Posts tagged Artists
Arts Program Features Artists In Laundromats Across NYC [PHOTOS]
Apr 24th
An innovative art program in New York takes an especially interesting path in introducing artists in underserved communities. The Laundromat Project, a nonprofit founded by Risë Wilson in 1999, uses laundromat spaces to showcase art and builds community ties. This week, the program announced it will be introducing three artists-in-residence in Bed-Stuy, Harlem, and Hunts Point.
DNAInfo profiled the exhibits of Aisha Cousins, Art Jones and Shani Peter. The artists all look to use the six-month residencies, which begin next month, to both connect their works with the community and inspire people to take part in the creative upswing.
From DNAInfo:
Cousins’ work, featured at Marmy’s Laundromat on Malcolm X Boulevard and Putnam Avenue in Bed-Stuy, is called “Mapping Soulville.” The project will focus on the practice of renaming streets in black neighborhoods to reflect the community’s history.
In Hunts Point, Jones’ exhibition “Portrait of the Community as a Block” is a series of stories by Hunts Point residents, with audio and video recordings. The stories focus on local stores like corner bodegas, hair salons and take-out restaurants.
And in Harlem, Peter’s project “The People’s Laundromat Theater” is turning a laundromat into an independent theater, giving neighborhood residents a chance to act as film festival judges as they offer a feedback on works from more than 30 artists and media producers.
For more information, visit The Laundromat Project’s website. The residencies will last from May until October.
Check out some photos of the Project in action, including an exhibit in Mott Haven last summer, on the following pages.
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Photo: DNAinfo/Patrick Wall
The Unexpected Early Jobs of Star Artists
Apr 8th
Everybody has a job (to an extent), some more glamorous than others. If you, like many others, are stuck behind the desk of a meaningless occupation, taking time between keystrokes to let the mind dote on more creative pursuits, perhaps you’ll take comfort in the fact that some of the most revered names in the art world have been in the same position. ArtInfo might be able to lend such perspective, having compiled the various odd jobs of Banksy (amateur soccer goalie), Mark Rothko (newspaper seller), Phillip Glass (plumber), and many more, that preceded their success. Enjoy the article, and remember that ‘being the change you want to see in the world’ can sometimes mean waiting tables – but not forever.
Diddy Tops Forbes’ Wealthiest Hip-Hop Artists List
Mar 27th
It’s all about the Benjamins. Sean “Diddy” Combs has once again been crowned the Wealthiest Hip-Hop Musician by Forbes.
The Bad Boy mogul ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five, the magazine’s annual list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists, with an estimated net worth of 0 million. The bulk of Diddy’s fortune comes from non-musical ventures including his deal with Diageo’s Ciroc.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter holds down the No. 2 spot with a net worth of 5 million. The Roc Nation mogul continues to amass his wealth with the 4 million sale of Rocawear in 2007, 0 million deal with Live Nation, plus stakes in Roc Nation, Carol’s Daughter, the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, and D’ussé Cognac.
While he may not have released an album in 14 years, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young still ranks third with 0 million, up million from last year, thanks mostly to his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.
Bryan “Birdman” Williams rules the No. 4 spot with 0 million from his Cash Money/Young Money empire (which includes superstars Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne), YMCMB clothing line, and GT Vodka.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson rounds out the top 5 with 5 million. The G-Unit mogul’s brand continues to grow with music, merchandise, video games, and books. He is still reaping rewards from selling his stake in VitaminWater to Coca-Cola in 2007.
