Don Cannon & The Cool Kids

Here is some footage of Warner Chappell Urban's Don Cannon hard at work with The Cool Kids.

The Cool Kids @ S-Line Studio w/ Don Cannon from The Cool Kids on Vimeo.

Claude Kelly: The Ringmaster of Britney's "Circus"

Who better to bring Britney back to pop supremacy than our own personal "King of Pop", Claude Kelly! Check out her new single, "Circus", which is also the title track to her highly anticipated album dropping December 2.

Circus - Written by Claude Kelly


***Bonus Track: Here's another track from Britney's new album, "Circus", entitled "Shattered Glass", also penned by Claude Kelly.

Shattered Glass - Written by Claude Kelly

ASCAP, BMI or SESAC....pick one!

Here is some important information for all of our writers about signing up with a performing rights society...READ IT!!

WRITER/PUBLISHER PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION

Why do you need to join?
In order to collect performance revenue, receive label copy credit and participate in any awards you must affiliate yourself as a writer and publisher member of either, ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. Your writer and publisher membership must be with the same performing rights society.

Take time to weigh the differences of what each society has to offer. You must join as both a writer and publisher member, this is how we will register your songs and collect your performance income.

How do you join?
Each society has membership applications readily available on their websites or you can contact the society’s membership department in the office closest to your location.

ASCAP – ASCAP.com
ASCAP Membership link

BMI – BMI.com
BMI Membership link

SESAC – SESAC.com
SESAC Membership link

Why set up a publishing company, isn’t Warner/Chappell my publisher?
Warner/Chappell is your partner and/or administrator. Once your company has been established, Warner/Chappell at that time can step in, set up collections and begin registration of your catalog.

Please keep in mind, no two publishing company names can be similar. Each company must be unique to ensure proper royalty collection. For example: Rock Star Music and Rock Star Publishing would be considered too similar, Rock Star Forever Music would differentiate it from others.

Upon confirmation of your affiliation a worldwide identification number will be assigned for both writer and publisher memberships. Please provide us with this number, we use this number to track your royalties and register your songs.

This is just a brief overview of what is involved in affiliation and why. Should you have any other questions regarding the application process or performing rights membership, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Warner/Chappell.

Timbaland set to executive produce, Vinyl

Because producing half of the records being produced in this wild world of ours simply isn't enough for some exceptionally talented people, Timbaland has set his sights on the world of Tinseltown.

Timbaland will executive produce a film called Vinyl, which Billboard.com reports is "the story of five young women facing life-altering decisions about their relationships with members of a rock band." Tim's Mosley Media group has joined up with Duly Noted Inc. to produce the film, with Effie T. Brown of Duly Noted, Marcus Spence, and Tim's wife Monique Idlett-Mosley serving as the producers proper.

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Urban Throwback of the Week: Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Here is a flashback to 1997. This song was ranked #99 in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s and put Missy Elliott on the map.

Lil' Wayne at the 42nd Annual Country Music Awards

Last Night, Lil' Wayne became the first Hip-Hop artist to ever perform at the CMAs when he performed alongside Kid Rock. Here are a couple pics from this historic event...





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"Who Hotter Than Me"

Is Plies the future of Hip-Hop??? VIBE Magazine thinks so...

Pick up the December 2008 issue of VIBE to learn why!

Willy Northpole feat. B.o.B. - "Hood Dreamer" (Produced by Nard and B)

Check out this new song from Willy Northpole feat. B.o.B....Nard & B on the production!!!

"My Life, Your Entertainment"

T.I. stops to chat with Carson Daly about music and life on the "Last Call with Carson Daly" show.

Songwriting Tips from the Top: Diane Warren's Five Do's and Dont's for Up-and-Coming Songwriters

As one of the most successful and prolific songwriters to ever work in the music industry, Diane Warren has written one, if not fifteen, of your favorite songs (no really, go back and read your liner notes). As Ms. Warren clearly knows what a hit sounds like she has so graciously offered her wisdom in this weeks edition of Billboard magazine.

