Author Archives: SB

Dominique Larue featuring M-Dot and Boycott Blues, produced by D/Will – “Circulate Remix”

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With .diem on the brink of being released, Ohio native, Dominique Larue and producer D/Will decided to link up with Boston emcees M-Dot and Boycott Blues for the remix of their lead single, “Circulate”. Going along the same lines as the original, all three emcees capture the idea of succombing to the pressures of sheer survival. Though “Circulate Remix” is the second time Larue and M-Dot have linked up, it is the first for her and Boycott, and with all three on the same track, it can only mean that they will be linking up again in the near future.

“Circulate (Remix)” featuring M-Dot & Boycott Blues (Produced by D/Will)   Hulkshare: http://www.hulkshare.com/coma46pf55al

Stay tuned for the video for “Circulate” and the release of .diem in the very near future. The song will also appear on M-Dot’s “Layer Cake” mixtape slated for release next week.

Advanced Systems Group Hires Industry Veteran Mark Haynes, Expands Audio Department

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Advanced Systems Group (ASG), a leading West Coast video and filmintegration firm,  announced that pro audio veteran Mark Haynes has joined the company, effective April 2. Haynes is part of ASG’s expansion of its audio business, and he will specialize in contributing an audio perspective to video-centric projects. Prior to joining ASG, Haynes was vice president of sales for Leo’s Professional Audio in Oakland, Calif., where he worked for 26 years. He began his career in the early 1970s with Showco, Inc., one of the pioneers in large-scale sound reinforcement, where he toured nationally and internationally as FOH engineer for Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Jefferson Airplane, and other headliners. ‘Mark has spent decades in the audio industry, and he’s helping ASG enhance our audio offerings across the board,’ explained Dave Van Hoy, president, ASG. ‘Audio is a vital part of any video system solution, and we want to make sure it receives the attention it deserves.’ ‘I’m here to contribute a perspective on audio’s importance as an integral element in any project,’ Haynes added. ‘It’s exciting to join such an experienced team of colleagues at ASG, and it’s gratifying to receive the support and encouragement of the many audio vendors who share our passion for sound and all of its related disciplines.’ Haynes is based at ASG’s Emeryville office and can be contacted at (510) 654-8300 or via e-mail atmh@asgllc.com.

New Joint! Panama’s “Told Her”

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This record is when Panama gets on his pimp tip, tapping into his alter ego if you will. You might be able to pick up on some of his pimp lingo and make it more famous than he can. If you can’t that’s only because you just been caught reckless eye balling in a pimp’s lane. All jokes. Shout to his producer Black Jab. Take a listen, share the record, post on your facebook, tumblr, twitter or any social media profile you may be apart of.

 

Here is the link:

Sound Cloud Link: http://soundcloud.com/itspanamababy/panama-told-her

Hulkshare:  http://hulkshare.com/gvqcqsj4mfup

Jesse Abraham Reveals New Single And Album Details

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“Back Off” is the new single from Jesse Abraham, the 2011 Underground Music Awards Lyricist of theYear. It’s produced by K.O. Beatz.

“Back Off” is the first single to be released from “I Am Water”, Jesse Abraham’s new album, scheduled for a fall release.  100% of the proceeds from the album will go directly to Charity Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

By purchasing the single for $1 at http://bit.ly/BackOff  , you will automatically be making a donation towards servicing a community in need of clean drinkingwater.

Visit http://mycharitywater.org/JAisWater  to make a donation now and become personally included in JA’s campaign. Be on the lookout for more information about “I Am Water” and how to further get involved in Abraham’s mission to complete a community water project, which will provide an entire village with clean, safe drinking water.

IMPALA Objects To European Commission Approval Of Sony/ATV’s Acquisition Of EMI Publishing

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The European Commission today advertised that it has accepted Sony/ATV’s try at buying EMI’s publishing arm. This ensues an continuation of the early Phase 1 case, during which Sony put forward and then altered an offer of solutions in an advance to deal with the issues noted by the the European regulator, who said it had severe convictions about the consolidation.
The Commission has now acclaimed the deal without market-testing the corrected cures or commencing a more thorough investigation. Last month it started a accurate investigation (Phase 2) into Universal’s suggested deal to acquire EMI Recording.
Helen Smith, IMPALA Executive Chair, commented: “We need to study the full decision in detail, but this is bad news for Europe’s publishers and writers, as well as for collecting societies and any label or online service which needs to be able to rely on fair terms to use music. In the wake of Martin Bandier’s confirmation this morning of expected job losses at both EMI and Sony, we are particularly concerned for all Sony and EMI’s employees and writers. We remain convinced that the impact of this merger on the livelihood of authors has been underestimated, while the ability of the remedies to secure future competition has been overestimated. We understand the Commission has treated the case as unique, concluding on the basis of its analysis of Sony’s power and the specificities of its corporate structure and rejecting other arguments such as the power of online players, which will send a strong message regarding the Universal/EMI case, now even more crucial.”
Michel Lambot, Co-Founder of the PIAS Entertainment Group and Co-President of IMPALA added: “This decision goes clearly against the official position of the EU to put knowledge and internet at the heart of its development. Any web developer coming from any European Silicon Valley will have to obtain an authorisation from Sony/EMI if it wants to put music on its website unlike the US. How many of them will ever get an answer when requesting a licence?”

