DMX, rap's dark, tortured star, dies at 50

DMX, the hardcore hip-hop star whose ominous, snarling raps chronicled the violence and struggles of the American street, has died. He was 50 years old.

The rapper's longtime lawyer confirmed DMX's death to AFP, after a statement from his family widely shared on social media said the artist born Earl Simmons died after nearly a week on life support following a heart attack.

"Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end," the statement read, saying the rapper died at White Plains Hospital north of New York City, with his loved ones by his side.

"He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him," the statement read. "Earl's music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever."

The family said information on a memorial service was forthcoming.

The agitated rapper -- who reigned over the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits including "X Gon' Give It To Ya" and "Party Up" -- was among hip-hop's darkest stars, laying his inner demons out for the masses in gritty, hard-driving anthems that gained him commercial and critical acclaim.

Raised in the New York suburb of Yonkers, the artist endured a grim childhood, growing up in the projects with his mother and siblings where he suffered abuse.

At 14, he entered a cycle of incarceration that would persist throughout his life, committing robberies that regularly landed him in jail.

Even after he achieved celebrity for his artistry, DMX continued to have run-ins with the penal system, with charges including drug possession, animal cruelty, reckless driving, failure to pay child support, and tax evasion.

But while his colorful criminal record made headlines, it was his blunt, confessional raps delivered with his singular deep-throated growls that left an indelible mark on hip-hop's sound in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"DMX was a brilliant artist and an inspiration to millions around the world. His message of triumph over struggle, his search for the light out of darkness, his pursuit of truth and grace brought us closer to our own humanity," said Def Jam Recordings, the label with whom DMX released some of his most iconic albums, in a statement following his death.

"DMX was nothing less than a giant. His legend will live on forever."

Agence France-Presse

Rap star Kendrick Lamar leads Grammy nominations with 8

NEW YORK - The soundtrack of Marvel's "Black Panther" propelled rap superstar Kendrick Lamar to the front of this year's Grammy pack with eight nominations, closely followed by fellow rapper Drake who scored seven.

Women performers also achieved far greater presence in the 2019 edition of the top music awards, with Cardi B, Lady Gaga and folk-rock singer Brandi Carlile all nabbing nominations across the top categories.

As with last year, hip-hop dominated across the board -- though in 2018, the Recording Academy fell under sharp criticism after rap mogul Jay-Z left empty-handed and Lamar was shut out of the general categories.

Thanks to the hit "Black Panther" film Lamar -- whose album "DAMN" won the Pulitzer Prize for music this year -- once again has a chance to win the coveted Album of the Year prize after three prior losses.

His song "All the Stars" is also in the running for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

He'll face competition at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, from fellow rappers Drake, Cardi B and Childish Gambino -- as well as Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who snared nominations in both of those top categories for their hit "Shallow" from the film "A Star is Born."

Six of the 2019 nominees for Best New Artist are women, whose presence in the top categories marked a sharp departure from the previous gala, which saw women snubbed in the major prizes.

After that show the academy expanded the four big categories from five nominees to eight, while also creating a diversity task force responding to criticism that the show was consistently too male and too white.

After leading nominations last year, however, Jay-Z and his pop queen wife Beyonce were left out of the top categories despite acclaim for their joint project "Everything is Love."

The Carters did get two nominations for R&B and best music video, while perennial favorite Taylor Swift earned just one nomination for best pop vocal album.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

With new album, Eminem finds political voice

Just how much has America changed since Donald Trump's election? Eminem, knee-deep in controversy a generation ago for misogyny and homophobia, is back as a self-styled moral conscience.

The top-selling rapper in history rips into Trump on "Revival," his first studio album in four years, in which Eminem openly muses on whether he can stay relevant as his career enters its third decade.

"Revival," which came out Friday, returns to Eminem's musical tropes as he recrafts pop tunes into quick-tongued raps and taps some of the biggest names in music as collaborators, including Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys and P!nk.

But the 45-year-old also shows a new side -- a politically sensitive Eminem, woke and alarmed at the direction of the United States a year into Trump's presidency.

"Someone get this Aryan a sheet / Time to bury him, so tell him to prepare to get impeached," Eminem raps on "Like Home," juxtaposing the imagery of death and the racist Ku Klux Klan.

"He's trying to divide us," Eminem warns, taking the language of a street activist, while vowing, "He'll only unite us."

Eminem -- who has faced criticism throughout his career for employing a homophobic slur, although he insists it is just a narrative device -- also attacks Trump for seeking to ban transgender people from the military.

- Familiar beats -

"Revival" opens on a fresh note for Eminem -- "Walk on Water," the album's first single, a piano ballad about self-doubt that features a Gospel-tinged chorus by Beyoncé.

But the 19-track album quickly returns to more familiar territory. "Believe" and "Chloraseptic," which is assisted by the up-and-coming New York rapper Phresher, are backed by minimal, ominous beats with nods to horrorcore.

"Remind Me" refashions the sing-along chorus of "I Love Rock and Roll," the boisterous classic by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, while "In Your Head" builds off a riff in The Cranberries' "Zombie."

On "Untouchable," Eminem -- who has brought hard-edged hip-hop to a white audience like no one else -- embraces the slogans of the Black Lives Matter movement as he voices outrage at police brutality.

"I admit there have been times when it's been embarrassing to be a white boy," he raps, as he offers solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other American football players who have kneeled during the national anthem as a protest over racial injustice.

Not all of the political bent on "Revival" is likely to sit comfortably even with Trump's opponents. Eminem, whose songs have often imagined violence against women, depicts Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka inside his car's trunk on "Framed."

- Passionate opponent of Trump -

Eminem's political passion appears deeply felt, with the rapper going public with harsh denunciations of Trump even before "Revival."

While Trump enjoys little celebrity support, Eminem's hostility is notable as the two share much of the same demographic base. Eminem hails from Michigan and has personally struggled with some of the afflictions of working-class white Americans from the Rust Belt -- addiction to painkillers and junk food and, to put it mildly in Eminem's case, complicated family relationships.

Eminem -- who on his last album apologized to his mother whom he once spoke of raping and killing -- on "Revival" offers his regrets to Kim Mathers, his high school sweetheart whom he married and divorced twice.

"I loved you, but I hated that 'me' / And I don't want to see that side again / I'm sorry, Kim," he raps on "Bad Husband."

Eminem's oldest child -- Hailie, who turns 22 on Christmas Day -- makes a cameo in "Bad Husband" and also inspires one of the strongest songs on "Revival" -- "Castle," written around a series of letters addressed to his daughter over the years.

"Things that should have been private with me and your mother is public," Eminem raps ruefully of his past songs.

And the song may draw a curtain. With the track, Eminem rapped that he is "100 percent finished" with airing family baggage.

source: news.abs-cbn.com