Category: News

Award-winning hosts Raj & Pablo interviewed Priyanka Chopra Jonas for the world’s most listened-to South Asian radio station, Rukus Avenue Radio.

Raj & Pablo, the latest radio luminaries to join the world’s most talked-about South Asian radio station, Rukus Avenue Radio, are proud to feature one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential” and Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas, discussing her new memoir “Unfinished” exclusively for Dash Radio.

Raj & Pablo have worked in UK and South Asian media for over two decades and have been involved in every aspect, both backstage and in the limelight. They have interviewed the
biggest South Asian stars including illustrious names like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Raj & Pablo were announced winners in the “Best In Media” category at the British Indian Awards in 2014. In 2018, they were recognized at the Asian Achievers Awards.

“There’s something that Priyanka gets about us, it’s like talking to family,” says Raj & Pablo. “We weren’t going to let the opportunity to talk about a window into her life -her book Unfinished- slip by!”

Rukus Avenue Music Group, North America’s first South Asian record label founded in 1996, partnered with DJ Skee and Dash Radio to launch North America’s first mainstream South
Asian radio station and podcast network, Rukus Avenue Radio in April 2019. The station, based out of Dash Radio’s West Hollywood studios on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, reached
over 30 million unique listeners last year with an average monthly listenership of 3.1 million.

“This is a significant moment for Rukus Avenue Radio,” says Sammy Chand, CEO of Rukus Avenue. “Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a superstar in our community and to have her sit down with Raj & Pablo presents a major event our growing fan base has been waiting for.”

Designed for anyone with an affinity for South Asian culture, Rukus Avenue Radio listeners can expect to be entertained, inspired, and informed. Boasting over 100 original shows and
podcasts hosted by some of the world’s most prominent South Asian music artists, DJs, journalists, comedians, activists, and influencers, Rukus Avenue Radio offers something for
everyone.

Bhangra, Hip Hop, Electronic, and Devotional are some of the music shows on tap, in addition to Rukus Avenue Radio’s SimplyBhangra.com Top 10 Countdown. Listeners have round-the-
clock access to world-class hosts and opportunities to engage in compelling and timely conversations about various topics relating to the South Asian diaspora such as wellness, feminism, politics, relationships, business, and LGBTQ issues, to name a few.

Rukus Avenue Radio can listen to 24-7 through the Dash Radio app available on iOS and Android, as well as on the Dash Radio platform at DashRadio.com completely free-of
charge and commercial-free. Dash Radio was created in 2014 by world-renowned DJ Skee (Scott Keeney) and is currently the world’s largest all-original digital broadcaster, with over 80
curator-championed stations and a monthly audience of over 10 million listeners.

“Dash has always been successful focusing on often overlooked genres,” says Dash Radio Founder and CEO DJ Skee. “The potential for Rukus Avenue and the music of India is massive with an underserved market ripe for premium live audio content.”

For Rukus Avenue Radio’s official web site, visit www.rukusavenueradio.com

For more about Raj & Pablo visit www.therajandpablo.com

| Rukus Ave Radio | Hip Hop | Pop | R&B | Latin | Dance | Country | Rock | Afrobeats |

On Tuesday, February 23rd, Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda is finally released from prison, after serving a 6-year sentence based on a plea for charges relating to conspiring with a violent drug gang (a plea he claimed he was railroaded into taking).

Real name, Ackquille Pollard, Shmurda was released from Clinton Correctional Facility in New York around 8:30 am today, according to New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and will be under community supervision until his sentence is completed on Feb. 23, 2026.

Shmurda also secured quite the ride for his travel back home, with Migos’ Quavo picking him up with a private plane.

#Quavo brings home #BobbyShmurda 👀🙌 @QuavoStuntin pic.twitter.com/tmtLuv6LN6

— WORLDSTARHIPHOP (@WORLDSTAR) February 23, 2021

And according to Quavo, the viral hip-hop sensation is already looking forward to his return to music. The Migos member shared a video of the two of them stepping off of a plane together Tuesday, both wearing masks and surrounded by a small entourage of people as they deplaned. “Did Six And Didn’t Switch Welcome Home!” Quavo captioned the video on Instagram, tagging Bobby Shmurda.

Shmurda thanked his fans “for remaining loyal” throughout his sentence in a message posted on his Instagram Story Monday.

“I love you all and look forward to seeing you all soon,” he added. The rapper also posted a scene from the movie “King of New York” on Instagram Monday and wrote, “How the f*ck y’all forget about me”

It’s the only post on his Instagram right now, and just hours following his release, Shmurda gained more than 1.3 million followers.

