by Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars: Bruno Mars is straight up making hits for people these days! First it was Nothin’ on You by B.O.B. Billionaire is the latest track he lends his vocals to and it’s a HIT in my book. The song is catchy and isn’t about goin to the strip club, whores dancing, or whatever whack ish rappers are rhyming about these days. This is simply a chill song you can listen to and ride with ya top back, enjoying the summer weather. I’m excited to get Travie’s new album too. As a member of Gym Class Heroes, he already has a history of good music. Travie did an interview on beehivefm today and was talking about a few of the tracks on the album, and specifically Dr. Feelgood with Cee-lo. Travie seems like a cool guy and someone whose album I want to support. I don’t know why when I just saw the release date of June 8, I thought it was months away…Clearly it’s only a couple of weeks away. Mark your calendars. Or, you can be lazy and wait for me to remind you. Nighty night as I go to bed signing “I want to be a billionaire so freakin bad… Buy all of the things I never had…I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine…Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen….Oh every time I close my eyes…I see my name in shining lights…”
by Erykah Badu: After years of wondering when this musical genius would grace the world with her uniqueness again, we were recently rewarded with her new track titled Window Seat. The single is Erykah at her finest: soul, flow, and smoothness. I immediately knew I would play it on repeat. I L-O-V-E this song! When I saw her video for the track this weekend, I was shocked and didn’t really know what to think.
First, I was confused. The video has nothing to do with the song! At what point does an artist say I want to walk down the street naked for my video? I don’t get it…well actually I do get it because her new album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), comes out tomorrow. So, the video could clearly be seen as a marketing stunt.
Yet, the video has such a deeper meaning. This is creativity with lyrical and visual expression. So many would automatically stereotype Erykah for her actions in the video (including myself), which is the whole point of the video. Towards the end of the video, she is shot and falls near the same grassy hill where President Kennedy was shot in 1963. The words “groupthink” can be seen leaking from her head onto the sidewalk and in an overlay you hear:
“They who play it safe, are quick to assassinate what they don’t understand. They move in packs, ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel more comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us. This is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change. To love ourself. To evolve.“
Enough said.
P.S. Even though the purpose of the video was to generate “groupthink” or encourage change, I question whether this video will really cause a positive movement to promote individualism. It takes a woman stripping down to her natural state for such a conversation to begin. It will take so much more for the movement to occur.
