SMART MOVE!!!!
This is a really good look for all parties involved honestly. Let me not get ahead of myself though... okay, so last week L.A. Reid premiered the new Kanye West video at some sort of Def Jam/Island conference. He also played Mariah Carey's possible new single "Hate U", and Youtubers caught a bit of it... but the Kanye video is what had the internet buzzing the following day. And somehow, Rihanna became the star. His video for "Paranoid" is similar to his previous videos for "Stronger", "Flashing Lights" and "Goldigger" where the attention is placed on the female eye candy. And the newly hailed Pop Princess Rihanna is definitley where all the attention is placed in this really awesome video. And to be honest, if it wasn't Rihanna this video would be really boring because literally nothing happens. It's just 3 minutes and 48 seconds of Rihanna doing what she does best, oozing loads of sex appeal and... well... just being Sexy as hell. I mean it's shot very well, I love the camera work and the bit at the beginning with her on the bed was a cool technique. But it's really all about Rihanna and this is, like I said before, a really good look for her. She gets her name out there and her face back on MTV without having to do anything (Although I do hear rumors that she added her vocals to a remix of this song, but I haven't heard anything official). And for Kanye, it's a good look because this will get the buzz behind his Excellent "808's & Heartbreak" album starting back up.
And than maybe they'll go on tour together again.
Well that's probably my wishful thinking... anyway, check out the Mad Sexy Rihanna with her Mad Crazy Sex Appeal on this Sexy video. (say "sexy" again...)
5.23.2009
Flashback Video of the Week: Green Day "When I Come Around"
Saw Green Day on "The Colbert Report" this week, and as I was getting ready to listen to their new album "21st Century Breakdown", I decided to go back and listen to some of their earlier hits... as well as "American Idiot", which I've never heard other than it's singles. So for the Flashback Video I picked the first Green Day song and video I really liked "When I Come Around". I also remember seeing this video and being a proud Bay Area-n (?). I was like "Whoa That's BART... a video with BART is on MTV!!!"
5.18.2009
Album Reviews: Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Phoenix, The Crystal Method, The Living Things
"Guess Who's Back, Back Again. Shady's Back, Tell a Friend" Yes, just when no one was wondering where he was or when he was going to come back (if at all), Eminem releases his first album in almost 6 years "Relapse" (released officially today). He left us with the 2003 release "Encore", which was pretty much officially dubbed his Worst album by fans and critics alike. Even though it really wasn't all that bad. Shortly thereafter in 2005 he somewhat announced his retirement coinciding with the release of his first Greatest Hits album "Curtain Call", though he did manage to make a few collabo's where he "murdered" fellow rappers "on their own shit" (see "Touchdown" by T.I., or the "Lean Back remix" by Fat Joe). I guess the hardcore Em "Stans" have been anticipating this release for a while now. Me? Not so much. And having listened to "Relapse" (the rappers 6th studio album) I realize why. In 2000, "The Marshall Mathers LP" really impressed me. The genius lyricism and delivery of "Stan", the intensity of "Kim", the fun of "The Real Slim Shady". It was pretty much a perfect album that truly displayed what made him so popular with his debut album. The 2002 follow up "The Eminem Show" was also a bonafied Hip Hop Classic and actually had Em being a little more creative. The problem with 2003's "Encore" and now "Relapse", is there is really no evolution with his music. There's really nothing on this new album that truly stood out because it feels like we've heard it all before. From the albums intro I thought this might be a pretty interesting concept album, about a former addict trying to Avoid a relapse. Unfortunately what we get is Eminem talking about Pop celebrities, drugs, and his mom AGAIN. He hasn't lost any of his skills in delivery or flow, which actually helps to save the album along with the Dr. Dre production, but I'm a little disappointed because I did expect more from him with this album. Again, this isn't a bad album... I'd say "Hello" "Crack a Bottle" "Beautiful" and "Medicine Ball" are a few of the memorable tracks. He's supposed to be releasing "Relapse 2" sometime next year, maybe he'll dig deeper with that one.
A little less disappointing is Busta Rhymes' 8th album "Back on My B.S." (set to be released May 19th).
Last year with "Throw Da Water on Em" and "We Made It" on the charts, I was really amped up for Busta's album. Not to mention the fact that 2006's "The Big Bang" album was actually ALOT better than I expected. Unfortunatley a new album never came out last year, and those two songs are Absent from this album ("We Made It", his collabo with Linkin Park, is going to be available on iTunes as a iTunes bonus track). Fortunatley he has great stuff to fill the voids. This album by no means is his best, there are some obvious duds ("Hustlers Anthem" with T-Pain sounds dated, "Don't Believe Em" featuring Akon and T.I. copies way too much from T.I.'s own "Live Your Life", and there are a few tracks that are just missing a great hook) but there are some seriously Great Moments on this album. The current single "Respect my Conglomerate" with Jadakiss and Weezy, "Shoot for the Moon", "We Want In" ("if 2 dollars is getting made, We want in, If a stock is getting trade, We want in" -- I can relate Lol). "Kill Dem" with Pharrell is easily one of the best songs with Busta riding the dancehall beat like a pro. Busta is one of the more underrated (imo) rappers alive, and on this album he shows that he can still be relevant (check out "World Go Round" with Estelle. A perfect mash up of Dance, Electronica and Hip Hop. Flo Rida WHO?), and he can still be creative and give us the unexpected.Now on to something completely different, The Crystal Method released their latest "Divided by Night" this month.
Basically there's Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Armand Van Helden than the Prodigy or the Chemical Brothers, maybe Paul Oakenfold or Fatboy Slim... bottom line, The Crystal Method were never close to being my favourite electronic group. But, with all those other guys out of commission lately (although Basement Jaxx WILL be releasing a new album this year. YES!) I turned to this album to fill the Electronica void. And, now I know why these guys aren't my favourite. This album is only 12 tracks and it's a bit of a task to get through it all. A lot of the songs like the title track or "Slipstream" just seem to go on and on and on, with nothing really exciting enough to keep your attention. A good majority of it sounds like old Daft Punk, especially the title track which (imo) does a terribly uninspired job of copying "Robot Rock". There are a few high points, "Falling Hard" with Meiko being one of the best. Also the single "Drown in the Now" featuring Matisyahu, "Blunts and Robots" featuring Peter Hook or "Black Rainbows" with Stefanie King Warfield. Still the overall feel for the album to me was "Been there. Done that. No need to listen again"The same can be said for rock group The Living Things' album "Habeas Corpus". When I heard "Let it Rain" on VH1, I was really excited to hear their full album. 
That track is actually one of the best produced, written and vocally performed songs I've heard in a while. At the very least of the year. On top of that it's catchy enough to rival some of the Pop songs out. Actually, this album sounds more like a Pop album than Rock or Alternative. It's like harder edged Max Martin productions, but I won't take points away for that. What I will say is the album starts off with a huge bang in "Brass Knuckles" and keeps that momentum going through to a great potential chart topper "Oxygen". However it hits a rough patch halfway through and the album kind of dies out after that. "Island in Your Heart" is a terrible attempt at hybridizing Rock and Country music, "Post Millennium Extinction" tries hard to Rock but just lacks something in the verses. The saving grace on the bottom half of the album is another potential hit "Shake Your Shimmy", which has an insanely addictive hook. All in all, I do think this album has enough to justify repeated listens. Who knows, It might just grow on me.
That track is actually one of the best produced, written and vocally performed songs I've heard in a while. At the very least of the year. On top of that it's catchy enough to rival some of the Pop songs out. Actually, this album sounds more like a Pop album than Rock or Alternative. It's like harder edged Max Martin productions, but I won't take points away for that. What I will say is the album starts off with a huge bang in "Brass Knuckles" and keeps that momentum going through to a great potential chart topper "Oxygen". However it hits a rough patch halfway through and the album kind of dies out after that. "Island in Your Heart" is a terrible attempt at hybridizing Rock and Country music, "Post Millennium Extinction" tries hard to Rock but just lacks something in the verses. The saving grace on the bottom half of the album is another potential hit "Shake Your Shimmy", which has an insanely addictive hook. All in all, I do think this album has enough to justify repeated listens. Who knows, It might just grow on me. 
