Usher - Versus (EP Review)

Usher is ready to work. After dropping a full length album only five months ago, Usher is back with an EP, Versus. Usually, when artists release an EP right after an album, it's to add some mediocre songs they feel are good. 'Versus' is the exception. Every song is a viable contender for release. Needless to say, Usher has found the mojo he lost when he was married.

There isn't anything brand new on the disc, but the songs are a solid set filled with machismo and sexual advances. It opens with "Love 'Em All". Where Usher sings about there being too many women in the world and he wants them all, so he needs to have more than one at a time. For most men, that's just a fantasy, but you get the sense this man
gets what he wants. Despite the name being utterly laughable, "Hot Tottie" is a hot piece of music. Jay-Z addresses his rumored Illuminati affiliation without compromising the bounce and theme of the record.

Fan favorite, "There Goes my Baby" is here to provide a direct connection from the former project to this one. The Justin Beiber
assisted, "Someone To Love (Remix)" is the only joint that gets a PG rating. Adding a sixteen year old doesn't quite help your case for making music for the grown and sexy. Otherwise, this is Usher doing two things: showing younger cats why he's as successful as he is and making sure nobody forgets who he is. It's Usher, baby!

Top 9 Aaliyah Dance Videos

It has been nine years since Aaliyah passed. im realizing now, more than ever, how fast time really does fly. I was just a thirteen year old kid about to enter my freshman year of high school when i found out her plane had crashed in the bahamas. actually, i was finishing up the last few pages of sister souljah's book, The coldest winter ever.

I was a huge fan of hers. not because of all of the obvious things like her beauty, voice, talent, style, and mystery. but because she had a duality to her. There was so much mystery surrounding her, yet she was so human and tangible. and while everyone is taqking time to mourn and reflect, i want to do something a bit different.

Aaliyah was one of the best dancers in my time. she was entirely too smooth doingthose dance sequences. thats what added to her sex appeal. whereas, janet jackson looked well rehearsed and expensive, aaliyah made Fatima Robinson's choreography look effortless. so i present the nine best Aaliyah dance videos.

9. If your Girl Only Knew-
This lands on the countdown because of the tiny dance routine. A few shoulder shrugs and knee lifts and so much swagger. Aaliyah melted into her leather biker outfit with ease. The big dark shades added to the mystique of the video. Looking like that, what man wouldn't want to see if the grass was greener. No disrespect, ladies.



8.Hot Like Fire-
The only thing better than a beautiful woman driving a beautiful car is a beautiful woman dancing suggestively. In this case, "Hot Like Fire" features both. The R&B songbird is seen driving a fire red Lambo. The pelvic thrust ladden dance sequence cements the notion Aaliyah is hotter than a summer day in California.



7.We Need A Resolution-
In this futuristic, post-apocalyptic clip, we find Babygirl writhing with snakes and looking all around sexy. She was ultra feminine in the video. but when it came time to bust a move, she was hit hard and maybe even a bit harder than the boys. And that's enough for me.



6. 4 Page Letter-
Mimicking Timbaland's stuttering drum pattern, Aaliyah dances to save the man she loves, who happens to be locked away. Once he is freed, the dancing is celebratory, slinky, and passionate. and who can resist a little passion in their dancing?



5.One In A Million-
This video is mostly beauty shots of the singer. The choreography features her and a partner acting out the song's theme of one's love being rare. the best part is when she is hugging the guy from behind and staring into the camera. That always had me feeling like she was asking me if I wished that was me and I most certainly did.



4.More Than A Woman-
Aaliyah always did things that got her noticed. The male populaion definitely took notice when we saw her riding a motorcycle. The concept of the flick was a party going on inside of the bike, which alluded to other things. If you don't know what I'm talking about, listen to the lyrics. The dancing was slick and still cutting edge. The only downside, it was released after our angel had fallen.



3.Rock The Boat-
Sandy beaches, beautiful women, sexy music, that sounds like paradise. Well, it was paradise in the last video Aaliyah ever shot. in this video, the dancing rode the fine line of being suggestive and sexy, yet never crossed int othe category of rauchiness. How sweet is that?



2.Try Again-
The reason why female superheroes are popular is because men like watching women kick butt. Aaliyah took heed. She and dancers jam with a samurai's percision. Aaliyah goes on to toss and throw the dancers around like rag dolls.



1.Are You That Somebody-
this has to be one of her all around best. Her best song, video, dancing--everything. The choreography is complicated. However, it looked easy. Every type of dance style was thrown in--from tap, salsa, booty bounce. Everything put together made for one classic moment in time. Plus, the video is so good it made you forget how bad Timabaland is as a rapper.

Dondria - Dondria vs. Phatfffat (Album Review)

There's something missing on the Youtube sensation's freshman album. Could it be a sense of self, actual star power, or true soul? The answer is all three. Dondria has the vocal chops to interpret a song beautifully. But she only proves that on two of the eleven songs.

Blaming the lack of quality all on her is wrong because she has two of the biggest producers in urban music in her corner. Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox craft subpar R&B-pop records that are boring instead of being captivating. The exceptions are two singles, "You're The One" and the hip hop sprinkling of "Shawty Wus Up". Dondria's voice is the saving grace on the former. As for the latter, the song is full of that ATL bounce. The only issue is Dondria comes off sounding like a
high school freshman trying to talk fresh to impress the captain of the football team, instead of a 23 year old woman trying to entice aman.

'Dondria vs. Phatfffat' is uneven because she doesn't know which part of her personality she wants to showcase. She definitely needs to make a choice. If she's going to be Phatfffat, she needs to head back to Youtube and continue her series of viral covers of today's Top 40. But if she so chooses to be Dondria, she's going to have to head back to the drawing board because this isn't cutting it.

Fanatasia - Back to Me (Album Review)

"Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned." Erykah Badusang that on her debut single, 'On & On'. Fantasia Barrino most certainly has taken heed. Especially, considering the recent controversy she's been involved in. However, on her third outing, the former American Idol winner is the strongest she's ever been. The immature boasts of being a baby's momma is cast aside in order to let a grown woman shine through. And shine she does.

'Back To Me' opens assertively with "I'm Doing Me". Fantasia isn't standing for a lover's drama or anyone else's. Sampling from soul jams of yesterday, Fantasia continues on her grown woman journey. She informs her man that she is strong enough to handle the things he refuses to, yet brave enough to admit she doesn't know everything when it comes to his needs. Which brings us to the standout track of the disc, "Teach Me". It is a song where she asks her partner to show her the things he wants that she hasn't figured out. This is the most mature we've seen her. While, this is the best song of the collection,
the rest of the thirteen tracks don't pale too much in comparison.

Fantasia's album hearkens back to a time when singers didn't sing but sang. When personal turmoil forced artists to use their work for therapeutic purposes. At this point in the game, Fantasia is going through it some things. Her name is being dragged through the mud more so now than ever before. But if 'Back To Me' is any indication, she'll be a much stronger and more at peace with herself once the storm has passed.

Wale - More About Nothing (Mixtape Review)

Wale made big waves in 2008 because of his go-go styled rhymes, indicative of his D.C. roots. That was the heavily praised, 'Mixtape About Nothing'. However, his major label debut, 'Attention Deficit' belied the actual talent Wale possesses. Whereas, he was swallowed by the grandiose production and big budget guests, 'More About Nothing' captures Wale stripped of a big budget and back to basics. He dissects the ins and outs of relationships. Since returning to his rhyming roots, he sounds refreshed and finally ready for his close up, Mr. Demille.

DJ Omega, Kosmik, and other little known producers give Wale music with an elated bounce to it. Which causes the rapper to match the feel of each record. Instead of riding the beat, he sits inside of it and explores himself while he's in there.The best part of this mixtape, besides, the actual lyrics, is the attention to detail. Wale's mixtapes are based on his favorite show, 'Seinfeld'. So he picks skits from the hit sitcom that compliment the songs nicely. Also, the old school samples are flipped in a way not of the average. "The Problem" borrows from Debarge's "All This Love" in an interesting way.

'More about Nothing' is the album he should have put out instead of 'Attention Deficit'. This mixtape features the laid back rapper with a heart we've come to know and love. There's an element of freedom here. Probably because he wasn't trying too hard. This is the material that will give Wale the mainstream praise he deserves. Like he says on "The Power", "I aint Jay. I aint Wayne. I aint Tip. I am Olu Folarin." And he gets the best results when he is just that, himself.

The World Famous Tony Williams - Finding Dakota Grey (Mixtape Review)

Since 2004, Tony Williams has been the constantly overlooked voice behind some of Kanye West's best songs. Think back to cuts such as "Last Call", "We Major", and "Spaceship", to name a few, that was Tony's soulful crooning adding to the ambiance. Now, the world famous back up singer is ready to step out of the large shadow casted by the Louie Vuitton Don.

'Finding Dakota Grey' is a balanced collection of laid back neo-soul grooves, creative remixes, and praiseworthy covers. Even though most of the material is written by Williams himself, he is selfless when it comes to the spotlight. He brings a group of underground singers and rappers to flex their sizable talent. Al B. Back and Chop Chop add suave rhymes to the low key jam, "Late Early". While there aren't any noticeable low points of the mixtape, the best moments come when Tony flips some Kanye joints into a totally different songs. "Amazing"and "Nightmares" are a lot more melodic with him singing than the auto-tuned vocals of Kanye.

Tony Williams proves with 'Finding Dakota Grey' he is capable of more than playing the background. Kanye West has known this fact since the debut of 'The College Dropout'. now it's our turn to catch up. Oh, sorry are we late?

The Game - Brake Lights (Mixtape Review)

The game never strays too far from a certain style. With his oft-delayed 'R.E.D. Album' having no release date in sight, The Game returns with a new mixtape, 'Brake Lights'. With it, he delivers something old, new, borrowed, and the gangs' opposite of blue.

