To encourage more people to join Instagram’s Live Rooms beta test, the company has introduced Live Rooms today. In contrast to the previous limit of two, this new feature allows four people to video chat in a live broadcast, and this will be available globally. In a blog post made today, Instagram claims the feature encourages people to start their own talk show, host a jam session, or work together with other creators.
We expect the number of attendees in the rooms to increase with more participants. All followers will see the live room and will be notified via notifications if they are part of an ongoing event in the live room. All people who are blocked by the live participants will be unable to join.
The simple comparison to make here is to Clubhouse, the popular social audio app that enables people to broadcast themselves within the community. More than 10 people can talk at once, and rooms can host 8,000 attendees before they are at capacity. Facebook is apparently creating a direct competitor called Facebook Live, but Instagram Live could capture some users who might be interested in Clubhouse but are unable to use it due to their platform. This is due to it being invite-only and only available through iOS devices.
Unlike Clubhouse, however, which requires people to be on-camera, Instagram Live demands that users look good and be in a photogenic setting. Clubhouse popularity is thriving because it only requires a phone connection and lowers the audio expectation. People frequently talk when they are in the car, while out for a walk, or in a loud setting. Even so, Live Rooms should do well on the platform as people look to their followers and depend on the high energy people in a room will bring.
Overstatement is impossible when speaking of The Notorious B.I.G. as he forever changed the art of rhyming, storytelling, and charisma, revolutionized the commercial aspects of rap stardom, and embodied the rough-and-tumble hustle of his Brooklyn neighborhood. He was just Christopher Wallace before he became Biggie Smalls, but he was an ambitious, sweet if a bit of a troublemaker. The apple of his mother’s eye is a loyal friend.
This new documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, focuses on the man behind the myth rather than on his glittering and glamorous career. The film recounts an untold story of Biggie’s desire to leave his troubled life behind. It is interspersed with rare archival footage and interviews with those who knew him best — his mother, Voletta Wallace, his business partner, Sean Combs, his girlfriend, Faith Evans, and friends from his neighborhood in Bed-Stuy, such as Lil Cease.
Executive-produced by Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace and Sean Combs, and directed by Emmett Malloy, the new doc is jam-packed with fascinating stories and nuggets that will interest both longtime Biggie fans and newcomers alike, helping to explain Biggie’s diverse musical background, which incorporated hip-hop, dancehall, and jazz (thanks to his neighbor and musical mentor Donald Harrison). The new doc also sheds light on some of his most celebrated pieces of work, such as “Respect,” “Warning,” and “Miss U.”
Biggie: I’ve Got a Story to Tell allows fans to get closer to knowing and understanding Biggie Smalls the way he was known and understood by those closest to him.
Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell is available to watch now on Netflix.
A definitive collection of original and exclusive content from Africa’s biggest superstars including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Nasty C, Tiwa Savage, and AKA, as well as some of the continent’s hottest emerging talents like Tems, Elaine, Fireboy DML, Sha Sha, Joeboy, and Omah Lay, is made available exclusively to Apple Music subscribers.
Apple Music has been working to draw attention to Africa’s music talents, specifically those from artists, songwriters, producers, and DJs from around the continent.
In addition to music, Africa to the World extends beyond art and includes South African illustrator and graffiti artist Karabo Poppy, the genius behind its stunning artwork.
Every episode of Africa Now Radio features exclusive interviews with big-name musicians such as Davido, Tiwa Savage, Nasty C, Mr Eazi, Cassper Nyovest, Fireboy DML, Yemi Alade, and Olamide, is a part of Africa to the World.
The set includes exclusive interviews with Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Tiwa Savage, Black Coffee, DJ Spinall, Simi, Amaarae, and AKA, who speak to Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ebro Darden, Nadeska, Dotty, Cuppy, and Zane Lowe.
The album “Song Stories” presents an in-depth look at the inspirations and creative processes that led to the chart-topping hits of artists such as Omah Lay, Burna Boy, Joeboy, Davido, Elaine, Adekunle Gold, and Sha Sha.
