Music Observer

Jamal Edwards, a British Musician Who Championed Grime, Dies at 31

Photo: WireImage

Jamal Edwards, the British entrepreneur and DJ who founded SBTV, has died at age 31, Edwards’ company confirms via BBC News. The cause of his death is unknown as of writing. Edwards was influential for his efforts with music and championed grime, an eclectic style of British rap. He became a 2014 MBE awardee for his contributions to music.

Born in Luton and raised in Acton, Edwards launched SBTV on YouTube when he was a teenager, which gave young and established rappers their own space for creativity. He launched F64, which had rappers performing 64 bars of new lyrics. The acoustic spin-off, A64, helped launch Ed Sheeran’s career, among others. Other artists featured on SBTV include Dave, Stormzy, Jessie J, Skepta, and Wiley.

Edwards also became an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, a youth charity run by Charles, Prince of Wales. Edwards also published the self-help book Self-Belief: The Vision: How to Be a Success on Your Own Terms in 2013. He also worked on documentaries, and one of them featured conversations with musicians on breaking the stigma of mental health in the music industry. 

Artists everywhere have paid tribute to Edwards on social media, such as Jaykae and Lady Leshurr.

“Thank you for everything,” Dave wrote. “Words can’t explain.”

“Jamal Edwards was such a generous and inspiring person. Always gracious, he was a true pioneer,” said Zane Lowe.

Singer Chris Brown Accused of Drugging and Sexually Harassing a Woman in California

Photo: People

Singer Chris Brown has been accused of rape by a woman in California. The victim claims that he drugged and raped her at the rapper’s Florida home on a yacht. 

The woman, Jane Doe as identified in the court papers, demands a $20 million compensation in damages from Brown.

The lawsuit filed Thursday claims that the R&B star invited the woman—characterized as a choreographer, dancer, model and musical artist—to his yacht following her arrival in Miami on December 30, 2020.

The drink he handed her made her feel “disoriented (and) physically unstable,” she says.

The filing claims that Brown led her into the bedroom where he raped her, even with her objections.

“The traumatic events that Plaintiff Jane Doe experienced shock the conscience and should horrify all of us,” says the suit, filed in Los Angeles. “The time has come to send a message to Defendant Chris Brown that enough is enough.”

“Accordingly, Plaintiff Jane Doe brings this complaint seeking justice for herself (and also with the hope it may serve as an example for others) who may now or have in the past found themselves at the mercy of Defendant Chris Brown.”

Lawyers Ariel Mitchell and George Vrabeck revealed that their client was too embarrassed to seek legal help at first. 

The AFP asked the firm whether a civil case would later spark a criminal complaint; however, there was no instant response.

Brown wrote what he thinks about the issue on an Instagram post after the release of the filing.

“I HOPE YALL SEE THIS PATTERN OF [blue cap emoji],” he said. The blue cap emoji is used to indicate false statements. “Whenever im releasing music or projects ‘THEY’ try to pull some real bullshit.”

However, the Grammy Award-winning singer did not elaborate on who he meant by “they.”

Back in 2009, Brown was convicted of assault for beating fellow artist Rihanna, his then-girlfriend, who didn’t attend the Grammy Awards due to her injuries.

He has been accused of rape before, but he declined to admit the charges and was not charged for it.

Adele to Release Two-Hour TV Special Five Days Before Her Upcoming Album

Source: Billboard

The music scene is home to some of the world’s brightest stars and most talented individuals. With how saturated the industry is with brilliant artists and outstanding musicians, it comes as no surprise that fans from across the globe are always up on their toes with the latest news about their favorite idols. Since the release of her latest single, “Easy On Me,” last October 15, Adele has been creating a significant buzz all over the world. 

Aside from her long-awaited album 30, Adele will be presenting Adele: One Night Only, a primetime special welcoming back the industry powerhouse as she graces back into the music scene. The TV special will feature an extraordinary concert performance that includes the earliest opportunity to hear her first new material in six years. With so much to look forward to, fans worldwide could not stay still as they let out their excitement across different social media platforms. 

The TV special Adele: One Night Only will be aired by CBS on November 14, 2021, exactly five days before the release of her fourth album, 30.  It will also showcase renditions of Adele’s classics, as well as an interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey from her rose garden. It airs from 8:30-10:30 p.m. Eastern and is available for live streaming on Paramount+. To be filmed in Los Angeles, the special will include several of Adele’s hits as well as several new songs.