Most of this project is finds Jayceon Taylor in the same situations as his prior albums. He's in the hood riding around in his Phantom. Most of the material sounds dated. It would be an amazing body of work if it was released in 2005. Obviously, he doesn't listen to Jay-Z because we're off that. The only time he sounds fresh is when he is rapping alongside Robin Thicke's slippery falsetto. Luckily, they have three songs together.

The production is a notch under great, but it is really good. Dark and heavy beats compliment his husky vocals nicely. Some of the tracks sound as if Jeezy would be a better fit on them. The Game might have realized this because on majority of the songs he gives his best Jeezy impression, instead of sounding like himself. If Jeezy was a west coast blood, this would be the album he would make.

The Game is stuck in the past. He is still trying to recapture the success from his debut album. The name checking every rapper he's come in contact with is growing tired. The drug conversation has been in need of a finale for a long time now. What he needs to understand is his fans have grown and moved on since then. He needs to catch up and do the same.

Shareefa and Don Cannon - The Misunderstanding Of Shareefa (Mixtape Review)

Who? That's the usual response when asked an opinion about Shareefa's music. Nobody really knows her, or if they do its only for her 2005 hit, "Need A Boss" featuring Ludacris. After dropping her debut album in 2006, Shareefa damn near dropped off the face of the R&B scene. Now she's returned with a brand new mixtape to reintroduce herself to the masses. She's not your average singer, she goes harder, such is the statement made on "My Life".

The thirteen song collection opens with random men and women questioning her whereabouts and kicking different rumors around. The best rumor is she was on 'For The Love Of Ray J' after having a terrible performance at R&B Live. With the comedy out of the way, 'Reefa comes out of the gate with strong vocals that are the love child of Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige. But what brings Shareefa out of the two powerhouses' robust shadow is her attitude. She is a chick straight off the blocks of East Orange, New Jersey. And that New Jersey brashness is stamped all over the composition. She sings about wrapping hands around a girl's neck for trying to steal her man. Not too lady-like, but entertaining nonetheless.

'The Misunderstanding' is a winner because this is early nineties hip hop soul music-- strong and raspy vocals that have the chameleon ability to be sweet meshing with harder edged hip hop beats. Chucky Thompson, Justice League, and Teddy Bishop create sounds where Shareefa can flex her golden pipes and remain cool while doing so. "Warrior" features her sounding cool and sexy over reggae inspired production.

Shareefa has undeniable talent. She has what it takes to be a star. Her voice and lyrics are reminiscent of the greats, but with Jazmine Sullivan steadily jocking for position at the forefront of the new crop of hip hop soul chanteuses, is there room for Shareefa to grab a piece of the spotlight? That remains to be seen, but 'The Misunderstanding' is sending an astounding warning shot to those atop the heap that she's on her way to stake her claim.

Fat Joe - The Darkside Vol.1 (Album Review)

Fat Joe has been pushed around quite a bit in the aughts. Big Pun passed, former Terror Squad members accused him of misappropriating funds, beefs with Cuban Linx and 50 Cent. Joe has kept his head low and kept releasing music to little fanfare and mountains of negative criticism. Finally, his back is against the wall and he's comes out
swinging. And with his tenth studio LP, Joey Crack deals a mighty death blow.

This disc is a return to the Joe of the early nineties. He is spitting that greasy, street rap while still sounding polished. 'The Darkside' is music for the dude rocking Timbs and hoodies in the summertime to hide the duece duece tucked in the waistband of his jeans. Joey Crack raps on, "Rappers Are In Danger", "This is that block music/Go 'head bust ya shots music/Bag it up, hustle, f**k the cops music".

Joey enlists some extraordinary producers capture sounds as gritty as any Donald Goines novel. Scam Jones, Just Blaze, Infamous, and DJ Premier provide a dramatic backdrop for Don Cartagena to make sure you know he's not holding back. He is shooting first and asking questions later. The guest performers even sound slightly edgier. But when
you're Cam'ron, The Clipse, Jeezy, and Too Short it's not too hard to get edgier. The surprise is the R&B dudes, Trey Songz and Rico Love sing with more swagger than we've ever seen them have.

Fat Joe has tried bevy of different sounds since his 1993 debut. Some better than others. But on his hit, Make it Rain", he says that rappers need to change their style up and switch to a southern type flow. That is a shame he thought that was the best way to win. Especially, because 'The Darkside' proves everyone wins the most when
they're just their plain old selves.

Exclusive Poem

I'm working on some reviews and other articles. Plus, I'm trying to live life. so I figured I would give some shine to one of my good friends. He writes amazing poetry and I want him to write more. So allow me to introduce you guys to my homeboy, Tim Lindner. Enjoy this one.

Untitled
For once, I just write
not for you, and you, and you,
for me, from me
no clever rhymes, or "witty" word play
that sound more like a Will Smith song than anything.
(shout out to Melissa)
no random observation of the world
ending with a hopeful note on tomorrow.
my body, my mind, my heart
are filled with more love than I know what to do with,
more energy than a billion year old star.
In the heat of the summer, I sweat it out
spreading it to others every time I give a hug,
or a handshake,
whether they want it or not.
I mean, it's my sweat.
And I'll work, and I'll work,
In all honesty, I won't stop until I get to the top,
I've got too much that I want.
It's all a symbolic coincidence or a coincidental symbol,
An infinitely large jello mold, or an open box.
(Shout out to James)
At least once a week, I have to tell myself:
"What can you do down there, that you can't do up here?"
When she is sad, when he is hurting
When the family needs a laugh.
So I snail mail my energy, down route 84
and hope it gets there on time.
I embrace this journey, not halfway over
as opportunity to apply what I've learned.
And I could only hope that I will return home
with enough to give back at least as much as I have been gifted.
The world is big and small.

Raphael Saadiq - Live In Central Park (Review)

There are very few things that can make spending a nice summer day in the park better. One of those few things is watching Raphael Saadiq perform on said day. The former front man of Tony Toni Tone performed for a packed house this past weekend in Central Park's Rumsey Play Field and brought a few of his friends with him.

The opening act was a hip hop/spoken word artist by the name of TK Wonder. TK wasn't my cup of tea. It probably had something to do with the fact her image didn't match the type of music she performed. The music is deeply rooted in hip hop with a strong nod to jazz. Her fashion was a different story. She dressed more like an acid child from the seventies. Another problem was her being a female MC from Brooklyn. The only reason that's a problem is because Jean Grae is the illest female MC repping Kings County, so naturally, there would be comparisons. TK Wonder doesn't hold a candle to Jean Grae. But it was
a good attempt, I'll give her that.

Philly soul singer and DJ, Vikter Duplaix, spun records in between sets. His song selection was excellent. He took everyone on a journey through soul music. Everything from The O'Jays to Mary J. Blige blasted throughout the park. Vikter Duplaix had people feeling like they were at a neighborhood block party, instead of a concert. It was just a little too hot to dance. But I just wished his transitions from one record to another was a bit smoother. He did his thing, otherwise.

Next up was the New York City debut of soul singer, Aloe Blacc. This Los Angeles native took to the stage with so much style and enthusiasm. He sang a few of his songs like "I Need A Dollar" and "Femme Fatale". Yet, what really made him stand out was his blues/jazz fusion cover of "Billie Jean". The beauty of Aloe Blacc's cover was how he made Michael Jackson's hit his own. Blacc's version sounding nothing like the original, which was refreshing.

After another great set by Vikter Duplaix, the headliner took to the stage. Decked in an all white suit, Raphael Saadiq opened the show with cuts from his latest effort, 'The Way I See It'. The crowd rocked and swayed as his tunes dipped in sixties and seventies soul filled the air. Raphael, then, jumped into the fan favorite, Lucy Pearl's 2000 hit, "Dance Tonight". His back up singer gave her best effort to sing Dawn's verse to a lukewarm response. Mr. Saadiq brought the crowd
to its feet when he ran through some of Tony Toni Tone's hits such as "Ask Of You", "It Never Rains In Southern California," and "Anniversary". Once he felt his audience was satisfied, he introduced his band and thanked everyone for coming out.

Raphael Saadiq is a man after my own heart. Get in, get the job done, and leave before you overstay your welcome. And being in the park for this concert was definitely a great way to spend a Saturday, if I do say so myself.

Rick Ross - Teflon Don

'Teflon Don' is the perfect name for Rick Ross' fourth outing. After an exhausting feud with 50 Cent, his former corrections officer employment being exposed, and a recently dismissed lawsuit brought against him by Freeway Ricky Ross, Miami's native son is still standing. With that being said, we find The Boss improving his rhyme skills and continuing to pick some of the best beats of the year. All of this adds up to a great body of work. While not a classic, it does come close.

It could never be mistaken, Ricky loves being wealthy and can't wait to gloat about it. Most of the songs feature themes of frivolous spending, fast and expensive cars, and faster women. Ross only strays away from that formula on the stellar cuts, "Tears Of Joy" and "All The Money In The World". Both feature Rick examining his feelings about his father and the hardships he's faced in order to get to where he is today, respectively. 'Teflon Don' also pictures Rick Ross as the leader of a gang of guest artists. Jadakiss, Erykah Badu, Drake, and a slew of others are wonderful foot soldiers carrying out The Don's
vision. Yet, Jay-Z plays Castellano to Ross' Gotti on "Free Mason". Only this time Castellano's verse murders Gotti's. Diddy and Gucci Mane's appearances have them looking like they were allowed in the crew because Ross owed some people a favor. They bring nothing to the table.

Ross proves with his composition that style and constant rhyme improvement takes precedence over authenticity. We know he's never sold drugs in his life, yet he still raps about having done so. But who cares? As long as the story is told creatively, flights of fantasy can be fun. 'Teflon Don' is fun and soulful. You can't beat that.

