Posts made in September 2018

City Girls Music Video

City Girls taps into the same enterprising spirit applauded in male rappers when they wax poetic about selling drugs or pimping to escape bleak financial circumstance. This female version is just as inspiring.

Watch City Girls’s newest music video “Millionaire Dick” HERE.

Lionel Smit’s Divide Exhibition

By Krishan Narsinghani

As of late, South African Artist, Lionel Smit, hosted his first solo show on the West Coast of the United States of America in Los Angeles, CA. 360 Magazine had the opportunity to join Smit for his pre-night & VIP showing to discuss his art work and upbringing as a Caucasian male in South Africa.

The exhibition featured work from his studio in Cape Town, South Africa as well as his previous solo exhibition OBSUCRA, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami. This being the first of his work to be released commercially.

Smit was born in Pretoria, South Africa and later moved to Cape Town. There, he discovered his passion for the culture and history behind the city, specifically with the Cape Malay women. Smit explains how these individuals are genetically created in the sense that there is a mixture between the European, African and Malaysian bloodlines. This discovery can be related to many other countries which Smit used as a starting point to spark conversations on who we are and where we are going on an emotional level.

During the interview, Smit touched on his experience during apartheid as a White South African and explained, “everyone knew what was happening… but you lived in this bubble… and there was a whole generation that wasn’t responsible for it but still went through the same kind of motions. My idea was to steer away from that and create something that’s more universal and speaks to us on a universal level.”

Smit’s art will be available at ArtLife Gallery, located at 655 N. Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood until October 28th.

Klondike Blonde Releases “No Smoke”

Buzzing rapper and singer Klondike Blonde shares her new singleNo Smoke after its world premiere on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1radio show. The single is now available at all digital retailers and the music video was released today via Complex. Click HERE to view!

STREAM NO SMOKE

Klondike says of the song, “In a weird way, “No Smoke” is all about becoming the better version of yourself. I am the ex-girlfriend, and I am better than her.

Bright, bold, and brilliant colors practically pop off the screen in the visual, which reflects her vibrant and vivacious personality seamlessly. The technicolor dream also perfectly complements her half-blonde, half-pink hairstyle (highlighted by a dyed heart). Between charismatic and cocky bars, the artist’s attitude takes center stage with the intoxicating hookShe don’t want no smoke.However, Klondike is about to light up the game, deftly angling herself as an artist to watch in 2018 and beyond.

No Smokepaves the way for Klondike’s anxiously awaited debut EP, arriving very soon via L.A. Reid’s HITCO Entertainment. The single is the follow up to her track Dripwhich garnered over 2 million views on YouTube in under a month’s time.

ABOUT KLONDIKE BLONDE
Born in Raleigh and raised in the Bay Area, Klondike Blondes perspective has the power to reach listeners everywhere. Breaking boundaries with her sound, innovative sense of style, and Big Gang movement, she brings a much needed energy to hip-hop and pop culture. She began her musical career in high school as a way to escape a not-so positive experience she endured verbal bullying regularly. Shortly after graduating high school in 2017, Klondike relocated to Atlanta where she released her first two songs on Soundcloud, entitled “Big Gang Glocks” and “Love Letter.” The arrival of these two tracks built her a nice buzz and solid social following on Instagram. In 2018, she unveiled her first music video for “Drip,” which garnered 2 million views on YouTube in a month’s time. This caught the attention of established artist and producer Jazze Pha who quickly took her under his wing. Shortly after, she inked a deal with HITCOEntertainment, which she claims, felt like family. Now, she amps up the energy even more withNo Smoke.

FOLLOW KLONDIKE BLONDE:

Treatment of Afghan Interpreters

Approximately one month, the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, highlighted the plight of Afghan Interpreter, Mohammed Nabi, and how he was sleeping rough on the streets of Athens. Nabi’s case was initially documented and he was assisted by Jess Webster, who works with refugees in Greece.

Having heard of the case, the petition by the Director of Faith Matters, has now reached over 116,000 signatories within 5 weeks. It is now being backed by the Sun on Sunday and has also been highlighted by the Daily Mail and the Metro. Yet, the Government have made no headway in addressing this issue. There is therefore a groundswell of public opinion backing Nabi’s case, yet the politicians refuse to even acknowledge this case.

Mohammed Nabi worked for ISAF and British forces in Afghanistan between 2008-2011. He has received numerous commendations for his work with British Forces such as from the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. He was instrumental in interpreting Taliban commands in real time when in the field with British soldiers and thereby he was key to tracking Taliban troop movements and attack points against British soldiers.

Speaking to Mughal in Athens he said that:
“My role was to work with commanding officers and I was the bridge between Afghan forces and British commanding officers. When officers from the British army went to speak to village elders, I was with them. There was an unwritten command that Taliban leaders gave to their forces to kill Afghan Interpreters first so that British and ISAF forces would be blind in the field. I was at risk of suicide bombers in such situations in villages as they tried to target British commanding officers and their interpreters”.

