United Music Scene

*In an article that we feel The City of Pasadena, California can learn from in regards to recognizing it's local, native artists and perhaps acknowledging tha existence of a scene most outlets refuse to scout from. About seven years ago, the hip-hop community established the Madison Hip Hop Awards to honor the best creative work being done by local artists and producers and also the Urban Community Arts Network, which has worked to organize shows, school workshops and community events for adults and youth. “To have the mayor introduce (the task force) is a breakthrough,” said Mark “ShaH” Evans, one of UCAN’s founders. “How can we fix this, not just for hip hop but for the whole local music scene?” The proposed task force comes in the wake of city cultural planning in which entertainment industry professionals consider the live music industry and its venues over-regulated, particularly events featuring performers identified with hip-hop culture. Some have called for a new look at co...

Exclusive Q&A w/ Keith Sweat about coming up in the game, what he thinks about R&B music today, and what fans who have yet to see his Vegas show, Keith Sweat: Last Forever can expect. Take me back to 1987 when the album Make It Last Forever was released.  It was a time of a new artist coming out with new music trying to make an impact on the music scene. So me dropping an album in 87, or music in 87, was to make a statement and somewhat different than what was out because you had a harder drum beat in the back of R&B music and sultry type of music. The music scene at the time when I came out was good but I helped to make it better. I don’t take credit for it because you had people like the O’Jays out and New Edition, those type of people. I just added to what was already out there with a different type of vibe. I kind of flipped the script a little bit along with people that I worked with like Teddy Riley. What was it like working with him?  Me and Teddy knew each...

"My goal has always been to create positive recognition for all of the wonderful talented artists that we have up here, and hopefully somebody will get a chance to really break out of here and get signed," Ward said. "When that happens? I'll be so happy."   The 2017 nominees for the fourth annual Alaska Hip Hop and R&B Awards include some of the most prolific names in Alaska hip-hop — performers including Alaska Redd, Bishop Slice and Starbuks. The first awards show took place in 2008, Ward said. After a long hiatus, it was revived in 2015. It gained momentum in 2016, Ward said, and when construction at the Loussac Library prompted organizers to find a new venue for the 2017 event, they decided to make the leap to the downtown performing arts center.  "We just want to have it grow, and it keeps getting better and better every year," he said. Anchorage hip-hop artist Tayy Tarantino is one of more than a dozen Alaskans up for awards Saturday, nom...