Musicians
Good As Hell: Lizzo Slays Her ‘SNL’ Hosting Debut
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: NBC / Getty Superstar singer and rapper Lizzo capped off a week to remember as she pulled off double duty by hosting SNL in addition to being the musical guest. The Grammy Award-winning artist kicked off the latest episode of Saturday Night Live’s 47th season with a hilarious opening monologue. It was her second appearance on the show after appearing as a musical guest in 2019 performing her hit singles “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell” from her debut album Cuz I Love You. Decked out in a shimmery blue dress, she starts off by saying that she’s set on breaking the record for the most times the word “b—-h” has ever been said on television. She then shares that she’s reluctant to do so since her mother doesn’t like her cussing “but now I’m rich, so she’s lik...
ROLI Releases Seaboard RISE 2, a Reimagined MIDI Keyboard for Limitless Artistic Expression
ROLI’s new Seaboard RISE 2 rids any creative limits a typical MIDI keyboard may possess. The Seaboard RISE was first launched by ROLI in 2015 and has received praise from producers, musicians, and composers alike. Its diverse feature set and expansive soundscapes have become paramount to the sounds of TV series like Stranger Things and featured on albums like Drake’s Views and Ed Sheeran’s ÷. The new capabilities in the RISE 2 include a new Keywave2 playing surface, more versatile suite of bundled software, a burnished platinum blue aluminum chassis, and expanded compatibility with other instruments via MIDI port and USB-C. The Equator2 synth, Ableton Live Lite, and ROLI Studio are also included. ROLI’s Seaboard RISE 2. ROLI Scroll to Continue Recomme...
ROLI Releases Seaboard RISE 2, a Reimagined MIDI Keyboard for Limitless Artistic Expression
ROLI’s new Seaboard RISE 2 rids any creative limits a typical MIDI keyboard may possess. The Seaboard RISE was first launched by ROLI in 2015 and has received praise from producers, musicians, and composers alike. Its diverse feature set and expansive soundscapes have become paramount to the sounds of TV series like Stranger Things and featured on albums like Drake’s Views and Ed Sheeran’s ÷. The new capabilities in the RISE 2 include a new Keywave2 playing surface, more versatile suite of bundled software, a burnished platinum blue aluminum chassis, and expanded compatibility with other instruments via MIDI port and USB-C. The Equator2 synth, Ableton Live Lite, and ROLI Studio are also included. ROLI’s Seaboard RISE 2. ROLI Scroll to Continue Recomme...
5 of the Best Songs In 2021 By Transgender and Queer Artists
One positive element that the pandemic has provided the music industry has been the emergence and support of queer and transgender artists. The industry has predominantly been operated by men and there has been a serious inequality in pay, but now we’re seeing more LGBTQIA+ people and women being promoted and making executive decisions at major music companies. Among the artists that turned the industry on its head and skyrocketed their careers this year are Kim Petras, Shawnee Kish, and Quinn Christopherson. As we close out 2021, these artists and songs continue to shape-shift music and lead us into the next era of sound. Kim Petras – “Coconuts” Like a number of trends and songs in 2021, Kim Petras’ “Coconuts” took off on TikTok after sh...
Three Musicians Took 100 Years of Climate Change Data and Turned Them Into Songs
Climate change is causing the planet to evolve at an alarming rate. Thanks to musicians and instructors at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, climate change can also be heard. Musicians from Full Sail have teamed up with USA Today to construct music based on more than 100 years of data on climate change in various U.S. states, including Arkansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa. The data found that east of the Rocky Mountains more rain was falling than ever before, but in the west rain is becoming more scarce. Each composer approached the project differently with various musicalities. They all used real rain sounds throughout their pieces. Pennsylvania by Dr. Timothy Stulman In Dr. Stulman’s composition, he used a melodic line that represented p...
A Fifth of Musicians Are Considering a Career Change Due to Lack of Income: Study
Instead of sweet music, musicians are hearing a death knell in the wake of the pandemic. According to a study by Help Musicians, one-fifth of musicians have considered a career change because they’re unable to make ends meet financially through music, among other factors. Other artists have done quite well on platforms like Spotify. Help Musicians interviewed nearly 1,000 musicians to gather insight and data on how the pandemic continues to affect working musicians. One-third of the surveyed musicians noted that they were still earning nothing after the pandemic. Nine in 10 musicians are earning less than £1,000 (about $1,338) per month. Peter F Recommended Articles “Whilst much of the economy is gradually getting back to normal, it will be a long time before musicia...
