Sean Kingston and Nicki Minaj Love the Lion King

It's good to see that @seankingston is recovered enough from his boating accident back in May to start releasing new music. When phrases like "ejected from jet ski" and "intensive care" are used to describe how you're doing, it's never a good sign, but the good news is, he's expected to make a full recovery.

Back in October, Sean took to Facebook to reveal his new album title Back 2 Life. His new single below, Born to be Wild featuring @nickiminaj produced by radio mainstay @jonathanrotem is probably going to end up being the lead single. It's every bit as big of a sing along as the Lion King version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight...

Only thing missing is a few wimoweh a wimoweh a wimowehs on the JR sample, but you better believe the listening audiences will fill in the gaps. Can anyone say universal from little kids all the way to their parents who took them to the movie? Maybe the Nicki verse will turn off a few parents with the baby talk, but goodness this is going get a lot of radio play...#NumberOneSingleWatch

Sean Kingston feat Nicki Minaj - Born to be Wild (prod by JR Rotem)

|iTunes

Videos of the Week

Sticking with the New Years theme since the @ZooeyDeschanel and @hitrecordjoe video below went viral. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly makes Zooey Deschanel so incredibly unique as an actress. All I know it helps that she's multi-talented (singing/acting), she's got those irresistibly wide eyes and a quirky, but witty sense of humor. Put her in a movie or show and I'll immediately be interested...#JustSayin

Other than that, a whole lot of @tip and incognito @drake and @kanyewest videos to report on. Pretty pumped to hear that @rihanna song that Kanye was hinting at while DJ-ing in England. Can't wait for that new Slaughterhouse album too, lots to look forward to in 2012...#LastDayOfTheYear

Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sing What Are You Doing New Years Eve?


Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz Talk New Slaughterhouse Album


Drake Sings Karaoke with a Fan at the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Blvd


Kanye DJs in London Debuts Rihanna G.O.O.D. Music Unreleased Track


T.I. Speaks on Working with Dr. Dre

Trailer for T.I.'s New Mixtape

Think Twice Moment: "A Parent-ly I'm an Unfit Father"

It's a new day, which means there's probably a new Hip Hop artist you haven't heard of that has released a relevant song that you should now know about. I say you should know about because @mrdontrip is immediately noteworthy because of his cosign from the legendary production duo @COOLANDDRE. With the help of Cool and Dre, the Memphis native signed onto First Family Records/Epidemic Music/Interscope Records with the help of his powerful track below. In case Cool and Dre's cosign isn't enough, the Good Doctor (Dre) went out of his way to mention Don Trip in the same sentence as @JColeNC as far as new artists who he is a fan of. I decided to post a song he wrote before becoming noteworthy called Letter to My Son and for added listen-ability, I chose the remix, which features @ceelogreen on the hook.

Before I get into the particulars of the track, it'd be worthwhile for you to see Don Trip in studio recording the track. I'll always have respect for someone who can go into a studio and knock out an emotional track the way he did below...

Man you want to talk about a raw track. Just listening to it will make any man or woman think twice about the potential collateral damage that having a child could cause. It's sad that nowadays with baby mamas and divorces becoming so frequent that it's common for kids to be used as pawns in disagreements or litigation. This is as real as it gets in depicting the potential pitfalls that go along with the responsibility of parenthood, so anybody who is thinking about being careless about who they hook up with, give the track below a listen...#UseProtectionYall

Don Trip feat Cee-Lo - Letter to My Son (Remix)

|iTunes

Bobby Ray and Three Stacks Play the Guitar

So what's next for @bobatl after his lead single Strange Clouds with @liltunechi? Next up is a fast paced rhyme-fest with Andre 3000 where the two go in on a simple, easy listening beat produced by @salaamremi. I'm usually a fan of samples, but the @tip sample on the hook isn't one of my favorites. Consider it the epitome of Pop flavored Hip Hop and seems destined for radio/iTunes consumption.

Even though I'm sort of lukewarm on the track, it's nice to see Three Stacks continue to jump in on features. I appreciated his contribution to The Real Her and on Jeezy's I Do. Hopefully that will lead to some sort of album in the near future...maybe 2012? Even better how bout a new Outkast album? #2012WishList

B.O.B. feat Andre 3000 - Play the Guitar (prod by Salaam Remi)

|iTunes

Skrillex is American Dubstep

Alright so it's a little overdue and the bandwagon has long left the station, but I'm coming around to this whole Dubstep movement. Dubstep is slowly finding it's way into Electronic music and with Dance/Electronic music starting to trickle more heavily into Hip Hop and American Pop music, the bridge is starting to form genre wise. The fact that I'm now talking about it is probably more of an indication that British music trends are more relevant than ever and I've tried to get the word about artists like @tinietempah and @labrinthda1st who are becoming more well known in America.

