Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Pocketful of Sunshine’ Blazes Onto Billboard’s Top 200 at No 3

Here comes the sun! Pocketful Of Sunshine, the new release from British songstress, Natasha Bedingfield, rocketed onto Billboard’s Top 200 this week at No.3 making it the highest-charting album debut of the singer’s career and ties Sade for highest-ever debut in history for a UK signed female artist (beating out past debuts by Amy Winehouse and Dido.)

The album’s explosive arrival is amplified by news that Pocketful of Sunshine has over 1 Million transactions thus far, with over 160k digital downloads of her smash first single, ‘Love Like This’ sold in the first week alone.
In addition, the single has spent 9 weeks in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Top 100 Chart.

‘Love Like This’ was recently quoted by New York Magazine as ‘a song that is impossible to purge from your brain.’ The track – which is certified GOLD – features R&B/reggae singer Sean Kingston. Since its release to radio back in October the track generated serious buzz and blasted its way up the charts to become a Top 10 single at Pop Radio as well as Natasha’s third Top 10 track since the debut of Unwritten in 2005. The video for ‘Love Like This’ holds the No 1 spot at VH1, is in XXL rotation and is steadily climbing the charts at MTV.

Natasha is currently the No 1 artist at Rhapsody, holds a Top 5 album at iTunes, but that’s not all. Today, Natasha can celebrate the fact that she has four tracks in the Top 100 songs overall at iTunes (Love Like This, Pocketful of Sunshine, Unwritten, and Soulmate) which is truly a magnificent accomplishment. Follow-up tracks like ‘Pocketful Of Sunshine’ – which was featured in the season finale of MTV’s The Hills – are already garnering their own buzz – sales of the track have already placed it in the Top 20 at iTunes, securing the No 16 spot overall.

Natasha celebrated release week with performances and appearances on a slew of TV including, LIVE! With Regis & Kelly, The Today Show, MTV’s TRL, The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno and Ellen Degeneres. Natasha marks yet another milestone this week as hit track ‘Unwritten’ surpasses the 2 Million digital sales mark.

Upon hearing today’s news, Natasha had this to say, ‘I’m thrilled that my new record has had such a fantastic response on the first week. Writing songs is my favorite thing in the world so I’m grateful that my music is connecting with so many people, – I’m celebrating big time!’

Natasha conquered America last year with her No 1 single, ‘Unwritten’ which became the most played track at pop radio in 2006, and was the first No 1 pop single in the U.S. by a British Female Solo artist in 19 years. Look for Natasha to tour the U.S this spring.

Beanie Sigel’s Manager Denies Roc-A-Fella Records Dropping Entire Roster

Contrary to online rumors, Def Jam has not dropped the entire Roc-A-Fella Records roster, Billboard.com has learned. Roc-A-Fella artists include Kanye West, Freeway, Beanie Sigel, Tru Life, DJ Clue, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz and Hector Bambino.

“Beans and Freeway didn’t get dropped,” says Beanie Sigel’s manager, Mark Byers. “I just got off the phone with L.A. Reid talking about the next video for ‘Rain’ featuring Raheem DeVaughn that we’re about to release. We’re re-launching Beanie’s project and releasing a ‘Rain’ remix with State Property.”

Roc-A-Fella’s cohesiveness and brand strength waned after its leaders Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke parted ways in 2004. Since then, Roc-A-Fella artists haven’t received the same attention as Def Jam stars like Ne-Yo and Rihanna, says an insider.

Jay-Z’s inner camp, including A&R SVP Jay Brown and A&R VP Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, tendered their resignations this month. However, the rest of Def Jam’s A&R department is intact. Still, things are tenuous for hip-hop at the company.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a Roc-A-Fella anymore,” says the insider. “I do think each artist will have to go to the new people in charge and have a meeting separately. But the Roc artists aren’t going to roll over and die.”

Sources say that it’s unclear whether Roc-A-Fella artist Peedi Peedi has been dropped but the word is that he hasn’t. Meanwhile, the entire State Property camp, including Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Oschino and Sparks, the Young Gunz and Peedi Peedi, are preparing a new group album to be released this summer. The State Property album will most likely be released via Def Jam.

Def Jam was unavailable for comment at deadline.

SOURCE: BILLBOARD.BIZ

Pete Rock – NY’s Finest Album in February 2008

Pete Rock – NY’s Finest EPK: http://youtube.com/watch?v=AdPBWG6MbDU

HIP HOP PRODUCER PETE ROCK RELEASES FIRST ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS

“Pete Rock – NY’s Finest” LP drops in February 2008

New York, NY – Hip-hop producer/DJ/MC Pete Rock is set to release his first album in four years. Titled NY’s Finest, the album will be released in February 2008 in a joint venture between Soul Survivor Records and NY based indie label Nature Sounds.

The record features a roster of cult hip hop artists that includes Wu-Tang’s Raekwon and Masta Killa, Dipset’s Jim Jones, Papoose, D-Block and Redman amongst others. The first single “We Roll” features Jim Jones and Max B. The track shipped to radio in mid-October and it’s already getting spins at mix-shows throughout the Northeast. Other tracks currently available are “914″ featuring Styles P and Sheek Louch, “The PJ’s” featuring Raekwon and Masta Killa and “Til I Retire” featuring Pete Rock himself.

Born in the Bronx, NY by Jamaican parents, a teenage Pete Rock first hit the scene in the late 80’s when he joined legendary DJ/producer Marley Marl on NY station WBLS’ show “In Control With Marley Marl.” The popularity of the radio show soon led Pete Rock to experiment with production. In 1991, he was joined by up-and-coming rapper CL Smooth and released the debut EP, All Souled Out. In 1992, the duo dropped Mecca And The Soul Brother, one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time. Pete and CL eventually released The Main Ingredient in 1994. Although the album was very well received by critics and fans alike, the project marked the last effort for the duo.

Since then, Pete Rock has lent his production skills to some of the greatest MC’s. He crafted and remixed hits for Nas, Biggie, Jeru The Damaja, and, more recently, Jim Jones, Talib Kweli’s Ear Drum, Redman’s Red’s Gone Wild and Ghostface, for whom he produced tracks for Fishscale, one of music critics’ favorite hip hop albums of 2006.

Pete Rock is considered by most to be one of the greatest hip-hop producers. Following the split with CL Smooth, Pete has released a number of solo projects. In 1998, Loud Records released Soul Survivor; that was followed in 2001 by a collection of instrumental tracks aptly titled PeteStrumentals. In 2004, he released Soul Survivor II on his own imprint Soul Brother Recordings.

Nature Sounds is quickly becoming the indie home for classic hip-hop. During the last couple of years the label has released critically acclaimed projects by artists that include MF DOOM, Wu-Tang’s Masta Killa (Made In Brooklyn), and most recently, Mobb Deep’s Havoc (The Kush).