Tuesday, May 31, 2016

"Google Me Baby, You Crazy"


I'm not sure whether it's a coincidence or whether someone lit a fire under Hip Hop as a whole, but there have been some impressive tracks released of late. Sure, there were the Drake, Kanye and Chance the Rapper albums, but now Hov and Pusha are getting in on the action. Drug Dealers Anonymous is one of the most impressive Hip Hop collaborations of 2016, hands down. It's a rarity to get the Jiggaman on the mic, but when both he and King Pusha get into full storytelling mode, get out of the way. With the help of a slow knocking beat by DJ Dahi, there was plenty of room for both heavyweights to maneuver for a four plus minutes without a hook. The mix of 808 bass breakdowns and chopped up claps give the simple beat a distinct personality. Tip of the cap to two of the best, they showed why they are on the track below...#DrugDealersAnonymous

Pusha T feat Jay Z - Drug Dealers Anonymous (prod by DJ Dahi)

Monday, May 30, 2016

"If You a Champion Show Me You a Champion"


With the Western Conference Finals culminating tonight in Oakland and the Cavs waiting in anticipation for a Finals opponent, the timing for an NBA finals theme song seems appropriate. Luckily for us, The Roots have time during the day to put a raw, inspirational anthem like Champion. Black Thought did everything he could to assert himself as alpha dog on the mic, while the whole Roots crew backed him up with a forceful instrumental. The tough, repeatable hook is going to be played over and over again over the next three weeks, so get used to hearing it dubbed over highlights...#Champion

Sunday, May 29, 2016

deadmau5 Drops a Cold Beat on Snowcone


Lately deadmau5 has been starting to sneak his way back into our playlists with a few new heat rocks he's posted up on Soundcloud. Evidently tracks like Sellout and Cat Thruster were leading up to something more meaningful, like a new "official" single. Side note - normally I'd direct link song names to a Soundcloud link where you could stream the two tracks mentioned above, but then Soundcloud froze Joel's tracks, which prompted quite the response.
If I've learned one thing from working at tech companies, it's that a creative business model is necessary if you want to keep customers while continuing to scale and monetize your product. Unfortunately, Soundcloud more or less sold their soul to the devil by becoming beholden to specific record companies and they've done nothing but slowly whittle away at the user experience of their product, which used to be great. It's a sad thing, but I'm probably going to start posting more YouTube and Spotify links, rather than relying on Soundcloud.

Music streaming services aside, deadmau5's new single Snowcone is an interesting one. It's more of a chill, Hip Hop beat than the usual symphony of electronics that he frequently puts together. Don't expect vocals, but do expect to hear some ethereal, twilight zone sounding synth samples. There's plenty of thump on the back side of the beat, which continues to plow forward for the entire five plus minutes of the track. It's not something you can expect to hear on radio, but it is pretty awesome that Toronto rapper JSTONE has already dropped a verse on it and gotten some dap from it. No idea whether more music is on the horizon, but for the time being, I'm excited about the new vibe...#Snowcone

Saturday, May 28, 2016

"I Really Think I Peaked in High School"


Anybody feeling nostalgic tonight? Good because Jon Bellion just created an anthem that has something for everyone to latch onto. The feeling of teen angst, mischief, and figuring out life as it comes at you rapid fire. Sure, the lyrics are catchy, the vocals are on point, but there's an undeniably likable element to 80's Films that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Maybe it's the falsetto on the hook or maybe it's the mix of acoustic riffs throughout and a touch of electric guitar at the end. Whatever the case, it's going to be another great addition to Jon's upcoming album, The Human Condition. The 14 track, full length album will be unlocked on iTunes on June 10th. If there's just one more track that I like half as much as this one, Guillotine, and All Time Low, it's going to end up being one of the better releases in 2016, mark my words...#80sFilms

Jon Bellion - 80's Films

Friday, May 27, 2016

Videos of the Week May 27th


Storytelling and comedy are two words I'd use to describe this week's top five. Led by Lil Dicky's instigation session with Gronk, Antonio Brown and Von Miller, this week had it's laughs. The sad thing about that video is that I kept waiting for it to break into a music video and it never happened. Not complaining, just caught me off guard and kept me watching.

