"You Mix the Wrong Guys With the Right Intentions"

Everything Calvin Harris has put out in 2017 thus far has thrown me for a loop. I was so accustomed to his EDM driven style that I'm still wrapping my mind around this airy, funk vibe he's been focused on of late. I get that artists and DJs need to keep evolving to keep their music fresh, but as an avid far of his previous music, the rapid transition has felt a bit forced so far.

Take for example his latest star-studded funk anthem Feels with Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean. It fits perfectly in my mental model for the type of music I'd expect from Pharrell. The funk is layered on heavy and when you add in a swaggy verse from Big Sean loaded with quoteables mixed with a bubbly Katy Perry hook, you've got yourself a Top 40 topping hit. Maybe it's too bubble gum for my liking, but it's all just too perfect. Give me a grimy EDM beat like on Slow Acid and I'll be good to go. Until then I'll be trying my best to maintain optimism until I get to do a few laps around Funk Wave Bounces Vol 1...#Feels

Calvin Harris feat Pharrell, Katy Perry, & Big Sean - Feels

Videos of the Week April 28th

This week's top five hit a wide range of emotions from serious to quirky to feel good to funny. Leading the way was Kygo and Selena Gomez's video for It Ain't Me. Neither artist star in the video and to be blunt, the story it told was much deeper and sadder than I imagined when listen to the track. Maybe it's the Trop House vibe or the sultry vocals, but I did not picture that tragic of a tale.

Moving on from the sad to a much more adorable, quirky story from Cashmere Cat. Let's just say the colorful instrumental matched the odd story quite well. If you're as geeked as I am about Big Boi's re-emergence, you'll enjoy his funk filled performance of Mic Jack on Fallon. Sticking with a positive vibe was Jeremih, Chris Brown, and Big Sean's colorful, dance heavy visuals for I Think of You. You had to imagine any video with Chris Brown was going to include some dancing. And last but not least some awkward, yet always on point humor from Jon Oliver. Can't make up some of the stories he tells, which makes it even more awesome that they're usually all true...#JonOliver

Kygo feat Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (Video)

Cashmere Cat feat MØ & Sophie - 9 (After Coachella) (Video)

Big Boi Performs Mic Jack on Late Night With Fallon

Jeremih feat Chris Brown & Big Sean - I Think of You (Video)

Jon Oliver Interview by Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Don't Tell a Lie on Me, I Won't Tell the Truth 'Bout You"

Remember that day when Kendrick put Drake subliminally on blast a few days after he released his new album? Yea, that happened this week with 's release of The Heart Part 4. I say subliminally because he didn't outright mention Drake by name, but the timing and long backstory of jabs back and forth are starting to feel more direct than subliminal.

There are also rumors circulating that Big Sean was in the crosshairs of Part 4, which lends some credence to the whole purebred rapper vs part-time rapper who went pop debate. What I mean by that is Drake and Big Sean rap, but they cast a wide net stylistically, which make them seemingly less of a true lyricist since they cater to a Pop audience. Seeing that Kendrick has always maintained a stance as the lyrical king of Hip Hop, the battle lines are becoming much more defined with the release of his new track. Will there be a follow up response from Drake or will he tip his cap and continue staying in his own lane? Time will tell, but one thing's for sure, there's nothing wrong with how well More Life is selling after the first week...#HeartPart4



Kendrick Lamar - The Heart Part 4

Videos of the Week March 10th

It was bound to happen at some point, but this week there's a rare top five filled with all music. Leading the way was Snakehips and MØ's in studio cover of Childish Gambino's Redbone. I'll admit, it was a lot jazzier than I thought it would be, which was a cool surprise. After that there was a little bit of dark EDM (I Love You) and a little bit of fun EDM (Just Hold On) brought to you by Axwell Λ Ingrosso, and Steve Aoki. Both were cases where I got to re-live two songs I really like and had written about previously, but in more intimate ways.

If you were wondering whether Bebe Rexha was as good looking as her vocals led you to believe, you got a resounding answer to that question in her FFF video. Her and G-Eazy make for a dynamic duo and their chemistry is palpable. And if you haven't gotten a big enough dose of sexy, Jeremih has you covered on I Think of You. As a bit of icing on the cake, this week's top five ended on a high note with a roller skating dance video. Who doesn't love a good Hip Hop video at a roller rink??...#IThinkOfYou

Childish Gambino - Redbone (Snakehips & MØ Cover)

Axwell Ingrosso feat Kid Ink - I Love You (Video)

Steve Aoki feat Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (Video)

Bebe Rexha feat G-Eazy - FFF (Video)

Jeremih feat Big Sean and Chris Brown - I Think of You (Video)

Photo Credit - YouTube

"I Been Talking to God Like He My Therapist"

It's only fitting that on Super Bowl Sunday I write about a new track where Eminem rattles off a prolific four-bar Patriots assault...

