Missy Elliott

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Express

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Missy Elliott Makes History As First Female Rapper Nominated For Songwriters Hall Of Fame

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The iconic rapper would be the third ever rapper to be inducted into the hall of fame if elected
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 7, 2018 - 5:28 pm

GRAMMY-winning rapper Missy Elliott will go down in the history of pop music as one of the most creative and dynamic rappers ever with hits like "Work It" and "Get Ur Freak On." Now she has made history as the first female rapper to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

The news was released one day ahead of the official announcement by the Associated Press. If the rapper were to be integrated into the 2019 class, she would only be the third rapper to do so. The only other rappers to be in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame are GRAMMY winners Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri.

To be nominated, songwriters have to have written songs for at least 20 years. Elliott came onto the music scene in the late '80s/early '90s and since then has written hits artists including GRAMMY winners Beyoncé and Ciara. She has writing credentials for songs that include Keyshia Cole's "Let It Go," Monica's "So Gone," And Fantasia's "Free Yourself." Elliott also worked and wrote music for the late Aaliyah.

The AP reports that other nominees include: Mariah Carey, Cat Stevens, Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Vince Gill, Jeff Lynne, Tommy James, John Prine, Lloyd Price, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, and Chrissie Hynde.

But just because she's up for Hall Of Fame status, don't count Missy out yet. The rapper has teased a new LP release for 2019. Read more on what to expect from the album below:

Missy Elliott Is Ready To Get The World Dancing Again

 

Photo: Timothy Kuratek/CBS via Getty Images

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Recording Academy Moves To A Community-Driven Membership Model

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Two key elements have been added to the new member submission model in an ongoing effort to build a more representative and relevant membership body
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 19, 2018 - 1:41 pm

In order to continue building a diverse and more representative membership group, the Recording Academy has announced it will implement a new community-driven and peer-reviewed membership model that will shift it into an annual cycle and add two new elements.

The membership's key elements will now include industry recommendations and peer review. Beyond the Recording Academy's basic requirements, new membership submissions must include two professional recommendations to be considered. In addition, a Peer Review Panel of music creators will gather every spring to assess new member submissions with diversity in mind, craft and genre in mind.

"The GRAMMY Awards are already renowned for being a peer-awarded honor, and our new membership model further reinforces that peer-driven commitment to excellence," said Laura Segura Mueller, Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations in a statement.

"Membership is the lifeblood of the Recording Academy and a privilege we strive to uphold. Our new membership model puts the power in the hands of the music community and is designed to build an active, representative membership base that reflects our broader culture. By changing the process to Recording Academy membership, we remain committed to setting a positive example for the music industry as a whole."

These changes are a part of a continuing effort from the Recording Academy to make its membership more inclusive. The shift to an annual membership review cycle is in hopes of looking at both existing members and prospective submissions and, "Be thoughtful about how each individual new member decision stands to shape the collective body."

In October, the Recording Academy announced that it would be inviting 900 music creators to join it as voting members.

The official statement from the Recording Academy can be found here.

Recording Academy Announces 61st GRAMMY Awards Update

Notorious B.I.G.

Photo: Clarence Davis/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

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Picture This: Brooklyn Will Have A Street Named For Notorious B.I.G.

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Brooklyn Community Board 2 voted to approve the re-naming of the late rapper's childhood street. Find out here what the street will be called
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 16, 2018 - 5:46 pm

Brooklyn has spoken and late rapper Notorious B.I.G. will get the block he grew up on named after him. “Christopher Wallace Way,” the rapper's given name, would become what is now a section of St. James between Gates Avenue and Fulton Street.

Rolling Stone reports that Brooklyn Community Board 2 approved the re-naming petition 33-1, with four abstentions. While expected to be approved, the name change still has to pass through the City Council and Mayor Bill De Blasio.

“Honoring Biggie symbolizes more than just one man,” the man who spearheaded the re-naming LeRoy McCarthy told Rolling Stone. “It symbolizes a culture. It symbolizes a borough. It symbolizes a people, and hip-hop is worldwide.”

Wallace, a four-time GRAMMY nominated artist, is known as one of the East Coast's most iconic rappers that helped bring attention to the hip-hop scene in New York with Sean "P Diddy" Combs in the 90s. Outside of New York, he is known as one of the most influential rappers in hip-hop history.

Flashback To 1993: A Good Year In Music Or The Best Year In Music?

J Balvin 

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for LARAS

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J Balvin Pays Ode to Reggaeton During Latin GRAMMY Speech: "It's Time To Create New Legends"

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The Colombian artist has been one of the leaders in the reemergence of reggaeton and used his acceptance speech to recognize the power of the genre
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 16, 2018 - 1:59 pm

The 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards, held Nov. 15, was an exciting night for Colombian artist J Balvin, who led the night with a total of 8 nominations, the most of any other artist nominated at the show that night.

