It's been a big couple of days for TGT as the R&B supergroup consisting of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tankas they just released their new video for "Sex Ain't Never Felt Better" and took over 106 & Park today with the premiere. Plus, they'll be coming to a city near you this summer on the "3 Kings Tour" when their debut album drops (dates here).
Our Gowhere L.A. team was on site during the filming of the music video and talked with the trio on the set above. The video spotlights some raw behind the scenes footage of the making of the video, while Tyrese leads the way in describing the "art imitates life" concept for the music video. "We look at R&B music as a form of escapism," adds Tyrese.
I'd like to add that I resonate with these concepts and what Tyrese was saying in this interview. In general, it's great to hear these three come together for a classic, contemporary R&B record like "Sex Never Felt Better" and surely more good music like this to come.
Lastly, also tune in for the fun story about how the song itself was created. Tank shares the details of how Tyrese came up with the hook and it's a never-before-heard look into the creative process, which is always cool to find out about. And oh yeah, this time next week... they mention it... and I'll be there... Fast 6 in theatres!
Shoutout to Terrence Jones & Hona Costello on the making of this video out in L.A. After watching above, go ahead and watch the final product INCYMI below!
Last week araabMUZIK(one of my favs) came through Chicago for his Professional Use Only Tour at The Mid with React Presents. Check out the footage I filmed and edited for a nice recap of the night — he kills it on the MPC!
Last week, T.I. stopped off in Chicago as part of his nationwide promo tour for Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head, and above is our informative and highly entertaining new sit-down with Julian On Da Radio!
Informative? Because T.I. reveals a couple of interesting anecdotes in relation to the album, including the one artist he had not really known before collaborating for the album. And which were some of the toughest tracks and collabs of the 127 (!) that he recorded for the album, that didn't make the final tracklist. (SPOILER: One is "Trap N****" f/ Pharrell).
Highly entertaining? Because Julian premieres a new segment called "60 Second Quickies", where he asks rapid-fire questions to Tip in 60 seconds, where he has to answer with the first thing that comes to mind. Watch and see an unfiltered T.I. be caught off guard, or have the exact answer that will make you laugh out loud.
"60 Second Quickie" Examples:
What's the largest sum of money you've ever deposited in your bank account?
Who is someone, living or dead, you would have dinner with?
What is something perfect to have on a date?
Furthermore, check out the story behind the interview that I posted last week when, literally at the conclusion of our interview, T.I. bumped into Marlon Wayans at the elevator. Crazy! It warrants mentioning that, even though T.I. was on a time crunch, he was real genuine and grateful to us and we'd like to reciprocate the same to T.I. for his time and positive energy. Gowhere You Love!
And lastly, the video also contains some footage from the Trouble Man listening party we attended later that night, and I'd be remiss not to drop some thoughts on one of my favorite artists' new album.
- Of the singles that were previewed prior to today, "Sorry" f/ Andre 3000 and "Trap Back Jumpin'" are heavy in my rotation.
- "Can You Learn" featuring R. Kelly features a strong chorus from the latter and is a track with substance that I was expecting from Kellz' other high-profile rap collab earlier this year.
- "Guns And Roses" featuring Pink will be that Billboard single that charts the highest off this album. And it's a legit one with a relatable concept (how you can't stand someone not being with you, but can't stand them when they are), some dope rhymes from Tip, and sultry vocals from Pink. Another *Tibs Fav.
- "Wonderful Life" featuring Akon is my favorite concept from T.I. on the album. In a couple of verses, he speaks to himself from the perspective of his dad, and late friend Philant Johnson. An all-caps *TIBS FAV. off that alone (and Akon does his thing as well).
- "Hallelujah" is perhaps the most left-field of records you'd expect from T.I., but when you think harder about it, it's really not. Tip channels a gospel style singer for the chorus and an appreciation to the one above! The type of feel-good record I've been vibing with the most these past few months, and a fitting conclusion to the album.
- Everyone went bananas for "Memories Back Then" featuring B.o.B & Kendrick Lamar - a track that unfortunately won't make the album with the sample that's intended (as described in my post of the download for it earlier today)
- Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head is a strong album from beginning to end, and continuing to grow on me. I hesitate to put it on the tier of Paper Trail and King, however, but as a T.I. fan since the beginning, I'm not disappointed in the album. A must-grab come tomorrow, December 18th.
Last week at New Era's downtown flagship store in Chicago, we sat down with Big Boijust before getting an exclusive listen to his upcoming album, 'Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors'!
In a collaborative video with our friends at Rap Genius, GY312 talks to Big Boi about how personal the album is to him - find out how the title is derived from the ATL emcee's grandma. We also get a genuine reaction from Big Boi about the creative GIF-style artwork for the album, the fun behind his bowling name (yup, Big Boi bowls in a league every Wednesday with his studio mates), and last but not least, a lyric from "In The A" is officially verified for Rap Genius. Catch the line in a slick graphic in the video and then hear the song for yourself here.
