Ethan First

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  • Missy Elliott Talks Women Rappers, 'WTF' Influences and More in New Interview

    Music fans across the world are thrilled to see that Missy Elliott is back, and just as good as ever. The massively influential female rapper has made great strides for women in the industry, and released a plethora of fantastic material along the way. Although she had taken a hiatus in recent years, Missy Elliott released "WTF ft. Pharell Wiliams" in a momentous return-to-form that had many in the industry buzzing. Further, her Super Bowl halftime performance let fans know that she hadn't lost a bit of her power in the years she took off. In a new interview with Billboard, Elliott discusses her influence over popular female rappers such as Nicki Minaj, and the state of women in this industry.

  • Lil Wayne is Recovering From Elbow Surgery in Miami Hospital

    Lil Wayne has had a tough year. The New Orleans born rapper has been named in a number of lawsuits over failure to pay bills for pyrotechnics, private jets and more. Further, he is embroiled in a deeply personal lawsuit with his former mentor and label head Birdman. The rapper is seeking $51 million in damages and withheld compensation. The lawsuit has created tensions between Cash Money artists like Young Thug and artists on Lil Wayne's Young Money imprint like Drake and Tyga, and has delayed the release of Lil Wayne's upcoming album 'Tha Carter V'. It appears, only adding to his troubles, Lil Wayne had to have surgery on his elbow. However, he is successfully recovering from the surgery now, and seems to be in good spirits. After waking up from anesthesia, Wayne tweeted, "Much luv [to] Dr. Kaplan [and] his team at Univ. of Miami hospital for a successful (elbow) surgery. [And] dey had me on the tunes during surgery... dope!"

  • New York Mayor Bill De Blasio Defends Taking in Syrian Refugees

    All over the country, Democratic mayors of more progressive cities are clashing with mostly Republican governors who say they will not allow any Syrian refugees in their states. Over half of the country's governors, thirty one in total, have pledged not to let refugees find asylum in their states, defying President Obama's promise to absorb 10,000 Syrians this year. These pledges come days after the deadly attack on Paris that left over a hundred people dead and many more injured. It was revealed that one of the attackers had entered France on a Syrian passport, posing as a refugee. Although the governors are not legally allowed to bar entry to their states for refugees, they are able to slow down the process quite a bit. Mayor of New York, Bill De Blasio, has a problem with this policy, saying he will allow Syrian refugees to take haven in New York City.

  • Just Blaze Keeps His 'Meow The Jewels' Kickstarter Promise, Shares Early 2000s Drum Samples

    Run The Jewels hit new heights of critical and commercial success with last year's Run The Jewels II.In the months before the album's release, members El-P and Killer Mike began a kickstarter for a remix album entitled Meow The Jewels. The two planned to raise funds as a parody of both the "kitten culture" of the Internet, and the recent phenomenon of pre-ordering albums to create hype. However, what began as a joke morphed into a very real album with contributions from heavyweight producers like Prince Paul and the Alchemist. Although the band only asked for $40,000 to remix their entire sophomore effort with cat noises, they raised $66,000 and released the album in late September, prompting El-P to tweet, "did we make the silliest, occasionally most grating possible remix album? of course. and we did it for you, mike brown and eric garner." As part of the promises attached to donations from the kickstarter, producer Just Blaze said he would release the drum samples he used during a particularly fruitful period from 2001-2005. As it appears, the man behind hits from artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West, and more, has fulfilled his promise.

  • Kendrick Lamar's Producer Terrance Martin Says Why the Rapper Won't Perform New Album Songs

    Kendrick Lamar has been at the top of his game for a while now. After releasing the masterful Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City in 2012, the Compton rapper earned a reputation for his musicality, lyrical capabilities, and knack for storytelling. The album follows the young rapper's life, from his childhood through the present, as he navigates the moral complexities of life in Compton. Good Kid earned massively positive reviews, and earned the number one spot on many "album of the year" lists. Kendrick followed the massive success of his debut album with To Pimp A Butterfly. Although the album spawned less hits than his debut, Kendrick earned himself a long list of accolades for his sophomore effort. Although the response from fans and critics has been overwhelmingly positive, To Pimp a Butterfly producer Terrance Martin says Kendrick may never perform the songs from this album again.

  • Odd Future Breakup Permanent? Hodgy Beats Calls Tyler the Creator a Fraud

    Many expected an Odd Future reunion at their festival Camp Flog Gnaw last weekend. Perhaps this was because the group had been broken up for almost half a year, or because Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) was advertised as the headline act, but it seemed many were disappointed when only Mike G, Domo Genesis, Left Brain and Hodgy Beats took the stage for a 70-minute set. The set was then pre-empted by a profanity-laced speech delivered by Tyler the Creator onstage.

  • Vince Staples Explains Why He Feels Making Hit Songs Like 'Blue Suede' is Not His Goal

    22-year-old rapper Vince Staples just released his excellent debut album Summertime 06, on which his most popular song is not present. The album was met with rave reviews, in which Staples was praised for his lyricism and dexterity. However, "Blue Suede," Staples' most popular song to date, was nowhere to be found. It seemed as if Staples had no interest in capitalizing off the success of that song, instead vying to conquer entirely new territory. It is clear that Vince Staples has a lot to say. However, it appears the rapper would rather say it how he pleases than placate to any radio audience.
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