News : Macklemore Weighs In On Hip-Hop And Race

As the conversation around race and hip-hop continues, Macklemore stopped by the Ebro in the Morning show -- on New York City's radio station Hot 97 -- to talk about cultural appropriation, his experiences as a white rapper, and Kendrick Lamar.

The conversation moves to Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea around the 28 minute mark. Macklemore made it clear he doesn't want to get involved in the ongoing beef -- Azealia Banks called Action Bronson "a coward" yesterday -- but he said "there's a lot of truth in [Banks'] interview." Macklemore continued, "I saw a Tweet, it was something along the lines of 'Hip-Hop was birthed out of the Civil Rights Movement.' This is a culture that came from pain, it came from oppression, it came from white oppression… you cannot disregard where this culture came from and our place in it as white people."

Macklemore also stressed the importance of listening. "I learned from [Q-Tip's] Twitter," Macklemore said. "That's a OG breaking down truth. Again I'm not getting into how [Iggy] responded, I'm just saying it's important to listen and to be humble… this is not my culture to begin with. This is not a culture that white people started. So I do believe, as much as I have honed my craft, as much as I have put in years of dedication into the music that I love, I do believe that I need to know my place, and that comes from me listening."

The conversation later turned to Macklemore's relationship with Kendrick Lamar. Macklemore said he made a mistake last year by publicizing his post-Grammy Awards apology to Lamar. "First and foremost, the mistake came from Instagramming the text message and betraying my homie's trust… I betrayed Kendrick's trust." "The language that I used was a bad call," Macklemore continued. "'Robbed' was a bad choice of a word -- white people have been robbing black people for a long time."


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Sources : Macklemore Photo | Macklemore Article

Videos : Demi Lovato : Nightingale

Ask any Demi Lovato fan and they'll probably tell you that one of her songs that means the most to them is 'Nightingale', and a couple of days ago she surprised Lovatics by dropping the brand new music video for the heartfelt song.

It's a ridiculously beautiful track with a very emotional story behind it that resonates with a lot of her fans. Demi's spoken before about how she penned the lyrics in memory of a friend that she lost to suicide as a teenager, and how she sometimes feels his presence with her.

With such a personal sentiment to the words, it's only right that it had an equally beautiful music video to go alongside it, and the final thing is pretty much perfect. The new vid is all in black and white and features intimate footage from behind the scenes of Demi's touring life, showing all the different people that have supported her through her struggles.

You can spot Demz travelling all over the place, meeting fans chasing her all through the streets of Paris before she gets up to perform the song on her world tour, and we even get a glimpse of her having a cute smooch with her boyf Wilmer Valderrama. HOORAY.

The chances are you'll probably have a blub while you're watching it, so grab a fleecey blanket and some left over Christmas choccies and check out the 'Nightingale' video right here!


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Sources : Demz Photo | Nightingale Video | Nightingale Article

Singles : Borgore : Coco Remix

Listen To : Borgore : Coco Remix

Maybe this is the best remix of 2014. Okay, maybe that statement is also based in hyperbole. But, the idea that two talents as 2014-notorious as O.T. Genasis and Borgore would be linked for one track deserves something that sounds like the ugliest of cataclysms. The result is an electro brostep festival rave cannon of an anthem that unites wannabe thugs that wanna whip up crack cocaine in Pyrex, but instead are baking Christmas cookies today. The remix actually adds low-end sweeps that make the trap energy of the trap more “EDM”-ready, and when the electro energy surges forward it becomes an angry monolithic pop-dubstep throwback, or if still a fan of Borgore, Buygore and turning up (forever), maintains an energy that for you will never die. This isn’t downloadable, but it is one of six tracks available in Buygore’s “Happy Holidays” playlist that, if not careful, in a manner similar to the Red Ryder shotgun in A Christmas Story, might put out an eye.


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Sources : Borgore Photo | Listen To Coco Remix | Coco Remix Article

Bars+Lounges : USA : IL : Chicago : Drumbar 

About Drumbar 

Drumbar shares many things in common with all the new top nightclubs and bars that open in Chicago. There are long lines of well-dressed, good-looking people who don’t feel that they should have to be standing in line. It’s a real scene out there and once you’re inside don’t expect much to change.

After a little schmoozing and some called-in favors we got upstairs- in about ten minutes- so we were feeling pretty good. The décor is really nice and very much accurate as to what you’d have expected a really upscale speakeasy to look like in the 1920’s. Plush leather and rich, paneled wood walls and ceilings really do add a lot of class to the space.

The crowd on this particular night was far from fantastic but we did manage to kill an hour or so prior to heading out for the rest of our evening and had some fun in the meantime. The drinks were good and the place is well laid out. The staff is ok; nothing special in either the looks or customer service department, but I suspect that will change rapidly as the management team gets all their ducks in a row.

Overall this is a good place to grab a drink prior to heading out for your evening as the patio closes relatively early and that square footage constitutes well over half of the total standing room so I’d imagine it gets pretty cramped inside around midnight.