J Balvin Latin GRAMMY Speech Honors Reggaeton

The rapper has been a recognized leader for bringing reggaeton back into the mainstream and harder than ever, since English-language pop-centric U.S. and other parts of the world first heard names like Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon and Don Omar around the early '00s (Yankee also won an award last night, for Best Urban Song for "Dura.") The success of the genre the last few years has been slowly making waves at the Latin GRAMMYs. The genre has been climbing its way outside of just the urban categories and into general sought-after categories like "Record Of The Year," which Balvin was nominated for twice this year—2011's Album Of The Year winners hip-hop/reggaeton dup Calle 13 infused reggaeton and other genres in their award-winning Entren Los Que Quieran.

Balvin—who has collaborated with artists of other Latin genres, including indie, Alt. Latino artist, Carla Morrison, who he performed with at the show—used his speech for his only win, Best Urban Music Album, to address the state of reggaeton. He brought up the success reggaeton has had the last few years, despite the challenges the music has faced as a respected genre, and spoke about the power the genre has to change lives. 

"Thank you. I want to share this GRAMMY with my colleagues. All the people from the urban genre that are nominated," he began. "To everyone that is representing this genre that we have fought so hard for, that has been sometimes a bit discriminated against, but here we are still fighting for it and showing that there are a lot of talented people, that reggaeton has saved lives, that reggaeton has motivated people to leave the streets and inspired better dreams, that shows dreaming is worth it."

READ: 2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards: Inside All The Action From Las Vegas

Balvin gave a special shout-out to Ozuna, another nominated reggaeton artist who has achieved mass success and garnered billions of views on YouTube. "Ozuna, you know I love you a lot and respect you a lot," Balvin said.

The rapper ended his speech by paying respect to Latin legendary artists that came before him, but said that was time for new legends to be made.

"Let's not kill the dreams of the new producers that are coming up, the new songwriters that are coming up. Value the young blood that is coming because we are the future of music," he said.
"Obviously with so much respect for artists who are legends and will be legends always, but it's time to create new legends, new motivations. For people on the streets to also want to be like us because we are also an example of what life can be. God Bless"

2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards Complete Winners List

Maná

Photo: John Parra/Getty Images for LARAS

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Maná Honored By An Array Of Latin American Talent At Latin GRAMMY Person Of The Year Celebration

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Mexico's GRAMMY-winning band was honored with performances from Gilberto Santa Rosa, Pepe Aguilar, La Marisoul and more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2018 - 2:04 pm

Musical stars from all over Latin America came together on the night before the 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor superstar Mexican pop/rock group Maná, as this year's Latin GRAMMY Person Of The Year.

Maná Honored At 2018 Person Of The Year

Lights resembling the night sky lit up around an image of Fher Olvera, Alex González, Sergio Vallín and Juan Calleros—the members of Maná—on stage as actor Jaime Camil and Argentine singer Soledad Pastorutti hosted the spectacular night filled with talent that included tributes of the group's biggest hits and most touching songs by some of Latin music' biggest rising and established stars. The celebration began with an interpretation of "Adicto A Tu Amor," one of the group's most seductive songs, by Draco Rosa and violinist Ara Malikian.

The night continued as Colombia's Sebastian Yatra took the stage to honor the group with his version of "No Ha Parado De Llover," a sad song about losing a lover without knowing why. Group Monsieur Periné—also from Colombia—lightened the mood with their take of  the upbeat, energetic rock tune "Oye Mi Amor," one of the band's most iconic songs from earlier in their career, from 1992's ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños?

Puerto Rican salsa singer Gilberto Santa Rosa, alongside pianist Arthur Hanlon, performed a salsa version of Manás hit, "Bendita Tu Luz." Mariachi music superstar Pepe Aguilar performed a special rendition of "Mariposa Traicionera" with renowned group Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández. Spanish rock star Enrique Bunbury covered "Vivir Sin Aire."

Other performances included José María Cano and Dani Cano, Iza Real and Piso 21, Vetusta Morla, Beatriz Luengo, Beatriz Luengo, La Marisoul and Orianthi, and Pablo Alborán.

Maná have become some of Latin America's greatest songwriters and musicians with a musical career that began in the 1980s. Inspired by rock groups of the U.S. and Europe, the band was among a group of Mexican musicians to begin writing the history that is now known as Mexico's rock scene. Since then, the band has created music that fuses rock, pop and Latin rhythms, transcending Mexico and into the world.

"We are very happy to see so many people here and to hear these super amazing covers that we weren't expecting, at times we didn't know what song was going to be performed and where it would end," lead singer Olvera said at the celebration. 

The GRAMMY-winning band closed off the night with a performance of two of their well-known songs "Labios Compartidos" and "Clavado En Un Bar." Tune in to the 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards to catch another performance of the legendary band.

The Complete Latin GRAMMY Awards Viewer's Guide