One of the former 'Empire' star's ex-lovers claims the actor owes him money and demands to be paid up, or he will release the three-minute footage of Jussie's sexual activities.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested after an email was sent threatening to "sever the heads" of two Detroit-area judges.

Three women were shot during an incident that took place Thursday morning in Westerly. State police have confirmed that one of the victims, age 47, was killed.

Terry Wills gives the Albion perspective on Monday night's clash.

Terry Wills. Not a Happy Baggie.

Sutton Park’s Donkey Assisted Therapy centre is inviting local people to its Christmas Fair on Saturday 8th December from 10.30am to 3pm.

Karolina Pliskova joins star-studded Edgbaston line-up.

Returning guest Bill Adler is many things — music archivist, gallerist, head of PR for Def Jam at its creative apex — but he’s also a well-known Christmas music nut. After marrying into a Christian family, he started finding the best, most under-appreciated Christmas music he could, and putting it together into a compilation. He’s been sending his Christmas Jollies mixes to family and friends every year since the early 80s.

His mixes, despite having a relatively small circulation, have gotten tons of attention over the years. So we decided to talk to him about seasonal tunes, including his very important role in creating a certain holiday standard. He gave us insight into some key Christmas samples (Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis”, to name one), his own Christmas favorites, and more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/58/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we talk to Christopher Jackson, one of the lead actors in Broadway’s ‘Holler If Ya Hear Me’, the musical based on Tupac’s legacy. When ‘Holler If Ya Hear Me’ first hit Broadway, it was marketed as not just a story about Tupac’s music, but as a story about love — and that’s just what it is, a story about love within a world similar to that which Tupac lived, experienced, and rapped about. The play tackles issues such as gun violence, poverty, and racism head-on — all through the lens of a community that feels its pains together. ‘Holler’ is a play that fights against Broadway’s increasingly homogenized landscape, daring to tell a story that doesn’t fit into the cookie cutter Broadway mold.

We talked to Broadway vet Christopher Jackson, Vertus in the production, about Broadway’s changing landscape, the significance of co-star Saul Williams’ work as a slam poet and actor, the cultural relevance of Pac, and how ‘Holler”s reviews revealed an ugly truth about Broadway culture today.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/73/ for full show notes and comments.

Our 2nd annual Christmas episode features former Def Jam exec and noted Christmas music obsessive Bill Adler. We discuss the 30th anniversary edition of his yearly Christmas mix (available EXCLUSIVELY from us — visit here) and his part in the new holiday music documentary Jingle Bell Rocks.

We also find time to talk about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, protest movements past and present, and plenty more. Happy holidays from The Cipher! Again, you can listen to Bill Adler’s 30th anniversary Xmas Jollies mix ONLY on our Soundcloud page.

P.S. We’re honored to have been chosen as one of Slate’s “Best Podcasts About Music” this year. You can see the complete list here. And, as mentioned in the show’s introduction, you can find Cornell University’s online exhibit of Bill’s Def Jam materials on the university’s website.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/86/ for full show notes and comments.

It’s that time of year! We sit down with Bill to talk about this year’s edition of his world-famous Christmas music mix Xmas Jollies 2015, which you can stream EXCLUSIVELY from us here.

We also discuss how Bill’s extensive hip-hop archives ended up at Cornell University, despite the wishes of his pal Lyor Cohen; why you’ll soon see his photos at the Smithsonian; and the story of how a noted civil rights activist was outed as an FBI spy.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/134/ for full show notes and comments.

Quelle is a rapper and producer who originally hails from Detroit – though he’s also passed through St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Brooklyn, and more. He got his start with Detroit’s Wasted Youth crew, teaming up with artists like Denmark Vessey, Big Tone, and even Danny Brown, the last of whom used two of Quelle’s beats on his breakthrough album XXX.

Quelle’s music runs the gamut from banging rap beats to experimental synth pop, and his subject matter from raunchy humor to conversations with God. His most recent solo album, last year’s Innocent Country, is his most powerful and wide-ranging work yet.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/141/ for full show notes and comments.

