Angel Haze’s ‘Battle Cry’ Is Louder Than Ever

Angel Haze is one of the most prolific rappers around today, unfailingly raw and authentic. Her mixtapes and personalized covers of songs like Macklemore’s “Same Love” and Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet” have catapulted her into the spotlight, where she has been lauded for her courage and lyrical prowess. Her debut album, Dirty Gold, showcases her ability to freestyle, and features songs that reveal many of Haze’s deeply personal experiences.

The rapper, who identifies as pansexual, has always been honest about her experiences growing up in a strictly Pentecostal household with a mother who didn’t understand her sexuality. She has survived familial persecution, sexual abuse, and self-harm, and her presence in the mainstream music industry has created important dialogue surrounding these topics.

Lyrics like, “There was a point in my life where I didn’t like who I was/ so I created other people I would try to be come/ sexuality came into play and with I scarred as I was/ I was extremely scared of men so I started liking girls/ I started starving myself fucked up my bodily health/ I didn’t want to be attractive to nobody else/  I didn’t want the appeal, wanted to stop my own growth/ but there’s a fucking reason behind every scar that I show…” are indicative of the pain and trauma that Haze has endured in her life, but also reveals how strong and independent she is as a woman, and as a musician.

As Cameron Keady explains, “Angel Haze continues to be a symbol of strength and fearlessness. She is unapologetic and true, and she rejects conventional expectations and labels. At just 22 years old, the young lyricist has fought on too many battlefields. She may not have walked away unscathed, but today she stands resolute, with an unwavering optimism for the future.” Keady, like many, predicts a strong future for the artist. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Listen to Angel Haze remix “Same Love” with her own lyrics on Soundcloud.

YouTube Celebrates its First-Ever Music Awards Show

Lady Gaga on the Red Carpet

If quirky, entertaining, and downright bizarre are what you might have expected of the first ever YouTube Music Awards, the event, which streamed live on Sunday evening, did not disappoint. Much like any other time spent hopping from YouTube video to YouTube video, the awards show was a fantastic mash-up of music, improvisational MC-ing, and eccentric performances.

According to Noisey, “Depending on what time you clicked on, you either saw [hosts] Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts holding up crying babies or you saw M.I.A. swinging LED hula hoops through a crowd of screaming people. At times, the off-the-cuff nature of the show worked. Other times, it created some situations that were, uh...weird,” of the jumbled, albeit entertaining, evening. The publication also describes the event as spontaneous and intentionally avant-garde, per director Spike Jonze.

The New York Times wasn’t so kind in its review of the live event, describing it as “a show of essentially no importance,” but admitting to enjoying some of the unconventional approaches to imitating other more established awards shows. There was comedy, and music, and a live audience with live audience energy, after all. Oh, and there were awards too, of course.

M.I.A. backstage at the show

Fans voted for each of the awards categories, honoring rapper Eminem for “Artist of the Year,” and pop group Girls’ Generation for "Video of the Year.” The “YouTube Breakthrough” award went to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and the “YouTube Phenomenon” award was given to Taylor Swift. Notable performances included the haphazard hosting efforts of actor Jason Schwartzman and comedian Reggie Watts, as well as Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, and Earl Sweatshirt.

Jon Caramanica writes for The New York Times, “like any number of artists with a webcam, a dream and a bit of hubris, YouTube was entitled to screw up in full view of everyone. And after this bizarre but comforting experiment, it’s earned the right to try again next year.” What did you think about the first-ever YouTube Music Awards? 

Images: youtube via Instagram

How Mary Lambert Continues to Steal the Show

As predicted, this year’s MTV Video Music Awards were everything we could have ever hoped for (and some things we didn’t hope for, courtesy of Miley Cyrus’ tongue). There were long-awaited reunions, such as the highly anticipated live performance from ‘NSync, over-the-top fashion choices, racy and jaw-dropping numbers performed by the likes of ahem, Ms. Cyrus, and a whole lot of love for the best music videos of the year.

Everyone predicted that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis would take home the Moon Man for “Best Video with a Social Message” for their song “Same Love,” but few imagined the impact that up-and-coming songbird Mary Lambert would have on the music industry. Lambert is the female cameo part who sings the profoundly touching chorus in “Same Love,” and her performance at the VMAs was truly one of the highlights of the evening. Through exposure from the now famous song, which many consider to be a sort of “LGBT anthem,” Lambert has also become an important gay rights activist and supporter within the music industry.

After “Same Love” was released, the singer produced an extended version of Macklemore’s political pro-gay song called “She Keeps Me Warm.” Lambert’s version is a more in-depth look at a lesbian love story, a sweet glimpse at a relationship beginning to unfold. Her beautiful vocals paired with an important message about love and equality is what will make Lambert’s music career endure and excel far beyond her famous cameo on “Same Love.” The singer has now breached multiple genres while unobtrusively singing about human relationships and the importance of justice for LGBT people whose love is, as everyone participating in and watching the VMAs can agree, the same.

About being gay, and an artist, Lambert says, “I think that when you’re gay and you’re in a gay relationship, it’s inherently political whether you want it to be or not. You’re creating music; you’re writing from your experience; and if your experience is being in the gay community, that’s going to affect the way you write. So whether or not you want to be a gay artist or not, you’re going to be a gay artist. It’s just, whether you want to be an activist or not.” Lambert has definitely become a prominent gay rights activist, and a role model to those her music reaches. The music industry, as well as the LGBT community, is lucky to have her. 

Images: marylambertsing via Instagram

The Music World is Buzzing in Anticipation of this Weekend’s VMAs

MTV’s annual Video Music Awards are definitely one of the biggest celebrity gatherings of the summer. Music industry heavyweights flock to the awards show to honor one another in a night of musical and visual celebration. The fashion choices at these shows are notoriously outrageous; the hordes of entertainers have a little more expressive leeway at the MTV event than they would at say, the Academy Awards (remember when Gwen Stefani showed up at the 1998 VMAs with blue hair, braces, and platform flip-flops?). The musical performances are over the top, and the awards themselves – MTV’s iconic Moonman trophies – are given to those who most influenced the music industry and popular culture over the last year.

This year’s Video Music Awards are happening this weekend, and the world of entertainment is buzzing in anticipation for what’s to come. Lady Gaga is reportedly opening the show with a live performance from her newest single, “Applause,” and you can also expect appearances from Bruno Mars, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and many, many others. Perhaps what most people are getting excited about is a performance from the beloved boy band ‘NSync, who is reuniting, if only for one night, to perform together at the VMAs. Despite the band’s members going on to pursue other avenues after their 2002 break-up, it is indisputable that singer Justin Timberlake has achieved unparalleled success, which is evident in his multiple VMA nominations in 2013.

Timberlake is tied with Macklemore for the most nominations at this year’s awards show; each performer has 6 nominations in a variety of categories, although many predict that Timberlake will take home the most wins. Not only can he hold his own as a solo performer, the singer has succeeded in Hollywood and in fashion. He can dance, sing, act, and market himself remarkably well, although some are still most fond of the days he fronted ‘NSync, emerging as a leader and true superstar early on. This year at the VMAs, Timberlake is set to perform, to potentially win as many as six Moonmen, and to be awarded with MTV’s prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The Video Vanguard Award is MTV’s version of a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Timberlake is receiving it because of the profound impact he has made on MTV, music, and popular culture throughout his career.

Make sure to tune in this weekend for the MTV Video Music Awards airing live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn! 

 

Image: Kenny Chang via Flickr CC

Image: Edward Kustoff via Flickr CC