Al Jarreau Passed Away!

Al Jarreau passed away. 

Like every time the Grammy's come on, someone who made an impact in the music industry passed away. I mean we are reminded about the tragic death of Whitney Houston. She died on February 11, 2012. Now one of the greatest jazz musicians in the world passed away.

Al Jarreau, the voice behind several hits and the winner of seven Grammy Awards passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 76.

On his official website, the news was confirmed. He died in Los Angeles. He was hospitalized for exhaustion and it forced him off his tour. He would cancel his tour dates and semi-retire from touring.

He death was preceded with family and friends present.

He was a product of Milwaukee. He sang for fun growing up and didn't pursue a music career. He decided to jump into show business when he graduated from college.

Before his death, he apologized to his fans.

"With complete sorrow, Al Jarreau must retire from touring. He is thankful for his 50 years traveling the world in ministry through music --- and for everyone who shared this with him --- his faithful audience, the dedicated musicians and so many other who have supported his effort."

He is survived by his wife Susan and their son, Ryan.

Our late thread is dedicated to Al Jarreau and we mourn his loss.

Anita Baker: Silence Is Golden!

The Songstress is retiring from the music biz.

She brought me joy.

The Detroit born singer said on social media, it's a wrap.

Anita Baker, the famed R&B, jazz singer announced on Twitter that she is retiring from the music business. Her label Blue Note was completely unaware that she was not giving them the best she got.

It all went down last week when she posted a cryptic message to her fans.

Lotta rumours out there. No Tour. No CD. #Retired🎁 #BeachBum❤ #ThankUJesus😆 pic.twitter.com/Lkmz5rXiPd

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) January 12, 2017

Jan 26th will celebrate my 59th BDay (lord willing) retirement was 1 of many goals/dreams #SuchaBlessing🎁 pic.twitter.com/7m1HTfy6gR

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) January 12, 2017

😙Oh , no regrets... Music has been/is very good 2 us. God Gifted in every possible way. We just stay "humble" about🎁#2GBTG pic.twitter.com/DfLvdL2G21

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) January 15, 2017

🎁Happy Birthday, Young Man. Second to none. Love & Light 2 My first born Son💖 pic.twitter.com/ZS1lrOhoiE

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) January 19, 2017

☕G'MAWnin! 😊Different is Beautiful tOO... Grow, Change, Evolve #DoYou💖 pic.twitter.com/s38nFCvBWA

— Anita Baker (@IAMANITABAKER) January 19, 2017

She will celebrate her birthday this month.

I remember that she had an album that was supposed to be released some years back, but it was scrapped.

She is a four time platinum selling artist. She won eight Grammy's for her albums.

I wonder if the fuhrer Donald J. Trump's victory caused her to retire. Obviously, many entertainers are not keen on the pussy grabber winning the election.

Anita Baker, you're our angel. We hope the best for you. And retirement isn't going away! It's kind of taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the music industry.

Late Thread dedicated to Anita Baker.

Late Thread: Horace Brown!

Throwback of the night. It's a song from then Motown act Horace Brown.

The song "One for the Money". His hit from the mid-90s.

When you're down, get yourself up! Don't let this controversial billionaire/racist/sexist/reality television star winning the election bring you down. Let your anger turn into activism. I mean let it be known that you're American and you want your country back!

You don't tolerate racism, bigotry and hate.

Now Republicans will experience the wrath of progressives and Democrats who are fucking tired of obstruction towards President Barack Obama.

I warn the Democrats. Don't go soft on the incoming president. Treat him and his family like they've did the Obamas.

Find out where Republicans are holding town halls. Make sure you get your facts together and then shout them down like the Tea Party did to the Democrats.

Make your voice great again. Get out there and protest the Republicans and their standard-bearer.

"One for the Money. Two for the show. Three to get ready! Here we go!"

Late Thread: The Isley Brothers!

The Isley Brothers grew up in Cincinnati and Teaneck, New Jersey. The brothers are still one of the greatest rock/funk/R&B groups of all time.

Tonight I want take the opportunity to help you cope with the future reality star president.

The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power.

Enjoy.

Late Thread: The Gap Band!

