Yesterday on "106 & Park" Kelis made some very interesting statements about the music industry. (I intended to post the video footage but YouTube is ACKIN' up) While on the show to promote her recently released fourth CD, Kelis Was Here, Kelis expressed a disdain for the music industry. She took special care to say that she insisted on "Blindfold Me" featuring Nas being her second single while the music industry -- her label Jive to be exact -- had other plans. She went on to express lack of support and how the industry will drain the life out of you. I tell you that Kelis is a handful. And speaking of "Handful"... listen to a track from Kelis Was Here titled exactly that. I am not necessarily surprised by Kelis' statements but I am a bit surprised that she chose to voice that opinion on the day her CD is release. She's still in a critical stage. Listen to "Ah Shit" from Kelis Was Here: I then got to thinking about artists like Fat Joe, Brandy, Ray J, Shanice Wilson, Amel Larrieux, Donnie and a growing number of musicians who were either forced out of their record label homes or opted to pursue the indie route. I recently spoke to both Amel and Shanice who both have asserted that they've made much more money as an independent that they ever did being signed to a record deal. Shanice went on to say, I've been signed to Motown, A&M and LaFace and I've even won a Grammy under those contracts, but I wouldn't trade the freedom I have now. At a label they control everything from how you speak to how you wear your hair. Now I write my own songs, I co-produce my own vocals. It's just better over all. Prince was one of the first artist to "emancipate" himself from signing multi-album record contracts and moved to distributing his music online. Enter MySpace. Now, I was slow to jump on the MySpace bandwagon. I've heard my friends use it to hook up and tons of pediphiles used it to... well, um yea... SOHH, has MySpace helped artists to really push their music independently? Or is it just a feeding ground for the record labels? I remember years ago when Left Eye, formerly of TLC ,exposed how each of the ladies had only made $40,000 that year at the height of their career while they had sold close to 40 million albums worldwide. Dawn Robinson of En Vogue admitted that one of the members was collecting food stamps in order to feed her kids, because the producers that formed the group, controlled their image and wrote their songs had made off with all the cash. A few years ago we went through era where every rapper was issued their own label. Allowing themselves to be called a boss, when in actuality they too were simply feeding grounds for the major labels. I'm just curious. Is there a blueprint emerging that will allow independent artists to produce and distribute their music to the masses? Is MySpace the answer? Or is there a duality that can exists between being signed with a major label and still not being fucked royaly when it comes to finances? As SOHH Fabulous would say, "speak on it." CALLING ALL INDEPENDENTS: SOHH Soulful will be featuring independent artists via YouTube videos, MySpace pages and other platforms. Submit yourself and your work to [email protected]. Check for us on MySpace. Lastly, our NEW JOINT OF THE DAY is from the sexified, white chocolate, former Mouseketeer, Justin Timberlake. Check out the title track from his forthcoming CD, FutureSomethingSexyBackSounds.... Like M.O.U.S.E!

