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B-Sides Report for 10/14/2015



Former N.W.A. Manager Blames Suge Knight For Tupac's Death

(Radio.com) Former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller lays the blame for Tupac Shakur's murder squarely former CEO and co-founder of Death Row Records Suge Knight in a recent interview with SMASHD.

When Heller was asked directly "Do you think Suge put the hit out on Tupac?" he answers definitively. "He [Knight] absolutely did. Unquestionably put the hit on him [Tupac]," Heller said. "Pulled Tupac in front of him, that's how he got the glass in his head. You don't think the cops could have solved this if they wanted to?'

He also has harsh words for Ice Cube, who accused Heller of ripping him off on the track "No Vaseline." He said, "He's [Cube] taken a lot of beatings since--in the streets--guys rip off his chain, whatever they want. I would never do business with him again. Those lyrics he wrote: 'How can you be a n-- for life crew with a white Jew telling you what to do? I want to shoot that Jew in the temple'" Read more here.

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Tim McGraw Releases 'Damn Country Music' Music Video

(Radio.com) Tim McGraw has released the music video for the title track to his forthcoming new album "Damn Country Music," which is set to hit stores on November 6th.

Shot in black and white, the video pieces together behind the scenes footage as McGraw's crew readies the stage for a performance. The camera goes backstage and around the venue's grounds, showing crew, band members and fans wearing white t-shirts with bits and pieces of the song's lyrics on them. McGraw himself dons the line, "Believe me I know."

In an exclusive Facebook Q&A, McGraw shared that his favorite tune off the new album is "Humble and Kind," and his next star duet is with his 18-year-old daughter Gracie, who sings with him on the album's first song, "Here Tonight."

Watch the video here.

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Hunter Hayes Announces The 21 Project Release and Tour

Hunter Hayes will be giving fans a unique insight into the evolution of his songs with the release of "The 21 Project" next month and the country star has announced a special tour in support of the release.

"The 21 Project" is set to be released on November 6th and will feature three discs showcasing various stages for seven songs. One disc will feature the tracks performed acoustically, while the second disc will feature studio versions of the songs and the final disc will feature live performances of songs.

The country star will be supporting the release by launching a special 9-date tour which he routed with the help of Spotify. The trek will kick off on October 22nd in Cullowhee, N.C. and includes stops at universities in Ohio, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and Oklahoma. See the tour dates and the project's tracklisting here.

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George Strait Score No. 1 Hit With 'Cold Beer Conversation'

Country music star George Strait has once again headed straight to No. 1 with his latest album "Cold Beer Conversation", which has topped both the Soundscan and Billboard country albums charts.

"Cold Beer Conversation" earned Strait his 26th country chart topping album. The effort has sold over 112,000 copies since it was released on September 25th by MCA Nashville.

Strait is gearing up for a busy 2016 with the launch of his Las Vegas residency concert series. The six announced shows for "Strait to Vegas", featuring support from Kacey Musgraves, have already sold out but more dates are expected to be added soon due to high demand.

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One Direction Bassist Sandy Beales Reveals 'Blind Sea' With Drull

(Radio.com) One Direction bassist Sandy Beales has revealed the first single of his collaboration with New York City duo Drull. The track, called "Blind Sea," is now streaming online.

Beales has received lots of recognition on social media since he started working with One Direction. One of his first projects outside 1D is working with Drull. They've already crafted about ten songs.

Beales recently shared his collaboration with Drull on his Twitter in late 2014. He wrote, "Very excited to announce I will be appearing on the debut album of @DrullMusic in 2015. It's shaping up to be amazing. Watch this space." Fans also have to thank the internet for bringing Beales and Drull together. Beales met Drull members, Elijah Amant and Sadot White in an email exchange when Amant was handling the publicity for Wheatus' single "Only You," which Sandy Beales was featured on.

Of his work with Drull, Beales said, "As far as my role in Drull X Sandy Beales goes, I have recorded my parts of the album over 4 or 5 continents, probably 10-15 different countries, so each song for me has a special relation to the place I was touring at the time."

The first single "Blind Sea" has a moody sound comprised of vocals from Drull and Beales doing his thing on the bass. Stream it here.

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Lady Gaga Goes Behind The Scenes Of 'Til It Happens To You'

(Radio.com) Lady Gaga's "Til it Happens to You" creators have released a behind-the-scenes clip that offer an inside look at the song and the powerful video that was designed to raise awareness about sexual assault and empowered survivors.

The song was written for the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, about campus assaults and how the victims suffer as a result. A behind-the-scenes look at the video, on Billboard, gives more insight into the motive and more. It reveals something more than a music video and song, but a passion project for all involved. "I thought this has to change," says director Catherine Hardwicke. I wanted to be a part of the change."

