Maybach Music Group Holds 'Self Made Vol. 2' Album Listening at NY Strip Club

by Lacey Seidman, N.Y.  |   June 14, 2012 3:45 EDT

"All we know how to do is be self-made," Rick Ross declared last night (Wednesday, June 13), at an exclusive listening session designed to unveil tracks from the sequel to Maybach Music Group's first collaborative album, "MMG Presents: Self Made Vol. 1."

Well-versed in manufacturing a spectacle as seen with their press conference last month, the members of MMG -- Ross, Meek Mill, Wale, Omarion and Stalley -- chose Bronx's gentlemen's club, Sin City, for the evening's proceedings, transforming a run-of-the mill press gathering into an exhibition of excess that visibly ran the attendees' comfort zone gamut.

Maybach Music Day: Label Signs Omarion, Sets Rick Ross Album Release Date

"June 26 is the official release date for 'Self Made 2,'" Ross reiterated to the room before handing the mic over to DJ Khaled to introduce each track, one-by-one. After nodding to Power 105's DJ Self  -- who spun back-to-back MMG favorites for the preceding two hours -- Ross saluted the album's core contributors who were also present: MMG, Gunplay, and Bad Boy's French Montana.

Drake, Busta Rhymes, DJ Scoob Doo, Fred Da Godson, and Warner Bros. Records and Def Jam label execs
-- Def Jam President, Joie Manda, Senior VP Shawn "Pecas" Costner, Senior VP of Marketing Chris Atlas --  also convened in support of the project that kicks off MMG's string of summer releases. Upcoming MMG projects include "MMG Presents: Self Made Vol. 2" (June 26), Meek 's debut album, "Dreams & Nightmares" (August 28), and Ross' highly-anticipated, "God Forgives, I Don't," out July 31.

Though in an untamed atmosphere with dancers' shift-assignments announced every so often over the PA system, MMG's music still managed to project growth. A balance of hard-hitting street anthems like "Actin' Up" and "Black On Black," featuring Ace Hood and Bun B, co-exist with smooth, R&B-leaning tracks, "M.I.A" and "Let's Talk," courtsey of their new acquisiton, Omarion. Verses from the album's featured marquee artists were finally revealed and stand-out flows from Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Nipsey Hu$$le, Wiz Khalifa and T.I. commanded head nods.

Whether or not intended, MMG gave all a Petri dish peek into their fast lives. Hosting the "Self Made Vol. 2" listening session at Sin City -- where French shot "Everything's A Go" -- the scene was set. The braggadocio-laden cuts were unleashed in the same atmosphere that births them. But for those examining the landscape a bit closer, the celebratory vibe was oddly juxtaposed by some of the rappers' own subdued temperaments.

Omarion and Stalley spent much of the evening on their cells, albeit standing on couches in the VIP section. Meek politely declined repeated advances from the female staff members. Not long after an intoxicated female associate became visibly ill,  Noah "40" Shebib and Drake, who had kept a parental watchful eye on her, were escorted out the building appearing relieved. Drake left a smiling French behind to hold down the section that stood just below of the rabid VIP area.

Cocktail waitresses donning tuxedo bustiers were instructed to "make it sparkle" on command. The dancers shook their lady parts while performing their best tricks, attempting to catch eyes with MMG and their entourage. Watching the ladies' efforts go unnoticed was telling considering the environment. Rap clichés permeated the room and were, in turn, absorbed through all five sensory channels of those invited as a majority of the rappers, themselves, seemed not the least fazed. 

Celebratory events like yesterday's listening are a recent mainstay for the Maybach Music Group conglomerate and friends. Last month, they took over New York to celebrate Omarion's MMG signing, Meek's birthday and their headlining slot at Hot 97's Summer Jam. Whether work or play, it would appear that the MMG movement is in full-throttle.

