We always make it a point here to find and showcase emerging talent. We can feature people all day that may be hot for a week with a club remix and then never be heard of again, but we’d much rather give you the heads-up on the ones that will stick through time. You can be sure that Kid Cudi is on the scene to stay. This guy is well on his way to being a superstar. Kid Cudi is among the 3 most anticipated breakout stars in hip hop right now alongside Wale (who just released his newest album) and Drake.
Catching the ear of Kanye West early on with his mix tape release A Kid Called Cudi, he’s definitely grabbed our attention. Now, his single “Day ‘n’ Nite” burned up the charts and was a great kickoff to his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. In fact, when Kanye had to drop out of the new Lady Gaga tour, Cudi became his replacement. Big shoes to fill, but he didn’t flinch.
So what’s next for Cudi? He’ll soon be seen in a new series on HBO called “How To Make It In America” which will be like a New York version of “Entourage.” Cudi’s already highly regarded by the hip-hop heavyweights including Eminem, Jay-Z and, of course, Kanye. So we’ll continue to watch his progression, but you can be sure that the only direction he’ll be going is up. Check out my recent interview with Kid Cudi who is one of our picks for Verge to Emerge:
Jimmy Choo Kick Off Party
Tamara Mellon, founder and CEO of Jimmy Choo, was in town to throw a kick-off party for her new line she is doing in partnership with H&M. She took over an Estate on Doheny and threw one of the classiest parties of the year. They literally built a stage in the middle of the swimming pool and had models showcasing the latest line. The intimate guest list included Hayden Panettiere, Paris Hilton, Russell Simmons, Brett Ratner and many others. The party was highlighted by a performance from M.I.A. It’s amazing no matter how many times you hear her hit song, “Paper Planes,” it still never gets old.
Although the event ended by 11, the party did not as many of the attendees headed over to Villa for some late night Karaoke. This Monday night staple has lately been getting the who's who. Recent turnouts have included Leonardo Dicaprio, Benecio Del Toro and Neyo. On this particular night, YH fave Aria from the Paradiso girls took the stage to give an exclusive sneak peek of her new single she just completed with Will.I.Am. The song drops early next year and is sure to tear up the airwaves.
Getting back to Jimmy Choo - make sure you look for the new line which will premiere on Nov 14th at all the H&M stores across the country. Also, make sure you check out this video where Tamara gives you a sneak peek:
So I had dinner with Aria, lead singer of the Paradiso Girls, the other night. Unless you live on another planet, you've heard their hit song on the radio, “Patron Tequila,” featuring Lil’ Jon and Eve. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wfVMZ4CMCE
Aria is great. She was telling me about her next single which features Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas. It sounds like it’s going to be hit. Also, I found out she’s just finished a screenplay - man she’s multi-talented! Coincidently, Robin Antin (creator of the Pussycat Dolls) was also having dinner at the same place, so she came by the table to catch up with Aria (Robin is also the choreographer for the Paradiso Girls). Around midnight, we finished our dinner and Aria had to head off to the studio to work on a song. Reminder: it was MIDNIGHT! Now that is dedication. When we left the restaurant Aria got swarmed by paparazzi. I was actually quite surprised they all recognized her but they knew exactly who she was and they started bombarding her with questions.
With comparisons to the Pussycat Dolls, you better make sure you keep your eye on this group as it is just a matter of time until they break out. Their first album is expected to drop early 2010. By the way, YH recently caught up with the entire group so make sure you check out the video if you haven’t already: http://www.younghollywood.com/music/?bclid=1028763128&bctid=35347478001
U2 Concert
While I was very familiar with U2, I had no idea what a following they really had. When I was invited to attend their recent LA concert, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to go. Then, I suddenly started hearing so many of my friends saying they were going to the concert so I figured it was something I had to be at. Man was I sure happy I made that decision. It wasn’t just a concert, it was an event.
The night started off about 5:30 - we literally had a police escort into the venue (that’s a whole other story). Upon arrival, we headed to the Motorola hospitality suite where I ran into a bunch of people I knew. The real action, however, was at our next stop called “The Round Room.” This was the VIP tent adjacent to the venue. There was a really fun group in there including Colin Farrell, Paris Hilton, Kelsey Grammar, Orlando Bloom and Ben Stiller. It was amazing how many people were still in this room even though Black Eyed Peas were on stage performing -- only in LA! Then around 8:30 it was off to the main event where we were literally standing right in front of the stage. I was surrounded by an eclectic mix of stars from Danny Devito to Rick Fox with Eliza Dushku. The set was spectacular - I see why it cost 24 million to build. I was amazed at how much the fans got into the show. U2 really puts on a performance like no other, their energy is contagious. The most amazing thing of all was that literally every single seat was occupied - 96,000 people - you couldn’t find an empty seat in the house. The highlight was when Bono urged the entire audience to put up all of their cell phones. The imagery that resulted was out of this world. Check it out on YouTube if you haven’t already: http://www.youtube.com/u2
The night finally came to an end for me around 10:30. I had spent 5 hours in total at the Rose Bowl and, in fact, my group was one of the first to leave (we had a security guard escorting us though the madness - don’t ask!) so I actually have no idea how late the concert really went. All in all, it was a unique experience and U2 definitely lives up to the hype. I finally understand why Live Nation decided to spend 100 million to sign them to a 12 year deal - job well done.
Tamara Mellon, founder and CEO of Jimmy Choo, was in town to throw a kick-off party for her new line she is doing in partnership with H&M. She took over an Estate on Doheny and threw one of the classiest parties of the year. They literally built a stage in the middle of the swimming pool and had models showcasing the latest line. The intimate guest list included Hayden Panettiere, Paris Hilton, Russell Simmons, Brett Ratner and many others. The party was highlighted by a performance from M.I.A. It’s amazing no matter how many times you hear her hit song, “Paper Planes,” it still never gets old.
www.miyamotoads.com