Strong sales by female artists have put industry in positive territory for first time since 2004. By Gil Kaufman Lady Gaga Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Beyonc
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MC talks about his upcoming EP and why Hype Williams signed on to direct his debut video for ‘We Made It,’ in Mixtape Daily. By Steven Roberts Josh Baze Photo: MTV News Fire Starter: Josh Baze The name Josh Baze may not ring any bells. He’s not attached to any big-time artists or an underground movement, nor does he have the backing of a major label. But in spite of his low profile, the Brooklyn-born MC is gearing up for the release of the Hype Williams-directed video for his first official single, “We Made It.” The collabo with Hype puts Baze in good company, as Williams has directed debut videos for Missy Elliott, the Wu-Tang Clan and Busta Rhymes, among others. And while only time will tell if Baze will be one day be mentioned in the same breath as those stars, he sure hopes so. The 21-year-old told Mixtape Daily he started rapping in his teens and always had a passion for the mic. “I started off on the desks in my elementary school. I started getting into the studio around 16. After I learned how to do a track, and I just laid down my first 16, it was a wrap,” Baze said. “My dad was a DJ, so just having him around and watching music get built inside of my house, it was a blessing, because I got to learn so much, man.” Baze ( rhymes with haze ) grew up listening to and idolizing fellow Brooklyn MCs the Notorious B.I.G and Jay-Z because of their ability to lyrically depict their neighborhoods and day-to-day struggles. He hopes to do the same on his debut EP, which is aptly titled The EP and slated to drop in September. ” The EP is basically 21 years of my life. It’s basically about stories of relationships, ex-girlfriends, family members; the good, the bad, the ugly, whatever,” Baze explained. “I just really want to give people a journey of where I came from, which is Brooklyn all the way to Hollywood.” Baze linked up with Hype after the rapper’s manager, Griffin Guess, played the famed director some of his music, piquing Williams’ interest. “I grew up watching this guy direct and make dreams, so it was really inspiring just to have him shoot my first video. It’s a blessing to have a hip-hop pioneer direct my first video, and he’s so cool and humble,” Baze said. “It’s not even just as a director but as a real friend, and just building that relationship conquered a lot.” Baze promised the album will feature some unique sounds, which isn’t surprising considering he’s working with acts like Jamie Foxx and deadmau5. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Artists Jay-Z Missy Elliott
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Josh Baze Blazing A Trail From Brooklyn To Hollywood
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Experts also see big jaunts for Taylor Swift, Blink-182, Foo Fighters and Avett Brothers. By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Summer is the time to kick back at the pool, work on that tan and blast your favorite sprinkler jams , but it’s also the season to pack into your Nissan Cube and tromp down to the local amphitheater or arena to check out shows by the likes of Katy Perry , Lil Wayne , Foo Fighters , Rihanna , Taylor Swift , Britney Spears and My Morning Jacket . Just like movie studios roll out the big guns around the holidays in time to take a shot at Oscar gold, music stars know that summer is the best time to separate fans from their hard-earned babysitting and lifeguarding money. That’s why local venues are stuffed up with a bumper crop of big shows packing enough pyro and lasers to take out an invading alien army in an effort to get the most butts in seats. We asked a panel of experts to make their picks for the summer’s hottest ticket, and like Oscar voters, they all had their favorites, but there was one thing they could all agree on: Taylor Swift and veteran rockers U2 are going to clean house this summer. “I think in terms of demand and crossing over from theaters to arenas, Katy Perry is doing it right,” said Dave Brooks, senior writer for live-entertainment trade magazine Venues Today. Between her many TV appearances, magazine covers and record-setting string of hit singles from Teenage Dream, Brooks said Perry is doing everything right and creating great demand for an eye-popping extravaganza that is “pulling out all the stops.” Us Weekly senior music editor Ian Drew agreed, saying Perry’s tour is sure to entertain. “[It’s a] colorful, all-out spectacle,” he said of the cotton-candy-smelling outing . “Remember that Lady Gaga is not out on the road this summer, so there’s going to be no