Kwame Nkrumah Hall Climaxes Women's Week Celebration with a Fashion Show

The maiden edition of the women's week celebration by the Hall of excellence in the University of Cape coast commenced on Wednesday, 14th October, 2015 with a general meeting and an official launch of the week's celebration.

It was great seeing most affiliates of the hall present to partake in the celebration. On the second day of the week long celebration was an entrepreneurship seminar and a hepatitis B health screening which was open to all and sundry to check their status. Friday,16th October, 2015 was dubbed Vocational Training Day; students, both male and female, were taught how to make accessories, shoes, slippers, bags, etc. The students did marvelous works with the items given to them. The final day to climax the week's celebration was just a memory worth repeating. It happened on the 17th October,2015. In the morning, there was an open air debate on women empowerment since the theme for the celebration centred on women empowerment.
In the evening of that fateful day was a fashion show where there was an exhibition of African bags, shoes, slippers, and necklaces from various designers. There were series of music, dance, poetry recital and other performances to spice up the program with Kofi Taylor, Winston Micheals, Delis, Rap Dizzle and others taking turns to entertain the audience with various rap performances. In an interview with Wendy Aniagyei, the vice president of the hall, she said "It wasn't easy being the sole organizer of such a big event but I said to myself....what can stop me? Definitely nothing because I have a Great God". She was optimistic about the program being a yearly one and one that will continue to empower women on campus.
Watch this space for more campus news.
See photos below:

TIMES WERE HARD WHEN I WAS GROWING UP - JAY FOLEY

Radio and television personality, Jay Foley says that he didn’t have it all rosy growing up.

According to the co-host of LBC on Live 91.9 Fm, there were many things he wished he had enjoyed but could not because of the family he was from.

“Growing up was not easy for me; it was tough, I mean , I did not get it all rosy, I don’t come from a rich family, it was an average one.

“ It was my dad, my mom, my siblings, in our place of abode, managing our own affairs,” he said in an interview with Delay on the Delay Show on Viasat 1.

Giving an example of what he wished he had enjoyed, he said; “the school I attended was close to my house so every time we close I walk home and I get to see parents in cars coming for their wards in  the school and I also wished I had that kind of treatment.”

The CEO of 2131 said because he was not happy with his situation, he told himself that he was going to make a difference, he was going to challenge himself and become an instrumental vessel of change in the society.

“I knew where I was coming from so I became a wild thinker, I was hungry for success, I did not want to stay there forever, I wanted things to change and I was willing to work and make that happen and I will say, that is part of the reasons why I am where I am today,” he said.

He added that his private firm 2131 is all about empowering the youth to believe in themselves and have an inner conviction that whatever they set their minds to do, they can achieve adding that “the only barricade that will stop you from achieving your dreams was you.”
by: EraGH

BENNY BLANCO RESIGNS FROM TV3

Television Presenter Benny Blanco of TV3 is reported to have quit working with Television station. Benny, who was a host on the station’s morning show, New Day.. His resignation comes after a former co-host, Nana Aba Anamoah quit some weeks back after being taken off air on the basis of an alleged photo-theft. As at now it is not known the circumstances or the reasons behind his resignation. For now all we know is that Benny quit working with the station, it is not clear where Benny is heading. 
by:EraGH

2016 GRAMMY AWARDS: COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINATIONS

Music's greatest night is here again. Last Monday morning, the Grammy Academy announced the first batch of nominations for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards at 8:15 a.m. ET on CBS.  With nominations across all 83 categories announced via a press release and were later made available on Grammy.com. The Grammys return to L.A.'s Staples Center on Feb. 15, 20816, and will be broadcast in high-definition and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. ET. As at now, no hosts has been announced yet. Here is the full list
of nominees:

Album of the Year
Alabama Shakes, Sound and Color
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Taylor Swift, 1989
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"
Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"
Wiz Kahifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"
Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Record of the Year
D'Angelo and the Vanguard, "Really Love"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"
Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"
Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"
The Weeknd, "Can't Feel my Face"

Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Florence + The Machine, " Ship to Wreck"
Maroon 5, "Sugar"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern
Bob Dylan, Shadows in the Night
Josh Groban, Stages
Seth MacFarlane, No One Ever Tells You
Barry Manilow (& Various Artists), My Dream Duets

Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson, Piece by Piece
Florence + The Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Mark Ronson, Uptown Special
Taylor Swift, 1989
James Taylor, Before This World

Best Dance Recording
Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston, :We're All We Need"
The Chemical Brothers, "Go:
Flying Lotus feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Never Catch Me"
Galantis, "Runaway (U & I)"
Skrillex and Diplo With Justin Bieber, "Where Are Ü Now"

Best Rock Performance
Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"
Florence + The Machine,"What Kind Of Man"
Foo Fighters, "Something From Nothing"
Elle King, "Ex's & Oh's"
Wolf Alice, "Moaning Lisa Smile"

Best Alternative Music Album
Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Björk, Vulnicura
My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall
Tame Impala, Currents
Wilco, Star Wars

Best Urban Contemporary Album
The Internet, Ego Death
Kehlani, You Should Be Here
Lianne La Havas, Blood
Miguel, Wildheart
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Best Rap Album
J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Dr. Dre, Compton
Drake, If Youre Reading This Its Too Late
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint

Best Country Album
Sam Hunt, Montevallo
Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Ashley Monroe, The Blade
Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material
Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Joey Alexander, My Favorite Things
Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Breathless
Robert Glasper & The Robert Glasper Trio, Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios
Jimmy Greene, Beautiful Life
John Scofield, Past Present

Best Gospel Album
Karen Clark Sheard, Destined to Win (Live)
Dorinda Clark-Cole, Living It
Tasha Cobbs, One Place Live
Israel & Newbreed, Covered: Alive Is Asia [Live] (Deluxe)
Jonathan McReynolds, Life Music: Stage Two

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Jason Crabb, Whatever the Road
Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
Matt Maher, Saints and Sinners
Tobymac, This Is Not a Test
Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red

Best Latin Pop Album
Pablo Alborán, Terral
Alex Cuba, Healer
Ricky Martin, A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition)
Alejandro Sanz, Sirope
Julieta Venegas, Algo Sucede

