Congratulations to ESTER DEAN and MAKEBA RIDDICK for their wins at last night’s 60th Annual BMI Pop Awards!

Makeba won  for her Award Winning Song “Rude Boy.”

Ester Dean, Benny Blanco and Pitbull all earned the coveted “BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year” title.

She also won 5 writer and publisher awards for her work on “Rude Boy,” “Firework,” “S&M,” “Super Bass,” and “What’s My Name” and took home the BMI Pop Song of the Year Award for “Firework.”

Her hard work has definitely not gone un-noticed.

“Twenty-four-year-old Jahlil Beats is currently having the time of his life. He and Philly firestarter Meek Mill are no longer chasing dreams but living them. As the primary beatsmith behind Meek’s explosive rap career, one could say that Jahlil’s production credits are following the same trajectory.

Since 2008, the two have been developing a work relationship that hip-hop fans have already begun comparing to the rapper-producer bond shared by the likes of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre and Swizz Beatz and DMX.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Rita Ora is ready for blast off as she is featured for VEVO’s next emerging artist LIFT
promotion.

Rita smashed onto the UK charts featuring on the #1 hit by DJ Fresh’s “Hot Right Now.” With
her brand new single “R.I.P.” taking the #1 spot on the charts this week, she is the first singer of
2012 to have two #1’s in the UK this year. Now, she is preparing to race up the radio charts with
her debut US single “How We Do (Party).”

The sizzling new VEVO LIFT artist was introduced to the states by a surprise visit to New York’s
Z100.

LIFT, VEVO’s emerging artist program, has introduced previously unknown stars One Direction,
Jessie J and Tinie Tempah among others by connecting them with music fans through original
programming exclusive to VEVO. Rita’s LIFT campaign will feature prominently on VEVO for
8 weeks, giving her an opportunity to reach its huge monthly audience of nearly 60 million
users (according to comScore) and turn them into fans. VEVO will film exclusive programming
with Rita, including an episode of its music-meets-fashion series, Stylized, behind the scenes
interviews and weekly video diary updates. VEVO will also present Rita at a fan showcase live
in New York City, which will be filmed for on-demand viewing across VEVO. Through LIFT, VEVO
has been firmly established as the number one destination to watch great music from both well-
established and emerging talent.

Stay up to date on everything Rita Ora VEVO LIFT by visiting her VEVO page.

JAY Z TO CURATE AND HEADLINE ‘BUDWEISER MADE IN AMERICA’

MUSIC FESTIVAL IN PHILADELPHIA THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND

New Festival to Benefit United Way;

Tickets on PreSale Tuesday, May 22

Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Budweiser and United Way announced “Budweiser Made in America,” an exciting, two-day music festival in Philadelphia this Labor Day weekend to benefit United Way and produced by Live Nation.

JAY Z will curate and headline the blockbuster roster of talent, which will include nearly 30 artists that embody the American spirit performing across three stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park on Saturday, Sept. 1, and Sunday, Sept. 2.

The eclectic roster of talent cultivated by JAY Z will be announced on May 21 and include acts ranging from rock, hip-hop, R&B, Latin and dance.

Tickets for “Budweiser Made in America” music festival go on sale Wednesday, May 23, through Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com. A limited number of 2-day tickets will be available for $99 (plus service charges). Budweiser Facebook fans will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, May 22.  To become a Budweiser Facebook fan, please visit www.facebook.com/Budweiser.

“This Labor Day, we will not only make history but we’re benefiting a great organization.  ‘Budweiser Made in America’ will encompass every genre of music, creating and showcasing the only genre that matters, ‘great music.’  Budweiser and Live Nation are going to produce an amazing two days of performances, and it’s great to partner with United Way again to support all of the positive work they do in the community,” said Shawn “JAY Z” Carter.
The festival in Philadelphia will culminate following a summer of music parties in cities all across America, when Budweiser will invite its Facebook fans to experience talented local bands and artists. Budweiser, brewed across America, has a decades-long history of celebrating great American music.

“This festival will offer music fans from across the U.S. and beyond the biggest names in hip-hop, rock, dance and other popular genres this Labor Day,” said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser for Anheuser-Busch.

“Philadelphia is delighted to welcome visitors from around the country for a national music festival,” said Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “United Way has brought JAY Z and Budweiser together to host this national event in the birthplace of America. We are excited to invite the musicians, sponsors, guests and festivals goers for a memorable weekend.”

A primary goal of this music festival is to have a positive impact on the communities involved. This concert will benefit United Ways in Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Lancaster County, PA and New York City, enabling them to invest more dollars into their regions, strengthening local communities and improving lives.  As a result of this concert, the money invested into these communities will positively impact the education, income and health of the most vulnerable and most needy citizens in these regions.

Budweiser Made in America also will be available for consumers around the country to watch via live-streaming. Details will be announced at a later date.

The event is the latest chapter in Budweiser’s long association with music, which includes memorable Rolling Stones tours and Budweiser SuperFest, which was headlined by Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and other music legends.

“…singer-songwriter Ester Dean, who has written hit songs for the likes of Rihanna and Katy Perry, and was discovered when she was in the crowd at a concert and a producer overheard her singing along with the band which was on stage.” Wrote BBC News in an article about untapped musical talent. Read the full article here.

To celebrate the “Addicted To You” video reaching 10 million views, Shakira posted this Behind The Scenes film from her video shoot. Enjoy!

Rita does 2 showcases on 2 coasts, check out her journey from NYC to LA below:

Rita Ora sat with the folks over at Coldplay.com and talked about everything from her tour with Coldplay, being signed to Roc Nation and her number one single “R.I.P.”

Check out the article here.

J. Cole took a break from the Campus Consciousness Tour to talk with mtvU about school, vacations with JAY Z, and how his next album will be like The Hunger Games. Watch the interview here.

Rihanna Navy, your new “Unlocked” mission has arrived. Share & click to unlock and enter for a chance to win Rihanna’s Battleship movie costume! More details here.