December 2009

ESPN recently selected the Top 10 NBA plays of the decade. Watch buzzer beaters, alley opps, dunks and more from some of the best players in the league, like Chris Paul, Tracy Mcgrady, Kobe Bryant,  and others. What plays do you think should have made the cut?

Start the new year looking fresh in a pair of basketball kicks. Check out some of our top sellers over at JimmyJazz.com and Jimmy Jazz stores. Don't get caught tripping like Allen Iverson!

Force Thirteen by Air Jordan

Twelve Retro by Air Jordan

Sixty Plus Sneaker by Jordan

The deadline to win a a copy of 2 Turntables and A Microphone and a pair of adidas is approaching fast! Enter here for a chance to win. Contest ends on January 2nd!

2 Turntables and A Microphone gives the viewer a inside look at what happen on the tragic night of October 30th 2002, when hip-hop turntablelist and RUN DMC DJ Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell was shot and killed in his Queens, NY studio. The documentary features never before seen interviews with Russell Simmons, Ice T, Ja Rule, Lil' John, Common, Young Jeezy, former RUN DMC member, Run (now known as Rev Run), and several others. A must see for all hip-hop fans! The grandprize winner will also receive a fresh pair of adidas.

By Souleo.

R&B star, Cupid (now known as New Cupid) broke out with the 2007 hit song, “Cupid Shuffle,” but recently his life was in a bit of its own shuffle after parting ways with Atlantic Records.  Now he is back and ready to reintroduce himself with several exciting new projects on the horizon including a fitness DVD, being the new face of McCafe at McDonalds and the release of his upcoming album “Feel Good Musik,” in spring 2010.

New Cupid sums up his professional shuffle with Atlantic Records as due to creative differences and the need to branch out an artist.

“They wouldn’t let me be myself.  I can’t be the next somebody.  I needed to be an individual.  So this is a better situation for me and my vision as someone who brings the funk back into the R&B game,” he said.

This time around, New Cupid is ready to not only make listeners feel good with more funky tunes, but to also inspire them to be more health conscious and self-confident.

“I’m incorporating all of my dance music into the fitness realm with my DVD.  If you can do the moves in the club then you can do it in the morning and build your heart rate and metabolism up, and build a better life and future,” he said.

The inspiration to get his listeners healthy and motivated hits close to home for New Cupid.  The singer had his own battle with weight a few years ago due to depression over trying to survive in the music industry.

“I was depressed with the record business.  I was going on the internet trying to get a record deal and not taking care of my body.  So I got rid of that quick and I am back down to my sexy size,” he said.

New Cupid credits his eighteen month old son, Chris as motivating him to use his music as a catalyst for positive change and to attain even greater success with his new projects.

“I want to leave a legacy.  I don’t want my legacy to be a guy that did whatever I had to do or ran over somebody or was derogatory to make money.  Some will do anything for money but if you can stand by morals then that’s what being a man is about, and that’s what I want to make sure I teach him through my legacy,” he said.

With such motivation guiding him it sounds like, New Cupid is bound to hit his target right on the bull’s-eye with his comeback plans for 2010.

Probably one of the most heart drenching news stories of 2009 had to be the early demise of the greatest entertainer known to man-kind, Michael Jackson. Before his untimely death that stunned the world, MJ was gearing up his moon walking shoes for a 50 show tour in London, titled This Is It. In conjunction with the tour, Jackson had planed to release both a album and movie as a complete This Is It package. The first single was also titled after the tour. Below is the official music video, directed by Spike Lee. It gives fans an intimate look into Jackson's childhood and career.

A bunch of our favorite celebs have emulated the style of the great Michael Jackson. He was known for setting trends and having the world follow them, and this will certainly continue... even after his death. Jackson was probably the first entertainer to popularize the 'military look', which only fits him well, since he was indeed a leader. One of our top brands, Rocawear, a leader in urban fashion, recently dropped a Nomadic military jacket, which sort of resembles Jackson's famous collection of military jackets. What do you guys think?

Nomadic Jacket by Rocawear

By Souleo.

2009 has proven to be a big year for male R&B singers and sex.  Everywhere you turn there’s an R&B singer talking about how they will make your “Bedrock” (Young Money ft. Lloyd), how they are “Number One,” in the bedroom (R.Kelly ft. Keri Hilson) or even claiming to have “Invented Sex,” (Trey Songz).  It’s enough to either make you call up a partner and get busy tonight or long for R&B songs not just about sex, but about love and life.  (Cue: Anthony Hamilton and Raheem Devaughn, two soul brothers that are equally adept at being sensual and socially conscious.)

If anyone created “the” sex song of 2009 it is Jeremih with the smash hit, “Birthday Sex.”  JimmyJazz.com spoke to Jeremih about the year of sex’n’b to get his thoughts on the trend and its impact both musically and socially.

Jeremih notes that sex is what’s selling, but that this is nothing new.

“It’s a level now where people are expecting R&B music to be.  Even back in the day music was sexual—probably not as sexually put but there were some pretty sexual songs.  So it’s still here because obviously the sex is what’s selling and it's what people want to hear,” he said.

Hate it or not, Jeremih is right with sex’n’b ruling the 2009 charts so according to the evidence it is what’s selling.  Still, the lyrical content is more provocative than some of the sexual songs from back in the day.  While this is in some cases a positive sign of sexual liberation, it is also a trend resulting in excessive promiscuity and questionable behavior.  For example, R&B concerts have now turned into displays of all kinds of sexual acts.