Top Five Dumb Questions I've Gotten From Customers

Hey friends. I know I've been missing in action for a bit, but a lot has been happening. Don't worry, I'm still grinding as a writer. But today, I don't want to talk about music. As most of you know, writing doesn't have me rolling in dough. So to support myself, I work at Five Guys resturant. And when I tell you I've gotten some of the dumbest questions ever, I'm not joking. Today, I'm going to share the top five dumbest. Please believe all questions are true. It will be hard to believe, but they are true.

5. What's the difference between a double and a single patty?
Excuse me. You mean to tell me as a grown adult, you can't figure out the difference? This is not rocket science, people. You are ordering a freaking burger. Do you want one piece of meat or two pieces of meat. Don't they teach that somewhere before first grade? I thought so.

4. So all the toppoings are free? If I get all of them, will I have to pay extra?
Questions like this make me want to cuss people out. If you are looking at the menu and it states that all toppings are free, why would you ask me that? Clearly, ALL THE DAMN TOPPINGS ARE FREE!!!!! You can get, both, ketchup and mustard for free. If you want to add relish, that's free too. They say reading is fundamental, but comprehension is key.

3. Oh, you don't serve pizza?
Now, this may seem really dumb being that "burgers and fries" is in the name. It kind of isn't because the location of my job was once a pizza shop. The reason why this is on the list is because our doors are clear glass. The name of the establishment is painted on top of said clear glass. So my question is if there is glass and then words painted on it, how can you just bypass that? I mean, it is right in your face. You have to look at it to open the damn door!

2. Do you have bones in your bacon?
Take a moment to digest what you just read. Yes, it was an actual question. Umm sir, I don't know what kind of bacon you're used to eating, but in my 22 years of living on this earth, I've never heard of bones being in bacon. That could quite possibly be the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. Well, I thought that was the dumbest, until I was asked the next question...

1. Do you have any toothpaste?
Once again, an actual question. Uh, yes we have toothpaste. We keep it right next to the tooth brushes and baby wipes in aisle six. Where do these people come up with mess like this? You walk into a burger joint and ask for tooth paste?!?!?!?!?! We don't even have tooth picks, let alone tooth paste. When she asked me that, all I could say was, "Get out." I felt if she was dumb enough to ask me that, there was no telling where that conversation was going to go.

and there you have it. I will post more dumb Five Guys questions as they roll in.

Jae Millz & DJ Whoo Kid - Dead Presidents Mixtape ( Review)

Jae Millz is probably most notably known for destroying a rapper from Diddy's ill fated Da Band on MTV in 2003. If you remember that, then you should recall Diddy hailing Millz as "the hardest rapper in New York". While I can't necessarily agree with Diddy's sentiments, I will say Jae Millz is a quintessential Harlem, New York rapper. Being a rapper from Harlem means there are only going to be a few topics heard on a project. You're going to hear songs about the hood, smoking weed, sexing and leaving girls, guns, and the title of the mixtape, dead presidents. That's exactly what Jae millz serves up.

Jae's mixtape is really hit or miss. There isn't an even balance of anything. The raps are either creative and tight or tired and cliche. The same goes for the production. However, it's cool to hear the man's effort and conviction. Jae commits to every word he spits, which is evident on many of the tracks, including the throwaway, "Leggoo". Skits from the actual movie give the mixtape an overcrowded feel. They don't add anything to the music. They're just there taking up space, too much space.

As a whole, this isn't worth a download. On the other hand, 'Dead Presidents' is worth a listen, if only to find out the names of the singles you want to download. Jae Millz has been grinding for success for a long time now. He has the ingredients to be a world famous star. But his latest mixtape isn't indicative of that. Hopefully, Jae Millz comes harder on the next one.

Prince's War Against The Internet

Recently, Prince did an interview with a british publication,The Mirror. In the interview he blasts the internet and technological devices. He was quoted as saying,"The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it. The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."

Prince has always been ahead of the curve when it came to promotion and the distribution of his music. Usually, he is correct with his ideas. But this time, I'd have to disagree with the Purple One. It sounds to me Prince is getting greedy. Wasn't he the one in the early nineties wearing the word 'slave' on his cheek because he felt Warner Brothers Records wasn't paying him correctly? That would be a yes. Didn't Prince start to sell his music online in order to bypass sharing profits with his record company? Once again, yes. Once Youtube became a bit too popular for his liking, didn't he sue them for pirating his work? Yes, for the third time. When Prince was asked what he would need to settle with Youtube, he said he would need about $7,000 per song. So there's no need to wonder why he doesn't have a VEVO account.

Artists are struggling these days. Therefore, they will take the promotion any way they can get it. Be it through the internet or some other emerging form of media. But Prince should realize that the landscape of music distribution is changing. And if he wants his new material to be as successful as his former albums were, he's going to have to change with the times. Like they said in State Property, get down or lay down.

Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty (Album Review)

If you didn't know before, you should know now. Antwan "Big Boi" Patton refuses to be held down. In the works since 2007, 'Sir Luscious Left Foot' is finally seeing the light of day. It seems the the delays and obstacles in Big Boi's way have pushed him to make an enjoyably experimental piece of work. This album borrows elements from funk, indie rock, and electro-pop. Yet, there is little doubt this is a hip hop album and there is an abundance of the booty bass sound of early nineties Atlanta.

'Sir Luscious Left Foot' is an album meant to be listened to in your car with the windows down and the volume at the highest decible attainable. Every track has so much bottom, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez would be jealous. It seems as though, Big Boi and Organized Noize, the producers of majority of the album, wanted to make a party record. That is especially evident on the first single, "Shutterbugs". Big Boi spits "I'm double fisted and you empty you can grab a cup/Boy stop, I'm playing/Let me dap you up." Most of this fifteen song opus continues down that road, except for "Hustle Blood". That song finds Big Boi, alongside Jamie Foxx, spinning a story of a woman getting with a hustler because that was the kind of man her father was. But even that one knocks hard.

This album showcases Big Boi's quick wit and sharp tonuge. Even with a host of guests, Big Boi remains the star and never relinquishes the spotlight for too long. It must be said, Gucci Mane sounds very intelligent on the cut, "Shine Blockas". Who would have thought that could ever happen? Certainly not me, or most of us, for that matter.

This album makes any naysayers sit up and take notice Big Boi is no slouch on the mic. The project is a gift and a curse though. While you will absolutely be satisfied with Big Boi's debut effort, it does make you anticipate an Outkast record that much more.

Estelle and DJ Trauma - I Almost Made A Mixtape (Mixtape Review)

In the past, mixtapes served two purposes. They were meant to keep an artist's name in the forefront of fans' minds while the artist completed the official album and to give fans a taste of music the record companies wouldn't allow on the album. This mixtape by Estelle and DJ Trauma successfully does both. Instead of straight singing on every track, Estelle brings it back to when she first started out and raps a great amount on here. She confidently holds her own against rappers like Nas, Maino, and Kardinal O.

I Almost Made A Mixtape also proves Estelle to have a great ear for production. She rhymes over beats like Jay's "Dear Summer", Common's "They Say", and Kanye's "Last Call". The original soundscapes are uniquely individual just like the singer/songwriter. They range from smooth neo-soul jams to sparse, bass heavy hip hop cuts. Each one sounds as if it were specially tailored for her voice and style.

The lyrics are immersed in personal truth. On "The Rocks", she says," I talk about stuff that's real to me. The stuff that I've experienced and that my friends have experienced." That sentiment is exemplified on the track, "Star", where she sings, " I went through drama like you. I was all alone. Now, I got extra cousins I aint seen before. Because I'm a star." Sometimes, the words are funny and others are deeply serious. Either way, the emotion is always coming from a genuine place.

As a whole, there isn't a cohesive thread. But a mixtape usually isn't a cohesive project. It's more of a collection of extremely diffrerent sounding tunes to prove the range of the artist. Estelle's mixtape proves she has range and skills in the arenas of singing and rapping. This is definitely worth the download. If her album is as good as this, then she'll have another hit on her hands.

The Dream - Love King (Album Review)

The Dream has an innate talent of making songs where the first time you hear them you think they are the worst thing ever created. But as the days go by, you find yourself singing along word for word. This has been the situation since his debut in 2007. With his third and reported final album, he continues down that road. Simple lyrics with catchy hooks and equally addictive beats make this a solid swan song for the singer/songwriter.

There is really nothing new on Love King. Most of the production sounds borrowed from his first two efforts. The first single, "Love King" jacks the piano loop from his first hit, "Shawty Is A Ten". The T.I. assisted "Makeup Bag" is reminiscent of "I Love Your Girl". That would be a problem if those aforementioned songs weren't smash hits. The lyrics have The Dream's signature wittiness and flair. In one song he sings, "I'm gonna be all over you like the credits on this cd". If any other singer said that, they would instantly be labeled with cornball status. But The Dream can take liberties like this because he has the bravado to pull it off.

This album was recorded during his whirlwind romance and eventual marriage to Christina Milian. Therefore, this is the most sexual and sensual The Dream has ever been. All of the songs are about making and keeping a woman happy any way possible. All except the closing number, "Florida University". Don't let the title throw you. This is a final kiss off to an ex that has treated him badly. Basically, he's telling his ex "f**k you" throughout the song.

Love King isn't meant to be ground breaking. So if you're looking for deep introspection and songs about the struggle. this isn't for you. If you're looking for a fun album for the summer, then you've got it right here. With only twelve songs, the set is rather short. But like Janet said, it's funny how time flies when you're having fun. And that's what this album does. It makes sure you have fun.

BET, You Did Good.

Watching the BET Awards is like going to your ignorant family member's cookout. You never really want to go, but you do because people you havent seen in years are going to be there. Plus, there is always some sort of foolishness jumping off. Basically, you go to be nosey. Once you get to this cookout, oftentimes, you wonder why you even exerted the effort in getting dressed and coming over. But once in a while, those ignorant family members put together a solid one. Such is usually the case with BET. Last night was the exception though.Most of the performances and awards given out were expected and therefore forgettable. There were really about five or six moments worth talking about.