Jack Thriller is a comedian who most people know from his time doing funny—and often outrageous—interviews on 50 Cent’s website ThisIs50. He’s talked to everyone from porn actors to fellow comedians to rap stars to athletes and beyond.

But in addition to that, Jack is also a talented sketch comedian and writer, stand-up, and even a singer. He got his start working as a writer, warm-up act, and all around right hand man to comedian Lil Duval, before breaking out on his own and moving from Atlanta to New York City. 50 quickly noticed his popular skits, and soon Jack had become the website’s breakout star.

He quickly moved from the computer screen to the television screen, starring in several seasons of Nick Cannon’s show Wild ‘N Out. And his latest venture is a singing career. He’s released a song with Nore, and has shared the stage with Musiq Soulchild.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/221/ for full show notes and comments.

Jean Grae was our show’s first-ever guest back in 2012. She is one of the finest rappers out there, and a great producer as well. But in recent years, she’s expanded her horizons even further, pushing into comedy, sitcoms, instructional albums, audiobooks, talk shows, variety shows, and even her own church.

Quelle Chris joined us in 2016. Since then, he’s released the acclaimed album Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often and the instrumental project Lullabies for the Broken Brain.

Now Jean and Quelle have joined forces for the incredible new album Everything’s Fine. The project has been met with critical raves from pretty much everywhere, and rightly so. It shows Jean and Quelle in absolute top form: rapping, singing, producing, and playing on a group of songs that respond to today’s often-frightening world with humor, sadness, and a reminder that when we tell people that everything’s fine, we almost never mean it.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/236/ for full show notes and comments.

Jericho Jackson is a group made up of producer Khrysis and rapper Elzhi. Khrysis is best known for his work with the rap collective the Justus League, which counts among its members 9th Wonder. He is currently a member of 9th’s production team the Soul Council. In addition to his North Carolina crew, Khrysis has produced for Sean Price and Heltah Skeltah, Jean Grae, Evidence, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, and many others.

Dedicated Cipher listeners will remember Elzhi from our talk with him on episode 152. The Detroit rapper came to a lot of fans’ attention during his time as a member of Slum Village. He followed that up with a staggering series of solo albums, including the Nas reinvention Elmatic and the deeply personal Lead Poison.

Khrysis and Elzhi’s recent joint album is called Khrysis and Elzhi Are Jericho Jackson.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/247/ for full show notes and comments.

Chris D'Elia, Comedian, actor, and host of the "Congratulations with Chris D'Elia" podcast, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt LIVE in studio. 

This podcast is brought to you by:

Chris Porter, a comedian seen on "Last Comic Standing" and who will be shooting his newest special this year in Denver, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt LIVE in studio.

It's so easy... a child can do it!

Festive season all wrapped up at prestige venue.

University develops world’s first Covid-19 digital safety certificate to protect suppliers and consumers.

Young people from Acorns Children’s Hospice enjoy a pre-Christmas treat with families.

Richard Lutz take his pew for a fanfare of classics.

Festive fun in new shopping area.

Iconic Beano and Dandy albums hitting the shelves thanks to Birmingham company.

Lichfield theatre unveils its festive programme.

Richard Lutz wanders though another lockdown week.

Richard Lutz reports on life in lockdown.

More reasons than ever to visit Birmingham’s Creative Quarter.

Dave Woodhall looks back at this weekend in Villa's history.

Cinetools has released its new Trailer Cue Series sample library Metropia, a collection of dark sci-fi thriller cues that offers you an insight into the new cybernetic world full of avant-garde technology. The pack is geared towards surreal sci-fi projects, suspicious and engaging scenes, and background music for an utopian world. “Metropia” featuring high-end trailer […]

The post Metropia by Cinetools delivers dark sci-fi thriller trailer cues appeared first on rekkerd.org.

