Today at 1pm PST, the League of Young Voters Education Fund will be doing a special live Ustream broadcast discussing police brutality with hip-hop luminaries, Jasiri X and Paradise Gray (a founding member of X-Clan and the Blackwatch Movement).

The League’s ongoing Summer Live Chat Series will shed light on an issue that’s still occurring within the urban minority community with the goal of rebuilding the trust between police departments and the communities they are sworn to protect.

You can view the entire broadcast live at YoungVoterLive.com today at 1pm PST. Get involved in the Conversation by tweeting your questions @TheLeague99 using the hashtag #PoliceBrutality to get them answered live.

Cashmere’s resident DJ, Willie Shakes, has teamed up with 99problems.org to educate and create awareness about the ever-so increasing gas prices. It’s interesting to see  celebrities get brought back down to earth when their ‘spaceship’ runs outta gas! How much are you paying at the pumps? Should we continue to drive or pursue other options?

Follow 99problems.org on Twitter @theleague99 and ‘Like’ their Facebook page to be looped in about contests and promotions such as their current $25 gas aard initiative they’re implementing. Log on and join the conversation!

Romney’s video comes one week after Obama launched his own campaign initiative via YouTube, to which Romney fired back on Twitter with “@barackobama I look forward to hearing details on your jobs plan, as are 14m unemployed Americans.”

Without a doubt, social media will play a much larger role in the 2012 Presidential race than it did in the 2008 race, when President Obama led a revolutionary campaign utilizing Facebook and Twitter, while John McCain fell behind using his more conventional operation.

Currently, Romney has 840,000 Facebook fans and more than 33,000 Twitter followers, but that’s peanuts compared to Obama’s 7.3 million Twitter count and 19 million Facebook fans.

Time to play catch up, Romney.

The Voice Project is an organization dedicated to the assistance and development of women in Uganda, and they are doing it using some talented friends. The creators of the project began by listening to the women of the area to understand their songs, their needs, and what kind of support they needed. They then decided to replicate that listening experience in an effort to raise money for these women, hence the idea for The Voice Project.

The way the project works is that a music artist will “listen” to another artist by covering one of their songs. The artist whose song was covered will then choose another artist to cover and so on and so forth, creating an ever evolving chain of artists creating music and listening to one other. The Voice Project strives to recreate that method in the people of Uganda – listening to each other and building together. As the artists use their music, it allows for the voices of the Ugandan women to be heard.

Each time an artist covers a song, The Voice Project films it and places it on their website  encouraging fans to donate to the covers they like. The donations go towards assisting the women of Uganda in starting their own businesses so that they may become more independent in a country where they are not allowed to own their own land. The two businesses that have already begun, farming and micro-finance,  have been flourishing.

Check out one of their videos below. And for more information or to make a donation to a worthwhile organization, please visit VoiceProject.org.

Use the DreamWalk mobile app to hunt for real treasures hidden around your city or create your own treasure hunt to promote your business. DreamWalk is a location-based marketing solution that is interactive, rewarding and fun!

Click here to visit site for more details

Sony Launches Subscription Music Streaming Service Challenging Apple’s Market Dominance

Sony Corp. on Wednesday launched a music streaming service in a bid to boost sales of its consumer electronics and break Apple’s dominance of the online music business. The music subscription service gives users access to a catalog of 6 million songs, which can be streamed across Sony’s PlayStation 3, personal computers and Bravia TVs.

Click here to read full article

Click here to visit site for more details

5 PREDICTIONS FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN 2011

The music industry continued suffering its hardcore identity crisis in 2010, buffeted by the languishing major labels, continued leaks/file-sharing and that most confusing of conundrums: How to get music to fans in a way that makes sense — without losing money.

Still, despite the industry’s continuing difficulty to adapt to the digital age in a truly profitable way, we have seen some stirrings of change: the expansion of the online music video oeuvre, more creative and diverse methods of releasing albums (via Ping, Facebook and even mobile apps), and more mainstream, established publications and institutions embracing social media all the more.

There’s a lot of noise out there in the music world — and we’re not just talking about the genre — and we’re all hoping that out of that tangle of ideas and sounds comes the antidote that will fix a system that is so obviously in flux. Although I don’t quite see that antidote being concocted this coming year, I do see more trial and error and creativity brewing that could, in the end, lead to the music industry’s eventual rebirth. Either that or it will all implode and we’ll live in eternal silence, but somehow I doubt it.

