Warm up your hashtag trigger finger, because this week Free Ticket Friday is back. Win free tickets to any US-based show you want (as long as we can get them – see official rules), just by tweeting at OurStage or interacting with us on Facebook. Yeah, we can’t believe it’s that easy either. Here’s what you have to do:

TWITTER ENTRY:

1. Follow @OurStage on Twitter.

2. Retweet the #FreeTicketFriday tweet (posted at 1PM on Fridays).

FACEBOOK ENTRY

We’re also giving you the opportunity to win over Facebook:

1. Make sure to “like” the OurStage page.

2. Interact with our Facebook contest post (Like, Share, or Comment)

Once you interact with the contest links you’ll be automatically entered to win a pair of tickets to the US-based concert of your choosing. Past winners have already snagged tickets to see Green Day, Maroon 5, The Killers at Madison Square Garden, and Jay-Z at one of his historic first shows at the Barclays Center. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook all the time anyway, why not win some free tickets while you’re at it?

Click here for the official rules.

Chicago-bred emcee Kanye West has finally confirmed long-gestating rumors that a new album was right around the corner by announcing the forthcoming release of Yeezus.

Making a not-so-slight reference to religion, which plays into the rumors he’ll release a single called “I Am God,” the latest offering from Kanye West is expected to hit shelves June 18. The first single from the effort, which has the equally controversial title “New Slaves,” can be streamed below.

Kanye introduced his latest material in a fashion on fitting his own out of control ego. On Friday, West premiered his new single and video ‘New Slaves’ by projecting it on 66 buildings across the world. Seriously. Footage of one of those projects can also be found at the end of this post. Continue reading ‘Kanye West Announces New Album ‘Yeezus’’

Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke has been at the center of a number of controversies in his day. Last year alone he was accused of assaulting concert goers, kicking people out of shows without merit, and allegedly beating his one-time girlfriend while holding her against her will. To say trusting the man is hard would be the understatement of the year. Unfortunately, some people refuse to see that truth.

Over the weekend, PupFresh uncovered what may be the worst Radke misstep to date. The article alleges that Radke not only walked out on the members of Falling In Reverse, but that he plans on heading out on Warped Tour this Summer with an entirely new backing band. The ripple effect caue by a move like this would be devastating to many in the community, but we need to make it clear now none of this is confirmed. PupFresh is known for their reliability, so we believe this to be true until proven otherwise. You can view their ‘exclusive’ info below:

I’ve been texting one of the members all night, and this is what I’ve gathered:

Ronnie got pissed that the shows on Falling In Reverse’s upcoming tour didn’t sell out and walked out on the band. It was never about Crissy and him having a kid. Ronnie will continue to do Warped Tour this year but with a whole new band.

For what it’s worth, all the money from the new album will go to Ronnie and only Ronnie. He also took all the merch sales from past tours too and kept the profits.

The former members are also concerned that Jacky Vincent may be deported because he is in the United States on a work visa, and with being fired from FIR, he’s out of a job.

Months ahead of their recently announced new album, an unreleased Wu-Tang Clan song entitled “Execution In Autumn” has found its way online.

Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, RZA and U-God join forces to unleash “Execution In Autumn,” which was produced by Frank Dukes. We’re not sure whether or not this is from the history books or off the new album, but we are positive it’s 100% pure gold. No one flows like the Wu-Tang killer bees, and that is exactly what is on display here. You can stream the song below.

A Better Tomorrow is scheduled to arrive in stores by the end of Summer. Comment below and let us know if you plan on picking it up.

Canadian crooner The Weeknd has released a new 8-minute epic entitled, “Kiss Land.”

Debuting late last night, May 16, “Kiss Land” is well within the wheelhouse of The Weeknd’s previous efforts. The track is ultra-sexual, but things switch up halfway through and become the “John Carpenter” track we teased a few days ago. Overall, another great entry in The Weeknd’s near-flawless catalog. You can stream the song below.