On top of that, Adele: One Night Only will also feature an exclusive interview with Adele by Oprah Winfrey from her rose garden. According to an announcement, the superstar’s first televised wide-ranging conversation will tackle discussions about her new album, the stories behind the songs, life after divorce, weight loss, and raising her son.

The show is produced by Fulwell 73 Productions and Onward Productions in association with Harpo Productions, whose executive producers are Late Late Show With James Corden producer Ben Winston, who also shepherded the 2021 Grammy Awards; Adele; her manager Jonathan Dickins; and Raj Kapoor.

In announcing the album last week, Adele compared the album to something like having a friend during “the most turbulent period of my life,” a time in which she married, divorced, and raised her now nine-year-old son.

“When I was writing it, it was my friend who came over with a bottle of wine and a takeaway to cheer me up,” Adele wrote. “My wise friend who always gives the best advice. Not to forget the one who’s wild and says, ‘It’s your Saturn return, babes fuck it, you only live once.’ The friend who’d stay up all night and just hold my hand while I’d sob relentlessly, not knowing why. The get-up-and-go friend who would pick me up and take me somewhere I said I didn’t want to go but just wanted to get me out the house for some vitamin D,” the singer added.

“That friend who snuck in and left a magazine with a face mask and some bath salts to make me feel loved while inadvertently reminding me not only what month it actually was but that I should probably exercise some self-care! And then that friend who, no matter what, checked in on me even though I’d stopped checking in with them because I’d become so consumed by my own grief. I’ve painstakingly rebuilt my house and my heart since then, and this album narrates it,” Adele further disclosed.

Adele’s 30 is out the Friday after the TV special and will feature unparalleled writing and production from the likes of Greg Kurstin, Inflo, Max Martin, Shellback, Ludwig Göransson, and Tobias Jesso Jr.

Billboard and Samsung Collaborates for Three Successive Days of Concert in the 2022 SXSW

Photo: SXSW

On Friday, February 18, Billboard and Samsung announced that they have partnered up for a breathtaking roster of concerts throughout 2022 SXSW.

The “Samsung + Billboard Present The Stage at SXSW” event will occur from March 17 to 19. This three-night series of headlining performances is set in Austin, Texas’ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park and promises an unforgettable experience for music fans. 

This year, the venue will host a three-day music festival with some big names headlining. Gunna and Young Thug will be playing on Thursday, March 17; Palm Tree Crew brings Kygo backed by Frank Walker and Forester for their show that day too. Then, on Saturday, March 19, Shawn Mendes and Sebastian Yatra finish up what has been a fantastic weekend at this event. 

Over three nights, the audience will party with DJ Rosegold and DJ VRYWVY.

Samsung Galaxy is sponsoring the event and exclusively hosting the shows on Friday and Saturday. In addition, the SXSW Samsung | Billboard Galaxy House will provide guests the chance to encounter fascinating panel content and interconnect with Samsung products on-site. 

It features the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S22 and the brand row activation, pop-up moments, gifting artists and customer touchpoints throughout the concerts. 

The Waterloo Greenway Conservancy will receive a donation from the concert (handed by Billboard) to help develop an urban park system in collaboration with Austin city.

The first aspect (out of three) of the organization’s aim, Waterloo Park, has been established in 2021 to offer 11 acres of downtown green space, community programming and performing arts and entertainment at the Moody Amphitheater. 

With exclusive access to reserved tickets, badge holders and wristband owners can enjoy this year’s SXSW Music Festival. Unfortunately, it means that only a limited number of publicly available spots will be available beginning on Friday.

Kanye West’s Donda and the Controversies Surrounding the Music Icon’s Latest Album

Source: The Guardian

News broke out across music channels and circles about Kanye West’s latest album after Universal released the record last Sunday. But the long-anticipated release has been met with controversy and a whole pile of messy reactions, most notably some from the artist behind the album himself after West claimed that the record company launched the album without his approval.

Fans will remember that Donda was supposed to hit the market back in July 2021 but would face several delays for reasons undisclosed. So before launching the rap and hip hop icon’s latest album, organizers and promoters mounted several events to create anticipation for the new release, including a listening event that would see several stadiums booked where Donda’s songs would blare out at full volume. In addition, Kanye appeared suspended in mid-air in one venue and would get set on fire before restaging his wedding with ex-wife Kim Kardashian. The spectacle was no less than outrageous.

Donda is Kanye West’s tenth record to come to market, although the artist claims that he didn’t have a say in the recent release. Reviews have come in response to West’s latest creation, but criticism has come in surplus. One reporter writes in the Financial Times saying, “Like its maker’s ego, the album is a vast, unruly, rapacious affair.”

