The polls are now up for the Top Nominees of one of the most anticipated award ceremonies in
Minneapolis/St. Paul history the 2012 Twin Cities Urban Music Awards. Voters shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to vote for their favorites now because the polls are currently closed. However, voting for the final round will resume from February 24th-March 9th with the actual ceremony taking place on March 23rd 2012 at the EPIC Event Center in Minneapolis. The nominees for each category were posted on the website http://www.twincitiesurbanmusicawards.com/ recently and full details of the event are available on the “The 1st Annual Twin Cities URBAN Music Awards 2012″ Facebook page.

Now here are the Top 7-8 Nominees for the The 1st Annual Twin Cities URBAN Music Awards 2012:

Music Video/Videographer Of The Year:
Recess Kidd Redd “Dranks Up” Ft. Book Money & Avey Quakes – Casey Kruchten KCP
Chantel Winn “No More” – Sharpestmemory
Gaines “Mental” – 13twentythree
Straight Check$ “Drifting Away” – Neo Film Movement
2Tone ft.Crown Vick & Mikke “Tatz & Rackz Remix”‏ – Mick Swag
S. Madison “Fall” Ft The Rxmedy – 13twentythree
Rob-1 Ft. Megan Duncan “Revolution” – morningsidefilms
Trilla “It’s About To Go Down” – Go Hard Tv / Easy Money Tv

Male Rap Artist Of The Year:
Rocky Diamonds
Yung Truth
Rob-1
Gaines
A-Lo
Sick
Chevy Boy
S. Madison

Female Rap Artist Of The Year:
Miss Tress
Laidee P
Sweetz P
Recess Kidd Redd
Desdamona
Lady Vicious
Katana
Nook Chi-Girl

Male R&B Artist Of The Year:
Chrishan
Crisis Fresh
Trilla
Rxmedy
Rico Nevotion
Checkmate
Marquise KingReckless Mason
J Isaac

Female R&B Artist Of The Year:
Chantel Winn
Chantel Sings
Christina Sophia Fisher
Auburn
Margeaux Davis
Paris Benett
Tiffany Carter
Dezire

Song Of The Year:
Rob-1 Ft. Megan Duncan – “Revolution”
Midwest Selects – “Frostbite”
Raemo-P – “O’man”
O.B.F. – “Fresh Like POW”
2Tone ft. Crown Vick & Mikke – “Tatz & Rackz Remix”‏
S. Madison ft The Rxmedy – “Fall”
Trilla – “It’s About To Go Down”
Holli BMS Bangz – “Charlie Sheen”

Album Of The Year:
Verstyle Cho & Kente – From Da Country 2 The City
Book Money – Challenged
King Sandman – Jewelleo’s Story
Sick – Ridin Wit No L’s
Trilla – Soul Of A Man
Absent – Amber Alert
Mike Dreams – Just Waking Up
Chantel Sings – Beautiful Dream

Mixtape Of The Year:
Skip Grandz – Doobie Brothers w/Drew Doe & Peter Parker
Kente – New Jack Of The Twin Cities Vol.2 “The Resurface”
Youngree and JISI – Jump In Sum Ice Vol.1
Young Nuk – Up Up N Away
Ghost‏ – Mr. I don’t Tell
Taylor J – Takeover Vol.1
Crown Vick & Mr. Dee – Stuck Together
T Baby – Maserati Baby

Lyricist Of The Year:
Kashy
Selfish
Kiddricc
St. Paul Slim
Muja Messiah
Mike Dreams
Concept
Toki Wright

Best Group Of The Year:
Midwest Selects
Jaded Rzeign
Take 2
TEAM RNB
OBF- One Big Family
Verstyle Cho & Kente
Pretty Money
The Lawbreakers
Dajo Vu

Grinder Of The Year:
Lady Williams
DJ Laylow
Jay Estate
Ice Dude
Rico Nevotion
DJ Rush
T Bizzy
Book Money

MPLS MVP Of The Year:
Big Wiz
Rico Nevotion
Sick
Chevy Boy
King Sandman
Jay Estate
Ice Dude
Lil Cheiff On Da Trakk

