My Daily Joe

Movie vampire Nikki Reed says she wanted to “die” shooting The Twilight Saga: Eclipse because it was so emotionally and physically draining.

“We’re always standing out in like 30-degree weather, with pouring rain, trying to keep our vampire makeup intact,”she told PEOPLE at designer Yotam Solomon’s fashion show in Los Angeles. “It’s hectic, it’s crazy, it’s very jam-packed full of emotion.”

“We were doing a lot of stunts, too much in too little time,” Reed, 21, said, calling life on set “tough.” “The hardest part is trying to fly around on cables in the woods at 6 o’clock, fighting the sunset and stuff. And looking like we’re not cold and super powerful, when we just want to die.”

But, she added, filming “really amazing scenes” with pal Kristen Stewart was “lovely.”

“She’s my buddy,” Reed said. “We love each other. We had fun shooting together.”

Also see Nikki Reed behind the scenes in this video, entitled “No Rose Petals & Bubblebaths” by Sabrina.

Source: People

Considering Jamaican immigrants (and their soundsystem culture) were the driving force behind the birth of hip-hop, and that rap in turn inspired reggae’s evolution into dancehall, one would think the two genres would mix more often.

Maybe they will in the wake of Nas and Damian “Jr Gong” Marley‘s upcoming collaboration ‘Distant Relatives,’ at least if their searing surprise appearance at the Fader Fort during SXSW is anything to go on.

Both are icons in their respective fields and after honing their act during last summer’s Rock the Bells tour and subsequent studio sessions, the duo are clearly a well-oiled machine with stage presence to spare. Read more »

On August 26th, 1970, Jimi Hendrix celebrated the official opening of his Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan’s West Village. It would be the last time he ever set foot in his beloved recording sanctuary; he died three weeks later in London at age 27 after ingesting a powerful dose of the sedative Vesperax. But a month prior to the party, the man Rolling Stone would later name the Greatest Guitarist of All Time laid down a few special tracks, including a jam with Steve Winwood on “Valleys of Neptune,” in Electric Lady’s Studio A. That song, in a different incarnation, is now the centerpiece of a new collection of previously unreleased Hendrix gems called Valleys of Neptune. In the new issue of Rolling Stone on sale at newsstands today, David Fricke dives into Hendrix’s last days and lost recordings, tracing the epic plans and earthly troubles that marked the guitar god’s final months.

Jimi Hendrix on the cover of Rolling Stone: see all the issues.

Speaking with Hendrix’s longtime engineer Eddie Kramer, as well as bassist Billy Cox and former assistant engineer Tommy Erdelyi (better known as Tommy Ramone), Fricke explores Hendrix’s high hopes for Electric Lady and his anticipated fourth studio album. In an interview just days before his death, the guitarist had said he was thinking “this era of music — sparked off by the Beatles — had come to an end. Something new has got to come, and Jimi Hendrix will be there.” Read more »

Although we’ve yet to reach the one-year anniversary of pop star Michael Jackson ’s untimely death, his estate is making major moves in the music industry.

Just this week the estate of Jackson sealed a record-breaking deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony has agreed to pay his estate a staggering $250 million for the rights to release 10 albums from Jackson in the next few years.

“We’re dedicated to protecting this icon’s legacy and we’re thrilled that we can continue to bring his music to the world for the foreseeable future,” said Sony Music Chairman Rob Stringer, reports Rap-Up.com.

Sony’s deal with the Jackson estate is considered the biggest record deal in history. The deal will include past songs from Jackson as well as new, unreleased material from the singer.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that since Jackson’s death Sony has gone on to sell over 30 million copies of his various albums.

Source: HipHopDX

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — A few months ago, Nadia Martinez and her 16-year-old daughter, Brianne Matthews, drifted into an uncharacteristic conversation about life and death.

Martinez is not sure about what led to the discussion, but she felt a little odd when Matthews calmly told her how she would like to be remembered after she died.

“She wanted her ashes to be sprinkled all over a softball field because that’s where she lived,” Martinez said about Matthews, who had a 14-4 pitching record as a freshman last year for Mater Dei (Calif.) High School. “It didn’t matter where. As long as it was a softball field with a mound. That’s where she dominated.”

Always an overachiever, Matthews had gotten it done off and on the softball diamond. She carried a 4.0 grade point average at academically testing Mater Dei and was committed to pursue a career as a neonatologist. Despite being Read more »