N*E*R*D spoke had a one-on-one with Blackbook magazine to discuss their fourth studio album, Nothing. In the interview, the members discuss their different approach to the music all while keeping their unique and quirky style:

Williams’ deliberate shift from playboy to politico is felt all over Nothing, which he approached with a new-found sensitivity to global affairs. “We looked at the war, we looked at commerce, we looked at finance, we looked at the environment,” he says. It’s heavy stuff for a band whose inaugural single was called “Lapdance.” But, he adds, smiling, “We also looked at other interesting things, like the new Ferrari. I like a flower as much as I like a Ferrari. If it’s under the sun, why do I have to choose just one?”

For Nothing, 27 initial tracks were whittled down to the dozen or so that appear on the mastered album. The ones that got cut weren’t “magical,” Hugo says. “They were all great songs,” adds Williams, “but we needed something that will make people go, ‘What the fuck was that?’ When you hear this music, you’re gonna bug out.” Given the underwhelming critical reception of N.E.R.D’s last couple offerings, the band had better hope to blow a few minds. [SOURCE]

The guys have been through some changes as of late but it seems that the group remains a threesome. From what we just read it seems that the music will be left-field as usual so don’t expect a Billboard Hot 100 #1 unless it’s a surprise. Listen to 2 new tracks from the album after…

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Photographer Blair J. Meadows was inspired by the catastrophic BP oil oil spill. Meadows chose five local models, placed them in swimsuits and set the tone for a dark themed photoshoot. Below is an excerpt of what the photoshoot is all about:

It’s been well over 100 days since the oil started to leak in the Gulf Coast – leaving countless amounts of animals and marine life in jeopardy, and turning “making a living” into trying to survive in a living hell. Predictions were made that the oil can possibly flow to the islands of the Bahamas. Most of us took this threat seriously seeing that we have no means of acting against it. However, in a matter of days we were back to normal: focusing on minor things such as where we go and how we dress. [SOURCE]

The models look great and Meadows & Co. put a lot of effort behind the entire project. It’s great to see our Bahamians putting a little more creativity and thinking a little more outside of the box artistically. View images after…

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This past Saturday was the launch party of eLIFE242’s 2010 Swimsuit Edition. The event was tied in with Saturdays In the City hosted at the British Colonial Hilton’s Bullion Lounge. Many were in attendance and guests got the chance to interact with the swimsuit models including covergirl Ariel Garraway.

We were just as surprised to see the see the finished version of the magazine; everything happened so quickly and it was a great result. After the success of the party and magazine, these next few months should be very exciting. View photos from the launch party after…

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Radio personality, The Natural Empress, covers the 16th issue if eLife242. The Free Ya Mind host gives insight into her life, what she loves to do and more… You can pick up your FREE copy at The JukeBox, Airbrush Junkies, ProPhoto (Nassau Street), Radio House Lobby and all Bristol Cellars Locations.

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For the cover of the July Summer issue of Rolling Stone magazine Lady GaGa poses in a look inspired by her “Alejandro” video. The issue is a double issue but we haven’t seen covergirl or boy 2.

Bra and panties, the times are changing. Just ten years ago that would be shocking but nowadays, it’s the norm. View Lady GaGa and Oprah at the Met Costume Institute Gala 2010 after…

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The-Dream is on the promo course for his 3rd LP, LoveKing, and he lands the cover of FADER’s upcoming summer music issue. M.I.A. is doing the same for her /\/\ /\ Y /\ album:

Although it’s already been blazing hot on a level that makes the doomsayers in our office predict a city-wide blackout any day now, we’re officially not allowing summer to start until June 22nd, when The FADER #68—aka The FADER’s Summer Music Issue, aka over 100 pages of wall-to-wall jams—hits stands. Conveniently, that’s right after summer actually begins, but let’s pretend it’s starting because of us. As you’ve no doubt already seen above, we wrangled four artists with four of the most eminently listenable, exciting, addictive albums of the year into this crazy quadrant-gatefold cover situation. We’ve got MIA’s controversial global pop (insert truffle fry joke here if that’s still your thing), Ariel Pink’s warped vision of the last three (or so) decades of music, Wavves’ snotty SoCal punk taken to the next level and, of course, our current king of pop, The-Dream. It’s all here, along with stories on Freddie Gibbs, Sleigh Bells, Active Child, Tame Impala, Best Coast and so, so, so much more. Both physical and digital versions of the issue drop June 22nd, so keep your eyes to your local newsstands and, of course, this very website. After the jump, check out each individual cover, because that stuff up above is kinda small. [SOURCE]

After watching that behind-the-scenes VEVO video the album is sounding much better. There are sure to be a handful of songs on LoveKing that keep us mesmerized. Listen to M.I.A.’s new album is a must right now becuase the singles released from it have been so different from what we usually hear from her. See Wavves’ and Ariel Pink’s cover after…

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The cover leaked about a week or two ago now here are the feature images along with a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot. Well now at least you know how Rihanna would look super slender and it’s not too appealing, not a good angle, at all. View behind-the-scenes video after…

 

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M.I.A. is the feature story for the June/July issue of Complex magazine as part of the promotion for her forthcoming album, /\/\ /\ Y /\ (MAYA). As with most interviews done by the visual artist, there is always a constant flow of opinions and introspect rolling out of her mouth.

On her admiration for Kanye West, as a person and an artist:

I think Kanye is trying to take it into a new realm and he’s sort of putting the artistry back into it and sort of taking it in that direction.

On her opinon of Jay-Z vs. Nas:

I was having a conversation about Jay-Z and Nas and how it was really crazy how they were having this Nas vs. Jay-Z moment 10 years ago and no one really talks about it now.

Jay became the biggest representation of rap music who’s still alive, started dating Beyoncé—everything was so much bigger and better with Jay-Z. I hope people don’t think that that wins. The fact that Nas didn’t become all this sort of stuff changes people’s perception about the music and the work he achieved in his lifetime. I don’t wanna say Jay-Z sold out, but I just feel like we have to wait another 10 years to see what happens. Jay-Z’s ambition was to become like Frank Sinatra, a household name all over the planet, and own a casino in Vegas and stuff like that. And I think Nas was really sticking to knowledge. I still think the biggest point about hip-hop is in there somewhere, what happens to those two artists. [SOURCE 1] [SOURCE 2]

After reading the entire interview you can’t help but admire her more and more because the thing with her is not about being comfortable, it’s all about awareness. Being uncomfortable is what ticks most people off. Also, sure, Kanye West is as great as she says he is, we always agree on that but there just comes a time when a person should know when to keep their mouth closed. Then again, that would be comfortable. You can read the entire interview HERE and view the gallery after.

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Whilst Ciara tells us how much he loves the way she “Rides” it on the music front, she’s taking on job deux as a high fashion model for the pages of Vogue Paris in the June/July issue. The sexy and toned singer was shot by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott in a somewhat sexual pictorial entitled Coup De Foudre.

Ciara looks very much like a model in these photos but as good as they are we’re still more focused on her music. Take the volume of appeal in those Vogue photos and put it in her music and her album will be just as great as it should be. View the photos after…

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The new eLIFE242 issue is about to drop in a day. Supa Mario Entertainment is this issue’s feature story. Stay tuned…