Kygo dominated the storytelling aspect of this week's top five by creating an up and down love story across two tracks. Although I'm in Love and Raging have two very different vibes, I was impressed with how well they helped augment the plot. If catchy covers and beautiful women are what you're in the mood for, you'll enjoy Pitbull and Enrique's Messin' Around video. Pitbull has flipped so many classic tracks it's getting to the point of ridiculousness, but we kept listening. And to cap off the week Fallon and Adam Sandler did an exemplary job of celebrating Fleet Week in NY with their cover of Garth's I've Got Friends in Low Places. Judging by the audience reaction, their entertaining cover might just become an armed forces anthem...#FriendsOnAllBases
Lil Dicky - Mean Guys (Video)

Kygo feat James Vincent Morrow - I'm in Love (Video)

Kygo feat Kodaline - Raging (Video)

Pitbull feat Enrique Iglesias - Messin' Around (Video)

Jimmy Fallon & Adam Sandler Sing Friends on All Bases

Photo Credit: YouTube

Thursday, May 26, 2016

"If I Get Too High, Sugar, I Might Never Come Down"


If you haven't caught onto the buzz of Anderson .Paak, you'd better get on that soon because the bandwagon is about to hit capacity. Everyone started noticing him on the Compton Soundtrack, but now that people have given a few listens this debut album Malibu, it's only a matter of time before they get hooked on his jazzy Hip Hop style. To give you an idea what all that sounds like live, check out his recent performance of his latest single Come Down on Fallon...
Performing Hip Hop live and keeping the crowd's attention is no easy task. But when you start a performance off with drum solo and dramatic intro, people get interested. Come Down is an undeniably funky track and the song got even greater when TIP dropped a verse on the track. Such a hype all around performance! Anderson even finished the track on the drums, which meant he earned every bit of that standing ovation he received. I'm not sure about y'all, but I'm going to make it a priority to check this dude out on tour...#ComeDown

Anderson .Paak feat T.I. & The Free Nationals - Come Down (prod by Hi-Tek)

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

"I Just Wanna Go Flex, Gold on My Teeth and on My Neck"


The great thing about music is that talent is ultimately awarded no matter where a person came from or what they look like. There are very few professions in the world that genuinely reward talented people and give them a shot at making a career out of it like music. I'm prefacing this post because on first glance, there's nothing on first glance that seems remarkable about Austin Post. Keepin' it 100, he looks like an gleeful, unkempt stoner, which in many walks of life would result in whatever talents he might have being dismissed.

But this is music and music awards the grind of following your passion to a point that it will drive you to the brink of either bankruptcy or fame. For Post, it took him from Syracuse to LA to finally Houston before he broke through with White Iverson. His music style fits the melodic, edgy trend of what we'd now characterize as R&B. Don't expect any mind blowing, inspirational lyrics, but do expect an addictive, mellow melody that fits perfectly over an acoustic beat. Even though Post will forever be remembered for White Iverson, Go Flex is by far my favorite track of his to date. The gold grill, the rough around the edges appearance and lyrics, it's unlike anyone else you've seen, which is why he's already found his lane in music. Shoot, he even choked Bieber which we can all get behind as we cool out to his edgy slow jam below...#GoFlex

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Twista Taking Everyone on a Biblical Odyssey


Ask yourself, when was the last time you heard Twista on the mic and his verse was so hype you had to get out of your chair? It's been a while for me, but I will say his lyrical gasoline has kept my fire for Hip Hop alive over the years. Lucky for us, an up and comer going by the name of Apathy reeled in both Twista and Bun B for the lead single off his debut LP Handshakes With Snakes.