First, respect must be given to Queen Latifah. She brought an element of class to the show that hadn't been there in a very long time. Although, her dressing up like her former movie characters was a bit contrived and lame, she made up for it with her enthusiasm and fun spirit. However, one of the funniest moments of the show was when T.I. kept calling her 'Set It Off' character "Chloe" instead of "Cleo". Her opening performance great. I loved when she sang over the year's most popular beats. And as if that weren't enough, she made every new female MC pay their respects with that rhyme she dropped. The lyrics were nothing but truth and that New Jersey swag was undeniable.

Secondly, the all girl Prince tribute was everything a Prince tribute should be. The performances were powerful. Done in Prince's style, but they had an air of orginality to them. Janelle Monae tore it up with her rendition of "Let's Go Crazy". She danced and sang her way around the entire auditorium. At one point, I thought she was going to shake her hair poof loose. She gave it her all. Esperanza Spalding made the mass public aware of who she was with her sexy and jazzy version of "If I Was Your Girlfriend". After that, Alicia Keys performed "Adore". Where she made it quite obvious falsetto is not her strong suit. But she was forgiven after she hopped her pregnant self on that piano and writhed like she was a back up dancer for Prince in his heyday. Ms. Patti LaBelle had everyone on their feet with the singing of The Purple One's signature, "Purple Rain". Patti got so into her singing, she kicked off her Christian Louboutin heels and hit notes most songstresses dream of hitting. By the way, Prince caught one of the heels and raised it for the crowd to see. That was classic.

The BET Awards was also a night of the comeback. Kanye West and T.I. both performed their new material with passion and fervor. El Debarge surprised all of us with a performance. He did a medley of his family's biggest hits. BET automatically won with this one because you show me a black person who doesn't love Debarge and I'll show you a liar. Deneice Williams joined Monica on stage to sing "Everything To Me/Silly". The only problem with this was Deneice dressing like she wasn't somebody's grandmother. Nia Long and Larenz Tate recited their poems from "Love Jones" and the place went wild. Nia was wearing a dress like she was trying to tempt Jesus to the darkside and Larenz looked like he hadn't aged since that movie. Perhaps, the most touching comeback was Chris Brown's Michael Jackson tribute. Chris danced and popped like only Michael could. Then, he brokedown when he was supposed to be singing "Man In The Mirror". Many will say the crying made the tribute more about Chris than Michael. I don't see it like that. That performance was about Michael Jackson and reminded us why we liked Chris Brown in the first place. He left everything he had on that stage and that's more than we can say for most of the artists in the industry right now.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Nicki Minaj. She was on stage the most, performing three times and winning the Best Female Hip Hop award. Maybe it's me, but my disdain grows for her with every passing performance. She lip synched each and every one of her performances. I was surprised she didn't lip synch her acceptance speech. The wigs and outfits were not cool. They had her looking like a bad version of the Lil Kim "Crush On You" video, which makes it even worse that she beat Lil Kim out in the Best Female Hip Hop category.

At the end of the award show, I was left feeling like the show's producers did a good job. Sure there was some of the foolishness BET is known for, but there was a substantially less amount of it than shows of the past. The people behind the scenes must have made a conscience effort to bring some real intelligence and class to the telecast. Hopefully, BET continues on this upward slope. We'll see next year.

Rest In Greatness MJ

June 25 is one of the saddest days in music. Its the day time stood still and everyone wondered if the stories and reports were true. Was Michael Jackson really dead? On this day a year ago, I was at work on a lunch break. Many of my friends knew I was the biggest MJ fan around, so naturally, I was the first one they texted. I ran into my job, a resturant, screaming, "Michael Jackson just died!" everyone stopped talking and just looked at me like I killed their child or something. I ran to Radioshack and watched CNN for confirmation. Needless to say, it was one of the hardest shifts I had to get through. I'm going to save all the personal stories for the tribute blog I do for his birthday, which is in August.

I'd like to remember him during the good times. and in those prime years of his life, there were two people he has said to have respected to the highest level. James Brown was the reason MJ got into the business and was his idol. The next might come as a bit of a shocker. Prince. MJ respected Prince because he was the only other artist to make Michael want to work harder than he already did. So with that, I give you the only time these three were ever on stage together. Enjoy. Rest In Greatness!!!!!

A Reminder

It is extremely hot outside today. One of those days you hope it rains just so the earth can cool down a bit. When days like these come around i like to do one thing that most have forgotten about. so I figured I'd post a video telling you exactly what you should be doing today. READ A BOOK!!!!!

Eminem - Recovery (Album Review)

Kermit the Frog once sang how it wasn't easy being green. Years later, Lauryn Hill sang a song where she mentions how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I can only wish Eminem would have listened to those two. However, it's quite obvious he didn't. Eminem had good intentions with this record. Recovery is not at all what it could be. Recovery could have been an outstanding comeback effort for our favorite white rapper. Instead, this album is a confused mess muddled
with valleys and very few peaks.

Eminem isn't the rapper or person he once was. He has made that painfully clear. Especially on the record, " Talkin To Myself". Em raps with the aggression we've come to know him for saying, "Them last two albums didn't count/Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushin them out/I've come to make it up to you now/No more f**kin around". Too bad he doesn't deliver on that promise.

Recovery is rife with pretentious beats that Slim Shady tries to ride like a brand new Cadillac with a great pair of shocks. The result sounds more like an El Camino on its last legs. His subject matter swings between trying to become a new man after the drugs and trying to regain his former glory as the best rapper in the game. Neither subject produces anything near his former hits or signs to show he's going to reclaim his spot. Even the few featured artists are not living up to their potential and hype. Pink sounds disastrous on "Won't Back Down". Lil Wayne is spaced out on "No Love"- which samples
Haddaway's What Is Love", the song made famous by Saturday Night Live. Rihanna sounds extra nasally on "Love The Way You Lie".

While there are a lot of things wrong with this sixteen song collection, there are a few good things. Em continues to rap with
compound syllables, which is probably the biggest saving grace on the disc. His introspection is raw and sometimes a bit much, but that's what we've come to love Eminem for.

Honestly, I wish we could erase this and his last two albums off his discography because the legacy his first two albums created will most certainly be tarnished. Looks like Slim Shady is having a hard time accepting who he is without the substance abuse. And that's a hard pill to swallow.

The Roots - How I Got Over (Album Review)

Being that The Roots tour on the college circuit constantly, they are more likely to interact with indie-rockers than rappers. Being the house band for Jimmy Fallon can be credited for that too. How I Got Over is evidence of that very action. The hip hop band from Philly have put forth their most artsy and soulful album since-well ever. The result being the best thing since sliced bread to a true hip hop head.

With a host of indie faves, like The Dirty Projectors and Monster Of Folk-to name a few- The Roots create a body of work about life. They've had to struggle and want you to knowyou're not the only one. On the first single, "Dear God 2.0", Black Thought asks God some questions we've all had on our minds. "Why is the world ugly/ When you made in your image/ And why is living life/Such a fight to the finish". The sentiments of us living in a cold world are echoed on a great deal of the tracks. But like your momma used to tell you, its not what you say, its how you say it. Each lyric is rapped by Black Thought and other featured artists with creativity, elegance, and poignancy.

The production is organic and effortless. Sometimes, on a sample heavy album, the samples overshadow the actual production. But not here. The samples only enhance what has already been laid down by The Roots crew. If this album were only instrumental, you would still feel and understand the intent of it. That's how tightly everything fits together.

How I Got Over paints, in broad strokes, a complete picture of today's political and economic landscape from all points of view. there is no stone left unturned, yet there is not one topic beaten too much. This is the perfect blend of hip hop, jazz, politics, and emotions. Some of those emotions are the tough ones you try to suppress and not deal with and How I got Over is the explosion of them breaking free and running wild articulated by grown men.

Buy this because this is the type of album that changes lives. Just as Jagged Little Pill made it acceptable for single white females to get in touch with their anger. How I Got over makes it alright for young black men to fall down and find the strength to move on and better themselves.And though this probably wont be the the commercial comeback The Roots' record label is hoping for, it is probably going to be the album they are most rembered for in the long run.

Three Independent R&B Artists Better Than Anything Out Now

It's safe to say, R&B music has fallen from its once high pedestal. Back in the day,there were messages in the music. It was used to change lives, uplift, and inspire. Now, all we seem to hear is how many ways i can make you scream my name while we have sex. Don't get me wrong, i like that too. Sex is apart of life just like everything else, but its not the only thing. Like Kelly Clarkson said, love can be a many splendid thing. these five independent artists write and sing music based on the other facets of the broad topic. They also have better material than most of the stuff you hear on the radio. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. If you have heard them, buy their music and support real music.

Goapele
(pronounced gwa-puh-lay) is a native of Oakland, California. She has been on the scene since 2001 with her EP, Closer. To date, that has only sold 3,00 copies. But she is an artist to follow because just like the name of her latest single, her voice is like milk and honey. Soothing, sweet, and sexy all rolled into a beautiful package. Plus, her live shows are things legends are made of. Maybe that's why she has a cult-like following. Check out the songs Closer, Milk and Honey, and Don't Be Shy.



Bilal
This soul/jazz man has recorded with the who's who in the urban music genres. We saw his first album, 1st born Second, released on Interscope records. Though, critics praised the collection, it was a commercial failure. that lead Interscope Records to shelve his second album, Love For Sale. He has kept his name on the tip of the industry's tongue by touring constantly. that is a feat in itself considering he's only released one official album and evereything else has been put out virally. Look out for songs like Soul Sista, Love It, and Don't Close Your Eyes.



