A couple weeks ago, Rap-Up had the pleasure of traveling to Seoul, South Korea to meet Korean pop star BoA (think Britney Spears of Asia, minus the controversy). At 21, BoA is one of the most popular artists in the Far East, selling millions of records throughout Korea and Japan, racking up numerous awards and accolades, and receiving endorsements from Nike, L’Oréal, and Samsung. Up next, BoA has her sights set on conquering the U.S. market.
Jermaine Dupri’s newest arsenal of talent comes in the form of four ethnically diverse singers with a penchant for lovely ladies, long hair, and looking fresh. Git Fresh—Penny, 21; Rude Boi, 23; Mike Ezay, 23; and Pretti Sly, 24—may look like a team of rappers with their tattooed frames and glittering adornments, but the sounds they emit are more soulful croons than rowdy raps.
Charles Hamilton is not your typical rapper. For starters, the Cleveland-born MC loves the color pink, his favorite video game character is Sonic the Hedgehog, he blogs daily, and his third cousin is MC Lyte.
Brooklyn rapper Q aka Q Da Kid has been announced as the first artist signed to Jermaine Dupri’s TAG Records. The MC, born Kareem Savage, will be part of a multi-million dollar record deal between Procter & Gamble and Island Def Jam.
Is Jermaine Dupri’s new protégé just another YouTube Hall of Famer, or something more? Dondria Nicole (nicknamed Phatfffat due to her insatiable appetite and ironically tiny frame) will be up to bat for So So Def this summer, as the fresh-faced singer drops her debut effort, Dondria vs. Phatfffat on July 29th. The first few songs that are proudly displayed on her MySpace page fall somewhere between pop and R&B, a tough place to compete.
You may remember first hearing about The D.E.Y. when they appeared on Paula DeAnda’s hit single “Walk Away.” Now the R&B/hip-hop trio (think a Latin version of the Black Eyed Peas) is venturing out with their debut album The D.E.Y. Has Come. Lyricists Emilio “Yeyo” Cancio-Bello and Rafael “Divine” Torres along with Nuyorican songstress Élan Luz Rivera deliver club bangers and slow jams in Spanish and English.
“When The D.E.Y. first took off, our mission was to create a musical fusion of the different sounds and cultures we grew up with and bring it to a new generation of fans who share our experiences,” says The D.E.Y. member Élan. “We can’t wait to show the people how we represent that vision and passion to the fullest on this album.”
Watch the video for the group’s first single “Give You The World” (above) produced by J.R. Rotem and look out for their debut album this April on Epic Records featuring production from Timbaland and Stargate.
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Lily Allen was so last year. 2008 is all about R&B singer Estelle. The UK import is gearing up to release her second album on John Legend’s Homeschool label via Atlantic. Estelle reminds us of Corinne Bailey Rae mixed with Lauryn Hill (minus the crazy).
Watch the video for her first single “Wait A Minute (Just A Touch),” which was produced by will.i.am. It features a cameo by John Legend. Estelle’s U.S. debut Shine is scheduled to drop on February 12th and will feature production from Swizz Beatz, Mark Ronson, and Wyclef Jean.
Some of you may remember rapper Teyana Taylor from her appearance on MTV’s My Super Sweet 16. She was the spoiled brat who got a Range Rover from Pharrell and wore a Heatherette gown to her party. Her personality may have turned you off, but her music is worth checking out.
The teenager is signed to Pharrell’s Star Trak label and will be releasing her debut album in 2008. She also helped choreograph Beyoncé’s “Ring The Alarm” video and appeared in the video for Jay-Z’s “Blue Magic.” Teyana is one to watch.