Here's one of my favorite songs from The Gap Band.

It's the single "Party Train".

Don't be discourage about the Donald Trump victory. Celebrate that now it's Republicans who will face the wrath of progressives seething with vengeance.

I feel the need to give you some honest listening while we are dealing with the disaster that's coming to Washington, DC in January. I will do my best to give you my honest take on the issues in my community, my country and of course the corrupt Donald Trump ass kissing junk food media.

I want to be the fierce opposition to the reality television star who is slated to become the 45th President of the United States.

I want to make sure that we're spreading the honest discussion about how to take back Congress and the 2020 presidency. Right now I have no suitable candidate from the Democratic Party capable of stopping Trump.

It's gonna be a tough 4 or 8 years of dealing with the oldest living president. He represents the party of White people and old farts.

Late Thread: Bob Marley!

Listen to the words of a legend named Bob Marley. He spoke the music of the anti-establishment and the hate of the Western world.

No Woman No Cry - a ode to the strength of women.

Here's a song that soothes my mind.

Mickey Guyton Is Becoming A Big Name In Country Music!

When you hear Better Than You Left Me, you think who is the singer of this beautiful country song?

Well, there's a young Black woman named Mickey Guyton, and her star is rising.

Mickey Guyton (born Candace Mycale Guyton) started her signing career in the church. In her younger days, she wanted to be a gospel singer. But something got her attention. The sounds of country drew her in.

Mickey grew up listening to a variety of artists, including Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rimes, Whitney Houston and gospel innovators BeBe and CeCe Winans. “Those were huge influences,” she says, recalling a particularly pivotal moment. “I was at a Texas Rangers baseball game and LeAnn Rimes was singing the National Anthem. This was right when she came out with ‘Blue’. I was completely mesmerized.”

She would embrace country music and found her heart.

Mickey got a deal with Capitol Records Nashville. It got her the exposure.

She got an opportunity to perform at the White House in 2011 with James Taylor, Dierks Bentley, Kris Kristofferson, The Band Perry, Darius Rucker and Lyle Lovett.

Mickey has been the opening act for Eric Church, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and many others.

What was remarkable about her is that lovely voice. Her voice hypnotizes me. I got an opportunity to listen to her hit single. I am very impressed with her song. I am a fan.

She is one of the very few Black country music singers. Matter of fact, she is one of the few women of color to embrace a musical genre that usually targets White people.

Gayle King of CBS This Morning had an opportunity to interview her.

World News Today wishes Mickey well on her journey.

BREAKING: Dr. Dre Dropped A Surprise Album!

Dr. Dre releases his third album today.

Andre Romelle Young said that it's a go! A new album is released as I speak.

As the Straight Outta Compton movie premieres this month, the good doctor announced that Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre is released today.

WHAT?

YOU MEAN TODAY! 

Damn, I didn't think you were going to do us like that Dre!

This album coming out marks over 15 years since his second album 2001. The album was released in 1999 when he introduced the world to his rising star Eminem.

Many fans were giving up on a Dre release. I mean I was expecting Dr. Dre to retire a billionaire. 

His role in Apple helped the company obtain 11 million new signees. Dre makes over $4 billion right out the gate. He is the richest rapper/producer in the world. 

His Apple Music streaming service is gunning for Tidal, Pandora and Spotify.

Dr. Dre's album is released today.

Dr. Dre relinquished his role as chief motivator of Beats Audio to join Apple. He signed on to releasing his music exclusively through its global media service. The album was released through Apple's Beats Audio Radio. It will be heard on Shade45 before mainstream releases.

Everyone expected Dre to released the ill-fated Detox album. Dre decided to shut that project down. 

The release of Compton without media leaks is quite a surprise. Seem like the good doctor has some words about it.

"During principal photography of Straight Outta Compton, I felt myself going to the studio and being so inspired by the movie that I started recording an album," Dre said on The Pharmacy. "I kept it under wraps, and now the album is finished. It's bananas. It's an 'inspired by' album. It's inspired by Straight Outta Compton, we're gonna call the album Compton: The Soundtrack. I'm really proud of this." 