Calvin Richardson
Calvin Richardson has been in the industry since the mid-nineties. His biggest hits came in the early 2000s. He once had a duet with angie Stone, but he was replaced on it and the version without him was nominated for a Grammy. richardson works with Raphael Saadiq and the underdogs on a regular basis. Treat yourself to songs like Don't Keep On Pushin, More Than A Woman, and Fire In The Attic.

What's Old Is New Or Recycled

They say nothing ever really goes out of style, the name just changes. The aforementioned sentiment is true in all arenas of our lives. In the fashion circles, bell bottoms were all the rage in the 1970s. During the 1980s, they were out of style. But then during the late nineties, we witnessed a resurgence of them, only this time, the pants were known as flare jeans or wide leg pants. The same goes for artists and styles in the music industry. Most artist that gank someone else's style and try to modernize it don't really do it justice. Take Miley Cyrus, for instance. Miley Cyrus is the 2010 Britney Spears. A bad revamping of Britney Spears with a few subtle changes. Yet you step into rare air space when you talk about artists like Lady Gaga. If today's musical landscape was high society, Madonna would be considered old money and Gaga would be called nouveau riche-meaning new money. But why is Miley Cyrus not as accepted as Lady Gaga? Miley's execution is horrible.

before you embark on a task, you think about your plan. and while most plans look great on paper, the execution of said plan is usually the part that ruins you. Miley Cyrus and Lady gaga both had plans. Miley was going to go the Disney route and establish a fanbase by having a television show where she sang and danced. Lady Gaga decided to appeal to the audience that was ostracized by their peers. She was going to win them over by daring to be different and showing the people that were doing the ostracizing being different was cool. That sounds a lot like Britney Spears and Madonna. Britney started out as a mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club, where she sang and danced. Madonna is queen of the gays, if you exclude Barbara Streisand. But I digress. The reason Gaga is widely praised by the general public is because she is doing the Madonna thing equal to or, to some, greater than Madonna. The same can't be said for Miley.

Cant Be Tamed is the title track from Miley's second album. This parallels Britney in more ways than one. Britney's second album was Oops! I Did It Again, where the main message was how she wasn't as innocent as people believed her to be. Miley tries to deliver tha same theme with Cant Be Tamed. In the video, she's in a cage. The lyrics talk about her not being put into a box. Translation: I'm not as sweet as you think I am. As a writer, I would have to say that's slight plagarism. the lyrics are probably the same too. Not feeling that. In essence, Miley's whole career has plagarized Britney's. Miley is becoming tabloid fodder now. One word for Miley: yikes!

As for Lady Gaga, she took the central message of Madonna and created something totally unique. Madonna was daring in her fashion choices, but I never saw her rocking a dress made out of Kermit the Frog beanie babies. Plus, Gaga writes songs with layers. It will take more than one listen to catch everything she's throwing at you in Bad Romance. Some people still haven't peeped everything. Did you catch the Alfred hitchcock references? Or do you know what a 'leather studded kiss in the sand' is? Yeah, look into that one. Madonna gave you things like that in her music also. She delved into the bizarre just because she could. That's what Gaga has taken from Madonna. to me, thats not plagarism, just infinite flattery.

I mean, sure, they're both doing the same thing. Miley and Gaga are stealing someone's style to better their career. While Miley is still learning where she fits in, Gaga knows who she is. Which makes Gaga the winner because at some point the student must become the teacher. It doesn't matter if the student takes the positon by force or if it's passed down to them. Lady Gaga is starting to become the teacher slowly but surely. Miley cyrus is still sitting in the back of the class chewing her gum loudly and texting her classmates for the right answers.

Travie McCoy - Lazarus (Album Review)

For people that aren't too familiar with Travie Mccoy, he's the front man to the pop/rock/rap convergence, known as Gym Class Heroes. So if you were expecting a rap album from this guy, you'll be sadly disappointed. This is a genre hopping mix of emo rock and pop with a spinkle of rap sensibilities. This is not your average rap fan's kind of music. Matter of fact, this is not anaverage person's kind of music.

The disc opens with a guest appearance from Cee-Lo Green on "Dr. Feelgood". The track is a catchy and infectious tune about needing a pick-me-up after going through some sort of trial in life. Immediately following that is "Superbad (11:34)", which is a song about feeling stagnant in your life and trying to have a little bit of fun while you're trying to figure out what to do. It starts to become evident Travie isn't one to rap about things he hasn't experienced. That's where "Billionaire" comes in. With Bruno Mars crooning about wanting to buy himself all the things he's never had, one might think this is going to be a record filled with delusions of grandeur. But that's not the case at all. Travie spits about visiting the places most effected by Hurricane Katrina and doing more for those people than FEMA.

That's where the positives of this 10 track confection stop. After "Billionaire", Lazarus becomes a schizophrenic mess. Where one second, you're on the crazy train living it up and the next, whining about being dumped by an ex-girlfriend. He's still bitter even after two years. At one point, you don't know if you want to give this dude a hug or punch him in the arm and tell him to man up. And if that weren't enough, Travie brings in guest artists like T-Pain and Colin Munroe to lead us out of the schizophrenic area and stright into the town of bizarre. T-Pain sings the hook on "The Manual". on it, he sings," I'm just trying to be who you say you are...But who are you?" Confused much? Exactly.

Do yourself a favor, don't waste your time. Lazarus is a gross misrepresentation of Travie McCoy's talent and ability. If you want to hear him when he's on his A game, go pick up or download As Cruel As School Children by Gym Class Heroes. You'll appreciate him a lot more than if you listened to this nonsense.

Drake - Thank Me Later (Album Review)

The time has come. Hip hop's most lauded newcomer dropped his debut album. By no means is it a disaster, but it's not a classic. What it is is a moody and well written intropective look at a young man dealing with extraordinary circumstances. At times, Thank Me Later gives the listener a chance to experience Drake vascillate between many different extremes. Sometimes, it works and other times it doesn't.

The fourteen song set opens with "Fireworks", a bottom heavy song featuring Alicia Keys. In it, Drake raps about his reservations when it comes to becoming a celebrity and a popular rapper. The verses reveal heartbreak and paranoia, while the future Mrs. Swizz Beats sings about seeing fireworks in the future. The version on the album is different from the previously leaked version because on here, Keys is grossly misused and only sings the hook. Whereas, on the leaked version, she sang the B-section and hook. Still this is a great opener. But as the album plays, you notice there are a few missteps with this strong album, namely being the sequencing.

Right after "Fireworks", Drake totally flips it and sings on "Karaoke". Its not a bad song, it's just in the wrong place. This belonged more towrds the end of the set, where most of the other R&B joints about women are. The record is out of place because this leads into the standout and my personal favorite song, "The Resistance". This is, again, about his reservations about fame and how some of his old friends say he's changed. The wordplay is extremely dope on this track. This is not to say the other songs are lacking in lyrical dexterity because Drake shows that his mind and pen are very sharp. That rings true for both sides of the cd, rap and R&B.

as the disc draws to a close, Drake shows one major rookie mistake. Never let the hottest rappers in the game blatantly outshine you on your debut. Jeezy's verse owns "Unforgettable" and needless to say, Hov makes Drake an inconsequential figure on "Light Up". Drake does fare better with T.I. and The-Dream on "Fancy" and "Shut It down" respectively.

All in all, I like this album more than I dislike it, which is saying a mouthful without really saying much. Thank Me Later doesn't necessarily deliver on all of the hype, but it does show why he is considered the new face of hip hop. His cup is overflowing with potential. I hope he delivers a classic with the next album because Thank Me Later is evidence that he is capable of putting out a classic. This just falls a tad bit short.

You Can Get With This Or That

For the people who read my blog faithfully,(thanks!) you know I wrote a blog about who's more important--the singer or songwriter. Well, at the time I didn't really go in on that topic like I should have so here is my second take, but with a different spin on it.

They say birds of a feather flock together. So I guess that can be applied to all different groups and demographics. if we're going to use this as our reference point, the same can be said for families. Meaning, if one sister is good looking, the other must be. Now, this isn't true in all cases, but in the case of the Knowles sisters, it's definitely true. Which brings me to the topic of the day. who would you rather have-- Solange or Beyonce? when I say have i mean it in all senses of the word. Phsically,mentally, and musically. To the select few that read this blog and dont know me, this answer might be a tad shocking. I'm going to have to ride for Solange.

You might be wondering what the hell Solange and Beyonce have to do with the singer/songwriter blog. Here's how it intertwines. both are singers, very good ones, I might add. One is the powerhouse belter with all the vocal dramatics to start a damn soap opera. The other is cooler with the vocals with jazzier inflections. To put it plainly, I'm all for cool and not really into drama.

This is not to say I don't mess with Beyonce. I love Beyonce. If I didn't, I don't think I could be friends with Candy G. because she would disown me. But I like Solange more because she actually writes her own songs. Whereas, Bey will get a song from a songwriter and change a few chords or and a modulation and then bam-she has a co-writer credit. As quiet as its kept, some of Beyonce's hits were penned by the younger Knowles. If you have ever bumped "Upgrade U", "Get Me Bodied, or "Why Don't You Love Me", you should be riding for Solange. She wrote all of those. She has the brains and creativity to keep a guy like me interested. Plus, she's intelligent. Beyonce has said in interviews that she doesn't know how to use the internet. We are in 2010, its time to step your game up, Bey.

But when it comes to looks and body, Mrs. Knowles-Carter wins hands down. She has hips, lips, and ti..--ok I'm going to stop. It almost got vulgar. Solange is lacking in that department, but she knows how to dress it up to make it look like she's working with a lot more than she really is. Beyonce dresses more like the normal "good" girl would. Solange's style is more "i dont give a damn". She has the attitude and spunk to pull it off too. Moreover, Beyonce's lacefronts are starting to get out of control. We know she pays a pretty penny for them, but she must not be paying too much for whomever is putting them in. Its a mess. Solange cut her hair off and is now rocking an afro like she just stepped out of a 1970s blaxploitation film. I can dig that.