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After we leaked John Legend's latest diddy, "Save Room," I spoke with someone rather close to the upcoming project. She felt as though the people that read and comment here were less focused on the music and more focused on John's and most male singers image and sexuality -- something she felt mattered the least. I remember that some of women definitely clowned John and some of his G.O.O.D. Music compadres based on their sexuality which would ultimately lead to some of the homeboyz falling back on his music. I know most people feel that R&B is more for the ladies, but the fellas purchase and or listen to R&B too... right? And if so, what kind of R&B? Who are some of the male R&B artists that fellas would feel comfortable playing when their girl stops by the crib? And to the ladies, who are some of the artists that you don't mind hearing at your man's crib that wouldn't make you raise an eyebrow? Listen to John Legend's "Save Room" (works best in regular old Internet Explorer) My friend thought that the fellas were more prone to listen or respect the classics. The Teddy Pendergrasses, The Isley Brothers... maybe even a little Luther Vandross. That's pretty significant in marketing female artists that a label want the fellas to take to. It played a significant role in Letoya Luckett's hit "Torn" which samples the Stylistics. It also played a major role in Mary J. Blige's and Faith Evan's careers by sampling many of the classics. Mary and Faith are two female R&B singers that you might find bumpin' out of your homeboy's SUV as he floats down 125th St. or Peachtree St. or Collins Avenue or Genesee Street. Homeboys don't have any quams about bumpin' that kind of R&B. Since nobody wants their manhood threatened and no woman wants to feel as though they are dating J.L. King, what are the do's and dont's of the male R&B singer? Fellas... do you like Omarion's music? What about NeYo, Chris Brown, Joe, R. Kelly, Raheem DeVaughn, Scar, Sleepy Brown, Bobby Valentino? Who and what kind of music do you put on when you are feeling grown and sexy? Or do you still bump Chamillionaire when you got your girl's head and ankles pinned to the headboard? Ladies... if your man was bumpin' B2K, Donnie, Jaheim or the classics-- what would your response be? If you were buying him some songs from iTunes, which ones would you choose and why? Again, don't give me the music is music and I will buy whatever I like or what moves me, because a.) You've admitted otherwise and b.) Peeps like John Legend, Maxwell, Marques Houston and others make damn good music but you'd be hard pressed to find real homeboys bumpin' their shit. Lyfe Jennings is seemingly homeboy R&B. His new CD< Phoenix, is out today. Most people don't acknowledge that both he and Jaheim are former jailbirds and have a greater chance of being uh... 'compromised' than most. His latest single, "SEX," has a few people wet. Also check out Pharrell's white chocolate protege Robin Thicke's song "Threesome"... Would you fuck to that? Download "Threesome" here. Posted by SOHH Soul Man at August 15, 2006 08:56 AM Comments

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This Wk Last Wk Artist Name Album Title Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Peak Wks On 1 Christina Aguilera Back To Basics Peak 1 Wks On 1 RCA | 82639 | RMG 2 NEW Lyfe Jennings The Phoenix Peak 2 Wks On 1 Columbia | 96405 | Sony Music 3 NEW Trace Adkins Dangerous Man Peak 3 Wks On 1 Capitol Nashville | 56731 4 NEW Cherish Unappreciated Peak 4 Wks On 1 Sho'nuff | 54077 | Capitol 5 NEW Soundtrack The Cheetah Girls 2 Peak 5 Wks On 1 Walt Disney | 861592 6 3 Various Artists NOW 22 Peak 1 Wks On 6 Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group/EMI/Universal/Zomba | 83563 | Sony Music 7 1 Rick Ross Port Of Miami Peak 1 Wks On 2 Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam | 006984* | IDJMG 8 NEW Obie Trice Second Round's On Me Peak 8 Wks On 1 Shady | 006845* | Interscope 9 6 Soundtrack Step Up Peak 6 Wks On 2 Jive | 88063 | Zomba 10 10 Nickelback All The Right Reasons Peak 1 Wks On 46 Roadrunner | 618300 | IDJMG RIAA3 Purchase Custom Charts Top 1-10 Top 11-50 Top 51-100 Complete

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That's right fam. Kevin Federline (Britney Spears' baby daddy) is determined to take over hip hop. At least that's what he's telling any media outlet that will listen. This performance from Sunday night's Teen Choice Awards damn near left me speechless. And for some reason I have this newfound appreciation for Vanilla Ice. K-Fed's album is dropping soon and he is REAL SERIOUS about lettin his "skills" shine. Some people are trippin over him dropping the N-bomb in his lyrics, and others are wondering who the hell is this dude's ghostwriter? I'm still trying to figure out if Busta was offended he used his beat at the beginning. What the phuck is really goin on here folks? Yeah, the beat may have been hot in the performance, but damn. Are people buying this cat?