Kitchen Shortcuts

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Everyone likes to have a few tricks up their sleeve while in the kitchen. Here are a few of mine:

Handy Tips:

Coffee on the Rocks: Coffee is a favorite beverage in most homes. When you make too much, just freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray.Use the frozen cubes in your iced coffee – unlike ice cubes made from water, they won’t dilute it. Or, for a nice pick me up when it’s hot out, use the coffee cubes to make frozen frappes and other coffee drinks.

Steam Roll: One night when I was boiling hot dogs for dinner, I figured out a neat way to steam the buns. I put a grid-type cooling rack on top of the pot and arranged the open hot dog buns on it. The buns steamed beautifully as the hot dogs boiled. If I’m making just one hot dog, I get the same result by placing closed grill tongs over the pot and draping the bun over them.

Keeping Marshmallows Fresh: Count this among the small annoyances of life: Marshmallows turn crusty and dry once the package is opened. They’re not much of a treat in that condition (ask any child). I recently discovered you can make them soft again by storing them in a closed container or aipper-lock bag with a slice of bread. Who knew?

Easy Cleanup

Foiled Again: To scrub baked on food off glass pans or oven racks, I use a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad. It’s a great way to recycle those clean but used pieces of foil I’d otherwise throw out.

Mess Free Melon: Whenever I used to slice or chop watermelon, I created a big, wet mess of sticky watermelon juice on my kitchen counter – and sometimes the floor. One day, in an effort to contain the puddles, I got the idea to put a cutting board on a rimmed baking sheet and slice up the fruit on top of my rig. The juices neatly drained into the baking sheet, and I easily poured them down the sink.

Storage Solutions

Order By Numbers: I have a lot of plastic storage containers, and many of them are about the same size. I was perpetually having trouble matching the containers up with the proper, tight fitting lids. But then I got the idea to write corresponding numbers on the lids and containers with a sharpie marker. This simple trick has saved me a lot of time, trouble, and irritation.

Herb Holder: Whenever I buy fresh berries, I save the hinged plastic containers they are packed in. Then I use them to store fresh herbs. After I’ve washed the herbs, I wrap them in a damp paper towel and place them in the empty berry box. The openings in the containers let air circulate, which helps keep the herbs fresh, and the box’s structure prevents the herbs from getting crushed.

Better Baking

Parchment Paper Positioning: It used to annoy me that whenever I lined baking sheets with parchment paper, the end of the parchment would curl under, making it tricky to keep in place. Now, I clip it into place with wooden clothespins or metallic “chip” clips. Once I’ve secured the parchment, I place the cookie dough (or whatever I’m baking) on the sheet. The weight of the cookies holds the paper in place, and I remove the clips before I put the sheets in the oven.

Major Music Industry Groups Reach Historic Agreement On Royalty Rates And Standards

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Organizations defining the music publishers and composers, major record labels, digital music businesses and cellular phone associations advertised an arrangement positioning mechanical royalty rates and guidelines that encourages a list of new and advanced business designs to assist buyer admission and adore music.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and Digital Media Association (DiMA) are arranging an industry-wide affinity that completely justifies the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) Rate Proceeding under Section 115 of the Copyright Act.
The decision accommodates for the growth of current digital music services and business designs presenting music to customers by building recent estimates and limits under Section 115 for five new classifications, which include: Mixed service assortments (for example, a locker service, limited interactive service, downloads or ringtones combined with a non-music product such as a mobile phone, consumer electronics device or Internet service) Paid locker services (subscription-based locker providing on-demand streaming and downloads) Purchased content lockers (a free locker functionally provided to a purchaser of a permanent digital download, ringtone or CD where the music provider and locker have an agreement) “Limited offerings” (subscription-based service offering limited genres of music or specialized playlists) Music bundles (bundling music products such as CDs, ringtones and permanent digital downloads) The 25-page proposed agreement will be submitted to the CRB today by the various parties resolves the pending mechanical royalty rate proceedings without litigation. The agreement covers 2013-2017 and must be formally be approved by the CRB. It establishes a royalty rate category for these new business models and rolls forward, with limited changes, all existing rates and terms for CDs and downloads.
Lee Knife, Executive Director – DiMA “From the advent of internet radio services, to online music stores, on-demand streaming and more recently, cloud-based music services, digital media providers thrive on creating new ways for fans to enjoy more music whenever and wherever they want,” said Lee Knife, Executive Director of the Digital Media Association. “Today’s agreement paves the way for our members to continue developing exciting new business models that satisfy consumers, create greater revenue opportunities for music creators and effectively fight piracy, the music industry’s greatest threat.”
David Israelite, President and CEO – NMPA “Today’s agreement is not only an important show of industry cooperation, but a testament to the value of the creative content being provided to consumers,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “This agreement represents the culmination of months of discussions among the music industry, digital service providers and technology companies, and will provide more consumer choice with respect to when and how to access music while ensuring songwriters and music publishers continue to thrive in the digital age.”
Cary Sherman, Chairman and CEO – RIAA “This is a historic agreement that reflects our mission to make it easier for digital music services to launch cutting-edge business models and streamline the licensing process,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman and CEO, RIAA. “This is a major win for consumers, the music community, and entrepreneurs and investors in new music services. Getting to an agreement was a challenge, and I want to thank Steve Marks, our lead negotiator, for his persistence and creativity in getting a deal done.”

