"Red Tails" was directed by Anthony Hemmingway and written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder; grossing six million dollars on its opening day, this movie is a must-see. Based on true events, the film was financed and produced by George Lucas, the same producer that brought blockbuster series such as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" to the silver screen.
5 out of 5 on the black hand side
Heads nod. Shoulders bounce. Hands clap. Mouths drop. These are the only possible reactions to Drake's sophomore album, "Take Care." Slated for release Nov. 15, the album was leaked eight days early. The album's 16 songs feature such artists as Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Rihanna, The Weeknd and the legendary Stevie Wonder. Don't expect the songs to be similar.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
The artist who told you to lace up your Nike boots and showed love to the pretty girls is back with his sophomore album. Wale dropped "Ambition" on Nov. 1. This is his first album as an artist on the Maybach Music Group roster. This is his first album as an artist on the Maybach Music Group roster. "Ambition" has 15 tracks and features such artists as Kid Cudi, Miguel, Jeremih, Big Sean, Ne-Yo, Lloyd and Rick Ross the "Boss" himself.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Coldplay's fifth studio album, "Mylo Xyloto," hit the streets Oct. 24 with the attitude "It's us against the world." The British alternative rock band has taken a new approach to its unique sound and flavor. This concept album tells the story of two lovers, Mylo and Xyloto, living in what Chris Martin – lead vocalist, keyboardist and guitar player – calls an "oppressive, dystopian urban environment."
Call of Duty MW3 goes to war with Battlefield 3
First Person Shooters — FPS — are loved by gamers worldwide. Each year new versions are released, offering gamers a fresh, original experience. However, when new installments of popular games are announced, fan buzz, media hype and publisher warfare surrounding which is superior becomes the rage. A war that has raged for months will come to a head when Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 parachute onto store shelves, bringing the war home to eager gamers.
J-Live is a triple threat. Emcee. DJ. Producer. Dangerous at first glance, sure, but lethal after a listen. See, J-Live kicks knowledge. Kind of like the golden age of Hip hop. Remember that? Back in the day? His new album "S.P.T.A." – Said Person of That Ability – is based on the trio concept. Three faces of J-Live battle for creative control. Sounds too conceptual maybe, but J-Live finds a way to merge his personas into Hip hop nirvana.
Raleigh author SaVette Brown held a book signing Sunday to promote her debut novel, "BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins." Brown graduated from Shaw University with a B.A in Sociology in 2009. She plans to move to Atlanta to pursue more opportunities. The native of Laurinburg, North Carolina started writing over 15 years ago. She initially wanted to go to college to study English or Journalism, but family obligations prevented her from doing so. Brown has been compared to major writers such as E. Lynn Harris and Terry McMillan, two of her favorite writers.
3 out of 5 on the black habd side
The DJ who gave hip hop real drama with "Gangsta Grillz," "The Dedication" and a number of other mixtapes has released a new powerhouse. DJ Drama -- the official DJ for Grand Hustle -- has dropped his third official album, "Third Power." This album is for hip hop heads who love a beat with street-oriented lyrics and some bounce. The track list consists of 12 collaborations with some of the best artists in the industry. "Third Power" includes appearances from high-caliber emcees like Fabolous, J. Cole, Wale and Wiz Khalifa.
5 out of 5 on the black hand side
North Carolina native J. Cole has released his debut album, "Cole World: The Sideline Story." Finally, after two successful mix-tapes, touring around the world, and signing a record deal with Jay-Z's independent label, Roc Nation. The album is 19 tracks of Cole embellishing relationships and giving his personal description of life. Also, on his debut album Cole receives help from Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, Trey Songz and Drake.
A buddy film about cancer? Somehow, it works
This feel-good, easy-going film is filled with lots of laughter and inspiration. "50/50" is a story about friendship, love, survival and creating laughter in doubtful situations. Adam — played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt — is a cautious Seattle public radio employee. The film details the comical path of Adam's health transformation.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
"Take off my fedora, put back on the fitted, like this y'all, I'm back on…"
From the moment I heard Phonte's line on the King Mez track "The King's Khrysis" I anticipated the Fall 2011 release of "Charity Starts At Home" first solo rap album. It's been four years, almost two if you count Leftback,since Phonte gifted his listeners with focused, everyday man lyrics about life, love, and relationship problems.
