The Masterminds of Stargate

I had the great opportunity of being in the audience of a panel on Thursday that featured Stargate, the superstar producers behind hits such as "So Sick," "Closer" and "Sexy Love" by Ne-Yo, "Please Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna and "Irreplaceable" performed by Beyonce. The concept of the panel was to really get a sense of the careers of these men and the passion, motivation and technique behind their productions. Stargate (pictured above; Mikkel on the right and Tor on the left) are from Norway; a country with not much of an urban following. However because of a tremendous admiration and respect for artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, De la Soul and other pioneers of pop, R&B and hip hop, Stargate was motivated to work on productions for the urban market but the influence from dance music in Europe is evident in their music as well. They got a chance to meet Ne-Yo at Sony Studios in New York and the rest is history. "We think through every chord and every melody line" stated Mikkel. Stargate makes a real effort to make their records have a lasting effect. Mikkel discussed classic songs being more melodic and in effect, timeless. Tor mentioned that real instruments such as piano and using the right strings also add to that timelessness. Tor also talked about a point that Lionel Richie made which was, "It's not about if I can sing it, it's about if they can sing it." Richie was emphasizing the importance of knowing who your audience is and creating music you know they will enjoy. "We walk through the music and lyrics to make sure everything is right especially the chorus" said Tor. Stargate also intentionally builds different melodic ideas into their tracks to inspire the top line writers (lyricists) they work with. When it comes to business Stargate tries not to let the business interfere with the art. "It's hard to judge the commercial potential of a song," said Tor." However the duo definitely has their minds on making a hit record and usually know when they have one. What's Stargate's advice to upcoming songwriters? - "Illustrate a story, not just feelings; a narrative is more interesting. Work with as many producers as you can," says Tor. For upcoming producers? - Mikkel says capture some kind of magic and the artist should have some of that magic.

New Ryan Leslie - "Gibberish"

I had the pleasure to meet Ryan Leslie and not only is he an outstanding musician but also a gracious individual. "Gibberish" sounds a lot like gibberish, but I can make out a few words and phrases like... time is running out, please don't make me wait, I don't wanna know, body, moonlight, right there, so you get the gist of it. Anyway, I love the song and can't stop listening so you should download the track for yourself.

Kid Sister - Kanye's New Protege

Bred out of Markham, IL but currently residing in Northern Chi-town this transformative female MC has the ability to shape her voice much like a chameleon shapes its colors. Kid Sister's flow is very reminiscent of T-boz on the "Get Fresh" track but then she demonstrates her southern twang on "Pro Nails." The track features Kanye and is generating buzz throughout the digital space. "Control" gives you a bit of electronica and house with heavy synths that would fit nicely in the club scene. "Switchboard" is uber catchy and serves as the ultimate club anthem for the ladies. J2K of Flosstradamus is Kid Sis's brother and DJ which explains the heavy club/house/electronic influence. Kid Sis is expected to drop a full-length album via Downtown Records sometime this year. I'm happy to see that there is a female in the group of burgeoning young MC's.

Beyonce Sings for President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama

Beyonce's performance of "At Last" by the great Etta James last night at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball was simply astonishing. The live music and her voice emanating over it in such a graceful manner made her devotion to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama strikingly clear. The moment was angelic and the celebration immense. The new president and his first lady danced together across from Beyonce as she sang her heartfelt rendition of the Etta James classic. The music stars that have shown their support and took a major part of now President Obama's campaign are countless including Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Will.i.am, John Legend, Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Kanye West, Bruce Springsteen among many others. Obama even inspired a Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement soundtrack that features music from many of the before-mentioned artists and proceeds went to his campaign. Music has always captured the stories of a time, a culture and a people, so it was natural for music to be created to capture this historic time and the emotions of a nation. The story of Obama who is our new President, the first African-American President of the United States is a true American story that will never be forgotten and the music that was created, the images that were taken, the cinematography that was recorded, the words that were written and the emotion that stirred a nation will last the lifetime of humanity.