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Word in the industry is that 50 cent is not feelin Lil Kim and Irv Gotti right now--on a personal tip. And he's letting everybody know in a real public way. Supposedly he's telling folks that he's kickin Gotti and Kim's names off his VMA afterparty list since he's not trying to have no enemies up in his party. The MTV VMA's are goin down in the NYC in a bout a week. And 50 and LL are hosting the official afterparty together at TAO. (Yeah, now those two are all on the best friend tip and shit). So 50 is letting everybody know that Irv and Kim definitely aren't welcomed at his joint. Needless to say I hear the "enemies" are hella salty right now and may try to cause 50 some problems next week....

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Kanye and Alexis right after he proposed We all know Kanye popped the question to his girlfriend Alexis a few weeks agoon the Isle of Capri (and supposedly with a 7 kt. rock). And People Magazine reported that this is his longtime girlfriend he had before Brooke Crittenden (the chick he took to this years' Grammys who works at MTV ). Before he gave Brookethe wifey role, a lot more went down than Kanye is letting anybody know about. You know SOHH Fab's got you covered on that inside info though.... alexis out with Kanye Aug 17 20062.jpgalexis2-2.jpg Kanye and Alexis at Mr. Chow's this weekend People led others to get the story all wrong. Contrary to word on the street, Alexis is not the girl he raps about on "Through The Wire" or the chick he brought on Oprah a couple years back. Basically, she's not that ride or die chick eveybody's been praising him for finally locking down. Check this letter from one of SOHH's sources (whose name we're keeping under wraps) out in Chicago: Hello Everyone, I'm a friend of Kanye's ex girlfriend and I work with her and the girl Alexis he claims he's been knowing for years and claims to have been through all the bullshit (accident) with him is not the same girl. The ex girlfriend that everybody thinks is Mr. Rainey's daughter is not Alexis, her name is Sumeke Rainey. She has been getting calls congratulating her on the engagment and this is not the same girl, Sukmeke was the one who was with him for 7 yrs and they seperated in the process of him reaching his fame. She is featured on his first album and has publishing credits to prove it. She wants to clarify that its not her who he is engaged to, Alexis maybe the newest chick and maybe he doesnt want to seem like he falls in love fast but she is definitely not the ex-girlfriend that was there before the accident and first album. I'm a hip hop journalist from Chicago being that she is one of my friends, I feel this should be clarified, I don't want to prohibit my opportunities for writing by saying this. However if you want to directly find out, I can arrange that. And I also heard from another source very close to Alexisthat 'Ye was actually on the low (but never made her his girl) with her throughout most of his relationship with the supposed original chick Sumeke Rainey. Ms. Rainey was with Kanye for years and he gave her credit on his album cover on College Dropout. Supposedly she actually inspired a lot of the hits he made for other rap artists and one big hit in particular was Hov's “Takeover”. She pointed out the beat and gave 'Ye the concept, he just tweaked it and brought it to life. He even was about to propose to Sumeke until he met Alexis after he moved to L.A. Remember the lyics from "Never Let me Down": "Nothin' sad as that day my girl father passed away/ So I promise to Mr. Rainey, I'm gonna marry your daughter"? Yeah, not the same chick as Alexis. But some people are saying Ms. Rainey isn't even the original chick, there was actually someone else. Kanye wasn't a household name yet when he moved to L.A. and met Alexis a while back. He was impressed by her having her own money, crib and own business (she owns a clothing boutique in LA). He got with Alexis on the low and even had balls enough to give her credits on the album right next to his main chick. He broke up with both women cuz he was gettin' groupie love from all kinds of chicks for a while. Yeah, he even put all his business in his music too. Apparently, this Alexis chick was married to NFLer Roman Phieferfor a minute and now has a 10-year-old son with him. So why is Kanye in a serious ass rush to marry this chick less than two months after he broke up with Brooke -- AND after he only kicked it with her on the low? I do know that people are speculating it's a cover up for his down low sexual preferences. Y'all know the damn deal. And others are saying it's because he got her pregnant. Regardless, something aint right here, but to each his own. BTW, whoever made this knows they're wrong: jay.jpg

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