Nabi left working with the British armed forces after 1 year, (in 2009), because of threats from senior Afghan commanders made against his family and against him. He rejoined ISAF and British forces within 3 months of leaving since his skills were suited to armed forces work and he could not find other work and served again as an Afghan interpreter until 2011.

In 2016, an attempted kidnap against him failed and ‘night knocks’ against his front door raised threat levels against him and he fled on foot through Iran and into Turkey where he lounged for 18 months with no assistance from aid agencies who were assisting families. They were therefore not focused on assisting young single men.

Repeated attempts to highlight his case and the threat to his four children and wife failed in Turkey and he was left destitute and penniless, where he took up shepherding for basic subsistence. Each month though, saw the Taliban makes gains and come closer to his village and Nabi said that the policy of the Taliban to the children of people who assisted ISAF forces was to call them ‘sons of snakes, who were snakes themselves’. In other words, the children of Afghan interpreters were at serious of attack.

In 2016, to highlight his case he left Turkey and ended up being arrested in Greece and jailed. He was eventually released and claimed asylum though ended up penniless sleeping on a park bench in Athens where the Director of Faith Matters met up with him.

Speaking about the plight of Afghan Interpreters and in particular Nabi’s case, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, who developed the petition and who worked with the Sun on Sunday to highlight his case, said:

“Nabi has been denied entry into the UK and given no assistance when he approached UK Government agencies. How can this be right when he saw Afghan colleagues die in battle and Nabi was there saving British lives by interpreting Taliban commands whilst rounds went over his head. The only possessions he has are the plastic-coated commendations from officers because of his work in the field. It is disgusting the way that this man has been treated.

“The treatment of Afghan interpreters is a national disgrace and what the petition and the support from national newspapers shows is that the public care, whilst politicians have shown little courage in addressing this matter. I believe that anyone who has served more than a year in Afghanistan supporting our armed forces and who can show that their lives are in danger because of their work, must be let in. We relied on them to keep our armed forces safe, and now they need our help. This national disgrace must end and I will keep speaking out”.

Lil Reek

Lil Reek shares his new single “Door Swing” via Republic Records. Listen HERE.

Door Swing” is the first single Lil Reek has released since the success of his latest project titled “The Graduation”. Atlanta rapper teamed up with famed French producer Brodinski to create a significant buzz within the Atlanta rap scene. The self released project received praise from Pitchfork naming Lil Reek a standout among Atlanta’s rising stars.

“I’m excited to embark on my new journey with Republic Records and am ready to show the world who Lil Reek is and why I could contend with the big dawgs.” – Lil Reek via “The Fader

Lil Reek: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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, Black Sabbath, Florence + the Machine, Hailee Steinfeld, James Blake, James Bay, John Mellencamp, Jordan Smith, Julia Michaels, Keith Richards, Kid Cudi, Liam Payne, 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), Boominati Worldwide (Metro Boomin), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca Records (Tïesto), Cash Money (Drake, Jacquees, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj), Hollywood Records (Sofia Carson, Zendaya), Lava Records (Greta Van Fleet, Jessie J, Lorde), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), XO (Belly, NAV, The Weeknd), Roc Nation (Jaden Smith, Justine Skye, The Dream), 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, The Four), and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises.

Bibi Saboia

Combining the soulful melodies of her angelical voice with the dynamics of acoustic elements and contemporary sounds, Bibi Saboia brings a new experience into the young generation of indie electro-pop music artists.

Brazilian singer/songwriter based in the United States, Bibi is the 3rd generation in a family of professional musicians and songwriters, having her talent unveiled in 2016, at the early age of 13, when she signed with Warner Music Brazil.

In 2017, after the release of her first single “Vc Só Sabe De Vc” followed by the EP “Tão Certa”, Bibi moved to the United States to pursuit for wider artistic possibilities and started to write her new songs in English.

For over a year now, she has been posting covers on her YouTube channel and has also started vlogging her life to show her fans and friends.

Marieme’s New Track: Tumblin

On her new original song, Tumblin, Marieme pairs a melodic, infectious groove with searing social observations to deliver a message that challenges us to make the most of our potential.

Download and stream “Tumblin” here!

Marieme’s upcoming Los Angeles performances include TASTE at Westfield Century City September 29th, and the Ace Hotel in October 18th. She will perform at the Kick4Life Gala at the Angel Orensanz in New York City on November 1st.

On hundred percent of the proceeds will provide educations to disadvantaged boys and girls in Lesotho, Southern Africa, supporting them to obtain scholarships at schools and colleges in the U.S.

Six months after Marieme was born in the African nation of Mauritania, war broke out between Mauritania and her parents’ native Senegal.

Forced to escape. Marieme and her siblings went to live with their aunt in Senegal while her parents moved to the U.S. It would be five years before her parents would be able to bring the rest of the family to their new home in the Bronx. In the States, Marieme initially learned English through the songs of artists like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Destiny‘s Child.

On her soulful self-titled debut EP, released earlier this year, Marieme explores themes of identity, self-reliance and evolution. Shondaland praised the track “Be The Change” as the perfect reminder that women have the power to be the change and that we need to use it.” 

Blackbook hailed it as, “chillingly poignantand noted, “We couldn’t think of a better anthem to lead the protestors.