Sonuscore has announced the release of a free version of its Kontakt library Ethnic Flute Phrases, a scoring tool made to breathe life into every composition. The free Ethnic Flute Phrases library includes over 100 live recorded ethnic flute phrases, providing an expressiveness which is unachievable in traditional sampling. This freebie offers an insight into […]

The post Sonuscore offers free Ethnic Flute Phrases scoring tool for Kontakt appeared first on rekkerd.org.

Audio Plugin Deals has launched a sale on the Christina Soto Vocal Atmospheres & Arctic Chill Bundle, offering a 60% discount on two vocal sample libraries by Black Octopus Sound. Vocal Atmospheres is a pack filled to the brim with ambient, lush and evolving vocals, which are perfect for all genres of music production that […]

The post Christina Soto Vocal Atmospheres & Arctic Chill on sale at 60% OFF appeared first on rekkerd.org.

Synchro Arts celebrates its 2020 Queen’s Award for Innovation with a sale on its award-winning Revoice Pro 4 and VocALign Pro 4 products through May. Whether you’re in a big studio or working at home, Synchro Arts products not only help achieve polished and radio-ready vocals, they’ll save you countless hours of tedious manual editing […]

The post Save up to 50% on Synchro Arts vocal production software in May appeared first on rekkerd.org.

The first-half loss reflected an 11.1 percent slump in underlying sales in Mothercare's home market, which it blamed on wider market uncertainty and "negative press coverage" of its financial restructuring.

Horseshoe Cafe owner Debra Thompson talks about getting a letter from Wickenburg regarding her noncompliance with Gov. Doug Ducey's statewide order.

The letter by the prosecutor marked the second time businesses in town were contacted by authorities for being in violation of Gov. Ducey's order.

The Sajjan Jindal-led JSW group’s JSW Paints entered the highly competitive paints industry in India with an initial investment of Rs 600 crore.

"We see this as a good opportunity to become accessible for many more in China, especially in light of what the Chinese digital environment looks like," Tolga Oncu, head of retail at Ingka, which owns most IKEA stores worldwide, told Reuters.

In 1995, one of the deadliest heat waves in the United States killed 739 people in Chicago. Why was the death count so high? And why were the deaths concentrated in poor, mostly African American neighborhoods? In her new documentary "Cooked: Survival by Zip Code," filmmaker Judith Helfand says it wasn't the heat that killed these people, but generations of institutional racism. We talked with the Peabody Award-winning director about "Cooked," which had its TV premiere on Independent Lens on PBS earlier this month, and about her past documentaries, which include "Blue Vinyl" and "A Healthy Baby Girl." TRANSCRIPT: Emily Reddy: Welcome to Take Note on WPSU. I'm Emily Reddy. In 1995, one of the deadliest heat waves in the United States killed 739 people in Chicago. Why was the death count so high? And why were the deaths concentrated in poor, mostly African American neighborhoods? In her new documentary "Cooked: Survival by Zip Code," filmmaker Judith Helfand says it wasn't the heat that

In her book, “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore,” Elizabeth Rush takes readers around the country to see rising tides . Rush talks with people around the country who have lost their homes and communities; with scientists who study what’s happening; and with conservationists trying to find ways to restore wetlands. Rush’s book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. WPSU's Anne Danahy spoke with Rush, who will be in State College March 23 to give a talk at 7 p.m. at Schlow Library to celebrate Earth Day.

Green Visor Capital backed-Simpl, that allows users to buy now and checkout with pay-later function, said the surge in the number of transactions done for daily essentials increased despite supply and workforce issues by merchant partners.

The unpredictable resurgence of vinyl has rekindled an interest in physical sonic structures. Gilles Azzaro’s “Macrogroove” realises the idea of a three-dimensional sonogram. It is a 3D printed ‘audio coding’, which is played by a laser beam, scanning the form →

Xbox will be available for Rs39,990, while the model with Kinect, an interface that allows the use of gestures to play games, will cost Rs45,990.

As part of this association, "Parryware sanitaryware and faucets will be used for all Patanjali's upcoming projects across India," the company said in a statement.