Music Matters Daily: Janelle Monáe Talks Lauryn Hill Inspiration
Plus J. Cole gets steamy on a Jessie Ware remix.
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Janelle Monée Gives Credits to the Queens - Janelle Monáe has always reminded us of one of the greats with her sound and originality, and now we know why. In a recent interview with Huffington Post Live, Janelle set with Marc Lamont Hill to talk about two of her greatest musical influences. “When I was growing up I really did admire, in terms of, like, the music industry, what Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu had to say. I thought that they had a unique perspective, some of their core values were aligned with mine, and I felt as though they were unapologetic about being confident,” she said. —George Chapman Jr.(Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)
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Jessie J Heats Up the MOBO Awards - Jessie J was “Burnin' Up” the stage this week at the U.K.’s Mobo Awards. In fact, she’s been seeing major success on the performance circuit. Recall her VMA show with friends Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj was one of the most talked about of the night. And when she's back across the pond, it's no different, her vocals reign supreme.(Photo: WENN.com)
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Luke James Wants to Work With Spike Lee - We already knew that Luke James was a phenomenal singer, but he may have the acting chops as well. The Louisiana native sat with Ebony magazine to discuss his new album and revealed a dream of working with Spike Lee. “I love the honesty of his movies, from Jungle Fever to Mo’ Betta Blues. I would love to do something of that sort, something that’s true and honest and meaningful. Even if it’s a biopic, y’know?” Check out the rest of the interview here. (Photo: Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images for BET)
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J. Cole Gets Specific With Jessie Ware - Cole World lent his talents to U.K. singer Jessie Ware and, well, let's just say we're not sure if Nas would be proud or not. He jumped on Wares’s “Sometimes…Kinda..Maybe” to offer a steamier version of the song and raps about all the specific things he’d do to her in the bedroom. Check out the remix here. (Photos from left: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for GREY GOOSE, Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
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Angel Haze Joins Alicia Keys for the Cause - Angel Haze must be taking cues from Lil Wayne, as this G's making major moves in silence like, well you know. The rapper, who just appeared on Nick Jonas’s song “Numb,” is now joining forces with Mrs. Swizz Beats herself for a powerful cause. The rapper will perform at the 11th Annual Black Ball supporting Alicia Keys’s Keep A Child Alive charity, which launched in 2003 and assists people affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa and India. Nas and Diddy are also on the bill.(Photos from left: Ian Gavan/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation)
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BJ the Chicago Kid Hits Venice Beach for Street Performances - BJ the Chicago Kid and Benny Cassette are just the latest to join artists like Erykah Badu and Jessie J, who have masqueraded as paupers to perform in the streets and train stations for everyday people. The duo linked up in Venice Beach, where they performed for two days, living off only the tips they made. The purpose wasn’t for any attention, but rather to discover the true meaning of an artist.(Photo: BJ the Chicago Kid via YouTube)
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Macklemore Meets the Dalai Lama - Some people can only dream of meeting the likes of presidents, peace leaders and the Oprah’s of the world. However, Macklemore can now cross one of those people off his list. While visiting Vancouver, the rapper got a chance to hang with Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama. Taking to Instagram, the rapper gushed about meeting the leader, who touched his hair, causing him to caption the photo, “#nevergoingbald.” (Photo: Macklemore via Instagram)
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Ab-Soul Does Weird Interview in Canada - Ab-Soul proved that he could be a good sport when visiting Canada for his weirdest interview yet. The West Coast rapper was interviewed by oddball personality Nardwuar and discussed his grandfather, V.I.P. Records founder Cletus Anderson, and his appreciation of Malcom X and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Check out the hilarious interview here.(Photo: nardwuar.com)
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K. Dot to Perform Song During Opening Week Concert on TNT - Who knew Kendrick Lamar had hoop dreams too?! The rapper is getting a lot of love from the NBA community for his latest single “i” off of his upcoming sophomore album. The self-love anthem has resonated pretty positively with ballers, and the NBA on TNT has decided to use the song as the official promotional track of the upcoming season. Kendrick will also perform the song during the NBA/TNT pre-game concert Oct. 30, before the Cavaliers and Knicks tip-off at 8 p.m. ET.(Photo: PA PHOTOS /LANDOV)
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Big Sean Plays a Quarterback - Big Sean's fiery new single "IDFWU" caught the attention of fans who followed his past relationship with actress Naya Rivera, and the visual's treatment seems to be just as juicy. Not only will the music video see the rapper play the role of a quarterback, but it will feature DJ Mustard as one of his teammates and Kanye West as his coach. Sounds like a dream team to us!(Photo: MTV News)
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