LIFE Pulse Blog
Archive for June 11, 2009
Royce da 5’9″ Unleashes New Music
Fans of Royce da 5’9” will get more than an earful of new music as the Detroit lyricist gears up to unleash a slew of material for eager listeners.
Royce’s first release will be the digital only EP The Revival.
The offering will include songs from the rapper’s upcoming album Street Hop as well as a new unreleased track from the group Slaughterhouse.
According to Royce, The Revival will be the first in a series of digital EPs released from the Slaughterhouse camp as Royce and fellow members Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Joe Budden prepare for the July release of the super group’s self-titled debut album.
“The Revival will give people a chance to see what I’ve been up to and what to expect from the album,” Royce stated. “The month of July will belong to Slaughterhouse with the release of our full length group album and solo EP’s from me followed by Joell, Joey and Crooked. We will show fans why we are the ones to watch.”
In addition to The Revival, a new Slaughterhouse song not featured on the group’s album will be featured on each member’s solo digital EPs throughout July.
The arrival of the Slaughterhouse album and The Revival serve as preparation for Royce’s Street Hop.
The rapper’s fourth album, which will be executive produced by DJ Premier, concludes a lengthy process spanning almost two years.
To further anticipation for his new releases, Royce will spend the summer on the road with Slaughterhouse as part of the Rock the Bells tour.
A new single and video for The Revival is set to debut in the coming weeks.
Royce da 5’9”’s The Revival is slated to be released July 7 to all major digital outlets, while Street Hop hits stores on September 22.
The following is a list of Rock the Bells tour dates featuring Slaughterhouse:
June 27 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
June 28 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 5 – Toronto, ONT – Molson Amphitheatre
July 12 – Baltimore. MD/DC – Meriweather Post Pavilion
July 18 – Boston, MA – Comcast Center
July 19 – New York, NY – Jones Beach Amphitheatre
August 1 – Vancouver, BC – Deer Lake Park
August 2 – Calgary, AB – Shaw Millennium Park
August 6 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 8 – Los Angeles, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheatre
August 9 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Lloyd: Time With The Inc. Has ‘Run Its Course’
After 5 years as a mainstay on Irv Gotti’s The Inc., R&B singer Lloyd has declared his time with the former powerhouse label has “run its course.”
Although he released his third LP in August 2008, the young crooner feels his career has become stagnant in the wake of The Inc’s separation from parent label Universal Records.
“I’m ready for a change,” Lloyd told press. “There’s no bad blood. I just feel I need to take more control over my career and get a fresh start. Hopefully Irv can understand my position.”
Lloyd’s announcement comes just one month following the departure of Inc first lady Ashanti, who was granted a contract release after years of distancing herself from the beleaguered label’s legal and professional conflicts.
While his own situation plays out, Lloyd is moving forward with a new mixtape to build anticipation for his fourth studio album.
“We have plans to get in the studio with Jim Jonsin, The Runners, Cool & Dre, Rodney Jerkins, and others,” Lloyd detailed. “In the future, I still hope to work with Irv as a producer as well.”
Lloyd’s manager Henry “Noonie” Lee framed his client’s decision as an essential business necessity to prevent any further career monotony.
“We find ourselves in limbo for the second time in three years,” Lee told press in a statement. It’s frustrating to know that opportunities to advance Lloyd’s career are out there but we can’t exploit them due to our current situation. Even though Lloyd is appreciative of the opportunity that has been afforded him by The Inc, he feels it’s time for him to move on and seek opportunities that will allow him to build and enhance his brand.”
At press time, Inc CEO Irv Gotti could not be reached for comment.
Lloyd is best known for his hit single’s “You” and “Get It Shawty.”
He released three albums on The Inc: Southside (2004) Street Love (2007) and his most recent, Lessons In Love (2008).
RIHANNA SUBPOENAED IN CHRIS BROWN CASE
R&B/pop singer Rihanna has been subpoenaed to testify in the assault case against fellow vocalist Chris Brown.
