Janelle Monáe is showing off her acting chops in the upcoming film Hidden Figures. She will star alongside Octavia Spencer, Taraji P Henson, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons, in a story that shows the role of women of colour in NASA’s first journey to the moon. The film, which is set in the late 1960s, has been based on a non-fiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly with the same name.

The trailer portrays Henson’s character Katherine Johnson as going from an incredibly bright school kid to a mathematician helping NASA win the race against Russia to the moon. She, with Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Monáe), rises up to fight against the sexism within the industry and prove that they can do the work just as well as any man could.

Although we’re excited to see her acting skills in action, we were hoping she’d be releasing any new music alongside this project. It’s been three years since her third album The Electric Lady, which reached number five on the Billboard Top 200 and 22 on the ARIA charts. Still, we’re looking forward to her portrayal of a strong woman in what looks to be an inspiring film.

Watch the trailer below. Hidden Figures will be released on January 13th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK8xHq6dfAo

Image: Billboard

The recent shootings in the USA, resulting in deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of the police, have sparked a global outcry. The most recent in alarmingly ongoing instances of a black community targeted and villainised by police, both men appear to have been shot dead as the tragic result of what were standard, non-violent altercations with officers.

American politicians have joined the commentary surrounding these events, and President Obama has issued a statement offering condolences and urging americans to come together in their grief. The shootings have also seen an overwhelming response from the music industry, as artists have taken to social media to express their shock and sadness.

John Legend’s Twitter feed has become an open forum for the number of people sharing news and their own sadness and frustrations regarding the shootings. The singer joined his own words to challenge how Castile could have been shot during what was a routine traffic stop.

The online storm of protest surrounding the shootings has also looked to commemorate the men who died, particularly Castile. Janelle Monae tweeted an article that named Castile as “a role model to hundreds of kids” at the school where he worked, as well as a loved member of the community. Many people have also challenged the NRA, as both Sterling and Castile were carrying firearms at the times of their deaths. Castile possessed a ‘concealed carry’ license, which he was moving to show the officers who stopped him. The Roots member Questlove posted on twitter, questioning whether the NRA would move to defend either victim. He also urged white people to speak out for black culture.

Canadian artist Drake has penned an open letter on social media, decrying the unchanging relationship between law enforcement and “black and brown” communities.

🙏🏼

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

Last Thursday, Beyoncé released a powerful statement on her website entitled “Freedom”. Calling for action and stating that “the war on people of color and all minorities need to be over”. Pausing her show in Glasgow, Bey gave a moment of silence as a screen displayed the names of victims of police brutality.

Click the link in my bio to go to Beyonce.com. Turn our anger into action.

A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Rapper Macklemore also took to social media with a lengthy comment on Instagram, underneath a photo of victim Alton Sterling. He also calls for the active change of an ingrained and inherently racist system, and for white people to “care enough” to make that change.

How many more murders of black people by police before we hold our system and those that enforce it accountable? The footage of Alton Sterling being murdered by a police officer is equal parts horrific, infuriating and devastating. How many times can we watch a family at a press conference in hysterics over the killing of their loved one? Murdered by those that have been assigned to protect us. What do we do in times like these? It’s a question for everyone, but specifically white people. The systematic oppression that enables a murder like this, will be corrected once white people care enough to change it. Alton Sterling didn’t create this problem. This is hundreds of years of conditioning. We have been told our entire lives that people that look like Alton Sterling, selling CD’s outside of a store, are a threat to our society. The news, TV, movies, jails, history books, schools and our laws all uphold this false belief. A person isn’t born fearing someone because of the color of their skin. This fear is taught, crafted and instilled in the fabric of our American lives. And although we make strides and progress is measurable at times, I can’t help but think….If I was put in the exact same situation that Alton was in, I would be alive today…Because of the color of my skin. And he’s dead because of his. I often don’t know what to do during these moments. It becomes easier to vent on social media than to take direct action. Here’s a couple things I’ve gotten hip to in the last 2 years. 1: Financially support black led organizations. Put your resources behind people of color that are at the forefront of the movement 2: Do a People’s Institute “Undoing racism” training. One of the most eye opening and important tools to understanding our past in relation to the work that needs to be done. The website is http://www.pisab.org 3: Have conversations about race. In real life. With people that look like you and people that don’t. RIP #altonsterling

A photo posted by Ben Haggerty (@macklemore) on

Talib Kweli joined the conversation, engaging with various twitter users over the subjects of the shootings and the BLM movement. He also defended Macklemore who came under fire for jumping on the of the bandwagon with those protesting.

https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/751181011568975873

Other artists like Vic Mensa, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Chuck D of Public Enemy also took to twitter. The #altonsterling tag continues to trends amongst musicians, even as they mourn how no one’s life should begin and end with a hashtag.

https://twitter.com/VicMensa/status/750772843709882368

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/750850397187608576

Campaigns have also started to help support the families of the victims of the shootings. Click on the following links to reach the Go Fund Me support pages for the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

Image by Cosmopolitan

The fourth of July, as you probably know, is Independence Day in the USA. It’s now been announced that both Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monae will be performing at The White House to celebrate the occasion.

