There are few artists I have more respect for than @aliciakeys. She's a role model on a lot of levels and you won't find an artist make more beautiful music than her. Like a lot of her fans, I thought the introspective video about (below) she released this week to reach out to fans and communicate how she's grown as a person the last year to be really cool to listen to...
Simply put, Alicia is just a genuinely happy and inspirational person, which makes you want to root for her success.
What's most notable about her new single, New Day, is the difference in tempo. Previously, her music has always been carried by her legendary skills as both a pianist and vocalist. I say previously because now that she's married to @THEREALSWIZZZ, it's not a surprise to see her collaborating with him on a track that is driven more by a traditional Hip Hop drum beat. Different isn't always bad and I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt on the track below. It's a feel good, change is good transition track that a lot of people can use for motivation if they so choose. Bout as breezy of a summer track as it gets...#BreezesCool100DegreeTemps
It seems like everybody has been talking about @bobatl's new video for Both of Us with @taylorswift13 this week. Aside from that video, the video for @OnCue's bangin' track New Religion also surfaced this week with @Drake's lil' Khalil Mamoon hookah interlude. Is it me or has the Club Paradise tour awakened his inner lyricist demon? He went through an R&B phase for a minute right before Take Care and now it seems like all these young cats he's touring with have poured gasoline on his desire to spit bars left and right.
I'm anticipating this post to somehow blow up my blog because both @Chrisbrown and Drake are mentioned in the same post. Luckily, @LupeFiasco provided a needed buffer between the two tracks with a video for his all too ironic single Freedom Ain't Free...#AndNeitherAreClubBrawls
B.O.B. feat Taylor Swift - Both of Us (Video)
OnCue - New Religion (prod by Party Supplies & Just Blaze) (Video)
Drake Previews New Track
Lupe Fiasco - Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free) (Video)
David Guetta feat Chris Brown & Lil Wayne - I Can Only Imagine (Video)
Straight up, the world is a better place to live in when @BigBoi is putting out new music. Sure we'd all appreciate a new Outkast album, but settling for a solo album from Sir Lucious Left Foot is not a consolation I'm willing to live with. It just so happens, that consolation season begins on November 13th when Big Boi is scheduled to drop his new album Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors.
You may remember Big Boi quietly releasing a new track called She Said OK about a month ago, which was supposed to be on the new album. The track was OK, but didn't sound like lead single material. I can say for a fact now that the track below will instead serve as the lead single for his new album. I'll let @BIGKRIT introduce the track below and explain how he became a part of it...
What do I think about the track you ask? Not even tryin' to gas you all up, Gossip is going to end up being one of my top 10 favorite tracks when 2012 wraps up. Off top, the in your face UGK sample is hype as hell. Simply put K.R.I.T. murdered the beat and his shortened verse was on point like butterfly knife. Taking it a step further, if anyone else butBig K.R.I.T. attempts to recycle a Pimp C verse, I'll probably end up going ape shit. It was cool to hear @BunBTrillOG pitch in a verse at the end, serving as the icing on the proverbial Hip Hop classic cake.
I don't care what type of music you like, if you can't wild out a least a little bit to this thick slice of country Southern pie, then you need to hit that x on the browser in the top right hand corner of this window and promptly never come back...#ThatsMyWord
Big Boi feat Big K.R.I.T & UGK - Gossip (prod by Big K.R.I.T.)
The track below is one of the most publicized and talked about collaborations of the past six months. There were interviews, an in-studio preview, a snippet, and a subsequent last second removal of the track from a mixtape that further fueled the intrigue. More specifically, the track was going to be included on @thekickdrums mixtape Follow the Leaders, but was pulled at the last minute by the suits because of the attention it was garnering.
The night and day, polar opposite effect that comes from @lanadelray and @asvpxrocky collaborating is probably where most of the intrigue comes from. It seems like the world is downright curious about Lana Del Rey and collaborating with an up and coming Hip Hop star gives her a wide range of visibility. The best part about it, the track is every bit as different as you'd expect. The subdued beat, quirky harmony from Lana, screwed up hook and smooth verse from A$AP is crazy unique and hard to ignore.
