I can make it good, I can make it hood, I can make you come, I can make you go! I can make it high, I can make it fly, make you touch the sky, hey maybe so!
O(+>. The perfect album for those who own iPods and are fans of Prince's musical output from the 90's.
You know when I think about it, this album ain't that bad. Backed by the New Power Generation, [the new Revolution] Prince and his crew gave the listeners at home an album that was a definite Sign O' the Times. Horns turned up to ten, clunky new jack sounding raps [along with a little spoken word], come hither voiced female muses brought onboard to simply speak in our ears here and there, funk laced vamping, and, of course, slow grooving, mood enhancing slow jams, all of which are present in one of my favorite tracks presented below. Prince turns his voice up, crooning softly, asking his backing band to take it easy as he takes the wheel, asking the woman before him to engage in some "magical mysterious, intoxicating, joy fantastic fascinating" love; the kind that goes "2 the 9's!" Midway through as the background picks up and the sound becomes layered with more horns, drums, scratched turntables and the like, Prince gets impatient, scatting quickly, and laying it bare, before cutting the bullshit and saying look, I just "wanna see that booty boom!" It's a fun game of cat and mouse, that in the end leaves you rooting for Prince, hoping all that showboating wasn't done in vain.
Today's post comes from the folks over at fourfour who get extra points in my book for the following astute analysis on the musical catalogue of the one they call "the pied piper of R&B!"[and by "they" I mean Kells himself]:
* The inspiration - Kells' vaguely spiritual, wholly cloying offerings that find him at his most offensive (without even trying!); Hits of this type include: "I Believe I Can Fly" and "World's Greatest; Double Up's offering: "Rise Up," a phoned-in Virgina Tech tribute, in which Robert teaches us that "struggle has no color." * The banger - Club tracks that prove that no matter how R. Kelly distinguishes himself from his contemporaries, he's capable of standard drivel; Hits of this type: Probably originated with his first single with the Public Announcement, 1992's new-jack "She's Got That Vibe," but really kicked into high gear with 2001's "Fiesta"; Double Up's offerings include: The title track, "Get Dirty" (with Chamillionaire), "Hook It Up" (with Huey) and "Tryin' To Get a Number" (with Nelly), which lyrically comes off as exclamation-point advocacy ("Hey!" "Uh!" and on and on!) but musically plods along like it's on ellipses * The radio play - High-concept melodrama that's consumed with infidelity; Hits of this type: Originated with "Down Low (Nobody Has To Know)" with the Isley Brothers, but that's far too musical in retrospect -- with "Trapped in the Closet," this format adopted the sing-speak, stream-of-consciousness style of "Real Talk" (explained above); Double Up's offerings include: "Same Girl," in which Kells realizes he and Usher are banging the same Georgia Tech student, and "Best Friend," in which Kells realizes that he and Polow Da Don are both banging Keyshia Cole. * The metaphor killer - Even higher-concept material that finds Kells choosing a subject to compare sex or a woman to and then (figuratively) masturbating -- he beats off while beating his subject into the ground; Hits of this type: Originated with "You Remind Me of Something," and carried through the original version of "Ignition"; Double Up's offerings include: "The Zoo" ("We're two monkeys, baby"), "Sweet Tooth" ("I can't wait to drink your milk, you're lookin' like like a big old piece of cake") and "Sex Planet" ("Girl, I promise this will be painless, painless / We'll take a trip to planet Uranus, anus") * The step track - Non-banger, disco-inflected club tracks that pay homage to Kells' Chicago roots that are breezy enough to sound sublime. Hits of this type: His straightforward slow-jam remix of Aaliyah's "At Your Best" was "strictly for the steppers," per his chanting, but it wasn't until 2003's "Step in the Name of Love" that Kelly really honed his own stepping style. One half of a double album (Happy People) fully explored this territory to somewhat dull results. Still, these tracks are about the only sure-bet that Kelly has left, as evident in... Double Up's offering: "Freaky in the Club," an island-breezy feast of gentle percussion that is, without question, Double Up's strongest offering...
"Maths and English is a thoughtful and varied piece of work, and it bangs like a motherfucker. With this and the "International Players Anthem" video emerging within a few days of each other, it's been a minute since I've been as excited about music as I am right now."
I don't know about y'all, but I have yet to hear a wack track off this album.[Oh snap! Rhyming wack track! Holla back!] Big ups Dizzee. And you too UGK. This plus that International Player's joint with Outkast has definitely got me curious about that LP y'all got coming our way.
