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Let Nas Down
"Let Nas Down" is a song by American hip hop recording artist J. Cole, taken from his second studio album ''Born Sinner'' (2013). The song was produced by Cole himself as a dedication to one of his idols, fellow American rapper Nas, with whom Cole was often compared to early in his career. He sampled the song "Gentleman" by Fela Kuti. The song peaked at #55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Background Growing up J. Cole idolized American rapper Nas, even posting his rap verses on his wall. Once J. Cole had signed to Roc Nation in 2009, he began preparing his debut album '' Cole World: The Sideline Story''. On May 31, 2010 he released the first single " Who Dat" which failed to garner commercial success. After that Cole tried harder to find a good hit record for his record label. Through that long process, Cole had countless meetings with Jay-Z to discuss new songs he had made. Although Jay backed them as good songs, Roc Nation concluded that none of them were hits. Cole explained ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Born Sinner
''Born Sinner'' is the second studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on June 18, 2013, by ByStorm Entertainment, Columbia Records, Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. The album serves as the follow-up to his debut album, ''Cole World: The Sideline Story'' (2011). The album features guest appearances from Miguel (singer), Miguel, Amber Coffman, Jhené Aiko, James Fauntleroy, Bas (rapper), Bas, TLC (group), TLC, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. The album was also primarily hip hop production, produced by Cole himself, along with others such as Jake One, Syience, and Elite (record producer), Elite. ''Born Sinner'' was supported by four official singles; "Power Trip (song), Power Trip", "Crooked Smile", "Forbidden Fruit (J. Cole song), Forbidden Fruit" and "She Knows (J. Cole song), She Knows", along with the promotional single "Miss America (J. Cole song), Miss America". The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It debuted at number two on the US Billboar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' and ''Vibe (magazine), Vibe'' in 2023. Known for his complex lyrical ability—which often uses double entendres and word play—and Braggadocio (rap), braggadocio, his music is built upon a rags to riches narrative. He served as president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007, and founded the entertainment company Roc Nation the following year. A protégé of fellow New York City-based rapper Jaz-O, Jay-Z began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 to release his first two studio albums ''Reasonable Doubt (album), Reasonable Doubt'' (1996) and ''In My Lifetime, Vol. 1'' (1997), both o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crooked Smile
"Crooked Smile" is a song by American rapper J. Cole from his second studio album, ''Born Sinner'' (2013). Featuring a guest appearance from girl group TLC, the song includes additional vocals from Meleni Smith. It was produced by Cole, with co-production from Elite. Cole recruited TLC after coming up with the hook, going through a lengthy and strenuous recording process. After Cole previewed the song in October 2012, it was released for digital download in the United States by Roc Nation as the album's second single on June 4, 2013. A hip hop and R&B ballad with dance elements, it features a jazz groove and a sample of Jennifer Hudson's " No One Gonna Love You". Lyrically, the song sees Cole encourage embracing one's flaws and self-acceptance. "Crooked Smile" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly praised Cole's lyricism. Reviewers focused on his authentic message and some highlighted the composition, while a few critics commended TLC's presence. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XXL (magazine)
''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997. History In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006, ''XXL'' took over the struggling hip-hop producer and DJ magazine '' Scratch'' (another publication owned by Harris Publications), re-branding it as ''XXL Presents Scratch Magazine''. However ''Scratch'' shut down less than a year later in September 2007. Other titles with limited runs have been launched under the ''XXL'' brand, including ''Hip-Hop Soul'', ''Eye Candy'' and '' Shade 45''. ''XXL'' has released many other special projects including tour programs, mixtapes and exclusive DVDs. ''XXL'' also maintains a popular website, which provides daily hip hop news, original content and content from the magazine. In 2014, Townsquare Media acquired ''XXL'', ''King'' and ''Antenna'' from Harris Publications. On October 14, 2014, Townsq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Critic
'' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of musical aesthetics. With the concurrent expansion of interest in music and information media since the turn of the 20th century, the term has come to acquire the conventional meaning of journalistic reporting on musical performances. Nature of music criticism The musicologist Winton Dean has suggested that "music is probably the most difficult of the arts to criticise." Unlike the plastic or literary arts, the 'language' of music does not specifically relate to human sensory experience – Dean's words, "the word 'love' is common coin in life and literature: the note C has nothing to do with breakfast or railway journeys or marital harmony." Like dramatic art, music is recreated at every performance, and criticism may, therefore, be dir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full (album), Paid in Full'' (1987), ''Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album), Follow the Leader'' (1988), ''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em'' (1990), and ''Don't Sweat the Technique'' (1992). He also released four solo albums: ''The 18th Letter'' (1997), ''The Master (Rakim album), The Master'' (1999), ''The Seventh Seal (Rakim album), The Seventh Seal'' (2009), and ''G.O.D.'s Network: Reb7rth'' (2024). Rakim is considered a transformative figure in hip hop. Rakim helped to pioneer the use of internal rhymes and multisyllabic rhymes, and he was among the first to demonstrate the possibilities of sitting down to write intricately crafted lyrics packed with clever word choices and metaphors rather than the more improvisational styles and simpler rhym ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Brother (Kanye West Song)
