PEOPLE IN THE NEWS CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE      DA BRAT SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON   August 22, 2008   Da Brat was sentenced Friday August 22 to three years in prison for hitting a hostess in the head with a rum bottle during an altercation at a suburban Atlanta nightclub last fall.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE    Leon Ware Moon Ride (Stax/Concord) 2008    Stax Records proudly presents Moon Ride, the debut album from legendary songwriter, producer and vocalist, Leon Ware. A music maker for four decades, Leon's list of impressive credits includes classic recordings by Quincy Jones, Minnie Riperton, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, Average White Band and of course, the late Marvin Gaye (whose Ware-written and produced "I Want You" LP remains a seminal Motown album).

MUSIC & MOVEMENT CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE    Maya Azucena Taste This! First Official Mix CD 2008    Maya Azucena’s first official Mix CD, TASTE THIS!, sponsored by AllHipHop.com, Intlx Productions, Luka Brazzi and Foundation Media, finally hits your computer in its recent promotional digital release.   Mixed by Amore (of Fat Beats acclaim), the CD has 16 songs, ten of which are brand new, never before released singles. Taste This! was created especially for Maya’s HipHop and DJ fans. She wanted to give them something to bop their heads to — a suitable follow up to her acoustic-based Purpose Records release of last year, Junkyard Jewel.  Maya states, “I want my DJs and HipHop-heads to have some material they can support on their shows and at clubs.”

MUSIC & MOVEMENT CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE    Jazz Re:freshed Vol. 1 Various Artists (Uprock/JRF) 2008    Ever wonder what jazz sounds like after it's been re:freshed?  Well, wonder no more.  The West London Uprock/JRF collective proudly presents the first installment of exclusive and previously unreleased music from an array of artists who have performed at the coolest jazz night in London...JazzRe:freshed.  Five years ago the Uprock Records collective consisting of Dj's, producers and graphic artists introduced a live music night to West London that has gone unmatched every Thursday night at the Mau Mau Bar in West London for 5 years straight.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE    Janelle Monae Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Bad Boy) 2008    Janelle Monáe, Girl from Another Planet Open your minds, earthlings, and prepare to be launched headfirst into an alternate universe. A place where robots fall in love with humans. Where your tour guide into this alternate realm is a demure lil thang with a bold set of pipes. "I'm an alien from outer space," declares Janelle Monáe on the first song of her debut album, Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition).

MUSIC & MOVEMENT CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE    Elzhi The Preface (Fat Beats) 2008    With years of recording and worldwide touring under his belt as a member of Slum Village, Elzhi finally brings us his debut album The Preface, which should cement his name amongst the truly great emcees in hip hop. Produced almost entirely by rising star Black Milk, The Preface shows Elzhi displaying not only his unpredictable flows and rhyme schemes, but also an impressive variety of concepts and subject matter. Guest appearances by Royce Da 5’9”, T3 (Slum Village), Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, and more of the finest talent from Detroit only add to what will certainly be one of the most noteworthy Hip Hop releases of 2008.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT Brownswood Bubblers Three Compiled by Gilles Peterson (Brownswood Recordings) 2008    Gilles Peterson releases the third in the ‘Brownswood Bubblers’ series, a compilation of brand new music from Mr. Peterson’s own Brownswood label. The series is all about “focusing on pushing original and fresh talent from across the globe”, and is a collection of all things soul and jazz put together by the Radio One ‘Worldwide’ DJ. And who better to do so. Gilles Peterson’s experiences as a DJ for Radio One, KISS FM, Jazz FM (from which he was "sacked for playing peace jazz"), Radio London and those classic pirate stations like Invicta and K-Jazz continues to fuel a serious passion for broadcasting. Anyone who has sat in on a live’n’direct Worldwide broadcasts will testify that an alignment of pent up energy, deep knowledge and commitment to new music makes him capable of uniting totally unique diverse musical forces to create a deeply soulful, positive and ever expansive vibe. ‘Brownswood Bubblers Three’ is packed with exclusives, debuts and little known gems.   Tracklist: 1. Bullion – Get Familiar 2. Joey Negro and the Sunburst Band – Turn It Out 3. Katalyst featuring Steve Spacek – How Bout Us 4. DJ Day – A Place to Go 5. Jukes – Something Important 6. Rozzi Daime – Something Important 7. Stacy Epps – Floatin 8. Yaw – Where Would You Be 9. Emative featuring Ahu – Turn Your Lights On 10. The Invisible – Spiral 11. Aurora – Arun Ghosh 12. Charlie Dark and Roger Robinson – Prayer for an Angry Young Man 13. Kenneth Bager featuring Gisli – Fragment Zero (and I keep Hearing)   www.brownswoodrecordings.com

CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE      Corey Wilkes Drop It (Delmark) 2008    Jazz trumpeter Corey Wilkes, a young lion with a roar being heard in several music genres, burst on the Chicago jazz scene in 2002. Corey took on the ghost of Lester Bowie and filled the vacant seat in the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Big shoes to fill for a new musician but Corey isn't an ordinary musician. He began at the age of 10, made the Illinois All State Honors Jazz Combo in high school and honed his talent at Berklee College of Music. His soulful notes can be heard gracing a variety of projects such as DJ sets by Logic, Osunlade and Josh Deep as well as tracks on Hidden Beach's Unwrapped Vol. 4.  Corey has shared the stage and knowledge with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Ledisi, Soulive, James Moody, Roscoe Mitchell, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Von Freeman and many more.

ON CENTER STAGE

Joy Ike Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Wake Up Call   In just under three years, Pittsburgh artist Joy Ike has climbed to the top of Pittsburgh's independent music scene.  Often compared  to the likes of Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan and Norah Jones as well as newcomers Corrine Bailey-Rae and Amy Winehouse.  Ike's music is a mix of neo-soul, pop, jazz and acoustic folk addressing issues of social awareness, faith, depression and the complexity of relationships.    Read More

OTV EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE   WITH JEAN BAYLOR (formerly of ZHANE')   By Angel Baker    As one half of the Soul/Hip Hop duo Zhane', Jean Baylor is back with a solo debut album entitled, "Testimony: My Life Story."  It's good to have Jean Baylor back with so much to say.  For Jean, leaving  Zhane' meant it was time to experience music on her own again.  But, the last few years have transitioned her into another place, giving her much more to sing and write about.

PEOPLE ON THE VERGE CLICK IMAGE TO READ MORE   STACY EPPS...LYRICAL HEALER    A true rare groove vocalist and emcee delivers heavy messages that flow like a summer breeze over hard- hitting beats. Stacy Epps breathes solar winds through Atlanta’s progressive soul scene. Raised in a military family, Stacy started her career equipped with an inviting global perspective, vintage earrings from her grandmother’s collection, and a law degree from the University of Southern California.

click the CD cover below to download now! http://ontheverge.podomatic.com We  Don't Make Music... We Select It.