Jay-Z and Kanye West Announce Watch the Throne Tour Dates

The album drops on the 8th of August on iTunes (12th in stores) and the boys will follow up with a huge tour. Tickets for that go on sale the same day the album is on iTunes. Want to know if they’ll be in your city??

9/22/11 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills

9/24/11 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

9/25/11 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

9/27/11 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center

9/28/11 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center

9/29/11 Washington DC Verizon Center

10/4/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

10/6/11 Chicago, IL United Center

10/7/11 Chicago, IL United Center

10/8/11 Minneapolis, MN Target Center

10/10/11 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

10/13/11 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

10/14/11 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

10/16/11 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion

10/17/11 Sacramento, CA Power Balance Pavilion

10/19/11 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

10/20/11 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

10/21/11 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena

10/25/11 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

10/26/11 Houston, TX Toyota Center

10/29/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

10/30/11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

11/1/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

11/3/11 Boston, MA TD Garden

Independent Retailers’ Open Letter to Jay-Z and Kanye West About ‘Watch the Throne’ Exclusive

July 28, 2011


By (independent retailers)

In response to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s decision to offer exclusive sales programs to iTunes and Best Buy for their forthcoming “Watch the Throne” LP, a number of independent retailers have written an open letter to the duo protesting the plan, calling it a “short-sighted strategy.

Dear Jay-Z and Kanye West,

Independent record stores serve our communities. Our passion is music, and we convey this to the millions of customers who come to our stores. That’s what we do.

Four years ago independent music stores across the country banded together to create Record Store Day. Our goal was to counter the negative media coverage about the supposed demise of record stores brought on by the closing of the Tower stores and to respond to the music business practices that fans deemed to be manipulative and onerous.

We reached out to the artist community to see if they would join us, and the response was overwhelming, with words of support coming in from Paul McCartney, Erykah Badu, Tom Waits, Chuck D, the Foo Fighters and countless others. Working with their label partners, many of these musicians created limited edition works of art, including vinyl and CDs made especially for music-specialty retail. Hundreds of these artists took the opportunity to perform, DJ, and interact with their fans in our record stores. Here in the U.S., Record Store Day lifted the entire music business by 8% and contributed to the growth in music sales. Record Store Day is now one of the biggest music events in history, with millions of people participating worldwide. We also continue to work throughout the year with labels, artists and managers and run regular promotions via physical independent retail and recordstoreday.com.

We are responding to the bad news that your new album will not be available to independent record stores until after iTunes gets a window of exclusivity. We also learned that the deluxe version (which is what the true music fans who shop our stores will want, by an overwhelming majority) will only be available at Best Buy exclusively for a period of time. We believe this is a short-sighted strategy, and that your decisions will be doing great damage to over 1,700 independent record stores — stores that have supported you and your music for years.

We know that you are busy, and that you put most of your energies into creating great music, but we are writing to you in the hope that you will hear us and take the time to rectify this matter. As representatives of the independent record store music community, we are asking you to allow record stores and music fans equal access to your new album.

With the utmost respect,

Dedry Jones, The Music Experience
Mike Dreese, Newbury Comics
Judy Negley, Independent Records
Rachelle Friedman, J&R Music World

Mike Batt, Silver Platters

THE MAKING OF WATCH THE THRONE :: AUSTRAILIA

Kanye West & Jay-Z: Watch The Throne Documentary from introspective on Vimeo.

Rihanna Replaces Megan Fox in the Next Round of Emporio Armani Underwear and Jeans Ads

Armani Emporio announced Rihanna as its new face for ads shot in New York that will come out this September. The campaign is known for casting some of the sexiest faces in entertainment, including the Beckhams, Megan Fox, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether or not Rihanna will get to pose with whips and chains that excite her, and possibly the world (the Beckhams got only a big rope), this is a good direction for the diva. Her deal surely includes a mandate to wear Armani for red carpet appearances, and Rihanna is one of those people that will surely benefit from the pared-down appeal of a good piece of Armani eveningwear. Then again, she could just as easily diva her way into the sort of treatment they gave Lady Gaga. But, man, would it be refreshing for her to seize this opportunity to exercise a little restraint.

JAY-Z "CAMPAIGN GOING STRONG"

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have been in NY over the last several weeks working on third installment of their film, Men In Black 3. Yesterday, Big Willie got a visit from business partner Jay-Z on the set in Battery Park. Another pic after the jump.

Rap star turned entrepreneur Jay-Z and his business partner Steve Stoute (who is actually behind most of Jay-Z’s successful business ventures) were spotted leaving lunch in this past weekend in New York City.


The duo were probably chatting up their next business move which already includes hands in Carol’s Daughter, RocNation, advertising and more.

Jay-Z out dining with friends at Nello's in NYC.

Notice that the hair is cut and Shawn Carter "The Hustler" is on the move. Making his strategic rounds before 'Watch The Throne' is released. Meeting with Steve Stoute and Will Smith. Dining with the wifey and more importantly, the hair is cut which means the album is officially completed. So will Jay-Z be in M.I.B Pt. 3, I seriously doubt it but I can bet you that Willow and Carol's Daughter was discussed a little. I can also bet you that Stoute was giving Mr. Carter a briefing about the brands that will be align with the release of the album moving into the third quarter. The dinner with wifey was prob some quality time before the head their seperate ways for business. All in all blogs are interesting again and the man behind the machine is brainstorming. Get ya umbrellas out.