(the album hits stores in the US on May 26th, but is already available on iTunes). Now this shows how LATE I am. I'm listening to the album and loving it. Literally every minute of it, and I'm thinking I'm listening to a New group. I look on iTunes and this is the groups 4th album since 2000. I will have to listen to their prior albums to get some perspective on their music. For now, this is my favourite album of 2009. The production on this album is the main sell, this group is a weird mix of Electronica, Rock and Pop. And the backing music seems to combine the three sounds into a perfect harmony. The mostly instrumental "Love like a Sunset" is the albums peak. And it really is the best way to describe the style of the album. It's almost as if Daft Punk remixed The Beatles mid-60's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" era music, with a little inspiration vocally and lyrically from The Killers. Other insta-classics are "Lasso" "Girlfriend" and "Fences". Every song here is great though, and with only 10 tracks this album will easily get repeated plays.
5.16.2009
Flashback Video of the Week: Ini Kamoze "Here Come The Hotstepper"
So really, I wanted this to be Skee-Lo "I Wish", that songs hook "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her" has been popping up in my brain for weeks. It just totally puts me back to 9th Grade at Brewer. Unfortunately, there was no embed code available for the actual video. So I quickly thought of another song that reminds me of my last year in Jr. High. Ini Kamoze's "Here Come The Hotstepper". This song was crazy popular at the end of 1994, and that's really no surprise since it's really one of the most insanely addictive songs of that year.
5.15.2009
Love/Hate: Lady Gaga
Every Celebrity who has reached some public notoriety has their Fans and their Haters. If this Celebrity has undeniable talent, there are still people who find something wrong with them. And if the Celebrity has obviously gotten famous without any actual skill, there are still people who praise them. Every Celebrity suffers from the "Love Them or Hate Them" thing, or "Either you get it or you don't". So what I wanted to start on this blog is periodically showing opposing views of Artists and Celebrities like this.
And since her music is on the radio constantly this year, I think it would be very appropriate to begin with Lady Gaga who is having quite a successful breakthrough year. I recruited a friend from IMDB to come and give her "LOVE" side of the argument, because I'm definitely on the side of "I don't get it" when it comes to Gaga. 
"LOVE" by LibraRhapsody
Has there been a female as daring or as commercially successful so early on in their careers since Madonna and Mariah? Yes. Two words for you. Lady GaGa. Lady Gaga, the outrageous fashionista, it would be suprising if you were unaware of her, but just in case, think 80's influenced heavy dance tracks, flirty electronic beats and lyrics like "I wanna take a ride of your disco stick". Think Gwen Stefani meets Christina Aguilera , with a hint of Grace Jones thrown in. Her first two monster pop singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" (worldwide #1's) are wild, retro, sexy and intentionally ridiculous (like their music videos, from her hand movements to the giant dogs). Gaga is as original as she is daring. Unapologetic about her sexuality for sure when she declares shes "bluffin with her muffin" or "dont think too much just bust that stick". On her Top 10 Album "The Fame" she focuses on the glamour of celebrity, which she says, is about how anyone can feel like a celebrity. As well as being commercial and feel good Gaga has depth take "Paper Gangsta" or "Sommerboy" the slower tracks that don’t get lost on her hard hitting LOUD album. And she shows fragility in "Brown Eyes" when Gaga recalls "in your brown eyes, I was feeling low, got some brown eyes, but I saw her face, I knew that it was wrong, in your brown eyes".
Gaga is a breath of fresh air to music, the music industry now seems to ignore talent over image. Its not about vocals and lyrics anymore its about beats and sales. Sad but true. That’s where Gaga blends talent and substance with the relevant factors of a good beat and commercial hook. She plays the piano, writes and produces her own material and can direct a music video. She is taking the music industry by storm, giving hilarious and bizarre interviews and being nominated for awards. She's well on her way to becoming the next big Pop Icon.
"HATE" by ME
Hate might not be the best word to describe my feelings for Lady Gaga or her music. Upon reading about her I actually do respect her hustle. She was signed and dropped years before her recent breakthrough. She than began writing for other artists before she got her big break in hooking up with Akon who signed her to his Kon Live label. The result is the debut "The Fame", which is filled with catchy dance songs -- catchy dance songs that are poorly written, and have very unoriginal concepts. There in lies my problem with Lady Gaga, or maybe I should say Gaga fans. They seem to think her music is so revolutionary, so unique, so new. And I would say, look back just 5 years ago when Gwen Stefani released her "Love.Angel.Music.Baby" album. Upbeat dance ready songs concerning Fame and Riches with addictive hooks and juvenile lyricism. And let's just assume you're too young to remember that. Let's go back just 3 years ago when Fergie put out practically the same album. It's crazy to me that Gwen and Fergie's albums were panned for not having any substance, yet here we are today seeing people actually say that Lady Gaga is innovative?? I think not.
She is cute though, I mean her videos for "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" are captivating. And there are a select few songs from her (overrated) album that are worth checking out... the best being the title track. But there's no way in hell I'm buying that Lady Gaga is the new Madonna. She's not even the new Britney Spears. Not yet at least. I think she makes up for her lack of apparent talent (by the way I've never seen her perform live) or songwriting prowess with great imagery. Avant-Garde outfits
that get her on the fashion wrap up lists, which undoubtedly get her name out there. She's become quite a Celebrity this year, but is she the Flavor of the Moment (like Katy Perry last year) or will she truly become the Star her fans seem to think she already is?
She is cute though, I mean her videos for "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" are captivating. And there are a select few songs from her (overrated) album that are worth checking out... the best being the title track. But there's no way in hell I'm buying that Lady Gaga is the new Madonna. She's not even the new Britney Spears. Not yet at least. I think she makes up for her lack of apparent talent (by the way I've never seen her perform live) or songwriting prowess with great imagery. Avant-Garde outfits
that get her on the fashion wrap up lists, which undoubtedly get her name out there. She's become quite a Celebrity this year, but is she the Flavor of the Moment (like Katy Perry last year) or will she truly become the Star her fans seem to think she already is?5.14.2009
Classic Album Review: The Rolling Stones "Aftermath"
Just a short preface before I get into the review. For the past year I've really been trying to use my iPod not just for entertainment, but as an educational tool of sorts. Pretty much every current album is available to you with just a few key strokes, So I started to look back and discover some of the Classic music that paved the way for the crap we listen to today. And it's been a real eye-opening journey through the past. So much so that I got an idea for yet another creative writing project. But anyway...
What I've learned from my self-educating is that the 60's is the decade with my favourite music. I'd even go as far as saying the 1960's was truly the Peak of recorded music when you think about Diversity and Creativity. The 60's really started out where the 50's left off, with short sweet and fun radio friendly hits. Towards the mid-60's, with all that was going on in the country and the British Invasion in full swing, things started to change into more experimental, socially conscious, and racially diverse material. There are a few artists that remained staples throughout the whole decade. Motown, and it's artists The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes stayed really consistent. And The Beatles held their British flag up high through most of the decade.
Today I'm going to talk about The Beatles' "competitors" in US domination, and clearly that would be The Rolling Stones.
I don't think there is anybody on the planet that hasn't heard of this group, but I'll admit I wasn't very familiar with their music until about 6 or 7 years ago when I bought their most recent compilation album "Forty Licks". It's a pretty comprehensive set, but as I've discovered more music from the group I realize it only scratches the surface. If you want to get a feel for The Rolling Stones and want to familiarize yourself with their style I might recommend "Hot Rocks 1964-1971". Than again, if you really just want a taste of what makes them one of the most Awesome bands to ever live, check out "Aftermath", which to me is one of their very best albums. It also seems like it was a bit of a breakthrough for them. In 1965, the group officially became Stars with the release of their still most popular single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" which was available on the US release of "Out of Our Heads", "Aftermath" was released the year after and was the first of their albums with songs written exclusively by the founding members Keith Richards and lead singer Mick Jagger. And really this album tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the Rolling Stones... their style, their attitudes, their personalities, and is also a good peak into their future recordings.