According to Rihanna’s lawyer Donald Etra, his client was served in person on Tuesday (June 9) in Los Angeles with the order to appear in Superior Court for Brown’s hearing on June 22.
“Rihanna was served at my office by L.A. DA investigators,” Etra told People magazine. “If the preliminary hearing indeed goes forward, she is now legally required to be there, she will be there, and will answer all questions truthfully.”
The upcoming hearing will be an important chapter in the continuing saga surrounding Brown’s alleged assault on Rihanna as it will determine if enough evidence is present to bring the case to trial.
The 20-year-old crooner, who is accused of beating the songbird in February, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts following the alleged incident.
With her appearance in court, Rihanna will be open to cross examination by Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos.
A plea deal could end the case at anytime, making the hearing unnecessary, People reports.
News of Rihanna’s subpoena comes amid word that Geragos’ bid to delay the preliminary hearing was rejected.
Earlier this month, the attorney filed an appeal to delay the hearing.
Court records reveal the appeal was rejected on Tuesday, with no reason given.
In addition, Geragos’ bid to gain access to police records he deemed crucial to the hearing was separately rejected.
In his appeal, Geragos noted that a state Supreme Court case currently under consideration could affect Brown’s access to the records.
Based on this, the attorney sought to have the hearing delayed.
QUEEN LATIFAH CONFESSES CHILD ABUSE HISTORY
With a career filled with musical and acting accomplishments, Queen Latifah has more than made a name for herself in the eyes of observers and fans while keeping a careful watch over details over her personal life.
But in an interview with Essence magazine, the rapper/actress opens up about being a victim of sexual abuse during her childhood.
According to Latifah, the abuse occurred over a period of time at the hands the hands of a teenager charged with watching her.
“He violated me,” the entertainer said in the latest issue of the magazine. “I never told anybody; I just buried it as deeply as I could and kept people at an arm’s distance. I never really let a person get too close to me. I could have been married years ago, but I had a commitment issue.”
Despite the drama, Latifah chose to remain quiet about the abuse.
It wasn’t until the death of her brother when she was 22-years-old that she decided to tell her parents about what happened.
“I knew that I couldn’t carry his death and that secret,” Latifah shared. “I had to get it off my chest. My mother felt terrible. She was kind of a country girl, so she wasn’t up on how slick people could be. When I told my dad, he said nothing.”
With her father’s response, Latifah admitted it was scary as she told Essence that “he’s a man of action.”
Years later, the rapper, who blamed herself for the sexual abuse, has finally come to terms with her ordeal after speaking with her therapist.
“I was a kid, and I had no power or control over the situation. I really wish I’d had the strength and the knowledge to say something sooner, because I always wondered, Did he do that to someone else? But I accept that the time for action has come and gone,” said Latifah, who is moving forward after being at peace with her traumatic past.
“There are some places I’d like to see, some young ‘uns I hope to raise, but other than that, I’ve done a lot of what I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “Everything else is icing on the cake.”
PRINCE NEEDS BOTH HIPS REPLACED BUT RELIGION WONT LET HIM
You might not recall this but Prince was supposed have a hip replacement a few years ago. Well, it’s not looking good for his other hip now and so he need BOTH replaced. They say its all because Prince wears those dag on high heels to bolster his height. There IS a problem. Prince is a Jehovah’s Witness and they apparently don’t believe in blood transfusions. I hope he can find a way some way.
YUNG JOC GOING AT DIDDY & BLOK FOR HIS MONEY!
Joc is about to make a super bold and rebellious move to stop the people that he claims are stopping his paper, according to Lokey at bet.com. They are saying now that Yung Joc is about to just release his next two albums outside of his contractual obligations to Diddy and Blok.Apparently, the first album is album is a street album called, The Grind Flu. Click here for the new single from the album.