Dre joins Eminem, Drake, Jay-Z, Beyonce and others as entertainers who keep its mum on albums.

They made sure that those around them didn't leak their shit to the junk food media.

He managed to secretly get Ice Cube, Jill Scott, Jon Conner, Xzibit, Kendrick Lamar, Game, Snoop Dogg and Eminem into the studio.

Ohio Players Frontman Sugarfoot Passes Away!

The Funk Legend passes away. The Ohio Players leader LeRoy "Sugarfoot" Bonner passes away!

The funk era with its bouncy beats and catchy hooks bore the hip-hop nation.

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul music, jazz, and R&B. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground. Funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord, distinguishing it from R&B and soul songs, which are centered on chord progressions.

Like much African-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, Hammond organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Funk bands sometimes have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and in some cases, a trombone, which plays rhythmic "hits".

Many of the most famous bands in the genre also played disco and soul extensively. Funk samples have been used extensively in genres including hip hop, house music, and drum and bass. It is also the main influence of go-go, a subgenre associated with funk

You can credit funk music for the rise of the West Coast gangsta music. Rappers Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Bone Thugs 'N Harmony, The D.O.C., DJ Quik, The Dogg Pound, Warren G and Nate Dogg came from the era of g-funk.

G-Funk (which uses funk with an artificially altered tempo) incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-Funk tunes, and a high-pitched portamento saw wave synthesizer lead. The lyrical content depended on the artist and could consist of sex, drugs, violence, and women, but also of love for a city, love for friends and relaxing words. There was also a slurred “lazy” way of rapping in order to clarify words and stay in rhythmic cadence.

LeRoy "Sugarfoot" Bonner, the lead singer The Ohio Players passed away on Sunday.

The Ohio Players were credited for the hit singles: Love Rollercoaster, Fire, The Funky Worm, Skin Tight and I Want To Be Free.

The Ohio Players formed in 1959. They were known as The Ohio Untouchables. The Ohio Players made rust city Dayton, Ohio the place "Where funk was born!"

The Dayton Daily News reports that members of the singer's family reported the news and fans are sending their condolences to the funk legend.

“He was a great person with a lot of wisdom not just in music, but in life,” said Keith Harrison of the bands FAZE-O and the Dazz Band.

Bonner, 69, who helped make Dayton the Land of Funk, died Saturday following a battle with cancer in Trotwood, according to an “Official Family Announcement  posted Sunday on his Facebook page. Bonner, whose career spanned 56 years, died just shy of his 70th birthday, according to the post. “While his family, friends, colleagues, and fans mourn his passing they celebrate fondly his memory, music and legacy,” the posting stated.

The Ohio Players helped build the funk!

The Hamilton native was the lead singer and guitarist of the Ohio Players since he joined the band in 1971.

Harrison said he received word of Bonner’s passing from Marshall “Rock” Jones and another Ohio Players band member.

“He was an extraordinary person,” Harrison said of Bonner.

Dayton musician Ronald Frost, a friend of Bonner’s, said that Bonner will be remembered for his kindness and heart.

“He was one of the nicest people I have ever met,” Frost said.

Frost’s father, keyboardist Ronald Nooks , is also a member of the Ohio Players.

“He was a good friend of my dad’s,” Frost said.

Based in Dayton, the Ohio Players rocketed onto the international stage in the 1970s with string of funk hits, including “Fire,” “Skin Tight” and “Love Rollercoaster.”

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Thanks Abby!

Portions of this article come from the Los Angeles Times.

Pauline Friedman Phillips dies at 94; original 'Dear Abby'

Phillips, writing as Abigail Van Buren, dispensed wry, no-nonsense advice to newspaper readers around the world for over 40 years. Her identical twin also wrote an advice column, as Ann Landers.

"Dear Abby" is the world's most widely syndicated column, appearing in more than 1,400 newspapers and generating as many as 10,000 letters a week, according to the syndicate.

Dear Abby: "Are birth control pills deductible?"

"Only if they don't work," she answered.

From 1939 until her death, she was married to Morton B. Phillips, scion of the National Pressure Cooker Co. From an office in their Beverly Hills home, she edited the column into her 80s. She started sharing a byline with her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, in 2000 and turned the column over to her two years later.

