On the QP: Feeling as though he’s been relegated to the on-deck circle for too long, rapper Devon “QP” Hubbard is hoping 2010 will be his breakout year. “Right now I’m nominated for the best freestyle in 2009 at Djbooth.net,” said Cleveland resident Hubbard, 25. “I have a couple of deals on the table. I signed a distribution deal with Fontana/Universal, so that’s kind of big, and I’m still working in the studio really hard on the album. I’m just honestly blessed, but actually there’s a lot of pressure. I’m focused on bringing the city up and bringing more talented artists out into the spotlight. I’m just hoping to be the gateway to that. So yes, it’s been a long time coming and I’m expecting it to be a very big year for me.” Expecting to sign with a major label soon, Hubbard hopes to have his debut effort later this year, including a possible showcase at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. The project, which he describes as possessing a hip-hop-meets- R&B style with a street vibe, includes lead single “Mz. Hood,” as well as the pop-ish “Lip Stick” and club track “Surfa Boy.” For more information, go to Qpborn2win.com.

Source

I’ve been in a mixtape posting mood this week. I just spotted this one over at 2DB and it grabbed my attention because I like the clever title (some word play on some old DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, young’ns), it features Chip tha Ripper and DJ Steph Floss who are representing my beloved City of Cleveland and I liked the art. Needless to say I haven’t actually peeped it yet, but wanted to show love to the project nonetheless.

DOWNLOAD: He’s The Blogger, I’m The DJ

LOS ANGELES and CLEVELAND, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Fontana Distribution, the independent distribution arm of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company has partnered with Cleveland-based Element 9 Muzik LLC to release upcoming titles from the label. The announcement was made today by Ron Spaulding, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Fontana, and Element 9 President Tony “X” Franklin. The label’s release schedule is currently being finalized with plans to make the label’s first release through the new partnership available during the second quarter of 2010.

Franklin brings close to 20 years of experience working in the music industry. He previously served as the President of NuBlud Management, a Cleveland based Management Company specializing in the promotion and marketing of various urban acts. Franklin also served as the Head of Street and Lifestyle/ Midwest Radio Promotion for Asylum Records/ Warner Bros. Records and previously helped broker the Swisha House major distribution deal with Asylum Records

Joining Franklin will be Stu “DJ Xplosive” Pflaum, who founded the Element 9 Company in 2005 and has partnered with Franklin in the past on various music ventures. Pflaum will act as the label’s Vice President, bringing his expertise in internet marketing and new media strategies and will manage the label’s digital presence.

Also joining the team will be Douglas “Fresh” Jones, who previously worked with Franklin’s NuBlud Management team and will oversee Lifestyle Promotion of the label’s acts. Marlowe “Mauly T” Taylor will serve as the studio engineer for all the label’s projects, including the mixing and mastering of all recordings. Mauly T has mastered several Fontana projects (Capone & Noreage, Killer Mike, Beeda Weeda etc). Doc Taylor looks to continue in this capacity. Studio 76, is a renowned studio that has hosted the likes of Bone Thugs N Harmony, Snoop Dogg, Young Joc, Killer Mike, Ice Cube, Trae & Public Enemy to name a few.

“We are excited to welcome Element 9 Muzik to the Fontana family of labels,” stated Spaulding. “Tony and his team are true entrepreneurs and innovators, and we look forward to working with them to maximize opportunities on all fronts for their artists.”

Franklin commented that he was “proud to bring together a group of talented individuals from the Cleveland area to form a team capable of delivering professional results for our artists” and looks forward to using the Element 9 label to demonstrate the ability of a record label to prosper during this new era in the music industry without having to be based in big cities like New York or Los Angeles.

About Fontana

Fontana Distribution, the independent arm of Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), provides unparalleled sales and marketing support, as well as back office services, for a diverse roster of labels and their artists. Fontana distributes more than 100 labels including Vagrant Records, Telarc, Eagle Rock, VP Records, American Gramaphone, Downtown, Six Degrees, Nitro, SMC, Trustkill, Delicious Vinyl, ESL, Modular, Ministry of Sound, Ipecac, Strange Music, Music World, VH1 Classic Records, MySpace Records and many others. In addition, Fontana distributes select projects from Universal Music Group labels worldwide.

SOURCE Universal Music Group

I had no clue they ever made a video for this track. One of my all-time favorites. Thanks PowerPlayed!!!

Well the Cavs didn’t make the finals, but at least us folks from Cleveland have something we can still be excited about. Bone is releasing new music! I just spotted this cut over at HipHop N More and it’s apparently from the upcoming UNI-5 album. Not their best work to date and it sounds like it needs some tweaking from Dr.Mauly T, but I’m always excited to hear new Bone material!

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