Best Americana Album
Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher's Daughter
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, The Traveling Kind
Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
The Mavericks, Mono
Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Caribou, Our Love
The Chemical Brothers, Born in the Echoes
Disclosure, Caracal
Jamie XX, In Colour
Skrillex and Diplo, Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Bill Frisell, Guitar in the Space Age!
Wouter Kellerman, Love Language
Marcus Miller, Afrodeezia
Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest, Sylva
Kirk Whalum, The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter IV

Best Metal Performance
August Burns Red, "Identity"
Cirice, "Ghost"
Lamb of God, "512"
Sevendust, "Thank You"
Slipknot, "Custer"

Best Rock Song
Alabama Shakes, "Don't Wanna Fight"
Elle King, "Ex's & Oh's"
James Bay, "Hold Back the River"
Highly Suspect, "Lydia"
Florence + the Machine, "What Kind of Man"

Best Rock Album
James Bay, Chaos and the Calm
Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi
Highly Suspect, Mister Asylum
Muse, Drones
Slipknot, .5: The Gray Chapter

Best R&B Performance
Tamar Braxton, "If I Don't Have You"
Andra Day, "Rise Up"
Hiatus Kaiyote, "Breathing Underwater"
Jeremih feat. J. Cole, "Planes"
The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Faith Evans, "He Is"
Lalah Hathaway, "Little Ghetto Boy"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
Tyrese, "Shame"
Charlie Wilson, "My Favorite Part of You"

Best R&B Song
Miguel, "Coffee"
The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"
Jazmine Sullivan, "Let It Burn"
D'Angelo and The Vanguard, "Really Love"
Tyrese, "Shame"

Best R&B Album
Leon Bridges, Coming Home
D'Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah
Andra Day, Cheers to the Fall
Jazmine Sullivan, Reality Show
Charlie Wilson, Forever Charlie

Best Rap Performance
J. Cole, "Apparently"
Drake, "Back to Back"
Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne, "Truffle Butter"
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, "All Day"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Big Sean feat. Kanye West & John Legend, "One Man Can Change the World"
Common & John Legend, "Glory"
Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur, "Classic Man"
Kendrick Lamar feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, "These Walls"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, "Only"

Best Rap Song
Kanye West feat. Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, "All Day"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Drake, "Energy"
Common & John Legend, "Glory"
Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brothers Osborne, "Stay a Little Longer"
Joey + Rory, "If I Needed You"
Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay, "The Driver"
Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"
Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, "Lonely Tonight"

Best Country Song
Lee Ann Womack, "Chances Are"
Tim McGraw, "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools"
Little Big Town, "Girl Crush"
Brandy Clark, "Hold My Hand"
Chris Stapleton, "Traveller"

Best Country Solo Performance
Cam, "Burning House"
Chris Stapleton, "Traveller"
Carrie Underwood, "Little Toy Guns"
Keith Urban, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"
Lee Ann Womack, "Chances Are"

Best Pop Solo Performance
Kelly Clarkson, "Heartbeat Song"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"
Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"
The Weeknd, "Can't Feel My Face"

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Empire: Season 1
Fifty Shades of Grey
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Pitch Perfect 2
Selma

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
The Weeknd, "Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)"
Common & John Legend, "Glory"
Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do"
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"
Lady Gaga, "Til It Happens to You"

Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Birdman
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Music Video
A$AP Rocky, "LSD"
The Dead Weather, "I Feel Love"
Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"
Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"
Pharrell Williams, "Freedom"

Best Music Film
Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways
James Brown, Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Nina Simone, What Happened, Miss Simone
Roger Waters, The Wall
Amy Winehouse, Amy

Best New Age Album
Paul Avgerinos, Grace
Madi Das, Bhakti Without Borders
Catherine Duc, Voyager
Peter Kater, Love
Ron Korb, Asia Beauty

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Joey Alexander, "Giant Steps"
Christian McBride, "Cherokee"
Donny McCaslin, "Arbiters of Evolution"
Joshua Redman, "Friend or Foe"
John Scofield, "Past Present"

Best Jazz Vocal Album
Karrin Allyson, Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein
Denise Donatelli, Find a Heart
Lorraine Feather, Flirting With Disaster
Jamison Ross, Jamison
Cécile McLorin Salvant, For One to Love

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Gil Evans Project, Lines of Color
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band, Köln
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Maria Schneider Orchestra, The Thompson Fields
Patrick Williams, Home Suite Home

Best Latin Jazz Album
Eliane Elias, Made in Brazil
The Rodriguez Brothers, Impromptu
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Suite Caminos
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, Intercambio
Miguel Zenón, Identities Are Changeable

Best Gospel Performance/Song
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy, "Worth [Live]"
Kirk Franklin, "Wanna Be Happy?"
Travis Greene, "Intentional"
Israel & Newbreed feat. Yolanda Adams, "How Awesome Is Our God [Live]"
Brian Courtney Wilson, "Worth Fighting For [Live]"

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Francesca Battistelli, "Holy Spirit"
Crowder, "Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)"
Matt Maher, "Because He Lives (Amen)"
Third Day feat. All Sons & Daughters, "Soul on Fire"
Tobymac feat. Mr. Talkbox, "Feel It"

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Jason Crabb, Whatever the Road
Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
Matt Maher, Saints and Sinners
Tobymac, This Is Not a Test
Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red

Best Roots Gospel Album
The Fairfield Four, Still Rockin' My Soul
Karen Peck & New River, Pray Now
Point of Grace, Directions Home (Songs We Love, Songs You Know)

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
Bomba Estereo, Amanecer
La Cuneta Son Machín, Mondongo
Natalia Lafourcade, Hasta La Raíz
Monsieur Periné, Caja De Música
Pitbull, Dale

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)
Banda El Recodo De Don Cruz Lizarraga, Mi Vicio Mas Grande
La Maquinaria Norteña, Ya Dime Adiós
Los Cojolites, Zapateando
Los Tigres Del Norte, Realidades - Deluxe Edition
Mariachi Los Camperos De Nati Cano, Tradición, Arte Y Pasión

Best Tropical Latin Album
José Alberto "El Canario" & Septeto Santiaguero, Tributo A Los Compadres: No Quiero Llanto
Rubén Blades With Roberto Delgado & Orchestra, Son De Panamá
Guaco, Presente Continuo
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40, Todo Tiene Su Hora
Victor Manuelle, Que Suenen Los Tambores

