The Man Behind the Music
Former American Idol contestant and YouTube sensation, Leah Labelle performs in Los Angeles during Grammy Awards Weekend 2013 under the Musical Direction of BASSIc Black Entertainment and Adam Blackstone, for BET’s Music Matters. Leah performed a few of the cover songs she sung on her infamous youtube posts and her new single “Sexify” to a room full neo-soul music lovers.
Check out her interview with Starkeisha Connor of Access Charlotte on the BET Music Matters red carpet!
We’ve only seen the Mexico City and Toronto legs of Rihanna’s 777 tour, but for each performance, both the singer and band appeared loose, limber and unafraid to play with the conventional structure of the singer’s biggest hits. According to Adam Blackstone, Rihanna‘s bassist and musical director, that’s exactly the plan. “We’re going to keep it loose this whole week,” Blackstone tells Fuse. “We’re going to go with the flow. We got a couple of surprises up our sleeve. We know what the fans want to hear and there’s so much to choose from that we’re able to dibble and dabble into her catalog. New York will be different than Paris will be different than London.”
Blackstone revealed that the major mechanics of the tour were hatched as late as early October, with setlist construction falling to Rihanna, Blackstone, keyboardist/co-musical director Omar Edwards and Roc Nation President Jay Brown. “My role is to put her hits in a sequence that could relate to the people immediately,” says Blackstone, who’s worked with Kanye West, Jay-Z and Maroon 5. “We’re not doing a long show in relation to a tour or stadium show. We wanted to inspire the people immediately and consistently.” The bassist admitted that paradoxically, Rihanna’s numerous hits—9 No. 1s on the Billboard 100—actually makes it a tougher process to construct the nightly set.
With 200 journalists all clamoring to get near the singer (us included!) to discover the “real” Rihanna away from the cameras and glitz, Blackstone says it’s hiding in plain sight. “She’s exactly the same person away from all of that. It’s very weird that she’s the same, but I think that’s why people connect with her. She’s a very down-to-earth girl; she’s a 24-year-old girl growing into her womanhood and it’s exciting to see the evolution of where she’s come from seven years ago to this world superstar phenomenon. She’s so humble and eager to learn, but she knows what she wants. She’s a boss in her own right.” …CONTINUED
See more at: http://www.fuse.tv/2012/11/rihanna-musical-director-777-tour
Jay-Z will launch his new YouTube channel Saturday night with a live stream of the last concert of his eight-show run at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, USA Today reports. The rapper’s Life + Times channel, an offshoot of his pop-culture site by the same name, comes as part of a push for original programming by YouTube, which is owned by Google.
It’s the latest brand expansion for Jay-Z, who co-owns the 40/40 Club in Manhattan, owns a minority share in the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, has a stake in the Rocawear clothing line, serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and was executive producer of the new video game NBA 2K13.
For Life + Times, Jay-Z partnered with IconicTV, a company that will run the channel like a television network with video content including a Brooklyn Nets series called The Road to Brooklyn, the fan-interaction show Roc Nation Check-In and Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn, about the British supermodel.
“The site really is a way for Jay to showcase the breadth of his interests, from fashion, architecture, music, style, food, consumables, electronics, and so forth,” said Michael Hirschorn, the co-founder and chief creative officer of IconicTV. “We’re approaching this channel and programming it, not at the level of an MTV or a BET – at least, not yet – but really programming it as a real channel that will have regular content, some featuring him, some under his creative direction, but that when he wants to reach his audience, he’s no longer going to have to go through an intermediary to get to that audience.”
The Barclays concert will stream beginning at 9:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-brings-exclusive-content-to-youtube-launch-himself-20121005#ixzz2D5YKpqv6
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
Verses & Flow Season 2 premieres on August 20, 2012 at 8pm PDT/ 11pm EDT on TV One, with Adam Blackstone as the Musical Director.
“Adam Blackstone is an acclaimed musical director, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with countless high-profile artists throughout his career. He has been the MD for Eminem, Janet Jackson, Drake, Maroon 5, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and more, and has produced and performed on many amazing records, including Al Green’s Lay It Down, Jill Scott’s Beautifully Human, The Roots’ Game Theory, Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3, and Pharrell’s In My Mind. Adam was also featured on episodes of The Voice, where he appeared with judge Adam Levine from Maroon 5. More recently, Adam has worked as the musical director on the 2012 TV-Land Awards, the 43rd annual NAACP Image Awards, and he wowed audiences at the 2012 Coachella awards with hip hop icon Dr. Dre, a performance that also included the famed 2pac hologram.
As if his producing, performing, and his duties as musical director were not enough, Adam Blackstone also heads BASSic Black Entertainment, LLC (BBE). BBE was started in 2007 as a broad-based music company that specializes in live music production, musician staffing, artist development, and studio production. Cliental for BBE includes Chris Brown, John Legend, Eminem, Kanye West, Joe Jonas, and Keyshia Cole, amongst other prestigious artists. With all that and more on his résumé, Adam Blackstone is truly, as his website AdamBlackstone.com says, “The man behind the music.”
Adam Blackstone has been part of the Korg artist family for years and we’ve shared his adoration for Korg products, including the classic Korg Triton. We recently caught up with Adam to discuss his musical journey, his extraordinary career, and his new love for the Korg Kronos. Here’s what he had to say:
KORG: How did you begin your life journey in music?
Adam Blackstone: My journey in music began growing up around a musical family. My father was a full-time keyboardist and my uncles and aunts all sang and played in the choir at my local churches, so I was around music 24/7.
