A Taste:

T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West

Bobb’e J. Thompson knows what’s up.

For a 13-year-old, he’s really got his finger on the pulse of what’s hot. The actor has already lit up the screen in the likes of Role Models and Fred Claus. In Imagine That, he’s the catalyst for one of the film’s funniest sequences. It involves Eddie Murphy and a ball pit. That’s all that really needs to be said.

He laughs, “It was awesome going up against Eddie Murphy in the pit! He was a good sport [Laughs]. We really took him down! The fact that he was in the movie got me into it.”

Bobb’e’s got the comedic fire to follow in Eddie’s footsteps, but he’s more likely to take the Jay-Z route.

“I have to be honest; acting was never really my dream,” he continues. “I started off in music. Acting is like a stepping stool for me. My music is all hip hop. I’m like a producer—I make the beats, I rap over them, I do a lot.”

He certainly does! Bobb’e shared his playlist with us below in this exclusive feature. Check it out and be sure to catch him in Imagine That this Friday!

Bobb’e J. Thompson’s Playlist:

1. Bobb’e J. Thompson

I listen to my own music mostly. I haven’t collaborated with anyone really famous just other actors like Nick Nervies. He’s on Curb Your Enthusiam, and we’ve done some tracks together.

2. T.I.

3. Jay-Z

I like T.I. and Jay-Z’s swag—the way they rap and the intelligence in their music. They’re big influences on me.

4. Kanye West

I love Kanye West! The last record was great with “Amazing.” It wasn’t the Kanye that we’d seen already at the beginning.

5. Eminem

The new Eminem record is great.

6. Dr. Dre

7. Snoop Dogg

8. Lil Wayne

I listened to a lot of Lil Wayne on the set of Imagine That. Everybody’s coming out with new swag. Lil Wayne’s just happens to be rock n’ roll.

—Rick Florino
06.08.09

A Taste:

Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Kings of Leon

Some families have a secret recipe that they hand down for generations.

Sometimes it’s for cookies or lasagna, however, it’s different for every clan. For the Wayans family, it’s a potent comedy concoction—the perfect mixture of slapstick and sarcasm. With Dance Flick, director Damien Wayans carries on his family’s time-honored tradition of parodying Hollywood trends. In fact, Dance Flick stands proudly alongside the Wayans’ funniest fare, striking the same irreverent comedy gold.

Damien shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check out what he’s spinning below! Dance Flick is out now!

Damien Dante Wayans’ Playlist:

1. Jay-Z

2. Kanye West

3. Drake

4. Lil Wayne

5. Kings of Leon

6. MGMT

Check out the video interview here here!

—Rick Florino
05.22.09

A Taste:

Lady GaGa, Kanye West, Coldplay

R&B superstar Ne-Yo sat down with us in this exclusive interview, and he gave us a look at his personal iTunes playlist. Ne-Yo’s tastes are just as eclectic as he is, and he gave us an insightful breakdown on why the albums he spins regularly are so good.

Right now, Ne-Yo’s up for numerous Grammy awards, including “Album of the Year” for his standout 2008 offering Year of the Gentleman. Check out more info about Ne-Yo on our exclusive Grammy mini-site and discover what he’s cranking below.

Ne-yo’s Playlist

1. Lady GaGa — The Fame

“I have become a huge Lady GaGa fan. I dig her. Listening to her stuff and watching her stage performance, I think she really embodies what it is to be an artist. She’s out there. She’s weird, for lack of a better term, but it’s a good weird. She is who she is, and she doesn’t make any apologies for it. I think more people should think of music like she does instead of all this copycattin’ you see going on.”

2. Kanye West — 808s & Heartbreak

“I dig this album. If you understand who Kanye is and what he was going through when he did this album, then it all makes perfect sense. You can’t listen to this album like you can College Dropout or Late Registration or even Graduation. It’s a different Kanye on this album. It’s a dark, moody and emotional album.”

3. Anthony Hamilton — The Point of it All

4. Jazmine Sullivan — Fearless

“She’s amazing. She tells it like it is.”

5. John Legend — Evolver

6. Coldplay — Viva La Vida

“It’s dope.”

—Rick Florino
02.03.09