Posts Tagged ‘R&B’

New Lauryn? Nah, I’m Good

Posted: May 7, 2013 in Articles, Audio
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If you can recall my previous post, I’ve already shared my disillusionment with Lauryn Hill. No one can ever speak ill about her legendary career, but when you bring up Ms. Hill, you also have to bring up the fuckery. The shattered voice, the 512 kids and the tax issues. Truthfully, only the 1st item on that list is any of my business, but unfortunately, the 3rd item is impacting the 1st. Meaning, Lauryn had to sign a record contract in order to pay off her overdue taxes. What we’re left with is a brand new song I wish I didn’t hear. No matter how much die-hard fans want to like this travesty, I cannot co-sign this new shit. With that being said, I am prepared for the hate.

In case you missed it, Lauryn put out a new song the other day called “Neurotic Society.” Side bar, you can listen to the track below. Anyway, I have a few issues with this song, so let’s start with the beat. For someone as musically talented as Lauryn, this is the best instrumental she could make/find? If there was ever a beat that just seems to “happen” with no rhyme or reason, it’s this one. It’s overly loud and boisterous and doesn’t really go anywhere. Just a bunch of unnecessary drum hits and preset keyboard sounds. Next, there’s her flow. Did she even remotely try to rhyme on beat? She’s easily one of the greatest rappers ever, so what kind of tomfoolery was she engaging in here? Yes, I know she had an important message to convey, but all of it got lost in her non-rhythmic speech and poor beat selection. If she simply wanted to share her ideals, she could drop a spoken word album or some shit. If she’s going to be a musician, make sure the music is actually musical. Cool? Cool.

All in all, like I previously said, you can listen to the song below. Some people won’t agree with me, but fuck it, this is my site, son. If Lauryn decides to put out some dope shit, I will be the first one to shout it out from the mountaintops. Until then, no, I’m not interested.

Where Are Ray J’s Parents?

Posted: April 9, 2013 in Articles
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Kim Kardashian

*Sigh* You just can’t take some fools anywhere, son. Honestly, I could clown Ray J is so many ways, I don’t even know where to begin. In case you missed it, Brandy‘s brother recently put out a song called “I Hit It First,” where he’s clearly talking about Kim Kardashian and has a single cover to prove it. Side bar, this dumbass is going to deny the fact the song is about Kim like we all suffer from “Francine Smith” syndrome. C’mon son, you need more people. A lot more people. In any case, this song serves as another example of a corny man doing corny shit for 5 minutes of attention. With that being said, it’s my turn to make fun of him for a little while.

Now quality (or lack thereof) aside, I have a few problems with the premise of this song. First, the sextape between him and Kim dropped back in 2007. Let that shit go, son. I haven’t even thought about chicks I fucked 6 years ago, let alone made a song about them. How old are we, bruh? That’s some shit idiots do in high school when the prom queen played them out for the old-looking 17-year-old on the motorcycle. Isn’t this dude in his 30s? His parents have to be ashamed of him. Second, he didn’t technically hit it first. Kim was married to Damon Thomas way before she even met him. On top of that, homie is a record producer, so if he isn’t even making songs about giving Kim backshots, maybe Ray Ray needs to go sit down somewhere. This is exactly why nobody takes his singing career seriously, because he doesn’t know how to leave his Ronald McDonald costume in the closet. People these days, I tell ya.

All in all, if I was Kanye West, I wouldn’t even respond to this dude. Any man that feels the need to bring up some shit from like 10 years ago doesn’t deserve anyone’s attention. Truthfully, I’m ashamed of myself for even writing this post, but shit, I could never pass up the opportunity to make fun of someone. It’s in my blood, son. Good day.

