'Bad Boy' no more singer Loon leaves label for own label
After spending four years on Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs Bad Boy rouster, singer, songwriter and producer Loon has parted ways with the label to form his own label and company, Boss Up Entertainment.
The singer came to prominsce after co-writing and appearing on P. Diddy's 'I Need a Girl Part 2'. His debut self-titled set soon followed that claimed top ten status on the Billboard R&B chart."My relationship with [Diddy] from beginning to end was on the up and up," Loon told Billboard.com when he was in Las Vegas last week for the Billboard Music Awards. "I did everything I had to do to help him refurbish the label and bring it back to its present state."
"[But] I've never been able to establish my own identity or other dimensions of myself," he continued. "The smooth stuff is a dimension of myself, but there's so much more that comes with me. I endured the burden of Puff's criminal case [and Bad Boy rapper] Shyne [going to jail] and J. Lo beating us up on the radio. It took a couple of years to get all that out of the way. I was at a fork in the road. I could continue to be in the shadow, or I could take the initiative and be my own man. That's the choice I made."
The follow up to his debut set 'The Renaissance' is almost completed and he's declined to reveal potential collaborators with the exception of Mase, with whom he recently completed a track. "It's definitely me getting more in tune with myself," he said of the album. "Me trying to put out multiple impressions of myself as opposed to just seeing Loon as a lover boy. Don't expect desperation to obtain street credibility, but I do have some street records that will show a different dimension."
Loon has also signed his cousin, R&B/gospel singer Dante Hawkins, to Boss Up, as well as a Russian singer named Luba ("she's going to remind you of a black R&B singer; that strong, sultry sound," he said). "I'm trying to instill the same qualities as a boss in my artists," Loon said. "I give my cousin his own budget and he can give me an album. I don't need to hold his hand."
Loon says he's thrilled to strike out on his own in attempt to "create that balance as a CEO/artist. I'm not trying to save the East Coast. I'm a music lover. I want to build an Arista. I don't want the label name tattooed on my arm."
source: billboard.com
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Usher wins big at Billboards Music Awards
Continuing on his strong year which has seen him win just about every music award in sight except for the Oscar, R&B's reigning king of song Usher left the other contenders in the dust at the Billboard Music Awards, winning an amazing 11 statuettes.
The ceremony which was held at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, saw the singer open the proceedings with his latest hit 'Bad Girl'. He took top honors of Artist of the Year in Billboard 200, Hot 100 and R&B/hip-hop categories as well as Album of the Year for his 'Confessions' disc in Billboards Top 200 and R&B/Hip Hop categories.
Alicia Keys took an honorable 2nd place grabbing 7 wins that included the Female Artist of the Year while OutKast grabbed five and Kanye West four.
Stevie Wonder was honored with Billboard's highest honor, the Century Award, while Destiny's Child was recognized with the Special Artist Achievement Award, presented by the members of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Below is the list of the Billboard Music Award winners:
Artist of the year: Usher
Female artist of the year: Alicia Keys
Duo/Group artist of the year: OutKast
Male new artist of the year: Kanye West
Female new artist of the year: Ashlee Simpson
Billboard 200 artist of the year: Usher
Billboard 200 duo/group album artist of the year: OutKast
Billboard 200 album of the year: "Confessions," Usher (Arista)
Top selling single of the year: "I Believe," Fantasia"
Hot 100 artist of the year: Usher
Female Hot 100 artist of the year: Alicia Keys
Hot 100 duo/group of the year: OutKast
Hot 100 single of the year: "Yeah!" Usher, featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
Hot 100 airplay single of the year: "Yeah!" Usher, featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
Hot 100 songwriter of the year: Alicia Keys
Hot 100 producer of the year: Lil Jon
Mainstream Top 40 artist of the year: Usher
Mainstream Top 40 single of the year: "Yeah!" Usher, featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the year: Usher
Female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the year: Alicia Keys
R&B/Hip-Hop duo/group of the year: OutKast
New R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the year: Kanye West
Top selling R&B/Hip-Hop single of the year: "I Believe," Fantasia
R&B/Hip-Hop album of the year: "Confessions," Usher (Arista)
R&B/Hip-Hop albums artist of the year: Usher
R&B/Hip-Hop singles artist of the year: Alicia Keys
R&B/Hip-Hop single of the year: "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys
R&B/Hip-Hop airplay single of the year: "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys
R&B/Hip-Hop producer of the year: Kanye West
Rap artist of the year: Kanye West
Female country artist of the year: Gretchen Wilson
New country artist of the year: Gretchen Wilson
New country duo/group artist of the year: Big & Rich
Independent album artist fo the year: Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz
Independent album of the year: "Kings of Crunk," Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz (TVT)
Hot Dance sales single of the year: "Me Against the Music," Britney Spears featuring Madonna
Digital artist of the year: Maroon5
Digital Track of the year: "Hey Ya," OutKast
Ringtone of the year: "In Da Club," 50 CentArtist Achievement Award: Destiny's Child
Century Award: Stevie Wonder
- Source: spotlightonR&B.com
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Singer Tyrone Davis is in a coma after surrering a stroke
Singer-songwriter and all round favourite artst of mine in the mid to lates 70s and early 80s, Tyrone Davis is in a coma. According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, the singer had suffered a stroke and is listed in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago. He felt ill after performing at a weekend concert in New Orleans and checked himself in the following day.
The singer is now recuperating at RML, a Rush University Medical Center and Loyola University Medical Center partnership in Hinsdale. It's the only not-for-profit long-term acute care hospital in Illinois. Friends report that Davis is alert but cannot speak or walk. My prayers go out to the singer who put many a music fan 'In the Mood' hope for him to have a speedy recovery
- Source: billboard.com
James Brown diagnosed wth prostate cancer__________________________________________________________________
The Godfather of soul James Brown has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery next week.
"I have overcome a lot of things in my life. I will overcome this as well," Brown, 71, said in a statement.
He finished a two-week Canadian tour on Thursday night and is expected to spend three weeks recovering from his operation on 15 December.
Brown, best known for hits such as I Feel Good and Cold Sweat, still plans a tour of Asia and Australia next year.
- Source: hhso.com