Roc Nation artist Rita Ora has released the video to her new single, R.I.P, that features London rapper Tinnie Tempah. The song was written by Drake with help from Toronto singer/songwriter Shi Wisdom. Drake originally recorded his version called, I’m Ready for Ya (which is the best version, in my opinion).  Next, it was meant for Rihanna’s LOUD album, but never meant the cut. Now, London-based singer Rita Ora has dusted off the song, added a hot rapper to it and called it her own. I should also mention that both songs sample the chorus from Nigerian/German singer Nneka’s song, Heartbeat.

The machine behind Rita is the same one that pushes mega star Rihanna. So naturally, Roc Nation is using the same image-based strategy to push Rita, who actually is a good singer.

RIP, however, is NOT the song for Rita. She has no swag on a song that was clearly written for the Bajan beauty. I am actually surprised this is the final version of the song because Rita has no presence on it at all. The style of the video, the close-up beauty shots of  Rita with a bright light, the style of her clothes (I am aware it is the London scene look that Rihanna also adopted) is just all too copycat. Tinnie Tempah also does nothing for me. And I LOVE London rappers….

The whole time watching this video I was thinking, what about Bridget Kelly??

Watch the video below. What do you guys think?

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-Pop! *Video* Rita Ora does her best Rihanna Impression with “R.I.P” (25 words)

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Post tags: Drake, London Music, New Music, Nneka, R.I.P, Rihanna, Rita Ora, Shi Wisdom, Tinnie Tempah, Urban Music

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R&B music just got a little real-er. You may recognize Sonyae Elise if you were one of many who voted for her to win the popular BRAVO reality competition, Platinum Hit. The former theatre performer can attest her love for music to being influenced by her “Mother’s musical lifestyle and my father’s street lifestyle” while growing up. At the age of 15, she joined forces with  hit-making production duo The Midi Mafia (Frank Ocean, Jennifer Lopez, Fantasia, Justin Bieber and more) who,  alongside producers Ski Beats, A.U, Brite Ware and JV- produced parts of her first mixtape, Lady Rebel Vol.1.

After winning a spot on the Platinum Hit reality show at the age of 22, Sonyae came into her own,  winning the contest and its grand prizes; $100,000 cash, a recording contract with RCA/Jive Records, and a publishing deal with Sony and BMI Songwriter’s The Writing Camp. This was back in May of this year. Months later, Sonyae would record and release the follow-up to her first Mixtape, Lady Rebel Vol.2.

I have never seen the reality show but judging from what I have heard, Sonyae is a force to be recokoned with lyrically and vocally. She has a knack for singing about the slicing pains of a broken heart, and floats effortlessly between rapping and singing. Yet I cannot compare Sonyae to a Keyshia Cole or a Mary J. Blige because Sonyae feels less commerical and more underground and poetic; like soemthing you might be lucky to hear at a Open Mic night in New York City.  Hence her Lady Rebel namesake. Sonyae recieved writing credits on Stranger to Love, from Bridget Kelly’s Every Girl EP, so we can tell the Industry is starting to take note as well.

Have a listen to Lady Rebel Vol.2 below and judge for yourself. Each song on the Mixtape is titled with a symbol.

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Read the rest of Before they Blow-Pop! Get to know Singer/Songwriter Sonyae Elise (10 words)

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Post tags: Before They Blow-Pop!, Bravo, Lady Rebel Vol. 2, Platinum Hit, R&B music, Sonye Elise, The Midi Mafia

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Help my mind
Yeah, I’m losing it
Take my life
But I’m cool with it
So hot y’all the music
So loud, I don’t know what to do with it

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-POP! Are you Listening to Wynter Gordon Yet? (62 words)

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© ChokLit Factory for The ChokLit Factory, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Atlantic Records, Before They Blow-Pop!, Dance Music, New Artist, New York Music, Nick Littlemore, Still Getting Younger, With the Music I Die, Wynter Gordon

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]]> http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-wynter-gordon-yet/feed/ 2 http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-frank-ocean-yet/ http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-frank-ocean-yet/#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 06:08:44 +0000 ChokLit Factory http://thechoklitfactory.com/?p=3749 Caution: I know am late on this….