STP MVP Of The Year:
Bishop Swagghop
Fedy
Mista Maeham
St. Paul Slim
Dubb J
HC Da Chemist
Toki Wright
Willie Jamez

Rookie Of The Year:
Swagnificent
12 Gage
Yung Jr6
Kid Stunna
Lorenzo Hampton
D.Eazy
Tay Betta

TC’s Most Slept On:
Big Moe
Jay El
Untamed Youth
Reo Galor
Free Money
BlaccOut
Yung Sippi
Drizzle

TC’s Next To Blow:
Midwest Selects
Chantel Winn
$Bags
Dreezy The Canon
Dunn Deal
Crown Vick
51fitty
Tonytone Montana

Promoter Of The Year:
Indie Artist Circle Management
Lady Erin
So Classy Ent
ATG
Black N White Ent
L.O.T.P.
T.B.M. Ent
Six twelve magazine

Record Label Of The Year:
Long Doe Records
Still Real Records
Blaze 1 Camp Ent
Money Ap Ent
Pledge Empire Records
Guaranteed Ent
Rhymesayers
Velvo Records

Producer Of The Year:
Midwest Melt Down Productionz
T-Mic Beats
CeeSaw
Checkmate
T-Lace
Holli BMS Bangz
Hakeem The Poet
Young Mennace

DJ Of The Year:
DJ Laylow
DJ Clubbanga
DJ Rawskillz
DJ D.Mil
DJ Enferno
DJ Bro Jules
DJ Drumma Boy
DJ Advance

Best Radio Station Of The Year:
Hello Squad Music Group Da Goon Hour
107.5WDEPRadio
Rob G Radio
Kmoj Tite At Nite
IndieHop w/ Sunshine on Hittin Lick Radio
The Session (KFAI)
Kmoj “WEEKEND GROOVE” W/Marciano & Jayestate

Best Graphic Artist Of The Year:
Midwest Melt Down Productionz
Get Bizzie designz
Still Real Records
Gemini Grafix
Phillip Garcia
Hi-Def
13TwentyThree
Pulido GFX

Livest Local Artist Show Of The Year:
Sippizone Supaunit Cbosent Events
T.B.M. Ent Events
Mixtape Monday’s @ T’s Place
1st Round Open Mic Shows
Vibin Open Mic Shows
Tight on Ya Ass IAC
DJ Rush Open Mic Tuesdays
The Knockout Freestyle Emcee Battle

Host Of The Year:
Lady Williams
Young Marciano
Jemika Hayes
Chris Styles
B-Luv
Jay Estate
B Wright
Lisa Moy

Photographer Of The Year:
Go Hard Photography
Harlan Dorman
Hi-Def Photos
13TwentyThree Photography
In House Media
BabiBoo#1 Photo’s
Fella Fellz
KCP612

Model Of The Year:
Casarah Baker
Rocki-B
Nitra
Ashley Tremblay
Diamond MsBabee – TBM Model
Kitty – InUrFace Model
Tru Chase
Nema Dean – ATG Diva

There is a bill currently going through Congress that will censor the internet in the name of fighting “online piracy”. “Protect IP Act” (PIPA) and “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) Website such as Wikipedia and Google are already raising awareness by blacking out their site or posting additional information telling the public to oppose the two bills. There are several websites available where you can take action or you may contact your member of Congress.

fightforthefuture.org/pipa
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
http://sopa.boldprogressives.org/survey/survey_sopa_reddit/

jay-z_decoded Jay-Z has been making some power moves as of late, one recent was the creation of his book ‘Decoded.’ The book will hit stores shelves November 16th, within the pages you will find illustrations and 36 of your favorite HOV songs decoded. The publishing company Random House will also release the book to be eBook, and iPhone/iPad application friendly. The image used for the cover is part of Andy Warhol’s 1984 “Rorschach” paintings. Below is an excerpt of HOV explaining the purpose behind the book.

“When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics—not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC—are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to. Jay-Z”