As Ann Donahue reports, Diane lays out 5 important tips for those young and aspiring in her field of songwriting:

1. WRITE, WRITE, THEN WRITE SOME MORE
-"I love writing songs and I can't wait to come to work every day. I get here about 8:30am and I just get to work. I'll show up and I go in my room and just start up; I'll start working on a song or maybe I'll start something new."

2. SEEK INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE
-"Anything can create a song. I always have my antennas up. Always. I'm not writing 24 hours a day, but my antennas are up 24 hours a day.
"[A recent] song that I was doing with Jordyn Taylor...was [from when] a friend of mine was telling me, 'Yeah, I'm just over this guy--until that phone rings.' I thought, 'Oh, that would be a great song called "'Till." ' I wrote a song a long time ago called 'I Love You Goodbye' that Celine Dion did. That was from my friend hanging up on me as I called her at work. She said, 'I love you goodbye!'
"I'm always listening and if I'm working with somebody, I'll always listen to what they do. I will study them: 'What can I take from them that's different?' "

3. BE CONFIDENT
-"In whatever you do--whether it's being a songwriter, whether it's an athlete, whether it's anything--you've got to be great or else give it up. I always say that if you wouldn't die without doing it, don't do it. In anything, there is so much competition. You've got to be great.
"Another thing I always say is that luck opens the door, but talent keeps you in. You know, because you can get that lucky break, but if you're not good, you're not going to get anything."

4. BE PERSISTENT
-"I thought I was great when I sucked. [laughs] I was thinking I was great when I was 14 and thought that whatever I wrote was great. They weren't great - let's say that. But part of it was that cockiness and that belief. I had so many doors slammed on me that if I didn't believe that, then maybe I would've given up.
"[The industry] is always cyclical and then it goes to something else, but at the end of the day, it always comes down to a great song, whether it's a great hip-hop song or a great country song...it's going to come down to what touches somebody, what really makes them feel something."

5. DON'T LET LACK OF FORMAL TRAINING DISCOURAGE YOU
-"I'm always learning...everything is learning. Every time I write a song I'm always learning something different. I always try to learn more and take more in. I've always been like a sponge. I'm always bringing different things into my music.
"I didn't have much music theory. I only took one class and I didn't really pay attention to that. I don't know...you've got to be good. You've got to know what you're doing. But you don't have to be a great musician to be a great songwriter. You just have to be able to write great music.
"It's different with everybody, because everyone has a different path. I knew what I wanted to do at 7 years old, and that's my path. That's just what worked for me."

You can find more from Diane Warren in this weeks (Nov 15) issue of Billboard magazine on stands now or at www.billboard.biz.

RIP SSS 1974-2008

On Saturday November 1st, I lost my close friend, my protege, the guy who helped build Noontime and EVP of Island Def Jam, and a great person, Shakir Stewart.

And while death is hard to make sense of, I would rather celebrate his memory and his extraordinary accomplishments made in a much too-short life.

Please click on the below links to find some highlights from the friend I knew as Shake

Vibe- Shakir Stewart named Executive VP @ Def Jam

Business Wire- Shakir Stewart named Vice President at HITCO Music

Audio Interview with Def Jam EVP, Shakir Stewart

Urban Network- Interview with Def Jam EVP, Shakir Stewart

Thank you Shake.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, November 7th at 3:00pm
King's Chapel at Morehouse College
830 Westview Drive, SW
Atlanta, GA 30314

His family has asked that donations be made to benefit his children, Micaela & Sebastian. You can do this by visiting www.shakirsstewart.com and clicking the donate button, or by going through SunTrust bank. The contact person at Suntrust, Shonna can be reached by email at shonna.perdue@suntrust.com, or by phone at 404-240-2032.

Shakir inspired a lot of people and I wanted to close with a letter I found online. It was originally posted here

Shakir,

There are so many of us left here now, wishing we would've let you know how much we loved you, thinking that we should've told you how influential you'd been on our careers, and wondering what we could've done to help save your life.

We should have thought of this sooner.

It doesn't matter now that you have hundreds of friends and colleagues that would have done anything for you (personally, professionally or both), because our attention focuses on you too little and too late. I'm sorry that I didn't let you know that I am a friend of yours who would never have judged you, always would have supported you, and would have set the earth on fire to save you from yourself.

