[News] 2 Chainz drops his new album Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
2 Chainz is a hit maker, but Pretty Girls Like Trap Music shows there are deeper ambitions afoot. His production arm is strong—Mike WiLL Made-It, Murda Beatz, and Mike Dean all put in work. He speaks his mind, dissing the government and “mumble-rap” while Nicki Minaj references her Remy Ma beef on “Realize.” Pharrell leaves his platinum imprint on “Bailan.” Then 2 Chainz puts his life story out there on the revelatory “Burglar Bars”—the realest song he’s ever cut.
Purchase Tickets to Pretty Girls Like Trap Music Tour in Chicago here.
So What's The Best J. Cole Album So Far?
The J. Cole hype couldn't be greater right now after the 4th major album release from J. Cole, For Your Eyez Only. Many are expecting it to be album of the year with only 2 songs released. They are also expecting it to be "another classic" [See Social Media] and it made us think. What is the best J. Cole album so far?
3 - Cole World: Sideline Story. Sideline Story is the hands down laziest album for me. When I heard Cole say he added songs from his mixtape to this album because he felt enough people didn't hear them, I immediately lost my interest in buying it. Emcee's shouldn't do that. Sorry. I toss this one to the bottom of Cole releases because I heard a lot of it before the wave got real.
It's interesting going back and listening to this album now. It's difficult to replicate the hunger you hear in the very young J. Cole's voice in nearly each song. This is often the case with many rappers when juxtaposing their early catalog over their more recent works. The effect this has is ultimately subjective, but for us it's clear young Simba was not yet the king.
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2 - 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The Platinum with no features album. The album that inspired a bunch of jaded, misguided and misspelled memes for the last 2 years. It's not that this album is whack necessarily, it just doesn't move me. The middle of this album made me dose off. I'm not a fan of the singing efforts. Tracks like "St. Tropez" and "Hello" come of as somewhat forced and, as a result, slightly in-genuine.
What's more, tracks that were clearly intended to be in more of a pure hip hop vein, like "Fire Squad" turned out to be little more than filler. To be clear, Cole had hits on this project. "Wet Dreamz" and "Tale of 2 Citiez" are both catchy and have a well-rounded appeal. "January 28th" and "No Role Modelz" are anthems in their own right as well. To us, they were just too few and far between to justify ranking this album higher up. To the Cole Stans, we're sorry, but 2014 a little boring. We credit cole for giving us a bunch of new music though.
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1 - Born Sinner: This album was a hype beast dream. New Rappers, good features, Hit singles and was deemed a classic because everyone hated Yeezus and didn't pay attention to The Gifted by Wale. This album is the best of the 3 to me because it's the best representation of what Cole can do. Songs like "Land of the Snakes" serve as a verbal exhibition for Cole, with a concise, driven flow over an equally driven instrumental.
"Trouble" was a favorite off of the album, featuring a menacing instrumental with Cole's cocky humor at play on top of it. Born Sinner made it clear that he can make hits if he wants. He can really rap. He has the potential to be a great producer. The subject matter isn't that great or diverse, but I honestly feel the release of 2014 FHD builds the appreciation of Born Sinner. It's number 1 for me, but not cause it is "so much better" than the other releases around it.
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Check out more on Cole here.
Kanye West announces the Saint Pablo tour with 2 dates in Chicago
Kanye West announced the dates for his highly anticipated Saint Pablo tour today via Tidal. The tour will begin August 25 in Indianapolis, and conclude Oct. 29 in Las Vegas, hitting almost 40 major cities across North America. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, with a special preorder period for American Express cardholders today at 10 a.m., and another preorder period for Tidal subscribers beginning Thursday at 10 a.m.
The Life of Pablo set several records for Tidal upon its release on Feb. 14. For the first 10 days of its release, the album surpassed 250 million streams and reportedly doubled the streaming service’s subscriber base from one million to 2.5 million. After a short window of exclusivity for Tidal, the album was released on other platforms like Apple Music and Spotify, increasing its dominance in the music streaming market even more.
Article Originally Published by Complex
Chicago Music & Ruby Hornet: Artists feature and a chance to record at Pressure Point Studio
Chicago Music and Ruby Hornet are looking to select 10 ReverbNation artists to showcase in front of local labels and A&R representatives. All selected artists will receive a photoshoot and feature on both Chicago Music and Ruby Hornet. One (1) artist will also be given the chance to record a 1 or 2 song demo at Pressure Point Studios in downtown Chicago.
You already have a ReverbNation account? Great, you’re halfway there. Just visit our page on ReverbNation (a convenient link has been placed at the bottom of this post) and submit your profile to us for review. Chicago Music is an equal opportunity promoter. We do not discriminate genre. In fact, we welcome diversity with open arms.
Let’s say you don’t already have a ReverbNation account. Get one! The ability to submit your work to Chicago Music isn’t the only perk. ReverbNation is a great place for artists to build fan bases and community among other musicians.
Artist Submissions Here
Five Bottled Cocktails That Are Actually Good
Sometimes you want a mixed drink, but you won’t want to mix it. The solution? Bottled cocktails. Despite their less-than-fantastic reputation, pre-bottled cocktails have come a long way. Here are five actually good bottled cocktails for a low-fuss, high-quality time:
1. CRAFTHOUSE COCKTAILS
Created by Chicago bartender Charles Joly, Crafthouse offers three drinks:
- Moscow Mule: Crafthouse takes this classic cocktail and runs with it, using high-quality ginger beer that’s more spicy than sweet.