Some artists have it so easy. Take the Arctic Monkeys for example. Their sophomore LP Favourite Worst Nightmare is a 38 minute punch in the face that takes little to no time to breathe between its hook laden tracks. Any of the 12 tracks housed within the disc could work as a single which makes picking a single relatively easy. Lucky for us, the boys in the band have decided to go with Fluorescent Adolescent as their choice for second single, following the hyperactive grandiosity of Nightmare's lead single Brianstorm. On paper Fluorescent Adolescent scolds a promiscuous girl who's lost her innonence; a girl who "used to get it in her fishnets" and now has everyone wondering where the girl they used to know has gone.
But you wouldn't gather all that just from watching the music video. Instead we get ruminations on a childhood relationship now gone awry, with the refrain "oh where did you go?" referring to a love now lost between two childhood buddies who now appear to be foes hellbent on killing each other. Get it? Got it? Good. Just press play and rekindle your love for offbeat, no-nonsense British cinema.
Please tell me you've gotten your hands on this mixtape already.
Goddamn it Lil Wayne. I just got around to breaking in my free copy of Da Drought 3, [good looking out on that one homie] and here you go dropping new tracks to and fro like a man who never sleeps. It's all gravy though, cause this track, as we have come to expect from you, knocks.
"What are the five best live performances you’ve ever witnessed? Your one most disappointing concert experience? And the one band/performer you always wanted to see live but still haven’t. Go forth and show your cool."
What are the five best live performances you’ve ever witnessed?
1/Beck/Midnite Vultures Tour/The Greek Theatre
"Tauwan what do you want for your birthday."
Five minutes later I sat in front of a computer screen purchasing two tickets to see Beck at the Greek Theatre with Cafe Tacuba on Cinco De Mayo. I would have been happy to go alone, as I had done with many a concert or movie beforehand, but I got two and took this senior I knew just because she too like her some Beck. No attraction, no money needed in return; I had an extra ticket and she got to go. Now there are many things to take away from this show, but whenever I look back on it the memory that really sticks out is that of Beck performing Debra. It's not everyday that you see a scrawny little white guy get his funk on atop a giant king sized bed lowered from above. Sexy and priceless!
2/Bjork/Hollywood Bowl
There are about ten million hundred thousand performers that get the phrase, "if you are a fan then you must see [blank] before you die" attached to them, and yes, I am here to say that Bjork is one of them. Vespertine was just starting to stick and she was going on tour. That alone was enough for me to snap up a golden ticket. I went alone, sitting under the sun, taking it all in: the erratic dancing, the cute and to the point shouts of thank you, and of course, the fireworks. This show was chicken soup for my teenage, midway through college soul; so much so that at one point I was brought to tears. The visuals, the emotion, the music, it just called for it, and as yet to happen at any other show I have attended. Oh, and Matmos kicked ass as the sun began to set and people slowly trickled in to capture Bjork in all her Icelandic, heart tugging glory.
3/Spoon/El Rey Theatre
Now there is plenty to remember about this night. Waking up sprawled on the floor in tighty whities the morning after like a chalk outline, barely covered by the blanket I -or perphaps someone else- provided for myself, accompanied by a massive headache when in actuality I was supposed to be at work or on my way to it. [8-3 shift. Definitely missed that one] Drinking way, way, way too much Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka and Sprite. [That's how we rolled a few years ago] Spending a lenghty amount of time at a warehouse party populated by my friends in front of a giant fan alone, totally transfixed by it all. Yeah... What a night. It could have ended with Spoon calling it a night and us exiting the El Rey. Yes, they were that good. At this point, Spoon and I weren't even that tight. I came in late and bought a ticket simply because Kill the Moonlight was a great start to finish long player. Lucky lucky me for chalking up the 18 bucks to do the damn thing. To be honest, all I truly remember is that they didn't play Stay Don't Go as far as finite memories go, but still, I was close to the stage, the boys in the band were on point, and Britt Daniel's charm and/or charisma gave the show an unpolished yet polished feel. This could have been a garage in Texas and no one would have noticed or cared. Extra points for also turning me on to the Elvis like swagger of opening trio the Natural History. Where are they now? Inquiring minds want to know.
4/The Rapture/Henry Fonda Theatre
Okay. So I kind of have a big boy crush on the Rapture. Is this news to anyone who knows me by now?