Drumbar Review By Lianna C. : Chicago, IL

I just celebrated my birthday at DrumBar this past weekend. I had the time of my life! As you walk in, you are deceived by the calm lobby. But once the elevator hits 18, you know you are in for a good time... It is dimly light and the decor is super chic. The staff is extremely friendly as you walk in. Great first impression. We told the host we had a table and were greeted by the bar manager, who is absolutely fantastic! She seated us immediately. The servers were engaged and accommodating to our every need. They made excellent recommendations, too. Overall, we had fabulous service! The drinks were reasonably priced. We were very impressed by the craft cocktails. So delicious and unique! I can't wait to try them all. Lastly, the DJ was playing awesome oldies, which were remixed so that we could dance to them! I would choose this place a hundred times over. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. Thank you DrumBar staff! :-) I will be making it out again very soon.

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Sources : Drumbar Photo | Drumbar Information | Drumbar Review

Gadgets : Aether Cone Smart Speaker

It's a Saturday night and you're cooking dinner before some friends come over. You hit a button on the speaker in your kitchen and it starts playing Daft Punk. You didn't ask for Daft Punk, and the music isn't coming from your phone, computer, or any other device that's in your house; your speaker is connecting directly to a streaming music service over Wi-Fi. It picked Daft Punk because it knows you like them, and just so happen to have a habit of listening to them on Saturdays when you're in the kitchen.

That's exactly the kind of moment Aether, a new startup comprised of former Nokia, Apple, and Google employees, is trying to make completely normal. Its new $399 Cone speaker, which launches this summer, is hardware for streaming music services. It connects to your home Wi-Fi and music service of choice (those haven't been announced just yet), but without the need for another device, and with some unusual controls. Think Sonos minus the remote controls, a Bluetooth speaker without the need for a paired device.

Cone's main interface is the speaker grill, which you just reach out and twist to control what's playing. Turn it slightly to the right, and it will play another track. Twist it to the left, and it will replay whatever you were listening to. Twist it a bit more and it plays something else entirely. You need a computer or mobile device to set it up out of the box, but after that it runs on its own.

That big twist, the one that jumps whatever is playing to something else entirely, adds a dash of chaos — and gives the Cone an air of mystery, says Duncan Lamb, Aether's chief product officer. In the large, bright room in San Francisco where Lamb is showing me the Cone, he's just given the dial a hearty spin, and we go from an NPR podcast with the soothing voice of Terry Gross to a throbbing track by LCD Soundsystem.

"It's understanding it's morning in San Francisco, and it's a Monday. And last Monday I asked for this, and listened to this," Lamb says. "It's a really good example of computers figuring out what they think you mean," he adds, while turning up the volume from one of two buttons on the back of the unit. "It learns that I crank that, it's an endorsement of LCD Soundsystem."

Aether is using machine learning, and the listening history and ratings it gets from streaming music services, to develop knowledge about a person's tastes. The end result, the company hopes, is the option to just hit single button on the Cone and hear something good.

"Nobody's addressing the human problem of ‘I'm busy, I'm at home, life is happening all around me, and I want some non-silence right now,'" Lamb says. "I want to reach out and do something incredibly simple. That doesn't exist in the context of streaming music."

Lamb, who was formerly Skype's head of product design and a creative director at Nokia working on the N9's interface, says Aether visited more than a dozen homes to watch how people were using existing audio systems. "They'd created little hacks," he says, including connecting old, disused laptops to very nice Bluetooth speakers with a 3.5mm cable because they couldn't figure out how to pair them. "We were seeing people with really nice sound systems ... just gathering dust."

In that regard, the Cone is not meant to breathe new life into older hardware, like Google did with the Chromecast. And at $399, it's pricier than many small Bluetooth speakers. But it also does a lot more than your average Bluetooth speaker. Aether partnered with Nuance to add voice controls using a special center control that doubles as a big pause button: just hold your finger there for a few seconds, then say a song or artist to play it. Lamb says the company also plans to let you specify a certain playlist from whatever music service you have it hooked up to.

Just what those compatible music services will be by the time the Cone goes on sale remains a question, at least for now. (Aether is still working on deals, Lamb says, though the demo I saw was connected to Rdio.) You can also simply push things to it through Apple's AirPlay, like any other speaker.

The Cone will ship first in black with a copper covering on the back. After that, there will be a white model with a silver back. The built-in battery lasts for 8 hours, though you can also just keep it plugged in somewhere near an outlet. Lamb says he expects people to move it around, and that's something the company's planning for with a feature that can tell what part of the house it's in by the strength of the Wi-Fi signal.

Those extra features in the form of software updates are what make the Cone exciting in the same way that smartphones did just a few years ago. It's an unfinished product, but one that Lamb says will keep getting new and improved features coming long after people buy it. That includes a feature that will be able identify multiple users by their phone's Bluetooth signature, or their voice. Another will let Cone owners connect it to other speakers, using it as a traditional receiver. Neither of these are promised to early adopters, but Lamb says the Cone was designed with the future in mind.

"It's a speaker, but there's so much more going on here."


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Sources : Aether Cone Photo | Aether Cone Article

Gear : Shoes : NikeLab ACG Flyknit Trainer Chukka SFB

Nike has breathed new life into one of its most beloved vintage collections – Nike ACG – by infusing its most modern technologies into both apparel and footwear. On the sneaker front, NikeLab presents the ACG Flyknit Trainer Chukka SFB, which has been updated from the slew of releases over the summer to function at a higher level on the streets. Here we find the shoe engineered with a new protective skin at the toe and heel, then laid over with a Defender Repellent Systems® spray layer for maximum weather resistance. These features are complimented by a synthetic wool yarn lining at the interior of the shoe, which works in conjunction with Nike’s penchant Flyknit technology to conform to (and warm) the foot. Look for this release to drop alongside the rest of the NikeLab ACG collection on December 18 here and at NikeLab locations in New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Milan.


