Shizzle da rizzle, tha Doggfather is back with his ninth studio album Ego Trippin’, set for UK release on March 31, 2008 (March 11 – US). “Sensual Seduction” is set to be the first UK single release from the album and with its smooth, disco groove is a mere taster of what we can expect from the album.

“Sensual Seduction”, or if you’re over 18, “Sexual Erruption” sees Snoop flash back to a time when disco ruled, a time when a man could play a melodica keyboard in a three piece white suit and still go home with the all the ladies. On this track, the Dogg continues to do what he does best and push the boundaries of hip-hop, creating a smooth and as the title would suggest, seductive, disco tune with a video to match. And while Snoop stays firmly planted in disco he has enlisted the help of superstar UK house and garage producers, the Wideboys (aka Jim Sullivan & Eddie Craig) to work their magic on some amped up club remixes.

Ego Trippin’ is an album all about Snoop making the music he loves to make without worrying about pleasing anyone else. “I just don’t give a f**k right now and I’m gonna do me, ’cause that’s what I do best!” he explains.

Although still under wraps, it’s rumoured to include some 80’s influenced pop tracks; drawing inspiration from Prince, Rick James and George Clinton as well as groove-influenced R&B, and of course a good measure of the gangsta rap cuts that have made Snoop a hip hop icon.

If making music and films wasn’t enough, Snoop is also the star of the hugely successful reality TV show, ‘Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood’ on E! where he shows a rare glimpse of his softer side and his family life. The show also includes some very special guests including our very own David Beckham.

“Sensual Seduction” is released on Polydor Records on March 24th, 2008 with the album Ego Trippin’ out March March 31 in the UK.

Listen to Snoop Dogg: “Life Of Da Party” (ft. Too $hort and Mistah F.A.B)

Snoop Dogg on amazon.co.uk

Snoop Dogg – Ego Trippin’ on amazon.com

Watch Snoop Dogg – Sensual Seduction video

Snoop Dogg on Myspace
Snoop Dogg Official Website

I was just mindin’ my own business, listening to one of the iTunes radio stations and a very interesting song just came on. I’m not sure where I’ve been (I didn’t think that I was under a rock), but I just heard “Je réalise” by French rap artist Sinik featuring James Blunt!

What?!

I had no idea that James Blunt was featured in a rap song – and actually, I was just looking up in Google to see who the French rapper was. Luckily his name came up on the iTunes ‘titles bar’. I wasn’t familiar with Sinik, but something tells me more people will be hearing from him in the future. He seems pretty damn cool.

Having James Blunt involved with his song will certainly help to reach a wider audience – but the fans for each artist are most likely from each end of the music scale. Reminds me of “Stan” by Eminem featuring Dido. That seemed to work, though.

Anyway, if you haven’t heard it, you can make your own mind up!

Watch video: “Je réalise” by Sinik featuring James Blunt:

Sinik’s latest album, ‘Le Toit Du Monde’ was released in December 2007. He’ll be touring around France from February – April 2008. For tour dates and more information, go to:

Sinik on Myspace
Sinik Official Website (French)

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Amaru Entertainment/Interscope/UMe announce the release of ‘The Best Of 2Pac – Part 1: Thug’ and ‘Part 2: Life’, a double CD set retrospective showing the complex creativity of this lyrical genius. The CD set will be available on December 3, 2007 in the UK (December 4th US).

2Pac is the top-selling rap artist of all time. His force was evident during the height of his popularity in the Nineties, but his influence as the voice of the streets continues to echo today throughout urban culture. He has become an eternal icon of youthful brilliance and rebellion with an immeasurable impact on each new generation.

This 2-CD set also shows us why anyone listening to the breadth of his work knows that behind the laconic delivery lies a vision. 2Pac’s uncanny ability enabled him to represent the disenfranchised he hoped to galvanize with his philosophy of T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. (which stood for “The Hatred U Give Lil Infants F***s Everybody”). “I didn’t create the thug life. I diagnosed it,” Tupac stated.