5/Wilco/A Ghost Is Born Tour/The Greek Theatre AND The White Stripes/Get Behind Me Satan Tour/The Greek Theatre
I don't listen to classic rock on the regular, and I am way too young[/wasn't born yet] to have experienced the Zepplins, Stones, and T.Rex's in their heydays, but I have come close by attending shows by these two bands at the Greek on seperate occasions. That Led Zepplin/Deadhead euphoria from back in the day loomed large and was in effect at both shows, present in the showmanship and guitar work on display up on that stage, the grass that burned and cruised through the air, and the majestic combination of the music, the open air, and arrival of nightfall. There may be better or just as exciting ways to see the White Stripes, but on that night, at this venue, I couldn't think of one. And I damn sure can't think of a better way to experience Wilco live than outdoors, under the stars, with a little help from friends.
Your one most disappointing concert experience?:
On any given night somewhere in Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Silverlake, or Downtown Los Angeles, there is a band looking to get their feet off the ground. Or maybe you know someone in said band, or maybe you have a friend who has a friend in the band? Who knows? You go to the shows, you show some love, you wish you hadn't. I could pinpoint one band or go on and on about the many supbar shows I have attended in this regard, but it would be just as boring and uneventful as the shows themselves.
And the one band/performer you always wanted to see live but still haven’t:
LCD fucking Soundsystem. Came so close to seeing you next week and missed out. Apparently James Murphy and Co. are one of THE band to see live these days. -Sigh- One day...one day...
"I've never really gotten into him [Bob Dylan]... His voice is too nasal. And it's like literature music. Quite boring three-chord structures serve as a bed for words. I'm too much of a music lover for that to happen."-Bjork
Double Up. Double, double, up. So it's been about a week, and if anything, Kelly's new album has sent me back, deep into his catalogue. Shit, as I write this I'm bumping TP-2.Com, and an hour or so ago I pressed play on If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time, off his R. album which was in constant rotation all weekend.
As for Double Up? Yeah, I'm feeling it, but I have a confession to make, after my first initial run through I now find myself starting the disc at track 5, Leave Your Name. It's the first slow jam following three or four "club tracks" that do nothing for me. They sound tired, uninspired, and clunky, but when Kells jumps into slow lovah man mode, and you hear his signature water drop sound in the background, I listen up, cause that is when the man shines.
And it's when listening to his slow burning tracks that you realize why black folk are so quick to forget about the man's life outside of the studio: cause he keeps it real and rarely, if ever, censors himself. As long as he keeps churning out "ghetto operas" that deal with niggas on the DL, holding glocks, and infidelity, and further popularizes urban slang like going half on a baby, all while two stepping, R.Kelly will stay on top and keep people interested everytime he sings on a hook, or drops a new album.
Just listen to this track below and tell me it's nothing short of genuis. It's real, it's raw, it's hillarious, and somehow it's not an interlude, but a genuine track proving once again, that Kells, yeah...he's just like us.
Can't wait for that new Trapped in the closet this summer!
So I attended my first Narcotics Anonyomous meeting last night.
Wait.
Let me try that again.
HI!
My name is Tauwan Patterson, and I am not an addict.
Ventured out to the House of Uhuru over on Figeroua between Florence and Manchester last night for my antie-cousin's birthday. You see in the world of Narcotics Anonymous you have two birthdays: the one given to you at birth and your second birthday, the day you gave up drugs.
So big ups Angela. Two years clean. No easy feat, but she's doing it, and her and her girls [plus me]? Yep, they going out tonight.
Vernon and 4th Ave. Every friday. $5. It is THE SPOT! NA dance. No drugs, no alcohol. Just dancing.
When Angela invited me to come get my groove on with the older and sober, I immediately thought old school jams, and a lot of electirc sliding. [Actually this one played out as I expected. More on that later.] What I encountered instead was something that took me back to junior high school, when you couldn't go a weekend without being in somebody's house or backyard getting your freak on to whatever was popping on BET, Power 106, or 92.3 THE BEAT at the time. [Under the watchful eye of someone's parents of course.]
Yes, it was a gay old time. By 12:15 I was sitting in a chair taking it all in and fighting back sleep. See that's what happens when you get yo electric slide on for nearly 20 minutes.
Random thouhts and Highlights from last night:
-Bluetooths: the hot new clothing accessory in the club.
-Man, black folk sure do love them some R.Kelly. We heard him not once, not twice, but 4 times tonight. [12 Play/I'm A Flirt/Step in the Name of Love (surprise, surprise), and Home Alone]
-Speaking of Home Alone, am I right or am I right when I proclaim it one of the best party songs EVER (!)?