The announcement has been made by White House press secretary Josh Earnest. The concert will come as part of a ceremony held by President Obama and the First Lady. The ceremony will be host military veterans and their families, and will also involve a barbecue and fireworks.

Said Earnest, “White House staff and their families from throughout the administration will also attend this event for the fireworks viewing,” Earnest told reporters at the daily briefing. “There will also be a performance on Monday evening by fellow Kansas Citian Janelle Monáe and Kendrick Lamar.”

The news follows last week’s BET Awards, at which Lamar opened the show as a guest on Beyonce‘s surprise opening performance, and Monae delivered a stunning tribute to Prince.

This isn’t Lamar’s first connection to the White House. Last year, President Obama revealed that his favourite song of the year was How Much A Dollar Cost, from To Pimp A Butterfly, and in fact visited the White House and met with Obama in January. 

Image: Rolling Stone

The BET Awards aired this week, and with it came many stunning performances, notably a string of phenomenal tributes to Prince, who died on April 21 this year. After a number of fairly contentious performances, notably the highly-criticised choice of Madonna to lead the performance at the Billboard Music wards, BET responded with a full selection of covers, essentially turning the entire night into one big tribute.

Many of the performances were not made available for full viewing outside the US, but the good news is that all full videos from the BET Awards are now here for your viewing pleasure.

First came Erykah Badu, The Roots and Bilal giving it their all with heartwrenching covers of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and The Beautiful Ones.

Stevie Wonder and Tori Kelly then performed Take Me With You, before Jennifer Hudson wowed with a truly stunning rendition of Purple Rain. Hudson also paid tribute to Prince’s fashion choice by wearing a hooded outfit reminiscent of his outfit at the People’s Choice Awards in 2005.

Janelle Monae was next, and much like Hudson, she honoured the late star’s fashion choices as well as his music, delivering a medley of Delirious, Kiss, Pop Life, and I Would Die 4 U in assless chaps, in tribute of the famous yellow jumpsuit Prince wore back at the 1991 MTV VMAs.

Maxwell performed his own new song, Lake By The Ocean, as well as Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U:

Finally, Sheila E led a huge medley, featuring many of Prince’s collaborators, including members of his last band the New Power Generation, backup singers Shelby Johnson, Liv Warield, Lynn Mabry and Elisa Fiorello, Prince’s ex-wife, dancer Mayte Garcia, Jerome Benton and more. Speaking to Billboard about the emotional performance, Sheila noted, “I knew it was going to be very emotional on the first day of rehearsal. We were sound checking all of the instruments, which takes about two-three hours for setup. By the time we all got together, I said a prayer and then I knew we were going to sit there and cry. It took about 45 minutes to an hour for us to pull it together.

“It was the first time we’d been together as a family since all this happened. Everyone is still in disbelief; there’s been no closure yet. Saying goodbye to him just hasn’t happened yet. It’s hard.”

Image: Time

The BET Awards took place today, and one of the main events throughout the proceedings has been its continuous Prince tribute; yes, instead of one powerhouse performance, the ceremony is delivering a full series of tributes from a wide array of artists including The Roots, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Janelle Monae, Jennifer Hudson and more. Much like they did when Michael Jackson passed away (he died just days before the award’s 2009 airing), honouring the late legend continues through the entire night.

Dave Chappelle spoke about Prince just half an hour into the event. “On April 21, we got that news, and literally our hearts were broken,” he said. “I was 11 years old when Purple Rain came out, and by the time I was 20, Prince had changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol… We miss him dearly. And tonight we celebrate the rich legacy of this remarkable genius, who we are all so proud of.”

The musical tributes then began with Erykah Badu and Bilal, who performed equally beautiful versions of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and The Beautiful Ones respectively, backed by The Roots. Next, Tori Kelly joined Stevie Wonder on stage for Take Me With You, and Jennifer Hudson sent shivers down everyone’s spine with her take on Purple Rain. Maxwell sang Nothing Compares 2 U as well as his own recent single Lake By The Ocean, updated the first line of NC2u lyrics from, “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days” to sixty-six days, the time since Prince’s passing. Meanwhile Janelle Monae took the her medley of Kiss, Pop Life and I Would Die 4 U even further, honouring Prince’s infamous 1991 VMAs outfit with assless pants of her own. Hudson similarly honouring Prince’s outfits by donning a white hooded suit for Purple Rain. Finally, Prince’s long time collaborator, drummer Sheila E led a final ten-minute medley (which was reportedly set to have been led by D’Angelo, who didn’t end up performing) through Housequake, Erotic City (the first song she and Prince recorded together), Let’s Work, U Got the Look and many more.