Best American Roots Performance
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, "And Am I Born to Die"
Buddy Guy, "Born to Play Guitar"
The Milk Carton Kids, "City of Our Lady"
Punch Brothers, "Julep"
Mavis Staples, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"

Best American Roots Song
The Mavericks, "All Night Long"
Don Henley & Merle Haggard, "The Cost of Living"
Punch Brothers, "Julep"
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, "The Traveling Kind"
Jason Isbell, "24 Frames"

Best Bluegrass Album
Dale Ann Bradley, Pocket Full of Keys
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Before the Sun Goes Down
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, In Session
Ralph Stanley & Friends, Man of Constant Sorrow
The Steeldrivers, The Muscle Shoals Recordings

Best Blues Album
Cedric Burnside Project, Descendants of Hill Country
Shemekia Copeland, Outskirts of Love
Buddy Guy, Born to Play Guitar
Bettye LaVette, Worthy
John Primer & Various Artists, Muddy Waters 100

Best Folk Album
Norman Blake, Wood, Wire & Words
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow Is My Turn
Patty Griffin, Servant of Love
Glen Hansard, Didn't He Ramble

Best Regional Roots Music Album
Jon Cleary, Go Go Juice
Natalie Ai Kamauu, La La La La
Keali'i Reichel, Kawaiokalena
The Revelers, Get Ready
Windwalker and The MCW, Generations

Best Reggae Album
Rocky Dawuni, Branches of the Same Tree
Jah Cure, The Cure
Barrington Levy, Acousticalevy
Luciano, Zion Awake
Morgan Heritage, Strictly Roots

Best World Music Album
Gilberto Gil, Gilbertos Samba Ao Vivo
Angelique Kidjo, Sings
Ladysmith Black Mambazo With Ella Spira & The Inala Ensemble, Music From Inala
Anoushka Shankar, Home
Zomba Prison Project, I Have No Everything Here

Best Children's Album
José-Luis Orozco, ¡Come Bien! Eat Right!
Gustafer Yellowgold, Dark Pie Concerns
Tim Kubart, Home
Lori Henriques, How Great Can This Day Be
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly, Trees

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling)
Patti Smith, Blood on Snow (Jo Nesbø)
Dick Cavett, Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks
Jimmy Carter, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
Janis Ian & Jean Smart, Patience and Sarah (Isabel Miller)
Amy Poehler (& Various Artists), Yes Please

Best Comedy Album
Lisa Lampanelli, Back to the Drawing Board
Wyatt Cenac, Brooklyn
Jay Mohr, Happy. And A Lot.
Craig Ferguson, Just Being Honest
Louis C.K., Live at Madison Square Garden

Best Musical Theater Album
An American in Paris
Fun Home
Hamilton
The King And I
Something Rotten!

Best Instrumental Composition
Arturo O'Farrill, "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite"
Bob Mintzer, "Civil War"
David Balakrishnan, "Confetti Man"
Rich DeRosa, "Neil"
Marshall Gilkes, "Vesper"

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or Acappella
Bruno Mars
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Ghost of a Chance
You and the Night and the Music

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
Shelly Berg, "Be My Muse"
Patrick Williams, "52nd & Broadway"
Otmaro Ruiz "Garota De Ipanema"
Maria Schneider, "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)"
Jimmy Greene, "When I Come Home"

Best Recording Package
Alex Trochut, Alagoas, Alagoas
Anita Marisa Boriboon, Snoop Dogg, Bush
Brian Roettinger, Florence + the Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Deluxe Edition)
Nathanio Strimpopulos, Elvis Presley, My Happiness
Sarah Dodds, Shauna Dodds & Dick Reeves, Asleep at the Wheel, Still the King: Celebratingthe Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Of Monsters and Men, Beneath the Skin
Father John Misty, I Love You,
Various Artists, The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume Two (1928-32)
The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers (Super Deluxe Edition)
Grateful Dead, 30 Trips Around the Sun
The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (Deluxe Box Set)

Best Album Notes
James P. Leary, Folksongs of Another America: Field Recordings From The Upper Midwest, 1937-1946
Jeff Place, Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection
Joni Mitchell, Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced
Ted Olson, Portrait of an American Singer
Ryan Barna, Songs of the Night: Dance Recordings, 1916-1925

Best Historical Album
Bob Dylan and the Band, The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11
Erroll Garner, The Complete Concert by the Sea
Various Artists, Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985
Various Artists, Parchman Farm: Photographs and Field Recordings, 1947–1959
Fannie Lou Hamer, Songs My Mother Taught Me

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
James Taylor, Before This World
Melody Gardot, Currency of Man
The Bird and the Bee, Recreational Love
Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Diana Krall, Wallflower

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Diplo
Larry Klein
Blake Mills

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Daniel Hope, "Berlin by Overnight (CFCF Remix)"
JES, Shant, & Clint Maximus, "Hold On (Fatum Remix)"
Galantis, "Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)"
Odesza feat. Zyra, "Say My Name (RAC Remix)"
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk (Dave Audé Remix)"

Best Surround Sound Album
Ingar Heine Bergby & Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Amdahl: Astrognosia & Aesop
Roger Waters, Amused to Death
Øyvind Gimse, Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene, Magnificat
Paavo Järvi & Russian National Orchestra, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7
Tove Ramlo-Ystad & Cantus, Spes

Best Engineered Album, Classical
George Manahan & San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Ask Your Mama
Ludovic Morlot, Augustin Hadelich & Seattle Symphony, Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'
Martin Pearlman, Jennifer Rivera, Fernando Guimarães & Boston Baroque, Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse In Patria
Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Chorale & Kansas City Chorale, Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil
Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony, Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, 'Organ'

Producer of the Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh
Manfred Eicher
Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin
Dan Merceruio
Judith Sherman

Best Orchestral Performance
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, "Bruckner: Symphony No. 4"
Seattle Symphony, "Dutilleux: Métaboles; L'Arbre Des Songes; Symphony No. 2, 'Le Double'"
Boston Symphony Orchestra, "Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10"
The Oregon Symphony, "Spirit of the American Range"
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, "Zhou Long & Chen Yi: Symphony 'Humen 1839'"