Disney classic in theaters for limited time
"Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze!" Contrary to this philosophy, Disney's most successful animated film of all time, The Lion King, is a blast-from-the-past craze that is back in theaters for two weeks only in 3D. This weekend, it opened at the top of the box office charts at $29.3 million.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
L.A. artist Casey Veggies dropped his first album, "Sleeping in Class," for free last December. As a result of the release, Veggies received an enormous amount of attention, creating a fan base for himself and creating enough clout to have MTV cover his high school graduation. Nine months after its release, Veggies is back with a deluxe version of his album. Five more tracks have been added. This time, the album is available on iTunes with the intention of garnering a profit.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Almost five months after the breakthrough mixtape "House of Balloons" that featured songs like "High For This," currently in rotation on HBO's "Entourage," the Canadian phenomenon Abel Tesfaye, known to most as The Weeknd, dropped "Thursday."
5 out of 5 on the black hand side
Twenty-one tracks filled with his historic background of growing up in Compton, glorifying his gang lifestyle and putting a twist on why most shouldn't live the lifestyle. Rap artist Game is providing opinions about the state of the hip-hop genre along with his current standing within the music genre hip-hop as a whole.
3 out of 5 on the black hand side
Lil' Wayne a.k.a Weezy F. Baby finally dropped his 4th installment of "Tha Carter" series on Aug. 29. Tha Carter IV, his ninth studio album sold more than 964,000 copies in its first week after release. Considering that this album is following behind the triple platinum, Grammy Award winning, "Tha Carter III," Wayne fans raise questions of whether Tha Carter IV would live up to the previous Carter installment?
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
The anticipated major debut album from Wiz Khalifa is finally available for young Taylors and curious listeners. After blowing up with the Pittsburgh Steelers' anthem, "Black and Yellow," and beforehand, highly praised mixtape "Kush and Orange Juice," the 23-year-old rapper has been the latest hype slipping off every critic's lips.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
On "Return Of 4Eva," Big K.R.I.T. revives the sound that put the south on the map in the ‘90s, a sound the late Pimp C would call, "country rap tunes." The Meridian, Mississippi emcee's first street album, "K.R.I.T. Wuz Here," garnered recognition from bloggers, message boards and the attention of Def Jam, which led to a record deal and a spot on the cover of XXL magazine as a part of the 2011 Freshman list. Many say K.R.I.T.'s resemblance to his influences–OutKast, UGK, and 8Ball & MJG–overpowers his sound, but "Return Of 4Eva" shows that he is a one of the few up and comers in hip-hop that can produce, rap, and still relate to his listeners.
2 out of 5 on the black hand side
"Lasers" suffered its share of setbacks prior to its release and has been in the making for the past three years. Delays from Atlantic Records led Lupe's fans to petition to have the album released. Then shortly before the release of the album, in a February interview with Complex magazine, Fiasco said, "I love and hate this album," leaving fans and anxious listeners wondering what they would receive.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
The anticipated album from Chris Brown, "F.A.M.E.," which can stand for "Fans Are My Everything" or "Forgive All My Enemies," has hit stores and has already hit as the No. 1 downloaded album on iTunes.
Who has true grit? Do you? It's what John Wayne, Kim Darby and Glen Campbell had in the original cinematic version of the 1968 novel by Charles Portis, known as "True Grit," debuted in theaters in 1969 under the direction of Henry Hathaway. Following the heels of its predecessor, Joel and Ethan Coen retooled the masterpiece and brought it to life for a new audience in 2010.
Comic book meets Japanese publisher for a third smackdown
After 10 years of demands from anxious fans, "Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds," has hit store shelves with a blast.
