Archive for ‘g.o.o.d.’
Fonzworth Bentley (feat kanYe, Andre 3000 & Sa-Ra) - Everybody
Jul15
John Legend (feat. Andre 3000) - Green Light *Snippet*
May22
John Legend has released a snippet of a song called “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000 from his upcoming album.
Kanye West Signs “The Set” Winners
Apr15
After winning the second installment of SOHH’s beat battle competition “The Set,” the production duo Wrightrax has inked a deal with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label.
The duo, consisting of first cousins Deuce and B. Wright, were victorious after prevailing in the DJ Toomp-judged beat battle. After garnering notoriety from their appearance, they signed a production deal with G.O.O.D. and credit “The Set” with getting the ball rolling.
The Believer
Feb20
During his acceptance speech at the Grammys, Kanye West joked that he and frequent collaborator Common shouldn’t drop albums in the same year, because they’re always competing against each other for awards. Well, it looks like Com agrees, and he’s already a step ahead of his good friend. Common is eyeing the fourth quarter of ‘08 to release his next potential classic.
“I’m looking around November,” he told MTV News of the release date of his follow-up to last year’s Finding Forever. “I’m working on a new album called The Believer. I’m just getting in the mode. I been touring a lot and been working on verses here and there. Now, I’m starting to get focused on the album, letting it take its shape. And at the same time [I'll] be working on films, God willing.”
“Thank You For All Your Support”
Jan04
From Kanye’s Blog
When I was in Europe I would play this game for hours and hours… it helped me zone out. Everybody would get envolved… Derrick Dudley (Common’s manager) and Consequence were the best other than me… I beat Lexi… Don C beat Jay… Tony Williams beat Common… but every now and then people would speak of this legendary connect 4 champion……….. BEYONCE!!! I had 2 play her!…so last night at Jay’s new 40/40 club in Las Vegas (which is sidebar, crazy big w/ 24krt gold flooring, Black Jack tables, $500 slot machines,the biggest projection screen in the universe and the best turkey burgers I’ve ever had in my life) she beat me 9 times in a row! (and I didn’t even spaz lol) here’s a photo of the only game I won!
Kanye West’s Grammy Nominations
Dec06
The official list of nominations for the 2008 Grammy Awards for announced today. Heres a summary of all Kanye West and G.O.O.D nominations
Graduation has been nominated for Album of the Year. Competition includes Amy Winehouse and The Foo Fighters
Graduation has also been nominated for Best Rap Album, along with Common’s Finding Forever and albums from Nas, Jay-Z and T.I.
Kanye’s Stronger and Common’s The People have both been nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance with competition from T.I., Jay-Z and 50 Cent
Common’s Southside (featuring Kanye West) and Better Than I’ve Ever Been by Kanye West, Nas & KRS-One have been nominated for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Good Life (featuring T-Pain) has been nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Competition includes Rihanna and Jay-Z’s “Umbrella”
Kanye’s songs Can’t Tell Me Nothing and Good Life have both been nominated for Best Rap Song. Competition includes 50 Cent and Soulja Boy.
For the full list of Grammy nominations click here.
John Legend - Someday
Nov30
From the August Rush Soundtrack
John Legend TV Special
Nov26
John Legend will be the subject of an hour-long TV special on digital cable network TV One at 9pm on Dec 16.
The show will feature performances from a recent concert in New York - plus backstage footage and interviews - and will also help promote John’s own record label Homeschool Records, which has signed artists including Estelle and John Legend’s brother Vaughn Anthony.
Common (feat Lily Allen) - Drivin’ Me Wild (VIDEO)
Aug27
Vote for Kanye / Common @ The Mobo Awards
Aug24
Kanye has been nominated for 3 MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin) in the UK
Kanye’s Nominations
Best Hip Hop
Best International Artist
Best Video (Stronger)
Common’s Nominations
Best Hip Hop
Click HERE to vote for Kanye or Common!
The MOBO Awards 2007 will take place on 9/19 in London!
