by Kanye West: I’m so happy there is FINALLY a new track from Mr. West! Knowing there is a new track from Kanyeezy has completely made my week! The track sounds like the old Kanye…you know – the Kanye that rose the charts with albums College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation. Not so much the recent, gone crazy Kanye with 808s and Heartbreak.
The single is somewhat verbose and you can tell Kanye had a lot to say because at times, it seems like he could just keep going and going and going….But, with him being gone for so long he can really do anything he wants. He really has that much Power! The meaning behind this song is somewhat ambiguous. Some are speculating that Kanye is referencing his own power and arrogance, while others state he is referencing white power that is still prevalent in this country. Only time will tell what the true meaning of the song is or if people will stick to discussing the beat and melodic flow vs. the lyrics.
Me? I’m keeping this joint in heavy rotation. The track is definitely a club banger and I’m marking it as a ‘hit’. More importantly, one track means there are more to come. Good Ass Job is rumored to be the title of Kanye’s fourth album, set to release in September 2010. I’m counting down!
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 Ciara ft. Ludacris: This joint is FIRE! My friend sent me this song to listen to about a week ago and I didn’t think it was that good. Today, I realized that I had not heard the full song and it may not have even been the right song for that matter. When I realized this video premiered, I had to see it and boy oh boy …this video! I don’t even know what to say, but Ciara has come back with a vengeance. She can’t really “sing” but homegirl shoollllll can move. There is *nobody* who can move like this. You think Beyonce can do this and you a lie. Only thing I know is that I’m about to be eating carrots and celery, signing up for some pole dancing classes and getting a Brazilian wax!
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.
by Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce: I don’t even know where to begin with this mess. I remember when Lady Gaga came out about a year ago, and I really liked her music. After the MTV Video Music Awards when she came out dressed in bizarre outfits and blood all over her body, my liking of her began to dwindle. I feel like she, or anyone else for that matter, shouldn’t have to do all the extra-ness to get people to listen to her music or be interested in her. To talk about her? Maybe…but it’s not necessary! The music alone should speak for itself.
This video presents her biggest debacle to date! I heard a few people mention this video a few days ago but I thought nothing of it. I really thought people made the mistake of calling the video Telephone when they really meant Video Phone – which is Beyonce’s previous single. I finally became intrigued enough to search for the video today, and I was shocked. To even watch the video you have to be 18 or older and have a YouTube account to login. That’s just to watch the video…because it’s that explicit!
After being uploaded for only seven days, there are already more than 20+ MILLION views! And the video is almost ten minutes long! That’s a mini movie – like the kind Michael Jackson used to make back in the day. Yet, this mini movie is straight clownery. Lady Gaga has no self respect and with 10 layers of makeup on, she looks ridiculous. I’m trying to figure out what made Beyonce want to be a part of this song/video!?! I can understand the ‘you be in my video, I’ll be in yours’ deal they probably made, but sometimes you have to put your foot down. Bey just lost some cool points and entered a lower class level in my book by being in this video. My guess is that her hubby, Jay, pushed her to be in this video due to the publicity she would get by being associated with Lady Gaga. Yep – that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
I could dwell on so many parts of the video that are whack…. the name of the Bey’s truck (Pu**ywagon – what the hell?), Tyrese’s guest appearance (dude – are you really not getting any more movie roles that you have to stoop so slow and be in a LG video?)…I won’t even say anymore. I’ll let you watch this craziness below.
I’ve said for months now that Trey’s social media strategy is on point! Whoever provides his back end strategy and comes up with his non-traditional/traditional marketing tactics gets two thumbs up from me. Take yesterday for example:
First, Ludacris premiers his new single Sex Room featuring Trey Songz. The brilliance behind the release was the only place you could listen to the track was on Global Grind. I tried to YouTube the track and I found it. I tell you – by the time I listened to the track and copy/pasted the link to send it to my friend, UMG had pulled it down. When my friend told me she couldn’t listen to it, I thought she was joking. UMG must have had numerous detectives or insiders at YouTube monitoring to make sure people were not leaking the record too soon!
Instead, the track went viral instantly after Jo Jo (@YoungSimmons), the editor of Global Grind, sent a tweet that the track was available on Global Grind. Trey’s thousands of groupie girls went bananas and sent RTs informing their followers of the new single. I, personally, sent a tweet because I LOVE the track. It’s triple X-rated, but it’s the bomb diggity! I’ve had it on repeat for the last 24 hours.
Sex Room was a solo hit until…Trey premiered his video for Neighbors Know My Name, which is like his sixth edition of soft porn. The release of this video was brilliant too – although very weird. I’m not sure why, but the video premiered on Power 105.1 fm . I’ve never heard of that radio station before a day in my life and the website of the radio station had exclusive access to Trey’s video for a full day. Then, he uploaded the video on YouTube today. If you didn’t know the video premiered, there was no way you could miss it! On the homepage of YouTube.com, Neighbors Know My Name is the first video listed on the Videos Being Watched.
Trey is getting far more publicity than other artists I know, and the good thing is it’s all safe pub. You haven’t seen him robbing anybody, jumping anybody in the club, or engaging in illegal behavior. If you don’t like Trey, I feel sorry for you because 1. you aren’t the norm and 2. it doesn’t look like Trey is going anywhere!
by Robin Thicke: Sometimes I hear songs and feel like I have to share them with the world. Lately, I’ve been sharing via Twitter since the distribution channel is so easy to use. However, I feel inspired to write since I’m going to Blog World on Thursday and this is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a few weeks. I was questioning the other day where Robin Thicke has been when I dug up The Evolution of Robin Thicke out of my cd collection. When I received this track this am, there is no question as to where Robin has been. He has been in the studio laying it down! My first response when I heard this track was “Whew! This new track by Robin Thicke – “Sex Therapy” – bout to get some folks in trouble! Song is the truth.“ I don’t know what he is saying in some of the lyrics, and I don’t even need to know! I understand the parts that I need to know! I love this song and I love when his voice goes into the higher octave. The song is all around sexy and guaranteed to be a hit. I’m saying it here first! Maxwell, Ne-Yo and all the others better watch out!