Sure we all heard Beibs is going to experiment with Dubstep on his new album, but nothing concrete has become of that rumor yet. Rumors aside, what you should takeaway from this post is that @SKRILLEX is one of the most well known Dubstep DJs and if you're wanting to become more familiar with the movement, it might be in your best interests to check out one of Skrillex's album Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites or his most recent album More Monsters and Sprites.

This past week he released a new EP album titled Bangarang, which doesn't feature his newest single below featuring @krewella on the vocals. Breathe is a nice combination of soothing electronic rhythms with radio quality vocals mixed with a little dubstep. It's about as pop as Dubstep will get until Bieber tackles it, but nonetheless, a good forecast of the storm that's coming.

Skrillex feat Krewella - Breathe (Vocal Edit)

"Got Rid of the Cris Like Her Name Was Kim K"

While I wouldn't put this in @ryanleslie's Hall of Fame of productions, I still really like the new track he produced and sang the hook on with @CoryGunz. Loco is every bit a Hip Hop braggadocio staple with talk of G5 jets and living the lavish Hip Hop lifestyle. No word yet on what album this will land on, but it's definitely going to end up being a single, potentially on Cory's debut album slated for the second quarter of 2012.

As I'm listening to it, I feel like I've seen enough behind the scenes videos to appreciate all the quirky synth sounds that go int an R Les production. There's a lot going on when you take everything into account and for that reason, producers deserve just as much dap. Their work is the foundation of what you hear and there are only a few artists out that could sound good on any beat. Most need a good beat to sound hot and be relevant, so if you're a reader of my blog you probably feel the same way or at least have the same appreciation for what goes into the final product of a song. Chalk it up to another Young Money protege to watch out for in 2012...#TakinOver

Cory Gunz feat Ryan Leslie - Loco (prod by Ryan Leslie)

Merry Christmas!

Couldn't have put it more soulfully than @johnlegend and @mariahcarey...

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 

Mariah Carey feat John Legend - When Christmas Comes

My Take on the Drake/Common Beef

This post is going to come off a little gossipy because a lot of what I'm going to say below is based on presumptions and unconfirmed rumors. With that being said, there is a beef between @common and @drake going on right now, so I'd be remiss to not mention it. From my perspective, here's the chronology of events that seem to have triggered this new beef. First, Common and @serenawilliams were dating pretty seriously for over two years.

But like all good things, the relationship came to an end in 2010 when they broke up for lots of reasons, including what Serena called "him not taking responsibility." Maybe it had to do with Common wanting to settle down and have kids and a family? Either way, it ended and there was clearly a lot of emotion involved, so there was potential for future spite and grudges.

Enter Drake, who in the past year has started to become really good friends with Serena. So much so that he's been spotted at her tennis matches supporting her and even been seen playing tennis with her (below). Not gonna lie, dude's got some decent ground strokes and it looks like he was holding his own for a bit...(even though she was playing left handed and clearly taking it easy on him).

Serena Williams and Drake Playing Tennis

Fast forward to last week, where rumors began circulating that @drake and @serenawilliams are engaged as of last week. No confirmation on those rumors, but still, where there's smoke...

So even before all the engagement rumors started surfacing, Common took to wax to not-so-subtly call out Drake in a very public, aggravated way on his track Sweet. On the track, Common attacked Drake for singing on his songs and that women think he's Sweet, which makes him soft in Hip Hop terms. Now you may think it's out of the ordinary for him to do that, but evidently calling out other rappers is an old trick he has implemented in the past around the same time a new album of his is coming out. Adding fuel to the fire was his interview with @realsway two days ago where he confirmed the obvious that the No I.D. produced track was in fact calling out Drake.

"In Hip Hop, it’s like stepping in the ring. Rap is a contact sport. So I talked about this cat that’s soft and sweet. Drake felt offended and felt it was directed towards him, so he said, “Man, say it to my face.” My thing is, I’ma keep it Hip Hop. Stay on that tip, but if he falls in that category, then so be it. I’m not going to hold my tongue.”
- Common"

Common Talks to Sway About His Shots at Drake

Early sales predictions are putting Common's new album The Dreamer, The Believer (out December 20th) at 55,000-65,000 in first week sales compared to the 631,000 that Take Care sold in it's first week for Drizzy. So it wasn't too surprising to see the way Drake responded to Common, albeit for one minute before he deleted the Tweet (below)...#Scoreboard

