EXCLUSIVE: Kat DeLuna Insists 'Inside Out' Will Be Released This Year

Kat DeLuna insists, Inside Out, her sophomore LP, will be released this year.

“No, no, no, not hopefully, it is!” she quickly replied, correcting my statement that she’d “hopefully” release the album later this year. “We haven’t picked the precise date yet, but looking toward around the summer.”

Some may have been wondering if DeLuna would ever release her second album: the project has gone through multiple years of work, multiple singles… even multiple record labels. The “Whine Up” singer left Epic Records in 2008 for Universal Motown. Since landing at the label, she’s collaborated with label mates Lil Wayne (“Unstoppable”) and Akon (“Push Push”).

DeLuna says the latter track is the official debut single for Inside Out. Produced by David Guetta, Kat created her own “Push Push” dance, which she already taught to Akon. The artist plans on uploading a tutorial to YouTube.

“I love to dance,” she gushed. “It’s funny, when I wake up and I’m getting ready in the morning, like I’m just dancing (while) looking at myself in the mirror.”

Dances have been a common theme in Kat’s singles. The “Whine Up” rose in popularity as the corresponding song shot up the charts. Of course, who could forget Perez Hilton dancing like a fool to “Dance Bailalo” last summer?
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Kat & Ralphie back in Summer '07

Spring '08
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Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, shares Latino heritage with Deluna - he’s Cuban, she’s Dominican. The celebrity blogger jumped on the bandwagon of critics in September 2008 after DeLuna received a chorus of boos following her rendition of the “The Star Spangled Banner” on "Monday Night Football." But, he loved “Dance Bailalo”, and apparently is a fan of her new work.

“He actually heard it a couple of days ago, and he said ‘Smash,’” DeLuna reported of Hilton’s reaction to the song. “He’s been a really good, amazing friend… you know, we can be friends today and I’ll still love him if tomorrow he goes on the other side.”

Hey, in entertainment, you never know – things change quickly and can turn inside out in no time. But don’t bother telling that to Kat – no pun intended – you’d be preaching to the choir.

“It’s a blessing to be able to do what you love every day,” DeLuna said. “With this second album, I’m so excited for my fans… people are going to discover me, again.”

EXCLUSIVE: Matisyahu In Studio!

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After calling in last week, Matisyahu stopped by "The Ralphie Radio Show" to perform a drumless version of the track, "One Day". The remix, featuring Akon, will be showcased by NBC during the 2010 Winter Olympics, which kick off February 12. Matis chatted about his back and forth with Akon for the record, as well as his religion... you may learn something you never knew by listening to this interview!

The remix is available as a bonus track when Light is purchased on iTunes.

EXCLUSIVE: Matisyahu On The Winter Olympics, Akon, And Autotune

Matisyahu grew up playing hockey and cheering on the New York Rangers in White Plains, NY. Little did Matthew Miller know that he would eventually call the theme to a Winter Olympics a song of his own. “One Day” is a track off of his 2009 LP, Light. Now, a remix with rapper Akon will be featured by NBC throughout the 2010 Winter Olympics – which kick off February 12.

“There’s been an offer out from the Canadian (hockey) team,” joked Matisyahu, who called “The Ralphie Radio Show to chat about the track. “I’m trying to decide if I can do it to America.”

Kidding aside, the Hasidic Jewish emcee will be rooting for the U.S. – and will also appear in Vancouver to perform a few shows. Although he doesn’t record or perform with autotune – Matisyahu admits experimenting with it and other vocal effects in the studio. Despite this, he didn’t hesitate to collaborate with Akon.
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“My taste is kind of like, really varied,” he said. “As long as someone is using something tastefully and it’s being done in a way, I can get in to it, even if it’s not something I would necessarily choose to do myself.”

Certainly Matisyahu is no stranger to the mainsteam – his 2006 song, “King Without A Crown” cracked the Top 30 on the Billboard charts. While other artists may attempt to hide themselves from the masses, as to not alienate themselves from the underground – Matisyahu views the balance of the two realms as a challenge.

“For me, it’s about, definitely staying true to the music and not compromise, but at the same time, to be able to kinda make music and create something that people can really relate to,” he said. “Yunno, there’s an art to that, and I don’t really see it as compromise to do something more accessible as much as I see it as, yunno, ‘How do you make one of those songs that’s timeless?’”

An artist who feels it’s more of a challenge than a cop out to create something for both the mainstream and the underground – who knew?

EXCLUSIVE: Shontelle Preps New LP, Thought Rihanna Did "Great" on 20/20

In the days of Web 2.0 – you know you’ve made it when someone attempts to imitate you on Twitter. Bajan singer Shontelle fell a brief victim to an identity thief – or should I say, twief – on Wednesday evening. Coincidently enough, Ms. Layne stopped by The Ralphie Radio Show on the following day.

