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TURBO – HELL ON EARTH

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COUNTRY CROSSOVER ARTIST TURBO RELEASES NEW SINGLE
HELL ON EARTH out now on all platforms

Today, country crossover talent Turbo releases his latest single Hell On Earth, available now via 10K Projects/Homemade Projects. The single acts as a precursor to his debut EP Cocaine and Fireworks, which is set to release this summer.

A truly original and fearless artist, Turbo combines the gritty authenticity of outlaw country with hip-hop’s hard-hitting beats and rhymes and pop’s sticky melodies. Born Nicholas LaMonaca, 10K Projects/Homemade Projects signee grew up on country thanks mainly to his father (a famed guitarist in the international bluegrass scene), but felt drawn toward rap music and obscure electronic genres like hardstyle (a fusion of techno and hardcore).

At the age of 12 he started making his own music, a move heavily inspired by Avicii’s progressive-house classic “LE7ELS.” “Once I heard that song I couldn’t get enough of it,” Turbo recalls. “I was so obsessed, I ended up downloading FL Studio to try to recreate the melody on my own.” Although he instantly discovered a natural talent for production, Turbo put music aside for several years, then started producing again after graduating high school. “On my 18th birthday I bought a laptop and keyboard and set of speakers, and figured I’d have rappers come in and do their thing,” he says. “But after a while I just started winging it, making beats and rapping over them myself.”

As he pushed deeper into his artistry, Turbo began mining inspiration from left-of-center country singers like Colter Wall, a Canadian musician he stumbled across while stocking the shelves at his full-time liquor-store job. “Colter Wall has one of the raspiest, rawest, rudest voices I’d ever heard in my life, and it just completely took me over,” he notes. From there, Turbo tapped into his own country roots and created a full-length project titled Sixth Gear, a 2019 release featuring his breakthrough single “Light Speed.” Soon after YouTube curator Astari shared the song’s video on his channel, “Light Speed” caught the attention of 10K, quickly paving the way for Turbo’s signing to the label, along with Homemade Projects.

Since then, Turbo has embraced even more confidence in his songwriting, thriving in the in-between of diverse genres. With tracks like his stunning debut “Heart Stop” and carefree summer jam “Bo Exotic,” Turbo has proven to be one of the most original and intuitive new artists today. “The more music I make and the better I know myself, the more I’ve realized that the best songs come from me sitting in a room alone and just taking my time—that’s how I come up with something honest and timeless,” he says. “I don’t really follow a particular process. Instead of worrying about any kind of rules, I just do what I want, and go with whatever feels right to me.”

THE TRAGICALLY HIP – SASKADELPHIA

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WELCOME TO SASKADELPHIA:

The Tragically Hip Surprise fans with new Album Saskadelphia out Friday May 21, featuring six previously unreleased tracks.

PREORDER THE ALBUM HERE

Celebrated, iconic band The Tragically Hip announce a brand-new album, Saskadelphia, out Friday, May 21.

Saskadelphia (Universal Music Canada/UMe) is made up of six previously unreleased tracks written in 1990. Five recorded in that same year during the Road Apples sessions in New Orleans, and one live track, “Montreal (Live from The Molson Centre, Montreal, Dec 7^th, 2000),” written at the same time, but for which the original recording is yet to be found.

With no shortage of material and higher ups at the American record label resisting the band’s call to release a double album, countless tracks were left behind on the studio floor. And so, one album, Road Apples, heads out into the world, a rung on The Tragically Hip’s climb to legend status, while the rest of the tracks are tucked into boxes and moved out of sight.

Until now.

Welcome to Saskadelphia: the record that stayed in the wings as Road Apples hit the stage. The title, a term coined by the band in a nod to the extensive touring they were doing in the early 1990s, was the original working title for Road Apples before it was rejected by those same label execs as being “too Canadian.”

From lead single “Ouch,” which greets listeners with the familiar roaring vocals of late singer and lyricist Gord Downie, to “Not Necessary,” a song whose fiery sound is layered with gentle and emotional lyrics – are pure, undistilled The Tragically Hip, as Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass) lay the groundwork for their unmistakable sound.

“I went ‘Wow’ when I heard ‘Ouch’ after all this time,” says Rob Baker. “We were a pretty good little band.”

After rediscovering the tracks, they wrote more than three decades ago, The Tragically Hip knew they had to share the music with fans. Of these abandoned souvenirs from the past, Johnny Fay said, “We didn’t know what was there, so this meant baking them and listening to them as they were being transferred. Hearing them for the first time in 30 years was crazy.”

The Tragically Hip are set to receive the 2021 Humanitarian Award Presented by Music Canada at the 50th Annual JUNO Awards on Sunday, June 6, in Toronto. Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees and rock icons, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush will present the band with the award. The award recognizes outstanding Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. The broadcast can be streamed globally here.

Full Track List:

Ouch
Not Necessary
Montreal (Live from The Molson Centre, Montreal, Dec 7^th, 2000)
Crack My Spine Like a Whip
Just As Well
Reformed Baptist Blues

About The Tragically Hip

Critically acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip have been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. The five-piece group of friends – Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass) – grew up in Kingston, Ontario. The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums sold in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up their last two for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for Man Machine Poem. Their studio catalog includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on Aug. 20, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career, the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada and, despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.

