Yakar blog

Recording Industry’s Cataclysmic Changes Don’t Stop New Talent

Singers and musicians, like “Best Male R & B Artist of the Year” award winner Jason JetPlane, become do-it-yourself (DIY) experts to seek fame and fortune.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 31, 2011

Winning first place at the January 2011 Urban Music Explosion Showcase Competition at Sullivan Hall, New York City wasa feat that seemed commonplace for Jason JetPlane, a handsome Charlotte, North Carolina based pop and soul independent singer-songwriterwho aspires to be the next superstarKanye West, will.i.am,Akon,R. Kelly, Bruno Mars, and Usher . This music showcase, one of the country’s best underground circuits for urban artists, was the same one that awarded rap and pop sensation Nicki Minajher first place recognition long before the major labels, UniversalMotown, Cash Money Records and P Diddy aka Sean Combs of Bad Boy Records came knocking.

Jason JetPlane is a prime example of the new crop of do-it-yourself (DIY) singers and musicians seeking fame and fortune despite the dramatic changes the recording industry has seen over the past several years, with declining sales for all of the major label groups, which include the Warner Music Group, the EMI Group, the Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment.Before winning first place at the Urban Music Explosion Showcase, Jason JetPlane already won the “Best R & B Male Artist of the Year” award at the 2010 Carolina Music Awards, a regional televised event, supported by Grammy Award winner Randy Travis, now in its third annual year. Jason JetPlane's single, "Love Boulevard”, from his independently releasedalbum which he also wrote and produced, is also charted on BDS (Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems), the music industry measure for the monitoring of radio, television and internet airplay of songs.The charting comes from radio stations such as Charlotte’s Power WPEG 98 FM, “The Soul of Charlotte’s” WGIV 103.3 FM, and North Carolina’s WKNC 88.1 FM all of whom play his songs, along with internet radio and podcasts. For his efforts, he’s on the radar screen of several major label executives’ offices.

“I’ve been playing musical instruments and writing songs since I was 6 years old, so I can’t change who I am just because the industry is changing,” Jason JetPlane says with a conviction that strikes a chord with many music industry veterans and fans. After all, while the album configuration as we know it, might never be the same, there will have to be some industry that nurtures and develops musical acts.There will always be music.

In the meantime, radio stations, nightclubs, and DJ record pools that service DJs across the country and internationally, will still need music to service their clientele.Record pools like Los Angeles’ Impact Record Pooland Charlotte’s Starfleet Record Pool, will continue to spot rising new talent like Jason JetPlane, who was named a top ten favorite by Impact, and is currently charting on Starfleet’s Top Urban/Hip-hop and Indie Labelcharts. Jason JetPlane will continue to do what he loves doing, performing at clubs at least three nights a week for exposure.The wheels of creativity, like Jason JetPlane, will continue to spin, whether or not there are records or digital downloads or companies that rise and fall on that debate.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Jason JetPlane, please contact R. Lowenbraun at 646-462-3833 or via e-mail at lowenbraun(at)aol(dot)com.

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R. Lowenbraun646-462-3833Email Information

New Controversial Book Claims That the Song Lyrics of Jay-Z Reveals the Secrets to Success for the Hip-Hop Generation

"I Will Not Lose! The blueprint for greatness when good is not enough" is a street-smart self-help guide inspired by the song lyrics of Jay-Z. The book gives a unique approach to personal development, revealing how the lyrics of one of Hip-Hop's most successful artists can be a source of inspiration for a highly ambitious generation during these challenging times.

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) January 26, 2011

There has been extensive coverage in recent years of Jay-Z’s meteoric rise in the entertainment industry and the world of business, but what fans, critics and the media seem to find most intriguing about the Brooklyn born rapper is his cryptic song lyrics. Every new lyric by the rapper is met with anticipation and debate; his music continues to be a hot topic on the web and in the streets.