The Forbes Five for 2013
1. Diddy – 0 million
2. Jay-Z – 5 million
3. Dr. Dre – 0 million
4. Birdman – 0 million
5. 50 Cent – 5 million
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Two Artists Seek Compensation From Baauer & Mad Decent over Unlicensed “Harlem Shake” Samples
Mar 11th
Anyone remotely internet savvy would have caught on to the ongoing fad around Baauer’s “Harlem Shake,” a viral trend that’s captivated beat heads and YouTube fanatics alike. Yet the rise of the once bedroom-produced anthem has now seen slight commotion, one regarding two vocal samples which have yet to be cleared. Hector “El Father” Delgado’s voice is featured at the beginning of the track, while Philadelphia rapper Jason Musson murmurs ” do the Harlem shake” during the chorus, neither which have been licensed by Diplo’s Mad Decent label. Delgado’s manager Javier Gomex told Times that the vocal is Delgado’s “trademark” and offers such words of discontentment towards Baauer and the label:
“We can turn around and stop that song. That’s a clear breaking of intellectual property rights.”
Listen below to Delgado’s “Maldades” and Musson’s “Millier Time” to see if you can spot the stolen samples.
Hot 97 & BET Present: Various Artists – The Cypher: Notorious B.I.G. Tribute (Trailer)
Mar 9th
Lil Cease, N.O.R.E., Maino, Uncle Murda, Fred Da Godson and Joey Bada$$ and Joell Ortiz along with Mister Cee to pay tribute to the Notorious BIG. The full footage comes out on March 11th. Rest In Power Biggie Smalls.
PREVIOUS: Obie Trice – Pocket Full (The Notorious B.I.G. Tribute)
Rihanna’s Makeup Artist’s Weird Photoshoot
Mar 7th
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”Amber Rose Always Tells Me How Much Confidence I Exude”
Rihanna’s make-up artist, Priscilla Ono, has been getting a lot of attention on her own for her big-girl swag and her eye-catching styles. Ono infamously appeared in Rih-Rih’s “S&M” video and now it looks like she’s getting even more shine in her own photo spread for SLINK magazine. Priscilla appears in neon green in the offbeat photos, which feature her popping oversized pills. “I definitely think I teach my clients that you can look amazing at any size,” she says. “One of my friends Amber Rose always tells me how much confidence I exude with my fashion and says everyone should learn from it.” “Being healthy is something very important to me, especially because people like to stereotype that being plus size is not healthy!” she added. “Iâm healthier than some of my skinnier friends!” |
Mary J. Blige GETS REAL For March 2013 VIBE Magazine Cover & Spread, Dishes On Her Fave Young Artists
Feb 14th
The February/March 2013 STYLE issue of VIBE magazine tapped Mary J. Blige as its cover subject. And she’s also helping the brand ring in its 20th anniversary.
Her cover and inside pics, plus how Queen Mary describes the current state of R&B….
Looking fab with her signature look of blonde swoops and chic clothing with a bit of realness added in, MJB is all over the pages of the new VIBE magazine. And it’s her 10th cover. Yeah…10th.
She revealed to the mag how she is taking stock of things: from love and happiness, her remarkable career evolution, acting and what young artists she listens to.
On the subject of her style being softer: “I’ve evolved, I’m a woman now, and I’ve softened. I’ve been a tomboy my whole life. But then you get older, you get married, you soften up."
When asked about current R&B she says: “I am so proud of what Rihanna is doing. She is speaking to her generation, and she’s living her life in front of them. I don’t even think she is purposely doing it. She’s such a beautiful girl, and I don’t think she knows she’s that beautiful. She’s just living her life, and leading her generation, and she has great, great songs.”
She also lists Adele, Amy Winehouse, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars as some of her other favorites.
Check out more pics from the issue below:
And in case you missed it, check out the pics from VIBE’s 20th Anniversary event this past weekend honoring MJB HERE.
Head over to VIBE for more.
The New York Times Exposes How Much Artists Make From Music Streaming
Jan 30th
Last summer, Hip-Hop Wired attended a Spotify event in which the music sharing company boasted about the amount of money its paid out to artists. Since 2008 Spotify has worked its way up to become a go-to destination for listeners who want to try out albums before making a purchase.