We'll see how all this ends, but for the time being, it's an interesting spat in a Hip Hop game that has lacked anything remotely beef related for a while now. It's borderline yawn worthy, but both are successful at what they do and they'll continue to be regardless how their beef ends up. For my money, I was a little surprised and taken aback that Common had such a mean streak in him. 99% of his music is all about unity and being happy and he even plays soft characters in romantic comedies, so to hear him call out Drake for that was interesting. Is the pot calling the kettle black? Maybe a little, but I'll give it to Common, he went in hard on the track and took no prisoners on his lyrical melee. That being said, he's never going to reach the ceiling Drake hasn't even hit yet, so I'm not sure if it'll end up being seen as much more than jealousy because Drake can always say I got your girl and my records are more successful than yours, stick to movies...#DoubleScoreboard

Videos of the Week

I can't remember a week that had this many high profile videos. From @drake to @thegame to @Rihanna, there were a lot of attention grabbing videos that found their way onto YouTube. Love the Bay Area setting for The Motto and Game's Martians vs Goblins was just as creepy and weird as you'd expect from the title. Nothing creepier that @fucktyler having a striped cat on his shoulder throughout his verse? Anybody else, that probably would be out of the ordinary. Like the @liltunchi image below...

Good luck reeling in those last minute gifts today and tomorrow y'all. Lord knows I'm gonna be busy like a bee no honeycomb...#DrakeQuote minus #TheMoneyTrees

Drake feat Lil Wayne & Tyga - The Motto (Video)

The Game feat Tyler, The Creator & Lil Wayne - Martians vs Goblins (Video)

Rihanna - You Da One (Video)

Asher Roth Performing G.R.I.N.D. in Chicago

David Guetta feat Sia - Titanium (Video)

Lloyd feat Trey Songz & Young Jeezy - Be The One (Video)

Ricky Rozay Talks That Talk

Keeping it simple tonight since I like to add to the populace of men who are both 1) Not very adept at thinking about Christmas presents until the week of and 2) really into sports. We've got NFL, quality college basketball (Go Illini!) and a bowl game where Boise State is gonna beat the breaks off ASU. So much to watch all at once, probably going to need to go to a bar where all three can be viewed at once...#LadiesDontUnderstand + #ButWeStillLoveYall

Anyways, @rickyrozay did his part in furthering the hotness of Talk That Talk. Decent remix worth a listen and in case you missed the original @s_c_ sells out arenas...#CallsItGettinDome

Rihanna feat Jay-Z & Rick Ross - Talk That Talk (Remix)

Sleigh Bells Aren't Just Christmas Instruments

It's funny how things come full circle sometimes. When I say full circle, maybe I mean, it's cool how things evolve to a point where you can look back and realize something was cooler than it appeared to be when you first saw it. For example, years before I started getting into @drh3, I witnessed him play guitar for John Mayer (no twitter handle since he left his 3.7 million followers behind). At the time, he wasn't more of a background singer and guitar player, but as the years went by and I found some of his great solo tracks, I found myself looking back and wishing he had been a bigger part of the John Mayer show.

I saw all this to lay the ground work for how I was first introduced to @sleighbells. It was at the Philly Cruise Terminal watching them open for the legendary LCD Soundsystem. As an quick sidebar, easily one of the three best concerts I've ever been to. Their live act is so off the chain, it's disgusting and I'm still upset they retired prematurely. Aaaannnyways, long story short I got to see Sleigh Bells up close and personal for the first time and not knowing what to expect, I thought their music was a little too noisy and raucous to be enjoyed in concert...#NerdVoice

Looking back a little now, I feel pretty stupid because I now understand and have somewhat harnessed their kickassedness as time has gone on. I really took a liking to Riot Rhythm and even better, their new single sounds like @ratatatmusic chipped in some of their crazy electro guitar riffs in the background of Born to Lose. I even went back and copped their whole debut album Treats and gave it a spin after hearing their new single. Evidently their sophomore album Reign of Terror is due out in Feb and will feature even more in your face, loud as (F word) block rocking beats. I can't wait, let's crank it up, Christmas is less than a week y'all...#LetsRage

Sleigh Bells - Born to Lose

Bobby Ray T.I. & Chris Martin Never Get Lost

You might be thinking to yourself, wait a minute, wasn't this song featuring @tip and @coldplay on @bobatl's No Genre mixtape like a year ago? To that I say, cheers observant reader because I was thinkin' the same damn thing myself because I posted this track on April 26th of last year. Yea I know, I was a little late on it considering the mixtape dropped on December 7th, 2010.

