EXCLUSIVE: Duke Grad Mike Posner Recorded 'Cooler Than Me' On A Dell Laptop

Turns out new artists Mike Posner and Iyaz have a couple things in common. Both attended four-year schools here in the States. And both used Dell laptops to record vocals and launch their respective careers.

“But it sounds crispy, doesn’t it?” Posner asked on Tuesday, referring to the track “Cooler Than Me.’ Oh yeah, both artists have also joined “The Ralphie Radio Show” as a guest. And yes, “crispy, “clean”, “clear”, you could insert a number of adjectives to describe how good it sounds all considering. Posner wrote and recorded the track in his Duke University dorm room, inspired by the women he encountered at the school.

“I can’t tell you like after the song came out like how many girls from my past came out of the woodwork and were like ‘I know this song is about me,’” recalled the emcee. “It’s like, ‘Ugh, you’re so vain. It’s not about you. But, now that you’re saying that, it kinda is.’”

Despite his disdain for some of the women on campus, Posner credits the Blue Devil student body’s support in launching his career to its current point. And although he wouldn’t divulge on the existence of any form of hazing, the artist even admits that his fraternity, Sigma Nu, also played a big role.
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Download the interview

Mike Posner is poised to explode on to the scene with his mixtape anthem, "Cooler Than Me" - an ode to the types of women he typically encountered on the campus of Duke University. The Duke graduate also spoke on the school's basketball championship and his forthcoming appearance on this year's Vans Warped Tour.

Download Posner's mixtapes for free at mikeposner.com.
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“I told my brothers to help me spread (my music),” he said. “Within’ a matter of months, the people in my fraternity had helped me create a nationwide fan base and now, I’m living my dreams because of them.”

Matter of fact, Posner is so busy that he can’t even find the time to collaborate with the likes of Flo-Rida and T.I. for the rappers’ respective forthcoming albums. The Michigan-born artist is currently working on his debut LP. He wouldn’t release the title to “The RRS” but did reveal that he's looking at a September release and that there would be no features with other artists.

“All Posner, all hits!” he joked. “I don’t need to trick people in to liking my stuff.”

Certainly a unique perspective, but then again – how many emcees do you know entering the game with a degree from Duke?

EXCLUSIVE: B.O.B Comments On Cudi Comparisons, Says T.I. Has 'A Lot Of Motivation'

T.I. is recording material for a new album, and according to one artist he collaborated with, is in good spirits as he prepares new tracks for his forthcoming LP.

“Oh yeah, he’s definitely got a lot to prove,” remarked B.O.B. The Atlanta emcee is signed to T.I.’s Grand Hustle label, distributed by Atlantic. “(He has) a lot of motivation.”

Authorities released the “Live Your Life” rapper from prison to a halfway house last December. T.I., real name Clifford Harris, is permitted to leave the house on weekdays for work purposes, but must return by evening. Jim Jonsin, who has produced a plethora of hits, including “Whatever You Like”, is also confirmed to be working on the project. T.I. will leave the halfway house on March 26.
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On Monday, after the interview with B.O.B, T.I.P made his first public appearance, at a charity event organized by his fiancée, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle. He also created a Twitter account. Already “Verified”, there is only one tweet from username “Tip”, a tease for a “major announcement” coming next Monday at T.I.’s website, trapmuzik.com, with the hash tag “#kingsback.”

“We actually got in the studio recently, recorded a track for his album,” B.O.B said on working with the head of his label. Although later he clarified that the song may not appear on T.I.’s album, but will see the light of day in some form or fashion.

B.O.B’s LP, B.O.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, hits stores on April 27 – actually pushed up from an original May release date due to the success of the single, “Nothin’ On You”, which features Bruno Mars. The emcee is currently on tour with Lupe Fiasco.

EXCLUSIVE: Young Jeezy Works On New LP, Keeps In Touch w/ T.I.

As politically active as Young Jeezy was last fall, it only made sense that last week, he felt right at home in what the pundits called, “The Ground Zero of the Presidential Election.”

