To coincide with his book The Tanning Of America, Steve Stoute is dropping a series called “The Tanning Effect” with the trailer (above) as he speaks to Jay-Z, Pharrell, Lady Gaga and Jimmy Iovine about some business ventures.

Shout out to M.I.A., who also has an album dropping this summer, for keeping it real. I thought I was the only one that peeped the advertisement plugs in the new Gaga video. But I'm going to let the big homie tell it as only M.I.A. can:

Do we still need record labels?
Are they even interested in making money from music anymore? Lady Gaga plugs 15 things in her new video. Dude, she even plugs a burger! That’s probably how they’re making money right now - buying up the burger joint, putting the burger in a music video and making loads of burger money.

Do you think those programmes and the internet have destroyed the mythology around popstars?
I don’t know. Again, there’s Lady Gaga - people say we’re similar, that we both mix all these things in the pot and spit them out differently, but she spits it out exactly the same! None of her music’s reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is. She models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna, but the music sounds like 20-year-old Ibiza music, you know? She’s not progressive, but she’s a good mimic. She sounds more like me than I fucking do! That’s a talent and she’s got a great team behind her, but she’s the industry last stab at making itself important - saying, ‘You need our money behind you, the endorsements, the stadiums’ Respect to her, she’s keeping a hundred thousand people in work, but my belief is: Do It Yourself.

How important are image and visuals to your music?
Very. But it’s not like “Haus of Gaga” (laughs). Me blindfolded with naked men feeding me apples and shit.

Would you ever make a record for a Twilight soundtrack?
They asked me. Luckily Jimmy [Iovine, chairmen of M.I.A.’s US label Interscope] had beef with the Twilight people, so he stepped in and told them to fuck off.

Via Perez Hilton

I wonder what she's going to say when she sees the Rihanna "Rude Boy" video?

Wasn't gonna post this then I thought of Beyonce..

Not really hip hop in the least, but Gaga represents one of the more creative and unique artists of our time and the video is no different. Enjoy, or dont.



via OS

This is the promotiona video for the upcoming Fame Kills Tour ft. Yeezy & Gaga. Weren't people saying this was a gay tour?? If gay means creative as f*ck then I guess 'tis correct.

Fame Kills from kwest on Vimeo.

Via 2DB

This year's VMAs was crazy and sadly I missed a lot of it since I was at work but I compiled the best moments of the show. Including Kanye's hardcore disrespect of poor Taylor Swift. And the tribute to Micheal Jackson.











via MTV.com