Regardless of timing or whether it was previously unreleased until now, I should get to the point of me re-posting the track. What you hear below is a new sounding version in that it's clearly been mastered with actual vocals from Chris Martin of Coldplay. If you're wondering what I mean, check out the original with Bobby Ray singing the hook. The authentic Coldplay vocals give it an added touch of freshness that the original didn't have. Sure the verses and beat provided by none other than JJJ JR! (@jonathanrotem) are the same great concoction, but a new hook can do wonders for a track.

Furthermore, you may be wondering what the intentions are for mastering this track. I wonder the same thing, but with the new T.I. and Bobby Ray collaboration album titled The Man & The Martian in the works, this might just end up being a single when it's all said and done. All I can say is it's about damn time this was made a single! I bet Coldplay was finally compen$ated on the sample and that's why they've got the green light to release it as a single...#MoneyTalk$

B.O.B. feat T.I. & Coldplay - Never Lost (prod by JR Rotem)

Machine Gun Kelly is Invincible With His Dre Beats On

If you're like me, then you saw the commercial below a few times and wondered who in the hell is the dude spittin' like his life is about to end if he doesn't tear apart a hot 16...

Lo and behold it was your boy @MACHINEGUNKELLY, who just won MTV's Hottest Breakthrough Artist Award. Can't hate on bit on the organic reaction of him finding out the news he won. Good god the way this is dude from Cleveland is blowing up, he's on track to live up to the @eminem comparisons that are sure to come. There's something about rappers that emerge from making minimum wage to a point where they fought tooth and nail (with performances like this) their way to the top with the way they weave words together on the mic. The appreciation he has shown for every bit of success he has garnered thus far is really cool to watch and easy for me as a blogger to support.

Man I'm really at a loss for how to explain to you guys dope this track is. Usually I can throw together a few adjectives that come to mind when listening to the song as I write, but I'm at a total loss. From the start, before listening to the whole track, I knew it was going to be epic when I saw @AlexDaKid produced the track. There hasn't been a song that he has done the past year that hasn't risen to the top. The best words I can come up with to describe MGK's delivery on Invincible are vigorous, relentless, and fierce...but I'm still feeling like I'm underselling the raw emotion he bleeds all over this track. Add to that the blatant Dre Beats push both on the HTC Rezound commercial and also in the first verse "But I can’t feel nothin’, outside these Dre Beats". @iamdiddy is not a fool and there's good reason why he went all out to win the bidding war for MGK's talents.

This is only the beginning folks and to be honest, I got just as hype to this song at the gym today when I put it on repeat as I did when Lose Yourself came out. For those of you thinkin' that I'm just gassing you up, press play below...then we'll talk...#DoItIDareYou

Machine Gun Kelly feat Ester Dean - Invincible (prod by Alex da Kid)

|iTunes

"If I Took You Home, It'd Be a Home Run"

When damn near every song of an artist produces sounds the same and has the same tempo, its hard for an artist to continue to grow their sound. With that being said, there are exceptions like @official_flo who don't need to evolve to continue to be successful. It doesn't matter who he features or what producer is on the track, he has the market cornered for the Hip Hop dance genre. His sound consistently plays and sets the bar for the competition. If you're the best in your neighborhood and consistently producing music that sells, why tweak it?

You can add this and his latest dance floor hit Good Feeling to the tracklist for his upcoming album part 2, Only One Rida (Part Two). Rumored to be dropping on January 1st, 2012, the album is shaping up to be just as good as the part 1, One One Flo Part 1. As an aside, doesn't it seem like every new single he drops gives a new R&B artist their first chance at limelight? You had @keshasuxx on Right Round before she had made it big, @WYNTERMUSIC on Sugar and now @siamusic gets her turn to shine on Wild Ones. You better believe Sia shined all over Wild Ones and absolutely did her thing on the hook. I'd expect there's a lot more where that and Titanium came from. She's clearly got a great voice, hopefully more Hip Hop artists will take note and give her some more opportunities.

I'll put it this way, if I still sent out my monthly song list, this one would be #1 for December. It'll be in the iTunes playlist rotation for at least a week, which is no small feat. Can't wait to hear this one in the club and go #HamSandwich...

Flo Rida feat Sia - Wild Ones

|iTunes

Before This Night is Through You Will Know Avicii

Tim Berg, otherwise known as @avicii is quickly becoming one of my favorite arists/producers/DJs...whatever you want to classify him as. Through a mix of original songs and remixes, he's won over my fandom as he continues to impress me with every new electronic beat he cooks up. His newest track to catch my attention is the original mix of Before This Night is Through (Bad Things), which is every bit as much of a story as it is a club thumping house track.