Now, i don't want this to sound like some smear campaign of Jay's wife. It's not. Its a simple statement of preference. Its like the eternal questions in our lives. Beauty or brains? Long hair or short? Big or small? Good looking idiot or average looking genius? Basically, it all comes down to what you look for in a woman and musical artists. In this case, I'd like to have the average looking genius who has a small body with short hair. But thats just me. Leave your opinions in the comment section.

Slim Thug Against The World Part Two

Professor Marc Lamont Hill wrote an open letter to Slim Thug about his blog post. Slim Thug said he would respond to his letter. Most thought he would respond in an open letter such as the one the professor wrote. Instead, the two men had a debate on twitter. Theloop21.com posted the conversation on their website. Here's the link.

RT @Supovadea: Fight thttp://is.gd/cJ3Ln

Slim Thug vs. The World

Yesterday, the blogosphere was set ablaze. Rapper, Slim Thug, expressed his opinion on black women. Although he used words like "most", "a lot", "my experience", he was attacked by offended women and men on twitter. People accosted Vibe Magazine for printing his sentiments. I agree with some of the things he said, but not all of it. I'm probably only one of a few. Professor Marc Lamont Hill, whose link I posted on why he hated drake has written Slim Thug an open letter. I'm posting the link. I will post Slim Thug's response tomorrow.

http://bit.ly/cYyeEo

Hood Classic: Crooklyn

It doesn't matter where you're from, we've all had to deal with some
sort of struggle in our lives. We've all had to go through it. Its the
common ground everyone stands on. That was the universal message in
one of the best movies depicting everyday struggles in the black
community. Crooklyn is about the 1970's, but is a story about a
journey rather than a time period.

This film is about a lower middle class Brooklyn family. There are
five children, four boys and one girl. The patriarch, played by Delroy
Lindo, is an out of work jazz musician, while the mother, played by
Alfre Woodard, supports the family as a school teacher. Even though,
Crooklyn is about a whole family, It centers around the daughter,
Troy. She learns life lessons chasing after her brothers and the
neighborhood kids. Being that she's a tomboy, she balks at doing
"girly" things like wearing dresses and grocery shopping. She really
hates grocery shopping because she has to use food stamps. Troy's
mother sends her down south to stay with her Aunt Song for the summer.
There, she begins to become a young lady and comes back to Brooklyn as
a girl ready to take on responsibility as being the only other female
in the house.

This movie resonated with fans and critics alike. Fans loved it for it
accurate portrayal of family dynamics. The parents intervene in the
children's squabbles over the television and name calling. Plus, the
parents argue over money and neither feeling appreciated by the other.
Critics loved it for the writing and acting being extremely realistic.
Roger Ebert said, "Although the Lees say the movie should not be read
as straight autobiography, some of the scenes have the directness and
pain of real memory."

Written by Spike Lee and his brother, Cinque, and sister, Joie
Sussanah, Crooklyn tends to be overlooked in the conversation of
Spike's best work. But who can forget "1,2,3, the devil's after me.
4,5,6, he's always throwing sticks. 7,8,9, he misses every time."
Crooklyn is always overshadowed by Do The Right Thing, School Daze,
and Malcolm X. Yet to those whose upbringing was similar, this is the
favorite.

Check It Out 2

This is a response to the article I posted yesterday. This piece is by Davey D. He's a journalist and hip hop historian. Read and comment.

My Take on Drake...Have We All Reached Our Potential? (A response to Marc Lamont Hill's Piece) http://bit.ly/cWCGZ1

Check This Out

Professor vs the Rapper: Marc Lamont Hill explains why he hates Drake.. Says he's a weak emcee http://bit.ly/apC04o

I agree with everything this man is saying. I had a debate with a friend about it last night. Tell me your thoughts.

Tell Me What You Want

At this stage in the game, hip hop has changed into an entirely different entity than it once was. Whereas it began in the South Bronx as Mcing, B-Boying, and graffiti artists, it is now a popularity contest. It doesn't matter if you are rhyming with intelligence and wit. Now, it's about how much money you make. So my question is where is the love for real hip hop?

How come there were moans and groans when people found out Talib Kweli was performing at Summer Jam? He is one of the most intellectual MCs out there, yet he doesn't get the shine he deserves. This is after stellar verses like the one on "Get 'Em High". Kweli's situation mirrors so many others' too. Take Lupe Fiasco for instance.

Lupe stole the show from Kanye on "Touch The Sky". Every album he has put out has featured some of the best content and lyrics in hip hop. But he barely goes gold with each album. There's something wrong with this picture. Especially when rappers with nursery rhyme flows and dumb lyrics are making millions. (Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane, anyone?)

I think the problem is the consumer. We are like children who can't make up our minds about which toy to pull out of the toy box. We say we want rappers to have something to say. We also want to dance and party, yet we never seem to get that from the same artists, except a few. And once that artist's song is played in heavy rotation, we complain about it being played out. Make up your minds, people! Show love to real hip hop, better yet, show love to real music. Music where the heart and soul emanates from the lyrics. Find music like that and you'll never go wrong. I promise you that.

Signs Of The Apocolypse

I've been getting a great deal of love about these tweets. So I figured I'd dedicate a blog to them. This is how you know the end is near by the happenings in music.

Justin Beiber gets Best New Artist nomination at BET Awards
This is not to say white people can't be nominated for black awards. It's just that it's freaking Justin Beiber. He's a pop artist. A light weight pop artist, at that. He got the nod because every popular black artist has co-signed him.

Nicki Minaj got a Vibe Magazine cover
Supposedly, Nicki Minaj is the hottest female rapper out right now. I'll admit I was on the bandwagon. While her mixtapes are cool, her actual singles have drowned in mediocrity. 'Your Love' is terrible. How do you sound tone deaf using auto-tune? Frankly, she doesn't deserve a cover of Vibe. But she got it. Umm yeah.

Janelle Monae hasn't become a success yet
Janelle Monae us one of those artist every other artist needs to emulate. I don't mean her exact style needs to be copied, but the way she doesn't classify herself as one type of artist. Yet, that is her downfall. In a society hell bent on labels, nobody buys her work because they don't know what to label her. Her album is dope, extremely dope. Check it out.

Well, as of now those are the signs of the apocolypse. Time to go find some more to blog about.

Can You Dance?

Last night, I wrote about a show. I liked being taken off the air. Today, I wanted to write about one of my favorite shows coming back to television. It started its seventh season tonight. That show is So You Think You Can Dance. Yes, its another reality show, but it's more competition based than drama focused.

SYTYCD is like a dancing version of American Idol. Just how the contestants audition on AI, it's the same for this show. The only difference is if someone does a really good audition in a certain style, like tap, they get sent to do a round of choreography to see if they can do any other styles. Besides that, everything is basically parallel. There are three judges that fit the same archetypes on American Idol. The mean British, the crazy woman, and the diplomatic one.

I like the show because of the creativity shown every week and they always pick great music to dance to. I learned about MSTRKRFT, Hot Chip, and Citizen Cope from the show. Now, I'm a fan of those artists' work. Plus, when the dancing sucks, the judges don't hold back. They go in on the dancers and the choreographers. So tune in on Fox this summer. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Or if you follow me on twitter, I'll be tweeting them once the auditions are over.

Today is a very sad day in my television viewership. I just found out that one of my favorite debut season shows was canceled. Most of you won't care because you never even heard of it. In case you're wondering, the show I'm referring to is The Deep End.

It was a show about first year lawyers working at the biggest and most prestigious firm in Los Angeles. It starred Billy Zane, Nicole Ari Parker, Tina Majorino, and Mechad Brooks. If the names don't ring a bell, let me help you out. The mean guy in Titanic. Terri from the Soul Food television series. The little girl in Corina, Corina. Jerome on The Game. I'm digressing.

The show featured witty storylines and good acting. The main problem was that it was realistic. It was set in 2010 and they still had to research out of books and not use the internet. Plus, being that it was a mid-season replacement, the storylines were a bit rushed. They were never allowed to unfold. But for me that was the fun and appeal of the show. It was sort of like a funny Law and Order with more emphasis on the lawyers' personal lives.

See, like I said, you probably don't care. And being that I'm the only one that does care, I'm going to go sulk somewhere in a corner. Don't mind me. I need time to heal before I find something else to watch. Although, I do hope they put it on dvd. Maybe I'll let some of you borrow it if they do.

Summer Summer Time

With Memorial Day around the corner, summer is so close I can taste it. With that, its time for the summer anthem. in retrospect, music hasn't really been giving us the summer anthems like they used to. There hasn't been a summer hit of "Lean Back" proportions since--well, "Lean Back". But I'm about to give my pick for the song I think is going to be the hottest song of the summer.

Dirty Money - Hello Good Morning

This may come as a shock for some of you because I'm not really into the whole Dirty Money concept. But this joint right here is undeniable. The beat is huge. Actually, its more than huge. It's gargantuan. T.I. spits a verse with so much fervor that it's hard not to want to dance. Then, they add Rick Ross, the boss, on the track. He turns in a stellar verse also. Diddy hypes the song to its zenith. Dawn Richard and Kalenna add some sexy vocals to this hit.

So the song has been out for a bit, so you might wonder how is it going to become the summer anthem. It came out a bit ago, but the song is gaining momentum now. The momentum is going to push this song to at least the top ten on the charts, if not number one. I think you won't be able to live and breathe this summer without singing that song at least once a day. Quote me on it. And if it doesn't do all the things I just said, color me surprised.

Album Review: Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Christian Scott is an old soul that puts on for his city. A native of New Orleans, this trumpeteer recalls the works of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, while marrying it with a hip hop sensibility. That's why he's quietly worked with the likes of Mos Def and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill fame. As for this album, Yesterday You Said Today, it is one of the most politically charged albums I've listened to in a long time. For me, it's a bit strange to say that because there are no words spoken or sung at all.