-I mean Keith Murray's rap on the bridge is worth price of admission alone:
Chillin' at the house on the hill You gotta say my my my like Johnny Gill Hey, rich girl, poor girl get the same respect You can all drink for free and call Earl collect At the moment of truth with burden of proof We stack so you can spread love like I chose The lyrical genius with the R&B messiah And the roof, the roof we sets on fire But as long as the party is jumpin, we ain't concerned We don't need no water let the motherfucker burn And everybody who was somebody was there With they hands in the air bringing in the new year Yeah, ay yo, come on
-My sister wasn't kidding when she said they electric slide for like 20 minutes! This was then followed by the cha cha silde [rmx] (of course), and some jazz electric slide, and then the "Outkast" slide to I Like the Way You Move. [Which went on for ten minutes tonight. Guess it was the maxi single remix]
-I had to sit that Outkast one out though. I can dance, but you just don't jump into the "Mighty O" slide. That shit takes practice. I didn't come prepared. I was actually stepping on people's toes and sliding into people before I threw my hands up and said "fuck it!"
-Black folk older than I [30 +] love them some Too Short.
-I miss Dj Quik...
-And Sugarfree.
-As long as there is krumping in the world, some Black women will forever be 45 going on 16.
-Yes 2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted is a great song, but hey Mr. DJ, playing it twice in one night? Definitely a party foul. I don't think anyone cared though.
-Speaking of 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted, what does it say about hip-hop today or my current taste in music that I still know all the words to 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted and Money Ain't a Thang, but couldn't recite a Young Jeezy or Yung Joc song verbatim if I tried?
-Trend of the night, MALES: Randomly shouting like Tarzan for no apparent reason.
-Trend of the night, FEMALES: Girls who like dancing with girls who look like boys who like girls and do girls like they're boys.
-I need more E-40 in my life.
-My little sister [19] has way too many male friends that are older than me [23]. That shit is mad fishy son. So yes, I've decided that straight men cannot have female friends.
We're this close to getting that new Prince track! "...First, the new record. Though the details, at this point, are a bit scant, we know it's called Planet Earth, and we know that the lead single, "Guitar", is now available for exclusive download through Verizon Wireless. But get this: to get the song, you've gotta hold your phone (which must be V-Cast enabled, which translates, roughly, to "fancy") up to your computer speakers while the "Guitar" video is playing. On some Tron-ass shit, your phone will not only recognize the track, but ask if you'd like to download it for free."
Now as an avid Prince fan, I normally embrace many of the decisions the man chooses to make, but at the moment even I am having a hard time resisting the urge to suck my teeth and roll my eyes.
One man, one rec room comprised of folks in recovery getting up on the good foot, and a whole lot of two-stepping. Can this young man shake it off and have a good time in such a scene? Only time will tell.
Yes it is 3LW. You don't even know... Now if you visit this blog often, you know that old school jams are more often than not posted under the "Old School Funk for the True Funk Soldiers" headline. But sometimes old school joints are so good, so well put together, so classic to a brotha, [see Montell Jordan's This is how we do it] that all I can do is marvel at their goodness as they boldly play on and show us how's it done. This jam, presented below, is one such example.
For Marisol...
702. Blaque. Destiny's Child [the early years]. TLC. At the time of this song's release the niche 3LW was seeeking to fufill was more than crowded. But as is the case with many an artist, all it takes is a well crafted hit single to get the spotlight on you for a minute, and get a little money in the bank. I came back to this song last night on a bus ride. During my college heydays it was a party starting staple for me and a few special close female friends. [Surprise Surprise] I don't know what I like more: the dated, but novel at the time hiccup bounce of the beat; that all knowing, reassuring, gem of a chorus [also featuring once novel, now dated, or shall I say nostalgic bits of urban slang]; or the harmonizing call and response near the end. [Playaas! Hataaas!...]But I do know this, I'll never grow tired of this song, and it is one of my all time favorites.
Doesn't this picture of Patti Labelle at her 63rd[!] birthday bash in Washington, D.C. remind you of somebody's mama standing in front of the nearest wall before she goes out for the night, cause you had to take heed to her request of "baby get a picture of me before I leave"?
