CMT Artists of the Year

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There’s been a lot of talk over the last – oh, let’s say two decades or so, about how women in country music are not being fairly represented on the radio. “Women don’t want to hear women,” we’re told over and over, even though there’s lots of evidence that it isn’t true.

That’s why it was so important for CMT to recognize some of them in its annual Artists of the Year special – all of the honorees were women. Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, and Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild were recognized for their contributions to the format, and Loretta Lynn was given the Artist of a Lifetime award.

In her acceptance speech, Miranda talked about the importance of women lifting each other up.

Hillary, who accepted her award from her Lady A bandmates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, talked about teaching her girls about chasing their dreams. (And this is how I also found out I’ve been pronouncing her daughter Eisele’s name wrong)

Maren’s speech started with the disbelief that Sheryl Crow handed her the award, and how inspired she is by her fellow honorees.

Kelsea talked about the gift of the women who’ve inspired and taught her who have also shared their stages with her and helped her, and the importance of supporting one another.

Little Big Town’s Jimi and Phillip were the ones to give awards their bandmates Karen and Kimberly, who promised to be Gladys Knight’s backup singers in heaven. And they talked about how important this night was for women, and listed a LOT of the up-and-coming women in country music who also deserve support.

Sadly, Loretta Lynn was sick and couldn’t make it to the show, but her good friend Sissy Spacek, who played her in Coal Miner’s Daughter, and who was already set to do the honors, accepted the award on her behalf, and to a standing ovation.

If you missed the show, it will air again on CMT, or you can watch the whole thing on their website. It’s worth the time – these women rock (in a country way)!

Pardi Fontaine Celebrates Path To Success At BET Hip-Hop Awards

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Pardi’s party with Cardi. Newburgh, NY’s own Pardison Fontaine made his stage performance last night at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in grand fashion, joining collaborator/superstar Cardi B to perform their new single “Backin’ It Up."

Fontaine collaborated heavily via his pen on Cardi’s "Invasion Of Privacy," and the two are carrying the momentum over on Pardison’s club banger.

“Sleeping in the studio, sleeping on the couch,” Pardi reminisced on the BET green carpet award show in Miami. “I’m out here. 10 million views later. On the carpet. I made it to the carpet.”

And on that carpet, Fontaine ran into fellow New Yorkers, Dream Doll and producer/ DJ/ label CEO DJ Self. Dream has aspirations of getting from the carpet to the stage to collect some awards.

“I ain’t gonna know how to act. Turn the f--k up!l" Dream said of her reaction whenever she earns her first award. “Live my best life.”

Dream isn’t nominated this year but she did just drop her project Life in Plastic 2.

Fontaine did hit that stage, though, joining a long list of fan favorite performers at this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards, including T.I., Lil Duval, Lil Pump, Lil Baby, Gunna, Gucci Mane and Young M.A.

Nick Grant’s Cypher Steals The Show At The BET Hip-Hop Awards

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People are still talking about Nick Grant’s rhymes from the Bet Hip-Hop Awards last night. Grant, who’s known as a lyrical-specialist, threw verbal fire at the screen professing “I'm a mixture of good karma and bad advice.” And later he declared “I'm just realer than n****s I admire.”

On the green carpet, Grant spoke about his drive to contribute music to the culture.

“I just learn from the greats,” he offered. “I'm cut from a certain cloth where people would record 10 songs in one night. Passionate, havng the love for it.  I feel like if I didn’t make any money off this, I would still this do this. I would work my nine to five and come home and still write raps.”

Many of the MCs who inspire Grant dropped albums this year. The young poet is excited to see so many veterans such as Eminem and Lil Wayne all put out product in the same year. When asked who delivered the best word play this year, he gave us his list.

“My top Five lyricist 2018, myself, Royce Da 5’9. Nas, Jay-Z of course. J. Cole... I’m just going off of everybody who dropped albums. My top five albums of 2018, Nasir, Daytona, the Pusha T album was dope. KOD of course. I was very huge on this August Green album. I thought that was incredible and my album, 'Dreamin’ Out Loud.'"

The Award show included a slew of hot performances, including Lil Duval, Ball Greezy, T.I., Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, Cardi B, Partison Fontaine and newcomer Flipp Dinero. Lil Wayne was honored with the “I Am Hip-Hop” award.

“This is somebody that taught me how to write raps different ways,” Grant, a South Carolina native, said about Weezy’s influence on a generation of rappers. “Somebody that inspired me infinitely. Everything we see today with all these artist, he a piece of everything. He deserves it.”

Woodstock is BACK!

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Surely, the 1969 was a year of numerous historical moments, but for music fans that year holds unique significance of the year of Woodstock. An event like no other, the Woodstock stage was graced by legends like Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Santana, and others who performed in front of over 400,000 fans. Those who got to witness the event will tell you that nothing like this could ever happen again… and if they may also tell you that it was a crazy production and took years to turn a profit.
 
It’s true, for such a monumental event, it left some investors feeling robbed. With all the lost money put into it and the location not being optimal, they decided to shelve Woodstock. After over two decades, they tried it again for the 25th anniversary in 1994. The lineup was adjusted to fit the times, bringing in alternative, hip hop, and metal to create the perfect blend for what the festival needed at the time. Plus the thought of Metallica leading into Crosby, Stills, & Nash then to Rollins Band makes me wish I was there to watch the polarized reactions of concert goers. The 1994 edition was successful enough that the producers decided to bring it back again, but this time sooner.
 
Well that is exactly what they did for the 30th anniversary of Woodstock 99’. This one would also be called, “the one that killed Woodstock.”

To tell you every detail that lead to this title would take a while, so here is a list to help!
 
- Oppressive heat that reached over 100 °F
- Increased prices for food and drinks to alarming degrees
- Restroom facilities were limited and unusable, with a septic line backed up to boot.
- Music artists were frustrated and let the audience know
- Music artists inciting frustrated audience to get even more angry
- Trash littered everywhere
- Bonfires became out of control
- People began to loot
- Low security to stop the looting
- Someone died
 
Look, at that point I don’t care how many Nu-Metal bands were there, that festival seemed to crazy… even for me. After the festival, the investors shelved Woodstock again, hoping to forget that it even happened. At that time, I remember my friend telling me that “Woodstock is dead forever, my dude” and I believed him. With such bad press and the rise of various other music festivals, I thought Woodstock would just become a name synonymous with being the best and also the worst festival ever. But, just when you think it’s dead, the current rights holders seem to think the time is right to give Woodstock one more try in 2019 for its 50th birthday.
 
Live Nation is partnering with the historic site of the original festival, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, and agency Invnt to revitalize Woodstock in a world of festival madness. The date of the festival is currently being set for August 16th to the 18th. Only time will tell if I get a chance to experience this rebooted event spectacular, but I'm going to get myself in the mood early by sharing what I consider  the best thing to come out of Woodstock 99’ for me. I am of course, talking about Korn performing “Freak on a Leash.” Let’s see what Woodstock 2019 has to bring!