Virgin to Close Times Square Megastore

Another symbol of recorded music is seeing its demise, but thankfully its only one location, albeit a very important location of Times Square. Virgin Megastores which is now owned by Vornado and Related Cos is shutting down its Times Square flagship store by April 2009. The decision behind it is that while the store is profitable, earning about $6 million per year, renting the space out would be even more profitable since Virgin pays so little ($54 per square foot) while the asking price is an easy $700 per square foot. Virgin Entertainment Group will be leasing the 180,000 sq ft space to Forever 21. This decision truly breaks my heart because Virgin Record Store in Times Square is the only real staple of music in the area and I'm not convinced that the amount of tourists that come to the city, visit Times Square, browse through Virgin and end up buying something are going to make the special trip to 14th St. Therefore this could potential mean millions of dollars lost in recorded music sales. And as if this wasn't bad enough management is assessing what to do with the other chains including the 14th Street location. I love going into Virgin and listening to an album, buying old classics that I've lost, ruined or never bought or buying the new gotta haves and/or just vibing. The idea of Times Square sans Virgin truly comes to dismay of the hearts of true music lovers. Domage.

iTunes Now DRM-Free Plus New Pricing Model

Since May 2007 EMI has been distributing digital tracks DRM-free to iTunes but the other three majors have been consistently resistant until now. Starting today consumers can get digital music via iTunes DRM-free from any of their favorite artists because Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group have finally agreed to it. A new pricing model that Apple was previously against is also now taking effect and music will be sold at $0.69 for older tracks, $0.99 for current tracks and $1.29 for hits. iPhone users can also download music wirelessly directly to their devices over the 3G network. The audio quality of the new iTunes is also boasting to be much higher so download iTunes 8 and you can easily re-purchase all your previous iTunes music DRM free for only 30 cents a pop. I'm happy to see that the other three majors have realized the benefit of DRM-free music and are slowly embracing the digital age.

Minty Fresh Beats Authors Jaydiohead

The beauty of the music industry today is that its most avid listeners and creators who are inspired can easily take down the building blocks of it and rebuild to produce something new. Minty Fresh Beats, a DJ and producer was inspired by the legendary rock group Radiohead and recognized the weight Jay-Z carries in hip hop and joined the two to produce Jaydiohead. The tracks include instrumentals from Radioheads' OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows and a cappella raps from Jay-Z's The Black Album and American Gangster amongst others. Since Danger Mouse got such critical acclaim after producing and releasing the Grey Album, it makes sense to join Jay-Z with another great rock band and the production worked out pretty well. I appreciate the tracks "Dirt Off Your Android," "Optimistic Moment," "Dreaming Up" and "Ignorant Swan" best. Check out Minty Fresh Beats' Jaydiohead and let's see if this production takes him as far as Danger Mouse.

88 Keys on the Fun Wave of Hip Hop

88 Keys is part of bringing the fun of hip hop back into the mainstream slowly but surely. The hip hop producer became inspired by the genre back in the days of De La Soul when Prince Paul infused the likeness of jazz, pop, reggae, psychedelia and soul into the sound of 3 Feet High and Rising (released in 1989). 88 keys, of Cameroon ancestry followed his heart to do music despite his family encouraging him to do medicine (parents don't always know best) and so the 88 keys discography came to include "Thieves in the Night" performed by Mos Def and Talib Kweli, "May-December" by Mos Def, "Choices" by The Pharcyde, "Babygirl" by Musiq Soulchild and Lyricist Lounge's "Bathroom Cipha" among many others. To see the full discography check out 88 keys's MySpace. The man named 88 keys by renowned producer and rapper Large Professor is on his way to burgeon up the fun in hip hop that has been lost for a little too long. The Death of Adam, 88 keys's debut (released in November) is truly made to do what albums are supposed to..tell a story and from start to finish music is set to the rendezvous of a man named Adam. I can really appreciate the comical implications of Adam's actions. The album features Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Bilal and others. Be on the look out for 88 keys on the rise.