Music Features

11 Famous People Inspired by Selena Quintanilla

The pioneering Tejano star died 25 years ago, but her lasting legacy has shaped many artists you know.

Selena - I Could Fall In Love (Official Music Video)

25 years ago, Mexican-American Tejano sensation Selena Quintanilla was murdered.

In her short 23 years, Selena took the Latin music scene by storm throughout the late '80s and early '90s, playing an unprecedented role in driving the genre towards the mainstream in the United States. Some of her greatest influences included Donna Summer, Gloria Estefan, Paula Abdul, and the Jackson family, though her father encouraged her to pay homage to her roots by singing in Spanish and implementing Mexican cumbia and mariachi into her music.

With hits like "Dreaming of You," "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," and "Como la Flor" — as well as an unmistakable, but often replicated, sense of style — Selena was a phenomenon with a lasting legacy.

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MUSIC

"Jesus Is King" Will Never Come Out: A List of Hip-Hop Albums That Never Dropped

With Jesus Is King's release date changed once again to this Friday, let's take a look at hip-hop's other infamous releases that never materialized.

Chances are October 25 will come and go without a new album from Kanye West.

We've come to expect being disappointed by Kanye. And despite his recent official "announcement" about the release of his album Jesus Is King via Twitter, fans were quick to troll and dismiss the tweet as a false promise. It's been a rough road for Kanye fans in the last year. His recent "Sunday Service" performances have disturbed the masses. Some believe they affirm Kanye's long-held God complex, while others view his latest post-MAGA obsession to be more of a manic episode. Some believe he's simply spreading the gospel and that he's truly been "saved." Regardless, it's all cast Jesus Is King in a puzzling light, and fans truly don't know what to expect, or whether to expect anything at all. The one thing we know for certain is that the guy is a total pr*ck to his wife these days.

Will Jesus Is King become the next Fear Inoculum? Probably. It would be quite like Kanye to be his own hype beast. In the meantime, let's take a look back at a few of hip-hop's other notorious unreleased projects, all of which are, honestly, more likely to be released in 2019 than Jesus Is King.

MC Hammer and 2Pac's ​"Too Tight​"

MC Hammer signed with Death Row in 1995, but his highly-anticipated label debut, Too Tight, never saw the light of day. The project was much anticipated because of Hammer's alleged collaborations with Tupac Shakur on the project. The former left the record company shortly after the death of the latter. He later explained in an interview his concerns over the circumstances surrounding Tupac's death. He spoke to the rapper right before he died, and he was in Las Vegas the night of the shooting. Hammer later released "Too Late Playa," which featured the late Shakur as well as Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy.Too Tight probably would have been amazing.

MUSIC

There Are No Greatest Hits Anymore: Compilation Albums Are a Cash Grab in 2019

With Fall Out Boy releasing another "Greatest Hits" collection, the question remains: why?

Aaron Carter

Photo by Kathy Hutchins (Shutterstock)

For decades, "Greatest Hits" albums were a necessary evil.

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Duncan Morley - Find You Now Ft. Rick Ross

"Find You Now" is the title of Duncan Morley's latest music video, featuring Rick Ross. The Boss hooked up with Morley after hearing the song one time. The combination of Morley's cool, velvety tones with the palpable texture of Ross' unique voice lends harmonic balance and depth to the tune.

Morley, who is in the studio now, laying down tracks for his album, plans to release a few more singles over the course of the summer months. At the same time, he will be touring with Wyclef Jean, which means he'll be as busy as a shark at a feeding frenzy.

Popdust decided to talk with Morley before his life maxed-out on the hectic-o-meter, asking him about what it was like making a video with The Boss, his influences, and what's in store for the future.



What's your backstory?

I'm just somebody who had a dream and wouldn't take no for an answer.

What is the most trouble you've ever gotten into?

I stole a car and got in a high-speed chase one night. I won the race but lost the battle, lol. I got caught an hour later. The irony was that it was my 16th birthday and I could have got my license that day.

What are the five things you can't live without?

Bob Marley, burritos, meditation, travel, (family/friends/animals) .

What's your favorite song to belt out in the car or the shower?

"Man in the Mirror" - Michael Jackson

What musicians/vocalists influenced you the most?

Bob Marley, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, maybe throw some old school Boyz II Men in there.

Where do you find inspiration for your songs?

For me, inspiration comes from the experiences in my life, the highs and lows. Those are the moments I try to capture in my music. Or sometimes it comes from the message behind the songs that inspires me.