Author, Duane L. Lawton, has written a new self-help ebook, “I Will Not Lose! The blueprint for greatness when good is not enough” that is inspired by the song lyrics of Jay-Z. The book, whose main title is taken from a self-affirming statement of confidence that Jay-Z has famously declared out-loud in his music, champions a ‘street-smart’, think-outside-the-box approach to personal development and is aimed at readers from all walks of life that share one powerful trait -- undeterred ambition. Broken down into 7 sections, “I Will Not Lose!” lays out a complete “blueprint for greatness” for ordinary people who have extraordinary expectations for their personal lives.

In "I Will Not Lose!" Lawton devotes over 300 pages examining lyrics from more than 90 of Jay-Z's songs -- it's the most in-depth work ever written about the music of a rap artist. The author makes the argument that while Jay-Z’s lyrics are perceived as self-aggrandizing, his words actually give profound insight into what it takes to be successful in life whether you’re a platinum-selling rapper turned business mogul or a young hustler from Brooklyn with dreams of going to college or owning a business. Jay-Z used to be that guy.

Jay-Z’s lyrics about his drug-dealing past and his music’s focus on materialism has made him a target of critics who say that his work glorifies crime and violence and glamorizes an opulent lifestyle that’s out of reach for most of his listeners. Lawton, a fan of Jay-Z's music since the rapper’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt, disagrees. “Anybody who thinks Jay-Z’s lyrics are just about 'money, cash and hoes' (in reference to the title of one of Jay-Z’s biggest hits in the late 90’s) may hear his words but aren’t really listening. I think Jay’s lyrics resonate with fans because in his words he’s able to reflect on the ups and downs of ambition in a way that is universally understood. Through his lyrics, Jay-Z vividly gives a complete 'picture' of both struggle and success, in which you see yourself -- whether you’re a student, athlete, artist, street hustler, career professional or an entrepreneur.”

Lawton believes that by trivializing the lyrics of rappers, even Hip-Hop’s most gifted wordsmiths like Jay-Z,fan and critics fail to see how an artist’s words of confidence and defiance can actually have a positive impact on their own lives. Lawton: “Jay-Z is as much of an American success story as Warren Buffet, hence, his co-billing with the investment giant on the Forbes magazine cover. But the title of the book makes the message clear: ‘I Will Not Lose!’ is not about Jay-Z’s greatness, it’s about realizing yours.”

To get a copy of “I Will Not Lose! The blueprint for greatness when good is not enough”, visit the ebook’s website at

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DUANE LAWTONDLL Publishing571-723-3612Email Information

Nowitzki, Terry lead Mavericks past Hawks

DALLAS – Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points, Jason Terry added 18 points and a season-high 11 assists, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Atlanta Hawks 102-91 on Saturday night.

Jason Kidd had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Tyson Chandler also had 12 points for the Mavericks, who had seven double-figure scorers.

The Mavericks have won five of six after a six-game losing streak.

Joe Johnson paced Atlanta with 27 points, and Josh Smith added 17 points before fouling out with 5:41 left.

The Hawks had won 13 of their previous 17, including Friday night's 111-102 home victory over the Knicks.

For three quarters, the Mavericks couldn't prevent Johnson from getting inside. Johnson scored 18 of his first 20 points in the paint, and the Hawks led 78-77 to start the fourth quarter.

But Dallas opened the final quarter with a 14-1 run capped by Terry's 17-footer with 8:07 left for a 91-79 lead.

The Mavericks stepped up defensively down the stretch as the Hawks missed seven of their first eight field goal attempts in the final quarter.

Atlanta was without starting forward Marvin Williams, who began serving a two-game suspension handed down by the NBA earlier Saturday for throwing punches in Friday night's game.

Marvin Williams started the altercation when he shoved New York's Shawne Williams in the back as they ran up the court with 43 seconds left in the the game.

Marvin Williams will also miss the Hawks' home game against Toronto on Wednesday.

By halftime, Johnson had 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting, but Dallas finished the second quarter with a 7-0 run for a 52-49 lead at the break.

Nowitzki hit four of his five shots in the opening quarter and scored eight points as Dallas took a 28-24 advantage into the second quarter.