And with that I bring you my predictions for 2011.

Click here to read full article

FOURSQUARE SQUARES-UP TO FACEBOOK, ADDS CHECK-IN PHOTOS AND COMMENTS

Foursquare just upped the ante in its battle for control of the check-in location-based business by adding in the ability to upload photos and comment on friends’ check-ins. It’s a subtle change, but could have big impact on the battle with peers like Facebook.

Click here to read full article

Click here to visit site for more details

DROPCARDS.COM

Dropcards is the brand name synonymous with music download cards – high-quality, gift card shaped cards printed with your own custom artwork, a website address and a unique access code to unlock digital downloads – helping to successfully bridge the gap between the physical and online world of music downloads.

Most commonly used as a cost-effective alternative to CDs, Dropcards offer customization and distribution options never before available with traditional formats.

Click here to visit site for more details

Today is the day to take a stand and make your voice heard at the polls. As Election Day commences, The League of Young Voters is working hard to empower the youth and provide them with the tools, training and support to become serious catalysts for change in their communities. This past weekend, The League did just that by holding their signature “Trick or Vote” event with hosts Rocsi and Free of 106 & Park fame!

The event rocked the Shops of Grand Avenue Mall in Milwaukee, WI and featured live entertainment and a college step show. All proceeds and donations went toward The League of Young Voters and their initiatives. Events such as this one showcase the importance of getting involved in the democratic process for today’s youth. The League of Young Voters has been working hard to empower the youth to fight for progressive change and has even had the support from Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Mike Epps and David Banner. Check out the latest drop from the latest femcee that’s holding down the West Coast, Marz Lovejoy. And, make sure to head out to the polls and make your voice heard!

Join Cashmere’s very own Ryan Ford along with other industry professionals and special guest David Banner at USC for an exclusive inside look into today’s music industry.  This seasoned panel will bring insight on the various areas of the industry.

The event is free, but you have to RSVP at LAUrban@bmi.com.  Join them on October 26h, 2010 at the USC Bovard Auditorium.

October is the official Breast Cancer Awareness month and, in addition to traditional ways used to raise awareness each year, the campaign is making cancer awareness viral via Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re wondering why your newsfeed is filled with statuses from some of your female friends beginning with the phrase “I like it on…,” then you have been exposed to the genius viral campaign used to get the community thinking about Breast Cancer Awareness. The whole idea behind the campaign is to get females to update their status to say where they like to…put their purse. These mystery status updates are creating a buzz in the online world and, in turn, are garnering publicity for breast cancer awareness among both males and females of all ages.

Using social networks to raise awareness is becoming much more common and is the new trend in donating to charitable causes as it has the power to reach a wide audience. A similar campaign was used back in January that encouraged Facebook’s female users to update their status to describe the color of their bra and both campaigns have been successful to date.

Although this is a fun, easy way to raise awareness for breast cancer, we can’t forget that this is a disease that will kill 10 million women within the next 25 years and you can donate directly to the cause at Komen.org. And ladies, feel free to support the cause and update your status to help get the word out that for National Breast Cancer Awareness month!

The League of Young Voters Education Fund, VIBE Magazine (the official media partner) and Cashmere Agency presents IGNITE 2010: From the Blogs to The Blocks during BET’s Hip-Hop Awards Weekend in Atlanta! It’s a first of its kind gathering of the leading minds in entertainment, new media and social organizing that will spark new ideas and initiate action.

There will also be a LIVE STREAM of the VIP Panel & Performances on The League of Young Voters Ustream

IGNITE 2010 will consist of:

Two Workshop discussions: The Role of New Media in Our Lives; and Violence, Sex, and Gender in Music.
One V.I.P. panel discussion (open to the public): Civic Responsibility as it Relates to Your Community.