I know what you're thinking, a song like Moses has to have some biblical ties to it, right? Good guess and there are a few religious references sprinkled in the mix, but the main focus here is how everyone stepped it up on the mic. The steady thumping beat isn't anything to write home about, but it perfectly sets the table and gets the hell out of the way, allowing the lyricists to do work. The track inspired a lot of nostalgia for me, taking me back to a time when OGs like Twista and Bun were on top of the music world. I'll always hold them in the highest regard and the track below did nothing but polish off their plaques in my mental Hip Hop Hall of Fame...#Moses

Apathy feat Twista & Bun B - Moses

Monday, May 23, 2016

TroyBoi Remains Up to No Good


What I like most about TroyBoi is his ability to deliver banging' beats while sprinkling in R&B elements into his music. Some call it slow Trap, whatever it is, I dig it in a big way because it mixes two of my favorite types of music. The beat elements are quirky as hell, but TroyBoi chops it up like only he can. I wish more DJs would be comfortable chopping up their beats more like he does. When a beat has intentionally raw elements, it gives it an authenticity that all this perfectly synthesized electronic music nowadays lacks. Just ones man's opinion, but when everything starts sounding the same, it's little bits of creativity that end up standing out. Shout out to NEFERA on the vocals too, she killed it...#BadBehaviour

TroyBoi feat NEFERA - Bad Behaviour

Sunday, May 22, 2016

"Are We Running From the Same Ghost?"


To be completely honest, it was a tough decision on what to post tonight. I love nights like tonight because they make up for the slow days where I'm struggling to find a new song to get excited about. If Flume's new one with Vic Mensa posted in its entirety, I might be writing about a different song tonight, but that didn't happen so, Gorgon City came to the rescue. To put it simply, they do Deep House really well and if you're looking for new proof of that, press play below.

Doubts is about as smooth as it gets with a clean mix of steadily thumping bass and soothing vocals. The wobble on the beat is palpable and will lure you in on the first listen. If you're counting at home, this is the fourth single off their upcoming album Kingdom. Word has it, that album won't arrive until August, but it will be the first of a two-part album series. Needless to say, there's plenty of new music on the way to satisfy all your lounge needs over the next year...#Doubts

Gorgon City - Doubts

Saturday, May 21, 2016

"Wherever I Go, I'll Be Looking For You"


It's hard to churn out consistent #1 hits over multiple years and albums, but One Republic always seem to make it happen. They have three immensely successful albums under their belt and their fourth studio album is in the oven. I was planning on posting a Soundcloud link to their lead single off the album, but then they quickly turned around a video for Wherever I Go. The best part about the track is that it's far from formulaic Pop, which would be an easy thing for One Republic to gravitate towards given their past successes. Sure, Ryan Tedder's vocals will be what you remember, but the piano led beat and escalation of emotion on the hook are downright catchy. Catchy, but not in a way that will lend itself to a quick comparison. Let's just say if the rest of One Republic's new album continues to evolve their sound in the way their lead single did, you're going to get tired of reading about them in this neighborhood of the internet this Summer...#WhereverIGo

Friday, May 20, 2016

Videos of the Week May 20th


Wow...now that's what I call a week's worth of videos. You could say all angles from funny, to entertaining, to happy to downright quirky were covered. Starting with Drake's SNL monologue, where he did everything he could to be self-depricating and still managed to throw in a Rihanna impression. In the land of storytelling, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won the day with their video for dance off. The Idris Alba cameo gave the video some gravitas, but the creative settings and types of dancing in the video should not be overlooked.