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Sources : ACG Flyknit Trainer Chukka SFB Photo | ACG Flyknit Trainer Chukka SFB Article

News : Azealia Banks Calls For $1T In Reparations

Azealia Banks has called for the descendents of slave traders to pay $100 trillion in reparations to African-Americans.

Taking to Twitter on Friday (December 26), the rapper made a series of posts relating to reparations after sharing an article about the DeWolf family, who were prominent Rhode Island-based slave traders.

"I wonder where the descendants of the 'DeWolf' family are today. They should all have their houses burned and their finances seized," Azealia tweeted. "This generation of young black kids needs to make a CONCERTED effort to seek out living descendants of major slave trading families. They Owe us Money."

Banks then tweeted directly to James DeWolf Perry, a DeWolf descendent who was involved in a documentary about coming to terms with his family history. Questioned about profits from the project, Perry replied, "Thanks for asking. No, I’m not making any money from documenting the DeWolf family’s slave trading past." Banks went on to request proof of this claim, as well as asking Perry, "What did you [sic] family do with all the money you made from slavery???? I need to know. Now."

"Someone should kick your ass, and punch you right in your stupid smiling cracker face," posted an agitated Banks.

The 23-year-old also shared a number of links to articles on how Native-Americans and Holocaust survivors have received some form of reparations from the United States and Germany, as well as a claim by Harper's magazine stating that should the US compensate African-Americans for slavery, the figure would be in the region of $100 trillion, based on the hours of forced labour worked with a compound interested of 6 percent.

Banks has clashed with Australian rapper Iggy Azalea numerous times in recent months and has criticised her rival for not commenting on the protests in Ferguson and New York following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of police. She returned to the subject in an interview with Hot 97's Ebro in the Morning earlier this month, becoming visibly emotional when asserting that white artists are treated differently to black artists in America.

"I feel like, in this country, whenever it comes to our things, like black issues or black politics or black music or whatever, there's always this undercurrent of kinda like a 'Fuck you,'" Banks said. "There's always a 'Fuck y'all niggas. Y'all don't really own shit. Y'all don't have shit.' That Macklemore album wasn't better than the Drake record. That Iggy Azalea shit isn't better than any fucking black girl that's rapping today."


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Sources : Azealia Banks Photo | Azealia Banks Article

Videos : Pitbull & Ne-Yo : Time Of Our Lives

With New Year's Eve almost here, Ne-Yo and Pitbull party like it's 1999... taking it back to the eve of the millennium to celebrate in the video for "Time of Our Lives." In the clip, a family struggles to pay their bills, so they decide to throw a rent party... where Ne-Yo and Pitbull come through and do a lil' karaoke and party the night away.

The song appears on Pitbull's album Globalization, as well as Ne-Yo's upcoming LP Non-Fiction, due January 27.


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Sources : Time Of Our Lives Photo | Time Of Our Lives Video | Time Of Our Lives Article

Singles : Wiz Khalifa : Smoke Chambers

Listen To : Wiz Khalifa : Smoke Chambers

We didn't see this one coming: On a new freestyle verse, a recently separated Wiz Khalifa has jumped on the Mac Demarco Salad Days intrumental "Chamber of Reflection." The newly titled "Smoke Chambers" showcases the rapper's slow-burn style, as he rhymes about getting back to a sense of normalcy: "Put that camera phone away and keep it real with me / Time to time again I'm searching for reality." It's just an odd enough pairing that it works. Stream "Smoke Chambers" below.


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Sources : Wiz Khalifa Photo | Listen To Smoke Chambers | Smoke Chambers Article

Clubs : USA : NY : New York : Marquee Nightclub

About Marquee Nightclub
Marquee New York just emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation, and, once again, it’s the talk of the town. After ten years of giving the city’s rich, famous, and beautiful a place to sip and be seen, the Chelsea megaclub’s owners pimped out the space to give club hoppers a hang where the focus falls squarely on the music.

What was once a multi-room labyrinth that catered to the highbrow bottle service crowd has been resurrected as an all-encompassing open space decked out with 30-foot ceilings (yes, they literally raised the roof), a massive LED wall, and a half-million-dollar sound and lighting system. Patrons—they’re all VIPs now—can let their hair down and vibe out to live musical performances and the most in-demand DJ’s on Marquee’s new stage and expanded dance floor.

At Wednesday night’s grand re-opening, Swizz Beatz and Busta Rhymes hopped on the mic to hype up the crowd while Timbaland, Eve, Selita Ebanks, Tyson Beckford, Marc Anthony, and Akon sipped cocktails and mingled with other bold-faced names. While the stars shone, go-go dancers wearing latex thigh-highs grooved to the beats on elevated catwalks.

Owners Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg hope that the club’s new look and concept will revolutionize New York’s nightlife scene.

“The old Marquee was based on the scene, and the who’s who of New York, while the new Marquee is really about being a music venue,” Strauss tells VIBE. “Having Marquee as one giant room instead of three segmented rooms, as it was for the last ten years, is a testament to the type of talent we’re going to be delivering on the stage.”