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Girls' Generation Splinter Group Enters Billboard 200

by Jeff Benjamin, N.Y.  |   May 04, 2012 5:30 EDT

A common move with popular K-Pop groups on hiatus is to split themselves into other projects. In particular, the sub-unit concept has proven popular with members able to experiment to bring something fresh for fans. Girls' Generation created the sub-unit Girls' Generation - TTS (also known as Taetiseo) who this week became the highest charting K-Pop act on the Billboard 200 with their EP "Twinkle" -- at No. 126 on this week's Billboard 200 with 3,000 copies sold according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It was only March 17 this year that BIGBANG spent one week on the chart at No. 150.

The act also makes big moves on the Heatseekers Albums chart, debuting at No. 2, only to be bested by Human Nature who performed on "Dancing With The Stars" last week. The EP does top the World Albums chart with less than two days of its worldwide release sales counted for Billboard charts.

The act was tipped to be a hot one with over 10 million collective views of the three teaser videos featuring a different member in each. To possibly encourage orders, if fans bought the entire EP package, they would receive special tracks of the members introducing the EP songs. Additionally, if fans e-mailed an address associated with SMTown, the group's label, with a picture to prove they bought the album, they were in the running to receive a special gift from Girls' Generation - TTS.

The sub-unit is made up of three members: one of the group's most powerful vocalists Taeyeon, the charismatic and English-speaking Tiffany, and the group's youngest member Seohyun. They are also known as Taetiseo; a combination of their three names.

While Girls' Generation is known for their sexy concepts and choreography (from the slick first English single "The Boys" to playing dress up on "Mr. Taxi"), the sub-unit sees a completely revamped girls with a focus on funky vocals and vibrant outfits.

In other K-Pop news, two boy bands make appearances on the World Albums chart with B.A.P. making their comeback this week with an EP titled "Power" as well as U-KISS debuting at No. 10 and No. 12 respectively.

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Mathew Knowles is back with new girl group (AP)

NEW YORK – Mathew Knowles says there's a lack of girl groups in the music industry today, so it's the right time to launch his latest project: a reality show on MTV that follows the development of the group From Above.

"Breaking From Above" premieres internationally this month and in December, and Knowles says it may be shown in the United States next spring.

"Most reality shows are about putting together groups, this is the opposite," he said in a recent interview. On the MTV show, he added two more women, for a total of seven competing for a spot in the British pop quintet. It airs over MTV affiliates in 160 countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.

He says the group could be trimmed to a quartet or a trio.

The days of girl groups dominating the music scene are long gone. Knowles says it's a result of band mates not understanding the roles they play.

"If I'm the lead singer, I've got to know that, accept that, and all the members have got to accept it," he said. "Everybody's role has to be established at day one."

Knowles was the manager of Destiny's Child, which included his daughter Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Originally a quartet, the trio stopped performing in 2005.

Destiny's Child won two Grammys, had multiple No. 1 hits and multiple multiplatinum albums. Knowles also managed the group members' solo efforts and oversaw most of Beyonce's solo career until they split professionally in March.

Knowles says before Destiny's Child signed a record deal in 1997, they had performed about 1,000 shows.

"When you look at reality shows, (the success) comes overnight, and it goes away overnight because there was never artist development," he said. "(With my new group) there's something here, but true success in this industry is about a six-year process."

His company, Music World Entertainment, offers boot camp training for artists who are looking to improve their skills. He had the members of Destiny's Child jogging and singing at the same time — to build their stamina — when they were 10 years old.

From Above will release their debut single, "Not the Same Girl," on Nov. 29. Their album, "Breaking From Above," will come out digitally Dec. 12.

"The initial launch is based on TV, and we've all learned the power in TV in selling music today," he said.

Knowles said he's been affiliated with seven girl groups, including the platinum-selling Trin-i-tee 5:7. Like Destiny's Child, the gospel duo has been downsized over the years.

"I guess I kind of have been known as the guy that shakes up girl groups," Knowles said with a laugh.

____

Online:

http://musicworldent.com/artists/fromabove

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Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicmesfin

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Singer's donation to wild-horse group criticized (AP)

RENO, Nev. – Sheryl Crow, hailed as a champion of wild horses that roam the range in the West, has been criticized by a national animal rights group that is calling her a hypocrite for performing at a Wyoming rodeo.

