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Danyyil Nosovskiy

Danyyil is a Philosophy major at Wayne State University and a venturous urban explorer. Born in Ukraine but being raised in Detroit made him develop a deep rooted love for this city. With a passion for photography and Electronic Dance Music he likes to spend most of his times shooting festivals and dancing. Techno & House music hold his heart, now it's time to go if you don't dig Techno.

Artist's Corner: 15 Minutes with EDM Producer, Niko Marks

Detroit born EDM producer, Niko Marks, let’s College News pick his brains about his musical inspiration and the creative process of electronic music.

You should also read: How iEDM is transforming EDM fashion

COLLEGE NEWS: Your music has a certain width and depth in regards to soundscape, something many producers have a hard time achieving. How important do you think it is to achieve this, especially in electronic music?
NIKO MARKS: Well, because there are such vast styles in electronic music, in order to stand out, I think it’s very important to have an aspect that is unreached by others. In a sense, with me, it’s traditional composition. I usually do more keyboard work than, say, the average DJ or sample producer. I use very little samples and it could be because I started off playing [instruments]. I was mainly a studio musician and when I got into electronic music, it was kind of like a mix of different genres of traditional composition and straight up dance. So it could be very important in terms of setting yourself apart from the masses.

CN: How did you get into electronic music?
NM: Oh wow! Well, I started as a studio musician when I met Mike Banks and we started producing tracks. We started a production unit called Members of the House and it consisted of myself, Mike Banks, Scott Weatherspoon and Raphael Merriweathers and we began to produce vocal house tracks which caught on back in the day mainly in New York and Chicago. Some people try to say that it was a copy of what Chicago was doing at the time, when actually it had its own imprint because Detroit, I think, has a harder edge.
From there, we began to do a lot of vocal stuff; we also did just flat out instrumental tracks that were more dance as opposed to the traditional side of what I was doing. After that, I got with Eddie Fowlkes and we produced a bunch of tracks together and his edge was slightly different to Mike’s.
The rest is history, basically. I continued to produce because dance music, for me, was more free; it was more open, less restricted in the way of format. You can almost do whatever you want.

CN: With electronic music being more open, how would you compare dance music culture to other music cultures?
NM:
Other styles of music can be a bit restricted in the way that they have to be a certain way for the radio; it’s gotta be a certain way for people to relate too with a traditional composition setup like, intro/verse/chorus, etc.
Whereas in dance, it’s more free. You may not get into the chorus until midpoint of the song – if there is a chorus at all. Sometimes, the vocals are so broken that it’s just vocal samples. Musically, aside from vocals, it’s open to merging both acoustic and electronic instruments. You can get really creative especially now with the some of the gear that’s out. You can incorporate samples in a way you couldn’t before. Of course, you still have to get them cleared, but that’s what to me sets electronic music aside from other music.

CN: What kind of musical influences inspired your creativity?
NM:
I was inspired by mainly, if you’re speaking of music in general, the works of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye; a lot of the Motown era stuff. However, in later times, influences include Juan Atkins, some of the stuff Carl Craig has done and of course Mike Banks.
Michael J. Powell, too. A lot of people may not know who he is, but he was once the producer for Anita Baker, gospel groups and R Kelly at one point. I worked for him for a while and I learned a lot about how to listen to music and listen to the smallest things people aren’t really accustomed to listening to, and it developed me in a way that’s a lot different from other producers. Ever since then though, wow, there are so many producers that produce from that standpoint of actually having music theory as a basis that it shows that the genre is growing.

CN: What are some common themes you incorporate throughout your work?
NM:
The traditional composition is used as a starter to get me going then I’ll take aspects from that song or composition and chop it up. Different live instruments are added, like live drums and live piano.

CN: You have had a number of different roles in the music industry – from playing keyboard in the band, producing music as yourself, and so on. How would you describe your music in a couple of words, considering your diverse background?
NM: Innovative and moving forward.