Covering a completely different angle of the spectrum was The Lonely Island and Fallon's Tonight Show Crew doing a schoolhouse version of I'm on a Boat. Was it me or did they get dangerously close to cursing more than a few times? And that Joy of Land book, dunce cap part cracked me up. Sticking with Fallon, he hosted an odd mish mash of talent in game of Catch Phrase for all of us to enjoy. Was it me or did Bryce Harper come off a bit rough around the edges? And how competitive can you be at a game of Catch Phrase Gigi Hadid? Needless to say, there was some emotion poured into that game. And last, but probably first was J Timberlake's video for his new uplifting Can't Stop the Feeling single. Anyone who can assemble that diverse of a group of people to dance like no one is looking deserves a lot of credit in my book...#CantStopTheFeeling
Drake More Than a Meme Monologue on SNL

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat Idris Alba - Dance Off (Video)

The Lonely Island & Fallon Perform I'm on a Boat with Classroom Instruments

Catch Phrase with Andy Samberg, Gigi Hadid, and Bryce Harper on Fallon

Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Thursday, May 19, 2016

"We Move Together, Step 1, 2 Together"


I know what you're thinking, who the heck would create a super group named Somewhere Else? I don't have a good answer to the group name, but what I can tell you is that Somewhere Else = producer Illangelo and songwriter Billy Walsh. Who are they? Well, do you like The Weeknd? Do you like Majid Jordan? How about Alicia Keys' new single In Common? If your answer was yes to any of those questions, then you'll enjoy knowing that these two guys have had a hand in paving a path to success for all of the aforementioned artists.

For some icing on the cake, OVO Sound just happened to release their new single below, Move Together. On the track, there's a whole lot of Majid Jordan falsetto on top of a mellow electro Hip Hop beat. It's about as new school R&B as it gets with a noticeable electronic influence that I've come to associate with a lot of Majid's music. One thing's for sure, the duo have a penchant for creating great music and they're going to continue to bring in top talent to collaborate to make more great music. Oh and while you're at it, check out Billy's clothing line mr Completely...#MoveTogether

Somewhere Else feat Majid Jordan - Move Together

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

"My Belly's Full From All the Pride I Swallow"


Well... it appears that Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island crew is at it again. They're not only up to their usual shenanigans musically, though. This time they've taken it a step further by assembling a ridiculous cameo list of people for their new movie, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. If you haven't already caught wind of the movie and it's fabulous plot, feel free and watch the explicit trailer below.

It's slightly NSFW, so viewer discretion is advised...

Normally I'd write off a novelty comedy like Popstar, but one detail caught my attention. The "produced by Judd Apatow" has me slightly more intrigued than usual.

Movie aside, the The Lonely Island also released two entertaining tracks for the movie's soundtrack. Both Mona Lisa and I'm so Humble are just about what you'd expect from the trio. On the lyrical entertainment scale, I'd definitely give the nod to Mona Lisa. I've never heard such a tastefully vulgar roasting of an iconic piece of art. On the flip side, I'm So Humble is much more catchy and listenable with Adam Levine's hook providing the legitimacy necessary for potential top 40 success. There are a few classic one liners in the mix, so be sure to check them both out, as well as the movie that will be coming to a theater near you on June 3rd...#Popstar

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

deadmau5 Thrusts His Way Back Into Our Lives


There's a crispness to deadmau5's music that makes it hard for me to be impressed by his music anymore. It's a gift and a curse that he's made so many great songs that I often find myself tuning his new music out since it doesn't measure up to many of my favorites of his. That being said, his new batch of songs below prove that he's still very capable of putting out the level of music that we've all grown fond of over the past decade.

To recap this week, he released Whelk Then and Sellout yesterday. Out of those two, I found myself vibing out to Sellout more than the more experimental Whelk Then. Even though it may be "typical", I like typical so it was easily my favorite of the two.

