Tulisa denies Class A drugs supply charge in court

December 19, 2013 21:02

The pop singer will appear in front of judges again on January 9, 2014

Pop singer and former X Factor judge Tulisa has denied playing a part in the supply of Class A drugs.

Tulisa Contostavlos was arrested following tabloid newspaper reports that claimed she was involved in an £860 cocaine deal. She appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today (December 19) to deny charges of being involved in the supply of class A drugs, reports BBC News.

Michael Coombs also pleaded not guilty to the same charge of being "concerned with the supply of 13.9 grams of cocaine" to an undercover reporter following a police investigation in June. Both Contostavlos and Coombs were granted unconditional bail. The case has now been sent to Southwark Crown Court and the pair will appear before judges there on January 9, 2014.

During her appearance in court today Contostavlos was made to disclose her London address, though her solicitor had applied for it to be withheld. "Just to let you know, after it being read out, in the next month or so I might have to move to a new address," Contostavlos said after her address was revealed, with her solicitor citing the "unwanted visitors" it might attract.

In June an undercover reporter working for The Sun On Sunday recorded what is believed to be Tulisa saying that "half her phone book" had access to drugs and that she would introduce their reporter to a drug dealer. This introduction was allegedly then made, with the undercover journalist filming himself paying £860 for half an ounce of cocaine.

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Gym Class Heroes grow up, get serious on new album

Tim William, Eric Roberts, Matt McGinley and Travis McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes arrive at the 2008 VH1 Hip Hop Honors event in New York, October 2, 2008.

Credit: Reuters/Eric Thayer

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:39pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gym Class Heroes has graduated from party life to adulthood on their latest album, "The Papercut Chronicles II," a follow-up to their first CD after three records of anthems to youth, rebellion and just plain having fun.

Lead singer Travie McCoy said the new album represents a sort of coming-of-age for the band with songs about moving ahead after lost loves and thinking more deeply about topics such as how a rock star life is not always glamorous.

"It's about...thinking about the bigger picture rather than the smaller things," McCoy told Reuters. "I'm 30. We've all grown up now, some of us have kids."

Along with McCoy, the New York band features drummer Matt McGinley, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts. They released their first official studio album, "The Papercut Chronicles" in 2005, and from it came one of the band's best-selling singles, "Cupid's Chokehold."

A second album in 2006, "As Cruel As School Children," delivered more hit singles including "Clothes Off!" and was followed "The Quilt" in 2008, with its single "Cookie Jar."

Recent years have found the band writing personal songs and some with themes around heartbreak and the isolation of pop stardom. McCoy said that to draw inspiration, the band returned to "Papercut Chronicles" and looked at how far they had come.

"Papercut Chronicles II" is the product of their musical soul searching and includes a fusion of sounds including hip-hop, rock and pop on tracks like "Solo Discotheque (Whiskey Bitness)," "Lazarus, Ze Gitan" and the upbeat "Stereo Hearts."

"We had a sense of urgency in the past records. We were young kids searching for a sound," said McCoy. "We wanted to recreate not the album, but that sense of hunger."

McCoy said the album became a personal diary, to some extent, as he sings of past romances and fighting his demons.

"'Live Goes On' defines me best, because people don't see that this life is not all glitz and glamour. There's a darker side," said McCoy.

ADAM LEVINE, RYAN TEDDER

The new album also features several collaborations such as on the lighthearted love song, "Stereo Hearts," featuring Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. It currently sites in the top 5 on the Billboard singles chart.

One Republic's Ryan Tedder, who received Grammy nominations for writing and producing songs like Beyonce's "Halo" and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," created the inspirational tune "The Fighter" in which Tedder sings and McCoy raps.

While Levine and Tedder are high-profile collaborators, McCoy also works with lesser known artists such as Danish singer Oh Land, who supplies vocals on "Life Goes On."

"It's great to find people who might not be getting a lot of recognition but just have a ton of talent," said McCoy, "There's a cool resurgence of 'out there' music like The Speakers. There are lots of artists I'm digging right now, like The Weekend and James Blake."