Drivin’ Me Wild Video Stills
Aug22
Stills from the video for Common - Drivin’ Me Wild (feat. Lily Allen)
kanYe West & Common on MTV TRL
Aug07
Kanye West and Common were surprise guests on TRL earlier today. Check it out…
Interview
Performance
Common - Finding Forever
Jul24
“Many have come, but few have been chose to be a true MC”
Nearly two years ago, Common dropped his album Be to the masses, with an uproar of acceptance and critical acclaim. XXL Magazine gave it an unprecedented XXL rating, one of only six albums to ever receive that original rating. His investment in Kanye West as his core producer paid off, with four Grammy nods to boot, yet sadly he went home with none. Fast track to the present.
In a déjà vu case scenario, Common is set to unleash his seventh album entitled Finding Forever on July 31st. Just like last time, Finding Forever instills Kanye West at the helm of production, with eight of the eleven tracks under his belt. He and Common’s hopes are being held even higher this time around, as Kanye has already coined Finding Forever as the rap album of the year, which is a strong statement to boast as Ye’ himself will be delivering his third album, Graduation, in mid-September. Not to mention Mr. West is 2/2 in that category at the Grammy’s.
The album begins with an appropriately named track called “Start the Show,” which features a haunt-ish embracing chorus, and shows Common in his raw form. A rapper that has never held his tongue among his peers (does his feud with WSC ring a bell?), he rips with the lines “hot for a minute now you just a remember him,” and later “With 12 monkeys on stage it’s hard to see who’s a gorilla, you was better as a drug dealer.”
The next track in line, and also his first single off the album, Common emancipates himself as a spiritual speaker with “The People.” Drawing on a similar sample from The Game’s “Wouldn’t Get Far” track (for which Ye’ produced as well, and Common turned down), Common describes his importance to his people and community when he raps “Sick and tired of punching in, I look on the bus at them, when I see them struggling I think how I’m touching them” and “I’m keeping my eyes on the people that’s the prize,” a term which is a reference to the Civil Rights movement during the 1960’s.
With the only rap artist featured on the album, Kanye and Common bring back the old days of straight belligerent flows embellished by a beat so hard it’ll remind listeners that Hip-Hop is far from dead on a once-again Kanye produced track “Southside”. And in Ye’-like fashion, he stubbornly points out that “I’m back from the future seen it with my own eyes, and yep, I’m still the future of the Chi.” Not to be upstaged on his own track, Common replies “You in the building but the buildings falling, you wouldn’t be ballin’ if your name was spalding.” If Chicago had its own anthem, this would be it.
When producing this album, Kanye expressed his influence of the late J Dilla in his production technique. Being a close friend with Jay Dee, Common honored him and included the track “So Far Go” which originally was featured on J Dilla’s posthumous album The Shining, circa 2006. Featuring D’ Angelo on the chorus, “So Far To Go” reunites 3 members from the group Soulquarians, a collection of artists who emphasize an authentic and raw sound of music. As mellow and enticing the beat is, this feel-good track feels out of place on an album pushing for exceptional.
Completing the cycle of his reach for eternal music, Common finishes the album with “Forever Begins.” Piano and drum roll included, Common focuses his intentions of today’s words affecting the future with, “Look fear in the eyes say I’m never gonna run / Sooner or later I know the cheddar gonna come, for now I write the world letters to better the young.” His lyrics end in stating, “I knew we live forever through song,” a reference to J Dilla’s impact on music. And to keep the streak alive at 6 albums and counting, Common brings his Dad on the track for some spiritual release.
As of recent, XXL magazine has stamped Finding Forever with a seal of an XL rating. Many, including Kanye and Common, have been confused by this rating because in their review they considered this album to be better than the predecessor Be. XXL magazines reasoning is that Be was a 200% upgrade from the “head-scratchingly progressive” Electric Circus. Though I will not argue with the rating, I will agree that this album does surpass Be in overall quality (I consider Be a potential, eventual classic. It has not crossed over as of yet). And I too hope Finding Forever grabs Common his much deserved Rap Album of the Year at the Grammy’s in the coming year. What about Ye’ you ask? Looks like Album of the Year is in his sights. For now, let us let Common shine like the star he is.
by Edwin Ortiz
Common - Drivin’ Me Wild
Jul18
Download Common - Drivin’ Me Wild (feat. Lily Allen)
Common Performs 4 New Tracks Live
Jul13
Common performed 4 new tracks from his upcoming album Finding Forever, check em out…
Forever Begins
Black Maybe
The People
Drivin’ Me Wild
Kanye West & John Legend at Live Earth
Jul08
Live Earth - 07.07.07
Jul04
Kanye and John Legend will be performing at concerts for Live Earth on Saturday.