The improbable saga of "Dear Abby" began in 1955 when Phillips was an affluent homemaker in Hillsborough, Calif., with time on her hands, doing volunteer work and playing mah-jongg. Her twin, who'd just been hired by the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate to take over the Ann Landers column, began soliciting her help with replies.

Extremely close, the sisters were thrilled to be collaborating, but the arrangement abruptly ended when the syndicate that distributed the Ann Landers column learned of it.

"Having acquired a taste for dispensing advice," as Phillips wrote in her 1981 book, "The Best of Dear Abby," she offered to write a column for the San Mateo Times, but it declined.

When she called the San Francisco Chronicle, she identified herself to feature editor Stanleigh Arnold as a Hillsborough housewife and said she could write a better column than the one the paper published. Intrigued by her brashness, he invited her to stop by sometime.

These Silly Conservatives Are Pissed At Jamie Foxx!

Jamie Foxx's SNL monologue didn't sit well with conservatives.

Last week, Sean Hannity managed to get a dig at entertainer Jamie Foxx, over his President Barack Obama being our "lord and savior" comments. He had two white people discuss the non-story. Now it appears that Jamie Foxx was guest hosting SNL (Saturday Night Live), and he took another opportunity to acknowledge his role in his latest movie as well as his support of President Barack Obama.

Tonight on The Drudge Report, the website agitates a link from Newsbusters, and its parent company Media Research Center. This organization devoted themselves to catch apparent "liberal bias" in the media. The founder L. Brent Bozell is also the president of the Parent's Television Council.

Noel Shepard reports that Foxx was hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live this weekend. Foxx joked about how in his new film "Django Unchained," "I kill all the white people in the movie. How great is that?"



Of course I don't want to waste most of my time trying to explain a joke to a conservative. It's not worth my time as a writer and blogger here on Journal de la Reyna.

The transcript by some of Foxx's statements.

JAMIE FOXX: My name is Jamie Foxx. Give it up, give it up, New York City, Saturday Night Live. Come on, make some noise, man. New York City, New York City, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, it’s crazy. I'm black, and I’m dressed all black cause it's good to be black. Black is the new white. I’m telling you, how black is this right here? Nice fly, I’m saying. You know how I know black is in right now? Cause the Nets moved to Brooklyn. How black is that? They got black jerseys, black court. I mean, how black is that? And Jay-z is the owner, a rapper. How black is that? And Jay-z only own about this much of the team. But he act like he own all of New York. How black is that?

And I got a movie coming out, "Django," check it out. Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson. “Django Unchained” I play a slave. How black is that? And in the movie I had to wear chains. How whack is that? But don't be worried about it because I get out the chains, I get free, I save my wife, and I kill all the white people in the movie. How great is that? And how black is that?

But I'm going to tell you right now, speaking of blackness, my President, President Obama is back up in the White House four more years. How black is that? And not only that, he’s so black, he was playing basketball during the Election Day. How black is that? But he was also late for his acceptance speech. Okay, all the white people, this is your turn - how black is that?

But he going to be extra black this next four years. He going to get everything black, and white people, don't get nervous about that because he is mixed. Now the first four years was the white side of him, because I don't know if you saw him on Ellen when he was dancing and everything. I don't know what this is. That wasn't President Obama, that was President Barry Gibb Obama. But the next four years he's even changing his name from to President Barack Dikembe Mutombo Tupac Mandela Hussein Obama X. How black is that? And the next time you see him dancing on Ellen, he gonna be dancing like this.

Foxx makes it no secret he's a supporter of President Barack Obama. A theme to most who can't stand the president is their excuse to call supporters a bunch of "victims". People such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and the former nominee, perennial loser Mitt Romney have all express this type of description of the American people.

Still if people don't get the understanding of a comedian making a joke about issues such as racism, then you're lost.

The people over at Newsbusters and Matt Drudge are humorless.

This phony outrage over supporters of the president is another reason to why it was important to defeat these guys. They can't get over the fact that a Black man beating their many years of White establishment.

Yeah, there's a racial element in my piece!

