I decided to do a typical decade-end list of all my favorite things in music, and I can't fit half of the albums that have become anthemic or epic for me over the past 10 years, so I decided to put a random list up of albums I liked. There's no specific order, just how they came to me. Clearly my sound has evolved over 10 years, but the music is all still real to me. What's the next 10 years going to be like?
Time off from the blogosphere equals reflection and jumping back into the hustle of daily life. I need inspiration, if we're gonna be real. Things that make me reevaluate everything around me just a little bit more.
I bleed because I feel....and I live because I embrace the pain
"Hurt" Dirty Money ft. Drake. It's Diddy, and he's not exactly the reincarnation of Tupac, but this song just kind of hit the right emotions at the right time. Love lost isn't an atypical thing to sing about, but the idea of loving someone more than you love yourself and letting it drain you was just a powerful ass concept that I couldn't get past. And the fact that the song has Dawn Richard (who has one of the most beautiful vocal tones I've heard in a while), Drake (yes, the hype for his official debut is still on one-hundred), and a dope instrumental combo (piano and drums, doesn't get better). It's a song that has to stay on repeat not just because it's dope, but because the vibe is on a deep level.
Kudos Dirty Money.
"Beautiful Bliss" Wale To keep it real, I could've chosen a bunch of different Wale songs for this, because he's just that legit, but 'Beautiful Bliss' doesn't deal with love, loss, or pain, but it creates a desire for success. Basically, it's a story of what life is like at the top, and how good it feels to have busted your ass to get there. I most definitely can get with it. I do this for me and myself, and damn it feels tight. And Melanie Fiona and J.Cole go in on their parts of the songAttention Deficit is a painfully underrated album.
"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"- Alicia Keys Co-written by the hip-hop prince of the moment, Drake, 'Un-Thinkable' is one of the standout tracks from Alicia's new album The Element of Freedom. It has to be a single, but the good songs never are, which is good, because sometimes the best stuff should stay hidden. Love is revisited again, but this time, it's not a fairytale. It addresses the uncertainty of falling in love,being hurt, and failing at it all, but being ready for the challenge. Vulnerability is not a bad thing, and Drake and Alicia knocked it out with this one.
Wieden_+Kennedy (one of my favorite ad agencies for a reason) have released one of the few commercial campaigns that I even pay attention to, much less attach any emotional meaning too. Americana pride, personal declarations, whatever you get out of it, it's interesting to me at least.
We were going to a blogcast of this, but life gets in the way. Anyway we move on.
I'm mad for a few reasons. Kanye-snubbed. Whitney-snubbed. Beyonce-Overhyped. Maxwell-not hyped enough. And I have a few other issues really.
Female Pop Vocal- I don't think B. Spears is the greatest vocalist, but she dominated these categories when she first came out (at least with consistent nominations), but when she actually puts out decent music she doesn't get recognized?
Best New Artist- I don't care about Academy policies, like it or not, GaGa should've been nominated. And if Drake can get 2 rap nods, why not a BNA nod?
R&B Categories- Whitney should've been all up and through these categories (Album, Female), but as usual Beyonce's money gets her places she doesn't need to be. Good (albeit EXTRA surprising) look for Pleasure P (aka Marcus Cooper) on his 3 grammy nods. Did not see that happening. Brandy should've been nominated. Anyone who is smart knows she'll never win, but she definitely had material worth being nominated for.
Country- Carrie's "Carnival Ride" should've been nominated as an album, not just for "Just a Dream", but I can deal with that.
Rap- Kanye will go postal, and I actually think he has a right to. 808s was a lot better than half of the rap albums out now, despite it's leaning to emo-rock sound.
I'm sure there are other things that I could argue about, but I don't have the energy to review all the nominations. Maybe later.
Usher has somewhat fallen off of the musical recently. His last album "Here I Stand" wasn't exactly a commercial hit, and somewhere along the lines marriage, fatherhood and divorce shifted his focus.
Well thankfully he's back. The official single off of his upcoming album "Monster" is entitled Papers, but a new track just leaked named Rockband. Yes, like the game.
But guess what? The song is hot. Granted Usher is moving in a more pop-oriented direction for this album, but the RedOne produced song is slick, uptempo, and classic Usher that keeps people on the dance floor. Plus he mentions the Rolling Stones in the song, so that's automatic cool points for him.
Next up is Wale, who's track is Letter featuring John Mayer. I don't know what to say other than I love it.