During his promotional tour, Jeremih was witness to the sexually aggressive nature of his fans.

“The front row is like the Mardi Gras vibe.  They all had on they little freakum dresses, and the whole time I was performing they just had their tops down and it was just like crazy,” he said.

The music is having an impact and for better or worse releasing the sexual inhibitions of fans, but the troubling part is that many of those fans are youth.  One of the side effects of sex driven R&B is that many of these artists have young fanbases who get sold on a message they are too young to fully comprehend.

Jeremih realizes that the sexual songs are affecting youth and he admits that he doesn’t like the fact that ten year olds recite his lyrics.

“I don’t think at all that it’s appropriate.  Nowadays kids are doing a lot more different things.  They having sex at like ten now and I don’t even think I got hard then.  I definitely wouldn’t condone it or propose to tell kids to engage in it.  Being as though they are anyway I feel like I might as well do a keep it safe campaign,” he said.

With so much sex’n’b and young listeners gravitating to the music, the music industry will soon have to start similar campaigns to take responsibility for the messages being marketed to their young demographic.  However that won’t be enough if the messages in the music are inconsistent and still sell sex to youth.  Perhaps less freaky songs will do the trick?

Let’s see what happens to sex’n’b in 2010.

(Pictured above: Omarion shows off serious dance moves in a fitted all black hoodie.)

Although the one-time member of super-boy group, B2K, was booted out from Young Money late this summer, the 25 year-old has been hard at work promoting songs and videos from his 4th album, Ollusion, scheduled to be released early 2010 through O's StarrWorld Entertainment group.

Jay Rock keeps it gangsta in a baggy light grey hoodie.

In his newest release, "Hoodie", Omarion decides to 'thug it out' a bit with west coast emerging rapper, Jay Rock. The video for "Hoodie" is a tribute to staying fresh and rockin' hoodies. "Hoodie" is also dedicated to the late Michael Jackson and is sort of reminiscent to Jackson's "Beat It" video.

Stay warm and look stylish this winter in one of many hoodies, available at JimmyJazz.com.

Black Mobile Hood by Akademiks

Grey Mobile Hood by Akademiks

By Souleo.

Flo Rida has a lot to be proud of this past year. His hit single "Low," was recently named the top-selling digital song of the decade with over 5.2 million digital downloads sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In addition he is nominated for two Grammy's this year, a People's Choice Award and named one of the sexiest men alive by People Magazine. Not bad for a man that used to work in a Las Vegas casino digging through trash for silverware and making less than minimum wage. While looking back on all his recent success Flo Rida told JimmyJazz.com that he is most proud of his ability to survive the negativity of his upbringing.

"I grew up in a single parent home and around a neighborhood with a lot of drug dealing, killing and everything. My mom, she always instilled in me to keep the faith, dream big, put God first and the sky is the limit. So I always make sure I give towards more positive things versus negativity," he said.

Flo Rida also reflected on the important value of appreciating his success. It's a value he learned from his trip to Africa. Even though the trip was in 2008 it has left an indelible impression on him as it was also the inspiration behind the title of his album, R.O.O.T.S. an acronym for "Route of Overcoming the Struggle."

"I mean I always been appreciative for the fact that I've grow up with less fortune, but over there is even worse. They don't even got vehicles and most people walk like twenty or thirty miles with a smile on their face. So that like humbled me even more and taught me to really not take life for granted," he said.

Flo Rida certainly seems to be taking nothing for granted as he is already working on his third album to be released Spring 2010. While the accolades and money certainly keeps him going he revealed that it's the impact his music has that also keeps him on top of his game.

"I mean the fact that I could put smiles on people internationally and at the same time do something I love enjoy and have a passion for means a lot," he said.

In the spirit of Christmas (and basketball), Nike Basketball delivers yet another hilarity with it's Kobe Bryant and LeBron James puppets, with music provided by hip-hop legend, KRS-One (who also plays a stylish Santa in the clip). The trio gets called on by 3 trash talking reindeers to the court. Gets who gets dunked on?

If your in the Ohio area, make sure to swing by the Jimmy Jazz store in LeBron James' hometown of Akron and cop' the LeBron James Nike Zoom. Also available at JimmyJazz.com in all black.

The countdown is officially on for one of the most anticipated album releases of the year... Young Money's We Are Young Money will hit shelves and web on December 21st. Preview the long-overdue We Are Young Money exclusively on Amazon.com! If you like what you hear, pre-order a copy in our Extra Grabs section.

We Are Young Money features this summer's smash hit, "Every Girl In The World" and the current hit single, "Bed Rock".  Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Jae Millz and our big homie Gudda Gudda drop serious heat and individuality on We Are Young Money. Props to Lil' Wayne for putting all of these guys on one album.

Young Money - "Bed Rock" video

Young Money - We Are Young Money Official Track List:

1. Gooder
2. EveryGirl In The World
3. Ms. Parker
4. Wife B**ter
5. New S***
6. Pass The Dutch
7. Play In My Band
8. F*** Da Bulls***
9. BedRock
10. Girl I Got You
11. Steady Mobbin
12. Roger That
13. She Is Gone
14. Streets Is Watchin'
15. Finale