"Aftermath" is one of the most fun albums you will ever listen to. The bulk of the album is very upbeat and infectious from the popular hit "Under my Thumb" to "Stupid Girl" (those two songs go hand in hand, "Thumb" talks about the girl who "once pushed me around" and now has basically turned into his Groupie... and "Stupid" seems to talk about that same vapid materialistic girl "The way she talks about someone else, That she don't even know herself, She's the sickest thing in this world, Well, look at that stupid girl") "Think", "Its' Not Easy" and "Flight 505", songs that are extremely catchy and addictive but also have actual substance to their lyrics matched with very energetic vocals by Jagger, which make them all great sing-alongs.
This album displays other sides of The Stones' recording style, for instance their love for mock-Country songs like "High and Dry" and "Dontcha Bother Me". Using heavy harmonica and Country strings, and Jagger doing his best (or maybe purposely comical) American Country singer voice and phrasing. This is the type of stuff they used later in their careers during their famous 4 album streak (1968's "Beggars Banquet" 69's "Let it Bleed", 71's "Sticky Fingers" and 72's "Exile on Main St") of Critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. And finally this album showed how experimental the group was in using non-traditional instruments and arrangements on classics like "I Am Waiting" "Lady Jane" and the immensely popular "Paint It, Black".
"Aftermath" is a must-have album if your looking to learn more about The Stones. It gives you a great taste of who they are and who they were becoming. And they haven't really derived far from the format of this album yet. A Classic album by a Legendary Group.
What I've learned from my self-educating is that the 60's is the decade with my favourite music. I'd even go as far as saying the 1960's was truly the Peak of recorded music when you think about Diversity and Creativity. The 60's really started out where the 50's left off, with short sweet and fun radio friendly hits. Towards the mid-60's, with all that was going on in the country and the British Invasion in full swing, things started to change into more experimental, socially conscious, and racially diverse material. There are a few artists that remained staples throughout the whole decade. Motown, and it's artists The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes stayed really consistent. And The Beatles held their British flag up high through most of the decade.
Today I'm going to talk about The Beatles' "competitors" in US domination, and clearly that would be The Rolling Stones.
I don't think there is anybody on the planet that hasn't heard of this group, but I'll admit I wasn't very familiar with their music until about 6 or 7 years ago when I bought their most recent compilation album "Forty Licks". It's a pretty comprehensive set, but as I've discovered more music from the group I realize it only scratches the surface. If you want to get a feel for The Rolling Stones and want to familiarize yourself with their style I might recommend "Hot Rocks 1964-1971". Than again, if you really just want a taste of what makes them one of the most Awesome bands to ever live, check out "Aftermath", which to me is one of their very best albums. It also seems like it was a bit of a breakthrough for them. In 1965, the group officially became Stars with the release of their still most popular single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" which was available on the US release of "Out of Our Heads", "Aftermath" was released the year after and was the first of their albums with songs written exclusively by the founding members Keith Richards and lead singer Mick Jagger. And really this album tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the Rolling Stones... their style, their attitudes, their personalities, and is also a good peak into their future recordings."Aftermath" is one of the most fun albums you will ever listen to. The bulk of the album is very upbeat and infectious from the popular hit "Under my Thumb" to "Stupid Girl" (those two songs go hand in hand, "Thumb" talks about the girl who "once pushed me around" and now has basically turned into his Groupie... and "Stupid" seems to talk about that same vapid materialistic girl "The way she talks about someone else, That she don't even know herself, She's the sickest thing in this world, Well, look at that stupid girl") "Think", "Its' Not Easy" and "Flight 505", songs that are extremely catchy and addictive but also have actual substance to their lyrics matched with very energetic vocals by Jagger, which make them all great sing-alongs.
This album displays other sides of The Stones' recording style, for instance their love for mock-Country songs like "High and Dry" and "Dontcha Bother Me". Using heavy harmonica and Country strings, and Jagger doing his best (or maybe purposely comical) American Country singer voice and phrasing. This is the type of stuff they used later in their careers during their famous 4 album streak (1968's "Beggars Banquet" 69's "Let it Bleed", 71's "Sticky Fingers" and 72's "Exile on Main St") of Critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. And finally this album showed how experimental the group was in using non-traditional instruments and arrangements on classics like "I Am Waiting" "Lady Jane" and the immensely popular "Paint It, Black"."Aftermath" is a must-have album if your looking to learn more about The Stones. It gives you a great taste of who they are and who they were becoming. And they haven't really derived far from the format of this album yet. A Classic album by a Legendary Group.
5.12.2009
Beyoncé = Diva!
I was trying to think of an excuse to post this pic... but do I really need a reason? This Pic is beyond Awesome.
Beyoncé is in the midst of her "I Am... Tour", which comes State side in June. July 10th in Oakland. And her final 4 shows will be "special" performances at Las Vegas' Wynn Hotel with "special" pricing packages, they are like $500 plus you HAVE to get a room package with it. And the venue was allegedly designed just for her, but it only seats 1500 people. This is actually a promotional picture for those Las Vegas shows. Additionally the Las Vegas shows will be taped for the "I Am... Tour" DVD.
Top 25 All-Time Favourite Artists (20-25)
As I said on my Myspace blog last year when I posted my Top 25 Favourite Artists that I love making lists, I love music, and I love making lists about the artists who make the great music I love. And as the years progress, and the more music I listen to, this list is going to change. This one has just recently been updated for 2009 and includes Four new entries (which means Four artists have lost their spot... sorry Brandy, Maxwell, George Michael and TLC, they can somehow make it back on the list maybe next year.)
So let's get it started...
20. Snoop Dogg
In regards to making my "exclusive" Top 25 list, consistency is an important quality. And whenever I think of Snoop, that's the word that comes to mind. It seems like everytime there's been a lull in his career he comes back Swinging. For every "Snoops Upside Ya Head" or "From tha Chuuch to the Palace" there's a classic like "Lay Low" or "Beautiful" or "Drop it like it's Hot". And save for the few years Suge Knight was trying to ruin his career, Snoop is a pretty consistent albums artists too. The self proclaimed "Uncle" of everyone in the industry may not always be there when you call, but he's always on time with a future Hip Hop staple. And let's not forget, Snoop has probably THE best debut hip hop album ever with "Doggystyle" which is still a must have in any car. He's seriously one of the True Hip Hop Legends.
21. Erykah badu
I love an artist that is completely unique. An artist whose voice is instantly recognizable and impossible to duplicate. And artist whose image is unpredictable, and who actually has a Personality instead of a caculated Public persona. So knowing all of that, you gotta know that I Love Erykah Badu, who easily qualifies in all the above mentioned categories.
myTop 3 Favourite Erykah badu albums: 1. Mama's Gun (2000), 2. Live (1997), 3. Baduizm (1996)
22. Nas
Nas debuted with one of the most celebrated Hip Hop Albums of all time "Illmatic", and public opinion seems to be that he has been working on topping that success ever since. He's had pretty sporadic hits ever since, and in 2001 during his and Jay-Z's epic "battle" Hov might have made the most accurate statement about Nas' career...
Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divideThat's one every let's say two, two of them shits was dueOne was - NAHHH, the other was "Illmatic"That's a one hot album every ten year averageAnd that's so - LAAAAAAAME!
and at that point, this statement from the same "Takeover" single was probably true...
Had a spark when you started but now you're just garbage.
