Dee-1 signs to RCA Inspiration

It makes me feel good when an artist that has been featured on The Urban Advocate go on to do big things. Salute to the 2011 TUA Honors Recording Artist of the Year, Dee-1 who has just signed to RCA Inspiration.

Underground star turned viral success story, rapper Dee-1 has inked a deal with RCA Inspiration, the label announced today. A New Orleans native, Dee-1 burst onto the national scene with the mix tape "I Hope They Hear Me Vol 2", which featured the wildly popular single "Jay, 50, Weezy". The record proved to be a viral juggernaut spawning a YouTube video that to-date has over 600,000 total views, spins on MTV Jams and radio airplay.

"We are truly excited about Dee-1 joining the RCA Inspiration family," says General Manager, Geo Bivins. "In the current marketplace, where people are listening much closer to artists and seeking music that is authentic with a 'real' message, we believe Dee-1's music will resonate with today's diverse Hip Hop and Inspirational music consumers and beyond."

"Signing with RCA is a life-changing partnership that I'm excited to be a part of. I know we're about to make history together so I'm motivated to work harder than ever. Coming from New Orleans, I realize that my success is bigger than me. It's a symbol of hope for others who want to chase their dreams and make a difference in life. So I'm going to make sure that together we all win. #MissionVision," said Dee-1.

Dee-1 is currently in the studio working on his new album, due in 2014 under the RCA Inspiration imprint.

Your Guide to the Observer Awards

It’s that time of year again! Assuming you aren’t from Dallas, or you are from Dallas but have no clue what I am talking about; it’s time to cast your vote for the Dallas Observer Music Awards!   

Every year the Dallas Observer pieces together a ballot of honorees ranging across the eclectic Dallas music scene. With that being said, I think it is only right for the folks here at The Urban Advocate to put together a little cheat sheet. This is not a category-by-category guide, but this will get most of it filled in for you. 

Keep in mind that you can vote daily for whomever you please, but when have we ever steered you wrong?

Vote once daily until November 2nd at 2am!!!

Click here to vote

Best Group Act

RTB2

Best Solo Act

-topic

Best Song

"America's Son" by Air Review  

Best Live Act

The Effinays  

Best Vocalist

Sarah Jaffe  

Best Guitarist

Jason "Shaggy" Kerr

Best Country Act

Tejas Brothers

	Best Alt-Country Act
	Quaker City Nighthawks

Best Americana Act

Oil Boom  

Best Electronic Act

Ishi  

Best Funk/R&B Act

Larry G(ee)

Best Jazz Act

Snarky Puppy  

	Best Punk Act
	The Phuss

Best Rock Act

We'rewolves  

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Act

A.Dd+  

Best DJ

Fishr Pryce  

Best Producer

Booty Fade

Best Radio Show/Podcast

Ghost of Blind Lemon on Deep Ellum Radio  

Best Festival

Homegrown Festival  

Best Music Blog

Central Track 

Woman shot to death outside of the White House

Man, the secret service don't play no games! A woman was shot do death this afternoon after ramming into the gate outside White House. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Reuters, the New York Daily News and several other outlets have been covering the story of the unidentified woman from the city of Stamford; ABC News has discovered she was a 34-year-old dental hygienist. The toddler inside the vehicle, who also remains unidentified, was unhurt say officials.

The harrowing ordeal began around 2:20 p.m. in the Nation's Capital, all while Congress remains in a gridlock over government shutdown and the rolling out of Obamacare.

From Reuters:

The identity and condition of the driver - a woman - was not released. One U.S. official said she had been killed, but later a police official said he did not know her condition.

Driving a black sedan, the suspect rammed security barricades near the White House. Then the car, apparently carrying a child, raced up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol where Congress was in session.

Police gave chase and fired at the car. It finally came to a halt at 2nd Street and Constitution Avenue.

The incident rattled Washington just three weeks after a government contractor opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard, about 1.5 miles from the Capitol, killing 12 people and wounding three others before he was shot to death by police.

It was later confirmed that the suspect was shot dead, although conflicting reports still continue to swirl about. As noted above, the region is still reeling from assault unleashed at the Washington Navy Yard by Aaron Alexis, amid other growing tensions around the state of the nation politically.

One Secret Service agent was injured after the woman rammed him with her car. His condition has not been released but the Daily News reports authorities have confirmed the agent is stable.

This story is developing.

The Vincent Tucker Radio Show nominated for Show of the Year

DALLAS (October 3, 2013) – CWC Entertainment Group L.L.C. announced today that award-winning broadcast The Vincent Tucker Radio Show has been nominated for nine awards collectively including Show of the Year in the 2013 Fishbowl Radio Network Internet Sharkey Awards.  In its 3^rd year of existence, the annual award show highlights and recognizes Fishbowl Radio Network’s Staff, Hosts and supporters over the previous 12 months, with awards covering 30 categories. Nominees and Winners are picked by the staff of network, ten radio program directors across the country and listeners.

