Monday, December 14, 2009

Brian Moore Arrested



Probably not expected to hit the fan at Gospelflava.com or GospelCity.com, but it's worth every inch of space here at the PRAYZE Report (soon to be merged with our new MainIngredient blog).

Brian Moore, pastor of Life Center Ministries and developer of a number of satellite churches in both Carolinas, was arrested December 10 for felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on bond totalling $3,250 dollars. His arrest information has now been made public; courtesy of the Office of the Sheriff, Mecklenberg County, North Carolina.

Melvin Crispell, renowned musician and songwriter for James Hall and Hezekiah Walker, is the church's minister of music.

Don't get mad at the law. They were only just doing their job. Instead, let's get mad at the church for thinking they were above the law.

To see the public records regarding Moore's arrest and charges, click here.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

MAIN STREET Launches, Possible Move



This is a new day.

PRAYZEHYMN Online.com, the parent company of the PRAYZE Report, announced its latest adventure into mainstream coverage including popular album releases, film, DVD releases, TV and much more. The new direction also includes a Facebook-supported networking group and a new blog called MAIN INGREDIENT.

The launch site of MAIN STREET (http://www.prayzehymnonline.com/mainstreet) included reviews of the films New Moon: the Twilight Saga and Precious, along with album reviews of Melaine Fiona, Brian McKnight, Angie Stone, Rod Stewart and Marques Houston. It also includes a On-the-Go music station, poll section and a featured YouTube video.

"This is a blessing to us here at PRAYZEHYMNOnline.com. The PRAYZE Report has been a popular blog for gospel music listeners and we are happy about its success," expressed site developer and chief editor J. Matthew Cobb. "But we are pushing away from the Blogger-supported blog because we aren't aware of how large our traffic is. The new blog is linked to our site and will actually give us a better understanding of how vast our audience is. We believe the end results will be boundless."

In a press statement and article posted on MAIN STREET, Cobb explained the site's vision and new direction while also expressing his disenchantment towards the gospel music industry.

"Gospel music has been good to me," the 29-year old editor expressed. "I love the genre, but the industry needs to do better. It's still a small clique' that believes there's only one way to succeed and to do things. Unfortunately, I'm not a part of the fraternity. I'm glad I'm not."

Since the announcement of MAIN STREET, PRAYZEHYMNOnline.com promises to continue its coverage on gospel music.

An end-date for the PRAYZE Report is soon to be announced.

To visit MAIN STREET, go to:
http://www.prayzehymnonline.com/mainstreet


[MAIN STREET OPEN FOR BUSINESS]
Main Street (Official Web Site)
Main Street (Facebook)
Main Ingredient [Blog]

Sunday, December 06, 2009

GRAMMY Nominations Are Out



For the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, a good number of awards will be given to some of this year's favorite artists. This year was a tight but respectable year for good music, which is easily showcased in the list of nominees.

Leading the board of nominees included the triumphant Beyonce' with a resounding ten nominations. The Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Taylor Swift's Fearless received several nominations as well. Legendary soul vets including Stevie Wonder, for the Obama tribute "All About the Love Again" and Hall & Oates, for their performance of "Sara Smile" on the Live at the Troubadour DVD and album, were also recognized. Whitney Houston, who released her best-selling return album I Look to You, failed to impress the Academy and failed to earn a Grammy nod. Melanie Fiona, one of 2009's biggest debut artists, earned a nod for "It Kills Me" in the Best Female R&B Performance category.

All eyes will be glued to the coveted Song of the Year category as Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" face off.

In the gospel categories, Israel Houghton was nominated twice for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album and for the song "Every Prayer" off of his Power of One album. Mary Mary, who also dueted with Houghton on "Every Prayer," walked away with a second nod for Best Gospel Song with their R&B crossover hit "God in Me." This year's most overlooked but industry beloved compilation, the Oh Happy Day soundtrack, received a few glances for Best Gospel Performance ("I Believe" by Jonny Lang & the Fisk Jubilee Singers), Best R&B Performance by Group/Duo with Vocals ("Higher Ground by Robert Randolph & the Clark Sisters) and for Best Traditional Album.

Heather Headley also got two Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel and Best Gospel Performance for her rendition of "Jesus Is Love." J Moss, Matthew West, Sheri Jones-Moffett, tobyMac and Donald Lawrence also were nominated in the gospel categories.

On a side note, Tonex' registered a nod for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the song "Blend." Tonex faces a strong set of neo-soul wonders including Bilal, the Foreign Exchange and Eric Roberson.

Gospel diva Ann Nesby even got her share of recognition for "Sow Love," off of her Lula Lee Project, in the category of Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.

Mentioned earlier this year, the Best Performance by a Gospel Choir or Chorus category was removed from the ballot due to the lack of nominees and album submissions.

To read a full list of this year's set of nominees, click here.