Author: JD
Diplo’s ‘F1ORIDA’ Documentary
Coinciding with the reissue of Diplo’s debut album, Florida, which came out in 2004 on Big Dada – and now features 5 unreleased tracks/versions and a pull out scroll of emails between himself and Big Dada on insight into how the Florida album came to be – there’s also a companion, twenty-minute documentary about the producer/DJ’s early career as well. Titled “F1ORIDA,” it’s directed and edited by Diplo’s friend and former roommate Brian Torres Korlofsky and shows rare footage of Will Ashon and M.I.A. working in Philadelphia.
Joan Didion is the New Face of Céline
Best known for her novels and her literary journalism, 80-year-old American author Joan Didion has been named the new face of French fashion house Céline. Chosen by creative director Phoebe Philo and photographed by Juergen Teller, the first image shows Didion wearing a black turtleneck, her trademark big-frame black sunglasses, and an oversized gold pendant necklace. The pairing surprisingly fits rather well considering the direction of Céline’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which draws inspiration from the 1970s when Didion was experiencing peak success.
Rae Sremmurd Have No Problem With Kriss Kross Comparisons
I love seeing something i created over 20 years ago, having an effect on the new artist of today Rae Sremmurd had a massive 2014 riding the wave of their hits “No Flex Zone” and “No Type” and have already received positive reviews on their debut project, SremmLife. While in New York on their promo run, the turnt up duo stopped by “The Breakfast Club” to discuss their career and the album. Due to their style, high energy, and youth, the two have been drawing comparisons to Kriss Kross, a ’90s hip-hop group most known for their smash hit, “Jump” (R.I.P. Chris Kelly). It’s a comparison that the duo embrace. “It’s a good thing to me, I used to bump Kriss Kross,” said Swae Lee. “Just like people say, ‘They remind me of Kriss Kross,’ ten years from now people will say to other artists, ‘You remind me of Rae Sremmurd.’ That’s what we’re trying to go for. We’re trying to build our own credentials and go in.” After wrapping up with “The Breakfast Club,” Rae Sremmurd joined Rosenberg for more on SremmLife and comparisons to Kriss Kross. SremmLife is available for purchase here.
Iggy Azalea Says She’s Getting Criticized Because Of Her Gender
Iggy Azalea doesn’t think she’s getting a fair shake. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the embattled “Fancy” rapper claims that cries of appropriation are unevenly distributed. “Well, they don’t say that stuff about Macklemore,” says Iggy. “I think it has 100,000 percent to do with the fact that I have a vagina.” Citing The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and Eminem, she says she feels there is little unusual about her rise to the top of a traditionally black genre. Recently, the Australian star has been unreceptive to olive branches from the likes of Q-Tip and Lupe Fiasco. You can catch Iggy later on in 2015 on her North American arena tour. The New Classic is out now. [Vanity Fair]
Rapper Cool C To Be Executed Tomorrow
WOW!!! MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU Philadelphia rap pioneer Cool C is scheduled to be executed tomorrow (Jan. 8). Born Christopher Roney, the “Glamorous Life” star was convicted 19 years ago this month of first-degree murder in the death of Philadelphia police officer Lauretha Vaird. The shooting occurred during a botched bank robbery carried out by Roney and two other men, including his rhyming partner Warren “Steady B” McGlone. Though prosecutors sought the death penalty for all three, only Roney received the sentence. (The other two men are serving life without the possibility of parole.) Roney and his mother maintain his innocence, saying they were sharing a meal during the 1996 robbery; surveillance footage and forensic evidence suggest Roney’s presence at the bank. During his time on the mic, Roney was known as one of Philly’s foremost emcees, beloved for taking up arms against MC Shan, whom many felt had abandoned the city that gave him his start in hip-hop. The peak of his success as Cool C came in 1989 with his Atlantic debut, I Gotta Habit. His video for “The Glamorous Life” featured the first appearance from none other than Jill Scott, who starred as the love interest. Roney was originally scheduled to be executed in 2006, but was granted a stay. He is 45 years old.
DJ Premier’s D&D Studios Closes Down
DAMN!!! I WANTED TO GO THERE Things don’t last forever. Even though DJ Premier flourished in 2014 with the success of this collaborative effort with Royce Da 5’9 on PRhyme, he unfortunately had to kiss one of his prized possessions goodbye. For nearly 25 years, D&D Studios was home to the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Big L, and more. After DJ Premier acquired the studios back in 2003, he unfortunately had the task of watching his studio close down on New Year’s eve. Today, (Jan. 7) DJ Premier moved everything out of his studio to relocate to his new studio in Queens. Despite one chapter closing, hopefully a new one opens up with the launch of DJ Premier’s new studio.
Monster Sues Beats Founders Dr. Dre And Jimmy Iovine
Monster, who joined forces with with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine in 2008, is filing a lawsuit against Beats Electronics, the firm acquired by Apple in May. Monster CEO, Noel Lee, state in the lawsuit that he and Monster created the Beats By Dr. Dre technology, and that Dre and Iovine committed fraud by pirating the headphones away from Lee and Monster. Lee states his company was “betrayed” by Beats Electronics when the two companies went their separate ways in 2012. He continues on to say that Beats has gone on to try to erase Monster’s contribution to its headphones. The lawsuit was filed in San Mateo County Superior Court in California, and it charges that the Dre and Iovine hid the role that Monster and Lee played as it pertained to designing and engineering the headphone line, in addition to educating the pair about engineering, manufacturing, distributing, and selling the headphones that Monster and Lee invented. Beats was purchased for $3 Billion by Apple back in May, after they severed ties with Monster. Though Dre and Iovine made a fortune as a result of the sale, the lawsuit alleges that Monster lost millions of dollars from its investment of Beats. If Lee retained his original 5% interest in Beats, his total stake in the Apple deal would have been worth over $100 million, according to the lawsuit. HTC Invested $300 million (a 51% stake) in Beats in 2011 which netted Dre and Iovine $100 million each Forbes estimated, even before Beats and Monster’s five year manufacturing and distribution deal ended. By 2012, the Monster and Beats decided to split. Dre and Iovine bought back the entirety of Beats from HTC in 2013. Monster lists HTC and Beats board member Paul Wachter among the defendants. According to Joseph Cotchett, an attorney with the California-based law firm of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, which is representing Monster, those transactions were a “sham” that Beats used to exercise its “change of control rights” to fraudulently get the headphones away from Monster.” He continued by saying: “Had the partnership expired on its own terms, there would have been no transfer of Monster’s years of work on Beats By Dr. Dre.” Monster and Lee are asking for punitive damages. Apple, who now owns Beats Electronics, had no comment on the lawsuit. Last year Gizmodo ran a in-depth article breaks down the partnership between Monster and Beats Electronics. [USA Today]