The track is supposed to land on A$AP's debut album LongLiveA$AP that will presumably drop by the end of 2012. The collaboration doesn't end there, though, as Lana took full advantage of the attention being given to the first collaboration with A$AP by weaving an interesting JFK remake in her National Anthem video (below)...
No denying the level of creative thought that went into that video, although it does take a small leap of faith to fully wrap your head around it. Regardless, it definitely has the interenet talking, which is more than half the battle and a big reason why Lana is so relevant...#NoSuchThingAsBadPress
The Kickdrums feat A$AP Rocky & Lana Del Rey - Ridin
It sounds crazy, but this year @Pitbull is set to release his seventh studio album in 2012. The album is going to be titled Global Warming and Get it Started will serve as the lead single. The song is every bit as upbeat as you'd expect, but it's a little less south Florida club and a little more pop/EDM. The sound of the track is a direct result of an epic production combination of @RedOne_Official (pop/dance) and @djafrojack (EDM).
Better put the high milage tires on this one because it's going to get plenty of time on the open road of top 40 radio. I'm not sure whether it helped or hurt the track to have @shakira on the hook, but I will say it was different from what Pitbull usually puts together. Put it this way, she wouldn't have been my first choice (despite her unique voice and high powered vocals), but I like that Mr. Worldwide did something different and deviated from the usual course. Mixing it up is never a bad thing when you're releasing an album a year like Pit. In my eyes, the best we can hope for is a mix of new and old sounds on #GlobalWarming.
Pitbull feat Shakira - Get it Started (prod by RedOne & Afrojack) |iTunes
It's no secret that ever since I started this blog about three years ago, I've made it a habit to write about anything and everything Drake. I've seen him in concert two and a quarter times already, but that didn't mean a thing as I was still every bit as excited to see him this time around because he released Take Care since the last time I saw him perform. If you're wondering what the quarter time in concert was, I was in attendance when he tore his ACL on stage in Camden three years ago when he came out during @liltunchi's show.
Fast forward to 2012 where @drake returned to the same building where he tore his knee up, the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden. Also on the ticket were Waka Flocka, 2 Chainz, French Montana and J Cole. Keepin' it 100, I was only excited to see @JColeNC and Drake since the other rappers on the bill are not my cup of coffee. It's tough enough for me to stomach their verses on MP3, let alone in concert where they're yelling incoherently and competing with the instrumental...#JustSayin
I'm only going to focus on the main act as a result, so apologies to Fayettnam's finest who tore it down in his own right. In the past Drake has consistently set the bar high for his entrance and I was resigned to the fact that there was absolutely no way he was going to top his 9 AM in Dallas intro that he came out to two years ago at TLA. I was right, but that doesn't mean his Lord Knows concert intro was half steppin' in the slightest.
The energy off top was impossible to ignore as the caustic crowd ignited at his first sight. From the start he did a solid job of mixing in cameo verses like on I'm On One with Take Care tracks like Crew Love. What turned out to be one of my favorite part of the concert was his She Will verse/The Zone verse (below)...
Drake - She Will/The Zone verse
Combining those two tracks together was a great call and it played really well live.
From there he did exactly what Weezy did three years ago when he brought out his Young Money crew. This time Drake gave all the openers a one song cameo starting with @2chainz's new single No Lie...
Drake & 2 Chainz - No Lie
Maybe it was just me, but the audience went all Alexander GraHAM Bell when they figured out what track it was. Pretty sure the track was the apex of the concert, which was a big surprise for me at least.
From there he continued with @WakaFlockaBSM's Round of Applause, @meekmill's Amen, and shared a Maybach Music cameo verse with @FrencHMonTanA on Stay Schemin'. They all turned out to be hype crowd pleasers, especially for the folks who came early for the openers.
From that point on it was a mix of fast and slow Take Care tracks starting with Marvin's Room and Take Care before rounding into form with his two hype singles HYFR and The Motto...(below)
Drake - HYFR
Drake - The Motto (YOLO)
What was really strange to me was the people leaving before the show was anywhere close to done. Don't get me wrong, I loved being able to move up to better seats, but it didn't make any damn sense. Especially since he ended with his most well known tracks like Make Me Proud.