If Billie Holiday was reincarnated, I believe it would be as this man's trumpet. He plays with a passion and an unyeilding strength not seen in jazz since the sixties. Also, with the passion the mirrors the late great singer's. Scott's records should serve as a clear soundtrack to the confusing times we live in today. With songs like, "The Last Broken Heart (Prop 8) and "The Roe Effect", the listener is reminded of the times in our history when being black wasn't always beautiful. And with those reminders, we are able to apply those feelings and emotions to the muddy waters of today's political landscape. Even though considered a solo project, this album is more about a group. A group of players figuring themselves out through the recording of this record and finding a cohesive sound that shows each person's personality.

Although this is one of those play-from-start-to-finish-records, the center piece is the two song set, "Jenacide" and "The American't". The drums remind you of the footsteps of the protestors during the march for the Jena Six. the snare is is the musical fist pump and chant those protestors were doing. The trumpet and guitars are of subtle outrage that shrink and swell. The feeling of "The American't" is that of sorrow and frustration. Possibly, because nothing really came of the march for the Jena six and this song is the feeling of that.

Written and composed from the depths of someone's heart and soul, this is an album worth buying. Because like Kanye West said, "You gotta love it. Somebody still speaks from his soul." And there's never been anything wrong with that.

I Cram To Understand

I don't get it. I try to understand, yet that always seems to elude me. What is the appeal of Justin Beiber? Someone, please explain it to me. Justin Timberlake and Usher entered into a bidding war to sign him. Tween girls go nuts for him. But in all actuality, he's a small white boy with a girl hair cut that can sing. Even though, I've acknowledged all of the elements that help make him a star, I still can't seem to accept him as a real artist. So I decided that I'm going to analyze his whole 'thing', if you will.

His looks have girls going nuts. Grown women I work with are calling this boy a sexy man. Really?! A sexy man?! You can't be considered a man if you sing like your balls haven't dropped yet. He has wind swept hair and it leads me to wonder where his actual hairline starts. Not trying to be funny, I'm just curious. He dresses trendy and I'll admit, some things he wears I would drop money on if it came in my size. But the problem with trendy is twenty years from now, he's going to be featured in those 'What Was I Wearing' pieces in a magazine. But hey, it works for now. So I'll let it rock.

As for his talent, that is undeniable. Homeboy plays the drums, guitar, trumpet, and sings. So game recognize game. I'm not a huge fan of the way he sings because its partially nasally. But Rihanna is all nose when she sings and she has made it work for her. If she can do it, he can do way better than her. But I digress. He can sing. I don't want to say otherwise because that wouldn't be honest.

As I finished that last paragraph, I think I've figured his appeal out. When I was a sophomore in high school, my english teacher said this, " Richard Gere is a good looking man, but if you took all his facial features off and spread them on a table you'd think he was ugly." I was confused. She further explained that he had a long and pointy nose, which she deemed unattractive. Then she talked about how he had ugly lips and this and that. She went on to say that all of the ugly features canceled out to Make a beautifully put together man. That's what I think Justin Beiber's appeal is. All of these things I don't like are being fused together to make a superstar. So I have to give him some props even if I don't want to. I'm almost ashamed to have written that. I got to get off of this topic before I go crazy trying to understand what everyone sees in Justin Beiber.

A Tribute To An Icon

Lena Horne. The name, alone, conjures up different feelings and
emotions. Some will say she is a pioneer in the entertainment world
for black performers. Others will say she is a civil rights activist
who never got enough credit as being one. Everyone will agree she is
the crowned jewel in black cinema. That's why May 9, 2010 will forever
be one of the darkest days in black entertainment. Lena Horne passed
on that day.

Born in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn, New York, she was raised in
an upper-middle class family. Her father left the family when she was
only three and her mother, being a stage actress toured constantly.
She was raised by her grandparents. She knew at a young age she was
destined to be a star. Plus, Lena had the ambition, passion, and drive
to make it become a reality. Taking jobs in chorus lines and bit parts
in low budget films, Horne made a name for herself. So much so that in
1942, she became the first black performer to sign a long term
contract with a major movie studio, which was MGM. She made her debut
in 'Panama Hattie', but wasn't really noticed until she sung the title
song in 'Stormy Weather'.

Lena's complexion was an advantage for her in her film career, but it
was also a great source of pain.Once Horne reflected, "I was unique. I
was the kind of black that white people could accept. I had the worst
kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I
contributed. it was because of the way i looked." Though she was fair
skinned, she still suffered the discrimination of darker skinned
performers. During her years working with MGM, she was never featured
in a leading role because of her race. Films in which she was featured
in had to be re-edited to be made suitable for states that didn't show
films with black actors.

By the time the 1950s approached, Lena was becoming dissatisfied with
her acting career and began to focus more time and energy on her
nightclub career. Her outspokenness with her political views didn't
help her either. She refused to perform for segregated audiences or
for audiences that seated white guest in front of black guests. Horne
once remarked, "I was always battling the system to try to get to be
with my people. Finally, I wouldn't work for places that kept us
out...it was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked. It
was a fight in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world." She
continued her civil rights activism throughout the rest of her life.
Lena Horne attended the March On Washington and was elected to speak
for and by the NAACP. Horne also had a major hand in getting
anti-lynching laws in place.

Lena Horne was a lot of things to a lot of different people. She
kicked down the doors in Hollywood with style, poise, and grace. She
made civil rights an important issue to people who only considered it
topical conversation. She was a sex symbol who showed us what we could
do with hard work and drive. But to herself she was an average person.
she said in an interview, "I am a black woman. I'm free. I don't have
to be a symbol to anybody." Lena Horne might not have wanted to be a
symbol to anybody, but she is. Rest in Perfection.

An Epiphany

I don't usually post on the weekend, but this is special circumstances. I went to a fashion show I didn't want to go to. I only went to support my friends. One was singing and the other did the make up for the show. Well in watching this fashion show, I was hit with a "light bulb" moment. Ok, I see you trying to do something positive with your life, but you need to try harder.

At first, that sentiment was in reference to the fashion show and the people that put it together. They were an hour late starting and the fashions were questionable. But then I turned that all on me. I'm trying to be a writer and get myself together, but I just realized I'm not trying hard enough. I write when I get the time. It shouldn't be that way. This is supposed to be my passion. When you have a passion for something, it should consume your thoughts. Writing does, but not all of my thoughts. Which is a problem.

If this is my calling, and I feel it is, I should be practicing every day. Just as those girls spent time on their fashions every day. In a sense, their way ahead of me when it comes to reaching the finish line because they had a show and planning their second in four months. I've gotten one piece published. Not a second or third. So I thank those girls for their low budget fashion show. Even though that sounds like I'm being an asshole, I meant that with total sincerity. It made reevaluate myself and my work ethic. I'm trying. I just need to try harder!

A Survivor's Guide To Rap Music

I don't know about you, but rap has become so stagnant to me. Everybody does the same thing and it's become so formulaic. With that being said, I've decided to give advice to the aspiring rappers. This their rapper survival pack.

A Background In Selling Drugs
It seems as though most rappers have sold drugs to pay rent at some point in their lives. Some of the biggest names in music have sold everything from weed to coke. Some were Meth pushers. So if you want to be famous, you must sell drugs. Forget about how illegal it is. You must withstand the 3 to 5 years per ounce or pill with your head held high and your colon clenched. Hey, if you want to be the next Jay-Z, Jeezy, or Game, this shouldn't be anything you can't handle.

A Penchant For Rapping About Said Drug Pushing Years
Young Jeezy has made three great albums all based on one topic. His years selling drugs. Even when he's featured on someone else's track, he finds a slick way to throw in a coke reference. So to you aspiring rappers I say, go ahead. Rap your heart out about your years of selling crack rock. Never mind the fact you only sold drugs for two weeks and had to stop because your mom found your stash. I suggest you rhyme about those glorious fourteen days with all the passion and fervor you can muster. I mean really, us listeners will never get sick of it. We absolutely love hearing about your days of narcotic fueled paranoia. So do the damn thing.

Must Call Women Out Of Their Names
It doesn't matter if you were raised by a single mother and have three older sisters. If you want to be a successful MC, "bitch", "hoe", "trick", and a host of other names. It's the only way to survive in this rapper eat rapper industry. If you need a point of reference, we can glance in Nelly's direction. On his debut album, he had a song dedicated to his mother. He, also, has a sister and a teenage daughter, yet he had singles and videos like "Tipdrill". In the song, he calls women everything but a child of God. In the clip for the song, he slides a credit card between a woman's butt cheeks. He's successful in the rap game, so you can be too. All you have to do is forget about all the things your mom and sisters had to face when it came to the men in their lives. Forget how hurt they were. Your royalty checks will dry their eyes.

Have No Need For Dignity Or Self Respect
If you want to be a famous rapper, this is the most important thing you must do. Go against every moral you have and sell your soul. That's how you get fame.

An Eternal Question

There are many unanswered questions in the world. Why did the chicken cross the road? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, in the music industry, there is one glaring question. It starts more arguments than the 'Prince or Michael Jackson' question. The question is what's more important, the singer or the songwriter?

The singer and songwriter both are important. This has been evident since the beginning of time. But who's more important. The songwriter has the arduous task of thinking up melodies and lyrics. It's a visceral thing to do. To sit there and pull something out of thin air. Writing anything, let alone, a song forces the songwriter to deal with feelings and emotions most of us don't want to deal with. For example, "Coming From Where I'm From" is written by Anthony Hamilton. In it he discusses being scared of fatherhood because his father wasn't a good one to him. To get the emotion in his lyrics, he had to tear himself wide open and examine himself from a third party perspective. Would you be able to do that? Can most singers do that?

