the duo's follow-up to Paid In Full; saw their production move away from the blunt minimalism of their debut. The title track and "Lyrics of Fury" were two of Rakim's most acclaimed lyrical performances. In 2003, comedian Chris Rock referred to Rakim's rhymes on the "...Fury" as 'lyrically, the best rapping anyone's ever done...' Rock also listed Follow the Leader as 12th on his Vibe magazine's list of the Top 25 Hip Hop Albums of All-Time. At the time, the record went largely unnoticed by the mainstream music industry.
In 1989, the pair teamed up with Jody Watley on her single "Friends" from the album Larger Than Life. The song would reach the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was one of the first notable collaborations between hip hop and dance pop. Eric B. & Rakim rarely collaborated with other rappers. This was evident in early 1990, when KRS-One's Stop the Violence Movement put together the charity single "Self-Destruction". The song featured numerous notable rappers, but Rakim was noticeably absent from the proceedings. He told HalftimeOnline.net years later, "I don't think they hollered at me or they hollered at Eric B. and he didn't say anything to me. I was a little bitter with that shit because I felt I had something to do with bringing consciousness in hip hop to the table. I came out and did what I did in '86 and then you know people started running with it. Then when it comes time to do something they didn't holler at me so I was a little bitter. At the same time a lot of reasons I didn't do records with people is because I never wanted their light to reflect on me. I don't have a problem with it but everybody who knows at that time knows they were trying to say I was responsible for gangsta rap, too. They thought I was that dude in the hood so maybe they didn't holler at me for a reason. I love Kris, though — he definitely contributed a lot to hip hop. I've been on tour with him and I know him as a person. He's a good dude. I like Kris, but they definitely didn't holler at me for that man because I would have definitely did it."
Their 1990 album Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em was not as successful commercially as their first two LPs. Rakim referenced his enigmatic reputation on the song "Set 'Em Straight": "Here's the inside scoop on the fiend/They want to know why I'm seldom seen/Cause who needs the TV screens and magazines/Or shooting through the city in fly limousines/Cause one thing I don't need is a spotlight/Cause I already got light..." He later said about his relative lack of commercial success: "You could sell a couple records and keep your integrity or you could go pop and sell a bunch of records and be gone tomorrow. I was trying to stick to my guns at that point."
Mark Coleman of Rolling Stone stated:
"There's nothing trendy about this impassive duo, no Steely Dan bites or bits of Afrodelic rhetoric here. Eric B. and Rakim are hip-hop formalists devoted to upholding the Seventies funk canon and advancing rap's original verbal mandate. Almost every track on their third album is built on poetic boasts and wicked J.B. samples, but dismissing Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em as some sort of conservative reaction – a gold-chain throwback – completely misses the point. Masters of their appointed tasks, rapper Rakim and DJ Eric B. are also formal innovators. They both can riff and improvise like jazzmen, spinning endless variations on basic themes and playing off each other's moves with chilly intuition. The resulting music is as stark, complex and edgy as Rakim's stone-cold stare on the album cover."
The album was one of the first to receive the honor of a 5 mic rating in The Source. But, much like their debut album, there exists controversy over the production credit. Large Professor produced a large amount of the album's tracks, but was not credited on the album.
The duo made an appearance on the soundtrack for the 1991 comedy House Party 2, ("What's On Your Mind") and also recorded the theme for the film, Juice. Both singles were included on what would become the duo's last album together. Don't Sweat the Technique was released in 1992. The album was not supposed to be the last; but their contract with MCA was due to expire. During the recording of the album, both members expressed an interest in recording solo albums. However, Eric B. refused to sign the label's release contract, fearful that Rakim would abandon him. This led to a court case involving the two musicians and their former label. The legal wrangling eventually led to the duo dissolving completely. Eric B. has clarified that the monetary problems stemmed from labels like Island and others claiming ownership of the masters — not from any financial disputes between him and Rakim:
"The money got split 50 /50 from the door, because I remember people would try to keep shit going. When we first came out, people were saying 'Eric was getting all the money' and 'he was trying to shine more than Rakim,' but that's not true. would go to all the interviews, because Rakim didn't want to go to the interviews. He didn't like that part of the business. But we split all the money from dime one. I don't care what money I spent in the past, that money is never coming back. Whatever money we made, we split 50/50. Even up until now, we split every dime 50/50."
Eric B. released a self-titled solo album in 1995 on the independent label 95th Street Recordings. Legal issues continued to delay Rakim's solo career, but he finally released The 18th Letter in 1997. In 1999, Rakim's second solo album The Master was released to less favorable reviews. By the turn of the millennium, Eric B. was pursuing other business interests outside of music. Rakim signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label in 2000, but the expected album never materialized. Since then, Rakim has made guest appearances with numerous other artists such as Jay-Z ("The Watcher, Part 2"), Truth Hurts ("Addictive"), Nas, KRS-One and Kanye West ("Classic"). In 2002, "Don't Sweat The Technique" appeared in the video game Aggressive Inline. In 2004 "I Know You Got Soul" appeared on the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on Playback FM. In November 2009, Rakim released The Seventh Seal.
Ownership of the duo's catalog consolidated in 1999, when PolyGram (which owned Island Records, which released Paid in Full) merged with Universal Music Group, an outgrowth of MCA Records, which owned the rest of the duo's albums.
Eric B. & Rakim were announced as one of fifteen finalists to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in September 2011.
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