competition. … The tour is an all-out spectacle. It’s basically like going to a massive Broadway show.” Another artist who seems to have solved the live-headliner puzzle fairly quickly is Swift, who Brooks said has endeared herself to the industry and to fans through her professionalism, dedication and prodigious talent. “She moves tickets really quickly, and her two L.A. shows sold out right away and they added two more,” he said, noting that Swift does so well because she appeals to a wide audience that ranges from tween girls to adult women. Blogger Perez Hilton’s pick to click was Swift, whom he predicted would have the most buzzed-about tour by summer’s end. “Just because she is performing so many shows, [playing] sold-out arenas, and to her credit, no one else that is a female artist is doing this right now … playing stadiums in America … that is major.” It remains to be seen how some early cancellations due to illness will affect the rest of Swift’s outing. With such heavy-hitting rap stars as Jay-Z, Kanye West and an incarcerated T.I. absent from the touring scene (outside of spot festival dates), Brooks said hard-touring Lil Wayne once again has the lane to himself and should keep packing them in for his never-ending I Am Still Music Tour . Brooks wasn’t sure how the Britney Spears/ Nicki Minaj tour was going to pan out, noting that advance ticket numbers didn’t look that impressive and that good seats could still be found on Groupon just days before a number of the dates for the two divas. Drew said that despite the lack of buzz, Britney loyalists will still come out because of their love for everything Brit and the allure of Minaj. “It’s just gonna be two very big divas on the charts now coming together in one awesome show,” he said. When it comes to the summer swing by reunited punk-poppers Blink-182 , who will be playing a string of dates with goth-pop icons My Chemical Romance, Brooks said the early signs are good. He suspected the pairing could introduce a new generation to the spiky Blink sound, was willing to bet that rock icons Foo Fighters would continue to do solid business and had a good feeling about rising softer rockers Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. His pick to keep an eye on was the Avett Brothers, the North Carolina sibling honky-tonkin’ bluegrass band, who have developed a really solid, devoted road following and are about to play a sold-out show at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Saturday. Pollstar editor in chief Gary Bongiovanni said there was no doubt that U2’s massive 360 Tour — already expected to be the highest-grossing of all time when it wraps — will be the summer’s biggest hit, despite the fact that it will end in the middle of beach season on July 23. He said early numbers also indicate that Wiz Khalifa’s theater and small outdoor venue tour is looking very strong and he expects solid, but not blockbuster, numbers for the NKOTBSB boy-band package . Though it has only 12 dates remaining, Bongiovanni said Dave Matthews Band’s Caravan — what he called a “portable festival” — promises to do solid business with three-night stands in New York, Chicago and Washington state, featuring an eclectic lineup that includes the Flaming Lips, Ray LaMontagne, Amos Lee, Moe, Kid Cudi, De La Soul, Soja, the Roots, Dispatch, O.A.R., the Head and the Heart and Gogol Bordello. When it comes to new-breed rock bands like Kings of Leon and My Morning Jacket, Bongiovanni said it all depends on pricing the tickets right. “I think pricing will be more in tune with the economic times this year,” he said. “Everyone played it conservative in 2009 and then they pushed the envelope in 2010 and they saw serious pushback.” As for his pick to watch, Bongiovanni said not to underestimate the pull of dance-music stars like Ti
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Detroit MC lets MTV News in on some of the ‘crazy ideas’ the ‘Michael Jordan’ of music videos has up his sleeve. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Big Sean and Sway on the set of “Marvin & Chardonnay” Photo: MTV News Big Sean is hyped up and he has every reason to be. On Wednesday morning (July 6), the Detroit MC saw his rookie album, Finally Famous, snag the #3 spot on the Billboard albums chart, behind Beyonc
