5-Star Restaurant Lounge Music

I posted earlier this week about the blatant lack of R&B music in 2012 and all the sudden a new swanky soul track from @FEofficial comes falling out of the sky. Miraculously, the @phontigallo led tribe of soulful warriors is back with an uptempo, easy-listening jazz track So What if it is? The track is set to surface on the group's upcoming remix album +FE Music: The Reworks. The two disc set will feature mixes by @nicolaymusic, @Zo3hree5ive, @4hero, @SirTallBlackGuy and @Pirahnahead, as well as three new tracks (including the one below).

You might as well deem it a musical piece the way it has a distinct beginning middle and end. The song is incredibly retro in the way that it takes its time to unwind before it fully unfolds into a melody that implores listeners into a jubilant, finger snapping, Carlton dancing frenzy. I used the term swanky because it's that type of feel good music you hear in trendy 5-star restaurants or hotels. The type of music where you hear it and you're all like look momma I made it. This is well deserving of the Grown and Sexy label and if you're apathetic about that statement you'd probably find yourself saying...#SoWhatIfItIs

The Foreign Exchange - So What if it is?

"Success Served Cold is a Remarkable Dish"

Other than @kanyewest, nobody else in the game has as much European swagger as @ryanleslie. Where most Hip Hop artists talk about strip clubs and expensive whips, R Les is rappin' about houses on his arm, European hoes, methusalems and arugula. The single verse is A material, but plain and simple the beat is TOUGH! Most artists couldn't survive a track without a hook, but R Les says I am not your average Joe Hip Hop artist. Check the video below that manages to bottle up the European swagger in a tastefully aesthetic way...

Carnival of Venice is said to be the lead track off his new album Black Mozart. If you're not excited about the album after listening to the track below, then we must not be listening to the same music...#BlackMozart

Ryan Leslie - Carnival of Venice

"Only You Can Stop the Bleeding"

To give a little perspective, about a year ago I was posting at least two R&B tracks a week. For some reason 2012 had an alarming low amount of quality R&B music. Maybe it was the trend toward electronic music that upped the ante or the ubiquity of Hip Hop in contemporary music. Whatever the cause, noteworthy R&B has become an endangered species lately.

The good news is, @CeeLoGreen - The Soul Machine isn't going away any time soon, which means there's always hope for R&B. Today he released a new lead single off his upcoming yet to be titled album. The track features the beautiful singer/songwriter @laurianamae and is on an upbeat sittin' on the dock of the bay type grown and sexy tip. It's a catchy, radio friendly ballad that sounds like it's produced by @BrunoMars' production team The Smeezingtons. Can't confirm that, but either way I have complete faith that Top 40 radio will promptly chew this up and spit it out faster than Usain Bolt on one of those airport moving walkways...#OnlyYou

Cee-Lo Green feat Lauriana Mae – Only You

"Now You're Playing With Power!"

There isn't anyone in EDM right now that has a bigger sound than @knifepartyinc. Sure, @skrillex and @nero_uk come close to matching the grandeur of electro madness of Knife Party, but with tracks like Internet Friends and Centipede, they win. Their trademark jumpy synths consistently create emotion evoking experiences (at times nightmarish) through listening, which is unique.

I'll put it this way, if you thought they normally did it way big, give Power Glove a listen. Be cognizant of the volume level though because the energy emitted from my laptop speakers are giving me an ultimatum right now - either stand up and dance or turn me down before noise complaints ensue. Choose your own adventure, just choose wisely...#ChooseYourOwnAdventure

Its So mad to get so much love for power glove and it's only a 16 bar demo , thanks guise

— Knife Party (@knifepartyinc) January 26, 2013

Knife Party - Power Glove

"Two Words About Furniture: KILLING MACHINES!"

God bless @thelonelyisland for finally chopping the out of control phrase YOLO back down to size. The sheer fact that Yolo was given serious consideration to be word of the year for 2012 by Oxford American Dictionary tells you all you need to know about the buzzworthiness of the word. With the help of @adamlevine and @kendricklamar, they absolutely made it happen last night on @nbcsnl...

