Word Up

6/28/10

Last night at the BET Awards, Chris Brown took the stage in a multi-song tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Chris Brown flawlessly performed hits such as “Billie Jean” and “Remember the Times”. Not one note or step was missed during these performances. However it all came to a halt when Chris had to perform “Man in the Mirror”. Because of the incident where he abused ex girlfriend, Rihanna, Chris’s career has been very rocky. He has lost many fans and has been ridiculed and accused of being a domestic abuser. Jackson’s song “Man in the Mirror” talks about changing your ways and becoming a better man. He wants to show the world that he is a changed man. However is this breakdown genuine or an act to get on fans good side? According to LA Times 1,068 voters think that the meltdown was totally fake and was just used for sympathy, while over 2,000 voters felt that it was genuine. According to Arts Beat blog in the New York Times, music journalists Rob Tannenbaum and Sean Fennessey are very displeased with Chris Brown. They made reference to the fact that Chris used a very special tribute and made it about himself.

Article by: Thanisha Pariage

6/1/2010

A series of can’t miss summer concerts are coming to Lehman College, promoted in part by John “Gungie” Rivera of Victory2 Multimedia and Ralph Mercado III. El Gran Combo kicks things off on June 11 and 12. With hit songs like “Timbalero,” “Menu,” “Teléfono,” “Me liberé” and “Nadie como ella,” they’ll have the crowd salsa dancing in no time. Joining them are La Excelencia, who bring their unique brand of hardcore salsa sounds known as “salsa dura,” and 8 Y Más, a collaboration between Latin music legends Bobby Allende, Marc Quiñones, Maneco Ruiz, Arturo Ortiz, Víctor Baro, Samuel Barreto, José Tabarez and Eddie Rosado. Salsa enthusiasts will also want to check out Julio Castro, Richie Ray, Bobbie Cruz, Nayibe “La Gitana”, José Mangual Jr. with Jimmy Sabater & Son Boricua and Ray Castro y su Conjunto Clásico as they celebrate 33 Years of “Salsa Gorda” on July 10. Michael Jackson fans won’t want to miss it when Lehman College remembers the King of Pop on June 26, a year after his shocking death. This is the exclusive New York engagement for King Michael, a team of three talented singers who portray Michael at different stages of his dynamic career. You’ll hear hits like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Earth Song” and more. Plus, King Michael’s Tribute to the King of Pop features an all-star dance company, DJs, Video Jockeys and master percussionists. Tickets for all of these great events are available by calling (212)243-6052 or by visiting www.lehmancenter.org. Lehman College is located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in the Bronx.

Article By: Michelle Loeb

4/12/10

Raymone Bain, Michael Jackson’s former publicist claims that she has yet to be paid for her services provided back in 2008. Raymone has been working with Michael since the 2005 when he was going through his child molestation trial. The publicist photographed with Michael above demands a total of $360,000 from MJ’s Estate. The situation seems a bit fishy, being that she is speaking out now, instead of two years ago when the money was due.

Article by: Jose Diaz

3/24/10

As new details emerge on Michael Jackson’s death, his doctor’s credibility gets worse and worse. According to a report from the Associated Press, Dr. Conrad Murray stopped administering CPR on the suffering star and delayed calling 911 so that he could hide drug vials in the room. Jackson’s logistics director, Alberto Alvarez, claimed that he was called to the pop star’s side only to find “the star lying in bed with an IV in his leg, showing no signs of life,” said Us Weekly. “Murray was performing CPR with one hand on Jackson.” The AP also reported MJ’s children, Prince and Paris, came into the room and cried as they watched Dr. Murray administer mouth-to-mouth on their daddy. And when Jackson was pronounced dead, Us Weekly says Alvarez reported that Murray “allegedly said he needed to fetch cream from Jackson’s mansion “so the world wouldn’t find out about it.” Wow. We’re not surprised there are calls for Murray to lose his medical license. Could the King of Pop still be alive today if not for Dr. Murray’s alleged negligence? Sadly, the world will never know.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

3/17/10

The King of Pop may be gone but he is still breaking records. TMZ reports Sony has signed the late Michael Jackson’s estate to a seven-year recording contract worth up to $250 million. That’s the biggest recording contract in history! Wow, MJ sure could have used that deal a long time ago. The agreement states that there will be ten projects over the next seven years consisting of both repackaged hits and unreleased material. A source told the Associated Press that the first album will feature never-before-released Jackson recordings and should hit shelves in November. We can’t wait! Sony has already made $250 million since MJ’s death between memorabilia, his This Is It concert movie and the 31 million albums he’s sold since he passed away in June. So why sign such a lucrative contract? “We’re dedicated to protecting this icon’s legacy and we’re thrilled that we can continue to bring his music to the world for the foreseeable future,” explained Sony Music’s Columbia Epic Label Group chairman Rob Stringer. Sounds like a good plan for the legend, even though he really doesn’t need a contract to keep his legacy living on forever.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles and Michelle Loeb

2/16/10

Rapper Jay-Z apparently dislikes the idea of having a “We Are The World” do-over. Produced by Quincy Jones and written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the famous 1985 original song, was re-recorded by more than 80 of music’s biggest musicians of today in efforts to benefit Haiti earthquake relief. According to MTVNews.com, the Jigga man commented “I know everybody is gonna take this wrong: ‘We Are the World,’ I love it, and I understand the point and think it’s great. But I think ‘We Are the World’ is like (Michael Jackson’s) ‘Thriller.’ I don’t ever wanna see it touched.” He then went on to say “I’m a fan of music. I know the plight and everything that’s going on in Haiti. I applaud the efforts: [Millions have been raised] through text [donations] to Haiti. So I appreciate the efforts and everything, but ‘We Are The World’ is [musically] untouchable like ‘Thriller’ is untouchable. Some things are just untouchable. It was a valiant effort, but for me, it’s gonna be untouchable.” We do agree it’s a classic, but if it’s for a good cause then why not.

Article by: Ruschelle Charles