Who am I? I'm nobody but someone whose life you touched. I'm someone who is sincerely saddened at the thought of your final act overshadowing the phenomenal contribution you made to the lives of more people than you knew.

Damn, Shake.

Please rest easy.

Love,
Kelly.

---Chris Hicks, 4:22pm

NEW MUSIC - "Let Me See The Booty" The-Dream ft. Lil Jon

The Radio Killa and the King of Crunk team up for this new club banger "Let Me See The Booty" from The-Dream's new album, Love vs. Hate, dropping Dec. 16!!!

"It's Wayne's World, Wayne's World, Party Time, Excellent".

Welcome to Wayne's World....Please enjoy today's feature presentation: "'Mrs.Officer' feat. Bobby Valentino/'Comfortable' feat. Babyface"

Urban Throwback of the Week: Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg -"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang"

The year is 1993. After leaving the biggest "Gangsta Rap" group in history, N.W.A., Dr. Dre joined forces with Marion "Suge" Knight to launch the legendary Death Row Records. From his critically acclaimed solo debut, "The Chronic", "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" helped solidify Dr. Dre as a solo artist and launch the career of Snoop D-O-Double-G.

Open Letter to Hip-Hop (II)

The following is the second open letter from four icons of the entertainment industry. If you haven't read the first open letter, click here for your viewing pleasure.

Dear Young America,

It ain't over, until it's over. There is still so much work to be done. The thrill of victory is just one week away. We hear it in the streets, we feel it in our hearts and it's burning in our souls. Together we have successfully registered the most young voters in the history of the modern political process. We called a State Of Emergency on October 3rd at 6:00AM and our culture stood up and recognized the importance of registering millions of voters. From 1st time voters who have just come of age to vote, to those who are participating for the 1st time in the voting process. Your commitment to Change will continue to ring across our America, because we all are in the Right State Of Mind

Where it stands today, we are on the verge of making history, the kind of history that will be a part of our culture's legacy. The kind of history that bridges the gap between race, religion and culture, the kind of history that will ignite a light that shines bright from generation to generation, screaming that our voice does matter and our vote does count. The kind of history that will enable the next generation of leaders to encourage vision, not division, to encourage hope, not hopelessness, to encourage the power of the people, not the power politics of the few.

With only 7 days left before we vote for change, let's hold ourselves accountable and responsible. No more excuses, no more mistakes and no more time to waste. If you have the opportunity to vote early in your state then vote today. If you are voting on November 4th, make preparation today. Bring your family and friends and plan for the party at the poles. Make November 4th the day we celebrate change - The day we celebrate freedom of choice. The day we celebrate power of all people. Let's all come together on November 4th, because it's a family reunion. It's our time and we are all in the Right State Of Mind.

We have 7 days to Vote for Change. 7 days to Vote to Make History. We can not slow down. We can not let up. We must push through to history until the final vote is cast and the last ballot is counted. We can, we must, and we will Make It Happen. Vote Obama/Biden on November 4th.

God Bless,
Diddy
Jay-Z
Mary J. Blige
Kevin Liles

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"Respect My Vote"

Check out this clip of T.I. taking full advantage of his inalienable right. On November 4th, let your voice be heard. Get Out and VOTE!!!!!

Problem File: Jamie Foxx feat. T.I. - Just Like Me (Written by The- Dream)

Listen to this certified banger from Jamie Foxx, T.I. and The-Dream.

Here's Your Daily Dosage of T.I.P.

Here is video of T.I.'s interview on The Chelsea Lately Show.

Weezy F. Baby Cleans Up at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards

Warner/Chappell Urban is proud to congratulate Lil' Wayne for winning seven awards at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards. Lil' Wayne won: Track of the Year (A Milli)
Lyricist of the Year
Alltel Wireless Peoples Champ
CD of the Year ("Tha Carter III")
Hottest Hip-Hop Ringtone of the Year ("Lollipop" feat. Static Major)
MVP of the Year
Best Hip-Hop Collabo (Featured in DJ Khaled's "I'm So Hood")

Plies...A Certified Goon

Warner/Chappell Urban would like to congratulate Plies for receiving his second gold certification of 2008!!!

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