the chal banz blog

Be nice to Azealia Banks Good evening everyone! I'm just sitting here listening to Apple Music; The Neptunes: R&B Productions and it just so happens that The Neptunes are one of my favorite production duos and I like 99% of the songs they've produced over the years. On top of that I have my TV on that I'm not watching. I forgot "Empire" wasn't on tonight so I guess I'll get ready to watch "American Horror Story". So I have a little music news for you all. There is more news on the Azealia Banks debacle(enough already but hey its news) and more. So there is a TMZ video of Azealia Banks telling her side of what went down that horrid night between her and Russell Crowe. The interviewer asked her if RZA did anything when she was choked and spat on and Azealia replied "no" and that RZA is a "chump". After this whole incident Azealia has decided not to sign with RZA's record label rightfully so. Rusxell Crowe's gu...

Legendary singer Elton John wants pop star and movie star; Justin Timberlake to play him in an upcoming biopic. Justin previously starred as Elton in the video; "The Train Don't Stop Here". Word is that Justin is carefully considering the opportunity as his plate is filled with upcoming movies. What about music? Well Justin Timberlake retired from making music years ago. What? You didn't know. Luckily for Justin if he does decide to reenter the music world; he shouldn't have a hard time. There is really no one staking claim to the throne that he once held. In other news; Justin Timberlake is reportedly or allegedly engaged to longtime/on again and off again girlfriend actress; Jessica Biel. One of my favorite music producers; The Neptunes recently revealed some of the upcoming projects they have in the works from music's elite. The list includes songs to appear on upcoming albums from Busta Rhymes, Lil' Kim, Ciara, Estelle, Nelly Furtado, and many more. Ju...

The Neptunes is one of my favorite producers so its really a pleasure to do a write up on them. I've always admired their sound and I have always liked Pharrell's songwriting. The Neptunes started out working alongside artists such as SWV and Total. Their big break came with Kelis and the single; "Caught Out There". It was then that many were captivated by this futuristic sound and wanted it for the centerpiece of their singles. Pharrell Williams; who is one half of the famed duo took an immediate step into the spotlight. Often becoming the voice of the duo and an artist in his own right. Pharrell would become a featured artists on his own productions thanks in part to many of the rappers he produced for. Chad Hugo would be deemed the quiet one of the duo but also joined Pharrell in their group; N.E.R.D. and did a few side projects without Pharrell's involvement. The Neptunes may of hit their peak some years back but I have never counted them out. The Neptunes wor...

This is new news to some people and maybe old to others. I actually reported this news awhile back if I'm not mistaken. As a matter of fact I did. Anyway I first heard the news from a friend. Music Biz: Beyonce Creates New Perfume! Beyoncé Knowles is aiming to light a much-needed fire under the beleaguered fragrance business this February with her first scent, Beyoncé Heat. Industry sources estimate it could do $100 million at retail globally in its first year on counter. At least half of that figure is expected to come from U.S. Sales. And the entertainer — who is up for 10 Grammys on Jan. 31 — is more than up for the challenge. She can’t wait to get her scent into the hands of her fans. “I’m so happy with it,” she said during an exclusive interview with WWD. “I’ve been working on it for a while now. I was on tour for a year, and I have meet-and-greets with fans. I’ve never in my life gotten so many compliments. Coty has their own testing, but that was my testing! The fans loved...

Hello all! I was cruising online when I found a few new album and single covers [I or] you may have missed. Boyz II Men are still trucking on after numerous years in the business. Their latest release, "Love" is a cover album featuring many classic hits. In stores November 24. R. Kelly will release his latest album, "Untitled" on October 13. The album is lead by the single, "Number One" featuring Keri Hilson. Jennifer Lopez returns with her alter ego, Lola for the new song, "Fresh Out The Oven" featuring Pitbull. The song was produced by The Neptunes and has a lot of buzz right now. As it was reported previously, this is not the first single for Jennifer's new album but moreso a buzz single.

Last night a new song from Jennifer Lopez titled, "Fresh Out The Oven" leaked out featuring Pitbull. Upon first listen the song wasn't bad but I wasn't exactly fuming over it either. Jennifer Lopez has been hard at work on a new album and below you can read further details on that album. People Magazine have confirmed that the title of Jennifer Lopez’s sixth studio album is “Love?” and that it’ll be in stores January. They also confirmed that new Neptunes produced song “Fresh Out The Oven” featuring Pitbull is just a buzz track, and that it will NOT appear on the new album. The news comes as a surprise considering that a music video has already been shot for the new song, which Pitbull recently described as having a sexy “Eyes Wide Shut” theme. “Lola is just for this song, it’s not her ongoing persona,” says a source close to the singer. “It’s something fun. She hasn’t become Sasha Fierce. There won’t be anything to do with Lola on her Love? album.” “This is a h...

