Posts made in March 2018

Brits x Eyes Health Check

Over 18 Million Brits Do Not Consider Eyes As Part of Their Routine Health Check :

New research released by Vision Express to mark World Glaucoma Week reveals over a third of Brits (35%) do not consider having an eye test as part of a routine body ‘MOT’ health check. Worryingly, 1 out of 5 people would choose sight as their least valued sense, with over 1 in 12 Brits (8%) admitting that they have never had their eyes tested.

Research shows that 18-24 year olds are the least likely to get their eyes tested, with two in five (40%) saying they do not get them tested at all. This compares to only a quarter (25%) of 66-70 year olds. 1 in 3 Brits who don’t consider eyes as part of their health MOT check only get their eyes tested when they are advised by a doctor and almost a fifth (19%) stated that an eye test is not important.

Even if you don’t think you’ve got any problems with your eyes, you should still get them tested every two years. The research also reveals that 3.6 million Brits (7%) had their eyes tested as long as over six years ago.

As World Glaucoma Week puts the condition at the top of the health agenda, research conducted by the National Eye Health Research Centre (NERC) unveils a worrying landscape for glaucoma over the next 30 years. It is estimated that the condition may affect 3.2million in the UK in 2050, but unless detection rates are improved, only 1.28million will have been diagnosed and be receiving the treatments they urgently need.

To know more about World Glaucoma Week, watch video here.

“Wardrobe Panic” 36 Times A Year

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As the winter months conclude, spring brings an array of new style (and organizational!) opportunities for million across the U.S.! Many make key lifestyle changes, but plenty don’t take time to review their wardrobes leading to frustration going into the new season. To help consumers make sense of their wardrobe, Trunk Club launched a new study examining the wardrobes of 2,000 men and women to discover their personal experiences and behaviors with their clothing selection.

Trunk Club and SWNS found that consumers experience ‘wardrobe panic’ 36 times a year and over 2,8000 times in a lifetime because they feel they have nothing to wear! To combat this problem, Coabi Kastan, Head of Styling for Trunk Club shared this tip, “As you approach building your wardrobe, start with the essentials. When you build the fundamentals of your wardrobe first, you’re able to lessen the ‘wardrobe panic’ that’s so common.”

Did you know…?

• Nearly thirty percent of the items in the average person’s closet have never been worn or have gone untouched for over a year.

• Results showed that the average person has about 53 items in their closet, but they typically don’t wear 15 of them. And six percent of people own nine or more items in their closets that still have the tags on them!

· The average respondent polled spends eight hours per month in their closet agonizing over what to wear, which is nearly 100 hours per year.

Men vs. Women

· Men typically clean out their closets at a higher rate than women. 61% of men said that they clean out their closets at least once a year, while only 48% admitted to doing the same.

· More than two times as many men use Marie Kondo’s organization method for their closets than women!

· Most women said they were confused or sad when they open up their closet, while men are joyous or excited when opening their closet.

Regional

· The Northeast enjoys a clean closet: 10.6 percent of participants from the Northeast clean out their closet every week while only 5.05 participants do from the Midwest

· The Midwest and Southeast love to give back: The Midwest (81.42%) just barely edged out the Southeast (81.40%) when it comes to donating old clothes to charities

o The study showed that the Midwest also sells the highest percentage of unwanted clothing at 17.43 percent

· The Northeast enjoys time in their closet: On average, people from the Northeast region spend over 8 minutes a day in their closet, which is close to an hour per week. To contrast, people from the Midwest region spend less than 6 minutes in the closet per day.

RICH THE KID & JAY CRITCH x BLUEPRINT

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Expanding its roster of multiplatinum award-winning superstars once again, The Blueprint Group/Maverick announces the recent signings of RIAA Platinum-certified hip-hop force Rich the Kid and breakthrough talent Jay Critch. The team will represent both artists for management worldwide.

One of hip-hop’s most thrilling new voices, Queens born rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, executive, and Rich Forever Music founder, Rich the Kid quickly cemented a spot at the forefront of culture with his certified Platinum smash “New Freezer” feat. Kendrick Lamar and the red-hot follow-up “Plug Walk.” Both regularly average upwards of 70K units in weekly consumption. At Spotify, “New Freezer’s” total streams have surpassed 82 million and counting to date. Moreover, the single claimed real estate on coveted playlists such as “Rap Caviar” Hot Todays’s Top Hits, “Hot Rhythmic”, and “Get Turnt” and landed in the Top 50 of the Us Top 100 and Top 100 of the Global Top 200. “Plug Walk” simultaneously just crossed the 12 million streams mark.