I say story because there are literally chapters within the track that tell a different story. The first chapter that leads up to the haunting demon voice's "I wanna do bad things with you!", is more of a build up introduction. The middle part is where the beat is at it's best and gets all upbeat house for a few minutes. Then, the beat slows down in a harmonic, end of fairytale way, only to pick the rhythm back up with increased ferocity. Listening to it right just led to looking up Avicii tour dates, it's that badass. As far as manipulating the ebb and flow of energy on a dance track, it doesn't get much better than what Tim Berg is able to provide...#EvidenceBelow

Avicii - Before This Night Is Through (Bad Things) (Original Mix)


As a bonus, I'm not sure if this is an Avicii created mash-up or something someone did on the side. Either way, it takes his widely acclaimed song Levels and mixes it with @JLo's track Until It Beats No More. Levels is one rare beat I will probably never get sick of or annoyed at other artists sampling.

Jennifer Lopez & Avicii - Until It Beats No More (Levels Mash-Up)

Videos of the Week

When watching @iamwill's new video for T.H.E., the only though that crossed my mind was that's about right. I wouldn't expect anything less than interstellar, Michael Jackson-esque, Scream type, CGI driven madness. The only thing I'm in complete awe about is what jboymoo said about him on iTunes (below):

Saying Will I Am is a great rapper would have been debatable ten years ago, not today. Now he's more international pop star, let's try and keep his pop star persona from the association of the word rapper, k?

As a sidebar, it's pretty cool seeing all of the behind the scenes footage of Kanye and Jay's Watch the Throne tour. Other than the fact that they play N words in Paris a record 10 times in one concert (not joking), it seems to be the most highly sought after concert ticket. I'll be the first to admit, I was very lukewarm on their album initially, but lately I've found myself going back to it and liking it better the more I listen to it. Some things are just too intense and shoved down our throat and over-hyped that it borders on too cliche to even say nice things about. Now that the dust has settled, I'm more than happy to say should be in the conversation for album of the year...#NotTheBestThough

Will.i.am feat Jennifer Lopez & Mick Jagger - T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever) Video

The Cataracs feat Dev - Sunrise (Video)

Gym Class Heroes feat Neon Hitch - Ass Back Home (Video)

Kanye & Jay-Z Watch the Throne Episode 3

Kanye & Jay-Z Watch the Throne Episode 4

Kanye & Jay-Z Watch the Throne Episode 5

Young Jeezy Performs I Do and Lose My Mind on Jimmy Kimmel

B.O.B. on NBC Nitecap

"No Time to Waste, Cause I Viva the Love"

If I were to classify @wyntermusic's new track Viva the Love, it'd probably fit somewhere in between modern disco and dance pop. Genre aside, it's an upbeat, dance floor ready single that is destined for contemporary radio consumption.

They may not be a household name per se, but don't sleep on @mystoandpizzi's influence on the the track. They've always been a duo that catches my eye and follows suit on the my believe that it's a better fandom investment to follow producers rather than artists because the quality is generally more consistent. I know, I know, there are exceptions, but I'll ride and die with the producers who shape the sound of the track rather than (cut and paste replaceable artist).

Wynter's got more than a little vocal ability and I was a buyer of her debut album With the Music I Die. I'd be willing to bet you'll start see her popping up on a lot more features like when she did the hook on Flo Rida's - Sugar...#StayTuned

Wynter Gordon - Viva the Love (prod by Mysto & Pizzi)

"Shawty Thick, Got Cleveland Cavs"

I wrote about the original version of this track like four months ago when I hyped it up as the best @ryanleslie produced track since You Be Killin Em. My opinion hasn't changed over the past four months and when you add in @JColeNC, @Wale and @treysongz, while keeping the same dope beat, I'm going to take the time to hype it up all over again. Even better, @RedCafe even chips in a new verse on the track with even more creative one liners (as the title of the post points out).

Anybody else think the picture above is funny as hell too? With J Cole's "I'm with stupid gesture" and Wale looking completely rigid like he's a frozen block of ice. To be fair, we've all taken pictures where we just look like absolutely retards because of the timing, so I'm not gonna put him on blast too much.