John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ Officially Platinum, After 56 Years
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Donaldson Collection / Getty The great jazz legend John Coltrane has achieved another remarkable feat – his iconic album A Love Supreme has now been certified platinum, 56 years after its initial release. A Love Supreme, released in 1965, has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as having one million copies sold. At the time, it was well-received and sold well, even garnering a nomination for a Grammy Award. The achievement means that it is the late saxophonist’s first-ever platinum record, but in an astounding feat, it means that the album is the first jazz record from the 1960s to ever achieve that status. Jamie Krents, the head of Verve and Impulse! Records helped to mark the occasion last week by presenting his son an...
Jay-Z’s Made In America 2021 Coming Soon, Here Are 7 Of Our Favorite Moments Of MIA’s Past
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83 In 2012, Hip-Hop legend and business mogul Jay-Z brought the Made In America music festival to Philadelphia, Pa., and every year since, the colossal musical extravaganza has brought us some of the biggest names across genres and has headlined artists who define the current culture. This month on Sept. 4 and 5 (aka Labor Day Weekend), the festival will be celebrating its 10th year with an exciting lineup of artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Moneybagg Yo, Griselda, Roddy Ricch and, of course, the show’s headliners Justin Bieber and Lil Baby. So, in honor of 2021 being set to cap off a decade of breathtaking performances and cultural celebration, we have compiled 7 of the best Made In America moments that have take...
Vision No More? Lil Uzi Vert Reportedly Removes $24M Pink Diamond From His Forehead
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: WENN.com / WENN Lil Uzi Vert was seen without his very expensive signature forehead diamond during a Memorial Day Weekend appearance with his girlfriend JT of the City Girls and Future, as well as recent social media posts. The Philly rapper tried to take the stunt game to gawd level when he implanted a big ass $24 million pink diamond into his forehead on February 3rd. Instead of props, the Eternal Atake rapper got jokes and memes suggesting that Uzi looks like Vision from The Avengers with an Infinity Stone stuck in his nugget. And worse, he got a possible health scare shortly thereafter. The 26-year-old Hip-Hop star worked with jewelry designer Elliot Eliantte on getting the diamond crafted and grafted since 2017 and he’s been making payments on his bl...
Clubhouse and the Music Industry: Tips and Tricks for Utilizing the App to Elevate Your Career
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon to find music industry executives, artists, and other key players in the business hanging out at bars, music venues, and industry conferences. However, with the unprecedented closure of most live entertainment spaces, the industry has been forced to find a new hangout spot. Launched in April 2020, Clubhouse was there to save the day, providing a safe space for professionals to get together and continue their conversations. What is Clubhouse? Clubhouse is a social networking platform that allows users to host and join real-time, audio-only conversations. The app features the communal interaction of social media apps like Instagram and combines it with the informational aspects of digital seminars often found on Zoom. Users can ju...
Legendary highlife singer singer Chris Ajilo passes on
Legendary highlife singer, Pa Chris Ajilo, who composed and sang what has become the Lagos anthem, “Eko O Gba Gbere,” has died at the age of 92. David Ekanem, the singer’s caregiver, said Pa Ajilo had been battling malaria since last week. He died in a hospital this morning at 10:30 am Ekanem said, “What happened is that he had malaria last week, so, we gave him malaria medication. The malaria persisted, and as there was no improvement after three days, we rushed him to a hospital at Ilesha, but there was no bed space. “I took him to two hospitals at Ile-Ife as well, but there were no bed spaces there; so, I had to take him back home. A doctor was attending to him at home. Yesterday, I noticed that there was no improvement, so, I had to rush him to another hospital at Ilesha. I was there w...
Nigerian singer BigLo dies of kidney failure
Popular Nigerian singer Lotanna Udueze, more popularly known as BigLo, has passed on. According to close friends, the singer who was down with a kidney ailment died on Christmas day. Biglo’s kidney ailment was diagnosed in 2018 and last year, he began undergoing dialysis at a nursing home in California, U.S three times a week. He also tried raising funds for treatment. His UK based cousin, Zuby Udezue tried to raise £50,000; about N23 million at that time. Biglo who was popular especially in the early 2000s with fellow musicians, 2shotz and StylPlus, shot into limelight with the hit ‘Delicious’ which featured 2shotz. Although the track earned him a HipHop World Award for Best Rap Collabo, the chubby rapper however, went underground after the buzz died down. Some of his colleagues have take...