Beyoncé vs. Bitches

Posted: March 21, 2013 in Articles
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Bow Down

Now why did Beyoncé have to go and start some shit? It’s really amazing how one song can bring out the mark-ass-trick and trick-ass-mark in some people. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Mrs. Carter dropped “Bow Down / I Been On” a few days ago and certain people’s hoe-ass-hoeness was exposed. More specifically, Keyshia Cole‘s inner struggle was on display for all to see. While I don’t think Bey’s new joint is really any good, I still find it hilarious people are up in arms about it. With that being said, the purpose of this post is to simply make fun of a few individuals. Let’s get to it!

Before I get to Keyshia’s response to the song, let’s rewind back to the Super Bowl. If you recall, Mrs. Boobie Gibson had a few unpleasant words for Michelle Williams‘ performance during Bey’s halftime show. Now if you frequent social media regularly, you already know Beyoncé stans don’t play that shit, so Keyshia was roasted by damn near every female with an IP address. I won’t lie, the continuous jokes about Keyshia’s life and career were quite hilarious. I got a few minutes of entertainment out of it. You would think this situation is enough of a reason for her to keep her mouth shut, but noooooooooo, of course not. Habitual line steppers never learn (© Charlie Murphy). Clearly she didn’t read about Keri Hilson, because ol’ girl dissed Bey on a song 5 years ago and is STILL getting the treatment from Destiny’s Child fans. Case in point, when “Bow Down” dropped, Keri was a trending topic worldwide on Twitter. That’s just comical, son.

Keyshia’s gripe with the song is the conflicting message it has compared to Bey’s normal “woman empowerment” tracks. I have 2 questions in response to that: who cares and who asked for her opinion? If Beyoncé wants to make a song about kicking puppies off of a bridge, à la Anchorman, fuck it, she should do it. Since when do artists have limitations on what types of songs they can record? While it’s already been established I’m not the biggest Beyoncé fan, she still has the right to talk about whatever floats her boat. Truthfully, by taking offense to the lyrics, Keyshia just exposed her own insecurities. She should be more worried about why her albums aren’t selling anymore and why her husband is averaging 6 points per game. Those are her real issues.

In the end, despite not really digging the song, I’m glad Bey dropped that new joint. It was fun to watch people act like dumbasses in response to it. Now, let me go be productive. Good day.

Drake vs. The Weeknd?

Posted: March 20, 2013 in Articles
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Drake & The Weeknd

“Everything was all good just a week ago…” I know Jay-Z didn’t know a damn thing about Drake or The Weeknd when he spit that line, but it still applies in the truest sense. Now in case you missed it, Aubrey dropped a new song 2 weeks ago and the Interwebz lost its shit. I won’t lie, when I first heard “5AM In Toronto,” I thought to myself, “who pissed in Drake’s oatmeal” (© Triciah Claxton). Homie was taking shots in all directions and the popular topic became “who is he talking about?” While everyone theorized he was dissing Chris Brown, Rihanna and Common, I was shocked to hear people throw The Weeknd’s name around. I must have been living under a rock, because I had no idea they were supposedly beefing with each other. After some Batman-level investigative work, I must say, if they’re beefing for the reason I think they are, this ranks high on the “c’mon son” scale.

Apparently, their issues stem from Abel signing with Universal Republic Records. After Drake put everyone onto The Weeknd’s music, people just assumed he’d sign with Drake’s October’s Very Own imprint. While that makes sense on a personal level, that doesn’t necessarily make sense on a business level. After all, this is the music BUSINESS. Just because 2 people are cool doesn’t mean they have to do business together. If The Weeknd was offered a better deal by Republic than OVO, why should he feel obligated to sign with Drake? People have the game all fucked up, man. Money and friends don’t mix, son. Either you take care of your business or the business takes care of you. I can almost guarantee, the idiots calling The Weeknd “disloyal” are the same ones who’d be making fun of him if he got ganked for his royalties. I’m sure all of Diddy‘s former artists thought they were friends and we all know how that story ended. Side bar, where on Earth is Craig Mack? In any case, I don’t blame Abel in the least for taking a better deal.