However that 2001 battle definitley re-invigorated Mr. Escobar's career, with alot of people saying he Won that "battle". That year also saw one of his best (and my personal favourite) albums "Stillmatic" released with the classic "One Mic" as well as countless other thought provoking tracks. Somehow, somewhere during his comeback, he seemed to get the idea that he's the Voice of the Hip Hop generation and that they hang on to every word he says. Not true. I think it's made him a bit preachy in the bulk of his material. "Streets Disciple" "Hip Hop is Dead" and his most recent "Untitled" have certain sparks of genius, but also has him sounding more like a college professor schooling his fans instead of entertaining. Still, he has the talent and skill to keep him a legend for a long time.
myTop 3 Favourite Nas albums: 1. Stillmatic (2001), 2. Hip Hop is Dead (2006), 3. Illmatic (1994)
23. P!nk
Of the current Pop Princesses, P!nk is easily the most underrated. Her voice is so powerful and diverse, she can convincingly do everything from R&B to Pop to Rock. Her personality and image is fun and seemingly genuine. She has really fun big hit singles, and some very deep album cuts. And she is one hell of a performer who knows how to put on an amazing show using all of her talents.
So let's get it started...
20. Snoop Dogg
In regards to making my "exclusive" Top 25 list, consistency is an important quality. And whenever I think of Snoop, that's the word that comes to mind. It seems like everytime there's been a lull in his career he comes back Swinging. For every "Snoops Upside Ya Head" or "From tha Chuuch to the Palace" there's a classic like "Lay Low" or "Beautiful" or "Drop it like it's Hot". And save for the few years Suge Knight was trying to ruin his career, Snoop is a pretty consistent albums artists too. The self proclaimed "Uncle" of everyone in the industry may not always be there when you call, but he's always on time with a future Hip Hop staple. And let's not forget, Snoop has probably THE best debut hip hop album ever with "Doggystyle" which is still a must have in any car. He's seriously one of the True Hip Hop Legends.
myTop3 Favourite Snoop albums: 1. Doggystyle (1993), 2. Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), 3. R&G (2004)
21. Erykah badu
I love an artist that is completely unique. An artist whose voice is instantly recognizable and impossible to duplicate. And artist whose image is unpredictable, and who actually has a Personality instead of a caculated Public persona. So knowing all of that, you gotta know that I Love Erykah Badu, who easily qualifies in all the above mentioned categories.
myTop 3 Favourite Erykah badu albums: 1. Mama's Gun (2000), 2. Live (1997), 3. Baduizm (1996)
22. Nas
Nas debuted with one of the most celebrated Hip Hop Albums of all time "Illmatic", and public opinion seems to be that he has been working on topping that success ever since. He's had pretty sporadic hits ever since, and in 2001 during his and Jay-Z's epic "battle" Hov might have made the most accurate statement about Nas' career...
Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divideThat's one every let's say two, two of them shits was dueOne was - NAHHH, the other was "Illmatic"That's a one hot album every ten year averageAnd that's so - LAAAAAAAME!
and at that point, this statement from the same "Takeover" single was probably true...
Had a spark when you started but now you're just garbage.
However that 2001 battle definitley re-invigorated Mr. Escobar's career, with alot of people saying he Won that "battle". That year also saw one of his best (and my personal favourite) albums "Stillmatic" released with the classic "One Mic" as well as countless other thought provoking tracks. Somehow, somewhere during his comeback, he seemed to get the idea that he's the Voice of the Hip Hop generation and that they hang on to every word he says. Not true. I think it's made him a bit preachy in the bulk of his material. "Streets Disciple" "Hip Hop is Dead" and his most recent "Untitled" have certain sparks of genius, but also has him sounding more like a college professor schooling his fans instead of entertaining. Still, he has the talent and skill to keep him a legend for a long time.
myTop 3 Favourite Nas albums: 1. Stillmatic (2001), 2. Hip Hop is Dead (2006), 3. Illmatic (1994)
23. P!nk
Of the current Pop Princesses, P!nk is easily the most underrated. Her voice is so powerful and diverse, she can convincingly do everything from R&B to Pop to Rock. Her personality and image is fun and seemingly genuine. She has really fun big hit singles, and some very deep album cuts. And she is one hell of a performer who knows how to put on an amazing show using all of her talents.
myTop3 Favourite P!nk albums: 1. I'm Not Dead (2006), 2. Try This (2003), 3. Missundaztood (2001)
24. The Doors
This legendary group may have the shortest recording history of all the rest of the 24 acts listed. However in that short span of seven years (they continued the group as a threesome for only two albums after front man and rock God Jim Morrison died in 1971) they contributed some of the most amazing songs in the history of Music. I don't think I have to say much more than "Light my Fire", an Amazing jam session and easily one of the best songs ever recorded. Okay maybe I'll mention some other classics like "People are Strange" "Touch Me" "Five to One" "The End". A truly Amazing band, and the unfortunate death of Jim Morrison actually was fortunate for their catalog as they've delivered nothing but (well maybe except for "The Soft Parade") certified Classic albums and never really had a chance to fall off.
24. The Doors
This legendary group may have the shortest recording history of all the rest of the 24 acts listed. However in that short span of seven years (they continued the group as a threesome for only two albums after front man and rock God Jim Morrison died in 1971) they contributed some of the most amazing songs in the history of Music. I don't think I have to say much more than "Light my Fire", an Amazing jam session and easily one of the best songs ever recorded. Okay maybe I'll mention some other classics like "People are Strange" "Touch Me" "Five to One" "The End". A truly Amazing band, and the unfortunate death of Jim Morrison actually was fortunate for their catalog as they've delivered nothing but (well maybe except for "The Soft Parade") certified Classic albums and never really had a chance to fall off.
myTop3 Favourite Doors albums: 1. The Doors (1967), 2. Strange Days (1967), 3. L.A. Woman (1971)
25. Mary J. Blige/R.Kelly (tie)
25. Mary J. Blige/R.Kelly (tie)
These two are tied because aren't they really the male/female versions of each other. The undisputed King and Queen of 90's R&B Music. Every time they drop an album, it's guaranteed for over 400k sales. And they also both are very consistent with their albums. And they really are both the voice of their generation. What black female in her 30's hasn't been able to relate to at least one or two of Mary's "broken hearted woman" or "woman done wrong" songs ("I'm Going Down", "Not Gon Cry", "It's a Wrap"). Even as she has matured and gotten into to singing about actual love and positivity ("Be Without You" "Just Fine"), the women are still riding with her. And the same with R. Kelly, how many babies were made on the "12 Play" album or songs like "Half on a Baby" or "The Greatest Sex". Kells has been a little slow in acting his age, but even current tracks like "Same Girl" or "Rock Star" have all the men singing along.
myTop 3 Favourite Mary j blige albums: 1. What's the 411? (1992), 2. Love & Life (2003), 3. Growing Pains (2007)
myTop 3 Favourite R. Kelly albums: 1. Tp-2.com (2000), 2. Chocolate Factory (2003), 3. 12Play (1993)
myTop 3 Favourite Mary j blige albums: 1. What's the 411? (1992), 2. Love & Life (2003), 3. Growing Pains (2007)
myTop 3 Favourite R. Kelly albums: 1. Tp-2.com (2000), 2. Chocolate Factory (2003), 3. 12Play (1993)
Come back in about two weeks when I'll post my Top Artists from 19 to 15.
5.08.2009
Movie Review: Star Trek, The Best Sci-Fi/Action Film in a LOOOONNGG TIME!!!
I think I should start off by saying I'm a bit of a movie buff. Especially when I was younger, but I enjoy the art in film making. I enjoy great writing and story telling, great camera work and overall Direction, and I enjoy a believable acting performance. That being said, I have been majorly disappointed by the Film Industry, and it gets worse and worse each year. It seems like instead of trying to paint a masterpiece, Hollywood seems to do the Paint by Numbers film making. Cliched scripts, characters, direction, predictable action sequences, you name it. It's to the point where you already know whats going to happen by just watching the first trailer. Of course there are still good movies that come out, but generally in the Summer Action Movie genre this is the case. And I've been disappointed year ("Spiderman3"), after year ("War of the Worlds"), after year ("Planet of the Apes").