A friend put me on to Frank Ocean about a month ago. Being the cocky mofo that he is, he messaged me five words:  Frank Ocean, Thank me Later. Needless to say, I got to Googling!

Complex Magazine had done a great feature piece on Christopher Francis Ocean, if you really want to know his full story. They touch on the comparisons to Drake, his studio time with Beyonce and how he linked up with OFWGKTA.  The New Orleans native was just another struggling Artist, displaced from Hurricane Katrina, who then made the move to L.A to make things happen. After catching some songwriting gigs, Ocean was signed to Def Jam in 2009 where he mostly went unnoticed and neglected. He soon decided to make things happen for himself. Ocean produced a Mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra. Just listening to a couple tracks off the Mixtape, Novocane and Songs for Women will get you hooked. Ocean has a non-threatening R&B voice. Not too grand-standing, not too focused on the art of singing itself. Ocean’s music is more about the music as a whole; the lyrics, the subtle production, the overall feeling the listener gets when listening to each seamlessly woven track. It is a very solid album and is being downloaded all over the Net. I think Ocean’s appeal is his honest approach to Music that is reminiscent of Drake’s approach to hip hop.

He is definitely worth a listen. To all the manly men out there, its OK to listen to R&B once again.

Check for the Mixtape here if you haven’t yet.

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

A new track called, You Got it just leaked last week. It has more of a futuristic pop feel to it, I’m liking this!  Peep it below.

Download: Frank Ocean – You Got It

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Post tags: Before The Blow-POP!, Def Jam, Frank Ocean, New Music, Nostalgia Ultra, OFWGKTA, R&B music, You Got it

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]]> http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-frank-ocean-yet/feed/ 0 http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-bruno-mars-yet/ http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-bruno-mars-yet/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 04:03:32 +0000 ChokLit Factory http://thechoklitfactory.com/?p=3164

This post is a bit late, seeing as Bruno is already on the brink of Stardom with his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans being released October 5 and his current single Just the Way You Are hitting the top spot on the Billboard 100. The first time I heard Bruno’s voice was on B.O.B’ s hit record, Nothin on You, who Mars co-wrote and appeared on the hook. I remember thinking that was the perfect Summer song and that Bruno sang the hook effortlessly. It is safe to say Bruno stole the spotlight on that song. He also co-wrote the song Billionaire with Travis McCoy, Right Round with Florida & Ke$ha and the International hit, Wavin’ Flag by K’naan.

The half Puerto Rican, half Filipino singer/songwriter was born in Honolulu, Hawaii where he began preforming at a young age with his father’s band. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career. He had some moderate success as a songwriter for artists like Brandy, Adam Levine, Sean Kingston before getting his big break on Nothin on You and Billionaire.

Bruno quickly released an EP back in May titled Its Better if You Don’t Understand, which spawned the single, The Other Side featuring Cee-Lo Green and B.O.B. Two months later, he released his debut solo single, Just the Way You Are. I watched this video the other week and found it super cute and infectious. I also spotted a video of him singing a capella at a radio station and became officially convinced of his talent. This kid has got a Voice!! I think he definitely has that swoon-worthy crooner factor, unlike music fans have seen/heard in a while.

Recently, Bruno was detained at arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. The news exploded on the blogosphere and had everyone talking Bruno. Perhaps this was the scandal he needed to push his notoriety in time for his album debut…

Luckily Bruno’s music is more intriguing than his personal life. Catch up with Mr. Mars’ music below…

Bruno’s Just the Way You Are Video

Read & Listen more…

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-POP!: Are You Listening to Bruno Mars Yet? (35 words)

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Post tags: A capella, B.O.B, Before They Blow-Pop!, Billionaire, Bruno Mars, Damian Marley, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Good Music, Grenade, Just the Way You Are, Liquor Store Blues, New Music