Was Kendrick's verse cut and pasted in with glue by a second grader? Well...yea...but the video is funny and creative as hell, which more than made up for it. It's probably not my favorite Lonely Island track, but due to the timeliness of it and the way they went about making fun of the word, it deserves more than a few views in my eyes...#YouOughtaLookOut

The M Machine Locked Out of Heaven

A lot of people who don't like the sappiness of @BrunoMars' singles will appreciate the electronic infusion @The_M_Machine injected into Bruno's latest track. The Bay Area group twisted Bruno's vocals and added synths to create a Dubstep friendly mix. This week they finally let loose with the Locked Out of Heaven (Remix) via Beatport.

I haven't posted any of their tracks yet to the blog, but that may change after letting their Souncloud page play in the background for a bit. It's always cool to hear different takes on EDM and when Rolling Stone raves, people listen...

Bruno Mars - Locked Out of Heaven (M Machine Remix)

Videos of the Week January 25th

There's a solid balance of well produced music videos and funny/entertaining clips this week. If you aren't one of the 24 million plus that have seen the NFL lip reading video, I'd start with that, but if you have seen it and are in the mood for a little awkward situational comedy, then @LAHWF's video is a must-see.

As an interaction designer in training, I'm really enjoying these creative mixed reality lyric videos that are popping up. They seem to be a new trend that probably costs a lot less to pull off than the usual production. Also, it isn't everyday you see an orchestra covering a R&B hit like @frank_ocean's Bad Religion. Last but not least, this just in, @NicoleScherzy is downright sexy...#Boomerang

Justin Timberlake feat Jay-Z - Suit & Tie (Lyric Video)

NFL Bad Lip Reading

Best of Losing All Hope Was Freedom 2012 (Funny!)

Jingle Punks Orchestra Covers Frank Ocean's Bad Religion

Nicole Scherzinger - Boomerang (Video)

Savoy Are Personal Legends

So a couple months back my cousin Andy schooled me on an EDM blindspot I had in the form of @SAVOY. You need not look father than their Twitter slogan of "We make music for people who like to hang out at the mall..." to gain an appreciation for them. Long story short they just released a free Personal Legend EP two weeks ago and it's been on heavy rotation on my cardio mix the past week.

What's unique about The Bridge are the energetic horns throughout the track. It's almost as if the horns took the place of where the hook should be, which was kinda cool actually. Matter of fact, the four song EP as a whole is very much worth a listen. You don't usually get free music this in general, so go thank them by checking them out on tour...#Lasers

Savoy - The Bridge

R U Ready TNGHT?

So I'm sitting here trying to figure out how exactly trap music fits into the spectrum of Hip Hop and EDM. It's almost like the 808 bass meets house music the way the genres blend together in trap. The track below is @TNGHT track that needed to be dusted off the shelf since it's almost been out a full year. The reason why it's all the sudden noteworthy again is because someone went back and followed the trail of breadcrumbs that led to @kanyewest and @HudMo's formal commitment to one another this past week.

As the story goes, Kanye purchased the beat below from HudMo and used it as an instrumental for the Victoria Secret fashion show last spring...queue the video...

If I've learned one thing about HudMo in the past week, he's not afraid to go big on his sounds, which clearly resonates with the Louis Vuitton don. R U Ready is about as Hip Hop instrumental as you can get, but that's cool with me because it #BANGS...

TNGHT (Hudson Mohawke & Lunice) - R U Ready

Assist to Nah Right

"Ride Box Chevy We Built Ford Tough"

It might have gotten slightly overlooked, but @drake didn't release a single track in 2012. Sure, he was all over features for damn near every artist, but nothing that was credited to his name. That's about to change with his new single titled Started From the Bottom nearing a release and a rumored third studio album on the horizon.

You might remember back last summer when Drake posted a teaser of the track below last summer. That video got some serious buzz, which was a clear display of how rabid his fans were for new material. Doesn't sound like his new one below with @NickelusF is going to be on his new album, but the prospect of a new album on the horizon is about all I need for the time being...#OVO

Nickelus F. feat Drake - Number 15 (prod by Jake One)

Hudson Mohawke is G.O.O.D.

