Jay-Z

There’s an ongoing debate that Jay-Z is in a “secret society.” Many enthusiasts have put out their own hype, perpetrating this nonsense. Are Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West in a satanic ritualistic cult, or are they simply misunderstood?

All of this drama started months before the Run This Town video. Media speculated that both Rihanna and Jay-Z were practicing “devil worshippers,” and that they were in fact a part of the cult-like atmosphere. No one suspected Kanye of anything, until his recent outburst at the 2009 VMA’s. So, when did all this hype begin; and are there any direct relations to the occult in any of their music.

If you dissect the Run This Town lyrics, Jay says, “It’s the return of the god.” Some people would say that he’s in fact calling himself God, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth. What he’s really saying is: more…

Jordian Castle

This past Saturday, Brand New played to approximately 18,000 fans at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The sold-out hometown show had been hugely anticipated this fall, after the September 22nd release of their fourth album, Daisy. I’ve been a fan since high school, during a time when I was as young, vulgar, and wronged as anyone else that age. While that may be the majority of Brand New’s fan base, the night’s audience was varied, ranging from teenyboppers with their parents to twenty-somethings and older. The four supporting bands – Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra, Thrice, and Glassjaw – may have had something to do with the night’s mix.

My friends and I parked at the Coliseum after six, missing Kevin Devine’s opening stint entirely (but as I’m told, it was a good one). In my experience, returning to Long Island for any length of time means more…