"My favorite movie this year was 'Apocalypto,' and I love Mel Gibson...Sometimes I feel a little like Mel Gibson. [People say to him,] 'OK, Mel Gibson, we know [your movie is] the best, but if you shut up, maybe we can give you an award.' I think that's how people feel about me sometimes: 'OK, [your album] was the best.'"-Kanye West
"You know what I hate B? You know? When I be walking through the streets of Los Angeles looking all fly and shit with my giant sunglasses you know, looking fresh to def. Ya dig? And I look and I be like, HATA WHAT YOU LOOKING AT?"
I have a good friend. A long time ago, we used to be roommates. He and I share a fond love for all things music. It was him who turned me on to such things as torrent files, Oink accounts, and good shit for the masses before it was unleashed unto the masses.
Whenever we play catch up I make sure I always ask him what he is digging at the moment. [And sigh with relief that he doesn't ask me the same thing.] On one such occassion he threw out Architecture In Helsinki; he had just seen them at SXSW or something and couldn't keep them off repeat. For some reason the name didn't stick. It went in one ear and out the other.
But that may change as of this morning.
For you see one of my favorite indie dance bands that could have gone and covered an Architecture In Helsinki track which may lead me to go backwards and seek out some original shit all because I dig the cover.
Did you catch that?
And the band I am talking about, of course, is Hey Willpower. As you may recall earlier:
If you ain't hip to Hey Willpower, do yourself a favor and cop the EP. You won't be dissapointed.
Gotta love the choreography breakdowns. Is anyone else feeling the dance revival going on in the indie/hipster community or am I the only one?
So here we are again. Hey Willpower. Heart it Races. Architecture in Helsinki cover. Check it out.
Just thought I'd come out swinging with that first.
Back in high school [1998-2002, I'm a youngin] I was in love with Spin magazine. No, I did not have a subscription, but I was at my local newstand every month to spend four dollars and some change on a new issue. It was common protocol for me, filed under things one must get done before that first bell rings, such as purchasing some "bomb ass fries" from the roach coach or getting a drink at Starbuck's.
I was just starting to expand my musical palette, and publications like Spin helped me find new music or brush up on shit I need to or was already listening to.
And then something funny happened.
One day the mag just fell off for me. There was no need to get it every month. Issues were, what's the word? Oh yes, lacking, and I came in here and there periodically. Looking at the recent cover for the mag's July issue takes me back to those days back in high school. Am I right or am I right? Amy Winehouse, Career Counseling from Scott Weiland, Patton Oswalt on the Illest Punk Ever, the rise of raunchy Indie Rap, etc, etc. Sure there is an interview with 50 Cent, but whatevs, his interviews tend to be more compelling than his actual musical output.
Am I right or am I right?
Anyways this is the kind of Spin I came to know and love, and I hope they keep it up.
It's like I took one step forward and two steps back and all of a sudden the music I am hearing is coming from another era. Like it's 1990-96 or something all over again.
Please tell me I am not the only one who has caught a few minutes of this "gem." I swear, if it's got a black cast, costs less than ten dollars and is on sale at your local gas station or bus stop, my cousin Angela will buy it!
Save the date. Come September 4th, God will be dropping gifts from heaven. Will you'll be there to accept them with open arms?:
"In a moral throwdown of sorts, Master P has decided to release his father-and-son album, Hip Hop History on September [4] to "balance out" a more gangsterish tone of 50 Cent's Curtis album which hits stores the same day. 'My whole thing is to show people that we can still make street music that sells and make people think at the same time," Master P said to BET.com. 'I have a mission to do that.' The first single from the album which is a joint project with P's son Romeo will be "If We Change.'"
Look, there's no need to lie about it. Go on. Admit it. It's okay, you're not alone. You sorta, kinda like Kelly Clarkson and that is okay. So if you got the time, why not give her new disc a preview spin. It ain't set to drop til late June, so that'll give you plenty of time to decide whether or not it's purchase [or download] worthy. Go on. Nobody's watching.
This one goes out to all my friends in the know, living it up in New York City.
"They're [Apple] introducing Midnight Mix, a five-part series of performances and DJ sets at the New York City Apple Store's Fifth Avenue location, where noted beatsmiths will keep bodies moving from midnight 'til two a.m. and, hopefully, not break anything of value."
Here's hoping this Midnight Mix hits the West Coast. I mean could you imagine shaking your tail feather to some block rocking beats at the Apple Store in the Grove? That shit would be mad dope son!