Each album contains one previously unreleased recording and one new remix along with nine classic tracks. Each album is available in edited and explicit versions. The collections were assembled with the assistance of his mother, Afeni Shakur, who is also the executive producer of the albums. The CD set represents different key phases of 2Pac’s evolution and shows how his talent hit a high note right from the start and never wavered.

‘The Best of 2Pac – Part 1: Thug’ features the previously unreleased “Resist the Temptation” and a fresh mix of “Dear Mama,” featuring Anthony Hamilton, whose original Grammy-nominated version went Platinum and charted Top 10 Pop and #1 Rap. Also included are “Trapped” (2Pac’s debut single), the Grammy-nominated “California Love” (with Dr. Dre), the double Platinum, #1 Pop/#1 Rap, Grammy-nominated “How Do U Want It” with K-CI & JoJo, and Top 10 Rap “So Many Tears.” The remaining tracks are “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” “Hail Mary,” “Changes,” and “Unconditional Love.”

‘The Best of 2Pac – Part 2: Life’ highlights the previously unreleased recording of “Dopefiend’s Diner” featuring 2PAC using a vocal sample of the melody line of “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega in addition to the acoustic remix of “Thugz Mansion” featuring all three verses by 2Pac. The album also brings together the Top 5 Rap “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and Gold, Top 15 Pop/#2 Rap “Keep Ya Head Up.” The tracklisting adds “Definition of a Thug N****,” “When I Get Free,” “Until the End of Time” (RP Remix), “Never Call You Bi*** Again,” “They Don’t Give a F*** About Us,” “Still Ballin” (Nitty Remix) and “Ghetto Gospel.”

2Pac has sold nearly 40 million albums in the U.S. alone, where he has claimed 11 Platinum-or-better awards. Eight of those are for posthumous releases.

1996’s ‘The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory’ from 2Pac’s Makaveli alter ego hit #1 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop while going quadruple Platinum, a mark also reached by the following year’s ‘R U Still Down? (Remember Me)’ which charted #2 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop. 1998’s ‘Greatest Hits’, #3 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, is currently nine times Platinum. In 2000, ‘Still I Rise’ scored #6 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop while going Platinum. The next year’s ‘Until the End of Time’, #1 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, reached triple Platinum and 2002’s ‘Better Dayz’, #5 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop, double Platinum. 2004’s ‘Loyal to the Game’ charted #1 Pop and #1 R&B/Hip-Hop and was certified Platinum. The soundtrack to ‘Tupac: Resurrection’ that same year hit #2 Pop and #3 R&B/Hip-Hop and was also Platinum.

A portion of the profits of the albums will go to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (”TASF”).

Tracklisting:

The Best Of 2Pac – Part 1: Thug

1. So Many Tears
2. Trapped
3. California Love (Original Mix)
4. How Do U Want It
5. I Aint Mad At Cha
6. 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted
7. Hail Mary
8. Changes
9. Unconditional Love
10. Resist the Temptation (Previously Unreleased)
11. Dear Mama (featuring Anthony Hamilton – NEW MIX)

The Best of 2Pac – Part 2: Life

1. Definition of a Thug N****
2. Brenda’s Got a Baby
3. Keep Ya Head Up
4. When I Get Free
5. Until the End of Time (RP REMIX)
6. Never Call U Bi*** Again
7. They Dont Give a F*** About Us
8. Still Ballin (NITTY REMIX)
9. Ghetto Gospel
10. Dopefiend’s Diner – (Previously Unreleased)
11. Thugz Mansion Acoustic Remix (NEW REMIX)

Search Amazon:

2Pac on Amazon.com

2Pac on Amazon.co.uk

About The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation:
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation was founded by Afeni Shakur to provide training and support to artists who aspire to enhance their creative talents. TASF fosters an environment that encourages freedom of expression, serves as a resource for the arts, and empowers through education. To date, more than 700 students have benefited from the program with a broad range of training available via the Annual Performing Arts Day Camp held at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts (home of the Foundation in Stone Mountain, GA).