So even though I was blown away by the Teaser Trailer, and the finalized trailer that came out earlier this year, I was still skeptical about the new "Star Trek" flick which is officially released today (or yesterday, if i don't end up posting this until Saturday). Let me cut right to the chase, this movie didn't disappoint at all. Not only that, but it really exceeded my expectations which is very rare in a big blockbuster Sci-Fi Action flick. It's the first time since maybe "X2" that i walked out truly satisfied and surprised that a movie was a lot better than I expected. "Star Trek" had everything you want in a movie... Genuinely suspenseful Action scenes, Amazing special effects, Perfect cast who all nailed their roles, Humor, a well-paced and intriguing storyline, and great Direction.
I'm a big "Lost" fan, and when I heard JJ Abrams was working on a "Star Trek" movie I got excited basically because of him. I watched the old episodes of "Star Trek" when I was younger, but wasn't ever really an official "Trekkie". When I heard he was doing a "Pre-quel" of sorts, I Netflixed the first couple of seasons of the series, and instantly became a fan. The show just really works on different angles... it's corny, but the story lines are great, the acting is a little over the top, but you get real great characters from it. This movie actually takes all the positive things about the series and corrects all the negatives. Like I said the movie is sort of a "Pre-quel" (I won't give away why I have that in quotations, you'll get it when you see it) following James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) from birth, to adolescents, to the Fleet Academy. They end up on the brand new Starship The Enterprise and get familiar with the crew. Zoe Saldana as just Uhura, Karl Urban as "Bones" McCoy, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Honestly, the plot doesn't matter that much. It was somewhat simple, but interesting enough to keep you interested and at times it was unpredictable, it was enough to not distract you from everything else that was working so perfectly for this movie.
One thing being the cast.
Being a fan of the original series and of these characters, I have to say it again everybody nailed their roles. They all managed to keep the essence of the characters and not overdo it or mimic their performances too closely. Zachary Quinto 
had probably the hardest challenge though. The half human, half Vulcan Spock is an extremely complicated character to tackle. And Quinto definitely did a great job, not only in tackling those complexities, but also by being the stand out and scene stealer of a great cast. I also have to mention Karl Urban's McCoy, who made a very risky move of doing an almost identical portrayal of the character as the originals DeForest Kelley. His mannerisms, the stuff he did with his face and eyes, even the southern accent. The risk paid off, because he was the main guy delivering all the laughs (Intentional laughs by the way). Simon Pegg, who I find hilarious normally, was unfortunately underused in this movie but still delivers as Scotty.
My hat is off to JJ Abrams who did a flawless job of directing this cast, and delivering one of the most Visually amazing films I think I've ever seen. From the opening sequence, he does camera angles and some very creative action shots that I've never seen before. I would say the last movie I saw where I truly thought "I've never seen that before" was Paul Thomas Anderson's Masterpiece "There Will Be Blood". With "Star Trek", I had a lot of those moments. The first couple of shots of the new "Enterprise" and actually most of the action shots literally gave me chills. Alot of things that I don't normally like in film (lots of lens flares, shaky camera, rotating and leaning camera angles), JJ made them fit perfectly in this film. I know that the movie is fresh on my mind and I may just be hyped up now, but I truly feel like this would deserve a bunch of Oscar nominations including Best Picture. I know that won't happen (My only real wish is that JJ can get a best Director nomination out of this), it will undoubtedly sweep a lot of technical categories, but this movie was a really incredible piece of art. One of those instances where it seems everything falls perfectly into place to create something truly Extra Ordinary. And this movie is that.
So even though I was blown away by the Teaser Trailer, and the finalized trailer that came out earlier this year, I was still skeptical about the new "Star Trek" flick which is officially released today (or yesterday, if i don't end up posting this until Saturday). Let me cut right to the chase, this movie didn't disappoint at all. Not only that, but it really exceeded my expectations which is very rare in a big blockbuster Sci-Fi Action flick. It's the first time since maybe "X2" that i walked out truly satisfied and surprised that a movie was a lot better than I expected. "Star Trek" had everything you want in a movie... Genuinely suspenseful Action scenes, Amazing special effects, Perfect cast who all nailed their roles, Humor, a well-paced and intriguing storyline, and great Direction.
I'm a big "Lost" fan, and when I heard JJ Abrams was working on a "Star Trek" movie I got excited basically because of him. I watched the old episodes of "Star Trek" when I was younger, but wasn't ever really an official "Trekkie". When I heard he was doing a "Pre-quel" of sorts, I Netflixed the first couple of seasons of the series, and instantly became a fan. The show just really works on different angles... it's corny, but the story lines are great, the acting is a little over the top, but you get real great characters from it. This movie actually takes all the positive things about the series and corrects all the negatives. Like I said the movie is sort of a "Pre-quel" (I won't give away why I have that in quotations, you'll get it when you see it) following James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) from birth, to adolescents, to the Fleet Academy. They end up on the brand new Starship The Enterprise and get familiar with the crew. Zoe Saldana as just Uhura, Karl Urban as "Bones" McCoy, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Honestly, the plot doesn't matter that much. It was somewhat simple, but interesting enough to keep you interested and at times it was unpredictable, it was enough to not distract you from everything else that was working so perfectly for this movie.
One thing being the cast.
Being a fan of the original series and of these characters, I have to say it again everybody nailed their roles. They all managed to keep the essence of the characters and not overdo it or mimic their performances too closely. Zachary Quinto had probably the hardest challenge though. The half human, half Vulcan Spock is an extremely complicated character to tackle. And Quinto definitely did a great job, not only in tackling those complexities, but also by being the stand out and scene stealer of a great cast. I also have to mention Karl Urban's McCoy, who made a very risky move of doing an almost identical portrayal of the character as the originals DeForest Kelley. His mannerisms, the stuff he did with his face and eyes, even the southern accent. The risk paid off, because he was the main guy delivering all the laughs (Intentional laughs by the way). Simon Pegg, who I find hilarious normally, was unfortunately underused in this movie but still delivers as Scotty.My hat is off to JJ Abrams who did a flawless job of directing this cast, and delivering one of the most Visually amazing films I think I've ever seen. From the opening sequence, he does camera angles and some very creative action shots that I've never seen before. I would say the last movie I saw where I truly thought "I've never seen that before" was Paul Thomas Anderson's Masterpiece "There Will Be Blood". With "Star Trek", I had a lot of those moments. The first couple of shots of the new "Enterprise" and actually most of the action shots literally gave me chills. Alot of things that I don't normally like in film (lots of lens flares, shaky camera, rotating and leaning camera angles), JJ made them fit perfectly in this film. I know that the movie is fresh on my mind and I may just be hyped up now, but I truly feel like this would deserve a bunch of Oscar nominations including Best Picture. I know that won't happen (My only real wish is that JJ can get a best Director nomination out of this), it will undoubtedly sweep a lot of technical categories, but this movie was a really incredible piece of art. One of those instances where it seems everything falls perfectly into place to create something truly Extra Ordinary. And this movie is that.
5.01.2009
2009 Music Reviews: The-Dream, Keri, Ciara, Chris Cornell, Prince, Chester French... et plus!
So I don't feel like I can start a blog, and not do a quick recap of the 2009 releases. Because for one a lot of them I may be mentioning in future blogs because they are that good... and also because there haven't been many noteworthy releases this year. (Actually, you should keep in mind i haven't had internet at the house for that long now... I probably do need to catch up.)
so i guess i'll just get started.
The R&B Releases:
The first album that was released this year that i was really excited about was The-Dream's sophomore album "Love vs Money". And it's still my favourite of the year.