On an unrelated, but related note, I'm still salty that Ryan Leslie's new album Les is More keeps getting pushed back. Now it's slated for a 2012 release, which is a little longer than the few weeks away he promised back in October. I'll be interested to see if that milli he's getting sued for over not ponying up on the ransom for his laptop comes to fruition. Not sure how that works, but if you are on camera offering rewards then I'm not sure how you can get out of that...#Settlement

Great collection of talent below, all remixes should be as good as the one below...#WishfulThinking

Red Cafe feat Ryan Leslie, J Cole, Trey Songz, Wale - Fly Together (Remix) (prod by R Les)

Foster the People Call It What You Want Remixes

Now that everyone's got their own pair of Pumped Up Kicks, folks outside of the Indie world are wondering what's next. I know those of you who are fans of @FosterthePeople are audibly scoffing right now because there are so many better tracks than Pumped Up Kicks on their latest album Torches. I'm not disputing that claim one bit, all I'm saying is the public needs to hear a couple songs they like before it sticks.

Seeing that the Foster camp has decided that Call It What You Want will be the follow up single, I can't really complain because it was a good pick. Seems there are a few DJ's who agree because they have taken the time to remix the original. Tough call on which remix I like better better between BIGkids and @TREASUREFINGERS. What I do know is that I laughed out loud when I saw the tweet below because I'm familiar with the drunken santa bar crawls...

I'll say this, if you're in the mood to dance, go with Treasure Fingers, otherwise, stick to the more Hip Hop sounding BIGkids remix...#BothAreGreat

Foster the People - Call It What You Want - (BIGkids remix)
|iTunes

Foster The People - Call It What You Want (Treasure Fingers Pre-Party Remix Radio Edit)
|Amazon

Mac and Devin Know How to Make a Soundtrack

When was the last time you saw a soundtrack to a movie land months before it hits the big screen? I ask because that's more than likely the case with the new movie Mac And Devin Go To High School, which is schedule for a 2012 release. Then again, we're talking about a movie starring @snoopdogg and @RealWizKhalifa. Not to take anything away from their acting abilities, I'm sure they can hold their own, but there's probably good reason the egg came before the chicken in this movie vs soundtrack scenario.

When looking at the tracklist for the soundtrack, I immediately jumped on the track below because I noticed @IAMDRUMMA on the production credits. Now if you're expecting another Oh My type booty shaking club beat, I'd tap the breaks homie. This one won't measure up to those expectations, but @therealjuicyj's verse on the track is on point like a decimal #RapGeniusAssist. Wiz does his thing on the hook, but the pace of the track so perfectly fits Juicy's delivery.

If you're looking for exclusive content surrounding press of the upcoming movie, plug in the hash tag #macanddevin. Uncle Snoopy D O Double G has a few surprises in there for ya like this one and this one. Go cop it December 13th!

Wiz Khalifa & Snoop Dogg feat Juicy J - Smokin' On (prod by Drumma Boy)
|iTunes

The Weeknd is Only Beginning...

Since everyone is now becoming familiar with @theweekndxo via @drake's new album Take Care, it's time to get a familiar with some of his older stuff. I say that half out of opportunity (since a lot of unreleased tracks of his have been dropping lately) and half out of necessity because he's becoming more of a household name. Here's a little background on the track below. The Weeknd used to be a part of a group called The Noise that consisted of a producer and three vocalist: The Weeknd, Kid Klassic, Tyler Done and @nataliediluccio.

You'll be hard pressed to find much on The Noise because they didn't release and album or mixtape. Instead they focused on making demos that they could sell to other artists. Party (below), is one of those demo tracks that were created around 2008-2009. The track has a very unfinished sound to it, but the bouncy guitar riff and sing along hook give the track a fun, laid back feel. It's what a demo track should do, put it on a tee for a big name to knock it out the park. Even the verse at the end is well delivered, making me think an artist like @bobatl could flip it into a hit. I'm open to any other artist suggestions, but he's the first that came to mind as far as being able to both sing and rap on the track.

Who would have thought there would be a noteworthy Canadian duo called OVOXO taking Hip Hop by storm? Proves that it really doesn't matter much where you're from because if you can spit or sing, people will find you. How else could you explain so many artists coming out of Cleveland, Ohio? Who knows maybe someday a superstar will hatch out of Naptown and Hip Hop will become relevant back in my home state for the first time ever...#DreamBig

The Weeknd (The Noise)- Party

Picture Perfect Modern R&B Duet

When it comes to R&B vocalists, there are very few out right now that have as soulful of voices as @hamiltonanthony and @misskeribaby. Anthony has that raspy, throwback tone you could compare to a Bill Withers and Keri...I can't think of an better female artist in R&B when it comes to vocal range. Add to that the legendary touch of Babyface who wrote co-wrote and produced the track below and you've got yourself a concentration of R&B talent that is hard to top.