Marquee is tight-lipped on who will be added to the club’s musical line-up, but if last night is any indication, patrons can expect beats and drops from the A-list of the EDM world. Pass the Kristal.

Marquee Nightclub Review By Kelly M. : Freehold Township, NJ
"Marquee has the best music and I always have a great time here. It is so fun because everyone is dancing and energetic. They play a mix of house and hip hop. I think Jason and Noah did an excellent job renovating the space, the ceiling is very high now and the space is very well thought out, including a magnificent dance floor, it brings nightlife back to New York City, the way it used to be! It's a New York club with a Vegas vibe! The revamped space is world class, possibly the best nightclub in Manhattan right now...Congrats to the owners for a notable job!!!"


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Address : 289 10th Ave New York, NY 10001 | Phone : (646) 473-0202

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Sources : Marquee Nightclub Photo | Richie Hawtin EDC Afterparty Video | Marquee Nightclub Information | Marquee Nightclub Review

Videos : Run DMC : Christmas In Hollis

"Christmas in Hollis" is a single by Run–D.M.C. that was included on two 1987 Christmas compilation albums featuring various artists: A Very Special Christmas (A&M 3911) and Christmas Rap (Profile 1247). A&M Records originally released the song as a single in 1987 off of the A Very Special Christmas album. The track was produced by the group along with Rick Rubin, and has become popular during the holiday season. It reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2000, 13 years after it was first released. The title refers to Hollis, the neighborhood in Queens where the members of Run-D.M.C. grew up.

The track samples Clarence Carter's 1968 holiday song "Back Door Santa", as well as "Frosty the Snowman", "Jingle Bells", and "Joy to the World".


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Sources : Run DMC Photo | Christmas In Hollis Video | Christmas In Hollis Article

Gear : Watches : Kisai Vortex Pocket Watch

What at first blush looks like the ultimate tool for the 22nd century hypnotist is actually a new pocket watch from Kisai—yes, that’s right, you actually can tell time with this thing, despite all appearances.

The Kisai Vortex Pocket Watch combines a classic stainless steel casing with an LED-backlit LCD touchscreen that requires a set of instructions to tell you how to tell time. It’s actually not too complicated—the bars on the outer ring indicate seconds, with the next ring indicating hours and the third ring indicating minutes. The next two rings display time for a second time zone, but without seconds.

The touchscreen allows you to access some of the features on the watch. There are touch zones at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock that activate the alarm, set time and date, and turn on the LED backlighting.

The entrancing (very entrancing) Kisai Vortex Pocket Watch is available on TokyoFlash Japan at a discounted release price of $150. You can get that price plus free shipping if you order one before December 11.


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Sources : Kisai Vortex Pocket Watch Photo | Kisai Vortex Pocket Watch Article

Gadgets : Power Pen

Unless you have a backpack strapped to your back 24/7, carrying around a back-up charge for your phone is pretty inconvenient. It’s not like you want a power pack in your back pocket all day. For a quick jolt that isn’t a pain to bring with you, get the Power Pen. The world’s first pen with an integrated smartphone battery can be dropped right in your shirt pocket for impromptu note-taking and phone resuscitation. It includes both a lightning connector and a microUSB so you can charge your iPhone or Android device. It even has a stylus so you can write something on your freshly charged smartphone after you juice it.


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Sources : Power Pen Photo | Power Pen Article

News : Skype Bashes The Language Barrier

Skype has gone all sci-fi on its users: the app has announced an upgrade offering real-time translation for users. No longer will we be “hindered by geography and language,” as Microsoft believes we’ve opened a new page in the future of communication.

Skype already seemed like a revolutionary idea to its millions of users – an app that allows for free video communication across thousands of miles. And now Skype is going further, as Microsoft intros the Spanish pilot for its live-translation feature, soon to be available in other languages.

"Today, we are excited to announce the first phase of the Skype Translator preview program," Gurdeep Pall, who works on the app, said, presenting the new feature on Big Blog on Monday.

The sign-up page to the free app leads you to more than 40 instant-messaging languages as well, at least if you’re using Windows 8.1 on your computer or phone.

The app already predicts it will “open up endless possibilities for people around the world to connect, communicate and collaborate; people will no longer be hindered by geography and language,” it wrote on Big Blog.

"One classroom of children speaking Spanish and the other speaking English, Skype Translator removed this language barrier and enabled them to communicate," Pall continued, describing the trial run where school kids were blown away by being able to communicate with each other instantly.

And the more the feature is used, the smarter it will get.

"Skype Translator relies on machine learning, which means that the more the technology is used, the smarter it gets. We are starting with English and Spanish, and as more people use the Skype Translator preview with these languages, the quality will continually improve."

The program will learn by recording conversations “in order to analyze scripts and train the system to better learn each language,” Mo Ladha and Chris Wendt of Microsoft explain. The calls made during the pilot will be anonymized and stored on Microsoft’s servers and contribute to the overall statistical model to improve the system word by word.

Microsoft announced a breakthrough in real-time voice translation back in May, making a reference to the cult series Star Trek and its famed “universal translator” that had aliens from distant worlds making treaties and starting war with each other.