The concerts, which aim to stop global warming, are taking place around the world and will be broadcast live on TV and the internet.
John Legend will be performing at the concert in the UK, along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, and many other artists, while Kanye will be performing at the U.S. concert which will also include performances from Ludacris, John Mayer and Fall-out boy.
For more information:
http://www.liveearth.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Earth
http://liveearth.msn.com/
Common - The People (video)
Jun22
Common’s Finding Forever Cover Art
Jun13
Watch The Game video
Listen to The People / Misunderstood / Southside / Black Maybe
Preorder Finding Forever @ Amazon.com
John Legend - Stereo (Video)
Jun06
Consequence Skit Videos
Jun02
This is the first of 4 videos Consequence has filmed based on skits from his album Don’t Quit Your Day Job.
Updated: and heres the other three skits
Common - The Game Video
May29
Three New Common Tracks
May18
All these tracks from Finding Forever are leaking like crazy!
Black Maybe (feat. Bilal / Produced by Kanye West) - Download
Southside (feat. Kanye West / Produced by Kanye West) - Download
Misunderstood (Produced by Devo Springsteen) - Download
Download Common - The People (feat. Dwele)
May06
Download Common’s brand new single “The People” from his upcoming album!
Download (Right-click and Save Target As…)
The track was produced by Kanye and features Dwele singing on the hook.
For more info about Common’s upcoming album Finding Forever see Sneak Peek: Common - Finding Forever
Kanye and Common
Sneak Peek: Common - Finding Forever
Apr06
Last night at New York’s Sony Studios, Common played several tracks from his upcoming album, Finding Forever, out July 10. The title, as he explained, refers to the idea of Jay Dee living on forever in the music. (Jay Dee, aka J Dilla, died on February 10, 2006 due to complications from lupus.) He was Common’s roommate and produced most of Common’s Like Water for Chocolate album.
Some track titles and features (Not all):
The People (featuring Dwele; prod. by Kanye West)
Black Maybe (featuring Bilal; prod. by Kanye West)
I Want You (prod. will.i.am)
Southside (featuring and prod. by Kanye West)
Misunderstood (Nina Simone sample; prod. by Devo Springsteen)
Drivin Me Wild (featuring Lily Allen; prod. by Kanye West)
So Far to Go (featuring D’Angelo; prod by Jay Dilla)
Break My Heart (prod. by Kanye West)
Start the Show (prod. by Kanye West)
Common said that on some tracks, Kanye tried to chop the samples in a similar way to Dilla as a way of honoring him.
He also said that it had been difficult for him to come home to his apartment and not see Dilla on the couch watching “whatever show comes on in the morning,” but that he knew Dilla lived on in the music.
Kanye surprises crowd at Consequence release party
Mar16
Consequence threw his album release party for his long delayed debut album, Don’t Quit Your Day Job at the showroom in Manhattan, NY last night (March 15).
The Queens emcee only sold 7,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen’s Soundscan, but you’d think he sold 300k out of the gate the way the venue was packed. Though the flyer advertised “performance by Consequence and the G.O.O.D Music family,” partygoers were skeptical early on. “G.O.O.D Music family? Kanye and Common ain’t showing up,” some whispered early in the evening.
Suspicions appeared to be confirmed when Cons appeared on stage with Really Doe and GLC with the evening winding down. Cons and GLC sure came a long way with their stage show. The bunch was actually quite live while performing songs off Day Job, including the lead single, “Callin Me.”
Little do you know, Ye popped up on stage halfway through Cons’ set to perform “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.” By that time, most in attendance were drunk out of their brain, rhyming along to every single rhyme. The self-proclaimed G.O.O.D crew then went through favorites like “Grammy Family”, “Gone” and Ye’s “Throw Some D’s” remix before closing the set out with “Spaceship.” …classic!
Message from Common
Mar11
From Common-music.com
“Finding Forever, Coming Soon”
John Legend Label “Home School”
Mar10
According to John-legend.net John is signing UK rapper/singer Estelle to his new label Home School.
“She’s got a great album and we’ve already gotten close to finishing it. My younger brother, Vaughn Anthony, is also gonna get signed soon, and I got a couple of MCs that I’m working with as well. We’re growing, and I’m just trying to find great talent and bring it to light. It’s a lot of fun.” John said.