Participants include: (Moderator) Erica Williams (Deputy Director of Progress 2050 at Center for American Progress), P.Frank Williams (TV/Film producer), Steve Raze (AllHipHop.com), Greg Watkins (AllHipHop.com), Chuck Creekmur (AllHipHop.com), Janee Bolden (Bossip.com), Chloe Hilliard (VIBE), Michael Harris (HipHopWired.com), Lauren Jarvis (Examiner.com), Jycorri Robinson (Def Jam Records), Brian Miller (RapRadar.com), Devi Dev (97.9 The Box Houston), Amir Boyd (Grand Hustle), Reggie Hawkins (Shade 45/Sirius XM), Kari Fulton (EJC/EAC), Erica Williams (Progress 2050), Khari Mosley (G-Tech/Green For All), Brenton Mock (Blogger/Journalist), Tarik Ross (Amer-I-Can/Stampede Management), Jabari Paul (FACE Florida), Davey D (Political/Hip-Hop Journalist), Bernard Dory (Organizer/Social Entrepreneur), Amaila Deloney (Grassroots Policy Director/Media Justice Center), Shamako Noble (Organizer and Activist Hip-Hop Congress), Bakari Kitwana (Scholar/Activist/Intellectual), Karlo Mercelo (Future Majority), Jasiri X (One Hood/Rapper/Minister), Claude Gray (DJ Paradise -One Hood), Ilana Weaver (MC/Detroit Summer), Theodore (TJ) Crawford (Hip Hop Generation Advocate), Andreas Hale (Journalist), Elizabeth Mendez Berry (Journalist), Abigail Kiesa (CIRCLE), Akiba Solomon (Freelance Writer/ Editor), Cathy Cohen (University of Chicago), Ryan Ford (Cashmere Agency), Tufara Waller Muhammad (Organizer/Activist), Maegan Carberry (Rock The Vote), Jayme Montgomery Baker (The League of Young Voters Education Fund), Roni Moore (Decon), DJ Willie Shakes (No Condom, No Way), Anasa Troutman (ACT), Christina Hollenback (Generational Alliance) and CJ Jenkins (The League of Young Voters Education Fund).

Confirmed talent includes producer Bangladesh, Dorrough (NGENIUS/E1 – Koch Records), Diamond (Battery Records/JIVE), GLC (G.O.O.D. Music), music video director Dr. Teeth, Dondria (So So Def Recordings), Grammy winning producer Chris Henderson (“Blame It On The Alcohol”), Gangsta Boo (Prophet, Hypnotize Minds Records), Lil’ Fate (DTP Records), Grafh (EMI/Virgin Records), Fonzworth Bently (MTV’s From G’s to Gents), Alex Thomas (actor/comedian)  Twista (Get Money Gang Records) and more.

Providing sounds throughout IGNITE 2010 will be DJ JAMAD of Frolab.com, DJ Baby Yu “The Remix Kid” of V-103FM, as well as DJ Geronimo and DJ Incredible from the Arsonist DJ crew.

If you want to attend the invite-only workshops, ENTER TO WIN HERE!!!

RSVP to rsvp@cashmereagency.com by September 30th, and join the Facebook and Twitter events to interact with other attendees.

Starting today through Sunday, the 2010 Netroots Nation will be taking place  at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Yearly, Netroots features panels led by many national and international experts, as well as prominent political, issue and policy-oriented speakers. With representatives from the biggest cultural and political websites in America, Netroots Nation 2010 will be the most concentrated gathering of progressive bloggers to date.

This Friday, July 23rd at 3pm PDT,  Cashmere’s Director of Creative Strategy, Ryan Ford, will join Vibe.com‘s Managing Editor Chloe Hilliard, Bossip.com‘s Senior Editor Janee Bolden and Allhiphop.com’s Co-Founder Chuck Creekmur to discuss ways to engage the urban blogosphere in the civic process. Moderating the panel will be the League of Young Voters Education Fund’s Executive Director Ron ‘Biko’ Baker, a hip-hop journalist turned political activist who helms a national organization with a track record of organizing the civic power of young urban America.

“In 2008, young urban voters turned out in record numbers,” says Biko Baker, who prior to becoming LYVEF’s Executive Director served as The Source’s Political Correspondent. ”But right now we aren’t claiming our power as a generation. We share a lot of problems across our communities and we need to stay engaged with each other, especially online.”

For more information on Netroots Nation or to register, please visit NetRootsNation.org.

You can stream Biko Baker’s panels online via Ustream:

Mobilizing the Urban Blogosphere

Friday, July 23rd @ 3pm PDT, streaming here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nn10-brasilia-4

Mobilizing the “Forgotten Half”: Outreach Strategies for Non-College Youth

Saturday, July 24th @ 4pm PDT, streaming here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nn10-miranda-1-2

For more information about the panels or to contact The League of Young Voters Education Fund, email media@youngvoter.org or call 347.464.8683.