Tag Archive for john legend

Last month over 700 artists competed for a shot at being featured on VIBE.com in the “Your Music on VIBE.com” Channel. Holding the Number 2 spot on the charts was an action-packed NYC hip hop band by the name of Dujueos with their track “Spectacular.” The group has a solid record on OurStage’s Alternative Hip Hop Channel with two Number 1 monthly titles and a Number 1 hip hop video. It’s no surprise that this band, who’s opened for the likes of Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Funkadelic and John Legend, would catch the eyes (and ears) of the editorial staff at VIBE. After finding out about their big win Taylor, the band’s guitarist, was bursting with excitement: “OurStage is a great place for indie artists to get discovered.  We are really happy about winning the upcoming Vibe.com feature and are glad that people are hearing and feeling our music.” Keep checking VIBE.com for more on Dujueous.

Wait, there’s more! VIBE is returning to OurStage again this month to scout for more new rising superstars in the urban music scene. Hip hop and R&B artists should enter their original songs the “Your Music on VIBE.com” Channel for a chance to be featured in one of the urban music scene’s most popular online destinations. One artist will be selected from the Top 10 by staff at VIBE to receive a Q&A and streaming music premiere on VIBE.com in addition to a music critique from the president of G-Unit Records, Sha Money XL, and the all-star producer Hi-Tek (Talib Kweli, Common, 50 Cent)

For more information visit www.ourstage.com/go/vibe.

There has long been a debate in the music industry regarding the use of sampled music.  Some people are convinced that under the Fair Use law parts of songs that are open to the public may be used in new creations without compensation.  The truth is, Fair Use often doesn’t apply.  The law is so vague it can be determined what Fair Use is on a case-by- case basis.  The usage of copyrighted material without paying of royalties is not only illegal but can cause many issues in the future.
Continue reading ‘The Melophobic: Sampled To Pieces’

The Good

Madonna, others join “Hope for Haiti Now” concert

Madonna

Jesus Luz’s favorite cougar lady will join an endless roster of stars for the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief,” which airs this Friday at 7 p.m. CT/ 8 p.m. ET. The event will be telecast from New York, Los Angeles and London, and features musical performances by Haitian artists Emeline Michel and Wyclef Jean as well as Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna. Or, to put it another way, every musician in the world.

For more information on how to get involved, call 877-99-HAITI, text “GIVE” to 50555 or mail Hope For Haiti Now Fund, Entertainment Industry Foundation, 1201 W. 5th St., Suite T-700, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

OurStage will be streaming the Hope For Haiti Now telethon live Friday, January 22 at 8 p.m. ET.

PS22 chorus does it again

PS22 Chorus

Sometimes it seems like the only news is bad news. If life starts getting you down, know that you can always turn to the kids at PS22 Elementary School on Staten Island to put a smile back on your face. Here they are singing Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” Enjoy.

The Bad

Courtney gets maternal
You know you’re in trouble when your actions leave Courtney Love feeling like a mother. Forget worrying about her own spawn, Love is more bugged out about pop’s sloppy party girl, Ke$ha, who’s just a few years older than her own daughter. In a long series of tweets on her Twitter page, Love voiced her concern that Ke$ha was being “molded into something not her that will fail,” and that she wants “to save her.” Frances Bean, say it with us: Physician, heal thyself.

Killers announce hiatus

Killers

The Killers have announced they will go on indefinite hiatus after wrapping up their tour in Australia in February. Citing exhaustion after 6 years of steady rocking, the group will take some time to focus on other areas of life that we “normal” people take for granted: watching “Jersey Shore” marathons in our living room with no pants on.

The Ugly

John Mayer’s Rolling Stone interview

John Mayer

Listen to John Mayer as he spins a long and self-gratifying yarn about his near misses with Vegas strippers, how it broke his heart to dump dear old Jen (again) and his love for Rosie Palmer. Put it this way, when he’s not stroking his own ego, he’s stroking something else.

Miscellany

• Jay-Z, Muse, Gorillaz to headline Coachella
• Vampire Weekend snatches #1 Billboard spot from Ke$ha
• Timbaland and Katy Perry team up
• Nick Jonas and The Administration “Who I Am” video debut
• Franz Nicolay leaves Hold Steady
• Thom Yorke co-hosts Gilles Peterson’s radio show on BBC

You meet a lot of kids in elementary school: the crybaby, the bully, the glue-eater … but six future bandmates? Almost unheard of. Which is why Dujeous is quite the Cinderella story. Friends since early childhood, the sextet grew into a band in 2004, hustling their demo on the streets of New York. Fast-forward to world tours with Kanye West, Mobb Deep and John Legend, and backup gigs behind Mark Ronson, Lily Allen and the Reverend Al Green himself. The band’s success is due entirely to their revelatory brand of organic hip hop, crafted not on the computer, but on instruments that include guitar, trumpet, drums, bass, accordions, mellotrons, Japanese koto, not to mention the vocal thunder of three fierce MCs.

Dujeous’ sophomore effort, Day In Day Out, shows their pitch perfect musicianship at full throttle. A swelling string section and an emotive little melody on the balafon provide the background for the album’s first single, “Break Bread,” both a soulful song of thanksgiving and a blistering cautionary tale. The group recruited GRAMMY winner John Legend to sing the mellowed-out chorus, and he delivers the Dujeous manifesto to perfection: “We’ve got the recipe that sticks to the ribs / No artificial additives, it’s clear / If you really need some satisfaction / Settle down for a home-cooked meal.” Funk-soul queen Sharon Jones, Koto master Masayo Ishigure and DMC champ DJ Staen 1 also make appearances on the record — proving that there’s room for everyone on the Dujeous playground.

April showers bring May flowers.  What do May flowers bring? (Aside from pilgrims…) The winners of April of course, and what a great month it was!  Our Grand Prize winner, Wild-Wood, were the first GP winners from Jazz since September 2007, which really says something about their quality and potential in the future. Also, check out this month’s winning vide, Fat City Band, for some awesome grooves. While we’re on the winners topic, you can also check out the winners from the March John Legend Contest!

[playlist song_name="Midnight Stars" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/music/archive/entry/PZRXRKMEOOQL-midnight-stars" artist_name="Wild-Wood" artist_url="http://ourstage.com/fanclubs/wildwood"]

What Scares You Most

by:

Manic Bloom

[playlist artist_url="http://ourstage.com/fanclub/stofma" artist_name="Star Off Machine" song_name="Bastard" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/music/archive/entry/URLTYXNSVLVT-bastard"]

Exeter

by:

The Help

[playlist song_name="Another Lovely Day" artist_name="Danny Byrne" artist_url="http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/dannybyrne" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/entry/IEFGRXZSPPYK-another-lovely-day"]

Stay Away

by:

Misty Lee Olsen

[playlist song_name="Pharroh Q" artist_name="Quincyhayez" artist_url="http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/Quincyhayez" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/play/track/ZBCVFLWJWZJG-pharroh-q"]

In A Daze

by:

Cause

[playlist song_name="At Now" artist_name="Branch" artist_url="http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/branchtl" song_url="http://www.ourstage.com/entry/HFPSPMWNVPOB-at-now"]

It's Your Love

by:

Jillian Valentine

[playlistend]

Share and Enjoy:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•