"As the song builds she's getting pissed off, says song co-writer Diane Warren. "The end of the video they're all proud and walking out arm in arm and they are vulnerable and yet defiant. and those notes, she hits at the end."

Actor Harvey Guillen, who plays one of the attackers in the video, offered his take on the character he portrays. "I usually don't play an attacker, I'm usually the best friend or the funny guy," he says. "I talked to Catherine [Hardwicke] and her approach was really interesting. She said, I want to put a human face on the attacker to show it can be anybody'Something happens when this friend that you trusted and let into your is forcing themselves on you."

Check out the BTS "Til it Happens to You" clip here.

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Ty Dolla Sign Releases New 'Airplane Mode' Mixtape

(Radio.com) Ty Dolla $ign released his new mixtape "Airplane Mode" on Tuesday after the Los Angeles rapper shared the title track from the release with fans on Monday (October 12).

The new tape features production from Sonny Digital, Mike Will Made It, Southside, and DJ Mustard. The Los Angeles rapper's long awaited official debut album Free TC is out November 13th.

That album will include Dolla's current DJ Spinz produced hit 'Blase" which features Future & Rae Sremmurd. Stream or download the new Airplane Mode mixtape here.

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DNCE Announce 'SWAAY' EP and Preview 'Cake By the Ocean' Video

(Radio.com) Joe Jonas is hard at work on new music with his new band DNCE and they just released a teaser clip from their upcoming video "Cake By the Ocean" and revealed release plans for a new EP.

The clip shows the band performing at a food fight on the beach. There are a bevy of beautiful women throwing cake at each other in various competitions.

Men, some clad only in speedos and pom poms, cheer the women on as things get messy quickly. The full video is scheduled to debut on October 16th.

Joe Jonas and company have also announced they would be releasing an EP titled SWAAY on October 23. Check out the teaser clip for "Cake By the Ocean" here.

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Phil Vassar Unplugs For Fan Focused 'She's On Her Way' Video

(Webster) Phil Vassar showcased his loyal fans in the new music video for an acoustic version "She's On Her Way." The new clip was directed by Rob Chianelli and we were sent the following details:

The video shows Vassar singing "She's On Her Way" in his home studio covered in fan photos from floor-to-ceiling. The clip intertwines momentous moments submitted by his fans, like birthdays, proposals and weddings, while Vassar shows off his accentuated vocal runs.

"It is so cool how so many of our fans got involved in this project," said Vassar. "We really love our fans and this was a great way to let them be a part of this project."

A fan favorite during his current #noPHILter tour, "She's On Her Way," penned by Vassar, Kim Nichols and Jeff Outlaw, was originally released on Vassar's 2009 album Traveling Circus.

"I've always loved the song 'She's On Her Way,'" said Vassar. "Me and my co-writers Kim Nichols, and Jeff Outlaw were hanging out one day talking about our kids. The more we talked and I thought about my own 2 daughters, Haley and Presley, we really got inspired. But, I have to admit, it was the most emotional I have ever been writing a song. I was all torn up before, during, and after. Even today when I hear the song, it still touches a chord in me. Over the years, fans would tell us how much the song meant to them and how they used it at their wedding. So, we thought we would say thanks to them and do a fan driven video." Watch the video here.

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Big K.R.I.T. Plans To Release New Music Very Soon

(Radio.com) Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. revealed in a new interview conducted during the taping of the BET Hip-Hop Awards this past weekend (Oct. 10) in Atlanta that he has plans to release new music very soon.

K.R.I.T. made the revelation to Hot New Hip-Hop. The new project is meant to give him more material to perform on his forthcoming "Critically Acclaimed" tour, which starts later this October.

Big KRIT shared his enthusiasm about the project, "I been producing for myself a lot, lately. I got a new project coming out for the people. It's gon' be out very soon. Like very soon." Read more here.

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DJ Khaled Streams New Track Featuring Rick Ross And Future

(Radio.com) DJ Khaled is generating buzz for the release of his album I Changed A Lot by dropping singles left and right and on Tuesday he delivered another new track titled "I Don't Play About My Paper" featuring Future and Rick Ross.

The song, chock full of Khaled's signature frenetic energy, warns people against getting in the way of the trio acquiring more funds in their respective accounts. Ross play it cool like the boss he is, while Future gets intense on the hook.

Future and Rick Ross appear on I Changed A Lot multiple times. Ross has four guest appearances, while Future has five. Other guests on the album include Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Jadakiss, Chris Brown, and more. I Changed A Lot hits retailers on October 23th.

Check out the "I Don't Play About My Paper" here.

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The Oak Ridge Boys Celebrate Dove Award Win For 'Sweet Jesus'

Country music legends The Oak Ridge Boys took home the Country Song of the Year Award for their recently released version of "Sweet Jesus" during the 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards in Nashville on Tuesday, October 13.