Fast forward to today where Joel has let loose four more new tracks. Cat Thruster System, Diesel Powered Cat Thruster and Cat Thruster all found their way onto Soundcloud earlier today. Those three tracks were followed up by a dreamy melody he calls Analogical. Out of the four, Cat Thruster gets after it the most and is one of my favorite deadmau5 tracks he's released in a while. No idea what has caused this outpour of new music, but I'm doing my best to soak it all up in an attempt to re-kindle my fandom for one of the more talented EDM artists of my generation...#CatThruster

deadmau5 - Cat Thruster

Monday, May 16, 2016

T.I. and Dr. Dre Got Together on a Dope Track


While Hip Hop continues to search for the next wave of impactful rappers, there are a few OGs who continue to hold down the entire game like they have for decades. Needless to say, when a new T.I. track produced by Dr. Dre that samples Aaliyah comes across the radar, I'm all ears. Dope is one of those Cali cruise anthems that Dr. Dre pioneered over two decades ago. It's a mix of a gentle strings, high pitched synths and a whole lot of chill. To his credit, T.I. seemed completely at home over the ever so chill beat, while Marsha Ambrosius did her best to augment the Aaliyah sample on the hook. It's one of the few Hip Hop singles that have piqued my excitement over the past year, which should be telling in and of itself...#Dope

T.I. feat Marsha Ambrosius - Dope (prod by Dr Dre)

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Kygo's Cloud Nine is All You'd Hoped For and More


After months of waiting and having the release pushed back a few times, Kygo's Cloud Nine finally landed in its entirety this week. On the full length debut, you'll find plenty of known favorites, as well as a handful of new gems. A few of my new favorites include Oasis, Happy Birthday and For What It's Worth. The first two feature world class vocals from Foxes and John Legend, so it shouldn't be a big surprise to hear that those stood out. If you've read any of my posts about Kygo, you already know how smitten I was for his original Piano Jam. It was only a matter of time before it was blessed with vocals, but I gotta admit, I wasn't blown away by how the brother/sister duo of Angus and Julia Stone's vocals meshed with the original instrumental.

In terms of ranking it with some of my favorite debut albums over the years, I won't go as far to say it's as good as Avicii's debut True. What I will say is that it will undoubtedly go down as one of the most influential debuts over time as Kygo single handedly carved his own path in a genre that is starved for originality. As decades pass, I don't see myself ever getting tired of hearing Firestone, Stay, or Stole the Show. There have been many albums that I've had high hopes for that haven't had a single track as good as the past three I mentioned, which should say a lot about how impactful the album is in its entirety. If you haven't had a chance to catch Kygo in concert, check yourself because you're missing out on a really talented artist put on an amazing show...#CloudNine

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Jon Bellion Reaches All Time High with New All Time Low


Over the past two months Jon Bellion has gone from someone I thought had potential to a sure-fire super star. All you need to do is check out a few of his performances in studio to see why my opinion has evolved. To date, All Time Low has gained him the most traction among his many releases and it's easy to understand why. There's an acapella group vibe to it, some edgy lyrics, and the contrast of a upbeat vibe on such a somber topic is intriguing to say the least.

This week he released a newer studio version for the track that takes a lot of the great things about his mixtape version and the acapella studio version and brings them all to life. For example, there's a bit more help from backup vocals on this new version, yet it still maintains the bouncy, playful energy of the original. Word has it, this new version is going to land on his upcoming album, The Human Condition. Based on the tweet below, it'll be entering our lives in its entirety in about a month on June 10th..

If this new version of All Time Low is any indiction of what's to come, I'm already excited about the tour following the album release...#TheHumanCondition

Jon Bellion - All Time Low

Friday, May 13, 2016

Videos of the Week May 13th


This week's top five is deserving of two adjectives: entertaining and new. On the entertaining tip, you've got the new video for Need You where Dillon Francis is up to his usual shenanigans DJ-ing a rowdy backyard party. Then, there's the human serviette checking in with Drake and 40 in studio. No matter what you say about Nardwuar and his quirky antics, the dude can hold a pose!

