Last time we checked in, we told you that NYC-based rapper Nivla was back on his grind in 2009!  Now we’re bringing you a special update on his first exclusive performance of the year which proved very well!  Nivla took the stage to open up for JRG’s Bikini Under the Bridge fashion show in Brooklyn, NY on August 15^th. JRG Entertainment, which is a Caribbean-based company, has been doing fashion shows and parties for more than 10 years in New York.  It couldn’t have been a greater opportunity for a South Asian Hip Hop artist who could even rock a runway in style!

Nivla rocked JRG’s runway as he performed his newest single, “One Night,” which features R&B singer Justin Mathews.  “One Night” is undeniably a sultry summer jam with lyrics and beat you can’t resist bumpin’ and moving to—and Nivla was an absolute crowd pleaser!  Claps, screams and many great comments could be heard as Nivla walked off the stage after his performance.  To have also personally gotten positive feedback certainly reveals once more Nivla’s talent, capacity to please his listeners and the energy he possesses to rock the crowd!  His choice of song and performance couldn’t have been more perfect for a bikini fashion show.  The show couldn’t have taken place at a much better location than right under the Brooklyn Bridge.  The view was simply amazing.  You had to see it to believe it and I know my New Yorkers will take my word!

Born and raised just North of New York City, the international Hip-Hop capital of the world, Nivla grew up in the shadows of groundbreaking American music, causing him to start rapping and beat-boxing at an early age. He honed his skills as an MC studying pioneers of the game such as De La Soul, LL Cool J, and A Tribe Called Quest, but soon developed his own unique style.

When we last spoke to Nivla, he was headed to the tops with his track “Be Easy (Koi Na),” when he became a finalist in the Doritos-sponsored Crash The Superbowl contest. And as we all know, the track, featuring P. Oberoi, was later release by Interscope Records! Months later Nivla prevailed, landing the #1 spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics contest sponsored by Nike Basketball for writing “This Is Our Game: Anthem,” produced by Just Blaze.

After a short hiatus, Nivla resurfaced in the Hip-Hop scene on Asher Roth’s “I Love College” beat, a track that caters to his adult listeners.  Nonetheless, Nivla’s “I Love P—-” is a hot track that introduces a side of himself his listeners have not seen or heard before! Indeed he’s a very talented rapper and has proved that he is more versatile than ever as he takes his music by storm with a newly discovered skill in singing. Though he like many other artists applies auto-tuning technology, there is no doubt that he has the ability to sing!

Sureet Sandhu of Digital Desi Productions has always been one producer to standout from the rest & do something different with both his production and the artists he works with. With the recent release of KO The Timeless’s mixtape, “Crossroads,” with exclusive production by Sureet, the next single to be released from this mixtape is “Watch Out,” featuring  Maryland’s very own KO The Timeless and guest appearences by Canada’s finest Aruna and a household name to the Hip-Hop scene, Raja Wilco.

After Chris Brown and Rihanna made their Grammy headlines, the showstopper of the night was, without a doubt, M.I.A. I think I just saw one of THE MOST amazing performance, which can go into Grammy history!

M.I.A., who is currently 9 months pregnant, happily stepped on stage – did I mention today is her due date, and started to sing her hit-track “Paper Plane,” and then “Swagga Like Us” alongside T.I., Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne.

If the 2009 Grammy’s couldn’t get more entertaining, performers Rihanna and Chris Brown were both no-shows at this years event.

It’s be stated that sometime Sunday evening, singer Chris Brown turned himself into the police and he was charged with domestic violence, which is what makes everyone think that the unidentified woman who was assulted was his girlfriend/singer Rihanna.

It’s even been reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Rihanna was “hospitalized with bruises on her face.”

In a press statement, Los Angeles police officer Karen Smith said that Brown walked into a station around 7 p.m. and was being interviewed by detectives. He released on $50,000 bail, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.

Really, what’s got into these artists now-a-days?!

India has quite a history in the Miss World beauty pageant. It’s one of the most renowned and extravagant beauty pageants to date, celebrating the many ethnic backgrounds of women across the world.

On December 13th, 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa, one of India’s most beautiful women came incredibly close to winning the Miss World title at the Miss World 2008 beauty pageant. Parvathy Omanakuttan would have been the sixth Indian woman to be crowned. She came just as close when she was crowned First Runner Up at the Miss World Grand Finale — and that’s certainly as good to us Indians.

Rishi Shah aka DJ Cypher is undeniably an inspiration to many. He possesses passion, drive and diversity. These qualities are manifested in his past projects and future endeavors. DJ Cypher takes the definition of a deejay to a different, greater level.

Mainstream deejays are known to pump Club, Hip Hop and Trance beats and tracks, something that DJ Cypher is quite experienced in. Yet, what sets him apart among most South Asian deejays and deejays in general is his sound, his technical skills and the aptitude to produce his own unique sound.

DJ Cypher’s interests and style varies widely and we can never get jaded from musical variety! If you haven’t already heard DJ Cypher’s remix to “Apologize,” one of his best pieces, definitely check it out on his website. The ability to apply his knowledge and skill to different genres of music is quite remarkable and this experimentation is evident in his re-cut of The Dark Knight trailer (see video below). To contribute his talents to one of the best films in history is a great achievement. We would love to hear more of Rishi Shah not only in the mainstream music scene but also across movie theaters.

I had the pleasure of tapping into Cypher’s musical background and discovering how his interest in music has transitioned from turntablism to production and how he is expanding his talents to a much greater line of work.

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