KORG: You’ve been the musical director and an instrumentalist for so many high-profile artists like Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and more…is there any advice you can pass on to developing musicians, based on your diverse experiences?
AB: I would like to say that it is less about talent and more about your character as a person. Secondly, be prepared for anything and everything, musically. I pride myself on being a good “people person” first because I always know there are many, many talented people out there… but it’s a matter of which ones that have the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to make any and every situation work.
KORG: How has the experience of MD for Dr. Dre been? How did you two hook up?
AB: The Dr. Dre experience has been an epic one for me. We linked up about a year ago when he was our special guest during Eminem’s show! We hit it off and when it was time to get his live situation rolling, he reached out to me.
KORG: Are there any specific experiences from performing with Dre or Jay-Z in the past year that stick out in your mind?
AB: Well we just did Jay-Z at Carnegie Hall. The juxtaposition of hip hop at the world famous opera house stands out because it seems like that would not make sense. We added a 40 piece orchestra and also wore tuxedos, so it was a classy evening. Of course for our Dr. Dre Coachella set, resurrecting Tupac stands out as a moment in history that will never be replicated. It took us over two months to film and score that four minute segment. If it weren’t for Korg and their many products, I don’t think it would have sounded as amazing as it did!
KORG: That’s so cool. Thanks, Adam! Are there any upcoming projects in the works that we should keep an eye and ear out for?
AB: I am now MD’ing Rihanna so be on the lookout for her world tour soon! We are also developing Leah LaBelle, who is Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri’s new artist! And of course, we’re continuing to build the artists and brand of BASSic Black Entertainment, AKA #BBE.
KORG: Let’s get into some gear. You’ve used Korg synths and workstations throughout the years and you’re using the Kronos now. Do you have any favorite features?
AB: The Kronos is one of a kind. Not only do the engines have the most amazing library, but the Smooth Sound Transition feature (SST) allows held or sustained notes to keep sounding when changing sounds or modes. I can’t forget about Set List mode, which helps me organize the programs, combos, and songs I need to perform a set in a single, easy-to-select screen – including performance notes!
KORG: What do you feel separates it from other workstations out there?
AB: It’s the most hands on, yet easiest workstation out there. It feels like the classic Triton when you are writing a song!
KORG: Are there any other Korg products getting work from you in the studio or on stage? I believe we’ve seen the MS2000 and microKORG still out with you a lot, right?
AB: The MS2000 will always be a favorite of mine. I feel that keyboard is in a class of its own when it comes to the phatness of the synth bass. And of course my secret weapon is the microKORG! I have used this for synth bass, SFX, leads, all at one point or another on every gig for the past 10 years, and I believe it will live on to see another 10 years STRONG!
KORG: Anything else you’d like to mention?
AB: Please look out for me on this season of The X Factor with judge Demi Lovato. Also, follow me on Twitter @BASSicBlack!
Whether you are an up-and-coming musician, or in the professional market full time, Korg is a must in your arsenal!
KORG: Thanks, Adam!
For more info on Adam and BBE, be sure to visit www.adamblackstone.com and www.bassicblack.com”
Missed it? Watch the 2012 TV Lands Full Show NOW!
http://www.tvland.com/shows/tv-land-awards/full-episodes/2012-tv-land-awards?xrs=share_copy
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About TV Land Awards
The “TV Land Awards” pays tribute to classic and contemporary luminaries of television, music and movies. The 90-minute telecast hosted by Kelly Ripa will feature exhilarating musical performances and will reunite some of the most iconic celebrity TV casts. Presenters include esteemed journalist and news anchor Katie Couric and actress Fran Drescher, who will be on hand to pay homage to some of television and musics biggest stars.
Check out Music Director Adam Blackstone with headline artist Dr Dre at the 2012 Coachella festival!
“Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg closed down Coachella 2012 with a sprawling set that spanned throwback G-funk, all-time gangsta classics (thanks to that 2Pac hologram), stoner anthems (thanks to Wiz Khalifa and a blunt big enough to mellow out a rhinoceros) and new jams (like “The Recipe” with Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar). Eminem and 50 Cent showed up too, probably ranking the performance as the most star-studded ever to unfold at the festival. The beats pounded late into the night, filling the desert with one long blast of California Love. ”
Did you see Adam’s Cover Story in the the March 2012 issue of Bass Player Magazine?
You can pick up a copy online or at your local music or bookstore!
Check out Adam Blackstone as Musical Director of the 43rd NAACP Image Awards. The Image Awards are recognized as the preeminent multi-cultural awards show from an African-American point of view.
Date
Friday, February 17th
8/7c on NBC
Remind me
Location
The Shrine Auditorium
665 West Jefferson Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
Attire
Black Tie
Tickets
Tickets are currently available through Ticket Master. Click here to make your purchase or email us at imagetickets@gmail.com.
In his most intimate performances in years, Shawn “JAY Z” Carter will headline at Carnegie Hall, in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, raising millions for United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation on February 6, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. and February 7, 2012 at 9:30 p.m.
Concert goers will get a once in a lifetime experience as JAY Z takes the stage at the New York landmark to raise dollars that will help fight poverty, boost on-time graduation rates in underserved New York City schools, and put college within reach for low-income students across the five boroughs.
For tickets priced at $2,500 and $5,000 and boxes starting at $15,000, contact jayzconcerts@uwnyc.org.
For tickets priced at $1,500 and below, visit Carnegie Hall’s website.