Hearing Akon on a Sam Feldt track is like seeing an invention for the first time and thinking to yourself, "that makes so much sense, why didn't I think of that?" Needless to say, Akon's feel good vocals fit right at home over Sam's tropical chords. The gentle pace and pitter-patter of the drums may make you feel like you've taken a trip back in time to the Lion King soundtrack, but is that such a bad thing? Shoot there's even a playful body painting-filled video to tell the story of the track. As long as you can look past Sam awkwardly stirring paint in cans and DJ-ing in an overtly white room, there's plenty of eye candy to latch onto. Lucky for us, the track landed on iTunes and Spotify today, so feel free and vibe out to it without reservation y'all...#YES
Ooohhh man, Akon putting together a Trop House track?? You want to talk about a match made in heaven, holy crap! Thanks to Matoma, we now have a confirmation of how great Akon with a little bit of autotune sounds over calypso chords. Stick Around is as poppy as you'd expect lyrically, but the soothing, flute driven house beat is ever-so melodic. I'll be the first to admit, I haven't posted enough Matoma on the blog, but this new one might just tip the scales in his favor. Can't say for sure whether this is going to end up on an album for either artist, but that's why they release singles on iTunes. The real question remains, how long will it take T-Pain to embrace the Trop House movement...#StickAround
Admittedly, I'm a sucker for nostalgic music. No matter who the artist is, I'm like a large mouth bass staring down a worm on a hook when an artist successfully samples a track that reminds me of a period in my life. With that in mind, Akon nailed the Phantom Planet sample of their hit California (below)...
Now that we're on the honesty bandwagon tonight, I'll cop to passively watching more than a few episodes of The OC back in the day. Even though they'll be reluctant to admit it, every man has that one show that they'll watch because their kid or girl or someone who holds some sort of power over them wants to watch it. The good news is, I get to relive it in a not as harsh way vicariously through Akon's sorrowful sing-along...#Memories
Alright now that making promo videos for festivals is becoming "the cool thing to do", it's starting to wear on me. Not only are these awesome festivals generally nowhere near me, now I get to see the highlights and promos for them...awesome! The newest one being the Hard Summer concert taking place in LA August 3rd-4th. The lineup looks to be pretty killer.
Aside from that, there are two entertaining behind the scenes videos below to go with David Guetta and T.I.'s new visual creations. Quick sidebar, I'll be in Paris the next ten days, so apologies if seems like I've all the sudden developed a new music blind spot. I'll do what I can to keep up with the daily routine, don't you worry...#NoDaysOff
Hard Summer Concert in LA Trailer
David Guetta feat Ne-Yo & Akon - Play Hard (Video)
T.I., B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar - Memories Back Then (Video)
Stafford Brothers feat Lil Wayne & Christina Milian - Hello (BTS)
Admittedly, I'm a little Timberlake heavy this week, but deservedly so, he's awesome. Considering he's estimated to sell between 850,000-900,000 records the first week that The 20/20 Experience hits shelves, it's pretty clear there is a gaping hole in American R&B music right now that needs to be filled. He's more than doing his part, but there's plenty of capacity for more.
By far, the coolest video of the week was watching Kendrick Lamar's extremely humbling experience of hearing Jigga hop on his remix for BDKMV. Not only did his closest friends keep it under lock and key for a week before they showed him, they filmed his reaction, which was priceless. Like you can tell as the verse builds he's awestruck by it all and the best he could come up with was "that's grimy." Really cool to watch and see how much he clearly respects those who came before him...#BDKMV
History of Rap 4 By Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon
Justin Timberlake - Mirrors (Video)
Kendrick Lamar Reacts to Jay-Z's Verse on BDKMV
Wiz Khalifa feat Akon – Let It Go (Video)
Sean Kingston feat Chris Brown & Wiz Khalifa - Beat It (Video)
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
Lots of Kanye this week on the videos, including him bringing out his whole G.O.O.D. Music crew out to perform All of the Lights. Pretty cool to see Cudi and Big Sean join him on stage...