CN: In what ways do your Detroit roots influence your work, past or present?
NM: In the past of course it was seeing the city again, as it was once known as the hardest working city – but now known as the city that hardly works at all, in some cases!
Either way, it’s an influence on music of course, because of the surroundings you find yourself in. As an artist, I drive from those aspects and it can either make your music sound grittier and hard or it can be softened, like people in Detroit who may have found themselves without a job or may have lost a home. There’s a certain sympathy you can add to music by seeing it take place and for me its translated through music.

CN: Is your music based off your emotions?
NM:
Absolutely, I feel that any true artist without the emotion or a feeling attached to their music is nonhuman. It’s simply buying some gear and the gear in a sense is the creator. You come to music through mind first and bring it to life with the gear.

CN: What would you consider to be your biggest achievement thus far?
NM:
My biggest achievement thus far has yet to be reached; always going forward. I live from moment to moment, because every moment can bring you something greater than the last. If I said I had a biggest achievement, it’s like saying, “Okay, I’m done.”

Like interviews like this? You may also like our interview with Wang Chung songwriter Jack Hughes.

DIRTYBIRD came to Chicago and conquered

Get Down, Get Dirty

With a lot of turn over happening in the music industry 10 years is a long time for an independent label to survive, let alone thrive. DIRTYBIRD has celebrated its 10-year anniversary this past January. An idea, which was started in a San Francisco bedroom by founder, CLAUDE VONSTROKE, proved to be one of North America’s most conclusive labels.  

Using a smooth blend of techno and house, passed through a hip-hop crunkifier and influenced from drum ‘n’ bass & funk, DIRTYBIRD has created their own sound. Starting with impromptu parties in San Francisco to headlining major festivals DIRTYBIRD has established a name and a family. This family is all about sharing core group values, having fun with close friends over a beer and enjoying good music.

This summer they took their renowned BBQ tour across to new cities such as Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and Denver. Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend their BBQ in Chicago. The first 750 fans received free BBQ cooked to you by the grill master, GRILLSON. SHIBA SAN opened followed by KILL FRENZY, JPHLIP, CLAUDE VONSTROKE, and finally closed out by the iconic hip-hop producer DJ PREMIER.

Everything about this event was worthwhile. I amongst other fans was fully satisfied about the turnout of the event; gates were packed to get in throughout the day as the bass heavy music was blaring across Chicago, the filet mignon sandwiches and burgers were delicious followed by a cold beer to quench your thirst. Next time this event is in your city get down and get dirty.

READ: Lollapalloza pro-tips: Essential tips from a Lolla vet

ALSO READ: Lollapalooze returns to Chicago

REVIEW: Las Vegas presents KREWELLA live in Chicago powered by Pandora

After the separation of the original KREWELLA trio composed of the Yousaf sisters (Jahan Yasmine) and Kris “Rain Man” Trindl, this rowdy dance music duo has been struggling to make their way back to the top.

I’ve been following KREWELLA since 2010 and after hearing their 2012 Play Hard EP, I fell in love with their energy. After the debut of their album, Get Wet, they almost instantly went mainstream. Their mainstream sound gained them a larger fan base but at the same time resulted in them losing much of their original followers.

On May 14, 2015, I had the opportunity to come from Detroit and cover their show at one of my favorite Chicago venues, Park West. This event was powered by Pandora and free to the first 900 people that had RSVPed. Last time I saw KREWELLA was back in October of 2013 in Detroit while they were on tour with Rain Man.  After this show I quickly lost interest after hearing them sing live. This time I was excited to see if the duo had improved over the year.

Doors to the event opened at 8 and the show was restricted to people 21+. This really shocked me because most of KREWELLA’s fan base are young adults or high school kids trying to rage. KREWELLA did not start playing until 9:45, up until that time many fans were just mingling around and not dancing to the small name opener who needed improvement on his transitions. When KREWELLA finally went on they started off with their hit singles then transitioned into massive dubstep hit after hit. To my surprise many massive mash pits did not ripple throughout the show until later on.