Best Opera Recording
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, "Janáček: Jenůfa"
Boston Baroque, "Monteverdi: Il Ritorno D'Ulisse in Patria"
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, "Mozart: Die Entführung Aus Dem Serail"
Saito Kinen Orchestra; SKF Matsumoto Chorus & SKF Matsumoto Children's Chorus, "Ravel: L'Enfant Et Les Sortilèges; Shéhérazade"
Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, "Steffani: Niobe, Regina Di Tebe"

Best Choral Performance
Bernard Haitink, "Beethoven: Missa Solemnis"
Harry Christophers, "Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610"
Craig Hella Johnson, "Pablo Neruda - The Poet Sings"
Eric Holtan, "Paulus: Far in the Heavens"
Charles Bruffy, "Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil"

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Tanja Tetzlaff, Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt, "Brahms: The Piano Trios"
Eighth Blackbird, "Filament"
Nadia Shpachenko & Genevieve Feiwen Lee, "Flaherty: Airdancing for Toy Piano, Piano & Electronics"
Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth, "Render"
Takács Quartet & Marc-André Hamelin, "Shostakovich: Piano Quintet & String Quartet No. 2"

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Augustin Hadelich, "Dutilleux: Violin Concerto, L'Arbre Des Songes"
Joseph Moog, "Grieg & Moszkowski: Piano Concertos"
Kristian Bezuidenhout, "Mozart: Keyboard Music, Vol. 7"
Daniil Trifonov, "Rachmaninov Variations"
Ursula Oppens, "Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!"

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Beethoven: An Die Ferne Geliebte; Haydn: English Songs; Mozart: Masonic Cantata
Joyce & Tony - Live From Wigmore Hall
Nessun Dorma - The Puccini Album
Rouse: Seeing; Kabir Padavali
St. Petersburg

Best Classical Compendium
New Budapest Orpheum Society, As Dreams Fall Apart - The Golden Age Of Jewish Stage And Film Music (1925-1955)
George Manahan, Ask Your Mama
Paul McCreesh, Handel: L'Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, 1740
Giancarlo Guerrero, Paulus: Three Places of Enlightenment; Veil of Tears & Grand Concerto
Nadia Shpachenko, Woman at the New Piano

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Gerald Barry, Barry: The Importance of Being Earnest
Andrew Norman, Norman: Play
Stephen Paulus, Paulus: Prayers & Remembrances
Joan Tower, Tower: Stroke
Julia Wolfe, Wolfe: Anthracite Field

HITS & MISSES: THE 2016 GRAMMY AWARDS’ BIGGEST SNUBS

Although every single artist can't be recognized at the big show, there were a few disappointments.
Then nominees for this years Grammy were announced on Monday and staying true to the award show’s history, there were many perceived snubs this year. Although every single artist can’t be recognized at the big show, that never stops fans and artists alike from expressing their disappointment. In fact, Wale and Omarion were both vocal about not being nominated for this year’s GRAMMYs. Both artists had successful albums and singles in 2015, and were shocked they didn’t make the cut. We at EraGH are of the view that these artists below did quite well and and their works could have make the cut but were missing in the nominations.


Nicki Minaj

The Pinkprint Album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 244,000 units. The accompanying was all rage this summer with all the hype surrounding Nicki’s relationship with Meek Mill (and his beef with Drake).
Although “Truffle Butter” and “Only” were nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and the album was nominated for Best Rap Album, Pinkprint wasn’t recognized in the main categories for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, or Record of the Year.

Justin Bieber

The Biebs made his return back to music in a major way this year. His hit single "What Do You Mean" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week. But the GRAMMYs must have looked past that, since Justin only got nominated for Best Dance Recording for his collabo with Jack U, “Where Are U Now.”

Drake

It was the year of the 6 God. Although he was nominated for Best Rap Performance for “Back to Back” and Best Rap Song for “Energy,” many feel that If You're Reading This It's Too Late deserved an Album of the Year Nomination.

Future

The Future Hive is pretty distraught after realizing their highness' DS2 Album didn’t get nominated in any of the rap categories.


Fetty Wap

You couldnt go anywhwere this year without hearing a Fetty Wap track. Although “Trap Queen” was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, Fetty was noticeably absent from the Best New Artist category.

Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas came out of boy band land so effortlessly, we almost forgot he was a Jonas Brother. But none of his hit singles were nominated this year. Not even “Jealous!”

Rihanna
Although Rihanna’s eighth album ANTI hasn’t dropped yet, she’s kept her music out there for the world to hear with huge hits like “BBHMM” and "FourFive Seconds" Both were left out of this year’s GRAMMYs.

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey’s fourth album "Honeymoon" debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and received rave reviews from critics. But the entire record went unnoticed by this year’s GRAMMYs.

Madonna
Madonna dropped an album earlier this year with a lot of A-list artists featured on it. But neither "Rebel Heart", nor its infamous “Bitch I’m Madonna” video were nominated.

One Direction
The boy band’s album wasn’t eligible to be nominated this year, but their single “Drag Me Down” was a major hit and one of the last songs they’re releasing together before hiatus – but no nomination.

Florence + The Machine
Florence + The Machine’s "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" was called a masterpiece by many. That’s why it’s surprising that although the record did get a nod for Best Pop Vocal album, it didn’t get nominated for Album of the Year.
posted by :EraGH

Shortlisted Nominees: 2nd Annual Ghana Sports Excellence Awards 2015

 POSTED BY: EraGH


1. BEST MALE ATHLETE-
a. PATRICK OBENG- DISABILITY SPORTS
b. ANDRE DEDE AYEW- SOCCER
c. GEORGE DARKO, TENNIS
d. RICHARD SEKLORWU- ATHLETICS

2. BEST FEMALE ATHLETE-
a. NADIA EKE, ATHLETICS
b. MARY ZUTA, ATHLETICS
c. MERCY MYLES, SOCCER
d. NAFISATU UMARU, HOCKEY

3. BEST SPORTS PERSONALITY-
a. NAFISATU UMARU, HOCKEY PLAYER
b. RICHARD SEKLORWU, ATHLETE
c. ANDRE DEDE AYEW, FOOTBALLER
d. GEORGE DARKO, TENNIS PLAYER