Kanye West & G.O.O.D. Music Perform All Of The Lights (Heineken Red Star Access)
J.Cole feat. Trey Songz -Can’t Get Enough (Video)
Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Nervo - The Way We See (Video)
Big Sean – Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay Feat. Kanye West & Roscoe Dash (Video)
B.O.B Performs New Track Strange Clouds at Syracuse
Behind the Scenes on Rhymefest feat Kanye West - Alligator Boots (Video) with Kim Kardashian
Behind The Scenes on Tinie Tempah feat. Wiz Khalifa - Till I'm Gone (Video)
I can't really get over how incredibly random the cover art is above. It really is a Mad Lib of visual creativity, allowing anyone to add their own caption to the animated statues (insert awkward caption regarding male genatalia and flying kids). Picture aside, @asherroth is back with what sounds like a top notch follow up single to G.R.I.N.D.. Speaking of which, that single was released a year ago, meaning it's been waaaay to long since we've gotten a studio album from Ash Roth. This heat rock is set to surface on the sophmore album that was previously titled Spaghetti Tree, but is now hiding behind the cover all TBA monicker. I'm in total agreement with @DDotOmen, it's sounding like certain record exec (cough cough@steverifkind) needs to raise up off Asher's new album rather than turning Hip Hop's promising future into an Odd Future (See what I did there? #Touche).
Even better, he's talking about making 12 records in 12 days with Skateboard P...#GTFOH!
Shouts out to @orenyoel on the production and @AKON for the characteristically catchy hook. Yea I'd say there's a damn good chance I'm gonna be making a few more Asher Roth posts in the upcoming months...#BetDat
Asher Roth feat Akon - Last Man Standing (prod by Oren Yoel)
I've been wanting to post a bunch of new videos of late, so rather than posting one by one you get a whole group of them all at once. Couple are official music videos, others are concert footage,
Jamie Foxx feat Drake - Fall For Your Type
Fabolous - You Be Killin' Em (prod by Ryan Leslie)
In case you've been living under a rock and haven't seen the hilarious videos or songs that The Lonely Island have done in the past couple years, rest assured you're going to get another dose in 2011 in the form of their second studio album The Best Damn Thing Ever. The trio of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg who make up Lonely Island have never been bashful with their lyrics on songs, but always seem to not sound stupid over Hip Hop beats with their own brand of silly, but creatively vulgar humor. If you're in need of a good Monday laugh and a quick recap of previous songs, I'd suggest doing a quick lap through their previous videos while they're on your mind with I'm on a Boat, Jizz in my Pants, Motherlover, Lazy Sunday, Dick in a Box and Like a Boss.
This time instead of T-Pain or Justin Timberlake, they enlist Akon on their new single to deliver a joyous hook on I Just Had Sex. As usual, the video makes the song even better, especially at the end when they get the whole choir of people involved. Viewer discretion advised, don't take the song too seriously...please...it's funny...
Lucky for you, the song just dropped on iTunes if you wanna cop it and show some support to their comedic movement.
To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever see the day that Dr. Dre would formally announce a finished track off his legendarily delayed Detox album that has been coming out each of the past seven years (supposedly). All good things come to those who wait? That's a pretty stupid assertion, everyone knows it's going to be a classic album filled with select cuts that could all be singles...I mean this long...it has to filled with the absolute best right? If you let fine wine grown from the best grapes marinade in a cellar for years, it tastes pretty damn good...nam sayin?
Regardless, the classic Dre traces are sprinkled all over this track from the bouncy piano scattered throughout the track to the speaker punishing bass and gruff verses. Add in a little Snoop and some Nate Dogg Cheif Thunderbird aka Sly on the hook...wait what? Cheif Thunderbird? C'mon Nate raise up off that retirement for one hook just like the good ol' days man! As as aside, the beat ride out at the end is appropriate and I hope he continues to go with that on all of these top notch beats.
“I see the finish line right now,” Dre added. “I’m wrapping it up. I need about two or three more songs, and hopefully I’ll start the mixing process at the end of next month. From that point I’m about 30 days out. One of the reasons it was taking so long was because I felt like I was doing it more out of obligation as opposed to actually feeling it.” (Nov 16)
The sheer fact he's even hinting at being within reach of finishing is epic and implying he's actually feeling the material is enough to reinvigorate all that excitement I've harbored for years like a lil' kid who keeps running down to the Christmas tree to find nothing but wrapping paper, a few unwrapped gifts that look like pieces of what you wanted and the promise of better prsents next year.
Give it a listen, I mean the song even has a damn website dedicated to it, there's not much more I can say that will make you like it any more than you already will...it's Dr. Dre...he's incapable of producing sub-par Hip Hop music and is so well respected I'd venture a guess that even my parents would know him by name and be able to sing along to one or more of his songs...
Lead single from the often delayed release of Akon's anticipated upcoming album Stadium Music. This is the third rumored track produced by D Guetta that is supposed to make album cut, following Nosy Neighbor and Party Animal. Seems as if the duo is still feeding off the chemistry and success of their golden child Sexy Bitch.
