Hip-Hop's New Wiz Kid: Wiz Khalifa Taking Over the Game

Even before he collected the Best New Artist trophy at the BET Awards last night (June 26), Wiz Khalifa had already pretty much cemented his place in the hip hop community.

It must have been a surreal moment for an artist to be named the best “new” artist when he has been steadily in the game for around six years now! His first real single, “Say Yeah”, was released way back in 2007, and he already had two albums under his belt before this year’s Rolling Papers. But the numbers (not to mention a major label studio album) can sometimes make all the difference – Rolling Papers hit Number 1 in both the R&B and Rap charts, and it peaked at Number Two on the overall Billboard 200.

And the fact that Wiz’s first two singles from Rolling Papers, the infectious “Black and Yellow” and the Euro-synthy “Roll Up”, both went platinum no doubt had a big influence on his victory at last night’s awards ceremony. 

Aligning himself with a nearly endless list of other award-winning artists doesn’t hurt either! The Pittsburgh-born Chuck Taylor enthusiast has been featured on a ton of other great tracks with equally gifted artists, such as Cee Lo Green, Far East Movement, Soulja Boy, Wale, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Lil’ Kim, Tinie Tempah, Chiddy Bang, and… well, I could go on all day! Mix that kind of experience with nine mixtape releases, not to mention appearing in no less than 35 music videos, it was only a matter of time before the 23-year-old started collecting some serious hardware and recognition for his contributions to the industry. And how can you not love this guy’s easy-going attitude and contagious grin? He reminds me of Snoop in his prime.

I can’t wait to see what else this kid has in store for the genre. Now that he’s broken out of the background and into the spotlight, the sky’s the limit!

Check out his latest single, “On My Level” ft. Too Short (NSFW!).

Skylar Grey Steps Into the Spotlight

The late Nate Dogg might have been the King of Hooks, but a new Queen seems to be only just beginning her reign.

Whether you're familiar with her name or not, there's a very good chance that, whenever you turn on the radio, you are hearing her crystal clear pipes coming through your speakers. Skylar Grey is the name (remember it!), and she has been a key player in hit after hit, and, believe it or not, it’s been going on for years!

Growing up in a folk duo with her mother in Wisconsin, music has been a part of Grey’s life for a long time. When she first hit the L.A. music scene, she went by the name Holly Brook. She was signed to Linkin Park’s label, Machine Shop Recordings, and once opportunity began to rise, so did her recognition. You might  remember her from one of the most unforgettable songs of 2006: Fort Minors’s “Where’d You Go”. She's also toured as an opening act for Jamie Cullum, k.d. lang, Daniel Powter, Teddy Geiger, and Duncan Shiek.

After releasing her album Like Blood Like Honey in 2006, Brook took on the new alias by which we know her today: Skylar Grey. Producer Alex da Kid gave Grey a production deal which led to her participation as a contributing writer for Eminem’s chart-topping hit featuring Rihanna, “Love the Way You Lie”, and even received a Grammy Nomination for it. She co-wrote Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home” hook and “Castle Wall” by T.I. and Christina Aguilera. Grey's distinctive voice (reminiscent of The Cranberries's Dolores O'Riordan) also appears on Lupe Fiasco’s second single “Words I Never Said” from his latest album Lasers. Quite an impressive resume! We all got our first real look at Skylar when she performed live alongside Em and Dre at this year's Grammy Awards, singing the chorus to the smash hit "I Need a Doctor."

Since her arrival on the West Coast, Skylar Grey's contribution to the music we love has been invaluable. I'm psyched to see her finally breaking out on her own, premiering her own music at Lollapalooza this summer and giving mainstream audiences a proper introduction to this soon-to-be superstar!

Check out our interview with Skylar at the Studio, below:

Nicki Minaj is a Debut Delight

Nicki Minaj's solo album, Pink Friday, peaked at #2 on the charts and has sold more than 375,000 copies, making her the highest-selling female hip-hop artist since Lauryn Hill (when she “miseducated” us way back in the ‘90s). Now, Nicki (who turned 26 yesterday) has got Young Money in her corner and a lyrical flow that's just as flashy as her "Harajuku" style, which she models off of Tokyo’s punk fantasy subculture. She’s even got her own “Nictionary” which helps define words she makes up on the subway for fun. Who would have guessed this young Trinidadian girl from Queens would have risen from a troubled childhood and grown up to take the stage and rap with the likes of Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Drake? 