Philly MC concedes Hov ‘gave me an opportunity,’ but said press mistook his gratitude as an apology for dis tracks lobbed at Jay. By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Sway Calloway Beanie Sigel on “RapFix Live” Photo: MTV News Despite the lyrical vitriol Beanie Sigel shot Jay-Z ‘s way beginning in 2009, the Philadelphia MC is still grateful for the opportunity the rapper-turned-mogul gave him when he was just a budding Roc-A-Fella Records artist. However, during Beans’ visit to MTV News’ “RapFix Live” on Wednesday (July 6), he stopped short of saying he had apologized for his sharp words. XXLMag.com previously reported that the “The Truth” rapper expressed contrition after his Hov comments. But Beans, without specifically naming the outlet, said he felt the interview focused more on the controversy than his current projects, so much so that he still hasn’t bothered to read it. “I had a interview with somebody and we were supposed to talk about the music and what I was doing with myself and my music and my plans for the future, and what me and you have been sitting here on this couch conversating about kept coming up,” Beanie told host Sway. “I didn’t want to talk about that stuff no more. So if anybody read the article or the interview — I never even read it after I did the interview with [the reporter].” Sitting on the “RapFix Live” couch, Beans and Sway talked extensively about the rapper’s feelings on the demise of Roc-A-Fella, specifically, his falling out with its co-founders Jay-Z and Damon Dash. Beans alleges he never got a phone call from Dash or Jay saying that the Roc-A-Fella he knew was no more, and that left a sour taste in his mouth. And though Beans acknowledged that during his run with the label, most everything was all good, he just refuses to gloss over the bad. “I’ll reiterate today and tell you everything that we discussed and talked about out of all that was going on and the feelings that I might have had, whether they were good or bad, whether I was truthfully in my speech or wrong in my speech,” Beans said. “What we did together and what Jay did for me … he gave me something a lot of people don’t get in this music business for a life period. He gave me an opportunity. … We’ve been around the world together, people knew who I was, they embraced me, they wanted to wear the clothes we wore.” Despite Beanie’s grievances with Hov, the fiercely loyal Philly spitter admitted he owes the man his career. And Jay-Z has been steadfast in saying he always supported Beans the best he could. But Jay probably shouldn’t hold his breath waiting for an official apology. “At the end of the day, yo, all that don’t matter,” Beans said. “That opportunity supersedes my personal feelings. And he gave me that [opportunity]. You can’t deny he gave me that. So at the end of the day it’s about just growth and everything. It wasn’t no formal apology. I didn’t apologize. People took it that way. But it is what it is. At the end of the day, like I said, he gave me an opportunity.” What do you think of Beanie and Jay’s past conflict? Tell us in the comments. Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Beanie Sigel Related Artists Beanie Sigel Jay-Z
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Beanie Sigel ‘Didn’t Apologize’ To Jay-Z
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Singer postpones a handful of shows after coming down with bronchitis. By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images It may be a little difficult for Taylor Swift to Speak Now. The singer canceled several dates on her summer tour after coming down with bronchitis. According to a statement from her label, Swift has had to shuffle around a few shows because she “has bronchitis, and has been advised by her doctor that she is not well enough to perform this week.” Her July 8 show in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been rescheduled for November 16, and two dates in Atlanta, on July 9 and 10, are now slated for October 1 and 2. “It breaks my heart to miss out on this weekend’s shows with my friends in Charlotte and Atlanta,” the star in a statement. “I would never cancel if I thought I was physically able to perform these shows. I am so sorry to the fans, but I look forward to seeing you when we come back through your towns, which we will do.” Swift’s tour will resume on July 14 in Montreal. Swift canceled a concert in Kentucky over the weekend, marking the first time the singer has ever had to cancel a show due to illness. She alerted her fans to the news on Twitter , writing, “Louisville, I so sorry to have to postpone this show to Oct 11. This is my first time having to do this. I’m so, so sorry.” When Swift spoke to MTV News in May about the Speak Now tour, she explained it would be all about the fans. “That’s why I’m so blown away. That’s why I can’t wait to go out on tour and thank them personally,” she explained. “We get to have such groovy, cool stuff happening. I’ve never had pyro before. I’ve never had aerialists before. It’s got this grand staircase. The stage in itself looks like an old-world theater. I can’t believe we get to play stadiums. I’m so excited about this tour. I want to live on that stage. I hope people leave the concert feeling like they know you better.” Send your get-well wishes to Taylor in the comments below! Related Videos MTV First: Taylor Swift Related Artists Taylor Swift