Herds of slow-moving families wandered the bright foyer of the Durham Performing Arts Center last Saturday afternoon, often led by their littlest members.
2 out of 5 on the black hand side
If you listened to Wiz Khalifa's first single, "Black and Yellow," then you know the young Pittsburg lad can go hard. However, listen to follow-up effort "Roll Up," and you would say this is not the Wiz I know. Surprisingly, the same "Black and Yellow" producers, Stargate, take credit for this follow-up single. Now I've listened to Wiz before — especially when he murdered Rick Ross' "Super High" remix — and he is most definitely a dope rapper. But how does one go from "Black and Yellow" to this soft song?
Disney’s “The Lion King” returns to N.C.
Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase! These words should be familiar to everyone who has seen or heard of Disney's "The Lion King." If you have not seen the screen version, you're missing a great film. The Broadway show, directed by Julie Taymor and now in its 14th year, was in Durham January 4 -30 at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). The stage version features dances and songs not seen in the film, featuring the musical talent of Lebo M and others.
2 out of 5 on the black hand side
As the clock struck midnight Jan. 11, music critics and social networks best at slander took to the Net to express opinions about the Kanye West and Jay-Z track, "H.A.M.," which is the first single on their collaborative effort, "Watch the Throne." An acronym for "Hard as a Motherf****r," the title is an overstatement, resulting in mediocre bars over an abused Lex Luger beat-style tradition.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Those studio getaways to Hawaii were worth the anticipation for "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." For fans that wanted the lyrical, punch line Kanye back – he's returned. The intro unveils with "Dark Fantasy," which features a narrative by Nicki Minaj in her British accent. The melody is classical backed up with vocals singing "Can we get much higher." As soon as the beat drops, Kanye gives the knock-out flow given in BET's G.O.O.D. Music cypher.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Mr. Solo Dolo's alternative hip-hop approach backs up his emotional lyrics and pushes the boundaries of traditional rap. The joyless dark 17-track-album arranged in five acts narrates Cudi's sudden rise to stardom and his downward spiral this past year. For the uninformed, Cudder has been arrested for cocaine possession, had rants on stage, cheated death, announced he was leaving hip-hop, and started a rock band in the past year.
Wondering if "Call of Duty: Black Ops" lives up to the hype it's received? Take it from us – YES. "Black Ops" is heavier on the storyline than its predecessor and has unbelievably, realistic graphics. The game revolves around a Cold War scenario in which a chemically engineered weapon of mass destruction must be rescued from a Russian-Nazi collaboration that wishes to destroy Western civilization.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Although illegal possession of a firearm has him behind bars, Tunechi -- better known as Lil Wayne or birth name Dwayne Carter — remains relevant with his eighth album, "I Am Not a Human Being."As anticipation builds for this upcoming Thursday's release date, Weezy serves this new project as the prelude to, "The Carter IV," making this a gift for the people.Some may address this project as a careless affair that lacks the relevance and quality control of his previous works, but I honestly enjoy 12 out of 13 tracks.
When you hear the name Star Wars, there are a few things that come to mind. One's thought process should include betrayal, revenge, clones, dual light sabers, force powers, epic battles, Jedi and Sith. These and more are what players await in "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II," released Oct. 26 to game consoles across the nation.
After being featured on B.O.B.'s "Nothin' On You," and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire," Bruno Mars hits us with his debut album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans." The album is a building success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200. "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" consists of records that both men and women can relate to. "Doo-Wop" refers to the ladies and "hooligans" to men. The lead single, "Just The Way You Are" is about loving unconditionally
Tuesday, Oct. 5 midnight not only brought a new day, but also the release of 2K Sports' newest game, NBA 2K11. Previously, 2K Sports collaborated with back-to-back NBA champions Kevin Garnett for 2K9 and Kobe Bryant for 2K10. This version features arguably basketball's greatest player of all time — Michael Jordan.