4. BEST MEDIA HOUSE (RADIO)-
a. CAPE 93.5 FM, CAPE COAST
b. JOY FM, ACCRA
c. NHYIRA FM, KUMASI
d. KEKELI FM, HO

5. BEST MEDIA HOUSE (TV)-
a. METRO TV
b. MULTI TV
c. UTV
d. GTV

6. BEST MEDIA HOUSE (PRINT)-
a. GRAPHIC SPORTS
b. DAILY GUIDE SPORTS
c. GHANAIAN TIMES SPORTS
d. 90 MINUTES

7. BEST SPORTING CLUB-
a. ASHANTIGOLD SC
b. CELEBRITY GOLF CLUB
c. ACHIMOTA GOLF CLUB
d. ACCRA LAWN TENNIS CLUB

8. BEST VOLUNTEER-
a. ASAMAOAH GYAN
b. DANIEL McCAULEY, McDAN SHIPPING
c. KENNEDY AGYEPONG, KENPONG GROUP

9. BEST COACH-
a. YUSIF BASIGI, BLACK QUEENS
b. SALAMATU MUSA, BLACK SPIKES
c. HENRY QUANSAH, GOLDEN RACKETS
d. MAS’UD DIDI DRAMANI, BLACK PRINCESSES

10. BEST SUPPORTERS GROUP-
a. DIE HARD SUPPORTERS
b. NATIONWIDE SUPPORTERS UNION
c. MILLENIUM SUPPORTERS UNION
d. GHANA NATIONAL SUPPORTERS UNION

11. BEST PHYSICIAN-
a. DR. DEBORAH CUBAGEE, WOMEN SPORTS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA
b. DR. KWAKU BOATENG, ASANTE KOTOKO
c. DR. BABA ADAM, BLACK STARS

12. RISING TO THE CHALLENGE-
a. BOTSIO NKEGBE, DISABILTY SPORTS
b. MARY ZUTA, GHANA ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION

13. BEST DIASPORA ATHLETE (MALE) –
a. KWABENA APPIAH, WELLINGTON PHOENIX, NEW ZEALAND
b. JEROME BOATENG, BAYERN MUNCHEN, GERMANY
c. SANI BROWN, JAPAN ATHLETICS
d. MEMPHIS DEPAY, MANCHESTER UNITED, UK

14. BEST DIASPORA MEDIA PERSONALITY–
a. JEANNETTE KWAKYE, UK
b. BENNY BONSU, UK
c. ANARFI AGYEMANG, USA


15. BEST PHOTOGRAPHER-
a. EMMANUEL QUAYE, DAILY GRAPHIC
b. SENYUIDZORM ADADEVOR, SOLVERS
c. SETH OSABUKLE, GHANAIAN TIMES
d. SAMUEL TEI ADANO, DAILY GRAPHIC

16. BEST REPORTER- (PRINT)-
a. KWAKU ZUREK, DAILY GRAPHIC
b. ROSALIND AMOH, DAILY GRAPHIC
c. ANDREW NORTEY- GHANAIAN TIMES SPORTS
d. KOFI ADUONUM, DAILY GUIDE SPORTS

17. BEST REPORTER (RADIO)-
a. BRIGHT KANKAM BOADU, LUV FM-KUMASI
b. NATHAN QUAO, CITI FM- ACCRA
c. BENEDICT OWUSU, JOY FM-ACCRA
d. CHRISTIAN CHIBUEZE, KEKELI FM-HO

18. BEST REPORTER (ONLINE)-
a. RAHMAN OSMAN, GHANASOCCERNET.COM/ETV
b. GODFRED AKOTO BOAFO, ALLSPORTS.COM
c. IBRAHIM RIDWAN ASANTE, JOY SPORTS
d. FIIFI ANAMAN-GOAL.COM

19. BEST REPORTER (TV)-
a. THIERRY NYANN, VIASAT 1
b. ROMEO ODURO, UTV
c. THEOPHILUS SAMPAH, GTV
d. MICHAEL OTI ADJEI, TV3

20. BEST SCHOOL SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR-
a. SPRITE
b. DYNAMITE ENERGY DRINK
c. DPS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
d. ACCRA POLYTECHNIC

21. BEST TEAM-
a. GOLDEN RACKETS (TENNIS)
b. BLACK QUEENS (SOCCER)
c. BLACK PRINCESSES (SOCCER)
d. BLACK SPIKES (ATHLETICS)

22. BEST SPONSOR-
a. GN BANK
b. GLICO GROUP
c. UNIBANK GHANA
d. GHANA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION

23. BEST SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR-
a. KWASI NYANTAKYI, GHANA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
b. JUSTIC YAO OBIMPEH, GHANA TENNIS FEDERATION
c. HON MUSTAPHA AHMED, MINISTRY OF YOUTH & SPORTS

24. BEST SPORTS BRAND-
a. PUMA
b. ADIDAS
c. BABOLAT
d. NIKE

24. UNSUNG HERO-
a. JOSEPH DODOO, BURY FC
b. JEFFEREY SCHLUPP, LEICESTER CITY

PENSA LAUNCHES FIRST MOBILE APP ON UCC CAMPUS

 

 

 

Sunday 13^th December, 2015 marked a remarkable day in the history of Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) UCC as its Mobile Application was officially launched. The App which was developed by the Media and Publicity Committee (formerly IT Department) of PENSA UCC under the leadership of Mr. Daniel Owusu Ansah became necessary in order to meet the pressing informational needs of members. Speaking at the event Bro Daniel Owusu Ansah said the more one is informed, the less ignorant and aggressive he/she becomes. He added that in our generation where one is exposed to various forms of information, it normally becomes problematic as one finds it difficult in getting the right information from the right source and at the right time. Members of the church often get misinformed about the church policies, its doctrines and information on leadership and membership. He said PENSA membership is made up of Pentecost Students (COP members) and Associates (Non COP members) and there is therefore the need to ensure that members are always informed on the various doctrinal practices of the church in order for members to act accordingly. As a level 400 student seeing the problem members’ face with regards to either lack of information or incomplete information, he thought it wise the need to develop a platform where members can interact, get informed and be addressed on pertinent issues with regards to the church.  The purpose of the App is to bridge members closer to God, leadership of the church and also to serve as a platform where members can interact with each other.  He enlighten members on the following features embedded in the App:

DAILIES

With the dailies, alert messages will be sent to users. Some  of its contents include Daily devotions, health tips, computer tips, motivational, success and daily news.