I will admit I'm a huge Wale fan, so maybe I'm a little bit biased, but his music is the truth. Lyrically he's real, raw and honest, and outside of a few artists in the game now, that sort of reality is sorely lacking. Hip-hop as a culture has been suffering from a over saturation and infatuation with money, girls, and fame, but Wale, Kid Cudi and others are finally bringing back the heart of what hip-hop used to be.
I could type out all of the lyrics and reiterate what is so amazing about this track, but the song will speak for itself. His album "Attention:Deficit" hits stores Nov. 10
Yes, the one and only Lupe Fiasco recorded a bonus track for the Twilight: New Moon Soundtrack and it's definitely more rock than Lupe is known for, but it still goes in hard because lyrically he's a beast.
Leona Lewis has just jumped up miles in my 'potential wifey' category. This is a promo picture for her upcoming sophmore album Echo, in stores November 17.
Amerie is back on the scene with her latest album "In Love and War" set for release November 3 through Columbia Records. She was never one of my favorite artists, but her sound for this new album has been really appealing and different, and I just might be a little excited for it.
The promo single "Why R U" was a perfect throwback song, with a stylistically on point video, but since she isn't one of R&B's 'chosen' ones, the song hit a dead end on radio. The official single "Heard Em' All" isn't exactly my style, but it's definitely catchy and proves that she deserves a slot at the top of the charts. My favorite leak from this era is her remake of the Mint Condition classic "Pretty Brown Eyes" featuring Trey Songz. It's smooth and their voices harmonize nicely together. Plus anything Mint Condition is a plus in my book. It's not the best remake by any means, but she does a very adequate and fun job on her version.
When you've achieved the kind of international success Mariah Carey has in her almost 20 year career, failure is no longer an option for new musical material. She's had her fair share of commercial bombs (Glitter, obviously), and more than her share of commercial highs, (Butterfly, The Emancipation of Mimi)so for her twelfth studio album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel", she certainly produces a winner. Mariah shared the executive production duties of this album with the golden boys of the moment The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, and arguably for the first time in a while produces a slick,cohesive contemporary album without sacrificing her "Mariah" personality.
I'm not a fan of long drawn out, but Mariah finds herself at her most intriguing when she's not flipping through vocal hoops and restrains herself and let's the music speak for itself. "Ribbon", "Candy Bling", and the much hyped "H.A.T.E.U" find Mariah going into her emotional journal and just reminiscing on life. One of the things that I enjoy about this album is that there are songs for people miss the early poppy, doo-wop Mariah ("It's a Wrap", "Angels Cry"), but she did what I hate that so many artists often do. She turns the strongest songs on the album into interludes. "Languishing" could've easily been one of a her strongest songs ever, but instead we get the condensed version.
All of the comments aside, marriage and maturity seem to agree with Mrs. Cannon, and this is a very nice conceptual album to add to her catalog of musical tricks. Definitely a solid effort.
My Picks Betcha Gon Know Languishing Candy Bling More Than Just Friends H.A.T.E.U
Very few artists can constantly convey emotions of pain, hope, anger, and fun in every song, but Hayley Williams is one of the exceptions. Young and feisty, she represents something that has been lacking from the industry for a while: passion. "Brand New Eyes", Paramore's latest effort is not a complete departure from their commercial pop-punk sound that spawned previous hits "Misery Business" and "CrushCrushCrush", but a welcome change for a band that finds themselves on a maturing lyrical journey. The beauty in this albums comes when the guitars and drums are stripped away, and a raw, acoustic sound appears. The urgency and reality in William's voice is a perfect match to lyrics that find her on a never-ending emotional journey. In the end, that's what makes Paramore such a relateable band, because we can still grow with them.
My Picks Ignorance Brick by Boring Brick Looking Up Misguided Ghosts Turn it Off
I'm not EVEN a 50 Cent fan at all. He's a dense and pretty ignorant individual 95% of the time, and plus his career has been in a ditch for some time now, so it's kinda disappointing that I like his new song "Baby by Me" with Ne-Yo featured on the remix.
The title itself is already a little crass sounding and just over the top, but it ends up being a chilled out track with a very hot club beat, and if anything wins me over in this song, it's Ne-Yo. He knows how to give a song some sort of life and credibility.
So thank you Ne-Yo. And thank you 50, for not being as whack as you've been known to be
So, Lew Static found me on twitter and directed me to his mixtape. I rarely listen to random mixtapes unless there is some sort of buzz simply because I don't have the time, but things change.