At radio, “New Freezer” is quickly approaching Top 10 Urban radio and Rhythmic radio is starting to catch fire with “Plug Walk” not far behind. The artist’s full-length debut and what promises to be a hip-hop blockbuster of epic proportions, “The World Is Yours”, arrives in stores and at all digital retailers in March 2018.

Signed to Rich Forever Music, Critch remains on track for a breakout of his own in 2018. His single “Fashion” [feat. Rich the Kid] ignited 16 million-plus Spotify streams as he consistently generates over 1.6 million monthly listeners on the platform. He garnered widespread fan love for his star-making turn on last year’s Rich Forever 3 compilation and will be unveiling more music very soon.

Aligning with The Blueprint Group/Maverick, Rich the Kid and Jay Critch will be under the guidance and watch of one of the industry’s most innovative, inventive, and influential executive teams.

About these signings, The Blueprint Group/Maverick Partner and CMO Al Branch comments, “Rich the Kid is burgeoning Rap Mogul in the making, I’m so excited to seeRich the Kid and Jay Critch provide the Blueprint for the new generation of artists, entertainers, and executives”.

In addition to Rich the Kid and Jay Critch, The Blueprint Group/Maverick executive team, which consists of Cortez Bryant, Gee Roberson, Shawn Gee, Jean Nelson, J Irving, Ryan Ramsey and Branch, collectively manages Nicki Minaj, G-Eazy (with The Revels Group), The Roots, Lil Wayne, Jill Scott, Cyhi The Prynce and more.

About The Blueprint Group:

The Blueprint Group represents the union of three music industry powerhouses’Gee Roberson’s Hip Hop Since 1978, Cortez Bryant’s Bryant Management, and Shawn Gee’s SEFG. This collective, including Chief Marketing Officer and Partner Al Branch and PRESIDENT OF BPG RECORDS Jean Nelson, operates the ultimate modern music company. Beyond full-service management, artist development, A&R, label services, marketing, and radio and lifestyle promotions, The Blueprint Group encompasses digital, touring, film & television, radio, branding, and so much more. Current clients include GRAMMY Award-winning, record-breaking multiplatinum talent such as Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and The Roots as well as G-Eazy, Jill Scott, Marc E. Bassy, Belly, and more.

Hendrik Giesler’s Travel Tips

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Hendrik Giesler became an overnight sensation during the 2014 World Cup. During the finals, Germany vs. Argentina, the camera crossed to a young man in the stadium with a German flag on his cheeks and the sexy young man caught the attention of all Germany. Everyone wanted to find the mystery guy, and the hunt began. Soon the global power of the internet found him. Unaware what was happening online, Hendrik woke and was surprised to find 45,000 new followers on Instagram (by end of day it had grown to 53,000) and had media contacting him relentlessly. Someone mistakenly thought Hendrik was the mystery #Germanboy and told the world.

“My photo was in all of the media; TV, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler. It was so overwhelming as I grew up in a village of 500 people. All of a sudden the world knew who I was and where I lived,” shared Hendrik.

Hendrik was nineteen, living a humble life in a small German town. A young guy, who at the time was volunteering to help people living with disabilities. “I worried I needed to change my name because it was just too much attention too quickly.”

However this crazy media blitz became the birth of his career as a digital influencer. Three years later, when he was in Melbourne, Australia, he decided to build off the buzz and share his travel and fashion experiences on Instagram. His globetrotting lifestyle helped him to become very popular on Instagram with over 158,000 engaged followers.

The young influencer has travelled to over 26 countries so far, which includes Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Morocco, Cape Town, Marrakesh, USA, France, Spain, Bali, Thailand, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Croatia, Montenegro, England, Norway, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Columbia. His fans turn to him for travel, fashion, and beauty advice daily. Take a look at Hendrik’s guide to traveling in style!

How to pack the essentials and travel in style

We all want to travel in style so packing the fashion essentials is vital when exploring the world as you not only want to have the right outfits for the weather, you also want the right outfits to match various occasions.

You should keep in mind that you need space in your suitcase for shopping. You can’t travel to an exotic location without buying at least one local item! I have found some incredible items to add to my wardrobe from traveling so you want to leave enough space for shopping.