Plus it's been a minute since I posted a slow jam, so in an effort to not lose touch of my softer side, tonight I'm giving some dap to two of the most talented (both vocally and writing) individuals in the game. If you're a fan of Anthony, you probably already know his new album Back to Love is due out in three days on Tuesday, December 13th. I'd venture a guess that it's chalked full of grown and sexy music that both you and your parents, who more than likely dig the old school sound of his voice, can share over the holidays...#ParentsLoveSlowJams

Anthony Hamilton feat Keri Hilson - Never Let Go (prod by Babyface)
|iTunes

Videos of the Week

Couple big name videos found there way onto the internet this week, including @bobatl's new single Strange Clouds. Interesting to hear all the @drake leaving Young Money rumors swirling this week. I was happy to see he nipped that in bud before it grew legs, but on the real, why in the hell would he want to leave? Take Care is headed straight to platinum and he clearly loves where he's at with @liltunchi and @nickiminaj always by his side. Guess people need something to talk about...#InsertDavidSternDiss

B.O.B. feat Lil Wayne - Strange Clouds (Video)


Diggy Simmons feat Jeremih - Do it Like You (Video)


Pitbull feat Chris Brown - International Love (Video)


Snoop and Wiz Perform Young, Wild and Free on Jimmy Kimmel


Drake Addresses Rumors About Him Leaving Young Money


Bon Iver Works Out...Yes Really

"Is it Ok That I Stay Here, For the Rest of My Life"

I've been a pretty vocal buyer of @jasonderulo since before the Whatcha Say days. Having just released his second studio album, Future History, in September, he's now about to headline his own 2012 Future History World Tour. With all that being said, I was skeptical he'd be able to follow through with a sophomore album that was anywhere near as great as his self titled debut album.

Don't Wanna Go Home and It Girl are catchy and further his rolodex of solid radio hits, but they didn't reach the ceiling that some of his previous albums single reached. Yet, here we have a new non-album single by JD produced by the man himself, Ryan Tedder. I can appreciate Jason trying to diversify his sound away from JR Rotem the way the Game wanted to branch out away from Dr. Dre to prove he wasn't a product of his production. Rest of My Life is a great mid-tempo ballad that allows Jason to show off a little vocal range and hit a couple American Idol notes throughout the track that is dripping with emotional intensity. Individually both Jason and Ryan are huge talents, so it's safe to say, combining the two will eminently end up in one bad ass collaboration...#ProofsInThePuddingBelow

Jason Derulo - Rest of My Life (prod by Ryan Tedder)

"She Actin' All Sidity, It's Cause She Know She Bad"

For all you folks who aren't familiar with the term sidity, I'll save you a trip to urban dictionary:

sidity (adj) - uppity, high class, bourgeois, conceited,
"That girl at the bar so sidity she won't even holla at a playa."

We've all been around our fair share of sidity women, but similiarly, fellas if a chick is actin' high sidity, don't compound the fuckery by trickin'. We all know, it is trickin' if you ain't really go it.

Now that you're all caught up on a handful of modern urban dictionary terms that you probably never thought you'd see on this blog, I'll turn the focus back to @roscoedash's upcoming studio album, J.U.I.C.E.. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that this is the lead single, but to be completely honest, I'll be interested to see if Roscoe can shake the "only good for hooks on other artists' tracks" stigma that he's developed. We've seen artists like @TPAIN shake it and become success on a solo tip, but whether he can follow in those footsteps remains to be seen.

Big fan of @bigsean's presence on the track too and even though I don't have a name for the production credits on Sidity, it's got the potential as an upbeat bass heavy, radio friendly effort. On the real I'm never gonna get sick of Oh My, so I'll forever be a supporter in some capacity of Roscoe. Hopefully the freshman album holds serve and I start writing about how well rounded of an artist he's become...#TimeWillTell

**Update - Shouts out to @SUPERDAVEMUSIC and Drew da Beast on the beat. Assist to Twitter on the correction...

Roscoe Dash feat Big Sean - Sidity (prod by Super Dave & Drew da Beast)

Mike Posner...Panties...Floor

For over a week now, I've been listening to @mikeposner's new mixtape The Layover. Now I've already posted a few songs, so you might know where I'm going with this already, but there's little doubt in my mind now that The Layover should win mixtape of the year. As I'm writing this, I'm still second guessing whether I should write about other great tracks on the mixtape like Hey Lady feat Twista and A Perfect Mess (Think to This). If only I had the time, I could write a dissertation about why I think this mixtape is so great.