After being sentenced to a year in prison during the release of his second album, "The State vs. Radric Davis," Gucci Mane is back with the release of "The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted." Fifteen tracks filled with street mentality and testimonials show Mane's growth as an artist. Gucci Mane took a different approach on this album when he collaborated with artists that one would not usually place in the same category with the artist.
After creating an incredible third album, "Ready," panty-dropper Trey Songz is back with his fourth album, "Passion, Pain & Pleasure." Trey expresses thirst and sensation through seventeen tracks, including three interludes.Trey expresses thirst and sensation through seventeen tracks, including three interludes. The album's concept ties in quite well with the album's title, giving the listener a well put together project in a three different story format — giving familiar love scenarios.
After a nine-year hiatus, Bilal is back with his third LP, "Airtight's Revenge." If you are looking for 1st Born Second or even Love for Sale Bilal, look again. This 12 cut LP offers a unique, but likable sound from Bilal, that you are either going to like or not comprehend.
From taking over Duke's student body to touring all throughout the country and hundreds of fellow college campuses, Mike Posner's catchy tunes and raspy selections can be found on your local Top 40 station — taking the pop scene by storm. A 22-year-old Duke graduate and Detroit native, Posner released his debut effort "31 Minutes to Take Off," consisting of thirteen tracks tapping into the waves of Electro-pop and R&B.
"Back To Me" is loaded with an ageless flow as Fantasia's approach to each song sits in a true diva style backed with belly-gutting, raw vocals. A couple of weeks after an unfortunate episode, Season 3's American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino released her third studio album "Back to me"on August 24.
Erykah Badu's fifth studio album "New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)," was released on March 30th, selling 110,000 copies in its first week. Producers such as J Dilla, Questlove, James Poyser, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Sa-Ra, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Karriem participated in production on the album. Part two is packed with hazy yet relaxed songs about desire, longing, disloyalty and emotions.
The Grammy Award winning recording artist has done it again, continuing to secure his position in the ever so changing R&B music industry. Usher's sixth studio album "Raymond v. Raymond" was released March 30, assuring fans that the R&B crooner is home. Produced by big names such as Jermaine Dupri, Polow da Don, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the album debuted at number one, selling more than 329,000 copies in its first week.
Good manners returns to urban
Is chivalry dead? Are gentlemen a thing of the past? The answers to these questions may stump some while others may say "Yes, chivalry died a long time ago" and "who needs to be a gentleman." Read slowly: Chivalry is not dead! It has been resurrected and made sexy again by 27-year-old Enitan O. Bereola II, author of "Bereolaesque: The Contemporary Gentleman & Etiquette Book for the Urban Sophisticate." Sparked by Enitan's last name, "bereolaesque" is a self made adjective, meaning highly appealing and pleasing to the human senses and mind.
Final Fantasy XIII reaches beyond hardcore gamers
Welcome to the human paradise in the sky known as Cocoon. Floating above the world of Pulse, mankind sits apart from the rest living a peaceful life until disaster strikes. This is the story of Final Fantasy XIII created by Square Enix . The game was released on March 9, for PS3 and XBOX 360 game console.
It's been 10 years since Ludacris dropped his first album,"Back for the First Time." March 9 marked the date "Battle of the Sexes" dropped, which is Ludacris' seventh album The album was originally set to be a collaborative project with former label mate, Shawnna, and was to be released in 2009.
Breaking out of a hiatus since her 2000 album "Lovers Rock," Sade Adu is back on the front line with her first album of the new decade, "Soldier of Love." Many believe Sade is a one-woman act, but Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman, and Andrew Hale make up the band, which takes Sade's first name. The band has been together since day one. "Soldier of Love" is Sade's sixth album within the band's 25-year career.
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Take a break from Lady GaGa or Beyonce and enjoy the soothing sounds from Corrine Bailey Rae's sophomore album, "The Sea."
4 out of 5 on the black hand side
Ke$ha's debut album "Animal" is something like a beast itself. She releases malicious vocals throughout each song, with fresh beats from start to finish. A co-writer of all the material on the album, Ke$ha's personality is reflected through her lyrics, which are electric and bold.
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