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| 4/5/04 |
'Plug It In' number one dance
single in UK 4/4/04 Chart
Interview: The Last Poets - The Revolution Continues Defiant, revolutionary prose swallows the small studio in the gut of the East Village. I listen intently to rap's originators , vibing with them and tasting the urgency of their words. The Last Poets have welcomed me into their creative lair to preview “Panther,” the first single from their upcoming tribute album, When We Come Together... They had plenty to say about Hip Hop spilling into the mainstream. Umar: That thing with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake—it was the white slave master snatching off the black woman’s clothes on the auction bock. It was all an act of culture. The MTV white boy controls it. They’re so slick; they’re so cool—they know how to talk to the sisters but they hate black people. They got this white boy on MTV that’s judging us on how we move. We are allowing them to take over our culture...
Film Production Update From Vancouver 'Mark' from Hollywood North Report has sent us a big update on what's happening in Vancouver... There's also much more on Edison. Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and LL Cool J star in the story of a young journalist (Justin Timberlake) who uncovers an elite unit of corrupt cops. Realizing he's in over his head, he makes an uneasy alliance with a burned-out reporter (Freeman) and the district attorney's ace investigator (Spacey). Piper Perabo, Rachel Spector, and Katya Virshilaf also star. You can find new set pictures here and the site has these production bits as well. Deed is the LL Cool J's character in Edison, and he’s so intensely into the role, say set sources, everybody has to call him 'Deed' -- on the set and off. To further illustrate the man's devotion to his part, before he began filming a fight sequence with The Practice star Dylan McDermott on the weekend, he was seen reading a book about "the ancient art of fighting." And when they were shooting a scene that saw McDermott spit a mouthful of blood to the ground, Cool J told McDermott spit the messy goop right in his face instead. The Practice pretty boy Dylan McDermott looks pretty beat up in this film (and Kevin Spacey has hair). The press made a big deal out of the fact that one of the film locations was the Blunt Bros on Hastings which is known for selling pipes, papers and other paraphernalia, but the hazy hangout will star as a regular café in Edison, not a bong shop. And the movie stars aren’t the only celebrities working on the production. Apparently famed photo journalist Eddie Adams, said to be the inspiration for Morgan Freeman's character, will be in town this weekend to shoot the movie's poster. Former AP photographer Adams, whose work has been regularly published in the likes of Time, Newsweek, Life, Penthouse, Vogue and Vanity Fair, is best known for his 1968 Pulitzer winning shot of the execution of a Vietnamese prisoner.
Justin a nominee in first Arabian Music Awards
DUBAI April 5 - The Middle East will get its own version of the US Grammy awards with the first Arabian music awards to be held here on May 15, organisers said Monday as they announced the nominees, both Arab and Western. "The Arabian Music Awards ceremony will be a turning point in the history of Arabic music as the best, most famous and most popular stars will be in Dubai,'' Zaid Batal, executive producer of the awards, told reporters. He said the nominees had been chosen by the executive committee of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which launched in February the Dubai-based Arabian Music Academy to promote Arabic music and protect recording copyright. The public will then have a chance to vote on the nominations through the Internet and mobile text messages from April 15, said Batal. He said winners would be announced at a ceremony one month later broadcast exclusively on the Saudi-owned Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). ...US stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are among those nominated in the Western song categories.
NME Review: Plug It In The dance music crash of 2003 seemed to screw up the commercial prospects of Basement Jaxx's fantastic 'Kish Kash' album, even though it was far too chaotic and barmy to be so reductively categorised. Nevertheless, they continue to release dazzling singles from it, of which 'Plug It In' is the third. Glibly, 'Plug It In' sounds like a selection of great Jaxx tracks - from 'Rendez-Vu' to 'Where's Your Head At?' - played simultaneously, with JC Chasez (Justin Timberlake's old sparring partner in 'NSync) lisping dangerously over the top. In most hands, this would result in a shambles. But Basement Jaxx have a knack of orchestrating wreckage like few other producers, and this is a mighty record: brash, audacious, heroically over-excited.
Five Star Mag review: Schizophrenic In today's image conscious society, there are very few young artists whose transitions into adulthood are readily accepted. A member of the successful group, *N Sync, JC Chasez diversified and developed his producing and song writing skills as the band graced more and more magazine covers. While band-mate Justin Timberlake's Justified, had infusions of hip-hop, JC's Schizophrenic incorporates electronica elements. As soon as the first notes of 'Some Girls (Dance With Women)' begin, JC sets the tone that this album is going to be one fun, playful ride. Appropriately 'Some Girls' is the first single mixing the perfect club tune with accents of Indian rhythms. The album title allows for a diverse creative range. The most impressive element is how well it all flows together. JC opens up vocally delivering dance numbers and ballads with equal skill. Comparisons to Prince are well earned on '100 Ways.' JC doesn't limit himself to the purple one's backyard. 'All Day I Dream About Sex' will transport you back to 80's new wave and get you spinning round in a minute. 'One Night Stand' promises the world 'cause you're my girl tonight,' complete with flirtatious monkey calls. It's promising to hear an up-tempo delightful 'romp' that even references Smokey Robinson's classic 'Cruisin.' "Everything you want" goes shows this vocal chameleon has captured The Police as well. This island flavored track will put you on a beach and rid your mind of any lingering thoughts of winter. Dizzy yet? If you are on the fence, take one listen to the infectious 'Shake It' written and produced by Basement Jaxx. Your head will be swaying back and forth on its own accord. You'll feel sexy and won't even know why. This is not your little sister's pop music. This is one album you can crank up to put a swagger in your step.
Chico News & Review: Schizophrenic It’s always refreshing to find an album that covers everything from pop to rock to reggae, which is exactly what JC Chasez’s new album does. JC, formally of *Nsync (or currently--no one’s really sure), takes you on a ride with his songs, from a club scene to an ’80s flashback and a desire to have someone to share his life with on “Build my world” to the heartbreak he’s felt in the past on “Dear Goodbye.” The disc’s soulful ballads don’t stray too much from his boy band days, but the rest of the album is something totally different. There isn’t an excessive amount of collaboration with other artists--all of the tracks were solos except for the remix of “Some Girls” which he did with Dirt McGirt (formerly known as Ol’ Dirty Bastard). A track with Justin Timberlake might have been good for album sales, but it wasn’t needed. JC shows here he can stand on his own. |
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