I am not ashamed to explain how much NIGGERIZATION the conservative agitators rallied upon the masses this election year.

Jenni Rivera: Famed Latina Singer Died In Plane Crash!

Famed singer Jenni Rivera died in a tragic plane crash.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of famed singer Jenni Rivera. A tragic plane crash in Mexico carried her and other passengers on it. There were no survivors of this crash.

Jenny Dolores Rivera Saavedra was a Mexican-American singer known for her work within the banda and norteña music genres. She began recording in 1992, and her recordings often have themes of social issues, infidelity, and relationships.

Her tenth studio album, Jenni in 2008, became her first number-one album in the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. In 2010 she appeared in and produced the reality TV show Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis & Raq-C, featuring her oldest daughter. She also appeared in and produced I Love Jenni starting in 2011 and Chiquis 'n Control in 2012.

Rivera was born in Long Beach, California. Her parents are Mexican immigrants who raised Rivera and her four brothers and sister (including Lupillo Rivera) in a tight-knit musical household.

Rivera died in a plane crash near Iturbide, Nuevo León, Mexico on December 9, 2012.

Rivera had three children with her first husband, José Trinidad Marín: Janney "Chiquis" Marín Rivera (born 1985), Jacqueline Marín Rivera (born 1989), and Michael Marín Rivera (born 1991). After divorcing Marín, Rivera married Juan López in 1997 and had two children with him: Jenicka López Rivera (born 1997), and Johnny López Rivera (born 2001). They divorced in 2003, and López died in 2009. Rivera married baseball player Esteban Loaiza in 2010. They filed for divorce in 2012.

On August 6, 2010, Rivera was named spokeswoman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. A proclamation was given "officially naming" August 6 “Jenni Rivera Day” by the LA City Council for all her charity work and involvement in the community.



The Los Angeles Times report the Mexico's Ministry of Transportation and Communications said the Learjet carrying seven people, including Rivera, was found in mountainous terrain in Nuevo Leon, just south of Monterrey. There were no survivors, authorities said.

The plane left Monterrey around 3:30 a.m., following a concert that she had given, according to the Associated Press. The U.S.-registered Learjet 25 was headed to Toluca, near Mexico City.

The 43-year-old Long Beach native, known to fans as "la diva de la banda," was best known for her interpretations of regional Mexican music, norteno and banda. She was one of NBCUniversal's biggest bilingual television stars, with a hugely popular reality show, "I Love Jenni," on cable channel Mun2.

She also had a syndicated weekly radio program and clothing and cosmetics lines -- all designed to appeal to U.S. Latinas. The ABC television network was developing a sitcom starring Rivera, tentatively titled "Jenni," about a strong-willed Latina single mother.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Rivera has sold 1.2 million albums and 349,000 digital tracks in the United States.

Rivera belonged to one of the most important dynasties in contemporary U.S.-based Mexican music. Her father, Pedro Rivera, launched the independent label Cintas Acuario in 1987; it grew out of a booth at an area swap meet. Her four brothers were also involved in music, and her younger brother Lupillo also is a wildly popular Mexican regional singer.

According to her Telemundo biography, Rivera didn't plan on joining the family's musical dynasty. But after an early marriage ended in divorce, she obtained a college degree in business administration and worked in real estate before going to work for her father's record label.

Her debut, "Chacalosa" (slang for "party girl"), was her introduction to the music scene. She eventually signed with Fonovisa, one of the most prominent labels in regional Mexican music, and began releasing bestselling Latin music CDs.

More than 16,000 people attended a concert that she headlined last year at Staples Center in Los Angeles. She was scheduled to appear next March at L.A.'s Gibson Amphitheatre.

So many fans flocked to a record-signing event in Riverside last year that police reportedly were called to help disperse the massive crowd.

Her tumultuous life included an early marriage and pregnancy, domestic abuse and divorce. She wove some of those themes into her songs and was an advocate for social responsibility. She founded a charitable organization, the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, offering support to single mothers and victims of domestic abuse in the United States.

Rivera had five children and a grandchild. Celebrity magazines said she was seeking a divorce from her second husband, former Major League Baseball player Esteban Loaiza.