Nas signs Deal With Grooming Product Company, Get Andis…

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An American based company, Get Andis has just signed a multi-million dollar deal with hip-hop artist Nas to advertise its grooming products across 51 African countries.
The company says this agreement provides GetAndis the aptitude to retail Andis’ range of grooming products in a business that is considered amongst the fastest growing in the world with unified population of over 1 billion
Rapper Nas, is not just a music hero to millions of music fans but also a fashion figure, the rapper that is always at the headlining post of the most stylish looks in music fashion had this to say “Being an international artist, I do shows around the world and I need to look and stay fresh at all times. My barber always uses Andis clippers, trimmers and accessories to cut my hair in the U.S. When I’m on tour overseas, he’ll carry converters to convert from the U.S. voltage to the local voltage burning a lot of clippers and with the clippers making so much noise. Now with the Andis Clippers available in international 220v, he just plugs and use. So whether we are in Lagos, Nigeria or Cape Town, South Africa, or any where else around the world, he uses Andis clippers and trimmers to keep me looking fresh” stated Nas.
Andis’ array of grooming products includes Clippers, Trimmers, Blow Dryers and Flat Iron. Andis trimmers are identified by experts and individuals around the world as the best trimmers for styling, trimming, sculpting and dry shaving that also averts razor bumps.
“Andis makes the best grooming products in the world and Nas is a top 5 MC in the world. He also happens to maintain the freshest haircut in Hip-hop so there’s a natural fit. Beyond that, Nas has deep understanding of socio-economic issues in Africa and has consistently referenced these in his music so engaging him as part of our marketing initiatives was really a no-brainer” said Saheed Ahmed, CEO for GetAndis.
Adorned with close-cutting stainless-steel T-Blades, these trimmers are the best tool for trimming beards, mustaches, necklines, outlining and edging around ears. With sleeks ergonomic design shaped to fit your hand, T-Blade with fine cutting teeth for awfully close trimming and stored with a dynamic magnetic motor that runs cool and quiet and a high quality carbon-steel blade that have been acclimated for long cutting life, Andis Trimmers are simply the best on the market.
The marketing campaign also coexists with the current strategic partnership between GetAndis and Massmart, a leading retail cyclops in Africa and the parent company for GAME Discount Stores to carry Andis products starting with the stores in Nigeria.

Protect The Cosign…What Does That Mean?

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It means, you should pay the $8 and take yourself down to Brooklyn’s newest hot spot for live music tomorrow 3/29/12 and let your ears appreciate the sounds from some very talented emcees. PNC Radio, started this Protect The Cosign series back in January to do exactly that…Protect.The.Cosign. In this day in age where the term “cosign” is tossed around so loosely by artists, DJs, radio personalities, etc… It hard to know who to trust is really supporting these artists and who is just name dropping for the payola. At least we know PNC is being sincere and genuine about it. The first showcase, was at the venue formally known as Southpaw and the headlining artist was Brooklyn’s own, Torae. To show further support, other known artsits, DJs, producers and tastemakers came out as well to enjoy the show. Some of those were: Bishop Lamont, Illmind, Ski Beatz, Buckwild, Dallas Penn and Chuck Creekmur. I surely don’t anticipate this show to disappoint either. Plus, it’s hosted by Kid Potential, Combat Jack and The Company Man, who are always very witty and entertaining. Did I mention there was an open bar from 8-9pm? You should go,  even just for that. The $8 ticket will pay for itself.