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Blacksmith Records
Blacksmith is a music management company and a record label founded by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. Signees include Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady, Vince Staples and Idle Warship. Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp Lo and had expressed interest in signing Rakim as well. Talib Kweli announced that there will be a 'BlackSmith TV' where people will get information about the label. The label was originally distributed through Warner Bros. Records but split in December 2008. Talib did confirm to AllHipHop.com that Warner Bros. would still distribute Reflection Eternal & Talib Kweli projects but not any other Blacksmith acts. It's now believed that the label has distribution through Element 9/Fontana with Strong Arm Steady latest project and Idle Warship's upcoming debut album said to have distribution through them. As of 2012 the label is defunct and was disbanded after Kweli's manager decided to focus the Blacksmith brand elsewhere rather than the lab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fontana Distribution
Fontana Distribution was a division of San Francisco-based Isolation Network (now owned by the Virgin Music Group unit of the Universal Music Group since 2019). A minority stake of the company was owned by Universal Music until Ingrooves, INgrooves acquired Fontana Distribution from UMG in 2012 to form INgrooves Fontana. In 2019, Universal Music Group acquired Fontana's owner, INgrooves, returning Fontana back to UMG. A year later, Fontana Distribution was folded into Caroline Distribution, which another year later, rebranded into Virgin Music Label & Artist Services. Profile Fontana deals in distribution, as well as in a range of sales, marketing, and back office support services, for a diverse roster of independent record labels and their artists. The company takes its name and logo from the Fontana Records label; it was initially launched by Universal Music Group in 2004 and later sold to Isolation Network in 2012. The company includes a UK-based operation, Fontana Internation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek (born May 5, 1976), is an American rapper and record producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, ''Hi-Teknology 2''. Career 1996-2000 Hi-Tek started his career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album ''Doom'', which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's '' Black Star'' (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released ''Train of Thought'' (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the singles "The Blast" and "Move Somethin'". Reflection Eternal released a follow-up album titled ''Revolutions Per Minute'' on May 18, 2010. 2001-current After signing to Rawkus Record ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Revolutions Per Minute (Reflection Eternal Album)
''Revolutions per Minute'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records. Composed of rapper Talib Kweli and DJ/hip hop producer Hi-Tek, it is the duo's follow-up to their collaborative debut ''Train of Thought'' (2000). The album debuted at number 18 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, ''Revolutions per Minute'' received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Background Like the first album, ''Revolutions per Minute'' was recorded at Electric Lady Studios. It is their second album after a 10-year hiatus. Hi-Tek produced the entire album. The album features five singles: "Back Again", " Just Begun" with Mos Def, Jay Electronica and J. Cole, "In This World", "Strangers (Paranoid)" with Bun B, and "Midnight Hour" with Estelle. The album was released May 18, 2010 on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records. Reception Com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Party Robot
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature food and beverages, and often conversation, music, dancing, or other forms of entertainment. Some parties are held in honor of a specific person, day, or event, such as a birthday party, a Super Bowl party, or a St. Patrick’s Day party. Parties of this kind are often called celebrations. A party is not necessarily a private occasion. Public parties are sometimes held in restaurants, pubs, beer gardens, nightclubs, or bars, and people attending such parties may be charged an admission fee by the host. Large parties in public streets may celebrate events such as Mardi Gras or the signing of a peace treaty ending a long war. Types Balls Banquets Birthday party A birthday party is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeanius
''Jeanius'' is the third studio album by American rapper Jean Grae. She worked on it with hip hop producer 9th Wonder and intended to release it in 2004, but the album Music leak, leaked prematurely and spawned various pirated versions of the unfinished project. After Grae's record deal with the label, ''Jeanius'' was released on July 8, 2008, by Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records. Background Scheduled for release as early as 2004, the album was delayed for unknown reasons and has since been heavily bootlegged on the internet. The album was released on July 8, 2008, on Talib Kweli's Blacksmith music label. The booklet for the album contains faithful recreations of classic Hip Hop album covers, featuring images of Grae and 9th Wonder superimposed onto covers of Public Enemy's ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'', Das EFX's '' Dead Serious'', Raekwon's '' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'', and Black Sheep's '' A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing''. Critical reception Andre Barne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
9th Wonder
Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975), better known as 9th Wonder, is a hip hop music, hip hop record producer, , DJ, and from . He began his career as the main producer for the group [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eardrum (album)
