Every now and then, I find some interesting music news that I figure deserves making it on the blog.  Most of the time, I don't like doing single posts for small news things (unless they have to deal with an album of some sort!)  So I decided that I would take a few bits of music news, and educate you all on some of what is going on around the world, and in the music industry!  Let us know what you think, and feel free to post some news links in the comments (although I have serious doubts anyone reading this post will... haha).

The News:

• I am sure you all recall the Michael Phelps scandal that occurred a while back, and I am sure that many of you have your own feelings about the pictures that were leaked onto the internet.  I also am sure that the majority of you have heard the displeasure and disappointment many from Hollywood have shown based on the facts and current situation.  It is not very often, however, that you hear someone from the music industry coming out of the woodwork and supporting an Olympic Swimmer.  Jay-Z has made some comments, which I agree with, and he is in support and is defending Michael Phelps.  I mean it is not like Mr. Phelps hasn't apologized and realized what he has done was wrong... he came out after the pictures leaked and stated it for all the public to see: "I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way”

“You look at all these people who graduated from Princeton and Harvard, who are supposed to be pillars of the community, every day [they’re] in the newspaper arrested for some kind of financial fraud,” Jay-Z explained. “Then you look at someone like Michael Phelps. He’s 23. What’s he gonna do? He’s a kid. He’s going to experiment.” - Jay-Z on the Michael Phelps Scandal

• In other news, Drake, who has began to pick up some major publicity now that his second mixtape, So Far Gone, has been out for a while, has announced that he will be doing a tour which will feature many stops at univeristies and cities around the country, so be on the lookout for him in your hometown!

Tour Dates/Places:

4/17 Purchase, New York @ Purchase College

4/18 Elmhurst, New York @ Daemen College

4/21 Ann Arbor, Michigan @ University of Michigan

4/22 Gainesville, Florida @ University of Florida (Oconnell Center)

4/23 Durham, North Carolina @ North Carolina Central University

4/24 Columbus, Ohio @ Club Ice

4/25 Bowling Green, Ohio @ Bowling Green State University

4/28 Dekalb, Illinois @ University of Northern Illinois

4/29 Kingston, Rhode Island @ Edwards Auditorium

4/30 Newark, Delaware @ Bob Carpenter Center

5/1 Statesboro, Georgia @ Georgia Southern University (Performing Arts Center)

5/2 Atlanta, Georgia @ The Loft

5/8 Houston, Texas @ Warehouse Live

5/9 New Orleans, Louisiana @ McAllister Center

5/13 Toronto, Ontario @ Sound Academy

5/15 Chicago, Illinois @ Excalibur Night Club

5/16 Washington DC, Washington DC @ Love Night Club

5/22 San Bernadino, California @ Santos Manuel Student Union

5/23 Los Angeles, California @ Luckman Fine Arts Complex

• Also, here is some Asher Roth news for you all, and I am sure he is having a crazy holiday today!  Along with Drake, he has released some tour dates which are listed below and if you are a fan of the up and coming musician, then you for sure should cop tickets for his show and check him out.  I got his album today, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, and it was straight fire! (Be on the lookout for a review on that in the next couple of days!)  Recently, Asher was questioned about his new found success in the music industry.  You can check out the interview on HipHopDX, it is pretty interesting to see how he responds to some of the questions and what he thinks about being a musician in the music industry.

Tour Dates:

4/18 Syracuse, New York @ Westcott Theatre

4/20 West Chester, Pennsylvania @ The Note

4/21 New York, New York @ Blender Theatre Gramercy

4/22 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Word Café Live

4/23 Camden, New Jersey @ Rutgers University

4/24 College Park, Maryland @ University of Maryland (Santa Fe Café)