You know when a song contains the line Girl I got you so wet/ It's like a rainforest / Like Jurassic Park except / I'm your sexosaurus babe, and finds the singer of the song mimicking animal sounds throughout [and throwing in some real animal sounds towards the end], instinct would tell you to run away and press skip with a quickness. But damn it if I'm not a sucker for a slow and smooth R.Kelly joint. So without further adieu, go on and press play on a track I should be ashamed of enjoying, but ain't. R.Kelly. The Zoo. Check it out.
Two tracks from the White Stripes upcoming album Icky Thump leaked all over the internet this afternoon. And while I enjoyed me some You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told), I didn't cream my pants til that song ended and the next one, titled Conquest, began. It's a rollicking, south of the border sounding affair just begging to be placed in the next Quentin Tarantino flick. Check it out.
Last July Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke dropped his solo LP. Did I get my hands on it? You best believe I did. Did I love it track for track? Not so much. But I can tell you what I am loving right now, and it is this. Kanye West. Lupe Fiasco. Pharrell Williams. A Thom Yorke/Kanye West collabo. Us Placers. Get in, fit in.
I just wanted to reach out to all of you and explain some of the things that I have been faced with recently.
It's so funny how many stories are put out there about people. It's like we all want our side of the story out there as well, but at the end of the day only a few people care to hear what is really going on since the bad is always so much more interesting than the truth. I don't know why, but this is so weird to me. I used to be angry at the tabloids for printing horrible things about me, but now I try to just be numb to what I see. I saw Tyra Banks once get really upset and cry on her show because they made her look fat. We all want a certain image of ourselves out there, and at some point we all do really care what other people think or we wouldn't be here.
Recently, I was sent to a very humbling place called rehab. I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think that it was alcohol or depression. I was like a bad kid running around with ADD. I had a manager from a long time ago come in and try to direct me and my life after I got my divorce. I was so overwhelmed I think that I was in a little shock too. I didn't know who to go to. I realized how much energy and love I had put into my past relationship when it was gone because I genuinely did not know what to do with myself, and it made me so sad. I confess, I was so lost.
This letter is to not place blame on anyone, although I do see the world with a completely different set of eyes now. Being in that vulnerable state and taken to dinners and parties with friends and finding out later you paid for everything was a huge learning lesson for me. I think the whole problem was letting too many people into my life. You never know another persons intentions or what another person wants. I feel I was too open and looking for answers when I had it all to begin with. I have had to cut so many people out of my life. It is so sad, because if anyone is a family person ... it is me. When I was little I remember every night watching movies with my family and feeling so at peace. Dancing and singing all the time just like a little girl should. Now recently I find with my children that I want them to have that feeling all of the time. I am having to face a lot of things right now since I have children of my own. A lot of insecurities from when I was little are coming up again. It is like we are never good enough.
I know everyone thinks that I am playing the victim, but I am not and I hate what is going on right now so much. Maybe this is the reason for this letter ... to maybe allow people to look at me differently. It is like when you are a real woman and say what you feel and how you think things are supposed to be, that people just say you are a "bitch."
I feel like some of the people in my life made more of some issues than was necessary. I also feel like they knew I was beginning to use my brain for a change and cut some ties, so they wanted to be in more control of my life than me. I think it is actually normal for a young girl to go out after a huge divorce. I think it was a bigger issue because I had not gone out in such a long time. I am 25 and I do still have a lot to learn, and I am going to make mistakes everyday, and I am sure every mistake I make will probably be on CNN or Good Morning America. I am only human people and I love you for still loving me.
I am sitting here at home and it is 6:25 and both of my sons are asleep. I am truly blessed to have them in my life. Everyday is so surreal. Life in general is so surreal and crazy.
I just hope this letter made some of you think a little bit more of me and where I am coming from. I just want the same things in life that you want...and that is to be happy. It is just so weird because everyone has their own perception of me and how they think I really am. It is so weird how stories are told. There is your side, my side, and the truth. Somebody has to figure it out. I guess we will never really understand or figure out life completely. That's God's job. I can't wait to meet him ... or her.
Love, Britney
Quote of the month... It is ok to disagree with people regarding certain issues. You're not being true to yourself if you succumb to others opinions because you feel guilty.
Okay Rihanna, I see you, and well, I don't know what to say. Looks like I'll be purchasing your new album next week. This is a sleek, care free, rump shaking affair. Don't be surprised if this becomes one of THE albums of the summer. Something tells me that gay men and young people everywhere will be feeling this one. Good work. Definitely surprised the hell out of me.
And yes, that is a Michael Jackson sample you're hearing in the background.
