Author: JD
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“THE S.K.A.M ARTIST FAN FESTIVAL”
ON THE ROCKS LAS VEGAS SPINS OUT DJ FAN-FEST WITH “THE S.K.A.M ARTIST FAN FESTIVAL” Las Vegas (May 15, 2012) – On the Rocks Las Vegas (www.OnTheRocksLasVegas.com), the first multi-day entertainment and beverage festival in Las Vegas, taking place November 9-11, announces its first featured event, The S.K.A.M. Artist Fan Festival. This DJ-packed event will feature workshops, meet and greets, panels, programs, featured products and performances from some of the hottest most established DJs in the industry today. Fans will be able to meet the S.K.A.M Artist DJs up close and personal as part of the On The Rocks Las Vegas weekend which will include three nights of DJ packed performances at Las Vegas’ hottest Nightclubs. “I’m excited to announce this new featured event during our first-ever On the Rocks Las Vegas festival,” offered Jon Taffer, the star and co-executive producer of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue and president of Nightclub & Bar Media Group. “The S.K.A.M. Artist Fan Festival will complement our entertainment and beverage festival and add in a unique educational aspect for DJs and their fans. What a great way to party and learn at the same time.” “DJs are today’s new celebrities. People will flock to these parties because of the talented DJs performing,” said Sujit Kundu, owner of S.K.A.M Artist Inc. “We have a long history with the group producing On The Rocks Las Vegas as they are also producers of the wildly successful hospitality event – Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show. We know that On The Rocks Las Vegas is the place for the first ever S.K.A.M. Artist Fan Festival! These parties and workshops will be unforgettable.” Engaging the Las Vegas community of more than 30 nightclubs, bars, lounges and entertainment destinations, On the Rocks Las Vegas, entertainment and beverage festival, will offer a comprehensive schedule of parties, performances, contests, celebrity-integrated events and more! True to the indulgent image of Las Vegas, the festival will feature a number of headliner events, as well as a breadth of exciting programmed activities. More then 30,000 people are expected to attend the On The Rocks Las Vegas. A complete line-up of S.K.A.M. Artist Fan Festival DJs, venues and educational programs will be announced prior to the event. About the Nightclub & Bar Media Group The Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show is the country’s pre-eminent beverage, bar and nightclub event which attracts more than 35,000 industry professionals. The Convention features exhibits, education, tours, entertainment, nightlife parties and competitions. Through its live events, digital newsletters and websites, The Nightclub & Bar Media Group provides information and resources for owners and managers of bars, nightclubs, independent and chain restaurants, hotels, resorts, and casinos About S.K.A.M Artist S.K.A.M Artist Inc handles bookings for 50 of America’s top DJs. From their offices in New York and Los Angeles S.K.A.M represents some of the biggest names in electronic music as well as hip-hop super stars like Lil Jon, Swizz Beatz, Nick Cannon and Jermaine Dupri. On any given day S.K.A.M Artist’s eclectic roster of talent can be found manning the turntables at Las Vegas’ biggest clubs and pool parties, Miami beaches wildest hot spots, or top tier corporate events in New York and L.A. This is not to say S.K.A.M Artists are a purely American phenomenon, in the past year their DJs have brought the party to every continent except Antarctica.
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The Making of a Star: Jermaine Dupri, Leah LaBelle, and “Sexify”
June 1st, 2012 by ddeal Being sexy ain’t the same as being skanky. Just ask Leah LaBelle, who sings about all the ways she turns on a guy in her hook-filled song, “Sexify.” This song really moves with a hard beat, and the word play lives up to the title. “I just want some hanky-panky,” she sings, “Sexy vs Skanky/Dancing in my bra and panties/Instincts to master/Thank me, thank me.” LaBelle is emerging jointly from Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Recordings and Pharrell’s i am Other labels. Dupri is using a combination of social media and traditional PR to introduce her to the world. For instance, in March, Dupri started sharing the song to his 36,000-strong Global 14 community, and he’s also been giving her plenty of notice to his 477,000 Twitter followers, along with outreach to news media ranging from Billboard to Vibe (as he has documented on his own YouTube channel) I happened to witness the star-making process through a Billboard meeting that I attended on April. LaBelle did an impromptu concert in a conference room, singing bits of songs like “Sexify” and discussing her creative inspirations. She explained that the playful lyrics for “Sexify” were actually inspired by Cosmopolitan magazine cover titles. But whereas Cosmo title lines often throw sexuality in your face (like “Sizzling Sex Positions That Won’t Give you Boob Sweat”) LaBelle’s lyrics are more suggestive and sensual. From left to right: Pharrell, Leah LaBelle, Joe Levy of Billboard, and Jermaine Dupri And the playful video features cameos from Jermaine and Pharrell, who have both joined forces to develop her musical career. Dupri took time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few questions about “Sexify” and Leah LaBelle: How did you discover Leah LaBelle? Pharrell showed me a video of her sing someone else’s material on YouTube. We noticed her swag and style. The way she sang the song gave us the idea we could make her something special. You could see it in her eyes and demeanor. She looked like someone to be reckoned with. The voice you hear on “Sexify” is not the same I heard on YouTube. When we first started working together, I thought, “Wow her voice is much, much better than what she’s got on YouTube.” You just could not appreciate her voice from YouTube. What was it like being in the video? It was easy! I liked my role playing a landlord of the apartment where the video is set. You know, in a way, I do feel like I am her landlord, big brother, and protector – so me being a landlord in the video was a natural for me. [For more insight, check out this video Dupri shot on the set of the video.] Leah LaBelle and Jermaine Dupri in “Sexify” Do you consider “Sexify” to be hip-hop? I don’t label the song at all. You can call it pop, hip-hop, or R&B if you like. But the moment you call it pop, someone else is going to come along and call it R&B. It crosses all lines of music. What’s next for Leah LaBelle? Right now we are focused on taking her record as far as we can. “Sexify” is currently charting in the Billboard Hot 100 for R&B/Hip-Hop