Unfortunately BET has not yet made the full performances available for international viewers. For now, you can watch short snippets of the performances here. We’ll post full versions when made officially available:

Image: Kevin Winter/Getty

Image: Kevin Winter/Getty

https://twitter.com/RebLRocR/status/747244875570020352

 

https://twitter.com/juiceyki/status/747261116775014400

Image: Kevin Winter/Getty/BET

It’s been a week since Grimes dropped follow up LP Art Angels, and fan hysteria is yet to cease even slightly- I challenge you to scroll down your news feed without finding something pertaining to Grimes’ new release. Understandable, considering the three year gap between it and it’s predecessor, the much loved Visions. Somewhere in the midst of all this frenzy, Grimes kicked off her Rhinestone Cowgirls tour, which will see her tour the U.S and Europe until finally making a stop down under for Laneway Festival. Last night, she blessed Atlanta with some fresh material straight from Art Angels, as well as including a very special guest, Janelle Monáe.

The tracklist for Art Angels only names two guests, one of them being Monáe, who worked with Grimes on track Venus Fly. While Grimes may not be a fan of utilising mass amounts of guest artists in her work, the move to include Monáe was a clever one. Besides from their talent, both women are similar in their breaking of any pre-conceived notions their audiences might have about what goes into creating a ‘good’ pop song. While sonically, they may sound vastly different, when working in conjunction with one another it creates something incredible.

Given that both women are also intensely superb performers, it’s no wonder that the video below is truly a sight to behold. If you’re like me, and have neglected to purchase a ticket to Laneway- I’d start saving now, and fast.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddFkIF5rY0Q&w=560&h=315]

You can purchase tickets to Laneway here, and listen to Art Angels here.

 

 

 

Janelle Monae and Jidenna (the first signing to her label Wonderland Records) recently sparked controversy when his single Classic Man showed similarities to Iggy Azalea’s hit Fancy. Azalea has openly discussed the track on social media a number of times, declaring it is a sample and she receives royalties for the usage of her song.

Monae and Jidenna recently aired their side of the story in a Hot 97 radio interview, declaring the pair only gave Azalea and co. songwriting credits as a cautionary measure to avoid a repeat of the Pharrell Williams/Robin Thicke lawsuit, which saw a large payout to the Marvin Gaye estate over copyright claims on the track Blurred Lines.

“The truth is we actually didn’t sample it. But ever since the decision of Robin Thicke and Pharrell, we believe that it was important to make sure that we are safe… When that Robin Thicke verdict came out, we realised the game had changed in music. I’m glad we were safe,” says Jidenna.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsiN0W15w0U]

Then, in a hard hitting burn regarding the common criticism about Iggy Azalea and cultural appropriation within hip hop culture, Janelle Monae stated: “Hey, she steals from us, we steal back.”

You can watch the whole interview below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHaLl95JNYA]

Want more? Read our feature on Iggy Azalea and the ongoing debate of cultural appropriation here.

I’ve never been a huge Duran Duran fan by any means. I mean, I’ve spent many a night drunkenly getting down to Girls On Film and Hungry Like The Wolf. Also, A View To A Kill might have been the worst James Bond movie ever until Die Another Day took a Madonna-scented spite shit all over the franchise, but its Duran Duran-helmed theme song was hittin’.

For me though, beyond that Simon Le Bon and co. are largely forgettable. And don’t even get me started on their reprehensible and devoid-of-all-irony cover of Public Enemy‘s 911 Is A Joke.

Forgive me for thinking that they went to their musical grave with the end of the 80s. Apparently not, they’re back in 2015 with a newie:

That’s… not bad. Not bad at all. Not really crazy on Simon Le Bon’s voice or general presence much, but if you’re listening to the heaping loads of pure funk that are permeating this song and thinking that it sounds familiar, it’s because Pressure Off features the funkadelical musical talents of both the seminal Nile Rodgers and the production of Mark Ronson. You may also hear a familiar voice in Janelle Monae working away in the background there.

Like the aforementioned Girls On Film, I could definitely see myself inebriatedly slithering around a dancefloor to this. The more funk in everybody’s lives, the better.

It’s an eclectic mash up of artists that serves as the prologue to Duran Duran’s comeback album of 2015. Hopefully it’s more like this and less like whatever they’ve spent the last 20-odd years doing.