KANYE WEST ‘GLOW IN THE DARK TOUR’ DATES

 KANYE WEST ‘GLOW IN THE DARK TOUR’

WITH RIHANNA, N.E.R.D. & LUPE FIASCO

Date                City                             Venue                        

April   16          Seattle, WA                 Key Arena

          18          Sacramento, CA           ARCO Arena

          19          San Jose, CA               HP Pavilion

          20          San Diego, CA             Sports Arena

          21          Los Angeles, CA          Nokia Theatre

          24          * Tucson, AZ               McKale Aud., U. of Arizona

          25          * Las Vegas, NV         Red Rocks Casino Resort

          26          * Albuquerque, NM     Journal Pavilion

          27          Denver, CO                 Pepsi Center

          29          Oklahoma City, OK     Ford Center

          30          Austin, TX                    Frank Irwin Center

May   1            Dallas, TX                    Superpages.com Center

          2            Houston, TX                Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

          4            Atlanta, GA                  Gwinette Arena

          5            Tampa, FL                   Ford Amphitheatre

          6            W. Palm Beach, FL      Cruzan Amphitheatre

          8            Charlotte, NC              Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

          9            Raleigh, NC                 Walnut Creek Amphitheatre

          10          Washington, DC           Nissan Pavilion

          11          Virginia Beach, VA       Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

          13          New York, NY            Madison Square Garden

          15          Boston, MA                 Tweeter Center

          16          Hartford, CT                North East Dodge Music Center

          17          Philadelphia, PA           Susquehana Bank Center

          18          Scranton, PA                Toyota Pavilion

          20          Montreal, Que.             Bell Centre

          21          Toronto, Ont.               Molson Centre

          22          Detroit, MI                   Palace

          23          Chicago, IL                  United Center

          24          Minneapolis, MN         Target Center

          27          Saskatoon, Sask.          Credit Union Centre

          29          Edmonton, Alb.            Rexall Palace

          30          Calgary, Alb.                Saddledome

                        * indicates dates do not include Rihanna.

GNARLS BARKLEY RETURNS WITH “THE ODD COUPLE”

After much anticipation and speculation, Gnarls Barkley has provided information about the new album “THE ODD COUPLE,” in stores worldwide on April 8th.   “THE ODD COUPLE” explores the forbidden underworld of popular music and human psychology, starting at the intersection of pulsating hooks and pure emotion.

“THE ODD COUPLE” is heralded by the full-tilt psychedelic soul stomper “Run”, a leaked track that is now impacting heavily at radio. “Run” has been rushed to iTunes early, and a mind-bending music video is now in production, directed by the filmmaking team known as Happy. A video for the second single “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” is being directed by Chris Milk, who helmed the band’s Grammy-nominated video for “Gone Daddy Gone.” The band is commissioning an eclectic roster of emerging filmmakers to produce further clips – details will emerge soon.

Gnarls – the Grammy-winning combination of artist and producer Danger Mouse and vocalist Cee-Lo Green – is indisputably a pivotal act of the 21st Century.

The duo, famous for inventive, elaborate live performances, has begun to slate touring plans for 2008. Gnarls headlines the Hollywood Bowl on July 27, and will perform at a number of top-tier American and European summer festivals. The band will soon confirm a slew of TV appearances as well.

The pop kaleidoscope “ST. ELSEWHERE” was a critical triumph and chart-topping blockbuster.  At 2007’s 49th Annual Grammy Awards, Gnarls received seven nominations and snagged two of the event’s most coveted trophies – “Best Alternative Music Album” and “Best Urban Alternative Performance.”

DJ KHALED LAUNCHES NEW LABEL, WE THE BEST MUSIC, EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH DEF JAM RECORDS!!

From the mean streets of Dade County,  artist and producer DJ Khaled has re-focused worldwide attention on the Miami hip-hop scene, and now enters into an exclusive partnership between his label, We The Best Music, and Def Jam Records, it was announced today by Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.  The artist ACE will be the first release under the new agreement, in store date to be confirmed in the weeks ahead.

           . “I’m proud to be a member of the Def Jam family,” said DJ Khaled.  “Def Jam has been and still is one of the most important institutions in hip hop AND music as a whole.  I am extremely honored and excited to be a partner with them in We The Best Music.  I look forward to creating great music and continuing the success. LA, Shakir and Lenny S are you ready? I am!!! Let’s go!! Caaaaassssshhhhh Flooooowww!!! And remember….We global….global, we’re international…..international!  We The Best Music/Def Jam….get ready for history!!!”

            Primarily known for his megastar-packed song productions, DJ Khaled retains his membership in executive producer Fat Joe’s East Bronx-based Terror Squad.  Khaled’s label takes its name from his most recent album, We The Best (Koch, June 2007), which spun off two solid rap/R&B/pop crossover singles: “We Takin’ Over” (featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman & Lil’ Wayne), followed by “I’m So Hood” (featuring T-Pain, Trick Daddy, Plies & Rick Ross).   DJ Khaled also manages the super producing duo, The Runners.

