From EurWeb

From EurWeb

*Fantasia was the guest of honor at the (4/23/13) album release party for “The Side Effects of You” at XL Nightclub in New York City.

R&B crooners Kenny Latimore and Joe performed a tribute to Fantasia, and Missy Elliott graced the place to show support.  Fantasia gave her guests and fans an impromptu performance of “Lose To Win,” but prior to the performance, she said:

“I haven’t had all this love since my first album. So, to have you guys come out and support me after all that I’ve been through.  On this album I was able to tell my story. I didn’t let nobody speak for me, I said it the way I wanted to say it. And, I said before I go back into the studio, I won’t go back until they let me do what I want to.”

Read more at EurWeb.com

Before there was Nicki Minaj, Azealia Banks, Lil Mama, Remy Ma, Rye Rye or Kid Sister…before there were iPods, wireless Internet or digital music stores…there was the golden age of hip-hop; where female rappers such as Yo-Yo, Lady of Rage, Roxanne Shante, Da Brat, Mia X and Jean Grae were a mainstay on the scene-always delivering enthusiasm, originality and wisdom in a verse. They rapped persuasively apart, and also came together to make masterful collaborations (ex. Ladies Night and Ladies First). Of course, none of this is to say that present day female artists aren’t throwing down in the studio, but that back-in-the-day, raw talent and frill-less music videos could go a long way, especially when you already have the qualifying skills to be regarded as a true rap/hip-hop legend.

QUEEN LATIFAH

Queen Latifah is inarguably one of the most highly regarded female emcees of all time. She had a powerful, even flow that made audiences want to stop and listen.  In her heyday, she produced energetic songs that were socially and politically conscious, often dwelling on gender issues and street violence. She gave us classics like “U.N.I.T.Y,” “Just Another Day,” “Ladies First,” and “Come Into My House”.

Source: Tumblr

Missy will always hold a special place in my heart. She took the Hip Hop world by storm, making an entrance no MC, and especially no female MC had seen before. Missy’s debut album Supa Dupa Fly was one of the first Hip Hop albums my father bought for my sister and I for Christmas and my life was forever changed because of it. Missy was brazen, insanely creative and even a little or a lotta bit raunchy at times, a well-rounded, very real woman. Even as a fifth grader, I could relate to her. Anyone who’s listened to Missy over the years has noticed that her lyrics are often hilarious, risque and sometimes just downright outrageous. We grabbed a few of our favorites here. Check them out and feel free to add your favorites in the comments section below.

What is Solo going to do next!?

If you didn’t know by now, Solange Knowles is a lover of ’90s music to the fullest. And when she’s not defending Brandy’s artistic awesome-ness against blogs on Twitter, she’s covering Nicole Wray. “Make It Hot” was everybody’s jam back in ’98, back when Missy used to do that slip and slide move across the floor, and Nicole was one of the many colorful folk that Elliot and Timbaland were producing bangers for. And clearly it’s still pretty popular, because during a recent show at XOYO in London, Solange decided to show some love to the track by covering it. Bringing out her friend Oliver Sims from the band The xx to help her perform the cut, their very colorful voices helped remind a crowd full of people why “Make It Hot” should be a staple in any iTunes list for a person who grew up in the ’90s. Check out their performance below, which really starts around the 50-second mark.

So did she make it hot? Either way, I know Wray is somewhere smiling at all this attention she’s getting once again. I think I’m going to play the original right now. And I’ve decided to post it if for you if you wanted to clown for a bit. Enjoy!

cdandlp.com

By popular demand, we bring you more one hit wonders!  I’m convinced that there really has to be a way for each of us to make one really great song and have it blow up so we can pay our bills or do something cool.  Check out who we managed to think of this time around and make sure to add your favorite one hit wonder song in the comments!

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: NecoleBitchie.com

From NecoleBitchie.com

Nowadays, it’s hard to get a group of female rappers in the same room…

Last night, Lil Kim kicked off the ‘Return of The Queen’ tour at Paradise theater in the Bronx and it was all love as rap veterans like Pepa (of Salt & Pepa) EVE and Missy Elliot came out to support as well as Mob Wives’ star Drita, Love & Hip Hop’s Somaya Reece and a very pregnant Yandy Smith.