Nicki grew up wanting to be an actress and graduated from a performing arts high school. Her theatrical roots could possibly explain her fiery alter ego she calls "Roman Zolanski", who, she says, is a boy that lives inside of her, comes out behind the microphone, and lets her get out all the fight that's so tightly wrapped up in that feisty little 5’4” frame. 

Whether it is acting, singing, or rapping, we are all entranced by Nicki Minaj. I'm definitely hooked. So what’s in store next for Nicki? Her first goal is to become the first major female rap mogul. I don't doubt she'll achieve it -- she's got the drive and the talent, so there's no limit to the great heights at which she will reach.

Check out her MTV doc, "My Time Now", to hear more about her ambitions and her awesome New Yawk accent.

Pink Friday is now available.

Nelly Knows How To Keep It Fresh

I recently had the privilege of welcoming self-proclaimed St. Lunatic, Mr. “It’s Getting Hot In Herre” himself, into the YH Studio. There is a lot to be said about the man who made the phrase “shimmy, shimmy cocoa what,” sound cool, and that is why rapper Nelly gets kudos for putting St. Louis on the map.

Feeling incredibly blessed to just be in the music business, Nelly’s continued success after ten years puts a huge smile on his face. Whenever his hits come on the radio, the volume goes up; when Nelly plays in the clubs, the dance floor gets packed. As it should be! Coming a long way from dreaming about being a garbage man or a baseball player to having his hit single “Just a Dream” hang out at the top of the charts and another hot album, Nelly 5.0, under his belt, Nelly has influenced fans all over the world into stomping around in Air Force Ones, wearing facial band-aids, and bringing “pimp juice” into our vocabulary.  He continues to work hard on his music and his empire, including giving women a reason to show off their apple bottoms (no complaints here!).

Over the past ten years, Nelly has done a lot of growing within the industry and yet has stayed true to his sound and loyal to his fans. He has made quite the name for himself and is more than living up to his favorite word -- versatile.

Check my interview with Nelly in the Studio: 

And catch his latest music video, ft. Akon and T-Pain, “Move that Body."

The Dr. is Back!

For ten years, we have been patiently waiting for “the one and only D-R-E” to make his solo return back to the forefront of the music scene. Though, he has being doing good by his fans and looking out for us by pairing up with Jimmy Iovine and, more recently, Lady Gaga, not to mention giving us music lovers a better way to listen to music through his high performance headphones and sound transmission company, Beats by Dr. Dre  (because “people aren’t hearing all the music”). But we still missed the creative lyricist that is Dr. Dre. Now the long wait is over.



The first single from his highly anticipated album, Detox, is a pulsating jam called "Kush", which gives us a taste of what to expect once the full album is released in early 2011. This track is destined to be a hit, not the least of which because it features long time friend and collaborator, Snoop Dogg, and singing sensation, Akon. Doing it up right with his legendary producing skills, this album will be anything but a detox and more like an addiction, and "Kush" is the gateway drug!



If you haven’t already, listen to “Kush” and see for yourself on Dre's Website.

“Love the Way” Eminem Brings the Music Video Intensity

I've been a fan of Eminem since his Slim Shady days, and the older gets the better he gets.

His new music video for "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna is his best one yet. The video is like a mini-movie, and it chronicles Eminem's rocky and well-documented relationship with ex-wife, Kim. This is not a new subject for Em’s videos, as we all know, but this one seems to have a lot more heart and emotion, instead of just blind hatred. Rihanna’s involvement ups the emotional factor for sure (as we all know her story as well…).

"Lost" star Dominic Monaghan and Transformers hottie Megan Fox portray the volatile couple whose relationship literally goes up in flames. If you love Eminem as much as I do, don't miss the "Love the Way You Lie" video (below) – it’s Slim Shady all grown up!