Other nominations for the award-winning broadcast are: Best Team Show, Biggest Celebrity Interviews, Best  use of Social Media, Best Website, and Best Use of Multi-Media. Host & Executive Producer Vincent “Heartbreak” Tucker picked up 2 solo nominations (Male Host of the Year and Community Active Host of the Year) while co-Executive Producer Aaron “Yellostar” Channell was nominated for Show Producer of the Year. This is the second year in the row that the syndicated program has led all nominees with 9 nominations.

Gucci Mane sentenced to 6 months behind bars

Can't say I'm really all that surprised by this. With the tear Gucci has been on lately it was only a matter of time before he ended up behind bars again. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Gucci Mane is in for another extended stay at his favorite resort; jail. The troubled rapper has been sentenced to six months in jail to a probation violation.

Guwop was arrested on September 14 after he allegedly cursed at a police officer, and a firearm and weed was found on his person after he was searched. Court documents show that Gucci La Flare was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon, disorderly conduct, carry a concealed weapon and marijuana possession. Needless to say, all of the aforementioned are probation violations.

The Atlanta rapper will now be serving 183 days in the bing. This is just the last in bad news for Gucci.

According to XXL, he was dropped from Atlantic Records earlier this month due to his bizarre behavior and legal troubles. Rocko recently detailed going to Gucci's home to speak to him shortly after being slandered in one of the "Lemonade" rapper's Twitter tirades. Said Rocko: "Pray for homie."

Government shutsdown as many Americans panic

So all night and all morning I've been having to hear about this government shutdown. Everyone is panicking about what this means for unemployment benefits, VA benefits and so much more. Hip Hop Wired has more:

A deal to approve a short-term measure to keep the U.S. government funded into the next fiscal year was not reached, prompting the first shutdown of the government in 17 years. Congress was still in session as the 12:01 a.m. deadline passed early Tuesday (Oct. 1) morning, with debates and votes still to come in the GOP-led House of Representatives.

Dozens of outlets have been live blogging and streaming the heated debates between the major bodies of Congress, which is haggling over the funding bill and parts of the Affordable Care Act.

After the House demanded a year-long delay of Obamacare over the weekend in order to fund the government, the extreme Conservative demands of Sen. Ted. Cruz and other GOP hardliners pushed Speaker John Boehner to side with the vocal Tea Party faction within his party.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already rejected the House demands to hold a bipartisan conference of lawmakers from both chambers of Congress. Reid said shortly before the midnight deadline, “We will not go to conference with a gun to our heads.”

The House also proposed a similar committee of mixed groups of lawmakers to debate the finer points of the Senate's so-called “clean” government funding bill and the House's latest proposal to delay key portions of Obamacare and cut healthcare subsidies for Hill staffers. It has been speculated that the Republican majority of the House knew the Democrat-led Senate would not agree to the conference or committee talks, thus making shutdown inevitable.

The House measure would have funded the government until mid-December, but the Senate voted along party lines to send the bill back with hopes that an agreement would be made and federal shutdown would have been averted.

The federal government has begun the shutdown process, and agencies nationwide are carrying out their respective plans according to procedure from the Office of Management and Budget. Sen. Reid said the Senate will reconvene later in the morning.

This story is developing.

Dame Dash Jr. arrested in New York

Dag Boogie. As a Roc-a-fella enthusiast, I watched this kid grow up from a far, and this is not the type of news I hoped to hear. Dame Dash son has apparently been arrested for allegedly choking his girlfriend. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Roc-a-fella Records founder Damon Dash's son and 22-year-old namesake was arrested this past Tuesday (Sept. 24) for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

Putting hands on a female is bad enough, but the details surrounding this incident are even more damning. According the the New York Post, the younger Dash, Damon Dash II, choked out his girlfriend, Chelsea, on Sept. 22 after getting into a dispute with her over sex in his West 16th Street pad.

The authorities have charged Dash Jr. with misdemeanor assault and strangulation for allegedly squeezing his girlfriend's neck as they argued in his West 16th Street apartment.

"They had an apparent dispute over sex," a source in law enforcement told The Post "She was visiting him at his apartment, he got violent with her, starts to punch her, slap her and shove her onto the bed, got on top of her, he grabs her by the throat and chokes her."

Here's where things get weirder. Apparently the couple reconciled but then had another argument, at which point she called authorities.

According to the complaint, Dash choked her hard enough where she had difficulty breathing. The source also claims that she suffered a cut lip, bruises and a black eye. Dash Jr. aka "Boogie" was arraigned on Wednesday, Sept. 25, has been barred from having any contact with Chelsea and was released on his own recognizance.