Packing the fashion essentials

Since I’m traveling a lot for work, I always have to think about my outfits and what to pack, as I need the right mix of work clothes vs. casual clothes. In the past, I have made mistakes of over-packing. When I traveled to Thailand, I stuffed my suitcase with all of the T-shirts and shorts I owned; yet in the end, most were left unworn in my suitcase as I only wore my favorite pieces and didn’t have space for anything else. So I quickly learned: LESS is MORE. I realized that it’s better to bring a FEW of your favorite essential pieces like a pair of blue jeans, black shorts and a couple of basic white shirts along with a good pair of sneakers. The goal here is these few items will complement all sorts of outfits and styles.

When packing, a bit of outfit planning can make life easier: a pair of sunglasses and your favorite accessories like watches can jazz up every outfit. When deciding what to bring along with me on vacation, I have used my past Instagram posts as inspiration. Since taking photos is a large part of my travels, I look at previous posts to help me pack, and I make sure I bring a few picture perfect pieces so I know I have the clothes when it comes time for my signature posts.

For example, before I went to Marrakech, I made sure that I saved all of my favorite photos on Instagram, so I packed the right outfits for the perfect Insta pic. Since social media is such a big thing for us millennials, I wanted to make sure that my outfit is on point. Marrakech is known for its desert brown and orange colors, so I planned my outfits accordingly.

One small thing I always pack and it has saved my life…SUNSCREEN! Make sure you pack sunscreen. You don’t want to get burned. From my experience traveling to so many unique locations, it is hard to estimate the strength of the sun. The sun is sexy, but it does crazy damage to your skin. It can literally ruin your vacation if you are not prepared. I say this because I’ve had a hard time finding sunscreen for my skin type when I travel. Plan ahead and come prepared. It is small item but I am 24 years old, and I want to stay looking 24 years old 😉

Also, when buying your sunscreen before you leave, look into purchasing travel sizes for your everyday toiletries so you can leave them there after your holiday. Bam, more room in your luggage when you fly home for shopping.

Can you do laundry?!

If yes, it is a live saver. You can pack a lot less, but you can re-use the essentials you bring. No one knows whom you are when you travel; so re-wearing your favorite pieces are acceptable as no one notices. That said, you want them clean. My advice is to NEVER use the hotel laundry service. They charge insane prices to wash your clothes. INSANE. Just ask for the closest laundromat. Trust me, it will take one hour, but it saves you so much in the long run.

I love to travel and have traveled to over 26 countries so far this is my fashion travel advice. It is all about the preparation before leaving that ensures you travel in style and enjoy your vacation.

Over the next couple of months, he will be traveling to Morocco, Tanzania, and Egypt and give daily updates on his travel, food and fashion experiences. To see what adventures he gets up to make sure you follow him on Instagram!

UB40 A REAL LABOUR OF LOVE

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UB40

FEATURING ALI, ASTRO & MICKEY

‘A REAL LABOUR OF LOVE’

THE NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE NOW ON UMe

This digital package includes a fully stream-able or downloadable, watermarked version of the audio, cover art, publicity photos and press release for review.

‘A Real Labour Of Love’ is the new album from UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey, to be released March 2nd on UMe. As founding members of Britain’s biggest reggae band UB40, singer Ali Campbell, second vocalist Astro and keyboardist Mickey Virtue topped the UK singles chart on three occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe. Now with ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ the trio give us a fresh take on the legendary series of albums, putting the focus primarily on reggae tracks from the 1980s.

“The first three albums featured the songs we grew up listening to,” says Ali. “This one is built around the records we were listening to once UB40 were on the road.”

Between 1983 and 1998 UB40 produced three ‘Labour Of Love’ albums, bringing hits such as Eric Donaldson’s ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, Lord Creator’s ‘Kingston Town’ and Johnny Osbourne’s ‘Come Back Da! rling’ to a new, global audience. They also topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their reggae cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Red Red Wine’.

And now 20 years later Ali, Astro and Mickey are revitalizing the concept by exploring the tunes of a later golden age, ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ sees the group explore the songs that defined reggae in the Eighties. The concept isn’t a rigid one: Stevie Wonder’s ‘A Place In The Sun’ is a Motown classic from 1966, and there are numbers from the late Seventies in Dennis Brown’s sublime ‘How Could I Leave’ and Culture’s ‘International Herb’. But most of the tracks on ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ are from the Eighties, a decade that saw dancehall reggae enter the mainstream.