''Eardrum'' is the third studio album by United States, American Hip hop music, hip hop artist Talib Kweli. The album was released on August 21, 2007, by Blacksmith Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album features guest appearances from Res (singer), Res, Jean Grae, UGK, Raheem DeVaughn, Roy Ayers, Kanye West, Norah Jones, Coi Mattison, Lyfe Jennings, will.i.am, Sa-Ra, KRS-One, Musiq Soulchild, Strong Arm Steady, Sizzla, Justin Timberlake and Marsha Ambrosius. Reception Critical response ''Eardrum'' scored 73 out of 100 from Metacritic based on "generally favorable reviews". Some than most reviews are average or mixed: ''Uncut (magazine), Uncut'' gave it a score of three stars out of five and said, "Kweli, whose wordy rhymes can often read better than they flow, sounds nimble and at ease most of the time." ''Vibe (magazine), Vibe'' gave it three stars out of five and said it "lacks cohesiveness." ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' gave it a score of five out of ten and said, "Though ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liberation (Talib Kweli And Madlib Album)
''Liberation'' is a collaborative album by Talib Kweli and Madlib. It was made available as a free download from Stones Throw's Rappcats website, and Kweli and Madlib's MySpace pages for the first week of 2007, beginning New Year's Eve 2007. It was removed about a week later. One cover for the album is an adaptation of a piece by guerrilla artist Banksy, and an alternative cover (given away as a print-ready download) is a collage of Talib Kweli, a dollar sign, and the Statue of Liberty. Reception A.J. Henriques of ''Stylus Magazine'' gave ''Liberation'' a grade of A−, commenting that "Talib Kweli sounds more energized rhyming over Madlib's production than he has in years" and "Madlib has crafted his most traditionally rappable beats since his work with Lootpack." It was ranked at 53 on ''PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cult ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madlib
Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM (as Madvillain), J Dilla (as Jaylib), and Freddie Gibbs (as MadGibbs). Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last." Aziri (2002). His stage name is an acronym for "Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats". Early life Otis Jackson Jr. was born on October 24, 1973, in Oxnard, California, to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and Dora Sinesca Jackson. He sampled his first song at 11 years old, sourced from his father's collection. His younger brother is the producer and rapper Michael "Oh No" Jackson. His uncle is the jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. He was raised in Oxnard, where he began his music career. Music career 1993–1998: Early career In the early 1990s, Madlib formed a loose-knit collective composed of rappers who worked with him in his Oxna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Res (singer)
Shareese Renée Ballard, better known by her stage name Res ( ), is an American singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her musical style is a blend of indie pop, soul, and rock. Solo career Res released her debut album, ''How I Do'', in 2001 along with its first single "Golden Boys." Despite heavy rotation on VH1, the song did not catch on in radio play. "Ice King" (Remixed by Nas) emerged as the second single later that year but also failed to break through with radio audiences and no video was filmed. In early 2002, Res released the third single from ''How I Do'', " They-Say Vision." The song and accompanying video were breakthrough hits and reached #1 on the Billboard Dance chart and #37 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. With the chart success of the single, the album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 for the first time. A fourth single, "Sittin' Back," was also released, but did not enjoy the same success as "They-Say Vision." Meanwhile, in 2002, Res appeared on a track ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Idle Warship
Idle Warship was a musical duo composed of Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli and Philadelphia singer Res. Res has appeared on each Talib Kweli album since 2000's ''Train of Thought''. They have also toured together, including on the summer 2005 MGD Flavor 2 Savor mini-tour. They released their debut mixtape, ''Party Robot'', on October 27, 2009 for free. This was originally set for a 2008 release and announced on Talib Kweli's MySpace page in a New Year's blog entry. Idle Warship has released songs via their MySpace page, including "Industry Diary", "Screamin'" featuring mc chris, "Pull It Out" featuring Dapa Flex, "Fall Back" featuring Chester French, among others. The group released their debut album '' Habits of the Heart'' on November 1, 2011. After Res accused Talib Kweli of sexual misconduct, their dispute signaled the end of Idle Warship in 2018. Albums *2011: '' Habits of the Heart'' Mixtape *2009: ''Party Robot'' Singles *2008: "Screamin'" (featuring mc chris) *2008: "B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Da Agony
Strong Arm Steady, often referred to as SAS, is a hip hop group in California's underground hip hop scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Phil Da Agony, Krondon, of Los Angeles, and Mitchy Slick of San Diego, California. Originally an amorphous collective of at least eight, formed as an alternative to the gang-focused productions of West Coast rap's then-dominant Death Row Records, SAS pared down to four members for recording in the studio and performing live, with Xzibit as the frontman. Since he left the group in 2006, the three remaining members have been a stable trio. Over the years they have recorded many mixtapes and have distributed them all over the world. "Speaking directly to their fans," they were West Coast pioneers in the use of mixtapes as a group's principal method of distribution and marketing, a model necessitated by their neither being DJs nor closely affiliated with a DJ, and a method already proven on the East Coast by 50 Cent and others i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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