“This was not the first time,” revealed Shontelle. “We literally had to call the Twitter people and freak out, ‘cause we’ve like, submitted for verification so long ago. I guess it takes a minute, ‘cause there’s so many people they have to verify.”

The impersonator used the Twitter username “ShontelleLayne_”, simply moving the underscore from the real Shontelle’s handle of “Shontelle_Layne.” When Layne looked at the fake account’s timeline, she was shocked to find that this person began “tweeting” at Solange Knowles (singer, Beyoncé’s sister) and Rorrey Fenty (Rihanna’s brother) amongst other people.

As of late Sunday evening, Twitter had yet to verify Shontelle’s account. By “verifying” an account, Twitter places a notification in the upper right corner of the page, so that visitors know the account belongs to the person who they claim to be.

Of course, Layne didn’t need the Twitter incident as a sign that she’s making it in the entertainment industry. Surely opening up for Beyoncé overseas could help that argument. Layne opened for Jay-Z’s husband for about a month on the “I Am…” tour overseas. Shontelle entered the trek with the expectation that she wouldn’t even meet Beyoncé face-to-face, however the headliner proved the opener wrong on that thought.

“I just get this message, ‘Shontelle, go to Beyoncé’s room’” she recalled, noting that immediately she believed that something was wrong. “When I got in there (Beyoncé) was like, ‘No, I just wanted to like, hang out for a bit, because you know, you’ve been on this tour with me, and I haven’t really gotten the chance to tell you thank you for being on the tour, I haven’t really gotten the chance to tell you how talented I think you are.’”

Shontelle's feelings immediately switched from scared to shocked – one of the biggest pop stars in the world went out of her way to pay Layne high compliments on her singing, stage performance… even videos. From the sound of Layne’s recollection, “stunned” may be an understatement.
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Part 1: Twitter, Beyonce, Thanksgiving Day

Part 2: "Licky", Rihanna, New CD

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“I’m like, ‘You’re Beyoncé, why are you telling me this?’” said Shontelle. “Like, is this real? They couldn’t even get me in the room at first… because I was shaking,” she admitted, although Layne insists she wasn’t star struck as much as she was nervous about the meeting’s purpose.

Shontelle also admitted on The Ralphie Radio Show that she’s nervous about an upcoming event – the “T-Shirt” singer will take part in the halftime show in Detroit at the Lions/Packers game on Thanksgiving Sunday. Layne, along with other Universal Motown artists, will perform classic Motown hits in Motown. Shontelle would not divulge which song she is covering.

“If you watched Sister Act 2… you can take a hint from that,” she teased.

In addition to the performance, which will air to a national and international audience on FOX, Shontelle is preparing a new LP. The album is slated for a 2010 release, and Layne will only confirm collaborations with Mr. Hudson and Akon. The first single is a dance infused record called “Licky” – which Layne insists is inspired by desserts.

“Licky” isn’t the only new track from a Bajan artist – as Shontelle’s friend, the aforementioned Rihanna, is back with “Russian Roulette” and “Hard.” A week and a half ago, Rihanna appeared on 20/20 with Diane Sawyer to tell her side of the story. Layne told me that the interview was tough to watch.

“Honestly, it was like watching your little sister do a piano recital for the first time,” she said. “I was nervous. I was a wreck.”

The singer thought her former Cadet partner handled the situation on camera well.

“I thought she did great, actually,” remarked Shontelle. “And she said a lot more than I even thought she was gonna say. I’m really proud of her… I just want, them both really, to grow from this.”

EXCLUSIVE: Colby O'Donis Talks New Music Projects...

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The Grammy-nominated Colby O' checked in to the RRS to give us an update on his next music project...

EXCLUSIVE: Pitbull On David Rush, Touring, J-Lo

He’s the teacher and the student – the leader and the follower. It is this trait that helped Miami born emcee Pitbull reach the top of his game, with back to back top 10 singles, his first LP distributed by a major label, a world tour, and many more cameos on the horizon.

On this particular night, Pitbull, real name Armando Perez, plays the role of teacher. Pitbull provides for his crew, which features your typical litany of managers and stage hands, along with a band and DJ. Pit’s company, Mr. 305 Inc., fronts the money for expenses incurred. The crew chows down on a mix of fried chicken and salad, with a conservative selection of beer, liquor, and soda. In the back of the tour bus, also covered by Pit’s company, where a second flat screen and video game system are stored, I plop down on the leather couch. There, I’m joined by the Miami emcee and another one of his students, David Rush.