Lastly, catch a glimpse of the listening party itself with footage of the happenings at New Era, including a sneak peak at how the album monumentally starts off at the very end of the video. Other tracks to look out for: the fast-paced flows on the B.o.B collab "Shoes For Running", another Sleepy Brown feature that connects in "The Thickets", and (released earlier today) "She Hates Me" featuring Kid Cudi. The album has an impressive variety of sounds and I can't wait to sit down with it myself on December 11th.
One last shoutout to Rap Genius and GY312 as the groove maker just moved to NYC this weekend to build with RG. Follow 'em both closely for more major moves to come. Groove!
Last Saturday, we were on hand for Dwyane Wade's annual Chicago Has Talent Showcase - a talent show for Chicago's youth to express their skills in music, rapping, singing, dancing, spoken word, and more. I love going to the show every year to take in a variety of heartwarming performances that really illustrate an astonishing amount of talent from kids and teenagers of the area. Case in point: 1st place winner Maeya Ryan is an 11-year old pianist who could belt the high notes where if you had your eyes closed, you would think you're listening to Adele. She was amazing. The video above spotlights all of the performers so you can really get a sense of the types of talents on display!
We also got a chance to talk with Dwyane Wade himself as he told B96's Julian On Da Radio about the goals of Wade's World Foundation. We applaud Wade for giving back to underdeveloped communities and helping educate the youth in his hometown, Miami, and across the world. He has some great words about the foundation above and you can find out more at dwyanewade.com/foundation.
But that's not all! Julian also chatted with one of the judges of the Talent Showcase - former Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams - and one of the co-hosts of the evening, actress Tika Sumpter. Also performing at the Chicago Theatre was Jacob Latimore (who really had the young crowd going crazy) and Coco Jones, and you can see snippets of their performances too. All in all, it was an entertaining show and all for a great cause! Watch all the highlights and interviews above and remember to check out Wade's World Foundation for more!
In Heavy Soul Part 2, Nneka chops it up with brother Jeff Baraka about her studies in anthropology and how if influences her music. She mentions her connection with God, the audience, and her band mates when she is performing. Nneka also speaks a little Igbo in her native Nigerian language. You can also catch a glimpse of her SXSW performance.
- Jamaar J
If you were touched by 'Heavy Soul' Part 1 last week, no doubt you'll conjure the same sorts of feelings with Part 2 above. I sure did. Nneka's soulful music and personality are once again on display as we also get to see more of her intellectual perspective, specifically when it comes to how anthropology has impacted her music both conciously and sub-consciously and also through her relationship with God and with the people. BIG shouts once again to the production and video crew listed below - they killed it for another masterpiece! Watch above and cop Nneka's album, Soul Is Heavy, available now.
What an awesome weekend Lollapalooza was this year. Chicago was filled with entertainment from morning to night. This year, Govia and I got to cover the festival and the after parties. Not only did we listen to your favorite songs from your favorite artists, but we got to talk to a few of them. Check out this Lollapalooza recap that was put together for all of you who couldn't attend or just want to relive the experience. The interviews include artists who took over the Perry Stage such as Bassnectar, Paper Diamond, Zedd, DJ Zebo, and Zeds Dead who talk about what it takes to become an artist and the use of all the production these days. Also, Black Sabbath's keyboardist Adam Wakeman talks to us about the few shows this year with Ozzy Osbourne. This recap also includes many more performances at Lollapalooza such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more from after parties at the Hard Rock Hotel. Enjoy!
Also at Pitchfork this summer was ASAP Rocky as he brought out the Mob for his performance at Union Park. Our own Stan Perry & Invisual Media Pro were on hand to document the energetic rendition of "Goldie" with multi-angles and high quality audio/visuals. You can get really close with both Rocky & the Mob as they even venture into the rockin' Pitchfork crowd. Really dig the ending so stay tuned all the way through!
"'Heavy Soul' is a Superstar Film by Jamaar J . Part one focuses on international artist Nneka. She sits down (literally) in the streets of Chicago with Jeff Baraka and talks about her album Soul Is Heavy. They also discuss her creative process, her influences, growing up in the Niger Delta, and recording her latest album in her home in Lagos, Nigeria. You can also catch a glimpse of her live performance at the Double Door in Chicago. Part two coming soon!"
- Jamaar J
So soulful. Nneka's words and music are powerful, thought-provoking and captivating. From beginning to end, the soul just oozes out of the video and affects you, the viewer. Not lost in creating this feeling is the conversation co-created with Nneka by Jeff Baraka, the filming from Jamaar J, Terrence Jones, and Cam Be, and editing it all together, Jamaar once again. Watch this above! We are one!