Believe me, I adore playing an old school hit like nobody's business, but sometimes there's nothing better than putting on one of your favorite long players, enjoying it for what it is: a tip-top, start to finish "headphone masterpiece".
I will always hold a special place in my heart for Mandy Moore. I realized this a month or so back as I sat on a flight from NY to LA. "Today's in-flight movie is Because I Said So starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore." The fact that I sat up straight, turned off my iPod, and plugged my headphones into my arm rest to take it all in took me back to the summer of 2001, when I downloaded the then 16 year old's self-titled album Mandy Moore. Magazine after magazine, page after page, Mandy was getting praised for this 13 song, 50 minute set, and the word "mature" was being tossed around a lot. Prior to this album, Mandy was known as nothing more than that girl who sang that song about candy and drove around in one of those new Volkswagen Bugs in the video despite the fact that she was only 13 or 14 at the time. But with this album she upped the ante, granted she was only 16 at the time, but she had cleared her throat, sang clearly, and let her music and lyrics come from a place that felt genuine and relatable, as opposed to overblown and out of her league. On songs like 17 and Cry, Mandy acts her age, not her shoe size, keeping it, once again, genuine, relatable, and real; downplaying the sex put on display by her peers at the time, and choosing instead to shine a spotlight on what keeps many of us going: direct emotional conact, uncertainty, fear, and love. In other words, reality. And that is what truly makes this album shine. As noted by Amy Linden in her review of the album over at amazon.com, "This isn't great art, but it is enjoyable, disposable pop, and that ain't shabby." KEY TRACKS: Saturate Me/17/Crush
"I wanted to give my own interpretation of it [Baltimore Club Music], which is a little bit of Miami, a little bit of Baltimore house..."-Pharrell Williams
Yeah this song has a nice old school [and by old school I mean 1992-1998] MC/2Pac Hail Mary vibe to it, but I still think its just aight, especially when weighed against previous debut singles from The College Dropout and Late Registration. Of course this is all initial. I could probably fall in love with it by the time the album drops, [takes on the voice of Randy Jackson] but I don't know man, I was just expecting so much more.
My little cousin got his first speeding ticket. 65 in an 32 zone. Gotta go pay that $340 dollar sucka off. House is empty. This means I get to perform the Monday-Friday ritual of collecting the mail and placing it on the dining room table for all to sort through and see.
Bigmama got her new issue of JET. Omar Epps is on the cover. And he's in love with...wait? what!? I didn't know Omar is engaged to Kima, KEISHA, Pam, from one of my favorite female R&B groups from back in the day.
So I finally got my hands on your new album Because I Love It, which I hear is out everywhere else in the world except the U.S. of A. [We gotta wait til July to snap it up] But seriously, I am only five tracks in and I felt the need to throw some love you way. Why? Because I love it. The jazz like flourishes, the free-form vibe of it all, and the 80's nostalgia that jumps out here and there is just too much. Sorry I slept on you all this time, caring only for your kurazy singles [which should have led me back to your albums in the first place] AND I apologize for gushing all over Beyonce's B-Day when it is so obvious that the bottom half of her album is a nice little "nod" to your swagger and style.
Oh Kels. You truly bring people together. Somehow you have the power to get two to three people who know little to nothing about each other to come together over a few beers, singing and dancing in harmony, and in time, because well, Ignition [RMX] is the shit. And it's also a great gateway song. Once you play that track you got to keep the momentum up and "oh my god this is my jam" type songs in constant rotation, one after the other. Start strong. Stay strong. Right Kels?
RETURN OF THE MACK
1]Fix Up, Look Sharp-Dizzee Rascal 2]Bucky Done Gun-M.I.A. 3]Push It-Salt-N-Pepa 4]Supersonic-JJ Fad 5]Sally "That Girl"-Gucci Crew II 6]Plug It In-Basement Jaxx feat JC CHasez 7]Ch-Ching (Cheque 1-2 Remix)-Lady Sovereign 8]Bellona-Junior Boys 9]John the Revelator-Depeche Mode 10]Disco Infiltrator-LCD Soundsystem
Seems Rosie O'Donell isn't the only one tackling the tunes of Amy Winehouse. Click below to hear the Arctic Monkey's saucy take on Ms. Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good.
At the moment, these boys can do no wrong in my eyes. Seriously, if you haven't copped Favourite Worst Nightmare yet, you are missing out and should get on that.
"People don't dance no more, they just lay on glass tables like this."