All in all, if Drake is mad about The Weeknd’s record deal, he needs to grow up. He, of all people, should know the business is about making all of the money you can. No one is guaranteed a long lifeline in this industry, so stack that paper. Honestly, I hope this isn’t really the end of their collaborations. They definitely made dope music together. Let’s not fuck up the program, son. L’Chaim!

20/20 Vision

Posted: March 19, 2013 in Articles
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The 20/20 Experience

So, apparently, Justin Timberlake has an album dropping today. There hasn’t much press for it, but I hear the name of the new record is The 20/20 Experience. Ok, I’m completely bullshitting since this man has been everywhere over the last 2 months promoting his new body of work. Once again, Timbaland in on production duty, and with the help of Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon and James Fauntleroy, JT is getting his grown man on.

Now I won’t lie, this entire post is on some stan-hood shit. Thanks to an iTunes preview, I’ve listened to the entire album about 5 times so far and I think it’s insane. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for vocal harmonies and live instruments. Luckily, they both appear in abundance on this record. While the individual songs may not be as Pop-friendly as his previous efforts, I appreciate the fact JT pushed himself, musically.

To be honest, if you’re looking for an easily digestible album, this probably isn’t the record for you. I can tell JT wanted to create his “magnum opus,” and while I still think FutureSex/LoveSounds is that record, I fucks with the musical complexity of The 20/20 Experience. C’mon son, when you mix horn sections, string sections, live guitar, live bass and multi-layered vocals together, I’m instantly sold. Also, I’m a big proponent of section changes, breakdowns and vamping. Damn near every song ends up being something else and I’m completely OK with this.

With all of this being said, go support dope music. Good day and I need a drink.

Drake’s Aaliyah Obsession

Posted: August 15, 2012 in Articles
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OK, I’m just going to come out and say it: am I the only person who finds Drake‘s obsession with Aaliyah weird as hell? I can understand being a fan of her music, but tattoos and posthumous music? That’s the definition of “creep life” son. Now I’m hearing the news of him executive producing an entire album and I’m further baffled. What gives Drake the credentials to tackle this project? She died way before he could have ever met her. Seriously, I want someone to answer that question for me. Although I’m a fan of Drake’s music, this is a situation that makes me look at him with a Rock-approved eyebrow.

When word started spreading about this upcoming album, both Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton, and Timbaland expressed their reservations. Rashad outright denied the possibility of such an album, while Tim professed the album shouldn’t happen without him and Missy Elliott. Now, based on the fact Tim and Missy were integral parts of Aaliyah’s career, it would make way more sense for them to be involved. However, despite claims from Jomo Hankerson, Aaliyah’s cousin and label head, neither of them were even contacted to participate. So let me get this straight: a dude who has no personal knowledge of Aaliyah is in charge of cultivating her sound? This just sounds like a ploy for Hankerson to get some money. Why not get one of the current hottest rappers to helm the project? The odds of it selling now dramatically increase. I’m sure Jomo is seeing nothing but dollar signs right now.

All in all, I can’t be the only one who looks at Drake in a strange way for this. I mean, I love Selena Quintanilla, but you don’t see me getting a tattoo and trying to remake Tejano music. In the end, if he knew her, I would’ve given him a pass. Since he didn’t, he’s nothing more than a Facebook stalker who has the money to make it look alright. First the emo music and now this suspect behavior? I don’t know what to make of Aubrey anymore. Ah well.

New Miguel Music On Deck

Posted: August 1, 2012 in Audio, Video
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If you know me, you know I’m a fan of Miguel. The homie makes dope music, period. Dope melodies, dope lyrics, etc. Even though his Art Dealer Chic series was short, it was a good holdover until his album drops. If you can listen to “Arch N Point” and not want to fornicate with someone, something is wrong with you. In any case, Miguel’s finally ready to drop his sophomore album, Kaleidoscope Dream. Instead of dropping the album one time, he’s dropping them in installments. The first part, The Water Preview, is on iTunes right now and features the songs below. I already copped it, so you need to do the right thing. For all of the people complaining about how wack music is right now, go support an artist holding it down. The next installment, The Air Preview, is dropping on September 11th and the final part is dropping on October 2nd. Needless to say, I’m hyped. Let’s go!

