B13 Peer Review

G.O.O.D. Music producer Evian Christ says Kanye West "is a dream to work with" due to his experimental nature. For fans of Chicago rapper Kanye West, the first hint at what the wordsmith’s upcoming album may sound like may have come thanks to an interview featuring G.O.O.D. Music producer Evian Christ. The beatsmith, who produced the  Yeezus  record “I’m In It,” spoke on Kanye, his style of production, and more during a recent interview with  self-titled magazine . While comparing ‘Ye to other artists, Evian revealed that the rapper contacted him recently requesting a beat that he says “sounds a bit like Otis Redding, a bit like Mobb Deep." "Kanye is the one dude who’s like, ‘This is not experimental enough. This is too poppy. Make something else,’” Evian said, according to  HotNewHipHop.com . “The other guys are like, ‘We don’t get it.’ Kanye is a dream to work with. No one else gives you that level of creative freedom. When he wants you to work to...

Tony Award-winning actress, singer and Oscar-nominated songwriter, Idina Menzel, Feb. 25, 2014, in New York. B-13 PEER REVIEW   Where you hear it first RELATED ARTICLES   Top 5 Songs for Week Ending April 5 Ray McDonald April 12, 2014 We’re counting down the five most popular songs in the Billboard  Hot 100  pop singles chart, for the week ending April 12, 2014. Ray McDonald's Top 5 Countdown for Week Ending April 12 Playlist Download Top 5 Songs for Week Ending April 12 1. "Happy" Pharrell Williams 2. "All of Me" John Legend 3. "Dark Horse" Katy Perry featuring Juicy J 4. "Talk Dirty" Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz 5. "Let It Go" Idina Menzel The poet John Milton once wrote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” This week we play the waiting game on the countdown, anticipating something - anything. Idina Menzel spends another week in fifth place with her ...

When you browse our annual ranking of the richest rappers  in the world, many of the top names are probably easy to guess. You've got  Diddy  at #1 with $500 million and  Jay-Z  at #2 with $475 million. The top 10 is predictably filled with some of today's biggest entertainers like Dr. Dre, Eminem, Birdman and 50 Cent. On the other hand, many people are surprised by who comes in at #3 right behind Diddy and Jay-Z. The #3 richest rapper in the world today hasn't had a major hit in over a decade. In fact, his once dominant rap label filed for bankruptcy back in 2003 and his most recent self released studio album sold just 75,000 copies. In case you haven't figured it out yet, we are talking about the ultimate No Limit soldier, Percy Miller. Better known as  Master P . It might be hard to fathom today, but back in the mid-to-late 90s no other rap label or CEO was more successful than Master P and No Limit Records. Master P pulled himself out of one of the ro...

10 profitable business deals that led  artists to the proverbial pot of gold. Aside from the artwork to Lil Flip’s ill-fated 2000 album, The Leprechaun , Hip Hop doesn’t put much stock into St. Patrick’s Day. Granted, the holiday most associated with the patron saint of Ireland, provides a good reason to partake in some Guinness and dust off those House of Pain albums. So while you won’t find any extensive coverage Lil’ Flip, leprechauns or four-leaf clovers, it’s hard to find any genre—Hip Hop or otherwise—that doesn’t appreciate a good pot of gold. As such, HipHopDX is highlighting a list of some of Hip Hop’s most lucrative business deals. From Master P’s groundbreaking deal with Priority to Jay Z partnering with the likes of Live Nation, Creative Arts Agency and Samsung, here are 10 deals that helped some of Hip Hop’s most well-known contributors hit the jackpot. Jay Z’s 2008 Deal With Live Nation Upon its introduction, the 360-deal—which essentiall...

Clash Issue 94: Future 3.99  GBP Clash Issue 94: Future 3.99  GBP Future is the latest in a lineage of eccentric Southern artists dating back to the legendary Dungeon Family. The past few years have seen him rise to fame with tracks that blur the lines between melodic rap and gargling, Auto-Tuned song.  Emerging in 2011 with his teeth-gritted dedication to Scarface’s anti-hero ‘Tony Montana’, and YC’s club anthem ‘Racks’, 2013 saw Future balancing duets with R. Kelly and Miley Cyrus with show-stealing performances on club bangers like Ace Hood’s ‘Bugatti’ and Rocko’s ‘U.O.E.N.O.’ The expanding diversity of his music allows him to continually appeal to new audiences as he moves through his career. Meet the man himself in this month’s exclusive interview feature. Want more rap royalty? How about Nas celebrating 20 years of his classic debut, ‘Illmatic’? We got it. Plus: Animal Collective’s Avey T...

Sony Music Entertainment's photos Elle Varner stopped by the Essence office in New York on Tuesday to give us an early listen to tracks from her forthcoming album  4 Letter Word . If you've been following the  4 Letter Word  series, you've already heard " Cold Case " and " See Me Tonight ." You can tell the singer has been through some personal things since the release of her debut album  Perfectly Imperfect  in 2012, which featured bubbly, fun singles like "Only Wanna Give It To You" and "Oh What A Night."  4 Letter Word,  however,   will portray a darker look at love with tracks like "F*ck It All" and "Nothing" - a guitar-driven ballad that wreakes vulnerability. Even records that appear lighthearted -- like the uptempo "Don't Wanna Dance" --  reveal a heartbroken Varner. Below, we speak to Varner about the space she's in musically. Was  4 Letter Word  more difficult for ...