In hindsight, could he have picked better closing song that the slightly overplayed Headlines? Yea, I think so, especially since a curtain call wasn't part of the set and he decided to leave two of my favorite tracks,Shot For Me and Over My Dead Body, off the set list. He was sooo close to a really good set, but leaving both tracks off and not ending with Shot For Me was slightly upsetting.
A few key takeaways from my most recent Drake experience:
Opening acts make a difference. Not just because they make you feel like you got more for your money, but also because they shape the main act's set list. Yea that's right, I blame you Waka Flocka and French Montana for making Drake more inclined to leave some of my favorite tracks off the playlist...#IgnorantRapBlows
This sort of goes along with #1, but seeing Drake in a smaller venue is a better experience. Not taking anything away from his performance because he has clearly become a seasoned vet on stage, but I really wish there would have been a little more So Far Gone or Take Care ballads mixed in.
I really wish Susquehanna Bank Center wasn't in Camden, New Jersey. So many great acts go through there and it's really not a welcoming or safe place.
Feel free and check out some of the photography from the concert in the slideshow below...
With the release of @tip's new album Trouble Man steadily approaching and two singles already in the bank (Love This Life and Like That), now seems like a good time to let loose with #3. Similar to Like That, Go Get It is a high powered, bass aided trap anthem centered around stacking bills to the ceiling like a true hustler. Serious dap is in order for @ProducerTMinus who laced the beat with enough bass to feed a small orphanage. If you like the bouncy, loud and in your face singles T.I. let's loose, this one is for you.
Trouble Man is going to be the 8th studio album for T.I. and is slated to drop on September 4th. To this date, I haven't heard a track as good as Castle Walls or Poppin' Bottles, so my expectations aren't as high for his new one. That doesn't mean it won't be an awesome album, but all I'm trying to do is give you the forecast based on what I know so far...#TimeWillTell
Fresh off a highly publicized NYC club fight at @wipnewyork that left more than a few unanswered questions regarding both his and @drake's relations with @rihanna, @chrisbrown decided to drop a random new single that won't be appearing on his new album Fortune that's scheduled for release on July 3rd. (As a side note, it will be interesting to see if @tp9network, who suffered an eye injury in the brawl, gets compensated through his $20 million lawsuit against the club for serving alcohol to two rivaling Hip Hop sects.) The track is a smooth, mid-tempo ballad produced by the legendary @PolowDaDon is calming and melodic in a way that fulfills the name of the track.
Whole lot of Hip Hop this week with some of my favorite rappers on set for videos and trailers. As a casual observer, it sounds like the Detox talk is heating up in the Hip Hop community with seemingly everyone from 50 cent to @kendricklamar (below) commenting on the mythical album. Feel free to fast forward to the 3:20 mark on the @justinbieber video to hear him getting after a few classics from Pac and Biggie. Everyone hates on Biebs rapping, but dude can handle his own. I mean he's not gonna battle rap @eminem anytime soon, but for a kid from the burbs, he isn't bad.
Anybody interested in seeing Wiz and Snoops new movie? (crickets?) We'll see, but I'll always favor them on the mic. Catch me at the @DonaldGlover show tonight in Philly if you're in attendance...#HollerAtchaBoy
Slaughterhouse feat Cee-Lo - My Life (Video)
Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa – Mac & Devin Go To High School (Trailer)
Justin Bieber Rapping 2pac and Biggie on the Angie Martinez Show
Donnis - Hello Kitty (Video)
Kendrick Lamar speaks on Detox and his debut album
Another day another upbeat club-worthy single from @official_flo. With his new Wild Ones album set to drop on July 3rd, he's doing just about everything he can to stock iTunes with enough incentives to cop his new album.
This time around he sampled an oldie from the 1950s from "The Texas Cannonball" Freddie King with Let the Good Times Roll. Interestingly enough, the beat was cooked up by French duo @soFLYandNius and Swedish DJ @Axwell. It follows the tried and true formula of fast paced raps and pop club beat. If it's broke why fix it?...even though it may be getting a little old
The best part about this track is the new video for the single that features YouTube sensation @KeithApicary. His real name is @NathanBarnatt and he is most well known for his crazy public dancing, but he also has a new Adult Swim show in the making. If you haven't heard of him, you'll understand his appeal after watching him in the video below...