4/28 Los Angeles, California @ Jimmy Kimmel Live

5/2 East Rutherford, New Jersey @ Bamboozled Music Festival



• Looks like G.O.O.D. Music and Universal Motown are in for some big things coming out of their newly signed musician KiD CuDi!  The Ohio-born musician recently signed with Universal Motown and has already begun talks of starting his own label called, "Dream On" and it will be labeled under G.O.O.D. Music (the label is also being co-started by Plain Pat and Emile, who I personally love and think will make some great music with CuDi for the rest of his musical career).  CuDi never ceases to impress me, especially with all the mixtape/album talk, his retirement and quick return to the music industry, and now signing with Universal Motown and potentially starting his own label.  The guy has a lot going on, and he definitely is going to be the next big thing (along with Asher Roth and Big Sean and a ton of other new musicians).  Also, he is becoming more of a business man, sort of following the footsteps of G.O.O.D. Music founder and co-label mate Kanye West.  Should be interesting to hear more news about KiD CuDi in the coming weeks, and be on the lookout for more updates on the upcoming album, and LP with Chip Tha Ripper!

“He crosses musical boundaries with an appeal that goes beyond genre, format, race, language, and culture. Cudi lives easily in the Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Pop, and R&B worlds – a diversity that shows in his innovative music and his all-embracing persona. He is a born storyteller who brings a positive, life-affirming message to his brilliant lyrical flow and compelling music. There are no clichés in what Cudi does. He is a breath of fresh air – a dynamic and important new voice, not only in the next phase of Hip Hop, but as a groundbreaking trendsetter who represents the future. I am thrilled to welcome Kid Cudi into the Universal Motown family.” - Sylvia Rhone, President of Universal Motown

• Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum will now feature the famed Rap musician Snoop Dogg.  He was unveiled today (on 4/20, coincidence?).  The long time pot advocate/actor & musician will be featuring clothing from his clothing line.  Looks like Snoop is all waxed up, I wonder who else they will be adding to the museum from the music industry!?
  

And That Is Pretty Much The Low Down From The Music Industry, Check Back Here Later For More News, Reviews, Interviews, And Updates!

As I am sure most of you out there know, the leaking of tracks and albums before their set release dates happens all the time.  Take Tha Carter III (which is due out May 2008) as an example.  Pretty much every single track that was supposed to be on that album (when it was due out for release in December of 07') was leaked onto the internet, and heard by everyone. Think about it this way, if you had an album due out for a December 2007 release, and all your tracks got leaked, what would you do?  As any normal person would think to do, they would pull the album, and start a new.  Weezy, not your typical music artist, saw this leakage as an opportunity to help himself and his 08' album.  He decided to take all the tracks that were leaked, throw them onto a disc, call this disk The Leak E.P.  What a genius thing to do, don'tcha think?

So what is the big problem with tracks leaking onto the web, and people listening to them? The answer is short and sweet.  Artists suffer big time from major leaks because their album sales will go down severely.  So you have to be thinking right now, if thats the case, then how come artists can't do what Young Weezy did, and put out an E.P. with the leaked tracks and then release a different set of tracks for the album.  What Weezy did was unheard of, and truly magnificent!  If you have the ability to ditch an entire album plan, make it an E.P. and release a totally new L.P.  I give Weezy props, but I personally feel for artists whose material leak before they can get the release out and get paid for their respected efforts.  Artists like Nicole Scherzinger are currently fighting this problem.  Her album was supposed to be dropped a long while ago, and yet, still no set release date!  Why do you think that is the case?

Look at Mario Barrett's album Go!  The guy had over sixteen release date changes.  I don't know if they all had to do with tracks being leaked, or what, but from what I saw around the web, his tracks were leaking left in right.  Not to mention the amount of left over tracks that had leaked from this album that were floating around the internet.  It is very possible that those tracks that had leaked on the web were originally on the slated track listing for the album.  Another artist you can look at is Chris Brown.  When Exclusive came out, over twenty-five tracks had leaked which were not featured on the final track listing.  Coincidence?  Maybe. The chances of it happening due to the amount of leaked tracks for the album is a more likely answer.

So as you see, this so called "leak" problem is a pretty big issue.  It is clearly hurting tons of artists out there, especially because they are losing so much money, and fame from people stealing the music before it is released.  So as I sit here on my computer, listening to unreleased tracks on YouTube, I wonder if it is even worth typing up a post about this common problem in the music industry.