I was originally planning to just redo my blog layout but instead I ended up paying a special tribute to Mrs. Mariah Carey-Cannon! After hearing "Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel", I was really feeling Mariah again and thought it would be perfect to pay a special tribute to her. For the last few days I have posted old throwback videos, posted polls, and made special 'music feeds' all dedicated, featuring, or mentioning Mariah. Now continuing with that tribute, I present to you all, my top five favorite Mariah Carey songs and really in no particular order but I think I will number them anyway so it won't look completely tacky! 1. Say Somethin' from The Emancipation of Mimi The instant I heard this song I loved it! I'm a big fan of The Neptunes so that made this track all the more enjoyable. I remember when this first leaked. I couldn't get enough of it. I kept playing it over and over. Interestingly enough L.A. Reid wanted this song to be Mariah's firs...

1. Ashanti - I love Ashanti! When Ashanti first came out, I wasn't a fan. I never get into artists that are all hyped up. Usually the artists that get hyped up like Ashanti are the ones that get a lot of hate later on. It really wasn't until "Concrete Rose"(Ashanti's 3rd album) that I really started to stan for her. I have noticed that I tend to like artists that other people really don't like or artists who don't get a lot of attention. Among other reasons why I love Ashanti is simply her style, her smile, her personality, her music, and I consider her an underdog in a lot of ways. 2. Marques Houston - I go to a lot of message boards and that's where I get a lot of my music news. Marques is usually the butt of many jokes primarily because his albums sales aren't that of an Usher or a Justin Timberlake. No his sales may not be all that but he makes quality music. Music for the grown and sexy as I like to call it. His last two albums I have really...

They are my favorite producers. I will say I haven't been much impressed with some of their productions over the last few months. With the recent announcement that they are working with Brandy, I am overwhelmed with excitement. I decide to look back at The Neptunes and some of their 'greatest hits'. Milkshake by Kelis I remember reading an article about Pharrell saying that Kelis had this really hot record and it was called "Milkshake". I later found out that this top 3 Pop single was originally for Britney Spears. "Milkshake" helped Kelis' album, "Tasty" go gold in the US becoming her first hit album in the states. I'm A Slave 4 U by Britney Spears The lead single from her "In The Zone" album saw Britney Spears moaning and panting in this steamy hot video. The song was introduced to us via the MTV VMAs where Brit has become notorious for her stage performances. Moneymaker by Ludacris featuring Pharrell This rich, dazzling ...

Pharrell stops by to talk to two students after a performance with N.E.R.D. He talks about his ever expanding sound and the future of N.E.R.D. Check it out! Not a big fan of N.E.R.D. but I hear Neptunes is working with Brandy on a new album! Yay! Music Biz: Ciara Tops Chart! CHART BEAT BITS: With the debut of "Fantasy Ride," Ciara becomes the third female this decade to start her career with at least three top three albums on both the Billboard 200, where the set arrives at No. 3, and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (No. 1). She joins Alicia Keys and Beyonce, who began with four and three No. 1s, respectively, on each chart ...

With "Beep" being a hit single, Bobby V. sets out to duplicate that success with his latest video, "Hands On Me" which is one of my favorites on Bobby's "Rebirth" album which according to the singer is nearing gold status. Music Biz: Cassie Talks New Album! R&B singer Cassie is trying to be put her recent nude photo scandal behind her, with the 22-year-old opening up to BallerStatus about her new album "Electro Love", new single, her shaved head and much more. "I think I just spent a lot of time trying to figure out myself" says Cassie referring to her 2-year musical hiatus "I was letting a lot of people tell me what to do and what direction I should go in."Cassie's second album "Electro Love", which the singer executive produced, will drop later this year, and will feature production from The Neptunes, Akon, The Clutch, The-Dream, RedOne, and many more.

I want you go to back....way back! 13 years ago to be exact. It was when SWV released the video to the single, "Use Your Heart". I don't have many memories of the video since we didn't have cable at the time. I do remember the song; its lyrics and its cool melody. Surprisingly this song was co-written and produced by a then unknown Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes.

Teena Marie returns with a new album, "Congo Square" on June 9. Below you can check out her new single below! Audio: Teena Marie feat Faith Evans - Can't Last A Day I like this song. It's pretty cool. I can see Urban AC eating this up and maybe Grammy...is that too much of a stretch? Ha! Mario will release his upcoming album, "And Then There Was Me" very soon. Below you can check out his latest leaked song. Produced by Jim Jonsin[worked with Trina]. Audio: Mario - Get Out From his upcoming album, "And Then There Was Me", check out Mario's latest leaked song. Produced by Dre & Vidal[worked with Usher] Audio: Mario - Late Night Based on this song and the one above("Get Out"), Mario has adapted an electronica sound complete with retro-Neptunes ish production and classic video game sound effects. Cool!

