Canton, Ohio, is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was effectively the birthplace of the National Football League (NFL). It hosts the annual Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival and the NFL Hall of Fame Game, a pre-season match up of teams usually from the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference.
The city is certainly not regarded as a hotbed of rap. It is home to rock star Marilyn Manson, indie band Lovedrug, blues rocker Boz Skaggs, R&B singer Macy Gray, opera singer Richard Miller and soul group The O’Jays. These are a few of the musical artistes associated with Canton. There is just one rapper, the young man born as Michael Lamer White IV but better known now as Trippie Redd.
“I love Ohio,” stated 19-year-old Trippie. “I’d die for Ohio. But the people there don’t seem to fully appreciate you until you’ve made it. You basically have to leave to make it and then they ask you why you didn’t stay.
“I got into rapping when I was still in Ohio. My mother used to play a lot of R&B records. I’d listen to rap and rock. It was everything from KISS to Lil Wayne.
“But it was my brother who really inspired me to think about becoming a rapper. That was really his dream. I started to take things seriously after he passed away and posted some of my own stuff online. I wanted to take on his dream and combine it with mine but I never expected to get so quickly to where I am now.
“I knew Atlanta was where things were happening in the rap world so I moved there after graduating from high school. It was like a stepping-stone for me. I met so many people who wanted to work with me.
“I never had to pay for a studio session. I hung around a lot with Lil Wop and Kodie Shane. We’ve been best friends ever since we met. They helped me a lot but I helped them too, we helped each other.”
The three friends blended their talents to create Trippie’s first three EPs, Awakening My Inner Beast, Beast Mode and Rock The World, Trippie. They were released over an 11-week period between August and November in 2016.
“The EPs got me noticed. I released another EP early in 2017 ahead of my first commercial mixtape A Love Letter To You. This came out in May of 2017 and gave me my first chart entry. It got to number 32 on the Top R&B / Hip Hop Albums chart and number 64 on the Billboard 200.”
The last 18 months have seen Trippie develop into a chart-topping star. Three more EPs and another commercial mixtape preceded his debut album, Life’s A Trip. The LP sold well throughout much of the world but proved particularly popular in North America where it peaked at number five in Canada and one place higher on the Billboard 200.
The single, Dark Knight Dummo, which also featured Travis Scott, became Trippie’s first entry as the lead artiste on Billboard’s Hot 100. Another track, Taking A Walk, subsequently peaked at number 46 becoming his highest Hot 100 single thus far.
This success was obviously very welcome but has now been surpassed by Trippie’s latest commercial mixtape. A Love Letter To You 3 entered the Billboard 200 at number three and shot straight to number one on the Top R&B / Hip Hop Albums chart.
Like so many other rap stars though, Trippie’s rise to fame has not been without controversy. Despite appearing to be quite mild mannered, he has had a physical altercation with rapper FDM Grady and high profile feuds with 6ix9ine and the late XXXTentacion, though the latter was resolved before XXXTentacion’s murder.
“I dyed my hair and put out a song as a tribute to XXXTentacion. Ghost Busters has verses from me, Ski Mask The Slump and Quavo along with XXXTentacion.
Taking the chart success in his stride, Trippie makes no secret of the lofty ambitions for his career.
“I want to make music which is timeless, songs which will last forever. I want to become big enough to be nominated for Grammy Awards. I didn’t get into this industry for the money. That comes of course with success but I’m in the business for the love of the music and to make the best songs I can possibly create. There is no other reason for what I do.”
Coldplay, Pharrell Williams and Jozzy
Coldplay have just released a new single. But don’t look for the song, E-Lo, under the Coldplay name. The band have rebranded themselves as Los Unidades for the track which also features singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams plus singer and songwriter Jozzy.
E-Lo is one of three Los Unidades tracks which feature on the newly released Global Citizen - EP1. The other songs are Timbuktu, with guest artistes Cassper Nyovest, Sormzy and Jess Kent, and Voodoo which also features Stargate, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Danny Ocean and David Guetta. All proceeds will be donated to the Global Citizen movement.
A lyric video for E-Lo can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn2HovoAj1U
Jax jones and Years & Years
Whether by accident or design, it is more than two years since English DJ, producer and songwriter Jax Jones released a single which featured a male lead vocalist.
Since his late 2016 breakthrough hit with You Don’t Know Me, which showcased the vocal talent of London singer / songwriter Raye, Jax has released a series of tracks featuring vocals from Demi Lovato, Stefflon Don, Ina Wroldsen and Mabel.
American rapper Rich the Kid put in an appearance with Mabel on Ring Ring. But Years & Years singer Olly Alexander is the first male artiste to provide a lead vocal for Jax since Mike Dunn and MNEK voiced his summer of 2016 track, House Work.
A video for the new single, Play, is available to view at www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuIrr-qJ_UQ
Cher
Superstar singer and actress Cher obviously believes in the saying if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Following her appearance in the film musical Mama Mia! Here We Go Again, she released Dancing Queen, an entire album of ABBA covers. It proved enormously successful going top 10 throughout much of the world including a number two spot in Britain and number three on the Billboard 200.
Cher has now confirmed her intention to record a second album of ABBA covers. The news came just a few days after she used her Twitter account to post a list of songs she would like to record if she were to make another ABBA covers album. It seems this supposed fantasy list will now become reality some time in 2019.
Her Dancing Queen album is posted in full at www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1y7kkxIxow&list=PLrnoIRozzIrurjQYNIwEjO2jKP684itpY
Miguel
Congratulations to American R&B star Miguel and model Nazanin Mandi who are now husband and wife.
The 33-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer / songwriter had known Nazanin since he was 18. They began dating in 2005, long before either had found fame in their respective careers, and became engaged in 2016.
Their marriage ceremony took place amid the spectacular setting of the Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Santa Susana, California. Both Miguel and Nazanin posted pictures of the event on their social media platforms.
The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself was covered in detail by Vogue magazine. Photographs should feature prominently in the next US edition while pictures and text can already be found on the magazine’s Twitter account.
Shane MacGowan
With Christmas fast approaching, it surely won’t be long before The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s 1987 classic track Fairytale of New York makes its annual appearance in the UK singles chart. But this year will see a change of personal status for Pogues singer Shane MacGowan. He is now a married man.
If it took Miguel and Nazanin Mandi long enough to tie the knot, their 13 years of dating is nothing when compared to Shane and his new wife, journalist Victoria Mary Clarke. The couple have been together since 1986 and engaged for the last 11 years.
Shane and Victoria were married in a civil ceremony in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was attended by a small group of family and close friends including film star Johnny Depp, who has known Shane for around 25 years.
Perk Pietrek
Successful dance music DJs and producers are generally regarded as being European or American. But there are a host of artistes from across the world who are creating highly acclaimed tracks. One of these is Singapore DJ / producer Perk Pietrek. Famed particularly for his remixing skills, these are displayed on his pair of + 65 Remix EPs. But Perk has now demonstrated his ability on original songs with the recent release of his six-track Wildlife EP.
The new EP, along with much of his earlier work, can be heard at (no www.) soundcloud.com/perkpietrek Many of the tracks are available to download.
His two + 65 Remix EPs can be downloaded free of charge from (no www.) supersnacks.bandcamp.com/album/65-remix-vol-1 Use the same URL for the second EP just replacing the 1 with 2.
AMBITIOUS: Trippie Redd says he wants to become big enough to be nominated for Grammy Awards.
