Arts & Culture It’s a Rap1A
October 27, 2016
By Shonassee Shaver
Contributing Writer
Triple threat, Keke Palmer’s highly anticipated EP “Lauren” set to release rooted and provocative new music
Multi-faceted entertainer, Keke Palmer will release her highly anticipated EP, “Lauren” on November 4th through Island Records. Titled after her real name, she takes fans back to her roots with the album cover displaying her grandmother’s house in Illinois where she grew up. The cover symbolizes how Palmer is going back to the root of who she really is. Produced by Sean Garrett, the 5-track album is a provocative mix of R&B meets trap-soul. Singles, “Jealousy,” “Pressure,” “Hands Free” and “Doubtful” are featured on the album, along with a collaboration by Chicago and budding singer-rapper Dreezy. Prior to “Lauren”, she teamed up with Jeremih, dropping “Enemiez” back in March. The singer/actress debuted her music career in 2007 with album, So Uncool. At 23, Palmer currently stars in Fox’s hit show Scream Queens. She began her career with a breakout role in the film “Akeelah and The Bee" and then starred as the title character in the hit Nickelodeon series “True Jackson, VP,” for which she received four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program. She has gone on to star in over 21 feature films and award winning television shows, most recently the Emmy Award winning “Grease: Live” and “A Trip to Bountiful,” for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Palmer made Broadway history as the first African-American and youngest actress to star in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic 1957 musical, “Cinderella.” Her book "I Don't Belong To You” will be released by Simon and Schuster in January 2017, “Lauren” will be available in CD form and digital download.
Pharrell Williams brings an old-school sound, releasing new songs from the “Hidden Figures” soundtrack
Producer and key composer of the upcoming film, “Hidden Figures,” Pharrell Williams releases two new tracks, “Runnin,” a jazzy and ‘juke-joint’ sound while “Surrender” offers a soulful and up-tempo beat featuring Lalah Hathaway for the movie soundtrack.
The film follows the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. The film premieres in theaters on Christmas Day and opens nationwide on January 13, 2017. Williams will release new single “I See a Victory” with Kim Burrell on iTunes on Friday, October 28th.
The Game rakes in success with his “1992” album and “All Eyez” single coming in at #7 Billboard’s Rhythmic National Airplay
The Game reaches a career milestone with his seventh studio album “1992” and current single “All Eyez” featuring Jeremih, climbing to #7 on Billboard's Rhythmic National Airplay Chart. The album takes the number one spot for the week of November 5th for Rap Albums and rounded in at #4 on Billboard 200, moving 32,000 total units, 25,000 of which were traditional album sales, according to billboard.com. “All Eyez,” took over the digital world, streaming 7.9 million times. His 12-track album release includes a hard-hitting single, “True Colors/It's On” where he pays homage to Ice-T and reveals intimate, vivid details of his youth in the 90's and “I Grew Up On Wu-Tang” where he pays ode to the legendary heavyweights. The Game concludes the project with the eviscerating diss track “92 Bars” that brings it back to present day events. “After being a part of hip hop for over a decade, I'm just appreciative of the fact that my fans have been so supportive and remain to be a driving force when I release albums. #1992 is a drift through my childhood, transitioning into my teenage years in a city that was on fire and plagued by gang activity. I can't wait for people to listen to how I survived and the stories I lived through to tell,” he states on the significance of the album. His European Tour: Winter 2016 starts this November going through late December.