            Nearly three dozen other hip-hop notables can be found slamming their rhymes on We The Best, including Young Jeezy,  Dre, Juelz Santana, Beanie Sigel, The Game, Jadakiss, Paul Wall, Trina, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Styles P, Cassidy, and more.  The album hit #1 on the Independent chart, #2 on the R&B chart, and #8 on the pop side.

            DJ Khaled was introduced on Listennn… the Album (Koch, June 2006), an equally A-list get-together that starred Lil’ Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and Pitbull on the Top 20 Rap track, “Holla At Me.”  Kanye West and John Legend made a rare collaboration on “Grammy Family,” as did Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss on “It’s A Problem.”  The album also contained guest shots by Young Jeezy,  Nas, Juelz Santana, Akon, Styles P, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Twista, Trina, Dre, Trick Daddy, and others.

Prodigy performance

The Monday Polly: Valentine’s Day Massacre

Written by CZA 

Wednesday, 13 February 2008

You feel it, don’t you? The fine hair on the back of your neck is rising in anticipation. This one may or may not go your way, but rest assuredly, you won’t forget it. People from all walks of live from every corner of the globe are subject to this virus, this plague that resurrects itself each year on precisely the same day. February 14^th. Sounds like a dope horror movie, but it’s something much scarier. Valentine’s Day.

                I won’t front and say that I dislike the holiday or that guys who buy their girls gifts especially for this day are love struck simps because deep down, I’m a bit of a romantic at heart. Not a whole helluva lot, but it’s there enough to want to do something meaningful for my lady friend now and again.  What I have a problem with is the mass acceptance of a preordained holiday built around consumerism and implicating that you’re showing “love” when you cop some rocks. I’ve even seen relationships end because a fella didn’t remember this day.

Go Baby! (Whoop Whoop) Go Baby! (Whoop Whoop)

                Originally, Valentine’s Day was an honor given to many of the martyred of Rome until 1969 when the focus was moved to three main saints. Of the many saints, only two were buried at La Flaminia (a road from Rome to Rimini) on February 14^th, being described either as a priest in Rome, or a Bishop of Interanma. The Catholic encyclopedia mentions a 3^rd Valentine, but the only information given on him is that he was martyred in Africa.

Pope Gelasius I was the first to have a feast in Valentine’s honor even though there was no factual public knowledge about the men being toasted, and so much of what is believed comes from myths and tales. In the Legende Aurea (The Golden Legend), St. Valentine was persecuted for being a follower of Christianity and performing secret marriages for the young men of Rome. (To which Claudius had a problem, because married men weren’t as good a soldier for his army.)After being captured by the Roman army, he was personally interrogated by the Roman emperor Claudius II . Valentine moved the emperor so much that Claudius tried to convert him to Paganism in order to spare his life. St. Valentine in turn tried to convert Claudius to Christianity and was executed for it. According to the legend, before he died, he restored sight to the daughter of his jailor. (I STILL don’t see how this can be linked to romance!) 

Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet, was the first one to have a recorded association of St. Valentine’s Day with love and affection with his poem Parlement of Foules, written to commemorate the first year of engagement of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The poem was set up to represent an old tradition that was fictional because there wasn’t any before he made it up. The customs of the holiday were based on other traditions, and many falsely believe that the Lupercalia, a Roman festival used to do away with evil spirits that was celebrated from February 13^th-15^th, was the foundation for that which we know now.

The modern day February 14^th celebration is less about remembering the very reason it was enacted—much like Christmas, Martin Luther King, Jr. or Veteran’s Day, respectively, and more so on the money draining, expectation-of-getting-a-great-gift bankrupt-a-thon many would love you spend your hard earned duckets trying to uphold.  What does this say about the women of today’s independence? Not everywhere is where men must cater the case. China, for instance, has far more women giving candy, chocolate and flowers than men.  March 14^th, White Day was created for the men to reciprocate Valentine’s Day with white chocolate and flowers, but more often lingerie and jewelry are the gifts of choice. Other notable days are the South Korean holiday Peparo Day and Black Day, a celebration for the single people.

It is expected for Americans to spend over $16 million dollars to woo the ones they care for—the average being about $100.00 per person. Whatever happened to “less is more” or “it’s the thought that counts”? Consumerism is the name of the game, one that I ain’t playing. To my married fellas, I suggest you play the game full tilt that is unless you like sleeping on the couch. (Does that even happen in real life? I mean come on!) My single guys keep doing your thing ‘cause I’m sure that bop is edging ever so close to her phone right now. Women hate being lonely, so by all means, help them out. To my ladies, really to my hustlin’/gold diggin’ chicks clocking for a grip: keep on because there’s a simp born every minute that needs exploitation and you might just be that one to do it.

That’s it for the Polly this week, I figured y’all got something better to do (hopefully with somebody else) and we’ll get back into it like we always do next time. Big shouts to Tariq Nasheed and Anna David…without y’all, this week’s Polly wouldn’t have been possible. From the bottom of my heart, thanks!

Hit me up at themondaypolly@gmail.com with some of your best (and worst) Valentine’s Day stories and we’ll chop it up right here.