"Surely I'm turning into the Aaron Hernandez of rap
State of emergency, the planet's having panic attacks
Brady's returning, matter of fact I may be deserving
Of a pat on the back, like a Patriots jersey" - Eminem
The track I'm talking about is off Big Sean's new I Decided album and appropriately titled No Favors. I say appropriately titled because the vibe of a track is a "no-holds barred" cypher. Sure, there's a hook that provides a margin between the verses, but it's all about the rhyme after rhyme, 100 mph storytelling.

Was anyone else wierded out by Eminem's gruff tone on the track? It almost sounded like he was trying to make fun of himself or play up a serial killer diction on the track. As soon as he hit his stride mid-verse he drifted back into the Eminem I'm used to hearing, but it the contrast was a bit odd. Interesting tone aside, it's cool to see the Detroit legends go in on a track together. It's also yet another reason to go and check out Big Sean's new album that dropped this week, so here are the obligatory iTunes and Spotify links to the now #1 album on iTunes...#NoFavors

Big Sean feat Eminem - No Favors

Videos of the Week January 27th

For the first time in a while, this week's top five was directly centered around late night. Three out of the five videos had ties to either SNL or Fallon or both in one case. Led by Aziz Ansari's stellar opening monologue, this week started off with a bang. I don't think anyone could have appropriately summed up what everyone was thinking about Trump being elected than he did. Then, Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson showed why their new song, Just Hold On, is skyrocketing up EDM charts as we speak. And to wrap up the late night stuff in a nice neat little bow, Big Sean went on Fallon to talk about his first appearance on SNL. #FullCircle

If you need a music fix, Louis the Child has your back with a fiery new video for their new single with Evalyn. It's apropos because anything Louis touches is white hot fire right now *spoiler alert their new single released today is dope*. And last but certainly not least is a video that got me hype as hell. Being from Indiana, I've been to the big race a few times. I've only been once since they went full on EDM with the Snake Pit, but this year's lineup is more than worth the price of admission. The trio of Zedd, marshmello, and RL Grime is about as dope as it gets for a one day lineup. If you're on the fence about going, the fence should now be like a mile behind you because you're sprinting to get tickets...#SnakePit
Aziz Ansari SNL Monologue

Steve Aoki & Justin Tomlinson Perform Little Things on Fallon

Big Sean Talks First SNL appearance on Fallon

Louis the Child - Fire (Video)

Snake Pit Trailer

"Chemistry Means Way More Than Anatomy, She Mad at Me"

Usually I'm a sucker for the inspirational, against all-odds type of tracks that Big Sean usually puts out. His silky smooth delivery and next level wittiness is what puts him in a category by himself as a rapper, but he rarely puts out moody or depressing music. Halfway Off the Balcony definitely fits that description and even though it's not his usual vibe, the mic skills still shine through. My favorite part was when he slowed down the speed of his vocals at the 2:10 mark to add an element of emotion that words can't communicate. It added a unique, screwed type of feel to a track that sounds more Cudi than Sean Don.

Right now this is slated to be track 9 on Big Sean's upcoming album, I Decided. The release comes on the heels of two previous singles, Bounce Back and Moves. You've got about three more weeks to hold on your excitement before the album drops on February 3rd, so don't hesitate to keep the hype train moving along...#HalfwayOffTheBalcony

Big Sean - Halfway Off the Balcony

Videos of the Week January 6th

What better way to start off the year than a memorably embarrassing performance? If you haven't seen Mariah's memorable technical mishap with the lip synching during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, I'm not sure I can even recommend watching it in good conscience. It's that hard to watch. But since I'm a purveyor of pop culture, it's my duty to share. Besides, it opened up the door for Colbert to spoof it, which added a bit of levity to the situation that hasn't lost steam with all the negative publicity it created.

