HBO’s wildly popular “The Wire” started its fifth and final season last week. The riveting series, dedicated to the intersection of Baltimore’s gritty drug world, police intervention and political turmoil, had a slow, cautious start.

Over the years, “The Wire” became a well-respected series by fans. Clearly the network’s underdog, the series rose to unprecedented popularity, as viewers tuned in every week and insisted that the network keep the show on despite their on-off-again battle with canceling the show.

The Wire’s fourth season focused mainly on the youth and their street life, home life and education. At the height of the season, one of the key young characters, Michael Lee, joined the team of known drug lord Marlo Stanfield.

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One who is a fan of Hip Hop music will immediately recognize the name Irv Gotti. In the rare case of not knowing who this music biz impresario is, here is the skinny. Irv Gotti, whose birth name is Irving Lorenzo, rose to fame after forming a once bustling record label, Murder Inc. There, he was the overseer of the careers of Ja Rule, Ashanti and a number of others. Producing countless hits, Irv Gotti’s imprint became a household name.

Then, in 2003, Irv and his imprint ran into legal trouble, when his offices were raided by the FBI due to allegations of a business association with a known drug kingpin. In late 2005, Irv was acquitted and went back to business as usual, so he thought. (more…)

Beneath the infectious lights and beating pulse of New York City, a number of music industry events took place on Tuesday, December 18. But none could compare to the ambience of Bryan -Michael Cox’s sleek 30th Birthday fete at the W Hotel, Union Square .

The festive event, sponsored by W Hotel and Men’s Vogue, shut all competition in the Red Apple down that night — as it boasted the attendance of hundreds of fabulous people. From key Tinseltown elite and music execs to tastemakers and artists, no stone was left unturned at this hot ticket celebration. Clearly, every facet of the entertainment industry was dutifully in attendance to celebrate with the highly acclaimed producer.  (more…)

In the wake of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, Washington, D.C. based promotions company Mad Power Unit, has joined forces with Hip Hop artist David Banner and Congressman Kendrick B. Meek to aid the Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Mad Power Unit wanted to be a part of making a difference during such a difficult time in this country. Mad Power Unit, who hosts nightly entertainment events in the Nation

This year, Anchor Minott

Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, the world

Every artist and their mother released an album in 2003. Overall, 2003 had a lot to offer musically. Remarkably, R&B and Hip Hop dominated the charts and sales in 2003. Hip Hop, a genre once considered controversial, violent and ghetto by the general populace, kindly allowed record labels/distributors to strike gold in 2003. One should never underestimate the power of music.

While a lot of 2003 releases were sensational, some releases were weak, lacking creativity and substance. As I have listened to hundreds of albums this year, it was quite difficult to come up with one best and worst list of 2003. Therefore, I decided to list the best and worst in three-music genres including; R&B/Soul, Hip Hop and Pop/Rock. For the genre of Reggae, I listed a Top 5. Because of the substantial quality of 2003

By definition, Alicia Keys is a musician. This element resonates throughout her sophomore gem,

The general public equates Pop music with Britney Spears. She is the Queen of Teen Pop, making a flop virtually impossible. Her name alone is a guaranteed seller of records. Following in the steps of Spear

In spite of a turbulent past, the 6th Annual Source Awards triumphed with a stellar event chock-full of appearances and performances by Hip Hop