I realized that the venue depleted of fans close to 10:30. Luckily I came with no expectations as Jahan and Yasmine tried to sing live to some of their songs they sounded exactly like they did the last time I saw them. The acoustics of this show were pretty off no matter where you stood. The guitar and drums would be over powering and ruin the drops. I have to admit that their energy and stage presence is the one thing that I admire most about them. As performers both girls are excellent, they engage their fans and make them feel alive.

This Summer Just got Hotter with Fifth Harmony's Reflection: The Summer Tour

This summer just got hotter! The pop powerhouse of the year— Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui, Camila Cabello, and Dinah Jane return to the road for the Reflection: The Summer Tour.

Beginning at the Palace Theatre in Louisville, KY on July 15, the tour will hit 29 cities across the US. Special guests Debby Ryan + The Never Ending and Common Kings are set to appear on select dates; Natalie La Rose and Bea Miller appear on all dates.

strong>Reflection debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 and already generated two gold-selling singles “BO$$” and “Sledgehammer.” Their latest single “Worth It” featuring Kid Ink, is currently #28 at Top 40 radio, while rising to #21 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

REFLECTION: THE SUMMER TOUR DATES:

Wednesday, July 15  Louisville, KY Palace Theatre*
Friday, July 17  Cleveland, OH Lakewood Civic Auditorium*
Saturday, July 18  Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion*
Monday, July 20  Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center*
Tuesday, July 21  Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium*
Thursday, July 23  St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House*
Friday, July 24  Fayetteville, AR Walmart AMP*
Sunday, July 26  Birmingham, AL BJCC Concert Hall*
Tuesday, July 28  Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater*
Wednesday, July 29  Miami, FL The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater*
Thursday, July 30  Tampa, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall*
Friday, July 31  Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts*
Sunday, August 2  San Antonio, TX Tobin Center*
Monday, August 3  Houston, TX Bayou Music Center*
Wednesday, August 5  Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre*
Friday, August 7  Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre*
Sunday, August 9  San Jose, CA Event Center at San Jose State University*
Tuesday, August 11  Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center for the Arts*
Wednesday, August 12  Bakersfield, CA Rabobank Theater*
Thursday, August 13  Las Vegas, NV  The Pearl*
Tuesday, August 18  Denver, CO Paramount Theatre**
Thursday, August 20  Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre**
Friday, August 21  Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre**
Sunday, August 23  Buffalo, NY Shea’s Performing Arts Center**
Monday, August 24  Albany, NY Palace Theatre**
Wednesday, August 26  Washington, DC Warner Theatre**
Thursday, August 27  New York, NY Beacon Theatre**
Wednesday, September 9  Maryland, MD Maryland State Fair
Tuesday, September 15  Seattle, WA Washington State Fair

* – featuring Debby Ryan & The Never Ending, Natalie LaRose and Bea Miller
** – featuring Common Kings, Natalie LaRose and Bea Miller

INTERVIEW: Life of Dillon Talk Release of New EP, Debut Single, Meghan Trainor

Life of Dillon’s debut single “Overload” is making its way to becoming this summer’s smash single. The UK trio comprised of David Keiffer and brothers Joe and Robert Griffith is the first group signed to Disruptor Recordurds a venture from The Chainsmokers’ manager Adam Alpert. It is obvious why he wants them on board!

DN: Where did the name “Life of Dillon” come from?
Joe: Last year we went to Brazil, that’s where me and my brother were born. We went to go have a little bit of a holiday and while on the beach we met this guy-Dillon. He comes over and starts talking to us, while were having a couple beers and drinking coconuts. His lifestyle was very much in line with where we wanted to be.

David: We were coming from London where everyone is hustling, working hard and its cold. On the other side of the world there’s someone just enjoying life and not caring too much, a bit of a free spirit. We saw that our music kind of fit in to what we were doing. It’s like a choosing a name for a baby, what do you pick?

Joe: I think that one of the big things for me at least, if not for all of us is that we wanted to live that kind of lifestyle. Man, who doesn’t want to be in Brazil, surfing, drinking and living carefree? I think that’s one thing that inspired us.