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Sources : Skype Logo | Skype Article

Videos : Skrillex : Dirty Vibe f. Diplo, CL, & G-Dragon

Prior to the formation of Jack Ü, Diplo worked with Skrillex on his debut LP Recess (released in March). One of the highlights of the album is “Dirty Vibe,” a collaboration with K-Pop stars CL (of 2NE1 fame) and Big Bang‘s G-Dragon. Diplo and Skrillex aren’t present in the official video, but the two Korean artists stand out all on their own! Their swagger is unmatched, as they dance, rap and pose throughout the eclectic clip.

Along with their solo work, the two electronic producers are promoting their Jack Ü duo — with the first single being “Take U There,” featuring Kiesza. CL has also been in the studio with Diplo, as she plans on breaking into the American pop industry (with some help from super-manager Scooter Braun).


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Sources : Skrillex/G-Dragon/CL Photo | Dirty Vibe Video | Dirty Vibe Article

Singles : Tyga : Ayo f. Chris Brown

Listen To : Singles : Tyga : Ayo f. Chris Brown

Christmas comes early for Chris Brown and Tyga fans. Over four years since releasing their Fan of a Fan mixtape, the “Deuces” duo returns with “Ayo,” the first single off their upcoming joint album of the same name, due next year.

The fellas holla at the shorties with the “real hair” on the bouncy banger (think “Loyal”). Tyga kicks things off, declaring himself the “black Richie Rich,” while Breezy thirsts for Ice T’s wife Coco (“This don’t concern Ice”) and recalls his stint in rehab (“Rehabilitation just had me worried ’bout fu**in’”).

In addition to Fan of a Fan, Tyga plans to release The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty independently early next year.

He will join Chris and Trey Songz on their “Between the Sheets Tour,” which kicks off in January.

Drop the top and ride out to the club-ready cut above.


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Sources : Breezy and Tyga Photo | Listen To Ayo | Ayo Article

News : Azalea-Azealia Feud Hits Boiling Point

Iggy Azalea has struck back to Azealia Banks' comments.

The two singers are currently locked in a bitter feud which started when Azealia slammed Iggy for not commenting on the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown or the death of African American Eric Garner after a police officer put him in a chokehold.

Yesterday Azealia kicked things off again when she claimed Iggy didn't deserve any Grammy recognition.

"Special msg for banks: There are many black artists succeeding in all genres. The reason you haven't is because of your p**s poor attitude," Iggy vented on Twitter.

"Your inability to be responsible for your own mistakes, bullying others, the inability to be humble or have self control. It's YOU!

"you created your own unfortunate situation by being a bigot and don't have the mental capacity to realize yet. Probably never will. (sic)"

Iggy is nominated for four Grammy Awards, with the ceremony taking place on February 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In a radio interview with Hot 97 Azealia vehemently disagreed with the decision.

"When they give these Grammys out, all it says to white kids is, 'You're great. You're amazing. You can do whatever you put your mind to.' And it says to black kids, 'You don't have sh*t. You don't own sh*t, not even the sh*t you created yourself.' And it makes me upset," she fumed.

"Put [Iggy] in the pop category. Put her and Miley Cyrus in the same f**king box together. Don't put her in hip-hop. Just because she's singing, does not mean she's rap music."

Iggy didn't take kindly to the comments and added more to her Twitter tirade.

"Now! rant, Make it racial! make it political! Make it whatever but I guarantee it won't make you likable & THATS why ur crying on the radio.

"Enjoy continuing to bang your head against that metaphoric brick wall & Savor this attention. I'm the only way you get ANY.

"You're poisonous and I feel genuinely sorry for you because it's obvious at this point you are a MISERABLE, angry human being. Regards! (sic)" Iggy finished.


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Sources : Azalea v. Azealia Photo | Feud Article

Gadgets : BeoPlay A2 Bluetooth Speaker

Danish audio manufacturer Bang & Olufsen has put out their first Bluetooth speaker, featuring the notorious “True 360″ sound experience, plus a 24-hour battery life.

BeoPlay A2 is a premium Bluetooth speaker that is actually made to move. Weighing in at just 1.1 kg, you can indeed take it anywhere with you. Crafted with care from high-quality materials, this speaker looks and feels as good as it sounds. Two channels on each side of the speaker gives a full stereo experience although you have such a flat form factor. The placement of the drivers on each side, and the Bang & Olufsen solution called Power Response Enhancement ensure sound radiation around the edges, giving you a True360 sound experience.

With a choice of either elegant green, pitch black or cool grey- and premium full-grain leather straps to go with that, you’re sure to find a speaker that matches your style. At just 1.1 kg (less than 2.5 pounds) the A2 is the very essence of portability. And, the sturdy materials and interchangeable straps mean you can bring it anywhere you like, anyway you want.

Nothing carries emotion quite like music. Basically, it is the soundtrack to our lives. Well, now you can actually bring the A2 anywhere to boost your mood, bring you from minor to major or just dwell on melancholy for a little while.

If interested, do note this: priced at $399 USD.


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Mixtapes : Rocko : FOOD

Listen To Rocko : FOOD

Rocko - FOOD

Rocko delivers a new mixtape for the fans, "FOOD."

Rocko's got more of what you probably don't need this Thanksgiving, FOOD. Luckily, it's not literal food, but metaphorical for food for your ears. Kinda. The new mixtape, which coincides with Thanksgiving, is packed with tracks that are all given titles of some sort of food, from "Lettuce" to "Candy," with production from the usual suspects like Zaytoven, Bobby Kritical, Sonny Digital, TM88, Zay & Cassius and more.