Much like his debut "Love(Me all summer)/Hate(Me all winter)" was last year. This sophomore album isn't drastically different from the first, but he actually manages to make it work. Much like Jagged Edge or T.I. or even Mariah Carey, he seems to follow the same winning format and it Wins again. Basically because he makes a slight improvement over the last album, "Mr. Yeah" becomes the 2009 version of his first hit "Shawty is the Shit", The title track (both Parts 1 & 2) become the sequel to "Nikki", "Walking on the Moon" completely laps "Fast Car" as the Prince inspired club single from this album. There are a few spots where he goes in a totally new direction however, mainly the two song Opus in the middle of the album "Fancy" and "Right Side of my Brain". The former being a very ambient track that turns into (at the very end) a Hip Hop Bass Banger that leads seamlessly into the very out there "Brain" which has one of the most addictive hooks on the album. The albums first single "Rockin that Shit" seems a little familiar to his most popular (and most borrowed from -- see Jamie Foxx "Blame It") single "I Luv Your Girl", but the barely there hook also reminds you of the aforementioned "Shawty is the Shit" so combined they sound fresh. Same with "Kelly's 12 Play" which takes the best of his "baby-makers" on his last album and blends it with lyrics pretty much everybody of our generation can understand, trying to find that perfect Soundtrack for the bedroom (and I don't really agree, but ALOT of people will vouch that R. Kelly's "12 Play" is That album). In conclusion =P this is a very solid album. All of the songs may not be 5 star rated, but played all together this album will definitely see life throughout the year.
It's become pretty obvious that since Rihanna's "Umbrella" exploded in 2007, The-Dream and producer Tricky Stewart (writer and producer of the #1 smash) have been a ubiquitous feature on several of the R&B and Pop albums released since. And that's going into this new year as well, and their three productions on Ciara's third album "Fantasy Ride" (released Tuesday May 5th) mark some of the highlights on a very surprisingly good outing from Miss Ci-Ci. Though The-Dream does have a killer single with Mariah Carey on his own album (that albums second single "My Love"), he may have an even better duet with Ciara on her albums "Lovers Thing" which is a perfect mesh of the 80's R&B and Today's repetitive, "Eh Eh" influenced R&B. Even better still is another 80's inspired slow jam "Keep Dancing on Me". And our own "Radio Killa" also had a hand in producing Ciara and Ludacris' re-pairing "High Price" a very addictive and Hard urban cut. Those are undoubtedly a few of the highlights of "Fantasy Ride"
, however Ciara also works well with some different sounds namely the Dance music genre. In what should have been the albums first single, Ciara duets with the now infamous Chris Brown on what couldn't be described as anything other than a BANGER "Turntables" which is an undeniable dance cut that I hope we get a video for at some point. Rodney Jerkins contributes the superior "Pucker Up" (maybe my favorite song on the album) with great results. Unfortunately, this album is more of a Producers album than it is Ciara's album. On her previous outing "The Evolution", Ciara managed to let her voice and her style shine through the upbeat dance tracks. This album she is a little buried under the production. And another thing that's a bit unfortunate is the fact that her label picked two of the most boring songs off the album (the Young Jeezy featured "Never Ever" and the Timberlake assisted "Love Sex Magic") and chose to release them as the first and second singles, which might have the majority of people uninterested in what might be the best R&B/Dance album to be released this year.
Now almost the complete opposite is Keri Hilson
, a new artist that actually released a bunch of great singles, making alot of people interested in her debut album "In A Perfect World" which ended up being very lackluster. Now it's no secret that the music industry basically falls in the hands of the Star Writers and Producers of today. An artist alone seemingly can't get people to buy an album (unless your T.I., Beyonce or Lil Wayne), but who produced it and who is featured on an album seems to be more important. Given that fact, Keri should have had an amazing album. She's been working her way up in the industry since at least 2006 when she was featured on at least 4 of the tracks from Diddy's "Press Play" album. She was featured on a bunch of tracks on Timbaland's "Shock Value" including the #1 Hit "The Way I Are". She has been featured on loads of rappers albums (Nas, Lloyd Banks, Rich Boy), and she was prominently featured in Usher's #1 hit video "Love in this Club". She should have had the pick of the litter to come with a memorable debut. Even on the albums intro track she name drops Super producers Polow Da Don and Timbaland, and we know she works very closely with Danja. So why does her album suck?
A simple answer would be: she's nothing special. Polow, Timbaland, Danja and even Akon breathe life into alot of the tracks and about half of the album is very good, but most of those standout tracks feature someone else or the track drowns her completely out. Standouts on this album are "Turnin Me On" (great Polow Production, Killer Weezy verse), "Knock You Down" (featuring both Ne-Yo and Kanye), "Return the Favour" (with Timbaland), "Get Your Money Up" (featuring Keyshia Cole and Trina), and "Change Me" (a duet with Akon). While the low points seem to all come from when she is by herself. Though "Energy" (one of the many false-start singles released in 2008) is an amazing song and "How Does it Feel" doesn't completely suck, pretty much every other song suffers from sounding too much like every other R&B song out there, and she sounds like every other R&B artist. It seems Keri, and this album, is like one of those big blockbuster Summer movies. Where you spend so much on visual effects so you know that's going to sell the movie, but don't bother to spend time on a good script or actors. Keri knew she had the best of the best for production, but it seems like she didn't take the time to make Herself (her voice and personality) more of a standout.
While we're on disappointing R&B releases, let's talk about Day26. These "Making the Band" Characters finally released their sophomore album "Forever in a Day" after what might be their best season on the hit MTV reality show.
Now this album may not be terrible, it's far from their self titled debut which had them basically taking the place of 112 and Jagged Edge with nice harmonies and upbeat love songs. This album sounds more like just a R&B radio hodge podge. None of it is terrible, but none of it is really good enough to remember. It's really not even good enough to devote space on my blog to, so i'll just leave it at that. Just stick with the singles and the tracks you heard them record on the show("Stadium Music" "Imma Put it On Her" "So Good"), and than pray that we get a DVD of their most heated season.
The Pop Releases:
There has been alot of predictable and forgettable releases on the Pop side as well. Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame, released his third solo album this year. The album "Scream" is a collaboration with my favourite "Used to be Good" Producer Timbaland.
Don't get me wrong, Timbaland is a talented individual but in the past 4 years he hasn't contributed anything that would be mistaken for innovative or original. And unfortunately this album doesn't change that. While listening to the album, which is also not terrible, I got the feeling I was listening to retreads of his productions for Bjork, Duran Duran and Madonna. Additionally Chris' voice seems to not really fit the darker-dance tracks Timbaland provides on this album. They both do their best to make it work though, and that's fairly evident which is why this album isn't a totally stinker. In fact, it's really not bad and it might grow on me. Parts of it are really fun. Some parts just seem a little odd.
Kelly Clarkson,
America's first "Idol", comes back on the Rock-Light scene with her fourth album "All I Ever Wanted", which in my opinion, is the most paint-by-numbers Pop album released so far this year. Being that her last album "My December" flopped, it seems like her label was taking no chances. They wanted to construct the perfect Pop/Rock album with all the usual players. For instance, Katy Perry and Max Martin. Katy owned this Rock-Light/Pop market last year with a trio of hit singles produced by Martin... and just when she was fading off Pink delivered a smash hit with her Martin produced "So What". So of course Clarkson has Martin producing her first single "My Life would suck with You", and actually taking two unreleased Katy Perry songs for her own (the second single "I Do Not Hook Up" and "Long Shot"). Clarkson also works with Ryan Tedder, who produced and wrote Leona Lewis' Monster single "Bleeding Love", as well as his own "Apologize" with his group OneRepublic. They actually collaborate on most of the albums stand outs "Impossible" and "Save You". The rest of the album is made up of many lackluster, same sounding songs. The real (and really the Only) standout here is the uptempo Rocker "If I Can't Have You" which basically shits on the rest of the album. "Cry" is also a nice change within the album because it sounds more country than anything else. (I want to add, Kelly's big hit singles from 2005 "Since u been gone" and "Behind these Hazel Eyes" were also produced by Max Martin, and actually gave him a bit of a comeback. I just didn't want it to seem like I was saying Kelly stole Max Martin from anybody.)