- Paloma: This popular summer drink is the combination of blanco tequila, lime, and Crafthouse’s house-made, all-natural grapefruit soda.
- Southside: The traditional recipe includes gin, mint and lemon, but Crafthouse substitutes the lemon with lime for a refreshing twist.
Each 750 milliliter bottle is $20, at 10-15 percent ABV.
2. BULLY BOY DISTILLERS’ HUB PUNCH
Bully Boy’s Hub Punch is a rum “infused with fruits and botanicals.” This cocktail was inspired by the original Hub Punch recipe, first prepared at the Hub Hotel in Thousand Island Park, N.Y. before it was brought to Boston and made popular in the 1800's.
Remember that this option isn’t a true mixed cocktail. Here's one way to enjoy it:
- 1 part Hub Punch
- 2 parts soda water
- 2 parts ginger ale.
Each 750 milliliter bottle is $29 at 35 percent ABV.
3. WATERSHED DISTILLERY’S OLD FASHIONED
Columbus, Ohio-based distillery Watershed offers a delicious Old Fashioned. Ingredients include bourbon, bitters, raw sugar and Ohio cherry juice for a bold flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
Each 750 milliliter bottle is $35, at 35.1 percent ABV.
5. CAMPARI BOTTLED NEGRONI
This reliable favorite is a combination of London dry gin, Cinzano sweet vermouth and, of course, Campari.
Each 1 liter bottle is $40, at 25 percent ABV.
4. HOCHSTADTER’S SLOW & LOW ROCK & RYE
This limited-release concoction is made with eight-year-old 100-proof rye, honey, orange peel, and “a pinch of rock candy.” Not for the faint of heart, it is best enjoyed in small sips, and with lots of ice.
Each 750 milliliter bottle is $35, at either 42 percent or 50 percent ABV.
COMING SOON: COURAGE+STONE
Keep your eye out for comedian Aisha Tyler’s cocktail line, set to launch this fall. The cocktail-enthusiast’s line will include a whiskey Old Fashioned (with rye), a gin Old Fashioned (with grapefruit bitters), and a Black Manhattan.
Article published by Liquor.com
After 34 years of searching, Keyshia Cole locates her biological father
After several decades of searching for the identity of her biological father, Keyshia Cole can rest a little easier. Overcome with emotions, the “Love” singer turned to social media to reveal the results of a recent paternity test – leading her directly to her dad. As it turns out, he’s pretty famous in the boxing world.
Meet boxing trainer Virgil Hunter, whom Cole says (according to the paternity test) is in fact her birth father. Did we mention they could have crossed paths countless times, as he too resides in Cole’s hometown, Oakland, California?
Photo credit: @keyshiacole/Instagram
“While in NYC I was overwhelmed with emotion, I explained while on stage at the Barclays, the situation I was faced with at that moment, which was, my father and I finding our way to each other, After 34 years. I knew at that time, a paternity test was in place, well the results are in, and this is my father!! His name is Virgil Hunter, and at this present time, I’m in Oakland spending time, getting to kno him! The story behind this is beyond me!!! God has his hands all in this!!! I’m so excited, So excited with taking this a day at a time!!!,” she wrote via Instagram.
“Mom and Dad during their time…. Mommy was such a cutie.!
Singer Lloyd achieves major educational milestone
Graduation season is once again upon us and as students across the nation walk across their school’s stage and receive their diplomas, they’re sharing the good news with their friends and family online. But this graduation season, those students, both old and young, are not alone because R&B singer Lloyd recently revealed to the world that he just earned his GED.
Lloyd shared the big news this weekend, posting a series of photos on his Instagram page. In the photos he donned a red cap and gown and posed with family and friends. According to reports, the 30-year-old singer received his GED during Therrell High School’s graduation ceremony last week in Georgia.
Photo credit: Instagram – @curlyheadedblackboy
“Congrats to my fellow #graduates!!! Was nice meeting you and your families and may you all enjoy this moment in time! Photo: Class of 2016 Hair & makeup by: #Determination Cap & Gown by: #Dedication Smile by: @curlyheadedblackboy,” Lloyd wrote in the caption.
Photo Credit: Lloyd’s Instagram (@curlyheadedblackboy)
“Where would I be without the ones who’ve supported me? #graduates #diploma #familyfirst,” Lloyd captioned the photo.
Lloyd first spoke about his journey to obtain his GED last October when he made a post on Instagram revealing that he dropped out of school and signed his first recording contract at 17. Lloyd shared that he’d always wanted to go back to school and was happy to be closing an old chapter in his life.
“Sometimes, moving forward involves taking a step backwards. … When I moved to New York to sign my first record deal, I promised my 17-year-old self that I would return to school to finish my education. I am neither ashamed nor embarrassed to say that I’ve taken my first step towards that goal. Thanks to the support of friends and family, I’m ready to go back & finish what I’d started. Firsthand, moneymaking experience is great and, in most cases, is what we go through years of school for anyway, but I just HAD to go back for my GED so I could at least show myself & others that there is no shame nor regret to be had or felt when you are making a conscience effort to become a better you. A sneaky little paparazzi caught me studying in my room. Thought I’d share … Y’all have a great week !” Lloyd wrote in the post.
By December, Lloyd shared that he’d finally earned his GED.
Photo credit: Instagram – @curlyheadedblackboy
Now, we see that he was not only able to graduate, but obtained his diploma as well. We’re happy that Lloyd decided to go back to school and we hope he inspires others towards the truth that it’s really never too late to get an education.
Article Originally Published by our friends at Rolling Out.