Kanye West is to hold a benefit concert in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on August 24 to raise money for his own charity foundation.
The special concert and a VIP event will raise funds for the Kanye West Foundation.
The Foundation was set up to help establish the Loop Dreams Teacher Training Institute in Chicago in 2008. The Institute will provide teachers with training, and allow them to incorporate hip-hop into their lessons.
The benefit is to take place at House Of Blues venue in Chicago. A VIP reception and a silent auction of Kanye West memorabilia will also take place at Hotel Sax.
Those who attend the concert will also be treated to excerpts from West’s forthcoming Graduation album. Featuring contributions from Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Jon Brion, Graduation is due for release on August 21.
Mike Skinner has revealed that the Streets’ fourth album has been pushed until 2008.
The frontman made the statement on his MySpace blog, claiming that pressure of coming up with a follow-up to 2006’s The Hardest Way To Make A Living was becoming too much.
In a message posted yesterday (July 18), he writes:
“Making an album when you’re quite well known is a bit stressful. I’ve had to accept this week that because my album isn’t quite right yet it won’t be coming out this year. I think I’ve got the makings of a great record, but I’ve been working so hard on it my head is spinning at the end of every day and when I wake up each morning the first thing I feel is panic.
“I’ve decided to try to get some distance from it while we do this Scotland tour, Get Loaded (In The Park) and Ibiza. This also means I’ll maintain my tidy pattern of releasing an album in 2002, 2004, 2006 and, now, 2008.”