Moving on to something new and surprising let's talk about Chester French. This duo made one of their first appearances on Common's "Universal Mind Control" album on one of it's best songs. And shortly after released a mixtape with Clinton Sparks on their website. All to help build up for their debut release "Love the Future". Now on the mixtape ("Jacques Jams Vol. 1") Sparks actually describes them as The Beatles meets Outkast, but don't get too excited they really aren't That good. They ARE good though, I'd say it's more of a mash up between Weezer, N.E.R.D., Beck and maybe a small slice of the Beatles. Their sound is really cool though, they are on the StarTrak label which isn't very surprising. Though the duo
(Maxwell Drummey and D.A. Wallach) produced the entire album on their own, they obviously have a big influence in their label heads Pharrell and Chad. In fact, this album does what those guys were never able to do. Chester French made a better N.E.R.D. album than N.E.R.D. did. In the end it's a really Fun, catchy, experimental Rock/Hip Hop album that works surprisingly well. "C'Mon (On My Own)" "The Jimmy Choos" "Bebe Buell" are the more upbeat, radio friendly singles while "Not over You" "She Loves Everybody" "Beneath the Veil" and "Sleep" are some excellent tracks that really show their Neptunes influence. And as good as "Love the Future" is, I happen to feel like their mixtape "Jacques Jams, Vol. 1: Endurance" is even better. It actually uses the late 90's Hip Hop technique of weaving a storyline with the interludes which begin with "Starting a Band" to "Realizing Being a Nerd is Cool" to "Becoming a Douchebag" to "Regaining Your Hard On", and the interludes are hilarious. This mixtape is also filled with great featured guests from Kardinall Offishall & N.O.R.E. ("No Parents Allowed"), Lady Gaga, Pharrell, Jermaine Dupri, Talib Kweli, Solange Knowles, Diddy, and Jadakiss. But the best two songs come from a collaboration with Janelle Monae titled "Nerd Girl" and the sequel "I'm Sorry", where he tells his "Nerd Girl" he's "Sorry" because he got too famous for her. Get into Chester French, I don't predict that they'll have any monster singles from "Love the Future" but who knows, they have potential.
Now Last, but definitely not least is my favourite artist Prince. Who released his Target-only "LOtUSFLOW3R" album which is three discs. However you're only going to need one of those discs. The first disc is actually not even Prince but his "protegee" Brea Valentina (titled "Elixer"). And, yeah I haven't listened to that. The second disc, "LOtUSFLOW3R", sounds like Prince trying to time travel into the mid-60's Psychedelic era and definitely serving up his own Jimi Hendrix style guitar playing. Not a terrible album, well yeah it is. There are only about 3 songs that save this portion of the set. However once you pop in the third disc "MPLSoUND"
, listening to the other two will all be worth it. This album is PRINCE, good 1982 sounding Prince. At just 9 tracks, this is a great Prince album. You got some great slow burners like "Ur Gonna C Me" and "Here", while you get some really hot uptempo club hits (the best he's done in decades... seriously) in the albums Highlights "Chocolate Box" and "Valentina". Two songs that could easily get him back onto Mainstream Pop radio ("Chocolate Box" with a verse from Q-Tip, actually gives the best Black Eyed Peas radio hit a run for it's money). I haven't really expected much from Prince since the 90's, and he's released some fair albums over the years. This one (well "MPLSoUND") shocked the hell out of me, because I never thought Prince could get back to the greatness of the "1999" Era. He obviously does not surpass that classic album, but he gets as close as he's been in a very long time.
so i guess i'll just get started.
The R&B Releases:
The first album that was released this year that i was really excited about was The-Dream's sophomore album "Love vs Money". And it's still my favourite of the year.
Much like his debut "Love(Me all summer)/Hate(Me all winter)" was last year. This sophomore album isn't drastically different from the first, but he actually manages to make it work. Much like Jagged Edge or T.I. or even Mariah Carey, he seems to follow the same winning format and it Wins again. Basically because he makes a slight improvement over the last album, "Mr. Yeah" becomes the 2009 version of his first hit "Shawty is the Shit", The title track (both Parts 1 & 2) become the sequel to "Nikki", "Walking on the Moon" completely laps "Fast Car" as the Prince inspired club single from this album. There are a few spots where he goes in a totally new direction however, mainly the two song Opus in the middle of the album "Fancy" and "Right Side of my Brain". The former being a very ambient track that turns into (at the very end) a Hip Hop Bass Banger that leads seamlessly into the very out there "Brain" which has one of the most addictive hooks on the album. The albums first single "Rockin that Shit" seems a little familiar to his most popular (and most borrowed from -- see Jamie Foxx "Blame It") single "I Luv Your Girl", but the barely there hook also reminds you of the aforementioned "Shawty is the Shit" so combined they sound fresh. Same with "Kelly's 12 Play" which takes the best of his "baby-makers" on his last album and blends it with lyrics pretty much everybody of our generation can understand, trying to find that perfect Soundtrack for the bedroom (and I don't really agree, but ALOT of people will vouch that R. Kelly's "12 Play" is That album). In conclusion =P this is a very solid album. All of the songs may not be 5 star rated, but played all together this album will definitely see life throughout the year.It's become pretty obvious that since Rihanna's "Umbrella" exploded in 2007, The-Dream and producer Tricky Stewart (writer and producer of the #1 smash) have been a ubiquitous feature on several of the R&B and Pop albums released since. And that's going into this new year as well, and their three productions on Ciara's third album "Fantasy Ride" (released Tuesday May 5th) mark some of the highlights on a very surprisingly good outing from Miss Ci-Ci. Though The-Dream does have a killer single with Mariah Carey on his own album (that albums second single "My Love"), he may have an even better duet with Ciara on her albums "Lovers Thing" which is a perfect mesh of the 80's R&B and Today's repetitive, "Eh Eh" influenced R&B. Even better still is another 80's inspired slow jam "Keep Dancing on Me". And our own "Radio Killa" also had a hand in producing Ciara and Ludacris' re-pairing "High Price" a very addictive and Hard urban cut. Those are undoubtedly a few of the highlights of "Fantasy Ride"
, however Ciara also works well with some different sounds namely the Dance music genre. In what should have been the albums first single, Ciara duets with the now infamous Chris Brown on what couldn't be described as anything other than a BANGER "Turntables" which is an undeniable dance cut that I hope we get a video for at some point. Rodney Jerkins contributes the superior "Pucker Up" (maybe my favorite song on the album) with great results. Unfortunately, this album is more of a Producers album than it is Ciara's album. On her previous outing "The Evolution", Ciara managed to let her voice and her style shine through the upbeat dance tracks. This album she is a little buried under the production. And another thing that's a bit unfortunate is the fact that her label picked two of the most boring songs off the album (the Young Jeezy featured "Never Ever" and the Timberlake assisted "Love Sex Magic") and chose to release them as the first and second singles, which might have the majority of people uninterested in what might be the best R&B/Dance album to be released this year.Now almost the complete opposite is Keri Hilson
, a new artist that actually released a bunch of great singles, making alot of people interested in her debut album "In A Perfect World" which ended up being very lackluster. Now it's no secret that the music industry basically falls in the hands of the Star Writers and Producers of today. An artist alone seemingly can't get people to buy an album (unless your T.I., Beyonce or Lil Wayne), but who produced it and who is featured on an album seems to be more important. Given that fact, Keri should have had an amazing album. She's been working her way up in the industry since at least 2006 when she was featured on at least 4 of the tracks from Diddy's "Press Play" album. She was featured on a bunch of tracks on Timbaland's "Shock Value" including the #1 Hit "The Way I Are". She has been featured on loads of rappers albums (Nas, Lloyd Banks, Rich Boy), and she was prominently featured in Usher's #1 hit video "Love in this Club". She should have had the pick of the litter to come with a memorable debut. Even on the albums intro track she name drops Super producers Polow Da Don and Timbaland, and we know she works very closely with Danja. So why does her album suck?A simple answer would be: she's nothing special. Polow, Timbaland, Danja and even Akon breathe life into alot of the tracks and about half of the album is very good, but most of those standout tracks feature someone else or the track drowns her completely out. Standouts on this album are "Turnin Me On" (great Polow Production, Killer Weezy verse), "Knock You Down" (featuring both Ne-Yo and Kanye), "Return the Favour" (with Timbaland), "Get Your Money Up" (featuring Keyshia Cole and Trina), and "Change Me" (a duet with Akon). While the low points seem to all come from when she is by herself. Though "Energy" (one of the many false-start singles released in 2008) is an amazing song and "How Does it Feel" doesn't completely suck, pretty much every other song suffers from sounding too much like every other R&B song out there, and she sounds like every other R&B artist. It seems Keri, and this album, is like one of those big blockbuster Summer movies. Where you spend so much on visual effects so you know that's going to sell the movie, but don't bother to spend time on a good script or actors. Keri knew she had the best of the best for production, but it seems like she didn't take the time to make Herself (her voice and personality) more of a standout.