On the music side of things, you had two up and comers continuing to make a name for themselves. When Desiigner wasn't picking fights with Bieber this week, he was continuing to get love from Kanye and releasing a video for his latest buzz track Panda. By now you should understand my love for all that is Gallant, so his performance on Fallon should be the least surprising aspect of this week's top five. Rounding out this week was Timbaland protege, Tink, who did he best to show off her skills on Gorgon City's new one. Didn't ever imagine Gorgon going that Hip Hop, but I dig the vibe on their new single...#ImpairedVision
Dillon Francis & NGHTMRE - Need You (Video)

Nardwuar vs Drake 2016

Gallant Performs Weight in Gold on Fallon

Gorgon City feat Tink & Mikky Ekko - Impaired Vision (Video)

Desiigner - Panda (Video)
Photo Credit: YouTube

Thursday, May 12, 2016

"So Baby Will You Wine For Me, Wine For Me?"


Despite the distinct lack of up and coming R&B artists over the past five years, 2016 is starting to bring glimmers of hope. With Gallant coming on strong and OVO's crew (Majid Jordan, PARTYNEXTDOOR) starting to reach their potential, the seeds of R&B seem to be sprouting.

Maybe it's something to do with Toronto because JAHKOY seems to have what it take as a multi-talented vocalist and rapper. Sure, getting a record deal from Def Jam and being featured by the likes of Zane Lowe on Beats One and Drake's OVO Sound radio stations will help get you on the map, but they haven't gotten a hold of Wine yet and it's catchy as hell. Credit to Mars Today on the smooth production, it set the table well for JAHKOY to knock it out. I love how the introduction of guitar on the second verse gives the track more personality than you'd initially expect. Even better, copping the track is easy and mostly free. All you have to do is let Hive see all that you've done and who you've connected with on Facebook. Simple right? Keep an ear out for ya boy JAHKOY because he's up to big things...#Wine

JAHKOY - Wine (prod by Mars Today)

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Sam Feldt Goes Tropical on R3HAB & Quintino's Freak


For starters, I hold Adina Howard's Freak in extremely high regard. It was one of my favorite 90s R&B songs because it was armed with an element of female sexual sassiness that had never been established in pop music. The fact that the original has now been mixed twice by well known EDM DJs is a whole lot of good news for us.

Let's start with the original Adina Howard version. Check it below for reference if you weren't a child of the 90s like me...
Nothing like that deep bass and those quirky 90s samples. Now fast forward to this year when R3HAB and Quintino took a stab at a more progressive house version of Freak...
Much more bubbly, sped up, and club worthy. Definitely a noteworthy effort from the two Spinnin' Records artists. But that's not the end of the story as fellow Spinnin' artist Sam Feldt decided it was his turn to give it a more tropical personality. Even though the laid back, mellow tropical vibes don't exactly fit with the original vibe of the track, the resulting remix ends up being interesting enough to warrant a few listens. The last part is your choice, you can either go with the new video for the remix or the Soundcloud stream...#ViewersChoice
R3HAB & Quintino - Freak (Sam Feldt Remix)

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

I'm 99.9% Sure Kaytranada Has Arrived


Let me first preface this post by saying I'm very late to jump on the Kaytranada bandwagon. He's been developing a cult following for a while now, so I'll cop to it being convenient that I'm posting about him for the first time on the day he releases his first full length LP. Hailing from chilly Montreal, Canada, he's made a name for himself with a unique blend of dance, electronic, and Hip Hop sounds. He's one of the rare artists that it feels disingenuous to put a genre label on, but that's also explains much of his allure as an artist.

Even though I'm posting the funky video for his latest single, Lite Spots, I'd encourage you to check out his entire 99.9% album on Spotify. Sure, you're not going to get choreographed dancing robot visuals with every track, but the underlying electro-funk will be more than evident as you listen to the album in its entirety. My guess is this will be the first of many Kaytranada tracks to be featured here, but time will surely tell...#LiteSpots

Monday, May 09, 2016

Jerry Folk is Definitely Not a Gangster


With braggadocio still a thing in music, it's nice to hear some refreshing honesty from an artist for a change. Enter Jerry Folk, an up and coming Norwegian artist who is much more Norwegian house than gangsta. To prove that, he put together an undeniably funky new single proclaiming exactly that.