“I appreciate Scranton for standing behind (President Obama),” Jeezy told me backstage at the first stop on the “America’s Most Wanted Music Festival.” Obama won both Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. “We here now, we’re trying to make the world a better place.”

The Atlanta-rapper is both realistic and patient – he believes it’ll take President Obama two terms to fix the various big ticket issues our country faces. But he also recognizes the other half of the winning ticket.

“Joe Biden! What up homie!” he cheerfully shouted when I reminded him that Vice President Biden is from the Electric City.

The conversation quickly turned to music, as Jeezy is working on his fourth studio LP: Thug Motivation 103. No release date is set – and the rapper is rather evasive on details. Jeezy did tell me that fans can expect, “a little bit of everything,” referring to a conglomerate of material that people grew accustomed to between Thug Motivation 101 and The Recession.

“Everything still pretty much in the can right now,” Jeezy revealed. “It’s gonna be a very special album, but at the same time, the streets gonna love this, Scranton are gonna love this, people are gonna love this album.”

Still, Jeezy would not as much as divulge any type of timeline for the record’s release, simply stating that he’ll drop it once it’s finished. You would think that if it’s already in production, it’ll be released by the time fellow Atlanta rapper T.I. leaves jail. Young Jeezy told me that through their respective camps he keeps in touch with T.I.P.

“He’s gotta pay his debt to society and get back on it. We here for him though.”

DAILY DOWNLOAD: T.I. - All Night

06.25.09 : T.I. - All Night

T.I. samples the Vanessa Carlton track, " A Thousand Miles." 

ATTY. ELIZABETH KELLEY: T.I.'s Early Jail Entrance, "Standard Operarting Procedure"

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TV Commentator and Ohio-based Attorney Elizabeth Kelley breaks down the procedure and legalities of T.I.'s jail sentance.

Read more on T.I. here.

Visit Elizabeth Kelley's website.

ATTY. ELIZABETH KELLEY: T.I.'s Early Jail Entrance, "Standard Operarting Procedure"

Download the mp3

TV Commentator and Ohio-based Attorney Elizabeth Kelley breaks down the procedure and legalities of T.I.'s jail sentance.

Read more on T.I. here.

Visit Elizabeth Kelley's website.

Probably My Favorite Grammy Performance...

Does M.I.A. get props or drops for wearing that outfit for a Grammy Performance on her due date?

Full list of Grammy Winners here.

RALPHIE REPORT: Father Party-er of Wilkes-Barre

REVISED 12/30/2008
The following will appear this Wednesday in The Weekender.
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Turns out that one of the most extravagant partiers that calls The Valley their residence, doesn’t even party within Northeastern PA.

He is 43 year-old Gregory Malia – but many in the area as well as the bar staffs he so generously tips simply know him as “Father Greg.”

That isn’t a nickname for his charitable contributions on bills – tipping as much as 60 percent on one tab, which brought the grand total to a staggering $45,000.

Nope, this big city, bottle-ordering patron is of the priesthood. Father Gregory Malia preaches at St. James, a summer-only Episcopal Church in Carbondale.

 
Credit the New York Daily News with breaking this story. Their reporter scored an interview with Fr. Greg, however a publicist for the company which Malia owns cut the conversation short. The pharmacy specializes in medicine dedicated to blood disorders – allegedly the source funding these spending sprees of up to $52,000… in one night.

You’re probably wondering, and the answer is no, Malia doesn’t see anything wrong with the situation.

“I work hard. I make good money. How I spend it – that’s my business,” the priest told a reporter for the Daily News, which ran the article in its Sunday edition.
Bishop Paul V. Marshall of the Diocese of Bethlehem cares to dissent. The diocesan head swiftly released a statement via the Internet the day that the article ran.

“The allegations made in the article, if true, constitute a serious violation of ordination vows to be ‘a wholesome example’ to a priest's people,” writes Bishop Marshall. “If true, they may also violate other canonical provisions and certainly portray an unacceptable idea of Christian stewardship,” Bishop Marshall wrote. The Bishop goes on to reveal that The Daily News did not reach out to him or his communications department for comment, and that Malia hadn’t returned an e-mail and a phone call.