While we're on disappointing R&B releases, let's talk about Day26. These "Making the Band" Characters finally released their sophomore album "Forever in a Day" after what might be their best season on the hit MTV reality show.
Now this album may not be terrible, it's far from their self titled debut which had them basically taking the place of 112 and Jagged Edge with nice harmonies and upbeat love songs. This album sounds more like just a R&B radio hodge podge. None of it is terrible, but none of it is really good enough to remember. It's really not even good enough to devote space on my blog to, so i'll just leave it at that. Just stick with the singles and the tracks you heard them record on the show("Stadium Music" "Imma Put it On Her" "So Good"), and than pray that we get a DVD of their most heated season.The Pop Releases:
There has been alot of predictable and forgettable releases on the Pop side as well. Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame, released his third solo album this year. The album "Scream" is a collaboration with my favourite "Used to be Good" Producer Timbaland.
Don't get me wrong, Timbaland is a talented individual but in the past 4 years he hasn't contributed anything that would be mistaken for innovative or original. And unfortunately this album doesn't change that. While listening to the album, which is also not terrible, I got the feeling I was listening to retreads of his productions for Bjork, Duran Duran and Madonna. Additionally Chris' voice seems to not really fit the darker-dance tracks Timbaland provides on this album. They both do their best to make it work though, and that's fairly evident which is why this album isn't a totally stinker. In fact, it's really not bad and it might grow on me. Parts of it are really fun. Some parts just seem a little odd.Kelly Clarkson,
America's first "Idol", comes back on the Rock-Light scene with her fourth album "All I Ever Wanted", which in my opinion, is the most paint-by-numbers Pop album released so far this year. Being that her last album "My December" flopped, it seems like her label was taking no chances. They wanted to construct the perfect Pop/Rock album with all the usual players. For instance, Katy Perry and Max Martin. Katy owned this Rock-Light/Pop market last year with a trio of hit singles produced by Martin... and just when she was fading off Pink delivered a smash hit with her Martin produced "So What". So of course Clarkson has Martin producing her first single "My Life would suck with You", and actually taking two unreleased Katy Perry songs for her own (the second single "I Do Not Hook Up" and "Long Shot"). Clarkson also works with Ryan Tedder, who produced and wrote Leona Lewis' Monster single "Bleeding Love", as well as his own "Apologize" with his group OneRepublic. They actually collaborate on most of the albums stand outs "Impossible" and "Save You". The rest of the album is made up of many lackluster, same sounding songs. The real (and really the Only) standout here is the uptempo Rocker "If I Can't Have You" which basically shits on the rest of the album. "Cry" is also a nice change within the album because it sounds more country than anything else. (I want to add, Kelly's big hit singles from 2005 "Since u been gone" and "Behind these Hazel Eyes" were also produced by Max Martin, and actually gave him a bit of a comeback. I just didn't want it to seem like I was saying Kelly stole Max Martin from anybody.)Moving on to something new and surprising let's talk about Chester French. This duo made one of their first appearances on Common's "Universal Mind Control" album on one of it's best songs. And shortly after released a mixtape with Clinton Sparks on their website. All to help build up for their debut release "Love the Future". Now on the mixtape ("Jacques Jams Vol. 1") Sparks actually describes them as The Beatles meets Outkast, but don't get too excited they really aren't That good. They ARE good though, I'd say it's more of a mash up between Weezer, N.E.R.D., Beck and maybe a small slice of the Beatles. Their sound is really cool though, they are on the StarTrak label which isn't very surprising. Though the duo
(Maxwell Drummey and D.A. Wallach) produced the entire album on their own, they obviously have a big influence in their label heads Pharrell and Chad. In fact, this album does what those guys were never able to do. Chester French made a better N.E.R.D. album than N.E.R.D. did. In the end it's a really Fun, catchy, experimental Rock/Hip Hop album that works surprisingly well. "C'Mon (On My Own)" "The Jimmy Choos" "Bebe Buell" are the more upbeat, radio friendly singles while "Not over You" "She Loves Everybody" "Beneath the Veil" and "Sleep" are some excellent tracks that really show their Neptunes influence. And as good as "Love the Future" is, I happen to feel like their mixtape "Jacques Jams, Vol. 1: Endurance" is even better. It actually uses the late 90's Hip Hop technique of weaving a storyline with the interludes which begin with "Starting a Band" to "Realizing Being a Nerd is Cool" to "Becoming a Douchebag" to "Regaining Your Hard On", and the interludes are hilarious. This mixtape is also filled with great featured guests from Kardinall Offishall & N.O.R.E. ("No Parents Allowed"), Lady Gaga, Pharrell, Jermaine Dupri, Talib Kweli, Solange Knowles, Diddy, and Jadakiss. But the best two songs come from a collaboration with Janelle Monae titled "Nerd Girl" and the sequel "I'm Sorry", where he tells his "Nerd Girl" he's "Sorry" because he got too famous for her. Get into Chester French, I don't predict that they'll have any monster singles from "Love the Future" but who knows, they have potential.Now Last, but definitely not least is my favourite artist Prince. Who released his Target-only "LOtUSFLOW3R" album which is three discs. However you're only going to need one of those discs. The first disc is actually not even Prince but his "protegee" Brea Valentina (titled "Elixer"). And, yeah I haven't listened to that. The second disc, "LOtUSFLOW3R", sounds like Prince trying to time travel into the mid-60's Psychedelic era and definitely serving up his own Jimi Hendrix style guitar playing. Not a terrible album, well yeah it is. There are only about 3 songs that save this portion of the set. However once you pop in the third disc "MPLSoUND"
, listening to the other two will all be worth it. This album is PRINCE, good 1982 sounding Prince. At just 9 tracks, this is a great Prince album. You got some great slow burners like "Ur Gonna C Me" and "Here", while you get some really hot uptempo club hits (the best he's done in decades... seriously) in the albums Highlights "Chocolate Box" and "Valentina". Two songs that could easily get him back onto Mainstream Pop radio ("Chocolate Box" with a verse from Q-Tip, actually gives the best Black Eyed Peas radio hit a run for it's money). I haven't really expected much from Prince since the 90's, and he's released some fair albums over the years. This one (well "MPLSoUND") shocked the hell out of me, because I never thought Prince could get back to the greatness of the "1999" Era. He obviously does not surpass that classic album, but he gets as close as he's been in a very long time.
WeLCOMe TO MY BLOG!!!
Some of you may be familiar with my way with words displayed on my Myspace blog (myspace.com/d1esel6), which I haven't updated at all in 2009. While I was regularly updating that blog, you would come to expect Album reviews and music news. So this official blog will provide more of the same. I intend to update once every week (probably on Mondays, I haven't figured that part out yet though). I want to do album reviews and music news, but also I want to have spotlights on Older albums and artists. I have been more and more listening to legendary artists and music from their time, and it's a shame that alot of kids these days aren't familiar with some of the greatest artists and albums released. So this blog won't just be about contemporary popular music. I have a bunch of ideas for this Blog. So... let's get it started.
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