“It’s like going to college for free,” described Rush of his jaunt on “The Rebelution Tour” – which bears the name of Pit’s recent release on Mr. 305/RCA. Rush, who is also known as “Young Boss”, wrote and appeared on the club banger, “Go Girl”. Every night of the tour, Rush joins Pit on stage for the track. However unlike most opening acts, the Jersey native sticks around for the entire set.

“I get to learn and experience what not to do, what to do, what works on stage, what doesn’t work on stage, and… you get to study, you get to watch and learn,” said Rush.

Pitbull feels Rush is someone who “knows how to make hit records,” as opposed to just someone who may “stumble over” a hit. But in addition to the creative side, Rush is learning the business aspect of the industry as well – as Pit balances both the demands of his own company and of the record label’s.
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Part 1: "Rebelution Tour", "Ellen", Mr. 305 Inc.

Part 2: Collaborations w/ Akon, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira; New Music

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“I’m out here on my own dime. The label ain’t give me no money for this right here,” revealed Pit. “But to me, I am my biggest investment. Not that the label is treating me bad or anything like that, not at all, they just lettin’ me do what I do.”

What Pit has done is continued and extended the grass roots movement he started in 1997. From the outset, there doesn’t seem to be a magic formula to his success. Pitbull works 24/7 – rarely one to turn down any type of request – whether it’s for an interview, a record cameo, or an autograph. The “on-the-grind” mentality combined with the reliability of the person himself, mixed with a lucky break here and there – has landed Pitbull both street cred and mainstream notoriety, a tough status that only few artists obtain in this day and age.

But after speaking with the emcee, you realize there is one other ingredient to his successful recipe – the hunger and desire to continue to learn. This became evident when I asked Pitbull about his recent collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, who is now releasing music under her alter-ego, “Lola.”

“’Lola’ is what Marc Anthony calls her,” said Pit. “To work with Jennifer Lopez was an honor. Especially someone that’s opened the doors for the Latin’s the way she’s done it in the movie industry, in the music industry. More than anything, I watch them and I learn, yunno? And I’m studying, also.”

The Jennifer Lopez collaboration is just one of many on the way for Mr. 305 himself – also on the docket – tracks with Shakira, Kristinia Debarge, and Janet Jackson. Plus, similar to the Livvi Franc track – you never know what Pit will just hop on.

“Right now I’ve been on tour, since I’m the one funding the bus, I don’t get the studio bus,” he joked. “There’s a lot of riddims out right now, that don’t nobody really know about. I’m about to f*ck ‘em up!”

EXCLUSIVE: David Guetta Prepares 3rd Single, Takes Cues From BEP, Akon

David Guetta may not be releasing One Love in the States until August 25, but that doesn’t mean the French DJ/Producer isn’t already thinking of future singles and possible re-releases of the LP.

“Okay, I give you exclusive,” Guetta said at the end of our interview last week. He called in to The Ralphie Radio Show from a French hotel. Towards the latter part of the conversation, Guetta revealed the existence of a track that will be the third single off of One Love. The song is “Gettin’ Over” – and the original features Chris Willis. The remix, to come later with a holiday re-release of the LP, will also include Fergie and Will.I.Am. of The Black Eyed Peas.

“The Peas were like, ‘Oh, you gotta give (‘Gettin’ Over’) to us.’ I’m like, ‘No, I need that one for my album,’” Guetta explained. “I saw Will again, and he was like, ‘Man this song is too good.’ So it’s Fergie, Chris Willis, and Will.I.Am., and this song is a bomb man!”

It wouldn’t be the first “bomb” created by Guetta and BEP – the man behind, “Love Is Gone” produced The Peas global smash, “I Gotta Feeling.”

“(BEP and I) first made two songs for The Black Eyed Peas album,” said Guetta, who also claims production credits on the track, “Rock That Body” from The E.N.D. “We had so much that we just kept making music even though the album was finished. I’m still making music with Will for nothing, just for fun.”
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Part 1: "I Gotta Feeling", Working w/ The Black Eyed Peas

Part 2: "Sexy Chick" f. Akon, One Love, Exclusive News Re: New BEP Track

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Guetta parlayed his relationships with BEP and Kelly Rowland (vocals on “When Love Takes Over”) in to more cameos from American A-listers on his forthcoming LP. The Peas and Rowland told their friends about the producer, and then artists like Akon, Ne-Yo, and Kid Cudi approached Guetta for tracks. The Frenchman would always respond with a “yes”, on the condition that they appeared on his album as well. The result is a star-studded cast for One Love. Akon is featured on the LP’s second single, “Sexy B*tch.”

“What happened with Akon was not planned,” revealed Guetta. “We just met at a festival, and decided to make music on that night.”

