1994 untold story

When Quality Control co-founders Pee and Coach K watched the new Showtime documentary Hitsville , which tracks the rise of Motown Records, they were struck by the similarities to their own story. Over the last few years, they’ve proved it’s still possible for a little record label to shake the culture, bringing the world Migos , Lil Yachty , Lil Baby , and many others. Coach K and Pee — who just released new compilation album, Control the Streets Vol. 2 — joined host Brian Hiatt for an episode of our podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, to tell the entire story of Quality Control, from the long path of breaking Migos (including having Drake jump on “Versace” and leaking “Bad and Bougie”) to guiding Lil Baby from a non-rapper to a hit artist. To hear the entire discussion, press play below or download and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify. Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now , hosted by Brian Hiatt, on iTunes or Spotify (or … [Read more...] about Hear Untold Stories of the Rise of Migos, Lil Baby and More

For fans of Coming to America, one of the biggest joys of Craig Brewer’s recently released sequel, Coming 2 America , was seeing the multiple nostalgic nods to the original hit . Actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, last seen hopping on one foot as Eddie Murphy ’s bride-to-be, was still hopping. Peaches and Sugar Cube, two rappers who made a brief yet memorable club appearance 33 years ago, re-emerged here for the climax. But with Eriq La Salle not returning to portray the Soul Glo heir Darryl Jenks, one planned scene never made it past the ideation stage. “I’m sorry that Eriq didn’t want to take part in the sequel, because we had a plan for him,” the film’s co-writer David Sheffield tells Rolling Stone . “We wanted to do a new commercial that would be seen in the background somewhere in a scene, and it was gonna be called ‘Soul Gro.’ The joke was going to be that Eriq is now selling a baldness cure and he was also a customer. The ad called for Eriq to be bald and for hair to … [Read more...] about ‘Coming 2 America’ Creators Reveal ‘Soul Glo’ Joke That Didn’t Make the Film

The Playing With Power: The Nintendo Story trailer has arrived. Crackle is preparing to release their upcoming 5-part docuseries about the enduring legacy of Nintendo on March 1st. Not a lot of people, outside of hardcore gamers, know that the iconic gaming company started back in the 1880s as Japanese card game. A lot has changed since then, and Playing With Power attempts to fill in all of those gaps, from dominating the gaming world in the 1980s to falling to third place in the early 2000s. Playing With Power is narrated by Sean Astin and it features new interviews with video game executives, along with celebrity fans, including Wil Wheaton. As the trailer promises, the docuseries is not going to focus solely on the triumphs of Nintendo. Instead, it will take a look at the crazy amount of lawsuits the company has faced over the years, monopolies, and its intense competition with the other major gaming companies, like Microsoft, Sony, and Atari. Nintendo has brought a … [Read more...] about Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story Trailer Explores Nintendo’s Enduring Legacy

“Who the hell is Bruce Springsteen?” I thought. Dashing out the stage door of a late-night Broadway show to beat the blundering crowds back in 2019, violin case in hand, I stepped onto the uptown C train for a swift escape out of midtown Manhattan. As I scrolled mindlessly through email, a message caught my attention: My colleague was requesting musicians to record with Bruce Springsteen — later to be disclosed as a live album recording of Western Stars . Not recognizing the all-American legend and turned off by the Jersey shoot location, I asked my spouse if I should waste my time with this gig. Shocked, my husband immediately went into a diatribe on the greatness of “The Boss.” I was shaken at the almost-missed opportunity. I’d been a musician for decades, graduated Juilliard in 2013, and studied works like Paganini’s technically demanding 24 Caprices and Bach Chaconne. But I’d really never heard of Springsteen. Related Stories Metallica on What They Have in Common … [Read more...] about Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear

The 15 shortlisted films vying to become one of the five Best International Feature nominees at the 2021 Academy Awards are a surprising and creatively engaging bunch. Their stories often are drenched in history — much of it tragic and disturbing — and turbulent social and political currents course through any number of them. Just four of the 15 were directed by familiar names so, for the most part, the filmmakers behind these works are in the early stages of their careers, which can only create optimism and excitement about what these up-and-comers will do in the future. Oscar nominations will be revealed on March 15. I’ve now seen all of the contenders and must say that it was, for the most part, stimulating to encounter so many fresh voices from some often little-heard-from realms of the cinematic world. Fewer than half of the semi-finalists come from countries typically thought of as regularly representing the cinematic front-rank — France, Iran, Denmark, Mexico, … [Read more...] about Oscars: Todd McCarthy’s Top Picks For Best International Feature Nominations