The Mavericks were 98-93 winners in Atlanta on Nov. 20, the only other meeting between the teams this season. Dallas has won nine of the last 12 against the Hawks.

NOTES: Marvin Williams has already missed 15 games this season with back and right knee injuries. ... F Maurice Evans moved into the starting lineup in place of Marvin Williams, who's averaging 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. ... Mavericks F Sasha Pavlovic was awaiting word after the game on his status with the team. His second 10-day contract lapsed on Saturday, and the Mavericks had to decide whether to sign him for the rest of the season or release him.

Inter juggernaut faces stern Serie A Udinese test

ROME (AFP) – Inter Milan coach Leonardo faces possibly his sternest test yet of his fledgling career with the reigning Serie A champions as his all-conquering team travel to Udinese this weekend.

Leonardo has made a perfect start as Inter boss, winning five out of five games, including four in the league.

Inter have banged in an impressive 15 goals in that time at a rate of three a game -- a far cry from earlier in the season under Rafael Benitez when they were scoring at less than half that frequency.

However, if there has been a worrying aspect to Leonardo's tenure, it has been Inter's defending.

They have conceded seven in those five games and have looked vulnerable at times.

At home to Genoa and Cesena they conceded two goals but scraped through 3-2 each time.

And the last team they will want to be facing at this time is free-scoring Udinese, who have banged in four goals in each of their last two games, both away from home.

Udinese were unlucky not to come away from the San Siro with three points when they led AC Milan 3-1 and then in injury time 4-3 before drawing 4-4.

But they followed that up with a 4-2 win at Genoa last weekend and can also boast the league's top scorer in Antonio Di Natale.

Leonardo so far has not seemed too worried about his side's leaky defence, describing it as coincidence that most of those goals have come from set-pieces.

And after squandering a two goal lead against lowly Cesena before snatching a 3-2 win, Leonardo seemed equally unperturbed.

"It was a very difficult game, almost a paradox, we were playing very well, went 2-0 up but then we made the change (Diego Milito came off) and we tried to settle down, there was a bit of ping pong and what happened, happened," he said.

"But then in the second half we gave away less, fewer counter opportunities. In general it was a struggle with great sacrifice from everyone.

"We struggled a lot, it was the longest game of my life as coach but in the end it was worth it."

Milito is not certain to play against Udinese having picked up a hamstring injury that forced him off against Cesena.

If he does miss the game it will be a blow to Inter, who want to maintain momentum as they chase down their arch rivals.

Milan come into their home clash against Cesena on the back of two league draws in a row.

However, they seemed to be back on track in midweek as they thumped Bari 3-0 in the Coppa Italia.

They were boosted by Antonio Cassano making his first start for the club since his January move from Sampdoria.

He, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho linked up well and gave a glimpse of what may be to come from the league leaders if those three start to click into gear.

Behind them several teams have struggled to capitalise on their recent slip-ups as Juventus, Roma, Lazio and Napoli have all also dropped points.

Juventus face the toughest test this weekend and a defeat at Sampdoria could all but rule them out of title contention.

Napoli and Lazio are both on their travels, away at Bari and Bologna respectively.

Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated):

Sunday

Udinese v Inter Milan (1130), Bari v Napoli, Bologna v Lazio, Chievo v Genoa, Fiorentina v Lecce, Sampdoria v Juventus, AC Milan v Cesena (1945)

What does President Obama really believe?

New York – Quick quiz: In one sentence, describe FDR's political philosophy. Good, now summarize Reaganism. Pretty easy, right?

OK, do the same for President Obama. Still thinking? Don't worry, Mr. Obama is, too. And that's bad news for all of us. Because no matter how you feel about Obama, his lack of clear philosophical values is not only a political problem for Democrats but a moral problem for America.

Ad hoc balancing It didn't start like this. Obama surfed into the White House on a wave of seeming principle: change, bipartisanship, reason, deliberation, pragmatism. What we didn't realize is that all these concepts are methodological. They concern the process of forming public policy. But they are not bedrock principles upon which we can orient the ends of government.