Both were leaving from the show for their respective home countries in the morning. Guetta says that instead of going out to have a drink, they entered the studio, and left with a song that is already taking the global charts by storm. The record will also appear on Akon’s forthcoming album.

Much has come as a delightful surprise to Guetta during this summer-long run of chart-topping hits, but what didn’t was the changing of “Sexy B*tch” in the U.S. and U.K. to “Sexy Chick.” He even learned something thanks to Akon in the process.

“We had a discussion with the record company… and in the U.K., (bitch) is the most offensive word,” said Guetta. “Whereas in America… that’s what I’ve been told by Akon, like, a girl that takes care of herself and knows what she wants.”

Regardless, it’s what the people want: the song already reached the Top 10 in nine different countries, and is on the cusp of Top 20 in the U.S. Maybe taking language cues from Akon isn’t so bad afterall.

JADA w/ Ralphie!

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97 BHT Summer Jam 2009 Artist "Jada" checks in to The Ralphie Radio Show, updating Ralphie on the group's latest whereabouts while creating a to-do list for Saturday's show.

Visit Jada on MySpace & Twitter!

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Jason Miller f. Akon - Sucker For Love

03.16.09 : Jason Miller f. Akon - Sucker For Love
Jason calls up The Ralphie Radio Show!
On The NCAA Brackets, Story Behind The Song:

Working w/ Akon

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Mario/"Rihanna"

02.12.09 : Mario f. Rihanna (Allegedly) - Emergency Room
Read Mario's Statement Regarding This Track Here.
Hear The Original Demo ("Rihanna f. Akon" - Emergency Room) Here.
The woman who wrote/recorded the demo speaks here.

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Rihanna, Fat Joe, Akon, Mraz, Trazz...

02.04.09 : Fat Joe f. Akon - One
02.03.09 : Trazz f. Colby O'Donis - She's On Fire
02.02.09 : Jason Mraz f. Colbie Caillat - Lucky

01.29.09 : Rihanna - Hatin' On The Club
***This track was cut from the rerelease of Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. But why? Written by The Dream, Produced by Tricky Stewart.

EXCLUSIVE: howie from backstreet boys...

Backstreet's Back on Saturday 11/1 at the Wachovia Arena, and Howie told Ralphie what to expect regarding the show and the new CD to be released next year - a Lil Wayne collab?

Part 1: The Tour, The New CD (w/ Ryan Tedder, T-Pain, Akon, & Lil Wayne)

Part 2: Thoughts on the end of MTV's TRL

big news: bsb may team up with t-pain, akon, and weezy for new LP, and howie won't uneqivocally shoot down rumor about members of the group lobbying to viacom execs for TRL to stay on-air.

DAILY DOWNLOAD: exclusive lady gaga...

probably the coolest ish ever... lady gaga/kardinal offishall/akon... a hot track that shouts out both my first and last names as well as my hometown.

10.28.08 : Lady Gaga f. Kardinal Offishall - Just Dance (Ralphie Aversa Remix)

Lady Gaga talks with Ralphie!
On "Just Dance" & the Ralphie Aversa remix

On The Fame and being famous, plus being emo

DAILY DOWNLOAD: new akon, weezy...

Check back every weeknight to listen to Ralphie's "Daily Download" - the one song you should have on your iTunes playlist!

10.09.08 : Akon f. Lil Wayne - I'm So Paid

colby o' on the ralphie radio show!

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Konvict Muzik artist Colby O'Donis checked in to The Ralphie Radio Show from LA to talk about his crazy schedule, Akon, , his song "What You Got" - and his new CD - Colby O - which hits stores tentatively on June 10.

i've never loved listening to t-pain/akon so much...

seriously, how amazing is this?

tonight on the ralphie radio show...

huge show tonight, first at 7:30...

one of the last pairs of tickets for this show on sunday... it's gonna be nuts! then after the gallery of sound top 8 at 8...

speaking of crazy shows, another pair of win 'em before you can buy 'em for crue fest! next up, 9:30...

tmz's michael hundgen with the latest on britney's new workout regimen... and at 10:30...

is akon the konvict he says? proof that he might be a little cleaner than we are led to believe. plus i'll play that hot colby o'donis track he's on.

plus we got your back for the club x guest list tonight inside the woodlands!

the ralphie radio show - 7p-12a est - online at 97bht.com.

another bht exclusive...

you'd think after all the unlawful encounters had throughout 2007, akon would attempt to steer others from his path of trouble.

well, you can smack that thought away. check out this footage our very own marino shot last night during akon's performance at penn state. and of course, you gotta appreciate akon using this speech as his lead-in to his alledged "apology" song - "Sorry, Blame It On Me."