Dear Major Hip Hop labels,
If you haven't noticed, the two trend-setting record labels in Hip Hop have now both signed electronic artists to their label. MOUNT...UP!

Sincerely,
GWDJ

I'll start by taking a quick trip in the time machine to last summer when I had an @AsherRoth track titled Roof Behind the Grill on heavy repeat. Sure Ash Roth's lyrical talents got me to initially give it a listen, but that wasn't what kept the track in heavy rotation. Nope, it was the beat that was like a side of sour cream when your realize you over-did the hot sauce on your burrito. It was a rowdy, attention-grabbing beat that sounded like someone beating on a pipe, which was different, but kinda cool.

Enter @HudMo who just joined YMCMB's @staffordbros as the latest EDM imports into Hip Hop. The Glasgow, Scotland native signed with G.O.O.D. Music as a producer, presumably for Kanye. If you've had your ear to the underground, you've no doubt heard of Hudson or his recent group endeavor @TNGHT with @Lunice.

Other than the cameo credit tag I gave him last summer, I've mostly slept on HudMo and have had to play catch up this week. Luckily, @PigsAndPlans had everyone's back and released a Top 10 Hudson Mohawke tracks today as a cliff notes version of his surprisingly lengthy history. My personal favorite is below and that's only because Kanye has yet to make a masterpiece out of his amazing beat Scud Books...#HudMo

TNGHT (Hudson Mohawke x Lunice) - Higher Ground

(via PigeonsAndPlanes)

Weekend Rewind: Admission Trailer

I'll start by saying, whoever constructed the trailer for Admission deserves a lot of credit. A few times last year I heard a folk track playing in the background that I really liked. Maybe it was because I didn't appreciate pop folk music as much as I do now with @MumfordAndSons and @thelumineers bringing folk back into the spotlight, but for the life of me I never could figure out what the song below was.

Then, I'm in the theater this weekend going to see Silver Linings Playbook and the preview for Admission with Tina Fey and Paul Ruud comes on. Toward the end of the trailer at the 1:19 mark the track comes on again...

Out comes the iPhone taking note of the movie name. So I get home and look it up to find that it's a track by @monstersandmen called Little Talks.

Now I'm not usually one to post music that has been out for almost a year, but tonight an exception will be made because Of Monsters and Men holds down Iceland to the fullest. If you missed it like I did, they released an album called My Head is an Animal last April. I've got some homework to do because I haven't heard anything else from them and honestly my iPod is getting a little tired of having the track below on repeat...#Rewind

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

"Skin Tone Like Hershey, Body Lord Have Mercy"

I'll always be a sucker for the flashy production quality of @TheRunners and the other-worldly lyrical creativity of @myfabolouslife. Put them together on a track with @ChrisBrown and you've got the makings of a potentially great lead single. I used the word potential because I was hoping for more of an upbeat track prior to listening and what I got was a relatively slow, radio friendly effort.

Sure, the witty lines from Fab are there and the production quality with the CB hook should give his new album Loso's Way II: Rise to Power a solid head start, but it isn't a track that will survive long on the iTunes playlist. Glad to heat the refreshing "Ahhhhh" signifying The Runners beat, though. Hopefully there's a lot more to come in 2013...#Ready

Fabolous feat Chris Brown - Ready (prod by The Runners)

Videos of the Week January 18th

Taking more of an entertainment and novelty angle on this week's video rendition. In other words, it's not everyday you get to see a parrot performing Dubstep or a rapping animated stomach telling you to eat healthy. The most interesting video may actually be the Pirate Bay Documentary, which has just over 2 million views in the week that it's been up. If you're not familiar with the story, it's an interestin internet piracy company that keeps chugging despite the increased emphasis by the federalies.