DN: I could really see that in the Overload single, its very care free and just an all around happy single.
Joe: Exactly! There’s so many people today putting out sad music, and we didn’t want to do that. We wanted to put out happy, positive stuff. There is a lot to be happy about, there is a lot of good stuff in life and we wanted to reflect that back in our video. Which was basically meant to portray a perfect day at the beach with summer vibes and good times.

DN: Who influenced your music style?
Robert: We all collectively have different influences. Me personally, I listen to some hip hop tracks and Timbaland beats. 

David: I’m more into acoustic, rock and folk like tracks like John Mayer.

Joe: I’m into all sorts of stuff. I think the greatest artist of all times is Michael Jackson. Hands down! I also listen to a lot of Nigerian music, afro beats and hip hop. All of this stuff feeds into what we are doing but besides us coming together and meeting in the middle between our musical influences.

DN: From an unsigned band to a priority for a major label, how did you get to where you are now?
Robert: Working in the music industry for so long, it was a series of logical steps but not something we necessarily were looking to happen, it kind of just happened.

David: We emailed hundreds of people. We were actually looking for management and not a record label. We wanted the right management that would look after us and believe in our songs and music. Adam Alpert. got back to us and he was really feeling the music, one of the first people before anyone else did. He helped us move it into a priority situation.

Joe: We write a lot of music and that’s all we focused on. We didn’t try to be artists, we were just writing and I think deep down we did want to be artists but it seemed so unattainable. How do you get from being in northwest London to be on someone’s TV screen?

David: You have to remember there’s hundreds and thousands of kids doing what we were trying to do and we were trying to do what made sense to us. We didn’t see a career out of making music, so making songs and pitching songs sounded acceptable. Robert had a publishing deal with Sony so we had a few opportunities here. So that’s when we decided to seek out as many management opportunities as we could.

Robert: At the end we had all these songs so we thought why don’t we just make a band out of it and push it forward to an artist project.

DN: You guys have so much talent in the UK, was it your intention to go directly to America?
Joe: 100%. Any serious musician wants to get to America because that is the epicenter of the music industry. If you want to make it big in the music industry you want to get to America. Having said that, when we were emailing people, we weren’t just emailing Americans, we were emailing successful people. It just so happened that most of them were in America.
Robert: A lot of guys come out of the UK and struggle for a long time with a record and then go to America only to fail. We just happened to be lucky enough to get a deal.

Joe: I think that one of the things that constantly contributed to our success this far is that we focus on music. There are so many artists that are focusing on everything and they cannot even write their own music. They are out on the socials, getting followers but the truth is they do not write their music.

DN: You write a lot of your own songs, do you write for other people as well?
Robert: I wrote for Cheryl Cole and some other people who are coming up now.

Joe: I was about to get my first cut with David in South Africa. This is about the time, we were emailing a bunch of people and we were pretty desperate at this point. We were under pressure from all this music because we haven’t made any money from it so we get this opportunity to sell some of our music to this South Africa artist who had just won X-factor out there. To us, it sounded like a great deal. It was 2000£, which at the time was a lot of money for a couple tracks.

The day we get the contract to sign it away, one of the people we were emailing convinced us not to do it. He said we were going to give our sound away and if we do that the guy could end up in the spot instead of you. We may have burnt a few bridges because of it but I’m glad we did, now we have our own artist career ahead of us.

DN: Do you guys ever experiment with your singing voices?
David: That’s one of the main things we do. When we actually got signed, they thought there was 5 people singing in the band. When Joe sings, he has his own voices, when I sing I have a few different voice and Robert has his own unique voice.

Joe: The voice is an instrument, and there are many ways to play it. You have to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. When you’re trying to sell something to other people like Cheryl Cole for example. You write it and try to sing it in a way you imagine her singing it and that’s the way we wrote songs for a long time. It was only natural from there we learned to sing in different styles.

DN: So there’s a lot of buzz going on with your new single “Overload”, tell me more about it. Did you expect it to be such a big hit?
Joe: Absolutely not,  “Overload” was just another song we made. We wrote it in the summer when we were about to get thrown out of where we were staying. It embodies some of that frustration, not being able to control what’s happening to you. It’s open to some interpretation but that’s what was going on through our minds. I didn’t want to go out and get a real job, I wanted to make music and make this happen.