Embarrassing performance aside, there was a lot of new music that graduated into videos this week. Led by DJ Snake and crew's dance party video for The Half and Big Sean's very purple, glow in the dark video for Moves, music was the main course this week. But by far the most impactful video of the week goes to Showtek and Major Lazer for Believer. Like most, they were touched by the photo of Omran Daqneesh who has become the visual personification of the crisis in Syria. In their own way, Showtek and Major Lazer found a way to preach hope through their music story, which was one of the best uses of video I've witnessed in quite a while...#Believer
That Mariah Carey New Years Performance Everyone Was Talking About

Stephen Colbert Having a Mariah Moment

DJ Snake feat Jeremih, Swizz Beatz, & Young Thug - The Half (Video)

Big Sean - Moves (Video)

Major Lazer & Showtek - Believer (Video)

"I Got the Moves, I Make the City Move"

The positivity preacher of rap is back! It doesn't matter if you've heard one of his songs or many, you know Big Sean is about grinding and not letting anything stop you from succeeding. It doesn't matter if it's a cameo verse, a full length track, or somewhere in the middle like his new one Moves. Side note - is it becoming a thing now to have 2 minute tracks? Call me old, but I remember a time when anything less than three minutes was an interlude. Not hating on it one bit, more of an observation than anything. If you can get your point across, it doesn't matter how long it takes you.

If you've been up on Big Sean news lately, you know he's got an album coming out soon. I Decided is Sean Don's upcoming, fourteen song album that's scheduled to hit e-tailers on February 3rd. Back in early November he released Bounce Back, which makes this his second single from the upcoming album. Bounce Back was more of a brash, in-your-face proclamation, where Moves is much more of a smooth, low-profile lyrical exercise. As per usual, there are plenty of quotables to hang your hat on below. Give it a few listens and join me in appreciating the wordplay on Big Sean's new hustle anthem...#Moves

Big Sean - Moves

"I Feel Like I Hit the Light Switch"

You won't find a more quippy rapper than Big Sean. He is the epitome of smooth. If you listen closely to his lyrics, there's another level of intellect just below the surface that is easy to miss because of how casual he delivers each bar. Between the rhymes, analogies, and storytelling, you'd be hard pressed convincing me there is a more polished rapper than him in the game. Critics will say his lyrics can be too sing-songy or he's too white collar, meaning he's not "gangsta" enough, but he doesn't get enough credit for how much he's influenced many of your favorite rappers (namely Drake).

Bonus points are in order for Pharrell who delivered a subtle, but appropriate hook on What a Year. Sean Don brought so much polish and wit that he didn't need to do much more than drop a few lines. It's not a flashy beat, but it's perfect for the message that Sean wanted to deliver. Low key works well when you're equipped with his kind of lyrical punch. If you had a successful 2015, this is the perfect "I made it big time", come-up anthem. If you need some visuals to go with the sentiment of the track, Sean's got all the proof you need below...#WhatAYear

Big Sean feat Detail & Pharrell - What a Year

Videos of the Week November 13th

Let's call this week's top five an entertaining variety show. Led by Hannibal Burress's Hip Hop/politics commentary and Nick Offerman's interesting culinary choices for the fall, there's plenty of funny in the mix. If you're looking for art and creativity alongside some dope beats, ZHU/Skrillex and Kill the Noise have you covered. The claymation creation of Donald Trump's limitless greed was a fun watch if you're into pointed satire. Closing out the week on a huge high note was Missy Elliot's comeback single WTF (Where They From). No matter how much time goes by, Missy is always going to be able to create music that inspires people to shake that booty...#WhereTheyFrom
Hannibal Burress Matches Up Presidential Candidates with Rappers

ZHU x Skrillex x THEY. - Working For It

Nick Offerman Offering Up His Top Fatty Dishes for the Fall

Kill the Noise - Kill it 4 the Kids (Video)

Missy Elliot feat Pharrell- Where They From (WTF) (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week June 19th

Definitely not the usual week for videos with a grab bag of variety being the theme of the week. Is it me or are lyric videos now a pre-requisite to the making of actual videos? Whatever the case, the production quality for lyric videos have gotten a huge boost, making for really entertaining watches. Case in point the use of perspective on the printed lyrics of Eminem's latest track Phenomenal off the Southpaw Soundtrack.