Novelty aside, the coolest video of the week award without question goes to @maroon5's Playing for Change inspired video for Daylight. There really isn't much cooler than getting people around the world to come together to make music together...#WorldwideAwesome

Maroon 5 - Daylight (Playing for Change) Video

Wale to Drop The Album About Nothing With Jerry Seinfeld

Pirate Bay Documentary Trailer

Dubstep Parrot

Sam the Rapping Stomach Says Eat Healthy

"I Just Hope You Put Me Back Together When I Come Apart"

After listening to @asvpxrocky's new release LONG.LIVE.A$AP, I gotta admit, I'm surprisingly impressed by the variety on the album. Even though I'm not quite sold on his sound and delivery yet, I am sold on his ability to tap into other non-Hip Hop outlets to give some uniqueness to his sound. When you've got tracks on the album the likes of @flo_tweet and @skrillex, you're including a wide range of sound and skill, which is sometimes hard combine in a cohesive way on an album. But he did and it's a testament to his forward thinking style to not be constrained like the usual Hip Hop up and comer may be.

What will go unseen about I Come Apart is the behind the scenes work done by Emile Haynie. I'm not pretending to know exactly what influence he had on the track below, but what I do know is the songs he did with the likes of @ducidni, @LanaDelRey, @kanyewest and @eminem have been some of my favorites. I'll end by saying that I hope A$AP can work on his singing/vocals to a point where he doesn't sound out of place on track with Florence. She's got a great voice and I'm not trying to say he needs to get on her level, but guys like Wiz, Cudi, Drake and Kanye aren't singers either, but they have the ability to pull it off when they need to do a ballad. That being said, I really enjoyed the collabo below...#LongLiveAsap

A$AP Rocky feat Florence Welch - I Come Apart (prod by Emile)

"It's Like Acid Rain in a Hurricane"

I don't care who you are, when you can get Jay-Z to offer you a record deal with Roc Nation, then turn around and release a lead single featuring @JColeNC with production from Stargate and writing by @siamusic, you've got my attention. I hate to make it seem like my blog is a "you gotta know somebody to get in the club" type of website, but since I can only post once a day, I gotta make it good. Unfortunately I get a good amount of music sent to me on a daily basis that doesn't get posted as a result, but no aspiring artist is afraid of competition and I do listen to everything sent my way, so keep it coming.

Anyways, back to the point of this post. It's no secret that associating with certain producers or featuring certain artists who I already have a lot of respect for will definitely help you get posted. With all the star power @AlexisJordan enlisted for Acid Rain, she was able to make her debut on the blog tonight. Best part about it is Stargate even took a piece of @bingo_players' single Rattle on the instrumental, which added a quirky element to the beat. There's no doubt Alexis has a great voice and she showed it off to the max on the hook by hitting notes that only vocalists like Sia could reach. Pretty dope Buzz track all things considered...#RocNation

Alexis Jordan feat J Cole - Acid Rain (prod by Stargate)

"Wild For the Night F Bein' Polite"

I spoke on this track a few weeks ago when I noticed @asvpxrocky had a track on his latest album @LongLiveA$AP featuring Dubstep heavyweights @skrillex and @BNNOfficial. Suffice to say the track is every bit as jumpy and schizophrenic as expected. The track starts with a rugged, voice altered A$AP verse that gives way to some upbeat synths that coerce you to wild out in some way shape or form. I'm feelin' a little subdued tonight, so a rapid head nod was about all I could muster.

Chalk this one up to another successful, high profile Hip Hop + Dubstep collabo. I'm probably biased, but I'm excited at the prospect of seeing my two favorite genres mash up on a more frequent basis...#DubHop

A$AP Rocky feat Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam - Wild For the Night

JT & Hov Are on Some Suit & Tie ish

When you haven't released a single for six years, it's understandable that you'd want to make a grand re-entrance back into the game. Still, after a week long countdown leading up to a big announcement on his website, I don't think anyone could have anticipate something as epic as his new single Suit & Tie featuring a cameo verse from @s_c_ and production from @timbaland. It's a song that has three personalities, an intro, a middle and an ending where the beat flips on Hov's verse. If you're looking for grown and sexy R&B, you've got your track right here.

