Wu-Tang Clan 

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Wu-Tang Clan Are Making History At Nashville's Ryman Auditorium

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NPR reports that while the venue, known as "The Mother Church Of Country Music," has hosted concerts, church revivals and boxing matches, but it has never offered a headlining hip-hop event
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 10, 2019 - 12:34 pm

GRAMMY-nominated hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan will be the first-ever hip-hop act to be at the top of the bill at the historic Ryman Auditorim in Nashville, Tenn.

NPR reports that while the venue, known as "The Mother Church Of Country Music," has hosted concerts, church revivals and boxing matches, but it has never offered a headlining hip-hop event. The group will stop by on their international tour celebrating 25 years of their 1993 album Enter The Wu-Tang for a sold-out show on June 9. 

RELATED: Dissecting the Chambers: Wu-Tang Clan’s Debut Opus Turns 25

"It's just not intuitive to have necessarily a hip-hop show at the Ryman," Nashville concert promoter and Belmont University professor Eric Holt told NPR. "It's going to be interesting. I mean, the energy, I think is going to be different."

GRAMMY-winning record producer/musician Shannon Sanders, former member of one of Nashville's first hip hop groups, told NPR that country has outshined hip hop in the city, "It's just been hard to be part of the narrative of the city's musical story," he said. Sanders added that times at the Ryman have changed. 

"You know, the Ryman has had to grow up too, and had to grow up into what the city is," Sanders said. "You know, the Wu-Tang is ready for the Ryman, but also the Ryman is ready for the Wu-Tang."

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Daddy Yankee

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Daddy Yankee To Give First-Ever Spanish-Language Performance On The Late Late Show With James Corden

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Puerto Rico's global music star will perform his latest single, "Con Calma" featuring Snow
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Mar 19, 2019 - 4:49 pm

Reggaeton icon Daddy Yankee will be the first-ever artist to have a Spanish-language performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden when he performs on March 20.

Puerto Rico's global music star will perform his latest single, "Con Calma" featuring Snow, which is this week's No. 1 on Billboard's "Latin Airplay Songs" chart. 

The GRAMMY-nominated artist has been a trailblazer for reggaeton and latin urban pop in the music industry. In late Feb., J Balvin, Ozuna and other Latin urban artists paid tribute to Yankee at Premios Lo Nuestro, a testament to his influence.

"Without Daddy Yankee reggaeton would not be the same in the world ... J Balvin wouldn't exist without Daddy Yankee," Balvin said.

Catch the history-making Late Late Show performance on March 20 on CBS. Check your local listings. 

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Sleater-Kinney 

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Sleater-Kinney Drop Album Release Date, Share New Song & More Tour Dates

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Their latest song from the St. Vincent-produced 'The Center Won't Hold' touches on the isolation that can come from a technology-driven culture
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 14, 2019 - 1:17 pm

Indie-rock band Sleater-Kinney have dropped a release date for their much-awaited 10th album, The Center Won't Hold. They've also released a new song: "The Future Is Here."

The Center Won't Hold is out Aug. 16, but fans can pre-order now. The band first confirmed the new album, which is being produced by GRAMMY winner St. Vincent, in January. The album is their first since 2015's No Cities To Love.

"'The Future Is Here' touches on the isolation that can come from a technology-driven culture. "I start my day on a tiny screen/ Try to connect the words, they're right in front of me/ I walk to work out on the city streets/ No one speaks to me, their stony faces beat," lead vocalist Corin Tucker sings. 

The trio also announced a European tour that will have stops in Germany, France as well as the U.K., and additional North American tour dates in Chicago, Oakland, Calif., Portland and Seattle. 

For more information on the album and tour dates, visit the band's website.

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Danny Trejo

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Danny Trejo Launches Label To Help Emerging Artists, Presents Chicano Soul Album

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The actor and restaurant owner has launched a label called Trejo's Music, which drops an album featuring rapper/singer Baby Bash, GRAMMY-nominated singer Frankie J and Chiquis Rivera (daughter of the late banda queen Jenny Rivera), on June 16
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 14, 2019 - 11:00 am

You may know him as "Machete" from the 2010 Robert Rodriguez co-directed movie with the same name, or for his venture into the food world with Trejo's Tacos and Trejo's Coffee & Donuts. Now, Danny Trejo will also be known for helping up-and-coming artists make it in the music world.

The actor and restaurant owner has launched a new label called Trejo's Music, which will release an album featuring rapper/singer Baby Bash, GRAMMY-nominated singer Frankie J and Chiquis Rivera (daughter of the late banda queen Jenny Rivera), titled Danny Trejo Presents Chicano Soul Shop Vol. 1. Trish Toledo and Tara New are among the rising artists on the album.

“I want to support new talents,” Trejo told Billboard. "In about three to four months we’re hoping to host an open audition for new talent."

The label is a partnership with Silent Giant Entertainment president and producer Edward "E-Dub" Rios as well as Baby Bash, who is CEO of entertainment company and label BashTown Music. 

Rios said creating opportunities for rising stars was important to them: "We want to continue the mission that we’ve been dedicated to for decades, that’s kicking down doors and creating opportunities for good people through music and culture," he said. 

The label's first album is a a mix of soul and Chicano music, an umbrella term which encompases chicano rap, brown-eyed soul, chicano rock and more. The album features Trejo anecdotes before each of the 12 tracks. Baby Bash told Billboard the album is "bringing some saucy musical class to the music scene! Chicano soul style!"

Danny Trejo Presents Chicano Soul Shop Vol. 1 drops June 16. For more information on the album and how to pre-order now, visit the album website. 

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Yolanda Adams 

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage for The Recording Academy

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Black Women Lead The Way At The Recording Academy

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A recent Black Music Month article by Essence highlights how black women are shaping the Recording Academy and the music industry at large
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jun 13, 2019 - 4:49 pm

The Recording Academy could not fulfill its duties as music creator ambassadors across the nation without the leadership of black women.

 In a recently published piece by Essence, the magazine hightlights some of the powerhouses behind the Academy in honor of Black Music Month. From Yolanda Adams and former A&R executive Qiana Conley leading the Recording Academy chapters in Texas and Los Angeles, respectively, to trustees like Lalah Hathaway and SassyBlack being at the forefront of chapters across different states, black women are shaping the future of the home of the Biggest Night In Music, beyond the GRAMMY awards.

Recording Academy chapters, established in cities across the country, provide a community approach to the music industry through networking opportunities, professional development events and more. 

"Women are a vital part of the world and they’re a vital part of our organization," Executive Director of the Recording Academy Washington D.C. chapter Jeriel Johnson told Essence. "They are committed to their careers and support each other,” said Johnson. “You can see the bond."

As Essence notes, almost a dozen black women make up the D.C. chapter board; Tracy Hamlin, Priscilla Clarke and Elise Perry are just a few. 

“Women are a vital part of the world and they’re a vital part of our organization,” Johnson said. 

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