While your chowing down on turkey, let us know if you'll be giving FOOD a spin. Stream and/or download is available. Give Rocko's new tape a rating up top too.

Tracklist 01. Lettuce (Prod By Bobby Kritical)
02. Plate (Prod By Smurf)
03. Omelet (Prod By Sonny Digital)
04. Breakfast (Prod By Zaytoven)
05. Eat (Prod By Zaytoven)
06. Fried (Prod By Zaytoven)
07. Squash N Beef (Prod By Laboratory)
08. B.A.N.A.N.A.S (Prod By TM88)
09. Chips N Dip (Prod By Imonek)
10. Candy (Prod By Jon Boi)
11. Pizza (Prod By Jon Boi)
12. Blue Cheese (Prod By Jon Boi)
13. Feed Da Fam (Prod By Maximus)
14. Bread (Prod By DG)
15. Hungry (Prod By Zay Cassius)
16. Food (Prod By Jon Boi)


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Sources : Rocko Photo | Listen To FOOD

Gear : Scarves : Nanamica Utility Scarf

The real estate around your neck becomes a little more valuable in the wintertime, since the air is cold enough to warrant some kind of warm enclosure over it. But with the Nanamica Utility Muffler Scarf, you can make optimum use of the area around your neck, with storage space that most scarves would never have.

The Nanamica Utility Muffler Scarf has a full mesh lining and a secure zippered pocket for carrying a small item or two. In addition to that novel feature, it also sports a lightweight knit makeup and logo patch, presumably so you won’t mistakenly wear your non-pocketed scarf to work in the morning (that could lead to some embarrassment later, when someone asks you for a pen and you start fumbling around in your scarf).

You can see a few photos of the Nanamica Utility Muffler Scarf in the gallery underneath these words. And to buy, just head over to the End Clothing online store here, where it’s priced at $75 on the dot.


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Sources : Nanamica Utility Scarf Photo | Nanamica Utility Scarf Article

News : Lil Wayne "Prisoner" To Cash Money Records

Lil Wayne's manager has claimed that his client is not leaving his record label, despite the rapper's claims that he is a "prisoner" at the label in a row over the release of his new album.

As reported, in a series of tweets sent overnight Lil Wayne said that Cash Money are refusing to put out his LP, which was due this autumn.

He has followed the tweets up with a post on Instagram (see below) in which he again calls himself a prisoner and says he understands if fans are "fed up" waiting for the release of 'Tha Carter V'.

In a new interview with Wayne's manager Cortez Bryant conducted by TMZ, it was stated that relations between the rapper and his lifelong label are "good". "We're here, we're staying," he told the publication.

'Tha Carter V' is Lil Wayne's 10th solo project and the follow up to 'Tha Carter IV', which was released in 2011 and charted at Number Eight in the Official UK Albums Chart. Earlier this year, Wayne said that this will be his final solo project and only a very lucrative offer would lure him out of retirement. Prior to his outburst, it was reported that Wayne's album had been indefinitely delayed.


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Sources : Lil Wayne Photo | Lil Wayne Article

Videos : Mary J. Blige : Whole Damn Year

Mary J. Blige has taken a risk with her new album, The London Sessions, a sonically adventurous project from the reigning Queen of Soul that stemmed from a summer of recording in the U.K. with British bigwigs like Sam Smith, Disclosure, Naughty Boy, and Jimmy Napes. One of the album's rawest, sparsest tracks is "Whole Damn Year," which weaves through Blige's blow-by-blow tale of heartbreak and the time it takes a heart to recover.

In the new, domestic abuse-themed video for "Whole Damn Year," Ms. Mary takes a backseat as other couples fight dramatically, with women and men cowering in fear for their lives. It's a blistering, starkly literal take on the song's dramatic lyrics, though it does end with forgiveness and a hair flip of acknowledgment.

Stream the video above, and be sure to listen to The London Sessions, now in stores.


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Sources : Beyoncé Photo | Haunted Video | Beyoncé Haunted Article

Singles : PARTYNEXTDOOR : Girl From Oakland

Listen To : PARTYNEXTDOOR : Girl From Oakland

Taking a page out of his mentor Drake's notebook, PartyNextDoor returns today with four brand new free downloads for the fans. Released as a part of his "PND Colors" series, each track is assigned a different shade. Whether or not this mini-EP is an indicator of even more music to come is not currently known. What we do know, however, is that PartyNextDoor has officially announced the second leg of his "PND Live" tour. For dates, click here. The shows kick off at the end of January, so expect tickets to be available in the coming weeks.


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Sources : Photo | Listen To Girl From Oakland | Girl From Oakland Article

"Theres 4 sides to every story, if these walls could talk they'd probably still ignore me. "

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Gear : Bracelets : Intel MICA

We’ve been keeping our eyes on Intel’s MICA, the fashionable smart bracelet designed in partnership with Opening Ceremony and Barneys New York. MICA is probably the most concerted effort yet towards building a wearable just for women, and now we know that it can also be the perfect holiday gift for your high tech fashionista—MICA is officially getting a December release with a $495 price tag.