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]]> http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-are-you-listening-to-bruno-mars-yet/feed/ 1 http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-yms-shanells-mixtape-shut-up-listen-free-download/ http://thechoklitfactory.com/before-they-blow-pop-yms-shanells-mixtape-shut-up-listen-free-download/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:50:56 +0000 choklitfactory http://thechoklitfactory.wordpress.com/?p=2165

Shanell at her Mixtape Release Party. Pic courtesy of FreddyO

Choreographer, Singer and songwriter Shanell aka SnL might just be ATL’s best kept secret. Not only is her sound and image refreshing, unapologetic and raw, her music is actually pretty decent as well! We first featured SnL in our Songwriter’s Revenge feature a few months back.

To drum up some publicity for her new Mixtape titled Shut Up and Listen, Shanell’s team sent out invites to her “Baby Shower” where Shanell would be unveiling her child – ie. the Mixtape she had been working on for the past several months. It was a cute marketing ploy since rumours were rampant at the time that Shanell has been seeing labelmate Lil Wayne romantically.

Shut Up And Listen is a solid effort of Trip & B (ATL Style) that exposes several sides of the Artist. Shanell experiments with dance, some house and some Ryan Leslie. She even attempts to re-make Groove Theory’s classic hit, Tell Me with labelmate Jae Millz.

There are some highlights to the Mixtapes and some songs you may want to skip, but overall the collection of songs gets me excited to hear what Shanell has in store for her full length album. Now there is some debate among R&B fans if Shanell can blow or not. I think she definitely has a voice on her, while others call her pitchy. I tend to like when Singers can belt out a tune with great emotion, which Shanell is not afraid to do at all. I just need to hear her preform live to prove the naysayers wrong.

Here are a few cuts from the Mixtape to whet your appetite. Let me know what ya’ll think of the songs below and the Mixtape.

Shanell & Ryan Leslie – I Choose You (Remix) - ChokLit’s Choice

Shanell featuring Jae Millz – Tell Me

Download Shut Up and Listen Here!

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Post tags: ATL, Jae Millz, Lil Wayne, Mixtape, New Music, Shanell, Shut Up and Listen, Songwriter's Revenge, Young Money

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You may have heard about Bertell. He is the newest artist exclusively signed to Capitol Records via Bryan Michael Cox’s label BlackBaby Entertainment and Bertell’s own Upscape Music group. A Houston Native, Bertell had to leave his hometown to try his hand at a basketball scholarship opportunity in New Jersey, before leaving school his last year to try his hand in the Music Industry once again. After collaborating with Dem Franchize Boyz for a local hit, Shorty What That Do, he caught the attention of R&B Music Producer B. Cox. Together, they began to work together to hone Bertell’s sound.  Bertell would soon record a hit in the buzz single She Bad featuring Houston Royalty, Bun B. His next single, Beat it Up would become his first real Single and major label push. After I peeped the  video last week and checking out his Myspace I was starting to really feel the song. Now before you say anything, yes, I hear the references. Beat it Up has some Dream-inspired moments and the lyrics do remind me of the music Trey Songz is doing nowadays with his sing-songy rappper meets sanga style. Bertell decides to push the censors by talking about different sexual positions, including the “Suicide position” that got bleeped from the song.

The main reason I mentioned Bertell as one to watch is that his production company, Upscale Music Group (specifically T.A And Kwasi) has produced a hit with Beat it Up! It was the 3rd most-added song to Urban Radio according to Bertell’s Myspace page. That is an important feat for an Industry that is becoming harder and harder for new Artists to break into.

Also, Bertell has a uniquely smooth voice that he showcases on Beat it Up. If he can get past the imitations of other artists and the fly-by-night success of a first hit record, Bertell may have something of value to offer the R&B scene. Still, from what it sounds like, Bertell will be following in the footsteps of Trey Songz and he may have some trouble gaining real fans this way.

Nonetheless, check out Bertell’s video, then listen to the remix to Beat It Up featuring a fast-talking Twista (who is perfect for the song). What do you guys think of Bertell? Do you think he sounds like other artists or is he currently in his own lane?