“We were spending more time in Jamaica and some of these numbers are the ones we’d hear on the radio and out in the streets,” says Astro. “The singers of these songs were our heroes. They are quintessential reggae artists.”

The new album builds confidently on the momentum gathered in the five years since Astro rejoined singer Ali and keyboardist Mickey in 2013. They have released two acclaimed albums, ‘Silhouette’ (2014) and ‘Unplugged’ (2016), their first ! acoustic album and their first release with UMG.

Recorded and mixed at Dean Street and RAK Studios, ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ was produced by Ali, whose instantly recognizable voice is augmented by the ‘sing-jay’ vocal style of Astro. The latter takes the lead on six of the album’s 16 tracks, placing the two singers at the helm of an 11-piece band. Sadly, ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ also marks the passing of long-serving trombonist John Johnson. A former member of Simply Red who joined forces with Ali seven years ago, John played on the album but passed away the night before the rest of the group were due to play a benefit concert to raise money for his cancer treatment. The album is dedicated to him.

The unique artwork for ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ by celebrated American contemporary artist Mark T Smith was specially commissioned for the release. A first edition print, signed by the artist and the band, is being auctioned with proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust, details to follow soon.

The group are now looking forward to taking their new album on the road, with UK festival appearances lined up for the summer and a UK arena tour in the pipeline f! or 2019. Given the massive success of the trio’s last ‘Labour Of Love’ outing, a 2016 tour that featured sold-out shows at the O2 Arena in London and the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, there is bound to be a huge appetite for ‘A Real Labour Of Love.’

“The reaction to that tour was fantastic, and every show was a sell-out,” says Ali. “Now we’re ready to do it all again. We knew most of these songs back to front before we began recording ‘A Real Labour Of Love,’ so the challenge was to make them our own rather than copying the originals.”

‘A Real Labour Of Love’ Track Listing:

1. Making Love

2. She Loves Me Now

3. Strive

4. Here I Come

5. Telephone Love/Rumours

6. How Could I Leave

7. Ebony Eyes

8. Hush Darling

9. Hard Times

10. Moving Away

11. International Herb

12. A Place In The Sun

13. Tune In

14. Once Ago

15. In The Rain

16. Under Me Sleng Teng

Official website:http://ub40.org

UB40 U.S. Tour Dates 2018

July 27 + 28 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl

July 29 Sacramento, CA California State Fair

August 1 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery

August 2 Ventura, CA Ventura County Fair

August 3 Costa Mesa, CA OC Fair & Event Center

August 5 Denver, CO The Hudson Gardens & Event Center

Download Here

The BANDWAGON Tour

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Four select markets for country music superstars and GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Award-winners Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town’s co-headlining The Bandwagon Tour, scheduled to go on-sale Friday, March 16.

The March 16 on-sale includes tour stops in Charlotte, North Carolina (7/12), Cincinnati, Ohio (7/13), Hartford, Connecticut (7/20) and West Palm Beach, Florida (8/4).

Special guests joining Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town on The Bandwagon Tour include Turnpike Troubadours and The Steel Woods for select dates; both of whom joined Lambert for dates on her own Livin’ Like Hippies Tour. Also, on the first weekend is Natalie Hemby, who has penned #1 hits for both Miranda and Little Big Town. In addition, singer/songwriter newcomer, Tenille Townes will join for all dates on The Bandwagon Tour.

Ticket on-sale dates to be announced throughout the upcoming weeks. Fans can stay up-to-date by visiting MirandaLambert.com and LittleBigTown.com for more information. Live Nation is the official promoter.

The Bandwagon Tour dates

*(denotes Turnpike Troubadours select dates)

**(denotes The Steel Woods select dates)

***(denotes Natalie Hemby select dates)

Tenille Townes joins for all dates

Bold denotes new date added

A$AP x The Thread Shop

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Sony Music’s innovative merchandising company “The Thread Shop” is excited to announce continued partnership with A$AP Ferg to design and fulfill the artist’s merchandise for his current Mad Men Tour.

Ferg is excited to debut this new merch while on tour now. Click HERE for tour dates.

“Headlining my Mad Man Tour was aligned with my creative juices flowing for merch. Working with the amazing team at The Thread Shop, we created products I’m really proud off and excited to share with my fans” – Says A$AP Ferg of the collection.