They are so general that they provide little analytical or moral traction. Who objects to deliberation and evidence-based policy? Well, maybe George W. Bush, which is why Obama's "change" narrative worked so well in the election. But since his inauguration, Obama's methodological political theory has proved thin and sometimes incoherent. He will never support tax cuts for the rich, until he will. He criticizes Bush's expansive view of presidential war powers, then adopts it. The list goes on.

RELATED: The emerging Obama doctrine

It's not that he breaks his policy promises more than other politicians. It's not that he seeks compromise a virtue. It's not even that his policies are wrongheaded. It's the fact that when he compromises, when he reaches policy conclusions, there's no sense that it derives from anything other than ad hoc balancing.

There is no well of enduring principle upon which he seems to draw. Even if he's a pragmatist, eschewing universal principles in favor of context-specific values and concerns, we still don't know what those temporal values and concerns are, or why he believes in them. So far he's the piecemeal president.

He has failed to justify even his signature policy achievement, health-care reform, beyond appeals to saving the country money. Aspects of the reform surely will, but not the part where we extend health coverage to 30 million people. There are good, if complex moral arguments to justify this. But the most we hear from Obama are heartbreaking anecdotes about sick people without coverage. Political debate is rarely about facts and results alone. It's also a matter of moral principle. Democrats seem to have forgotten this. Many Republicans have not, espousing the supposedly urgent virtues of a Reaganesque, antigovernment philosophy daily, if often hypocritically.

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Political costsWithin our sclerotic system, Obama's philosophy-free politics seems appealing. It can make the task of uniting disparate interests easier, leading to speedier legislation. But the lack of a backbone also makes for brittle policy achievements; hence the GOP push for repeal.

It also exposes Obama to a flank attack, whereby Republicans highlight aspects of policies like health-care reform and the stimulus package and declare him a rabid socialist or even a proto-totalitarian. Obama hasn't clarified his own brand the larger theory that encapsulates his policies so such attacks hit their mark harder than they otherwise should.

In 2009, The New York Times asked Obama: "Is there a one word name for your philosophy? If you're not a socialist, are you a liberal? Are you progressive?..." Obama's answer, "No, I'm not going to engage in that," underscored his fear of labels. That fear is curbing his ability to initiate a new era of liberalism. To create a lasting movement, Obama, like Reagan and FDR, must set down principles that apply to changing circumstances. His thin methodological principles are not up to the task.

Withered moral capacitiesWhen they hide behind the cloak of pragmatism or economics, Obama and his fellow Democrats muddle what's often really at stake the values questions. This stunts our public deliberation, making it less honest and productive. Long term, our moral knowledge and capacity atrophies.

Politics is inescapably philosophical, which means politicians in a democracy must be rigorous exponents of their core convictions. Yet many Democrats haven't engaged moral concepts seriously in public since Bill Clinton became president. And Republicans, unchecked by Democrats, have largely substituted reflexive ideological talking points for the hard work of wrestling with philosophical concepts. The result is that we are left on all sides with burning commitments to values like freedom, equality, and personal responsibility without the ability to debate those values with understanding and maturity. The search for common moral ground is imperative. Yet Obama's nostrum, to ignore the values debate and focus on evidence-based pragmatic points, has not promoted this.

IN PICTURES: Inside President Obama's White House

A president with a weak sense of his own principles weakens our sense of our principles. We begin to lose our national identity, and our political system loses legitimacy. If we are a community that merely aggregates narrow, sectarian interests or simply maximizes "what works" in a pragmatic fashion, we aren't much of a community at all, and requirements that we sacrifice for fellow citizens ring hollow. The more our laws derive from moral principles ideally, ones that reflect broad consensus the more legitimate their demands, as philosopher Ronald Dworkin argues.

Obama's presidency is still young. Its success depends on "Obamanism" meaning something clear, bold, and convincing for future generations. For a nation built on common principle, not common blood, requires its leaders to have a coherent political theory.

Jacob Bronsther, a former Fulbright Scholar and graduate student in political theory at Oxford University, is a law student at New York University. He writes for ThePublicPhilosopher.com.