By Nylles Vernon | Staff Writer | The legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest recently announced that they are releasing their sixth and final album, “We Got It From Here, Thank You For Your Service” on Nov. 11. The group consists of four members:. Hailing from Queens, New York, A Tribe Called Quest's music incorporates an electric mix of jazz, afro-funk and soul. The process for the new album was going well until the death of Phife Dawg aka "The Five Foot Assassin" happened on March 22 from complications of diabetes. The news of his death had a huge impact throughout the hip-hop and urban community. “I honestly couldn’t believe it, because we lost so many music … [Read more...] about A Tribe United
R&B
Dangerous Woman is Dangerously Good
By Natalie Padron |Staff Writer| Pop sensation, Ariana Grande, is finally back with her new album, "Dangerous Woman." After months of releasing singles and teasers, Grande shows off her more mature side with this album release. The 23-year-old singer expresses herself through dance hits and heartfelt lyrics with an experimental R&B sound. The first song on the album, "Moonlight," as well as the song, "I Don't Care," are very much a throw back to her last two albums, with their fuzzy doo-wop sound and beautiful crooning. The song, "Dangerous Woman," has proven to be a hit when it debuted in March at no.10 on Billboard's Hot 100. This single is something different for … [Read more...] about Dangerous Woman is Dangerously Good
Music Soulchild converts to pop child
By Misty Williams | Staff Writer | Musiq Soulchild released his anticipated album "Life on Earth" On April 15. Musiq Soulchild, also known as Taalib Johnson is a gifted Neo-Soul artist who combines Jazz, Hip Hop, and Scatting all into one. The Philadelphia native was very creative and different with his album "Life on Earth," he incorporated the sound of jazz with pop, something he has never done before. "I think it was important and innovative because you have a lot of sameness going on. Not to talk down on anything or anyone, but after a while it creates a situation. It’s like, 'Do something else now.' Everyone can’t be doing the same thing and expecting the same response," … [Read more...] about Music Soulchild converts to pop child
Alessia Carra is Poppin’
By Justine Lopez | Staff Writer | The music industry needs to brace itself because Def Jam Recordings have officially signed a new artist who has taken over the charts. Alessia Cara debuted her first single, "Here," this April and has over 17 million views on YouTube. Her touch of sound is commonly linked to Amy Winehouse, which is not too bad for a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada. Within the first week of the song's release it accumulated over 500,000 streams and became the recently added track on every teenager's playlist. Complex magazine even labeled it as one of the best Canadian songs of April, and Billboard also added it to their "20 pop songs you need for your … [Read more...] about Alessia Carra is Poppin’
Nick Jonas gets grown up and sexy on now album
By Cesar Perez |Staff Writer| Popular tween sensation Nick Jonas released his second self-titled album, and reinvents the image of his boyish days as a Jonas Brother. The self-titled album was released on Nov. 10 by Island Records, and is produced by Jason Evigan and Jonas himself. Since I wasn't a fan of the Jonas Brothers, I was not expecting much from the album, but was pleasantly surprised how well the album was made. Jonas's soft and high-pitched vocals make his voice stand out from other artists in the industry today. The album has received positive reviews from musical critics upon its release, and is becoming a hit among CSUSB students. CSUSB senior Marlen Hernandez … [Read more...] about Nick Jonas gets grown up and sexy on now album
Ne-Yo gets personal in new album
By Ericka Ruiz |Staff Writer| R&B singer Ne-Yo is back to show a side of him that fans were eager to see in his new album R.E.D that was just released on Nov. 6. The fifth album title is an acronym for "Realizing Every Dream." It features collaborations from different popular artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Tim McGraw, Kanye, Calvin Harris and much more. The singer is most recognized for his talent and skills in song writing and producing music for highly known artists like Beyonce and Rihanna. Crafting music became such a priority in his career that his fans were left wondering when he would come out with another album. Ne-Yo's debut album, back in 2006, was the initial … [Read more...] about Ne-Yo gets personal in new album
Idiocy in 140 characters or less
By Brian Chidueme |Staff Writer| After the success of the recent 54th Grammy Awards, two trending topics on social networks caught many people by surprise. Statuses and tweets such as “Chris Brown can beat me up any day,” and “Who is Paul McCartney?” bombarded Twitter and Facebook. Both of these topics were in response to Paul McCartney’s well-received performance and Chris Brown winning ‘Best R&B Album’ for his 2011 album “F.A.M.E.” At first glance, these two trending topics could have been taken as a joke, until users from around the world were outraged to see that these were actual tweets from real users. Social content website Buzzfeed.com was able to grab a lengthy … [Read more...] about Idiocy in 140 characters or less
Fiasco beams on his darkest project
By Jennifer Peters |Staff Writer| Lupe Fiasco’s latest album, LASERS has listeners beaming after patiently waiting for the March 8 release. Fiasco has been working hard writing and co-producing LASERS (an acronym for Love Always Shines Everytime, Remember to Smile) alongside The Neptunes and The Audibles to name a few. There has been plenty of hype surrounding this album for nearly two years. Many fans feared they would never hear another album from the rapper after he announced last year that he was retiring from hip-hop Due to conflict with Atlantic Records, LASERS has been held back for over a year including a re-titling. Fiasco stated that the making of the album … [Read more...] about Fiasco beams on his darkest project