On first listen, it's hard not to lose yourself in the groovy bassline that fits so well with Jerry's smooth vocals. I'm not sure which is more surprising, the fact that over 27,000 listens in 11 hours or that it's available for free to download. I'll gladly reward him with a few more listens for releasing something as fresh as I'm Honestly Not a Gangster...#NotAGangster

Jerry Folk - I'm Honestly Not A Gangster

Sunday, May 08, 2016

"I Got That Sunshine in My Pocket"


Despite the fact that Justin Timberlake's releases have been few and far between the past few years, it hasn't changed the fact that every new single of his is a must listen to me. When it comes to boy band alumni, he sets the bar for solo success. His combination of incredible vocals, funk-filled rhythms, and just generally likable personality make it impossible not to root for him.

If you need yet another example of why that last statement is a fact, check out his in-studio/celebrity cameo video for his new single Can't Stop the Feeling. Sure, he could have just had his team make a quick lyric video to promote it, but no, he hand-crafted the experience of listening to the track. In the video, there's nary a mention of the track surfacing on the upcoming soundtrack for the new Dreamworks movie, Trolls, but if you close you eyes and listen, it fits every preconceived notion of a feel-good, animated movie track. The song delivers fun wrapped in happiness, which is a hard thing to hate...#CantStopTheFeeling

Saturday, May 07, 2016

Dillon Francis Had a NGHTMRE and Needs You


Just when you thought Dillon Francis was taking a quick break from releasing music, he comes back with full force, Moombahtoning his way back into our hearts. Most noteworthy about his latest creation is the inclusion of Mad Decent's uber talented, rising star NGHTMRE. If there's one thing both producers share, it's the ability to pack every conceivable ounce of energy into each track. After a few listens to Need You, the wobbly, tribal rhythms are what stuck with me. The vocal sample adds intrigue and the hint of reggae will encourage you to keep listening. I'm chalking it up as another successful EDM collaboration love baby that will make you appreciate the genes of both proud parents...#NeedYou

Dillon Francis & NGHTMRE - Need You

Friday, May 06, 2016

Videos of the Week May 6th


Very entertaining week for videos with everyone's favorite staged, viral response to Beyonce's Lemonade video. Funny or Die is usually on point, but they brought their A game and flipped an hour long response quickly. When it came to music, Flo Rida/Jason Derulo and The Chainsmokers chipped in new visuals for their recent singles. I hate to call Hello Friday a typical Hip Hop video, but let's call a spade a spade. As far as Don't Let Me Down is concerned, the plot is a bit perplexing. You've got a group of women dancing and pouring their heart out vocally and Alex and Drew are...bouncing in '64 like they're riding down Crenshaw? Other than the play on words on not letting them down from the bouncing, not sure what they were going with theme wise.

In non-music news, Drake did an hour long piece with Zane Lowe following the release of Views. Jury is still out on the album for me, but overall I'm feeling the more low key, back to more of an R&B/Hip Hop mix vibe. And last but not least, we've got a brand new game on Fallon. It's called Frozen Blackjack and Fallon took on Captain America in the game. Let's just say, it was entertaining...#FrozenBlackjack

Jay Z Responds to Beyonce's Lemonade (Funny or Die)

The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down (Video)

Flo Rida feat Jason Derulo - Hello Friday (Video)

Drake Interview with Zane Lowe

Chris Evans and Jimmy Fallon Play Frozen Blackjack

Photo Credit: YouTube

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Nero Pays Tribute to Prince in the Best Way Possible


It's been almost two weeks now since Prince passed away and there's still just as many questions as answers surrounding his death. One thing's for sure, no one really truly knew Prince, yet everyone loved him. From his music to his secret philanthropy, the world was a better place because of him and I'm looking forward to his life being celebrated more and more as we get to know more about his life.