In addition to confirming the December release, Intel also confirmed the final feature set for the device at their launch event earlier this week. As we knew from before, MICA will function as a standalone device, instead of being a smartphone companion. We heard earlier that AT&T would be the exclusive carrier, and that’s still true, but it fortunately won’t add to your wireless bill. MICA comes with an AT&T SIM card inside, and two years of data service is included with purchase.

With MICA, you’ll get Facebook and Gmail notifications and text messages straight to your wrist. For the latter, implementation is a little awkward because MICA has its own SIM card, so the text messages will have to go to that phone number instead of your regular home phone number. There’s also Yelp and TomTom integration, so you can find places of interest around you and get directions. You can also create a contact list specific to the device.

MICA is definitely fashion accessory first, wearable device second—an approach that has understated merit in the wearable market. It’s a wide bracelet coated with 18k gold and has a curved sapphire glass display, the sort that will also be found on the upcoming Apple Watch. As we heard before, MICA will come in two styles—black water snake skin with inlaid pearls and lapis stones and white water snake skin with inlaid tiger’s eye and obsidian stones.

There won’t be anything in the way of voice or text input, so you’ll be limited to the preset options Intel has on their proprietary wearable software. While that might be a little frustrating, MICA ultimately exists as something meant to be purchased as a bracelet first, with the smart features there as a bonus. It’s an interesting approach to wearables, and we’re curious to see how MICA will be received this holiday season.

MICA will be available in early December in the Opening Ceremony stores in New York and Los Angeles and in Barneys New York stores. If neither of those are anywhere near you, don’t fret—MICA will be available on OpeningCeremony.us and Barneys.com.


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Sources : Intel MICA Photo | Intel MICA Article

Gadgets : Mini Power Cardboard Cells

From designer Tsung Chih-Hsien comes this 2014 Red Dot Design Award-winning cardboard phone-charging battery. Called Mini Power, these tablet-like batteries are sold in strips and come in configurations of two-, four- or six-hour capacities. Once used, the batteries can be recharged or even recycled at any convenience store that stocks them. Utilizing paper battery technology, Mini Power is perfect for emergency use and for smartphone users who have forgone traditional external batteries for their unwieldy bulk. Although it’s in concept stage at this point, Mini Power stands as a testament to the increasingly creative ways in which external charging technologies are evolving.


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Sources : Mini Power Cardboard Cells Photo | Mini Power Cardboard Cells Article

Videos : Beyoncé : Haunted

Following the release of two new songs, a video for “7/11,” and the platinum edition of her self-titled album, Beyoncé has released the official music video for “Haunted” along with the rest of the videos from her self-titled visual album. Nearly a year since the release of her surprise album, the project has finally made its way to Spotify, and music videos have now been uploaded to VEVO. If the track sounds familiar it’s because it played in the background of the second official trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey. The intriguing video was directed by Swedish film and music director Jonas Åkerlend, with Todd Tourso as the creative director.


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Sources : Beyoncé Photo | Haunted Video | Beyoncé Haunted Article

Singles : Skrillex : Ragga Bomb ft. Zomboy

Listen To : Skrillex : Ragga Bomb

Skrillex and Zomboy have remixed "Ragga Bomb" and turned it into an even bigger bass tune. The remix will be released on Skrillex's upcoming remix EP, Ragga Bomb v Ease My Mind Remixes. Listen to the remix above!

The Skrillex and Zomboy remix might be surprising to a lot of their fans. Earlier this year, the internet was going crazy over the similarities of Zomboy's track “Terror Squad” and Skrillex's “All is Fair in Love & Brostep." "Terror Squad" was released first, but Skrillex was playing his track as an ID for a long time. Zomboy explained it all in the Facebook post below, and Skrillex stated that it was all love.


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News : Eminem Quoted by Supreme Court Justice

The high court tackles how to interpret statements made on social media and what constitutes a 'true threat.'

On Monday (Dec. 1), the U.S. Supreme Court delved into modern times by looking at social media, rap music and how to balance an individual's freedom to shoot from the lip with society's interest in protecting against those who would cause fear and disruption. Anyone betting that Eminem would be the rapper to be mentioned today at the high court is a little richer.

The case is Elonis v. United States, featuring a 31-year-old Pennsylvania man named Anthony Elonis who in 2011 was convicted of making threats on Facebook against his estranged wife. For writing stuff like "There's one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you," Elonis got a 44-month prison sentence.

Elonis believes his Facebook posts were misinterpreted, and on appeal, his lawyers have made the argument that his social media postings are stylized as rap music lyrics. As a result, in the months leading up to today's hearing, the nine justices of the high court got an earful about both the history of hip-hop and contemporary modes of communication.

Most directly, the case examines what's a "true threat" for the purposes of criminal prosecution, but given the widespread acceptance that online rants and rap music can often be prone to hyperbole, the coming decision figures to be a landmark First Amendment one that weighs a speaker's intent versus a reader's understanding -- a balancing act that could easily be applied in other legal contexts like an analysis of defamation.

On behalf of Elonis, attorney John Elwood urged the high court to adopt a "specific intent" standard, namely that a jury should examine what his client had in mind with his Internet postings. Meanwhile, the federal government is emphasizing how a "reasonable person" would interpret what Elwood had to say.