See The Tragically Hip in a rare performance with Feist at The 50th Annual JUNO Awards, broadcast from Toronto on Sunday, June 6, 2021.

Allen Iverson’s Stepover Returning for Reebok 20th Anniversary

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Reebok Confirms 20^th Anniversary Revival of Iconic Answer IV “Stepover,” Available June 4

Today, following the revival of is coveted OG predecessor, Reebok has confirmed the official 20^th Anniversary rerelease of Allen Iverson’s Answer IV “Stepover” (retailing at $130).

Introduced by Reebok for Iverson ahead of his momentous 2000-01 campaign, Answer IV was built to compliment the polarizing point guard’s on-court energy and off-court style, while carrying forward key Answer-series design elements like DMX cushioning. Colorways introduced by Reebok throughout the season would mark a multitude of historic moments via A.I. Most notable is a specific black and white iteration, now known as the “Stepover,” adorned by Iverson in game 1 of the ’00-’01 title matchup. The moniker nods an historic moment from the game in which A.I. shakes his opponent to the floor with a deceiving dribble move before draining a baseline jumper and stepping over the would-be defender as the crowd erupts and he returns up court. That viral frame, which served to further define Iverson’s vitality and dominance, is remembered through the Answer IV “Stepover.”

“Answer IV is the crown jewel of Iverson’s journey and the cultural shift he helped to lead,” recalled veteran Reebok Footwear Designer Xavier Jones upon the OG model’s rerelease earlier this year. “By his ’00-’01 season, ‘Chuck’ was already so beloved for his style and how he approached the game, but that year truly cemented A.I. as a cultural icon. On his feet, Answer IV became a symbol for the new era of modern athlete and a celebration of self-expression. It is without a doubt one of the most iconic sneakers to ever grace the hardwood.”

The 20^th Anniversary reissue stays true its original design elements like the fading gradient “I3” logo cascading down the tongue veiled by the zipper shroud, 3M reflective details returning to the “I3” quarter panels and top of tongue, the original eye-catching upper and a dynamic outsole featuring DMX foam, a TPU bridge plate and tactical tread patterns. The outsole is complemented by OG graphic executions like the Iverson head sunken underfoot, engraved “Only The Strong Survive” tagline and “I3” and Vector logos at the bridge and forefoot.

While Answer IV carries forward Reebok basketball heritage and the legacy of Allen Iverson, the unique sneaker is equally fitting for rising hoopers today writing their own story.

Reebok’s Answer IV “Stepover,” retailing at $130, will be available globally on June 4 from Reebok and select local retailers.

MORE ABOUT REEBOK’S DMX CUSHIONING TECHNOLOGY

A product of Reebok’s Advanced Concepts division formed in the mid 1980s, DMX (short for Dynamax) featured a series of interlinked air chambers under the foot that, thanks to the motion of the wearer’s stride, would fill and empty with air accordingly. If the wearer’s foot movement indicated that air was needed in a specific portion of the shoe, pressure would cause air to fill the corresponding chamber. This movement of air helped deliver new levels of comfort, cushioning and stability. The technology was suited for running, training, walking and basketball, but it really shone in the DMX Run 10 model in 1997. That same year, the original Answer basketball sneaker was released in time for Christmas, marking the beginning of an iconic line of shoes that thrived until 2014. As Reebok’s first basketball shoe to include DMX technology, commercials for the Answer emphasized how the new technology helped Iverson pull off his classic moves like the crossover. The effects of the DMX technology were so natural that Iverson said, “It’s like I don’t even think about it.”

ABOUT REEBOK
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Boston, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming that enable movement so people can fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s functional training, running, combat training, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market.

Hot Cheetos Inventor Richard Montanez

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The SCLC’s Streets to the Suites Campaign Will Target PepsiCo to Help Resolve Dispute Between the Global Food and Beverage Giant and Retired Longtime Hispanic Executive Richard Montanez

Montanez’s Legacy of Creating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos for Frito-Lay is Being Challenged by the Company. SCLC President Dr. Charles Steele, Jr. Said Montanez’s Contributions Should Not Be Diminished

Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the organization co-founded and first led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said the SCLC will lead a campaign to help resolve a dispute between PepsiCo and retired, long time Hispanic executive Richard Montanez, who is known as the creator of Frito-Lay’s successful snack brand, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Montanez, who was a keynote speaker during the SCLC’s annual conference in 2017, shared his journey of climbing the corporate ladder in PepsiCo from a janitor to an executive vice president after he introduced Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to the company.

His rags to riches story has been chronicled in numerous media reports and in his recently published memoir. His life’s story will also be featured in an upcoming film by Christian Producer Devon Franklin and Hispanic American actress and director Eva Longoria. Shooting for the film is scheduled to begin this summer.