Despite the band's popularity and charting single "Stereo Hearts," the album has not been received so warmly by critics.

Rolling Stone's Judy Rosen cited "dull, rock-rap tunes with hooks that would've sounded dated a decade ago."

Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson also criticized the album's "revved-up aggro crunch and laughable lyrical raging against the machine," but praised some tracks where the band "jettison their limp rap-rock instincts and plunge into crossover pop like the haunting 'Life Goes On'."

But McCoy is focused on his fans, and he believes they will accept the album as "another Gym Class Heroes record," with the band's trademark fusion of different music styles.

"What we listen to is so diverse so when it comes to our albums, they tend to reflect our tastes, and our fans like that," said the rapper.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here

Gym Class Heroes grow up, get serious on new album (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Gym Class Heroes has graduated from party life to adulthood on their latest album, "The Papercut Chronicles II," a follow-up to their first CD after three records of anthems to youth, rebellion and just plain having fun.

Lead singer Travie McCoy said the new album represents a sort of coming-of-age for the band with songs about moving ahead after lost loves and thinking more deeply about topics such as how a rock star life is not always glamorous.

"It's about...thinking about the bigger picture rather than the smaller things," McCoy told Reuters. "I'm 30. We've all grown up now, some of us have kids."

Along with McCoy, the New York band features drummer Matt McGinley, guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts. They released their first official studio album, "The Papercut Chronicles" in 2005, and from it came one of the band's best-selling singles, "Cupid's Chokehold."

A second album in 2006, "As Cruel As School Children," delivered more hit singles including "Clothes Off!" and was followed "The Quilt" in 2008, with its single "Cookie Jar."

Recent years have found the band writing personal songs and some with themes around heartbreak and the isolation of pop stardom. McCoy said that to draw inspiration, the band returned to "Papercut Chronicles" and looked at how far they had come.

"Papercut Chronicles II" is the product of their musical soul searching and includes a fusion of sounds including hip-hop, rock and pop on tracks like "Solo Discotheque (Whiskey Bitness)," "Lazarus, Ze Gitan" and the upbeat "Stereo Hearts."

"We had a sense of urgency in the past records. We were young kids searching for a sound," said McCoy. "We wanted to recreate not the album, but that sense of hunger."

McCoy said the album became a personal diary, to some extent, as he sings of past romances and fighting his demons.

"'Live Goes On' defines me best, because people don't see that this life is not all glitz and glamour. There's a darker side," said McCoy.

ADAM LEVINE, RYAN TEDDER

The new album also features several collaborations such as on the lighthearted love song, "Stereo Hearts," featuring Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. It currently sites in the top 5 on the Billboard singles chart.

One Republic's Ryan Tedder, who received Grammy nominations for writing and producing songs like Beyonce's "Halo" and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," created the inspirational tune "The Fighter" in which Tedder sings and McCoy raps.

While Levine and Tedder are high-profile collaborators, McCoy also works with lesser known artists such as Danish singer Oh Land, who supplies vocals on "Life Goes On."

"It's great to find people who might not be getting a lot of recognition but just have a ton of talent," said McCoy, "There's a cool resurgence of 'out there' music like The Speakers. There are lots of artists I'm digging right now, like The Weekend and James Blake."

Despite the band's popularity and charting single "Stereo Hearts," the album has not been received so warmly by critics.

Rolling Stone's Judy Rosen cited "dull, rock-rap tunes with hooks that would've sounded dated a decade ago."

Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson also criticized the album's "revved-up aggro crunch and laughable lyrical raging against the machine," but praised some tracks where the band "jettison their limp rap-rock instincts and plunge into crossover pop like the haunting 'Life Goes On'."

But McCoy is focused on his fans, and he believes they will accept the album as "another Gym Class Heroes record," with the band's trademark fusion of different music styles.

"What we listen to is so diverse so when it comes to our albums, they tend to reflect our tastes, and our fans like that," said the rapper.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here