Furthermore, the Bishop removed Malia as his vicar at St. James, prohibiting him from the exercise of priestly ministry.

The Daily News would not comment on the piece, noting that it is still a work in progress.

I shouldn’t and won’t pass judgment on Malia, however I will say that he could certainly teach a thing or two about tipping to most of the celebrities and athletes that roll through this area.

T.I. SHOW CANCELLED

Speaking of celebrities in the 570, T.I. will not be one of them, at least in 2008. E & R Entertainment’s Jingle Jam, which was to feature T.I.P. along with fellow Atlanta artist Young Jeezy, was canceled Monday.

The concert was slated for December 29. Ticket holders can receive a full refund at point-of-purchase. The promoter cited ticket sales as the reason for cancellation, although a reschedule date is still in the works – pending approval from the judge overseeing T.I.’s forthcoming jail sentence, which begins in March 2009.
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Listen to Ralphie Aversa weekdays from 5-10p on 97 BHT.

T.I. Show Postponed

The promoter told me yesterday morning that the show will be postponed to early next year. Ticket holders can keep their tickets for the future date or receive a full refund from the Arena box office.

Greetings from Niagara Falls - I first found out about this yesterday, however for some reason I couldn't send the item to Blogger from my Blackberry.

I'll have more on this, with possibly an exclusive word from the promoter, Monday afternoon on the show. Be listening around 5 PM.

RALPHIE REPORT: T.I. Exclusive...

The following will appear in The Weekender, which hits newsstands this Wednesday.
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His jail sentence may be imminent; his music and acting career may be flourishing; but don’t think for a second that rapper T.I. may have mixed up his priorities.

The platinum-selling artist called up The Ralphie Radio Show exclusively last week, talking about a wide array of topics – from his scheduled performance at the Wachovia Arena on December 29, to acting career and his plans for the holiday season.

“We’ve been looking forward to doing something, and we look forward to doing more in the future,” T.I. revealed about his cameo on Season 5 of HBO’s Entourage. The rapper played himself in a small, yet hilarious scene across from actor Jeremy Piven, known on the show as super-agent Ari Gold.

But the Atlanta-born artist isn’t all business.

“Just spend (Christmas) with my family, and try and grant all of the wishes of my kids,” T.I. replied when asked of his plans for December 25, four days before he heads to Wilkes-Barre. “And try to give back to the community. We always try to give away about a thousand bikes on Bankhead (Atlanta) in the hood; every year… we make sure everybody in the hood got something.”

The rapper, real name Clifford Harris Jr., received a number of gifts this year: most of the positive ones stem from his LP “Paper Trail”, already spawning the number-one hits, “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life”, which features Rihanna.

The latter actually wouldn’t have come to fruition without a couple gifts, thanks in part to the Barbados-born bombshell as well as the man responsible for sampling the “Numa Numa” song.

“I can’t take no credit for the sample man, that’s all Just Blaze,” T.I.P admitted. “He brought me the track, and you know, I gave my contribution to the record. Rihanna did her thing. She seemed perfect for it, and when she agreed to do it, I think it took the record to another level.”

With Rihanna’s recent track record, no pun intended, of hits, as well as the performance that preceded the release of the LP, T.I.’s assessment of her addition to the song couldn’t be more correct. This is reaffirmed in news that broke this week: Kanye West will re-release the track, “Paranoid” off of “808’s and Heartbreaks” with RiRi featured on it.

Speaking of Yeezy, T.I. also talked about a track that he admits to rocking out to… yes, one of his own, the star-studded “Swagga Like Us.”

“I think all the music I do man, I do it because, you know, it’s something that I can appreciate as well as something I feel that the fans can appreciate,” T.I. told me regarding the song.

On the track, Lil Wayne, who shares the record with T.I., West, and Jay-Z, shouts out NBA Superstar and fellow Syracuse University alum Carmelo Anthony. Certainly Anthony and T.I.P. could be compared right… two superstars attempting to capture Mainstream America while maintaining street cred?

“(Laughing) Yeah I guess I’d have to agree, I guess the facts would show just as you stated.”

That really is the “type of ish that make them call you Carmelo.”
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Listen to Ralphie Aversa weekdays from 5-10p on 97 BHT.

T.I./Jeezy Tickets!

Win tickets to E&R Entertainment's "Jingle Jam 2008" featuring T.I. and Young Jeezy! Another big show in NEPA - and more free tickets from 97 BHT! T.I. and Jeezy take over the Wachovia Arena on Monday, December 29th.

Purchase tickets here.

97 BHT's already given away THE PROMOTER'S FRONT ROW SEATS - starting Thursday at 5PM with Ralphie, you'll have your chance to win 5th Row Seats - and we'll count down to the front row every weekday after.

T.I. called in to The Ralphie Radio Show to talk about the big concert and his CD - check it out here.

And don't forget, you heard about this show FIRST on 97 BHT!

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Flo Rida, Star Six Nine...

12.17.08 : Flo Rida - Touch Me
Hot track...
12.16.08 : Star Six Nine - I Like You
Also dope... he's opening for T.I./Young Jeezy...

EXCLUSIVE: T.I. INTERVIEW

Download the mp3

T.I. discusses "Entourage" - "Paper Trail" - plans for Christmas and 2009 on 97 BHT - A Ralphie Radio Show Exclusive.


Click Here To Purchase Tickets To The Show.

RALPHIE REPORT: Ne-Yo, T.I.

A thankful and surprised Ne-Yo received a Grammy nomination last week for Album of the Year – but if you listened to the singer at the press conference and on The Ralphie Radio Show, you wouldn’t know who should receive the credit.

Ne-Yo’s Year of the Gentleman marked somewhat of a departure from the crooner that fans knew from his rookie LP. You need not look further than the dance-driven “Closer”, which served as the lead single. Some called the song a microcosm of the evolution of his sound.

But in a Ralphie Radio Show exclusive, this progression ignited conflict within the star’s record label, Island Def Jam Music Group, resulting in a number of trips back in to the recording studio as well as a couple of delays in the album’s release. When Ne-Yo called me in June, I brought up to him an August 5 release date.

“August 5, that’s pending right now too,” he revealed. “I was listening to the record as a whole, and I realized, I did a lot of experimenting with this new one. Just with different genres of music. But I went so far with it, that I kind of left out my core audience.”

Fast forward to last week – Ne-Yo speaking with the media at the Grammy Nomination Ceremony Press Conference:

“Closer wasn’t exactly embraced right away, in the very beginning you know. And I gotta give a shout out to L.A. Reid, I gotta give a shout out to my manager – people… that stayed with that record because in the beginning, people were like, ‘Ehh, we don’t know about this one Ne-Yo, you might have went somewhere we don’t know,’ but they kept with it, they told me to keep with it, and here we are, “Album of the Year.”

The first conflict is that Ne-Yo told me that it was his idea to push back the release date and record more tracks – as opposed to other people within his camp. But the second, another Ralphie Radio Show exclusive, is that it was the man he thanked, label head L.A. Reid, that told Ne-Yo to record more tracks “for his core.”

The mystery of the inspiration behind Ne-Yo rerecording tracks for the LP may never be officially revealed by Island Def Jam – and with another Grammy Nomination under the label’s belt, I’m sure it won’t be anytime soon.

T.I./JEEZY TICKETS DROP LIKE THE DOW

In a move inspired by the holidays and the current state of the economy, E&R Entertainment announced a drop in ticket prices for the T.I. concert. The show, which also features Young Jeezy and a special guest performer, goes down December 29 inside The Wachovia Arena.

The lowest ticket prices dropped over half price, from the $75 range to $35. Other seats can be purchased at $50, $65, $75, and $125.

In a text message, the promoter cited both the holidays as well as the number of younger kids, who may not have as much expendable income, but want to attend the show regardless.