“The Thread Shop is thrilled to be working with A$AP Ferg on merchandising for his Mad Men Tour and across all retail channels. We proudly feel that our latest collection really captures the spirit and creativity of this amazing and cutting edge hip-hop artist.” – says Howard Lau, the recently appointed Head of The Thread Shop.

The Thread Shop has established itself as one of the best in the artist merchandising business. The company brings a revolutionary perspective to pop culture branding and marketing, and are committed to providing the ultimate shopping experience – the highest quality of products – for music fans and devotees of popular culture alike. The company touts an impressive and growing roster including A Tribe Called Quest, Bob Dylan, NAS, Miles Davis, Camila Cabello and more. With a focus on quality and design, and with an “artist first” philosophy, The Thread Shop works hand-in-hand with the artists and brands they partner with to create beautiful, fashionable and elevated new merchandise and products designed to enhance every fan’s lifestyle.

UP UP & AWAY

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LION BABE

offers Smooth Vocals & Guitar to

Bishop Nehru’s

“UP UP & AWAY”

produced by

Kaytranada

available now !

Stream on Apple Music

Stream on Spotify

REEBOK LAUNCH PARTY

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REEBOK CELEBRATES LAUNCH OF NEW FAST FLEXWEAVE RUNNING SHOE AT NYC EVENT

Rae Sremmurd, Devonta Freeman, Luis Badillo Jr., and Harley Pasternak Put Innovative Flexweave™ Technology to the Test

On March 5th, global fitness lifestyle brand Reebok brought together some of the best in fitness and entertainment to launch the brand’s newest innovation in footwear—the Fast Flexweave running shoe.

An exclusive group of fitness media and influencers put Fast Flexweave to the test in a rigorous, specially-curated workout inspired and led in-person by Reebok partners including Atlanta Falcons Running Back Devonta Freeman, speed specialist Luis Badillo Jr., Reebok Global Trainer Harley Pasternak. To demonstrate the durability of the Fast Flexweave shoe, Reebok trainers designed custom agility workouts that integrated short bursts of speed, quick-power movements and intensive stability training.

Following the workout, Reebok ambassadors Rae Sremmurd took the stage, closing the night with an explosive live performance. Swae and Slim kept the energy flowing by kicking off their set with “No Flex Zone”, before moving on to perform some of their other hits, including “Black Beetles,” “Perplexing Pegasus,” “Swang,” and performing Swae Lee’s newest release, “Power Glide” for the first time.

The Reebok Fast Flexweave is a dynamic running shoe built with Flexweave – a revolutionary technology that boasts the coveted balance of lightness, durability, fit and stability. Flexweave material will appear in performance and Reebok Classics products throughout 2018 and beyond. Last night, Slim, Swae, and Devonta showed off the next Flexweave release, Fusion Flexweave, which will be available on April 1.

Flexweave is the latest offering from the Reebok Innovation Collective – a dedicated unit within Reebok comprised of product experts and key brand collaborators focused on the pursuit of progression via innovation and partnerships. Through the Reebok Innovation Collective, Reebok continues to develop footwear and apparel of the next generation, highlighting unprecedented technical performance and expression.

The Reebok Fast Flexweave is now available in introductory colorways for $100 on Reebok.com.

For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com, or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/

Discover Reebok at the following locations: http://facebook.com/reebok; http://twitter.com/reebok; and http://youtube.com/reebok

SXSW 2018 – Artist Takeover

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REPUBLIC RECORDS‘ ARTISTS TAKEOVER SXSW 2018

FULL SCHEDULES

DUCKWRTH

A multi-faceted creative, Duckwrth’s artistic outlets extend outside of music and into design, fashion and video. Along with creating unique artwork for his most ambitious body of work yet, an XTRA UUGLY Mixtape ,Duckwrth’s gender-fluid clothing designs have been featured everywhere from LA Weekly to Nylon. His music videos have earned placements from the likes of The Fader, NOWNESS, and Hypebeast, to name a few. Bringing a unique identity of masculinity and femininity to his music, Duckwrth’s vivacious and free-spirited approach has earned him comparisons to a millennial Prince or Jimi Hendrix.