Along with the release of the track, JT posted the following open letter on his site...

An Open Letter to you (the fans):

I hope this gets to you the right way. It's the only way I know to do it. Some people may criticize me for the last 3 days. But it was fun, right?? Right?!?! Besides, I'd rather speak directly to all of you. And, who can knock me for having a little bit of fun with it?

Well... No more teasing. Although, it was A LOT of fun. (Did I mention that I'm having fun with this?? Ha!)

*Makes a serious face*

So, here goes:

This year is an exciting one for me. As you probably have heard through the "grapevine," I'm gearing up for a big 2013.

Back in June of last year, I quietly started working on what is now, my next journey with that thing I love called MUSIC.

The inspiration for this really came out of the blue and to be honest, I didn't expect anything out of it. I just went into the studio and started playing around with some sounds and songs. It was probably the best time I've had in my career... Just creating with no rules and/or end goal in mind and really enjoying the process.

What I came up with is something I couldn't be more excited about! It is full of inspiration that I grew up listening to and some newfound muses that I've discovered along the way.

I'm calling it "The 20/20 Experience," and it's coming out this year.

I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.

That's all I'm giving you for now... I know, I know! Again, with the teasing!!!

Get ready. This is going to be fun (well, at least it is for me).

Justin's new album The 20/20 Experience is due out sometime in 2013...#SuitandTie

Justin Timberlake feat Jay-Z - Suit & Tie (prod by Timbaland)

"Watch Night Comin' Down on the Sovereign Lights Cafe"

Assist to Beatport on the newly remixed @keaneofficial single Sovereign Light Cafe. Thanks to @djafrojack, the nostalgia soaked ballad about a small Sovereign Light Cafe in Bexhill On Sea was able to come to live in very jubilant way. Maybe it's because I tend to listen too closely to lyrics and how they are delivered, but listening to this track made me want to be in the town of Bexhill. The lyrics come off as being so genuinely joyous that the track is downright infectious.

Shoot I even went as far as to try and Google the locations like Powdermill Lane and East Parade because I found the song that interesting. And evidently I wasn't the only one who was overcome by curiosity caused by the storytelling on the track. The lyrics deliver a sense of home to every listener,which is really cool. Like can't you just picture being on the boardwalk to "watch the drunks and the lovers appear, to take turns as the stars of the Sovereign Light Café?"

In the end, Afrojack deserves some serious dap for taking the emotionally charged ballad to another level with his well placed synthesizers that injected some extra feel good into the track. To answer your question, yes, please get this track on the radio, the people will love it...

Thnx everyone who supported and bought my remix to @keaneofficial 's Sovereign Light Cafe! You wanna hear it on the radio?

— Nick van de Wall (@djafrojack) January 12, 2013

Keane - Sovereign Light Cafe (Afrojack Remix)

"I Make Her Call Me BB King, Cause I Give Her the Blues"

All Outkast fans just jumped out of their collective seats and screamed "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!" For the first time in what seems like years, Three Stacks and Daddy Fat Sacks were featured on the same track. The only problem is, @BigBoi's verse (which was originally supposed to be the on the original Pink Matter on @frank_ocean's Channel Orange) sounds about as cut and pasted in as it actually was.

I say actually was because the duo from Outkast didn't record in studio together and Big Boi's verse has a very different tone to it. His verse lacks that same vulnerability that Frank's and Andre's had. Don't get me wrong, it's an extremely well thought out, cleverly sexual verse, but it takes on a pimpin' stance not displayed in the other verses.

I know beggars can't be choosers, so at least we can all hope that this leads to more great future music from the fellas from Stankonia...#PinkMatter

Frank Ocean feat Big Boi & Andre 3000 - Pink Matter (Remix)

Videos of the Week January 11th

A lot of music critics on the outside of Hip Hop looking in don't really understand the art of storytelling that goes on inside of talented individuals' heads. Sadly, the majority of well-written Hip Hop verse never see the light of day because that's not what sells on the charts. That's why when tidbits of reality come along like Jay-Z's @LifeandTimes series that expose the rawness and skilled sides of Hip Hop artists, I get really excited. Two of the biggest up and comers (@asvpxrocky and @kendricklamar) talk about two tracks on their recent albums that really hit home with them when they wrote it. If you watch anything this week on this page, give those two a chance because it's not everyday you get a backstage look at the artistry of a story within a verse.

In other news, @jtimberlake is back and @chuckisdope...or should I say #StillDope?

Decoded: Kendrick Lamar

Decoded: A$AP Rocky

Justin Timberlake is back!

Chuck Inglish & Ninajsonik in studio

Big Boi on ESPN First Take

Sellebrity Trailer

Flux Makes Your Body Wanna...Dance

It's getting to a point where new @Fluxpavilion tracks are almost an automatic post. Dude knows Dubstep, there's no question about it. Despite it sounding like the sample is saying "leeky body water", One Two Three somehow manages to be dance-worthy, despite not being very uptempo.

It's amazing what some heavy bass and high-pitched synthesizers can do, but again, I guess that's the allure of Dubstep as a genre. Even better, Flux was nice enough to offer the download free of charge because he's awesome like that...#OneTwoThree

Flux Pavilion - One Two Three (Make Your Body Wanna)

Just Blaze Presents: Exhibit J

It's rare that I ever come across a Hip Hop instrumental worth posting, but then again, I'm pretty sure the track falls somewhere outside of the realm of Hip Hop. Sure, @JustBlaze has gained most of his notoriety from producing Hip Hop tracks, but those who have witnessed his wide array of skills know he's far from a one-trick pony.

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, Behold: Exhibit J. It's tough trying to pigeonhole the sound of the track, but if I were asked to take a shot, I'd characterize it as trendy, upbeat elevator music. You know, kinda like the stuff you hear in lobbies of five star clubs or trendy restaurants. Y'all know what I'm talkin' bout...

If your memory hasn't escaped you and you remember back to 2009 when MTV first released Jersey Shore, the Megatron Don was busy making the guidos fist pump with Exhibit G F & P (Guido Fist Pump). Not the biggest Jersey Shore fan or anything Jersey for that matter, which is why I'm appreciative of how his newest exhibit is more house worthy and classy...#HouseMusicAllNightLong

Just Blaze - Exhibit J

Skrillex is Leaving Around Free Songs

Unbeknownst to many, @skrillex just released a dope, free three song Leaving EP a few days ago. After a few listens, my favorite of the bunch was The Reason for it's consistently head-nod-worthy rhythms and catchy sample. Yea, there's a solid helping of Dubstep mixed in throughout too among the few epic build-ups.

The best thing about the track below is that he finished it an hour before releasing it over the internet and describes it as a "reflection of how I'm feeling right now." Not too shabby for something was completed minutes before release...#Leaving

Skrillex - The Reason

"Come & Dance With Bittersweet Fool"

Switching gears for a minute tonight to dish out some Indie love to @rarariot for their new single Dance With Me. On first listen, the inclusion of synths instead of the usual strings gives their sound an upbeat, dance-able rhythm that is new an unique to their style. Hopefully when their album Beta Love hits stores in a few weeks on January 22nd, there will be more uplifting positivity like the track below...#DanceWithMe

Ra Ra Riot - Dance With Me

Stafford Brothers Bring Krewella Alive

I'll be the first to admit that I'm only starting to gain an appreciation for recent @YoungMoneyPage signee, @staffordbros. Even though they just released their first big single Hello a few weeks back, I've admittedly glossed over some of their music that has been posted the past few months.

Case in point, their on point remix of @Krewella's latest single Alive that they did with @much_jealous back in October. The original version is great in it's one right, but the remix tastes a little more synthesized, which takes it up a notch...#YMCMB

Krewella - Alive (Stafford Brothers & Jealous Much?) Remix

"So Gon Do Ya Dirty Work"

Well...despite a few dropping a lead single back in September, it looks like @Akon is going to hold off until March to release his new album Stadium. For single #2, he opted for a smooth, radio friendly pop hit featuring @RealWizKhalifa.

I can't say I like the one below as much as I did their recently collabo off O.N.I.F.C., Let it Go. Shout out to @DJFRANKE on the silky production. Not sure it's a shoe in for the top 40, but it's a top notch duo and you can't mess with lines like "drop the top, pull the whip out like a hamstring"...#YouGetPointsIf

Akon feat Wiz Khalifa - Dirty Work

Videos of the Week January 4th

Between @kanyewest's Margiela Star Wars Hoth outfit to @asvpxrocky's strange black and white video for LongLiveA$AP, it was an odd week in videos. I was most entertained by @RealWizKhalifa's take on what it took to get where he's at right now musically. He really is a testament to hard work paying off because dude put out many many mixtapes worth of free stuff before getting his big break, so I've always had a lot of respect for his grind. Oh any it doesn't matter when or how, it's always risky business #InDaA...

Big Boi feat T.I. & Ludacris - In Da A (Video)

Kanye Performs Heartless @ Revel in Atlantic City

Kanye Performs Diamons Remix @ Revel in Atlantic City

Wiz Khalifa On MTV's This is How I Made It

A$Ap Rocky - LongLiveA$AP (Video)

The Gangnam Style of 2013? Pakistani Fishmonger's One Pound Fish Song

Just when people were starting to get really tired of Gangnam Style (and it's 1.1 billion views), here comes the next international pop sensation to America. Instead of a fly, pimpin' electronic artist from South Korea, we now have a Pakistani fishmonger who has been selling frozen snapper and mackerel for one British pound ($1.61) at Queens Market in London. Friends know him as Muhammad Shahid Nazir, but now he's internationally known as @Real1PoundFish man or £1 Fish Man.

In case you've been living under a rock and somehow haven't been part of the almost 12 million people who have viewed the viral video below, feel free to press play below...

In case you missed the back story, he got his start by being filmed singing the original One Pound Fish in the Queens Market. As of this week, he's now a Pakistani legend and probably making some serious back as a result of his Warner Music deal and single being on iTunes.

So what's the takeaway from this? I think my girlfriend put it best when she said, "Dammit, the world has figured out we like stupid music." That's sadly about as accurate as it gets because you're probably better off trying to record a random novelty video on YouTube than buying a lottery ticket these days. I don't think the video is going to get to the billion view mark like Gangnam Style did because it's not quite as entertaining on a comedy and dance-worthy level, but the lyrics definitely stick with you long after listening. To be honest, I have a lot more respect for One Pound Fish Guy because he's actually got a decent voice and seems like a honest and legitimately cheerful person. Who knows if he actually deserves it, but to me he comes off as less gimmicky, which makes me feel less guilty for posting the track. Take that for what it's worth...#OnePoundFish

"Great Day For a White Wedding"

I hinted yesterday that there is a good chance of more @Timbaland to come in 2013 and that was an informed hint. Earlier this week he let loose with a new uplifting track called White Wedding via his Timbaland Thursdays Soundcloud. On the track you can expect a whole lot of chanting, some tribal percussion, a little Timbo autotune and enough knock to make a UPS dude proud.

White Wedding is the last of his #TimboGiftBag releases where he leaked new singles to the internet over break. One thing is for damn sure, Timbo isn't about to stop making uplifting party tracks. Matter of fact, he kept up his streak of new tracks by releasing a new track by his brother today. I'm running out days to post new tracks Timbo in releasing, which is a great problem to have...#Retro

Timbaland - White Wedding

"What a Hell of a Lady!"

After a long hiatus, Timbaland Thursdays is back. Fittingly, @Timbaland chose to come back with an upbeat club track that will get plenty of attention. It's been a long time since he's released a single, so it's great to hear a new upbeat party track from him.

A little bird told me that Timbo is going to be generous with unreleased music in 2013. I can't think of a better way to start off the year than a slew of new music from one of the best in the game. Here's to hoping the #timbogiftbag is full of fifty two more weekly gifts...#Cheers

Timbaland feat Sebastian - This Lady