The "All I Wanna Do" singer planned to donate a portion of the proceeds from her July 22 concert at the Cheyenne Frontier Days to a wild-horse protection group that's suing the government to try to halt a big mustang roundup in Nevada. Crow is the opening act for Kid Rock on a summer tour that includes the Wyoming gig.

But Showing Animals Respect and Kindness claimed that wild horses are abused at that event in a special race just for them.

"How can an organization dedicated to helping wild horses take blood money that was based, in part, on abusing wild horses? We believe what Ms. Crow is doing is nothing but PR spin," said Stuart Chaifetz, a spokesman for the Illinois-based group.

The group, also known as SHARK, called on the Cloud Foundation to reject the donation.

Ginger Kathrens, executive director of the Colorado-based group, said she and other activists consider Crow a true champion of wild horses. Crow has adopted a wild horse and contributed time and money to the cause of keeping them on public lands, she said.

SHARK's criticism is unjustified because rodeos are prohibited under the 1971 federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act from using mustangs removed from the range by the government, Kathrens added.

"I think it's important for people to know the wild horse act prohibits the activity they're concerned about," Kathrens told The Associated Press. "They are not using wild horses off our ranges in that race."

A spokesman for Crow agent John Marx at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., referred inquiries to Crow's publicist, who did not respond to an email. In a statement issued on her website last week, Crow said she was aware of "the contrasting and very passionate opinions that people have about this event and rodeos in general."

She said she was making the donation "in recognition of these differences and out of my love for wild horses."

Chaifetz said Crow only decided to make the donation after its protests over her involvement at the rodeo.

He said SHARK helped coordinate a June 24 protest at a Crow book-signing in Salt Lake City at which activists showed up with a banner reading, "Sheryl Crow: Betrayer of Horses."

The Cloud Foundation is trying to win an emergency injunction to block the federal Bureau of Land Management's roundup of 1,700 mustangs scheduled to begin this weekend along the Nevada-Utah line.

A hearing on the request is scheduled Thursday in U.S. District Court in Reno.

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Justin Timberlake part of group buying MySpace (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Justin Timberlake apparently wasn't satisfied with just playing a social media impresario in the movies, so now he's becoming one in real life.

The pop star, who played Napster co-founder Sean Parker in "The Social Network," a movie about Facebook, has joined Specific Media in buying its downtrodden rival, MySpace, from News Corp. in a deal that closed Wednesday.

Timberlake will have an office at MySpace's Beverly Hills headquarters and a staff of about a half dozen people working for him "around the clock" developing his ideas for the site, said Specific Media CEO Tim Vanderhook.

The partners are set to unveil their plans for reviving the flagging site in a couple of months.

"When we met with Justin and we discussed what our strategy was, we hit a chord with him," Vanderhook told The Associated Press. "One of his passions is he really enjoys helping other artists and creating a community for people to really express themselves. I think we were blown away that we were able to get someone like Justin to be so excited about what we were doing."

The deal is for $35 million, mostly in Specific Media stock, according to a person familiar with the matter. That's a small fraction of the $580 million that News Corp. paid for the site six years ago. The sale resulted in the layoff of about half of the site's remaining 500 workers, said the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

As part of the exchange, News Corp. received a private equity stake in Specific Media and less than a 5 percent stake in MySpace.

With Timberlake's help, the buyers hope to revitalize MySpace and transform it into a destination for original shows, as well as bolster its already available video content and music. Vanderhook said the revamp will include additional investment in technology and maintain the right to stream music through the joint venture it has with major recording companies, MySpace Music.

"There's a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect," Timberlake, an Emmy and Grammy winning artist, said in a statement. "MySpace has the potential to be that place."

The sale closed a day before the end of News Corp.'s fiscal year, meaning it was able rid itself of about $250 million in losses, estimated Barclays Capital analyst Anthony DiClemente.

Over the last 11 quarters, News Corp. had cumulatively lost about $1.4 billion on the business segment that houses MySpace. It was a disastrous performance by a company that CEO Rupert Murdoch had predicted would reach $1 billion in annual revenue. It never reached that goal.