How did you hook up with Rick Ross?

My record label, Blue Sapphire Music, and my manager, Lucci, helped set up the collaboration. Lucci, who is also one of Wyclef Jean's managers, presented the record to Rick Ross and the next thing you know I'm on a flight down to his home studio in Atlanta, where he featured on the song. This was also a courtesy of Epic Records. 'Im very grateful for Rick blessing the track and giving me this opportunity, as well as my team for putting this all together I wouldn't be here without them.

What was it like working with Rick Ross on the music video for "Find You Now?"

It was crazy! Rick is a PRO. It was surreal being side-by-side with the BOSS himself. It was the moment when I finally realized all my hard work was paying off, I'd never been on a real set, it was like a movie. The director, Spiff TV, is a legend too. The whole team is the real deal. I remember seeing the 18-wheeler pull up to drop off the equipment and I couldn't even count how many crew members there were. It was probably one of the highlights of my life to date. Especially considering I directed, produced, edited, and carried my own equipment for my last music video shoot on a $800 budget.

What is your songwriting process? Does the music come first and then the lyrics?

It varies. Sometimes I will just come up with a melody when I'm walking down the street, or other times I'll think of some lyrics or a song idea first. But most of the time my team and I come up with the track first, then I'll write lyrics and melodies to that.

Will you be touring in the near future? If so, where?

For sure! I'm excited to announce the tour dates soon, it's starting this summer. First date is with Wyclef Jean at Beach Club in the Montreal area.

It's presumptuous to ask at this point, but when might listeners expect new music? Are you back in the studio now?

I'm always in the studio trying to cook up the next record. But yeah, I am working on my album now and will be dropping a few more singles this summer too!

Follow Duncan Morley on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Blue Sapphire Music.

Randy Radic is a Left Coast author and writer. Author of numerous true crime books written under the pen-name of John Lee Brook. Former music contributor at Huff Post.

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Hip-hop today is as thriving as it's ever been. Even your parents know who Cardi B is. Migos might be the hottest group in the world as of this writing. 2017 was the first year in history that it became the most popular genre in the United States. If there's any problem with hip-hop right now, it's that it's becoming too popular, to the point where mainstream pop music threatens to dilute some of the heart of what made it great in the first place.

With all the extra cash flow coming in, rappers have been able to expand their horizons and take creative risks at a level we haven't seen before. One of the rewards we've seen as a result is better, funnier music videos. Artists like Tyler, the Creator, and Young Thug made their bones doing subversive comedy, and now even those acts who haven't previously been known for their personality are getting into the game.

When Migos released their "Walk It Talk It" video last week, it was both "dumb-funny" and a step towards maturity for the group. The '70s throwback aesthetic was pure, and even though Drake kind of messes it up with his modern dance moves, the Migos members themselves stuck dutifully to the shtick.

Dressing up like the Isleys and doing this whole Hustle routine doesn't come out of nowhere, though. Migos have always prefigured themselves as "the culture"--the artists who define the sounds and look of the youth today. Referencing the groovy '70s seems like their way of acknowledging that, yes, this boy band dress-up thing they do may be corny, but it isn't just a gimmick: it's them, as artists, carrying the torch from those music taste makers that came before.

The Walk It Talk It video was directed by the same artist--Daps--who made the first funny Migos music video -for "T-Shirt"- off their first Culture album. It dropped only a few weeks after Offset's "Ric Flair Drip", which featured a ludicrous, geriatric Ric Flair doing his catch phrase, and ogling women young enough to be his granddaughters.

It will be a good sign if rap videos keep going in this direction. Historically speaking, humor has been a sign of good health for the genre--an indicator of artists ditching tropes, and being comfortable enough to experiment. " The Real Slim Shady" and "Pass the Courvoisier" arrived at a coming-together point of hip-hop and mainstream pop culture at the turn of the century. When Kanye did "Touch the Sky" and "The New Workout Plan", he ushered in an entirely new era of the game. A decade later, Tyler, the Creator with Odd Future did so much good satire that they actually managed to get their own sketch show on Comedy Central. Perhaps we're now approaching another wave.

If you're in the mood for it: here are, the top five funniest hip-hop music videos of the past couple years...

5. Ain't it Funny by Danny Brown

4. Moonlight by Jay-Z

3. Baby Blue by Action Bronson

2. Freaky Friday by Lil Dicky

1. Wyclef Jean by Young Thug


Nate Nelsonis an NYC-based writer and podcast host.


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