In this case, context cuts both ways -- a statement may be less threatening if viewed through the prism of an aspiring rapper who is attempting to boast or more threatening if seen as coming from a guy who lost his wife and kids, got fired from his job, and is broadcasting his thoughts to those close to him.

Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized context throughout the hearing, putting forward the scenario of teenagers in a chat room playing a game. "You don't take what is on the Internet in the abstract and say, 'This person wants to do something horrible,'" said Roberts. "You are familiar with the context."

"That is true," responded Elwood. "But the thing is everyone has a different view of what context matters."

Roberts came back to this point when questioning Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben.

He asked, "If you have a statement made in the style of rap music... is the reasonable person supposed to be someone familiar with that style and the use of what might be viewed as threatening words in connection with that music...?"

Dreeben answered that it depends on whom the speaker is speaking to — that it matters if it's going to a general audience for the purposes of entertainment. The government attorney waived off Robert's concern that lyrics from lots of rap artists might be susceptible to prosecution.

"So how do you start out if you want to be a rap artist?" Roberts then asked. "Your first communication you can't say, I'm an artist, right?"

"I think that you have perfect freedom to engage in rap artistry," responded Dreeben. "What you don't have [is] perfect freedom to do is to make statements that are like the ones in this case where, after the individual receives a protection from abuse order from a court which was based on Facebook posts that his wife took as threatening, he comes out with a post and says fold up that PFA and put it in your pocket, will it stop a bullet? He knows that his wife is reading these posts."

If that's not clear enough, the argument gets a rehash when Roberts quotes Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde," imagining Slim Shady's dead wife.

"What about the language at pages 54 to 55 of the Petitioner's brief?" asks the chief justice. "You know, 'Dada make a nice bed for mommy at the bottom of the lake,' 'tie a rope around a rock,' this is during the context of a domestic dispute between a husband and wife. 'There goes mama splashing in the water, no more fighting with dad,' you know, all that stuff."

But Eminem was only trying to entertain at a concert, defended Dreeben.

"It wasn't as if [Eminem] stated it to her in private or on a Facebook page after having received a protection from abuse order," said the government lawyer. "It wasn't as if he appropriated a style of rap that wasn't anything that he had been doing previously in the marriage and all of a sudden tried to express violent statements that way."

When it was time for Elwood to give his rebuttal, he argued that the government's position is tantamount to imposing five years of felony liability anytime the understanding of a speaker and listener gets crossed. Elwood said Elonis' adoption of rap wasn't a "recent invention," that his postings included "long and painful-to-read rap which has nothing to do with his wife," and that in response to one Facebook friend, his client posted something like, "I do this for me; it's a therapeutic."

"There is stuff you can point to to show that there was a misunderstanding between the two of them," said Elwood, referring to his client and his client's estranged wife. "And, again, you can imagine a situation where somebody says, 'I'm posting this for entertainment purposes only.'"

Not every justice was buying this.

"Well, this sounds like a roadmap for threatening a spouse and getting away with it," responded Justice Samuel Alito. "You put it in rhyme and you put some stuff about the Internet on it and you say, 'I'm an aspiring rap artist.'"


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Sources : Eminem Photo | Eminem Article

Clubs : Sweden : Stockjolm :  : Bergmans Stockholm 

About Bergmans Sthlm

Bergmans, a true VIP-nightclub with an international feel, has redefined Stockholm’s luxury nightlife scene with its launch in November 2012, one block from the famous Royal Dramatic Theater, located in the heart of central Stockholm. 

With international nightclub operators and founders Patrik Slettman & Paulo Fagundez, as well as local nightclub owner Ulf von Roth, the trio quickly gave Bergmans a reputation for attracting an exclusively high-end clientele.

Bergmans classic look and intimate layout features 14 VIP tables centered by the DJ booth, facing all of its guests. An outdoor terrace will open this spring and offer an additional bar and several VIP tables. 

Swedish celebrities describe the intimate feel at Bergmans as "Its like partying in someones apartment" and proclaim its service as "The best ever offered at a nightclub in Sweden". 

When visiting Stockholm, Bergmans nightclub needs to be on your shortlist of places to go.

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Address Ingmar Bergmans Gata 2, 11434 Stockholm, Sweden | Phone 08-611 68 11

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Sources : Bergmans Stockholm Photo | Bergmans Premiere Night In Stockholm 1280x720 Video | Bergmans Stockholm Information

Cars : Alfa Romeo 4C Definitiva

If chocolate can get an assist from peanut butter, who’s to say the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 4C can’t be improved upon?

The mad scientists at Lazzarini Design have taken the 4C, with all its carbon fiber and impeccable handling, and turned it into a concept that’s downright otherworldly. Thanks to a Hennessey-boosted twin-turbocharged Ferrari V8, the 4C Definitiva goes from 237 hp to a bonkers 738 hp. Keep in mind that’s for a vehicle that barely tips the scales at 2,500 pounds, so yeah, 0-60 happens in a startling 2.5 seconds, and the quarter mile takes less than 10 seconds. A perforated hood and grille and extra-wide flares for both the front and rear tires call even more attention to what was already a jaw-dropping car, and yeah, as you might’ve guessed by this point, there’s no word on whether or not we’ll ever get the chance to (barely) see one of these whisking by us in real life.


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Sources : Alfa Romeo 4C Definitiva Photo | Alfa Romeo 4C Definitiva Article