Don Jazzy, Denola Grey, Angelique Kidjo, Karabo Poppy, Amadou & Mariam, Israel Adesanya, Henry Oyekuru, Boity, Nandi Madida, Sho Madjozi, Master KG, Diamond Platnumz, and Sauti Sol are also amongst the exclusive playlists that include artists and personalities from across Africa such as Don Jazzy, Denola Grey, Angelique Kidjo, Karabo Poppy, Amadou & Mariam, Israel Adesanya, Henry Oyekuru, Boity, Nandi Madida, Sho Madjozi, Master KG, and Diamond Platnumz.
DJ Maphorisa’s One Mixes, exclusive Boiler Room mixes (DBN Gogo, Major League Djz, Da Capo, and Kid Fonque), track by track artist interviews (Burna Boy, Elaine, Mi Casa, AKA, and Sun-El Musician), original documentaries (Nasty C, Joeboy, DJ Maphorisa, Mr Eazi, and Ebro in South Africa), and exclusive UP NEXT videos (Rema, Burna Boy, and Mr Eazi).
Enigmatic creative, Kamrin Houserreleased his new single “G-Code” feat. Lil Skies today. The new single comes after fans pieced together snippets of the music (shared by both Kamrin and Skies on socials) and leaked the track on soundcloud, underscoring the fan’s voracious appetite for Kamrin’s new music. G-Code is available for streaming and purchase now.
“The intention behind G-Code was to create a record that spoke directly to the fans while letting the world know that the bond my brother and I share is unbreakable.”explains Kamrin on “G-Code”. “For us, it’s more than just music, we grew up wanting more from life, no matter how rough times got we always looked out for each other and told ourselves no matter the situation, there was more to life. He got my back and I got his, our bond is a code and there isn’t anything in this world that can break it.”
Kamrin and Skies spent their childhood perfecting their craft, growing up in a house full of music. Since touring together in 2018, the 21-year-old rapper garnered industry buzz and attention with his hits “Side Swipe” with Lil Skies, “Cashing Out” with Suigeneris, and his most recent single “TikTokSTAR. Racking up tens of millions of streams on past hits, including a nod as No Jumper’s most-watched song of all-time, Kamrin is poised for a break-out year.
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Taking influence from his humble beginnings in Chambersburg, PA, Kamrin Houser was born to be a superstar. He and his brother, Lil Skies, spent their childhoods perfecting their craft, growing up in a house full of music. Kamrin’s first official record was released in 2018, and he has racked up a few hits since. His first tour was with his brother Lil Skies’ Dazed & Blazed tour in 2018.
His recent hits “Side Swipe” and “Cashing Out” helped to propel Kamrin to the place he is today. 2020 found Kamrin perfecting his sound. Now, Kamrin is set to take the music industry by storm, developing his own style and making his own lane; establishing his own identity. Kamrin is setting the stage for a major 2021.
Recently west coast rapper, The Game, has been in the headlines for allegedly scamming unsigned artists. As we dive into the facts, we can see these allegations are completely false and more fake news for attention grabbing, click bait headlines for blogs that will post anything for a dollar amount without fact checking. The Game has opened up his social media platform to offer unique promotional opportunities utilizing his social media platform which has over 11 Million followers and provides services such as intros, outros, audio/video drops, shoutouts and promotion on his instagram and twitter, and a mixtape.
To be able to have The Game perform an audio drop that the consumer can add to their song only enhances their track. Having the game provide video content that a consumer can implement into a music video or utilize to promote oneself is priceless. To be able to get into The Game’s social media feed can’t be done anywhere else, which provides extreme value, especially given his engagements and following. The mixtape is being called a scam but there’s no scam. The consumers are getting placement on his mixtape, and it gets promoted on Soundcloud, Datpiff and Top Mixtapes. The mixtape also gets promoted on The Game’s IG page, which again has 11 Million Followers.
Additionally, those that paid to be on the mixtape also received additional separate promotion in the form of IG Stories and Tweets on the Game’s platforms. The engagements and eyes on The Game’s social media platforms are bigger than most other platforms that charge for promotion. Everyone receives what they pay for, there is no scam. The exposure to these opportunities has a cost, as this is a business, and The Game makes this very clear.
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