Posts By Bené Viera

July 24th, 2012 | 11:22 am by Bené Viera

Bruce Springsteen Wasn’t Just A Partying Rockstar In the 80s, He Battled Depression And Suicidal Thoughts

Legendary Bruce Springsteen is still touring and making No. 1 albums at age 62. He’s such a boss that at the Hard Rock Calling concert in England he brought out Sir Paul McCartney, only to have the plug pulled mid set due to a bloody noise curfew rule. Shame on the London police for messing with history! In the new issue of the esteemed New Yorker, Springsteen’s life is chronicled in a 15,000 word profile detailing his childhood in New Jersey to his Wrecking Ball tour. One of the biggest revelations sprawled from the profile was his suicidal thoughts and depression. Springsteen’s longtime friend and biographer, Dave Marsh, said Springsteen has been seeing a therapist since 1982. To which we say, kudos to him! Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 6:02 pm by Bené Viera

Nothing Better Than A “Birthday Song” For 2 Chainz And Kanye West To Request A Big Booty Girl

It’s raining G.O.O.D. Music news today. Earlier today the official release date (September 4th) for Cruel Summer was announced. Not only can we start marking off calendar days for the label’s first compilation album, 2 Chainz‘s “Birthday Song” featuring Kanye West is being streamed by Fader magazine right now. Tonight at midnight the song from 2 Chainz’s forthcoming Based On A T.R.U. Story will be available on iTunes. In the meantime listen to the potential breakout artist of the year rap, “all I want for my birthday is a big booty gul” (that’s his southern pronunciation of girl). This southern gal knows. Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 5:12 pm by Bené Viera

A Year Since Amy Winehouse’s Death: Dad Says It’s Difficult To Listen To Back To Black

She was a young 27 when she passed away a year ago today. Amy Winehouse was the bluesy soulful British singer, songwriter who was already being considered a musical genius, or at least on her way to becoming one. Only two albums in she became a household name–one that rappers collaborated with and singers admired. Her second album Back to Black led to five Grammy awards making her the first British female singer to win that many. There were definitely some troubled days in Amy’s life as she battled with drugs and alcohol. However, in Spin’s rare behind the scenes footage of Amy during a photo shoot in 2007 shot by then-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, her troubled days seem to be washed away with nothing but remnants of happiness. Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 3:17 pm by Bené Viera

Future, Diddy And Ludacris Rap And Show Off Money At The “Same Damn Time”

With Future‘s “Same Damn Time” catchy summer track, he pretty much has anyone that’s cool writing, talking or tweeting “at the same damn time” in the context of their conversation. For example, Rihanna tweeted an Instagram photo with the caption: “Last year, same damn time!” Frank Ocean tweeted, “at the same damn time” as its own sentence. So you see where we’re going with this. It’s a catchphrase phenomenon! For the remix Future enlisted the number one badboy, Diddy himself, and Ludacris. Diddy snapped in a way we haven’t heard him spit since “All About the Benjamins.” Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 12:57 pm by Bené Viera

Big Sean Thinks “Mercy” Should Be The Song Of The Summer Because…It’s Music You Can Literally Do Everything To

If there’s one place to see fresh faced young talent it’s the annual Teen Choice Awards. Always filled with fun surprises and performances, this year the five cutest moments, which was pretty hard to narrow down, and the worst dressed celebs who get an A for effort, were some of the highlights. But on the red carpet is where the special magic happened when we chatted with Carly Rae Jepsen and Big Sean about their picks for VH1‘s Song of the Summer. Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 12:13 pm by Bené Viera

Will Rita Ora’s “Roc The Life” Prove She’s Not All Hype?

People hellbent on comparing Rita Ora to her Roc Nation label mate, Rihanna may have a stronger argument with Rita Ora’s third single “Roc The Life.” Here in the office it was noted that “Roc The Life” sounded similar to Rihanna’s “Breakin’ Dishes” from Good Girl Gone Bad. Rita Ora teamed up with hitmaker The Dream to co-write “Roc The Life,” which is a pop tune ode to living the good life. For those that may have no connection to the glamorous life, Ora threw in a more relatable note for those chasing a dream– making it one day. “Maybe one day I’ll live there/Beyond the stars I can see it/Now put your diamonds in the air/You can hate this all you want/But roc is everywhere,” she croons. Read more…

July 23rd, 2012 | 10:42 am by Bené Viera

Iggy Azalea And T.I. Are Pageant Parents In The “Murda Bizness”

Obviously Iggy Azalea is not literally in the murder business as the title of her first single “Murda Bizness” featuring T.I. implies. The song is actually more about killing the competition through style and flossing more money than anything related to violence. To demonstrate annihilating one’s opponents, Iggy pokes fun at the cut-throat kiddy pageantry industry. The folks involved with the Toddlers & Tiaras show may not find this too funny. Oh, but it is. Read more…

July 20th, 2012 | 1:37 pm by Bené Viera

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Nas Says ‘Hip-Hop Isn’t Homophobic Anymore,’ Support Of Frank Ocean Shouldn’t Be Surprising

Nasty Nas has been in the rap game nearly two decades, and with 10 studio albums his longevity is nearly unmatched amongst his hip-hop peers. To say he’s seen it all in the close to 20 years he’s been in the industry is an understatement. On the day of the release of Life Is Good we chatted with Nas about all things hip-hop. As someone who has worked with Frank Ocean on “No Such Thing as White Jesus,” meant for Nas’ current album but the recording session was lost, we asked him his feelings on hip-hop’s embrace of Ocean considering its homophobic past. And as a veteran of this rap thing, Nas wasn’t willing to hop on the “hip-hop is homophobic” ferris wheel. Read more…

July 20th, 2012 | 1:19 pm by Bené Viera

A Tale Of Two Lovers Committing Suicide Is The Reason For Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness”

When thinking of summertime the last thing that comes to mind is sadness. But Lana Del Rey‘s got that “Summertime Sadness,” and she makes it sound like something worth aspiring to have. Almost. The beautiful scenery in the opening of “Summertime Sadness” looks like the old photographs you’d click through on a projector. Despite the beauty of nature surrounding her, she throws herself from the cliff, committing suicide. It’s ironic, yet intentional, that the beauty of nature–life–surrounds her as she’s falling from the cliff. Before the suicide there was love. Actress Jaime King, dolled in a red dress, plays LDR’s female lover. Directed by King’s husband, filmmaker Kyle Newman, and Spencer Susser, the video captures the human connection of love. Read more…

July 20th, 2012 | 11:15 am by Bené Viera

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jordin Sparks On Whitney Houston Teaching Her Not To Be Ashamed Of Your Past

Jordin Sparks has come a long way from belting out Celine Dion‘s “Because You Love Me” in her audition for American Idol at 16. At 17, she won that very season. Five years later the big voiced singer has landed the role of a lifetime as Sparkle Williams in the 1976 remake of Sparkle and her duet with Whitney Houston,”Celebrate,” is the lead single from the upcoming film. And in her wildest dreams she never imagined working with the indelible Houston who plays her mother Emma. Although Whitney’s time may have been cut short from us here on earth, we talked to Jordin Sparks about the invaluable lessons she learned from the woman often referred to as The Voice. Read more…