D-Nice Invest in Start-Up Aiming to Revolutionize How Cities and Residents Interact

Harlem hip-hop pioneer D-Nice helped bring the world closer together during the pandemic with his widely viewed live DJ sets dubbed "Club Quarantine."

The 52-year-old legend, perhaps best known for his work with influential rap group Boogie Down Productions and discovering Kid Rock, is hoping to continue that work on an even larger scale.

Towards that end, he recently announced an investment in Silicon Valley-based startup Simplicity.

The company boasts of revolutionizing how cities and residents communicate and interact.

It touts its U.S. Simplicity app as a "city in your phone where people can find all critical city updates, emergencies, outages and more."

D-Nice, whose real name is Derrick Jones, has joined the company's Advisory Board as an investor and ambassador for the City of Los Angeles.

Michelle Obama, Rihanna and More Tune in to DJ D-Nice's Virtual #ClubQuarantine pic.twitter.com/H5yn5JpbSp

— NewsOne (@newsone) March 23, 2020

"Club Quarantine demonstrated the power of technology as a tool to bring together a community of people around the power of music," he said in a statement. "Simplicity is another example of leveraging technology to lift the spirits and deepen the relationships among people in cities around the world. The alignment was too obvious not to be part of the movement."

Simplicity co-founder Juraj Gago added, "Having Derrick back up this critical mission is significant and can help the company achieve our main goal: to improve life in cities."

"Club Quarantine" was a genuine phenomenon during the pandemic's peak. The eclectic and inclusive live DJ sets grew from having an audience of thousands to over a million, seemingly overnight, as the shows became a virtual social gathering spot for music lovers.

D-Nice was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards and has taken the show on the road. He will fulfill a lifelong dream on Aug. 4, when he performs the show live at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.

Oscar-Winning Actress Regina King's Only Child, Ian Alexander Jr., Dies at 26

Photo Credit @desdune Instagram

After several news outlets broke the story Saturday morning, Oscar-winning actress Regina King confirmed that her son, Ian Alexander Jr., died by suicide Wednesday on his 26th birthday.

"Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian," King said in a statement provided by her representative.

"He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

A musician and DJ, Alexander is the son of Ian Alexander Sr. and King who were married in 1997 and together 10 years before divorcing.

The younger Alexander performed under the name “desduné,” according to his Instagram page. His most recent single, "Green Eyes," was released on Jan. 7.

Watch: Hip-Hop Legends Come Together in Epic Super Bowl Halftime Trailer

Last year we reported that Dr. Dre had assembled some of hip-hop's greatest talents to headline the 2022 Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Today, with the game closer on the horizon, the rapper and producer dropped a hype video for the event that has expectations soaring for the halftime experience at the first Super Bowl in Los Angeles since 1993.

In the nearly four-minute clip directed by F. Gary Gray, who had the same role on "Straight Outta Compton," the biographical movie about Dre's former group N.W.A. released in 2015, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar answer "The Call" from Dre and unite to head to the stadium together in their own unique ways.

Eminem opens the video battle-rapping his alter ego Slim Shady before getting the nod and jumping on his private plane. Snoop Dogg cruises the California streets to his frequent partner in rhyme in his custom lowrider. Blige announces she's back in a high-fashion photoshoot before jumping in her own slick ride, and Lamar wrestles with his own verses and smoking pen in an empty room before jumping on his custom bike to heed the call.

The soundtrack, scored by Adam Blackstone, transitions into Tupac Shakur's 1999 hit "California Love" as they come together and approach the stadium. It is in an homage to the deceased star who was a pivotal part of Death Row along with Dre and Snoop and the city in which the game will be played.

"The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career," Dr. Dre said in a statement when the lineup was originally announced.

"It will be an "unforgettable cultural moment," he added.

Whether or not that is true remains to be seen but the hype video has certainly made some fans believers. Watch the entire clip below:

If Covid Cancels Super Bowl Halftime Show Dr. Dre Could Lose Millions

Dr. Dre could lose millions of dollars on the Super Bowl, by betting on himself.

In December we reported the NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced five hip-hop icons will unite to headline the 2022 Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar are slated to take to the stage to perform together for the first time in their careers at the show, and Dr. Dre has sunk millions of his own dollars into the production.

Now TMZ is reporting, that thanks to a clause in Dre’s insurance for the event, that if the show is canceled the legendary rapper and producer will be out of luck regarding recovering his funds.

The Communicable Disease Exemption, dating to the SARS outbreaks in the early 2000s, exempts insurance from paying out in the event of a cancelation resulting from a similar outbreak of a virus or bacteria.

It has been a provision in many insurance packages since those outbreaks and ensures Dre’s insurance will not cover a coronavirus-related cancelation, and with cases surging around the nation as the pandemic rages on — it seems likely that would be the cause of any cancellation.

"We're gonna give you the greatest performance you've ever seen in hip-hop history."@SnoopDogg previews the upcoming #SBLVI #PepsiHalftime Show. pic.twitter.com/Pt2hrGucWd

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2022

Luckily enough for Dre, there are currently no indications that the Super Bowl nor its halftime show will be canceled now. The NFL has been looking at replacement venues for the game, but an NFL spokesperson told NBC Los Angeles recently that the game will take place as scheduled.

JAY-Z Says There's 'Not a Chance in Hell' an Artist Could Beat Him in a Verzuz Battle

Photograph by Mason Poole. Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Billionaire businessman and rap icon Jay-Z has nothing but smoke for anyone suggesting he entertain a battle on Verzuz, the music platform that rocketed to popularity mid-pandemic pitting artists in head-to-head competition with their contemporaries.

During a surprise appearance Tuesday on Alicia Keys’ Twitter Space, celebrating her new album "Keys," the artist made it clear that there would be no battle for him because any opponent would be outclassed.

“Ain’t nobody that can stand on that stage with me. I ain’t gonna lie, no disrespect. Everyone’s amazing, they’ve done what they’ve done. No one can stand on that stage with me. I'm just telling you guys the real... there’s not a shot," replied Hov to Genius’ Rob Markman when asked who might be able to go toe-to-toe with him on the Verzuz stage.

Jay-Z said as much while talking with Alicia Keys and Rob Markman on Twitter Spaces as the group discussed the R&B icon’s latest album, Keys.

Jay-Z on never doing a #VERZUZ battle “There’s not a chance anyone can stand on that stage with me” on @TwitterSpaces w/@aliciakeys @Genius @RobMarkman @Kozza @sc pic.twitter.com/Wh6IEdZfKQ

— 🎄jordan (@JustJordan_925) December 22, 2021

He followed up with a reference to his "Grammy Family Freestyle," a cypher made in an appearance on New York's Hot 97 in 2006, considered by many to be one of the best freestyles ever, to illustrate the disparity between himself and other rappers.

"You got to stand in front of the ‘Grammy Family Freestyle’ live? No one has ever even seen me perform that. You got to stand in front of that? That ain’t never going to happen,” Jay added.

Most other artists espousing such sentiment might come off as cocky, but the Brooklyn-born rapper may have the resume to back up such a weighty statement. Beginning with 1996's "Reasonable Doubt" his discography is littered with cultural touchstones and classics. He has also received the most Grammy Awards (23) ever awarded to a rapper.

In recent weeks he landed on the 94th Academy Award shortlists for Best Original Song for his work on "Guns Go Bang" from Netflix's The Harder They Fall, which he performed and wrote with Scott 'Kid Cudi' Mescudi (the film's director, Jeymes Samuel, was also a co-writer). If the 52-year-old becomes an Oscar nominee, it could mark the first time in the award's history a husband and wife have competed against each other in the same category. His wife Beyoncé is also on the shortlists for her song "Be Alive" from the Warner Bros. movie "King Richard." There are 13 other songs on the shortlists.

Don't Call It A Comeback; Red-Hot Vinyl Market Proves Medium Is Here To Stay

Don't toss those turntables yet Super Throwback fans! One thing we know is our readers love music and real music aficionados have always had a place in their hearts for vinyl — whether it's

 for the so called "warm sound" of pressed records or the fact that it is the only lossless recording medium.

We can't count the hours spent arguing which medium is superior since CDs and finally digital recordings took over the majority of the market. The correct answer of course is vinyl, and 2021 is giving us a little hope that the much-maligned grandfather of the music market isn't on its last legs.

Analytics firm MRC Data, which specializes in collecting data from the entertainment and music industries, recently reported that in the first six months of 2021, 19.2 million vinyl albums were sold compared to sales of just 18.9 million for CDs. It continues a trend that began during 2020 when revenue from vinyl sales eclipsed that of CDs for the first time in 34 years. Overall vinyl sales were up 9.2 million over the same period in 2020, led by Taylor Swift's "Evermore," which moved 100,000 units to set a record for most vinyl copies ever sold in a week during its December 2020 release.

Other artists profiting from the vinyl renaissance include Harry Styles ("Fine Line"), Kendrick Lamar ("Good Kid M.A.A.D. City") and Billy Eilish ("When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"), whose efforts join Swift's at the top of the vinyl charts at the midyear point. 

Rob G- The General

Rob G is the mixing genius inside the Madd Hatta Morning Show and The Best Damn Lunch Mix Period with Keisha Nicole on 97.9 The Box. Also known as The General because of his military background. Rob G started DJing at the age of 15 doing Sweet 16 parties and sock hops for Dallas area high schools. Rob G began his his career in radio at Hampton University. After transferring to Prairie View A&M he had a highly rated mix show on KPVU before joining the US Navy. Rob G joined the Box as an overnight DJ in 2002, where he quickly got lots of attention for his live mixing talents and great on-air personality. He was then given the opportunity to host his own Live Mix show on Fridays and Saturday nights. Rob G’s mix shows took off and landed him a part-time slot on the Madd Hatta Morning show and then in 2004 he was promoted to full-time morning show mixer and talent. He has created numerous mix features including “When I Ruled The World Mix”, "Link the Mix" on Thursday's and the “Star Wars Mix” on Friday. He was named the 2003 Mix Show DJ of the year. Rob G has DJ'd parties for several celebrities including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Diddy, Kevin Hart Jamie Foxx, Erykah Badu, the Houston Astros, the Houston Texan and Houston Rockets. He has also been flown in to DJ events across the United States and internationally to Barbados, Cancun, Italy, and Cabos San Lucas. In 2015 Rob G earned the opportunity to host his own morning show on Boom 92 a Classic Hip Hop. Rob G is a member of the Ft. Bend Church and enjoys traveling with his wife, son and daughter, playing basketball and adding to his vast amount of music. Rob G is a Charter Member of The Go DJ’s and has been included in the Who’s who in Black Houston publications 2007-2016.