Walking away from the site was "the right decision," said Standard & Poor's equity analyst Tuna Amobi. "It's something that they should put behind them and kind of move on."

MySpace CEO Mike Jones, the last member of a three-member executive team appointed to fix the site in April 2009, said in a memo to staff Wednesday that he would help with the transition for two months before departing.

MySpace launched in 2003, founded by entrepreneurs Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, who is every MySpace user's first friend. It became a popular Internet destination and a key way for little-known musicians to market themselves and interact with their fans.

But MySpace lost its footing over the years as the fun of customizing one's profile began to bore its users and heavy use of banner advertisements slowed the speed at which pages load. Meanwhile, Facebook, founded in 2004, limited what users and advertisers could do, but kept pages clean, and freshened them with its "news feed" of updates, a feature that MySpace later copied.

MySpace peaked with 76 million monthly U.S. visitors in October 2008. Advertisers and musicians who once relied on it for promotion fled the site for other hotter social networks like Facebook and, more recently, Twitter.

When Facebook a few years ago began allowing apps, including music functions and addictive games like "FarmVille," MySpace was left in the dust.

Less than half of MySpace's monthly visitors are now in the United States, where its visitor count dropped by half in May to 35 million, according to tracking firm comScore Inc. Facebook now has more than 700 million monthly visitors worldwide, it said.

"Apps were the breaking point and MySpace could never recover from that," said Charlene Li, a social media analyst and founder of Altimeter Group.

Rohit Kulkarni, an 18-year-old member of the San Jose, Calif. pop punk band Four O'Clock Heroes, said his group once exclusively used MySpace to reach fans with their music, but they haven't checked the site in months. They opened their Facebook band page last year.

"Most of our following was already on Facebook anyways," Kulkarni said. "Nowadays, people use Facebook over MySpace because it's integrated into almost everything, like all your mobile phones. I'm guessing that's why it became more popular."

Even "FarmVille" game-maker Zynga has taken a role promoting music, as shown recently when Lady Gaga unveiled her new album there.

Timberlake's involvement is a clear sign that MySpace will try to reconnect with its musical roots. Tim Vanderhook said that the acquisition is about returning MySpace "to what it was supposed to be."

Specific Media, based in Irvine, Calif., brokers the sale of ads to websites and has dabbled in creating original programming and matching it with sponsors. The company was founded in 1999 by brothers Tim, Chris and Russell Vanderhook.

At $35 million, Specific Media gets an Internet property for a price that Altimeter's Li called "ridiculously low" and values each monthly U.S. visitor at about $1 each. Its new owners should be able to recoup their investment if the company gets each user to click on about 20 ads over their lifetime, she said.

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Mick Jagger's SuperHeavy group to drop album in fall

By Phil Gallo

Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:01pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Universal Music will release the album from SuperHeavy, a group featuring Mick Jagger, Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart, singer Joss Stone, composer A.R. Rahman and reggae artist Damian Marley. No exact release date is set, but Universal Republic will handle the United States and A&M will handle the rest of the world.

An official release said the album will be unveiled in September; the first single is titled "Miracle Worker" and the five stars will be recording a video for the track. Jagger and Stewart co-produced the album.

Recording in various studios around the world -- France, Cyprus, Miami, India -- the majority of the tracks laid down over three weeks in Los Angeles earlier this year. The quintet wrote 22 songs in their first six days together. The term "SuperHeavy" was inspired by Muhammad Ali.

Jagger and Stewart had worked together on the 2004 soundtrack to the film "Alfie," and Stewart produced Stone's last album. Both wanted to bring in a Jamaican musician and Damian Marley entered the picture with his rhythm section, bassist and composer Shiah Coore and drummer Courtney Diedrick. They met Rahman while recording in Los Angeles.

According to the band's bio, SuperHeavy came together after Jagger and Stewart wondered what a band of musicians from different genres would sound like. Jagger had his doubts it would come together.

One of the first on the album is Jagger singing in Urdu. He takes lead on Rahman's song "Satyameva Jayate," which translates to "the truth alone triumphs."

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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