The mixtape is interesting for sure, as the Rejects (Lew Static and Drew Sarrels) don't fit into a particular mold. They're not completely alternative, but not commercial enough to be ringtone rappers either.
They definitely have some semi-generic club songs ("On Top"; "Drive Me Wild"), but these songs have fresh enough feel to them, so that even though they're not poetic masterpieces, they'll keep you interested for the remainder of the ride
"My Dreams" is where things starts to get good. Using Goapele's "Closer to My Dreams" as the instrumental for this track, Static shows more of his personality outside of the gloss that commercial hip-hop has become. Baby steps, but interesting steps for sure.
"The Greatest" is a perfect boasting track, because it's confidence and determination fused with a rock/hip-hop sound. Lyrically, there is still much more depth desired, but that can be overlooks.
Overall, it's a very easy mixtape to listen to. It tells the story of someone who is simply put, young and living life. That in itself is a reason to keep your ears tuned in. Aging makes for a very exciting life soundtrack, and the hope is that the lyrical content will continue to rise above and beyond the depths of the "hip-hop" scene we're all suffering from. Not quite and Industry Reject yet, but there's a bit of rebellious nature hidden in there.
Recommended Tracks: "My Dreams"; "Leave Me; "Go Away"
I'm afraid of the mice under the bed I hate when the darkness turns to light Strength is my weakness, the fleeting power I crave -Revolution Street. Vol 1
Yessir. Mr. Jackson is back with his upcoming album Loso's Way (Not feeling the title at all).
Anyway, he has two videos out (and I'm sure most people who are die-hard fans won't know because radio is shafting him this time around) titled "Throw It in The Bag" ft. The-Dream and "It's My Time" ft. Jeremih.
'Throw it In the Bag' is a certified club banger, and it's just a simple, fun song. Plus Claudia Jordan is the leading lady, and she's one badd chick so I like it even more.
'It's My Time' is not a super banger, but it's a passable single. Jeremih adds nothing to the song. Overall, it's decent, but the video isn't horrible. I'm hoping Fabo comes harder on the rest of the album.
I just rep DC and PG hard because of this. And ONLY this. The dude is one of the best new rappers. And there's no autotune. Thank you.
I'm glad he's getting major label shine, because his work on the underground/local scene is fire.
I'm mad I'm just getting around to posting the video.
Mary J. Blige ft. Drake "The One"
Yea. It's hot. It's weird though that Mary and Drake are collabing (not a bad thing), HOWEVER the weirdest part is that she's using autotune. It could be a lot worse, but I mean it just makes her seem even more screechy to me. And I like Mary. Oh well. By the way, it's the rumored first single off of her upcoming album.
PS: What do you write about thought after being known as the heartbreak queen then making several albums about finding love?
Drake ft. Trey Songz "She Just Wanna Dance"
This is old as hell (since around january), but it's classic Drizzy, and Trey makes it a certified banger. Still worth a rotation on the ipod. From "The Drought is Over" (Friends With Money) Mixtape.
And, another old track resurfacing: "Right to Left" by Drake and Tanya Morgan. This is a track from the Comeback Season era, and its said that Drake's rhymes are reused in the song. I don't care. Two of my favorite hip-hop artists on one track is beyond dope.
I HATE Flo-rida. He's a sellout, horrible/whack lyricist, and one of the main reasons mainstream rap is garbage. However his song "Sweat" with Chris Brown is only being mentioned because Chris' part is smooth. I wish ANY other rapper was on this
I love fall/winter for many reasons. Snow, snow days, heated seats, and new clothes. Y-3, the high fashion line by Adidas for the ballers has begun to release snapshots of shoes from the fall/winter 09 collection. You know I'm a fan for them. I geek for Yamamoto. He stays killing the creative game with his on point designs and color schemes.
Honja Hi
3 Colors. It's christmas in May. Thank you higher powers.
The realm of music groups is a fickle one. Danity Kane? Done. Da Band? Yea...no more. Day 26? Who knows? But they don't look to have a promising future. The point is that pop trios, quintets, and so forth are hard to maintain because of egos, cheesiness, and the fact that no one over a certain age should care about these groups. (In theory, of course.)