Unlike illegal sharing entities like Napster, Spotify, and Pandora are hailed for actually paying musicians to stream their work, and a New York Times article looks deeper into how much money is actually exchanging hands.
“This is a relationship with you and the fanbase for the rest of your life,” noted Disturbed member David Draiman, speaking about Spotify during the aforementioned event. “I applaud them [Spotify] for trying to dissolve the piracy bug.”
In 2011, Spotify paid out more than 0 million in artist royalties, and 0 million since its inception. However, the amount of artists’ checks are based on their streaming numbers. In the case of independent musician Zoe Keating, she earned ,652.74 from Pandora after her music was played more than 1.5 million times. On Spotify, 131,000 plays garnered her a check for 7.71, which breaks down to an average of .42 cents per play.
As for iTunes, artists typically earn 7 t0 10 cents off a 99-cent download, once deductions are taken from the record company, the songwriter, and the retailer.
Spotify board member (and former Napster frontman) Sean Parker said that the company is helping to restore the struggling music industry, but that may not be the case. “No artist will be able to survive to be professional except those who have a significant live business, and that’s very few,” said BMG Right Management Chief Rights Hartwig Masuch.
While Spotify has failed to reveal its exact rates, insiders say the company pays ,000 to ,000 per million plays, which breaks down to .05 to .07 cents per stream, and its last fourth quarter reports revealed that Pandora shelled out 2 million in “content acquisition” fees. Yet, with more than 70 million users between the two of them, their financial contribution to the recording industry—which made billion in annual revenue—is minuscule.
But there are ways to make money from an online presence. Korean rapper Psy earned over million from YouTube thanks to his “Gagnam Style” single which has been viewed over a billion times on the site. On the flip side, YouTube recently stripped billions of page views from some of music’s biggest names for inflating figures.
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Photo: VEVO
YouTube Cracks DOWN On FAKE Views And Likes, Top Artists Get Their Numbers WIPED!
Dec 28th
Many of the music biz’s top recording artists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Lady Gaga saw their social media impact decrease dramatically as YouTube "cancelled" millions of "likes" and "views" of their videos. Find out why inside…
Some of music’s biggest viral videos like Beyonce’s "Single Ladies," Lady Gaga’s "Bad Romance" and Psy’s "Gangnam Style" saw their social media impressions decrease as YouTube recently cracked down on fraudulent view count-building techniques called "black hat."
The crack down affects the nations’ largest recording companies–Sony and Universal–who were stripped of 2 billion hits after YouTube cracked down.
So what exactly is black hat? It’s "the term used when hackers artificially build up the numbers of views or likes on a YouTube video – enabling them to make clips appear far more popular than they really are and increase their exposure on the site."
YouTube doesn’t come right out and accuse companies like Sony or Universal of hiring hackers to do this. But how else would it have been done? They stated, "This was not a bug or a security breach. This was an enforcement of our viewcount policy."
Universal, home of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, lost a total of one billion views in the video site’s biggest ever crackdown. Alicia Keys and Rita Ora lost 850 million.
It’s well understood that YouTube operates as an unofficial music chart. So for promotional purposes, it sounds a lot sexier to say Rihanna’s "Where Have You Been" video got 100,000 likes and 25 million views versus 1000 views and 25,000 likes.
The longterm impact of the crackdown won’t likely hit folks like Justin Bieber in the pocket, but will impact people who rely on their "view count" for advertising purposes on the YouTube channels.
We guess folks will have to go back to the old hustle and grind of actually asking people to spread the word about their pages and channels. Or just having talent….
Daring Graffiti Artists Tag Mexico’s 430 Foot High Metlac Bridge
Dec 28th
Braving the world of street art is known to come with an extensive list of dangers, mainly from law enforcement, however few will suggest acrophobia as one of them. The daredevil taggers of Veracruz, Mexico would say otherwise. This video highlights a collection of artisans walking the ledge of a 430 foot high overpass dubbed the Metlac Bridge.
Source: Arrested Motion