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On Tuesday, February 23rd, the Royal Albert Hall released a film celebrating their 150th anniversary called “Your Room Will Be Ready.” The video is narrated by Mick Jagger, directed by Tom Harper, and scored by Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price. “Your Room Will Be Ready” includes clips of performances at the hall, and it now, currently sitting empty. Mick Jagger reads part of the poem “For Friends Only” by W.H. Auden throughout the film.

In a statement regarding the film, Jagger said “Without doubt, the Royal Albert Hall is one of the greatest concert venues in the world and so I was delighted to be asked to read a short poem by W.H. Auden as part of this excellent short film by Tom Harper. I have some wonderful memories of performing there with the Stones in the Sixties when once or twice it did get a bit wild, with enthusiastic fans joining us onstage and almost bringing the show to an abrupt end — but we soldiered on and had a great time.”

The description of the 90 second film given by the Royal Albert Hall says “Watch legendary moments in music history, alongside appearances from artists, athletes and activists, in this tribute to live music and performance, narrated by Mick Jagger.” 

They continue, “We can’t wait to start creating memories with world class performers and you, our audiences, once more. We’ve got more history to make.”

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On Monday, February 22nd, Daft Punk announced that they would be breaking up after 28 years. The EDM duo, which formed in Paris, France in 1993 by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, broke the news about their split by posting a 8-minute video titled “Epilogue,” on their YouTube channel. 

The video is an excerpt from their 2006 film Electroma and shows two robots, meant to symbolize the artist duo, walking the desert. Then, the two face each other, one turns the other way and walks in the opposite direction. We hear beeping coming from the one walking, and it turns to a panel on the robot’s back, counting down. At the end of the countdown, the robot blows up. The video then shows the iconic triangle made by the two robot’s hands with “1993-2021” underneath. The remaining robot is shown continuing to walk through the desert. 

While Daft Punk’s publicist, Kathryn Frazier, confirmed that the video symbolized the breakup of the duo, no reason has been given for the split. After nearly three decades, Daft Punk is most well known for their songs “One More Time,” “Instant Crush,” featuring Julian Casablancas, “Get Lucky,” featuring Pharrel Williams, and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.”

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Singles, EP, full album, and remixes releases from artists, new and established arrive this week. AJR, Trippie Redd, CJ, Haim, Taylor Swift, Isaac Dunbar, Young Thug, Chris Brown, and Russ are some of the highlights of the new music releases for this week. 

“Whoopty” rapper CJ surprised us all with his debut album last night titled Loyalty Over Royalty. The debut album features 8 tracks in all, including 6 unreleased songs from CJ and a feature from French Montana. CJ told us back in December that he had some hits in the chamber and he wasn’t lying! The album is full of bass-heavy anthems that will be sure to have your head rocking all weekend.

Trippie Redd dropped his highly anticipated Neon Shark vs Pegasus. The album includes 14 tracks and is executive produced by Travis Barker. Travis Barker has been a longtime hip-hop fan as he’s worked with Lupe Fiasco, RZA, Pharrell, and others. 

On Wednesday, AJR released a single, “Way Less Sad.” The song is to be featured on their upcoming album OK Orchestra, which will be released next month on March 26th. OK Orchestra will be AJR’s fourth full-length album release. When talking about “Way Less Sad” the band said it “is a song about how we’re really feeling in this moment.” The upcoming album is said to be the most emotionally raw release by the band yet.

A remix of “Gasoline” by Haim featuring Taylor Swift was released yesterday. The first confirmation of the collaboration between the two artists for this track came on Wednesday, when Haim posted a teaser of the remix on TikTok. The video on TikTok showed the band hopping into a car, and turning up the stereo, which was playing the remix of “Gasoline.”

17 year old, up and coming pop artist, Isaac Dunbar released his EP Evil Twin today. When asked about his EP, Dunbar said “This record is about all of the emotions that make up the concept of love. there are so many things that go into it when in a relationship, whether platonic or romantic: anger, confusion, bliss, and despair.” Even at such a young age, this will mark the fourth EP released by Dunbar. 

Today, Young Thug and Chris Brown release a remix of their track “Go Crazy.” This remix will feature Lil Durk, Future, and Mulatto. Both Young Thug and Chris Brown posted about the remix, along with its cover art on their social media. Christ Brown captioned his post with “Let me show u how to bring the summer back.” The cover art features animated versions of each of the song’s collaborators. 

