Even if I weren’t a fan of his politics, I’d still vote for Sen. Barack Obama based on his choice of music. Not only does he have the overwhelming support of most mainstream musicians (Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, and Common among them) but there’s good, danceable music attached to his…
It’s probably not a typical assumption that pirates and hip-hop have anything in common. Rap music started in the Bronx back in the mid- to late 1970s, and by most accounts, pirates — those pesky thieves of the high seas — pretty much faded into obscurity almost a century ago…
There used to be a time when jazz artists were seen as the sex symbols of pop music. A lot of ladies in the ’50s and ’60s would tell you in a heartbeat that there was nothing sexier than a man with a horn. If that’s true for men, the…
Usher Here I Stand (LaFace/Sony BMG) You really can’t fault entertainers claiming “player for life” status. At least they’re being honest; everyone from Rod Stewart to Karrine “Superhead” Steffans knows that the promiscuous can’t be reformed and that once you get the taste of the easy-lovin’, high society lifestyle, it’s…
Johnny Louis Barrington Levy performs at Best of the Best Sunday, May 25, 2008. Last Night: Best of the Best Concert 2008 featuring Super Cat, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Tony Matterhorn, etc. Sunday, May 25, 2008 Bicentennial Park, Downtown Miami Better Than: Best of the…
Best of the Best weekend has finally arrived and there’s lot’s of reggae madness going on all over South Florida for the next 3 days. Here are five artists who are a part of the show that you definitely should not miss. 1) Buju Banton. He’s been a mainstay in…
Benga Diary of an Afro Warrior (Tempa) South London dubstep veteran Benga operates on several (next) levels when he plants himself in front of a synthesizer keyboard and a hard drive of edited drum patterns. The producer’s Diary of an Afro Warrior, in its array of divergent sonics, speaks to…
In case you didn’t already know, Senator Barack Obama is here in South Florida today. He’s got two separate speaking engagements, but the one I’m most excited for is his speech at 4p.m. at the BankAtlantic Center where the Spam All-Stars are actually opening up for him. Yes, you read…
Since it’s a very chill Thursday morning and we could all use a few laughs, CrossFade is glad to present 10 of the dorkiest and funniest moments in the history of melanin-challenged rap: 1. Here’s a dorky guy who can impersonate LL Cool J, Mystikal and Digital Underground:…
If you thought Memorial Day was all about veterans and remembering fallen soldiers from past wars, well, guess again. Up in West Palm Beach, the Jamaican community has planned a large fete this Monday dedicated specifically to good music and jerk cuisine. You can get jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk…
South Florida is one of the most fickle sports markets in the country. Why anybody would want to start a new sport in this region is beyond me. Professional teams can win a championship here one year, yet halfway through the next season, the seats in the stadium are empty…
There’s plenty of fuss made at times by journalists (like myself) about the negative direction reggae music seems to have gone in the past ten years. But for all our boo-hooing, certain artists like Tarrus Riley know how to rise up and silence the critics. The popular singer of the…
There is a point early on in every artist’s career when their morals are put to the test. The music industry and personal ideals often clash, and the pathway to success typically has a distinct fork in the road. For 24-year-old reggae singer Etana, the imagery of when she first…
In case you didn’t know, the mayor of Miami is not always Manny Diaz. Although Diaz is a nice fellow and knows a lot about politics, he can handle only so much authority and essentially presides over the city from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. But as nighttime falls and…
Logan Fazio Erykah Badu and the Roots Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca Raton Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Better than: Listening to Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” on the radio for the umpteenth time. You never know what you’re going to get when you see the Roots concert. The band has roughly 14 years…
It seemed like this trial would never happen, but as of yesterday, R Kelly’s child pornography trial finally began in Chicago. The famous R&B singer has managed to delay this trial numerous times to the point where the 14-year-old girl he’s accused of performing lewd sex acts on camera with…
2008 Keeps on getting better for Rick Ross. MTV recently dropped their “Hottest MC’s in the Game” list and it’s already causing a stir. There are a few questionable picks on the list and I’m not sure if I agree with any of it based on the order. If you…
How do you follow up a story on a Duran Duran concert? By hitting folks with a video to one of their most popular songs of all times–that’s how. When they first dropped this Indiana Jones like vid back in the early 80’s, it didn’t seem nearly as weird then…
Last Friday night, the gossip hounds at CNN were going on and on about actress/troublemaker Lindsay Lohan. There’s nothing new with that–except the talk was all about her cameo in the new N.E.R.D. video for “Everybody Nose.” According to the folks on CNN, the song is all about partying and…
At all times, legendary hip-hop drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson is a man pulled in many directions. The 37-year-old musician, producer, blogger, and hip-hop tastemaker usually has enough projects going on that he could win a multitasking award (if one existed). Aside from being a mainstay in his long-term band the…
Sometimes, the assholes in charge of dishing out work visas make mistakes. When British rapper Riz MC (who’s Muslim and of Pakistani descent) tried coming to the United States a couple of months ago for a showcase at South by Southwest followed by a couple of spot dates in New…
You may think of Katt Williams only as a comedian — and a hilarious one at that — but there’s more to the 34-year-old than jokes. For starters, most of us saw him for the first time as “Money Mike” in Friday After Next, the silly third installment in Ice…
