One of the hardest working men in hip-hop – Talib Kweli – is at it again. He just released the lead single from Liberation 2, his upcoming LP with Madlib. The track, titled After These Messages, is a collaboration with emerging MC Amani, who is also Kweli‘s son.
Liberation 2, which will be released in March of this year is a follow up to Liberation, Talib and Madlib‘s first collaborative album. Click here or on the image above to check out the official video for After These Messages.
Nigerian singer-songwriter Nneka has announced dates and locations for her upcoming tour. Centered in Europe, with one stop in England, the tour will see the politically charged lyricist heading out on the road in early March. All confirmed shows are listed below.
Mar 08
Tama, Poznan, Poland
Mar 09
Stary Maneż, Gdansk, Poland
Mar 10
Praga Centrum, Warsaw, Poland
Mar 12
Palác Akropolis, Prague, Czech Republic
Mar 14
Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany
Mar 15
Faust, Hannover, Germany
Mar 16
Gretchen, Berlin, Germany
Mar 18
Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim, Germany
Mar 19
Ampere, Munich, Germany
Mar 21
Salzhaus, Winterthur, Switzerland
Mar 22
Kulturkirche, Cologne, Germany
Mar 24
De Roma, Borgerhout, Belgium
Mar 25
Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 26
Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
R&B and soul singer Macy Gray will be live in concert at the Bergen Performing Arts Center – 30 N. Van Brunt Street – in Englewood, New Jersey, this Friday, February 10th. Showtime is 8pm, and tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster-dot-com.
American soul-jazz group Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, also known as DLO3, will perform at the Lodge Room – 104 N Ave 56 2nd floor – in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, February 22nd.
The event, which is being presented by Artsdontsleep, is a part of the Jazz is Dead series. This is an all ages show that’s scheduled to begin at 7pm. General admission is only $20.
On Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd, singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer, John Legend, will perform at Wolf Trap (Filene Center) in Vienna, Virginia. Because of his EGOT status – winner of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award – it goes without saying that tickets for these shows will sell fast.
That being said, Wolf Trap has announced that they will go on sale on Friday, February 17th at 10am. Additional information and access to passes are available on their website.
On March 3rd, Kingdom Muzic will publish Antwoine Hill‘s new album, titled Light on a Hill. To get a sense of what you will be getting on the upcoming project, check out his just released song and video, Can I Be Honest, featuring Mo Grant.
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Antwoine Hill was a poor drug addict and gang member. However, in 2008, while he was serving time in jail, he gave his life to God and has never looked back since. Years after his release, Hill is a devoted husband, preacher and a recording artist with one mission: to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Big Daddy Kane is an American rapper and songwriter, who captured the love of millions of fans, in the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. The Brooklyn native is known for outstanding lyricism, showmanship, and fashion, opening the doors for the cultural context of other emcees like The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z.
A true legacy artist, he made history as the first rapper to ever hold two sold-out, all-female attended shows in the world-famous Apollo Theater, filling the show to its rafters.
In 1987, Kane started his musical career as an artist signing to Cold Chillin’ Records and becoming a member of its Juice Crew. After releasing his hit debut single “Raw,” he took the main stage in rap music becoming one of the most sought-after and respected emcees of his generation. The dexterity of his flow and his constant instance as an artist to push revolutionary boundaries in the genre have cemented him as a legend – for almost four decades.
As a member of the Juice Crew, Kane helped pen hit records for various members and shape the sound that would make them the most powerful rap collective of its time. Their hit song “The Symphony,” produced by Marley Marl and also included Craig G, Master Ace, and Kool G Rap, is the quintessential posse cut – defining a trend group emceeing.
Both of his first two albums, Long Live The Kane and It’s A Big Daddy Thing, were certified gold by RIAA, selling over 500,000 units in a time before CDs, streams, social media, and extremely limited radio play.
His debut offering gave fans the classic jams, “Ain’t No Half Steppin,” “Set It Off,” “Just Rhymin’ with Biz,” and the aforementioned “Raw.” His second full-length project, which debunked the proverbial sophomore curse, produced tracks such as “Smooth Operator,” “Warm It Up,” and the Teddy Riley-produced classic “I Get The Job Done.”
“Smooth Operator” hit Billboard’s Rap #1, a feat that would put him on the radar of pop music superstar Madonna (who featured the sex symbol in her “Sex” book).
Kane’s third album Taste Of Chocolate featured songs like “Hard Being The Kane” and “All Of Me,” a duet with the late great Barry White first demonstrated the rapper’s affection for soul music and was the precursor of his career for his melding of live instrumentation with his feverous rap style.
Additional albums were 1991’s Prince Of Darkness, 1993’s Like A Job For…, 1994’s Daddy’s Home, and 1998’s Veteran’z Day.
The chart-topper has been featured on the soundtracks of for films like Lean On Me (“Lean On Me”); Juice (“Nuff Respect”); Mo Money (“A Job Ain’t Nothin’ But Work”); and Colors (“Raw”).
A rappers’ rapper, Kane has been invited to collaborate with fellow prominent acts like Public Enemy and Ice Cube on the single “Burn, Hollywood Burn,” with Heavy D on the single “Don’t Curse”, with UGK on “Next Up”, and Busta Rhymes on the remix of “Don’t Touch Me.”
Musical icons like Patti LaBelle have tapped him to rap on her certified gold single “Feels Like Another One” and producer Quincy Jones plucked him to star on the multi-platinum masterpieces Tribute To Birdland and Back On The Block, where he was featured on the title track.
His distinctive baritone voice has been heard as the narrator of the critically acclaimed documentary film Notorious and TV One’s Being.
An abridged listing of Kane’s big screen credits includes the films Posse, Meteor Man, Dead Heist, Brown Sugar, Gunmen, Exposed co-starring Keanu Reeves, and Movie Madness co-starring Lorenzo Lamas.
The Bed-Stuy hometown hero currently has made appearances on Law & Order SVU, a short film entitled Stomach People, and a 2021 TV One release, Bad Dad Rehab 2.
His career has yielded him a GRAMMY Award, a VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Award, and countless Lifetime Achievement Awards and has been inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame, the Brooklyn Walk of Fame, the Key to Brooklyn, and also inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame, after making the southern state his home.
One of the crown jewels in his artistry crown is his battle against his life-long friend, KRS-1 on the Verzuz stage. A battle of two lyrical miracles, after being considered two of the best emcees to ever grab a mic, their contest made history as the first of its kind to max out the Barclay Center, the arena smack in the middle of where it all started.
MARIA JACKSON 27 MAGAZINE 