DN: “Overload,” has an organic sound. Is this the sound that fans will be expecting from your upcoming EP, “Prologue“?
David: Definitely! We love to bring in that organic sound with a modern twist.

Robert: We all focus on that sound but we do have a couple tracks that are more electronic, one that is more country and a couple that are folkier.

DN: You’re going on a 29-city tour across the US with Meghan Trainor, a big deal here. How did you guys react when you were put on her tour?
David: Crazy. I would pay myself to travel around the US so to have someone else pay us to travel around the US is insane. We love America so much that we would just love to see the ins and outs of the different states. Being able to do it with such a great artists who writes her music and a great singer I think this is going to be amazing.

Joe: I couldn’t really believe we are going on tour so quick. It’s only six months ago that we were nowhere. We’ve only been to NYC and LA, we haven’t seen anywhere else in America so we’re going to see all these places, do what we love to do, and actually connect with fans which is going to be a crazy experience.

Robert: This is a whole new experience. Being able to play live in front of so many people is scary but we are really happy to do it.

DN: Where would you say is your largest fan base? Is there a certain US city you are most anticipated to visit while on tour?
Joe: I think David really wants to go to Nashville.

David: I do want to go to Nashville. It’s crazy, my sister is actually getting married on the day we are playing in Nashville but I wont be able to go to her wedding because we are going on tour. I also want to go to San Francisco; I lived there for a year doing college. To be able to go back and see all my friends that I haven’t seen in about three years now is going to be insane.

Robert: I recently just heard of some of these County State Fairs and when I hear County State Fair, in the UK it sounds like a collection of 50-100 people kind of sharing recipes. From what I hear it’s going to be tens of thousands of people, weirdly enough it’s kind of exciting.

DN: Where do you hope to see yourselves in the next few years?
David: As scary as quick as everything comes, it can as quickly go and we just want to be working hard, making the right decisions to have a long career. We’re not trying to shoot too quickly but the way things have moved we’re trying to make sure to hold on.

Joe: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. We’re really in this for the long haul, we have a lot of music ready but we want to make a lot more. It’s our passion.

The trio will join Meghan Trainor on her The MTRAIN Tour starting in July and hitting 29 cities across the US. Make sure to grab tickets! Tour dates provided below.

7/3  Atlantic City, NJ  The Borgata
7/4 Uncasville, CT   Mohegan Sun
7/7 Lansing, MI   Common Ground Music Festival
7/9 Detroit, MI   Fillmore
7/12 Chicago, IL   Aragon Ballroom
7/14 St. Louis, MO   The Pageant
7/16 San Antonio, TX  The Tobin Center for Performing
7/18 Denver, CO   The Fillmore
7/21 San Francisco, CA  The Masonic
7/22 Paso Robles, CA  California Mid State Fair
7/24 Los Angeles, CA  The Palladium
7/27 Harrington, DE  Delaware State Fair
7/29 Troy, PA   Troy Fair
7/31 New York, NY   JBL Live at Pier 97
8/2 Columbus, OH  Ohio State Fair
8/5 Philadelphia, PA  Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
8/6 Boston, MA   Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
8/11 Indianapolis, IN  Indiana State Fair
8/13 Hamburg, NY   Erie County Fair
8/15 Nashville, TN   Ryman Auditorium
8/16 Atlanta, GA   The Tabernacle
8/18 Raleigh, NC   The Ritz
8/20 Louisville, KY   Kentucky State Fair
8/22 Des Moines, IA  Iowa State Fair
9/1 St. Paul, MN   Minnesota State Fair
9/3 Syracuse, NY   New York State Fair
9/4 Essex Junction, VT  Champlain Valley Exposition
9/6 Allentown, PA   Allentown Fair

Watch Life Of Dillon’s “Overload” video below:

Lollapalooza 2015: Paul McCartney, Metallica Headline Festival

Florence and the Machine, The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Bassnectar, Alt-J

The full lineup for Lollapalooza 2015, which takes place in Grant Park, Chicago July 31st through August 2nd has been officially announced. This year will make the festival’s 10th year as the so called “destination festival” in Chicago. Over 160,000 people flock from all over the world to the already busy and crammed streets of Chicago for one unforgettable weekend. This festival already sold out all their three day General Admission passes as well as single day passes.