Now, let's meet Electrik Red, the newest group vying for the title of the 'it' girl group of the moment. Honestly I was (and still am) a little skeptical, but after listening to a few of their tracks, I'm impressed. None of them have voices to write home about, but I like the breathy, sex-filled Janet vibe they give off, and they're hot girls, so I mean that's an even BIGGER plus. But the icing on the cake is that their album is a product of one of the golden guys in music now, (Terius Nash aka The-Dream)so the songs automatically have dope production. Can pretty girls survive on being pretty girls, or can they actually stick around and create a brand for themselves that people want to support?
Have a listen for yourself. Their new album "How to Be a Lady Vol. 1" is in stores NOW.
"Brooklynati", the long awaited album by New York based hip-hop group is finally here. I was telling you guys about it a while ago, and it's completely worth the hype. Their what hip-hop should be: real, raw, smooth, and fun all at the same time. I won't go into a detailed review just yet, but tracks worth downloading (if you don't buy the whole album, which would be a serious mistake) are:
So Damn Down; Plan B; She's Gone; We're fly.
Hip-Hop is alive people! Now I just need to catch them live.
I haven't made a post in a while simply for lack of creativity, but I thought I'd give some shine to the man of the moment: Jimmy from Degrassi. Also known as the rapper Drake.
It's true, he's been out for a good while (at least to those who are big fans of the underground mixtape scene), but he's just started to get major exposure on the radio front. He's got the easy-going pretty boy type vibe already, and while I wasn't a huge fan before the hype and overexposure, I can definitely appreciate his interesting way of rapping/singing.
I just needed to give him his props now before I die of overexposure and hate him in a few months.
I'm not gonna lie, I thought Day26 was completely whack, irrelevant, and with the exception of a few songs off their first album (Since You've Been Gone) I didn't expect to hear anything worth listening to from them ever again. The whole boy-band image is hard to recreate, especially among urban listeners,so the odds were definitely not in their favor. Their sophomore album "Forever in a Day" finds them finally taking a more current approach to their sound, and putting some life behind their eyes. First single "Imma Put it on Her" is catchy enough, but Diddy continues to wreck songs by 'rapping' on them and causing them to lose all cred whatsoever. The album picks up nicely on second single "Stadium Music" and the T-Pain featured "Shawty What's Up". Uptempo's are not the groups strongest asset, but they certainly put energy into the songs, making them worthy club bangers. The group sounds as harmonious as ever, but the latter part of the album doesn't sound as fresh as the beginning (the horribly produced Jermaine Dupri "Need That"), making us wonder if the group knows who they are, and what they want to sound like. In the end, the reality is they have a long time to find 'forever', but they just might get one more day to find it.
Recommended songs : "Stadium Music", "Babymaker", "Truth is a Lie"
Long story short, he's become one of my new favorite artists on the mixtape scenes after he sampled "Who Am I to Say?" by Hope (one of favorite songs by the way), and proved that he's a force to be reckoned with. His flow is simple, laid back, and confident, and his lyrics are clever without being too contrived. I'll be on the lookout for more from him in the future.
I say it a lot, music is in a recession. A recession of talent, drive, and creativity. It seems like everyone is bent on copying the same sounds, singing about the same tired club experiences, and just being damn robots. Pop music to me especially is full of over-produced, emotionless crap, and it makes turning on a radio pointless. Keri Hilson isn't exactly a svengali of music, but she's a nice departure from the same formulaic R&B dominated by few artists with few fresh ideas and sounds. Hilson's debut album "In A Perfect World" released March 24th, features the song "Knock You Down" with appearances by Kanye West and Ne-Yo. The production is breezy, enjoyable, and all artists on the track make it worth listening to. Keri may not be creative revolutionary, but she at least shows her talent and proves that maybe music isn't as formulaic as it always has been.
For a moment, there's an artist with a different approach to the same old scheme. Maybe the army of pop music machines can be defeated.
Creative Recreation is a shoe company based out of Los Angelos, California, and is best described as urban runway along with countless other shoe outlets across the world. Consistent styles combined with unique patterns, designs and materials make them a company that is absolutely worth watching and wearing. CR's Spring 2009 shoe line features solid, clean, bold colors and shoe quality built to last. The Italian manufacturing is icing on the shoe construction cake. And the best part is their logo is just too dope, so I guess I like them just because of that. It's just a bonus that the shoes happen to be nice.
The College Dropout
The Fray
19
FutureSex/LoveSounds
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Riot!
Confessions
Diary of Alicia Keys 
Stripped
The Black Album
Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Aaliyah
In This Skin
Breakaway
8701
Attention Deficit 
Blackout
My December
So Far Gone
Posts