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Taylor Swift Cancels Tour Dates Due To Illness
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The rocker says he’s on the second book of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, preparing himself to play stylist Cinna. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by James Montgomery Lenny Kravitz Photo: MTV News “The Hunger Games” has an impressive cast of new talent, unknowns and renowned stars that puts any franchise movie to shame, but one of the most surprising casting decisions made by director Gary Ross was to choose rocker Lenny Kravitz to play stylist Cinna . When MTV News caught up with Kravitz to chat about his forthcoming album, Black and White America (due out August 30), he said he’s finally read the first of Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” trilogy. Cinna — whose name often gets misinterpreted as “Sinner” when Kravitz says it, he told us — is one of the most significant secondary characters throughout the “Hunger Games” trilogy. The brilliant costumes he creates for leading lady Katniss Everdeen before the games help give her the confidence that she needs to get through a televised battle-to-the-death with 23 other teens. And his very subtle form of rebellion against the oppressive Capitol is not without consequences. Since he is still only partway through the second novel “Catching Fire,” Kravitz has heard only hints of what would happen to his character in a potential second movie. “People have told me, but I’m on the second one now, so don’t tell me how …” Kravitz said, cutting off any spoilers. “The Hunger Games” will be Kravitz’s second big-screen acting performance after 2009’s “Precious.” When asked how he is preparing for what may end up being quite a dramatic scene in the movie’s sequel, Kravitz simply replied, “I’ll do it as best as I can.” When Kravitz was announced as Cinna, MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog caught up with several “Hunger Games” experts to hear their thoughts on the casting decision. Most of them were behind it, but the main concern was whether the singer had the acting chops for the performance. “I guess the real question people have is, you know, what acting experience does Lenny Kravitz have? I’m confident that he can pull it off and do a really fantastic job,” “Hunger Games” Fireside chat host Adam Spunberg said. “He certainly looks the part, at least in my mind, how I pictured Cinna,” “Hunger Games” Examiner Sara Grundell said. “Lenny Kravitz totally fits that mental image I had. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ Cast Additions Related Artists Lenny Kravitz
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Lenny Kravitz Reads Up On ‘Hunger Games’ Character
Fans will pick which album band will play all the way through during tour stops, beginning on September 4. By Jocelyn Vena Hanson Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Hanson have a plan to hit the road this fall, but they don’t yet know what they’ll play. That’s because they’re letting fans vote to select which of their albums they’ll perform on each night of the 2011 Musical Ride Tour. The tour, which kicks off in September, follows the formula the guys tried out during their 5of5 concert series in New York and London, where they would set up shop at a venue for five nights in a row and play an album all the way through each night. “Much like the 5of5 concert series both in New York and London, which blew us away, this whole tour is about looking back in order to go forward,” Taylor Hanson explained in a statement. The band’s debut album, Middle of Nowhere, launched the guys to pop superstardom back in 1997 thanks to the hit track “MMMBop.” Since then, they have consistently released albums, including 2010’s Shout It Out, which spawned the viral hit “Thinking ‘Bout Something,” as well as the follow-up single, “Give a Little.” Earlier this year, Hanson put their live performance skills to the test when they put on a 12-hour, live-streamed concert at South By Southwest to raise money for earthquake victims in Japan. After previously announced shows in Los Angeles and Saskatchewan, Canada, the band will kick off the 40-city U.S. tour on September 4 in Seattle. It all wraps up on November 1 in Orlando. All dates are available on , and tickets go on sale this Friday. “This tour is a unique way of saying thank you to the many fans that have followed the band for years, who will, for the first time, get a chance to help shape the show they see each night,” Zac Hanson added of the trek. Recently, the guys appeared in Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” video as the house band at the raging house party thrown by Rebecca Black. “We work for Twizzlers and good times,” Taylor told MTV News about their fee for appearing in the video. “You’d have to have a lot of spandex, a huge tree covered in toilet paper, Kenny G — apparently that’s what it takes to get us to a house party.” Related Artists Hanson