For starters, there is a huge void in the genre of thuggish R&B and Mikey P appropriately fills that gap with his slightly edgy lyrics and well-known Hip Hop cameos. I think of TQ when I listen to Posner and that's a good thing because it's been damn near a decade since I've heard something comparable to some of TQ's older tracks. No shit, I just counted 10 tracks on this mixtape that I've been constantly circulating on my daily playlist and to put things in perspective, the shelf life for tracks on that playlist can usually be measured in hours. If I were to give a award for best cameo verse on the mixtape, it would be between @TWISTAgmg, @MACHINEGUNKELLY and @CyHiDaPrynce's verse below. Pure thuggish, unadulterated sexiness that is more that worthy of a spot on the latest BMM.

"What you mean tell?
I don't even watch television
I won't tell a soul
And I don't own a telescope
You feel me?

I got this girl I met in Kansas
Originally from Wichita
She say she's from the country so I pulled up bumpin' Tim McGraw
I got a few dollars in my budget
Huh, so I scooped her in the rental car
Yeah, I took her back to the W
Reached inside the mini bar
And poured us both a cup of Goose
Then I rolled up, like a rubber do
First I lay you on the bed
Then I cocoa butter you
Then we do what lovers do
On top of the covers, ooh
Damn, girl you're sexy
You gonna make me baby mother you
Then she said, what am I gonna tell my friends
And this is what I told her, before I put it in"

Shouts out to @COLIONEJL on the production of the adult film quality tempo and soundscapes. There's a good reason why Room 925 has a parenthetical suggestion after the song title that I'll let you review on the tracklist. If the sexiness of Mike's voice doesn't cause a woman to de-clothe in front of you, then you're just not meant to hook up dude...#Truth

Mike Posner feat CyHi Da Prynce - Room 925 (prod by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

|The Layover

"Internet Killed the Radio Star"

"If Eric Clapton could sing about cocaine, then there's no harm

Then I can write about guns,

I can rap about girls,

I can sing about money and cars"

After a few laps around Radioactive, I've siphoned out a few favorites that are ready to be shared. The first being a clear eventual single choice in Radio, produced by hit doctor @iamjimjonsin. Off top the acoustic guitar and steady beat with a hint of piano lure you in when combined with a little harmony. Even better, @yelawolf takes on a serious, nostalgic tone that is necessary for the commentary he adds about modern music. Throughout the track, he takes on a "those were the days tone as he subtly hints as music nowadays missing the vigor that it once had.

Within his deep critique of modern music on Radio, the allure of Catfish Billy is put on full display. He's got that storytelling knack that is so widely appreciated in the South that we still have yet to hear another one as good as Outkast. That is, until Yelawolf landed and as his audience increases with every new track, so will our appreciation for the depth of his messages. I know folks will someday soon want to compare Yeller to @MACHINEGUNKELLY because they're two crazy ass white dudes who like to rap, but for my money, I don't see them seeing eye to eye content wise. Word has it MGK absolutely lights it up on stage, but I'm skeptical he'll ever be able to match the intellectual messages that Yelawolf is able to portray through his pitter patter flows.

Also, if you're looking for another standout track on Radioactive, look no further than Get Away featuring the long lost lyrical magician @ItsMystikal. Not sure if I like Radioactive more than Trunk Musik 0-60, but the jury is still out. Cop it!

Yelawolf - Radio (prod by Jim Jonsin)

|iTunes

"Let 'em Know, I'm Super Cold"

While you were with friends and family stuffing your faces last week, there's a good chance you may have missed the release of @LupeFiasco's new mixtape Friend of the People: I Fight Evil. I already posted his single worthy track Lightwork a couple weeks ago and like the tip of an X-acto knife, Super Cold is just as on point. The combination of running sythns and haunting background humming is downright chilling, but it sticks with you. I don't think it would be going too far to say Lightwork and Super Cold would have been in my top 3 favorite tracks if they had made the cut for Lasers.

I'm posting the remix below instead of the original, but I wanted to give a shout out to @iamraak who was behind the boards on the track below. Between he and the presence of @gilbereforte, they take this track to another level on the remix. I'd be remiss to not give shout outs to @abliva and @_ASAAD who stepped up their game on their respective verses. No official word on when Food and Liquor II may surface, but for the time being I'm cool with all these mixtapes folks like @bobatl, @mikeposner and Lupe are dropping. They're really setting the bar high on the mixtape circuit and making it damn near impossible for their upcoming studio albums to top the quality of their latest mixtape releases.

Whole lot of recommended hash tags for this one including, but not limited to #PHILLYREMIX and #FOTP. Feel free and visit Raak's bandcamp page too if you want the real consumer experience. Big year in store for Gilbere and Raak, heads up 2012...#NewYearsPrediction

Lupe Fiasco feat Gilbere Forte, Asaad & Ab-Liva - Super Cold (Raak Remix)

|Mixtape