Haven't heard of Area21? Me either, but that doesn't mean there isn't a well-known artist driving the (space)ship. Let's follow the trail of bread crumbs, shall we?
Wait a minute, that track sounds a lot like Area21's new one, Spaceships. Ah hah! So it all comes together, making Area21 a Martin Garrix side project? Whatever the case, the single below straddles that Future Bass-line, settling in as a vulgarity laced party track. Love the collaboration between two incredibly talented artists, but the overtly edgy vocals take away from the brilliance of the production. But, if you're in the mood to get wild, you'll find a way to bounce to it...#Spaceships
It was a surprisingly active week for videos despite the holidays over the past week. Leading the way is my new favorite single Get You Alone by Maejor and Jeremih. Such an interesting beat, not to mention the glowing, beautiful women. Two other male/female collaborations got videos this week in the form of an acoustic version of Love Me Harder and You Know You Like It. One thing I know for sure is that Ariana Grande can do no wrong right now as she is being featuring on everything of late.
Rounding out the top five are a behind the scenes look at how many localized takes Jimmy Fallon does on a nightly basis. When Fallon, Martin Short and Jerry Seinfeld are all on stage, you know it's going to be a fun watch. Last but not least, Drake took over Marquee on New Years and part of it was recorded. Seeing anyone perform at a club isn't usually on my priority list, but I will say that Drake definitely plays better in a smaller, more intimate environment versus an amphitheater. It's hard to go back to that once you're capable of selling that many tickets, but I'm going to continue hoping that I can recreate moments like this in the future...#Drake
Maejor feat Jeremih - Get You Alone (Video)
Ariana Grande feat The Weeknd - Love Me Harder (Acoustic Live)
Jimmy Fallon Gets Distracted by Martin Short, Seinfeld During Commercial Break
Plenty of silly with a substantial dost of Hip Hop in this week's top 5. A bit of a toss up between silliest videos with The Rock/Jimmy Fallon and Nardwuar/Chad Ochocinco coming in neck and neck. One casual observation is that Jimmy Fallon needs to step up his leg crunch game because he was getting put to shame by Dwayne Johnson.
It's been a long time time since Bei Maejor or Maejor Ali released some new music, so the collabo with Jack Johnson was a pleasant surprise. Add to that one of the many videos released by B.O.B. last week off his No Genre 2 Mixtape and you've got a couple of notable Hip Hop releases. The most quirky and interesting video of the week goes to Schoolboy Q who was punked by his DJ when he tipped off a groupie that he liked aggressive women. Hilarity ensues, but it's a small glimpse of what these rappers lives are like on the road...#GroupieLove
Jimmy Fallon & The Rock Create a Workout Video
Bei Maejor feat Jack Johnson - Upside Down (Video)
For some, new years come with resolutions like working out or drinking less. For others, it's a chance to start anew with, for example a name change. For Brandon Green, formerly Bei Maejor, @MAEJORALI was the new beginning 2013 brought.
And so Maejor Ali is now born to a new single featuring the interesting duo or @justinbieber and Three Six Mafia's own @therealjuicyj. First it was @liltunchi rappin' about Lollipops, now we've got another innuendo laden, radio friendly single about Hip Hop's favorite candy. Best guess I've got is that by talking about candy that children like, they get the Top 40 radio blessing, while still remaining Hip Hop by mentioning enough Hip Hop keywords like bands, molly, purple and trains to maintain Hip Hop legitimacy. All I know is anytime you've got the Biebs dropping lines like "I'm all fancy, yeah I'm popping Pellegrino" and "got your girlfriend at my crib watching Netflix" with Juicy J coming strong with "bands a make her dance, molly make her lose them underwear", you can count me in for that mixed rated mess...#Lolly
Maejor Ali feat Justin Bieber & Juicy J - Lolly (prod by Maejor Ali)
I've been a fan of just about everything @beimaejor has done from his numerous production/writing credits to the mixtapes he has released himself. I've always maintained that his original Upside Down mixtape was my favorite mixtapes in 2010. Still, to date it's only been mixtapes and behind the scenes work with no studio albums to extend his fan base.
That's all going to change around the end of 2012 when he is set to release his studio debut Making Up. On the album you can probably expect his two previous singles Trouble with @JColeNC and Lights Down Low with @WakaFlockaBSM. You can add to that the song below featuring the production of @diplo. What you can expect is a laid back party track with plenty of repeatable, chopped up lyrics. I'm not sure yet whether I will end up liking it more than Trouble, but either way, it's going to get some serious play on Top 40 radio...#SummerAnthem
Bei Maejor - Party at the Crib (prod by Diplo & Bei Maejor)
It's really easy to make assumptions about artists based on one song. I was about to start this post by saying @IGGYAZALEA sounds like a @keshasuxx 2.0 and I was prepared to base that opinion completely on the song below. Then, I thought to myself, I don't want to be lazy and shallow, I'd rather watch and interview of Iggy talking about her own music before I create an opinion. (I'd encourage you to do the same by pressing play below)...
Turns out, she's a white rapper from Australia, which is something neither you or I have ever experienced before. She's signed to @tip's Grand Hustle record label and her debut album titled The New Classic is going to be executive produced by none other than T.I.You may remember the lead single off her upcoming album, Murda Business (also featuring T.I.), was released back in March and had a lot of people talking.
In comparison, the track below will blow her lead single out of the water. With production from @beimaejor, a fierce hook by T.I. and an above average verse from @bobatl, the track has a lot to be excited about. I'm still getting used to Iggy's delivery and really trying my best to see her like a @nickiminaj rather than Ke$ha because she clearly takes lyricism seriously. One thing I do know is that I will continue to keep an eye out for new stuff from her because she's got plenty of potential... #PotentialGetsYourFootInTheDoor
Iggy Azalea feat T.I. & B.O.B. - Million Dollar Misfits (prod by Bei Maejor) |iTunes
In what's shaping up to be a respectable sophomore effort, @bobatl's latest single off the album is about as real as it comes. Since it's now pop culture to talk about first world problems that fame brings, Bobby Ray took to the mic and aired out quite a bit of raw emotion on So Hard to Breathe. To be completely honest, when I saw @alexdakid and @BEIMAEJOR on the song's production credits, my expectations for the track immediately hit the ceiling. It's not a stretch to say that both are in my top ten favorite producers in the game, so I figured they could do no wrong collaborating with an artist in my live starting five.
While I wasn't exactly let down by the track, I also wasn't all that impressed by the track because it was pretty vanilla all around. The only real spice came from the anger and struggle Bobby spit on the track when he talked about flipping over tables as fans congratulated him on his million record sales. The live band feel and vocalization work well with his style, but there's a difference between a vocalist and a rapper than can hold a tune. I'm more of a fan of the Bobby Ray that raps and does a sing along hook. Sorta like @realwizkhalifa, who manages to do both and pull it off. On the flip side, I'm not as big of Bobby when he comes off as a vocalist.
Being let down is a product of expectations and when it comes to three of my favorite artists on one track together, I expect the world. I'm still excited as hell fro Strange Clouds, which drops in a week on May 1st. You can bet there will be more than a fair share of hidden gems on the album that neither you or I have heard yet. Check the snippets here, if you're super eager. Me I'm cool, I'll wait on the real deal...#Patience
B.O.B. - So Hard to Breathe (prod by Alex da Kid & Bei Maejor) |iTunes
With his lead single (Trouble) continuing to getting plenty of spins on top 40 radio, @BEIMAEJOR is keeping the momentum going with his follow up single Lights Down Low with @WakaFlockaBSM. For all you Wheel of Fortune fans who follow Bei on Twitter, I hope I didn't ruin it for you...
With his new Upscale EP scheduled to drop sometime in February, I'd say he's two for two in singles thus far. Would I appreciate a full length album rather than an extended EP? Probably, but hey, if he's going to stock it with tracks like the one below, all that talk about him being underrated may be coming to an end. That's not a bad thing though because from what I understand, he's a humble dude and as grounded as any other artist in the game. Makes it easier to root for artists like that ya know?
The single has yet to hit iTunes, but feel free and use this link whenever it does finally drop and feel free to support Bei on his way to the top...#OnlyAMatterOfTime
Bei Maejor feat Waka Flocka - Lights Down Low (prod by Bei Maejor)
|iTunes
Definitely went wide on my scope for videos this week as I managed to encompass a few videos that may have fallen beneath the radar this past week. Pretty cool watching @Yelawolf's journey with his Tide to the National Championship, as well as the in studio video of some of the quickest lyricists on the mic with @RealDjKayslay. If you haven't gotten a formal introduction to @Drake's right hand producer, I found it interesting hearing @OVO40 talk about how the Buried Alive (Interlude) with @kendricklamar came about. Lastly, if you haven't caught wind of the firestorm that is @lanadelrey, feel free to give her SNL performance a quick watch and see if you disliked it as much as Brian Williams. I'm only beginning to listen to her and she isn't half bad...or at least half as bad as you made her seem. I know we all love sarcasm via email, but in the world we live in, it's never safe to admit that emails are private. To everybody else throwing darts at Lana...#StopHatin
Lana Del Rey Performs Video Games on SNL
Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe (Video)
Yelawolf LSU vs Alabama Webisode
DJ Kay Slay f. Busta Rhymes, Layzie Bone, Twista & Jaz-O -- 60 Second Assassins (Video)
Bei Maejor - Mesmerized (Video)
B.O.B. feat Future & Trae Da Truth - How Bout Dat (Video)
Drake's Right Hand Man 40 Talks Kendrick Lamar's Buried Alive Interlude
Infuse an already bangin' track by @BEIMAEJOR and @JColeNC with @Wale, @TreySongz and @tpain and what do you think the results will be? The common thread on this track is an ability to go R&B and also be able to spit on the mic. All of the aforementioned artists excel at that and don't sound out of place on either side of the fence, making this a starting five that is not to be trifled with.
I'm still waiting to hear a firm date on Bei's debut studio album titled Making Up that's due out sometime in 2012. I'd imagine Trouble will eventually land on that album, but you never know with the amount of mixtapes he's been able to churn out. I've always been a big fan of anything and everything Bei touches, so I'm really hoping he can put together a solid debut so that more people can become aware of all that he has to offer Hip Hop. Simple put, dude is talented and more people need to know about him, that's what I'm sayin'...#GetWithTheProgram
Bei Maejor feat Wale Trey Songz J Cole T Pain - Trouble (Remix)
I've written a fewtimes about how much I enjoyed @bigsean's debut album Finally Famous. In an effort to re-create the experience, Big Sean's tour DJ (@djmobeatz) and @adidas Originals got together on a Finally Famous Originals compilation. The effort features new production from a lot my favorite producers like @IAMDRUMMA, @beimaejor, @KeY_Wane and Chiddy Bang's @XaphoonJones. Together, they all give an added element of freshness to tracks that were good to start with.
It's mixtapes like this that give me faith that the Hip Hop business model is evolving into something that I'm going to continue to support. Yet again, a well-known company felt like it was a good decision to get behind a mixtape in an effort to further their brand. The fact that it was a quality, but still free product makes me feel more inclined to give them dap and link to their Adidas Originals site. Call it respectful reciprocation that came about because they were nice enough to do me a favor in providing me a free link to the mixtape. That's the type of effort I feel like getting behind and if you're interested in other companies like Adidas who are getting on board to help shape the new Hip Hop business model read more here.
If you're still curious about why you should cop the mixtape and peep the promo video below. Or better yet, catch Big Sean and DJ Mo Beatz on tour...
Big Sean - Marvin & Chardonnay (Remix)(Prod. Xaphoon Jones)
Bunch of Timbo this week, which is building up some serious excitement for Shock Value 3. Still a big fan of those Wale, Bei Maejor and Chiddy singles too. Pretty pumped they made videos for both tracks...
Timbland feat Pitbull - Pass at Me (Video)
Bei Maejor feat J Cole - Trouble (Video)
Wale - Bait (Video)
Timbland feat Jet - Timothy Where You Been (Video)
Red Cafe feat Fabolous & Lloyd Banks - The Realest (Video)
It's been a lil bit since I've heard a smooth ballad from @beimaejor. I'm hopeful that this and his newest single with @JColeNC will mean that a major label debut is soon to follow, but it seems like the mixtape route is his favorite and most traveled route. In case you missed it, he's already released a mixtape, Throwback and he's got another one on tap, maejorMaejor.
I'm guessing the track below will surface on his upcoming maejorMaejor mixtape, but that's only speculation. Either way I'm sure he'll keep it USD and hopefully keep the new material coming...
It's rare for a completely unheard of artist to come out of the blue with a track that makes Hip Hop as a whole stop walking and acknowledge it's presence. It's rare, but not impossible, especially if you're name is @1YUNGCHRIS and you managed to entice fifteen (@cyhidaprynce, @YOUNGJEEZY, @BUNBTRILLOG, @twistagmg, @Doseworld, @bobatl, @BIGSEAN, @CORYMOMUSIC, @corygunz, @nelly_mo, @TRAEABN, @wakaflockabsm, @Wale, @RealWizKhalifa and @YOGOTTIKOM) noteworthy Hip Hop artists to join the cause on the extended remix. IDGAF what Hip Hop track I'm listenin' to, if it has a very simple beat and lyrics that aren't thought provoking in the least, it's just too much. It's like going to Coldstone and getting a Gotta Have It size, you feel me? I damn near had to delete half my hard drive to clear space for this monstrous 29.3 MB track and even more alarming, I managed to run about a mile and a half just to this remix. I exaggerate, but sill, unless it's a techno/dance track, it shouldn't be half as long as 12 mins 47 sec.
Needless to say, if I wasn't thoroughly annoyed with this track from hearing it everywhere I go, I was at the end of the extended remix. For all you folks who Googled this and are wondering what the hell "racks on racks racks on racks" means, they are referring to bundles of money in thousand dollar amounts. In other words, 1 rack is $1000, so racks on racks refers to this picture of YC below with the stacks of $1000 on top of each other...
I'll admit though, on first listen, I fully understood why the track blew up. It's a simple pleasure, even for the most sophisticated Hip Hop fan. The bouncy beat, non-stop repeatability, creates a fun, dumbed down feel that keeps it simple, which can be good sometimes. Shoot even the producer on the track, @SONNYDIGITAL was completely unknown to most of Hip Hop until this track. Time will tell if this turns into a one hit wonder effort, but I'd rather be a has been then a never was. Peep the video, which managed to top @106andpark today...
As a bonus, check out @BEIMAEJOR's piano version of the track below...
The original track is off of the @DJGREGSTREET hosted Got Racks mixtape that dropped back in early April. Universal Records liked Yung Chris enough to sign him, so maybe there's more heat to come. Time will tell, til then feel free to catch up on all that is racks below...
Yung Chris feat Future - Racks on Racks (Original)
Ace Hood feat YC - Racks on Racks (Remix)
YC feat. CyHi Da Prynce, Young Jeezy, Bun B, Twista, Young Dose , B.o.B., Big Sean, Cory Mo, Cory Gunz, Nelly, Trae The Truth, Waka Flocka, Wale, Wiz Khalifa & Yo Gotti - Racks on Racks (Remix)
I'll admit, after the first @NEWBOYZ album, Skinny Jeanz And a Mic, I took notice of them, but wouldn't have taken the time to hype them much. I'll admit, their dance floor anthem You're a Jerk had everyone poppin' and lockin', but as a whole it was more of a novelty Hip Hop album.
Fast forward now to 2011, where their second release Too Cool To Care is about to drop in a few days on May 17th. Now this album is somethin' to write home about. With production coming from all angles with two @KANEBEATZ tracks, one from @imadeitinc, @DIPLO, @BEIMAEJOR, and 3 tracks by @thecataracs, the disk is oozing with nothin' but top notch beats. Maybe it's because they match up best stylistically, but The Cataracs tracks on their album stand out the most to me. Well hold up, the track with @BIGSEAN amd Kane Beatz is hands down the top track, but it seems like @THALEGACY and @IMBENJBRO shine the most when David and Niles are behind the boards.
Case in point the track below, where they narrowly avoid insult in letting the ladies know that they look better with the lights off. Having put all the Rihanna drama (mostly) behind him, you can chalk this up to another successful @CHRISBROWN hook as he's now running away with the title of Most Sought Out Feature for 2011.
New Boyz feat Chris Brown - Better With the Lights Off (prod by The Cataracs)
Mixtape after mixtape I've been pushing @BEIMAEJOR's music full force as it's been comin' out and for good reason. Upside Down will always be my favorite mixtape of his with tracks like Kisses in the VIP and Facelifts & Waterfalls, but as a fan of his music, I'm still eagerly awaiting a debut studio album. Don't get it twisted, I'm more than happy to keep getting song after song of great tracks and covers like two of his most recent videos Hit Me Up Angel off Upside Down 2 and The Lala Song off Throwback...
Bei Maejor - Hit Me Up Angel
Bei Maejor - Lala Song
Still, covers are covers, they are cool because they take an instrumental or melody and are shaped to the artist's vision, but they don't translate to industry respect or to making money....which is why I'm thrilled to hear his new supposed lead single titled Trouble off his supposed debut album. I haven't seen an album titled yet, which is you you're getting the italics in the previous sentence, but regardless, it's great news. The at times heavy, but bouncy snap beat should assure more than a few plays on the radio, especially coupled with a short, but to the point @JColeNC verse at the end.
As an aside, I just found out he was listed on the production credits of @RealWizKhalifa's track with @currensy_spitta Rooftops too, which adds to the mounting list of great tracks he's been behind the scenes on. While being a producer and songwriter doesn't always ensure solo artist success, I can't help but cheer for the ones with real talent behind the boards orchestrating the tracks that end up becoming singles. Ask @diggy_simmons and @souljaboy, who enlisted Bei's talent on their most recent singles, they've gotten plenty of love because of his help.
Keep spreading the #USD love and helping Bei become a Maejor force in the game...
Tis the season for Mixtapes and what better way to start than a much anticipated release from Cleveland native @chip216. With the whole tape produced by 1/2 the @coolxkids with @chuckisdope behind the boards, the level of quality Hip Hop throughout is assumed. Every beat will have you nodding your head and admiring the *fresh* as you listen to Chip methodically flow with his his in your face, but cool as a summer breeze delivery.
Between as the Twitter chatter and blog and merchandise love Gift Raps is getting, it's no surprise this has over 26,000 downloads in datpiff in less than two weeks. As far as this week is concerned, it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mixtapes. You've got @ITSPACDIV - Mania (10K downloads), @macmiller - Best Day Ever (61K downloads), @dopeitsdom - Original Dom Kennedy (4K downloads, @BEIMAEJOR - Throwback (3K downloads) and to top it all off the other half of the Cool Kids (@sirmichaelrocks) is releasing The Rocks Report on Monday. Put it this way, plenty of homework to do for bloggers and Hip Hop heads alike when it comes to sifting through the heap of free music we've been provided this week.
Below are my two favorite tracks from Gift Raps, the first with co-prod credit from the Blended Babies. If you've been admiring the @charliesheen saga unfold, you'll get a chuckle out of the tweet below as it relates pretty well to the motto on Plural...
As far as best beat on the mixtape is concerned, easily the absolutely bangin' Everyday Chillin beat that has Chuck's paw prints all over it. Love the simplistic, heavy sound all over the track...
Chip Tha Ripper - Everyday Chillin (prod by Chuck Inglish)
|Download
Feel free to stream the whole tape below or download it here...
In case you missed Miss Keri's last album, In a Perfect World, you'd better hitch a ride to that bandwagon cause it's gonna be at capacity after her new No Boys Allowed album drops next Tuesday on Dec 21st. I finally took a look at the final tracklist today and became visibly excited, not like that fake oh that looks kinda cool style smile, I'm talkin' geeked like ear to ear type shit when I saw 4 @polow_da_don tracks, 2 @boi1da tracks, 2 @timbaland007 tracks, 2 @BEIMAEJOR written tracks, 1 track by Danja and even one from the two crazy Norwegians Stargate. Talk about talent behind the board, cot damn, that's a whole cavalcade of awesomeness when all put together and @misskeribaby will be sure to reap the benefits with her always on point vocals.
Cool to see so many great, talented, young artists and producers combining forces. It's like if you were a Miami Heat fan and general admirer of both Bron Bron and Bosh prior to this year. When they all combine forces to work together it's got the potential to be somethin' special. Yea I know what you're thinking the Heat have sucked this year, which takes away from the comparison, but y'all know what I'm sayin. Oh and how bout @jcolenc adding a verse and Bei Maejor throwin' in a few ad libs at the start of the track, I see yo Bei!
It would be ignorant to not go out and cop No Boys Allowed or at least entertain it as a gift idea. Especially if you haven't heard of her and can appreciate a supremely talented artist and the company she keeps. Why settle for college when you can go straight to the NBA???
Keri Hilson feat J. Cole - Buyou (prod by Boi-1da co-prod by Bei Maejor & Polow Da Don)
For all of you that pay attention closely, y'all know how big of a supporter I am of Bei Maejor. For good reason, I gave his previous mixtape Upside Down rave reviews for being front to back filled with a mix of great Hip Hop and R&B tracks. Not one to disappoint, he's back at it again with a sequel to his first effort, Upside Down 2, continuing his uwop ǝpısdn series.
Like his first mixtape, he mixes plenty of stories over harmonies and great beats from some of the game's best producers like @kanebeatz, @boi1da and @MAESTRO. His music has depth, purpose and ranges from trap music sounding tracks like U Know How It Go, to baby makin' music with Right Now, to inspirational stores on the Boi-1da produced Teardrops and Telephone Calls. Shoot he even mixes in a few features you wouldn't expect like the Jack Johnson guitar and vocal aided Upside Down and the Shaggy/Merrillee Rush sampled Hit Me Up Angel.
My personal favorite so far on the mixtape is the Kane Is In The Building produced Wife U Up. The beat initially reminds me of Travis Porter's Over Again with the piano leading the way into an upbeat, head nod inducing hook delivered with a touch of autotune by Bei. It's a fun track that'll have you singin' "Hey pretty girl hey sexy sexy lady, the way that that booty drop make me go crazy" by the end of the track.
Give it a listen and do your iPod a favor and supplement it with a @BEIMAEJOR playlist sprinkled with tracks from Upside Down and Upside Down 2...
"You can't concern yourself with standards when you're chasing greatness"
Late last year around November, I heard a track that caught my ear called Drunk in the Club...so much so that I still rock that joint to this day, which is unheard of with my on-to-the-next-one, promiscuous attitude toward music. Having that strong of a first impression has had me constantly on the look out for new stuff from Bei Maejor. Up until this month, he hadn't really released any noteworthy solo albums/mixtapes and he had been more well-known for hisproduction, which was still top notch (especially the @diggy_simmons track Great Expectations). Finally this week Bei dropped a free mixtape on us titled Upside Down, which he has put on his website free to download here.
To be completely honest, I'm trying to be selective in who I follow on Twitter because the more people/artists/producers I follow, the easier it is to miss stuff on the feed. That's why I recently decided to follow @beimaejor, making him one of 18 people I follow on Twitter a good decision because everything he is touching lately sounds good and is blowing up. I like the fact that a lot of these really talented, young, up and coming producers (i.e. KaneBeatz, Boi-1da) are all sticking together and repping each other's work. Big reason why I take the time to shout all of them out, they all produce great music and deserve more credit for what they do in my opinion.
Before I get too far into my favorite tracks on his new mixtape, which is by far the best R&B mixtape I've heard since Kevin Cossum's Hook vs Bridge mixtape from last year, I'll be honest in saying it was initially hard to root for Bei. Talent and music aside, he is a graduate of Michigan and I've been brainwashed to dislike anything Michigan related since I went to Ohio State. By the way, #2 pre-season, how bout them apples?? It has helped that my best friend also went to Michigan, as well as his wife, so this won't be the first time I'll be making an exception for someone who graduated from the school up north. As an intro to Bei Meajor as a person, check the video below where he talks about the reason why he spells his name so crazy and how he started producing song for @treysongz while he was 18 and still in college.
Definitely comes off as a soft spoken dude, but he's clearly got a lot of ambition with the direction he's headed with his music, even wanting to work with Owl City. Below is the album cover for his new tape, Upside Down:
On the mixtape, Bei takes the first 4 songs to explain in storytelling detail the reason for titling it Upside Down. I'm not going to ruin it, but give a listen to Barbershop Talk, which has sort of a Biz Markie sound to it, while it tells a story similar to Biggie's Story to Tell. Add to that a slightly British accent and that's the best way I can explain it, but I thought of Biz on the delivery and Biggie a little bit with the way he went about explaining the whole predicament he ended up in with his girl and her....listen to the mixtape.
My personal favorite on the whole mixtape is the second track in the story called Kisses in the V.I.P.. The backbone of the track is a beautiful piano based slow jam that sets a perfect scene to describe a sexy encounter in the V.I.P. Seems like everyone has at least one PDA story to tell about in their life and this track is a perfect soundtrack for that memory. Overall I was impressed mostly with the production of the track as a whole by Bei, but it's also a track where he shows off some serious vocals. He also does a great job at building the drama and incorporating the story within the track while maintaining the beat, which isn't an easy thing to pull off. Check it out...
The second part of the album is filled with 9 tracks that are stand alone songs not having to do with the Upside Down story. While tracks like the video game inspired Gamez with Keri Hilson, Drinks on Me with Trey Songz and a great balled with Drake titled July, are going to get the majority of the attention, I was a bigger fan of two other tracks on the mixtape. The first being the Journey - Don't Stop Believin' inspired All Night. The sample is a little sped up, but it's definitely a good use of a well known piano sample. On this he takes more of a Hip Hop angle on the verses, but is able to incorporate a catchy R&B hook, giving a new sound to an old sample. I would have given the thumbs up on a Sample Justice here because he deviated from the sample and made it his own, but the original sound of the track is retained. Give it a listen...
Toward the end, the mixtape ends with a bang as Bei collaborated with Canadian beat chemist, Boi-1da on Facelifts and Waterfalls. Lyrically it goes waaay more than skin deep wondering aloud why men encourage women to take their clothes off, yet look down on them for it and how the most beautiful women are usually the ones that keep tweaking their looks with things like facelifts. Found it provocative how he compared the social acceptableness of white people going crazy watching World Cup soccer to the negative connotation of how a ground of black people watching the NBA would be called ghetto. I can see where he's goin' with the point because white soccer fans can be stupid and act a fool watching soccer at times, but I don't think there's as big of a negative connotation surrounding watching basketball to warrant comparison...but that's neither here nor there because the song does a great job at bringing to light some things that socially and culturally don't make sense. Listen below...
Bei Maejor - Facelifts and Waterfalls (prod by Boi-1da)
| Download
If you're in the mood for an upbeat, heartfelt love story that does a complete 180 at the end, in a almost so sad it's funny sort of way, give She Was (A Broken Love Story)a listen. I agree the story was artistic, extremely well told and easy to follow. Another great example of why artists that also produce are the ones that consistently put out the highest quality material.
Be on the look out for more Bei features on this blog as well as (hopefully) more solo material like the tracks on Upside Down. <----Last Chance to cop it!...
Bonus: An upbeat remix of his first single Drunk in the Club. Shouts out to Logan de Gaulle and @CLINTONSPARKS on the remix...
Bei Maejor feat Clinton Sparks - Drunk in the Club (Logan de Gaulle rmx) | Download
, I took notice of them, but wouldn't have taken the time to hype them much. I'll admit, their dance floor anthem 
album drops next Tuesday on Dec 21st. I finally took a look at the final tracklist today and became visibly excited, not like that fake oh that looks kinda cool style smile, I'm talkin' geeked like ear to ear type shit when I saw 4 @polow_da_don tracks, 2 @boi1da tracks, 2 @timbaland007 tracks, 2 @BEIMAEJOR written tracks, 1 track by 
