Archive for the ‘music’ Category

Almost exactly eleven years after its posthumous release, legendary rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1998 hit “Changes” has been selected by the Vatican as one of the institution’s “12 Favorite Songs” as part of a playlist for MySpace’s new streaming service MySpace Music.

The distinction is the first time the Catholic Church has officially recognized the work of any popular American artist. With it, the song joins the ranks of works such as “Don Giovanni” by Mozart, the Vatican’s own “Advocata Nostra,” featuring the voice of Pope Benedict XVI, and “After The Rain,” by Dame Shirley Bassey.

“The genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people,” the Vatican explained on its official MySpace Music page.

The playlist, compiled by Father Giulio Neroni, was released Thursday, December 3 – and “Changes” has received nearly five million plays since then.

“This came as such an amazing surprise – it’s not something I would have ever thought possible,” says the late rapper’s mother, Afeni Shakur. “I give thanks every day, knowing Tupac’s words and music continue to have such an incredible effect on people worldwide. My son was always striving to reach out to as many people as he could, and he changed the world in doing so.”

Released two years after the rapper’s death in 1998, “Changes” has been acknowledged as one of Tupac’s all-time classics ever since, with a message that resonates just as strongly today. The song is a streetwise meditation on racism, the Middle East, drugs and gang violence coupled with a call for hope and peace. In essence, it highlights the need for change on both a personal and global level.

“Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live, let’s change the way we treat each other,” states Tupac on the track. “You see, the old way wasn’t working, so it’s on us to do what we gotta do to survive.”

The acclaimed single climbed to the top of the charts upon its release and became the only posthumously released Hip-Hop song to receive the Grammy nomination for “Best Rap Solo Performance.” It recently confirmed its lasting power when it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Ringtones Chart (November 7, 2009), a spot it held for a whopping 34 weeks.

“It’s a testament to Tupac’s genius that his music can have this kind of impact more than ten years after the fact,” says Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine. “This is an unprecedented honor to his legacy, as well as for those who had the privilege of working with him during his lifetime.”

In additional Tupac news, it was announced in September that the artist’s private writings would be added to Atlanta University Center’s Robert Woodruff Library – an institution that also houses Martin Luther King’s papers – to be made available for scholarly research.

The collection features Shakur’s handwritten lyrics and track listings, personal notes, video and film concepts, fan correspondence, promotion materials and other items providing a unique insight into his creative genius.

Peep the video for “Changes.”

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The lovely beyonce does it it again! Check out her sexy new video.

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Oh geez, what a surprise, yet another black millionaire (or in all reality thousandaire) “singer”/artist Kelis is broke and ready to have a baby any day now. I guess most of us know Kelis from the whole “milkshake” song that was popular a few years ago..since then, Kelis and her husband Nas has taken on some strange movements that have personally made me want to vomit. Like their obvious publicity stunt for Nas’s mythical  ”Nigga” album that never existed, remember when these two clowns were actually fighting for the defense of the N word, syaing how is was a good thing for us to call each other that name. I remember even seeing a photo on Bossip.comof Kelis in a black jacket with the N word written across the back in gold glitter, and her foolish husband with the N word sprawled across his black shirt. That’s the moment I knew these two were no longer the edgy, unappreciated talents I always thought they were, especially Nas. Read the rest of this entry »

Two other passengers and two crew members died, said the National Transportation Safety Board. Their identities were not immediately available.

Barker and Goldstein, who perform together under the name TRVSDJ-AM, played a free concert in Columbia’s college neighborhood Friday night.

A representative for Barker and DJ AM said she had no information the crash.

After Blink 182, Barker went on to form the rock band (+44) — pronounced “plus forty-four.” He starred in the MTV reality series “Meet the Barkers” with former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, to whom he was married at the time. The show documented the former couple’s lavish wedding and life.

Goldstein at one time was engaged to celebrity Nicole Richie

Some of today’s hottest female singers posed for a memorable group photo for the “Stand Up To Cancer” telethon. Click photo to enlarge

From left to right – singers Keyshia Cole, Leona Lewis. Fergie, Ciara, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Miley Cyrus, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, and Nicole Scherzinger pose after performing “Just Stand Up”, the worldwide charity single benefiting Stand Up To Cancer. The song was created and produced by LA Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, pictured in the center.

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Guitarist Carlos Santana says his new compilation, “Multi Dimensional Warrior,” is “a love letter to fans” — as well as a reminder that his repertoire includes more than the hit duets he’s been releasing since 1999’s “Supernatural.”

 
“For me it’s very clearly something that comes from my heart,” Santana told Billboard.

The artist personally supervised the compilation of the two-disc, career-spanning “Warrior,” as well as the artwork and package design. Due September 30 on Columbia/Legacy, the set features 28 songs from 1970 to 2002.

“I basically turned it all in, the complete finished work,” Santana said. He also added some new overdubs to five of the songs, putting guitar on “Spirit” and “Right Now,” while Santana band member Chester “C.T.” Thompson played new piano parts for “Let There Be Light” and Barbara Higbie played fresh harmonica for that song and “Praise.”

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