We also got new singles from Lil Yatchy featuring Kodak Black (“Hit Bout It), Russ (“Misunderstood”), NF (Clouds), Torey Lanez featuring Chris Brown (“Feels”), a collaborative album between Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats (Unlocked 1.5). 

Rapper Kodak Black has paid tribute to a Parkland school shooting victim Meadow Pollack by establishing a scholarship in her name.

The Dying To Live star spent Valentine’s Day in Parkland, Florida attending a memorial to mark the third anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, where 17 people were killed.

Among the victims was student Meadow Pollack, who was a big fan of Kodak, and, following the commutation of his prison sentence by former U.S. President Donald Trump last month, the rapper decided to pay his respects in person at the event.

I Was Already Fuckin Wit Yo Campaign But Shidd We Locked In Na @POTUS45 pic.twitter.com/1OuiBoL5Bx

— Kodak Black (@KodakBlack1k) January 24, 2021

While there, he announced plans to launch a $100,000 scholarship fund in Pollack’s memory at the Nova Southeastern University Law School in Florida, where her brother, Hunter, is a student, with the money benefiting those wanting to study justice reform.

Hunter was present at the emotional gathering and expressed his gratitude to Kodak by giving him a big hug before they jointly lit a candle for the victims of the Parkland shooting.

Kodak has been on somewhat of a kindness and ‘do-good’ streak ever since he’s released from prison a couple of weeks ago. His latest act of kindness follows him offering to pay the tuition of the children of two FBI agents that were killed on duty in Florida last week.

This is not the first time @KodakBlack1k has done something like this. He has also quietly assisted with the funerals of fallen police officers, killed in the line of duty. https://t.co/p0tsNLxYuU

— Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) February 9, 2021

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On Tuesday, February 16th, NPR premiered Rick Ross’ Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. The iconic rapper performed a six-song set, backed by a live band for only the second time in his career. The band performing with Ross consisted of bassist Thaddaeus Tribbet, drummer Rashid Williams, keyboardist Monty Reynolds, DJ Sam Sneak, and backup singers Elijah Blake and Troy Tyler. 

The performance took place in Miami, at Ross’ friend and collaborator, Rich B Caliente’s space. Ross lives in Atlanta, but insisted that his performance take place in “the city where his roots are anchored and where he rose to rap stardom.”

The six songs performed throughout the 20-minute video are “Super High,” “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast),” “Aston Martin Music,” “I’m Not A Star,” “F*ckwithmeyouknowigotit,” and “Tears of Joy.”

After the second song, Ross talked about the struggles the COVID-19 pandemic has caused but said “It’s a new year, new goals, same dreams, same hustler. You know what it is. And for somebody that has inspired the boss, there’s so many. ‘Cause I could look at any brother on the street and get some inspiration from him. Regardless of how many followers you got on social media, regardless of what you’re riding in, I can learn something from you. I ain’t scared to. Let’s make sure we keep building.”

In the description for the video, NPR talked about how they are celebrating Black History Month, saying “NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month by featuring four weeks of Tiny Desk (home) concerts and playlists by Black artists spanning different genres and generations each week.”

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On Monday, February 15th, the first trailer for The Notorious B.I.G. documentary Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, was released.

The documentary is to be released on March 1st for streaming on Netflix. The trailer shows clips from the iconic hip-hop artist’s past, and current interview clips from friends, family, and acquaintances of The Notorious B.I.G.

The trailer’s description says, “Every legend has an origin story. Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.”

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell has been four years in the making, and was executive produced by Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace, and collaborator and friend, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs. Both are also featured in the film through interviews. Additionally, Wayne Borrow, the late artist’s former manager, and current estate manager serves as producer on the film. 

Voletta Wallace spoke about the documentary saying “This will be the first documentary to focus on the experiences of my son’s life rather than the circumstances of his death. It is a celebration of who he was and where he came from. This is how he would have wanted to be remembered.”

Netflix commented on the documentary saying “In the wake of the Notorious B.I.G.’s landmark induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and ahead of what would have been his 50th birthday, Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell offers a fresh look at one of the greatest, most influential rappers of all time by those who knew him best.”

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TasteMakers Radio announce a 24 hour a day / 7 days a week podcast and music streaming virtual festival. As we move into our second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, artists and creatives are pivoting to discover new ways of bringing their talents to the world, and TasteMakers Media is helping them do just that!

Starting today, they are launching their very own 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, streaming internet channel here on Dash Radio, the largest all original digital audio broadcast platforms in the world. You can listen to the station here!