NOTICES

This feature reminds members on pending activities such as  Bethel (a half night prayer meeting organised during the Lord’s Supper week), PENSA Ghana Conference and many others including bus arrangements  for crusades, programs and before and after service

WINGS

This feature has all the wings in PENSA-UCC such as Fountain of Joy (FOJ), Organising, Bible Studies, Prayer Force and Evangelism. In each wing, an individual will see the entire membership list and will also get the chance to either join or unjoin the wing. There are picture galleries of each wing which will be updated from time to time and also all announcements of the wing shall be posted there for its members to view. Members will also get the chance to save, share or even email the wing icons or pictures to others. There is a home button on top of each wing’s page where people can click and read in order to get to know the roles played by the wing as well as their main activities.  

 WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND

 This feature contains a platform where challenging questions will be posted for resourceful persons to give answers and all members will be allowed to also comment. This we believe will help remove uncertainties from our minds and help in our spiritual upbringing.  

CONSTITUTION

 You can also have access and be acquainted with the church’s constitution  

SONGS

You have access to the Pentecostal song lyrics

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK AND CHURCH TODAY WHICH WE PAUSED FOR A WHILE (due to an urgent reason) ARE ALSO BACK AND THEY HAVE COME TO STAY.

EXECUTIVES

The app also gives you access to our leaders (The Executives of PENSA UCC) , their pictures,  contacts, our  travelling secretary,  the executives of the church of Pentecost, and all the LCC members. All these will be made available although we will be updating the servers from time to time.

In conclusion he said it is better off to get valid information than to be misinformed and be left to wallow in your thought because the word of God says “'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6 - KJV)  This means that, information or knowledge about something  is one of the most essential tools in every individual's life.

The App is now available on Google Play Store. Click below to download https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pensaucc.owatech

BY:EraGH

I HAVE NOT BROKEN ANY WOMAN’S HEART – JUPITAR

Dancehall act Jupitar says though he cannot give his 100% love to a woman, he has not broken any woman’s heart.

He said this in an interview with Joy news.

“I’ve never broken any heart. I have been in only one relationship all my life.”

Jupitar revealed he is not in any relationship yet because he has chosen to enjoy his single life for now.

“I’ve not seen anybody at the moment.I’m just me now because I think I should be me for now,” he said.



Jupitar’s love for music goes as far back as 15yrs ago but he decided to pursue his music aspirations in 2010.

He quickly became a household name and gained respect and recognition among his peers which led to collaborations with Tinny, Trigmatic, Eazzy, Samini etc.
by: EraGH

MALE THIEF CAUGHT AT “FELT” CLAIMS HE IS AN ADEHYE HALLER

It’s so pathetic how thieves have taken over the University of Cape Coast. It gets rather funny when they don’t do their research well and get caught.
A thief was caught at the Faculty of Education Lecture Theatre (FELT) during the early hours of today around 4:35am. He posed as a student with a bag at his back pretending to study at FELT.
He stole a phone and was on to another but luck eluded him and was caught by our conscious Vigilante at FELT. Upon questioning, he said he was an Oguaa haller but when a student denied knowing him, he said he was an Adehye(Only female hall in UCC) haller.
A man being an Adehye haller was really suspicious(he obviously didn’t do his survey well) and so this utterance attracted beatings from the students.
I suggest that we all be vigilant in these last days.

KENDRICK LAMAR LEADS GRAMMY NOMINATIONS WITH 11 NODS

Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd were among the artists nominated for the Grammys’ biggest awards as all three artists earned Album of the Year noms. Swift also locked up nominations in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories thanks to “Blank Space,” while Lamar’s “Alright” earned a Song of the Year nod and the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” scored a Record of the Year nomination. The 58th annual Grammy Awards will air February 15th on CBS.
Swift’s 1989, Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and the Weeknd’sBeauty Behind the Madness will face Chris Stapleton’s CMA Awards-dominating Traveller as well as Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color in the Album of the Year category.
In the Song of the Year category, Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” and Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” will challenge “Blank Space” and “Alright.” “Thinking Out Loud” and “Blank Space” reappear in the Record of the Year category alongside “Can’t Feel My Face,” Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s “Really Love.”
In the Best New Artist field, Courtney Barnett, Meghan Trainor and Tori Kelly will face off against Sam Hunt and James Bay for the award. Sam Smith won the award this year as part of a huge Grammy night that ended with the British singer taking home six Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Stay With Me.” Beck’s Morning Phase was the surprise recipient of Best New Album.
Although Swift’s “Shake It Up” was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the 2015 ceremony, her1989 was released on October 27th, 2014, outside of the eligibility window for the 57th annual Grammys, making it a frontrunner for the 2016 event.
The Grammy cut-off was September 30th, making Adele’s multi-platinum smash 25 and its debut single “Hello” ineligible for any awards at the February 15th event.
Album of the Year
Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Chris Stapleton – Traveller
Taylor Swift – 1989
The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness
Record of the Year
D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “Really Love”
Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face
Song of the Year
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Little Big Town – “Girl Crush”
Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Best New Artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
The Rolling Stone

DRAKE’S MEEK MILL DISS SONG EARNS GRAMMY NOMINATION

Drake’s official Meek Mill diss song ‘Back To Back’ has been nominated for a Grammy Award. The song is in the ‘Best Rap Performance’ category.
Drake released the song after Meek Mill accused him of not writing his own lyrics.

Drake might be in the running for five Grammys, but it’s his entry in one race that has elicited the most buzz.
The Canadian rapper-singer landed two nominations in rap performance: “Truffle Butter,” the Nicki Minaj house banger that he guested on, and his own track, “Back to Back.”
Released in the middle of summer, “Back to Back” wasn’t a radio promo single or an album track. Instead, it’s a diss track aimed at Meek Mill, who dared to push the superstar into a corner. “Back to Back,” one of two tracks released at the height of his summer beef with the Philly emcee, came after some pretty serious allegations that Drake employs a ghostwriter for his lyrics, which is the most serious indictment you can lob at a rapper.
After being blasted on a Twitter rant that spawned speculation into the rapper’s entire discography, Drake opted for an old-school approach: He penned a great diss record, and two of them at that.
While diss records have long been part of rap tradition, Drake’s release via Apple Music – part of a high-profile deal he struck with the streaming service – allowed him to flex more than biting lyrics. Recording a track that sends fans of your opponent on the defensive puts points on the scoreboard. But having the biggest digital music retailer release your track and feature it prominently on its service is a game-ender.
Beyond the diss record, a few of Drake’s other nominations also reward the new, Apple-boosted approach he took to releasing music this year.
In February, he quietly released “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” on iTunes. The 17-song mixtape was sold in a year when fans were already expecting a full length from the performer, and that didn’t keep it from becoming an instant smash.
It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was the first album from 2015 to cross the million sales mark, according to Nielsen Music. In April, months after its digital release, it received a physical release. One of the project’s standout cuts, the anthemic “Energy,” landed a surprise nod for rap song as the performer’s latest ear worm, “Hotline Bling,” owns the zeitgeist.
“Hotline Bling” follows “Back to Back” and “Charged Up” as a non-album single that was pushed out to Apple Music.
Maybe Drake will lean toward tradition and smartly do a “Hotline Bling” remix with Adele for “Views” and hit the Grammys back to back.