Given that Prince's music was so funky and unique, he makes for a tough cover. What I like about Nero's choice to cover Prince was that they chose to remake one of his unreleased tracks. For reference, the live version below from 1983 at First Avenue in Minneapolis may have been the only time Prince played the track Electric Intercourse...
Nero knew they weren't going to be able to layer on the sexual goodness that Prince is able to bring, but they did justice to the original with their own drum unique synths and drum patterns. The fact that they conquered this demo in a few hours is pretty legendary. It's a bummer that this cover had to come to light after Prince passed, but mashing old and new and crossing genres is literally music to my ears...#ElectricIntercourse

Nero - Electric Intercourse (Prince Cover)

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

"We've Got Way Too Much in Common"


Jazzy with a Latin flair is what I'd describe Alicia Keys' new single In Common. It's been four plus years since we've heard some new material from Alicia, so this newness is like the breeze at 400 degrees. Word has it she'll be performing this live on SNL this weekend, so if you're like me and missing seeing her unparalleled presence, then you've got something to look forward to. Better yet, head on over to iTunes to grab yourself an original copy to tide yourself over to the end of the work week...#InCommon

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

"You and I Cannot Collide, Running in Parallel Lines"


Not to take anything away from A-Trak since he's a dope producer in his own right, but anything Phantogram touches turns to gold. They make great music on their own, but their skills only seem to amplify when working with other talented collaborators. Their soothing vocals and overall Indie vibe are a breath of fresh air.

Another observation...Parallel Lines reeks of easy listening pop, which isn't something I'd associate with what A-Trak usually puts out. Suffice to say whenever a well respected artist goes in a direction I didn't anticipate, I generally appreciate it. That's exactly what happened here when my perceived possibilities of what A-Trak was capable of expanded quite a bit. Only down side is you'll have to wait a few weeks until May 20th to cop it. Until then feel free and wear out the lyric video below...#ParallelLines

Photo Credit: YouTube

Monday, May 02, 2016

Alan Walker's Faded Gets the Royal Remix Treatment


Visiting Europe these past two weeks gave me a dose of reality when it comes to music. For one, Lukas Graham's 7 Years is without a doubt the most widely played track on radio. Let's just say it grew on me too. The only other track that compares popularity wise is Alan Walker's Faded. Right before leaving for Europe, I was smitten by track and it was super awesome learning how unoriginal my likeness for the track actually was abroad...smh

Pride aside, the remixes to Faded should only serve as validation for how big the track has become. Seeing not one, but two unique remixes from Tiesto takes validation to a new level. Out of his two remixes, I'm a bigger fan of the deep house mix. Not that the Northern Lights remix is bad or anything, I just feel like the deep house version better carries on the mellow vibe of the original. To each their own, you make the call on your favorite between the six different takes below...#FadedRemixes

Sunday, May 01, 2016

"Lightning Strikes Every Time She Moves"


After a two week haitus in Italia, GWDJ is back online. With the help of Calvin Harris and Rihanna, it's time to get the daily repetition back rollin'. I know what you're thinking. I've heard this before with the whole "We found a love in a hopeless place" vibe. That's a fair assumption, but hoping This is What You Came For is going to live up to those colossal expectation is a bit ambitious.

Luckily, the song takes a much mellower, house personality, so it's not as much of an apples to apples comparison to it's predecessor. It's more of an easy-listening, pop track than a jubilant party starter, but it speaks to how addicting Rihanna can be when showcased on a great beat. Even if you don't like the track, you can't be surprised that it has already ascended to #1 in the world already. Despite not being in love with it, it's chill enough that I'll be able to tolerate the impending Top 40 radio bastardization...#ThisIsWhatYouCameFor

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