If you're not into reading, Big Sean put together a whole 13 minute documentary surrounding his latest Dark Sky Paradise album. On the real music video front, Travie McCoy and Sia came through with a deserted Western themed movie for Golden. I'm not a country guy, but Timeflies did their thing when they flipped Sam Hunt's House Party into a listenable mix. And for those of you who came for some awkward and a dash of silly, Alan Rickman and Jimmy Fallon took in some helium and hilarity ensued...#Rickman
Eminem - Phenomenal (Lyric Video)

Big Sean's Dark Sky Paradise (Documentary)

Travie McCoy feat Sia - Golden (Video)

Alan Rickman and Jimmy Fallon Ingest Helium and Hilarity Ensues

Timeflies Covers Sam Hunt's House Party

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week April 24th

Plenty of entertainment on tap this week with a focus on festivals. First and foremost, you must check out the HARD Summer trailer video...it's hilarious. It features all of your favorite EDM acts straight up actin' a fool. If you're in LA in early August, it's definitely up there in terms of can't miss festivals.

In other news, Major Lazer released the first episode of their YouTube released animated series. If you're wondering what Major Lazer is like in real life, here's your chance to find out. The only actual music video of the week was contributed by Fall Out Boy who brought to life a text conversation in real life. For a taste of the late night scene, Big Sean and LL Cool J play Pictionary and hilarity ensues when LL starts drawing things. And last but not least, if there's anyone who experienced crappy weather this week, I'd invite you to watch the after movie for the Your Paradise festival in Fiji. It's a small music festival, but you can't beat the scenery. Word has it Alison Wonderland is performing, so color me intrigued in not just island concept, but also the music...#YourParadise
HARD Summer Trailer

Big Sean & LL Cool J Play Pictionary on Fallon

Major Lazer Season 1 Episode 1

Fall Out Boy - Uma Thurman (Video)

Your Paradise Fiji Aftermovie

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week March 6th

This week, you can expect a few standouts mixed in with some humor. Leading the way is the 30 minute documentary style story that Complex put together on Shady Records. The documentary features a lot of interesting commentary from Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg. The parts focused on the signing of Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf toward the end were most interesting to me because I had always wondered what led to all the worthwhile lyricists in Hip Hop being gobbled up by Shady Records.

On the music side of the fence, Big Sean brought his A game with Drake and Kanye on the Blessings video. I'll say this, Dark Sky Paradise deserved to make it to the top of the charts. Speaking of top of the charts, that's where Major Lazer's new single Lean On is headed. Lyric videos can be so easily botched, but the vivid imagery did the track justice in their case. Finally, ending the week with some humor is never a bad thing. Led by DJs from around the world talking about the craziest things they've witnessed on stage and finishing with Action Bronson's entertaining interview on Dan Le Batard's Highly Questionable...#MrWonderful
Not Afraid The Shady Records Story (with Eminem and Dr. Dre)

Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat MØ - Lean On (Lyric Video)

DJs Talk About the Grossest Things They've Seen on Stage

Big Sean, Drake & Kanye - Blessings (Video)

Action Bronson is Interviewed on Highly Questionable with Dan Le Batard

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week February 27th

Let's call it a "memorable" week for videos with a fun mix of new stuff, creative stuff and even a few covers. Kanye leads the way in the new stuff section with his debut of All Day at the Brit 2015 Awards. The track is chalked full of energy, but lyrically it's just a bunch of chest puffed out yelling. Hopefully there are more thoughtful tracks like Only One on his album, I've missed that side of 'Ye.

If you haven't listened to Big Sean's new album, you really are missing out. Skyscrapers is a stand out, but there's a lot more too. Ed Sheeran is a boss, so it only makes sense he remixed CoCo. Similarly, Fallon and Xtina nailed more than a few impressions, including a spot on one of Britney Spears by Ms. Aguilera herself. And last, but not least, a bit of novelty for the week. Kudos to the on fleek video editing by papakilatube for matching the Barney visuals to Straight Outta Compton...#Barney
Big Sean - Skyscrapers (Video)

Ed Sheeran - I'm in Love With the CoCo (Cover)

Kanye Performs All Day at 2015 Brit Awards

Jimmy Fallon & Christina Aguilera Play Wheel of Musical Impressions

Barney With Attitude - Straight Outta Compton

Photo Credit: Vevo

"I'm Waaaay Up, I Feel Blessed"

Out of the blue Big Sean announced last week that he's got a new album coming out on February 24th. That's exciting enough, but a Drake collaboration coming out the same week? Now we're talkin'!

Before I come off too critical, understand that the expectations couldn't have been any higher for the song below since Big Sean and Drake are two of my favorite Hip Hop artists. While the verses did not disappoint, the beat was a bit of a head scratcher because it limited the potential of the track. I liked the lead in to the track, it was simple and set the tone, but then the beat just stumbled along seemingly without a discernible pattern. Shoot, the hook was even a net positive to the track. Maybe I'm a sucker for good production, but this is a great example of how a beat can cap the verses off at the knees. Did I want more? Yes. Is Blessings worth a listen? Yes, it's a solid effort from two of the best in the game right now...#Blessings

Big Sean feat Drake - Blessings

Videos of the Week October 31

Using the word interesting to describe this week's top 5 is an understatement. Starting with Jim Carrey's more than a little entertaining mockery of Matthew McConaughey's Lincoln commercial. That tiny little booger part had me rollin'! Then you've got actor Daniel Radcliffe proving that he's got flow and blowing us all away with the way he rocks a mic. Surprising is what I'd call the NPR sponsored a non-autotuned T-Pain tiny desk show. Random doesn't begin to explain the scenario, but I will say that his voice isn't as terrible as people make it out to be.

Rounding out the top 5 is Major Lazer's cartoon debut. I've always been a big fan of the Major and I'd be willing to put money on the show having the best music for an animated series. Last but not least is Calvin Harris's new single C.U.B.A. Open Wide. Yea, my reaction exactly, what happened to the original version of C.U.B.A.? Not that I'm complaining about Big Sean's presence on the track, it just threw me for a loop. Whatever the case, I'm still not sure I get the whole ballet dancer in the middle of a shoot out motif they were going for...#OpenWide
Jim Carrey's Parody of Matthew McConaghey's Lincoln Ad on SNL

Daniel Radcliffe Raps Blackalicious's Alphabet Aerobics

T-Pain Tiny Desk Concert Presented by NPR

Major Lazer Show Opening

Calvin Harris feat Big Sean - Open Wide (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Sean Don and Maroon 5 Make a Formidable Team

While I wouldn't necessary call Big Sean collaborating with Maroon 5 mind blowing, it deserved an eyebrow raise. My initial fear was that it would be a peanut butter ketchup scenario...great when individually mixed with other things, but pretty difficult to palate when mixed together. Surprisingly, the two blended pretty well together. Thanks to a bit of Hip Hop flavor added to the original version of Maps, Big Sean was able to drop a solid verse before getting out of the way as Adam Levine's original vocals fit in nicely with the ebb and flow of the new beat. It may not knock your socks off, but my bet is you'll find a way to vibe to the new take on a current radio favorite...#Maps

Maroon 5 feat Big Sean - Maps (Remix)

Videos of the Week December 20th

As I mentioned throughout the week, it was a Hip Hop dominated past seven days. The two standout videos of the week were Eminem/Rihanna's Monster video and Mike Posner/Big Sean's Detroit inspired Top of the World. I'll admit it was really cool to see the professional sports inspired Detroit theme. The scenery littered with Red Wings, Tigers and Lions stadiums from two of Detroit natives (Southfield, Detroit) did a good job of capturing the sentiment of the track.

In other news, Kevin Hart and Conan are funny, I'm really digging Cash Cash's new single, and Chuck Inglish + Asher Roth continue to be a dynamic duo. That is all, have a good weekend y'all...#TopOfTheWorld
Mike Posner feat Big Sean - Top of the World (Video)

Eminem feat Rihanna - Monster (Video)

Kevin Hart & Ice Cube Ride Along with Conan

Cash Cash feat Bebe Rexha - Take Me Home (Video)

Chuck Inglish & Asher Roth Perform For the Love in Studio

Photo Credit: YouTube

"I'ma Take It To the Top Top Top of the World"

It's sad that I rarely hear Hip Hop tracks that really catch my attention anymore. In fact, just last weekend my step-brother was asking me what upcoming Hip Hop albums I'm excited for and I couldn't think of a good answer to save my life. Maybe my tastes are irreversibly changing toward EDM and I'm losing touch of what good Hip Hop is. I don't have an answer, but I do have one of those rare songs that I have had on repeat all day long.

In what could be one of my favorite collaborations of 2013, Mike Posner, Big Sean and Diplo just crafted a gem in Top of the World. Everything from the Sean Don verses, to the knock of the Diplo beat, to the Mikey P hook, shoot even the banter at the end of the track was entertaining. It very well could be equal parts pop and Hip Hop, but whatever the case, it's a great song and one that I am thoroughly excited about. Keep an eye out for Posner's upcoming Pages album that is scheduled to hit stores sometime in early 2014...#TopOfTheWorld

Mike Posner feat Big Sean - Top of the World (prod by Diplo)