On Saturday, August 29 – what would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday – Q-Tip presents “Long Live the King! A Birthday Celebration for Michael Jackson” at the NOKIA Theatre Times Square. Q-Tip will be joined in the DJ booth by special invited guests producer/artist Mark Ronson and the legendary DJ Spinna.

“Michael Jackson was a huge influence on my music and was an inspiration to me and so many others. I want to bring people together to celebrate the man, his music and his legacy that will undoubtedly live on forever!” states Q-Tip.

The event will honor the King of Pop and celebrate his influence on generations of artists and fans across the globe. Attendees will dance the night away to never-before-heard remixes of Michael Jackson’s hits, as well as rare video footage from the Motown and Sony vaults.

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Titus “Baatin” Glover, one third of the original Detroit hip hop group Slum Village, was found dead this Saturday morning; he was 35 years old. The cause of death is still unannounced, but it’s clear that he had been sick for some time. In 2002 he told the Free Press that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Later his illness led him to leave Slum Village. But recently he rejoined a new incarnation of the group, with plans to record and tour.

It’s a bittersweet ending when music is rescued from obscurity only after death. J Dilla’s death weighed heavy on the entire hip hop community, but at the same time it sparked a huge increase in appreciation for his production and the music of Slum Village. The Detroit hip hop family is clearly close-knit, so it’s comforting to know that Baatin’s family and friends have full support in each other, along with support from fans around the world. Our thoughts are with the Glover family, and we’re truly saddened by the loss.

Thanks to Black Milk for this video with his reflections and a bit of footage of the original SV’s last video shoot.

Electronic dance music’s most innovative & enigmatic DJ/producer Scott Hardkiss delivers his long-awaited debut artist album Technicolor Dreamer – out today. Scott’s signature, super-funky beats, psychedelic eclecticism and uplifting, atmospheric vibes are all featured, but the music has evolved into colorful, fun & catchy songs.

Technicolor Dreamer sees him step out from behind the turntables to sing, rap, and play synths, drums, bass & guitar, blending together live vocals & instruments to inject human funk & soul into the next-school electronic beats. And like a 21st century electronic P-Funk or Prince’s Revolution, Scott brings together a sexy, diverse band of backing vocalists & musicians featuring Lisa Shaw, Britta Phillips, Stevvi Alexander, Bobby Harden, DJ Afro of Los Amigos Invisibles, Steven Bernstein, Tabitha Fair, J Bowman, Alex Moulton & more.

The result is a fresh and inventive, whimsical dance-pop album. A kaleidoscope of sounds, sprinkled with themes of stars, transformation and celebration in the face of darkness, Technicolor Dreamer is being released by God Within, Scott’s new Brooklyn-based boutique label, with stunningly chic & surreal artwork to match.

Multiple formats include a deluxe digital download, a double-gatefold digipack CD w/ 32 page full-color booklet, and a gatefold 2xLP on 180 gram vinyl w/ full-color sleeves including lyrics & credits that’ll make all your wildest dreams come true.

Technicolor Dreamer is a bubbly, groovy retro-futuristic funk ride that every man, woman and child is sure to enjoy.  And for a limited time only, you can download the ENTIRE album for free!

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Photos by Seher Sikandar

The N.E.R.D. show in San Francisco was packed, and Pharrell assured the crowd that the elusive Chad Hugo was inside the venue, somewhere. They played songs from their first three albums, plus a couple new tracks — can’t wait for that upcoming 4th album!

Classic Pharrell:

The years Anjulie spent honing her craft of singing and writing songs are readily apparent on her self-titled debut album. Co-written with her producer and collaborator Jon Levine (of Canadian R&B hit makers the Philosopher Kings), Anjulie sets intensely personal stories about her life, loves, obsessions, and heartbreaks to a glittering genre-blending mix of pop, hip hop, rock, and world rhythms she heard as a child growing up.

The confident and eclectic melange on Anjulie’s album explores a wide range of moods, a sign that she is an artist with a lot of range and versatility. The slinky opening track “Boom,” which debuted #1 on the Billboard dance chart, works a dark, Nancy Sinatra-esque ’60s vibe, while “The Rain” is a sleek, flamenco-flavored urban gem. Anjulie gets steamy on the feverish “The Heat,” the obsessive “Addicted2Me,” and the provocative “Some Dumb Girl,” before entirely switching gears on the uplifting acoustic-driven “Same Damn Thing” and the lovelorn piano ballad “Crazy That Way.” It’s not surprising that Anjulie is as eclectic as it is, as she cops to a host of musical influences, everyone from confessional singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette and the always-enigmatic Annie Lennox, to hip hop mavericks Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

Stream tracks from Jukebox Feature

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The Second Annual Electronic Music Festival (BEMF) is back and bigger than ever, spanning two stages, indoor and out. The featured headliner will be The Juan Maclean (live), playing with artists like Designer Drugs, Young Love, Jupiter One, Adventure, Shy Child, Home Video, Free Blood, Awesome New Republic, and many more!

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Don’t miss the new episode tonight featuring our favorite Rising Icon, Hal Linton, at 10:30 / 9:30c on BET!

Giant Step and Spinna are piloting a Thursday night weekly residency called JOURNEY at Santos Party House, recently touted by The New York Times as “the nighclub of the moment.” The party officially begins on August 6th, so tell your friends, RSVP, and expect the unexpected.

Santos Party House
$10 at the door. $5 reduced admission with RSVP.
21+ w/ID
10 PM – 4 AM

RSVP and read more