Bertrell feat. Twista – Beat it Up Remix

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Post tags: Beat It Up, Before They Blow-Pop!, Bertell, Bryan Michael Cox, Bun B, Capitol Records, Houston, New Music, She Bad

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I am still feelin’ this 20-year old singer/dancer phenom who’s hit record Slow Jukin’ has failed to pop off in the Mainstream R&B world, despite its popularity online and in other countries. Upon looking through his site, I’ve seen a lot of live footage of Young Steff’s performances and was pleasantly surprised. This kid has a near perfect Falsetto; I would love to hear what he could come up with if he collaborated with TheDream & Tricky Strewart.  Here is a behind the scenes look at the very well done video for Slow Jukin’ which was directed by Fat Cats and features choreography by one of our faves, Jamaica. The lead dancer, Rachel and Young Steff school us on how to ‘Slow Juke’. Young Steff actually made up the dance, while Jamaica smoothed it out for the ladies’ version. Check it out!

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.841326&w=425&h=350&fv=config_url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.youngsteffworld.com%252Fvideo%252Fvideo%252FshowPlayerConfig%253Fid%253D2370471%25253AVideo%25253A3777%2526x%253DwVk930NdWdydC1cF8kI457v1eXA5kia6%26video_smoothing%3Don%26autoplay%3Doff]

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-Pop! More Young Steff! (126 words)

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Post tags: Behind the Scenes, Dj Drama, Fat Cats, Jamaica, Maino, Professional, Slow Jukin, Young Steff

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We have a treat for our ChokLit Community! A new Toronto-based artist named Trish is about to make some serious moves in the Industry, and we got the Exclusive on her here in the Choklit Factory! I spotted Trish performing at a show here in Toronto. She was on the stage with two of her male dancers, and sang a couple of her songs. The crowd was the typical picky T.O crowd, but Trish was rockin’ her set out and got the crowd very interested myself included. So I was able to score an interview with the up-and-coming Stunning Singer. Peep Trish’s Little X-directed video for her single, Don’t Watch Me, and some of her music after the jump!

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.833002&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Trish feat. J.Diggz – Don’t Watch Me Directed by Lil X

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-PoP!: Introducing TRISH Pt. I (179 words)

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Post tags: Do Dat Entertainment, Little X, Luther Brown, New Music, Toronto artists, TRISH

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And Don’t forget to show some love to Trish’s Myspace!

Some Choklit Tidbits:

Age: early 20s

Horoscope Sign: Aquarius

Ethnicity/Background: Guyanese & Jamaican

Label: Currently signed to Life-Line Group, shopping to Labels.

#1 Music Industry Peeve: Image over talent; putting an Age on music & the artists

Who’s Dat Gurl??

ChokLit Factory: Trish we want to get it out in the open: How would you describe your Sound & your Music?

Trish: It consists of many elements: Hip Hop, Pop, R&B Funk, Rock & Roll. As long as the beat is hot, really, and I can rock with it – that’s something I want to deliver to people, y’know?  I just want people to have fun.

CF: So you don’t want to pigeonhole yourself?

Trish: No, I want to be able to expand, to try different things. If I am able to come out and present myself in a way to the public on the one form, that’s fantastic, especially if they accept me.

CF: You grew up here in Toronto (please correct me if I am wrong!), how would you describe your experience growing up in this city?

T: Yes I grew up in Toronto. [The experience] was cool. We lived in various areas of the city. You know, Toronto is a multicultural city and I’ve been fortunate to taste the different flavours of Toronto. For instance, the past 15 years I’ve been living in this community where I’ve been subjected to rap music & Reggaeton, and prior to that I was living in a community where it was Indian music. And now, when I go visit my family, our Culture’s there; there is Reggae music happening. So, I mean, growing up in Toronto has really shaped me as an artist, as a human being, really.

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Read the rest of Before They Blow-PoP!: Introducing TRISH Pt. II (1,534 words)

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Post tags: Do Dat Entertainment, Little X, Luther Brown, Toronto artists, TRISH

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