While modern day hip-hop is rife with emo and AutoTune, FreeSol is leaning to the left by blending hip-hop, rock and soul via live instrumentation. The Memphis based quintet consists of a lyricist, keyboards, drums, guitar/vocalist, and a DJ. They started in 2003 when rapper Free decided to move beyond two turntables and a mic and blend a variety of sounds for various gigs.

By 2006, a mutual friend introduced them to Justin Timberlake who signed them to his Interscope imprint, Tennman Records. They recently dropped a mixtape, Rock n Rolla (with DJ Benzi) and are currently working with a variety of producers like Jim Jonsin, Mike Elizondo, Cool & Dre and more on their debut album scheduled for an early 2011 release. In addition to explaining to VIBE what makes them different from other genre blending bands, they also elaborated on another goal⎯perfecting the art of baby making music. ⎯Starrene Rhett

VIBE: How do you successfully merge live instrumentation with a DJ?

Preemo: I think the way we fuse these⎯the whole live instruments with the DJ thing is pretty clever and we want to try to stick to the organic sound of musicianship and that shows in our stage [presence], as well as our records. I think it’s very important that we not forget to put true musicianship into music because nowadays everything is three ticks and a boom and it’s really not that organic sound like it used to be, especially growing up in Memphis. We officially come from [Memphis] and we wanted to stay true to this area and what we know. You can’t be from Memphis and not be influenced by music. Me and Teddy (drums) grew up in the church and that really helps us stay true to what we do on stage.

Free: You have to have true musicianship but we [also] want to move the club so that’s where we bring in the DJ, so that we can have all of those 808s and present day sounds, as well as mix it with something that’s very live so for me, in order for hip-hop to keep evolving, for hip-hop to stay alive, it has to evolve and I think that’s what we’re just trying to be a part of, the evolution.

What was the decision to ditch the traditional hip-hop sound?

Free: We’re not ditching the traditional hip-hop sound. We’re just evolving it; we’re growing on it. We still have it. It’s there. I saw LL [Cool J] back in the day and he was one of the greatest emcees to me at the time and he had two turntables and a microphone and then I saw The Roots and I began to see all these other bands and I was touring and I was selling CDs on the streets and I was meeting all these bands and just seeing how fun it is to have a DJ and a live band on stage. It was just to add on to give the crowd something more fun. I just think you have to grow. The main focus was not to go away from hip-hop. It was to liven hip-hop a little bit. And being from the south, it was too easy.

How have your lives changed since signing a deal?

Free: We’ve had ups and downs. I think a lot of people think when you get a record deal that’s when it all begins and you’re about to take off but actually we really had to work. We really had to tune in and learn who we are, what we are, what is our product, what we’re trying to be. What we used to do is just get out there and play music. We would just jam and do whatever. One minute we were playing First House, next minute we were opening up for Saliva, or next minute we were playing some Foo Fighters or Wailers. We played all types of stuff and when we signed with Justin we just had to realize what we were trying to do.

Talk about your debut album.

Free: We’re trying to shoot a video in the next 30 to 60 days and lock down the single. We’re trying to put a single out this fall and trying to have the record out early 2011 but we haven’t decided the name of the record.

Being a band probably means that at times it’s hard to translate the sounds that you want in a recording as opposed to being live. Is that a concern for you guys? How do you deal with it?

Preemo: Like free said before, when we first started playing and recording and doing our shows, we could do anything from a heavy metal concert to a smooth jazz club because all of us we’re musicians and we could do what we want. The challenge was narrowing it down because we were all over the place and I think with the help of Justin, of course, we’ve pretty much done that to the point where we’ve almost created a new genre of music and it’s really cool. It’s a mixture of hip-hop meets rock with a little bit of soul and I think that people will be able to relate to it and dig it and jam out and vibe to it bump in the club to it or chill with your girl to it.

Free: And you’ll want to have sex to it, don’t forget that too [group laughs].

Preemo: I think the major thing about our music is that we pour our hearts and souls into it and I’m a firm believer in what comes from the heart reaches the heard and I think that the people can relate to it and feel it as much as we have.

What’s an example of some helpful guidance you picked up from Justin?

Free: Justin is so intimidating. I like to tell the story that the first time I was in the studio with him working, I was writing a rhyme and he wanted to see how I was coming along with it so he looked over my shoulder and said, “Read it to me.” I was pretty much finished with it but I was just practicing it before I went and laid it. He hears me spitting it and while I was in the middle of recording it he’s like when you say blah blah blah, he actually sat and and remembered the whole rhyme after hearing it one time. He remembered certain places and things and that just blew my mind at that moment. I really realized how talented he is, not only is he able with his memory, he’s very intelligent. So being around him has made me become more focused and attentive to everything. I think the main thing as an mc that he does is he’s very rhythmic. Everything is about dance so like rhythmic patterns and stuff flowing⎯I think that that’s something that he’s really trying to encourage me to think about. I’ve always been about trying to change the flow up and ride the beat but I think he brought more of that out of me.

Preemo: JT has helped mold me into a better producer as far as teaching me how to really pay attention to sound, different textures, different colors, textures of drums⎯really pay attention to drums. He really believes if the drums knock then everything else is kinda secondary. It really motivated me to be a better producer today⎯individually as well as incorporate it into the band and make us a stronger unit all together.

What makes you stand out amongst other bands who fit into a similar vein?

Teddy: That we’re not thrown in the pot like a hired band. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’ve grown to know what we want in our own sound so we’re just not a hired band put together. I think we’re going to take the world by storm because we’re so unique as far as our sound and I think people will hear that in what we’re about to bring.

Preemo: I think us being from the south l—there has been hip-hop bands from the south that we’ve played with but on a major level, I can’t think of anything like us. I think we bring a little bit of what we’ve seen before with The Roots and Linkin Park [but] I think that we’re very relevant today as well, look at people like Travis [McCoy] of Gym Class Heroes. All of these things that we bring to the table—I think we’re familiar to it but the way we do it being from Memphis—the twang with it the real musicianship, the gospel experiences, that jazz experiences, the rock experiences, and the time we’ve had to develop and the influences that we’ve had. We like hit making music, melodic music. I think and with what B.o.B and Kanye are doing people will—I’m not gonna say they’ll love our music like the love B.o.B and Kanye but I definitely think they’ll be able to understand it and get it and they’ll be able to say there’s something different, and at the end of the day that’s all we want them to say.

What do you want people to get out of your music?

Free: Make some babies.

[Group laughs]

Preemo: Seriously. It sounded like a joke but we think back to cats who are still legends today. They may have gone on but their music still lives and some of us are here because of their music. Like Marvin Gaye, you know how many babies have been made off Marvin Gaye music?

[Laughs]

But we just want to put our mark and have people say, “These guys stay true to who they are and make a difference in music.”

Free: Not change the game but just put our mark and say this is FreeSol, this is what we do, those guys are dope. And I want people to stop seeing black and white and pay attention to everything in between. FreeSol to me means everything. I want people to stop the judgment and stop the racism. Let’s start spreading real liberal open mind points of view. So that’s what I want people to get out of the music, that freedom to understand yourself and to respect yourself but at the same time letting other people be themselves and respecting them.

Source

Image Credit: Faith-Ann-Young

From denimblog

Can it be that Justin Timberlake is not wearing a pair of of his own William Rast jeans yet another time? This is the second time we have spotted him not in his own brand since the set of Bad Teacher wearing a pair of Levi’s. This time Justin was wearing a pair of J. Lindeberg jeans as he got off a speed boat on the set of his new movie Friends with Benefits. I think these jeans look really good on Justin. It is a nice change to see him in something slimmer than what he is usually spotted in.

Though these are a different brand. They have a closer connection to Justin than everyone thinks. Johan and Marcella Lindeberg are the creative directors of his William Rast brand. I think it is cool that he is supporting the brand by the people who are the creative mind process of his label.

 Click here to purchase these jeans at OAKNYC for $225.

Justin Timberlake is still ”insecure” about his music and acting talents, despite the plaudits he receives.  

Justin Timberlake is “insecure” about his talent. 

The 29-year-old star – who shot to fame aged 12 as a member of the New Mickey Mouse Club – claims he is still not fully comfortable either as a singer or a performer, despite winning several awards for his work. 

He said: “I think I’m equally insecure about both of them. I’ve been doing this for two thirds of my life and I still consider myself pretty young but I think that’s the part you battle with all the time. 

“When you’re creating your art, that’s the best part. Your senses are on a creative high and then the part where everyone gets to see it and comment on it, that’s the part I think you battle with until you die. 

“It’s absolutely terrifying.” 

Justin doesn’t want to be known only for either his acting or singing talents and thinks his early work on the children’s TV show gave him a solid grounding in both professions. 

Justin – who voices the character Boo-Boo Bear in upcoming animated movie ‘Yogi Bear’ – added: “It’s no secret I was trained as a very young kid on a TV show with a lot of other extremely talented actors and singers – Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling. 

“I think we were all trained in the arts, be it song, dance or acting.”

 Source

“I’ll always battle with insecurity of people seeing or hearing my work”, insists pop superstar Justin Timberlake

HE HAS fame, success and awards in his trophy cabinet but pop hunk Justin Timberlake claims he’s still insecure.

The 29-year old has been a star since he was 12-year-old entertainer on The New Mickey Mouse Club.

Then he was the main attraction in Nineties boyband *NSYNC as they sold 56million records.

He’s since been a solo star and actor, won six Grammys and collected two Emmys. Along the way, he’s dated Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel.

But asked if he is more insecure about acting than he is making music, Justin told The Razz: “I think I’m equally insecure about both of them.

“I’ve been doing this for two thirds of my life and I still consider myself pretty young but I think that’s the part you battle with all the time.

“When you’re making it, that’s the best part. The process is the best part.

“Your senses are on a creative high and then the part where everyone else gets to see it and comment on it, that’s the part that I think you battle with until you die.

“It’s absolutely terrifying.”

Justin has only released two solo albums, 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds following his 2002 debut Justified.

But he’s collaborated on many singles, including with Timbaland and Nelly Furtado on Give It To Me, 50 Cent on Ayo Technology and with Madonna on 4 Minutes.

Instead of albums, he’s been making movies. Gritty ones like Alpha Dog, Southland Tales and Black Snake Moan or sending himself up as teen royal Artie in Shrek The Third and Jacques “Le Coq” Grande in The Love Guru.

In October, he’ll be seen in The Social Network, a biopic about the founders of Facebook. He plays Sean Parker, the creator of free music service Napster who became Facebook’s president.

And he will voice Boo-Boo Bear in a film version of Yogi Bear that mixes live-action with animation. Dan Aykroyd voices Yogi and Justin does a fantastic take on Boo-Boo’s nasal voice.

Justin is chuffed to be playing such a telly icon. He grinned: “It’s pretty awesome. I used to watch the cartoon when I was a kid.

“You’re talking about a classic, you’re talking about two classic characters that have been around since my parents. Yogi Bear is an iconic Hanna Barbera cartoon. So it’s been a lot of fun.

“I will say this, Dan does an amazing Yogi Bear and hopefully I did Boo-Boo justice. But we’re really – for lack of a better term – mimicking what you recognise as those voices from the cartoon.”

The man from Memphis, Tennessee, is refusing to be pigeonholed as just a singer, claiming he’s cared for acting as well as music.

He said: “It’s no secret I was trained as a very young kid on a TV show with a lot of other extremely talented actors and singers. Christina Aguilera. Ryan Gosling.

“I think we were all trained in the arts, be it song, dance or acting.

“I’m extremely aware of perception and I think that’s why I’ve made the choices that I’ve made. They were for myself.”

And how does he take being one of the sex symbols of a generation? Justin shook his head. He said: “I’m not going to answer that question. There’s no right way.

“Everybody has a little geek in them and I just don’t believe in things that way.

“I love the process of making films and I love the process of making music.”

Source

Actors Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis in Grand Central for an evening shoot on the set of “Friends With Benifits” on July 28, 2010 in New York City

33 images in the gallery

Check out Justin filming  in NY on July 29th, 2010

4 images in the Gallery

Sony is playing it smart. During the season two premiere of Jersey Shore tonight, they aired the very first TV spot for David Fincher‘s Facebook movie The Social Network. They ripped out the beautiful cover of Radiohead’s Creep and jammed in the new single Power, by the recent social media-friendly Kanye West. Check out the spot below

Source

Check out this pic of Justin at the Teen People party in honor of the rapper Nelly at Ivar. (Jan 15th, 2003) Shania Twain and the members of N SYNC were also in attendance.

8 images in the Gallery

So, I am finally done adding pics to the Basketball on set gallery lol.  added more from Kika Press (Page 4-5)!

Image(s) Credit: L.Gallo/KikaPress

Also Check out these pics of Justin on the set of ‘FWB’ filming a boat scene w/ woody 7/27/10. **Photos courtesy of Natalie**  (Thanks Nat for the pics!)

   

20 images in the Gallery

 *All credit goes to their rightful owner(s)

In the past Justin’s body art has been displayed in all of his films, in Alpha Dog not only were his shown, but a few fakes were added to play the role of Frankie. In the love guru Justin’s back and bicep were featured as well as in Black snake moan. But it seems for his latest feature friends with benefits they have covered them up. It is probably due to the fact that his ankle tattoos are show symbolism to his music career as a former member of nsync. but it is weird to see him without them!

The last time we saw his bare ankles…. when he was 17!

Band Set for Lollapalooza Performance in Chicago on August 7th

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ — “Don’t Give It Away” will premier August 1st on HBO’s hit series “Entourage.” Beginning August 1st FreeSol fans can sign up on FreeSolmusic.com to get a free download of the track available for one week. On August 7th the band will arrive in Chicago to play at the festival that “Entourage” opening theme song singer Perry Farrell started. Perry is the superhero of the modern festival and FreeSol is excited to play Lollapalooza for the second time on Perry’s stage.

Signed to fellow Memphis native Justin Timberlake’s Tennman Records imprint via Interscope Records, FreeSol will make “Don’t Give It Away” available for sale on iTunes and Amazon beginning August 10th.

FreeSol is already tearing up the underground thanks to the mixtape “RockNRolla” released in June.  The collection of classic rock tunes recreated in the group’s unique style was featured on the popular MTV News segment “Mixtape Daily” and selected tracks have been heard on trendsetting sites The Smoking Section, 2dopeboyz.com, Vibe.com, hiphopDX.com, aol.com, yk2daily.net, ap.org, and many more.  “RockNRolla” is available for free downloading via DJBooth.net.

In anticipation of the debut album from FreeSol, a single and accompanying music video will be released this fall.

Source

Justin Timberlake has denied he is in the running to be a judge on American Idol.

The pop superstar was rumoured to be on TV bosses’ wishlist to step into Simon Cowell’s shoes for the upcoming 10th season alongside Elton John, but he has thrown cold water on the reports, denying that there is any possibility he would consider the role.

A source told Deadline Hollywood that the SexyBack singer – who will appear on the big screen in forthcoming films The Social Network, Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits – said the story was “just silly” because he has no time.

As for Elton, his British publicist told the website: “Elton’s got commitments right up until next year. As we stand at the moment, Elton has no plans to do that show.”

When reached for comment on the original story, a spokesperson for American Idol offered a no comment.

Since Simon Cowell announced his departure from the judges’ chair after the ninth season, a number of high profile names have been linked to his role.

if the site looks strange within the next like 15-30 mins it is because I am editing the colors and theme. I am not allowed to have the givenchy ad as the layout therefor must make something new.

Everything is up and ready. I think from this point forward I am just going to use live or candid photos for the layouts because I always have to change them and it sucks lol. Hope you guys like the new look

It might have been written as a throwaway line in a story on Deadline Hollywood, but it turns out the speculation could be true. New Regency and 20th Century Fox are talking to Justin timberlake. No deal is done, but by the end of the week, Timberlake could be on board to play the protagonist in the film from writer/director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca). Timberlake’s reps declined to commentncy and 20th Century Fox are talking to Justin Timberlake to star in I’m.mortal, one of the most sought-after sci-fi projects in the marketplace today. .

I’m.mortal depicts a future where the aging gene is turned off at age 25, but to avoid overpopulation, time has become the new currency. The lead character is a poor man from the ghetto who is falsely accused of murdering a wealthy man for his time. Amanda Seyfried has already signed on to play the beautiful rich girl he kidnaps while on the run.

Production is set to begin in early fall. We’ll keep you posted as the deal progresses.

Source

TARGET WRANGLES WILLIAM RAST: Justin Timberlake’s William Rast line will launch exclusive men’s and women’s collections at most Target stores and target.com on Dec. 19. The collections will be available through Jan. 22. William Rast was introduced by Timberlake and his childhood friend Trace Ayala in 2005. “Our guests have varied tastes and this collection provides the perfect mix of rocker attitude and laid-back appeal for men and women everywhere at affordable prices,” said Target spokeswoman Katie Heinze. Prices for the Target collection were not available, but William Rast jeans cost $165 to $229; leather jackets, $395 to $595, and fashion tops, $95 to $165. “The collection for Target was inspired by the essence of the William Rast brand — the iconography of biker culture and American denim heritage,” said William Rast chief executive officer Colin Dyne.

Source