Steven Lopez Launches The After Midnight Series – First Installment Features Erykah Badu!

Respected Los Angeles artist Steven Lopez will begin work on his latest piece in the “After Midnight Series” featuring soul goddess Erykah Badu. The After Midnight Series is a personal excursion for Steven to combine his two passions, music and art. It is this combination that has inspired the After Midnight Series and in the process brought Steven together with such musical greats as Chaka Kahn, Sade Adu, Aretha Franklin, India Arie, Jill Scott and his first inspiration into the After Midnight Series, Erykah Badu. Steven researches each artist’s photo history, discography, and live performances to begin the creative process. Once versed visually and aurally,Steven selects a favorite and many times inspirational song to focus on and begin the painting process. His manner of painting synergistically with music is heavily influenced and constantly nurtured at the world famous Mint Club in Los Angeles where he performs his craft in front of a live jazz audience regularly. Jazz, soul, funk, and hip hop are all ingrained into Steven’s artistic style beginning with his days as a respected graffiti artist and to his current exploits as a contemporary artist with a unique vision. Steven works with many of the top agencies, brands, and record labels
including Reebok, Nestle, X Games, Coachella, Vans, the United Way, Global Inheritance, and Spy Optics among others. His art has also been featured on such networks as BBC, The Discovery Channel and FUEL TV among others.

Steven is excited and honored to work with Erykah Badu, saying “Erykah is one of my favorite artists of all time and I’ve been looking forward to interpreting her music since I saw her perform in 2005 during the “Sugar Water” tour stop at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.”

The After Midnight Series will include 100 limited edition giclee prints signed by both Steven and Erykah. The signing will take place on March 24th in Badu’s home town of Dallas. They will be available for purchase, Midnight April 15th exclusively through www.aftermidnightsoul.com.

A portion of proceeds will be donated to Badu’s charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development—or B.L.I.N.D. Beautiful Love Inc. was established in 1997 and provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Time lapse video of the actual painting can be found at
http://vimeo.com/channels/aftermidnightsoul#1346504

For more information check out www.aftermidnightsoul.com

T.I. arrived straight from his afternoon visit to The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx, where he spoke to at-risk youth about the importance of staying in school and avoiding the mistakes he’s made. MTV was onsite, filming the experience as part of the aptly titled MTV Show, “T.I.’s Road to Redemption.” The invite only VIP event included special guests Nick Cannon, Grand Hustle artist Young LA, Atlantic Records recording artist Maino, Warner Music Executive Vice President Kevin Liles, Atlantic Records’ Chairman and COO, Julie Greenwald, Atlantic Records’ EVP, Head of Urban Music, Mike Kyser, and VIBE executives, CEO Steve Aaron, Publisher Edgar Hernandez and Editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith.

Photo Credit: Terrence Jennings, Photographer

T.I. speaking to the students at The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx on Monday, March 9th.

T.I. and Atlantic Record recording artist Maino attend VIBE Magazine’s April Cover Cocktail party in New York City

NEW ALBUM FROM THE LATE HIP-HOP LEGEND J DILLA COMING THIS SUMMER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY DILLA’S MOM MS. YANCEY AKA “MA DUKES” ON NATURE SOUNDS FOR JUNE.

By now most everyone is familiar with the story of musical legend J Dilla. The quiet, prolific producer collaborated with everyone from Eryka Badu to Common to Janet Jackson to Prince. Dilla was just beginning to capitalize on his cult status when he sadly passed at age 32 due to Lupus-related complications. Jay Stay Paid is a 25 track collection of unreleased Dilla beats mixed and arranged by Pete Rock. While mostly instrumental, “J$P” also offers a few guests vocals from artists that Dilla worked with or admired including Black Thought of The Roots, MF DOOM, and M.O.P.

Curtailing any notion of jumping on some sort of Dilla bangwagon, Jay Stay Paid was executive produced by Dilla’s mother Maureen Yancey (aka Ma Dukes) along with the musical supervision of Dilla’s only real musical idol, Pete Rock. “It wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t haphazard,” explains Ms Yancey. “This album combines what he did in the beginning of his career, what he did in some of our early hospital stays, which was very deep, and some stuff pulled from old floppy disks & DATs. Its mind blowing…this is like the missing links to Dilla’s legacy.”

The format of the album plays like a radio show with Pete Rock as the program director. With regards to Pete’s involvement, Ms. Yancey gets very excited, “Dilla wanted to pattern himself behind Pete. His dream was to become as close as possible to what Pete stood for. Pete meant everything to him. Dilla would have just been flabbergasted! ” Pete’s sentiments were the same toward Dilla, “Dude was amazing. He just kinda came outta nowhere and the more you heard his beats the better they got. He may not be here with us, but it’s all good we’re going to keep his music alive and well.”

In the late 80s, Dilla founded the seminal rap group Slum Village and put Detroit hip-hop on the map, while the 90’s saw him playing a major role in the production team The Ummah with Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad doing extensive work on Tribe Called Quest’s last two albums.

Jay Stay Paid will be released on June 2nd on Nature Sounds.