Dr. Steele said SCLC officials will seek an immediate meeting with Ramon L. Laguarta, the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, to help mediate an agreement between both sides and to protect Mr. Montanez’s legacy. The outreach by the SCLC is part of a national campaign the organization launched last fall called “From the Streets to the Suites,” targeting corporations that have been accused of discriminating against employees of color or maintaining environments that are hostile or unjust. The first protest was waged against the Nielsen Co., the global data and measurement company, which was sued by a senior Black executive for discrimination. That lawsuit was settled in March.

Dr. Steele said the timing of PepsiCo’s claims is suspect.

“PepsiCo is one of the leading companies in the world,” Dr. Steele said. “It hires the top PR and Marketing executives who are supported by the largest public relations, marketing and advertising agencies in the world. They review media reports daily. How can this story be in the public domain for years without being detected by the top executives in the world hired to protect their brand? Pepsi would not have elevated a Brown or Black man, with no high school diploma, unless he had contributed in a significant way. PepsiCo cannot disrespect a man like Richard Montanez without some fallout or repercussion.”

Dr. Steele added, “Our organization and our communities will not stand for this. We will not sit idly by and watch a valuable member of our community, who has contributed significantly, as confirmed by PepsiCo, be disrespected without evidence showing who presented the concept to the company. This idea originated in the brain of one person. This was not the creation of a team. Until proven otherwise, we will stick with Montanez’s claim. I just hope this is not systemic racism continuing in another corporation by PepsiCo refusing to grant what is due to a man who has served them well.”

ABOUT THE SCLC

Established in 1957, the SCLC, whose first president was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an international organization made up of chapters and affiliates with programs that affect the lives of all Americans: north, south, east, and west. Its sphere of influence and interests have become international in scope because the human rights movement transcends national boundaries.

POST-PANDEMIC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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Rethinking Business Development for the Post-Pandemic Age

With America’s post-pandemic geography shifting, local governments must partner with entrepreneurs to stay competitive.

America’s rapidly shifting post-pandemic geography poised to make winners and losers of various superstar and mid-sized towns, the business development approaches of local leaders are stuck in the past. State and local governments spend $61 billion annually to foster economic development, but more than three-quarters of this money is spent on subsidies for large corporations that rarely deliver significant growth. A new Manhattan Institute report from Ian Hathaway and Rhett Morris, senior fellows at the Center for American Entrepreneurship, suggests that economic development would increase significantly if local decision makers would prioritize partnerships with entrepreneurs. The report, part of the Manhattan Institute’s urban policy series, offers four steps to achieving what they call entrepreneur-led economic development. Those steps include:

Identifying the successful entrepreneurial businesses in the region, the local strengths they represent, and the key leaders behind their growth.
Building networks around successful local entrepreneurs to connect them with founders of upcoming businesses with the potential to grow.
Partnering with entrepreneurial leaders to address the real needs of growing local businesses and their entrepreneurs.
Collecting data on growing entrepreneurial businesses to track results and share findings with the community.

Entrepreneurial success depends on local networks. No single type of organization has all the data necessary for identifying every growing entrepreneurial business in a city, but if policymakers, funders, and service providers work together to generate local growth and productivity, their collective resources can complement existing economic development programs and enhance some of the most valuable economic assets already growing in their communities.

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER × ROSALIA

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ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER & ROSALÍA

NEW SINGLE: “NOTHING’S SPECIAL”

Listen HERE

Lyric Video HERE

When ROSALÍA first posted casual studio photos with Oneohtrix Point Never in late 2018, the prospect of a collaboration from two of the most singular voices in contemporary music set the internet alight and received speculative editorial from the likes of FADER and Rolling Stone.

In the intervening time, the two Artists have each added considerably to their growing bodies of work with various notable projects. In 2021 alone, OPN has been a frequent collaborator with The Weeknd; as musical director for his Super Bowl Halftime Show and also performed with him at last week’s Brit Awards, “The Weeknd confirms what we always knew: Oneohtrix Point Never is a genius.” While her primary current focus has been on recording sessions to complete her own highly anticipated next album, Rosalia has seen two other collaborative singles released this year. The long awaited “Lo Vas a Olvidar” with Billie Eilish, received wide global acclaim and “La Noche de Anoche” with Bad Bunny set a record for the most-ever debut day Spotify streams for a Spanish language song, reached #1 on Billboard’s “Latin Airplay” chart, and was performed by the pair on Saturday Night live.

Today, OPN and ROSALÍA premiere a stunning reworking of OPN’s “Nothing’s Special.”

“Nothing’s Special” first appeared as the closing track on the highly acclaimed Magic Oneohtrix Point Never but is re-imagined here with the inimitable combination of ROSALÍA’s pristine vocal and OPN’s elegant arrangement.

The eponymous album Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was released on October 30, 2020 – an epic, drifting fantasia – that includes a vocal from executive producer The Weeknd on No Nightmares, as well as further contributions from Caroline Polachek on Long Road Home, Arca, Nate Boyce and Nolanberollin. New York-based filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie directed a video for Magic standout Lost But Never Alone, a continuation of the collaboration between the Safdie brothers and OPN and following his celebrated scores for two of their iconic films Uncut Gems and Good Time, for which he received the Best Soundtrack Award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

NOTHING’S SPECIAL OUT NOW ON WARP RECORDS