Where’s Ryan Leslie’s Album?

Posted: July 31, 2012 in Articles, Video
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So Ryan Leslie has been pump faking with the release of his new album, Les Is More, for like 2 years now. First, it was supposed to drop last July 4th, then sometime last October, then June 5th of this year, and yet, still nothing. Now, as much as I enjoy watching videos of him producing in the studio, I WANT MY ALBUM DAMMIT! This is going to be a short post because nothing else needs to be said. So, excuse me Mr. Leslie, I’m going to need you to put out this record ASAP. I’ve run into you in NYC before, so don’t make me come find you. Until then, I’ll just continue watching the videos below. Good day.

A Bootleg Frank Ocean Review

Posted: July 17, 2012 in Articles
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OK, I’m going to keep it all the way real for a second. I’m not going to do a track-by-track review of Frank Ocean‘s channel ORANGE for 2 reasons: I’m too busy listening to it and I’m just plain lazy. With that being said, I still feel compelled in my spirit to write something about the album. Why? Because it’s that damn good. So if you’re a homophobe or have shitty taste in music, this is the time to leave. Grown folks are talking now. Let’s get down with the getdown.

Now, where do I start? How about with the production. The vast majority of the album was produced by Malay, a dude I’ve been a fan of for quite some time. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, go back and listen to “Green Light” by John Legend or “Sumthin’s Gotta Give” by Big Boi. Anybody who knows me knows I have an affinity for live music, so a dude who produces and plays multiple instruments is clearly winning in my book. Not to mention, Pharrell Williams comes through in the clutch on “Sweet Life” and John Mayer‘s understated but dope guitar playing hits us on “Pyramids” and “White.” I’ve also read that guitarist Charlie Hunter and singer Lalah Hathaway were involved with the album. I’ve yet to figure out where they left their mark, but I’ve been a fan of Hunter since D’Angelo‘s Voodoo, and simply put, I would do Lalah.

What’s next? The lyrics. I’ve always believed Ocean’s greatest talent is taking regular human interaction and making it sound otherworldly. For example, on the aforementioned “Pyramids,” instead of simply describing how we don’t treat Black women with the same amount of reverence, he chronicles the lives of 2 Cleopatra‘s: the first being the legendary pharoah of Egypt and the second being a prostitute. While there’s nothing new under the Sun, you can still make it your own. Also, while much has been said about his sexuality since his revealing letter, the fact of the matter is, if you’ve ever been in love, you can still relate to songs like “Bad Religion.” The feeling is still real, regardless of who it’s directed toward.

All in all, this is a dope ass album. If you don’t have it, go buy it right now. That’s right, I said buy. This is the first album I’ve purchased in who knows how long, but I’m glad I did. I’ve never led you astray, so go my children. Be one with the music, bon bons and all that good stuff (© Method Man). Good day.

The Cornballification Of Stevie J

Posted: June 19, 2012 in Audio, Video
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Being an avid fan of music production, I knew who Stevie J was long before his appearance on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. To go a step further, I knew who he was even before he dated Eve. I was the kid who religiously read album credits, so I still remember reading his name on some of my favorite songs. Needless to say, the 90s are gone and now he’s on a show as a has-been producer, with a wife and a boyfriend. Since it hurts my heart to see one of my favorite producers become such a flagrant cornball, I wanted to remind everyone of what he used to be able to do. With that being said, here’s some of my favorite songs he’s produced.

P.S. I know this post won’t take away from the fuckery he displayed on that show. There’s no coming back for him. He makes songs with Benzino now. Damn, I need a drink.

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