Doesn't get much better than an awkward balding white guy who dresses like Napolean Dynamite dancing wildly to Hip Hop. All joking aside, even though Flo's style may be getting a little played out, the sample is addicting and will find it's way into your cerebellum somehow...#AudibleCrack
Flo Rida - Let it Roll (prod by soFLY & Nius, Axwell) |iTunes
Prior to listening to the track below, I already knew I was going to end up writing about it. That's mostly because @Timbaland and @NeYoCompound are generally must listen artists for me, but even better, Hands in the Air is going to appear on the soundtrack for the newest Step Up movie soundtrack. Some know is as Step Up 4 or Step Up Revolution, but once you've seen one, you've seen them all. Trailer below for the curious folks...
Upbeat Hip Hop, lots of dancing, plenty of sexual tension and some type of love story to top it off. The in your face, loud, audacious beat provided by Timbo sets the tone well for the movie as a whole. It helps when your brand name sells regardless of quality, but for the two professional artists below that's never a problem.
Coming to a club near you soon enough, keep them hands up y'all...#StepItUp
Rarely do cover versions of great tracks come anywhere near the quality of the original. That's why @elliegoulding's version of @theweekndxo's High For You came through the speakers like a breath of fresh mountain air. If you're wondering where the comparison comes from, below is the original version of the track that was featured on The Weeknd's House of Balloons mixtape...
While The Weeknd's version is undeniably soulful and dramatic, Ellie's uniquely melodic harmony is addicting. Equally important to the success of the cover is the influence @xaphoonjones provided behind the boards. The keyboard work he put in on the instrumental is mellow and funky at the same time, which perfectly compliments the vocals.
Right now I'm at a point now where I'm wishing I had more of Ellie's music because her voice has a distinctly beautiful tone. Don't fall behind like me, it's never cool to catch on after the sophomore album...#ByThenItsPop
One thing I've learned over the years about myself is that I have a really hard time resisting strip club anthems. From old school cuts like Adina Howard's T-Shirt and Panties and UGK's Let Me See it, to more recently Crime Mob's Rock Ya Hips, @kirkobangz Drank in My Cup and @liltunchi's She Will. Yes, they are the epitome of demeaning lyrically and focus on about every sexual possibility that can occur around a strip club, but goodness are they addicting.
For the track below, it helps that I grew up on @threesixmafia, so hearing @therealjuicyj's syrupy flow is an instant draw. Nobody else could pull off a line like "Racks eerrwhere, they showin' racks, I'm throwin racks" like Juicy, I can say that much. The beat provided by @MikeWiLLMadeIt is simple, but perfect for the habitat it was crafted for. Even better, Wayne threw in a verse along with everyone's new favorite cameo, 2 Chaaaaaainnnzz! I'm still not sure it get the whole instant transformation into success he made from being Tity Boi, but I'm getting used to his quirky, off kilter delivery.
It's gratuitous, misogynistic and downright dirty, but to me it's easy listening. Some can stomach it, others can't, I just choose to focus on the aspects I enjoy and do my best to try and not take the message so serious. I hope you can do the same, but if you can't I get it and I promise tomorrow I'll get back on that righteous path...#ConscienceTakesMondaysOff
Juicy J feat Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz - Bands A Make Her Dance (Remix)
It all started with an out of the blue tweet by @Wale in early March forecasting the epic collabo in the making...
This week that coming soon became a legitimate, tangible appetizer in the form of a radio rip of Let's Get Down with @Skrillex. About five months ago, the beat for the track surfaced on the internet, but evidently that was an incomplete version that was in need of some Hip Hop influence.
It's about what you'd expect with Wale spittin' bar after bar over high octane electronics waveforms that sound like Skrillex if you know what I mean. Word has it this track is going to eventually surface on Skrillex's upcoming Goats and Fire 2 EP. I'll caution that the version below isn't quite the CDQ, but it's the longer real version that you're not going to find with the radio rip circulating. It was only a matter of time before the two genres had an official collaboration with two up and coming artists. I'm anxious to see how well the track is received by fans of both genres. I'm all for progression and genre bending so you know I'm down with #EDHop...