SUNDAY, MARCH 11TH
TUMBLR // 9PM-12AM show time //Venue: Mohawk – 912 Red River Rd. Austin, TX 78701

MONDAY, MARCH 12th
CONSENSYS // Set time: TBD Event Time: 9:30 – 11:30 PM // Venue: Ethereal Lounge – 87 Rainey Street, Austin, TX 78701

TUESDAY, MARCH 13TH
PANDORA // Set Time: 5:20-6:00PM // Venue: Gatsby – 708 E. 6th St. Austin, TX 78701
VEVO // Set Time: 9:00PM // Venue: Pelons – 802 Red River St. Austin, TX 78701
TWITTER // Set Time: 10:45PM -Event Time: 9PM-12AM // Venue: Lustre Pearl – 4 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH
SECRET SOUNDS // Set Time: 3:30PM // Venue: Sidewinder – 715 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
REVOLT // Set Time: 7:20-7:35PM Event Time: 4PM-1AM – // Venue: Vulcan Gas Company – 418 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
TOMMY HILFIGER HOUSE // private // Venue: TBD

FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH
CLASH MAGAZINE // Set Time: 12:40-1:10AM //Venue: Empire Control Room – 606 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701

SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
C3 PRESENTS // Set Time: TBD – Event Time: 3 PM – 6 PM // Venue: Historic Scoot Inn – 1308 E 4th St., Austin, TX 78702

THUNDERPUSSY

If Thor’s Hammer of the Gods from “Immigrant Song” landed in the hands of four wise, willful, and wild women? Well, it would sound something like Thunderpussy. The quartet—Molly Sides [vocals], Whitney Petty [guitar], Leah Julius [bass], and Ruby Dunphy [drums]—do the most rock ‘n’ roll thing possible and quite literally fuck up every rock ‘n’ roll stereotype you know to be true, piercing the halls of Valhalla in the process. The Seattle-based group turned into a quiet phenomenon with the endorsement of Rolling Stone and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready as well as a string of already legendary performances under their high-waisted belts.

Tuesday, March 13th
SXSW Official Showcase // Set Time: 1:00AM(Wednesday morning) // Venue: BD Rileys- 204 E. 6th St., Austin, TX

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH
C3 Party // Set Time 1:45PM-2:30PM // Venue: Lambert’s 401 W 2nd St. Austin, TX 78701

FRIDAY, March 15th
Play Hooky At St. Elmo // Set Time: 3:45PM-4:30PM // Venue: St. Elmo Brewing- 440 E. St. Elmo Rd G-2, Austin TX 78745

BANDHUNTA IZZY

In 2017, Bandhunta Izzy blasted out of Baltimore, MD with the fieriest bars on the Mid-Atlantic. Songs like “BBB” [feat. Benjamin Blue Sleepy] amassed over 1.9 million YouTube views as his recent “Gummo Freestyle” (6IX9INE Remix) scored over 1.3 million views and earned widespread fan praise. His prolific output garnered the attention of Republic Records who signed him early last year.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
FREE CULTURE // Set Time: within 5pm hour // Venue: TBD
WE THE PLUG // Set Time bet 6-8pm // Venue: Rainy Lounge 217 W 4th ST.
LEGALLY LOUD // Show Time 7pm-2am // Venue: Bat Bar 218 E 6th St

FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH
RAP CITY 2018 // Show Time: 7-8pm // Venue: 809 east 6th St (tentative)
DGB // SET TIME: 7:30-9pm (D1 block 30 minutes) // Venue: Texas Music Ranch 5220 FM973, Austin
WORLDSTAR // Show Time 8pm // Set Time TBD // Venue: Summit Rooftop 120 W 5th St

SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH
LVLUP MANSION PARTY // PRIVATE (Time: 9pm-3am) // Venue: TBD

WILLTHARAPPER

In 2013, WillThaRapper confidently stepped into the hip-hop ring sporting a controlled intensity matched only by his tireless quiet grind. The 20-year-old Southeast Washington, D.C. rapper carved out a burgeoning following with his breakout “Hang Wit Me” and a string of buzzing mixtapes: 17 N Savage and Beat Bully Vol. 1 in 2014 and 2015’s Street Runner, On Site, and Beat Bully Vol. 2. Glowing praise would come from XXL, Vibe,The Fader, and Noisey who dubbed him “one of [the DMV’s] newest rising stars.” 2017 saw him ink a major label deal with Republic Records as his fiery single “Pull Up Hop Out” racked up 5.4 million Spotify streams in under a month’s time.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
WE THE PLUG // Set Time bet 6-8pm // Venue: Rainy Lounge 217 W 4th St

FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH
SKUMBAG SEASON // Set Time: TBD // Venue: Peckerheads on 6th – 402 E 6th St
DGB // SET TIME: 7:30-9pm (D1 block 30 minutes) // Venue: Texas Music Ranch 5220 FM973, Austin

D SAVAGE

D Savage quietly crawled from an underground phenomenon to the brink of mainstream disruption within the span of just two years, igniting a cult-like following in the process. Lighting Soundcloud up with no upload less than a million plays, his 2017 banger “I Know II” generated over 16 million streams in under six months, while his very first song “30 Round Clip” cracked 7.8 million and counting. Signed to Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records by industry leader Steven Victor, he undoubtedly will turn heads with every bar throughout 2018 and beyond.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH
THE FLEX FEST // 8PM – 2AM // Venue: 84 North Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Austin, TX, 78701

TWO FEET

Rising vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Two Feet is responsible for the viral track, “I Feel Like I’m Drowning.”Hailed by BAEBLE as “sultry,” and praised by Hillydilly as “one of his strongest tracks” watch and share the video here. The song follows the success of viral hit “Go Fuck Yourself,” streamed more than 80 million times to date. The video is Two Feet’s response to the organic spread of the track within the pole arts community, which has generated hundreds of videos sound tracked by the song—watch it here. After selling out all of his North American Tour Dates including Los Angeles’ El Rey and Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg he is set to perform on numerous festival stages this summer including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Lighting in a Bottle and makes his SXSW debut this year. Two Feet signed to Republic Records soon after and released First Steps, followed by another EP, Momentum, in June 2017.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH
StubHub // 11PM // Venue: Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden – 79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

MARCO MCKINNIS

Marco first hit the scene when he released the single, “My Own” which premiered on Solange’s digital platform Saint Heron garnering wide tastemaker attention. As his buzz grew, he quit his day job and relocated from Virginia to Los Angeles where he began collaborating with various artists. He recently teamed up with Rex Orange County on the song “Nothing” off of his recent project “Apricot Princess” and with “Life of Pablo” producers DJDS on the track “Tree’s on Fire”. Marco is currently in the studio working on his highly anticipated debut EP.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
FUTURE CLASSIC // Set Time: 12:00AM (Friday morning) – Event Time 7:00PM-1:30AM // Venue: Australia House @ SXSW- Lucille’s Patio Lounge- 77 Rainey St, Austin TX 78701

KAMILLION

KaMillion initially made her mark behind-the-scenes by co-writing Diddy Dirty Money’s “Your Love” [feat. Trey Songz & Rick Ross], Trey Songz “Already Taken”, Jordin Sparks’ “1000”, Rihanna’s “Watch N’ Learn”, and more. While working for FEMA in 2016, she quietly turned her attention towards solo music. In the midst of shaping her style, iconic Academy® Award-winning filmmaker Lee Daniels reached out to cast her in his series STAR. Meanwhile, she starred in the TV One movie When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story. With her star rising across media, she inked a deal with Protect The Culture/LAVA personally signed by Philadelphia industry veteran Marc Byers and Jason Flom C.E.O. of LAVA. She’s just starting to show her true colors.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH
ICM Partners // 12:55 to 1:05 AM (Friday morning) // Venue; The Belmont – 305 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Aminé, Black Sabbath, DNCE, Florence + the Machine, Gotye, Hailee Steinfeld, James Blake, James Bay, John Mellencamp, Jordan Smith, Julia Michaels, Keith Richards, Kid Cudi, Liam Payne, Marian Hill, Of Monsters and Men, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings (The Avett Brothers, Towkio), Boominati Worldwide (Metro Boomin), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca Records (Giorgio Moroder, KUNGS, Tïesto), Cash Money (Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj), Hollywood Records (Sofia Carson, Zendaya), Lava Records (Greta Van Fleet, Jessie J, Lorde), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), XO (The Weeknd), Roc Nation (Belly, Justine Skye, The Dream), Tuff Gong (Damian Marley), Victor Victor Records (D Savage, Ski Mask The Slump God), among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with country powerhouse Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift), and Universal Music Latin Entertainment (Luis Fonsi, J Balvin). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey, SING), Fox TV (Lee Daniels’ STAR), and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises.