All That's FAB » BB Kings

Events: Power R&B Live – Ladies Night

Ian Jarrell — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:55:05 +0000

ATF recently attended Power R&B Live @ BB Kings in NYC. This edition was Ladies Night, and the ladies surely held it down. Monica was the headliner, who we love and haven’t seen in concert in awhile. RichGirl and Teairra Mari opened for the industry vet. Monica told the crowd:

“Wow is been like a decade and half and I am still here. People really didn’t think I was gonna have a career.”

Teairra did something very questionable during her set at BB Kings. This chick had the nerve to attempt giving this dude a lap dance on stage. She was just all over the place. Grinding on someones face and magic piece is a lil too much for this young R&B female. It seems like she wanted that footage to appear on MediaTakeOut.com. We were very unimpressed with her performance and overall look. We are fans of the fab chick, but she let us down with that show.

RichGirl shut it down for the BB Kings crowd. They performed a couple of songs that will appear on their self-titled album. The girls also did a lap dance during their set. Audra of RichGirl actually pulled DJ Clue to the stage and worked him over a bit. He wasn’t really into it, with a drink in his hand the entire time…

“He couldn’t handle it anyway.” Audra of RichGirl towards DJ Clue.

The girls murdered the stage and they didn’t once come off as the throwback Destiny’s Child, as they sometimes did in the past. If they work on some better dance moves these fab chicks would be the business. We love that they actually sang live and didn’t lip sync. We are definitely fans of the girl group.

RichGirl’s Performances:

Now when the headliner Monica hit the stage everyone took notice. Monica has always been one of those artist everyone loves on the low. Ever since she hit the scene in the early 90’s, folks have been getting chills from her amazing voice. Monica looked stunning, we love that she went back to short hair. That was like her trademark back in the day.

Monica took us all the way back to her first album during her set. She performed her classic “Angel of Mine“, which had girls in the crowd in tears. You can’t deny Monica’s vocals but we can so tell that she is getting up there in age. Her swagger is just so motherly now, which is cute for her. She also gave the audience a taste of what she is bringing on her new project. Monica also gave us some inside scoop on her new show on BET, Still Standing, which will follow the production of her album and the antics of her family.

Monica’s Performances:

Overall the show was dope minus Teairra Mari and some random performance from Lil’ Fizz and J-Boog, who just came out of no where. They performed their song “Bounce” off the Bring it On soundtrack. It’s weird seeing them without Omarion. They need to just reunite B2K, none of the members are doing anything anyway….

You can check out more pics from the event below:

Photos were taken by Fab Man’ Steven Duarte & Phonz L Thomas of ThePrinceOfAllMedia.com

Fab Female: Lydia Caesar

Aura — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:43:25 +0000

Lydia Caesar is a singer/songwriter that we first discovered on mixtapes that were circulating around New York City. Shortly after, we began seeing more of her buzzing online after she released her version of Musiq’s hit song “Buddy”. After hearing her name in circles over and over again and having our peers continuously speak so highly of her, it got to the point where we almost couldn’t avoid her and her grind.

This talented young star is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the industry as a result of her beautiful voice, head turning looks, and killer songwriting skills, and we were proud to be able to sit down and talk to her. As a former stand out contestant on Making the Band 2, and someone who has performed in just about every venue in NYC, she definitely has a lot of interesting things to say about her experiences in the entertainment industry. Learn more about Lydia Caesar when you read the rest.

ATF: We’ve been hearing about you for a little while now. Can you tell our readers a little bit about who you are?

LC: I’m a singer/songwriter/performer born and raised in Queens, NY. Basically, I’m an artist and I love making music. I love making songs that personally I can relate to, and it just so happens that other people can relate to them also. I love singing about love, and a lot of my songs are just about life. I also love the stage and I do a lot of shows in New York and the tri –state area. Within the city I get around and have done just about every venue. I’m just about spreading love and positivity through music.

ATF: What are some venues that we might of seen you perform at?

LC: I’ve done SOBs, BB Kings, Crash Mansion, The Canal Room, The Sugar Bar, basically everywhere.

ATF: And you also write your own songs, correct? Did you start out writing your own songs, or is it just something that you started doing gradually?

LC: Well, I’ve always considered myself to be a singer, and have been singing since I was about 5. I did Making the Band 2, and people on the set of the show were asking me if I write. At the time I had no songs at all, and they told me that was something that I should get into. I’ve always written poetry and have been very expressive, so when I was like 19 I started writing and started to realize that I was kind of good at it.

ATF: How was the Making the Band experience for you?

LC: It was a really good experience. I’m happy about it. I made it really far to top 15 singers. At the time, my parents were really strict, and they didn’t want me to sign. There was this really long contract that they give you early on, and my parents were like “No”. I was devastated, and I didn’t sign because I couldn’t go on, but the experience was really good for me. I really needed it as a person to build my strength and my confidence.

ATF: Did you always grow up wanting to be a singer, or was the Making the Band audition kind of a fluke?

LC: I felt I didn’t really embrace myself as a vocal artist. I’m into acting and that was where I really was….I wanted to be an actress, and I still do. But, when I got pregnant with my daughter, (which was about 6 months after Making the Band), is when I really started to take my music seriously. Its really weird, because you think something like that would be a stumbling block, but it really inspired me to work even harder. I actually wrote a song called “Melody Love” about my daughter and its like one of people’s favorite songs of mine. Its an older song, and not even how my music sounds now, but it came from such a real place and I think that’s why people really relate to that song.

ATF: Well, for our readers that are mothers out there, how do you manage to balance the two? And why was it so important for you to push yourself harder after you had your daughter?

LC: I’m blessed and fortunate to have a supportive family, and I have a lot of help. I don’t know how I would fair if I was on my own and I didn’t have such a great support system. My family supports what I do, and when I have shows and late night sessions, she’s with my mom. Her dad is in the industry too, and everyone around me is very supportive. We really it takes a village, so we all lend a hand in raising her. Honestly, I could make myself sound like some superwoman, but I do have help, which I’m very thankful for.

ATF: I actually first saw you on one of DJ Boy Wonda’s mixtapes. We actually just interviewed him, and we know that he hustles and we always see him out and about. How did you link up with him?

LC: My manager, Nigel is friends with Wonda, and he is such a big supporter. He really liked me and believed in me, and he was one of the first people to actually record me and really respect me as an artist. Its people like him who have helped me progress and has helped me as an artist to remain relevant. He’s like family in the industry to me.

ATF: Do you have a lot of friends in the industry that you can call to help out, or do you feel as a woman that you get some push back from your male counterparts?

LC: I wouldn’t say that I have a lot of friends, but I have a whole lot of acquaintances. There are a good amount of people that I know that I can count on when I need something, people who aren’t just about the money or business, but rather its about the passion that they have for me as an artist or a person. I think I’m fortunate, because its hard to find people like that.

ATF: In an industry where a lot of the music is kind of more so about how you look and what kind of machine you have around you, how do you feel you fit in?

LC: Its hard. A lot of times, the industry can be really discouraging, and you look around and wonder why you don’t have a deal or different opportunities. You definitely have thick skin. Not to hate on anyone else, but sometimes when you see what’s out there, I question “What the hell is going on?” However, I’ve adopted a motto for myself, and learned to not sweat the people that aren’t interested, but to sweat the people who are. I definitely think I have a place and I have a voice. I have music that people need to hear, and fans are really reassuring of that. The comments that I get definitely keep me going.

Check out Lydia Caesar’s latest single Summer Vacation. (We sure could use that with all of the rain that we’ve been getting in the city lately.)

Summer Vacation (final master).mp3 – Lydia Caesar

DOWNLOAD “SUMMER VACATION HERE

For more of Lydia Caesar, visit her on Myspace and follow her on Twitter

Upcoming Summer Concerts In NYC

Steph — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:15:51 +0000

Its offical, its summertime and school is out. There will be some FABULOUS concerts this summer. Here is the list for this month JULY:

The Roots @ Highline Ballroom in NYC on July 14th

Asher Roth and Kid Cudi @ Nokia Theatre in NYC on July 15th

John Legend@ Palace Theatre in Albany, NY on July 18th

Nas@ Nikon Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, NY on July 19th

Mint Condition @ BB Kings in NYC on July 19th

Maxwell@Palace Theatre in Albany, NY on July 21st

Summer Splash feat J. Holiday, Bobby V, Pleasure P@ Capital One Bank Theatre in Westbury, NY on July 26th

Lil Wayne @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY on July 29th

Redman, Method Man, Ghostface Killah @ Nokia Theatre in NYC on July 30th

For more information and to purchase go to www.ticketmaster.com. Have a FUN summer!!!

Pics: A Night of Hip Hop Legends @ BB Kings

Aura — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:43:27 +0000

Method Man, Redman, The Beatnuts, Noreaga, Keith Murray, and more were spotted at BB Kings this past Sunday as the Night of Hip Hop Legends Concert. (Wow, Method Man is STILL fine, and hasn’t aged a bit.) More pictures after the jump.

Redman

Noreaga

Psycho Les of The Beatnuts

Keith Murray (Where has he been?)

Method Man and Redman’s album “Blackout 2” is currently in stores.

Pics: Wireimage

En Vogue Reunites and Performs at BB Kings!

Aura — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:52:32 +0000

Remember the days when beauty and style wasn’t enough, and talent actually mattered in the music industry? Well En Vogue was one of those rare groups that had it all. “The Funky Divas” reunited during a special performance at BB Kings in Times Square last night, and they still look amazing! Its good to see these ladies back together, as they are definitely one of the best that ever did it.

Read the rest for more pics, and one of their classic videos.

Hotness!

Easter Sunday Performances @ BB Kings!

Tini — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:06:12 +0000

I don’t know exactly what it is you are supposed to be doing on Easter Sunday, but I’ll probably be somewhere praying /, or with family. But for everyone that feels the need to go out on Easter Sunday (shame on you! lol) should definitely hit up BB Kings. Some of NYC’s hottest rappers will be hitting the stage, such as Busta Rhymes, Kid Cudi, Fat Joe, and O-Neal Mcknight (where did he come from?). The event is hosted by Mike Epps so you already know there are gonna be a few jokey-jokes in between performances. Fab Readers, let us know how this event is if you attend.