Another assist to Beatport for the recommendation on the track below. This was another dance floor heat rock that is comfortably sitting at #5 on Beatport's top 100 singles. I'll ask again, where you at iTunes? With more an more Beatport exclusives like the one below, I'm starting to wonder if EDM as a whole is just tired of not getting the return they want from the Apple mothership.
Prior to this song I had never heard of @zroq, but what I can tell you is that @nickyromero is slowly becoming one of my go to EDM sources. For starters, he's been rubbing shoulders with all the right people and serving up some high quality dance music of late. The biggest double edged sword in EDM is that artists mostly tour and make singles. For example, examining Nicky's discography, he's got damn near 30 singles/EPs, but no studio albums. Depending on how you look at that, it could be gift or a curse. I'm of the opinion that studio albums are usually watered down anyways, so why the hell not just release singles?
The world might just be a better place with all singles, but I guess that would take the fun out of finding diamonds in the rough if all the "best" tracks were spoon-fed. Interesting debate, but if most tracks can energize the club like WTF!? then I could go either way...#BothWorkForMe
It's a toss up this week deciding which video was most entertaining between @RealWizKhalifa getting Punk'd by @MacMiller or @theroots, @jimmyfallon and @carlyraejepsen rocking out a bare bones edition of Call Me Maybe. One on hand I thought it was great hearing Wiz answering the question, "Have you been drinking?" with "No I smoke weed." But it was pretty clear that he knew all along that it was a set up, so that took away from the punchline a bit. Even worse, @ActuallyNPH and @Revis24 mostly evaded freaking out, leading me to gain more respect for the job @aplusk does.
On the other hand, the schoolhouse rock style acapella version of Call Me Maybe was pretty fun to watch. With all the instruments, Jimmy helping out on the vocals and The Roots jumping in head first to help out Carly, it was really cool to watch. Pretty nuts this little delight of a pop track is over the 100 million views mark on YouTube. It pays to be popular folk, don't ever underestimate that!
Oh yea don't sleep on that @DonaldGlover freestyle, dude killed it! Can't wait to see him in Philly in three weeks...#SeeYaThere
Wiz Khalifa Gets Punk'd by Mac Miller
The Roots, Jimmy Fallon & Carly Rae Jepsen Perform Call Me Maybe
Ever since Nostalgia Ultra caught fire and began the cult following of @frank_ocean, we've been waiting for a debut studio album. It would appear we may get our wish soon with Frank's Channel Orange due out on July 17th. Feel free and peruse the trailer below...
What's unique and even a little alarming is Pyramids is every bit of ten minutes long! It goes from melodic to groovy with a little bit of electronics and plenty of smooth rhythms to end the track. In wondering where he's going with his lead single, I'm quickly excited because of the tweet he let loose last week.
Sounds like Frank is hyping up the live version, which piques my interest a bit. We'll see if I can get out and see him during his Channel Orange tour this summer. I'd suggest you do the same and if you're still wondering who he is as you're reading this then you must not have attended the Church in the Wild...#GetWithTheProgram
Now that EDM has gone pop worldwide, it no longer needs to be a chest thumping club track to be successful. Sure, electronica is usually synonymous with uptempo, but tracks like the one below from @calvinharris and @example will only serve to make listeners think twice when key-holing the genre into a specific rhythm and speed.
You'll find too that when you listen to Coming Back, it'll stick with you because of the distinctness of Example's voice. It's amazing to me that he's just as much of a rapper as he is a singer because he's got sort of a raspy Chad Kroeger-esque tone to his vocals. I mean it's not too tough to sound awesome when Calvin Harris is laying down soothing electronic rhythms, but he still manages to steal the show with his spirited vocals.
Word has is the single below will be a tag team effort as both artists will be listed as leads on the track. To me, it's semantics, all I know is this is what electronic pop has evolved into and I like it...#EDMakesTheWorldGoRound
I've always wondered, what happens when you hit one or two million likes on Facebook? Do you get some sort of trophy or become verified like folks on Twitter? Well, the answer is absolutely nothing cool happens, but it's something any one of us would brag about if given the chance. Rather than boasting, @avicii took to Facebook to give the fans a freebie...
Yea Two Million isn't not your garden variety free track that fell off the wagon. It's a legit club track that is marked by ringing synthesizers that would incite the lamest of crowds. Even better he threw in a fun soundbite around the 5:04 mark for you close listeners out there. I thought it was cool because just as the song starts letting down the landing gear preparing to land, all the sudden you get a fun clip and a quick beat revival.
Consistently awesome EDM is what Avicii brings to the table. There is little to no half steppin' when it comes to making great dance music for the 22 year old Tim Bergling. Is there any doubt he's one of the top 5 electronic DJs out right now? #HellToTheNaw
Last week I began singing the praises of @UsherRaymondIV's new album Looking 4 Myself. It's a new week and after taking a quick lap around the his new effort, I'm impressed. Not sure if his second collab with @swedishhousemafia will end up being a single, but it's dripping with top 40 appeal. It's a complete toss up whether I like Numb or Euphoria, but what I do know is any collaboration between Swedish House Mafia and Usher, I will be a fan of.
It's was interesting watching his interview recently with @RealSway and hearing him him talk about his new album and conforming to pop music...
There aren't too many R&B artists that can pull off performing on Broadway. Daps & lbs are in order for one of the most talented artists, writers, performers in the game...#FuerzaBruta
There are some things I will never understand like why we don't find a way to use farts for energy? Yea, that's right continuous farting for six years and nine months would equal the same amount of energy given off by an atomic bomb. How about the fact that British people are drunk in about 76% of their Facebook photos? Pretty crazy right?
Somewhere in between those two amazing facts lies @official_flo's new track Hey Jasmine with @davidguetta. Why is it amazing you ask? Because it's not even going to make the cut for his new album Wild Ones that came out last week. This one ranks up there with @bobatl's version of Not Lost that still has yet to make the cut as a album bonus track or iTunes single. I have a feeling Flo will find a way to get this one on iTunes as some people because he went as far as creating a video for the song despite not releasing it.
If you're not sure what Miami club life entails, the video for this track should give you enough of an idea. It just might be the sweat capitol of the club world, but there's something innately hot about that. #AyePapi
Flo Rida - Hey Jasmin (prod by David Guetta) |iTunes
There aren't too many R&B singers who can get away with crafting a sing along hook like "I got a dope bitch, I got a dope bitch." Honestly, if @PUSHA_T's verse was taken out of the track, it would seem extremely out of place. I say because it's hard to come off serious and thuggish when you're rocking back and forth to a bouncy sing along.
I'm posting this song because it's a strange aberration you'd normally never see. Like that two headed snake at the zoo that you can't help but go look at, but when you actually see it, it's a little alarming. To this day, nobody has pulled off thug R&B like Mr. Thug poetry himself, TQ. Was really sad to see him fall off, but still he'd be one of the few to pull off something resembling the track below.
The track is slated to be released on @MrTeriusNash's upcoming album The Love IV (Diary of a Mad Man). If you're in the mood for some slightly misplaced vulgarity over R&B doo-wop, this one is for you! #TerribleSell
Just when you think you're safe and about to meet the vice president, here comes freakin' @aplusk and his never ending shenanigans. An earthquake in a parking garage with pregnant woman getting tasered by her husband? GTFOH! Either way it was entertaining as hell to watch.
Whole bunch of other high profile videos too including @kanyewest's new video for Mercy and @coldplay's video with @rihanna for Princess of China. All in all a stacked week for videos with plenty of big names if you swing that way.
Kanye West feat Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz - Mercy (Video)
It's been a while since I've posted anything resembling a feature from @Pharrell, but he's back and teaming up with the game's most highly sought after white boy, @MacMiller. The track features a crazy concoction of out of control vulgarity, a little misogyny, and a beat that will get you movin'. It's a simple world with simple pleasures and let's just say Mac touches on all those in a not so subtle way. Can't hate at all on the wordplay either. My favorite line on the track by far is "Win the Heisman, I'm MVP, I'm Dan Marino you Sandusky" How perfect with the trial set to start next week? The forecast is cloudy with a 100% chance of creepy details that nobody will be able to stomach like these love letters he sent out? #Smmfh
Anyways, Mac's new single will be featured on his joint Pink Slime EP with Skateboard P. If the below is any indication of what's to come on the tape, they've definitely got my attention. Even better, they're trying to release it ASAP, so stay tuned for more in the near future.
Oh and remember, food pink slime = no, speakers and pink slime = yes...#PinkSlime Mac Miller - On a Roll (prod by Pharrell)
It would appear that @UsherRaymondIV's new album Looking 4 Myself may have sprung a leak on the internet the past 24 hours. Seeing that the album is scheduled to hit iTunes next Wednesday, it probably won't make too much of a difference in the final tally. The late timing of the leak combined with the absolute treasure trove of single possibilities make Usher's new album extremely intriguing.
What is a treasure trove you ask? In terms of an album it's 2 tracks produced by Danja, 2 by @swedishousemfia, 2 @Iamjimjonsin tracks, to go with an @iamwill, Neptunes, @ovo40 and @diplo joints. Yea, I'd say that Usher may have outdone himself and far exceeded expectations on first look. I'm pumped too that he's coming through with his promise to dabble into the world of EDM. Below is the first of two Swedish House Mafia produced tracks on the new album that manage to combine R&B and EDM flawlessly. Generally speaking, EDM is ruled by a lot of great producers who employ random, mostly unheard of women with great voices to sing catchy hooks. Usher is one of the rare male vocalists who can shine in the same way on uptempo electronic beats.
This is probably going to be the first of many tracks I'm going to post on Usher's new effort. I know I've already posted the first three singles on the album, but they might not end up being in the top 5 tracks on the album when the dust settleds.Needless to say, if you forgot that it was coming, you might want to give the 30 second snippets of Looking 4 Myself a quick listen so you can be on the same page...#DontMissOut
Whenever I saw @avicii and @LennyKravitz collaborating on the same track, I immediately got suspicious that it was some random mash up that "(fill in random DJ name)" put together. Shame on my for that knee jerk presumption, the track below is waaaaay too well put together to be anything but a superb concoction of electronics done by Avicii himself. It features his characteristically crisp synthesizers and exemplary use of tempo to keep listeners engaged. I wouldn't get too excited to hear much of Lenny, though, since he really only added a cameo vocal mid-way through the track.
The dime goes to Beatport on this one since it's currently sitting at #1 on the Top 100. I'm about half way through downloading the top 25 and as I mentioned earlier in the week, there's going to be an influx of new EDM on the blog as a result. If I were you, I'd keep a close eye on the top 100 if you're a fan of anything and everything electronic. I've got it bookmarked and as long as it keeps bearing wonderful fruit like the track below, I'll keep visiting daily. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly Beatport is going to play with iTunes in the open market, but as long as electronic artists keep feeding Beatport the new tracks and giving the cold shoulder to iTunes, it'll be an interesting battle to watch.
I'm pretty chapped Avicii is coming to Philly and I'll be flying back from Cancun. Oh well, he'll continue to be in the top 5 of my concert bucket list...#GreatWhiteBuffalo
This is going to sound like a Captain Obvious moment, but man the internet is really cool. Let me explain before you stop reading because I'm wasting your time. For starters, I've made it clear that I'm trying to weave in a lot more EDM into my Hip Hop and R&B based blog. The trouble is, covering a non-Hip Hop genre on the internet can be a challenge since other forms of music aren't as readily shared as Hip Hop. I'm sure I'd get a good argument to the contrary from a writer/blogger who covers another genre, but my argument is based on the fact that since Hip Hop's inception, music has been readily produced and made available by artists for free in an attempt to make a name for themselves. In other words, when we the last time you heard a rock mixtape that a band put together and released for free on the internet?
Anyways, this week I seemed to have unlocked a treasure trove of great EDM blogs that post electronic/house/dubstep music daily. Getting back to my original point about the internet being awesome, it was as if I used the perfect search query this week in finding a particular EDM track. One thing led to another and one blog unlocked a couple great songs, which led me to Beatport and from there I found even more great new tracks that I was able to learn more about on other EDM blogs. Needless to say, this week there will be a heavy dose of great new stuff from a lot of my EDM favorites.
Kicking off the week is my pick of the litter, Sub Focus's new single featuring @kenziemayb. I found this one when I visited Skrillex's site this week when I was putting together my Bamboozle concert review. If you're not familiar with Sub Focus, he comes from the epicenter of dubstep (England) and out of all the electronic artists I've heard, he does dubstep just about as good as any I've heard. Personally, an artist who can deftly mix tempos like Sub Focus did on Falling Down should be regarded as a genre leader. At the same time, lot of the same dubstep elements of the track below sound like they were done by @Skrillex, which is a good thing.
Even better, I'm going to bet that when he toured with the @rob_swire led Pendulumback in 2010, he had to have urged them to go full EDM and form what is now @knifeparty (led by Rob Swire). Who knows if that contextual clue based educated guess was actually the case, but either way I'm really beginning to like the drum and bass that Sub Focus is able to weave together. In other words, this is probably going to be the first of many tracks I post by him...#TimeToGetFocused
While @liltunchi has been busy getting denied court side seats at Thunder playoff games, he's been simultaneously letting loose new music from his upcoming tenth studio album I Am Not A Human Being 2. Serving as the lead single from the sequel, the @srbeats and @SAROMSOUNDZ produced track My Homies Still will play well as soon as it finds its way onto top 40 radio. It helps that @bigsean chipped in a verse and added his well know "go stupid, go stupid" that was heard in Dance A$$. Between the name brand power of Lil Wayne, the booty shaking beat and a little lyrical familiarity, it all combines well for getting everyone excited for Weezy's new album.
One thing I found interesting was the sample on the beat that was partially taken from Lil Wayne's unreleased track Pump That Bass (below)...
I always loved that track and wished it had surfaced for mainstream consumption. There's a throwback feeling to the dumbed down, bass heavy beat that really grew on me.
Update: It sounds like YMCMB ended up pulling out of the Hot 97 Summer Jam tonight. The cause of the abrupt cancellation of all Young Money related sets (Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj). It sounds like a united front too as @nickiminaj took to twitter and backed up Wayne's decision. Apparently the quick pull out was over Hot 97 DJ @Rosenbergradio making the comment dissing Nicki Minaj saying, "where is all my real Hip-Hop fans, not that starships..." A couple hours ago Peter made light of the situation via twitter by saying "Tonight just got interesting G." That's probably the understatement of the year when you lose two headlining acts.
We'll see what the fallout ends up being, but it's probably not a good idea to make your highest drawing clientele upset because the fans are going to be upset when they come to watch Wayne and Nicki and hear that your words prevented them from going on stage. I hope more details come out though because on the surface, it looks like it's turned into a seemingly sensitive week for Lil Wayne. Either way, enjoy his new single below and keep an eye out for his new album that is set to drop in the next few months...#IANAHB2
Lil Wayne feat Big Sean - My Homies Still (Prod. by Streetrunner & Sarom)(Dirty) |iTunes
The track below may be the first time an artist or group has ever imaginatively crafted an onomatopoeia through dubstep. At first I thought the intro to the track was a little National Geographic style dull and didn't really do much for the track, but after a a few listens, I can appreciate how it kicks the door open to your imagination. The fan made video below was very necessary since it provided the visuals that we all pictured while listening to the intro...
The way I see it, if somebody doesn't make a 3D horror movie based on the track below, then Hollywood doesn't like electronic music as much as I thought.
The track recently surfaced on @knifepartyinc's new four song Rage Valley EP that dropped last week on Beatport. If the whole genre of EDM has anything to do with it, Beatport will continue to grow in popularity as an alternative to iTunes. No, I'm not saying they'll ever be anywhere close, but when I do a search for EDM tracks and they don't show up on iTunes and they're posted on Beatport, that means something.
Key takeaway from this post is that when it comes to high octane dubstep, Knife Party should be one of the groups you think of first. Oh an if you don't like creepy insects, this song and general post probably isn't for you...#ProblyShouldHaveSaidThatFirst