ROC NATION'S RITA ORA and BAD BOY'S CASSIE :: CK ONE CAMPAIGN

RIHANNA IS GOOD GIRL GONE BAD IN NEW PERFUME AD

Now we're even less surprised that Rihanna's latest single is called "S&M."

In this new commercial for her debut fragrance, Reb'l Fleur, the sexy singer conveys innocence by emerging from a flower comprised of feathers while wearing a peach gown before passing through a mirror that allows her to discover her naughty side—complete with a black dress, several hands covering her eyes and, of course, a provocatively placed perfume bottle.

Rihanna eventually manages to make her way back to the good girl side. But you get the, er, scents, she won't be there for long.

Jay Electronica Lands in New Mountain Dew Campaign

Jay Electronica has yet to release his debut album, but a major endorsement deal has already materialized for the recent Roc Nation signee, who appears in a new ad for Mountain Dew.


The New Orleans emcee is featured in a new commercial for Mountain Dew's Code Red campaign "It's Different on the Mountain." In the video ad, Jay Elect presents a remixed version of his song 'The Announcement' on stage, before the footage wraps up with the tag line, "Hip Hop Is Different on the Mountain."

"This is the first time I've done something like this ... of this magnitude, this nature," Jay Electronica explained about the collaboration with Mountain Dew. "I'm pretty excited about it ... As artists, we come to a point where we conform so much, that when somebody is actually trying to learn who they are and express who they are as an individual and give their expression it's foreign." Check out Jay Electronica's Mountain Dew commercial below.





BEHIND THE SCENES OF JAY ELECTRONICA MOUNTAIN DEW CODE RED AD AFTER JUMP

WILLOW SMITH "WHIP MY HAIR"

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS WILLOW SMITH MATERIAL

WILLOW SMITH ON RYAN SEACREST SHOW

ROC NATION X SKULL CANDY VIRAL CAMPAIGN

IT'S NOT A PORTRAIT. IT'S A PAINTING.

KANYE WEST FREESTYLES FOR FACEBOOK EXECUTIVES

I wonder where Mark Zuckerberg was at this time.

Be on the look out for the bio-pic of Zuckerberg/Facebook movie The Social Network

ROC NATION AVIATOR HEADPHONES BY JAY-Z

DAME DASH RESURRECTS ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS

Remember when Roc-A-Fella Records was the hottest label in hip-hop back in the late 90s and early 2000s?

Dame Dash does too, and hopes to restore the label that he was bought out of back to its former glory.

The Roc roster really only has one active artist on it at present time, Kanye West. Most of its other signees, including the label’s co-founder Jay-Z, have moved on to other recording plantations.

Dame plans to release the debut album from Curren$y as the relaunched label’s first release on June 15th.

“Def Jam or Universal bought the brand,” Dash told MTV. “I think the ‘beef’ [with us and Jay-Z] was that Jay made it clear he didn’t want me or [Roc-A-Fella's third co-founder Karriem "Biggs" Burke] to be a part of it. That’s really where it was at. Now that he doesn’t work for Def Jam anymore, he doesn’t have the right to use the name. So there’s no reason for us not to use it. It’s there, and it’s a brand that’s not being used. So I was like, ‘I’ll take it.’ It always meant something to me.”

Dash secured the deal through Island Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid, who previously worked with Dash through his shortlived Damon Dash Music Group.

After the release of Curren$y’s album, Roc-A-Fella will release Ski Beatz’s long awaited 24 Hour Ski School mixtape.

MTV Shows

COMPLEX MAGAZINE SMIRNOFF BLUE 100 PRESENTS:

Complex Magazine and Smirnoff Vodka Presents 100 Bold Moves. A look at the boldest moments in  sports, business, fashion, celebrity and music. 

#2 Jay-Z Leaves Def Jam & Launches Roc Nation 2009

With one remaining album under with Def Jam, Hov bought out his contract and started the Roc Nation imprint in a $150 million deal with Live Nation, the first time a superstar rapper had opted out of the traditional industry framework. He didn't get dropped. He dropped the label.

WALE: INDEPENDENTLY MAJOR

Last night in Atlanta, Georgia Thursday April 8, 2010 I went to check out WALE at Center Stage. Now I wasn't really a fan of WALE because I never heard his music except for the single's and informed by a lot of his passionate fans (most whom are from the D.C. area..lol).

I have always been a fan of live performance. It is the defining moment in an artist career. You can have great music, a cool image and amazing videos but without the live performance it is like pulling a card from the base of a card house. A live performance takes an artist from being an artist to propelling them into a "brand".

With that being said, the Roc Nation managed, Allido/Interscope signee WALE sold out the 1100 seat venue has laid the foundation for a long career.

WALE's brand alignment is very strong with endorsement and branding deals from LRG and Levi's, along with the help of Jay-Z helmed management company Roc Nation, and label executives Mark Ronson and Jimmy Iovine advising and guiding his career; Wale will be here for a vert long time.