Some expressions of disappointment have also come from co-music creators like Soulja Boy and Chris Brown, who have expressed their dislike for the new album. The two artists disclosed that they had parts in two separate tracks axed from the final mix without communication. “If he didn’t like the verse, he should have said that don’t text me acting like u f—— wit it then secretly take it off. What kind of s—— is that I was working on my album too I don’t got time for this s——,” tweeted Deandre Cortez Way, also better known by his stage name Soulja Boy. Brown would also later take his frustrations to social media after sharing how his part in the song, “New Again,” was heard in the early release but would later be edited out and replaced with a version without him in it.

The album is named after Kanye’s late mother, Donda, who died on November 10, 2007, after undergoing extensive cosmetic surgery. Though the report was inconclusive, the family pointed at the medical professionals involved in the procedure. Kanye’s new album is one of the artist’s ways of moving forward as he seeks peace after the tragedy.

The album, Donda, features twenty-seven tracks with several collaborations, including some with controversial figures DaBaby and Marilyn Manson, among many others. During the album’s development, news had also spread about unsettled matters between Kanye and Drake, which further complicated the album’s production and promotion.

“Jesus Lord,” one of the record’s more notable tracks, links mental instability and grief he has experienced after Donda’s death with current issues around racism and gun violence that has claimed the dignity and lives of many African American men and women in the country.

Despite all the turmoil surrounding West’s tenth release, it would go on to break records, garnering over 60 million streams on its first day in Apple Music. Listen to all twenty-seven tracks on Spotify here.

New Alicia Keys Album to Feature Two Sides of Her Musical Artistry

Source: Alicia Keys’ Instagram 

New York City-born music artist Alicia Keys recently announced the details of her upcoming album titled KEYS, which is set to be released on December 10. The artists highlighted the two kinds of songs that she would be releasing. Side A will showcase her laidback piano vibes, while Side B will be unlocking her other side that is upbeat, full of drums, and level-up vibes. Knowing her brand of music, she is setting out to showcase a new set of potential hits that will continue to inspire her countless fans worldwide. 

In her recent Instagram post, Alicia called one side of her album Originals and the second one Unlocked. She describes the first version of the album as her classic side and the Alicia Keys everyone wants. It is a form of homecoming. The other version of the album is all about the new things she is exploring at the moment amidst the pandemic, and she described them as magic. 

Alicia is producing the laidback side of her upcoming album. For the upbeat side, she will be co-producing it with Mike Will Made-It. Last September, she released the single “LALA” featuring Swae Lee. If anything, the single gave music fans a peek into the newness they can expect from her new album. 

The last album that Alicia released was titled Alicia in 2020. KEYS is expected to be another awe-inspiring project that will highlight her versatility and powerful vocal range. It is worth mentioning that her song “Underdog,” which was released in January 2020, was a phenomenal hit, generating more than 47 million views on YouTube alone. Her last biggest hit was the single “Girl on Fire,” which also won the R&B Album Grammy Award in 2010. That definitive album showcased her newfound confidence as she struggled to find herself after marriage and experiencing motherhood. 

“I think it’s mostly just stepping into your womanhood,” Alicia revealed to The Times in a 2012 interview about the album. “‘Girl on Fire’ is really about finding your own passion, finding your own flow and standing in your own space. And just being fully and completely yourself,” she added. 

In 2002, Alicia Keys made a phenomenal impact in the music industry when she took home the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the Single “Fallin.” As if she was destined to rule the industry that year, she also won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She also won the R&B/ Hip Hop Song for “Fallin” and the Songwriter of the Year award. The song was part of her debut album, Songs in A Minor, which topped the Billboard 200. 

In 2008, she won two Grammy Awards for the single “Empire State of Mind.” The year before that, she won the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 50th Annual GrammyAwards for the song “Superwoman.”

This 2021, Alicia shared a 20th anniversary edition of her phenomenal debut album, Songs in A Minor. It featured two special previously unreleased bonus tracks that were supposed to be part of the original album: “Crazy (Mi Corazon)” and “Foolish Heart.” 

REFERENCES:

  1. https://hypebeast.com/2021/10/alicia-keys-new-double-album-info
  2. https://www.nme.com/news/music/alicia-keys-announces-details-of-new-double-album-keys-3080408
  3. https://pitchfork.com/news/alicia-keys-announces-new-album-keys-shares-new-song-best-of-me-listen/