“It’s like a rave on the radio! Every day is a different tent, stage, and room at your favorite club, rave, or festival. Sunday is the chill-out room where you’ll hear smooth Balearic beats and sexy conversations, on Tuesdays you’ll be transported to the Panorama Bar in Berghain, Wednesdays is The Rewind which is like being at The Moat at The Outlook festival, and Saturday’s soundscape is along the lines of the main stage at Coachella.” says Co-Founder, Ian McDonell aka DJ Havoc.

Whether you like basking in the sun at the polo grounds in Indio, bouncing between beach parties in Ibiza, uncovering the most underground warehouse in downtown LA, or putting stickers over your camera phone in Berlin, you will find a home on TasteMakers Radio. TasteMakers’ mission is to form an online community where we can connect, share, collaborate, and honestly… simply party together! “Unlike algorithms and corporate suites, our programming is curated by real-life people, specifically seasoned DJs like myself,” explains TasteMakers Radio’s Station Manager, Jeff Schwartz aka DJ Paper.

With internet radio reaching every corner of the globe, TasteMakers Radio brings you the most luminous independent artists from all over the world, straight to your home, as well as
“real talk” podcasts known for pushing the boundaries of what is traditionally a kosher conversation. The station is 100% commercial FREE Music and Talk radio representing the 21st
century raver and beyond.

“The launch of TasteMakers Radio is not just a response to the pandemic, TasteMakers is a long-running popular show on Dash Radio, we have a loyal following, we’ve interviewed huge names, celebrities before they were famous, and make room for the locals and unsung heroes of the scene. Expanding to a 24/7 channel is the next logical step in our evolution.” clarifies Zach Wiles aka DJ Veda, Host and curator of The Rewind.

We are co-creating a space where everyone can have their voice heard, where you can find your people, listen to your favorite DJ and discover new music. We are at the bleeding edge of
music, comedy, and culture. We are the crew you wish you knew and NOW you can. Just tune into the TasteMakers Radio channel on Dash Radio and come hang with us all day every day! No wristbands required.

| TasteMakers Radio | Hip Hop | Pop | R&B | Latin | Dance | Country | Rock | Afrobeats |

Across pop, rap, rock, and country, we have a variety of new music released this week, including releases from Dua Lipa, slowthai, Jay-Z, Nipsey Hussle, Nas, The Pretty Reckless, Florida Georgia Line, and more. Whatever your music taste may be, there is sure to be something you can listen to amongst the new releases. 

The soundtrack for the movie Judas and The Black Messiah dropped today. The album is executive produced by Hit-Boy and features the long-awaited collaboration between Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z, “What It Feels Like”. The album also features Nas, Black Thought, Polo G, Dom Kennedy, A$AP Rocky, & Rakim. 

Yesterday, Dua Lipa released her first new music of 2021 with her song “We’re Good.” The artist tweeted about the new song, which included accompanying cover art. It shows Dua Lipa in a green outfit, with her name written in the same font as her most recent album Future Nostalgia. She will also be releasing the Moonlight Edition of Future Nostalgia today. This edition of the album includes a handful of b-sides. The full tracklist was tweeted here. 

British rapper, slowthai releases his sophomore album TYRON today. The album includes the previously released tracks “CANCELLED” featuring Skepta, and “MAZZA” featuring A$AP Rocky. TYRON includes a- and b-side tracks, and all show slowthai at his truest self. Themes of self-actualization, gaining confidence, and navigating personhood are expected to be on this album.  

Guapdad 4000 & the producer !llmind dropped their highly anticipated collaboration “How Many”. R&B crooner Brent Fayiaz is back on the scene with a new song “Circles”, he released the song via a Dropbox link on his Instagram. Rowdy Rebel dropped his new single “Jesse Owens” featuring Nav, and the two didn’t disappoint with their latest effort.

The Pretty Reckless released their fourth album, Death By Rock And Roll, today. Last week, the band released the striking music video for “And So It Went” in collaboration with Tom Morello which will be included on the new album. “25” and the album’s title track “Death By Rock And Roll” have also been previously released. Passionate, gritty, and classic rock and roll are words that describe this new album by The Pretty Reckless. 

Today, Florida Georgia Line releases their fifth album, Life Rolls On. Despite the band’s tough year (COVID contractions, rumors of the band’s split, and solo projects) the album is said to have themes of happiness, and joy. The new album includes 16 tracks, some of which have been previously released, including “Life Rolls On,” “New Truck,” and “Long Live.”

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