R & B singer Natina Reed of Blaque Passes Away!

There's tragic news out of the Atlanta metro area. LaReyna just posted this and I just got wind of it tonight.

The singing group Blaque who's rose to fame on the self-titled debut album with the hit singles "808" and "Bring It All To Me". They were mentored by the late Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes of TLC fame.

The trios meaning is Believing, Life, Achieving, Quest, Unity, Everything, Blaque.

Now it's reported that one of their core members Natina Reed was killed by a vehicle while she was walking home in the Atlanta suburb Lawrenceville.

The singer was part of the trio that were assisted by the production duo The Trackmasters and of course the helm of Left-Eye.

The first album went gold. But when Left-Eye died in a tragic car accident in Honduras in April 2003, the group was left without a leader and friend.

Natina became an actress and starred in movies such as the cult classic Bring It On. The movie focused on teen cheerleaders in a competitive contest for a national title.

Natina also married briefly rapper Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound. The rapper has her featured on his album and they raised a child together. They since separated.

Blaque had went on to produce three albums. The group disbanded for a brief moment. But they reunited to record a fourth album. But that was scrapped after news broke of her death.

She died two days before her birthday! She was born October 28, 1979 in Queens, New York. Died on October 27, 2012.

R.I.P. Aaliyah: More Than A Woman!

I Miss You, Aaliyah!

With all the talk of the death of Neil Armstrong, I haven't forgotten about another legendary talent we've lost. 

Before I and most of the world was glued to the television on September 11, 2001, I remember the day that I've heard that R & B singer Aaliyah was killed in tragic plane accident in the Bahamas.

I remember buying Aaliyah's third album on the whim of her first single "We Need A Resolution". My sister begged me to buy that album because she was at work and didn't have the cash to get it at the time.

I was 20 at the time of the tragedy. I was going to community college and I was going to work and struggling to live on my own. One night I came back from the club and I decided to sleep over at my parent's house.

I come in at 3am and told my parents that I'll be sleeping in my old room tonight. As I entered the home, I went to turn on the television and watched MTV's The Lyricist Lounge Show, a show that once featured comedian Tracy Ellis Ross. Across the screen ticker was an announcement that Aaliyah was killed in a plane incident according to the Associated Press. I remember that Kurt Loder and Sway Calloway were talking about it on the MTV News updates. 

I told my sister about it the next day. She was attending a nearby university at the time. We were both saddened by the lost of this great talent.

It's been over 10 years since the tragedy and new album is in the works. Timbaland, Missy Elliot and rapper Drake are collaborating on an album based off some of her unreleased tracks.

Aaliyah's death came after finishing up the single "Rock The Boat". This video was directed by hip-hop video director Hype Williams. The plane that carried Aaliyah, the pilot her manager, some of her personal staff and two of her family members crashed upon takeoff. The pilot was inexperienced and was on cocaine at the time of flight. 

Gladys Knight is the godmother of the late singer and Damon Dash former CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records was to marry the singer after the filming of her last movie Queen of The Damned. They were devastated by this tragedy.

From Wikipedia, She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records. 

Drake announced that he will produce Aaliyah album.

Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.

Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat". The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. 

Aaliyah's family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah's music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah is estimated to have sold 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop". She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.

Big Snoop Raging Lion!

Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion for his newest album release.

Soon Snoop Dogg will be admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame legends in the coming years. In the meantime, the 40-year old rapper is planning on revamping his gangsta image. He's going Rastafarian.

Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Dogg has remodeled himself as Snoop Lion, a reggae star. The legendary rapper is now looking forward to release a reggae album under this new moniker.

The rapper has been in the news lately for his charity work as well as his criminal history. He was recently busted in Texas for having an ounce of the good. And also banned from Norway for the next two years.

These controversies hasn't stopped the legend from making the news.

The rapper has advocated for legalizing marijuana consumption.

The rapper has taken rounds with country music, rock music and jazz. Reggae is the newest venue.

Snoop Dogg emerged on the scene after appearing on Dr. Dre's debut album The Chronic, a masterpiece of gangsta funk and raw hip-hop. In 1994, Snoop Dogg released Doggystyle, his first album under the hardcore rap label Death Row. Snoop Dogg is a former Crip gang member.

Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tha Dogg Pound, Lady of Rage, and later Tupac Shakur made Death Row Records and its founder Suge Knight very successful.

Alas, Dr. Dre leaving the production table and label, the death of Tupac Shakur, internal conflict within the label and its ties to the infamous Bloods street gang has ruined Death Row. Suge Knight lost his label in 2010.

Snoop Dogg worked with No Limit Records founder and actor Percy Miller (known then as Master P).

Snoop Dogg left the label and established his own label called Doggystyle Records.

Snoop Dogg collaborated with rappers Warren G and the late Nate Dogg to form the group 2-1-3.

Snoop Dogg reunited with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube to reform N.W.A. and Westside Connection with rapper WC and Mack 10.

Snoop Dogg also aligned himself with hip-hop producers The Neptunes to release two albums under their Star Trak label.

Snoop Dogg has collaborated many artists. Some notable ones include: Katy Perry, 50 Cent, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Nelly, Ludacris, Jay-Z, The Game, Lil' Wayne, Xzibit, Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Kid Rock, R. Kelly, and Willie Nelson.


According to Fox News, the artist said at a news conference Monday in New York that he was "born again" during a visit to Jamaica in February and is ready to make music that his "kids and grandparents can listen to."

The former gangster rapper is releasing a reggae album called "Reincarnated" in the fall. He said that in Jamaica, he connected with Bob Marley's spirit and is now "Bob Marley reincarnated."

Bob Marley's son Rohan attended the conference and gave Snoop his blessing.

"I feel like I've always been Rastafarian," Snoop said of the spiritual Jamaican movement. While there, he said, he visited a temple, was renamed Snoop Lion and was also given the Ethiopian name Berhane, meaning "light of the world."

Snoop didn't explain why he was switching from "Dogg" to "Lion," but it's likely a reference to the Lion of Judah, a religious symbol popular in Rastafarian and Ethiopian culture.

Later, he played five songs for a small crowd, including one called "No Guns Allowed." It features his daughter and includes the lyrics, "No guns allowed in here tonight, we're going to have a free for all, no fights."

"It's so tragic that people are doing stupid things with guns," he said.

Snoop, best known for hits like "Gin and Juice" and "Drop It Like It's Hot," is an avid supporter of marijuana rights and has been banned from entering Norway for two years after trying to enter the country with a small amount last month.

He said that in Jamaica, where he stayed for 35 days, he grew closer to his wife, who saw his transition. He added that he's excited to perform music that his family and children can listen to.

"As a 40-year-old man ... I've got to give them something," he said. "That's what you do when you're wise."

Snoop Dogg said he's not completely retiring from hip-hop but is "tired" of the genre because it is no longer challenging.

"Reggae was calling ... it's a breath of fresh air," he said. "Rap isn't challenging; it's not appealing."

The album was produced by Diplo and will feature Snoop singing. It will be released on Vice Records.

The album will be followed with a documentary of the same name, also produced by Vice. It features Snoop making music and will include some personal elements of his life, a producer of the film said. It will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

A coffee table book about Snoop's rebirth is also in the works.

"It feels like I'm 19 or 20 years old again," he said.

Snoop Dogg (known also as Snoop Lion) appears on Doggystyle Records/Priority Records.

When did being a ho become a requirement for female rappers.

When did being a ho become a requirement for female rappers.


I grew up in a era with Queen Latifah and MC Lyte when female rappers prided themselves on their skills on the mic and not on trying to see who could swallow it. What happened to wanting to be respected as an artist?

Read more: http://aareports.com/2010/11/when-did-being-ho-become-requirement.html

Hip Hop's negative portrayal of black women

I have often defended Hip Hop as some have tried to blame it for every societal ill that befalls the United States. One thing I can not defend Hip Hop on is it's negative portrayal of women, especially black women.

Click the link below to listen to my interview with Towanna Freeman a women's empowerment speaker who often speaks on Hip Hops effect on our youth. We discuss the topic of Hip Hop's effect on our young girls and some "grown" women.

http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/LTHWEEKLY.html