How come everytime I read yet another article about Lindsay Lohan's Svedka Vodka sponsored 21st birthday-day-Vegas Blowout-Extravaganza, my thoughts go from 'damn that party will be off the hook' to 'I am really, really worried about Lindsay and this whole 21st birthday thing she's celebrating' with a quickness? I get the feeling she won't be sleeping or thinking coherently for about two weeks straight.
In this week's edition of Celebs, they're just like us!, Rosie O'Donell shows a little love [and street cred] by bumping some Amy Winehouse and singing along. Correction, bumping some Hot Chip remix of Amy Winehouse and singing along.
The following is the tracklist for The Simpsons movie. I don't know what I was expecting, but I will say that I wasn't expecting this:
U Can't Shine Like Me- Lil' Romeo [?] If You Let Me Go - Jay-Z featuring Omarion [phoned in I am sure] So Emotional - 1 Chance [1 who?] High Away from You - Lifehouse [Oh god] I Don't Wanna Understand - Jennifer Lopez featuring Three 6 Mafia [HA! what a pairing!] I Believe You - Lyfe Jennings [Can't feel you dawg no matter how much the siblings and BET tell me to] The Way You Roll With Me - T.I. Dancing Machine - Maroon 5 featuring Lil' Flip [Again, who's putting these people together?] Simpson - Beanie Sigel featuring Jazze Pha Since You Get Off The Computer - Fall Out Boy Back Again - Kai featuring Akon [Akon will sing on ANYONE'S track] I Will Kill You - Panic! at the Disco [the title, when coupled with that band, on this soundtrack, looks out of place] You Gave My Heart - Keyshia Cole featuring Ludacris The World Is Yours - N.W.A. [Oh word indeed] In the Rain - Young Jeezy featuring Lil' Wayne Lockdown - Joe Budden featuring The Game and Mike Jones [Well hello Mr. Budden. Long time no see] Roll Tide - Ja Rule featuring Lloyd and Nelly [Damn, they even got Ja Rule to headline a song on this joint] I'm Your Mama - Chris Brown featuring Nas Go to Bed - David Banner I Don't Wanna Your Stupid Of Me - Ben Folds [Cause this set was looking incomplete without him present] Get Off The Porch - Obie Trice featuring 50 Cent and Eminem
For all I know, this sdtrk could kick ass [and I am all for some good hip-hop and R&B singles], I just don't need to hear them incorporated into the movie at all.
I don't care how cool this t-shirt is. And I also don't care [though I do appreciate] the fact that for the first time in ages the small size of this t-shirt is indeed a small, and not a medium masquerading as a small. Nope, don't care, cause there is no way I am paying 32 bucks for this homemade silkscreen looking t-shirt. Nope. Not gonna. [Though I did think long and hard about it]
That is all.
Tauwan
P.S. And how dare you taunt me ten minutes later as I walked away from Urban and saw across the street from me a Ryan Adams looking fellow, crazy hair, tight jeans, jean jacket and all, with said Chronic t-shirt poking out underneath. Not cool. Not cool.
Wednesday night. 12 a.m. MTV Hits. Playlistism. For the moment the videos are coming from a girl they call Shaquannah from Newark, New Jersey. And boy is she hitting them out of the park. I ain't seen a trio of videos this good in a minute. Took me back and kept me more than entertained. See, sometimes music channels do get it right.
"Fun with leather"- We came in near the middle of this gem:
"Remember in middle school how this was on every five minutes and you stopped and watched it each time. And you didn't laugh at the acting bit in the hospital? That shit was real son. So good..."- Followed by this:
"Yes. Go on Shaquannah from Newark! This is my shit. I don't care what nobody says. Fantasia's album is good. In fact, I was just listening to it earlier today"- And then this:
So big ups Shaquannah from Newark! And thank you, thank you very much!
"This Fall, The White Stripes will continue on their quest to play all remaining sixteen states they have yet to travel to. September takes them to eight more, with a few additional stops along the way..."
Including a stop September 19th at the Forum in Inglewood ["always up to no good"] California. Get excited.
For completely selling a wonderfully sappy and forgettable "inspirational" track. [A Moment Like This it is not] And for making me look like a little bitch in my kitchen last night as I watched and got a little choked up with you. That shit ain't cute. Here's hoping you take home the top prize.
Diddy, Keyshia Cole, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Kim take a trip to Erotic City on this 80's club leanin' remix of Last Night, a single you should be familiar with by now. Check it out!