The track, featured on The Oak Ridge Boys latest album, "Rock of Ages, Hymns and Gospel Favorites," was originally written by Kenny Vernon and Merle Haggard. The Oak Ridge Boys rendition of the track features a guest appearance from Haggard.

The Oak Ridge Boys Joe Bonsall had the following to say about the group's GMA Dove Award, their tenth overall, "This whole project was magic from day one. We are thankful to Bill Gaither for the opportunity, and thank Ben Isaacs and Duane Allen for their leadership and guidance.

"Thanks also to our hero Merle Haggard, not only for the song, but for recording it with us! And thank you GMA for yet another Dove Award. We are humbled and honored.

"Most of all, our thanks and praise to Sweet Jesus for his constant blessings upon The Oak Ridge Boys. HE garners all of the praise and glory in everything we do."

The acclaimed group will be hitting the road next month to launch their annual Christmas Night Out Tour, which will begin with a three night stand at The Oak Ridge Boys Theatre in Branson, Mo. See the dates here.

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Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley Lead Tortuga Fest Lineup

Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley lead the lineup for the 2016 edition of the Rock The Ocean's Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL next spring.

The three country stars have been announced as the headliners of the festival which will be taking place Friday, April 15, Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17, 2016 at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.

The initial lineup also features Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Randy Houser, Joe Nichols, Chris Janson, " A Thousand Horses, JJ Grey & Mofro, Elle King, iHeartRadio personality Bobby Bones and his comedy band the Raging Idiots, Chase Bryant, Old Dominion and Cam.

Get the latest information on the festival here.

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Ludacris Executive Producing New Marching Band Drama For CBS

(Radio.com) CBS (Radio.com parent) has given the green light for a marching band drama, titled The Down Beat, which will be executive produced by rapper Ludacris.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor and rapper will executive produce the CBS show alongside Ryan Seacrest Productions scripted programming executive VP Nina Wass.

The show is described The Down Beat as "an inspiring story of a former business mogul on a warpath for personal retribution, who is determined to take down two warring gangs in the mean streets of Atlanta by offering possible teen recruits an unlikely refuge: a high school marching band." Read more here.

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Sam Smith Weighs In BBC Music Cuts

(Radio.com) Pop star Sam Smith has voiced his support for a new campaign on behalf of the British Broadcasting Company's (BBC) music division in London on Monday (Oct. 12). The iconic British radio station is under threat from government imposed cuts.

"BBC music is one of the main reasons I am actually here, and where I am in my career," he told BBC News at the Westminster event. "The thought of not having it and not having some of the programs is worrying to me. I'm worried for the new artists and how they'll be heard and if they'll be heard."

Smith was joined by Sandy Shaw, Jake Bugg, and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, who told BBC News, "There is no other radio opportunity for less-known bands."

The British musicians came out to support a UK Music campaign, #LetItBeeb, which opposes possible government cuts to funding to BBC music stations. Read more here.

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Singled Out: King Complex's Made In America

B, the mastermind behind the brand new band King Complex, tells us about their forthcoming single "Made In America", which is set to be released this Friday, October 16th. Here is the story:

A younger version of myself would've been very keen on explaining the exact message I wanted to get across with a song or the specific events that inspired it. These days the idea of spelling out the intentions behind my lyrical content seems a bit dirty. I may write these songs but my views on what they mean changes from day to day so I don't feel qualified to say for sure what they're about. I think I've come to a place as both a producer and consumer where I would rather leave things open for interpretation. With that said, there are other aspects of my single that I'm more than happy to explore and expand upon.

I was excited for this song because it's unlike anything I had written before in a sonic or structural sense. The sonic progression of the song came about very naturally and in the moment. If I had taken the time to think it out and said to myself "Let's do a kind of indie acapella thing, then do a hip hop vibe, straight into a big rock chorus, and then a psychedelic fade out" I don't know that I would've bothered just because of how it sounds on paper. I really liked that it wasn't the lyrics that were constantly changing but rather the mood of the music underneath them. I was infatuated with the idea that identical lyrics could have a completely different effect depending on the musical context they're presented in. In hindsight that was something I really explored throughout the course of this album.

My recollection of the writing process for most of my new songs is a bit hazy to say the least, but if I remember correctly "Made In America" was written and demoed out within a day. The one clear memory I have of this one was when I was working on the intro in the living room of my old place. I knew I wanted to set the tone of the song immediately so I decided I was going to try screaming into the computer microphone to get a really distorted sound. Once all my roommates left I spent half an hour going between screaming into my laptop to laughing hysterically at the dog who was freaking out on the other side of the room.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about King Complex right here!

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