The show kicked off with Lil Kim performing ‘Black Friday’ before she went into a few crowd favorites from ‘Hardcore’, ‘The Notorious K.I.M’, ‘The Naked Truth’ and ‘La Bella Mafia’. Eventually, the beat for Missy Elliott’s ‘Hot Boys’ dropped and the crowd went crazy as Eve and Missy Elliott hit the stage to perform their verses.  Eve also stuck around and rocked the crowd to ‘What y’all want’.

Mob Wives’ Drita D’Vanzo also appeared on stage with Lil Kim to perform, ‘It’s All About The Benjamins’. Lil Kim had spotted Drita in a few youtube videos covering her songs at parties and she reached out to her and asked her to host the show and perform.

Hopefully this is a step towards something way bigger. A song, a video..a Ladies Night Part 2.  The fans are ready..

Check out pics of the reunion and a video of the performance at NecoleBitchie.com.

More on Madame Noire!

• Dayummm…They Look Good For Their Age: Celebs Who Prove That Black Don’t Crack
• Let This Be A Lesson: Nas Says He Knew Marriage To Kelis Wouldn’t Work
• 7 Singers Turned Actors: Who Was a Natural On-Screen and Who Was a Hot Mess?
• Decoding Your Downstairs: 8 Things Women Need To Know About Their Va Jay Jay
• No Need To Call Tyrone: 7 Ways To Bow Out Of A Relationship Gracefully
• Madame On the Street: How Long Should You Wait to Have Sex?
• Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “Jungle Fever”

Every year the public is graced with several repetitive lists of some of the top money making men in hip-hop culture. We’ve learned not to flinch as we learn the huge sums reaped by repeat high-earners such as Jay-Z, Diddy, Kanye West and others. These “cash kings” (as they are called by Forbes) tip the scales as some of the most wealthy figures in today’s pop world. But even in an environment that is so male-dominated, these men are not the only ones who can rake in the big bucks. Female hip-hop icons are also making a lot of noise in and out of the studio, and collecting quite a bit of cash along the way. Let’s check out some of hip-hop’s top earning cash queens that prove ladies are also running things in the world of rap.

Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott : The Game Changer, $225 million

This unique recording artist and songwriter has been bringing her midas touch to the music industry for almost two decades now. Beginning as a songwriter for ’90s R&B super group Jodeci, Missy Elliott finally got her big break with her memorable verse on Gina Thompson’s 1996 single “The Things That You Do” Bad Boy remix. Since then things have gone nothing but uphill for this talented woman. On top of garnering five Grammy wins, Missy is also the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double-platinum record with 2002’s “Under Construction.” She has sold over 7 million albums domestically, and holds songwriting and production credits for a number of top artists from Whitney Houston to Beyonce. And Missy doesn’t stop there. She has also snagged endorsement deals from top companies like Coca-Cola, Gap, M.A.C. Cosmetics, and even her own Adidas clothing line “Respect M.E.” Missy has also been endorsing several big checks at the bank, as she reportedly has an impressive net worth of $225 million. Now that’s hittin’ em with the hee!

Note: This list contains amalgamated estimates of each artist’s overall net worth based on earnings from record sales, touring and performances, brand endorsements, property and business investments, TV/film projects, etc. Sources include: www.celebritynetworth.com, www.hiphopqueens.com, www.globalgrind.com, www.wikipedia.com, and http://whatuwantnow.blogspot.com.

Have you been wondering where female MC, writer and produce, Missy Elliot has been hiding lately? Well she’s been battling Graves Disease since 2008.

The autoimmune disorder affects the thyroid and prevented Elliot from completing simple tasks.

The 39 year old musician told People Magazine that she couldn’t write or drive a car.
“I was [driving and] trying to put my foot on the brake, but my leg was jumping. I couldn’t keep the brake down and almost crashed,” the hitmaker said. “I couldn’t write because my nervous system was so bad—I couldn’t even use a pen.”

She also suffered from mood swings and hair loss. Although there is no cure for the disease today, Missy said she regained normalcy after she underwent radiation treatments.

Missy also told People that she’ll be releasing her seventh studio album shortly, which features collaborations with her friend and longtime musical collaborator, Timbaland.

With Memorial Day behind us, summer is (un)officially on! We’re sipping on sangria, slipping in to sundresses and staying out well after the streetlights come on. All we need now are some hot summer jams to go along with the warm weather! Here are the artists we’re asking to bless us with the soundtrack to our summer cruising, house cleaning and flirting. Get ‘em in the studio now!

Read the rest of this entry »