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Hanson Let Fans Pick Set List For 2011 Musical Ride Tour
New West Coast rapper tells Mixtape Daily why he’s charging for his latest release. By Rob Markman Kendrick Lamar Photo: MTV News Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables Headliner : Kendrick Lamar Album : Section.80 Key Cameo : “No Make-Up (Her Vice)” featuring Colin Munroe The best things in life aren’t always free, and while New West Coast representative Kendrick Lamar started his career offering up free Internet-only mixtapes, the Compton, California, rapper is setting a new standard with his latest album, Section.80 . “It was something that I had to understand, that my company had to make me understand. I’m putting out this free music, constantly putting it out,” Lamar told MTV News of his old way of thinking. “My whole thing is bringing music back to where people actually buy it, but at the same time, you know what? I don’t think I’m ready yet to start selling my project because I feel the world don’t know me yet.” Since changing his name from K.Dot, he released The Kendrick Lamar EP at the end of 2009 and Overly Dedicated in 2010. Both projects were available for free throughout the hip-hop blogosphere, but Section.80 does not follow that same model. The change in Lamar’s feelings on free music is largely due to the urging of the heads of his record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. “Top Dawg is always telling me, ‘They’ll never know you [and you’ll never] get a chance to bring music back to its original roots because you aren’t demanding to go out and buy it,’ ” Lamar said of the advice he was given. “That made sense to me.” Section.80 is a densely packed affair, where the rapper displays his lyrical dexterity and storytelling ability. There are no songs that fit the traditional radio format; instead Lamar focuses on the ills of the crack epidemic ( “Ronald Reagan Era” ), the hardships young women face (“Keisha’s Song”) and religion (“Kush & Corinthians”). Barring any support from radio and major marketing companies, the success of Section.80 will depend on his ever-growing fanbase. “People out here, they really gotta go out and support that last music that’s alive as far as hip-hop, because we’re a dying breed now,” he said. “Truthfully, it’s up to the world.” Related Artists Kendrick Lamar
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Kendrick Lamar Puts A Price On Section.80
‘I’m back with Dr. Dre, which is a bonus and dope for me,’ Game tells MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Matt Elias Dr. Dre Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage For Game , the fourth time’s the charm. The former G-Unit rapper has high hopes for album #4, The R.E.D. Album, which is set to be released August 23. While a Game album is notable in its own right, the Compton, California, MC is particularly excited now that he has reunited with mentor Dr. Dre and snagged Pharrell to help oversee the production as well. “This album is the most incredible album of my career,” Game said to MTV News from the set of his “Pot of Gold” video shoot last week. “First, I’m back with Dr. Dre, which is a bonus and dope for me. Second, executive-produced by Pharrell, co-executive-produced by myself and Mars.” There is also production from Cool & Dre, Hit-Boy, Maestro and Lex Luger and features ranging from Nelly Furtado to Lil Wayne to Busta Rhymes. “And Dre’s rapping on the album,” Game revealed. Dre, who oversaw Game’s debut, The Documentary, has played a limited role in the rapper’s career since Game’s fallout with 50 Cent, who is also signed to Dre’s Aftermath imprint. Since then, the West Coast production icon hasn’t lent beats or his vocals to any of Game’s subsequent albums. In 2009, studio pictures of Dr. Dre, Game and Snoop surfaced, proving that the two were back to work in some capacity. Game wouldn’t confirm whether Dre provided a full verse or a hook. When asked, he just blurted out the album’s release date: “August 29.” What are you expecting from a new Game/Dre collabo? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists The Game Dr. Dre
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Dr. Dre Is Rapping On Game’s R.E.D. Album
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