KANYE WEST AND KIM WELCOMES NEW BABY

According to reports, Kim gave birth to a boy early Saturday morning, which is about 3 weeks before her due date on Christmas Day. The big news was announced on Kim’s website saying, “Mother and son are doing well.”
No word yet on what Kim and Kanye have named the baby boy. There’s no idea as to what name they’ll give their new prince.
Congrats Kimye!

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR SKIN HYDRATED DURING THE HARMATTAN

Harmattan period is usually associated with low humidity which simply means there is very little amount of water in the atmosphere compared to other seasons of the year. As a result the weather appears harsh to our Hair and Skin.
The good news is we can follow this few steps to keep our skin fresh and moisturized.
Body Skin…
* Like your face use mild moisturizing soap or body bath creams.
* Invest in body oil to retain moisture on the skin after bath. Do not completely dry your skin after shower; about 10% of moisture is retained if you apply on damp skin. You can pour few drops of oil into water before bath if you prefer.
* Apply your moisturizing cream or lotion all over your body including your under feet. Hydrating creams and lotion are best for all skin types this season.
* Apply hand cream during the day and night before going to bed. Invest in a hand cream if you don’t have one.
* Applying nail polish can help protect nails from excessive drying and hardening.
Your Face…
* Use mild soaps (even if you have oily or combination skin) to wash your face as harsh soaps and cleansing bars will remove all the oil on your face.
* Stop the use of face facial cleansers and toners that contain alcohol or astringents. Use only mild facial cleansers and toners. Facial cleansers and toners with a neutral PH of 5.5 are best.
* Always moisturize your face after cleansing (even if you have oily or combination skin).
* Remember to invest in a lip balm, lip salve or lip gloss. Always moisturize your lips before going to bed.
* LADIES: Always apply lip balm or lip salve before lipstick and if you prefer lip gloss apply after lipstick.
* GUYS: Well kept lips makes you appear groomed. So invest in a lip balm or lip salve for a non glossy moisturized lip.
Your Hair…
* Wash hair with shampoo and conditioner as usual.
* Don’t dry hair completely to retain some moisture in hair.
* Apply hair oil, pink oils, lotions and creams to hair daily or every other day depending on hair type and severity of the weather
* Avoid using hair sprits, gels and strong hair hold. Mild styling mousse can be used for styling in their stead.
* Use hair sprays to add shine to your hair.
* Scarves and hats are amazing accessories that can be use to protect hair and still be fashionable.
Use this tips during this dry season and your skin will appear fresher and moisturized all day, every day.
Harmattan is usually the coldest season of the year. Harmattan is an extremely dry dusty wind that blows towards the western coast of Africa from the Sahara desert, during the months December to March.
by: EraGH

MTV AND FETTY WAP

MTV is out with its list of 2015’s top musical artists, and Adele only made it to No. 7 despite selling more than twice as many albums as anyone else this year.
Fetty Wap, whose songs “Trap Queen” and “My Way” established him as a rapper to watch, was named top artist. Drake’s booty call groove, “Hotline Bling,” was chosen by the network’s staff as the best song of the year.
Besides Fetty Wap, MTV judged Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Kendrick Lamar above Adele for best artist. Adele sold nearly 4.5 million copies of her new album, “25,” in the U.S. in just two weeks. The No. 2 album in sales, Swift’s “1984,” has sold just under 1.8 million copies for all of 2015, the Nielsen company said.
Related Stories
Kendrick the King: Rapper leads Grammys with 11 nominations
Adele’s ’25’ breaks record for single-week album sales
“There’s a strong argument that (Adele) could be No. 1 and we welcome that back-and-forth,” said Eric Ditzian, MTV’s senior news director. “We wanted to take into context all of 2015.”
Adele’s new disc was released Nov. 20, with the “Hello” single out a month earlier.
Besides sales, MTV considers streams, impact on pop culture and an artist’s contact with fans through social media in its decision. Adele is relatively low key in social media and, thus far, hasn’t made songs from “25” available for streaming through sources like Spotify.
Fetty Wap “just absolutely came out of nowhere and blew us away,” Ditzian said. MTV is impressed with how the rapper, born Willie Maxwell in Paterson, New Jersey, wasn’t held back by a disability. Fetty Wap lost his left eye to glaucoma as a youngster.
Adele’s “Hello” was everywhere for the past month, but ranked No. 2 to Drake for best song. “Hotline Bling” was “inescapable in a very good way,” Ditzian said.
Rounding out MTV’s Top Five best songs were “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd, Lamar’s “Alright” and “Shut Up & Dance” by Walk the Moon.
MTV said the best movies of 2015 were “Furious 7,” “Straight Outta Compton” and “Dope.”
Gigi Gorgeous was MTV’s first-ever social media star of the year.
by: EraGH

Nicki Minaj turns 33: Controversies, hot photos, best songs to celebrate ‘Anaconda’ singer’s birthday

