Confessions of a Fangurl at Riot Fest Denver is an ongoing series taking place this weekend, August 28-30, documenting the music, emotions and history associated with the festival and its artists. Waterproof mascara encouraged.
It was a tight race for the #1 spot on Billboard ‘s next albums chart, one that pitted enigmatic indie rock outfit Modest Mouse against soulful British songstress Joss Stone. And no matter how it all played out, someone was going to score the first chart-topping debut of their career. While Stone was a solid contender for the top spot, Modest Mouse take the crown on next week’s chart by a margin of 10,000 scans with their latest offering, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, selling nearly 129,000 copies. But Modest Mouse’s conquest was perhaps more significant because… Read more »
The way things are shaking out, Eminem will go down in history as starting more feuds than Richard Dawson. Last week the rapper’s latest battle, pitting his Shady Records camp against Ja Rule and Murder Inc., took center stage at Giants Stadium during Summer Jam, the annual hip-hop fest thrown by Big Apple radio’s Hot 97. Em protégé 50 Cent started his set with several Ja digs accompanied by a video display. Then Eminem delivered da bomb, performing the blistering Ja Rule-dissing salvos “Doe Ray Me” with D12 and “Hail Mary” with 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes. But don’t start… Read more »
Eminem has settled the civil lawsuit brought against him by the man he allegedly assaulted for kissing his then-wife Kimberly Mathers. The rapper will pay John Guerra $100,000 minus attorney fees, an amount determined by a panel of three impartial attorneys who heard evidence from both sides in what is known as a case evaluation. Although Eminem’s attorney, Peter Peacock, told The Macomb Daily the settlement was more than his client hoped to pay, and Guerra’s attorney, John Gaber, said it was less than his client wanted, both agreed to the sum rather than taking the case to trial. Neither… Read more »
Early ’90s superstar Vanilla Ice is back with a new album, Bi-Polar, which came out last week. Ice produced the set, which features guest appearances from Chuck D, La Tha Darkman, Insane Clown Posse, and Josh Brainard, formerly of Slipknot. Bi-Polar features eight hardcore tracks and 17 hip-hop tracks. LAUNCH recently spoke with Ice, who explained why he decided to return to the musical arena. “What brings me back to music is just, you know, I played a lot of shows since October ’98. October ’98 is when I released Hard To Swallow, which was an album I did with… Read more »
Eminem (real name: Marshall Mathers III) has received a visa from the Australian government to perform at a pair of concerts in the country next week. But along with the approval came a warning to respect the country’s values and its multicultural society. As previously reported, lawmakers and community groups opposed allowing the Grammy-winning rapper into the country with his group D12, saying his songs contain foul, violent, and racist lyrics demeaning to women and gays. Critics said the artist’s repeated brushes with the law should exclude him from a visa on the grounds of bad character. Immigration Minister Philip… Read more »
Grammy-winning rapper Eminem received one year of probation Thursday for a weapons charge authorities say stemmed from a dispute with a rival Detroit rap group. The 28-year-old star could have gotten up to five years in prison. “Poor judgment is an understatement for what you did,” Circuit Judge Denise Langford Morris said. Eminem, who has come under fire for his violent and anti-gay lyrics, was accused of pulling a 9mm semiautomatic gun in a Royal Oak parking lot during an argument last June with associates of the rap group Insane Clown Posse. Witnesses said Eminem did not point the gun… Read more »
Eminem avoided jail time when a judge sentenced him on Tuesday to two years’ probation for carrying a concealed weapon. But the rapper must refrain from excessive alcohol or drug use for those two years, undergo counseling, avoid “assaultive behavior” and can’t own or possess firearms or other weapons. Macomb County Circuit Judge Antonio P. Viviano also told Eminem he must get the court’s permission if he wants to leave the continental United States during that period. Prosecutors had sought a jail sentence of four to six months after Eminem pleaded guilty to the felony in February in a plea-bargain… Read more »
Prosecutors in Macomb County have offered to drop one of two felony charges against Eminem, but they still want jail time for the Grammy-nominated rapper. One of Eminem’s lawyers said Tuesday (February 13) that chances are “at least 50-50” that the controversial hip-hop artist may accept the proposed plea bargain when both sides appear in court Wednesday afternoon. But accepting the plea agreement won’t automatically mean Eminem, 28, will land behind bars soon – or at all. Any sentence would be up to Macomb County Circuit Court Visiting Judge Antonio Viviano. Eminem, known to the legal system by his born… Read more »
Basslines and Protest Signs is Brett Callwood’s column looking at the intersection of music and politics. This week talks about Public Enemy.