It's very Europop and danceable, like everything else you'd expect from @davidguetta's unending pop/club hits. Not lacking one bit in catchiness, it's got a mid-tempo dance feel to it, as if to invite others to flip it into a club remix. This version will suffice for radio though and probably make it to platinum single status before it's all over. Not gonna hate one bit, this is a great pick for a first single and like anything else @AKON has created, it will eventually sell really well (ask Lady GaGa who he said made him rich).
What do you guys think of it? Good enough first single to support and album we've been waiting to finally drop?
Wait a sec, haven't Akon and Guetta collaborated before? Oh yea I think it was called Sexy Bitch maybe??...yep I think everyone on earth heard that at some point #TwicePlatiumSingle. All kidding aside, a little known fact about that song is that @AKON saw @davidguetta perform in England, approached him about collaborating and they hit it off immediately...like literally after the concert was over they went to the studio and created Sexy Bitch because Akon had to catch a 6 AM flight. You can't make that kind of stuff up. See interview below...
I've got nothing but respect and admiration for that type of sporadic, live in the moment style collaboration from two open-minded, uniquely talented artists. I say open minded because neither cared that they hadn't really met previously, worked together previously, or even make the same type of music...they both had respect for each other's work and hit it off. It's like a love at first sight, but with music and from that came made beautiful baby named Sexy Bitch out of that energy. Maybe that went a little far...but still, point taken.
Fast forward now to collaboration #2, which is a little tamer than the first, but sort of has that I Got a Feeling vibe to it. Before you jump all over that comparison, I'm not saying it's going to be as big, but in a smaller scale it has that joyous, feel good harmony and calming europop/dance vibe to it. Just a feel good track all around, one that I feel like if I was drunk in a club, would probably go crazy and dance like nobody is lookin'. You know what I'm talkin' bout, you've done it before, it's a comforting feeling of being able to live in the moment and let go, without having a care in the world. I hope this makes it out for that purpose and I'm betting this will somehow turn into a single off one of their upcoming albums, probably Guetta this time.
Give a listen y'all...
Akon - Once Radio (prod by David Guetta)
|Download
What do you get when you mix European club music with American R&B/Pop?? The answer to that is simply David Guetta. He is fairly well known in France as a DJ and prior to this release he had released four albums without anyone in America really knowing about him.
That all is quickly changing as he has more or less created a new genre of music known as Hip-House in his new album title One Love. While a lot of traditional Hip Hop heads will more or less write this off as an extremely pop mutation of Hip Hop and the traditional Euro trance fans will probably get annoyed that David more or less sold out at the mercy of Contemporary American musical taste, I am a big fan of both respective styles and will willingly adopt this beautiful creation of upbeat Hip Hop. In my eyes this is a stellar combination of two contrasting music genres that, generally speaking, are demographically polar opposites.
If I were you I would go out and cop the album right now, but in case you don't you should definitely give a full listen to a few songs. My guess is you have already heard his two most popular songs on the album When Love Takes Over and Getting Over somewhere on the radio or out clubbin. Not much to say other than they are extremely catchy pop/club songs that are going to continue to be in heavy rotation because of how wildly popular they are.
Those two songs aside, in my opinion, the best song on the album is a toss up between either Sexy Bitch with Akon or Memories with B.O.B. Sexy Bitch definitely has the in your face lyrical sassiness that will undoubtedly appeal to its target demographic club goers, as well as those will instantly hear Akon and like the song, which happens all too often. The second song, Memories, is probably the coolest cross genre mashup/collaboration I have heard in a long time. This song continues to show how the new up and coming Hip Hop acts are freeing themselves from the myopic, traditional sound of Hip Hop music if favor of trying new, creative and even daring collaborations. From the bouncy piano sample moving to the house style BPM beat to the chorus with the addictive vocal coo-ing? (I really don't know what to call it, it's just B.O.B. impersonating a club sounding synthesizer), while adding to it the theme of the song which is letting go and just having a great time out, it's an extremely fun track. I would pick this any day over the rival Black Eyed Peas "Have fun summer anthem" I Gotta Feeling as this is more evidence of why Hip Hop is becoming so much more than just Rap.
Overall I give it a strong 4 headphones rating, bordering on 4.5 just because it is a great, one of a kind compilation of fun, entertaining Pop/Club songs. Many songs on this album should be made into singles and I hope it does get the credit it deserves because trying to create a Techno/Dance album and making it appeal to the Contemporary crowd is no small task...Cascada is the only one that comes to mind as an artist who has pulled it off.
Here are three of my favorite tracks from the album that you may not have heard yet. David Guetta B.O.B. - MemoriesBest song on Album!