2Pac Legacy Official Website
The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation (TASF)

MP3 Musicgrams offer artists and bands in all musical genres from blues to rock, rap or country an opportunity to upload their song, photo or image, band or artist description and a link to their web site. Both the artist and their fans can send out and share the Music in the form of a personalized “Musicgram”.

The Featured MP3 Musicgram for this week, Nov 13 2006, is “Change Your Mind” (Rock) by Bill Vivino. Bill says “from his early days as a child plunking out notes on the piano bench next to his grandfather, a jazz pianist, he has tried to make music that comes from his heart.” In his current work you can hear the pangs of heartache, the pictorial expression of true love, and the yearning.

For the week of Nov 6, 2006 the site featured, “ERRBBODY GET UP” (Rap) by LOST SOLZ. The rap is self described as “Inspired by greats before them like RUN-DMC, BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY, and of course, WU-TANG. THE LOST SOLZ are next in line to become RAP ROYALTY and sit a top the throne of Hip- Hop”.

MP3Musicgrams.com reminds Music Fans and Artists that the site contest officially started October and runs through to December 11, 2006. Artists and bands in all musical genres from rock to country to hip-hop can upload a promo MP3, image, artist description and add their website link to direct users back to their site. The contest will feature monthly prizes for the most sent MP3 Musicgrams by artists, with a grand prize of an electric or acoustic guitar to be awarded at the end. More importantly, artists and bands that upload their music get a chance to be heard by new fans and have their MP3 spread virally for global exposure. Recent winners are posted online.

Contest page: http://www.mp3musicgrams.com/contest.aspx

About MP3Musicgrams.com
http://www.mp3musicgrams.com/about_Us.aspx

MP3Musicgrams.com is a new unique free online music promotion service designed to let artists and record labels promote their music in an immediate preview format featuring their MP3, image, and band description that can be sent in a viral format, similar to a greeting card. Music fans can preview and send music without effectively downloading the MP3 and have the ability to forward the Musicgram to other friends and fans once received and opened up. Fans now have the added option of uploading their own photo/image into the MP3musicgram, making it more personal!

MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/mp3musicgrams

Contact:

Taylor or Dawn Van Zant
info@mp3musicgrams.com
604. 952-0400

Source: MP3Musicgrams.com

Since our last communication, the video for Heavy M-T-L (Heavy Metal) has been added to Much Music and Much Vibe.
Check it out right here! Malicious – Heavy M-T-L (Heavy Metal) video link: http://www.odoublef.com/video/heavy_mtl2.mov

Heavy M-T-L is a ‘blinder’ of a hip-hop track with big bouncy grooves and an infectious hook. We’d like to thank Flow 93.5 (Toronto), Hot 103 (Winnipeg), The Beat (Kitchener) and Max Trax (The Beat) for their instant support & features.

A very special shout out goes out to Flava 107.9 (Winnipeg), Dam Entertainment Crew (New Brunswick), DJ EZ Mike (WVOF, Connecticut) & Jordan Johnson (Sask Hip Hop) for bringing that “Yuk”.

The last couple of weeks , has seen Malicious criss-crossing the 401, for PA’s in Ottawa and Toronto, hitting the clubs, meeting with djs, industry folks and of course the fans, to promote his single.

Major thank you’s, to DJ Starting From Scratch, Baba Kahn, DJ Ritz, Undercover, Jr. Flo & DJ Ilon for showing the love!

Caribana 2K6:
Catch Malicious on the road in Toronto during the Caribana Festival on the TIC “Hip Hop meets Reggae” float featuring Mad Linx & Julissa (BET) with special guest Dougie Fresh.

www.mrmalish.com
www.myspace.com/mrmalish