Download Estelle, John Legend and Talib Kweli - Freedom
Consequence - Don’t Forget ‘Em
Mar04
This song is too good to not post here.
Download (Right-click and Save Target As…)
Go buy that album on Tuesday!
Consequence - Feel This Way (feat. John legend)
Mar01
Check out “Feel This Way” from Consequence’s upcoming album Don’t Quit Your Day Job.
Download (Right-click and choose Save Target As…)
Consequence
Consequence - Callin’ Me (Free iTunes Download)
Feb21
Thanks to kanYeTalk.com member revolution for this news.
You can download Consequence’s single “Callin’ Me” from iTunes for free (legally) all of this week.
Don’t forget that Cons’ album Don’t Quit Your Day Job drops March 6th.
Kanye and John Legend to Perform at Live Earth
Feb17
Kanye and John Legend are just two of the many artists scheduled to perform at Live Earth, in one of the series of concerts around the world this summer.
The event (similar to 2005’s Live 8) will raise funds and awareness for environmental causes including global warming, and takes place on 7/7/07.
Other artists confirmed for the shows include Pharrell, John Mayer, Snoop Dogg, and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
See LiveEarth.org for more info.
kanYe at Live 8 in 2005
John Legend @ The Grammy’s
Feb11
John Legend lost Best Male Pop Vocal Performance to John Mayer, but made up for it by winning the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance award for “Heaven” (produced by Kanye West).
He also won Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Van Hunt and Joss Stone, for a cover of Sly and The Family Stone’s “Family Affair”.
Common feat. Kanye - Southside Superbowl (New) + VIDEO
Feb02
Updated 2/7/07
John Legend - P.D.A. (We Don’t Care) Video!
Jan26
John Legend is ready to release the third single from his album Once Again, and the video has premiered online.
Kanye Speaks On G.O.O.D. Rumors and Graduation
Jan16
“It was [said] that because G.O.O.D. Music didn’t have an office at Sony anymore, that there was no more G.O.O.D. Music”, Kanye told MTV recently, “We got GLC about to drop. Consequence is about to drop. John Legend is almost platinum. He beat the sophomore slump, we know his career is gonna last as long as he wants it to. Common’s album is about to drop. The whole thing was never about marketing, it wasn’t about clothing it was about making good music. I feel we still deliver that. We come to do our job.”
He also spoke about his upcoming album Graduation:
“I can say, idea-wise, I got 10 ideas. I go back and work on ideas and tweak them. I can’t say I’m halfway done. There’s a lot of people I want to work with, a lot of rappers. But I don’t want to give away what I’mma do. I look at music as a gift. So I’mma just keep everything under wraps until it’s time.” said Ye, “You remember, you didn’t find out about the Nas joint (We Major) until real late? I waited till the last listening session a couple of weeks before the album came out. I played it in a room with 300 people and Nas’ voice hit the track and it was like, ‘Ah, man.’ Another surprise might be there might not be anybody on it. There are a few rappers I really love and I would love to work with, but I’mma figure out what I’mma do for my album.”
Common Features in Gap Ad
Nov27
Common is the star of Gap’s brand new holiday ad campaign.
He features in two 30-second ads, rapping a song he written especially for the ads called “Holiday In Your Hood”.
The song was produced by will.i.am (Black-Eyed Peas) and samples Madonna’s “Holiday”.
John Legend “Once Again” released!
Oct28
John Legend released his brand new album “Once Again” on Tuesday (10/24/06).
The album, which features production from Kanye West, will.i.am (from BEP) and others, is John’s second album.
Standout tracks are P.D.A., Stereo, Each Day Gets Better, and the new single “Heaven” which will be released soon.
You can see the video for heaven here.
Sa-Ra split up?
Oct20
According to AllHipHop.com, Sa-Ra - who are currently signed to Kanye’s GOOD Music label - have split up.
The combination of Taz Arnold, Shafiq Husayn and Om’Mas Keith will no longer be a whole as the formal paperwork legalizing the split, is being drafted as we speak, reported AllHipHop.
Apparently, a member of the trio started doing solo work for other artists (including Alicia Keys) without telling the others, and has also been recording solo.
Fortunately, the two remaining members of the group are going to continue on as Sa-Ra, so hopefully we’ll still get an album from them in early 2007!