"Big Brother" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the closing track on his third studio album, ''Graduation'' (2007). West co-wrote the song with Toomp, who was the sole producer. It originally utilized Prince's "It's Gonna Be Lonely" for the beat, until he refused to approve, for full publishing and a re-recording was done instead. The song was written by West as a tribute to his close friend and mentor Jay-Z, who has shown his appreciation for it. West first teased the song in August 2007 for the BBC Radio 1Xtra event "Audience with Kanye West". A hip hop song with synths, it features a varied pace of rapping from West. In the lyrics, West introspectively examines the complexities of his friendship with Jay-Z. "Big Brother" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly lauded the theme. They often highlighted West's honesty and heavy detail, while some reviewers complimented the composition. Though not released as a single, the song peake ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums such as Jay-Z's ''The Blueprint'' (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, ''The College Dropout'' (2004), was met with critical acclaim and yielded the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He topped the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger (Kanye West song), Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger (Kanye West song), Stronger" (2007), "E.T. (song), E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival (¥$ song), Carnival" (2024). ''The College Dropout'', and five ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Rosenberg
Peter Elliot Rosenberg (born July 23, 1979)Chris Richards''Washington Post'', May 31, 2013. is an American radio disc jockey, television show host, and professional wrestling personality. He is a co-host of two New York City radio programs: '' Ebro in the Morning'', the weekday morning show at hip hop radio station WQHT (Hot 97), and ''Don, Hahn, & Rosenberg'', the afternoon drive show on ESPN Radio affiliate WHSQ. Early life Rosenberg was born and raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to M.J. Rosenberg, a Capitol Hill staffer father and public school teacher mother, and he attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.Matthew Shaer"Hot 97’s Morning Jew,"''Tablet Magazine, Tablet'', May 28, 2013. He describes his upbringing as "a very Jewish, upper middle class, regular suburban life." He was introduced to hip hop by his older brother, and has also cited popular songs such as " Parents Just Don't Understand" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince as early influences. Visiting his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
No ID
Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), known professionally as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American record producer, DJ and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common, as well as his career mentorship of rappers Kanye West, J. Cole and Logic. Wilson first gained success for his role as an in-house producer for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings—leading to largely uncredited work on Dupri's productions " My Boo" by Usher, " Outta My System" and " Let Me Hold You" by Bow Wow—before reaching commercial success with his solo productions. He worked with Jay-Z to produce his singles " Run This Town" and "Holy Grail," West to produce " Heartless," and Drake to produce " Find Your Love" and " Nonstop"; each have peaked within the top five of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Nicknamed "the Godfather of Chicago hip hop," Wilson is also a former recording artist and signed with Relativity Records to release his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), online streaming, and radio airplay in the U.S. A new chart is compiled and released online to the public by ''Billboard''s website on Tuesdays but post-dated to the following Saturday, when the printed magazine first reaches newsstands. The weekly tracking period for sales is currently Friday–Thursday, after being changed in July 2015. It was initially Monday–Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991. This tracking period also applies to compiling online streaming data. Radio airplay is readily available on a real-time basis, unlike sales figures and streaming, but is also tracked on the same Friday–Thursday cycle, effective with the chart dated July 17, 2021. Previously, radio was tracked Monday–Sunday and, before Ju ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lead Single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut single", is the first single released by a new artist. Release strategies Artists often choose songs that are more up-tempo, yet representative of the album's sound, as lead singles. Such songs are often catchier and attract the attention of listeners. The subsequent single might then be slower in tempo, in order to demonstrate the range of the album. Female vocalists like Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera often maintain a formula of an up-tempo first lead single with a slow ballad follow-up. For example, two singles were released by Miley Cyrus before her album '' Bangerz'' – an up-tempo track, " We Can't Stop", was released as the first, and a slow-ballad song, "Wrecking Ball", as the second. This was a successful practice of 1980 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