No idea when a new album will surface, but for now “Kiss Land” will do a lot to keep The Weeknd as relevant as can be. Comment below and let us know your thoughts. Continue reading ‘The Weeknd Streams “Kiss Land”’

Just under a week from the release of his major label debut, French Montana has dropped the official video for “State Of Mind.”

This is the first time in all my years of journalism that I have seen a major label artist release a video for a song NOT on his new album in the days just before said album hits stores. “State Of Mind” appeared on November 2012′s Mac And Cheese 3 mixtape, and while we still love its Harry Fraud produced beat, it seems like poor timing marketing wise for a guy who is trying to sell a couple thousand records in the next week and still hasn’t had a top ten single in almost a year. One could argue it’s just too good to leave alone, I guess, and that people may grab the free track as a gateway to later buying the album. I think that’s a stretch personally, but it could be said.

You can watch the video for “State Of Mind” at the end of this post. It will not appear on Excuse My French, but over a dozen new songs will. If you dig this, why not give the album a chance? Comment below and let us know your thoughts. Continue reading ‘French Montana Releases “State Of Mind” Video’

OS Member Fat Trel has become the first emcee brave enough to release a freestyle over Lil Wayne‘s “Wowzers” beat.

You may recall “Wowzers” from Weezy’s I Am Not A Human Being Part II, but what you didn’t know is that someone could ride it as well as Fat Trel has with this release. Wayne might have offered up a solid track with the original, but Trel goes in deep on these bars and really showcases hispotential for true greatness. He has found plenty of success reaching fans here on OurStage, so we’re not surprised to see him shine now. Click here to stream (and download) “Wowzers.”

Do you have new music and an account on OurStage? If so, let us know! Send an email to jshotwell@ourstage.com with your latest news, music, video, tour, etc. and we’ll try to get them featured here in the magazine.

Young Money mastermind Lil Wayne found again himself in the hospital yesterday with reports of yet another seizure.

TMZ broke the news – and for the record they are the same publication that not long ago reported that Lil Wayne was on his death bed – that the rapper was taken to L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Hospital late Tuesday night after suffering a single seizure. Doctors examined Wayne, but ultimately released him early Wednesday morning. The rapper later tweeted, “I’m fine. Thank u.”

Wayne suffered a series of seizures in mid-March, but has since been presumed to be in better health. It has long been believed that Wayne’s addiction to codeine syrup is one of the causes of his seizures, but whether or not that was a factor in this situation cannot be confirmed.

The creative process is subjective. No two artists think or create the same way, and it’s in the various methods we all use to develop new ideas that our individuals styles begin to take shape. Drake has rarely let people into those moments of brilliance, but a new video online this morning gives us a glimpse into his studio life in 2013.

A new studio update from Drake has been released featuring the creation of his recent Internet release, “Girls Love Beyonce.” Drake works with friends on lines, finds inspiration in vaporizers, and ultimately lays some bars in the booth. He does not say whether the song will make it onto his new album, but we can only hope. You can view the video below. Continue reading ‘Drake Posts “Girls Love Beyonce” Studio Video’

Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, one half of popular early ’90s group Kriss Kross, has passed away. He was 34.

Kelly was found unresponsive at his Atlanta-area home, and later died at Atlanta Medical Center on Wednesday, May 1. No cause of death has been revealed at this time, but from what we can gather there does not appear to be any hint of foul play.

The mother of the deceased and the So So Def family issued this statement on Thusrday morning:

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved Chris Kelly has passed away on May 1. To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music. But to us, he was just Chris – the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party. Though he was only with us a short time, we feel blessed to have been able to share some incredible moments with him. His legacy will live on through his music, and we will forever love him.”

Kriss Kross had a few hits, but none were as big as “Jump.” Click below to enjoy that classic one more time. Continue reading ‘Kris Kross’ Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly Dies at 34′