Most singers can't examine themselves like that because they aren't fully prepared to do so. But what singers can do is interpret the words on the paper. Whitney Houston is one of the greatest singers of all time. Yet she couldn't write a song, if that was the only way she could convince the world she isn't on crack anymore. Her biggest hit is "I Will Always Love You" and that's written by Dolly Parton. While Dolly Parton's version is the original, Houston's is way more remembered. It's because of her interpretation. Everyone and their grandmother knows every single riff Whitney did. For the guys reading this, do not try to deny this fact because you're probably singing right now. But I digress.

When it comes down to it, the most important person in this conversation is the singer/songwriter. No, I'm not copping out and saying that they are of equal importance. I'm talking about people like Neyo. He writes his own songs and sings the hell out of them. From a business perspective he makes the most money too. Every single time a song he writes is played, he gets paid. So when 'Unfaithful' by Rihanna plays, he gets money. When 'Miss Independent' plays, he gets a check. So whitney Houston and singers in that vein can interpret the hell out of some of our favorite songs, but they can be replaced and interchanged. A songwriter can go through all the soul searching he wants to find that perfect. Song, but if the singer doesn't sing it correctly, the song is lost on the listener. So it is the singer/songwriter who is the most vital to the music industry. He knows how to write the song and sing it to its full potential.

You Are Too Old For That

I can't stand when grown ass people act like they're younger than me. I really can't stand when its a musician that I used to have in heavy rotation in my cd player. These two guys are two such cases.

R. Kelly was the man when I was a tiny tot and he was still the man when I hit my teenage years. When he was in his prime, most of Mr. Kelly's songs had something to do with sex. He probably laid the soundtrack to your little brother's conception. But as he got older, his sex jams became a bit weirder with each album. "You Remind Me Of My Jeep" at first mention of the title, usually gets two reactions-- "Yo, that's my song!" and/or "What in the hell?!" It went from that to "Sex Weed" and "remote Control". Its gotten to the point where you can't pick up any object and not think of a song by him that turns it into some sort of sexual reference. But that's his thing. I'm just wondering when can we get him to do something new. The same can be said for Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg broke on the scene talking about smoking weed, drinking gin and juice, and smoking more weed. But after, twenty and change years in the game, can we get material that has nothing to do with that? Every album he puts out, most of them either have a drug reference or is dedicated entirely to weed. Where's the originality in that? No where because rapping about drugs is the norm now.

I know they say when you find a niche, you should stick to it until the wheels fall off, but am I the only one that hears their wheels starting to get rickety? R. Kelly's career is damn near down the crapper after the whole under age girl sex tape fiasco. He hasn't sold more than a million copies of a cd since 'Chocolate Factory'. As for Snoop, he can still chart big numbers, but he too, hasn't had that million seller in a long while. Blame it on the decline of the music buying public if you want to, but the problem lies in their hands partly. A over 40 year old man shouldn't be singing about sex in anybody's kitchen, especially, after you've been accused of sleeping with girls younger than your daughter. Also, men over 40 shouldn't be rapping about smoking weed, especially, when they coach pee-wee football. That is sending mixed signals to everyone that interacts with you and your music.

All I'm saying is these grown men need to grow the hell up and make music that's age appropriate. Jay-Z said thsat when your life changes, your thoughts change, and therefore your rhymes have to change. Will R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg ever learn this lesson and take heed? Hopefully so, but only time will tell.

You Too Loose Off The Goose

I wrote a blog about a week ago about people who smell bad needing to pay extra to ride in your whip. Well, today, I am inspired again by the same party.

I went to this party knowing I was going to get wasted. When I say "wasted", I mean totally messed the hell up. Once I got there, I realized that I only knew one person enough to trust them with my drunken self. And with that, I decided if I was going to get drunk, it was going to be a light drunk induced by beer. The same can't be said for most of the people there.

Most of the party goers were in their early to mid twenties. Meaning, they were old enough to know their limits. Needless to say, they didn't. Taking Grey Goose straight to the head like its water isn't going to get you in anything, but trouble. One dude thought was the flyest person there, so he was egging his crew to go as hard as he was. All of those guys went extremely hard. Taking shots of Patron, while drinking Goose straight out of the bottle. He was the man for an hour and a half. He had women trying to get at him and the ones was going for were very accepting of his advances. That is, until the liquor started to catch up with him.

All of the sudden, dude urgently flings open the front door and steps one foot out of the apartment and throws up all over himself and the lawn. So instantly, his sexy swag factor went from 100 to negative 3000. Those girls that were flies on his shit a few minutes ago, suddenly had no interest in him. His only sober friend was outside making sure he was good. But nobody else cared, or maybe they were too drunk to help him. So me with my sexy and intelligent self, started macking on the shorties dude had lost the interest of. I came away with a number or two, but I'm not trying to brag.

The moral of this story is if you're going to go hard with the liquor, please know your limits. You might be the man when you walk in the party, but if you don't marathon drink, you could become the laughing stock. When I say you need to marathon drink, I mean that drinking is a marathon and not a sprint. Please act accordingly. If you don't, I will be there half drunk and ready to take your shortie!

What Do You Think?

These are questions I have concerning music. If you want to respond to any of them, please do so in the comments section.

1. Being that it's been more than ten years, do you really care if Dr. Dre ever drops his Detox album?

2. After seeing Ciara's video for 'Ride', how many chicks are going to be in the gym getting that dance routine down?

3. How come Lauryn Hill isn't in anyone's Top Five MCs?

4. Speaking of which, when she going to drop another classic like 'The Miseducation'?

5. Isn't it sad Erykah Badu was arrested for getting naked in her 'Window Seat' video when it was inspired by the Matt and Kim video for 'Lesson Learned' and you've never heard of them?

6. With T.I., Kanye, Jeezy, and Drake all dropping albums this summer, who do you think is going to own it?

7. Have you done yourself the favor and downloaded mixtapes by Emilio Rojas and Skyzoo yet?

8. Even though his music is cool, aren't you kind of confused as to what style B.o.B is going for?

9. Isn't it funny how 50 Cent destroyed Ja Rule's rap career and now his is on its last legs?

10.Which is faker - Nicki Minaj's bisexuality or her body parts?

Degrassi Star, I'm Over You

If you are a Drake fan, this blog might not be your favorite. - Management

I like Drake. He can rap his ass off. If you remember, I was a staunch supporter of his when his Grammy performance was censored to the hilt. With that being said, I'm kind of over Drake. I mean, seriously, he has a great deal of mixtapes that are better than a lot of the rap albums of recent memory. I just feel too much is being put on his shoulders and he's becoming part of the hype machine.

Need an example of his hype? His song, 'Over' is played on the radio every thirty seconds and its not that good of a song. Don't get me wrong, the verses are good. But he loses points for the "About to set this bitch off/ Jada Pinkett" line. Its amateur at best. He loses mostly because of the hook. He sounds like the retarded muppet on Crank Yankers. He has a good singing voice, just check out the background vocals on Alicia Keys' 'Unthinkable'.

Lastly, why is everyone quoting, "What am I doing? Oh yeah, that's right. I'm doing me."? He is not the first to say that. He isn't saying anything profound. That's an average line just as the "Jada Pinkett" one is. But everyone seems to think he is the first to say it. Ladies and gentlemen, I have one thing to say, hop off the man's dick. You're riding a tad too hard.

Thank You For The Comeback, Now Go Home

It seems as though most celebrities never get the hint of when its time to go and stay gone. Most of them think they're Michael Jordan. He left basketball, had a very sucky baseball career, and when that was done, he came back to basketball with without a problem. Well, even Michael Jordan didn't know when to call it quits. Need I discuss his career in Washington? Didn't think so. In my opinion, three singers and one rapper need to be told to hang it up for good. I've elected myself and this blog for the job. Let us begin.

Whitney Houston
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Ten years ago, she was the 'it' pop diva. The voice of angel with the gospel training to go with it. Seven consecutive number one singles. She had it all. Then that crack came into her life. Now, I could blame all of this on Bobby Brown. But he got his divorce. He didn't make her put out that craptastic album. "Million Dollar Bill" was the lone hit on it and that souinded like cheesy '70s disco. Sorry Whitney, enjoy that royalty money and chill. And if you need to make music. Make a mixtape called, "Crack Is Wack, But I Still Smoke That Shit". That will sell some units.

Mariah Carey
I love Mariah Carey. Her old stuff. She was making hit after hit all thoughout the '90sm made the shiteous movie that shall remain nameless, then had the infamous breakdown. Many wrote her off until she came roaring back with "The Emancipation". Nobody can deny how hot that joint was. Even the hardest thugs had a song they bumped off of that. Yet that was her peak. She slowly began falling off again. And her voice is shot to hell. Compare these two songs, "Dreamlover" and "My Love". You can definitely tell the difference. Plus, she married Nick Cannon. Nick Cannon! Really!?!? That's all that needs to be said about her.

Janet Jackson
This hirts me to the core to write this. I've loved Janet since I was a young lad. She never had a real singing voice, but that didn't matter. She could perform her ass off. She was the first concert I went to when I was eleven. I never forgot that. Fast foward some years, and shorty's music is all over the place. Damita Jo was a semi success. 20 Y.O. was a brick. Discipline was an absolute brick. No that was a cinder block. The Rock Wit Chu Tour was half assed. I just don't know what to say. Stick to acting, Janet, because if Jermaine Dupri and Neyo can't write you hits, who can?

Shyne
I know this is kind of messed up after all the things he's been through. But have you heard his new music? Yikes! He went from sounding like Biggie and being remotely cool to sounding horrendous over a Drake beat. Umm, Drake is cool and everything, but there should never come a day when the man who made 'Bad Boys' can't out rap Drake. Sorry, Drake fans, but fact is fact. Shyne, while you've deported to Belize, pick up a pen and practice. That's all you really need to do, resharpen your tool.