The festival will unravel on Friday July 31st with Paul McCartney as the Friday night headliner. On Friday fans of all music tastes will gather to listen to the likes of some big names such as The Weeknd, The War on Drugs, Alabama Shakes, Kaskade, Dillion Francis, DJ Snake, and Tove Lo.

The festival wraps up on Sunday, August 2nd with Florence and The Machine, A$AP Rocky, Marina and The Diamonds, Odesza, Nicky Romero and of course, the “bass god” himself- Bassnectar.

Full line up:

Friday, July 31st:

Paul McCartney, The Weeknd, Alt-J, Alabama Shakes, Kaskade, Dillon Francis, Gary Clark Jr., Flying Lotus, Hot Chip, the War on Drugs, DJ Snake, Sylvan Esso, MS MR, Tove Lo, Glass Animals, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, First Aid Kit, DJ Mustard, James Bay, Broods, MisterWives, What So Not, Sxa, Jamestown Revival, Philip Selway, Young Thug, Coasts, Destructo, Borns, Badbadnotgood, Mighty Oaks, Bear’s Den, Peking Duk, Black Pistol Fire, Spookyland, Bully, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Kyle Thornton & the Company, The New Pacific, Daye Jack, The Pop Ups, Q Brothers, School of Rock AllStars, The Jimmies, Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips.

Saturday, August 1st:

Metallica, Sam Smith, Alesso, Tame Impala, Kid Cudi, Brand New, Carnage, G-Easy, Walk the Moon, Tyler the Creator, The Tallest Man on Earth, Banks, Chet Faker, Sturgill Simpson, Death From Above 1979, Toro y Moi, Charli XCX, Django Django, Boys Noize, Delta Spirit, RL Grime, Givers, Ryn Weaver, Travi$ Scott, Caked Up, Hermitude, Wet, Holychild, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Zella Day, Mr. Eden, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, Snbrn, Ellie King, Beat Connection, Mick Jenkins, Raury, Jack Novak, Pell, White Sea, Hippo Campus, Coin, Danny Weinkauf, School of Rock Allstars, The Jimmies, Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips, The Helmets.

Sunday, Augugst 2nd:

Florence + the Machine, Bassnectar, Of Monsters and Men, A$AP Rocky, TV On The Radio, Nero, twenty one pilots, Nicky Romero, Kygo, Marina and the Diamonds, FKA Twigs, Lord Huron, Gogol Bordello, Stromae, Odesza, Logic, The Chainsmokers, Wild Belle, Twin Peaks, Angus & Julia Stone, George Ezra, Strand of Oaks, Moon Taxi, Shakey Graves, Galantis, Night Terrors of 1927, Alison Wonderland, Circa Waves, DMAs, Sheppard, Mako, Skylar Spence, the Wombats, Halsey, Lion Babe, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Vérité, Jacklndn, Zebra Katz, the Lonely Biscuits, SirenXX, In the Whale, Atarah Valentine, The Pop Ups, Danny Weinkauf, Motown Pete, Q Brothers, School of Rock Allstars

Axwell & Ingrosso Premiere "Can't Hold Us Down" Short Film

The legendary Swedish music duo, Axwell /\ Ingrosso are taking their comeback to the streets of Romania.

Ever since Axwell /\ Ingrosso announced their reunion and signed with Def Jam Recordings back in September they have kept all their music limited.  With the release of two successful singles, “Can’t Hold Us Down” and “Something New” the duo released “On My Way” on BBC Radio One, with Annie Mac.

The single opens with piano melody and harmonic vocals of Salem Al Fakir who many might remember from Avicci’s “Silhouettes”. Accompanying this single the duo released a short film. This short has been directed by Christian Larson, who has previously directed music videos for some of their top singles including, “Leave the World Behind,” “One,” and “Miami 2 Ibiza.”

