We are proud to support Stand Up To Cancer, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) that works hard to raise funds and get new therapies to cancer patients quickly in an effort to save lives.

Stand Up To Cancer (follow #standuptocancer on Twitter) will return to the airwaves for the 10th year on Friday, September 10 at 8pm ET for a one-hour fundraising event featuring George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Gwyneth Paltrow, Will Smith, Denzel Washington plus musical performances from The Edge (U2), Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Stevie Wonder, Lady Antebellum and many more.

The event will be aired live and commercial-free across all major TV networks and, of course, on VEVO. Also — don’t forget to check in thirty minutes early to see exclusive celebrity interviews by Cat Deeley on the Red Carpet during the preshow.

Find out more about this organization’s life-saving work including how you can donate. And, be sure to tune in next Friday and help us Stand Up To Cancer!

The Essence Music Festival is an annual music festival that celebrates African American music and culture.  Dating back since 1995, the festival has been home to some of the biggest musical acts, with more recent headliners being Beyonce Knowles and this year’s festival queen, Janet Jackson. Having taken place from July 2-4 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where it is held every year (with the exception of 2006 where it was relocated to Houston, Texas as a result of Hurricane Katrina), this year’s festival has been the most attended to date, selling out the entire Louisiana Superdome.

While at the festival, we managed to snag up a couple of the special performances from various acts such as Trey Songz, Raphael Saadiq, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Mint Condition, Chrisette Michele, and the ever so talented Janet Jackson.  Take some time out of your day to watch some of these soulful energetic performances and chill out with Earth, Wind and Fire to hear what the festival means to them.

At 13, Khalil was discovered by his Aunt as having singing ability.  Heeding her advice, Khalil decided to upload YouTube videos of himself performing covers of some of his favorite artists.  Fast forward a bit, and Def Jam’s one and only L.A. Reid signed him within 3 hours of having heard him perform in his New York City offices.  How does all this happen so quickly? Khalil’s undeniable talent.  This now 15 year old R&B singer shows signs of something great.  Sighting influences such as Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, his soulful voice shows character as he sings over a Pop/R&B tune.  His skateboard themed video for “Girlfriend Ringtone” is youthful and energetic, showcasing elements of Hip-Hop dance and choreography.  The song, a definite smash for the up and coming star where he tells a special girl he wants her to be all his.  After this feel good single, we can expect nothing less than great things from Khalil.

R. Kelly is staging his return to the spotlight with the release of his next album Love Letter.  This time though, he’s going back, way back.  “When a Woman Loves” is an epic ballad a-la Motown and this retro–soul single has an equally classic styled video to go with it.  The video is a solo performance by R. Kelly completely shot in black and white, emulating stages of the big band era and classic TV broadcasts as Kelly sings his heart out.  With a return like this, R. Kelly is looking to solidify himself as one of the all time great singers and songwriters of his time.

Interpol has steadily been building their repertoire of awesomely amazing music and imagery for the past 13 years.  Now, on their latest self-titled album, they prepare to take their indie roots to the next level.  Having recorded the album at the legendary Electric Lady studios in New York, you can expect their new album to have some classic gems.  In their newest video for “Barricade” (the follow up to the first official release for “Lights”), they continue to push for ultra creative videos as lead singer Paul Banks can be seen projected on female bodies and playing guitar in a cloud filled backdrop as the rest of the band seems to play in an alternate plane of reality that director Moh Azima cleverly creates.  Interpol continues to beak through the barricades and establish themselves as a contender amongst the greatest rock bands.