Dancing about Architecture says, “Marieme does that most rare of things, she makes pop that sounds both grown up and wonderfully infectious at the same time.”

Marieme recently discussed the relationship between self-acceptance and style and her experiences with colorism and bullying in a candid interview with StyleLikeU’s YouTube channel. 

Logic Releases New Album

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Artist Logic, who performed “One Day” with Ryan Tedder on The Ellen Show, presents chapter four of his Young Sinatra saga with the release of YSIV via Def Jam Recordings/Visionary Music Group.

“One Day,” the first advance single from YSIV, with over 46 million streams worldwide, was followed in early September by “Everybody Dies.” YSIV will be Logic’s last physical album, available for a limited time here.

View the MTV VMA live performance of “One Day” video here, featuring appearances from Michael Pena, Judy Reyes, Luis Guzman and more.

YSIV – with features by Wu-Tang Clan, Jaden Smith, Hailee Steinfeld and others (see track listing below) – is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Everybody, Logic’s breakout third album (released May 2017), which debuted at #1 Soundscan.  

Everybody’s RIAA 5x-platinum single 1-800-273-8255(National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) featuring fellow Def Jam artist Alessia Cara and Khalid, catapulted Logic to worldwide acclaim for bringing mental health and suicide prevention aware­ness to the critical conversation. The song earned Logic two Grammy® Award nominations – including the prestigious Song Of The Year – and a triumphant closing performance at the 2018 Grammy® Award.

In the interim, Logic dropped his Bobby Tarantino II mixtape, which rocketed to a #1 album chart debut in March 2018.  BTII spun off the RIAA gold Top 10 singles “44 More” and “Every­day” (featuring Philadel­phia DJ-producer Marshmello), and also boasted features from A-list heavies 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Wiz Khalifa

In June 2018, Logic kicked off a massive 33-city North American summer amphi­theater and arena tour of the U.S. and Canada, including such prestigious venues as New York’s Madison Square Garden, PNE Amphitheatre in Vancouver, and the Forum in Los Angeles.

Burt Reynolds Fans Hold Memorial Tribute

Burt Reynolds fans on Long Island will hold a memorial tribute to the “Smokey and the Bandit” star by driving in a 100 Trans Am parade and drivers dressed in iconic “Bandit” costumes. This will be the largest Smokey and the Bandit tribute in the United States with thousands of fans attending.

The organizer of the event had reached out in the past to have the late-icon to attend New York’s largest car show. The 1977 Trans Am was one of the most popular cars of the decade amongst millions of Americans. Reynolds was a resident of New York in the 1960s.

Burt Reynolds, an iconic movie star and celebrity icon, died tragically of a cardiac arrest on Thursday, September 6, 2018 at the age of 82. Millions of Americans are mourning the legend through viewing his popular films, such as “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Deliverance,” from the late 1970s and ‘80s.

Over two-thousand classic custom cars and hot rods, costing millions, will line Eisenhower Park, 1899 Park Boulevard, Westbury, for this annual event. The parade of Trans Ams will arrive at Eisenhower Park at 8:15am and the drivers will join the festivities there as they leave their cars lined up on display.

Phantoms And Vanessa Hudgens Release “Lay With Me”

Critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based electronic duo Phantoms (aka Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola) release their anticipated new single “Lay With Me” featuring superstar actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens today via Casablanca/Republic Records.  Listen HERE.

“Making this song was such a serendipitous experience.” Phantoms discuss the making of the single, “We grew up with Vanessa then weirdly ran into her at the airport last year and talked about working on music at some point. Then a few months later we got in the studio and recorded this song. It was a cool way to reconnect since the last time we all hung out we were around 16 years old. So happy this song is finally out, it’s one of our favorites.”

Vanessa Hudgens adds, “I’m so excited for this song and music video. I loved being in the studio again working with phantoms. Crazy we reconnected all these years later and got to create something we’re all very proud of.”

Phantoms announce a string of North American Tour dates that kicked off this month in Brooklyn and continues with stops around Los Angeles, Orlando, and Washington D.C. through the end of the year. Tour includes key winter festival events, including Escape Psycho Circus, Contact, and others to be announced soon. See below for the duos tour itinerary.  Stay tuned for additional dates and tickets HERE.

In the past year, Phantoms have topped the charts with their single “Just A Feeling” [feat. VÉRITÉ] from the duo’s self-titled debut, Phantoms out via Casablanca/Republic Records.  “Just A Feeling” clinched the #1 spot on the Sirius/XM BPM Top 20 Countdown for over eight weeks and shattered the previous record in the process. It closed out 2017 as #1 on the Countdown and BPM’s “Breaker of the Year.” The single held the #1 spot at Dance Radio for 4 straight weeks in addition to peaking at #1 on the iTunes Top Electronic Songs Chart and clearing over 3 million Spotify streams.  This summer, Phantoms played Firefly Festival, Electric Forest, and Billboard Hot 100 Festival.  Applauded by NPR, Billboard, Dancing Astronaut, and more, Phantoms have cemented their status as electronic music’s hottest live act.