Can’t Hold Us Down” follows the pair’s journey to their fight, driving around, attempting to hit on women and weight training.  The entire blue collar Romanian town knows how high the stakes are in this fight. Big Mafia backers have invested in both DJs so losing is not an option for either of them. The fight ends with one of the two winning but the ending is not what many would expect.

Watch the full video here:

Confirmed: Mariah Carey Signs EPIC Deal

So, oh, oh oh.
So, oh, oh oh oh.
Will the real M-C please step to the mic?

Pop diva Mariah Carey who holds the record for most No. 1 debuts in Billboard Hot 100 will officially reunite with record producer Antonio L.A. Reid. It is confirmed today by Sony’s spokesperson to Billboard that Mariah has signed with Epic Records, which is an off-shoot label of Sony’s.

Just in time to prepare for her first residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in fabulous Las Vegas beginning May 6. The singer’s forthcoming album will be a compilation of her greatest hits, which is expected to feature updates, as well as possible duets of her classic songs.

Sources are saying that miss Mariah is already hitting the studio in LA and recording new music. Currently there is no word on potential release dates.

Unfiltered Look Into Rihanna's Life

The star of the upcoming animated film Home—Rihanna is reported to star in a full length documentary. This will be an “unfiltered look into Rihanna’s life and how she ascended to become a global icon.”

Robyn Rihanna Fenty, ranked by Forbes in 2012 as the 4th most powerful celebrity of the year is a singer, actress and fashion designer. Many do not know that her entire career was started by Evan Rogers, who she met in 2003 through mutual friends. She broke into the industry at the age of 17 by signing with Def Jam Recordings. Her debut album, Music of the Sun along with her follow up, A Girl Like Me peaked in the Top 10.

With the release of her third studio album,  Good Girl Gone Bad she became a household name. Rihanna sold over 150 million record worldwide—making her one of the best selling artists. Umbrella, Take a Bow, Disturbia, Only Girl in the World, Diamonds, and S&M are just a few singles from the artist that rank among the world’s best selling singles.

Rihanna’s work has  gained her 8 Grammy Awards, 8 American Music Awards, 22 Billboard Music Awards. Besides her great career moves, Rihanna  has had a rough past with her ex boy friend—Chris Brown, who reportedly beat her in 2009. 

Who knows what Rihanna has in store for us  in this documentary. The mysterious Barbadian goddess and global icon always leaves fans blown away by frequently reinventing her style and image.  Rihanna is crazy and she doesn’t pretend to be anything else.  Do you think you really know her or will this documentary shift your perspective?

 
 

Kelly Clarkson Dominates Billboard 200 With "Piece By Piece"

Just as industry sources suggested, last week, the original American Idol winner- Kelly Clarkson– put out her third chart-topping album, and her seventh Top 10, overall. It was predicted last week that the album would move around 90,000 units. In total, the album moved 97,000 units from various streams and selling 83,000 copies.

The last time Kelly Clarkson topped the Billboard 200 was in 2009 with her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. In 2003 she dominated the Billboard 200 with her debut album, Thankful, released by RCA Records. Currently, “Heartbeak Song”- the album’s lead single sits at No. 34 on the Hot 100.  This is her first lead single to miss the Top 10.
Trailing closely behind is the Fifthy Shades of Grey soundtrack at No.2. It moved around 96,000 units; selling 451,000 copies in four weeks of release. Next on the list is Taylor Swift’s1989, making its way from No.5 to No.3 with 77,00 units moved this week. Sitting in the top 5 chart for 19 weeks now.

The Top 10 of the Billboard 200:

1. Kelly Clarkson, Piece By Piece
2. Soundtrack, Fifty Shades Of Grey

3. Taylor Swift, 1989

4. Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

5. Ed Sheeran, x

6. Big Sean, Dark Sky Paradise

7. Maroon 5, V

8. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour

9. Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher’s Daughter
10. Meghan Trainor, Title