Nicki Minaj celebrates her 33rd birthday on 8 December, 2015 (Tuesday). The American songwriter and rapper, best known for her hits like “Starships” and “Anaconda”, has never let anything overshadow her confidence. Be it a wardrobe malfunction or a social media spat, Nicki has always managed overcome all of it with some brilliant music she makes.
Nonetheless, it looks like Nicki Minaj loves controversy, and drama just follows her everywhere. Most recently, she has been in the news after her brother got arrested on child rape charges and before that for getting involved in a feud between her beau Meek Mill and Drake.
On her birthday, we thought of taking a look back at some of the most controversial moments of Nicki Minaj’s life.
2010: Minaj stirred a huge controversy when she pulled the biggest prank by announcing she had married rapper Drake in a secret ceremony.
August 2011: Minaj’s breasts slipped out from her low-cut top during a performance on “Good Morning America”.
2012: She managed to irk various Catholic groups when she walked down the red carpet at the Grammys dressed as the Pope. And to add to this, she even performed exorcism of her alter ego during the show.
2015: Minaj got into a feud with Miley Cyrus after she tweeted that the music industry is out for praising white performers over their black peers. Cyrus, who hosted this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, dismissed the remarks as “not polite”, leading to an awkward showdown at the awards show.
2015: Nicki Minaj’s wax model at Madame Tussaude, inspired by her very famous posture from her “Anaconda” video, was violated by many visitors, and many even posted some racy pictures with the “bootylicious” statue all over the Internet.
Well, so much for the controversies, but the rapper has always made headlines for her Instagram photos as well

BY: EraGH

President Barack Obama’s Favorite Song Of 2015 Is By Kendrick Lamar

The First Lady says her favorite song is “Uptown Funk.”

President Barack Obama named Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost” from To Pimp a Butterfly as his favorite song of 2015 in an interview with People.
First lady Michelle Obama chose Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” as her cut of the year.
The president’s favorite book and movie are Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff and The Martian starring Matt Damon, respectively. His wife’s selections are Elizabeth Alexander’s memoir, The Light of the World, and the animated film Inside Out.
President Obama has received support from Kanye West, Jay Z, Beyonce and others during his time in office.
by: EraGH

Drake Named Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year

Fetty Wap is given the title of Top New Artist.

Announcing its year-end report, Billboard names Drake the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year.
The Toronto rapper enjoyed commercial success this year with the surprise release of If Youre Reading This Its Too Late and a slew of singles.
Billboard awards Fetty Wap the title of Top New Artist. The Paterson, New Jersey act finishes the year with “Trap Queen” as the #2 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song with “679” finishing at #7. Fetty Wap finishes as the third-best R&B/Hip-Hop Artist behind The Weeknd.
The publication tabulated sales numbers from December 6, 2014 to November 28,
BY:EraGH

Ice Cube Addresses Accuracy Of “Straight Outta Compton”

Ice Cube Addresses Accuracy Of “Straight Outta Compton”
Ice Cube speaks on rappers using “escapism rap” as a crutch.
During a newly-released interview with Variety, actor/rapper Ice Cube was asked about the “We got something to say” mantra featured in Straight Outta Compton, and whether or not Hip Hop still has something to say after all these years.
According to Cube, Hip Hop artists today have become caught up in what he referred to as “escapism rap.” He added that rappers “have taken the easy way out” by resorting to escapism rap.
“I think it’s always going to have the potential to have something to say,” Ice Cube said. “It’s really up to the artists. The ‘something to say’ has been really kind of drained out of hip-hop. It started to lose its steam in about ’93 and escapism rap became the top dog. When I say ‘escapism rap,’ I mean talking about weed, getting high, cars, women, jewelry, money — a whole bunch of excess. Don’t worry about your real problems, just go to the strip club and smoke them away. So that started to take over and we ain’t really came out of that, because all that stuff is fun. It’s cool to do. There ain’t no struggle in it. It ain’t hard. Anybody can do it. So I think hip-hop heads have taken the easy way out.”
Towards the end of the interview, Ice Cube was asked if Straight Outta Compton could have been more honest, given that the movie didn’t touch on Dr. Dre’s alleged assault on journalist Dee Barnes, and other notable events in the history of N.W.A.
In response to the question, the rapper touched on the inability to fit everyone’s story in such a short amount of time.
“I believe trying to put 10 years or more into two-and-a-half hours, there’s no way in the world you’re going to be able to tell everybody’s story,” he said. “I didn’t put this together by myself. I put this together with the blessing of [MC] Ren, [DJ] Yella, Easy[-E]’s widow Tomica [Woods], Dr. Dre — and Gary wasn’t going to just take my version of what happened. He did his own research and his own interviews. So to me, the movie is an accurate account of N.W.A, the rise and fall of the group. I’m pretty sure you can probably make nine, 10 different versions of the N.W.A movie. They’ve done about seven Elvis movies. So I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of different versions of what this movie could have been, and everybody is more than welcome to have a crack at it. But to me, we put together the best N.W.A movie that’s ever going to be put together, and if we left some people out, we left some stories out, there’s just too much to tell in two hours and 20 minutes.”
by: EraGH

Kanye West Details How Drake’s Success Helped Him

• EraGH
• 1h ago

Kanye West spoke to Oxford Guild Society.

Kanye West spoke with the Oxford Guild Society in March, and the video of his presentation was released yesterday (December 7).
In his speech, West discusses his personal inspirations and details the importance of collaboration.
“One of my biggest problems, one of my biggest Achille’s heels has been my ego,” the rapper says to the audience. “And if I, Kanye West, the very person, can remove my ego, I think there’s hope for everyone.”
He says that Drake is someone who helped him readjust his way of thinking.
“I think that that’s been a progression of mind with the advent of a human being named Drake,” West says. “You know, this idea of holding onto a #1 spot. And then you get this guy that comes and blows out the water every #1 of any band ever. Be it me or Paul McCartney. And at the point, you know, when you’ve lost the idea of holding onto that concept, you can leave the mountaintop finally, and walk down, and readjust, and see what your position on earth can be.”
The Toronto rapper passed The Beatles last year and now has the eighth-most for the eighth-most songs of all time on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. In March, he tied the group’s record for most singles charting at a time with 14. Drake has now had 100 songs that have reached the chart.
Kanye West won Best Rap Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The next year, Drake took home the award with Take Care.
West says that his transformation is evident on his 2013 album, Yeezus, and that he has found a clear sense of purpose.
“I’ve had all of these mixed emotions, mixed feelings, based off you know, bigotries, walls, perceptions that I’ve had to deal with,” West continues. “Ones that drove me to titles like ‘Black Skinhead’ or ‘I Am A God.’ Now I understand that I’m a servant. And with my voice, and with the information and my ability to build relationships with amazing people, speak to amazing people.”
by: EraGH