E&R Entertainment also promoted the successful Lil’ Wayne show last October.
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Listen to Ralphie Aversa weekdays from 5-10p on 97 BHT.

RALPHIE REPORT: T.I., Hinder...

T.I. and Young Jeezy will perform in Northeastern PA before the end of the year, a show officially announced last week and first heard of on The Ralphie Radio Show two weeks ago.

The Wachovia Arena plays host to the big show, scheduled for Monday, December 29. E&R Entertainment, the same promotions group behind the Lil’ Wayne show in October, is responsible for this event.

Apparently the “Rubber Band Man” and Jeezy won’t be the only big names taking the stage that night. In a Ralphie Radio Show exclusive, the promoter of the show revealed that a third name, only described as “another headliner”, is confirmed to appear. However, the artist’s name will not be revealed until the day of the show.

With many big hip-hop artists hailing from New York and Philadelphia – and possibly back in the Northeast for the holidays – the list of names that could show up is near endless.

The promoter did confirm that it will not be Fabolous – who still owes E&R a performance after backing out of the Lil Wayne show on the day of. To the delight of many, Jadakiss replaced him on the bill.

You could argue that what “The Blueprint” did for Jay-Z is what “Paper Trail” is doing for T.I. The LP moved over 1.2 million copies to date – and sports the uber-popular “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life” – the latter featuring Rihanna. The tracks are the top songs in the country, respectively one and two.

Fans looking to hear T.I. live might want to jump at this opportunity – the rapper, real name Clifford Harris, will head to jail in early 2009 on convictions stemming from illegal gun possession.

HINDER’S CHRISTMAS WISH

The fellas of Hinder sure live up to the “rock star persona” dubbed on most musicians. Yunno, the same stuff Nickelback sings about.

Some of the band members called up The Ralphie Radio Show just before Thanksgiving to chat about the LP, Take It To The Limit, as well as plans for the holidays. Hinder said it’d be nice to come home for the holiday. The rock group played a show only a few hours from their hometown of Oklahoma City, and did not perform the next day.

While some members of Hinder simply wished for continued success both in the studio and on the road – others were a tad more concise regarding their Christmas list.

“2 girls at the same time,” one band member chimed in.

I suppose you can’t expect anything different from a group that tours with headlining sponsors like Jägermeister. BTW, Hinder receives an unlimited supply of the liquor for the tour bus machine dispenser through the duration of the dates.
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Listen to Ralphie Aversa weekdays from 5-10p on 97 BHT.

T.I. IN NEPA - WIN TICKETS!

Win tickets to E&R Entertainment's "Jingle Jam 2008" featuring T.I. and Young Jeezy! Another big show in NEPA - and more free tickets from 97 BHT! T.I. and Jeezy take over the Wachovia Arena on Monday, December 29th.

Purchase tickets here.

And don't forget, you heard about this show FIRST on 97 BHT!

OFFICIAL: T.I., Young Jeezy to NEPA on Dec. 29th

You read about it first on this blog, and now it's official - T.I. and Young Jeezy will rock Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza on December 29th. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (11/29) 10:00 AM at the Arena and all Ticketmaster locations.

Scranton's own DJ Woogie - a Shadyville DJ who also spun at the Lil Wayne show - will perform on stage as well.

And you know 97 BHT will be taking care of you like we always do!

EXCLUSIVE: T.I. and Jeezy in NEPA?

My sources say you might see T.I. and Young Jeezy performing in Wilkes-Barre some time before the end of the year... but don't worry, you might be able to use that gift money you receive from family to buy tickets... you'll know more when I do...

vote however you like...

last weekend i sang, "sex is like riding your biiiikkkkkkkeeee" to the tune of t.i.'s "whatever you like." needless to say, i feel a bit immature after watching these kids from atlanta...

my favorite vma performances...

paramore - hayley packs a big voice in that emo-sized body.

t.i. f. rihanna - she sounded way better here than in her first performance. and sampling the numa numa song... genius.

love the ting tings...

lil wayne brings new life to "all summer long"...

kanye killed it.