Ugh! I could only stomach so much of this video(which is usually the case with most videos anyway). Rapper(or whatever you wanna call him) Kid Cudi takes the stage and performs. Video: Kid Cudi On His Retirement Kid Cudi has a huge buzz right now thanks in part to his hit single, "Day N Nite". The rapper also appears on Kanye Wests' "808s & Heartbreak" album on "Welcome To Heartbreak" which is actually one of my favorite songs. I'm not a big fan of Cudi's though I do like "Day N Nite" somewhat. I just feel like some of these new artists try too hard to be different when they really are no different than a lot of other artists. Cassie is back with yet another leaked song. This time the songstress teams up with Pharrell. You can check out an exclusive snippet of the song below. Audio: Cassie - High[snippet] I need to hear a HQ version of the song before I give my final verdict on it. As much as I love The Neptunes a lot of their rec...

Beyonce strikes quite an alluring pose for the cover of L.A. Confidential. I feel like I have seen this picture and this pose before. Could it have been from another photo shoot? Either way I do like the cover and Beyonce is looking very hot! I can't say I'm familiar with the magazine at all though. There are tons of magazines in circulation so there's no surprise there as to me not having heard of the magazine. In other Beyonce news you can check her out in "Cadillac Records" which is on DVD today. Her role in the movie, "Obsessed" will be in theaters April 24. Cassie's forthcoming sophomore album is set to debut in this July. The album's first official single will feature Diddy and will be called, "Must Be Love". JoJo will release her new album, "All I Really Ever Wanted" this summer. The album contains production from The Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins, Jim Jonsin, and more. If you haven't read already Ciara is joining Britne...

Ray J is riding high with his new hit reality show, "For The Love Of Ray J". To cash in on the success of the show, Ray J is releasing a soundtrack to the show. The album is led by first single, "Sexy Ladies" featuring Shorty Mack and "Sex In Da Rain". The album is sure to play on Ray J's bad boy status and his love of sex. If you realize the two song titles I revealed contain the word 'sex' in them. Rap duo Clipse will return this spring with a new album entitled, "Til The Casket Drops". The albums first single, "Kinda Like A Big Deal" features Kanye West. The single will be released on March 9. Meanwhile the new album will most likely surface this summer. I read awhile back that this album won't contain as much production from The Neptunes as past albums have. This should be interesting to hear. After the massive success of "The Carter 3", Lil' Wayne is pressing forward with new album, "Rebirth"...

In My Own Words: I just read myself that the Queen, Mary J. Blige is working on a new album. No title or release date has been released but Mary has been known to drop in the 4th quarter(Oct. - Dec). I was just thinking about Mary prior to this news. I am actually eager for some new material. Aren't you tired of hearing about all the prospects of these so-called "Best Of Both Worlds" album? First there was Lil' Wayne and Lloyd, Ne-Yo and Fabolous, now there's Akon and Young Jeezy. This news is according to Akon's brother, Abu, so we'll see about that! Video: Teyana Taylor - Single Ladies The Star Trak recording artist takes on Beyonce's #1 hit. Check it out! Teyana's debut album, "From a Planet Called Harlem" was pushed back to sometime this year. Last I read fans wanted more songs produced by The Neptunes. I do too! Her first single, "Google Me Baby" failed to take off but became a little cute catchphrase for a time. Video: T-P...

Audio: Pleasure P feat Static Major - Patience One of my favorite songs right now! Music Biz: The Neptunes Not Broken Up! The word comes swiftly! I can tell you that The Neptunes have not broken up. One of the homies went to the N.E.R.D and Common show about a 3 weeks or so ago in Anaheim, CA and Chad was at the show. He did not come out when N.E.R.D. performed, but he came out when Common did his thing. But, even more than that, I got the official world from way up at StarTrak and they let it be known. So you know, The Neptunes produced like half the tracks on Common’s new LP coming out soon. Chad and Pharrell were even popping and doing the robot to one of the new songs that the did with Com Sense. Maxwell Returns! After a nearly six year hiatus R&B/neo-soul veteran Maxwell is happy to be back in the game.While a listing of producers has not been confirmed, Maxwell has been in talks with Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest. According to the NY Post he is also hoping to put in some time...

Audio: Mariah Carey feat LL Cool J - I'll Be Loving U Long Time Remix No one does a remix quite like Mariah Carey. This is a pretty pleasant remix but her remixes as of late don't compare to her 90s heyday. Enjoy! Audio: Monica feat Ludacris - Still Standing[snippet] Supposedly this is the lead single from Monica's upcoming album. Personally I think she needs to try again or she will have another "Everytime The Beat Drops" on her hand. This saddens me because I am looking forward to Monica's new album but I don't like this. Music News: Amerie is making sure her Def Jam debut album will be a success. The singer has enlisted Will.I.Am, Bryan Michael Cox, The Neptunes, No I.D., and Bangladesh[worked with Kelis]. I am an Amerie fan so I am looking forward to her new album when its released. Bobby Valentino has snagged a distribution deal through EMI which will release his new album, "The Rebirth" due later this year. Times are not only hard in regula...